ã€ŠChronicles of Primordial Warsã€‹


 Prologue

    Prologue

    Tranted by FlowerBridgeToo

    (Temporary took it from moonbunnycafe, as it is down)

    Shao Xuan sat in a remodeled bus and looked at the multitudinous mountains outside the window. Summer Solstice had just passed and the mountains were brimming with greens that burst with life. Seeing such a scene after living long in the city made his mood¡ªdespondent due to failures¡ªquite brighter. Initially, Shao Xuan nned to call up a few friends for a journey far away to unwind his heart, but he didn¡¯t expect toe across his fellow townmate and ssmate who studied archeology, Shi Qi, who then pulled him over for an archaeology trip.

    Now, they were heading towards a rtively remote small mountain vige. It was said that things of the Stone Age were discovered there. A batch of people had already set off for that location, and currently, they were in the second batch.

    Shao Xuan listened to his ssmate start from the primitive humans¡¯ skull, to the stone tools they used, to the murals on rocks. He even took out a few pictures and exined them in detail¡ªthe researchers did this and that . . . after drilling in, it was hard to pull it back out . . . Although Shao Xuan didn¡¯t understand a thing, he still gave face to him and listened attentively.

    On the paper were murals that archaeologists had discovered. Shao Xuan glimpsed at them, and felt they were no better than his nephews¡¯ and nieces¡¯ who had yet to even enter kindergarten.

    The lines on the drawings were rather simple¡ªfor most of them, one could tell they were people who held tools for hunting, as well a few drawings of various species of animals. For the rest, however, he did not have a clue what they were.

    ¡°This is a drawing of a goat? But this goat drawing is too big,¡± Shao Xuan said as he pointed at a picture.

    On the picture, the drawing was a goat with a very long andrge curved horn. By its side, there was a person holding a bow and arrows. Yet, the ratio did not seem normal. The head of the person reached only up to the goat¡¯s back. A few other pictures were the same: a rabbit¡¯s body proportion was akin to a lion, and on the left, there was even a picture of a horse, though its tail was drawn perhaps a bit too short.

    Of course, not every single drawing¡¯s ratio was like that. The different era¡¯s mural styles discovered in different provinces were all distinct. At the back, the ratios were drawn a bit more like reality. On the drawings, you could even see a group of people bringing dogs for hunting.

    He continued flipping back, and found several coloured drawings, giving an even clearer look to them.

    ¡°Hoh, this drawing is even more ridiculous. The antler is toorge! And this person . . . The person in the drawing just now only reached the goat¡¯s back, yet in this drawing, the person only reaches the height of this deer¡¯s leg! What¡¯s that in the bottom-right corner . . . An eight-legged alligator?!¡± Shao Xuan could not admire the style of the primitive humans¡¯ drawing.

    ¡°They may not have put much emphasis on things like these,¡± Shi Qi exined.

    ¡°You mean that when they draw, they did not have any realism in terms of proportion, and instead used exaggerated methods?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°It should be like that.¡± Shi Qi scratched his head. ¡°After all, in that time period, humans were not too educated in beauty. The drawings may only represent some sort of symbolic meaning. There was once a researcher who, when studying the murals, hypothesized that the reason why humans back then drew these hunting-rted murals on cave walls or boulders was to let the tribe¡¯s hunters or warriors have an idea in their hearts before heading out. Or, perhaps there was a ceremony we don¡¯t know of¡ªespecially so for the murals drawn by those ¡®shamans¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Shamans huh . . .¡± In Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, an image of a very odd and old swindler appeared.

    ¡°Ahh, why do you have such a face? Let me tell you this: ¡®shamans¡¯ back then did not necessarily hold low positions in human tribes. Quite oppositely, it¡¯s very possible they held high ones.¡±

    ¡°I know. Swindlers, right?¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    Shi Qi waved his finger left and right, then took out a folder. In it were some copies of scanned drawings. As he pointed at some of the drawings and characters, Shi Qi said to Shao Xuan, ¡°If the appearance of totems is humans¡¯ personification of nature and their own collective unity, that means the thoughts of shamans are humans¡¯ naturalization. The upation of ¡®shaman¡¯ has actually already appeared in the Stone Age . . .¡±

    Shi Qi then started to talk about the development of the upation of ¡°shaman¡± from the ancient times to the present ones¡ªwithout caring about Shao Xuan. The usage of specialized jargon and even quoting various ssics and works, causing Shao Xuan who was listening to have a headache.

    Shao Xuan did not have too great of an understanding in that field, nor did he feel interest. If he didn¡¯t have an old townmate and ssmate who studied archaeology, Shao Xuan would have simply not bothered knowing anything of those things. Before, when he heard people talk about archaeology, he immediately thought of those priceless antiques. However, the direction of study Shi Qi took was simply more antique than antiques! It was so ancient that not many people felt interest towards the topic. Several days ago, Shao Xuan was even listening to the broadcast¡¯s discussion on whether ¡°Charles Darwin¡¯s Theory of Evolution¡± was correct, or ¡°the hypothesis on ¡®aliens created life-forms¡¯¡± was correct. Since he had nothing better to do, Shao Xuan gave it a listen. After doing so, he put it aside and did not study it any further.

    On the contrary, Shao Xuan knew he had interest in ancient human species from a young age. Back then, during middle school, he often had discussions with others regarding several excavated yet disappeared ancient human species remains in recent modern history.

    ¡°You won¡¯t understand if I speak professionally, so I¡¯ll go simpler! Look!¡± Shi Qi used his finger to point at a map on a certain location. ¡°¡®Shaman¡¯ is mentioned in ancient inscriptions on things such as cow bones, turtle shells, and bronze. But, it¡¯s like this . . .¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the ce Shi Qi pointed towards. It was a symbol, looking akin to the interweaving of two ¡°work¡± (¹¤) characters.

    ¡°On a few ancient potteries and statues, this double-work symbol has appeared. On that topic, shamans also affected areas such as hunting, praying, and rescuing. Looking at it in certain perspectives, ¡®shamans¡¯ can be counted as the scientists of that time. However, all of this is spection. Even if it¡¯s records from ancient times, they may not be true. After all, they loved to exaggerate. Isn¡¯t there a saying that goes ¡®There is never truth in history.¡¯? Archaeology is merely digging up a few corners and edges. As for the truth, who knows.

    ¡°The discovered cave this time is also rted to ¡®shamans¡¯. The final few pictures you saw were the murals the first batch of people sent back. In the cave, the double-work symbol was also discovered. So, we can specte that it may be a certain ¡®shaman¡¯¡¯s residential area. Last month, a brief earthquake urred in that vige¡¯s region. Most likely, due to that, this cave was exposed. Before the earthquake, not a single person had heard of it.¡±

    When he spoke up to there, Shi Qi closed the folder and carefully looked at his surroundings. Seeing that the instructor and other students were not paying attention at them, he lowered his voice, and secretively said to Shao Xuan, ¡°I¡¯ve heard the first person who discovered the cave was a child. Moreover, from a fellow student¡¯s news, the child who discovered the cave saw a strange watermelon-sized insect crawling out from his courtyard¡¯s wall. Children have great nerves, so that child followed the insect. In the end, it disappeared at the cave; the child went back, notifying adults, and only then was the cave discovered.¡±

    ¡°Watermelon-sized insect?¡± Shao Xuan felt it to be ridiculous. Regardless of who, when they heard that the first time, they would think it was overly fake. ¡°That child lied?¡±

    Shi Qi shook his head. ¡°The strange thing is, ording to the first batch of people who went there, that there are ancient life-form fossils in the rocks used to construct the courtyard¡¯s walls.¡± Shi Qi paused, rubbed the goose bumps on his arm, then continued, ¡°There are fossils of ancient organisms in the rock which spawned a watermelon-sized insect, as shown by the child who discovered the cave. However, it was notplete. It was only a portion of the remains. But even so, ording to the researchers¡¯ theories, if that organism were still living, it could indeed be as big as a watermelon. Moreover, its appearance would also be quite close to the child¡¯s descriptions.¡±

    ¡° . . . It sounds incredible; however, was the child the only one who saw it, and others didn¡¯t see insects crawling out of their walls?¡± Shao Xuan was a bit drawn in.

    Shi Qi shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s go ask in a while when we get there. We¡¯re almost there anyway.¡±

    When the group of people arrived at their destination, it was already noon, 11 o¡¯clock. Shao Xuan followed Shi Qi and the others and ate a simple lunch, then returned to the bus.

    Shi Qi and the others were already impatient. After eating, they did not rest and nned to immediately start working.

    Shi Qi had already told Shao Xuan the things he needed to pay heed to: which things couldn¡¯t be touched, which ces couldn¡¯t be gone to, who to find when he needed someone, etc. Shao Xuan had a n in his heart.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you after work today. Take a scroll by yourself for now! The scenery in this ce is quite nice: green mountains, blue skies and waters . . . Clean out your lungs after staying in the smoggy city!¡±

    After speaking Shi Qi took his tools and followed his instructor. Shao Xuan was not allowed in that ce, but he did not have much interest going there regardless.

    Only Shao Xuan was left in the bus. After closing the windows and doors of the buss, it was fairly quiet. In the past few days, Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t gotten good sleep, and on the road, he was listening to Shi Qi¡¯s narrations. Now that it was silent, he was sleepy.

    When he woke up, it was nearly 2 o¡¯clock in the afternoon. Shao Xuan nned to head out for a walk. Just as he nned to do that, he saw Shi Qi in work clothes walking over. He went in the buss and grabbed a document. Afterwards, he continued to hurry over and work.

    However, before leaving the bus, Shi Qi took out a chicken egg¨Csized stone and threw it to Shao Xuan. ¡°I picked it up from the cave, and as they weren¡¯t paying attention, I grabbed it. It shouldn¡¯t be anything important. I cannot give you ¡®antiques¡¯, but regardless, this stone was still found in the cave. It even looks quite smooth! Someone probably threw it over there, but I¡¯ll give it to you as a remembrance.¡±

    The stone was found near the cave entrance, and was some distance away from the core of the cave. The quality of the stone was also clearly different from the other objects dug out, and therecked any marks on it. So, the people who came in the first batch focused on the murals and Stone Age¡¯s ¡°antiques¡±. No one cared about the piece of stone near the cave entrance, and for the sake of amusement, Shi Qi smoothly obtained it.

    After catching the thrown stone, Shao Xuan looked at it carefully in his hand. The feeling of it was no different from other stones¡ªdark-green, chicken egg¨Cshaped, a rather sleek surface, as if it were polished carefully. There was nothing odd at a first nce, and even though it wasn¡¯t any ¡°antique¡±, it was decent as a small toy, or as an ornament.

    Shao Xuan did not mind it. After ying around with it in his hands for a while, he felt that the stone could not be warmed up. After a dozen or so minutes in his hands, it was still quite cool. Thinking about it, Shao Xuan took out a lighter and used fire to burn the stone. Logically speaking, the ces that the mes came in contact to should be slightly scorching. But the reality was after burning, it was still as cool as before.

    Sweeping his gaze at his surroundings, Shao Xuan took a fruit knife from the table andid a piece of paper. He nned to use the knife to scrape off a few bits and take it to the archaeology bus and ask someone to help him examine it. However, after scraping the stone with the knife, not even the faintest of traces were left behind. There was not even a scratch from jabbing it with the tip of the knife.

    Cannot be heated by fire, cannot be marked by a knife . . . It was truly an odd stone.

    Shao Xuan walked down the bus with the stone, nning to let Shi Qi look at it carefullyter.

    The bus stopped at a fairly close distance from the vige. It was just that the road was not too suitable for walking.

    Some of the vigers in the vige had went to work, and those a bit more leisure went to the newly discovered cave for the liveliness. As such, when Shao Xuan entered the vige, he only saw a few people walking around.

    Around the vige was a two-meter tall wall made from rock and dirt. It was said to be built several dozens of years ago for protection against wild beasts. The rocks came from the mountain; however, there weren¡¯t manyrge beasts recently, so no one paid any more attention to the stone wall.

    ncing at it, he could see the wall¡¯srge pieces of rocks. It had a long history, bringing about a feeling of destion.

    Shao Xuan yed around with the stone in his hand, his eyes staring at it. Hearing about the discovery of ancient organism fossils in the walls¡¯ rocks, Shao Xuan recalled the ¡°watermelon-sized insect¡± Shi Qi spoke of.

    He was just nning to shift his gaze away when suddenly, Shao Xuan saw a snake-like thing appear on the wall. It was even squirming around. As thick as a small water tank, and its scale-like patterns emitted a cold glint. It was several meters away, but Shao Xuan felt a chill go down his spine, and all his hair stand on end. It frightened him so much he almost leaped into the air. Yet, when Shao Xuan blinked and looked back, he discovered absolutely nothing. The rock wall was still the broken rock wall that took many years of beating from the weather.

    Illusion?

    Shao Xuan looked at the other ces of the wall. Afterwards, his line of sight fell upon a hole in the wall. There was arge rock over there, left behind after the wall at that area copsed. The small parts were taken by the vigers back home to build their own walls, therger ones were left, untouched. And, at that moment, Shao Xuan saw a green-coloured sprout pop up from the rock. The sprout quickly bud leaves and grew tall. At the same time, several vines extended outward towards all directions. The initially three-meter tall hole was instantly veiled by the vines and leaves. A fragrance belonging to nts even permeated the air.

    Shao Xuan took several steps back, breathing deeply. Focusing his eyes and looking back, he discovered the vines and branches had disappeared. The rock wall was same as usual, but the ground was full of therge smooth stones.

    Feeling some strange movement in his hand, Shao Xuan looked down at the stone.

    The stone that could not be heat up nor could be scratched became sand in a split moment. They slipped through the gaps between Shao Xuan¡¯s fingers

    When the final speck of sand fell, Shao Xuan¡¯s vision went pitch-ck.

 Chapter 1 â€“ The Person in Front, Your Pants Are Slipping

    Chapter 1 ¨C The Person in Front, Your Pants Are Slipping

    Tranted by FlowerBridgeToo

    (Temporary took it from moonbunnycafe, as it is down)

    In a cave, lying down everywhere in disorder were twenty children. Ayer of thin, ragged hide covered around seven children. The others who weren¡¯t covered by the hide either had their own, or they had to shrink in a ball at the side. But no matter if they were covered or shrunk into a ball, they sleep very soundly.

    Since it hadn¡¯t been cleaned in a long time and there were many people sleeping, there was a very heavy stench lingering about the cave. In their surroundings, there were bore air vents, allowing sunlight to enter, which barely permitted some light in the dark cave.

    Underneath the air vent, on one side of the cave, a young child d in torn tide was sleeping there. However, he was different from the others. There was also arge dog that slept by his side, nearly the same size as him.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes. Seeing the sunlight that had already shone to his shoulders, he rubbed his eyes, crawled up, and tidied up the dry grassid underneath him. Seeing Shao Xuan actions, therge dog with initially closed eyes quickly rose and obediently knelt by his side so as to let Shao Xuan pick up the dry grass it was just on.

    After bundling the grass together, Shao Xuan walked out of the cave with one hand holding the bundle of dry grass, and the other holding the dog leash, which was made out of rope.

    Arriving at such a primitive tribe¨Clike area in such an ineffable manner, bing a small brat in the tribe located in the deste wilderness. This body was very weak, as it likely hadn¡¯t been able to heal from an illness. Ever since Shao Xuan woke up from that body, over half a year had passed. Even if he didn¡¯t get used to it, he could only grit his teeth and bear with it. Only survival was the most important.

    Shao Xuan never would have expected to trulye to a ce like that. There were great differences from the primitive tribes of the Stone Age he had learnt from before when it waspared to this. Their appearances did not look anything special, but their essence was different.

    Have you ever seen an ordinary person carrying a small water tank¨Csized rock with a single hand scrolling around aimlessly on the streets?

    Have you ever seen an ordinary person jump three stories high¡ªwithout the assistance of any tool¡ªand stand stably after jumping down from a ten-meter tall three?

    Shao Xuan had never seen that in his past life, but in this one . . . he sees it every day!

    As for the cave he just came out of, its original name was ¡°Lying Down Cow Cave¡± because the appearance of the cave was like a cow that was lying down. It was named by the tribe¡¯s ¡°shaman¡± back then; however, a thousand years had since passed. As the years and months reced one another, the tribe, as it reproduced, built houses outside the cave. As a result, the cave was used as a ce for orphans that were taken in by the tribe. Henceforth, it was named as the ¡°Children¡¯s Cave¡± by the tribe¡¯s people. The children who lived inside had no parents to take care of them, nor were there anyone in the tribe who were willing to take them in as their own. So, all in all, the ¡°Children¡¯s Cave¡± was the tribe¡¯s orphanage.

    After Shao Xuan arrived at that ce, he hadn¡¯t seen people from other tribes. Which meant in the vicinity of their mountain range, there was only one tribe, their ¡°ming Horn¡± tribe.

    In the isted tribe, it was a life of self-sufficiency.

    Whilst pulling the dog, Shao Xuan walked about in leisure.

    Shortly after, he saw an incongruously sized wooden house. Some of itsponents were also woodbined with things such as rocks, grass, and dirt. Inparison to the one before, this one, made of wood and rocks, was slightlyrger, and it looked also a bit sturdier. That house could be counted as a mansion, located near the foot of the mountain.

    But no matter if it was the wooden houses or the wooden and rock ¡°mansions¡±, in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, they were constructions that were horrendously simple. However, after staying there for such a long time, Shao Xuan did yearn for a wooden house that belonged to himself. But, that stage could not be realized.

    At that time, there were already people starting to move about. The men had already took out their stone tools for grinding so it¡¯d be more convenient the next time they went hunting with already sharpened stone knives. The women too had their own work¡ªsewing hides, drying foods, etc.

    When Shao Xuan passed, quite a few people¡¯s gazes looked over. Not at Shao Xuan, but at the organism Shao Xuan was pulling. In their eyes were drooling and greed as they swallowed their saliva. In their perspective, Shao Xuan was pulling a huge chunk of meat, enough for them to have several meals. The eyes of those who woke up early to work yet still had an empty stomach turned green; however, after they saw the thing worn around its neck, they¡ªunwillingly¡ªendured their longing to take the wolf away. That was the Marking Tile of the ¡°shaman¡±, meaning it belonged to the shaman. They did not dare to touch it. In their eyes, Shao Xuan was also merely helping the shaman to look after the wolf.

    Yes, it was actually a wolf by Shao Xuan¡¯s side. It was born within the mountain ranges, but when it was young, a warrior hunting from the tribe found it. He brought it back so Shao Xuan could eat it, but coincidentally, the tribe¡¯s shaman passed by, left a Marking Tile that had the marking of a shaman, then departed. Shao Xuan named the wolf ¡°Caesar¡±, the name in which Shao Xuan named his former life¡¯s dog. He raised Caesar like he did a dog, all the way up until the present.

    The thoughts of the people there were very odd. Clearly, they respected the shaman quite a bit, yet their attitude when facing Shao Xuan did not change much even after seeing the shaman giving a Marking Tile to Shao Xuan. The only thing different was them holding out on their desire to cut Caesar up and eat it. As for the other areas, they did nothing more than what they¡¯d usually do. After all, the shaman did not tell everyone to help Shao Xuan. Where would such a grand character such as the shaman have time to pay attention to a child? As time passed, all of them got used to a child that had a wolf. And, ever since Caesar was a wolf cub who didn¡¯t even have aplete row of teeth, the shaman hadn¡¯t appeared again.

    But what made the people near the foot of mountain baffled was why did Shao Xuan call Caesar a dog?

    And, what was a dog?

    However, that question did not linger for long because no one paid attention to it. They didn¡¯t bother paying attention to it, as they were busy focusing on other things¡ªfood.

    Shao Xuan was already used to the surrounding gazes. As though nothing were happening, he continued pulling Caesar and walking. Even if the tribe¡¯s people were greedy, they would not go and rob the shaman¡¯s things. As Shi Qi had said: shamans¡¯ position in tribes was very high. As for why the person residing on the mountain¡¯s ¡°area for influential people¡±, the shaman whose position was the highest¡ªor second-highest¡ªin the tribe, would give Shao Xuan, who slept in the ¡°Children¡¯s Cave¡±¡ªa very lowly existence¡ªsuch an important Marking Tile, it was due to a term Shao Xuan mentioned back then¡ª¡±raise¡±. Originally, Shao Xuan said back then to raise the little wolf cub Caesar before eating it, and coincidentally, the shaman heard those words. He allowed Shao Xuan to raise it, and in order to prevent the others in the tribe from taking it away, the shaman left a Marking Tile for Shao Xuan, which was put over his neck.

    The ¡°shaman¡± had great interest in raising, but in over half a year, the old man hadn¡¯t even appeared once. As a result, the impression Shao Xuan had on the old man was¡ªan irresponsible old swindler. Was it easy raising a wolf? Every day, he was being red at by the people surrounding him. Without a powerful mental endurability, he would have already gone insane.

    In short, raising Caesar waspletely because of a coincidence.

    How difficult was life! Although the tribe took care of the food issue in the Children¡¯s Cave, he was still hungry.

    Shao Xuan helplessly sighed. He looked forward, then the corners of his eyes twitched.

    Before him, on his shoulder, a person was holding a stone club¡ªtwo meters long in the shape of a baseball bat, yet a lot thicker. That was really quite heavy, and ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s past life¡¯s standards, even if he could lift it up it would be very tiring. Yet, that person seemed to hold it as effortlessly as holding an ordinary hoe. With yawns, henguidly walked on the mountain, probably heading to the hunter group in order to discuss the matter of hunting.

    That as a normal person in this ce. As for Shao Xuan, he belonged in the weak collection of people who hadn¡¯t have their Power of Totem awakened. When he reached around ten years old, his Power of Totem would be awakened, and only then would be count as an ordinary warrior who had the ability to hunt outside. The Power of Totem was the only level of measure that determined if one were able to be a hunting warrior or not in the tribe.

    As for what exactly was the Power of Totem, Shao Xuan did not know. Perhaps he would understand when the timees.

    At that instant, the uncle before Shao Xuan who was carrying a stone club with an appearance of sleepiness had simply not seen the hide he wore as shorts nearly slid down to his knees. In broad daylight, he continued scroll about as though nothing were wrong. There were no reactions from the surrounding people when they saw it either.

    Shao Xuan held it in, but ultimately, still said, ¡°The Uncle who¡¯s carrying a club in front, your pants are slipping!¡±

    Only after Shao Xuan¡¯s third yell did the person in front of him turn around with a yawn. He nced over Shao Xuan, his line of sight pausing on Caesar for around half a minute, then looked down at his slid pants. Afterwards, he calmly pulled them up, fastened the belt, and continued walking towards the mountain with the club on his shoulder.

    Shao Xuan no longer said anything.

    In the perspective of the tribe¡¯s people . . . Etiquette? Shame? What¡¯s that? Can you eat it? If you can¡¯t, what the hell is the point of talking about it?

 Chapter 2 â€“ Such A Plain Life

    Chapter 2 ¨C Such A in Life

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan¡¯s destination was not at the top. He walked towards the back of the mountain along a road scattered with gravel, right after, he climbed a short distance.

    Reaching the other side of the mountain, he raised his eyes and looked up. Endless mountains stretching into the distance covered with forests entered into his view, among which a few hills, rtively nk and bare, with few nts. These hills were training grounds for hunting warriors in their tribe as well as the main source of stone they used. Due to the stones, the ce was not suitable for nts but was indeed a fine ce for training.

    Shao Xuan was standing on a gravel yard. The gravel was made out of smashed stones instead of naturally formed ones. All useful stones that could be produced into stoneware had already been picked up by others in the tribe and the rest were just worthless g, and so no one would usually visit.

    It was quiet, but still, ngs could be heard from hills nearby. Shao Xuan himself had never seen a totemic warrior¡¯s training, it was said that the destructive force created by totemic warriors was so great that the vulnerable people, like Shao Xuan at this age were forbidden toe close. Many have tried to watch the training in silence but were eventually hurt by mistake.

    Shao Xuan looked away and loosened the straw rope in his hand, ¡°Now go and eat your ¡®noodles¡¯.¡±

    Caesar was already tempted and instantly began to run around the gravel yard. Sniffing around as he ran, he promptly used his forelimbs to dig into the gravel upon smelling something. Before long, he pulled arge worm the length of a foot and the thickness of an adult¡¯s thumb out from the digging spot; Caesar swallowed it immediately and went on looking for another one.

    Those worms were called ¡°stone worms¡± by the people of the tribe. They looked like earthworms, yet muchrger in size. The one Caesar just ate was a rtively small one, for Shao Xuan had seen a stone worm as thick as a human¡¯s arm. It is said that there wererger ones. However, therger a stone worm grows, the deeper it buries itself underground, so there were only small ones left amongst the surface.

    Stone worms tasted rather bad and many people would suffer from severe diarrhea after eating them, so no one from the tribe would keep stone worms on their menu. This was actually good news to Caesar since he had a strong appetite for stone worms.

    Being a wolf, it¡¯s rather sad that he had to stoop to eating worms.

    Shao Xuan found a suitable ce to air-dry the bundle of grass. He tied the grass down so that it would be morefortable to sleep on when they got back to the cave at night.

    Afterying the grass down, Shao Xuan nced around and made sure that he was the only one there. He came to a short tree at the edge of the gravel yard and began to clear the surfaceyer of the gravel, digging underground with the roughly built stone knife that was hanging from his waist. Soon, he uncovered an even more roughly built stone container, with a piece of meat jerky in it. Shao Xuan quickly took out the jerky and buried the container just as it was.

    The meat jerky was dry and fishy, and only the size of half a hand. Shao Xuan in hisst life would never have taken a second look at it, but now after starvation had settled in, rubber-tasting food became a delicacy.

    You see, a in life like that¡­such is our fate.

    Shao Xuan felt vigorous again after eating and stood up to do a few stretches. After that, he practiced the fitness boxing he remembered from hisst life. Every day, Shao Xuan would exercise, for the body he awoke in was quite weak.

    Meanwhile, Caesar was still digging for worms with no lower vignce. He would constantly look up and pay attention to the surroundings. This was the reason why Shao Xuan dared to take out food in the open, for if he was caught, the food would be taken to satisfy the hunger of others. Shao Xuan was alone, helpless, sallow and emaciated. He would neither have the spirit nor the courage to walk out of the cave if it weren¡¯t for the experiences he had in hisst life and the ruthless mind he developed in this one.

    After practicing fitness boxing for a while, Shao Xuan stopped to catch his breath, only to notice Caesar suddenly turn his head with half a stone worm still in his mouth. The sudden turn of his head had torn the worm into two parts and the other half quickly burrowed back into the ground. A stone worm could still heal its wound and grow into aplete one after some period of time. The other half in Caesar¡¯s mouth was twisting its body,shing Caesar¡¯s mouth.

    Caesar did not swallow the worm or care about the worm¡¯s thrashing. Instead, he stared in one direction growling, indicating that someone was there.

    Shao Xuan figured that it should be someone he knew, for Caesar did not bare his teeth. Shao Xuan also stared in the same direction, and very soon, he heard a soft sound, like wind blowing leaves on the ground. Gradually, a figure appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s sight.

    It was a very tall, big man, with fine but simple clothes of hide and fur. On his clothes was ayer of stone chips and on his face, a few scars, giving him a ferocious look. There were also scars visible on the parts of his body not shielded by his clothes. A ring of carefully selected stone tools made of fine stone was hanging on his waist.

    The stones used to make these tools were different from the gravel under Shao Xuan¡¯s feet, they were harder. These could be made into much more advanced tools for hunting and were of much higher quality than the rough stone knife in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. If traded for meat, even the smallest tool on that ring would fetch more meat than that which could feed Shao Xuan for days.

    Perhaps it was a habit of his from hunting in the woods, the approaching

    person walked in the same silent way, even when having no intention to hide. Caesar would not have been able to spot him at once and Shao Xuan would never have heard the slightest sound if he truly wanted to conceal himself.

    Before Caesar ceased his growling, he immediately tightened his body

    revealing four long fangs as the approaching man gazed at him for a

    moment. Not even the remainder of the stone worm¡¯s split body falling to the ground from his mouth distracted his attention.

    To hunting warriors in the tribe, beasts were just prey, food. Naturally, Caesar fell into this category. Although the approaching person only gave him a nce without threat, he exuded a very dangerous aura that frightened Caesar at once because of his hunter¡¯s instinct.

    Given the situation, Shao Xuan knew he had to speak first.

    ¡°Good morning, Uncle Mai!¡±

    The middle-aged strong man withdrew his gaze from Caesar and looked towards Shao Xuan. The dangerous atmosphere from earlier faded, Shao Xuan¡¯s tension eased. In fact, most warriors in the tribe would not harm children unless provoked.

    Mai looked at Shao Xuan and then looked down at the marks on the floor that Shao Xuan made with his earlier exercises. Glee filled his eyes, but his smile did not soften his face because of the scars.

    Shao Xuan knew that Mai was kind and friendly, not as scary as he

    seemed. Also, Mai and his current body¡¯s father were in the same hunting team, so for old time¡¯s sake, Mai would always help Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You came out so early Ah-Xuan? It¡¯s good that you want to practice before it¡¯s time,¡± said Mai.

    People in the tribe did not have family names and most people were named with only one word. Perhaps it was more convenient for others to memorize and Shao Xuan¡¯s body in this life was called ¡°Xuan¡±. ¡°When in Rome, do as Romans do¡±. Shao Xuan got used to this gradually. As for the ¡°Ah¡±, it had an interesting origin, there once was a highly respected ancestor who tended to shout out the word ¡°Ah¡± before he called someone¡¯s name. This developed into a tradition, passed on through generations, and so people in the tribe today would all call out the word ¡°Ah¡± before one¡¯s name. Of course, the rule could not be applied to seniors and those who had special positions.

    Only very few people who lived near the mountain, including children from the ¡°orphan cave¡±, woulde out to exercise during their youth.

    Basically, their lives revolved around eating and sleeping, their luxurious entertainment would be ying for a short while. This was because exercising and ying both require the exertion of the body, and too much movement would cause hunger to develop quicker. For the poor, the less the consumption the better, so even adults were in favor of this. However, Mai obviously approved Shao Xuan¡¯s action, for it would be more beneficial in the future if he started to practice now.

    ¡°Are you returning from the training ground, Uncle Mai?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Mai nodded.

    No fixed timelines were settled for warriors to train, they could arrange their training as they pleased as long as they did not miss the hunt.

    ¡°It seems that Uncle Mai had good fortune today! By the way, Uncle Mai, I heard from Lang Ga that tomorrow it will be your team¡¯s turn to hunt? Good luck with that and I wish that you will return fully loaded!¡±

    Lang Ga was in the same hunting team with Mai, and he was the one who brought Caesar to Shao Xuan. The name ¡°Lang Ga¡± meant ¡°ground bow¡± in the localnguage, Lang Ga was a person deserving of this name.

    Mai smiled at Shao Xuan¡¯s words. He did not say much and prepared to leave, for tomorrow he would go hunting and it might be days before he returned. He needed to rest so that he would be energetic in the morning.

    Mai stopped after a few steps and turned around, ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at Mai and saw him retrieve a piece of meat jerky from his animal-hide bag.

    Warriors would bring their own food when they train because there were only stones and rocks on the training ground, so few nts and even fewer animals present there could be considered as food. In order to replenish their fatigued bodies, they would prepare some food ahead of time. The meat jerky Mai held in his hand was prepared early and he had nned to eat this small leftover piece on his way back. Upon unexpectedly meeting Shao Xuan, he gave it to him without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Shao Xuan was not permitted to go out hunting as it was forbidden for children in the tribe to do so, for their own protection.

    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Mai!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Food was scarce in the tribe, especially in this season and not everyone would be so generous as to hand out meat like Mai did. Mai said after he gave Shao Xuan the meat, ¡°At the hillside where I train myself, sunset can be observed¡­¡±

    Mai left after he shared the location of his training ground in detail, and exhorted Shao Xuan to be extra careful. Caesar rxed after Mai¡¯s figure disappeared into the distance. Looking down, he was very angry to find that the half of the stone worm he had dropped already slipped away. Caesar dug down deep and tried carefully tracking its scent as if trying to recapture its prey. However, Shao Xuan was apathetic to this, as he had a chance to quench his appetite for witnessing Mai¡¯s training grounds.

    Shao Xuan buried the stone container with the meat jerky inside that he got from Mai andid ayer of stone chips on the top to disguise it.

    He called for Caesar looking in the direction that Mai pointed out.

    ¡°Come, Caesar! Let us do something bold!¡±

 Chapter 3 â€“ Old Rivals

    Chapter 3 ¨C Old Rivals

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Since this area was the main source of stone for the tribe, surely there would be plenty of fine stones which could be easily made into tools. Naturally, totemic warriors were privileged with the first choice of stones to be gathered, since it was their training ground. Afterward, the weaker people, including Shao Xuan, would have a chance to ¡°pick up the leftovers¡±.

    The phrase sounded quite demeaning, though it described the situation perfectly.

    Normally, others in the tribe would ¡°pick up the leftovers¡± upon the hours of dinner, when it was almost sunset. This was because only at that time would the majority of the warriors stop training and rest. However, in other times of a day, the training ground would be a rather dangerous ce for those who had not awakened their totemic power. The stray stones scattered by the smashing of the totemic warriors¡¯ fists against rocks were basically bullets for the vulnerable. Thankfully with Mai¡¯s earlier instructions, it would be much easier and safer for Shao Xuan to reach the destination.

    A fine stone could trade for a lot and Shao Xuan certainly did not intend to let the opportunity slip away.

    Together with Caesar, Shao Xuan traveled the road which Mai pointed out earlier. While doing so, rumbling sounds came from the training hills, stones being shattered somewhere. From above, in the direction of alternate paths, muchrger stones were rolling down the side of the mountain. It would be very risky if Shao Xuan were to have walked there in the instance that Mai had not informed him of the safe route.

    Shao Xuan continued walking as he casually fixed his messy hair and shook off the stone chips caught onto his clothes.

    The ce Mai trained himself was close to the top of the hill. Since this was the totemic warriors¡¯ training ground, no gentle path had been excavated and it proved to be difficult to traverse. Shao Xuan¡¯s arms, hands, and feet were bleeding when he finally reached the correct area.

    The wounds did not concern Shao Xuan, for they would heal after a few days¡¯ rest. It would all be worth it if he managed to find some fine stones.

    It took a lot of strength to reach this ce and Shao Xuan definitely would not have been able to climb the mountain if he hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast this morning.

    Stones of different sizes and various shapes were lying on the uneven ground, while on the opposite side of the cliff there were holes of different depths with traces of indentation at the edges of the rock face. Shao Xuan assumed that there must have been harder stones embedded in the holes he found before Mai dug them out and brought them back with him to make hunting tools out of. Hard and fine stones were not widely distributed in the mountains. In fact, they would be formed into clumps, with some of them on the surface of the mountain and some buried deep inside. Warriors could not tear up the mountain, so finding these fine stones would ultimately depend on their luck. This is why Shao Xuan earlier made the remark that Mai had good fortune when he returned.

    Aside from the holes, there were fist and foot marks on the cliff. This was where Mai trained himself.

    Totemic warriors developed particrly hard fists. Shao Xuan would break his fist if he struck even the most vulnerable part of the cliff, while the stone would remain intact.

    The hardest stones with suitable shape were already picked out by Mai. Mai aimed for those which consisted of advanced materials, but there were still some stones of an average quality left which Shao Xuan could use.

    Without a second thought, Shao Xuan made Caesar responsible for surveince, while he took his time to find stones which could be traded for food. He had to hurry before someone else arrived to rob him of his findings.

    Shao Xuan picked up a long shard of stone. It was half a foot in length with an irregr shape and not particrlyrge or heavy. Shao Xuan knew that the quality of a stone did not depend on its weight. There were many types of stone present here that Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t seen in his former life. Even employingmon sense from his past life would prove to be useless in this world. All the knowledge Shao Xuan mastered was still new to him, he umted this from his experiences over the past six months. Unlike the experienced warriors, who could evaluate and grade a stone by its texture and appearance, Shao Xuan knew nothing of how to identify a stone¡¯s quality for he had no rich experience in this field. So he utilized a primitive method in which he would find a stone of suitable shape to work on and use his stone knife to hack at it to see if it would leave a mark on the stone. Normally, the shallower the engraving, the better the quality of the stone.

    Shao Xuan raised his knife high and struck the edge of the stone. After a loud crack, a slight mark was made on the stone. Shao Xuan was very delighted, for he identified that it could be made into arrow or spearhead. Stoneware armor smiths could decide what to make the stone into, all Shao Xuan needed to do was to find a good one and trade the stone in for food.

    After cing the stone into his animal-skin bag, riddled with several holes, Shao Xuan nned to keep looking, however Caesar detected something abnormal.

    Shao Xuan carefully moved towards Caesar and looked in the direction that he was indicating. There were three kids, about ten years old, stronger and taller than Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s old acquaintances as well as old rivals, and they would always rob Shao Xuan of his belongings. Those three little bastards!

    They were not from the ¡°orphan cave¡±, but from families living in the mountain foot district. They would usually hang out together and began robbing Shao Xuan only a few days after Shao Xuan woke up in this world. At first, Shao Xuan did not change his mindset and often did things as he did in hisst life. He would hold back to some extent even when he fought back. This mercy and kindness resulted in the loss of all his meat jerky that he worked so hard to find, and the scum beat the crap out of him.

    Afterward, Shao Xuan understood the reality of the situation and adapted. It was just like the first day when he woke up in the cave and looked out to find children

    fighting each other for food, with the eyes of wolves. Shao Xuan then changed his attitude towards them.

    While recuperating, Shao Xuan had a profound reflection and after that decided he would no longer hold back when fighting with them. The rule within their tribe was no killing and no disabling. So no one would interfere if no one was killed or disabled. The residents of the mountain foot district were already used to this barbaric rule.

    Shao Xuan did not know if the tribal people belonged to some kind of special race, they had strong healing abilities even though they looked simr to the people from his former life. A man could stand on his own feet again after a few day¡¯s rest even after he was badly injured. After one or two months, his body would be as good as new. That was also the reason why people in their tribe did not care for fighting, for in their eyes, a fight for reasons such as this was merely a small issue that was far less important than finding food.

    As for the three kids, Shao Xuan was neither as tall nor as strong as them and he was not as well-nourished as them. What could he use topete? It requires a ruthless mind and a strong strategy to fight, especially when outnumbered.

    Shao Xuan pressed down Caesar¡¯s head a little, but Caesar was still showing his teeth fiercely towards the oing kids. Shao Xuan had to squeeze Caesar¡¯s mouth and whisper, ¡°Wait a second!¡±

    Looking around, Shao Xuan chose a hidden ce for the animal skin bag containing the stone he picked up. Then he quietly moved to the back side of the cliff and said to Caesar, ¡°You must deal with ¡®Ye¡¯, okay? You know who ¡®Ye¡¯ is, yes?¡±

    Some warrior had once said that most beasts living in the deep forests were quite smart, and the stupid ones would be even harder to train. Caesar belonged to the smart kind, and this would not be their first time working together. Even if Caesar got confused, it wouldn¡¯t matter who he dealt with, for Shao Xuan had decided to handle the leading bastard called ¡°Sai¡± himself, for it would be a lot easier once he knocked Sai down.

    Caesar kept his body close to the ground and hid behind a giant boulder, this showed he understood Shao Xuan¡¯smand.

    It seemed that all wild beasts by nature are capable of stalking with stealth, pouncing fiercely and executing a fatal strike. Their instincts are aroused by hunting, even if one was a wolf brought up as a dog.

 Chapter 4 â€“ Children from the cave are so horrifying

    Chapter 4 ¨C Children from the cave are so horrifying

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Of course, Shao Xuan did not expect Caesar to make a fatal strike, for it was forbidden in the tribe. However, Shao Xuan would never surrender his things to anyone, especially to those three little bastards.

    Just as Shao Xuan was immersed in his thoughts about whether he should smash his enemies with stones or hit them with his bare hands, the three kids were marching up in the mountain, unaware of Shao Xuan¡¯s ambush. Their attention was on other aspects, for example, avoid getting hit by falling stones. They did not know which path was safe for going up, so they could only try and make detours based on the direction from where the trembling sounds wereing from.

    ¡°Is it really this way, Zhan?¡± Sai walked in the front of their group, and he had just evaded a stone falling from the oblique top. He glowered at the one hidden behind him, with his eyebrows lifted high.

    The timid kid named Zhan shrank his neck and answered, ¡°It sure is! My dad was in charge of the patrol today and he saw that Mai wasing down this way. We are getting close. There should be a lot of good stuff left since Mai is a mid-rank warrior.¡±

    Sai hummed and kept going as he kicked the stone falling beside his feet.

    Seeing them approaching, Shao Xuan held his breath and waited for the perfect timing.

    Since they have worked together multiple times, Shao Xuan did not need to say a word but gave Caesar a gesture when the time was right. Then he made a big step towards Sai, with his right fist smashing towards Sai¡¯s forehead.

    Sai had a quick reaction, but he did not have the chance to fully avoid Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden attack, even though he was the tallest one among the three. He barely dodged to one side to save his nose, but his face was still hit strongly. Before he could react again, another strike hit his jaw, which made him dizzy and he fell down.

    However, that was only the beginning. After a very short period of time, Shao Xuan¡¯s fists came one after another, falling on Sai¡¯s face.

    Eventually, Shao Xuan chose not to use stones to smash his enemy.

    Even attacking with one¡¯s bare hands could cause enough pain and suffering.

    People in the ming Horn tribe were pretty strong, and even children who had not awoken their totem power could beat most people Shao Xuan met in hisst life. He wanted to end things quickly, so he did not hold back his strength.

    At the same time when Shao Xuan rushed towards Sai, Caesar jumped at Ye. Just like Shao Xuan had trained him, Caesar bit into Ye¡¯s animal skin clothes and the straw rope on his waist, instead of biting Ye¡¯s flesh directly. Caesar kept his mouth closed and dragged Ye in the other direction. Even though Caesar was still in his infancy, he could drag a ten-year-old kid around easily, which left no chance for Ye to cause any trouble for Shao Xuan, or to stand up on his feet.

    As for the third kid named Zhan, Shao Xuan intended to leave him alone for a while, for he was the timid one and could not bepared to the other two regarding body strength and ruthlessness.

    Zhan and Ye were both shocked when Shao Xuan had rushed forward and attacked Sai when suddenly Caesar jumped over to hold Ye before he was able to help Sai. Looking at those fangs, both Zhan and Ye were so scared that they almost wet their pants, especially Ye, who had violently been dragged around by Caesar. He could do nothing but call out for help.

    Zhan realized what was happening after a while, and then swung a wooden stick towards Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was also paying attention to Zhan¡¯s reaction as he kept punching on Sai¡¯s face. The wooden stick missed his head, but Shao Xuan¡¯s back was burning in pain since he did not fully avoid the attack. He began punching Sai even faster.

    Sai was in fact, two years older than Shao Xuan, and much stronger. But he lost hisbat ability under Shao Xuan¡¯s storm-like punches, he was merely a kid with no totem power after all.

    Shao Xuan breathed heavily knowing he would lose if he could not win fast. During thest six months, he had suffered enough from hesitating.

    After he had resolved the biggest problem, Shao Xuan rolled on the ground to get away from the wooden stick. He looked at Zhan with a fierce look in his eyes left from his earlierbat, which made the stick in the timid Zhan¡¯s hand tremble.

    Zhan shuddered with fear, seeing that Sai was already down, with no capacity to fight back, and Ye on the other side was also in a pretty difficult situation, all scared and shouting. He held the stick tighter but looked away from Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze.

    Shao Xuan knew that Zhan had cold feet seeing his reaction, so he stood up and walked towards Zhan step by step.

    The speed of Shao Xuan¡¯s approach was not fast, but every step he took was like a thump in Zhan¡¯s heart. And Zhan¡¯s face grew darker with every thump.

    Between the two, Zhan was the one with taller figure and the weapon, but obviously, he was the weaker one in terms of momentum. When Shao Xuan was only a step away from Zhan, Zhan trembled and tossed his stick to the ground, stepping back to show that he surrendered.

    They had encountered each other quite a few times, and thus Zhan knew at heart that Shao Xuan would not continue fighting him once he showed the gesture, even if he had hit Shao Xuan several times on his back earlier.

    Sai had just recovered a little, and he was furious and extremely upset seeing Zhan¡¯s surrender. Such a dumbass!

    Sai knew it was bad when he found that the assant was Shao Xuan. Because for the past several times they had met each other, they weren¡¯t able to gain an advantage over Shao Xuan. However, this time, he had been knocked to the ground before he could fight back! It was so frustrating!

    They were taking a risk here and trying their luck to see what they could find, but unexpectedly, Shao Xuan was already here and far ahead of them! Did Shao Xuan possess the nose of a wolf? Compared to Shao Xuan, the three of them hadete, and what was even more humiliating was that they lost the fight as well! Thinking of that, Sai looked at Shao Xuan as if there was deep hatred between them.

    Shao Xuan ignored Sai, but he did not n to let go of Zhan so easily. He did not beat Zhan as he had beaten Sai but merely kicked him down to the direction of Sai.

    Picking up the wooden stick from the ground left by Zhan, Shao Xuan walked towards Sai and Zhan as they were lying on the ground. He weighed the stick and slowly rubbed his hands on it. The blood he on his fists from the previousbat scraped onto the stick, as he smiled at the two.

    Seeing that smile, Sai and Zhan felt goosebumps, they wanted to run away immediately, for they were sensing that something bad would happen to them. However, Sai was lying on the ground and could not stand back up on his feet, while Zhan quickly withdrew his feet to move backward.

    Shao Xuan lowered his body and then abruptly he swung the stick towards them. It was sudden and it came straight to the point without the slightest hesitation.

    At that moment, Sai and Zhan had cold sweat running all over and felt that they had lost their breath. Everything vanished in their eyes with only the stick left in the middle.

    Click!

    The stick hit the space between Sai and Zhan, and it broke into pieces as soon as it touched the ground. Bits of wood flew towards Sai and Zhan¡¯s faces cutting them slightly.

    Shao Xuan got closer to the two with a frozen expression, ¡°The things over there belong to me. You shall go there after I have collected them. Understood?¡±

    His voice was not loud but had a strange feeling of pressure. Perhaps Sai and Zhan felt that the earlier stick would have fallen on their bodies had they not surrendered.

    Sai remained in silence while ring at Shao Xuan. However, Zhan was shaking like leaves in the wind, and he nodded hurriedly to show that he fully understood. In his eyes, there was still carefulness and fear.

    Zhan thought at heart, ¡°No wonder that parents forbade their children to go near those who are from the orphan cave. Children from the cave are so horrifying! They are even more horrifying than Sai, who often fought in the past!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not n to waste any more time on them. If Sai coulde here with his friends, then others mighte as well. Shao Xuan knew that he was able to deal with those three kids only through tactics and that victory was achieved with the help of Caesar. Shao Xuan would have to flee if more people or older children came.

    Thinking this, Shao Xuan hurried up in collecting stones.

 Chapter 5 â€“ Are you fucking kidding me?

    Chapter 5 ¨C Are you fucking kidding me?

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Saiid down nearby and rubbed his face, not caring about his swollen face or the bleeding nostrils. He red at Shao Xuan picking things out, but looking from that angle, he could not see clearly what Shao Xuan had eventually collected. He was certain that he must have picked out some fine stones that could be traded for at least a few days¡¯ food.

    Shao Xuan could perceive the gaze from Sai and Zhan, however, he was already ustomed to that. After picking up several items, he noticed that it was already quitete and was time for him to go back. There were still plenty of nice stones left from his perspective, but he knew that he had gained enough for a day. Collecting too much might not be a good thing for him, especially when he was still young and vulnerable. He might lose them all if he had too much.

    His current strength wasn¡¯t enough. He needed to have the patience to wait for that so-called totem power to be awakened¡­

    After calling Caesar back to make sure Ye was safe after being dragged away by Caesar, Shao Xuan left with his stones packed in animal skin.

    By the time Ye staggered back, he saw Sai lying on the ground with blood on his face and gritted teeth. Zhan was next to him, still trembling with fear.

    Sai recovered a little and got his breath back. Immediately hemanded Ye and Zhan to see if they could find any fine stones that could be traded. He murmured something quite offensive and swore to get his revenge by beating up Shao Xuan and rob away all his possessions the next time they encountered each other.

    What they didn¡¯t know, was that not far away, some warriors witnessed the whole incident. But they had also left one after another after Shao Xuan had gone.

    ¡°Who was thatd?¡± a young warrior asked hispanion curiously.

    ¡°You mean the one with that wolf? I believe he is called Xuan and lives in the cave near the mountain foot district. As for the wolf, you¡¯d better keep your hands off of it, for that belongs to a Shaman!¡± The older warrior warned. He did not know if there was some hidden meaning in the Shaman¡¯s act, nor did he care. He just needed to know that the wolf belonged to a Shaman and could not be hunted down. And in his perspective, that kid was merely keeping the wolf for the Shaman.

    The younger warrior grasped his messy hair covered in stone chips, ¡°I won¡¯t be thinking about a Shaman¡¯s things. Ha-ha, I was just thinking about that kid there. Based on how he acted just now, I think he would be a good warrior after he awakens his totem power. Perhaps we could recruit him into our hunting team.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still too early, and that can wait for at least two to three years. I believe those several kids from your mountainside district are not bad, but for children from the cave¡­¡± The older warrior shook his head and did not finish his words, yet anyone could sense the meaning hidden behind his sentence.

    The tribe was roughly divided into three main districts, and the stronger a warrior, the higher the district he would be living in. The mountaintop district was the central spot of their tribe. It had been said that the tribe¡¯s fire pit was located there, and it was also the coldest area.

    In the eyes of many warriors, children from the cave possessed poorer qualifications than children living around the mountain foot district, and they could not awaken their totem power as early as others. Even if they have grown old enough to awaken totem power, they would not be easily epted by most hunting teams. Teamwork is considered to be the most essential part when ites to hunting, and any weak link could bring unexpected tragic consequences.

    Shao Xuan did not know about the warriors¡¯ talk, nor their opinions about him. But he already knew that someone must have been around, observing. Because he had heard things and had the ability to specte.

    Although warriors would not care about the surroundings while they trained, they were quite sensitive when they were resting. The noise here must have drawn the attention of a few warriors, and they were probably standing nearby when Ye shouted out for help. It¡¯s just that warriors would not intervene easily.

    And Shao Xuan was certain, that they would keep on observing from the side as long as the situation was under control. Just as earlier when Shao Xuan pounded the wood stick down to the ground, if Shao Xuan had aimed at Sai or Zhan, perhaps warriors would have stepped in to intervene because Zhan and Sai¡¯s lives were at risk based on that strength. Which meant that Shao Xuan would have given them a much worse impression of being impulsive, and that would do Shao Xuan no good if he intended to continue living in the tribe. So that strike was just a threat and warning to Sai and Zhan.

    Shao Xuan returned fully loaded. The patrolling warriors and guards who were guarding at the edge of the residential areas were only asking a thing or two, seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s bulging animal skin bag. They would not try to rob his harvest, for they did not necessarily see Shao Xuan¡¯s things as valuable enough.

    Back on the gravel yard where he exercised that morning, Shao Xuan picked out two pieces of stone for sale and buried the rest. He did not have the time to handle those stones, and he would be an idiot to bring them back to the cave. Inside the cave, there were a bunch of ¡°starving wolf cubs¡±, who would try to fight for every bit of meat or thing. Therefore Shao Xuan never hid food or anything that could be used for trading in the cave.

    He sat on the ground to rest after he hid away his items. Both the climbing and fighting were really tiring.

    Shao Xuan looked at the distant mountains and then looked back at the residential areas of the tribe. He stared at the houses near the mountain foot district and then looked down at his fists with dry blood. It was only half a year, and he had be a savage person like a caveman. The pressure to stay alive surely added to elerate the assimtion into a savage.

    What had it been like in civilized times? Shao Xuan had a few dreams at night, but the scenes got more and more blurry as time went by. But it had only been less than a year.

    Even though life here was a little bit betterpared to the primitive barbarians who used to eat human beings, as Shi Lin once described, it was not that much better.

    Once upon a time, Shao Xuan would try to mediate when he saw parents disciplining their kids, and sometimes he would even get into a fight when he saw parents beating up their children. He would have never hurt children, but what about now?

    Sure, the environment was different, and the children in the tribe were not the same as the children from his past life. Even if they were at the same age, their characters had much in difference. Take kids from the orphan cave, for instance, even if you beat them down this time, next time they would stille up and fight when there¡¯s food, with even fiercer attitude and harder fists. When they are controlled by their emotions, no one would ever hold back like Shao Xuan. Wood or stone, they would use whatever by their hand as a weapon when they fight. One shall only lose if he has even the slightest mercy in his heart. For example, Zhan was trembling and he was afraid earlier, but next time, he would still swing his weapon at Shao Xuan and try to rob his things together with Sai.

    For God¡¯s sake, the first day when Shao Xuan woke up from aa, it was the time when people were distributing food in the cave. Shao Xuan thought that perhaps he had fallen into a wolf¡¯s cave when other kids were staring at each other with hatred. They were all kids from six to thirteen in age, and only a few of them were thirteen years old.

    Savageness is contagious.

    After he had enough rest, Shao Xuan used two fine stones to trade with a stoneware crafter and got four meat jerkies back; two with bones and the other two without bones. He gave Caesar the jerkies with bone and ate one without bone himself. Thest meat jerky, he used to trade for a cheap animal skin in medium size. Winter wasing and he had to prepare early.

    He returned to the orphan cave, just when food was about to be distributed. The man in charge had already prepared the food and stored it within a giant stone crock. Only those with totem power could have the strength to lift a stone crock thatrge.

    The tribe would bring food to the orphan cave until the children there awakened their totem power and left to build their own house.

    Sometimes there was meat on their menu, but there was not enough, and could only maintain the basic living needs of children, for meat was hard to obtain. Besides meat, usually their food would be nts, for example the red-haired fruit that Shao Xuan was looking at.

    That was a tuber from some trees in the color of red-brown, with plenty of thin root tubers on the outside, like fine hair. The big ones had the size of pumpkins in Shao Xuan¡¯s past life, and the small ones were in the size of adult¡¯s fist. It tasted like potatoes, and one would easily feel full. The only problem is that the red-haired fruit had some side effect.

    Speaking of the effects, red-haired fruits are good for regting gastrointestinal functions. In in words, it would create lots of gas. And, the effect would be more obvious, if one¡¯s only food was the red-haired fruit without meat. No meat left only the direct side effect of farting. But that would not be so if one also ate some meat.

    Most children in the orphan cave only slept and ate every day, resulting in only a few children trying to go out for extra food. And with the main source of fooding from the tribe, it led to the fact that every time they ate red-haired fruit, the air quality in the orphan cave would be extremely unique and quite ¡®special¡¯.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s face turned green.

    ¡°Hey, Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Ku was in charge of distributing food and he ran towards Shao Xuan as he saw him, with a piece of boiled red-haired fruit in his hand. That was a big piece, at least obviouslyrger than what the other kids were having.

    Ku was one of the oldest kids in their cave. He was thirteen years old. There were two other thirteen-years-olds but they were not as strong as Ku, so Ku was in charge of managing the cave and he helped in distributing food every day. There were obvious advantages in taking that job, one of which was that he could have more food to eat himself. This let Ku grow much stronger than the other orphans; even looking like someone with parents.

    Normally Ku would not talk much with others, as he usually spent all day out and only came back to the cave when food should be served. He had not spoken much with Shao Xuan either, but why then was he approaching him with a big piece of fruit in his hand?

    Shao Xuan looked at Ku and took over the red-haired fruit.

    Ku was in a good mood, and he was somehow excited.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, I will go to the hillside tomorrow and spend the whole winter there. You shall take over the cave.¡± Ku said.

    Shao Xuan almost threw his red-haired fruit at Ku¡¯s words. Even if Ku leaves, the cave should be taken over by other older kids. There were two thirteen-year-old children and quite a few eleven and twelve-years-olds. Why would the job fall onto him, while he was under ten?

    The appointment could not have been made by Ku, so Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Who said that?¡±

    Ku pointed to that person who was in charge of bringing food every day, as that one leaned against the stone crock, casually picking his teeth while shaking his toes.

    Looking at the children fighting for food fiercely in the orphan cave, Shao Xuan wanted badly to grab the cor of the man in charge and shout out, ¡°Are you fucking kidding me, delivery guy?!¡±

 Chapter 6 â€“ Troublesome

    Chapter 6 ¨C Troublesome

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    There were 27 children living in that cave in total, including Shao Xuan. Since every one of them was ferocious enough, how could Shao Xuan take over the cave with his skinny arms and legs?

    Many children in the cave would love to inherit Ku¡¯s position in order to get more food. Obviously, it raised a lot of discontentment when Shao Xuan got the job at such a young age. And it¡¯s known to all that discontentment breeds strife inevitably.

    The word ¡°troublesome¡± could briefly describe the situation.

    The middle-aged man called ¡°Ge¡± was in charge of delivering food to the orphan cave every day. He was not as strong as Mai and even worse, he lost an arm in the process of a hunting trip, which ended his identity as a hunting warrior. That was why he retired from hunting team and began his job in delivering food.

    Shao Xuan went to ask for the reason, but he didn¡¯t get an answer.

    With the food distributed, Ge carried the stone crock with one hand and left. Even though he lost one of his arms, his bodily strength remained intact and he had no problem with carrying a stone crock with only one hand.

    After Ge left, Ku went inside the cave to announce the decision of who was going to rece him and take over his position.

    ¡°Starting tomorrow, Ah-Xuan will be in charge of distributing food!¡±

    The atmosphere had just calmed down from the earlier fights over food, but immediately the air became tense again because of Ku¡¯s announcement. Kids in the orphan cave did not yell toin for they were not experts in arguing. They merely looked unfriendly and dissatisfied.

    Ku did not stay longer or give any further exnations, and soon left with all his belongings. He was almost an adult and if no idents happen, his totem power would be awoken after this winter. Which meant that he might be leaving the cave for good.

    Ku left easily, but Shao Xuan¡¯s mind was weighed down with anxiety.

    Looking up at the sky, Shao Xuan noticed that it looked to be around three o¡¯clock in the afternoon if a day was still broken into 24 hours as it was in hisst life. This left him some time until sunset to go out.

    Together with Caesar on a rope, Shao Xuan went to the gravel yard again, sitting on the ground thinking about what his next move was going to be.

    Originally, he had thought that he would keep on living a in life. After a few years, he would awaken his totem power and start his own life on the outside. Barring idents, he could build a house, join a hunting team, and live out his years. Even if he were ate developer, his totem power would still awaken at Ku¡¯s age. However, based on the current circumstances, living a in life was no longer an option. For example, when he had just left the cave with Caesar, he noticed quite a few kids stared at them maliciously.

    ¡°Do you think they will wake up at midnight and make you their snack?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Caesar who was wandering in the gravel yard.

    In the past, while Ku was around, those whelps dared not do anything for real, but the situation would not be so predictable now with Ku gone. Children in the cave were much more ruthless than outsiders and a lot dumber. With severe hunger, they would definitely ignore the patterned te from the Shaman. What if they do unite together, and roast Caesar? Shao Xuan would never have a chance of winning faced with dozens of kids there.

    Caesar was not aware of theing difficulty as he kept searching for stone worms in the gravel yard. Since there weren¡¯t many left, he began moving towards the ck swamp.

    In the vicinity of the tribe, there were two restricted areas. One was arge ck swamp, where people would easily get stuck in, and being stuck basically meant death. The other one was the river in front of the hill, and its other bank could not even be seen. In that river lived numerous water monsters. In the early rumors, a few powerful warriors in the tribe went into the river to catch fish but never came back again. With too much unknown danger, the leader of the tribe forbade people to enter the river.

    So, aside from some women in the tribe asionally going near the shoal to wash animal skins, no one would touch the water. There was another streaming down from the top of the mountain where the tribe¡¯s drinking water came from. Naturally no one would willinglye into contact with a river of unknown dangers.

    There were guards taking turns to guard at the ck swamp and along the riverside, in case that someone should step into danger unconsciously, or some unpredictable danger happened.

    Fishing and hunting were oftenbined, and since there wasn¡¯t much luck in fishing, the tribe mainly relied on hunting, added by theck of domestication and farming. That was also the main cause of the food crisis within the tribe.

    Food is the cause of everything. Children in that cave were already slobbering after Caesar as he walked around with all the meat under his skin.

    ¡°What should I do?¡± Shao Xuan sighed again, and he began to me the old Shaman who had given him a patterned te, then never showed up again.

    People, especially kids with no totem power were forbidden to go into the ck swamp, or enter the waters, but no one said anything about wolves. So once in awhile when they were nearby, Caesar would go to the ck swamp to find something to grind his teeth, for example, some odd beetles living there. Time after time, the guarding warriors would turn a blind eye to Caesar¡¯sing.

    Animals have sensitive instincts for danger, so naturally Caesar would only wander around the edges, for he knew the ck swamp was filled with risks.

    This time, Caesar came back with something in his mouth. When he got near, he spat out a ck lump in front of Shao Xuan.

    It was some worm that Shao Xuan had never seen. Unlike the beetlest time, this worm was much softer and was as big as Shao Xuan¡¯s palm with a t oval shape. It had many thin and long feet, and it was as ck as the swamp.

    When it was in Caesar¡¯s mouth, it used its feet to poke at Caesar¡¯s nose.

    Caesar had taken back a few worms in the past, perhaps he was doing it for entertainment. After all, there were not many creatures that could be found nearby the tribe. And chasing rabbits only existed in his dreams. It¡¯s pretty sad that Caesar, a wolf, had to deal with worms all the time.

    Just as Caesar was trying to recapture the fleeing worm, Shao Xuan discovered that the worm spread outrge quantities of ck bubbles from its mouth and the bubbles covered the worm as a whole. Caesar did not like those bubbles, so he had to let go of the worm.

    The ck bubbles gathered and finally it was asrge as a football with the worm in its center. Caesar circled around the ball made from bubbles yet did not bite. The bubbles must have really tasted bad, because obviously, Caesar hated them.

    About fifteen minutester, Caesar gave up on the worm inside the ck ball, and turned back to look for some stone worms in the gravel yard.

    However, Shao Xuan was quite interested in that worm, so he pulled out his stone knife and poked onto the ball. Surprisingly, soft ck bubbles became hard and crisp as time went by. And the ck ¡°football¡± broke into halves at Shao Xuan¡¯s poking. The worm hidden inside ran out in panic and fled toward the ck swamp. It had shrunk by more than half and now looked shriveled.

    Shao Xuan squatted down instead of chasing the worm and took a careful look at the ¡°ball¡±, which had already been broken into two pieces.

    By picking up the half spheres with the stone knife, Shao Xuan found out that the two parts were pretty light in weight, and it required some strength to crush.

    After working on one half-sphere and eventually crushing it, Shao Xuan set his sight on the other half. He called back Caesar after some time thinking, and walked towards the river with the intact ck half-sphere.

    Even if the tribesman came to the river, they too would only carefully move about the shoal, as the shoal was still considered safe.

    Of course Shao Xuan was not looking for trouble, so he remained at the shore. God knows what kind of weird creatures were in the waters. He was just going to try an experiment with the half-sphere, to prove his guess.

    Shao Xuan untied the straw rope he had on his waist, and tied one to the end of the ck half-sphere, with the other end being held in his own hand. He then tossed the ck half-sphere into the waters.

    As expected, the ck sphere-half floated on the surface of the water.

    That thing¡­ could be used for fishing.

 Chapter 7 â€“ Peculiar Fish

    Chapter 7 ¨C Peculiar Fish

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan used the ck half-sphere as a float and tied a stone worm to the end of a straw rope since there were no fishhooks and he could not find a stone hook as a recement. If only there was a predatory fish inside the water that showed interest in stone worms!

    In hisst life, Shao Xuan used to fish with earthworms, and, not having met any earthworms in this life, he tried using stone worms instead. People in the tribe often said that creatures in that river were pretty ferocious and tough, so perhaps they wouldn¡¯t mind the rough bait. Not to mention that Shao Xuan did not intend to catch a fish without a hook. He was only testing, and if there¡¯s something in the water that would eat stone worms, he could make a proper stone hook tomorrow.

    The stone worm was found by Caesar and temporarily tied to the end of a straw rope. It might escape after resisting some time in the water, but Shao Xuan could only try since he did not have enough tools. If it failed, then he would ask Caesar to find another stone worm.

    The ck half-sphere, which served as a hook, was tied on the straw rope and was about half a meter away from the stone worm. Shao Xuan did not n to do his test in deep waters so, standing at the shoal, Shao Xuan tossed out the bait and the ck half-sphere. Bearing the weight of the straw rope and the stone worm, the ck half-sphere sank down a little, but still floated above the water. This let Shao Xuan know what might be happening under the surface based on his observation of the half-sphere.

    The straw rope he had with him was less than five meters long, so Shao Xuan was very close to the ce where he threw the stone worm. Standing by the water, Shao Xuan paid extra attention not to step into the water, so he would be able to quickly run away if any danger arose, or in case that something unexpected happened. There were warriors guarding the water, so he mapped out his escape route towards them.

    As Shao Xuan did all the preparation, the two warriors guarding the riverside were rather curious about Shao Xuan¡¯s mysterious objects. At first, they assumed that the kid must have wanted to jump in the river, so they were prepared to pull him out and toss him back to his cave. But Shao Xuan¡¯s strange behavior shocked both of them, so they kept staring at Shao Xuan without approaching him after they exchanged knowing nces with each other.

    ¡°Caesar, you pull the rope when I give you the signal, okay?¡±

    Shao Xuan put the other end of the rope in Caesar¡¯s mouth and held the middle part himself.

    Some time passed but all was quiet. Shao Xuan began thinking that maybe there were no fish near the bank, or that maybe none of the fish were interested in the stone worms?

    However, before he could finish his thoughts, the ck half-sphere sank suddenly.

    Something¡¯s biting!

    The rope in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand slipped quickly and he felt burning pain because of the friction. At that moment he grasped the rope tightly and shouted at Caesar for help, ¡°Pull, Caesar!¡±

    Though it all happened in a second, Shao Xuan still felt that the strength under water was far more than he could bear, and that was the reason why he asked Caesar for help. He was eager to see what exactly was biting below the surface.

    Caesar bit hard on the straw rope and pulled backward. He had quite some experience in pulling, having pulled both people and rope.

    The two warriors observing from afar tensed up, for they had never been in the water, and the most dangerous thing they had done involving the river, was them standing on the very edge and using its water to clean their animal skins. In the summertime, they had witnessed a giant water monster appear from the center of the river, and they had also heard a lot of horror stories about the river, passed down from former generations. So they, like everyone, had been keeping a cautious and dreadful attitude towards that river. Seeing that Shao Xuan was pulling something out from the river, they got extremely tense and feared that some giant creature might appear.

    ¡°Shall we go down there?¡± A warrior nudged hispanion with his elbow.

    ¡°Eh¡­Let¡¯s¡­Let¡¯s go and have a look¡­¡± The other warrior hesitated for a while, but still gave a positive answer as if he had thought about something.

    Wind was blowing above the water to thend, with moisture and a fishy smell in the air. It may be the smell of water or the creature beneath it, but it made the two warriors even more nervous.

    Shao Xuan felt something pulling him in the water as it tried very hard to drag him into the river, while he and Caesar tried to drag it out. However, Shao Xuan was slightly better in strength and, step by step, had almost dragged the thing out of the water.

    The thing biting the bait showed its figure, and the surface sshed due to its fierce struggle.

    Shao Xuan held the rope tightly staring at the surface attentively when suddenly there was an image in the distance that shed by his eyes. In it was something that had a big mouth with numerous tiny sharp teeth and bit towards Shao Xuan! Its mouth was so big that it could swallow Shao Xuan¡¯s head but just as the image got near, it disappeared.

    The sh was too quick and vanished before Shao Xuan could even react. He shook his head, thinking that perhaps it was an illusion caused by him being too nervous.

    When the two warriors arrived at Shao Xuan¡¯s side, the fish in the water had revealed its whole body. It was a fish with a peculiar appearance¡­ Its head was two-thirds of its body and it was about half a meter in length in total. When it got dragged out of the water, it still bit the straw rope hard, with no intention of letting go.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stop, and just keep pulling!¡± Seeing that the warriors were stunned and stood still with no inclination of helping, Shao Xuan told Caesar to continue pulling.

    That was his first time pulling a fish. Aside from the surprise and vignce of seeing an unknown object for the first time, Caesar quickly came back to his scenes and obeyed Shao Xuan¡¯smand. Shao Xuan stopped pulling after some time when he was certain that the fish could not jump back into the water.

    ¡°Finally! Good boy, Caesar! ¡­Caesar, let go!¡­Where are you taking that fish to?¡±

    Caesar was still pulling the straw rope in his mouth, as he growled in a low voice through his throat. Obviously, the fish had made him vignt resulting in him having some intention to fight it. He was pulling so devotedly that he continued his act and totally ignored the fact that Shao Xuan had released the rope already.

    Caesar reluctantly let go at Shao Xuan¡¯s repeated urging, and carefully approached the pping fish, showing his teeth as if he was about to bite it.

    It was only a few steps from where Shao Xuan was standing to the ce the stone worm was floating in the water. It¡¯s estimated that the water could not drown a person, yet unexpectedly, such a fierce fish found its habitat in such shallow waters.

    It had a giant mouth filled with numerous tiny sharp teeth. Also, it was very persistent, biting hard on the bait and never letting go, as if it was trying to tear it apart. It still continued to p its body and tail even though it was pulled out of the water.

    One of the warriors used his bone spear to pierce the fish. He was very quick and strong, so his spear went through the fish and nailed it to the ground.

    Only after the fish was pierced with the spear, did it opened its mouth and let go of the rope. It opened and closed its mouth constantly and tried to move its head as if it were trying to bite something else. After the straw rope was released, there were only pieces of the stone worm left, and the straw rope was almost gnawed apart.

    Shao Xuan had made the straw rope with his own hands, so he knew that the straw rope was very tough and abrasion-resistant. He often used it to pull or bundle things but it was never broken. Surprisingly, it only took such a short while for the fish to break it.

    When his eyes fell upon the giant open mouth of that peculiar fish, Shao Xuan was stunned.

    The giant mouth was the most noticeable thing among its head, and one could see numerous tiny sharp fangs in it. The fish was born to bite and kill since it possessed a mouthful of teeth on such a scale. If it weren¡¯t for Caesar¡¯s help, Shao Xuan would never have been able to pull it to the shore with his own strength.

    If there were many fish of this kind in shallow water, a person could be eaten to his bones if he slipped and fell into the river. It was only one of the many types of fish in that river, perhaps more dreadful creatures were also living in the river. No wonders even totem warriors in the tribe were reluctant to go into the river.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but shudder at the thought that some kids in the tribe might slip into the water by mistake.

    Also, the sudden image that shed in his eyes when he pulled the rope seemed to be that of a giant mouth with tiny sharp teeth¡­

    Shao Xuan stared at the giant mouth and he thought about the visions he saw on the stone wall in that remote vige when he was living hisst few minutes of his former life.

    The warriors saw Shao Xuan staring at the fish and thought that he probably was too scared to go near the ferocious creature. This was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time seeing a fish like that, but one of the warriors had actually seen it before.

    ¡°When my totem power had not awakened, I came to the riverbank with my father and we met such a creature. The Shaman said that it¡¯s called ¡®Fish¡¯. The water is filled with dangerous creatures. In our tribe, some woman¡¯s arm got ripped off when she was washing animal skins. My father stabbed one to death at that time.¡±

    The warrior nced at Shao Xuan as he spoke, he did not think that a kid like Shao Xuan could pull out such a dangerous fish without even getting into the water. In old times, his father risked his life to go into the waters and save that woman from being eaten alive. Sadly, she still lost her arm by the time she was rescued. For a long time after that ident, women in the tribe would nevere to the riverside to wash animal skins. They would onlye here unless they had no alternative but toe, like when the weather was too dry and the stream in the hills got too narrow for people to drain water.

    When Shao Xuan came back to himself, the fish was already dead. The warrior pulled out his spear and took the fish down. He handed the fish over to Shao Xuan, by lifting its tail.

    ¡°Here, it¡¯s your prey. Good for you! You will grow into a fine warrior!¡± The warrior added after thinking, ¡°But in the future, you should not go near to the river, because aside from fish, there is other stuff inside, and you can¡¯t be lucky every time.¡±

    However, about half an hourter, Shao Xuan, who ¡°can¡¯t be lucky every time¡±, pulled out an even bigger fish with the same method.

    The two warriors were speechless , ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 8 â€“ The most beautiful word in the world

    Chapter 8 ¨C The most beautiful word in the world

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The fish Shao Xuan pulled out this time was evenrger in size than the first one, but Shao Xuan just knocked it out with a stone since he did not ask for the warrior¡¯s help. Even if the fish was merely unconscious, it could not survive without water.

    With the fish hung on a tree with the straw rope, Shao Xuan took out the smaller fish which was speared through, and then he found a few dry branches.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan noticed that the two warriors guarding the riverside were curiously looking at his direction, so he waved to them.

    The two warriors hesitated, for they had already returned to their spot, but out ofpulsive curiosity, they came back to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What are you doing, Ah-Xuan? Are you going to eat that? Do you need our help?¡± The warrior asked having gotten Shao Xuan¡¯s name when he speared the fish to death.

    They were scared and curious about creatures like fish. But since the fish had been dead, the guards had put their fear behind, and curiosity towards a new kind of quarry filled up in their hearts.

    ¡°Allow me this time, since you were in charge of killing earlier!¡± The other warrior stepped forward and quickly grasped the fish. He used his stone knife to cut it open and disemboweled its guts. While in the meantime, he discussed with hispanion.

    ¡°Wow? Are those the intestines? So short¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that the stomach?¡±

    ¡°No, the stomach¡­that is the stomach, for sure!¡±

    ¡°Watch out¡­What¡¯s that? Don¡¯t break it. Perhaps it¡¯s poisonous¡­¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s its heart? Cut more, move your knife¡­ Ah, you¡¯re no good at it¡­Let me demonstrate¡­ you need to keep your hand steady to avoid the blood from flowing¡­¡±

    The warriors were discussing enthusiastically, and Shao Xuan was standing aside, stunned and speechless.

    Were they really hunting warriors? They acted just like weird forensic experts!

    Two anatomy enthusiasts with an excessive curiosity!

    No matter how bizarre the impression they struck in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, one had to admit that they were masters of anatomy! Even though it was their first time dismembering a fish, they did a quick and clean job. As they were cutting, they took the time to give Shao Xuan a lecture about the detailed dos and don¡¯ts when hunting and killing an animal in the wild. For instance, some animal¡¯s guts might be poisonous while some animals had poison sacs inside their bodies. Also, there were some kinds of animals that possessed delicious guts, but for unfamiliar creatures, people would normally not eat their viscera for safety¡¯s sake.

    Soon, the fish was handled and cut open, with its guts and gills removed.

    ¡°There are not many parts left to be eaten, but fortunately it¡¯srge in size.¡± The warrior said as he cleaned the blood on his knife.

    Since no one wanted to get near the waters again, the two warriors used some leaves to clean the fish and wipe the blood, then used those leaves to wrap its viscera and bury it besides the tree. They did that because the fishy smell might draw some extra and unnecessary attention. It would be fine in the tribe, but now they were pretty close to the river. Besides flying animals, there may be unknown creatures which were sensitive to blood. They had to be cautious and they reminded Shao Xuan to do the same, should he hunt alone himself the next time.

    The tools to make fire were not so primitive as Shao Xuan imagined before, it was some kind of a powder. Every totemic warrior was allowed to carry some of that powder. When making a fire, one would take out a stone spoon and ce some powder inside, and then use a stone pestle to quickly grind it. Very soon the powder inside would be mes and turn the stone spoon into a small torch to ignite hay and branches.

    Shao Xuan was pretty surprised when he saw Ge, who was in charge of delivering food to the orphan cave, lighting a fire with that powder. He thought that people in the tribe might be able to drill wood to make fire, or use flints, but he had never expected them to use such convenient tools. The children in the orphan cave did not have mmable powders, meaning they could only possess the powders when they be a totemic warrior and started their own life on the outside.

    Sometimes, Shao Xuan would feel an odd contradiction when observing the tribe, as if the skills they mastered were uncoordinated with their developing levels.

    But wondering was one thing, Shao Xuan did not think further for now.

    One of the warriors tasted the grilled fish to make sure that it was edible, and tasty even. Three people and one wolf shared the whole fish. Two warriors could not be full with such little food, and Caesar was not particrly interested in cooked food in the first ce, so he just ate a little. Shao Xuan was the only one that had a good meal from the fish.

    After eating, the two warriors asked for the fish bone to be kept as a souvenir. Shao Xuan¡¯s instinct told him that they were nning to take the fish bone back to their hunting team to show it off in front of other warriors.

    Later on, the two warriors returned to their guarding duty, as Shao Xuan took Caesar back to the orphan cave, carrying the other dead fish on a straw rope.

    The sky grew dark and some of the kids in the orphan cave were already sleeping, while others were about to sleep, but a few were waiting for Shao Xuan¡¯s return.

    There was a bonfire inside lit up by Ge every afternoon, for kids to keep warm or cook food. It was the kindling fire, and Ku was in charge of putting it out every night before he went to sleep. In the future, Shao Xuan would be the one responsible for that too.

    Standing at the entrance, Shao Xuan told Caesar to wait outside with the fish, while he took a deep breath and strode inside.

    The awake kids were rtively older and they were thinking about something around the bonfire. As Shao Xuan went in, all eyes were moving with his footsteps. Shao Xuan could obviously feel their hatred, for he took the position they longed for.

    After a few steps, he climbed up onto a giant stone in the shape of millstone not far from the entrance. That was the highest ce in the cave and one could have a clear view of everywhere inside standing on it. That was where Ku distributed food.

    Those few older kids approached. Shao Xuan looked at them and pped his hands, ¡°Get up! Everyone get up if you are not sleeping!¡±

    Aside from those sound sleepers, everyone in the cave gradually came around.

    Shao Xuan began his speech when he saw most of the kids were already here, and he spoke as he stared at those older kids in the front, ¡°I know you are not convinced that I am the one to rece Ku and you want to take me down, so that you can take Ku¡¯s former position! You kept yourselves awake to do just that, right? But! Just know that Uncle Ge was the one that put me in charge! You can just go find Uncle Ge if you have any problems, resentments,ints or grievances towards his decision! Troubling me won¡¯t help even a little bit!¡±

    Those kids standing in the front frowned and clearly they were thinking the possibility of approaching Ge. Should they discuss it with Ge? Or perhaps Ge would be angry? Will he stop delivering food if he¡¯s angry? Then would they be starved without food? That way seemed impossible. The older kids had more thoughts than younger ones after all.

    Xuan looked around and continued, ¡°Have you ever wondered why I get to take Ku¡¯s position? I¡¯m younger and shorter than you guys, and I¡¯m not even as strong as you. Why did Uncle Ge put me in charge?!¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m better than you with more ability!¡± Shao Xuan said firmly and he did not blink twice for lying in front of everyone. In fact, how could Shao Xuan learn about the delivery man¡¯s mind? He was thinking about having a good discussion about it with Ge tomorrow, himself. But at the moment, what he needed to do was to go through the night first by astonishing and rming those little ¡°wolf cubs¡±, or else he¡¯ll have to watch his back all the time, in case they would unite together to mess around with him.

    Shao Xuan did think about some soft ways, but those little bastards were too tough to handle. You couldn¡¯t reason with them and based on Shao Xuan¡¯s observation, Ge¡¯s decision wouldn¡¯t be changed in a short period of time. So, having been made responsible, Shao Xuan would have to be responsible for a while, and maybe longer. This left Shao Xuan no choice but to be mighty and handle the trouble once and for all.

    The kids standing in the front were angry about Shao Xuan¡¯s words; some even raised their eyebrows. But before they could speak, they got roared back by Shao Xuan, ¡°All of you, keep your mouths shut!¡±

    Then Shao Xuan shouted out, ¡°Caesar!¡±

    Caesar was waiting outside, and he promptly dragged the fish in at Shao Xuan¡¯s call.

    All eyes were fixed on Caesar until Shao Xuan went for the fish and lifted it up. Then they noticed that there was something else.

    ¡°See that? I hunted it and brought it back!¡±

    Shao Xuan untied the straw rope to reveal the fish¡¯s whole body, and he lifted it with its tail so that the kids might have a clearer view.

    Many fishcked eyelids and could not blink, so their eyes remained wide open even when they were dead.

    Under the not-so-bright fire lights, the fish¡¯s red eyes appeared to be somewhat strange and dim. Its mouth opened and closed as Shao Xuan waved his hand, so the surrounding kids might see the numerous tiny sharp teeth in its mouth. The dirt on its scales got wiped out, so the fish reflected ghostly luminescence, which added the night¡¯s coldness.

    The kids at the front couldn¡¯t help but take a step back. A minute earlier they were ring at Shao Xuan, but now their eyes were filled with heavy fear and vignce. In the meantime, their look towards Shao Xuan turned from hostile to discrete.

    The tribe admires the strong. Powerful warriors may receive the expectation and worship from the entire tribe, and most of the time, people preferred simple and easy solutions when faced with troubles, and that solution was namely violence. Except for fighting each other, there was a simpler way topete; by showing their game. Normally, a better game represented a stronger warrior.

    For now, they were merely children with no totem power. This meant none of them were a totem warrior who could hunt outside, let alone bring any game back unless they robbed things from other kids. Hunting such a ferocious creature was impossible for each and every one of them.

    It was obviously a tough creature. Look at its teeth! One could get bit very hard by those teeth!

    ¡°Can you hunt? Are you able to bring back such game, or any other edible things? Could you? You? Or you? Are any of you be able to do that?!¡±

    The kids pointed at by Shao Xuan shrank backward again and shook their heads.

    ¡°Obviously you can¡¯t! So swallow all your resentment and emotions down, since you can¡¯t!¡±

    After you punch someone with a stick, you¡¯d better offer a carrot, so Shao Xuan needed tofort them since he had already delivered his lecture.

    He lifted the fish again.

    ¡°This is the gift I prepared for you all since today¡¯s my first day in charge!¡±

    The crowd was quiet at his words, and it took a while for some kid to ask in a trembling voice, ¡°What does ¡®gift¡¯ mean?¡±

    Another older kid continued the question, ¡°Edible?¡±

    Shao Xuan was shocked and then said, ¡°¡­Yes.¡± So tiring.

    Hong¡­

    The atmosphere in the cave suddenly got heated up.

    All emotions like resentment, vignce, and grievances were gone in the wind.

    In their perspective, ¡°edible¡± must be the most beautiful word in the world.

 Chapter 9 â€“ We believe in whatever you say, as long as itâ€™s good

    Chapter 9 ¨C We believe in whatever you say, as long as it¡¯s good

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan was at best a small cave master for now, and in that cave lived a bunch of wimpy kids with irritable characters.

    Shao Xuan processed the fish he brought back by cutting it open and removing its guts and gills, just like the warriors did. He discarded the waste to the rubbish ce, where all the garbage and litter went. Inside the cave, the rubbish ce was piled up by food residue and it would get cleaned by someone from the tribe every few days.

    In addition to unchewable parts, the fish got eaten uppletely, leaving some broken fish bones and its mouth which had tiny sharp teeth.

    The kids in the cave all went to sleep after they shared the fish. Shao Xuan kept a small torch before putting out the bonfire, and then he held it to look at the depths of the cave. Originally he intended to store some food and animal skins before winter arrived, but now, since he took over the cave and found out a way for fishing, he nned to lead some kids to the river again and hunt for some more fish tomorrow. The tribe alone could not provide sufficient food, but if there was enough stored food then they could go through the winter smoothly.

    Everyone in the tribe was preparing for winter, and people were seen making meat jerky every day since meat jerky couldst longer. If Shao Xuan could manage to get more fish, not only would the situation in the orphan cave be improved, they could also use the fish to trade for animal skins and furs with people in the tribe to keep themselves warm. Shao Xuan did not want to suffer from the cold.

    Depending on the not-so-bright light from his torch, Shao Xuan roughly walked and looked around the cave. He remembered thatst time he wandered inside the cave, it was shortly after he woke up in this world. On a whim, he took a walk in the cave, but after that, he never went into the depths.

    As the saying goes, a new official applies strict measures. Shao Xuan intended to make his own rules since it was his roof now. Measures must be taken and the cave needed to be reorganized.

    Before, the tribe was small and there were not a lot of people. Everyone lived in the cave and thus they made space allocations. There were sections for food, firewood, furs and animal skins, tools, weapons, inside toilets, etc. But as the poption grew, more and more people began to move out and build their own houses, so the cave was used to raise orphans and began to get messy. Many ces were emptied and dozens of kids were living near the entrance, with lots of spaces unused.

    There were air vents in the depths, but due to it being vacant for too long, the vents were blocked making it dark even in daylight.

    Shao Xuan returned to the entrance of the cave after his tour, and he extinguished his torch after making his straw bed with the bundle of hay which he had aired in the sun. However, that night, for no specific reason, he found it hard to fall asleep. His mind was haunted by things in the cave, the fish in the river, and the illusion he had during fishing.

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan felt someone or something staring at him. He did not know who, or what that was.

    The cave was dark since there was no fire. Moonlight sprinkled down through air vents and it brought in some faint blue light, which only appeared during the night.

    All the kids were asleep and sounds of snoring could be heard here and there. The entrance had already been blocked by a heavy straw curtain, with no abnormal sound or scene.

    Beside Shao Xuan, Caesar was sleeping safe and sound. Signaling that there should be no danger since Caesar was unaware of any strangeness.

    Unless there were some kids staring at him?

    Shao Xuan tightened his animal skin clothes as he shook his head. He nned to sleep, as he was going to take some wimpy kids out for fishing tomorrow.

    But not long after he closed his eyes, Shao Xuan felt a dark shadow flying by his side. It went so fast that Shao Xuan did not have the time to have a clear look. After the sh of the shadow, pairs of eyes with faint blue sparkles appeared.

    What was that? Shao Xuan was startled and suddenly he opened his eyes.

    The surroundings were the same just as before. It was dark inside and only moonlight sprinkled down little bit hazy light.

    Now Shao Xuan hadpletely lost his drowsiness. He rolled over and saw that the air vent had been dug out on the top of the wall .

    Normally there would be no danger with the air vent, so it wouldn¡¯t be blocked at night.

    Shao Xuan got up after some thinking. He could easily see the outside through the air vent, for the ce where he slept at had high terrain.

    With moonlight on the outside, it was brighter, and one could vaguely see the nearby scenery .

    There was a five-meter-high pir outside the cave, and that was from ancient times. At first, it served as a sundial, people living in the cave could estimate time based on the pir¡¯s shadow under sunlight. Now with no adults in the cave, children began to carve and draw on it. As time went by, it was no longer what it used to be. Now it stood there, full of bumps and hollows with merely an approximate shape.

    At the moment, there was a bird standing at the top of it.

    Shao Xuan knew what it was. He first expected it to be some kind of a bat when he saw it. But afterward, he learned that it was a swallow-like bird. It was quick when flying and only came out at night. It¡¯s a meat-eating creature.

    People in the tribe called it Night Swallow, which was very simr to a bat¡¯s nickname that Shao Xuan knew. Too bad that they were far more ferocious than bats and they were also highly gregarious, so they lived and moved in swarms.

    That was also the reason why few people in the tribe would go out at night without a torch. They may easily get attacked by Night Swallows.

    Normally a Night Swallow¡¯s voice could not be heard, but it¡¯s told in the tribe that powerful warriors could hear its cry. It was said to be cacophony but it was only a tale told by people, and most of them haven¡¯t heard it in person.

    Just as Shao Xuan looked up at the pir, the Night Swallow resting on top looked back incisively at Shao Xuan as well.

    Under the moonlight, its eyes reflected faint blue sparkles, just as what Shao Xuan had seen in his mind with his eyes closed.

    Night Swallows would nevere inside through air vents because they preferred to attack single targets and they preferred to attack in groups. For over half a year, Shao Xuan had never seen a single Night Swallow fly inside the cave. But he was certain that someone who goes outside alone without a torch would very likely get attacked.

    Slightly breathing out, Shao Xuan decided not to look outside and go back to sleep.

    But he knew that because of the shing shadow with faint blue eyes in his mind, Shao Xuan could not fall asleep soon.

    It seemed that he could ¡°see¡± the uing danger. The fish in daytime, for instance. And the bird standing outside was just another example.

    The weather was fine the next morning, bright and shiny. As usual, Shao Xuan bundled his hay and prepared to take them outter.

    pping his hands, Shao Xuan said to the bodies lying on the ground, ¡°Wake up, wake up! How many of you are awake? Get up now and go fishing with me!¡±

    No one reacted.

    ¡°The fish is edible, just like the one from yesterday.¡± Shao Xuan continued.

    There was some little movement, but still, most of them did not react.

    Some kids were still sleeping soundly as if nothing could wake them up. While some were hesitating over Shao Xuan¡¯s words, even though they woke up already. After all, they had developed a habit of sleeping all day aside from the time for eating. It could not be changed by Shao Xuan¡¯s simple words. They were used to sleeping until afternoon, and then waking up for food. There were also some people opening their eyes unconsciously, and then they fell asleep again after yawning.

    In the end, out of over twenty children, four came outside the cave with Shao Xuan, with the eldest two kids among them. The other two kids were called Tu and Ba. Tu was weak and timid, who did not match up with his name which represented ughter. Ba was rtively gentle in character when it¡¯s not rted to food, but he always stammered when talking. Those two were both eleven years old, but with a different physique. Ba was obviously taller than Tu and he looked alike with those thirteen-year-olds. Inparison, Tu was skinny and weak, just like Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan asked Caesar to dig out some stone worms. He took out the straw rope and ck half sphere from yesterday and led the four kids to the riverside.

    The guarding warriors were still the same two people because they had spent the night there. Only after three days, could they be reced by other guarding warriors. Seeing Shao Xuan approaching, they even greeted him with a smile and chatted with him.

    That was pretty strange in the eyes of the other four kids, as they had never encountered a simr situation. The two elder kids did not want topete and fight with Shao Xuan after yesterday¡¯s event, and their will to fight faded even more seeing their current circumstances. From their point of view, getting along with warriors in the tribe could be very benefitting. They could step out and lend a hand when you¡¯re in trouble. Earlier, Ku was very much admired because he knew someone living in the hillside.

    Shao Xuan prepared his stuff and exined to the four what to do next.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s actually quite simple. Later on, just follow mymand, do as I say, and we will then share and eat the fish we catch.¡±

    As expected, the four pairs of eyes lit up at the word ¡°eat¡±, and their fear of seeing the water faded away.

    With the limited length of the straw rope, Shao Xuan did not n to ce the bait very far. Also, this time he did not ask for Caesar¡¯s help. The four kids reced Caesar and were standing at the end of the rope, while Caesar squatted beside them quietly.

    The four kids were rather nervous as they grasped the rope. Except for the anxiety they had facing water creatures for the first time, they were excited about their first time fishing.

    ¡°Okay, now we stand still. Wait for my signalter.¡± Shao Xuan said as he tossed the bait and nced at the water surface.

    Soon, there were some movements in the water. Since it was his third time fishing, Shao Xuan had some experience and immediately shouted without hesitation, ¡°Now pull!¡±

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s words, the four kids grasped the rope tightly and pulled backward with full strength. The four of thembined were stronger than Caesar and they pulled the fish smoothly. The pulled out fish was the same size as yesterday¡¯s first one.

    That was the first time they saw a living fish, and that was a lethal one! So, when Shao Xuan told them to stop, they picked up their wooden sticks and smashed towards the fish hard. Especially Tu, he was scared but he deliberately approached and hit the fish on its head. As he was striking, he also screamed like hell, which made Shao Xuan angry, making him want to beat Tu up.

    ¡°Okay, okay¡­ That¡¯s enough!¡± Shao Xuan stopped their attacks and pulled those kids away, with sticks still held in their hands.

    At first, Shao Xuan mentioned that the fish might be fierce so they needed to take some long weapons, just in case. Now those kids were prepared, but unfortunately, with all kinds of emotionsbines, they attacked madly with all their strength, since it was their first hunting trip outside. The four of them grouped together, so when Shao Xuan stopped them from hitting that fish, the fish was already smashed into jam¡­

    How could anyone eat that pile of jam¡­

    The first one was ruined. So, Shao Xuan guided them to hunt for another one. The second time, they finally calmed down and the fish was rtively better looking. Shao Xuan cut it open and removed its guts and gills. He borrowed mmable powders from the two warriors and grilled the fish.

    The fish Shao Xuan took backst night wasrge in size, but with too many bones and too many kids, the fish meat distributed to everyone¡¯s mouth was rather little. But that was not the same today.

    Five people sharing a half-meter fish, each one could get arge slice even with the bones.

    All four kids were very excited, but with scarce vocabry, they did not know how to express their feelings. So all they did wasugh, and they were allughing like idiots.

    ¡°So delicious!¡± Tu said.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s good for the brain.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°What¡¯s brain? Good for the brain?¡± asked a kid.

    Shao Xuan thought about it and decided to keep the exnation simple, ¡°It means that you may grow better.¡±

    ¡°Grow¡­.grow¡­better? Is that¡­Does¡­Does that¡­mean that¡­. that¡­.that we can¡­.be stronger? Like¡­like totem¡­like totem warriors? ¡±

    Hearing Ba¡¯s words, the other three kids looked up at Shao Xuan, with sparkling lights in their eyes.

    Even though kids in the cave were hot-tempered, they did not tend to hide their feelings. So one could easily define their minds through their facial expressions.

    While at that moment, the facial expressions on these four kids were clearly suggesting that: Tell us now, please tell us now! We believe in whatever you say, as long as it¡¯s good!

    So Shao Xuan swallowed the words he was about to say and he hesitated a while before he nodded, contrary to his convictions.

    Water was slowly washing the riverside, and on the surface it seemed quiet and calm. However, Shao Xuan had just ¡°seen¡± a picture of a fish with a mouthful of sharp teeth. It was muchrger than the vision from yesterday but paler. Perhaps that fish was farther away from where he was standing.

    In this endless freshwater river, numerous dangers coexisted, as well as opportunities.

    In here they¡¯ll find their food to survive the winter, Shao Xuan told himself.

 Chapter 10 â€“ Follow me and get meat in return

    Chapter 10 ¨C Follow me and get meat in return

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After eating, the five of them caught another six fish through joint efforts. One fish was given to Caesar, not grilled, for he liked to eat raw food. As for the remaining five, Shao Xuan and the other four kids each took one of the fish as their trophies.

    When Shao Xuan led the four people back, Uncle Ge, who was in charge of delivering food, was already in the cave and waiting outside because he had not found Shao Xuan.

    The kids in the cave had already had their biological clock formed, so they woke up naturally every day when it was time for them to eat. Also, after a long day¡¯s sleep, it was their most energetic moment when they woke up. However, Shao Xuan was not at the cave, and Uncle Ge wouldn¡¯t distribute the food just yet. The kids were hungry and began to turn anxious. Two of them even fought with each other because of some minor issue, and both of them bled from their noses.

    Uncle Ge sat in silence at the edge of the cave, with a stone crock filled with food. He ignored these kids¡¯ fights and did not let them go near the stone crock.

    Dozens of children gathered around the stone crock but they did not dare to get any closer. Whoever tried to steal the food would get kicked away by Uncle Ge, and he would get less food than others, in the end, they dared not risk it.

    Uncle Ge, who was sitting at the edge of the stone crock and looking up at the sky while thinking of something, suddenly noticed something and looked not too far into the distance. He saw 5 children and a wolf walking over, the person leading them is the new Cave Leader Shao Xuan.

    However, when Uncle Ge¡¯s gaze fell on what they were pulling, his eyes widened and he fell down from the stone crock from too much excitement.

    ¡­¡­..

    Before Shao Xuan and hispanion got near, Uncle Ge couldn¡¯t help but jump off the stone vat and walk toward him. But only after a few steps, he turned back and then carried the stone crock with him to approach them. If he left it there those brats in the cave would definitely steal the food.

    ¡°This¡­.This¡­.Is this ¡­fish?!¡± Uncle Ge pointed at the fish in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand and asked.

    Because of an ident in the river many years ago, Ge had seen this creature before but since their tribal leader doesn¡¯t allow anyone to go in the river, so he never saw it again. He didn¡¯t think that he would see it again today.

    ¡°How did you get it?¡±

    If it was just luck there is no way to get this many. One is rare enough, could something have happened to cause arge amount of dead fish to appear on the shore? That shouldn¡¯t be possible, there are some people guarding the river so if anything had happened they would already have reported. Also, there are signs of being hit by sticks on the fish.

    Hiss¡­

    After Uncle Ge saw the fish¡¯s open mouth and the sharp teeth he couldn¡¯t help but suck in a breath of cold air. He is a very experienced hunter and can calcte a creature¡¯s personality and attack power from each creature¡¯s appearance. This is clearly a very lethal creature, even a totem warrior with powerful physical ability wouldn¡¯t want to fight this creature. He couldn¡¯t understand how these weak little kids, who hadn¡¯t awakened their totem power yet, caught these fish.

    The two older kids next to Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t hold it in anymore and proudly told Uncle Ge about their morning ¡°hunt¡± to show off their bravery. Showing off their ability in front of experienced soldiers would help them get into the hunting teams and is something the kids in the tribe liked to do.

    The two kid¡¯s descriptions didn¡¯t quite follow any order but Uncle Ge, who had a lot of experience in hunting, could guess more of what happened from their words. He looked at Shao Xuan with aplicated look and said, ¡°Let¡¯s distribute the food first.¡±

    The children in the cave saw the fish Shao Xuan and hispanions held and surrounded them. The four people beside Shao Xuan quickly became alerted, even the face of the previously good natured Ba became vicious. One of his hands threw the fish behind him and the other hand held a wooden stick. If anyone dared toe and steal the fish then he was going to go all out on them.

    Since Caesar was guarding Shao Xuan¡¯s fish, none of the kids in the tribe would dare to try and steal it, so their gaze could only fall on the other four. Luckily it was time for distributing food so their attention was drawn away again.

    Although it was the first time Shao Xuan distributed the food, he had seen how Ku did it, so he easily caught on. He even saved food for the four that were helping him guard their fish.

    Uncle Ge just stood on the side and watched Shao Xuan finish distributing the food. Then he looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s fish, picked up the crock, looked at the fish again, walked two steps, looked at the fish again, not really wanting to leave. As with the two guards at the river, he didn¡¯t want to eat it but was just very curious about the fish.

    Unfortunately, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t give him a chance to observe or exnation, just like whoever let him suddenly be the cave leader had not exined the reason.

    No one in the tribe had given these fish a name so Shao Xuan called them ¡°Piranha Fish.¡±

    Shao Xuan noticed a long time ago that inside the cave there were some devices used to hang stuff in the upper portion of the cave, it was unknown how many years it had been since they werest used. Shao Xuan first used his fish to test it, he was able to hang it there, and the stone hook didn¡¯t seem to be breaking.

    Seeing Shao Xuan do this the other four also asked Shao Xuan to help them hang their fish. There was no way for one of them to finish such arge fish by themselves and they didn¡¯t want to share with the others, so they had to prevent the other kids from stealing them so it was best to hang them up.

    The other end of the straw rope was tied to the wall. The four of them each guarded their rope because they felt safer when they guarded their trophies.

    The other orphan kids in the cave began to regret not following Shao Xuan in the morning since they saw those four kids each getting one fish of their own.

    In contrast, Shao Xuan also took the opportunity to ingrain the kids with a thought ¨C ¡®follow me and get meat in return¡¯.

    Want to tag along tomorrow? Sure, but¡­

    ¡°You have to listen to me.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    It was not easy for the kids in the cave to listen to anybody. Striking them, again and again, wouldn¡¯t help for even a little bit. Many of the kids in the tribe were very stubborn, violence-resistant and they were ready to risk everything. If you beat them up this time, they¡¯ll still try to steal or rob your things the next time. Even when the ¡°former cave master¡± Ku was around, the children did not get along well. Many of them got beaten up by Ku, and Shao Xuan had in fact witnessed some of those fights. It was pretty severe, and the loser would have to recover for more than ten days to be able to stand on his feet again.

    However, now, with Shao Xuan¡¯s theory of ¡°follow me and get meat in return,¡± everyone was appeased.

    The next day, Shao Xuan told those kids to weave straw ropes.

    In this time of the year, there was a lot of grass that could be processed into a straw rope. It was easy to find raw materials, but not everyone in the cave knew how to weave them. There were a few kids who had learned the skill from their parents, but they had never practiced it since their parents passed away.

    There were originally twenty-seven children in the cave. Since former master Ku had left, and there was one silent kid who was not always around, only twenty-five children remained in the cave. Shao Xuan divided them into five groups, with five kids in each group. Within every group, there was someone who knew how to weave. Then Shao Xuan told them about the division ofbor and cooperation. Someone would go to collect grass, while the others would be in charge of weaving and finding stone worms.

    Except, these kids were not fans of cooperation. They would fight each other over some of the tiniest things, even when they were in the same group.

    After Shao Xuan had quelled the conflicts, he thought for a moment and changed his way of expressing,

    Now each group is a small hunting team! It¡¯s your own hunting team!¡±

    Small hunting team¡­

    Those were magic words to those dozens of children, and all of them began to fantasize about it.

    In the mind of those kids from the tribe, ¡°hunting team¡± was a very fancy and bright term, that only warriors with totemic powers could join.

    Joining a hunting team would mean lots of food.

    Joining a small hunting team was so thrilling and unexpected! They could begin to hunt!

    Shao Xuan looked at the crowd and said, ¡°Okay, now whoever wants to quit, or disobeys mymands, or loves to fight each other, stand out now and you won¡¯t be included in our mission!¡±

    No one moved.

    The kid standing at the very front looked at his surroundings and felt himself standing too far out, so he hurried and stepped back, for fear that he might be misunderstood as one who wanted to quit.

    The one who just beat another kid in his group also acted pretty seriously, and stood there still, not slightly feeling that he belonged to the ¡°loves to fight each other¡± kind of people.

    ¡°Fine, since nobody wants to quit now, let¡¯s go! Just a reminder that you shall all follow my orders! Anyone who disobeys will get thrown out of the small hunting team!¡±

    Shao Xuan used ¡°hunting team¡± as a threat because he knew what they were afraid of. These children had a bad temper, but they were simple-minded. You can control them as long as you know what they cared about.

    As expected, this time they behaved much better.

    However, when it came to the real mission, it didn¡¯t as smoothly as predicted.

    Along the riverside.

    Those two guarding warriors were standing not far away and they smiled as they watched Shao Xuan being busymanding the kids to catch fish. In a fit of anger, he would just beat some kid, and the one that got beaten would just roll on the ground, stand up, wipe off the blood on his face with a smile, and then get back to work as normal.

    All their dull eyes were sparkling today, especially when they would see a fish pulled out of the water. Some of them would even make a few jumps in order to vent their feelings of thrill and excitement. If the fish weren¡¯t that aggressive with their mouthful of tiny sharp teeth that could bite their flesh off easily, they would hug the fish in their arms and take a huge bite as their unique marks.

    For days, Shao Xuan would take them fishing. There were lots of fish in the waters, so they harvested a lot every day. Even if they ate with an empty belly, there would still be leftovers. However, perhaps out of the fear of hunger, those children would naturally think about storing food for bad days. Some of them got the habit from their parents and the others were just following what others were doing blindly.

    For the kids in the orphan cave, those few days were their happiest since living there, and as time went by, they looked more energetic than ever. Some sleepy heads would get up earlier than Shao Xuan and wake him up. At night, they wouldy on the ground and stare at those big fish hanging on the top. Even when the fire was out, they would keep staring. Shao Xuan could sometimes hear their chuckles in the middle of the night, which was extremely creepy¡­What the fuck!

 Chapter 11 â€“ Recording and counting numbers

    Chapter 11 ¨C Recording and counting numbers

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    All the kids in the cave had been in a state of extreme excitement these days. Just like when the poor turned rich overnight, they¡¯d be incredibly hyper.

    And the consequences of being driven by excitement was quite simple ¨C fighting.

    When they were not fishing, they fought each other in the cave.

    In the past, they fought over food, now they still fought over food, but in a different kind of way. Now, they would usually fight protecting their own food, instead of robbing or stealing food from the others. Sometimes they would just beat the one who wrongly took their fish by mistake when bringing their quarries back.

    The fighting was not one versus one since Shao Xuan had incalcted the idea that groups were a different version of a small hunting team, the tradition of one versus one had developed into gang fights. Thus the war between groups and teams were more intense than ever.

    Shao Xuan sat aside and sighed, for he was the one who brought this upon himself.

    After seeing that a kid¡¯s dragging of the wrong fish triggered yet another battle between two groups, Shao Xuan thought for a while and set his eyes on a smooth wall near the entrance, regardless of the messy situation inside the cave.

    A long time ago, when everyone in the tribe was living in the cave, they polished the wall and carved letters on it. Afterward, all residents in the cave were kids, and no more letters were added there. Even when someone had the whim to paint, they would only paint or carve near the bottom. In the higher ces, there were only ancient traces left.

    All traces on the wall were different in depth and carving or painting patterns, because of their different ages. Some of them were painted by pigment produced by nts, and some of them were strictly carved by a stone knife. Many traces had already turned fuzzy and discolored. It was just a waste to keep them there since no one could tell their original meanings.

    Shao Xuan called those super excited and super energetic whelps together and told them to pick up stones to polish the wall.

    Deep down the cave, there were some rtivelyrger stones, which they carried out together. Because of their limited height, the children would have to stand on those stones to reach the upper sections of the wall.

    Since they had something to do to kill the time, the undisciplined kids began to fit in their ces. Besides, this was Shao Xuan¡¯smand so no one objected to it. Even if reluctant, they would still grab a stone and polish a little.

    Because the wall was already polished by the former residents, the kids would only need to grind the surface to remove the original marks. When it was almost done, Shao Xuan stood up on a big stone and used a burnt branch, as a pen. He wrote down five numbers representing five groups on the top of the wall, and in detail exined which group they belonged to. But still, Shao Xuan wrote down each of the group¡¯s member¡¯s names just to be on the safe side.

    Every once in awhile, someone in the tribe would be sent to the cave to teach some basic knowledge to the children. For example, counting numbers andmonly used words. That was how Shao Xuan got to know thenguage here. However, other kids in the cave were unwilling to listen, so they rarely learned anything new. Shao Xuan was the only one who paid attention when a teacher came to the cave.

    Every kid in the orphan cave would wear a stone tablet with his or her name on it. Although they did not know many letters and couldn¡¯t write, they could still recognize their own names.

    After writing down the groups and names, the fish they brought back would be recorded on the wall. At first Shao Xuan meant to use simple numbers to record how many fish they had dragged back for each group, but the kids weren¡¯t satisfied with that. Looking up at the fish hanging up in the cave, Shao Xuan drew some fish in stick figures on the wall. It was an abstract fish, quite simple to draw and easy to be recognized.

    Finally, those whelps were satisfied, and they even made the smartest kid in each group verify that the quantity on the wall matched with the exact number of fish hanging in the air.

    Shao Xuan could draw one fish in one stroke, and there were in total dozens of fish, so it took a short time toplete the chart. Besides, the wall was extremely wide and tall, so it could contain over a thousand fish painted on it.

    There was an air vent at the top of the wall, opposite to where Shao Xuan drew all the fish. During daylight, the sun would shine on the wall, which made all the markings on the wall pretty obvious.

    So, every day when not fishing, the kids sat with their group members and wove straw ropes, they would constantly look up on the wall, and count their fish, then they looked at the real fish hanging on the hooks and checked the numbers. Due to this, their counting abilities were improving very quickly.

    Those who used to be reluctant to count would count at least ten times a day or more, without anyone pushing them.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, is twelve the one after ten?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s eleven!¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen¡­It¡¯s not right, Ah-Xuan, why are there only fourteen fish in our team? There are fifteen on the wall! One is missing! Who took our fish?!!!¡±

    Before the sentence was finished, the kid, together with the other four in his group, grasped sticks and stones with ferocious looks and scanned at other kids in the cave with gloomy eyes.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath and pointed the wall with a branch, ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that the first fish on the wall is crossed with a thick sh? That means that you have already eaten the fish! Actually, you ate the fishst night! Will you vomit up the things in your bellies to confirm it? I ¨C can ¨C help ¨C you ¨C with ¨C that!¡±

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s true.¡± The kid thought for a moment with his head crooked, as he eased himself down. He put his stick down and sat with the other four kids, as they continued to weave straw ropes as if nothing had happened earlier.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, I heard from Uncle Ge that tomorrow we will have good weather. Shall we go to the riverbank tomorrow?¡± A kid asked expectedly.

    All the other kids¡¯ attention was focused on Shao Xuan as they stared at him hopefully. It seems that they would all have their hearts broken, should Shao Xuan provide them with a ¡°No¡± answer.

    ¡°Yes, tomorrow we will go there as usual.¡± Shao Xuan looked up at the sky as he walked out of the cave.

    Now, these dozens of kids were all working together. Indeed, they were voracious and they would love to go fishing all day, but still, deep down in their hearts, they knew it¡¯s for the best that everyone worked together. They had to, the main reason being that they could not find stone worms by themselves.

    Shao Xuan had tried many kinds of worms that could be found in the tribe as bait, but stone worms were the best and most efficient ones. For those who did not obey orders and acted alone, Shao Xuan would not give any stone worms to them.

    ¡°Undisciplined but you still want stone worms? Fine, go and find your own.¡± Without Caesar, one would have spent all day searching and only capture a few of them. Those stone worms were much quicker than earthworms, one would only return empty handed if they could not catch them immediately upon seeing them. Everyone depended on Caesar¡¯s help to get stone worms!

    The second reason that they had to work together, was that they could not get the small ck floats by themselves. To get those, they must catch a ck worm that lived in the ck swamp. It¡¯s such a shame that aside from Caesar, no one could go near the ck swamp.

    Due to these reasons, Caesar had a higher position in the cave. At least now, the kids were not seeing Caesar as food. Some flexible kids even learned how to fawn over Caesar. Since they¡¯ve seen Caesar gnawing animal bones, they would toss fish bones to him. However, Caesar was not interested in fish bones.

    No matter what, these whelps had eased their rtionship with Caesar, so Shao Xuan no longer worried about whether they would join together and roast Caesar alive.

    The next day, Shao Xuan was woken up by the kids, and then together they ran to the gravel yard to dig stone worms. Every time Caesar caught one, Shao Xuan would distribute it to a team leader of a group.

    One stone worm could be used for two or three times. After a stone worm was dug out, they would cut it into two pieces. After a few minutes, the two ends would grow into two separate worms. Given enough time, they could grow into the same length as before, as if they were never cut in half.

    When they were all set, Shao Xuan led them to the riverbank.

    The guarding warriors were different people from before, but Shao Xuan soon got to know them well.

    These days they all watched those children fishing, and at the end of the day, Shao Xuan would give them one fish as a gift. So he left the warriors with a good impression, and warriors had changed their views on the children in the cave as well.

    Seeing the waters, all the whelps got excited. They hurried to set the bait but were immediately stopped by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Stop! Step back! All of you! Do not touch the water! Do not toss the bait yet!¡±

    Shao Xuan held the first kid in the front and threw him backward as he stared at the surface of the water and frowned.

    Something¡¯s wrong today.

 Chapter 12 â€“ Beat them up

    Chapter 12 ¨C Beat them up

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It was indeed a sunny day today.

    The surface of the river was quite calm and quiet. A few days earlier, wind would blow up light waves that washed against the shore. However, there was no such scene today, for there was no wind at all.

    It¡¯s too calm, weirdly calm.

    The water was the opposite of clear. At the shore it was fine, but a meter away from the shore where the water was deeper, no one could see the situation down there.

    In such a dangerous world where nomon sense could be applied to, even the slightest detailed risk could not be ignored or underestimated. Ignorance led to death. For what¡¯s worse, just like the ck swamp, the river was originally regarded as a high risk zone by people in the tribe. All the fishing in the past few days did not mean that it was safe.

    Seeing Shao Xuan acted like that, all the kids got puzzled but still they stopped what they were doing and stepped backwards, even though one minute earlier they were very excited. Yes, they were voracious and no one would describe them as smart kids. But they were not stupid and every one of them cherished their lives. Also, Shao Xuan had earned their trust after all these days¡¯ leadership, so they all stared at Shao Xuan for his furthermand after they stepped back.

    Shao Xuan stood at the bank, thinking as he looked at the quiet waters.

    The surface was still calm, and aside from that, it was just like another normal day. The water did not change its color and nothing suspicious could be observed.

    Was he just being paranoid?

    Suddenly, some white translucent creatures appeared in front of Shao Xuan. They were simr to some upside-down shuttlecocks, with lots of whisker-like tentacles. And they move as the tentacles swayed.

    Judging from former experiences, Shao Xuan learnt that such circumstances do not appear for no reason. There should be that kind of creatures in the water, and they are supposed to be very dangerous.

    Shao Xuan grasped a straw rope with a stone worm tied on its end, and tossed it into the river. It dropped at a spot that was less than two meters away from the bank. However, from the other end of the straw rope he held in his hands, Shao Xuan did not sense any intense struggle like a piranha taking the bait.

    The ck float was vibrating gently. One would assume that it came from the stone worm¡¯s struggle if not observing carefully. But Shao Xuan was very familiar with the stone worms¡¯ struggle beneath the water since he had quite some experiences in fishing. The truth now was that, the vibration amplitude of the ck float on the surface was slightly smaller than before, and it had a trend of getting smaller and smaller.

    Shao Xuan pulled back the straw rope, and every whelp got around together as the stone worm revealed itself.

    The stone worm did not get bitten, but its whole body turned pale. It shrank to some extent and remained the stiff twisted posture as it was dropped into the water.

    cing the changed stone worm on the ground, Shao Xuan used the back of his stone knife to strike on its body.

    Click!

    After a slight sharp snap, the stone worm was broken into pieces as if it was made of ss. It had no more the soft body as before.

    All the whelps standing aside began to feel extreme terror. Would a person turn dry and crisp if he were in the river?

    No one dared to try, and they moved away without the slightest intention to touch the water.

    Shao Xuan tossed another few stone worms down the water, and every time it was the same result. Only after a few seconds, a lively stone worm would be a crisp dried worm, and no fish would take the bait no matter how long it had been ced in the water.

    ¡°Either the fish have no interest in dried worms, or there is no fish nearby at all! Perhaps all the fish has run away since something dreadful is in the water. I guess they will only return after that kind of creature leaves.¡± Shao Xuan took back the straw rope and analyzed.

    ¡°Then¡­ when will the fish return?¡± asked a kid. Now kids from the cave did not fear that ferocious-looking piranhas, instead, they look forward seeing them, and piranhas were missed dearly even with only one day¡¯s absence.

    ¡°Not sure. We¡¯lle back and check tomorrow.¡± Shao Xuan shook his head and he even went to the guarding warriors and exined the situation, to warn them that they should pay extra attention to keep people in the tribe from going into the river. Also, he left a dried stone worm so that they could review on it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back. We shall weave more straw rope for next time¡¯s fishing.¡± Shao Xuan advised. The consumption of straw rope was quiterge, for normal straw rope had bad qualities so it would break only after a few times¡¯ fishing. Since they could not go fishing today, Shao Xuan asked them to collect enough grass and sit in the cave to weave straw ropes.

    Even though seeing that dried stone worm made the kids terrified, their hearts were filled more with reluctance and unwillingness.

    How many fish could they have captured if it were just another fishing day today? At least four! They could have gotten more, if Caesar had dug out more stone worms. For the sake of their own lives, fishing was no longer an option for today. ording to Ah-Xuan¡¯s words, they shoulde back and check tomorrow. But what if tomorrow was no different than today? And what would happen the day after tomorrow? Then what would happen ever after? What if they could never go fishing?

    It was too scary to even think about it.

    The children in the cave were anxious, and their minds were wandering even when they were physically weaving straw ropes in the cave.

    Shao Xuan sat at the entrance of the cave, rethinking about the creature he ¡°saw¡± earlier as he bathed himself in the sunlight. Incidentally he would think about theing winter.

    That day, many people got driven back by the guarding warriors when they tried to go fishing at the river.

    A few days earlier, residents in mountain foot area noticed that the children in orphan cave became diligent. In the past, they would simply sleep, eat, and asionally go rob some things. However, now everyday they went out and they would only return from the riverside in the afternoons when food was supposed to be distributed. Also, every time when they returned, they had dragged back some arm-length odd fish with a giant head and numerous mouthful sharp tiny teeth, tied with straw rope.

    Men with curiosity followed them and wanted to learn the skills of fishing. However, first of all it was difficult for them to dig out stone worms, and with theck of alternative bait, it was pretty hard for them to capture a fish with merely a straw rope. Secondly, even if they had dug out stone worms, or they had used some other things as bait, it was still difficult for them to capture a fish as easily as Shao Xuan and hispanions. Sometimes, the things they fished out were alien and strange and one could get his body swollen like a ham with a single touch.

    Finally, those men noticed that Shao Xuan was using some ck thing that could float above the water surface, and that ck float was the only thing that Shao Xuan had yet they didn¡¯t possess. Indeed, the harvest was not ideal when one did not use that equipment.

    Shao Xuan had actually analyzed why that happened. Those piranhas probably didn¡¯t like to live in the bottom of the river, while the straw rope with a bait tended to sink under the water. Stone worms, on the other hand, would easily flee once they touched dirt and rocks from the bottom. Those two factors added up to the result of a bad harvest.

    These days, Shao Xuan asked Caesar to catch more of those worms from the ck swamp, and obtained more ck floats. He used them to trade for some meat and animal skins. The meat was not much and he shared it with kids in the cave the day he got it back. As for the animal skins, although it was not fine in the quality, it could absolutely make theing winter less harsh for them.

    Because of that, aside from the kids from the cave, the residents in the mountain-foot district who had no hunting missions were also fishing tirelessly. No one wouldin for too much food. Winter wasing and man could only feel at ease when he had enough food stored.

    However, everyone was disappointed today.

    Shao Xuan sighed at another group of people returning from the riverside, upset and unsatisfied.

    Unexpectedly, Caesar, who was lying beside, suddenly stood up and stared at one direction.

    Shao Xuan looked at that direction.

    About twenty meters away from the entrance of the cave, there were some giant stones. Normally if the weather was fine, kids would lie there and bath in the sunlight. However, now few would go because they were kept busy all day long. At this time, no one was supposed to be on the stones, but Shao Xuan observed that someone was there, for a little bit of animal skin was exposed at the edge of it.

    Even based on the little part of animal skin, Shao Xuan had recognized that it was Sai, who used to rob away Shao Xuan¡¯s things and once got beaten up by Shao Xuan at the training ground. Usually Ye and Zhan would follow Sai everywhere, they also came today.

    The day before yesterday when Shao Xuan was taking Caesar to catch worms in the ck swamp, these three kids blocked Shao Xuan at the gravel yard to rob him of the ck floats. They fought but at that time, kids from the cave also came so Sai and hispanions quickly ran away. Perhaps the three of them did not give up, and they thought they could steal something in here.

    They dared not rob the fish, because there was a clear rule in the tribe that no one should take the food in orphan cave, however, the fishing equipment did not belong to the ¡°food¡± category.

    Shao Xuan touched his jaw. He tapped on Caesar and told him to wait, while he turned around and entered the cave.

    ¡°Hey, you all!¡± Shao Xuan shouted out at the kids in the cave, ¡°Lately you have all behaved pretty well, and we captured lots of fish, which is good! If the situation continues, we will not suffer from starvation this winter, with all the food from the tribe. But, what shall we do if now someone wants toe down here and rob our things?¡±

    The eyes of the kids were lit up when they heard Shao Xuan¡¯s voice, for they thought it was time to go fishing. However, when they realized it was not about fishing, the enthusiasm quickly cooled down. But, all emotions were reced by anger when they understood what Shao Xuan was implying.

    Rob things?

    Beat them up!!

    No fish and they only want to rob the fishing equipment?

    That¡¯s also a No!!

    What¡¯s the meaning of ¡°steal¡±? Oh¡­ you say that taking without informing is called ¡°steal¡±? That¡¯s basically the same as ¡°rob¡±?! Beat them up hard!!

    Shao Xuan had said before, that to those little whelps, ¡°eat¡± must be the most beautiful word in the world. Food is the specific interpretation of that word. They would fight with full spirit with whoever that wanted to rob away their food. Taking their food equaled to taking their most treasured thing.

    At that time, Sai with his two minions were just discussing how they nned to take some ck floats when no one was watching and then leave quietly. The discussion was heating up when Caesar jumped down out of nowhere and pounced on them.

    It was so sudden, that these three could only jump away out of reflex, quite terrified.

    Sai¡¯s heart raced with the shock as he stared at Caesar with a stick tightly held in his hands. He was still afraid but he decided to swing the stick as long as the wolf took one step forward.

    Thinking too attentively, Sai did not notice the surroundings, until Ye and Zhan poked at him.

    ¡°What are you poking for? Didn¡¯t you see me¡­¡±

    Sai turned and roared, but before he could finish his words, he finally looked along Ye and Zhan¡¯s sights, and saw those dozens of whelps standing at the entrance of the cave, with sticks and rocks in their hands, and fierce anger shing in their eyes.

 Chapter 13 â€“ Mo-Er

    Chapter 13 ¨C Mo-Er

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Sai and his two minions did not manage to steal anything, but instead, were chased after by two dozen kids from the cave, like rats on the street

    In that afternoon, almost every resident in the mountain-foot district saw the surprising scene. After all, normally Sai, together with Zhan and Ye was the one who bullied other kids. And in the past, kids from the orphan cave would not be so united. They usually acted alone, and no less than half of them got beaten up by Sai before. However, now on one expected them to be so united. Over twenty kids ran after Sai and his minions¡¯ tails. After just a short period of time, Sai and his minions were beaten up hard. They would¡¯ve suffered even more if it weren¡¯t for the fact that their parents came to their rescue.

    That particr incident also helped the people in the mountain-foot district refresh their understanding towards the kids in the cave. It turned out that these children knew how to be united against amon enemy. Some people with evil thoughts also had to hide their thoughts seeing those circumstances.

    Fighting was nothing. Kids in the tribe feared not fighting, and no adult treated it seriously. However, it was totally a different story when someone got besieged by twenty people, even when all of them were merely children. Only the idiots would try to find trouble for themselves.

    After taking care of Sai¡¯s disturbance, Shao Xuan gathered the ferocious kids back to the cave. With the chasing and fighting earlier, their unwilling emotions got vented all out. So naturally they shoulde back and do the right things.

    Kids in the cave saw that Shao Xuan used his fish to trade for animal skins, so they took their fish and ask Shao Xuan to do the trading for them. The group leaders that Shao Xuan appointed were not fools, and since they themselves did not like tomunicate with other people in the tribe, they asked Shao Xuan to do the favor.

    In the memories of some kids, they vaguely remembered that someone had taught them two things that should be prepared and stored before winter came. One was food, and the other was animal skins. The former one could save them from starvation, and thetter one guaranteed that they won¡¯t be frozen to death. Even though the tribe would spare them some animal skins for winter use, there were also kids that got ill because of the weather every year. Before they were properly treated, they tended to close their eyes for good and thus surrender their lives to the harsh winter. Those who had lived for a few years in the cave still had fresh memories of winter times. It was so terrifying, for no one had sufficient food, and at nights they often woke up because of the coldness. Let alone the fact that theirpanions could end up dead whenever. So since they had food now, they would dly spare some food and trade for animal skins.

    When one kid tried to ask Shao Xuan¡¯s favor, the other followed.

    Shao Xuan recorded on the stone wall that which group had spared how many fish, and after he traded the animal skins back, he would distribute them to different groups ordingly.

    As he was writing on the wall, someone came inside the cave.

    Everyone hesitated and held their breath, seeing that someone walked in. Then every five of them gathered together and stared at theing person vigntly.

    Shao Xuan knew theing person, as he was just another kid living in the cave named Mo-Er. Mo-Er¡¯s father was an excellent warrior, but he had an ident during a hunting mission. After that, Mo-Er¡¯s mother remarried, and Mo-Er should¡¯ve joined the new family ording to the rules in the tribe. However, the newly formed family had more than one kid, and since there were inevitable conflicts, fighting and violence were unavoidable.

    Originally Mo-Er was named as ¡°Er¡±, but since his father¡¯s name was ¡°Mo¡±, he himselfbined the two words and gave himself a new name.

    Mo-Er carried a long stone knife that was nearly his height, and scanned around the cave. He sniffed and looked up curiously, only to find out that many fish with tiny sharp teeth were hanging above and stared at him with their dark red eyes.

    Mo-Er suddenly stepped back, stiffened his body as he drew out the stone knife that he had tied on his back.

    At the same time Mo-Er drew out his knife, some kids misunderstood him and thought that he was trying to rob away their fish, so they also stood up abruptly with tools tightly grasped in their hands, staring at Mo-Er with all their attention.

    What? Want to rob our fish?!!

    Although they lived in the same cave, ever since Shao Xuan had divided them into different groups of 5, in their hearts, anyone who did not belong to their group was considered as an outsider, against whom needed to be guarded.

    ¡°Alright! Drop all your knives and sticks¡­ The one with the stone, don¡¯t you dare think that I did not see the weapon in your hand behind your back! Drop them all!¡± Shao Xuan roared at all kids in the cave, and then walked towards Mo-Er. He pointed at the fish above and exined, ¡°Dead.¡±

    Mo-Er frowned and observed carefully at the fish with giant mouth and numerous sharp teeth. He held back his knife only after he made sure that they were dead fish with no ability to threaten his safety. It was also pretty hard for him to hold such a big knife. After he took it back, Mo-Er nced at the surroundings again,

    Seeing that, Shao Xuan assumed that he was looking for Ku, ¡°Ku has gone to the mountainside district, and he won¡¯te back for the winter. Uncle Ge named me as the person in charge in the cave.¡±

    Mo-Er nodded and said nothing. For him it didn¡¯t matter who was in charge of the cave, it was just that the changes made him ufortable. Carrying his knife, Mo-Er headed to the depth of the cave. Unlike the old times, everyone in the cave stared at him as he walked, and sending a message that he was not wee. In the past, no one would care whether he returned or not, after some time¡¯s absence. They would just lie on the ground in a mess.

    Just as Mo-Er wondered in private why these changes were happening sincest time he left, the other kids were thinking as well. In the past they didn¡¯t bother to think, but now they were quite eager to think.

    Another person meant that more game needed to be distributed, which was such a shame¡­ Everyone had their own thoughts and spontaneously they nced at Shao Xuan, waiting for his decision.

    Shao Xuan had heard from Ku earlier, that Mo-Er¡¯s father had left him many good stuff. The stone knife that Mo-Er was using was inherited from his father. Sopared to the other kids in the cave, Mo-Er was basically born with a silver spoon in his mouth. However, the second-generation-rich was unlike the others, as he would constantlye back to the cave, instead of living a fine life in the mountains. Sometimes, his remarried mother had to drag him away from the cave, and head back to their home in the mountain. However, after some time, Mo-Er would return to the cave again.

    Perhaps he fought with the other kids in his new family, and perhaps for other reasons, he often came back. But no one asked him why, and Mo-Er had not told anyone about his life story. He was scanty with his words, and very reticent. Whenmunicating with others, he would merely nod or shake his head, or elsee directly to fight. He struck the other kids in the cave with only one impression ¨C that he was quite a master in fighting. No one had beaten him up, including Ku, who had already gone to the mountainside district. So less than ast resort, no one in the cave would try to rob Mo-Er. Naturally one shall only rob things from the weakest person, and those with muddled brains that tried to rob Mo-Er, had all been stabbed by him.

    ¡°Are you staying in the cave for the winter?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Mo-Er nodded.

    ¡°Good. Formerly there were twenty-five people in the cave, and I divided them into five groups. Now since you are back¡­¡±

    The air was tense in the cave, and everyone stared at Shao Xuan with their eyes wide open. Some would even harshly shake their heads towards Shao Xuan, as if they were afraid that Shao Xuan would misinterpret their meaning, that they did not want any new members in their group.

    ¡°So you should join our group.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Kids in the other four groups were quite relieved, and their intense expressions faded away, and were reced with joyful smiles. As for the two older kids in Shao Xuan¡¯s group, they were not happy about it, but since Shao Xuan had made the decision, they chose not to vite it. However, they red at Mo-Er and turned around to continue weaving straw rope.

    Mo-Er did not care for the others¡¯ obvious exclusion, at least Shao Xuan could not see his resistance based on his reaction. He was still in deep silence as before.

    At night, some kids already fell asleep, and some kids who were worried that tomorrow might be yet another bad day for fishing and couldn¡¯t sleep, weaved straw ropes mindlessly. It was so messy, they would weave and then undo the straw rope again and again. When they got angry, they would use their teeth to bite the straw rope, which made Shao Xuan quite anxious. How are we going to use these crappy ropes that were already bitten through?

    The fire near the entrance had not been put out, and the curtain at the entrance was still up. The fire light was pretty obvious since it was already dark in the outside. So the night swallows would avoid the bright ces and only observe from afar.

    Mo-Er carried his knife and approached the entrance. He put the giant knife on his back aside, and held two short knives with both his hands. He gripped the short knives backhanded, and since he could not hide his breath like totemic warriors, the flying night swallows noticed his presence as soon as he walked out the entrance.

    Shao Xuan sat beside the fire. It was not far from the entrance, and the sky could be observed from there.

    Two crescent moons were floating in the sky. Yes, two of them.

    When seeing the moons in the sky at night, Shao Xuan realized this could only be exined by this being a whole other world, which was far different from the world he knew. All the rules and experiences he once mastered could not be applied in here.

    During this season, two moons would march against each other in opposite directions. The crescents could not provide enough light to the dark sky, so it was darker than before.

    The night grew darker and darker, and winter would officially begin when these two moons fully disappeared.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyesight fell on Mo-Er¡¯s body as Mo-Er left the cave. Judging from his earlier behavior and the way he held those knives now, Shao Xuan could tell that Mo-Er was quite experienced in fighting. Every day when the other kids were sleeping, he would start to practice with his knives. Even though his father was gone, there was still someone who was willing to teach him.

    Holding the short knives, Mo-Er stood there in silence, as if he was staring nkly at the darkness. But Shao Xuan knew that Mo-Er was waiting for the game to approach him.

    In the darkness, night swallows flew by at a very fast speed. One could not see their bodies clearly and only slight sounds could be captured.

    There were a lot of night swallows outside the cave, and they were hesitating because there was lighting from the cave. Only a few of them dared to rush at Mo-Er.

    A quick small sound was heard. Night swallows were approaching!

    Mo-Er moved fast and he shed his short knife to the left rapidly!

    It was a quick sh without hesitation.

    Ding!

    He missed.

    The second that the knife cut on the wall, there was a shing sparkle, because he was standing quite near the entrance.

    The night swallow that attacked earlier had left, but it left a half-hand long wound on Mo-Er¡¯s arm.

    It was caused by the night swallow¡¯s shovel-like beak. But influenced by theing knife, the night swallow slightly altered its attacking angle, so the wound it left on Mo-Er¡¯s arm was not deep. If the peck was in the front, Mo-Er would have lost some flesh, instead of just getting a superficial wound.

    A fine hunter needed to know how to hide and how to endure. Mo-Er did not reveal any painful expressions at the wound earlier, and he did not frown even a bit. His hand holding the knife was still steady and he looked just the same as before. He did not treat his wound, and just let the blood bleed from his wound.

    However, the flying night swallows seemed to sense the blood in the air, and began to act restless.

    Shao Xuan could hear the sounds of more night swallows flying in the air.

    Compared with the other kids in the cave, Mo-Er was much tougher. In the past, Ku was very iprehensive towards Mo-Er using night swallows to practice his knife skills. In the eyes of the kids in the cave, he was totally asking for death himself. When Mo-Er was not in the cave, they whispered and wondered about why he would try so hard in such a tough ce, when he could have a far better and easier life.

    Caesar was also provoked by those flying night swallows outside the cave. Shao Xuan calmed him down and stood up to lead him to the depth of the cave.

    However, just after a few steps, Shao Xuan stopped, for he heard some sharp humming.

    At first Shao Xuan thought they were imaginary voices, and then he wondered if it was tinnitus caused by too much thinking or other reasons. But after a while, he felt that something was wrong. The sharp humming grew stronger and stronger, as if the thing who created the sound was approaching.

    Ding!

    Another sound caused by a stone knife and stone walls hitting, and at the same time, the sharp humming that Shao Xuan heard stopped.

    Shao Xuan looked at the other side.

    Mo-Er held a knife in his hand, and the knife had already poked through a night swallow¡¯s body. The night swallow finally rested after some waves of its wings, and its blood streamed down the gray stone knife.

    The approaching night swallows turned and flew afar, as they were lingering in the air.

    Mo-Er flung the knife and the dead night swallow was tossed into the cave beside the giant knife that Mo-Er carried in his back. Then he continued to wait for another game.

    Caesar bared his teeth to that dead night swallow, and he was very anxious to take a bite at it. However, Shao Xuan stared at the shovel-like beak of that night swallow, lost in thought.

 Chapter 14 â€“ Stoneware Crafter

    Chapter 14 ¨C Stoneware Crafter

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Early in the next morning, before the sun rose, all kids in the cave woke up, and some of them had dark circles around their eyes, for not getting proper sleep because of anxiety.

    Mo-Er was curious when he got woken up, for that circumstance never happened in the past. He had killed a few night swallows duringst night¡¯s practice, and on his arm there were also a few wounds with different depth. He had covered them with herbs.

    Regardless of his curiosity, Mo-Er stood up and picked up his stone knife and waited for what was next. He found out that every five kids would stand close to each other, with straw ropes and little ck things in their arms. They were discussing about something near the entrance as they constantly looked at Shao Xuan, fully excited.

    ¡°The sun rose! Today¡¯s weather must be good, so we can go fishing!¡± said a child, staring at the sun in the sky.

    ¡°But the weather was also good yesterday, yet we could not catch any fish! Will today be the same as yesterday?¡± Another child poured cold water on his enthusiasm.

    Most kids in the cave were no fans of unlucky words like that, so they all red at the one who had imed ¡°the same as yesterday¡±.

    Regardless of whether today was a day for fishing, they needed to eat breakfast, or else they would have no strength to work. Ever since they had some ie, Shao Xuan would eat something every morning. At first, some kids felt reluctant to eat, but then they behaved tired and cranky when it came to fishing, so their harvest was not as good as the others who had eaten. So the next morning, they would set up their stone pot, just as Shao Xuan did. They had no choice but to eat breakfast, for no eating meant no strength to work, and no strength to work meant even less game, which would lead to starvation. It was just a vicious cycle.

    They were quite energetic when they were well fed and watered.

    Seeing that Mo-Er did not have any trouble walking around, Shao Xuan invited him to go fishing together. Mo-Er offered the night swallows he killedst night as breakfast for the group, so the other kids besides Shao Xuan had also softened their attitude towards him.

    All kids left the cave, leaving their home unguarded, because there was nothing left for others to steal. They carried all the straw ropes and ck floats. As for fish, no one from the tribe would try to steal the food from the orphan cave, or else he or she would be truly despised. So no one would take their fish even if they put them outside to dry. Besides the food, there was nothing in the cave that could entice others. So it was totally unnecessary to keep it guarded, and Caesar followed Shao Xuan as well.

    The surface of the river was also calm today, but not as weirdly calm as yesterday. Seeing the glittering waters, Shao Xuan felt relieved a little. He called for Ba and Tu to take up a straw rope with a stone worm tied on the end, and tossed it into the water as an experiment.

    Over twenty kids were standing behind Shao Xuan and they stared at the stone worm without blinking. When the stone worm sank into the water, they stared at the ck float on the surface.

    ¡°How¡¯s it going, Ah-Xuan?¡±

    ¡°Is it okay?¡±

    ¡°Has the fish returned?¡±

    Some hot-tempered kids couldn¡¯t help but whisper.

    Shao Xuan fixed his eyes on the surface, and this time he did not ¡°see¡± those water creatures with the long tentacles. Also the ck float¡¯s vibration was just like old times, which represented that stone worm was struggling down there.

    ¡°There should be no prob¡­¡± Before Shao Xuan could finish his words, he was interrupted by the situation on the water surface.

    The ck float sank suddenly and they could feel the familiar strength from the straw rope. Shao Xuan calmed his mind and promptly pulled the straw rope back together with Ba.

    ¡°Fish!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fish!¡±

    ¡°The fish returned!!¡±

    Seeing that, all kids jumped up and down in excitement, and when the familiar hideous face exposed itself from the water, the kids finally rested assuredpletely.

    It was only one day, but they missed it dearly. They were quite eager with straw ropes at hand, and at Shao Xuan¡¯smand, all the whelps began to fish expertly with their group members.

    ¡°Mo-Er, you stay with them. Tu, tell Mo-Er the things that he needs to know when fishing, while I take Caesar to dig out more stone worms. The stone worms we have now are far from enough. But remember, no should enter the water and no fighting. If you have the time to fight, you may as well pull out more fish. Take your time, for winter wille in a few days. Go seek help from the guarding warriors if anything¡¯s wrong.¡± Thetter part of Shao Xuan¡¯s words were spoken to all the kids at the bank.

    In fact, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to say that much, for all the kids cherished today¡¯s chance of fishing very much after yesterday¡¯s incident. No one knew whether those fish would leave tomorrow, so the more they captured, the better. Who would bother to fight one another?

    Just at the same time when the kids from the cave were pulling out fish from the water, some residents in mountain foot district also came and joined the army of fishers.

    Those situations were seen oftentely, and unlike old times, guarding warriors would not go and warn them if they saw someone go near the waters. Now they would only observe from afar, and from time to time they would remind them not to go down the water, and that they should report on time if they notice anything unusual.

    These fish had indeed helped solve the pressing needs of some people. In a few families, the totemic warriors were wounded in recent hunting missions, so they could not participate in thest hunting before winter. No hunting led to less food. All family members shared the same trouble as how to survive the cold. However, now they were pretty relieved, for who could¡¯ve anticipated that the things in the river could be captured so easily? Even the weak and the old people in the tribe coulde and help.

    Also, through all the things, Shao Xuan was gradually known by the residents in mountain foot district. In the past all they remembered was that a kid was wandering around with a wolf. Now because of fish, and their trade with him for ck floats, they finally remembered Shao Xuan¡¯s name. When the word that Shao Xuan was nning to trade for all standards of animal skins got around, many families cleared out some spare animal skins that they wouldn¡¯t be using, and rushed to do trading with Shao Xuan.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the gravel yard, there were already seven or eight people there. They even greeted Shao Xuan, and after they heard that today was a day for fishing, their eyesight on him grew much warmer. How they wished that they could find the stone worms¡¯ hideout, and take them all as fishing baits as soon as possible.

    Recently, the stone worms in the gravel yard were all in trouble. As soon as they revealed their head a little from the gravels, people would rush forward and dig them out. The quick ones could cut itself into half to survive, and the slow ones could only be dragged out as a whole. In the previous years, they would get no one¡¯s attention even if they creeped above the ground slowly. However, now it was totally different. Aside from revealing their heads, even a slight move of gravels would draw someone¡¯s attention, and people would turn the gravels over to see if there are any stone worms hidden inside.

    But,pared with Caesar, these people were far from efficient. He was very coveted when people in the gravel yard searching for stone worms saw that Caesar could easily dig one out with a bit of sniffing.

    This wolf had such a fucking sharp nose!

    Also, one would think that perhaps they could weave a giant with the straw ropes, and use that to capture the fish. However, the truth proved different. Indeed, one could capture many fish with a, but before the was pulled up, it was torn apart by those fish. And there was no fish left when one collected the back. Thus everyone had no alternative but to use the inconvenient way to go fishing, and capture their game one at a time.

    In the afternoon, all the kids were summoned back in their cave by Shao Xuan. After they had been fed with the food provided by the tribe, no one wanted to stay in the cave to weave straw ropes. Because after yesterday¡¯s hard work, they now had enough straw ropes. Instead, they wanted to go back to the riverside and continue fishing before it got dark.

    Shao Xuan raised no objection, but he did not tag along in the afternoon. He got plenty of stone worms in the morning so it should be enough for five groups.

    Judging from the moonsst night, winter should be just around the corner. They have to capture more fish before winteres, for as long as winter came, the temperature in the outside would rapidly drop and there would be thick ice along the bank. And then, people with no totemic power would basically always stay inside. They had no strong or thick animal fur clothes to fight against the blizzard, so they could easily get frozen to death.

    Instead of following those kids to the riverbank, Shao Xuan took two fish and left the cave. Shao Xuan dragged one fish and gave the other fish to Caesar. He also took an animal skin bag with him, in which there were the stones of fine quality that he had collected from the training ground earlier. Since there were more people searching for stone worms in the gravel yard, it was not safe as a hiding ce anymore. Shao Xuan moved those stones and kept them in the cave. Unlike old times, no whelp dared to rob Shao Xuan¡¯s stuff anymore.

    Every time when Shao Xuan had found fine stones that could be made into tools, he would trade them for food with a stoneware crafter. Also, the man he chose to do trading with was also fixed. Shao Xuan made the decision after he had observed a few stoneware crafters in the mountain foot district.

    The stoneware crafter was named ¡°Ke¡±. People said that he was in charge of cing traps back in the hunting team. It¡¯s just that during a hunting mission, he lost one of his legs, so he had to retire from the hunting team and be a stoneware crafter near the mountain foot district. And now he made stoneware for people to earn a living.

    Shao Xuan took the fish and came in front of a wooden house. There were no doors in many houses, as people used thick leather curtains or nt-woven curtains to block others¡¯ views. It was also the case with Ke¡¯s house. Shao Xuan called out, ¡°Uncle Ke!¡±, as he could hear sounds of polishing the stoneware in the house.

    No one answered inside, but the leather curtain moved a little bit, which meant that the owner allowed you toe inside. Without permission to enter, Shao Xuan would never be able to lift the curtain. Many things that Ke used seemed quite simple, but were in fact very muchplicated than the things in other residents¡¯ houses. You can directly lift other people¡¯s curtains, but it won¡¯t work in Ke¡¯s house. You would definitely be the one who suffered, if you tried to enter by force.

    Even though he had only one leg left now, Ke was in charge of cing traps back in the hunting team. So for what it was worth, he still had his skills.

 Chapter 15 â€“ Heâ€™s always up to something, just like you

    Chapter 15 ¨C He¡¯s always up to something, just like you

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan lifted the curtain and walked inside, followed by Caesar. However, Caesar dared not rx or bump into anything.

    Last time when he sniffed on something, that he was curious about, he got mped on his nose once he identally touched it. Even with all his efforts, he could not tear it off with his paws, instead, the more he struggled, the tighter the mp became.

    Even though Shao Xuan came to his rescue soon and helped him remove the mp, it hurt like hell for days. Ever since then, Caesar would always behave well when he followed Shao Xuan in here. And he would only stay with Shao Xuan with no extra curiosity.

    Ke¡¯s house was rtivelyrger than the others¡¯ and was around a hundred square meters. In the room there were different kinds of stoneware, from daily-use stone cups and bowls, to hunting tools such as stone knives and spearheads. Also the tools were in different materials. Some of them were made from buckhorns or animal bones, and some were made from ordinary stones only. However, most of the tools werebinations of the former two materials, asposite type tools. The warriors in the tribe used mostly theposite type ones.

    After ncing at the tools hanging on the wall, Shao Xuan looked away and went straight into the small room that Ke used to polish his stoneware.

    Gray haired old Ke sat there still. Because he dealt with stones all day long, so all his animal skin clothes were covered with ayer of white stone powder. His hands, that he was using to hold the stoneware, now were stained with ayer of gray.

    Ke fixed his eyes on the stoneware which he was still working on, and did not move his eyesight because of Shao Xuan¡¯s entry, as if the whole world had disappeared besides the stoneware in his hands.

    Knowing Ke¡¯s character, Shao Xuan directly took out his animal skin bag and fetched those two stones as he handed them to Ke.

    ¡°Uncle Ke, could you please help me make two stone knives or daggers?¡±

    The stones Shao Xuan took out could merely be made into short knives or daggers because of their limited length.

    Ke stopped what he was working on and raised his head to take a look at the stones Shao Xuan passed on to him. Then he glimpsed at the two fish Shao Xuan brought and said, ¡°Yes, one fish.¡± He meant that he could make the daggers for him and it would cost him only one fish.

    ¡°You must keep those two. The other one is my gift, in order to express our gratitude to your kindness for the past six months!¡±

    Every time when Shao Xuan collected the stones, he would bring them to Ke¡¯s ce and do the trading. At first Shao Xuan was unfamiliar with all this stuff and he had brought Ke some not-so-fine stones, but still, Ke gave him food anyway. Later on Shao Xuan knew how to identify stones of different levels, so then he recalled and realized about Ke¡¯s intention to help, because how could someone deal with stones and stoneware everyday and not know the difference between fine stones and normal stones?

    Although Ke was a man who always wore a straight face, giving others a sense of alienation, he did help Shao Xuan a lot. What¡¯s more, Shao Xuan had seen Ge, who was in charge of food delivery,e to visit Ke the other day, and the way they talked obviously indicated that they were pretty close to each other. So Shao Xuan guessed that perhaps this stoneware crafter was the true reason that Ge put Shao Xuan in charge of the orphan cave after Ku had left.

    Ke frowned and before he could talk, Shao Xuan pulled out a small stone knife and handed to Ke, ¡°Uncle Ke, please take a look at this stone knife that I myself made the other day.¡±

    The stone Shao Xuan used to make this stone knife was not of good quality. In the eyes of a stoneware craftsman, perhaps it could merely be considered as an inferior one, barely better than those stones in the gravel yard. Surely it was not difficult to polish or craft, and Shao Xuan spent three days working on it.

    Ke took over the stone knife and looked at it, as he brushed the knife with his fingers covered by stone powders. Atst, he pointed at the spot about one-third away from the handle, and said, ¡°This part is no good.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that experienced stoneware crafters could tell the strengths and weaknesses with one simple glimpse. And Ke was just pointing out and informing Shao Xuan, about the biggest problem about his knife.

    Why should he only mention the biggest problem?

    Shao Xuan was after all only a beginner when it came to stoneware crafting, and he could only rely on his imagination and thoughts. Shao Xuan had no idea of any crafting skills that stoneware crafters held dear. So naturally the stone knife was just something with numerous ws. So that point was only counted as the biggest problem.

    The more Shao Xuanmunicated with people in the tribe, the deeper understanding he got about the tribe. No one should underestimate their wisdom and ability. Shao Xuan wanted to learn some skills in crafting and polishing stoneware from Ke by taking out that stone knife.

    That stone knife was only made with a knife shape, and usually Shao Xuan could use it for normal asions. But surely it differed a lot with the knives that hunting warriors used. In the eyes of Ke as a stoneware crafter, it was full of ws. He could tell which part was easy to break, and which part was over-polished, and which part was not polished enough, with only one nce.

    Judging from Ke¡¯s expression earlier when he saw the stone knife, Shao Xuan realized that it was far from satisfaction. Basing on the fact that Shao Xuan was merely a child with no experience in crafting stoneware, Ke made ament on his work. If other warriors came and gave Ke such a stone knife, Ke would have just tossed it away and simply ignored it.

    ¡°Uncle Ke, can I learn how to craft stoneware from you?¡± asked Shao Xuan. Now, he had plenty of time and with theing winter, he would stay inside the cave and practice on crafting stones. He got all the stone materials for himself anyway.

    However unfortunately, Ke shook his head at Shao Xuan¡¯s proposal, ¡°Not now. After you have awakened your totemic power, then we can talk.¡±

    Why should someone have the totemic power if he wanted to craft and polish a stone? What for?

    Regardless of the curiosity, Shao Xuan did not continue to ask. Seeing Ke¡¯s reaction he knew that Ke did not want to exin.

    Since Ke was refusing, naturally he had his reasons, but¡­

    Shao Xuan did some calction. After thising winter, he would be ten years old. Based on other kids¡¯ former experiences, someone could awaken his totemic power at the age of eleven or twelve. So he should wait for at least one or two years. And the slow kids like Ku, would only awaken their totemic power until they turned thirteen or fourteen years old.

    So there was still a lot of time to wait, if you thought about it that way.

    Even if he could not learn the skills now, he could always watch. So Shao Xuan squatted down there, watching Ke craft and polish.

    Bystanders would assume it was very simple but only after they truly got started on it, could they realize that it waspletely different from what they imagined before. Seeing Ke¡¯s short knife and then glimpsing at the short knife he made¡­ Ah, onlyparing could show the truth. Aside from different stone materials, one could tell which one was better based on their outlook. No wonder when Ke was looking at the stone knife Shao Xuan made, he showed a tolerant look. Perhaps in his heart he had criticized a lot, but he kept all his criticism to himself since Shao Xuan was only a kid.

    When the night fell, Shao Xuan stopped watching and helped Ke set up a stone pot with fires underneath. Also, he chopped the fish before he took his leave, and then he returned to the cave with Caesar.

    Soon after Shao Xuan left, Ke ced thepleted stoneware into a box, and wiped his hand, preparing to cook the food. The water in that stone pot was already boiled, and at the time when he was cing fish chops into the pot, there was a slight noiseing from the window behind. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Then there came the sound of arrows.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    Dong!

    The personing from the window fell on the ground.

    Ke did not lift his head, while he stirred the soup in the stone pot with a spoon.

    ¡°Hey, Ke! Why did you change your tricks again? Huff¡­¡± one-armed Ge rubbed his butt as heined. Earlier he hit the ground with his butt first, so he fell. Between his feet there was a leather rope tightly strapped, or else he would not have fallen so easily from just entering through a window. He lost an arm, not a leg, so under normal circumstances, how could he fall?

    As he continued with his cursing, Ke continued stirring the soup in his stone pot, inattentive to Ge, who just climbed through his window and keptining.

    Ge went through some troubles untying the leather rope, and he sniffed as he approached the stone pot, ¡°Fish soup?¡±

    Looking around the room, he saw the fish in the corner. Ge smiled, ¡°Has thatde already?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± Ke remained silent.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan traded for a big bag of salt with me yesterday, with his fish. I think he¡¯s really up to something. Today I went to the cave, and guess what? You have no idea how many fish they had stored on the top of the cave. They will have a nice winter this year, all those whelps. No wonder why you rmended Ah-Xuan as recement for Ku. As you predicted, not before long, the situation in that cave has changed a lot! Now half of the salt I have would go to Ah-Xuan through trading.¡± Ge gasped in admiration.

    In the mountains where the tribe was located, there was a natural-formed salt pond, which provided all the salt for the tribe. However, there were strict rules about the usage of salt, and a certain amount of salt would be given to each family, to meet their basic daily needs. One had to trade for more salt with his own things if he wanted more. Don¡¯t ever think about stealing, for there were warriors guarding everywhere near the salt pond. People from the mountaintop district would be in charge of the distribution of salt, so whoever wanted to trade for more salt, needed to talk to the people living above. However, Ge was in charge of food, so he could save more salt than others. So Shao Xuan would take the fish and do trading directly with Ge.

    Seeing that Ke remained silent, Ge found a stone stool and sat down as he kept talking himself, ¡°The day before yesterday, I saw that boy crafting and polishing a stone knife, so I suppose that he wanted yourment on that, right? That was why he came, right?¡± Before Ke could answer, Ge continued, ¡°In fact, thatd seems to be a nice person, and he is eager to learn using his smart head. I can tell that he is always up to something, just like you. He¡¯s suitable for doing your job. Since he approached you and had enough integrity and sincerity, why not take him in as an apprentice?¡±

    Ge kicked his legs in the air, as he glimpsed at the chopped fish on the table. Also, he noticed the stone pot which was already set up. It was not the same way as Ke used to set up the stone pot, and obviously someone did that job for him. It was less steady, and perhaps it was also thed¡¯s work.

    Ke shook his head and finally said, ¡°He will get hurt easily.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Without totemic power, it would be severe if he had an ident. After all, what you¡¯ve been dealing with is quite¡­ dangerous.¡±

    Ge pulled out an arrow from his armpit, as it was stabbed into his animal skin clothes. A few minutes before, when he entered through the window, he only paid attention to thoseing arrows, but ignored the leather rope near the window frame, so he got pinned down like that.

    It was just a small wooden arrow, and could easily be broken by a finger snap. But earlier, it stabbed into his animal skin clothes in the blink of an eye. Obviously it was at a very high speed.

    Ge yed with the half-hand long arrow in between his fingers for a while, and then he gently flicked his fingers, and the wooden arrow flew straight through the narrow-mouth of the wooden barrel hanging in a corner.

    He was not sure where those small arrowse from, so he could only ce them in the wooden barrel for now. Actually, the barrel was filled with things that he tossed into. When it became full, Ke would empty it and rece all the items inside properly.

    ¡°Ke, you will have to wait for a while. Based on the physique of the kids from that cave, you will have to wait for at least two more years.¡± Sighed Ge.

 Chapter 16 â€“ Winter is coming

    Chapter 16 ¨C Winter ising

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When Shao Xuan came back, all the kids had already returned to the cave from the riverbank. Judging from their unrestrainable smiles, they had a great harvest today. Two groups evenpeted to see who pulled back more fish.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, earlier someone came to trade things with you. You weren¡¯t here, so they said they¡¯lle by tomorrow.¡± Tu said as he sat there, weaving a straw rope.

    Formerly Tu was just a timid little boy in the cave. He was rtively weak and thin. But after this period of time, he turned more cheerful than before, and moremunicative.

    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    Probably someone in the tribe attempted to go fishing, and perhaps they were here for Shao Xuan after they failed for a few times and finally realized the use and importance of the ck floats.

    At night, the moons hanging on both sides of the sky grew darker. The crescent moons were thin, and one could barely see their not-so-bright radians. If you looked through the vent, you would find the sky filled with darkness, and only the sound of wind and flying night swallows could be heard. Winter wasing and even night swallows had lost their spirits. They created much louder sounds than before because they could not try too much to hide their tracks.

    A few days after that, both, kids in the cave and residents in the mountain foot district, would rush to go to the riverside before sunset. They all wanted to pull out more fish before the water froze.

    Perhaps in the past few years, people in the tribe had never thought about capturing those fish, so there were so many fish in the river, that even many people here pulling out fish every day did not cause its quantity to drop. Those fish were extremely ferocious but were stupid at the same time. So they took the bait easily and one could get more fish every day as long as they mastered the tricks in fishing.

    Fortunately, the fishing went pretty well for days, and those odd creatures with long tentacles never showed up again.

    Until one morning, Shao Xuan noticed that there were fewer stone worms when he took Caesar to the gravel yard. For the whole morning they only got three stone worms.

    Also, out of blue the fish seemed to disappear in the river. After they tossed the bait, they waited for a long time before they dragged out a mid-sized fish.

    The situation seemed to be a sign to both the kids in the cave, and other people in the tribe.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, why is this happening?¡± All kids in the cave were quite upset, and they behaved like heart-broken fellows as they stared at the straw ropes in their hands.

    ¡°Because winter ising.¡± Said Ned Stark an elder kid. He had heard from others that when winter came, many game would hide itself and no one could ever find them before winter was over, and they would only show up again afterwards. Just because of that, people in the tribe were no fans of winter, for winter was full of different kinds of obstacles and that led to deep depression.

    Seeing that the other kids were still staring at him, Shao Xuan sighed, ¡°Indeed, perhaps that¡¯s the reason. Because in wintertime, stone worms would not appear on the surface, as they chose to stay deep down underneath to survive the cold. Deep down in the ground, it is much warmer than on the surface. While, the piranhas near riversides would also swim to the deeper section of the river and leave the shallows, because the water near the bank would freeze during wintertime. So, we can¡¯t catch stone worms and we can hardly capture any fish as well.¡±

    Just as Shao Xuan finished his words, the cave suddenly got filled with a gloomy atmosphere of depression.

    In the memories of many kids in the cave, winter was cold and dark. Sometimes they didn¡¯t realize that they were ill because of their drowsiness. They would just keep sleeping like whelps. When it was time for food, they would be woken up by people and got to fill something into their bellies, and then fall asleep again. They had no sense of time and they spent their lives like walking corpses. In the past that was the normal case, butpared with the days they spent on fishing and working, how could they feel the same when they recalled the dark times?

    Also, some kid was sitting in the corner with the fish he dragged back this afternoon, feeling distressed. As he felt sorry for himself, he touched the fish¡¯s head over and over, coveting the good times. However, it was a pretty weird picture that one little kid would just sit there, with the dead fish¡¯s wide open red eyes and mouthful of tiny sharp teeth. If he was put in the time of peace just as Shao Xuan¡¯sst life¡¯s world, he would totally bebeled as a psychopath, or some person with a twisted mind. But in here, that was hundred percent normal.

    Shao Xuan wiped his face and he moved his eyesight, no longer looking at that sad boy with a fish in his arms.

    In fact, Shao Xuan had aired all the hay that they used for sleeping these days. Also, he had prepared and sorted out all the animal skins and furs. So the preparation was sufficient, but it was just that no one would be able to eliminate the shadows caused by theing winter. The past experience had caused such deep impressions in the minds of kids in the cave, so they still couldn¡¯t be optimistic.

    It was just noon, but it grew darker outside.

    Just as Shao Xuan was making ns for winter, Ba got up from his sitting ce and walked towards him.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan¡­ I¡­I want¡­want to¡­¡±

    Ba used a lot of time and efforts to make himself clear.

    Actually, Ba had a younger sister, and at the same time Ba was sent to the orphan cave, his younger sister got adopted by a family in the mountainside district. People in the tribe valued girls over boys, and only those families which adopted girls could get subsidy from the tribe.

    Most people in the tribe would have their totemic power awakened. Normally boys could awaken their totemic power at the age of ten to fifteen, sooner orter. That was also the reason why all those kids, no matter in the cave or in the mountain foot district, dared to live a simple life filled with sleeping and eating. None of them cared about anything else, because they did not need to work hard. As long as they managed to survive from illness and starvation, they would naturally be totemic warrior when the age came.

    Compared to boys, fewer girls would awaken their totemic power, and nearly one third of the girls could not awaken their totemic power in their whole lives. However, the tribe did not treat them badly because of that. Instead, girls were being treated far better than boys. So even being an orphan girl, she would be more easily adopted by some families. And because of the above mentioned reason, no girl lived in the orphan cave and all kids living in there were boys.

    Ba wanted to visit his younger sister before winter and give her a fish as a gift. He would spare the fish from his own share, but still he came to ask for Shao Xuan¡¯s opinion. Since Shao Xuan showed the kids in orphan cave how to fish, he was highly respected in the cave and no one could beparable to his position. For something that Shao Xuan permitted to do, even those two oldest kids wouldn¡¯te to object even when sometimes they were not quite pleased. Now, they would also consult for Shao Xuan¡¯s opinions if they had something in mind.

    Ba expressed his idea with stutter and then he just stood there, rubbing his fingers with anxiety. He was worried that Shao Xuan would refuse him so he looked at him cautiously.

    ¡°Sure you can do that. Just remember toe back before night.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Thank you so much, Ah-Xuan!¡± Ba excitedly ran backwards and he rushed out of the cave with one fish.

    Seeing Ba leaving with a fish cheerfully, Shao Xuan smiled, ¡°He did not stammer even a little when he said thank you. So it seems he needs to have some stimtion, and perhaps someday, he would be cured when he got really excited.¡±

    Not long after Ba left, Mo-Er¡¯s mother came. She had the same reason foring, which was to take her son home, back in the mountain. However, Mo-Er was not willing to go with her, even after she had tried every method to persuade him. Perhaps he had a huge fight with the other kids in his new family when he lived back in the mountain.

    In the end, Mo-Er¡¯s mother left in tears but she left him a thick coat made from animal fur, and some meat jerky.

    In the afternoon, when Ge was delivering food, he also brought Shao Xuan some meat jerky, an animal skin nket and a piece of cloth.

    ¡°This is from Mai, and the clothes are from Lang Ga.¡± Said Ge, ¡°They are pretty busy today, because the Shaman said winter woulde tomorrow. Everyone is busy checking on houses and preparing stuff. So they asked me to help deliver their things to you.¡±

    Mai¡¯s hunting team returned yesterday, and they hurriedly finished theirst hunting mission of the year before wintertime. The harvest was good, and Shao Xuan had seen the game they had dragged back. He was positive that the food was sufficient enough and could totally guarantee a nice winter. Let alone that many people from the hunting team had some food stored back at home, so they wouldn¡¯t suffer from starvation during winter. Yesterday, every hunting warrior that returned had a satisfying and rxed smile on his face.

    Shao Xuan took it all and had a satisfied look at them. The meat jerky was fresh and of good quality. The animal skin nket and clothes were also far better than the animal furs and skins he traded for these days.

    It was impossible to say that he was not touched by this kind gesture.

    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Ge! Also please kindly forward my thanks to Uncle Mai and Lang Ga. Oh, yes¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan dragged two fish over, and asked Ge to pass them on to Mai and Lang Ga. Even though he knew that Mai¡¯s game from the hunting mission was sufficient for him to go through the winter, he still needed to show his gratitude. Those two fish were from Shao Xuan¡¯s own share, so naturally others in his group would not have a problem with it.

    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you afraid that I will keep the fish to myself?¡± Ge tossed the fish into the empty stone crock and he left, with one arm carrying the stone crock.

    Since the Shaman had predicted that tomorrow would be wintertime, Shao Xuan passed on the words to the others in the cave. All the furs and animal skins had been distributed, and he needed to say no more. Everyone knew how to protect themselves.

    That night, the sky was totally dark. Up till a few days earlier, two crescent moons could be observed, but tonight, they disappeared.

    The darkness looked depressing.

    Shao Xuan woke up because of the coldness in the middle of the night, and he felt as if he was lying in the snow, shaking like devils. However, he felt less cold when he woke up, which was odd.

    Shao Xuan pulled away some of the straws blocking the vent after he sat up. And instantly he got chilled by the icy wind that blew in.

    Winter has officiallye.

    Winter¡¯s arrival made the life in the cave return to what it was long time ago; besides eating, they would only sleep. The temperature outside was very low, and they could not do anything anyway, so they had to go back to sleep, with an expectation that winter would be over the next time they woke up.

    With enough food and thicker animal skin nkets they put on, they had afortable sleep. At least morefortable and rxed than that from their memories.

    During wintertime, Ge came by everyday delivering food as usual, regardless of the heavy blizzards outside. Shao Xuan felt that Ge did not have to go through so much trouble. So during discussions, Shao Xuan proposed Ge toe and deliver food every three days, and he would bring three days¡¯ food at a time. Anyways, there was less mess and chaos in the cave, and Ge knew that Shao Xuan could keep the situation in the cave under control. So he raised no objection, and he even left Shao Xuan a lighting stone spoon and some lighting powders, so that Shao Xuan could make a fire on his own.

    However, in wintertime they did have something else to do. For example, someone would be sent here to teach them numbers and letters from the tribe. Like old times, the teacher woulde here every twenty or thirty days. This winter was no exception.

    A certain day, it was when the teacher came by. The day before, Ge had shared the news with Shao Xuan, and let him prepare ahead, or else they would miss the precious learning opportunity just because they slept over the day.

    So, when the old hunter in animal skin clothes lifted the curtain while trembling, and went inside the cave, before he felt the warmth of the fire inside, he was very surprised to see all the kids who were supposed to be sleeping on the ground, sitting there spiritually with sparkling eyes staring at him.

    He lived up in the mountain, and earlier he was held up for something, so if calcted correctly, he hadn¡¯t been here in nearly forty days, so he barely knew what had happened down here. Yesterday he had consulted Ge about the situation in the cave. At first it was routine questions, but unexpectedly things had changed a lot within recent days.

    When he heard that Ge appointed Shao Xuan, a less than ten years old boy, in charge of the cave, the old hunter was quite unpleased. He assumed that it was totally a bullying decision. Were the kids easy to deal with? In the past when he went to teach them, Shao Xuan was the only one that paid attention. So the old hunter had a nice memory about him.

    He did not believe him when Ge exined, but seeing the situation in the cave for himself, he kind of believed what Ge said and it really seemed to be different.

    Under two dozen kids¡¯ quite excited and eager eyes, the old hunter went inside with stiff strides, and sat on the stone bench he used to sit on. He took out a piece of animal skin with numbers on it, and took a look at it closely by the fire. He cleared his throat after he made sure that it was the correct roll of animal skin.

    ¡°Ahem. Well, today, I n to teach you numbers and how to count from one to ten. Listen up closely. I will say it first. Ahem. One, two, three, ¡­¡±

    After he had gone through it from one to ten, the old hunter felt that the atmosphere turned weird. He moved his sight from the animal skin roll and looked up, only to find out that the earlier eager eyes became impatient. And some of those were even full of despise obviously.

    What? It was just the beginning and they were already bored? The old hunter was displeased and it reminded him of the old times when he came to teach them. They wanted to go back to sleep with endless yawns even when he just began to teach them.

    As he was about to yell at them, the old hunter heard a boyining, ¡°So I¡¯m listening to this crap during wintertime, and that is why I give up on my sleep?¡±

    ¡°Only from one to ten? This old man is useless.¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡±

    ¡°Hey, can you teach or not? Or is it that you can only count from one to ten?¡±

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, perhaps we should ask the old man to leave, and let otherse and teach us.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree!¡±

    ¡°Change the teacher!¡±

    ¡°Change the teacher!¡±

    ¡°Make him go!¡±

    Shao Xuan glimpsed at the old man holding a roll of animal skin, and he noticed that his veins were clearly throbbing on his forehead.

 Chapter 17 â€“ Fresco

    Chapter 17 ¨C Fresco

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Since he was able toe over and be responsible for the teaching, naturally he was not some idiot who only knew how to count from one to ten at his age. What¡¯s more, some old hunters like himself were all experts in counting, even though they perhaps did not know much about other fields. It was because counting was one of the basic skills required for a hunting mission, and thepetition among different hunting teams also required that one knew how to count.

    Knowing that the children in the cave could skillfully count from one to thirty, the old hunter felt quite happy and content, aside from being surprised and shocked. He liked to teach others, but unfortunately up on the mountain, no kid needed him to teach.

    With this rare and precious interest, the old hunter paid extra attention in teaching and he enjoyed it as well.

    Since they could learn more numbers, the cave quieted down and they stopped talking about changing the teacher, instead every whelp was listening closely with full attention. Shao Xuan mainly focused on the letters in the tribe, while other kids were eager to learn more numbers. Caesar, who was lying on the straw bed, sleeping, was the most bored one in the cave.

    When it was the time for the old hunter to leave, he became quite attached to those kids already, and he felt like that he had more things that he wanted to share. In the past, he would onlye here two or three times. Now that the situation had changed and he enjoyed teaching them, he nned to visit a few more times, for after all, he was not capable of getting down the mountain every day. After serious consideration, the old hunter left a roll of animal skin. Not that first one he had taken out, but arger one with more letters and more numbers written on it. He asked Shao Xuan to keep it and whoever wanted to read may go to Shao Xuan.

    All the vents in the cave were already blocked up by straw, so no light coulde inside. During wintertime, it was the same darkness in the cave no matter day or night. Also they could not afford to keep the fire all day long. The firewood stored in the cave was brought by the warriors, but still, they could not afford to keep the fire going all day.

    Shao Xuan stared at the fire and thought that it would be much more convenient for everyone, if the cave could be brighter inside.

    Caesar was eating a raw fish beside Shao Xuan as he did not like cooked food.

    The fish-teeth left after they had eaten the meat were not suitable for making other tools. They were too small. And because they were too young to go out for hunting, the fish teeth could not be used as hunting tools. But still, Shao Xuan made a few brushes with those teeth, tob Caesar¡¯s fur and his own hair.

    There werebs in the tribe, but kids in the orphan cave had no interest inbing. Appearances were never as important as issues rted to food. All men and women in the tribe had different hairstyles, long or short. Those with no favor of long hair may use a stone knife to cut their hair short. But no one cared to cut hair for the kids in the cave, so all of them had long messy hair.

    Those rtivelyrger fish-teeth were carved up and made into nes by kids. They loved it.

    Decorations made with the game¡¯s horns or teeth, or anything representative were symbols of ability. And people in the tribe liked to use that to show off their hunting gains. Some warriors would give those kind of decorations to their beloved girls to earn their favors. Girls and women in the tribe would alsopare these items, to see whose ne was more advanced; and whose feathers on the head was from a more ferocious bird. The fiercer the game was, the more admiration one would receive by putting on decorations made from it.

    Of course, kids would alsopare themselves with others. In the mountain foot district, most kids were wearing nes that were made from the horns, teeth, or bones of their parents¡¯ game. In the cave, however, many orphans lost their parents at a very young age, so no one would give them such decorations as gifts. Every time when they went to the tribe and saw those kids with decorations, they would very much admire or even envy them. It was also the hidden reason for most fights between them and the other kids in the tribe.

    But now, they could use their own game¡¯s teeth to make their own unique nes. How could they not be happy? Now they also had nes, which were no worse than the other kids¡¯! Fish-teeth nes were another reason why those kids were so fond of fish.

    Shao Xuan did not strive for fish-teeth with the others, and he spared all those big fish teeth, which were suitable to make nes, to other kids. When Ba was visiting his younger sister, he gave her a big fish tooth, even bigger than the ones he was wearing himself.

    Life was not easy on anyone.

    As Shao Xuan was considering how to better the situation in the cave, other kids were far less troubled. Aside from sleeping every day, they would onlymunicate about counting numbers by the fire with other kids when it was time to eat. While Mo-Er sharpened his knife every day. He had already mastered counting, and he had known more letters than the others in the cave. So every time when the fire was lit, he would stay in a corner and practice his knifing skills. He would toss a rock into the air, and then use his knife to chop at it, since in the cave there were no night swallows for him to practice.

    After eating, all the kids in the cave fell asleep. Before the wood in the bonfire burnt out, Shao Xuan added another stick in until the end of the stick caught on fire, taking the burning stick as a torch and walked deeper into the cave.

    The other day when he was checking out the depth of the cave, he found a stone room that stored sundries. The stone pots that the kids used to make breakfast just came from there after Shao Xuan dug them out. Besides stone pots, Shao Xuan did not pay attention to other items. Anyway he had nothing else to do, so he carried the stick there to see if he could find any other useful things.

    Even though they had blocked all vents where they slept, down the cave there were still cracks connecting to the outside. So Shao Xuan could feel icy breezes blowing in as he kept waking inside.

    The good thing was that the wind was not strong and the me merely flickered a few times and was not blown out.

    Shao Xuan tightened his animal skin clothes, and followed his memories inside. Caesar followed him closely.

    There were many stone rooms inside, and they were distributed like branches. The first room from the right had sundries in it, and was quite big.

    The vent in the stone room was also blocked, and Shao Xuan took the torch to go through the stuff inside. Some items were used before, but perhaps the kids in the cave no longer cared to use them and only waited for the tribe to deliver food, so none of the tools were used again and they could only gather dust there.

    Aside from some stone stools and things to set up stone pots, Shao Xuan had no interest in the other items.

    After some time, Shao Xuan fixed his eyes on the round stone te. It was a round stone te, quite t, with an edge about one finger above the bottom.

    To hold food to eat? But who would use this thing since they had a stone pot?

    He put the stone te aside and kept on looking for other items. As he kept digging, he hesitated for a minute and looked back at the stone te that he tossed to the side. He measured roughly with his hand and then raised the torch high to see the vent.

    All the vents in the cave were not small, so air and light could bothe inside.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sight moved back and forth between the blocked vent and the stone te, and then he took the stone te as he returned along the way he came.

    Shao Xuan added some more firewood to make the fire grow, and got some snow from the thickyer of snow at the entrance. He ced the snow inside a stone pot, and ced the stone te outside the straw curtain by the cave¡¯s entrance. After some time, he poured the melted snow water inside the stone te, and after not long, he found the water had frozen.

    So he dragged the stone te inside, and burned on the edge of the stone te with fire, before he put the stone te upside down and pulled out the round ice.

    Some kids who weren¡¯t asleep yet were staring at Shao Xuan¡¯s efforts curiously. They wondered what he was doing, but wrapped with thick animal skin nkets, they did not want to stand up because of the cold, yet could only try to crane their necks to get a clearer view. However, the fire was not strong enough for them to see clearly.

    It was too cold to touch with bare hands, so Shao Xuan used a piece of animal skin to wrap the ice, and he stepped on a rock, holding the ice. He told Ba to clear out all the straw that were blocking the vent.

    With no stuffing, icy winds blew into the cave, and kids inside got chilled because of the cold. Shao Xuan, who was standing right under the vent got an intense strike and he could not even feel his own face. So he hurriedly pushed the ice towards the vent, with the help of Ba.

    As Shao Xuan had predicted earlier, the ice was almost the same size as the vent, only smaller. And that difference allowed him to push the ice into that vent.

    In the past, Shao Xuan did not understand why there was a dent at the edge of the vent. Now he understood that it was used to block the ice. As for the other small crevices, they could be blocked by straw directly.

    By the time the ice was stuck, no icy winds could blow in but light poured down through the ice. During winter there was no shining sunshine, but daylight was not gone.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s perspective, he was not satisfied with that little light, and the design was not wless. But for those kids in the cave, they were more than satisfied.

    All of them kept their mouths wide open as they stared at the sparkling vent, like mindless fools.

    It turned out that winter could also be bright.

    Shao Xuan had onlypleted the refitting of one vent, and the other kids volunteered to finish the others. This time there were plenty of volunteers. Those who cared not to get up earlier, now gathered together with animal skin nkets.

    Shao Xuan guided them to make an ice te and installed it into one vent, then he let them continue working by themselves. Every kid wanted to try with their own hands, but Shao Xuan decided that they should also do the job as a five-member group. They used a human pyramid to get to those really high ces.

    Shao Xuan told them to be careful when they used the stone te, for no one knew how long it had been stored here. At least in recent years, it had never been used.

    Seeing that there should be no problem, Shao Xuan carried his torch and went back to the stone room full of sundries. He dug out another four stone tes, but three were broken and only one could be used.

    He took the second stone te out and made an ice bulk that blocked the vent in this sundries¡¯ stone room. He could now lose his torch, yet still see the situation inside.

    While the kids were busy making ice tes, Shao Xuan stayed there to keep digging for other items that they could use.

    As he was digging, Shao Xuan¡¯s arm swiped past the stone walls, and he noticed that stone powders fell from it.

    Shao Xuan was quite curious, for other stone walls in the cave were not like that. He bent and observed closely, and then found out that it seemed that on the stone walls in the stone room, there was ayer. It seemed to be painted with special stone powders.

    He had seen people in the tribe use simr ways to paint wood to prevent the wood from being infected by insects. But it was in the cave, why would anyone use this method to paint a stone wall? And, judging by the situation, it was painted years ago in ancient times.

    If newly painted, the powders should cover the wall fully and tightly. However, now since it had been a long time since everyone in the tribe lived here, theyer of stone powder came loose and in some ces, theyer fell hard if one swiped it with his hand.

    Shao Xuan took out his stone knife and scratched on the wall to remove the stone powderyer. With the lighting through the vent, Shao Xuan saw that there were some pictures carved on the wall where there was noyer.

    A woman was carrying a pot. The pot had a wide mouth and tight bottom. On the pot there were also some decorative patterns. Shao Xuan had never seen anyone in the tribe using this kind of a stone pot, for all the people in the tribe valued practical usage instead of beautiful appearances when it came to tools.

    ¡°Perhaps those living up in the mountain might have those kind of pots in their homes,¡± Shao Xuan thought.

    When he wiped out another part on the stone wall, there were about ten warriors, chasing game with bows and arrows.

    Shao Xuan remembered that Lang Ga had told him that few warriors in the tribe were able to use a bow. Because no materials were fine enough to be made into a bow that could bear the strength of a totemic warrior. The bow and arrows now were made to set up a trap, or help the hunting by driving away the game, instead of for totemic warriors¡¯ use. However, in the picture on the wall, every warrior was holding a giant bow!

    Shao Xuan intended to use his knife and scratch more stone powder down, to see other carved paintings on the wall. But after some thought, he dropped the knife, fetched some water, and carefully used a piece of animal skin to wipe the wall. He believed that the frescos on the stone wall inside this stone room, might tell him a lot of interesting things that he had no clue of before.

 Chapter 18 â€“ Thumbs up

    Chapter 18 ¨C Thumbs up

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Outside the cave, it was still snowing heavily. A thickyer of ice covered the riverside, and now few people from the tribe would go outside. One could only see a boundless piece of white if he looked afar in the distance.

    Inside the cave, there was a bonfire burning, and the atmosphere unlike old times, heated up.

    After they installed the ice blocks on those vents (to prevent wind from entering the cave through the holes), the cave was much brighter than before, and they did not have to suffer from the cold wind as well. Those feelings were new to all the kids, so two days in a row, they were in a mood of extreme excitement. All of them sat around the fire and discussed about the letters and numbers written on the stonewall.

    Yes, Shao Xuan had copied all the words and numbers in the animal skin roll that were left behind by the old hunter in charge of teaching, and wrote them on the stonewall. With the light in the day, they would see those words and numbers clearly without any fire. If they could memorize and master all that was written on the wall, the old hunter would not have to start from the very beginning the next time hees.

    Unlike the others, Shao Xuan had been staying at that stone room and carefully wiping out those stone powders all day long, except when it was time for eating.

    Shao Xuan had moved all sundries in that stone room to other ces, for the fresco on the wall was prettyrge in size.

    Shao Xuan stood up and took a deep breath after the whole fresco had finally been cleared. He moved his arms and legs to ease the sore and ache before he took a few steps back to look at the picture on the stonewall with the light that poured in.

    Since it was not so bright inside, Shao Xuan still needed to rely on the torch to observe the details of the fresco, for some parts of it were not distinct enough.

    Aside from the two pictures, that Shao Xuan saw in the first ce, there were some more astonishing pictures hidden behind theyer of stone powder.

    The pictures covered agriculture and stockbreeding as well. Look at those men working on a field, and those who were whipping up the sheep¡­

    There was someone in a fancy leather robe holding an exquisite wine cup withplex fancy patterns, there were some women picking up fruits as they held baskets in their arms.

    There was even someone riding a horse, in one picture there was a man riding on horseback with a kid.

    Next to it, there was a picture describing a hunting mission or a war, which was rtivelyrger than others, and took nearly half of the wall. In its front there was a tall horse, on its back sat a sturdy warrior who was obviously stronger than the others, with feather decorations on his head. His head raised up high to show his imposing appearance. Perhaps he was the leader of the group.

    Around and behind the sturdy warrior, there were a few men on horseback riding with him. Beside them, there were some¡­ wolves?

    No, they were not wolves.

    Compared with Caesar, the animals on the picture had long and upturned tails. Some of them even had curvy tails. They were probably hounds.

    Some of the hounds revealed their tongues with their mouths open, as if breathing heavily. Another two inclined their head to those men on horseback, as if listening to someone¡¯s words.

    In the background of the painting, there were some buildings, which were far bigger and taller than those that Shao Xuan had seen in the tribe. He heard that people up on the mountain had better living conditions. Shao Xuan imagined in his mind based on the information he had heard, and he figured that even the houses up in the mountain could not bepared to those mansions in the fresco.

    He moved his sight back to the first picture that he saw. Inside it there was a woman with fine decorations on her head, they were not as rough and simple as those decorations that women in the tribe were wearing. Instead, they were more delicate and exquisite. As for the pot that the woman was holding¡­

    If these pots withplex decorative patterns were not stone pots¡­What were they? Shao Xuan though about one possibility ¨C pottery.

    How long had these pictures existed?

    If they were the same age as the stone room, then they should be at least hundreds or even thousands years old.

    Before thousand years, there was agriculture like stockbreeding and farming. Even pottery existed, and hunting tools were in an unimaginable variety. They even had hounds, real hounds! Unlike Caesar, who was merely a wolf, brought back and kept by a human identally!

    Shao Xuan suppressed the shock in his mind, and kept looking.

    The fresco on the left had obvious differences from the fresco on the right part of the stone wall. In the middle that distinguished the left from the right, there were only abstract lines and shapes. So abstract that Shao Xuan could not understand. It seemed messy at first look, and Shao Xuan could not specte its meaning by other pictures as well. However, what was obvious was that after these lines and shapes, the style of the fresco had changed very much. It fell down sharp with a feeling of loss from the earlier strong confidence. Many pictures were portraying something bleak and deste.

    Women kneeled down on the ground, weeping. Kids were standing up straight, with nk and lost looks, as if they had no idea of anything. The background was not filled with those mansions, but the cave that Shao Xuan was living in.

    There was no more agriculture as farming and stockbreeding. No more pictures about three or five women carrying baskets to gather food. No more riding and shooting, no more hounds, and no more pottery, whose workmanship was much more delicate than stoneware.

    However, both the left and the right part of the fresco on the stonewall, there was a logo carved above the picture ¨C the tribal totem.

    The tribal totem of the scorching horn tribe looked like the two horns of dicerorhinus, which was a rhinoceros with two horns. But the horns were longer, with mes around them, just like the name of the tribe tried to describe.

    So, was it showing the life of the scorching horn tribe?

    Shao Xuan recalled that archaeologist from hisst life, who had said that basically, frescos and paintings on the wall described the daily lives of men of that age, or their fantasies and hopes, which was also a kind of spiritual sustenance of mankind at that time.

    The pictures carved on the stonewalls of that room were absolutely no imaginary scenes. The emotions filled up in the images was so intense. Only true experiences and real things could arouse deeper, richer, and more intense emotions of people.

    What had happened in the tribe?

    Natural disasters?

    Man-caused cmity?

    Or both fell on the tribe?

    At the end of the fresco on the stonewall, there were a lot of palm-sized pictures in various styles. Take the one on the upper left for example; it had a spider resting on its. Or the one on the right end, there were nts like bamboos or something. In one picture, there was even something as a mask, it was so creepy to look at¡­

    In those pictures there were nts, animals, and many things that went beyond Shao Xuan¡¯s wildest imagination.

    Just as Shao Xuan fixed his attention on those frescos, he heard someone calling for him.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan! Come quickly, Ah-Xuan! Uncle Ge is here!¡±

    The other kids had no interest in the depth of the cave. For all those years they lived inside, aside froming to a certain ce to poop, they never went into deeper ces. Those parts were never their thing and they got over it once they had gone once into the depth of the cave. Therefore, the kid calling for Shao Xuan did not go towards him, but shouted directly at him.

    Coming back to reality, Shao Xuan realized that today was indeed the food delivery day for Ge.

    This time, Ge also brought three days worth food at one time. When Shao Xuan saw him, he still had quite some snowkes on his coat that hadn¡¯t melted yet. However, Ge cared no more about the snow, but kept staring at those vents with the ice blocking them. He yed around with the stone te in his hands as he stared, and obviously, he hadn¡¯t expected that something like that was stored in the cave. Ever since he was in charge of food delivery, the cave had always been dark during wintertime. In the past, he had heard from someone else that there was simr stuff in the cave, but he never thought the kids would use it. In addition, since it was messy and chaotic in the orphan cave, he did not bother to do anything more. Nevertheless, unexpectedly he saw that they used them here today.

    Shao Xuan asked the other kids to help ¡°unload¡± the food. Now with a sufficient food supply, the kids in the cave did not act like old times, where they fight over everything, especially when it came to food. Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, all the kids came to help, and then Shao Xuan distributed the food to different groups. He was no more his worry after the food was distributed to group leaders, for they would decide how to distribute to different people.

    That day, Shao Xuan did not let Ge to leave immediately. Instead, he asked him to tell stories about the tribe to the kids. Ge did not have any other ns after the food was delivered anyways.

    Shao Xuan merely wanted to learn more information from Ge, and see if the stories in Ge¡¯s description could tell him a thing or two about the frescos in that stone wall. It was too bad that Ge¡¯s stories were no different from the stories he heard from Lang Ga in the past. He did not get the information he wanted to hear.

    Shao Xuan drew something on the wall with a carbonated branch. He knew that Ge had glimpsed at his picture and saw what was on it. However, he acted all the same, with no abnormal behaviour. Obviously, Ge did not know what the picture was.

    What Shao Xuan drew was just one of those varied pictures that were on the right side of the stonewall of the stone room. Ge was considered as an experienced warrior in the tribe, and he did not recognize that picture. Shao Xuan sighed at heart, for it seemed to be very difficult if he wanted to know more about the things in the fresco.

    At the end of the fresco on the right part of the stonewall in that room, under those various pictures, there was a sentence. However, Shao Xuan could not connect them to a whole sentence because he did not know a few words in it.

    Even though Shao Xuan could speak thenguage fluently, he was not familiar with many words and letters. He nned to ask for the help of that old hunter, the next time when the old hunter came. Shao Xuan will ask him about the meaning of those words, and learn them all when he had the opportunity.

    About ten dayster, that old hunter finally came down the mountain again and showed up his face in the cave again.

    Seeing that there were so many changes in the cave, he was shocked and surprised to know that these kids in the cave had made much progress. He was quite pleased, so he took out another animal skin roll, ready to teach something new.

    In the spare time of teaching, Shao Xuan consulted a few words from him, not all the words he asked were from the stonewall. He mixed some other words in, because Shao Xuan did not want to raise the old hunter¡¯s suspicion.

    However, it turned out that Shao Xuan had thought too much. The old hunter had high interest in teaching, and nothing else. He merely assumed that Shao Xuan had seen those words from somewhere, and then he taught him one by one, quite patiently and eager.

    After that, the old hunter even praised Shao Xuan, ¡°Those words are written down well, with a certain momentum! You will turn out to be a brave warrior!¡±

    Shao Xuan smiled about it and did not reply. The words that were praised were from the stone wall. He copied them, so even though they were not exactly the same with the original ones, they carried some of the original charm and style, because they were copied.

    Judging from that, the one who left those pictures and words on the stonewall in that room should probably be a warrior, a tough and strong one.

    After the old hunter had left, Shao Xuan copied all the things in the old hunter¡¯s newly left animal skin roll, so that the kids might review from time to time. Then he went to the stone room again.

    After mastering those words, Shao Xuan finally understood the meaning of that sentence.

    ¡°One day, we shall return to our previousnd. Glory is still in the fire, and the fire of scorching horn will never be put out.¡±

    After that sentence, there was a big word ¨C ¡°Zan¡±. Perhaps that¡¯s the name of the master of that stone room, and the one who carved all those pictures and the sentence.

    The final sentence was deeply carved into the wall, much deeper than any other picture, especially thest few words. From that, one could easily see the intense emotion of the person when he left the sentence on the ground.

    Even though Shao Xuan still did not know why it was painted by stone powder, he felt appreciative to get the opportunity to see them. In addition, he admired the one who left those words for him to see.

    From that sentence, it was easily implied that his situation or the whole tribe¡¯s situation was not good, or even depressing. But they did not give up.

    Even if the situation was in despair, it meant that hope was still there as long as one was still alive, as long as the tribe was still there.

    Shao Xuan held the carbonated branch, and drew a simple image of ¡°thumbs up¡± behind the word ¡°Zan¡±.

    He just gave him a thumbs up.

 Chapter 19 â€“ Moons came out

    Chapter 19 ¨C Moons came out

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan spent every day in the stone room, trying to memorize all those pictures on the right side of the stone wall. He also learned to paint, thinking that perhaps it might be useful in the future. He had nothing else to do anyway.

    Since every kid had stored enough fish, together with the food and firewood from the tribe, they had a nice winter. With themon-used herbs that Ge gave to Shao Xuan, there were no idents as well. As days went by, it was quite calm, wintertime passed faster than they imagined.

    Two days ago, a younger kid caught a cold and he had a fever. Shao Xuan cooked the herbs from Ge and poured the soup down his throat. After only two days, his condition stabilized. He only had to survive those few days. With a bad health, none of the herbs would have been effective. He might have been as dead as the former owner of Shao Xuan¡¯s body, before anyone could call for help from the others. Luckily, during the time before winter, all of the children became healthier. They had constantly exercised and had much better food and provision, so they did not get ill as easily as before.

    Inside the stone room, Shao Xuan had ced an animal fur mat down on the ground. Sometimes he would just sleep right in front of the wall, if he worked toote on those frescos. He painted pictures with his fingers on the ground. After a picture was finished, Shao Xuan signed it. Winter had passed two thirds of its duration, and they had only twenty to thirty days left. If they survived thesest days, they would have a better living situation. Shao Xuan felt listless and that his body was moldy with rust, since he had spent so much time indoors.

    As he was thinking, Caesar, who was lying beside him moved his ears and looked towards the entrance of the stone room.

    Then Shao Xuan heard the voice of Ge.

    Today was not the day that Ge was supposed to deliver food. Or was it that spending so much time in the stone room messed up his brain?

    Filled with curiosity, Shao Xuan walked out of the stone room and went to see what happened.

    ¡°Uncle Ge, what brings you here today?¡± Shao Xuan, took a look at the triangles that he drew on the wall to keep track of time. Because Ge woulde every three days, Shao Xuan did not use the character ¡°Zheng¡±, which contains five strokes. Instead, he drew triangles on the wall. Now thest triangle missed one stroke, so that meant Ge was only supposed toe by tomorrow.

    Ge, standing next to the bonfire, shook the snowkes off his coat and then took out a roll of animal skin, ¡°I¡¯m here for some kids. Gather all the names on this roll, who are older than eleven.¡±

    Shao Xuan took the animal skin roll and had a look. On it there were seven names, including Ba and Tu. Those two kids suddenly got sparkling eyes and they stared at him hopefully, as if they thought of something.

    The names on that animal skin roll were all those that Shao Xuan knew, so he gathered them around, including those two who were taking a nap. The two kids that got woken up by force were still sleepy, but when they saw Ge and those few kids standing beside him, they suddenly came to their minds and instantly stopped rubbing their eyes. Instead, the kids quickly gathered their things, and rushed towards Ge with big smiles on their faces.

    Ge¡¯s sight hesitated on the fish teeth nes hanging from these seven kids¡¯ necks, and he carefully checked all their name pallets. On normal days he was in charge of food delivery, so he had some impressions about the kids in the orphan cave. But this time, one could never be too careful. He had to check and make sure.

    ¡°Yes, exactly seven.¡±

    Ge tossed each kid a leather cloak after he had rolled the animal skin back, ¡°Wear them, and follow meter¡­ Mo-Er, youe with me, too.¡±

    Mo-Er was only ten years old, but he would turn eleven after this winter.

    At Ge¡¯smand, Mo-Er got dressed and carried his knife. Unlike the other kids¡¯ admiration or excitement, Mo-Er walked towards Ge calmly, as if he had expected it.

    ¡°Fine. Ah-Xuan, you can go back to sleep now. I¡¯ll take them out. Tomorrow I¡¯lle back with the food.¡± Ge lifted the straw curtain and left with the eight kids.

    Shao Xuan lifted the thick straw curtain a little and the icy wind pouring in made his eyes feel a stabbing pain. His sight was blurred but he could still see the thickyer of snow outside the cave, and the path that was created by Ge. On both sides of the path, the snow was higher than the kids walking on the path. Their thin figures were trembling in the cold, but they followed Ge closely, with no hesitation and no intention to turn back their heads. Instead they were eager to leave.

    Dropping the straw curtain, Shao Xuan came back into the cave. The kids left behind were no longer sleepy as they stared at the fire, nkly.

    Shao Xuan knew why.

    After winter, there would be a Snow Festival and some sacramental activities. The most important thing during the sacramental activities, was the annual Totemic Awakening. One would turn a totemic warrior, if one could awaken his totemic power, or else one must wait for another year.

    Normally, kids over ten years old would be sent up the mountain for pre-selection, before winter¡¯s end. The Shaman would keep those kids with high odds to have their totemic powers awakened, and send the other kids back. However,pared with other kids in the tribe, most kids in orphan cave had poor health, so they would be postponed a year on the pre-selection, which was eleven years old. Mo-Er was an exception, for he was not considered an orphan. He was in much better fitness than others because of his constant training and practicing.

    The kids following up with Ge must be quite excited and anxious. All of them expect to be chosen by the Shaman, for as long as they got chosen, they had a ny percent chance to awaken their totemic powers this time, else they would awaken their totemic power next year with one hundred percent certainty.

    Shao Xuan was only nine now, and he would only turn ten after winter. It was still too early for him, so after Ge had left, he told the kids to approach him if anything happened. Then he went back to continue working on the frescos, in the stone room.

    After four days, when Ge was delivering food again, he brought back four upset kids. Tu and Ba were among those, who had been sent back. The eldest kids were kept. Being thirteen years old already, they were naturally kept. Turning fourteen after the winter, it would be abnormal if they did not awaken their totemic powers by then.

    The former ¡°leader of the cave¡± was also a thirteen year old, and he knew someone living on the mountainside. During this winter he was preparing for training. Most warriors believed that before one awakened his totemic power, the stronger he was, the stronger he would be. So Ku asked some family to take him in during wintertime. He would be better fed, and learn some experience from other totemic warriors. It was far better than staying in the cave. And that was also the reason why Ku went up to the mountain early instead of spending the winter in orphan cave.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. Sooner orter you will be totemic warriors. Perhaps next year.¡± Geforted the four sad kids, and left after he dropped off the food.

    ¡°I envy those, who were chosen by the Shaman. They can listen to the Shaman¡¯s lecture.¡± Said one of the kids brought back by Ge.

    ¡°Hey, what did the Shaman say to you?¡± The other kids got around, asking curiously.

    ¡°The Shaman¡­¡±

    One minute earlier, the four kids were drooping their heads. But on that word, they raised their heads up at a forty-five degree angle, and inside their eyes was admiration and respect.

    Shao Xuan curled his lips inside.

    Lectures? More of a brainwashing!

    That old wizard.

    Shao Xuan could only curse in his mind. He was not stupid enough to say it out loud. See those four kids? Only a few days spent with that old wizard, they got aplete brainwashing!

    After that little episode, the life inside went back to normal. Even though Tu and Ba were still upset, life continued.

    During a night, when Shao Xuan was in the midst of sleeping, he dreamt about two crescent moons, melted snow, ice and fire¡­Until he heard shouting, and the shouting got louder and louder, and that woke him up from his dreams.

    The sound was noting from the children in the cave, but from people outside.

    An older child listened carefully after he woke up, and suddenly he became very cheerful, ¡°It must be the end of the winter!¡±

    Shao Xuan yawned and tightened the nket, wrapping it around him. It was still night, and the fire had long been put out. Nothing could be seen, and only the discussions among the kids could be heard.

    Shao Xuan asked Caesar to lead him to the entrance.

    Lifting some thick straw curtains, Shao Xuan could hear the shouting more clearly, which were obviously filled with excitement and joy.

    Regardless of the icy wind, Shao Xuan looked up in the sky.

    Snow stopped falling, and the long-disappeared moons showed their appearance once again. Even though they were only outlines of crescent moons, they brought a lot of hope and a dynamic atmosphere.

    Winter had ended, and the sacramental activities of the Snow Festival were scheduled.

    Guess how many people would be totemic warriors? That was themon question of people in the tribe and almost all of them were thinking about that as they shouted out their joy.

    Everywhere in the tribe there was someone standing on the roof and staring at the sky, totally ignoring the icy wind. Just as they stopped excitedly shouting and began discussing about theing Snow Festival, they heard a child¡¯s voice from the orphan cave.

    ¡°The moons came out, yeah¡­ How joyful, yeah¡­So joyful, yeah¡­yeah, yeah, yeah!¡±

 Chapter 20 â€“ The color of wildness

    Chapter 20 ¨C The color of wildness

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The lyrics from that song came true.

    Shao Xuan had an urge to p himself in the face for singing that stupid song!

    When the sun came out and the snow melted, Ge, together with some men, blocked the kids¡¯ way when they were holding the fishing tools, intending to rush to the riverside to go fishing.

    Seeing Ge¡¯s familiar smile, and looking at the men Ge brought, the kids finally realized what he was up to. Fuck! Every year when winter ended and before the opening of the rituals of the Snow Festival, they would be dragged to the stream to take a bath.

    The most annoying bath!!

    If put it in an elegant way, it was required to take a bath before tribal rituals. While the realistic situation was that, those who were unwilling to go take a bath themselves would be carried to the stream and be given a brush-bath by force. Looking at the warriors that Ge brought! One had to be brushed anyway!

    Luckily, Shao Xuan wanted to take a bath. Throughout the winter, he hadn¡¯t even washed his face a single time, and his hair became a sticky mess long ago. If Ge had not mentioned it, he would have never imagined how he looked like now.

    Shao Xuan walked towards the stream and looked at his reflection in the water. The image was blurred by ripples, but still, he could roughly see that he looked disheveled.

    Strong and powerful warriors could jump directly into the freezing cold stream, but it was totally different for kids. Ge had told someone to boil some water before they arrived so that the warriors could mix the hot water with the cold stream water in adle, and then pour it on the naked whelp that was being pinned down on a t stone. At the same time, they used something like grass vines to scrub his body constantly. Together with every single scrub, streams of ck water would flow down. Those whelps were just as dirty as mud!

    Poured on with water, and scrubbed by grass vines, those who hadpletely experienced the whole process would be tossed to the haystack on the side. Someone would wrap them in clean animal skins and carry them back into the orphan cave. The animal skin that they had used to wear and the nkets they used to wrap on were also taken away by women in the tribe. They would be sent back after they were washed and dried.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched seeing this.

    He felt like that he was in a meat processing factory¡­

    Seeing Ge approaching, Shao Xuan said immediately, ¡°Give me adle and I¡¯ll do it myself!¡±

    Since Shao Xuan was willing toply, Ge tossed him adle and then focused his attention on the other kids. None of the kids who had survived the winter could escape from this.

    After being washed and scrubbed, the kids back in the cave were told that the Snow Festival rituals would be held the day after tomorrow. That was the Shaman¡¯s decision so naturally no one wouldin, let alone reject it. It was thus clear to see how sessful that old wizard¡¯s brainwashing was. Even after being toyed around like that, they did not have the slightest bit ofint towards Shaman.

    Three days after winter was over, the thickyer of snow by the entrance of the cave had melted away quickly. Of course, the ice covers in the ventssted no longer either. But as the winter ended, the temperature rose quickly. So if covered with animal skin nkets, one would not feel too cold. Everything seemed to be vivid again.

    The deepest impression that these two days left on Shao Xuan, was that many people who used to pay no attention to their appearances and were as slovenly as beggars, suddenly cleaned themselves up and were appropriately dressed up. Even if their clothes of animal skins were no good in quality with holes here and there, they were at least clean and tidy. Also, their hair, long or short, was carefullybed.

    At the very day of the Snow Festival, all the kids were sleeping in the cave. The rituals wouldn¡¯t be starting until the night, and now they were not permitted to go fishing by the river. So they continued sleeping, as someone woulde and wake them up when it was time.

    The straw curtain of the cave was lifted, and Ge,ing from the outside, shouted out towards those sleeping kids, ¡°Okay, boys. Get up and get prepared! We need to go up the mountain!¡±

    Shao Xuan hardly recognized Ge when he first saw him. Now Ge was wearing a pair of horns from some fierce animal, and around his neck, there were a few animal bone nes. Also, the animal skin clothes he was wearing were not the usual ones. The patterns on them were very clear, and the fur stood out like steel needles. They looked the opposite of soft, as the fur was probably from some ferocious beast.

    Aside from different clothes, Ge painted some patterns on his face with nt pigment. On both his cheeks there were outlines simr to their tribal totem. On his forehead, nose, and jaw, there were also painted lines. Every time when a hunting team was on a mission, totemic warriors would paint those symbols on their faces. Although totemic lines would show up on their bodies when hunting, painting on the face before hunting became a traditional custom as well as a ceremony. Now it was the same with rituals.

    Seriously speaking, it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time to attend a ritual. When he woke up at this ce, it had passed the ritual seasons, and in his memories there were no rted experiences. It felt new and novel.

    All the kids in the cave were pretty excited about the rituals, for such an event required the attendance of all the people in the tribe, no matter where they lived and who they were. From residents in the mountain top to people in mountain foot district; from the strongest warriors to the infants crying piteously for food; all must go up to the top and attend the ceremony.

    It was the symbol of a year¡¯s beginning, as well as the most joyful event every year.

    The ritual location was at the top of the mountain, near to Shaman¡¯s residence.

    Shao Xuan followed everyone out of the cave and left Caesar inside.

    It grew dark as night would soon fall. The active night swallows from the winter seemed to have noticed something, so they hid their tracks as Shao Xuan saw none tonight.

    As they were marching to the top, Shao Xuan saw others climbing up the mountain in groups. They were all ¡°dressed up¡±. On their heads, there were antlers, horns, feathers, and some other decorations that Shao Xuan could not recognize. Around their necks, there were ugly nes made from ferocious beasts. Look at those animal teeth on their nes! The ones that the kids in the orphan cave were wearing were noparison to them.

    All totemic warriors, men, and women had painted the same lines on their faces, as the ones on Ge¡¯s face. Shao Xuan saw a female warrior whose head was decorated with multicolored feathers. Around her neck were a few bone nes, and on her waist was a belt made from some kind of snakes, with gorgeous patterns. Also, there were bones hanging down her leather skirt as ornaments, that collided with each other and created clicking sounds while she walked.

    Ge said that she was a tough female warrior and she had a high reputation in their tribe. Other women around all showed admiration and respect, seeing the decorations on her.

    Compared to them, Shao Xuan and hispanions looked like some thin chicks walking around a group of man-faced King-Kongs.

    Shao Xuan also saw other kids in the tribe. Whether they were from the mountain foot district, mountainside district, or lived up near the mountain top district, those kids were dressed like the adults, just less impressive to Shao Xuan. But what was obvious was that, the higher they lived, the more ¡°advanced¡± were their decorations.

    The kid walking along with that tough female warrior was as proud as a peacock. With a look of ¡°What crappy things are you wearing?¡±.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes twitched and he looked away from that direction, only to find that all the whelps in the cave around him had sparkling eyes, staring at those kids with ¡°advanced decorations¡± jealously.

    All around was so aggressive, so fierce.

    Wild and mysterious, all was covered in intense colors of the wilderness.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s expression stayed stiff all the time. That was the first time that he felt himself living in a primitive tribe so clearly.

 Chapter 21 â€“ You are burning

    Chapter 21 ¨C You are burning

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    This was Shao Xuan¡¯s first trip to the mountaintop.

    In the tribe, people with higher position would also live higher near the top.

    As they were closer to the mountaintop, Shao Xuan realized that the kids around, and those warriors leading their way ahead, including Ge, had lost their casualty as they went and became much more serious and reserved.

    When Shao Xuan and hispanions arrived, there were already a lot of people gathered around the fire pit. People living in mountain foot district stood rtively far from the fire pit. In fact, they were standing ording to their living positions. The higher they lived in the mountain, the nearer they stood to the fire pit.

    Luckily, even though they stood far from the center, the spot they stood on was a high terrain, so one could also barely see the situation by the fire pit.

    How many people did the tribe have in total?

    In the past he was not sure, but now, Shao Xuan had an estimation.

    Today¡¯s ceremony required all people in the tribe to attend. You had toe even if you were ill in bed, or had trouble walking. Shao Xuan calcted roughly and found out that the poption of the tribe should be no less than a thousand, probably around one thousand and five hundred.

    Over a thousand people did not seem to be very much in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, but since he came to the tribe, it was his first time seeing so many people, so it was a lively day for him.

    On the mountaintop, there was an empty ground, in the center of which there was a crater. And in the center of the crater, there was a me swaying in the wind.

    The fire pit.

    This was also Shao Xuan¡¯s first time to see the tribe¡¯s fire pit, which was not even close to the image he had in mind.

    Shao Xuan had questioned why the tribe¡¯s fire pit would be located at the mountaintop. After all, it was the coldest ce in the whole mountain. What¡¯s more, there was already a well-developed fire maker. Why bother to keep a fire pit? Everyone spoke with extreme reverence when they talked about the fire pit. And the way they looked at the mountaintop was with unshakable devotion.

    He had heard from people in the tribe, that the fire pit was connected with the tribe¡¯s prosperity. As for how they were connected, Shao Xuan had never heard a word. Now, he may find an answer with his own eyes.

    The big empty space on the mountaintop was enough for everyone in the tribe to stand on.

    The crater had a radius of four or five meters, but the me burning in the middle was just like normal candlelight. It was not bright, and it seemed like it could easily be blown out by the wind. Also, inside the fire pit, Shao Xuan did not see any wood or anything burnable. Under the me, there were nobustion-supporting materials.

    This was an eternal fire in the fire pit.

    Around the fire pit, there a circle of man-height thick timber piles. A stone bowl was ced on top of every timber pile. Fresh meat, fruits and bird eggs were piled up in every stone bowl as sacrificial offerings.

    Beside the timber piles there were crowds of people standing there. From the discussion around, Shao Xuan learnt that those were the strongest warriors from different hunting teams. Some of them were still young, while the others were middle-aged. In total there were fifty warriors.

    Their faces were painted with the same lines as those on Ge¡¯s face. However, what differed was that the totem on their face was no longer in a single dark color. White and red was mixed up in those lines, and they were dressed up in a grander style. Someone wore a pair of giant antlers on his head, which were much bigger in size than any of the antlers Shao Xuan had seen others wearing. They nearly covered the warrior¡¯s body inside.

    Aside from the warrior with the super giant antlers, the other warriors were wearing exaggerated decorations as well. At first, Shao Xuan assumed that the warriors he saw on his way up were already outstanding on their decorations, but unexpectedly there were some with more garish decorations.

    Suddenly, the surrounding crowd quieted down. Shao Xuan looked up.

    It was the Chief and the Shaman. People automatically made way for them, being extremely respectful.

    There were also giant horns on the Chief¡¯s head, while the Shaman had no exaggerated decorations. He was holding a cane, with his back somewhat bent, and wearing a grey animal skin cloak.

    This was Shao Xuan¡¯s second time seeing the Shaman, and he felt that the Shaman had not changed much since thest year, when he told him to keep Caesar.

    The ones following the Chief and the Shaman, were those who received greatest attention during this ceremony.

    Near eighty kids aged from ten to fourteen followed the Chief and the Shaman closely, and then stood in line beside the fire pit.

    Shao Xuan saw the four kids from the orphan cave, including Mo-Er.

    When they were back in the cave, they were very hot-tempered. However, now they were quiet and calm, standing there in sleeveless tops made from animal skin, with their hairbed and decorated with some bones ornaments. Ever since Shao Xuan knew them, they had never been more tidy and clean.

    ¡°So many kids this year!¡± someone whispered beside him.

    ¡°Yeah, I agree. Last year it was only thirty, forty at most. But this year, the number doubled.¡±

    ¡°This is a good sign! With so much fresh-blood joining, our tribe will be much stronger and more powerful than before.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    People were discussing, and the kids around Shao Xuan also murmured because they all felt envious. Almost everyone wondered when they could stand on the spot by the fire pit themselves.

    After some time waiting, the preparation work had been finished, and the ceremony began.

    The Chief was a strong warrior named Ao, and people said that his strength ranked in the top three among the tribe.

    Ao delivered a short speech first, aboutst year¡¯s harvest and their hope for the next year, to boost the morale. Shao Xuan had heard a lot of those simr pep-talks during hisst life, so he felt no extra excitement. But the people surrounding couldn¡¯t be more thrilled, and some of them even yelled with open arms after the Chief¡¯s speech. All the brats also followed the yelling with their faces flushed.

    After the Chief¡¯s speech, the Shaman took over. After all, the Shaman was supposed to serve as the main character during this ceremony.

    Nearly eighty kids surrounded the fire pit, and they were standing closer to the center than those fierce warriors standing by those timber piles.

    The Shaman carried his cane and stood at the side of the fire pit with his back bent. He opened his arms and began to sing.

    The atmosphere of the scene suddenly changed, from the earlier excitement to being tense. Each and every one kept their mouths shut and even their breathing became very careful, as if fearing to affect the singing.

    Shao Xuan did not recognize what the Shaman sang, it didn¡¯t seem to be thenguage that the people used tomunicate throughout the tribe. And the tone sounded weird.

    However, the weirder thing was still yet toe.

    Along with the Shaman¡¯s singing, the me danced and rolled over and over. Without anybustion supporting materials, the me grew bigger and bigger. As it spread around, the me itself grew higher, until the me extended to the edge of the fire pit, and covered the whole crater. The me itself grew to at least three meters high, and in the meantime, on the top of the me, gradually appeared a picture outlined by mes. It became more and more clear, and was graduallybined with the giant me down there. The top curved itself symmetrically, and finally formed into two horns, wrapped in dancing mes.

    That was exactly the totem of the scorching horn tribe!

    There were three mes in the fire pit. The first me ¨C Soaring me!

    The Soaring me became the totem!

    As the totem appeared above the fire pit, the totem patterns on the warriors¡¯ bodies began to be more obvious.

    Everyone stared at the direction of the fire pit, and their eyes were filled with reverence.

    It waspletely dark, and the two moons were hanging up on the two ends of the sky. However, on the mountaintop, it was pretty bright and covered with a color of red because of the dancing mes in the fire pit.

    The Shaman¡¯s singing did not stop, yet it grew much louder and more sonorous. Then, sounds of drums joined the singing with a certain rhythm. The percussion of bones and stones could also be heard along the singing.

    Some people pping their hand, drums resounding high and low. However, the timbre was totally different from the drum¡¯s sound that Shao Xuan had heard during his former life.

    Bones¡¯ clicking, stones¡¯ hitting and drum¡¯s beating melted together.

    The male and female warriors standing beside the timber piles began to move and they joined the Shaman¡¯s singing. One by one, they kept a certain distance and circled around the fire pit, as they were dancing with their arms and legs.

    That was the ritual dance that was passed down from the beginning of the tribe¡¯s establishment.

    Shao Xuan recalled the words of his schoolmate whose major was archaeology, ¡°Many tribes have their own styles of ritual dances. That is a very important part in each tribe¡¯s ritual. It carries with it the unique decorum of a certain era, and conveys the worship they have towards their tribal ancestors. The ancient dance is not supposed to be delivered or learnt just by any normal person. Ancient traditions must be followed and respected.¡±

    And now, those who were dancing around the fire pit were all elites in the tribe, and those who had earned the qualification to dance the ritual dance on the ritual activities.

    Even though some moves seemed to be ridiculous in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, it was a great honor that everyone desired to acquire. When back in the cave, Shao Xuan often heard some kids¡¯ daydream about bing one of those ritual dancers someday, and dancing during a ritual ceremony.

    The melody yed in the ceremony was iparably weird, as every individual syble sounded harsh or dull when it was singled out. However, whenbined together, it was perfectly suitable for that certain time, under those certain circumstances. People felt it natural to hear that melody here and now. During this ceremony, the melody and rhythm was supposed to be like that.

    However,pared with the ritual dance and weird rhythm, Shao Xuan cared more about the kids standing by the fire pit.

    As the picked out warriors were dancing the ritual dance surrounding the fire pit, the mes in the fire pit grew bigger and bigger, and then many mes flew out from there.

    Yes, flew out.

    One after another, sparks and mes flew out from the fire pit and they floated in the air.

    The second me of the fire pit ¨C Flying me!

    However, the kids standing near the fire pit did not try to avoid, but kept standing there respectfully, and let those sparks and mes float down onto their bodies.

    Shao Xuan stared at that direction with his eyes wide open. The sparks and mes did not burn them as they floated down onto the kids¡¯ bodies, and they did not even burn their clothes. It was like the mes and sparks integrated into their bodies directly.

    With more mes and sparks integrated into their bodies, some kids began to show the special patterns of totemic warriors on their bodies. The more they contacted with the mes and sparks, the clearer and moreplete their totemic patterns became.

    The flying mes did not stop after they made contacts with the kids chosen by the Shaman, who stood around the fire pit. Quite a lot mes and sparks also flew around and afar. Some mes and sparkles also flew to the ce where Shao Xuan was sitting at.

    Seeing the approaching mes and sparks, Shao Xuan wanted to step aside naturally. However, he forced himself to calm down and remained standing still. Since others did not move, it should be not as harmful as he imagined.

    Indeed, Shao Xuan only felt afortable feeling of warmth when he was contacted by the me, with no pain of burning.

    At that time, Shao Xuan was fully relieved, so he kept staring at the fire pit, regardless of the fact that more and more mes and sparks flew towards him. The kids around the fire pit were the luckiest ones among the whole year. They would acquire strength and power through the fire pit, and awaken their totemic power. He wondered if the three kids from orphan cave and Mo-Er would be able to sessfully awaken their totemic powers this year.

    As he was gazing at the pond, Tu, who stood right beside Shao Xuan suddenly called out his name in a low voice.

    ¡°Ah¡­Ah-Xuan! Ah-Xuan!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Shao Xuan came back to himself and moved his eyesight from the fire pit, only to realize that every kid surrounding him was staring at him as if he was a ghost.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shao Xuan wondered. He was too enthralled by the fire pit and did not notice his surroundings.

    The few kids hurriedly stepped backwards, yet still stared at Shao Xuan in shock.

    Tu swallowed his saliva and said, ¡°you¡­ you are burning¡­¡±

    ¡°Burn what?¡± Shao Xuan was still confused. What were they saying? I wasn¡¯t burning¡­

    ¡°You¡­ you are burning¡­with fire¡­¡±

 Chapter 22 â€“ The flame doesnâ€™t harm anyone

    Chapter 22 ¨C The me doesn¡¯t harm anyone

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan¡¯s first reaction towards Tu¡¯s words was rejection. Even if he had been staring at the fire pit, and didn¡¯t care about theing mes, it didn¡¯t mean he wouldn¡¯t notice the pain of fire burning him.

    What¡¯s do you mean ¡°You are burning¡±?

    How could you not feel anything if you were burning?

    Just to be safe, Shao Xuan watched the sparks and mese closer, and only shifted his attention after he made sure it was harmless. What¡¯s more, all the surrounding people were just fine, and even those kids standing right beside the me pond were totally okay. And now you bloody told me that I¡¯m on fire?

    However, even if Shao Xuan did not believe it at heart, but judging from the looks of the kids around him, there really must be something wrong.

    He checked his hands, all clear, and there were no visible mes on his legs as well.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan¡­ your head¡­ on your head¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan hesitated, and finally he raised his arm to touch his head.

    It felt no different. Nothing abnormal.

    On a second try, there was still no abnormal feeling.

    His hair was intact, and no smell of burning could be smelt. However, when he looked up¡­

    What the fuck?!

    When Shao Xuan finally saw the fire on his head, it had already grown big. At first, there was only a small me on his head, but now he was basically wearing a bonfire as a giant hat. Also, with more and more mes and sparks flying towards him, the me on his head grew bigger and bigger, with a downwards spreading trend.

    Shao Xuan could clearly feel the fire on his head, and he could also see his bangs being wrapped in me. However, he felt no pain, and when he touched it with his hand, he felt nothing abnormal.

    It was useless when he took off his clothes and tapped them on his head. The me kept spreading downwards and the flying mes and sparks directly melted into Shao Xuan¡¯s arms, legs and torso, with no obvious sign of moving to the head.

    But, aside from the panic caused by the suddenness in the beginning, Shao Xuan quickly calmed himself down.

    This was not the world he knew well, and nothing could be deduced with his original logic and theories.

    Since the me was from the fire pit, and he felt no pain of burning, Shao Xuan stopped using his clothes to put out the fire, and instead, he stood there, trying to think about what he should do next.

    The people standing in front of Shao Xuan did not notice his condition, as their attention was totally fixed on the fire pit. However, it was apletely different case for the people standing behind Shao Xuan. Especially some elderly, who had attended many Snow Festivals, yet no one had ever witnessed such circumstances as Shao Xuan was experiencing now.

    At the meantime, the Shaman who was singing by the fire pit also had a minor pause in his singing that no one would notice unless one paid extra attention. After that slight pause, he continued to host the ceremony. He could definitely not leave now, he had to stay right where he was. The ceremony by the fire pit was only finished by two thirds, and the remaining one third of the ceremony was the most important part.

    Perhaps to most of the warriors in the tribe, the second me was the most remarkable and conspicuous part among the three mes of the fire pit. Because during the second me, a group of new totemic warriors would appear. All hunting teams which had lost some warriors, focused their attention, waiting to recruit some of the kids there once they turned into totemic warriors.

    But to the Shaman himself, totemic warriors¡¯ quantity was only a minor aspect. He wished to see the condition of the final me.

    However, even if he could not leave, the Shaman would not ignore the things happening in there. So as the Shaman kept singing, he winked at Chief Ao¡¯s direction.

    Chief Ao standing there, had already noticed the abnormal circumstances at Shao Xuan¡¯s direction, and was hesitating about whether to go there or not. After all, the Shaman knew better about rituals than him, and moving without the Shaman¡¯s permission during a ritual could bring disastrous consequences upon the ceremony. Being the chief of the tribe, naturally he had to consider the big picture and put the tribe¡¯s best interest ahead, instead of a single person or some group of people¡¯s benefit.

    Receiving the Shaman¡¯s wink, the Chief hinted others to continue, while he moved his body towards the spot where the abnormal things were happening.

    Most of the people were gazing at the fire pit, and since the Chief¡¯s movement was so fast, not many people had realized what had happened.

    Shao Xuan was just hesitating on whether to let the me grow bigger, or shout out for help.

    Without doubt, Shao Xuan cherished his life. If it was not the fact that he felt no actual harm, he would have shouted out for help already. However, firstly, the me did not burn him or bring him actual pain; secondly, it was after all the annually most important ceremony of the tribe. Even those arrogant warriors suppressed their arrogance and behaved like civilized people, how could he take the hatred from everyone when his shouting sabotaged the great ritual? This was the only tribe in this area, and being all alone in this world, he could not afford to be hated and abandoned.

    As he was thinking, he felt a shadow in front of him.

    Shao Xuan looked up, and just saw the Chief¡¯s curious eyes.

    There were so many people on the mountaintop. Shao Xuan had heard no steps or people moving to clear a path, yet the Chief silently appeared in front of him! He was just beside the fire pit!

    The surrounding kids were rather nervous and their attention had long since moved away from the fire pit. They could not awaken their totemic powers anyway this year, so Shao Xuan¡¯s ident right under their noses certainly seemed to be more attractive. Now since the Chief hade, obviously Shao Xuan was in a great trouble, as far as they were concerned.

    ¡°Chief¡­¡±

    Ge noticed the situation and before he could say anything, he was stopped by Ao. Ao raised his hand to show that others shouldn¡¯t be distracted by them.

    The surrounding people hurriedly focused their concentration and looked at the fire pit again. In their hearts they prayed that theing year would promise more game and everything would go smoothly.

    Among them, surely there were some with less concentration, those would constantly glimpse at Shao Xuan¡¯s direction with irrepressible curiosity.

    Ao looked at the kid in front of him, filled with curiosity as well.

    Is he awakening his totemic power?

    That kid was absolutely less than eleven years old, andpared with the kids around the fire pit, he appeared to be much weaker. During the pre-selection, he had seen every kid brought from the mountain foot district, yet he had no memory of this little kid.

    Apparently this was also the Chief¡¯s first time in meeting up with such circumstances. However, since the Shaman had given an order, all he had to do was to take the kid to the Shaman.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, for the me doesn¡¯t harm anyone.¡± Aoforted Shao Xuan in a low voice, and then lifted him up by the animal skin clothes he was wearing.

    Earlier Shao Xuan was thinking with his head bowed so he did not notice how the Chief got here from the fire pit. But now he knew.

    Ao jumped up directly and stepped on the shoulders of the audience. He seemed tall and strong, but the movements of his were quite lissome. He lifted Shao Xuan, yet he acted as if he and Shao Xuan were as light as a feather as he jumped over the people in the tribe. Before Shao Xuan could catch his breath, they had arrived andnded by the fire pit.

    Ao told Shao Xuan to stand among the other kids, and then stepped backwards to his original spot.

    Adding another kid by the fire pit naturally drew the attention of the people who were staring at the fire pit all the time. Some tried to whisper a thing or two with the one standing beside them, but a look from Ao, quickly straightened them out.

    Some young warriors dancing the ritual dance almost missed a step because of distraction. But they quickly cursed in their heart, focused their mind again, and carefully continued to do the ritual dance.

    However, many people could not fight the curiosity they had in their hearts. Is the kid added to the group also awakening his totemic power? Why was he not chosen during the pre-selection?

    Too young at age?

    People did not question the Shaman¡¯s ability, so they guessed the fault was with the age. Aside from age, perhaps someone made a mistake when he went down to the mountain to do the preparations.

    What on earth happened? And why was the kid wearing a ball of fire on his head?

    Just as people were wondering, Ao looked away from the fire pit as he returned to his spot. He looked down to his hand that held Shao Xuan earlier.

    That vigorous big hand that had killed countless game, had been burnt red.

    What was he telling that kid again? The me doesn¡¯t harm anyone??

 Chapter 23 â€“ Changes

    Chapter 23 ¨C Changes

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan¡¯s joining in the middle was merely a small episode of this year¡¯s ceremony, even though it was obviously different from other ceremonies. However, even if people in the tribe had their own guesses at heart, their most concerning thing now was still about the awakening kids around the fire pit.

    Sai was extremely thrilled as he carefully experienced the obvious changes in his body, and the totemic patterns which appeared on his arms. But naturally, he also noticed that someone suddenly joined them out of the blue. Sai slightly turned his head to take a look, only to find out that it was Shao Xuan, covered in a ball of fire.

    It was a small world where enemies often crossed each other¡¯s path.

    Isn¡¯t that fellow still too young? He is only supposed to be ten years old after today¡¯s Snow Festival. Why is he here?

    Seeing Shao Xuan standing right next to himself, who was two years younger, Sai¡¯s heart rate raced up apprehensively. Every time when Sai thought about having been beaten up by Shao Xuan and the others in the cave before winter, he would get quite angry. In fact, he was quite excited when he was chosen by the Shaman this year. He nned to bring back some ferocious beast when he went on a mission with his new hunting team after awakening his totemic power, and then take its body to the entrance of orphan cave, so those little bastards would be able to see his game closely, especially Shao Xuan. But now, what was happening?

    Shao Xuan also noticed that he was standing right next to Sai, the minute he was tossed here. However, now he had no interest in dealing with him.

    Before, he could only observe the fire pit from afar, and now Shao Xuan finally was able to feel the tribal fire pit closely. He felt like he was surrounded by a sea of fire, but with no feeling of burning. All that he felt was warmth, and the warmth had driven away all the coldness left in his body by the winter.

    The totemic pattern on the kids standing around the fire pit appeared to be fiery red. It became like that after the mes had entered their bodies, they awakened the strength that was hidden within their flesh. And the process was clearly more restrained.

    However, Shao Xuan¡¯s changes were much fiercer.

    The fire which originally gathered on his head now had spread down to his body. Shao Xuan¡¯s eyesight was filled with fire, the only thing he was not sure of, was whether it was the fire on his head, or the fire flown over from the fire pit.

    Shao Xuan felt some pain in his brain, and also his body temperature rose up, with heat gathering at his be, and then spreading to his forehead, face, neck, torso, and limbs¡­

    With no mirror, Shao Xuan could not see the changes on his face, but seeing that fire red totemic patterns existed on the other kids¡¯ faces, he assumed that the same must have happened on his face. Feeling the heat stretching from his shoulder down to his limbs, Shao Xuan turned his sight to his arms.

    Earlier, he took off his animal skin coat in order to put out the fire, and then left it there without putting it back on. So now, Shao Xuan was only wearing a sleeveless sweater made from animal skin. The totemic patterns appeared on his arms together with the spreading heat, they could be seen quite clearly.

    The mes and sparks flowing from the fire pit became denser as time went by, and the me inside the fire pit had a trend of spreading out. Everyone in the tribe was busy praying, so Shao Xuan covered in fire stood out less.

    The dancing mes in the fire pit grew more and more violent. The fire pit now was no longer thatrge crater with a small fire that Shao Xuan saw at first. Now the whole fire pit was like a big volcano, waiting to erupt. However, it was not dreadful like before, but people felt the urge to worship when seeing the fire pit like that.

    The Shaman¡¯s singing had reached the third stage, and at the final syble, the Shaman raised up his arms and suddenly moved away his hand. The gray and white animal skin cloak instantly got flooded by the spreading-out mes.

    Third me of the fire pit ¨C Spreading me!

    The mes in the fire pit had just a gentle change, but now the mes no longer flew out, instead the fire poured out likeva and instantly flooded everyone at the ceremony, and then without stopping, it went towards the mountain foot area.

    Near the mountain foot area, Caesar, who was left in the cave because of the ritual ceremony, stared at the entrance of the cave with growling soundsing from his throat.

    Outside the cave, it was covered by fire.

    The quickly spreading mes covered the whole mountain, but didn¡¯t burn any straw or tree. It seemed that the me was not lethal at all, but Caesar hiding in the cave feared it a lot. If possible, he would literally dig down under the ground and hide there.

    And, the night swallows which had already retreated to the edge of residential area, reluctantly flew up and went further away seeing that approaching fire.

    The Shaman was standing beside the fire pit, with a serious-look all the time. However, now, he finally showed a joyful smile. There was no need to look down the mountain, yet he could already feel where the mes had reached.

    The expansion scope was a lotrger than thest few years. In fact, ever since he took ce as the Shaman in the tribe, he had never seen any third me of the fire pit reach such arge scope!

    It was a good omen¡­

    ¡°Luck!¡± The Shaman shouted.

    ¡°Luck!¡± everyone in the tribe followed the shout with cheer.

    ¡°The me of the Scorching Horns may never die!¡± Chief Ao also joyfully shouted out.

    ¡°The me of the Scorching Horns may never die!¡± People in the tribe echoed loudly. Every single one of them was more than excited. Since the Shaman imed that theing year would be a lucky one, it surely will be! How could they not to get thrilled and excited?

    The spreading mested for about half an hour, and then it began to fade away from the mountain. In the end, only the mes inside the fire pit kept burning and dancing, and the totem above that me existed all the time.

    After that, the atmosphere became lighter and less serious. The scene was filled with joy and people were quite rxed. Since people in the tribe needed to vent out their excitement, they all went down the mountain in small groups,ughing, chatting, and nning to have a barbecue party with their close friends and families after they got home. They would have some fruit wine and after that they would have a good sleep, and wait for the promising new year toe.

    Ge also led the kids down the mountain to the orphan cave. They did not worry about getting attacked by night swallows that evening. Because besides for Caesar, no wild birds or animals would be able to enter their residential area.

    Unlike most of the people in the tribe, Shao Xuan and the other kids who had awakened their totemic powers had to stay, and they will have to stay up in the mountain for some time, because they had to listen to the Shaman¡¯s second lecture.

    Nearly eighty kids were standing beside the fire pit, and most of them awakened their totemic powers sessfully, except for four of them. Those four kids left with disappointment, but thinking about the fact that they would definitely awaken their totemic powers next year, they were less depressed already.

    Shao Xuan and the others stayed beside the fire pit. And affter everyone else in the tribe had gone, they were brought into a stone house by a few warriors,

    That stone house was much more firm and solid than the wooden houses that Shao Xuan had seen down the mountain. Also it was quiterge, for it had enough room for over seventy kids.

    After their totemic powers awakened, their breath seemed to be easier than before. Every piece of muscle and every single bone in their body seemed to be reformed, and they were filled with endless strength. Even if they looked the same as before, the inner part of themselves had changed essentially.

    However, Shao Xuan was still a little upset and gloomy.

    The other kids were either discussing about their feeling of awakened totemic powers, or trying to gesture with each other because of excitement. If it weren¡¯t for the situation that someone was watching, they would¡¯ve startedpeting with each other instantly.

    After he had carefully looked at the others around him for a few times, Shao Xuan stepped forward a few steps and poked on the one who was bragging to the other kids, ¡°Hey, you!¡±

    ¡°What¡­¡± Sai got interrupted and he turned around, but instantly he took a step back vigntly, after seeing that it was Shao Xuan. Perhaps he felt ashamed by his own action, so he stepped forward again.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Sai, and in his eyes there were still traces of precaution. Before he awakened his totemic power, he was already much taller and stronger than Shao Xuan, yet he got beaten up by him several times, so now with awakened totemic power, he still dared not underestimate him.

    ¡°After you awakened, did you notice any changes in your vision? Vision is how you see things¡­ Do you feel any changes, from before?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Seeing Shao Xuan was only asking such questions, Sai kept his jaw up high and said with pride, ¡°Sure I do!¡±

    Other kids that Shao Xuan did not know before also joined the discussion, since they overheard Shao Xuan¡¯s question. They kept talking about how far they could see in dark situations, andpared with earlier, their hearing, smelling and vision had greatly improved with their totemic powers awakened.

    Shao Xuan was the only one who remained silent.

    He had to remain silent, or else could he tell the others that all the people he set his eyes on were skeletons?

 Chapter 24 â€“ Whatâ€™s your name?

    Chapter 24 ¨C What¡¯s your name?

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    At the end of the ceremony, Shao Xuan felt that something was wrong.

    Before he realized it, the totemic patterns on his body were almostplete, he had been staring at the mes inside the fire pit. Since he knew that all the changes on his body were because of the awakened totemic power, he didn¡¯t worry about it anymore. However, ever since he stood by the fire pit, he felt an odd sense of intimacy with the me inside. He did not know if it was amon feeling for all the kids who were awakening their totemic powers. At that moment it was impossible for him to ask someone in detail, so, he kept staring and studying the mes inside the fire pit.

    By the time the Shaman announced the end of the ceremony, Shao Xuan withdrew his attention from the fire pit. He was nning to joke with his ¡°sworn rival¡± Sai who was standing beside him, he looked at Sai, but to only find a skeleton standing right next to him. Shao Xuan was nearly scared to death, he almost reflexively kicked him away. Looking around, all the people who were walking and the warriors that finished the ancient dance, together with every kid standing around the fire pit turned into skeletons in his eyes. He could no longer recognize who was who.

    All the ones talking, walking and swinging their arms and legs, all became skeletons.

    Shao Xuan was stupefied.

    He did not know if it was just him, or was it the same case with all totemic warriors. Back when he was chatting with Lang Ga and Mai, the only thing he knew about totemic power was that once the power was awakened, one¡¯s body strength and reaction speed would greatly improve. However, he never asked about whether they could see skeletons. Who would have thought of that?

    However, now, Sai and the other little warriors did not mention anything about skeletons at all. A minute earlier they were discussing about the meat jerky that was hanging outside the stone room, and never did they mention a thing about bones.

    So it seemed that he was the only exception.

    He was experiencing the same process of awakening, yet after his totemic power was awakened, it was not the same as everyone else. What if he could only see skeletons from now on?

    will he dream only about skeletons, and will the people in his dreams be walking skeletons?

    Screw this! He felt terrified even thinking about it.

    Shao Xuan scratched his head, he was seeing his arm as bones without flesh at all.

    What the Fu*k!

    As for recognizing Sai earlier, it was because he felt familiar with him, since they had fought each other several times in the past. Also Shao Xuan recognized his voice. That little bastard was never shy when he bragged about himself, from the beginning he was in an extreme excitement since he sessfully awakened his totemic power. He kept his voice high and sharp, as if fearing that others might not be able to hear him. If it weren¡¯t for these two reasons, Shao Xuan could not have recognized him so soon.

    The warriors that led them here had already left, while the Shaman and the Chief had not arrived yet. Right now, inside the stone room, there were only those seventy-five kids who just awakened their totemic powers this year. With no supervision, those kids fully liberated their nature, they began tough and chat in small groups.

    In the eyes of Shao Xuan, they were all skeletons with their mouths opening and closing, and limbs moving around.

    Shao Xuan did not join the crowd. Ever since he knew there was something wrong with him, he stepped down to a corner, thinking silently.

    He had taken off the pallet, that had his name, from his neck, he remembered that none of the kids standing around the fire pit had worn it. So he tied his pallet on his wrist and stepped inside the room.

    He had no feeling of difort from his body, and all his hair remained intact, even though there was a ball of fire on his head earlier. Not only this, Shao Xuan felt totally rxed andfortable. He felt very energetic, perhaps the reason being that he awakened his totemic power. If he could see something other than skeletons, he would be in a much better mood.

    Since he could not figure out the reason for what was happening, Shao Xuan looked around the room. Aside from those over seventy skeletons, there was nothings inside but stones.

    Stone table, stone stools, and many stones in different sizes and shapes on the stone table.

    In fact, in Shao Xuan¡¯s sight it wasn¡¯t just only a single colour. Instead, in his sight he could see white, grey and ck with different shades. For example, thosed¡¯s skeletons were white, while the stones varied from pale grey to dark grey.

    Because of fear and respect towards the Shaman and the Chief, those young warriors did not touch those stones on the table. However, they were always free to watch. Next to the long square stone table stood a few kids, they were discussing the ranking of the stones.

    ¡°This stone looks fine enough, certainly it could be made into a nice stone knife.¡± A kid said as he pointed at a stone on the table.

    ¡°That is okay, I suppose it is close to the mid-level.¡± Another kid took a closer look at it then said. One could tell from his tone that he did not care much about that stone, a mid-level stone did not seem to be special to him. However, when he saw some stones in an irregr shape, he sounded pretty surprised, ¡°This one is good! Perhaps an upper mid-level, unfortunately the shape is irregr, and it can¡¯t be made into a knife. It could barely be made into a middle-sized spearhead.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked their way and realized that the mid-level stone in their discussion appeared in his sight to be grey, while the upper mid-level one was close to dark grey.

    In order to prove whether the theory in his heart was correct, Shao Xuan stood there as he listened to those kids evaluating the ranking of the stones on the table. Those unappreciated stones, the so-called inferior stones appeared to be pale grey in Shao Xuan¡¯s sight. While the mid-level stones were grey, and the ones with better quality had darker colour.

    In other words, the better the quality of the stone, the darker it would appear to be in this special vision? Shao Xuan thought in his heart.

    As the discussion in the stone room went on, the curtain was lifted, and the Shaman walked in with a cane in his hand. Together with Shaman, Chief Ao and two other warriors also came inside, one of the warriors was a woman.

    When the curtain was lifted, it immediately became quiet in the room. The ones who were showing off their knowledge a minute ago, immediately became obedient, and they prostrated themselves before the Shaman respectfully.

    While he lived near the mountain foot district, Shao Xuan had rarely seen someone give a salute. Normally people in the tribe would only give a salute when seeing someone with a high reputation. However, people living down the mountain were basically nobodies, so normally Shao Xuan did not see anyone giving a salute to other.

    However, Shao Xuan knew how to give a proper salute anyway. Aside from showing kids how to count and write, the man in charge of teaching in the orphan cave would also show them how to give a salute. In fact, if you live in the cave, you may not know how to count or write, but you must learn how to give a salute. When meeting the Shaman, those who did not salute were considered disrespectful, and would be despised and rejected by the people in the tribe.

    The Shaman guarded the fire pit until the me shrank to its original size, and then he came to the stone room slightly tired.

    Probably, hosting tonight¡¯s ritual ceremony, cost him a lot of strength and energy, as the Shaman was being assisted as he came inside. After the end of the ceremony by the fire pit, the Shaman came over and only drunk some water. He had no further knowledge about the little warriors that awakened tonight, and neither had he the chance to take a look at the animal skin roll that had all their information on it. He came to the stone room directly after he caught his breath.

    Chief Ao came in together with the Shaman, after ncing around the room, he fixed his eyes on Shao Xuan. The red burning mark had not faded away from his hand, and he did not find the proper time to discuss it with the Shaman.

    A warrior moved a stone stool and ced it in the centre of the room, while the female warrior helped the Shaman over to the centre where he sat down.

    The Shaman was panting for breath, as he looked at tonight¡¯s newly-awakened little warriors dotingly, feeling especially gratified. Every year when he saw the newly-awakened warriors, he would feel irresistible pride.

    ¡°Good, very good! You are all going to be the real fierce warriors of our Scorching Horn tribe.¡± the Shaman said slowly.

    Being praised and acknowledged by Shaman, all the kids blushed, they could not wait to shout in order to express and vent their excitement.

    Looking around, the Shaman asked, ¡°Who is the kid that joined the crewst? Come here and let me have a look at you.¡±

    Those who stood in front of Shao Xuan, immediately stepped aside. Other than Shao Xuan, all the kids had spent some time at the Shaman¡¯s ce. Therefore, they had impressions about each other, Shao Xuan was the only exception that they did not know.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you. Come closer and let me have a look at you.¡± the Shaman looked at Shao Xuan and said.

    Shao Xuan stepped forward and stood in front of the Shaman. He was curious about what this old shaman might say, would he mention Caesar? Did he feel guilty about ignoring him for nearly a year? Didn¡¯t he know how difficult it was to keep a wolf?

    Shao Xuan gazed at the old skeleton sitting on that stone stool, and the Shaman stared at Shao Xuan attentively as well. He asked in the same benevolent and gratified way, ¡°You. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    Shao Xuan was speechless for a moment. Apparently, this old shaman did not recognize him.

 Chapter 25 â€“ Source of Power

    Chapter 25 ¨C Source of Power

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°My name is Xuan.¡±

    Shao Xuan shared his name in this life. He now could only see skeletons, so he could no longer analyse the Shaman¡¯s facial expression. However, seeing that the Shaman¡¯s skull hesitated at his name, as if recalling something, Shao Xuan knew that this old shaman probably did not recognize him, anyway.

    After some time, the Shaman spoke again, but this time he did not ask anything else about Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Fine. Now stand with yourpanions.¡±

    Shao Xuan said no more, and even though he showed no dissatisfaction on his face, he was curling his lips in his mind already. Was it true that this old shaman was too old to remember things?

    ¡°Okay, since all of you have awakened your totemic powers, and gained the strengthing along with it. So, the first thing you should master now, is how to use such strength.¡± the Shaman said with no hurry.

    ¡°This is a turning point in your life. After today, you will be regarded a real totemic warrior. However, this is also a fresh new beginning for all of you. You can only rely on yourselves when ites to how far you can reach in your lives. Never becent, for you are the only one to decide whether you stay in the primary stage, or continue to grow and develop, just like the other excellent warriors in our tribe.¡±

    As the Shaman was saying this, he looked at Chief Ao¡¯s direction, as if saying that, look, your Chief is a fine example of that.

    Being the Chief in the tribe, Ao¡¯s ability was indeed outstanding, and he could best most of the warriors in the tribe. Because of the worship to strength, many newly-awakened totemic warriors would consider Ao as an idol. And this year¡¯s newly-awakened totemic warriors were no exception.

    ¡°As totemic warriors, you should first know how to find the source of power inside your bodies.¡±

    That was also the main reason why the Shaman kept those little warriors for tonight.

    ¡°The source of power exists in your bloodline. It is asleep when you are young, until someday when the time is right, it gradually awakenes under the summon of the mes¡­ Now, close your eyes and clear your minds. Follow the power inside your bodies, and naturally you will see it¡­¡±

    No one knew when but it became warmer inside the stone room. Everyone sat down on the ground, and closed their eyes under the Shaman¡¯smand.

    Shao Xuan did the same.

    When his mind was cleared, he realized that in the sea of his consciousness there was gradually a pattern forming. It was two horns covered in mes, the totem of the tribe. Aside from that, there was also a thing in the shape of an egg, wrapping the totem inside with a dazzling white light.

    In the shape of an egg¡­

    ¡°I saw it!¡± a kid could not suppress his excitement and opened his eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s the totem!¡± said another kid.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen it, too!¡±

    ¡°So did I!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Almost all the kids imed one after another, as if being afraid to be treated as a moron who could not see the source of power by the Shaman. None of them wanted to be considered as some stupid totemic warrior with no potential.

    The Shaman looked around, and realized that most of the kids could find their sources of power, except for¡­

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, have you found yours?¡±

    As the Shaman spoke, all the other kids fixed their attention on Shao Xuan.

    Earlier when they were chatting with each other, they had heard from Sai that this kid named Xuan came from the orphan cave down the mountain, and he would only be ten years old after the Snow Festival. Normally, only a small number of kids in the tribe could awaken their totemic powers at such a young age, and most of them were descendants from powerful totemic warriors that lived up near the mountaintop. There was a saying spread among the tribe, that the earlier one awakened his totemic power, the more potential he would have. And hence he would have more chance than others to be a great warrior like the Chief.

    Before, when winter was not over yet and they got chosen and kept by the Shaman, the youngest kid among them was the first grandson of the Chief, ¡°Mao¡±.

    The hunting weapon that Chief Ao usually used was a spear, which was also known as ¡°Mao¡± in localnguage. Numerous beasts got killed by Ao¡¯s spear, and the spear represented the countless glorious deeds of Ao, as was known to many people in the tribe. And ording to the tradition passed along in the tribe, it meant a lot since Chief Ao named his first grandson the same name as the weapon he used. Obviously he had great hopes ced on this grandson.

    However, apparently during this year¡¯s sacrificial ceremony, the one in the center of the limelight was not Mao, who was considered as the one with greatest potential by the public. Instead, it was Shao Xuan, who got noticed during the middle of the ceremony like a ck horse.

    Mao made a sour face all the time, especially when he looked at Shao Xuan. In his eyes there were obvious traces of provocation, and he was anxious to start a fight with him.

    Unfortunately, Shao Xuan could only see people as skeletons, so he could not see his expression at all. As for the provocating look that Mao kept for so long, itpletely went to waste as if it was a look tossed to a blind person.

    At the Shaman¡¯s question, Mao stared at Shao Xuan as well, expecting him to say no, so that Shao Xuan would definitely receive the mock from everyone in the room.

    Too bad, but Shao Xuan did not fulfill their wishes.

    Shao Xuan nodded at Shaman¡¯s words, ¡°I¡¯ve seen it, too. It¡¯s just the same as the totem that appeared above the fire pit.¡±

    The Shaman was satisfied, since all the kids found their source of power. So he continued to ingrain them with knowledge about the source of the me.

    While Shao Xuan closed his eyes, and continued to look at the egg in his mind.

    Since no one else mentioned something aside from the totem, so it meant that that white ¡°egg¡± was only existing in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind. Based on that shape, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think about the odd stone that he picked up from hisst life, the one that could not be scratched with a knife and could not be heated up by fire.

    The more he looked at it, the more it looked like the stone from his previous life.

    If it¡¯s true, then he found the reason why he was experiencing a different process of awakeningpared with the others.

    Speaking of using the totemic power, the Shaman asked Mao to demonstrate for the kids.

    ¡°Give a punch without using totemic power.¡±

    Another warrior took out a previously prepared te under themand of the Shaman.

    Mao stood out with pride. Seeing his own grandfather Ao, the Chief of the tribe looking at him with encouragement, Mao took a deep breath, made a fist, and stood in the right position. He roared as he punched against the te in front of him with his clenched fist.

    Bang!

    A dull thud.

    The te shook slightly.

    Mao frowned a little and pulled back his fist.

    Shao Xuan could nearly feel his pain, but looking at Mao¡¯s fist, Shao Xuan noticed that he was not injured, only a red mark was left on his hand.

    That was exactly the difference of the body¡¯s strength after awakening the totemic power. From flesh to bones, every inch of one¡¯s body got strengthened.

    ¡°Okay, now do it again, but his time with the totemic power.¡± the Shaman said.

    Mao stopped frowning, he looked much more rxed.

    On his face, totemic patterns appeared, as he punched again.

    With the same gesture and as it seemed, the same strength. It felt all the same, yet it feltpletely different somehow at the same time.

    Bang!

    The te got punched and broke into pieces.

    Those little warriors instantly got excited and they wanted to have a try for themselves. However, the Shaman did not intend to take out more tes. Instead, he asked them to do silent practice in their minds, in order to get familiar with how to use the totemic power.

    After delivering the lecture, the Shaman took the men and left, for now he had to get some rest. Seeing the exhausted Shaman, Ao took another look at his red palm. Thinking it over a bit, he decided to discuss it tomorrow.

    The Shaman was assisted back into his stone room. With an animal fur nket on his body, he opened a roll of animal skin by the fire light. He told someone to make a record of today¡¯s ritual ceremony, in which there were all detailed information about every kid. It had all things written down, like who got awakened first and whopleted the awakening first.

    In the animal skin roll, there was also information about Shao Xuan, including his birth and his current living situations.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan kept a wolf, the Shaman searched his memory hard.

    Ofcourse! No wonder he felt a sense of familiarity when he heard the name ¡°Xuan¡±.

    Back then, when he was walking around the mountain foot district to see how the people¡¯s lives were, he did not expect to hear anything about ¡°keeping and breeding¡±. So when he met Shao Xuan with the little wolf, he left a patterned te so that no one in the tribe would harm the little wolf. Originally he nned to provide an extra portion of food to Xuan. However, after he got back to the mountaintop district, he was told that a certain kind of nt he had been searching for a long time was found, and a hunting team brought back one nt alive. So he devoted all his thoughts and energy to the research, and he had been working on that nt for nearly a year. Finally, he found out a way of grinding it into a herb. When the prescription was finalized, hepletely forgot about the little wolf that he asked Shao Xuan to keep.

    He wondered how the little wolf was now¡­

    While at that time, Caesar, who eventually got remembered by the Shaman, was just squatting outside the orphan cave pathetically. With icy winds at night, he stared at the mountaintop, and howled.

 Chapter 26 â€“ Incomplete Flame

    Chapter 26 ¨C Iplete me

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The next day, one by one, the little warriors woke up as they immersed themselves in practicing the totemic power.

    After a night¡¯s practicing, most of them could skillfully use the totemic power in their bodies.

    Through that night, Shao Xuan had also gained a lot. After getting familiar with how to use totemic power, he tried the same way to deal with that ¡°egg¡± shrouding the totem. It turned out that the method worked!

    When using the totemic power, the shining light on that ¡°egg¡± would fade slightly, while when using the power of the ¡°egg¡±, the totem would be covered by the dazzling light of it totally. However, no matter which kind of power Shao Xuan used, the totem was always being shrouded in the egg, and that was something that could not be changed.

    Even though he could not switch the powers in the blink of an eye, but at least with sufficient time, Shao Xuan could use those two powers freely. As a result, when Shao Xuan opened up his eyes again, he didn¡¯t see anymore skeletons.

    Seeing the familiar world again made Shao Xuan more than thrilled. It would¡¯ve been so creepy if he could only see skeletons from now on. Luckily he still got to see the varied colorful world filled with life and vitality.

    Smoothing that major problem out, Shao Xuan felt pretty relieved. Then, he saw some familiar faces, the kids from the orphan cave, Mo-Er, Sai, and some other kids that he had met before.

    It was good to see their facial expressions, for a vision filled with only skeletons was so dull and dreary.

    This time, Shao Xuan finally could see Mao¡¯s re. However, even though he could see that now, he ignored it after a single nce.

    Mao felt very angry for being ignored by Shao Xuan like that. He wanted to have a ¡°nice chat¡± with him, but then the Shaman came inside, so Mao could only keep his hatred to himself, for no one dared to be presumptuous in in front of the Shaman.

    The Shaman asked how they felt, and after he made sure there was nothing abnormal, he said that they will be excused to leave. As for the other things, they could only try to adjust themselves duringter hunting missions. The master initiated the apprentices, but they could only sharpen their skills through their own efforts. Even if they had the same starting point, warriors from the same awakening year could be in totally different levels as time went by. No one could be a great warrior only by bragging.

    In fact, Shao Xuan respected and admired the old shaman a lot. Even the kids living in the orphan cave, who had experienced starvation and coldness, and became ferocious, they never grumbled against heaven orid the me upon other people. They also had no twisted minds or thoughts. After awakening their totemic powers, they were great warriors with a positive attitude and hopes for a better future. The Shaman had the credit for most of that.

    If we say that the Chief managed the material life in the tribe, then the Shaman would be in charge of the spiritual life in the tribe. The Shaman¡¯s duty was heavy and important!

    Not far from the stone room, some people were waiting there for those newly-awakened warriors. Among which Shao Xuan noticed a familiar figure. Actually, it was hard not to notice him, for he seemed to stand out a lot with that giant boar head. That was the proud wimpy kid with the excessive boar head as his decoration!

    Mao also noticed him, and the anger in his face immediately faded away, as he walked towards that direction with a smile.

    ¡°Have you be a totemic warrior, big brother?¡± The kid with that boar head asked.

    ¡°Of course! Hey, look, who am I?¡± Mao looked even more proud.

    They turned out to be brothers, no wonder Shao Xuan felt familiar when he saw Mao earlier.

    Those little warriors left one by one. Shao Xuan intended to leave, but unexpectedly, he was stopped by the Shaman.

    ¡°Wait a second, Ah-Xuan.¡±

    The Shaman came towards him and passed him a patterned te, ¡°You did a good job keeping Caesar. In the future, you may approach me if you have any trouble.¡±

    Early in the morning, the Shaman had already asked about the recent situation of Caesar, and the general happenings and events of Shao Xuan during the past year. In fact, the fish thing did not raised much attention in the mountaintop, and since the Shaman had been working on the nt and herb, he did not pay much attention as well. Only this morning, did he know a thing or two about people down the mountain. However, the Shaman was much more interested in Caesar than in the fish. He knew that he was negligent, and he wanted to make amends since the kid had done such a good job keeping Caesar.

    Shao Xuan had tied the previous patterned te from the Shaman around Caesar¡¯s neck, so this time the Shaman gave Shao Xuan another one.

    The Shaman also promised to have some food delivered to Shao Xuan, once he had his own house built. Shao Xuan did not decline his kindness, and he left after expressing his thanks.

    After Shao Xuan had left, Chief Ao approached the Shaman and showed him the burnt palm of his, as he shared the story fromst night.

    The Shaman thought about it for some time. Suddenly he realized something, and he asked Ao to enter the room so they could be alone.

    ¡°Your story actually reminded me of something. It¡¯s said that the original me would cause such circumstances.¡± the Shaman said slowly.

    ¡°You are saying that¡­¡± Ao was very much astonished.

    Since the Shaman mentioned the ¡°original¡± me, being the Chief of the tribe, Ao understood the meaning behind that phrase.

    Besides the first settlers who came here, only generations of Chiefs and Shamans knew that the me in the tribe was iplete.

    The so-called ¡°The me harmed no one¡± theory, only meant that when the flying mes melted into one¡¯s body, it wouldn¡¯t harm them. However, for the others, it was different. After all, the source of power in everyone¡¯s body was the same, but the power itself varied from person to person. When being awakened, naturally the power would protect oneself and exclude the others.

    The me¡¯s fire would not harm dead things, yet it would do a lot of damage to the living. Anyone other than the people in the tribe would get badly burnt by the fire. Ao was someone in the tribe, so normally speaking, the me that awakened the source of Power was the same. And since it was the tribe¡¯s me, the rejection was not severe. What¡¯s more, Ao had a tough body in the first ce, so he was lucky for only getting a red mark instead of being injured.

    Also, that night, those night swallows flying out there, did not dare enter the residential area of the tribe.

    If they did, they would be severely injured, or even burnt to death if they were touched by the spreading me.

    Also, it was the reason why Ge suggested Shao Xuan to leave Caesar in the cave, instead of taking him up to the mountaintop.

    However, this fire ,that protected your own but excluded the others, was not that obvious since if was iplete.

    ¡°Then¡­ when the me isplete, will the awakening process be like Ah-Xuan¡¯s case and one¡¯s whole body bes covered in fire?¡± Ao was surprised.

    ¡°Highly likely¡­we shall keep this thing as a secret for now, and no other person shall know about it. Let¡¯s discuss this when I find some answers in the ancient animal skin rolls.¡± The Shaman said seriously.

    Ao nodded at his words, for he knew that it could not be resolved in a short period of time. And it didn¡¯t matter as long as it was not a bad thing. As for when the other people in the tribe would ask about it, Ao nned to tell them that it was only because Shao Xuan was awakening his totemic power.

    Shao Xuan, who was walking down the mountain, did not know that his way of awakening with the me had something to do with theplete me. And since the Chief and the Shaman both did not ask the details aboutst night, Shao Xuan would definitely not tell the secret. Instead, he continued to y his role as a newly-awakened boy.

    When he stretched his body, Shao Xuan could hear the cracking of his bones. It was not the stiff sound made after a long time¡¯s sitting. On the contrary, he felt the joy that his body was filled with strength and energy.

    The depression that had long existed in his heart for being in aplete alien world, also faded away, and he felt that his steps got lighter as he walked. Standing on the mountaintop and looking afar, at the vast mountains in the horizon, a sense of pride rose up in his chest.

    Since he could not go back to his world, he decided to live well in this world.

    Shao Xuan swung his arms and quickened his steps. With one slight leap he covered a long distance. In thefort of running, he experienced the joy and cheer that fully differed from yesterday.

    All said that after awakening the totemic power, one would run with the speed of a bird, and strike with the strength of a beast. It was not boasting at all. Even if Shao Xuan could not do the same now, it was not impossible to achieve in the future.

 Chapter 27 â€“ One day we will host a Potlatch

    Chapter 27 ¨C One day we will host a Potch

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Even before Shao Xuan went down the mountain, people in the mountain foot district were already discussing Shao Xuan¡¯s awakening. No one expected that this young, weak little kid from the orphan cave would be able to awaken his totemic power yesterday!

    Since he awakened his totemic power at such a young age, people assumed him to be full of potential and that perhaps, he would turn into a strong totemic warrior.

    Also, people were wondering why Shao Xuan had awakened his totemic power so early. Some said that it was because Shao Xuan went out to exercise every morning, just like kids up in the mountain, that he could awaken his totemic power so early.

    There were also some people that spected it was because of the fish, because no other such thing had ever happened in the mountain foot district, so why now had Shao Xuan existed as an exception? However, that theory got refuted as soon as it appeared. Their own kids had eaten plenty of fish since they began fishing themselves, and some of them were one year older than Shao Xuan. If fish were the reason for his awakening, then why didn¡¯t they awaken their totemic power?

    So, in the end, people boiled down the reason of Shao Xuan¡¯s early awakening to the fact that he went out to practice and exercise every morning. More and more people were convinced of that as time went by.

    Hence, when Shao Xuan finally came down the mountain, he noticed that most of the kids who used to sleep all day, were now being woken up by their parents and had to go out to help move stones or go fishing with them.

    Shao Xuan only knew why after he asked someone. Surely, working was also one kind of practice and exercise.

    Shao Xuan did not argue with the early-practicing theory, as of course he wouldn¡¯t share the real reason with them.

    Children in the cave did not go out fishing today. With Shao Xuan¡¯s absence, Caesar refused to work and dig up stone worms anymore. Even if they had the fishing tools, they could not capture any fish without the bait. There were too many people in the gravel yard, so the kids couldn¡¯t dig up stone worms for they would constantly be crowded out.

    Caesar, on the other hand, never moved his ass from the entrance of the cave. He just squatted there, ignoring all the kids¡¯ persuasion. Even when some kid reluctantly gave him half of a raw fish, he did not look at it and instead kept staring at the mountaintop.

    Upon seeing Shao Xuan return, Caesar was immediately ted and rushed towards Shao Xuan at the first sight of him. If Shao Xuan had not awakened the totemic power and be much stronger, he perhaps would literally have been pinned down by Caesar.

    All the kids in the cave were counting on his return, so Shao Xuan took Caesar to the gravel yard and they dug out many stone worms. After a winter¡¯s hibernation, almost all the stone worms returned to the surface of the ground, resulting in a big harvest.

    Since he had awakened his totemic power, Shao Xuan would go on hunting missions with his new team, making it impossible for him to be in charge of the orphan cave. After discussing with Ge, Shao Xuan left Tu and Ba to manage the cave together. Tu could count well, and his memorization ability was also outstanding. He was much more brave now and he could talk fluently. The only weakness about him was that he still seemed weak and slim. Ba on the other hand, was not outstanding in all those aspects, but his figure was strong enough. No one would be his rival once he got seriously angry. So it was reasonable that these two guys were in charge together.

    After handling the stuff in the cave, Shao Xuan saw Lang Ga approach with a bright smile.

    ¡°Goodd! You impressed us all for awakening so early! I thought you¡¯d have to wait for another two years or more!¡± Lang Ga was quite thrilled. Shao Xuan had asked Lang Ga before about whether he could join their hunting team after he awakened his totemic power, back in the days when they were chatting. Mai did not refuse Shao Xuan then, and in fact Mai had helped Shao Xuan after that, so it seemed that Mai was also optimistic about Shao Xuan.

    At first, when they attended the ritual ceremony, they felt it was a shame that Shao Xuan was still too young. However, no one expected that Shao Xuan would give them such a big surprisest night.

    Bing a totemic warrior meant that he could own his own independent house, and Lang Ga was just here to help him with that.

    Lang Ga and a few warriors from the same hunting team were having a barbecue party together, and were discussing the first uing hunting mission of the year. When Lang Ga heard Shao Xuan had left the Shaman¡¯s ce, he came to find him and drag him to their house to meet his future teammates.

    There were six people in Lang Ga¡¯s wooden house. They were all very young, and one of them had only awakenedst year. However, he was already thirteen years old when he had awakened and he had grown a lot over thest year, so he now seemed much bigger than Shao Xuan in size.

    Knowing that these people would be his future teammates, Shao Xuan also greeted them warmly with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the house. We will cut some wood and help you build it the first thing tomorrow.¡± The young man named Ang told Shao Xuan.

    At first, Shao Xuan assumed that he could only have his own independent house after two or three years. However, he unexpectedly could have it in such a short time.

    Normally, people like Sai, who had their own families, would stay with their family even after they had awakened. However, for someone like Shao Xuan, who came from the orphan cave, they basically had to ask their friends to help build a house.

    Since he was already here, Lang Ga did not n to let Shao Xuan leave quite so soon, and instead wanted to keep Shao Xuan here at their barbecue party. Since the whole winter had passed, the meat they preserved was not fresh anymore even though Lang Ga and his friends preferred fresh meat. It didn¡¯t matter anyway, as they would have their first hunting trip of the year very soon. So several people brought the meat they still had in their homes, with the thought that they would get more fresh meat after they had eaten up the old.

    As they were eating and chatting, Ang suddenly mentioned the widespread word in the tribe ¨C Potch.

    That was only a legend.

    It¡¯s said that there was someone in the tribe that once held a Potch. A Potch was a feast that was considered the winner of a contest between hosts to see who could feed their invited guests the most. As for the definition of ¡°most¡±; therey the interesting part. They had to feed the guests until they got so full, that they would wobble over the grass and vomit somewhere. After they threw up all the food in their bellies, guests would return to the feast and continue to eat, until they felt like they could throw up again, at least a few times, only then could the feast be considered as a sessful one.

    That kind of feast was the so-called Potch.

    So based on Lang Ga¡¯s description, Shao Xuan knew that the Potch aimed at giving out or even destroying more food and property than one¡¯spetitors. Some people would even destroy their food and clothes in front of the public, and sometimes they would even burn their houses down to the ground, to build up their prestige in the tribe and humiliate theirpetitors. One who did that would gain the long-term admiration from his followers.

    Whoever was able to do that, would be someone with considerable power and status, who was ambitious in seizing even higher power.

    That was arrogant enough, conceited enough, and idiotic enough.

    Then Shao Xuan noticed Lang Ga and his friends¡¯ facial expressions when they talked about the Potch. There was a kind of undisguised admiration. As if they wanted to kneel before the host of a Potch if ever he showed his face here.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s astonishment, Lang Ga acted like an elder and imed that, ¡°you don¡¯t understand it yet.¡±

    Yes, Shao Xuan did not understand it. In his eyes, only a total moron would do such deeds and how could he be admired and respected by warriors like Lang Ga?

    No, it should be said that all people in the tribe admired such deeds deeply!

    Thinking that in his previous life, people would only feel honored if there were leftovers when they treated their guests, Shao Xuan finally began to understand a little. As it turned out that the tradition came from the earliest generations of men. However, that was such severe waste of things!

    He had underestimated the obsession that people here had towards food. They had such unique pursuit of the concept of food.

    In the past, Shao Xuan had heard a lot of discussions between the kids in the cave, about which warrior had defeated what kind of ferocious beast. Those heroes were worshiped a lot in the past, and their glorious deeds were remembered and passed on to the new generations.

    However, now Shao Xuan was informed that there was another even more glorious deed.

    Originally, to get followers, one did not need to beat up people, use lies, no need to lobby, or persuade, or sweeten the deal. And all ns to outwit someone were unnecessary. All that needed to be done was to host a Potch, and then numerous people would want to be your followers.

    Shao Xuan felt that his values of life had been distorted.

    Looking up at those two crescent moons in the sky, Shao Xuan sighed, ¡°I shall be a moron someday in the future!¡±

    ¡°What did you say?¡± Lang Ga did not understand Shao Xuan¡¯s meaning.

    ¡°Nothing. I said that, if possible, one day we shall host a Potch ourselves!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Lang Ga and hispanionsughed out, and Lang Ga, having the mostughter, tapped on Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder. After he stoppedughing, he even praised Shao Xuan, ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡±

    In the eyes of Lang Ga and Mai, what Shao Xuan just said was merely some childish talk after hearing a legend and they did not consider it seriously. After all, they had never seen a Potch held during their lifetime. Neither had their parents or their grandparents. None of them had seen a real one.

    Was the legend true or not? Even the Shaman and the chief could not tell.

    Perhaps Lang Ga felt that it was not appropriate to keep on discussing the Potch, and he changed the subject, for he wanted to show off more in front of Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You know¡­What is the most intimate partner of ours since we were born?¡± asked Lang Ga.

    Shao Xuan sat still, looked down, and thought about it for a bit. Then he raised his head, and stared at Lang Ga meaningfully, as he said tentatively, ¡°Our left hand?¡±

    Lang Ga was speechless, ¡°¡­¡±

 Chapter 28 â€“ I want to learn stone crafting

    Chapter 28 ¨C I want to learn stone crafting

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Lang Ga choked.

    At first Lang Ga had guessed a few possible answers that Shao Xuan mighte up with, and he nned to judge and guide him in detail no matter which answer he had. Just the same as every time in the past when there was someone newly joined the hunting team. However, Lang Ga did not expect Shao Xuan to have such an imusible answer and to go way off script.

    What did one¡¯s left hand have anything to do with it?

    But Lang Ga did not overthink it, instead, he just corrected it with a serious face, ¡°It¡¯s stone!¡±

    ¡°You should know that a long time ago, when we first started a life here, we were just living in the cave. Stone was something that we saw and touched every day. It could keep us sheltered, and help us to cut and chop wood.¡±

    As he spoke, Lang Ga¡¯s face turned even more serious, and he seemed quite emotional with his fists clenched, ¡°In the meantime, we also used those stones. We could pierce those ferocious beasts through with stones, and smash their heads with stones! Even when we were in danger, stones would also be the thing that apanied us by our side, until ourst breath.¡±.

    Providing shelter; apanying by one¡¯s side; never to betray nor to abandon. People in the tribe had been dealing with stones from their births. They yed with stones, and used stones in their daily life, almost all tools and appliances were made from stones. As for warriors who often went out for hunting missions, they could not be more familiar with stones, and they could never be separated from stoneware. So no wonder Lang Ga said all that.

    Certainly, Shao Xuan prefered to call the stones as tools, after all stones had no life.

    ¡°Now, you know what is supposed to be our most intimate partner, right?¡± Lang Ga stared at Shao Xuan and asked again. His expression indicated that this time he would not ept any wrong answer.

    Shao Xuan nodded pretty seriously and earnestly, ¡°It¡¯s stone!¡±

    ¡°Ha, you got it right this time!¡± Lang Ga showed a satisfied smile immediately, and then continued on the topic of hunting.

    ¡°Oh, Ah-Xuan, now since you just got awakened this year, you are not allowed to participate in the first hunting mission of this year. Perhaps you would also miss the second one as well. As for the third hunting mission, you are the only one who could decide whether you could join us or not. It¡¯s all up to your ability.¡± Said Lang Ga.

    Hmm? Was there such a thing? Shao Xuan was not aware of that.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s curiosity, Lang Ga exined, ¡°You just awakened, so you and the other newly awakened totemic warriors may be rough in using your powers and strength. You have to go through some training first.¡±

    Lang Ga even put it mildly, but Shao Xuan could specte the reason hidden in his words.

    One reason for keeping those newly awakened kids from hunting missions was for safety concern. When spring finally came with blossoms and warmth after a whole winter, a lot of ferocious beasts became active again in the mountains and almost all of them were starved. There would be more poisonous snakes wandering around and the forest would be filled with different kinds of crisis. With no protection along the way, newly awakened kids would easily get killed in the mountain forests. No one in the tribe would like to see that happen.

    However, the second reason was because the newly awakened warriors like Shao Xuan had not achieved some certain level of ability. Hunting teams valued team-working a lot. Therefore, someone with no guaranteed personal abilities would be a heavy liability to the team, who could bring no help but instead appeared to be a burden.

    ¡°Understood!¡± Shao Xuan did not feel disappointed when he had thought things through. Also, he felt that he should have his foundation properly built first. It¡¯s not a bad thing that he could have the time to practice more.

    Lang Ga was relieved with Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction, originally he thought that Shao Xuan might be disappointed or reluctant as the other kids, and he did not expect him to have cleared the dots so soon. When he asked Shao Xuan toe to the party and meet his future teammates, he also nned to tell Shao Xuan about the first two hunting missions. In the past, many newly awakened warriors would make a scene when they were told that they were not allowed to join the first two hunting missions after they had be fully excited about the hunting. When those circumstances happened, in most cases, the kids¡¯ parents would discipline them with a few ps on the face. After that, they would behave much better. However, Shao Xuan came from orphan cave and both his parents had died long before. What¡¯s more, he appeared to be much more emaciated than the other kids, so Lang Ga was worried that perhaps he would hurt him if he had to give Shao Xuan a few ps.

    ¡°Good! I¡¯m d that you can think it through. By the way, I have a few fine stone cores here. I¡¯ll give them to you, you may craft them yourself, or just go and find a stoneware crafter.¡±

    Lang Ga took out a few stones in different sizes from his animal skin bag, those were the stone cores that Lang Ga mentioned earlier.

    The materials to make stoneware could be obtained after hitting and forging the stones, and people in the tribe would call those stone cores.

    After giving the stone cores to Shao Xuan, Lang Ga shared some training experiences with him as well. The others at the party did not hold back their experiences either, they did not have that kind of thought in their minds.

    Shao Xuan kept their advices in mind silently, and then sincerely thanked them for the sharing.

    ¡°Your father used to help me when he was alive.¡± Lang Ga said. People in hunting teams were just like that, each of them was willing to lend a hand to others when possible. Even though they could not help Shao Xuan a lot on his training, their advices could make it easier anyway.

    After having some grilled meat, Shao Xuan excused himself from the party, he had other things that needed to be done. While Lang Ga and the others kept on discussing about theing hunting mission in five days.

    Shao Xuan was called to stop, not long after he hade out from Lang Ga¡¯s house.

    ¡°Are you Xuan?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the voice¡¯s direction and saw a kid older than himself. He looked the same age as Sai, but much stronger. The animal skin clothes on him seemed to be of good quality, Shao Xuan assumed that he wasn¡¯t someone from the mountain foot district. Instead, he seemed more like someone living in the mountain side or mountaintop district. Shao Xuan had some memory of him, they were awakened at the same ritual ceremony, but Shao Xuan did not know his name yet.

    At the same time, the kid raised his head high, and seemed pretty proud, and he was measuring Shao Xuan with his eyes.

    Standing on a high ground and keeping his chin up, didn¡¯t his eyes feel tired? Shao Xuan glimpsed at him and asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    At first, Shao Xuan thought that he would stand on his dignity and answer with something like ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who I am¡± to keep the appearances. However, the kid answered directly, ¡°My name is Fei. After five days, I will be joining the hunting team to attend the first mission of this year. I bet you still have to wait for a long time before you can tag along, right?¡±

    After his deration, he sneered at Shao Xuan and then jumped up high above Shao Xuan¡¯s head. When hended with his tip toes, he soon jumped up again. After a few leaps, he had already ced himself in front of Lang Ga¡¯s door. Apparently he had something to discuss with Lang Ga.

    The kid also snorted at Shao Xuan as he looked back when he was about to enter the room, disying his pride of his moves. His moves earlier were quite impressive among his peers, his father oftenplimented him for being able to run faster, jump higher and leap further than the other kids.

    Shao Xuan scratched his jaw, was it really okay for him to tag along with the hunting team, since he made such a big noise whennding?

    However, since Fei coulde with the hunting team for the first hunting mission of the year, obviously he was under someone¡¯s protection. What¡¯s more, his protector must be someone with a high reputation and status, because, some normal warriors like Lang Ga could never have a saying in this kind of things.

    Surely he was spoiled, with all the protection he got.

    However, Shao Xuan was not affected by that, and his emotion were also not affected by Fei¡¯s attitude. After all, he was not really a little kid, and he understood the importance of gradual progress. Therefore, he was not that eager to seed. The earlier incident might be influence others, but Shao Xuan did not care that much.

    Shao Xuan took Caesar for fishing. After an entire winter¡¯s rest, the fish in the river were still as stupid and dumb as earlier. They did not release once they took the bait, and so they got captured easily. They might look ferocious, but they were not intelligent at all.

    From Lang Ga and the other warriors¡¯ earlier discussion over hunting skills, Shao Xuan learnt that many beasts in the forests were just like the piranhas in the river. They might look ferocious, with sharp teeth and big mouth. But once you found the trick, they could be captured easily. However, some other animals might seem to be gentle and weak, they dieted on nts and had no sharp teeth. But instead, they could easily kill you in silence, and they were no less aggressive than many predators.

    Since it¡¯s not the world that Shao Xuan was familiar with, he thought that he should get as much preparations as he could get.

    With the fish and some pieces of old animal skins, Shao Xuan asked someone to help him make an animal skin bag. He paid the manual fee with one fish, and then went to the stoneware crafter, Ke¡¯s ce with the other three fish. Now Shao Xuan had more strength than before, so he could easily lift four big fish without Caesar¡¯s help.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, some men were just leaving Ke¡¯s house with finished stoneware in their hands, for example, stone knives, spearheads and stone adzes.

    Those people were here to trade stoneware, since the hunting season had begun, and they had to store more tools for hunting missions. Ke was considered as a famous stoneware crafter among the mountain foot district, naturally more people tended toe to his ce. If Ke had a better temper, he would for sure have gained more customers than now. Every year, Ke would drive away some people who wanted to do the trading with him, just because of his bad temper.

    Some people said that Ke was behaving too straight-forwarded. Instead of keeping it gentle, he tended to st things outright in others¡¯ faces as he talked. However, Shao Xuan did not agree with that. Was Ke really that ignorant of things? Or did he have a straight-forwarded character? He didn¡¯t think so.

    Shao Xuan lifted the curtain and walked inside after he got Ke¡¯s permission.

    Ke was working on a stoneware. Most of the stoneware he made during winter had been traded out, and there were still some stone cores and food piled up in his room. They were the ¡°processing fee¡± that he did not had the time to put away.

    cing the fish by the pile of food, Shao Xuan approached Ke.

    ¡°Uncle Ke, I want to learn how to craft stoneware.¡±

    Last time when Shao Xuan was here to learn, Ke refused him because he said it was not the right time yet, and he had to wait until his totemic power awakened.

    Now since Shao Xuan was awakened, he decided to have another shot at this. Also, ording to Lang Ga and the others¡¯ advice in training, he needed a lot of stone tools. Shao Xuan did not have enough food to trade for so much stoneware, so he nned to craft them by himself.

    Ke stopped his work at hand, and measured Shao Xuan closely from head to toes. And then he gazed straight at Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

    Shao Xuan did not avoid his eyesight.

    After a few seconds, Ke passed Shao Xuan a stone hammer and pointed to somewhere not far, where a stone core was ced. On that stone core there were a few lines, curved and meandering.

    ¡°Hit along the lines.¡± Ke said.

    As a rookie Shao Xuan held the stone hammer, he looked at Ke and then glimpsed at the stone core ced there, before he swung the hammer and hit down.

    The first strike was too cautious. He did hit the lines, but because of limited strength, it only left a slight dent on the stone core.

    Again!

    For the second strike, he hit it too hard, so he pierced down a stone chip instead of a ke of stone. Also it went beyond the line.

    Shao Xuan could tell from Ke¡¯s exposed veins by his forehead, that Ke was extremely unsatisfied with his earlier two strikes. But since Ke kept his silence, Shao Xuan continued hitting on the stone core along the lines. Also, he struck boldly, and he did not be timid because of the first two failures.

    Peeling down certain amount of stone kes from a stone core was not as easy as it seemed to be. Stoneware crafters needed to estimate the length of time when the hammer should hit the stone based on different materials when he made the stoneware. Also, the angle and speed were also very important. Should the hit be straight or curved? What¡¯s the hammer¡¯s quality and the stone¡¯s? How much strength should be used? There were many aspects that needed to be given serious consideration before one strikes the stone core.

    Ke had mentioned these all to Shao Xuan, and Shao Xuan had seen a lot when Ke was peeling stone kes from the stone cores. However, when he got to do it himself, he knew that it was extremely difficult!

    A small discrepancy could lead to a major error.

    Again!!

    As Shao Xuan hit the stone core one strike after another, Ke sat aside and watched him in silence.

    Caesar was squatting beside Shao Xuan. He looked up at Shao Xuan and then looked at Ke and his poker face. Finally, Caesar decided to move his legs, one bit after another, until he had drawn back to the corner and then he lied down to stay with the fish.

 Chapter 29 â€“ Artistic crafting skills

    Chapter 29 ¨C Artistic crafting skills

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    At first, Shao Xuan would check on Ke¡¯s reaction every time when he hit the stone. But after some time, hepletely ignored Ke¡¯s gaze, and immersed himself into hitting and carving.

    The process of hitting was verybour-intensive, both physically and mentally. It was not as easy as a swing of a hand and an arm. For every single strike, he had to calcte a lot regarding the angle and strength. Things like how to swing the hammer and where should the hammernd, needed to be decided in the blink of an eye.

    For many people in the tribe, perhaps after they gained enough experience in hitting the stones, they could achieve the best result based on their feelings. However, since Shao Xuan was still merely a novice, it was impossible for him to have the experience that old stoneware crafters gained from hitting for dozens of years. He could only rely on the calction and estimation he had in mind, and then try his best to better and improve his striking.

    Even though he now had a much stronger body with greater strength, the strength he had was not inexhaustible. At the beginning, he did not find it hard to hold the stone hammer. However, with more and more strikes, fatigue piled up, he felt that the hammer in his hand became increasingly heavy. However, at that time, every single strike became essential. At this point, hitting the stone core with the wrong strength or angle, the stone kes and chips could be more or less than expected, therefore, it could create more wasted materials than before.

    Because of this, Shao Xuan did not have the energy and spirit to pay attention to Ke¡¯s reactions.

    At first, Shao Xuan would hesitate for a few seconds between each two strikes, because Shao Xuan needed time to think about the disadvantages of his former strike, so that he could better his next strike. However, with more and more practice, Shao Xuan felt something in his mind and he became much more skilled on hitting. therefore, the time between strikes was shortened.

    He did not know how many strikes he had made, but Shao Xuan felt that he was on the verge of copsing. However, Ke did not allow him to stop, instead, he would point out the mistakes that he did during his hitting. It was just like when someone was running the marathon, the runner was about to copse and wanted to stop for a rest, but someone from the back would urge him on to continue.

    Knowing Ke¡¯s temper, Shao Xuan was fully aware that if he stopped now, he will not be able to learn the stone crafting skills from Ke in the future. So, regardless of how tired he was, he had to pull it together and continue.

    When he felt that thest trace of strength in his body got pulled out, he suddenly felt rxed and alleviated as he kept on striking. He thought, perhaps it was the feeling of breaking through your limits?

    What Shao Xuan did not know was that when he felt rxed and refueled with power, totemic patterns had showed up on his face.

    Without notice, he had used his totemic power. However, since all his attention was fixed on striking, he did not have extra attention to mind the totem lighting up in his mind.

    Traces of surprise showed up in Ke¡¯s eyes as he was sitting aside. Among all those years after he had be a stoneware crafter, many people hade to him to learn stone crafting skills. However, very few of them would use totemic power in the process of crafting. Some people thought that totemic power was sacred, which could only be used in sacred things like hunting missions or when defending the tribe, and other more ¡®sacred¡¯ things, even though some people did not have such opinions, it was very difficult for them to control totemic power so precisely. Only experienced warriors were able to do that.

    However, for kids at Shao Xuan¡¯s age, or young warriors like Lang Ga, very few of them could control their totemic power at such a level. Once they used their totemic power, it was more likely for them to smash the stone core into pieces, which is more destruction than processing. Some guys who were impatient and hot-tempered would just quit.

    That was so fucking strenuous! I could have used that time for practicing hunting skills!

    Just because of that, Ke was quite astonished, because Shao Xuan did not only use totemic power and not destroy the stone core directly, the stone kes he peeled off were even in better shapes and condition! Almost every stone ke he peeled away could be processed further into something else, instead of bing waste stone materials.

    This was quite rare!

    However, Shao Xuan was not aware of his ¡°rareness¡±. Instead, he was immersed into striking, all he had in mind was the experience he gained from each strike, and then he focused on his next move, so that he missed the astonished expression on Ke¡¯s face thatsted for a few minutes.

    Normally, Ke had no expressions on his face, even in front of some old friends, he would not express such astonishment when talking with them. It was quite rare for him to show that look.

    Shao Xuan only stopped after he had finished hitting the stone core on all the lines.

    Glimpsing at the ground around the stone core, Shao Xuan noticed that stone kes had piled up beside, and some of them were just lying on the ground here and there.

    Then he looked at Ke, but Ke still had no expression on his face.

    Shao Xuan dropped the stone hammer as he breathed heavily by the side. He waited for Ke¡¯smend and at the same time, he thought that it was really difficult to be a stoneware crafter!

    No wonder that only a small part of wounded totemic warriors would be stoneware crafters, even when they could not go hunting anymore. Others who crafted stoneware were only doing it for their own use, or for their kids¡¯ practice. Aside from that, they would do other things in their daily life. For example, Ge was in charge of food delivery to the orphan cave. So they would not treat stone crafting as a profession that they could earn a living from. Therefore, their crafting skills were absolutely not as good as professional stoneware crafters as Ke.

    Ke had already calmed himself down and hid his astonished look. He looked just as he usually does, and he was sitting at the same ce where he was from the very beginning. But, he took a long thin wood stick and began to dig into the pile of stone kes and chips. His hand flicked slightly and the end of the stick picked out a sharp-pointed stone ke. The sharp-pointed stone ke got lifted up and after it drew a parab in the air, it fell into a wooden box filled with many stone kes that waited to be further processed. The stone kes and chips that got peeled away could be made into different kinds of stoneware like scrapers, cones, or arrowheads based on their different shapes.

    Even though there were a lot of stone kes and chips that got peeled away from the stone core, Ke was pretty fast in picking them out and throwing them into the box. Shao Xuan stared at those stone kes flying from the ground into the stone box like beads. He was dazzled.

    Before Shao Xuan could take a few long breaths, Ke had finished picking.

    After dropping the wood stick, Ke said with no facial expression, ¡°Waste.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelid twitched as he heard him, but he soon realized that the ¡°waste¡± was not referring to him, but the stones on the ground which could not be further processed. Those were considered as waste materials.

    Obviously, Ke was not satisfied with the quantity of the waste stone kes that Shao Xuan created.

    ¡°I nned to make a stone ball. But judging from it, now it could only be made into a stone adze.¡± Ke looked at the stone core that was peeled in despise, and this time he said a long sentence.

    Shao Xuan felt relieved. At first he was worried that perhaps Ke would not take him in as an apprentice. But since Ke said that, it meant that Ke did not mind teaching him.

    ¡°Bring it over here.¡± Ke pointed at the stone core that Shao Xuan hit.

    Shao Xuan dropped the stone hammer in a hurry, and carried that ugly stone core to Ke and ced it onto the stone chopping block in front of Ke.

    ¡°Watch closely.¡±

    Ke grabbed the stone hammer that Shao Xuan used earlier, and picked up the stone core, which was two times wider than his hand, with one single hand. He carried the stone core tightly as he watched it closely.

    Shao Xuan heard the screaming of wind and saw the shadows of the hammer.

    ¡°Ding!¡±

    The hammer created a ringing sound as itnded on the stone core.

    At the same time, a stone ke was peeled away from the stone core.

    The flying stone ke did not hit the ground directly, instead, it fell into a wooden box hanging on the wall.

    The swing was fast, as if the hammer knew exactly where it shouldnd, and which part of the stone should be peeled away. It was not like Shao Xuan¡¯s bracing himself when he was hitting. On the contrary, it felt pretty casual and rxed, and it handledplicated matters with ease.

    That was the real ¡°peeling the stone kes¡±, unlike Shao Xuan earlier, who was merely hitting the stone, and most of the stone kes he created were waste materials.

    After one strike, Ke did not provide too much time for Shao Xuan to think about it, the second and third and fourth strike soon followed¡­

    The shadows of the hammer were connected with one another, and the ringing sounds became more and more dense. With quicker strikes, Shao Xuan felt that the sounds had be a whole and he could barely distinguish the different strikes.

    At the same time, the stone kes that were peeled away, flew into the wood box one after another. At first look, it was like a rainbow connecting the stone core and the box.

    Shao Xuan waspletely stunned; he had known earlier that Ke was a skillful stoneware crafter. However, he did not realize that he still had been underestimating this old stoneware crafter. Who could imagine that he had such artificial crafting skills!

    This was no longer peeling away stone kes anymore. That was making sliced noodles!!

    Obviously, when Shao Xuan was watching Ke¡¯s work before, he did not see his real skills. The things that he had seen earlier were barely a small part of it, and it was far from what he was really capable of.

    So delicate and so urate!

    When Shao Xuan came back to his senses, Ke was already finished with the peeling and the stone core left in his hand was already in the shape of a stone adze.

    After drilling and polishing. The tool wasplete by installing a wooden handle.

    It was perfect.

    ¡°Take it.¡± Ke passed thepleted stone adze to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°For me?¡± Shao Xuan took over the stone adze. When he looked up at Ke again, he found that Ke was already doing something else, so he swung a few times with the stone adze.

    He had helped in processing the stone adze, he felt proud even though his technique was rough and unsightly, and he almost ruined the stone core, but after all it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time in seriously crafting a stone tool. Also, it allowed Shao Xuan a chance to witness the true artificial crafting skills of Ke. Of course it meant a lot to him.

    The stonecore that made the adze was fine and smooth in its texture, thick and very hard. Although it was not obvious by just looking, one could easily feel its weight when holding it in the hand. The stone was better than average, Shao Xuan did not expect Ke to give it to him as a gift, just like that.

    ¡°Peeling stone kes is hard. When you want a satisfying result, even the simplest strike could take a lot of time to practice. There¡¯s no shortcut in this. You have to anticipate every stone ke¡¯s peeling, and then think about speed, weight, strength and consequences, and thenbine them with the natural quality of the stone. The best strength and angle, along with many things that could turn a rough stone core into fine stoneware were difficult to describe. You can only work on them by yourself. How to use your strength, which angle to use, and how to hit the stone¡­ You may only acquire those skills by numerous times of practicing.¡±

    Yes, stoneware, unlike ironware, could not be restored once the strike was made. You cannot turn back time. With one hammer strike, you could only make it or lose it. You can only set the tune with one beat of the gong.

    Shao Xuan took the stone adze and respectfully gave a salute to Ke, ¡°Yes, I get it.¡±

    ¡°However,¡± Ke switched his tone, and pointed at those few dead fish along with Caesar in the corner, ¡°you also need to know the importance ofprehending. You are allowed to fail, but you have to learn from your mistakes, instead of behaving like those stupid fish!¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Shao Xuan knew what Ke was talking about.

    Ke indicated that Shao Xuan should not be as simple-minded as those piranhas with no memory of failures. They kept making the same mistakes and they did not turn back even when they were killed.

    ¡°Take one fish with you¡± Ke said. telling Shao Xuan to go.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Since Ke told Shao Xuan to take a fish home, Shao Xuan would have no space to reject. So he said no more and asked Caesar to leave together, with a fish and a stone adze in his hands.

    Taking the fish and walking out from Ke¡¯s house, Shao Xuan recalled Ke¡¯s words as he stared at the fish in his hand. He couldn¡¯t help but poke the fish¡¯s head with his stone adze, ¡°So stupid!¡±

    The fish remained silent, as if saying, ¡°So it¡¯s all my fault, now?¡±

 Chapter 30 â€“ Keâ€™s Gift

    Chapter 30 ¨C Ke¡¯s Gift

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Early the next morning, Lang Ga and the others came to the orphan cave for Shao Xuan.

    The timber was already prepared, and all Shao Xuan needed to do was to name the ce that he had in mind. Once the ce was chosen, they would begin the building.

    Shao Xuan was familiar with the mountain foot area, and based on his current condition, it would not be possible for him to build a house at mountain hill district. He would only bring trouble for himself.

    As for the ce to build the house, Shao Xuan had some ce chosen in his mind long before he was awakened. Although the ce was a little remote, it had a perfect view. One could see the situation up in the mountain as well as a view of mountain foot district. You could even see the orphan cave from there.

    Lang Ga and his friends were quite familiar with building wooden cabins, so only after half a day, the cabin was built. After finishing some details, one could live in it directly.

    Since it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first cabin of his own, it was just a small one which took up about forty square meters. It looked just fine, and Shao Xuan could totally do the expandingter by himself. But for now, at least he had his own ce. In general, Shao Xuan was pretty satisfied with the cabin.

    Lang Ga originally nned to chop up the leftover timber into firewood, but he was stopped by Shao Xuan. Instead, Shao Xuan asked him to help build a simple wooden bed. Some people in the tribe preferred sleeping on stone beds, and some liked sleeping on haystacks. There were also some people that chose to build a bed with wood, and Shao Xuan certainly was one of them.

    After covering it with clean and dry animal furs, it looked much morefortable than Shao Xuan¡¯s former haystack back in the cave.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked up at that voice and he saw the middle-aged woman called Yi. Yi had not awakened her totemic powers, so she lived in the mountain foot district. Normally she would do some sewing for people to earn a living. She was kind so Shao Xuan often approached her to make animal skin bags. Yesterday Shao Xuan had asked Yi to sew an animal skin bag at the cost of one fish. He exined the style of the animal skin bag in detail, and supposed that it could take more than one day to finish the sewing. However, unexpectedly, Yi hade so soon.

    ¡°Aunt Ah-Yi, is the work done?¡± Shao Xuan asked with a smile.

    ¡°Yes. It was not that hard.¡±

    Yi passed him the bag. She did not stay, for she had other work to do.

    ¡°Why do you need this animal skin bag?¡± Lang Ga asked as he kept chopping the wood.

    ¡°For training, of course.¡± Shao Xuan did not exin much, but he took the animal skin bag and ced it inside the room. He had not tried it yet, so he did not know if it could be of use or not.

    Lang Ga and his friends had not that much of curiosity, and they continued to do the final decoration of the cabin.

    When it was almost done, Shao Xuan asked Lang Ga and the others to stay for lunch.

    Aside from fish, there were some tubers and fruits, and some nts provided by Lang Ga and the others.

    The two young warriors living in the mountain side district were pretty interested in the fish. However, they did not have much time for fishing, since they needed to prepare the stoneware, do the training, and get things ready for the next hunting missions. Also they were in nock of food, so neither of them had gone fishing.

    ¡°You should each take a fish with you when you leave. I have plenty of them anyway.¡± Shao Xuan was not bragging, for yesterday afternoon he returned to the cave and went out with the other kids to fish by the riverside. Usually, as long as he had the time and there were no abnormal signs by the river, he would go fishing. Capturing fish was quite simple, since all the piranhas were so stupid and simple-minded. What¡¯s more, to hunt, Shao Xuan would need his teammates¡¯ help after he joined the hunting team. Compared to the future help, a few fish were absolutely no big deal.

    The young warriors were a little embarrassed, but seeing that Shao Xuan really didn¡¯t care, they epted his offer, and thought about chopping down more timber to reinforce Shao Xuan¡¯s cabinter.

    As they were eating, Ge came with a big stone crock on his shoulder.

    ¡°Old Ke asked me to deliver this to you as a gift, in celebration of having your own ce. You can store food or water inside.¡± Ge put down the stone crock and looked around the nearlypleted cabin, ¡°Not bad! I nned to help here, but it seems that I can save the strength now.¡±

    Shao Xuan curled his lips at his words. ¡®Why would youe at thiste hour if you really nned to help?¡¯

    Lang Ga and the others also figured that Ge was just saying things, but out of the respect for the old warrior, none of them had said a word about it.

    ¡°Hey, is this stone crock for Ah-Xuan?¡± Lang Ga asked something obviously apparent, just to change a subject.

    ¡°Yes. Old Ke made it for Ah-Xuan especially.¡± As Ge exined, he emphasized ¡°Old Ke¡± and ¡°especially¡± while looking at Shao Xuan constantly.

    From Ge¡¯s understanding of Old Ke, the old fellow must have been very satisfied with Shao Xuan. In the past, Old Ke had also nned to take in some apprentices and teach them seriously, however, it was such a shame that none of the kids were good enough. They were either too impatient, or too indecisive. Some did not even dare to swing the hammer once they were dealing with some fine stone cores. Old Ke directly drove them away and he never spoke to them again. Many would say that Old Ke was too harsh on the others, however, the fact was, he was merely too disappointed.

    Yet, after such a long time, Ke had finally found a satisfying apprentice. But he kept his poker face up all day long. If he drove Shao Xuan away this time, how could he find a better person to inherit his skills? Even Ge felt anxious about the situation for him.

    In fact, the very night that Shao Xuan had awakened, Ke asked Ge to find a proper big stone after the ritual ceremony was over. He worked for two nights and made this stone crock.

    This crock was almost the same size as the one that Ge used to deliver food to the orphan cave every day. However, this one was a much better workmanship. The edge of the stone crock was nearly the same thickness, and the inner side of the crock was polished very smoothly. While on the outside, not only was it polished properly, it was vividly carved with some pictures and patterns as well, including natural scenery, birds, and animals. There were some animals that Shao Xuan had not seen before, Ke had probably seen them when he went out for hunting in the past.

    Normally, Ke focused more on a stoneware¡¯s practical use, and seldom decorated it with art. Now, seeing the stone crock he made for Shao Xuan, one could understand how much he valued him.

    ¡°This is such a nice stone crock!¡± Lang Ga and the others said with admiration as they surrounded the stone crock.

    Even though all of them valued the practical use more, and a stone crock was no big deal, who wouldn¡¯t like better looking stoneware?

    Not only was the stone crockrge in size, with patterns carved on it, but it also had a matching stone cover. Usually, many families would cover their stone crock with animal skins, straw mats, or with a piece of stone te. Rarely did they have a cover that especially matched the crock. Even the two young warriors that lived in the mountainside district had no such cover back in their homes.

    ¡°Indeed! What a nice crock! I have lived for all these years, yet the stone crock in my house is not as good as this one.¡± Ge added.

    ¡°This Ke you¡¯re talking about¡­ Is he the one who used to be famous for setting traps?¡± Ang asked, he hade to Shao Xuan¡¯s ce with Lang Ga.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the one.¡± Lang Ga nodded.

    ¡°I heard that many people used to learn the crafting skills from Ke, butter on¡­¡± Ang did not finish his story.

    ¡°Later on what?¡±

    ¡°Later on, all apprentices that followed Ke for his skills, were either pushed away by his bad temper, or were driven away by force from him. Gradually, no one approached him to learn anymore, and Ke moved down to the mountain foot district, where he now lives.¡±

    Ke was indeed very famous in the tribe, but now he was rarely spoken of by others.

    ¡°Old Ke is very skillful. He is harsh, but you can learn useful stuff from him.¡± Ge told Shao Xuan seriously, which was quite rare.

    ¡°Oh, are you learning from Ke now, Ah-Xuan? Hang in there! Ke really was awesome back in his day!¡±

    Lang Ga, in order to encourage Shao Xuan, shared his own story of when he was learning to set ground bows from his grandfather. Back then, his grandfather rained down curses on his head like hell. Not only was he being yelled at, but he also got beaten up sometimes. Lang Ga¡¯s grandfather was an excellent warrior, and Lang Ga could never escape from his grandfather¡¯s hands.

    Other kids would mock him every time they saw him get beat up. At that time Lang Ga felt very ashamed of himself, and secretly med his grandfather for everything. However, as time went by, and Lang Ga became a real warrior, he finally realized his grandfather¡¯s care and thought.

    When they were hunting in the forest, ground bows were not considered as direct-killing weapons, however, they were critical to the mission as well. Just because of the fact that Lang Ga was quite skillful in setting ground traps, he was quickly epted by the hunting team. And every time when food was distributed, Lang Ga would get quite a big part of it. At least he was getting more food than the others with a simr level.

    ¡°Mastering more skills means that you will have a smoother road than the others. It¡¯s not only about your position within a hunting team. If I may say some unlucky words, once you get wounded and lose an arm or a leg, like old Ke and me, you will no longer be able to join any hunting missions in the future. With more skills, you can live an easier life in the tribe and keep yourself away from starvation.¡± Said Ge.

    So, Lang Ga and Ge both agreed on the theory that you should keep it going even when being yelled at like hell. You should grasp the opportunity and try to learn as much as possible. It¡¯s best to absorb all your master¡¯s skills! Not to mention that Ke had a lot of good stuff to teach. There was so much to learn!

    At their words, Shao Xuan nodded solemnly, ¡°I know what you are talking about. When you want to learn things from someone, you must acquire many qualities, and having no sense of shame must be the most important quality of yours.¡±

    Lang Ga and Ge both couldn¡¯t agree more, ¡°Exactly!¡±

 Chapter 31 â€“ Simple and crude

    Chapter 31 ¨C Simple and crude

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Of course Shao Xuan would like to learn old Ke¡¯s skills, not only his skills in stone crafting, but also his skills in setting up traps, which were quite useful when hunting outside. It was just too early for him, who had no foundation in training. What Shao Xuan could do now, was start with simple striking and prepare to learn more advanced skillster on.

    In fact, Shao Xuan understood old Ke¡¯s attitude towards him. A long time ago, old Ke had started to help him, however, sometimes old Ke said something that could easily be misunderstood by others. Take yesterday for example, when he approached old Ke to learn crafting skills, he merely got an evaluation of ¡°waste¡± after he peeled off the stone kes. Others would have misunderstood old Ke if they did not know him as well as Shao Xuan did. Luckily, Shao Xuan had a quick mind and knew what old Ke was referring to after some thinking.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan had no rejection to their theories, Ge was relieved immediately. When he left, he nned to drop by old Ke¡¯s ce to brag about his deeds, and perhaps get something as a reward from old Ke.

    After finishing helping Shao Xuan with his cabin, Lang Ga and the others left, for they had a lot of preparations that needed to bepleted before the hunt. After all, the first hunting mission of the year was just around the corner, and, as was the same for every hunting mission, warriors had to risk their lives. Preparations were the only guarantee for their safe return.

    There were two hunting groups in the tribe, and they took turns going out for hunting missions. While one group was out, the other would be on duty rotations within the tribe and maintaining the security of the tribe. After all, there were still so many ferocious beasts in the mountains, and just as many many sick or elderly people in the tribe.

    Among every hunting group, there were two hunting teams. ording to Lang Ga¡¯s description, warriors were distributed into two hunting teams based on their personal abilities. The first hunting team was formed by warriors living in the mountain side district and above, and the second was formed by warriors that lived in the mountain side district and below.

    Lang Ga and his friends belonged to the second hunting team, and naturally, Shao Xuan would join them when he goes out for hunting missions.

    After Lang Ga and the others had left, Shao Xuan took a look at the newly built cabin.

    Caesar was wandering around the cabin curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll toss you out if you dare to poop inside.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    When they lived back in the cave, Shao Xuan had trained Caesar to go pooping at the special ce where all the kids did their pooping. Here, Caesar had to strictly go outside to excrete his waste.

    ¡°In the future we¡¯ll be living here. We¡¯ll make a wooden desk, and chairs, and stools, and ¡­¡±

    After lying down on the bed for a rest, Shao Xuan took out the animal skin bag that Yi had delivered this morning. He then went out and filled it with some sand and crushed stones, before weighing it with his hands.

    Shao Xuan used the heavy smashed stones, tossed away after crafting stoneware, as the gravel to fill his bag. There were a lot that were thrown away at the gravel ce, piled up like small hills. The stones were not suitable or attractive to stone worms, so stone worms were rarely found there. Hence, not many people would go there either.

    Shao Xuan had thought about that ce when Lang Ga was talking about load training. So he asked someone to sew him the animal skin bag in a special shape. It weighed about one hundred kilo when filled up with the smashed stones.

    Shao Xuan had once wondered if those stones were metal ore. However, after serious observation, he realized that the stones were just like other stones in the gravel yard, except for the fact that they weighed more.

    Of course, Shao Xuan wanted to have some ironware, however, not only did he know nothing about forging and puddling, he also had a bigger, more important issue. In this world, there were many things that differed from hisst life, including the strange stones, so he could not judge things the same way he used to. Because of that, instead of spending time researching, Shao Xuan preferred to deal with the problems he had at hand and decided to forget about forging and ironware for now.

    He tied a few animal skin bags onto his arms and legs and, after he was all set, moved a little. He found that he was still quite agile and could carry another stone.

    It seemed that the body strength of a totemic warrior was really good.

    So, he began tobine the load training with his daily life.

    Even though for now, Shao Xuan could not carry a thousand kilogram thing like Ge, he could lift a few hundred kilo¡¯s easily. If Shao Xuan were still in hisst life, he never could have dreamt about this kind of strength.

    As Shao Xuan was trying out the animal skin bag, he noticed that Caesar was facing the outside and baring his teeth. Shao Xuan untied and put down the animal skin bags. As soon as he finished doing so, he heard someone calling his name.

    ¡°Is Ah-Xuan around?¡±

    The peopleing were two tall and strong warriors, who seemed young, around the same age as Lang Ga. Muscles covered their bodies and their voices were rough, with a heroic sense.

    ¡°My name is Tuo, and this is Keke. The Shaman asked me to bring you something.¡± Said Tuo

    Tuo was obviously more mature than Lang Ga, and although he sized up Shao Xuan with his eyes, he had no intention of harming him. There were even traces of a faint smile on his face.

    The Shaman kept his promise that, on the very first day of Shao Xuan having his own ce, he would have someone bring up food, aspensation for him.

    There was a lot of meat, all of it had been processed, and some of it was already preserved. Along with the meat, there were some tubers, nts, and fresh fruits.

    Besides food, there were two packs of mixed herbs. Shao Xuan was familiar with one of them, they were used for normal diseases, since he used them back in the caves and knew how to apply them. The other pack of herbs, as Tuo exined, were used for traumatic bleeding.

    As for the other person that came, Shao Xuan figured that he was someone restless judging from his name. Also, Tuo said that the Shaman asked him to bring up something. He mentioned ¡°me¡± instead of ¡°us¡±. So apparently Keke was not here under the Shaman¡¯smand.

    Keke had been staring at Caesar from the minute he entered the room. Since he was facing Shao Xuan with his back, Shao Xuan could not see the expression on his face. However, ording to Caesar¡¯s reaction, Keke could not be looking very friendly towards him. Warriors who had been hunting forever would see any animal as game and would dly pierce them through with a spear.

    Caesar¡¯s body tensed up, nearly baring his teeth, preparing to fight.

    ¡°Hey! A wolf can actually develop like this!¡± said Keke.

    Just when Shao Xuan was wondering whether the warrior was despising Caesar for being so timid, and not ferocious like wolves in the wild, Shao Xuan heard Keke smack his lips while saying, ¡°It¡¯s worthy to be eaten after another half a year!¡±

    Caesar bared his four sharp teeth towards the warrior immediately. He looked quite rmed, and growling sounds could be heard in his throat. He was sending a warning, as if he would rush towards him to bite the next second.

    ¡°Okay!¡± the warrior took out a stone knife he had at his wrist, and said with enthusiasm.

    Tuo was exining the usage of the mixed herbs as he heard Keke. The muscles on his face froze for a second, and then twitched twice heavily. He immediately dropped the things and rushed towards Keke like a gust of wind. He punched Keke as he was standing off against Caesar with his stone knife.

    ¡°Fuck you! Put your knife away!!¡±

    Keke got punched and flew out the window directly. With a loud bang, he fell on the ground outside.

    Shao Xuan was totally speechless. Indeed, the totemic warriors acted simple and crude.

    After that, Tuo returned to Shao Xuan and exined, ¡°He¡¯s just like that. Every time he sees a beast, he would lose his mind out of excitement. Don¡¯t worry, he was just acting out of habit. Trust me, he did not mean it.¡± After all, they dared not to kill a wolf with a patterned te from the Shaman.

    However, just when he finished his sentence, Keke came inside again as if nothing happened and he had not been punched in the face. This time, he walked towards Caesar again without a knife. However, he rubbed his fingers and obviously he had no good intention as well.

    Tuo was running out of options. When the Shaman asked him to deliver something here, he did not expect to meet Keke on the way. Once Keke heard that Tuo was going to the newly-awakened totemic warrior that surprised everyone during the ritual ceremony, he immediately got excited and insisted to tag along.

    At first Tuo wanted to chat more with this little warrior that was so valued by the Shaman. However, based on the current circumstances, Tuo regretted for letting Keke to tag along. Perhaps he would fight the wolf for real if they stayed. Such a young wolf would be easily killed by Keke¡¯s single punch. What if Keke killed the wolf? They would be yelled at by the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan sensed a shadow sh in front of him, and the next second, he saw Tuo appeared behind Keke. He grabbed Keke¡¯s head with his arms as he dragged him out. In the meantime, Tuo looked back at Shao Xuan, ¡°We¡¯ll leave since the thing is already delivered. We¡¯ll have plenty of time for chatting when you go for hunting missions with us in the future.¡±

    After they had left, Caesar rxed, too. He sniffed around, and began to drag an animal bag out, it was the one brought in by Keke. It looked like Caesar wanted to toss it out.

    Shao Xuan hurriedly stopped him. Because inside the bag there were some dried fruits. Shao Xuan had not tried many of them. So it would be a big waste if Caesar just threw it out.

    As Shao Xuan was sorting things out, he recalled Tuo¡¯s words earlier. Thest sentence meant that they were in the same hunting groups as Shao Xuan. However, Lang Ga had never spoken of these two people while they talked.

    Were they from the first team?

 Chapter 32 â€“ Path of Glory

    Chapter 32 ¨C Path of Glory

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Early the next morning, Shao Xuan tied those animal skin bags, filled with gravel, to himself, and headed to the training ground with Caesar.

    In the past when Shao Xuan had not awakened yet, he would often feel worried about being hurt, or even being killed by mistake if he did not pay enough attention to the surroundings. Now he was much more emboldened because his body could endure more damage or wounds.

    People in the tribe did not know many moves or forms. All they could do was imagine the existence of a certain game and react based on its habits.

    Some warrior would just treat the cliff as some kind of animal, and then hit the cliff hard and strong. Because of that, one should not be surprised when seeing a gust of wind carrying sand and stones in the mountain. That was merely some warrior practicing his punches.

    Just like Shao Xuan saw at the Shaman¡¯s ce the other night, kids like Mao could break normal stone tes.

    After Shao Xuan arrived at the training ground, he picked out a mountain and began to run from the mountain foot to the top with stones carried on his shoulder. While running, he could see which part of the mountain consisted of fine stones, so that he could go dig or carve them out.

    ¡°Fortunately I have such a special ability.¡± Shao Xuan said as he saw the different shades¡¯ of grey in his sight.

    Compared with totemic power, the other ability in his body had no doubt helped him save a lot more time and effort.

    Shao Xuan could not punch out mid-level or mid-upper-level stones. His hands would be the ones hurting if he punched the stones with his bare hands.

    After carving out the stone he had chosen, Shao Xuan looked up in the sky and realized it was almost noon. Shao Xuan carried the stone and headed back. He ate lunch back in his ce, and then headed for old Ke¡¯s house with the stone he carved out in the morning.

    Shao Xuan had arranged every afternoon for learning stone crafting.

    The stoneware might look simple, but it was more than just hitting on them.

    ¡°First of all, you need to know how to identify the different qualities of the stones. Even with the same hardness, the way of striking could be different when ites to different stone cores.¡± Old Ke said as he took out two stone cores of the same grade.

    Shao Xuan saw that old Ke directly carved off stone kes from one stone core, while he processed another with heat and cold. Old Ke exined the changes of color, and the cooling time of quite a few different kinds of stones to Shao Xuan in detail.

    Some stones would change their color and quality after being heated up, while some stones would only change the quality. Some of the stones would not have any reaction during the process of heating. Sometimes temperature must be strictly controlled when heating up stones. One needed to know when was the best time for carving and at what temperature the carving wasn¡¯t suitable. As for the temperature, one could only rely on their feelings and experiences, since there was no sophisticated instrument that could be used for measuring.

    For instance, old Ke could tell which stone core was hotter with a single touch, when the difference seemed to be undetectable for Shao Xuan.

    Different stones had different reactions on temperature so they have to be heated up with different periods of time. Also the cooling times and their reactions all varied.

    Old Ke took one of the two stone cores earlier and started to heat it up above the fire. He held a stone stick in each hand and used the sticks to hold the stone core in the middle.

    The fire burnt strongly as if it was trying to dry the surrounding people. One would be sweaty after just a short time by the fire. On old Ke¡¯s face there were lots of sweat stains, but his hands were quite steady, and he was quick and nimble when he turned the stone core.

    About half an hourter, the stone core above the fire turned from pale gray to brownish red. Then old Ke took it away from fire. However, he did not start the carving right away, but waited until it cooled down so that the brownish red faded to some extent.

    The stone kes that were carved away, were in almost the same thickness, regardless of their shape!

    What kind of crafting ability could achieve that?!

    At least in the conception of Shao Xuan from his former life, that could not be realized without advanced cutting machine.

    The so called ¡°Ideal crafting¡± was an extremelyplicated process, and people who did not follow this path would never be able to imagine it.

    Practice came right after the theory. Shao Xuan had been practicing carving off stone kes for most of the afternoon.

    ¡°There¡¯s so much waste. Do it again!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you carving off? Do it again!¡±

    ¡°Bad control on your strength as you swing the hammer! Do it again!¡±

    ¡°Hold it! Who taught you to carve this kind of stone directly? Have you had too much fish?! Heat it up before you do it again!!¡±

    ¡­

    Old Ke¡¯s neighbors all realized that recently old Ke became more hot-tempered. They all sighed and shook their heads when they talked about Shao Xuan, ¡°Such a poor boy, Ah-Xuan!¡±

    In fact, the situation inside the room was not as miserable as people imagined.

    Old Ke had a vicious mouth, but he was very patient when teaching Shao Xuan his skills. Also, he was never stingy with stone cores.

    For a single afternoon, Shao Xuan had used five stone cores. Aside from the one that he brought, the other four all came from old Ke¡¯s own stash. They were all of fine quality, so Shao Xuan even felt a little extravagant that he used such fine stones for practicing. Although old Ke didn¡¯t mind it, but Shao Xuan himself felt a little ashamed.

    Every day when he returned from old Ke¡¯s ce to his own cabin, Shao Xuan would feel sourness and stabbing pain all over his body. The pain in his muscles grew more and more intense, and it was hard for him just to set up a stone pot and light the fire. Especially the part between his thumb and index finger hurt even more with burning pain. He tried a few times before he could sessfully set up the pot.

    Something good must be thoroughly tempered. Shao Xuan felt that it was not the stone cores that got hammered, but himself. However, at night he slept safe and sound. And after a night¡¯s recover, he would feel refreshed in the morning, as if the pain in the muscles was nothing but an illusion.

    He did not know whether it was because of the totemic power, or because of the other ability in his body.

    Early the next morning, Shao Xuan nned to go to the training ground like normal. Yesterday he had found a ce where there were quite a few fine stones. He could carve some stone cores out for practicing, so that old Ke could save his own. He would hate to waste too many of old Ke¡¯s stones.

    As he was walking, Shao Xuan realized that there was something irregr. People were not so active normally, but this morning, almost all of them got up early, and they were moving in the same direction.

    After thinking for a bit, Shao Xuan suddenly tapped on his forehead.

    He almost forgot that today was the day that Lang Ga and the others went out for the hunting mission!

    Shao Xuan changed his direction and joined the stream of people together with Caesar.

    There was a path from the mountain foot to the mountaintop, which was almost a straight up path. It was higher than the other ces in the surroundings and no one would build a house there. Hunting teams would walk on that path when they took off, as well as when they returned, so they would not interfere the other residents of the tribe.

    As time went by, the path was given another special meaning. People in the tribe called it the ¡°Path of Glory¡±.

    The tribesmen hadplicated emotions as if they were seeing troops off before they went to war. Pride, gloom, and hope. They did now know whether their families would remain intact when the hunting team returned. They did not know whether their families would bring back enough food when the hunting team returned.

    Most of the people gathering along the Path of Glory were rtives of the warriors that were going on the mission. And they varied from kids to eldely. When the hunting team returns, the same people would gather here again to greet them back. Of course they would have different feelings that time.

    However, aside from seeing off and weing back the hunting teams, to those warriors in the hunting team, there was another meaning for this path. That was a confirmation and acknowledgement of their personal strength. If Shao Xuan could summarize based on his understanding, the path would be a ¡°Pride Road¡± to many of the warriors.

    After the end of a hunting mission, it was absolutely clear who gets how much food. It was like an open chart for one¡¯s processions. The wealthy people would have nock of reputation, status and women. Those were all worthy of unting.

    ¡°Here theye!¡± someone shouted out.

    Shao Xuan looked at that direction.

    There were about two hundred people walking down the mountain. At the very front was the leader of the hunting team that Shao Xuan recognized from the ritual ceremony that night. Not only the leader, Shao Xuan had seen the ones following him before. They were dancing by the fire pit.

    All people walking down the mountain had a feeling of generals at war, regardless of their expressions. Some were smiling and some were quite serious.

    At the rear of the team among all tall and strong warriors, those few kids with limited height were pretty obvious and easily noticed. The Chief¡¯s first grandson, Mao, was also among them. Fei, who had showed off his ability in front of Shao Xuan was also in the team.

    ¡°Hey, who are those kids?¡±

    ¡°They surely are strong and skillful since they can go on the first hunting mission.¡±

    ¡°Those are the top warriors from the newly-awakened warriors this year.¡±

    ¡°Hey, is that Mao? He deserves to be the first grandson of our Chief!¡±

    ¡­

    People were discussing heatedly.

    Sai¡¯s father pointed out Fei and other kids in the troops and said to Sai, ¡°Look for yourself! You are almost the same age, and you awakened with them in the same year. Now they are in the first hunting mission already, and you? Where are you now?¡±

    Sai apparently was not convinced by his father¡¯s judgement, ¡°I can do the same if you lived up in the mountain!¡±

    Sai¡¯s father immediately was speechless, and he pped his son¡¯s face without any more words.

 Chapter 33 â€“ The length of a finger

    Chapter 33 ¨C The length of a finger

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    People in the tribe resumed the usual pace of life after the hunting team had left.

    However,pared tost year, it was quite different with the bustling by the riverside. After experiencing the initial fear of the unknown creatures in the river, people began to tend to be less afraid of water creatures because of the benefits brought by the big-mouthed piranhas.

    It turned out that the creatures in the river were not so dreadful. One could capture enough food as long as one stayed careful.

    Kids in the orphan cave lived a stable life under the management of Tu and Ba. Every day they would go fishing, and with the food provided by the tribe, had grown much stronger than before. They also became more and more united as time went by. They had to be united, for each and every single person¡¯s capacity was limited after all, so they had to act as a unit in order to be dominant when fishing.

    As for stone worms, Shao Xuan would take Caesar to dig some up every two days, after which he asked the kids in the orphan cave to store them forter use.

    However, stones could never trap stone worms. Someone had tried to store stone worms within a stone jar, only to discover the jar broken and the stone worm gone the next day. However, Tu made an important discovery from this ident. Wooden jars and straw ropes could trap the worms better than stoneware. Even though the stone worms could not be kept for a long time, they could definitely be trapped for one or two days, preventing Shao Xuan from having to go to the orphan cave every day.

    It soon became routine for Shao Xuan to search for stone cores at the training ground in the mornings, and, in the afternoons, go to old Ke¡¯s ce to learn crafting skills.

    Over ten days passed, and Shao Xuan felt that he had much more strength than when he had newly-awakened. He became more skilled in controlling his totemic power, and could switch the two kinds of powers inside him more freely.

    It seemed that learning stone crafting skills had many benefits to mastering totemic power.

    Shao Xuan went through the woods like a nimble monkey, heading towards the ce he had chosen yesterday. As his figure went by, the branches shook slightly, as if blown by a slight breeze.

    Caesar ran behind him.

    Being still within the range of the area guarded by warriors from the tribe, Shao Xuan did not worry about the presence of some ferocious beasts, yet controlled his sound on purpose in preparation of future hunting missions. On many asions, warriors were required to move in silence as they had to approach the game quietly and hide their presence. A slightlyrger noise could easily disturb the beast they were after, or draw some other fierce beast¡¯s attention.

    Shao Xuan had seen Lang Ga and Mai move in silence and knew that both of them, especially Mai, could move without a single sound. He still had a long way to gopared to them.

    In the several mountains of the training grounds, Shao Xuan saw many newly-awakened kid like himself, including Sai.

    ¡°Hey, is that Ah-Xuan?¡± Sai¡¯s father questioned, watching the figure sh by. For normal people, Shao Xuan was very fast and hard to see, but for an experienced warrior who had been awakened for a long time, he could be spotted easily.

    Sai was constantly jumping with a giant stone in his hands and had jumped over a hundred times already. By the time he looked in the direction his father was looking, Shao Xuan had already disappeared.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Continue jumping!¡± Sai¡¯s father hit him on the butt with a stone stick and yelled, ¡°You are worse than Ah-Xuan, who is two years younger than you!¡±

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Sai was obviously not convinced.

    ¡°Hey, how dare you talk back at me? It¡¯s what I say it is! Now continue to jump and you may only rest when you¡¯ve jumped two hundred times!¡± Sai¡¯s father hit him twice more with the stick as he spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m already at a hundred and seventy two!¡± Sai had calcted in his mind and knew he only had to jump another twenty-eight times. He was happy about that and wondered whether to hunt for flying stone squirrels, or to find some snacks. He wondered whether he could still find that green fruit that tasted crispy the other day.

    Sai swallowed his saliva as he thought, but suddenly he heard his father shout again, ¡°Do you take me for a fool who could never calcte correctly? You¡¯ve only done hundred and twenty-seven! You have to jump another seventy-three times!¡±

    Sai was so angry that he nearly tossed that giant stone away. However, his father was like that. He was never wrong, so Sai had to admit defeat no matter what. He would get beaten up by his father if he argued.

    Fuck!

    Sai could not me his dad, so he med Shao Xuan instead, nning to vent his angerter.

    Shao Xuan, on the other hand, was not aware that he was hated again, and kept looking for fine stones as usual. There were a lot of stones in the training grounds, but those that could be used to craft into stoneware were quite rare. Even when he relied on his special ability to sort out different levels of stones, it still took him a lot of time to find eptable ones. This was because sometimes, even fine stones might not be suitable for carving. Every morning, Shao Xuan would spend a few hours selecting stones, after which he would take back those which had fine quality and were suitable for carving.

    After these days of learning from old Ke, Shao Xuan had made big progress in identifying different stones. He no longer saw all the stones at the same level as he had in the past.

    When Shao Xuan was looking for stone cores, Caesar would dig holes in the mountain or catch flying stone squirrels out of boredom. So every time Shao Xuan finished selecting stone cores, he would find a few dead flying stone squirrels lying beside Caesar¡¯s feet.

    Sometimes, Shao Xuan would feel sorry for Caesar. He was a wolf, yet he was kept by Shao Xuan in that way.

    In the afternoon, Shao Xuan went to old Ke¡¯s ce with the selected stone cores.

    Old Ke taught Shao Xuan how to determine the best striking angles and striking surfaces of a stone, and which kind of stone was suitable for being crafted into which kind of stoneware. Then, old Ke watched as Shao Xuan carved off stone kes while he sat beside him.

    Shao Xuan took a hammer and started striking and carving after he took off his animal skin jacket and became topless.

    For the first few days, Shao Xuan¡¯s animal skin jacket was soaked in sweat after he finished striking. Water woulde out with just a little twist. Soter on, Shao Xuan would take off his jacket and put it aside when he was working, so that it didn¡¯t get smelly.

    Ding!

    Ding!

    Ding!

    ¡­

    Every afternoon, striking sounds like that would appear in old Ke¡¯s house.

    One strike, two strikes¡­ fifty, fifty-one¡­ a hundred¡­ five hundred¡­

    Shao Xuan kept on striking the stone cores restlessly, as if he knew nothing about fatigue. Arge stone core gradually became smaller as tiny stone kes dropped down. The stone kes became thinner and thinner than as time went on.

    After finishing the striking of one stone core, Shao Xuan grabbed the second and the third without taking a break¡­

    After the third one was finished, Shao Xuan looked like a drowned victim who had just been fished out by others.

    After taking a drink, Shao Xuan stood aside so that old Ke could borate on the details that needed to be paid attention to when he refined themter. He showed Shao Xuan how to refine stone kes in different shapes, and how to refine the remaining stone core.

    Old Ke said that every stone had its own story, and even the most excellent stoneware crafter might not be able to understand all stones¡¯ stories. However, every time old Ke was teaching, he tried to exin all the knowledge that he had mastered up to now with Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan listened with all his attention, for some words seemed unimportant, but contained much knowledge hidden within.

    After a short break and having finished listening to old Ke¡¯s lecture, Shao Xuan continued to work. However, this time he stopped striking, and instead started refining.

    In order to meet old Ke¡¯s high standard, Shao Xuan had to focus more during the process, and had to be more precise in controlling his totemic power.

    That was not something easy. When refining, Shao Xuan was fully concentrated on the stone. And, despite the obvious soreness and aching, it wasn¡¯t until the refining was done and Shao Xuan had regained awareness, that he felt a wave of pain in his head. Sometimes he even felt a sensation as if he were hit by an awl, and sweat drops constantly oozed like beans from his forehead.

    Old Ke said that it was normal and that he went through all those processes when he was a young apprentice.

    Although tired, Shao Xuan¡¯s progress was obvious since he had more precise control of his totemic power.

    Old Ke showed traces of satisfaction in his eyes as he sat aside. Shao Xuan¡¯s progress went beyond his expectations. For all those years, old Ke had known many people who tried to learn stone crafting, yet none of them could achieve Shao Xuan¡¯s progress!

    For many people, they might spend one or two years of learning without having Shao Xuan¡¯s skills. Of course there were some talented fellows. For example, Lang Ga used less than fifty days to learn back then, and Lang Ga¡¯s grandfather had bragged about that in front of old Ke.

    But, how long had Shao Xuan been learning? Merely ten days!

    In fact, old Ke would love to go up the mountain immediately and have a ¡°nice chat¡± with that old man who made ground bows. However, he needed to wait a little longer¡­ just a little longer¡­

    As he was thinking about what facial expression the old guy might have when he learnt about Shao Xuan, Ke¡¯s sight froze for a moment. He opened his eyes wide as if he saw something inconceivable.

    Totemic patterns were revealed on Shao Xuan¡¯s body, which was not strange during this time as Shao Xuan would use his totemic power when striking and crafting. Naturally, when the totemic power was used, totemic patterns would show up.

    What astonished old Ke was not the totemic pattern. What he saw was even more inconceivable than when he saw Shao Xuan use totemic power while striking stones!

    As was known to all people in the tribe, the newly-awakened warriors totemic pattern would only cover their whole body when they were just awakened by the fire pit. After the ritual ceremony, all their totemic patterns would shrink. The totemic patterns that covered the entire arm would shrink to the upper arm, slightly past one¡¯s shoulder, and the totemic patterns on the legs would also shrink to above the knee.

    Because of this, when new totemic warriors used their totemic power, the patterns that showed up wouldn¡¯t extend to one¡¯s elbows and knees, identifying them as a primary warrior. When someday, one¡¯s totemic pattern extends over his elbows and knees, it means that he is no longer a primary warrior and has be a mid-level warrior. This was the most efficient and most direct way to tell a totemic warrior¡¯s level.

    Totemic patterns would only extend when warriors faced numerous risks and threats by ferocious beasts in hunting missions, and had significant breakthroughs. Also, the extension of totemic patterns was quite limited. Some warriors, with over ten years of hunting experience, may not have totemic patterns that extended over their elbows and knees. So it meant that they were still merely primary warriors, and the progress was rather slow.

    But, how could the totemic patterns in Shao Xuan¡¯s body be exined?

    Old Ke¡¯s eyelids beat like hell, for he clearly remembered that the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s upper arm were at the same length as other newly-awakened warriors when he first came by to learn stone crafting. they were slightly past his shoulder.

    However, now the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s upper arm had extended forward about the length of a finger!

    In the past, old Ke had never paid attention to the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, and had only glimpsed at them, because he wondered when Shao Xuan would be a mid-level totemic warrior. He had never expected such a discovery! Since old Ke could easily tell the slight difference in stoneware, how could he not notice the extension of the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s arm?!

    Do not underestimate the length of a finger. Others might not be able to achieve that in years!

    But how long had Shao Xuan been awakened?

    Based on that speed, how long would it take for him to be a mid-level totemic warrior?

    Old Ke felt that his eyelids beat even more heavily.

 Chapter 34 â€“ Change of style

    Chapter 34 ¨C Change of style

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Ke suddenly jumped off his stone stool as he rubbed his eyelids. With theck of a leg, he swayed when standing. His big action of course drew Shao Xuan¡¯s attention.

    Shao Xuan dropped his almostpleted stoneware and grinding stone, and looked at old Ke curiously. He was in a pretty good state of mind and felt that he had not made any mistakes. With everything in the process reaching old Ke¡¯s standard, why was he acting like he was in a ¡°what the fuck¡± kind of mood?

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you¡­ you¡­ you¡­¡±

    Ke finally said aplete sentence after many you¡¯s, ¡°How do you train yourself normally?¡±

    Not knowing why Ke asked that, Shao Xuan exined the training arrangements he had recently, in detail, of course not mentioning the special power he had.

    To be honest, his training recently was more like preparing for stone crafting than normal training. There were many newly-awakened kids by the training ground, just like Shao Xuan. They were either training their strength, or practicing by throwing stuff. Shao Xuan was the only one focusing on finding stone cores. Some people even secretly mocked him for doing the wrong thing.

    After some thinking, Ke did not find any abnormal points based on Shao Xuan¡¯s description. Shao Xuan worked very hard and he showed endless effort when he was doing the stone crafting. That was also the reason why Ke was willing to teach him. However, Ke himself was pretty hard-working when he was learning the skills, why didn¡¯t he achieve such significant progress?

    Anyways, Ke could not figure out the reason, so he had to attribute Shao Xuan¡¯s achievements to his talent. No wonder he awakened at the age of ten.

    Old Ke waved his hand to tell Shao Xuan to continue after he calmed himself down. On second thought, he stopped Shao Xuan and took out a big straw curtain and divided the stoneware workshop into two parts. He asked Shao Xuan to go to the inner room to keep crafting.

    Although feeling curious, Shao Xuan followed hismand. Old Ke must be doing it for some reason.

    From the other side of the straw curtain, old Ke could still see the small figure of Shao Xuan, crafting and refining a piece of stone ke. Old Ke¡¯s eyebrows rxed, and he couldn¡¯t help but smile as if he had thought of something.

    Shao Xuan came out from his separated workshop when it was almost sunset, covered with sweat. He passed the stoneware hepleted to old Ke for examination. He crafted more stone kes and stone cores than usual, so he got outter than usual.

    However, old Ke did not examine Shao Xuan¡¯s stoneware one by one as usual, instead, he put them aside after a glimpse at them, old Ke chose not to look more, but he told Shao Xuan, ¡°You should go now. Starting from tomorrow, you may carve and refine stones ording to your own judgement. Do whatever you think is right.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will.¡±

    In fact, Shao Xuan wanted to make something of his own a long time ago. However, he was not that skilled, so the thing that he created was totally different than what he had in mind, and sometimes he failed during the process. Now since old Ke had said so, Shao Xuan wanted to do it again properly.

    In order to make a satisfying stoneware, he needed to go through the process of carving stone kes, refining, pressuring, heating and so on. Also a lot of tools were required, such as a hammer, press-roller, plunger, grinding stone, chopping stone and other fixing materials. The tools in Shao Xuan¡¯s cabin were not enough, so Shao Xuan needed toe to old Ke¡¯s ce every day if he wanted to craft something.

    However, at the very beginning, Shao Xuan did not dare to dream so wildly, so he decided to start with the normally used stoneware in the tribe.

    The next day, Shao Xuan took the stone cores he had selected that morning to old Ke¡¯s ce, and began to craft.

    Shao Xuan intended to craft a double-winged stone arrowhead by himself, one of the most frequently used stone arrowheads. Lang Ga alone, had arge consumption of them.

    Old Ke had taught Shao Xuan about the techniques to make a stone arrowhead, and said the other skills could only be gained during the process of practicing. Of course old Ke pointed out some details that were worth paying attention to.

    For the next few days, old Ke did not watch Shao Xuan closely from his side as Shao Xuan did the crafting. After all, Shao Xuan could do just as well without his supervision. Leaning on a wooden cane, old Ke took out a wooden box filled with all kinds of stoneware in different sizes and put them out in front of his house.

    They were the stoneware made by Shao Xuan over the past few days. Most of them were spearheads and arrowheads and had a style a little different from old Ke¡¯s.

    In fact, old Ke had changed his rulestely. During the afternoon he no longer allowed people toe inside his house. In the mornings he woulde out with somepleted stoneware. One needed to do the trading fast if he wanted some of his stoneware, because old Ke would collect his things and go inside the room at noon, and note out in the afternoon.

    So when seeing that old Ke took things out at that hour, people gathered.

    ¡°Hey, old Ke, why are you doing business at this time now?¡±

    ¡°Hi, old Ke, these things are not Ah-Xuan¡¯s handcraft, right?¡±

    Many people knew that Shao Xuan was learning stone crafting from old Ke, but people were not optimistic about it. Some would discuss in private how long Shao Xuan could manage to keep learning, and whether he would be like old Ke¡¯s former apprentices that left, or got kicked out by old Ke forcefully. However, unexpectedly, Shao Xuan was still learning, and it seemed that old Ke was not frustrated or mad as well.

    Wasn¡¯t that strange?

    Actually, the one who guessed the stoneware was made by Shao Xuanughed at himself after he finished his sentence. Peopleing with him alsoughed over it, and none of them took it seriously. After all, in their perspective, Shao Xuan had only been learning for a few days, and it was impossible for him to craft such sessful stoneware. They were just messing with old Ke.

    ¡°This is a nice stone arrowhead, and it could be used for setting up ground bows¡­ Hey, the barbs are wonderfully polished! I like that!¡± one squatted down and began to select his favorite items.

    Seeing that someone had begun choosing, the others stopped messing around and hurriedly began to choose their own favorite items, as if fearing that all the good stuff would be bought by others. After all, the stoneware from old Ke¡¯s ce was much better than the other¡¯s.

    ¡°Hey, old Ke, have you changed your style? The barbs on your arrowheads used to be shorter.¡± A warrior said as he touched the wings of a stone arrowhead.

    Ke just sat there with his poker face as usual, in silence.

    The warriors that came to do the trading were already used to old Ke¡¯s character and did not expect old Ke to exin. After all, it was normal that a stoneware crafter changed his style.

    When hunting, warriors had arge consumption of stoneware, because unlike metals which could be recycled, the stoneware could only be used once. This resulted in a rather high scrap rate, which led to warriors preparing a lot of stoneware before every hunting mission.

    Almost twenty days had passed since the other hunting team left, normally speaking, hunting teams would return home in twenty days. Even when they met some hardships or other difficulties, the hunting period would not be more than thirty days. Their families were still in the tribe after all, and they would starve if the warriors did not return.

    So if someone did some calctions, one would know that the hunting team was about to return. Meaning the other hunting team was preparing to leave. Once the hunting team returned, the other one would set off for hunting after handing over their daily duties. The earlier they prepared their stoneware, the better.

    ¡°They will return in a couple of days. In the morning I saw that wounded people were sent back. This time two warriors were badly injured, but not fatally. I heard that no one got killed this time.¡± Someone said as he chose the items.

    ¡°So we are about to set off? I have to go back home and take a few more things to trade with old Ke.¡±

    ¡°You said that two were injured? Who were they?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    People began to discuss but their selection speed did not slow down. Once they had chosen an item, they would grasp it tightly in their hand, and the others would regret not grasping it sooner.

    ¡°You do the trading or not, hold your tongue, and get lost if you¡¯re done with trading!¡± Old Ke waved his arm with an icy face. They¡¯d better do the discussion elsewhere. Ah-Xuan was still in the room, crafting, they might disturb him!

    In the eyes of the crowd, old Ke was a tough guy and he was not easy to deal with. It seemed that he cared about nothing but stoneware. He was also quite aggressive when yelling. However, in fact, old Ke valued Shao Xuan more than anyone else in his heart. He became unhappy when people started making noise and he began to drive them away.

    People were not angry. They stopped talking and hurriedly continued their picking.

    When the majority of the stoneware was picked out by others, and seeing that no more people wereing, old Ke collected the remaining small stoneware into the wooded box. He shook his head as he talked to himself, ¡°Why are the small stoneware unappreciated? When used properly, they can be more lethal than the big ones.¡±

    When Shao Xuan had finished today¡¯s work, he headed back home with his exhausted body when at the very same time, the hunting team on mission returned.

 Chapter 35 â€“ Not too bad, huh?

    Chapter 35 ¨C Not too bad, huh?

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    In the midst of cheers, the hunting team returned on that ¡°Path of Glory¡±, and their bodies left long shadows because of the sunset.

    Strong warriors carried game much bigger than themselves, and they looked like ants carrying quall eggs. Some of them would not only carry the game on their shoulders, they would sling the game over their backs, or drag them with straw ropes.

    It was a big harvest, and the warriors were quite loaded.

    It was said that during this mission, no one got killed, but two warriors were badly injured. The injured were at the Shaman¡¯s ce and they were already stable. Because of their tough warrior¡¯s body, they would be totally energetic again after some time¡¯s rest.

    Shao Xuan was more than tired because of a whole afternoon¡¯s striking and crafting. He turned back and headed towards his own cabin after he had spotted Lang Ga and Mai in the crowd, he did not rush forward to cheer for them, like the others. He was exhausted already.

    In the front part of the team, an obvious shorter person carried two giant boars. That was Mao and he was very pleased with himself. He paid extra attention on people¡¯s praise and his mouth could not be kept closed because of the smile. It felt¡­so good! He straightened his back more and looked at the crowd as he turned his head, just then, Shao Xuan¡¯s back leaving with Caesar entered his sight.

    Shao Xuan was not spirited because of tiredness, and judging from his back, it looked like he was pretty upset.

    Mao thought that Shao Xuan must have been humiliated by him carrying two giant boars. Also, Mao thought about how to crush his dignity again when Shao Xuan joined the hunting mission.

    After a night¡¯s rest, Shao Xuan felt that he was full of strength again, full of vigor. The sourness of his muscles also disappeared, as if he had not done so much striking yesterday.

    After he had spent the whole morning collecting stone cores, Shao Xuan as usual nned to go to old Ke¡¯s ce in the afternoon.

    However, old Ke told Shao Xuan to take a break for today, so that he could get sufficient rest.

    Looking at the works he hadpleted these days, Shao Xuan decided to go out as he picked out some items. The stone tools that old Ke took out for trading were only half of Shao Xuan¡¯s production. The other half, old Ke asked Shao Xuan to keep for himself. So now Shao Xuan still had a lot of stoneware for himself.

    He filled the selected stoneware into two mesh bags made from straw rope, and began to walk to the mountain side district.

    By the time Shao Xuan arrived, Lang Ga was still sleeping. Every time when he was not on duty, Lang Ga would sleep for three or four days when he came back from a hunting mission.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Lang Ga yawned, and his eyes were almost closed.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m here to give you something. You should go back to sleep.¡± Shao Xuan dropped one of the mesh bags on the stone table in the room, and prepared to leave. He wanted to hear the stories during this time¡¯s hunting mission at first, but based on the current circumstances, he should wait for a few more days for stories.

    ¡°For me?¡± Lang Ga was curious about what Shao Xuan had brought, even though he was sleepy.

    Lang Ga opened the bag, and when he saw thepleted stone arrowheads inside, his nearly closed eyes opened wide immediately. Traces of sparkles shed in his eyes and he took out one stone arrowhead and observed it closely.

    The two edges on that stone arrowhead were especially made ording to Lang Ga¡¯s usual needs. So the size and shape were slightly different than normal ones, and the barbs were longer, because Lang Ga was used to this type of stone arrowheads already. If changed at his will, perhaps Lang Ga would not find them useful. So Shao Xuan did not add his own ideas on them.

    Lang Ga stared at the stone arrowhead he had at hand, and the more he looked at it, the more surprised he became.

    The arrowheads in front of him were well polished, and the important thing was that the two edges werepletely perfect! The two edges could bnce the arrowhead, especially when it¡¯s flying, so that it might hit the target at a more precise angle. When the wings were wrongly processed, it would affect the whole hunting mission. In order to increase the lethality of the arrowhead, Lang Ga would craft his own arrowheads, with longer and sharper edges, and two sharp barbs.

    Lang Ga had always felt that only his own hand-made arrowheads would be useful for him. And he disliked others¡¯ work, even when the arrowheads were from his grandfather. However, seeing the arrowhead at hand, Lang Ga was more than shocked. Because he could tell by weighing it at hand, that these arrowheads were perfect for him to use.

    The arrowheads he had at hand now looked exactly the same as the ones that Lang Ga crafted himself. No, in fact they were not exactly the same. These arrowheads in front of him were more close to perfection.

    Normally when Lang Ga crafted arrowheads himself, he would not bother polishing the details for he had arge consumption of them. However, the ones in front of him were much more refined.

    ¡°Hey, thank you, Ah-Xuan! I like them very much! By the way, please thank old Ke for making such nice arrowheads for me!¡±

    In the eyes of Lang Ga, of course the stone arrowheads were made by old Ke, and naturally Shao Xuan asked them from old Ke give them to him.

    Lang Ga used his thumb to touch the edge of the stone arrowhead. Ah, the de was so sharp, no wonder it came from the master!

    Shao Xuan was about to walk out but he turned around and smiled at Lang Ga¡¯s words, ¡°I¡¯ll pass your words, but by the way, those arrowheads were all crafted by me. You should try and see if they are useful.¡±

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s response, Lang Ga froze as he was touching the stone arrowhead. He looked up at Shao Xuan, astonished as the muscle on his face quivered hard twice.

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡±

    Lang Ga took a few steps and came in front of Shao Xuan. He practically asked the question word by word, as he grasped the arrowhead with his hand, ¡°This is your work??¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°Yes. Not too bad, huh?¡±

    Not¡­too bad?

    Lang Ga¡¯s stared at Shao Xuan with red eyes and heavy breath.

    If those were judged as ¡°not too bad¡±, then how should his own hand-made arrowheads be judged as? Stone waste?

    Shao Xuan did not quite understand what Lang Ga meant by doing that. He had gotten some stone arrowheads from Lang Ga. Since the arrowheads had already been used once, Lang Ga did not intend to take them to hunting missions in the future. However, it would be such a waste to throw them away, so he gave them to Shao Xuan for his training. Back then, Lang Ga and the others were all using second-handed stoneware to practice, which was quite normal in the tribe.

    Shao Xuan made those stone arrowheads based on those that Lang Ga gave him. There were more or less defects in the stone arrowheads, but generally speaking it wouldn¡¯t affect the usage much. Shao Xuan had always thought that those defects were caused by usage, and old Ke also did notment on those when he saw them. But for the arrowheads crafted by Shao Xuan, old Ke appraised them as ¡°barely not too bad¡±. That was also the reason why Shao Xuan said ¡°not too bad¡±.

    Lang Ga stared at Shao Xuan with a ratherplicated look. Perhaps it was because that he had a grandfather who was a stoneware crafter. He thought he was talented in stone crafting. He made stone tools himself, and now he had some achievements in that field. Even though his skills were not as good as his grandfather¡¯s, he was confident that after perhaps ten years, he would be better than him. What¡¯s more, among his peer he had more skill in crafting than most people. Especially when it came to stone arrowheads, almost no one could make better arrowheads than him!

    However, now there¡¯s a newly-awakened kid, who was only ten years old, and had only been learning stone crafting for less than thirty days. The stone arrowheads made by him were slightly better than his works. Based on his eye of quality, he could naturally tell that this stoneware could not be made just given enough time and efforts. Let alone the fact that the stone arrowheads were quite smooth at their surface, and as there was no point of stagnation, highly likely, these arrowheads were processed quickly and smoothly!

    Why was there so much difference since he came back from the hunting mission?

    I was only out for twenty days, not two years!

    Lang Ga¡¯s face turned red, as he thought of giving a bunch of second-handed stone arrowheads with many ws to Shao Xuan before the hunting mission. He wanted to hide under the ground. Even though he was thick-skinned usually, he had totally different standards when it came to stoneware. Perhaps he was affected by his grandfather.

    Take a deep breath!

    Then another deep breath!

    Lang Ga put out three trembling fingers and pointed at the outside, ¡°You, do not show your face in front of me for the next three days!¡±

    As he finished his sentence, Lang Ga dropped the curtain and he could not sleep anymore. He stepped towards the small room that he used for stone crafting, and began to work.

    While from the other house near Lang Ga¡¯s room, walked out an old man with grey hair. He looked hale and hearty even though he was old at age. It seemed that he could still easily carry a stone that weighed a hundred kilos.

    That was just Lang Ga¡¯s grandfather. The old man just woke up from his nap and now he intended to go down the mountain to some friends as he chewed some meat jerky in his mouth. He thought perhaps one of his sons was crafting stones in preparation for the next hunting mission, when he heard the sound of grinding stones. However, with a single look through the window, he found out that it was his grandson, who was supposed to be sleeping in his own room. Now he was working in the stoneware crafting workshop!

    The old man nearly choked by the meat jerky because of shock. His eyes were wide open like stone balls, and he stared at Lang Ga in the same manner as staring at a ferocious beast in the forest that existed once in a century.

    What the fuck?!

    That little bastard used to sleep for three to four days after every hunting mission, and even beating him up could not drag him out of his bed! What happened?

    While on the other hand, Shao Xuan was quite confused when he was told ¡°not to show his face for the next three days¡±. What was wrong with Lang Ga? Hypotension because of sleepiness?

    Shao Xuan shook his head, as he took the other bag and continued to climb up the mountain, because Mai lived higher in the mountain.

 Chapter 36 â€“ Come and punch me

    Chapter 36 ¨C Come and punch me

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Being a mid-level totemic warrior, Mai upied an important position in the hunting team, so he had a lot to deal with when he came back to the tribe. Of course, he would not be as idle as Lang Ga. When Shao Xuan arrived, he was just assigning patrol missions to some warriors.

    Shao Xuan waited and he came inside only after the other two warriors had left.

    Inside the room, Mai was cutting the meat. During the hunting mission, warriors would just pretreat the meat, so after they came back, they needed to cut the meat into smaller pieces, and preserve some of them. Also, they had to sort out different kinds of meat forter use.

    ¡°Hello there.¡± Mai waved his hand seeing Shao Xuan entering the room, as he tossed a piece of meat covered in blood, the size of a watermelon, to Shao Xuan, ¡°Here you go. Take it back with youter, for you get hungry easily after you be a totemic warrior. Training is exhausting.¡±

    Many people would deduct their training time when there was ack of food. After all, totemic warriors would consume a lot of energy when they trained themselves. Naturally they would eat more. Especially for those newly-awakened warriors like Shao Xuan, they were in the process of building up their bodies, so food became even more of an essential object.

    ¡°Thank you, uncle Mai.¡± Shao Xuan took the meat and handed over the mesh bag to him, ¡°This is for you.¡±

    Mai dropped the stone axe in his hand and looked at the mesh bag curiously, ¡°Did you made them yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yep. They can¡¯t of course bepared with your own tools, but I guess they could still be useful anyway.¡± Shao Xuan scratched his head. Unlike the stoneware he sent Lang Ga, he picked less stone arrowheads, but instead he added more spearheads into the mesh bag. Spearheads were used for throwing. Because the two people had different positions in the hunting team, the stone tools they tended to use were different.

    Mai had already heard about Shao Xuan learning stone crafting with Ke from Lang Ga, however, it had been such a short time, so Mai did not expect anything fine from him. Shao Xuan was already thoughtful for bringing things here, and he would never trash the kid¡¯s confidence and enthusiasm.

    Mai smiled as he opened up the mesh bag. He nned to say something to encouraging him, ¡°Actually, you can never rush yourself in the process of stone crafting. At your age and with such short time¡¯s learning, you are already pretty good for making these, and in the future¡­¡±

    His words stopped as Mai took a look at the fine-crafted spearheads in the mesh bag. He literally swallowed the next part of his words back into his stomach.

    The well-crafted spearheads were just the same as those he often used. They had deeper ridges and the des on the two wing edges were extremely sharp. The two wings stretched and joined one another on the sharp peak, which was very smooth without any trace of carving. Obviously the stone crafter paid extra attention while polishing them. Unlike most spearheads for other warriors, Mai liked the kind of spearheads with deep bloodthirsty ridges in the both sides, and Shao Xuan had noticed that, so he added them on his spearheads too!

    Just like Lang Ga, Mai had given Shao Xuan some used stone tools for training as well. Most of his used tools were stone spearheads, but he had never thought about receiving such nice gifts in return when he offered Shao Xuan those used spearheads.

    ¡°Are¡­ Are these¡­ from your own stone crafting?!¡±

    Mai stared at Shao Xuan, until he saw him nod. Then Mai looked back at the spearheads he had at hand. Indeed, he had not expected Shao Xuan to possess such amazing talent. Under the current circumstances, even if Shao Xuan could not improve his ability, he could live a peaceful life without starvation in the tribe, depending on his skills.

    After a while¡¯s hesitation, Maiughed out, ¡°Good! Excellent!¡±

    Unlike Lang Ga, Mai had not bothered to pay so much attention on stone crafting after all, so he cared not that much forpetition. In front of Shao Xuan¡¯s handworks, he had pure admiration.

    After properly storing those spearheads, Mai asked about Shao Xuan¡¯s trainingtely and offered some advices. He was confident about Shao Xuan, but still he agreed with the idea that newly-awakened warriors should get as much trainings as possible, and they should not think about joining hunting missions in a hurry. Or else, they would be just like thed named Ah-Fei, who only turned out to be a burden of the hunting team when it came to real hunting. He was too eager to seed, but full of ws when the time came.

    Mai thought for a bit and reached out his palm, as he said to Shao Xuan, ¡°punch my hand, and let me see how much strength you¡¯ve got.¡±

    An obvious urrence for totemic warriors when they got any improvement was that they would obtain more strength. That was why Mai asked Shao Xuan to do that. He wanted to see his progress during this period¡¯s training by that. However, Mai did not expect Shao Xuan to have much progress, for he was learning stone crafting these days after all.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Shao Xuan ced the meat at a corner, and moved his limbs a little. In fact, he himself also did not know how he was different from other kids that awakened at the same time with him, aside from the special ability he got. Also he was unaware of which stage had he reached. Gaining Mai¡¯s advice and judgement would be very beneficial to Shao Xuan¡¯s training in the future.

    Since it was a test for strength, he had to use the totemic power inside him.

    After a deep breath, Shao Xuan urged the totemic power inside him and on his cheeks there were clear totemic patterns revealed immediately, and soon the totemic pattern spread from his face to the nape.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan stimted the totemic power so quickly and naturally, Mai was quite satisfied. Shao Xuan was already much better than some who took a lifetime to be able to stimte their totemic powers like him.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan stepped on the ground with his right foot, while he rushed at Mai with a fast speed. He punched hard on Mai¡¯s palm.

    Bang!

    It was a fist against a palm, but it was like two mountains crashing against each other.

    Shao Xuan felt like he punched a piece of steel, and it felt totally different from his daily training when he punched at the mountain rock.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s body shook a little, and he stepped back as he withdrew his fist and rubbed his hand with the mouth open. In fact, it was not just the hand, he felt that his whole arm was hurting.

    As expected, there was a huge gap between some newly-awakened kid and a mid-level totemic warrior. Looking at Mai, his palm did not even turn red as if he was just hit by a piece of tofu.

    Shao Xuan also noticed that Mai had shing totemic patterns on his body, which stretched over his elbows. They even got to his forearms. However, Shao Xuan¡¯s own totemic patterns had only extended over his shoulders.

    However, Mai was not as calm as he acted out. He was looking at Shao Xuan in surprise. Compared with the hurt at his palm, the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s body was the thing that shocked him most. However, the totemic patterns had gone, and Mai was not sure whether he was imagining it¡­ But the strength of that punch wasrger than most newly-awakened kids¡­.

    It was not wintertime, and the temperature grew higher every day. Since he had to train himself every day, Shao Xuan wore a sleeveless animal skin top in order to be more convenient. Naturally his totemic patterns were out in the open, even though they just extended over his shoulders.

    Perhaps Mai was not so observant as old Ke, butpared with most people, he could exceed them easily.

    ¡°Again! Now use all your strength.¡± Maimanded.

    Seeing that perhaps Mai had some other thoughts, Shao Xuan did not hesitate to follow his order.

    Taking a deep breath, Shao Xuan stimted the totemic power in his body again, the totem in his mind lit up, and the me covering those two horns rose up, which meant that he had fully aroused his totemic power.

    Feeling enormous strength running through every piece of his muscles and every bone, Shao Xuan¡¯s mind also reached the peak. After such a long time doing stone crafting, Shao Xuan¡¯s precise control of totemic power showed its advantage, he became very familiar with the feeling of gathering up all his strength, for he could feel that every day during the process of stone crafting. Every time when that happened, he would feel extremely self-confidence!

    In the meantime, the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s body became totally clear, one could feel the burning heat of the me.

    At the very moment that Shao Xuan took a step, the earth trembled slightly.

    Whoosh!

    Before the punch arrived, the wind pressure of the punch was already there.

    Although Shao Xuan was just a primary warrior who had not been awakened for long, and his strength training was not good enough, Shao Xuan¡¯s punch carried unmatchable momentum at the bursting moment.

    Seeing the kid in front of him, who was only as tall as his waist, Mai¡¯s eyes opened more.

    Bang!

    Clear sound of cracks rose.

    Shao Xuan immediately felt the sharp sting all over his whole arm. It was like he got roasted on a bonfire, and constant burning pain that seemed to be impossible to be stopped.

    However, Mai¡¯s face froze for some time, but soon he recovered from his astonishment. Inside his heart he was still shocked, as he stared at Shao Xuan, while he forgot to take back his palm from the air.

    The rebound made Shao Xuan step back a few steps and he had to shake his arm, as he created hissing sound out of subconscious. He did not expect it to hurt so much, and it felt totally different from thest punch.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan.¡± Mai said. His voice sounded somehow difficult and bitter.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Mai as he continued to shake his arm. He did not worry about breaking his bones, for even if that did happen, he would be fully recovered after a few days¡¯ rest. That was the advantage of the physique of the tribe¡¯s people.

    ¡°When you go back¡­ you should prepare¡­¡±

    At Mai¡¯s words, Shao Xuan wondered if Mai would say the same thing that Lang Ga told him, such as to not show his face for three days or something like that. He stared at Mai for him to finish his sentence.

    ¡°Prepare¡­ to join the hunting mission next time.¡±

 Chapter 37 â€“ Ground komodo tooth sabre

    Chapter 37 ¨C Ground komodo tooth sabre

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan looked at Mai in surprise, for he did not expect him to say something like that.

    Wasn¡¯t he supposed to attend the third hunting mission? Why did Mai change his mind?

    Unless, it was because of the earlier punch?

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    Of course, Shao Xuan would be very d to join the next hunting mission. Scenery in the forest changed every day, so one would get to see different sights if he entered the forest in different times. For example, there were some flowers that only bloomed once a year, and some nts would only have fruits and seeds once in a year. So one could see more and experience more when going out earlier. Or one had to wait another whole year to see the same situation.

    Lang Ga and Ge both had told him in the past, that many nts in the forest were quite dangerous, so warriors needed to be able to spot and avoid them while hunting. However, one could only know them after seeing them once, or based on other people¡¯s descriptions, one could never get the whole image.

    Also, since Mai allowed Shao Xuan to tag along during the next hunting mission, obviously he acknowledged his ability. So Shao Xuan needed to only prepare for the hunting.

    At that time, some other person came to look for Mai, that was Tuo. Shao Xuan had met him before and knew that they must have something to discuss, Shao Xuan decided to leave and excused himself.

    ¡°Since you are busy Uncle Mai, I will leave now. Thank you again, Uncle Mai!¡±

    After Shao Xuan had left, Mai made a few movements with his stiff palm. He shook his shoulder and pped his arm, some cracking sounds resounded. Because of Shao Xuan¡¯s punch earlier, a few bones in his arm had been dislocated. And that shake pushed the bones back to where they were supposed to be.

    Although his palm looked fine, Mai knew himself that his palm was injured. In the end, he had underestimated the boy!

    In fact, Mai had nned to encourage Shao Xuan and persuade him to train more before he could go for a hunting mission. He also intended to share some examples of hunting with him, and take him to the third hunting mission. However, after experiencing the strength of Shao Xuan¡¯s punch, Mai changed his mind.

    ¡°What did the boy mean with going back to prepare?¡± asked Tuo.

    ¡°To prepare to tag along with the next hunting mission.¡± Answered Mai.

    Tuo showed some dissatisfaction, ¡°Wasn¡¯t he the one saying that the more preparation, the better? I thought he would be patient enough to wait until the third hunting mission. Did hee to beg you?¡±

    For the sake of the Shaman, Tuo was kind towards Shao Xuan. However, when it came to hunting, Tuo did not want to make the slightestpromise, for, the first hunting mission, that just ended, was a good example. Fei¡¯s several mistakes almost cost the lives of himself and other warriors.

    Mai shook his head, ¡°He did not bring up the subject, but I proposed it.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Tuo was even more confused.

    Mai¡¯s smile on the face grew bigger and bigger, ¡°Since the de is already almost finished, sharpening it even more is just a waste of time, for it could not be much more sharper anyway. A talent should not be buried in the tribe, he needs to go outside and challenge himself in the forest.¡±

    As Shao Xuan left Mai¡¯s ce, he took big strides going down the mountain. His every step was quite big, and it seemed that he only tipped on the stones and basically just flew down the path.

    After going down the mountain, Shao Xuan did not return to his cabin immediately, for he did not worry about Caesar. He knew that Caesar was helping the kids in orphan cave to dig out stone worms.

    As he was about to call out Ke¡¯s name in front of old Ke¡¯s house, he saw the straw curtain get lifted fiercely, and an old man with grey hair marched out.

    Judging from the old man¡¯s expression, he seemed angry, for his beard almost flew up and reached his eyes.

    Seeing Shao Xuan standing at the front door, the old man glimpsed at him from his head to his toe, frowned, as if thinking about something. His look was like a stone knife, trying to peel his body as if he was a stone core in the eyes of the old man. His beard waved a little, suggesting that he wanted to say something. However, in the end, the old man left without saying anything, except for a loud humph.

    Shao Xuan was curious about his reaction. Was he mentally disturbed?

    Seeing Ge pop his head out and look around, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Who was that?¡±

    After confirming that the old man had left, Ge chuckled, ¡°That is Lang Ga¡¯s grandfather.¡±

    That was Lang Ga¡¯s grandpa?!

    Indeed, he was exactly like Lang Ga¡¯s described him, a grumpy old fellow.

    Entering the room, Shao Xuan shared the news that Mai allowed him to tag along during the next hunting mission.

    Ge¡¯s jaw almost fell on the ground at the news, he was totally stunned, while old Ke answered with a single ¡°hmm¡± calmly, as if he had already expected that. Without any morement, he asked Shao Xuan toe inside and craft the hunting tools.

    The stone tools for hunting need to be in much higher quality than those for training purposes, and crafting those stone tools took longer time. Shao Xuan already had plenty stone tools for training, but he only had a few for actual hunting purposes. Half of his handiwork was traded out by old Ke, and he gave those specially-made tools to Lang Ga and Mai as gifts. So what was left for his own use was quite limited in quantity.

    Shao Xuan also did not exin more, and he went inside after taking off his animal skin clothes.

    Ge looked at the straw curtain hanging there as a separator, and snickered. He knew that old Ke was treating Shao Xuan pretty seriously and he was hiding him from the others!

    It was true that during this period of time, old Ke allowed no one toe inside the house. However, there were people like Ge, who would try to enter by using the window. Of course there were also others that couldn¡¯t be stopped by old Ke, and Lang Ga¡¯s grandpa was just one of them.

    Old Ke was trying to keep Shao Xuan hidden from the others so he didn¡¯t get stolen away by some other stone crafters.

    ¡°Hey, old Ke. Do you know why they allowed Ah-Xuan to join the hunting mission in advance?¡± asked Ge.

    Old Ke remained silence.

    ¡°Humph, you can keep your little secret all to yourself anyway.¡± Ge walked inside and carefully lifted the straw curtain a bit. He quietly stared at Shao Xuan inside, trying to see what was different now, that made the old-fashioned stubborn Mai change his style.

    After a while observing, Ge walked back with one hand cupping his jaw with mouth wide open. He was totally stunned, as if he had seen a carnivorous animal suddenly be a herbivore.

    ¡°He, he, he¡­¡± Before Ge had the chance to describe what he saw, he noticed that old Ke was polishing a tooth-white sabre. All his words were swallowed back into his stomach, and after some time, Ge pointed at the sabre being polished and jabbered, ¡°You, you, you¡­¡±

    There were a lot of marks on the sabre¡¯s body, and plenty of dense small gaps were spread out over the de. Seen from afar, they looked like serrations, but in fact, these marks were caused by constant use. The original hilt was broken long time ago, so old Ke tore it down and the handle part now was exposed with an extending part of the sabre, the base the original hilt was installed on.

    Ge¡¯s sight was fixed on that sabre and it took him a really long time toe back to his senses. He had guessed what old Ke was about to do, which surprised him, that was even more shocking to him than seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s totemic patterns.

    When Shao Xuan came out of the room, as he had finished today¡¯s stone cores, old Ke was installing the hilt to that well-polished sabre. The thing he used for the hilt was a special kind of resin. After it had been mixed and heated up, it was then shaped into the shape of a hilt and covered the extending part of the sabre, until it cooled down and then became a new hilt. Shao Xuan also normally uses the same process, as those kinds of hilts felt much better than wooden ones or those made from straw ropes.

    ¡°Wait a second, take this sabre with you after I finish with the hilt.¡± Old Ke said to Shao Xuan, who was just about to leave.

    Shao Xuan looked up at that sabre. It was rtively wide, and the de was nearly half a meter long. The back of the sabre was as thick as a thumb, which was much thicker than most of Shao Xuan¡¯s work.

    Judging from Ge¡¯s expression, Shao Xuan knew that the sabre was something significant. He had not yet touched the sabre, so he couldn¡¯t say anything certain, but as he stared at the sabre, he sensed that a heavy icy feeling was permeating in the air, as if it was trying to push people down to the ground.

    ¡°That is¡­?¡± Shao Xuan was confused.

    ¡°That is a sabre made from the tooth of a ground komodo.¡± Ge red at the sabre with all the reluctance in the world. He wanted to grab it into his own arms. Ever since old Ke had his leg broken, no one had ever seen that sabre. In the past, he had begged old Ke for a thousand times, but old Ke still refused to take it out and let him have a look. However, now, old Ke was giving the sabre that represented his glorious days to Shao Xuan!

    Ge envied Shao Xuan in his heart, but he knew his own situation and he knew that he could only admire it, and lose all other thoughts.

    ¡°Ground komodo?!¡±

    It was a ground komodo!

    Although Shao Xuan had never seen one in real life, Shao Xuan had heard from Lang Ga and the others, that a ground komodo was a giant beast living under the ground. When facing a ground komodo during a hunting mission, no warrior should think about tossing any stone spearhead at him, and the only thing one could do was to run for their lives. No one wanted to challenge a ground komodo, because a human could never win.

    After listening to so many hunting stories from Lang Ga, Shao Xuan had never heard which hunting team had encountered a ground komodo.

    After old Ke passed the sabre to Shao Xuan and pushed him out the door, Ge was still staring at Shao Xuan¡¯s back but his sight was fixed on the sabre.

    The sabre did not look showy but it was pretty heavy, at least a hundred kilograms. Shao Xuan held the tooth sabre in front of his chest, and his mind was totally nk for a long time as he stood outside the house.

 Chapter 38 â€“ Preparation

    Chapter 38 ¨C Preparation

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan ced old Ke¡¯s sabre onto the newly-made stone table in his room, while Caesar bared his teeth as he red at the sabre, standing at least two meters away from it. Ever since he sniffed the sabre earlier, Caesar became extremely cautious and his eyes showed that he was extremely alert, for he kept his distance from the sabre all the time and never came near.

    Shao Xuan reached out his hand to touch the sabre¡¯s body, which was not the same cold feeling as normal stone knives. It had been decades, and the intense ferocious aura of the sabre finally settled down. After thousands of times¡¯ polishing, the knife became smaller in size because of the abrasion. The de was full of small dents once, but it became smooth and sharp again after old Ke re-polished it.

    Shao Xuan sighed slightly and he used a leather bag to carefully cover the sabre. He did not expect old Ke to give him such a precious sabre, without caring about that he might lose it.

    After cing it aside, Shao Xuan took out a piece of stone te. The stone that it was made from was not of good quality, and Shao Xuan was merely using it as a writing board. He had been keeping record on how many stone tools he needed to craft and how many had already beenpleted.

    Aside from spearheads and arrowheads, Shao Xuan nned to make a few stone balls to take to the hunting, which could be used for flying chains to trip the beasts.

    For the next three days, Shao Xuan had been stone crafting in old Ke¡¯s ce and he was there listening to old Ke¡¯s hunting stories.

    Old Ke did not brag about his glorious days, and Shao Xuan did not ask further. He assumed that old Ke would tell his legends when he wanted to.

    After they were finished with the work, old Ke asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Do you know why people in the mountainside district rarely go fishing?¡±

    That was something that Shao Xuan also wondered about, since people noticed that fishing was easy, why would so many people be so willing to risk their lives for hunting?

    To be honest, pulling out fish was quite simple, so one would not go through much trouble as long as they mastered the tactics in it. Besides, as far as Shao Xuan knew, not every person in mountainside district had sufficient food.

    However, in actuality, Shao Xuan had only seen a few old men, who had trouble walking around,e down the mountain and join the army of fishers. None of the kids living up there went fishing, let alone those warriors, except for those guards by the riverside. Basically no one would try to snatch the fish from people in the mountain foot district.

    Old Ke raised up his hand and stared afar through the window. From that direction, the mountains afar could be seen.

    ¡°Because of the tradition,¡± said old Ke, ¡°Nine hundred years ago, the Chief and the Shaman left an admonition together, that all warriors must go for hunting as long as they are not disabled. Even when the food is sufficient, no one shall indulge himself in a leisurely life. One can never ck off and should try every possible way to better himself!¡±

    It was never easy for totemic warriors to improve their strength. When they were hunting outside, they needed to be engaged in thousands of life-and-death struggles to improve themselves from first-level warriors to mid-level warriors. However, it would be extremely difficult if they wanted more progress. For warriors like Mai needed to be prepared to lose their lives every time they went hunting outside.

    Among the whole mountain, people living in the mountain foot district were the weakest in ability, which also meant that they were rtively the ck group of the tribe. But even so, every time when hunting, Shao Xuan had not seen a single face of reluctance. Everyone was so positive, even when they already had enough fish to support their living.

    Many warriors living up in the mountain would never allow their kids toe down the mountain for fishing. Perhaps they did not want their kids to have the concept of ¡°obtaining food is easy¡±. From the admonition that passed down through generations, all they needed to know was that they had to take risks to obtain food. To earn food and clothes, one had to put himself into danger and fight against those fierce animals in the forest.

    Pressure was the only motivation of improvement.

    ¡°Those warriors who had not been tested by hunting are no true warriors!¡± old Ke summarized.

    It sounded cruel, but quite understandable.

    Shao Xuan thought of the fresco he saw on the wall back in the cave, and thest sentence, ¡°One day, we shall return to our previousnd. Glory is still in the fire, and the fire of the Scorching Horn will never be put out.¡±

    After leaving old Ke¡¯s ce anding back to his own cabin, Shao Xuan counted the stone tools he made today, and sorted them out, while cing them at the same ce where he stored the other stone tools.

    The arrowheads that Shao Xuan crafted for himself were not the same as those he made for Lang Ga. These arrowheads had more streamlined bodies and the wings appeared more like t strips. Aside from those, Shao Xuan crafted a few three-winged arrowheads. Unlike the stone tools for training purposes, Shao Xuan had carved his name on every piece of stone tool that he nned to take with him on the hunting trip, which was a custom of all hunting warriors in the tribe.

    After sorting out the stone tools, Shao Xuan noticed that Caesar was yawning as he squatted there with his ears droopy. He was not spirited at all, and at first sight one would see him as azy dog lying in front of his own door. No wonder that Lang Ga and the others would just ignore him these days, instead of seeing him the same way as they saw game. Animals like Caesar were not challenging enough, and they certainly had no interest towards a wolf who had lost his wild nature.

    However, how should he deal with Caesar while he¡¯s gone hunting? It would be over twenty days!

    Leaving him home was not an option, and Shao Xuan would not feelfortable if there was no one to look after him.

    Send him up and ask for the Shaman¡¯s favor? No, that old wizard could barely look after himself when he got busy.

    Shao Xuan even considered whether he should send Caesar back to the orphan cave, but after some serious thought, he gave up on that idea, for Caesar would be totally undisciplined if he stayed in the cave, and no kid there could control his behavior.

    He thought of several people who might be able to take care of Caesar, but finally, Shao Xuan decided to ask old Ke to be his guardian. Also, Caesar would be obedient at old Ke¡¯s ce.

    Since Shao Xuan had been learning from old Ke for such a long time, Caesar became quite familiar with the ce. What¡¯s more, Shao Xuan believed that old Ke would be good to Caesar.

    So, three days after the previous hunting team came back, the other team prepared to set off.

    Carrying old Ke¡¯s sabre and the stone tools he crafted for himself, Shao Xuan took a detour to old Ke¡¯s house, for he nned to leave Caesar there. Aside from Caesar, Shao Xuan left plenty of fish and meat. Caesar was growing fast, and he ate more every day.

    ¡°Now be good and stay with old Ke. I¡¯ll pick you up once I return.¡±

    Shao Xuan could still hear Caesar¡¯s whine as he carried his equipment and climbed up the mountain. He sounded pretty pitiable¡­ He was more like a dog¡­

    ording to the earlier agreement with Lang Ga, Shao Xuan should stop by at his ce first, and then Lang Ga would be the one to take Shao Xuan to the mountain top. Before the hunting team set off, there was a gathering. Shao Xuan was unfamiliar with many rules and procedures, so he had to be guided by someone, or else he could easily make mistakes.

    By the time Shao Xuan arrived, Lang Ga was already waiting at the door, with quite a few big animal-skin bags full of tools and equipment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Lang Ga carried the bags and walked in the front.

    Many people saw Shao Xuan as he climbed the mountain with Lang Ga. People were pretty surprised to see him, for no one expected that Shao Xuan could tag along with the hunting team this time.

    ¡°Is Ah-Fei not with us?¡± Shao Xuan asked Lang Ga.

    Shao Xuan had seen Fei¡¯s figure, but he noticed that Fei did not carry any equipment, nor was he heading up the mountain. In fact, he nced at Shao Xuan angrily.

    ¡°Oh, him.¡± Lang Ga whispered, ¡°In thest hunting mission, thatd disobeyed some order and caused a scene. So Mai and the others forbade him to join this mission, but left him at home for reflection. If his reflection was satisfying, then perhaps he could join the third mission. But anyway, he can¡¯t go this time. So, you must remember to follow the orders when you are in the hunting team, Ah-Xuan.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    They met Ang and a few other warriors that were Lang Ga¡¯s friends, so they all went up to the mountaintop together.

    The gathering was held the same ce asst time¡¯s ritual ceremony, however, this time the fire fit was not lit entirely.

    The Shaman dressed in a grey cloak stood beside the fire pit with a stick in his hand, talking with Chief Ao. When Shao Xuan looked at him, the Shaman looked his way as well. After seeing Shao Xuan in the crowd, the Shaman obviously got stunned a little. Apparently he remembered Shao Xuan this time, and did not expect Shao Xuan to participate in this hunting mission as well.

 Chapter 39 â€“ Setting off

    Chapter 39 ¨C Setting off

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Although confused, the Shaman did note and ask, but continued his work as usual.

    The scene was not as spectacr as the ritual ceremony, which was attended by thousands of people. For every hunting mission, there were only about two hundred warriors. Warriors that got wounded fromst mission would remain at home for recovering, and there were some others who needed to wee a new birth at home, or needed to look after others. So they wouldn¡¯t be joining the hunting. Warriors in unstable conditions or had other assignments were also excluded from the hunting team. So even the same team would send out different warriors for different hunting missions.

    Lang Ga and the others stood on their old spots naturally, and Shao Xuan stood right next to them.

    In the front of the team stood the important people. There were about ten warriors and Mai was one of them.

    The Shaman stood beside the fire pit, with a stone bowl in his hand. Inside the bowl there was some dark green pigment extracted out of some nts.

    Warriors stepped forward one by one to let the Shaman draw patterns on their faces with that pigment in the bowl.

    The patterns were simr as their totemic patterns. As the Shaman was drawing, he whispered something in his mouth. Shao Xuan could not hear him clearly, or even if he heard him clearly, he could not understand what it meant.

    Not everyone in the hunting team could be painted on the face by the Shaman. The only group qualified enough to be painted were the important people standing in the front. Now their facial expressions were serious and respectful, as if they were in the middle of some holy ceremony.

    As for Lang Ga and the others, there was pure admiration in their eyes. Perhaps deep down in their hearts, they were dreaming about some day to stand in the front of the team, and obtain the Shaman¡¯s blessing before the hunting team set off.

    Even though Shao Xuan had his own opinions, his facial expression was just like everyone else in the crowd, which was serious enough, but mixed with some admiration.

    After all ten warriors had been painted and stood back to where they were before, the atmosphere immediately loosened up. Led by the Chief, people began to sing the Song of Hunting.

    It¡¯s such a shame that¡­ Shao Xuan did not know how to sing that!

    In the past, Shao Xuan had heard the Song of Hunting a few times, but he never managed to learn it. He had no idea that warriors were required to sing the song before the hunting teams set off.

    Shit, it¡¯s like not knowing how to sing national anthem in the middle of a g raising ceremony. So embarrassing to speak it out! Fuck!

    However, the problem was that within the tribe, normally parents and other elder rtives would tell their kids how to sing the Song of Hunting. Shao Xuan came from the orphan cave, and he was in fact not this previous Ah-Xuan in the inside, he had never paid attention to that song. Lang Ga and the others did not expect to teach him about that as well, so all ignored it.

    However, since Shao Xuan was not a real kid, he knew how to pretend even though he did now know how to sing the song.

    Shao Xuan remained calm and he stood there with his mouth opening and closing constantly in silence. If not paid extra attention, he could be identified as an offbeat person in the crowd.

    ¡°Our ancestors existed since the beginning of heaven and earth. We relied on hunting when our tribe rose. Spring is warm, with all ice and snow gone with the wind. Fowls and beasts dance, while birds and animals sing and warriors cheerfully go hunting¡­¡±

    Originally Shao Xuan assumed that the Song of Hunting woulde to an end after a few verses. However, as time went by, he discovered that the song was rather long, as if it was telling a story. Also, the verses described circumstances from spring to summer, and then from summer to autumn, while it finally ended in winter.

    It was not only a long story; it was a fucking sad story!

    As if all warriors were preparing to die chivalrously!

    He wondered which ¡°talent¡± in the tribe wrote that kind of a song.

    Even though the song described a lot of things that happened in hunting missions, and warned people to be cautious, especially during winter time, Shao Xuan found it hardly inspiring. However, almost all warriors at the scene became really excited with their necks turning red, as if they got high on marijuana.

    Shao Xuan could not understand these people¡¯s mentality anyway, and perhaps that was just the difference between insiders and an outsider.

    As Shao Xuan was singing silently in the crowd with his mouth opening and closing, the Shaman looked at his direction quite a few times. Shao Xuan sensed his sight already, but still, he kept his eyes fixed to the front and learnt from Lang Ga and the others. He got excited when others were excited. Also, when others took spears and roared at the sky, Shao Xuan copied and did the same. Lang Ga had mentioned before that Shao Xuan should do the same as he did, and then he wouldn¡¯t make any mistakes.

    The Shaman¡¯s old face twitched when he observed Shao Xuan from the fire pit. Of course he noticed that Shao Xuan did not know how to sing the Song of Hunting. However, he had never expected him to be so shameless. He acted as if he were a real expert at the song. Other kids would already have been really scared if they were in Shao Xuan¡¯s situation.

    After a whole Song of Hunting, Shao Xuan felt that he had digested all the food he had in the morning.

    Since the pep rally worked, the Chief did not say any more, but asked the main leader of this hunting mission to lead the team and set off. There were timings on hunting missions, or there would be many troubles if they missed the timing.

    Shao Xuan lifted his legs and walked forwards after Lang Ga.

    He sensed a sight fixed on him, and it was just thed Mao as Shao Xuan looked that way.

    Mao was in a big surprise, for he did not expect that there would still be some newly-awakened warrior tagging along in the hunting mission, given that Fei had an ident duringst hunting mission. The truth was, because of that ident, even those good-behaved newly-awakened warriors weren¡¯t allowed to join this mission. Obviously, Mao did not consider himself as one of the ¡°newly-awakened¡± warriors.

    Shao Xuan looked away after a glimpse at Mao. To avoid making mistakes, he had to follow up with Lang Ga, and how could he spare extra energy to stare at some wimpy kid?

    As the hunting team went down the mountain from the top, there were a lot of people gathering on both sides of the Path of Glory. In this hunting team, there were only two newly-awakened warriors, who were just Mao and Shao Xuan, so these two were extremely outstanding among all warriors.

    Many people living up in the mountain were not familiar with Shao Xuan. So after they saw Shao Xuan in the team, they only realized that he was the one that got awakened in advance from that ritual ceremony when others told them.

    This was yet another asion for Shao Xuan to be seen in public. So he impressed even those who did not remember Shao Xuanst time. Marching with the hunting team meant that he had the ability. All people respected those with strong abilities.

    With the team going down, there were more and more familiar faces. People were waving their fists towards Shao Xuan, not as threatening him, but as a kind of encouragement.

    To Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, children from the cave also gathered by the Path of Glory. They joined in the group to see them off, with admirations in their eyes, and their little fists in the air.

    Shao Xuan was a little touched, for they showed gratitude so he didn¡¯t help them in vain.

    Also, Shao Xuan recognized Sai in the crowd.

    However, Sai was brought here by his father against his own will. Sai nned to sleep more in the early morning, but got dragged to the Path of Glory by his old man. He was watching the hunting warriors reluctantly, but the eyes of him suddenly became wide open and his yawn stopped in the middle. He spotted Shao Xuan in the team, and then he looked at his old man stiffly¡­

    As expected, Sai¡¯s father narrowed his eyes as he saw Shao Xuan in the team. Of course he nned on strengthening Sai¡¯s training, and thinking how to train him harder when they got back.

    When the hunting team got to the end of the Path of Glory, it speeded up, until the noise faded away and people behind could not be heard.

    Shao Xuan carried all his equipment on his back and followed Lang Ga closely. Here was still the region that tribal warriors would patrol around. Ahead, there was a small t ground. They would be finally outside of the tribe¡¯s territory once they passed the t ground.

    Running on the thick grass, Shao Xuan took the time to look up at the forest on the other side of the t ground.

    Fog rose up like steam, and then stopped in the middle of the air. It looked depressingly heavy since the fog covered arge area of the forest. A sharp and rigid mountain top revealed its face above the fog and cloud, as a ck eye looking down at everything.

    Before he even went into the forest, Shao Xuan felt a heavy pressure, as if being buried alive.

    In fact, before they went into the forest, there was a small break, when leaders assigned their tasks to warriors.

    Shao Xuan took the chance to ask Lang Ga a question, who was sorting his ground bows, ¡°So what should I doter?¡±

    Lang Ga smiled, ¡°You don¡¯t bother thinking, all you have to do is to keep up with the team.¡±

 Chapter 40 â€“ Entering

    Chapter 40 ¨C Entering

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After resting a while, the main leader entered the forest, together with forty warriors, while the remaining people waited outside.

    The other warriors were divided into five smaller groups. Instead of entering the forest together, they would enter their own hunting areas ording to the originally nned routes.

    As Shao Xuan was listening to Lang Ga¡¯s words, he looked up and saw that Mai was leading Mao in their direction.

    ¡°That kid was not in our group. Why is he here now? Wants to change a route?¡± Ang whispered to some of his pals in a low voice.

    ¡°Just a minute ago I saw Mao went to the leader, and right after that, Mai was called upon.¡± Kui, who was pretty close with Lang Ga and Ang, exined. Kui was not much older than Shao Xuan, however, he grew fast after his awakening, so now he was almost the same height as Lang Ga.

    Lang Ga and Ang curled their mouths at the same time.

    Shao Xuan knew it in his heart, that the leader of the hunting team was Mao¡¯s old man. He learnt it from Lang Ga and his friends¡¯ talks.

    Mao had considerable ability of his own, which was one of the reasons that he could have the chance to tag along with the hunting team. He was indeed much better than most of his peers, and he behaved quite well during the previous hunting mission. The other reason that he could be part of the hunting team was because of his father. With these two factorsbined, other warriors in the hunting team surely had no problem with Mao¡¯s presence in the team.

    Apparently it was Mao¡¯s own idea toe to their group, and the leader had approved that.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan,e here and see. You and Mao awakened at the same time, and you are simr in ages. However, Mao has more hunting experience than you, so you guys shouldmunicate more with each other when it¡¯s time to hunting.¡± Said Mai.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Shao Xuan did not show any reluctant expression, for he had no reason, nor qualification to do that.

    To Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, Mao did not reveal the ¡°I am the world¡¯s king¡± kind of attitude that he used to reveal, nor did he look at Shao Xuan provocatively. Instead, he was quite obedient and he paid extra attention when Mai was arranging the ns of their mission. Judging from that, he was indeed much smarter than Fei.

    After a while, there were sounds of a wood-whistle from deep in forest. The whistle sounded like a bird or deer¡¯s wail, so it didn¡¯t feel out of ce from the forest.

    That was the signal sent from the advance party, meaning that there were no wild beasts ahead that were beyond the warriors¡¯ ability, and there was nothing unusual from before. So the follow-up team could advance.

    The advance party would send signals of safety or danger after some preliminary scouting, but they would not wait for the follow-up groups to hunt together. Since they were considered the best, their hunting area was not the same as the other groups. Tuo and Keke, that Shao Xuan knew, were both in the advance party.

    ¡°Okay, now it¡¯s time for us to enter!¡± Mai called on the others in the group, ¡°As usual, we have to arrive at the other side of the mountain before sunset!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the mountain that Mai pointed out, which was a big, tall mountain. If Shao Xuan were in hisst life, it would be totally impossible for him to even think about that. However, here, he had already gotten used to it.

    The other groups had other hunting routes, and some of them would take detours in other directions, instead of climbing a mountain.

    The thirty-warrior team entered the deep forest, while each and every one of them carried a lot of equipment. However, as they were travelling between the trees, not much sound was created.

    Above, there were numerous ancient trees, whose stretching branches and wide leaves almost covered the sky. Beneath those trees there were many unidentified shrubs clustering together. Between the spaces of the shrubs, there were roots of giant ancient trees exposing themselves above the ground.

    Warriors all jumped on the trunk from the ground, and then energetically leaped among the branches. About thirty people jumping over one by one, while the branches merely shook slightly. The sound of leaves in the forest did not attract any creature¡¯s special attention.

    Shao Xuan followed the man ahead of him and jumped from the ground to the trunk. And a short timeter he jumped on a huge vine from the branch where he stood at.

    The giant vine was a few meters wide as it wound around the ancient tree. There was ayer of moss covering its surface. Moist air made the moss as smooth as velvet, and one could easily slip and fall down when stepping on the moss. However, if one could keep his bnce, it was a nice slide.

    Sliding on the vine and moving fast, Shao Xuan could feel the fresh scent filling in his nose. That was the scent of the nts, with flowers¡¯ fragrance mixed in. Aside from that, with the high temperature, moist air lifted up all the smells of the creatures living in the forest¡­

    That was the breath of an untainted forest, full of life, danger and thrill. Smelling the air, people¡¯s body hair seemed to tremble with excitement!

    A millstone-sized ote insect was lying on the vine ahead, with three rows of pattern-like eyes. As the insect crawled, the three rows of eyes blinked as it was scanning around the surroundings with its eyes.

    The hunting group did not slow down because of the obstacle ahead. Without any irregr sound, Shao Xuan saw that insect be pushed away from the vine and thrown down.

    Whoosh!

    A big bird flew below the vine so promptly that it could barely be seen. And the falling insect was picked up by the flying bird.

    With the marching of the hunting group, the light was sometimes dim and sometimes bright. The vine arched high and then fell into the jungle again.

    Above, coiled around a bulky branch, there was a bucket-width wide serpent, with colorful patterns on its body. However, that was nothing special in this forest.

    Perhaps the serpent was full already, as it seemedzy. As the hunting warriors were sliding down the branch on the vine, it looked down at them as it stuck its two-pronged snake tongue out, staring at the people passing by without emotion.

    Shao Xuan felt the icy sight of the snake ahead, but kept following up with Lang Ga. Since the people ahead did not mind that snake above, of course he did not need to pay extra attention. Qua experience, Shao Xuan was merely a greenhorn. He still had to learn when to strike and when not, so he just followed.

    Now Shao Xuan was in the middle part of the group, and there were other warriors behind him.

    The warriors after him originally figured that since it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first hunting mission, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t adjust himself to it so easily. So they could lend a hand if Shao Xuan could not keep up the rhythm or slip by mistake. However, unexpectedly, Shao Xuan could follow the group closely, without making a single mistake!

    Along the path, Shao Xuan had seen a lot of game. Some of them were giant bears, also some things that he could not name, while some of them were small beasts running among the bushes. However, the hunting group did not slow down or even look at those animals, but kept marching towards the mountain that Mai pointed at earlier.

    As they got closer to the mountain, the species of the nts changed. There were less ancient trees and the hunting group did not go through the trees anymore.

    Seeing that Lang Ga and the others ahead slowed down, Shao Xuan slowed down ordingly.

    Mai gestured towards the warriors behind him, so seven or eight warriors immediately spread out in the near surroundings to see if there were any dangerous fierce animals around.

    After the safety was confirmed, Mai told the hunting group to take a short rest.

    The lined-up group changed its formation and became more rxed. But no one was just standing and all were preparing and sorting their equipment.

    ¡°Pretty tired, huh?¡­¡±

    When Lang Ga was sorting his ground bows, he turned his head to ask Shao Xuan if he was tired. When tired, one should drink and eat some food as a supplement for the physical strength consumption. Lang Ga nned to tell him that he should not put so much pressure on himself, for after all, they had marched from the edge of the forest to deep down its center, and one would need to stay focused to avoid making mistakes. With tense nerves, one could easily get exhausted both mentally and physically. For some newly-awakened warriors, it was indeed a real task. Even Mao, who was publicly-acknowledged as the best among his peer, was now a little short of breath.

    However, Lang Ga¡¯s caring words got stuck in his throat when he saw Shao Xuan. Thatd acted as if nothing happened. Not only was he not short of breath, he had the energy to pay attention to that tree civet on that tree!

 Chapter 41 â€“ Black wind

    Chapter 41 ¨C ck wind

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time seeing this little beast, which was called a tree civet. It was not muchrger than an adult¡¯s palm, and among its grey fur there were some brown lines mixed in. On its round hairy head, there were two big ck eyes, and it seemed particrly innocent when it stared at people with those eyes. The ears on both sides were slightly droopy. It squatted on a branch which was at least ten meters high, with his arms around the trunk and eyes fixed down on the people below.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at it. That little thing is not good to eat.¡± Lang Ga whispered to Shao Xuan. As they were taking the short break, talking was not forbidden, but all people talked in a low voice.

    Generally speaking, people in the tribe were not picky about a food¡¯s vor, and they would swallow down those unsavory foods as long as they could provide energy. When evaluated as ¡°not good to eat¡±, probably that thing was not only unsavory, but was probably also harmful to one¡¯s body.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they afraid of people?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Many beasts would not feel afraid when they first see people. Instead, they would be more curious. However, if you show any trace of killing intent, it would be totally different.¡± Lang Ga said, as he lifted his ground bow with the arrow pointed at the tree civet on the tree.

    One minute earlier the tree civet seemed harmless and innocent, but now it kept its mouth wide open, and looked rather ferocious, with a mouthful of sharp teeth.

    Lang Ga did not shoot towards the tree civet, but lowered his weapon and ignored it.

    ¡°Little meat and not good to eat. It¡¯s sound is also creepy.¡± Lang Ga looked away after saying that, and continued to work on his ground bows to see if there¡¯s any damage.

    When Lang Ga had left, the tree civet restored its normal appearance.

    A finger-length flying worm flew near it, with his wings ttering. On its surface there was ayer of thin scales, which reflected the sunlight. It was so sparkly and it flew really fast in the air. One second it was at one spot and the next second it was at another spot, as if it could move to another ce instantly.

    Whoosh!

    The tree civet waved its arm and reached out his paw in the air, like it knew the ce where the flying worm was headed.

    Within the blink of an eye, the flying worm was caught in the tree civet¡¯s paw.

    Shao Xuan noticed that the tree civet twisted a bit on the flying worm¡¯s wings to break them, and then held the worm in its paw as if it was a breadstick. One bite after another, the worm went into the tree civet¡¯s belly, and the tree civet stared down at Shao Xuan as it ate.

    When there was only a tail of the flying worm left, the tree civet stopped biting. After taking a look at the remaining tail in its paw, the tree civet looked down at Shao Xuan and then quickly threw the tail towards him.

    Feeling the flying worm¡¯s remains flying towards his face, Shao Xuan dodged and the worm remains missed him by half a step.

    ¡°Jia, jia, Jia!¡±

    The tree civet began to haul.

    Shao Xuan thought that perhaps his dodging earlier made the tree civet angry, while he saw that not far away, Ang acted slightly. Then Shao Xuan looked at the tree civet¡¯s direction, but only to find that it had already left, as if it was avoiding something.

    Ang rushed towards the direction that the tree civet fled, and he climbed onto a tree nimbly. On his back there were five short spears which were only half the length of normal spears, to be used as javelins.

    The others in the hunting group all quieted down, and they even lowered their breaths. If not having seen with his own eyes, Shao Xuan would never have expected that there were so many people staying here.

    Ang seemed to see something and he silently pulled out a short spear quickly and prepared to throw it out. However, the moment before he was going to throw, he stopped and showed a gesture to the others.

    Mai thought about it and waved to call Ang back.

    Ang climbed down the tree with regret on his face. At the meantime, all the others in the hunting group began to find convex stones and tree roots to hide themselves. Naturally Shao Xuan did the same.

    In the time of two breaths, Shao Xuan saw something fox-like jump out from the bushes. It ran towards a direction after sniffing around for a second.

    Lang Ga told Shao Xuan to keep on waiting.

    After a while, Shao Xuan heard some scratching noises. It was some creature walking and rubbing the leaves and branches.

    A seven-meter-high creature slowly came into their sights. It had brown fur, thick limbs, and an extremely strong tail. It looked ferocious, but judging from its slowness and heavy body, it seemed a littlezy and foolish.

    After sniffing with his nose, it went beside some trees and stood up on its hind legs, while its strong tail pushed against the ground, and formed a triangle with the legs. As it stood up, it¡¯s forelegs showed the sharp ws with giant hook-like sickles. Its ws quickly hooked over the branches ahead, and cut the branches with leaves, like he was harvesting wheat.

    That was a leaf-eating animal, but judging from Mai¡¯s reaction, Shao Xuan knew that it was not easy to be dealt with. Recalling the hunting stories that he had heard before, Shao Xuan figured that the big animal ahead should be the giant-w beast. Although this giant-w beast appeared to be big enough in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, in fact, this was merely a juvenile one, for adult giant-w beasts should be bigger in size.

    Also, it only lookedzy and heavy on the outside. When faced with danger or threat, they could be really quick to react, and its giant ws could easily uproot a tree.

    In fact, giant-w beasts were also in the hunting list of the hunting group, however, Mai did notmand the warriors to attack it.

    Those trees were not tall enough, and as soon as it finished eating all those fresh leaves, and as the remaining ones didn¡¯t arouse his interest, it left walking on his four limbs, still behaving like azy animal.

    When it had left, Mai led the others to continue to climb up the mountain.

    As they were marching to the top, Lang Ga examined a few traps underway that he set up in the past. Inside them there were some pitiful animals. Since they did not fall in the traps long time ago, they were still alive, and were executed by warriors in the hunting group in the blink of an eye.

    These were norge traps, so the animals they caught were rtively small in size.

    Lang Ga shared his experience with Shao Xuan while he was adjusting those traps.

    Pointing at the warriors dealing with the preys, Lang Ga exined, ¡°After you catch something, you have to examine it first to see if it¡¯s ill. For example, that animal we caught earlier had uncolored eyes and bald spots in his fur. If you cut it open, you would smell a funny smell from its meat. Even if the prey lived, it wouldn¡¯t be alive for long. Any warrior would share its fate if he ate its meat.¡±

    On the other side, the warriors in charge of handling the preys had already promptly skinned those animals, and ripped out all their guts. The animals were sliced into meat straps and were put in bags, on which some grass essence was smeared to cover the smell.

    Mai guided the group and he focused on leading them to climb over the mountain. So along the way, they did not hunt forrge-sized animals.

    The climate on the mountaintop was not as mild as the climate down below. Snow glistened in the sun, while one could clearly see therge basin on the other side of the mountain.

    Finally, before sunset, the hunting team arrived at the other side of the mountain and they reached a cave in the mountain side, which was in fact a stronghold of the hunting team. Their hunting group would spend the night inside.

    It was naturally easier since they had a shelter for the night.

    After a day¡¯s intense journey, warriors rxed their nerves, since they could finally get some rest.

    ¡°A bear used to live in this cave. Our hunting team put it to rest forever and took the ce for our own use.¡± Lang Ga exined the cave¡¯s origin to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Lang Ga, how did Ah-Fei make a mistake during thest hunting mission?¡±

    A minute ago, Lang Ga was proudly bragging about his hunting deeds, now he sighed with his smile gone and disappeared. He approached Shao Xuan andined in a low voice, ¡°Hey, you¡¯d better be the judge. Ah-Fei could have messed with everything in the forest, but finally he chose to mess around with the Thorn ck Wind!¡±

    ck Wind did not refer to some kind of a beast, but a general term that the tribe¡¯s people used to call those prey who preferred to hunt at night. So normally they would call them ¡°something ck Wind¡±, while Thorn ck Wind was just one kind of them.

    After sunset, the temperature began to drop, and warriors used a giant stone to block the entrance of the cave. However, chilly wind still poured in from the edges. Inside the cave there was a bonfire, and with so many people huddled together, it was not so cold. If he looked at the sky outside, Shao Xuan knew he could see two crescent moons in the sky.

    Lang Ga and the others said that tomorrow¡¯s weather would be fine.

    While outside the cave, in the silent forest during the night hours, nocturnal animals began to wake up in that basin, which seemed to be peaceful when seen from the outside.

    In a middle-sizedke located in the mountain foot area, there were waves on the surface of the water. A giant body quietly emerged from the water and crawled towards the bank. Those nocturnal animals who were drinking water silently fled away for safety.

    Instead of chasing after those little preys, the giant beast stood still by the pool, and waited patiently for the water to drip down its fur and for the wind to dry its body. It only began to move until the moonlight no longer reflected off its dry body, and its giant figure soon disappeared in the dark.

 Chapter 42 â€“ Wild boar

    Chapter 42 ¨C Wild boar

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    At dawn, all the warriors in the cave recovered their energy after a night¡¯s rest, and were taking inventory of the equipment they nned to take for huntingter.

    They all brought a lot of stone tools from the tribe, and there were some spare stone tools stored in the cave. However, they could never take all the things when hunting, so they needed to select only a part of them.

    Aside from old Ke¡¯s sabre, Shao Xuan brought a long spear, and carried three short spears on his back. Compared with the others, Shao Xuan did not bring much equipment. After all, it was only his first hunting mission, and the first thing he should do was to adjust and observe.

    After they ate something for breakfast, Mai pushed away the giant stone that blocked the entrance of the cave.

    The sun had not risenpletely, and moist wind mixed with the fresh cool air from outside blew into the cave, which felt brisk and invigorating.

    The location of the cave was rtively remote. Not far ahead there was a steep slope, where one could probably reach the mountain foot directly if he rolled down from there. There were not many trees around, nor were there any animals.

    Outside the cave, Shao Xuan could see the mountain surrounded by clouds, and the basin down there. If you ignored the hidden threats and ferocious animals, the forest was pretty beautiful.

    ¡°Before hunting, you have to know the preys¡¯ habits. For example, small preys like rabbits mostlye out for food at night, and they tend to hide themselves during daylight.¡± Lang Ga said to Shao Xuan as they went down the mountain. In the meantime, he pointed out at some weeds and nts with bite marks left by wild rabbits which were active at night.

    ¡°Wild sheep normally are barely seen around this mountain, and they only exist in the other mountains. But sometimes one or two of them woulde here. During wintertime, theye out for food in the daylight, while in summer, they tend toe out in the mornings and evenings, and hide in the valley at noon to rest. I will show you after a few days when we get to the basin. Also there are other small-sized preys that prefer to live in the edges of the forest. During daylight they would hide in the bushes, or under trees, resting, ande out in the mornings and evenings¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan carefully listened to Lang Ga¡¯s words, and he tried to memorize all of them by heart. That was the knowledge that one needed to know if they wanted to survive in here. Only by learning about all the preys¡¯ habits could a hunting warrior know when to chase and when to stop, so as to improve the efficiency.

    ¡°Aside from that, when in search of prey, you should first take a close look at the trails, such as the fresh scratches on the trees and clear footprints on the ground. They all mean thattely the prey was in that particr area. In general, animals may still use this old path as long as you do not wantonly destroy or damage the surrounding environment¡­ If they sense your presence, you should just hold your breath and be still, just as when you met that tree civet yesterday. Perhaps the animals haven¡¯t seen humans before, and their curiosity would be stronger than their fear. By the way, for newly-awakened warriors like yourself, you are not strong enough to hunt down thoserge-sized beasts. You¡¯d better avoid those ones, especially ferocious beasts, or else you would be the prey instead of the hunter.¡±

    Just then, Lang Ga became quiet and observed the traces on the ground and the grass nearby closely, ¡°A wild boar had been here.¡±

    Along the path there were a lot of traces, Lang Ga collected them all, and went to Mai for discussion, ¡°There¡¯s a little boar nearby. Since we have not entered the center of the hunting area, can I take Ah-Xuan and the others for a warm-up exercise?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Mai said to Lang Ga and then discussed a few words with Qiao beside him.

    Qiao and Mai were wife and husband. When Shao Xuan first heard Qiao¡¯s name, he joked with Lang Ga that they were doomed to be a couple, however, it was a shame that Lang Ga could not get Shao Xuan¡¯s joke at all. [EN: Mai means wheat and Qiao means buckwheat]

    In their hunting group there were only seven female warriors, and Qiao was the strongest among them. Qiao and Mai were both mid-level totemic warriors, and in the past they would always separately lead a dozen warriors and go hunting. After, they would then meet up with each other.

    ording to the strategy that she worked out with Mai before, Qiao led a group of warriors and they left to chase the giant-antler deer.

    Mai continued on the original path with the others.

    ¡°Lang Ga, you take Ang and the others to find that boar, while I take the rest to check out the other side. Do not go too deep into the forest.¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    There were a lot of traps that Lang Ga set on the mountain, from rope traps, falling stone traps, to other kinds like sharp knife traps. Lang Ga pointed them out to Shao Xuan so that he did not fall in any of them.

    Soon, Lang Ga discovered that wild boar¡¯s tracks, so he told Shao Xuan and Mao to wait here, as he went to drive out that boar.

    Shao Xuan stood on a tree while watching the surroundings vigorously. Even though Mai and Lang Ga both said there were no giant ferocious beasts nearby, he still had to be cautious of the worms and snakes.

    Not afar, there came roars of the boar, and the sound got nearer as time went by. Apparently Lang Ga¡¯s driving worked, and that boar did not run towards other directions.

    While paying attention to the approaching sound, Shao Xuan carried his long spear with his left hand, then pulled out a short spear and held it in his right hand forter use.

    ¡°Later you can see what I do to hunt it down. For some preys, you could just trap them down, and then take their lives with a long spear.¡± Mao said, standing on another tree. In his tone there was obvious pride. Since there was no one else here, that fellow tore down his mask and behaved like an experienced hunting warrior.

    Shao Xuan nced at him while still paying attention to the approaching sound.

    Lang Ga and Mai both said that it was only a little wild boar, but judging from the sound it created, Shao Xuan did not think it was little at all. The wild boar rushing out from the bushes weighed at least two hundred kilos! It seemed like a bear at first look!

    But apparently, that size could only be considered as a small one in the eyes of Lang Ga.

    That wild boar was running fast.

    Also, it seemed to sense the ambush ahead, so it turned to another direction. Shao Xuan hurriedly ran after it, while Mao from the other tree ran ahead of Shao Xuan.

    Whoosh!

    A short spear flew at the wild boar like an arrow.

    Whiz!

    The spearhead went into the ground, while it missed the wild boar by centimeters.

    Mao reacted quickly, as the second spear arrived there right after the first spear. Suddenly a loud roar came out from the boar¡¯s throat.

    The second short spear went into its neck and the spearhead had half entered its skin.

    The wild boar roared loudly, and rushed towards a tall tree beside him with the short spear in its neck. When it got near the tree, it rubbed down the spear in its neck on the trunk.

    There was only a little blood on the spearhead, and obviously, Mao¡¯s earlier throw did not cause much harm to that wild boar.

    He threw twice yet neither of them worked. Mao felt pretty upset, for earlier, he was too eager to act, which cost him the best timing to throw. He couldn¡¯t evenplete his third throw, so he just continued chasing the wild boar with a short spear grasped in his hand. He did not find that Shao Xuan had any intention to act, so he figured that as long as he did not miss the third throw, he could still be better than Shao Xuan.

    For the hunting warriors on their first hunting mission, even when they had heard plenty of hunting stories and they were quite solid in theory, they would find that during the real hunting mission, there was little time to think. So either would they be too hasty to miss the best timing, or would they be too cautious and waste the best timing to strike. They would wait until thest minute and only in thest minute would they find that the opportunity had slipped away.

    Because of that, in the eyes of Mao, even though he missed the best opportunity, he still had one shot on the boar. Unlike Shao Xuan, who did not act during the whole process.

    Instead of slowing down after it had been pierced by that short spear, the wild boar speeded up, as if it was his way of life.

    At the time Mao was about to strike for the third time, there was a slight sounding from behind him. The next moment, there was a spear pinned on the ground. The spear almost hit the boar¡¯s hoof, and its shaft stopped in front of the boar¡¯s paws. Obviously that wild boar also did not expect to be blocked like that, so it was tripped by it. Before it could have a second to react, a second short spear arrived and this time it was right behind its raised foreleg!

    The wooden shaft broke as the wild boar struggled to rush forward, while the wild boar got tripped down because of the two short spears in a row. It rolled over on the ground, and just when it was about to get up, a figure from the tree beside him jumped out and rushed down to shoot.

    The long spear was like a shooting star and fell down from the air directly into the wild boar¡¯s neck. That was just where the first wound was!

    Shrill screeching sounds, even more shrill than before, pricked people¡¯s ears.

    With the long spear inside the boar¡¯s neck, Shao Xuan did not pull it out immediately. Instead, he pushed the spear deeper inside!

    Puff!

    The spearhead nearly pierced through the wild boar¡¯s neck, while its roar suddenly stopped. Only its four limbs struggled, but it was doomed already, and the strength of its struggle was fading.

 Chapter 43 â€“ High-level prey

    Chapter 43 ¨C High-level prey

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Lang Ga and the others soon gathered around the wild boar. In fact, they were behind them and were watching all along. Originally, they assumed that it would take them some time to take down that wild boar, however, unexpectedly, these two kids killed that beast quite fast.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Lang Ga said as he looked at the not yet dead wild boar.

    When using a stone spear, one had to be really quick and urate. Also, the strength must be sufficient, or else it would hardly be effective, not to mention piercing through the thick skin of the wild boar. Even the best stone tool needed to be used properly to work. However, Lang Ga felt that these two kids had already mastered the skills of using spears, judging from the earlier circumstances. Lang Ga and the others secretly nodded in their mind.

    While Mao stood there, mind nk. He did not expect that Shao Xuan could act so fast, given that he had not joined a single hunting mission before! Actually, it was just a moment between him tripping the wild boar and sticking that long spear into its neck.

    Was that really his first time hunting?

    Not only Mao, Lang Ga and the others were sighing at heart. No wonder Mai allowed Shao Xuan to tag along this time. Indeed, that boy had the talent in him.

    In fact, Shao Xuan was merely acting all by instinct. It was his first hunting experience, so naturally there was nothing as experience. However, it was just when he chased after the wild boar, there was a moment when he felt that it would be good to strike. So without hesitation, he activated his totemic power and tossed out two short spears in a row, after which he put it down with a fatal strike with that long spear. If the wild boar didn¡¯t trip, it would¡¯ve been rather difficult for him to urately stab the long spear through its wound.

    Shao Xuan looked at the broken shafts in his hand and frowned a little. Two short spears and one long spear all broke down. The first two were cracked by the wild boar, while the long spear broke because it could not bear the pressure when Shao Xuan made the final strike.

    So it seemed that aside from the stone spearheads, he should pay extra attention to the wooden material on stone tools.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There is plenty of good timber in the forest. We can chop a few trees down and take them back in the cave for handles.¡± Lang Gaforted him.

    It was true that in the few mountains around their tribe, there was not much good timber. There were fine stones, but when it came to timber, it was not so satisfying. So every time when hunting teams went on a mission, they would bring more spearheads with them, while making the handles with timber from the forests.

    When dealing with rtivelyrger beasts, normally Lang Ga and the others would first bleed them, and pour the blood into the containers they brought with them, forter use. The containers usually were made from gourd-like nts. The blood was drinkable, and meat would be more properly stored if it was bled out.

    At that time, Lang Ga still remembered to pass on his wisdom to Shao Xuan, ¡°Generally speaking, wild boars have a rather fixed living area, and they would rest in the brushwood near the water. Their routes for food rarely change, and they would only find new ces when there¡¯s no food in their old habitats or when faced with danger. When it gets colder on the mountain, they would move to the valley where it¡¯s warmer and bathe in the sun¡­¡±

    Lang Ga and the others also intended to skin it and take out all its organs while its body was still warm. However, unexpectedly, they heard a few sounds of whistles before they could do that.

    It was a signal from Mai, telling Lang Ga and the others toe, for they had encounteredrge-sized animals.

    There was no time for skinning, Lang Ga and the others seriously looked at each other and began to pack their things to rush to that direction.

    ¡°Just leave that boar and keep up with us!¡± Lang Ga said.

    Shao Xuan wasted no time on that boar and without a single look at the game on the ground, he followed up closely with Lang Ga and the others.

    There were different rankings of prey, as different levels of animals meant that they contained different scales of energy. In the same size of meat, the one from an high-level prey would keep you fuller for longer. However, if you ate the meat from an inferior prey, you wouldn¡¯t feel as full and after some time running or walking, you would feel hungry again. That was also the reason why more warriors preferred to hunt for the high-level prey in the forest, and they especially focused on the ferocious beasts, instead of normal beasts.

    Surely there were some reasons for referring certain kinds of animals as ferocious beasts. For example, the ck Wind that Lang Ga mentionedst night was considered as one of the ferocious beast. It¡¯s just that no one in the tribe dared to mess around with a ck Wind easily, for it was nearly impossible to be hunted down.

    Intermittent bangs resounded closer and closer, as if some giant animal was stepping on the ground. The earth beneath their feet trembled, together with the sound of breaking branches. Many small-sized animals and beasts were fleeing for their survival, and trying to leave that dangerous pace.

    ¡°You two, keep your distance!¡± Lang Ga prevented Shao Xuan and Mao from going nearer, and then promptly went towards the sound¡¯s direction together with the others.

    Shao Xuan gasped when he got to see that creature.

    Finally, he learnt why Mai and Lang Ga called the earlier wild boar a ¡°little¡± one. Compared with the huge monster ahead, the wild boar that they killed earlier was like a toy car, while this monster was a tough armored vehicle.

    ¡°Four-fanged wild boar! It is a four-fanged!¡± Mao standing beside him got quite excited and surprised. After all, it was not easy for them to encounter such a prey. Unexpectedly, he saw such a monster at only his second hunting trip! How could he not be excited?

    Normally, male wild boars would have a pair of upward turning fangs, while the ten-meter mountain-like giant boar had four pairs of them. Aside from the huge fangs revealed from its mouth like normal boars, the other three pairs were on its face. The most upfront pair was located on its forehead, and a little shorter than the other three pairs.

    The four pairs of fangs turned to the same direction and almost formed a shield, which could easily crush down the tree in front of it.

    Shao Xuan wondered if those fangs and horns affected its ability to see things.

    ording to the ssification that people in the tribe had for wild boars, a three-fanged boar could be considered as ferocious beast, let alone this four-fanged one.

    The bristles on its neck stood up like steel needles because of anger and excitement, given that the four-fanged boar was sieged.

    When Shao Xuan set his eyes on that four-fanged wild boar, it had quite a few spears on its body already. Those spears obviously didn¡¯t pierce deep through its skin with only a single thrust. They again pushed in hard after the spearhead entered into its body. There were also a few broken spears, with only the spearheads or part of the handle exposed in the air. That was because their handles broke under too much strength.

    Many figures were pretty active around the wild boar.

    Mai moved his body to dodge the thick trunk thrown by that wild boar, and in a moment all the strength inside his body gathered together and reached the peak. Mai leaped and stepped on one broken handle which then pierced deeper inside the boar¡¯s body, and mmed at the boar with his clenched fist as if hitting on it with a Warhammer, which spread out a fierce pressure!

    The spot that got mmed, dented in immediately and its flesh nearby vibrated like ripples.

    The wild boar sprang up with a loud and clear howl, as if it could tear up all the space. Its big snout sted out a gust of hurricane-like wind, whirling around the surroundings, which caused all the branches to get blown off by force and fly away.

    Naturally, Shao Xuan who was standing not afar experienced that strong howl.

    It was so fu*king¡­ smelly!

    The four-fanged wild boar literally became anxious because of all the punches it bore. Its rigid big hoofs crashed the convex stones along its way, and destroyed almost all obstacles in front of it. It had the momentum to kill and sweep away anyone or anything, and it ran even faster than before.

    ¡°Do not let it get near the water!¡± Mai shouted.

    It took him a lot of efforts to drive that big thing into that forest, so he couldn¡¯t let it escape! Let alone that there were some dangerous creatures hidden by the pool that they would never want to mess around with. Luckily, those big ones usually do note out during daylight.

    Fifteen totemic warriors, among which five of them were mid-level warriors, oddly they did not manage to stop that four-fanged wild boar. Fortunately, Qiao and the others rushed to their assistance at the whistle, and joined the hunting circle.

    Hammers, axes, and stone chains were all used in the hunting, while numerous spears were broken during the process. Finally, they stopped the four-fanged wild boar before it could escape the forest.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s racing heartbeat calmed down by the sound of that boar hitting the ground, and the tense nerves rxed immediately. He ran towards Lang Ga after receiving a gesture of ¡°safety¡± from him.

    Shao Xuan emptied his container of that little boar¡¯s blood, and refilled it with the blood from this four-fanged wild boar, which was much more nutritious. Lang Ga told Shao Xuan to drink one drop at a time, because newly-awakened warriors could not take more.

    Since they had captured such a high quality prey, the hunting group stopped chasing other animals. After a simple treatment on the boar, people carried it to the cave in the mountain side.

    It was nearly noon when they finally got back to the cave. To hunt and kill that giant wild boar, everyone was feeling a little exhausted. They became very tired when they rxed after the high intensity of using their body strength in such a short time.

    ¡°Luckily, we prevented him from running to the pool, or it would cause so much trouble if the Thorn ck Wind was bothered.¡± Lang Ga still had a lingering fear, when recalling the circumstances they metst time.

    The others shared his feeling and all of them felt lucky to have stopped that four-fanged wild boar in time.

    After having the roasted meat of that four-fanged wild boar for lunch, warriors in the hunting group decided to take a rest.

    Shao Xuan felt that there was a warm surge running through his body after he ate, which was quitefortable and cozy. That was the advantage for having high-level prey. All the consumed strength was gradually recovering, and at the same time, he felt sleepier than ever.

    ¡°Now go to sleep and have a rest. Newly-awakened warriors like yourself need more time to digest the meat with high energy content.¡± Said Mai.

    Qiao said that she had traced down the whereabouts of a giant-antler deer herd, and they nned to hunt them down in the afternoon. Since it was arge herd, Mai would take people to help, and he decided to leave Lang Ga and four other people to stay back in the cave. At the same time, they guarded the ce, they could take care of the two sleeping kids, who were digesting the boar.

    When he woke up, Shao Xuan found that there were only five warriors, including Lang Ga, left in the cave. After sipping some water, Shao Xuan felt he was still sleepy. Since he checked and confirmed about Mai and the other¡¯s schedule, he nned to go back to his nap.

    At that time, Ang rushed in from outside, with a pretty serious face.

    ¡°Just now I heard the howling of a Thorn ck Wind! It seems that Mai and the others got in trouble on their way back to the cave!¡±

    ¡°How would a Thorn ck Winde out during daylight? Now the sun is still in the sky!¡± Lang Ga and the others almost jumped up at the news.

    Even though now the sun was not up in the south, it was not even dusk, while normally Thorn ck Winds only woke up at night, but also veryte at night!

    ¡°Do you think it is the one fromst time and it came for revenge? Perhaps it came out of the water in advance, just to get back at Mai and the others?¡± Ang sounded quite worried.

    ¡°Shall we go and help?¡± someone proposed.

    Lang Ga opened his mouth, but said nothing as he glimpsed at Shao Xuan and Mao lying beside him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You should go, we are pretty safe in the cave.¡± Said Shao Xuan. His condition did not allow him to tag along, and he knew he would be a burden if he insisted to go with them.

    ¡°Yes, you should go.¡± Mao woke up, too, ¡°A Thorn ck Wind is never easy to be dealt with.¡±

    Even though Mao did not join Mai¡¯s hunting groupst time, he had heard from others thatst time it took the joint effort of Mai¡¯s group to get rid of that stubborn big one. It was not easy.

    ¡°Okay, then. Shao Xuan and Mao, you two stay in the cave!¡±

    Lang Ga and the other four warriors went out of the cave and used a giant stone to block its entrance. Since there were other vents inside, the two kids wouldn¡¯t suffocate. As long as Shao Xuan and Mao remained inside the cave, it was indeed pretty safe.

 Chapter 44 â€“ Curious

    Chapter 44 ¨C Curious

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After Lang Ga and the others left, Mao nervously walked back and forth in the cave. After pacing for a while, he rubbed his head in frustration, because he still didn¡¯t know what to do. He looked around to find something to distract him, and noticed Shao Xuan was sitting on a straw mat behind him, cross-legged, staring nkly.

    ¡°Hey, there!¡± Mao shouted at his direction, ¡°How can you not be worried?¡±

    Mao had no good feelings about Shao Xuan, but it was not the time to turn every personal grudge into a battle, let alone that there were only two of them in the cave right now. Without someone to talk to, he would feel extremely worried, and he assumed that he would feel better if he had something to do or could chat with someone.

    Shao Xuan looked up at him and said, ¡°Would it help them if I worry? For people like you and I, we would be asking for death if we go out, because we would be targets before we could get close enough to that beast. Should we go out and be their burden?¡±

    ¡°Have I said anything about going out?¡± Mao shouted angrily. Even though he did want to go out and see what was happening, he felt embarrassed since Shao Xuan just poked holes in his thoughts andid out the ws inly.

    ¡°So if we¡¯re not going out, what¡¯s your n?¡± As he finished the question, Shao Xuan pointed to those meat chunks that Lang Ga chopped, yet did not have the time to roast, ¡°Instead of worrying and doing nothing, you¡¯d be better off roasting the meat.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Mao was furious, seeing Shao Xuan behaving that way. He felt that Shao Xuan was a heartless person, and Mai and the others had all given him kindness for nothing.

    Shao Xuan did not continue to pay attention to Mao, but in fact, deep down in his heart, he was not as calm as he seemed. He knew that something was happening, so he felt frustrated that his hands were tied and there was nothing he could do to help.

    There was a small bow beside Shao Xuan that Lang Ga made, which had vines twined tightly together. The rope used as a bowstring had been soaked with animal blood and some kind of grass extract. It was pretty firm and durable, and the smell of grass perfectly covered up the smell of blood. So it was quite difficult to be discovered when hidden in the grass or trees, since it just smelled like nts. Although these kinds of bows were not very lethal to the beasts in this forest, they were very effective when used to drive animals in a certain direction. Earlier today, Lang Ga used those bows and traps to drive the little wild boar in Shao Xuan and Mao¡¯s direction.

    It was such a pity that these bows were too small, and that there weren¡¯t sufficient materials to make stronger bows and arrows which could bear the erupted strength of a totemic warrior. Ground bows, narrow spaces, traps, all these things had little effect onrge-sized animals or Ferocious Beasts, so most of the time, hunting relied on human skill.

    Shao Xuan sighed silently. He wondered how Mai and the others were, and secretly hoped that this time there would be no casualties¡­

    Hunting was filled with risks. One second it would be calm and peaceful, yet a secondter one could be standing on the edge of a cliff, and might identally fall into the abyss, with no remains to be found.

    Compared to that, life inside the tribe was cozy.

    No wonder that old Ke had said that one should definitely enter the woods if he wanted to aplish something. Living inside the tribe would never provide you with such pressure. However, in the forest, the cruelw of nature was ¡°kill or be killed¡±, and you had to constantly fight for survival.

    In this ce, ferocious beasts outnumbered humans by a lot, and it was extremely hard if one wanted to obtain food and survive in this dangerous forest based on his his own strength. Indeed, warriors from the tribe had their own special skills, but it was rare for a single warrior to be hunting alone in the depths of the forest. Individuals could only survive using teamwork and relying on each others¡¯ strengths. For example, when they were dealing with the four-fanged wild boar together earlier, and now when they are fighting against the Thorn ck Wind together.

    Bing an experienced hunter from a new warrior was a long and arduous path.

    Shao Xuan decided to stop thinking about this, for he knew it was not helpful at all. He cut off a small piece of meat from one of the bloody meat chunks beside him, and pierced a little hole through it with a stone spear. Then, Shao Xuan skewered that meat with a half-meter long stick and began to roast it above the fire. After searing the outeryer, Shao Xuan put the stick higher above the fire to prevent the meat oil from leaking out.

    Mao walked in circles, attempting to alleviate the anxiety he was feeling due to not know what to do. As he looked in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction, he asked in a bitter tone, ¡°What are you doing now? Roasting the meat to eat by yourself?¡±

    If he was roasting the meat for the hunting team¡¯ster use, he would not have roasted just a small piece of it. However, judging from Shao Xuan¡¯s actions, he obviously cut off such a small part of it to eat himself!

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Xuan answered slightly. He was indeed a little hungry, and he felt that the energy he got from thest piece of meat he ate had already been used up. Since they had nothing to do for now, he chose to stuff himself first, since man can¡¯t do anything on an empty stomach

    Mao¡¯s face twitched. He was still a little stuffed at the moment. Earlier, when they ate two pieces of meat of the same size, Mai had calcted the amount they could eat safely to avoid indigestion. If he did not move much, he wouldn¡¯t need to eat for the rest of the day. However, Shao Xuan was roasting a piece of meat again!

    ¡°You should stuff yourself to death!¡± Mao said with resentment.

    Shao Xuan ignored Mao¡¯sment, but he did feel hungry despite not having done much.

    By the time Shao Xuan finished roasting the meat, Mai and the others hadn¡¯t returned yet. After he finished eating the second piece of meat, the feeling of warmth and drowsiness hit him again. Originally he had nned to wait for Mai and the other warriors toe back, but with his eyelids¡¯ getting heavier and heavier, he felt that his brain was full of chaos. Shao Xuan could not resist the sleep anymore, so he said to Mao, who was still walking in circles by the entrance, ¡°I need to get some sleep now. Wake me up if anything abnormal happens. Do not go out by yourself.¡±

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was about to go to sleep, Mao became even more furious. He pointed at Shao Xuan with his finger and tried hard to ease his pounding heart. He could teach him a lesson by fighting, but eventually, he calmed down.

    While Shao Xuan was sleeping soundly, Mao kept on pacing. After pacing for a while, the meat he ate before was digested some more, causing Mao to feel sleepy too. Mai and the others still hadn¡¯t returned, and he could not go out. With no other options, heid down by Shao Xuan¡¯s side and fell into a deep sleep while still worried.

    It grew darker outside, and the sun was about to set. There were only slight traces of lights on the mountains remaining, and they were fading away.

    The noisy forest slowly quieted down. Almost all the diurnal animals returned to their shelters, while nocturnal animals began toe out.

    In the meantime, Mai and the others were pretty upset for being blocked down at the mountain foot.

    Normally, Thorn ck Winds had a strong sense of territory, and only one Thorn ck Wind would live in a certain region. There was only oneke down at the mountain foot area, and the surroundings of the pool would be considered by a Thorn ck Wind as its own territory. So in principle, there should be only one Thorn ck Wind here, and they had encountered an adult Thorn ck Wind during thest hunting mission.

    However, now, there were two adult Thorn ck Winds blocking their way!

    Lang Ga and the other four warriors lowered the pressure when they joined them. They even brought some herbs from the cave on the mountainside. Some of the herbs were used to treat wounds, while others could be used to deal with the Thorn ck Wind. The mixed herbs from the Shaman smelled terrible, slowing down the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s attacks.

    Faced with two Thorn ck Winds, the thirty-person hunting group was still at a disadvantage. Luckily, those two Thorn ck Winds could not deal with them either. So most of the time, these beasts would only watch them from afar, but they would go and stop anyone who attempted to run up the mountainside.

    ¡°Mai, I feel like something¡¯s wrong!¡± Qiao, back to back with Mai, stared at that Thorn ck Wind hiding behind a few trees afar and said in a hurry.

    ¡°You almost chopped down the tail of the Thorn ck Windst time. But based on my observation, none of these two¡¯s tails have any wounds.¡±

    During thest hunting mission, Mai¡¯s hunting group spared no efforts and they atst drove that crazy Thorn ck Wind away. Mai had even almost chopped off its tail.

    The wound should have been near the tip of its tail, and it had been only thirty days since it was inflicted. Even if Thorn ck Winds had the ability to recover quickly, it was still not possible for there to be no mark at all. However, these two Thorn ck Winds clearly had no traces of wounds on their tails at all!

 Chapter 45 â€“ Creatures outside the cave

    Chapter 45 ¨C Creatures outside the cave

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Mai had also noticed that, and he was wondering about it as well.

    He was certain that neither of the two Thorn ck Winds were the one whose tail he shedst time. No totemic warrior would mess with a Thorn ck Wind on purpose, but for all those years in his hunting career, he had fought with Thorn ck Winds before, and he had an understanding of its recovering abilities. Having made that wound himself, he knew it would take more than fifty or sixty days for a Thorn ck Wind topletely recover.

    Also, after such a long confrontation, Mai felt increasingly doubtful about these two Thorn ck Winds¡¯ motivation. It felt like they were not prepared to battle against the warriors to the death. Some people were hurt, while there were many new wounds on those animals¡¯ bodies. Luckily, these two were not as crazy as thest one they encountered. However, where was thest Thorn ck Wind, the one that gotcerated on the tail? Did it get driven away by these two beasts now?

    ¡°It seems like they only want to stop us from going up.¡± Said Qiao.

    ¡°They can actually howl¡­¡± Another mid-level totemic warrior said curiously. He was the same age as Mai, and quite as experienced as Mai. In the past, he had encountered Thorn ck Winds a few times, and heard stories about Thorn ck Winds from the elders, so as for the habits of this ferocious beast, he knew better than Mai and the others.

    ¡°The Thorn ck Wind not only very territorial, being the killer lurking in the dark, it rarely howled. The typical sound it makes is the sound of shaking its thorns, instead of howling.¡± The warrior added in a hurry.

    A little while before, Lang Ga and the others just heard the howling of Thorn ck Winds, and they decided toe down and help.

    Connecting so many odd dots, people couldn¡¯t help but wonder, what on earth were these two Thorn ck Winds nning to do?

    In the twilight, the quick-moving figures were blurry, and the sound of shaking thorns could be identified from the forest constantly.

    When a Thorn ck Wind became exited, the thorns on its body would begin to shake, and create a dense shaking sound. It was not loud, but because of the density, it was not hard to be heard.

    At night, the sound was like Yama¡¯s call, which scared all the other animals away.

    Hearing that sound, people¡¯s hearts grew heavy, and their backs were soaked in cold sweat.

    ¡°No more stalling, we have to drive these two beasts away!¡± Mai said firmly. Now it was notpletely dark, and the surroundings could still be seen. When it grewpletely dark, the situation would be much more worse for them.

    If they ran up to the mountainside directly without driving those Thorn ck Winds away, these two beasts would being along after them. However, Mai and the other warriors could never let them get to the cave where there were two kids inside, resting. Although Thorn ck Winds were no fans of the environment up in the mountain, it didn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯te up.

    ¡°Go on!¡±

    They did not have any interest in the giant-antlered deer that they killed, and after a short break, Maimanded to fight with these two beasts with joint efforts of every warrior.

    ¡­

    Shao Xuan had that dream again.

    It¡¯s been a long time, however, he fell into that kind of dream again.

    Now, there were no night swallows or snowkes in his dream. It waspletely dark, but obviously he felt a pungent feeling of icy coldness, as if something was lurking in the darkness. In the meantime, there were some dense cking sounds, as if something was shaking.

    Shao Xuan suddenly sat up and opened his eyes. He touched his forehead with his hand, only to find a handful of cold sweat.

    Feeling that there was still lingering feeling of icy coldness on his back, Shao Xuan shook a few times and got closer to the fire.

    Judging from the situation of the bonfire and the firewood inside, it must have been quite a while since Lang Ga and the others left. So it should be nearly dusk outside.

    Why hadn¡¯t they returned?

    What had they encountered?

    Was anybody hurt?

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath as he recalled his dream, and he tried hard to ease his nerves. The icy feeling was much stronger than when he dreamt about the night swallowsst year. His heart was still pounding like hell after he woke up. He was not sure if that was because of the fear or any other reasons.

    Looking aside, Shao Xuan found Mao leaning against the cave wall, sleeping soundly. In fact, Shao Xuan had made quite some noise when he woke up. Normally totemic warriors during hunting missions were quite alert, and they would be wide awake at the slightest sound. Mao apparently was very soundly asleep, for he did not wake up at all. It should be because of the meat they ate. It was for the best, since he was not walking around like an ant on a hot pan.

    After feeling a little more warmer and rxing his nerves, Shao Xuan walked towards the entrance of the cave after adding more firewood to the bonfire.

    With previous experiences, he knew that the dream did not came for no reason, he just didn¡¯t know what exactly was on the outside.

    The giant stone blocked the entrance of the cavepletely, and Shao Xuan would not be able to move it with his own strength. Also, Shao Xuan had no intention of doing so, for there were apparently numerous dangers outside. It was safer to have a giant stone blocking them.

    The entrance of the cave was about fifty meters away from where Shao Xuan was sleeping at. As he approached the entrance step by step, Shao Xuan¡¯s heart began to pound madly again.

    The nearer he got to the entrance, the more intense the danger he felt. All of Shao Xuan¡¯s hair stood up straight, and he felt like he was in a giant iceberg.

    Shao Xuan slowed down his paces, and even his breath grew lighter, for he tried every possible way to hide himself from being sensed.

    When he was about ten meters away from the entrance of the cave, Shao Xuan heard small dense cking sounds. It seemed like an illusion, but also if it was just passing by his ear.

    With the newly-added firewood, the fire grew bigger. As the me danced, Shao Xuan¡¯s shadow danced ordingly, and sometimes there were crackles of burning firewood.

    However, Shao Xuan felt no warmth. Instead, he felt constant coldness.

    With his mouth wide open, Shao Xuan took a deep silent breath to calm himself down. With taut nerves, Shao Xuan began to go back, quickly, yet with no sound.

    When he arrived at Mao¡¯s side, he pushed Mao hard.

    Although Mao was soundly asleep, he was still vignt with his subconscious. With only one push, Mao promptly opened his eyes and posed a posture for self-defense. However, when he came back to his senses and realized it was only Shao Xuan, he did not look good immediately. Before he tried to say anything, Shao Xuan quickly covered up his mouth, and nced at the entrance of the cave at the same time.

    Mao was not the kind of person who did not understand the situation, or else he wouldn¡¯t be allowed to join the hunting mission. Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s behaviors, he knew there must be something abnormal by the entrance.

    Opening his mouth, Mao asked silently, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Shao Xuan had no time to exin. He looked up at the top, for he remembered there were hidden vents up at the cave. He jumped high, and with the help of the wall, Shao Xuan went up to the top and began to search.

    The wall was not smooth, and those dents and bumps helped him climb.

    There were three vents in all, among which two of them were too small. The only big one was blocked by a stone.

    Shao Xuan tried hard to move that stone, and indicated Mao to take it over in silence.

    Mao was somehow anxious, for he did not know what was outside the cave, Mai and the others hadn¡¯t returned, yet Shao Xuan did not exin at all what was happening. Normally, he would have shouted out already, however, now¡­

    After picking up that stone, Maoid that down on the ground carefully to avoid making any sound. Almost at the same time he dropped that stone, he heard an abnormal sound created by the giant stone blocking the entrance. It sounded like something sharp was scratching on the stone.

    Mao¡¯s face froze. That scratching was clearly not made by a human¡­

    The giant stone was moving.

    Night wind blew in from that newly-made gap.

    The mes of the bonfire danced bolder, and Mao saw his own long shadow dancing distortedly on the wall.

    For all his life, Mao had never encountered such circumstances. No matter how many hunting stories he had heard before, or how many hunting stories he had told the others, he only knew what danger tasted like when he truly faced with one.

    Aside from these two newly-awakened kids, there was nobody else around. No one could help them, while the approaching beast could probably easily tear them apart.

    When his grandfather, the Chief, told him hunting stories, he asked Mao once, ¡°Mao, have you ever tasted the feeling of despair?¡±

    Mao had no memories of what he answered back then. All he remembered was that he did not take it seriously, for he did not quite understand it.

    But now, he had a taste of that feeling already.

 Chapter 46 â€“ Pale faces

    Chapter 46 ¨C Pale faces

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The giant stone blocking the entrance of the cave moved a little more, and the shaking sound be more intense and clear.

    Based on that sound, Mao had already figured out what creature was moving that stone outside.

    Because of that, Mao¡¯s face immediately turned pale. All his blood seemed to have frozen over, as he stood still at his spot, with his eyes fixed on the entrance of the cave.

    After examining the vents above, Shao Xuan jumped down and tapped on Mao¡¯s shoulder, which almost made Mao jump up out of fear.

    With trembling lips, Mao did not know what to say. After all, he and Shao Xuan were merely two newly-awakened kids, who could never be a proper opponent to that giant creature outside based on their own strength. It was such a big gap between their strength, no matter how brave they were, they could not deny the truth.

    Shao Xuan took his knife, and indicated to Mao to escape from above. He had inspected roughly, and no dangerous animals were to be seen by the vent for now. Even if there were some dangerous animals around, there was no other option for them. Going out was far better than waiting inside and be eaten alive.

    As the gap by the entrance grew bigger, the wind blew inside, and the mes began to dance more violently.

    There was no time for panic, or thinking. Mao tried with great effort to calm himself down, then he followed Shao Xuan to climb up with a bone knife. Even though the experienced hunting warriors warned that night in the forest was filled with danger, they still had to go out.

    Anyway, they had a chance of survival if they managed to escape through the vent. Staying inside, they would just die in a very stupid way. Perhaps, before they could even stimte and gather their strength, they would already be pped down by that Thorn ck Wind.

    The vent barely allowed Shao Xuan and Mao to worm their way out. If they were older with stronger bodies, they would be stuck in.

    When Shao Xuan and Mao were worming their way out, half of the entrance was opened.

    The sound of shaking thorns was echoing through the cave, for that Thorn ck Wind was too excited. The whole cave was filled by that sound.

    Animals in the forests feared the fire, but not all of them. Also, the bonfire in the cave was not big. For a Thorn ck Wind whose body length was over ten meters, such a small me was no threat at all.

    It seemed that it did not expect to find an empty cave. The Thorn ck Wind was curious. It stepped forward slowly. It poked out its long forked tongue to sense the smell inside, and scanned the whole cave with its radar-like sight. It felt that the bonfire seemed annoying, so with sudden speed, it approached the bonfire like a gust of ck wind, and stepped on that me.

    Bang!

    Thick horny scales protected its skin from being burned, and with only one step, it put out that me. The cave then fell intoplete darkness.

    There was nobody inside, while a heavy smell of bloody meat of the four-fanged wild boar filled the air. However, it could still recognize many people¡¯s smells, among which some of the people he was rather familiar with.

    Thinking about itsst encounter with those people, the thorns on its body began to shake again.

    Sha-Sha-sha!

    The sound of shaking thorns was even more rapid than before.

    Outside the vent, Shao Xuan and Mao stood there with their backs against the cliff. Now, all they wanted was for the Thorn ck Wind to leave after it confirmed there was nobody inside. When Mai and the others returned, they could go inside the cave again.

    Shao Xuan held his breath, as he focused on listening to the sounds in the cave. Aside from the sha-sha sound that asionally entered his ears, he had no way to find what was happening inside. The sound of it stepping on the bonfire was also heard by Shao Xuan. He flexed his muscles, just in case.

    After some time, there was no other sound from the cave. They did not know whether the Thorn ck Wind had left. The sky grew darker. Even if there were still traces of light, it was not bright enough for them to see the situation of the entrance of the cave. Plus, because of their perspective, they couldn¡¯t see the entrance.

    Shao Xuan suddenly felt a chill on his scalp as he was thinking. A sense of coldness quickly spread all along his spine, which made him quiver out of trepidation.

    He quickly stepped away a few steps from the vent, he did not forget to drag Mao away as he moved, and warned him not to stay so close to the vent.

    Mao moved his sight from the vent, and stepped back a little. He looked at Shao Xuan and raised up his arms to ask Shao Xuan through bodynguage. Suddenly, he felt a gust of wind by his ear, and an icy killing breath was mixed in that wind. Mao felt that the pores on the back of his neck were about to explode.

    Ding!

    The beast¡¯s w nailed on the cliff, and flying stone shards fell all over Mao¡¯s body. His arms got scratched by some sharp edged stone shards. But Mao did not care about that little injury, nor did he had the time to care about it.

    At that time, he felt like he got heavily hammered in his heart.

    He did not see when the beast¡¯s w raised out from the vent!!

    Nor had he heard any sound!!

    It all happened so fast, and so quiet. If Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t dragged him aside a moment ago; if the vent was bigger to let the whole w raise out; Mao would have been nailed onto the cliff by that giant ck scaled w, and would¡¯ve gotten smashed to death.

    The silent w reached out of the went and wrenched on the cliff, and grabbed a giant stone piece as it pulled back. As it closed its w, that stone immediately got smashed to pieces.

    It did not catch any person, but still, it smashed down arge piece of stone by the vent, when the Thorn ck Wind retrieved its w. Originally the vent was only big enough for a small kid, now it suddenly became two times bigger!

    It not only did not want to stop, the beast intended to keep expanding the vent with its w.

    Apparently, that Thorn ck Wind already knew that Shao Xuan and Mao were outside the cave, and it had its attention focused on them already.

    ¡°Go!!¡±

    Shao Xuan and Mao moved away quickly.

    Actually, it was not very hard for them to run on that steep cliff. It was notpletely dark yet, and all they had to do was to focus and not make mistakes. One mistake could cause them to fall along the cliff. Even though, with their body strength and quick reaction, they would not be dead after the fall. However, there would be a high chance that they might get captured by the Thorn ck Wind that wasing after them.

    ¡°Where should we go?¡± asked Mao. Because of what happened earlier, he had much more faith in Shao Xuan. After all, when he had not realized what was happening, Shao Xuan already sensed the danger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡± said Shao Xuan.

    That was also the thing Shao Xuan was thinking about earlier.

    Mai and the others should be at the mountain foot area. To go to Mai for help was of course a good idea, but if they ran down the mountain, it would be highly questionable whether they could outrun the Thorn ck Wind that¡¯s chasing after them. That beast had a really sensitive smelling ability, and Shao Xuan had no confidence in getting rid of it easily. Also, since Mai and the others did not make it to the cave yet, who knows what situation that they were in? With no clear image of the situation down the mountain, obviously it was not a good idea to run down the mountain.

    The other reason was based on Shao Xuan¡¯s suspicion.

    As they were running up, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Does the Thorn ck Wind dislike the cold?¡±

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s question, Mao thought of something, ¡°I heard that Thorn ck Winds like warm and moist ces, and they rarely go up the mountain.¡±

    As he was saying, Mao himself knew what Shao Xuan was thinking.

    If they went up, the temperature would fall sharply. For mountains in this area, the range of temperature was reallyrge. The upper part of the mountain was covered in snow, and on the mountaintop there was even perennial ice and snow. Not many dangerous animals lived up in the mountain, and the real danger was the environment and the temperature.

    If they went down the mountain, as far as he knew, Thorn ck Winds could be very persistent with its prey. Also they had a very sensitive smelling ability, so once they confirmed their target, they would not give it up easily. Down the mountain was the territory of Thorn ck Winds. Night was the time for Thorn ck Winds, and since it was night already, going down meant sending themselves into the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s belly.

    Either be frozen to death, or be eaten alive. If Mao had to choose, he would rather go up the mountain for a better chance of survival. If at that time the Thorn ck Wind could not endure the cold environment and retreated, that would be great

    There were sounds of stones breaking, so it seemed that the vent grew bigger and bigger. Mixed with the sounds of breaking, there were also dense cking sounds. That Thorn ck Wind became more and more excited.

    In fact, the Thorn ck Wind could totally exit through the cave entrance, and then chase after them. However, it chose not to do so. Perhaps it hadn¡¯t thought about that way, perhaps tearing down a small vent was not a problem for it, but it disliked to take a detour. Or it had its own other reasons.

    At the same time that Shao Xuan and Mao ran up to the mountaintop for their lives, Mai and the others had sessfully attacked the two Thorn ck Winds down the mountain. The beasts were now hesitant in blocking their way.

    Mai felt delighted for a moment, but after a second, his face became rather stiff.

    The sound from the mountainside was not loud, but with the quiet surroundings and Mai¡¯s outstanding hearing abilities, of course he heard the sound of stones breaking.

    Mai heard it, there were a few other warriors that heard it too, and all their faces turned green.

    ¡°Is iting from the cave?!¡± Qiao shouted surprisingly.

    ¡°Oh, no! Ah-Xuan is still in the cave!¡± Lang Ga¡¯s knife in his hand was shaking heavily, which almost made him drop it.

    ¡°Go up the mountain!!¡± Mai shouted out.

    This time, those two hesitating Thorn ck Winds did not stop them from going up.

    Regardless of what, Mai led the others, rushing towards the cave immediately.

    The sound of stones being broken did notst long, and the surroundings became quiet again, which made Mai and the others even more worried. With sounds of stones breaking, they could still hope that the two kids were fine. But with the silence, there were only two results¡­ Either the crisis was over, or¡­

    Mai dared not think more, and he spared no efforts to rush to the cave.

    When they finally reached the entrance, many people¡¯s faces turned totally pale at the sight.

    With Shao Xuan and Mao¡¯s strength, it would not be easy for them to move that giant stone. Even if they wanted to move it, they would not move it that far. With a small opening, their skinny bodies could easilye and go. Of course the stone was not moved by the two kids, let alone that there were also huge w marks on it.

    Seeing the shifted giant stone and fresh w marks, Lang Ga¡¯s legs became so weak that he could hardly stand.

    Mai rushed into the cave without grabbing a torch to light it up. However, now there was merely chaos left inside.

    The chilly winding from the entrance and the vent, blew away all the warmth in their hearts.

 Chapter 47 â€“ Nasty environment

    Chapter 47 ¨C Nasty environment

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°What the fuck!!¡±

    ¡°This is the one fromst time! It is! It must be the one! The two Thorn ck Winds down the mountain must have been called by it as well!¡±

    Taking what happened down the mountain into consideration, now people had figured out some of the clues. However, they never expected that the beast they encounteredst time would be so persistent!

    In the past, they only knew that Thorn ck Winds had a stubborn character and were very territorial. To their surprise, it could also call for others¡¯ help to take revenge. People always say that you may get stuck with an unwanted guest if you invite random ones into your home. Those two helpers down the mountain probably would just take the ce by the pool.

    To everyone¡¯s surprise, the Thorn ck Wind fromst time would rather lose its territory to get its vengeance!

    ¡°I knew it¡­ I knew that it would not easily let go.¡± Qiao stared at the chaos and murmured depressedly.

    During thest hunting mission, Ah-Fei was tagging along Mai¡¯s hunting group together with another kid. They were brought to the mission by the other mid-level warriors. In ordance with the rules in the past, if the new guys were brought in by mid-level warriors, Mai would not reject their participation. The other teams did the same as well.

    Later when they were hunting in that basin, Ah-Fei set his eyes on a baby Thorn ck Wind which came out during the daylight, alone. Perhaps its parent was sleeping by the pool, while the little one did not sleep. Out of curiosity, it came out during daylight, and chased a fox to somewhere far from that pool. Ah-Fei and the others found it there.

    Compared with adult Thorn ck Winds, newly-born babies were of course easy to be dealt with.

    In the tribe, newly-awakened warriors would wear the quarry they hunted during thest year in the next ritual ceremony on Snow Festival, topete with each other. Even though the Shaman and the Chief did not include that into the ritual ceremony, it had gradually became a publicly recognized standard practice.

    That was the problem.

    Ah-Fei insisted on hunting down that baby Thorn ck Wind. With the help of a few other warriors, he seeded in killing it, but just when they were skinning the little one, the big one came.

    That¡¯s when the trouble began.

    The ferocious beast found its baby dead at the scene, no wonder it went crazy and chased after the killers as if it was the end of the world. Those few mid-level warriors guarding the kids could not fight against those endless attacks from a crazy adult Thorn ck Wind, so they shouted out for help. After quite a few warriors were injured, they finally managed to get rid of the big one. Also, Ah-Fei did not have the chance to take that baby Thorn ck Wind¡¯s body, for the big one would still haunt them if they had took with them that little one¡¯s body.

    The two badly-injured warriors fromst hunting mission were hurt during that incident. If Mai hadn¡¯t arrived on time, they probably would have lost their lives.

    The reason that they did not bring those kids from thest hunting mission except for Mao this time, was because they were worried simr incidents might happen. Shao Xuan was an exception, for Mai valued his ability and he wanted him to get used to the environment sooner. Also, Mai figured that Shao Xuan was sensible and obedient. So he brought him along in his hunting group. Hence why there were only two kids in the whole hunting team this time, and those two kids were both in the protection of his hunting group¡­ If anything happened to them¡­

    One was the kid that awakened early and had the Shaman¡¯s favor; while the other was quite talented, being the son of the hunting team leader, and grandson of the Chief. It would be a great strike for the tribe if any of them died out there. If both of them died in the ident, they would not have the courage to go back to the tribe, for they would not be able to face the Shaman and the Chief.

    ¡°It racked its brain, just to get back at us by killing the kids in our group!¡± A warrior punched at the cliff angrily.

    Last time, they killed its kid, and this time, it came after the human kids. It didn¡¯t care abouting out of hiding during daylight, climb up the mountain and risk losing its territory doing so.

    Indeed, you should never underestimate Ferocious Beasts.

    ¡°We should not have taken this road.¡± Mai was filled with regret in his heart, for somehow he had underestimated the Thorn ck Wind. There would¡¯ve been new unknown dangers if they took a new route, but if he had anticipated such an incident, he would rather take those risks!

    However, now there¡¯s no time for regret. After examining all those marks and traces, people began to go up the mountain searching for the kids as separate smaller groups. It was dark at night, so searching was not easy, and they had to be aware of other threats at the same time.

    ¡­¡­

    Shao Xuan and Mao almost used all their energy to escape.

    For Mao, even when he used his totemic power and got a much better sight, he could not see the path clearly at night. The two crescent moons were totally blocked by a thickyer of clouds, and the surroundings werepletely dark.

    Shao Xuan went in the front and he asked Mao to follow his steps. At least they could avoid some pits and roots that way.

    Stepping on someone¡¯s footprints was a game yed by kids in the tribe since their childhood. Children living up in the mountain liked to y it more, for their parents used that game as a pre-training for their kids. So moving forward on other¡¯s footprints was not hard for them.

    Now Mao was running after Shao Xuan, and most of the times he could step on Shao Xuan¡¯s footprints precisely. When Shao Xuan jumped, he jumped, at the same angle and distance. When Shao Xuan took a left turn, he took the same left turn. He could estimate the terrain based on Shao Xuan¡¯s footprints. It was a game he yed since childhood, so of course he was quite familiar and skilled in that.

    If observed in daylight, one would find that there were only a single person¡¯s footprints and there were no trace of two people running.

    Mao was filled with curiosity in his heart, for he did not understand why Shao Xuan had such a strong sense towards danger, and why Shao Xuan was able to tell where the pits were in such a dark environment. The mountain was rugged with a lot of pits; he could hear the noise made by that Thorn ck Wind when it fell into some hole. The sound appeared constantly, and now it became even more frequent than before. Mao even guessed perhaps Shao Xuan was running on terrible paths on purpose, just to trip the big guy up. However, he had not made a single mistake by following in Shao Xuan¡¯s steps so far!

    But, now it was not a good time to ponder.

    When Shao Xuan was running up the mountain, there was notplete darkness in his sight. Instead, he could see a picture formed by the color of gray in different shades. He could see all the dents and convex rocks in his sight clearly, even when they were covered in snow.

    At this time, Shao Xuan was truly d that he had such an ability, or else they would¡¯ve been caught up by the Thorn ck Wind in no time if they fell down constantly.

    The snowyer beneath their feet was thicker and it almost reached their knees. It was colder as well and there were snowkes in the air.

    Shao Xuan felt that his face turned numb, and it became more and more difficult for them to run. If it weren¡¯t for their totemic power, they would¡¯ve already had frozen limbs. However, the situation had to change, because it would be toote if they did not think about a solution before they got exhausted. One could not stay in that cold environment for too long.

    Luckily, the Thorn ck Wind also slowed down on the chasing. Apparently, it was not used to ice and snow. The stalking silently that it was so famous for didn¡¯t work anymore. If you paid attention, you could constantly hear the sound that it made when it stepped on the snow.

    The distance between them grew and Shao Xuan gave up on running towards the mountaintop. Instead, he began to run around it. He had no other option. Running up might scare that Thorn ck Wind away, but there was a high chance that they might freeze to death.

    Every time when they went up, they could clearly feel that the temperature dropped some more. Since the Thorn ck Wind obviously slowed down its speed and was frustrated with its movement, Shao Xuan certainly would not risk going higher even more.

    Privately in his mind, Shao Xuan was a little relieved, for he assumed after running for a while, they could probably get rid of the monster behind.

    However, Shao Xuan noticed there was something wrong after just a short breath. The big one suddenly speeded up and rushed towards them. The original distance decreased very quickly.

    The Thorn ck Wind found the environment too nasty to adapt to, which made it want to retreat. It was not only cold here, the snow wouldn¡¯t stop, and that made it sleepy. There was no grass, no tree, but there were lots of pits and holes! Sometimes when it stepped in a hole by mistake, it would fall into a pond of snow! All snow in the pond! It wanted to just run down the mountain because of that.

    All the expanding thorns were now tightly attached to its body, to better iste the coldness around. Its movement became far slower than before. It moved at half the speed and it dared not to pull out its tongue!

    It did not expect the human kids were so cunning that they would run up the mountain. It was its first trip upwards, and it found the environment very nasty and annoying. No wonder others of its kind didn¡¯t go up!

    However, it felt reluctant to give up now. In here it was quite difficult for it to sense the smell. If he let those two kids go, it would probably lose them!

    No!!

    Can¡¯t let them go!!

    He didn¡¯t know how to deal with those big ones, but it was determined to kill those two small ones, and then toss their bodies in front of those big ones!

    Thinking about that, it increased its fury. Influenced by the excitement, the closed up thorns on its body were raising to start shaking again.

 Chapter 48 â€“ Either you die, or I die

    Chapter 48 ¨C Either you die, or I die

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan could feel their stalker getting closer and closer, probably it understood that its stalking ability didn¡¯t work in this environment, and severely restricted him. So it pulled all stops loose and decided to go for the kill. After all, it was no good to stall like that.

    The Thorn ck Wind used all its strength to chase after them, with its eyes fixed on their backs, catching up. Its every step pierced through the thick snow, nailing down on the frozen ground, and creating loud bangs.

    Hearing the approaching footsteps, Mao felt a chill in his heart, and almost tripped on a loose stone.

    Even though Shao Xuan and Mao both speeded up, and the annoying environment slowed it down a lot, but after all, it was a ¡°ck Wind¡± with the title ¡°killer of the mountains¡±. At his full speed, it was impossible for Shao Xuan and Mao to outrun him.

    Shao Xuan felt an icy chill run down his spine. His hair stood up on end because of the cold wind and the chilly feeling, and it was as if his whole body was soaked in icy water.

    ¡°Split up!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    Shao Xuan and Mao split up to evade the huge figure.

    Without Shao Xuan¡¯s lead, Mao would never be able to survive under such circumstances. Faced with the night and the snow, he could barely see the giant figure. He had no confidence in whether he could still live if that Thorn ck Wind shed its paws towards him.

    However, it seemed that the Thorn ck Wind also sensed that Shao Xuan was the most annoying one of the two, so after it failed to catch them both, it turned its head towards Shao Xuan. Kicking off with its hind legs, which created a gust of wind and snow blowing towards Mao, the Thorn ck Wind shot towards Shao Xuan.

    It knew that as long as Shao Xuan was eliminated, the other little guy would be easy.

    Shao Xuan leaped over ayer of snow, and quickly he pulled out a short spear from his back. And just before he was about tond, he twisted his body, he tossed out the short spear using the centrifugal strength of the turn, aiming at the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s eye.

    The short spear flew towards the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s eye like a bullet. Even though it failed to dodge the spear, but the beast managed to react quickly, it shifted its head to the side a bit and closed his eyes, having his hard-scaled eyelids cover them.

    The short spear did not pierce into its eye, but only stuck the corner of its eye. With the hard scales shielding the eye, the spear did not go in deep, but the sharp stone spearhead still slightly pierced through the corner of its eye. Its eye was hurt and there was blood flowing out.

    With its eye injured, the Thorn ck Wind was furious as well as shocked. It did not expect this little thing could actually hurt it so quickly!

    Shao Xuan could not see the blood by its eyes, for now all he saw was a giant skeleton. Earlier he tossed aiming at the eyeholes in the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s skull, but apparently, it failed to pierce through.

    Although he could not see the eyes of that Thorn ck Wind, Shao Xuan could still feel the increasingly ferocious re from its eyes.

    In order to share the pressure on Shao Xuan¡¯s end, Mao estimated the position of Thorn ck Wind based on the sound and tossed a spear towards its direction. It was a shame that the thick scales and the thorns on its back together formed a terrible protective armor, which could not be easily broken by a stone spear.

    It only had a few rtively vulnerable spots on its head and on part of its tail. The spot that Mai hit before was on its tail, where there was no thickyer of thorns. So only a singleyer of scales could definitely not withstand the full force of a totemic warrior.

    The Thorn ck Wind ignored Maopletely and focused on Shao Xuan. Its tail waved and mmed on the ground out of anger, which created loud banging noises. It sounded like it was striking on a cement floor, and the only difference was that snowkes and smashed stones were flying all over the ce.

    After avoiding a w, Shao Xuan pulled out his tooth sabre to shield himself from the sharp w swinging from his side.

    Screetch¡­

    The sound of the sharp w hitting and scratching the tooth sabre.

    The sharp w which could easily smash the stones in that cave now only left some shallow traces on the tooth sabre.

    The sabre was not much damaged, but Shao Xuan felt throbbing pain on his whole arm, as if it was broken into pieces.

    There was no time for Shao Xuan to examine his wounded arm. With exploding strength from his calf muscles, he left his spot to avoid close rangebat with the Thorn ck Wind. But the Thorn ck Wind was not called the killer of the forest for nothing. It swung its tail towards Shao Xuan at the same time he wanted to dodge, as if it already anticipated Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction.

    Having justnded, Shao Xuan was not able to evade in time, and all he could do was grasp his tooth sabre and put it in front of his chest, to avoid being stabbed by the thorns on the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s tail.

    Bang!

    Shao Xuan was blown away by that violent strength, and he couldn¡¯t help but step back some distance after hended. The blood in his chest churned because of that strike. If the Thorn ck Wind wasn¡¯t weakened by the environment, and if it didn¡¯t suffer from being severely limited in his movement, Shao Xuan would have been smashed into oblivion already.

    Since he came into this world, it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time being in such a dangerous situation.

    He was already mentally prepared for hunting being dangerous, however, he did not expect to meet such a persistent and ferocious beast in his first hunting mission.

    Whether in physical strength or speed, Shao Xuan and Mao together could not overpower the weakened Thorn ck Wind.

    It was a matter of survival, either you die or I die.

    The only short spear he still had, had been tossed. Originally, Shao Xuan brought three short spears with him, but two of them were used during their escape. Now, Shao Xuan had only the tooth sabre that old Ke gave him, and three spearheads he had in his animal skin bag.

    Mao never stopped creating trouble for the Thorn ck Wind, but with his limited power, he was not taken seriously by that Thorn ck Wind. When he left the cave together with Shao Xuan, he brought seven short spears, among which five of them had been already tossed, and the sixth almost hit the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s eye!

    At that time, finally, the Thorn ck Wind looked at Mao¡¯s direction.

    Now!

    This might be the only chance they get!

    At that time, Shao Xuan poured out ferocious killing intent from his eyes. Forcing out all his totemic power, raising his power to the peak, Shao Xuan pushed off with his feet explosively.

    However, he did not rush out in a straight path, instead, he used the spear that was stuck on the ground to alter his path.

    When The Thorn ck Wind heard the sound and turned its head at Shao Xuan¡¯s direction, it shed out its w towards him. However, it did not expect Shao Xuan to the change directions of his attack in the middle. Before it coulde back to its senses, Shao Xuan had already evaded its sharp w.

    Perhaps Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t a strong as the mid-level totemic warrior Mai, but with the help of that tooth sabre, and using all his strength, he managed to pierce through the most vulnerable spot on the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s head!

    The tooth sabre pierced through its head and went straight into its skull.

    Even though he chose the most vulnerable spot, even though Shao Xuan used all his strength, that tooth sabre did notpletely pierce into its skull, and two thirds of the sabre could still be seen. If it was Mai who stabbed, of course the sabre would be fully buried inside, and perhaps that Thorn ck Wind would¡¯ve died in the blink of an eye. However, it was Shao Xuan, who had only been awakened for about a month¡¯s time.

    Even so, that strike managed to give the Thorn ck Wind an injury it couldn¡¯t ignore.

    Shao Xuan wanted to push it in further, and and give it more damage, but the Thorn ck Wind was already swiping its w. Shao Xuan could not even pull out the sabre, for the sabre was tightly embedded in its skull. There was no time for another move, but he had to dodge as soon as possible.

    And even though Shao Xuan got scratched on his back, luckily he got away in time, and the wound was not deep nor lethal. If he had hesitated for even a moment, he would¡¯ve been doomed.

    A loud roar pierced the region, and all the snowkes around trembled because of that roar.

    The Thorn ck Wind began to roar because of the severe injury in his head. It intended to pull out the sabre with its w, but unfortunately the sabre was stabbing at a very delicate spot, and even the slightest touch would cause it unbearable pain. Its ws were useless and it was impossible for it to pull out the sabre quickly. Instead, every movement caused it to endure bursts of extreme pain which almost made it faint.

 Chapter 49 â€“ Avalanche

    Chapter 49 ¨C Avnche

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    There were three spare spearheads in his hide bag. In fact, there was arger hide bag which contained more of these tools back in the cave. It was just, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have the time to grab that one when he was escaping.

    Shao Xuan reached in his hide bag.

    Every stone spearhead was crafted and polished by himself, and they felt quite familiar when he held them in his hand. It felt like he already would know its trajectory and effect before he throws it!

    Old Ke had mentioned to Shao Xuan that each and every piece of stoneware had its own unique story, an excellent stoneware crafter could clearly sense that unique story, that is the power of its creator.

    Back then, Shao Xuan did not understand what that felt like, however, now, he began to understand.

    They were merely stone spearheads without their handles.

    But it didn¡¯t matter anymore, for he had a use for them anyway!!

    When the Thorn ck Wind tried to pull out the sabre in its skull, Shao Xuan used the spearheads as darts and tossed two simultaneously towards one of the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s eyes!

    One spearhead deviated a little from its target, while the other one stabbed straight into its eye!

    Roar!

    An even louder and angrier scream echoed through the snowy region. The whole space was nearly torn apart by that sound.

    Shao Xuan was thinking whether he should throw thest spearhead into its other eye, but at that very second he heard a loud cracking sounding from above his head in the distance, as if something just broke.

    Hearing that sound, Shao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and the following rumbling noises confirmed his guess.

    Shao Xuan felt his mind nearly explode, and he had neither anymore time nor any energy to deal with the Thorn ck Wind.

    ¡°Follow me!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked around the surroundings, and told Mao to run after him.

    The ce they were running towards was a little higher than where they were before, and while running there, they could clearly feel the increasing depth of theyer of snow and stronger winds blowing against their faces.

    What the hell is happening?

    Mao was curious, and quite a few times he wanted to ask directly. The Thorn ck Wind was quite some distance away from them, and judging by its voice, it must have been experiencing unbearable pain from a severe wound. However, apparently, Shao Xuan was eager to run away for his life.

    With the rumbling noise getting louder and louder, the anxiety in Mao¡¯s heart grew bigger and bigger.

    Shao Xuan felt the blood in his veins on the verge of boiling. Earlier they were fighting desperately with that Thorn ck Wind, and a minuteter they were facing an avnche. His nerves had been tense for quite a while without a moment of rxation, and the totemic power he circted was on the verge of overloading. His body felt exhausted. In fact, the thing that should be doing urgently was to find a good ce to get some rest and calm down the unstable, almost-uncontroble power inside his body. However, the situation did not allow them any time for resting.

    Because of the earth-shattering roar of the Thorn ck Wind, which almost made Shao Xuan throw up some blood, somewhere on the top of the mountain, the snowyer got shattered as well. The cracking noise Shao Xuan heard was the sound of the snow and iceyer shattering. With the snowyer broken,rge quantities of snow began to roll and slide down. It grew more and more heavy as it gathered more and more snow, and swept down the mountain like a flood.

    The Thorn ck Wind seemed to have felt something as well, so it gave up on trying to pull out the de in its head, and began to act anxiously. It sensed that some unknown danger was approaching quickly and the tremors had spread all over its body through the trembling ground. Even a domineering species like itself wanted to turn and run away immediately.

    Regardless of the wounds he had on its head and eyes, it could still track the direction at which those two little buggers escaped to. Should it go down the mountain, or continue to chase after them?

    Immediately, the Thorn ck Wind made a decision and it directly ran in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. Its intuition told it that those two little bastards might have a way of avoiding the danger. Besides, it went through a lot of trouble getting up here, and even got stabbed by that little bugger. It felt reluctant to give up now, for it still held the thoughts of biting them both to death.

    Shao Xuan at that moment did not have the time nor the thought to pay attention to whether they were still being chased by that Thorn ck Wind. All he wanted to do was to hide behind that giant stone ahead, which was the only suitable shelter in the area.

    Heavy and enormous snow bulks ran down the mountain with terrifying rumbling noises, which trembled the ground.

    Mao felt more and more exhausted while he was running behind Shao Xuan. However, the looming crisis forced him to hang in there. Shao Xuan had fought directly with the Thorn ck Wind, which must have cost him much more energy. Since he had no intention of slowing down, Mao felt that he should not be having any useless thoughts. So he gritted his teeth and kept following.

    The approaching rumbling noise made Mao feel as if the whole mountain was about to copse. He did not know what that was, but the pressure made it difficult for him to breathe.

    It was getting closer!

    And closer!

    Shao Xuan rushed behind that giant stone, which was connected with the mountain, for he found it the most stable ce in this area.

    ¡°Grab the stone and close your mouth! Hold your breath in a bit!¡± Shao Xuan said to Mao.

    The huge snow bulk was fast approaching, so was the Thorn ck Wind that chased after them.

    Seeing that cursed Thorn ck Wind, Shao Xuan really wanted to curse it to hell. However, they could not leave this ce, because there was nowhere else to hide in.

    At that time, Shao Xuan prayed in his heart, hoping for the avnche toe sooner, and flush that trouble away.

    That Thorn ck Wind sped up and now it was only about ten meters away from Shao Xuan and Mao.

    There were spindrifts of snow flying around, while the giant mouth with numerous sharp teeth was rushing towards them.

    It was just that the giant mouth was a little bitte.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath and held the stone tight. When the rumbling noise arrived, he closed his eyes.

    When the avnche arrived, Shao Xuan heard an unwilling roar of the Thorn ck Wind and he could even smell its stinky breath.

    The Thorn ck Wind could merely roar before it was drowned in that avnche rushing by. Later, there were only terrible sounds, which made people think that it was the end of the world.

    Although they were hidden behind a huge stone, Shao Xuan and Mao still got buried in the snow for quite some time. Without knowing how long it had been, Shao Xuan pushed the snow above him away when the rumbling sound faded and the snow stopped pouring down.

    Icy air rushed into his lungs with a tingling cold sensation. However, Shao Xuan finally got the chance to ease his taut nerves.

    There was no Thorn ck Wind in his vision. Apparently, it got flushed away somewhere. Alive or dead, at least it was not a threat anymore for Shao Xuan and Mao temporarily.

    ¡°For now¡­are we safe?¡± Mao was still recovering from the shock. He had never encountered anything like that.

    ¡°Yes, for now.¡±

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Mao suddenly got relieved.

    ¡°What¡­what was that¡­earlier?¡± After a moment of rest, Mao asked, with some uneased fright in his voice.

    ¡°Avnche.¡±

    ¡°Avnche?¡± Mao searched his memory and he was sure he had not heard that term before. However, he remembered a simr story which his grandpa, the Chief, told him a long time ago. It was just that it did not excite him, and he preferred stories with ferocious beasts involved. Now with his own firsthand experience, he knew that when in times like this, nature¡¯s power was far more terrifying than any ferocious beast. For some time, he even felt like the whole mountain was about to fall down on his head.

    They had survived, for the second time. However, Shao Xuan and Mao dared not run around, for no one knew whether there would be a second avnche. If there was another one, they might not find a shelter as suitable as this one.

    Out of fear for having other idents, they dared not fall asleep as well. Perhaps they would never wake up again if they fell asleep.

    After resting for a while, Shao Xuan asked Mao about the Thorn ck Wind. Mao had not seen the Thorn ck Wind in person before, but he briefly exined the story that had happened duringst hunting mission, which he heard from his father. Now, the trouble started by Ah-Fei had befallen them.

    ¡°Fuck!¡± Shao Xuan cursed in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m going to beat him up hard when we get back!¡±

 Chapter 50 â€“ Sunrise

    Chapter 50 ¨C Sunrise

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It was better to be more cautious.

    A bitter, there was another avnche, but not as massive as thest one.

    Shao Xuan did not intend to leave before dawn. So they waited until sunrise, for it was not convenient for them to move or identify the paths when it was still dark.

    They were targeted by both a ferocious beast and a severe avnche. After running away for such a long time, all kinds of emotions began to well up once they rxed.

    Hungry and tired, but they still had to stay alert because it was necessary to avoid unforeseen dangers. Because of that, Shao Xuan had cursed the trouble-maker Ah-Fei over nine thousand times in his heart.

    Originally, they had brought a piece of meat with them, but they lost it during their escape. Shao Xuan searched in his animal skin bag and found a spearhead and a small gourd inside. The gourd was filled with boar blood, and there was still some boar blood left. Mai and the others had put in some kind of a grass essence, which could prevent the blood from coagting.

    After drinking some boar blood, Shao Xuan passed his gourd on to Mao. That guy was in even worse condition than him. All his stuff was lost on the way, except for some short spears and a stone sword.

    Although there was no meat, a swig of the four-fanged boar¡¯s blood could restore their energy to some extent. Mao looked around and asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Do you think Mai and the others wille to find us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± If they were in some other ces, for example the basin or the valley, or the forest they marched through, Mai and the other warriors would probablye and find them based on their traces. However, in this ce, since they were stepping on ice and snow, a lot of the traces they left had been erased by the snow. Besides, when they were chased after by that Thorn ck Wind, instead of going straight up, Shao Xuan began to escape circrly after they got to a certain altitude.

    The temperature at night was far lower than during daylight. When they were climbing up the mountain, it was the middle of the day, and they already felt quite cold, let alone now when it was already mid-night.

    Perhaps they had consumed too much energy that night, the absorption of the four-fanged boar blood was quicker than before. Mao took three swigs constantly.

    Their totemic power hadn¡¯t stopped running. It was the only option, for one would get easily frozen without the support of the totemic power, so they had to keep it running.

    Finally, they had some calm, but Mao did not know what to talk with Shao Xuan. After all, he had some problems with Shao Xuan. After drinking quite a bit of the blood of the four-fanged boar, Mao felt a little sleepy. However, the taut nerves and endless icy wind had driven away his drowsiness a lot. ncing at the surroundings, there was nothing but the darkness. They could barely see the vicinity, but everything disappeared in the distance. After having bottled it up for a while, Mao finally decided to ask Shao Xuan why he could see the surroundings in the dark. However, just when he turned to Shao Xuan, he found him gulping down the boar blood again from his gourd.

    It was the fifth swig¡­

    Normally, Mai only allowed them to take one swig at a time, for they would not be able to endure the energy from that blood if they drank too much. Even when Mao himself was exhausted, he merely constantly took three swigs, which made him feel that it was near his limitation. When you have too much energy at one time, you may find it difficult to control, and when the energy got out of control, you may suffer from the energy rioting inside your body. However, Shao Xuan had no intention of stopping, and judging from his actions, perhaps there would be a sixth swig shortly.

    ¡°Are you okay¡­with so much of that?¡± Mao asked.

    ¡°For now it¡¯s okay.¡± Shao Xuan felt that the energy brought in by the boar blood would quickly fade away after some time. The feeling of exhaustion hit him again and again, so he needed to take another swig. After a few rounds of that, Shao Xuan did not find any side effect, so he followed his feeling and kept drinking the boar¡¯s blood.

    Mao only took three swigs from the half-full gourd, and Shao Xuan drank up the rest. When there were no more boar blood in the gourd, there was a misty light on the horizon.

    Mao looked at Shao Xuan as if he was staring at a monster. He could not figure out why that guy could drink so much boar blood and still act normally. Instead of suffering from issues in his body, he seemed more and more vigorous!

    No one would believe that if he told the people in the tribe!

    ¡°Shall we leave now?¡± Mao asked.

    The snow had stopped falling for quite some time, and with the lighted up horizon, they could obviously feel the rise of the temperature. When the sun rose, they would not have to continue circting their totemic power.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a bit more.¡± Shao Xuan answered as he gazed at the sky.

    The clouds dispersed a little and Shao Xuan could see a peak among the sea of clouds, which was the mountaintop of a mountain in the distance. It constantly revealed its existence within the surge of clouds. Farther away, there were taller mountains poking into the deep blue sky.

    When the sun finally came out and shed its lights on the snowy region, the icy tone finally lessened. Endless snow filled one¡¯s horizon and when you looked up, you could see the peak of the mountain.

    Snow covered their knees and they could only see the color of white for as far as their sight went. Heaven and earth seemed to be merged together. When you looked down the mountain, the world down there was buried in mist, which could not be seen through clearly.

    The vision ahead made one feel as if they were lost in a world of white, which could never be crossed. Some less determined minds might probably flinch at the sight of it.

    Here, it was higher than the mountain that Mai had led them to before. Shao Xuan was looking at one of the mountains inside a mountain range. When you looked afar, you could see the white mountain peaks for a thousand miles.

    ¡°What¡­is this ce?¡± Mao looked at the strange scenery and asked anxiously. He remembered the ces that he had been to before, and even the scenery nearby. However, he feltpletely unfamiliar with the things he was seeing now.

    When they were escaping, it felt not far, but judging from the circumstances now, they realized that they were in big trouble.

    It was impossible to stay here for long, so Shao Xuan decided to head down the mountain first, at least they would go to somewhere warmer.

    In his heart, Shao Xuan was still worrying about old Ke¡¯s tooth sword. When old Ke had given him that sword, he had held it in front of old Ke and told him to rest assured, for he promised to take good care of the sword. However, the sword was gone now.

    They headed down the mountain, and after they had gone through the mist, scenery from down the mountain began to appear.

    In these mountains, there was no vegetation in the snow covered area, while down here there was a lot of green that enjoyed short winters and long summers.

    They were almost two different worlds.

    After walking for some time, they saw a big chunk of snow and a thinyer of snow that was melting under the sun. The chunk began to reveal its true appearance under the snow¡­ck scales.

    The sword sticking out indicated that it was the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s head, and Shao Xuan quickly confirmed that.

    A ball of snow fell down along with the melted snow-water, with traces of red mixed in. Shao Xuan looked closely and found that the sword pierced through for over half its length instead of the previous one third. Around the sword, there was some frozen blood.

    Thorn ck Wind¡¯s thorns and scales which usually looked majestic while standing straight, had now all lowered, not moving at all.

    Shao Xuan closed his eyes after indicating Mao not to move. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a giant skeleton in his view. Unlike yesterday, the huge ferocious beast had quite a few broken bones now, as if it had hit something hard. Even if it was still alive, it would be severely injured. And the head¡­ the sword got stabbed in deeper into the skull.

    If not for the sword, Shao Xuan would be heading down the mountain without any hesitation, and he would never try to examine if that Thorn ck Wind was still alive. It¡¯d better be dead, for even if it was barely alive, with Shao Xuan¡¯s condition, he had no confidence in beating it.

    Shao Xuan made a hard snowball with the snow he gathered, and then tossed it towards the sword.

    The sword trembled, while the huge ferocious beast did not move.

    After a testing a few times, Shao Xuan finally confirmed, that the ferocious beast, that dominated on the top of the food chain in the basin, was actually dead.

 Chapter 51 â€“ Just one touch

    Chapter 51 ¨C Just one touch

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ming Horns tribe.

    The life inside the tribe was just as calm and peaceful as always.

    Early in the morning, old Ke tossed Caesar some meat and bones, then grabbed a stoneware and began polishing it as he sat there. He looked the same old way, without any facial expression or any words. However, people familiar with him could still figure it out that old Ke had been not quite himselftely. For example, you could see it from the wooden box at the corner for waste residue. All the residue after carving off stone kes or pieces of failed crafted items went directly there.

    Old Ke used to have far less wasted there.

    Caesar who was gnawing on a boneckadaisically in the corner seemed to be skinnier than before. It was not because of old Ke not willing to feed him, he got skinnier because of its low spirit and loss of appetite. So he seemed boney now.

    Caesar¡¯s ear moved a little and looked at the window as he was chewing on the bone slowly. Soon, a person came in through the window from the outside. Before hended, he pushed off with a finger against the ground and with that strength he flipped in the air as if avoiding something.

    ¡°What?¡± Gended steadily and he looked around his surroundings. By the window was the trap he triggered on hisst visit. Originally he was prepared for something new popping out from the ground, however, unexpectedly there was nothing at all.

    This is not right!

    Ge squatted down as he narrowed his eyes and scanned the room, not letting any detail escape his sight.

    Caesar stared at Ge with a bone in his mouth, for he didn¡¯t understand why this person had to roll over when he came in.

    After confirming there was no other trap, Ge finally stood up. In fact, the few traps that he triggered before were still the way he left them, and old Ke did not even bother to clear the scene.

    ¡°Hey, how¡¯s everything going, old Ke?¡± Ge came to old Ke¡¯s side and handed him a few animal meat chunks and two fine stone cores which he pulled out from a hide bag, ¡°My son is joining the next hunting mission, hence I need your help to craft something for him.¡±

    Old Ke did not respond to his words, while he continued on working on the stuff he had at hand.

    Ge didn¡¯t mind at all, because he knew old Ke had already heard that. He just put the things aside and dragged over a stone stool as if he were in his own house. Ge gazed at the stone sword that old Ke was working on and said, ¡°Ah-Xuan and the others have probably already started hunting at the first location. What do you think he will bring back from his first hunting mission?¡±

    Old Ke hesitated for a moment at Ge¡¯s words. But he kept silent as he continued on crafting.

    Seeing old Ke like this, Ge finally ascertained what old Ke was worrying about.

    Old Ke wed no wife and fathered no children in his life. As a youth it was okay for him to live that way, butter on when he had to quit from the hunting team because of the leg, his temper grew more and more weird. People found him difficult to get along with, and almost no kid woulde to be on congenial terms with him. Even those who came to him to learn stone crafting skills, never stuck to it. Finally, Ah-Xuan entered his life, and old Ke almost treated him like his own son.

    When kids went on their first hunting trip, their elders and rtives would naturally worry. So most of the parents chose to go out with their children, for at least they could have the chance to look after their own kids. Personally joining in the battle was better than trusting the kids to others¡¯ attendance after all.

    If old Ke weren¡¯t injured, he probably would¡¯ve taken Ah-Xuan out during the first hunting mission this year, however¡­

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ah-Xuan is a quick-witted boy who got awakened at such a young age. Let alone that he is favored by the Shaman! He will be fine, and you should just patiently wait for them to return on the Path of Glory. Didn¡¯t you give him your tooth sword? He¡¯ll be fine. He told us to rest assured, right? He knows better.¡±

    At the same time, on the other side of the mountains, away from the tribe, Shao Xuan, who ¡°knows better and told them to rest assured¡±, was sighing at the tooth sword.

    After confirming the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s death, Shao Xuan pulled out the sword. It took him a lot of strength to do that, for the knife was stuck in the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s skull.

    ording to the traces on the ground and the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s condition, Shao Xuan suspected perhaps the giant beast had hit on a huge rock when it got flushed by the avnche. Later, it rolled down the mountain, and the Thorn ck Wind got buried here deep. The broken bones on its body should be caused by the hit, while the tooth sword stabbed deeper into its skull during the process.

    One could only say that this Thorn ck Wind had bad luck. If it weren¡¯t Shao Xuan who tagged along with the hunting trip, if it were any other newly-awakened kid, such events would not have happened at all. Without Shao Xuan, the Thorn ck Wind would have been able to get its sweet revenge back in the cave.

    After pulling out the tooth sword, Shao Xuan noticed that its tip had broken off for about an inch, and there were quite a few breaches on the chipped de. Besides, the tooth sword was filled with scratch marks.

    He wondered what for amazed expression would old Ke¡¯s have, when he presents the sword in front of old Ke after he returns.

    Also, Ge would probably cry seeing the sword? He had longed for this sword since forever, and he always touched it gently. However, his precious was roughly handled by Shao Xuan and ended up like that¡­

    As Shao Xuan was sighing at the sword, Mao was feeling nk faced with the dead body of that Thorn ck Wind in front of him. He had never expected such a giant monster dying just like that?

    In all the stories that he had heard before, primary totemic warriors would never have any chance if faced with such a high level ferocious beast, unless they fought inrge quantities. As for newly-awakened warriors, they should never think about confronting something like that! Once they encountered a ferocious beast, old experienced warriors would justmand them to stand aside by one single shout of ¡°Kids, get far away!¡±.

    Mao felt more than excited, feeling the hard scales and thorns of the Thorn ck Wind with his palm. Even though he did not help much during the hunting, he felt quite agitated just to witness such special hunting and retaliation battle. Also, the untouchable image of Thorn ck Winds also faded for some extent in his heart.

    Just¡­one touch!

    Then another touch!

    Oh my goodness, look at the teeth! Definitely have to touch those!

    He should be the first one to touch the teeth of an adult Thorn ck Wind among his generation in the tribe! Think about that!

    So, when Shao Xuan looked over in Mao¡¯s direction, he found an odd image of Mao forcing apart the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s jaw with his bare hands, and craning his neck to look inside.

    What the fuck are you looking at!!

    Shao Xuan rushed to his side and kicked Mao away.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid to be bitten to death in case it wasn¡¯t dead yet, you moron?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that it is dead already?¡± Mao swiped off the snow on his clothes and got back on his feet. Not paying any attention to Shao Xuan¡¯s kick, Mao continued to stare at the Thorn ck Wind enthusiastically.

    People in the tribe always had a weird enthusiasm towards high-level prey, which Shao Xuan never understood.

    ¡°Do you believe whatever I say? What if I was wrong? Didn¡¯t you notice that I was extremely nervous when I pulled out the sword? Or did you not even notice that I stood so far away from that thing after I pulled out the sword?!¡± Even though Shao Xuan was positive that the Thorn ck Wind was dead, with so many iprehensible factors in this world, Shao Xuan felt it was better to be more cautious with that unfamiliar species. The chopped off snakehead could sometimes still bite people! Who knew whether that Thorn ck Wind did not have such behavior?

    Before he could finish his sentence, Shao Xuan, together with Mao, heard the sound of a wooden whistle. It was not near, but ording to its rhythm, it was from their hunting group.

    Shao Xuan immediately showed a joyful face and raised up his arm and whistled with curled thumb and index finger in his mouth.

    Different rhythms of whistles represented different meanings in the tribe. Shao Xuan knew that because every hunting warrior needed to remember them.

    Seeing Shao Xuan made whistle loudly with his fingers, Mao copied his movement as well. However, Mao almost used up all his saliva yet could not make any whistling sound.

    Lang Ga, Ang and some other warriors came to find them. When seeing that Shao Xuan and Mao were intact, Lang Ga almost shed some tears in his red eyes. But soon, when theyid eyes on the giant figure in the snow, those warriors nearly slipped down on the ground.

    The snow was melting quickly, and the dreadful killer of the night was just lying there with its belly on the ground in silence, lifeless.

 Chapter 52 â€“ All three

    Chapter 52 ¨C All three

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°What¡­what¡¯s that?¡± Lang Ga grabbed the long spear in his hands tightly and asked in a shaky voice, as he pointed at it with a shaky finger.

    Ang and the others also swallowed down their saliva, waiting for Shao Xuan¡¯s answer. Although they could guess what it was, the guess appeared to be too unbelievable to be true. They could not believe in their guess, and some of them even wondered if it was just a dream.

    Yesterday, when they saw the chaos in that cave, many of them had prepared to face the fact that they might never see those two kids again. It was a sleepless night as they had been searching all night. At first they could see some traces of them, for example the items that they lost along the way. However, after they had entered the snowy region, it became nearly impossible for them to find any more footprints so all of the rest relied on luck.

    While searching, they had long gone beyond their hunting area. They had met with another hunting group, and the other hunting group joined the search. But the longer it took, the heavier their heart grew. In this forest, it was difficult for cubs to stay alive. Humans and animals were the same at that point.

    Now, seeing that Mao and Shao Xuan were both okay, Lang Ga and the others were of course happy, for that was already far better than their expectation. Only few people could escape from a Thorn ck Wind. However, with the big guy lying there, facing the ground, it was like their wildest dream!

    ¡°Is it really dead?¡±

    ¡°With the big hole in its head, and so much blooding out of there, it should be dead, right?¡±

    After poking it for a few times with the long spear, Lang Ga and the others became bolder. Like Mao¡¯s previous behavior, they now paid no more attention to Shao Xuan and Mao, while all of them circled around the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s dead body, poking at it as a sign to show their amazement.

    ¡°It¡¯s the one fromst time! Look at its tail, there¡¯s still a wound.¡±

    ¡°Hey, look at the thick skin and the thorns¡­Oh, it can¡¯t be broken off! Here, Ah-Xuan, hold my stone spear¡­ I don¡¯t believe I can¡¯t break it¡­¡±

    ¡°The thorns are so hard¡­If Mai had chopped at theyer of thorns, perhaps its tail wouldn¡¯t have been injured so badly¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey look at its w! So sharp¡­Wow¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Standing on the side, Shao Xuan got a headache watching these people¡¯s behavior¡­

    A minute ago people were shedding tears on that warm reunion, and one minuteter, he and Mao were ignored.

    Luckily, Lang Ga still remembered to notify the other warriors down the mountain, and sent a message with that whistle. Originally they nned to take Shao Xuan and Mao down the mountain to meet with the others, but with the dead Thorn ck Wind¡¯s presence, they changed their mind and called the others toe up here. It would be such a waste to just leave the beast to rot here. The warriors would all be pepped up if they carried it back.

    Thepetition between the two hunting teams was quite intense, so every time when they returned, they would brag about their prey. It would be so cool if they could bring back this big ferocious beast.

    When Mai and the others arrived, Lang Ga was holding one of the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s big ws in his arms, touching it constantly.

    Simr to the others who met the Thorn ck Wind earlier, these people also had their eyes wide open, and were dumbstruck. Later, just as Shao Xuan¡¯s predicted, they too circled around the body immediately.

    ¡°Are you hurt?¡± Mai came to Shao Xuan and Mao, quite relieved.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Shao Xuan moved his arms and legs, and jumped for a few times. In fact, he had broken a few ribs and an armst night, but fortunately it was not severe and now he had recovered mostly already. Probably it was because of the totemic power.

    After confirming that Shao Xuan and Mao were really fine, Mai finally relieved himself from the stress and pressure.

    Since everyone was asking about their encounter, Shao Xuan briefly exined what had happenedst night.

    Mao was adding on from the side. He had notpletely calmed down before yet, but as they atst were picked up by the group, he finally let loose and became more talkative. So Mao bragged about his experience to the crowd ceaselessly.

    Shao Xuan did not tell the others the fact that he could see skeletons, and all he imed was he had better sight at night than the others. Besides, from start to finish, arge part of it was thanks to luck.

    Warriors of the other hunting group also came here with Mai. After listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s story, they sighed, ¡°It turned out you were the ones responsible for the noise up in the mountainst night!¡±

    Last night, people from the other hunting team also heard the rumbling noise up in the mountain. It was just that they were far away from the sound so they did not worry about being influenced by the avnche. Also, they did not n toe to search the region, for basically no one would survive from such enormous momentum.

    The leader from the other hunting group looked at Mai enviously, for he had foreseen the great wee that they would receive when they returned on the Path of Glory.

    It was absurd for them to just leave the Thorn ck Wind here. Like other prey, they nned to dissect it first.

    ording to the rules in the hunting teams. Shao Xuan should lead the dissection, for it was his prey. However, Shao Xuan now did not have the strength to do so yet, for theyer of scale of Thorn ck Wind was too thick to cut. Even though there were no scales in its stomach, it was too difficult for Shao Xuan to control the knife. So, under Mai and some other warriors¡¯ guidance, Shao Xuan made a few cuts and Mai took it from there.

    If the prey were put down by the joint efforts of warriors, the organs that got dissected should be distributed by the leader of the hunting group, and everyone would get his part. As for how people would like to trade with each other, it would be their own business. Beside from the organs, the meat would be distributedter when they get back.

    But now, the Thorn ck Wind was hunted down by Shao Xuan and Mao. Even if it was more of a thing of luck, it was their prey. So all the guts belonged to Shao Xuan and Mao, while the others had to trade for it if they wanted any.

    After pulling out all its guts, Mai and the other said goodbye to the other hunting group, and they began to pull the Thorn ck Wind back with joint strength.

    There was a giant cave excavated near the mountaintop, where the hunting group went to yesterday. Inside the giant cave was a lot of processed game stored, for it was colder there, and the meat could be stored for a longer time. Besides, high level game like the four-fanged wild boar and the Thorn ck Wind would decay more slowly. That was also a reason why totemic warriors preferred to hunt for high level game.

    Because of that, each location would have at least two caves. One was for resting, which was located near the mountainside or somece warmer and concealed. The other was built to store food, and it would be located near the mountain top that was covered with snow all year long. After all, it would take about twenty days for each hunting trip.

    After taking the Thorn ck Wind to the food-storing cave, people headed towards the mountainside, because Mai wanted to find another cave for resting. The one they had could not be used anymore.

    ¡°Mai! Ah-Xuan! Finally, you came back!¡± The five people staying at the former cave were thrilled to see Shao Xuan and Maoing back, safe and sound. However, they had other things to report.

    ¡°Yesterday after you left, we heard the howling of Thorn ck Winds down the mountain. Two of them! I approached to see what was happening, and I saw those two who stopped us earlier, fighting against each other! I did not have the chance to get closer and after observing for a while, I came back.¡±

    Mai thought about it for a while. Hemanded the others to stay at the cave for now, and took some mid-level totemic warriors to head down to check it out first.

    When Shao Xuan had finished eating some roasted meat, Mai came back hurriedly, with joyful expression on his face. He asked the others toe down and help.

    It turned out that the two Thorn ck Winds fought brutally over the control of the territory. One was defeated and had been nearly ripped apart with only skeleton remaining. The other one was badly injured, with quite a few parts revealing the bones, and one of its hind legs was almost broken.

    When Mai took the people there, that Thorn ck Wind who won was resting in the forest. Theke was a little far from the battlefield. Since it was badly injured, it probably nned to rest in the woods for a few days, before it would enter theke.

    Unexpectedly, Mai and the others took advantage of its injuries and killed it directly.

    ¡°Do you think that the first one knew that these two would have such a bloody fight when it asked for their help?¡± Lang Ga asked.

    Shao Xuan was thinking about the same question. Perhaps that one did know what would happen when it sacrificed its territory to ask for help. If things went smoothly, it could kill the kids in the hunting group, and then wait patiently for the two down the mountain to fight each other to the death. When one was defeated and the other was weak, it would go back and take back its territory. Hence, it could not only get its revenge, it might be able to expand itsnd by having the other two killed.

    No one knew the truth, for all three of them were dead and their bodies were dragged to the food-storing cave by the hunting group.

 Chapter 53 â€“ Wild Wolves

    Chapter 53 ¨C Wild Wolves

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    A herd of giant-antlered deers was wandering along a stream, while some predator¡¯s movements nearby was making them anxious.

    About a few hundred meters away from the herd, Shao Xuan hid himself behind some dense branches as he stood on a tall tree. He looked in the deers¡¯ direction through the leaves.

    It was the fifth day since they came out for hunting, and since they had hunted enough game already around their first location, Mai nned to take the hunting group to head to the second location.

    The second location was located at the other side of the basin, so they had to go through the basin and then climb over yet another mountain to reach it. With Shao Xuan and Mao tagging along with the hunting group, Mai did not intend to move straight through the basin. Instead, Mai told the group to march along the basin¡¯s edge. The distance was longer this way, but it was not as dangerous as walking straight through.

    During their journey, the group encountered arge herd of giant-antlered deers, with a pack of wolves following them. Maimanded the others to hide themselves first and then asked Shao Xuan to observe the wolves in the forest. Shao Xuan kept a wolf himself, and Mai was worried that he hadn¡¯t seen a real wolf in the wild. In fact, Caesar was not considered a real wolf in most of warriors¡¯ eyes, so he would hate it if Shao Xuan¡¯s impression of wolves was based on Caesar¡¯s tame behaviour.

    However, Mai and the others actually worried for nothing. Of course Shao Xuan knew what wolves were like in the wild, or else he wouldn¡¯t be treating Caesar as a dog.

    But the wolves here were much stronger than the wolves that Shao Xuan had seen in hisst life. They had stronger muscles and were very destructive. Judging from their head and jaws, one could tell that they had much more force in their bites. In fact, they would hunt for giant preys that were much bigger than themselves in sizes.

    Now those wolves were just lurking around, for before any action, they had to assess the risk first.

    ¡°They prefer to avoid the deers with bigger antlers, like those ones.¡± Mai pointed some out for Shao Xuan.

    Among the herd of the giant-antlered deer, there were a lot of male deer with big antlers, some of which had really unique antlers. Unlike other deer, their antlers were not like branches that stretched out, but forked out backwards several times covering their whole bodies. Those were extremely difficult to deal with.

    Shao Xuan had seen simr antlers in the tribe, for some people were wearing those when attending the ritual ceremony.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to happen!¡± Lang Ga said in a low voice as he squatted on the tree beside them. He was quite excited. In fact, Lang Ga became excited every time he saw a pack of wolves hunting together. He thought that he could learn a lot from their hunting skills and fighting.

    ¡°The best way to hunt down herd creatures like the giant-antlered deer is to make them run.¡± Mai whispered.

    Shao Xuan looked at the wolves and noticed that at first the wolves were just like taking a stroll, but then they gradually split up and slowly approached the deer herd. Some of the wolves even tried to intimidate the deers on the edge.

    Because of the approaching wolf pack, the deer herd began to panic, and quickly there was chaos in the herd from the wolves¡¯ threat. The deers began to run, and some of them even headed in different directions.

    The wolves separated as they chased after the giant-antlered deer herd, searching for suitable targets.

    ¡°Baby deers would be protected in the center of the herd, with strong and big individuals protecting them. Normally, the wolf pack would not try to hunt them down. But as for those who ran towards different directions, it was pretty easy for the wolves to pick out those wounded or old ones. Once those weak or the wounded ones were spotted, all wolves would give up chasing after the others, and focus on those less-abled ones.¡± Mai pointed at the running wolves and exined to Shao Xuan. After some hesitation, he added, ¡°So even if you are wounded, you should never show your weakness in front of them. Also, never show the pack your back, which is too dangerous.¡±

    Shao Xuan had not found out which of the deers were the less-abled ones, but one of the wolves suddenly sped up and chased after one particr deer. Soon, six or seven wolves joined the chase, as the time went by, more and more wolves joined the chase.

    The biggest and strongest wolf among the pack should be the leader, and it was the one that started the attack.

    However, it was a shame that because of the help from some other deers, their prey finally slipped away.

    ¡°They won¡¯t give up without a prey.¡± Lang Ga was positive.

    At that end, the wolves came back together soon after the failure. Perhaps they were in tumult because of the failure in hunting this time. However, the chaos soon calmed down by the leader. It howled at the sky and Shao Xuan felt that it must be increasing the morale.

    Soon, the wolf pack started yet another attack towards the deer herd.

    One wolf focused on an old deer, while the others quickly joined in.

    Withst time¡¯s experience and the lesson that they learnt, this time they chased the deer to an empty ground and separated it from the herd. So it fell into a situation of istion and helplessness.

    Seeing such a crazy chase, and even though he was looking from quite a distance, and was already mentally prepared, Shao Xuan was still deeply shocked.

    Perhaps the biggest fear for the prey was to encounter such well-organized predators with ferocious eyes, and being chased after by a group of them.

    The leader was rushing in the front of the pack, and it suddenly pounced at the deer¡¯s back when it got near. The sharp teeth pierced through the deer¡¯s skin, and its big body, which was evenrger than most normal wolves, directly mmed on the deer like a hammer.

    Although the old giant-antlered deer was a few times bigger than the wolf¡¯s leader, it staggered from the pounce and almost fell down to the ground. It was just a beginning. After the leader wolf, soon other wolves in the pack began to attack as well. Their teeth went through its skin and pierced its muscles.

    The giant-antlered deer that was besieged almost became a ¡°wolf-hanger¡±. Finally, it slowed down and fell, but its body did not stop struggling until itsst breath.

    Maybe a wolf alone was not lethal at all, but dozens of the terrifying predatorsbined were a real danger. Because of such hunting tactics, they were able to scare off most of the predators in this region.

    ¡°Sometimes I would rather confront ferocious beasts like the Thorn ck Wind, than face a pack of wolves.¡± Some warrior in the hunting group said.

    ¡°Luckily, Thorn ck Winds prefer to live alone. Even if they united temporarily, they wouldn¡¯t be able to fight like that.¡±

    They liked to live alone and despised teamwork. It was rare enough for those two Thorn ck Winds to cooperate to block their way, but they would never fight together desperately against the warriors.

    ¡°But then, I have not figured out where they keep their baby wolves by now.¡± Lang Ga looked around and said. It was totally a coincidence that they picked up Caesar when that little cub was alone.

    Most of the social animals did a good job protecting their babies. For example, the giant-antlered deer or the wolf pack, which was about to start eating. However, for animals like the Thorn ck Winds, no matter how powerful and arrogant they were, their babies might get targeted by other ferocious beasts if they did not take good care of their babies. Even without Ah-Fei, there might have been other hunters like tigers, leopards and wolves.

    ¡°After all, the wounded, the old, and especially the babies are best hunting targets in the wilderness.¡± Said Mai.

    Also, down in the bottom of theke, where that Thorn ck Wind which lost its baby lived, there were numerous animals¡¯ bones, regardless of the age or the size.

    The world in the forest was just as brutal as that, filled with killing and being killed.

    ¡°So, grow up quickly!¡± Qiao smiled at Shao Xuan and Mao.

    After collecting their equipment, the hunting group headed to the second location.

    As they were running and jumping on the boughs, Shao Xuan looked back at the wolf pack that had started eating.

    The strong leader howled and brutally bit the others that approached to the prey. It used that way to defend its dominant position in the pack. While the others that were not bitten by the leader yet, quickly nibbled on the giant-antlered deer, as if the prey would stand up and run away if they were to slow to eat.

    Compared with that, what was Caesar doing now, as he was treated and kept like a dog since its childhood? Was hezily gnawing on a bone while bathing in the sun?

 Chapter 54 â€“ Stone worm below the mountain

    Chapter 54 ¨C Stone worm below the mountain

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Sponsored by Anon1 and Nathanael

    In the wild, the vulnerable and weak ones were more susceptible to attacks, so Shao Xuan had been paying extra attention to the surroundings. He was merely a newly-awakened boy, and in the eyes of animals, especially ferocious beasts, he was one of the two weakest ones in the group.

    When they arrived at the other side of the basin, it was almost dusk. Shao Xuan thought that there would be a cave to rest, after all, the rule in the hunting team was- No hunting at night. Staying out at night was far too dangerous, and resting without a cave also seemed to be unsafe in such an environment.

    To Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, the cave of the second location was not on this side of the mountain.

    The second hunting location was located at the other side of the mountain, but¡­

    Shao Xuan looked up at the mountain, whose peak and border could not be seen at all. It would be extremely difficult for them to climb over that mountain, even with the strength of a totemic warrior, it might take them more than a whole day to get there. Let alone that it was alreadyte, and there were some glinting eyes staring at them from the woods.

    Instead of stopping there, Mai continued to lead the group up the mountain.

    Near the mountainside there was indeed a cave, a big one, which was neither formed naturally, nor excavated by people from the tribe. In fact, it was drilled out by some kind of creature.

    Specifically, it was a passage. Every time when hunting groups came here, they would have to go through the mountain, to get to the other side.

    On the wall, near the entrance of the cave, there were a lot of names carved out. At the end of the name list, Shao Xuan found Mai¡¯s name carved on the wall.

    Every group leader would carve his name on the wall when he led his group through the passage. All the names above were carved by former leaders of hunting groups. When Mai bes too old to serve as the hunting group¡¯s leader, there would be a new leader selected, and the new leader would carve his name after Mai when hees here one day. For them, it was a symbol of honor.

    Before they enter the cave, warriors in the hunting group needed to hold a small ceremony, to show their appreciation towards their ancestors who had established this hunting route.

    Mai put down the long spear beside his feet, and got down on one knee. With his palms facing each other, he raised his hands in front of his forehead, and bowed towards the wall full of names.

    ¡°To our ancestors!!¡±

    ¡°Thank the ancestors!¡±

    Shao Xuan followed the example of the other warriors of their hunting group and gave the same salute to show appreciation.

    It¡¯s said that, every hunting route that the hunting groups went along were established by the ancestors. Long time ago, when there weren¡¯t enough men in the tribe, there weren¡¯t many hunting groups. So every time they went hunting, they would try new routes. One time they would take this route, next time they would take another.

    Later on, there were more people in the hunting group, so different teams were established and each hunting group would follow one of the routes that was established by their ancestors.

    The reason for following the routes was to avoid those unforeseen and unpredictable factors. What kinds of animals lived along the route? How many of them were ferocious beasts? How was the geography? All those questions could be answered from the experiences which were passed on by the previous generations. However, if you went on a new route, you might not be able to quickly react towards incidents, which would lead to a huge loss.

    Of course, the hunting route was just a rough direction made by the ancestors, and people could feel free to make smaller decisions along the path. For example, the route for Mai¡¯s group was to climb over the mountain where the first location was, and then go through the basin, and then get to the other side of this mountain.

    What if some in the tribe had their own ideas of establishing a new route? Well, only if the Shaman and the Chief both agreed to it, else the others would just forget about it.

    What¡­ are you delusional? Trying to create a new hunting route by your own?

    Could you be stronger than the ancestors?

    No, you couldn¡¯t!

    Also, new hunting routes could not be established easily nor freely. Unless you think the old route was not good?

    It didn¡¯t make any sense! You dare doubt the ancestors? Do you have a death wish?!

    ¡­

    People in the tribe had a peculiar, stubborn attitude towards things that were passed down by the ancestors. Even though some of the decisions were not quite suitable in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, however people in the tribe respected them as sacred rules.

    Except for the loyalty towards the totem, people in the tribe had reverence and immense trust for the ancestors which went beyond Shao Xuan¡¯s imagination. Even if the ancestors climbed out of their graves and imed that there was only one moon in the sky, people in the tribe would nod and agree without any second thought.

    That was also the result achieved by all those years of brainwashing education from the Shamans. Generations after generations, the same ideas were passed down.

    When the group leaders were out on a mission, they always thought that they could only face their ancestors with integrity if they went on the pre-existing routes. It was also considered as the respect towards the ancestors that established the hunting routes. Looking at the names on the list at the entrance of the cave, those leaders shared simr thoughts.

    After entering the cave and starting a bonfire, warriors in the hunting group did not walk any deeper inside. ording to old habits, they would spend the night near the entrance and then head inside early tomorrow morning. Going through the cave would cost some time, for it was not a straight route.

    ¡°Howe there is a cave that connects both sides of the mountain?¡± Shao Xuan asked Lang Ga when they were resting beside the bonfire.

    ¡°This cave was already there when our ancestors first came here. It¡¯s said that a giant king stone worm lives in this mountain, and all the curvy paths in the cave were drilled out by it.¡± Lang Ga said.

    ¡°Stone worm?!¡± Shao Xuan was stunned, for the round passage was at least ten meters high. Also, Mai and the others had mentioned that aside from the passage that connected both sides of the mountain, there were lots of other passages that went up or down. Who could¡¯ve imagined that a cave and passages of such scale were drilled out by a stone worm?!

    How big would it be?

    The stone worms that Shao Xuan used as fishing baits could never bepared with it!

    However, it was a story from the ancestors who established this hunting route, and it remains to be confirmed whether there really was a stone worm.

    ¡°Then¡­ have any of our ancestors seen the stone worm below the mountain?¡± Shao Xuan asked. It had been many years since the first hunting group came, even if the warriors were only using the cave as a passage, someone should have seen the stone worm, right?

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone has seen it.¡± Seeing that Shao Xuan was still in doubt, Lang Ga exined more, ¡°But if you listen carefully, you can hear the sound created by the King Stone Worm.¡±

    Shao Xuan listened carefully, and there were indeed some whirring sounds. However, they weren¡¯t necessarily caused by the stone worm. Since there were lots of caves and holes, when wind blew inside from one hole and went out through the other holes, it would also create such sounds.

    Although his heart was filled with doubts, Shao Xuan figured he would not get another answer seeing Lang Ga¡¯s attitude. Instead of arguing with those stubborn people, Shao Xuan changed the subject, ¡°So what¡¯s on the other side of the mountain? Are there any differences?¡±

    As expected, Lang Ga¡¯s attention soon was shifted.

    ¡°Differences? In fact, the biggest difference is that there are lot of giant birds on the other side.¡± Lang Ga stretched out his arms to gesticte. Although Lang Ga¡¯s arms were limited in length, judging from his exaggerated facial expression, Shao Xuan knew that the birds must be quite big.

    In fact, recalling carefully, Shao Xuan noticed that since he had entered the woods, there weren¡¯t manyrge fierce birds. Even though Shao Xuan felt that some of the birds they saw were pretty big, based on Lang Ga¡¯s description, on the other side of the mountain, there lived some bigger and fiercer birds. Perhaps the feathery decorations that some warriors put on, at the ritual ceremony of the Snow Festival were obtained on the other side of the mountain.

 Chapter 55 â€“ So unlucky

    Chapter 55 ¨C So unlucky

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After a night¡¯s sleep, the hunting group gathered their things and started to go through the mountain early the next day.

    Shao Xuan had a pretty good sleep and he did not see anything terrible in his dreams.

    ¡°Everyone, stay close together, especially Ah-Xuan and Mao. This is your first time going this way, so I need you to promise to focus, for you may never have the chance toe out if you get left behind.¡± Mai said seriously.

    He was not trying to intimidate but only telling the truth. Even the few generations of their ancestors paid a heavy price before they could finally find the correct way out when this hunting route was first established. In this huge maze, numerous warriors went in but never managed to find their way out.

    ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll pay extra attention. You rest assured.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Mao also nodded. In the hunting group, he had always been disciplined, and he also knew that it was always better to listen to the elder warriors¡¯ words.

    It became darker as they went deeper inside. People in the hunting group were separated into a few smaller groups, and there was someone holding a torch in every small group.

    When they left the entrance behind, the only light source came from the torches. It was not very bright, but good enough for them to see their feet.

    It was just like how Mai had described it to Shao Xuan, in this cave, the deeper you went in, the moreplicated you would find it to be. There were many intersections and crossings inside. Sometimes you would even find three forks when you make a simple turn. However, the hunting group would only choose only one of them, which they had always chosen in the past.

    Even if there was more than one way that connected with the outside, someone who didn¡¯t know the way would easily get lost when he went inside. Perhaps he would return to his starting point after walking in circles.

    Probably because there was more than one exit, people didn¡¯t feel suffocated inside, there was always a gust of breeze, with a rhythmic pulse, which sounded like the breath of somerge animal.

    Currently, they didn¡¯t see any aggressive creatures, but it was said that some worms and spiders lived in this cave.

    The paths inside were not only curvy, but also rose and dipped constantly. Sometimes the path headed down, while sometimes one had to climb up a really steep slope, during which all the totemic warriors needed to pay attention not to be left behind. Basically, those who were familiar with the path the most were those experienced old warriors in the hunting group. Those young warriors like Lang Ga might not remember the route clearly.

    Actually, someone had thought about making marks on the wall before. However, every time when they went inside again, those marks madest time wouldpletely disappear. All these events together, made the hunting team increase their believe in the ancestors conclusion, that there must be a king stone worm living inside this mountain. It was just that no one had seen it yet.

    Soter on, warriors in the hunting team stopped trying to leave a mark on the wall. Also, they tried to be quiet and make no loud sound when they went through the cave, in order to not wake up that giant creature living inside.

    In the tribe, the stone worms seemed harmless. However, it was not the same when it came to the king stone worm. Or else how could it be addressed as ¡°King¡±?

    Just the same as when they were travelling through the woods, Shao Xuan and Mao were in the middle of the group, in order to get better protection from the others.

    Shao Xuan used his special ability to observe the other parts of the cave. Sometimes he would see some worms of rtivelyrger sizes, however, those worms did not attack the hunting group, and the warriors in the hunting group also did not actively provoke them. First of all, whey did not know how many simr insects were living together in the cave, and it would be pretty annoying if they drew the attention of a swarm of them. Secondly, no one wanted to make a scene in the cave, for it would be a real disaster if they woke up the big guy in the mountain.

    If it was a straight route, it wouldn¡¯t have taken them such a long time toe out. But in fact, they only heard Mai saying ¡°we are almost there¡± when they had been walking for half a dayter.

    After yet another turn, they finally came to a tunnel with a fork. Only one of them was the way out, but right now, both passages were blocked by spiders.

    That was a kind of eyeless spider. Perhaps their eyes had degenerated because they had been living in the dark cave for many generations. The body of this spider was notrge, but they did have pretty long legs, which could cover the entrance of the passage.

    Mai and two other warriors who were at the head of the group used torches and long spears to silently threaten the spiders blocking the entrances. The spiders felt the fierce heat from the mes waving at them, and retreated.

    On the passage that led to the outside, only two eyeless spiders were blocking their way. Compared with the other passage, there were much less spiders. Because of the waving torch, spiders in both sides began to move and they were threateningly waving their pincers and fangs towards the hunting group.

    ¡°Ignore them. Let¡¯s just go!¡± On his side, Mai had already driven away those two eyeless spiders, and he shouted out to tell the other warriors to keep up with him. Based on his experience, the eyeless spiders would rarely fight persistently against humans, for their prey were the kinds of worms in the cave. So in theory, as long as they stayed calm and tried not to irritate them, they could avoid conflict with a littlepromise on both sides.

    However, the ident happened just at that time. Shao Xuan in the middle of the group felt a chill on his neck and was immediately rmed. ring at the eyeless spiders with their trembling pincers, he realized that it was not them!

    Shao Xuan suddenly looked up, only to find a ck shadowy whip drop down like lightning and all Shao Xuan could do was block it with his sword. However, he got coiled up tight by that whip and was pulled up.

    It all happened in the blink of an eye, and since most warriors in the hunting group were focusing on guarding against the eyeless spiders nearby, nobody expected there to be something else above them. It seemed not to be the eyeless spiders, but whoever saw it did not have the time to stop it.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    ¡°Mai! Ah-Xuan got pulled away!¡±

    ¡°Why is there a hole above? It wasn¡¯t there when we came inst time!¡±

    ¡°What was that?!¡±

    At that time, the crowd did not intend to make anypromise. They fought fiercely to force back those eyeless spiders, they even wounded a few of them. However, Shao Xuan was dragged away from above, and it was not so easy for them to climb up. Maimanded the others to deal with the eyeless spiders, while he climbed up along the wall into that hole. A whileter, Mai came back with a pale face.

    Whatever creature dragged Shao Xuan away, it was too fast for Mai to chase. When Mai climbed up there, it had already gone, and Shao Xuan¡¯s shouting could not be heard again. What¡¯s more, there were different forks when Mai went up. Different forks were stretching towards different directions. After several attempts, Mai had to go back without sess.

    In the heart of the mountain, those creatures which had been living in this darkness for a long period of time had a far better understanding of the cave.

    Mai had to go back to the group out of the worries for the others. He was the group leader after all, and he had to be responsible to the other thirty warriors.

    Mai went back to deal with the growing number of eyeless spiders with the others in the group, after he punched at the wall in anger.

    The situation had grown more and more bad for them, and warriors in the hunting group had no other option than to rush out along that passage. It was not far from the outside, and they all knew that none of the spiders would chase them out, for they could not endure the light.

    It happened a lot that a hunting group had one or two casualties. This time it was Shao Xuan,ter on the others could be facing the same fate. Those young warriors like Lang Ga were not that sensible and they wanted to go inside again to search for Shao Xuan. However, they were stopped by the others, the older warriors were already used to that kind of farewells.

    Many warriors were still sighing in their mind. Why did Ah-Xuan have to be so unlucky? He was in the center of every storm, and it was his first hunting trip!

    Not long after, people in the hunting group saw traces of light, and those eyeless spiders stopped their chase.

    While on the other side, Shao Xuan who got dragged away was not feeling good as well.

    The thing that pulled him up was a kind of insect that lived in the cave. It was a little smaller than the eyeless spider, but was just as fierce and fast.

    The thing that coiled up Shao Xuan was the insect¡¯s feeler, on whose tip there were hook-like serrations. If it weren¡¯t for Shao Xuan¡¯s quick reaction to hold up the sword against those serrations, he could¡¯ve easily gotten wounded when he was dragged away. The sword and serrations even created crackling sounds as they rubbed against each other.

    After struggling really hard, Shao Xuan only got loosened up just a little bit. After a sharp turn, Shao Xuan was directly mmed onto a stone wall and he nearly threw out all his breakfast.

    With pain all over his body, Shao Xuan put himself together and finally pulled out his tooth sword, which had already lost its tip, and fiercely chopped on that feeler.

    Pa!

    The feeler which was binding Shao Xuan was chopped off, and its owner began to jump up and down out of the pain of losing its feeler. In the meantime, Shao Xuan was finally freed, but he rolled over and fell into another hole, which headed down steeply. Before he could stand up on his feet, he slid down along that slope.

    He did now know how long he had been sliding but when he could finally stand up, Shao Xuan felt dizzy in the head and dim in sight. He felt painful and sour all over his body, for he had hit the wall for quite a few times and was dragged a long way.

    It took him some time to catch his breath, after which Shao Xuan wanted to go back along the same way, for it would be more and more dangerous if he stayed there for too long.

    Just when he was about to climb up the slope, Shao Xuan heard the sound of a breezeing from a tunnel in his back. It was like a breeze, but with the rhythm of a breath.

 Chapter 56 â€“ The King Stone Worm

    Chapter 56 ¨C The King Stone Worm

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Initially, it was just a slight indistinct ¡®whirring¡¯ noise, it could¡¯ve easily been confused with the other noises among the tunnel. However, it gradually became clearer.

    Shao Xuan thought about the story he heard from Lang Ga, which said that there was a king stone worm living inside the cave. Earlier, he did not quite believe in the story, after all, so many hunting warriors had been here before, and none of them had ever witnessed the legendary king stone worm. Even in the stories from their ancestors, it merely was a conjecture.

    There was indeed a ¡®whirring¡¯ noise made by the wind inside the cave, but now, Shao Xuan was positive that it was not only the ¡®whirring¡¯ noise of the wind, but also the sound of breathing mixed in with the noise. What¡¯s more, the breathing was gradually sounding closer while bing more distinct.

    Shao Xuan flexed his whole body, and he moved his legs to climb up along the slope. The slope and walls were a little bit more steep and slippery than the paths that the hunting group walked along, so climbing up the slope was more difficult. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to use the sword, for he was worried that the sound might awaken the King Stone Worm. Mai and the others warned that they should try to be as quiet as possible when they walked, and they certainly had a point.

    The breathing sound wasing closer and closer, at a speed, far greater than Shao Xuan¡¯s expectation, and it seemed to be close by in the blink of an eye.

    It was a little moist inside. An odour of limes filled the air, and the odour grew denser as time went by. Shao Xuan could clearly feel the rising humidity inside, while the wall he was climbing on had tiny droplets of water, which made the wall even more slippery than before, and the climb became harder than ever. Shao Xuan was finally able to stabilize himself after skidding a few times.

    It was impossible for him to climb up anymore!

    He could feel ayer of a slimy liquid between the wall and his palms, and it felt the same under his feet. It was hard for him to maintain his stability. He couldn¡¯t afford to ck off even a bit, because if he did, he would just slip down along the path.

    What the fuck!

    It makes no sense!!

    A moment earlier, the wall in the cave was fine. Even though it was a bit more slippery than the paths they used to walk along, and the slope was a little steeper, it wouldn¡¯t have been a difficult task for Shao Xuan to climb up, based on his ability. However, it hadn¡¯t been long, but the wall had changed so much!

    However, at that moment, there was no time for Shao Xuan to think. The rhythmic breath was almost underneath Shao Xuan¡¯s body!

    Shao Xuan slipped, rolled and fell down onto a rtively t surface, but after a few steps, he could see the tunnel stretching down. Shao Xuan could only see a small part of the tunnel from where he was at, which meant that he didn¡¯t know whether there were any forks down the main path, and if so, how many forks were there¡­ What should he do if it was really the King Stone Worming up? What should he do if the King Stone Worm creeps along the same tunnel that he was at?

    Shao Xuan¡¯s exerted all his strength on his fingers and the tips of his fingers nearly stabbed into the wall. But that was all he could do, and his fingertips could not go any deeper inside. The stones were quite hard. Perhaps he could dig in a little more if he used his totemic power. However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare do that, for some high level ferocious beasts were very sensitive towards totemic powers. Mai and the others didn¡¯t dare to use totemic power when they were walking through the mountain.

    Shao Xuan held himself on the wall. He was so tense, that he was a little stiff all over the body. On his face there was also ayer of moisture. Perhaps it was the water drops; perhaps it was his own sweat.

    It was not sultry in the cave. Instead, Shao Xuan felt that it became more and more cold inside. He did not know whether the coldness was his own illusion or if it was really that cold. Also, the smell of lime grew stronger as time went by.

    Shao Xuan looked up and the scenery in his vision had changed.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s view, unlike the grey stone wall, the water drops appeared to be pale white. Quickly the color of white had covered up the grey stone wall, and the coverage quickly expanded towards the top, which meant that the top of the cave was experiencing the same changes as the stone wall that Shao Xuan was clinging on.

    Whir¡­whir¡­

    The sound was even closer, and it sounded just beneath Shao Xuan.

    Together with the breathing sound, there was also a sound of something creeping, as if some creature was crawling.

    Shao Xuan silently moved closer to the wall, and he carefully controlled his breathing and heartbeat, to conceal his presence. It seemed like he had already merged himself with the environment, and even if Lang Ga and the others were standing right there, there was a high chance that they might not be able to detect him.

    Listening to the sound beneath, Shao Xuan thought that if the thing down there really came his way, he would have no other choice but to risk it all. If fingers weren¡¯t useful anymore, he would use the sword to keep himself steady. If the sword wasn¡¯t enough, he would use an additional spearhead! That way, he should be able to climb up, right?

    Although he was dragged there by that insect, he had all his equipment with him. And even though he would probably draw that thing¡¯s attention because of the use of tools, it had to be that way, for life was the top most priority for Shao Xuan.

    Aside from the breathing sound, there also seemed to be the sound of a heart beating.

    Dug-dug¡­¡­Dug-dug¡­¡­Dug-dug

    It was obviously not loud, but one would feel like they were being hammered on the chest. One hammerstrike after another, which could make the blood surge, and the heart, lurch.

    It was like a war drum in a quiet battlefield. And the whole cave seemed to start trembling from that rhythm.

    The pressure came right after the sound.

    Or perhaps, it could be called an aura?

    Shao Xuan had difficulty breathing, as if heavy dark clouds were pressing down on his head. When not relying on totemic power, Shao Xuan¡¯s physique was still a bit too weak.

    Just when Shao Xuan was paying extra attention to the approaching sound, and prepared to use his totemic power and pull out the sword to climb up, the breathing sound and thunder-like heartbeats gradually faded away.

    It seemed that beneath the tunnel, there were other forked paths. Luckily, that King Stone Worm did note to the tunnel Shao Xuan was at.

    When the sounds vanished, Shao Xuan finally rxed his muscles. It almost cost all his strength to hold on earlier, and now he felt exhausted.

    There was no action, nobat, no killing, nothing at all. All he did was holding onto the wall with everything he had, however, it was more tiring than fighting against the Thorn ck Wind. Just because of that, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t control his hands well, and in a second, he slipped and fell on the same spot where he hadnded before.

    Shao Xuan heard his own heart beating hard like a striking drum. He calmed down, after a while.

    Shao Xuan noticed something, and he looked back up, at the wall that he had grabbed on. In his special view, the wall was originally covered with ayer of whiteness. However, the color of white faded away, and the change was happening gradually, as the color of white reduced more and more.

    The air in the cave turned back to normal, and became less moist. The smell of limes also disappeared gradually.

    Feeling a little itchy on the face, Shao Xuan looked up and rubbed at wall, only to find stone chips, and powder falling down. On both of his palms, there was also ayer of hard, debris like chips, and ayer of powder. He clenched his fists and felt chips and powder falling down again.

    Shao Xuan climbed up towards the top, as he thought about something. Without theyer of slimy liquid, the climbing became much easier.

    After a careful and thorough examination of the wall, Shao Xuan noticed that his fingerprints from when he climbed on the wall had disappeared, as if he had never been there.

    No wonder all the marks made by the hunting warriors disappeared when the next time they went in. Perhaps the same thing happened.

    The cave restored its original appearance, as if no creature hade.

    Shao Xuan did not go down, instead, he chose to continue to climb up. He wanted to see if he could get back to the path which the hunting group took earlier, by climbing up.

    He tried hard to climb up, but as he set eyes upon the surroundings, Shao Xuan was totally stunned.

    Here, it should be the ce where he chopped off that insect¡¯s antennae. However, now there was no chopped off antennae, or anything else for that matter. No insect, no eyeless spiders, no sounds, and no traces of any struggles.

    It was like everything was re-instated!

    In front of Shao Xuan, there were three forked paths, which looked quite alike. There was no trace of any creature, so he could not tell these three paths apart at all!

    So, from which forked path was he dragged there?

    Shao Xuan tried hard to recall, but he found that it was impossible! He had no idea which path to choose.

    Taking a deep breath, Shao Xuan clenched his fists, and cursed in a low voice, ¡°What the fuck!¡±

 Chapter 57 â€“ Intuition

    Chapter 57 ¨C Intuition

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Outside the cave, Mai, Lang Ga and the others were waiting. ording to the traditions in hunting groups, if anyone had an ident inside, the others would wait outside for a whole day, after which, they would continue hunting.

    Every year, they would lose some of theirrades, but the hunting mission had to be carried on. Everybody was the same.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan should be fine, right?¡± Lang Ga walked back and forth at the exit of the cave, looking anxious. He wanted to go inside to search for him, but without knowing the correct path, he would be of no help even if he went inside. He hadn¡¯t even memorized the route near the entrance and exit, let alone all thoseplicated forked paths, and turns inside. He wasn¡¯t as knowledgeable about the tunnels and caves, as those old warriors like Mai. Now, since all the experienced ones had their hands tied, he had no other option but to wait there.

    ¡°Hum. Ah-Xuan is a lucky boy. He could kill a Thorn ck Wind, so he could probablye out from the mountain.¡± Ang added.

    The others also echoed with the same theory, but some experienced warriors had a different opinion. Unlike young warriors like Lang Ga, they had gone through much more than the young ones ever had. And even if they had not experienced it in person, they had heard the stories.

    The situation in the mountain was much trickier than meeting a Thorn ck Wind. Killing a Thorn ck Wind was more of a lucky shot, let alone that the Thorn ck Wind had much lower fighting ability in a cold area, which led to the fact that it was killed by Shao Xuan. However, it was a different situation inside.

    When ancestors were establishing the hunting route, they had sacrificed many people¡¯s lives to finally find a proper way to go through. However, Shao Xuan was nothing but a newly-awakened boy, who was attending the hunting mission for the first time. Regarding capability, he was not better than anyone in the hunting group.

    Even though they wereforting Lang Ga, and the other young warriors, that Ah-Xuan was a lucky boy, deep down in their hearts, those experienced warriors were thinking about why that kid was so unlucky¡­ Earlier he had just survived from the Thorn ck Wind, however, just in the blink of an eye, he was idently trapped in the mountain, nowhere to be found.

    New people joined, while some people would leave, or even die, depending on their fortune. Even the ancestors could not run away from their destiny, how could Ah-Xuan survive again? From the day that this route was established, no one ever came out after being left behind. It was just a pity that this time, a talented boy was lost here. They wished to see him walk on the Path of Glory when they returned, but nobody expected that he would be resting in the mountain forever. Well¡­

    Of course, Mai wasn¡¯t in a good mood, for they had lost someone in the mountain. What¡¯s more, it was the one that he favored very much. Just because he knew what Shao Xuan was facing with, and no one ever came out before him, Mai sat there still, in silence. He regretted very much, that he wasn¡¯t more cautious. If he had noticed the hole above, if he hadn¡¯t paid so much attention on the eyeless spiders, perhaps nothing would have happened.

    In the meantime, Shao Xuan was in a dilemma, not knowing which way to choose.

    There were three forking paths, and only one of them would lead him to the outside, from where he was dragged along. And no one knew where the other two paths led to. One misstep, he probably won¡¯t be able toe out alive.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath to ease his anxious nerves.

    Recalling his limited experiences, Shao Xuan remembered that at the very night that they were awakened, the Shaman had said to them when he was giving the ¡°lecture¡± ¡­ ¡°The power of the me will guide you. Just like in ancient times, our ancestors used fire to light up the night.¡±

    Intuition¡­

    The intuition brought by the me¡­

    Shao Xuan stimted the totemic power in his body, and the me wrapping on the ming horns totem suddenly grew brighter in his mind.

    Shao Xuan red at the three paths in silence.

    After a while, Shao Xuan lifted his foot and walked into the path in the middle.

    It was very quiet in the cave, no eyeless spider or any other kinds of worms could be seen. Shao Xuan walked down along the path, but soon enough¡­

    Damn it!!

    What intuition?

    What ¡°The power of the me will guide you¡±?

    Everything was fake!!

    The Shaman was just an old quack!

    If he were not afraid of waking that king stone worm, Shao Xuan would probably curse out loud.

    He had confirmed that the path he went along now was not the same as the path through which he was dragged in, even if he didn¡¯t remember which path it was, he still remembered the exact number of times his body was smacked against the wall.

    When he was dragged all the way in by that insect, his body was smacked against the wall, every time there was a turn. However, now Shao Xuan was passing through more turns than before! Also, the surroundings felt totally alien to him, and he didn¡¯t have any familiar feelings!So, was his intuition on strike?

    Shao Xuan rubbed his head leaning against the wall.

    Why did he have such bad luck?

    He had done nothing evil in the tribe, instead, he had helped those weak kids back in the orphan cave. Why did bad things always happened to him?

    Unless¡­

    Shao Xuan thought about the ritual ceremony in the Snow Festival. When others were praying, he was thinking about the changes on his body. Also, he did not join the crowd to sing the Song of Hunting, but faked it like he was really singing. Maybe, he had to face the consequences of his prior unjust actions now?

    So the totem and me that the Shaman had been talking about, which were supposed to be the guardians of the warriors, chose not to protect him?

    That was bullshit!

    If it could really protect, then wouldn¡¯t that mean the ancestors in Lang Ga¡¯s stories shouldn¡¯t have died in here.

    Thinking about that, Shao Xuan¡¯s face froze. If there was light inside, one could¡¯ve seen traces of icy feelings in his eyes.

    Shao Xuan was leaning against the wall, but he suddenly jumped up in the air.

    The next moment after his jump, the position he was standing at earlier were whipped hard by a shadow.

    Screech~~

    The serrations on the end of the antenna, cut the stone wall, which created a screeching noise.

    It was that insect, the one that dragged him here!

    After being caught once, he learned his lesson, if he fell into that same trap a second time, he would be considered stupid!

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s view, that insect was formed by teeny tiny bones, and the skeleton didn¡¯t seem rigid and strong. However, in fact, it was not true. Those tiny bones could, not only hold the insect¡¯s flesh tight, but also ensure that it could move faster, and when it was moving in the tunnel, it created barely any sound!

    Aside from the tiny bones, the insect had ayer of hard shell on its back to protect it from the outside. The most effective weapon was its antennae. But it was not a pair of the antennae now, since one of the antenna got chopped off by Shao Xuan earlier, when it caught him.

    However,pared to the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s armor of hard scales, this insect¡¯s defence was much more vulnerable. Its advantage was to sneak attack and take the other party by surprise, but when it came to actualbat, it could be defeated.

    They were in the territory which was under the king stone worm¡¯s control. Of course the king stone worm would allow some nobodies to live in the mountain, but it wouldn¡¯t endure if anything threatening existed.

    Obviously, Shao Xuan was not the only one that bore a grudge. Although he hated that insect for bringing him there. At the same time, the insect had deep hatred towards Shao Xuan for chopping off one of its antennae.

    Since its antenna hit the air and missed Shao Xuan, that insect was quite annoyed. It gave a violent vibe and stood half up, with two pairs of legs to keep its bnce, while the first two sickle-like forelimbs shed towards Shao Xuan, with a gust of icy wind on the des. It jumped down at Shao Xuan ruthlessly, as if it had already lost its mind.

    Shao Xuan also jumped up high and stepped hard on top of the cave, which cracked the stone instantly.

    With the force of the recoil, Shao Xuan twisted his body in the middle of the air. Instead of retreating, he went forward and rushed towards that insect with the sword in his hand.

    In here, the insect had a clear advantage of knowing the ce better, so Shao Xuan knew in his heart that he might not be able to outrun the insect.

    They were both vindictive, so of course revenge was a dish that would be better served when it¡¯s cold. Also, based on the insect¡¯s acting style, one had to fight a quick battle without stalling, if one intended to kill it.

    The boy and the insect were originally about ten meters away, which was almost the same length as it¡¯s antennae. However, with Shao Xuan rushing towards the insect in full speed, the ten-meter distance was shortened to zero in the blink of an eye.

    The forelimbs of the insect were still waving as it stood half-up, which nearly blocked the narrow path. It created a whirlpool of des, which hurt Shao Xuan¡¯s face as he got near.

    He used his tooth sword to block one of the forelimbs, and the exploding force created by the collision, nearly numbed Shao Xuan¡¯s whole arm. However, he took no break and he promptly rolled and jumped over the whirlpool of des, and suddenly arrived at the insect¡¯s side.

    Shao Xuan stepped on the wall with his right foot, and with that strength, he struck down at the connecting part between its head and back like lightning. There was no protection of the back carapace, and no protection of the shield-like shell on the head.

    The insect finally realized that something was wrong, seeing that Shao Xuan had the capability to leap over that whirlpool of des. It¡¯s antenna was still back there, and those two forelimbs could not be turned around . In a hurry, it withdrew its antenna to whip on Shao Xuan¡¯s back, but it was still a little bitte.

    Although it was a sword without a pointed tip, it was as hard and tough as always. The tooth sword was crafted by old Ke himself. Even if there were some minor gaps on its body, it was sharp enough to cut down the insect¡¯s neck.

    Puff!

    The tooth sword cut the insect¡¯s neck from top to bottom. In fact, the neck was the most vulnerable and soft part of that insect.

    Due to limited length, the tooth sword could only cut down half of its neck, but even so, it was painful enough for the insect to lose all its fighting capability. Even the antenna it withdrew, turned soft and droopy.

    Shao Xuan pulled back the knife, and took the chance to strike again. This time, he almost chopped off its whole head.

    The waving forelimbs of the insect had no strength any more, and the withdrawing antenna dropped to the ground, while its half-standing body finally went down.

    Shao Xuan moved his numb arm as he tried to catch his breath. He went over and cut off the remaining antenna, as he decided to keep it for himself.

    After resting for a while, Shao Xuan intended to leave.

    There was a dead insect, and perhaps it would attract other worms and insects toe to the spot. One needed to leave as soon as possible.

    Shao Xuan stood in the middle of the tunnel, and now he had three options: continue to go along the path to the left, or the path in the right side, or just retreat to that three-forked crossing again.

    Should he go along the path or retreat to the three-forked crossing?

    Perhaps, if he went back and chose another path he could have the right path, he could reunite with the hunting group. However, there was a chance that he might still choose the wrong way, where unknown dangers awaited him.

    There was no time to lose, and Shao Xuan needed to make a quick decision.

    He closed his eyes to think, and then he turned to the left. This time he was not making the decision by the intuition of the me, instead, he basically shielded the ming horns totem in his mind. In the meantime, the egg-shaped light ball which covered the totem grew brighter, but the choice was still the one on the left.

    With the antenna in his hand, Shao Xuan decided to move forward as he opened his eyes.

 Chapter 58 â€“ The skeletons in the cave

    Chapter 58 ¨C The skeletons in the cave

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Sponsored by Nathanael

    Perhaps it was because of the existence of the king stone worm, but up to now, the only creature Shao Xuan encountered was the insect which dragged him away earlier. All the rest of the other creatures and worms seemed to have disappeared.

    Probably all those eyeless spiders and other worms hid in their dens since the king stone worm woke up and took a walk around.

    As for the insect which was just beheaded by Shao Xuan, perhaps it was just too anxious to take revenge.

    If that was true, perhaps Shao Xuan should go back to the three-forked crossing and choose a new path?

    Never mind. Shao Xuan shook his head, and continued to follow the intuition. It was very strange and weird in this mountain.

    Shao Xuan grabbed the antenna that he had chopped off and coiled it around one of his arms. Except for the hook with serrations on the top, the other parts of the antenna were quite soft, and Shao Xuan felt no pain when he coiled it around his arm.

    Now, Shao Xuan had no idea which part of the mountain he was in, because he was very clear that he absolutely had no sense of direction inside, as he spent more and more time in the tunnels. It was quite peculiar, he had quite a strong sense of direction, but it didn¡¯t work in here.

    In fact, Shao Xuan loved to y maze games in his former life, and he could memorize every ce he had been to. When the others were having a headache about the messed-up directions, Shao Xuan could always find the right one correctly. Even now, if he needed to get back to the tribe along the hunting route, he wouldn¡¯t have the slightest hesitation, however, in this mountain, he was confused.

    There were many tunnels and creatures in the mountain. Aside from the king stone worm, there were also many other kinds of creatures, the eyeless spiders and the insect killed by Shao Xuan were only two of the many kinds.

    In theory, there should be traces of many different creatures living together. Unfortunately, none of those traces could be found. There were no scratches, no remains, no cobwebs, no pieces of shells, nothing, as if nothing ever existed. Just like when hunting groups created some marks to show the right route, it would be totally erased by the time someone came in again.

    If the totem¡¯s power really could guide those who lost their way to the right direction and path, how could their ancestors then have been lost in the mountain?

    Shao Xuan kept walking forward following this feeling. When there was a crossing or a fork, he would carefully sense the surroundings with this special ability to choose which way to go. Shao Xuan only hoped that his intuition doesn¡¯t go wrong or lie to him, else he would be doomed. Just as the ancestors in Lang Ga¡¯s stories, he won¡¯t be able toe back once he lost his way in here.

    Compared with the intuition brought by the me, Shao Xuan had a stronger feeling when he used his special ability.

    He felt that he was moving down, and probably, he had left the mountain side long ago and he almost reached the foot of the mountain. However, his intuition told him to keep walking.

    Later on, he saw some small worms which were the same size as an adult¡¯s fist. In his vision, they were just balls of pale grey, and the vague rough outlines were the only thing that Shao Xuan could see with his special ability.

    When the worms approached Shao Xuan, he would use the antenna to whip them away. In fact, those little worms seemed to be quite afraid of the smell of that antenna. When Shao Xuan whipped them with the antenna, they tended to run away promptly, quite frightened.

    Shao Xuan spected that perhaps those little worms were the food that the insect usually ate, which should be a reasonable exnation for their panicked behavior.

    Along with the antenna whip, the tooth sword also held the essence of the insect.

    Fist-sized worms were crawling all over the wall, and Shao Xuan could even hear the faint but numerous sounds as they wriggled on the wall.

    But wherever Shao Xuan went, those worms would keep away from him.

    If he had not killed that insect and chopped down its antenna, wouldn¡¯t it have been troublesome for him now? Even though the worms were not big in size, inrge quantities, they could be pretty difficult to deal with.

    At first, Shao Xuan only cut off that antenna for revenge, however, unexpectedly, it was quite useful in this situation.

    The unique feeling was gradually getting intenser. If we say that earlier, his feeling was like a little breeze, now it could be considered as a gust of strong wind, indicating the right direction.

    It shouldn¡¯t be the way out, but both the totemic power and that special ability told him to go along the same way.

    Why was that exactly?

    Some kind of a treasure?

    Even with a clear indication, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t proceed faster, but kept to the same pace, while being alert of the surroundings.

    Luckily, aside from those little worms, there was no other creature.

    It was closer¡­

    Shao Xuan clenched his tooth sword and was a little bit tense.

    After walking in the cave for so long, Shao Xuan could always feel the breeze and slight sounds. However, the more he moved forward, the more he felt that he was heading to a dead end.

    Shao Xuan continued to walk along the way, and soon enough, there were no more worms on the wall.

    t was very quiet around here, and when all the sounds of the worms faded away, it wasplete silence.

    It was not only the silence, there wasn¡¯t even air-flow in the surroundings.

    There seemed to be light, in the front¡­

    Shao Xuan hesitated.

    Light?

    Shao Xuan switched to the normal view, it was still dark. He realized that he could only see the light spot in the darkness when he used his special ability to switch to the special view.

    Shao Xuan went towards that light spot, and all of a sudden, he felt kind of suffocated in his heart.

    He could not tell what exactly that feeling was¡­ It was like something ancient, deste and with endless sadness.

    The light spot grew bigger and now it seemed like a light cover, shrouding that small piece ofnd.

    When Shao Xuan finally reached the spot and was able to see the situation inside the light cover clearly, one of his eyelids twitched suddenly.

    Inside the light cover there were four skeletons, at least it was so in Shao Xuan¡¯s view.

    In the middle of the cover, there was a skeleton on its knees, and the other three were surrounding him.

    The four skeletons were genuflected in the same gesture, which was also the most respectful salute in the ritual in the tribe, on their knees, with two hands crossed before the forehead, and kowtowed in the same direction.

    Around those four skeletons, there were long spears and stone knifes buried underneath the ground. Those stone weapons were all in a very dark color, especially the long spear beside the man in the middle, which was almost ck. Obviously they were all excellent stone tools, which can only mean that all four warriors used to be strong and powerful ones in the tribe, especially the one in the middle. He must have had quite a high position.

    And the direction in which they were worshiping¡­ Even though Shao Xuan had a confused sense of direction, he had a feeling that it was the tribe.

    Shao Xuan nced over those four skeletons and their stoneware, and then his sight focused on the skeleton in the middle.

    There was a bone ornament in front of his chest. Shao Xuan did not know what kind of bone it was made from, but it had a brighter color than any of the skeletons in Shao Xuan¡¯s special view.

    Ever since he had obtained that special capability, Shao Xuan had given serious thought and done much research about the special view. In his special view, different warriors of different level had bones of different colors. For instance, junior warriors had pale gray skeletons, while intermediate warriors had white skeletons. For senior warriors, such as the Chief Ao, he had bright white skeletons. However, right now, all those four skeletons were in the color of bright white. Although they were in different shades, it was true that they were all quite advanced warriors. Among them, the one in the middle had the brightest color. But even so, these four skeletons could never bepared with the bone ornament.

    But that wasn¡¯t the most important thing he had observed.

    The thing that caught Shao Xuan¡¯s undivided attention was a ball beset in the bone ornament. It was no bone, but it lit up the surroundings like a light bulb, which created the light cover that Shao Xuan saw earlier.

    Once again, he switched the view and withdrew his special ability. This time he tried to look at it with the normal view, only to find that it was still nothing but darkness, with no trace of light. However, when he used his special ability to see, he noticed that the ball was as bright as always, and the light it created enveloped the surroundings into its cover.

    With a little more observation, Shao Xuan also found that unlike the other three skeletons, the skeleton in the middle was the mostplete one in good condition. The others had sunk into the ground to some extent. The things that were located closer to the edge of the light cover sank deeper into the ground.

    In the range of the light cover, some scattered stoneware could also be seen. They were all made out of fine stones, but some of them had already submerged under the ground with only parts of them still above to be seen.

    However, outside the range of the light cover, Shao Xuan had not seen any stoneware, skeletons, or bones.

    This mountain was ¡®eating¡¯ people. Not only people, it was ¡°eating¡± other things as well. If the insect killed by Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t eaten by other creatures, it¡¯s remains probably would also be swallowed by the mountain gradually.

    In fact, this mountain had ¡°eaten¡± a lot, for instance, the long-lost humans, dead worms or insects, and other things in here. Aside from those caves and tunnels, nothing had been left.

    However, even after hundreds of years, the warriors and stoneware in the range of that light cover could be preserved up to today, because of the lighting ball.

 Chapter 59 â€“ Getting out of the mountain

    Chapter 59 ¨C Getting out of the mountain

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Surely the man in the middle was one of the ancestors in the tribe, and it was highly likely that he was one of the members of the first batch of warriors who contributed in establishing the hunting route. This skeleton was so strong that it might even be stronger than the Chief Ao. However, Shao Xuan had not heard about him from Lang Ga.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure who the other three skeletons were. Perhaps they were also part of the first batch of warriors like the one in the middle, or they might also be from ater generation and got lost in the tunnels.

    Whether it was right or wrong, Shao Xuan felt a little baffled seeing the four skeletons here.

    So, the direction that the totem led, the so-called intuition, all meant here?

    Why did he feel that the ancestors were entrapping their descendants?

    The warrior in the middle should be the first skeleton here, while the other three could be with him, or just followed their intuition and came here.

    Could those lost ones have found this ce following the ¡°intuition¡± of the totem, and then waited for their death in here?

    No, that shouldn¡¯t be the case.

    Maybe those people knew it was impossible for them to get out, or they had tried a thousand times but failed in the end, so they came back to this ce and decided to stay in the ¡°circle of protection¡±. Even after hundreds of years, their bodies were not ¡®swallowed¡¯ by the mountain.

    Shao Xuan had a tingling sensation, thinking that even the oldest batch of warriors with a strong capability did not manage to flee from this ce, how could he survive as a junior warrior?

    Shao Xuan stepped forward and entered the range protected by that light cover, and immediately felt a sense of warmth, which eased his tensed nerves a little bit. But that was all.

    Shao Xuan reached out his hand to the nearest skeleton, and he touched a mummified hand. It was not bones, but air-dried flesh. Even though the warrior was long gone, he could still feel the strength inside the remains.

    There was no ugly smell, and Shao Xuan thought, perhaps the stench of death was assimted by the tunnel.

    Shao Xuan also touched the other two warriors in the circle. Like the first one, they were also mummified.

    But when he touched the one in the middle, he surprisingly found that this one was only a little bit dry, and his body was in much better condition than the others!

    So it was all due to the light ball¡¯s effect.

    The light created by the ball could not only protect the things inside from being swallowed by the mountain, but also preserve the remains. Even other creatures living in the mountain would not approach and feast on the bodies.

    This must be a treasure of the tribe! Of course, only warriors of high status would be able to have it.

    However, now it was not the time for that.

    What should he do?

    Will he be the fifth corpse kneeling here with them?

    Shao Xuan sat on the ground, pretty upset.

    Did the others in the tribe know about the totem¡¯s trap?!!

    As he was cursing in his mind, Shao Xuan suddenly felt a me somersault in his mind.

    Shao Xuan hesitated, and quickly he calmed down and began to stimte the totemic power in his body.

    This time, it was yet another intuition, telling him that he was able to get out.

    An idea shed in his mind and Shao Xuan jumped up out of excitement when he captured the thought. After pacing back and forth for a bit, Shao Xuan stimted the other power inside him, and used it to confirm that intuition.

    You can walk out¡­

    Can!

    Perhaps he should trust the totem for yet another time?

    Well, that was the only option, and he had to trust it anyway.

    Shao Xuan took a step.

    With just one step, the totemic me in his mind red, and it red again as he took another second step.

    Unlike when he used his totemic power during the hunt, this time the me red up, acting as if it was angry.

    Shao Xuan stopped, and looked back at those four skeletons kneeling down within the light cover. Did they have any resentment when they died? After all, they were trapped in here, till death.

    For people in the tribe, every time when there¡¯s trouble, they would perform a divination to ask their ancestors, and interpret their guidance through the totemic power and mes. However, the ancestors, the totemic power and the me, all couldn¡¯t help them to find a way out.

    However, when Shao Xuan took another close look at those four skeletons, he found that they were so devout in the gesture,cking any sort of resentment. It was the highest standard of worship, facing the direction of the tribe¡­

    Shao Xuan took a step back, and the totemic me did not re up. It was quite calm.

    Yet one step further away from the skeletons, the totemic me red up again.

    Then one step back, the me became calm again.

    There were quite a few things that Shao Xuan was not able to understand. After all he was not the same as the indigenous people here. But the more time he spent here, the deeper he understood about the fact, that this world was filled with all kinds of mysterious powers, in which you had no other choice, but to believe in.

    Shao Xuan stared at the skeletons kneeling inside the circle. Were they expecting him to take them back?

    It was a pity that they had been kneeling here for hundreds of years¡­

    Shao Xuan sighed deeply.

    After thinking for a while, he kneeled down on one knee with two palms crossed before his forehead, and made four salutes towards these four ancestors, just as when he did during the ritual ceremony.

    Shao Xuan walked towards them and pulled out his knife, to dig out the bones which had sunk in the ground.

    Originally he was just taking a chance, but unexpectedly he managed to dig the bones out. And judging by the appearance of the bones, they were well preserved.

    So Shao Xuan patiently dug out all the bones and all the stoneware that was buried underneath.

    He tossed all the small pieces of stoneware inside his animal skin bag, and tied all the big pieces together with a leather rope he carried with him. Those were fine stones, and it would be a big waste just to leave them in here.

    As for the four skeletons¡­no, those four mummies. Shao Xuan used that long antenna of that insect to tie them together.

    ¡°I sincerely apologize for this discourtesy from the bottom of my heart!¡± Shao Xuan whispered.

    After he finished doing all that, he carried all the things and the ancestors on his back.

    Well, that was heavy!

    Unexpectedly, even though the ancestors were all mummified, they were still heavier than stones.

    With those four mummies on his back, and all stoneware at hand, Shao Xuan felt that he was like a moving light bulb. The light it created drove away all creatures, it certainly helped Shao Xuan to avoid those insects and worms.

    Before Shao Xuan got near to the swarm of small worms, the worms hurriedly diverged and ran away, as if they had encountered something disgusting. Shao Xuan did not even have to whip them away.

    Still, he followed his intuition. This time, the intuition was indicating a different way. Not only that, Shao Xuan felt that he was walking through other tunnels, instead of heading to the mountain side.

    There was no creature that dared to block his way. Also, those eyeless spiders that he met half way, all fled before Shao Xuan approached them.

    Wow, why couldn¡¯t the ancestors manage to find a way out with such a treasure at hand?

    So, were they still just lost in the end? And since they could neither defeat the king stone worm, nor split the mountain directly, they were trapped and died inside.

    Shao Xuan took two breaks during the journey, and used the breaks to eat some of the meat jerky he had brought. It was quite tiring and he needed to refuel the energy before continuing on the march.

    He did not know for how long he had been walking. It could¡¯ve been a few hours or dozens of hours. Shao Xuan¡¯s head was totally messed up, for in here it was impossible for him to calcte the time attentively. The only thing he could do now was follow his intuition.

    Finally, Shao Xuan smelled the air of the forest.

    After spending so much time in a ce filled with the smell of stones, Shao Xuan was delirious with joy because of the fresh air

    There¡¯s wind.

    The wind came from the path ahead!

    Shao Xuan sped up and switched his sight to the normal view. He found that light spot!

    It was the light from the outside!

    He was getting out of the mountain!

    He managed to get out of the mountain!

    However, since totemic power could really lead the way, why were the ancestors of the tribe ultimately trapped to death inside the mountain? and could only worship at the direction of the tribe? Even if he ignored the ancestors, why couldn¡¯t the warriors in the tribe now walk into the mountain if they weren¡¯t familiar with the paths yet?

    Shao Xuan had no answer for that, and probably the only thing he could think of about his difference with others, was the special ability that he had¡­

 Chapter 60 â€“ Donâ€™t get so worked up! Letâ€™s talk like adults!

    Chapter 60 ¨C Don¡¯t get so worked up! Let¡¯s talk like adults!

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The others in the hunting group were still waiting by the exit of the cave until the next day in the afternoon.

    Originally they were to leave at noon, but Mai and Lang Ga suggested to wait a little longer, which was the only reason why all the warriors were staying by the cave.

    In fact, Lang Ga and the others had alreadypletely lost hope by that time, but still, they were not willing to admit it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, or else we won¡¯t be able to make it in time.¡± Another warrior of Mai¡¯s age proposed as he looked up at the sky.

    They did not bring much food, for they had stored all the game they had hunted in the first location. Since they were trekking towards the second location, they only brought moderate amount of food. Now, some of the warriors already had an empty food bag.

    ording to tradition, in the hunting group, nobody shall leave when waiting for arade. Even running out of food, no warrior shall go for hunting. That was in fact a memorial service in disguise. Although theirrade might be gone forever without any remains, others should wait to pay their respect in some way. Rationally speaking, all of them knew that whoever had gone lost would never return.

    Once they left the cave, it meant that they gave up on waiting, which was also considered- the end of the mourning and the beginning of the hunt. It was a different nature of act, for they won¡¯t return to the cave unless the hunting was over.

    Most warriors in the hunting group thought that it was already enough for them to have waited for so long. Shao Xuan was no big guy, and neither did he have any important status in the tribe. So there was no need for them to spend days in mourning. They had to start the hunt soon.

    Mai looked at the sinking sun and told everybody that they should prepare to go.

    Before leaving, everybody lowered their heads and pointed at the middle of their eyebrows with their index fingers. Every time when someone was lost, the others would pay their respect in that simple way.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go¡±. Mai led the others to leave the cave after the mourning. They were heading to another cave in the mountainside, which was their second stronghold.

    ¡­

    Step by step, Shao Xuan walked towards the exit of the cave, with the ancestors on his back and stoneware, in his bags.

    After spending so much time in the darkness, Shao Xuan did not feel ufortable seeing the light again.

    Shao Xuan was able to hear the sounds of insects and birds outside, and he was in quite a good mood.

    The exit of the cave was much narrower than the entrance at the mountainside. Perhaps it was as big as other entrances and exits a long time ago, but now it was half blocked by the falling stones, and the rest of it became covered by vines and leaves by the passing of time .

    The mountain was not different from any other mountains on the surface, and there was also grass, bushes, trees, pools and brooks. It was only in the inside of the mountain that was different from other mountains. So on the surface, all the nts and animals were simr, and the list of all the names of hunting group leaders in generations were still carved on the wall near the entrance, and that wouldn¡¯t be erased at all.

    By the exit of the cave, Shao Xuan stood still and listened closely to the sounds outside. He observed the surroundings through the vines, and made sure that no dangerous creature was there. So carefully, he pushed aside those vines and stepped out. When exiting, he paid extra attention to those mummified people on his back, because they were fragile.

    Feeling the not-so-bright sunshine, Shao Xuan felt like he was somehow reborn. If he was in a safe environment, he would probably shout it out to express his euphoria.

    Earlier he was already used to seeing those skeletons, and in fact, Shao Xuan was not afraid of them. However, now during the daylight, he looked back and only found four mummies¡­Shao Xuan calmed himself down, and began to hypnotize himself: it¡¯s fine¡­they are the ancestors, ancestors of the tribe¡­ even if they are mummified, dried, and darkened, they are as brave and extraordinary as always¡­

    He did not untie those four ¡°people¡± immediately. The treasure was still effective, and Shao Xuan wanted to shelter himself under the blessing of the ancestors before he could rejoin the hunting group.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know where he was standing but looking up, he could still see those flying figures in the sky, so he figured that perhaps he was still at the same mountain. It was not the mountainside, but the mountain foot, and, he felt that it was already the other side of the mountain.

    It was impossible for him to run around in the unknown environment without a n. He was not capable of dealing with the ferocious beast by himself. At the same time, Shao Xuan had to be prepared not to be grabbed by those big birds flying in the sky. So he could only try to make contact with the hunting group first.

    Looking down at the body, Shao Xuan found ayer of gray stone powder all over his animal skin clothes, as well as on his hands.

    He rubbed his hands together to dust off those stone powder. Originally he intended to grab some leaves from the vines to wipe his hands, but on second thought, he gave up on the idea, for he didn¡¯t know whether it was poisonous or not.

    After rubbing his hands, Shao Xuan curled two of his fingers and put them into his mouth. Right after that, a rhythmic whistling sound came out.

    Yelling was absolutely forbidden here, for that loud noise might draw the attention of some creatures. Hence Shao Xuan used the old way of the hunting team, which was the whistle. As he was blowing the whistle, he decided to make a deer whistle forter use when he returns to the tribe.

    Warriors in the hunting group who were heading to the second stronghold hesitated at the sound, especially Qiao, Mai and the other few intermediate totemic warriors. Their hearing was a little better than junior warriors. When others could only hear a vague sound, they could hear it clearly in their ears.

    ¡°Mai! That is¡­¡± Qiao pulled on Mai¡¯s arm excitedly.

    Mai hinted her to calm down, and listened to the distant sound carefully. It was distant, but still, Mai figured that it was a signal of the hunting team. Also, it seemed that only Ah-Xuan could blow the whistle in that way!

    However, they had just left the exit of the cave, and the whistle was obviously not from the cave, but down the mountain¡­

    ¡°You wait here for a moment!¡± Mai said and in a hurry, he rushed down the mountain. After only a few leaps, his figure disappeared in the forest.

    ¡°Is it really Ah-Xuan?¡± Lang Ga was thrilled as well as stunned. Although he could not hear it clearly, it was not his first time hearing that whistle. When he found those two kids after the Thorn ck Wind, he was following that simr whistle.

    ¡°Not possible. How could Ah-Xuane out, while all our ancestors were lost inside?!¡± a warrior said. He wasn¡¯t wishing Ah-Xuan not toe back, it was just his respect and worship towards the ancestors that stopped him from believing in Shao Xuan¡¯s capability.

    ¡°But the sound was exactly the same as the one that we heard when we found him thest time!¡± Ang said.

    Lang Ga could hardly restrain himself thinking that Ah-Xuan was still alive.

    Not only Lang Ga, the others wanted to know the answer as badly as him.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and see!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go. As long as we are still in the mountain, we won¡¯t encounter anyrge-sized ferocious beasts. We can go to the caveter.¡±

    ¡°I want to go, too!¡±

    Normally, warriors in the hunting group always followed the leader¡¯smand and they respected the rules. When the leader asked to wait, they would just wait. However, it wasn¡¯t normal circumstances now. Ever since the hunting route was established, almost nobody had seeded in finding a way out after getting lost inside! Even the ancestors could not manage to do that!

    The few intermediate totemic warriors discussed for a moment and they all chose to go and see.

    So, after Mai rushed towards that direction, the others in the hunting group followed his footsteps.

    Mai followed the sound and arrived at the mountain foot, only to find someone covered in gray standing there.

    At first, Mai paid no attention to the things Shao Xuan was carrying, nor the stonewareid besides his feet, for he was totally stunned.

    Although covered in ayer of gray stone powder, Shao Xuan was merely a kid, and one could easily recognize him by his size.

    ¡°You are all right, Ah-Xuan!¡± The others in the hunting group soon followed Mai here and all of them recognized Shao Xuan as well.

    Lang Ga approached him quickly and nned to give him a warrior¡¯s hug to celebrate his survival. But after he saw what was on his back, Lang Ga stammered, ¡°Ah-Xuan¡­what¡­what is¡­on your back¡­?¡±

    All the attention was fixed on Shao Xuan¡¯s back.

    ¡°Well, this.¡± Shao Xuan turned so that the other could have a clearer picture of the people he was carrying. He pointed at them and said, ¡°They are the ancestors.¡±

    However, Shao Xuan indeed underestimated the weight of the word ¡°ancestor¡± in people¡¯s hearts.

    Once the word ¡°ancestor¡± was spoken out loud, Shao Xuan found that all the warriors in the hunting group seemed to be frozen. They just stood still, but all the eyes turned red, and their breaths turned heavy. Their faces began to convulse, which was a little twisted. What¡¯s more, almost all of their bodies began to shake.

    A second earlier they were quite normal, but now, they weren¡¯t themselves!

    ¡°Wait a second! Don¡¯t get so worked up and let¡¯s talk like adults!¡±

 Chapter 61 â€“ Die without regrets

    Chapter 61 ¨C Die without regrets

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Do not get so worked up?

    How¡¯s that even possible!

    Talk like adults?

    How could they talk? They were totally speechless!

    It is the ancestors, the ancestors of the tribe!!

    The others had no doubt about Shao Xuan¡¯s im, for they all knew that for generations, only people from the ming Horn tribe lived in this area. So, whoever was lost in the mountain, should be their ancestors. It was highly likely they were their ancestors!

    Thinking that Shao Xuan was carrying the ancestors on his back, the crowd had an intense emotion filling up their chests.

    They believed in the totem, and worshiped their ancestors. For people in the tribe, the totem was sacred for sure, and the word ¡°ancestor¡± had its own halo.

    The others in the tribe were standing still with only their lips trembling. Now, finally they started to move.

    At first it was only baby steps towards Shao Xuan. They could effortlessly leap and run during normal hunting missions, but right now, it seemed that just one baby step exhausted all their strength.

    Gradually, the paces became quicker, but they still were baby steps, as if they would wake up their ancestors if they took a big step, and they had to be as careful as possible.

    Looking at almost three dozen hunting warriors approaching him, Shao Xuan suddenly wanted to run away. He felt that their facial expressions were much too creepy than what he could bear.

    When they were only about three steps away from Shao Xuan, Mai in the front of the crowd took the lead and kneeled down in front of Shao Xuan with one knee! The others all followed Mai and made a serious salute towards him. It was the salute they made to the ancestors.

    Although unlike the highest salute on bended knees, they were kneeling down on only one knee, the sound of the knees hitting on the ground was loud and clear. Shao Xuan could almost feel the pain by listening to that sound. What¡¯s more, except for Mao, all those warriors were either a lot older than him, or much higher in status than him in the tribe. They were all kneeling down in front of him!

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    Fuck my life! Won¡¯t this shorten my life? Shao Xuan felt a thousand Caesars howling in his heart.

    Thinking about that, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but try to move aside for a little bit.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Mai and the others almost shouted out at the same time, to stop Shao Xuan¡¯s attempt.

    Shao Xuan was stunned and he stopped.

    Seeing people like that, Shao Xuan really did not know what to do. He was rigid with shock for a while, with only one feeling, that the four ancestors were as heavy as steel. And the weight made him sweat a lot.

    When the others had finished with the salute, Shao Xuan saw them carefullying closer to him, trembling they untied those four ancestors from his back, with the highest respect on their faces.

    Seeing Shao Xuan having tied those four ancestors like that, people felt that Shao Xuan was disrespectful towards the ancestors. With a closer look, they found that he used the antenna of that hateful insect in the mountain as the rope!

    Shao Xuan sat aside, resting, but during which time he was red at over and over by condemning eyes. However, he had thick skin, so he just sat there as if nothing happened. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to offer exnation to those fanatical people about anything. Apparently they were all soaked in extreme emotions, and no one could reason with them right now.

    However, even when there was nothing to exin, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t want to be red at like that. So he diverted the others attention by telling them what happened in the cave briefly.

    Earlier, all of them were curious about how Shao Xuan got out from the cave, but their attention was caught by the ancestors and no one had any interest in other things. Now since Shao Xuan was willing to speak, all the others paid attention to his tale of survival.

    Of course Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯ty his cards open on the table, so he simply narrated the story of how he killed that insect, and encountered the king stone worm. He also made it clear that he hadn¡¯t seen the king stone worm for real, but only experienced the change of environment. Then, he thought about the Shaman¡¯s lecture. Then, under the guidance of the totem, he found those ancestors.

    Although he didn¡¯t mention the light cover, he shared his spection with the others, in order to make it clear that those three mummies, no, three ancestors should better be ced together with the one who had the mysterious bone ornament.

    ¡°I think the bone ornament worn by this ancestor must have special power, that could protect the other ancestors.¡± Shao Xuan disclosed his ¡®spection¡¯.

    The others thought it over and all agreed. They feltfortable when they came closer to that ancestor, no wonder they were ancestors!

    Even if the mysterious bone ornament was a precious treasure, no one in the hunting group had thought about keeping it for himself. That was the advantage of being fanatical. No one would forget honor at the prospect of profits, and of course no one would forget about the ancestors, or the rules in the tribe.

    So, after having separated those four ancestors at first, they ¡°respectfully¡± gathered them back together.

    When Shao Xuan was describing the scene when he found the four ancestors, all the others were shedding tears, feeling that they were the witnesses of that picture of destion. The ancestors were still thinking about the tribe until theirst breath. In order to establish a new hunting route forter generations, they died an honorable death and were trapped in that dark cave for a thousand years. All warriors felt sad for the ancestors and they were crying heavily. Lang Ga and the other young warriors werementing violently as they cried out loud.

    Why didn¡¯t he notice before that they were so emotional? The scene in front him almost made Shao Xuan copse. He tried very hard to keep his expression straight, and prevented his face from twitching. In the past, he only knew that people in the tribe worshiped heroes and the Chief a lot. But now, he realized that the reverence earlier could never bepared with the reverence they held towards the ancestors.

    The four ancestors had been dead for many years, and for all those years, they had been in the same position of kneeling down on both their knees in the direction of the tribe. So, the warriors in the hunting group were very careful when moving the ancestors. Also, they tried their best to let them kneel down facing the direction of the tribe.

    There were only four bodies, and there were over thirty hunting warriors. Usually, they would fight fiercely against those ferocious beasts, and some of them could knock down a bear with only one single punch. But now, they were all sweating like hell for being very meticulous and reverent. Before every move, they had to think it over and over again. So dealing with the ancestors was physically and mentally straining. However, everyone behaved like they enjoyed it very much with honor.

    As Shao Xuan predicted, in the heart of the others in this hunting group, those four bodies were very sacred. Although they were dried and hardened, without their original appearances, they were still the ancestors. To be honest, their horrible shapes even made Shao Xuan think twice before he carried them out. But those terrifying faces and bodies had their own special aura. All the warriors wanted to do another salute after they stood up.

    Finally, before dusk, they managed to carry the ancestors to the cave of the second location. If in normal days, it would take far less time to march from the mountain foot to the second location. However, this time, with the four ancestors, they spent nearly two hours on the same distance!

    When they arrived at the cave, and set those ancestors right in their ces, all of the warriors did yet another salute. Some of them even talked about the ancestors in their sleep.

    Now that this had happened, those hunting warriors had less interest in hunting. Their first wish was to bring the ancestors back to the tribe, so that they could finally return home after hundreds of years of destion. Surely the ancestors were waiting for that day as well.

    However, rules were rules. Nobody had set any rules for when one found an ancestor, for the hunting group to go back early. Hunting rules were passed along in generations by the ancestors, so they dared not to disrespect them. ording to the hunting schedule, they had to keep hunting for about another ten days, before they could rejoin the other hunting groups, and then get back to the tribe together.

    Even though the rules couldn¡¯t be broken, people could still alter the minor details. Mai could decide what to do every day.

    Originally, the hunting region was prettyrge and warriors would go on expeditions after they arrived at the second location. Sometimes they would even spend a few nights outside the cave. However, now, Mai told all of them to hunt around the nearby areas, and for warriors to take turns to stay in the cave to guard it. With the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s attack earlier, people were worried that some other ferocious beasts might break into the cave and hence damage the remains of the ancestors. Even though ferocious beasts were barely seen in this mountain, people had to stay alert about the smaller ones, and other unforeseen idents that might happen.

    All of them agreed on Mai¡¯s suggestion and they took turns in guarding the cave.

    Days passed.

    The hunting life was adventurous, and Shao Xuan had hunted down some really nice preys, under the guidance of the senior hunting warriors. It should be enough for him to live on for almost a month.

    When there were five days left before the reunion day, Mai decided to lead the group back. With the ancestors, they had to be more cautious than ever, so it would definitely take longer for them to go back. So in order to meet with the other groups in time, they had to start early.

    This time, it was very smooth when going through those tunnels in the mountain. No one was left behind.

    Warriors in the hunting group cut down fine timbers, and made a pnquin to carry the ancestors. In Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, it was simply-built, but was enough to use it to take the ancestors home.

    They knew it at heart, that when they got back to the tribe from hunting this time, their game must be the least among all the groups. But they did not care at all!

    They had three Thorn ck Winds stored in the first stronghold!

    Not to mention that the most important thing was that they had found four ancestors, which was even beyond honorable! Guarding the ancestors and taking them back home probably would be the most glorious thing in their whole lives!

    They felt that now they could die without regrets! Die without regrets!

 Chapter 62 â€“ Returning home

    Chapter 62 ¨C Returning home

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The tribe woke up early in the morning as usual. It was silent initially, and then got noisy gradually. looking calm and peaceful.

    Ge yawned as he walked out of his door. It was yet another boring day, and he nned to go to the riverside to check on the kids fishing there.

    He stretched his body while walking, but all of a sudden, he heard something, and looked towards the direction of the sound.

    It came from the people, living near the Path of Glory.

    And if you counted the time, you would realize that it was about time for the hunting team to return. These days, the other hunting team was already preparing to set off.

    When Ge looked along those few people¡¯s sights, and found that on the Path of Glory, two warriors were running up the mountain carrying a man. It seemed that the wounded man was unconscious, and those two warriors carrying him were quite anxious.

    Was he badly wounded? Was it so severe that he could die any minute?

    The man carried to the top was not a child but an adult, which relieved Ge, a little bit. During the days when the hunting team was supposed to return, old Ke was in a condition of anxiety almost always. He had not been sleeping well for a long time, and even when old Ke was wearing his stiff poker face, the others could tell from that frozen expression that old Ke was not in a good mental state.

    ¡°Well, is it that bad?¡± Ge slightly snapped.

    »òÕßÃ÷Ìì±ã»á»ØÀ´ÁË¡£

    Since people sent the wounded warrior to the tribe, perhaps the main team would return this afternoon or early tomorrow.

    Originally, Ge nned to drop by at old Ke¡¯s ce and tell him the news, but on second thought, Ge decided to wait a little longer, to see if there were any more wounded warriors or any unprecedented events first. Many people shared Ge¡¯s thoughts, so those who had nothing particr to do just waited along the Path of Glory for the day.

    Soon after, Ge and the others in the mountain foot district heard a noise, and the noise came from the mountaintop!

    All of them looked up, only to find that a few people were rushing down from the mountaintop along the Path of Glory. To their surprise, one of them was the Shaman!

    In the past when a hunting team returned, the Shaman would wait at the end of the Path of Glory, which was located at the top, to wee them back. However, now the Shaman came down in a hurry. Two warriors guarded the Shaman on both sides, a bit afraid that he might trip or something. It seemed that if the Shaman wasn¡¯t so old, he would have run down like a gust of wind.

    When the Shaman passed the crowd along the Path of Glory, Ge and the others could see the expression on the Shaman¡¯s face clearly. He was always calm and unperturbed usually, but now, he was quite anxious. It seemed that he was about to cry.

    What the hell happened?!

    Everyone who witnessed the scene was thinking the same question. No matter what had happened, it must be big, or else the Shaman wouldn¡¯t act this way.

    Thinking about something big was happening or had happened, everyone became anxious.

    Ge hurried towards old Ke¡¯s ce.

    Suffering from severe insomnia, old Ke had bags under his eyes. For the past few days, he had been sitting in the room as usual, since early in the morning to do some stone crafting. The only difference was that he was totally absent-minded. In fact, he knew at heart that it was impossible for him to craft any fine stoneware given his condition. But he wanted to keep himself upied, or else he wouldn¡¯t be able to persuade himself not to wait along the Path of Glory, or wait outside the tribe.

    How anxiously he waited!

    Caesar was lying beside his in low spirits as well. His fur had be dim and dark. He was lying on his sides, with a bone in his mouth. When he was bored, he would chew on the bonezily.

    All of a sudden, Caesar moved his ears and stood up, with his eyes looking at the window.

    ¡°Old Ke!¡±

    Ge¡¯s voice came in from the window, and it was filled with anxiety.

    Old Ke was stunned as he was polishing a piece of stoneware roughly. Unconsciously, he pressed down on the half-polished stoneware and broke it into two pieces.

    The next moment, Ge went inside through the window. Knowing that old Ke had no time nor interest in setting traps on the window, Ge was much bolder and he wasn¡¯t as timid when going in through the window as he used to be.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± old Ke started the conversation this time.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but something big happened!¡± Ge told old Ke what he just saw earlier.

    Even though he was quite experienced in hunting, old Ke couldn¡¯t figure out why the Shaman acted that way. He had no intention in stone crafting anymore, so he grabbed his cane and left his house. Maybe Caesar also sensed that perhaps the hunting team was about to return, he didn¡¯t stay but went out together with old Ke.

    When old Ke and Ge came to the Path of Glory, almost everyone in the mountain foot district was gathered along the path. It was said that many people even went to the perimeters of the tribe, and there were people along the path of glory in mountain side and mountaintop. The Shaman¡¯s act earlier was unsettling to the crowd, however they couldn¡¯t figure out what had happened.

    Soon, someone came back, and the Shaman was still walking in the front. What was different now was that earlier, the Shaman¡¯s facial expression showed only anxiety, but now, he was shedding tears.

    The Shaman walked down the path and stood at the end of it, looking towards the direction of outside and waiting for the hunting team¡¯s return.

    The man that went outside to inquire about the situation returned as well. Like the Shaman, his eyes reddened from excitement. When came back, he whispered something to the others briefly.

    ¡°What?! The ancestors?!¡± a man with poor self-control yet out loud, stunned.

    Before he finished his sentence, he was punched down to the ground by the others.

    ¡°Quiet!!¡±

    Since they knew the reason why the Shaman was so excited, the unsettling feeling of the crowd reduced. Instead, their excitement rose as time went by.

    Like how Mai and the others reacted to the news, people in the tribe were totally stunned hearing the news. Only when they heard that the hunting team had arrived, had they recovered from the daze.

    The hunting team grew bigger. Even though there were less than two hundred warriors, but with all the game, it seemed pretty spectacr.

    However, this time, no one in the tribe paid any attention to the game. Instead, they were staring at the wooden pnquin in the front.

    When they returned to the tribe, Mai and the others had torn down the cover of the pnquin, so that everybody could see the four ancestors kneeling on their knees clearly.

    In theory, since Shao Xuan was the one who found the four ancestors, he should be the one lifting the pnquin and bathing in the glory. Unfortunately, he was merely a kid, and it required tall and strong warriors to be the bearers. Rtively speaking, Shao Xuan was¡­far too short, for now.

    Warriors in the hunting group felt sorry for Shao Xuan, but in fact, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t share the feeling. It wasn¡¯t just lifting the pnquin, all the bearers needed to watch the direction. Because no matter where they were, they needed to guarantee that the four ancestors were always kneeling towards the direction of the tribe. So when they were walking with the ancestors on that pnquin, sometimes they had to alter the angle, while sometimes they had to change the direction. So, all of them seemed just like idiots.

    ¡°We wee the ancestors returning with all the respect!¡± the Shaman shouted out with arms stretching towards the sky. After the shout, he made a standard and sincere salute towards the ancestors.

    All the others in the tribe kneeled down out of excitement.

    Shao Xuan was barely able to drag the game, and his teeth ached listening to the sound of knees hitting on the ground.

    After making a salute, the Shaman stood up and guarded beside the wooden pnquin. He was the Shaman of the tribe, and of course it was his honor and duty to guard the ancestors when they returned home.

    The Shaman apanied the wooden pnquin going up the mountain, but the others kept kneeling down on both knees. Only when the wooden pnquin passed them, did they have the chance to lift their heads and look at the hunting team walking behind.

    The hunting team kept a distance of about ten meters with the wooden pnquin. As usual, all the warriors that returned showed their harvest of the game. Compared to the past, Mai¡¯s hunting group had much less game, but since they were the ones who found the ancestors, they were the heroes during this hunting mission in the hearts of everyone in the tribe.

    Shao Xuan had hunted a lot of game. He carried most of it on his back, but also had a rope in his hand. The other end of the rope was tied on a Thorn ck Wind.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have enough strength as a kid, so Mao and some other warriors were helping him.

    ¡°Wow! That is¡­¡± people besides the Path of Glory sighed at his game.

    It had ferocious ck thorns, and armor-liked hard scales. Even dead, it was like a demon.

    It was a Thorn ck Wind!

    And there were three of them!

    Oh, my goodness, it¡¯s unbelievable!! What was even more unbelievable was that there were two kids dragging a Thorn ck Wind at the front!

    However, with the shock they had from seeing the ancestors, this time they were less shocked at this situation. They were only told that it was Mai¡¯s hunting group that found the ancestors, and they did not have the details.

    Mao was a little ashamed. After all, he hadn¡¯t contributed much in hunting down that Thorn ck Wind. Before this hunting mission, he wanted to make Shao Xuan yield to him. However, unexpectedly, he was the useless one when there was a real fight.

    Shao Xuan looked around and spotted old Ke and Ge, who were standing at the outer circle of the crowd. Caesar was also there, wagging his tail crazily, with pleasure. Shao Xuan smiled at their direction, but deep down inside, he was thinking about how to tell old Ke about the tooth swordter¡­

 Chapter 63 â€“ Sword Cleansing Ritual

    Chapter 63 ¨C Sword Cleansing Ritual

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After they arrived at the end of the Path of Glory, all the warriors of the hunting team put down their game aside, for they had a ceremony to attend before they could call it a sessful conclusion of the hunting mission.

    The Shaman asked the bearers to ce the wooden pnquin down inside the fire pit. Since there was only a small ball of me in the fire pit, there was enough space for the pnquin.

    Those legs of the four bearers almost gave out when they finally put down the pnquin. They were neither afraid nor nervous. In fact, they were too excited. From their perspectives, it was a great honor, and serving as the ancestors bearer was an experience that they could share with their sons, and grandsons in the future.

    After carefullyying down the pnquin in the fire pit, those four warriors left, while the Shaman came in to prostrate himself in front of the ancestors.

    Shao Xuan had no idea about the status of the ancestors, but judging from the Shaman¡¯s behavior, he guessed that the one with the bone ornament was the most important person among those four. The Shaman made a careful salute towards him especially.

    After the salute, the Shaman left the fire pit, for he still needed to host the Sword Cleansing ritual for the warriors that had just returned from the hunting mission.

    The Shamanmanded some people to help him carry out a long stone trough, filled with gray water. It had a fresh smell, like the nts in the forest, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how it was prepared.

    Every leader of a hunting group would take his members to cleanse their weapons. The Sword Cleansing ritual¡¯s purpose was to remove the blood¡¯s contamination from the sword after a hunting mission, and to take away the ferocious killing spirit which had been brought back from the mountains. By doing so, it could calm down the warriors who were still immersed in the killing and hunting mindset, and ease their minds of the surging killing thoughts.

    When you say Sword Cleansing, in fact it not only referred to swords but the stone spears, axes, and other hunting tools also needed be washed.

    Naturally, the first batch of warriors to do the cleansing were the main leader and warriors from the advance party. Then other hunting groups would approach.

    The stoneware that Shao Xuan found beside the ancestors were turned over to the leaders once their hunting team had assembled, and now all the stoneware was in the hands of the main leader. Indeed, those were made from really fine stones, but it was impossible for Shao Xuan to keep them. The tribe was the tribe, and with so many eyes fixed on him, he would be an idiot to secretly embezzle them. It was a better option to turn over the tools, for he trusted the Shaman and the Chief would certainly reward him ording to his effort, and then he should have his part of the fine stones.

    In fact, Shao Xuan could be considered as the main contributor to the hunting team, since he had ughtered a Thorn ck Wind, and found the ancestors to bring them back.

    Because of that, when it was Shao Xuan¡¯s turn to cleanse the weapons, the Shaman specially arranged his position in front of the stone trough. In general, only the best performer during the hunting mission could get to stand behind the middle part of the stone trough and cleanse his weapons there. It was the position right in front of the Shaman, and on most asions in the past, the leaders of those hunting groups were the ones in that position. However, this time it was Shao Xuan, but neither Mai nor the others had any problem with that.

    Staring at Shao Xuan in front of him, the Shaman looked extremely gentle and kind.

    Since Shao Xuan had such an eye-catching performance during the hunt, and the discovery of ancestors gave a powerful shock to everyone in the tribe, Shao Xuan had almost every warrior¡¯s attention when he was walking towards his Sword Cleansing ce. When they met the other hunting groups in the forest, he didn¡¯t get much attention due to limited time and tight schedule. Now since everyone was home, they decided to take a closer look at the legendary kid, even the Chief and the main leader were staring at him.

    When everyone in his hunting group took up their positions behind the stone trough, the Shaman lifted his hands to indicate that warriors might start cleansing their weapons.

    Shao Xuan had observed on how others were cleansing their weapons earlier, so now he knew what to do.

    Shao Xuan took out all the spearheads and stone swords that he had taken with him, and ced them inside the stone trough carefully one by one. After he had done all that, he thought for a while, before he took out the veryst one.

    When Shao Xuan pulled out the tooth sword he got from old Ke, he took out the broken sword-point as well.

    Among the warriors staring at him, many of them had recognized that sword made out of a ground komodo¡¯s tooth. Even if they did not know who it belonged to in the past, they knew the material of the sword. Some elite warriors in the tribe also had simr swords of the same materials, but they all inherited those swords from their elders.

    It was such a fine sword made out of a ground komodo¡¯s tooth, but it was broken just like that! The user was merely a kid, did he really have the strength to cause that?

    What the fuck!

    What the hell happened?!

    Some warriors were ring at the broken sword-point and their eyes almost poked out.

    Not only the warriors, the Shaman¡¯s gentle face also froze. A secondter, he thought about the kid pretending to sing the Song of Hunting in the crowd before. He was really not the same as others!

    Shao Xuan felt the gazes of people on him but he chose to ignore them. With two hands, he ced the tooth sword into the stone trough, and soaked the sword in the gray liquid.

    There was red blood of the Thorn ck Wind and brown liquid of that insect from the cave on the sword, which wasn¡¯tpletely cleaned away before when Shao Xuan used water to clean it. However, when the Shaman finished with the spell and told them to take out their stoneware, Shao Xuan was surprised to find that there was no mark on the sword anymore, and all the stoneware continued to shine brightly as if they were never brought to a hunting mission.

    When the Sword Cleansing ritual was over, all the warriors felt relieved and their minds too seemed to be cleansed.

    Considering that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t strong enough, and given that he had hunted a lot of game, the Shaman told Shao Xuan to go back first, and that he would send someone to help deliver the meat to his ceter.

    Without having to carry the meat by himself, Shao Xuan could save his strength. He didn¡¯t worry that someone would be greedy for his share.

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s departure, Keke carefully poked the main leader of the hunting team, and glimpsed at Shao Xuan¡¯s back before he looked up at the main leader.

    The main leader looked very serious, but gave a small nod.

    Keke got the permission and suddenly had a big smile on his face. He paid no more attention to the game, and asked Tuo to help him take care of his part, while he ran towards Shao Xuan.

    The main leader was contemting, but he felt something and looked up, only to find his father looking at him. Immediately he smiled subserviently at the Chief, unlike his usual behaviour as the main leader of a hunting team.

    The Chief frowned, thinking about what his son was up to¡­ He nced at Mao standing aside. Perhaps it concerned Mao? He knew a little bit about Mao having some problems with Shao Xuan, but he also considered it as a harmlesspetition within the tribe. ording to the tradition, no elders in the tribe should interfere with harmlesspetitions, let alone that this time Shao Xuan had repeatedly distinguished himself in the tribe, he couldn¡¯t be bullied.

    As he was about to approach his son about it, the Shaman summoned him. It was something about the ancestors.

    Now that it was about the ancestors, naturally the Chief couldn¡¯t afford any dy. But before he left with the Shaman, he red at his son, warning him not to do anything stupid.

    The main leader of the hunting team didn¡¯t pay any attention to his old man¡¯s re, but continued his contemtion.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan went down the mountain empty-handed. He didn¡¯t take the Path of Glory, or any other crowded ces. Instead, he specifically picked those secluded routes to go down the mountain.

    At that time, almost all the families were busy greeting the hunting warriors who returned home, or dealing with the food they brought back. On Shao Xuan¡¯s way, there were only a few people wandering around.

    Shao Xuan was still trying to figure out what he should tell old Ke about the tooth sword, but he suddenly felt something behind so he stopped. Cold glint shed in his eyes, and without looking at the approaching fist, Shao Xuan crooked his neck and moved his legs. He dodged easily and avoided the sneak attack from behind.

    Despite his first attack missing, the man didn¡¯t stop and continued attacking Shao Xuan. It was no slower than the first strike, and almost at the same time Shao Xuan avoided the first one, the others followed.

    There was no room for Shao Xuan to dodge, so he put up his arms so as to block the fists. His tiny body was forced to step back because of the fierce strength of his opponent. For every step he withdrew, the stones under his feet cracked. The sound it created was like the rumbling of thunder before a storm.

    However, the other side still pressed on against him step by step. When Shao Xuan took a step back, his opponent would take a step forward, and for every step he took, he would punch Shao Xuan¡¯s arms for one more time. So many strikes allowed Shao Xuan no time to dodge the hits. A moment earlier, the dust was floating up in the air, yet a momentter, it was scattered due to the punches.

    The other side was much stronger than Shao Xuan, and his skill was of course higher. Also, with his dense strikes, he basically suppressed Shao Xuan with his strength.

    Shao Xuan felt a surge of blood in his throat, and finally, there was a cracking sounding from his arm. With that sound, Shao Xuan flew back and stumbled backwards after hended. It took him some effort to remain standing there, and swallow down the blood he had in his mouth.

    This time, the other side didn¡¯t continue to attack.

    When both sides calmed down, the totemic patterns on their bodies faded away.

    When he managed to stand still, Shao Xuan breathed heavily. He paid no attention to his broken arm, anyways it was not a severe wound. He fixed his eyes on his opponent ¨C Keke.

    Although Keke had no killing intent, and earlier he just went through the Sword Cleansing ritual. But due to his long hunting career, his every act and every move was filled with a ferocious air.

    ¡°Good!¡± Seeing that Shao Xuan could still keep standing there after he suffered so many strikes yet showed no painful expression, Keke was pretty satisfied. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even seem to care about his broken arm.

    However, at the voice of ¡°good¡±, Keke was kicked down.

    It was Tuo that kicked down Keke, he was checking on the situation under the main leader¡¯smand. However, the first scene he saw was Keke breaking that kid¡¯s arm.

    What the hell, Keke!

    The main leader asked you to test him, and that was how you test him?

    You are at least an adult warrior, with much higher strength than him, why did you bully such a kid by attacking him that way?! To prove that you were good? Aren¡¯t you ashamed of yourself?! The Shaman and the Chief would punish us hard if they knew!

    Tuo was furious and he stepped on Keke again, seeing that he was about to get up.

    ¡°You are such a tactless moron!¡±

    Tuo retrieved his foot from Keke¡¯s back and looked at Shao Xuan with a smile, ¡°He did not mean harm.¡± Tuo was trying to seem nice.

    Shao Xuan looked at his arm which had just cracked and looked up at Tuo again, poker-faced, as if saying: What, he did not mean harm, but he broke my arm?

    Tuo had cursed Keke in his heart for a thousand times, but on his face, it was still a smile full of apologies. He searched his animal skin bag, and pulled out a bag of herbs wrapped in tree leaves, ¡°These are fine herbs. Your arm will be okay in a few days if you drink it.¡±

    Shao Xuan still stared at Tuo, poker-faced. When Tuo was feeling creepy from the stare, Shao Xuan looked down at his own animal skin bag.

    Tuo immediately knew what Shao Xuan was suggesting. He silently med himself for being so careless. Keke had just broken his arm, so how could he receive the herbs from Tuo?

    cing the herbs inside Shao Xuan¡¯s animal skin bag, Tuo smiled at Shao Xuan regretfully again, ¡°He¡¯s a moron who knows nothing. Please, kindly forgive him, okay? Given that we are in the same hunting team, haha.¡±

    Fuck your sister! Shao Xuan thought as he continued staring.

    Tuo was too embarrassed to face Shao Xuan¡¯s stare, so he went towards Keke, and dragged him away.

    Shao Xuan looked at their backs, and wondered why they acted the way they did¡­

 Chapter 64 â€“ The position of the totem pattern

    Chapter 64 ¨C The position of the totem pattern

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When Shao Xuan went down the mountain, he came directly to Old Ke¡¯s ce instead of going back to his residence.

    Caesar had been waiting for Shao Xuan at the door for a long time. Seeing Shao Xuan, he immediately leapt towards him, and greeted him by jumping back and forth like a dog. Seriously speaking, he would be more like a dog if he wagged his tail a little.

    ¡°Hey, Ah-Xuan¡¯s back!¡± Ge sat by the window, and lifted the straw curtain as he spoke to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Uncle Ge.¡± Shao Xuan evaded Caesar, so as to prevent him from touching his wounded arm, and walked inside.

    Inside the house, Old Ke sat upon the stone stool which he used to craft stoneware, and stared at Shao Xuan. He was smiling, which was rare.

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back¡­what¡¯s wrong with your arm?!¡±

    Of course Shao Xuan¡¯s wounded arm was noticed by Old Ke in a single nce. Earlier when he was on the path of glory with the other warriors, he was fine and was carrying lots of game. There was no sign of injuries back then, but why was his arm wounded after the Sword Cleansing Ritual? Upon notice, Old Ke scowled again after that rare smile.

    ¡°Let me see.¡± Ge didn¡¯t notice it, so he approached Shao Xuan to take a closer look at his arms since Old Ke said that.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be okay after a few days.¡±

    Seeing that Old Ke wanted to know the details, Shao Xuan told him about earlier when he encountered Keke and Tuo on his way down the mountain.

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s description, Old Ke thought about it for some time, and then asked Shao Xuan to show him his arm.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Old Ke sniffed his nose, ¡°Is this the herb that Tuo gave you?¡±

    Old Ke took out the bag of herbs in Shao Xuan¡¯s animal skin bag, and closely observed those few herbs inside.

    ¡°These are fine herbs.¡± He passed the bag of herbs to Ge, who was stretching his neck to look at the bag, ¡°Go and decoct them.¡±

    Ge said nothing, but he put the bag beneath his nose and sniffed it. However, there was nothing inside that he was familiar with. He hadn¡¯t used such herbs before. It smelledpletely different from the herbs he normally used.

    Old Ke asked about the hunting, and Shao Xuan briefly said something about it.

    Even though he had omitted a lot, it was still quite an adventure in Old Ke and Ge¡¯s ears. They still saw it as an rmingly dangerous mission, and neither of them had anticipated that Shao Xuan would encounter so many things during his first hunting trip. His survival waspletely under the blessing of the ancestors.

    ¡°So it seems that the ground komodo tooth sword helped a lot!¡± Ge rubbed his hands, and smirked at Shao Xuan, indicating that Shao Xuan should take out the tooth sword so that he could admire it once again.

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Shao Xuan began to stammer immediately.

    ¡°What? Did you lose it?!¡± Ge¡¯s heart constricted, and he glimpsed at the thing on Shao Xuan¡¯s waist. It was indeed the leather sheath of the ground komodo tooth sword.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t lose it, but¡­¡± Shao Xuan embarrassedly took out the sword from the leather sheath.

    The ground komodo tooth sword was even cleaner than when it was given to Shao Xuan from Old Ke, for it was freshly cleansed. However, the missing sword-tip was clearer than ever, which could be noticed at first sight.

    It waspletely unbelievable to Ge, he took over the sword with trembling hands and was more than distressed.

    Shao Xuan looked up at Old Ke, only to find that he wasn¡¯t as distressed at the sword as Ge, neither was he angry. Instead, he seemed quite gratified.

    Old Ke took the sword over from Ge and had a joyful smile on his face.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can craft and polish it into a smaller sword, and you can use it during your second hunting trip.¡± Saying that, Old Ke ced the tooth sword on the shelf aside. He decided to take up no other tasks these days and focus on polishing and adjusting the tooth sword.

    The sword suffered from serious wear and tear, and there were a lot of small dents. However, Old Ke was quite happy about that, because all those traces proved that Shao Xuan had a very sessful hunt, and he had fought against some ferocious beasts. Instead, if the sword Shao Xuan brought back was as good as new with little or no abrasion, he would be a little disappointed and upset, even though he probably wouldn¡¯t say anything.

    Old Ke drove away Ge, who was still sad over the sword, and he asked Shao Xuan to drink the potion properly decocted from the herbs.

    Downing the bowl of potion in his hand, Shao Xuan suddenly felt as if a spring of warmth swept over his entire body, and made a special stop at his wounded arms. Instead of pain, he felt warm and fuzzy. He could even feel the bones growing back together gradually at a pace which wasn¡¯t slow.

    ¡°Those are the herbs that the Shaman himself mixed especially. Since some of the herbs are really hard to find, so it would only be distributed to a few warriors. It¡¯s impossible for everyone to get it.¡± Said Old Ke.

    Because of that, whoever could get the herbs must cherish them a lot. Unexpectedly, Tuo gave a whole pack to Shao Xuan! Old Ke was confused. Even though it was Keke who broke Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, but honestly speaking, that wasn¡¯t considered as a severe injury in the tribe. Those with fine physiques would recover naturally after a few days.

    Ah-Xuan wasn¡¯t familiar with Tuo. If they were in the same hunting group, it would make some sense, but¡­the same hunting group? Old Ke shook his head. Ah-Xuan had only awakened this year, and he took one hunting trip. Technically he was nothing else but a fine new warrior. It was highly unlikely for him to be picked out to that hunting group. After all, it required the team leader¡¯s and the other few senior warriors¡¯ permission to get into that hunting group.

    Since it was hard to figure out, Old Ke decided to let it go, ¡°Even though I have only one leg, I can still avenge you. Just wait to see Keke¡¯s arm the next time you see him.¡±

    ¡°No need for that.¡± Shao Xuan smile, ¡°I can avenge myself.¡±

    ¡°Good! Then I won¡¯t interfere.¡± Old Ke seemed to be more satisfied, ¡°Now, disy your totem power, Ah-Xuan.¡±

    Shao Xuan quickly revealed the totem pattern on his face, as well as on his arms.

    Old Ke stared at the totem patterns on his arms, and his eyes were wide open.

    Click!

    The cane in Old Ke¡¯s hand was broken into half, and he had been using that cane for only a year.

    ¡­

    At the other side, the team leader just finished up with all the formalities at the mountaintop and returned to his own ce after the hunting mission, only to find that Tuo and Keke were already waiting for him inside.

    ¡°So how was the test?¡± the main leader Ta asked.

    Before Keke could say anything, Tuo reported that Keke had broken Shao Xuan¡¯s arm.

    Blue veins stood out on Ta¡¯s temples, and he red at Keke hatefully, as if he was about to kick him again, ¡°That was how you tested him?!¡±

    Keke was sitting on the ground with his legs crossed. He scratched his foot and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t attack using full strength¡­¡±

    ¡°You nned to attack using full strength?! Where¡¯s your integrity, you moron?¡± Ta brandished his fist at him.

    Keke jumped up and within the blink of an eye he got next to the door, as if he was nning to escape once Ta made any move.

    ¡°¡­I was just out of control.¡± Keke whispered as he scratched his head with the same hand he scratched his foot. He indeed felt a little embarrassed, thinking that he hit a kid after all.

    ¡°Since you can¡¯t control yourself, you¡¯d better tag along with other hunting groups next time.¡± Ta said with a straight face.

    ¡°No, no, no¡­I can exin.¡± Keke was anxious seeing that he was about to be kicked out from the group, ¡°You told me to test that kid right, boss? I tested. In fact, I was only about to punch him twice, but seeing the totem patterns emerge on his arms, I couldn¡¯t control myself and kept punching¡­¡±

    ¡°Totem patterns? What¡¯s wrong with the kid¡¯s totem pattern?¡± Ta stared at Keke with sharp sights.

    ¡°Boss, you said that newly-awakened warriors only had totem patterns up to here, right?¡± Keke ced his finger at his upper arm near the shoulder, ¡°however, that kid¡¯s totem pattern reached¡­there!¡±

    Keke made a mark on his upper arm, which was about a palm¡¯s away from the shoulder.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible!¡± Ta and Tuo shouted out at the same time.

    But¡­

    Impossible?

    Nothing¡¯s impossible¡­

    In the past, people said that children from the orphan cave wouldn¡¯t be able to be awakened until they turned twelve or thirteen¡­but now?

    In the past, people thought that junior totem warrior couldn¡¯t even ughter or fight against adult healthy Thorn ck Wind even when there were only one or two of them. However, ¡­

    In the past, people assumed that no one could get out of that mountain once lost, but in the end?

    The kid hadn¡¯t been awakened for long!

    ¡°Hey, boss. I remembered that Mao¡¯s totem pattern was only up there¡­¡±

    Before Keke could finished his sentence, he got kicked on the leg by Tuo already.

    ¡°Fine, you guys go back now.¡± Ta waved his hand, indicating that they should leave for now.

    Tuo and Keke pushed each other out of the door, but as they stepped out, they realized that the Chief was standing right outside.

    ¡°Ah¡­Ha-ha¡­Good day, Chief!¡±

    In a hurry, Tuo and Keke hurried out after a quick salute.

 Chapter 65 â€“ The Elder

    Chapter 65 ¨C The Elder

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan only took Caesar back to his cabin after having dinner at Old Ke¡¯s ce.

    Although he had been away for over twenty days, it was obvious that someone had helped keep his room clean. There was clean water filled in the crock. It was still fresh, so Shao Xuan figured it must have been poured in recently. Also, the animal skin on the bed had been washed and air-dried, for it had no bugs or stale smell on it.

    Apparently, Old Ke had asked someone to do all that.

    Shao Xuan moved his arm a little after he lit bonfire.

    It had only been three hours, and Shao Xuan could feel that his bones were healing quickly. Indeed, those were fine herbs. As for the totem patterns on his body¡­ he knew that he was making more progress than his peers. Among the newly-awakened warriors this year, Mao was the publicly acknowledged genius in the tribe, and the totem patterns on his arms only spread out about half a finger¡¯s length.

    When they were hunting, no one had the spare time nor the energy to pay attention to Shao Xuan¡¯s totem patterns, even though he was wearing a sleeveless top made from animal skin. Instead everyone had their attention focused on the prey, for one negligent move could result in death, especially in the forests filled with dangers and risks. All of the warriors were extremely cautious. Also, since Shao Xuan was pretty skilled in using his totem power, his patterns would quickly disappear after the prey was hunted down, before anybody had the spare time to look around. Hence, no one had noticed the astonishing length of his totem patterns.

    Just now, Old Ke had broken his cane out of shock. He didn¡¯t believe his eyes at first nce, but after he rubbed them and took a closer look, he finally confirmed that what he saw was real. Naturally, someone else would also be totally stunned if he saw that, for example, Keke.

    In fact, Shao Xuan had noticed that Keke nced at his arm after the first punch. His attack was not really fatal, and Shao Xuan knew it was merely a test. However, what Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know was why Keke and Tuo did that.

    Lying on the bed, Shao Xuan had finally felt his tense nerves rx after so many days. Life inside the tribe was indeed safe and cozy.

    Waking up the next morning, after a good night¡¯s sleep, Shao Xuan stretched his body. Surprisingly, he found that his arm was already healed, which was even faster than Old Ke¡¯s estimate of ¡°a few days¡±. In fact, he could¡¯ve recovered quickly even without the herbs he took yesterday.

    Shao Xuan made a pot of soup with meat jerky and wild fruits for Caesar and himself. It was not tasty, but he was used to it already. The soup was not much, leaving Shao Xuan and Caesar still hungry.

    So he patted Caesar on his head and said, ¡°You¡¯ll have your feast once the meat is delivered.¡±

    Caesar smacked his lips, while he slowly yawned and stretched.

    Seeing Caesar¡¯s foolish appearance, Shao Xuan once again thought about the wolf pack¡¯s hunting when he was on his way to the second location. Compared to the wolves in the forest, Caesar really did not have a wolf¡¯s nature, and if he continued to behave that way, perhaps he would really turn into a dog. Shao Xuan was not sure whether it was a blessing or a curse.

    Shao Xuan took a quick shower with a bucket of water, and then dragged Caesar outside and used a fish-teeth brush to clean him. It had been over twenty days, and that little beast was rolling on the ground all day long. Perhaps Ge also had a hand in it, as there were lots of kinks and knots in his hair.

    Old Ke would help Shao Xuan clean his house, but that didn¡¯t mean that he would help clean Caesar. In the eyes of Old Ke, Caesar was still leftover prey. Why would anyone clean prey?

    When Tuo and Keke were delivering the meat to Shao Xuan¡¯s ce, they found that Shao Xuan was brushing Caesar¡¯s hair outside.

    The Shaman had arranged someone else to do the delivery, but Tuo and Keke asked for the job on their own.

    ¡°Oh? Is your arm all right?!¡±

    They watched Shao Xuan nimbly brush Caesar¡¯s hair, having no traces of an injury at all. Keke put the meat down and instantly he wanted to approach to check on Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, but he was stopped by Tuo.

    Keke was about to struggle, but Tuo silently said ¡°The team leader,¡± causing Keke to quiet down immediately. When he returned yesterday, he was dragged out and beaten up by the team leader, so his face was still swollen today.

    When Tuo and Keke carried the meat inside, Shao Xuan thanked them with a smile. He also wanted to give them some meat as gifts, but got declined politely by Tuo.

    Tuo noticed that although Shao Xuan was not wearing a poker face, he also wasn¡¯t enthusiastic. However, he couldn¡¯t really me Shao Xuan for that, after all, Keke had broken his arm only yesterday!

    Tuo smiled, a little embarrassed, ¡°Well, the Shaman said that early in the morning, on the day after tomorrow, everyone should go to the mountaintop dressed neatly and cleanly, so as to attend the memorial ceremony for the ancestors.¡±

    Instead of staying for longer, Tuo dragged Keke away, for he worried Keke might start some trouble again.

    After Shao Xuan had finished brushing Caesar¡¯s hair, he went inside to check on the food that was delivered.

    All of the meat had been properly processed by someone. Even the Thorn ck Wind had been skinned and chopped by some skilled warrior.

    A Thorn ck Wind had twoyers of skins, one was the hard scales, and the other was very tough thick leather. The twoyers had been separated and specially processed, so there was no trace of blood, and they were pretty clean.

    Caesar was standing still about two meters away from the meat chunks of the Thorn ck Wind, curious and afraid at the same time. However, he was drooling over the meat, so he growled and ran his tongue around his lips.

    Shao Xuan took out the smallest piece of the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s meat, after a second thought though, he cut the meat again, and tossed the smallest part to Caesar. Advanced prey contained a lot of energy, and Shao Xuan had no idea how much Caesar would be able to take.

    Looking at the pile of food, Shao Xuan calcted for how much salt he could trade with the tribe.

    To attend the memorial ceremony of the ancestorster, everyone in the tribe became quite busy. They took out the things that they were most pleased with, since the memorial ceremony could bepared to the Snow Festival. The other hunting team, which was supposed to set off right away, was instead dyed for a few days, and would start the hunting mission after the memorial ceremony.

    Shao Xuan asked some tailor to make him a jacket out of the scaleyer of the Thorn ck Wind. It was like an armor, and although it looked stupid, it was necessary for him to make a good impression. It was the most direct way for someone to show his ability in the tribe, and Shao Xuan had to observe the customs of the ce.

    Of course, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t forget to send some scaly skins and meat to Mao. After all, he had contributed to the hunting of the Thorn ck Wind.

    Only fifty days after the Snow Festival¡¯s ceremony, there was yet another grand ceremony within the tribe.

    It was not asplicated as the one during the Snow Festival regarding rules and procedures, and no one danced.

    Shao Xuan was arranged to stand at the spot closest to the fire pit. Being the real star in finding the ancestors, he was qualified enough to have the position, and no one else in the tribe was against the decision.

    Because of that, there was only one skinny body among the ones that were standing near the fire pit, and it was Shao Xuan.

    This time, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to allow his mind to drift away. Instead, he paid attention in following the others in this memorial ceremony of their ancestors. He was whispering at heart: Dear ancestors, please kindly give us your blessings in the hunting missions toe! Please shelter us from those troubles!

    The four ancestors were cremated in the fire pit. Originally the me in the fire pit harmed no one, but now it had wrapped up all those dried bodies. Soon enough, four bodies gradually disappeared, and there wasn¡¯t even smoke or dirt created. When the me returned to its normal size, the fire pit went back to normal. There were no ashes of the dead, nothing was left there.

    Everyone who passes away in the tribe will be cremated like that, but not everyone has the honor to have such a grand ceremony during the cremation. Let alone that this memorial ceremony was not second to the Snow Festival on scale.

    Shao Xuan noticed that the bone ornament was gone. Obviously it was retained by the Shaman. It¡¯s reasonable, burning such a treasure would be unwise.

    After the sincere worship and prayers, Shao Xuan was summoned by the Shaman after the memorial ceremony.

    He asked Shao Xuan about the things that happened in the cave, and it was far more detailed than the other¡¯s questioning. Also, the Shaman was paying extra attention to the feelings that Shao Xuan had back in the cave, the so called ¡°totem guidance¡±.

    Shao Xuan had exined things properly, but he also yed dumb when it was necessary.

    Finally, he went back home after being questioned for about an hour.

    When Shao Xuan left, the Shaman took out a small box made from jade. He opened it carefully and there were three simr bone ornaments lying inside. Shao Xuan would be totally surprised if he were here. It turned out that there were more of them. However, the little ball in the middle of the bone ornament was no longer glossy. Instead, it appeared dim.

    Beside the jade box, there was a roll of animal skin. It didn¡¯t look ancient, but in fact, it was more than a thousand years old.

    The Shaman unfolded the roll and inside there were some simple pictures with the appearance of the bone ornaments.

    ¡°Finally, all were found.¡± The Shaman sighed.

    If there was someone else in the room, he or she would be quite confused. Six bone ornaments were drawn on the animal skill roll, but there were only three of them in the box. Why did the Shaman say ¡°all were found¡±?

    Thinking about Shao Xuan¡¯s answers, the Shaman had a trace of smile on his sad face. He knew that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t telling theplete truth, but that was fine.

    ¡°The power of the me will guide you in the right direction. Just like in ancient times, when our ancestors used fire to light up the night.¡± The Shaman had said that, but in fact, there were very few people who could do that. Even if they had the feeling, it was just a blurry one, and almost none of them had an image or a concept as clear as Shao Xuan¡¯s. No one could depend on the blurry hints to walk out of the cave. It would be exactly like how the three ancestors had the feeling and they found the Elder atst. However, they couldn¡¯t get out from the cave.

    Recalling Shao Xuan¡¯s abnormal behavior when he was awakened, the Shaman figured his awakening was more like an awakening under the support of aplete me¡­

    Was that the difference between theplete me and the iplete me?

    The Shaman stared at the bone ornaments in front of him. He reached out with his withered hand and touched the dim ball in the middle of the ornament slightly. Then, he put the animal skin roll back, and covered the box with its lid, before putting it back where it was.

    Taking two steps back, the Shaman stared at the box silently, and made a sincere salute.

    The Elder. It was a title that had been heard in the tribe for a thousand years. He wondered when someone would be addressed by that title again.

 Chapter 66 â€“ Do you know the meaning behind my name?

    Chapter 66 ¨C Do you know the meaning behind my name?

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Old Ke didn¡¯t mention Shao Xuan¡¯s astonishing speed of progress to anyone. And based on his observation of the following few days, it seemed that Keke and the others hadn¡¯t spread it around either. So in the eyes of other people in the tribe, Shao Xuan was merely a brave and fearless warrior, who was lucky enough to be blessed by the ancestors. Aside from that, he was just as normal as everybody else. Even Ge, who was a frequent guest of Old Ke¡¯s had no idea.

    Since Shao Xuan returned with lots of game, he sent some food to his acquaintances in the tribe. Old Ke and Ge definitely got a big part of it, Aunt Ah-Yi who helped Shao Xuan with sewing also got her share. Also, the teacher of the orphan cave and the kids in the cave all had their own parts.

    Shao Xuan had be quite proficient in stone crafting. A few days earlier the Shaman and the Chief had given him some fine stone cores of high quality. Shao Xuan turned them into a few spearheads, while Old Ke had finished re-crafting and grinding the tooth sword. It wasn¡¯t as good looking as before, but was still sharp and could be put to good use.

    ¡°Could you please check it? What do you think?¡± Shao Xuan passed a stone spearhead to Ke.

    Old Ke lifted his eyelids slowly. Without holding it in his own hand, he glimpsed at it and said, ¡°Not bad.¡±

    It was very difficult to earn the evaluation of ¡°not bad¡± from Old Ke. Even when some other stoneware crafters presented their works to him, Old Ke would ruthlessly assess their works as garbage. Compared to them, Shao Xuan was quite proficient in stone crafting skills.

    Shao Xuan put the stoneware aside and came in front of Old Ke and said with a chuckle, ¡°You see¡­I think I have already learnt a thing or two about stone crafting. You have mentioned that if I want to make progress, I should practice more¡­So, I think¡­uh¡­can we get started on the next stage of teaching?¡±

    Old Ke wasn¡¯t famous for stone crafting back in his days. He was famous for setting impressive traps!

    ¡°Do you want to learn?¡± Old Ke asked in a low voice, ¡°it¡¯s very tough.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do! I¡¯m not afraid of hardship!¡± Shao Xuan nodded in a hurry.

    ¡°Okay, then you cane here tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Okay, then I¡¯m off!¡± Shao Xuan left after he had helped Old Ke to set the stone pot and chop the firewood.

    When Shao Xuan left, Old Ke¡¯s poker face finally loosened and he began to smile.

    Early in the morning the next day, Old Ke was already waiting there when Shao Xuan arrived Old Ke¡¯s ce with Caesar.

    ¡°Bring that.¡± Old Ke pointed to a medium sized wooden box, and walked out with his cane.

    Shao Xuan hastened to carry the box. It was heavy, and he didn¡¯t open it to see what was inside.

    Caesar was still yawning. When he got knocked on the head by a wooden cane, he bared his teeth and looked up, only to find that it was Old Ke, so in a hurry he closed his mouth. Unexpectedly, Old Ke walked towards Caesar¡¯s side. Suddenly he sat on Caesar¡¯s back, which almost pressed the unguarded wolf to the ground.

    Caesar twisted his waist uneasily, but got schooled by Old Ke¡¯s cane. In this mountain foot area, Old Ke was the only one that Caesar was afraid of.

    ¡°To the training ground.¡± Old Ke pointed out the direction with his cane.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Xuan carried the tool box and headed that way.

    Caesar was one year old, and he was growing quickly. Often he helped Old Ke and Shao Xuan lift and carry some things, so of course he could bear Old Ke¡¯s weight. Earlier Old Ke just caught him unprepared, so he almost fell.

    So, as Ge was chewing on a piece of meat jerky as he walked around in the morning, he saw Old Ke sitting on Caesar¡¯s back with his cane in his arms. Ge almost choked seeing that scene.

    Ge was quite familiar with Old Ke, he was in the same team as Old Ke when he got injured. Since Ge was quite idle and also had a thick skin, he would constantlye to Old Ke¡¯s ce to spend time together.

    In the eyes of Ge, Old Ke was too prideful. When he withdrew from the hunting team due to the loss of a leg, he didn¡¯t allow others to help. In the end, he moved down the mountain and isted himself from his old pals, in order to not take their gifts. He considered the gifts as pity, so it wounded his pride. Every year when he had to go up the mountain to attend the ritual, he wouldn¡¯t ask for anyone¡¯s help either. No carrying, no lifting, no holding. He used his cane and the remaining leg to slowly move up the hill. It seemed that he was afraid of people saying that he couldn¡¯t walk. So he had to prove them wrong by his deeds. It had been the same for decades.

    But now?

    Who was the one on a wolf¡¯s back?

    Or did he have a different opinion on different species? Did he choose not to walk on his own? Was he not afraid of being judged?

    Where¡¯s your so-called ¡°pride¡±? Got eaten by Caesar?!

    There were a few small hills covered by trees and other nts beside the training ground. Normally people would cut the timber from there. There weren¡¯t many kinds of nts, and aside from the flying stonemouse, which had strong breeding ability, very few animals lived there. Perhaps all others had died out a long time ago.

    Deforestation was quite normal here, so the trees were less thicker than the trees in the hunting forest. But it was sufficient for daily use, and some of these trees were as thick as buckets.

    Why did warriors want to hunt? The answer: In order to strategically pursue the optimum energy intake.

    Vegetables, fruits, grains, fish and animal meat were all in the diet of the people in the tribe. Vegetables, fruits and grains could be found among the short hills nearby, but they weren¡¯trge in quantities. While fish was added in the menu onlyst year, and most of it was eaten by people in the mountain foot district. As for the animal meat, it was the real staple food for people in the tribe. Also, it contained the most energy, especially the meat from high level beasts.

    As a result, people in the tribe would hunt. Itplied with the developing strategy made by the ancestors, and could provide them with the need for energy as well. The senior warriors preferred high level prey, for food that contained less energy was no help for them.

    While hunting, besides killing the prey by stabbing or shing it, warriors would use all kinds of traps to help them in hunting. Goodssos and traps could be very dangerous killers who hid in the dark.

    Old Ke was a master in creating those hidden killers.

    After he got down from Caesar¡¯s back, Old Ke didn¡¯t start teaching Shao Xuan how to make a trap immediately. Instead, he told Shao Xuan about the things that he should be aware of. For example, how to take advantage of the environment and blend the traps with the environment.

    After that lecture, Old Ke began to make a trap. He started from the simple ones, and as he was making it step by step, he exined all the technical points in detail. Different traps had different features. There was the cave trap, crossing trap, ground trap, etc. While, there were many small changes that needed to be made ording to different types of prey.

    Howrge should the cap of the trap be? Should it be altered based on the girth of a prey¡¯s head? Should one use animal hair or straw rope to connect different traps? Should it be a single-knot trap, or double-knot trap, orposite trap? Or is there need to make abined trap? Should one dig a hole? What about the thorn bed? Should it have a thorn bed?

    Although Shao Xuan had often seen Lang Ga set a trap, but listening to Old Ke¡¯s exnation, he finally got to understand that Lang Ga and Old Ke had their own styles in setting traps.

    Lang Ga got his skills from his grandpa, and his grandpa was a master in setting traps. However, Old Ke had his own style and features.

    Simply speaking, the traps that Old Ke set were more sinister and vicious, and more likely to make an overkill.

    After demonstrating a few simple traps, Old Ke told Shao Xuan to have a try.

    But, to set a trap, one needed straw rope. The straw ropes that they brought today were all used up.

    ¡°Are you skilled in making straw ropes? Do I need to teach you that? Making a straw rope and tying knots are both very important if you want to set up a good trap.¡± Said Old Ke.

    Shao Xuan had a few straws at hand, and instead of answering directly, he raised a question, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s the meaning behind my name? The word ¡®Xuan¡¯ ?¡±

    Old Ke paused his knotting action, for he really didn¡¯t know.

    People in the tribe tended to pick their names casually. For most of the times they would name themselves after whatever came to their minds first. For example, Old Ke named himself Ke randomly. Also, someone would name themselves after the things they were familiar with, or the things that they felt important. For example, Mao. And someone would use some kind of sound to name themselves, for example, Keke.

    Old Ke lifted his eyelids, waiting for Shao Xuan to answer his own question.

    Shao Xuan shook the straw rope at hand, before he moved his fingers and tightened the rope. Easily, a simple-looking knot was finished. He giggled, ¡°Don¡¯t you think that my name Xuan looks like the knot made from a straw rope?¡±

    He was not lying. When he was born in hisst life, his grandma was making a straw rope. Later on when he was about to be named, the olddy found an ancient decoration. It was a tortoise shell with inscriptions on it. At the first sight, she noticed and liked the word ¡°Xuan¡± as it was written in a distorted shape, so his grandma said, ¡°So the boy should be called Xuan. The word looks like the straw rope that we are making.¡±

    While in the writtennguage in the tribe, ¡®Xuan¡¯ also looked simr to the character in hisst life. So Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation raised no doubt at all.

    Old Ke glimpsed at the knots made by Shao Xuan, and then looked at the knots he just made. They were the ones that he had demonstrated earlier, and he only made the demonstrations once today!

    Among those knots, there were a few kinds of them that were designed by himself when he was hunting. They seemed to be easy to him, but with a slight offset, it would be totally different, and affect the effects of the trapter. With a single offset, those sly beasts in the forest would be able to escape.

    Pursuing perfect kills, Old Ke had very strict rules and standards towards ropes and knots, but¡­

    Before, he intended to teach slowly, for many learners could not manage to make aplete knot after a whole day. However, unexpectedly this kid could sessfully make a perfect knot when he was only shown how just once!

    Old Ke pulled up the corners of his shaking lips, and thought, was the kid born just to learn this?

    That is so¡­fucking exciting!!!

 Chapter 67 â€“ Training

    Chapter 67 ¨C Training

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    On a small hill near the training grounds of the tribe, the trees there weren¡¯t that thick, but were dense in quantities. Fresh green leaves covered all the branches, and the bushes and grass nearby were growing wildly. In this season, all nts were flourishing.

    There was a little path of small stones, where people would constantly walk on. On the sides of that path, some year old nts were at the height of people¡¯s waist. While further away, one could totally hide behind those branches and leaves without being spotted by others.

    Shao Xuan held a half-arm-long stone sword in his hand, and walked on the stone path that seemed to be no different from others.

    It rained the previous day, and all the dirt on the grass and leaves was washed away. A faint smell of unknown flowers filled drifted in the air.

    Afar, booming sounds could be heard in the mountains. Those mountains didn¡¯t have any green at all. Compared to that, those few short hills were much quieter, and there seemed to be no danger nearby.

    However, Shao Xuan tightly grasped the stone sword, looking very serious. He did not dare to be careless at all.

    Old Ke was teaching Shao Xuan about setting traps, but the teaching method changed after only two days.

    In Old Ke¡¯s theory, if you want to catch a bear, then you have to use the bear¡¯s thinking pattern. If you want to hunt down a beast, you¡¯ll have to put yourself into the beast¡¯s shoes. In other words, if you want to make a perfect trap which could kill whateveres inside, you¡¯ll have to personally experience the profound secrets hidden behind every trap.

    Facing all those traps, if you couldn¡¯t see through them and take them out, you¡¯d be in a dangerous situation in the real hunting grounds.

    Although Shao Xuan felt that he was asking to get tortured himself, he agreed to follow Old Ke¡¯smand, and experience the deadly killers hidden behind the branches, stones, and leaves, where they weren¡¯t easy to be spotted.

    To be brief, Shao Xuan was the prey himself.

    Shao Xuan began to walk on that path of stone, with the stone sword tightly grasped in his hand. He nced at the path ahead, and began to increase his pace as traces of hesitation appeared in his eyes.

    Hum!

    It was like the quiver sound from a thin tendon of some beast.

    It came from the right side of the path, at least four of them!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stop and kept running. He used the full strength of his feet and leapt high in the air. With a few swings of his arm, the sword was shing left and right, and a row of snapping sounds were heard. That was the collision between the stone arrowheads and stone sword. Two of the arrowheads were dodged by Shao Xuan and two were blocked by the stone sword. At the same time that he leapt, Shao Xuan¡¯s body was twisted in a strange but funny manner, with the head, arms and legs stretched or turned in different directions.

    By his gesture, no one could tell what he was nning to do next, but almost at the same time that he changed his posture, some other needles from the other side of the path missed Shao Xuan by inches. They were shot out together with the stone arrowheads simultaneously, but without much noise. Because of the humming sound earlier, most people would tend to guard against the right side immediately because of the conditioned reflexes, while ignoring the more stealthy assassination from the other side. If Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t twisted in that posture, he would¡¯ve been easily shot by the needles instead, even though he avoided the attack from the stone arrowheads.

    Duh! Duh! Duh!

    The hard needles pierced into the trunk of the tree opposite, and they pierced half way into the wood!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯tnd directly after he dodged the first round of attack, but grasped on the little branch spread from a tree. He was very agile on his moves, and made a flexible roll ahead. With the strength he borrowed from that small branch, he jumped over the rtively big branch which stretched above the path, without touching any leaves on that big branch.

    After hended, Shao Xuan instantly sprinted ahead, and almost right after he moved his feet, a finger-thick stone arrowhead pierced the ground where Shao Xuan was standing a second ago. For quite a few times, the stone arrowhead nailed on the ground due to Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps, but Shao Xuan kept running without being affected by those arrowheads.

    When Shao Xuan was running, he didn¡¯t run along a straight route, and there was no regr pattern in his running.

    When he made yet another leap, he stepped on a branch nearby and pushed himself up again. During the two connected leaps, he dodged all the arrowheads flying in the air. Shao Xuan rolled his wrist and five small stones were grasped between his fingers. He fired the stones towards the bushes ahead. At the next moment, sound of wood cracking was hearding from down there.

    When dropping down, Shao Xuan reached out his hand and gripped on the tip of a branch, to alter his falling route. With one salto beforending, he made a roll on the ground, to remove most of the impact. Meanwhile, he saw an arm-thick stone spike rushing at him from the corner of his eyes.

    A gray sword shadow flickered.

    The stone sword did not reflect the sunlight, but as it shed the stone spike, a gray sh suddenly appeared in the forest.

    There was no metallic luster, but anyone who saw the sword would be able to feel an icy sharpnessing from it.

    It had only been a few breath¡¯s time since Shao Xuan set foot on the stone path.

    Looking at the path behind him, Shao Xuan could see that there were many stone arrowheads, wooden needles and stone spikes lying on it, together with some shaking stakes and broken stones. One minute earlier it was just a quiet path with grass and bushes on the sides.

    Shao Xuan looked up at some ce nearby and asked, ¡°How was I?¡±

    ¡°No good.¡± Old Ke sat on a piece of stone and said with a poker face.

    Shao Xuan rubbed his head, ¡°I feel the same.¡±

    Old Ke didn¡¯t have to say it, as Shao Xuan headed back to remove and clean up all the traps set along the path, whether triggered or not. Shao Xuan had to clear them all, or else other people from the tribe would be in danger when they walked on that path. There were also a few small holes in the ground, but they couldn¡¯t be seen normally by people.

    Everyday, Shao Xuan would follow this training routine, where Old Ke was responsible for setting the traps, and Shao Xuan ran through them.

    That was a masochistic, abnormal training method, and someone with less willpower would have a nervous-breakdown easily. When one became too nervous, he would be neurotic and feel that there were traps everywhere.

    In fact, Shao Xuan kind of had that feeling for the first two days. When they returned to the tribe, he would flinch at every little bit of sound. It was totally over the top, but he got better afterwards.

    Old Ke had a feeling of relief as he stared at Shao Xuan, who was busy clearing out the traps. Initially, he was pretty worried about whether his training method would backfire on the kid. He nned to give him guidance after five days of training. But out of his expectation, Shao Xuan had already adapted himself to it before he needed to do anything.

    In the beginning, Shao Xuan got wounded a lot, but soon he could narrowly dodge all the traps and keep himself safe. A littleter, he could safely dodge all of them, while cutting down the connections among a few linked traps. All the changes happened in half a month!

    It was far beyond Old Ke¡¯s expectation, but he was afraid that Shao Xuan might be overconfident and proud, so he kept wearing his poker face all along, and ruthlessly criticized once he found a w.

    Shao Xuan removed all the things on the path, andpletely disassembled all the untriggered traps. He buried them all before he went over to Old Ke, and sat beside him for hisments.

    In the eyes of Old Ke, the worst strategy to deal with all those traps was to take them head on. When you can dodge the danger, why not do so? Why force yourself to struggle so hard?

    Certainly, ording to Old Ke, when facing with traps, the experts would be able to find the best breaking point immediately, and use the least amount strength to break a series of traps. When finding the right breaking point of a linked trap, one could directly cut down the connections between the traps. While the greatest could use the other¡¯s traps to their advantage!

    The so called ¡°Defeat the enemy without a battle¡± was saying the same thing. However, Shao Xuan still had a long way to go.

    Unlike the experts mentioned by Old Ke, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see through all the traps along the path, neither could he cut down the connections between serial traps every single time. Listening to Old Ke¡¯s exnation every day, sometimes Shao Xuan would have thoughts that perhaps he was too slow at learning? Was he an idiot?

    If Old Ke knew about Shao Xuan¡¯s thoughts, he would bepletely freaking out; others might not be able to do the same after training 150 days, while he was thinking about doing it faster?!

    Some of Old Ke¡¯s skills now were passed on from former generations. Some were more conservative on the art of traps, while others tried to be as sinister as possible. However, they had one thing inmon, which was finding the right person and passing down all their skills to the apprentice, so as to pass on the skills to the next generation.

    Old Ke looked up at the sky, cherishing his memory, ¡°Back in my days, I went through all the things that you are experiencing now, however, I did better.¡±

    ¡°You were totally awesome.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t deliberately avoid the thing about Old Ke¡¯s leg, for that would hurt his old pride. Since Old Ke had moved-on himself from the ancient injury, why should anyone else need to show him sympathy? Old Ke didn¡¯t need that.

    ¡°How long did you take to be an extreme expert?¡± Shao Xuan asked curiously.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t achieve that even when I was at my best.¡±

 Chapter 68 â€“ A good hound serves as the hunterâ€™s eyes and ears

    Chapter 68 ¨C A good hound serves as the hunter¡¯s eyes and ears

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Sponsored by Nathanael

    All the residents in the mountain foot district knew that Old Ke didn¡¯t take any work in stoneware crafting anymore. People didn¡¯t know what he was doing all day, but everyday, early in the morning, he would sit on a wolf¡¯s back with his cane in his arms, and onlyte at night would he return home¡­

    While Old Ke didn¡¯t have to trade for food himself, for Shao Xuan¡¯s game was beyond enough for both of them. In Shao Xuan¡¯s words, he was ¡°paying the tuition¡± with the meat, and Old Ke didn¡¯t decline his offer after thinking about the proposal.

    One person set the traps, while the other made every effort to break them. Although Old Ke was very tired these days, he was in quite a good mood. Finally, he could practice and perform all he had learnt after he left the hunting team. Although his skills weren¡¯t as good as during his days in the hunting team, they were enough to benefit Shao Xuan after all.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan got schooled by those traps andssos every day, Old Ke had a goodugh. In his youth he was also being schooled that way. However, he wasn¡¯t as talented as Shao Xuan now, and his schooling took much longer. So long, that even now, he refused to think of those days. Hence, Old Ke took every single minute to prolong Shao Xuan¡¯s experience in feeling those ¡°mysterious¡± moments.

    Old Ke knew at heart that Shao Xuan was very talented. Perhaps after some time, all the traps he set wouldn¡¯t be able to stop him. If Old Ke was at his peak, he could have been able to ¡°school¡± Shao Xuan for longer.

    ¡°s¡­¡± Old Ke was a little upset, but not as gloomy as he used to be.

    ¡°What are you sighing about?¡± Shao Xuan climbed up the mountain with a face full of mud, and sat beside Old Ke. These days Old Ke made a few advanced traps, and in order to avoid the short arrowshots from the brushwood, he was hit in the face with a ball of mud. That mud seemed to know that he was going to present himself there at that time, and it was just waiting for him. Since Shao Xuan had no time left to dodge it, he had to meet the mud with his face. What if it weren¡¯t mud but anything else?

    Shao Xuan felt that he still had a lot to learn.

    For the one that got hunted, he could only be considered an expert if he could see through all kinds of traps. Being the one that hunts, one could only be considered an expert if he could set a trap that could ascertain the kill.

    Even so, many people in the tribe felt that learning that skill was more or less a useless option. Who would have so much time to set a trap in the hunting grounds? Everyone had to fight brutally by force!

    But Shao Xuan had the feeling that perhaps it could be of great useter if he learnt it now.

    Old Ke harshly criticized Shao Xuan¡¯s movements earlier, and then looked at him to check his response. He noticed that Shao Xuan was thinking hard while he stared at the trap zone beneath. Old Ke feltforted seeing that Shao Xuan didn¡¯t get upset or reluctant because of his criticism.

    Even though Old Ke was making harshments all the time, deep down at heart he was worried that Shao Xuan might have some problems with him. It was rare for him to find such a young talent with all his skills. If Shao Xuan quits halfway, Old Ke would be vomiting blood out of his chest.

    ¡­¡­

    Old Ke told Shao Xuan that he back in his days did better than him, and it was only because that he had been learning more than one hundred days. However, it had only been less than twenty days since Shao Xuan started learning¡­less than twenty days¡­

    Shao Xuan was still thinking about Old Ke¡¯sments earlier, andpared Old Ke¡¯sments to his own movements. when Old Ke felt something and looked at somewhere on the hill. There was no one there a minute ago, but now, someone was standing right there.

    It was Ta, the team leader of Shao Xuan¡¯s hunting team, also the trueborn son of the Chief. He was one of the few senior totem warriors in the tribe, and a candidate for the next Chief election.

    Old Ke recognized him with one glimpse.

    Old Ke did not have much connection with Ta. At his peak, Ta was merely a junior warrior, just as Mao now. When Old Ke quit from the hunting team, Ta was only a group leader in one of the hunting groups. However, Old Ke had heard the stories from some old pals, that Ta didn¡¯t value setting traps at all. And he was even more so after he entered the advance group. Only a few warriors in the advance group knew a thing or two about setting traps, and there was no expert at all.

    They were of two different opinions, and people holding different opinions could hardly be friends. So Old Ke had no good impression of Ta all the time.

    And, Ta wasn¡¯t looking at Old Ke in a friendly way either.

    Originally, Ta nned to recruit Shao Xuan into the advance group. Of course it was just an attempt. He thought that since Shao Xuan was under the protection of the ancestors, he should have the good luck blessed by the ancestors. Wouldn¡¯t taking Shao Xuan into his hunting group increase their chances of a sessful hunting mission with loads of things to harvest?

    Sincest year, the hunting results for Ta¡¯s hunting team had a sharp drop. Although Ta¡¯s team would bring back many ferocious beasts after every hunting mission in the eyes of the public, in fact, they hadn¡¯t finished lots of their tasks. Regarding the achievements, Ta¡¯s team¡¯s wasn¡¯t as good as the other hunting team¡¯s.

    The team leaders of both hunting teams were candidates for the next Chief election, and they had beenpeting with each other ever since. Seeing that the other side was exceeding his team for quite some time, Ta was quite anxious. This time, since the incident with the ancestors happened, he focused his attention on Shao Xuan, who was almost the same age as his own son.

    Ta had heard of some of the details in thest hunting mission. The more he learnt, the more satisfied he was with Shao Xuan. At first, he assumed that Shao Xuan was only a little bit stronger than his son, with more advanced night-seeing ability and a little bit of good fortune. However, when Keke had tested himter, he realized that the kid was making prompt progress¡­ Perhaps that was the reason why the Shaman liked him?

    Ta had mentioned Shao Xuan¡¯s fast speed of progress to no one. He asked Keke and Tuo to keep it a secret as well.

    Even if there was no clear rule that prevented newly-awakened warriors to join the advance group, they would normally choose some senior warriors with more experience in hunting missions. They would be able to protect themselves if anything happened. Truly there was no precedence of recruiting a newly-awakened warrior into the advance group.

    The next hunting trip was approaching, and Ta nned to discuss with the Shaman these days, and recruit a newly-awakened warriors into the advance group. Although there was no clear rule, he had to ask first. As for the Chief¡­ The Chief was his father, of course he would be on his son¡¯s side. Naturally, the Chief wouldn¡¯t be an obstacle there.

    He heard that Shao Xuan was training in here these days, so he came to check on him. However, he found that Shao Xuan was merely learning about setting traps with some old guy who quit from the hunting team! It was such a waste of his talent! Such a disappointing thing!

    As Ta and Old Ke were judging each other with unfriendly looks, Shao Xuan came back from his meditation, ¡°Hey!¡±

    Ta looked along Shao Xuan and Old Ke¡¯s sights, and found that the wolfbeled by the Shaman was running up the mountain from below. He was running happily, who would think that he was a wolf?! He was somepared with the wolves in the forest!

    Ta had no appreciation for Caesar. In his perspective, it was better to chop it and feed it to the people in the tribe, or he would just waste more food if he was kept alive. The more he thought about it, the more dissatisfied he became. Ta felt that Shao Xuan had many things that he didn¡¯t approve of, if he weren¡¯t seeking for the ancestors blessing, he wouldn¡¯t allow Shao Xuan to join the advance group, even if Shao Xuan grew into an excellent mid-level warrior.

    At the other side, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care for other people¡¯s opinions, for he was busy being happy about his training for Caesar.

    Caesar cheerfully ran to Shao Xuan with a palm-sized animal skin bag in his mouth. He ced the bag in front of Shao Xuan, and sat down next to him, waiting to be praised.

    ¡°Good job!¡± Shao Xuan praised him generously, and tossed him a long prepared beast¡¯s meat as his reward for getting the task done.

    ¡°What are you doing, Ah-Xuan?¡± Old Ke was curious.

    Shao Xuan poured out a few fruits from the animal skin bag, and then collected the bag into his pocket. He smiled, ¡°There¡¯s a saying, that a good hound serves as the eyes and ears of the hunter. I¡¯m trying to train Caesar into a good hound. Perhaps he would be able to help in the hunting missionster.¡±

    Ta was about to leave disappointedly, but at that word, he stopped in his tracks and kept listening.

    ¡°Good hound?¡± Old Ke was confused.

    ¡°Even the slyest fox couldn¡¯t escape from a hound¡¯s nose.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Hound?¡± asked Old Ke.

    Ta was paying attention to Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation, too. He felt pretty interested in taking advantage of the wolf¡¯s sense of smell.

    ¡°Hound. It¡¯s a trained wolf.¡±

    Shao Xuan was training Caesar, and he taught him to find things by smell. At first it was clothes, then bones, and fruits afterwards. Now, Shao Xuan wanted to ask Caesar to find something with even fainter smell.

    ¡°Wolves have sharp nose.¡± Shao Xuan smiled.

    ¡°The Shaman taught you that? It is a good method.¡± Old Ke said without much interest.

    At Old Ke¡¯s words, Shao Xuan responded with a single ¡°Um¡±, and gave no further exnation.

    In fact, he would love to bring the scene depicted on the walls of the orphan cave back to life. However, since someone deliberately covered it up with stone powder, Shao Xuan chose not to reveal the secret easily. Before he left the orphan cave, he painted ayer of stone powder on the fresco when the other kids were fishing outside. The window of that stone room was blocked as well, and no one had noticed that.

    When they had enough rest and were about to head back home, Shao Xuan nced at where Ta was standing earlier and sneered, before leaving with Old Ke¡¯s tool box in his hand.

 Chapter 69 â€“ Joining the advance group

    Chapter 69 ¨C Joining the advance group

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan was about to have his second hunting trip. Even though he wanted to work on Old Ke¡¯s newly-invented serial traps, he did not have enough time to spend on cing traps and ropes. It was close, but time was limited. It had been neen days since the other hunting team left, and they would be back in a few days. Now, all the warriors in Shao Xuan¡¯s hunting team were preparing to set off.

    It would be the second hunting trip that Shao Xuan would take part in, and the third hunting mission this year. ording to the traditional standards within the tribe, there would be more newly-awakened warriors hunting this time around. In order to look after those new warriors during the mission, there would also be more experienced warriors tagging along with the team as their guardians. Because of this, Shao Xuan anticipated that there would be about fifty more warriors in the hunting team thanst time. (E/N: In case you¡¯re confused it¡¯s the third hunting trip for his team, not counting the other team.)

    For example, Sai, who used to have a problem with Shao Xuan, and Sai¡¯s father, who had missed the past few trips in order to train his son, would join this hunting mission. Luckily, many residents in the mountain foot district, who were unable to store as much food as people in the mountain side or mountaintop, were able to go fishing. Hence, they had to focus their attention on those fish in the waters. Even though the energy the fish contained was notparable to beasts from the forest, it could at least keep the residents from starving.

    Old Ke did not ask Shao Xuan to go to the training ground any more, for Shao Xuan had to use thesest few days to craft more pieces of stoneware to be used. The stone cores all came from the Shaman and the Chief as gifts for his great deed in finding the ancestors. Naturally the stoneware crafted from them would also be of fine quality.

    Perhaps Caesar also sensed that Shao Xuan was about to leave, as these days he followed Shao Xuan closely everywhere, and sometimes he would even act like a spoiled child, with his nose and head clung to Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    Shao Xuan was not sure whether it was an illusion or not, but he felt that after feeding Caesar the meat of ferocious beasts over thest ten days, Caesar had grown much bigger and stronger than before. Caesar liked the meat of ferocious beasts very much, and was especially fond of the Thorn ck Wind meat. After eating these, he would refuse to eat fish sometimes. Well, he grew picky.

    There was still a lot of meat remaining in his cabin, so Shao Xuan took most of it over to Old Ke¡¯s ce. It should be sufficient for them to eat for over ten days, allowing Shao Xuan not to worry about the man and the wolf¡¯s food while he went on the hunting mission.

    As Shao Xuan wasmunicating with Old Ke about which traps fit what kinds of ferocious beasts, he heard someone calling his name from outside.

    Old Ke nodded towards the door, indicating that Shao Xuan should go and have a look.

    Shao Xuan lifted the curtain, and found that Tuo was standing outside the door. He came without Keke this time.

    ¡°I went to your cabin earlier, and no one was inside, as I expected, you¡¯re here instead.¡± Tuo waved at Shao Xuan, ¡°The Shaman asked for you.¡±

    Old Ke¡¯s eyelids twitched, and he stopped the work at hand.

    Since the Shaman asked for him, there was no reason for stalling. Shao Xuan told Old Ke about it and told Caesar to go inside, while he followed Tuo up to the mountaintop.

    They were about to set off for the next hunting mission. Why did the Shaman summon him now?

    He came to the same stone room where he was questioned about the ancestors after the memorial ceremony. It was the Shaman¡¯s guestroom, and normally all conversations happened there.

    The team leader Ta was standing right outside the stone room, and he showed a rare smile upon seeing Shao Xuan.

    Tuo did not enter the room, and the Shaman was waiting inside alone. He sat on a straw mattress with a smile, looking extremely gentle and kind. However, if you took a closer look, you¡¯ll surprisingly find out that it was totally impossible to expect what he was about to say.

    Seeing Shao Xuane, the Shaman pointed to another straw mattress in front of him, indicating Shao Xuan to sit.

    After a proper salute, Shao Xuan sat down with his legs crossed, waiting for the Shaman to start the conversation.

    The Shaman looked at Shao Xuan in silence, not eager to say anything. Shao Xuan kept waiting in silence, as well. He was in no rush, for he was prepared to wait.

    A short whileter, the smile on the Shaman¡¯s face grew clearer, and he opened his mouth slowly, ¡°Show me your totem patterns.¡±

    Shao Xuan had prepared for that when he saw Ta at the door, so he was not surprised the slightest bit. As he urged the totem power inside him, immediately totem patterns began to reveal on his face. Meanwhile, the totem patterns climbed on his uncovered shoulders and arms, and the patterns passed his shoulders for over the length of a palm.

    Seeing the totem pattern on Shao Xuan¡¯s upper arm, the Shaman nodded, ¡°Impressive, indeed. No wonder Ta asked for to have you join his hunting group.¡±

    The advance group?

    Shao Xuan had hopes, but since he had heard from Lang Ga and the others that it was more than difficult to be selected as a member of the advance group, he felt that he would not be chosen as one of them because he was just awakened this year. However, unexpectedly, that was really why he was summoned by the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan had no idea what the difference between the advance group and other hunting groups was. Only those in the advance group knew what the tasks were, no one else. However, ording to Lang Ga and the other¡¯s gossip, the advance group had their own extra tasks.

    No matter what, there was no denying that the advance group would encounter more trouble. The things that happened in the normal hunting group was messy enough for Shao Xuan. He knew himself well. Even though he was making much faster progress than others, he was still a junior totem warrior who had awakened only this year. Was Ta not afraid that he would be a liability that holds the advance group back?

    What were they thinking?! These people!

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that I have such capability.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Indeed. Normally all warriors in the advance group would be mid-level warriors, or almost mid-level warriors. You are not. However, Ta values your capability and he came to me personally, to recruit you into his hunting group.¡± Said the Shaman.

    Valued my capability? What kind of capability? Shao Xuan was confused, but he figured it out soon enough.

    Why did the people in the tribe envy Shao Xuan very much? Because of the blessings of the ancestors!

    Seeing that Shao Xuan kept his silence, looking puzzled, the Shaman continued, ¡°You needn¡¯t worry. No one will force you if you do not want to join the advance group. As for Ta¡­I¡¯ll turn him down for you.¡±

    When he was about to decline the offer, he hesitated while thinking about something, ¡°Are there more benefits for people in the advance group?¡±

    Shao Xuan had discovered that there were some advantages for the elite group in the tribe. Aside from some advantages that aremon to all in the tribe, people of higher ability would be able to receive more preferential treatments. Also, the leadership of the tribe would be d to offer them more help.

    ¡°Benefits?¡±

    ¡°Yes, for example, Tuo had better herbs.¡±

    The Shaman smiled at Shao Xuan¡¯s words, ¡°Of course there are more benefits. Every single warrior in the advance group would be assigned a pack of fine herbs when hunting. It could further stimte the healing ability inside a warrior, hence to elerate the process of healing.¡±

    ¡°Is the pack of herbs distributed ahead of time?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°It will be distributed to the people one day before the hunting.¡±

    All herbs were distributed by the Shaman, and only the Shaman knew how to mix the herbs properly.

    Shao Xuan sat still and said quite seriously, ¡°It¡¯s an honor for me to gain the team leader¡¯s acknowledgement. Of course I would be d to join the advance group! There¡¯s no reason for declining.¡±

    The Shaman was totally speechless, ¡°¡­¡± Then why were you making aplex expression earlier?

    ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡± Shao Xuan showed a little embarrassment, ¡°Can I take an other kind of herb?¡±

    ¡°An other kind? You may easily get wounded during a hunting mission, and the speed of healing would be essentially important. Without the healing herbs, you would be exposed to danger in much higher odds.¡± Said the Shaman

    ¡°I know. But can I have an other kind of herb?¡±

    The Shaman felt a littleplicated, for he had never met anyone else with such thick skin at a young age. Certainly, the Shaman had already known a thing or two about Shao Xuan¡¯s thick skin, so facing Shao Xuan¡¯s request, he was only slightly surprised, but not so perturbed.

    ¡°So what do you want?¡± the Shaman was still in an eased tone.

    ¡°Health recovering herbs, do you have any?¡±

    He was asking those kind of herbs for Old Ke. Based on his performance when setting traps, one could easily find that Old Ke¡¯s ability was falling short of his wishes. He was getting old fast. Due to stone crafting for a long time inside the room, he caught some upational diseases. Healthy warriors of course could heal and have those pains relieved by their tough physiques, but Old Ke could not do the same. Shao Xuan could constantly hear his subdued coughing.

    For most of the year, Old Ke would lock himself in the dim room of his, crafting stoneware. He was not as tough as before having lost one of his legs, and most of the food he traded for, with the stoneware, was the meat of inferior beasts or other animals. Yet, Old Ke was a mid-level warrior back in those days; the energy contained in inferior food would never be able to meet up with his needs. As time went by like that, the strong body of this mid-level warrior degenerated as well. It seemed that Old Ke was getting older much faster than the others.

    Now since Shao Xuan was able to join the hunting team, he didn¡¯t worry about the meat issue anymore. However, after suffering from chronic illness for so many years, Old Ke could use some herbs to nurse himself back to health. Normal herbs might not work, so Shao Xuan wanted to take some more effective herbs from the Shaman. The tribe had a tradition of elite preferential treatment, so normally all good stuff would be distributed to only those who were the elites. Other warriors had no ess to fine herbs, for after all, they were hard to obtain and limited in quantities. This time, since Shao Xuan had the chance for being considered as an elite, he nned to take advantage of that. Ta had raised the proposal, even if Shao Xuan declined him this time, he would be facing a second round after all. That team leader was not someone that easily gave up.

    Shao Xuan knew at heart that even if he could not be of great help to the mission, he would be kept safe by Ta, for Ta wanted him only for the reason that he was blessed by the ancestors. Ta would definitely try his best to ensure his safety. What¡¯s more, Shao Xuan figured that if this time¡¯s hunting result was still not good enough, he would be kicked out of the advance group, and then his next opportunity in rejoining would note by so easily again.

    However, Old Ke was getting older and weaker as every day went by¡­

    This was an incredible opportunity.

    When the Shaman was having the conversation with Shao Xuan inside the guest room, Ta waited patiently some distance away from the stone room. He could not hear the talk, but he knew that the Shaman would surely reject his proposal if Shao Xuan refused toply.

    After a while, Shao Xuan came out and left with an animal skin bag in his hand.

    Ta entered.

    ¡°He chose to join.¡± Said the Shaman.

    Ta felt quite happy about it, and as he looked up to express his gratitude, he saw the Shaman¡¯s old cloudy eyes.

    It seemed that the Shaman¡¯s eyes were just like normal, but Ta felt an enormous psychological pressure. He sensed that the Shaman was angry, and all his anger was on him.

    Ta dared not continue to look at the Shaman, so he looked down again, and made a sincere salute to him, ¡°Please trust me. I¡¯ll bring him back, safe and sound.¡±

    The Shaman said nothing but waved his hand to let Ta leave.

    After he left the stone room, Ta wiped his forehead and found a handful of sweat.

 Chapter 70 â€“ You just rest assured

    Chapter 70 ¨C You just rest assured

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The Shaman gave Shao Xuan a pack of herbs which could help with health recovery, but also allowed him to get the herbs for healing injuries. He told Shao Xuan to go to Ta¡¯s ce one day before the hunting trip to get them.

    It was not arge pack, but there were quite a few kinds of herbs that were extremely hard to find. So Shao Xuan did not get much, but ording to the Shaman, it was ten days¡¯ dosage.

    If he returned safely, he would still have further opportunities, even if he got kicked out from the advance group and rejoined his former hunting group. Also, he could try to trade for the herbs with the Shaman without being a member of the advance group. However, he decided to wait for the effect of the herbs. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know whether Old Ke would get better after taking them.

    The second hunting team returned at the twenty-first day of the hunting trip, with three warriors badly injured and one being unounted for. Being missing meant that he must have died already, and his remains were nowhere to be found.

    Apparently this time the hunting team had encountered big trouble, however the game they brought back aroused the people¡¯s excitement. Aside from the rtives of the dead and the injured, all folks from the warriors¡¯ families shouted out loud and cheerfully. They won¡¯t have to worry about the food for the next twenty days.

    At dusk, Tuo came to Shao Xuan¡¯s cabin to deliver him a message, ¡°Ah-Xuan, you should go to the team leader¡¯s ce to fetch something for the hunting trip tomorrow. We¡¯ll set off the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Okay, got it. Thanks!¡±

    Tuo did not enter the room, for he had to notify a few other warriors who were on patrol.

    Shao Xuan looked outside the window, and found that the night swallows were already quite active at that time. Almost all the people in the mountain foot district returned to their own homes. But unlike the times before, this time some of the kids in mountain foot district got to go on their first hunting trip, naturally they were quite excited. During daylight they were busy with training, while at night, they would just roar their excitement out.

    Shao Xuan closed the window and then set out the few stone arrowheads that he crafted today.

    It¡¯s said that the advance group would go deeper in the forest to do the hunting, where it would be much more dangerous. However, Shao Xuan had no idea what the difference was exactly. More ferocious beasts? Or something else? Given the game that the advanced force brought back was almost the same kind, Shao Xuan could not see anything special after all.

    The next day, Shao Xuan went up to the mountaintop district to Ta¡¯s ce, where he met a lot of warriors in the advance group.

    Due to the fact that there was no notice in advance, almost all the warriors in the advance group were pretty surprised to see that Shao Xuan would be in their hunting group this time. Some of them also raised their concerns and doubts about the decision, but all oppositions were suppressed and put down by Ta.

    After taking that pack of mixed herbs, Shao Xuan was kept there to meet the other warriors in the advance group. However, there was no real conversation, for they still considered Shao Xuan as more of a kid than a warrior. Regarding the strength, Shao Xuan was indeed the weakest, so he just faced their doubts and sneers with a slight smile. No further exnation was made.

    On the day that the hunting team was about to set off, Shao Xuan dropped off Caesar at Old Ke¡¯s ce.

    Facing Old Ke¡¯s concerned look, Shao Xuan clenched his fist, ¡°Believe in me, you can just rest assured.¡±

    However, Shao Xuan¡¯s promise cracked Old Ke¡¯s hope, and he was even more worried.

    Last time before the kid set off for the hunting trip, he said the exact words of ¡°you rest assured¡±, but he met the Thorn ck Wind, and then got lost in the mountain after his survival. It¡¯s said that Mai and the others¡¯ faces turned totally pale when they finally found him. What¡¯s more, he was going to tag along with the advance group this time! Didn¡¯t that mean that he would be facing more dangers?

    Rest assured? Rest the hell assured!

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s back as he climbed up the mountain with the equipment, Old Ke sat in front of his door, with worries and concerns filling up his mind.

    It was the same routine asst time, all needed to gather together before setting off, and it was required to sing the song.

    When Shao Xuan came back from his first hunting trip, he paid attention to learn the Song of Hunting, so this time he was not pretending to sing it.

    The Shaman glimpsed in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction while they were singing, so as to confirm that he was not pretending to sing as he did duringst time. The Shaman was quite satisfied.

    However, even if the Shaman did not stare at him, Shao Xuan already drew much more attention from people.

    All warriors present were standing in the units of their hunting groups. Last time, Shao Xuan was standing beside Lang Ga, while this time, he was standing with Tuo and Keke.

    Naturally the other warriors knew Tuo and Keke¡¯s position, and that was why they were so surprised.

    That was the advance group! Did the kid Ah-Xuan himself ask to join? Why would the team leader agree on that?!

    Certainly, many people were envious of Shao Xuan¡¯s position, especially the newly-recruited warriors. They all awakened at the same batch, but when they were still in training, Shao Xuan had entered the hunting team. Now when, they could finally be recruited into the hunting team, they found that Shao Xuan was already in the advance group! Soon enough, all their jaws seemed to fall down on the ground out of shock.

    Even Mao, who was considered as the biggest talent this year, was not brought into the advance group by his own dad, how could Shao Xuan be selected?

    The warriors did not know what the team leader was thinking, but it did not stop them from lecturing their own kids. Sai, for instance, got schooled pretty hard by his old man again.

    Ah-Fei was not with the team this time. When Shao Xuan came back from the hunting mission, he kicked Ah-Fei¡¯s ass and broke a few of his ribs. Ah-Feiy in his bed for almost ten days, and when he could finally get out of the door, he was beaten up by Mao. Shao Xuan held back some strength, for he worried that Ah-Fei¡¯s families might mess around with Old Ke, but Mao had his dad and grandpa on his back, hence he was more ruthless. So, withst time¡¯s wounds notpletely healed, Ah-Fei was kicked down to the ground again. Now, he was still resting at home. Naturally he was not able to tag along.

    People also knew that Ah-Fei started the trouble, so none of them interfered with Shao Xuan and Mao¡¯s revenge.

    Also, the team leader requested that Ah-Fei and his father stayed at home, so they could reflect on it.

    Even healthy warriors might not be able to tag along with the hunting mission every time, for there were rules about who could go and who couldn¡¯t. All group leaders would report the name list in their hunting group, for the team leader to decide. So whoever couldn¡¯t pass the team leader¡¯s final check had better be calm and stay at home.

    What? Not enough food stored?

    Then you should starve! No starving meant no lesson learnt!

    Being the team leader, Ta already knew that the hunting result of his team was not as good as the other team¡¯s. Of course he would not endure someone ridiculous to hold the team back, and give reasons to other people to make fun of him.

    This year, he used Ah-Fei and his father as an example during all hunting missions. With Ah-Fei¡¯s example as a warning, the new warriors tagging along would better behave themselves.

    When they walked down along the Path of Glory, the people on both sides were extremely excited, especially those women whose husbands and sons were in the hunting team. They were roaring like hell.

    Shao Xuan looked at them, and he felt that those women werepeting with their volumes. Some of them even fought each other while yelling. It was such a fine example of the people¡¯s savage characters. In the tribe, there¡¯s a tradition that all problems could be solved by violence.

    When they got to the mountain foot area, Shao Xuan spotted Old Ke on Caesar¡¯s back in the crowd. He waved at them, and then left with the hunting team.

    Withst time¡¯s experiences, it was not hard for Shao Xuan to cope with the pace. When they left the Path of Glory, they started to speed up, and left the tribe¡¯s residential area behind. They ran faster and faster, but no one was left behind. Apparently all the newly-awakened warriors had trained well in the past few days.

    When they left the patrolling area of the tribe, Ta told the team to stop and take a break before they enter the woods.

    Shao Xuan wondered what he should doter, but after paying attention to Ta¡¯s words for a while, he realized that he had no task at all. The others all had their tasks assigned, and it was pretty clear who was about to handle which direction after they entered the forests. However, Shao Xuan had one thing to do, which was being at Ta¡¯s side and not be a burden.

    Shao Xuan acknowledged the fact that he was not as strong as the others, so he just glimpsed at those whoughed at him for ¡°still needing the protection¡± without refuting any of them.

    Tuo kicked on those who wereughing at Shao Xuan. The team leader was distributing assignments to other group leaders and paid no attention to their side, so some of the warriors became bolder. If no one stopped them, they might cross the line.

    ¡°Just ignore them. Perhaps you will beat them after about a decade.¡± Tuo consoled him.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the few people who were still sneering, and then turned to Tuo, ¡°Is the advance group going to hunt for ferocious beasts that are more fierce and vicious?¡±

    Tuo was stunned at the question, and then said something profound, ¡°Who told you that the things that we hunt for are all beasts or ferocious beasts?¡±

 Chapter 71 â€“ Continue on

    Chapter 71 ¨C Continue on

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    If not the beasts or ferocious beasts, then what would they be hunting?

    Shao Xuan was perplexed, but before he had the time to raise any questions, Ta came over.

    Since they were the advance group, naturally they needed to set out earlier than the other hunting groups, in order to explore the way.

    ¡°Okay, is everybody ready to go?¡± Ta called on the warriors in the advance group, and when they were about to move, Ta turned to Shao Xuan, ¡°Can you keep up with me? Just don¡¯t force it. The advance group is not like other hunting groups such as Mai¡¯s.¡±

    Ta meant that the advance group would be much faster in the speed, and he probably could lend a hand to help him out a little if Shao Xuan could not keep abreast with the others.

    ¡°Not yet. I guess I should first give it a try.¡± Shao Xuan had no idea about the speed of the advance group. Although he thought that he could do it, he decided not to be overconfident. What if it turned out that he could not keep up with the others? He would be the one who suffering from his own words.

    Ta kept quiet at Shao Xuan¡¯s response, and led the warriors into the forest after giving the signal to other group leaders by gestictions. In the blink of an eye, over forty warriors disappeared in the verdant mountain forests.

    Finally, Shao Xuan knew what it was like to be part of the advance group. Ta said that the advance group was not like other hunting groups. Shao Xuan now realized that it was likeparing a normal electric cars with a motorcycle in full speed. He barely had the time to pay attention to the surroundings.

    Fortunately, Shao Xuan made fast progress these days. His speed was really fasterpared with when he had just awakened, or else he might literally fall behind of the advance group.

    They needed to sweep over this ce in a short period of time, to detect whether there were any ferocious beasts that might be dangerous to the warriors, or any other variable factors. Every member in the advance group had gone towards their nned destination, so when the forty-member group entered, they broke up the whole into parts and disappeared in a second. Shao Xuan could only see Ta and another warrior named Ah-Suo, who was almost the same age as Tuo and Keke.

    Aside from Shao Xuan, the others were doing the scouting in a two-warrior team. Surely they already knew the ce that they were going to scout.

    After running for some time, Ta stopped at their rendezvous point. Later on, the other warriors woulde to this ce for reunion after they finished exploring.

    ¡°Ah-Suo, you take care of him in here while I scout.¡± Ta left right after he said that.

    The only reason that Shao Xuan managed to follow them here was because Ta slowed down a little bit. He ordered Ah-Suo to stay with Shao Xuan, so that he would be able to survive if there were any ferocious beasts. Meanwhile, Ta had to use the time to scout the region that he designated to himself.

    Ah-Suo was quite close with Tuo, but he did not appreciate Shao Xuan that much. Before they entered the forest, he was one of the people mocking at the kid. How could a newly-awakened warrior be of any help? Based on the main leader¡¯s description, it seemed that this kid was more like a mascot. He was nothing but a lucky charm, and now someone had to stay with him for protection all along. Ah-Suo despised that at heart, and deep down he prayed, hoping that this kid would not hold them back like Ah-Fei did.

    When Ta had left, Ah-Suo paid attention to the surroundings. Since they entered the woods, he had not bothered to look at Shao Xuan.

    It was very quiet, and the cry of birds and animals could be heard constantly. Originally Ah-Suo was prepared that Shao Xuan might be chatty and ask some stupid questions. However, after waiting for quite some time, Ah-Suo heard no questions, even no sound was made. When he first joined the advance group, he had been curious about everything for a pretty long time. Most people would try to ask more questions whenever possible. Shao Xuan was literally the first one that kept his silence like that.

    Ah-Suo couldn¡¯t help but take a quick glimpse at Shao Xuan when he pretended to view the surrounding situation. Quickly he looked away, but after some hesitation, he looked back again at Shao Xuan.

    Even though Ta did not run on full speed since he entered the forest, the speed was much faster than the other hunting groups. Being a warrior who had just been awakened this year, it was pretty difficult for him to keep up with the team without help from the others. Back then when Ah-Suo himself first tagged along with the advance group, he did not ask for any help either, but it took him quite some time to catch his breath while waiting at the rendezvous point. He barely recovered from the fatigue after the warriors arrived at the rendezvous point. However, Shao Xuan was merely a little short of breath. He was not even sweating! Standing there, he still had the energy to keep guard at the surroundings, as if he was not exhausted from the running at all.

    Was he really a junior warrior who just awakened this year? And he came from the orphan cave down the mountain?

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?!¡± Ah-Suo was totally stunned.

    Seeing Ah-Suo¡¯s weird nce, Shao Xuan answered, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    In fact, Shao Xuan was taking rapid and short breaths out of fatigue a minute ago, but he recovered fast, and the sweat had dried in the air as well. Feeling the quickly-restored energy inside, Shao Xuan could pull out some strength to pay attention to the environment.

    After some careful observation, Ah-Suo realized that this kid was not struggling to act like that at all. That was odd.

    Seeing that Ah-Xuan had no intention to ask questions, Ah-Suo felt bored instead. In the past, he would go exploring with Ta, however, now he had to stay and wait. This ce was not so dangerous after all, so they had the luxury to have a conversation.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about what the advance group¡¯s tasks are?¡± asked Ah-Suo.

    ¡°You won¡¯t answer me anyway, so why bother asking¡­¡± Shao Xuan had asked before, but Ta, Tuo, and Keke all avoided answering directly. All they told him was, ¡°You will know when it¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°That was when we were still with the other hunting groups! Of course we wouldn¡¯t tell you then. What if you told the others? The Shaman would hate if too many people knew it¡­However, now I can tell you if you want to know.¡± Ah-Suo said proudly.

    He assumed that Shao Xuan was somewhat capable, so he was much nicer in attitude. When he resumed the fine attitude, he retained the old habit of his, which was bbering about the advance group to the new recruits. Answering rted questions made him feel proud of himself, especially when seeing the astonished faces of newly-recruited warriors. It felt so good.

    ¡°We have our own tasks in the advance group, tasks directly given from the Shaman.¡± Ah-Suo exined. It was an extremely high honor for them, and during this process, there were benefits as well, ¡°We get to eat the things that are not essible to the others in the tribe. Also, we can be stronger than the others in the future.¡±

    Shao Xuan endured Ah-Suo¡¯s bbering for a while, but then he couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°So what are the tasks exactly?¡±

    Ah-Suo was a little upset for being interrupted while he was soaked in the self-pride, so he hummed, ¡°Do you think that the herbs in the tribe were obtained by people randomly?¡±

    The herbs?!

    Shao Xuan had noticed this strange thing since he got the pack of herbs from the Shaman. Although he had no idea what the origin of the herbs was, he could tell that some of them smelled like nts and leaves. He had never seen anything simr in the past, even during hunting missions.

    ¡°So, all the time, you were ¡®hunting¡¯ and ¡®killing¡¯¡­nts?¡±

    ¡°Not all the time, but yes.¡± Said Ah-Suo.

    So it was really the nts?!

    Shao Xuan was stunned. How could they use words like ¡°hunt¡± and ¡°kill¡± for nts?

    What kind of nts could they be?!

    As they were talking, Shao Xuan heard a vague sound of a whistle from afar. Later on, more whistles appeared from other locations. Some were near, while some weren¡¯t. Some of the sounds were even quite far, and could barely be heard only by paying attention closely.

    When the whistling sounds stopped, warriors began gathering at the rendezvous point. Ta was thest person here, for he had to go back to deliver the information to the other hunting groups. They could not hear the whistles if they were too far away.

    After a short break, Ta led the others to continue the hunting trip.

    In the beginning, they were worthily the esteemed advance group. However,ter on, they became the herb-collecting team in the tribe, and their tasks were assigned by the Shaman.

 Chapter 72 â€“ Aircraft fleet

    Chapter 72 ¨C Aircraft fleet

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The speed of the advance group became rapid again, and the route was not the one that Shao Xuan knew from before.

    They strode at a speed which was almost two to three times faster than the other hunting groups. It was a long process, during which they only had one little break to have something to eat. After that, they kept on marching, and then spent the night in a cave when the night came. It was also the ce that Ta and the others had used to rest at during hunting missions.

    Shao Xuan indeed was not used to this kind of running during the first day. Even though he was much better than his peers regarding strength, endurance and speed, he was only a junior warrior who awakened this year after all. In the advance group, the weakest warrior was someone only one step away from bing a intermediate warrior. Shao Xuan could not beparable with them after all.

    So when they finally arrived at the cave to rest on the first night, Shao Xuan waspletely exhausted. Heid down there, unable to even lift his feet. All his muscles hurt while twitching, and his brain felt like it was swollen.

    The other warriors in the advance group were also tired, but they were already used to it, and the soreness was not the same as Shao Xuan was experiencing now. Looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s behavior, they all guessed that thisd could finally see the gap between him and the others. The advance group was not for everyone to join, and those with low ability could never keep up with the crew, even if he used every effort to be a part of the group. However, Shao Xuan was already impressive enough to keep up during his first day.

    So, some of the warriors in the advance group had a better impression of Shao Xuan. In their eyes, Shao Xuan was only a kid, and people in the tribe had a rtively higher tolerance for kids. Ta and the others, ranking top in the advance group already discussed about taking turns to carry Shao Xuan during the next day. After all, it seemed impossible for Shao Xuan to keep running by himself tomorrow.

    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, all the others found that Shao Xuan was as good as new when they woke up the next day, early in the morning. Last night, he was struggling to lift his toe, but now he was alive and kicking, as if nothing had happened! He needed no ride from others, and began to keep up energetically.

    The warriors in the advance group shared the same facial expression.

    Oh my goodness. Was this really the kid from the orphan cave down there?

    What had he been dieting on since birth?! Normal beasts? Ferocious beasts? Or even king beasts?

    It¡¯s just impossible! The food distributed to the orphan cave was normal beast meat and nt tubers, which contained no good energy. How could he grow into such a strong warrior?

    They were really puzzled no matter how they scratched their heads.

    Milling over it, it was still very mysterious.

    Unless, he did have the blessings from the ancestors?!

    Hence during the second day¡¯s run, people would constantly nce at Shao Xuan while running.

    Well, judging from that kid¡¯s energetic look, it seemed that he was not faking it!

    ¡­¡­

    Unlike the other hunting groups, which would do some hunting before journeying to the next location, the hunting pattern of the advance group was different. Ta led the group to keep running. After spending one night at the cave, they had to continue to march onward.

    Sometimes they had to climb over a mountain while the mountaintop was covered in perennial snow. Sometimes they had to take a detour to some other mountains afar, during which, they had to pass through dangerous regions like swamps and tar pits.

    Shao Xuan had seen many nameless ferocious beasts, such as huge fierce ugly beasts and colorful poisonous snakes. Any one of them would raise enough eyebrows if they carried them back on the Path of Glory. However, the group of warriors made no stop at all. Even when they killed something, it would be for food and daily supply. The spare parts would just be tossed away in order not to be their burdens.

    March, hunt, and then march, and then hunt again!

    They were doing simr things every day. Enormous consumption of physical energy meant more need of energy supplement. The meat from high level beasts was the best supplement.

    Originally, the other warriors in the advance group worried that Shao Xuan might be sleepy after dieting on the high level prey¡¯s meat, however, it turned out that they were worrying about nothing.

    After hunting down a Thorn ck Wind, Shao Xuan had be used to eating high level meat. He had been able to adapt to the food for a long time. In fact, he could absorb the energy from even higher level foods.

    Being a newly-awakened warrior that was awakened this year, he ate no less than the others, and had much faster recovery speed. At first, warriors from the advance group were all surprised at Shao Xuan¡¯s behavior. Butter on, they became less surprised, and then they became totally numb to it. In the end, no one would everugh at Shao Xuan anymore.

    As expected, no ordinary person would be recruited by the team leader in the advance group.

    After five days of continuous journeying, Shao Xuan followed the others to climb up a mountain and entered a cave to rest. They had reached the destination. But Shao Xuan could not tell the difference, except for a slight odd feeling.

    After a night¡¯s rest, Shao Xuan was woken up early in the morning. He collected his equipment and followed Ta outside.

    They continued to climb up and then stopped at a steep cliff.

    The sun rose as time went by.

    Shao Xuan stood at the edge of cliff, facing the rising sun. It was arge scale of endless green in his view. There were some other colors mixed in, but ny-nine percent was green in different shades.

    This was the destination of their journey, a kingdom of nts. In the horizon, at the junction between the sky and the endless nt kingdom, the sun was rising.

    The chilly air became warmer.

    Shao Xuan could clearly feel that everything living on thisnd was waking up.

    Ka, Ka, Ka!

    Among this green kingdom of nts, some building tall circr nts were making ka-ka sounds, like heavy wood nks hitting each other. Sometimes there were creaking sounds, as if a giant wooden boat was swaying in the waves.

    Together with these sounds, the ends of the circr nts had their originally wound up leaves unwind. Theyers of leaves stretched and opened, like flowers blossoming.

    The lowered ¡°heads¡± of the bean-sprout-like giant nts began to raise, and in the face of the sun, they stretched out their huge leaves, like wings.

    The sun was rising, and its light had reached the other side of the mountain. Like an rm clock, it went from one side of the mountain to the world in the other side, to wake up the sleeping creatures.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath. He stepped forward and looked down.

    It was merely a cliff, and whoever jumped down would totally be smashed to pieces.

    ¡°How do we go down there?¡± asked Shao Xuan. If they had to go down eventually, then why did they climb up? The cliff they stood on was basically perpendicr to the ground. It would be very dangerous if they climbed directly down, let alone that no one knew whether they would be attacked by other creatures while climbing down. It was an impossible mission.

    ¡°Of course we do not jump!¡± someoneughed.

    ¡°Hey! Look at theke over there and you¡¯ll know.¡± Tuo pointed to somewhere in the other direction.

    Shao Xuan looked along to where Tuo pointed.

    Whatke? There was only ake of darkness.

    No!

    It was more than that!

    Shao Xuan took a closer look, and found that something was moving in the ckke, it was too far for people to notice easily.

    Sure enough, the ckke was not as calm as before, and it began to spread out.

    Numerous ck dots rose up. At first there were only a few of them, but after several breaths, dense ck patches began to rise up in the air.

    And theke, which was covered by those ck dots, finally revealed itself in Shao Xuan¡¯s sight.

    It was an openke and there seemed to be a lot of nts of different colors inside. Yellow, green, brown, red¡­many colors mixed in the pool, and together with the shape of the pool, it was like a pair ofpound eyes, like those of some insect.

    The mountain on the other side was much higher than the one Shao Xuan was standing at, and it poked right into the sky.

    Those rising ck dots did not fly upwards, but flew in their direction, as if a ball of dancing ck cloud.

    ¡°Get ready, everyone!!¡± Ta said to the crew and then to Shao Xuan, ¡°You follow me, Ah-Xuan!¡±

    The ck cloud approached and Shao Xuan could basically hear the wings pping, and he finally saw what those ck dots were.

    Dragonflies?!

    Just before, they were too far away to identify, but now, Shao Xuan¡¯s heart was fluttering like hell, seeing that it was a group of dragonflies.

    Shao Xuan had seen dragonflies before, but not in this size and quantity!

    It was a huge aircraft fleet!

    The small ones had wingspans of at least three meters, while most of them had wingspans of five meters! Some of them were even bigger, while numerous giant dragonflies were flying towards them inrge numbers. Obviously Shao Xuan was looking at something he had never seen before.

    They were going to take them from one side of the mountain to the other side, where the green kingdom of nts was located.

    When the ¡°aircraft fleet¡± flew above their heads, Shao Xuan could see the reticte veins in their wings.

    They were like gliders!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    With the favorable terrain, warriors in the advance group leaped down the cliff andnded on the backs of dragonflies.

    Before Shao Xuan had the chance to move, he was lifted by Ta andnded on a big dragonfly¡¯s back.

    For the first time in his life, Shao Xuan experienced the giant dragonfly flight.

 Chapter 73 â€“ Feeling small

    Chapter 73 ¨C Feeling small

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Those giant dragonflies were gentle in temper, or else they would not allow the warriors in the advance group to take a ride on their backs.

    Judging from the behavior of the advance group, Shao Xuan knew that this was not the first time that they used this way to go down the mountain. Also, perhaps those giant dragonflies also had vague memories about the people. However, ording to Ta¡¯s theory, the dragonflies do not mind taking the others for a free ride, as long as you do not actively irritate or attack them on purpose.

    Viewing from the backs of dragonflies, the forests below seemed to be quite calm and peaceful. Of course that was merely an illusion. The ce was even more dangerous than the forests that Shao Xuan had crossed during hisst hunting mission.

    Thew of the jungle also applied in here. Thepetition for sunlight and nutrition was quite fierce in some ces with dense trees. Often, Shao Xuan would see some withered trees. Their roots wererge and deep, which were obviously hundreds of years old. They had twisted roots and gnarled branches, but also very dead. There was no worm holes, no cracks on the trunks, but the tree had still died. Ta told Shao Xuan that those were ¡®killed¡¯ by the joint efforts of the other trees nearby.

    The battlefield of the nts was both above and below the surface. If you peeled the surface away, you could see that the roots of the dead trees had all been strangled by the roots of other trees.

    ¡°Attention! Prepare to get off!¡± Ta warned Shao Xuan.

    They could not keep following the group of dragonflies, for they had a different destination. After a short ride, they had to go on separate ways.

    The group of dragonflies was quiterge, and the forty warriors in the advance group were not together. Even if they started the ride almost at the same time, they got separated after the dragonflies changed their flying formationter. Soon they could not see each other.

    ¡°Now! Jump!¡±

    Shao Xuan had no time to react, because he was lifted by Ta and he jumped down together with him.

    Thending position that Ta chose was a giant nt that stood there like a tall building. Theynded on a huge leaf near the top, for the soft leaf helped remove most of the impact. Also, Ta jumped while the dragonfly was flying low, so they weren¡¯t hurt.

    It was a safending, and Shao Xuan finally got to stand on his own feet.

    The leaf beneath his feet felt cold, but not slippery.

    The other warriors in the air were also trying to find suitablending spots, and constantly jumped down too.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ta told Shao Xuan to follow. This time, he let go of Shao Xuan. But since he promised the Shaman that he would bring Shao Xuan back safe and sound, he needed to keep an eye on him all the time.

    ¡°Guard the surroundings and be react quickly.¡± Ta reminded him.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Xuan followed behind Ta, jumping down to other leaves beneath them. They had to move from the top to the bottom, while being careful not to slip and fall.

    Only the top one third of the nt was covered by leaves, and the other two third of the nt was only a thick stem.

    Ta slowed down on purpose, and Shao Xuan closely followed him, sliding down along the stem.

    It was not as bright near the ground as it was on the top. There were too many nts, and the dense branches blocked most of the sunlight. Only some of the sunlight reached the ground. Apparently the lower part was more shady and cool, but the light was enough for Shao Xuan to clearly see the surroundings.

    Shao Xuan had a feeling that he became smaller in here, or in other words, the world becamerger in size.

    He had seen a lot of ancient trees and big ferocious beasts during hisst hunting trip, but he did not feel himself to be as small like now.

    Even the mushrooms were the size of cabins. How could anyone not feel small?

    Ta whistled, with his back closely leaning against the stem of the nt. It was a signal for the warriors in the advance group toe together.

    Unlike other deer-like or bird-like whistles of the other hunting groups, the whistle was lower in tone. It was especially designed for this ce.

    Soon enough, simr whistle sounds came from afar. It was hard to capture if you didn¡¯t pay enough attention.

    Shao Xuan looked aside, and found some thin straw-like vine stretching towards him rapidly.

    Shao Xuan and Ta both stood in the direction it was moving towards, but Shao Xuan had a clear instinct that those vines were targeting him, and him only.

    Whoosh!

    A small stone knife stabbed the ground, after it had chopped down the tip of the stretching vine.

    Immediately the vine stopped stretching towards them, and instead of moving forward, it quickly withdrew as if being scared.

    Ta went over to retrieve the stone knife, as he said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Do not treat them as lifeless objects, or you will be the one who is dead. Also, most of them know a thing or two about attacking the weak and keeping away from the strong. You are the weakest warrior in our group.¡±

    Terrific. Now he was the target again.

    In the mountain forests, ferocious beasts would attack the children of other species, while in here, even nts knew the rules to attack the weak, and keep away from the strong.

    Shao Xuan had heard from others in hisst life, that even nts had the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch. It¡¯s just most people did not pay attention to that. While now, Shao Xuan had a deep understanding about the amplified five senses of nts.

    Soon, warriors that hadnded in different spots gathered together. After a quick headcount, Ta ordered them to go on. This time, they were divided into two smaller groups, and they split up, to finish the tasks assigned by the Shaman.

    So, there were only twenty warriors in Shao Xuan¡¯s group.

    It was impossible for the warriors in the advance group to know every inch of thend, given that it was such a vast green area. However, they knew how to identify the directions. As long as there was sunlight, they wouldn¡¯t get lost, as the route was basically unchanged.

    The sounds of birds and incest could be heard in the woods. Also, there were various sounds made by some nts. Some of them sounded like knockings on a door, and the sound echoed in the woods. Some sound would even make Shao Xuan think of the rotation of an iron head wedged on a mast. [ED: WTH kind of sound is that LMAO] And I totally didn¡¯t write incest on purpose there.

    Shao Xuan saw many kinds of dangerous and even lethal nts as he followed Ta while running through the woods. One second earlier it was all quiet and calm, while a secondter it was a blood-soaked scene.

    Shao Xuan had once seen a nt hunt. Its originally smooth leaves could rapidly turn into saws and des, and chop down the animals or nts in its territory into pieces. It would bury their remains into the ground, so as to provide the nutrition it needed to grow.

    Some nts would even eat the meat directly. There were some like the Drosera or Nepenthes that Shao Xuan had seen in hisst life. Some of the nts turned out to be more ferocious, and they would attack aggressively. Warriors in the advance group would normally try to avoid them. They were not easy to mess with.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break. Tuo and Keke, you two go fetch some water.¡± Ta said after a half day¡¯s march.

    The thing required by the Shaman was not around here, and they had to keep running for some time to get there.

    There was no river or stream nearby. As Shao Xuan was confused about Ta¡¯smand, he saw Tuo and Keke go to a nt with thick leaves. They shed on the stem with their stone swords, and they finally made a thin crack after quite a few strikes. The outeryer of the stem was very thick. The crack would be too thin if they only struck once, and it would soon heal its wound.

    Light green liquid poured out from the crack, with a pale sweet fragrance. Tuo and Keke used some containers to collect the liquid.

    That liquid would attract other insects. Aside from Shao Xuan, and Tuo and Keke who were collecting the liquid, the others were guarding against the approaching insects. Every insect who came could only die here. Some of the warriors guarded for the sky, while others guarded the other directions in the woods. With the deployed guarding formation, only two warriors were spared to collect the water eventually.

    ¡°Toss me your container, Ah-Xuan!¡± Tuo said as he collected the liquid.

    Tuo did not ask Shao Xuan to approach that nt, so he stayed at the ce about ten meters away. At Tuo¡¯s words, Shao Xuan tossed him the emptied gourd.

    When it was filled, Tuo tossed the gourd back to Shao Xuan, and continued to fill in the other container that the next warrior tossed him.

    The light green liquid attracted many insects, and most of them were prettyrge. Any random bug was over a meter long.

    ¡°Hurry!¡± Ta rushed them.

    Afar, there were a bunch of bugs flying towards their direction. With only twenty of them, they could not fight against those bugs.

    When thest container was filled, that group of bugs was about two hundred meters away from them. It was enough for them to leave.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    Naturally they left since they were done with the filling.

    ¡°What are they?¡± After considerable distance, Shao Xuan asked as they were standing on a leaf, resting.

    ¡°We call them the tearers. You see the nt that provided us water earlier? It¡¯s wound would soon be healed, and there would be no more crack. The liquid that poured out would be soon reabsorbed and protected by a thickyer. Most insects could do nothing about it. They would leave if there was no more fragrance distributed. However, the tearers are no normal insects. That nt will probably die since there are tearers approaching.¡± Tuo said.

    The insect called the tearer was some creature that was worthy of its name. It had sharp forelimbs like des to use for tearing. It was a bug that dieted on both meat and nts. The liquid of nts and the blood of animals were both delicacies for the tearers, and they often went in groups.

    Warriors in the advance group did not wish to confront the tearers. One reason was that the tearers were too lethal, while the other reason was that they stank. The disgusting smell wouldn¡¯t fade even after they finished the hunting mission if they were stained with it.

 Chapter 74 â€“ The Jumping Fruit Tree

    Chapter 74 ¨C The Jumping Fruit Tree

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan felt veryfortable after drinking that liquid in his gourd. It was cool and refreshing, as if it had driven away the fatigue of the long march. His mind was cleared, and the bones in his body were about to shake out of pleasure.

    ¡°How¡¯s that? Feeling good?¡± Ah-Suo tossed Shao Xuan a fruit, and added, ¡°This is not bad, either.¡±

    Shao Xuan had no idea what kind of nt was edible, so he did not touch anything. A moment earlier when they were fetching the water, he noticed that Ah-Suo and some other warriors took a detour. It turned out that they were collecting fruits.

    ¡°These are all fine stuff!¡± Ah-Suo exined, ¡°I¡¯m not exaggerating, anyone who eats this will make faster progress than others.

    You know, there¡¯s a saying in our advance group.¡±

    In a lower voice, Ah-Suo continued, ¡°Only those in the advance group are able to be senior totem warriors. Every single senior totem warrior had served in the advance group for some time.¡±

    Most of the nts in here were hundreds of years old. So their liquid and fruits could benefit human¡¯s physiques by enriching the marrow and washing the bones. Even if warriors could not tell the exact effect, they could experience the changes in their bodies, and confirm the benefits brought by the things they ate.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we take them back to the tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy!¡± Ah-Suo had his face twisted, ¡°I wanted to bring some back to my brothers and sisters, but it was just not possible.¡±

    The advance group together with the team leaders had been trying for generations. Some tried to freeze the nts, while the others tried to take the nt out with the same dirt covering its roots. They tried all possible ways, but none worked. As long as they were brought outside, they would soon rot or decay after one or two days. What if they were dried in the sun? The method was not applicable for all the nts.

    ¡°Until today, there are only a few kinds that can be brought out. Our tasks assigned by the Shaman were to bring those back. It¡¯s just that some of those nts are not easy to be found. It depends on the timing. Some flowers or fruits only exist once a year, while some rare creatures had even no regr pattern. Sometimes you wouldn¡¯t be able to see its flower even if you waited there for your whole life. It was all fated.¡±

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    It seemed that the nts here would only bear fruits after hundreds of years, or only those rare fruits had the certain efficacy. Meanwhile, more nts would immediately die once they were uprooted, for they could not grow in other ces. Perhaps, some people had tried to nt them long time before, but never seeded. So that until now, warriors in the tribe could onlye to this promising but dangerousnd in person.

    It was the advance group¡¯s honor to serve the tribe. The herbs that the Shaman mixed to heal the illnesses and injuries were all brought back by the advance group. No one could deny their contribution to the tribe.

    Aside from the honor, being a part of the advance group meant that one could taste many medicinal nts which could not be brought outside. It was very good for the warrior¡¯s development and progress.

    Because of that, those who withdrew from the advance group due to aging or wounds would tell their sons or grandsons to try their best, in order to have the chance to join the advance group. They knew that those warriors in the advance group would only be more and more powerful, as they were considered as a group of elites with the most potential.

    However, now the inner rule of the tribe was that all positions of the advance group should be determined by the team leader. Normally, the Shaman had no say in that. In fact, the Shaman would only pay attention to some special cases such as Shao Xuan.

    Most of the times, the team leader would select someone that he was close with, as long as the candidate was qualified enough. Those warriors would also be the supporters of the team leader for when he campaigns for the Chief¡¯s positionter.

    As for those who got selected in the advance group¡­who would think about withdrawing once they had a taste of the benefits?

    No one would.

    One more warrior in meant that someone might be kicked out from the advance group. Even if the team leader had the absolute power, he was constrained by thew set by the ancestors. There was a rule that the scale of the advance group must be controlled, and its members must be less than one fifth of the hunting team. Perhaps the team leader who made the rule had suffered from some kind of a consequence, so he persuaded the Chief and the Shaman to set the rule.

    Thinking about that, Shao Xuan realized why he received so many subtle looks when he joined the advance group. The others were not only doubting his ability, they were thinking of him as a potentialpetitor.

    Also, Shao Xuan had noticed that most of the warriors in the advance group lived in the mountaintop. There were only a few of them who lived in the mountain side.

    Were people like Mai unqualified to be selected into the advance group? Definitely not! However, Mai could not be a part of the advance group unless the team leader permitted it.

    There was no absolute fairness. Even Shao Xuan¡¯s entering was nothing but a coincidence. He was brought in because Ta thought he was blessed by the ancestors, while Ta¡¯s hunting team was not doing good these days. If not for the blessing of the ancestors, kids like Shao Xuan would not have the chance at all. He was a kid from the orphan cave, and after he was awakened, he learnt the trap skills from old Ke! Ta had no appreciation for that. Shao Xuan would¡¯ve been totally shut out from the advance group, unless he turned out to be a real talent and elite in the future.

    There was a growing gulf between the strong and the weak. The development in the mountaintop and the mountain foot districts must¡®ve been the preconceived n of the ancestors. When people in the mountain foot district thought about how to obtain more food, the others in the mountaintop probably were wondering about how to gain more strength.

    When there¡¯s no threat from the other tribe, naturally there¡¯s internal strife. Some were sidelined, but it was just not obvious on the surface.

    Shao Xuan looked around after having another few sips of the liquid in his gourd. The terrain was rtively high and Shao Xuan could see some nts in weird shapes.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Shao Xuan pointed at something afar and asked Ah-Suo

    Ah-Suo glimpsed at that direction and shared a meaningful sneer, ¡°That is call the human head tree. Every one of them had eaten at least one human head!¡±

    Shao Xuan said nothing, but he was not frightened either. He just stared at those trees. No wonder it was called the human head tree. It looked like a head, and there was even long ¡®hair¡¯ dancing in the wind. However, he did not buy the story of eating a human head or something.

    Ah-Suo felt a little bored seeing that Shao Xuan was not scared, but he continued, ¡°It¡¯s a shame that now there¡¯s no flower on the top. When the flowers blossom on top of the human head tree, it would be really beautiful, as big flowers covered the whole tree.¡±

    Shao Xuan was speechless again.

    ording to Ah-Suo¡¯s description, Shao Xuan pictured the scene in his mind. However, he did not think it would be beautiful if he saw a giant human head covered in giant flowers.

    ¡°Ahead, we¡¯ll reach the spot where the jumping fruit trees grow. You should keep your distanceter. Just do note near.¡± Said Ah-Suo.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Shao Xuan was not someone without self-knowledge.

    After a short break, Ta indicated that they should go for the Jumping Fruit Trees.

    Further ahead, the density of the trees was not as thick as before. People could see the scene in front of them without standing on a high terrain.

    The jumping fruit trees that Ah-Suo said looked like giant weeping willows. However, the difference was that along every drooping branch, there were a lot of circr fruits the size of an adult¡¯s fist.

    Seeing that everyone had silenced their breathing, Shao Xuan reduced his own sense of presence. He thought that perhaps that tree was especially sensitive to sounds.

    Ta raised his hand to point at Shao Xuan, and then opened his palm to press the air. He was indicating Shao Xuan to stay there, right behind the trunk.

    Shao Xuan nodded to say that he got it. However, he felt that something bad was about to happen. He wanted to say something as warning, but with other warriors waiting for Ta¡¯s order, Ta had no time for Shao Xuan at all.

    Looking around, Ta waved his hand. About twenty warriors immediately rushed towards the tree like lightning. They were running on their toes, as no sound was made, yet the speed was fast enough. They were surrounding the tree.

    However, just when they got near the jumping fruit tree, Shao Xuan heard Ta make a quick shout, ¡°Withdraw!¡±

    The others had no hesitation, even when some warriors almost reached the jumping fruit tree. All of them withdrew quickly at Ta¡¯smand. While some of the fruits, which were tightly grown on the branches earlier, promptly dislocated themselves from the tree. As if running for their lives, the fruits rushed out and fled.

    Shao Xuan had no idea what had happened. He saw Ta running back with the others, and the next second, he was lifted up by Ta.

    They were running very fast, as if dodging something. Shao Xuan looked back as he was lifted by Ta. He found that some things in the air were flying their way.

    The wind grew stronger, and the things in the air reduced the distance with the warriors.

    Shao Xuan was brought up to some tall nt. Warriors were divided into five-people groups, and two of the groups tried hard to pull the thick leaves together as shields. They created a small enclosed space with the leaves. When they were pulling, Shao Xuan heard the sound of cracking as if thick wooden nks were being folded.

    At thest moment when the leaves were folding, Shao Xuan finally saw what the things in the air were. They were like dandelions, with ¡®soft white hairs¡¯. It¡¯s just that the white hairs were much longer. Each one was about two palm¡¯s length.

    They densely filled the air, and flew everywhere in the sky as well as in the woods. From afar there came ¡®poof¡¯ sounds.

    When all the leaves met each other, it became very dark inside. Not much light was able to pierce through the thick leaves. The visions of the warriors became vague.

    It was very tense in this enclosed space, and Shao Xuan could hear people¡¯s intense breathing. It seemed that it consumed them a lot of energy running there.

    Not only the others, Shao Xuan smelled the danger as well. His eyelids twitched hard, while he couldn¡¯t help but raise his head.

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan heard ¡®poof¡¯ sounds around them. With those sounds, numerous white hairs pierced through the thick leaves as if they were thorns. One of the furs was only half an inch away from Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

 Chapter 75 â€“ White hairs

    Chapter 75 ¨C White hairs

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    A drop of cold sweat slipped down from Shao Xuan¡¯s forehead.

    If he had not raised his head, would one of his eyes have been stabbed?

    Undoubtedly, it seemed to be some harmless white fur, yet they could pierce through the thick leaves and pierce themselves into the enclosed space. If the leaves weren¡¯t that thick and the white fur pierced right inside, Shao Xuan would have been wounded anyway, even if he had moved his head.

    No wonder Ah-Suo and the others mentioned that it was more than dangerous in this ce, and carelessness meant death sometimes.

    Thinking about earlier when they were besieging the jumping fruit tree, Shao Xuan realized that if any warrior had hesitated when withdrawing, he would totally have be a white haired hedgehog, for there would¡¯ve been no chance for him to arrive at the shelter in time. There was no suitable object that could be used as a shelter anywhere near the jumping fruit tree.

    Shao Xuan smelled some blood in the air, which meant that some warrior was hurt. However, there was no scream at all. everyone¡¯s breathing was regr, except for two people, who were breathing faster than the others.

    After a while, Ta said, ¡°You go out and check, Ah-Suo.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ah-Suo opened a crack between the two leaves, and checked outside, ¡°We can go out now.¡±

    ¡°Open it.¡± Ta told the others to open the enclosed leaves.

    Ka, ka, ka!

    There were sounds like cracking wooden nks, and their vision became brighter with the light.

    The white fur that almost wounded Shao Xuan¡¯s eye was not the only one that had pierced through the leaves. There were quite a lot of them, some were pierced deep while the others were not that deep. The blood that Shao Xuan smelled came from the hands of two warriors.

    Since they had to pull the leaves together with their bare hands, their hands would be the first to bear the brunt. When not lucky enough, they would bleed because of the pierced white fur.

    Five warriors were pulling the leaves, while two of them were wounded. It was already a good circumstance.

    However, the white fur carried poison on its tip, and the poison would cause long-term anticoagtion. Even if it was only a small wound, warriors still couldn¡¯t heal and stop the bleeding by relying on their own healing ability. Those two warriors who were wounded already had numb arms. The others quickly poured the light green liquid from the gourds on their wounds. Later on, the wounds stopped bleeding.

    ¡°How are the others?¡± Ta asked.

    ¡°We have three people injured. Who else has the water? Come here!¡± a warrior from the other nt shouted out.

    ¡°We¡¯re good in here! Only one was hurt!¡±

    All of them were busy dealing with the wounded people, and Shao Xuan contributed some of the liquid in his gourd as well.

    Seeing the surroundings, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but gasp in horror.

    The whole ce was filled with white hairs. In some ces there were more hairs, while in some ces there weren¡¯t that many of them. However, the attacking range of the white hairs was quiterge, thanks to which it also cost the lives of some insects and birds. white hairs could be seen all over the giant trees, nts, and vines.

    Such a wide range of indiscriminate attack could only be considered as a devastating disaster.

    There were not many giant animals in the woods, for giant figures equaled to giant targets. In this ce ruled by the nts, giant animals had rtively less advantages. Even ferocious beasts such as the Thorn ck Wind, they probably would not have the ability to survive in here. So, aside from little animals or insects such as the giant dragonflies and the tearers, that could well adapt to the environment, other animals would keep their distance away from thisnd. After all, the indiscriminate attack¡¯s lethality was too big, and the one that Shao Xuan just experienced was merely one of those attacks.

    On the ground, there was a one-meter bird with a huge beak. It got stabbed by two white hairs, and was pping its wings powerlessly. However, the pping did it no good, for all his muscles were bing numb, and it could not control its talons.

    Whoosh!

    A blood-colored vine reached out from the tall bushes and rolled the bird over before dragging it back. The bird struggled fiercely, but it was of no avail.

    In the end, the vine and the bird both disappeared in the depth of the bushes, and only sounds of pping could be heard.

    Then there was a slight ¡®puff¡¯ sound.

    Then it was all quiet again.

    Since they entered the woods, Shao Xuan had seen no remains of any creature. So it seemed that perhaps there were a lot of ¡°cleaners¡± in these woods, that could drag away all those dead or disabled creatures, and then digest them into nourishment

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break, we¡¯ll hunt for those jumping fruitster.¡± Ta said to everyone.

    The rain of white hairs was arge scale of attack, it had driven away most of the threatening creatures. At least for a short period of time, no invasive herds such as the tearers could be seen in this district. That was also the reason why Ta told the warriors to rest for a bit.

    ¡°Only the little tip of the white fur is poisonous.¡± Tuo exined as he was treating the wound on a warrior¡¯s palm. He pulled out the white fur, which was stabbed deep into the warrior¡¯s hand, and presented it to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°They are not that dangerous now, as long as you do not touch the poisonous tip.¡± Said Tuo.

    Shao Xuan gently pinched the palm-long white hair with his thumb and index finger as he observed it closely. It was a little thicker than a man¡¯s hair, and very light in weight. The poisonous part was only on the tip, where there was a tiny cap in the shape of an arrowhead. The poison was contained in there.

    Those white hairs looked soft, and indeed, they felt soft, too. However, they could pierce through thick objects in a moment like needles. Obviously they moved very quickly when they were flying out in the wind. Before they into the enclosed space made by the leaves, Shao Xuan had seen some things like the dandelions. They were formed by those white hairs.

    After experiencing the white hairs¡¯ tenacity, Shao Xuan pulled out a stone knife to cut off the poison cap on its tip. However, he found that normal cuts could not remove the poison cap at all. He had to keep cutting back and forth, and only by doing that could he sessfully remove the poison cap.

    Unexpectedly, such a thin hair was so hard to cut.

    ¡°Chi¡­. Ha-ha-ha!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s killing me, hey, look at that stupid kid!¡±

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you can¡¯t y with everything, understand? I¡¯ll do you a favor and find you a vine if you want to y with ropes.¡±

    ¡°New warriors tend to think simple, and they all assume everything¡¯s easy.¡±

    ¡°You are still too young to understand the things.¡±

    The other warriors resting nearby couldn¡¯t help but burst out intoughter. They felt like they were watching aedy as they were watching Shao Xuan cut the white fur with the stone knife seriously. So, they decided to lecture Shao Xuan with a tone like the elders.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you see those white hairs are soft and thin, right? But in fact, they are very difficult to cut, and they¡¯ll all disappear after ten days.¡± Said Tuo.

    ¡°I see¡­¡± Shao Xuan was not embarrassed by being mocked at all. Instead, he was more and more interested in the white hair.

    Since now the team leader told them to take a break, Shao Xuan had nothing else to do. He pulled out quite a few white hairs pierced into the ground, and ced them together with all the poisonous tips on one end.

    ¡°What are you doing? Still want to y with it?¡± Keke was too curious, so he came to ask.

    Shao Xuan did not answer right away, but he asked, ¡°Can I make a fire in here?¡±

    ¡°No bonfire.¡± Keke shook his head hard, ¡°The trees and grass nearby are not fond of fire. We won¡¯t make a fire even when we spend the night in here. Otherwise we¡¯d be attacked by the trees.¡±

    ¡°What about a torch?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Only the small ones.¡± Seeing that Shao Xuan was only making a small fire, Keke was relieved at once.

    Ta was standing beside them, with a roll of animal skin in his hands. It had all the targets that they were trying to find in it. He looked up at Shao Xuan¡¯s direction at the noise, but instantly he frowned. Ta did not expect that Shao Xuan would still think about ying with those little tricks after he invited him into the advance force!

    Yes, in Ta¡¯s perspective, all things rted to traps and snares were considered as little tricks. Those were supposed to be performed by the weak and the disabled people. He had no appreciation for that. In his mind, a true noble warrior would just fight with his own ability, and real hunting meant ying the prey by sword and spear! Aside from the real way, the ones performing the little tricks would never be real warriors.

    He felt more unsatisfied as he thought about it. Seeing that Keke was helping Shao Xuan find a branch for the torch, Ta made a heavy humph.

    Since the team leader showed this attitude, the others who nned to check on Shao Xuan¡¯s deeds all had second thoughts. The team leader was the one who could determine their fate in the advance group. Why would they do something pointless to upset the team leader? Ah-Xuan was just a stupid kid who was invited by the team leader. Now he was still thinking about ying? Why bother?

    Keke found a dead tree nearby, so he cut off a branch and lit a fire.

    Shao Xuan used the fire to burn the end of the poison caps.

    The white fur was ckened quickly when burnt, and it shrank fast as the ends rolled up. Shao Xuan burnt more from that poisonous end, just in case.

    ¡°Please help me with this.¡±

    Shao Xuan passed the torch to Keke, and then took out a small stone knife. He put the patch of burnt white hairs on the trunk aside, and used the stone knife to stroke them.

    The burnt end rolled up in a ball, was directly dislocated from the white hairs, since Shao Xuan used the knife to stroke along them. Meanwhile, only nontoxic white hairs remained in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

 Chapter 76 â€“ Playing a small role

    Chapter 76 ¨C ying a small role

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°What?¡±

    Seeing that Shao Xuan literally removed the poison caps on the white hairs, Keke couldn¡¯t help but shout out ¡°what¡±. Also, he used a pitched tone, showing his astonishment.

    The other resting warriors all became quite curious by Keke¡¯s ¡°what¡±. They felt like there was a cat scratching their hearts, for not knowing what exactly happened. They wanted to take a look, but were afraid to be despised by the team leader. All they could do was to sit there in silence, while staring in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    Unfortunately, Keke was a big fellow, who blocked everyone¡¯s sightpletely. The crowd wanted to swing a hammer on his head. You just observe closely all you want, but why block the sight of others?

    Tuo did not mind it. He arrived at Keke¡¯s side and squatted after he had taken care of the wounded warrior. He watched Shao Xuan being busy.

    In fact, Shao Xuan was merely experimenting. Even though those white hairs were not easy to cut, they were still nts, so they were supposed to be afraid of fire. Unexpectedly, it worked.

    Looking at the white hairs of different length in his hand, Shao Xuan twiddled his fingers.

    Keke saw Shao Xuan take out two white hairs, and with his fingers twisting and turning, those two white hairs became tightly entwined with each other. In a short period of time, Shao Xuan connected all the white hairs without poison caps together into a long thread. It was nearly two meters long, and it felt stic if you dragged it.

    ¡°Eeeh~~?!¡±

    Keke¡¯s ¡°Eeeh¡± was much louder, and the rising tone was also higher.

    The others sitting aside felt even more ufortable, for they were being tortured by their curiosity. Some of the warriors felt an itch to p Keke sideways.

    What the fuck! Why can¡¯t you roll over and look from afar?!

    However, the crowd dare not to tempt the team leader¡¯s fury, and they remained sitting where they were.

    Ah-Suo wanted to go and look, to check out what Shao Xuan was ying with. However, he had just taken one step, before he found that the team leader was ring at him. He had no choice but to step back. Since he wasn¡¯t not able to go closer, Ah-Suo picked up a chunk of dirt beside his feet, and tossed it towards Keke.

    Bang!

    The dirt bulk hit on Keke¡¯s back, and immediately got scattered.

    Keke totally ignored that dirt chunk. He was very curious seeing Shao Xuan turn the white hairs into a long stic thread. He knew nothing about politeness or courtesy, so he directly grabbed the thread from Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, ¡°Give me!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not hold tight on the thread, and he just gave it to Keke, and then continued to collect the white hairs in the surroundings.

    Tuo had nothing else to do, so he helped collecting the white hairs.

    Keke stood up with the thread in his hands. He tried tearing it but it did not break. Oh, it was really stic!

    ¡°It¡¯s a funny thread!¡± Keke murmured.

    Ah-Suo glimpsed at Ta, and only to find that the blue veins in his forehead were popping.

    Perhaps he was trying to see if this long thread of tiny white hairs could be pulled off, Keke twirled the thread around his hands at both ends, and pulled hard when there was only a small part of the thread in the middle left.

    Just when Keke was about to bleed because of the thread, the thread broke and made a ¡®pluck¡¯ sound. However, the part that broke was not the middle part in between.

    ¡°This is super cool! What do you n to do with it, Ah-Xuan?¡± Keke asked while rubbing his hands that were almost wounded.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about setting a trap with it if there¡¯s enough time, to see if I can catch something.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    The team leader was even more unsatisfied.

    Ta regretted taking him out this time, and he decided to kick him out of the advance group once they came back. He would not allow Shao Xuan into his advance group ever again!

    When Ta announced the end of the break, Shao Xuan had collected and fletched lots of white hairs. He rolled them up into a big roll and put it into his animal skin bag. Those white hairs were very light. Although the roll lookedrge in size, it weighed only as much a mere small nut.

    Then, they had to besiege and hunt for those jumping fruits.

    Those jumping fruits that dislocated themselves from the tree, if they were cut they would be totally disabled. The warriors in the hunting team were quite experienced, so they hardly missed.

    As for Shao Xuan, he was not even qualified enough to pick up those disabled jumping fruits. the team leader just told him to ¡°Stay aside and try not to be a burden.¡±

    Shao Xuan did notin, but observed closely. He was learning how the others were striking the fruits.

    Those fruits were very prompt in jumping, and sometimes they would flee inrge groups. People were easily distracted by the massive moves. So warriors had to keep an eye on one single fruit, and strike it down before paying attention to another. Meanwhile, they had to measure the striking trajectory on the fruit in their minds.

    The jumping fruits had noplicated emotions as animals, but they knew how to chase profit and avoid harm. You could let them slip away if you didn¡¯t pay enough attention.

    Shao Xuan hid behind a tree, yet struck down six fruits while he had the chance.

    The jumping fruits away from their tree mother would probably spend one or two days in the wild, before they attached themselves on the branches again. If they could not make it back on time due to various reasons, they would just die out, or be eaten by other creatures. Also, there was a slight chance that they might root themselves in the ground and be a new nt.

    What the Shaman required was not the whole fruit, but the seeds. Normally, warriors in the advance group would just eat the flesh and keep the seeds. So in here, most things on their menu were nts.

    They only stopped when all the jumping fruits dislocated themselves from the tree.

    If they see the disabled fruits on the ground, they would pick them up and put them into their animal skin bags. So when they were hungry, they could eat the flesh and keep the seeds of the fruits.

    Aside from the seeds of jumping fruits, the advance group was required to cut out the root of some swamp nt. Unlike other nts, its branches and leaves grew down the swamp, while its roots would grow up into the air, and reach outside the swamp.

    Warriors would need to be careful not to slip into the swamp.

    People in the advance group would use a certain cutting method: While one warrior entangled the root of the nt, the other warrior would chop it off with a de.

    It was easy to say, but very difficult to execute. The method contained high technique, and it would test the tacit understanding of the warriors. If one could not sessfully cut down the main root, those roots would quickly shrink down into the swamp. Once they did that, it would be nearly impossible for people to find its root again. So it had a big chance to escape. Of course, nothing would happen if the first warrior could not manage to entangle the root.

    As for Shao Xuan¡¯s task¡­ Ta told him to help pick up those muddied roots and collect them together.

    If you ask what Shao Xuan was feeling now, he would say that, okay, I am only ying a small role here.

    At night, the advance group would rest on a giant tree. There was a hole in the trunk, and it was especially carved out. Not only this tree, there were holes established in quite a few trees around. However, it was a matter of luck whether they got to spend nights in those holes. Sometimes the holes would be taken over by birds or other animals. Warriors needed to find other tree holes if they could not drive them away.

    Shao Xuan had seen them collecting some kind of a fruit. After being burnt, the fruit would emit thick smoke. Warriors would throw those burnt fruits into the tree holes, and soon enough, the little bugs inside the tree holes or on the trunk would be smoked out and then drop on the ground. When the smoke wore off, there would be ayer of different kinds of bugs kids lying on the ground.

    When they were tossing burnt fruits into the holes, Shao Xuan took out the thread and kept himself busy nearby.

    Someone in the advance group would be responsible for the guarding, so Shao Xuan worried about nothing. It¡¯s just that Ta was very unsatisfied with Shao Xuan¡¯s behavior. When Shao Xuan asked for Ta¡¯s permission, Ta had a poker face all the time, and it took him quite some time to say yes in a very rude way, as if Shao Xuan had done something shameful.

    In fact, Shao Xuan knew it at heart, that Ta did not n to take him out during the next hunting mission. He also didn¡¯t want to tag along the next time. Although there are quite some advantages of being a member of the advance group, he preferred staying with Mai¡¯s hunting group. He was treated as a mascot in this advance group, and Ta was a strict but stubborn person. It was notfortable staying in the advance group, doing nothing. Compared to that, it was real hunting that thrilled him.

    As some warriors were throwing the burnt fruits into the trunk, they found Shao Xuan rushing back and forth not far in the woods as they looked back. So they asked their teammates, ¡°What is he doing?¡±

    ¡°Setting a trap, I guess?¡± the other said unsure.

    ¡°What could be trapped at night? We can¡¯t use the prey anyway. By the way, doesn¡¯t he know that the boss hates setting traps and that stuff?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? He might as well y hard while he can. Have you seen boss¡¯ attitude? It¡¯s doubtable whether he could tag along for the next hunting trip.¡±

    ¡°Then we won¡¯t care what he does.¡±

    For most warriors in the advance group, Shao Xuan was no rtive or friend. Later on they did not n to be attached with him, either. So he was totally shut out from their small cliques.

    There were factions even within the tribe.

    When there was no more bug dropping out from above, Ta called on the crowd, ¡°Now let¡¯s go up. It¡¯s almost dark.¡±

    Shao Xuan had just finished his job, so he followed the others climbing up.

    Just as Keke said before, in this ce they would rarely start a fire. So during the night when they were sleeping in the tree, there was no bonfire.

    People used giant leaves to block the entrance, and all of them started to feel drowsy. Of course some would take turns to be on duty as to guard against the surroundings, which was more than necessary.

    Shao Xuan was not hungry as he had eaten something while outside. As night fell, the vast greennd outside became noisy again. All kinds of sounds were created from near and afar, which indicated that some leaves and flowers were closing and opening.

    With the waves of sounds, Shao Xuan gradually fell asleep, until he was woken up by sounds of ttering and buzzing. Some others woke up at the sound as well, but seeing the guarding warriors show no signal of danger, they fell back to sleep again.

    Shao Xuan paid extra attention to those sounds, as he was trying to figure out what creatures had fallen into the traps, and how many of them were captured. However, he was not as experienced as old Ke, and his estimation was without uracy.

    Since it was already night, it was impossible for Shao Xuan to go outside and check on the traps. He had to wait until tomorrow. In fact, he did not wish for something precious, all he wanted to do was to see what kind of nocturnal creatures existed in thisnd. It¡¯s probably his only andst chance to be here, he wanted to see more.

    Just wait, he¡¯ll have his answers tomorrow.

 Chapter 77 â€“ Pictures at the end of the scroll

    Chapter 77 ¨C Pictures at the end of the scroll

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan had a sound sleep after midnight. It had been a while since he hadst dreamt about something. However, tonight he had a dream.

    As a matter of fact, Shao Xuan himself also had no idea what was exactly in the dream. He dreamt of something green, which gradually covered his whole view. It was a flowing green, and he was drifting in the sea of green. The green entered his chest every time he breathed, which made him feel cozy all over the body. It felt like every part of his body had been cleansed. Let¡¯s say that his body was the ground covered in dirt and dust, but then got all washed clean by the cool water. He felt purified all over.

    Unlike the tense and depressing feeling in the past, Shao Xuan only felt totally free from inhibitions this time. It was a kind offort which Shao Xuan had never experienced before. All the fatigue and bad mood in this hunting mission had been washed away, and Shao Xuan wanted to howl to the heaven.

    All changes happened in silence, but they were breathtaking!

    Early in the morning, when the sun came out, the warriors slumber was disturbed by various kinds of sounds in this greennd. However, it was the rushed voice of a warrior that woke up everyone.

    ¡°Boss! Boss,e here! Check this out!¡± That warrior had climbed down the tree a minute ago, and he was shouting at Ta from the entrance of the tree hole. Ta was reading a roll of animal skin before he looked at the warrior.

    All the warriors became clear-headed even though they were yawning a second ago.

    Given the voice of the warrior who just spoke, obviously he had found something quite special. It couldn¡¯t be a threat, but should be peculiar enough.

    Not only Ta, the other warriors all climbed down quickly.

    Shao Xuan was thest person to exit the tree hole. He looked down from the entrance, and found that all warriors that rushed down were circling around the trap he had setst night.

    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡±

    ¡°It looks funny. Is this its limb?¡±

    ¡°The limbs of a tree?¡±

    ¡°Is it dead already?¡±

    ¡°I poked at it, but it didn¡¯t move. Perhaps dead.¡±

    ¡°You should untie this thing, and then we can have a clear look at it.¡±

    ¡°¡­but how to untie this knot?¡±

    ¡°Oh you stupid thing, you can just tear it apart¡­¡±

    ¡°Stop it, Keke! Stay away! You are such a tactless moron!¡±

    Ta had told them to untie the thing trapped in the rope, but only to find that they had nowhere to start with. The thread strapping the thing was made from the white hairs from yesterday, which meant that it was hard to cut. Also, they needed to be careful not to break the thing trapped inside.

    Tuo held a stone knife up high, but after a while, he decided to quit. He looked around, and found Shao Xuan climbing down the tree with no rush. In a hurry he said, ¡°Come over here, Ah-Xuan! Something¡¯s in your trap!¡±

    The morous crowd immediately quieted down.

    The trap was set by Shao Xuanst night, however, within the night it captured something. Last night there were even warriors taunting him.

    Ah-Suo glimpsed at the team leader standing beside him, only to find that the boss was thinking about something with a poker face. He acted as if he had not heard Tuo calling upon Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan walked towards the circle, and warriors quickly cleared a passage for him to approach the trap.

    Last night, Shao Xuan did not set many traps, for he was not familiar with the ce after all. Only two traps were set casually, since he received no support from the others, and time was limited. He couldn¡¯t ask people to wait for him. He had found a tree nearby that had some sticky resin secretion, so he put some at a trap.

    Well, now on the ce where he daubed the resin, there was something glued there. It looked like a simple skeleton formed by green branches. There were legs, and hands withoutplicated fingers. There were three ¡®toes¡¯, long like ws.

    Shao Xuan did not expect this resin to be so sticky after it got dried in the air. Yesterday when he put it here, it was like normal glue, however now it was totally superglue. He thought that if there was some creature that could run fast, he could use the resin to slow it down. For even if it was fast, the sticky glue would decline its speed. Meanwhile, it would allow the snare to tie the creature tight.

    While in the other trap, there was a football-sized taupe ball trapped inside. When there¡¯s a gust of wind, the ball trapped in the of white threads would suddenly create a buzzing sound. It would fly along the wind, but since it was trapped within the of white threads, it was pulled back again. Because of the rebounding force, the white thread created sounds of vibrating strings.

    ¡°So the sound fromst night was created by this thing!¡± one of the night guards said.

    ¡°I heard it too yesterday! Unexpectedly it was caused by this ball.¡±

    ¡°What is it, boss?¡± asked Ah-Suo

    Ta moved his sight from the odd green skeleton, and then took a look at the bouncing ball in this of white threads. He took out the roll of animal skin, and opened it to thest one third part.

    The first two thirds of the scroll had the pictures of all the things that they would search for. Every time when theye to the woods, they would be able to find most of the creatures as long as it was the right season. However, thetter one third of the scroll recorded all those rare things. In the Shaman¡¯s words, one could only be considered blessed if encountering them.

    Because of that, they never paid extra attention to finding them. In the past, their ancestors would rarely encounter one or two creatures on the end of the scroll. A few years ago, the team leader of the other hunting team had found a nt pictured on the end of the scroll. His name is Gui-He. Being the team leader of the other hunting team, he is also a candidate-in-running for the Chief¡¯s position in the future. Obviously he had received high praise and hence improved his impression with the Shaman with that rare nt.

    Gui-He got his name directly from the Shaman. If you carefully explored his family, you¡¯ll find that Gui-He was the son of the Shaman¡¯s nephew. Naturally Gui-He was more close with the Shaman with his ties of blood. If Ta¡¯s father weren¡¯t the Chief, he would not have been qualified enough topete with Gui-He at all. Especially since recent years, Gui-He had much more glorious harvests than before. That was the reason why Ta was eager to find the rare nts. He even brought Shao Xuan in his advance group, just to take advantage of ancestor¡¯s blessing.

    However, Ta did not anticipate that they would encounter something rare. Ta¡¯s mood becameplex, as all the rare things were captured by Shao Xuan.

    Just yesterday, he wasining that those traps were little tricks that would wear down one¡¯s willpower¡­ Today, he received an invisible p on the face, and it was a good one.

    If he had known that traps could help catch the nts on the end of the scroll, Ta would never despise those ¡°little tricks¡±.

    ¡°This is the Wind Ball from the end of the scroll.¡± Ta pointed at a picture of a ball near the end of the scroll.

    Shao Xuan reached over to take a look at it. The pictures on the animal skin roll were quite simple, but the holes on the ball were exactly the same as the ones on the ball he captured.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s terrific!¡± Ah-Suo rubbed his hands andughed. You know, they would have higher status in front of the Shaman if any nts from the end of the scroll were found.

    The others all seemed delighted.

    ¡°What about the other one?¡± asked Tuo.

    They all quieted down again as they waited for Ta¡¯s answer. Before when they were checking the Wind Ball, they did not find anything on the scroll like the other one in the trap.

    That thing¡¯s ¡°feet¡± were glued by the resin, and below its waist, there were lots of white threads winding around. Just because of that, it would not manage to escape even if it could lift a ¡®foot¡¯.

    Aside from that, people found that this thing had ¡®arms¡¯ and ¡®legs¡¯, besides, the torso was made from a few branches. But, there was no ¡®head¡¯.

    Ta stared at the ¡®headless¡¯ skeleton with an inexplicable look.

    ¡°When I first joined the advance group, the Shaman and the former Chief had told me something.¡± Ta pointed at the tied green skeleton and said, ¡°It looks like the nt that the Shaman had talked about. The Green Thief.¡±

    ¡°Green Thief?¡±

    ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°Is it useful? The Shaman did not add it on the animal skin roll.¡±

    There were a lot of mors ofments.

    Ta was smiling in a weird way.

    ¡°Is it useful? Damn right it is! It can¡¯t be any more useful! If it is indeed the Green Thief, we would be received as heroes of the tribe when we return! It¡¯s said that the herbs made from the Green Thief would allow people to see in the darkness!¡±

    All warriors took a deep breath, and then, their breaths became more and more rapid.

    Night vision. It was something that all of them had been craving for.

    Why was everyone so afraid of the night? Because at night, they would lose their vision. Even intermediate totem warriors, or even senior totem warriors would freak out when faced with darkness. Hence, instead of hunting at night, warriors in the hunting team would hide in a tree hole or mountain cave.

    Warriors in the tribe had hunted down various kinds of animals and ferocious beasts, among which many of them were nocturnal ones. People said that you could have a clearer vision in the dark if you ate the eyes of those nocturnal animals. However, it was not true. At least, those who had eaten the eyes did not feel much progress in their night vision. Or perhaps it worked, just produced minor effect.

    If, if this was the Green Thief¡­

 Chapter 78 â€“ The Green Thief marches at night

    Chapter 78 ¨C The Green Thief marches at night

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    As the others were immersed in the concept of ¡°Green Thief¡± and ¡°night vision¡±, Shao Xuan carefully observed the traps he set yesterday.

    In fact, the tree secreted quite a lot of resin. But only limited quantity could be used to set the trap. Shao Xuan discovered that the resin in different sections of the tree had varying levels of viscosity. When cutting out the bark, there was only a tiny bit of resin that was sticky enough to be used in the traps. He collected the sticky resin, and applied them around the snare. However, it could only cover two snares.

    Yesterday, when they were cleaning the remains of those dead bugs, warriors had shoveled ayer of moss and grass away. So it was very bare in the surroundings of the tree that they were resting on. The smell of the burnt fruits remained, which could also drive away most of the animals.

    Consequently, Shao Xuan found that there were lots of marks in the resin on the ground. The tree he cut yesterday overflowed with plenty of resin, but most of it was not sticky enough. On the edge of those marks in the resin, there were obvious traces of something being dragged¡­ Apparently something had stepped on it.

    No warriors in the advance group had touched it, or else there would be clear footprints.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment and then looked around. He set his sights on a nt nearby, which was in full bloom. On its top when the wind blew, the pollen would scatter over the ground.

    ¡°Can I pick those flowers, team leader?¡± Shao Xuan asked. Ta had mentioned that Shao Xuan should report before every single action, for acting without authorization was absolutely forbidden.

    Ta gazed at Shao Xuan for a moment, and then agreed, ¡°Yes, just go ahead.¡±

    If in the past, Ta would¡¯ve never allowed Shao Xuan to go pick the flowers, for such moves were totally dull in his eyes. However, now he felt that perhaps Shao Xuan had found something.

    Shao Xuan climbed up the nt, and tried to break the flower off with his hand. However, he did not seed, so he held out the stone sword and chopped on the stem. With his hands he held the calyx (the green part on the bottom that protects flower), and then carefully passed it to Tuo, who was standing beneath the nt.

    Only after cutting off two flowers, did Shao Xuan climb down the nt.

    Tuo, who caught the flowers from Shao Xuan, was stained with pollen all over his body. It wasn¡¯t avoidable, for the flowers were rich in pollen.

    ¡°What are you going to do with this, Ah-Xuan?¡± asked Tuo.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to see if there are any traces on the ground.¡± Answered Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Trace?¡±

    The others surrounding the Green Thief looked at Shao Xuan as well.

    Shao Xuan held the calyx and angled towards the ground, as he softly shook the orange pollen down on the ground.

    People saw Shao Xuan circling around that tree with resin. He held the flowers while shaking down the pollen. In a little while, the ground under his feet was covered by ayer of orange pollen.

    After the pollen was distributed, Shao Xuan found a broad leaf and kept pping it as if it were a fan.

    Theyer of pollen on the ground was blown away, but some of it remained on the ground.

    The orange pollen was quite obvious, and those left on the ground formed many footprints. They were the same footprints simr to the Green Thief that was ensnared over there.

    Seeing the footprints down on the ground, Ta looked up at the crowd and said, ¡°Do the same! Pay extra attention on the ces with the resin.¡±

    The tree that Shao Xuan had cut was not the only tree with resin. Yesterday when Ta was checking on the surroundings, he noticed quite a few trees with the resin. All of them had somehow spread their resin onto the ground and it covered arge area.

    At Ta¡¯smand, all the blossoming flowers in the early morning suffered. They were all cut down by warriors in order to get the pollen.

    In a moment, pollen and leaves filled up the woods.

    Fortunately, it was not dangerous in the surroundings.

    After quite some time, they finished distributing and blowing away the pollen. However, all were in silence this time.

    The resin that had spread on the ground revealed numerous footprints. They were not obvious because of the grass and moss. Some of them were not even in the exact three-toed shapes. However, all warriors knew that they were the same footprints as before, and they were heading towards the same direction.

    The orange footprints were quiterge in number, and thickly dotted. Since many ces were covered by fallen leaves or weeds, it made it difficult for the pollen to work. People had every reason to specte that there were more footprints than they would have ever imagined.

    Apparently, arge nocturnal army had marched through this cest night, right beneath the tree that they were resting on. However, no sound was heard by the night guards, aside from the one that got captured by Shao Xuan¡¯s trap, of course.

    Ta had spent so many years in the advance group, yet he had never seen a nocturnal army of nts.

    The Green Thief marches at night in silence.

    The reason why the Green Thief was not listed on the animal skin roll was because it was too hard to find. It could be very risky, for the ancestors all knew about how dangerous it was to hunt at night. Many brave warriors had died hunting in the dark. They had no other choice, but to remove the promising target from their hunting list. Soter on, there were no hard-to-find nts like the Green Thief on the animal skin roll.

    In the past century, no one of the advance group had ever encountered the Green Thief. Had Ta not paid constant attention to his grandfather¡¯s and tribal elder warriors¡¯ stories, he would not have connected it the Green Thief and it would have always been a legend to him. He had always admired those ancestors who had seen the Green Thief in the past.

    However, unexpectedly¡­Unexpectedly today they captured one alive!!

    Although it was captured by Shao Xuan¡¯s trap, Ta knew it at heart that he was pped right on the face for his contempt. He felt it was worth it, seeing the Green Thief with his own eyes.

    Ta still could notprehend what had happened.

    ¡°The Green Thief marches at night¡­the Green Thief marches at night in silence! It is the Green Thief!¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s just untie this snare and collect it already, boss! Do not let it end up in another creature¡¯s hand!¡±

    ¡°Right, right! I¡¯ll fetch the wooden box from the tree hole!¡±

    ¡°Will the wooden box work? What if we use the stone box?¡±

    ¡°Or just fetch them both?¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s only one Green Thief! What to do with two boxes, unless we cut it into two parts?¡±

    ¡°Does anyone know if the Green Thief could be brought outside? What if it just dies when we bring it out?¡± Keke murmured.

    ¡°Keke, you shut up!!¡± all the others shouted.

    ¡°But the snare is too difficult to untie¡­How to untie your snare, Ah-Xuan?¡± Tuo looked at Shao Xuan, who was standing not far.

    However, Shao Xuan paid no attention to them now¡­ He ¡°saw¡± something. It was blurred, and all the sounds nearby seemed to be muted. It was silence.

    One, two¡­ten, a hundred¡­

    A thousand? Thousands of them? Perhaps there were more¡­

    Those green figures were walking towards the same direction in groups. Compared with the Green Thief that he captured, those Green Thieves had their ¡°heads¡±, and their heads looked like inverted mops. The Cyan Thieves were the same height as Shao Xuan, but were as skinny as bamboo. They were walking in the woods without any sound.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡±

    Warriors over there nned to keep calling him, but were stopped by Ta.

    ¡°Is he seeing something?¡± said Ah-Suo.

    Seeing something?

    There¡¯s nothing but trees over there.

    Unless it was the epiphany of the ancestors?

    Thinking about that, all the warriors trembled without warning. They dared not to be noisy.

    ¡°Hey, he moved!¡± Keke whispered.

    Over there, Shao Xuan walked ahead on foot. He was walking towards the same direction as the Cyan Thieves were heading to. But after a few steps, he looked back at the trap again.

    ¡°Oh, now he¡¯s looking back!!¡± Keke said again.

    ¡°You just shut up, Keke!¡± Ta growled.

    Originally, Shao Xuan saw those Cyan Thieves walking besides him, and some of them were walking through his body, as if he did not exist at all. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but walk with them in the same direction. However, those Cyan Thieves were too fast for him to follow.

    Shao Xuan felt that he was being assimted, but quickly enough he resisted the feeling of assimtion. He looked back at the trap totally confused.

    The others assumed that Shao Xuan was looking at them. But in fact, he was looking at the Green Thief, which was tied on the ground.

    After being trapped, the Green Thief found it impossible for him to escape. So its head just dislocated itself from the body. It was not dead, but it left a part of its body out, to allow the main part to survive. It was the same as when a gecko fled without its tail. When the time was right, it would grow into a whole creature again.

    Shao Xuan moved his sight away from the trap, and then looked at the direction that the Cyan Thieves marched towards.

    He saw a Green Thief walk up on a tree, with its toes stuck on the trunk. It was perpendicr to the trunk but it walked as if it were still walking on the ground.

    It moved upwards for about fifteen meters, and then, it reached out its ¡°hand¡± to poke into the trunk, but quickly withdrew. Then, like earlier, it walked down the tree, and rejoined the nocturnal army.

    What was in there?

    Shao Xuan observed the tree for awhile and then began to climb its trunk.

    Ta indicated that all warriors should surround Shao Xuan for his protection, in case of any ident or emergency. His eyes were fixed on Shao Xuan. Indeed, he wanted to find something with Shao Xuan¡¯s help, but he also promised the Shaman that he would take Shao Xuan back to the tribe, safe and sound.

    Over there, Shao Xuan saw a tiny hole when he reached the spot that the Green Thief poked into the trunk. Some green thing like a bean sprout was in it.

    Looking at the ¡°bean sprout¡±, Shao Xuan gripped its head with his fingers and suddenly pulled it out. The ¡°bean sprout¡± was little, but it took him some strength to pull it out.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan pulled out something with the same color as the Green Thief, Ta had sparkling traces in his eyes, ¡°The seedling of the Green Thief?¡±

    The Green Thief. It walks in the dark with its green body. It steals the life of the tree to breed its offspring.

    It was said that the nocturnal army of the Green Thieves would only exit once in a year.

    Was it really the blessings from the ancestors?

 Chapter 79 â€“ Fire Lance

    Chapter 79 ¨C Fire Lance

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When Shao Xuan came down from that tree, he was immediately surrounded by the others, for all of them had heard Ta¡¯s words.

    ¡°Is this the seedling of the Green Thief?¡± Tuo had sparkling eyes, and stared still at the young bud in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, which was smaller than his finger.

    ¡°Is that eatable?¡±

    Keke pushed the others in front of him away. As he was about to reach out his hands to take that young bud from Shao Xuan, he was stopped by Ta, who blocked him with his arm.

    ¡°Let me have a look at it.¡± Said Ta.

    Seeing that Ta was here, Shao Xuan passed the bean-sprout-like young bud to him. As for Keke¡¯s earlier question about whether it was eatable¡­Shao Xuan guessed that the answer might be positive.

    It did not feel particrly special when you held it in your hands, but Ta assumed that it was the seedling of the Green Thief.

    ¡°How did you know that there was this seedling there, Ah-Xuan? Did you see anything earlier?¡± asked Ta.

    They just witnessed Shao Xuan walking straight towards that tree as if he knew it was there. Then he climbed up the tree and pulled the seedling out directly.

    ¡°Earlier?¡± Shao Xuan rubbed his head, and acted as if he was recalling hard, ¡°Someone might have told me that there¡¯s something over there earlier. So I went for it.¡±

    ¡°But you looked back then, what did you see?¡± Ta stared at Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes as he asked.

    Shao Xuan did not try to avoid Ta¡¯s sight, but continued, ¡°I felt that someone was calling my name, so I looked back.¡±

    Calling your name?

    Who called you?

    The ancestors?

    Almost all of them were thinking the same thing.

    ¡°Aside from this one, are there any other simr seedlings?¡± asked Ta again.

    Shao Xuan frowned a little, looking bewildered as well as embarrassed.

    ¡°You should just think about it calmly.¡± Ta said gently.

    Shao Xuan lowered his head, as if trying very hard to search his memories. But in fact, he was only faking it. The vision of the Green Thieves had already disappeared, but he had a vague impression about which trees had the seedlings in them.

    If it was old Ke who was asking, Shao Xuan would have given a detailed exnation. However, it was Ta, so Shao Xuan did not n to tell the truth. Since everybody assumed that he was blessed by the ancestors, he decided to let the ancestors take all the credits, so as to save himself from finding more excuses.

    After thinking for about two minutes, Shao Xuan pointed at some trees nearby.

    Ta paid no more attention to other things, but hastened tomand the warriors to go search in the trees that Shao Xuan had pointed out. Now everything besides this had to be put aside, the Green Thief became the top priority. Although a lot of things on the animal skin roll had not been found, a Green Thief would be more than enough to make up for that. It could even outdo all of thembined. Although those young seedlings needed to be confirmed, it waspletely worth it to search for them.

    Not all the trees that pointed out by Shao Xuan had seedlings, but warriors were very careful when searching all the trees. They were almost searching it inch by inch.

    Shao Xuan could not tell the exact location of the other buds, for he had only paid extra attention to the one, so he only knew the precise location of that bud.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ve found one!!¡± Ah-Suo shouted out cheerfully. He would very much like to swallow the seedling he had at hand immediately. In fact, he would totally have done that, if Ta wasn¡¯t staring at him.

    Seeing those circumstances, Ta gave Shao Xuan the strip-shaped stone box with the headless Green Thief inside, and said, ¡°You keep this for now, while I go and search as well. Just wait here. Do not wander around.¡±

    ¡°Alright, got it.¡±

    Shao Xuan took the stone box, and rested leaning against a tree. The reason why he could see the visions should be because of the other special ability in his body. In the past, it warned him of the dangers that were about to ur. But now, he seemed to be able to see something that happened in the past. However, Shao Xuan could not control it at his will yet.

    As he was resting, Shao Xuan suddenly looked at the ground beneath his feet. Something was trying toe out from below.

    But the others were absolutely unaware of theing danger. Probably because all them were in the trees and had no connection to the ground, so none of them had noticed the thing approaching fast beneath.

    ¡°Something ising!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    Almost at the same time that Shao Xuan finished his words, fiery-red vines drilled out from the earth.

    Luckily, Shao Xuan had a quick reaction. He leaped high as he shouted out the warning, and he leaped higher with the help of the trees nearby.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Fire Lance!¡±

    ¡°Run, Ah-Xuan, run!¡±

    The others quickly withdrew from the trees.

    ¡°Careless!¡± Ta pulled out a stone axe from his waist and tossed it towards the vine.

    Crack!

    It was the sound of stone chopping on a piece of wood.

    The bloody-red vine that came after Shao Xuan was as thick as an adult¡¯s arm, but it got chopped down into two pieces by the axe. Blood-like liquid poured out and sprinkled on the ground.

    However, it had only dislocated the Fire Lance¡¯s tip, and the ¡°bleeding¡± vine was still chasing after Shao Xuan. What¡¯s more, there were more than ten vines drilling out from the ground. ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s estimation, at least fifty vines had drilled out in the air, aside from those thin and short ones. No one knew how many more of them were still hiding beneath the earth.

    When the warriors had withdrawn, Shao Xuan¡¯s pressure decreased. His ability was still quite limited, so there was no chance that he could take the tough attacks from those tough vines.

    Even though they were merely vines, they were totally different from the red vines that Shao Xuan had seen earlier. The ones Shao Xuan had seen could only sweep away the prey, and they were much less aggressive. However, the one that they were dealing with now was much fiercer. They stabbed directly as if they were spears.

    The tree that Shao Xuan leant on for resting earlier had already been stabbed through at least three times. And all of that happened in the blink of an eye.

    It was the Fire Lance. The tips of the vines were as sharp as spearheads, while the tiny hair-like extrusions on its body would dance like fire while moving. It deserved the name, one hundred percent.

    Every single hair-like extrusions on the vines were used for absorbing. They could absorb a nt¡¯s liquid, as well as the fresh blood of humans.

    The experienced warriors, who had hunted a long time in this greennd, were all familiar with this nt, so Ta and the others knew well enough how they should be handled.

    When Shao Xuan was dodging the attacks, he paid extra attention on Ta¡¯s moves. There was much to learn under such circumstances, especially from those experienced old warriors. He needed to take the chance.

    As for the experienced old hunters, although they mightck the fit movements or fancy actions, every single move of theirs was quite prominent. All of the moves were acquired during hundreds or even thousands of tough fights. Sometimes, their conditioned reflexes could be much faster than their thoughts. It was almost an absolutely instinctive reaction, but it was a simple and practical killing move.

    All the warriors soon withdrew and enteredbat status. Promptly they began to cooperate with each other, their fighting power surged. They had a momentum that could almost beat the Fire Lance. Every warrior had his own weapon. Constantly, they swept their arms, and struck those Fire Lance with the weapons in their hands. All their strength went through the weapons and was hammered down on the vines. The attacks were fluent and kept hitting on the vines in waves.

    If any one of them had a smallgg, or made a slight mistake, they would risk losing their momentum. They had to rely on the momentum, even if they were not fighting with a ferocious beast.

    It all happened in a short period of time, and the ground was dyed red.

    The danger was about to pass, but ¡°banging¡± sounds emerged from underground.

    It turned out that the other vines underneath had drilled out as well, while the part that was above the ground had grown twice asrge. It seemed that the Fire Lance was about to put up a desperate fight.

    More to Shao Xuan¡¯s misery, most of the newly drilled-out vines wereing after him.

    ¡°Move away, Ah-Xuan!¡± Ta shouted over at him.

    However, right after his shout, Ta found that the running away Shao Xuan, turned around and was heading back!!

    Ta was so furious that he almost spat out some blood seeing that. What the hell? You were clearly told to run farther, but now you headed back? What¡¯s your n? To drag the team¡¯s feet?! Did you feel that it was not sticky enough over here?!

    Normally, Ta wouldn¡¯t choose to continue the tangled fight with the Fire Lance. Instead, he would probably take the team away from it. However, there were many Green Thief seedlings nearby, the things that he was not willing to give up. Clearly, the other warriors all shared his opinion, and none of them had any intention to withdraw. They were nearly crazy in thebat. It was understandable, for it was never easy to encounter the seedlings of Green Thieves, but they were disturbed by the Fire Lance. What¡¯s worse, the Fire Lance had destroyed many trees nearby, which made the search for seedlings even more difficult. And, oh yes, some boy was putting himself in the middle of chaos, on purpose!

    Great fury shed in Ta¡¯s eyes. He suddenly stamped his feet, and stepped on a very thick vine. The nt beneath his feet immediately got scattered as if were attacked by some very heavy thing. Earlier there were some hair-like extrusions tangling around Ta¡¯s feet. Now they were all broken in the blink of an eye. Ta grasped the stone axe, and repeatedly chopped. Sounds of cracking resounded, as if many pieces of cloth were torn apart in the air, and many pieces of hard-wood were chopped apart at the same time.

    At the same time when he chopped, Ta moved quickly towards Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. He wanted to kick Shao Xuan out of this mess immediately. The one he hated most was someone who stalled the team.

    However, only two steps closer to Shao Xuan, Ta found that there was a simr giant Fire Lance chasing after Shao Xuan. The newly drilled-out vines were running after Shao Xuan like spears filled with a lust for killing. They wereing this way.

    No wonder thed chose to run backwards.

 Chapter 80 â€“ Falling into the trap

    Chapter 80 ¨C Falling into the trap

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Promptly, Shao Xuan ran back with the stone box, which contained the body of the Green Thief. Earlier, he nned to flee the battlefield as far as possible, because he knew in his heart that he would be a heavy liability even if he stayed at where he was due to his limited ability. However, he did not run far before he had a sudden sense of danger. Using his special view, he saw some light green creature approaching him fast from beneath the ground, and it was in the same shape as the Fire Lance that they had encountered already.

    Since he woke up this morning, Shao Xuan realized that almost all the nts were in the color of green in his special view. But most of them were pale green, sometimes even crystal-like. However, the color of the Fire Lance was deeper to light green.

    His path of escape was blocked. Shao Xuan intended to change his direction, only to find that this approaching Fire Lance seemed to be focusing on him. So was the earlier Fire Lance. He was their sole target.

    Was that for the Green Thief?

    Or perhaps they were only after Shao Xuan himself?

    No matter whether their target was the Green Thief, or Shao Xuan himself, he couldn¡¯t handle their attack anyway. His only option was to retreat to seek help.

    Shao Xuan sped up his pace as he touched the animal skin bag he had on his waist.

    Ta had the confidence to put down one Fire Lance. Even if he didn¡¯t managed to kill it, he could totally drive it away. However, now there was another one. The situation became quite tricky, for both of the Fire Lances were extremely aggressive.

    Ta chopped down a piece of vine. There was no time for him to wipe away the ¡°blood¡± on his face, he yelled at the other few warriors, ¡°You guys go and deal with the other one!¡±

    However, Ta only had about twenty warriors, and in a short period of time, they could not handle both of the two Fire Lances at the same time. In the meantime, people were worried about if there would be a third or a fourth one. If that happened, they would have no other option but to give up this ce.

    Their hearts were unwilling. Although their hands did not slow down, there was still a faint impatience.

    What was the most important thing for a nt?

    The roots!

    However, those nts that could run freely all knew very well about how to protect their roots. Some of them would even bury their roots deep down under the ground so that others would have a rare chance to attack it. Especially when it came to tough nts as fierce as the ferocious beasts, one would only end up dead if you tried to attack its weak point, yet didn¡¯t manage to make a fatal strike. Unfortunately, no one had the confidence. Even Ta and the others, who were quite experienced in fighting with the Fire Lance, would run away and engage in a realbat only when they were forced to.

    As Ta and the others were trying to figure out how to drive those two Fire Lances away quickly, an amplified picture of a snare was formed in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind. There were not enough threads, so Shao Xuan could only try to make an iplete one.

    Now he should not rely on Ta and the otherspletely. Shao Xuan wanted to make his own contributions, for they were a team after all. They shared the honor and defeat. ording to the sess rate that Shao Xuan calcted in his mind, the iplete snare was worth trying.

    He had never attempted to set such arge-scaled snare, so he was not sure about the effect as well. After all, the reality might not agree with his expectation. But no matter how effective it might be, it was worth trying. Even the slightest help counts under such circumstances. What¡¯s more, in such a ce like this one, quickbat was always considered the best strategy.

    Shao Xuan carried the stone box with one arm, while his other hand promptly took out a spearhead dart with a the white thread.

    Although he was using only one hand, he was quite skilled in making a knot. With twisted fingers moving up and down, the white thread got tightly entwined at the end of the dart.

    Whoosh!

    Shao Xuan dodged the whipping vine, and tossed out the dart hard. He was not aiming at the vine, but some point on the ground.

    The dart pierced deep underground.

    The first point was set, and the second one needed to be set quickly.

    Ta and the others were attacking the Fire Lances and had their hands full as they tried to contain them, so that Shao Xuan could easily cope with the situation.

    The way that Shao Xuan dodged was artful. He jumped high andnded low, his moves seemed to have no regr pattern, but every single move was made after precise calction, even if they were only meaningless actions in the eyes of others. All of them were done in a short moment.

    Midst the thundering sounds, the whipping vines were dancing in the air wildly. Numerous dirt chunks and stones were swept away by the vines. There were sounds of broken trees, flying dirt chunks and cracked branches, along with the sounds of chopped down vines. So, the sound of spearheads drilling into the trunk, the ground and the vines seemed to be too weak to be heard. Shao Xuan was really fast, no one would know what he was doing without close observation.

    Shao Xuan twisted his fingers pretty fast, and he was also quick on the feet. Every time when he reached some ce to bury a spearhead, he finished the knot in the blink of an eye. All the knotting and connecting must be done at the same moment due to the limited time and space. The muscles all over his body were in full function, and the totem power inside him was used to its limit, as it was running through all his meridians.

    If you looked closely, you would find that there was ayer of surging airflow around his arm, which he used for setting the snares.

    Shao Xuan ran back and forth near those two Fire Lances with the stone box in his arm.

    Quick, quick, quick!

    Setting a trap must be done quickly, especially when you set it at a hunting scene. Even a small action might cause unpredictable changes.

    It was only for a few seconds, and Shao Xuan had finished with the peripheral settings. There was still one middle step that needed to be done.

    Shao Xuan stamped on the vine with all his strength, and leapt away before the hair-like extrusions could tangle his feet.

    ¡°What are you doing, Ah-Xuan?!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Mind your steps and do not run around!¡±

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was running on the peripheral zone, Tuo and the others got quite confused. Shouldn¡¯t he be fleeing away?

    ¡°It wants the Green Thief!!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    It wanted the Green Thief? The Fire Lances also targeted the Green Thief?!

    Before anyone could say anything, they heard Shao Xuan shout out again, ¡°I just set a trap. Everybody needs to move awayter!¡±

    He rushed towards the middle of the two Fire Lances, as he shouted.

    ¡°Stop it, Ah-Xuan! What are you doing?!¡± Ta shouted out angrily.

    The battle in between the two Fire Lances was not strong. Obviously these two nts had no intention of fighting each other. That was also the reason why Shao Xuan dared to run through them. Also, Shao Xuan was quite fast in his running. Although he could not fight against the Fire Lance, he had the ability to avoid their attacks.

    Shao Xuan stepped on the vines and jumped high.

    His moves were too fast to be seen, while the spearhead darts flew through quite a few points. When there was a need for knotting, he would do it in a second.

    It¡¯s finished!!

    But Shao Xuan did not stop running.

    Shao Xuan with the stone box in his arms became a perfect bait. No matter where he ran to, the two Fire Lances would be chasing after him, attacking. Just because of that, Ta and the others were following Shao Xuan, to resist most of the vines.

    A vine shot up from a sharp angle from below. Shao Xuan did not try to avoid it, instead, he took out the stone sword to resist.

    Bang!

    There was a crashing sound like two stones hitting each other.

    Tuo and the others saw that Shao Xuan was flying in the air because of the recoil.

    Keke was the closest one to Shao Xuan, and he nned to rescue him by catching him there. He would be falling directly onto the ground if no one helped him.

    However, Keke found out in shock that the boy stopped in the middle of the air. He was supposed to be flying down in a parab.

    Yes, he stopped mid-air.

    Steady and still.

    In the meantime, people heard something. It was like when wood got strangled tight.

    Not only Keke, even Ta and the others were surprisingly shocked with their eyes wide open. But at a second look, they found that Shao Xuan was not standing in the air. He was standing on a white thread.

    When did the white thread exist there?

    All the warriors were confused, but they thought about Shao Xuan¡¯s earlier im of ¡°setting a trap¡±. It might work, seeing such circumstances.

    ¡°Everybody retreat! Tuo, Keke, Suo! You go back a little more!¡± Shao Xuan asked the ones in the circle of the trap to step down. He wanted to be safe, even if they weren¡¯t in danger in the first ce.

    Standing on a white thread, the snare in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind became clearer than ever.

    Some vines were shooting towards him. And at least one of them fell into the trap.

    Although there were two separated individual Fire Lances, half of their vines were strangled in the snare that Shao Xuan set. Any single vine falling into the trap would trigger a series of reactions on the snare. It was a chain trap.

    Shao Xuan felt that everything was moving slower than usual, and time seemed to have been frozen. All he could see now were the few vines shooting at him, along with some threads, which might not be so clear in other people¡¯s eyes. They became more and more clear in Shao Xuan¡¯s vision. Besides that, everything else merged into the vague background.

    It¡¯s near!

    Nearer!

    One of the vine twisted, and it flew through the thread in Shao Xuan¡¯s vision.

    It fell into the trap!

 Chapter 81 â€“ Massacre

    Chapter 81 ¨C Massacre

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan leapt high, he rebounded from the white thread to dodge the piercing vine aimed towards his face. In mid air, he pulled out thest spearhead dart and grasped it tight in his hand.

    With thest remnants of the the white thread wrapped around the dart, Shao Xuan jumped. The line pulled taut, Shao Xuan could clearly feel the tension through the body of the dart.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath. The spearhead dart in his hand immediately weaved left and right before he finally pulled it back with all his strength.

    Kill!

    Creak¡­

    The sound was like some steel threads sawing on wood.

    This time, the sound could be heard from more than just a few spots. Dozens of ces emitted the same creepy sound almost at the same time, and it was a lot shriller than before. Everyone who heard the sound felt as if they were witnessing a huge tree being strangled to death gradually. Their nerves all stiffened by the sound and the vision.

    Tuo and Keke, as well as the others had no idea what Shao Xuan was nning to do, but under such urgent circumstances, they knew it at heart that the situation required their full cooperation. They decided to do their best to cooperate, even though deep down inside they did not think that Shao Xuan could actually aplish anything.

    However, right after they stepped backwards and retreated from the battle zone, they heard those disturbing sounds that set their nerves one edge.

    People looked over there to see what was creating that sound, but soon enough, they were stunned by the sight.

    The originally loose web of snares tightened instantly.

    The vines thrashed and swung in the air, its movements were restricted by the threads. The tension of the threads caused the web to tighten upon itself as the vines moved. However, the vines continued to resist, causing the snare to pull tighter and tighter.

    All of it happened within a single breath.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Right after the creaking sounds, there were sounds of wood and threads breaking. People were under great mental strain already, and now the sounds almost exploded in their minds.

    Along with the sound, the ¡°blood¡± of the firences sshed everywhere.

    Red liquid filled the air and sttered all at once. No matter if the vines were close to ground or were suspended in the air, all of them were sliced by the threads. Its blood red sap poured out along with the haunting sounds of its struggle.

    The blood in the surroundings spluttered out evenly, despite of iting from two separate nts. These firences emitted the smell of a dangerous predator belonging to the nt wilderness.

    In contrast to the carnage of blood-like sap on the ground, two giant bloody flowers bloomed. Like evil spirits, the flowers were even more colorful than the red firences themselves. [In case you don¡¯t get it, the ¡®bloody flowers¡¯ are the snare wrapped around firences pulled together, being all bloody from the bloody sap.]

    Ta used to assume that the blood-like flowers pictured on the animal skin roll were the blood-like. But he discovered that the view he was witnessing right now had surpassed his imagination. The shocking sight he had now seen impressed him so much that it would be carved in his memory even after a long time.

    There was no smell of blood, but people felt like they identally stepped into a ughter house.

    It was a massacre. A massacre created by the snare.

    Shao Xuan felt that he now had a slight understanding of the ¡°Lethal Trap¡± Dao that Old Ke had told him about.

    However, this was merely a half-done snare, which could only be considered as an iplete chain trap. Hence it was an iplete ¡°Massacre¡±, and could not reach the state of lethality that Old Ke mentioned.

    If there were enough white threads, Shao Xuan could totally have made a more constrained trap. Atst it would form a in the center, simr as the one that trapped the Wind Ball. However, the Fire Lance was toorge in the scale, and there were two of them. With theck of material, Shao Xuan could only make a half-assed snare that could only circle half around the two Fire Lances.

    However, right now, it was more than enough to just take care of the urgent problem they were facing at hand.

    The broken white threads flew down lightly while swaying in the air. ¡°Blood drops¡± fell down on the ground after the blossom, while broken parts of the vines were tossed up and then headed down towards the ground¡­

    A moment earlier, the Fire Lances were aggressively blustering. But now, they were badly wounded and droopy.

    They had been chopped on the vines several times earlier before they were seriously injured by the snare. One of the Fire Lances quickly collected all its broken and half broken vines together and drilled down into the ground like a screw. The earth shook for some moments and then became calm again, while the Fire Lance disappeared.

    The other Fire Lance was not so badly wounded as the first one, but still, it was no longer obsessed with intertwining with the warriors as well, and drilled into the ground a momentter. Perhaps it felt dread by the earlier attack, or perhaps it just lost its appetite for fighting.

    The rumbling battlefield quieted down again, with broken branches and red liquid everywhere on the ground.

    Shao Xuan was breathing heavily, as the totem strength in his body was running crazily. He almost reached his limit when he was setting the trap, and all his strength was used up by the final strike. Due to the overuse of his totem strength, his arms, shoulders and legs all felt extremely sore after all was done. He had to finish setting the trap as quickly as he could. Earlier he did not feel it, but after he rxed, his fingers began to tremble uncontrobly. He estimated that the trembling wouldn¡¯t stop for a long time.

    Shao Xuan waspletely worn out and he did not want to keep standing anymore. He shook off the red liquid on his feet, before he looked around and found a bucket-thick branch right behind him. It was broken by the Fire Lances earlier. Shao Xuan directly sat down on the branch, ignoring that there was still red liquid on its surface. Also, he put down the stone box that he had been holding in his arms all along.

    The sound of the stone box touching the ground brought people back to their senses.

    Tuo looked at the chaos on the ground and then looked at Shao Xuan as he was resting. Before he could ask Shao Xuan anything, his arm was grasped by Keke. Tuo was still quite nervous from the earlier shock, so he was frightened by Keke¡¯s sudden grasp as well. He felt that his arm became the Fire Lance¡¯s vine, while Keke was about to strangle him as the thread. He almost pped on Keke¡¯s hand reflexively.

    ¡°Wh¡­What?!¡± Tuo shook off Keke¡¯s hand from his arm, and he wanted to shake off the creepy feeling of being strangled like the Fire Lances as well.

    ¡°Er¡­I¡¯m getting cold feet now.¡± Keke¡¯s face was twisted. It was rarely seen this bold lubber getting scared like that. A short while ago he was standing near the edge of the snare, and he nned to chop down one of the vines then. However, before he could do that, he saw the massacre in person. Some vines near him spilled their ¡°blood¡± all over Keke¡¯s body. Unlike the pleasure he felt while chopping on the vines himself, this time it gave him the creeps.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, what was that?¡± Tuo calmed himself down while down and then asked.

    The others all stared at Shao Xuan at the question.

    ¡°That? Well, it¡¯s a trap.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    Tuo and the others were reluctant to believe that. What kind of traps could behave like that?

    Shao Xuan did not give any further exnation.

    In fact, those kinds ofrge-scaled traps and snares did exist in early times, and some warriors in the tribe would use them constantly. However, Old Ke had said that out of the pursuit and admiration for physical strength, people gradually abandoned the skill. Also, since the ferocious beasts grew stronger as time went by, efficient traps required higher quality raw materials, which were not so easy to find. Later on, some more experienced trap-setters chose not to use those traps and snares. So even fewer skills got passed down through generations.

    Looking up at the sky, people noticed that almost all the tall branches were sshed down on the ground, and there was a big ¡°window¡± above their heads.

    Beneath the blue sky, the broken branches and sawdust had fallen down already, and there were only light white threads dancing in the wind.

    Shao Xuan reached out his hand and caught a piece of it. The broken white thread was only half its original length. The big roll of the white thread had been broken into small pieces, although that they were tied with each other earlier. Most of them became small ends like that.

    It was not real steel wire after all, and it was reasonable enough that it was broken like that.

    If the white thread had been more tenacious, or if Shao Xuan was given enough time when setting the trap, it would close faster, so as to cut the vines in a split-second, avoiding the sshing of the ¡°blood¡±. Then it would¡¯ve been a certain kill for sure.

    Of course, just because the thread of white hairs had its limit and ws, the visual effects and shock it created became much stronger.

    Ta and the others weren¡¯t the only ones that were stunned. Shao Xuan himself was shocked as well.

    He literally did not expect to see such results.

    This was the first time that he set such a big-scaled snare, and it was more powerful than he thought. Luckily he had the white thread prepared. However, it was such a pity that the materials were difficult to obtain, just as Old Ke had said.

    Ta glimpsed at Shao Xuan with aplicated expression, and then called on the others to clean up the battle field. The broken vines were neither edible nor listed on the animal skin roll, so they were tossed away.

    As for the red liquid on the ground¡­Ta did not mind it at all.

    Fire Lance was a ¡°predator¡± in this forest, and the blood of the predator would send a natural signal of danger to the other species, until the ¡°blood¡± disappears in the future.

    Fortunately, the giant tree that they slept on yesterday remained unharmed. Earlier, they were some distance away from the tree in order to search for the Green Thief seedlings. Then, they became even further away when fighting with the Fire Lances. There were only a few traces of whips and pierced holes on the trunk. The ce they used to sleep at night was still there at least.

 Chapter 82 â€“ The bird eggs

    Chapter 82 ¨C The bird eggs

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ording to Ta¡¯s theory, once badly wounded, nts like the Fire Lance would not approach them again for a short period of time. Also, its blood could prevent other creatures froming close. So temporarily, the tree hole was safe. In fact, it was a lot safer than it was previously.

    Many spected that those two Fire Lances wereing after them for the Green Thief. Because of that, Ta didn¡¯t waste any time. He took a few warriors to the marsh pool and brought back some mud. They covered the stone box containing the adult Green Thief with ayer of mud. After that, they used a tree leaf with a refreshing fragrance to wrap it up and finally tied it tightly with straw rope. By doing that, they could hide most of the Green Thief¡¯s smell. This was the same method used in the past when they found nts with strong smells. Although it was very difficult for humans to smell the scent of the Green Thief, some nts and animals had their own special ways to sense it. In any case, taking a few protective measures was also good.

    Now, no one would belittle Shao Xuan again. Even though they still felt that setting traps were merely some little tricks, nobody could deny the benefit they had gained from it. And so, Shao Xuan was treated with a much better attitude by the others.

    Perhaps it was true that Shao Xuan had the blessings of ancestors, which helped them to find the Green Thief. Meanwhile, Shao Xuan¡¯s own skills could not be ignored. At least in the eyes of the group, Shao Xuan had many more aplishments than most of the newly-awakened warriors back in the tribe so far.

    After resting for some time, Ta took a few warriors to go search nearby, hoping they would be lucky enough to find more Green Thief seedlings, while Shao Xuan climbed up a tree following Tuo and Keke. The tree hole was in the middle of the trunk. Above it, different kinds of birds inhabited the treetops where there was lush foliage. Although they were not big, with the biggest one only one meter in wing expanse, however, they wererge in numbers. So normally, the advance group wouldn¡¯t mess with them for no reason.

    But because of the earlier fierce battle, many birds were scared away. Basically, all the birds that were usually guarding or resting in their nests were scared off by the crossfire. So when the warriors got back to the tree hole, Shao Xuan followed Tuo and Keke to rob the nests, and they collected many bird eggs.

    When eating bird eggs in this ce, Ta and the rest always ate them raw.

    Shao Xuan took out three bird eggs from one nest, but oddly, they did not look alike at all, even though they were from the same nest. The biggest one wasrger than an adult¡¯s fist, while the smallest one was the size of a normal chicken¡¯s egg from his past life. They were in different colors as well. One was purple red, one was covered by blue and white dots, while thest one was in the color of khaki, with circling patterns on it.

    ¡°Are they all edible?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    Keke looked back, ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve tried them all.¡±

    ¡°How can one nest have different eggs?¡± Shao Xuan carefully put the eggs in his animal skin bag, and he had also put a lot of tree leaves.

    ¡°Perhaps the bird stole the eggs from elsewhere.¡± Keke did not seem to care.

    ¡°Stolen?¡± Shao Xuan was surprised.

    ¡°Of course! With their size, how can theyy such big eggs? The bird from this nest can only grow this big.¡± Keke gestured the size with his hands, ¡°How could a tiny bird like that produce fist-sized eggs? It¡¯s not possible! But that kind of bird has long, thin talons, convenient to steal eggs from the other birds.¡±

    ¡°All the bird eggs here are stolen?¡± Shao Xuan was shocked one more time.

    ¡°They must be.¡± Keke was positive.

    There¡¯s a saying that things of a kind gather, birds of a feather flock together. These were all egg-stealing birds, regardless of their different species. They lived together because they did not worry about the eggs in the nests being stolen by others, for they were not their own eggs! They wouldn¡¯t feel heartbroken when losing them, anyway.

    Thinking about that, these birds must have their own secret ces toy their own eggs. It should be somewhere concealed, or they must have had some unique way to reproduce.

    When collecting the eggs, Shao Xuan noticed that there were many eggs that were pecked to pieces. Some broken eggs had some leftover egg white, while in some broken eggs there were remains of the baby birds. It turned out that all those eggs were stolen to be used as food.

    When Shao Xuan filled up his animal skin bag, he climbed back down to the tree hole. Ta and the others had been searching for a long time, but none of them could find another Green Thief seedling. They were probably taken away by other creatures. Judging from the behavior of the Fire Lances, the Green Thief was indeed in hot demand. Luckily, Shao Xuan¡¯s trap caught the Green Thieves at night, and they got up early enough to find them before they were snatched away.

    In the meantime, it could be spected that it was highly likely that most of the creatures interested in the Green Thief were diurnal ones, while the nocturnal creatures had no special interest in the Green Thief.

    No matter what, they were fortunate enough to have caught the adult Green Thief and some seedlings.

    ¡°Boss, would the Green Thief seedling die soon after picking them up?¡± Ah-Suo looked at the few turquoise seedlings and shared his worry with the others.

    The others quickly understood Ah-Suo¡¯s point. They had been in simr situations before. When they picked up a seedling from the soil, it would die quickly, no matter how careful they were, even if they used soil to wrap it. The shelf life of a seedling was much shorter than a grown one¡¯s.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we eat the seedlings now? Or it would be a huge waste.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! I agree. What if we wake up tomorrow morning and then find that all the seedlings have died? The seedlings are not adults after all. They can¡¯t be kept for long!¡±

    Everyone gathered together and discussed. If it were other nts in the past, they wouldn¡¯t be so nervous. But it¡¯s the Green Thief for God¡¯s sake! It had not showed its existence in hundreds of years! Any waste of the seedling would be a huge loss!

    Finally, Ta decided that they would share the six seedlings at hand now.

    Ta thought about waiting until they reunited with the other small group, but he could feel the life fading as he held the Green Thief seedlings in his hands.

    Ta pulled down half a leaf and swallowed it first. He was the strongest warrior in the crowd, as well as the leader of their group. So he intended to try it on himself first and then give the seedlings to the others after he had confirmed of its safety.

    The warriors stared at Ta. They watched him swallow down the half leaf, and none of them even blinked, for fear that they might miss anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Boss? Feeling anything?¡± Ah-Suo asked eagerly.

    Ta carefully checked his body, but he shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t feel anything, except that I¡¯m a little less tired.¡±

    The group was disappointed. But even then, they still shared the six seedlings eventually. Shao Xuan got a whole leaf. It was arger share than the others, but no oneined about it. Calcting the credit, Shao Xuan¡¯s share was more than the othersbined. If not for the rules of the hunting team that all prey must be shared in the group, Shao Xuan could have kept the Green Thief to himself. Just like thest time when he killed the Thorn ck Wind, the Green Thief could have been kept by him as his game.

    Hence, the team knew at heart that they were the ones who had profited from Shao Xuan¡¯s victory. They nned on hunting down more ferocious animals for Shao Xuan on their way back.

    The sun set quickly. The sounds of the birds chattering had halved, as not many birds had returned to the nests. They had other nests in other ces. When one nest was endangered, they would hide in other nests until the danger passes.

    Before darkness fell, Keke asked Shao Xuan to set another trap nearby, to see if they could capture any other creatures. There was no white thread left, so Shao Xuan could only rece it with thin vines and straw ropes.

    But Shao Xuan had the feeling that tonight they won¡¯t have anymore gains.

    When night came, instead of preparing to go to sleep, everyone unexpectedly squeezed in front of the tree hole.

    ¡°Why am I feeling that the seedling is taking effect?¡± Tuo looked at a minor bulge, which was about ten meters away from the tree hole and said excitedly.

    ¡°I feel that too!¡±

    ¡°Although not very clearly, I can indeed see further than before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! This is just a seedling. What if someone ate the big one? Could he move around freely at night then?¡±

    Even Ta could not achieve the state to move around freely at night. Without night vision like the nocturnal ferocious beasts, movement would obviously be restricted in the darkness.

    The effect brought by the Green Thief seedlings was a pleasant delight to them all, but they would not keep it to themselves. They would take the Green Thief in the stone box safe and whole back to the tribe, right into the hands of the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan admired the Shaman more because of that. All the warriors adhered to the principles, even when they were faced with huge temptation. This was all from the Shaman¡¯s teachings.

    That night seemed to be extremely quiet. Everyone had sweet dreams, while the night guards paid extra attention to the traps below. They all wished to catch more Green Thieves.

    Shao Xuan had a good sleep that night, but he didn¡¯t have any dreams. No flowing green light entered his dream.

    Early the next morning, all warriors hurried down the tree to see Shao Xuan¡¯s traps before sunrise. Aside from Shao Xuan¡¯s trap, the other people who knew about setting traps also made a few snares. However, they were disappointed today. Nothing was captured. However, the ground which was previously covered in red was reced by green. Grass grew dense and high to people¡¯s knees overnight. The ¡°blood¡± of the Fire Lances became their nutrition.

 Chapter 83 â€“ Going back

    Chapter 83 ¨C Going back

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°Ku Sha Roots, Flowing Blood Leaf, the Seven-Forked Palm, Blood Veins Flowers¡­¡±

    While Ta, Tuo, and the others were counting the nts that they had already captured, Shao Xuan was counting the days that they had been out hunting. If you calcted carefully, you¡¯ll realize that it was time for them to head back home, for every hunting trip had its time limit.

    Ever since they had captured the Green Thief, people in the hunting group would always set a few traps before night fell. However, there was no harvest at all. No useful thing was caught ever since. It was indeed pure luck that helped them capture the Green Thief the other night.

    Meanwhile, for the days after, Shao Xuan had been following the team here and there all day long. He was not so helpful with the tasks, given his fighting ability. However, he required no babysitting from the others. In fact, Shao Xuan was more than helpful to the team since he could take care of himself.

    These days, Shao Xuan had encountered quite a lot of mysterious things. One time, they almost confronted the Tearers when they were trying to find a nt called the Seven-Forked Palm.

    The Seven-Forked Palm was an odd nt. When it senses danger, it would close up the thick bark-like leaves, and warp its core into a hard solid pinecone, while secreting some Tearer-attracting liquid. If the hunting group had been hesitant for even a second, they would have been besieged by arge group of Tearers.

    Meanwhile, Tuo had finished the counting.

    ¡°Compared with the harvest from ourst hunting trip, this we found two kinds of nts less,. However, this time we found the Wind Ball and the Green Thief, which are iparable, thus guarantees this time¡¯s hunting mission to be a huge sess.¡±

    Judging from his facial expression, Ta was also quite relieved. Indeed, they had achieved more in this hunting trip. ¡°We¡¯ll count the species again when we reunite with Ah-Wei. Perhaps they have found the other two species.¡±

    Wei was a senior totem warrior who was almost the same age as Ta. Since the advance group was divided into two smaller hunting groups, he led the other two dozen warriors.

    Ta then said to the others, ¡°Let¡¯s get some rest today. Tomorrow we will return.¡±

    ¡°Understood, boss!¡± said the people. They already felt quite eager to go back home, and they looked forward to sharing their experiences with the other teammates in the advance group, as well as their rtives in the tribe.

    Shao Xuan also couldn¡¯t wait to go back home, but not because of the Green Thief. He wanted to head back soon because he had some bird eggs in his animal skin bag.

    There were about a dozen bird eggs remaining from that day and he put them in his animal skin bag. The others in the advance group were not so interested in the bird eggs. When they encountered the Tearers the other day, Keke had thrown out all his remaining eggs as bait. The Tearers dieted on bird eggs too. Shao Xuan also threw some eggs out, but before he came out, he left some eggs back in the tree holes. Now they were the only ones he had.

    Today, instead of staying in the tree hole, they were staying in a new ce for the night. In order to find the nts on the animal skin roll, they had to sleep at different locations. The other night they were sleeping in some leaves, which meant that they had to roll the leaf with themselves inside, and spend the night while in that leaf. The nts leaves were ham-like. Although they were supposed to be pointing up to the sky, twenty-one of its leaves were rolled up and hung there. Each leaf roll had a person sleeping inside.

    Tuo said that the peculiar nt had a repellent effect against bugs, and it was also on their hunting list. Warriors would roll themselves up with its giant leaves when they could not find a proper shelter to stay at night. By doing that, they could avoid being attacked by the nocturnal insects. However, it was not doable in the day, for the leaves on that nts would always be hard and impossible to roll during daylight.

    This was a very fancy experience for Shao Xuan. As for the bird eggs in his animal skin bag¡­well, he nned to bring them out as an experiment.

    Most of the nts would die when brought out of this forest. Then what would happen to the bird eggs?

    The nts in here were quite abnormal, would the insects and bugs also be peculiar since they diet on the nts? Furthermore, could it be spected that the birds should be more special, since they diet on the fruits and insects? Perhaps the birds contain more nutritional value or medicinal efficacy? Then what about their eggs?

    The shelf life of raw eggs was longer than the cooked ones. Shao Xuan did not cook those odd-looking bird eggs as well, since he assumed the same theory would work for them.

    The second day, Ta led the group to run back to the rendezvous, where they met the other hunting group. Someone was wounded on their side. Luckily, it was not severe.

    The other twenty warriors were totally stunned when they heard about the Green Thief, with their eyes fixed on the stone box covered by the leaves. They wanted to open it and see for themselves, however, all of them knew it at heart that it was not the time.

    They took a lift on the backs of the giant dragonflies when they came here from the top of the mountain, and they would be needing their assistance on their way back.

    When the sun almost set, all warriors in the advance group waited at some ce. One of them climbed up high on the top of some tall nt to scout the location of the army of dragonflies. After all, each return route was not absolutely fixed.

    ¡°Over there! Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Hurry, hurry, hurry! Or we won¡¯t make it today! We don¡¯t want to wait until tomorrow!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not have to carry those boxes with nts inside, instead, all his luggage was in his animal skin bag. Sopared to the others, he could travel light.

    At that time, all of the warriors hurriedly ran towards the direction of the dragonflies in order to catch the lift in time. Shao Xuan felt like as if he were in his former life, catching a bus. s!

    People climbed up the tall nts quickly, and tied asso with the straw ropes they had at hand. When the dragonflies were passing above their heads, they would toss thessos to catch the dragonfly¡¯s legs. When a warrior was pulled up in the air, he would seize the opportunity to jump down on another dragonfly¡¯s back when there was one below him. If they hung too long in the air, warriors would be easily hit by other dragonflies¡¯ wings.

    When they almost reached the mountain, the dragonflies began to p their wings to fly up high. All objects on the ground quickly became smaller, for they were flying up.

    On the greennd behind them, leaves on the tall nts began to close up, as well as the flower blossoms. All kinds of sounds indicated that night was about to fall.

    ¡°Careful when you jump and don¡¯t be hit by the wings!¡± Ta shouted at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    When the dragonflies reached the cliff, Shao Xuan ran to the dragonfly¡¯s tail quickly, and found a chance to jump down. He used his stone knife to stab into the stone to slow down his speed sliding down along the cliff, until he found a rtively smooth ce that he could stand on.

    ¡°Move it! Everybody move a little!¡±

    Bam!

    The dragonfly that Keke rode flew higher than before, which made him almost hit the cliff when jumping down. He had to make a few rolls beforending on the ground. Although it was not a safending, Keke managed to protect the stone box with nts well enough. When he got back up on his feet, people saw that his face was twisted from pain.

    When all of them jumped down andnded on the ground, the army of giant dragonflies flew over the mountain and headed to the pond, where they would be spending the night at.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You should get a good rest, for it will be very busy in theing days.¡± Said Ta.

    However, people were too excitedly talking about the Green Thief. None of them had much sleep.

    On the next day when they left the mountain, did Shao Xuan finally understand what exactly Tuo meant when he said ¡°Nothing can be taken away from here¡±.

    When the greennd could not be seen in their sight anymore, the big fresh tree leaf that wrapped the Green Thief¡¯s stone box was withering at a macroscopic speed. It was turning yellow and bing chips as Shao Xuan stared at it.

    The mud that was on the stone box¡¯ surface could not block the smell of the Green Thiefpletely. And to people¡¯s frustrations, many ferocious beasts seemed to be particrly obsessed with the Green Thief.

    Originally, people in the advance group nned to teach Shao Xuan a thing or two on their way back, and perhaps to hunt down some food to bring back. But in fact, they were too busy to even talk to each other the whole way.

    In order to protect the Green Thief, warriors of the advance group fought their way back. While in order to get back to the tribe sooner, they did not take any game with them. The longer they stayed, the more difficult situation they would put themselves in.

    At first, people would kill whatever kinds of ferocious beasts who came after the Green Thief, regardless of how many of them were approaching.

    Want to steal the Green Thief? No way! Go fuck off and die!

    But gradually, people changed their strategy.

    What? Some more ferocious beasts areing after the Green Thief? How many of them? Run, just run!

    People in the advance group had never felt so embarrassed before. In the past, they could conveniently do some hunting and take back a few souvenirs from the game. However, this time they had neither the time, nor the mood.

    Everyone had an intense smell of blood on their bodies, and all the blood belonged to some high-level ferocious beasts. They had no time to wash their faces, orb their hairs. Some of them were even more sloppy than children in the orphan cave. The blood became blocks of coagtions, and then became blood powders when they were dried in the air.

    Even at night, they were constantly attacked. It was unspeakably miserable.

    People suffered from theck of the sleep, and they became extremely tired, for they had to run and fight at the same time along the way. Fortunately, the average ability of the advance group was quite good. If it were the other normal hunting groups, they would have likely lost some people along the way.

    Just because of that, Shao Xuan once again became an alien, for he could restore his strength and energy after just a short rest.

    The others were all looking at Shao Xuan in a strange way.

    Shao Xuan took a look at his animal skin bag, and noticed that most of the bird eggs were fine. He had put some dried leaves and grass into the bag, and only one of the eggs was broken since they set off.

    There was a rule in the advance group, that aside from the target objects, all game could be kept by the one who did the hunting. So, people didn¡¯t say a word about Shao Xuan carrying the bird eggs. They had no interest in those eggs, for they had had enough of them when they were searching for the target objects on the hunting list. Also, the whole time, they had quite a variety of fruits. And it had been days since they had any cooked meat on their diet. Now meat was avable again, no one cared for bird eggs any more. However, when people were chewing on the cooked meat, they behaved as if they were dieting on their sworn enemies. Loud noises were made while they ate, and perhaps they were cursing the approaching ferocious beasts even in their dreams.

 Chapter 84 â€“ Coming home

    Chapter 84 ¨C Coming home

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When the different hunting groups in the hunting team were supposed to meet up, the advance group was usually the first to reach the ce. They needed to build a new wooden box to contain all the nts and herbs that they had collected. Because of the Green Thief, the entire advance group hurried back, directly arriving a whole day before the other hunting groups.

    Despite finally reaching the rendezvous point, the exhausted warriors did not have much time to rest. After chopping down quite a few trees, they made a wooden box the size of a carriage, and put all the nts and herbs inside, before sealing it from the outside. They used vines to tie the box tight, and then covered it with leaves and other simr things. No one could see what was inside, and insects and other pests were prevented from getting in.

    When they had finished packing up the nts, the advance group divided into two groups. One group stayed behind to guard the nts, while the other group went hunting. They would take turns so that they would all have a chance to hunt down some game. After all, they had been out for almost twenty days, so they should at least bring something back home. Or else what would they be eating for the next dozens of days? Besides, they needed something to drag back when they walked on the path of glory, otherwise it would be embarrassing.

    There were not many high-level ferocious beasts near the rendezvous, so they did not worry that the storage area would meet any unbeatable dangers. In the first ce, the rendezvous spot was located near the mountaintop, so there were fewer animals around.

    Shao Xuan wanted to tag along with the first group to go hunting. Ta agreed seeing that he was in good spirits. Anyway, the ferocious beasts nearby weren¡¯t so dangerous, so the other warriors in the hunting group would be able to protect him well even if something happened.

    One dayter, the other hunting groups began reaching the meeting spot.

    Mai¡¯s hunting group was the second one to arrive out of the five hunting groups. It seemed that they had a good harvest this time, for the facial expressions on the warriors¡¯ faces were quite joyful.

    ¡°How¡¯s the advance group, Ah-Xuan? You look well!¡± Lang Ga pped Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder as heughed. However, his smile froze right away when he set his eyes on the other warriors in the advance group.

    Not only Lang Ga, the other warriors in other hunting groups all spected that perhaps the advance group had encountered some massive disaster after seeing the state they were in.

    After quite a few days of endless running and killing, they were busy building the box and packing the nts when they finally arrived at the rendezvous. Aside from that, they had to go down the mountain for hunting in order to maintain their status and reputation in the team. Hence they could not choose the easy targets and thus they had no time to rest properly.

    The forty warriors were divided into two groups, and those groups took turns going down the mountain to hunt. All the rest they had was fromst night, but a single night¡¯s sleep was not enough for them to recover their fatigue. Naturally, they were a mess when the others came to the rendezvous. Even after a quick clean up, they were still a mess.

    When had the advance group been as embarrassed as they were now? The others had all kinds of spections. At least, from the time they were awakened and joined the hunting team, they had never seen the advance team in such a state, as if they had experienced an inhuman torture.

    As for the reason for that¡­people could not help butpare the differences in this hunting trip.

    The only difference was that ¨C Shao Xuan had tagged along with the advance group.

    The other kids had originally been soaking in the happiness of participating in the first hunting mission in their lives and discussing their experiences with other newly-awakened warriors. However, now they whispered to each other about Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Look! The warriors in the advance group are all so tired, they must have had to protect Shao Xuan! However, Shao Xuan is totally fine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. He must have been a huge liability.¡±

    ¡°So what if he had been blessed by the ancestors? Good fortune can¡¯t be at his disposal all the time. In fact, he is lucky enough to havee back safely.¡±

    ¡°Well, judging by the situation now, I suppose he will not be allowed to tag along with the advance group next time.¡±

    ¡°s, it would have been better if he had just stayed humble and stayed in the small hunting groups like we all did. He is not old enough, nor strong enough for the advance group after all. He is only a junior totem warrior like us, but he wanted to tag along with the strongest group.¡±

    The kids were not the only party that had such thoughts. The others in the hunting team all shared the same thoughts. All the people in the advance group except Shao Xuan seemed to be worn out and exhausted, just like the other experienced warriors who had to do their best to protect the newbies in the team. So it was reasonable that they got this tired because of Shao Xuan¡¯s existence in their group.

    Of course, the ce that the advance group goes to for hunting would be much more dangerous, and any slight mistake could result in severe consequences and different oues. Shao Xuan was the only unstable factor this time.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said that they shouldn¡¯t have allowed Shao Xuan to join the advance group.¡± Someone whispered.

    ¡°The warriors in the advance group must have tried real hard to protect the kid, Shao Xuan. Look at their exhausted faces! I¡¯ve never seen them like that!¡±

    ¡°It seems that the advance group had run into some real trouble this time!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­to have been tortured like that¡­Even the game was a lot less¡­¡±

    ¡°I think that my boy is no worse than Ah-Xuan, ha-ha. Perhaps he¡¯ll be recruited into the advance group some day in the future!¡±

    ¡°Perhaps someone in the advance group liked this kid Ah-Xuan, given that he had hunted some nice beastsst time. Perhaps he wanted to marry his daughter to him, so he specially recruited Ah-Xuan to the advance group!¡±

    ¡°Stop making things up! The team leader has no daughter!¡±

    ¡°But the others have daughters!¡±

    ¡°Hey, listen, do you think that the others in the advance group are nning to kick Ah-Xuan¡¯s ass when we get back to the tribe?¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha, probably.¡±

    It was not known who had said what, but all of them began tough aloud. However, theughter did not remain for long before their faces gradually froze. Because they noticed that the forty people in the advance group were staring in their direction, as if looking at morons.

    If people in the advance group weren¡¯t too tired to move, they would already have headed over and kicked their butts!

    Ah-Xuan was useless?

    Have you seen the traps that thed sets? Have you seen the kid capturing the Green Thief? Have you seen the kid cutting down two Fire Lances and soak the ground with their ¡°blood¡± in one move? You don¡¯t even know anything so what are you bbering about?!

    They couldn¡¯t help but recall the past when they had mocked Shao Xuan themselves. In the end, they got pped in the face just two days after entering the green forest.

    They had suffered a lot? Well, if they could have the chance to capture the Wind Ball and the Green Thief, they would very willingly suffer every day!

    As for the troubles they had encountered along the way, there was even less to say. Everything had its price. Since they had found something as precious as the Green Thief, it was worth it to spend much more effort. Ever since they first joined the advance group, they had mentally prepared to pay the price to be elites.

    Tortured? If they could find more rare nts on the animal skin roll, get to eat things like the Green Thief, and encounter all those wonderful treasures, they would wholeheartedly ept this torture every day!

    Seeing that the expressions of the warriors in the advance group were not good, the leaders of the small hunting groups all red at the ones who were chatting, warning them to stop.

    Aside from the warriors in the advance group, no one knew that it was Ta who approached Shao Xuan first to ask him to join the advance group. The others did not know that Shao Xuan had made no such request, so naturally they had all kinds of ideas. But there were some nimbler minds who had guessed that the real situation must have been moreplicated. However, no matter what the advance group went through, it was not something they could gossip about.

    ¡°Not having the ability and still mocking others.¡± Lang Ga sneered at those who were chatting with a look of despise.

    ¡°What did you say?!¡± Someone in the other crowd stood up suddenly. Being unable to do anything about the advance group didn¡¯t mean they were unable to touch him!

    ¡°I called you losers, so what?¡± Lang Ga was not afraid either.

    A few other warriors in the same hunting group stood up together with Lang Ga. They had a pretty good impressions of Shao Xuan. Whether it was because of the blessing of the ancestors or not, they felt that Shao Xuan was a good warrior. That was reason enough.

    The two hunting groups were only one second from fighting each other, when the team leader shouted out, ¡°Shut up, all of you!¡±

    Ta swept both groups with a cold look and said in an icy voice, ¡°Whoever talks again should forget about the next hunting trip.¡±

    People on both sides immediately quieted down, for the team leader had the right to pick the ones who could attend the next hunting trip.

    When Lang Ga was walking back to his hunting group¡¯s resting spot, he saw Shao Xuan waving at him from the advance group¡¯s spot. Earlier he had a face full of dissatisfaction but now he showed a big smile to Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan¡¯s gestures were telling him that he had something good for him when they get back home.

    When all the hunting groups had gathered, Ta led all of them back to the tribe.

    ¨C Inside the tribe ¨C

    Old Ke was sitting on a piece of stone in the training ground with his hand on his cane, looking thoughtful.

    Suddenly, he heard something and looked up. It turned out to be Caesar, running towards him with a stone coated with grass juice in his mouth.

    After Shao Xuan left, Old Ke had not stopped Caesar¡¯s training. He trained Caesar with Shao Xuan¡¯s methods. He had to admit that the kid¡¯s methods worked pretty well, and Caesar was making obvious progress. He could quickly find and fetch things even when you threw them extremely far away.

    As a reward, Old Ke tossed Caesar a piece of meat. Before he could say anything, he saw someone running back to the tribe, shouting that the hunting team was returning.

    Counting the days, it should be about time for the hunting team to return.

    Old Ke could not wait any longer. After Caesar finished eating his piece of meat, he sat on the wolf¡¯s back and gently tapped on his head, ¡°Go back home, quickly, Ah-Xuan¡¯s about to return!¡±

    At first Caesar was reluctant to head back, but as soon as he heard Shao Xuan¡¯s name, he began to run quickly, even refusing to listen to Old Ke¡¯smand to slow down.

    The wounded had already been sent back to the tribe, and when Old Ke had reached the tribe, there were plenty of people standing along the Path of Glory with their necks stretched, waiting.

    Finally, figures appeared in the distance, and the man standing at the mountain foot whistled to signal to the awaiting people.

    When the hunting team finally set foot on the Path of Glory, the people along the road began to cheer wildly. This time, some families had children who were participating in their first hunt, so all the members of these families were present to wee their return.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan remained unscratched, Old Ke was relieved atst. However, when he gazed at the others in the advance group, his heart leaped a little. With his keen eyes, he could easily discover that the status of the warriors in the advance group was not normal.

    He recalled the time when Shao Xuan said ¡°You can just rest assured¡± before he left. Old Ke¡¯s right hand clenched over his chest, unable to calm his racing heart. It seemed that every time Shao Xuan said ¡°You can just rest assured¡±, something big would happen¡­

 Chapter 85 â€“ Breaking through its shell

    Chapter 85 ¨C Breaking through its shell

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When they had returned to the tribe andpleted the sword cleansing rite, all the warriors in the hunting team descended the mountain and returned to their homes. Shao Xuan did not have many kills, so he could carry everything and leave the mountain directly.

    The Shaman didn¡¯t detain Shao Xuan to chat, as all his attention was focused on the Green Thief that was brought back by the advance group. But after the sword cleansing ritual, the Shaman had informed Shao Xuan that he would send someone to invite him to a talk in a few days.

    This time, the ferocious beasts that the advance group had hunted were less than before, the quality was also lower. However, their merit was the biggest. Unfortunately, the Green Thief could never be spoken about aloud, and only a few people in the tribe learnt about it. Moreover, those who knew were only those with high positions orrge contributions in the tribe. Mostmon people had no idea. The only thing they knew was that the advance group had made huge contributions this time.

    Most of the normal people wouldn¡¯t pry into the details of the advance group¡¯s contributions.

    They tended to care more about the harvests of their own families and friends. In regards to other people, they were nothing more than the topics of their gossip. Even though many residents were curious about the appearances of the advance group at first, they were no longer concerned once they returned home and busied themselves with processing the game.

    Shao Xuan rushed over to Old Ke¡¯s house once he had dragged the meat home, bringing some eggs and fresh meat along the way.

    As Shao Xuan travelled down the mountain, he delivered some bird eggs to Mai and Lang Ga. He had eaten his fill of them in the green forest, and the only reason he had brought some back was to allow the others to have a taste. He was curious to see if eggs from the green forest were different from those from other ces, and if they could be used for medicine.

    In Old Ke¡¯s room, Shao Xuan briefly described this trip¡¯s harvest. As there were some things that could not be shared, Shao Xuan instead described in great detail the white fur he had used in the traps.

    ¡°The white fur could be woven into a long white thread and is very suited to use in traps. It is a pity that it cannot be preserved for very long. I initially wanted to bring some back for you to take a look at, but it was all used up on the way back. We encountered some troubles, and after setting the traps, the used thread started deteriorating after a few days and lost its sticity, a single tug and it¡¯d break. By the time we reached the tribe, it had all disintegrated.¡±

    Although some of the terms that Shao Xuan used while exining felt very unfamiliar to Old Ke, he could still guess the meanings, and hence understood Shao Xuan¡¯s words.

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad.¡± Said Old Ke. Theck of good materials was also one of the reasons why trap setting skills were difficult to pass down.

    ¡°It would be good if someone discovered a way to bring them back whole.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Old Ke shook his head, ¡°You can¡¯t force that.¡±

    For Old Ke, all he wanted was to pass down the skills he had to someone suitable. Now that he had found Shao Xuan as his apprentice, he had no regrets. What¡¯s more, that Shao Xuan could tag along with the advance group and return safely, was proof of his luck and ability.

    ¡°What are those eggs?¡± Old Ke looked at the eggs that Shao Xuan had ced in the pot.

    ¡°I brought them back from the forest. People in the advance group often eat them, so I brought some back.¡±

    On hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s reply, Old Ke did not inquire further. Since Shao Xuan said that it was on the diet of the advance group, it should be something good.

    Shao Xuan kept three bird eggs for himself and gave the rest to Old Ke. After having dinner at Old Ke¡¯s ce, he brought Caesar back to his own cabin.

    Before sunset, Shao Xuan nned to treat the animal meat that he had brought back first.

    A stone pot was set in the room. After kindling the fire, Shao Xuan put the remaining three bird eggs into the stone pot. He wanted to cook them first before cutting them and bringing them to the orphan cave.

    Shao Xuan paid no mind to the pot after tossing the eggs in. Instead, he treated the animal meat outside his cabin. Otherwise the night swallows woulde to stir trouble after dark.

    Caesar was chewing a bone in his paws as he crouched beside the door. Suddenly, his ears twitched as he looked back at the stone pot inside. He listened carefully, and then ran towards the stone pot to look inside.

    There were three bird eggs in the stone pot, and each of them was the size of Shao Xuan¡¯s fist. They weren¡¯t the biggest amongst Shao Xuan¡¯s stock nor were they the smallest or the ones with the most patterns. These were merely in different colors.

    Shao Xuan put the meat in the stone trough for pickling before he noticed that Caesar was staring at the stone pot.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shao Xuan walked over and glimpsed inside the stone pot.

    Instantly he found that one of the eggs had cracks on its shell, and it was even trembling.

    What the fuck?!

    Shao Xuan reached in and scooped the broken egg directly from the stone pot. He held it in his palm and carefully examined it.

    Earlier there was only one crack on the shell. Luckily, Shao Xuan¡¯s quick actions prevented water from getting in. The crack on the shell became bigger and bigger, while sounds of chirping could be heard clearly.

    Very obviously, the chick was about toe out from its shell.

    Looking back at the stone pot, Shao Xuan used his other empty hand to take the other two bird eggs out.

    Fortunately, the stone pot had just been set up and the water was not too hot or the newborn bird would be directly cooked after spending a bit more time in the pot.

    None of the eggs that Shao Xuan brought back had had such circumstances. He had eaten quite a lot of them, and there had never been an embryo. When collecting those bird eggs, Shao Xuan had followed Keke¡¯s rules, only picking those that looked recently stolen. Normally there would be no baby bird inside. That was Keke¡¯s experience. It was not due to Keke having a warm heart or something. It was simply that it was not convenient to start a fire in the green forest and Keke did not like to eat raw baby birds.

    Recently stolen birds eggs were rtively cleaner than the rest, while the older eggs would have stains and other marks on their shells. The egg-stealing birds paid no attention to hygiene. Their nests were crude and simple. Often, bird droppings would fall from the nests above onto the nests below. Instead of shaking the eggs one by one Shao Xuan selected eggs that were clean.

    Also, under those circumstances, it did not really matter whether there were baby birds inside. Just like Keke had said, if you didn¡¯t feel like eating it, you could just throw it away. Previously, Shao Xuan had never encountered any eggs with forming embryos. Who knew, now he had.

    Having just skinned a few animals, Shao Xuan¡¯s hand was still bloody. In the palm of that bloodied hand, the crack on the egg grew bigger, and the sound of chirping grew louder. Shao Xuan could feel the egg¡¯s movement clearly in his hand. He stared at the egg and thought, if the chick can survive, he¡¯ll keep it as a chicken. He did not know whether it couldy eggs like chickens, but it won¡¯t be a problem, for he could always eat it after it grows bigger in a year.

    The broken egg shell got pushed away, and the baby bird inside gradually revealed its appearance.

    It was not like the chicks that Shao Xuan had seen in hisst life. The chick was wet all over with barely any down. Its eyes were still closed.

    There were two types of baby birds, those that matured early, and those that maturedte. Early maturing bird could open their eyes once they got out of their shell. It would be covered in soft down and could move around and eat food independently. However, thete maturing bird could not open its eyes after birth, and it had little fluff. Instead of feeding itself, it had to be nurtured by its parents.

    Apparently, the one on Shao Xuan¡¯s palm was one of thete maturing birds.

    Shao Xuan examined the beak of the hatchling on his hand, and noticed that it had a beak for eating meat.

    Probably the smell of blood on Shao Xuan¡¯s hand stimted the baby bird¡¯s nerves. It opened its mouth wide and pecked on Shao Xuan¡¯s palm. Perhaps it considered Shao Xuan¡¯s hand as food, only to discover that it could not swallow it.

    Shao Xuan looked around, and took out a piece of old rug made from animal skin and threw it over the stone table. He then ced the hatchling on the rug, before taking out a chunk of unsalted animal meat. He cut a slice off and tore it into smaller strips, using two thin branches to pick up a strap before putting it into the bird¡¯s beak.

    This chunk of animal meat was from the weakest amongst Shao Xuan¡¯s hunted preys, but it was not that weak. Shao Xuan had no idea whether the hatchling could bear the energy that it contained.

    Unexpectedly, the baby bird swallowed the meat strap directly, and opened its beak again, chirping for more.

    It seemed to be fine.

    Shao Xuan continued to feed it for a while before it finally closed its beak and fell asleep immediately after.

    Shao Xuan looked at the silent fledgling on the animal skin rug, and then shook the other two eggs beside his ears. There was no shaking sound, so he tossed them back into the stone pot for cooking.

    As for the new born baby bird¡­Shao Xuan shook his head. It was almost cooked, but luckily it broke its egg shell before being cooked.

 Chapter 86 â€“ A fighting chicken

    Chapter 86 ¨C A fighting chicken

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan had no idea what the bird would be like after it grew up, or what habits it would have, or whether it could fly in the future. Perhaps it was something like a chicken, or perhaps it would turn out to be some kind of raptor. If it was a chicken-like bird, then there would be no other use but to eat it as food. But if it turned out to be thetter, it could be trained as a hunting falcon. Even if not for hunting, it could be used as a lookout.

    Of course, it was too early for any of that now. Shao Xuan did not know the bird¡¯s potential yet. If it was useless, other people would kill it before Shao Xuan needed to do anything himself. After all, it was not Caesar. Caesar had the Shaman¡¯s marking te since he was a young wolf. Even if he had lost all his instincts and became docile, no one in the tribe would dare to harm him.

    There was an ice cave near the top of the mountain. A lot of people would store the unsalted meat inside the ice cave, but a part of the meat was handed in as remuneration.

    Shao Xuan also stored some meat inside the ice cave. He could not cure all the meat he had brought back, for Caesar did not like the salted ones. Also, it was not good for Old Ke¡¯s health if he kept eating the cured meat. Moreover, now he had a baby bird in his house, how could he feed them all with only salted meat?

    ¡°It¡¯s so troublesome!¡± Shao Xuan sighed. He could just abandon the baby bird, or toss it to Caesar as food. However, he felt that he should at least try raising it.

    Three dayster, the baby bird opened its eyes.

    It was much earlier than Shao Xuan¡¯s expectation. Originally, he thought that perhaps the bird would be like most of the birds he saw in hisst life, spending seven to ten days before opening their eyes. However, it only took the bird three days to open its eyes, and its body was much fluffier. But it could not walk yet. Once it felt hungry, it would open its beak wide while chirping loudly, as if it feared not being heard.

    Within those same three days, Shao Xuan had been doing stone crafting work in his own cabin. Now that he had some basic tools for stone crafting, he could finish most of the normal tools by himself at home. Old Ke would asionally drop by and check in on him. He told Shao Xuan to take a few days break, and make some tools while he had the time. Once he had replenished his stock, he could go to the training ground for more training.

    It only took Shao Xuan one night¡¯s sleep to restore his energy. During the three days, he had crafted quite a lot. Some tools could be used to set traps, while the others could be used for training. He even made a few moreplicated sets to be saved for the next hunting trip. He had decided to join Mai¡¯s hunting group for the next hunting mission.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡± someone shouted his name outside the door.

    The people who came were Tu and Jie Ba, who were currently in charge of the management of the orphan cave. They brought along four fishes for Shao Xuan. Since Shao Xuan would constantly send food and other things to the kids in the orphan cave, the kids would also bring Shao Xuan a few of their fresh catches.

    Most people would never return to the cave once they came out of it. For example, Ku was managing the orphan cave before Shao Xuan, but he never came back to visit ever since. However, those who had awakened together with Shao Xuan would asionally return. No matter whether they came back to show off their ability or kills, at the very least they did not cut their ties with the orphan cave. Of course, that was because Shao Xuan had brought along quite a few changes to the cave when he was in charge.

    No matter how the others behaved after leaving the orphan cave, Shao Xuan would bring food every time after he returned from a hunting trip. He had enough food for himself anyway, so it didn¡¯t hurt him to share with others. In return, the kids in the orphan cave were very grateful towards Shao Xuan. Their lives had changed a lot because of him, and they became much healthier.

    Shao Xuan did not reject their goodwill. Although fish was far from sufficient now for Shao Xuan in regards to the amount of energy it contained, but it was not bad to change tastes once in awhile.

    Every time Jie Ba and Tu came over, they could not hide their admiring gazes. It was indeed pretty awesome to have be a totem warrior. It meant owning one¡¯s own cabin, and hunting down more food. Growing was also faster! Previously, Shao Xuan was shorter than them, but after a short period of time being a totem warrior, he was even taller than Jie Ba, who was the tallest kid in the cave.

    ¡°Don¡¯t envy me, perhaps next year it will be your turn.¡± Shao Xuan handed a small chunk of salted meat to them, ¡°As per the usual rules, every person in the cave should only have a small piece. Do not eat more, eating too much will harm you.¡±

    Shao Xuan would give them the lowest grade animal meat, for they could not endure the high grade meat given their physiques. Also he would not give them much, for the kids could only absorb a little. In the past, the meat jerky that Mai and Lang Ga gave Shao Xuan was also made from the lowest grade meat. As for the meat from the Four-Fanged Wild Boar or the Thorn ck Wind, Shao Xuan would never let the kids in the orphan cave touch it. In the past, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know about the seriousness in this, but now that he knew, he would strictly regte the quality and amount of meat given.

    When Tu and Jie Ba had left, Shao Xuan lifted a fish and cut it into chunks. He tore some pieces and pressed them to the baby bird¡¯s beak. Just a moment ago its beak was open wide, but once the fish pieces were ced in front of it, it snapped shut tightly. When the fish was reced with animal meat, it opened its beak wide again.

    ¡°You are such a picky bastard!¡± Shao Xuan cursed.

    Shao Xuan lifted the fish and looked at Caesar as he squatted in a corner.

    Caesar looked at Shao Xuan and then at the fish he held in his hand. One momentter, he turned away and ignored both Shao Xuan and the fish in his hand.

    ¡°Shit! You both are picky bastards!¡±

    Originally he wanted to use the fish to feed the baby bird. However, judging by the current situation, the fish was despised by those two little bastards.

    On the seventh day, Shao Xuan had almost finished preparing the tools. He nned to go to the training ground with old Ke. After serious consideration, he decided to bring the baby bird along with him, as he didn¡¯t know what it would get up to if it was left behind.

    In fact, the baby bird was growing very fast and visible changes could be observed every day. Perhaps it was because the environment was special, so the bird grew quickly. Also, the bird had tenacious vitality. Shao Xuan had no experience with birds nor was he that attentive, but the bird grew healthily enough anyway. It had a good appetite, and would chirp for food after short naps.

    Now, the bird would not be staying all day in the nest that Shao Xuan made for it. Once Shao Xuan ignored it, it would crawl out and walk to the table¡¯s ends. If Caesar happened to be beside the table, the bird would just roll down from the table¡¯s end andnd on the wolf¡¯s back. Caesar was very much annoyed by such behavior, and for a few times, it almost killed the bird with his paws.

    Fortunately, Caesar knew how to follow the rules. He learnt that Shao Xuan wanted the bird to stay alive, so he tolerated the bird to behave like that. Or else it would already have be his snacks.

    Shao Xuan found that the bird did not only have a tenacious vitality, it was quite bold too. It was merely a few days¡¯ old, and now it dared to peck on Caesar¡¯s nose hard. Don¡¯t let it fool you by its young age, it had some strength. There were already quite a lot pecking marks on the branches that Shao Xuan used to feed it. Also, it was not afraid whennding on the wolf¡¯s back. Instead, it would keep pecking, and quite a few times, Caesar lost some fur to the bird. No one knew whether it was brave or stupid. Once it was kicked away by Caesar, but a momentter it came back and made trouble as usual.

    The baby bird was too noisy and it kept chirping all day. So Shao Xuan simply named it ¡°Chacha¡±.

    On the tenth day, the brown down on Chacha¡¯s body grew denser and thicker than before. Now Chacha could stand up and walk around. However, his walking was not so steady, and once he walked faster, he would fall on the ground.

    Just like the earlier days, Shao Xuan took Chacha and Caesar to Old Ke¡¯s ce, and headed down to the training ground with him.

    When Shao Xuan was doing the training, Old Ke would observe from afar, while babysitting the bird. Lately, the old man enjoyed toying with Chacha using a stone worm a lot.

    Chirpy had no taste for stone worms, but he liked pecking on them. Old Ke would hold a stone worm with branches and swing it in front of Chacha, while Chacha would extend his neck and lift his weak wings, so as to prepare himself into a battling mood, before he really charged forward to peck it. Soon enough, the stone worm between the branches in Old Ke¡¯s hands would be pecked to pieces.

    Shao Xuan went over there to have a rest after he had broken through a series of traps. He smiled when he saw the broken stone worm in the branches that Old Ke held.

    ¡°He¡¯s so aggressive, perhaps he¡¯s one of the fighting chickens, he would fight with whateveres in front of him.¡± But it was good to be aggressive, for it won¡¯t be starved to death if he got thrown out of the tribe, unless he wanted it himself.

    ¡°Fighting chicken?¡± Old Ke hesitated for a minute, and smiled, ¡°It¡¯s a good name. He would definitely be cooler than those chickens with beautiful tails in the forest!¡±

    Shao Xuan tried to search his memory about the ostrich-like pheasants he saw in the forest. If Chacha turned out to be the same size as those pheasants, and remained to be aggressive like this, he would not be allowed to stay in the tribe. Either he would be thrown outside far away, or be killed as food. The tribe would not allow such a creature to exist within.

    He should be well trained, no matter he bes a chicken or a falcon in the future.

    When he was came back in the afternoon, Shao Xuan encountered Tuo, who was on patrolling duty.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s you. I did not expect to see you, therefore I was about to ask someone else to deliver the message.¡± Said Tuo.

    ¡°The Shaman wants you toe up the mountain tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll go up the mountain tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something good.¡± Tuo whispered, and he gave him a ¡®knowing¡¯ look.

    The so called ¡®something good¡¯ must be about the Green Thief. Shao Xuan knew it at heart, so he left after saying thanks.

    When heading back, Shao Xuan opened the animal skin bag, and took a look at the napping bird inside, wondering whether he should take it with him when he goes to the mountaintop tomorrow.

 Chapter 87 â€“ The Shamanâ€™s blessing

    Chapter 87 ¨C The Shaman¡¯s blessing

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Going up the mountain the following day, Shao Xuan took the animal skin bag. He thought it would be better to inform the Shaman about him keeping the bird.

    The animal skin bag contained Chacha. That little one had been contained in the animal skin bag for so many times, that he had already gotten used to being carried like that. In fact, he remained silent inside.

    Residents up in the mountaintop were quite familiar with Shao Xuan, and some of them would even greet Shao Xuan once they saw him. Shao Xuan greeted them back one by one with a smile, no matter whether they were from Ta¡¯s hunting team, or from the other one.

    ¡°You came.¡±

    The Shaman was sitting inside the stone room, waiting for Shao Xuan. His smile grew bigger as he saw Shao Xuan enter. The wrinkles on his old face stretched all over his face.

    Actually, not everyone could receive the Shaman¡¯s nice attitude, let alone the fact that Shao Xuan was still pretty young. He was pretty much the only one of his peers who could be treated by the Shaman like that.

    There was no need to say more, and Shao Xuan walked in directly before sitting on a straw mattress.

    ¡°Chirp!¡±

    As Shao Xuan sat down, Chacha chirped inside the animal skin bag. Perhaps he had sensed the alien environment in the surroundings. When the animal skin bag touched the straw mattress, Chacha shouted out uneasily.

    Ever since Shao Xuan went inside, the Shaman had made quite a few glimpses at the animal skin bag that he carried. Now with the sound, the smile got reced by a puzzled expression on the Shaman¡¯s face.

    Shao Xuan reached inside and took Chacha out from the animal skin bag.

    Compared with the time when it was newly born, Chacha had grown much bigger now, and Shao Xuan could barely hold him with one hand.

    ¡°Tthis is¡­?¡± the Shaman stared at the baby bird that Shao Xuan held in his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s from a bird egg that I brought backst time.¡± Shao Xuan exined the whole story briefly, ¡°So I guess I can train him as an experiment. I can train Caesar, so I assume that I can do the same with Chacha.¡±

    The Shaman remained silent, ¡°¡­¡±

    Seeing that the Shaman remained to be puzzled, Shao Xuan hurriedly added, ¡°I mean, I can train Caesar into a hound, so perhaps I can train Chacha into a falcon. Old Ke had said that Chacha might be some aggressive predator, hence I would like to try training him. It may probably be useful while we hunt. Even if not for hunting, it can be an observer in our tribe, and warn us from the sky if danger approaches.¡±

    The Shaman looked down, with no other facial expression. He asked as calmly as ever, ¡°What if you fail to do that?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll kill it.¡± Shao Xuan had no hesitation about that, for he had lived long enough to know the rules in here.

    All those undisciplined ones would either be killed or be abandoned. Normally people in the tribe would tend to choose the former option, killing. It was more efficient and straightforward; less irresolute and hesitant. They had no meticulous emotions, so they acted in a rough and wild way.

    ¡°Good.¡± The Shaman smiled again, and this time, it was a more delightful smile than the first one when Shao Xuan entered the room. He seemed to be quite joyful.

    ¡°Let me take a look more closely.¡± Said the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan stretched his arm out and held Chacha below the Shaman¡¯s nose, so that he might have a closer look at the bird. Meanwhile, Shao Xuan prepared his other hand to defend in case that Chacha should want to peck on the person in front of him. The Shaman was one of the two people of the highest position among the whole tribe, and in fact, he had somehow a higher status than the Chief. There¡¯s no way that Shao Xuan would allow Chacha to offend the Shaman. If he really hurted the Shaman, he would definitely be skinned alive by other people in the tribe.

    However, to Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, Chacha behaved pretty well today. Except for the sudden scream he had made at first, he remained quiet, and nor was he about to peck on anything, or anyone.

    The Shaman stared at the baby bird as it was covered in fluff quietly, while Chacha stared at the man in front of him in silence.

    After a while, the Shaman lifted his dead-bark-like hand, and took out a palm-sized stone te from a short desk beside him. The stone te contained some ck powders. He reached out the other hand and soaked his index finger as well as his middle finger into the powders. After doing that, he used his thumb to twist on the index finger and middle finger, with the ck powders in between. Then, he made a half-fist without his thumb, and reached his half fist in front of Chacha.

    The Shaman tapped on Chacha¡¯s head with his thumb. It was a light tap, but a visible stain of ck quickly inked on Chacha¡¯s brown gray hair. However, Chacha did not dodge at all, he kept staring at the Shaman, very quiet, which surprised Shao Xuan a lot. That thing hadn¡¯t been so quiet ever since the day it hatched.

    No matter why the Shaman did what he did, Shao Xuan knew that the Shaman had permitted his deeds. In other words, the Shaman had given his permission on Shao Xuan keeping the bird in the tribe. Moreover, after being ¡°blessed¡± by the Shaman, no one would harm him even if he could not be tolerated in the tribe. No one would ever dare to kill him, and the worst case would be to abandon it.

    However, the Shaman did not stop after cing the stone te down. Instead, he took out a patterned te and passed it to Shao Xuan. It was the same patterned te that he gave Caesar earlier. Clearly it was for Chacha.

    Apparently, he valued Chacha more than Caesar, for he gave a double guarantee to Chacha this time!

    Shao Xuan was a little confused, because Chacha was merely brought back and kept as ¡°potential food¡± with unforeseeable future, and it could oddly receive the Shaman¡¯s high attention like that! Unless the Shaman could predict the future, and he had seen Chacha¡¯s potential?

    Unfortunately, when the Shaman chose to y mysterious, no one could pry the words out of his mouth, no one dared to do that as well.

    He was just some old man with one foot in the grave, but he could always strike people with awe and veneration.

    Shao Xuan tossed Chacha back into the animal skin bag, and made a sincere salute towards the Shaman, so as to show his gratitude. With the Shaman¡¯s blessing, it would be much easier for Chacha to live in the tribe in the future.

    With Chacha¡¯s matter finished, the Shaman chose to talk about something serious. He asked Shao Xuan about his experience back in the green forest during the hunting mission. Shao Xuan shared some things with the Shaman. Not all of it, but this time Shao Xuan was less reserved, and he mentioned that he saw some shadows of the Green Thief vaguely.

    Shao Xuan did not think that he could keep his special ability to himself forever, given that he probably would be spending all his life in here. He had no one to rely on, and because of Ta, Shao Xuan would not be stupid enough to set all his hopes on the Chief. What¡¯s more, what if Ta really bes the next Chief and makes things hard for Shao Xuan? It was not Shao Xuan just being pessimistic. During this time¡¯s hunting mission, he did feel that he could not get along well with Ta. There was no human in the right in the tribe, for everything could be decided by the leadership. When a leader said that you were wrong, then you were wrong indeed. There would be no chance for you to make any exnation.

    After some observation, Shao Xuan would rather believe in the Shaman, the so called spiritual leader in the tribe. Although this isted tribe was not developing fast, it was not severely deformed, and that was all the shamans¡¯ credits during all these generations. He believed that the next shaman wouldn¡¯t be too bad.

    He decided to reveal his secret little by little, so that the Shaman could also be prepared for the whole truth someday.

    After listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s description in silence, the Shaman amiably passed him two packs of mixed herbs, without asking more about the details, ¡°One pack is health recovery, and the other one is mixed with the Green Thief. Use them soon, especially the one with the Green Thief. Do not store them for too long.¡±

    After carefully cing the two packs of mixed herbs, Shao Xuan heard the Shaman say ¡°Who do you intend to follow during the next hunting trip?¡±

    ¡°I was about to tell you that¡­I want to tag along with Uncle Mai¡¯s group during the next hunting mission.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Ta had not removed Shao Xuan from the name list of the advance group, for he had probably changed his mind and wanted to take Shao Xuan with them during the next hunting mission. However, Shao Xuan was the one refusing to do that. He would prefer to tag along with Mai¡¯s hunting group. By doing that, he could get proper opportunity to train himself in the battlefield. If he continued to follow the advance group, he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with their paces, and he wouldn¡¯t be able to solve all the problems with a single trap. Perhaps Ta would think Shao Xuan was an ungrateful kid after hearing his response, and hate him even more.

    But so what?

    Shao Xuan did not want to enter the advance group and serve as a mascot. He refused to be the one watching in a distance when ites to real hunting.

    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡± The Shaman nodded.

    Shao Xuan worried no more after the Shaman had said that. Ta was totally timid in front of the Shaman. He dared not to judge, let alone refute the old man. Even his father, the chief of the tribe, Ao, would not directly refute the Shaman¡¯s decision.

    When Shao Xuan left, he made a salute to the Shaman again. The more he knew about the tribe, the more he believed that such an old man deserved people¡¯s respect. It had nothing to do with the brainwashing, or anything else.

    When Shao Xuan walked down the mountain, he deliberately took a detour to Mai and Lang Ga¡¯s houses, to ask them if they had simr situations when they ate the bird eggs. However, the answer was no. The bird eggs they ate were no different from any normal eggs, and Chacha turned out to be a total exception.

    ¡°You actually hatched an egg!!¡± Lang Ga was stunned.

    Shao Xuan was totally speechless, but he found it very unttering.

    Lang Ga was more than surprised, and he pulled over Shao Xuan¡¯s animal skin bag to look inside. He even reached inside to take Chacha out for a closer observation. The bird was blessed by the Shaman!

    However, Lang Ga¡¯s hand got pecked on hard as soon as he reached inside.

    If he weren¡¯t someone with thick skin, or if his totem power was not awakened, he would¡¯ve been bleeding for sure.

    ¡°This bird is ferocious! Better than Caesar!¡± Apparently, Lang Ga and Keke had the same standards and definitions for ¡°good¡±.

    For most of the people in the tribe, all animals and beasts were judged by the same standard. The fiercer they were, the better. Hence people would have more sense of aplishment when they killed the thing.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Ah-Xuan, you should check on your cabin when you go back home. The wet season is about toe. Although your cabin was newly built this year, it would be safer for you to check it carefully. And you should store more dry timbers inside.¡±

    The wet season?

    Shao Xuan thought aboutst year in this time. Indeed, the wet season was about toe.

 Chapter 88 â€“ The river beast â€œDreadâ€

    Chapter 88 ¨C The river beast ¡°Dread¡±

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The rain was pouring down hard.

    The raindrops were falling from the sky and sshing on the ground, creating loud noises everywhere.

    The tree leaves created scratching noises as they were hit by the rain, and it somehow struck people with a feeling that perhaps the leaves were being pierced through by the water.

    Among the curtains of rain, a figure quickly went through the woods, while a toothpick-like stone needle pierced through the curtains of rain, and came out from the dense branches. At the ¡®thud¡¯ sound, it stabbed into an arm-thick short wooden bar that hung there.

    At that time, there were already plenty of simr stone needles pinned on the bar in different angles, which made the hanging stake looked like a hedgehog.

    Many bars like that were hanging nearby. Some of them were ced in the thick undergrowth, while some of them were hanging in the trees.

    Sh~ (This is a sound, didn¡¯t know what else to make of it)

    There was the sound of a quick pull, and the wooden bars in different ces immediately moved promptly together. As they moved, more stone needles flew towards them.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    There were wooden bars in the grass, in the bushes, and in the air¡­

    No matter where they were, they had many stone needles stabbed on them.

    The heavy rain that poured down from the sky did not affect the path of the flying stone needles at all!

    Whoosh!

    The figure running in the woods and the rain curtains jumped, andnded safely after jumping over the branches that blocked him. The sound ofnding could hardly be heard because of the rain in the surroundings.

    Shao Xuan wiped his face, and then went to collect the wooden bars.

    [He wiped his face in the heavy rain? How pointless!]

    He had been doing such training for several days now. At first, he used spearhead darts, and then the stone shivs, which were thinner. Now, he was using stone needles, they were even thinner than the stone shivs.

    The white hairs that they had encountered in the green forest while hunting were obviously very soft, yet they could pierce through thick wood bars, and appeared to have no resistance when they pierced into the bodies of intermediate totem warriors. One of the reasons behind that was the materials of the white hair, but the other more important reason was that the speed of the white hairs was too fast!

    Shao Xuan was experimenting on that point. He wished that, perhaps someday in the future, he would be able to pierce a thick wood bar with a thin grass needle. However, for now, he had to take baby steps. If he couldn¡¯t pierce the wood with stone, he shouldn¡¯t even bother trying that with grass.

    There was still a long way to go.

    Since it had been raining recently, Shao Xuan did not ask Old Ke toe out of his house. It would be pure suffering if he came out in such weather.

    Now, every time when Ge went to Old Ke¡¯s ce for some stoneware, he would mock Old Ke for bing ¡°tender¡±. In the past, Old Ke would always use his cane to help himself struggle up the mountain when he had to go up. Also, he would never ask for anyone else¡¯s help. But now? Now Old Ke rides on Caesar¡¯s back when he goes out, and Shao Xuan would carry him when he has to go up the mountain. When it rains, Old Ke would not even step out of his house! That was too fucking effeminate!

    Old Ke did not get agitated, and he would keep doing whatever he was doing, totally ignoring Ge¡¯sments. In his mind, Ge was only being jealous and pretending to be the green-eyed monster!

    Old Ke would not tell Ge that Shao Xuan asked for some herbs for him from the Shaman. Now Old Ke was in the phase of recuperating. In the past, he was living with a bad mindset, and he could not care less about his life. However, now he had a strong desire to live longer, for he wanted to watch Shao Xuan as he gradually grows up.

    Caesar and Chacha were both left in Old Ke¡¯s house. Sometimes, Shao Xuan would think that whether he should do some expansions on his cabin, so that Old Ke coulde and live with him. After all, Shao Xuan was living alone, and Old Ke had no one else living with him right now. If they moved in together, it would save a lot of time, for Shao Xuan won¡¯t have to travel between the two ces.

    As he thought about that, Shao Xuan was gathering those wood bars and tangled straw ropes.

    Last year, the wet reason only began after another hunting trip, however, unfortunately, it came early this year. The Shaman told everybody to stay prepared for it, and the hunting team, that was about to set out, postponed their time for leaving.

    Behind Shao Xuan¡¯s back, a snake-like insect came out from a tree. Unlike a real snake, it had a lot of feet on its body.

    It stared at Shao Xuan in silence, while spitting out its forked tongue like a snake. Its body quietly slid down along the trunk, but the thin feet allowed it to stay firmly on the tree.

    When approaching Shao Xuan, its body twisted into the form of the letter ¡°S¡± with its upper body away from the trunk. Aiming at Shao Xuan, it opened its mouth and struck to bite on Shao Xuan¡¯s neck with the speed of an arrow.

    Shao Xuan did not look back, but casually lifted his hand. He blocked the insect when its mouth was half a hand away from his neck, where he used his fingers to grab its neck tightly.

    His fingers slightly pushed together.

    Curtch! Puff!

    The insect¡¯s head got separated from its body.

    Shao Xuan flicked his fingers, which made the head of the insect fall on the grass, while its headless body quickly got thrown away in the woods on other side, while Shao Xuan pulled back his hand.

    In the whole process, Shao Xuan did not even look at the worm.

    When he finished collecting all the stone needles, Shao Xuan got up and looked around.

    He had encountered that kind of insect quite a few times in these few days. It¡¯s said that every year when the rainy season came, they would drill out of the ground from below. Not only this kind, other kinds of creatures would also drill their way out from the ground. But aside from the rainy season, they were only seen in the training ground mountains.

    Shao Xuan walked on the muddy road as he headed back to the tribe. Suddenly, he lifted one foot and kicked on a gravel. The gravel flew towards somewhere on the grass.

    A two palms long scorpion-like insect just drilled out from the earth, but it was smashed down by the gravel immediately.

    Old Ke had said that those insects that appeared in the rainy season would always attack people aggressively. Almost all of them were poisonous, so people should beware not to get bitten by them, and they should be killed whenever found by warriors.

    It¡¯s said that some of the insects would try to enter the tribe, so the kids who had not awakened their totem power yet would always get locked in their homes when rainy season came. Adults would sprinkle some kind of grass extract around the house, and it could keep the worms and bugs away.

    ¡°Wooo~~~!¡±

    There came a loud noise from the river.

    All the warriors in the training ground felt a chill crawling on their spines. They all stopped what they were doing, and jumped up to look at the riverside.

    Shao Xuan had almost reached the residential zone, so there was no hill blocking his sight. He climbed up a tree and looked in the direction of the river next to the tribe.

    Behind all the curtains of rain, the leaping figure above the river was not clear due to the far distance. But even when the leaping figure was very far from the tribe, and was notpletely revealed, people could still infer its huge size.

    That was the decisive reason that kept people in the tribe from exploring the river.

    It was the river beast called ¡°Dread¡±, the creature that held the dominant position in this endless river. People¡¯s fear towards it could be seen by the way they named it ¨C Dread.

    People did not know what exactly a Dread looked like, but only by its giant size and horrible voice, people already felt the unparalleled sense of oppression.

    When they appeared, it meant that the rainy season had begun for real, and it was not some regr storm, just like the Shaman¡¯s prediction.

    The rainy season dide earlier.

    When the Dreads leaped up high, their screaming was so loud that it was like a steam whistle ringing beside your ears, which could almost tear your eardrums. But when the giant Dreads fell into the water again, they would create a loud thunder-like roar. This time it was not that bad, it could have been more ufortable. People would feel as if they were being punched on the chest repeatedly. If you ced a cup of water in your room, you could see the water shaking violently.

    Last year in the rainy season, Shao Xuan was hiding in the orphan cave with his hands covering his ears, like everyone else. Those sounds were pure torture for them, and many kids were trembling all the time.

    Not only kids in the orphan cave, every year when it came to the rainy season, kids in the tribe would stay in their homes, with things blocking their ears. It helped a little, but still could not spare them from suffering from the noise. Some children would even bleed from the nose and ears.

    Perhaps, the rainy season was joyful for those Dreads, for they constantly leaped out from the water, seeming to be happy. The tribe was not ced that close to the river, but the impact of the Dreads remained very apparent. For the tribe, rainy season was just a disaster. The only thing that people should feel lucky about was that the Dreads would note close to the bank, let aloneing on thend, or the tribe probably would¡¯ve been wiped out long ago.

    When the giant Dreads arrived, an urgent meeting would be held within the tribe. The team leaders of both hunting teams would spare some warriors to be responsible for the defense of the tribe. That was also the annual rainy season guard battle.

    During the rainy season, some other things mighte out from the river, and that was also the reason why the hunting team postponed their hunting schedule. They had to defend the tribe from the creatures in the river.

 Chapter 89 â€“ The fish fence

    Chapter 89 ¨C The fish fence

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Not long after Shao Xuan returned home, Lang Ga came over to inform him that he needs to participate in the patrolling. Every hunting group would oversee a small region, and they were divided into three batches taking turns guarding the tribe.

    participating in the patrol did not mean that he would encounter anything dangerous, for it was only a preventive action. There were too many unknown factors in the river after all, and it was better to safe than sorry.

    ¡°Mai and the others will start patrolling tonight. You and me will go and take their spot tomorrow in the morning.¡± Said Lang Ga.

    ¡°Okay, I got it. Do I need to bring anything?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No need to bring too many things, a few pieces of useful stoneware will be enough. Every patrolling mission onlysts for half a day.¡± Lang Ga pointed at the mountain foot, ¡°Over there, near the river. It¡¯s somewhere near the ce that you used to go fishing.¡±

    ¡°You probably wouldn¡¯t know, for you stayed in the orphan cavest year¡­ But when the rainy seasones, the river would rise a lot, and it can reach up to¡­there!¡± Lang Ga pointed it out for Shao Xuan.

    Where he pointed, there was a line of stones, below which no cabin or house existed.

    So even those residents in the mountain foot district would only live near the mountain foot, but not build anything directly at the foot of the mountain, because the water rose up high in the rainy season. There had been some people stationed near the riverside for fishing before, but now they all withdrew to higher ground. No one would ever go close to the river before the end of the rainy season.

    Thinking that Shao Xuan probably had no idea of what might happen in the rainy season, Lang Ga told him some things about the rainy seasons in the past. When the rain had eased off, Lang Ga took Shao Xuan out to their patrolling area to have him be familiar with it. He also wanted Shao Xuan to be prepared for it. Although the ce that they were guarding wouldn¡¯t have many difficulties, they needed to stay alert.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the hunting team won¡¯t go out for hunting missions until the rainy season¡¯s over?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    Earlier, he assumed that the hunting team was only staying in the tribe for some time, and they would go out hunting once there¡¯s no abnormal thing. However, based on what Lang Ga was saying, the hunting team would likely spend all the rainy season in the tribe? Then what would people eat if they hadn¡¯t stored enough food?!

    ¡°We have no other options. This is the tribe¡¯s rule. Many people up in the mountain have stored enough food, and their game is of rtively higher quality. So they, for sure, could survive the rainy season. But people down the mountain have opposite situations. Even if they have stored something, their food contains limited energy, for the game was not strong enough. They will get hungry no matter what. But!¡± Lang Ga chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s far better than the winters. During the rainy season, some things woulde out from the river, and we can collect them as food supply.¡±

    ¡°Some things?¡± Shao Xuan thought about the different kinds of insects in the training grounds, and he frowned subconsciously. But if there was nothing else to eat, they had to diet on that.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see when theye.¡± Lang Ga did not exin much, ¡°We won¡¯t starve.¡±

    Hmm?

    Now Shao Xuan became really curious. Based on Lang Ga¡¯s words, the things were not the insects that popped out from the training grounds. So, what were they?

    ¡°It happens once in a year. Although dangerous, it isn¡¯t that dangerous if we are careful enough. It¡¯s okay. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lang Ga tapped on Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder with his fist as encouragement.

    Shao Xuan rubbed his shoulder as he stared at the river in the rain.

    Afar on the river, the lords of the water were constantly leaping out high. Shao Xuan wondering something after observing those Dreads. Judging by the movements as they leaped, the lords of the water seemed to be swimming towards the same direction. If it was an isted case, he might just as well ignore it. But the fact was, all the Dreads that leaped up were facing the same direction, with no exception!

    ¡°In that direction, is the river going upstream or downstream?¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the same direction that the Horrors were swimming towards.

    ¡°Upstream or downstream? I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never been there. It¡¯s too far away.¡± Lang Ga said easily. For him, the terms upstream and downstream made no difference, so he cared not to think much about it.

    Shao Xuan looked in that direction, while thinking and wondering what the ce was, and why would all the lords of the water swim towards that direction. The river was very wide. If it hadn¡¯t been freshwater, he would¡¯ve assumed the river to be the ocean¡­The ocean?!

    Did the river travel to the ocean?!

    Shao Xuan memorized the two hunting trips he had experienced, and roughly spected the positions and terrain. He figured out that the lords of the water were probably swimming in the downstream direction. Well, if the river did travel to the ocean, then why would the lords of the water swim to the ocean during the rainy seasons?

    Many kinds of fishes would have periodic directional round trips due to various of reasons such as reproduction, food or seasons. It was the so-called migratory instinct. So, were the lords of the water having simr migratory habits?

    Shao Xuan shook his head. All was spection. He won¡¯t get any answer from Lang Ga and the others, for they had no idea what the ocean was.

    Doesn¡¯t matter whether those lords of the water were migrating during the rainy season, Shao Xuan could do nothing given the circumstances right now. However,ter when he returns, he will record all the phenomenons he has observed into his own ¡°notebook¡±.

    Shao Xuan had already collected and gathered some animal skins which were good for writing. He used them to take records, including the pictures that he saw in the orphan cave. He pictured them based on his memories. If the animal skin doesn¡¯tst long, he will carve them on stone tes in the future.

    Shao Xuan turned his gaze slowly from the vague giant figures afar, and looked at the riverside for a while. Suddenly, he said, ¡°Lang Ga, what do you say if we make a few fish fences here?¡±

    Lang Ga was thinking about how much food he would be able to collect during this rainy season, but immediately he was brought back by Shao Xuan¡¯s question. He asked curiously, ¡°Fish fence? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°So, we use wood sticks ands to make something to block the fish.¡± Shao Xuan briefly described the fish fence he had in mind, and continued, ¡°I¡¯m thinking, that perhaps we can set a simple trap by making those fish fences.¡±

    ¡°Traps?¡± Lang Ga instantly had sparkles in his eyes.

    ¡°In fact, it¡¯s something simple¡­.¡± Shao Xuan took out the stone knife that he brought with him, and began to draw on the ground.

    Lang Ga was also quite obsessed with setting traps, and as soon as he heard about Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation, he could imagine Shao Xuan¡¯s whole image with the help of the pictures he drew on the ground.

    Lang Ga tapped on his head, and said regretfully, ¡°Why hadn¡¯t I thought of that!¡±

    What Shao Xuan wanted to make was a fish-fence-like simple trap. It was not difficult to make, and no other precise setting was needed. It was the same as setting a fish fence. Wood or stone pirs would be made into a fence, set up around a region.

    The fish fences would coil around like a mosquito coil. Some of them were circr, while others were square. Shao Xuan wanted to see what different effects different shapes would make. The entrance of the fish-fence-like trap would be in the direction of the river.

    Or, he could use the fish fence to make a space, like the capital word omega ¡°¦¸¡±. Unlike the first two types, this trap¡¯s entrance would be facing the bank. So, during ebb, the fish swimming inside the trap would be blocked inside.

    Unless the fish trapped had really high IQ, they would not be able to swim out on their own. Shao Xuan had tried it in his former life, and it always worked.

    However, since Shao Xuan did not participate in the tribal patrolling duty in the past, he was not sure whether such equipment could be set up now. Hence he asked Lang Ga about it.

    ¡°Yes, totally doable! No problem!¡± Lang Ga looked at the river surface which was not rising rapidly. He called on Shao Xuan, ¡°Now, let¡¯s find the proper stones as soon as possible, and set the trap while the water¡¯s not rising!¡±

    Something in the river would eat timber, so they could not use wood when setting the fish fences. The only material that they could use was stone. Now it was not the time to care about the stone¡¯s material, so the stone pirs for the fish fence were not so hard to make.

    So, when Mai took the first batch of warriors to came here for patrolling, they saw Shao Xuan and Lang Ga being busy doing something along the riverside. From the riverbank to the stone line that was set by the tribe, there were quite a few fish fences standing there in the distance.

    Due to limited time, they were too busy to care about the appearances of the fish fences. The stone pirs were not of the same thickness, and some of them were even as thick as people¡¯s thighs. People could totally stand on them.

 Chapter 90 â€“ Donâ€™t move!

    Chapter 90 ¨C Don¡¯t move!

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°What are you doing now? Setting a trap?¡± Mai came over and asked.

    ¡°It seems you can stand on them when the water rises.¡± The people beside Maiughed.

    They had no idea what Shao Xuan and Lang Ga were doing, but everyone in the hunting team knew that Lang Ga was obsessed with setting traps. Normally he would make arrow traps and some simr traps, but asionally he would try different types.

    Lang Ga told everyone else about his and Shao Xuan¡¯s idea. The other warriors were quite curious. But when it came to setting fish fences in here, it was not only not an obstacle for them, it offered them convenience, for they could jump on them when the tide rose.

    ¡°You should go home. Tonight, we¡¯ll be doing the patrolling, and Lang Ga, you need to be here early tomorrow with the others.¡± Said Mai.

    ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll go back after this is done. Earlier I paid no attention, but now with you here, I realized that I¡¯m hungry.¡± Lang Ga touched his belly. He was more than satisfied, looking at his own deeds.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan had finished hisst fish fence. When he looked, he noticed that aside from the animal skin bags that contained the food and stoneware, people in Mai¡¯s batch carried somes that were made from straw ropes.

    ¡°Why are you all carryings, Uncle Mai?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Well, this.¡± Mai smiled, ¡°It¡¯s for food, of course.¡±

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was still confused, Mai said, ¡°You will know when youe by tomorrow. Oh, by the way, when youe tomorrow, bring a big bag.¡±

    Although he did not know what the bag was for, Shao Xuan prepared one for himself.

    On the second day, Shao Xuan dropped Caesar and Chacha at Old Ke¡¯s ce early in the morning before he went to the patrolling ground.

    As Shao Xuan arrived, Lang Ga and the others in the same batch were already there. To Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, all the straws in Mai and the others¡¯ hands had many watermelon-sized river snails inside!

    Not only that, people could see that near the river bank, there were many sharp protrusions, bingrger as time went by. They were all river snails, swimming towards the shore.

    Now, the quantity of the river snails seemed not big, but if they kepting towards shore, every warrior would be able to collect quite a lot of them after their patrolling duty. For example, Mai and the others had collected a lot.

    The river snails had thick shells, so even the piranhas in the rivers had no way to eat them. However, people in the tribe knew how to use tools to pull them out from the shells.

    ¡°You see, the shells are strong and tough. But after you take them back home and boil them in the water, the shells will soon turn fragile. In the past, some people tried to make use of their shells, but to their surprise, the shells turned very fragile after some time.¡± Mai said to Shao Xuan.

    Although the river snails didn¡¯t contain much energy individually, given itsrge quantity, it could help solve the food issue for sure. No wonder that Lang Ga was not worried about food.

    ording to Mai¡¯s exnation, those river snails won¡¯te on shore on normal days. Only after the rainy season had begun, would they swim to the river bank in batches. The good thing was that those river snails didn¡¯t have any way to attack, which made them the perfect foodsource during the rainy seasons.

    Shao Xuan did not know whether it had any parasites inside. But since people in the tribe had been dieting on them for years, it should be fine.

    Since it was time for the shift change, Mai and the others did not stay long. After the whole night in the rain, all they wanted was to head back home to eat something, and go to sleep. After they were properly fed and rested, they woulde here again to patrol.

    ¡°You just guard here, and whistle once you encounter anything abnormal that you can¡¯t handle, okay?¡± Mai said to Lang Ga and the others.

    ¡°Got it. Just rx. It¡¯s not like we are new at patrolling during the rainy season. I¡¯ve filled Shao Xuan in with all the procedures. I¡¯ll keep an eye on him. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Lang Ga waved at Mai, and instantly rushed towards the bank to check on the fish fences that he set yesterday.

    It kept raining all the time, and sometimes it was raining heavily, while sometimes it was not. The river had risen a lot higher than yesterday. The fish fence that was closest to the riverside was almost half sunk in the water.

    If it¡¯s like that, no fish would swim into it. It was still too early, and there was no abnormality on the surface of the river. So, Shao Xuan began to collect river snails like the others.

    Shao Xuan had no idea what species those river snails belonged to, they looked different from one another. There were various circr patterns and colors. But Lang Ga said that they were all eatable. Shao Xuan did not mind that much, he would just grab them and toss them into the straw once they swam to the bank. However, they stuck to the ground quite tightly, and when they were on some smooth stones, it would require some strength to pull them off.

    They had been patrolling for almost half a day, but nothing had happened besides those river snails swimming to the shore. Nothing else was worth noticing. That day, Shao Xuan delivered many river snails to the kids in the orphan cave and Old Ke when he went back. He would not be able to eat them all anyway. Caesar was not fond of them. Chacha was quite curious, but only for a while. All he cared about was to pull its flesh out of its shell for fun.

    On the third day of Shao Xuan¡¯s patrolling, the first fish fence finally gotpletely submerged in the water. The first fish fence was not big, and the diameter was only about two meters. When they finished building it, both Shao Xuan and Lang Ga felt that it was a little small. But instead of rebuilding it, they let it be, and deliberately made the second fish fence muchrger. Because of that, when the the first fish fence submergedpletely, the second one only had part of it submerged in the water, as it was almost parallel with the first one.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Lang Ga tossed one river snail into his straw, and shouted at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan stood next to the first fish fence, and carefully looked inside.

    There was no fish¡­.

    Moreover, there was no activity to be spotted of the piranhas with giant heads and sharp teeth in the surroundings. In fact, there was no fish at all to be seen. It seemed that all the fish had vanished.

    Oddly, in such a rainy season, no fish could be seen!

    So, did that mean that the fish fences were made in vain?

    No, they could see what the other things were in the river, besides the fish.

    Just keep them. Shao Xuan looked at the fish fence beneath his feet, and decided to leave the fish fences as they were for now, and take them down when the tide ebbs. Anyway, they were no obstacles for the patrol.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing!¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    As he was about to head back to thend, Shao Xuan suddenly felt a chill sweeping through his back.

    There was something dangerous!

    When he was about to jump away from the fish fence and head towards the bank, he heard Lang Ga¡¯s urgent scream.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move! No matter what! Do not move!¡±

    Move, or don¡¯t move? Those two options shed in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind quickly. In the end, he chose to do as Lang Gamanded, which was standing there still.

    Although Shao Xuan did not move, all the muscles on his body were well prepared. Once something went south, he would act on his instinct, his hand had almost reached the stone knife earlier.

    Over there, Lang Ga had no mood for collecting river snails, and he was running towards Shao Xuan together with the others. While running, he tossed the river snail he was holding towards a spot about thirty meters away from where Shao Xuan was.

    Shao Xuan could hear the river snail dropping into the water. But the needle-like re was still there. Shao Xuan stood there still, remaining at where he was, rock steady.

    If he looked up, he could see where the icy re came from. But at that moment, Shao Xuan held his curiosity back, and did not look around.

    Somewhere not far away from Shao Xuan, don¡¯t know since when, a triangr head had appeared above the water silently. On the head, there were a pair of puffy, beady eyes.

    At that time, a not so big sound came from the water ahead. It was not obvious in the sounds of the rain, but Shao Xuan heard it clearly.

    ¡°Ribbit!¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    What the fuck!

    Finally, he realized why Lang Ga asked him not to move.

 Chapter 91 â€“ Changes in the rainy season

    Chapter 91 ¨C Changes in the rainy season

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Lang Ga and the others were trying to attract its attention.

    Shao Xuan could feel its sight fixed on himself, and finally it looked away after staring at him for about two minutes.

    ¡°Run, Ah-Xuan, run!¡± Lang Ga shouted from the other side.

    In fact, Lang Ga didn¡¯t need to shout. Shao Xuan¡¯s legs suddenly bent his knees and then jumped up high with all his strength the second when it looked away. He basically ejected himself in the blink of an eye.

    Kah!

    The stone pir that he stood on immediately cracked on the top, while Shao Xuan¡¯s body shot out like an arrow.

    The moment Shao Xuan moved away from the stone pir, he glimpsed a long shadow which shot out and promptly retracted back. If Shao Xuan was a little slower, he would probably have been pulled down by the long shadow.

    Shao Xuan knew what that long shadow was. If touched by it, he would¡¯ve been dragged into the water.

    Meanwhile, Lang Ga and the others had tossed the long spears they had at hand towards the creature in the river. Earlier, they dared not to do that, because Shao Xuan was standing in a really delicate position, and he could easily get hurt identally. Now, since Shao Xuan was not there anymore, they did not need to be overcautious. The veins on their upper arms popped up as they tossed out the long spears.

    Stone spears flew through the curtains of rain, and Shao Xuan could hear the ¡°whoosh¡± sounds as the spears flew in the air.

    Puff! Puff! Puff!

    Three long spears stabbed into the creature¡¯s body, and red blood poured out immediately after that. If those piranhas were around, they would already have gathered around by the attraction of fresh blood. However, now, except for the struggling noise made by that injured creature, there was nothing else.

    Whoosh, whoosh!

    Another two long spears were tossed there.

    Long straw ropes were attached at the end of the long spears. Apparently, they were attached so that the wounded game could be dragged to the bank.

    As people dragged it up with the straw ropes, Shao Xuan finally got to see what that thing looked like.

    And although like his earlier spection, the thing that was dragged to the bank did look like a frog, but surprisedly it also had a long tail!

    Was it a tadpole? The kind that hadn¡¯t grown into a frog, but had the limbs?

    Judging by its call earlier, Shao Xuan did not expect to see something like this.

    The long-tailed frog that had be a pincushion was still struggling, but not as strongly as before. Its four limbs were thrashing around, leaving trails on the bank.

    When the long-tailed frog was stabbed once again and stopped struggling, Shao Xuan went closer for a detailed observation.

    Aside from the long tail, its four feet were fully webbed, and were not very toe-like. When you force-opened its mouth, there were sharp teeth inside. Besides that, the rest of it looked exactly like a mature frog.

    Not only that, the size of the long-tailed frog surprised Shao Xuan a lot. If the long tail was not included, its body was over five meters long! No wonder that Lang Ga and the others were so nervous.

    It was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time seeing such a big frog with a long tail and sharp teeth.

    ¡°You almost frightened me to death!¡± Seeing that Shao Xuan was unharmed, Lang Ga was quite relieved. He warned Shao Xuan, ¡°Now that this thing came out, you need to be extra cautious from now on. Do not go to check on the fish fences for now.¡±

    Whether they could catch any fish was not a big deal. The important thing was their own safety.

    Lang Ga still had a lingering fear, for he did not expect the thing toe out so quickly. When he saw those two bloated eyes appear in the water near Shao Xuan. Lang Ga felt as if a jar of icy water was poured on his body.

    Some people in the patrolling team had been dragged into the river in the past, and none of them ever returned alive. Even though people became more carefultely, and they were able to kill some of them every year, they would still be dragged down once they reduced their vignce. You cannot let down your guard in front of the game.

    Watching the others kill and dissect the long tailed frog, Lang Ga shared more things with him about the things he needs to pay attention to. Also, he told him some tragedies that happened in the past, to draw Shao Xuan¡¯s attention.

    ¡°But this thing has its merits. It¡¯s delicious! We can now kill some of them, but in a few days it will be very hard.¡± Said Lang Ga.

    On that day, Shao Xuan killed three long tailed frogs together with the others. Those three frogs had different patterns and colors, but all of them had long tails, and seemed to belong to the same strange species.

    People in the same duty all shared the meat, andter, they brought some of the frog meat back after finishing patrolling. It was delicious. Although it was not as tender as the frog meat that Shao Xuan had tried in hisst life, it contained more energy than the river snails.

    The rainy season was rtively shorter than winter. But it was not just a day or two. The rainy season wouldst for about thirty days. No one could say the exact date, for each year it varied.

    Two dayster, the unceasing rain made the river grow a lot.

    Shao Xuan spected that based on that rising trend, in less than ten days, the river will rise over the stone line. However, seeing their behavior, the others didn¡¯t seem to be scared at all.

    When Shao Xuan was patrolling again, he could see arge amount of triangr heads and bloated eyes along the river bank line

    No wonder that Lang Ga said thatter they would be difficult to catch. So many long-tailed frogs¡­Rather than pulling them to the shore, they would pull you down into the water..

    When there was nothing else to do, Lang Ga would stuff mud into the empty shells, and toss them towards the frogs to watch the frogs snatch them with their long tongues. Just like the frogs that Shao Xuan knew in hisst life, those long-tailed frogs would capture moving objects. Most of the times, before the shells fell into the water, they would be snatched with the long tongues.

    Those long tailed frogs never came on the shore, they would at most stand in the shallow waters, with their triangr heads and bloated eyes revealed above the water. Unlike in Shao Xuan¡¯s old memory, they barely made calls. asionally, a loud ¡°Quack¡± could be heard.

    With the rising river, every time when Shao Xuan went patrolling, the patrolling line would be drawn back a little. Because of the existence of those long tailed frogs, they needed to maintain a safe distance from the river.

    Until one day when Shao Xuan came towards the riverbank, he found that those long tailed frogs near the river bank had all disappeared. He also noticed that the river, that had risen to the seventh fish fence, had begun to recede.

    The rainy season was not over yet as Lang Ga told Shao Xuan. It was merely the first ebb of this rainy season. In theing days, there would be more ebbs in this rainy season. But after the first ebb, all those long-tailed frogs would all disappear, and nevere back again until the next rainy season.

    In the meantime, Shao Xuan noticed that when the river was ebbing, the obvious trend of the flowing direction of the river seemed to have changed. As Shao Xuan spected, nowadays, the river was not flowing in the same direction as those lords of the river, but it was flowing what was before upstream.

    The altered flowing direction, and the long-tailed frogs that disappeared overnight, both told Shao Xuan that something happened upstream of the river. Per Lang Ga¡¯s theory, there would be quite a few times that the river would ebb, and along with every ebb of the river, the flowing direction of the river would alter. A lot of strange things were happening during every rainy season. [Who can make a guess at what might have happened? Quite a few hints were dropped, not saying that it might be relevant to the story in the future. Maybe it might, maybe not.]

    Just because of those weird phenomenons, people in the tribe felt that the limitless mysterious river became even more mysterious. The whole time, they were reluctant to explore, for they did not dare to explore.

    During the first ebb, Shao Xuan found a wood-eating insect in the seventh fish fence.

    Shao Xuan personally set the seventh fish fence, and he ced a few bulks of wood inside the fish fence. Unexpectedly, this sudden ebb trapped a few wood-eating insects inside.

    The wood-eating insect was like a ball of mucus. When they smelled wood, they would quickly attach to the wood, or just drag the wood down after the insect changed its shape.

    However, Shao Xuan noticed that there were a lot of trees growing in a ce that was flooded by the water, but they were not chewed on much. But if you tossed a bulk of wood into the river, in over an hour, you could see it being dragged down. Normally, the wood bulk would disappear from the surface within two minutes.

    Apparently, those wood-eating insects were acting abnormally during rainy seasons.

    So, every time when Shao Xuan was patrolling, he would ce a piece of wood on the river to see how long it would take for it to be dragged down. On the wood bulk, he attached a thin straw rope, with the other end tied on a stone pir so that the wood bulk doesn¡¯t drift away. When he returns home that day, he would write the observation down in his secret notebook.

    This rainy season onlysted for twenty-seven days, and it was shorter thanst year. It was a normal situation. ording to the experienced warriors, the longest rainy season in their livessted for about forty days, while the shortest rainy season was no more than twenty-five days.

    When it stopped raining and the haunting dark clouds finally faded away, the precious sun finally shined again above people¡¯s heads. Everyone in the tribe was feeling refreshed from the fine weather.

    Having been cooped up in their houses for nearly thirty days, the kids now were running around excitedly outside their houses. Children in the orphan cave also began to prepare things again. With the end of the rainy season, they could start fishing as usual. Temporarily, they did not have to worry about the disturbing noises that might hurt their chests.

    Why temporarily?

    Because, the disappeared water demons would appear again after some time, and then they would scream again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Lang Ga and the others were packing their things and preparing to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m almost done! You guys go ahead!¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    After the rainy season ended, you weren¡¯t in danger anymore so long you didn¡¯t step into the river. So, Lang Ga and the others were not worried.

    When Lang Ga and the others had left, Shao Xuan took out a small wooden boat from the animal skin bag. It was made by him during thesest few days after he came back from his patrolling duties. It was a simple sailboat, and he made it with some wood he had and some tiny stone needles.

    The sail was made from the leaf of some nt, and the wood nks were all normal timbers. The body of the little sailboat was only two palm¡¯s long.

    The wind was blowing from the bank towards the river. Shao Xuan ced the simple little sailing boat on the surface of the river. With a slight push from his fingers, the little boat moved away from the bank and was sailing away from the shore, drifting towards the center of the limitless river. The dot of green on the boat was particrly conspicuous.

    There were a lot of piranhas in the river. Those big fellows with low IQ, that had disappeared during the whole rainy season, had now finallye back, and became more active than before. One single slice of meat or blood would cause chaos for a long time within the river. They were very energetic. Luckily, they had no interest in wood, while the wood-eating insects that were obsessed with wooden objects seemed to have disappeared.

    After standing on the bank staring at the green dot for a while, Shao Xuan collected his things and left. When he was climbing up the mountain, he looked back at the river and could still see the little dot drifting

 Chapter 92 â€“ Boomerang

    Chapter 92 ¨C Boomerang

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When the rainy season ended, it was Ta¡¯s hunting team¡¯s turn to go out hunting.

    This time, Shao Xuan was in Mai¡¯s hunting group. Before they went out for hunting, every one gathered together on the mountaintop to sing the Song of Hunting. Ta said nothing when seeing Shao Xuan. He was in a bad mood, but still, he dared not to act it out obviously.

    Perhaps, the Shaman had already talked to him, which left him no other choice but to swallow his anger. He would be considered disrespectful to the Shaman once he revealed any traces of dissatisfaction.

    Ta had no choice but to take a deep breath and carry on. He assumed that they could gather more nts even without Shao Xuan¡¯s help. At the very least, some warriors in the advance group also knew how to set traps if setting traps was required. Unless the ancestors would only bless Shao Xuan, and turn a blind eye to the real elites of the tribe? He did not believe that.

    The others in the hunting team were also staring at Shao Xuan curiously, especially those young warriors. Apparently, they were mocking him secretly, and their looks seemed to say: Look at that! I knew that this guy would get kicked out from the advance group! I knew it!

    Lang Ga worried that Shao Xuan might think too much, and he keptforting him all the way up to the mountaintop. However, he had no idea that Shao Xuan did not care about it at all. And he was the one who made the proposal.

    Caesar and Chacha were both left in Old Ke¡¯s ce, so was the remaining food. There was still something stored in the ice cave near the mountaintop, so there was no way that they would ever starve.

    This time, the hunting period for them was rtively tight, so right at the end of the rainy season, Ta quickly summoned the hunting group leaders, and had them be prepared for the next hunting mission.

    They had to be back to the tribe before the full moon, because at that period, the ferocious beasts in the forests would be even more irascible. So, based on the experiences they had in the past, whichever hunting team had the mission, it should be return before the full moon. The sooner, the better.

    Last time when Shao Xuan was hunting with Mai¡¯s hunting group, they stopped at the second location because they had found the ancestors. However, this time, the hunting i the first and the second location was smooth. So, Shao Xuan followed them to the third location.

    There were a lot ofkes in the third location. Since the rainy season had just passed, somekes became evenrger, and there were some new smallerkes around.

    Many beasts, including many ferocious beasts, woulde out after the rainy season. With the hunting experience that he had gathered before, and due to the fact that he was much stronger now, Shao Xuan had a good harvest. Since he had put down many high-level game, this time the food he had could support him for over fifty days.

    In the tribe, Old Ke was not as worried as thest two times. After careful thinking, Old Ke found that it was because this time, Shao Xuan did not say the words ¡°rest assured¡± before he set off.

    Well, it was true. This time, the hunting mission went quite smoothly, and Shao Xuan tried with his full ability. He assisted the others, filled the leaks, and set a lot of traps. He was no longer a walk-over character. In fact, Shao Xuan was very satisfied with this fruitful, enjoyable hunting trip.

    The only difference there was from the earlier hunting trips was that, as the time went by, the moons at night became brighter and brighter. At night, the forest was a little shiny as if it was covered by ayer of silver silk. The vision was not as dark as well. But simrly, nocturnal animals and ferocious beasts tended to be more irritable. Roars and cries of beasts and other animals could be heard, both day and night, and they were more frequent than before.

    After twenty days, the hunting team returned to the tribe.

    Because of the frequent riots of ferocious beasts, many people in each hunting groups were injured. Luckily, they were well prepared for the unpredictable idents. Only three of the warriors were badly injured, even though many others were hurt as well. Considering the tough situation that they were all in, three was a lucky number. Fortunately, no one in Mai¡¯s hunting group was severely injured.

    When they were heading back to the tribe, Shao Xuan noticed that the river¡¯s water-level dropped a lot as they reached the river in the mountain foot area.

    The fish fences were still there. The first fish fence was near the river surface originally. When the rainy season ended, the rising river dropped again, and it was only a little higher than it was before the rainy season. So, the first fish fence was in the water.

    However, now after twenty days, they returned, only to find that the water-level dropped sharply, and it was even lower than before!

    ¡°It¡¯s almost the full moon, and the river would drop more in the following few days.¡± Said Lang Ga.

    At second thought, Lang Ga smiled, ¡°The fish fences that we made did not catch anything in the rainy season, but they might work after this full moon.¡±

    The peculiar thing about this world were the two moons at night. They only be full moons once in a year, when they would move to each other¡¯s direction, until they met, ovepped, separated, and then went in different directions.

    When the moons were full, it was the time for them to ovep.

    Last year at the same time, Shao Xuan was spending most of his time in the orphan cave like the other kids. They were nowhere near the river, so naturally, they did not see the rising and sinking tides. Although many people began to start fishing after the rainy season, but they were not allowed to touch the water when the river dropped. They needed to remain in the caves.

    After taking care of the game, Shao Xuan took Caesar and Chacha back to his ce.

    ¡°They were a little manic, you should pay attention to it.¡± Said Old Ke.

    Shao Xuan glimpsed at the bones in the corner. The long ribs were chewed into small pieces, Caesar didn¡¯t eat them, but left them there. There were marks of ws on the ground. However, Chacha, who was very active before, on the other hand, now became very quiet. In the past, he would try to peck on everything he saw, and sometimes clutched on those things while chirping. But now, he became very quiet and still. When he was not sleeping, he would just stay in his nest, not going anywhere.

    Shao Xuan got back to his cabin, looking at overactive Caesar, and then the abnormally quiet Chacha. He thought for a while, and took out his knife to make something.

    During this hunting mission, a tree¡¯s leaf reminded Shao Xuan of something.

    The Flying-around dart, also called boomerang, was something that Shao Xuan used to y with in his previous life. It could be made from paper. But since he was now in the tribe, he chose to make it with wood.

    The boomerang that Shao Xuan made was in the shape of the character ¡°V¡±. Because he became familiar with making stoneware and woodware, it was not so difficult for him to make such a boomerang. He knew how to do that.

    It took him less than an hour to finish his work. After some more detailed polishing, Shao Xuan took his end-product outside.

    ¡°Come out, Caesar!¡±

    He called Caesar out, as Caesar was walking around howling in the cabin earlier. Shao Xuan tapped on the wolf¡¯s head with the boomerang, and said, ¡°I toss it out, and you fetch it back for me.¡±

    In the past, he had done the go-fetch training with Caesar. Sometimes, Shao Xuan would throw a stick or a bone out, for Caesar to fetch. So, Caesar was not alien with this game.

    Seeing that Caesar began to stare at the boomerang in his hand, Shao Xuan knew that he was prepared, so he tossed it out hard.

    The boomerang that was tossed out, quickly flew away, but soon enough, it flew back to Shao Xuan after flying around arge circle on the left.

    Caesar kept running after the boomerang in a circle, and now he was very confused. Why could this thinge back to the starting point?! When Shao Xuan tossed it out again, he quickly followed the boomerang to see where it went.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Tuo and Keke came to see Shao Xuan. But all they saw was that Shao Xuan throwing a piece of wood out, and the wood would oddlye back to Shao Xuan after flying around. How astonishing!

    ¡°What is this?!¡± Tuo approached Shao Xuan and asked curiously.

    They had a good harvest during this hunting mission, and the things that they collected were very sizablepared with their earlier hunting missions. However, the quality was not as satisfying as the quantity. Last time, they had brought the Green Thief and the Wind Ball back! They even set traps outside every night when they were in the hunting mission, but nothing was obtained. Some of the traps were destroyed by some unknown objects. Tuo and Keke came to Shao Xuan, just to ask him whether he would be interested in rejoining the advance group. However, unexpectedly, they saw something new and curious as they came by.

    ¡°This is called a boomerang.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Well¡­may I have a try?¡± Tuo itched to try it himself.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Shao Xuan passed the boomerang to Tuo, and told him the trick to throw it properly.

    ¡­¡­

    ¡°Are you sure that it wille back instead of getting lost in the woods?¡± Tuo was not so confident about the oue. After all, he was used to throwing stone spearheads and darts. He had the feeling that the thing he threw out would fly to somewhere afar, well, about flying back¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Shao Xuan promised.

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll try it first.¡±

    Tuo threw it out gently, and he was much relieved to see that this thing dide back to him. On the second time, he threw it harder.

    Keke kept his eyes wide open as he stood right beside Tuo without blinking. With his own eyes, he saw the piece of wood fly back after Tuo threw it out. He rubbed his palms and swallowed his saliva, ¡°Let me try it!¡±

    Keke promptly took the boomerang as it flew back to Tuo. However, the result of Keke¡¯s taking over was that, before the boomerang could be thrown out again, it was broken by ident.

 Chapter 93 â€“ The overlapping of the two moons

    Chapter 93 ¨C The ovepping of the two moons

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Keke was brought away by Tuo, but only after he got beaten up as hell.

    Before they left, Tuo and Keke both promised that they would pay Shao Xuan a lot of food if Shao Xuan helped make another two for them.

    Boomerangs were said to have been invented by indigenous people, but here, it was of no big help at hunting, given that there were quite a lot of ferocious beasts in the forests. Boomerangs had no actual lethal power to them.

    However, it could be used to drive away the irrelevant animals and birds, or to be used as bait to draw the attention of ferocious beasts.

    As for the question brought up by Tuo before he left, about whether he would be willing to rejoin the advance group, Shao Xuan provided no absolute answer. Because, what he wanted to do for now was to upgrade his strength.

    Tuo and Keke might not havee here under Ta¡¯s order, but Ta must have known it in advance, and he did not stop them froming.

    No matter what Ta was thinking, Shao Xuan had no intention in rejoining the advance group, for he felt morefortable staying in Mai¡¯s hunting group. Because of Shao Xuan¡¯s harvest and merits before, the Shaman would provide him with the herbs he needed. Shao Xuan had given all the herbs to Old Ke, and Old Ke looked far better thanst few years.

    When he came back to himself, he saw Caesar sitting on the ground, staring at the broken boomerang. Shao Xuan went over to collect the broken boomerang and threw it inside to be used as firewood. He tapped on the wolf¡¯s head gently asfort, ¡°I¡¯ll make a new one for you tomorrow.¡±

    Perhaps because of the exercise during the day, Caesar¡¯s energy was consumed a lot, and he became a lot quieter at night.

    Shao Xuan stood at his door, staring at the sky.

    The moons were almost round, and they were gradually ovepping. ording to the stories of experienced old warriors, the river would sink quickly once the two moons joined.

    The change was pretty obvious.

    In the following day, when Shao Xuan came to the riverside, he noticed that the water-level had indeed dropped a lot. The river was running towards the regr downstream rapidly, as if the water was being flushed somewhere.

    would ¡°disappear¡± when the moons turned full.

    After the river dropped, a lot of silt was revealed to the outside. People could even see something moving around inside that silt. Sometimes, some unknown birds would fly into those silts and peck into the dirt. But asionally, some giant mouth would open from the silts and drag the flying bird into the mud.

    Even if there was only silt left, it was still a very dangerous ce. No wonder that the leadership of the tribe forbade people from getting near the riverside. Not only was it easy to sink into the sediment, the creatures hiding in the dirt were also a big threat.

    In the following few days, the two moons would gradually ovep each other some more, and the river would be flowing more rapidly, and sink even more rapidly. Now, when you stood beside the first fish fence, you would see nothing aside from the silt. However, if it weren¡¯t for the dropped water-level, people would never have been able to see what it was like at the riverbed.

    Besides silt, there were some odd-looking river nts standing there, just like coral. Some other river nts could move like ordinary aquatic nts.

    Less than ten meters ahead of the first fish fence, there was a steep slope, while a hundred meters away, it became very deep. People even had the feeling that they couldn¡¯t see the bottom.

    Because the lords of the river lived in it, it was definitely not a normal river. It was hard to imagine how deep the river actually was.

    Before the water ¡°vanished¡±, Shao Xuan would toss a piece of wood into the river, and watch it drift away downstream. Before they went too far to be seen, none of the woods sank. Obviously, the wood-eating creatures were not in the river anymore for now.

    With theplete ovep of the moons approaching, Caesar and Chacha were not the only ones that became more and more abnormal. The night swallows were more ferocious than ever.

    Other people could not hear the screams of the night swallows, but Shao Xuan could. He could hear traces of excitement in their calls. It was a thirst for blood, a maddening thirst for blood, which helped them ovee their fear of fire. Even when someone traveled at night with a torch in their hand, he would still be madly attacked by the night swallows. Many night swallows would be burnt because of that, but they were acting as if all they could see was the target of the attack.

    Caesar would also keep howling at night in these days, just like the wolves in the forest. Last year, Caesar¡¯s symptoms were not so obvious because of his young age. But this year, things were different.

    At first, the patrolling warriors thought that some wolf packs might have entered the tribe, but they realized that it was Caesar after they had seen him with their own eyes. Because, Caesar didn¡¯t used to howl in the past.

    Chacha would remain in his nest and not go nowhere, doing nothing, as if he thought that outside was dangerous. Shao Xuan would even have assume him to be sick if he hadn¡¯t had a growing appetite.

    However, the big river down the mountain was gradually disappearing. The most intuitive feeling that people had was that the water was going away, as if there never was such a big river down the mountain, and the only thing left was an abyss filled with silt.

    If you raised your head and look afar, you would find nothing. No river, no bank, no boundary.

    If he hadn¡¯t been warned about this by some experienced old warriors, Shao Xuan would have had a psychological panic of the unknown because of the abnormal phenomenon.

    At the very night that the two moons fully ovepped, it was as bright as day.

    After the two moons ovepped, it looked like that they were merged together into arger moon.

    One giant round moon hanging in the sky, it was like huge pale eyeball looking down at everything down below.

    At that night, night swallows were wildly dancing above the empty riverbed, but they never returned to the tribe.

    On the mountaintop of the tribe, the Shaman was murmuring something beside the fire pit. While inside the fire pit, the originally small ball of me had grown into a big one, which filled up the whole fire pit. The tall mes kept dancing in the air, which made the mountaintop look like a massive torch. It somehow lightened people¡¯s mood and eased their nerves.

    It was horribly quite in the whole tribe. Aside from the Shaman, who was standing on the mountaintop, no one was allowed outside. Shao Xuan had been told to stay in his cabin and behave himself, long before tonight. Caesar was howling in the room, while Chacha curved himself up in a ball of feather in his nest. He would totally shrink his head under his shoulders if he could.

    Even in the cabin, the could hear the vague roars of animals from the forest afar.

    People only came out the next day, when the moons disappeared and the sun came out. Everyone had a delightful expression on their faces. The ovepping of two moons clearly did not have any actual harm physically, but the sense of fear that it created had clouded everyone¡¯s heart. They could only findfort in the me on the mountaintop. Now, with the two ovepped moons gone, everyone seemed to havee back to life again.

    On the following night of the ovepping of the two moons, there was also only one moon in the sky, but not asrge as the night before. If you watched closely, you could slightly see the two moons slowly separating.

    While in thete night, Shao Xuan noticed that the ground beneath his feet was trembling, and it was getting worse and worse. He had learned some more about the events from Old Ke, so he was not worried this time. Thinking aboutst year when he was still in the orphan cave, he thought it was an earthquake, so he ran outside the cave, but got dragged back in and gotughed at by the other kids.

    Late at night, Shao Xuan was awoken up by the trembling ground again. Along with the trembling, there were loud noises, like ten thousand horses galloping together, very overwhelming.

    It became more and more moist, for more and more vapor was forming in the air.

    The wind was blowing hard outside, and gravel was thrown around, hitting the wooden walls, which created cracking sounds. Shao Xuan even wondered whether the wooden walls would be pierced through by the gravel.

    The rumbling noise grew bigger.

    The rumbling sound, apanied by severe tremors on the ground beneath one¡¯s feet, and the moist air¡­Obviously, like the experienced old warriors had said, the ¡°disappeared¡± river wasing back.

    After a while.

    ¡°Woo~~!¡±

    It was a shrill scream, and it stood out in the midst of the rumbling sounds. Right after the whistle-like shrill scream, came the familiar thundering sound, which covered the earlier rumbling. It was the deration of the lord, and all other sounds must show deference!

    However, it was like a signal, a signal of a glorious return.

    All those creatures that disappeared during the rainy season, all came back with the water.

    The rumbling sound gradually faded away, but the voice of the lords of the river rang all night. It was believed that many people in the tribe had a sleepless night, just like Shao Xuan did.

 Chapter 94 â€“ Speculation

    Chapter 94 ¨C Spection

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    In the morning, Shao Xuan saw Lang Ga running towards him breathlessly as soon as he went outside the door.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, quick! Come to the riverside, now!¡±

    Lang Ga was red-faced, perhaps he had done a lot of work, or perhaps he was just too excited.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shao Xuan was curious.

    ¡°The fish fences! The fish fences!¡± Lang Ga said no more, but came and dragged Shao Xuan, running towards the river.

    Early in the morning today, when the day was still a little dim, Lang Ga came to the riverside to check on those fish fences. Judging from his experiences in the past few year, he knew that there would be huge tidesst night, and he thought that there was a slight chance that the fish fences could trap something inside. Because for thest two days, people¡¯s hearts were so calm, so he did not disturb Shao Xuan. Today, as he couldn¡¯t wait to check on the fish fences, he found that there were a lot of aquatic organisms inside!

    There were piranhas with giant heads, but there was more; creatures that they had never seen in the past.

    Lang Ga was so excited, that he immediately checked on every fish fence along the river. Later, he called on some patrolling warriors to help him ughter the few fishes that almost got away from the fish fences, and they decided to leave the others fishes in the fish fences as they were. Because he had been excited for quite a long time, all his attention was fixed on the things in the trap. Only then did Lang Ga think about Shao Xuan, so he quickly ran to Shao Xuan¡¯s ce to call him over

    Last night, the water rose again, and the river became as quiet as before, as if the abyss of 2 days before was just a dream.

    When Shao Xuan finally came to the riverside, there were already a lot of people surrounding the fish fences. Some of them were patrolling warriors, and some of them were just residents in the mountain foot area. Kids from the orphan cave also came by to see the wonder.

    People all had curiosity, and they liked to watch the hustle and bustle as well. In the meantime, people realized that many good things could be captured once they build something simr in the right time of the year.

    When Shao Xuan came by, he noticed a one-meter-long mussel, pried open already, and left on the ground.

    ¡°I came across that thing in the morning, almost let it get away. Luckily, it was not fast.¡± Lang Ga chuckled, ¡°That thing had real tight shells, and I went through a lot of trouble to open it up.¡±

    Lang Ga pushed away those people standing in front of them, and pointed at one fish fence while exining to Shao Xuan excitedly: ¡°Look, Ah-Xuan! There are so many creatures inside! Some of them have never been seen before!¡±

    Being a hunter with over ten years of hunting experience, naturally, Lang Ga, like the other warriors, was very interested in newly found catch, and he had dissected many of them in the morning himself.

    Shao Xuan jumped up to the top of a stone pir and nced inside.

    There were creatures in every fish fence, and most of them were piranhas. They were all brought by the giant waves.

    Lang Ga had no interest for those giant-headed piranhas, and he only kept two of them as a gesture. After talking with Shao Xuan, he decided to distribute all the remaining piranhas to the kids and other residents in the mountain foot district. Lang Ga was in nock of such food after all, and he did not care for the meat with low energy value. Shao Xuan was in the same situation.

    Lang Ga used the long spears to poke out the piranhas inside the fish fence. For every stab, he would pull out one piranha and toss it to the other side.

    All the onlookers had merelye to check if those big headed fish had returned. If they did, people could finally prepare to do the fishing for theing days. Unexpectedly, they had gained some food for justing here. Seeing that Lang Ga was pulling those piranhas out, they all came forward to collect them.

    There was no water in the fish fences, and many of the fish had died due to struggle. The blood that Lang Ga caused when forking those fish out, made the fish¡¯bat even more fierce.

    Shao Xuan saw a lot of fish of various shapes. Some had long and narrow eyes, some had t bodies like the manta rays, and some were like pufferfish, which could stuff themselves with air and push all the other fishes to the corners.

    Shao Xuan even saw shrimps and crabs in the fish fence. However, they were not the same shrimps and crabs as those in Shao Xuan¡¯s previous life. Compared with the other fishes, they were not sorge. Indeed, if there wererger shrimps and crabs, they would not have been trapped by this simple fish fence. Even if they came herest night, they wouldn¡¯t even have seen their shadows.

    ¡°How¡¯s this one? I think it¡¯s edible.¡±

    ¡°Hey, this one is nice! Looks ferocious! We can y with it even if it¡¯s not edible!¡±

    ¡°Check on that fish, it changes color once you poke at it!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    People were chatting in the surroundings. Shao Xuan was observing while he heard Lang Ga shout from the other fish fence, ¡°I think I have seen that while hunting! But not totally the same¡­.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at where he pointed, and suddenly heughed once he saw the thing that Lang Ga was pointing at.

    Oh, my goodness, there was a turtle!

    Specifically, it looked more like a crocodile turtle. When Shao Xuan was looking at it, it was biting the tail of a big piranha and directly tore a slice of meat off.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that one and cook it in my cabin!¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the crocodile turtle with his long spear and said to Lang Ga.

    ¡°Okay, then it¡¯s yours.¡± Lang Ga was thrilled with today¡¯s harvest, and he could not care less about this thing that he had seen in the past. In fact, he was now paying no attention to whether the things he caught were edible or how much energy they contained. He felt that it was a very glorious thing to be surrounded by people like that. It was a sense of aplishment, as if he were walking on the path of glory again.

    Check on that! I can not only set ground traps! I can set traps to catch fish as well!

    Lang Ga was acting as amander there, and many residents in the mountain foot district were surrounding him, learning from him. Lang Ga stood on the stone pir of the fish fence, and he had been talking ever since he got there.

    Shao Xuan looked around, and he chose not to steal Lang Ga¡¯s spotlight. Although he and Lang Ga were the joint owners of the catch, all he wanted to see was what else there was in the river besides those piranhas. Aside from that crocodile turtle and a few fish in the fish fence, he left all the other things at Lang Ga¡¯s disposal.

    Shao Xuan squeezed out from the crowd and walked along the riverside.

    In the little woods near the river, many branches were broken. Maybe that was caused byst night.

    When the water rose, clearly there would be big tides. There were obvious marks that indicated that the bank had been washed, and the things in the fish fences were brought back by the tides.

    There were no broken branches in the water, and there were no floating things on the river.

    Shao Xuan walked into the woods. He broke off a branch and tossed it into the river.

    The branch floated on the surface and drifted along the tides. But after only a few breaths¡¯ time, the branch sank, and a series of bubbles came up.

    Those wood-eating worms had returned as well.

    During the rainy season, perhaps those worms had swum downstream together with the river monsters, or perhaps, like those long-tailed frogs, they had their own ces to go to. But after the full moon, they had returned with the water.

    If his spection was right, Shao Xuan believed that maybe a boat could float in the river safely from the end of the rainy season to the full moon.

    In the middle of that period, the river seemed very rough, but only those piranhas were active. There was a saying, that the monkey reigns in the mountains when the tiger is absent. It made sense. Without their natural predators, of course those piranhas would stay active all day long, and they would fight each other over slight traces of blood.

    Shao Xuan could not confirm whether the truth was the same as his spection. It was a shame that this phenomenon only happened once a year. He had to wait until the next rainy season to confirm his theory.

    When he got back to the cabin, Shao Xuan carefully recorded todays observation and his spection in his secret notebook. After he was done, he carefully rolled the animal skin roll, and tied it with a leather rope, before cing it into a stone box. He sealed it, and put the stone box under his bed.

    There were a lot of things recorded in that animal skin roll. For now, Shao Xuan could not let the others in the tribe learn about it, for the information inside would probably cause a panic, as well as some unnecessary troubles. Now, since Shao Xuan¡¯s strength was limited, he could not bear the consequences. So, there was no other option but to keep it well-hidden.

    ¡°Hopefully, it will be useful someday in the future.¡± Shao Xuan whispered to himself.

    Is their tribe the only tribe in this world?

    Now, everyone in the tribe, together with their ancestors, had only had connections with the other people in this tribe for their whole lives. From birth to death, no one had ever encountered any outsider. When they talked about the other tribes, it was like when people were talking about aliens in Shao Xuan¡¯s previous life. It was too remote, and aliens only existed in legends instead of in real life.

    Where were the others? Were they any other people besides them? Shao Xuan could see something from the pictures on the stone room¡¯s walls.

    But, how could he get out from this tribe and meet someone from other tribes?

    Perhaps he had to travel through that dangerous forest to go further. Or perhaps, all he needed to do was to travel across the river¡­

 Chapter 95 â€“ Intention

    Chapter 95 ¨C Intention

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When everything in the tribe went back to normal, Shao Xuan¡¯s life resumed its old pattern.

    He would go out on hunting trips every twenty or thirty days, then return to the tribe, and do stone crafting, learn about setting traps from Old Ke, and train with Caesar and Chacha.

    In the blink of an eye, half a year passed by. During that time, Shao Xuan extended out his cabin. Under the guidance of Old Ke, he even integrated stone materials into his cabin, and turned his little shelter into a wood-stone house. It was tougher than before. In the aspect of architecture, he indeed wasn¡¯t as talented as Old Ke and the others. So, all he could do was to build the house following Old Ke¡¯s guidance.

    The newly-built wooden stone house was one timerger than Old Ke¡¯s ce, and even had space for a separate stone crafting workshop. Old Ke¡¯s equipment had already been moved into that room. When Shao Xuan was doing the stone crafting, Old Ke would just sleep in the next room. He didn¡¯t mind the noise, and would alwayse to teach Shao Xuan a thing or two when he woke up.

    When Shao Xuan went out hunting, Old Ke would constantly sit beside the window to bathe under the sun when he wasn¡¯t doing stone crafting or training Caesar and Chacha. Every time Ge stopped by, he would sigh with satisfaction, seeing that Old Ke was enjoying his life like that. Just over a year ago, who would have expected Old Ke to have such changes in his life?

    Chacha was growing fast. It had been almost half a year since it hatched.

    Caesar¡¯s den was built somewhere near the main door so he would be able to learn about the outside situation once there was movement. Shao Xuan waspletely keeping him as a dog. However, Chacha had his nest built on the roof. Shao Xuan made it especially for Chacha.

    With Chacha¡¯s presence, no night swallow would ever dare to get close to the house. Sometimes, a few night swallow¡¯s bodies would be found in the morning besides Chacha¡¯s nest. He had no intention of eating them. When he pecked them to pieces, he would take the remains to the river and drop them into the river for all those big-head piranhas to fight over the remains. He wasn¡¯t only fierce, but also had creepy hobbies.

    Shao Xuan had always assumed that it would require help from a third party for the little bird to learn how to fly. For instance, someone might need to push the bird down from some edges. However, the truth was, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to worry about that at all. Chacha wasn¡¯t a good boy since its first day, and he became even naughtier as time went by. He often jumped down from the stone desk, and before Shao Xuan noticed it, Chacha learned how to fly, and he could fly decent enough. From morning till night, he would mess with Caesar by constantly pecking him. When Caesar was about to get serious, Chacha would immediately fly high up, so that Caesar wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything except let out his anger on the ground.

    One time, when Shao Xuan got back from a hunting mission, he was summoned by the Shaman. At the mountaintop, when he took Chacha to the Shaman, he encountered Chief Ao, who was speaking with the Shaman about some matters.

    Chief Ao said that Chacha might be the rtive of a bird called Giant Mountain Eagle. He might even be a close rtive of that eagle, but not asrge as that. Even so, Chacha was still one of the predators, andpared with the other kinds of birds, he was big in size.

    The first idea that Shao Xuan had when he learnt about that was¡­Well, no wonder he had such a fucking big appetite!

    The little bastard could eat a lot while he was still a baby bird. Also, he was very picky. Now, as time went by, it grewrger andrger, and could now fly on his own. But most of the times, he would get food from Shao Xuan, and would asionally hunt for snacks, because Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t allow him to fly too far.

    As for the exact look of the Giant Mountain Eagle, Shao Xuan had no idea, for he had never seen it before. Most people in the tribe had never seen it, but it was said that in a ce far away, there was an Eagle Mountain, and the Giant Mountain Eagle lived there.

    With no confirmation on Chacha¡¯s species, Shao Xuan could only specte his character based on the living habits and characters of Giant Mountain Eagle. If he really was a close rtive as Chief Ao had said, then they must have something inmon.

    The Giant Mountain Eagle was famous for its cold-blood cruelty, and they would fight each other even if they were blood-rted. When there was an inner fight, they wouldn¡¯t have a death fight. But for those non-rted birds or animals, they would definitely aim for their lives. Even when they won, they would chase theirpetition to death in the end.

    Based on Shao Xuan¡¯s observation, Chacha was developing the same character as the Giant Mountain Eagle. Luckily, he was tamed and trained since childhood, so his temperament was not so aggressive.

    ¡°Have you found good stone cores, again?¡±

    Old Ke stood by the window, and he noticed Shao Xuan carrying back two giant stones from the training ground.

    ¡°Yep. I think they are good enough to make a few spearheads, and the remaining stone kes can be made into stone needles for setting trapster.¡±

    Shao Xuan put the two stones into his workshop, and he heard the voice of a bird from outside when he finished drinking his water.

    He went out the door, and stared at the bird circling above his head. He waved to the bird, and clearly, the bird received the signal, for he chirped in the sky and flew away.

    ¡°Chacha went out to y again?¡± asked Old Ke.

    ¡°Yeah. Luckily, he knows not to fly too far away, and he would return home when it¡¯s time.¡± Shao Xuan came back home and sat down.

    ¡°He¡¯s still young. When going out of the tribe, there are a lot of ferocious birds in the sky. Chacha is still no rival for them.¡± Old Ke was a little concerned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, he¡¯s smart enough.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    He was not lying. Chacha indeed was full of wicked ideas. He was much smarter than Caesar and rarely would he be bullied.

    Seeing that Caesar was following Shao Xuan from the training ground, Old Ke asked after a long silence, ¡°Do you n to take Caesar out onto the hunting field, since you have trained him so much?¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°I intend to take him out for hunting next year.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean that?¡± Old Ke was still worried.

    Although he had seen Caesar being trained by Shao Xuan during this year, and Caesar obviously had learned how to cooperate with Shao Xuan, the real hunting field was filled with danger. There were too many unpredictable factors, and any slight mistake could cause an irreversible effect.

    ¡°It¡¯s only an intention of mine. I¡¯ve heard from Uncle Mai that we might be hunting some rare prey next year, so I made the proposal to him. He said that he would think about it. But when the timees, Caesar would need to make a performance in front of the other warriors.¡± In fact, Mai could totally decide on the affairs in the hunting group, and the others wouldn¡¯t disobey him even if they had different opinions. However, Shao Xuan would like the others to fully understand Caesar¡¯s capacity. It would be such a pity to waste good help.

    Shao Xuan knew that there were some rare prey that would be difficult to track down, given that he had been participating in quite a few hunting missions. But with Caesar and his sharp sense of smell, the situation would be much easier.

    Now, Caesar was doing very well in the aspect of speed. As for reacting, fighting and adapting¡­Shao Xuan and Caesar were still working on that.

    Caesar was almost the same size as the wolves in the forest, but hecked the bloodlust. No one in the tribe was afraid of Caesar now.

    Since Shao Xuan made the decision, Old Ke wasn¡¯t nning to disturb him, ¡°If he still needs more training, you may have more time to train him during the winter when the hunting period ends.¡±

    ¡°Well, winter¡­¡± Shao Xuan looked at the few normal looking leaves that were left on the wooden shelf, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that this winter won¡¯t be rxing.¡±

    He wanted to learn something about herbs from the Shaman, and he had mentioned about this idea when he was summoned by the Shaman. Since he had no idea whether it was a proper request to make, he tentatively raised the topic once in a euphemistic way. To his surprise, the Shaman agreed.

    Many warriors in the advance group knew a thing or two about the usage of herbs, but none of them had any clear understanding of it. The others in the tribe had never brought up simr requests. Perhaps they thought that all they had to do was to trust the Shaman with his ideas, and they would ask for the Shaman¡¯s help when necessary, so they did not have to spend their own time on learning it. Or perhaps, they thought that only the Shaman was capable of learning something as advanced as that, and the others couldn¡¯t.

    In fact, the Shaman was quite delighted when Shao Xuan brought up that he wanted to learn herbalism from him. However, normally, Shao Xuan¡¯s time was very limited. So, the Shaman asked him toe to the mountaintop in the winter, when there were no hunting missions.

    That¡¯s why Shao Xuan said that he would be busy in thising winter.

 Chapter 96 â€“ A present for the Shaman

    Chapter 96 ¨C A present for the Shaman

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    With the end of thest hunting mission, it grew colder and colder as time went by.

    Shao Xuan walked down from the mountaintop as he was dragging home the prey he hunted down during thest hunting trip.

    The weather was colder than before, and winter was about thirty days away. He stored some of the food in the mountaintop storage cave, and brought down the remainder.

    The other hunting team was preparing for theirst hunting mission. They had to hurry up, because by the time they returned, it would official be winter.

    Old Ke was meeting a friend in the mountainside district, and Caesar was waiting for him there as he would be Old Ke¡¯s ride for going back home. As for Chacha¡­ Shao Xuan saw him flying through the sky on his way back to the tribe. However, hadn¡¯t seen him since the end of Sword Cleansing Ritual.

    When stepping through the door, Shao Xuan noticed a falcon lying on the stone table. The eagle¡¯s head was at the edge of the table as it remained still. Shao Xuan became stunned for a moment, because he thought that the eagle¡¯s neck had been broken by someone. However, that thing immediately got up and jumped down from the table, as if it knew Shao Xuan came back. When pping his wings, he knocked down quite a few wooden chairs around him.

    Chacha had grown up, but he kept his old habits from his childhood. For example, lying on the edge of the stone desk, whilst throwing down everything else on the surface by pping his wings. He got lectured by Shao Xuan a lot of times, but old habits were still old habits.

    Shao Xuan looked at the approaching eagle, and tossed him a slice of meat, ¡°Eat it outside!¡±

    Even though his cabin had been erged, there was still insufficient room for Chacha to p his wings.

    After Chacha left the cabin with the meat, Shao Xuan intended to process the remainder by pickling it. However, he checked the stone crock in the kitchen, and realized that it was already full.

    Shao Xuan had made a separate space in the kitchen with a wooden nk. In the spaceid a simple stone stove, and it was more convenient than setting up a stone pot every time.

    Shao Xuan recalled that there was an empty stone crock in the corner, so he walked towards it and checked. It was an old stone crock brought by Old Ke. But it had aged a lot, and there was a crack on the opening part. Not much water could be contained within it, so it was only ced here temporarily, forter use.

    There was a wooden cover on the stone crock. Ayer of dust was on the cover, since no one had touched it in a long time.

    Shao Xuan opened the wooden cover and looked inside, only to find a washbasin-sized thing staying quietly inside. It also had many jagged ridges on its back. The water inside the stone crock merely covered its back.

    Shao Xuan realized what had happened only after he saw it.

    This turtle was trapped in the fish fence on a night after the two moons ovepped and the water-level rose. Shao Xuan asked Lang Ga to leave him with that, for he wanted to make a pot of stew with it. However,ter on, when Lang Ga came to deliver it, Shao Xuan directly tossed it into the old stone crock in Old Ke¡¯s ce. After that, because of series of events, such as hunting, erging the cabin, and moving, it was left here, totally ignored. Shao Xuan forgot about its existence and Old Ke did the same. So, it was left here until today.

    When you counted properly, you¡¯ll find that almost half a year had passed. The turtle remained in the stone crock, and it was still alive!

    Perhaps it almost starved to death, as it had no spirit at all. When Shao Xuan poked it twice with the wooden stick, it merely moved its body.

    ¡°Should I cook it today?¡± Shao Xuan thought.

    As he was hesitating whether to cook it today, or keep it for another few days, Old Ke returned with Caesar.

    When Old Ke came in, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Should we eat it today, or in a few days? What do you say?¡±

    ¡°What? It is still in there?¡± Old Ke was very surprised.

    When Lang Ga delivered this turtle here, Shao Xuan said nothing about making it into a pot of stew. Moreover, with the experience of keeping Caesar and Chacha, Old Ke naturally assumed that Shao Xuan took this thing back to keep it as a pet. After all, he had a history of keeping food as pets, it wouldn¡¯t have been a surprise if he wanted to keep this one as well.

    After putting it into the stone crock, Old Ke would refill the water every three or five days. And when he thought of it, he would toss some meat chunks into it. Old Ke thought that Shao Xuan would take care of it, but unexpectedly, Shao Xuan had already forgotten about it a long time ago. Later, when Shao Xuan¡¯s cabin was erged, Old Ke came and asked about the turtle again. Back then, he learnt that Shao Xuan had no intention of keeping it as a pet, but to store it as meal. So, he stopped feeding it since then. There was a differences between food and pets.

    In the past, pets and food were the same thing in Old Ke¡¯s mind. Then, he got to spend time with Caesar and Chacha, and he gradually became attached to them. Caesar carried him everywhere, so of course he wouldn¡¯t let him starve. However, food was a different thing. In the minds of the people in the tribe, why would anyone waste food by feeding their meal?

    It was left behind, until now.

    ¡°Yeah, I remembered. It was trapped by the fish fence along the river, on the following night after the ovepping of the moons, when the water-level rose. I told Lang Ga to let me have it, so that I can stew it. But I forgot to cook it because I became busy after.¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that it¡¯s still alive! I¡¯ve stopped feeding it for quite some time.¡± Old Ke sighed. After all, they were in nock of food. Since the other stone crocks in the front were still full, no one would ever pay attention to the old stone crock in the corner.

    ¡°This creature had a habit of constant starvation. It can live long and well.¡± Shao Xuan said, and tossed a piece of fresh meat into the stone crock.

    The turtle was usually timid, but it immediately bit into the meat. When its hooked mouth bit the meat, it pierced through the meat and pecked the stone crock because it used too much strength, creating a loud ¡®Bang¡¯.

    Shao Xuan checked on the inner wall of the stone crock, and found that there were a bunch of scratches and bite marks all over its surface. If the stone crock didn¡¯t have thick walls, perhaps it would¡¯ve long been pecked through. Perhaps it contributed to the opening crack as well.

    ¡°Or, should we eat it today?¡± Shao Xuan turned to Old Ke and asked, but he found that Old Ke was staring at the turtle and was thinking about something.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan.¡± Old Ke said with his eyes fixed on the turtle in the stone crock.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to learn from the Shaman during this winter?¡± asked Old Ke.

    ¡°That¡¯s the n. The Shaman agreed too.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You can present it to the Shaman.¡± Old Ke pointed at the returned-back-to-life turtle as it had been fed earlier.

    ¡°Present it to the Shaman?¡±

    The Shaman was in nock of food, then why would he care for that turtle?

    However, soon enough, Shao Xuan realized the true meaning of Old Ke¡¯s words. He was thinking that this turtle had good values, for it represented longevity and immortality as Shao Xuan just said before.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know what turtles represented in this world. But in his past life, many people did regard turtles as the symbol of immortal life. Let alone that this turtle indeed had a tenacious vitality. It had been ced in the crock for such a long time, that it no longer had the strength to peck on the walls. Or, he would have escaped already from the stone crock.

    Shao Xuan recalled his memories when they first captured the turtle. Lang Ga had tortured his prey in the fish fence for some time, and then brought the turtle to Shao Xuan. It had then been starved for nearly half a year. If you do the calctions, you¡¯ll find that it literally didn¡¯t have much to eat. However, the turtle survived, which convinced Old Ke that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t wrong when he said that the turtle represented longevity and immortality.

    People in the tribe always felt that they should present the things which symbolized good things to highly respected individuals, and of course, Old Ke held the same attitude. Since Shao Xuan would be learning from the Shaman, Old Ke regarded it as an honor. So, it made total sense to present the Shaman with a turtle that represented immortal life.

    Seeing that Old Ke was persistent, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t try to eat it anymore. After all, they were in nock of food.

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll give it to the Shaman when I go to the mountaintop next time.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Old Ke smiled at Shao Xuan¡¯s word, ¡°We should keep it properly until then.¡±

    Old Ke thought that anything that would be presented to the Shaman must be in its best condition, as it was a gesture of their good faith.

    So, after about ten days of a well-provided life, Shao Xuan grasped the turtle¡¯s back, and carried it to the mountaintop, with its stomach facing the sky.

    On the mountaintop.

    The Shaman was sitting in the stone room, recording something on an animal skin roll with a pen made from animal hair. He was a little curious when Shao Xuan said that he had some food to present. After all, it had been already some days since Shao Xuan¡¯s hunting team came back. What would he have now to present?

    The Shaman ced his pen on the side. He looked at the turtle which was in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand and he was about to say something.

    But the Shaman¡¯s old face sudden twisted a little, as he swallowed the words he was about to say.

    In the past, when other people in the tribe presented food to the Shaman, the food would be meat bulks, which had already been processed, neat and clean. However, Shao Xuan brought him a whole turtle, an alive one with eagle-hooked mouth, and there were still wood chips at the corners of its mouth.

    Obviously, the turtle had great destructive power. As it was brought in by Shao Xuan, a clear murderous look could be seen on its face, as if it was prepared to bite on anything that was in front of its eyes.

 Chapter 97 â€“ That turtle

    Chapter 97 ¨C That turtle

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°So, what are you¡­¡±

    The Shaman looked at Shao Xuan, a little speechless, for he did not know what was the right thing to say in this situation. He had not received any living things for many years.

    ¡°It¡¯s a present for your honor!¡±

    Shao Xuan ced the turtle on the ground at the corner. On second thought, he decided to ce it with its back on the ground. So, every time when it tried to turn over, the Shaman would just have to spin it back with a finger.

    ¡°I¡¯m dropping it off here, and by the way, when should Ie learn herbalism from you?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman looked back as his eyes were fixed on the upturned turtle earlier. He thought about it and said, ¡°You shoulde to the mountaintop in ten days.¡± He had a lot things on his te recently, for some matters needed to be processed, and he had to draw many pictures on the animal skin roll. But he would be less busy after ten days.

    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯lle in ten days.¡± Seeing that the Shaman had a lot of nk animal skin rolls on the table, Shao Xuan knew that the Shaman had a lot of things to take care of. He said no more and excused himself after a decent salute. As for the turtle¡­ it won¡¯t be able to harm anyone since someone was guarding at the Shaman¡¯s ce.

    When Shao Xuan had left, the Shaman silently stared at the turtle on the ground which had just turned itself over.

    The turtle with murderous look was no longer behaving like a savage animal as it was in Shao Xuan¡¯s cabin. Now, it opened its eagle-hooked mouth a little, staring at the Shaman with no other move.

    The Shaman kept staring at the turtle for some time, and then called the guard toe inside, to take the turtle to another ce.

    Old Ke was waiting for Shao Xuan, when Shao Xuan came home that day. Old Ke seemed quite nervous. People in the tribe all valued the Shaman¡¯s attitude a lot, so Old Ke wanted to know whether the Shaman was satisfied when he received such a unique present from Shao Xuan.

    ¡°How are things going? Did the Shaman like it?¡± Before Shao Xuan could enter the door, Old Ke asked hastily. The blue veins on his hand became more obvious than before because he was clutching his cane pretty hard out of nervousness. The cane was about to break¡­

    Shao Xuan recalled the Shaman¡¯s facial expression and then answered, ¡°I think he is satisfied. He asked me to go to him in ten days.¡±

    Old Ke was finally relieved hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words. Since the Shaman asked Shao Xuan to go to the mountaintop, it meant that he had no dissatisfaction towards Shao Xuan.

    In fact, Shao Xuan felt that Old Ke¡¯s concerns were not that necessary. Over time, he got to know the Shaman¡¯s personality deeper than before. Although they did not have many long conversations, Shao Xuan could feel that the Shaman was not someone with an ancient mind, who knew nothing about change and progress. Also, he would not alter his attitude towards people based on the presents they sent him.

    ¡°Since you still have ten days, you should learn a thing or two about the herbs from the warriors in the other hunting team, before you go to the mountaintop. The Shaman will be delighted if you learned something in advance.¡± Old Ke had nned to go and visit some of his old pals in the hunting team who knew a thing or two about herbs. However, the pals he knew were all in the other hunting team right now, and they had been out for days. By the time, theye back, Shao Xuan would already be at the mountaintop.

    Normally speaking, the animals and ferocious beasts in the forests had a wave-shaped activeness. When the two moons were full moons and ovepped another, it would reach the highest peak. However after that, there would be less and less animals that were active in the forest. By the end of the year, some animals hid in some ces, preparing to hibernate. So, to make sure that they had enough food to survive the winter, the hunting team would go hunting for a longer time when it got near the end of the year.

    Because of that, the other hunting team might not be able toe back even after twenty days. When Shao Xuan goes to the mountaintop, he would have to wait for another three or four days for them toe back. If something unpredictable happened on the road, it might take them longer.

    ¡°Then, I can¡¯t help you in herbalism.¡± Old Ke had already forgotten most of the things he knew about herbs. He worried that if he taught Shao Xuan the wrong thing, Shao Xuan would be humiliated in front of the Shaman. It was the Shaman that he was going to face!

    However, Shao Xuan had no such nervousness or anxiety as Old Ke, and he behaved just like normal. He did stone crafting, and trained Caesar and Chacha as usual in the training ground. Also, he kept learning and practicing the skills of setting traps.

    During the season, many trees on the hills around the training ground had fruits on the branches, and many people would go and collect them. Many fruits had a short maturation period. One day before, it was only a peanut-sized green fruit, and the second day, it would grow into an apple-sized colorful fruit. If you did not pick it, it would rot the next day.

    So, many people would go to the training ground just to collect the fruits. Most of them were residents from the mountain foot district. After all, they had a rtively short storage of food, so it was always better to have more food prepared before winteres.

    Finally, the day came when Shao Xuan ought to go to the mountaintop. Before he set off, Old Ke urged him again and again to not upset the Shaman, and be careful during the learning process. It was such a great honor to learn from the Shaman, so never to be careless!

    Regardless of his true feelings at heart, Shao Xuan nodded seriously, ¡°You just rest assured!¡±

    Old Ke became totally speechless: ¡°¡­¡±

    He was about to feel relieved, but at that sentence, his heart was in turmoil again. Looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s back as he headed up to the mountaintop, Old Ke was extremely worried.

    Shao Xuan did not take Caesar with him, but Chacha followed him all the way to the mountaintop.

    When he arrived in front of the door of the stone house that the Shaman used for meeting with other people, Shao Xuan saw the two guards staring at the sky.

    Naturally, the two guarding warriors knew that eagle hovering in the sky, after all, it was taken to the Shaman and blessed by him since infancy. No one dared to harm him.

    Shao Xuan made a gesture to the sky, and Chacha let out a cry before flying down home.

    It was not the two guarding warriors¡¯ first time seeing Shao Xuan do that. But every time they saw it, they would feel sincerely surprised and admire it. They had never thought about keeping a ferocious bird from the forest and making it behave like that. Because of that, they had a much gentler attitude towards Shao Xuan than they had towards most of people living below. They would even smile when they saw Shao Xuaning.

    Aside from the first few times, Shao Xuan now did not have to show his patterned pallet before he could be allowed to enter the house. No one would stop him from going inside now.

    The Shaman was still sorting out the animal skin rolls. Shao Xuan glimpsed at them, but he could not recognize them. There seemed to be pictures on them, but the figures were too abstract. They were much simpler than the pictures on the animal skin rolls, and the pictures on the stone wall in the orphan cave. They looked more like symbols. Each one of the pictures only had one or two strokes. However, the Shaman was painting real slow, as if it took him a lot of strength toplete even one stroke.

    Shao Xuan did not disturb the Shaman, and he sat beside him upon arriving.

    After about five minutes, the Shaman finally dropped the pen and took a long breath. He looked at Shao Xuan with a light smile, ¡°I¡¯ve talked with Gui Ze. You should go to the medicine house directly, and she will inform you what to do next.¡±

    Shao Xuan had no idea who this Gui Ze was, and he assumed that she was one of the Shaman¡¯s apprentices. Under the current situation, the Shaman did not seem to be able to leave the stone house. The picture was only one-thirdplete, and quitting half way was not a good option. Shao Xuan understood that the Shaman was in the middle of his things.

    ¡°Okay, then I¡¯ll go there.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    The medicine house was the special ce to mix the herbs. There were many houses built near the mountaintop, and four of the houses were on the top. They were: The house that the Shaman used for meetings, the house that the Chief used for meetings, the house that served as the general office of the tribal leaders, and the medicine house.

    These four stone houses were separated in four directions, and if you connected the opposite stone houses, you would draw a cross.

    It was said that the four houses were connected with the fire pit, and they were warm even during winter times. As for how they were connected with the fire pit, it was a secret between the Shaman and the me.

    Normally, aside from severely sick people and the badly wounded warriors, no one would ever go close to the medicine house. Shao Xuan only knew the exact location of the medicine house, but he had never entered it.

    There was someone guarding in front of the medicine house. When Shao Xuan handed him his patterned pallet, the man let him in. Obviously, he was told to do so by the Shaman.

    You could smell the scent of medicine from far away, and the smell grew stronger when you approached.

    Shao Xuan walked inside as he lifted the animal skin curtain.

    There was a square giant stone table in the middle of the house. A young girl was busy sorting different kinds of herbs in front of the table.

    The sleeves of that animal skin top that she was wearing were just over her elbows, and the animal skin pants also did not reach her ankles. She was barefoot, walking on the uneven but carefully hardened soil ground, cing different kinds of herbs in the right locations along the stone table.

    Behind her, a turtle that Shao Xuan was particrly familiar with was following her steps slowly. When she made a step forward, the turtle would do the exact same thing.

    [Let me stop you right there. Take off those pink sses. There is no romance here.

    Also, I said it before, but that turtle is kyuuute!]

 Chapter 98 â€“ The pictures in the animal skin rolls

    Chapter 98 ¨C The pictures in the animal skin rolls

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan ced the animal skin curtain down and greeted her: ¡°Hi, my name is Ah-Xuan, and I¡¯m here to learn from the Shaman.¡±

    The person dealing with the herbs on that stone te looked up at Shao Xuan and then smiled: ¡°My name is Gui Ze.¡±

    Although she was smiling, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t feel much kindness or weing from the smile, but she didn¡¯t seem to have any malice either. Just like the Shaman, she smiled at everyone in a gentle way, but only for appearances.

    Well, the Shaman had an excellent apprentice. They had the exact type of smile.

    Compared with other warriors whose totem power had awakened, Gui Ze was rtively slender. After all, no matter boys or girls, anyone who had awakened their totem power would have a stronger physique. Therefore they would look stronger in terms of appearance.

    It was warmer inside, just like everyone in the tribe said that this medicine house was connected with the fire pit. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how the heat got transported to here, for there was nothing spectacr or suspicious in the room.

    Shao Xuan walked towards the stone table and asked: ¡°What should I do first?¡±

    Gui Ze dropped the stone te that she had in her hand and thought for a moment: ¡°You can just stand there and watch what I do.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Shao Xuan had no problem with that. He needed to watch and learn first, for he had no idea how to process these herbs.

    All the nts were totally alien to Shao Xuan, but just as what Shao Xuan had learnt about herbs during hisst life, most of the medical nts needed to be selected and processed, before they could be used on people.

    One nt might have different effects on different parts. Some parts of it might save people¡¯s lives, while the other parts might make things worse, or even take people¡¯s lives.

    However, now all Shao Xuan knew about herbs was the basic usage of themon-seen nts and herbs that he had encountered during his hunting trips with the team. When he was a part of the advance group, he learnt a thing or two about picking up rare nts. For example, when the proper time was to pull out the nt, what kind of nts had their valuable parts above the ground, what kind of nts needed to be pulled up as a whole, and what kind of nts could only be collected when they blossomed.

    As for now, the first thing that Shao Xuan should know about was how to select them out, and when the herbs should be delivered to the medicine house.

    Gui Ze was doing that right now, and she was half-done. After all, it had been over twenty days since thest hunting team returned. The short preservation life nts had long been processed, and the nts with long preservation life would be processed in the end.

    Shao Xuan walked closer and stood by Gui Ze¡¯s side, so that he might have a clearer look at how she processed the nts during each step.

    The turtle approached Shao Xuan in silence, and suddenly, it bit on Shao

    Xuan¡¯s leg.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were fixed on Gui Ze¡¯s moves on processing the nts, and he did not care for the turtle beside him. However, his hand quickly moved, and pulled out his stone knife. Without hesitation, he stabbed towards its eagle-hooked mouth with the back of the stone knife.

    ¡°Ba!¡±

    The turtle got struck, but it waved its head, and still looked at Shao Xuan in an unfriendly way. Perhaps it still held a grudge, and it remembered how it was treated by Shao Xuan.

    However, to Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, that turtle did not try to bite him again, which was totally different from his behavior back down the mountain in that old broken stone crock. Back then, it would fight till thest minute when it had an object.

    Shao Xuan was a little confused. The turtle was a biter, but why was it calm in here? Because of the Shaman? How peculiar!

    No matter what, it saved Shao Xuan a lot of trouble, since that turtle was not obsessed with biting people.

    Now it was almost winter time, and the temperature dropped as well. In Shao Xuan¡¯s previous world, the standard turtles would eat less and bezier than ever. However, that odd-looking turtle with an even more bizarre character had totally upturned Shao Xuan¡¯s original understanding of nature.

    It looked pretty vigorous, and was much more vivid than when it was left in the stone crock, trying hard to survive. Although it wasn¡¯t moving fast, the steps it made were very energetic.

    ¡°Some rare nts brought by the hunting teams could be eaten raw. When they are delivered in here, they would normally have impurities attached, such as mud and dirt¡­¡±

    Gui Ze would also exin the basic knowledge to Shao Xuan as she was processing the herbs on the stone te.

    Regarding the newly-brought nts and herbs, some of them had high water content aside from the impurities such as mud and dirt. If not processed in time, they would go bad. Sometimes, they became moldy like normal food, and sometimes they would have special changes. So, whenever the advance group returned, they would deliver the nts here as soon as possible. Someone in the medicine house would quickly process the ones that were the quickest to go bad.

    ¡°When you roughly clean and wash the newly-brought nts, and then sort them out based on different species, you need to know that some of their non-medical parts must be removed. For example, this is the palpus fruit, and you have to remove its outeryer. The outeryer may cause diarrhea.¡±

    People in the tribe were pretty strong, especially the totem warriors. If the palpus fruit could cause diarrhea to residents in the tribe, and even totem warriors couldn¡¯t survive, then it was very much toxic.

    Shao Xuan saw Gui Ze skillfully slice off the outeryer of the palpus fruit with a sharp stone knife. She peeled off theyer with the beard-like long hairs, without harming any of the translucent jelly-like flesh. Obviously, Gui Ze was very practiced in processing it.

    Shao Xuan wanted to ask how to deal with the peeled toxicyer after it had been processed. But before he could open his mouth, he saw Gui Ze toss the peeled toxicyer towards the turtle¡¯s open mouth, as it was already waiting with its mouth open.

    Shao Xuan was speechless, ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    What the fuck! Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be toxic?!

    One of them was tossing naturally, and the other was eating as if it was supposed to do so.

    Shao Xuan was totally stunned at the scene.

    The Shaman left this turtle in the medicine house so that the turtle could serve as ab rat? Or as a garbage disposal bin?

    Gui Ze did not realize Shao Xuan¡¯s astonishment. Because she wanted to demonstrate different kinds of procedures, so she did not continue to process the same thing. Instead, she walked towards another stone te, and held up a nt which already seemed to be dried. She continued, ¡°Not all nts need to be peeled, for example, this one needs to have its stem and stalk removed, for those parts might numb people¡¯s hands and feet.¡±

    Shao Xuan saw her rapidly remove the stem and stalk, and then, again, tossed the waste parts into the turtle¡¯s mouth.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Seeing the turtle¡¯s chewing mouth, Shao Xuan said to himself¡­severe diarrhea? Numb hands and feet?! All those toxic parts went strictly into the turtle¡¯s belly!

    Moreover, the turtle seemed just fine!

    ¡°Why did you feed it with all those toxic parts?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    He sent the turtle to the Shaman, assuming that the Shaman would ask someone to stew it for supper. Unexpectedly, it was delivered to the medicine house, and behaved just like a pet. The thing that surprised Shao Xuan the most was that Gui Ze really cut off the toxic parts of nts and fed them to this turtle! And the turtle ate them all happily.

    ¡°The Shaman said that I can try feeding it with that.¡± Gui Ze did not feel anything wrong. Since the Shaman had said it, the thing must be right, and all she needed to do was to follow the Shaman¡¯smand.

    It was indeed the undying creature. Now Shao Xuan had a deeper understanding of this exotic specimen.

    He followed Gui Ze, taking a tour around the stone table, and watched her process different kinds of nts at the table preliminarily. After that, Gui Ze continued on her work.

    After watching for some time, Shao Xuan asked when Gui Ze was not that busy, ¡°Are there any kind of documents, like animal skin rolls, that I could read?¡±

    After all, the nts and herbs were precious things brought back by the advance group, so they could not be processed by someone as novice as Shao Xuan, even if the processing procedures were simple, only if the Shaman gave his agreement. Gui Ze could not decide for the Shaman, so Shao Xuan could not lend her a hand even if he wanted to.

    Gui Ze thought about it, and she agreed with Shao Xuan¡¯s idea. Back when she started learning, she learnt from the pictures and records on the animal skin rolls to know the basic knowledge of nts. Only after that, did she learn directly from the Shaman. However, she did have a better environment of learning, for someone walked her through all the animal skin rolls. Indeed, she would like to help Shao Xuan with the reading, but unfortunately, she still had a lot of nts that required immediate process.

    Gui Ze said as she pointed at the animal skin rollsid on a small stone desk in the corner, ¡°They are all over there, and you can read them first.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get started. You should go back to your work. I¡¯ll ask you for help if there¡¯s something difficult to understand.¡±

    Shao Xuan came in front of the stone desk, and he found that most of the animal skin rolls seemed to be very old, while at the end there were some rtively new. they should have been made in this year.

    Shao Xuan took an old animal skin roll and opened it.

    There were nts with their pictures and simple demonstrations. The note was not very detailed, so were the pictures.

    How to identify different kinds?

    In the views of outsiders, when you looked at those paintings, you would feel that four out of ten kinds looked simr! They were nothing but leaves, roots, grass and seeds! All the same!

    The pictures were in one color, and they were painted quite roughly. And the notes were not detailed either. Without the real fruit to look at, and no one to exin, one could only have limited understanding of those nts on the animal skin roll.

    Shao Xuan read a few old animal skin rolls continuously, and knew that they were in the same style. After confirming that, Shao Xuan looked at a rtively new one. That animal skin roll was in much better quality than the others.

    However, Shao Xuan became totally stunned when he opened the animal skin roll and had a look at its content.

    If you said that the earlier pictures on the animal skin rolls were painted roughly, then the pictures on this one should be called crude doodles. Just like the symbols that the Shaman was painting, no one could ever understand what these pictures were about.

    Staring at one of the ink masses on the animal skin roll, Shao Xuan suspected, perhaps, it was a drop of pigment dropped by the Shaman while he was doing the painting.

    However, unexpectedly, in the next second, Shao Xuan felt like that he was seeing some round brown fruit gradually revealing itself from the picture.

 Chapter 99 â€“ The Shaman Volumes

    Chapter 99 ¨C The Shaman Volumes

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan was stunned, so he moved away his sight and looked elsewhere. Momentster, he looked at the animal skin roll again, and looked at those symbols.

    However, when he stared at that ink mass for some time, the brown fruit revealed itself again. Very sharp and clear, just like a regr fruit, it presented in front of him. He could see all the details, such as the folds of the pericarp.

    What was all that?!

    In the past, Shao Xuan would only have those phantom visions when he was in a dangerous situation or on special asions. But now, it was neither dangerous, nor was there a special scene like the Green Thief¡¯s nightmarch. He was merely standing in the medicine house. If the location was the cause of his phantom vision, then why did it take him so long to cause visions?

    The animal skin roll was abnormal.

    Shao Xuan stopped looking at that ink mass that he had been staring at, but changed to another picture.

    Soon, Shao Xuan realized that other pictures were simr as the first ink mass. When he kept staring at them for some time, the real object would gradually emerge from the symbolic paintings, sharp and clear.

    Shao Xuan saw many medical nts and herbs in this animal skin roll, including the Wind Ball and Green Thief that the advance group brought back while he was a member of them. Besides them, there were some other odd-looking herbs.

    The thing that surprised Shao Xuan the most, was the uracy of the pictures. For example, the Wind Ball and the Green Thief were captured with a trap. Unavoidably, there were some remaining traces, caused by the ropes. Shao Xuan personally set the traps and caught these two sneaky nts, of course he could recognize them at first sight. The pictures in the animal skin roll had those exact two things! The traces and marks on their bodies were exactly the same as in Shao Xuan¡¯s memory!

    It was truly a real object representation!

    He moved on to other pictures. There were not only nts, but also animals on the animal skin roll.

    In fact, the first half of the animal skin roll had pictures of nts, while thetter half of the animal skin roll had pictures of animals. However, no matter which kind it was, there were only simple symbolic paintings without description of how these creatures were obtained or processed.

    When he went through the animal medicines part, Shao Xuan could only see the final products, without understanding how they were processed, or what part of the animal¡¯s body they were from. Thements on their sides were very simple, so it was impossible for Shao Xuan to have a better understanding of them.

    Shao Xuan opened and read some other animal skin rolls on the stone desk. However, aside from the one that he was holding in his hand, the other animal skin rolls were all very in. Obviously, the painters of the other animal skin rolls tried very hard to describe the details of the objects. However, due to limited painting skills, Shao Xuan could not see the exact image of the real fruit. It was far more different than the real-object-representation.

    Shao Xuan recalled the time earlier, when he was inside the Shaman¡¯s stone house. He saw the Shaman painting. At first sight, Shao Xuan assumed them to be simple symbols. However, it took the Shaman quite a lot of strength to make every stroke. Now,bined with the knowledge from the animal skin roll in his hand, Shao Xuan had a spection in his mind.

    He waited until Gui Ze had finished processing the herbs in one stone te, and thene to her with the special animal skin roll, ¡°Is this one made by the Shaman himself?¡±

    Gui Ze looked aside and saw Shao Xuan with the animal skin roll in his hand. Earlier she was quite calm, but immediately she became very nervous. She walked towards Shao Xuan quickly, and had a close look at the animal skin roll before she said anything. Gui Ze was relieved when she saw that animal skin roll remained unscratched.

    She wanted to take over the animal skin roll and ce it back where it was, to prevent any damage to it. However, on second thought, she remembered that it was the Shaman who told Shao Xuan toe and learn. So, she hesitated, and then finally withdrew her hand.

    ¡°It is indeed written by the Shaman himself, and it was made only this year¡­You¡­you should be extra careful when reading that. Do not damage it in any way!¡± Gui Ze stared at the animal skin roll in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, and said in a serious tone, ¡°The Shaman would read it every time hees. He will be angry if he sees it damaged.¡±

    Naturally, Shao Xuan understood in his heart how much people in the tribe valued the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan answered as he nodded, ¡°I get it. And I will be very careful with it.¡±

    [You just rest assured! *cough*]

    ¡°By the way, have you read it as well?¡± Shao Xuan lifted the animal skin roll in his hand and asked.

    Gui Ze smiled at that question, and she answered with pure admiration in her eyes, ¡°This is written by the Shaman, so only he could read its content. Whoever else would only see chaos and mass.¡±

    She assumed that Shao Xuan was like her, and that he would not understand a thing from the animal skin roll either. When she entered the medicine house for the first time, she had seen simr animal skin rolls. However, it was said that these kinds of animal skin roll belonged to the Shaman, and the Shaman only. They were totally different from the normal ones.

    ¡°They are called the Shaman Volumes. So only the Shaman could understand their content. You won¡¯t understand it, just change to another animal skin roll.¡± When Gui Ze finished exining, she went back to the big stone table to process different nts. There were still a few stone tes full of herbs that required to be processed soon. Moreover, the other hunting team was about toe back, so she needed to elerate her process. She did not have much time to talk with Shao Xuan.

    When Gui Ze went back to her work, Shao Xuan looked down at the animal skin roll he had at hand, and whispered, ¡°The Shaman Volumes?¡±

    He did not try to exin his situation when Gui Ze misunderstood him. Nor would he ever argue with Gui Ze that he could indeed read and understand the content of this animal skin roll, and beg her pardon¡­

    The Shaman Volumes? And only the Shaman could read them? Who said that?

    Shao Xuan shook his head, and grabbed a wooden chair. He sat on the chair and opened the animal skin roll carefully on the stone desk, so that he could continue reading all those paintings on it. Earlier, he roughly went through a few pictures and there were still a lot of other ones. Even when the notes weren¡¯t in detail, he could have some understanding of the pictures if he read them for some time. Perhaps he would encounter one or two of them when he went out for hunting missionster?

    It must be because of the Shaman that the animal skin roll got the name of Shaman Volume.

    The paintings made by the Shaman werepletely different from the ones made by the others. When doing the paintings, it was highly likely that the Shaman used some special power tobine his consciousness with the ink. So even simple strokes had many secrets contained inside.

    If any regr person could see the meaning of these symbolic paintings, then why would Ta and the others have animal skin roll with regr paintings? Of course, the paintings given to the hunting group leaders were made especially for normal people, so that they could understand the content.

    When it waste in the afternoon, Shao Xuan left the medicine house, for he would not be spending the night in here.

    Not long after Shao Xuan had left, the Shaman came to the medicine house.

    Gui Ze reported the results of her work in the afternoon in a respectful way, and the Shaman smiled, ¡°Good. You¡¯ve done a lottely.¡±

    One old man and one youngdy in the room, sharing the same facial expression. It was just that Gui Ze seemed more delightful because of the Shaman¡¯spliment.

    After asking things about the herbs, the Shaman asked, ¡°How was Shao Xuan behaving today?¡±

    ¡°I taught him the basic picking and processing of the nts, and then he spent the afternoon reading animal skin rolls by the stone desk.¡± Gui Ze briefed today¡¯s things to the Shaman and pointed at the stone desk in the corner, ¡°He also read your animal skin roll. Just like me in old times, he could not understand, so he was confused.¡±

    The Shaman¡¯s face slightly changed for a moment. However, the change was too fast for Gui Ze to capture.

    ¡°How long had he been reading that animal skin roll?¡± asked the Shaman.

    ¡°Almost half a day.¡± And he even yawned. Gui Ze kept thetter part of the sentence to herself, for she feared the Shaman might be angry about it.

    The Shaman was in silence for some time, and then said slowly, ¡°Just leave him be. You go on with your tasks. The hunting team is about toe back. Pack three packs of herbs first.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The next day, when Shao Xuan went to the medicine house again, Gui Ze was still very busy at the big stone table. Shao Xuan stood by her side and watched for some time. He helped with the moving, and watched some of the primary processing methods of some new nts. After watching Gui Ze work for some time, he turned to look at other things. He looked around the room, and his eyesight stopped when he noticed that there was another new animal skin roll on the stone desk around the corner. It looked quite simr to the one that he read yesterday, regarding the material and look.

    Shao Xuan picked up the new animal skin roll, and opened it. All he saw were indeed simple symbols just like the ones he saw yesterday. However, in this new animal skin roll, there were series of images instead of individual images.

    In this new Shaman Volume, there were the whole processing methods of eight different medicinal nts recorded. From the selection of treatment, to cooking, from drying to storage, there were detailed descriptions on them all. Seeing those images, Shao Xuan felt that he saw a pair of weathered hands processing and demonstrating all the procedures in front of him.

    After a series of symbolic pictures, there were alsoments in words.

    When youbined the images with the words, it became very clear and profound.

 Chapter 100 â€“ Do you want to be the Shaman?

    Chapter 100 ¨C Do you want to be the Shaman?

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It was not only that day. Every day after that, Shao Xuan would find a new roll of Shaman Volumes lying on the stone desk in the corner when he came to the medicine house.

    The content varied from the basic picking and processing of medicinal nts, to how to lure and capture the animal-based medicine; from how to process the animals, to how to deal with the nts.

    All of that was recorded on the animal skin rolls of the Shaman Volumes. Every time when Shao Xuan read them, he could see a series of real scenes reflected in his eyes.

    Because the pictures on the new Shaman Volumes were all connected with each other instead of being individual like before, so when you read them together, you could see real scenes emerging out. Sometimes, Shao Xuan would even feel as if he himself moving, he could more or less sense its texture, the feel, the strength, etc¡­

    The Shaman Volumes were all very precious. Obviously, the Shaman already knew that Shao Xuan could understand the content, since he brought out all those new ones for Shao Xuan to read.

    The Shaman¡­well, you cannot keep any secrets from him.

    And, the more and more Shaman Volumes on the stone desk made Shao Xuan have a clear understanding of the Shaman¡¯s attitude.

    One day, when Shao Xuan was reading a roll of the Shaman Volumes by the corner, he heard someone running towards the medicine house while shouting, ¡°Gui Ze! The Shaman asked for you! The hunting team has returned!¡±

    There was a smaller house by the medicine house, which the Shaman used to keep the wounded to treat them. Every time when a hunting team returned, they would directly deliver the injured warriors to that smaller house. It was close to the medicine house, so it would save a lot of time to deliver the herbs. The Shaman could just get the herbs from the medicine house when he needed anything.

    Gui Ze did not hesitate. She stopped what she had been doing and went to the Shaman directly. As for Shao Xuan¡­he was not allowed to go inside the treatment room. Anyone who had not been allowed could not enter, in case of disturbing the treatment.

    Shao Xuan felt a little sorry. He wanted to see how the Shaman treated the wounded warriors. But all he could do was to sit in the medicine house and wait, since he was prevented from entering the treatment room.

    Gui Ze ran back to the medicine house soon after she left, and she grabbed a few packs of herbs to go. After half a minute, there she was again.

    ¡°The bitter shagen, the seven forks, the palpus fruit, the heart piercing stem¡­¡±

    Gui Ze took out some herbs from the stone pots and wooden boxes as she was murmuring the names of the herbs.

    Seeing that she was in such a hurry, Shao Xuan guessed that perhaps there were more wounded warriors delivered to the treatment room this time than they expected. The mixed herbs were in a shortage, so Gui Ze had to make them on the spot, since the packs she made in advance were not enough.

    Gui Ze did not need a scale to do the mixing. She could just grab a handful of the herbs, and there would be almost no difference in the dosages of several processed drugs. Shao Xuan had watched her do that for days.

    Such skill could not be obtained within a short period. Perhaps, the Shaman had been training Gui Ze since her childhood.

    All the residents in the tribe assumed that the herb packs were mixed by the Shaman himself. Now it seems that quite a lot of them must be made by Gui Ze.

    ¡°Need any help?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Gui Ze wanted to refuse at first, but on second thought, she nodded. However, she did not ask Shao Xuan to directly process those herbs, Instead, she asked him to help her carry stuff.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Lack of herb packs? Are there a lot of wounded warriors this time?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There are nine of them.¡± Answered Gui Ze.

    Of course, only the badly wounded warriors would be sent back first. Nine severely injured warriors¡­ Indeed, the number was unusual, but fortunately, no one was killed.

    ¡°There are not enough heart piercing stems. Help me get the box that contains the heart piercing stems.¡± Gui Ze said in a hurry.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Shao Xuan had remembered where the different kinds of herbs were located. So, he did not need Gui Ze to tell him, but directly brought back a huge wooden box.

    The heart piercing stem belonged to a type of nt from the grasnd. It was only the width of a little finger, and had a thin outeryer. On its inside, there was a ck thin thread. Theyer couldn¡¯t be used, and the inner thin ck thread was toxic as well. When processing the heart piercing stem, one had to peel the outeryer and extract the inner thread as well.

    Although in a hurry, Gui Ze was well coordinated with her moves.

    However, she was still not fast enough.

    The heart piercing stem was very hard to process, and it would take a lot of time to process one piece. Shao Xuan had seen her process it, she needed at least half an hour to process each stem. Because of that, Gui Ze had sweat on her forehead. She was still holding the knife tightly, but she sped up, and the work was not as perfect as normal. After all, she was in a hurry to save lives, so she¡¯d rather use more materials in trade of saving the time to deliver the herbs to the Shaman.

    Normally, the heart piercing stem was used to treat the severe inner wounds that exhausted the warriors¡¯ self-healing ability, which meant that these kinds of wounds were extremely dangerous. They required immediate treatment after the warriors were sent to the treatment room. So, all the drugs and herbs needed to be prepared in no time. One more minute¡¯s dy meant more danger than before.

    Seeing that there were a few stems in the wooded box, Shao Xuan took one himself. He pinched on the stem gently, and he pinched along the spirals from bottom to top.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t touch¡­¡± Gui Ze was about to stop Shao Xuan when she realized what Shao Xuan was doing by her side, for he was a novice at this after all. However, she looked over at him, and then decided to swallow what she wanted to say after seeing the scene.

    She saw Shao Xuan quickly finish the pinching. He held the half-arm-length heart piercing stem with one hand, and a small stone knife in his other hand.

    The knife was especially made by Shao Xuan from a fine stone core. The stone core was sent by the Shaman earlier this year, when Shao Xuan had made a major contribution to the tribe. It was not a big one, for the finer the stone core was, the harder it would be to obtain it. After crafting some small stoneware, Shao Xuan kept the rest of the stone core. On his first day in the medicine house when he saw Gui Ze use a small stone knife to peel a herb, he made himself a simr one with the remaining stone core.

    The fine stone core was not easy to craft, so it took him a few days to finish the work. Unexpectedly, it was in use on the first day that Shao Xuan carried it with him.

    The small stone knife moved up and down a few times, and then got pulled back. Like peeling a banana, Shao Xuan peeled the heart piercing stem¡¯syer from one end to another. It went very smoothly!

    It was nothing like earlier when Gui Ze tried hard to peel the heart piercing stem.

    Gui Ze just stared at him, totally forgot what she should be doing. She kept her eyes wide open, staring at Shao Xuan¡¯s every move.

    When Shao Xuan peeled theyer near the other end, he should just cut the small part near the end, together with theyer, if he did it as Gui Ze¡¯s demonstration. As for the inner thread, normally Gui Ze would slit the stem into two parts from bottom to top, and then carefully excavate the thread out.

    However, Shao Xuan did no such thing. When he got near the other end, he squeezed on the end while twisting it softly. After a gentle pull, a ck thin thread got pulled out, together with the peeledyer.

    Gui Ze was stunned, ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    She now did not have any facial expression on her face.

    It was not like she hadn¡¯t tried the same thing. But exactly because she had tried it before, did she realise how hard it was to just pull out the ck inner thread. However, just in front of her own eyes, a novice apprentice did it perfectly, as if he had practiced it a thousand times. All the moves were as fluent as ever, without even one single hesitation!

    In fact, Shao Xuan did not know as well why he could process that so wlessly on his first time.

    It felt like¡­an instinct. It was not Shao Xuan¡¯s own instinct, but the instinct he got after reading the Shaman Volumes. It was transferred from the Shaman Volumes to himself, like a consciousness of instinct. When he was processing the stem, it was like someone whispered in his ears about what to do next, and how he should do it.

    The whole set of actions were almostplete copies of the scene that he read on the animal skin roll, about how to process the heart piercing stem.

    With Shao Xuan added to the workflow, the herb packs were quickly finished. Gui Ze grabbed the herb packs and ran out, leaving Shao Xuan and that turtle in the medicine house looking at each other.

    [I bet that turtle totally is thinking about biting Shao Xuan.]

    After about two hours, the Shaman came. He looked quite tired. Gui Ze stayed behind to look after the wounded warriors, and did note back with the Shaman.

    When the Shaman entered, Shao Xuan was feeding the turtle with the wastes.

    ¡°How¡¯re things over there?¡± asked Shao Xuan as he passed a cup of water to the Shaman.

    The Shaman sat on a wooden chair and sipped on the water. Momentarily, he answered, ¡°It¡¯s good.¡±

    That meant that the wounded ones were in no critical situation now. Shao Xuan continued feeding the turtle with the wastes.

    The Shaman stared at Shao Xuan for some time. Earlier, Gui Ze had told him about how Shao Xuan perfectly processed the heart piercing stems. He was not surprised at all. ncing on the animal skin rolls on the stone desks and the stone table, he pleasantly but sternly called Shao Xuan, ¡°Ah-Xuan.¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to be the Shaman?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±

    The Shaman¡¯s heart immediately shattered in pieces at his firm ¡°No¡±¡­

 Chapter 101 â€“ The Shamanâ€™s requirement

    Chapter 101 ¨C The Shaman¡¯s requirement

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    If the Shaman asked this question to another person in the tribe, that person would¡¯ve been thrilled. However, it was Shao Xuan who was sitting in front of the Shaman.

    In fact, the Shaman had long expected that Shao Xuan would refuse him. He just didn¡¯t expect Shao Xuan to have such a firm refusal.

    Speaking about the Shaman¡¯s savage hunt of an heir¡­ Well, let¡¯s just say it was a long story.

    Being the whole tribe¡¯s spiritual guide meant that the Shaman must take it very seriously when finding an heir. So, a few Shamans in recent history had all spent a lot of time and energy in selecting their sessors.

    When Gui He, the team leader of the other hunting team, was little, he was chosen by the Shaman, and the Shaman intended to cultivate him from a young age. Also, the Shaman named him ¡°Gui He¡±.

    The name ¡°Gui He¡± came from the blessing chant ¡°All water belongs to the gully¡±. One could see how much expectation the Shaman had for this child.

    However, it was a shame that back then, the Shaman was working on the research of a few newly-found nts. He became so obsessed with it that he forgot to keep an eye on Gui He. When he was less busy and realized the importance of cultivating the child, he found that Gui He already had his goal set on bing a strong warrior. All he wanted was to pursue the pinnacle of power and nothing else would ever distract him.

    Gui He admired and respected the Shaman just like everyone else in the tribe. He would literally start a death fight if he heard any bad words about the Shaman. However, ever since he had his own mind, all he wanted to be was a powerful warrior.

    The Shaman wasn¡¯t mad about Gui He¡¯s goal. However, he started to rethink.

    The main priority of the people in the tribe was to be powerful warriors, and they had a very persistent pursuit of strength. Forcing someone to alter his goal wouldn¡¯t make him into a qualified Shaman. The sessor must be someone willing.

    After Gui He, the Shaman began to pay attention to other people in the tribe.

    However, since everyone wanted to be warriors, the Shaman thought perhaps he could choose from those who had yet to awaken. If one couldn¡¯t be awakened, will he or she be willing to be the next shaman?

    It really didn¡¯t matter if the shaman had totem power or not. As long as he or she was a qualified sessor, he or she could naturally obtain the inherited power of the shaman from him.

    As for the totem power¡­. Well, it would be useless after one bes the shaman. Because, the shaman would never leave the tribe.

    The shaman of the tribe must remain in the safe region. No one would ever dare to guarantee that no ident would happen. So normally, the shaman would never step out of the tribe once he inherited the power and responsibilities from his predecessor. No one in the tribe would ever let the shaman step into a dangerous ce.

    If one chief was gone, they could always select the next strongest person to be the next chief. However, it wasn¡¯t the case with the shaman. Every shaman was raised and cultivated since childhood. Once the candidate was selected, the shaman would keep the candidate by his side and teach by lectures and examples.

    As for the ¡°requirements¡± for the potential candidate¡­ No one knew, and no one could tell. It was totally up to the present shaman.

    There had been male, female, totem warrior, and non-totem warrior shamans. So, the awakening of totem power was no decisive factor of being selected. However, about twenty years after the birth of Gui He, the Shaman found no one suitable for being the candidate. He would constantly go down the mountain top to see the kids at the mountain foot area. But, he was disappointed every time.

    Until one day, Gui He carried his newborn daughter to the Shaman, asking for the Shaman¡¯s honor to name his little girl. The Shaman was tempted again once heid eyes on the infant in Gui He¡¯s arms. He named her ¡°Gui Ze¡±. It was also a name that came from a blessing chant.

    ¡°All earth returns to the mansion, while all water belongs to the gully. Insects do notbor, by the blessing of nature¡­¡­¡±

    So, since childhood, Gui Ze was raised and cultivated as the next shaman. Only a few people living on the mountaintop were aware of that.

    However, the Shaman didn¡¯t expect to meet Shao Xuan.

    Ever since his awakening, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t like the others. The Shaman had been paying extra attention to him ever since. Moreover, his view of Shao Xuan was improved by Shao Xuan¡¯s every moves and actions as time went by.

    If we say that it was because of his physique that he could make faster progress than the others. Then, how should we exin when Shao Xuan could see the things that others couldn¡¯t see? What about Shao Xuan¡¯s recovering ability that was better than an intermediate totem warrior?

    And now he understood the Shaman Volumes!

    Why did he obtain such power?

    In fact, the Shaman had no exnation for that. He learnt that Shao Xuan had aplete me inside his body the day he awakened. Whilst other people in the tribe only had an iplete me. However, meanwhile, he seemed to have some kind of shaman power. He could see the things that the other warriors couldn¡¯t see.

    When a shaman determined that it was the right time, he would pass on all his power to his sessor. However, Shao Xuan seemed to have acquired it without inheriting it from the Shaman.

    Was he the offspring from a former Shaman? But that still made no sense, for the shaman would totally pass on his or her power to the sessorpletely, nothing was held back. The shamans were people of no selfish intentions. Their loyalty was to their tribe.

    Also, after re-examining a few animal skin rolls of the family trees in the tribe, he was positive that Ah-Xuan¡¯s ancestors were ordinary warriors.

    Until now, the Shaman had no exact answers to all his questions, but he decided not to tangle with that.

    As he was about to persuade Shao Xuan into taking his ce, he was refused by Shao Xuan firmly.

    ¡°Are you certain?¡± The Shaman asked a further question, which was rare.

    Shao Xuan looked at the Shaman in silence. He was different from the members of the tribe in terms of concepts, thinking, and principles of dealing with things. He was very different, so how could he be their spiritual guide? However, all those reasons must be kept to himself.

    ¡°Fine.¡± The Shaman sighed and left the question behind. He asked: ¡°Have you read all those animal skin rolls?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡±

    ¡°Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡±

    ¡°Then, do you want to read more of the Shaman Volumes?¡± asked the Shaman.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± There were a lot of things recorded in the Shaman Volumes that amazed Shao Xuan deeply. Meanwhile, he guessed that there would be more secrets buried in the more ancient Shaman Volumes. If he wanted to have a better understanding of the tribe, he needed to start with the shaman. And the Shaman Volumes were excellent historical books.

    ¡°Then I can bring you more of the Shaman Volumes.¡± The Shaman said slowly.

    Shao Xuan said nothing about it right now, instead he was waiting for the things that the Shaman would say.

    The Shaman raised his head and nced over the stone table that had different kinds of herbs on it. He continued: ¡°I hope that you will help Gui Ze.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll do that.¡± Shao Xuan intended to tell Gui Ze the things he knew even without the Shaman¡¯s demand. To help the others was to help oneself. The herbs that were packed before a hunting mission were all prepared by Gui Ze. Shao Xuan would be happy if he could help with that and raise Gui Ze¡¯s efficiency.

    The Shaman nodded, satisfied. He was getting old after all, and he already had a lot on his te. He was willing to teach Gui Ze, but the flesh was weak. It was impossible for him to take care of every aspect. The way of processing different herbs couldn¡¯t be fully delivered by him to Gui Ze. In fact, Gui Ze gained her knowledge from others. For example, Gui Ze would master the processing methods of the heart piercing stem better if someone were to teach her.

    In the past, the Shaman thought that Gui Ze would naturally understand the things described in the Shaman Volumes once she inherited from him. So, he spent more time teaching her the right mind, attitude and view of the world. Also, he focused on the development and trend of the tribe. Those things were the most important ones.

    While Shao Xuan¡¯s presence today could well solve the problem.

    The Shaman felt a little sorry, but on the bigger picture, he was satisfied with the situation. He stood up and intended to leave after talking with Shao Xuan about the herbs described in the Shaman Volumes.

    Before leaving, the Shaman told Shao Xuan: ¡°Youe to my room in the mornings starting tomorrow. Some Shaman Volumes can¡¯t be brought in here. You cane to the medicine house in the afternoons.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Answered Shao Xuan as he made a sincere salute towards the Shaman.

    Since Gui Ze didn¡¯t return to the medicine house, Shao Xuan felt a little bored. He processed all the raw nts on the stone table. It wasn¡¯t very hard, since the only thing the herbs required was the pre-processing. He had seen Gui Ze process the herbs before, and he also learnt the way of processing from the Shaman Volumes that he read these days. He was aware of the things that he should be aware of. He was very skillful and proficient when processing them, just like when he was processing the heart piercing stem.

    When leaving the medicine house and heading back home, Shao Xuan looked up in the sky.

    Chacha was hovering over his head in the sky.

    ¡°Do you want to see it for yourself, since it is such a big world?¡± whispered Shao Xuan.

    ¡°ÍÁ·´ÆäÕ¬£¬Ë®¹éÆäÛÖ£¬À¥³æÎã×÷£¬²ÝÄ¾¹éÆäÔó¡±Ò»¾ä³ö×ÔÔ¶¹Å¸èÒ¥¡¶À¯´Ç¡·£¬±¾ÎÄÔÚ´Ë½èÓÃ¡£

    ¡°All earth returns to the mansion while all water belongs to the gully. Insects do notbor, by the blessing of nature¡­¡­¡± ¨C this is from an ancient chanson called . The author quoted a part of it in this chapter.

    [EN: I did the best I could, please don¡¯t kill me.]

 Chapter 102 â€“ Drawing a Shaman Volume

    Chapter 102 ¨C Drawing a Shaman Volume

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Early next morning, Shao Xuan came to the Shaman¡¯s stone room.

    The animal skin roll that the Shaman passed onto Shao Xuan described the processing methods for ten rare animal medicines.

    Shao Xuan assumed that the Shaman would only let him start with a few volumes pertaining to nts. But unexpectedly, when he was done with the volume, the Shaman asked: ¡°Have you read it thoroughly?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m confident that I can harvest the entire medicinal part if I ever encounter these animals.¡± Answered Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Um.¡± The Shaman responded with that, and then said to the warriors guarding his door: ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone in unless it¡¯s urgent.¡±

    Seeing the Shaman¡¯s behavior, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but be serious as well. It seemed that the Shaman had something important to talk to him about.

    ¡°Sit over there.¡±

    The Shaman pointed to a short desk besides him, and took out a piece of nk animal skin roll, as well as a stone te that had special pigments that could only be used by the Shaman.

    Well, in this situation¡­

    Shao Xuan probably understood what he meant.

    ¡°Do you know how the Shaman Volumes are made?¡± Asked the Shaman.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡± Shao Xuan was a little confused, maybe the Shaman was not the only one who could make the Shaman Volumes?

    Seeing the curiosity and confusion within Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, the Shaman exined slowly: ¡°The totem power isn¡¯t the only power.

    totem power is abination of the body and the spirit. Bing a totem warrior is only the reflection of the body¡¯s part. As for the spirit¡­ Everyone has it within them, but the amount is very little.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ What is the other one?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The other one is the power of inheritance. The inheritance of spiritual consciousness.¡± Said the Shaman.

    Every Shaman would inherit his or her predecessor¡¯s ability, and one of the things that got passed down was enough power of inheritance.

    ¡°Since you can understand the contents of the Shaman Volumes, I believe that you¡¯re not like the other normal ones. You should have more power of inheritance than others.¡± Exined the Shaman.

    ¡°The power of inheritance¡­how do you find it?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The Shaman stared at Shao Xuan, and pointing one of his bony fingers between Shao Xuan¡¯s eyebrows: ¡°Ask the totem, and you¡¯ll find the answer naturally.¡±

    Shao Xuan closed his eyes, and began to feel the totem which existed in his mind.

    Besides the two horns that were surrounded by dancing mes, he saw nothing else.

    Just when Shao Xuan was feeling confused, he heard the Shaman whispering into his ears: ¡°Look carefully.¡±

    Shao Xuan continued to observe the totem, and this time he paid extra attention to the details.

    Suddenly something caught his attention when Shao Xuan looked at the bottom of the mes. He fixed his sight onto a pale blue me.

    There was more than oneyer of mes.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes and asked tentatively: ¡°Is it blue?¡±

    The Shaman nodded with satisfaction. It¡¯s good that he could see it. As for how and where on earth Shao Xuan gained the power of inheritance¡­the Shaman had no idea, and he decided not to pay too much attention on that.

    ¡°How much inheritance did you see?¡± asked the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan looked at the brush pen beside him and looked at the Shaman, ¡°May I?¡±

    The Shaman passed him a thin brush pen.

    The brush pen was not exquisite in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, and it was not easy to write with, not so easy as a carbonized branch. But where would he find a carbonized branch right now? He could only write a stroke or two at a time with such a brush pen.

    Shao Xuan first drew the outline of the totem on the nk animal skin roll in front of him.

    The Shaman watched Shao Xuan draw the totem, and his smile became increasingly bigger. It was a nice totem, well drawn. It was much better than most of the drawings made by other people in the tribe. However, whether a Shaman could draw well was irrelevant. The lines and curls had very little to do with being a good Shaman.

    ¡°Over here.¡± Shao Xuan drew a line around the mes that were covering the two horns. ¡°This should be the power of inheritance, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is the power of inheritance.¡± The Shaman said satisfactorily.

    As the Shaman was about to say something, he heard Shao Xuan continue: ¡°And here¡­here¡­as well, over here¡­oh, wait a second, over here there was a little¡­wait¡­let me recheck¡­¡±

    The Shaman waspletely stunned, and he forgot what he was about to say.

    As Shao Xuan kept making strokes here and there, it caused the Shaman¡¯s face to twitch over and over.

    As Shao Xuan was drawing more strokes, the facial expression on the Shaman¡¯s face became more and more stiff. He seemed to be happy and sad at the same time. There were also other emotions mixed in. It was quiteplicated.

    If he was talking with someone else, the Shaman might think that he made an error. However, it was Shao Xuan, and the Shaman knew it deep in his heart that Shao Xuan was telling the truth.

    He had so much power of inheritance, and so much talent but he wanted to be a warrior!

    The Shaman was bitter at heart, and he literally wanted to rush to the fire pit and make a sincere salute in front of all the ancestors.

    ¡°Distinguished ancestors, how could someone with so much power of inheritance and talent not want to be the next Shaman?!¡±

    If the Shaman was a little younger and more hot-tempered, he would¡¯ve probably raised his cane and chased after Shao Xuan.

    Afterparing the blue mes in his mind with the ones he drew on the animal skin roll, Shao Xuan looked up at the Shaman: ¡°Well, that¡¯s all I got.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all you got?¡± The Shaman clenched the cane as a thousand different emotions mixed in his heart. All the mixed emotions went down to a deep sigh.

    Shao Xuan thought that it was not much, because the blue mes only took a small percentage of the whole me. Shao Xuan heard the Shaman say that most of the people in the tribe did not have much power of inheritance. However, he had no idea what he meant with ¡°not much¡±, so he drew all of them out. If he had known the Shaman¡¯s standards earlier, he would definitely keep some of them to himself.

    The Shaman stared at the totem with all the strokes on it, silently.

    As Shao Xuan was wondering what happened with the Shaman, the Shaman started talking in a serious tone, ¡°Excellent. Now it would be easier for you to draw.¡±

    Shao Xuan listened to the Shaman¡¯s exnation carefully about the method to draw a Shaman Volume.

    ¡°All the drawings on the Shaman Volumes are abination of power of inheritance, consciousness, and lines. When these three factors mix and reach a bnce, it bes the Shaman Drawing. If the reader can use the power of inheritance and watch the drawing with consciousness, he would be able to interact with the consciousness of the drawing¡¯s creator. If one could precisely control the power of inheritance, he could even feel the creator¡¯s emotions and other senses at the time¡­.¡±

    It was up to the reader¡¯s and the drawer¡¯s capacity when ites to the depth of the interaction. The stronger they were, the clearer would be interaction be¡­

    The Shaman shared the theory and Shao Xuan listened, because he had to know it if he wanted to make his own drawings.

    When the Shaman had finished exining, and Shao Xuan had memorized and understood most of it, he picked up the brush pen again to start making his first Shaman Drawing.

    A beginner in the Shaman Volumes would always start practicing with copying the other Shaman Drawings. Because when you make a copy, there will be a guidance of consciousness that could walk you through the process.

    After attentively having looked at one drawing in a Shaman Volume for a long time, Shao Xuan concentrated on the nk animal skin roll in front of him.

    He raised his hand, and at the moment that his brush pen touched the animal skin roll, Shao Xuan stimted all the power of inheritance he had, and began to draw in ordance with what the Shaman had told him.

    At that point, Shao Xuan used all his power of inheritance, and all his energy was concentrated on the tip of his brush pen. It was the only thing that he cared about, and it was the only focus that he had in mind. With the guidance of the Shaman Volume, he slowly started drawing.

    After one stroke, Shao Xuan was full of sweat, and it seemed that he had consumed all his strength. He almost copsed, and heaved with heavy breaths.

    Looking at the animal skin roll, he found that there was only a small circle painted on it.

    Shao Xuan rubbed his sweat with his sleeve. He couldn¡¯t help but think that drawing on the Shaman Volume was too difficult. It was only one stroke, and looked like a simple circle. However, it was extremely difficult from the very start, and did not be any simpler in the whole process.

    Hmm, was it because that he had not enough power of inheritance? Shao Xuan wondered to himself.

    If the Shaman had known about Shao Xuan¡¯s thoughts, he would probably have hit him with the cane. When the Shaman himself had started copying, he made three stops toplete a circle. Shao Xuan finished his stroke without one single stop! It was rare, even throughout all the generations in the shaman history.

 Chapter 103 â€“ Itâ€™s not about the appearance

    Chapter 103 ¨C It¡¯s not about the appearance

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan spent the whole morning drawing thatplete circle, and he was exhausted. If in the past, he would never believe something like that would ever happen. However, now he experienced it himself. It could be so exhausting doing a painting, especially the spirit.

    Whening out of the stone house, Shao Xuan looked around and felt that all the houses in his sight were spinning around.

    He kept staring at the sky for some time, and finally the dizziness wore off. He only picked up the stone box that the Shaman gave him after he could finally stand steady on his feet. Shao Xuan headed to the medicine house to help Gui Ze process those herbs and nts.

    Shao Xuan did not know what the Shaman had told Gui Ze, but when he taught her about the ways to process nts, she did not question it, and kept learning earnestly to better her ways in processing the herbs.

    Compared with drawing a Shaman Volume, processing medicinal nts was so much easier. When the sun came down and he stepped out of the medicine house to head back home, he was not that tired at all.

    Inside the stone box given by the Shaman, there were two animal skin rolls, some special Shaman pigments, and a brush pen. The Shaman did not have all day to teach Shao Xuan, so he had to practice by himself for most of the time.

    The stone box was covered in a grass, and it swung around in the air when Shao Xuan brought it back.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡± Old Ke asked seeing Shao Xuan having brought back a stone box.

    ¡°It¡¯s a task given by the Shaman.¡± Although the Shaman told Shao Xuan to practice by himself and provided the necessary materials, they were not meant for Shao Xuan to waste. The scripts of the practice must be presented to the Shamanter. So it should be counted as a task.

    At those words, Old Ke became serious and full of respect immediately. He was even looking at the box with sincere respect. He did not dare to open the box, and stopped all his question once he heard that Shao Xuan was about to do the painting. In his mind, whateveres out from the Shaman¡¯s mouth was absolutely a right and meaningful thing.

    ¡°You should never let the Shaman down!¡± Old Ke said in a serious tone.

    Entering his own room, Shao Xuan took out the animal skin rolls. There were two of them in the stone box, one was apletely nk one, and the other was the one he used in the morning, and now it had a circle on it.

    Shao Xuan unfolded the animal skin roll and took out the pigment, as well as the brush pen. On second thought, Shao Xuan took out a carbonated pen that he made himself, and intended to try to start with that.

    When Shao Xuan began to stimte the power of inheritance, he quickly moved his waist in a sharp angle before he could write anything on the animal skin roll.

    With a light crack, the carbonated pen broke into small pieces and fell on the stone desk. If Shao Xuan had been slower earlier, those small pieces would¡¯ve directly fallen on the animal skin roll.

    As expected, not any random pen could be used to make a Shaman Volume.

    The brush pen that the Shaman gave Shao Xuan was made from the furs of ferocious beast and some special timber.

    Giving up on other kinds of pens, Shao Xuan obediently picked up the brush pen given by the Shaman, and started painting.

    Since it was copy practice, of course he would continue with the circle that he had drawn this morning. After the first attempt, he was more practiced in the second time.

    He was not drawing fast. When Shao Xuan finished with that circle and returned to reality, he noticed that it was already dark, it took him at least an hour to finish,

    Compared with his first try in the morning, the second time took no less time. But the good thing was, this time, Shao Xuan was not as exhausted as thest time, and he was not feeling so dizzy.

    It was progress.

    In the following days, Shao Xuan would take the stone box to the Shaman¡¯s ce every morning. However, the Shaman was busy with errands, so Shao Xuan would sit in a smaller room in the back of the stone house to practice his drawing. When there was a question or a problem, he would go to the Shaman when the Shaman was free. On the other hand, the Shaman was so busy these days, that he had no spare energy or time to pay attention to Shao Xuan¡¯s work.

    After five days, the winter officially came.

    The temperature dropped sharply overnight.

    Shao Xuan opened his door in the morning, and all he could see was white.

    In the giant bird nest on the roof, Chacha was looking down with his neck stretched. Seeing Shao Xuan, he pped his wings to shake off the snow, and flew up.

    Shao Xuan did not force Chacha to sleep outside. When it was almost winter, Chacha still had no intention ofing inside the cabin. Now with the heavy snow, he still didn¡¯t change his mind to avoid the coldness. Since he could bear it, Shao Xuan chose not to meddle with Chacha¡¯s lifestyle. He was not some pet bird after all, and he would need to eventually learn to survive the coldness once he grow big enough and returned to the woods. He could not spoil Chacha.

    Caesar and Chacha followed Shao Xuan up to the mountaintop, and when Shao Xuan arrived, Caesar went down the mountain by himself, while Chacha flew to other ces to hunt for food. Seeing this, they were well trained.

    Shao Xuan arrived at the stone house, and found that both of the team leaders of the hunting teams, Ta and Gui He, were here.

    He made a salute and walked inside with the stone box, without disturbing them. He headed to the smaller room to continue practicing.

    Those two team leaders only knew that Shao Xuan was learning something about herbs from the Shaman, and they thought him a lucky boy. What a great honor to learn from the Shaman himself! Everyone in the tribe had the same thought.

    They would never have guessed what Shao Xuan was truly learning right now.

    With the animal skin roll unfolded, Shao Xuan did not start practicing just yet. Before, when he entered the room, he heard the two team leaders apologizing.

    In the past year, they had found quite a lot of herbs, but among them, there was a considerable percentage of wrong ones. A lot of nts looked alike, and they were difficult to identify correctly. Even though they had animal skin rolls with the pictures of the nts, but it was unavoidable that they brought back some wrong ones every time. For example, the nts and herbs brought back by Gui He were not all the right ones, and some of them needed to be picked out.

    It was a gap during themunication.

    The Shaman could not specifically tell all hunting warriors the things that he needed. Simple verbal description was far from enough. There was no actual picture, no real processing. So the uracy remained to be improved during themunication.

    It was no one¡¯s fault, for after all, not everybody could understand the content of the Shaman Volumes like Shao Xuan did.

    What if someday in the future, when everyone could read the Shaman Volumes!

    Thinking about that, Shao Xuan looked at the stone desk in front of him.

    There was an iplete Shaman Volume on the desk. Shao Xuan began to read it, but the content surprised him somehow.

    It was telling the things about agriculture. However, sadly, the images emitted by the volume were not clear enough.

    It was a copy of some ancient Shaman Volume. No one knew how many times it had been copied, and the original consciousness was already blurred.

    When copying an ancient Shaman Volume, it was like rying or forwarding someone else¡¯s thought, for the copier could not see the actual scene. And making a second copy was like rephrasing someone else¡¯s rephrase. Personal feelings andments were unavoidable.

    For example, when one person ryed another one¡¯s words, the meaning would be almost the same. However, with more people doing so, would the sentence be all the same as the original one?

    It was highly likely to change a little.

    Compared with the original Shaman Volumes, the copies of ancient Shaman Volumes still had the content, but the content was blurred, and not as clear as the original. Such as the copyying in front of Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman had no personal experience in agriculture and farming, of course he could not copy the exact intention of the original author.

    The one on the desk should be made by the Shaman, copying something passed down by his predecessors. Since the Shaman left it in here, he obviously did not intend to hide it from Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan spent some time reading the Shaman¡¯s animal skin roll. Although it was not clear, he was positive that the scene drawn on the animal skin was not happening in the tribe. The ce in the painting was more like somewhere on a nd. There were vast farnds with fertile soil. Some things were nted in the ground, and some people were busy caring for those nts in the fields.

    It was a shame that nowadays, the tribe was located in somewhere not suitable for farming. Also, people in the tribe had no intentions of doing any kinds of simr activities. It was enough for them to find some edible nts in the training grounds and nearby mountains.

    The Shaman probably would never personally see the scene described in that animal skin roll¡­Perhaps he wanted Shao Xuan to experience the same dream for the tribe, so he left this animal skin roll in here. Indeed, for every person in the tribe, seeing something like that would be totally breathtaking.

    However, even the Shaman was not aware of Shao Xuan¡¯s unique background.

    Putting the animal skin roll aside, Shao Xuan continued on his own practice. Now, he was not copying the Shaman¡¯s work. Instead, he was making his own drawing.

    The thing he wanted to draw now was something he saw in the grasnd. After pondering for some time, and then a hard time finishing the picture, Shao Xuan looked at the stroke he made. If you looked at the symbolic stroke alone, you would hardly connect it with the nts on the grassnd, for the stroke was like a curvy earthworm.

    However, it was not about the appearance. The important thing was whether one could portray the picture in one¡¯s mind.

    For Shao Xuan, he already seeded in doing that.

    A ssmate majoring in archaeology from Shao Xuan¡¯s former life once said, ¡°Prehistoric art is the existence of prehistoric ideology, rather than the existence of aesthetic sense or the existence of aesthetic ideology.¡±

    Back then, Shao Xuan did not understand what he was saying. But now, he understood.

    The creator of the Shaman Volumes all lived in his current era. They were only using the method of art to preserve their thoughts and knowledge, with the help of the power of inheritance. That¡¯s all, and it had nothing to do with the appearance.

    Thinking about that, Shao Xuan felt calmer.

    Looking at the picture he made moments ago, Shao Xuan thought: If this thing were shown to the archaeologists in his previous life, they would never have guessed what these messy strokes described.

 Chapter 104 â€“ The twins

    Chapter 104 ¨C The twins

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    In the afternoon, when Shao Xuan left the medicine house to go back home, it was not dark yet. The herbs were almost done, and recently, there was not that much work to do. So, Shao Xuan nned to go back home earlier to practice drawing.

    However, not long after Shao Xuan left the medicine house, he stopped and listened carefully, as some noise entered his ears. Without hesitation, he took a turn and walked towards the source of the noise.

    Somewhere between the mountain side and the mountaintop, there was a special ce. It was a training ce especially built by the warriors. However, it was not a ce for the warriors to train themselves, instead, it was designed for the non-awakened kids living at or above the mountain side district.

    Kids living up in the mountain would start training real early, and here was their main training ce. However, due to limited space, when someone was practicing tossing, the others must be cleared out of the ce, so they don¡¯t get hurt by the tossed wooden or stone tools. All the kids here hadn¡¯t awakened their totem power yet, so they¡¯re strength was limited.

    Most of the children that could train here were from the ¡°powerful families¡± that lived up in the mountain, with their parents or grandparents holding essential positions in the tribe. They should be at least families of the group leaders of the small hunting groups, or else he or she could not find a ce in here, and would probably be excluded sooner orter.

    The ss inequality existed in every society.

    Shao Xuan had never trained himself in that ce as a kid. Later on, when his totem power awakened, he had watched the other kids train in there for some time when he wasing up the mountain once.

    Now it was winter and snowing heavily. Under such conditions, the training ce was still very crowded and noisy. It seemed that there were a lot of people over there.

    As Shao Xuan walked nearer, the noise became clearer.

    Compared with the mountain foot area, the roads and paths in the upper half of the mountain were all cleared up, even with the heavy snow in the winter. Some non-awakened kids woulde outside with thick clothes made from animal skin. Most of them did notck food back at home, and the animal skins they wore were all of good quality. Even if it was freezing cold outside, the coldness would not threaten their lives.

    Along the cleared-out path, Shao Xuan came to this training ground for kids. There were almost a hundred people in this ce, and they varied from 5-6 year olds to teens.

    Since none of them could fight against the coldness as totem warriors, the kids in the training ce were wrapped like chinese rice dumplings.

    Right then, there were three kids in the middle of the crowd, and Shao Xuan knew two of them.

    They were the twins of Mai and Qiao named Yang and Guang.

    Yangguang meant sunshine in the localnguage, however, it was separated in two words to name the twins. Mai and Qiao were their parents. Ah-Yang was the boy, and he was born one step ahead of his sister Ah-Guang.

    Twins rarely existed in the tribe. For now, Yang and Guang were the only twins in the tribe. The Shaman personally checked in on them when they were born.

    Yang and Guang were one year younger than Shao Xuan, and they had not awakened their totem power. However, they were quite talented and had good physiques. By the end of this winter, Mai nned to send his twins into the pre-selection group to present them in front of the Shaman.

    Ah-Guang was noted for her strength by many people in the tribe ever since she was born. Everyone thinks that she will be awakened for sure once she reaches the age. She was just not going to be easy to deal with. Compared with Ah-Guang, Ah-Yang as the brother, was not that extraordinary. However, he was much gentler and would not argue with anyone. When Ah-Guang was in a fight with the others, he would evene forward and separate her away. They had quite opposite characters.

    [Don¡¯t you dare pick up those pink-sses, it¡¯s not a g.]

    Of course, that was only the story that went around.

    Being one of the close friends with Mai and Qiao, naturally, Shao Xuan knew that the real situation was not like that.

    It was true that Ah-Guang was born with strength, and she could fight against two kids of her age. However, when ites to her impulsive temper, irritability and her love towards fighting¡­they were all not true.

    People in the tribe had different attitudes towards boys and girls. If a boy got punched by a girl, people would say, ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like you are going to lose anything by being punched once.¡±

    But if the two parties were switched around?

    That would be total darned! How absurd was that! Without even other people saying anything, the parents of the boy would teach him a lesson by beating him even harder.

    This had nothing to do with the gentlemanly manner or anything simr. That was all bullshit in the minds of the people of the tribe. In here, every Shaman valued the protection of the girls, for it mattered a lot with the future and reproduction of the tribe. The proportion of men and women of the tribe was not equal, and there were less girls born annually. Therefore, many Shamans over the generations were all very worried about that.

    If there were some other tribes nearby, then the young fellows could just lure in some brides from the other tribes. However, their own tribe seemed to be the only tribe in the region. If you excluded those young people rted to each other by blood, there were even fewer who could be couples. Now, there were quite a lot of eternal bachelors in the tribe. If Old Ke hadn¡¯t been injured back then, perhaps he would have had grandkids.

    That was also the reason why the young warriors would show off like peacocks unting their tails, when they walked on the Path of Glory every time. They needed to show off their hunt and thus their ability.

    Just because of the different attitudes people had for different genders, every time when violence was needed to deal with the situation, or when there was someone that messed with them, Ah-Guang would be the one to fight in the front, while her brother, Ah-Yang, acted as the one holding his sister back. He would constantly tell her to ¡°stop it¡± and ¡°let it go¡±, together with ¡°sorry for that¡± and ¡°she is just a little hot-tempered¡±.

    [If you don¡¯t get it, they¡¯re cunning.]

    Just like now, the twins were having problems with the other party. Ah-Guang was using both her legs and arms to fight, and she wanted to fight them brutally. However, her brother was holding her back, as she tried several times but failed kicking the others.

    However, she did seed a few times, if not, where did all the footprints on the boy¡¯s bodye from?

    Ah-Yang was holding his sister back, seeming to calm her down. However, just when a kid from the other party stepped out of the crowd, he got kicked at by Ah-Guang. She missed him by inches, but still left a footprint on his animal skin clothes. That one stepped back again.

    Was it true that Ah-Yang was not able to hold his sister back?

    Even a ghost would not buy it!

    These two kids were equal on strength, if he really wanted to stop his sister, then it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.

    The twins were still very young, and they were not as simple and unpretentious as their parents. Instead, they had quite a wicked sense of humor. If they had learnt some simple traps from Shao Xuan today, then they would use them to trick others tomorrow.

    Seeing that there was someone whose totem power was awakened was about to step out, Shao Xuan called on her first, ¡°Guang, Guang!¡±

    Everyone looked at him following the voice.

    Seeing that it was Shao Xuan, Ah-Guang immediately smiled, even though she was angry one moment before. She ¡°got rid of¡± the hold of her brother, and ran towards Shao Xuan. She was wearing a lot, with a clock on her back. When running, she looked like a moving dumpling.

    Ah-Guang stared at Shao Xuan as if he could be her backer. Pulling Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, she said, ¡°They are bullying me, brother Ah-Xuan!¡±

    The few people who just got kicked by Ah-Guang were totally stunned at her usation. What the Fuck! That¡¯s total bullshit! Anyone with eyes could see clearly who were the victims!

    People were looking at Shao Xuan with different expressions on their faces.

    Some young kids had no idea of who Shao Xuan was, and they did not care much either. But the rtively older ones were different, especially those who had awakened together with Shao Xuan. Let alone the fact that Shao Xuan made great contributions to the tribe, and had joined the advance group, he was now learning from the Shaman! It was like a shining halo above his head.

    Because of that, even though Shao Xuan was someone with no background, and once lived in the orphan cave, no one in here dared to exclude him and ask him to leave.

    Ku was standing behind the crowd, and he was having moreplicated emotions. Being one of the kids from the orphan cave, he was one of the more admired onesst year during this time. However, now, everyone was talking about Shao Xuan. And everyone had kept doing so for a long time.

    It had only been one year, and now things had changed that much.

 Chapter 105 â€“ This is nothing difficult

    Chapter 105 ¨C This is nothing difficult

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After listening to the twins describing the whole situation, Shao Xuan finally understood why there was a fight

    Although in the eyes of the people living in the mountain foot area, the group leader of small hunting groups were already remarkable people, however, things were different up here. Qiao and Mai were far from the upper ss.

    As far as Shao Xuan knew, there were quite a lot of kids here, with their parents serving as small hunting group leaders in the hunting teams. That was nothing much, but their grandparents had been in important or even crucial positions in the tribe. For example, the team leader, the chef, and some kids even had some predecessors that were the Shaman in the tribe. The reputation and family power had been piling up for centuries, and they had obvious advantages over other people in the tribe, and were as well highly respected for their positions.

    Compared with that, the twins from Mai and Qiao were only some kids with rich parents but no background.

    Also, the twins barely went to this training ce for kids, instead, they would be brought to the real training grounds by their parents. Many children had simr experiences. They had someone protecting them from being hurt, surrounded by awakened totem warriors. However, it was winter now. In the past, Yang and Guang were both young, and they would refuse to go outside during winter. So they had never been to this special ¡°kids¡± training ground in the past.

    The twins were friends with most of the kids rted to Mai¡¯s hunting group, and they were not so familiar with other kids up in the mountaintop. But this year, the twins decided to have a proper training and exercise in order to have their totem powers awakened by the end of the season.

    It was just that they did not fully understand the situation in this training ce, as well as the rules in here.

    Since it was a training ce especially designed and developed for kids, no adult would ever meddle with the affairs in the training ce. Both the management and the rules were set by the non-awakened kids. Even their ancestors had their teen period. Many of the rules set by them were still used till now.

    Well, the rule in here was: You must hang your namete if you want to train yourself here.

    The so called ¡°Hang your namete¡± meant that you must put a stone te with your name carved on it on the tall stone tree, which was on the edge of the training ground. You would only have the authority to enter the training ce after you did that.

    There was a stone tree by the edge of the training ce. When Shao Xuan first saw it, he assumed it to be a telephone pole or something. When he got closer to it and observed it while touched it with his hands, he realized that it was not a telephone pole, but a real tree.

    This stone tree had a long history, perhaps it was already hundreds of years old. It was said that the stone tree had existed when the training ce was first built. However, it was growing very slow. Even after 10 years, you couldn¡¯t see its growth.

    The ancestors left this tree here, and now the tree became the one who decides the eligibility of whoever that enters the training ce.

    The stone tree had the width of nearly two people, and was over 50 meters tall. It was thin but tall, and there were a few branches on the top, while the rest of it was pure trunk. In other seasons, people would climb along the trunk until they hung their name tes on one of the branches. One day in the future, when they became a real totem warrior, they would climb up the stone tree again to fetch their nametes back as a final farewell to this training ce.

    It was as equal to a sincere ceremony, and became a tradition over the centuries.

    Normally, that was not so difficult a task for the twins. Although the tree looked like stone, but the trunk¡¯s surface was rough like bark, just like any other tree. Climbing up was not too hard for them.

    Normally, the rules could be altered a little under special asions. For example, in a weather like this, it was totally impossible to climb a stone tree. However, today the situation was a little tricky.

    Two packs of kids were about to have a fight, and whoever wins could train in the training ce for the next twenty days, while the lost party would not be allowed to stay in here any longer.

    These kinds of fights existed every winter, because many kids were preparing for the awakening at the end of the season. In order to keep fit and maintain the best condition for the pre-selection before winter ends, they would fight as hard as they could to win training time in this ce.

    This was the only open ground in the upper half of the mountain which was suitable for things like throwing and other kinds of trainings. There were a few open grounds in the mountain foot area, but they did not want to go there.

    Moreover, having a spot in this training ce represented one¡¯s status. Being brought in here meant great honor, even if one was only standing in the training ce, watching the others train. Ku, for example, was brought here by someone else. It was just that he was not qualified enough to train himself here, for he did not hang his namete on the stone tree. Even so, he often bragged about this experience to other kids in the mountain foot area.

    Originally, the training schedule told kids to take turns to do the training, for example, one party coulde here and train themselves for the first ten days, and then the other party for the next ten days, and so on in turns. However, every time in this season, it became a totalbat of physical strength.

    Naturally, people in the tribe handled all the problems with violence.

    Many people in the tribe believed that it was beneficial for kids of the tribe to fight each other, and they admired this violent way to solve problems.

    No matter whose turn it was to use this training ce, everyone¡¯s thoughts were the same: We need to use this ce right now. Will you step aside? No? Then let¡¯s fight.

    Winning meant being right, no matter what. Losing meant being wrong, no matter what.

    In this training ce, fighting over territories was always handled like that.

    Whenever this time came, every party would call on their friends and families toe over to help, including the already-awakened totem warriors. Shao Xuan saw Mao and Mo-Er. Normally, they would not meddle with the fights by participating. Instead, the awakened totem warriors were only here to observe as well as cheer them on.

    The two parties belonged to two different camps. Some of them were from Ta¡¯s hunting team, and the others were from Gui He¡¯s hunting team.

    Just then, the twins, Yang and Guang, came to join the crowd. Their friends from one party naturally weed their joining, however, the other party disagreed and suppressed them by the tradition, and said that they should stick to it. Then, arguments became fights, and the twins did not hold back their temper, but chose to kick them directly.

    The kid that just got kicked by Ah-Guang taunted the twins for ¡°Being afraid of the height¡±.

    Having learnt what happened exactly, Shao Xuan looked at that stone tree.

    Unlike other trees, the stone tree had a thickyer of ice on its surface. With the premise of not damaging the stone tree, it was very difficult for anyone to climb up and hang the namete on the top.

    Even a totem warrior would hesitate if he or she had to climb up under that condition.

    Watching the twins wrapped in thick animal skin clothes like two fat dumplings, Shao Xuan glimpsed at the 50 meter tall tree. The twins would just slip down along the trunk once they jumped on the tree, let alone climbing up.

    ¡°No stone tools allowed?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No. That would damage the stone tree. But you can always use ropes.¡± The one who answered was of the same age with Yang and Guang. He was very arrogant, and had a fierce face.

    After that, Meng smirked at the twins, as if saying, ¡®Aren¡¯t you proud of your strength? Now you can use it!¡¯

    ¡°His name is Meng. He is the worst! He is the one who stopped us from entering.¡± Ah-Guang filled Shao Xuan in.

    The weather was very cold, with icy wind and heavy snow in the air. Many non-awakened children were freezing in the air. They thought that the twins should just give it up, for they could not be able to do so anyway. Why waste the time? They wanted to see the final fight! They were not here to freeze in the cold.

    ¡°So, what do you want now?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the twins.

    These two kids¡¯ looks became depressed immediately. Even though they were full of tricks usually, they could not think of anything that they could do.

    ¡°Actually, I think that this thing can wait. Later when we finish the fight, this ce would belong to us for the next twenty days. You can train in hereter.¡± Mao came towards them and said.

    One child behind Meng sneered at Mao¡¯s words, ¡°As if you could just win thebat!¡±

    The two parties were only one step away from entering another quarrel, Shao Xuan shook his head. Thebat between the two parties was one thing, but the qualifications of entering the ce was still the topic that they clung to.

    ¡°In fact, this is not that difficult.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Kids from the two parties all looked at Shao Xuan immediately by hearing his words.

    Not that difficult?

    He must be bragging!

    Not only Meng and hispanions, people from Mao¡¯s side also looked at Shao Xuan curiously. They had no clue why Shao Xuan said that.

    ¡°No stone tools allowed?¡± asked Shao Xuan again.

    ¡°Sure!¡± said Meng.

    ¡°No help from other people?¡±

    ¡°Definitely!¡±

    ¡°So aside from that, any means are allowed?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you bet!¡±

    ¡°Then this is simple.¡±

    As saying so, Shao Xuan put two fingers in his mouth under the curious stare of many eyes, and whistled.

 Chapter 106 â€“ It turned out to be an option!

    Chapter 106 ¨C It turned out to be an option!

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The whistle went afar in the snow and wind.

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle, many people looked curious and confused, for they had no idea why Shao Xuan was doing that. However, some other kids seemed to have thought of something, and they looked up in the sky with stunned faces.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    The twins shouted excitedly, for they had already guessed Shao Xuan¡¯s way of solving this problem. They stared at the sky, and even the falling snow did not stop them from keeping their eyes wide open, for they were afraid of missing any details.

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡± Meng asked the other kids behind him.

    ¡°That eagle¡­¡­¡±

    Meng looked up in the sky, along the same direction that hispanions were pointing at.

    A little ck dot appeared in the sky, and soon, the small dot became bigger and bigger. Even the big flying kes could not hide its body as it was flew closer.

    ¡°It¡¯s Chacha! Chacha!¡± The twins were so excited that they wanted to jump up high. They knew Shao Xuan well, so they were familiar with Chacha.

    However, the others had different opinions.

    For many people in the tribe, Chacha was in the same position as Caesar. They were only surviving in the tribe because the Shaman allowed them to be kept within the tribe. Many would even think that animals like Caesar and Chacha had already lost their qualification of being a prey, because they didn¡¯t have the ferocious nature like the animals in the wild anymore. People did not see them as ferocious beasts any more. Even without the Shaman¡¯s blessing, they would not try to hunt Caesar and Chacha down, for that was no challenge.

    Like most of the totem warriors, they felt that hunting meant the pursuit of extreme strength. Hunting down more ferocious beasts always brought more excitement and meaning. An animal that had lost its ferocious nature was useless for them.

    Normally, they would often see that eagle flying around in the sky. However, never had they thought about what this eagle would do eventually.

    They were not stupid, but the traditional thoughts and views had already trapped them in the ancient philosophy for centuries. Of course they would not think about other uses of animals, including the twins.

    Chacha hovered above in the sky, but without flying down tond.

    Shao Xuan made a gesture with his hand, and people saw that eagle in the sky flying towards Shao Xuan.

    ¡°From that far away¡­the bird could literally see Shao Xuan waving his hand?!¡± Someone whispered in the crowd.

    ¡°My dad once said that eagles could see a rabbit from afar¡­¡± Said another kid.

    ¡°That¡¯s so cool!!¡±

    ¡°So it can also see the dangers and risks from afar? If so, my dad wouldn¡¯t have to risk his life in the hunting missions anymore.¡± Someone said in a low voice.

    The whispering stopped suddenly at that sentence.

    Yes¡­If it could see the dangers afar and alert people in advance¡­ Perhaps some unnecessary risks could be avoided when people were in the wild, hunting.

    Everyone was thinking like that.

    However, they still did not think that a beast could do such a thing. Animals were animals. They could not talk like people do, and even a eagle was merely a bird that could fly.

    Whoosh!

    A ck shadow swept over in a sh, and even the snowkes around them were pushed away.

    People looked over to its direction.

    pping his wings, Chachanded on Shao Xuan¡¯s arm steadily.

    There were many people around, but Chacha was not timid at all. His eagle eyes looked around the crowd, and then he began to peck on his feathers, as if there was nobody around.

    Shao Xuan lowered his arm so that the twins could have a good talk with Chacha.

    ¡°Chacha, please help me put this on the top branch! That tree, yes. There are branches on its top. Any branch could do the trick¡­¡± Yang and Guang took out their stone name tes and talked to Chacha.

    The stone tes were not big, only half the size of a kid¡¯s palm, and there was a little hole pierced on top of the stone te, so that a leather rope could go through the hole. Most of the kids in the upper half of the mountain had simr stone tes. Some were prepared before they were even born, and some were prepared after their birth. Many people wouldn¡¯t even be using this kind of stone tes, they would make one for their kids, seeing that other kids had them.

    The stone tes were all made from fine or excellent stone cores, and the leather rope was made from the skin of ferocious beasts, so it won¡¯t break easily.

    As Yang and Guang were talking to Chacha, the others kept staring at them. Most people did not believe that an animal could understand human words. Seeing that the twins were talking to Chacha like that, they looked astonished.

    ¡°Can it understand them?¡±

    ¡°Many beasts in the forests are clever.¡±

    ¡°But even if it could understand the meaning, would it do such a thing ordingly?¡±

    ¡°I guess not¡­My dad said that birds in the forests are all fierce! How would it listen to our words and do as we say?¡±

    As some kids were sharing their knowledge about the birds, and eagles in particr, they looked up and saw the twins touching that eagle with their hands. Everyone became silent, but kept staring at them.

    Chacha was a little annoyed, for the twins touched him every time.

    Seeing Chacha pecking on the hands of the twins, people¡¯s hearts all got pulled up. Even Meng and some young totem warriors standing aside kept staring at the twins. Of course, those who had hunting experiences had a better understanding of the ferocious birds.

    The one who got kicked by Ah-Guang smirked in his heart. See? You got pecked! It¡¯s said that one peck of an eagle would cause severe injury!

    However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the twins got pecked on the hands, but their hands remained unscratched.

    Sure enough, the bird was being kept for too long, and now it did not know how to peck the others! Its soft peak was no longer like those birds in the forests. Some people seemed to be disdain seeing that. Until someone at Mao¡¯s side approached Chacha with a long wooden stick. He wanted to touch the bird as well, but dared not to do so with his own hand. In the end, he decided to use a wood stick.

    However, before the wooden stick could get any nearer, Chacha pped his wings and pecked hard on the stick.

    Duh!

    The guy¡¯s hand that was holding the wooden stick felt a little numb. If you looked at the wooden stick, you¡¯d find that a hole had appeared on it. If the stick hadn¡¯t been that thick, it would¡¯ve just been pierced through by Chacha.

    Now, no one dared to say anything.

    If anyone still had questions, he may test Chacha with his own hands. However, no one was that idiotic to do it.

    Chacha wanted to wave his ws towards that boy with the wooden stick, but was stopped by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Whoever approaches without a permission will get attacked.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Then, the twins had finished talking with Chacha, and they presented their stone name tes to Chacha. The two stone tes were ced on top of each other, and a leather rope went through both of them.

    ¡°If you help us with this, I¡¯ll ask for good meat from dad just for you, Chacha!¡± Said Ah-Guang.

    ¡°Go.¡± Shao Xuan raised his arm.

    Chacha pped his wings, and moved his feet. He grabbed the twins¡¯ stone tes at the moment of flying up. In the blink of an eye, he was flying up into the sky.

    Shao Xuan had done tons of simr trainings with Chacha, and some of the tasks were even more difficult. So, hanging the twins¡¯ name tes on the branches was just a piece of cake to Chacha. Shao Xuan was not worried at all.

    Down at the training ce, people watched the flying eagle, heading towards the stone tree. Just as people were wondering when it was going to slow down, and what this bird would do when it got close to the trunk, Chacha did now slow down at all. Like a gust of wind, Chacha flew by a branch at the top.

    Many people did not see Chacha¡¯s moves clearly. In their eyes, the eagle was just sweeping by the top of the tree, doing nothing else.

    ¡°It did not do asmanded.¡± Someone said. He was saying it as if it was meant to be so, but still, there were traces of disappointment in his tone.

    ¡°No, the bird did it! The nametes are already on there.¡± The one standing behind Meng said.

    Unlike normal kids that had not been awakened, totem warriors had much better sight.

    At the end of the sentence, people heard a slight sound of Ding from the top of the stone tree. It was the sound of the stone tes hitting theyer of ice at the top.

    When the stone tes were hanging at the top, they would slip down along the tip of the branch. In such a weather, the leather ropes would soon be covered byyers of ice. So, no matter how strong the wind might be, the stone tes won¡¯t fall. When at the end of the season the iceyer would melt down, there would be a lot of gray leaves on the tips of the branches, which would also block the stone tes from being blown down by the wind. Unless someone climbed up and fetched the stone tes, normally, no matter how strong the wind was, the stone tes would not get blown off.

    Meng was having a reallyplicated facial expression.

    They used this way toplete the task! It turned out to be an option!

    It did not break the rule either.

    They had never thought about the possibility of that. In their minds, all animals, especially ferocious beasts, were only to be killed and eaten. The whole time, they were on opposite sides of humans.

    Why would an animal behave like that? Caesar did so, and now the eagle did it too?

    Everyone in the training ce thought of something as they saw the eagle returning to Shao Xuan¡¯s arm.

    Just when they could not manage to do it, or just when they could not do it perfectly no matter how hard they tried, now Shao Xuan provided a new option!

 Chapter 107 â€“ Contest

    Chapter 107 ¨C Contest

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When the task waspleted, Shao Xuan allowed the already impatient Chacha to fly away.

    If you thought about it, you¡¯ll find that Shao Xuan was taking advantage of the rules, and it was a form of bullying the others. However, now it was under a special asion. The other party was constraining the twins to do things that were beyond their power. In the past, all the kids would make an exception, and no one had really climbed the stone tree in such a season.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan knew the twins well. They had a persistent character. Although they had Chacha help them now, but after winter ends, the first thing they would do would be to climb up the stone tree to touch their stone tes which had their names. That would provide them with a sense of relief, which meant that they were qualified, right and proper.

    As expected, when Chacha flew away, Ah-Guang gave a slight ¡®hum¡¯ at Meng¡¯s gloomy face and said: ¡°If we do not awaken by the end of this winter, we will climb up again. Just wait and see!¡±

    Ah-Yang nodded by her side: ¡°I promise to do so as well.¡±

    Although Chacha already flew away, the earlier situation had left an image in many people¡¯s hearts. The impact may not be very deep, but in the future when they encounter simr tasks, they might think of this again.

    Kids ept new things better than adults. Altering people¡¯s minds should always start with kids. Also, by the end of this winter, Shao Xuan nned to take Caesar out for a few hunting missions. He hoped that people would gradually ept his way of training wild animals.

    The pictures that the ancestors painted on the walls in the stone room of the orphan cave consisted of scenes which showed that they hunted with hounds. Perhaps one day in the future, that grand scene will reappear. The Shaman also held the same opinion.

    ¡°Okay, now since things are handled, I¡¯ll head back.¡± Shao Xuan said to the twins.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go brother Xuan! Later we will have a duel, and I¡¯ll also be joining the contest!¡± Said Ah-Guang.

    Kids from Meng¡¯s side instantly began to yell at Ah-Guang¡¯s words.

    ¡°You can¡¯t join the contest Ah-Guang!¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed! You can ask Ah-Yang to take your position!¡±

    ¡°I agree! Ah-Yang, how can you allow your sister to join?¡±

    Earlier when they were messing with the twins, they did that out of two reasons. Firstly, the two parties were fighting over the training ce, of course they would like to do something to upset the other party. Secondly, and more importantly, Ah-Guang was a girl and was born with strength. And if a girl with that strength entered thebat, Meng would have no proper person to fight with her. Now that someone said that Ah-Yang should fight thebat instead of Ah-Guang, many other kids began to second the proposal.

    Shao Xuan looked at the bunch of kids and was smirking in his heart. What foolish kids they are! They were totally tricked by the twins. Just now, when someone said that Ah-Yang should join thebat, both the twins couldn¡¯t help but smile a little.

    It was a best of three game, and each party would send out three kids for thebat.

    Shao Xuan, Mao and the others were watching thebat from afar.

    The non-awakened kids had a very simple way of fighting each other. No stone tools allowed, as they would fight empty-handed. All the moves were learnt from their parents and other adults. However, due to theck of real hunting experience and theck of body strength, together with the fact that they were wearing too many clothes¡­the momentum of the fight was very much weakened.

    Shao Xuan stood aside, watching kids from two opposite parties fighting each other. With that many clothes, they looked like fat dumplings colliding with each other. Shao Xuan almostughed out loud, but thebat was something serious in the eyes of all the kids here. So, Shao Xuan tried hard to control his facial expression.

    As Shao Xuan expected, two breaths after Ah-Yang joined the battle, he hit his opponent to the ground three times. On the fourth time, he punched his opponent on the face as he pinned him down on the ground, until his opponent admitted defeat. It seems like Ah-Yang had been holding back his temper for quite some time, and now he finally let it out.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan found that aside from those who had known Ah-Yang well, all the others were looking funny.

    In the end, Meng was the only one that won in his party. The other two, both were defeated, which meant that for the next twenty days, they should not enter the training ce.

    There was one merit about people in the tribe, which was that they won¡¯t find any excuse for failure. Also, after the defeat, they won¡¯t y dirty to set traps against the winners. If they fall, they rest and then stand up from where they fell. If they lose, they improve themselves and then fight back in the future.

    The twins cheered with the others, and began discussing about bringing more stone tools to the training ce.

    The young warriors who were watching thebat intended to leave as well. But just when Shao Xuan was about to turn around, he heard someone from the other party shout: ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°What? Do you have anything to say after being defeated? Unless you want to fight with someone, Lei?¡± Mao sneered.

    This ¡®Lei¡¯ that Mao talked to was the one who was standing behind Meng earlier.

    Lei had awakened one year before Shao Xuan and Mao. He was also older than Shao Xuan when he was awakened. If you calcte it, you¡¯ll notice that he was two years older than Shao Xuan. He was the most outstanding warrior of his peers, and he always brought back the most game. After two years of being a totem warrior, he was now one head taller than Shao Xuan, given that he was much older than Shao Xuan as well.

    Lei glimpsed at Mao, ¡°Whoever of you could be my opponent if I join the fight?¡± He was saying that disdainingly, as if he would be bullying non-awakened kids if he joins the fight.

    Before Mao could say anything back, Lei looked away as he looked at Shao Xuan, ¡°We have someone on our side that wants to have a friendly challenge with Ah-Xuan. Normally, when Ah-Xuan is learning medicine from the Shaman, he is hard to find. Today, coincidentally we are all here. It¡¯s for the best that we have a littlebat, so that the other non-awakened kids might have the chance to see what is realbat between totem warriors!¡±

    When he was saying ¡°Totem warriors¡±, he said it full of pride. Not only Lei, the others were all excited to hear him say so.

    Young totem warriors wanted to show off, while the non-awakened kids looked forward to it very much. Their fathers had their battles andpetitions, and they had their own among the younger generation.

    Just when Lei finished his words, someone from that party stepped out.

    ¡°Tai?¡± Mao frowned at the person that stepped out.

    Tai had awakened in the same year as Shao Xuan and Mao. However, Shao Xuan did not know him well, since he was in the other hunting team.

    Tai moved his wrists, stared at Shao Xuan, and said, ¡°I heard that you are the most excellent one among our peers, and I have been wanting to challenge you for some time.¡±

    At Tai¡¯s words, someone from Mao¡¯s side could not bear it, ¡°Who said that he is the most excellent one among our peers?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mao red at the one who spoke.

    He was indeed unhappy to admit it, but he remembered clearly about what happened during that hunting mission. Shao Xuan was really doing far better than him. Also, if it weren¡¯t for Shao Xuan, he would probably have ended up in the belly of the Thorn ck Wind. His father also told him that he was the rival of Shao Xuan, for now.

    Although, it had been half a year since when Ta had said that, and Mao was making progress in a faster speed than most of kids in the tribe. But he had no idea what Shao Xuan was capable of, because after that one time, he wasn¡¯t in the same hunting group as Shao Xuan anymore. Shao Xuan did not remain in the advance group either. Both Mao and Ta did not know Shao Xuan¡¯s current strength.

    Mao did not believe that Shao Xuan made no progress during this half a year. You could see his progress from the game that he brought back after each hunting trip.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan?¡± Mao looked at Shao Xuan, and was asking about his attitude on this.

    In fact, Shao Xuan did not really like this way of battling each other, but he could not refuse it. If he said no on this, or made any excuse to avoid the fight, he would be assumed as a pussy.

    When someone challenges you, you ept it. It was an unwritten rule in the tribe.

    Since you can¡¯t refuse it, then just ept it. Shao Xuan might as well take this opportunity as a chance to see what were his peers were capable of.

    Putting down the things he had in his hands, Shao Xuan told the twins to ¡°Keep an eye on my stuff.¡±

    Since Tai stepped forward, people stepped back to make room for him.

    Shao Xuan entered the fighting circle, staring at the young warrior of his height.

    Tai¡¯s eyes looked unfriendly. He took off his cloak and tossed it aside as he stood in the chilly air with a sleeveless animal skin top. Perhaps he was showing the difference between the physiques of totem warriors and normal kids, or perhaps he was taking the cloak off, in order to move more conveniently. Or, was he maybe trying to show off his totem patterns during the fight?

    It was indeed a hobby of the warriors to show off the totem patterns on their arms.

    Tai moved his arms around, as well as his wrists, creating cracking sounds. With a loud roar, he stimted the totem power inside his body, and the totem patterns, which especially belonged to totem warriors, quickly extended from his face to the neck. The totem patterns on his arms were also obvious. The me-like totem patterns extended from his shoulders to the upper arms for about five to six centimeters.

    Seeing the totem patterns on Tai¡¯s body, many non-awakened kids looked very jealous. Every time when warriors wereparing the totem patterns on their arms, they could only watch them from aside.

    Among the peers that awakened at the same time, Tai made fast progress. Since he was always someone high-profile, people knew his strength quite well already.

    Then, the crowd moved their vision to the other side of the circle. People realized that they knew little about Shao Xuan, who was from the orphan cave in the mountain foot area.

    Unlike Tai¡¯s high profile, Shao Xuan just stood there in silence, like a log.

 Chapter 108 â€“ One year

    Chapter 108 ¨C One year

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The situation looked a little weird.

    If the crowd hadn¡¯t known that these two were about to have abat, they would think that this Shao Xuan was probably asleep!

    Snowkes kept falling down from the sky, with a chilly wind blowing heavily. Some non-awakened kids clenched on their animal skin clothes, but their eyes were still fixed on Shao Xuan and Tai.

    Tai had been waiting for some time, but still, he did not see Shao Xuan make any reaction. He wondered what Shao Xuan was doing¡­ Was he determined to have a real fight, or was he just fooling people around? Thinking about that, Ta began to somehow get annoyed.

    Lei and the others were also very confused.

    Was he not taking thebat seriously? Or was he not fully soaked into the mood?

    No, that¡¯s not the case!

    In Lei¡¯s eyes, a sharp light shed.

    The breath!

    When in a hunting mission, warriors were ustomed to concealing their breath to keep themselves hidden.

    Before a hunter attacks, he would never let the prey notice his presence. So, warriors would hide their breath when waiting, while many old experienced warriors had already formed their own habits of holding back their breath. Normally they would move and walk in silence.

    Compared to old experienced warriors, most young totem warriors had no such habits formed. Of course, that kind of habit could not be formed overnight.

    It didn¡¯t require a deliberate preparation, but was just a habit that had been developed naturally after repeated hunting missions.

    Inadvertently, they had already entered the best state!

    In the past, when the seniors in Lei¡¯s family were practicing with Lei, they were in simr states. They didn¡¯t seem to be on the warpath at all, and no totem pattern were revealed either. On the appearance, they were a little off, but once they attacked, they struck a fatal move that could finish the enemy immediately.

    However, that was the habit of the most experienced warriors. How long had the kid standing in front of him been hunting? He had only awakened for a year! Let alone that he was two years younger than Lei!

    Thinking about that, Lei¡¯s eyebrows twitched constantly. He opened his eyes wide, staring at Shao Xuan. He wanted to know what he was going to do next, and he would love to see whether his guess was correct.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± Shao Xuan said a simple sentence, while standing there still, like a piece of log.

    Tai was already a little annoyed earlier, seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s behavior like that. He was about to say something, but before he could do that, he was surprised to hear Shao Xuan say that. However, since Shao Xuan had said that, he did not need take anything else into ount. It was just that he was somehow feeling uneasy. He did not know why, but he felt uneasy.

    As for Shao Xuan, Tai¡¯s knowledge of him was only limited to the inside discussion that people had in the tribe. For example, he knew that Shao Xuan had found the ancestors, had been allowed in the advance group, and had adopted a spiritless wolf as well as a lousy bird. Some people said that Shao Xuan was the most outstanding warrior among his peers, towards which, Tai had always had his suspicions.

    How strong could someone at his own age be? They had awakened in the same year, but Shao Xuan was from the orphan cave down in the mountain foot area! Also, he had no legendary tales about beating anyone.

    ¡°Fine!¡±

    Tai stepped hard on the ground as he rushed towards Shao Xuan. Together with every step he made, theyer of snow on the ground would fly up. There were ¡®boom¡¯ sounds as he stepped on the ground very hard. In the meantime, a fierce atmosphere quickly spread out, and people all around could feel the suppression brought by Tai at that moment. It was obvious that Tai had an astonishing explosive power.

    People looked at Shao Xuan, but he was still standing there in silence like a log. He showed no gesture of defense, nor were his totem patterns revealed.

    Was he stunned?

    People couldn¡¯t help but wonder thus.

    Not only the others, even Tai, who was punching his fist towards Shao Xuan, had started to feel confused. However, he was already in the middle of the movement, there¡¯s no way that he would ever stop it without any reason. Who cares what he was thinking.. He shall be schooled first!

    Bang!

    Tai¡¯s fist hit on some flesh.

    What the fuck?!

    All emotions in Tai¡¯s heart changed to astonishment.

    How¡¯s that even possible?!

    Everyone there was thinking the same thing.

    Tai was so surprised, that he just stood there still, as if he¡¯d just been struck by lightning. All his hairs stood up. It was clearly a chilly cold snowy day, but Tai was sweating on his back.

    Staring at the palm that blocked his fist, Tai was totally lost. It looked like a normal palm, simr in size with his own palm, yet it stopped his fist from going any further.

    He looked up along the palm that blocked his fist, but he could not see to what extent his opponent¡¯s totem patterns spread, for both his arms were covered in animal skin sleeves. Then, he saw a face with clear totem patterns.

    One moment earlier, the totem patterns were nowhere to be found, but now¡­

    Shao Xuan¡¯s totem patterns had not slowly spread out like Tai. The totem patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s face seemed to have appeared at once, just at that moment.

    As was known to all, the totem patterns should appear from one¡¯s top to the bottom. While the speed of the appearance was a reflection on how well the person mastered his totem power. The more control that the person had on his totem power, the more quickly would his totem patterns show from nothing. In fact, Shao Xuan¡¯s totem patterns seemed to appear out of nowhere, without any notice. In the blink of an eye, the patterns appeared.

    How well had this boy mastered his totem power? People dared not to ponder too much about it.

    Tai looked into Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, and the moment they made eye contact, Tai felt a chill over his spine. Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were exuding a fierce atmosphere, and Tai felt as if he was confronting some ferocious beast with its fangs showing, who was about to bite his arms off the next moment.

    Withdraw! That was Tai¡¯s only thought now.

    Tai stepped against the ground, as he nned to go backwards. However, soon enough, he realized the fact that he could not step back at all! The palm that blocked his fist earlier had been clenched and held his fist tightly.

    Lei closed his eyes as he was standing on the side, watching thebat.

    One move borated everything.

    There was no need in continuing this funny show.

    He could not know that someone in the tribe had already reached that level!

    It was still a fresh memory to him, that his great grandpa once said to him, ¡°You need to look further, and do not get trapped by those around you.¡± He had paid no attention to that reminder until now. Aside from people living in the upper half of the mountain, who else would deserve his attention? Now it seemed that he made a huge mistake, and he was after all, a short-sighted man.

    When he opened his eyes again, Lei managed to control his astonishment on his face.

    ¡°You lost, Ah-Tai.¡± Lei said calmly.

    Lost? Ah-Tai came back to himself as he was thinking about how to step back. Yes, he lost.

    Tai felt a release on his fist, and his arm regained freedom, although one moment ago it was tightly controlled by his opponent.

    ¡°I lost.¡± Said Tai.

    Looking at the person in front of him again, Tai noticed that one moment earlier, Shao Xuan¡¯s face was covered with clear totem patterns, but now, they had all disappeared, as if they had never appeared.

    ¡°Your fist is meant for the ferocious beasts, then your target should be the ferocious beasts.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Lei thought about it and said, ¡°It¡¯s indeed boring if we onlybat within the tribe¡­I understand what you are implying.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at Lei¡­What do you think you know? He sensed that there was something wrong¡­

    Lei himself thought that he fully understood Shao Xuan¡¯s point, and he continued, ¡°Just like when every time we get back from a hunting trip, we walk along the Path of Glory. The best way to show our abilities is bypeting with each other by the game we hunted!¡±

    The others all acted like ¡°That is true¡±.

    Even Tai, who was pretty upset earlier, regained his spirited, ¡°Okay! Then wepete by the game!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡± said Lei.

    Anything could happen during a hunting mission. It was not like the most kick-ass fighter could put down the most game. Many other factors were crucial in hunting. With a year¡¯s adjustment and adoption to the hunting missions, the young totem warriors would turn into experienced ones in the second year. They did not need to step back.

    ¡°I want in, too.¡± Mao said.

    With Lei and Mao¡¯s leading effect, the other young warriors shouted out and tried to participate in thispetition.

    Shao Xuan stood beside, totally lost¡­ I was not fucking implying any of that shit!

    Originally, Shao Xuan wanted to say, that when you have the energy and strength to fight useless fights with people in the tribe, you may just as well go back and practice more, so that next year when going out with the hunting team, you could apply all your killing moves on the prey.

    Due to the fact that stoneware was not durable, everyone in the tribe cherished their fine stoneware. So normally, when they started a fight or spar, they would not take out their good stoneware as tools or weapons. Most of the times, people would fight each other with their bare hands. As for wooden sticks¡­well, they were only meant for those who were not awakened.

    That kind ofbat should only be used tomunicate friendship, and for normal practice. It was totally unnecessary if people wanted to distinguish a clear winner. That was only Shao Xuan¡¯s thought, for totem warriors had a different temperament when they were holding hunting tools and when they didn¡¯t.

    However, Shao Xuan did not expect his words to be misinterpreted like that. Those folks were all so excited. Seeing their red faces, Shao Xuan assumed that even ten ferocious beasts couldn¡¯t pull their thoughts back.

    ¡°Since wepete with each other by the game¡­then, do wepete by quality, or do wepete by quantity?¡± Someone asked.

    Mao and Lei turned to Shao Xuan at the same time.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, what do you think? You are the one who proposed it.¡± Mao asked.

    I proposed nothing!

    Shao Xuan lifted his hand to rub his forehead. If he could, he would love to swallow back what he said before, and rece it with some more in words. He himself was the one to me for triggering so much trouble.

    However, if you think about it, you¡¯ll find that it was not a bad idea. It was better for them to try to put down more prey, than to start more in-fights within the tribe. After a whole year¡¯s hunting, young warriors were much more mature regarding their minds and temper. They were fully aware that they couldn¡¯t be impulsive in the hunting field, and hence, they would control themselves. Under such circumstances, it was a good thing for them to fight for more and stronger game.

    It can¡¯t be over a short term, in case that anyone would be too eager to prove themselves. Moreover, they belonged to different hunting teams. And the two hunting teams took hunting missions in turns. The environment also could affect the results.

    ¡°One year. Next winter, we take out our harvest and have the contest.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Mao and Lei both agreed that it was a good idea, ¡°Okay, then one year it is.¡±

    There were too many people shouting to join the hunting contest, so Lei said, ¡°Perhaps we should write down all the names of those that want to participate.¡±

    ¡°I have an animal skin!¡± A young warrior took out a piece of animal skin.

    ¡°Then what about the pen? Does anyone have a pen? And pigment?¡± Mao looked at the crowd behind him.

    ¡°Use mine.¡± Shao Xuan took out a carbonated pen that he made himself, and passed it along.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? It can write?¡± Someone asked.

    Many people were seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s carbonated pen for the first time. But Mao had spent some time with Shao Xuan when they were in the same hunting group, so he knew how to use it.

    Mao took the carbonated pen, and wrote down his name on the animal skin, before he passed it back to Shao Xuan.

    When Shao Xuan finished writing his name on the animal skin, the carbonated pen got snatched away by Lei. He grabbed the pen as if it was a stone knife, and wrote down his name.

    After that, the other warriors all rushed to put their names on the list.

    In the end, every totem warrior there, including Mo-Er and Ku, had put their names on the animal skin roll, and officially took part in this one-yearpetition. Many people like Mo-Er had absolutely no interest in fighting one another, but when ites topeting by hunting, they were quite interested.

    The twins, and some other kids that had potential to be awakened after this winter, were itching for a try, but all they could do was itch. Mao and Lei would never allow them to be part of thepetition. Newly awakened warriors all needed some time to adjust to the change, and people did not wish them to be anxious for sess, and hence to break the rules they had in the hunting team. For example, Ah-Fei, he was so careless that he almost caused severe consequences.

    So, this bunch of ¡°fat dumplings¡± could only clench on their thick animal skin clothes, and stare at each other, pouting.

 Chapter 109 â€“ Qualifications to attend the ritual

    Chapter 109 ¨C Qualifications to attend the ritual

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Sponsored by Tanner B

    Because of the agreement they made for the next year, and because of those young warriors signing their names on the animal skin, people did not pay any extra attention for that earlierbat.

    Fighting for territories was something childish, and it was only abat between kids. However, this animal skin roll with all the young warriors¡¯ names on it was clearly a written letter of challenge. It was a challenge among totem warriors!

    Without saying, everyone knew which was more important and more appealing.

    With all the time spent on the mountainside, it was alreadyter than usual when Shao Xuan finally returned home in the mountain foot area.

    ¡°Were you busy with things in the medicine house today? Or was there anything wrong with the Shaman?¡± Seeing that Shao Xuan arrived hometer, Old Ke asked him quite nervously.

    ¡°Nothing happened. The tasks in the medicine house were not many. I left early, but met some people around the mountain side. Wemunicated a little for a while.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Old Ke got quite relieved at his answer. He even said favorably, ¡°It¡¯s better for you if youmunicate more with people up in the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    After eating something, Shao Xuan went back to his own room, pulled up his sleeves, and then slowly stimted the totem power within his body.

    Unlike during the training ce, this time, Shao Xuan tried to control his totem power slowly, so the totem patterns appeared gradually on his arms. The me-like patterns started from his shoulders, and wandered along his arms.

    They passed the one-third point of his upper arms, and then reached to the half point, and then, two-thirds of the length¡­ The totem patterns finally stopped at two-thirds of his upper arms!

    When he was in thest hunting mission this year, Shao Xuan remembered that his totem patterns only reached the half point. In fact, after the end of the hunting season, Shao Xuan did not spend much time on training in the training ground, before he started learning herblore from the Shaman. Besides the drawing of the Shaman Volumes¡­

    The drawing of the Shaman Volumes?

    The power of inheritance!

    Shao Xuan felt the totem in his mind. The two horns were wrapped with red mes, and at the bottom of the mes around the two horns, the blue mes appeared, clearer than before. Compared with the time when he started learning about drawing the Shaman Volumes, there were more blue mes. However, the red mes did not reduce in quantity either, instead, they grew even bigger!

    Now, he was not in a state of battle, so the me itself indicated that it was in its normal height.

    In the past, Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t noticed the change, and he would only focus on the blue mes that represented the power of inheritance when he was drawing the Shaman Volumes. Now it seemed that the blue mes had erged the whole me around the totem.

    So it was beneficial to practice the power of inheritance?!

    That was totally beyond Shao Xuan¡¯s expectation.

    No wonder that Shao Xuan felt that he could use his totem power more skillfully than during hisst hunting mission. He did not expect to defeat Tai with only a single move. He thought perhaps it would take awhile for them to distinguish the winner. But, at the very moment that Tai showed his totem patterns, Shao Xuan suddenly felt that this person in front of him was not that strong. He could handle him. He could handle him easily.

    Shao Xuan had no idea whether other warriors whose totem patterns reached the two-third point of the upper arms would feel the same. He carefully recalled the scene at that time, and tried to experience the change of his totem patterns slowly. Then, he shook his shoulders, taking out the box with the animal skin roll, brush pen, and pigment, and started to make a Shaman Volume.

    Meanwhile, those people up in the mountain gradually came back to senses after Shao Xuan had left. Tai even said in regret, ¡°I forgot to ask him about the length of his totem patterns!¡±

    Lei stared at the spot where Shao Xuan was standing at, and noticed that there was a pair of footprints dented in the ground. That was created when Shao Xuan was confronting Tai, but people did not notice it before.

    ¡°Why should you care about the length of his totem patterns? All you need to do is to defeat him before the end of next winter.¡± Said Lei.

    ¡°Yes, indeed.¡± Tai rubbed his fist while agreeing.

    While the other young warriors were thinking and discussing about what kind of game, and how much game they nned to hunt for next year, Shao Xuan maintained his old pattern of life. In the mornings, he would go painting in the Shaman¡¯s ce, and then help Gui Ze out in the medicine house in the afternoons. After that, he would go back home, stay in his own room, and slowly paint his own things on pieces of animal skin.

    The winter was passing day by day.

    Shao Xuan had visited the orphan cave once. Some kids were sleeping, but older kids had the energy to carry stones to practice their strength. It was obviously a terrific change. Now, kids in the cave were in nock of food. Aside from the fish they stored before winter, they would constantly receive gifts from Chacha. Every time when Chacha caught some little things that he did not care to eat, he would toss them down at the gate of the orphan cave.

    Everything was improving.

    Shao Xuan stretched himself, looking at the almost-finished painting on the stone desk in front of him.

    Now, it was not that hard for him to finish a picture. At first, he would need half a day¡¯s rest after finishing one painting. But now, he was totally able of painting a few pictures in half a day. After that, he could still go out to train Caesar and Chacha.

    The Shaman gave him two pieces of animal skin. Shao Xuan would take one up to the mountaintop, to copy other Shaman Volumes or paint his own paintings, and then present his work to the Shaman for examination. While as for the other one¡­ Shao Xuan kept it at home to practice, and the Shaman had no idea of that.

    In the Shaman¡¯s eyes, it was already very hard-working of Shao Xuan to have painted that much every day, which had long exceeded his expectations. The Shaman would never have guessed that every day when Shao Xuan returned home, he would continue painting on another animal skin roll. Let alone that he was not copying, he was making original work based on his own consciousness!

    Shao Xuan nned to present his work as a gift to the Shamanter. The Shaman spared no effort in teaching him knowledge about herbs, and how to control his power of inheritance. Shao Xuan wanted to repay this kind old shaman as well.

    For the sake of the tribe, the Shaman must stay put in the tribe. It was a big sacrifice, not being able to go out. Of course, the Shaman had his responsibilities.

    However, one¡¯s poison might be another¡¯s honey. Shao Xuan found the position hard to adjust, but perhaps the Shaman thought differently. He might just be a little regretful, for not being able to step out from the tribe. Shao Xuan could see it every time when he looked into the Shaman¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Almost done¡­¡± Shao Xuan whispered to himself as he stared at the animal skin roll in front of him.

    Before the winter came to an end, people in the tribe were busy selecting qualified kids that had reached a certain age, to prepare for theing ceremony. The Shaman was quite busy these days, and he did not have time to check on Shao Xuan¡¯s worktely.

    This day, when the Shaman finally had some spare time to sit there with closed eyes, resting, he suddenly thought of something, and looked at the animal skin roll on his desk. It was dropped in here by Shao Xuan when he finished this morning¡¯s practice. He was in the middle of something else, hence he just left it there without opening it.

    Taking the animal skin roll in his hands, the Shaman noticed something different. It was not the same animal skin roll that Shao Xuan used for practice normally. Perhaps, these past few days, thatd had finished a whole roll of painting?

    Filled with curiosity in his heart, the Shaman unfolded the animal skin roll. As he untied the leather rope on the cover, the Shaman recalled that every time in the past when he was checking on Shao Xuan¡¯s work, he would silently sigh in his heart, for such a talented young man wouldn¡¯t want to be the next shaman. Indeed, once one got out with the other warriors, he or she might never be satisfied with settling down. It was better for him to cultivate someone from youth.

    He unfolded the animal skin roll.

    Originally, the Shaman assumed that Shao Xuan would paint something simple, for example, nts such as the jumping fruits, or other few kinds of medical nts. However, he did not expect that¡­

    His hands were trembling hard.

    The first painting on the Shaman Volume was a little long. If others saw it, they would never have guessed what it¡¯s content was. However, the Shaman was the shaman. He saw giant vines twining around ancient trees, and thick fogs slowly rise from the ground, there werekes and pools hiding behind the woods. One could faintly feel the vitality and risk, which caused trembling hairs and tense nerves¡­ That was a painting filled with the breath of the forest!

    The Shaman raised his hand on his chest. He was only seeing the first painting, but his heart was beating fast.

    Many shamans were raised as a shaman since childhood. Once they were chosen, they would never be allowed to step out of the tribe. So, since very young, the Shaman had never left the tribe¡¯s territory.

    Although he was aware of many things, for example the names of the ferocious beasts that hunting teams might encounter, and where it was that the advance group was heading to each time. He only knew them in his mind, instead of seeing the real scene with his own eyes. Even when they saw those beasts, they would already be dead and butchered when they were presented to the Shaman.

    Perhaps, in his youth, the Shaman might have wondered what it was like in the wild, and perhaps he had dreamt about going out of the tribe one day. But as time went by, he had be the shaman, and he had always been the shaman for so many years. All his thoughts toned down, and he turned into a responsible and well-respected Shaman with a lot of responsibilities on his shoulder. He needed to be at the helm and decide the development direction of the tribe.

    The Shaman was having a hard time trying to keep his emotions under control, even though he had already been through a lot, and almost nothing could cause him to have such fluctuations in emotions.

    One painting after another, there were things happening along the hunting route, as well as things that Shao Xuan encountered when he was in the advance group, including that flight team of giant dragonflies.

    The Shaman went back to the beginning to read it again after he had finished the first round.

    Someone outside made some boiled water, and he brought in a ss of brewed herbs for the Shaman to drink when he was thirsty.

    The person was walking in silence as he came in. Also, he tried not to make any noise to disturb the Shaman when he was cing down the stone cup. When walking out of the door, he glimpsed at the Shaman, thinking that perhaps the Shaman was reading some ancient animal skin roll left by the ancestors. Every time when he read something left by the ancestors, he would be extremely excited or sad.

    On the other hand, Shao Xuan had already finished the tasks assigned by the Shaman, so he went to help in the medicine house. When he went down the mountain after a day¡¯s work, he found that Old Ke was already circling around his door, seeming pretty anxious about something. When he finished with one circle, he would stamp his cane on the ground.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re back!¡± Old Ke stepped forward towards Shao Xuan, with his mouth trembling, but in the end, he did not manage to say anything.

    ¡°Calm down, please. Just tell me what happened.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t calm down!¡± Old Ke said with heavy breaths. After a while, he finally got better, and said in a low voice, ¡°Someone sent you a message from the Shaman.¡±

    ¡°Okay. What did he say?¡±

    ¡°The Shaman said that you should prepare to attend the ritual ceremony at the end of this winter.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t everybody supposed to attend the ritual ceremony?¡± Shao Xuan was confused. What¡¯s all the excitement about?

    ¡°You are in the core name list! You will be one of those who stands at the edge of the fire pit! Right at the center!¡± Old Ke stamped with his cane hard on the ground.

    Old Ke had never felt more proud than he was feeling now. He felt as if his kid had distinguished himself as outstanding. Although Shao Xuan had his aplishments in the past, which earned the Shaman¡¯s approval, and he had the chance to learn from the Shaman. However, the ritual ceremony was literally the most sacred thing for people in the tribe. Anyone would spontaneously salute to the mountaintop if he or she would get to participate in any event of the ritual ceremony. Let alone, to be one of those who stands in the inner circle!

    However, Shao Xuan was not a local of the tribe after all. Although he tried his best to blend in, he could not alter his own thoughts. He was not as excited as Old Ke.

    Old Ke, on the other hand, was pretty pro-active about it. ¡°What should you wear then? Where did you put your outfit made by the skin of the Thorn ck Wind? Where did you put it, Ah-Xuan? Take it out and I¡¯ll help you clean it!¡±

    The outfit made by the skin of the Thorn ck Wind? ¡°I wore it once during the Memorial of the Ancestors. Then I tossed it under bed.¡±

    He was not unsatisfied with it because its weight, the weight was nothing to Shao Xuan, he just felt like he was a little monster while wearing that outfit, there was a row of thorns on the back.

    Old Ke took out the outfit of the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s skin for cleaning, and left Shao Xuan standing alone in his room.

    One of those standing in the very inner circle around the fire pit? Who were those guys again?

    He tried hard to search his memories. Suddenly, his eyelid twitched. What the fuck! They were those who danced the Ritual Dance!!

    The Ritual Dance that contained moves of digging out carrots, shaking boobs, and waving rags like a lousy waitress does!

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s so embarrassing¡­¡± (To be continued)

    [¡­In the next episode of DBZ CoPW]

 Chapter 110 â€“ The ritual dance

    Chapter 110 ¨C The ritual dance

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Not everyone would have the chance to learn the ancient dance, also known as the ritual dance.

    By the end of every winter, at the ritual ceremony during the Snow Festival, there would be fifty totem warriors selected to shoulder the responsibilities as ritual dancers next to the fire pit. All fifty of them were elites recognized by the entire tribe.

    However, based on Shao Xuan¡¯s knowledge, only outstanding young warriors with a few years worth of hunting experience, and those with outstanding contributions to the tribe, could be nominated to the list of ritual dancers. Over hundreds of years, very few would enter the list in their teens. Moreover, Shao Xuan had only awakened a year ago.

    It sounded absurd at first.

    When Old Ke heard the messenger¡¯s words, his first reaction was denial as well. Anyone in the tribe with a normal brain wouldn¡¯t believe it. However, the messenger double checked to confirm its authenticity, and said that it was indeed a decision made by the Shaman. The Shaman asked Shao Xuan to be prepared soon.

    No wonder Old Ke became so excited.

    The ritual ceremony being an important event in the tribe, the ritual dance wasn¡¯t solely about selecting proper dancers. It had to be delivered exactly as instructed by the ancient teachings. Shao Xuan had never learned anything about this so-called ancient teachings in the past. It doesn¡¯t seemed to be simple guideline teachings.

    Since Shao Xuan knew no one that he could turn to for help with regards to the ritual dance, he could only go up to the mountaintop to ask the Shaman for help. Even Mai and Qiao weren¡¯t familiar with the ritual dance, let alone the others that lived lower than them.

    Early next morning, Shao Xuan carried the stone box and rushed to the Shaman¡¯s ce.

    By the time he arrived, the Shaman was talking about the uing ritual ceremony with the Chief and the two team leaders from the tribe. There were a lot of things that needed to be prepared well in advance.

    With the appearance of Shao Xuan, the two team leaders and the Chief looked at him at once, but in a very gentle way. It was out of their expectations that Shao Xuan would be part of the selected fifty. However, that day when the Shaman asked them to have a meeting, he directly indicated that Shao Xuan should be a part of the ritual dance.

    They were aware of the one-year deal made by the younger generation, as well as the fact that Shao Xuan defeated Tai with a single move. With regards to ability, Shao Xuan was indeed the brightest one amongst the newly-awakened warriors in the past years. There was no denial of that. He also made a few significant contributions to the tribe during thest year. So, when the Shaman decided that Shao Xuan be one of the fifty, both the team leaders and the Chief did not raise any objections.

    In the eyes of the people in the tribe, being one of the fifty was a great honor. However, the two team leaders had more thought in this, since they knew what it meant to be one of the fifty. Every year, they would try their best to rmend people from their own hunting teams, and the Shaman would finalize the name list.

    Aside from these big shots, Shao Xuan also met Tuo inside the stone house as well.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, I appointed Tuo to teach you all the moves of the ritual dance. As for the paintings¡­¡± The Shaman had an even deeper smile: ¡°You can stop practicing it for now.¡±

    Chief Ao looked at the Shaman, and then looked at Shao Xuan again. He sensed that there was something that he didn¡¯t know about. But sometimes, the Shaman was just like that. No one could ever predict his actions and thoughts.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Answered Shao Xuan.

    Instead of staying in the stone house, Shao Xuan left with Tuo.

    Tuo lived near the mountain top, so it didn¡¯t take them too long to reach his ce. Also, Tuo was one of the fifty this year.

    Warriors from Tuo¡¯s family of his parents¡¯ and grandparents¡¯ generations had performed the ritual dance. So, the ancient dance had been passed along in his family. He did not need to learn the moves from others to be proficient in them. Or else, the Shaman wouldn¡¯t let him teach Shao Xuan.

    The truth was, Tuo was more than surprised when the Shaman assigned him to teach Shao Xuan the ritual dance. After all, Shao Xuan was too young, and had only been awakened as a totem warrior for only a year. He shouldn¡¯t have been listed as one of the fifty! Perhaps, it was because that he found the ancestors, Tuo thought.

    ¡°I have learned how to perform the ritual dance since I was young. It¡¯s not hard.¡± Said Tuo, ¡°I¡¯ll dance the full set of moves for you to watch. Here, watch me.¡±

    At the end of his words, Tuo began to dance in the room. In Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, those moves were still very clownish, without any sense of beauty. They didn¡¯t seem melodious at all, and there was even a move that looked as if the dancer was washing dishes. However, Tuo was very serious when performing the dance, as if he was doing something that was very grand and solemn. Even it was only a demonstration, he did it with respect and honor.

    After a whole demonstration, Tuo taught Shao Xuan one move after another.

    ¡°You bend your body, like this¡­and here, pull back your hands¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan imitated Tuo¡¯s moves as he swung his arms up and down, back and forth. Sometimes he had to shake his arms and thighs, or shake and stamp his feet, to make strong rhythmic sounds. Also, his feet had to move back and forth, sometimes to the left and sometimes to the right. Sometimes his body should lean forward, and then squat down a little, before he jumps up on one foot, andnds down with a horse stance. Then, he needed to wave his arms above his head as if holding a whip, and then constantly look back and forth.

    If Shao Xuan saw simr dances during his previous life, he would totally haveughed at it aloud. However now, he had to force himself to learn it, and stay serious when doing all the moves.

    Although there were no drums or whistles making the beats, all moves maintained certain rhythm.

    It was not all about the moves. Tuo told Shao Xuan that he should use his totem power when performing the ritual dance, as well as to breathe in a certain way. That was all part of the ¡°ancient teachings¡±.

    In general, Shao Xuan came to a conclusion, that the ritual dance needed to be apanied with meditation and specific breathing!

    What was the use of this coordination? Tuo said nothing about the effect now, but Shao Xuan could guess that it should be rted to the mes or totem.

    Shao Xuan had heard from someone that the earliest form of humans showing their feelings was through body movements and dancing gestures. Dance and moves were also a certainnguage of people expressing their passions and desires.

    Here, the ancient dance was a tool they used tomunicate with the me and the totem. So when dancing, people would perceive them.

    Thinking about the fact that the ritual dance was used in ritual ceremonies, and how the two team leaders would fight over the fifty spots, perhaps the ritual dance was really for people¡¯s cultivation.

    Just like what Tuo had said, the moves were quite simple, and could be easily memorized. The most important thing in the whole process was how to do the meditation during the dance, and how to properly breathe in the process without messing up with one¡¯s own moves.

    When it was almost noon, Shao Xuan had learned and memorized all the moves.

    ¡°Not bad. You are learning fast. Just now you made zero mistakes.¡± Said Tuo.

    Shao Xuan moved his arms, and nodded, ¡°I will do more practice when I go back.¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. Practice makes perfect. Don¡¯t make any mistake during the ritual ceremony.¡± Tuo stopped smiling and said seriously, ¡°If you are confused about anything or have questions, you know where to find me.¡± Since the Shaman assigned him to teach Shao Xuan, he had the responsibility to teach him well.

    There should be no mistakes during the ritual ceremony!

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    After thest snowke had fallen down from the sky, and the clouds began to fade, finally, the moons revealed their faces in the sky. After a whole silent winter, the tribe resumed its vitality.

    The Shaman had appointed someone to announce the time for this year¡¯s ritual ceremony of the Snow Festival to the public.

    On the day of the ritual ceremony, Shao Xuan took a good bath. That was something that everyone in the tribe was supposed to do before ritual ceremonies. As for the little whelps in orphan cave down the mountain¡­ they had been properly brushed and washed already yesterday!

    Caesar and Chacha stayed in the house today. Chacha was behaving quite well today, and he refused to go anywhere outside, as if he had already sensed something. Chacha went inside the roof since early in the morning. It seemed that beasts and animals always had an instinct that helped them to avoid danger.

    ¡°Now, hurry. You should do the ritual dance in this outfit!¡± Old Ke took out the outfit made from the Thorn ck Wind¡¯s skin that he had already cleaned a few times. He wanted Shao Xuan to be used to this outfit first¡­ He was even more nervous than Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s face twitched once. He took the clothes from Old Ke, and put on the outfit with thorns on the back.

    Before, when he heard talks about dancing, mostly it would be referring to those slim and gentle women. Shaking shoulders and butts, with light paces and moves. The dancers were good, and the audience was happy.

    However now, Shao Xuan felt that he was baring fangs and brandishing ws in that outfit. He felt so barbaric, like some alien creature invading the Earth. The good thing was that all people in the tribe were dressed like that. They turned into animals today, and it was a grand feast.

    Old Ke had painted colorful patterns on his face with nt pigment, but Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t. He needed to go up to the mountaintop in advance, for the Shaman would draw patterns on the fifty people¡¯s faces himself. The pigment would also be different from the normal kind.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading up first.¡± Shao Xuan walked out of the door with that Thorn ck Wind outfit.

    ¡°Sure, go quickly. I¡¯ll go up with Ge and the otherster.¡± Old Ke waved his hands, indicating that Shao Xuan should leave now, so as not to make the Shaman wait. Shao Xuan was the only one from down the mountain in the fifty. He couldn¡¯t bete, he shouldn¡¯t, or the others would assume people down the mountain had no sense of punctuality.

    In front of the Shaman¡¯s stone room, the others had already gathered. Many of them had learned from the team leaders that Shao Xuan was part of it this year. So, when they saw Shao Xuan in person, they were more surprised, but didn¡¯t say anything. Today was a very serious and grand day for them. No one had extra energy to pay attention to other things.

    It was already dark when the Shaman finally finished painting colorful patterns on fifty faces.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Some middle-aged man in the team said.

    With the awakening of his totem power, Shao Xuan grew a lot in the past one year. However, when he found himself in in the midst of a bunch of grown adult warriors, he was still very obviously the shortest one in the crowd. Even in animal skin clothes, people knew that the little one was him.

    ¡°How is that possible? What¡¯s he doing there?¡± Someone whispered as people were walking up to the mountaintop.

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Ah-Xuan! I recognize that outfit made from the skin of a Thorn ck Wind.¡±

    Someone wearing an outfit made from Thorn ck Wind at that age, it could only be Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Is he really walking in the same crowd? How could he be one of the fifty? How old is he?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just shut up?! That¡¯s the Shaman¡¯s decision!¡±

    Some were astonished, and some were jealous. People shared different emotions in the crowd.

    Lang Ga and the others had already learned the truth from Old Ke. But even now, they still found it unbelievable. Being one of the fifty had always been their dream since childhood. However, now their dreams came true for someone who was way younger than them.

    In the circle of timber piles around the fire pit, stone basins contained with fresh fruits and ferocious beasts¡¯ meat were already ced.

    Shao Xuan followed the team and stopped by a timber pile. He had reached his spot.

    The ritual ceremony was about to start, and there were already a lot of people standing on the mountaintop, while some others were climbing up the mountain. Many people in the crowd were talking about Shao Xuan. Naturally, the youngest person in the fifty, as well as the only one who had be one of the fifty after being awakened for only one year, gained the most attention from people, let alone that such a thing hadn¡¯t happened in thest century!

    There were more than eighty kids sent to the mountaintop for awakening, two more thanst year. Tuo and Jie Ba from the cave, and the twins of Mai and Qiao were all in the crowd.

    It grewpletely dark.

    Just like in Shao Xuan¡¯s memory, one step after another, the ritual dance went smoothly. When the Shaman finally began to sing the chorus, Shao Xuan clearly felt the reaction of the totem in his mind.

    At the same time, the little me in the center of the fire pit began to grow quickly. One moment earlier, it didn¡¯t seem to be able to light up a timber pile, but now, as if a full bucket of petroleum had been poured in, it grew big in the blink of an eye.

    Being totem warriors, naturally they had a stronger perception of the totem. The totem in their minds began to expand its size together with the rising me in the fire pit.

    When the me filled the whole fire pit, on the top of the me, there appeared a totem of two horns wrapped in mes.

 Chapter 111 â€“ Qualifications to join

    Chapter 111 ¨C Qualifications to join

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Now, the first me! The Soaring me! The totem appears!

    The totem power in his body became active, even without him deliberately stimting it. Totem patterns appeared on every totem warrior¡¯s face.

    The blue and white colors in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind danced together with the me.

    Perhaps it was his illusion, but Shao Xuan felt that the me in the fire pit grew higher thanst year, and it was also dancing more violently, as if it was trying hard to get out.

    Those standing beside the timber piles shouldn¡¯t move willfully, so now, Shao Xuan was unable to watch the others¡¯ facial expressions. Perhaps, the others were sharing simr thoughts, but he could not sense any abnormal situation from the Shaman¡¯s voice. He could only have his suspicions.

    At that time, everyone at the scene was already void from other thoughts. All they could see was the totem in the center above the fire pit.

    It lit up the surroundings, and the whole mountaintop was covered in ayer of red.

    The Shaman¡¯s singing grew more and more sonorous.

    Duh! Duh! Duh!

    The drums suddenly rang in a specific rhythm, together with the sound of cking bones and beating rocks, which meant that Shao Xuan and the others had to start dancing.

    Together with the Shaman¡¯s singing, people by the timber piles began to move around the fire pit.

    The ritual dance was passed along many generations since the foundation of the tribe, and Shao Xuan had underestimated it after all.

    The moves were of no difficulty at all. Nor was he feeling awkward by ¡°washing dishes¡±, ¡°digging carrots¡± and ¡°waving rags¡± in front of so many people. The real situation was that, Shao Xuan finally learnt the essential secrets and wonders contained in the ritual dance, once he soaked himself into the moves. Gradually, he stopped feeling embarrassed at all.

    The sounds of fifty people stamping on the ground and waving arms gradually unified into the surrounding percussions.

    The rhythm was a little weird at first, but with the rhythm and sound created, together with the ritual dance, it became quite harmonious. The special beats and rhythm rang through the peak, one sound after another.

    Shao Xuan had been practicing this ritual dance at home, repeatedly, so he had already memorized every single move. He was well aware of what move came after the other, and when he should deliver them. He did not ck-out at all.

    When dancing, Shao Xuan paid extra attention to do as the ancient teachings¡¯manded, as Tuo had said to him. He used the special way of breathing while dancing, so as to feel the connection between him and the totem.

    Soon, Shao Xuan had the feeling that he seemed to rte to everything around him.

    The totem in the fire pit seemed to have gradually emerged with the totem in his mind. Shao Xuan was not sure whether the totem in the fire pit influenced the one in his mind, or if it was the other way around. He did not know what the circumstances were with the other warriors, but he decided to carefully experience that change.

    If you must distinguish the difference¡­then the only difference was that the totem in his mind had blue mes at the edges, but the totem in the fire pit had no such blue edges.

    The ancient teachings indicated that, one should ¡°try his best to create a connection with the totem in the fire pit¡±. Shao Xuan thought that he was not connected with the totem in the fire pitpletely, so he tried to stimte his blue mes in his mind, tomunicate with the totem in his mind. With the umtion of blue mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, the whole totem in his mind suddenly grew bigger.

    At the same time, the me in the fire pit suddenly grew higher as it grew towards the sky. The body of the me almost instantaneously doubled its original size, which scared an old experienced warrior so much, that he almost made a wrong move during the ritual dance. He had never experienced anything simr during the ritual ceremony. Fortunately, he had a silent reaction, he calmed himself down and continued the dance.

    All the other things kept moving forward as usual. However, deep down in their hearts, people felt that something was not as usual, seeing the fifty performing the ritual dance.

    It was like these people were no longer ritual dancers by the fire pit, waving their arms and legs. They no longer seemed to be dancing in the moment. Instead, they gave out an atmosphere that they were some prepared warriors with stone tools and spears, ready to go hunt at any moment!

    Even those experienced ritual dancers sensed that this time was not as any time in the past. They felt as if their blood was boiling, and the excitement didn¡¯t easily wear off.

    The momentum of the fifty bing one was full of a strong and fierce power, spreading out some invincible majestic spirit.

    If Shao Xuan had to make a metaphor, he would say that even the moves of washing dishes would make people feel magnificent and valiant.

    Without anyone noticing, the me in the fire pit entered the second phase. Balls of mes flew out of the fire pit and drifted towards the surroundings. Since the me grew a lot, the balls of mes flying out seemed to be bigger than usual.

    With the special way of breathing, and the meditation on the perception of totem, Shao Xuan could feel balls of me flying towards himself.

    They touched him, and then he absorbed them.

    Inside his body streamed some new energy, and it was brought by those flying balls of me. They congested together along his meridians.

    The totem me in his mind grew quickly with the absorbed balls of me.

    If we say that others were absorbing energy from the balls of me like thin streamsing together, then people dancing by the fire pit would be collecting energy like rivers flowing into the ocean. Perhaps that was the merit of being one of the ritual dancers, Shao Xuan thought.

    When Mai and the others were talking, Shao Xuan had heard them saying that the situation of the me in one¡¯s mind was closely rted to one¡¯s speed of progress. As such, it was predictable how beneficial it would be to have the privilege to stay beside the fire pit during the ritual ceremonies. No wonder that both team leaders would try their best to strive for the opportunity to arrange more warriors from their hunting team to be one of the fifty. But no matter what, there were only fifty spots.

    The ritual ceremony was continuing, and Shao Xuan was not allowed to be distracted.

    By the end of the third me, the ceremony wasing to an end.

    Shao Xuan had no idea to what extent the third me went, but a loud shout of ¡°Great blessings¡± from the Shaman aroused everyone at the mountaintop.

    The awakening ceremony of the eighty kids was alsopleted.

    Shao Xuan stopped moving and looked around, finding that every kid here had totem patterns on their faces. With a closer look, he confirmed that no one was left out.

    In the past, there would be a few that failed to be awakened among every batch of kids. They would have to wait for another year. However, this year, all kids were awakened.

    Not only Shao Xuan, even the Shaman had not expected such circumstances. Four of them were spected not to be awakened this year when they were brought to the Shaman¡¯s ce. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, they had still awakened after all!

    The Shaman stared at Shao Xuan¡¯s back as he was leaving, and then looked down at the ground. He heard the Chief Ao talking about his idea about the ritual ceremony, and then decided to prepare for other things ordingly.

    The ritual ceremony ended. People decided to go back down the mountain to celebrate after that. The Shaman had imed the next year to be full of ¡°Great Blessings¡±.

    Shao Xuan intended to go down the mountain together with Old Ke after he spoke to Tuo and Jie Ba about something.

    Turning around, Shao Xuan encountered Mai and Qiao, who had just spoken to their twins.

    ¡°Hey, Ah-Xuan, the thing about Caesar. You have about twenty days.¡± Mai said, ¡°But since you are now one of the fifty, Caesar¡¯s thing might be easier to handle, given the current circumstances.¡±

    Last year, Ta¡¯s hunting team was the first to go out hunting. Since the tribe had a policy of the two hunting teams taking turns to go out, this year, Gui He would lead his hunting team for this year¡¯s first mission, and Ta¡¯s hunting team would go on the second mission. So, after the ritual ceremony, Shao Xuan still had about twenty days to convince the others in his hunting group. He also had to inform Ta about it, for Ta was the one who finalized the name list in the different hunting groups under hismand.

    Well, the Shaman was also supposed to know about it.

    Shao Xuan intended to take Caesar on a hunting mission this year. He had spent nearly one year in the hunting group, and had done assessments about risks and potential gains if he brought Caesar on board. Of course, they were only in theory, and anything could happen in the real forest. No one could ever guarantee anything, and it was always better to be more careful.

    So, Shao Xuan made a safe n. If Caesar did not behave well after he was taken out in the wild, he would stay in the first location with Caesar, in order to not be the others¡¯ burdenter.

    In the following days, Shao Xuan took Caesar to the Shaman¡¯s ce to share his thoughts with the Shaman. The result was just the same as Shao Xuan predicted, the Shaman did not reject his proposal. Instead, the Shaman was quite looking forward to it. He gave a special pardon to Shao Xuan that he could stay in the first location with Caesar if there was anything wrong.

    Since the Shaman was positive about the proposal, Ta did not say anything about it. Moreover, in private, he was a little excited about Shao Xuan¡¯s theory that ¡°A good hound might be the eyes and ears of the huntsmen¡±. He wanted to see how Caesar would behave himself, and whether the wolf could turn out to be a surprise, even though he had been kept in the tribe since childhood by Shao Xuan and was tame.

    After setting up things with the Shaman and Ta, Shao Xuan asked all the others in Mai¡¯s hunting group to gather together at the training ground, so that they could see Caesar during his training, and thus learn about Caesar¡¯s behavior.

    The others were thinking that they wouldn¡¯t reject Shao Xuan¡¯s proposal anyway, since the Shaman, the team leader, and Mai all agreed in the first ce. Plus, Shao Xuan was one of the fifty during this year¡¯s ritual ceremony. That was not someone that they wanted to displease.

    After watching Caesar in the training, some of them were talking about getting their own wolf cub in the future. Anyway, wolf packs in the forests constantly fight against each other, and the pack that lost the fight would hardly have any members surviving. They had encountered a few fights themselves, and it shouldn¡¯t be too hard to steal a cub or two during the mess.

    After handling things with the hunting group, Shao Xuan began to prepare for theing hunting mission. All the stone tools had been prepared during winter time, so now he did not need to spend more time on stone crafting. The training for Caesar went on day by day, and Shao Xuan had changed some of the traps to see his reactions.

    Caesar was very smart. Aside from those that were tooplicated, Caesar could manage most of the skills and tasks that Shao Xuan taught or assigned him.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about what would be Chacha¡¯s future?¡± Asked Old Ke.

    ¡°Chacha is not as gentle as Caesar, and who knows whether he has already flown outside the tribe¡¯s territory without us even knowing about it?¡± Said Shao Xuan. He once found some grass residue on Chacha¡¯s beak which did not belong to any nts in the tribe. It only existed in the forest where they went hunting.

    At that time, Shao Xuan rebuked him harshly, and so he behaved quite well in the following few days. However now, he was probably turning back to his nature. Chacha had grown a lot in size, and perhaps Shao Xuan¡¯s arm won¡¯t be secure enough for him tond on after half a year. ording to the Shaman, the naughty bird was still in his youth. It had so much curiosity, that no one would ever manage to control him. He could just fly up to the sky. Who couldpare with that?

    Now, Chacha had already gone to the riverside to y. Sometimes he would suddenly fly over the river in a pretty fast speed, and catch some fish swimming in the upperyer of water. He would just rip the fish into pieces, and then toss it back into the water, to watch the piranhas fight over the flesh.

    That bird was not easy to tame. No one knew how long it would take to tame it into the level that could be brought out into the wild like Caesar.

    After twenty days, though Gui He¡¯s hunting team hadn¡¯t returned, Ta alreadypleted the name list of the second hunting mission, and announced it.

    Seeing Caesar following Shao Xuan up to the mountaintop, Old Ke suddenly felt that he was a little reluctant. How time flew, within the blink of an eye, the little fussy cub brought back by Lang Ga had turned into a handsome young wolf.

 Chapter 112 â€“ The rat wood

    Chapter 112 ¨C The rat wood

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    From the mountaintop until they finally stepped out of the region of the tribe, Caesar received much attention.

    When they were walking down along the Path of Glory, people on both sides almost all fixed their attention on Caesar.

    Why was the wolf apanying the hunting team?

    Were they out of their damn mind?!

    Such an abnormal thing would totally keep people talking about it for a long time in the tribe.

    During Shao Xuan¡¯s first hunting mission, Lang Ga told him that his only task would be to ¡°keep up¡±. He would not need to do anything else, except for keeping up with the team. Hence, now, the first challenge that Caesar faced was also the same, to keep up.

    When people in the tribe first went into the wild for hunting, they would depend on their trainings and guidances from their predecessors. However, when Caesar stepped into the wild, he would more rely on his animal instinct.

    ording to that instinct, Caesar did not fear or flinch, facing all unfamiliar surroundings. Instead, he became more and more excited.

    Even though he had been ¡°locked up¡± in the tribe for almost two years, for he grew up in the tribe, his wild nature got aroused, more or less, when he entered the forest. In the wild, Caesar was running like a gust of wind. If it weren¡¯t for the hunting team¡¯s rules, he would totally howl or something.

    At first, Caesar was very curious about the surroundings, and kept sniffing around. However, after he had been warned by Shao Xuan a few times, he began to keep his curiosity under control. Under themand of his instinct, he closely followed the hunting team, and did not drag the group.

    Sometimes, people in the hunting group were travelling on the tree branches. Caesar couldn¡¯t get on the trees, so he ran down on the ground beneath all the branches. When in bright ces, he would subconsciously slow down a little bit, but in the darker ces, he sped up in running. Those were some natural instincts hiding in Caesar¡¯s blood. While he was in the tribe, the nature didn¡¯te out, but it became quite obvious when he entered the wild.

    Seeing that Caesar was not left behind, nor was he acting abnormally, people in the hunting group became much relieved. In the middle of their journey, Caesar even managed to lure away a big wild beast from the hunting group, and then easily headed back when he ditched it.

    After traveling over a mountain, they reached the first location. They would go hunting early in the morning after a night¡¯s rest.

    When heading down the mountain, Lang Ga said to Shao Xuan, ¡°You keep an eye on Caesar, Ah-Xuan. There are a lot of traps in this neighborhood. Watch out, so he doesn¡¯t step into one¡­¡±

    Before he could finish the sentence, Lang Ga saw Caesar walking into the area of numerous traps, sniffing around. He seemed to be wandering around, but he sessfully avoided all the traps.

    People in the hunting group slowed down a little to watch him.

    In fact, there were very few ferocious beasts around the mountaintop. Setting traps here was mainly to defend themselves. If any big beasts or ferocious beasts chased after them till here, they could use the traps to fight back.

    However now, Caesar was taking a walk in there, without a single sound of traps being triggered.

    Was that a coincidence?

    It shouldn¡¯t be. Caesar was walking in a field of traps, and they were nothing to joke about at all. However, up to now, no trap was triggered.

    People looked at Lang Ga instead. Lang Ga blushed, and his eyebrows twitched a little as well. Obviously, the current situation was far beyond his expectations.

    ¡°I¡¯ve taught him something about identifying traps, and we had done many practices in that field.¡± Shao Xuan said calmly. He had long predicted that those traps wouldn¡¯t be threatening to Caesar. While they were in the tribe, training on how to avoid traps was apulsory course to Caesar, every single day.

    ¡°So¡­it¡­it can avoid traps?¡± Lang Ga swallowed, for he found the truth hard to ept.

    If even animals could learn how to avoid traps, then what¡¯s the meaning of setting traps? To entertain people?

    ¡°I will alter and upgrade all the traps in the afternoon when we get back!¡± Lang Ga said seriously. He did not pay much attention on those traps in that area, for there was a low chance that they would used during the whole year. Every time when they came to the first location, all he would do was to check on the traps to make sure they were still effective, and to check whether there were little animals who had stepped into them by ident.

    Mai found Lang Ga¡¯s reaction very interesting, ¡°Fine, animals know it¡¯s important to learn things. You need to be more careful about the skill you got, Lang Ga.¡±

    When heading down the mountain, Caesar didn¡¯t wander away from Shao Xuan to go on his own little trips. Instead, he kept close with Shao Xuan, guarding against the surroundings.

    Last year, three thorn ck winds had been wiped off from this mountain, but other ferocious beasts would have entered this ce and set their homes. So, they couldn¡¯t be too careful.

    ¡°There¡¯s a hole, Mai!¡± Ang, who was in charge of the vanguard, whispered.

    All the others were thrilled by Ang¡¯s report.

    ¡°Where is it?!¡± After confirming that there was no ferocious beast around, the crowd quickly gathered around Ang.

    Shao Xuan approached as well with Caesar. He saw Ang push aside some knee-deep grass, and then reveal a middle-sized hole on the ground.

    ¡°They came out!¡± Ang said with excitement.

    The ¡°they¡± that Ang was referring to was some green rodent. Hunting warriors called it the ¡°grass rat¡±, for they looked like a ball of green grass. Their fur was in the color of green, and it was quite thick, just like grass. When they stayed still in the grass, they would be very difficult for the warriors to spot. Both in the day and at night, they woulde out for food and mating.

    The reason why people in the hunting group were so excited was that in such seasons, a special nt would grow on the bodies of grass rats ¨C the rat wood.

    The rat wood was a kind of parasitic nt, and its parasitic phase was in its premature stage. The seeds of rat wood looked quite simr to some nuts that the grass rats loved to eat. Every year before winter came, grass rats would travel a lot to almost everywhere in the mountain to collect food, and then store the food in their holes that could be meters deep. When they had plenty of food and other supply, they would hide in their holes for the whole winter, eating and shitting.

    However, the basin down here had a different climate from the climate on the other side of the mountain. No snow would fall, and the temperature was not that low. Even so, the grass rats living in this area retained their habit of hibernation.

    When it was almost wintertime on the other side of the mountain, the grass rats in the basin would start storing food and go back to their holes to prepare for winter. In the whole cold season, they would spend most of their time sleeping. In the gaps of sleeping, they would go to their ¡°basement¡± for food, and then fall asleep again.

    The seeds of rat wood would start sprouting after they were eaten by grass rats. Some dayster, they would burgeon out from the skin of grass rats, and grow into some little nts that looked simr with their fur. All the energy that rat wood needed would be from the grass rats themselves. Since they lived underground, there was no sunshine.

    After a whole winter¡¯s growth, when the season ended, grass rats woulde out from their holes again, and the rat wood seedlings would be strong enough to start their own journey. When it was ready, the seedling would dislocate from the grass rat, and begin to lignify and grow. That would usually happen within fifty days after the winter ended.

    Shao Xuan had seen the rat wood in the forest, and they wererge. It was hard to imagine that all those great trees started their life journey on the skin of grass rats.

    Rat wood, before lignifying, was very beneficial if people ate it. Kids who ate the seedlings of rat wood would have a much stronger physique, and would be awakened at an earlier time. Of course, quantity also mattered in such a situation. The more you ate, the more effective it would be. Even if they didn¡¯t awaken earlier, it could help build one¡¯s physique.

    Many warriors in their hunting group had non-awakened kids back at home. For them, their kids awakening earlier meant one more warrior in the family who could participate in hunting missions one year earlier. There would be more food as well. In the meantime, for those who had already been awakened, the seedlings of rat wood could help with detoxification. It was even more effective than the mixed herbs that they used normally.

    People up in the mountain side or mountaintop surely did not care for that nt, but for people living down in the mountain foot area, the rat wood¡¯s seedling could be very appealing.

    The difficult thing was that grass rats were tough to catch. They were too good at concealments, and once they left their holes, they would be no where to find. Also, one hole might have more than one entrance. If you guarded by one entrance, it might just as well exit through another entrance, unless you blocked all the entrances of the cave. The second thing was that, timing was crucial. If the seedling of rat wood dislocated from the grass rat, then it would be of no use.

    Mai took a close look at the entrance, and said calmly, ¡°Judging from the soil, it should have already been half a day since they came out.¡±

    Hearing that it had already been half a day, people immediately became less excited. How could anyone find them when they had been wandering around for half a day?

    ¡°Can Caesar help us find them?¡± Ang glimpsed at Caesar and asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°We can give it a shot.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    At his words, the crowd became excited again.

    ¡°Can it really help?¡±

    ¡°How would it do that? The wolf has never seen a grass rat!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, we just let Caesar try it first.¡± Mai stopped the others from asking all those questions. The two kids in his family had already been awakened, so he did not need the seedlings for his kids anymore. However, due to its detoxication effect, it was worth trying to find them.

    Under Shao Xuan¡¯smand, Caesar went to the entrance of the hole to sniff, and then walked around the hole. He seemed to have confirmed something. Although Caesar had never seen a grass rat in his life, he identified its smell around the hole.

    Caesar walked towards a direction, and then looked back at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°They should be over there, uncle Mai.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Follow!¡±

    People followed Caesar¡¯s pace. They were not fast, and sometimes when there were ferocious beasts lingering around, Caesar would give a warning.

    Caesar seemed to be quite excited while tracking. With him speeding up, Shao Xuan knew that they were getting close to the grass rats.

    Whoosh!

    Caesar shot out like an arrow, and jumped high to leap over a row of bushes, and drilled into a pile of grass that was even higher than a human.

    ¡°Caesar!¡± Shao Xuan was a little worried. He was afraid that Caesar might have be too excited, so that he might ignore some dangers hiding behind the grass.

    The grass was dense, and no one could see what was hiding inside, or know what was happening inside. After Caesar rushed into it, there was a hasty rustling.

    ¡°Squeak!¡±

    Soon enough, Caesar jumped out from the bushes again.

    Seeing Caesar, people¡¯s tense muscles loosened up a little bit. But quickly, their focus was on the green fuzzy ball that Caesar was carrying in his mouth.

    ¡°It¡¯s a grass rat!¡±

    ¡°Quick, quick! Ah-Xuan, check the grass rat, see if there¡¯s still a rat wood on its body!¡±

    All the warriors were very excited.

    Caesar held the grass rat between his lips, but he did not kill it or even wound it.

    Shao Xuan took over the grass rat from Caesar¡¯s mouth. If it weren¡¯t for the green fur, the grass rat would only be the size of two fists. However, with the green fur, it grew three times bigger than its original size.

    Weighing the grass rat in his hands, Shao Xuan could feel that it was a bony one. Perhaps it was only that skinny because of the rat wood¡¯s parasitism.

    He did not see any bald spots on its body. After a careful search, Shao Xuanid his eyes on a special ¡°fur¡± that was a little thicker than the others. He put his stone knife back on his waist, and grabbed the ¡°fur¡± with his bare hands to check near the root of the green ¡°fur¡±. There was a thin lignified circle. Shao Xuan was positive, ¡°It¡¯s still there!¡±

    He passed the grass rat to another warrior besides him, so that the other warrior could cut down that fur-liked green seedling of rat wood, and then he looked around.

    When Caesar was digging into the grass, he got some creepy feelings. Luckily, Caesar came out soon. However now, the creepy feeling grew even stronger instead of fading away.

    Glimpsing at Caesar, he noticed that the wolf¡¯s hairs were standing on ends, even though a moment earlier, he was excited with the grass rat.

    ¡°Uncle Mai!¡± Shao Xuan shouted out in a low voice.

    Mai was watching his men cutting off the rat wood. Seeing Shao Xuan behaving like that, Mai realized that something was wrong, and he immediately made a gesture to the others with his hand.

 Chapter 113 â€“ Caesarâ€™s Choice

    Chapter 113 ¨C Caesar¡¯s Choice

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Sponsored by Anonymous

    It suddenly quieted down, one could easily hear the sound of the wind blowing through the grass.

    They didn¡¯t kill the rat yet, since it was better to keep the grass rat alive when cutting down the rat wood. The grass rat struggled whilst caught in a warrior¡¯s hand. The seedling of rat wood was cut off, which left a brown bald spot on its skin. After about six months, the bald spot would again be covered with fuzzy green hair.

    Mai gave the warrior who held the grass rat a meaningful look. The warrior bent over, ced the grass rat on the ground, and released it.

    Like an arrow being released from the string, the grass rat quickly rushed into the high piles of grass once it regained its freedom.

    After a few rustling sounds, the area became quiet again, but the atmosphere was still quite stifling.

    People didn¡¯t sense any signs of ferocious beast in the surroundings, but they all had felt something dangerous lurking in the dark without being spotted by anyone.

    The other party must be very good at hiding, or Mai would have sensed its presence sooner.

    That grass rat rushed to the pile of grass without hesitation, which meant that the pile of grass over there was rtively safer.

    Half of the people in the hunting team focused their attention in the opposite direction of the grass piles, whilst the others guarded the surroundings.

    Huu~~

    It was like a gust of wind.

    However, there was only a slight breeze, and no such sound could be created naturally.

    Meanwhile, Caesar let out a growl, his growl made people¡¯s nerves more tense.

    Huu~~

    There was another prompt but low noise, as if something was flying fast.

    It was close!

    The trees in the surroundings were not dense, and the sunshine had already lit up the entire forest.

    ck shadows shed by under the sun.

    ¡°Over there!¡±

    Mai rushed over there, and in the meantime, another ck shadow flew past.

    Normally, the animals, especially ferocious beasts, would always pick the weakest in a group to challenge, and Shao Xuan would be the first that suffered. Last year, he had been experiencing that for a whole year, and the other warriors¡¯ first instinct was to protect Shao Xuan well. However, this time, the thing rushed towards Caesar without hesitation.

    Shao Xuan was about to run forward with his stone knife to block the strike, but to his surprise, Caesar actively aimed at it.

    In a short distance, Caesar rapidly sped up, and he almost reached his limit. Like a long bow that was tightened up and then released, he ejected himself to throw his body on thating creature.

    Bang!

    Puff!

    The sound of a collision and flesh being pierced resounded.

    The two of themnded on the ground, fighting close against each other.

    The thing that rushed over here was some winged creature that looked like a bat. Its wingspan was around two meters. Perhaps it was bitten by Caesar, for after itnded, it did not manage to fly up again.

    However, such a creature should only be active during night. Why would theye out in the daylight?

    When these two were fighting against each other, Shao Xuan threw out several spearheads at that bat-like creature. It was Caesar¡¯s first time encountering such an opponent in the wild, so highly likely, it would be difficult for him to handle the situation alone. There were already some bloodstains on his body.

    The attack of the spearheads distracted the bat.

    Puchi.

    There was the sound of flesh being torn apart.

    Blood spread out.

    Caesar literally tore off one of that thing¡¯s wings.

    A sharp cry almost pierced through the people¡¯s eardrums, and the sonic wave dizzied people. But soon, the sound stopped abruptly, because Caesar snapped off the bat¡¯s head.

    Together with Caesar¡¯s growl, there were a few more sounds of flesh being torn. Caesar only stopped after he had torn the remaining flesh into small pieces.

    ¡°Come over here, Caesar!¡±

    Shao Xuan stepped forward quickly to check on Caesar¡¯s wounds. But before he could approach him, Caesar suddenly looked up at Shao Xuan¡¯s direction, although moments ago, he was staring at the dead bat¡¯s remains.

    His approach stopped at the very moment, for Shao Xuan felt like a cold bucket of water was poured down on his head. The feeling couldn¡¯t have been colder.

    At that moment, Shao Xuan was facing a pair of eyes filled with ferocious bloodlust. The cold eyes seemed to be prepared for tearing everything apart.

    There were four fangs that were dripping with blood in the wolf¡¯s open mouth. Blood dripped down on the fur.

    Shao Xuan knew in his mind that Caesar¡¯s ferocious nature finally awakened after it had been suppressed for over two years.

    Shao Xuan still remembered the wolf packs that lived in the forest where they hunt. And Caesar was simr with those experienced killers.

    Even though Caesar had been spending his two years inside the tribe since it was a cub, and had never experienced the normal killing atmosphere in the forest. Even though Caesar was doing great with humans in the tribe, its ferocious nature was still buried in his body. The instinct was only waiting for the proper chance to be awakened, just like a volcano waiting to erupt. The longer it got suppressed, the more violently it would erupt.

    Watching Caesar creeping besides the dead bat, Shao Xuan clenched on the stone knife he had in his hand. If Caesar could not control his killing instinct and attack people, no warrior in the hunting team would ever let him survive. Shao Xuan would put Caesar to rest himself, instead of letting others do the job.

    It was impossible to say that he was not attached with the wolf after spending so much time together. In two years, the wolf had grown from a fuzzy little cub into a handsome strong wolf that was even taller than Shao Xuan if he stood straight. A lot of things had happened, and many emotions were shared.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s home changed from a hay bed in the orphan cave to some cabin in the mountain foot area, as Shao Xuan himself grew from a bony little kid into a totem warrior. Caesar was always there with him.

    However, at that time, both Shao Xuan and Caesar, who was a little on edge, needed to make a choice. There were three possibilities. First, Caesar attacks the people in the hunting group, and Shao Xuan puts him down personally. Second, Caesar refuses to stay in the hunting team, and Shao Xuan lets him go for the sake of the two years they spent together. Third, Caesar controls his erupting killing nature, andes back to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan put his other hand, that was not holding the stone knife, behind his back to make a gesture to the other warriors, who were already prepared to enter a fight. He indicated that they should stay put, while he himself stared at the wolf that was only ten meters away from him.

    Caesar, what will you choose?

    In fact, ever since he decided to take Caesar out into the wild, Shao Xuan had expected such circumstances. Although he felt reluctant to face it, the fact was that doing nothing else rather than eating and sleeping in the tribe would finally cost Caesar¡¯s life. The Shaman granted Caesar his patterned te, but he could withdraw it just as well. Nofort pet was allowed to exist in the tribe. Caesar needed to prove his value.

    The wolf stood there, breathing heavily, with blood on its mouth and bloodlust in his eyes. Together with his every breath, it released a gust of smell of the weird bat¡¯s blood.

    However, staring at Shao Xuan, the bloodlust gradually faded away. His pair of eyes became clear again.

    Lipping the blood on his mouth, Caesar looked up at Shao Xuan and started approaching him with light paces.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan¡­¡± Lang Ga couldn¡¯t help but warn him. They were really scared off by Caesar¡¯s behavior earlier.

    When they were within the tribe, people said that Caesar was a wolf that already had been tamed, which meant that he was a total waste. Some might have even suggested that Caesar should be cut into pieces as food. However, what is this then, when Caesar was behaving like that?

    Already been tamed? Total bullshit! That bloodlust chilled Lang Ga¡¯s back. He tried real hard not to toss the long spear at Caesar.

    A waste? That monster got its wing torn off by the wolf! What kind of waste would that be?!

    Of course, an animal was an animal, and killing instinct was in its blood.

    Shao Xuan waved to the crowd again, using the empty hand behind his back to tell Lang Ga and the others not to act right now.

    Caesar lifted his feet, slowly walking towards Shao Xuan. His paws were still stained with blood. And for every step he made, he would leave a blood print on the ground. There was blood stains on his body as well from when he was tearing down the bat¡¯s wing, which made him look more ferocious.

    Eight meters¡­ five meters¡­ three meters¡­

    Shao Xuan watched the wolf approach, and he looked at the wolf calmly. However, deep down inside, he knew that his heart was beating rapidly. Shao Xuan reached his empty hand out, but still clenched the stone knife he had in his other hand. He was prepared for whatever choice that Caesar makes.

    Caesar breathed heavily and walked towards Shao Xuan step by step. He watched the young totem warrior, and then lowered his head, as if he knew that he was being naughty earlier. Gently, he pped his ears, and rubbed his head towards Shao Xuan¡¯s palm.

    At the moment that his palm reached the wolf¡¯s head, Shao Xuan took a long breath, and he lowered his other hand with the stone knife.

    Just like usual, when Caesar aplished the task smoothly or did the right thing, Shao Xuan rubbed Caesar¡¯s head and said ¡°Good boy.¡±

    Caesar¡¯s head shook slightly together with Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. He also licked Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, which put some bat blood on his hand.

    ¡°Is it okay, now, Ah-Xuan?¡± Lang Ga was a little stammered. Caesar looked just like usual now, but the scene earlier was printed in his mind, he was still afraid to approach the wolf. Also, he did not lower the long spear in his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡± Shao Xuan knew that the others in the hunting group would still be alert with Caesar for quite some time. But, things would get better.

    After this experience, Caesar gained his feral nature back, but he managed to keep it under control. That was a good thing.

    Pulling Caesar aside, Shao Xuan carefully checked the wounds and w marks on its body. He took out some medicinal powders that he made himself for the treatment of wounds, and applied them on Caesar¡¯s back, to see if they also worked on animals.

    Lang Ga and the others only approached to see the dead bat after Shao Xuan had pulled Caesar aside.

    Another bat had also been killed by Mai, and it was evenrger than the one that Caesar tore apart. It had sharper ws and longer nails. If that had been Caesar¡¯s opponent, perhaps Caesar would have been more badly wounded now.

    Why would such thingse out during daylight? An older totem warrior in the hunting group wondered.

    ¡°Perhaps it was the simr scenario like the thorn ck windsst year? They came out during the day.¡± Someone guessed.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the same.¡± Mai shook his head, ¡°The thorn ck wind was out during daylight because it wanted revenge against us. However, what¡¯re these things after? With so many years¡¯ hunting experience, I dare say that this is very rare.¡±

    The crowd fell into a silence.

    In fact, they were not afraid of that creature at all, as they were not quite the big trouble in this forest. However, they worried that something might be behind this situation. Every abnormal situation could be the portent of something major.

    [Yes, that word exists.]

    As the silence went on, people suddenly heard some sounds of whistles.

    Everyone in their hunting group was there, and no one had ever blown a whistle. Apparently, the whistle was noting from them. Someone from the other hunting groups made that sound.

    ¡°You should stay here, we will go and check.¡± Mai took a few warriors with him. They rushed towards the origin of the whistle.

    Soon, Mai brought five people back, and the five warriors were all wounded, with different degrees of injuries.

    It was the hunting group that shared a simr hunting route. Last year when Shao Xuan and Mao were chased by the thorn ck wind, Mai turned to them for help.

    Seeing the dead bat that Mai killed lying on the ground, the first one of the five warriors was shocked, ¡°You encountered it?!¡±

    ¡°This is not the only one. We encountered two of them.¡± Lang Ga and the others stepped aside to show them the one that was put down by Caesar.

    ¡°So, it seems that you have encountered them as well?¡± Mai looked at the injured people.

    That warrior sighed deeply, ¡°Yes. I wonder why, they are supposed toe out only during the night, but it¡¯s daylight right now. Our hunting group had been attacked by them several times¡­ Oh right, we came here to seek for your help.¡±

    The warrior looked at Shao Xuan and Caesar, that was lying beside Shao Xuan¡¯s feet calmly, ¡°It¡¯s said that your wolf is capable of tracking things down based on the smell?¡±

    Mai did not answer. Instead, he looked at Shao Xuan as well.

    Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°A while ago, he caught a grass rat!¡± Lang Ga said. Although he was still quite alert of Caesar, it did not stop him from showing off to warriors in other hunting groups. When they were heading out from the tribe, they received quite a lot of mocks from other hunting groups.

    ¡°We want to borrow it. To help with the situation.¡± That man said, not caring about Lang Ga¡¯s tone.

    ¡°For what?¡± asked Mai.

    ¡°To help us find a person.¡±

 Chapter 114 â€“ The Vampire Bats

    Chapter 114 ¨C The Vampire Bats

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Of the warriors that came to them, the leading one was called Cha. Cha was almost the same age as Mai, and he was the second strongest person in his hunting group, which meant that he was of great importance in that group. He was also an old experienced hunting warrior. Among the five people, he was the least wounded.

    ¡°You lost people in your group?¡± Mai said with astonishment. It was just the beginning of the hunting trip¡­ apparently, it was extremely abnormal to lose someone.

    ¡°We lost three warriors. When we arrived at the first location to rest, they went to fetch some water, and then they never came back.¡± It was hard for Cha to say this out aloud, for obviously, that incident was a great strike to the whole hunting group. It was not like when someone got killed during a fierce hunting mission. Someone went missing, without knowing why. Even their bodies hadn¡¯t been found, and that was something uneptable! No one was willing to give up.

    ¡°The water-fetching spot was also up in the mountain, not far away from the cave that we spend the night in. Dangerous animals like ferocious beasts were rarely seen in the nearby region. However, until night, these three never came back. Ah-Cheng took a few men to look for them, but they only found some traces and marks that they left around the water-fetching spot. We waited for another half a day, and people split up to look for them¡­still, no news¡­ We did encounter a lot of those things while we looked for our missing men.¡±

    Cha rubbed his tired face, and pointed to the dead bat on the ground, ¡°They actively attacked the hunting group¡­ in the daylight! There were dozens of them, and they wounded quite a few of us. Ah-Cheng told me toe ask you for help. But I did not expect that they had already came to you before we did.¡±

    Shao Xuan heard him talking, but in the meantime, he noticed that there seemed to be something wrong with Caesar. He checked his wound, only to find that the injury did show any signs of being bad at all. The blood was still fresh-red, but Caesar looked extremely tired and dizzy.

    ¡°It was bitten by the bat, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Cha asked, ¡°Anyone bitten by that thing would feel feeble and weak. But don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t die. Let the wolf eat this.¡±

    Cha passed a root-like thing to Shao Xuan. After spending so much time learning about herbs and medicines from the Shaman, of course Shao Xuan recognized the nt. That root had some refreshing effects, and could ease some anesthetic effects caused by toxic nts. However, they were very hard to find in the hunting regions. Moreover, Cha and the others had shared the same negative opinion when they saw Caesar tagging along with the hunting team. He evenughed at Mai when he saw the wolf was in Mai¡¯s hunting group. So, why would he give such precious herb to Caesar now?

    Seeing that Mai and Lang Ga were looking at him as well, Cha exined, ¡°I have to count on the wolf to help us find our three men.¡±

    That was true.

    In the past, youughed at us, and now you need our wolf¡¯s help? Lang Ga and the others really wanted to gloat a little, but thinking of the situation right now, their hearts became heavy again.

    Men went missing for no apparent reason, nor any sign. They just disappeared inexplicably and vanished in the mist. It was so crazy to even think of that. They didn¡¯t fear to battle with ferocious beasts, however, towards something unknown, they had always been perturbed.

    ¡°What did Ah-Cheng say?¡± Asked Mai.

    ¡°Ah-Cheng said that our men had probably been bitten by those disgusting things, so they couldn¡¯t resist. It¡¯s highly likely that they got dragged away by those things. However, few traces could be found, so it¡¯s been difficult tracking them down.¡± Cha glimpsed at Caesar again. The wolf was bing more and more energetic. ¡°I hope it can help.¡±

    Shao Xuan checked the wounds on Caesar¡¯s body. After making sure that he was fine, Shao Xuan focused his attention on those two dead bats.

    The saliva of the bats had a strong anesthetic effect. Shao Xuan opened their mouths with his stone knife. He noticed that their front teeth were muchrger than cheek teeth, while their canine teeth were as sharp as knives. Apparently, the wounds on Caesar¡¯s body were caused by those teeth.

    Some animals with such teeth clearly had meat in their diet.

    Aside from that, the bats¡¯ ws were also very sharp, and they had strong hind legs, as well as giant eyes.

    ¡°So how¡¯re things? Can we go now?¡± Cha was a little anxious, and he was eager to head back quickly. The more they stalled, the less hope they would have for finding the men they lost. He had no idea what the situation was along their hunting route.

    Mai glimpsed at Shao Xuan. Seeing that Shao Xuan nodded, he knew that Caesar was good to go, ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s march.¡±

    The hunting group first headed back to the cave, to bring more stone tools with them, just in case.

    Cha led the way, but they didn¡¯t go from the mountaintop. Although it was safer to travel over the mountain, it would take longer time for them to get to the destination. Now, everyone agreed that they were in a big hurry, and had to arrive as soon as possible. Without hesitation, they chose the shortest path.

    On their way, they encountered a few more giant bats, and they put them down with joint efforts.

    ¡°Everybody watch out! Scratches are fine, but a bite could be pretty bad. I don¡¯t have enough herbs on me.¡± Cha reminded the crowd.

    ¡°There is less game in the hunting region, for many giant-antler deers and mammoth cows have left their old habitats and ran further away. Even ferocious beasts would rarelye out these days¡­ Never have I met such a situation in the past¡­¡±

    Hearing that, people understood that it was not a good sign.

    Less game meant that they were caught by other predators. Migration of giant-antler deer and mammoth cows might indicate that they were trying to get away from this dangerous ce. However, why would there be less ferocious beasts? What would threaten or put fear in the ferocious beasts?

    ¡°Indeed, this is not a good thing.¡± Lang Ga and the others whispered. When seeing the big bats, they had an ufortable feeling. Now, they were more certain of it.

    As they were marching forward, Shao Xuan suddenly heard an unusual sharp scream travelling through the air. However, he checked Lang Ga and the others around him, and noticed that they didn¡¯t seem to pay any extra attention to the surroundings. They hadn¡¯t heard anything.

    Caesar¡¯s hair on his back stood up again, and he stared at the sky vigntly.

    Cha walked in the front. Mai, Cha, and a few other mid-level totem warriors that were leading the group suddenly stopped.

    Mai waved his hand to the others, to indicate them to keep quiet and be alert while he focused on listening.

    ¡°Is that it?¡± Mai whispered.

    ¡°Yep.¡± Cha nodded, ¡°But right now, we are not their targets. They are supposed to have found other prey.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear something, Mai? Howe that I hear nothing?¡± Asked Lang Ga.

    ¡°Because your ability is limited, so you can¡¯t hear it.¡± Mai listened carefully for some time, and then pointed to one direction, ¡°Go climb up on the trees! Hide yourselves, and let¡¯s watch the situation first.¡±

    Since Caesar could not climb trees, Shao Xuan asked him to stay hidden behind the grass.

    Shao Xuan climbed up a tree next to him, and he hid behind some dense leaves after he reached certain height and could see afar.

    Looking up, he saw a tree fox standing on a branch above. At that time, the tree fox was all tensed up, with his hairs standing up. It kept its mouth wide open, with fear in its eyes. That preparedness and fear were not meant for Shao Xuan, but the approaching creatures in the sky. However, as it was being extremely vignt, Shao Xuan jumped up out of nowhere and frightened it so much, that it almost fell from the branch.

    The tree fox red at Shao Xuan with its big round eyes for a while, to make sure that Shao Xuan was of not a threat. After confirming his safety, it bared its teeth towards Shao Xuan, and throw some part of some insect that hadn¡¯t been eaten yet at Shao Xuan¡¯s face. It seemed that the tree fox was very angry about Shao Xuan startling it.

    Shao Xuan moved his head to avoid the insect residue that flew towards him.

    The insect smashed on the trunk directly, but a few drops of sshing green liquid glued on Shao Xuan¡¯s face.

    Without any facial expression, Shao Xuan wiped away the liquid on his face, and cursed in his mind. The little thing indeed had a bad temper.

    However, it was not like Shao Xuan would start a pointless fight because of that incident.

    Suddenly, the tree fox looked away in some direction.

    And that direction, was where Mai pointed at earlier.

    Like everybody else, Shao Xuan hid behind dense branches and leaves. He looked through the gaps of the leaves.

    It was very quiet in the surroundings, but there was some silent fear and anxiety.

    In the front on a t grassy area, four roebucks stood there, facing four different directions. Their ears were standing up straight, and they looked very tense.

    Whoosh.

    ck shadows shed in the sky, and promptly, theynded on the grassy area.

    Not just one bat¡­ There were a total of eleven bats thatnded on that spot, surrounding the four roebucks.

    For most bats, it was very difficult for them to walk when theynded on the ground. When they walked, they were slow. However, when these batsnded and retracted their wings, they seemed to have very strong long legs and forelimbs.

    Any one of the eleven bats seemed to be bigger than the one that Mai ughtered.

    When the eleven batsnded around the roebucks, they quickly ran towards their prey.

    The roebucks tried to jump out of the siege, but as soon as they made a leap, they would hit against a giant bat that jumped up as well.

    One giant bat got mmed back for a few meters, but it rolled over on the grass, and stood up on its feet again to start another attack. Their sharp teeth were like razors, and they tore down a piece of skin of the roebuck.

    Blood began to spread.

    The roebucks were bing slower and slower after they got bitten by the bats. At first, they did not manage to get out, and now, even the chance of survival was slim.

    Four roebucks all got bitten on their bodies, and one of them was starting to have soft legs already.

    Those bats did not start another round of attack. Instead, they waited with patience.

    When finally, thest roebuck hit the ground, the bats began to grab the roebucks who had fainted with joint efforts, instead of having a feast right there. Two or three bats grabbed on one roebuck, and flew away with their wings wide open.

    After the bats left, people from the hunting team gathered under a tree. Everyone was feeling sour and sad at the same time.

    ¡°It seems that they have no intention of eating their prey immediately.¡± Said Mai.

    Cha responded with a gloomy face, ¡°That¡¯s why Ah-Cheng said that we should find our missing men as soon as possible. At least, now we have seen that thing¡¯s behavior. Since they were not eaten on the scene, it¡¯s possible that they are still alive.¡±

    ¡°They are behaving as if they are trying to store food. But winter is already over.¡± Some older warrior said, ¡°Then, to whom are they serving the food?¡±

    The crowd fell into a silence.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find the missing men first.¡± Cha sighed.

    When Cha guided Mai and the others to their first holdout to meet with their hunting group leader, Ah-Cheng, Ah-Cheng was applying herbs on some wounded warrior.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened? Another strike?¡± Cha hurried to them to check on the wounded warriors.

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad. No one has a grave injury.¡± Ah-Cheng walked towards Mai with a slight smile on his sad face, ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here.¡±

    Ah-Cheng looked over and set his eyes on Caesar, who was standing beside Shao Xuan, ¡°Unexpectedly, we need to rely on it this time.¡±

    When the two hunting group leaders were exchanging information, Shao Xuan observed the situation in the cave.

    The hunting warriors were so high-spirited and energetic when they set off from the tribe. However now, the crowd could not have been droopier. Perhaps, deep down, they were all worried about theirpanions¡¯ inexplicable disappearance, and the crisis that mighteter.

    Everyone had wounds on their bodies. Luckily, most of them were scratches, and few got bitten.

    ¡°A fortune in the misfortune is that we did not bring those youngds with us, or else¡­¡± Ah-Cheng did not continue, but everyone knew what he was talking about.

    If there were any newly awakened warriors in this hunting group, they would be the ones that received most of the attacks, just like Shao Xuanst year. Newly awakened young warriors hardly had any experience in hunting. Any careless mistake might end up with a dreadful death.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, we need to rely on you and Caesar next.¡± Said Ah-Cheng.

 Chapter 115 â€“ The Giant Pit

    Chapter 115 ¨C The Giant Pit

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    There was still some time before it would be dark. In order to find the missing men as soon as possible, the hunting group leader immediately showed Shao Xuan around.

    ¡°I would like to know whether they went straight to the water spot after they left the cave.¡± Cheng told Shao Xuan.

    Although they knew that the missing men were fetching water for the group, Cheng still wanted Caesar to help him confirm on that.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    From inside the cave, Shao Xuan asked someone to bring the items that those missing men had used for Caesar to sniff, so that Caesar could memorize their smell.

    Cheng and Mai each took a dozen warriors, and they headed out with Shao Xuan.

    ¡°We tried to follow those things, thinking to find their old nests. However, we followed a few groups of bats, only to find that they had different nests.¡± Said Cheng.

    The first reason that Cha went to find Mai and the others for help was to borrow Caesar, and see if they could find their missing men with the wolf¡¯s help. For starters, they needed to make sure where they were when they were taken by the giant bats. However, there was also a second reason. No matter whether or not they would manage to find their missing men, they still had to look for help, given that they lost three warriors out of blue, and the current situation couldn¡¯t be more abnormal. The resources that they could turn to for help were of course Mai and his men in his hunting group. They were very close to each other.

    Cheng sighed deeply as he stared at the wolf that was walking in the very front.

    Caesar walked in front of everyone, and he was sniffing around as he walked.

    After they left the cave, they indeed walked directly towards the water spot. However, Caesar made a sudden stop along the way.

    Shao Xuan closely observed Caesar¡¯s reaction, and interpreted, ¡°One of the three went that way.¡±

    Cheng looked at the direction that Shao Xuan pointed towards, and shook his head, ¡°There are no forests, no caves, and no water over there. Normally, no one would enter that area.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t searched that area thoroughly.¡± Said Cha.

    Cheng kept silent for a few seconds, and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the water spot first.¡± One out of the three left in between, but all three of them went missing. What did the other two encounter on their way while fetching water?

    The water spot that Cheng¡¯s hunting group used was a naturally formed water pool near the mountain side. It was not far from the cave at the first location.

    ¡°Normally we fetch water from here in small groups of three. There are no extremely dangerous ferocious beasts up here. Even if we encountered one or two, we can easily manage to escape sessfully. I myself came to fetch water from here quite a few times. However, this time it¡¯s different.¡± Cha pointed at the grass beneath their feet.

    There were some pressure marks on the grass, which were probably caused by the missing men when they fell down on the ground. Many grassleaves got crushed down, and there were w marks and de scratches on a stone nearby.

    The de scratches were made by the stone swords of the missing warriors, and the w marks were identified as simr with the w marks of the giant bats. The only difference was that they were much bigger.

    If the missing warriors were taken from the air, then it¡¯s no wonder that no one in Cheng¡¯s hunting group could track them down. Because aside from the traces and marks here, there were no other useful clues.

    However, if they were taken from the air, even Caesar with his good sense of smell would find it hard to continue the searching mission.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check that lone one.¡± Cheng was a little disappointed.

    ¡°Okay.¡± That was the only option left.

    People walked back and returned to the spot where the three warriors split up earlier. Here, one of the warriors left in advance. Caesar carefully identified the smell and led people deeper into that area.

    At first, they were wandering around the mountain side, butter, they headed up towards the mountaintop.

    ¡°I remember. There are a lot of rocks and only have narrow paths. We have been here once in the past.¡± Said Cha.

    Cheng looked around, and added, ¡°Sometimes, mountain antelopes would appear in this area.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s smell of blood.¡± Cha suddenly imed.

    Not only Cha, Mai and some others detected that smell as well.

    However, now the wind was not blowing in the same direction. At the moment it was difficult for them to tell where the smell of blood came from.

    People continued following Caesar until they reached a giant rock, where there was the dead body of a mountain antelope.

    There were a lot of torn-up wounds on the mountain antelope¡¯s body. Judging from the traces, the wounds were caused by those giant bats. There were blood stains on the ground, but there weren¡¯t many of them. Most of the blood was sucked up by the bats.

    If they hadn¡¯t followed Caesar to this ce, people in the hunting group would have hardly thought of searching in this region. After all, they rarely came to this ce in the past. Neither would they ever have guessed that someone from the water-fetching group woulde here.

    ¡°He must have heard something, so he chased after the sound.¡± Said Cha.

    The one that came here was the strongest person among the three missing warriors. He probably wouldn¡¯t have thought that he would encounter those giant bats in the middle of their hunt. Then he himself became a prey, and now, no one knew whether he was still alive, and no one knew where he was brought to.

    ¡°If they had eaten the food, the food would be left here. Whenever a being was taken by them means that they did not eat it yet.¡± Said Mai.

    Disappearance was better than dead. At least, they had a chance of being alive.

    People looked at Caesar, seeing that he was sniffing on the ground. Caesar walked towards some direction, sniffed on the ground again, and then looked up at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Judging from that, Caesar seems to have found something.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Something on the ground?¡±

    Cha walked towards Caesar quickly, and poked his finger into the earth beneath Caesar¡¯s nose. He then put his finger under his nose to smell carefully. Cha couldn¡¯t help but frown, it was smelly. ¡°So what is this odd smell?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s the things¡¯¡­urine.¡± Shao Xuan made a quick guess.

    ¡°Their urine?¡±

    ¡°Yes. They need to let out the liquid when they have eaten too much in order to make their bodies lighter, and to fly easier.¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s spection, Mai and some other warriors all nodded. They thought that the guess and exnation were reasonable.

    With that clue, people became spirited again as they continued to follow Caesar.

    Walking out of the area of giant rocks, people noticed that there were not many trees in the surroundings. They kept walking forward for some distance, getting near the water-fetching spot. However, instead of going to the water spot, Caesar led people forward.

    ¡°Those things kept peeing all along the way?¡± Cha asked.

    ¡°I guess the smell was there the whole way, and¡­ there is also the smell of humanbined in it.¡± Shao Xuan watched Caesar¡¯s actions and said.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Cheng looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°In other words, the one that got captured probably got peed all over his body.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    That¡¯s probably true! Warriors all wore thick animal skin clothes when they went out to fetch water, which could soak a lot of liquid, and then drops of urine leaked along the way.

    That warrior really had bad luck. He only went out of the cave to get some water, but he got caught by a giant bat, and got urine all over the body. However, just because of that, the others might be able to find them with the traces and clues he left.

    People followed Caesar as they walked in the mountain. Sometimes when the smell stopped, they had to erge the searching area.

    Mai was a little worried since it was getting dark, ¡°We probably won¡¯t be able to head back before night. Is there any cave around here?¡±

    ¡°We rarely came to this region in the past. There were a lot of bat caves, though. We followed them and found quite a few holes and caves right in this mountain valley.¡±

    ¡°Where are their caves?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Cheng pointed in a few directions. ¡°Those holes and caves are not on our hunting route. We are not familiar with the surroundings.¡±

    Caesar already stopped walking. The smell had stopped again. This time, they might not be able to continue the search anymore.

    ¡°Now what?¡± Cha looked around. They were standing on some hill that was not too high. There were no trees nearby. On the ground there was only grass.

    Nothing abnormal was in the surroundings, since they could see what was happening around them.

    Shao Xuan stood there, feeling that the totem in his mind seemed to be very active right now. Looking at the others, it seemed that none of the others were having simr situations.

    Shao Xuan carefully observed the direction that the me on his totem fluttered towards, and looked at that direction. Over there was the top of that hill. Since it was not high enough, there was no snow, just a patch of grass.

    Shao Xuan walked towards that direction. Mai and the others assumed that Shao Xuan probably identified the right direction based on Caesar¡¯s behavior, so they tagged along.

    Step by step, they approached the top of the hill, and the totem in his mind became more energetic. Aside from that, Shao Xuan heard something, like an airflow flowing quickly. It was like an amplified snore.

    ¡°Uncle Mai, did you hear something?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No¡­Oh, yes, I heard something. It¡¯s the howling of those things¡­no, not clear¡­perhaps it¡¯s too far¡­¡± said Mai.

    ¡°I heard something, too.¡± Cheng hurriedly ran towards the top of the hill.

    The howling of the bats? Shao Xuan frowned. No, it isn¡¯t. At least, what he heard was definitely not from the bats.

    Cheng was the first to reach the top, but he suddenly stood there still, as if he had seen something stunning.

    ¡°Did you find something?¡± Mai and the others sped up as well, and they reached the top after a few leaps.

    Just like Cheng, the others were stunned.

    In front of them, there was a big pit in the ground, with the diameter of more than 100 meters and the depth of over 80 meters, at least.

    The inner wall of the pit was not as barren as the rest of the hill. It was like a different world inside.

    Several thick roots and vines intertwined with each other as they went downwards. The leaves were spreading like giant umbres. There were different kinds of nts growing on the walls, with some of them bearing fruits and flowers.

    ¡°This is¡­.¡±

    Since they had never been out this far, Cheng had no idea that there was such a big pit. When they chased after those bats, they did not think about heading up to the top.

    Shao Xuan looked down to the bottom of the pit as he was standing on the edge. It was not dark. With sufficient daylight, people could see the situation in the bottom. However,pared with the walls of the pit, there were much fewer nts growing on the bottom. Only some unknown nts were spread out in a monotonous way.

    The totem in his mind became extremely active, and the mes danced as they wrapped the two horns.

    Something down there was luring the totem.

    ¡°There are quite a few kinds of rare herbs at the bottom! Some nts I¡¯ve only seen in the animal skin rolls at the Shaman¡¯s ce.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Mai and Cheng exchanged a meaningful nce, and said, ¡°We¡¯ll head down to check the situation. You guys wait here for our call.¡±

    Mai went down along the vines with Cha, Cheng, and a few other warriors, to see if it was dangerous down there. They needed to check it out. Shao Xuan, Lang Ga and some others remained by the edge of the pit, waiting.

    Just like Shao Xuan had said, there were a lot of fine herbs at the bottom, among which there were the type they used to detoxify the bat¡¯s bites. It was such a nice surprise for the warriors.

    After circling around roughly, Cheng waved towards the warriors waiting up there, to indicate that they could climb down. Even doing that, people had to be cautious, for there were still unknown dangers and risks.

    The vines had some burrs and they were not smooth at all, which was a good thing for the warriors. It made their movements easier.

    Shao Xuan climbed down with the others, but he left Caesar to wait at the top.

    There were quite a lot of herbal nts on the walls of the pit, and people hurriedly cut down the ones they knew that could be used for emergencies.

    Shao Xuan did not focus on the rare nts and medicines on the walls. After theynded on the bottom, he felt that the mes on his totem seemed to be more excited.

    He looked down to his feet.

    There were piles of bat droppings.

 Chapter 116 â€“ The Fire Crystal

    Chapter 116 ¨C The Fire Crystal

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It smelled pretty bad inside.

    Thickyers of bat feces covered the ground, and it seemed to have been piled up for years. The upperyer was a little bit fresher, which indicated that the giant batse here almost every day. It¡¯s only that they haven¡¯t seen them right now. Perhaps they wouldeter when it bes dark at night.

    On the walls of the pit, there were a lot of big cracks with diameters that varied from one meter to a few meters. Some sounds came out of the crevices, which were the origins of the sound that they heard earlier. The screams of bats could be heard by almost everybody. However, some of the sounds exceeded the hearing abilities of junior totem warriors. Only intermediate warrior like Mai could capture them. Perhaps, there were some noises that even Mai and the other intermediate warriors couldn¡¯t hear.

    The sound of airflow rapidly flowing by was always there, and it rang every now and then in a very rhythmic way. Shao Xuan was the only one that could hear it.

    Although the sounds of bats came out from those wide crevices, it still sounded from afar. Just because of that, Mai and Cheng allowed the other warriors to climb down the pit. Still, they warned them to be extra careful so they don¡¯t make any noise.

    There were w marks around the crevices, which were simr with the ones they found on the rock near the water spot. Those hook-like sharp ws of the giant bats enabled them to hold on the crevices of the rocks tight and move easily.

    ¡°Ah-Cheng!¡± Cha whispered.

    Cha found a stone sword near the big crevices, and it was from one of the missing warriors.

    ¡°It seems that they indeed had been brought in here, and got dragged into those cracks.¡± Cheng red at the wide big crevices with hateful eyes. He wanted to ughter those things and kill them all. However, now it was not a good time. They had too few men, while the bats were toorge in quantities.

    There were a lot of crevices spread all over the walls, which reminded Cha of the holes they found when they were tracking the bats down. Perhaps the holes in the hill were all connected with the crevices in here.

    None of them had any idea of how long the crevices were, or where they extended to. All they could do was specte. However, those things had simr abnormal behaviors, so at least half of their spections were true.

    Shao Xuan kept staring at the ground under his feet. In the meantime, he carefully experienced the direction of the totem mes in his mind.

    Unlike when he was outside of the pit, now the mes on his totem had no specific direction. They were just rolling and dancing in a fierce way.

    More or less, the others might also have sensed it, but they had no clear and obvious feelings as Shao Xuan was experiencing. They assumed that it was because they were in a dangerous ce, and they were too nervous, being alert of potential dangers, which could appear at any time. Nobody thought about the totem.

    Shao Xuan lifted his foot slowly, and walked forward.

    He was not walking fast. Instead, every step that he took was very careful. The others thought that Shao Xuan was doing that in case he made any noise. But aside from that, Shao Xuan was feeling the changes when he made every step.

    Something was influencing the totem. ording to the totem¡¯s reaction, it felt like some object from the Shaman¡¯s Volumes that he read in the Shaman¡¯s ce. It could be embedded on the walls, or buried under his feet. There was more than just one of them.

    However, the giant pit was toorge. It was impossible for him to carefully check every inch of it since he also had to prevent all the possible crises at any time. All he could do was to feel it roughly, to see if he could locate a general spot.

    One step¡­two steps¡­ten steps¡­

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan stopped.

    It was in here!

    Shao Xuan squatted down, and wiped off theyer of bat droppings on the surface with his stone knife. There revealed the ground in the bottom of the pit.

    The ground down there was very hard, a lot harder than normal stones. No wonder there were not too many nts in this area. There were only a few grasses and nts here and there. They were all tenacious grasses and nts that they grew in this ce.

    The rock-like ground was very hard. Shao Xuan tried the rigidity and found that his tooth sword was able to prise off the surface.

    Shao Xuan did not mind the filthy feces around, but ced his palm on the ground to feel the origin that aroused the totem in his mind.

    It was not buried deep. It was just under his palm. He sensed that he might be able to grasp it in his hand as long as he digs a little. However, that would make too much noise.

    Just at that time, Shao Xuan heard Caesar roaring in a deep voice above.

    ¡°Uncle Mai! Something¡¯sing from the sky!¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Just after Caesar gave them a warning, Shao Xuan promptly rolled over to hide under the leaves of the vines, so that the thing from the sky won¡¯t spot him easily.

    ¡°Hide!¡±

    Mai and Cheng both called their warriors to hide themselves.

    The others did not say much, but all made quick reactions. They hid behind vines and other nts.

    Thirty warriors quickly found their own shelter, and it was very difficult for anything to notice their existence from above.

    Not long after that, there appeared some noises from the sky.

    Shao Xuan looked through the gaps of the leaves, and realized that a few jet ck giant bats were flying down to the pit from the sky. They were all veryrge, and the smallest of them had the wingspan of no less than five meters.

    They were in groups of two, holding giant-antler deers. It seemed that they attacked a herd of giant-antler deers.

    Earlier, they heard that the giant-antler herd had already migrated from this ce. They were not sure whether the bats attacked another giant-antler deer herd, or they directly went after the one that had already migrated.

    Flying down from above, the bats came to a wide crevice, and flew inside with their prey, one after another, until they disappeared in the dark crack. However, during this process, a dark-brown bat with thicker fur remained outside, with its eyes staring at the pit.

    Compared with their visual ability, their sense of smell and hearing were actually a lot shaper. It had not seen any abnormal signs, but it smelled something different.

    It opened its mouth wide and revealed the knife-like sharp teeth. With a slight move of its specialized nose, it said something that was beyond most people¡¯s sense of hearing. Immediately after that, it suddenly pedaled the wall hard, spread its wings, and flew towards some spot like a gust of wind.

    Someone was hiding there, and he was the closest to the bat!

    They were spotted!!

    The one hiding there had to pick up his long spear to defend himself, which meant that hiding was no longer an option, and they needed to leave as soon as possible. The bats here outnumbered them by hundreds of times.

    ¡°Go!!¡± Cheng shouted out to tell everybody to retreat. Once those things find people, they would call on theirpanions, and more of them would fly to this spot quickly. Now, they had too few people, they had to leave as soon as possible.

    Shao Xuan rushed towards the spot that he felt something. In a few seconds, he put all the strength on his arms to stab the tooth knife. Sparks flickered from the knife as he constantly stabbed down on the ground.

    Bang, bang, bang!

    Stone chips sshed.

    The thing beneath the surface got dug out.

    Without attending to anything else, Shao Xuan held the thing in his hand tightly, and pedaled on the ground hard to retreat in the fastest speed. He had no time to care about how much bat feces was glued on his pants, but rushed towards the giant vines to climb up along the vines like a handy monkey.

    When Shao Xuan was digging on the ground, Mai glimpsed at him, for he heard something. That glimpse angered him so much that his head almost sent out smoke!

    What the hell was wrong with thisd?! Even if that was some rare nt, how could it be more precious than his own life? How could he care for things instead of running for his life!!

    Fortunately, Shao Xuan¡¯s moves were quick. It took him less than a breath from digging to running towards the vines. He was not falling behind.

    After they came out of the pit, Cheng led the others to run towards the first location.

    ¡°Get the fuck out of here, now!¡±

    Some sharp voice came from the giant pit, which was heard by everybody. Looking back, their scalps tingled.

    In the sky above the giant pit, numerous huge bats fluttered their wings, and more bats joined the crew.

    They sped up to run for survival.

    This time, people did not choose to escape from the mountaintop. There were not many trees on the mountain, and it would be better for them to run through the woods at the mountain foot, where they might encounter one ferocious beast or two to help them stall the bats. Compared with the bat army, they felt that the ferocious beasts in the woods were a lot more adorable.

    Of course, it depended on the species of ferocious beast. If the ferocious beast they pulled out did not cause the bats any trouble, but blocked their escape route, they would be asking for death themselves.

    The army of bats chased after them for some time. However, warriors hid while attracting different ferocious beasts to block the bats. Finally, the bats gave up on following them.

    Even though the army of bats did not chase after them for long, people did not stop running. They only slowed down their paces until they reached their familiar hunting area.

    Here, they took a little break to make sure that the bats were not on their tails. Or it would be bigger trouble if the bats followed them to their first hideout.

    ¡°How¡¯s it?¡± Mai looked at Cheng and Cha, that were checking the surroundings.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t follow.¡± Answered Cheng.

    They looked at Caesar again. Judging from the wolf¡¯s behavior, it looked like they were not in trouble or something.

    Then the crowd was finally relieved.

    Mai eased a little when he counted the numbers and confirmed they did not lose anyone. However, when he looked at Shao Xuan, he was infuriated again.

    Mai walked towards Shao Xuan in big steps and clenched on his animal skin top, ¡°Do you have a death wish?! What kind of things are worth your life?! Do you know that you almost became their dessert?! I should have just kept you away from the pit!!¡±

    He was outraged, which was a rare thing. He treated Shao Xuan like a kid from his own family. Last year, when Shao Xuan had the ident, he often med himself for not paying more attention to him. Luckily, Shao Xuan turned out to be fine in the end. However today, Shao Xuanmitted such a big mistake, although he was always doing good and obeyed orders. What was worth the risk of losing his life in such an emergency?!

    Cha breathed heavily as he sat on the ground. He shook his head and talked to himself in his mind, ¡°It¡¯s good that he¡¯s not from our group, or first thing first, I would beat him up myself.¡±

    Shao Xuan was a little stunned as he got lifted up by his cor by Mai. Ever since he joined the hunting team, he had never seen Mai being so furious. However, he knew that Mai was doing that for his good. It was not just me, it was out of care and love.

    Lang Ga wanted to ease things up, but as he made only one step forward, he was red at by Mai. Lang Ga smiled in embarrassment, and did not step forward further.

    ¡°What was so precious that¡¯s worth your life? Take it out! Whatever you dug up!¡± If they weren¡¯t in the current situation, Mai would have probably roared.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was not thinking. Indeed, that was impulsive.¡± Shao Xuan knew that he was a little too eager. Next time, he needed to be calm.

    As he said, Shao Xuan reached out his fist, palms up. Shao Xuan slowly unclenched his fingers in front of Mai and revealed the thing he was holding.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a¡­¡± Seeing the thing in Shao Xuan¡¯s palm, Mai suddenly thought about something. Before he could finish his sentence, he froze there, like he was being strangled by the neck. His face turned red, and for a moment, he could barely breath, as if he did not believe what he saw.

    Cha wanted to get closer to see, but to his surprise, before he could get up on his feet, he was pushed away by Cheng, who was stepping up fast.

    Cheng pushed away Cha in front of him, and stared at the red crystal in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. Like Mai, he had red eyes. Perhaps it was out of excitement, or their eyes were reflecting the small crystal.

    ¡°The Fire Crystal¡­¡±

 Chapter 117 â€“ The Union of Five Hunting Groups

    Chapter 117 ¨C The Union of Five Hunting Groups

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°The Fire Crystal?!¡± Cheng couldn¡¯t help it but his voice somehow trembled. He was unable to be calm at the moment.

    Mai slowly put Shao Xuan down as he stared at the red crystal in his hand. Mai tried to reach out his hand to take the crystal, but thinking of something, he was a little hesitant.

    Shao Xuan put out his hand, and flipped it to drop the crystal down.

    Mai hurriedly grabbed it, as if he was afraid it would drop down on the ground. He held it in his hand as if he were holding something beyond precious. Nervous, excited, unbelieving, he was drowned in the mixture of different emotions, and even he himself couldn¡¯t tell what he was feeling right now.

    With the crystal in his hand, Mai felt that a stream of warmth was distributing into the air. However, the warm stream could only extend to the close surrounding of the crystal, and not extend to arger area, as if it was being imprisoned.

    The whole crystal was in the size of a quail egg, with an irregr shape. It was not clean on the surface, for some stone chips were still attached to its surface. However, traces of light shone on the red crystal from the gaps of the leaves. The light was not so bright, but it covered a veil of thick red shadow around this quail-egg-sized red crystal.

    Above, the leaves were dancing in the wind, which caused traces of light to move constantly. It looked like the red shadow was also dancing around the red crystal, like fascinating mes.

    ¡°Is it really the Fire Crystal?!¡±

    Cheng trembled as he approached Mai. He wanted to take it for a closer look, but Mai clenched his hand to hold onto the crystal tightly.

    Seeing Mai like that, Cheng opened his eyes wide. His beard on the cheek even began to tremble and he said, ¡°Are you not giving it to me?!¡± He said slowly, stressing each syble.

    Cheng looked at Mai, and it seemed like he would start a fight right now if Mai prevented him from seeing the crystal. The muscles on Mai¡¯s face were also twitching, and he was not sure what kind of expression to make.

    These two people confronted each other for a while, before Mai slowly opened his fingers. It was much slower than when Shao Xuan opened his fingers, as if it was slow-motion. As he opened all his fingers, he emphasized again, ¡°It was found by a warrior in our group!¡±

    Cheng just ignored Mai¡¯s ¡°It was found by a warrior in our group¡±, and took the red crystal from Mai¡¯s hand right away.

    It didn¡¯t feel like a regr stone. Instead of feeling cold and hard, he felt a stream of warmth.

    ¡°The Fire Crystal¡­it is indeed the Fire Crystal!¡± Cheng was reluctant to give it back once he held it in his hand.

    The Fire Crystal was an extremely valuable stone for people in the tribe. It contained the energy that totem warriors needed, and could help enhance the strength of totem warriors.

    There was a special method for the absorption of the Fire Crystal. It needed to be put in the mes in the fire pit. Some of the energy would be absorbed by the fire pit, while the other part of the energy would be absorbed by people standing around the fire pit.

    Over twenty years ago, someone in Gui He¡¯s hunting team found a small Fire Crystal that was a little bigger than a pinkie finger nail. At that time, a dozen junior warriors turned into intermediate warriors overnight. And a few intermediate warriors¡¯ totem patterns grew by a lot, even though they did not be senior totem warriors. Their totem patterns were slightly over the elbows, but then they reached their wrists.

    A long time ago, some shaman once said that whoever found the Fire Crystal, he would have the priority ess to use it. No matter if that person was from the mountaintop or the mountain foot area. No one else could ever interfere with the usage of it. However, there¡¯s a rule that people must use it as a whole hunting group. Whichever hunting group¡¯s person found the Fire Crystal, they could bring their families to benefit as well.

    This is very tempting to any warrior in the tribe, not only Mai and Cheng.

    ¡°Have you seen enough of it? Give it back to us! It was found by someone in our group!¡±

    Mai wanted to have it back, but Cheng was reluctant to give it back.

    Shao Xuan saw these two hunting group leaders arguing over that piece of stone, like no one else was watching. Weren¡¯t they afraid of attracting those big bats or ferocious beasts if they made too much noise?

    As these two were snatching over the crystal, Cheng said, ¡°Our group joined the mission. Your guys weren¡¯t the only ones at the scene! Don¡¯t think of hogging it all!¡±

    Seeing those two group leaders acting like that, the other warriors in the two groups joined the discussion. Some of them had no idea what a Fire Crystal was. But when they were briefed in by their mates, they began to stare at Cheng¡¯s clenched hand with desire and fiery eyes.

    Warriors in the tribe had a persistent pursuit of power, and they were willing to face any kinds of risks or crises to obtain power and strength.

    The two sides were in a deadlock for a while, but suddenly, someone asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Where did you find the Fire Crystal, Ah-Xuan?¡±

    At that question, the two group leaders stopped to look at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°In the giant pit before.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Mai gave up on fighting over it with Cheng, for he knew that it was impossible for Cheng to take it for himself. The Shaman wouldn¡¯t allow that.

    ¡°Before you left, it was the Fire Crystal that you dug out?¡± Asked Mai.

    ¡°Yes, I was feeling that something was beneath my feet, and it felt good. Later when we retreated, I felt reluctant to miss it, so I started digging.¡± Said Shao Xuan, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I will be more smart next time.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I would be more impulsive if I were you!¡± Cheng said. If he was sensing a Fire Crystal beneath his feet, perhaps he would start digging right away?

    However, not everybody could sense the Fire Crystal. After all, Ah-Xuan was learning from the Shaman. People all believed that the Shaman was the reason why Shao Xuan could find the Fire Crystal. People tended to believe whatever that was rted to the Shaman, without raising any questions.

    Now, Cha couldn¡¯t help but think why Ah-Xuan wasn¡¯t on his group?

    But soon enough, people realized another thing.

    Cheng was breathing somewhat heavily, but he tried to ease his tone and asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Have you felt the existence of other Fire Crystal when we were back in the giant pit?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Shao Xuan was positive.

    When they were running for their lives, Shao Xuan felt some of them, but he did not have the time to dig them up.

    At the end of Shao Xuan¡¯s sentence, it grew extremely quiet in the surroundings. Then, heavy breathing could be heard.

    There were Fire Crystals¡­

    More than one piece of Fire Crystal¡­

    And they were sorge in size¡­

    ¡°Boss!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back for more Fire Crystals!¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Warriors in Cheng¡¯s group all became heated, and they wanted to run back immediately.

    ¡°Wait a second. Wait! Let¡¯s think about it first!¡±

    Cheng began to pace around, to think about what was the right thing to do. Even when he was pacing, he did not loosen up his fist.

    Shao Xuan noticed that people in the tribe seemed to be fond of pacing around when they became excited.

    Every time when he saw them pacing, Shao Xuan would think of the dog that he had in hisst life. Every time before it pooped, it paced around.

    ¡°If I had known that there were Fire Crystals in the pit, I would rather die to bring more Crystals back, even if I had to fight against those things.¡± Said Cheng, ¡°But now that we are back, we need to think about it properly.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. We should make proper preparations. No way to rush it.¡± Mai said it in good words, but his tone was hurried. They were all thinking about the Fire Crystals.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first!¡± Said Cheng.

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go!¡± A group of warriors were about to run with holding stone swords and long spears.

    ¡°Where are you guys going?! I meant that we should go back to the cave at our holdout first!¡± Cheng shouted as his beard trembled.

    People¡¯s excitement dropped.

    When they got back to the cave in their first holdout, Mai finally got the Fire Crystal back from Cheng. He told Shao Xuan that he would keep it for him. Shao Xuan did not mind that at all, for Mai had no intention of keeping it for himself. Plus, the benefit of the Fire Crystal would always be for the whole group. No one would be left out.

    Mai, Cheng, and some other experienced warriors were having a meeting to discuss about the Fire Crystal. Since Shao Xuan was the one who found it, they brought Shao Xuan into the discussion.

    After a night¡¯s meeting, these two group leaders finally made the call. They decided to call the other three hunting groups.

    When Shao Xuan said that there were other Fire Crystals in the giant pit, he thought about what he should do if Cheng and Mai wanted to go back and fight just by themselves. He would stop them from going back and refuse to help. They had too few people, which meant that they were not strong enough to get back those treasures.

    After calming down, people realized that two hunting groups were far from able to defeat that many giant bats. Let alone that there were wounded warriors among them. People were not in the right mood.

    Mai and Cheng took out an animal skin roll, and wrote down a few sentences that they wanted to convey to the other three hunting groups as the hunting group leaders. It would be up to them whether they wanted toe. However, they would rush over in one breath as long as they were not idiots.

    ¡°Now the other groups should still be near the first holdout. They can¡¯t have traveled too far. We can reach them if we hurry.¡±

    Mai and Cheng sent a few warriors each to deliver the letters to the other three hunting groups.

    In the cave, the wounded warriors focused on recuperation, while the not injured ones would go hunt the bats down, day and night, whenever they had time. When they found a bat, they killed it!

    In the past, they would try to avoid the encounters, but now, since they knew it was about the Fire Crystal, they had a totally different attitude. Every day, it was like they were on steroids, and would go out with stone swords and long spears whenever they had the chance.

    The other three group leaders all acted quickly after they received the animal skin rolls. The quickest group arrived the second day, and the slowest arrived on the third day¡¯s morning, with all the warriors in their hunting groups.

    They wouldn¡¯t be able to finish their hunting routes this time, but none of them had any disagreements towards that. Even the ancestors would crawl out from their graves to vote yes, if they knew about it. Every warrior came here voluntarily, and they were all anxious toe quickly, for fear that beingte meant being unable to cut a piece from this cake.

    There were five hunting groups in total, and five group leaders jointly decided that this time, they would mainly target the giant pit. But before that, they needed to find good countermeasures.

    While the five group leaders came up with the right countermeasures, members of the five hunting groups were ready to battle every day.

    Before, when they heard about the abnormal scenery, they were anxious, apprehensive, and afraid. However, now none of those feelings ever existed. All the warriors had sharpened their stone tools, and they were thinking about ughtering more bats every day.

    Someone that got bitten by a bat was resting in the cave. During his sleep, he got up, stumbled along the walls, and murmured, ¡°Let me go¡­I can¡­ I can chop off their heads!¡±

    His hunting mate smiled at the others in the cave regretfully, and dragged him back, ¡°Okay, okay, you can chop off their heads.¡± Then, with one hard punch, he knocked him out and dragged him to a corner for him to sleep at.

    [Aw, so gentle and caring. And I¡¯m not sure if that is sarcasm or not.]

    After he settled down his mate, he turned over to find that everybody was staring at him. He said with pure innocence, ¡°Our boss said that we don¡¯t have enough herbs. This one got bitten and he needs to get a night¡¯s sleep to recover after he took the herbs. Sleeping helps him recover.¡±

    Warriors from the five hunting groups all got together in the cave of the first holdout. It was a little crowded, but no one minded that. Now, people were filled with hope in their hearts. They all hoped to make faster progress, while Mai and the other group leaders all dreamt about getting nearer to bing a senior warrior. Normally, the resources that they had were rtively limited, especially for the majority, who lived in the mountain foot area. They had bigger ambitions for themselves and for their families.

    As for the advance group¡­

    Well, the advance group had already gone too far to be found¡­

 Chapter 118 â€“ Smoke

    Chapter 118 ¨C Smoke

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Every day, the five hunting groups would send people to check the situation of the giant pit. There was still no news of the three missing men from Cheng¡¯s hunting group since.

    The warrior checking on the giant pit would always observe from afar, as they did not have the chance to enter the caves of those bats. There were flying bats everywhere around the cave¡¯s entrance, and it was a lot more than those around the crevices in the giant pit.

    It had already been seven days. ording to the people¡¯s spection, those three missing men had slim chances of survival. However, since it concerned the Fire Crystal, and that now it was a joint operation of five hunting groups, it was impossible for them to act impulsively without sufficient preparation. Or else it won¡¯t be just three men that they lost. It probably would be three teams that went missing.

    ¡°A lot of prey was brought inside, but nothing could be seen to have been tossed out.¡± A scout from the giant pit said.

    Those bats would never take away the things that they already chewed on. Besides, they had never finished eating any creature, because it was the blood that appealed to them. Once they finished draining out the blood, they would lose their interest in it.

    During these seven days, Shao Xuan went to the giant pit together with the most experienced and excellent warriors. That was an even more careful mission.

    Shao Xuan carefully checked a few spots, and he only found one ce with the Fire Crystals buried close to the surface. They would have to dig deeper for the rest.

    When they dug out the one that was near the surface, of course they disturbed those big bats and were chased after for some while.

    However, oddly enough, this was not the same as thest time. If the warriors hadn¡¯t created a diversion half-way, it would have been difficult to get rid of those bastards. But this time, Shao Xuan noticed that those bats gave up chasing after them after a short while. It seemed that the people in the hunting team were only minor issues in their minds, which was basically nothing.

    Presumably, the big bats were slowly gathering together in the hill with that giant pit. All bats in the neighborhood came together gradually.

    The good thing was that most of the bats were not smart, and they could only be considered as rtively-dangerous beasts.

    Shao Xuan thought about making some bigs that could capture the bats. However, due to ack of raw materials, he had to give up on that n.

    In the end, the five group leaders decided on a n that they would use smoke.

    There were only less than two hundred warriors if all five hunting groups werebined. However, in that hill with the giant pit, there were thousands of big bats. Moreover, based on the information that their scouts delivered, more and more bats were constantly joining the crew every day.

    Well, not every bat was as giant as the one that they encountered inside the giant pit. Many of them were of the same size as the one that attacked Caesar.

    It was easy to deal with one bat, but quantity was a serious issue that they had to handle.

    Now, the target of the hunting team was to dig out more Fire Crystals and find those missing men. At the same time, they would love to try to avoid face-to-facebat with that bat army. No matter which target their priority was, they had to drive those bats away for some time. To smoke them away was obviously a smart move.

    The people in the hunting team would often use some nts to make a smoke for their benefit, such as clearing out bugs and driving away animals. Well, this time, people nned to try to use smoke also.

    They needed to carefully select the nts that they would use to make the smoke. They would be messing it up if the smoke they used harmed their teammates instead of hurting those bats.

    The group leaders of the five hunting groupspared a few kinds of nts that they used for making the smoke, and selected the best ones.

    ¡°Those things are disgusted by that smell a lot. Yesterday, I tossed them a small ball of it, and they ran directly.¡± Lang Ga said with pride.

    Yesterday, Lang Ga encountered a few bats which were hunting. They had almost seeded, when Lang Ga threw a ball of smoking herbs at them. Itnded near the prey, which had already lost its moving ability. It was not able to run or even move anymore. However, a moment earlier, the bats couldn¡¯t wait to enjoy their feast, but once the smoke from the herb ball spread to the near surroundings, they immediately fluttered their wings while screaming. They disliked the smell of the herb ball very much.

    ¡°Excellent! Then we will have more chance in seeding.¡± Said Mai.

    Aside from choosing the right herb to make the smoke, they had to prepare for other herbs and medicines, in case that they got bitten and became paralyzed, or were harmed by the smoke. People could tolerate the smell, but it won¡¯t befortable since they would be exposed to that smell for a long time.

    Under Shao Xuan¡¯s suggestion, people in the hunting team knit a kind of mask from vines with refreshing effects, so that they could wear them when entering the bat caves. The refreshing smell of the vines would help people stay sober, even in the thick smoke.

    ¡°Boss, when will we head out?¡± Someone asked as they were still in the first holdout. Now, every day, they needed to rob their food from those big bats. Many beasts and other animals had left the territory, and it was hard for warriors to find the right meat. In the meantime, they had to get the food before the bats did.

    ¡°Soon.¡± Said Cheng.

    They had prepared the stone tools, the herbs, and other medicines that they would probably need. Now it was time for action.

    Shao Xuan sat in a corner, listening to their talk about theing mission. He looked at his hand, in which he held a tiny red crystal. It was dug up on their previous trip to the giant pit. There were two pieces of crystals near the surface, and both were not big. One was kept by Cheng, and the other smaller one was in Shao Xuan¡¯s possession.

    This little Fire Crystal was a little bigger than a rice, and it was much smaller than the first Fire Crystal that he dug up. Because of that, the other group leaders had no problem with Shao Xuan having this one in his possession. In their eyes, what was important were the ones still buried in the giant pit.

    Feeling the heat from the palm, Shao Xuan became a bit confused. Mai and the others had said that the energy in Fire Crystals could only be absorbed after it was burnt in the me. However, ever since he first held a Fire Crystal in his hand, he felt that he absorbed a little energy from it. It was not a lot, but it was obvious. This time, he wanted to make sure, so he asked to keep the smaller piece for himself.

    In his sea of consciousness, he could see traces of red ¡°threads¡±ing together to the totem, and then mixed with the totem. Even though the Fire Crystal was little, it contained far more energy than Shao Xuan had ever anticipated.

    If he looked at it with his other view, Shao Xuan could see that the Fire Crystal in his hand was ¡°burning¡±. The red energy from the me would take a detour in the air, and then drill into his hands, arms, or other parts of his body, before it finally got merged into the totem itself.

    ¡­¡­

    Two dayster, the five hunting groups began to march.

    The work assignments had been made and people had their own task to be in charge of.

    Shao Xuan followed Mai and some other warriors to a bat cave. They originally intended to go inside from the crevices in the giant pit, but the proposal was rejected because it was too hard to hide themselves around the giant pit. Moreover, the bats in that giant pit were muchrger than elsewhere, and it would be easier for them to detect abnormal smell. Compared with that, the other bat caves in the hill would be a much easier ess. Bats in there were simpler to handle, and the nts nearby offered them bunkers and shelters.

    ¡°The stone crevices and other caves in the hill should be connected with one another. Let¡¯s go inside from one of the caves.¡± Mai spoke to his guys.

    Everyone was wearing the face masks made by vines. It was notfortable, but was quite practical. The mint-like scent of the vines calmed their impatience and anxiety.

    After checking the direction of the wind, Mai indicated people to start the action.

    Some people were hiding behind bushes and other nts, with grasses on their bodies, while the others approached the cave with smoking herbs.

    They all had long thin spears in their hands, all made of wood. Balls of smoking herbs were tied on the spearheads.

    They lit them up, and when the fire was burning, they put out the fire to let it smoulder, and thick smoke instantly rose above.

    ¡°Shoot!¡±

    The long thin spears were thrown out. Like arrows flying out from the bows, they were shot towards the bat¡¯s cave.

    One shot after another, dozens of long spears, with balls of smoke herbs tied at the front, flew into the bat cave within a few breaths.

    Soon, thick smoke rose from the bat cave.

    They had taken the direction of the wind into consideration when choosing this bat cave. Right now, the wind was blowing inside.

    Some of the smoke got out from the cave, while most of the smoke went inside.

    Scree, scree, scree~~

    Loud screams came out from the cave, and they were heard by Lang Ga and the others.

    Seeing that the smoke began to fly out, people knew that that the bats inside were fluttering their wings.

    The warriors, that threw the spears before, were ready.

    Whoosh, whoosh¡­

    One after another, bats quickly flew out from the cave, and there were hundreds of them in the blink of an eye.

    The bats were not happy about being driven out from their caves. Some of them were screaming aloud. They looked around and saw a group of people standing there.

    Screee!

    Together with the sharp screams, those crazy bats flew towards the warriors that threw the spears earlier.

    ¡°Run!!¡±

    The few warriors that did the throwing were the fastest among their peers. They saw the batsing, and instantly started to run.

    Along their direction of escape, there was a grey zone. In the past, Cheng took the hunting group there to show the area. They knew that a group of giant spiders were living in the gray zone. It was not in their hunting route. So normally, they wouldn¡¯t be there. However now, they used those giant spiders.

    They nned to lure the bats over there, so that they could fight with the giant spiders.

    Whenrge batches of bats chased after the people afar, warriors that were hiding behind the bushes came out and entered the cave. Before they went inside, they did not forget to throw more smoking herbs at the entrance of the cave.

    Normally, in such a sunny day, with sunlight shining down on the ground, all those bats should be hiding deep inside the caves, resting. However, now it was totally different.

    Some bats were already flying outside, while some of them just came out and chased after the warriors. The rest of them flew to the deeper part of the cave, so now there were only a few bats left.

    They were not difficult to dealt with. Mai took a torch and put down the bats in the cave easily together with some other warriors. Those bats had big round eyes, but their eyes were not useful in that dark cave. They relied more on their good sense of smell and hearing.

    The hunting team warriors wore thick leather shoes. Many warriors were not used to wearing shoes, but they were forced to put them on before the mission.

    Thickyers of bat feces were covering the ground, in which there some small insects crawling around.

    Puff!

    Lang Ga speared aing insect into two pieces. Frowning his eyebrows he said, ¡°This ce stinks!¡±

    Mai said nothing, but led the others deeper into the cave, with a torch in his hand. When clearing out the bats, they would toss out some balls of smoking herbs.

    Just like Mai and hispanions, people in the other four hunting groups were entering different bat caves. They hurried in case of unforeseen changes.

    All of them marched down quickly as they were putting up with the smelly scent in the cave together with the smoke of the smoking herbs. It was not smooth inside, with stones and rocks lying around everywhere. Some of them were very sharp. If there weren¡¯t a torch lighting up the path, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to move.

    Before, people guessed that the stone crevices were connected to the other bat caves. Well, not for long, they heard the voices from the other hunting groups.

    ¡°As expected, they are all connected inside.¡±

 Chapter 119 â€“ The Mist

    Chapter 119 ¨C The Mist

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    When they went inside from different caves, the warriors of the five hunting groups finally got together.

    In front of them, there was a very big empty hall. No one could ever see where the ceiling was, and there was a dense mist ahead.

    Earlier, they thought that some bats would be driven to this direction by the smoke. However, to their surprise, they hadn¡¯t seen a single bat in this open area.

    Perhaps they had gone to other caves, but it shouldn¡¯t have been so empty in here, going so far as not seeing even a single bat. Why the hell was that? People had no clue what was so special about this ce.

    ¡°How are things on your side?¡± Mai asked the other few group leaders.

    ¡°It¡¯s good. There were not too many bats left in the cave. It was a piece of cake.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same on our end.¡±

    ¡°It looks like most of them have gone outside.¡±

    It was a good sign.

    ¡°Something¡¯sing!¡± Cha said out of blue.

    There were far more than five bat caves outside, and other caves were connected to this ce as well.

    ¡°Should we put out the fire?¡±

    ¡°No. There¡¯s no point in doing that. Let¡¯s wait. Only two bats areing.¡±

    Cheng waved to the others.

    The faint sounds of fluttering wings were very easy to capture in this quiet hall.

    Soon, people heard the sound of the bats flying out from one cave.

    Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

    Although people might not be able to see what these two bats looked like, based on the things they heard, they could spot their locations just the same.

    The long spears in Mai and a few other warriors¡¯ hands all flew to the bats once they came out.

    After a series of ¡®puffs¡¯, those two bats could barely make a sound before they hit the ground.

    Cheng asked a few of his men to toss some smoking herbs to the other bat caves, while he stepped forward to check on the bats on the ground and their prey.

    Those two bats had so many long spears piercing their bodies, that they looked like cactuses. The cow that they carried also suffered from the spears. It was still alive, but it was unconscious. Just like other prey, instead of being killed, they were only unconscious, and were directly brought in here.

    ¡°Judging from their flying route, they should be heading to that direction.¡±

    People looked along the direction that Cheng pointed out, but even with the light of the torches, people couldn¡¯t see what was ahead. It was all in the mist.

    ¡°Ah-Cheng, do you think that they maybe¡­¡± Cha stared at the mist and murmured.

    All the prey that were brought in by the bats were delivered to that ce. So perhaps, the three missing men from Cheng¡¯s hunting group were brought to the same ce? Also, one of the purposes foring to this ce was to find out the reason why all those bats were behaving so abnormally. If they could find that out, they would be able to solve the problem once and for all. Or else they would risk being hunted by an army of big bats every time they went to the giant pit for Fire Crystals in the future.

    Well, the reason of all the bats acting so abnormally was probably hidden behind the mist, in that direction.

    The five group leaders once analyzed the situation when they were having meetings together. They thought that the bats probably were preparing a feast for their leader. Many animals shared simr habits. It was very possible that they were storing food for that. If that was really the case, they would do whatever they could to put down that leader.

    Was the leader in here?

    Would the army of bats disband naturally once they killed that leader?

    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out. Be careful!¡± Cheng said to the crowd.

    Once they walked into the mist, the mes of the torches grew smaller.

    The visibility was very low, and there was a very unpleasant smell around, just like a thick fog.

    ¡°Miasma?¡± Shao Xuan wondered.

    The pungent odor made them dizzy, but it was not just the odd smell in those bat caves. It was a smell that befuddled people¡¯s minds. Luckily, the fresh smell of the vines eased that feeling.

    People put a piece of herb into their mouth, and the herb¡¯s bitter cool taste refreshed them a little.

    There was another burst of fluttering wings, and this time, there were more batsing. The effect of the smoke was limited after all. Dozens of bats flew inside from other caves, all with prey in their ws. Mai and the others were prepared to throw stone spears at them, but to their surprise, they did not attack the hunting groups at all. Even without looking at them, they grabbed their prey and flew directly into the mist.

    Somewhere in the mist, there was a sound of something dropping on the ground. Not long after that, those bats flew out from the thick mist and then headed out to the caves.

    ¡°Their leader must be in there.¡± Cheng whispered.

    As they walked deeper inside, the mes of their torches grew smaller, as if they were struggling to keep burning. Because of the ¡°mist¡±, even Mai could only see thing ten meters ahead with a torch in his hand, let alone the others.

    ¡°This ce is¡­¡±

    Before Cha could finish his words, he stumbled on something.

    His nerves all tightened up in an instant, and he became fully alert forbat. But soon enough, he realized that the thing he kicked had no sign of life.

    ¡°Dead?¡± Cha kicked the object beneath his feet.

    The thing he touched was the body of a dead bat. Moreover, it had been dead for quite a long time.

    Not only beneath Cha¡¯s feet, in this area covered by thick mist, there were skeletons of bats everywhere on the ground. In other words, there were numerous bats¡¯ bodies everywhere. In some spots, there wereyers of bats¡¯ skeletons. It was kind of creepy.

    When they walked forward, there were even more bodies of bats piling up like small hills.

    Dead bats.

    All of them were dead bats.

    Moreover, a lot of them died miserably with their remains spread out everywhere. Apparently, they had been cruelly ripped off before they died.

    No wonder that those other bats were not fleeing in here. It was literally a giant grave of bats.

    ¡°Each one of them was very big in size, and they have been dead for some time¡­¡± Said Cheng after he checked on a few lying on the ground nearby.

    ¡°It looks like an inside battle, judging from the wounds on their bodies.¡±

    ¡°Why would they fight each other?¡±

    ¡°I remember that some animals must go through a fatal fight if they want to select a leader in their herd.¡± Said Mai.

    ¡°So, you are saying that¡­¡±

    ¡°The leader is really in here?!¡±

    People instantly became tense. If the bats were alive, none of the five group leaders would ever dare to lead people inside, given the bats¡¯ quantity and size. However, if the leader had out-beaten them all, what kind of ferocious beast would that be?

    Even so, people had no intention of going back.

    In fact, when discussing with Mai and the others, Shao Xuan once proposed that they should go back to the tribe to ask for help from the other hunting team. After all, they were only at the first holdout, which meant it would be much faster to go back to the tribe than going to find the advance group, given that they had merely started the hunting mission. Also, it would be much safer if they had more warriors from the tribe to help.

    However, Shao Xuan¡¯s proposal was rejected by the others at the meeting. One reason was that the two hunting teams were alwayspeting with one another. All five group leaders did not want people from the other team to join the mission. They would even keep the news from them. Secondly, the more people got involved, the lesser benefit would each one get after the mission was aplished. No one wanted that.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s proposal was based on the theory that ¡°where there is life, there¡¯s hope¡±, while the others were thinking that they would rather die to find Fire Crystals.

    That was the logic of the people in the tribe. Earlier, Mai scolded Shao Xuan with ¡°what could be more important than your life¡±, butter on, everyone became crazy after they heard about the Fire Crystal.

    Shao Xuan had underestimated that craziness. So, he realized that these people were really going to risk their lives when he heard the five group leaders talking about the action.

    As they were marching forward, they could still hear many bats constantly delivering prey in the air. None of the bats cared about those people standing in the mist. Instead, they were busy with their own business.

    Bang!

    It was another sound of something dropping on the ground.

    The dropping spot was very close to the people of the hunting team.

    ¡°Wait a second!!¡± Said Cheng in a low voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s the sound of breathing.¡± Mai and a few others also realized that.

    There were a lot of breathing sounds nearby.

    Aside from the breathing of the totem warriors of the hunting team, and the bats in the air, there were a lot of breath sounds, faint breaths.

    Like climbing up a mountain, they stepped on thickyer of bat corpses and moved on.

    The light of the torches was already faint. And the me was only one fifth of its originally size, which led to severe visual impairment. Now, people relied more on their sense of hearing to learn about the things happening in the surrounding.

    Some junior warriors couldn¡¯t carry on anymore. They had almost reached their limit. Now, they were barely holding on to keep themselves from fainting. The effect of the vines and herbs were very little. They could not resist the poisonous fog.

    ¡°Whoever has difficulty hanging on should stop here first. The others keep moving on.¡± Said Mai.

    The other four groups did the same.

    Shao Xuan held the tiny Fire Crystal in his hand, and the energy from it kept him sober. He was able to carry on longer than the other junior totem warriors.

    ¡°It¡¯s giant-antler deer!¡± Someone recognized a living creature on the ground.

    ¡°There¡¯s a mountain antelope!¡±

    ¡°A wild boar!¡±

    In the surroundings, there constantly appeared signs of living creatures. All those animals were unconscious. They could never remain conscious in such an environment. Even if they woke up, they would fall unconscious again once they inhaled the thick mist.

    Warriors from Cheng¡¯s hunting group were thrilled to learn that, for they thought the missing men were probably in here, alive.

    In the bat corpse hill, there were a lot other kinds of animals. It was very difficult to find three men.

    ¡°Can you see anything, Ah-Xuan?¡± Mai remembered that Shao Xuan had better night vision than the others, so he asked.

    ¡°I cannot see afar, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan could see the surrounding objects when he used his special power, but even so, he felt that there was ayer of fog between him and the objects. It was not clear, and he could only see things in fifty meters. But even just that was much better than the others.

    Since all he could see were skeletons, so, he had to identify different animals based on the skeletons.

    The others were guarding against unforeseen dangers in the surroundings, while Shao Xuan focused on searching for human skeletons with his special vision.

    Most junior totemic warriors had stopped following them, and Shao Xuan was the only young warrior that came so far.

    However, people all assumed that it must because that Shao Xuan had learned from the Shaman. It should be the reason that he could still hang in there.

    The energy of the Fire Crystal constantly got absorbed by Shao Xuan¡¯s palm, which kept the fading totem in his mind stimted. However, he was barely maintaining its function.

    Shao Xuan guessed that perhaps the Fire Crystal was running out of its energy, so he was absorbing less than before.

    The rhythmic sound of breathing was still there, however, Shao Xuan could not find the origin of the sound. In fact, he was the only one that could distinguish the sound from other the breaths.

    He glimpsed over a pile of skeletons. And finally, he fixed his eyes on the ce where there seemed to be three human skeletons.

    ¡°I found them!¡± Shao Xuan said in a low voice.

    Cheng took some men to rush to the ce where Shao Xuan pointed, and sure enough, he saw some people lying on the ground. These three men were not far from each other, and they were still breathing.

    After they found those three missing men, Shao Xuan still felt uneasy deep down in his heart. He always felt that there was something nearby.

    Shao Xuan looked down at his hand that held the Fire Crystal tightly. With only one quick glimpse, he felt a chill on his scalp. All his hairs stood upright, and cold sweat almost seeped into his every bone.

    In his hand, the energy lines released by the ¡°burning¡± Fire Crystal did not all enter into his body as usual. Some of them drifted to the mist, behind him.

 Chapter 120 â€“ There can only be one leader

    Chapter 120 ¨C There can only be one leader

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The energy contained in the Fire Crystal in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand could only be absorbed by Shao Xuan himself, and it was supposed that the others couldn¡¯t absorb any of it. Before at the holdout, Shao Xuan had tried many times.

    It was the same with everyone, whether it was junior warriors or intermediate warriors.

    So, Shao Xuan had always believed that aside from himself, no other people or object could ever absorb the energy from the Fire Crystal, including the five hunting group leaders and Caesar. Besides, none of them made any reaction indicating that they might have absorbed the energy.

    However now, in Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision, he saw that some of the red traces of energy, that released from the ¡°burning¡± Fire Crystal, were floating behind him, instead of being absorbed by his hand.

    Who was behind him?

    Uncle Mai? Perhaps there was another group leader from another hunting group?

    There was more than one warrior. There were actually quite a few of them guarding behind Shao Xuan, so that he could concentrate on searching. However, ¡­

    Shao Xuan turned around, and looked at the direction that the red traces of energy drifted towards.

    He saw an object in the shape of a diamond floating in the air. It was about three meters high, and Shao Xuan could not see its skeleton. All he could see was a big shining diamond.

    Mai and the others had been keeping an eye on the surroundings, and they had never sensed anything abnormal. They even wondered whether the leader of the bat army was around in the cave or not. Or if it was in some vulnerable phase that it could note out? It was really lucky that Shao Xuan found the missing three men, and they that they were still alive.

    However, Mai and the others suddenly got goosebumps when they saw the look on Shao Xuan¡¯s face as he turned around.

    Mai reacted quickly and made a sudden turn. Before he could see anything, he tossed out his long spears in full strength, and it went directly towards the direction that Shao Xuan looked at.

    The long spear didn¡¯t touch anything. It kept flying in the air, and after a while, it hit the stone wall and fell on the ground.

    There was nothing. That was the result that Mai and the others got after they turned around.

    Shao Xuan looked down on his hand with the Fire Crystal again.

    The red lines of energy altered their direction. Almost at the same time that Mai did something, it changed ordingly.

    Now, the red lines from the Fire Crystal drifted up.

    Mai and the others looked at Shao Xuan. Seeing that he looked up, they looked up as well. This time, none of them rushed into action. They intended to take a look first.

    Mai and the others still didn¡¯t see anything. At least, there was no object in the area that they could see.

    But it was not the same case with Shao Xuan.

    When he looked up, Shao Xuan¡¯s pupils shrank when he saw it.

    Before, when they walked into the mist, Shao Xuan had paid attention to the ceiling, however, he didn¡¯t see anything, he couldn¡¯t even see the top. But now, since they were walking on big piles of dead bats, they got closer to the top. Nown Shao Xuan could finally see it.

    There were a lot of shining diamonds hanging above their head.

    And the one he saw earlier was the closest.

    They seemed to be floating in the air in Shao Xuan¡¯s vision.

    That was the reason that those bats were acting abnormally?

    If so, there were too many of them!

    Not only one. There was not only one of that peculiar thing!

    There were at least a hundred of them!!

    There was still a little distance from the ceiling. Although it was less than fifty meters, it was still beyond Mai and the others vision in the mist.

    While the spear that was tossed out by Mai did not even touch the edge of that thing!

    Moreover, these fice group leaders couldn¡¯t even feel the existence of that thing!

    The gap between the two parties was so obvious. If those things decided to attack them, Shao Xuan could only use one word to describe their situation if he had to summarize it ¨C death.

    The energy flow of the Fire Crystal was drifting up.

    Looking at the red lines floating up, Shao Xuan wanted to stop the Fire Crystal from burning and put it away. However, if he ever did that, no one would ever be able to locate the things above. Even Mai and the other hunting group leaders did not sense its presence, let alone the others.

    ¡°Uncle Mai!¡± Shao Xuan felt it difficult to even speak.

    ¡°What on earth did you see, Ah-Xuan?¡± Mai was not feeling well.

    As Shao Xuan was about to answer, there was a slight sound of ¡°crack¡± above their heads.

    Mai and the others were able to hear that as well. Their looks changed immediately. Without caring about anything more, he shouted, ¡°Careful!¡±

    Cheng and some other warriors were checking on the status of their three missing men, but now they rushed to stand alert. However, aside from the sounds that they heard from above, they could not see or hear anything else.

    Crack, crack, crack¡­

    It was like some thin shells broke, and the sound continued on.

    Shao Xuan saw that the shining diamond broke in the middle.

    The breaking shell dropped down and revealed the creature inside.

    Shao Xuan could only see its skeleton, which was very much simr with a bat¡¯s skeleton. It was not big, but the sense of pressure that it brought was hundreds of times stronger than other big bats.

    When the warriors of the hunting groups walked inside the mist, they could see big bats flying inside, and heading out after they dropped their game down. However, don¡¯t know since when, but the bats had stoppeding in.

    The creature above was still shattering its shell, and it spread its wings in silence. It just floated there without a flutter of the wings!

    After it hatched from the egg, it looked down and glimpsed at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan felt a chill on his back, as if every hair he had was trembling. He could only see the skeleton and the sharp teeth in its mouth. He could feel that a pair of bloody eyes were staring at him, even though he could not see the actual eyes.

    It was only a slight nce, and then it turned over to look at the other ¡°diamonds¡± that hung there.

    They were its own kind.

    The next moment, Shao Xuan saw that it opened its mouth, and a few bones in his nose and throat moved in a weird way. It was fast, but very regr.

    Originally, people were just standing on the piles of dead bats, but now they felt as if their heads were about to explode. All their senses, including sight and hearing, had all gone in an instant.

    Lang Ga and the others directly hit the ground without saying a word.

    Blood came out from the intermediate warriors¡¯ mouths, noses and ears.

    Puff!

    After they spit out a mouthful of blood, Mai and the others fell on the ground, one after another.

    The mes on the torches all went out, and there was no light in the cave.

    Before they fell unconscious, all they saw was torches being put out, and then endless of darkness.

    All they thought was the same thing: Why didn¡¯t they go back to the tribe for help?

    Yes, they would risk their lives for the sake of the Fire Crystal, but it didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t care if all five hunting groups died at the same time!

    Who would then bring the Fire Crystals back to their tribe?

    In that scenario, they would be the tribe¡¯s sinners instead of aplishing anything!

    The only one holding up was Shao Xuan. In fact, Shao Xuan was dizzy as well. Even with his special view, everything he saw was twisted. The thing that kept him holding on was the Fire Crystal in his hand.

    As the fellow above hatched from its egg and came out, it stopped absorbing the energy of that Fire Crystal. So, all the energy of the crystal was used to support Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was regretful as well. Would any of these things have happened if he hadn¡¯t dug up the Fire Crystal? Or perhaps he should have stopped everybody from jumping into the mission? Should they have gone back to the tribe for help? No, even with the whole tribe¡¯s efforts, they might not be able to defeat those things.

    There were over a hundred of them¡­

    Bang!

    Bang, bang!

    There wererge sounds of explosions, one after another. Shao Xuan put himself together and looked up.

    What the fuck?!

    The one that hatched out first was ughtering its own kind.

    All the ¡°diamonds¡± hanging above began to explode one by one. They were not hatching, they were exploding!

    Some ¡°diamonds¡± already had cracks before that, and some were cracking a moment before. However, all the diamonds got ughtered instantly. The diamonds directly exploded by sound waves, while those that had already started to hatch were directly torn apart.

    The reason that a leader was called a leader was because it was in the leading position in a group.

    And one leader was enough for a pack.

    Shao Xuan struggled to walk towards Mai and the others, totally ignoring the falling corpses and body parts. He reached out to check their breaths, and was suddenly relieved, finding that they were still breathing. It¡¯s good that they were still alive.

    Since it was so hard to stand on the feet, Shao Xuan chose to sit down on the piles of dead bats and watched the first hatcher ughter its own kind in an extremely brutal way. One of them was bitten off by the head and dropped in front of Shao Xuan.

    Due to ack of torch, Shao Xuan could not use his normal vision to see the world. All he could see was the skeleton that dropped in front of him.

    He touched it, and felt the fur on its body. The muscle was very tight, and its wings were like shields.

    If they had managed to live, this herd might have be the top lord of the forest. However, there was only one leader, and the others were doomed to tragedy. They were meant to be the stepping stones for the leader.

    No wonder that the bats in the caves were no longering to this ce. Now, with the things above fighting against each other, no other bat dared toe close to watch. Death would be their only fate if they came inside.

    Numerous dead bats piled up high, and every one of them were the strongest of their pack. However, after a brutal fight, there were only hundreds of them that survived. Then, after some kind of special mutation that Shao Xuan was not able to understand, they transformed from powerful animals into top ferocious beasts.

    After that, through a selection of brutal fighting, the solo winner would be the strongest one. For example, the one that was busy ughtering its kind.

    Just one small step ahead, and it was every step ahead.

    Although there were still a lot of diamond that did not crack, they could move somehow. It was impossible for that one to ughter them all at once.

    The massacrested for about half an hour. Shao Xuan just sat there, watching, for about half an hour. Now, he was unable to get up on his feet, he couldn¡¯t even keep bnce. All he could do was remain seated on the ground.

    When the massacre stopped, the sound waves finally ended. Shao Xuan felt that his mind was feeling less swollen up, and his vision was nopt twisted anymore.

    Feeling something abnormal, Shao Xuan looked up.

    Only half a meter away from him, there was aplete skeleton standing in front of him. Shao Xuan could even smell its blood clearly.

    Shao Xuan looked at it right in the eyes for a few seconds. Just as Shao Xuan wondered whether it was going to kill the humans after it massacred its own kind, he saw the alpha bat bite on the headless corpse beside him. Quickly it loosened its bite, and walked to some other direction as it looked away.

    It had the same folded forelimb-wings and strong back limbs. However, when it walked, it was very much lighter than the others. Even when he was in front of Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t hear any sounds of footsteps.

    The alpha bat walked around that battle field, and everywhere it went, it would bite the bats that he killed earlier, as well as the other livestock that the bats brought back.

    However, oddly enough, it avoided the people of the hunting team.

    When that alpha bat walked away, Shao Xuan reached out and touched that headless body, and realized that it was sucked dry.

    It didn¡¯t look big in size, but it apparently had an astonishing appetite. Also, it was a very fast eater. The other bats would mostly just lick the blood, while the alpha bat took a casual bite and sucked up all the blood in the prey¡¯s body. The poor prey basically turned from unconscious to dead in the blink of an eye.

    Almost all the food delivered by the bats in the caves and stone crevices got bitten by the alpha bat, except for the humans of the hunting team.

    Looking at it feed, Shao Xuan had a feeling that this one champion from the mountains of dead bodies despised those warriors as food.

 Chapter 121 â€“ The Batâ€™s Mountain

    Chapter 121 ¨C The Bat¡¯s Mountain

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After it was properly fed, it flew up to the ceiling, and soon disappeared from Shao Xuan¡¯s vision.

    At the mountaintop, above the giant pit.

    A ck shadow silently slipped out from a stone crevice on the wall of the giant pit.

    It was shining brightly outside.

    Under the bright sunlight, that ck shadow flew straight up into the sky, it became difficult to see.

    If Shao Xuan had seen it, he would find that its nose bones and a few other bones in the throat were opening and closing quickly, and it created sound waves that even intermediate warriors couldn¡¯t hear.

    But, hearing those faint sounds that were impossible to hear, the big bats from different areas of the forests flew up high, one after another.

    No matter what those bats were doing earlier, they all stopped, whether they were hunting, dining, or chasing after the warriors that had thrown those smoke herb balls before; they flew up high without any hesitation, and headed towards the giant pit.

    In the gray zone that was filled with giant spiders and theirs, the hidden warriors noticed that the army of bats that chased after them suddenly all turned around. Even those that got caught in the spider webs were struggling like crazy. After they chewed down the webs and finally got free, they flew up high towards the direction of the giant pit.

    ¡°What¡¯s ¡­ wrong with them?¡± One warrior asked another while breathing heavily.

    ¡°The direction that they are flying to is¡­¡±

    ¡°Over the other side of the hill!¡±

    ¡°Something happened on the bosses¡¯ side?!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go over there quickly!¡±

    All the warriors whistled to make their whereabouts known to each other.

    All those that were messing around with the bats started rushing towards the bat caves.

    When they left the forest and there were no dense branches blocking their view, instantly they saw that there was a dark cloud of bats hovering above the giant pit. Moreover, the dark cloud was growing.

    No matter whether they were near or came from afar, almost every bat flew towards the giant pit and joined that piece of ¡°dark cloud¡±.

    Inside the cave, Shao Xuan recovered some of his strength.

    It was not a good time for them to stay inside, for all the others would fall unconscious again, even if they managed to sober up for some time.

    Shao Xuan carried all the warriors sleeping on the piles of dead bats out of the mist zone.

    When he finished carrying them out from the mist, Shao Xuan gave every one of them some herbs to chew in the mouth.

    Inside the cave, there was no living bat remaining.

    After taking some time to rest, Shao Xuan heard something from outside. The group of warriors that drew the attention of the first batch of bats had arrived.

    Seeing the people lying on the ground silently, the ones that came were all stunned. However, they became relieved after they checked everyone¡¯s status.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°All those bats that chased after us made a sudden turn and flew towards the top of the hill¡­ The ones inside the cave¡­well, I mean those bats you talked about, were all gone as well. They all gathered above the giant pit.¡± Said a warrior.

    ¡°We should probably get out of here right now, and talk about thingster.¡±

    Indeed. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t agree more. If those bats out there returned, none of them would ever be able to escape.

    Shao Xuan only got the chance to look at the sky after they had carried all the unconscious people outside the cave.

    At that time, the ¡°dark cloud¡± above had be quite big already, the sky surrounding it was getting dark as well. Shao Xuan stood there, but he could not feel even a trace of sunlight.

    Turning around to look at the other ces, Shao Xuan found that there were dark stains on other parts below the hill. And they were growing as well, because more bats from afar were making their way over to this hill constantly.

    ¡°What are they trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    Seeing their scale in numbers, those who were sober all felt that their earlier n was too bold. They only had a total of around 150 warriors. And the things in the sky, well¡­

    It was horrifying seeing so many of them gathering together. Were all the bats in the region and surroundingsing over?

    As he was focusing on the sky, suddenly Shao Xuan heard something. He looked over and saw Caesar running towards him.

    Before, when the five hunting groups started their missions, Shao Xuan kept Caesar out of the n. Also, Caesar was no fan of the smell of the herbs. He was told to wait in the holdout with another few wounded warriors.

    However unexpectedly, Caesar ran over towards him!

    ¡°What is it doing here?¡±

    ¡°Did something happen in our holdout?¡±

    A few warriors beside him asked nervously.

    ¡°No, Caesar was only worried about what was happening here.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Caesar was originally waiting in the cave of their holdout, however, all of a sudden he heard the voice of the alpha bat. He rushed out and tracked Shao Xuan down to this ce ording to the smell.

    Shao Xuan told Caesar to wait aside after he rubbed on his head.

    In the air, that piece of ¡°dark cloud¡± had expanded to its limit, and there were no more additional bats joining the crew. After they had collected every bat, the pack flew towards some direction.

    ¡°Over there¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan looked over there. In the distance, in that direction, there was a very tall mountain. It was taller than every other mountain nearby, surrounded by clouds and mist, with a snow covered top.

    ¡°I remember that there were a lot of holes and caves in that mountain.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I once followed the boss to that mountain. But there were a lot of cave bears and other ferocious beasts living in the holes. So boss forbade us from getting near to that ce.

    Someone from Cheng¡¯s hunting group shared his knowledge of that mountain with the otherpanions.

    Now, that giant piece of dark cloud formed by bats was heading towards the top of that mountain.

    Were they going rob the ce forter use of their own?

    ¡°It¡¯s possible, but a brutalbat will be unavoidable.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I don¡¯t wish for the bats to win, or else how would we go hunting in the future?¡± Someone from Cheng¡¯s team was worried.

    The other warriors in the other hunting groups tapped on each others¡¯ shoulders with sympathy. It was truly a disaster for the animals in that mountain to encounter that pack of monsters. If it were not for the Fire Crystals, they would never mess with that bunch of monsters.

    Since the batch of bats had left, the remaining warriors discussed and decided to take their unconscious teammates back to the holdout first.

    Probably, mostly because of the bats, they did not encounter any ferocious beasts, or even normal animals, on their way back to the cave.

    One dayter, those unconscious gradually woke up. Mai and the other group leaders were the first ones to wake up. However, they still felt dizzy after they woke up. It took them yet another day to recover.

    Shao Xuan told them that the first hatched bat ughtered all the others without the slightest sign of mercy, it became the alpha bat, and led the giant army of bats to fight over the other high mountain. The five group leaders instantly got very excited, they instantly wanted to check the current situation over there.

    The bat army experienced quite a lot casualties during thebat since the alpha bat started the war, but in the end of the day, they won. They had kicked out and swept away many other creatures that had been living in those caves. When Mai and the others went over there, they saw some corpses of cave bears.

    That huge amount of cave bears also got driven away from their homes. Those cave bears that managed to remain alive did not dare to set foot in that region again.

    Although the current situation probably meant that they needed to deal with those bats in the future, all five hunting group leaders were thrilled to learn about the fact that these bats robbed another new ce, which meant that they won¡¯t being back to the original hill.

    Which meant that now they would be free to go there, and start digging in any way that they wanted!!

    This fact made the five group leaders so happy that forget that they had not fully recovered yet, and they quickly ordered their people to get ready to dig.

    Over the giant pit, things became much quieter with the absence of those bats.

    The five group leaders first got rid of the thickyers of bat poop. Then, Shao Xuan marked all the spots where he sensed the Fire Crystals. The closer the Fire Crystal was lying to the surface, the smaller the circle would be. After he was finished, the others instantly began to dig.

    There were seventeen circles at the bottom of the giant pit, in other words, that meant that they would be able to dig out at least seventeen more Fire Crystals, big or small. It would be a huge gain if they could just dig them up.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be still breathing now.¡± Cheng said.

    ¡°Neither did I.¡± Mai smiled bitterly. This time, theypletely survived by luck. It was so fortunate that the alpha bat chose not to suck them up.

    ¡°I wonder if that alpha bat will be a king bat in the future.¡± Said Cha.

    There were alpha leaders in many herds and packs of different animals, however, a king beast was rarely seen. Whoever could be addressed as a king something, it must definitely be the strongest one of its kind. It was a title of the whole species, instead of just a group of them.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s possible. It really is. By then, we may not have the ability to fight back. I have been hunting outside for so many years, but this is the first time that I have encountered something like that.¡±

    ¡°Someday, in the future, if that beast does be a king bat, I will propose a request to the Shaman to change the hunting route.¡± Said Cheng.

    The ce with a king beast living inside would definitely be a forbidden ce for sure. The king stone worm was an unusual exception, because no stone worm, big or small, old or young, would ever attack humans on purpose. However, it is totally different with those bats.

    No matter whether that alpha bat has the chance of bing a king beast of its kind, and no matter how long it would take for the thing to be a king beast, the five leaders made a joint decision, which was that they would stay as far away as possible from that mountain! They would never mess around with them ever again!!

    When Mai and the others had been brought out from the bat caves, the mist zone became more toxic. It was probably because there were more bodies buried inside. Since no one ever re-entered the toxic mist zone, none of them had the chance to learn about what had happened since they left.

    Shao Xuan did not share the whole story with Mai and the others, he kept something to himself. For example, the Fire Crystal, the alpha bat had absorbed some energy of that tiny Fire Crystal, and had sucked up every living thing, but just left the warriors out.

    That was something that Shao Xuan could tell the Shaman, but the Shaman would be the only one that he tells these things to.

    Shao Xuan was having a headache, for he was thinking hard about what he should tell the Shaman after they got back. Shao Xuan looked at his palm and wondered.

    After five days, all the Fire Crystals that Shao Xuan had marked got dug up.

    Looking at the small bag of Fire Crystals, all five group leaders had tears in their eyes. They almost all died for the sake of those Fire Crystals.

    They used the best animal skin bag to store the Fire Crystals, and even the ones that were held on to by Mai and Cheng were tossed inside the bag.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, where¡¯s your piece of Fire Crystal? Come, let¡¯s put them together and wrap them up well. After we get back to the tribe, we¡¯ll make good use of them.¡± Said Mai.

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s¡­gone¡­¡± Said Shao Xuan. That little Fire Crystal had been fully absorbed by him, and after it released all the energy it contained, it turned into white powder. However, that was something that Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t share with everyone.

    ¡°Did you lose it?¡± The five group leaders hesitated and looked at him.

    After they confirmed that Shao Xuan really did not have it, and was not trying to keep it to himself, all five people felt it was a giant pity. But, to be honest, Shao Xuan indeed carried them out from the mist one by one, and at this time, none of the leaders felt it appropriate to me him. This time, Shao Xuan would still take most of the credits for this mission. Oh right, Caesar was also very brave, and he had contributed a lot as well.

    Like the other young warriors resting from their wounds, Mao was not allowed to participate in the digging of the Fire Crystals. Instead, he was just watching from the edge of the giant pit.

    When the five group leaders had stored the small bag of Fire Crystals carefully in an animal skin bag, they happily discussed about how to tell the Shaman this wonderful news. In the meantime, Mao was just curious what his dad was going to think when he learned about the Fire Crystal thing after all the hunting groups got together again. The expression on his face would be pretty interesting.

    However, at that moment, Ta suddenly sneezed as he was leading some people in the greennd. Somehow, he was having a strange feelingtely¡­ What¡¯s that about?

 Chapter 122 â€“ I absorbed it

    Chapter 122 ¨C I absorbed it

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Since the warriors spent most of their time digging up Fire Crystals and dealing with the giant bats, they did not do much hunting during this trip. Aside from hunting for the food they needed, basically no one had been hunting for storage in the five hunting groups.

    With the approaching of the convening day, there were only a few days left that they could go hunting. However, the five group leaders almost spent every moment together, guarding that small bag of Fire Crystals.

    As for the game that they should be bringing back. All five group leaders would tell you aloud, that they did not have time to care about those minor things!

    Finally, the convening day came.

    Ta had led the advance group deep into the greennd, and they had a nice harvest. Aside from all the prey and meat, they had found a rare t-tailed nt as well. Gui He¡¯s hunting team also brought back a lot of things from the first hunting mission this year, and Ta hated to lose to them. Luckily, they had fortune on their side.

    However, Ta was indeed a little concerned, about what might have happened with Mai¡¯s hunting group. After all, he brought a wolf along with his group.

    This time, they were going back sooner than expected. He was prepared to wait for another two or three days before every hunting group in his team gathered together. However, unexpectedly, the five hunting groups arrived together.

    That was a scenario that had never happened in the past. Hunting groups would only ask for help from other hunting groups when they encountered a major crisis. But judging from the vigorous steps of the groups, they shouldn¡¯t have been into any fatal dangers, although there were indeed a lot of wounded people.

    Looking at the wolf, Ta assumed that it was getting along well with the other warriors.

    After seeing that they were generally in good health, Ta again felt it hard to breathe when he found that they had so little game with them.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Ta asked in a bad mood.

    The five group leaders stood there together, showing their big white teeth to Ta together, smiling¡­like idiots¡­

    ¡­¡­

    Inside the tribe.

    Old Ke hadn¡¯t been sleeping very welltely, especially around the time that the hunting team was about to return. Every day, he would take a few walks around the Path of Glory.

    He wondered whether Ah-Xuan was doing okay, and whether Caesar was behaving well. After all, it was Caesar¡¯s first time travelling outside. Would he be okay with so many ferocious beasts nearby?

    As he let his mind drift, Old Ke heard an eagle cry from the air. Looking at Chacha in the sky, Old Ke stopped walking.

    Had the hunting team returned?!

    Without any hesitation, Old Ke quickly walked towards the Path of Glory. By the time he arrived, there were already some people waiting along the road.

    ¡°I heard that many people got badly injured this time.¡±

    ¡°From which hunting group?¡±

    ¡°I do not know.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Old Ke did not have a good feeling about it. Perhaps, were they talking about Mai¡¯s hunting group? Someone had predicted that Mai and his hunting group would meet some serious trouble when they took the wolf along at the beginning.

    Some other guys mentioned Caesar¡¯s name while discussing, but they were not talking about Caesar¡¯s merits. Old Ke almost got into a fight because of that.

    Soon, the badly injured people got sent back, and there were indeed quite a lot of them.

    After about another half a day, the hunting team showed up.

    ¡°Aside from the advance group, the other hunting groups seem to have little game¡­¡± Someone said.

    It was hard for people to believe that they brought back so little game!

    ¡°What the hell happened?¡±

    As people were whispering, warriors from the other hunting team were also thinking about something secretly. Indeed, they were the stronger team! Compared with their harvest, Ta¡¯s hunting team was merely a sad joke.

    No one had ever anticipated that there would be such a big difference in the game that they brought back. In the past, Ta¡¯s hunting team would always bring back packs of dead animals and meat. Even at their worst times, they would bring back more.

    Well, forget it. It is good enough that they came back alive.

    It was their first hunting trip this year, and many families had pretty high expectations towards their return. Now, they couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat disappointed. The winter had ended, but it seemed that they were still going to suffer from hunger for quite some time. They did not have enough food.

    Although disappointed, people still decided to properlyfort the returning warriors. However, after they finally managed to control their emotions and prepared their nice words, they found that every warrior on the Path of Glory was smiling like champions, without any sign of being upset. They waved their fists to their families standing on the sides of the path, not bringing back much game, and wearing giant dumb smiles.

    People had to swallow all theforting words that they had already prepared.

    ¡°What is wrong with them?¡±

    ¡°Was the blow of such a pitiful result of hunting too much for them?¡±

    People had no clue why they were acting like that.

    Old Ke finally became relieved seeing that both Shao Xuan and Caesar were alright. It really didn¡¯t matter whether they had a good harvest. The most important thing was that they came back, safe and sound.

    However, Old Ke noticed that the team leader, Ta, who was walking at the very front of the line, had a very delicate expression¡­It was faint. If you said that he was happy, he wasn¡¯t too happy. Yet he was also not upset.

    What on earth happened?

    When they finished the sword cleansing ritual at the mountaintop, they all rushed down the mountain like crazy. Some warriors even forgot to take their game back.

    Soon, people learnt the reason why the hunting team was acting so weirdly.

    ¡°The Fire Crystals?!!¡±

    Old Ke was very excited, and he only believed that Shao Xuan was telling the truth after hearing it several times.

    Not only Old Ke, simr things were happening to many different families in the tribe. Some older guys in the tribe even passed out due to this exciting news.

    The bad oue of a hunting mission?

    No problem at all! Because the Fire Crystals would be their biggest harvest!

    No stored food back at their homes?

    No problem, cause there was still plenty of fish in the river down there. Nobody was going to die of eating fish for twenty days or so.

    What? You say that fish contained too little energy?

    Well, you have the Fire Crystals!

    The Shaman had said that anyone who was a part of this had his own merits. All their close families and rtives could all benefit from the Fire Crystals.¡±

    This time, the whole tribe got excited. When they had a family member or a rtive in Ta¡¯s hunting team, they went to hang out with him. When there was no rtive, they tried to find one!

    This was such a rare and precious opportunity!

    It was said that this time they had found many Fire Crystals!

    Although Shao Xuan had a major contribution in this whole thing, aside from Old Ke, Shao Xuan indeed had no family or rtives in the tribe. The Shaman deliberately gave him some extra spots, so that he could bring some friends that he was not rted to.

    Old Ke, Ge, and some other guys that once had helped Shao Xuan out, had been brought up to the mountaintop, as well as Tu and Jie Ba from the orphan cave, that had just awakened this year.

    It was a pity that the energy could only be absorbed by those who had awakened. So there were some that Shao Xuan wanted to help out, yet couldn¡¯t.

    On that day, every extra was thrilled to have been taken along to the mountaintop, while the others who didn¡¯t have the chance were mostly from the other hunting team. They were super jealous, and their eyes turned red to some extent.

    A few Fire Crystals were ced near the me, and when the Shaman finished reading the spell, the me grew bigger and bigger, gradually swallowing the nearby Fire Crystals.

    Unlike the first time that Shao Xuan absorbed the energy by his own. This time, everyone could see the red energy lines rising above while the Fire Crystals kept burning by the me.

    Many red energy lines rose up from the me and got absorbed by the people standing around the fire pit.

    Although it was aplished by just the five joint hunting groups, it was impossible for the advance group to be left out of this. After all, they were the ones that looked for herbs and medicines for everyone. All the herb packs used by the wounded people were brought back by the advance group. As a result, there were people from the advance group that stood beside the fire pit. However, they were a little embarrassed and awkward, enjoying the privilege. Ta, of all people, was the one with the mostplex feelings.

    It was thatd again!

    That was Ta¡¯s first thought when he learnt about it.

    Although the Fire Crystals they brought back didn¡¯t look like a lot, not all of them were used. The ones that got burnt were already enough for the people standing by the fire pit to absorb. More Fire Crystals would just go to waste.

    So the remaining Fire Crystals were stored and kept by the Shaman,to reward by merit. Do you want to absorb a Fire Crystal? Sure, do something meritorious, and the Shaman will reward you with it.

    The Shaman himself praised and acknowledged Caesar, and he promised that the patterned te he gave Caesar would belong to the wolf forever. Which meant that the wolf would be allowed to live in the tribe his whole life, without anyone intending to harm him, and the only reason for a sudden death would be being killed during a hunting mission.

    That was the gesture and attitude that the Shaman showed.

    With Caesar¡¯s example, the others were even thinking about keeping their own cub in the future.

    Two days after they absorbed the energy from the Fire Crystals, quite a few junior totem warriors advanced and became intermediate warriors. Lang Ga and Ang were both part of them. They had made essential improvements, and the totem patterns on their arms had extended past the elbows.

    That made Lang Ga so thrilled that he partied alone in his house for days. He even threw out his grandpa¡¯s favorite precious stone hammer out of excitement.

    In the past, Tuo and Keke were the only two well-known outstanding young warriors when Lang Ga awakened together with them. Last year, Tuo and Keke became intermediate warriors.

    But now, to Lang Ga¡¯s surprise, he was also able to make such fast progress in such a short time!

    The topic of Fire Crystals wouldst for a long time in the tribe due to the limited size of themunity. In the open wild, their tribe was the only tribe, and people had few stories to hang on to. So, in short terms, people wouldn¡¯t be talking about anything else, at least not in the foreseeable future.

    Every time when you went out the door, you would hear people discussing something rted to the Fire Crystals. For instance, which warrior advanced after absorbing the Fire Crystals, who had the least improvement, and who did not manage to go up to the mountaintop, etc¡­ aside from all that, Shao Xuan and the wolf were also the center of people¡¯s discussion.

    ¡°I heard that it was the wolf that found the ce with the Fire Crystals?¡±

    ¡°How I envy that! Will our hunting team be able to find Fire Crystals if we also had a wolf? Even if not Fire Crystals, it would also be good enough to have found something else.¡±

    ¡°How about we go and catch a few cubs during our hunting trip this time? Ah-Xuan seemed to have said that it was better to train a cub from young age, right? Anyway, wolf packs often fight each other in the wild, and it¡¯s a shame that all those cubs have to die. They won¡¯t cost too much food if we bring them back and keep them at home.

    ¡°That make sense.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not anticipate that only one hunting trip would make people think about keeping their own wolf.

    After the Fire Crystal incident, Shao Xuan was asked to go to the Shaman for a talk.

    The Shaman asked some details about this matter. For example, why did Shao Xuan manage to sense the locations of the Fire Crystals.

    Even if he had more power of inheritance than the others, it would not guarantee that he could locate those Fire Crystals so precisely. He might be able to fool the others, but the Shaman already knew better.

    At the beginning, Shao Xuan and the Shaman were just taking baby steps in their rtionship. However, during this process, both parties began to have more trust in each other, and they revealed more information to each other gradually.

    The Shaman let Shao Xuan know of things that even the leaders might not know, while Shao Xuan did not keep his secret to the Shaman about being different from the others.

    Here, there was only one tribe, and the Shaman represented absolute power and authority. If he was someone selfish and stupid, he might have thought that Shao Xuan was a threat to his position, and he might have tried to get him out of the way. However, the truth was that the Shaman was happy and delighted every time he saw anything great with Shao Xuan. He would put on his rarely-seen gentle smile when he learnt that Shao Xuan had some other ability.

    Shao Xuan had no intention of keeping it from the Shaman this time. He pointed at his eyebrows and said, ¡°The totem told me so.¡±

    ¡°Is it true that you lost the little Fire Crystal that you were holding on to?¡± Asked the Shaman. He was not trying to me him, and it was just a question out of pure curiosity. He did not think that Shao Xuan would lose something so important easily. Besides, since he could sense the existence of the Fire Crystals, why would he not notice it when he lost it?

    ¡°I did not say that I lost it. All I said was that the Fire Crystal¡­is gone.¡± Shao Xuan lifted his hand and said to the Shaman, ¡°I absorbed it.¡±

 Chapter 123 â€“ The secret engraving technique

    Chapter 123 ¨C The secret engraving technique

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The Shaman had sudden twitches on his face, as if not believing Shao Xuan¡¯s words. However, judging from Shao Xuan¡¯s expressions, he didn¡¯t seem to be lying lying.

    ¡°Wait a second.¡±

    The Shaman turned around and took out a piece of Fire Crystal and passed it to Shao Xuan, ¡°Show me.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not say anything more, and began to absorb it right away after he took the Fire Crystal.

    Although the others were unable to see Shao Xuan absorbing energy from the Fire Crystal, the Shaman could somewhat see it. It was not clear, but the energy lines were a hundred percent real!!

    How was that even possible?!

    The Shaman was totally befuddled.

    The reason that Shao Xuan shared this experience with the Shaman was that he wanted to seek for the answers to his confusion. He did not know everything about the mysterious power in his body. However, it seemed that the Shaman did not know as well.

    Seeing that the Shaman fell into deep thoughts again, Shao Xuan ced the Fire Crystal on the stone desk in front of the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s move called the Shaman back to reality. He looked at this quail-egg-sized Fire Crystal, and then turned to Shao Xuan again. He was looking for some traces of reluctancy, unwillingness, upset or greed. After all, most of the credit belonged to Shao Xuan in this matter. If he awarded people ording to their contributions, Shao Xuan should be the one that should have gained the most awards. However, Shao Xuan had actually not gained that much.

    But the Shaman noticed that Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were quite tranquil, and there was absolutely no reluctancy or greed in his mind. Nor did he have any dissatisfaction towards the distribution of the Fire Crystals.

    Such a kind and noble heart!

    Even the Shaman was touched. Ah-Xuan was making sacrifices for the sake of the tribe!

    ¡°You may take this Fire Crystal.¡± Said the Shaman.

    ¡°No need.¡± Seeing some guilt on the Shaman¡¯s face, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Or we can change to a smaller one. This one is too big, and it would be a real loss if I do lose it.¡±

    A rice-sized Fire Crystal would be able tost for days, and it was indeed unnecessary to have such a big piece. Moreover, he would not be using it while he is in the tribe. Only during hunting missions would it be used, so there was no need for such a big piece.

    The Shaman felt that this youngd was really a noble soul, who had no personal ambition, and whose every efforts were for the sake of the tribe. Thinking about that, the Shaman said in an even nicer way, ¡°You should take it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then.¡± Shao Xuan took back that quail-egg-sized Fire Crystal and said, ¡°In fact, the Fire Crystal does not have so much impact on me, I cannot improve my strength even if I absorb the energy.¡±

    The Shaman: ¡°¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan did not lie, for the changes brought by the Fire Crystals were not as significant as what the others had. All the other warriors would have obvious improvements after they absorbed the energy from the Fire Crystals. However, the Fire Crystals did not have such a significant effect on Shao Xuan, besides for the rapid recovery and raising the spirit.

    Shao Xuan had absorbed more than half of the energy of the small piece of Fire Crystal that he tested on. This time, he again, absorbed quite a lot of energy when he was standing beside the fire pit with the other warriors. In fact, he had absorbed even more energy than the others. However, the totem patterns on his arms did not extend.

    When the Shaman left, Shao Xuan had a few more animal skin rolls in his hands. They were empty Shaman Volume skin rolls.

    After hearing about the issue of the Fire Crystals, the Shaman shared some ancient volumes with Shao Xuan, which were painted by former Shamans. Among them, there was this one about hounds.

    The Shaman was just like that. He would reveal more information and help you as long as you showed him that you are worth it. He would do anything that would be good to the tribe.

    If before, the Shaman would probably not have shown Shao Xuan the ancient volumes, for they were a few secrets of the tribe hidden in them. Moreover, the Shaman would rather not reveal the secrets before the time was right. However now, the Shaman changed his mind.

    All the ancient volumes drawn by the ancestors were kept by the Shaman. It had been over a thousand years, and there was some damage. One could only read those volumes at the Shaman¡¯s ce, and none of them could be taken out.

    First, Shao Xuan roughly went through all those ancient volumes. Then, he picked out those ones about the hounds and began to carefully read them, picture by picture.

    When he returned home in the mountain foot area, he locked himself up in his room, and started to copy the things he saw on the ancient volumes with his pen.

    Back then, when he was still living in the orphan cave, he had seen wall pictures in that stone room, showing that warriors hunted with hounds. However, he did not have any clear image at that time. After all, it was a brand new world to him, and anything that seemed normal could have a lot of unpredictable secrets buried within.

    Well, after reading those ancient volumes, Shao Xuan learnt that the ancestors had different demands and requirements for different kinds of hounds.

    ording to the pictures in the ancient volumes, the ancestors would pick out a batch of strong, energetic cubs when the hounds were still very young. They would train them strictly, and during the process some cubs might not survive. The ones that lived through that training process would enter the second round of selection.

    There were two kinds of hounds that the ancestors kept, which were normal hounds and apanying hounds. The normal hounds were the ones that had been trained. They would attend the hunting missions or join in the guard missions. However, none of them had been truly recognized by the tribe, for they had not inherited the real power.

    However, the apanying hounds were not the same. Every hound was carefully selected, with strong ability and considerable loyalty. They had been recognized by the whole tribe, and would be engraved with the tribe¡¯s totem by the Shaman. After that, they would be a part of the tribe who could stand by the fire pit during ritual ceremonies, and obtain totem power from the me, like everybody else. Hence, they would be much stronger than normal hounds.

    However, such engraving was not hereditary, the offspring of apanying hounds must be trained and selected like the other normal hounds. They could only be acknowledged after training and selection based on the same standards. But generally speaking, the offspring of apanying hounds was mostly excellent in many ways.

    As for the secret technique of engraving¡­only the Shaman of the tribe was able to do that, for it required the power of inheritance.

    The Shaman had told Shao Xuan when he was reading the ancient volumes that if Shao Xuan wanted to try, he would find all the rted ancient volumes. After all, based on the current situation, Caesar had met all the requirements to be engraved.

    ¡°The secret technique of engraving is veryplicated, and can not be mastered in a short period of time.¡±

    Was what the Shaman had said when Shao Xuan left.

    In fact, Shao Xuanpletely understood the Shaman¡¯s meaning. He didn¡¯t want Shao Xuan to rush into this. If he tried to do the engraving without fully understanding and mastering the technique, not only would the engraving fail, Caesar might even die from it. It had been said on the Shaman volume that there was a sess rate in doing the engraving. Only half of the hounds would survive.

    The risk could not be ignored.

    Even the Shaman had never tried the secret technique of engraving. After all, there was no animal in the tribe on which the Shaman could test on.

    Shao Xuan needed to think carefully about what to do. He would be the one to make the choice and the decision. Which meant that the Shaman wouldn¡¯t interfere with it.

    Since there was such a high risk, of course Shao Xuan won¡¯t rush into anything. He would firstpletely understand and master every step of the way.

    Looking at Caesar, who was yawning beside his feet, Shao Xuan sighed deeply inside. Caesar was just a wild beast and was still far from being a ferocious beast. In the forest, he could notpete with an alpha wolf, which was determined by nature, not Caesar himself. It would take a long time for him to transform from a normal animal into a ferocious beast. Just like those bats in the cave, every ferocious beast turned into one when it stepped on thousands of the other animals¡¯ corpses.

    Under such an environment, normal animals wouldn¡¯t be able to survive long in the forests. Even people in the tribe must try hard to improve themselves.

    No matter human or animal, they were all trying hard to improve and climb up on nature¡¯s pyramid. For each and every step on the way, they left behind thousands of bodies.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just make baby steps first.¡± Shao Xuan whispered to himself as he stared at thiszy yawning wolf.

    Everyday, Shao Xuan would read the ancient volumes at the Shaman¡¯s ce, and then copy them on his new animal skin rolls. He worked on them with full concentration, and circted his power of inheritance ordingly as practice.

    The Shaman also kept his promise, and found out all the rted volumes about engraving and hounds.

    Aside from when he was out in a hunting mission, Shao Xuan would continue his copy work while he was in the tribe.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s room, there were already over ten animal skin rolls that he had finished. That was his hard work of all those days.

    While Shao Xuan was copying those ancient volumes, many people in the tribe came to him.

    Since people in the tribe started to think about keeping their own wolves, some people from the hunting teams woulde to consult Shao Xuan after a hunting mission.

    For example, Mo-er was here to talk to Shao Xuan.

    He wanted to ask about ways to train and keep an animal. Since everyone else had absolutely no experience in keeping an animal at home. It seemed easy, but in fact, it was not. Many people were not able to keep the animals alive, and they would just eat the meat if their pets died.

    Shao Xuan looked at the whelp that Mo-er held in his hand, and lifted his eyebrows.

    ¡°A cave lion?¡±

    That was something very difficult to find. The cave lion was very fierce and savage. Most cave lion would grow into ferocious beasts. Even wolf packs dared not to mess with them. However, he had no idea what the whelp would be like.

    ording to Mo-er, they found a group of cave bears fighting against cave lions, and the cave lions lost. Almost every whelp of the cave lions were bitten to death, except for this little one. Mo-er brought it back, he wanted to keep it for himself.

    Shao Xuan literally had no experience in keeping a cave lion at home. Since the very beginning, he kept Caesar like a dog. However, Caesar still had his wild side. The lucky thing was that, in the end, Caesar managed to keep his wild nature under control. As for Mo-er¡¯s cave lion¡­ All Shao Xuan could do was to share some basic do¡¯s and don¡¯t¡¯s with him. Later on, it would bepletely up to Mo-er.

    One must pay full attention to it if you wanted to keep some fierce animal, and not let them go out of control. If any abnormal circumstances came up, people in the tribe would put it down first.

    Even though it was not easy keeping an animal, many people wanted to try.

    Not only Mo-er, many other warriors brought back wolf cubs during theter hunting missions. Altogether, they brought back some other animals as well.

    Some warriors were so excited keeping an animal at first, butter on, their pets finally became meat and ended up in their bellies. However, some of the warriors held on to their original goal, among which, most of them were young warriors like Mo-er.

    During wintertime, Shao Xuan demonstrated the flying ability of flying birds like Chacha. In the beginning of this new year, he made Caesar step into the front, and hence was recognized by everyone in the tribe. By doing that, he made the young warriors in the tribe find new ways to do things.

    Now, Shao Xuan was the first and only one that kept an animal and had gained the Shaman¡¯s recognition. So every time when people brought back something, they would delightfullye to Shao Xuan and chat about it.

    Especially Mao. When the others were focusing on wolves, tigers, leopards, and lions, thatd brought back a baby boar! It was totally understandable that warriors in the tribe worshiped ferocious carnivores, but a wild boar¡­

    To be honest, that was not really a wild boar¡­ it was more like a suckling pig!

 Chapter 124 â€“ The Cubs in the Tribe

    Chapter 124 ¨C The Cubs in the Tribe

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    During the hunting time, Mao saw those creatures with four fangs, and considered them as animals simr to wild boars and ferocious beasts.

    Having seen several wild boars with four fangs, he finally caught a cub and brought it back to the tribe, only to be told that it was not a wild boar but a regr animal. With four fangs, this kind of beast looked like a wild boar, but didn¡¯t have the thick fur or looked aggressive.

    Mao originally thought it was a cub of the ferocious beast but it turned out to be just a regr beast.

    Though Mao was disappointed after knowing this, he did not kill the cub and eat it, but kept it. He even deliberately went down from the mountain to ask Shao Xuan for advice on how to raise it.

    Many people secretlyughed at Mao, because as the grandson of the chief, and the son of a team leader, he raised such a creature, while the other people raised wolves or leopards.

    Mao named it ¡°Si Ya¡± (literally four fangs), which looked like a babirusa. That was probably because he failed to find a ferocious beast with four fangs. Fortunately, the cub was a male which would have four fangs after growing up, so he temporarily kept it.

    In the beginning, many people asked Shao Xuan for advice, but gradually, less and less people did so. After some hunting activities, less than one tenth of those asking for advice in the beginning woulde to discuss the feeding experience with Shao Xuan, and the rest killed the cubs in the process to eat.

    That was because it was the first time for the people in the tribe raising cubs. They handled some situations improperly, and sometimes were unable to control their strength. Some of them were impatient, or adopted the wrong way.

    Of course, not all of the cubs were suitable to be trained as hunting animals, even if they were generally an aggressive specie, some had physical defects, or were timid in nature. Some even had other quirks. Even after training, they might not qualify.

    Despite the great difficulty, a part of the people in the tribe still persisted in raising cubs while less and less people did so.

    One day, the Shaman, after a walk in the tribe, asked Shao Xuan for a talk.

    The Shaman could not stand it. He thought that it was a mess, raising cubs in the tribe, and the potential risk behind this was too great. He wanted to get qualified hunting animals with strength and loyalty, instead of those only with the power and the ferocious nature, but would betray in the end.

    Training methods determined quality of the trained beasts.

    Then Shao Xuan found a suitable open space at the foot of the mountain, and put up a whole piece ofrge stone te there as a drawing board. As long as he didn¡¯t go out for hunting, he would stay there to exin some feeding skills every few days. When the two hunting groups were in between changing shift, he would spare some time to teach them. After all, if they began hunting, it was impossible for him to exin to the other hunting group.

    ¡°If you want them to learn what you teach, while training, you must give them your order and gesture before pulling the straw rope. In this way, they would remember the meaning of your order and gesture. If you failed to do so and pulled the straw rope, they would have an impression of the straw rope rather than your order.

    Caesar,e here¡­

    Here is an example ¡­ Well, just like this¡­¡±

    More than once, Shao Xuan saw people in the tribe pulling their cubs and shouting their orders at the same. However, it was a pity that the training was not effective.

    ¡°I will tell you a few ways to train your cubs. The first one is mechanical stimtion. That is to say, with certain means, you force them to do what you request. For example, if you want it to to lie down in the grass, in order to not let it get up, you can press it by hand. Through this way, you can make it lie in the grass. After receiving repeated training, the cubs will form the correct consciousness to take actions ording to your order¡­¡±

    While Shao Xuan was speaking, a young warrior, at the simr age of Shao Xuan, held the cub with his hand and said, ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­you¡¯re just holding it, not pressing it.¡±

    Details like this were all told by Shao Xuan to them.

    In addition, Shao Xuan told them the method of food stimtion, thebination of mechanical and incentive training methods, and so on.

    For many in the tribe, the most uneptable method was food stimtion. In their view, the food was so valuable that they were reluctant to eat it themselves, let alone give some to the cubs which would have been eaten by them once caught. Simply uneptable!

    However, there were still some people who were willing to adopt this method, and most of them were young warriors, such as Mo Er and Mao.

    In a situation like Shao Xuan at the beginning, Mo Er moved out to live alone and never starved. Many in Mo Er¡¯s family were warriors and he nevercked of food, so it was not a problem for him to give some food to feed the cub.

    Sometimes, when exining the imitation training, Shao Xuan would show them an example with Caesar, and let those cubs stay with Caesar more often.

    Several young wolves could follow Caesar¡¯s actions, but it was a bit difficult for Mo Er¡¯s cave lion and Mao¡¯s Si Ya to do so, because the former was rebellious and thetter was simply gluttonous andzy.

    Mo Er¡¯s cave lion was named Liao (literally a hunt), it was totally different from those Shao Xuan had seen before.

    Most cave lions lived in caves in mountains alone, not in groups. They often hunted alone, facing against of cave bears and other ferociousrge mammals, so their strength was not weak. That was why they were not easy to tame.

    Both Mo Er and Mao had to make more effort than others training their cubs. It depended on their patience.

    Day by day, the cubs that were being brought back to the tribe became less and less, but the ones that survived were growing up.

    After Shao Xuan¡¯s exnations and demonstrations, the young warriors gradually changed their training methods. Now, walking in the tribe, you could often see some of the young warriors keeping their cubs aspany while they were chatting with others.

    All those cubs were initially tied with a straw rope around their necks, but gradually, their necks were untied, but they didn¡¯t run around. Every time they went out, they closely followed the young warriors. Their training was effective.

    Sometimes, two young warriors from different hunting groupspeted with each other in terms of their raising skills.

    In the tribe, some old people who hadn¡¯t hunted for many years worried that the beasts would hurt people at night. Therefore, they were not optimistic about this, and didn¡¯t want their offsprings trying it.

    Among them, some had wounds and disabilities caused by ferocious beasts in the mountains and woods. Even though some beasts raised in the tribe were not so threatening, these old warriors were still wary of the beasts. Therefore, they gathered together to discuss about how to report this problem to the team leaders or the chief to make the youngsters give up keeping the beasts.

    However, the two team leaders¡¯ children also kept beasts. The grandson of the chief even raised a bald boar! It was said that bald boar had eaten a lot of herbs which had been hidden by Ta. That was why Ta looked angry every day. But he didn¡¯t ughter the boar.

    The group of old warriors were very worried, but still could not think up a good reason to kill those cubs. That group of youngsters actively raised the cubs every day.

    As the old warriors talked about this secretly, tightly holding a stone knife in the mountain, Ta was so angry that his blue veins were showing on his forehead, and his whole body was trembling, for he was fighting against his rage.

    In front of him, the bald boar raised by his son had eaten a package of herbs under the stone bench. The herbs were used for pest control. If ignited, they could smoke arge number of insects to death. In spite of eating these herbs, the boar was still alive and energetic.

    How many times did the boar do this? After waking up, it looked for something to eat everywhere with a strong sense of smell. Nothing would be left if found. Now, Si Ya was much stronger than the other cubs, possibly because it had eaten so much.

    Ta didn¡¯t kill Si Ya just to avoid losing face. If he ughtered it, the people on the other side of the mountain would haveughed at them for failing to raise a boar. That was why he had been fighting so hard against his rage.

    ¡°Eat it again, and I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Said Ta.

    Chewing the herb, Si Ya looked up at Ta, grunting ¡°Ah hum!¡±

    Ta thought this bald boar was damned, wondering why Mao brought it back.

    Compared with Shao Xuan¡¯s obedient Caesar, he thought this boar waspletely a waste.

    Coming back from the training ground, Mao found his father was angry, so he immediately took Si Ya outside.

    ¡°Tie it well! Use a thicker rope, and don¡¯t let it go, or I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Shouted Ta at the back of Mao.

    Holding Si Ya in his arms, Mao ran away quickly, questioning in his mind why he was med for the boar¡¯s mistake.

    Somewhere on the hillside.

    With a cold face, Mo Er looked at the ragged beast skin on the bed, and inclined his head to look at the ce under the table against the wall.

    ¡°Come out!¡±

    Hiding under the table, the cub shrank inside.

    Holding the knife handle, Mo Er was thinking over whether to directly ughter it.

    In the tribe, raising cubs had brought trouble to many people, but Shao Xuan was now too busy to pay any attention to it.

    In his study of old volumes engraved with secret crafts, Shao Xuan found that his promotion was mainly influenced by not the totem, but some other power inside him.

    What on earth was the egg-shaped thing which covered the totem inside, or the strange stone which originally brought him to this world?

    Warriors said it was the totem that influenced the power in everyone¡¯s body, but Shao Xuan had a faint idea that the totem in his mind could not cross over the circle of the ¡°egg¡± no matter how active it was. Even when the two horn me was at its fiercest, it still failed to exceed the circle.

    It was more likely that the energy absorbed by the fire crystal yed a supporting role, which could speed up the recovery, instead of enhancing, because the totem could not y a dominating role.

    Putting down the animal skin volume and rubbing his eyebrows, Shao Xuan was thinking about what on earth the stone was made of?

    At this time, Caesar came to him with a wooden box in his mouth. The wooden box was tied with straw, so Caesar directly bit the rope to hold it.

    Inside the wooden box were stone weapons polished by Old Ke recently. Shao Xuan spent much time studying the old volumes. When Old Ke finished polishing some, he let Caesar send them to him.

    Taking the wooden box, Shao Xuan patted Caesar¡¯s head, and asked, ¡°I am going to set out again, would you like to follow me?¡±

    Caesar immediately took a step forward, as if saying ¡°Yes¡±.

    Shao Xuan rolled up and put away the animal skin on which he had intended to write something.

    If not a apanying hound as described in the old volume, then we will just use a wolf.

 Chapter 125 â€“ The New Wolf Pack

    Chapter 125 ¨C The New Wolf Pack

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Ta¡¯s hunting team was about to set out again. People in the tribe had been used to the presence of the unusual animal, which had been so far the only one that apanied them on the Path of Glory.

    In the beginning, it was beyond expectation that Caesar could seed in joining the group to hunt for even several times in a row.

    Caesar now had two scars. Although his wounds healed, the fur there hadn¡¯t grown back yet so scars were very noticeable. They were caused by an adult giant-w beast in a hunting mission.

    Shao Xuan was terribly scared at that time, because if Caesar had reacted even a little slowly, he would have been cut in half by the beast¡¯s gaint w. After that they returned to the tribe, Shao Xuan intended to stop him joining the next hunt to rest. However, it turned out that he followed the group so actively that Shao Xuan had no choice but to let him join.

    Fond of running in the woods, he enjoyed confronting a prey which was much bigger than him. When the hunting time approached, Caesar was especially excited. While resting to let the wounds heal, he was listless.

    Now, the wounds had healed up, but the fur there did not grow back. Mai said that the fur around the two scars might be difficult to grow back.

    Like the warriors in the tribe, the scars were the evidence for theirbat achievements, proving that they had faced up to their overwhelming prey. That was why Caesar¡¯s scars drew much admiration, rather than raise doubts about his ability.

    This time, before entering the woods, several small group leaders had talked together for a while and mentioned Caesar.

    The other four were very envious of Mai. Since Mai got Caesar, he and his group members had received much surprise, from the fire crystal to the rare herbs, which were found by Caesar thanks to his great sense of smell. What¡¯s more, he could also assist them with assaults. How couldn¡¯t they admire him?

    ¡°Well, Mai, pay attention to ferocious beasts and other beasts in the hunting area. Some changes may happen.¡± Said Cheng.

    ¡°Talking about this, I found that there were indeed some changes with the giant-antler deer herds, bison herds, and even wolf packs.¡± Said Mai.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Several other group leaders also asked about this curiously. After all, the mountain was so big, and the hunting area was just a small part of it. Generally speaking, ferocious beasts and other beasts there did not arbitrarily change their habitats, unless when the season shifted. In addition, predators hunted in their fixed areas most of the time.

    However, Cheng and Mai even said that the ferocious beasts and other beasts appeared in different areas. This was unusual.

    ¡°Anything abnormal happened there?¡± A group leader said, referring to the ident rting to the bats during the first hunting mission of the year.

    ¡°No, no.¡± Cheng shook his head, and said, ¡°But it is rted with the bats.¡±

    The group of bats chased away all the ferocious beasts to upy arger territory, forcing them to find new ones, so the battle between them had continued until now. In addition to the threat brought by the group of bats, the surrounding ferocious beasts and other beasts had changed their habitats.

    The birth of a strong could result inrge-scale local restructuring.

    In addition to the group of bats upying the mountain, the giant pit witnessed changes.

    Cheng also intended to go digging in the giant pit to see if he was able to find something useful. It turned out that he was unable to enter there again. The giant pit, stone crevices, and caves were filled with miasma. Originally, on the top of the hill there had been sparse grass, and now all was dead. The whole picture looked a bit dark and terrifying.

    ¡°Those bats are back?¡± Mai asked.

    ¡°I have no idea, but there were no bats to be seen.¡± Said Cheng.

    ¡°They can¡¯t be back, the miasma is probably caused by dead bats and the other animals¡¯ bodies.¡±A group leader said.

    About one hundred bats in the middle of their metamorphosis stage died there, which possibly led to the miasma.

    The first three missing members of Cheng¡¯s group had to be treated for a long time after being sent back to the tribe, which told them how harmful the miasma was. The others didn¡¯t stay there for a long time but still lost consciousness. It was thanks to Shao Xuan who took them out.

    The awareness of the harm of the miasma made Cheng give up rushing in there with his group members, and even told them to keep away.

    The mountain where the giant pit was and the territory upied by the bats were not included in Mai¡¯s hunting route, but their hunt would still be affected.

    ¡°Do not mess with those bats,¡± Said Mai.

    ¡°Of course, I get it.¡± Cheng understood, but couldn¡¯t helpining about it.

    After entering the woods, the hunting groups set out separately, and Mai and his group members began to go to the holdout of their first hunting location.

    Nothing unusual happened on the first day, but Mai told the other hunting groups to be cautious about the ferocious beasts which previously didn¡¯t appear in this hunting area, and to pay attention to the beasts¡¯ changes.

    There was a giant-antler deer herd in the first hunting location where Mai and his group members went hunting.

    ¡°Mai, did you notice that in the recent hunting missions, we haven¡¯te across the pack of wolves which often attacked the giant-antler deer herd.¡± A middle-aged warrior in the group told Mai.

    ¡°Um.¡± Mai nodded.

    On Caesar¡¯s first hunt, he did not encounter that wolf pack. Everyone in the hunting group had been worried that Caesar would encounter the wolf pack, but he didn¡¯t confront the pack this year. The first encounter was caused by their deviation from their hunting route. And at the second one, they just saw several wolves from a long distance, those wolves didn¡¯t look very well.

    Until now, they hadn¡¯t even seen a wolf, and they thought that this was abnormal. The wolf pack should have always been around the giant-antler deer herd, but¡­

    ¡°Everybody should pay attention,¡± Said Mai.

    No wolvespeted with them, so the hunting group could catch many giant-antler deers every time they came.

    Something whizzed past.

    Caesar¡¯s presence distracted two giant-antler deers and a few spears appeared.

    Lang Ga and several people dragged the giant-antler deers aside and quickly dealt with them to make it easier to bring them backter.

    Jumping on a stray old deer¡¯s back, Caesar bit its neck. However,pared to the giant-antler deer, Caesar¡¯s size didn¡¯t have much advantage. Even though the deer was old, its power couldn¡¯t be underestimated.

    Getting rid of Caesar, the deer ran away so fast that Caesar failed to catch up with it. After chasing it for a distance, he slowed down and saw it run away farther and farther.

    While dealing with the prey, Lang Ga and the others kept an eye on what happened there, and found that the deer bitten by Caesar was just a small shadow now. They intended tofort Caesar, who, after all, did help a lot in the previous hunting missions. In addition, he never caused trouble like the cubs in the tribe. Therefore, he left such a good impression on them that they were not so afraid of him.

    Thinking about what to say and fixing their eyes on what was to happen, Lang Ga and the others stopped their work. In particr, Caesar was about to look back, but did not expect, before he turned back, the deer was suddenly bitten by arge wolf.

    The sudden attack made the deer stagger and fall down, it struggled to stand up, but the reality did not give it an opportunity to do so. The second and third wolves arrived¡­

    A pack of wolves surrounded the deer. In spite of looking at them from afar, Lang Ga could still see torn bloody meat flying through the air.

    ¡°Those wolves¡­¡± Lang Ga had an intuition that something bad was about to happen.

    ¡°Not the old wolf pack.¡± Mai looked slightly grave.

    Each hunting group knew something about the preys and predators in their respective hunting areas, especially the wolf packs. It was natural that they were clear about what kinds of wolves were active there.

    In spite of standing afar and seeing vaguely, they could judge from the hunting style that this pack was crueler than the old one. Instead of biting it to death directly, they gnawed it.

    Caesar stared at the wolves in the distance, puckered his wrinkles on the nose, exposed his fangs, and growled.

    ¡°Caesar,e back!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    This pack of wolves was dangerous to Caesar, simr to the previous wolves, Shao Xuan could not let Caesar confront them. On one hand, he was outnumbered. On the other hand, even if he fought against one of them, he might not win, because the wolves were generallyrger and vicious. If he confronted them, it was more likely that he would be the loser.

    When going there for hunting, warriors in the hunting group avoided provoking the wolves, for they were very vengeful. Once provoked, unless they were all ughtered, they took revenge.

    Since the new wolf pack emerged, the hunting group hurried to leave with the prey to return to the cave before it was toote.

    ¡°Caesar, stop looking, go!¡± Shao Xuan cried, having found Caesar was looking back.

    ncing at the wolf pack from a long distance, in the end, Caesar followed Shao Xuan and ran back to the first holdout.

    At night, all the group members were having a barbecue while chatting in the cave. The entrance of the cave was blocked by arge stone, and wind blew in only through some gaps and vents. After the Thorn ck Wind ident, Mai took this cave as the new holdout.

    Mai stopped talking, so did the others. All were listening carefully.

    There were some wolves howling.

    The howling didn¡¯te from afar. Those with poor hearing might not notice that but those present had much stronger sense of hearing than ordinary people.

    ¡°They are those we saw today, right?¡± Tu said in low voice.

    This was Tu and Jie Ba third hunting mission with Mai¡¯s hunting group now. Their appearance didn¡¯t change, but their temperament was totally different. They were no longer the two warriors who lived in the cave and fixed their mind on food!

    ¡°Be more careful about the new wolf pack tomorrow. The wolves that were here before may have been defeated¡­¡± Said Mai.

    There was an area shared by two packs of wolves, in which wolves from different groups might be seen. However, this area wasn¡¯t where they got together.

    And now, a pack of wolves showed up at the foot of the mountain, it was obviously that the previous wolves were either defeated or dead.

    When everyone was talking about the new wolf pack, Caesar kept an eye on what happened outside the cave.

    Aware of Caesar¡¯s intention, Shao Xuan thought he had to pay more attention to him in the following days.

 Chapter 126 â€“ Hatred

    Chapter 126 ¨C Hatred

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The next day, the hunting group saw the pack of wolves in the area where the giant-antler deer herd was active.

    Yesterday, they stood quite a bit away that they failed to see those wolves clearly, so today they observed them carefully.

    These wolves didn¡¯t look different from those living here before, but their sizes were bigger, and the color of their fur was different. They had a patterns on their bodies and some darker spots close to the back.

    Since first entering the wild, Shao Xuan had seen many wolves of various colors. ording to Mai and the others, there were some special packs. The pattern was the symbol of the pack, so a wolf with a different pattern might be an outsider.

    Shao Xuan had never seen the wolves but Mai and the others might have seen them.

    ¡°Why do I feel that this wolf pack is familiar?¡± A warrior said.

    ¡°I also think that I have seen this pattern.¡±

    ¡°We came across them when we surrounded a cave bear along our hunting route,¡± Mai recalled and said.

    At that time, Mai and the others met a huge cave bear with wounds, possibly caused by a fight with another ferocious beast. So they took the opportunity to surround it and kill it.

    However, even though the cave bear was injured, it was difficult to defeat. The hunting group chased it for such a long time that they had nearly deviated from the hunting route before they seeded in killing it. At that time, there was a battle between two wolf packs. A pack massacred the other, and it was a real brutal massacre. The defeated wolves were not just bitten to death, many of them were even gnawed into pieces. Their blood covered the ground.

    After killing the bear, Mai and his group members hurried away from there. Meanwhile, the massacre was over and a few wolves were wandering around, dragging the dead wolves on the ground. When the hunting group finally arrived there, they were already full. Among them, some were also wounded, so they avoided going into conflict with the hunting group, and the head led its members to leave.

    Lang Ga was also there and caught Caesar, who was still a cub at that time.

    Caesar was the sole survivor of the massacred wolf pack, probably because he left his den for fun to roll down from the steep slope not far from the den. The wolf guarding the den might have found the other wolf pack and have been very vignt against them that he did not pay attention to Caesar.

    When Mai and the others reached there, they found Caesar lying under a stone. After waking up from aa, he kept howling. Hearing his howling, Lang Ga found him. He was blocked by a stone and surrounded by high bushes. If he stayed silent below the steep slope, no one would have ever noticed him. Fortunately, no wolves of the winning pack picked up the smell of the cub at the edge of the steep slope.

    ¡°I remember when Caesar was found, he was such a small one.¡± Lang Ga raised his hand to show how small he was, and said, ¡°It even intended to bite me with his baby teeth.¡±

    As they were recalling, Lang Ga and the others could not helpughing, for Caesar was indeed small then, but soon they all became serious. Obviously, everyone had witnessed the massacre together with Mai and Lang Ga and felt ufortable.

    They weren¡¯t actually being sentimental. Because as warriors hunting in the wild for so many years they had witnessed many battles among groups of beasts like this. In addition, who hadn¡¯t killed beasts or ferocious beasts as the hunting warriors? Could those with kindness survive here? That was impossible.

    The reason why they felt ufortable was at the thought of the scene of how cruel the wolves were. That massacre could even be called a brutal murder.

    ¡°Unless you ughter them all, don¡¯t mess with those guys, especially you few.¡± Said Mai as he looked at the new members.

    They nodded at once.

    This year, there were also new members in the hunting group. Those new members always easily drew the attention of beasts and ferocious beasts in the woods who intended to attack the weak.

    They had to go through what Shao Xuan had experienced.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, keep an eye on Caesar.¡± Whispered Mai to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Shao Xuan shared the same idea.

    Then during the hunting missions Shao Xuan paid a lot of attention to Caesar. The fact that Caesar behaved as usual reassured him.

    After hunting a giant-paw beast, a few people in the group were dealing with the game while Lang Ga was checking the trap. He asked Shao Xuan to repair it, because the important role of the trap could not be ignored.

    Finding Caesar lying not afar, Shao Xuan came to help Lang Ga repair the trap.

    ¡°Lang Ga, when you got Caesar, did he see his pitiful wolf pack?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Lang Ga carefully recalled and said, ¡°Yes, he did. I picked him up from the slope, and put him on the ground. He smelled the surroundings as he was howling. He tried to bite two different patterned dead wolves, but failed to bite the wolf skin with his baby teeth.

    [So sad, and yet so cute!]

    In order to massacre the other pack, the winning pack also suffered losses. Two wolves of this pack lost their lives, but it wasn¡¯t a loss as serious, because the defeated pack waspletely wiped out.

    ¡°Those wolves with spots were very strong, andpared to the others, they had a stronger bite and a brutal nature. They often killed other wolves and attacked other beasts.¡± When he saw Shao Xuan frowning, Lang Gaughed and said, ¡°Are you worried that Caesar would take revenge? Back then he was just a cub. It is impossible.¡±

    While talking, Lang Ga raised his head to look at Caesar lying not afar. Seeing him looking at them, Lang Ga lowered his head to continue repairing the trap. Each time he repaired the traps with Shao Xuan, Caesar always fix his eyes on them, lying not far from them.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would have kept it, I had intended to cook him for you.¡± The thought that Caesar had been almost been cooked amused Lang Ga, and he got mixed feelings.

    Shao Xuan was listening while Lang Ga was talking about his experience at that time, when a shout broke out.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    ¡°Attention!¡±

    ¡°A wolf pack!¡±

    Shao Xuan suddenly rose and looked around.

    Theying Caesar disappeared.

    Mai was nervously paying attention to the move of those wolves. They had intended to surround them, but soon Mai found Caesar rush out. Instead of confronting them head on, he bit the wolf at the border of its group and ran away immediately.

    Mai felt that the wolves were nning to attack them, but the attack wasn¡¯t targeted at Caesar. On seeing Caesar, the wolves hesitated for a moment, but in response to the call of the head, they changed the target to chasing Caesar.

    When they went hunting, Caesar usually helped attract the attention from the prey as nned. But the prey was not such a threat like the wolves. Why did Caesar suddenly rush out?

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, ask Caesar toe back¡­¡± Mai nced around, but did not see Shao Xuan. His face turned blue and said, ¡°Where is Ah-Xuan?!¡±

    Jumping out of the high bushes, Lang Ga was out of breath and said, ¡°I couldn¡¯t catch up with him.¡±

    When he saw Shao Xuan leave, he followed him without dy in order to stop him. Unexpectedly, he was left behind and had no choice but toe back.

    ¡°He¡­runs too fast!¡± Said Lang Ga. He never thought that he, who had advanced to a intermediate totem warrior, and had a speed that was the fastest in the group, would unexpectedly be left behind in such a short time!

    Mai took a deep breath. And then he looked at a few young warriors, and said, ¡°You go back first to the cave! Qiao, take them away!¡±

    Mai led a few warriors into the woods and followed the direction Lang Ga pointed at.

    At the same time, Shao Xuan chased the wolves following the traces on the ground.

    Caesar probably found the wolves before Mai and moved very fast. Perhaps he had been waiting, or he couldn¡¯t have so decisively rushed out.

    Due to a dy, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see the wolves and just searched for them ording to the nearby traces on the ground.

    They didn¡¯t know until now that these wolves could run with such high speeds.

    Shao Xuan was worried about Caesar, because if he fought against the wolves he had a slim chance to win and escape.

    Lang Ga said Caesar did not hold a grudge, but Shao Xuan believed Caesar still remembered. As to how much Caesar remembered, Shao Xuan did not know.

    While chasing, Shao Xuan looked in the direction of the wolves and thought of something.

    Between the first holdout and the second one, there was a remote area near a mountain, where ferocious beasts seldom appeared, Lang Ga and Shao Xuan had set up traps there.

    During the hunting period they might encounter some troubles, so they set up some traps in remote areas to handle such situations. If they encountered some ferocious beasts and other beasts that were difficult to handle, members of the hunting group would go to the trap zone, where those traps served as obstacles to the beasts, so they were given more time to escape.

    It was Lang Ga that initially set those traps,ter Shao Xuan and Lang Ga studied together to repair and even improve several of them. Those traps were set to hurt, and even kill, the ferocious beasts.

    Each time they came hunting, they had to check these trap zones. On the first day of this hunting mission, they hade to check them, and Caesar had watched them.

    Many beasts stayed away from the ces where the wolves often appeared, and some ferocious beasts there were afraid of getting into trouble and avoided confronting the wolves. This also facilitated Shao Xuan in catching up with the wolves.

    Screams could be hearding from the trap zone.

    Shao Xuan sped up again.

    When Shao Xuan arrived there, he saw the thorn pit, a wolf was lying in there.

    The thorns did not pierce it deeply, but the harder it struggled to leave, the deeper the thorns went into its body. More and more blood was flowing out. As the thorns went deeper, it became weaker and weaker, because the thorns were smeared with a kind of herb juice that had an anesthetic effect. If no one took the thorn out, it would not take long for it to die. Shao Xuan did not care about it and just left.

    Not far from the pit, a wolf was hanging in the air with a rope tied around its neck. The harder it struggled to leave, the tighter the rope became. This kind of rope was very strong because it was specially soaked in animal blood and herb essence. The hanging wolf struggled to bite the rope but failed again and again. When Shao Xuan saw it, its neck was deformed a little.

    When Shao Xuan passed by, he cut it with his knife, so it no longer struggled.

    A dead or a struggling wolf could be seen in the pits,ssos,s and even near the knife piles. All of these wolves had spots close to their backs.

    On his way chasing the wolves, Shao Xuan cut those struggling wolves with his sword. If he didn¡¯t have time to cut them, he threw a needle or a dart in order to kill them. If they weren¡¯t killed, they might just suffer excessively.

 Chapter 127 â€“ The Wound

    Chapter 127 ¨C The Wound

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The trap zone was not veryrge, but many wolves were trapped in there. As Shao Xuan passed by, he found there were at least seven trapped or dead wolves in the traps.

    Obviously, the pack of wolves, in the pursuit of Caesar, did not think that Caesar would bring them to such a ce.

    When Caesar ran past here, they had no time to react. They saw Caesar run past safely, so they naturally did not think that there was so much potential danger.

    Usually, not so many wolves would be trapped, because the experienced animals in the woods had an intuition which allowed them to make instinctual judgment to avoid the traps, like the wolves with a lot of hunting experience. Their failure today was just idental, for they focused on chasing Ceasar and didn¡¯t have a second thought.

    Passing the trap zone, Shao Xuan continued chasing them following the traces.

    Not far from the trap zone, there was a natural tar pit, which was thergest one in the first location of their hunting route. Every day, many animals would be trapped inside, both walking and flying ones.

    Shao Xuan had even seen an ox trapped in the pit. It was stuck in the pit, which attracted many carnivorous animals rushing to the pit. As a result, all of them sank into the pit.

    No one knew how many bones there were in this tar pit.

    There was also a small tar pit near the tribe. Shao Xuan had seen some people take the tar from the pit to build roofs. But for security, there were always some people in the tribe responsible for guarding it.

    In thisrge tar pit, Shao Xuan saw two wolves caught inside. One third of their legs had been stuck in the pit. They tried to get out, but failed. If no one helped them out, they would gradually sink down to the bottom, like those who had sank down before for more than thousands of years. At the bottom of the pit, they would not be eaten by scavengers, so their bones would be well preserved. In the distant future, their bones might be discovered or be buried forever.

    In general, shrewd animals rarely came close to here. Those who came here might be not very clever, neers, or greedy predators.

    The border of this piece of tar pit looked ck, but in fact, not every corner there could swallow people or animals. The hunting group was more familiar with this ce. They had passed through from there before, and sometimes, in order to avoid some troublesome beasts or ferocious beasts, they took it as shelter. The path was so narrow thatrge ferocious beasts simply could not pass through.

    Shao Xuan brought Caesar here once, and unexpectedly, he remembered this ce. Some footprints here belonged to him and the others were from the other wolves.

    Caesar was clever, so were some other wolves.

    However, two wolves were still trapped inside.

    The wolves had just arrived here, they were not familiar with this ce. But they might have seen a tar pit in their former territory. Their intuition told them that it was very dangerous here, but they didn¡¯t know where to go.

    Shao Xuan found some footprints around the pit, which showed that some wolves had made a detour. Those wolves that didn¡¯t make a detour but followed Caesar got stuck.

    Making a detour would take too much time, so Shao Xuan directly crossed the tar pit area and didn¡¯t pay any attention to the two wolves that sank deeper and deeper into the pit.

    ording to some traces, Caesar had gotten rid of most of the wolves, and killed almost ten of them after he passed the trap zone and the tar pit area.

    This wolf pack consisted of thirty members, and suddenly the number of its members was reduced by one third.

    If the wolves were timid, they would probably have given up chasing after Caesar. However, it was obvious that the wolves were cruel and vengeful enough to try to keep up with Caesar. Until now, only about three or four were able to keep up with him, and Shao Xuan met several halfway.

    Staying with Shao Xuan, Caesar learned how to trick others into the the traps and the tar pit, and how to provoke the ferocious beasts in their territories. What¡¯s more, he knew how to turn the wolves chasing him into scapegoats.

    The new wolf pack was not familiar with this ce. This is why it was at a disadvantage.

    But Shao Xuan was worried that Caesar might be injured now. In his pursuit of them, he found some blood on the ground. The blood might have been from either the wolves or Caesar. Shao Xuan needed to find him as soon as possible to confirm whether he was injured.

    While running, Shao Xuan suddenly heard a cry from the woods.

    Many birds in the woods were flying away while some small beasts were running out of the woods.

    A giant bear!

    In addition, Shao Xuan also heard some wolf howls. It was a cry from the other wolves rather than Caesar.

    This giant bear was more difficult to deal withpared with the four-fanged boar. Though it looked bulky, it ran very quickly, so the hunting group stayed far away from it.

    The hunting group had encountered the giant bear several times, and had been chased by it. When they met it, they often ran to the tar pit to trap it. However, it wasn¡¯t stupid, so it stopped at the edge of the area and then walked slowly around it, roaring and staring at them with rage. It seemed to tell them: ¡°I¡¯ll eat you, sooner orter!¡±

    Now, in order to defeat the wolves, Caesar even provoked the giant bear, possibly having dug his own grave.

    Shao Xuan looked grave and rushed over.

    The giant bear continued to roar, and soon, Shao Xuan saw the erect huge figure, exposing its fangs, and roaring towards a ce on the ground.

    In the direction of the giant bear¡¯s line of sight, Shao Xuan saw four wolves. Among them, the clearly bigger one was the head. Only four wolves managed to follow him here, because some wolves got stuck in the traps or the pit, and others were left behind.

    These four wolves, including the head wolf, had blood dripping from their mouths.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan did not find Caesar. There was a wolf with spotted patterns next to the giant bear, whose neck had been bitten by the giant bear.

    The head wolf looked reluctant to give up and still roared towards the giant bear, exposing its fangs. The giant bear was irritated, the wolves who lived here before didn¡¯t dare to provoke it in its territory. It was annoyed by the hunting group which hunted in its territory, but each time, it failed to catch any of them. This time it only found several strange wolves.

    Roaring again, the giant bear vented its anger.

    The situation was bad for the head wolf, so it had to give up chasing, and turned around to run away. The other three hastened to keep up with the bear.

    The giant bear, with its four limbs on the ground, chased the head wolf immediately. Shao Xuan knew its temper, and guessed it would probably chase the head wolf for a while before it came back.

    After the wolves and giant bear left, Shao Xuan jumped from the tree to carefully identify the smell in the air.

    There were some animals killed by the giant bear, and the smell of blood was so strong that some scavengers were poised to act.

    Shao Xuan looked around and then shifted to his other vision. The surrounding green grass and trees disappeared. All he could see were the shadows of trees, stones, as well as some animal skeletons.

    Fixing his eyes on one ce, Shao Xuan walked over there quickly.

    Shifting to his normal vision, Shao Xuan walked in front of some nts with huge leaves. Under some oveppingrge leaves, some blood flowed out.

    Pushing aside the leaves, Shao Xuan saw Caesar lying under the leaves.

    Caesar was in a bad situation. With his special sight, Shao Xuan found that he had several bone fractures. In addition to the fractures, he had some bites, two of which were deep, whererge pieces of meat was bitten off so the blood kept flowing out.

    Some blood was flowing out of his mouth, so his internal organs might also be damaged.

    Shao Xuan at once took out the herbal package which contained some herb powders. He sprinkled the powder on Caesar¡¯s wounds.

    The powder was soon soaked by his blood.

    Doing this still wouldn¡¯t save him. If it had been in his former life, he would have taken him to get first aid. But now in such a ce, Shao Xuan could do nothing more to save him with his limited herbs.

    Caesar would soon take hisst breath if Shao Xuan failed to do something more to save him. He felt that it became difficult for Caesar to breathe.

    Aware of Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival, Caesar opened his eyes and intended to rise, but Shao Xuan quickly stopped him.

    ¡°Hey buddy, don¡¯t move. You¡¯ll worsen the injuries.¡±

    A minor move sped up the flow of his blood, which dripped to the ground with the powder.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Caesar stopped struggling to get up, andyed on the ground. He moved his head to touch Shao Xuan¡¯s hand with his nose, humming.

    ¡°Ssh, don¡¯t cry.¡± Shao Xuan gently touched Caesar¡¯s head.

    Although Caesar didn¡¯t cry, Shao Xuan could see sorrow from his eyes, probably because he knew he was in a bad condition.

    Their waiting didn¡¯t help.

    Could he bring Caesar back to the cave? It was impossible.

    Because Caesar got injured so severely that he wouldn¡¯t withstand the shocks along the way. What¡¯s worse, it would take such a long time and he might die on the way.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan took out another herbal package which wasn¡¯t for external application. He put the herbal leaves in Caesar¡¯s mouth, but Caesar was too weak to chew.

    Shao Xuan, without dy, smashed the herbs with the knife¡¯s back and poured it into the water gourd. Then he mixed it with water to pour it into Caesar¡¯s mouth. He did not know whether the herb would work but he had to try.

    After feeding the herb to Caesar, Shao Xuan touched Caesar¡¯s head, and said, ¡°Hold on, buddy. I¡¯ll be back.¡±

    He put down the big leaves to hide Caesar, so that those scavengers would not notice him as there was still much food left by the giant bear.

    Shao Xuan picked up a few sticks and rattan grass to make a simple stretcher nearby, and then came back to put Caesar on it. He carried the stretcher and left.

    There was a veryrge tree nearby, and Shao Xuan nned to put Caesar on the tree first. The giant bear would soone back, so they couldn¡¯t stay there for a long time. In addition, it gradually became dark, so the tree might be a rtively safe ce for them.

    Shao Xuan found a long strong rattan to tie the stretcher. Then he stood on a branch to pull the other end of the rattan over the top of another branch in order to draw Caesar up to the tree.

    When Shao Xuan pulled Caesar up, the giant bear returned after chasing the wolves and saw a group of scavengers eating its prey. The giant bear roared angrily and rushed over to tear some beasts into pieces. The rest left instantly.

    Making sure that no other animals were nearby, the giant bear began to continue gnawing its prey.

 Chapter 128 â€“ Engraving and branding

    Chapter 128 ¨C Engraving and branding

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The light of the sun gradually disappeared, and two moons emerged above the woods.

    Some nocturnal animals became active, while most of the birds flew back to their nests.

    Above the bough where Shao Xuan was in, there were many nests, but he avoided provoking those birds.

    These birds seemed not sorge, and looked attractive. But in fact, they were very dangerous, because they flocked to prey on animals that were seriously injured or had just died.

    Due to a fight among the birds, a bird fell from its nest to the bough where Shao Xuan stood.

    Turning over and shaking its wings, the bird looked at Shao Xuan.

    At night, its eyesight was not so good, but its sense of smell was good enough to find the smell of Caesar¡¯s blood, and it also felt Caesar¡¯s weakness.

    The bird was about to fly back to its nest, but changed its mind to rush towards Caesar. Its open mouth exposed its dense fangs. Its beak with saw-like edge helped it scrape of pieces of meat with just a bite.

    When the bird flew over, Shao Xuan quickly stepped forward and stabbed the bird with the stone knife in his right hand quickly.

    The bird was so excited by the smell of blood that itpletely ignored Shao Xuan. It suddenly realised death wasing.

    The next moment, it was pierced by Shao Xuan¡¯s stone knife.

    Shao Xuan no longer looked at the bird and threw the stone knife with the bird to the trunk.

    On the trunk, there was a hole emitting shing green light.

    When Shao Xuan threw the bird towards the trunk, many open mouths instantly appeared in the tree hole, swallowed the birdpletely, and then retreated back to the hole. The green light continued shing to attract some of the flying night insects, and then the open mouths ate them.

    That was some kind of a tree insect living in the tree. They looked no different from other insects in the daytime, but at night, they emitted light to lure their prey.

    Many birds in the tree were still covetously staring at Caesar. If Caesar was left alone here, he would be eaten, and only bones would be left within several minutes. These birds were inactive at night, but would still take actions to capture and eat their prey. They would not miss any weak animals.

    Shao Xuan stayed awake, because in the woods, it was only a little safer for them to stay in the tree in the evening. There was still a lot of danger in the tree, so he had to be vignt.

    When Shao Xuan was looking for some rattan vines to make a stretcher, he had also found a few herbs to treat Caesar, but they were not effective. As time went by, little by little, Caesar got worse and worse.

    After all, Caesar was not a totem warrior. If he had the resilience of a totem warrior, he would be able survive for some time longer. Totem warriors had an ability to heal, which allowed them to stay alive longer so that they could be sent back to the tribe.

    However, Caesar was just an ordinary wolf, and his inherent situation determined that he couldn¡¯t be a stronger beast or a ferocious beast in a short time. In terms of physical quality, he was even worse than most wolves of the new wolf pack.

    His ability to heal was limited, which Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t change.

    Thinking about this, Shao Xuan sighed with sadness. After all, he had kept Caesar since he came to this world.

    For more than two years¡­

    An idea suddenly hit Shao Xuan.

    The ability to heal?

    Yes, the ability to heal!

    It was possible to improve Caesar¡¯s ability to heal as long as Caesar could be a ferocious beast from amon one. Even if he failed to be a ferocious beast, he would survive a bit longer with an increased healing ability.

    A way to make Caesar a ferocious beast in a short time was the profound craft of engraving and branding, recorded in the ancient volumes!

    ording to the old saying, for using the profound craft of engraving and branding, there were strict requirements. Caesar met some of the requirements: First, he could apany the hunting group. And second, he was loyal. Even though Caesar failed to satisfy all the requirements put forward by the ancestors, Shao Xuan still decided to try.

    Shao Xuan was not sure whether the profound craft of engraving and branding would work. That was why he didn¡¯t impose it on Caesar before, but now, besides that, he had no other option.

    If he tried, he might seed or fail. If he failed, Caesar would not see the sun tomorrow. Otherwise Caesar would survive.

    If he didn¡¯t try, Caesar would die without doubt.

    ¡°Hey, buddy.¡± Shao Xuan touched Caesar¡¯s head and said, ¡°There is a way that may save you, if it works, you will be more powerful, and even a ferocious beast. Otherwise, you have to say goodbye to this world.¡±

    Caesar opened his eyes, and wanted to touch Shao Xuan¡¯s hand with his nose, but he was too weak. He only looked at Shao Xuan.

    The branches were waving in the evening breeze, and some slight moonlight shining through the the gaps of the leaves reflected in Caesar¡¯s eyes. The light made this pair of wolf eyes look a bit terrifying, like two shing lights. In the woods, many animals¡¯ eyes looked like this at night.

    Shao Xuan was not scared, and raised his hand to touch Caesar¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good, you agree. Old Ke is still at home waiting for you, and many cubs in the tribe are waiting for you to teach them. Without you, they may be cooked soon. The wolves that exterminated your tribe are still alive, and do you not still want to take revenge?¡±

    The profound craft of engraving and branding depended on both the wish of the performer and the recipient. If the recipient was willing to ept, the sess possibility would be greater. Otherwise, the possibility of failure was stronger. Even if it worked, it might create a rebellious ferocious beast. That was why the ancestors preferred to choose loyal ones.

    Caesar¡¯s present state was not suitable to perform the profound craft of engraving and branding, so in order to make the possibility of sess stronger, Shao Xuan was arousing his desire to survive.

    The potential in the desperate situation was unpredictable. That¡¯s why there were some sayings such as fighting back in a desperate situation, and being reborn from the ashes.

    After talking to Caesar for a while, Shao Xuan no longer hesitated to take actions. He should start now while Caesar is still conscious.

    He made a simple fence with rattan to prevent the interference of other small beasts.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know what changes the profound craft of engraving and branding would bring in the end, but he was willing to take a risk to have a chance this time.

    Shao Xuan put the stone knife in his left hand, and then squatted to raise the right hand in front of Caesar.

    After carefully recalling the record in the ancient volumes, as well as his usual practice, Shao Xuan began to mobilize the power of inheritance in his body.

    In his sea of consciousness, from the bottom of the totem me to the two horns, the blue me gradually increased. A trace of blue separated from it.

    At the same time, under Shao Xuan¡¯s right palm, the blue threads began to form two horns. The horns were not the two-dimensional pattern, but the three-dimensional totem shape. They were much smaller than that of the me pit in the tribe, it was the size of a walnut.

    The two horns gradually formed. When they were well depicted, some blue me began to surround them, and over the blue me, a red me began to appear.

    During this process, Shao Xuan did not dare to have the slightest carelessness and make a small mistake, which might cause failure in the engraving and branding, and the totem shape would scatter. When the red me finally appeared and stabilized, Shao Xuan felt slightly relieved, which proved the formation of the totem shaped by the power of inheritance. But this was just the beginning.

    After the engraving step was finished, Shao Xuan started the ¡®branding¡¯ step.

    After sessfully engraving the totem, Shao Xuan moved his palm to brand it on Caesar¡¯s forehead.

    The totem moved with Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. When he touched Caesar, it was not immediately branded on Caesar. Though Shao Xuan felt the resistance in his hand, he did not worry, for it was recorded in the ancient volumes that there would be a lot of resistance in the step of branding. After all, Caesar was not a member of this tribe, and he was not a human either, so there would naturally be some resistance.

    Without a pause, Shao Xuan continued slowly branding the totem. He could brand it neither too quickly nor too slowly. The speed must be controlled by him ording to his intuition, because it was not recorded in the ancient volumes.

    As Shao Xuan¡¯s palm pressed down, the two horns totem was slowly branded into Caesar¡¯s head.

    With his palm attached to Caesar¡¯s head, Shao Xuan finished branding, but did not immediately pull back his hand. He helped guide the flow of the totem power inside Caesar.

    Caesar was still conscious, and began to follow Shao Xuan¡¯s guidance

    to mobilize this emerging power.

    He knew what it was, he felt it during the tribe¡¯s ritual at the end of every winter. He was fearfully avoided it twice before, but now he found it close and familiar.

    When Caesar¡¯s consciousness began to dominate, Shao Xuan drew back his hand.

    He wiped away the sweat on his forehead, and nced around. If some beasts or ferocious beasts had attacked them, they would have failed. It was fortunate that no beasts took actions.

    Looking at Caesar lying on the bough, Shao Xuan knew that was all he could do for the whole process. The rest depended on Caesar himself. If he could master and ept this ability, he will seed. Otherwise, he will die due to his serious injuries soon.

    Shao Xuan soon found Caesar trembling more and more violently. His body began to twitch.

    Puff!

    Caesar spit out blood, and the blood spilled all over Shao Xuan.

    Kaka!

    Kaka!

    With a burst of brittle bones, Caesar swelled up as he was supported by his bones. His fur looked as if it was attached to his bones so he looked skinny.

    What happened?!

    Shao Xuan looked at this change with great shock.

    Such a change was not recorded in the ancient volumes, which only mentioned that after the fusion of the hound and the totem, the hound would grow into a stronger beast than others of its kind, and even be a ferocious beast in a short period of time. A short period of time didn¡¯t refer to several minutes or hours, but dozens of days!

    But now, only a few minutes after the craft was performed, Caesar began to change.

    Shao Xuan did not know whether he would change like what the ancestors had said, for there were no detailed records.

    Shao Xuan had been paying attention to Caesar¡¯s state, whose fractured bones had reshaped and had be much bigger. His two severe wounds had stopped bleeding, you could see bones in one wound.

    Although his changes went beyond Shao Xuan¡¯s expectation, and differed from the records in the ancient volumes, Shao Xuan could feel Caesar¡¯s vitality be stronger. The change of his vitality was not as obvious as that of his appearance, but such change was indeed a good sign.

    Those birds above that stared at Shao Xuan and Caesar, and waited for the opportunity to attack them, retreated to their nests. They no longer looked below, and all of them became as timid as quails.

    In the tree hole, the tree insect emitting green light climbed deeper inside, and its light became bleaker.

 Chapter 129 â€“ The Mutation

    Chapter 129 ¨C The Mutation

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It was a peaceful night. A few ferocious beasts quietly walked past the tree. They probably smelled Caesar¡¯s blood so they looked up the tree. Then they swaggered away without doing anything threatening.

    In the hole of the trunk, the insect no longer came out. Even when a flying insect flew to the tree hole, it no longer stretched out to open its mouth.

    Shao Xuan guessed it was the profound craft that kept the other animals away, just like what happened with the tribal ceremony. Now, even though there was no me, no ferocious beasts or other beasts attacked them, which might not be a coincidence.

    In spite of knowing this, Shao Xuan still kept vignt for the whole night.

    In the early morning, the two moons gradually disappeared in the sky.

    The birds in the tree had been twittering actively.

    When the sunlight shone through the leaves, the birds that had stayed in the nests above Shao Xuan had already left.

    Caesar¡¯s wounds had stopped bleeding, the scabs there looked a bit horrible, but in fact, the wounds were healing up.

    Lying on the bough, Caesar breathed steadily and did not wake up. Hearing his breath gradually be louder, Shao Xuan felt reassured temporarily. He also examined the broken bones in Caesar¡¯s body, and found they now had recovered without even any traces of fracture.

    Were these good changes brought by the profound craft?

    Shao Xuan stood still for a moment in the tree, and listened carefully. He heard the sound of a wood whistle, so he guessed the hunting group was looking for them. He quickly took out his wood whistle and blew it ording to their rhythm, which sounded like birdsong in the woods.

    After a while, Mai came over with the others, looking for them.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    When Mai saw Shao Xuan standing in the tree, he finally felt relieved.

    The sight of Caesar shocked Mai.

    ¡°How did he get injured so seriously¡­¡± Mai didn¡¯t continue because he became distracted.

    No!

    ¡°He¡­ he is¡­¡±

    Pointing at Caesar lying there, Mai stuttered with doubts in his eyes.

    ¡°Is he¡­Caesar?¡± Lang Ga went forward to look at him carefully. ¡°He was not sorge yesterday. Why do I feel he grew up overnight?¡±

    The others who came with Mai also nodded, ncing at Caesar constantly.

    ¡°He was injured yesterday, and experienced some changes.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°But he has changed a lot.¡± Lang Ga muttered.

    However, they shouldn¡¯t talk about this at this moment. Their priority was leaving here and going back to the cave.

    Mai and the others hadn¡¯t gone back and kept vignt for the whole night. At dawn, they continued looking for Shao Xuan, so they didn¡¯t sleep.

    Looking at their faces wrought with obvious fatigue, Shao Xuan felt very sorry.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Mai waved his hand, and said ¡°Go back first.¡±

    Although he would like to beat Shao Xuan here, he knew the priority was going back to the cave, for those waiting for them in the cave hadn¡¯t slept either.

    Shao Xuan put Caesar down slowly from the tree with the stretcher, for

    Caesar hadn¡¯t woken up.

    Yesterday, the stretcher fitted him well, but today, when Caesar was put on it again, the stretcher was so small that half of his head and tail exceeded the edge of the stretcher.

    Mai and the others picked him up under the tree. After they put down the stretcher, they said, ¡°He became much heavier.¡±

    ¡°He became bigger and thinner.¡± A middle-aged man next to Mai whispered.

    Caesar was raised very well, and he never got thin, even when he went hunting with the hunting group, different from those starving beasts in the woods. But now, Caesar looked skinny and even appalling.

    With the help of Mai and the others, Shao Xuan found it much easier to

    carry the stretcher to bring Caesar back to the cave.

    People staying in the cave of the first holdout did not sleep well. Qiao and the others had waited for them at the entrance for the whole night. All of them were very anxious. The return of Mai and Shao Xuan with all the other members reassured them.

    ¡°It is good that all of you came back safely.¡± Qiao looked at those who had just returned. After carefully looking at Shao Xuan, she found he wasn¡¯t hurt, and then she smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to worry everyone.¡± Said Shao Xuan, admitting that his leaving without saying a word was a mistake.

    ¡°That¡¯s all right.¡± Qiao intended to ask them about what happened yesterday, with her eyes fixed on the stretcher. She first guessed Caesar got injured, and then she found something unusual.

    ¡°Go inside first.¡± Mai carried the stretcher to the cave.

    Shao Xuan settled Caesar down and asked for some drugs to treat Caesar¡¯s wounds.

    When applying the drugs to Caesar, Shao Xuan briefly told everyone what happened to him after he left them.

    The surrounding people were shocked by Shao Xuan¡¯s words, especially Lang Ga.

    Swallowing his saliva, Lang Ga thought it was unbelievable, and questioned, ¡°The trap zone? Caesar led the wolves to the trap zone!¡±

    He didn¡¯t feel it was a pity that his traps were destroyed, but felt shocked that Caesar could trick his opponents with the traps.

    ¡°In addition, he also led them to the tar pit.¡± Said Shao Xuan. Standing next to him, Lang Ga could not help scratching his arm, and felt very horrified.

    Since they went hunting, they always thought that only human beings could use the trap to defeat the beasts and ferocious beasts. It was unexpected that the animals could also do this. In the past, this was absolutely unimaginable.

    ¡°Why does Caesar look¡­¡±

    ¡°He mutated.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    To a certain extent, Caesar¡¯s change was a mutation.

    ¡°Mutation?¡± Lang Ga didn¡¯t understand this word.

    ¡°That is to say, Caesar may have be close to a ferocious beast, or evenpletely a ferocious beast.¡± Shao Xuan exined it briefly and directly.

    Everyone was astonished.

    This beast in the group had drawn much discussion from them, and now Shao Xuan told them that this beast changed into a ferocious beast.

    A ferocious beast!

    That was a giant leap.

    Were they about to go hunting with a ferocious beast?

    That sounded¡­disconcerting but also exciting.

    ¡°It depends. Let¡¯s have a look when Caesar wakes up.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Well, since that none of us had a good sleep yesterday, let¡¯s take a break today and go hunting tomorrow.¡± Said Mai.

    Shao Xuany down against the wall, next to Caesar. He took out the fire crystal given by the Shaman from the animal skin bag when everyone didn¡¯t pay attention to him.

    He had spent a lot of the totem power on the profound craftst night. He concentrated on engraving and branding, and after having finished, he had to stay vignt. Shao Xuan was so tired that he grasped the fire crystal to recover his power.

    The fire crystal was originally red as fire, but the color became light, which was not very obvious, but Shao Xuan found it.

    This change was not so obvious, but the power released by the fire crystal was enough for at least three warriors

    It was unexpected that its power had been unconsciously consumed so much.

    The profound craft was power-consuming, he should be more cautious in using it.

    When Shao Xuan and the others took a rest in the cave, Mai led a few people to the trap zone.

    In the trap zone, there were indeed several dead wolves which had been gnawed by other beasts and scavengers. Only bloody bones were left, because the smell of blood had attracted some animals.

    ¡°That is true¡­¡± Said Mai with wide open eyes after he took closer looks at a few traps.

    ¡°Ah Xuan did not lie.¡±

    ¡°Well, Caesar ¡­ really knows how to trap others.¡±

    Not only Mai and his wife Qiao, but also the others who came with them, thought that if the cubs in the tribe changed like Caesar, they would¡­

    ¡°Mai, that would help us a lot!¡± Said Qiao.

    ¡°Their help may change the hunting group!¡±

    They still had some concerns. If those cubs grew up, would they betray the group? However, since the Shaman had agreed, it must be a good thing.

    The members of the hunting group had a simple mindset. Even though they had many other ideas, they believed it was absolutely right as long as the Shaman agreed.

    Yes. All they had to do was to follow the Shaman¡¯s words!

    After figuring it out, Mai and the others felt more relieved. Several other people even thought about how to persuade Mai to catch cubs for his twins, and ask Shao Xuan to train them.

    Mai didn¡¯t say yes or no.

    In the evening, everyone by the bonfire discussed the training of the cubs in the tribe in the future.

    Suddenly, lying next to Shao Xuan, Caesar moved.

    Lang Ga, nearest to Shao Xuan, also found Caesar move, so he went to have a look immediately.

    ¡°Ah , Caesar is waking up?¡±

    Ready to look at him carefully, Lang Ga lowered his head. When he saw his eyes, he was dumbfounded.

    Lang Ga felt like he fell into a pool of ice-cold water, a chill rushed over his scalp. All his muscles became tight, and his smile was wry. His veins in the arms stood out. He fought against his impulse of cutting him with his stone sword.

    Caesar¡¯s eyes were feral, cruel, and cold. Lang Ga saw such eyes in the woods every day.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Asked the others who came.

    Lang Ga opened his mouth, intending to tell everyone not toe closer. But he soon found the pair of eyes be gentler. When he looked at him again, he believed he was still the wolf familiar to him.

    He was Caesar. Not a ferocious beasts from the woods.

    When Shao Xuan came to check Caesar¡¯s wounds, Lang Ga moved his cold hands with a wry smile, and said, ¡°Nothing special. It¡¯s good that Caesar has woken up.¡±

    After waking up, Caesar slowly stood up and walked around in the cave.

    ¡°Why do I feel nervous every time Caesar approaches?¡± Said Tu to the people next to him.

    ¡°Me¡­ Me too¡­¡± Said Jie Ba also.

    Shao Xuan cut some meat left in the cave for Caesar.

    Caesar¡¯s appetite became much bigger, he still looked hungry after eating half a deer, as if he was not full. But there was not much food in the cave, so he didn¡¯t continue eating.

    The next day, the hunting group was ready to continue hunting. The skinny Caesar followed them.

    ¡°Why not let him rest for another few days?¡± Mai asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, he is fine.¡±

    Caesar was moving without hesitation. It seemed like he was looking forward to it, and could not help rushing into the woods. The sight of this made Mai no longer reject hispany.

    The pack of wolves was not seen near the giant-antler deer herd, so the

    hunting group nned to get more deer.

    They drove away the deer herd and aimed at the stray deer.

    ¡°That one!¡± Shouted Lang Ga, he intended to let Caesar drive the deer to him, only to see a dark gray figure sh across and rush to the deer.

    Bang!

    The deer and the dark gray figure fell down together.

    When Lang Ga looked at them again, he found the deer had fallen to the ground, and Caesar was biting its neck.

 Chapter 130 â€“ The Head Wolf

    Chapter 130 ¨C The Head Wolf

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The day before yesterday, Caesar had been badly hit by an old giant-antler deer, but today he could throw a younger one on the ground.

    His speed and power shown just now were more than those of two days ago.

    Ka!

    That giant-antler deer no longer moved after a crisp sound was heard.

    Caesar then loosened its neck and took a breath, the deer blood dripped from his fangs as he ran on the ground. Because of his hunting the deer, his eyes were still filled with violence, and he seemed to be very excited.

    Looking at Caesar, Lang Ga and the others didn¡¯t dare to say anything, let alone order him to drive the stray deer.

    Although Caesar could move without difficulty, he was still a little weak. After taking a breath, he opened his mouth to bite the deer¡¯s neck again, and then dragged it to Shao Xuan.

    Mai and the others witnessed this scene in fear.

    He had just thrown the deer on the ground, and what was he doing now? Even though Caesar became bigger,pared to the adult giant-antler deer, he was still much smaller. But at the moment, he was dragging the deer to Shao Xuan, step by step.

    ording to the speed and power that Caesar had shown just now, Mai and the others looked at one another, and came to a conclusion.

    He became a ferocious beast!

    Perhaps he was inferior to the ferocious beasts like the four-fanged wild boar, but he was still a ferocious beast.

    Mai and the others knew that Caesar was not malicious, but looking at him dragging the deer step by step past them, inevitably made them nervous. All of their muscles were tight, and they also found Caesar¡¯s breath full of the smell of deer blood.

    He killed it in a very bloody manner.

    This was what a ferocious beast was like.

    They might defeat the beasts without difficulty, but when confronting ferocious beasts, they never dared to underestimate them and always stayed vignt. They never thought that they would be so close with a ferocious beast.

    After putting the dead deer down in front of Shao Xuan, Caesar began to help others to hunt. He had hunted one, so now he nned to not kill the prey again but only help them drive the stray deer.

    At first, everyone was still very nervous, but they devoted themselves to the mission as soon as they started hunting.

    In the past, Caesar had had difficulty in driving those stray deer. Sometimes, those deers¡¯ eyes were filled with indifference. But they had also been attacked by the wolves simr to Caesar many times, so it was inevitable that they were scared of the wolves. That was why sometimes they turned around and ran away at the sight of Caesar.

    But now, after witnessing Caesar¡¯s killing of a young adult deer, they were frightened by him, especially those stray deer ran away as fast as possible without hesitation at the sight of Caesar.

    Caesar could easily defeat the deer besides those with giant antlers. Fortunately, they seldom left the group, for they had to protect their cubs. As long as the number of killed deer was eptable, they would not turn up.

    While dragging their prey back to the cave, people in the hunting group still had mixed feelings.

    In the past, it was unimaginable that humans went hunting with the help of a ferocious beast.

    However, their group had been the first to go hunting with a beast, and now was the first to go with a ferocious beast.

    The thought of this was a little exciting.

    Mai also talked with Qiao in private about whether to catch two cubs for Ah-Yang and his younger sister,Ah-Guang, to let them train them. However, they refused Mai¡¯s advice. They said that after they improved their strength, they would catch the cubs on their own.

    ¡°To catch a strong one.¡± Ah-Guang said.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ah-Yang agreed and said, ¡°As obedient as Caesar!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Not a bald boar like the one Mao keeps!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Listening to their talk, Mai shook his head, smiled and said, ¡°Not every beast can¡­experience variation.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not tell them about the profound craft, he thought that it should be the Shaman that should work out how to exin it, instead of him. So he should discuss that with the Shaman when he returns to the tribe.

    The day before the hunting group left for the second location, Caesar left them for a while, but Shao Xuan did not follow him. When Caesar came back again, he was slightly injured, and there was a lot of blood on his fur, most of it was not Caesar¡¯s. In Caesar¡¯s mouth, there was a wolf bitten by the neck, being dragged back by him.

    ¡°This is¡­the head wolf of the pack?!¡± Mai looked at the patterns of the dead wolf, and spoke with great surprise.

    ¡°It looks like the head wolf.¡± Said Lang Ga as he nced at it.

    ¡°Did Caesar massacre the wolf pack?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Maybe he did.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, there are no more wolves in this ce temporarily, right?¡±

    Whether Caesar massacred that wolf pack, or just killed the head wolf, it was good for the hunting group. At least the threat of the wolf pack was gone. They really did not want to confront such a brutal wolf pack.

    Caesar dragged the wolf in front of Shao Xuan and put it down, looking at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This is your prey. First, go with the group and put it in the storage cave. When I go back, I will peel the skin off to keep your den warm.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Caesar seemed satisfied with Shao Xuan¡¯s advice. He put it down, and no longer looked at it, lying down to take a rest. Scabs had formed on his wounds, so no drugs were needed.

    As soon as Caesar left, several young warriors, including Ah-Yang, his sister, Tu, and Jie Ba, came to look at the rare dead wolf. They did not dare to go close to a living wolf, but they were not afraid of a dead one, and this one still looked ferocious at the moment.

    Just like Mao with the Thorn ck Wind, these young warriors were curious about the head wolf. They touched it from the fangs to the ws, and spoke highly of it.

    ¡°It is worthy of being a head wolf! Look at its fang and its ws!¡±

    ¡°Brother Xuan, will Caesar be a head wolf in the future?¡± Ah Yang and his sister looked at Shao Xuan and asked.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Would the wolf kept as apany by a hunting group be a head? Everyone shook their heads.

    However, there were many¡­cubs in the tribe.

    Maybe he would really be a leader!

    But they did not know how long to wait.

    The following hunts were much easier than usual thanks to the help of Caesar. Mai and the others felt less stressful for there being many young warriors in the group. The more helpful assistants, the more chance for them to seed in getting their prey.

    And when this hunting mission was finished, the hunting group returned to the tribe along the hunting route. Walking past the hunting area of the first location, they no longer saw any wolfs with spotted pattern on their backs.

    That wolf pack might have disappeared in the woods.

    As the days went by, although Caesar still looked very thin, he was no longer as skinny as he was when he had just woken up. With the passage of time, he would get better.

    Caesar¡¯s daily food was his prey, and he ate so much that Shao Xuan could not provide enough food for him, but fortunately, he had hunted a lot of prey to store food for himself, and brought the food back to the tribe.

    On the day when the hunting group returned to the tribe, Caesar once again aroused heated debate.

    But Shao Xuan did not talk about him too much until he was summoned by the Shaman.

    ¡°Did you use the profound craft?¡± The Shaman asked him with confidence in his eyes.

    Even if the ancestors themselves performed the craft, they had a 50 percent chance to seed. However, Shao Xuan seeded in his first try. The Shaman did not know whether his sess was because of his luck or any other factors.

    Shao Xuan could conceal the reason of Caesar¡¯s change from everyone except the Shaman, but he didn¡¯t intend to conceal it from the Shaman.

    He told the details to the Shaman, and said, ¡°His change scared me, for it differed from the records in the ancient volumes left by ancestors.¡±

    In order to confirm it, the Shaman once again carefully looked through the animal skin volumes rted to the profound craft. He didn¡¯t find any records simr to Caesar¡¯s change. It wasn¡¯t recorded that a branded hunting animal would change so rapidly in such a dramatic way.

    The effect of the profound craft seemed different from what the ancestors said.

    Then the Shaman let Shao Xuan bring Caesar to him so that he could have a closer look at him. After his careful observation, he thought that Caesar¡¯s change was much bigger than what was recorded by the ancestors. What¡¯s more, Caesar kept changing after waking up. With the passage of time, his change would be increasingly apparent, for he didn¡¯t stop growing. Sometimes, when he was active in the house, Old Ke was afraid of the walls copsing.

    ¡°If Chacha meets the requirements, I will also perform the craft on him to see if he will change.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    With the first attempt, Shao Xuan had confidence in performing the craft again sessfully. In fact, thinking about it, he found it not as difficult as recorded.

    If the Shaman knew Shao Xuan¡¯s thoughts, he probably would go to the me pond to kowtow to the ancestors. Such a talent, but why can¡¯t he be the Shaman?!

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s mention of Chacha, the Shaman did not agree with him.

    ¡°No, Chacha is different from Caesar.¡± Said the Shaman.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure of the Shaman¡¯s meaning, but before he could continue asking him about it, the Shaman started talking about other things.

    Since the craft had been sessfully performed on Caesar, then the tribe should have a good look at developing the other cubs.

    The Shaman would feel contented if even one-tenth cubs in the tribe could grow as well as Caesar.

    Gradually growing up, the cubs were not as obedient as Caesar, and none of them was easy to control, while most of the people in the tribe had a bad temper. If Shao Xuan didn¡¯t give lectures to teach them some skills in raising the cubs, they might have beaten, or even cooked the cubs.

    Saying goodbye to the Shaman, and going down the mountain, Shao Xuan saw Caesar followed by a few wolf cubs that had grown a lot. At this time next year, they would form a small wolf pack.

    When the several young people who raised the wolf cubs saw Shao Xuan, they at once came to consult with Shao Xuan. Some who had not taken it seriously before, changed their attitude after witnessing Caesar¡¯s change.

    After Shao Xuan left, the Shaman came to where the ancient volumes were stored. He opened a huge stone box, in which arge number of volumes were ced in order.

    The Shaman took out several original ancient volumes, which were rted with the profound craft.

    The Shaman thought it was time for him to reveal the things rted with the hunting animals and the profound craft.

    Taking out several animal skin volumes, the Shaman nced at the substantial volumes in the box and sighed. He then closed the stone box.

    He believed that the concealed history would gradually be revealed to everyone.

 Chapter 131 â€“ The New Route

    Chapter 131 ¨C The New Route

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    If Shao Xuan did not go hunting, every few days he would go up the mountain to hand in the animal skin volumes that the Shaman asked him to draw.

    This time, Shao Xuan drewmon volumes, rather than the Shaman volumes.

    The Shaman nned to tell everyone that the ancestors had also kept hunting animals. In this way, he could stimte them to raise and train cubs. But some content in the ancient volumes could not be disclosed, and he would reveal the rest, which would be drawn by Shao Xuan, who had more excellent drawing skills than the others. The annotations were derived from part of the original version of the ancient volumes.

    It was much simpler to draw themon volumes, for drawing the Shaman Volumes needed the power of inheritance.

    Unexpectedly, one hundred copies of the volume with annotations were finished by Shao Xuan within ten days.

    Today, Shao Xuan took thest ten copies to the Shaman, up the mountain.

    Shao Xuan often visited the Shaman, which was not strange to those in the tribe. Moreover, the man who guarded the door for the Shaman no longer stopped him, because the Shaman had said that Shao Xuan could enter his house directly.

    ¡°These are thest ten.¡± Shao Xuan put them on the stone table in front of the Shaman to let him check whether all their contents could be released as nned.

    The Shaman quickly opened and nced at them. Then he put them aside, but did not let Shao Xuan leave right away like before.

    Shao Xuan knew that this old man had something to tell him, and would have a long talk so he sat down, waiting for what he would say next.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction made the Shaman smile. Then the smile gradually faded, and he said: ¡°Do you know what the Chief, several elders in the tribe, and I are discussing about?¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head. He knew that recently the Chief, the two team leaders, as well as several old warriors often came here together to talk with the Shaman. He guessed they discussed something important, so each time, Shao Xuan did not stay in the Shaman¡¯s house for a long time. The Shaman would tell him what he needed to know sooner orter, so Shao Xuan was not curious about it. But now, it seemed the Shaman did not intend to conceal it any longer from from him.

    The Shaman took out arge animal skin reel and unfolded it on the stone table, and said, ¡°Do you know what is in this reel?¡±

    Leaning forward, Shao Xuan nced at the drawing on the reel.

    Although some details of the drawing were omitted, something could still be seen. He said, ¡°This is the tribe, and these are the hunting routes.¡±

    The animal skin reel on the stone table was a simple map, on which only the location of the tribe and several hunting routes were painted.

    Most things in the animal skin reel were painted in ck, including the tribe and the several hunting routes, but one of them was painted in red, which was an unknown route to Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman raised his finger to point at the red route, and said, ¡°This is what we are discussing.¡±

    Staring at the route, Shao Xuan thought about it. He raised his eyebrows, looked at the Shaman, and said, ¡°Are you nning to start a new hunting route?!¡±

    The Shaman did not expect Shao Xuan to understand his n so quickly. After all, the majority in the tribe never thought about how to start a new route. Even if they saw the map, they might not consider starting a new route.

    But the Shaman was distracted for just a moment, he smiled and said, ¡°Exactly.¡±

    The number of people was growing in the tribe, but each time, only a limited number of them could go hunting. Although those warriors who had to handle the incidents of their domestic life or got injured were excluded from the list of the hunting groups, it was inevitable that some healthy people were also left behind.

    It was too wasteful.

    But it was not necessary to increase the number of people in the hunting group. The increase might have an adverse effect. In terms of hunting, the ancestors had recorded the drawbacks of too many people in the group.

    The Shaman had been considering the design of a new route for a few years. Caesar¡¯s change gave him the resolve to do so.

    If some cubs in the tribe grew up and were branded the profound craft sessfully, they would be more helpful, whose power could not be underestimated.

    It was very necessary to start a new route.

    Therefore, the Shaman asked the head, the two team leaders, as well as several respected old warriors in the tribe to have a discussion with him.

    If the Shaman did not mention the new route, the others would not adhere to it. Since the Shaman proposed it, the old warriors all felt very excited, because this would be a milestone for them.

    They respected and admired the ancestors. But they were also obedient to the Shaman. Those summoned generally supported his idea.

    A new route could not be designed overnight, and they must first finish the preparations. Most importantly, they must choose those who would be responsible to start the new route.

    After discussion, they finally decided to start the program in three years. If everything went well, they might start it in a year. If something unpredictable happened in this process, it would be dyed. If it wasn¡¯t implemented within three years, the Shaman would cancel it.

    As for the number of people who would be responsible for this program, they initially determined thirty was enough. The quality of the members was more important than the quantity. The quality here referred to theprehensive strength.

    After the initial decision, the two team leaders and old warriors went back home and told this program to their offspring secretly. They hoped that their offspring would have better performance during the next two years, so that they would have more chance to be selected to start the new route.

    They were not afraid of starting a new route. Almost everyone was very excited on hearing the news, especially those young and middle-aged warriors. They were now in good physical condition, so each time they went hunting, they had eye-catching performance. It was natural that they would do their best to be members of those who would start a new route.

    They thought starting a new hunting route just like their ancestors was a great honor, which would go down in the tribe¡¯s history. How couldn¡¯t they be excited?

    That was why recently, some people trained crazily in the training ground.

    When the Shaman finished talking about his n, he looked at Shao Xuan, who sat opposite him.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction was different from the others. As the Shaman knew, those who heard this news were all very excited, and several of them were even excited for several days, including the Chief. It was necessary for the Chief and the two team leaders to participate in this program.

    However, why was Shao Xuan so calm? Was he pessimistic about this program?

    The Shaman fixed his eyes on Shao Xuan, who was in deep thought. He was curious about what Shao Xuan was thinking about.

    Shao Xuan kept silent for a while. Then he looked up to the Shaman, instead of asking about the program, he said, ¡°Have you considered contacting the other tribes?¡±

    Shao Xuan mentioned the ¡°other tribes¡± without uncertainty. The Shaman knew that Shao Xuan was sure that the other tribes existed!

    The Shaman had fixed his mind on the program, but at the moment, he looked very serious with sharp eyes, different from the person who used to be calm. Now the Shaman looked like a sword targeted at Shao Xuan.

    At that moment, Shao Xuan almost directly jumped away. But he still stayed seated in the original ce, with the same expression on his face, and looked at the Shaman.

    The atmosphere remained tense for a long time, and then the Shaman gradually became gentle and looked like usual, but it was rare that he looked so serious.

    The Shaman no longer talked about the new route, taking a deep breath, he stared at Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, and said, ¡°How do you know?¡±

    Were there other people outside the tribe? People in the tribe had also discussed about this question privately in their spare time. They had heard rumors about the real existence of other people outside the tribe. Many in the tribe believed that only one tribe existed in the world, while some people believed that there were the other tribes, but the world was toorge for them to travel around.

    No more than five people in the tribe knew the right answer, and among them, the Shaman was undoubtedly clearest about it. After all, he could read and understand the Shaman Volumes that were passed down, and knew more than the others. However, he remembered he never showed any of the volumes about the other tribes to Shao Xuan!

    ¡°I havee from the cave near the the mountain foot. In that cave, there is a stone room whose walls had some drawings.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman felt his heart beating fast suddenly. He was not clear about whether there were drawings inside the cave. Someone once had been to the cave, but found nothing apart from some old and broken stone tools.

    ¡°The drawing is covered.¡± Said Shao Xuan, and talked about how he found the drawing, ¡°I re-coated it with ayer of stone powder when I left the hole. Until now, no one else has seen it besides me.¡±

    The Shaman felt reassured, but he was also curious about the drawing in the cave at the mountain foot, for he did not remember the relevant records.

    ¡°What are the drawings?¡± The Shaman asked.

    ¡°There are hunting animals, farnd¡­ and fine pottery¡­¡±

    ¡°And what else?¡± The Shaman continued asking.

    Shao Xuan paused for a moment and said: ¡°One day, we will return. The glory still exists. Long live the ming Horns tribe.¡±

    From the first word of this sentence that Shao Xuan said, the Shaman¡¯s hands began to tremble, which showed that he could not control his emotions.

    ¡°¡­Zan.¡± The Shaman said with a hoarse voice. In the ancient volumes, the third name in the ancestors¡¯ list was ¡°Zan¡±. The sentence Shao Xuan mentioned was also recorded.

    He no longer felt excited about starting a new route, and said with bitterness on his face, ¡°If we could go out¡­why would we start a new route!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the the Shaman, whose eyes had turned red, he almost shed tears. He could not calm down in a short time.

    After thinking about it, Shao Xuan did not tell him the records in his notebook.

    When Shao Xuan walked out of the stone house, the Shaman was still in a low mood. Originally, Shao Xuan did not intend to tell him about the drawing in the cave. He did not expect a program for a new route, so he told him about the drawing after considering it.

    It seemed that the Shaman also wanted to go out, many of our ancestors probably had also tried, but they failed.

    Well, there was still a long way to go.

    While walking, Shao Xuan suddenly heard a scream from above, and he looked up. Shao Xuan was so anxious that he might have thrown a spear at what made the noise.

    At this moment, Chacha was holding a cub which was trained by someone in the tribe, which was crying scaredly.

    ¡°Chacha,e here!!¡±

 Chapter 132 â€“ Enthusiasm rises anew

    Chapter 132 ¨C Enthusiasm rises anew

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Many of the people raising the cubs almost lost all their patience in training. Every day, when they went to bed, they always considered cooking their cubs tomorrow.

    But witnessing Caesar¡¯s change aroused some people¡¯s expectations, so they continued raising their cubs.

    Said Shao Xuan the cubs must be trained frequently, so they spared some time to train them every day. If it was inconvenient to train their cubs in the tribe, they brought them to the training grounds.

    In the woods, many cubs learned hunting skills while frolicking, such as searching, catching, throwing the prey, biting, and so on. And after being trained, some could give full y to their talents, overshadowing theirpanions, while others became more ordinary.

    However, the cubs in the tribe were all talented.

    When these people brought their cubs to the several hills around the training grounds, Chacha liked to cause trouble for them.

    Lei was training his cub to sneak ording to his orders. While he was training it, he heard a noise near him, which was caused by something flying rapidly in the air. He looked round and found his cub had disappeared.

    He raised his head and saw the eagle that Shao Xuan kept, circling above him, holding his cub. No matter how he shouted and threatened the eagle, it did not put his cub down, and even flew higher. Then it pped its wings and left.

    Chacha flew back to the tribe with Lei¡¯s cub, and came across Shao Xuan who was going down the mountain.

    Chacha never took the others¡¯ words seriously, but it did what Shao Xuan ordered it to do.

    He did not throw it down directly, because if it did so, the cub would die if Shao Xuan failed to catch it. After descending, Chacha threw the cub in his ws to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan caught it, looked at it, and recognized that it was Lei¡¯s cub.

    Shao Xuan did not know the type of this cub, but many people did not care about this in the tribe. Shao Xuan remembered that Lei named it Meng.

    Meng, at first nce, looked a bit like a hyena, but if you carefully observed it, you would find that it differed much from a hyena. It had a longer and stronger jaw, and his mouth had sharp teeth. It was some kind of carnivore which Lei¡¯s group often encountered. In terms of its habits, they were simr to wolves.

    Compared to the wolves, the animals in Meng¡¯s tribe had a more narrow and long body, with arger skull. The adult animal had powerful muscles so they ran quite fast, therefore, the hunting group was often vignt of them.

    Lei seized the chance to catch Meng when they fought the group.

    Although Meng was scared of the height, it still exposed its fangs to Chacha after being caught by Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan checked Meng, and found it was not scratched by Chacha, and had no other injuries. He guessed Chacha just wanted to scare Lei and Meng, and was just causing mischief.

    While he was checking, Lei caught up with them, tired and out of breath. When Lei looked at Chacha, he was so angry that his veins were visible on his forehead.

    Chacha could fly away directly, but Lei had to run over the mountains. There were twists and turns on his way, so it took him a lot of time to catch up with Chacha.

    Seeing Lei, Shao Xuan put Meng on the ground, who immediately ran towards him, and theny near Lei¡¯s leg, roaring towards Chacha, that was behind Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Well-trained.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Judging From Meng¡¯s behavior, he concluded it depended on Lei heavily, which meant it would possibly follow the orders, and even survive the first hunting mission.

    Lei was in a different team, so he had opposing views of Shao Xuan under normal circumstances. However, because of training cubs, Lei held a better attitude towards Shao Xuan.

    The one-year appointment ofst winter now sounded like a joke. It was known to all that Shao Xuan found the very precious fire crystals during the first hunting mission after the ritual. Moreover, he carried many people in the hunting team out of danger. All of that could be considered hunting achievements. In this aspect, he overshadowed the others.

    So, ording to the one-year appointmentst winter, everyone would keep their words and show their achievements this winter. But Shao Xuan needn¡¯t do so. Lei had no choice but to ept this result.

    After checking Meng to make sure it was not hurt, Lei looked at Chacha, that was behind Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you should pay more attention to it, for it has often caused trouble.¡±

    ¡°OK, but you should also train Meng to be vignt of flying birds.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Lei nodded, intending to take Meng to leave. He took two steps, stopped, and turned around. He asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Do you know what the Chief and the team leaders are discussing in the Shaman¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°You know?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Lei and asked. The elders in Lei¡¯s family had discussed the new route with the Shaman, so he should also have been told about this program.

    ¡°Of course I know, I can tell you, but you have to tell me something else in exchange for it.¡± Said Lei.

    ¡°What do you want to know?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I want to know the reason of Caesar¡¯s change in detail.¡± Said Lei with expectations, his eyes glistening. Between the regr beasts and the ferocious beasts, he naturally preferred the ferocious beasts, so he wished Meng to be a ferocious beast in the future¡­

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me what they discuss. As for what you want to know, wait for a few days and you will know.¡± Said Shao Xuan, and then made a gesture. Chacha immediately flew up, and followed him down the mountain.

    Seeing Shao Xuan and his eagle leave, Lei frowned.

    Did Ah-Xuan know the program? But only a very small number of people know that, and only close rtives were told. Why did the Shaman tell him?

    As for the reason for Caesar¡¯s change, he answered ¡°You will know it in a few days.¡± What did he mean?

    Three dayster, the Shaman distributed 100 copies of the volumes which recorded the profound craft and the hunting animals kept by the ancestors. Not every household in the mountain could get one copy, but at least several could share one.

    The 100 copies triggered off a huge wave of discussion in this peaceful tribe.

    Training cubs even originated from the ancestors?

    The ancestors were so capable!

    As well as magical profound craft, rted to Caesar¡¯s change into a ferocious beast?

    The Shaman could really do anything!

    ¡­¡­

    The Shaman did not tell them how Caesar had changed into a ferocious beast, or who had branded him. But ording to the records in the volume, only the Shaman could use the craft. Everyone naturally assumed that it was the Shaman that had performed it on Caesar, that caused such a change in him.

    When the Shaman distributed these volumes, he also said, if in the tribe a beast wasparable to a hunting animal, he would perform the craft on it.

    The Shaman cooked a pie for everyone, and exined how to eat it, and how to eat more of it depended on each of themselves.

    The enthusiasm of those who had gotten impatient aroused again. They even caught a few more cubs when hunting. They knocked them unconscious, tied them up, and brought them back to the tribe. Then they specifically taught them the hunting skills. Some people did not intend to raise cubs, but the volumes distributed by the Shaman generated their enthusiasm.

    In a short time, the number of cubs that had plummeted, gradually grew again, but most of them still ended up in the pot.

    One yearter.

    It seemed the earliest group of cubs brought back to the tribe had matured. They might not be adults, but most of the beasts at this age in the woods were involved in hunting, they went hunting alone or with their rtives. And at this time, some in the hunting group began to ask the group leaders for permission to bring their own beasts to go hunting.

    In their view, their beasts had been so strong, that in the tribe they could often catch some stone rats, and they were very obedient. What¡¯s more, they could make fierce attacks¡­ These warriors thought their beasts were much better than Caesar.

    Not just one or two warriors, but several of them had such an idea.

    They had kept their beasts for nearly two years. It had cost them a lot to raise these cubs that had grown so strong now. It was time for them to go hunting.

    The Shaman looked at the proposals handed in by the team leaders and did not reject them, but told them what should be paid attention to, which Shao Xuan had put forward.

    After obtaining permission from the Shaman, the Chief and the team leaders, with great pride, several warriors strode across the Path of Glory with their beasts.

    However, when the hunting team came back again, almost none of their beasts came with them.

    Five beasts set out with them, but only one returned, which was Lei¡¯s Meng.

    Meng survived, but it received many wounds. Lei had witnessed Caesar¡¯s injuries after going hunting, so he felt reassured. Anyway, as the only beast that coulde back, Meng outperformed the other four.

    Such a result worried some people a lot, and they began to question whether their beasts coulde back safely in the future.

    Two of the four beasts that did note back lost control while hunting the prey. They did not obey the orders, and evenunched an attack on the members of the hunting group. As a result, these beasts were killed on the spot.

    As for the other two, one was kicked by the prey on the head, so it took it¡¯sst breath soon after. The other ran away and could not be stopped.

    This result made those who also intended to go hunting with their beasts hesitate to do so. They thought they had to strengthen the training of their beasts¡¯ dependence and self-control, which Shao Xuan had reminded them to pay attention to.

    In the following few hunting missions, besides Meng, who was kept by Lei, unexpectedly several other beasts returned safely. Which included Liao, Mo Er¡¯s cave lion, Si Ya, Mao¡¯s fur-less boar, and the beasts raised by Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang.

    Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang had also caught two animals during the hunting. Ah-Yang brought back a cub which looked like a hyena, and he called it An.

    The one brought back by Ah-Guang was a big bird egg at the beginning, which was stolen from a nest. She always wanted to keep a flying bird like Chacha, but when she hatched the egg following Shao Xuan¡¯s instruction, she found that this bird could not fly. It was a wingless bird, simr to the phorusrhacos. But she kept raising it instead of cooking it, and named it Jing.

    After a year, the two animals kept by Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang followed the hunting group out hunting, and both had good performance in general, which made Mai very happy.

 Chapter 133 â€“ The Nine Beasts

    Chapter 133 ¨C The Nine Beasts

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ording to the ancient volumes, each hunting animal branded by the profound craft was carefully selected. But now, in the tribe, less than ten beasts met the requirements.

    The Shaman would like to perform the craft on them as soon as possible, because the volumes told him that if they were branded by the craft in their early stages, the sess rate and the chance of growing into the ferocious beasts would be higher. If they were branded by the craft after a few years or several decades, there would be little room for their growth, even if the craft worked.

    But in ordance with the old teaching, he must make sure that they met the requirements, which made him hesitate over whether to perform the craft on them.

    Therefore, the Shaman asked Shao Xuan to record the training, life, and performance of the first batch of beasts during the hunt. Up to now, the Shaman had written nine beasts¡¯ names on his animal skin parchment.

    Shao Xuan handed in the recent records, and was waiting for the Shaman¡¯sments. Whether to brand them totally depended on the Shaman.

    Those selected would be the first batch of beasts to be branded by the craft in the tribe. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t make this decision by himself.

    Caesar and the others to be branded by Shaman would be nine beasts with a special status in the tribe, as long as the craft worked.

    These nine beasts ranged from birds, beasts and to turtles; namely, three categories of beasts: those living in the sky, on thend, and in the water.

    However, only time could tell their future growth, and whether they would be the best.

    Looking at the animal skin roll handed in by Shao Xuan for about half an hour, the Shaman sighed and said, ¡°They seem very good, but I still feel worried.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    The Shaman looked at Shao Xuan, and slowly said, ¡°individually, they have good performance, but how about if they are together?¡±

    The Shaman did not expect them to cooperate fully with each other. But he at least had to make sure that when put together, they would not fight. During the hunt, many beasts might get in conflict. If they did not get along well, there would be even greater conflicts after being branded by the craft. That would be simply dangerous for the hunting group.

    Shao Xuan was silent for a while, and said, ¡°So, do you mean they should be put together in advance?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The Shaman pointed at the names on the roll. Among these nine beasts, two would not be put together with the others. He only meant the other seven to be put together.

    The two that did not need to cooperate with others were the turtle staying in the medicine house, and the white falcon brought back by Gui He from the greennd. It was this falcon that helped Gui He¡¯s group get more prey during the hunting than Ta¡¯s. But Gui He did not tell everyone about his falcon until he brought it back to the tribe.

    They were two exceptions, but besides them, the remaining seven had to learn to cooperate with each other.

    The seven names made Shao Xuan sigh silently, and questioned in his mind, ¡°How to get them together?¡±

    These seven made up a group totally different from what Shao Xuan had imagined. This group included various kinds of beasts, and could bepared to a mishmash army in the modern times. None of them were simr species, so their tempers were also strange and different.

    Shao Xuan stayed with the Shaman to discuss with him for a long time, and then left with a animal skin volume written by the Shaman, which was as important as a ¡°decree¡±. He walked out of the stone house to inform those who kept the beasts, whose names were written down by the Shaman.

    Yesterday, Gui He¡¯s hunting team had returned, and Ta¡¯s group would set out tomorrow, so now they were all in the tribe. Shao Xuan had to inform them one by one.

    First, he visited Mao.

    When he came to the door of the team leader, he found no one there. There was no noise in the house, so Shao Xuan cried out, ¡°Si Ya!¡±

    Bang!

    A quite strong ¡°bald boar¡± broke through the wall.

    Shao Xuan, ¡°¡­¡±

    The sight of the big hole in the stone wall made Shao Xuan decide to leave as soon as he told Mao the news. Otherwise Ta would get furious if he saw the hole.

    Now, Si Ya had four fangs, so it looked quite capable, but it was still called ¡°bald boar¡±.

    After Si Ya came out through the wall, Mao came out with a sour face, and scolded Shao Xuan, ¡°Why did you call it?!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°He was sleeping just now, and probably dreaming. Tomorrow it will go hunting, so it is excited.¡± Said Mao, rubbing his face hard, ¡°Tell me what you want to say. I have to hurry to repair the wall before my fatheres back. Otherwise he will beat me because of it.¡±

    Most of the houses on the mountain were made of stones. Si Ya was quite emotional, just like a young man. He could get excited easily. Once he got excited, the house would be damaged. Ta did not allow it to live in the house, but when Ta was out, it squeezed into the house. So the door had been erged several times.

    Without dy, Shao Xuan passed the Shaman¡¯s ¡°decree¡± to him and said, ¡°Read it.¡±

    Originally he was thinking about how to fix the wall, but after reading the animal skin volume, he got excited and could not wait to set out immediately. ording to the volume, if the result was satisfactory, the Shaman would choose the best beasts to perform the craft on.

    Having waited for two years, he could finally learn more about the legendary profound craft, so how could he not get excited?

    ¡°When will we go?¡± Mao asked hurriedly.

    ¡°You won¡¯t go with your beast tomorrow, but you can bring your beast for the next hunt.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Mao was disappointed, but it did not take long before he could go hunting with Si Ya. In addition, he had more time to train it for the next hunt, so that next time would be amazing! Those excelling beasts that the Shaman mentioned, certainly included Si Ya!

    Ignoring the excited Mao, Shao Xuan continued to inform other people. He left for Lei¡¯s house, up in the mountain, for Meng was also included in the list.

    After informing Mao and Lei, he went to the mountainside to tell Mo Er.

    When Shao Xuan arrived there, Liao, the cave lion, waszily lying at the door and rubbing the ground. After finishing hunting, it enjoyed big meals and then would have a good sleep for a few days.

    Since Liao was raised in the tribe, many people were less afraid of cave lions.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, Liao, who was rolling at the door and licking its ws, waved its tail to knock on the door.

    Soon, Mo Er came to open the door, it seemed that he just woke up. In the past, when he finished a hunting mission, he would still feel energetic after returning to the tribe. But now, going hunting with Liao made him physically and mentally exhausted, but he got more prey. That was because Liao¡¯s temper was not as good as that of Caesar. He had to pay a lot of attention to it.

    ¡°What is up?¡± Mo Er yawned, giving the cave lion a kick.

    ncing at the cave lion lying on the ground and rollingzily, Shao Xuan did not feel surprised. He handed the ¡°decree¡± to Mo Er and told him what he had told Mao.

    Reading the animal skin volume, Mo Er felt excited. He no longer felt sleepy, but breathed with haste.

    ¡°I get it, I¡¯ll train it!¡±

    Leaving Mo Er¡¯s house, Shao Xuan set out to the Mai and Qiao¡¯s home to tell Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang about this matter, and at the same time told Mai in detail that his group was chosen to be the first one to go hunting with this ¡°mishmash army¡±.

    When Shao Xuan was talking with Mai and Qiao, An and Jing were fighting in the expanded yard. These two did not match their elegant names. Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang were cheering them up.

    ¡°An, attack it from the back! Avoid its ws!¡±

    ¡°Ah-Jing, pat it, and peck it. That is right.¡±

    An was an animal that looked like a hyena, but had hoofs. Its feet made you assume it was a herbivore, but its fangs showed you that it was a carnivore. On the whole, it looked like a sheep wrapped in wolf¡¯s skin, but the wolf skin did not cover its feet. It was in fact a fierce beast with a peaceful name.

    Shao Xuan admired Jing a lot, for its head could work as a hoe. When Jing ran up, it could fiercely hit the prey, and even sometimes kill it with a peck. It waspletely different from Chacha.

    After informing them one by one, Shao Xuan went home to ready up the tools for tomorrow¡¯s hunting.

    Since the end ofst year, Shao Xuan had gone hunting with Chacha, and he had lived up to expectations. He had not made any trouble, but caught a cub from the deer herd without an order from the hunting group. Later, the deer became all alert when they saw a figure in the sky. The first time, Chacha could catch one of them due to their negligence, but after that they became vignt, so it was difficult for him to seed again.

    After more than twenty days, Ta went hunting with his group and returned. As soon as he returned, Gui He¡¯s group set out, but this time, Mo Er and Lei were left in the tribe to receive training with Shao Xuan, Mao, Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang.

    As what Shao Xuan had imagined, when put together, these seven fought for a small stone rat for half a day, never mind cooperation.

    Fortunately, as a ferocious beast, Caesar saw their fierce fight, and then went to end their fight.

    People in the tribe often heard roars from the training ground. In the beginning they were nervous, but soon, they got used to it, and could even tell which beast was roaring.

    Although these seven did not cooperate well in the beginning, their masters yed an important role.

    Thanks to their guidance and Caesar¡¯s violent suppression, five dayster, they finally no longer fought.

    Ten dayster, they learned the initial cooperation.

    Fifteen dayster, their cooperation was further increased.

    Twenty dayster, their cooperation nearly satisfied Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman did not expect them to cooperate with one another that well, for they after all might go hunting alone. But he intended to test their mind in this way. As long as they obeyed the orders during the whole process and returned safely, the Shaman would immediately perform the craft on them.

    When they set out, those who were not on patrol in the tribe all gathered on both sides of the Path of Glory to watch them.

    In this team, those eye catching beasts aroused heated discussion.

    Mai felt very stressed out, for those beasts that they had been vignt of a few years ago, now joined their group.

    Lang Ga touched his neck, for behind him was the phorusrhacos kept by Ah-Guang. He was afraid of its peck, for his fragile neck could not stand a peck.

    The Shaman stood at the top of the mountain, looking at the hunting team walking down. He paid respects to the fire pit, in the hope for the ancestors¡¯ blessing, so that everyone in the group woulde back safely.

    The number of the first batch of cubs was at least a hundred, but today, only a few were left and selected. So hard to select!

    Although the Shaman thought they were certainly inferior to the hunting animals kept by the ancestors, he believed they were not too inferior¡­ right?

 Chapter 134 â€“ Cooperation

    Chapter 134 ¨C Cooperation

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The group wasrge, and the warriors in this group were very curious about the beasts that apanied them.

    When Caesar had apanied the group for the first time, everyone had been nervous, but now they became used to him. This time, with so many beasts in the group, they showed off with pride, for they were the first group to go hunting with so many beasts.

    However, after climbing over the mountain, and reaching the first holdout, they found that it was not good for them to have so many beasts apany them, because they got much less prey.

    Shao Xuan did not put them together at once, but divided them into two groups, one led by Mai and the other led by Qiao. Mao, Mo Er and Lei, with their own beasts, were in Mai¡¯s group. Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang were in Qiao¡¯s group.

    As for Shao Xuan, his priority was to record the performance of these beasts, and hand in the records to the Shaman.

    So, to some extent, Shao Xuan worked as a ss teacher who examined the students on their performance, and this group of ¡°primary school students¡± would make every effort to give outstanding performance.

    The first arrival to this strange ce made them over cautious at the beginning, but after a few days, they adjusted themselves and felt free to hunt.

    Three dayster, when the hunting group returned to the cave, Shao Xuan wrote down in the animal skin roll, and the others nced at it, for they wanted to know the results. However, Shao Xuan did not show them, and even if he showed them, they would not understand.

    Since they could not read the records, they had to ask Shao Xuan indirectly.

    ¡°Brother Xuan, what do you think of our performance?¡± Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang were sent to inquire from him.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Shao Xuan did not raise his head, but continued to write down some symbols in the animal skin roll, which were not understandable for other people.

    What did he mean by saying ¡°not bad¡±? Was he satisfied or dissatisfied?

    They looked at each other for a while.

    ¡°I think we can challenge ourselves.¡± Then said Lei, the eldest among them.

    It was not difficult for them to catch the bow beasts, giant tapirs, and giant-antler deers every day. The majority of the warriors in the tribe believed a serious injury proved the difficulty of the hunting mission and their strength. Since this result would be shown to the Shaman, they had to work hard to seek more achievements. It was not a big deal to get injured.

    ¡°What do you want to do, catch the mega-antler deer in the giant-antler deer herd?¡± Mao said ironically.

    Lei shook his head and said,¡°The number of mega-antlers deer is so huge that it is too difficult to do so.¡±

    ¡°I heard there is a new Thorn ck Wind in theke.¡±

    ¡°It onlyes out at night.¡±

    ¡°What do you want to hunt?¡±

    ¡°A rhinoceros? ¡±

    ¡°The other beasts!¡± Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang also joined in the discussion.

    ¡°There is a giant bear near the tar pit!¡±

    ¡­

    They argued about which one they should challenge to catch.

    The quarrel in the cave made Shao Xuan feel a headache. He waved his hand and said to those arguing, ¡°Shut up, and keep quiet.¡±

    They became silent at once, but soon, Shao Xuan felt something wrong. He looked up and saw there was a huge beaking towards him.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    He chased away therge-headed bird, and said, ¡°I am not talking about you, and you go away too.¡±

    ording to the observations of these past days, Shao Xuan analyzed the pros and cons of the beasts they had just discussed. Shao Xuan said, ¡°If you really want to challenge yourselves, you can try to catch that bear, but you have to have a n. There is only meaning for those who live.¡±

    He had to remind them of what should be paid attention to. Otherwise, they would be too overconfident that they would lose their lives due to overestimating themselves, and Shao Xuan would have difficulty in reporting their deaths to the Shaman.

    To catch the giant bear, they had to cooperate. Only one or two could not defeat the bear, for it was a ferocious beast.

    The two animals kept by Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang grew up together while continuously fighting with each other. After growing bigger, they still fought with each other at home, but cooperated to defeat the external enemies. They had a tacit understanding of each other. And they also learned self-protection.

    Before leaving the tribe, the phorusrhacos kept by Ah-Guang had learned to chase the prey from one side rather than in the rear, for it would get a kick easily if it was in the rear. The beast raised by Ah-Yang also learned to be more flexible in avoiding attacks. This was why these two outperformed the other beasts in the tribe. Their cooperation in the following few days was obviously sessful.

    Two dayster, they left for the tar pit together.

    To help them, Mai and Qiao did not take the others to go hunting, but were hidden in the surrounding in case of idents. This way, they coulde out and help them immediately.

    Shao Xuan let Caesar help them and take action if necessary.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, why don¡¯t you help them?¡± Lang Ga asked Shao Xuan, who hid himself in another tree.

    ¡°Everything depends on them.¡± Said Shao Xuan. This was the intention of the Shaman. He asked Shao Xuan to pay attention to them, and help them with Caesar if necessary.

    Thinking of the talk with the Shaman, Shao Xuan sighed and whispered to himself, ¡°This old liar is always asking me to do many things.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Lang Ga was just paying attention to what was happening over there, and did not hear what Shao Xuan had said.

    ¡°Nothing, I said they did well today.¡±

    When Shao Xuan and Lang Ga were talking, Chacha called out in the sky, which meant that they had started taking actions.

    In terms of strength, they were outperformed, and would be defeated even in a group fight, so they had to rely on tactics to defeat it. ording to their tactics, they would provoke the giant bear, lead it to the tar pit, and then knock it down.

    Shao Xuan could not see what was happening in the woods from his position, but near the ce where the bear was active, Mai and the others were on the guard. They would whistle if something wrong happened.

    After a while, Shao Xuan heard a loud roar, and felt the trees next to him shaking. Soon, the sound of footsteps burst out. They were heavy, but fast steps, so that you could not identify them if you didn¡¯t pay attention.

    Such loud and fast footsteps were mixed with a lot of other sounds of footsteps, such as the sound made by hoofs.

    Whiz!

    A figure rushed out, it was the beast raised by Ah-Yang.

    It was followed by the phorusrhacos and Lei¡¯s Meng.

    These three rushed out of the woods, and then ran in three different directions.

    The moment the giant bear almost caught up with his prey, he paused. And then he continued to chase the phorusrhacos, but unfortunately there was still a small distance.

    With big feet, the phorusrhacos could still run very fast through the tar pit area. After running into the area, it fiercely moved its jaw, its big mouth was hollow, so when it closed its mouth, it would make a loud smacking sound.

    Every time when it got excited, it made such a noise.

    At the moment, even those who did not know about this kind of animal, could feel it wasughing at the giant bear, let alone the bear itself.

    The giant bear lingered on the edge of the tar pit area, and roared towards the beasts in the area. The fact that every time the people or the beasts it chased after would go there made it furious. But it could do nothing but only walk on the edge to threaten them. Those that broke into its territory and even boldly ate its food should be bitten to death!

    After walking for a while, the bear felt bored and intended to leave. At this moment, a cave lion appeared. Although the cave lion was very small in its eyes, it hated it a lot, for the cave lions often snatched food away from it. It thought all lion caves were damnable!

    The giant bear rushed to it, roaring. Unexpectedly, just like the big-mouth bird, the cave lion ran into the tar pit area, but did not get stuck.

    A loud roar was heard.

    The giant bear stood up, hoping to frighten them with a roar and look down on this group of dregs that always ran away!

    Every time when the bear chased the hunting group to this ce, this giant bear would stand straight to show its strength, and kept roaring as if he would destroy the whole forest.

    Lei, Mao, and Mo Er entered the tar pit area from another path. Standing there, they threw stones to the bear to further irritate it, rather than hurt it.

    Chacha also joined them in attracting the attention of the giant bear, so that it would focus on what happened in front or above him.

    And when the bear was roaring at those in the tar pit, a figure appeared quietly behind it, and and quietly crept closer.

    When there was a suitable distance between them, it instantly elerated towards the bear.

    The furious bear did not expect there to be a daring beast behind it. It was used to standing next to the pit to roar at the hiding prey, but this time, it got trapped.

    Its roar concealed the sounds around. When it felt the ground shaking, it knew something behind it was rushing to it. It turned around but had no time to run away, so its belly suffered a hit.

    In spite of the hit, it struck the beast that rushed against it with its w.

    Si Ya was hit away by the bear, and rolled on the ground for a long distance.

    The bear paid full attention to Si Ya and tried to keep the bnce, when a gray figure shed close. It was struck again. The strike was close to its chest, and more powerful.

    It was roaring again.

    It was a roar of anxiety and fear. It knew where he would fall, and would lose its life in the pit, like the beasts and the ferocious beasts in the woods.

    Bang!

    The huge figure smashed into the tar pit, sshing countless sticky tar.

    Seeing it falling into the pit, everyone felt relieved.

    Mao ran out to check the wounds on Si Ya. The hit of the bear¡¯s palm left Si Ya a few deep marks, but for him, the injury was not so serious.

    ¡°Nothing serious, let it go back to rest for some time. The wound will heal up soon, for the marks were not deep.¡± Said Mai after he looked at it.

    Si Ya still felt faint, and fell to the ground, groaning. As the strongest one among the several beasts, it never suffered such a p.

    None of them got serious injuries, and they then looked at the bear in the tar pit. Everyone still had a lingering fear.

    Thanks to Caesar¡¯s strike, the bear fell into the tar pit directly. Otherwise Si Ya might have been killed by the bear.

    They brought grass rope with them. If Si Ya had identally rushed into the tar pit, they would have used the rope to save it. Unexpectedly, the bear looked bulky, but was very flexible.

    This made everyone understand that sometimes the n was only something ideal, and something unexpected could also happen.

    ¡°We should be more cautious while making a n in the future.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The others agreed.

    Looking at the bear gradually falling down, Mai told everyone to leave, for it was no use staying here.

 Chapter 135 â€“ The Only Exception

    Chapter 135 ¨C The Only Exception

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After the first teamwork, the following teamwork went smoothly. At the same time, these young warriors became more cautious.

    Shao Xuan did not join them, sometimes he let Caesar go with them but did not give him any other orders.

    ¡°Are you ignoring Caesar?¡± Lang Ga was curious and asked him. Since the hunt of the huge bear, Shao Xuan had let Caesar take actions freely.

    ¡°I am developing his independence. Caesar is very smart, and sometimes, too much attention doesn¡¯t help.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you often tell them to develop their beasts¡¯ dependence? Why do you mention independence now?¡±

    ¡°We should adopt different ways to solve problems.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    Lang Ga did not understand it and gave up thinking about it. Then he went to have a look at what they were hunting.

    Standing in the tree, Shao Xuan looked at the narrow stream in front of the tree. Some fallen leaves and small sticks were floating on the stream.

    The ancient people observed the fallen leaves and gained the idea to make a boat. They found the wood floating on the water, so they knew how to make a boat.

    In fact, it was not as difficult to build a boat as Shao Xuan had imagined. What he needed was just a trunk.

    In the forest, there were many sturdy trees, and a trunk could be changed into a canoe.

    But he still needed to carefully select a suitable tree type.

    ¡­

    Their beasts did not draw the attention of those high-level ferocious beasts in the woods that upied some ces as their respective territories. For them, they were just a few small beasts, so they did not pay any attention to them.

    Mai led his hunting group, as well as a few beasts, travelling smoothly from the first location to the third, in spite of some small troubles. For the hunting group, this was a novel trip.

    A cry was suddenly heard.

    An eagle was screaming in the air.

    Shao Xuan looked up and Chacha intended to fly to other ces.

    When they reached the third location, they had already spent two thirds of the hunting time, so the hunting group would not go any further. Moreover, they knew nothing about the terrain and species there. So in general, they would stay here for a few days, and then turn around and go back.

    However, it seemed that Chacha wanted to continue flying further. If Shao Xuan had not been here, it would have flown away.

    In the sky, Chacha¡¯s unique flying routine told Shao Xuan that he wanted to go there. From the first location to the third, Chacha had manifested his strong desire to fly in that direction.

    ¡°Uncle Mai, do you know what that ce is?¡± Shao Xuan pointed in the direction Chacha wanted to fly at, and asked.

    Mai thought about it for a while and shook his head. He said, ¡°Some old warriors have mentioned it, but I do not remember. But I know it is not a ce where we can go. That ce is called the Severing Land.¡±

    ¡°Severing Land?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Mai replied with uncertainty. He really could not remember much of it, he had just heard some old warriors say they couldn¡¯t go there when he was young.

    Since the ancestors stopped here and did not move forward, they had their reasons. Because of their trust in the ancestors, each group leader stopped here, and would not continue to onward. Even if they went further, they did not go in that direction.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go there.¡± Mai stared at Shao Xuan, and asked him to make a promise.

    Shao Xuan paused for a moment, then he nodded and said, ¡°OK, I understand. We won¡¯t go there.¡±

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s promise, Mai finally smiled, looked at the sky, waved to Shao Xuan, and said, ¡°It is time to go back.¡±

    Shao Xuan whistled, and then made a gesture to Chacha, who was flying in the air.

    Another cry was heard.

    Chacha was unwilling to return, so he circled the original ce, before finally following Shao Xuan back to the third holdout. Due to his bad mood, it fought with an unknown bird on the way and was defeated. The unknown bird only suffered slight injury, but Chacha was badly hurt, and was even stripped of some feathers.

    He was feeling even worse.

    Shao Xuan wasforting him, while applying a drug to his wounds.

    ¡°When I go back, I will ask the Shaman what that ce is. If we can go there, I will take you there.¡±

    As the day to return was approaching, those who went hunting with their beasts began to feel worried. Although they thought their beasts had a good performance, which did not fight, or cause any big trouble to the group, and also helped with hunting a lot of prey, but only the animal skin roll written by Shao Xuan would be read by the Shaman.

    Lei was particrly worried, because he had had a conflict with Shao Xuan. He was afraid that Shao Xuan still remembered their conflict. It urred to him that when he got angry, following the others¡¯ behavior, Lei dragged out a ferocious beast. This ferocious beasts level was not high, but it was the only ferocious beast caught by him and Meng. Until now, if he went hunting alone, he could only catch a beast.

    Shao Xuan looked at the prey in front of him and did not know what to say for a long time.

    He was obviously bribing me!

    He thought quite a lot.

    The others also followed Lei and dragged their prey to Shao Xuan.

    The phorusrhacos kept by Ah-Guang moved its big feet toe in front of Shao Xuan. It shook its neck, and then lowered its head to spit out a bone in front of Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan looked a little bad, so Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang hurriedly pulled away the phorusrhacos.

    Shao Xuan did not record the bribes in the animal skin roll, but when he returned to the tribe, he reported to the Shaman that those beasts were payment for his hard work.

    The Shaman did not care about this, and he took the animal skin roll that Shao Xuan passed him. He continuously studied it for three days.

    Lei, Mao, Ah-Yang and Ah-Guang did not know Shao Xuan took records in the form of the Shaman Volume, and also drew several pictures, which depicted the scene of these beasts hunting the prey.

    Their advantages, disadvantages, and tempers were all recorded in words and pictures in the volume, so Shao Xuan did not need to exin it.

    After the first hunt, the Shaman did not make the final decision immediately.

    The Shaman arranged that they would undertake several hunting missions. These beasts still stayed in the same hunting group, but not in Mai¡¯s group. Their routes were different for different missions.

    Shao Xuan obeyed the Shaman¡¯s order to follow them one by one. He followed several other hunting groups along their hunting routes, so he generally learned about the distribution of species along each hunting group¡¯s hunting routes.

    After each hunting mission, Shao Xuan also painted a map with more details, on which the general locations of the beasts, ferocious beasts, herbs, huge trees were marked. Shao Xuan only told these to the Shaman, even Old Ke did not know.

    Shao Xuan brought Caesar and Chacha along the other hunting groups along their routes. Once, after arriving at the third location, Chacha again showed his strong desire to fly in that direction. Since then, it no longer did so.

    Shao Xuan asked the Shaman why this happened. The Shaman did not give a definitive answer, but he said he would read the Shaman Volumes left by the ancestors to find whether there was a detailed record.

    Shao Xuan would not take Chacha to that ce until he was clear of the situation there, for nobody knew that ce and whether they coulde back safely.

    The Shaman had talked to those who raised the beasts, including Lei and Mao, so they tried to hunt more food before winter.

    This winter, the Shaman would perform the craft on several beasts one by one, except Caesar and Chacha. He asked Shao Xuan to be present, if he could not finish the ritual, Shao Xuan could help him. And as the next Shaman, Gui Ze was also asked to be present.

    He would perform the craft next to the me pit. In order to ensure that He would have enough spiritual strength, Shao Xuan was responsible for throwing a fire crystal into the me pit.

    It was a snowy day, but near the pit, there was not a snowke or a water drop. Compared to the other ces on the mountain, the ce next to the me pit was like a big stove.

    Shao Xuan put a piece of fire crystal into the me pit, and watched the fiery red energy drift in the direction of the Shaman, as well as himself. Gui Ze¡¯s power was not awoken, so she could not absorb the energy of the fire crystal.

    ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± Said the Shaman.

    The first one brought here was Lei¡¯s ¡°Meng¡±. The person who brought Meng here left immediately, and Lei could not stay here. They waited in another stone house.

    Next to the me pit, at the top of the mountain, there were only 3 people; namely the Shaman, Shao Xuan and Gui Ze.

    Sitting on the animal skin nket and looking at the beast that was lying down but still higher than him, he reached out.

    The familiar ming Horns totem appeared in the Shaman¡¯s palm, the blue totem gradually formed, but he spent more time on this than Shao Xuan. When the totempletely formed, the Shaman had been sweating, but fortunately, his energy could be quickly recovered by the fire crystal.

    This time, the Shaman did not need to be vignt like Shao Xuan, who had to keep a wary eye on the surrounding area that night. It was very safe here.

    He did almost the same as what Shao Xuan had done, but after the formation of the totem, it took him more time to brand it on the beast. Fortunately, in the end he seeded in branding the whole totem on the beast before it scattered.

    When he finished branding, he was so exhausted that he fell back. If Shao Xuan responded slowly and failed to catch him, he would¡¯ve fallen down directly on the stone near the me pit.

    After the firstpletion of the craft, the Shaman found that he could only perform the craft for one beast at a time. It would took him more time to perform it on seven beasts, for he had to rest for a few days after one ritual.

    When he finished the ritual for thest beast, half of the winter time had almost flown by.

    ording to the ancient volumes, the sess rate of the ritual for the hunting animal was fifty percent, so the Shaman did not expect the craft to work on each beast. But it turned out that the ritual for these seven was sessful! Although, when he branded the totem on four, the totem almost scattered, but in the end, it quickly coagted so he finished the branding.

    The seven beasts were also in good condition.

    This winter was over, and the seven beasts grew a lot, but their change was not as dramatic as that of Caesar. It was in line with the records in the animal skin volumes passed down by the ancestors, which is a gradual and moderate process.

    At the same time, Chacha became listless all day.

    It was abnormal for Chacha, that used to be energetic most of the time. Was it the only exception among the nine beasts in the tribe?

    But the Shaman had said he would not perform the craft on him. That was not because he did not want to do so, but he could not. Shao Xuan had tried once, but he had failed.

    The Shaman also said that Chacha was a real giant mountain eagle, and this kind of eagle had its own source of power.

 Chapter 136 â€“ The Severing Land

    Chapter 136 ¨C The Severing Land

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    In the winter, the seven beasts that the Shaman had branded gradually began to change. Their size and appearance changed.

    Before the winter, the Shaman had reminded them to prepare some food, but the seven beasts grew bigger and hadrger appetite, so the food was not enough for them. After all, with the promotion of their level, their demand for energy would also increase, like intermediate and senior totem warriors for whom the ordinary beast meat could not provide enough energy.

    Until the end of the winter, each of the seven beasts became as skinny as Caesar when he had just been branded, even though the beasts were raised well. Even the chunky Si Ya lost weight.

    After the winter, the most important ritual ceremony would be performed as usual.

    ording to the ancient volumes, the beasts that were sessfully branded could participate in the sacrifice ritual because the fire would no longer keep them away.

    Then on the day of the ritual, except Chacha, the other eight were brought to the top of the mountain, and they stood near the me pit.

    Participation in rituals meant that they are officially a member of the tribe.

    This was a very strange picture. Over the past hundreds of years, it was the first time that men and beasts participated in the ritual ceremony.

    Everyone was very excited, because they were lucky enough to witness such a great event that their ancestors also witnessed!

    After the ritual, the Shaman made detailed records in the form of a Shaman Volume. This was a great achievement worth remembering since he took the position, so he should pass it down from one generation to another.

    In contrast, left at home to avoid the me, Chacha was lonely. Although he still had a good appetite, he had a much lower spirit.

    After the ritual, the coldness of the winter had gradually vanished. From the top to the foot of the mountain, many animals became active again.

    A few days before the first hunting mission, the branded beasts often went down the mountain.

    When they were small, they were often bullied by Chacha. Each of them was caught by him, and then pull around in the sky, except for the falcon raised by Gui He and the turtle kept by Gui Ze.

    Now, they became ferocious beasts, or close to the extent of ferocious beasts, so they were not afraid of Chacha. If he couldn¡¯t fly, they probably would have taken revenge on him.

    Fortunately, Caesar prevented them from provoking Chacha.

    Caesar was originally inferior to these beast races. Even in the wolf species, he belonged to a rtively weak group, not as strong as the others.

    But after being branded, they all grew into ferocious beasts, but they were much weaker than Caesar; including Liao, the cave lion, and Mao¡¯s Si Ya. That was why they were afraid of annoying Caesar.

    Chacha still felt depressed in his nest, for those once bullied by him now became strong.

    Shao Xuan was also helpless with this situation.

    After the Shaman finished disciplining a batch of warriors who were newly awakened, Shao Xuan went up the mountain to have a talk with the Shaman.

    ¡°I n to take Chacha there during this hunt.¡± Said Shao Xuan who was sitting opposite the Shaman.

    The Shaman knew the ce Shao Xuan was referring to. Hearing his intention, he was silent for a while, and then entered a room to take out a skin reel. He handed it to Shao Xuan and said, ¡°This is the volume in which the ancestors recorded the ce.¡±

    Last year, after Shao Xuan mentioned Chacha¡¯s condition to him, he carefully read the volumes, and extracted some relevant records.

    Shao Xuan took the animal skin volume, and read the text records.

    These were only ordinary text records, and were obviously based on the others¡¯ retelling, for the meaning was not so clear.

    The volume also mentioned the ¡°Severing Land¡± that Mai had told him of.

    When the ancestors had started the hunting route, they had been blocked by some thorny nts. But when they stood high, they could see the distant mountains, but due to the nts, they did not move forward.

    So the ancestors called it the ¡°Severing Land¡±, for it cut off the roads between the mountains so no one could go there.

    And the volume also mentioned something interesting.

    The Shaman had said Chacha was a giant mountain eagle.These eagles had their own beliefs and source of power, which Shao Xuan did not understand. This volume also mentioned the following.

    It was said the power of the giant mountain eagle came from the abyss of the snow-capped mountain, and its top and bottom could not be seen. It was always covered with the snow and ice. It was also called the Eagle Mountain.

    Ao, the Chief, had said that the giant mountain eagle came from the Eagle Mountain, but now it didn¡¯t seem to be exactly correct. The Eagle Mountain was the source of their power, but whether it was their birth ce had not yet been concluded.

    Long long ago, the ancestors had only heard of the legend of the giant mountain eagle, but never seen them. Some people said that the mountain was the eagles¡¯ cemetery, while some said that it was the eagle¡¯s birthnd.

    There were not that many recordings in the volume, so Shao Xuan soon finished reading.

    ¡°Is it the Eagle Mountain where Chacha wants to go?¡± Shao Xuan felt puzzled and said.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± Said the Shaman.

    Considering for a moment, Shao Xuan said: ¡°I still intend to take him there to take a look.¡±

    The Shaman looked at Shao Xuan, and was silent for a moment. Then he said, ¡°It is very dangerous. You may not be able to return.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Shao Xuan had made the decision, and would not change his mind. ¡°Please tell Uncle Mai about this.¡± He added.

    The Shaman gave up persuading him out of this decision, and just let out a low sigh.

    Shao Xuan knew he epted his decision. Then he grinned, saluted him, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I wille back safely.¡±

    The Shaman felt his eyelids twitch, and then waved his hand helplessly to let Shao Xuan go out at once.

    In the following first hunting of this year, with the help of several ferocious beasts, Ta and the five group leaders would try to give good performance.

    Mai was talking about the uing hunt with Qiao excitedly, and then he heard the message brought by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Are you going to the Severing Land?¡±

    The muscles on Mai¡¯s face were twitching. He almost asked him word by word. He took a deep breath several times, pinched his hands, and almost could not help beating the person in front of him.

    He knew that Shao Xuan would not give up without a try. What the hell was his promisest year!

    This time he directly asked the Shaman for agreement, and the Shaman had agreed. What could he say!

    ¡°No, that ce might be located on the other side of the mountain, or in other ces. I¡¯m just going to have a look to find out why Chacha always wants to go there.¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    Hearing his exnation, Mai and Qiao felt even more worried.

    They appreciated the courage of the warriors who were not afraid of death, but were unwilling to witness them taking unnecessary risks of death. Even the ancestors did not go to that ce. Could Shao Xuan, who was not even a senior totem warrior,e back safely?

    So terrible! Really terrible!

    However, the hunting group did not know Shao Xuan¡¯s n of going there until they went from the first location to the third.

    ¡°The Severing Land! Don¡¯t go there!¡±

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, listen to Mai. Don¡¯t go.¡±

    ¡°If you go, you will not be able toe back. Don¡¯t go. If Chacha really wants to go there, you can let it go alone. Why do you follow it?¡±

    People in the hunting group were trying to persuade him out of going there. Over the past few years, they became closer with Shao Xuan, and were very optimistic about his development as a new warrior. More importantly, Shao Xuan was born in a cave near the mountain foot, but he was not inferior to those born higher up in the mountain, which made them proud of him.

    In the eyes of many old warriors born near the mountain foot, Shao Xuan would have great achievements in the future, like those higher up on the mountain. He was supposed to live directly up on the mountain. Many of them often took Shao Xuan as an example to motivate their own children, like Sai¡¯s father. Every time when he found Sai did not behave well, he always mentioned Shao Xuan. So now, Sai always very disliked seeing Shao Xuan.

    But now, Shao Xuan intended to go to where the ancestors had not been. Did he want to die?!

    Unfortunately, their persuasion was useless.

    Why did the Shaman agree?

    They did not understand.

    But since the Shaman had agreed, they would no longer persuade him.

    Mai asked Shao Xuan to have a talk with him alone, and also gave him a few good stone spears.

    ¡°Uncle Mai, if six dayster I still do note back, you don¡¯t need to wait for me.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Mai hesitated, but finally nodded.

    Shao Xuan was not going to take Caesar with him, and he told Old Ke that if he did note back, Old Ke could keep Caesar as apany.

    The day before the departure for hunting, Shao Xuan did not bring Caesar, but left him in the tribe. When Shao Xuan left, Caesar also followed him for some distance. He did not stop until Shao Xuan scolded him.

    After saying goodbye to the hunting group, Shao Xuan told Chacha to set out with him. And then, he held his feet as Chacha flew into the air. It was not easy to travel over the mountain, for there were hurdles on the way, and it was time-consuming. It would be easier for them to fly in the air, and there were not manyrge birds.

    While standing on the ground, Chacha was slightly higher than Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder, so it was not so tiring for him to carry Shao Xuan.

    They had been flying over this jungle, the more they moved forward, the fewer animals were found in the woods.

    Half a dayter, Shao Xuan saw the ¡°Severing Land¡± that was recorded in the ancient volumes from the air.

    It was a brown-colored thorny region, where there were very thick thorns, and branches covered with hard and sharp thorns. They ovepped with each other to keep people away. It looked like a horrible forest, almost blocking everything.

    Some of the thorns near the ground were not veryrge, but they were still terrifying, like a pair of bloody eyes. They looked like an evil staring at each creature flying over the thorns.

    Even the ferocious beasts that dominated the other ces in the woods did not set foot here.

    Looking at the endless thorny region, and ncing at the figures shing in the gaps of the thorns, Shao Xuan decided to take a break first. After Chacha recovered from the fatigue, they would fly past that ce.

 Chapter 137 â€“ The Mountain

    Chapter 137 ¨C The Mountain

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan brought some dry meat with him, but Chacha prefered fresh meat more.

    Catching enough prey to settle his stomach, Chacha once again flew with Shao Xuan.

    asionally, arge bird would fly over this area, and while it fought with Chacha, Shao Xuan almost fell down several times.

    If Chacha had been bigger, Shao Xuan could have stood on his back, but at this moment, Chacha was a little bit small.

    Shao Xuan swerved around to escape the pecking of an awl-like beak. He clutched Chacha¡¯s ws with one hand and with the other, quickly took out the stone needles that had been prepared from the skin bag tied around his waist to attack the birds flying towards him.

    The stone needles that had absorbed the special grass juice had a strong paralysing effect. Shao Xuan specifically aimed at the body parts which their heavy feathers didn¡¯tpletely cover. As long as the needle could prate through the bird¡¯s skin, the juice would take effect and deter them away.

    The birds that had attacked Shao Xuan felt dizzy after being shot. Disoriented, they slowed down. But now, this one was probably not as strong, so when it was shot on the neck, it flew up and down and then suddenly fell down. The moment it couldn¡¯t p its wings to stop falling down, it hit an arched bridge of thorn branches.

    Bang!

    The violent impact made the already dizzy bird be even dizzier.

    Furthermore, the tough thorns on the branches caused not a small amount of feathers to rip off.

    After being hit with the needles and crashing into the ¡°bridge¡±, the bird had been scratched by the tough thorns.

    Blood flowed freely from the wounds of the bird.

    From within the thorns, creatures catching the scent of blood grew excited as they agilely weaved through the thorns to chase the scent.

    In the air, Shao Xuan looked down and found shadows, from every direction, rapidly dashing through the thorns flocking to the struggling birds.

    The creatures quickly surrounded the bird.

    These creatures looked like monkeys, and the color of their fur was simr to that of the thorns. Most of them were as big as the two fists of an adult warrior and they were very nimble, not even dropping speed as they wove through the thorns.

    This group of monkeys living in the thorns rushed towards the bird to bite it.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan found a mist of blood rise up from that ce.

    Sshes of blood sprinkled on the surrounding thorns. When the blood dries up, it will probably share the same color as the thorns.

    A feather after another floated in the blood mist, and slowly fell down.

    Some monkeys arrivedte, so they could not squeeze into the monkey group to enjoy the meal. They were unwilling to leave, so they walked around, saw Chacha in the air, screamed, and waved their ws. It seemed that they wanted to catch the bird in the sky.

    Shao Xuan and Chacha looked down and shivered with fear. It seemed that they were imagining what they might have encountered if they had fallen down. Chacha pped his wings, hoping to fly out of this ce quickly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t loosen your ws, buddy. If you do so, I will absolutely kick the bucket.¡± Shao Xuan gently patted his ws.

    A cry resounded.

    Chacha seemed to agree as he sped up and flew towards the distant mountain.

    On the way they encountered a few birds again, but fortunately, in spite of some danger, they finally flew past the thorns region.

    At dusk, theynded in a tree, and both released a long sigh and felt relieved.

    No wonder the ancestors stayed away from the ¡°Severing Land¡±. In addition to those tall, thick and sharp thorns, those monkeys would be able to quickly eat up a person. Even a senior totem warrior could not defeat such a great number of animals. Maybe there were other animals living in the thorns that hadn¡¯t been found by Shao Xuan from the air.

    ¡°You take a rest first, I will keep watch.¡± Shao Xuan whispered to Chacha as he patted him.

    When they flew past the thorns region, they arrived at a mountain simr to their hunting areas, but Shao Xuan still kept vignt.

    The night fell quietly.

    Shao Xuan did not find a cave nearby, so he looked for a ce in a tree and made some camouge in the surrounding area with some branches. He also set up small traps, and sprinkled a powder that he brought with him. He nned to stay here for the night.

    The sounds in the woods told Shao Xuan this ce was the same as their hunting area.

    He listened carefully and found sounds of different creatures mixing to form a unique sound with regional characteristics. So, as long as he listened to the sounds, he could make a preliminary judgment.

    Shao Xuan carefully identified the sounds.

    No, it was different.

    The active creatures at night were very different from those in their hunting area.

    So he had to be more careful, and could not apply the knowledge from their hunting area to make a judgement.

    At midnight, Shao Xuan was awakened by the rustle of leaves. To stay vignt, it was impossible for him to have a sound sleep. He had developed a habit of resting while keeping wary, so a little abnormal sound could wake him up.

    When he listened carefully, he heard a sound like the wind blowing the branches with leaves. It seemed that the leaves were rustling.

    But in fact, at this time, there was no wind.

    None of the leaves near him were rustling.

    The bough below his was vibrating, which was almost impossible to detect. The vibration showed that something was climbing up the tree along the bough near Shao Xuan, instead of the bough he stood on.

    The sound gradually came closer. Shao Xuanforted Chacha. With his right hand holding a knife, he held his breath. At the same time, he used his special vision to look at the surroundings.

    The branches were blocking his sight, but Shao Xuan could still prate the leaves to observe the surroundings.

    He looked in the direction where the sound came from.

    Is that a¡­ snake?

    In terms of its bones, it looked like a snake, but its outline was somewhat blurry, and its body surface was covered with a lot of long, thin, and dense things like bones. This was some kind of creature that Shao Xuan had never seen. Judging from its general shape, he tried to identify the creatureing up the tree.

    The snake¡¯s body was much thicker than that of Shao Xuan so it could easily swallow him, which terrified him.

    Fortunately, it did not climb to the bough where Shao Xuan stood on, but climbed along a branch to another tree.

    After the strange snake left, the sound also gradually faded away. Chacha no longer felt anxious.

    Shao Xuan held the stone knife firmly, and carefully let his breath out.

    He did not know whether this trip was worthwhile. But his nature of an adventurous spirit from the previous life, and Chacha¡¯s desire of going to that ce made him decide to take this trip.

    Perhaps there was more danger ahead, but they could not go back. Shao Xuan would try to go further.

    He might die and not return to the tribe. There was enough food left in the tribe, and Caesar apanied Old Ke so his life would not be tougher than the time when he worked as a stoneware maker.

    Thinking about this, Shao Xuan screamed within his heart.

    Is he going to die? How can it be?

    Holding his knife, Shao Xuan closed his eyes to take a rest, for he had to move on tomorrow.

    During the night, Shao Xuan woke up several times, and also saw a few nocturnal animals that were indeed different from those in the woods near the thorn region.

    The next few days, Shao Xuan quietly ran through the woods while Chacha flew in the air.

    Shao Xuan just followed Chacha, for he could attain the correct position.

    This trip was aimed to find the ce that Chacha desired to go, rather than hunt. Unless they had to get their most basic food necessities, neither Shao Xuan, nor Chacha, would take extra actions so that they could preserve their energy. Moreover, they had to guard against danger at any time. How could they spare some time and energy for other things?

    Since Shao Xuan decided to take Chacha here, he had be energetic and went hunting every day. He ate a lot, and then hurried to move forward. He even flew while holding Shao Xuan. After all, travelling through the mountain was slower than flying in the air.

    Sometimes, when they encountered some flying birds, Chacha would first try to avoid them, and if he failed, he would fight with them. If he was defeated, he would escape. If he failed to get rid of them, he would turn to Shao Xuan.

    Enduring all kinds of difficulties, they kept moving forward for six days.

    At this time, the hunting group had waited at the third location, but they did not see Shao Xuan so they just returned.

    Shao Xuan never imagined that where Chacha wanted to go was so far!

    They had been travelling for more than ten days, but still could not see the end. And during these days, several times, they were almost eaten by those bizarre ferocious beasts in the forest.

    They suffered from a lot of injuries. When they got serious injuries, they would find a cave to rest properly for two days. And they could not be impatient, and just wait for the wound to heal up, and maintain a good physical condition to continue moving forward.

    Sneaking in the dangerous woods made Shao Xuan more sensitive to the potential danger. At the same time, he became more skilled in hiding himself and his presence.

    Holding the ragged tooth sword, Shao Xuan moved his arm. To escape the ded teeth beast, he had broken his arm¡¯s bone, but this injury was not serious, so he would be much better after resting for a night.

    His stone swords had all broken. He made a few rough stone swords on the way, but they also broke in fight with some ferocious beasts. Now, only the tooth sword made by Old Ke was left. But it was in a bad condition, so it probably could only be used for a short time.

    In front of them, there was a cliff. Before Shao Xuan even made a gesture, Chacha flew down.

    Shao Xuan inserted the tooth sword into the animal skin bag around his waist, and grabbed Chacha¡¯s ws with his uninjured arm.

    Chacha flew down with Shao Xuan from the cliff.

    Ahead of them, there was still a piece of endless huge jungle.

    But the trees in this jungle seemed to be higher than those in the previous one.

    After flying for some distance, Shao Xuan asked Chacha to find a ce to put him down. Chacha did not respond to him. He did not see any threatening birds in the surrounding area so he continued to fly. He thought flying was faster.

    ¡°Well, then fly a little higher, I always feel that this ce ¡­¡±

    Before Shao Xuan finished, the ¡°branch¡± at the top of a huge tree suddenly bent, and then shot like a spring towards Chacha that intended to fly over it.

    The moment the ¡°branch¡± shot out, the foliage on its body quickly shrunk. All the ¡°leaves¡± stuck close together to the ¡°branch¡±, and the ¡°branch¡± also fell down. The ¡°leaves¡± looked like scales.

    It was a snake!

    This strange snake reminded Shao Xuan of the creature they encountered the first night they entered the mountain.

 Chapter 138 â€“ Land of the Serpents

    Chapter 138 ¨C Land of the Serpents

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    ¡°Careful!¡±

    Shao Xuan cried out loudly.

    Just like a spring, the serpent ejected his body, which streaked through the air and generated a grating sound, like strong wind. Chacha couldn¡¯t react in time.

    Even if the distance was a dozen meters, the serpent arrived in the blink of an eye.

    Shao Xuan wanted to help Chacha. But his ability was restricted in the air. The only thing he could do was just warn Chacha to watch out. However, it was still toote.

    When Chacha heard Shao Xuan¡¯s warning, he wanted to fly higher, so he did not notice the serpent¡¯s movement. When he noticed that, he tried his best to avoid the serpent. However, he failed.

    The serpent rushed at Chacha and gripped on one of Chacha¡¯s wings with his teeth.

    Shao Xuan was on Chacha¡¯s back, so Chacha didn¡¯t have enough strength to keep flying in the air when he was dragged down by the serpent.

    Jiaoo~~~

    Chacha released a cry into the sky and fell down helplessly.

    The serpent and Chacha fell on a tree and rolled down from the tree, passing throughyers andyers of tree branches, and then finally falling to the ground with exuberant green grass.

    Scenes like this were very familiar. The serpent was not afraid of dying or being injured when falling down. The obstructing tree branches reduced their falling speed, but not hurt the serpent at all. His skin protected him very well.

    Biting one of Chacha¡¯s wings, the serpent rolled tightly over Chacha with his long body. For him, Chacha was the prey, he must strangle it first, and then eat it.

    Jiaoo~~~

    Chacha struggled to free himself, but he failed. He found he could not loosen himself at all. Every time he tried to get rid off the serpent, the serpent¡¯s body tighten around him even more, which made Chacha feel even more painful. He could not even cry for help, and it seemed he would lose his breath after a while.

    When the serpent rolled up towards them, Shao Xuan, who was grasped by Chacha, got rid of the ws of Chacha promptly, took out the tooth sword and hacked down with great force. Bang! The sword hit heavily upon the body of the serpent.

    Kaka!

    A violent great sound echoed in the woods, as if tree branches were breaking.

    The serpent¡¯s strong and thick skin was hit by Shao Xuan¡¯s tooth sword, and some fragments splintered off.

    When Shao Xuan hunted in the hunting area, he used this sword to kill wild beasts. If the skin of his prey was too tough, he would hack them one more time with his tooth sword.

    Shao Xuan hacked the serpent ceaselessly in one breath. Every time he hacked, he hacked at the same ce. Even though a beast¡¯s skin was strong and was rigid, it would crack when one hacked it ceaselessly with the sharp tooth sword .

    However, the serpent had his defense, which were his specialized scales. The scales seemed like tree branches and could protect the serpent from being found. However, the scales were much more harder than tree branches. Even though Shao Xuan hacked the serpent with his tooth sword, he could not wound it with just one hack.

    Yes, Shao Xuan was wounded before and lost some strength. He could not give the serpent a finishing hack. The leathery armour of the serpent, which was more difficult to hack than the solid spine of the thorn ck wind, was a big problem for Shao Xuan.

    But, if hacking once is useless, then hack twice, hack ceaselessly.

    Many tough fragments were splintered off, and some flew towards Shao Xuan and hit his face, which made him feel painful. Like something exploding, the fragments scattered everywhere.

    Do not stop! Do not give the beast enough time to react!

    Chacha was coiled up by him. Shao Xuan needed to solve the sudden problem in the least amount of time possible. The longer it took, the possibility of Chacha being strangled to death became higher.

    Ka! Ka! Ka!

    He hacked for three consecutive times, which generated crisp sounds. The debris from the hard skin sttered everywhere. The weird serpent roared strangely, which was like the whistle from a narrow gap that the stormy wind swiftly swept through.

    Hack!

    Hack!

    Hack!

    Shao Xuan had no time to care about the difort in his ear, and only focused on hacking at the crack on the back of the serpent with the tooth sword. He hacked and hacked, the serpent¡¯s thick and hard leathery armor cracked deeper and deeper.

    The big serpent learned what Shao Xuan wanted to do and he became angry.

    The specialized scales that had been contracted, unfolded, as leaves in spring growing rapidly. Except for the part where Chacha was coiled up in, other parts stood up and unfoldedpletely. The serpent¡¯s original big body expanded twice suddenly, like a branch blooming!

    The sharp two eyes on the weird face of the serpent, which Shao Xuan had never seen, stared at Shao Xuan. The brown forked tongue was like a branch, dancing outside its mouth. The serpent twisted its sturdy body, and swept against Shao Xuan mercilessly with its tail.

    Shao Xuan had to stop hacking temporarily. He bent his knees, and swerved a little. His foot stepped heavily on the ground, all the nts under his foot became a green muddy puddle instantly.

    In order to avoid the sudden tailsweep of the serpent, Shao Xuan hit the ground and bounced to his feet instantly. His feet hit the ground heavily, leaving deep prints on the ground. He changed his position as quick as the wind to avoid being hit by the serpent. Soon afterwards, Shao Xuan swiftly shed the sword and heavily hacked on the crack that had been hacked several times just now!

    Do not think that I can¡¯t see your scar when you expanded!

    Hack!

    The ¡°leaves¡± that were covering the opening were cut off. Shao Xuan continuously shed the sword and exactly hit the crack that had been hacked several times just now! Then, continuous hacking followed, and the serpent had no time to strike back.

    Even if the tooth sword was not sharp enough, it would do great harm to the big serpent.

    Puchi.

    The big serpent spluttered weird dark green blood from his mouth.

    In spite of their hard shell, no ferocious beast could avoid injury and pain.

    After all, the serpent did not have a body of steel. His thick and hard leather had a big crack, and this crack was bing deeper and deeper. If the serpent did not take measures, he would be cut apart.

    Feeling the pain on his body, the big serpent became angry and roared continuously. At first, he only focused on that eagle that flew over him, because he liked to eat this kind of eagle the most. As for the creature held by the eagle, the serpent thought it was just a prey caught by the eagle, and did not take it seriously. The serpent could not understand why the creature in front of him looked so weak, but had unexpectedly threatened him a lot.

    The serpent never expected its outeryer breaking, and blood flowing out. If the serpent knew what would happen, he would have left the creature far behind after he had seized that eagle.

    Unfortunately, it was toote.

    The serpent was twisting its body in order to prevent its wound from being attacked again.

    However, Shao Xuan was very agile, he not only avoided the serpent¡¯s attack, but also struck back repeatedly.

    Another hack!

    Again!

    The tooth sword shed repeatedly.

    The wound on the big serpent was getting bigger and bigger, and the dark green blood was flowing out even more.

    Eventually, the big serpent chose to abandon the prey, put away the ¡°leaves¡± and threw away the coiled up eagle. Then, the serpent left quickly, dragging its injured body.

    It had been only one minute from when the big serpent fell on the ground with Chacha, to the time that the serpent was defeated and ran away. The reason for the serpent being defeated in such a short time was that Shao Xuan was worried about Chacha¡¯s condition, and didn¡¯t give any time to the serpent to strike back. Rtively, Shao Xuan had unleashed much more strength than usual in such a short time.

    Watching the serpent fleeing away, Shao Xuan breathed heavily and did not chase after it. After the serpent threw down Chacha, Shao Xuan quickly ran over to check his injury.

    Chacha¡¯s wings were injured and had a fracture. They could only move up and down powerlessly, he might not fly for a short period of time.

    He examined Chacha¡¯s parts which had been bit by the big serpent, and no bite marks by fangs were found. The wounds didn¡¯t seem to have any toxins.

    Shao Xuan rxed, for Chacha was ok.

    Having solved the trouble just now, Shao Xuan was considering finding a safe ce to heal Chacha¡¯s wounds. After both of them had recovered, they would fly high over the sky, which he thought may be much safer than otherwise.

    Of course, they had to fly high and not give any chance to this kind of weird serpents. In this forest, there were many weird serpents that Shao Xuan had encountered several nights.

    No wonder they had not seen any other birds in the sky, probably, the birds had been caught by these weird serpents.

    While Shao Xuan was thinking, he suddenly stopped moving.

    And Chacha, who was swerving up and down despondently, also stopped.

    Sha sha¡ª¡ª

    Sha sha sha sha¡ª¡ª

    Above their head came the familiar sound once again.

    Cold sweat dripped from Shao Xuan¡¯s forehead, and his muscles tightened up. Shao Xuan had run out of almost all his power in that one minute, and now, he was still in a state of exhaustion. Beforeing here, Shao Xuan had gone through a battle and had hurt his arms. He had thought that he would have time to recover, but he suffered another attack in this forest just now, which caused him to have no time to recover.

    Shao Xuan turned around, with his back facing Chacha, and looked up to look in the direction that the sound came from.

    Standing on the ground, Shao Xuan looked up in therge forest, he saw that the lush foliage was all over the sky. The little bit of sunshine through the leaves seemed like some kind of charity.

    Because some branches had been broken off when the big serpent fell to the ground, dragging Chacha down with him, more sunshine coulde down now. Combined with the surrounding environment, the sunshine was like a column of light which was iparably eye-catching.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan and Chacha were standing in the column of light.

    The sunshine made this ce much warmer than the rest of the forest. If they were in the tribe, basking in the sunshine might have been a very enjoyable thing. Thefortable sunshine and warmth almost made people close their eyes. [I¡¯m getting sleepy here myself]

    But at the moment, neither Shao Xuan nor Chacha were able to feel the warmth. On the contrary, they just felt like they were in the coldest winter snow.

    Looking at the distance, they found there were no other creatures or flying insects in the forest.

    Above, two sturdy ¡°branches¡± bent and then slid down the trunk.

    Bang!

    The slight short thud was just like what Shao Xuan had heard in the air. The two big serpents had retracted the special scales which were used for camouge. They moved towards Shao Xuan unhurriedly, and didn¡¯t seem worried that the prey would run away.

    One was in the front, and the other in the back. Shao Xuan and Chacha were cornered in the middle.

    Bang! Bang!

    Bang! Bang!

    Shao Xuan heard his heart thumping, and feel his palms sweating.

    The grasped tooth sword was not trembling, and Shao Xuan was thinking about the solution. He knew that his physical energy was going to be exhausted. Even if he continued fighting with the serpents again, there was not much chance of winning. Yes, if he risked his life in fighting, he might have a little hope to win. But now there were two serpents, and any one of them was not less than the one before.

 Chapter 139 â€“ The Giant Eagle

    Chapter 139 ¨C The Giant Eagle

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    The two serpents were muchrger than Shao Xuan, even without their special scales. They were slowly moving towards Shao Xuan and Chacha.

    Strangely enough, Shao Xuan saw a kind of ridicule in their cold eyes.

    Though witnessing the retreat of their own kind under the sword of Shao Xuan, they didn¡¯te to help, but kept observing from those high branches. They seemed to have been using him to test out the actual strength of Shao Xuan. As they now found that Shao Xuan was too exhausted to pose a threat to them, and they were also attracted by the seemingly delicious little eagle beside Shao Xuan. Finally, they climbed down from the tree slowly.

    The two serpents started approaching Shao Xuan slowly in the special way they crawl.

    Just as Shao Xuan was contemting whether to duke it out or try to escape while carrying Chacha, a shrill eagle scream came from the sky all of a sudden.

    The scream not only shocked the silent forest, but also interrupted the slow pace of the serpents.

    The serpents seemed to sense something using their tongues, and stopped approaching Shao Xuan and Chacha.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart started beating violently.

    It must be an eagle.

    Eagles and snakes were each other¡¯s nemesis. Either the former ate thetter, or thetter ate the former.

    Of course, Shao Xuan and Chacha were too weak to threaten the two serpents.

    Weak creatures could hardly survive in this forest.

    Chacha turned his head, shifting his attention from the serpents to the sky

    Whoosh!

    A great figure flew over their heads.

    It seemed that the two serpents were wavering between whether to leave or not. At the same time, the great figure flew over again. However, this time it directly flew through the dense twigs above with force.

    It tore apart the dense twigs with its two big ws, showing an eagle head asrge as Chacha himself.

    It must be another Giant Mountain Eagle, Shao Xuan thought.

    This one could be consideredrge from among the Giant Mountain Eagles. Compared to it, Chacha was just like a kid in kindergarten.

    Ferociously staring at the two serpents on the ground, the giant eagle dived towards them.

    The twigs cracked!

    Countless twigs broke off and fell down like rain.

    Shao Xuan hurriedly carried Chacha and hid. He did not dare to immediately escape, because the giant eagle could fend off the serpents here. However, they mighte across more serpents if they just ran away.

    So it was better to stay here and check the situation first.

    Flying aggressively through the twigs, the giant eagle fell down with its big ws grasping a branch that even 10 people could not embrace, leaving many hollow spots.

    When the eagle was merely several meters above the ground, it dived towards one of the serpents with all its strength concentrated on its ws.

    However, the space below the forest was still a little bit narrow for the eagle to

    stretch its wings, which adversely affected its flexibility to arge extent. Even so, its ws still strongly struck the serpent.

    The eagle smashed the serpent with its ws swiftly and violently onto the ground, and then pecked it with its pointy beak that was as sharp as a de.

    The other serpent wanted to help itspanion, but only managed to bite a few eagle feathers and then was pped by the eagle wing.

    Normally, eagles would hunt in a wider space than a dense forest, unless they were trapped in them. Besides, it was likely for their wings to be injured by twigs. Even if the eagle had tougher wings than ordinary birds, it wasn¡¯t really free from its influence.

    Shao Xuan dared not to help the eagle because he would do a disservice to it if he joined in the battle of the three giant beasts.

    The giant eagle grasped the injured serpent and threw it against the thick branch vigorously. The other serpent tried to bite the eagle and was whipped using the captured serpent.

    Bang!

    The head of the serpent bumped against the branch over and over again, with every vigorous m leaving a dent on the branch.

    Shao Xuanughed with his mouth wide open. The eagle was indeed a master in this aspect, and was apparently skillful in using a serpent like a whip. It was his first time seeing an eagle using a snake as a whip like this.

    The giant eagle seemed to know well about its weaknesses in a forest, thus dealt with its preys in an easier way.

    Chacha was also shocked by the scene, but it soon became excited and yearned to hold the serpent like that and throw it around a few times.

    Finally, the serpent that was thrown around began to feel dizzy and was ripped apart by the eagle¡¯s beak without finding an opportunity to bite its w.

    Its thick and hard skin had been pecked many times, there was brown and green blood everywhere. Every time when it was pecked by the eagle¡¯s beak, a piece of the serpent¡¯s flesh was torn off.

    The other serpent tried to escape, so the giant eagle put down the wounded one to capture it.

    Finally, both the serpents fell under the eagle¡¯s ws.

    After pecking and tearing apart the two serpents, the giant eagle threw one of them to Shao Xuan and Chacha with its w, and then fluttered its wings while holding the other one. It seemed that the eagle intended to leave and find another ce to enjoy its prey.

    The thrown serpent was apparently a charity from the giant eagle. But how could Shao Xuan give up this opportunity just for that?

    So he carried Chacha and rushed towards the eagle with all his strength.

    He could see that the giant eagle didn¡¯t intend to kill Chacha, but for prudence sake, he slowed down after running forward a few steps.

    The giant eagle paused from flying off and red at Shao Xuan, who got a scare and broke out in a cold sweat.

    Chacha also gave a lot of help. It gave full y to its cleverness and ¡°shamelessness¡± by whining to the giant eagle for sympathy.

    While Shao Xuan was approaching, the giant eagle stared at him, seemed to be lost in thought and reduced its fierceness.

    It fluttered its wings and flew up while holding out its ws to the ground.

    Shao Xuan grasped Chacha by one of his legs and then jumped up and coiled his legs around some part of serpent body which had been pecked to vertebra. It was the only part which was thin enough for Shao Xuan to put his legs around.

    Along with the rising of the giant eagle, Shao Xuan hung upside down by holding on the serpent. He was soaked by the brown and green blood. And Chacha was also very ufortable, for he was rarely grasped upside down like this.

    Thanks to his strong body with the power of a totem warrior, Shao Xuan could carry the weight of Chacha. Usually, in the tribe, it was even not difficult for him to carry big stones, and Chacha was much lighter than the stones, despite of hisrger body size.

    When rising, the giant eagle could not fly freely, so it often had to rely on surrounding trees, which made Shao Xuan and Chacha collide many times with the trees. Thus they understood the feeling the serpent had that time.

    Shao Xuan made every effort to hold onto Chacha firmly so that he doesn¡¯t slip out of his hands.

    They dared not to hope that the eagle would allow them to sit on its back. Actually, the eagle had a good temperament. It still showed some kindness to Chacha, even though they were not of the same blood. However, Shao Xuan dared not to ask too much of it, or it might be irritated and eat the both of them.

    In the fierce beast world, it was normal for a same species to eat another.

    After flying out of the forest, the eagle could fly much more easily. Shao Xuan even felt that it was easier for him to breathe.

    The giant eagle ascended higher and higher to keep away from the top of the forest.

    It was quite an experienced eagle, while Chacha was just a greenhorn.

    Together with the scene of the ground getting smaller, Shao Xuan¡¯s view also got wider. Shao Xuan could see the mountains in the distance, and the green forest.

    He hadn¡¯t had the time to observe the giant eagle until he was high up in the sky.

    After carefully observing, Shao Xuan found that its state was not as good as he had thought. Fragments of its ws were about to fall off, as well as two bleeding broken toes, which was caused by the battle with the two serpents just now. Besides, its flying posture was also not as swift and violent as it had been before. It fluttered heavily as if it suffered from great gravity. In fact, the weight of Shao Xuan and Chacha meant nothing to such a giant eagle. As to the serpent grasped by the eagle, it could also not be that heavy.

    It seemed very hard for the giant eagle to fly.

    Then Shao Xuan moved his attention from its ws to its feathers and its beak. Though it resembled Chacha greatly, Shao Xuan was very familiar with Chacha that he could notice the tiny difference between their beaks. Its beak was more crooked than Chacha¡¯s, which was not convenient for pecking prey.

    Was it caused by disease?

    Or by other factors?

    Despite of its seemingly aggressive manner, the eagle suffered from a weakened body. Any fight could bring it tremendous pain.

    It was beyond imagination that the eagle, so strong and fierce just now in the forest, should be in such a state. If not for this sight, Shao Xuan would have believed that it was still healthy and strong.

    While he was pondering, a possibility urred to Shao Xuan.

    Is it possible that the eagle was getting old?

    But he had no idea how old the eagle was and how long it would take for Chacha to

    grow thatrge.

    Dozens of years?

    Hundreds of years?

    Or even longer?

    The mountain range was getting close. Shao Xuan had nevere here. Besides, the direction the giant eagle was flying in seemed to be the same as Chacha¡¯s.

    Was it possible that they were flying to the Eagle Mountain?

    However Shao Xuan didn¡¯t see any other giant eagles here. If it was the Eagle Mountain, why did they see no other eagles here?

    It appeared that the Eagle Mountain was still far from here.

    This location was just where the giant eagle stopped over temporarily.

    When they were close to the high mountain, the giant eagle started to flutter its wings vigorously to go higher. This way, Shao Xuan could feel its tiredness more clearly. Even Chacha could more easily carry Shao Xuan before.

    Finally, the giant eaglended beside a cliff, throwing the serpent on the ground. Shao Xuan also dismounted from the serpent and went to the other side while carrying Chacha.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t touch the serpent because it was hunted by the giant eagle. Most fierce beasts highly valued the exclusivity of their prey, so they would risk their life in protecting them.

    Chacha also left the serpent alone, staying quietly besides Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan grabbed two hunks of medium-sized dried meat from his animal skin bag, which were somewhat hard to chew. He gave one piece to Chacha, leaving the other one for himself.

    However, Chacha stared at the meat in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand with some hesitation. Though it didn¡¯t like such processed meat, it had no choice but to eat that to heal.

    Bang!

    A hunk of bloody serpent meat was thrown to Chacha by the giant eagle.

    Chacha looked at the giant eagle who was busy pecking and then to the fresh meat in front of him, giving up the dried meat from Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan retracted his hand and started to eat the dried meat. Meanwhile, he said to himself silently that the giant eagle seemed to be very kind. Was it a general character shared by the elderly?

 Chapter 140 â€“ The ice layer at the mountaintop

    Chapter 140 ¨C The iceyer at the mountaintop

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    After staying two days at the edge of the cliff, Shao Xuan has almost recovered, and his injuries on the arm also healed up. But Chacha¡¯s ability to recover was lower than Shao Xuan¡¯s, so it had taken him a dozen days to recover to full health.

    What surprised Shao Xuan the most was that the giant eagle had stayed here for more than 10 days, and he did not have a nest here, he was also just passing by. Every day after catching prey to fill his stomach, it stood on a high rock to rest, instead of leaving immediately. In addition, it also gave some of its food to Chacha every day.

    These days, Chacha¡¯s fatigue had decreased and he had restored to a good state of mind. And he had enough food, so he just focused on patiently healing his wounds.

    Shao Xuan would climb down the mountain to hunt, but without Chacha¡¯s help, he had some trouble, because that giant eagle did not help him go down the mountain.

    Besides food, Shao Xuan also found some herbs to apply on Chacha¡¯s wounds. He had intended to see if the giant eagle needed his help, but only to find it stay away from him on purpose. Shao Xuan temporarily gave up this idea.

    As soon as Chacha could fly again, the giant eagle did not intend to stay.

    It would go with Chacha in that direction, and Shao Xuan did not know whether he should follow them or just return. Together with this giant eagle, Chacha should be much safer.

    However, after Chacha flew up, it screamed towards Shao Xuan to tell him to hurry and catch up with them.

    Shao Xuan smiled, and decided to follow them to see the legendary Eagle Mountain. He put away the tooth sword, ran for a distance, and then leaped to catch Chacha¡¯s legs, who was flying towards him.

    The giant eagle in the sky seemed to be very impatient, hovering several times, which marked it was urging them to leave.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    A scream was heard.

    After screaming with joy, Chacha pped his wings, and followed after the giant eagle.

    This time, Chacha would not keep close to the trees in the woods, but maintain a certain distance to avoid being attacked again.

    The giant eagle¡¯s flying posture seemed even more unstable than ten days ago. It was more and more obvious that it had difficulty flying. But even so, for Chacha and Shao Xuan, it flew plenty fast, so Chacha could barely keep up with it.

    During the day, they kept flying. In the evening, they found a ce to rest. They brought their prey to a high cliff, and quietly ate it. In this area, there were many high mountains. Sometimes they encountered other creatures living in the high mountains. Usually the giant eagle fought with the prey while Shao Xuan and Chacha cheered for him nearby. If they tried helping him, it would just cause some trouble to him.

    Every time the giant eagle fought with the other ferocious beasts, Shao Xuan found that it got more and more injuries. Its ws, beak, and feathers were in a worse condition than they were when Shao Xuan met it for the first time. Only the pair of eagle eyes kept their invincible sharpness.

    Under the escort of the giant eagle, they avoided a lot of trouble, for the flying birds did not dare to provoke them on their way.

    They had left the third holdout for about thirty days now, but they still did not see the destination.

    However, judging from Chacha¡¯s and that giant eagle¡¯s behavior, Shao Xuan could perceive the changes in their minds. They were excited, and had sparkling eyes. Even the weather-beaten giant eagle showed his strong desire to arrive there without any more dy.

    The destination was around the corner.

    This day, these two eagles hurriedly continued on with their journey, and Shao Xuan observed the surrounding scene. In front of them, there was a long dragon-like mountain. This mountain was very high, which reminded Shao Xuan of the mountain in the second location. Most of the birds were obstructed by the high mountain.

    Whenever they encountered such a mountain and they went over it, they would see a different scenery.

    The top of the mountain was obstructed by clouds, so they could only see the vastnd below the clouds that was covered by snow.

    The giant eagle began to fly higher, followed by Chacha.

    They nned to go over the mountain.

    On their way over, they had climbed many mountains, this time though, it was much more difficult for them.

    The higher they flew, the more difficult it became. It seemed that there was a force that pushed back any creature trying to fly higher.

    After flying for a distance, Chacha felt tired and rested on a protruding rock.

    ¡°Chacha, you go on and follow him up, I¡¯ll stop here.¡± Said Shao Xuan as he touched the feathers on Chacha¡¯s head.

    ¡°Jiao~~~!¡±

    Chacha avoided his hand, fluttered his wingsm and scratched the rock near him with his ws.

    ¡°Why are you so stubborn? I will wait here¡­¡± Said Shao Xuan. Thinking about it, he asked, ¡°You wille back, won¡¯t you?¡±

    Chacha made a cry and continued to scratch the rock.

    ¡°But if it takes too long I will return by myself.¡± Shao Xuan nned to stay in this area, where the species were strange to him. He thought that perhaps he could discover some precious herbs from in the ancient volumes.

    He had always stayed in the tribe, and it had been boring for him to follow the same route. He could seize this chance to visit this foreign ce. He¡¯d like to see the so-called Eagle Mountain, but Chacha was still too small to fly higher with him in this ce.

    The giant eagle above began to urge him.

    Chacha still hesitated, and screamed to the eagle.

    ¡°Catch up with him!¡± Said Shao Xuan. It¡¯s so rare to find such a thick thigh totch onto, if he lost it, where would he find another one?

    While Shao Xuan was talking to him, he suddenly felt a gust of wind behind him. Then he turned around, and found a big eagle wing at him.

    Shao Xuan did not take out his tooth sword because it did not pose any threat to him.

    Standing on the ground, the giant eagle was nearly ten meters high, so its ws were naturally muchrger than those Chacha. It was easy for it to grab Shao Xuan.

    After clutching Shao Xuan, the giant eagle flew up immediately. Chacha nced at it, and quickly kept up with them.

    The giant eagle was used to hold prey, so it didn¡¯t reduce its strength, which made Shao Xuan feel like his internal organs were being squeezed out and his bones being broken. If he had not been a strong totem warrior, but an ordinary man, this hold would have killed him.

    But the eagle was full of good intentions. This period of time of being together made the giant eagle no longer keep away from Shao Xuan. It found Chacha had great difficulty in flying with Shao Xuan, so it offered a hand. But it did not know there were many creatures much more vulnerable than its prey.

    Though without Shao Xuan, Chacha¡¯s burden was lifted, it still could not fly fast due to the increasing pressure. It seemed that there was an invisible big hand pressing him down with increased force when he rose a little.

    Chacha had such a feeling, and so did the giant eagle. Shao Xuan¡¯s weight was a piece of cake for the giant eagle, but it had to resist the pressure from below to higher.

    The mountain they saw was covered by snow and ice. Neither green nts, nor the top, could be seen. When they looked up, they could only seeyers of clouds.

    The cold air poured into their lungs. In the beginning, Shao Xuan could stand it, for it was as cold as the winter in the tribe. But as they continued to rise, Shao Xuan found that even a totem warrior could not withstand such bitter cold.

    His animal skin coat began to be covered with white frost, and the range of frosting was expanding.

    In addition to his animal skin coat, his hair, the feathers of the giant eagle and Chacha were also being frozen.

    Above them there was some light, but the golden sunshine at this time could not make them feel warm.

    If it was at night, it probably would be colder. Therefore, they had to reach before it got dark.

    Shao Xuan circted the power of the totem in his body, so that the warm flow would make his whole body warm. But once he stopped mobilizing the power, he would feel the bitter cold again.

    When Shao Xuan felt he was almost frozen into a popsicle, he finally saw the top of the mountain.

    This pleased the frozen Shao Xuan and the exhausted Chacha. Chacha began pping his wings energetically.

    Close.

    Closer.

    They ascended slowly, and then went over the clouds around the top. Looking at the scene in front of him, Shao Xuan¡¯s pupils contracted slightly.

    He originally thought that after he went over the top and descended, he would get to the other side of the mountain. But in fact, when they arrived at the top, they saw a t ground.

    Bang!

    The giant eaglended on the iceyer at the top of the mountain.

    Having been thrown away, Shao Xuan rolled over on the frozen ground before he stopped.

    The ground was covered with thick snow, and the snow was as hard as stone.

    Behind them was a cloudyer. He felt that he rode on the clouds, and stepped into paradise. But when he looked at the front, the clouds blocked everything, so he could not see what was in the front.

    However, Shao Xuan could feel that in these clouds, there were other living creatures.

    After the giant eagle let Shao Xuan go, it took a rest and then moved forward.

    Chacha hurried to keep up with it.

    The cold fog permeated the air. Shao Xuan walked near them.

    When he turned around, he could only see the fog. The ce they hadnded in disappeared into the fog,

    On the ground, there were some prominent crystal-like icicles, which could be seen every few tens of meters.

    Crack!

    Crack! Crack!

    Shao Xuan looked around, and heard the same sounding from all directions. Some sounds were near, and some were far from him.

    But Shao Xuan did not dare to be distracted. He closely followed the giant eagle with Chacha.

    Da~ da~

    Behind them, the sound of footsteps came. It was the sound of an eagle¡¯s footsteps.

    A gust of cold wind blowing from the back made Shao Xuan shiver.

    With the sound of footsteps getting closer, Shao Xuan turned his head to look. What he saw made him gasp.

    Because of the fog, Shao Xuan did not see it clearly. He could only see a huge ck figure in the fog. Compared with the giant eagle, Chacha was as small as a kid. Butpared with this big guy, the giant eagle was as small as a kid.

    Was this also¡­ a giant mountain eagle?

    Shao Xuan looked at it with his special vision, although it was still blocked by fog, he could vaguely see the eagle¡¯s skeleton.

    He took a deep cold breath.

    Shao Xuan suddenly felt that he really had a narrow horizon. The size of the giant eagle could be imagined ording to its name. The one that he had seen before was not typical of its kind. It was unknown whether there were bigger giant eagles.

    Among these big guys, Shao Xuan felt tense, as if he fell into a monster den.

    Looking at therge eagle and the small one in front of him, Shao Xuan quickly kept up with them. Anyway, he had better follow them at the moment.

    The giant eagle led the small Chacha out of thisnd surrounded by clouds and fog. When they came to a protruding crystal-shaped icicle, the giant eagle lowered its head to bite the icicle. It pecked off a piece, then gave it a bite. He swallowed it and then continued to peck another.

    Chacha had a look and also pecked the icicle.

    Listening to the cracking sound, Shao Xuan then understood how the sounding from all directions was produced.

 Chapter 141 â€“ The Eagle Mountain

    Chapter 141 ¨C The Eagle Mountain

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    Shao Xuan thought that they would travel through this ce, but it turned out that these two eagles just stopped here, and bit the icicles next to them if they were hungry. They continued to stand here as if they were waiting for something.

    The crystal-like icicles on the iceyer contained energy, not as pure and much less than that of the fire crystals. But these icicles were what the giant mountain eagles lived on.

    Shao Xuan pried a icicle off with his tooth sword and tried it. He found that it was so hard that he could hardly eat it. Those giant eagles could take a big bite, while Shao Xuan could only scrape off a little at a time.

    Although biting the icicles made Shao Xuan shiver, the energy obtained from them helped the totem power in his body move for a while longer. This way, he could withstand the bitter cold on this iceyer and survive.

    When Chacha stayed in the tribe in winter, it still slept in his nest on the roof and did not feel cold at all. That was becausepared to the bitter cold in this ce, the winter in the tribe was warm for the giant mountain eagles.

    Besides the huge figure Shao Xuan saw in the beginning, he also saw many other giant mountain eagles constantly.

    Some had a simr size as the giant eagle that brought them here, while some were much bigger than the one that had shocked Shao Xuan on the first day.

    Did the word ¡®mountain¡¯ in the name ¡®giant mountain eagles¡¯ refer to this?

    Was this ce the Eagle Mountain? Shao Xuan guessed.

    These giant mountain eagles flocked here, and did not leave. They did not fight, but just waited. Even Chacha, with his excessive energy, also became well-behaved and stayed close to the giant eagle that brought them here at any time. [Chacha found his Old Ke.]

    Since his birth, it was the first time for himing to this ce which it knew the direction to and had a strong desire to go, which totally depended on the instinct in his blood.

    Day by day, Shao Xuan did the same things. If hungry, he gnawed on some icicles like those giant eagles, and then he sat quietly next to the two eagles and circted the totem power to withstand the cold.

    Shao Xuan looked pale, and his breath was slow. At night, he often trembled and felt too cold to fall asleep. He thought he was going to be integrated with this piece of iceyer. The only thing he could do was to continuously circte the totem power in his body.

    Next to Shao Xuan, Chacha was not feeling that well either. It was the first time for him facing such a grim environment, so he did not fully adjust himself and was not ready for it.

    In contrast, the giant eagle staying with them, and the other giant eagles, were so calm that it seemed that they could not feel the bitter cold. They had been used to such an environment.

    Chacha initially intended to squeeze into the wings of the giant eagle to keep himself warm, but it was mercilessly chased away. It leaned against Shao Xuan. Both were shivering in the cold fog.

    Gradually, Shao Xuan began to adjust. Even when he slept, his totem power could circte in his body spontaneously and tirelessly to make him warm. As a giant mountain eagle, Chacha also adjusted and became better after several days.

    Shao Xuan used his tooth sword to carve traces in an icicle next to him to record the number of the passing days. And in this process, Shao Xuan found that these icicles actually grew. The mark he made twenty days ago was in a higher position. In addition, the icicles be thicker, so the bite marks and scratches left by the two eagles gradually became invisible.

    No wonder those eagles ate so much but there was still a lot of ice on the ground. It grew by itself.

    This was a strange ce.

    Da! Da! Da! Da!

    The sound of footsteps came. It sounded like a giant eagle of a huge size, for its steps were slightly heavy.

    With the sound of footsteps getting closer, the fog could no longer block its figure.

    That huge and tall figure walked past Shao Xuan, which allowed him to observe it clearly. But he saw its ws the most clearly, for the fog still blurred the upper part of its body.

    It should be a very old eagle, and perhaps it had been a leader ruling some ce. It had met numerous threats in the wild, and had faced up to the challenges from those of its same kind and the other ferocious beasts. It had ruled a piece of the sky and soared in the sky. But now it became old, and its sharp ws became blunt. There were a lot of fragments falling of its¡¯ toes. Its feathers had bald spots, and there were a lot of wounds,rge and small, deep or shallow, in its legs.

    Its condition was simr to that eagle that brought them here.

    The huge figure passed by them closely. It could easily wrap around Chacha with its ws. When it fluttered its wings, Shao Xuan found a shadow above his head. Its wings could block all the light.

    Chacha and the giant eagle looked up and then lowered their sight. They continued to be in a daze, or perhaps in deep thought.

    The huge figure gradually faded away, andpletely disappeared in the fog.

    Twenty days¡­ thirty days¡­

    On the fortieth day, the surrounding giant mountain eagles no longer stayed silent, but became active. Sometimes they screamed and then sessive echoes would be heard everywhere.

    These days, more and more giant mountain eagles arrived here every day. Shao Xuan could see figures of various sizes passing by him. Among them, there was a small eagle of a simr size as Chacha, he probably followed its parents here. It walked next to two huge figures, and when it saw Shao Xuan, it was curious and came closer to him, but its parents called it back.

    The fog was lifting.

    The sunlight came through the clouds, and the picture gradually became clear.

    This day, when the sun rose and shone on this piece of iceyer, Shao Xuan found that the surrounding fog had cleared.

    Around, big or small figures could be seen. Those small ones had a simr size as Chacha .The big ones were as huge as a mountain.

    These figurespletely blocked Shao Xuan¡¯s view. Among them, Shao Xuan was like an alien that broke into a giant group. He was so small that they did not even nce at him.

    Shao Xuan did not know where so many giant beasts had lived before. Living in the tribe in recent years, He had never seen so many giant eagles when he went hunting with the group, or when he followed the advance group and found Chacha in the greennd.

    They were not exactly the same. Some looked a little different in their patterns and fur color. But their looks were simr, and they were all giant mountain eagles.

    Perhaps they came from the continent. Perhaps, they had lived in a group somewhere. But no matter where they came from, at the moment, they gathered together here.

    ¡°Jiao~~~!¡±

    ¡°Jiao~~~!¡±

    It seemed that the scream came from afar, and it sounded like not just one eagle, but like a group of eagles screamimg. The resonance was echoing.

    A group of eagles echoed each other and the sound was getting closer.

    Whiz!

    A huge figure flew in the sky, and flew above the numerous giant mountain eagles standing on the iceyer.

    It had a pointed beak, sharp ws, strong wings, and a lofty figure. It showed its pleasure of freedom and its heroic deeds.

    This figure covered the sky above Shao Xuan.

    The original golden sunlight waspletely blocked.

    This was just a beginning.

    After it, one, two¡­ ten¡­ a hundred eagles¡­

    A group of giant mountain eagles followed.

    They all fluttered their strong wings as they flew freely and rapidly with heroic pride. Their flying posture clearly showed their excitement and pleasure.

    Compared with the old ones standing on the iceyer at this time, they were strong and full of vitality.

    They did not only flew in the sky above Shao Xuan, between the gaps in the distance, he could see several huge figures flying over.

    They came from the front and then went back to the other side of the mountain. The strong wind caused by the group of eagles almost blew away Shao Xuan.

    After these figures gradually disappeared, there was some sound at the front.

    It was the sound of fluttering wings. It rang with increasing frequency.

    Shao Xuan saw the giant eagles in front of him also pping their wings, and then flying away.

    Next to him, the two screams were heard.

    Shao Xuan looked over. Chacha followed them after he screamed towards Shao Xuan.

    When the huge guys that had blocked his view left, a mountain covered with snow appeared in front of Shao Xuan.

    That mountain was a little far from him, and veryrge, so its top could not be seen.

    Shao Xuan thought that the mountain that he had gone over was extremely high, but now he found a higher one.

    In the golden sun, the snowy mountain gave off a bright halo, staying independant.

    Standing on the iceyer, Shao Xuan looked at the huge snow-capped mountain quietly, and felt his soul being shocked. Under such circumstances, he suddenly had a sense of pilgrimage.

    Thousands of eagles flew towards the snowy mountain.

    What was ahead?

    Shao Xuan also walked over there, and sped up. His legs gradually became agile, though he had not moved his legs for a long time, and finally ran straight ahead.

    Chacha and that giant eagle soon joined the eagle group. There were so many eagles that it was hard to tell which one was Chacha.

    Shao Xuan followed the eagle group forward, and then he saw the flying giant eagles dropping down and finally disappear on the boundary of the iceyer.

    He arrived at the end of the iceyer, but in front of the iceyer, there was an endless abyss.

    The eagle group flew from the top of the iceyer down to the abyss. Although they were flying down, they went in the direction towards the snow-capped mountain.

    Neither the top, nor the bottom, of the distant snowy mountain could be seen. The mountain was standing there aloof.

    It was the Eagle Mountain. This time, Shao Xuan was absolutely sure.

    Standing on the edge, Shao Xuan was watching the eagles disappear in the abyss.

    After some time, the fog began to gather together.

    The fog blocked Shao Xuan¡¯s view, so everything looked just like before.

 Chapter 142 â€“ White Insects

    Chapter 142 ¨C White Insects

    Tranted by Idontreallycare

    On this massiveyer of ice, only Shao Xuan could be found.

    In all four directions around him, there was only silence.

    Normally, the environment here was covered in fog, obscuring the vision, and from time to time, various cries could be heard. Maybe the sounds were caused by the movements of giant creatures. Or maybe it was the act of them gnawing on the columns of ice.

    Yet now, the cries that echoed in the past have now disappeared.

    This had left Shao Xuan with a feeling of destion.

    On the other hand, after the disappearance of these giant eagles, Shao Xuan decided to explore thisyer of ice. Upon arrival on this block of ice, due to the surrounding giant eagles, Shao Xuan did not dare to walk freely. Now, as the eagles have even flown away, he did not need to be this mindful.

    Even if his vision had been obstructed, capitalizing on when the fog scattered, he had already made a mental map of his surroundings.

    He only had to be a bit careful as this wasn¡¯t anything major.

    Walking to the peak of this ice sheet, because of his habits, he made very little sound. Adding to the fact that his current surroundings were absolutely silent, subconsciously, Shao Xuan had made sure he made little to no sound.

    Even though his movements were very cautious, his speed was not slow.

    Approaching the precipice where the giant eagles roosted, Shao Xuan decided not to go any further and instead proceeded horizontally.

    To make sure he would not fall into a chasm, Shao Xuan had moved away from the edge.

    Although Shao Xuan had calcted the vertical height of this peak, the horizontal distance could not be found out. Even if it had been when the fog had scattered, Shao Xuan would still not be able to determine such.

    On the iceyer, the footprints of various giant creatures could be seen, and the ice columns they gnawed on had marks, somerge, some small.

    On this trip, Shao Xuan had also seen quite a few gigantic ice columns. Naturally, these ice columns would attract the attention of the giant eagles, as seen by the marks that were left on them. The majority of these marks were on the top of the columns. Approaching the bottom of the columns, only a few marks could be seen, if any at all, which showed that the giant eagles prefered not lowering their heads to eat.

    As Shao Xuan proceeded, he suddenly caught scent of a jeering sound. Although it wasn¡¯t loud, due to the silent surroundings, this sound was quite obvious.

    This noise wasn¡¯t that of the giant eagles. When the giant eagles moved around, they carried around with them a heavy feeling, as if they didn¡¯t have to be fearful of anything. At this moment, this sound caused Shao Xuan to immediately be cautious.

    As the sound approached him, Shao Xuan hid behind an ice column, wary of the creature in the fog that was approaching closer and closer.

    Gradually, the silhouette of a long creature grew clearer and clearer.

    Snake?

    No, this wasn¡¯t a snake.

    This creature was not at the length of a snake. Furthermore, the movement of this creature was different. Upon a second nce, this creature seemed like an insect.

    Stone worm?

    In mountainous areas, stone worms are a frequent sight.

    Yet quickly, Shao Xuan realized he was wrong.

    This creature actually wasn¡¯t a stone worm. Rather, it looked like thervae of butterflies.

    This insect was thicker than Shao Xuan¡¯s thigh. Approaching four meters long, this creature waspletely white. It had a round head, and connecting the head to the body, there was a ¡°neck¡± that could constrict and contract.

    Briefly looking at it, it seems that apart from it being arger size, disregarding that they seemed to be butterflyrvae, there were no differences than that of a stone worm. But taking a closer look, Shao Xuan discovered many differences.

    Through Shao Xuan¡¯s experiences, the butterflyrvae he had hunted had three abdomens with four pairs of feet and one tail. Yet this worm in front of him had three segments with three pairs of feet and three tails.

    The abdomens and the tails had hooks, while their feet had suction cups. Previously, the sound that Shao Xuan had heard was the worm crawling across the iceyer.

    What a strange worm.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t expect that he would encounter this creature in such a frigid environment. Generally speaking, these worms should live in a warmer, more temperate climate.

    Not being able to determine if this worm could attack, Shao Xuan did not make any movements. He just stood behind the ice column and observed the white worm that was slowly crawling closer.

    After crawling a bit, it stopped. Using its feet and tail to prop its front section up, it appeared as if it recognized something and then proceeded to crawl in that direction.

    The worm actually changed its direction to proceeded directly towards the ice column that Shao Xuan was hiding behind.

    Had he been discovered?

    Bing alert, he noiselessly put his hand on the handle of his sword.

    However, the worm stopped in front of the ice column, and Shao Xuan started to hear crunching sounds.

    Feeling the tremors travelling across the column, Shao Xuan knew that the worm was gnawing on the ice.

    The worm¡¯s goal was merely the ice column, and it had not discovered Shao Xuan.

    Between Shao Xuan and the worm, one was hiding on one side of the column, and the other was gnawing the ice on the other side. Shao Xuan did not poke out his head to observe, but simply relied on his hearing and the tremors reverberating through the column to confirm the worm¡¯s actions.

    The crunching sound continued for roughly two hours as the worm switched locations in search of another ice column. Following the worm, at times when there was no column to hide behind, as long as he remained cautious, the worm wouldn¡¯t take note of him. In its eyes, it did not care for anything but food.

    Shao Xuan discovered that the ice columns the worm chose were all thick, because those columns were also long, simr to the ice columns the giant eagles prefered. But instead of the preference for the top of the column, this worm prefered to gnaw on the bottom of them.

    Could it be an obsession with cleanliness? Or is it that it feared the scent of these giant eagles?

    Shao Xuan did not know.

    But after confirming its preference for food, continuing to follow the worm, he disyed more skill.

    Observing the ice columns that the worm gnawed on, Shao Xuan discovered that it ate extremely fast, without losing in speed to the giant eagles. Only, its bites were much smaller, but much faster, so the crunching sound was even more concentrated.

    As the light grew dimmer and dimmer, only as it approached evening, did the worm stop its search for food as it crawled back home.

    Shao Xuan continued to follow it.

    The further he proceeded, the fog grew less and less dense.

    At this time, Shao Xuan could see this white worm even clearer.

    Where did ite from? Where was it going now?

    Upon reaching the edge, the worm raised its body, then proceeded down the steep incline. The worm raised its front section, then its rear, two parts interchanging. While going down, the worm resembled an arch bridge.

    It¡¯s abdomen and tail hooked onto theyer of ice and rock to prevent itself from falling down the steep incline. Looking down, Shao Xuan found the worm¡¯s speed to be fast and steady. To the worm, this steep incline was the same as a t surface.

    Taking note of the sky¡¯s color, Shao Xuan did not follow it, but rather turned back, gnawed on some ice and fell asleep.

    The next day.

    Once again, Shao Xuan caught sight of the worm. Following yesterday¡¯s route to the ice sheet, it once more went out seeking food.

    Shadowing the worm, on the iceyer, Shao Xuan had not found another creature. Regarding such a peculiar looking specimen, Shao Xuan decided on observing it abit more.

    Every day, just when the sun started to rise, it would climb up the iceyer in search of ice columns not touched by the giant eagles. With every column that it gnawed on, it would only gnaw one-third of the column and would never snap it in half.

    After five days of observation, Shao Xuan nned on following it after sunset.

    Shao Xuan could easily traverse this steep incline as well.

    The conditions on this incline were better than at the peak of the iceyer as the fog was less dense here. Back when traversing the apex of the iceyer, Shao Xuan had to stick tight to the wall as the ledge was extremely thin, and many times, it seemed like he was so high up, he could actually touch the sun.

    As a precaution, Shao Xuan had left a lot of distance between him and the white worm. But soon, Shao Xuan found that when traversing the steep incline, the worm¡¯s speed vastly outstripped his own, and he quickly lost track of it.

    After thinking for a bit, Shao Xuan once again returned to the iceyer.

    Instead of following the white worm, Shao Xuan had decided upon traversing the steep incline when the worm was out looking for food.

    The worm would leave behind marks where one could move across, and as long as Shao Xuan followed such marks, he could find out where the worm went every sunset.

    On the incline where the worm crossed, there were deep holes from the worm¡¯s hooks.

    Taking into ount the worm¡¯s constitution and how it moved, finding such marks was quite easy. Adding the fact that it was daytime, the task grew even easier.

    From the peak, Shao Xuan continuously proceeded down. From time to time, fierce winds would blow through the crevice bringing with it countless shards of ice crashing onto Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan could only helplessly proceed onwards. Furthermore, he had to disy the utmost care while moving across. If he grew careless. and from this height fell down, then death was inevitable.

    While flying up the mountain, Cha Cha and the giant eagle had used half a day, but after half a day of climbing, Shao Xuan had proceeded no more than one-third of the distance.

    Only at this point, the marks that the white worm had made going down had halted and instead, they proceeded to move horizontally.

    Following these marks, he continued to look for more and finally, on top of a protruding block of stone, he discovered a nest padded with many threads.

    Shao Xuan knew that some species of worms would spit out threads and use them to connect leaves together to make a ¡°leaf nest¡±. Perhaps in this area, they would also make such a nest. When they needed to rest, they would hide in the nest and only when the sun rose did theye out to search for food.

    In the mountainous areas surrounding the tribe, there would regrly be such urrences. Sometimes, by peeling leaves apart, insects could be seen hiding inside.

    And now, Shao Xuan found that the white worm had indeed made a nest here.

    The threads werepletely transparent and did not reflect light. If Shao Xuan had not followed these marks, he would never have discovered these elusive threads.

    After touching and stretching them, he found that they were pretty good. Shao Xuan¡¯s first impression was that these threads were perfect for traps, but he didn¡¯t know the durability of these threads.

    But right now, Shao Xuan would not take them. Only after observing the worm would he do anything. After all, if the worm became rmed, nothing good woulde out of it.

 Chapter 143 â€“ Butterfly

    Chapter 143 ¨C Butterfly

    Tranted by Idontreallycare

    On the protruding stone b, behind theyer of threads, Shao Xuan indeed had found something interesting, a set of marks.

    Carefully looking around once again, he couldn¡¯t even find a trace of their feces.

    Originally believing that by travelling this far, at the end of everything, he would be rewarded with treasures, it turned out that the nest of the white insect waspletely empty.

    Shao Xuan once more traced the steep incline further down and couldn¡¯t find any more marks. Obviously this insect had not gone any deeper recently.

    Finding the insect¡¯s nest, and nothing else, Shao Xuan decided to go back up. He started to walk, then he ceased his movements and began to think. Walking to a nearby rock he moved behind it, removed all traces of his existence, and waited.

    Although there was sunlight, the never ending stream of ice and rocks was not pleasant, and the temperature didn¡¯t seem to get any warmer. On the contrary, as the sun started to set, the temperature plummeted rapidly.

    However, for someone who was already ustomed to the climate at the peak of the mountain, this coldness was bearable.

    As the sun left only a sliver of light, the insect returned.

    As every step required it to tightly grasp onto the ice and rock, the noise the insect made was uncontroble. Shao Xuan had been resting with his eyes closed, but upon hearing activitying his way, he immediately opened his eyes to observe.

    With the vantage point Shao Xuan had secured, his vision of the insect was unobstructed.

    Although the sun had already set, the light of the two moons in the sky allowed Shao Xuan to clearly see everything going on.

    Upon eating its fill and returning, the first thing the insect did was excrete waste.

    One by one, transparent balls of ice came out of the insect¡¯s rear end.

    Finishing his business, the insect kicked each and every one of those balls down the cliff.

    Shao Xuan was speechless. As expected, this insect had an obsession with cleanliness. It seemed to know not to defecate where it sleeps.

    Finishing eating and defecating, the insect motionlessly lied down on its nest to rest.

    Not even bothering to look, Shao Xuan leaned against the rock and fell asleep.

    The next day, the insect had already left its nest before the sun appeared in the sky.

    Following the insect, Shao Xuan ascended the mountain.

    For the next few days, Shao Xuan did not venture back down, nor did he follow the insect. Instead, he proceeded to explore various locations on this iceyer. After familiarizing himself with the terrain, he proceeded to advance at an even quicker pace.

    Some dayster, Shao Xuan returned to his original location. He did not turn back, but because this iceyer was shaped like a ring, of course Shao Xuan would return to his original location. During this process, Shao Xuan had encountered more of those white insects; but he did not bother spending time on follow them.

    After arriving back, looking around, Shao Xuan could not find any trace of the original insect.

    Curious, Shao Xuan once again descended down the cliff. When he arrived at the insect¡¯s nest, he was just in time to catch sight of the insect molting.

    Casting off its skin, the thread the insect produced was transparent.

    Perhaps after transforming, the insect was tired. Only after resting for a while did the insect start moving and kicking its skin out of its nest.

    Shao Xuan wanted to get ahold of that skin, because in the tribe, they werecking in materials, and so, trying to get that skin would be worth the effort.

    Originally worried that the skin would get swept away by the fierce wind, unexpectedly, after being kicked out of the nest, it fell straight down onto the ice, making a loud noise.

    Seeing the hole smashed by the skin, Shao Xuan became dazed.

    With the skin being this heavy, the insect must be even heavier! Who would¡¯ve known?

    The insect was still resting in its nest, so Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t just directly go down and take the skin. He had to wait for an opportunity.

    And this opportunity would be during the next day.

    Waiting for the sun to rise, while the insect had ascended up the mountain like a ghost, Shao Xuan went towards the skin to examine it. Afterst night, the skin had been covered in a nket of snow.

    Brushing the snow off, Shao Xuan picked up the skin. Weighing it in his hand, what he found was contrary to his expectations. But for a tribe of people who moves stones around, this amount of weight could be regarded as bearable.

    The skin was so transparent, that when looking down, Shao Xuan could see even the wrinkles on his hand. When pulling with some strength, he found no damage.

    As expected, this was something good.

    Rolling up the skin, he tied it up and put it in his bag.

    Looking around the nest, and not finding anymore remains, Shao Xuan returned back up the mountain.

    Afterwards, Shao Xuan went to look for more of these insects. By following their footprints, he tracked their nests and acquired two more of these skins. From the other insects, he did not find any remains. Maybe they have not molted yet, or maybe they kicked their skin further away. The skins weren¡¯t in the vicinity of the nests, and looking at the lines in the snow, Shao Xuan inferred that they rolled far away.

    During the time Shao Xuan was scavenging, he found that these insects were turning more and more transparent. Originally snow white, they turned translucent, and with every passing day they grew even more transparent.

    Finally, when all of the insects had disappeared, Shao Xuan went looking in their nests and found that the white insect had turned into a cocoon.

    In this state, the shells of the insects were also transparent and angr. If one was not paying attention, they might have mistaken them for blocks of ice.

    Shao Xuan did not know how long the insects would be in their chrysalis state.

    In the end, since he had memorized the locations of the nests, he decided to check on them every couple of days. For the rest of the time, Shao Xuan would slowly absorb the energy contained in the ice columns. Being in such a tranquil ce, he felt himself bing more peaceful, which was extremely suitable for absorbing energy.

    The energy located in the ice column was quite ordinary as it wasn¡¯t as pure or strong as that found in the fire crystal. For Shao Xuan, the energy from the fire crystal could only have a supporting effect, as it did not affect the totem in his consciousness, one of the other differences between him and the other tribe members.

    However, after every absorption of the energy found in the ice, a sliver of energy could be found umting in the totem. It had been precisely this type of energy which had been the root cause for the change(s) in the totem.

    The two moons in the sky gradually circled, and drifted closer and closer to one another, brightening up the sky.

    On this day, the two moons eclipsed.

    From the clouds and mist on the mountain top, Shao Xuan was looking at the moon.

    During his time in the tribe, he would constantly hear the cries of beasts in the forest. During his time here, all was quiet.

    Unable to hear any life, it was as if he had been cut off from the world.

    From the first hunt of the year to today, half a year had passed in the blink of an eye.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan felt activity from underneath him.

    Recalling those cocoons, he decided to go down and see what was happening.

    On this night, the light provided by the two eclipsed moons wasparable to daylight.

    For both the wild and ferocious beasts, this night was truly peculiar.

    And so, while descending down the mountain, Shao Xuan was unusually cautious.

    Finally arriving at one of the nests, Shao Xuan saw an insecting out of the nest that had grownparably smaller than when it was a insect. This insect looked like a butterfly with two antennas and no wings.

    Upon leaving its nest, it crawled to the protruding b of rock. Suddenly emitting white light from within, the light molded into a growing pair of wings.

    Bing bigger, the wings blocked all view of the rock the insect was on.

    Opening it¡¯s bright fluorescent wings, the butterfly rested for a while, then jumped off the rock, pped its wings, and flew far away.

    Looking out into the distance, there was a speck of white light gradually growing smaller.

    In the end, the insects had all turned into butterflies.

    With no stars in the sky, these bright wings appeared to be countless lights in the night.

    Although there were still icy winds blowing around, these butterflies seemed to not be affected and steadily flew onwards.

    Shao Xuan stood and watched these specks of light be increasingly small, to the point of disappearing. Only then did Shao Xuan retract his eyes and shift them towards their nest.

    The threads were still there.

    If left alone, after a while, they would be covered in ice and snow.

    Coming over, Shao Xuan pulled on the threads to find that they weren¡¯t easily separated. After observing the previous skins, he found that they were extremely hard to pull, but after using his totem, it grew a lot easier.

    Shao Xuan used the same method to obtain the other threads.

    Originally, the threads were stuck so tightly onto the rock wall that they seemed to be a part of it, after using his totem power, all he needed to do was the use a bit of force to peel them off.

    Contrasted by the insect¡¯s skin, this thread was iparably light, causing Shao Xuan to grow excited.

    Inside the nest and cocoon, Shao Xuan did not find anything. Could it be that the butterflies had kicked everything off the cliff? Could it be that they ate them?

    It wasn¡¯t a big deal even if he couldn¡¯t find anything. For Shao Xuan, obtaining the threads was the biggest harvest for tonight.

    Going to a few locations, the amount of thread he acquired was not small. To the insects, these threads weren¡¯t anything important, or else they would¡¯ve taken it away with them. In a few locations, some threads had been nipped and blown away with the wind.

    This task continued on for two days, and during this time, new giant eagles had appeared.

    Just like when Chacha arrived, these eagles were extremely tired. It seemed like they weren¡¯t in a good state, as if affected by the ravages of time and old age.

    Since these eagles arrived, it let Shao Xuan know that perhaps Cha Cha would also arrive soon.

    As the giant eagles once again assembled on thisyer of ice, Shao Xuan could not move around freely. Staying in the location where he and Cha Cha had firstnded, he then began to hide his presence.

    And so, these days, Shao Xuan would either be biting on a piece of ice from the column or observing every passing eagle.

    Currently eating, Shao Xuan realized something was amiss. Raising his head, the first thing he saw was a giant eagle flying down,nding directly in front of him.

    The eagle¡¯s head was not far away from him, and it could see Shao Xuan extremely well.

    Suddenly, their eyes met.

 Chapter 144 â€“ A foreign object

    Chapter 144 ¨C A foreign object

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    That eagle was even bigger than that the one that had brought them here, and it looked like it had flown a long journey and was very tired. After he fell on the ice, he did not move any more, just gasped for air.

    Originally, he was just randomly looking around and wasn¡¯t trying to find Shao Xuan. And then he just stared at Shao Xuan as if Shao Xuan was a rarity.

    Shao Xuan, who held a piece of ice and was about to nibble at it, just stopped when he found that he was being stared at by the giant eagle.

    What the hell did the eagle want to do?

    Shao Xuan did not see malice in the eye of the eagle, but he was still wondering what the eagle wanted.

    The eagle stared at Shao Xuan for a while and then diverted his sight to the ice column next to Shao Xuan, and then looked at Shao Xuan.

    Did he want to eat ice?

    Shao Xuan took out his tooth sword and pried off a block of ice from the ice column. When he turned around, he found the eagle was staring at his tooth sword.

    Shao Xuan thought for a short while, and then inserted tooth sword into the iceyer. He held up the ice block and showed it to the eagle.

    Shao Xuan wanted to throw the ice block to the eagle along the iceyer. But the eagle directly opened his beak and then shook his curved beak, as if urging Shao Xuan to be quick.

    Shao Xuan moved over towards the eagle, step by step. Even if the eagle didn¡¯t show malice, Shao Xuan thought he still needs to be cautious when he faced a behemoth like this, especially in the situation that he did not carry his tooth sword.

    When Shao Xuan was close to the eagle, he threw the ice block into the mouth of the eagle quickly, and trotted back immediately.

    The eagle directly swallowed up the ice block without chewing it. And then, he opened his mouth once again.

    Shao Xuan pried off another ice block and threw it into the mouth of the eagle. He went back and forth for more than ten times. Finally, the eagle quivered his wings and stood up from the ground.

    When the eagle pped hisrge wings and was about to fly up, plenty of ice particles dropped off from his body and some fell on Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan raised his hands to keep them away.

    At that time, Shao Xuan thought of something. He thought this eagle didn¡¯t seem to be unfamiliar with humans, unlike the eagle that brought them here. The reason he was stunned when he saw Shao Xuan may be because he did not expect to find a human in this ce.

    Could the eagle live in the mountain forest around their tribe¡¯s hunting ground?

    Suddenly, one thing attracted Shao Xuan¡¯s sight. He could not help but go forward a few steps and stare at one w of the eagle. A blurry pattern was drawn on it.

    Even if Shao Xuan could not see it clearly, he was certain that the pattern was not from ming Horns tribe.

    Rting it to the behavior of the eagle just now, Shao Xuan thought the eagle must have contact with humans. Like Chacha, there were too many humanized things in this eagle¡¯s eyes. He must have contact with humans frequently, for he had acted in a way the other eagles did not.

    The giant eagle walked with heavy steps towards a taller ice column and bit the ice block on it.

    Shao Xuan followed and walked close to the eagle. He wanted to see the pattern on his w clearly.

    But the pattern was iplete, because the outsideyer of the w had fallen off partly. Shao Xuan had to guess the missing part of the pattern.

    Shao Xuan felt a thrill when he thought this pattern might be left by another tribe.

    He had been in this world for so long and never seen a human from another tribe.

    Shao Xuan drew on the ground with his tooth sword. The eagle next to him had finished eating and seemed much better than before, when he couldn¡¯t even stand up.

    He lowered his head and looked at Shao Xuan drawing on the ground. At first, he was quiet, butter, every once Shao Xuan drew a stroke, he made a sound and scratched the picture with his w.

    ¡°Wrong? Let me try again¡­¡­.¡±

    But he just continued a few strokes, and the eagle scratched it again.

    ¡°Wrong again. Draw again.¡±

    Shao Xuan drew and drew, while the eagle scratched and scratched. After a while, the ice in the surroundings was scratched into a mess. At this time, the eagle lost his patience. He stopped scratching, cried a sound towards Shao Xuan, and began to twitch his neck.

    ¡°Wait! What do you want!¡±

    At the sight of such a situation, Shao Xuan hurriedly stepped back!

    ¡°Waooh~~.¡±

    A pile of puke dropped in front of Shao Xuan. If Shao Xuan avoided it a little slower, this puke would have just fallen on his head.

    In the puke, there were some pieces of meat from body parts of unknown animals.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­.¡±

    He was wondering whether he needed to run, but a stone in the puke caught his sight.

    It was a stone which was polished smoothly and was about palm-sized.

    Shao Xuan ignored the revolting puke and ran fast to pull out the smooth stone from it.

    When he picked up the stone, he wiped it by using the feather of the eagle, and then he looked at it carefully from the side.

    The stone was ck and t, and a white pattern was drawn on it. Shao Xuan thought the white pattern might be the same as that on the w of the eagle.

    The pattern looked like an abstract cloud. The painting materials for the pattern were strange, the pattern could still stay clear, even in the belly of the eagle, the stone was not damaged at al.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know why the eagle swallowed the stone, and also could spit it out spontaneously. What interested Shao Xuan was where the pattern and the stone came from?

    The eagle looked at the stone gently.

    However, the eagle could not speak, and Shao Xuan could not understand the eagles¡¯nguage. Shao Xuan could only guess the eagle¡¯s meaning from his body movements. Yes, he spit out the stone to show the correct pattern to Shao Xuan when he saw Shao Xuan drew it wrong time and time again.

    The stone was very nice. It must be cut from superior natural stones.

    The superior stone and the special painting materials were used for the pattern, so the pattern must be very important for the painter. It might be a totem. Shao Xuan could feel the painter¡¯s admiration for the pattern when he saw the stone.

    He did not know whether the eagle lived in a human tribe like Chacha. Probably because the pattern could not be carved, it was drawn on the w.

    Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t seen this pattern in mountain caves near his tribe. But maybe he could find some relevant information in the animal skins that the ancestors left.

    He must draw the same pattern for the Shaman when he returns to the tribe.

    Thinking of it, Shao Xuan gave the stone back to the eagle. But the eagle lowered his head and pushed the stone back to Shao Xuan with his beak.

    ¡°You want to give it to me?¡± Shao Xuan asked in a low voice. There were other eagles walking back and forth, and Shao Xuan did not want to disturb them.

    The eagle cried a sound and turned around his head. He walked towards the ice column he was eating and leaned against it. His eyes were clear and bright, and his breath was energetic. He was not hurt seriously, and there was no bone fracture in him. He was just very tired and could not stand straight.

    Leaning against the ice column, he could bite the ice column easily.

    Shao Xuan smiled and shook his head. He must have flown a long way, and experienced many hardships.

    Shao Xuan had a look at the stone and put it carefully into the bag made of animal skins. He will show it to the Shaman when he returns. It would be great if they could find some rted information from the scrolls.

    At first, Shao Xuan nned to find another stone and draw the totem of his tribe on it, he would give the stone to the eagle for exchange. But after thinking over it, he gave up on it. Even if there were other tribes, he could not be certain if his tribe had bred enmity with these tribes. Therefore, he could not act rashly.

    There were many giant mountain eagles flying here and there. Some eagles flew here alone, and others flew here in groups.

    But because of the eagle standing next to Shao Xuan, the other eagles did not fly over here to grab the area, and they even ignored the existence of Shao Xuan.

    The eagles around became more and more quiet, and even the eagle that stood next to Shao Xuan was the same. Except for eating, he didn¡¯t do anything, and just stood next to the ice column quietly. It seemed that he did not want to make contact with the world. asionally Shao Xuan spoke with him, but he just made a low sound.

    When the mist became thin, Shao Xuan knew it was time for the eagles to leave.

    There was now sunshine at the ice region, and the mist had dissipatedpletely. Familiar songs of eagles rang out again.

    Whoosh~~

    Whoosh~~

    One after another,rge and vigorous figures appeared in the sky above. Those eagles sang in a loud voice to express their excited emotions, as if celebrating their new lives.

    ¡°Jiao~~!¡±

    The eagle standing next to Shao Xuan screamed towards Shao Xuan, and started to fly.

    ¡°Good luck to you!¡± Shao Xuan waved his hands towards the eagle.

    ¡°Jiao~~!¡±

    Another eagle scream. But this scream was noting from the eagle next to Shao Xuan, but from the sky.

    Shao Xuan put his fingers into his mouth and whistled.

    A silhouette separated himself from the flying eagle group and flew towards Shao Xuan.

    They had not met for such a long time, and Shao Xuan did not even recognize Chacha.

    Chacha was not so tall thest time they saw each other. Now, his had grown double, and he was three meters tall.

    The eagles in the ice region started to fly towards the chasm, while Shao Xuan and Chacha needed to return to their tribe.

    Another nearby scream came from the sky. It was from the eagle that had brought them here. His body had also grown twice, and his beak had be sharp again, his ws also became sharp, and his wings became strong. He didn¡¯t look old any more. On the contrary, he was full of youthfull energy.

    That eagle cried another sound towards Shao Xuan and Chacha, and flew far away. After a short while, he disappeared in the sky.

    ¡°We should go back!¡± Shao Xuan patted Chacha, who now was fluttering his wings on purpose to show them to Shao Xuan. Then they walked to the sharp declining slope.

    Now, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to grab Chacha¡¯s w to fly. He could directly jump on Chacha¡¯s back. But before he did that, he needed to fetch something.

    ¡°Wait! I need to get something.¡±

    Shao Xuan walked downwards along the sharp declining slope and stopped at a site. Then, he dug the soil by using his tooth sword. Chacha helped him with digging using his ws

    Chacha could only dig very shallowly when he used his ws before. Now, he could grasp a big block of stone easily with his ws. It was much more easier for him to scratch ice block, just like scratching some bean curd.

    Soon, the skin of the white bugs and the collected silk that Shao Xuan had buried were all dug out by Shao Xuan.

    The skins and silk were intact and in good condition.

    ¡°They are very important, can you carry them?¡± Asked Shao Xuan, who held up the three rolls of skins.

    ¡°Jiao~~~¡±

    ¡°Ok. Let¡¯s try.¡±

    Shao Xuan, who carried the three scrolls of skins and silk clusters, jumped unto Chacha¡¯s back.

    ¡°Take off!¡±

    ¡°Jiao~~~¡±

    After releasing a scream, Chacha jumped down.

    Shao Xuan turned around to see the mountain peak again.

    The mountain peak was shrouded in clouds and mist.

    Ten million yearster, the ice region in the mountain peak still went through the cycle of greeting the new and seeing the old leave, day after day. Eaglese with poor and old bodies, but leave as new lives.

 Chapter 145 â€“ The Guy Came Back

    Chapter 145 ¨C The Guy Came Back

    Tranted by Sunyancai

    It is to be said that although Chacha had not changed as much like the other older giant eagles, he had benefited a lot from this travel, with his body size increasing clearly, and his flying speed improving greatly. He could fly easily, even while carrying a man and some heavy items on his back.

    After flying down from the mountain, Shao Xuan was unable to see the figures of the other giant eagles. It was time for each one to leave and go to their homes.

    They would not fight each other until the day they reached their region. At that time, they might recall something like, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you. We were in the same batch enterring the eagle mountain.¡±

    Maybe they would never meet each other again their whole life.

    Thanks to this travel, Shao Xuan saw the legendary eagle mountain, the so-called sacrednd for the giant eagles, and their enormous changes after transforming, and also got some rare treatures. More importantly, it was the first time that he had seen an item from an external tribe.

    So it was indeed a worthwhile trip.

    Though Chacha grew bigger and flew faster, it was inevitable to get into trouble without the protection of arger giant eagle. So it took them more time on the return journey.

    Nevertheless, Shao Xuan got much joy from the battles on the way home. When he stayed in the ice field on the mountaintop, he spent most of the time sitting there quietly and absorbing the energy of the ice. For a while, he could run about, before the arrival of a new batch of giant eagles. With the increasing giant eagles in the ice field, he dared not to move around.

    During the days in the ice region, Shao Xuan even found that the totem pattern on his arm had extended to his elbow unwittingly. On the way back, he took the opportunity to fight with ferocious beasts. Of course, he was not that arrogant to challenge those stronger than him. Except for unexpected enemies, every opponent was selected through cautious analysis by Shao Xuan for fighting practice.

    Shao Xuan was injured by them many times, and even encountered fatal attacks from those ferocious beasts that were adept in hiding. All this hadn¡¯t happened on their way to the eagle mountain. It should be contributed to the protection of the experienced giant eagle. Otherwise Shao Xuan and the tiny giant mountain eagle, Chacha, might have been eaten by the ferocious beasts and turned into their dung.

    It was far beyond Shao Xuan¡¯s expectation how dangerous the mountain forests actually were. In retrospect, it was indeed a bold and reckless decision to leave the tribe with Chacha before.

    Alertness needed to be developed by experiencing dangerous battles over and over again. Instinct would be gradually weakened by long-term stability and peace, and could only be regained by experiencing a bloody battle again.

    However, Chacha was too aggressive and vengeful in regards to the twig-like snakes in the forest. On their return journey, he often searched for small snakes as food since he was no match for the bigger ones.

    After feeding on ice for nearly a year, Shao Xuan nearly broke into tears when eating hot beast meat roasted with fire again, as did Chacha. He was quite ferocious when biting and pecking the meat, as if somebody had been vying for it.

    After calcting the days, Shao Xuan guessed that it might be winter when they returned to the tribe.

    ¡°Do you miss Old Ke, Caesar, and the other peolpe in the tribe?¡± Shao Xuan tapped Chacha, who was tearing the meat, and asked.

    Chacha suddenly stopped and seemed to be recalling. Then he let out a cry and continued tearing the meat more fiercely, even spilling blood in arge area.

    Shao Xuan spected that he must have thought of the beasts which had been sessfully branded and intended to beat them up when arriving at the tribe.

    At the sight of the familiar ¡°Severing Land¡±, Shao Xuan and Chacha became eager to return to the tribe, but they still stayed prudent and alert in case of danger.

    They travelled past thend of thorns and arrived at the third hunting area, where they didn¡¯t meet the hunting group. The group must have already returned. ording to the traces left in the cave, it could be inferred that the group just left here 3 or 4 days before. Despite the perilous hunting area, this finding made Shao Xuan and Chacha feel inexplicably relieved.

    Shao Xuan and Chacha rested for one night in the cave and set off again the next day.

    They had once thought the huge mountain separating the first and second hunting area unscble, but they changed their mind after having seen the mountain range beside the eagle mountain.

    They chose to climb the mountain directly instead of walking through the passage.

    After flying through theyers of cloud, they encountered the familiar freezing mist.

    ¡°Come on, we are conquering it!¡±

    ¡°Jiao~~¡±

    When standing at the top of the mountain, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t suffer the chest tightness or shudder at the extremely low temperature here. It seemed that all this became easier to adapt to.

    ¡° Let¡¯s go home.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    Chacha pushed off the ground vigorously with his ws and pped his wings to fly.

    The situation in the tribe was as follows.

    This year¡¯s hunting activity had finished. Everyone was busy preparing their roofs for theing winter. The Shaman said that they had to seize the time, because the winter woulde tomorrow.

    Standing on Caesar¡¯s back with one leg, Old Ke was reinforcing some parts of the window.

    After hammering for a while, Old Ke stopped to heave a sigh and descended from Caesar¡¯s back. He casually threw the stone hammer to the ground and then sat down, staring at the distance in a trance.

    ¡°Caesar, when do you think Ah-Xuan wille back? Winter ising.¡± Old Ke asked in a whisper.

    Caesar seemed to understand what Old Ke had said. With drooping ears, he smelled around the house, and then came back to grovel on the ground beside Old Ke, listening to his sighs.

    ¡°If Ah-Xuan hadn¡¯t left, he would have been one of the 30 people to explore a new hunting route. Surely, the Shaman would have selected Ah-Xuan. But Ah-Xuan left and hasn¡¯te back yet. The honor fell on Lei. What a pity! ¡±Old Keined.

    What a great honor it is for a tribal warrior to explore a new hunting route. It is said that the two teams on the mountain even fought over the selection. Even people living at the mountain foot could hear it.

    It is also said that the Shaman was just watching the fight silently instead of stopping them. Thus it was spected that the Shaman made the selection ording to their fighting ability, and the 30 people selected were the winners of the fight.

    However, nobody at the mountain foot saw the process in person. So their discussion was wholly based on hearsay and imagination.

    If it had went ording previous customs, their spection would have been correct, but in fact, the truth was merely shared by a few people.

    ¡°Uncle Ke, I bring you some food.¡±

    Tuo came to bring some processed food by the Shaman¡¯s order.

    He heard Old Ke¡¯sint. As someone who lives up in the mountain and one of the participants in the exploration of the new hunting route, he certainly knew more clearly about the truth than any others.

    At that time, the Chief, the Shaman, the two team leaders, and some influential old men gathered together to discuss about the selection, which led to a quarrel. It was a nature of the men in the tribe that excitement would turn quarrels into a fight.

    And then, other people on the mountain were summoned to take part in the fight between the two parties. Different from usual practice, the fight developed into arge-scale internal conflict beyond imagination. Some warriors were left behind in the tribe for recuperation and probably could not go out for hunting until the end of winter.

    However, the Shaman appeared too calm, scaring Ta and Gui He. They didn¡¯t notice that when joining in the fight, but at the end of the fight, they found that the appearance of the Shaman had be quite strange.

    It looked neither sad or angry, but a little absent-minded. It seemed that he paid no attention to the fight between the two strongest parties of the tribe.

    Not just the two teamleaders, even the old men, who were quite arrogant about their seniority and influential ancestors, dared not to keep quarreling. Others also retreated from quarrelling and fighting, as if their anger had been extinguished by a basin of cold water.

    The Shaman said nothing when he left. He just wrote down the 30 names submitted by the two parties on a volume, and then calmly went back to rest.

    Afterwards, many people admitted their mistakes and asked for punishment, but the Shaman still wore a smile as usual.

    Those who had known the Shaman for a long time could see that he had some worries, but even the oldest of them could not tell what he was worrying about.

    The two teamleaders thought that the Shaman would be cheered up by their achievements in exploring the new hunting route, but he wasn¡¯t as emotional as they had imagined. However, being curious about it, the Chief and the old men failed to get any answer from the Shaman.

    ¡°s!¡± Tuo heaved a sigh. Then he left the food to Old Ke and went back.

    At the front door, Old Ke thanked Tuo for the food and then sat back, speaking to Caesar.

    All of a sudden, Caesar spang up from the ground and stared at the sky in one direction with his ears rising upright.

    Old Ke followed Caesar¡¯s sight and found that it was in the direction of the hunting area.

    Is it possible that¡­

    Old Ke suddenly stood up and said, ¡°Caesar, take me to¡­¡±

    Before he finished, Caesar rushed out as quickly as a shooting arrow.

    Old Ke was left dumbfounded.

    Tuo was lost in thought with his head hanging down. When he arrived at the mountainside, an eagle scream from distance stopped him. He looked at the silhouette in the sky with his eyes popping out.

    Gosh! The guy came back!

    Tuo hurriedly went up the mountain to tell the Shaman the good news. He hoped that it would cheer him up.

    Standing at the front door, Old Ke nearly broke into tears when staring at the approaching silhouette in the sky, with the crutch in his hand shivering with excitement.

    Up on the mountain, some beasts, either rolling for fun or stealing food, all stopped to run out of their houses and looked up to the sky.

    The Shaman walked out from the stone house and stood at the front door, smiling to the descending silhouette and the guy on its back. The silhouette was muchrger than in his memory.

    Every time a giant mountain eagle went to the sacrednd, it would grow to a higher stage. And then it would berger and stronger, and could fly higher and farther.

    When Shao Xuan and Chacha left the tribe, the tribe was holding this year¡¯s first hunting activity. Today, they returned home just one day before winter.

    The two guards at the front door winked to each other in amazement because it had been a long time since the Shaman smiled so happily.

 Chapter 146 â€“ Derp forgot to translate title, it will come later

    Chapter 146 ¨C Derp forgot to trante title, it willeter

    Tranted by Idontreallycare (Derp)

    Chachanded directly in front of the door, while Caesar was running back and forth, chasing after them.

    Jumping off of Chacha¡¯s back, Shao Xuan went up to Old Ke and gave him a big hug.

    ¡°I¡¯m back!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that you¡¯re back!¡± Old Ke said while pounding Shao Xuan on his shoulder, ¡°You¡¯ve gotten stronger!¡±

    Sweeping his eyes across the room as he entered, he found that nothing had changed since he had left. Only beside a wooden crate on the ground, were there countless grinded stone tools piled up high. These were Old Ke¡¯s masterpieces.

    Feeling left out, Caesar interrupted with his whining and moaning.

    ¡°Long time no see, old friend.¡± Seeing the shoulder height, two meter long Caesar, Shao Xuan started rubbing his head.

    After calming down from the excitement, Old Ke realized something was strange. Outside the house, Chacha was just loitering around.

    He had previously been able to enter the room, but now, obviously he couldn¡¯t. Even without expanding his wings, he would still be too big. Even when Caesar entered the house, he had to be careful. If he misstepped, he might step on something, or knock over the table.

    ¡°This is Chacha?¡± With gleaming eyes, Old Ke walked forward on his crutches.

    They had left for less than a year and Chacha had already be this big?

    After fetching some water and taking a bath, Shao Xuan changed into clean clothes. Old Ke had already prepared a pot of meat soup with some fruit found in the mountain. Shao Xuan found the taste of the first mouthful to be quite strange, but after bing used to it, he began savouring it more and more.

    During the time they were gone they needed to be careful, so even if they used fire to cook, they would be forced to do so quickly. Many times, they couldn¡¯t even finishing cooking before encountering a situation. So while travelling, as long as there was food, it would be considered good, don¡¯t even mention meat soup. Even when arriving at Eagle Mountain, Shao Xuan was forced to gnaw on the ice. In such an environment, battered by the freezing winds, even his teeth started shivering.

    It had been about a year since he hadst tasted hot soup. When a bowl was ced in front of him he quickly gulped it all down, leaving his whole body feeling warm and satisfied, while his exhaustion was swiftly dispelled.

    Now that he had returned home, he felt his heart bing at peace.

    While eating, Old Ke updated Shao Xuan on matters regarding the tribe since he was gone. With Shao Xuan gone, Old Ke could onlyin each day to Caesar. While cracking some nuts found around the tribe, he threw them into Chacha¡¯s mouth.

    Once he was finished with his soup, and after eating a few pieces of meat, Shao Xuan wiped his mouth. Towards Old Ke he said, ¡°You should rest at home, I¡¯ll go up the mountain for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Up the mountain? What are you going to do?¡± Old Ke nervously asked. The conflict between the two hunting groups had escted since he had left. Listening to the stories told by those that went up the mountain, there seemed to be intense fights everyday.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for the Shaman.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Alright, you should visit him.¡± Hearing his reason, Old Ke rxed. ¡°You go now. Since it¡¯s not early anymore, I¡¯ll make ns to build Chacha a nest in the morning. Ai! Luckily there is quite a bit of wood inside the house. A few days ago, Tu and Jie Ba helped cut a few trees down.¡±

    Thinking that it had been a while since he had seen Tu and Jie Ba, a smile appeared on Shao Xuan¡¯s face. ¡°Use the wood. If there¡¯s not enough I¡¯ll cut more, or I¡¯ll get Chacha to pull down a few trees.¡±

    Not bringing Caesar or Chacha along, Shao Xuan left the house, greeting familiar faces along the way.

    Inside the tribe, quite a few people had caught sight of the flying eagle, but because the distance had been far, apart from those below the mountain and those living near Shao Xuan, not many people had be aware of how big Chacha had grown.

    When Shao Xuan was halfway up the mountain, he was halted by a rough voice.

    Hearing this, Shao Xuan looked towards the source, ¡°Keke.¡±

    The person who was calling out was Keke. When Tuo went to inform his friend about Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival, Keke had alreadye to know about it. Originally, Keke was going to wait until the next day to seek Shao Xuan out; who knew that whilezily lying on his roof, he would be able to coincidentally meet him.

    Catching sight of Keke, Tuo hurried over, hoping to avoid Shao Xuan getting injured again.

    ¡°Haha, long time no see. You¡¯ve gotten taller, has your strength improved as well?¡± Keke asked as though he was an older brother. Using his full strength to pat Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder, his actions differed from that of Old Ke¡¯s. When Old Ke was patting him, although Old Ke was excited, he controlled his strength, making sure he wouldn¡¯t harm Shao Xuan. However, when Keke was patting him, Shao Xuan was forced to use his totem to bear the force or else he would¡¯ve been injured.

    Not waiting for Shao Xuan to respond, Keke continued, ¡°Come on, you¡¯ve finallye back, let me see how much you¡¯ve improved.¡±

    Not being able to go out for a couple days, Keke¡¯s hands had started itching for a fight. These days, he would always use the pretense of ¡°training¡± to fight.

    Tuo felt a headacheing on. As he prepared to pull Keke away, he didn¡¯t expect to hear Shao Xuan agreeing.

    What?

    His eyes were wide open as he looked at Shao Xuan nodding; shouldn¡¯t this youngster be declining? Could it be that he had forgotten thatst time Keke had broken his arm? He didn¡¯t even hesitate in epting!

    In the tribe, it was known that as long as both sides agreed, it would be hard for others to interrupt. Sighing, Tuo could only step back and watch what happened.

    And so, the three people moved to an open piece ofnd. That way, even if things got out of hand, not too many people would be affected.

    ¡°You first.¡± It was rare to see Keke act like a senior, but these past few years, this kind of behavior was beaten into him by Tuo and their team leader.

    ¡°Fine.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have any objections.

    While he warmed up his legs, Shao Xuan decided to fight directly. Because he wasn¡¯t trying to do a sneak attack he indicated that he was about to start.

    Keke lifted up his chin, calmly standing still. He did not think that Shao Xuan had the ability to hurt him. Not only had he absorbed the fire crystals, but having also experienced countless hunts and bing a intermediate totem warrior, his strength had far surpassed those at the mountain foot, he was confident this included Shao Xuan.

    Today, his purpose was to see how much Shao Xuan had improved, and if his strength wasn¡¯t bad, they could ¡°properly discuss¡± things with Gui He and the other people who hade up with the list of 30 warriors to explore the new trail. It just so happened that one of the people on the list had been injured.

    Just the thought of being able to sh with him strengthened Keke all over. Looking into Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, he tried to convey a sense of urgency; after Keke quickly dealt with him, he would find other people to cause trouble to.

    Taking a deep breath, Shao Xuan¡¯s legs suddenly stomped on the ground, resembling that of the ferocious beasts. The stone below his feet suddenly cracked, and with every stride, it brought more and more shattered rocks, causing the dust to rise up.

    If his hunting group was watching, they¡¯d realize that this wasn¡¯t Shao Xuan¡¯s normal style. While hunting, he would be hiding in the dark, waiting for the opportune moment to strike the fatal blow. Yet now, Shao Xuan was extremely straightforward, not nning on ying any tricks.

    Directly meeting with him, Keke started a bit. This child has the air of those ferocious beasts in the mountains, violent and direct.

    Seeing him like this, Keke thought Shao Xuan shouldn¡¯t be too far away from Lei, almost approaching the level of an intermediate warrior? Perhaps in one or two years, he could step across this boundary. No wonder why the shaman always looked at him favorably.

    While Keke was deep in his thoughts, Shao Xuan finally brandished his fists towards him. Not even bothering to avoid him, Keke put his arms in front and directly blocked the punch.

    With the collisions between fist and arm, a loud sound rang throughout the surroundings

    Peng!

    After colliding, Keke¡¯s pupils shrank. He felt his arms burning with pain. Originally standing straight and steady, the hit made him waver for a bit, forcing his legs to take a step back.

    Although he only retreated a bit, Tuo knew that Keke¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t good.

    Not giving him enough time to recover from his surprise, Shao Xuan pressed on. Due to the totem¡¯s power, his arms expanded. Balling his fingers into a fist, he once again raised his arms and smashed towards Keke.

    Peng!

    From this collisions, Keke once again had to retreat back and stabilize his body. While moving back, his eyes were intently watching Shao Xuan.

    How could he have changed so much?!

    He tried to recall what had previously prompted the team leader to order him to probe this child.

    Unable to remember, he hazily recalled that back then, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have this much strength. With a single fist, he was able to send Shao Xuan flying. When he wasn¡¯t careful, he identally broke Shao Xuan¡¯s arm¡­

    Facing the increasingly quicker fists, Keke was so shocked he didn¡¯t even remember to find a opportunity to fight back. He was still confident he could handle him; but how was this child so strong?

    How could this be possible¡­..

    Facing these barrages, with every hit, Keke would incessantly retreat back, withdrawing more and more as time went by.

    The stones cracking on the ground sounded like thunder roaring in the sky as countless bits and pieces flew up in the sky.

    Peng! Ka cha!

    Once again, sounds from the collisions between Shao Xuan¡¯s fists rang out, and once again, Keke had to retreat back.

    Watching from the sides, Tuo couldn¡¯t believe what he was witnessing. Seeing Shao Xuan repeatedly knock Keke away, Tuo took a big gulp.

    But also, the sound from the most recent strike was¡­..

    Could it be? Tuo felt his head bing dizzy.

    Catching his breath, Shao Xuan stood still, watching the beat up Keke. Then moving his shoulder, he once more resumed his onught, the loud cracking of bones resounding.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s muscles were faintly throbbing after dealing so many rapid strikes to a intermediate totem warrior. Yet he still felt he had boundless strength radiating out. Compared to before, where he was immediately suppressed, this feeling was much better.

    And there, lying down was Keke, mumbling incoherent words. Keke felt his legs twitching, but even worse was that his arms, without a doubt, were broken.

    Throughout the fight and while getting injured, Keke had an expression of disbelief. However, Keke quickly came back to his senses and turned towards Shao Xuan, who was nning on leaving. Hurriedly, he voiced, ¡°Ai, wait wait, Ah Xuan, wait a few days for me to heal my injuries, I¡¯lle and look for you and we¡¯ll fight again!¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t turn back. Waving his hand, he continued up the mountain.

    Standing out of view, not far from where Shao Xuan and Keke had fought, Lei¡¯s expressions turned gloomy.

    Originally, the spot in the 30 man group to explore the new route was given to Shao Xuan by the Shaman, but since he hadn¡¯t returned, Lei¡¯s grandpa managed to steal it over him.

    And now that Shao Xuan had returned, it seems that he¡¯s going to visit the Shaman. Could it be that he was going to steal the spot back?

    No, absolutely not!

    However, after seeing Shao Xuan and Keke¡¯s exchange, could he ovee him?

    While deep in thought, Lei ran back, nning to tell his grandpa everything.

 Chapter 147 â€“ Agitation

    Chapter 147 ¨C Agitation

    Tranted by Idontreallycare

    The Shaman seemed to already know that Shao Xuan was ascending the mountain, so he was simply waiting for him to arrive.

    When the people guarding the Shaman¡¯s house saw Shao Xuan arrive, their faces were filled with smiles.

    ¡°The Shaman is waiting for you inside.¡± One man said.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Shao Xuan responded while walking inside.

    Seeing the Shaman seated, Shao Xuan felt that the Shaman was extremely exhausted. Not in a physical sense, but rather in his spirit. Though only a year had passed, the Shaman looked countless years older.

    Walking towards the low stone table and sitting down, he asked: ¡°How have you been?¡±

    Smiling and nodding, the wrinkles on the Shaman¡¯s face grew even more pronounced.

    The Shaman felt very pleased as he observed Shao Xuan, ¡°Your journey, how was it?¡±

    ¡°Pretty good, I have experienced so much that I¡¯m unable to tell you everything. Later on I¡¯ll draw it for you. You¡¯ll need to provide the roll and the ink as I don¡¯t have any in my possession.¡±

    Although Shao Xuan said he would draw it, since there were so many experiences, he couldn¡¯t possibly draw them all. And so, he would pick a few to show.

    Choosing the eagle guide, the elevated mountain range, the ice field, the mysterious Eagle Mountain, and the strange white insects, Shao Xuan would meticulously draw these events.

    The Shaman recalled the ancestor¡¯s ounts as he was listening. His face became serious as he deeply pondered over Shao Xuan¡¯s report. He was extremely quiet while Shao Xuan spoke, afraid that if he interrupted he would miss vital information.

    Even after Shao Xuan had finished, the Shaman was still deeply thinking, only moving after some time had passed.

    ¡°Eagle Mountain, the legends are true.¡± The Shaman eximed.

    That year, when he had seen that Shao Xuan had obtained that small bird, he instantly knew that the bird would grow to reach extreme heights.

    Shao Xuan had asked him before if he had thought about leaving the tribe in search for people outside.

    In actuality, the Shaman had already thought about it. This was what every Shaman would dream about, but what none could seed at. Yet after seeing the eagle for the first time, the Shaman had an idea. If there was a day where this eagle fully matured, he could fly across and reach thends that even the warriors of the tribe could not.

    Within the ancestor¡¯s records, the mountain peaks housed the giant eagles who feared nothing. When looking from such great heights, their thoughts wouldn¡¯t be to retreat, but rather to conquer.

    In every hunting group, there are those that are incapable of surmounting the peak that was obstructing the road ahead. And so, when they are hunting, they would always avoid it. Even back when the ancestors attempted to explore the path, they too avoided it. Unless they could find a passageway through the mountain, they would need to make a long detour.

    The other tribe members didn¡¯t know that when the ancestors were first trying to open new routes, that they were met with so many obstacles that they were forced to give up, leaving it to the next generation.

    The things stopping the warriors were not the ferocious beasts, but rather the tall mountain range and the expansive river. Both were dangerous ces.

    But if there was a method to directly fly over the range or river, like a giant eagle could, all their obstructions would be gone.

    If the eagle was fortunate enough to mature, then even if the dream isn¡¯t reached within the Shaman¡¯s lifetime, he would still write it down on the animal hide, transferring it to the next Shaman, and then the next, so that even if several hundred years pass, one day, they¡¯ll seed.

    Ever since he had first met Chacha, the amount of care that the Shaman had given him was far greater than that given to Caesar.

    He never imagined that Shao Xuan could bring Chacha and discover Eagle Mountain, letting Chachaplete his first stage of growth!

    It had renewed the Shaman¡¯s hope.

    He had already been fully vested in a new route for several years. Now that Shao Xuan had raised the subject of people outside the tribe and shown him proof they existed, then the new route and other matters paled in importance. Especially the conflict between Ta and Gui He.

    Only, he couldn¡¯t tell anyone else yet. After all, in the eyes of the other tribesmen, these things were all illusory. Being the spiritual leader of the tribe, if he wasn¡¯t certain of something, then he couldn¡¯t act.

    ¡°Good! Very good! Ah Xuan, the next time youe here, bring Chacha with you.¡±

    ¡°En, I¡¯ll bring him along next time. It¡¯s just he¡¯s gotten very big, Chacha wont be able to fit inside this house.¡± Shao Xuan responded.

    Hearing that Chacha had became unable to fit inside his house, the Shaman¡¯s smile became so wide that his eyes became slits; he was unable to wait to examine him.

    Looking at how cheerful the Shaman was, Shao Xuan scratched at the goosebumps on his arms. He wanted to say something to the Shaman, but right now, the Shaman was being extremely emotional. This matter, should Shao Xuan say it now, or maybeter? At the Shaman¡¯s old age, could he handle more shock?

    ¡°Hm, could there be something else?¡± Asked the Shaman as his smiled receded.

    ¡°This¡­well¡­how far away do you think the other tribes are?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The Shaman¡¯s smile returned. Full of excitement he replied, ¡°As long as Chacha matures, we can find this out. Trust me, there will be a day when this happens.¡±

    And then, the Shaman became downcast as he sighed: ¡°Only¡­ I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ll be able to see this happen in my lifetime.¡±

    Shao Xuan kept quiet, he just reached into his bag and took out the stone that the giant eagle gifted him, setting it on top of the stone table.

    Before returning, Shao Xuan had carefully cleaned the stone up, removing all of the weird odors from it.

    When the Shaman saw the object Shao Xuan had ced on the table, he halted.

    As if frozen, he maintained this stillness, not even changing his expression. Only the Shaman¡¯s eyes were staring intently at the t, fist sized stone.

    ¡°This¡­ this¡­¡± The Shaman wanted to say something, yet he couldn¡¯t make a sound, as if he had something stuck in his throat.

    ¡°Ah, is something wrong? Calm down, just calm down a bit! Take deep breaths, inhale!¡± Shao Xuan was frightened as he rushed up and started patting the Shaman on the back. ¡°Deep breaths, like this. Huuuuu~~~¡±

    The Shaman pushed Shao Xuan aside with his hand, his whole body shaking. Lifting his trembling hand, he extended it towards the piece of stone. He was shaking so strongly that if he was holding a soupdle, then all the soup would¡¯ve spilled.

    When the Shaman had returned back to normal, Shao Xuan sat back down.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished talking, this piece of stone was gifted to me by a veryrge eagle, he almost spat on me¡­¡± Shao Xuan exined how he discovered the totem on the eagle¡¯s leg, and how he fed the eagle.

    As if handling something extremely precious, the Shaman carefully touched the stone, silently listening to Shao Xuan.

    Only after Shao Xuan finished did the Shaman pick up the stone, carefully examining the many patterns on it.

    On the stone appeared to be a rolling cloud. Recalling his memories, he told Shao Xuan the reason why he was so excited to the point of shaking, ¡°On one of the ancestor¡¯s scrolls, I remembered this picture. Wait a second, let me go find it.¡±

    The Shaman disappeared so quickly that Shao Xuan felt a gust of wind blow in front of him. Very soon he came back, picked the stone up from the table, and disappeared once more.

    While looking at his surroundings, waiting patiently, Shao Xuan stood up to fetch some water from the side and slowly drank some.

    After a while, as people entered the Shaman¡¯s house to switch teapots, they saw Shao Xuan calmly sitting there. Shao Xuan was the only person who could calmly sit inside the Shaman¡¯s house, sipping tea. Even if the two team leaders were seated, they wouldn¡¯t be this unreserved.

    After approximately half an hour, the Shaman came back as if he was a gust of wind, calling, ¡°Come with me, we¡¯re going to find Xing!¡±

    Shao Xuan knew who this ¡°Xing¡± was, having met him a few times before. Xing was even older than the Shaman, and he had watched over countless team leaders and shamans. Inside the tribe, his words carried weight, and whenever there was a pressing matter, he would always be called upon.

    Only, this old man wasn¡¯t very easy to get along with. Shao Xuan remembered that the man¡¯s gaze was sharp like a knife, seemingly being able to cut you.

    The Shaman brought Shao Xuan out of the house, ascending to another part of the mountain.

    As they walked, there were many people who were talking with one another, but the Shaman just kept moving. They were walking so quickly that they were unable to greet anyone.

    ¡°Is that¡­the Shaman?¡± A warrior asked.

    ¡°Seems like it.¡±

    ¡°What happened? Why is the Shaman in such a rush?¡±

    ¡°Did you guys not see who was following him?¡±

    ¡°They seem to be heading towards Lei¡¯s house. They must be going to see Lei¡¯s grandfather, Xing!¡±

    Once this was said, many people disyed an, ¡°I understand now¡± expression. It seems that the Shaman wanted to help Shao Xuan fight for his spot on the quota.

    Although Gui He is the team leader of a hunting group, most times he would listen to Xing¡¯s advice. Even if the Shaman gave Shao Xuan the spot, Xing might not ept it. If the Shaman wanted to add a spot, that would be even harder. During the time at the fire pit, they had announced only 30 people would be selected, so they can¡¯t add or subtract a member.

    At this moment, Xing was sitting in his room, eyes half closed, pondering something.

    Xing¡¯s father had once advised him to ¡°Look to the distant, and don¡¯t just focus on your surroundings.¡± And so, Xing thought that for his descendants to be limited to the original route was too monotonous.

    If you¡¯re going to do something, better do it big! Apart from the ancestor who had first set the paths hundreds of years ago, the exploration of the new route would be the greatest honor for the tribe!

    This kind of glory should naturally be obtained by his family, as for other people, he didn¡¯t care for them.

    Thinking about what Lei had just told him, Xing snorted heavily. For the Shaman to help a kid from the mountain foot, isn¡¯t that mistreating those above?

    While thinking so, the Shaman had already brought Shao Xuan inside.

    Because it was the Shaman, no one dared to block his way.

    Although Xing was older, there was still a difference in their position. As the Shaman, everyone was required to give him respect.

    Xing got up and greeted the Shaman. Regarding Shao Xuan, he pretended that he didn¡¯t even exist.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, close the door.¡± Shao Xuan did as the Shaman directed.

    Xing¡¯s room wasn¡¯t the same as others with either a wooden hide or a grass curtain for a door, he actually had a wooden nk.

    Shao Xuan moved the wooden nk, covering the line of sight of the people outside.

    Seeing the Shaman acting like this, Xing grew angry in his heart. As he was about to say something, the Shaman carefully pulled something out and ced it on the table.

    All of Xing¡¯s anger, all of his words hadpletely fled him upon seeing the stone. Due to his emotions being tooplex and him bing overly emotional, his facial expressions started to distort.

    Shao Xuan felt the goosebumps on his arms growing even harder.

 Chapter 148 â€“ Collection

    Chapter 148 ¨C Collection

    Tranted by Idontreallycare

    Shao Xuan knew that the tribe members had an unnatural curiosity for items found outside the tribe, but for Xing, who was always serious and wore a ¡°The Shaman is first, but I¡¯m second¡± attitude, to think he would also get excited was surprising.

    Xing¡¯s nose twitched, his nostrils ring as his breath grew ragged, each breath bing harder than thest as this old face grew red.

    ¡°This¡­.. This is¡­¡­¡±

    Xing carefully put the stone in his hands, meticulously examining it. At his age, whether it¡¯s hunting or polishing stone tools, his experience outstripped the rest of the tribe¡¯s. He could naturally see that this stone was polished not that long ago, perhaps within these few years, and at most within thest ten years.

    However, since this stone wasn¡¯t a remnant of the ancestors, where did ite from?!

    Thinking back to how hurriedly the Shaman rushed here, if it were only for the sake of a kid from the mountain foot, wouldn¡¯t this be excessive? And so, the purpose for the Shaman¡¯s visit naturally must be because of this stone.

    Thinking this far, Xing didn¡¯t care about some spot on the 30 name list either, what new route, whatpetition? Right now, the only thing he wanted to know was this stone¡¯s history!

    Sitting there, the Shaman had finally managed to calm down, albeit still taking ragged breaths. Although his hands were still shaky, his expression had already reverted back to being unperturbed and profound.

    ¡°This is the reason I¡¯m here.¡± the Shaman stated.

    Unconsciously, Xing¡¯s body leant towards the Shaman, and he pricked up his ears, ready to listen carefully. With a slightly shaky voice the Shaman started, ¡°Ah Xuan, tell Old Xing how you obtained this stone.¡±

    Xing¡¯s eyes widened in shock as he looked at Shao Xuan. The Shaman¡¯s words had stunned him.

    What? This stone was obtained by Ah Xuan?! Where did ite from?

    Wait, this kid disappeared for a year!

    ¡°You, talk quickly!¡± Xingmanded as he turned to face Shao Xuan. Xing¡¯s harsh tone was more intense than normal due to the urgency of the matter. When people heard him talk, they would feel as if they were being interrogated, as his two eyes seemed like a pair of daggers stabbing into you.

    However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t mind his tone. Since the Shaman was here, Xing couldn¡¯t do anything to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡­..¡±

    Shao Xuan quickly exined the stone¡¯s origin, however due to Xing¡¯s urgency he omitted quite a bit, focusing only on how he obtained the stone.

    ¡°Hui¡­.. It¡¯s the Hui Tribe!¡± Xing¡¯s eyes turned red. Looking at the Shaman he asked, ¡°The reason for youing here, it was to verify this, right?¡±

    The Shaman nodded his head, ¡°Yes, I hope that you will bring that thing out.¡±

    Taking a deep breath, Xing carefully put the stone back. He moved as if he was dealing with something fragile, every small action was extremely cautious, putting in every effort to control his body, afraid of breaking this stone.

    Usually, Xing would pass through like thunder and move like the wind, his methods were heavy and fierce. To see him acting like this, his family members would be scared to death.

    Xing¡¯s house was about twenty square meters. Apart from a stone table, his house only had a few wooden chairs, and an extremelyrge stone jar that Xing used as storage.

    Half kneeling, Xing opened the jar, extended both hands within, and pulled out a stone box. Each and every one of his movements were as cautious as when he was handling the patterned stone.

    Shao Xuan noticed that Xing was looking at the box with eyes full of reverence, his emotions clearly visible. At this moment, his sharp eyes were focused on the stone box, as if nothing else in this world mattered.

    Carefully cing the box on the table, Xing opened it.

    Shao Xuan stretched his neck to look inside. Inside there was another box. [TL: Boxception O.o]

    Between these two boxes were some wood shavings, evidently meant to protect the inside box.

    Slowly taking out the smaller box, Xing gently wiped the wood shavings away with the utmost care, his actions vastly different to his usual behaviour.

    He opened the cover.

    Inside, there were more wood shavings, and in the middle of all that was an object covered with thick animal hide. After so much experience in hunting, Shao Xuan could tell how high quality this hide was.

    Ordinarily, high quality animal hide was hard and stiff, but there were also softer areas, it was just harder toe by.

    These materials were all top-notch. Exquisite wood shavings, and this hard toe by animal hide, all in order to protect the object inside. All this careful packaging was making Shao Xuan extremely curious, attentively watching Xing¡¯s actions.

    With full concentration, Xing carefully took out the wrapped object and started unwrapping it, immediately letting Shao Xuan see.

    Shao Xuan focused on this precious object that had Xing and the Shaman so worked up. He blinked a few times; then blinking again, he gave it one more look.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know what kind of expression he should bring out regarding this object. He felt that, in his heart, there was a flock of birds pecking at him repeatedly.

    Based on what they had said, and seeing how Xing and the Shaman behaved, Shao Xuan had expected the object to be from outside the tribe, something extremely precious; a treasure that was hard toe by. For example, the pieces of ice located in Eagle Mountain, or perhaps the skin or threads from the white insect, or perhaps a type of fire crystal. Perhaps even something rougher, like a valuable part from a high level beasts.

    But the thing he saw now was totally outside his expectations.

    He watched as Xing carefully handled this y jar, or more urately, this coloured pot.

    The paintings on the pot had a style simr to the paintings on the stone that Shao Xuan had brought back, with each brush stroke seeming like a swirling curve.

    Seeing Shao Xuan staring dumbly at the pot, the corner of Xing¡¯s mouth couldn¡¯t help but rise.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t seen something like this before huh?!¡± Xing smiled proudly.

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    ¡°Struck dumb huh?!¡± Xing continued.

    Shao Xuan was still speechless.

    ¡°This jar is something that has been passed down from my ancestors. It came from outside the tribe, and isn¡¯t even made out of stone!¡± Xing exined this to the child who came from the mountain foot. With Shao Xuan¡¯sck of response, Xing felt that he wasn¡¯t all that knowledgeable, and thus was incapable of understanding how precious this object truly was. Because even when they used the instructions in the ancestor¡¯s scroll, they had yet to sessfully recreate a jar.

    Fast forward a few thousand years, items like this jar became the tribe¡¯s priceless treasures, something kept hidden away to safeguard. And so, the people protecting the jar naturally formed an air of superiority.

    Although this jar was extremely fragile, no one would ever hand this treasure over, even if they were faced against strong totem warriors or untamable ferocious beasts!

    ¡°Thinking about it, there is another family that also has an inherited treasure, and it¡¯s also a y jar. It¡¯s only a shame that their jar doesn¡¯t have paintings on it, making it extremely ugly. If we ced them together, ah, the difference would be like a carnivorous ferocious beast and an herbivore,¡± Xing continued.

    In the hearts of the tribe members, the creatures that weren¡¯t strong and didn¡¯t eat meat were all useless. They were looked down upon by all, as herbivores were unable topare with the highly looked upon bloodthirsty carnivorous beasts.

    Shao Xuan once again became speechless. This old man is way too proud! Shao Xuan, seeing Xing¡¯s smug, smiling, proud face, almost wanted to beat him up.

    No wonder that when listening to the gossip, he would always hear about a dispute between Xing and someone new every time. Apart from his manner, it must also be because of his family¡¯s y jar, something they have that is superior to others.

    Opening his mouth, Shao Xuan did not know how to respond. This was the difference between him and the native people of this world.

    Observing this jar and what was on it, he noted the simple lines, some resembled clouds and some resembled wind. In addition, there was a face with such swirling brushstrokes, the face seemed oddly exaggerated. The jar was fully decorated in three colors, red, brown, and purple.

    To the tribe¡¯s people, not only was this beautiful, but more importantly, this painting contained the totem image of the tribe. This image gave off a strange feeling unique to shaman drawings, and was an indication of the tribe that it came from.

    Just now, Xing had said that this was a product from the Hui tribe. So, back then the ancestors had contact with this Hui tribe?

    The Shaman was watching the rambling Xing, forcing a smile and nodding his head along. Whenever talk about this jar came up, Xing would always be like this, acting totally opposite to usual manner.

    After talking for a while, and seeing the other two people weren¡¯t responding, Xing returned back to the stone that Shao Xuan had brought back. Excitedly, he closed his eyes as he recalled the patterns on the stone. Xing then carefully lifted the jar up, letting Shao Xuan and the Shaman look at the bottom. They found that the pictures matched.

    ¡°It should be from the Hui tribe.¡± Xing exined. Before, he had always believed that the other tribes were millions of miles away from them, and that was why they hadn¡¯t seen anything elsee from outside.

    He never thought that today, something like this would actually happen. That before he died, he would see more things from the Hui tribe, and maybe, possibly meet the people?

    Thinking for a while, Xing found his excitement hard to contain. Fervently looking towards the Shaman, he wanted to get a clear answer from him. At least, getting some hope was good. The Shaman was the wisest person in the tribe, and apart from him, Xing couldn¡¯t think of anyone else who could solve this problem.

    ¡°I have an idea.¡± The Shaman told Xing about how his method involving flying on Chacha¡¯s back to get over the mountain.

    Focused on listening, Xing repeatedly nodded his head. ¡°Not bad, the forest over there does have many obstacles. If we can fly over, it would be good.¡±

    Shao Xuan heard the discussion between Xing and the Shaman, and inserted, ¡°Actually, we can try passing by therge river.¡±

    The two people, thinking about how to get across, both turned towards Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 149 â€“ Obsession

    Chapter 149 ¨C Obsession

    Tranted by Idontreallycare

    Being stared at by both Xing and the Shaman, Shao Xuan scratched his head, ¡°Actually, I have been observing the river since long ago.¡±

    ¡°You want to let Chacha fly across?¡± The Shaman shook his head, ¡°With the river being extremely wide, Chacha won¡¯t have any ce to rest. There¡¯s also the threat of the river beasts. Even if Chacha experiences two more growth phases, he still might be unable to fly across.¡±

    Flying without eating, drinking, or resting, the sess rate naturally is slim to none.

    Xing too gave Shao Xuan a look of, ¡°Sure enough, younger people have simple thoughts.¡±

    ¡°No, not just Chacha flying, I¡¯m thinking of making a boat, a simple canoe like thing. Since the giant trees in the forest are so abundant, this won¡¯t prove to be difficult.¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    ¡°¡®Boat¡¯? I read about boats and rafts in the animal hides the ancestors left behind. But Shao Xuan, the river has beasts that feast upon wood so it will get torn apart.¡± the Shaman responded. Although he hadn¡¯t been to the river bank that often, he had heard a lot about it. Even if they built a ship, it would disappear not long after entering the river.

    ¡°For the majority of the time it would be like that, but during the rainy season the insects that eat wood and the frightening river beasts will all leave for a period of time. They only return when the two moons eclipse.¡±

    ¡°What?! Is what you¡¯re saying true?!!¡± Not only the Shaman, but Xing, who was looking at Shao Xuan like he was too optimistic, also couldn¡¯t help jumping up. If what Shao Xuan said was true, then they could truly attempt to traverse the river.

    Shao Xuan started speaking of his discoveries over the past few years. Of course, everything was all conjecture, but Shao Xuan knew that as long as there was a spark of hope, the Shaman would be willing to try.

    When Shao Xuan finished, Xing and the Shaman became quiet, each one of them thinking deeply and analyzing the feasibility of what Shao Xuan had just said.

    After quite a while, Xing was the first to speak, ¡°If this is true, we can attempt this! Ah Xuan won¡¯t do, this old man will personally go instead!¡±

    The Shaman raised his gaze, making eye contact with Xing, ¡°Do you think Chacha will listen to you?¡±

    Xing didn¡¯t make a sound. Although he hadn¡¯t interacted with Chacha, after hearing his grandson and other people talk about him, Xing knew of the eagle¡¯s temperament. Indeed, Chacha would only listen to what Shao Xuan says, so it was no good.

    ¡°Even if Chacha won¡¯t listen, I could still use the¡­¡®boat¡¯!¡± Xing said, albeitcking confidence. He knew that the feasibility of his words were low, it was a method of surefire death.

    ¡°Then that¡¯s settled, Shao Xuan. Wait until next year¡¯s rainy season. Take this time to make more observations and your preparations. Since we have been waiting for so many years, what is a couple more? Only remember to not tell anyone.¡± the Shaman said. Hister words were directed straight at Xing.

    ¡°I understand.¡± Said Xing, while gazing at the y jar on the table then shifting his gaze to the stone. He added, ¡°If there¡¯s anything I need to do, just tell me directly.¡±

    Although Xing still didn¡¯t have a favorable impression about Shao Xuan, regarding this matter, he didn¡¯t equivocate, thus proving his interests were the same as the Shaman¡¯s.

    At the end of the day, the most important matter was establishing the new route, something the ancestors had wanted for many years.

    Since everything had already been said, the Shaman took back the stone and left the house, bringing Shao Xuan with him. As the Shaman took the stone back, Xing¡¯s eyes were stuck on it like glue. Shao Xuan thought that if he were the one holding it, Xing wouldn¡¯t hesitate to steal it.

    This was indeed an odd thought. Shao Xuan followed behind the Shaman, and thinking about Xing¡¯s reaction,ughed at the idea. Perhaps for the tribe members, his own thoughts were weirder.

    Waiting until the Shaman and Shao Xuan had left, Xing looked towards the colored jar, gently caressing it. Tears were streaming down the cheeks of his aged face as he was half crying while half smiling

    After a good while, waiting until his mood had somewhat stabilized, he carefully put the jar back. He then opened the window and stared outside lost in thought.

    Outside, he was met with a curtain of pitch ck.

    Winter wasing, and the darkest time of the year was about to arrive. The darkness brought with it feelings of repression, but the heart warred against this, until emotions broke through.

    Inside the house, the fire was burning, the timber wood making crackling noises.

    Xing sat back down on the wooden chair, gradually recalling everything Shao Xuan had said. Deciding it wasn¡¯t enough, he pulled out a sheet of animal hide, and then personally imparted everything that had happened today.

    Tuk tuk tuk!

    Someone knocked on Xing¡¯s wooden door.

    After the Shaman and Shao Xuan left, Xing once again opened his door. His family members knew that they couldn¡¯t just enter and had to knock first and be permitted.

    If one did not receive permission and entered, the consequences would be grave. And so, when Xing¡¯s family members saw the Shaman directly entering with Shao Xuan, they all flew far away, not daring to eavesdrop on their conversation. Only after the pair had left did theye back.

    ¡°Grandpa?¡± Standing outside the door was Lei.

    ¡°Come in.¡± Xing responded.

    Lei moved away from the door, entering the room. He wanted to speak, but after seeing that Xing¡¯s state was umon, Lei paused. Not daring to recklessly ask what had caused this, he repressed his curiosity.

    ¡°Grandpa, just now, was the Shaman here to let Ah Xuan enter the 30 man group?¡±

    Xing did not respond.

    Lei didn¡¯t know what had happened to his grandpa, and raising his gaze, he saw his grandpa absentmindedly staring at the fire, lost in his thoughts.

    This is too strange!

    Did he dare to ask one more time?

    Lei recalled back to the fighting to get him on the list; how Xing had pulled out a chunk of fire crystal to use for the 30 chosen men. This proves that his grandpa would do anything to keep this honor with the family.

    Summoning up his courage, he asked once again, ¡°Grandpa, did the Shaman want you to give Shao Xuan a spot?¡±

    This time Xing reacted.

    ¡°Allow Shao Xuan to join? This can absolutely not happen!¡± Xing suddenly became passionate.

    ¡°Even if we did give a spot, it should be for our own people.¡± Lei agreed.

    Without waiting for Lei to finish talking, his grandpa had already said, ¡°Exploring the new route is too dangerous. If he enters and somehow doesn¡¯t make it out, then what will we do? Absolutely not, he cannot be in danger, moreso, he cannot die!¡±

    Lei was speechless. Grandpa, your own grandson, the one that you personally rmended to join is still standing here!

    From start to finish, Xing had not paid any attention towards Lei¡¯s facial expressions, and even if Xing did, he couldn¡¯t be bothered to care. Rather, in his heart, he was thinking about what he should do. Ever since he had conversed with Shao Xuan and the Shaman, he was unwilling to allow Shao Xuan to leave the tribe, not to mention going to explore the new route!

    Should they also not allow Shao Xuan to join the hunting group?

    However, if Shao Xuancked enough experience, when he would leave, he would encounter even greater obstacles, and even greater challenges. At that time, if he didn¡¯t have experience, would he seed?

    But, if he got eaten by a ferocious beast before this happened¡­..

    Oh, how worrisome!

    This was the first time Xing had experienced such a dilemma. He had no way out.

    Lei watched his grandpa depressedly stroke his beard, almost pulling a few strands of hair out.

    Curious once more, Lei probed out, ¡°Then why did the Shaman bring Ah Xuan?¡±

    Xing had already recovered from his stupor, and hearing Lei¡¯s words, didn¡¯t bother to exin. He simply repeated what his father had once told him, ¡°Look to the distant, and don¡¯t just focus on your surroundings.¡±

    Lei closed his eyes in silent disapproval. Every time you ¡°look to the distant¡±, what you look at changes!

    At the end, Lei couldn¡¯t managed to squeeze an answer out, and instead, got chased out of the house.

    During nighttime, night swallows could be seen flying in the air. Approaching thete hours, when everything turned calm, the temperature plummeted, and the fierce gales would meet with ice and snow, and travel across the mountain.

    This was not an ordinary winter.

    During this winter, the Shaman did not manage anything else and delegated the job to his assistants, even letting Gui Ze start taking on more Shaman tasks.

    Everytime Shao Xuan would ascend the mountain; Xing would face the wind and snow to meet them, wanting to hear of any progress made.

    At the start, there was only Xing and the Shaman, but then they included Head Chief Ao. Being the head chief, Ao, had the right to be informed of this project.

    After that, the elders with a say in the tribe were informed.

    And so, when Shao Xuan ascended the mountain, a few elders, along with the head chief, rushed to the Shaman¡¯s ce.

    However, they weren¡¯t willing to tell the two team leaders, because they were responsible for opening the new route. It would not be good if they became distracted, as a result, the two leaders were extremely depressed.

    Regardless of previous disputes, or whether or not they had an issue with Shao Xuan, upon knowing of the n, everyone decided to put these things aside.

    For Shao Xuan and the Shaman¡¯s n, they would exhaust their all to help.

    Not! Withholding! Anything!

    Their time on earth was running out, andpared to those still at the prime of their lives, the hope that this n could seed before their end was quite farfetched. People couldn¡¯t get too greedy. And like the ferocious beasts, there were some times that this turned victory into defeat.

    However, there were some people who held onto these hopes, thinking that perhaps there would be a day where they could see the ces that the ancestors had told stories about, and even see other humans!

    When winter ended and the earth warmed again, the tribe resumed their active lives. Preparing for the uing ceremony, Shao Xuan had once again been selected to dance.

    This had made many people feel dissatisfied, especially the younger warriors. Last time, when Shao Xuan had found the fire crystals and was chosen to enter, they had noints. But this time, while he had been missing for a year, what kind of service did he do for the tribe?

    However, everyone discovered that no matter how dissatisfied they were, no matter who theyined to, the elder¡¯s response was always, ¡°He deserves it.¡±

    This caused the two team leaders endless headaches. Recently, there would be many people asking them about the matter with Shao Xuan, but they weren¡¯t clear either. When going to the Shaman or the others to ask, all they were met with was, ¡°Don¡¯t think about anything else, continue with the exploration.¡±

 Chapter 150 â€“ Setting sail

    Chapter 150 ¨C Setting sail

    Tranted by Idontreallycare

    If people were observing the tribe, it would look as if nothing had changed. Yet, if one looked closely, it wasn¡¯t difficult to spot the many changes that had been quietly urring. And so, when everyone had gathered together once again, they realised to their surprise that almost nothing was the same.

    For example, a few elderly silhouettes were frequently seen strolling along the riverside, often including the head chief. This aroused the curiosity of those who lived at the base of the mountain. So much so, that even when it wasn¡¯t time to fish, they would run over and observe them.

    Thus, before long, the tribe members had developed a habit of heading to the river when they were free. Perhaps they could encounter a prominent member of the tribe and talk about life?

    Additionally, those living in the upper mountain discovered that the ill-tempered elders treated Shao Xuan quite amicably! This was something that they couldn¡¯t believe!

    Even more, the gaze that the two team leaders gave Shao Xuan was extremely strange.

    However, there was still a matter that left everyone puzzled. During the rainy season, several important members of the tribe would still brave the rain every day and go to the river, something that had never happened in the past. Through each sessive generation¡¯s stories, the people of the tribe had grown to fear the river. Although people¡¯s perception of the river had slightly improved in thest few years due to the fishing, it wouldn¡¯t cause the elders to run over there, right?

    Doubtful people continued to doubt, while hopeful people continued to hope.

    This year the focus and nning was all for the rainy season.

    As Shao Xuan¡¯s sixteenth year progressed, important members of the tribe started to suffer from insomnia due to nerves and excitement. Every day, they would gather together to discuss the n and to see if there were any necessary changes to be made.

    Some members of the tribe proceeded with the tasks of searching for wood, crafting a boat, and weaving a sail. Whilepleting them, it became increasingly difficult to keep the people in the dark.

    The Shaman finally informed the whole tribe about the n during the ceremony. This caused everyone to have heated discussions for a long time, from the start and until the end of the rainy season, Shao Xuan was frequently stopped by the tribe members and flooded with questions.

    Everyone in the tribe had a strong sense of anticipation. Although many people didn¡¯t understand all of the Shaman¡¯s words, it didn¡¯t stop them from being caught up in the atmosphere.

    Finally, the rainy season, with its abundant and harsh rain, arrived. The hegemons of the river emerged inrge groups, seeming to be endless as they swam downstream. The insects that ate wood also gradually left, and along with them, so did many other creatures that had followed the giant animals downstream. They would only return when the two rounded moons eclipsed. There were also those that had appeared for a period of time following the frogs, then disappeared to some other ce.

    And this time, Shao Xuan took advantage of the time between when the rainy season ended, and before the two moons reunited to set off.

    The day that the rainy season ended, every member inside the tribe went down the mountain. From the elderly to the children, from the top of the mountain to the foot, everyone dropped what they were doing and gathered at Path of Glory to watch.

    ¡°Move it out.¡± The Shaman said, standing at the mountain peak.

    Ao and the two team leaders, along with a couple of robust warriors cautiously and solemnly moved the canoe out.

    The canoe was shaped like a spindle. It was ten meters long and nearly three meters at its widest. They had made it so big to allow Chacha to be able to rest inside; if it was only Shao Xuan riding, the canoe wouldn¡¯t need to be thisrge.

    The wood used to craft the boat had been selected by Shao Xuan after the hunting teams brought back many different types from outside. Once the wood type was selected, they then went out in search of the best, most satisfactory tree.

    The canoe was then crafted by Shao Xuan, along with some of the tribe¡¯s best stone crafters, including Old Ke. They first cut down the tree and then hollowed out the center, resulting in a spacious, yet nimble ship.

    This process was rtively straightforward, yet it was difficult to make sure it was entirely leak free and wouldn¡¯t capsize in the wind.

    The design blueprint was also personally drawn by Shao Xuan. He had consulted with the elderly warriors while drawing; they might not understand canoes, but they were knowledgeable regarding useful techniques to cross the river. Shao Xuan had used these suggestions and altered his original ns.

    With thepletion of the design, the stone crafters got to work, chopping down many trees to practice their skills. Since wooden tools were not the same as stone tools, they didn¡¯t dare to carelessly start on the canoe. Only after they grasped the fundamentals and a few tricks of the trade, did they feelfortable enough to start.

    The canoe wasn¡¯t considered heavy to the tribe¡¯s totem warriors. On a regr day, they would carry stones without any problem, how could carrying wood be any harder?

    Yet, to show the importance of this event to the tribe, several high level totem warriors were dispatched to carry the canoe down the mountain, giving the atmosphere of a solemn ritual.

    Shao Xuan sat cross legged as the Shaman drew on his face. Just like the warriors, this was considered a blessing of sorts. The Shaman had even drawn pictures on Chacha¡¯s leg that resembled the giant eagle¡¯s found at Eagle Mountain.

    After the Shaman had finish the drawings, Shao Xuan paid respects to the fire pit, and then marched down the Path of Glory with the totem warriors, heading towards the canoe. Chacha directly shot up in the sky, and flew ahead.

    The Shaman and the elders could be seen behind the canoe, their faces disying a wide range of emotions. Some looked excited and others looked worried, some elders looked peaceful, but none could control the twitches of their facial muscles, showing their hearts did not truly feel any sort of peace at all. This was something that the ancestors had always desired, how can they be calm?

    Along this route, the spectators too gathered behind the canoe, following its movement. Adults had brought their kids, and disabled people hobbled on their crutches, causing those around them to lend a hand as they closely stuck together.

    Together, they sang the ¡°Hunting Song¡± and the ¡°Prayer Song¡±. Originally only those in the upper mountain sang, but before long, those in the lower mountain joined in. The whole tribe¡¯s voices, tender, aged, sharp or rough belted through the air at the same rhythm, singing the same song. For them, singing represented how they felt at this moment in time.

    The majority of the tribe weren¡¯t adept at showing their emotions or thoughts, so singing allowed them a medium to do so.

    Usually the Hunting Song brought out a feeling of impatient murderous air, this time, for the first time, it had carried with it a sense of fearlessness and hope.

    And so, on this day, the whole tribe had collectively gathered to send Shao Xuan off.

    What was on the other side of the river? They didn¡¯t know and had never attempted to find out. In the eyes of many, Shao Xuan¡¯s actions were admirable, but they didn¡¯t believe he would be able to safely cross. This river was truly too dangerous! Too fierce!

    After the canoe had been delivered down the mountain, Ao¡¯s group had carefully pushed it into the river.

    The boat that they had crafted could be ssified as a double outrigger canoe.

    Its name came from the miniature boat like structures on either side of the canoe. Shao Xuan had designed it like that to provide extra support; he had seen it during a vacation abroad in his past life.

    With this design, the canoe could ovee the risk of capsizing due to the fierce winds. Furthermore, the canoe had the advantage of being lightweight. Back in his previous world, this boat was used for long distance travel and transportation.

    The sail was also an important part of the boat, helping the boat navigate through the waters. This sail was woven from abination of tree leaves and vines. These flexible yet sturdy vines were discovered in the hunting grounds and sent to the finest weavers to create a triangr sail.

    In the eyes of the Shaman, these kinds of materials with unpredictable uses should be collected, the more the better. However, those vines were were truly difficult to find, and in the end, they could only find two chunks. One of those chunks had been used to weave the sail, while the other one was set as a reserve. With only one in reserve, they didn¡¯t know if it would be enough.

    In his past life, Shao Xuan had learnt that this kind of boat could sail for more than 200 kilometers a day. However, in this world, he wasn¡¯t too sure how far he could go with the different conditions.

    Shao Xuan continued to attach the side supports to the main canoe, examining every nook and cranny and checking if he brought everything he needed. When he was finished, he looked back towards the shore.

    Caesar was carrying Old Ke as he stood on the shore, observing Shao Xuan and the descending Chacha. Caesar was whimpering as he too wanted to follow after the pair, but Shao Xuan simply couldn¡¯t bring him along. If they encounter any dangers in the river, Shao Xuan could escape along with Chacha, but Caesar couldn¡¯t.

    Had Chacha been the same size as the giant eagles at Eagle Mountain, he could¡¯ve brought a couple of people along. Unfortunately, he was still too small.

    ¡°Goodbye. I¡¯m leaving.¡± Shao Xuan said to the shore as he cupped his hands in farewell.

    Under the direction of the Shaman, everyone followed in his manner as they too mimicked Shao Xuan¡¯s actions. This was, in the past million years, something never seen before.

    For the members of the tribe, Shao Xuan was their sole hope. If he did not seed, then how much longer would they have to wait until they could try again? No one knew, perhaps even after a thousand years, nothing would change.

    With a pull of the sail, the wind filled it and the canoeunched out.

    The sail was incredibly big. If it wasn¡¯t for the totem¡¯s power, Shao Xuan might not be able to operate it.

    Chacha, this rascal! Standing inside the canoe, he curiously looked around both sides. For him, this was an extremely novel experience. To think that he could be able to stand on water!

    However, despite being such a big ship,pared to Chacha, it was still considered small. He couldn¡¯t move around, at best he could only stand stationary for a while before flying back up again towards the direction Shao Xuan told him. The sky truly had more freedom, and when he tired of flying, he could return back to the canoe to rest.

    On the shore, the tribe continued to sing the prayer song together.

    Shao Xuan turned his head, looking back as the people on the shore grew smaller and smaller. The houses situated on the mountain grew hazier and hazier, and the mountain where he had spent eight years of his life grew fainter and fainter as the water finally touched the sky.

    Other than the howling of the wind, all else was quiet.

    Looking towards the direction of the sun, feeling the changes in the wind, Shao Xuan adjusted his sails, heading towards the unknown.

 Chapter 151 â€“ Crisis in the River

    Chapter 151 ¨C Crisis in the River

    Tranted by Jon

    Life on the boat was incredibly dull, yet Shao Xuan had to stay vignt to ward off the creatures that shot out from under the water, and to pay attention to the wind and make sure that they didn¡¯t veer off course and sail in circles.

    There were less than 30 ¡°safe days¡± from the moment the rainy season ended to the day when the two moons would eclipse.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how wide this river was, and could only try to move forwards as fast as possible. If 15 days had passed and there was nond to be seen on the opposite bank, then he would have to go back to where he came from, or else the river level would sharply fall, ultimately catching Shao Xuan and Chacha in a bottomless abyss. At that time, even if they wanted to fly, it would be toote.

    Due to ack of suppression from other creatures, the piranhas were especially active in the river. From time to time, they could be seen vigorously going at each other, sometimes even jumping outside the water. As they got further away from shore, the size of these creatures increased.

    Huaa~~!

    A four meter long fish suddenly popped out. It leapt across the canoe from one side of the canoe over to the other, while simultaneously opening its mouth.

    In the past, when these fish popped out, Shao Xuan would simply dodge them. However, right now, these fish were clearly targeting him.

    At this moment, with one hand controlling the sails to avoid the fish, he used the tip of his feet to kick up a wooden stick. Grabbing it in his free hand, he started to attack.

    What he used was not a spear, but a blunt piece of wood. Although he used his full strength, he didn¡¯t dare to draw blood. If he had spilt blood all over, the fish from across all four directions would be attracted and swarm over, overwhelming Shao Xuan.

    Bang!

    A couple of scales separated from it¡¯s body, and the fishnded back into the water amongst its kind. Before long, due to blood seeping out of where it got hit, the fish was swarmed by the others, who at the first scent of blood, flew up into a frenzy.

    After deterring the fish, Shao Xuan put away the sail, while at the same time Chachanded, grabbed a rope, then took off once again. The other end of the rope was tied onto the mast as the canoe was quickly pulled away from the bloody waters.

    The wind wasn¡¯t suitable for using the sail right now. Therefore, Shao Xuan had put it away, letting Chacha pull them along. When Chacha grew tired, he would return to rest on the canoe, and Shao Xuan would put the sail back up to borrow the wind to continue to push them forward.

    At times, besides the piranhas, there were be sightings of other species. Only, those species were calmer, only remaining active under the surface of the water instead of jumping out. But if one ventured under, there¡¯s no saying what would happen.

    While Shao Xuan was controlling the sail, he saw a fish that was longer than the canoe slowly swimming past him. Because it was so close to the surface of the water, the patterns on the fish could be clearly seen, along with its fin as it poked out of the water.

    There were also plenty of these type of fish, but as long as they weren¡¯t sieging the ship, then they didn¡¯t really matter. Previously, one of these fish would be curious about the canoe, using it¡¯s head to poke at the hull of the ship. Almost capsizing the ship, Shao Xuan had Chacha hurriedly pull the ship away. Reluctant to part with the ship, it chased after, and in the end, Shao Xuan was forced to stop the boat, and let it poke and prod some more. After a while, it lost interest and swam away.

    These various fish also had various habits.

    During the day, Shao Xuan and Chacha would travel with haste, and even during the night, they couldn¡¯t sleep calmly. While Chacha was resting inside the canoe, Shao Xuan dozed off every now and then, but he had to wake up to frequently shift the direction the boat was travelling.

    Although each day had these difficulties, they were considered to be minor matters, nothing big.

    Shao Xuan looked to the skies, roughly calcting the distance he had travelled so far.

    It had already been eight days, and just like before, there was no sight of the other bank. Furthermore, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t even find any traces of birds, or even an ind, as what filled his eyes was endless water.

    Taking out the dried jerky stashed inside the animal hide, he ate a bit and drank some of the water he brought along for the trip. Before he had finished his own water, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t go and drink directly from the river.

    As for Chacha, his food was caught by himself. Sometimes, he would swoop down and grab a fish. He would always make sure to stay a distance away from the boat while he caught his prey. That way, even if blood spilt all over, it would not attract any trouble.

    While he was eating, Shao Xuan suddenly discovered a small ind along the horizon. He hurriedly changed his direction towards it.

    However, as he gradually headed closer, Shao Xuan noticed that it wasn¡¯t actually a small ind, but rather a huge fish. Only, this fish had already died, and was thus floating on the surface.

    Moreover, he had also discovered that this fish had numerous holes in it, as if something had bit through.

    To think that this 20 meter long fish had been bitten so much that only the general skeleton was left, along with the ripped outer skin. Shao Xuan could also deduce from the hole that something was inside, still feasting.

    Inside were smaller, quite inconspicuous fish, with their slender body acting by itself. And these fish, that were smaller than a palm, had teeth as sharp as des, and an exterior that was thick, like armor. If it had eaten to the bone, then after a while, even the bones will disappear.

    And so, Shao Xuan rapidly changed course and left this ce as he continued along the original route, while pointing to Chacha to look at what happened.

    ¡°The next time you go to fish, be a bit more careful. If you discover these kinds of fish, then throw it away as quickly as you can¡± Shao Xuan instructed.

    ¡°Jiao~~¡±

    Chacha looked at the remnants of therge fist and shook his wings, not expecting something like that to happen.

    He had turned back to look at the fish after the canoe had travelled a bit further, and to his surprise, he had discovered that it was in the process of sinking, the small fishes had already finished eating.

    Perhaps these fierce looking giant fish weren¡¯t the biggest threats, but rather the inconspicuous ones that led to greater problems.

    Shao Xuan had thought that after resting awhile, Chacha would once again take to the skies, but to his surprise, he had discovered Chacha just standing on the boat. Like a quail, he stayed still, crouching low, pulling back his neck and looking up towards the sky, as if there was something that he was scared of up there.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Shao Xuan asked as he gently tapped Chacha¡¯s head. He hadn¡¯t seen anything out of the ordinary, but he felt that something wasn¡¯t right.

    Chacha let out a soft noise, it¡¯s neck withdrawing even more, it¡¯s eyes still focused on up above, refusing to fly.

    As the wind guiding the sail had stopped, the boat gradually made a full stop.

    Shao Xuan looked towards the sky. Quickly, he discovered the clouds were scattering, exposing a bigger and bigger piece of uninterrupted sky.

    Normally, this urrence would be described as a peaceful, sunny and cloudless day. However, now, this urrence gave them an extreme sense of fear.

    Not only Chacha, Shao Xuan also started to shiver, refusing to move.

    However, in these circumstances, he had to act.

    The amount of piranhas around him seemed to have thinned out a lot, and sometimes, the other fish couldn¡¯t be seen either. The waves were quiet, but this peacefulness was truly too strange.

    Then, in front of Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, there was a sight to behold¨C a curtain of fog ascended from the surface of the river.

    The fog, seeming to be ordinary, rose up like smoke. However, keeping in mind the manner in which it had appeared, this fog was absolutely not normal!

    Shao Xuan took out the wooden paddles and started to vigorously paddle.

    ¡°What are you doing still nesting in there, hurry up and help! Otherwise, we¡¯ll both die!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    Chacha looked at the sky. Grabbing the two paddles on either side, he snapped out of his daze. Using the techniques learned at the tribe, he started to paddle.

    Under Shao Xuan and Chacha¡¯s efforts, the canoe started to rapidly move.

    Right now, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care about anything other than wholeheartedly paddling. He was so focused that he didn¡¯t care that the sshes they made would attract the fish¡¯s attention.

    The sound of waves could be heard from their paddling. The ship raced forwards as Shao Xuan¡¯s movements started to blur. Using all his strength at the get go, he noticed his arms burning with exhaustion. Taking out a stone needle, he shot it towards the sky.

    When the needle had travelled about 100 meters, a ¡°bang¡± could be heard as the needle turned to dust.

    Seeing this situation, Chacha became so scared that he almost dropped the paddles.

    Shao Xuan too had felt his scalp bing numb

    In this sunny and cloudless ce, with no clouds for thousands of miles in any direction, to think that in such a tranquil ce, there would be such a strange noise that would cause one¡¯s hair to stand on ends.

    ¡°It¡¯s descending! Hurry! Row!¡± Shao Xuan continued to furiously paddle.

    This time, Chacha didn¡¯t even care if he snapped or dropped a paddle into the water as his movements became more urgent.

    And he couldn¡¯t be bothered to go retrieve it. Chacha grabbed up the reserve paddles, wishing he could grow hands to help him in paddling.

    The canoe quickly cut through the water, resembling a high horsepower motor boat, dashing forward.

    Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!

    The pressure put on top of them gradually increased as all of Chacha¡¯s plumage started to stand on end.

    While furiously paddling, a feather from Chacha broke off and fell. However, itunched up towards the sky due to his movements. Although there was no wind, and the feather didn¡¯t fly that high, only about 20 meters, the feather still followed the same fate as that of the stone needle and instantly shattered.

    Both of them didn¡¯t even raise their heads to look, not daring to waste any time away from paddling.

    The pressure pushing down on them was still there, it was still descending on top of them. If Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t able to paddle away from it, then he too would share the same fate as the needle and the feather.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s whole body was soaked in sweat, some going into his eyes. Although he suffered from those bursts of pain, he couldn¡¯t spare the time to wipe it away in order to not slow his movements, and simply blinked a few times.

    Not having anytime to think, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even know what this arriving pressure was. Apart from going faster, the only thing he could focus on was moving straight ahead and fleeing for their lives.

    Only after hearing a ¡°bang¡± from behind them did Shao Xuan wake from his frenzy, unaware of how long they had paddled.

    The pressure had disappeared. Turning his head back, he could see a curtain of water vapor growing more and more concentrated, turning into a thick fog behind him.

    The boat was still moving. Shao Xuan, clutching the paddles, was lying down exhausted. Raising his leg, he said, ¡°Alright, it passed.¡±

    Chacha was soaked in water from paddling so hard. Getting kicked by Shao Xuan had frightened him so much that he almost took flight. Had the paddles not been in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, they too would have been lost in the water.

    The tranquil water once again turned fierce, the wind blowing all over.

    Shao Xuan adjusted the sails once more, borrowing the wind, and continued forward. As for Chacha, he first rested, unable to fly for the time being.

 Chapter 152 â€“ Arrival

    Chapter 152 ¨C Arrival

    Tranted by Jon

    Shao Xuan knew that the river wasrge, but he didn¡¯t know it was thisrge.

    They rarely stopped to take breaks as the ship cruised along by sailing with the wind, manually being rowed, or getting pulled by Chacha.

    Using the light from the sun and the moon, Shao Xuan was able to travel in a straight line. Although during the trip they had encountered many problems, including the murderous fish, which caused them to make a wide detour, they still couldn¡¯t see any sight of their goal.

    ¡°We will have been travelling for fifteen days after today.¡± Shao Xuan told Chacha, looking at the expansive body of water.

    Chacha gave a weak reply next to him, as he did not have all his strength. After Chacha¡¯s curiosity had subsided, he had encountered several frightening experiences that had caused him to lose quite a few feathers.

    Shao Xuan was also exhausted, as he had not properly rested during these past fifteen days. Although his recovery speed was incredibly fast, he couldn¡¯t cope with the continual exhaustion. Furthermore, Shao Xuan was starting to worry that if they continued onwards, they would not have enough time to make it back. After all, ording to the original n, if he did not find anything within fifteen days, he was to return. However, he felt that he should still push on.

    ¡°Chacha, can you tell me if there¡¯s actuallynd out there?¡± Shao Xuan asked, giving the eagle a kick. With howrge the river was, it had already exceeded his expectations. He wouldn¡¯t even be surprised if it lead to the sea.

    [Seriously dude? It is pretty much an ocean already, and you¡¯re saying it would lead into the sea?]

    Chacha raised his head to cry in confirmation, and looked out towards the distance. He could sense that there wasnd, he was just unsure how far away it was.

    Shao Xuan actually shared this feeling. He believed that as long as they charged on, they would make it to the opposite bank. However, the risk was too great! If they were still in the water when the river rose back up, what would they do?

    What should they choose?

    Continue forwards, or return back?

    Shao Xuan closed his eyes, then activated the totem in his mind.

    The totem started burning alight, the mes shooting forward in a violent manner.

    Opening his eyes, Shao Xuan once again adjusted the sails, ¡°Let¡¯s continue onwards.¡±

    ¡°Jiao~~¡± Chacha weakly responded. As he recalled his life back in the tribe, he couldn¡¯t help but to cherish the memories. But what Shao Xuan had just said about the newnds had roused his spirits back up.

    And so, they sailed on for another eight days as the fire in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind continued to burn violently. As the time passed, the water in the river start flowing rapidly. Shao Xuan was familiar with these conditions, as thest time this happened, the river level sharply fell. Perhaps, today they would be able to see a couple of rocks that were originally covered by the water in the riverbank, but by the next day, it would turn into a steep muddy slope.

    Chacha was up in the sky, pulling the boat along.

    While Shao Xuan was in deep thought, Chacha released a loud cry.

    Shao Xuan quickly looked up. Chacha¡¯s cry signified that he had found something up ahead. He had most likely seen the bank of the river.

    Chachanded in the boat and Shao Xuan jumped on his back, allowing Chacha to take him into the sky to see.

    It was difficult to look around in the canoe, but the world became much clearer from the sky. There was a faint ck stripe up ahead, on the horizon. If one didn¡¯t look carefully, they¡¯d miss it entirely.

    Chacha flew up, tightening his hold on the rope, as they couldn¡¯t just abandon the canoe, and shot ahead. If they did not, the canoe would be swept away by the river¡¯s fierce waves.

    Even if they could not fly closer to get a better view, Shao Xuan had already be excited.

    Being on water for twenty days had made Shao Xuan itching to step on solid ground. If they had failed yet again in findingnd, he would have been incredibly disheartened. With the water level rapidly decreasing, even if he used the totem me to row, the result would still be death.

    He could feel the umted exhaustion from the past twenty days scatter away now that he could see on outline ofnd. The weight in his heart immediately lightened with relief.

    ¡°Alright Chacha, let¡¯s hurry up! Put more strength into it!¡±

    Shao Xuan returned to the boat as Chacha continued to pull.

    As the tide started to pick up, the amount of piranhas had started to decline. The cause of this urrence was unknown. At least, within these two days, Shao Xuan did not experience any aggressions from the creatures underneath. All he was preupied with was the power and direction of the wind, letting the boat race to their destination.

    The ¡°ck line¡± gradually became clearer. Looking at the sky, Shao Xuan hoped they could arrive before sunset. There were too many unknown variables to factor in at night.

    Approaching the shore, Shao Xuan discovered a massive drop in the river¡¯s water level due to the receding tides.

    Not bad. Although he felt like he was navigating into an abyss at the moment, in the end, he made it tond.

    This new ce caused Shao Xuan to feel an indescribable kind of excitement in his heart.

    This newly-discovered bank resembled the one back in the tribe. Close by was a steep slope.

    However, running water could be found flowing down the slope not far from them. That should be a branch that allows the water to flow into the river. Only, right now, the water level was declining and the flowing water stopped before reaching the main body.

    The wind grew stronger as he came closer to the shore. With the wind came a swampy and pungent odor.

    Once he finished examining his surroundings, Shao Xuan took a look at the steep muddy slope and realized the canoe could not reach the shore.

    Although the boat was made of sturdy materials that hadsted through twenty days of travel, after its countless collisions and bites from the many fish, a noticeable wear could be seen. There were even a couple of holes on the bottom. Even though Shao Xuan had plugged them up to prevent water from seeping in, it could be said that the canoe was at the end of its life.

    Shao Xuan took all the remaining things he needed and put them in his bag, waiting for Chacha toe back and fly him to shore.

    Without Chacha to pull the canoe along, it got dragged into the currents and quickly disappeared into oblivion.

    The winds got stronger once again, and without a clear direction, they almost lost control and crashed into the muddy slope.

    ¡°Higher, partner! Use some more strength!¡± Shao Xuan shouted as he firmly grab hold onto Chacha.

    Chacha exerted all his strength and pped his wings, flying up.

    While flying, Shao Xuan suddenly shouted, ¡°Wait! Over there!¡±

    Although he did not understand why Shao Xuan instructed him to do so, Chachaplied, flying towards the direction he was pointed towards.

    Shao Xuan quickly spotted a figure trapped in the mud with water flowing all around.

    ¡°Save¡­ me!¡± That person cried out with his hoarse voice. It was evident that he had been shouting for a while. Only, there was nobody to hear him, and it looked like he was almost out of strength as he was gasping for air.

    The person that was trapped did not look old since his whole body was caked in mud. He had already sunk two thirds of the way down, and was getting tangled by the water nts.

    It was difficult for Chacha to go near. Therefore, Shao Xuan had Chacha hold one end of the grass rope, and tied the other end to himself, jumping down.

    ¡°Extend your hand!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    Seeing Shao Xuan jump down from the eagle¡¯s back, the opposite side stilled in a dazed for a second before quickly extending both of his arms.

    Shao Xuan mped onto his hands as he pulled him up.

    Yet, the water nts were tangled too tight around the man, and if Shao Xuan continued to forcibly pull up, the person¡¯s arms might be pulled off.

    Freeing a hand, Shao Xuan had Chachae even closer as he took out a stone knife and hacked at the nts.

    While Shao Xuan was pulling the man up, the man was also exerting everyst bit of his strength to try and free himself from his constraints.

    Shao Xuan discovered that, although the man¡¯s face was covered with mud, making his features unclear, his two eyes were as sharp as swords. It gave people a merciless and an ice-cold feeling.

    Not knowing which tribe he was from, Shao Xuan started to ponder.

    Before Shao Xuan had left, he had specifically gone to the Shaman to learn all he could about what may lie out there, he had even read through almost all of the animal hide scrolls the Shaman possesed. However, Shao Xuan knew too little about the man in front of him to be able to identify who he was.

    Slowly but surely, the man had started to be pulled free from the mud and Chacha started flying higher.

    And so, when theynded and Shao Xuan¡¯s feet touched solid ground, he felt rich emotions swelling up inside him. He had truly stayed afloat on the river for too long.

    With both feet on solid ground, he felt alot sturdier.

    Chacha stood on a grassy field as well, stepping a few times.

    As for the person Shao Xuan had saved, it appeared he was actually a child. He was on alert towards Shao Xuan, even though he had just saved the kid¡¯s life.

    The other side did not say anything, and Shao Xuan did not ask. After calming down, he started taking note of his surroundings.

    Traces of life around here weren¡¯t that noticeable, but some tracks could be made out. There were also mountains far out, but this area was predominantly covered in mud, with a lot of holes that gathered water. And so, these naturally forming holes created varying sized pools of water. Apart from this, Shao Xuan had found w and teeth marks on several rocks around him. This was not something humans could do¡­.

    From inside the water?

    However, Shao Xuan did not feel any danger from within the pool. Chacha also agreed with him. Unless the creatures in the pond were hiding very well, there was absolutely nothing inside.

    The person Shao Xuan had saved quietlyid down, gasping for breath. Although he did not speak, his eyes were incessantly examining Shao Xuan and Chacha.

    Finally, the child couldn¡¯t hold it in.

    ¡°Who are you? Why would you appear in our tribe?¡± He asked.

    ¡°Your tribe? Which tribe are you from?¡± Shao Xuan asked as the kid was still being incredibly vignt. Then he continued, ¡°My eagle and I are from distantnds, I came by boat. The river had started to decline too quickly so we rushed onto shore, as our boat had already been washed away by the water. I don¡¯t know how far we¡¯ve travelled¡±.

    ¡°How long were you in the river?¡± The other party did not believe Shao Xuan¡¯s words as he could hear that Shao Xuan¡¯s words were filled with doubt. He found it odd for Shao Xuan to not be aware of his tribe.

    ¡°Twenty some days.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    In response, the other party¡¯s eyes widened, his two tan pupils dting.

 Chapter 153 â€“ Tribe

    CoPW 153 ¨C Tribe

    Tranted by Jon

    There wasn¡¯t any mention of tribes living across the river on the animal hide that the Shaman had given to Shao Xuan.

    What the hides had told him was that in the past, this area was nothing but wastnd.

    For some unknown reason, during the ancestor¡¯s time, they left their old homes in search of newnds. Unexpectedly, the ground split open, and the gap gradually grewrger andrger, until the other side couldn¡¯t be seen.

    Shao Xuan spected that after the giant crevice had appeared, the rapid topological changes caused water to flow in from other areas. The crevices quickly filled up and turned into a river, and then various lifeforms entered, including the fierce creatures he had seen in the water.

    However, the formation of this river stood firm, blocking the ancestors return path.

    After the river¡¯s formation, the ancestors had held it in great reverence. And so, when they had wanted to return, they would look for alternative routes instead of passing through the river. Adding to that was the fact that there were various threats lurking in the river.

    Approximately a millennium has passed since then, and the ming Horn tribe, that was separated by the crevice, has been living in istion.

    While on this side of the river, great changes have also urred. What was once considered a wastnd has now be a swampynd covered with water, that now houses a tribe.

    Luckily, there wasn¡¯t anguage barrier and they could easily converse.

    ¡°What is your tribe called?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The other party did not respond. Getting up, he carefully sized Shao Xuan and asked, ¡°Were you truly in the river for twenty days?¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Shao Xuan responded.

    ¡°Liar!¡±

    The other party cried out, walking towards Shao Xuan withrge strides as his fist came flying in an imposing manner.

    Bang!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s palm caught the iing fist.

    At this moment, the other party realized that his fist had been firmly grasped by Shao Xuan. Failing to break free, his eyes let out a murderous light, and his other hand shot out like lightning, grabbing onto Shao Xuan¡¯s wrist. At the same time, with an abrupt twist of his ankle, heunched himself up, spinning rapidly in the air.

    The mud on the boy¡¯s body flung out in all four directions as he spun through the air.

    Pa!

    His two feet fell to the ground, his spinninging to a halt.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you trick me¡­ huh?!¡± His triumphant expression froze, his eyes widening as he looked incredulously at his hands.

    He originally thought that he could have twisted Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, but instead of doing so, he found himself bound up by grass rope. He raised his head to find Shao Xuan in perfect condition, and then looked at his two hands. How did this happen?!

    Shao Xuan felt a headacheing as he looked at the other person. He already thought that the children back in the tribe were too violent, but he never thought the kid in front of him would be worse. He¡¯d just kept quiet and then attacked suddenly. If Shao Xuan had not quickly stopped that attack just now, his arm might¡¯ve been twisted off.

    Just now, the boy was lying down motionless, recovering his strength. Then, with the small amount of strength he regained, he actually used it against his savior!

    What kind of person is he?

    The previous strike had used up all of the boy¡¯s strength. With his hands tied, raggedly gasping for breath, he red fiercely at Shao Xuan.

    The boy¡¯s face and arms were still covered in mud, but after spinning around, most of the mud had flung off. This allowed Shao Xuan to get a clearer view of him.

    When the boy was attacking him, Shao Xuan had noticed that the boy¡¯s body lit up with totem lines. Every one of his lines connected as they covered his whole body, and on his face, the kid¡¯s mouth opened almost as far up as his ears, revealing a row of sharp teeth. Shao Xuan was confident enough to bet that the kid had personally sharpened them to be used for biting.

    Right now, without any strength, the patterns on the boy¡¯s body had disappeared, and his mouth was restored to its original appearance.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that there would actually be someone who would attack their savior! It seems your tribe isn¡¯t filled with good people.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s you who isn¡¯t a good person! Thief!¡± The boy stubbornly said.

    ¡°What did I steal? Don¡¯t you use your eyes to see? Daring to call someone a thief without using your eyes to confirm it, that¡¯s called nder. Do you even know what nder means? For someone like you, who only knows how to talk crap, do you have shit for brains?

    Have you heard the story of the farmer and the snake? Oh, you have definitely never heard it before. It goes, even if a person saves the life of a snake, he will still be bitten in the end. Next time you encounter danger, let us see who will save you! Do you still remember the taste of death?!¡±

    Shao Xuan spouted out a tirade, saying whatever came to his mind without thinking. He noticed there were people around; they were probably with this kid. They had just arrived and were observing the spectacle, so Shao Xuan announced everything that had happened, voicing out the injustice he had received. If the kid continued to say the same things as before, then they would be irreconcble and he would fly off to another ce with Chacha.

    After the boy was bombarded by Shao Xuan¡¯s words, although there were a few he didn¡¯t understand, it didn¡¯t hinder his generalprehension.

    Could he really have made a mistake?

    After he finished speaking, Shao Xuan grunted as he walked towards Chacha, his face filled with fury and disappointment. When he reached Chacha¡¯s side he said, ¡°Next time, we¡¯ll stay away from your tribe. I¡¯ll tell everyone we meet to not interact with your people, people who forget favors and vite justice. Do you know what that means? Forget about it, speaking to you is pointless. Chacha, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡±

    The people hiding in the trees hurriedly came out and called out to Shao Xuan as he was getting ready to jump on top of Chacha.

    Two people came out, one was old and the other was young. The older one was incredibly robust and had the same tan eyes as the kid. However, standing next to him was a little girl, whose eyes were brown. She also appeared to be less violent, giving people a feeling of gentleness.

    Seeing the people walking out, the tied up kid happily said, ¡°Father!¡±

    Only, the kid wasn¡¯t happy for long. As the man walked over with heavy steps, he lifted the kid up into the air by his shirt and gave him a couple of ps, not even holding back.

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    This type of education was way too simr to the one back at the tribe. They would always hit first, and then talkter. Before he arrived, he didn¡¯t know whether other tribes would have this style of teaching.

    The boy was alreadycking strength, and after being beaten up by his own father, he rubbed his nose and stayed quiet, not daring to cry. He was only able to assume a look of having been wronged.

    The man that walked up simply did not care, and after throwing him aside, he said to the girl next to him, ¡°Shui Lan, look after him.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Hurriedly the girl replied.

    After beating up his own child, the man looked towards Shao Xuan, retracting his vicious gaze. He tried to give Shao Xuan a feeling of goodwill while smiling. However, no matter how much he smiled with his eyes, they still gave people a feeling of icy coldness.

    ¡°That was indeed our fault. This little brother, are you the one that saved Chen Jia? Oh, that is the name of my child, mine is Fu Shi,¡± the man informed Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m the one that saved him,¡± Shao Xuan sighed. ¡°This was the first time I had left my tribe, trying to make my way in this world as I collect knowledge and experience. But the first person I came across was unexpectedly¡­ ai!¡±

    And so, Shao Xuan started narrating his interaction with Chen Jia while not sparing any details or telling any untruths. As the man did not understand why his son¡¯s arms were bound, Shao Xuan exined in detail, emphasizing the fact that he had left his tribe to see the world while bringing good intentions.

    After Fu Shi finished listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s ount, he clenched his fists, and then firmly stared at Chen Jia. Though he had not spoken, his eyes seemed to be saying, ¡°Watch as this old man puts you back in ce when we get home.¡±

    Chen Jia could not help but continuously cower backwards.

    When Fu Shi turned back to Shao Xuan once more, his face resumed his smiling demeanor. He promptly apologized while trying to justify his son¡¯s actions. ¡°He isn¡¯t usually like this, it¡¯s just he lost something in the tribe recently and has been unable to catch the thief¡­¡±

    So he gets this outrageous? Shao Xuan swept his gaze over Chen Jia. It was lucky he was dexterous and able to cope with the attack. Otherwise, if he were to be reced with anybody else, they would¡¯ve easily gotten their arm broken by that punch!

    Undoubtedly, Fu Shi realized his own son was wrong. The reputation of the tribe had always been bad, so their Shaman was always telling them to be friendly. And now, his own child attacked the one that had saved his life. Chen Jia simply wanted to get beaten!

    Knowing that Shao Xuan was unaware of the outside world, he told him, ¡°This is the Drumming tribe; we are all tribe members.¡±

    Drumming tribe?

    Shao Xuan had indeed not heard of them.

    ¡°I am from the ming Horns tribe.¡± Shao Xuan responded, observing the other man¡¯s reactions.

    The man frowned, thinking carefully. He could not recall ever hearing of this tribe.

    ¡°Your tribe should be very far away, right?¡± He asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s extremely far. I was on the river in my boat for twenty days until I reached here.¡±

    The nearly beat up Chen Jia was preparing to say something, but Shui Lan kicked him to shut his mouth.

    Fu Shi was also pondering on the validity of his ims. Shao Xuan knew their biggest doubt was the fact that he had been on the water for twenty days. It seems he would have to further exin thingster on.

    Although he was a bit doubtful, Fu Shi still cordially invited Shao Xuan back to the tribe, saying they had to properly receive him and thank him for saving his son.

    Looking at the sky, Shao Xuan agreed. He knew the other party wanted to confirm his identity. However, Shao Xuan decided he should talk to other people and understand the situation here.

    And so, Shao Xuan and Chacha followed behind and headed to the core region of the Drumming tribe.

    On the road, they met other tribe members wearing simr attire and carrying simr weapons to those back in his tribe, albeit a bit more detailed.

    Shao Xuan also discovered that the tribe members could be split into two types. One was like Fu Shi and Chen Jia, with tan eyes that seemed very fierce. The other type was like the girl Shui Lan, with brown eyes, giving off a very gentle feeling.

    Walking past a forest, numerous buildings started to appear before Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

    Because the ground was very wet, a lot of holes were filled with water. And so, there was an extrayer of foundation under the buildings, making the structures a lot sturdier.

    In front of many houses, on the lower level of the stairs, were small crocodiles, climbing up to rest.

 Chapter 154 â€“ Enthusiasm

    CoPW 154 ¨C Enthusiasm

    Tranted by Jon

    This ce was filled with many crocodiles. Looking at them all, Shao Xuan thought of the scratches he had seen on the stones when he firstnded.

    However, these frightful looking beasts appeared to live harmoniously with the people of the tribe.

    The strangest thing Shao Xuan noticed was that the eyes of the tribe¡¯s people all seemed cold and distant, as if they were without any emotions. This fierce, evil feeling felt very simr to that emitted by the crocodiles.

    Were they people? Or crocodiles?

    In this world, Shao Xuan had only seen people from his tribe. He had lived his days on the other side of the river, so he had hardly any understanding about this world. Even though he had looked at the animal hide scrolls left behind by the ancestors, many of their ounts weren¡¯t detailed, which left a lot for others to figure out on their own.

    Shao Xuan could only rely on his own eyes to see what the world was actually like outside his tribe.

    Chacha didn¡¯t fly in the sky since Fu Shi had exined that the people of his tribe were extremely vignt towards birds. And so, until they received permission from the tribe they were advised not to fly or they might be attacked.

    Due to this, Chacha could only follow behind, taking one step at a time.

    The surroundings were littered with small resting crocodiles. As Shao Xuan and Chacha came closer, they would quickly dash back into the pools of water.

    Seeing Shao Xuan staring at the crocodiles, Fu Shi said, ¡°Our treasured fish are alway wary of outsiders. Luckily, the bigger fish have already left, leaving only the small ones behind. Otherwise, you guys would need to be even warier. If you want to go out or wander around, you need to be apanied by a tribe member, or else you¡¯d probably be attacked.¡±

    Fu Shi told Shao Xuan that they had to be cautious when dealing with the crocodiles, to make sure they don¡¯t infuriate them.

    Listening to Fu Shi¡¯s exnation, Shao Xuan felt relieved. Thankfully, these people weren¡¯t crocodiles, but rather they lived harmoniously with these creatures, calling them their ¡°treasured fish¡±. From this, it could be seen how important the crocodiles are to the tribe.

    Shao Xuan warned Chacha not to treat these small crocodiles as food, or else the tribe would disapprove, or even attack them.

    Like the tribe¡¯s people, the crocodiles were also split into two kinds. One had tan eyes with dark brown scales down their back, with a lightly yellow belly. The color on these younger creatures was a bit dull, since theycked concentration. The other kind of crocodiles had ck spot patterns all over. Even if they were younger, the scales on their back were extremely visible, and they grew a horn on their head. This was something that Shao Xuan had never seen before, not even in his previous life.

    The tan eyed crocodiles seemed to have a vicious temperament since they always looked like they wanted to attack. They also grew much bulkier than the brown eyed crocodiles. If an outsider was carelessly walking around the tribe and came across these creatures, the crocodile would take the initiative to attack.

    However, the brown eyed crocodile, with the more detailed scales, had a milder temperamentpared with their counterparts, resembling the brown eyed members of the tribe.

    It looked like the tribe worshipped these animals.

    Shao Xuan kept the words that Fu Shi had told him in his heart. Right now, the bigger crocodiles weren¡¯t here, but they would return quickly. In such a strange ce, not paying attention could lead to death.

    Looking at the crocodiles, Shao Xuan recalled the move Chen Jia had pulled on him. Wasn¡¯t it just like a crocodile¡¯s ¡°death roll¡±?

    As they entered the central area of the tribe, instead of bringing Shao Xuan to his house, Fu Shi first found the chief.

    Everyone soon knew of their arrival as the information quickly spread around the tribe.

    Many people gathered outside the chief¡¯s house as they curiously looked at Shao Xuan and Chacha. However, their eyes still appeared icy, making Chacha shake his wings, wishing he could fly away. Luckily, Shao Xuan noticed it and managed to cate him.

    Fan Mu, the chief, was a middle aged man with tan eyes. While observing Shao Xuan, he gave off a vibe simr to that of the beasts in the forest; one that oppressed everything standing in his path.

    ¡°Wee to the tribe.¡± Fan Mu greeted.

    There was not a hint of friendliness. Of course, not smiling was good, as it was better than the ¡°smile¡± that Fu Shi constantly had on his face.

    ¡°ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan.¡± Shao Xuan formally introduced himself. He had discussed the best way to introduce himself with the Shaman just before leaving the tribe.

    ¡°He¡¯s called Chacha. My friend has been standing for too long and is itching to fly. I hope the chief will permit him to do so for a while.¡± Shao Xuan continued.

    ¡°He can.¡± Fan Mu responded, turning towards the people on the side to tell them not to attack Chacha, but also to keep a close eye on him.

    As soon as Chacha flew off, Shao Xuan followed Fan Mu up the stairs.

    Inside the room stood a person with dark brown eyes, who appeared to be a few years older than the chief.

    ¡°This is our tribe¡¯s Shaman.¡± Fan Mu introduced.

    ¡°Hello, I am Shao Xuan, from the ming Horns tribe.¡±

    ¡°Wee to the Drumming tribe.¡± The Shaman said as he smiled a little, making Shao Xuan feel more wee.

    Although these words were also said by the chief, when it came out of the Shaman¡¯s mouth, it felt a lot morefortable. Moreover, when the Shaman smiled, there wasn¡¯t any sense of terror that scared people stiff.

    Contrary to what Shao Xuan expected, the Shaman looked approachable and easy to talk to.

    Regardless of what Shao Xuan felt, on the outside, he disyed a reserved smile, acting like this was the first time he had left his tribe.

    Fu Shi, who had led Shao Xuan here, was also called in to inform them of what happened.

    Shao Xuan would shed light on the parts Fu Shi was not clear on.

    After hearing that Shao Xuan stayed in the river for twenty days, the expression of the chief and Shaman changed.

    ¡°How did you stay in the river for more than twenty days?¡± The Shaman asked.

    ¡°By using a boat, paddling, and Chacha.¡± Shao Xuan told them some of his experiences on the river, including the dangerous perils he faced, but purposefully withheld mention of the sails and Chacha pulling him along.

    As Shao Xuan told his story, Fan Mu and the Shaman¡¯s expressions gradually eased up. Evidently, they had some knowledge regarding the river and knew that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t lying to them. Furthermore, from the way they saw it, after suffering from many dangerous situations, Shao Xuan must have indeede from far away. However, Chacha¡¯s contributions weren¡¯t small. If they had a bird like Chacha that could pull them along, what would they also be able to do?

    ¡°Once our wooden boats go in the water, they sink. Why didn¡¯t yours?¡± Fan Mu attentively asked.

    ¡°Is the wood you use heavy? In our tribe, as soon as we put a piece of wood in the water, it¡¯ll quickly get dragged away by the river.¡± Replied Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Our tribe has the treasured fish!¡± Fu Shi proudly eximed.

    Since there were many crocodiles near the shore, there weren¡¯t many other creatures. And so, cing wood on water wouldn¡¯t cause it to sink as there weren¡¯t many insects to eat the wood and pull it down.

    ¡°Then how did you do it?¡± Fan Mu asked.

    ¡°After the rainy season, the wood eating insects disappear from the river, enabling us to traverse it. The insects onlye back when the water level rises.¡± Exined Shao Xuan.

    ¡°So it was like that?!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words had shocked the people in the room.

    ¡°This is what my tribe¡¯s shaman told me to bring.¡± Shao Xuan he took out the stone depicting the symbol of the tribe, and handed it over to the shaman.

    The totem pattern drawn by the Shaman was quite special, and as a shaman himself, he could feel the power of the totem and the emotions they wanted to express. The stone brought with it intentions of goodwill and hospitality.

    ¡°Chacha also has one on him.¡± Shao Xuan walked to the door, whistling him down.

    Naturally, the home of the chief was much more spacious than other people¡¯s, with better construction.

    Chachanded outside the door.

    The Shaman of the Drumming tribe carefully looked at the patterns on Chacha¡¯s leg, before confirming it too had received the blessings of the Shaman. For a creature to receive one, it showed how much they valued it, something that was almost impossible to counterfeit.

    Moving his hand away from Chacha, the shaman nodded to Fan Mu.

    Although his eyes were still cold, the chief eased up a bit.

    After talking for a while, the shaman and Fan Mu¡¯s suspicion towards Shao Xuan had significantly decreased. Although they hadn¡¯t heard of the ming Horns tribe, after their talk, they expressed sincere goodwill towards him.

    Hearing that Shao Xuan was the first person to leave his tribe, the Shaman rmended that he stay for a while.

    ¡°After the Water Moon festival, some people will leave to go and trade with other tribes. You can apany them.¡± The shaman said.

    The people around wanted to say something, but with a raise of his hand, the shaman stopped them.

    ¡°It¡¯s decided then. Fu Shi, let Shao Xuan live in your house temporarily.¡± The chief said.

    When the chief said something, other people didn¡¯t dare talk back. Only Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes still carried a bit of vignce.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Fu Shi agreed.

    Fu Shi brought Shao Xuan to his home after leaving the chief¡¯s house.

    Generally, outsiders were cared for by the people who brought them into the tribe. Furthermore, Shao Xuan had saved Chen Jia¡¯s life, so Fu Shi had to take even better care of him.

    As the sky gradually turned dark, the air turned humid from all the evaporated water during the day.

    The two moons in the sky made sure that the tribe wasn¡¯t in total darkness. As the moons grew rounder and rounder, they showed the passing of the hours. In the lightened night, Shao Xuan was still able to see the flora and fauna surrounding him.

    Fu Shi¡¯s house was built next to a pool of water, and when Shao Xuan entered, a woman was waiting for them. She was Fu Shi¡¯s wife, Ping.

    Standing next to Ping was the obedient Chen Jia. His face was swollen, evidently from getting beaten.

    Ping was extremely hospitable and herughter put people at ease. Her two eyes were like Fu Shi and Chen Jia¡¯s, a tan color.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, is it? Thank you for saving Chen Jia.¡±

    After she finished talking, Ping took out a pile of things from outside the house. Everyone had yet to have dinner, since they had to wait for Fu Shi and Shao Xuan. And since they hade back, Ping started to prepare a huge meal.

    Within a moment, a deer¡¯s leg appeared in front of him. Although roasted, it wasn¡¯t cooked thoroughly, with blood still visible.

    Shao Xuan looked up at the people around him. The family of three had transformed. Their mouths were wide open, doubling in size, and they were tearing at the meat. With each bite, blood spilled out sshing everywhere.

    Shao Xuan was rendered speechless.

 Chapter 155 â€“ Water Moon stones

    CoPW 155 ¨C Water Moon stones.

    Tranted by Jon

    Shao Xuan ate only a bit of the deer meat, giving the rest to Chacha, who preferred eating raw meat.

    This deer should be simr to the ones found in the ming Horns tribe, as they seem to taste the same.

    After seeing the bloody manner in which they ate, Shao Xuan felt that he had learned a lot about the people of this tribe.

    That night, Chacha flew outside and found arge tree to nest on, while Shao Xuan slept in Chen Jia¡¯s room. Chen Jia slept with his parents instead.

    During this season, the people of the Drumming tribe did noty out any animal hides to sleep on, but rather slept directly on the wooden nks. Through the little cracks and holes in the nks, the pools of water could be seen.

    From underneath the house, the sounds of small crocodiles moving about were clearly audible.

    With the windows open, moonlight entered the house. The wind blew through, bringing with it a wet chill and a muddy smell.

    With tonight being the first night that Shao Xuan would sleep at a different tribe, an extremely novel feeling overcame him.

    As he was thinking of today¡¯s matters, as well as how the ancestor¡¯s hides failed to mention the Drumming tribe, Fu Shi entered the room.

    In his hands, Fu Shi was holding something that illuminated the room, its appearance was simr to a smallntern.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Shao Xuan curiously asked.

    At a closer nce, he discovered that it was actually a crystal about the size of a fist. This was something he had never seen before.

    ¡°This is something that our tribe produces, the Water Moon stone.¡± Fu Shi answered, handing over the crystal.

    On the ancestor¡¯s animal hide, Shao Xuan had read about this ¡°Water Moon stone¡±, only, what was written was so vague that it had just mentioned the name.

    Shao Xuan could feel the energy within the crystal as he held it, it was simr to the fire energy. The totem me inside his mind didn¡¯t react, but the egg shaped object that was wrapped around the me shed once, gradually taking shape.

    The object took on the shape of a brown crocodile, wrapped around a white colored me. It gave off a feeling of coldness.

    This was the Drumming tribe¡¯s totem?!

    The crystal could not absorb energy, and as the crocodile totem faded, Shao Xuan gave the item another nce before handing it back over to Fu Shi saying, ¡°It¡¯s very bright, and quite beautiful.¡±

    Fu Shi stared nkly. This was the first time he had seen such a reaction. There were many people who, after looking at this stone, would either be extremely fond of it, or disy their greed. When outsiders entered their tribe, the hosts responsible for them would show their hospitality and bring this stone out. After all, there were many people who didn¡¯t like staying in the dark. By bringing out the biggest stone from their collection, they were able to test and see their guests true nature.

    However, Shao Xuan had shown a lukewarm reaction towards it.

    Could it be that he didn¡¯t know how much this stone was worth?

    ¡°Are you not interested in this stone? The stones that our tribe produces are extremely sought after. Thisrge piece could be exchanged for this many things!¡± Fu Shi exaggeratedly opened his arms wide.

    Since Shao Xuan was a being who had seen electric lights before, he actually didn¡¯t have too much desire towards this rock. What interested him more was the exchange between tribes that the Shaman had mentioned earlier. Since Fu Shi had mentioned it again, Shao Xuan used this opportunity to question him about it.

    ¡°During the exchange, we will bring our stones to trade with other tribes. A small chunk of this can be exchanged for a lot of things!¡± Fu Shi once again exined.

    This stone was truly sought after in the other tribes. With only a small amount of them, it could clearly illuminate the dark night without the need for fire. Furthermore, this light wasn¡¯t affected by the wind or water. This stone was even more prized in tribes that couldn¡¯t stand the heat, thus exining their worth.

    The Water Moon stone was simr to gold, so when the Drumming tribe brought it out for trade, they would get high quality stones, precious medicinal herbs and even pottery in exchange. During every transaction, they would leave their tribe with a few chunks and return with many valuable items.

    Interested, Shao Xuan listened attentively, and from time to time asked a few questions. Speaking about his own tribe¡¯s specialty, Fu Shi in turn became engaged, revealing more information regarding the production of the stone. He was not being loose lipped, but rather, only revealed things that were already known by the other tribes.

    It wasn¡¯t untilte into the night that Shao Xuan finally let Fu Shi go. He took the piece of Water Moon stone away with him, after all, how could anyone sleep with such a bright stone? When one got into danger, hiding with this stone would be impossible. However, with so many dangers in the night, it was also a form of protection.

    Everyone else¡¯s house around him was dark. If his room was bright, wouldn¡¯t his location be too obvious?

    Fu Shi didn¡¯t know what Shao Xuan was thinking about while they talked, but his already good impression of Shao Xuan only improved further. When he got back to his room, Fu Shi even praised Shao Xuan to his wife, then reprimanded Chen Jia once more.

    The next day, Shao Xuan ate a bloody breakfast, then walked outside.

    The sun was already in the sky and the crocodiles were out, basking in the sun.

    In the pond outside Chen Jia¡¯s house, there were three crocodiles lounging around. Two had tan eyes and the other one had brown eyes.

    When Chacha descended, he had purposefully frightened them, making them run back into the pond.

    While racing towards the pond, Shao Xuan heard their cries. Only the tan eyed crocodiles let out a sound, while their brown eyed counterpart remained silent.

    He thought that perhaps its cry was difficult for people to hear.

    Shao Xuan initially believed all brown eyed crocodiles were like that, but he soon found out that in the neighbor¡¯s pond, they cried the same as any other. The one in Fu Shi¡¯s pond was just an exception.

    Because of this, Shao Xuan asked Chen Jia, who was standing right beside him.

    Chen Jia was somewhat awkward when it came to Shao Xuan. His father had told him Shao Xuan did not know anything about the theft, and that he was even uninterested in the Water Moon stone! Adding in the fact that Shao Xuan had saved his life, Chen Jia was truly embarrassed about his actions.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t cry out!¡± Chen Jia stated.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t cry?!¡±

    ¡°En. Since birth, he was unable to let out a sound. My mother said he was born a mute, it¡¯s extremely pitiful. Therefore, we would always give it the best meat.¡±

    While living in the tribe, Shao Xuan could hear the cries of the night swallows. Apart from the senior totem warriors, no one else could. And right now, Shao Xuan could hear the crocodile cry while Chen Jia could not. Fu Shi and Ping were both intermediate totem warriors; this was visible from their eyes. Compared to Chen Jia, their eyes were more yellow, a characteristic of the Drumming tribe.

    Junior and intermediate totem warriors couldn¡¯t hear it. And he didn¡¯t know if senior warriors were able to, too.

    After Chacha left the pond, the brown-eyed crocodile once again crawled out of the water to continue basking in the sun.

    At this moment, someone ran over.

    ¡°Chen Jia, is your father inside?¡± The man asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s inside the house.¡±

    ¡°Fu Shi, hurry up ande out!¡± The stranger shouted.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Fu Shi questioned as he walked out.

    ¡°You need toe with me, the chief has something he wants to say!¡±

    Seeing his grave expression, Fu Shi knew something serious had happened. Without hesitation, he hurriedly left with the man.

    Before leaving, he warned Chen Jia, ¡°Don¡¯t run all over the ce! If you do, I¡¯ll beat you to death.¡±

    Chen Jia curled his lip, reluctantly agreeing.

    Ping wasn¡¯t at home, and so, only Shao Xuan and Chen Jia were left at the house.

    Shao Xuan looked around at the neighboring houses, and saw that many people were being called out. Evidently, this was a major event.

    ¡°What happened in the tribe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. This matter is probably rted to the Water Moon stones.¡± Chen Jia responded.

    Thinking back tost night¡¯s conversation, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Do you mean that someone has stolen some pieces?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Every year, around this time, a simr event would always happen. People would wait until we bring the stones out before they go and steal them.¡± Chen Jia responded, gnashing his teeth in anger. The stolen stone could have been exchanged for so many items!

    ¡°Who are the people thate to steal the stones?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Many are thieves from other tribes. Every time these thievese, the amount of stolen stones continues to drastically increase. They should all die!¡±

    In the afternoon, Fu Shi hurried home holding a stone tool, warning the two of them not to wander around.

    ¡°The tribe discovered thieves from the Martyr tribe. We¡¯re increasing our security. Tonight, I¡¯m in charge of guarding the tribe so I won¡¯te back. Don¡¯t you dare leave this house!¡±

    When he finished speaking, Fu Shi left once again.

    Throughout the whole tribe, many people were like him, wielding stone tools and hurriedly going out. Every one of them wore a grave expression on their face, with eyes letting out a murderous light.

    After Fu Shi went away, Shao Xuan asked Chen Jia, ¡°What are the Martyr tribesmen like?¡±

    Chen Jia surprisingly disyed fear and hatred on his face.

    ¡°The people from the Martyr tribe are crazy. For the sake of achieving their goals, they¡¯ll stop at nothing¡­ they do not fear death¡­ they are extremely fast¡­¡±

    Hearing Chen Jia¡¯s chaotic exnation, Shao Xuan surmised that these tribe members resembled martyrs. All they could focus on was their mission. They didn¡¯t care about anything else.

    This group of lunatics weren¡¯t close to the Drumming tribe, and they didn¡¯t frequently interact with one another. Only, every time they appeared, they brought a reign of terror. And this time, the Martyr tribe was targeting the Water Moon stones.

    Because the Drumming tribe had found traces of the Martyr tribe, everyone was extremely tense, to the point of even losing all appetite.

    Ping and Chen Jia did not eat much. After dinner, Ping went to deliver some food to Fu Shi, leaving Chen Jia to obediently stay at home.

    However, Chen Jia was not someone that would patiently stay at home and wait. When other kids arrived, he quickly joined them, discussing their own ns as they left.

    And so, the only one left inside the house was Shao Xuan.

    Though the night sky was dark, it wasn¡¯tpletely pitch ck.

    Shao Xuan sat on the wooden nks, dangling his legs over the edge of the floor, allowing his feet to touch the water.

    The water rippled as a shadow swam closer to Shao Xuan.

    It was the brown-eyed crocodile.

    It showed no traces of fear as it swam towards Shao Xuan. Rather, it seemed to be curious about him.

    After thinking for a while, Shao Xuan stuck his hand out to lift the crocodile up.

    He noticed that its toes were connected in a weblike manner. Compared to the other two crocodiles, it was slimmer. The manner in which it crawled and swam in the water was much nimbler. Apart from its inability to cry, it was perfectly healthy.

    The crocodile didn¡¯t squirm or run after being lifted up, but obediently stayed still.

    It¡¯s temper truly was better than that of the tan-eyed crocodiles.

    After observing it for a while, Shao Xuan then put the crocodile back into the water.

 Chapter 156 â€“ Murder

    Chapter 156 ¨C Murder

    Tranted by Jon

    During the night, neither Ping or Chen Jia hade back, while Fu Shi was still out guarding the tribe.

    From an unknown location, Chacha caught a whole deer, then found a tree to eat and rest on.

    Only Shao Xuan was left inside.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t recklessly wander around as the Drumming tribe was caught up in a tense situation. Since he was an outsider, if Shao Xuan wandered around it would naturally incur suspicion. Rather, it would be better for him to umte goodwill, as in the future, other people from his tribe might cross the river and encounter men from this tribe.

    Shao Xuan shifted on the wooden nks, with every movement, the wood would let out a creaking noise.

    As he was thinking about various matters, Shao Xuan heard a muffled sound that was simr to someone pinching their nose and covering their mouthing from outside. This sound did note from a human, but rather from the small crocodile. Listening closer, Shao Xuan found the sourceing from inside a pond that was far away from the house.

    In only a short amount of time, the crocodile had released many cries, only to stop abruptly. Then it continued once again, but this time the cry was different. Tracing the sound to its source, Shao Xuan discovered that the second set of cries originated from the brown eyed crocodile, whom everyone believed was mute.

    The crocodiles found inside the tribe would not cry out regrly, they would only do so if they felt that they were in danger. For example, when Chacha had gone and scared those three earlier, they had all ran away crying.

    ording to the people of the tribe, these creatures were extremely perceptive towards others¡¯ intentions. Even if one approached with a smile, and appeared exceptionally good-natured, the crocodiles would either run away or start attacking them if they harbored ill intentions.

    What could these crocodiles have encountered at thiste hour? What could cause them to cry out?

    The sound still continued as Shao Xuan got up and started to look out the windows. He didn¡¯t see anything out of the ordinary, however, the cries still rang out from inside the pond.

    The other people in the tribe shouldn¡¯t be able to hear the crocodile¡¯s cries. If they did, then there should be others going out to check what was happening.

    Shao Xuan exited his room and walked towards the sound.

    Next to the pond that was some distance away from Chen Jia¡¯s house, thereid two motionless crocodiles.

    Around them, the scent of blood was heavy.

    Squatting down, Shao Xuan used his hand to inspect them. Turning the two crocodiles over, he saw that their light colored bellies had bloodstains all over them. It was as if they were almost hacked in two by some kind of sharp stone tool.

    At the beginning, the cries should havee out from these two crocodiles. After crying for a while, they suddenly stopped. This was most likely because of their death.

    The way the two crocodiles died were the same, with a single extremely quick and fatal strike. Moreover, the attack was almost done inplete silence.

    Currently holding a crocodile up to inspect the wound, Shao Xuan heard quick footsteps approaching, then a furious voice.

    ¡°What did you do to them?!¡±

    The voice came from a fifteen to sixteen year old girl with tan eyes.

    Recalling the impetuous and explosive temperament of the tribe, Shao Xuan had nned on exining, but upon seeing the dead crocodilesying on the ground, the girl had instantly turned furious.

    ¡°You¡¯re seeking death!¡±

    Shao Xuan was not given any chance to exin himself as the other party became insane. Even if Shao Xuan said anything, she wouldn¡¯t have listened. Totem patterns appeared on her legs, making her quick, as she dashed towards Shao Xuan.

    While throwing herself at him, the explosive power in her palm doubled. The appearance of the totem marks covering her palm looked like scaled armor as she curled her fingers into ws. There was a sharp sound as her fingers quickly changed, her hand ruthlessly wing towards Shao Xuan.

    If he didn¡¯t dodge in time, her slim hand would hadtch onto Shao Xuan. Then, just like a crocodile who had caught its prey, she would forcibly tear his arm off.

    Encountering such a fierce attack, Shao Xuan took the iing strike to grab onto her wrist. Instead of halting, he pulled her towards the pond next to them.

    Pudong!

    The girl had been thrown into the water.

    People had started to arrive around them as they heard themotion. In such a tense situation, with these loud noises, how could one not think this strange.

    The surrounding families, regardless of men or women, took out their stone tools and ran out, surrounding Shao Xuan. The little kids stayed inside, watching the unfolding events from their windows or doors.

    The two deceased crocodilesying on the grass were extremely obvious. Being that this tribe was intensely conscientious towards these creatures, their dead bodies instantly attracted the attention of everyone.

    Originally, they thought the fight was a dispute between two parties, but seeing the two crocodiles lying on the ground lifeless, everyone turned furious.

    Towards an outsider like Shao Xuan, the surrounding people were naturally distrustful. Originally, many children were curious about the eagle, wanting to get closer to Chacha to examine him, but were stopped when the adults told stories to frighten them. Now, after seeing this scene, they became even more disliked.

    ¡°They weren¡¯t killed by me.¡± Shao Xun stated.

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t you, who was it?!¡±

    ¡°It was obviously you! Ban Ling had seen you just now!¡±

    The surrounding people argued noisily, directing all their anger towards Shao Xuan. nning on taking action, they heard a shout from the back, ¡°Stay your hands!¡±

    Hearing this, everyone halted and turned to see who had spoken.

    Walking forward were two people, one Shao Xuan recognized. It was chief Fan Mu¡¯s wife, Chun. It was her that had told everyone to halt just now. Standing next to her was a young man. Shao Xuan did not recognize him, however, he had brown colored eyes that gave people a feeling of calmness. Although he looked harmless, Shao Xuan¡¯s intuition told him that he should be avoided.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Chun asked, walking forward.

    ¡°He murdered two crocodiles!¡±

    ¡°Right, he also attacked Ban Ling!¡±

    ¡°I have always said, outsiders never have good intentions! We should have kicked him out earlier!¡±

    As everyone talked at once, they each provided their own thoughts and ounts. After Chun heard everything, she did not immediately ask Shao Xuan what had happen, but walked forwards and picked up the two dead crocodiles.

    Shao Xuan could detect that, when Chun picked up the crocodiles, her hands slightly shook as she tried her best to control her emotions. Although she had tan eyes, she wasn¡¯t like the rest who acted impulsively.

    Seeing the wounds, Chun asked Shao Xuan, ¡°What do you have to say?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t me that killed them. I only walked over, saw that they weren¡¯t moving, and flipped them over to find out that they were dead. When I picked one of them up to observe the wound, she coincidentally came over.¡± Shao Xuan exined, pointing at the girl who had just walked out of the pond.

    ¡°Ban Ling, did you see him kill the crocodiles?¡± Chun stared at her as she gravely asked.

    After being thrown into the pond, she was in a sorry state as she got out. Being asked without even getting the chance to tidy up, she responded, ¡°I saw him holding the crocodiles.¡±

    ¡°In other words, you didn¡¯t see Shao Xuan kill them!?¡±

    The surrounding people all felt Chun¡¯s mood had turn unpleasant. Additionally, as Chun brought the two crocodiles over, many people saw that the wounds were caused by a sharp object. It was obvious that Shao Xuan did not carry any tools on his body. Could they have wrongly used him?

    Recalling back to how they treated Shao Xuan, each and everyone of them were embarrassed as they retreated a few steps. Those that insulted him the loudest wished that they could bury their heads inside their pants to reduce their presence.

    Yet, there were also people that remained adamant. They thought that just because Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t carrying a tool didn¡¯t mean that they should exonerate him. Perhaps Shao Xuan was hiding a secret? A man stepped forward wanting to say something, but once he saw that Shao Xuan was walking towards the pond, he stopped.

    The people of the Drumming tribe were very curious about Shao Xuan¡¯s actions. What was he doing?

    Shao Xuan walked towards the water. He didn¡¯t dive in, instead, he stuck his hand inside the pond.

    The water very quickly rippled as a small shadow emerged from within. Originally, there was a small cave inside the water where the creature had hidden.

    The crocodile crawled directly upon Shao Xuan¡¯s hand aftering out of the water. In actuality, it had been constantly crying out, only no one could hear him. This included the senior totem warriors of the tribe.

    Seeing the crocodile in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, the man who had stepped forward, retreated back once again.

    If Shao Xuan was the murderer, then this crocodile wouldn¡¯t behave like this. The people of the Drumming tribe didn¡¯t believe in Shao Xuan, but they believed in their tribe¡¯s ¡°treasured fish¡±.

    ¡°Ban Ling!¡± Chun shouted as she angrily stared at her.

    Chun turned angry as she thought about Ban Ling¡¯s actions. Originally, their tribe¡¯s reputation was already bad enough. Yesterday, it had been Chen Jia who attacked, and today, it was Ban Ling who had acted rashly.

    The Shaman and the chief had made an effort to improve their name. The other tribes all knew of their nature, and it wasn¡¯t easy to find an outsider who did not have an impression formed upon them. The Shaman and the chief had wanted to let Shao Xuan stay and realize that they weren¡¯t as bad as the others had thought. And this was the result of their efforts?!

    This angered Chun to death.

    It was fortunate that Shao Xuan had a bit of strength, or else¡­..

    Ban Ling, who had put her all towards attacking Shao Xuan, shrunk away as her body shook from being shouted at by Chun. Step by step she retreated as her previous imposing manner was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°S-s-s-sorry!¡± Ban Ling apologized towards Shao Xuan, her voice sounded like she was crying.

    ¡°Shao Xuan was it? I am extremely sorry, just treat the words that I had said before as food for the crocodiles [a joke], please don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± Said the previously outspoken man. Still filled with a feeling of awkwardness, he quickly turned around and ran back home. After a while, he returned while holding a leg of beef that was still dripping with blood. He gave it to Shao Xuan as a form of an apology.

    Seeing this, the other people wanted to do the samething too.

    At this moment, the man standing next to Chun said, ¡°Mother, the most pressing thing right now, is to find the murderer of these crocodiles.¡± Speaking as he looked towards the other tribe members, his brown eyes calmly scanned the audience. ¡°Shao Xuan is our tribe¡¯s guest. In the future, if anybody dares to recklessly act against him, they¡¯ll have to answer to me.¡±

    Shao Xuan discovered, after the young man had finished speaking, that the surrounding people started to shiver. They were much more frightened than when Chun was scolding them.

 Chapter 157 â€“ Water Moon Canal

    Chapter 157 ¨C Water Moon Canal

    Tranted by Jon

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    Ping had juste back from giving Fu Shi his food and exchanging small talk with the guards. Before she could even cross the threshold of her house, she saw people flocking towards the pond and decided to hurry her steps to join them.

    ¡°Ping, two crocodiles have been killed!¡± A woman loudly eximed.

    Ping jumped in shock. After being informed of all that had just happened, Ping wished that she couldy her hands on the murderer. Sadly, the identity of the culprit was still unknown. But when she heard about the misunderstanding with Shao Xuan, she eximed, ¡°Shao Xuan is a good person! He didn¡¯t even covet my family¡¯s Water Moonstone.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Everyone was astonished that there was someone who actually did not lust after their Water Moonstones?!

    This gave the surrounding people a better impression of Shao Xuan. Those that coveted the stones were never good people. Anyone like Shao Xuan, who wasn¡¯t moved by greed, was treated more cordially. Yet, thinking about hisck of a reaction in a deeper sense, how could Shao Xuan not like these Water Moonstones? For such an amazing item, why wouldn¡¯t he like them?

    ¡°Shao Xuan, Water Moonstones are really useful, they are able to be exchanged for so many different kinds of items.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, Shao Xuan. It must be that the rock Fu Shi had shown is both small and dull. It has to be simply too old to be impressive. Come to my house instead. Our stone is incredibly bright, since it was only excavatedst year, and this year, we¡¯ll have even bigger ones!¡±

    ¡°You shoulde over to my house, our stone is also quiterge, it was something that my daughter had obtainedst year. Speaking of her, she¡¯s at home right now, and she is extremely beautiful. If you saw her, I know that you¡¯d like her.¡± Said an elderly woman pointing towards her house.

    Shao Xuan followed the woman¡¯s finger and his eyes ended up looking upon a girl who stood inside her house. At this moment, the girl opened her mouth all the way to her ears, smiling over at him. Apparently she had just finished eating, so her snow white teeth were covered with blood stains.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Shao Xuan turned his head back to hide his stiff smile.

    Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to say much. At this moment, as Chun received the two crocodiles, he warned everyone to be more diligent in surveying their surroundings, as well to pay closer attention to the crocodiles.

    Holding the beef shank and the brown eyed crocodile, Shao Xuan returned homepletely covered in blood.

    Although he had been wrongly used twice, he was still unsure if he should think of this group of people as good or bad.

    After all, he had not suffered any injuries from both attacks, and Shao Xuan had wanted to use these people to gather information regarding the other tribes. Furthermore, the Drumming tribe wanted to build a good rtionship with him. So Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t bother to pick a fight regarding these small matters.

    Looking at the crocodile in Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, Ping felt heart broken. She had watched over those three crocodiles since they broke out of their shells, and because therger crocodiles had already left, it was her who had raised them from the start.

    And so, Shao Xuan discovered that night, that just as the people of the Drumming tribe were easy to anger, they were also easy to sadden. When they were sad, the words they spoke seemed to increase, since during the walk back home, Ping told Shao Xuan everything there was to tell in regards to those crocodiles.

    Apparently it wasn¡¯t the crocodile¡¯s breeding season yet, so there weren¡¯t many young creatures at the moment. Without the adult crocodiles to protect them, the job of guardianship fell upon the Drumming tribe¡¯s people.

    Generally speaking, therger crocodiles would return on the day that the eclipse of the two moons ur, when the water levels would once again rise. That is also the time where they wouldy another batch of eggs, and the poption would once again shoot up.

    And so, of the three crocodiles that hatched, only one remained. Ping continued to talk while tearing up. At this moment, Chen Jia came back home and gained Ping¡¯s undivided attention. Shao Xuan took this opportunity to escape and brought the brown eyed crocodile back into his room.

    It had already somewhat quieted down, so Shao Xuan tried to recall the exact sounds he heard before Ban Ling appeared. When he walked towards the pond, he had already managed to find some clues.

    Although his location wasn¡¯t at the core area of the Drumming tribe, there were still many houses around here. With so many members of every family on guard duty, how could someone from outside the tribe manage to infiltrate in?

    If the culprit wasn¡¯t someone from within the tribe, then the murderer of these two crocodiles had to have too much ability.

    The brown eyed crocodile was still crying as he brought it back inside; it was probably still frightened. It had continuouslytched onto Shao Xuan and it refused to return back to the pond

    The three crocodiles came from the same nest and they had grown up together, spending every moment with one another.

    The tribe always said that these creatures could clearly see inside the people¡¯s heart. Perhaps they discovered a person with ill will, and then cried out. They might have also been killed because of their cries, to stop them from attracting unwanted attention.

    And now, the ones that could cry had died, leaving behind only this ¡®mute¡¯ creature.

    After calming his mother down, Chen Jia entered the room, asking, ¡°When you went over, did you see anyone around the dead crocodiles?¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head as he looked at Chen Jia. This kid had been beaten again because he had recklessly gone out. However, the degree of his injuries didn¡¯t appear to bother him at all.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any strangers.¡± Shao Xuan responded. Although he wasn¡¯t familiar with all his neighbors, he had still seen them and had impressions of them all. When he went to check on the crocodiles, he had not seen anyone strange around.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t necessarily a stranger. Could it perhaps be someone familiar?¡±

    Chen Jia was in a bit of a dilemma. He wasn¡¯t good at masking his emotions, so everything was on disy on his face as to what he was thinking.

    Being an outsider, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t rashly speak about the matters of the Drumming tribe. He instead asked, ¡°Yesterday, who pushed you into the river bank?¡±

    Astonished by what Shao Xuan asked, Chen Jia raised his head and asked back, ¡°How did you know I was pushed?¡± When he came back home, he had told everyone that he had carelessly slipped in, refusing to telling anybody the truth.

    ¡°I guessed.¡± Shao Xuan responded. Although Chen Jia looked irresponsible, from the many details Shao Xuan picked up, he could tell that Chen Jia was actually a very cautious person. He wasn¡¯t the type to just fall into danger like that. Shao Xuan thought that the tribe¡¯s Shaman and chief also knew more than they were letting on, but just didn¡¯t question Chen Jia. After all, they weren¡¯t simple people.

    Since he had been hiding this secret in his heart for two days, Chen Jia felt that he couldn¡¯t choke it down any longer. Yet, he didn¡¯t dare tell the tribe, not when everyone was this intense. They simply wouldn¡¯t be able to question their own tribe members.

    ¡°So, do you think there¡¯s a mole inside the tribe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°What¡¯s a ¡®mole¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It means that someone with malicious intent is hiding inside the tribe.¡±

    ¡°¡­..En.¡± Since everyone agreed that Shao Xuan was a good person, Chen Jia believed he could confide in him.

    ¡°On that day when I snuck out, I noticed a man heading towards the river bank, and so I followed him. When I went over there, I saw that there were other people, and I could hear them talking. But I couldn¡¯t clearly hear what they were saying. I waited until they left before I walked to where they were, and then I was roughly pushed down from behind.¡± Chen Jia stated, recalling that event.

    ¡°What did he look like?¡±

    ¡°¡­..That¡­.. That I don¡¯t remember.¡± Chen Jia struggled to recall. After exerting a great deal of effort, he still wasn¡¯t able to remember. The face in his memory was always indistinct, yet he had a feeling that it was a person from the tribe. For if that wasn¡¯t true, then Chen Jia wouldn¡¯t have kept this bottled up inside of him.

    Shao Xuan patted his shoulder tofort him. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t remember. Just, don¡¯t tell others about what you saw. If you¡¯re to tell someone, then you must make sure that they¡¯re absolutely trustworthy, for example your parents. If the moles knew that you were suspecting them, they might find a way to silence you, just like they did to those crocodiles.¡±

    ¡°Why?!¡± Chen Jia asked in rm.

    ¡°Because they could make noise.¡± Replied Shao Xuan as he pointed to the ¡¯mute¡¯ crocodile. Continuing he said, ¡°Yet he can¡¯t, and so, he was able to survive.¡±

    Chen Jia wasn¡¯t considered stupid. After thinking for a bit, he understood what Shao Xuan meant. His face went deathly pale as he stuttered out, ¡°I-I-I-I¡¯ll first go look for my mother!¡±

    Regardless of whether Shao Xuan¡¯s words were true, it still frightened Chen Jia to the point where it insured that he wouldn¡¯t recklessly run around anymore. If he did, then he risked being killed.

    ¡°There are many tribes here, so it¡¯s easy to get confused. What do you think?¡± Shao Xuan asked the crocodile as he gave a strip of meat to it.

    The crocodile¡¯s teeth belonged to the Thecodonts family tree. They weren¡¯t like the feline species that would just rip a chunk of meat to eat. Instead, they had to roll or sway around in order to eat. These ¡®death rolls¡¯ and ¡®swings¡¯ were what many people were familiar with.

    Seeing the crocodile rolling around, Shao Xuan started to think about the people from his tribe, as well as Caesar.

    He didn¡¯t know how they were doing right now.

    He didn¡¯t feel much as he was leaving the tribe, but after arriving in this new area, he started to miss them. He remembered the day he left, Shao Xuan originally wanted to tell the Shaman and Old Ke ¡°You guys rx¡±, but he could only say two words before being hit with wooden crutches.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but smile as he recalled this.

    The moonlight shining inside through his window was even brighter thanst night. It would soon be the time when the two moons eclipsed. If he wanted to return home, he would have to wait a full year.

    The next few days there were no more anomalies, and the tribe became tranquil once more. Yet, Fu Shi and the tribe¡¯s guardians were still on alert.

    The day where the two moons met was the most important day for the tribe, apart from when they offered sacrifices. This day was called the ¡°Water Moon Festival¡±.

    Inside the Drumming tribe, there was a small winding river surrounding the whole tribe. The tribe¡¯s people had named this river the ¡°Water Moon Canal¡±.

    Around the time that the two moons met, when the water level on the river declined, this ¡°Water Moon Canal¡± broke off from the river. On that night, the two moons coincided, and every household would guard the area of the canal that flowed through their house, waiting for the stones to arrive. Then, they would go and fish them out of the water.

    Shao Xuan was extremely curious regarding the creation of the Water Moonstones, yet to avoid arousing suspicion, he didn¡¯t take the initiative to raise questions. However, Ping enthusiastically invited Shao Xuan toe with them, as she recalled the night where the other families had badmouthed her stone.

    Fu Shi was vigntly guarding around the area around the tribe, so he was unable to be with Ping and Chen Jia.

    ¡°This year, my family will be the best!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! My family will be!¡±

    ¡°You guys can both stop arguing. In any case, the number one will obviously go to my family.¡±

    Before they could even reach the Water Moon Canal, a group of children had already started to bicker.

    Everyone in the tribe could be seen in this area. At the moment when the Water Moonstones appear, they could only stay in their own family¡¯s area. How many or how few one retrieved from the canal relied all on themselves, as you couldn¡¯t me others for your ill fortunes.

    Shao Xuan and Ping stood together in Chen Jia¡¯s family area.

    Seeing the muddy, less-than-five-meter-long river, it was really difficult to see where the name ¡°Water Moon Canal¡± came from. Shao Xuan looked forward to the following events. Those shining stones, how did theye into being from this turbid river?

    The area where the two moons eclipsed gradually increased, and Shao Xuan suddenly heard a strong, minute sound, as if metallic dust was attracted by a ma towards the source.

    And in front of him, the original turbid river was rapidly bing clear.

 Chapter 158 â€“ Battle

    Chapter 158 ¨C Battle

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Ping and Chen Jia stood nervously by the bank, waiting.

    At this time, the number of Water Moonstones that their houses produce will affect how well off or poor they will be the next day. If they produced a lot of Water Moonstones, each big and shiny, their houses will be hitting it rich. If they brought these out during the trade period, they can exchange for many things; but if the stones that they produced are not many, and small as well, then there will be hardship.

    Whether they will be rich or poor, will all depend on this canal that flowed through their houses. This idea felt quite novel for Shao Xuan.

    Ping was already nervous and started praying, Chen Jia was also biting on his fingers. He always loved biting his fingers whenever he got nervous.

    The turbid river was getting clearer, after not even 10 minutes had passed, the river was already half transparent. The light spreading out from under the river was even more eye catching than the moon in the sky.

    The muddy river gradually became clearer, and at the bottom of the river, something shining could be seen. Those were the Water Moonstones.

    White light, through the river, reflected into the eyes of the crowd at the river bank.

    ¡°Ha¡­hahahaha!¡± Someoneughed out. The canal surrounding their house was especially bright, this meant that there would be more Water Moonstones.

    Some of them cheered, some of them worried; some flow section of the canal was dimmer than the rest, this meant that there would be less Water Moonstones.

    ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Chen Xia also startedughing out arrogantly. Their house¡¯s area,pared to the two houses beside them, was brighter. So heughed while facing the two houses¡¯ children, to show off to them.

    Ping kneeled at the river bank, looking at the white luster getting brighter beneath the river bank, excitement rose to the point she had no words to put in her mouth.

    The surrounding house¡¯s families looked upon Chen Jia and his mother, both with envy and jealousy, but what could they do, even if there were less or more, it had already been decided; Even if they were envious, they could not snatch them. They could onlyfort themselves that maybe next year their own area could be like theirs.

    Shao Xuan felt that there was a type of fire energy within them, the Drumming tribe¡¯s me?

    This tribe that resided at the river zone, what kind of tribal me would theirs be?

    At the ming Horn¡¯s tribe, the shaman was able to use the me¡¯s power to connect the few houses at the mountain top; that was why the mountain top¡¯s stone houses were warm even in the winter season. These Water Moonstones seem like they also had some close connection with the Drumming tribe¡¯s me.

    No wonder Fu Shi said that this was their Drumming tribe¡¯s specialty. A tribal me¡¯s powers are special.

    After Ping prayed to offer thanks, she turned and called out to the eager Chen Jia beside her: ¡®Into the water!¡¯

    ¡°Okay!¡± Chen Jia pulled off the animal hide on him, with totems appearing all over his body, and jumped into the clear bright river.

    Many other houses¡¯ children were like Chen Jia, eager to jump in to collect the Water Moonstones.

    Shao Xuan realised something about these children when they were swimming. Both of their legs were not paddling alternately against the water, but swaying towards the right and left. With their bones that seemed like they had softened, and the scale like totem patterns all over their bodies, made it look just like a crocodile¡¯s powerful tail gliding across the water.

    The Drumming tribe has good affinity with water. Even if they are diving deep under water, they can stay for a long time. Because of that, collecting Water Moonstones from the river floor to them was beyond easy.

    As the first Water Moonstone of this year, one has to choose a big one. The Drumming tribe members believe that if there¡¯s a good start, there will be a good end. Who knows if the ones they dig outter will be equally big as their first one. Therefore, the first stone has to be chosen wisely.

    Chen Jia swam around the river¡¯s floor, finally choosing a huge and bright Water Moonstone. He did not swim up, but just turned and threw it towards the river bank directly.

    The Water Moonstone that was thrown out was urately caught by Ping.

    Rubbing the water off the Water Moonstone preciously, Ping got excited just looking at it; Happy to the point where her mouth could not keep it together and kept tilting upwards.

    After looking at it for a while, Ping did not ce it into the basket, but passed it over to Shao Xuan, ¡°Shao Xuan look, this stone is what my house produced this year, big right? Bright right? Definitely can be used to trade a lot of good stuff!¡±

    Shao Xuan took it over, both of his hands felt the coolness of the water, the luster was brighter than the stone that Fu Shi showed him that night, this was the result of the new produce.

    But Shao Xuan still could not absorb the energy within, he could only feel that this piece of stone, together with the Drumming tribe¡¯s me and totem, were all connected.

    Not only the tribe¡¯s me and totem, but these stones and those that have already flowed downstream are rted as well.

    From what the Drumming tribe members have said, the crocodiles that left, when theye back, they will spit out some stones into the water moon canal. These stones will then eventually be Water Moonstones.

    Every year, after picking out the Water Moonstones, there will be new stones going into the river, and the next year they will continue to collect them. But if therre are no crocodiles, there won¡¯t be any Water Moonstones here.

    How many stones will the crocodiles spit out into the canal in their own family¡¯s area, these stones, exactly how many will be Water Moonstones; these Drumming tribe members did not know. Even if they were to change their way, the result will not be what they expected. In the end, they can only pray to the the totem spirits, hoping for more fortune.

    This is also the reason why the Drumming tribe members call these crocodiles as treasured fish.

    In Shao Xuan previous life, he had a ssmate that raised a crocodile before. He once told Shao Xuan that their house¡¯s crocodile also ate stones, and those stones became gastroliths (stomach stone). They will help the crocodiles grind the food that are hard to digest down.

    Not sure if what the Drumming tribe¡¯s crocodiles spit out into the water moon canal are exactly those gastroliths in their stomach.

    The part of the river in the tribe that was the muddiest and turbulent produced this type of bright Water Moonstones, this is really a mysterious ce.

    After looking at the stone, Shao Xuan carefully put it into the rattan basket at the side.

    After seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s actions, Ping¡¯s opinion of him rose. Taking out the stone that was just put in from the basket, and shoving into Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, she said ¡°Take it, wait till when you go out, you can still trade this for a lot of good stuff. After you exchange this for something you want with other tribe members, you will then know the value of this Water Moonstone.¡±

    This was the feeling of bing a tyrannical nouveau riche, such a big piece, won¡¯t this make him feel distressed, his heart would ache if he spent it.

    Ping also did not say more, after pushing the stone to Shao Xuan, she quickly went back to receive the stones that Chen Jia threw up onto the bank.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Shao Xuan then put the stone into his animal skin bag and helped Ping look after the rattan basket.

    Tonight was not calm, danger was lurking. Not only Shao Xuan, but also the Drumming tribe¡¯s members were all set up ready. Every year at this time, many incidents would happen. Therefore they were already used to it and made preparations for battle. This is why they let their children collect the stones, adults would be alert of their surroundings, and at any time they found an irregrity, they would enter battle mode.

    Not far from the water moon canal, Fu Shi and his partners were surveying the area. However, his heart was still concerned about the situation at the canal, not knowing how his family was doing this year.

    ¡°I think that this year my family¡¯s harvest will not be less.¡± Fu Shi said.

    ¡°My family will definitely not be less than you!¡± The person beside Fu Shi eximed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hope for too much, just not to be the least.¡± Another person sounded.

    ¡°Good for nothing!¡±

    ¡°Ai, even if I worry about it, I still won¡¯t be able to change it, so better not hold on too much hope.¡±

    A few of them were talking, while someone who went to inquire about the situation at the water moon canal came over.

    ¡°Fu Shi, your family struck it rich this year! Your house¡¯s area was the brightest!¡± Someone came, out of breath, and said.

    ¡°Ah Ha!¡± Fu Shi got excited and couldn¡¯t help but jump a few rounds on the spot. That¡¯s great! En, when it¡¯s time for trading, I will trade for some good stuff, get a few beautiful clothings and gift them to Ping, trade for some good quality stone weapons for Chen Jia¡­..

    A few others were like Fu Shi, their houses although did not gain as much as Fu Shi¡¯s this year, but their harvests were not too little. When it¡¯s time to go out to trade, what should they exchange for?

    While thinking, Fu Shi¡¯s face tensed up, the muscles under his skin bulged up, making his already strong body even more sturdy. The ck lines of his scale-like totem patterns grew all over his body. Both his legs burst out a tremendous force, disappearing from where he was, in one step chasing after the silhouette that was rushing away from here.

    Fu Shi suddenly held his stout arm covered with totem patterns up high, every muscle was filled with power, and the skin, under the expansion of the muscles, became tighter. His fingers clenched into a fist and punched towards the silhouette. Like a shot of a bulletnding onto the silhouette¡¯s body.

    Bang!

    The originally fleeing silhouette was pounded hard into the ground.

    The first punchnded, now came the second punch.

    Ka!

    Fu Shi¡¯s punch directly smashed the opponent¡¯s brain.

    The guy lying on the ground had totems tattoos different from the Drumming tribe¡¯s. Due to his death, the tattoos swiftly disappeared.

    The sound of Fu Shi¡¯s breathing was not the usual wheezing sound, but a burst of coarse and loud grunts. Dense ck markings gradually extended around the tip of his pupils.

    Cold eyes shed past, Fu Shi had just killed one person, but he wasn¡¯t stopping at that. Both his legs¡¯ muscles expanded instantaneously, his body that was just now standing upright was now low on the ground on all fours. Both his palms and feets vigorously pushed against the ground,unching himself towards another silhouette. The surrounding wet mud sshed from the impact of his sudden burst.

    Competing with a crocodile by running is okay, butpeting with instantaneous movements, that is difficult.

    Crocodiles advantage is not with its speed, but with its response and its explosive force. You might be able to run past them, but at the time you start running, whether they will give you the chance to run first is the point. Or maybe even before you run, they may have already bitten you.

    The Drumming tribe¡¯s members have many simr traits to crocodiles. Their strength and speed may not be that great, but their explosive outbreak always overwhelms the opponents.

    Yet another silhouette was mped, the next moment, he was twisted off from the middle.

    The two guys were too fast just now, therefore Fu Shi did not have enough time to inform the rest while dealing with the two of them. He took advantage of this gap to unleash a roar like that of an ancient beast from his throat.

    The roar was like a shing sword, passing over the damp area, through the woods, splitting the quiet night.

    The moon illuminated the sky the brightest this time of year. Nevertheless, under the moonlight, the battle had started.

 Chapter 159 â€“ Do not touch the window

    CoPW 159 ¨C Do not touch the window.

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Fu Shi¡¯s roar let everyone know that the killings had started tonight.

    The people that were surveying the outside had already started fighting against the invaders; roars, collision sounds, screams, and other noises could be heard.

    At the same time, the people on the Water Moon Canal bank had also picked up their speed.

    The battle outside had already begun; the warriors there will naturally stop them, but who¡¯s to know if their defenses will be broken through, and not to mention that these people are from the Martyr tribe. They are simply here to give up their lives, they are allpletely mad.

    ¡°While they are not here yet, take the chance to collect all the Water Moonstones!¡±

    While saying this, Ping felt that Chen Jia alone was too slow, she looked down at the river bottom below her house, then looked at the surrounding houses¡¯, the rest of them already had other people going into the water to help collect, and her own house only had Chen Jia alone. This year, although their house had more Water Moonstones than the rest, but if this continues, collecting them will definitely take a much longer time.

    This is not good. Once the time is over, the Water Moonstones will be dimmer, and and will even be normal stones. They had to pick up the pace.

    Looking over to Shao Xuan at her side, Ping said: ¡°Shao Xuan, I¡¯m going down with Chen Jia to collect the Water Moonstones together, when we throw them up, you can just catch them from here.¡±

    ¡°Okay, no problem.¡±

    Ping jumped into the water, swimming quickly down to the river floor, collecting the Water Moonstones together with Chen Jia. The Water Moonstones that at the surface of the river floor had all been thrown up onto the bank by Chen Jia already, the rest left were just some Water Moonstones that were buried under the mud.

    Shao Xuan took the stones that Ping and Chen Jia threw up and put them into the rattan basket, and because of that, a bright white light shone out from the basket. But because the rattan basket had ayer of beast skin covered around it, light only came out from the top of the basket and not around it.

    Catching the Water Moonstones thrown up on the bank, cing them into the rattan basket, Shao Xuan was also paying attention to the distant fighting sounds. There seemed to be quite a lot of them who came. But then, because every year there would always be incidents of robbing or stealing of the Water Moonstones, the Drumming tribe had already made ample preparations against them. They shouldn¡¯t be too big of a problem.

    Following that most Water Moonstones had been collected, the shineing from the Water Moon Canal faded.

    About half an hourter, there wasn¡¯t any more lighting from the Water Moon Canal, but now instead came from the rattan baskets on the bank. However people were not showing expressions of happiness on their faces because of the collected Water Moonstones. In fact they were worried.

    ¡°Looks like it can¡¯t be helped.¡± A slightly older person spoke up.

    ¡°There will always be somebodying.¡±

    ¡°Luckily the Water Moonstones have already been harvested, if not, we would be letting them take advantage of us!¡±A woman ruthlessly said. Previously, there were simr incidents that happened before, the people guarding the outside may not always be able to hold back the invaders, and the ones that charged into the tribe would dive into the Water Moon Canal, stealing away the uncollected Water Moonstones.

    The slightly older guy that spoke up before revealed his totems, jumped into the water, swam to the other side of the canal bank from the outer region and slightly lowered his body.

    Waiting for the right moment, he took a step out, his legs exploded with power, leaving behind deep footprints on the ground. Like lightning shing, he leaped out, therge beast skin leather he had on him gave out sounds like that of a knife cutting through something due to the changes in the air stream around him.

    A silhouette came out from the woods at a high speed, with no time at all for a reaction, he had been hammered with a punch, the bones from his chest broke, creating a ¡®ka ka¡¯ sound.

    He had not given out hisst breath yet though, and was still struggling. However at this moment, a massive hand extended out, fingers clutching like ws, pressing down just above the position of his heart.

    Puchi!

    The fingers pierced right through, crushing the heart of the invader.

    From the start when the slightly older guy took action, to the point where he killed the invader that came over, all of this actually happened in a very short period of time. Although it looked like this fight was simple, just like a one sided ughter, but in fact, it was not true.

    Shao Xuan realized that after killing the invader, that older guy was panting heavily. It was for the fact that at that moment it was crucial to kill the enemy quickly, for as longer they dyed, the more unfavourable it became for them. Furthermore, other than the initial burst of instantaneous movement rushing out from his legs, their speed cannot bepared to the invaders. If the Water Moonstones were sessfully snatched away by the invaders and they fled, they might not even be able to chase up to them.

    ¡°There are already peopleing?¡± Ping showed her concern. The past few years there were also some who were able to rush in here, however this year, the Drumming tribe had made a lot of measures, the people guarding outside were not few either.

    Initially they thought they could hold them back longer this time, allowing the Water Moon Canal more time to prepare, to set up, looking at this situation now, things were happening a little worse than what they had expected.

    ¡°Quick let the children take the Water Moonstones and go back!¡± That older guy said.

    Actually, there was no need for him to say anything as the others could also guess what their situation was right now.

    Putting thest piece of Water Moonstone into the rattan basket, Ping covered the surrounding of the basket with beast skin, tying it securely with a string. The originally eye catching shine was instantly blocked.

    Giving the rattan basket to Chen Jia, Ping said: ¡°Quickly take these Water Moonstones back!¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Chen Jia did not say a word more. These kind of situations, he had encountered them since he was young.

    ¡°Mum¡­..¡± Hugging the rattan basket, Chen Jia walked a few steps forward before turning his head, looking at Ping and shouted out.

    ¡°Go back! Be clever and hide well!¡° Ping instructed.

    ¡°En.¡±

    The same situation was ying out in the surrounding houses as well. Letting the children go back with the Water Moonstones first while the adults would keep watch here. Ping and the surrounding families were the same, all grown ups, regardless of gender, they would all guard here. With the Water Moon Canal as the boundary, here was the second defense, after this area, it would be where the tribe¡¯s houses are located.

    ¡°I will stay behind and help you.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°No, Shao Xuan, you go back with Chen Jia and the rest. You have to pay attention to where you hide it. This time there are quite a lot of them from the Martyr tribe, they will not let go of any chance. Let¡¯s say that if someone managed to storm into the tribe¡¯s internal area, not only the Water Moonstones, even the children will not be able to escape. Even if they take the Water Moonstones, don¡¯t fight with them. There will be someone from the tribe to help, you only have to hide well and wait for the others from the tribe.¡±

    With Shao Xuan there as well, she could be more assured. Chen Jia, this kid, was too disobedient, he liked to run around. If there is no one watching over him, her heart will not feel at peace. After this matter ends, at that time, she will give a few more Water Moonstones to Shao Xuan as thanks. From the past few days, Ping could feel that Shao Xuan was reliable.

    Shao Xuan thought about it and nodded: ¡°Okay, I will go back with Chen Jia.¡±

    The surrounding people and Ping all lived near each other, therefore the few families¡¯ children all went back together along with Shao Xuan.

    Whilst carrying a huge basket of Water Moonstones, the children¡¯s pace did not slow down. This was probably due to experiencing simr situations before, they did not panic. After returning to the living area, they each went back to their own houses.

    The hiding ce for the Water Moonstones was actually in the water.

    In Fu Shi and Ping¡¯s bedroom, Chen Jia plucked up a few wooden boards on the floor and then slowly lowered the rattan basket.

    Directly right below was a pool, the water at other ces could not conceal the rattan basket, but muddy water could be a good cover.

    While lowering the rattan basket, Chen Jia suddenly thought of the outsider in his house. Carefully lifting his head up, he found that Shao Xuan did not pay attention to himself, but was busy at the window there.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Chen Jia asked.

    ¡°Just for precautions, adding anotheryer of protection.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    By the time Chen Jia came over, Shao Xuan was done.

    The Drumming tribe¡¯s windows were bigger, in every bedroom there was a huge window. At many times, they will use the window as a door instead and go in and out directly from the window.

    Therefore, after the door was shut, the only entrance in was from the windows.

    Chen Jia looked at the windows and saw that there wasn¡¯t anything special, just when he reached his hand out, wanting to feel the window frame, he was stopped by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Your mum asked you to hide yourself well.¡± Shao Xuan told him.

    Chen Jia irritatedly bit his fingers, ¡°There¡¯s no need to hide, I didn¡¯t thest time either, I¡¯ll just wait here.¡±

    Wanting toy by the window there to peek outside, but thinking of Shao Xuan¡¯s action just now, he kept it in and sat down instead, while continuing biting his fingers. He heard that this time it was more dangerous, he wondered if his dad and mum will be fine. Previously, his grandpa and grandma had lost their lives because of invasions like this.

    Shao Xuan nced at Chen Jia

    ¡°When you guys hide, do you hide in the river as well?¡±

    ¡°En. There is a hole in the river, you can go in there to hide.¡±

    The hole in the river has no air to breathe. Only the Drumming Tribe members with good affinity with water could hold in a little longer. The others might not be able to be like them.

    There were baby crocodiles crying out outside. The rest of the baby crocodiles probably felt the unease in the air and cried out, including the brown eyed baby crocodile outside Chen Jia¡¯s house.

    Shao Xuan looked out and did not see any invaders. Not even any movements from anybody. Each house stayed in their own homes with their doors shut tight. Nobody dared to go out.

    ¡°You wait here first, I¡¯ll go out and take a look.¡± Shao Xuan said, walking two steps forward, then turned back and said: ¡°Do not touch the windows, if you want to hide, hide in the river from the wooden floor. Remember, if anybody calls for you, do not go out from the window. Stay away as much from the windows!¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Chen Jia replied.

    Shao Xuan stepped out from the window, not touching the frames of the window.

    Compared to the killings on the outside, the living area was much quieter. However, that was before the cries of the baby crocodiles. But it is also because of these cries from the baby crocodiles in the river, that made them feel even more nervous, filled with crisis.

    That ¡®mute¡¯ crocodile had crawled out from the river and joined the rest of its kind. Noticing Shao Xuan making his way over, it left the little group and went over to Shao Xuan.

    Back there, Chen Jia, whom was left in the house, was worrying about his parents, he then suddenly heard someone outside calling out his name.

    ¡°Chen Jia, are you home?¡±

    The voice sounded familiar, it seems to be from someone in the Drumming tribe. At the same time, there were footsteps stepping on the stairs that could be heard, creaking sounded from the wooden boards,ing closer step by step.

    ¡°Who?¡± Chen Jia wanted to go to the window to take a look, but thinking of Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions before he left, he stopped. He stood two steps away from the window and looked out from the window.

    A silhouette heard Chen Jia¡¯s voice and walked to the window, looking inside the room.

    He was dressed like his tribe, his face looked a bit familiar, he was one of the tribe members who went to patrol.

    It¡¯s only that¡­somehow Chen Jia had a strange feeling.

 Chapter 160 â€“ The Lurker

    Chapter 160 ¨C The Lurker

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Chen Jia, however, did not immediately walk out. He stood there without moving and asked.

    ¡°Chief wanted me to bring you guys over. This time there are too many from the Martyr tribe, we most likely won¡¯t be able to hold them back. You guys won¡¯t be safe here.¡± The other replied.

    Seeing that Chen Jia was still doubtful, the man then brought out a square token made of bone. There were Drumming tribe¡¯s totem patterns on it. This was the sign of the chief, an identity token.

    Looking at it, Chen Jia felt slightly relieved

    ¡°Then what about my house¡¯s Water Moonstones? Chen Jia once again asked.

    ¡°Bring them along then, they will be found if we left them here.¡± That man said.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Chen Jia felt that the chief and the rest would not lust over his house¡¯s Water Moonstone. Being able to bring the Water Moonstones over to the central area would also be a lot more safer.

    Pressing down his heart¡¯s suspicions, Chen Jia pried open the wooden boards, pulled out his house¡¯s Water-Moonstone-filled rattan basket. He then held it tightly and walked towards the window. Meanwhile, he asked: ¡°Have Tail and the rest gone over already?¡±

    Tail was a kid around Chen Jia¡¯s age living nearby, who frequently yed with him. Because his hair was always tied up to a pony tail and it was also slightly stiff it looked like a real crocodile¡¯s tail. This is why everyone gave him the nickname ¡®Tail¡¯.

    ¡°En, they are waiting for you at the edge of the forest. You will see them soon.¡± That man said, then looked around. The rest of the houses all had people looking over, he faced them and waved, beckoning them over to him. ¡°You guys shoulde out too. Let¡¯s leave together.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡± One of them replied.

    Hearing that most of his friends were there, Chen Jia felt joyous for a moment. He hugged his rattan basket, nning to climb out from the window. However, at this time, he remembered Shao Xuan¡¯s warning. He had told him not to open the window no matter who came. So, to go out or not?

    With half a step already taken, Chen Jia halted and looked at the man outside.

    Due to the moonlight, the man was almost hidden in the shadows. He had yellowish-brown eyes. The eyes of a Drumming tribe member. However, they seemed weird. Why did it feel like the more he looked at his face, the blurrier it was to him?

    Blurry face?

    For a moment, Chen Jia stood there stunned. Then he looked at the man outside with a shocked expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong,e out quick. Everyone¡¯s waiting.¡± That man urged him.

    Not only did Chen Jia not go forward, but he also moved back quite a lot. He stared warily at the man outside the window. His heart was filled with suspicions of the person in front of him. But the fact that he could take out the bone token, which was definitely something given by the chief, made him wonder if he should still go out.

    Seeing that Chen Jia had not moved for a while, the man waiting outside the window changed his tone for the worse and gave a warning. But Chen Jia still did not move. It looked like that kid was still hesitating. He was tightly holding on to the rattan basket, sporting a face like there was a thief in front of him.

    After the warnings proved ineffective, the man started to lose his patience. He lifted his foot up, eyes shing with the desire to kill.

    At the moment the other looked at him, Chen Jia was somehow reminded of the day he was pushed into the river.

    It¡¯s him! It is the guy in front!

    Chen Jia¡¯s heart felt like it was suddenly filled with ice. He wanted to flee, but could not. Just when he nned to scream, the man who was exposed dashed forward. The ensuing scene stunned him.

    The man jumped up and stepped on the window frame. Just one more jump and he could go into the house. But the moment he set foot on the window frame, a sudden mping sound rang out.

    The silhouette outside the window halted. His legs and arms were tied to his body by very thin threads.

    What¡¯s going on?

    Why does the window have this sort of thing?!

    Not giving the guy any chance to react, a stone knife came down from behind, stabbing into his chest.

    Shua!

    Dark stains of blood could be seen dripping from the tip of the knife under the moonlight.

    ¡°You¡­ you¡­¡±

    He twisted his head to the back and saw that the guy he originally thought had already left was standing soundlessly behind him.

    When he was sneaking over a while back, he had seen Chen Jia and Shao Xuan, who was living together with Chen Jia¡¯s family. He, however, did not know of Shao Xuan¡¯s abilities; therefore, he was wondering if he should continue on with his n. So after seeing that Shao Xuan had left, he made his way over here.

    He originally thought that Chen Jia was dumb enough to be easily tricked toe out. Who would have thought that everything would be such a mess!

    Shao Xuan threw the man, whose ability to move had already been stripped away, aside and turned to look at Chen Jia, who was standing inside the room and staring absent-mindedly.

    ¡°No, no¡­ no problem, can I now¡­?¡± Chen Jia looked at the window frame. His mind was still ying off that scene. The man was trapped in just a split second! No wonder Shao Xuan did not let him touch the window.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡± Shao Xuan informed.

    Chen Jia put down the rattan basket, climbed out from the window, and looked at the guy who was thrown aside.

    After being tangled with a very thin string and even stabbed with a knife, he was no longer threatening, although not dead yet.

    ¡°You knew someone woulde?¡± Chen Jia asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Guessed it.¡±

    At this time, the people were still excitedly packing and nning to leave. They looked at the situation before them, each of them scared stiff.

    ¡°What happened!? Chen Jia, you guys killed one of our own?!¡±

    ¡°He said he would bring us to the chief¡¯s side just now! Did you not hear him?!¡± Someone said unhappily.

    ¡°He was a spy! He betrayed the Drumming tribe!¡± Chen Jia eximed.

    ¡°He was not.¡± A voice rang out from somewhere close to them.

    Shao Xuan had actually realized there was someone approaching. Before he made sure of the person¡¯s identity, he kept quiet.

    ¡°Qing Yi?¡± Chen Jia stared at the man who was walking over.

    Qing Yi was the youngster who was together with Hao on the day Shao Xuan was wrongly used of killing the baby crocodiles. He was the chief¡¯s child, with a very high standing in the Drumming tribe. Shao Xuan also realised that many in the Drumming tribe feared Qing Yi a lot.

    ¡°You said he wasn¡¯t a spy, never betrayed the Drumming tribe? How can that be? It was definitely him who pushed me into the river the day!¡± Although his voice was a little different, Chen Jia believed it was this person from that day.

    ¡°Chen Jia, you are probably mistaken again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Chen Jia, you must have recognised the wrong guy, it was him who wanted to bring us to the chief¡¯s side!¡±

    The children at Chen Jia¡¯s side, who were around the same age, were all exining to him.

    Shao Xuan did not speak up, waiting for Qing Yi¡¯s next words. The reason why he did not end the guy with one strike just now was so that he could interrogate himter. But Shao Xuan was not suspicious of his identity. The baby crocodile in the river had been ring at the man and opening its mouth, like it couldn¡¯t help but bite into him.

    ¡°I said he did not betray the Drumming tribe since he is not even one of our own. What¡¯s there to betray?¡° While saying that, he extended his hand and grabbed onto the outsider¡¯s neck who was stillying on the ground, gently twisting it.

    Ka!

    The man who Shao Xuan had purposefully kept alive was now actually dead.

    After hisst breath, the man¡¯s body started morphing. His body shrank a little, his face also changed.

    Shao Xuan slightly moved his hands and the originally tightly tied strings slid down like they were alive.

    Seeing that everyone was staring at the threads in his hands, Shao Xuan exined: ¡°These are tools to set traps for beasts in our tribe.¡±

    A few had expressions of understanding on their faces. However, in their hearts, they thought about what their elders had said. In many tribes, their battle strength was not very good. So, to prevent starving, they resorted to using other means of hunting, like traps.

    Therefore, the children, including Chen Jia, all thought that Shao Xuan¡¯s tribe warriors must be weak.

    Upon retrieving his threads, Shao Xuan looked at Qing Yi and asked: ¡±Who is this guy?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t recognise him.¡±

    Knowing that spies would certainly appear, the tribe did have arrangements. However, this ce was the core area of the tribe and was more on the side. Therefore the people who were appointed by the tribe had not arrived yet.

    Qing Yi was actually chasing after a Martyr tribe member and did not expect to encounter such a scene.

    ¡°Chief did indeed allow the children to bring the Water Moonstones and go over. However, the one to inform the group here was supposed to be me, not him.¡± Qing Yi exined, while pointing at the already dead man.

    There were already people from the Martyr tribe, whose specialty was hiding, intruding. They had already crossed the outside border, where all the killings and battles were, and made their way into the internal area of the tribe. With their hiding abilities very high, they lurked around silently and waited for a chance to strike. Even the tribe members who were patrolling around could not find them all, there were bound to have missed some.

    Even more were the people who were striking from the very start only to attract attention.

    The tribe had already put people on standby at every area, just so that they could clean up every one of these who were hiding around. But looking at the imbnce in strength, the Leader had someone notify the guards at the sides to move inside a little more. When this was over, they could go back. After all, more than half the people hiding inside the houses were children. They did not have much battle strength and still needed protection.

    Knowing that they were still going over to the chief¡¯s side, the few who were disappointed lifted their heads high again. Talking to each other excitedly, those who were still at home very quickly packed their stuff and gathered together.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I still have to tell you. Even when you are by my side on the way to the chief, there might still be someone about to ambush us on the road. While fighting, I won¡¯t be able to take care of all of you.¡± Qing Yi advised the group that was gathering.

    There were kids everywhere, the youngest not even ten years old, the oldest roughly the same age as Shao Xuan. There were still some children carrying their newborn sisters. If they were ambushed, there would definitely be casualties. After all, the ambushers may not hold back just because there were children.

    After hearing this, the people unsurprisingly started to worry. But they had already been mentally prepared. Ever since they were born, such things were a frequent urrence.

    ¡°Actually, you can get the smallest to be sent over first.¡± Shao Xuan eximed.

    ¡°How?¡± Everybody turned to Shao Xuan.

    He pointed at the sky, ¡°Chacha¡±.

    A sound rang out.

    Arge shadow quickly descended from the sky.

    When flying over, Chacha was even holding onto someone. It was someone from the Martyr tribe. Its ws were piercing through the guy, who was no longer breathing.

    Chacha abandoned the already dead intruder andnded. Shao Xuan then led a few of the youngest children onto the eagle¡¯s back, some of them also carrying babies.

    The first to be carried up were all children under ten. Shao Xuan then let Chacha bring them to the chief. Chacha knew the road there, there was no need to worry. The intruders also did not have the means to attack in the sky. Therefore, the sky was a lot safer than being on the ground.

    There were still five more children left. Shao Xuan wanted Chen Jia to also go up, but as expected, he refused and insisted on waiting for the next ride.

    ¡°Then you better pay more attention, don¡¯t stray too far from me.¡± Shao Xuan instructed.

    ¡°En.¡± Chen Jia hugged the rattan basket and walked over to Shao Xuan¡¯s side.

    As for the other four, every single one of them gathered at Qing Yi¡¯s side. From what they could see, Qing Yi was much stronger than Shao Xuan, so it was better to follow him.

 Chapter 161 â€“ Kill

    CoPW 161 ¨C Kill

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    It wasn¡¯t very far from Chen Jia¡¯s house to the central area. However, it also couldn¡¯t be considered near. The Drumming tribe had a huge territory, as it was spread along the river. Therefore, the living areas were not packed together like in the ming Horns tribe.

    Now that most of the tribe¡¯s warriors had already gone to repel the intruders, there were only a few left in the internal area. The ones who were patrolling in search of dangers there may not be able to take everything into ount.

    Shao Xuan walked along the riverside. The night was notpletely dark due to the moonlight, which allowed him to keep an eye on his surroundings. But even so, it was not easy to identify the dangers hiding in the dark.

    At the front, Qing Yi was leading the way, his pace not too fast and not too slow. He did not slow down because of the unknown dangers of the night and did not speed up either.

    At the riverside, there was a pool of blood. Laying on the water grass, there was a person with not a breath left in him. Judging by his clothing, he was from the Drumming tribe.

    When Chen Jia and the rest hurried over to his side, they revealed a face filled with grief, but did not utter a single word. There would be simr incidents happening every year. However, not every year would they suffer such heavy losses.

    Shao Xuan observed the surroundings. His many years of experience in hunting led him to believe there were people staring at them from somewhere. He did not, however, know their exact location. As long as the other party made even the slightest movement, Shao Xuan would be able to determine where they were.

    Not just Shao Xuan, if it was any of the ming Horns tribe¡¯s warriors who often went hunting, more than half would be able to notice their presence.

    Since their exact location could not be urately deduced, he just had change his methods.

    Shao Xuan activated his body¡¯s special innate skill. With this ability, he could clearly see through the surroundings trees. There were a few obvious skeletons showing up apart from the trees. Although he couldn¡¯t clearly see them, there were still some body parts not covered by the trees.

    That was more than enough.

    Someone was hiding around thirty meters away from them. He was hidden very well, even to the point of holding his breath and blending in with the trees surrounding him. He was not easily found.

    Just like what Qing Yi had said, the ones that could silently sneak in were very good at hiding. The opponent was just like a hunter waiting for his prey to be caught in their trap. To achieve their goals, they could even stand all day and night at the same spot without eating, drinking, moving and sleeping. They would act in one fell swoop once there was a chance, risking their lives just to drag their enemies to their deaths.

    The way the Martyr tribe did things had made the other tribes fear them. Once the Martyr tribe was involved, one would always go into high-alert state. Encountering them always led to tragic fights.

    On the path from Chen Jia¡¯s house, which wasn¡¯t too far, Shao Xuan had already noticed quite a few corpses. They had already been killed quietly, without anyone knowing.

    From around the muddy area, or perhaps from the water weeds near the river, there were still a few baby crocodiles calling. They were very unsettled, wishing eagerly for their parents toe back. However, they had to wait for the adults for at least one more day, when the river rose back up again.

    ¡°Everybody, be careful.¡± Shao Xuan did not point out the exact locations of their enemies. He could see that Qing Yi, who was walking at the very front, had already noticed. After all, this was their territory. If the Martyr tribe¡¯s warriors¡¯ locations were revealed to the children, they could alert them and force them toe out immediately.

    Chacha had not returned yet, and there were still five more children with them. It was not convenient.

    A man hiding behind a tree nearby had been moving closer. Qing Yi raised his hand, making the four kids behind him fall back. At the same time, Shao Xuan pulled Chen Jia, who was beside him, in another direction.

    When Qing Yi was just about to take another step, a silhouette with cold ferocious eyes suddenly rushed out from the forest. His eyes were different from the Drumming tribe¡¯s. They were filled with more of an expressionless coldness, while the Martyr tribe¡¯s had a coldness that was addicted to death.

    This was a pretty dangerous tribe. Shao Xuan added them to his diplomatic cklist. When the time came for the ming Horn tribe to make it to this side sessfully, returning to their tribe¡¯s birthce, they definitely had to make preparations against the Martyr tribe.

    The guy who suddenly rushed out had a body full of fine lines packed together like scales. He gave out a dangerous aura and instantly cause Chen Jia and the other kids to tense up, making them feel like someone was pulling out their hair.

    And at the same moment the enemy came out, Shao Xuan noticed that both of Qing Yi¡¯s arms bulked up sharply and swiftly, giving out a ka ka sound. In addition to his arms, the rest of his body suddenly increased in mass. He originally looked thinnerpared to the other Drumming tribe members, but after this brief change, the loose beast skin leather tightened.

    Mouth agape, four tiny pointy teeth extended out, two above, two below. Low gurgling sounds came from his throat. When he looked up at the lurker, his eyes became two shiny spots. Perhaps due to the moonlight, those two spots were slightly brighter than expected.

    Once the intruder closed in, Qing Yi moved too. With both legs stepping onto the ground, he was fast like lightning. His arm muscles bulging, each with great explosive force which was faintly pulsating. All that allowed him to strike in the shortest amount of time.

    Here, there were no fancy skills, the battle was simple and direct. There were also no deceptive moves, there were only decisive attacks aiming to kill the opponent.

    The invader held a sword made of animal bone and swung down. However, at that moment he realised his sword had been caught!

    Qing Yi held on to the bone sword bare-handed, his other hand dropped down like a stone pir, aiming towards the intruder¡¯s head. At such a distance and with such a powerful attack, hitting straight in the middle of one¡¯s head would always result in death.

    The invader quickly tried to escape. However, he realised that the hand that was originally holding on to the sword had unknowingly mped his arm, like a fierce beast firmly biting onto its prey. Only by cutting off his arm could he escape.

    The invader was courageous enough to do it. But sadly, he had run out of time.

    Ka!

    The sound of bone fracturing rang out.

    The invader¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief, but very quickly died down. His body twitched for a bit before dropping.

    Qing Yi was holding the man with the smashed head and arms and threw him aside, like he was throwing out the trash. His feet burst with power and headed towards another direction. In that directionid a bush that was not too big. When you looked at it, it didn¡¯t seem like a good hiding ce.

    Qing Yi was like an elerating sports car shing by. He made it in front of the patch of bushes in the blink of an eye.

    After countless collisions came a ripping sound.

    This was followed by the shadow behind the bushes being torn into two halves.

    An extremely barbaric and bloody way, befitting of the Drumming tribe. If you had seen Qing Yi¡¯s eyes now, you would have noticed his eyes were not dark-brown, but yellow-brown instead, like a person with a bad temper.

    Qing Yi was the only one in the tribe to have two different eye colours. His eyes were usually dark brown, making you think he was harmless. However, once he went into battle, they would change into those of a foreign tyrant.

    Qing Yi¡¯s actions probably made the lurkers in the area believe they had already been found, so they rushed out one after another. Thinking that he was too hard to deal with, they put all their attention on Shao Xuan. Only by dealing with the few older ones would the children be manageable. They were really easy to handle and could be done in at any time.

    The opponent made use of his speed advantage by constantly changing his position when he rushed out to escape the Drumming tribe¡¯s initial burst. He would have a much higher chance of sess after dodging the first strike.

    But Shao Xuan was not from the Drumming tribe, and his speed was not any slower than his opponent as well.

    Shao Xuan drew out his white tooth sword. After leaving the tribe, this sword hadn¡¯t gone through the cleansing ceremony since, leaving its white body stained with blood in different shades of red. These were all from the time he was in the canoe, killing the river beasts. Even if he was very careful, he could not avoid killing.

    A regr cleanse could not totally cleanse the sword. A sword that had not gone through the cleansing ceremony and had killed many would always emit a breathtaking, biting-cold aura from it. Chen Jia, who was closest to Shao Xuan, felt a shocking cool sensation in his forehead, which sent chills down his back. He couldn¡¯t help but shudder.

    Shao Xuan took in a big breath, his body bent down in position to face the iing opponent; without hiding or dodging, weing him instead. The shoulder of the hand holding the tooth sword trembled, before his whole arm moved like he had installed an elerator, making his sword blurry when shing down onto the iing opponent.

    Compared to the Drumming tribe¡¯s members, Shao Xuan did not inte massively, but the aura he emitted with his sword strike was much stronger, dominating his opponent.

    The sword left a blurry arc, only a slight sound was heard, and the first invader rushing out towards Shao Xuan had already had his neck sliced. Due to the force of the sword strike being extremely ferocious, the opponent¡¯s entire head had almoste off.

    After killing one man, Shao Xuan did not stop. Like a leopard hunting its prey, he dodged another iing strike. Just as the strike went past him, he used his sword to stab the opponent¡¯s arm.

    Bang!

    The opponent¡¯s sword did not reach Shao Xuan. Instead, it went into the mud near Shao Xuan¡¯s feet at full force.

    The strike was like a miniscule bomb exploding. It mmed down, sshing the muddy water in all directions, just like mud-coloured fireworks.

    At the moment, Chen Jia was unable to see what was going on behind the explosion of muddy water. But after it dropped, the battle behind had already ended.

    The intruder stood by the muddy waters, hand holding a ck bone sword, still maintaining the position of hacking. The scale-like totem pattern vanished and his eyes stared with disbelief at his chest. There was a bloody hole. The red liquid was constantly flowing out, staining the muddy waters.

    Shao Xuan was very calm the first time he killed a human. He did not know if it was because his new body had affected his way of thinking or if it was because he had grown ustomed to this world¡¯s cruel rules. Or even maybe because he was naturally cold-blooded.

    Shaking off the blood on his tooth sword, Shao Xuan observed his surroundings and saw that somebody was making his way over to him. He did not know if they were Martyr tribe members who broke through or the ones who were sneaking within the tribe.

    No matter, this was not a ce to stay for long. It was better to send the children off to the chief¡¯s side as soon as possible.

    From the sky came a shadow and Shao Xuan¡¯s heart pulsed with happiness. Now, if they could send off these five children, everything else would be easier to handle.

 Chapter 162 â€“ Their return

    Chapter 162 ¨C Their return

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Chacha sessfully took the children before to the Chief¡¯s side then immediately rushed back to Shao Xuan. Only, this time, he had suffered an attack from the ground.

    There would always be someone hiding in the forest throwing sharp stone spear knives at him. Arrows with stone heads would be shot out out from behind some trees or a pile of dense grass from time to time. This made him quite frustrated. He could not avoid each and every attack, and had no choice but to be hit and get injured by them.

    While dodging the vital areas, Chacha made his way over to Shao Xuan.

    A few from Shao Xuan¡¯s side had noticed Chacha¡¯s predicament. Those who were hiding while attacking were hard to deal with as Shao Xuan still had to take care of the children. He could not handle Chacha¡¯s attackers.

    ¡°Why not let Chacha just stay up high instead? After all, to the Chief¡¯s area from here is not too far now.¡± Chen Jia said.

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t let ite.¡± Another eximed. They used to not like birds as previously there were always some water birds that would cause menace towards the baby treasured fish. Once there were slightlyrger birds, the tribe would shoot spears or arrows towards the sky, hitting the birds down. But some of the birds flew slightly higher, making it more difficult to aim for them, thus every time when those water birds approached the ground to hunt, they would be limited by the surrounding terrains, making it easier to aim and shoot them.

    Qing Yi was looking for the ones who were attacking Chacha in the surrounding areas, however, with his speed, it was hard for him to pin down those attackers.

    Shao Xuan also understood that it was not good for Chacha tond now, but looking at these circumstances, if he were to go now, two of the five children will be hurt, or maybe even seriously injured or even die.

    After thinking for a while, Shao Xuan eximed: ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea.¡±

    ¡°Really? What is it?¡± Chen Jia asked. If Chacha was able toe over, it would also save a lot of trouble. Them staying here would only be a burden.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for Chacha tond, I will let you guys naturally get onto Chacha¡¯s back. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Chen Jia hugged his rattan basket tight, earnestly nodding his head: ¡°En!¡±

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was giving his all to protect him and the rest, also doing his best to think of the best way to solve the problems beforehand, Chen Jia felt only gratitude. Even with all his previous misunderstandings, Shao Xuan had still put in his all to help. It is just like what dad said, Shao Xuan really is a nice guy eh! The ming Horns tribe that Shao Xuan belonged too must be all nice guys as well.

    Not only Chen Jia, the other four children also felt the same, that Shao Xuan, this guy, was really nice. They also believed Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Tie your rattan baskets to yourself tightly.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s tied!¡±

    ¡°When you reach Chacha¡¯s back, you have to hold on tight, don¡¯t let yourself drop down.¡± Shao Xuan once again warned.

    ¡°Got it, we will definitely follow your words!¡±

    ¡°Then that¡¯s good.¡±

    Shao Xuan cut down the iing spear with a knife, the other hand grabbed onto Chen Jia who was the nearest.

    Chen Jia then felt that he was being held up by a hand with robust strength, together with his rattan basket, he was carried up like little chicks or cubs.

    ¡°Are you prepared?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes¡­yes I¡¯m ready.¡± Chen Ji replied, swallowing gulps of saliva down his pharynx. There was this lingering bad feeling in his mind.

    And the next moment, Chen Jia was thrown up into the sky withrge force. His body immediately left the stable ground, as if he was weightless, he shot up into the sky.

    The tall tree on the side instantly became mini sized. The tree top that he was having to look up at before, he could see a whole bunch of them now by just lowering his head.

    As having been born and lived on the wends, pools and other rivers like Drumming tribe member, he had developed some sort of a trauma towards the sky. They could burst out instantly with strongbat force onnd. They could chase their prey who sneaks at the bottom of the water. But, the sky?

    That time when Shao Xuan could bring along Chen Jia and fly up from the river bank was because he was desperate; he did not pay attention to what was happening below and did not think there was anything wrong then. At that time, he had just stared at the river bank, totally a different feeling from now.

    Compared to the experience before, Chen Jia has never had another experience flying. Directly being thrown up, the scene from the ground was bing smaller, Chen Jia felt some kind of motion sickness. Completely from a conditioned reflex, Chen Jia screamed, tearing his throat out.

    ¡°AHHHH~~~!¡±

    Chen Jia, who always thought of himself as brave and fierce, at this moment, he was scared to the point he screamed out, almost pissing his pants. He wailed destely.

    The ming Horn tribe¡¯s members,pared to the other tribes, they have much more strength. Previously Shao Xuan thought that everybody in this world was like that, only when arriving in the Drumming tribe and after meeting the Drumming tribe¡¯s and the Martyr tribe¡¯s members did he realise that it was not like what he thought. Therefore, in the Drumming tribe, who always thought of themselves as robust, who would have thought that one random throw of Shao Xuan¡¯s could throw Chen Jia with his rattan basket high up into the sky.

    Since Chacha was young, he has always yed games like catch with Shao Xuan. The only difference now is that the thing that¡¯s flying up was not stones or beast skin bags, but a human being. Of course, to Chacha, the two things did not have much difference, only, this time, he had to use his back to catch and not his ws.

    Chen Jia still had not had a chance to recollect himself, even afternding onto Chacha¡¯s back, he did not grab onto Chacha¡¯s back feathers. Only until he was caught again by Chacha when he rolled down did he remember what Shao Xuan had warned about holding tight when on the bird¡¯s back. So that he does not die from falling off, he quickly clutched securely onto Chacha¡¯s back feathers. Because of his strength, he almost plucked off Chacha¡¯s feathers. Chacha angrily chirped out a cry, his heart imagined of the time when he could finally catch these people to y with for fun.

    Seeing that Chen Jia was safely on Chacha¡¯s back, Shao Xuan turned back to look at the other four children.

    The four children who were originally dazed, after looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze, they all instinctively took a step back.

    ¡°Either you get killed or youe over.¡± Shao Xuan stated.

    The four of them still had some hesitations.

    ¡°Are you guys more gutless than Chen Jia?¡± Shao Xuan instigated.

    Finally, one of the children clenched his teeth, hardened his head and strode towards Shao Xuan.

    Thus, the second who wailed horrendously appeared.

    Following the third, then the fourth, until the fifth child had all been thrown up into the sky by Shao Xuan and caught by Chacha. This matter was then considered a sess. As long as it was aplished, matter wise, there was no need to mind too much.

    The five children were taken away by Chacha, reducing Shao Xuan and Qing Yi¡¯s burden. They made their way towards the Chief while clearing away the invaders.

    On the way they met up with a group of Drumming tribe¡¯s warriors who were tasked on finding the invaders and taking care of them. Qing Yi told them about what he saw and his situation after, and then they split up.

    Qing Yi brought Shao Xuan to the tribe¡¯s core area, which is also the ce where Shao Xuan went to on his first day. There were many who were brought over already. Mostly children and some elderly.

    After finishing his mission, Qing Yi once again followed a group to patrol around the tribe, continuing clearing off the invaders.

    Shao Xuan was called aside by the Shaman.

    After all, Shao Xuan was not a Drumming tribe member, this Shaman still held on thoughts of talking peace with the ming Horns tribe. He could not possibly let Shao Xuan join the battle. Shao Xuan had already done more than enough, this is the Drumming tribe¡¯s battle. It did not need to involve others.

    Not being able to join the battle, Shao Xuan could only help with treating the injured. His beast skin bag had a few prescribed medicine bags, after boiling them, he gave it to the injured to drink.

    Because of this, the Drumming tribe felt grateful to Shao Xuan. The Shaman had even made a promise that one day when the ming Horn tribe needs help, they will definitely do their best to do what they can to help. This is exactly what Shao Xuan wanted, help from the Drumming Tribe. Him helping the Drumming tribe also meant that he has helped the ming Horns tribe. WIth the Drumming tribe, the move over here for the ming Hornd tribe will be much easier.

    This battle, since the two moons ovepped on that night, till the moonlight disappeared and the sun came out once again, it had not stopped. It was different from the rxing days of the ming Horns tribe. The Drumming tribe members were still struggling with this strife.

    The tribe was littered with corpses, some from the Drumming tribe, some from the Martyr tribe too. Especially on the outer borders, many rivers had been stained red, even severed limbs and pieces of meat parts could be seen.

    The only plus point was that the Drumming tribe had an advantage in numbers and they were on their own territory. They had also made ample preparations, always having the upper hand.

    A day passed, the sun set. The fighting gradually cooled.

    In the sky, the two moons separated.

    In the forest, around the rivers, still remained some Martyr tribesmen. Their heart panicking even more, they wanted to escape, but were held back by the surrounding warriors. Their escape route has been blocked. The Drumming tribe had steeled their hearts in keeping these people here,forting the departed souls of their fellow tribesmen in this battle.

    Shao Xuan, who just helped carry the injured out of a house, saw the Shaman standing dazed while looking at the open space. There was the direction of the big river, and at this, the Shaman slowly revealed a smile.

    At the same moment, Shao Xuan felt the ground under his feet tremble, waves rippling across the surrounding rivers.

    The trembling became more vigorous, the familiar roarings like horses galloping travelled over from afar.

    The air¡¯s humidity got higher, water vapor increased.

    The wind began to rasp fiercely, like wanting to lift off the roofs. Some of the houses¡¯ wooden boards started rippling, but nobody bothered about that. The Drumming tribe¡¯s members all exposed expressions of excitement, those eyes that did not hold onto any feelings, at this moment, began to shine.

    Roarings sounded out, the trembles from the ground, as well as the air and water vapor, all these meant that the ¡®disappeared¡¯ river began to rise again.

    ¡°Woo~~~¡±

    The sound of the river king¡¯s return, signalling the beginning of change.

    The animals that left during the raining season came back together with the river.

    When the king of the river swam forward from the deeper rivers, everything gradually subsided.

    A huge w stepped onto the river bank, a ten meters long majestic shadow revealed itself from the water. It¡¯s mouth emitted low gurgles like that of thunder rumbling. At the same time, it¡¯s eyes swept through the surrounding once, feeling the unnatural atmosphere.

    Quickly it found something that had made it furious, and it let out a howl from the river bank, travelling to the distance. Around it were many of itspanions, having simr reactions. Its majestic body quickly went back into the flowing river.

    Due to the rise of the river and tributary expansion, the group of big fellows swiftly closed in on to the tribe.

    The closing of this battle shall be their responsibility.

 Chapter 163 â€“ The closure

    Chapter 163 ¨C The closure

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    The two moons distanced from one another, the earth was covered with glimmering lights at night.

    Just then, a silhouette ran out from among the woods. With half of his face stained with blood, it seems that he had suffered a blow.

    He felt that his vision was getting blurrier every second the blood seeped into his eyes, but he didn¡¯t wipe it off as his head felt way too painful to be bothered.

    What was he doing here?

    That¡¯s right, they were here to kill, to kill the Drumming tribe, and then take the water moonstone from them!

    To Invade, kill, steal the treasured stones¡­..

    What else seems to be there?

    His thoughts ran around as he walked.

    Puddles of different depths filled the ground, and every step on the puddles could be heard clearly within the surrounding, apanied with sshes of mud that reflected the moonlight.

    Until he walked to a riverstream, thest bit of his consciousness stopped his feet before he dropped into the river.

    Staring nkly at the river in front of him, gradually he started remembering some things, the things that were told before the invasion happened at the tribe.

    ¡°When the river rises, quickly retreat! Once the river is rising, you must not go near the bordering rivers and streams around the Drumming tribe, you must remember¡­.¡±

    The river in front of him was not over 10 meters wide. This wasn¡¯t counted as any big river, it could even be said that this was a stream in another stream, however indeed, the river surface was rising.

    Once the river rises, you must not go near the rivers¡­.must not go near¡­..

    Remembering this made him alert instantly, quickly stepping back.

    But he only took a step back when suddenly a silhouette rushed out from the river.

    Arge snout burst open, trying to bite towards him. The snout was covered in hard scales. Huge jaws with a set of thick conical teeths that made people shudder. There were even meat pieces between its teeth, the smell of blood was still lingering in its mouth.

    This was thest scene he saw, the next second he was bitten and was pulled into the waters. The conical teeth at that moment pierced through his internal organs instantly. He was killed even before he was dragged in.

    The other crocodiles in the river headed towards the body, they bit into the ¡®food¡¯, rolled away, tearing the ¡®food¡¯ into eight clean pieces then swallowing them whole.

    ¡­¡­

    There were many simr situations around the Drumming tribe. The invaders who still remained in the Drumming tribe ran away immediately, hoping they could keep their lives. If they were any slower in running away, they would all be annihted by the Drumming tribe¡¯s warriors and even the adult crocodiles who returned. Bing the crocodiles¡¯ food in the end either way.

    The bodies that were left behind during the massacre before were decreasing slowly. Only, the decreasing ones were only the bodies from the Martyr tribe. These invaders were to be the food for the homing crocodiles.

    The baby crocodiles that had been calling out for the past few days had finally stopped. Some even went into the river to join the adult crocodiles to clear out the ¡®trash¡¯.

    For the Drumming tribe, these crocodiles were ¡®treasured fish¡¯, but to others, they were a nightmare.

    Shao Xuan stood rooted to the ground. Looking at one crocodile after another pass by from the side.

    These crocodiles, that had returned from the main river, the biggest was also above 10 meters, the smallest not less than 3 meters. Some swam through the river, some just walked on the wends, although not very fast. However, each and every one of them emitted a murderous aura, those eyes were simr to the Drumming tribe¡¯s, emanating a fierce glint.

    When the departed crocodiles returned, the Drumming tribe was filled with excitement. Their arrival had meant that it was the end of this battle for this year. In the Drumming tribe¡¯s territory, the best protectors were after all them.

    These crocodiles would not hurt the Drumming tribe members. Even when they were not breathing anymore, they still will not bite them. As for the other tribes, they didn¡¯t have the same fortune. They were all treated as food and dealt with, eaten with brutality.

    Shao Xuan being an outsider of the tribe, he wouldn¡¯t dare run around in the tribe now. He stood together with the Drumming tribe members, and a few steps away was even the tribe¡¯s Shaman.

    An over 15 meter long crocodile came out from Shao Xuan¡¯s side, probably realising that Shao Xuan was different. Closing in, it opened its mouth facing towards Shao Xuan, and even let out a low growl from its throat. He was doubting Shao Xuan¡¯s identity. Those cold eyes were filled with killing intent, like it could bite down mercilessly at any moment.

    But after the Shaman said a few words that Shao Xuan could not understand to it, the crocodile left.

    ¡°Put this on.¡± The Shaman passed a bone token over to Shao Xuan. On it was the Drumming tribe¡¯s totem pattern.

    Shao Xuan took it over. With this, he could go anywhere and the crocodiles would not treat him as an enemy. Also, only the Shaman had these tokens. It was temporary, and unlike the chief¡¯s token, this one couldn¡¯t be fabricated anywhere.

    When the moon light vanished and the sun came out, in the Drumming tribe¡¯s territory, there was not a single invader alive.

    Shao Xuan brought Chen Jia along, manyrge and small crocodiles could be seen in many of the rivers on the way. They were rolling around in the rivers, tearing apart the already disfigured bodies, staining the river blood red. Whether it was Chen Jia or other children from the Drumming tribe or even 2-3 year old kids, they did not feel that this scene was strange at all. There were even some cheering at the side. They were not naturally indifferent to this, but it was because they were used to it.

    Chen Jia sped up when he was close to his home, not even bothering about his water moonstones. Shao Xuan helped him carry his rattan basket, he did not mind it either as he just wanted to see if his mum and dad were safely home.

    ¡°Mum!¡± Chen Jia shouted while speeding up.

    Shao Xuan looked over and saw Ping standing inside the house, now looking out from the window.

    ¡°Are you guys okay?¡± Ping ran out and checked Chen Jia, then over to Shao Xuan. No matter if it was the blood stains on Chen JIa or Shao Xuan, it was fine because it wasn¡¯t theirs.

    After checking that they had no injuries, Ping happily said: Quick go inside, I¡¯ve prepared food to eat!¡±

    Seeing that Ping was that happy probably also meant that Fu Shi was fine too.

    Fu Shi was resting in the house, he had quite a lot of injuries on him, but it was fine as long as he could keep his life.

    Seeing Shao Xuan carrying the rattan basket in, both Fu Shi and his wife could not keep in their excitement. Their mouth smiled to the point of cracking open. Their wide mouths looked almost terrifying.

    If it wasn¡¯t that Shao Xuan had been interacting with them all this time and understood them, he would definitely have had the same idea like the other tribes: The Drumming tribe people are really scary.

    Leaving the family to connect more, Shao Xuan went out to look around.

    He heard that baby crocodile calling, but it wasn¡¯t because of fear, its tone sounded different. In the river outside Chen Jia¡¯s house, there was an 8 meter long crocodile at the side crawling into the river. Its eyes were yellow brown, when looking at people, it was always cold and emotionless, making people feel their hearts freeze.

    Before it went into the river, it picked up that baby crocodile and swam into the river to the other side.

    Those conical teeths could easily tear apart a human¡¯s body, but when picking up the baby crocodile, it did not use any force, instead it was like protective cradle. Cradling that baby crocodile.

    This was also an animal that had a motherly sense to protect their cubs.

    The guy who had been trapped by Shao Xuan and had his neck broken off by Qing Yi previously, his body had already been taken away. It was not left to be fed to the crocodiles. Shao Xuan knew that this guy must have had a special identity, after all he wasn¡¯t a Drumming tribe member.

    In the Drumming tribe, the people and crocodile lived in harmony. The real situation was just like today, they were not very intimate with each other, but they would not harm each other. The invaders were just theirmon enemy.

    ¡°WHAT?!!¡±

    When Shao Xuan was observing the surrounding crocodiles, he heard Ping yell with surprise from inside the house.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Shao Xuan asked walking into the house.

    ¡°Uh, it was just that we heard someone had their water moonstones stolen.¡± Ping replied.

    The tribe members, because they were fighting off against the Martyr tribe¡¯s invasion, had no time to constantly look after them. Until now, when everything was finished, they once again cleared out their rattan baskets.

    It was secured properly with beast skin, but when it was opened once again, it was found that it had lessened a lot. The beast skin was not torn open, the rattan basket was not damaged, so why had the water moonstones disappeared?

    ¡°It must be a ¡®thief¡¯! Only they have the skill to do this.¡± Fu Shi said hatefully.

    After hearing about it, Ping immediately went to check on their house¡¯s rattan basket. Their house¡¯s harvest this year was quite bountiful. If they were stolen, it would definitely be a huge loss.

    The rattan basket was carried by Chen Jia most of the time. When Chen Jia was not watching over it, then Shao Xuan was.

    ¡°Still good, it wasn¡¯t stolen.¡± After clearing them out, Ping breathed a sigh of relief. These water moonstones might just be what they have to rely on for theing year.

    ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Ping was originally nning to continue holding on to the water moonstones, but after seeing Shao Xuan at the side, she remembered. She took out some water moonstones from the rattan basket, put them into a hide bag, and handed them over to Shao Xuan, ¡°This time it was thanks to you, Shao Xuan.¡±

    Many from the Drumming tribe don¡¯t speak much. Fu Shi looked like he wanted to say something too, however in the end, he just shook his head and swallowed his words. Not knowing how to thank him, reminiscing the times when the other tribes during the trade fair had given him some tips, he tried his best to show his most sincere smile. Therefore when facing Shao Xuan, his mouth was split to the max.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Taking back his sight from him, Shao Xuan then pushed back the hide bag , ¡°There¡¯s no need for so much.¡±

    Shao Xuan realised that what Ping took out was almost a fifth of what was inside. Don¡¯t underestimate the value of a fifth, this was ¡®money¡¯ that could probably trade for a lot of stuff.

    ¡°Take them!¡± Ping then pushed the hide bag back into Shao Xuan hands, saying: ¡°When this matter is over, the trade fair will start soon. At that time, you will be going with Fu Shi. You will be able to use them. This is your first time out, so there will be many things you will not understand.¡±

    Not being able to refuse, Shao Xuan then took over the hide bag. After all, when going to the trade fair, this was a necessity.

    Where do you usually go for the trade fair? To the other tribes?¡± Shao Xuan questioned.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a small trade fair, there are times when it¡¯s held in the Drumming tribe, and some other times in the Pu tribe. However if it¡¯s a big one, then we have to go to the trading grounds.¡± Ping exined.

    Fu Shi understood more on this matter as he was the one in charge for trading for their house every time.

    ¡°The nearest to us would be the Pu tribe, this time we are also going there for the trade. The Pu tribe has quite a few good stuff in their hands. Stone materials, pottery, sometimes even medicinal herbs, all these are good stuff¡­.¡±

    Shao Xuan kept what Fu Shi had said in his heart. These are things that he is required to remember, because on the ancestor¡¯s beast roll, there was not a ¡®Pu¡¯ tribe mentioned.

 Chapter 164 â€“ Pu tribe

    Chapter 164 ¨C Pu tribe

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    After the battle, the Drumming tribe continued on with their usual lifestyle.

    The tribe held a funeral for those who had passed away. Since Shao Xuan was not a Drumming tribe member, he could not participate in the funeral. That also meant that he would not see the tribal me that belonged only to the Drumming tribe.

    On that day, he remained in Chen Jia¡¯s house, sensing the me¡¯s power. It was different from the ming Horns tribe¡¯s; it was much stronger.

    Maybe it was just as the Shaman had said; that was probably the difference between aplete totem and an iplete one.

    The ming Horns tribe¡¯s me gave people a sense of warmth. The Drumming tribe¡¯s me instead gave a slight cool feel, not freezing, just cooler to some degree whenpared to the ming Horns tribe¡¯s.

    Although Shao Xuan felt curious about their tribe¡¯s me, he could not go over to the funeral to watch. Only through speaking with Fu Shi and the rest did he know about their fire pool. This was also where the sacrificed warriors¡¯ bodies were to be sent.

    Hearing about it and not being able to see it made this matter feel mystified.

    If there was an opportunity, Shao Xuan would definitely have to observe the Drumming Tribe¡¯s ¡®fire pool¡¯.

    After the burial ceremony, the tribe became active again. Everybody started to discuss their next transactions and trades; just like a tyrant who had made lots of money and was agonizing over how to use it.

    The Drumming tribe¡¯s ability to heal might not have been as fast as the ming Horns Tribe¡¯s, but their overall rate was still not too bad. When they activated the totems all over their body, they gained ayer of protection like that of scales.

    The Drumming tribe¡¯s members believed that when one had a near-death experience, one saw the truth. And because of that, they treated Shao Xuan with warmth and hospitality. When hearing that Shao Xuan wanted to apany the people who were going trading, each of them told Shao Xuan of their experiences and gave advice on how to pick the right items, how to trade them, what their real value was and so on.

    Although the Drumming tribe looked cold and distant, asionally some passionate youngdies would run over to Shao Xuan to give him their most brilliant ¡®smiles¡¯.

    Every time Shao Xuan was met with such passion, he stiffened. In contrast, if the youngds in the tribe were greeted with such ¡®smiles¡¯, they would fall head over heels for them.

    Certainly, with a different tribe came a different definition of beauty.

    Due to the return of most of the adult crocodiles, Chacha deemed this piece ofnd a danger zone. As long as there was a tree, he would definitely notnd on the ground.

    Finally, it was time for the trading group to set off. Shao Xuan took the water moonstones that Ping had given him, and along with Chacha, followed the group and left.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you have to visit our tribe again!¡± Ping eximed to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Okay, consider it done.¡±

    The distance from the Drumming tribe to the Pu Tribe was not small. From what Shao Xuan understood, the Drumming tribe¡¯s location was in a remote area, and the distribution of the tribes on this side was sparser. It could be seen from just looking at the Drumming tribe.

    Not only was the path to the Pu tribe not straight, they had to cross over a few rivers too.

    On the outskirts of the Drumming tribe territory, there was a ten-meter-wide river. Only by crossing it could they reach the Pu tribe.

    The Drumming tribe had no boats, but they could make something like a bamboo raft. On the tributaries on that side of the river, bamboos and rafts could float. However, the Drumming tribe members would not use them. It was because they had a much better ¡®boat¡¯.

    One crocodile after another floated onto the surface of the water. Some only revealed their heads, making it impossible to see anything other than their eyes and snouts. They were often in such a stance when lurking in the water in order to remain hidden.

    Qing Yi, being the leader of the trading group this time, jumped onto a crocodile¡¯s back after receiving a blessing from the Shaman.

    The crocodiles were lined up just like a floating bridge, which allowed Qing Yi to walk around freely.

    The rest followed Qing Yi. They leaned forward and jumped onto the crocodile¡¯s¡¯ back.

    Fu Shi, carrying an empty rattan basket, fiddled with his hide bag containing his water moonstones and called out to Shao Xuan: ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not let Cha Cha carry him, as he wanted to walk along with the Drumming tribe people. He could also get to know more about the Pu Tribe. Fu Shi had told him about them before, but it was only general knowledge. Shao Xuan could understand more from talking with the others.

    The Drumming tribe had thousands of members, and not everyone would participate in the uing trade. They might not need to buy anything at the moment; some would let others get something for them. Some, even, would wait for their fellow tribesmen toe back and then trade with them with water moonstones.

    After making a head count of the trading group, Qing Yi waved, ¡°Set out!¡±

    The crocodiles that were floating used their tails to start moving across the river.

    A few momentster, Shao Xuan heard a call from behind and he turned. At the river shore, where the group was sending them off, was a crocodile floating above the water. There was a dark-brown-eyed baby crocodile at its side, too. Its call could not be heard by anybody else, so when Shao Xuan turned back, Fu Shi was confused.

    Seeing the baby crocodile, Fu Shi grinned, ¡°It¡¯s sending us off.¡±

    Turning back to look forward, Shao Xuan signalled Chacha in the sky, asking him to keep up with them.

    A hundred crocodiles were apanying the two-hundred-people trading group. The procession may not have looked like much, but it was definitely peculiar.

    These crocodiles were, after all, not real boats. Therefore, they couldn¡¯t be floating above the water surface all the time. There would be times when they would sink into the river a little and the person standing on top will have their two legs soaked. However, the Drumming tribe¡¯s members would not feel ufortable. After all, they were as hydrophilic as they could be.

    Shao Xuan looked down at the duckweeds on the surface of the water. These green nts had everything below the water covered up. When looking at the trading group from ashore, it looked just like they were travelling alone with only the wandering waves. Only when someone mentioned it would they know that there were creatures under the water.

    The river also had other fish species, even dangerous ones. However, when they were confronted with the line of crocodiles, they would quickly retreat and swim away as far as possible.

    Sometimes, there were some marine animals, or even other animals, that were ying in the water. Some of them needed to be avoided and others not. They could just go straight towards them and they would automatically make way for them.

    Feeling an itch, Shao Xuan moved the spear he was holding a bit, only hearing the sound of water sshing, and a finger-long insect was stabbed into the spear¡¯s head.

    It was a mouth sucker kind of insect. Its body was reddish-brown, a yellow pattern on it, it¡¯s abdomen extremely small.

    ¡°Pay attention, these insects suck blood.¡± Fu Shi, who was standing close, exined.

    Shao Xuan had reacted immediately when he felt something, so the blood the insect sucked was not his. He didn¡¯t know who it belonged to.

    It looked like in that river, the threatening dangers were not a lot, but the bothersome matters were many.

    The river flowed over a wend, between the towering mountains, passing by them.

    To the Drumming tribe¡¯s members, these mountains were already quite high. However, to Shao Xuan,pared to the Eagle Mountain, or even the ones where he was hunting, the difference was like heaven and earth.

    Half a dayter, Shao Xuan felt his sight be dimmer. The group went towards the two cliffs on the side of the towering mountains and into the narrow waterway between them. They blocked most of the sunlight, leaving only a narrow opening on the top

    The water path was especially quiet, only the sound of crocodile tails moving in the river could be heard.

    ¡°We will arrive soon after passing through here.¡± Fu Shi informed.

    The light in front of them was slowly getting nearer.

    When the group got out, everything was different. There wererge tracts of lotus leafs.

    ¡°From here on, it is the Pu tribe¡¯s territory. ¡° Fu Shi said.

    Shao Xuan was nning to ask more questions, but at that moment, he suddenly saw something on the water heading towards them at high speed. It somehow stopped the moment it reached the tracts of lotus leaves.

    Therge tracts of lotus leaves blocked the shadow underwater.

    ¡°Gua!¡±

    A frog-like cry sounded out and Shao Xuan reflexively pulled out a knife.

    Whisk!

    A silhouette broke out from the water. Yet, it did not rush towards the Drumming tribe¡¯s trading group. It insteadnded on arge lotus leaf which looked like a small bed.

    ¡°You¡¯re a littlete.¡± A guy was standing on the lotus leaf. He spoke to Qing Yi, who was at the front of the group.

 Chapter 165 â€“ Guang Hou

    Chapter 165 ¨C Guang Hou

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Shao Xuan stared at the person standing on the lotus. The ¡®Gua¡¯ sound he heard just now reminded him of those long tailed frogs that came ashore during the raining season. That was why he took out his knife at the first moment.

    The guy standing on the lotus leaf was the one in charge of border patrol from the Pu tribe; therefore he was frequently in contact with the trading group from the Drumming Tribe. He was also familiar with Qing Yi.

    Hearing the guy¡¯s statement, Qing Yi helplessly said: ¡°The trouble this time was bigger.¡±

    Aside from the Martyr tribe, there were people from other tribes participating as well. However, Qing Yi did not mention this, he would also not easily tell this to the outsiders.

    The guy on the lotus leaf nodded his head. He had also received news that this time the ones invading the Drumming tribe were from the Martyr tribe. Qing Yi and the others had to rest a little longer after the battle as well, and therefore would naturally be dyed leaving. He swept a nce among the Drumming tribe group andnded his gaze on Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± The Drumming tribe¡¯s characteristics are very obvious and there was no need for a second look to see that there was someone different mixed among this group.

    ¡°Drumming tribe¡¯s guest, he came from the ming Horns tribe. He¡¯s called Shao Xuan.¡± Qing Yi introduced.

    The guy on the lotus leaf narrowed his eyes, scrutinised Shao Xuan over once, seemingly trying to determine this stranger¡¯s threat potential. As to what the ming Horns tribe was, it was probably an unknown small tribe. This world had too many unknown tribes; there was no need for them to remember each and every one of them. However towards Drumming tribe¡¯s guest, they still had to give some face. After all, the Drumming tribe members were all pretty rich, especially after thebining of the two moons; the harvest time for the Drumming tribe. One rattan baskets after another full of water moonstones. The Pu tribe would always wee this kind of wealthy trading partner.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, everyone¡¯s been waiting for quite some time already.¡± The guy on the lotus leaf jumped back a few steps onto another lotus leaf. His cheek drummed just like a frog, giving out a ¡®gu gua¡¯ sound.

    Shortly after the sound was out, Shao Xuan felt that there was something under the water. His two feet in the water could feel the vibrations of the water. At the same time, the area in front of the Drumming tribe, that was filled with tall and high lotus leaves, tilted to both sides, revealing a waterway in the middle.

    ¡°Go.¡± Qing Yi stepped off the crocodile first, heading towards the waterway.

    The rest in the group followed.

    The lotus leaves here were enormous. The parts exposed above the water were even thicker than a human¡¯s thigh. The green lotus leaves were covered in thorns, so if someone forced an entry, the thorns would scrape the flesh off the human body.

    This river was somewhat different from the drumming tribe¡¯s. This river was clearer, however it was covered with many duckweeds, so it was difficult to see underwater.

    As the crocodiles swam over, the duckweeds were pushed aside. In the waves made by the crocodiles, Shao Xuan could see many green frogs hidden under the leaves of the duckweeds.

    The more timid ones immediately ran away, vigorously pedalling away in the water. Their pedal was like that of frogs swimming away. Those who were bold enough stood their spot, revealing half a head. Two round eyes stared at the humans as they passed through the water, their pupils like slits. They were not like the cold crocodiles; instead they gave people a kind of delighted feeling.

    Gua sounds could be heard from time to time. Sometimes far, sometimes near.

    ¡°They are from the Pu tribe. The one who talked to Qing Yi is called Pu Ye, he is in charge of border patrol and defence.¡± Fu Shi exined to Shao Xuan.

    Pu Ye was not far in front, jumping from one lotus leaf to another. He did not wear any beast skin, revealing his body¡¯s paintings. They did not look like totem tattoos; instead it was done using a type of special ink, those that would not wash off due to water. At the same time, just now, when Pu Ye and Qing Yi were talking, Shao Xuan also found out that there were some drawings around Pu Ye¡¯s eyes. These were the Pu tribe¡¯s hobby. The ones with different preferences had a different painting done around their eyes. This was the Pu tribe¡¯s custom, passed down from their ancestors.

    Pu Ye leaped from one surface of the lotus leaves to another. Sometimes when he leapt, the leaves would tilt and the dew collected at the surface would flow down. They dripped into the water, issuing a trickling sound.

    Down the river, there were many like Pu Ye, patrolling around the borders. They would pull apart the lotus leaves, creating a pathway.

    No matter if it¡¯s a Drumming or Pu tribe member; they all had good affinities with water.

    Going along the pathway that the Pu tribe made, the trading group moved forward, continuing onwards. Shao Xuan could feel that the temperature had increased gradually. There were no mountains with cold winds, it had be warm and humid.

    If you stood on a high spot, all you could see were patches of green; Green lotus leaves, green duckweeds, and the dense green trees surrounding the river.

    The frogs calls were getting more frequent, this also meant that there were more frogs in the surrounding now. Fortunately, Shao Xuan did not find therge long tailed frogs in the river.

    The Pu tribe¡¯s totem character was a frog. This proved that their rtionship with frogs was that intimate. Here, those who indiscriminately killed frogs would all receive the Pu tribe¡¯s punishment.

    Chacha did not enter the Pu tribe¡¯s territory. He instead flew around its borders. Without getting the permission from the Pu tribe, he would be treated as an intruder and get attacked if he entered.

    The Pu tribe members were proficient in poison.

    After going along the pathway for some time, Shao Xuan heard cheers from the people ahead.

    ¡°They are here!¡±

    ¡°Quick, quick! The Drumming tribe is here!¡±

    ¡°Dad, the trading group is here, hurry up and get the stuff out!!¡±

    Some of the voices came from ashore and some from the top of the lotus leaves up front.

    Above the umbres of the lotus leaves, a wavering silhouette could be seen.

    ¡°They are quite weing.¡± Shao Xuan said to Fu Shi.

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯te here often to trade with them, but those that I¡¯m acquainted with, we have a good rtionship. Ha Ha!¡± Fu Shi seldom heard people say that his tribe was weed, therefore he was very happy.

    With Qing Yi and the rests¡¯ status, they would of course be weed. They were the Pu tribe¡¯s most important customers. Without the Drumming tribe, the Pu tribe¡¯s situation would most likely be strained.

    Following the opened pathway, the group made a turn, heading up ashore. On the shore, there were already many Pu tribe¡¯s members waiting. The huge and small ones, the old and young ones, each and every one were grinning¡­.to the point their mouths were splitting apart.

    It was different from the Drumming tribe¡¯s ¡®rapacious aggressor with a wide mouth to devour beasts¡¯. Although the Pu tribe¡¯s mouths were more towards therger side, but among them many had their mouths slightly upturned, plus their jaws were not stiff like the Drumming tribe¡¯s. This made them look a lot more enthusiastic.

    Other than their mouth, the Pu tribe members also generally hadrger eyes, plus their strange custom of having paintings around their eyes.

    Shao Xuan heard from the more frequent traders from the Drumming Tribe that you can determine the Pu tribe members¡¯ personality from their eye paintings. Some more experienced old warriors advised Shao Xuan: Stay away from those with gorgeous striking paintings, those people were extremely dangerous.

    Just like those frogs with striking colours, the more striking it is, the more poisonous it might be.

    ¡°Ha, you guys are finally here!¡± A middle aged person stepped forward, speaking a few words to Qing Yi.

    ¡°Are the things prepared?¡± Qing Yi stepped up onto the shore, following that guy towards the Pu tribe.

    ¡°Long been prepared, we¡¯ve already been waiting for two days.¡±

    Shao Xuan went with Fu Shi and the rest up ashore, and as for the crocodiles who were acting as boats, they would rest in the rivers nearby. The Pu tribe would take care of them.

    An aunty with beast skin wrapped around her brought arge wooden te and smiled, walking over to wee the Drumming tribe! ¡°Here, freshly done, just finished baking!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked over to see a bunch of different insects, each one died without peace. They still had their eyes open even as they were baking.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­.¡± How nice of them.

    Fu Shi and the rest were already used to it, and just extended their arms and grabbed some to eat.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan did not move, Fu Shi and the rest encouraged: ¡°Shao Xuan, these that the Pu tribe baked are not bad, you can try them,ter when you leave, it will be difficult to eat them again.¡±

    Shao Xuan stared at the insects who had died agonisingly for a few seconds, held out his hand and grabbed a four legged one with aplete body. However who would have known that the aunty would be so enthusiastic and directly grabbed a handful and stuffed them into Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­..Um, thanks.¡±

    Although it looked horrifying, but the taste was just like what Fu Shi said. It was actually pretty good, if, you could forget about what you were eating.

    In the Pu tribe¡¯s vige, the area where they slept, their houses were not very big, and were made with branches and leaves. Some houses made an encirclement, and at the edge had an opening. Some formed big triangles, without any fixed form. They look quite artistic. It was not that they did not have the skill to make sturdier houses, but it was just their habit and preferences. They were just more inclined to this architectural style.

    The sun was quite strong during the afternoon. Some even went around with a lotus leaf as an umbre.

    Because there was still the matter with Chacha, Qing Yi let the rest of the group go ahead to the trade meet and brought Shao Xuan to the Pu tribe¡¯s chief¡¯s ce.

    The Pu tribe¡¯s Shaman often stayed in his stone cave and rarely came out. Every time the Drumming tribee over to the Pu tribe, the one they met was always the Pu tribe¡¯s chief ¡®Guang Hou¡¯.

    Guang Hou¡¯s house was in the core area of the Pu tribe. Because the people here lived packed together, they did not have to walk too far to arrive in front of Guang Hou¡¯s house.

    The steeple¡¯s roof was made of grass and stuff like tree leaves. The door was open, signifying they could walk into the house.

    After going in, the first thing Shao Xuan saw was a mass of meat sitting right at the front ¨C that was the Pu tribe¡¯s chief, Guang Hou.

    Guang Hou had prominent eyebrows, just like two corners edges. Around his eyes were paintings of yellow-green and ck stripes patterns. Compared with the people in the ming Horns tribe, Guang Hou¡¯s appearance looked quite hideous. His stature was muchrger, just like a meat dumpling, looking very oppressive.

    Now, Guang Hou was sitting right there, eating some unidentifiable animal with his coarse thick hand. Seeing Shao Xuan walk in, Guang Hou¡¯s eyes narrowed, he scanned Shao Xuan over, his mouth chewing his food, not resting.

    ¡°Youe from the ming Horns tribe?¡± Guang Hou questioned.

    ¡°That is correct.¡±

    ¡°ming Horns tribe, I seem to have heard it before.¡± Guang Hou said.

 Chapter 166 â€“ The weapon of health and money

    Chapter 166 ¨C The weapon of health and money

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Hearing that Guang Hou said he had an impression of the ¡®ming Horns tribe¡¯, Shao Xuan got excited for a moment, but it dropped at the next. Guang Hou once again said, ¡°I remember that your totem pattern is a fish, right?¡±

    Shao Xuan was silent for a few seconds, he then took out the stone token that the Shaman had given him and walked over, ¡°This is our tribe¡¯s totem. I came with good intentions from the ming Horns tribe, nice to meet you all.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Guang Hou did not care, he took over the stone token with the totem pattern on it from Shao Xuan and studied it. Realizing that he did not have any other impressions of it, he returned the stone token. He smiled to the point where his chins had already built up a fewyers and said to Shao Xuan, ¡°A guest of the Drumming tribe I will trust.¡±

    Shao Xuan then spoke to Guang Hou about his motive ining here, speaking about Chacha who remained at the Pu tribe¡¯s border. But although Guang Hou looked like he was very familiar with the Drumming tribe¡¯s chief, he straight out refused.

    ¡°The bird you mentioned, I don¡¯t want it entering this piece ofnd. In the past, there were a fewrge birds that came here, but we don¡¯t have any good feelings towards these birds.

    Many marine life did not like the birds thate from the white sky, Shao Xuan understood this. He can also see that Guang Hou did not care about him that much, only because he was giving face to Qing Yi did he bother to say a few words. If not, he wouldn¡¯t even bother to give him a nce. While talking to Shao Xuan all this time, Guang Hou had been glimpsing at the snacks on the side.

    After the short conversation, Shao Xuan then bid goodbye and left. When he entered the Pu tribe, he had told Cha Cha that if he heard the whistle for okay, he coulde over, but if he heard the whistle for refusal then he could freely fly around outside.

    Perhaps it was better that Cha Cha was outside so that he could y; if he entered the tribe, he would not be able to do what he wanted.

    Leaving from Guang Hou¡¯s house, Qing Yi apologised, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I couldn¡¯t help.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Cha Cha can move around freely outside, he will wait for me toe.¡± Shao Xuan did not think about Guang Hou¡¯s attitude too much. He also never thought of getting anything from this tribe. Coming here was only just to broaden his horizons and was interested in the other tribes other than the ming Horns tribe.

    But then, why had the Drumming tribe and the Pu tribe not heard of the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± name before?

    From the records and those words that the ancestors left behind, it could be seen that they were still quite haughty. They also looked like they were holding on to their tribe with pride. This meant that the ming Horns tribe in those years was not just any small tribe, they have had their brilliance before.

    Or maybe, was it because too much time had passed, that everything had changed?

    After leaving Guang Hou¡¯s ce, Shao Xuan had split up with Qing Yi. QIng Yi had needed to go ¡®shopping¡¯. The chief and the Shaman had given him a list of stuff for him to purchase.

    And Shao Xuan could also use this chance to have a good look around this tribe, see if he could find anything he could buy.

    Originally, Shao Xuan had thought that the trade fair with the Drumming tribe and the Pu tribe would be something like a market, but now that he looked at it, it did not seem like it. They didn¡¯t have amon area for their trades. The Pu tribe members ced what they wanted to sell outside of their house, and if there were anything that caught your eye, you would buy it from there.

    Here, there is nomon currency, what is used is only equivalent exchange.

    But, it also wouldn¡¯t count as equal exchange too.

    Shao Xuan had not walked far when he saw the scene where quite some of the Drumming tribe members were purchasing.

    It was no wonder that when the Pu tribe was looking forward to the drumming tribe trading group, that they were so warming.

    The Drumming tribe members were all ferocious looking, but in actual fact, they did not have many other thoughts. And to say it a little more directly, in the eyes of the Pu tribe, the Drumming tribe members were just silly people with a lot of ¡®money¡¯.

    Beforeing here, Fu Shi hadined to Shao Xuan as to why the Drumming tribe were not so weed outside. Yet why were the Pu tribe more popr with the other tribes?

    The Drumming tribe on one hand, had explosive tempers, on the other hand it¡¯s because they were not too quick-witted, causing them to not speak well. Definitely not as well as the Pu tribe, that were more witty.

    Of course, this also rted to how their face looks. Every time the Drumming tribe went out, they would be treated as people who harboured bad intentions because they look ferocious. Especially when looking at other people, it was just like a cold knife cutting down your throat. While the Pu tribe¡¯s appearance made people feel more intimate, even more so when they smile.

    Shao Xuan paid attention to the houses in the surrounding that had various items showcased while he walked around.

    Pottery, stone cores, and peculiar things from other tribes, as well as the ancient potteries that the elderly in the tribe had treated as treasures, they could all be seen here. Only, the price was very high. This made Shao Xuan surprised. He had even seen a piece of linen.

    ¡°Caught your eye? This came from the central areas. I heard that the central tribes all love to use this to make clothings.¡± The guy pleasingly said. On him was a short skirt that was made of a piece of linen. He had even showed it off to the tribe; although not many like this kind of thing, but when once they heard that it was from the central tribes, their attitude immediately changed.

    Therefore, when this person was talking about it, he did not need to decorate his words, he only needed to emphasize that it ¡®came from the central tribes¡¯. He was waiting for Shao Xuan to show a hint of surprise and then take out his many water moonstones to exchange for it.

    Unfortunately he was disappointed. Shao Xuan had just calmly asked about it and then asked more on the ¡®central tribes¡¯ matters. Afterwards he gave a small piece of water moonstone as a reward and left.

    When Shao Xuan left, that person looked at the tiny water moonstone on his hand. Although it could be counted as he had made a big earning, he was not satisfied. Why did he not keep the guy here?

    This is something he actually tried really hard to get from the central tribes, this brat as a matter fact just left and did not even give a gasp of surprise or anything. Did he not have knowledge about it before? Or could he maybe know that he did not have enough money to buy such a precious thing.

    Shao Xuan had not realised that just now that in the ¡®store owner¡¯s¡¯ eyes, he had already be a poor country boy.

    The way Shao Xuan had seen it, just now that piece of linen was very rough, wearing it couldn¡¯t be morefortable than the beast skin. Using such a big water moonstone to buy such rough rags, was he silly?

    Not long after, that piece of linen had been bought by Fu Shi, this year¡¯s Drumming tribe ¡®local tycoon¡¯. When Shao Xuan had known about it, he did not utter a single sound. Sure enough, the view on equal value here was really different.

    Maybe, the words ¡®central tribe¡¯, was already the biggest golden brand. Looking at Fu Shi¡¯s happy face that looked like he had found some priceless treasure, then looked at the other Drumming tribe members¡¯ filled with envy, Shao Xuan thought, he still did not fully adapt to the rhythm here yet.

    ¡®Central tribes¡¯, exactly what kind of a ce is it? Is it even more developed than here? Had the ming Horns tribe that year been one of those central tribes?

    Among the frequent traders from the different tribes that often went to the Pu tribe to participate in the trade fair, when hearing that the ancient potteries came from there came forward, and the ones that had bought the most was the Drumming tribe. That was because potteries were fragile so transporting them was very difficult; therefore those that managed to reach here were all valuable.

    Feeling his beast skin bag filled with water moonstones, he had felt good; this are a good item, it wasparable to gold. Staying in the ming Horns tribe made him forget the good points of having ¡®money¡¯.

    The Drumming tribe was not that knowledgeable towards the ¡®central tribes¡¯. They had only known that things thate from the ¡®central tribe¡¯ are all good stuff. Therefore every time they came here, when hearing that these thingse from the ¡®central tribe¡¯, they will immediately dig through their beast skin bag, even without asking for the price.

    In addition, the Pu tribe also have many of their native products, like frogs.

    Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that they will sell actual frogs. For the Pu tribe, who uses frogs as their totem, they would not harm the frogs here. What they sell are things that are taken from the frogs, like poison, medicinal parts, and some other specialities, and so on.

    Shao Xuan came before an oval house, here was a little more isted from the rest. Not many Drumming tribe members were at this area to trade.

    There was an elderly sitting cross legged before the house door. There were no potteries or stone weapons and the likes ced in front of him. There were only a few patterned frogs in different sizes and colours.

    Beside that was arge basin. A whileter, the elderly extended his hands into the basin to draw water. Then he sprayed it onto a few of the frogs¡¯ body.

    When Shao Xuan went over, the elderly was done watering.

    Seeing Shao Xuaning over, the elder¡¯s eyes shined, ¡°Well what do you want?¡±

    ¡°What are these few?¡± Shao Xuan asked while pointing at the frogs that were just squatting on the ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re not from the Drumming tribe right? First time here at our tribe?¡± The elder did not feel disappointed just because Shao Xuan was not from the Drumming tribe, instead he was very happy. That was also because when the Drumming tribe purchased from a store, the next time they would prefer the same location they bought from. The area at the elder¡¯s ce was a bit isted, and therefore not many Drumming tribe members would walk here. That was why he was also more interested in the other tribes instead.

    ¡°Yes, this is my first timeing to the Pu tribe.¡± Shao xuan answered, eyes staring at the few frogs on the ground.

    The few frogs, some were as small as a fingernail, and the big ones, just one palm was not enough to hold them.

    The old man actively introduced the characteristics of these frogs and what they can contribute to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This one, it can be used to help people, dizziness, chest tightening, vomiting or other physical weaknesses all can be treated as well; and this one, it can be used to stick two blocks of wood together.¡± While listening, the elder give out a ¡®gu gua¡¯ sound, then he took a thick leaf and waited.

    Shao Xuan looked towards the orange patterned frog. At this moment, its pupils shrank; because its eyes were horizontal, so it looked like it was squinting, brewing over some matters.

    After waiting for a few seconds, nothing had happened.

    Shao Xuan glimpsed at the old man, then went back to stare at the frog on the ground. Is this frog constipated?

    When contemting over it, Shao Xuan then saw the back of that orange patterned frog secreting some translucent liquid. With more liquiding out, the old man quickly took the thick leaf in his hand and scraped down these liquids. Leaves did not hurt the frogs, therefore the Pu tribe often used this method to collect.

    ¡°Take it.¡± The old man took out two block of woods then smeared some of the liquid from the thick leaf and held the two blocks together. After a while, the two blocks were firmly stuck together.

    This, it was just like those things he found that could stick things together like glue in the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°How many of these do you have?¡± Shao Xuan questioned.

    ¡°As many as you need!¡± The old man got excited to the point that his hands couldn¡¯t stop trembling.

    ¡°What are the others as well?¡± Shao Xuan had the old man continue to introduce the rest to him. He was very interested in all of this.

    The old man was also happy to exin one by one to Shao Xuan. There were all kinds of frogs with strange secretions. There was one frog, it¡¯s skin secreted some kind of fat. It was what the people in arid areas prefered more.

    These frogs were like weapons of health and money for the Pu tribe.

    The old man had some stock in his house, therefore Shao Xuan could take out some water moonstones out to buy what he needed. He chose selectively ording to what the old man had offered.

    ¡°Oh yeah, do you sell any frogs with poison?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°You want?¡± The old man carefully checked the surrounding then replied to Shao Xuan, ¡°Of course I do, follow me.¡±

 Chapter 167 â€“ Poison

    Chapter 167 ¨C Poison

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    The old man scanned the surroundings like he was preventing thieves, then he quickly went into his house and packed up his stuff. He called out ¡®gu gua¡¯ twice; the originally silent frogs squatting in front of his door step hopped away individually. Some went towards the woods, while some went towards the river.

    After finishing packing, the old man then pulled Shao Xuan in another direction. While he walked, he also softly exined to Shao Xuan, ¡°You want frog poison, and of course you would want the most toxic ones as well. My grandson can help you get them, any type you want, there will be.¡±

    The old man was afraid that Shao Xuan would change his mind and turn away; therefore he repeatedly kept talking to Shao Xuan.

    He was also afraid that Shao Xuan would think it troublesome and visit other stores to buy them instead. After all, in the Pu tribe, quite a few people sell frog poison. Many of the Drumming tribe members liked weapons that were coated in poison; when they were buying them they would just wrap them up, throw them into their rattan basket, and pay with water moonstones.

    However, what the old man wanted to do now was to bring Shao Xuan to collect them at their habitat. Compared with the others, it was a little more troublesome.

    But in fact, Shao Xuan was not annoyed, as long as he could get what he wanted; being a little troublesome was nothing. Also, when he saw the thing that the old man scrapped off, he was curious about it.

    Previously, in the ming Horns tribe, when they went out hunting, the warriors would also like to use stuff that came from the animals. They liked using the poison to smear onto weapons such as spears, bows and so on. Among them were also different types of poisons, frog poison was the moremon one.

    And how the ming Horns tribe collected frog poison was that they would first kill the frog, then bake it with fire. When baking it, the poison would slowly seep out from the frog¡¯s nds.

    After the frog¡¯s poison came out, all they had to do was just have the weapon rub against the frog, back and forth. The poison was then smeared onto the surface, thus achieving the desired result. For those frogs with more potent poison, the warriors only needed to wipe a little frog poison on their weapons and they could already go hunting. Generally, the beast that got struck with frog poison would die almost instantly. As for those more ferocious beasts, although they wouldn¡¯t die, it would still cause an impact on their actions.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there, don¡¯t worry.¡± The old man hurriedly said.

    Shao Xuan was in no hurry, but rather, the old man was more anxious. He led Shao Xuan to a river nearby, looked at the river full of huge lotus leaves and shouted, ¡°Yu, you there?!¡±

    The lotus leaves on the river¡¯s surface floated along with the wind, the frogs in the river were calling out, but there was no voice from a human.

    The old man started getting angry, his beard trembling, he shouted out once again, ¡°Come out, I¡¯ve already seen you!¡±

    But there was still no response.

    The old man took a deep breath, and hollered, ¡°Get out! I know you¡¯re here!¡±

    Finally, a response came from a lotus leaf not too far from them, ¡°I¡¯m here. Grandpa, what do you want again?¡±

    A silhouette jumped up from a lotus leaf, after hopping onto a few more, he then reached the river bank. His vision swept past Shao Xuan, then turned to his grandpa, ¡°Grandpa, what you want to sell you can go and sell, why did you call me? I was still sleeping!¡±

    ¡°Sleep, what sleep!¡± The old man¡¯s eyes bulged out almost to the point of dropping out anytime. ¡°Come here. This young man from an outside tribe would like to purchase frog poisons.¡±

    ¡°The tribe has so many other poison frogs, you can get them anywhere. Grandpa, I still remember your house still has a few bottles.¡± Yu said while yawning.

    The old man breathed in and mumbled. His arm reached out to the root of the lotus leaf and bent it over, ¡°Youe down! Sleeping all day, are you rushing to sleep past winter?!¡±

    Yu had no choice and jumped down from the lotus leaf. His eyes, that were half opened and looked like he had never slept before, turned to Shao Xuan, ¡°You want to buy frog poison? What is it for?¡±

    The old man swept a p over, then turned back full of smiles to Shao Xuan, ¡°Young man, what kind of frog poison do you want?¡±

    Shao Xuan thought it over and said, ¡°Can I see the frogs first?¡± He did not know if there was any difference from the frogs here and the ming Horns tribe¡¯s.

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± The old man did not wait for Yu to answer before rushing to reply.

    Yu grumbled under his breath ¡°troublesome¡±, then jumped up onto a lotus leaf, drummed his cheeks for a while, continuously giving off ¡®gu gua¡¯ sounds, afterwards he jumped back ashore.

    Not long after, Shao Xuan saw some frogs sessivelye from the forest. There was someing from the river too.

    These frogs were bright and colorful, but there were also some that were not conspicuous. Either way, they all came together.

    Each one was no bigger than a palm. After jumping over, they stayed around Yu, not running away, just sitting there. Sometimes, some would use their hind leg to kick away any dirt that was on them, maintaining their clean moist skin.

    ¡°These are all of them, some of these frogs can relieve pain, the results are superb. I¡¯ve used them on the beasts in the mountain before.¡± Yu exined.

    ¡°And then?¡± Shao Xuan questioned.

    ¡°Died.¡±

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    ¡°Used too much, even if it could be used as medicine, in the end it became poison.¡± Yu exined.

    If poison is used well, then it will be medicine. On the contrary, if medicine is badly used, then it will be a poison. Shao Xuan naturally understood this logic.

    ¡°This, this and this, their poison is not bad, a little could kill each beast in the forest.¡± Yu introduced a few to Shao Xuan, and then asked, ¡°What degree of poison do you need? Poison to blind? Poison to mute? Or paralysing the whole body? Or the dposing ones?¡±

    Yu only stopped and looked at Shao Xuan after asking all the questions at one shot. He usually did not like going to the trade fair, it was always his grandpa bringing people over. He had to attend to them dutifully, or the trade would not bepleted and his grandpa would nag at him when they went home.

    Shao Xuan mused over this series of questions. When he was in the ming Horns tribe, he had used quite a few poisons, but had never divided them that specifically. It looked like the young man in front of him was a professional.

    Seeing Shao Xuan staring at those frogs and not uttering a sound made the old man anxious, ¡°If you don¡¯t know which to choose, how about just buying a few of each to try them at home.¡± When he was finished speaking, he then turned back with a face of a tiger, ¡°Hurry up and make a poison sting!¡±

    Yu scratched his head and helplessly said, ¡°Alright.¡±

    Yu headed towards the forest after replying, while the old man determinedly pulled Shao Xuan to keep up, ¡°This brat of mine might be a littlezy, but his knowledge towards poison, this old man won¡¯t dare to say he is the first, but definitely ranked at the top in the tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan followed them further into the woods. These two did not have any bad intentions, and they were not like the other Pu tribe traders with a belly full of little extra motives swimming inside. Also, Shao Xuan wanted to see what kind of method the Pu tribe used to extract the poison from the frogs.

    The understanding Yu has for poison, Shao Xuan believed. The area surrounding Yu¡¯s eyes were bright yellow patterns, this was simr to one of the frogs who jumped away previously. What hobby they had, will be what kind of pattern they would have. Through this point, Yu¡¯s love for poison frogs could be seen, naturally he would know more about them too.

    When walking through the woods, they would asionally pass by some long thorny nts. Yu broke off some of the thorns, continuing until his hands were full of these hard sharp thorns. The old man then chopped some wood using the stone knife he brought along. He split the wood into half and ced them on the ground; Yu then called out ¡®gu gua¡¯ a few times before some frogs came over. He then took a thorn out using his index and middle finger to hold onto it, and smeared over the body of a blue patterned frog closest to him.

    Transparent nds started seeping out from the frog¡¯s body; this was a poison that could bring down a whole deer.

    The long hard thorn was smeared entirely with poison, and the process did not harm that frog in any way.

    After smearing, Yu twisted his palm, with it facing down towards the previously split wood, and shot out his hand like lightning.

    When he pulled back his hand, the poisoned thorns had been firmly nailed onto the wood. The sharp tip of the thorn was sticking out of the wood, just like a nail. When hammering in a nail, the end that would be sticking out of the wood from the other side would be the sharp tip, this was just like that.

    This series of movements showed that Yu was very familiar with it, like he had done this quite a few times before.

    One after another, the thorns that were smeared with poison were hammered into the wood securely. Five thorns each were smeared in one type of frog poison. After one type of frog poison was done, they would continue on to another frog, smearing their poison on.

    ¡°This kind of frog poison may not be able to kill people, but its main effect is this.¡± Yu used a hard thorn to wipe it off on a deep blue frog, then used the poison spread on the thorn to wipe it on a piece of leaf on a nt.

    Only hearing a ¡®chi¡¯ ringing, the leaf that was smeared with poison immediately had a hole corroded through it. There was still smokeing out. Smelling it may sting the nose a little, however, when smearing on the poison before, there was no smell.

    It was hard to imagine that such a poison came from a frog that was norger than a human¡¯s palm.

    Yu¡¯s method of collecting poisons involved using the hard thorns; this is because the thorns had a not so visibleyer that could keep the corrosion out.

    Yu continued applying poison on the hard thorns then hammered them into the wood. He waited for the poison on the thorns to dry before plucking them out. He then wrapped the thorns up, so that the poison could use it whenever he wants, all he needed to do then was just take them out. Dried poison would not decrease its potency; the only limitation was that the longer it was kept, the weaker the poison will be.

    Shao Xuan looked at how Yu had each thorn applied with poison then hammered them into the wood, he knew that many frog poisons could only work when in the blood stream. If it was not a scratch, then the poison would not have much effect, there were many that would only make the fingers have rash, it was not fatal. The ming Horns tribe, when carrying poisonous animals, would always take protective measures

    But now, there were a lot of frog poison that could have an effect directly through skin contact, there was no need for a scratch. But he was handling that poison on the hard thorns very calmly, without using any protection for the fingers. If he slipped a little, he would have a hole in his hand or be poisoned.

    Especially when throwing the thorns into the wood, many would worry that the poison on the hard thorns would slide onto the fingers. But Yu would always pull back his hand before that would happen, so that not even the slightest poison could touch him.

    What surprised Shao Xuan was when there was no more space avable on the wood, Yu held the remaining thorns directly in his mouth, biting on the non-poisonous end. If his lips came into contact with the poison, he would definitely suffer.

    This was quite dangerous, but the old man next to him wasn¡¯t surprised in the slightest, he had seen it quite a few times and wasn¡¯t worried.

    Once the smearing and drying of the poison on the hard thorns was finished, Yu pulled out the thorns from the wood. Of course, not with his naked hand, but with the help of leaves.

    He handed the thorns properly smeared in poison to Shao Xuan and said: ¡°All right, you can try these, if you like them you cane again and just find the old man, I¡¯m going back to sleep.¡±

 Chapter 168 â€“ Travel team

    Chapter 168 ¨C Travel team

    Tranted by Team Lesyt

    In the end, Yu did not go to sleep. The old man had just headed back home, and the Drumming tribe¡¯s people were leaving tomorrow, but who knew if someone from the Drumming tribe would arrive at his house for something else?

    Yu had done very intensive research on frogs, but he would sleep most of the time he was in the tribe. He sometimes went to the river to find a suitable ce to rest on the lotus leaves, and other times he would go into the woods to sleep on the branches. His family now consisted only of his grandfather and himself, but he was not interested in trading. He wanted to y in the tribe, but the old man didn¡¯t allow him.

    Shao Xuan did not care about the pottery and rough linen. He simply walked past them and inquired about the poisonous frogs. Since Yu was very knowledgeable on frog poison, he naturally understood how to use it properly. It seemed like that was a chance for further improvement on Shao Xuan¡¯s traps.

    Anyways, since he was always bored, Yu stayed up to chat with Shao Xuan.

    Like the majority of the Pu tribe, Yu felt that the people from the Drumming tribe were rather foolish. Besides stone tools and others, they also loved buying impractical things.

    ¡°If I had that many water moonstones, I would go and trade it for lots of food, or for some high-end material tools. When I¡¯m hungry I can eat, and when I¡¯m full I can go out to y.¡± Yu said.

    Yu also used frog poison to make traps for beasts. He was in need of some

    wood and stone and other sturdy materials that the Pu tribe did not have around. Only by trading with external tribes could he have the chance to get some.

    After listening to Yu¡¯s story, Shao Xuan really felt that the ming Horns tribe¡¯s people and these people¡¯s lives were just too different.

    The Drumming tribe people did not have to worry too much about food since there was lots of fish in the river. There were also some beasts near the mountains. If there wasn¡¯t enough meat they could use the river to go to other tribes. The only thing they needed to worry about was the annual production of the water moonstones and the attacks that they encountered for them. Of course, not every year would there be such a brutal attack from the other tribes.

    As for the Pu tribe, most of them did not like hunting for prey. Compared to the risks involved in hunting, trading allowed them to get more resources: food, as well as other daily necessities. Since their ancestors had been really fortunate, their children and grandchildren had had good lives too. That continued to the present day, as in the Pu tribe¡¯s people¡¯s minds, trading had be an indispensable thing in their daily life.

    Other than the members of the tribe that travelled to trade, the majority remained in their tribe¡¯s region. They could wait for other tribes toe to them to trade, and did not need to experience cold and dry hardships. They could also avoid the risk of fighting with ferocious beasts.

    A lot of the surrounding tribes also did not like going outside of their territories, so they relied on the Pu tribe¡¯s travel team to trade.

    There weren¡¯t many ferocious beasts where they lived. The mountains were not as dangerous as at the ming Horns tribe. It did not take half a day to travel from the Drumming tribe to the Pu tribe. If it was the ming Horns hunting team, they wouldn¡¯t even take half a day.

    There was a gathering of humans on this side of the world. They did not really fear the threats of ferocious beasts, as there were mainly tribal disputes between them.

    Each tribe had their own favorite way of life. In that case, the people from the Pu tribe were more like businessmen, as they were talented in trading.

    ¡°Where does the travel team generally go to? The central tribes?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yeah, most of the times. Why, do you want to go?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I originally came out to gain experience.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    Yu suddenly felt envious. He also wanted to go out, as did many other young people. The tribe¡¯s travel team consisted mainly of young adults. Every time he saw someone of the same age going out with their parents, he wished he could as well. Unfortunately, his parents were dead, and that year¡¯s travel team had suffered heavy losses. More than seventy percent of the group who went out did note back. The old man did not allow Yu to go out precisely because of this.

    ¡°In fact, being in the travel team can sometimes be dangerous. Not every venture is, though.¡± Yu said.

    In the Pu tribe, the leader Guang Hou was also in high favor of the youths joining the team.

    This was not a peaceful era, there were nows or regtions, murder wasn¡¯t rare. Within the travel team, everyone needed to protect themselves.

    ¡°Ugh, unfortunately, the old man won¡¯t let me go!¡± Yu felt his troubles were endless. He had studied frog poison because he had interest in it, but it was also to prepare for the trip.

    ¡°When does your tribe¡¯s travel team leave?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Just now, Yu had said that a travel team had left for their two-month trip and would note back for several days. One woulde back every now and again in order to drop off what they had bought and refill on water moonstones.

    After chatting with Yu a bit more, Shao Xuan went to find Fu Shi. Tonight, the Drumming tribe¡¯s people were staying within the Pu tribe, only to leave tomorrow morning.

    Shao Xuan went around to inquire about the Pu tribe travel team. It turned out they could bring people from other tribes along, but it cost water moonstones. This matter did not bother Shao Xuan. As he was now in a new-and-unknown-to-him area, following the Pu tribe team seemed like the best option.

    Shao Xuan went and found the team¡¯s leader, paid the three pieces of water moonstones and took the frog brand. The travel team would be starting in a few days. Shao Xuan only needed to show this brand and he would be allowed to go with the Pu tribe¡¯s travel team when they left.

    After hearing that Shao Xuan wanted to join the travel team, the Drumming tribe¡¯s members couldn¡¯t help but feel rather confused. They thought waiting here

    was more cost-effective. The Pu tribe¡¯s people brought things over and they only needed to take the stones with them. It seemed like Shao Xuan had thrown away three water moonstones for nothing.

    But one he thought about it, that Shao Xuan was out to gain experience, Fu Shi became relieved and did not continue to persuade, but his heart still kept to his ideals.

    The next day, the Drumming tribesmen got ready to leave, Fu Shi looked happily at his rattan full of things. Which, besides the necessary stones, stone tools, etc¡­, were also good pottery, and a piece of the central tribe¡¯s linen. Which, after he returns, will probably lead to other people¡¯s envy, right? Thinking of this, Fu Shi could not help butugh a few times, and think that this was really a worthwhile trip. But for a short while, he will note here to trade, until the winter, for some food over the winter.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be heading back first then. Shao Xuan, if you return, do not forget toe by our Drumming tribe.¡± Fu Shi said to Shao Xuan as he was standing on the crocodile¡¯s body with his rattan basket.

    ¡°Good, I will definitelye back to you again.¡±

    Looking at the Drumming tribesmen leave. Shao Xuan prepared to travel with the Pu tribe¡¯s travel team by talking to more people, hoping to catch more information.

    While chatting with people, Shao Xuan saw Yu running over quickly.

    ¡°Yu, what is it?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, Yu¡¯s smile became bigger, spreading his own joy.

    ¡°My grandfather agreed! Haha. I just went to see team leader Fan Ning, and I can go with them in a few days!¡± While talking, Yupletely did not have the sleepy look of yesterday, he was full of energy, like he could not wait to run a fewps around the tribe.

    Fan Ning was a team leader of the Pu tribe, he was also the team leader that Shao Xuan talked to.

    ¡°Congrattions.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°He he. No more talking, I need to go back to prepare.¡± Yu rubbed his hand and narrowed his eyes, like a poison frog excreting venom.

    After a few days, Shao Xuan also saw the transactions between the Pu tribe and other tribes; like the ¡°Luo¡± tribe¡¯s greats, which were useful not only in the rivers, but also the mountains. You could catch fish with them, but also capture a lot of beasts with them, they nevercked food.

    Every time the Luo tribe came, their people would carryrges with prey, to exchange them with the Pu tribesmen.

    Besides the Luo tribe, there were other small tribes. These tribes were not so ¡°rich¡±, and no tribe caught more food than the Luo tribe. But each tribe had their own survival skills, such as crafting stone tools, or looking for stone and some other rare materials, and some were also good at medicine. Thosest ones would exchange prepared medicines or raw medicinal materials.

    Having stayed in the Pu tribe for several days, Shao Xuan also exchanged for a lot of good things. Since it was necessary to travel, he would naturally need some good stones. And as he would be carving stone, he exchanged water moonstones for stone carving tools.

    Stone tools and herbs. These were all the things he needed to prepare.

    Mid and high quality stone, these were not so easy to find here, so Shao Xuan exchanged for some additional ones.

    The Pu tribe¡¯s travel team started ten dayster.

    On the day of departure, Shao Xuan was ready with his preparations.

    The team has nearly two hundred people, of which more than 90 percent were from the Pu tribe. The team was currently at the river.

    With arge leather bag hanging from his neck, while also carrying arge rattan basket on his back, Yu ran over while panting with the old man behind him.

    The rattan basket contained a lot of things, including stone knives, spearheads, etc¡­, there was a lot of dried meat and baked insects.

    The old man gave something to some people he knew in the team, he also stuffed a bottle of frog poison in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. Yu was joining the team for the first time, the old man hoped the people would take more care of him.

    As expected of business men, their brain was flexible, much more than that of the Drumming tribe, Shao Xuan thought.

    Looking at him breathing heavily, Shao Xuan took the rattan basket from his back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with it, I¡¯ll give it back to you when we are on the boat.¡±

    ¡°Hey, no, you also brought a lot of things, my basket is very heavy, you can not afford to¡­.¡± Before Yu could finish, he saw Shao Xuan easily holding up the rattan basket in one hand.

    Yu and some other surrounding people were looking at the rxed Shao Xuan, waited for a moment, then asked: ¡°What¡¯s your tribe?¡±

    Yu had not seen people with more strength than the Drumming tribe before.

    ¡°ming Horns.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Yu and the surrounding people quietly remembered the name of the tribe.

    Shao Xuan smiled, and then jumped together with the others on the boat.

    The Shaman gave Shao Xuan some tasks. Back then, because of natural disasters, a split urred within the ming Horns tribe, the one on the other side of the river was just one part of the tribe. Shao Xuan needed to find the other part of the ming Horns tribe. But until now, he had not heard anything about the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡±.

    The Shaman gave a patterned stone to Shao Xuan, and also painted Chacha¡¯s feet with the tattoo pattern, telling his meaning of not hiding it to Shao Xuan, if the world has forgotten the ming Horns tribe, then let everyone remember the name.

    Besides, even if he covered up his totem patterns now, if they needed to fight, then the totem patterns would be revealed, there was no need to lie.

 Chapter 169 â€“ Slaves

    Chapter 169 ¨C ves

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    The travel team left from another river of the Pu tribe from the same waterway.

    There were not many lotus leaves in this river. On each of the rafts stood someone.

    Shao Xuan and Yu took the same raft. Shao Xuan was listening to the discussions that the surrounding people were telling Yu.

    In the sky above the raft team followed Chacha. This matter had only been told to the team leader, Fan Ning.

    At that time, Fan Ning had still wanted to ask for another water moonstone for Chacha, but was rejected by Shao Xuan. Chacha could keep a lookout in the sky and warn them if there were any dangerous encounters, with such good advantages, he still had wanted to receive payment? The economy was not that great at the present times, but these poeple already had the potential to be profiteers.

    In the end, Fan Ning was left with a ck face but he also did not insist.

    Since this was a far travel, naturally it would not be over within a day or two, sometimes it could even go on for a few hundred days.

    Probably because there were more human tribes in this area, it was not like the dangerous hunting area near the river. There would be times where they would meet with incidents from the river or harassment from other tribes, but generally it was still safe and calm.

    Due to their frequent travels outside, The Pu tribe knew clearly which waterway was safer and easier. Shao Xuan had also silently remembered these ways in his mind. When he is free, he would record them onto beast skin scrolls, thuspleting his map slowly. Let¡¯s say that if one day, the ming Horns tribe returned here, they would need a map too.

    Close to after a thousand years, the changes were drastic. This ce was no longer what the ancestors had recorded.

    Moving along, the river flow became wider. Close to the flowing river, there would always be traces of human activities. Listening to the people at the side talk, apparently there was a small tribe not far ahead. But that small tribe did not like having contact with outsiders. They were also entric, whenever they see people outside their tribe, they would avoid or throw stone spears or the sort. The Pu tribe was very unpleased about it, but they would also not dy their travel speed because of them.

    ¡°Pay attention.¡± Advised a person with rich experience.

    There were some women wearing beast skin washing their stuff on a shore ahead. They immediately packed up their stuff and ran away after they saw the travel group. Also, when the travel group passed through, an arrow was shot from the hillside forest.

    This kind of strength to Shao Xuan, or even the ming Horns tribe warriors, was nothing. He could easily catch it and break it. If there were a lot of these arrows then that would make people frustrated.

    The Pu tribe took up oars to block the iing arrows. Shao Xuan grabbed a knife to cut down the wooden arrows.

    If the opponent was a big tribe, then the Pu tribe could still step back and exchange conversations with them. But this kind of small tribe, The Pu tribe¡¯s members couldn¡¯t be bothered to attend to these strange people.

    The speed of the rafts was pretty fast, by the time they got out of that area, the arrows stopped too.

    In fact, those hiding in the forest did not really want to shoot the passer-by¡¯s to death, but merely wanted to scare them off. If they really had any killing intent, they would have used much more forceful methods instead of these wooden arrows.

    There were many small tribes in the surrounding, their existence was quite low. Mostly, there would be only a few hundred members in their tribe, they did not have much fighting prowess as well. Their birth and death rate went by quite fast too. The Pu tribe would not pay too much attention to them.

    The Pu tribe members around Shao Xuan did not say much either, they were people who only cared of their own interest and profits.

    Two dayster.

    ¡°The fork is right ahead. We will stay there for two days.¡± The person at the side looked at the colour of the sky and said.

    In front, The river split into two, forming a ¡®Y¡¯ shape. There were some other tribes also heading towards the central tribes before them. Many of the Pu tribe were on familiar terms with several of them. Sometimes they would continue ahead in cooperation, forming an evenrger team. This way it was also safer.

    There were many strong people in the central tribes. They could only use numbers to counter them.

    Shao Xuan looked over.

    The two sides of the river no longer had any mountains, no thick woods. It was all t, and there many houses constructed. There were huts, stone houses, their architectural style diversified: oval, triangr, the t roof type or even the steeple thatched kind¡­. based on this, you could see they were not a tribe.

    Now, looking at the people, although their features were not as obvious as their houses, but anybody who saw this would have the same thought: These people were too messy. Just like a te of scattered sand, each grain came from a different drainage area, and were then gathered here.

    Although there were many people, but you could see their condition was not very good. Some were as skinny as matches, some had no life within their eyes. Whether they were kids or adults, they were all the same. The children might be in a slightly better condition, excluding their body condition, some would still smile a little, but as for the adults, most were dazed and depressed.

    What exactly had they encountered, these people, how did they be like that?

    ¡°These people are?¡± Shao Xuan asked some people at the side who had more experiences.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about them.¡± Some of the Pu tribe members looked over, a few sighed, the others didn¡¯t care, ¡°They are ¡®wanderers¡¯.¡±

    The ¡®wanderers¡¯ they had mentioned were not like tourists, instead it meant these people were vagrants, people who had no where to stay. They were like duckweeds with no roots, constantly on the move, doing many things just to survive.

    ¡°They are those who had lost their inner me.¡± A Pu tribe member on the side exined.

    People who had lost their me, no matter where, their lives would be in darkness. If there was no me, how would they have strength.

    ¡°Lost their inner me?¡± Shao Xuan was curious to this saying.

    ¡°Yeah, their tribe no longer exists, their me dispersed and lost its origin of power.¡± That guy said.

    The year when Shao Xuan had awakened, the Shaman had told them their origin of power came from within them. Under the call of the totem me, they would then start to ignite slowly, which is also the totem in their consciousness.

    But if it was the totem me that got extinguished, this meant that their tribe no longer exists. The totem would also naturally dissipate, their origin of power would then go into a deep sleep or even disappear.

    No wonder those people would be in that condition. With no tribe, no totem power, they became ¡®wanderers¡¯, wandering around thends, being at a loss. What they could only do now is to survive, what dominated them was only their instinct to survive.

    However, hearing that their totem me got extinguished made Shao Xuan feel surprised. He originally thought that kind of unique me would forever exist. But now looking at it, it could still be exterminated, but when it goes out, the tribe goes along too.

    From what the Pu tribe members had said, when a tribe¡¯s me extinguishes, their tribe disappears. Some will use their own special skills to get food, likebour work.

    Or it would be the end of their life and assume the way of the ¡®wanderers¡¯. Some of them would abandon their own beliefs and join other tribes. Their descendants would then be able to call on the me of the new tribe. Awakening the new tribe¡¯s totem. However, if the totem in their blood was too mixed up, so long they managed to awaken then all was good, they might face a little discrimination, but at least they had somewhere safe to rest their feets at, a home to stay in. However, if they failed, they would be chased out of the tribe and continue their father¡¯s, grandfather¡¯s way of life as a ¡®wanderer¡¯.

    ¡°Why won¡¯t they go hunt?¡± Shao Xuan questioned. Not long after he asked, Shao Xuan had realised himself about the variety of situations that might happen, without the power of totems, the risk of hunting was too big.

    ¡°Hunt?¡± Yu mocked, ¡°Unless it was ast resort, they would not go hunting themselves.¡±

    Even if the woods here were not like the woods along the river banks, but many of these ces, one or two people couldn¡¯t survive there. If they made a team, then they could barely survive. But these were people who were abandoned by the totem me, people without faith and strength, nine out of ten would die.

    ¡°What if both parents are not ¡®wanderers¡¯, then what will happen to their descendants?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Generally, many tribes do not require you to marry someone within the tribe. For example, our Pu tribe, it¡¯s enough if their descendants ept the totem me¡¯s guidance. However, there is only one choice, to choose to ept the tribe¡¯s me, if not, ept the other tribe¡¯s origin of power. Only then could he awaken one of the powers. Otherwise, if both of the powers awaken, they will collide. The small tribes are more inclined for them to marry their own tribesmen, but this also has their own disadvantage. If there are too few members, it is easy to have chaos.

    The Pu tribesmen with rich experiences had said that some in small tribes, in order to increase their members, many bizarre** situations would happen. Making their entire tribe¡¯s atmosphere foul. The Pu tribe despised these kinds of people. [There¡¯s nothing that goes with those **, but I assume you can imagine what the author means.]

    Shao Xuan thought over it, that year when the ming Horns tribe arrived at that ce, there weren¡¯t many people. However there would always be someone recording their members status, Shao Xuan had seen the records of those years from the Shaman. The tribe¡¯s poption growth was very slow, but very stable. It was not chaotic like what Yu had said.

    That time in the ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan had felt that the ming Horns tribe¡¯s Shaman was not a pushover at all, now hearing the other tribe¡¯s situation, if it wasn¡¯t for the ming Horns tribe¡¯s every generation shaman¡¯s guide and control, who¡¯s to say they could have reached their current stability?

    Under that kind of situation, they still had to face the ferocious beasts in the surrounding forests. They could progress until today¡¯s 2 thousand members scale, it really was not easy.

    A good shaman, a good chief, it is indeed very important.

    The Pu tribe travel team continued up ashore, Shao Xuan saw a group of around ten quicklying over. They helped the Pu tribe travel team carry their stuff from the rafts and took care of their rafts on the water. There was also an individual at the side fiercely staring at them with a whip in his hands.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± Shao Xuan asked the person next to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking about them, ah.¡± It was the same as before, but at this moment, there were no indifference or sighs in the eyes of the Pu tribe, instead they carried an extreme contempt and heavily said: ¡°Those are, ves!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s lids twitched.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan could only hear the presumptuousughter in front. Theughter was a bit harsh on the ears.

    Lifting his head up to take a look, Shao Xuan saw a man who was randomly covered with leopard¡¯s hide, smiling while walking over slowly. His physique tall and skinny, a pale face, not tanned like the people who were working around him. A pair of slightly squinting eyes, looking all smiley, but the sh in his eyes told Shao Xuan that this guy was not good to get along with.

    ¡°Hahahaha! We meet again!¡± The moment that man came over, the travel team¡¯s leader, Fan Ning, quickly went up to wee him. Fan Ning, who had always given Shao Xuan an unfriendly face, at this moment, smiled like a flower blooming, and started speaking up with him.

    ¡°And who is that guy?¡± Shao Xuan once again asked the guy at his side.

    This time the Pu tribe member¡¯s voice softened, slightly holding in his volume and answered: ¡°He is the owner of those ves.¡±

    That is to say, that the man in leopard¡¯s hide was the ves¡¯ master.

 Chapter 170 â€“ The â€˜wandererâ€™ Yan Shuo

    Chapter 170 ¨C The ¡®wanderer¡¯ Yan Shuo

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Although Shao Xuan was puzzled about the ves and ve master that appeared here, first he still had to settle down with the travel team before he could talk about anything else.

    That ve master had quite a few housings here. At such an intersection, it was amon sight to see many peoplee and go. Every day, many travel teams like the Pu tribe settled here, he would then charge a certain ¡®fee¡¯ on them.

    Everything that was said was done by the ves though.

    But Shao Xuan had discovered that the ves that had been despised by the Pu tribe, their body condition may be poor, butpared to those wanderers, they seemed to have something else.

    Yes, power. It¡¯s power!

    Those ves somehow had more power than the wanderers! It wasn¡¯t necessarily strength, it could be something like speed, reaction speed or something else.

    There was pain on the ves¡¯ faces. Some were so numb that they could turn a blind eye to the contempt in the eyes of the surrounding people.

    Bing a ve, they had abandoned all their beliefs they had in the past, and from now on, there was only one belief they could have: their master.

    The night deepened.

    Fan Ning did not talk more to that ve master as he still had a team to arrange.

    For now, the ce where they had settled down didn¡¯t have very good conditions. The area was small, with everybody squeezing together. But this was still better than having been bitten by mosquitos by the river side. Also, when its night time, the outside was not very safe. Who¡¯s to say that you won¡¯t be cut down by the wanderers; it is always good to have preparations, so it is still better to huddle together.

    As for Chacha, there was absolutely no need for Shao Xuan to worry. This brat could survive even when they were hunting. Here, those beasts were not any threat to him. Even if he met with any danger, he would also look for Shao Xuan.

    At this time, in the surrounding area, the differently shaped houses that Shao Xuan had seen before, each had started building fires. The people who had gone out came back with the results of a day¡¯s worth ofbour. Some came from the forest, some came from the river where the travel teams stayed. They knew how to do rough work, however their rewards were small.

    A slim figure walked in the nightfall. The wooden stick in his hands waved like in a dance. The buzzing mosquitoes were driven away like a big p by it.

    Coming to a not very big wooden house, he moved away a block of thick wood, and in a sh he went in. In the same way, he quickly put up that block of wood again to keep the mosquitoes away.

    ¡°You¡¯re back!?¡±

    In the house, there was a simrly skinny women inside, carrying a young child sitting there. Her face showing exhaustion. The child in her arms sleeping.

    In the corner, there was a piece of wooden nk. That was a bed. On it was the figure of a skinny young child.

    ¡°En.¡± The man who had just returned put his beast skin bag, that had many holes, at the side, and took out today¡¯s harvest.

    It was a fruit, a fish and a rabbit from the forrest area.

    The surrounding beasts that could be hunted had already been almost wiped clean. They had limited strength, if they went any further out, they would die. There was not much else but fruits, many of which were still not ripe or had been picked by others already. Today was still counted as a lucky day, he found some big fruits at a not easily found area in a corner.

    Seeing the fish and the rabbit, the woman¡¯s eyes lighted up. This was already very good.

    The womanid the child carefully onto the wooden nk. She cooked the fish and the rabbit, as they were already cleaned up when they were ughtered outside, there wasn¡¯t any need to do any more treatment to them. They could be directly cooked.

    After having them cooked, she came back and took a bite from one of the fruits, and after a while, the woman then chose a fruit with more juice in it and ced them on the wooden bed near the one year old child¡¯s mouth.

    Having food, that child also didn¡¯t care to sleep. Just hugged the fruit and chewed quietly.

    The woman then again ced two fruits on the wooden bed with her daughter on it and said: ¡°First eat a little.¡±

    ¡°How was today?¡± The woman asked.

    The man sighed and shook his head.

    At first, there were his family and ten more other people. Three among them had joined other tribes, one managed to sessfully stay behind, while two others were driven away and did not survive; four formed a group and went to the mountains to hunt and were forced to stay behind forever by the beasts; two had be ves. The remaining one joined their family and had always stayed here, almost for ten years already.

    ¡°If it is really impossible, I n to find people to leave together. We should change to some other ce, I have already spoken with them today.¡± The man said.

    While talking, a few knocks sounded on the block of wood that was blocking the entrance.

    ¡°Yan Shuo, open the door!¡±

    Once hearing the guy¡¯s voice, the man immediately rxed his originally tense muscles, letting go of the stone knife, that was full of notches on it.

    The person who came in was shorter than Yan Shuo by a little, skinnier than Yan Shuo too, like he was only wrapped in skin. HIs two eyes were bloodshot, breathing unstably, looking like he had just made an important decision.

    ¡°What is wrong?¡± Yan Shuo asked.

    The guy came in and suddenly raised his head. Because he was too excited, the expression on his face became a little distorted.

    ¡°Yan Shuo, I¡­.decided to¡­¡­go over!¡± The guy eximed while looking in another direction.

    Yan Shuo eyes opened wide due to the surprise.

    ¡°I ¡­. Really can¡¯t stand it any more! Today I met them again, they had power once again.¡± That guy burst out.

    Yan Shuo knew who the ¡®they¡¯ were. They were the ones that came together with them earlier, those that became ves. The area in front, where that guy was looking at before was where the ves were living at now.

    Yan Shuo gaped, not knowing what to say. He had originally wanted to leave with everyone and find a nice ce to stay, work hard to live on. However, who would have thought that the other had already given up, couldn¡¯t endure it anymore. Having no power really made people feel oblivion.

    ¡°Okay, i¡¯m going,¡± That guy walked over the door but stopped again, his back facing Yan Shuo, slightly tilted his head: ¡°Quickly make a decision, also, stop thinking about the impossible stuff anymore.¡±

    After the guy had left, Yan Shuo sat inside silently, looked at the fire in the firece, and stared wordlessly.

    Eyes gazing straight into the firece, the muscles on Yan Shuo twitched twice, the meridians on his not stark arm could be visibly seen. The weirdest thing was that the lines on Yan Shuo¡¯s face were not very clear, however, if Shao Xuan were here, he would definitely recognise them immediately. That that was the ming Horns tribe¡¯s warriors¡¯ totem pattern on his face!

    Only,pared with the ming Horns tribe¡¯s totem warriors, the patterns on Yan Shuo¡¯s face were very light. It was not stable either, sometimes it would be clear, sometimes it waspletely faded. There were also no other patterns on the upper body or the arms.

    Yan Shuo had always thought, his own power was not merely just this. But because they were wanderers, and had no origin me, therefore he could not be a real totem warrior.

    He knew his own ancestors were from the ming Horns tribe. The stories passed down from each generation, everybody kept them in their hearts, ming Horns tribe, and the totem of the tribe.

    ¡°Dad had said the ming Horns tribe is still here.¡± Yan Shuo mumbled.

    ¡°ming Horns tribe members, each are strong and big warriors. They can easily lift a bear, sporting the me¡¯s twin horns totem pattern. They are able to cover their entire body with it, the ming Horns tribe me, it can cover an entire mountain¡­.¡±

    Yan Shuo originally only mumbled while talking to himself, his tone was still considered calm, just like narrating a story. But slowly his tone brought along depression, his eyes reddening.

    Because of obsession, Yan Shuo¡¯s ancestors has added a ¡®Yan¡¯ ["Ñ×¡±] or a ¡®Jiao¡¯ [?[½Ç]n their descendants¡¯ names. This is so that they could always remember their own tribe¡¯s name [?[Ñ×½Ç²¿]if one day they could find their tribe, their wishes would be fulfilled. Therefore, the descendants were not allowed to join other tribes, not allowed to be ves. Even if they died, they were not allowed to betray their own tribe.

    However, so many years had passed, the ming Horns tribe was already no longer remembered by people. The people around had no one who had heard of this kind of tribe. No matter how many times Yan Shuo had said that the ming Horns tribe still exists, the totem me was still burning, the others just would not believe.

    But Yan Shuo¡¯s power was indeed stronger than the others, also, he could slightly reveal totem patterns. He could stick around until the present, this was also one of the reasons he could continue.

    But now, he felt at a loss.

    They came with the other ten people at first, all of them did not manage to endure through, now there was only his family left.

    Leave?

    If there were not enough people, once their family leaves, before reaching their destination, they would probably die.

    Two days ago someone left, but the next day, he had been found by someone in a nearby river. His body drained of blood, it was the deed of those mosquitoes. His bottom half had been chewed up, the deed of the wild beasts that came from the woods at night during their activities. If, let¡¯s say if, another day had passed, he probably would not even have his head intact either.

    Even if Yan Shuo was stronger than the rest by a bit, but it was onlypared to the other wanderers; against those totem warriors, it was not even able topare.

    Power!

    Only when you have power, then can you live a better life in this world.

    This was also one of the reasons why the wanderers that could not endure anymore became ves. Bing a ve means you lose your freedom and much more, but at least they could be awarded power from their masters!

    Only, how to choose?

    Is it to continue to endure, keep on looking, or wait for the ming Horns tribe¡¯s news toe, or be like those wanderers who gave up enduring and find a tribe to lean on, or be a ve.

    No, definitely not!

    Yan Shuo¡¯s both hand held his head.

    Cannot give up, no! Dad has said that the tribe is still here, definitely here!

    The woman sitting on the wooden nk, after seeing her husband this way, hesitantly wanted tofort him, but she had also wondered if should they should be like the rest and choose another path?

    But, when the woman wanted to speak up, the woman realised that on her own husband¡¯s body, there were some patterns along his face, extending to his neck, then his arms; a pattern like mes started appearing from the shoulders down to his entire upper arm, then after some time¡­.

    ¡°That¡­..That¡­..¡± The woman was overly shocked, no words coulde out.

    Yan Shuo, who was hugging his head in thought lifted his head up when he heard her. his eyes were still stained with blood red strands. Seeing his own wife being like this, he felt a bit uncertain, but seeing where his wife was pointing at, the moment when he looked at himself, he had also seen the totem patterns that had spread out.

    From the moment he was born till now, other than the time when he was ten years old, only translucent patterns had appeared, there were no other such instances. But now, these totem patterns that had appeared¡­.

    These patterns, were just like prepared firewood that had not been lit, but today they had ignited, although not clear, but the outlines of the patterns could still be seen

    Yan Shuo remembered about what his own father had said: ¡°You must believe, in our blood the power still exists, it is only in a dormant state. When one day, the time is ripe, it will start to slowly be awakened.

    At the same time, Shao Xuan, who had closed his eyes to rest in a small crowded room with the others, suddenly opened his eyes, and turned his head sharply to look in the direction of where Yan Shuo was.

 Chapter 171 â€“ Li

    Chapter 171 ¨C Li

    Tranted by Magpie¡¯s friend

    Shao Xuan sensed that the totems in his mind were rolling and jumping; the sudden movements woke him up from his light sleep.

    His surroundings were closely sheltered by wooden walls, leaving him no way to see the outside. On the hay-covered ground there were many people lying or sprawled on their stomachs as they snored one after another.

    Shao Xuan was quietly trying to feel where the source of movement came from.

    It¡¯s over there, in that direction.

    But what in the world had happened that would make his totems move in this way?

    Shao Xuan intended to go out and see, but soon, the movements stopped. The totem me in his mind stopped rolling about and returned to normal.

    He immediately gave up the thought of going out for the moment, as the people around were all strangers and this was also the territory of the veholders. If he casually went out at night, he would probably be taken as a malicious person and be attacked by the patrol guard.

    After checking again and confirming that the totems were not moving, Shao Xuan closed his eyes and continued to rest.

    People in the Pu tribe didn¡¯t have any ns for the next day. Only a few main figures like Fan Ning in the traveling group would go and negotiate with other traveling groups, so there was nothing to do with the others in the group.

    Therefore, Shao Xuan was going to go in the direction he had detectedst night to investigate and see if he could find out the reason for the movements of his totem. But the moment he went out of the house, he was taken away by Yu. Yu had found a new poisonous frog from the other traveling groups. This kind of frog was nowhere to be found in their tribe. Yu originally nned to go and see it all by himself, but he had remembered what his grandfather had told him before they started off. So he took several more people with him, including Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what are you looking at?¡± One of them asked.

    ¡°Are they all wanderers over there?¡± Shao Xuan pointed to the direction of the wanderers.

    After taking a look over there, someone from the Pu tribe who had several years of traveling experience, said, ¡°Almost all of them are wanderers. Yet, I advise you not to go there. The people over there are very crazy. If you go there, you will probably be badgered. Quite a few of them like to join other tribes, but no tribe would want to take them, as they are too dangerous.¡±

    Despair would make a person go crazy, and fierce emotions are easy to arise after a long time of depression. This was why many people who came here avoided them.

    ¡°You want to check out that ce?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°I just want to take a look.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to go there now.¡± One elder at the side said. ¡°The wanderers there always go out early. Some go and look for food in the surrounding mountains and forests, while the others go nearby and see if they could find other opportunities.¡±

    Shao Xuan took a nce over at the wanderers and found there were indeed a few walking outside. So he went away with Yu and the others, nning to go there when he returned.

    But not long after Shao Xuan and the others left, in the ce where the wanderers lived together, Yan Shuo moved the wood nk away from the entrance of his house.

    Although there was a weary look on his face, he was in a good mood. Compared with his dead-fish eyes in the past, his eyes now were bright.

    Last night, for the first time, he saw the totem patterns of the legendary totem warriors on his body; moreover, it was the totem pattern of the ming Horns tribe.

    Though the totem patterns weren¡¯t clear and didn¡¯tst for long, Yan Shuo felt the light in his life again. He was too excited to sleep all night.

    Only a little bit of light could ignite the fire of hope for those who were in the dark for too long.

    Last night, apart from the appearance of the totem patterns, Yan Shuo also sensed some slight changes in his body. His body looked the same as before, however he felt that his power had increased a little; as he had moved the wooden nk with ease.

    Yan Shuo had originally nned to leave here with the others, but he gave up the thought of leaving for the moment after the situation had changedst night. After getting up and discussing their options with his wife for a while in the morning, he left the houseter than usual.

    The others had already gone out in search for food. Yan Shuo also wanted to start off, but as he was about to leave, he saw someoneing over from the river bank.

    Seeing him, Yan Shuo frowned with knitted brows and turned around, saying to his wife, ¡°Stay inside. Don¡¯te out!¡±

    The man wasing up leisurely, with a vine whip in his hand. Over on the river bank where the ves handled goods, you would often see people like this man.

    They were also ves, but they were better off than the lower level ve.

    They took charge of supervising the lower ves, and would whip with no mercy those who loafed on the job. This small bit of power gave them such joy that they would whip those they felt dissatisfied with, and sometimes even whipped some to death. But as long as the veholder did not pursue it, no one dared stop them.

    Well, the man walking over was called ¡°Li¡±. He had moved together with Yan Shuo, until they reached this ce. He couldn¡¯t stand being refused by other tribes again and again, so he chose to be a ve.

    Li was the first one who chose to be a ve among those who came here together.

    At first, Li was just a ve of the lower level. Every day he had a lot of work to do, with little time to rest; at times, he was so dog tired and had also suffered being whipped. But he ran into a good opportunity, as someone offended a leader from one of the rtive big traveling groups. The veholder directly killed some ves to make amends to the traveling group. It was at that moment that Li was promoted.

    After bing ves, they could get new strength from the veholder; while being promoted to a higher level meant they could get more resources and strength from the veholder. Their powers would surely improve.

    The guy who came to Yan Shuost night with broken arms and fractures was wounded by Li.

    Maybe to show his power and show off the strength he regained, or maybe for some personal grudges, Li was merciless to his previous partners. If it wasn¡¯t that amotion had happened on the river bank that Li had to immediately settle, that man would have otherwise died.

    From those who came here at the beginning, some left, some died, and others were wounded. Except for Yan Shuo and his families, thest man couldn¡¯t bear the pressure and instead chose to be a vest night. Now, Yan Shuo was the only one to hold out.

    Li headed straight towards Yan Shuo, step by step, with a long whip in hand, wearing a malicious smile on his face.

    If they were both the ves of the same veholder, Li may not dare to kill him directly. Although, sometimes the veholder would not care about whether a lower level ve was alive or dead, Li was afraid that the veholder would have another idea. It had taken a long way for him to get promoted, so Li would not try to annoy his veholder. In spite of the smiling face all day, the veholder would be extremely cruel when he took actions. When thinking about the ves effortlessly killed by the veholder with no hesitation or mercy, Li would feel a chill climbing up his back.

    Anyway, in the case of wanderers, the veholder would not interfere. These wanderers were ungrateful people, who couldn¡¯t tell what was good for them. There were some who even refused the veholder when they were picked out.

    At the beginning, the first one that the veholder actually picked out was Yan Shuo, who had the greatest strength among them. But it¡¯s a pity that Yan Shuo didn¡¯t know what was good for him and refused. Yet Li took the chance; he chose to follow the veholder and left Yan Shuo and the others.

    Yan Shuo just had greater strength, wasn¡¯t it? We are all wanderers without our own tribe. The me was extinguished a long time ago. Then what¡¯s the difference between us?

    As to the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± that Yan Shuo always talked about on the way here, Li didn¡¯t believe even one word he said.

    If the tribe still exists, why is he in such dire straits?

    If the tribe still exists, why doesn¡¯t Yan Shuo go out and look for it?

    If the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± really exists, why does no one in the traveling groupsing and going know about its existence?

    At that time, Yan Shuo appeared to be one of the sanest amongst them. But in fact, in the eyes of the others, Yan Shuo was a madman, always dreaming about something that was impossible.

    What Li was most disgusted with was the way Yan Shuo¡¯s eyes filled with hope as he talked about the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡±. In the past, he was no match for Yan Shuo, but Li gained strength after bing a ve. It¡¯s only that he had had no time toe over and ¡°chat¡± with these men who used to be his partners. Yet now, he had plenty of free time. Yesterday, he came over for one of them; today he came for Yan Shuo.

    In order to avoid being called away in the middle of his ¡®chat¡¯ like he was yesterday, he asked another ¡®promoted¡¯ ve to keep his eyes on the ves on the river bank.

    With a whip in one hand, Li brought a palm-sized shell in the other hand for amusement.

    It¡¯s said that in some ce in the central area, delicate shells could be exchanged for things. What a pity that the shells in this ce were far from being delicate, but were ugly and fragile, just like the people here!

    Ka!

    The shell in his hand crumbled into pieces instantly.

    ¡°Someone told me that you are badly off now?¡± Li sneered at Yan Shuo as he stood in front of his messy wooden hut; a hut that looked like it could be blown down by a gust of wind. The next moment, he raised his hand and gave a heavy sh.

    The whip fell on the fragile wooden hut; some of the wood blocks cracked and fell down immediately, one corner of the roof was ripped down.

    ¡°Li!¡±

    Seeing Li intending to ruin his house, Yan Shuo couldn¡¯t bear it any more, as his wife and kids were inside. If the house was ruined, where would they sleep tonight? There were too many dangers in the surroundings; moreover, his two kids were too small and vulnerable to idents.

    Li came to kill him. Yan Shuo knew the reason, so he didn¡¯t expect a peaceful talk.

    With the chipped stone knife he usually used, Yan Shuo rushed at Li.

    Li looked at Yan Shuo with a flicker of confusion. Yan Shuo seemed different from how he was in the past? It should not be so, after all, what could have happened to Yan Shuo?

    Still, Li was not worried. No matter what had changed, Yan Shuo, a wanderer, was still no match to him.

    Yan Shuo, who had dashed out in an instant, was waving his knife based on his experience from hunting beasts; thoughts of fighting welling up in his mind beyond control.

    In the past, Yan Shuo had greater strength than the others, but there seemed to be a big stone inside his body, preventing him from generating more strength. But it was different now. Although there was some feeling of obstruction as before, Yan Shuo felt the resistance was smaller. He had a pleasant feeling hard to express in words when waving his knife.

    Is this the so called power?

    The knife had the power of destruction. Yan Shuo shed towards Li as if he was hunting a prey, while the totem patterns on his face became clearer and appeared.

    Almost at the same time, Shao Xuan, who was taken away to see the poison frog by Yu and the others, moved his eyes away from the poison frog and looked over to the direction where the wanderers lived.

    ¡°Yu, I have something that I need to do and need to be excused for a moment. Help me get some poison.¡± Shao Xuan gave a water moonstone to Yu and quickly went away.

    ¡°Hey! We¡¯ll go back to the house after a while!¡± Seeing Shao Xuan leaving in a hurry, Yu didn¡¯t think about it much, but moved his eyes back onto the poison frog in front of him.

 Chapter 172 â€“ A totem tattoo is not like this

    Chapter 172 ¨C A totem tattoo is not like this

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Li originally believed that all he needed was one strike; in a direct face off, he could beat someone to waste. However he had never thought that the present Yan Shuo had actually burst out with explosive power different from the past, even the speed of wielding his knife was a lot faster. This forced Li to bring out the stone knife hanging by his waist to block.

    Ping ping ping ping!

    Sounds of stone knives colliding travelled through the area where the wanderers lived.

    However, no one from the surrounding approached, they all stood afar, spectating.

    Wanderers being killed off was no surprise; they had no strength, and no support from the tribes. Even the people who got along well with Yan Shuo and his family, or those who had received help from Yan Shuo before, were not willing to incur the wrath of a ve master.

    Only, the thing that made everyone surprised was something that looked like totem patterns appearing on Yan Shuo¡¯s face; they weren¡¯t there before, they had appeared during the battle. They didn¡¯t seem to be drawn on deliberately, it was different from those liars who pretended to be totem warriors.

    Although,pared to totem warriors, the pattern was lighter, but it had still made the people who were spectating be shocked.

    The explosive power of the stone knives meeting caused debris from the knife to disperse; some hitting Li¡¯s face and causing a tingling pain. Then looking at Yan Shuo, his face also had a few blood stained scars that were cut by the debris too; however, he felt like nothing he had ever experienced before, he became even braver.

    Feeling that his wrist was getting numb, the killing intent in Li¡¯s eyes grew stronger. Luckily he came today, who knows exactly what kind of method Yan Shuo had used to increase his strength, if Li had waited longer, Yan Shuo have be even stronger. At that time, if Li wanted to kill him off, it would be difficult.

    Fortunately, the Yan Shuo now, although his strength had increased, it was still not enough.

    Ping!

    The material used for the two¡¯s stone knives were not of very good quality, and added with the explosive strength of Yan Shuo, after one fierce strike after another; in the end, the two stone knives broke into pieces.

    The knife in Li¡¯s hand was the first one to break apart, the knife in Yan Shuo¡¯s hand had also obvious cracks. It only needed just one more strike before the stone knife would break apart as well.

    Both the knives couldn¡¯t be used anymore.

    The two people, who just now had countless exchanges, split up.

    The surrounding wanderers spectating were startled, after all, wanderers did not have much strength, and Li was someone who had received power from a ve master. But Yan Shuo, who was always low key, was actually that strong!

    This wasn¡¯t right, normally when they went into the mountains with Yan Shuo, they had also never thought of Yan Shuo being so strong. His strength was only different today. The short burst of explosive power just now was also strange, Yan Shuo¡¯s face actually had totem patterns emerging!

    After Yan Shuo had stopped, he had only felt a moment of soreness in his two arms. He had never exploded out like this before, even when he was in the most dangerous situations, this sensation had never happened. It was like there was a well of power within his body. Just now, he had unconsciously focused his power in one point and exploded, resulting in the continuous knife strikes.

    Looking at the broken knife pieces, Yan Shuo felt excitement welling up in his heart. He believed that if he were given more time, he would be even stronger. Even Li would not be his opponent!

    Li¡¯s eyes were hazy, looking over at Yan Shuo, who was resting both his arms on his knees and taking big rough breaths, his heart had enforced his decision of ending Yan Shuo¡¯s life today.

    Li abruptly threw the broken knife in his hand at Yan Shuo¡¯s direction, but was dodged with Yan Shuo turning sideways.

    Peng! Ka!

    Half of the wooden hut had fallen when it was stabbed by the broken knife.

    Within the house, Yan Shuo¡¯s wife hugged her children, her face filled with worry as the three of them refused to utter even a peep. The one year old child in her arms had looked fixedly at his father outside with his eyes wide open, not seemingly knowing what had happened, or understanding what was fear.

    As Li met with stares from the three within the hut, the sly mocking intent in his eyes became deeper. He would not spare any life within Yan Shuo¡¯s house.

    ¡°Yo, what is this?¡± A light floating voice travelled over to them.

    Yan Shuo looked over, both fists tightening. He still had a chance as he faced Li, but against this new person, he held no confidence.

    And the originally furious Li, when hearing this voice, had immediately put on aplementing smile as he spoke, ¡°Why have youe?¡±

    The neer was wearing a piece of clothing that was simr to snakeskin, his jacket being slightly longer, along with a tail that was added on as a belt behind. His body was also wrapped with a living snake that was as thick as an adult¡¯s thigh. Those snake eyes, that were seemingly emotionless, were staring at the surrounding people.

    Those who received it¡¯s stare, all felt that their scalp tingle in fright.

    This new person was also a ve, but his rank was higher than Li by a level. Quite often, a ve master could not bother themselves with trivial matters and would usually hand them down to people of a lower level to do. And Li was such a person, belonging to this type of people.

    ¡°You¡¯re really trash who can¡¯t even take care of a wanderer, why do I still need you.¡± That person slowly said.

    Li started sweating from his forehead, he nervously skittled over, squeezing out a smile as he tried to find a reason so as to cover his mistake, ¡°Chief, this Yan Shuo, I am unsure what has happened to him that he obtained totem tattoo, allowing his strength to greatly increase.¡±

    The person who casually teased the enormous snake on him lifted his eyes, swept over Yan Shuo with a nce and lightly hmphed. As if he had seen a horrible joke he disgustingly said, ¡°Totem tattoo? Is this how a totem tattoo is?¡±

    While talking, that person had lifted his hand up, the snake already sliding off from him.

    And on that person¡¯s body, from his neck to his arms, his two legs, and so on, appeared a clear tattoo. Those tattoo lines looked like rings that linked together, forming a chain.

    That person was ted as the wanderers who were spectating had increased even more, thinking back to when he also once was a wanderer. But he followed a ve master soon, got promoted, and thus had received even more power. Only those at his level really had their ve master¡¯s brand.

    Not every ve would have the qualifications to get branded, only those who were given responsibilities by their ve masters would have the qualifications. ves such as Li still did not have the right as of yet.

    To the tattooless wanderers, totem tattoos were just like an extravagant hope. Even if it was not considered a totem tattoo, these other tattoos worked just as fine. They represented power. Some wanderers, when they saw the brand mark on that person¡¯s body, their eyes shed with their inner struggles. No matter what kind of brand or mark, it was all proof of power, and that was what they strongly wished to have, power.

    Maybe, bing a ve was not a bad idea after all? It was only a little bit more tiring, and maybe one day, they could climb up to the standard of receiving a mark?

    Not caring how the others thought, Yan Shuo vigntly red at that person in front of him. This guy was strong enough that Yan Shuo knew that he could not defeat him. His opponent was even openly showing off his killing intent for him to understand that this conflict would not be avoided.

    Yan Shuo will die.

    Not only himself, but his wife and children in the house behind him as well.

    Run?

    It was impossible to get away as he was being eyed by these ves, and so it is impossible to run.

    Yet, Yan Shuo was not willing to submit, if there was still the ming Horns tribe, how would these ves dare bully them? How well do these ve masters treat the travel teams? And towards the wanderers themselves, how are they treated?

    He waspletely unwilling to give up. It had not been easy to gain this glimpse of hope. Yet now he had to give up his life.

    One of Yan Shuo¡¯s hands moved to his back, making a few signs for his wife in the house. This was a familiar way ofmunicating for them. He will try to hold these people in front, giving a chance for his wife to take his children and flee.

    Yet, Yan Shuo, whose back was facing the house, did not know that the woman inside was already full of tears, hugging tightly onto her children. In one hand she held onto a stone spear. She did not n on fleeing. She could not outrun them, so then why not die together. Even if she made it, she was also unable to provide for her children. She did not have the strength to hunt like Yan Shuo.

    That ve master moved towards Yan Shuo, step by step, not worrying that Yan Shuo might run away, because he can¡¯t get away. At the same time, he had also wanted to show to the wanderers the distance between them. He really enjoyed the feeling he received from the stares of the spectators.

    Seeing the faint unknown tattoo on Yan Shuo¡¯s face, the ve spoke with a tone of instructing someone, ¡°Something like this is not a real totem tattoo.¡±

    At the end of his speech his speed suddenly elerated, his fingers became ws as they grasped towards Yan Shuo¡¯s neck.

    Yan Shuo had felt that his opponent was still around ten steps away from him, but in the blink of an eye he had arrived before him.

    At that moment, Yan Shuo felt suffocated, as if the hand was actually choking his neck tightly.

    But, when that hand¡¯s distance from Yan Shuo was not even half a palm apart, it had stopped. It was forcefully being held back by someone.

    The ve grasping towards Yan Shuo had only felt a shadow sh past. The hand that had originally stretched out to grab Yan Shuo¡¯s neck, his arm was suddenly grabbed on by someone.

    Looking up, that ve¡¯s pupils contracted, as if he were seeing something unthinkable.

    Li and the surrounding wanderers were also shocked and dazed. Their sight moved from the face of the guy who had just appeared to Yan Shuo¡¯s face, then once again looked at the neer, then to Yan Shuo once more. They continuously looked back and forth, and in the end came up with the same conclusion:

    The totem patterns on their faces are the same!

    It! Is! The! Same!

    ¡°Then you tell me, a real totem tattoo, what is it like?¡± With a steady voice, Shao Xuan asked as he grabbed onto that person¡¯s arm.

    Obviously, his tone was very peaceful, but when the others heard it, they felt like a bucket of ice had just poured over them.

    This is a real totem tattoo, it is exactly the same as Yan Shuo¡¯s tattoo! But unlike Yan Shuo¡¯s faint patterns, these were very clear tattoos that were filled with life.

    A Tribe!

    This is what anyone who saw this scene would think in their hearts.

    Shao Xuan did not bother with the others. He casually flinged that person he held onto away, waited for him to stand up steadily, then slowly walked towards that person step by step, just like what that person had done to Yan Shuo in the beginning.

    The ces where each of Shao Xuan steps had been were left with a deep foot print. After each step, the gravel and dust on the ground would tremble.

    ¡°No¡­..¡±

    Just when that person wanted to say something, Shao Xuan suddenly elerated. In the blink of an eye, he was right before that person. Although his hand had not held onto any weapons, his hand was as hard and sturdy as a stone axe, fiercely shing down onto that person.

    Due to the activation of the totem tattoos, the me-like totem patterns stretched to his elbows, meaning his strike was iparably fearsome.

    That person simply had no time to talk or be surprised, he could only instinctively raise his arms to above his head, intending to block the iing menacing blow.

    A bang resounded in the air!

    That person failed to shoulder Shao Xuan¡¯s explosive strike, both his legs were unable to endure the violent force. After bending, he proceeded to kneel on the ground, when his knees collided against the ground, the ground was carved out with a deep mark. His two arms, in this strike¡¯s short moment, gave out a resounding sound of bones breaking.

    The snake that came with the ve, shot towards Shao Xuan, its mouth wide open, revealing its two long fangs. These fangs held a highly toxic poison.

    But Shao Xuan treated the beast like he had not seen it, not even reacting to that snake¡¯s attack.

    Yan Shuo was anxious to the point that he wanted to rush over, but from the sky, a shadow glided down then flew up again, taking along the snake they had felt was extremely dangerous.

    Li lifted his head to look up in the sky, and was weed with the snake¡¯s blood dripping all over his face.

    Pa!

    The snake¡¯s head was thrown down.

    Li could not bother to wipe off the snake blood off of his face, as he was looking at the snake¡¯s head that had rolled over to his feet. He felt his legs getting soft as he suddenly felt like he had no strength over his whole body.

    Hu!

    A shadow that was even taller than a person shook its wings, beforending on the ground. The snake that was usually rampant like it was nobody¡¯s business, had quickly lost it¡¯s head, and all that was left was it¡¯s body that was being torn apart by therge bird at the moment.

    The sharp ws of the bird easily tore the snake¡¯s body apart, opening up its belly, with the snake¡¯s blood sshing everywhere.

    Probably because Chacha had experienced the humiliation of being pulled to the ground from the sky by a snake before, it became the animal that Chacha hated the most. When tearing it apart, he had not felt any pity for it.

    Yan Shuo looked at the young man who had just saved him, the totem patterns on the other¡¯s arm were exactly the same as yesterday night, when the tattoos had appeared on his arms!!

    Then looking at thatrge bird that had justnded, on the ws that were tearing the snake, a clear cut pattern entered Yan Shuo¡¯s sight, making him take in a heavy breath.

    A tribe¡¯s totem¡­..

    The ming Horns tribe¡¯s totem¡­¡­

    Yan Shuo could feel all of his blood in his whole body boiling up, his body trembling. Looking back at the young man whom he had just first met today, he saw him walking over to him step by step.

    Shao Xuan came before Yan Shuo, his mouth turning into a smile as he said, ¡°Let me introduce myself, hailing from the ming Horns Tribe, I am Shao Xuan.¡±

 Chapter 173 â€“ Such strength

    Chapter 173 ¨C Such strength

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    ming Horns tribe!

    Among the people living in the wanderers area, there were a few that were quite familiar with Yan Shuo. They had been hunting in the mountains together, so naturally they had heard of the ¡®ming Horns tribe¡¯ from Yan Shuo before. But at that time they had all thought Yan Shuo was crazy, that he was unwilling to face reality. Even if the ming Horns tribe still existed, no one had heard of it, so it would also be a small tribe.

    The appearance and destruction of small tribes happens everyday. Even if the ming Horns tribe me of Yan Shuo was still burning, it probably wouldn¡¯tst for much longer right?

    However, it seems that how it actually was was not the same as the way they thought it would be.

    Could a young man from a small tribe have this kind of power? With no difficulty at all, he had just defeated the ve with the snake to the point that he couldn¡¯t even twitch; a ve that had given them countless troubles.

    Could a small tribe have an eagle even bigger than an adult? Looking at the miserably torn up snake, they already knew that this eagle was not only enormous, but its ws could even stab someone to death.

    Tribe, a word that made people envious.

    Initially, everyone had thought that Yan Shuo and his family would be ughtered by that ve, but who would have thought that things would turn out the way they were now.

    If you have a tribe, then you would naturally have a ce to go back to.

    Their totem me still burns.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s days of hardships are over, they have reached the end.

    What the others understood, naturally Yan Shuo had as well. Only, things had happened so abruptly that he had totally no idea how to react to it.

    Since he was young, he had always imagined that one day he could return to the ming Horns tribe that his ancestors always mentioned. During every single battle, he would think, ¡®ming Horns tribe, what kind of ce will it be? How are the people there? Is the tribe big or small? Are the totem warriors there strong?¡¯

    And now, he looked at this person in front of him who was a lot younger than him, who had already solved the trouble before he himself could even lift a hand. Then turning to look over at the huge bird pulling off the snake flesh, he could feel himself choking from excitement, he was at aplete loss.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s attention turned to Yan Shuo, then it turned over to the three people in the house. Those were Yan Shuo¡¯s wife and children. He looked once again at the not-too-small-yet-not-too-big wooden house that looked like it may just topple over at any moment, and he sighed. Looks like this member of his tribe was not living too well.

    He was also a wanderer.

    Since he was a wanderer, this just says that there was none of the ¡®ming Horns tribe¡¯ he had wanted to find over here. That year when the tribe had split up, Shao Xuan did not know what had happened. But now was not the time to question about this.

    He fished out some dried meat from his beast skin bag, stuffed them into Yan Shuo¡¯s hands, then glimpsed over to the three in the house once more. Shao Xuan motioned Yan Shuo to first go andfort his shocked wife and children.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s wooden hut couldn¡¯t be lived in anymore, however Shao Xuan had water moonstones with him. Everything can be solved if he just pays a little remuneration. As for the future¡­. What will happen in the future, he needed to have a good talk with Yan Shuoter.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s hands quivered with the dried meat that Shao Xuan had given. With a entranced look he walked to his house and almost stumbled into the wooden wall that was overturned.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s wife had already wiped off the tears on her face. She tightly grabbed onto Yan Shuo¡¯s hands and excitedly eximed, ¡°It really exists, the ming Horns tribe really exists!¡±

    Because her previous generations were all wanderers as well, Yan Shuo¡¯s wife had never thought of ever joining a tribe. Being different from Yan Shuo¡¯s situation, her tribe was already exterminated long ago. She was someone whose totem me was reallypletely extinguished and became a wanderer. And now, Yan Shuo had found the ming Horns tribe and was able to join them, naturally she could also follow.

    Their bitter days are finally at their end!

    The couple was extremely excited. It was Yan Shuo¡¯s wife that had recovered the fastest, nning to invite Shao Xuan in, but thinking about the situation her house was in now, she felt a little awkward. She had also seen Shao Xuan¡¯s actions, and had restrained herself when facing him. That was a real totem warrior.

    ¡°No problem, sister inw, you don¡¯t need to worry, I will sit here for a while by myself.¡± Saying so, Shao Xuan scoured the surrounding. Originally he was thinking of pulling over two wooden boards and standing them up byying them against each other [/\] to use as a stool to sit on, but when he saw the wooden splinters on them, he gave up on that idea.

    His sight rested on a river bank 200m away, his mind spun in thoughts for awhile before making his way over.

    Once Shao Xuan moved, the surrounding people looked at him at the same moment. Their sight followed Shao Xuan¡¯s every movement. They wanted to see what this totem warrior was going to do.

    Yan Shuo and his family also curiously looked over to Shao Xuan, who was walking towards the river.

    ¡°Is he angry? He just said he had wanted to sit? Would it be because our house has nowhere to sit on?¡± Yan Shuo¡¯s wife worriedly asked.

    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be that.¡± Yan Shuo did not think that people of the ming Horns tribe would get angry because of such trivial stuff.

    Yan Shuo gave the remaining dried meat to his daughter, then turned to look at Shao Xuan¡¯s back. Actually, he was also worried that this fellow tribe member, who had suddenly turned up, would abandon him and his family.

    But seeing that eagle still chewing on the snake and not having any intention to leave, Yan Shuo¡¯s heart was relieved.

    Shao Xuan walked towards the river bank, over there, there was a 2 meter tall, 3 meter wide round rock. Normally, when there are people anchoring there near the bank, they would tie their raft¡¯s rope onto that big stone. Because the rock was huge and heavy, even some totem warriors would be toozy to move it away.

    At this moment, there were some people sitting against the stone, in their hands was roasted meat.

    These were some people who exchanged stone materials for some food, simrly they were wanderers too, but they had a difference as well. They were considered one of the stronger ones in the area, and they were a group too. The other wanderers did not dare to offend them.

    In the wanderers¡¯ area, that group was living the best life they could, and they were more overbearing too. The fruits that they find in the mountains, they would not let others take a single one away, and when seeing that the others had hunted small animals, they would also actively snatch them away. As the saying goes, with more people togetheres more power, these few that had grouped together were also of considerably strong strength. The other wanderers would not dare to recklessly go against them, those that had were already dead.

    The scene where Shao Xuan had beat up that ve just now, these few had seen it all. They were gloating andughing at someone else¡¯s misfortune as well. This was also because they had also suffered under that ve before, especially that chief. They had even secretly thought of roasting the snake that was always with that ve.

    Isn¡¯t it just only a ve? Showing off his prowess, always keeping such a huge snake on him; just to show others that he is stronger than the rest of the wanderers. After all, it was not everyone that could withstand the weight of an enormous snake and walk around freely. Also, that act of his, does he think if he acts like that, he can really be a ve master?

    Therefore, when they saw that ve with the snake be defeated, their hearts were secretly elevated to no end. However now, seeing that Shao Xuan was walking towards them, some of them felt perturbed.

    ¡°Boss, he¡­..he¡¯s walking towards us!¡± Someone softly eximed.

    ¡°I know!¡± The person being called as ¡®boss¡¯ answered while suppressing his voice.

    ¡°What does he n to do? Snatch our food?!¡± The wanderers encountered food snatching the most, therefore the first thing they would think of naturally would be this.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be trying to take revenge for Yan Shuo right?¡± They had found trouble for Yan Shuo before, butter, they realised that Yan Shuo¡¯s strength was indeed stronger than the rest, that he was a hard stubble. So they didn¡¯t have any conflicts with each other, they would not bother to waste time on Yan Shuo. They had just gone to find some trouble with him a few times, andter didn¡¯t bother with him anymore.

    Seeing Shao Xuaning closer and closer, some of their hearts were even more uneased. After, they had all somehow made the same actions: they took down their meat that was still not finished roasting from the fire, not caring if it was hot or not, and just hurriedly stuffed it all into their mouths. This way, the other can¡¯t snatch it right?

    Shao Xuan walked over, swept a nce over, then headed towards the guy lying against the rock.

    That ¡®boss¡¯ saw Shao Xuan heading towards himself, he stuffed his meat in even faster, his hands even trembling a little. The end of the ve¡¯s snake just now, he could still remember it clearly.

    His head facing down, that ¡®boss¡¯ did not dare to face Shao Xuan, his cheeks drummed up, his mouth stuffed full with meat. He still had not managed to swallow it down his pharynx before he started to stuff another piece of meat in, stuffing till the point that his mouth wouldn¡¯t close.

    ¡°Would you please move.¡±

    The head heard the sounds of Shao Xuan¡¯s footstepsing.

    If it were the other people, they would have gotten into a fight long ago, but looking at the eagle that was ying with that ve¡¯s dead snake made the hearts of the people around feel tangled up. Fight? Or do we still have to pay up the meat we swallowed? Or is it necessary to apologize?

    ¡°Get off.¡± Shao Xuan said to the man still on the rock.

    This time the boss snapped out of his fear and reacted, quickly moving his ass off of the rock. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t moved far away from the rock once down, he quickly stepped back to create some distance. Looking back at his associates, he found that they had already stood up and ran away earlier.

    Really, those cowards he called teammates would abandon him, their boss, in the face of trouble.

    Bastards!

    The boss cursed in his heart, thinking that he shouldn¡¯t make any sudden movements or run away now, incase he might anger this person.

    However, before he got up, he found something wrong. The whispers and talks around them seemed to have stopped, the air bing like static.

    Did something happen?

    Feeling the tense atmosphere and seeing the people from the corner of his eyes, the boss found them acting very strange.

    He hesitantly looked back at Shao Xuan, but soon found that on the ground next to him, there was a big shadow, and that the shadow was moving.

    This is¡­¡­

    Stiffly turning his neck, he looked to the other side, and saw that the boulder that would have taken a few people to move, was easily lifted. Don¡¯t even mention throwing the huge rock, just trying to get it to budge was difficult.

    ¡°Puff¡­¡­Cough!¡±

    Every single action this guy did was crazy, the boss felt like his moods became erratic from watching him. It was to the point that he wanted to spit blood.

    The people who had run away before were looking on from the side. Their mouths were hanging open, you could see the meat they had stuffed inside. One by one, their eyes bulged as they looked on.

    Since there was arge flow of travelling tribesing and going, the wanderers had seen other totem warriors moverge stones before. But they had never seen someone just picking up a boulder as if it weighed nothing more than a piece of wood.

    With the boulder in his hands, Shao Xuan carried the boulder to where Yan Shuo was, and since the ground there was raised, Shao Xuan jumped over with the boulder firmly in ce.

    The people around were stunned, ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    Yan Shuo¡¯s wife looked at Shao Xuan as he easily carried therge stone over, her eyelids jumped and twitched as she recalled what Yan Shuo said about the ming Horns strength. ¡°I now believe you when you said that the ¡®ming Horns tribe warriors can easily carry a bear¡¯.¡±

    A bear in their hands was probably like carrying a child!

 Chapter 174 â€“ The slave owner

    Chapter 174 ¨C The ve owner

    Tranted by Lee

    Shao Xuan lifted therge boulder up from the river bank and briskly walked to the front of Yan Shuo¡¯s house. He kicked the pieces of wood on the ground aside and casually threw the boulder on the ground.

    Boom!

    Even those standing far away could feel the ground shaking, let alone Yan Shuo¡¯s family.

    Their wooden house wasn¡¯t even sturdy to begin with. Adding on the vibrations right next to it, more pieces of the house started falling off.

    ¡­It seems he went too far with the pretentious act.

    Shao Xuan scratched his nose andughed apologetically towards Yan Shuo¡¯s family.

    ¡°Err, about that, I¡¯ll help you fix up your house in a bit.¡± Shao Xuan said. Back at his tribe, it didn¡¯t take that long to build a big house. He was only squeezing in with the other travel team members because it was too bothersome otherwise; what with them only staying for 2-3 days, building a house was unnecessary. Not only that, they were in an unfamiliar ce with strangers. For their own safety, they were better off staying at their arranged quarters.

    But now that he ran into someone from the same tribe, it was a different story.

    Rather than being angry, Yan Shuo¡¯s family was staring at Shao Xuan with a gleam in their eyes. Shao Xuan was so strong, his tribe must also be very strong! The stronger a tribe is, the more likely they can survive in this world andst for a long time.

    No wonder their ancestors kept insisting their descendants remember their tribe and wait for the day they can finally go back. It seems that all of their sacrifices were worth it!

    Shao Xuan jumped up and sat on the boulder he just threw down. He waited for Yan Shuo¡¯s family toe back to their senses before starting to discuss with Yan Shuo. As for the whole moving the boulder in front of everyone business, that was just to intimidate the others. Maybe that stunt wouldn¡¯t have been a big deal somewhere else, but it was effective here.

    Watching the happy reunion in front of him, Li tried what he could to reduce his presence, hating that he couldn¡¯t run as far away as possible. All of Shao Xuan¡¯s actions already scared him witless.

    Li sneaked a nce at his superior still painfully kneeling on the ground and the bitten off snake head next to his foot. He took a deep breath and turned to run away.

    But just as he took the first step, a wooden rod whistled through the air and went through his chest. Neither ends of the rod were sharp, but it still managed to forcibly pierce through. By the time Li sensed the attack, he was already hit.

    Li sank to his knees and mustered all his strength to check who had attacked him. All he could see was a golden ball of light slowly approaching from the distance.

    This so-called golden light wasn¡¯t actuallying from any light-emitting object. Instead, it was the ve owner adorned in golden fur.

    Shao Xuan saw this ve owner wearing ck spotted animal skin yesterday, now he had changed to a different one today. Sunlight reflected off the golden beast fur, making the ve owner rather conspicuous.

    It seemed the ve owner liked to use this method to show off his grandeur and elite status. Having considerable amount of ves and financial power, he definitely wasn¡¯tcking in something like animal skins.

    Shao Xuan got some information from the Pu tribe members on the ve owner. His name was Shi Shu and he came to the area a few years ago. Sometimes he would stay for a while and sometimes he wouldn¡¯t show up for a long time. He had plenty of people under him, so he didn¡¯t have to personally manage the ves.

    They say the Pu tribe¡¯s travel team was only able to get some special treatment because the team leader and Shi Shu¡¯s rtionship wasn¡¯t bad. But if you ask Shao Xuan, Fan Ning wasn¡¯t acting that natural in front of Shi Shu and was even cautious.

    Shi Shu was a very dangerous person. Everyone knew, without saying, about a ve owner¡¯s cruelty; they may be smiling on the surface, but don¡¯t be so easily convinced ¨C there may be a knife hidden in that smile.

    The sparkling golden Shi Shu slowly walked over with a smile on his face. He acted like he didn¡¯t just throw the rod that killed Li.

    There were also two other of Shi Shu¡¯s ves standing next to him. Out of all his ves, these two held a rtively high position, nothing the likes of Li and the snake ve couldpare to.

    While everyone else was looking at Shi Shu¡¯s sparkling body, Shao Xuan was looking up at the air. When that ve owner threw over the wooden rod, there was actually more than one.

    A long shadow rapidly fell from high above.

    Pff!

    The ve that Shao Xuan had beaten into kneeling still wasn¡¯t able to get up from the ground. All of a sudden, the second rod hit him from behind and pierced through his throat at an angle.

    He watched as his blood flowed down the rod. He struggled to speak but no sounds came out of his throat. The chain tattoos on his neck faded, spreading from the wound outwards.

    He stretched out his arm, wanting to grab onto the person passing by him. But he found that the distance that was less than 5 steps away stretched as far as the Yangtze river, unreachable and out of his grasp. He had no choice but to watch as the golden ve master walked slowly past him.

    Before all this, he was someone who would alwayse to the wanderers¡¯ area to run rampant. But now, as all the chain patterns finally disappeared, he could only lifelessly drop his hand and stop breathing.

    The surrounding audience felt a shiver run down their spines, their dread of the ve owner only deepening from the scene.

    Shao Xuan looked at the ve owner heading straight towards him. He was wearing clothes made of higher quality linen than the kind the Pu tribe could get their hands on. A finely polished stone battle axe hung on a leather cord on his waist. The stone axe wasn¡¯t that big, with a t body and a broad de. The de was dramatically curved and its edges slightly curved upwards. The engraved decorations on it were done with meticulous care. The axe clearly wasn¡¯t for cutting down trees; this kind of primitive weapon could only be used as an essory for the upper ss.

    Other than that, Shao Xuan also sensed the power of inheritance from Shi Shu. ve owners were like abination of a tribe¡¯s chief and shaman; they have absolute authority over their people and some spiritual powers too. It¡¯s just that their ves aren¡¯t as lucky as the warriors in tribes.

    Shi Shu looked at Chacha and turned back to Shao Xuan to say, ¡°Apologies, the ves under me were disobedient.¡±

    Clearly, this ve owner already knew the whole story. He didn¡¯t attack Shao Xuan like everyone thought he would, but he wasn¡¯t apologetic like he imed to be either. On the contrary, he was rather engrossed in watching Chacha tear the snake apart.

    Shi Shu watched for a bit longer and then finally took his people away. He acted like he was only there to take care of those two disobedient ves of his. However, the way his gaze hovered over Chacha¡¯s ws made Shao Xuan think otherwise.

    Shi Shu probably noticed the tribe¡¯s totem mark.

    Could it be he knew about the ming Horns¡¯ situation?

    It wouldn¡¯t be weird, as ve owners were known to travel to different parts of the continent before. Perhaps he really did know but he was keeping mum about it anyhow.

    When Shi Shu left, the two ves that followed him also dragged away the dead ves. There were only two bloodstains left on the ground as evidence of what had happened.

    After they left the wanderers¡¯ area, one of the ves asked about the now vacant positions.

    ¡°I killed them, so be it. I can just promote some new ones,¡± Shi Shu said nonchntly.

    The ve at his side respectfully bent his waist and made a sound of agreement. The ve owner¡¯s response was just like he expected. Perhaps the owner didn¡¯t even know the names of the two dead ves.

    ves were stratified into the ranks of ¡°li¡±, ¡°liao¡±, ¡°pu¡±, ¡°tai¡±, and so on. ves ranked below ¡°tai¡± were the lowest of the low. The snake ve was only a little more powerful because he took care of the snakes for the owner. But in reality, he was still one level below ¡°tai¡±, simply not worth it for Shi Shu to remember his name. He naturally wouldn¡¯t care about the life or death of worthless ves.

    After Shi Shu left, Shao Xuan started chatting with Yan Shuo.

    Shao Xuan was definitely going to take a trip soon to the central tribes to gather information. But with Yan Shuo¡¯s current abilities, it was far too dangerous. It wasn¡¯t like he could bring Yan Shuo¡¯s wife and kids along either. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t familiar with the central tribes¡¯ situation. He just knew that a lot of the people there were very strong. Before knowing more, it wasn¡¯t convenient to bring them along.

    Yan Shuo was also aware it wasn¡¯t a good idea to follow to the central tribes and wanted to stay where he was. When Shao Xuan came back from the central tribes, then they could meet up and leave together.

    Shao Xuan was nning on having Yan Shuo move to a different area. The ve owner clearly wasn¡¯t the type to get along with others. But Yan Shuo turned down his idea.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, there¡¯s no need. If that ve owner really wanted to kill us, he wouldn¡¯t wait. He would have just killed us off right then and there like he did to Li. Since he didn¡¯t take care of us earlier, he won¡¯t make a move against us for now.¡± Yan Shuo said. He was somewhat familiar with how the ve owner acted.

    ¡°In fact, I¡¯m pretty familiar with this area. I know what these people are like. But if I move somece else, that won¡¯t necessarily be true.¡± Yan Shuo added.

    Shao Xuan gave it a thought. That¡¯s true, he only knew the Drumming tribe and the Pu tribe. The Pu tribe didn¡¯t allow outsiders to stay inside their tribe for long. As for the Drumming tribe, it was too far and out of the way. The road there would be too dangerous for Yan Shuo¡¯s family to go by themselves.

    After some consideration, Yan Shuo¡¯s way of thinking was indeed more practical.

    ¡°Then you can just stay here for the time being, I¡¯ll help you build a house.¡±

    The new wooden house was built pretty quickly with Shao Xuan¡¯s help. As for the person who came to find Yan Shuost night, he was dizzy all night from his wounds. He got up reallyte and the first thing he heard about was Yan Shuo¡¯s affairs. He hastily rushed over to find Yan Shuo.

    He was once Yan Shuo¡¯srade-in-arms, Yan Shuo also wanted to help him out. Since he hadn¡¯t gone to find the ve owner yet, he might as well live together with Yan Shuo¡¯s family.

    The newly constructed house was considerably bigger than the previous one. Another person living in it waspletely feasible.

    Shao Xuan also thought it was a good idea since they could all look after each other.

    ¡°Wait for me toe back from the central tribes, I¡¯ll bring you all back to our tribe.¡± Shao Xuan left some water moonstones with Yan Shuo. He also crafted some stone tools for them.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s strength had increased a bitpared to before. It was more than enough for his family to survive, and who knows? Maybe he would be able to hunt some prey too.

    The day came for the travel team to set out. Shao Xuan said goodbye to Yan Shuo and his family for now. He left with the newly expanded travel team, continuing onwards to the central tribes.

    ording to Yan Shuo, he wasn¡¯t clear on what had happened to the ming Horns tribe back then. But as far as he knew, there should be a lot more wanderers from their tribe like him.

    If Shao Xuan could find these people, he could bring them back to the tribe as well.

 Chapter 175 â€“ The man wearing a mask

    Chapter 175 ¨C The man wearing a mask

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Once again setting out, the team had expanded. Other than the people from the Pu tribe, there were members of other travel teams from the other tribes joining in.

    It became more lively after the expansion of the travel team. Shao Xuan could also listen in to quite a lot of gossip and rumours from the other tribes, and during break time, he would also go around asking for information about certain stuff.

    A few dayster, Shao Xuan had a rough, but greater understanding of the situation on this side of the river.

    Shao Xuan had also started drafting a new map of the area. The one that the ancestors had left behind could not be used anymore. After thousands of years, towering mountains became t ins, while t ins became rivers; the changes from time were too huge. The territories and spreading of the tribes had also gone through enormous changes as well. Shao Xuan would take the updated map back to his tribe so that they would not struggle when the time came for them to cross the river.

    At this moment, a traveller with expansive experiences was talking with Shao Xuan, telling him about all the knowledge he had gained from what he had seen and heard during his life.

    ¡°At first, we weren¡¯t using this path, but used another. But then, one year, a tribal war happened over there, and it has still not settled, therefore we are temporarily taking this route now. The other path is a lot wider than this one, and it even has two colours! There is a tribe beside that river, the rafts they make are amazing, their rafts are the most durable ones that I have ever seen! If we could have such rafts, how nice would it be.¡± That person reminisced, his eyes filled with the colour of envy.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s doubtful face, the person gestured a shape like a ¡é, specifically exining what he had determined as the ¡®best and most durable raft ever¡¯ .

    After listening to the other¡¯s description, Shao Xuan paused and then asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t that a boat?¡±

    ¡°Right right, there they are called boat.¡±

    That person continued reminiscing, talking about his past experiences. But many years had passed now, a lot of his memories were now a bit fuzzy.

    Shao Xuan took note of everything. If there is time, he would like to go over to check them out too. At the time when his tribe members will be crossing the river, they would also need a boat too. At that time, they would also not have any metal materials, so how would they be able to build a ship huge enough. Shao Xuan still did not have the confidence to create such a boat, if he could learn some skills from them then it would be the best.

    ¡°I remember that there are also quite a few wanderers there too.¡± Another traveller not wanting to be alone came over and chatted with them.

    ¡°It seems like it, but they are only there to cut trees and chop timber. Hey, i heard that that vemaster has also been there before, and when he left, he brought along quite a few ves too.¡± The person before spoke up.

    vemasters, in order to increase their ve numbers under them, will always go to different ces to recruit them. Those who had lost the war and their me was extinguished, wanderers whose tribes were wiped out.

    To get more ves, vemasters will travel around; and the vemaster Shao Xuan had seen before was the same. When Shao Xuan listened to what these two said, he took note of the ces Shi Shu often went.

    Shao Xuan silently noted these ce down in his head, he suspected Shi Shu had met people like Yan Shuo before or had at least seen the totem of the ming Horns before. He did not know if the time he saw the totem was when he was looking for ves as well.

    But no matter, Shao Xuan still nned to visit all these ces to look around. After all, ording to what Yan Shuo¡¯s ancestors had passed down, there should be a lot more wanderers who wandered away and went to separate ces. After all these years, if the generations had passed on to the next and the next, there could be quite a few of them left behind.

    The ming Horns tribe on the other side of the river did not have a big poption, therefore, if they wanted to expand, first they would have to find back the wandering members of the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°Other than these ces, the ins we will be going to have a lot of wanderers as well. Frequently, there will be vemasters going there too.¡± A traveller chirped in.

    Shao Xuan looked at the unfinished area drawn on his map, there was a grass in there. The travel team will not travel through that area, but will instead go around its borders. There were quite a few tribes on the grasnds, the people there are very sturdy too, therefore usually the travel team will not go in too deep.

    Midst their talk, Yu at the side spoke up: ¡°Quick, look at the front!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sight moved from his map towards the water in front.

    On the water surface, there were a few people floating around. Each of them with fatal injuries.

    ¡°Did a battle start in front?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Looks like the scale of this is not small either.¡±

    The surrounding people started discussing about it, and some of the travel team leaders got together and debated for a while before deciding to temporarily rest at the bank.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for a while, send some people to investigate; if there are tribes battling it out, let¡¯s just avoid them, or maybe we could wait till they finish before moving out again.¡± Said a person at the front.

    The guys on the side of the raft began to row the oars; when the rafts reached the river bank, Shao Xuan and the others spontaneously got off the rafts and tied them to a nearby tree or rock, then took their own luggage and beast skin bags. Nobody left anything in the rafts, nobody would know if they would have to abandon the rafts at any time and escape. After all, this ce was not their own tribe. Especially if this was a ce where a battle took ce too. Everywhere was danger and could easily bring disaster.

    The leaders each sent out around ten people to scout the situation in front.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, let¡¯s go and check around if there are any wild beasts, let¡¯s hunt and eat them.¡± Yu said.

    During the break, people in the team can hunt in the surrounding area, but just not too far off. If the people sent out to scout do not find anybody, they would not wait.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Shao Xuan informed the guys beside him, that if the team decides to set off to inform him about it.

    After going on this journey away from his tribe, Shao Xuan had eaten less beast meat. The beasts he normally hunts and where these beasts usually are are ces where people don¡¯t usually go.

    He had quite missed the taste of beast meat.

    Who knows where Chacha went to hunt too, that brat¡¯s taste towards meat is higher; a normal beast can¡¯t even enter his eyes. However, Chacha had never lost the team. Even if he had to leave for awhile, he would always catch up to the team again. Therefore, Shao Xuan was not worried for it.

    ¡°Quick, look! There¡¯s a deer there!¡± Yu pointed towards a direction and happily spoke up. He then quickly took out his blow dart, inserted in poisoned darts, and carefully tread closer.

    He had to hurry though, if not, others from the travel team will snatch it away. Then they would not have anything to eat.

    Yu sneaked closer, followed by Shao Xuan. However, Shao Xuan had this feeling there was something wrong in the surroundings, not sure what danger lied ahead, but it seemed like something happened there. Thereupon, he was even more alert and careful when he closed in.

    When they were not far from the deer, Yu faced the mouth of the blow dart towards that direction, the other end holding it between his lips; when blowing, Yu¡¯s cheeks boated up.

    Whiz!

    The dart flew out swiftly and urately shot straight at the deer.

    The poison on the dart wasn¡¯t deadly, it was a very powerful paralysis drug. The deer that got shot, the dart directly pierced through into its hide, the poison spreading.

    After feeling that it had been attacked, that deer wanted to flee, but after running for just two steps, it started to stagger, and multiple stepster, it cosped onto the ground.

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s done!¡±

    Excited, Yu got ready to pick up his prey, but he was held back by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Yu questioned Shao Xuan uncertainly.

    Shao Xuan did not reply and only just lifted his chin towards a direction.

    Yu looked over.

    In the forest, not too far away from the deer, some birds flew out. Probably due to the deer¡¯s run and copse having startled them.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with those birds?¡° Yu did not quite understand, he thought it over, then helplessly said: ¡°You¡¯re not thinking of eating those birds? Although those birds are considered very small, but they are not easy to catch. With this deer, why would you still want to eat those birds for?¡±

    Shao Xuan silently looked at Yu for a few seconds, and said: ¡±Those are scavenging birds.¡±

    ¡°Scavenging birds?¡±

    ¡°They eat corpses.¡± Shao Xuan pointed over to that side. ¡°The amount is not litle.¡±

    Those birds were startled over the actions of the deer, but Shao Xuan believed that was only part of the reason, there were a lot more that did not take off. And those that became startled had quickly returned as well.

    If there weren¡¯t any food luring them, why else would they stay on the ground?

    Yu showed a face of realisation and quickly held his blow dart. He couldn¡¯t bother about the deer anymore, he only cared about his little life. Eating can be left forter.

    Due to the change of direction of the wind, when they arrived here, they had not smelled anything weird. Added to the fact that there were many flowers blooming near the river bank, thus the scent of flowers was overflowing, disrupting their sense of smell, therefore they did not realise anything wrong.

    ¡°Go over and check it out?¡± Yu asked.

    Yu didn¡¯t wait for Shao Xuan¡¯s reply and took out his stone knife he had on him and walked over.

    Shao Xuan scanned the surroundings, temporarily not seeing anybody, then followed on.

    Closing in to that area, due to the dense trees, they still could not see the situation upfront. But with every step closer, Shao Xuan could smell something bad in the air.

    Other than that, there was the movements of the scavenging birds. Probably because there were too many snatching for food, they would most likely start fighting among each other.

    Carefully pulling apart the branches blocking their way, Shao Xuan could then see the origin of the strange smell.

    Dead people, many of them. Compared to the ones floating on the river, there were a lot more here. And with no river to wash it away, the ground was overflowing with blood red stains.

    What they were wearing was simr to what the poeple in the river were wearing, they were apparently from the same tribe. With this type of scene, obviously it could be seen that they were ughtered.

    ¡°These people¡­¡±

    Yu was about to say something, but then he saw an arm moving within the pile of corpses.

    ¡°There¡¯s still someone alive!?¡±

    Hearing Yu¡¯s voice, the person squashed under the human pile pushed the dead bodies above him aside, revealing a blood smeared face, his body only had one wound, but it was still fatal. The others also had simr scars that killed them.

    The birds having a meal on the ground, due to sensing that there was someone alive, called out and flew away. But there were also some who were greedy and decided to remain on the ground.

    ¡°Save¡­.save me!¡± That person did not bother about the surrounding birds¡¯ pecks and crawled towards Yu and Shao Xuan

    Yu creased his eyebrows and took a step back. One, he did not recognise these people; two, he did not want to involve himself in a tribe battle. He was only a traveller, not here to find trouble.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave¡­..¡±Yu had not finished talking, before he heard a whizzing sound.

    Puchi!

    The person crawling over to Shao Xuan was pierced through with a spear, which immediately broke his breath.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sight turned in a certain direction. There, on a tree, was someone standing.

    A man wearing a mask.

 Chapter 176 â€“ Thousand Masks

    Chapter 176 ¨C Thousand Masks

    Tranted by Jon and Joycelyn

    On top of a branch stood a man wearing hairless animal hide. The process of removing hair required meticulous handling. The green stripes on the hide resembled that of the trees in the forest, as dark and light green colors intertwined. If used in the forest, it would be extremely difficult to spot.

    This type of attire wasn¡¯t too umon. When the weather warmed up, Shao Xuan found many people wearing these clothes. Rather, the more peculiar aspect of the man was the mask he was wearing.

    At first nce, it looked like he had purposely put on a flower-patterned mask. But actually, this mask was a special transformation of a part of their facial bones. The patterns on the mask too were actually a totem pattern induced by their totem¡¯s power.

    A murderous aura drifted out, which startled the nearby birds pecking at the rotting meat, making them fly away.

    The number of birds camping around the bodies wasn¡¯t small, and when they all flew away, it resembled a ck curtain obscuring the corpses.

    Taking a deep breath and holding a stone dagger in his hand, Yu subconsciously pointed the tip towards the man¡¯s direction, not knowing when the other side was going to pop out.

    At the same time, from a high elevation, the man leapt down. With a sh of lightning, he shed apart the ck curtain, going directly at Yu.

    Without any unnecessary movements, Yu felt countless des flying towards him, although the man only held a single sword. No matter where he went, the swords would always be able to find him.

    Yu¡¯s expression stiffened as he felt himself feeling stuck, as if in a bog. Struggling, his body wouldn¡¯t listened to him. When he finally made it out, it was already toote to hide!

    At this moment, Yu started to feel regret.

    Why had hee to this ce? Why didn¡¯t he just leave after shooting the deer? Before leaving the tribe, his grandpa had stressed that it wasn¡¯t good to be overly curious, and when discovering something abnormal, he should stay away!

    Perhaps in the next few moments, he too would be like the corpses on the ground, chopped down, bing food for the flesh-eating birds.

    Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his shoulder and quickly pull him back. A sharp de appeared above his head, shing with another. The two stone swords were not shy, and when collided, many fragments broke off them.

    In the middle of all this de qi, Yu¡¯s heart wildly pounded, as he had been given a new chance to live. But he knew that now wasn¡¯t the time to think. If it wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan, he would already be lying lifelessly on the ground. He couldn¡¯t be of any help just standing there, so he hurriedly moved back a few steps, giving Shao Xuan enough room to fight.

    Although the other side¡¯s qi was extremely strong and had easily subdued Yu, for tribe people living in the forest, who dealt with fierce beasts like Shao Xuan, this wasn¡¯t anything he couldn¡¯t handle.

    Holding the stone sword in one hand, after saving Yu with the other, Shao Xuan put his palm on the t side of the de, blocking a sudden attack.

    If it was an ordinary stone sword, it would have immediately been broken, but the sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand had been given to him by the shaman. It was also the sword that Shao Xuan had taken from the stone worm king¡¯s domain when he found the ancestors. Before he had left the tribe, the shaman had it meticulously polished.

    When leaving the tribe, apart from the tooth sword that Old Ke had polished, he had also brought this sword. After going through countless fights, it had already shrunk quite a bit¡­

    From the first impact, Shao Xuan felt strong de qi passing through the stone sword and settling into his arms. However, he wasn¡¯t too afraid. The totem patterns on his arms even gave him enough strength to strike back.

    The two people quickly moves away from each other, and the man flew all the way back to the tree branch he was originally standing on. Carefully observing Shao Xuan from behind his mask, his two eyes were showing doubt and surprise.

    Just when Yu had decided to take out the poisonous darts from his bag, the masked man quickly fled, no longer dealing with them.

    He let out a sigh of relief after carefully scanning his surroundings.

    From the moment the enemy had unleashed the first attack, to Shao Xuan blocking it, till the man fleeing, only a span of breath had passed.

    Originally believing that he could defend himself by mastering the usage of frog poison, he realized that he was still soft. Many times, true strength suppressed these skills and there wouldn¡¯t even be any time to react.

    Now, thinking back to when he had faced the sword face on, with nowhere to go, his blood froze up and he couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Scared me to death!¡± Yu said while gasping for air. He didn¡¯t seem to mind the smelly air, and even if it was worse, it would still be better than death.

    ¡°Thank you, Shao Xuan. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I too would be like the people on the ground.¡± Yu said. He never knew Shao Xuan was this strong, believing him to be an ordinary tribesman. The truth was that he was younger than him, but much stronger. No wonder that before leaving, his grandpa had told him to follow Shao Xuan, not any of the other tribe members. Thinking about it now, that old man had already realised who was strong and who wasn¡¯t. He still wasn¡¯t a match for his grandpa in regards to insight

    ¡°Lets hurry up and leave.¡± Shao Xuan said while looking at the birds circling above them.

    ¡°Right, it would be better if we are quick.¡± Said Yu, as he turned around and started running. After a few steps, he turned and went towards the deer.

    The poison smeared on the dart was really strong, so the deer was stillying there.

    Yu didn¡¯t mind it much and just ughtered it, and dragged it away as he left. Right now, he just wanted to get away from this ce. No wonder the people in the travel team left as soon as they can once they came upon a tribes war. If they did not, they could actually be implicated.

    Yu only slowed down after seeing the team resting on the bank and meeting up with the people doing some activities around. Only at this time did he think back about his doubts from before, and he looked towards Shao Xuan: ¡°From which tribe do you think this guy was from? He was incredibly strong.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought about that opponent¡¯s mask and said: ¡°Thousand Masks tribe.¡±

    There was only one of this kind of tribe, Shao Xuan knew. It was also the first time Shao Xuan had seen a tribe that was recorded in the beast skin rolls passed down by the ancestors ¨C Thousand Masks tribe.

    The ancestors had recorded that the totem warriors in this tribe would start forming their own unique mask after their awakening. And only after using their totem powers would the bone cover their whole face.

    Every member of the Thousand Masks tribe had different masks. Even if they looked simr, there would always be certain little different details; just like there are no faces that looked exactly the same.

    In the Thousand Masks tribe, some masks were very ferocious, like an evil ghost, and some were very normal, maybe even looking peaceful; some brought smiles, some brought angst. With thousands of people came thousands of different types of masks. That was the Thousand Masks tribe.

    Furthermore, the totem pattern of the Thousand Masks tribe was also that of a strange mask. Shao Xuan had seen it before on the cave¡¯s wall in the ming Horns tribe. At the back of the stone room, the mask like totem pattern was exactly the totem symbol of the Thousand Masks tribe.

    ¡°Thousand Masks?¡± Hearing this phrase, Yu did not react immediately. But after some thinking and remembering a few stuff, his face filled up with shock, ¡°Thousand masks tribe?!¡±

    For a Pu tribe member who had always lived at the edge of the tribe, the Thousand Masks tribe was too far away. However, Yu had heard quite a few people discussing the matters of the Thousand Masks tribe. Although these were only rumours, many of which were exaggerated, the fact that the Thousand Masks tribe was a formidable one could not be denied.

    ¡°Just how did the people that were killed offend the Thousand Masks tribe? I remember that on the map of the travel team the territory of the Thousand Masks tribe is still quite far from here. If it isn¡¯t a huge matter, they would note over here.¡± Yu spected that what seemed like a tribal war was actually an unteral massacre.

    ¡°Who knows.¡± Shao Xuan answered absentmindedly.

    To be able to get recorded by the ancestors, to be taken to heart, even to be drawn onto the wall at the tribe. No matter how he looked at it, they had to be on the same level as the ming Horns tribe at that time. If the difference in strength had been too big, the ancestors would not have had that kind of attitude towards them.

    Since Yu had said that the Thousand Masks tribe was a considerably strong tribe here and it had always been famous, had the ming Horns tribe that year also been on the same level?

    The Shao Xuan now would not be able to know the answer. Thousands of years had passed, some tribes were destroyed, new tribes had appeared; the prosperous had declined, the feeble perished. There were also weak tribes which had be stronger, and some, like the Thousand Masks tribe, had always been powerful. However, now there was almost nobody that remembered the ming Horns tribe.

    That was a really sorrowful matter. If the ancestors knew about this, they would climb out of their graves, crying. [Zombie apocalypse?]

    Not long after Shao Xuan and Yu rejoined the travel team, some guys who were sent to scout by the leaders also came back.

    ¡°I heard that the tribe got massacred because they went and stole the Thousand Masks tribe¡¯s crystals, and even killed some of their children. They chased them all the way to theirir, then ughtered their whole tribe, and extinguished their totem me.¡±

    ¡°Tch, why did they even dare to provoke the people of the Thousand Masks tribe?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they were clearly looking to die. When we usually bump into people from big tribes, we won¡¯t even dare to offend them, even if they are a child.¡±

    The thieves had probably thought they were sneaky enough; they had not wanted to bring such disaster to their tribe. Or it was maybe that these guys had thought of the consequences, but greed had made them risk their lives.

    Listening to the heated discussion, Shao Xuan also had a different experience. For powerful tribes, even children who did not have any fighting ability, would never be offended outside. Today¡¯s incident did not happen very often, and most of the people had the same thoughts as the travel team members.

    That was just how influential a big tribe was. Only hearing the name or seeing the totem pattern made people fearful.

 Chapter 177 â€“ The grassland tribes

    Chapter 177 ¨C The grasnd tribes

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Due to the bloody way the Thousand Masks tribe got their revenge, the travel team talked about it for a very long time until they started setting out, and even then they did not stop. They had even started talking about simr events that had happened in recent years, giving Shao Xuan new information.

    In addition to the Thousand Masks tribe, there were still a few other tribes mentioned by the ancestors on the beast skin scrolls.

    With the new news Shao Xuan had acquired, he had noted them all down on a beast skin scroll, which he kept carefully hidden. Those were all to be brought back to the ming Horns tribe.

    If the ming Horns tribe returned, would they still be able to go back to their glorious self of the long-gone past?

    Shao Xuan highly anticipated that day to happen.

    Shao Xuan and Yu did not mention to anybody about their meeting with the man from the Thousand Masks tribe. The group traveled for another two days on the river before abandoning their rafts to walk. The road ahead was not suitable to continue using them anymore. Although there were some streams, it was not faster than walking. They still had to walk up highnds on the road ahead.

    The area in front of them had a higher terrain. It was said that in thosends there were grasnds that nobody could see the end of, and immeasurably high snowy mountains.

    It sounded like the hunting area of the ming Horns tribe.

    The grasnds were huge, with big and small tribes distributed all over the ce. Often times, tribe wars broke out, so the travel team naturally did not set foot too deep into the grasnds, and definitely did not want to get caught in-between matters rted to the tribe wars. They were just passing by the grasnds, and on the way trading a few stuff.

    During that season, the grasnds were still green.

    Walking along the river and stepping into the grasnds, Shao Xuan looked around.

    The sky was high and the weather fine. There were some unknown little flowers blooming in the fresh green grass, bringing along a faint scent.

    When looking ahead, the grasnds stretched beyond the horizon.

    Other than the streams beside Shao Xuan and the brooks crossing into the grasnds, there were many smallkes scattered everywhere one looked, reflecting the blue sky.

    Among them, there was also an even narrower river stream intersecting through the big and smallkes, its water clear. When one walked over, they could even see small fish swimming at very high speeds in it.

    ¡°This is the grasnd. If we continue moving forward, we would enter the Feng tribe.¡± An old and experienced traveler on the side told Shao Xuan.

    The Feng tribe was one of the tribes on the grasnds, and the travel team just happened to need to pass through the Feng tribe. The Feng tribe and the travel team were on good terms. They had been taking that route for many years, and both sides were able to understand each other well enough.

    For the people of the Feng tribe, the tribes the people of the travel team belonged to were really far, so the problem of them snatching their territories was nonexistent. Besides, every time the travel team passed by, they would bring out their own tribe¡¯s specialties to trade with items they wanted from the people of the travel teams.

    Many people in the tribe liked those kind of trades. Without leaving thefort of their own tribe, they could exchange some things they thought were rare. It was easy and it saved them trouble.

    As for the people of the travel team, being able to trade while under the protection of the Feng tribe in that vast area of grasnd was a win-win situation. They wouldn¡¯t even mind taking a slight step back during the trades.

    ¡°Where are the people of the Feng tribe? I don¡¯t see them.¡± Shao Xuan looked around in all directions and asked.

    ¡°They live in a ce not too far from here, but this ce is also within their sphere of influence. Sometimes they send scouts to patrol around the area. You could probably meet with some of the patrol teams after walking a little more.¡± The man beside him answered.

    ¡°The territory of the Feng tribe is so big!¡± Yu gasped.

    ¡°This is considered big? If you see the really big tribes in this grasnd, wouldn¡¯t your eyes pop out?¡± The guy beside chuckled, ¡°Many tribes here breed animals, like cows, sheep, horses. They also hunt, but the prey here isn¡¯t much. Therefore, they eat the animals they breed most of the time. And these animals only need to eat grass. The grass on the grasnds is for these animals only. If there wasn¡¯t enough grass, they wouldn¡¯t survive.¡±

    Without breeding animals, there wouldn¡¯t be any food. After listening to that person¡¯s exnation, Yu nodded his head. This ce was mostly all grasnds without any dense forests, so the beasts weren¡¯t many. In the Pu tribe, even if the travel team didn¡¯t bring anything back, they could at least go to the surrounding forest to look for food.

    While listening, Shao Xuan heard roaring sounds. The ground below his feet also started shaking violently.

    ¡°Something¡¯sing.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they are the patrol team of the Feng tribe.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, do you guys know that many warriors on the grasnds ride horses?¡±

    ¡°Horses?¡± Yu had eaten horse meat, but had never rode on one before.

    Shao Xuan and the rest turned towards the origin of the thunderous sound.

    There was arge protruding mound over there, fully covered with green grass.

    After the roaring sounds stopped, on the ce where the mound and the sky met, arge number of silhouettes appeared. Many more followed not long after, quickly entering the sights of the spectators.

    The patrol team had around ten to twenty people scouting around. At times, though, they moved inrge groups. And the iing people were not necessarily all of the patrol team. Most of them were other members of the tribe. They would not constantly stay put and asionally ride horses when they had the time, bing the team now galloping through the grasnds.

    Hundreds of people were galloping straight down from the green mound in the direction of the travel teams, bringing along a majestic atmosphere with them.

    The group of horsemen slowed their speed down when they got close to the travel team. Midst screams and shouts, the horses gradually came to a stop, surrounding the travel team.

    The various leaders of the travel team recognized the leader of the patrol team, put warm smiles on their faces and walked forward to wee him, and started chatting. They also smoothly gave them some items that were rarely seen in the grasnds.

    The guy leading the Feng tribe received the gifts, and said: ¡°The people of our tribe have been waiting, a few days ago there were still some asking when you would be arriving. Today we finally meet again.¡±

    Seeing the travel team, the people of the Feng tribe were very excited, too. Some were even shouting to go back immediately so they could prepare trading items, while some adjusted their horses¡¯ speed in order to follow the travel team. While walking towards their tribe, they also started inquiring whether they had any fresh items for trade within the travel team. Some young ones had even started conversing with Yu. They were very interested in the frog poison he had brought, and even wanted him to teach them how to use those poisoned thorns.

    Shao Xuan, too, had spoken a few words to the leader of the Feng tribe patrol team regarding the matter of Chacha.

    The leader of the patrol team, named Yi Bei, looked towards the eagle soaring in the sky, then gave his agreement for it to stay in theirnds.

    There was no fear of birds like in the Pu tribe. Yi Bei and the rest did not reject such an enormous eagle. They only wanted it to not kill any of their tribe¡¯s livestock. They were even pleased to let Chacha fly around in the sky in their tribe.

    Many birds had been stealing their livestocks everyday, but the Feng tribe did not have any domestic eagles to use for protection. Normally, they would use some human tactics. Yi Bei had not expected that this time, the travel team would have someone bringing along a huge eagle, so he had showed a lot of enthusiasm towards Shao Xuan.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan and the people of the Pu tribe were walking close together and were quite familiar with each other, Yi Bei had thought that he was also a member of the Pu tribe, although without any paintings around his eyes. The Feng tribe did not have much curiosity towards other tribes, there were also people like that previously. When they got to know them well enough, they had also not felt any freshness anymore. After all, they were just passing by.

    There were also some members of the Pu tribe within the travel team who had temporarily cleared the paintings around their eyes before they left. That had somehow made Shao Xuan not too eye-catching.

    The travel team and the people of the Feng tribe headed towards the Feng tribe¡¯s base together. It had already be dark, so the travel team could not leave right after trading. After walking this far, they had to take the chance and stay at the Feng tribe for about two days to rest. A little after crossing the grasnds and they would already be entering the central tribes. At that time, they wouldn¡¯t be able to rest.

    The sight of the grasnds was unimaginably vast. One could hear people singing, and at the river andkes, there were children ying and fishing. Around the area were all the adults and children riding horses. The impression they gave was that of a peaceful tribe, one you would not even think would battle with another tribe.

    A little while back, Shao Xuan had noticed the houses made of beast skin, grass, and wood. Among them were some that even looked like tents.

    ¡°Tonight you can rest here. These are all yours.¡± Yi Bei said and pointed towards the row of simple wooden houses.

    There may have been many wooden houses, but the people of the travel team were even more. They had to squeeze together again.

    Shao Xuan, Yu and the rest went into the houses and tidied up a bit. After that, Shao Xuan looked out from the window, taking in the sights of the Feng tribe.

    There was a wooden fence surrounding some weird-looking cattle and sheep. They were probably this area¡¯s special kind of domesticated animals, different from the cattle and sheep Shao Xuan had seen before. Further in the distance, there were also people directing the herd of cattle and sheep back.

    ¡°Oh yeah, didn¡¯t you say that the tribes in the grasnds also ept wanderers? Where do they all live?¡± Shao Xuan turned towards the few experienced travelers at the side and asked.

    ¡°The wanderers don¡¯t live here, this is only for the members of Feng tribe. Some of the guests live here too, but other than that, people like the wanderers are all over there.¡± One of them answered, pointing at a ce ahead.

    Shao Xuan looked towards the area the guy had pointed to. There were a few protruding mounds over there, and on the other side lived the wanderers.

    Although the people of Feng tribe asked the wanderers to help out and gave out small rewards, they were still cautious against them in general.

    Over the mounds, Shao Xuan could also see some mountains that were not too high. The peaks were covered in green and there weren¡¯t a great many trees, mostly just grass and stones.

    Further past that, he could hazily see some white spots resembling mountains. Beyond that were the territories of other tribes.

    Hearing that the travel team had arrived, many from the Feng tribe brought over some of their items, hoping to trade with the travel team. Shao Xuan originally had no ns to trade. On his way here he had hunted a bull, and he still had not eaten most of the roasted meat. He had also wanted to save the rest of his water moonstones when he reached the central tribes.

    But when he was bored on the rafts, he would use some beasts¡¯ bones or horns to carve out some stuff. He had two bone knives, and a variety of bone ornaments carved out to look like ferocious beasts in his hands, which were exchanged with a middle aged man for a sheep¡¯s leg. That man had liked his carvings, and had thought of exchanging it for his kids back home.

    When the day had slowly darkened, the people who came to trade became lesser. The travel team had also went back to rest after having their meal.

    Looking at the ck sky, Shao Xuan decided to go over to the area where the wanderers lived, to take a look. He had a feeling he would find more of his fellow tribesmen there.

 Chapter 178 â€“ Singing Together

    Chapter 178 ¨C Singing Together

    Tranted by Lesyt

    The sun rose.

    For some, the new day was exactly like the previous one, for others it was quite different.

    For instance, those from the Feng tribe who wanted to exchange things with the travelling group were wondering what to choose and what to give in return; those who had been in charge of looking out for birds could have a rest today, as today, there was a bigger one in the sky; also, it was a special day for an old man who lived in the wanderers¡¯ area of the Feng tribe.

    To Old He, today was an exceptionally special day. Every year this day, he would go to the mountaintop, face the same direction, and worship, pray and sing songs.

    He didn¡¯t know from what time his ancestors had set the rule that every year on this day they shoulde here to pray and sing songs, to memorize the words passed down for centuries, as well as the name of the tribe no one knew. Old He had gotten used toing here every year at this time, fulfilling his ancestor¡¯s wishes, as well as his.

    Every year at this time, an amazing dream woulde to his mind. Everything was very clear, including the rising mes and the two horns surrounded by them. It seemed to be the same as what the ancestors had told him. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t even tell whether he was dreaming or in reality, whether it was created by his mind or it really existed.

    Did the tribe still exist? Every time he felt such confusion he would stand here, to pray and sing songs, which strengthened his conviction.

    Many wanderers did not understand his behavior, some even feeling pity for him. He didn¡¯t care, and just held on. He also really liked singing in this way. At that time he would forget all the anguish and troubles. Here was where he would sing all day long, throwing away all of his sorrows.

    Today, just as how he had done in the past, he took a straw bag packed with roasted meat and a water jug, and walked up the mountain.

    The mountains within the territory of the Feng tribe were not high at all. He reached the peak in no time. The old man would have preferred a higher one. But the area over there was not the territory of the Feng tribe, and he probably would not even survive the climb. He would be regarded as an intruder and be killed on the spot before he got there as well.

    Standing on the green mountaintop, Old He took a deep breath, as he had done in the past years, raised his voice, and started to sing.

    His song spread from the mountaintop to all nearby ces. Some people heard the song, but didn¡¯t care at all. People sang everyday. As to what the song was, they did not pay any attention, still busy with their own lives.

    ¡°Since the beginning of the world, our ancestors and tribe had grown up, starting to live on hunting. Springes, air warms, ice and snow have melted already. Children and adults jump joyfully, birds twittering while beasts roaring, hunters looking for food¡­¡± [It¡¯s a song, doesn¡¯t really trante well artistically.]

    Standing at the mountaintop alone and facing towards one direction, Old He kept on singing. Suddenly, he heard a second voice, someone had joined him. What he sang was the Hunting Song passed down by his ancestors, which was the only song that he could sing, as he couldn¡¯t even learn the songs of the Feng tribe.

    Old He could only sing one song, but when the others sang, he would also try to follow. Others sometimes went around trying to sing his song as well, even if they didn¡¯t know the words. The others¡¯ and Old He¡¯s versions were totally different, though. The former sang as if they were mourning, and the more they sang, the sadder they became, while for thetter, the more he sang the better he felt.

    Maybe only people of the ming Horns tribe could sing such a sad song so heroically.

    So, at first, when Old He heard someone singing with him, he did not pay any attention. He didn¡¯t turn around, but still stood there and continued on.

    But soon he found out that the man could manage to sing for a really long time. Not only that, the man was better than him. As to why he could tell, it was clear. The feelings the man¡¯s singing brought were not at all as depressing as the others¡¯, making Old He feel even more cheered up. Some tunes were obviously different from what he remembered, but Old He felt that this song should be sung in this way.

    The man was right behind him, and Old He was dying to turn around to have a look, to see who the man was and ask where the man was from. But Old He did not do so. He would be showing disrespect to the ancestors if he did not finish the song.

    ¡°¡­To hunt for the prey, hurry on day after day, go deep in the mountain,e back with heavy bags, we¡¯re capable of identifying and tracing the beasts..¡±

    While singing, Old He lost himself in that amazing state again. He saw the two horns with mes appearing near but untouchable. He felt something essential missing.

    After finishing the Hunting Song, Old He did not immediately recover from that state. Half an hour had passed when Old He gradually came to his senses. He remembered the man who sang with him and turned around, only to see a youngster he had never seen before.

    ¡°Hey, whose kid are you? How do you appear here?¡± Old He asked.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Shao Xuan felt confused, ¡°Have you seen someone else like me?¡±

    ¡°Who are you? What¡¯s your name?¡± Old He asked after drinking some water.

    ¡°My name is Shao Xuan.¡± After thinking for a second, he added, ¡°From the ming Horns tribe.¡±

    Old He took a look at Shao Xuan, his eyes seemingly saying: What nonsense are you spouting.

    After drinking water and resting for a while, Old He talked with Shao Xuan again, ¡°No matter where youe from, sing with me again if you have the time.¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­.¡± That¡¯s it?

    After seeing the fierce and excited reaction from Yan Shuo before, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how to respond to such a weak reaction. Therefore, he went over and sang the song once again with Old He.

    After finishing, Old He sat on the ground to rest.

    ¡°Where do youe from?¡± Old He asked suddenly.

    ¡°I came here with the traveling group.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t you have any fear at all? The people in those traveling groups are not good. You should be careful with yourpanions.¡±

    ¡°Why would you face towards that direction when you were singing just now?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know the reason?!¡± Old He looked at Shao Xuan with eyes of reproach, ¡°It¡¯s the ce where our tribe was located! Remember this and don¡¯t forget it in the future!¡±

    After chatting with Old He for a while, Shao Xuan understood why he hade here to sing.

    It seemed that everyone in the ming Horns tribe wasmitted to living in their own way, trying to keep the belief in their mind.

    Old He¡¯s son had passed away, his daughter-inw had ran away, and his wife was at home, taking care of their sick grandson. Only once a year would Old Hee here to sing. Last year, he had gone with his grandson. Unfortunately, his grandson was severely sick these days, so Old He came here alone. When he was singing, he prayed to his ancestors to protect his little grandson from illness. Many people in the grasnds had died from it.

    After a little rest, Old He called Shao Xuan and began to sing again. He firmly believed that singing with Shao Xuan inspired him and made him feel as excited as a hunting warrior preparing for battle

    Time after time, Shao Xuan sang with the old man.

    Old He did not stop singing until it started to be dark.

    It was time to go back.

    Old He went down with Shao Xuan. He also asked Shao Xuan about his future ns and learned Shao Xuan was going the central area. Old He didn¡¯t agree with him.

    ¡°It¡¯s too far away and too dangerous over there. How can a boy without any ability like you go to the central area with those travelers? That area is a lot more dangerous than other ces. I advise you to go back to the ce where you lived before. Maybe you are badly off, but at least you are alive. You look sturdy. And If you really can¡¯t find a ce to live, you can stay here, with me. Although it¡¯s difficult to make a living in the grasnds, it¡¯s better than wandering aimlessly.¡± Old He tried to persuade him.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, don¡¯t worry. I have the ability to protect myself.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t think that you can go everywhere with a rtively good strength. We might be strong, but we can¡¯tpare to the totem warriors.¡±

    ¡°But I am a totem warrior.¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I am a totem warrior, an intermediate one¡­ hey, watch out!¡±

    Before Shao Xuan could finish his words, he saw the old man¡¯s feet twisting as he fell down on the hillside. If it weren¡¯t for Shao Xuan quickly grabbing him by the hand, Old He would have probably rolled farther, or even hit a stone.

    Old He returned home from the mountain on Shao Xuan¡¯s back. He had sprained his ankle, but fortunately had no other injury.

    Old He¡¯s wife was looking after her young grandson. The moment she saw her husband on Shao Xuan¡¯s back, she hurried over to check the condition of his injury.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I only sprained an ankle. Hey, Shao Xuan,e on, why did we stop just now? Let¡¯s continue! Who else is in the tribe? What did the Shaman teach you?¡± Old He had no time to answer the questions of his wife, nor did he care about his injured ankle. He only wanted to ask questions about the ming Horns tribe.

    After Old He was put on the wooden bed and got the medical treatment, Shao Xuan replied: ¡°I thought you knew it all when I saw how poised you were.¡±

    ¡°How can I know that you really were a member the ming Horns tribe. I thought you were a wanderer.¡± When speaking of this, Old He felt even more embarrassed for misunderstanding him.

    In the past, when several tribes in the grasnds had friendly rtions, he had travelled a bit and saw wanderers like him. Fellow sufferers shared their anguish with each other and then returned home, moving on.

    Everyone wished to return to the tribe someday, but one generation after another, from birth to death, that wish had note true.

    Once, Old He also thought that his life would be a simr case. His grandfather, grandfather¡¯s grandfather, and the ancestors of the early days worked for the tribes here on this grasnd and made a living, without knowing how long it had been. The only things left were the song and the things they were required to know, that were passed down by the mouths¡¯ of one generation after another.

    ¡°We¡¯ve lived here for a long time. We have good tempers, great strength and like working hard. People from the tribes ask for us from time to time. Take the people from the Feng tribe for example, sometimes they will even ask me to help with grazing. So, tell our tribe not to worry and that we can still hold on! We look forward to the day they return!¡±

    ¡°You can graze?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve done it for as long as I can remember.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to raise livestock?¡± Shao Xuan questioned him again.

    ¡°Of course. All of the people living in the grasnds know how to raise livestock.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought they were all really talented. If it were his fellow tribesmen at the other side of the river, the livestock given to them would be cooking in the pot not soon after.

 Chapter 179 â€“ What can you use for exchange

    Chapter 179 ¨C What can you use for exchange

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Shao Xuan applied some medicine to Old He, a medicine he mixed himself using the medicinal herbs that he gathered when the traveling group stopped for rest during the trip.

    Old He¡¯s grandson looked to be only around six years old. However, he was actually eight already. He had be skinnier due to catching a serious cold. Now, after taking some medicine, he was sleeping.

    Shao Xuan still had some herbs that strengthened the body, which he had brought from the tribe when he left. He decided to share some with Old He, ¡°These can be used by totem warriors directly. But you guys have to mix a small amount with water, then drink it.

    People whose totems had not awakened yet were just like the children in the ming Horns tribe, their bodies weaker. Therefore, drinking just a little of this medicine could make them feel much better, and even strengthen their immunity.

    ¡°Actually, I also have some herbs here, take them with you. Even though you are a totem warrior, you can still get injured. Use them in case such an unfortunate event happens.¡± Old He let his old partner grab some herb packs for Shao Xuan.

    There were only the two old people and one youngling in Old He¡¯s household. Shao Xuan took a look around, helped them chop up some firewood after cutting down a few trees in the mountain, moved some stones, and helped them fix their house a little. The sky had already be dark after he finished everything up..

    He then took themb¡¯s leg he had traded from the Feng Tribe and roasted it, then cooked some soup with wild veggies. Only after he, Old He, and his family had finished eating, did he get up to leave.

    Old He had wanted to keep Shao Xuan in his house in order to learn more about the ming Horns tribe. He still had many questions for him, but when he saw the colour of the sky, he decided against it.

    ¡°Rest well guys, I wille back tomorrow.¡± Shao Xuan said before he left.

    Hearing Shao Xuan say that, Old He felt much more relieved.

    Shao Xuan returned to the ce where the travel team was staying. Everybody was discussing the goods they had traded today. Yu had gotten his hands on some decent fur, but of course, the most important thing was that he had managed to get some herbs he had never before seen. These were what he was the most excited about.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, did you know that in this grasnd there are a lot of poisonous nts?¡± Yu questioned him.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of them.¡± When he was chatting with Old He today, he had heard him mention it.

    For a person like Yu, these were all treasures. But generally, for the people in the grasnds, these herbs were even worse than the birds stealing their cattle.

    Not all green symbolized life, some even brought death. Many animals in their herds had died by eating poisonous nt which seemed just like the ones that were a part of their everyday diet.

    Those kind of nts fatally poisoned the livestock, causing huge damage to the people of the tribes. What pained them the most was that the vitality and the reproduction ability of the the poisonous nts were very strong; even if just their roots remained, it would soon start sprouting again. Even if all the poisonous nts in the grasnd were cleared, they would grow right back up in a year. That was because many of their seeds were transferred via wind. In some cases, their growth was dyed by a few years before sprouting. It was extremely difficult to get rid of them.

    One of the reasons wanderers were needed in the grasnds was because of these nts. There were too many of them and the people from the tribes were not willing to waste their time. Having the wanderers was really convenient, as they were willing to work for almost nothing in return and the protection of a tribe.

    The poisonous nts in some tribes grew very fast, yet there weren¡¯t enough people to exterminate them. Their livestock then died, and the healthy pasture shrunk dramatically. Thus, they would go to war with another tribe with the intention of snatching away their fields. Not too long ago, the attack on the Feng Tribe was precisely due to this reason.

    Shao Xuan looked over the poisonous nts Yu had brought out. Today, when he was walking around the grasnds, he had already seen quite a few. However, there was no livestock strolling around. They probably brought a herd to an area after it had been cleared it up.

    Yu was still examining the poisonous nts which greatly interested him, while Shao Xuan leaned on the wooden pir, thinking.

    Compared to Yan Shuo, Old He¡¯s situation was much better. Although their days were difficult, and battles between tribes happened asionally, it was still pretty peaceful. There was no need to face the threats of strangers or deal with extreme danger. For many wanderers of the ming Horns tribe on the grasnd, the totem tattoos like those on Yan Shuo didn¡¯t show up on them, and light patterns were seen on few of them. This was what Shao Xuan learned from Old He.

    Shao Xuan originally nned to take these people he found back to the ming Horns tribe at the other side of the river, but now it seemed very difficult to achieve. There were quite a few young adults, but after all, they were not totem warriors and had limited ability, not to mention that there were also many elderly, weak, sick or disabled. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t intend to abandon them. But now he had to think of a solution to take care of this in a better way.

    When the Shaman asked Shao Xuan toe here and look for other members of the ming Horns tribe, he probably didn¡¯t expect this situation at all. People like Old He, who were old and hadn¡¯t awakened their totem power, were unable to travel safely.

    How about telling the tribes on the grasnds to be kind to the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe? Useless, it didn¡¯t work on the grasnd.

    If it were arge tribe like the Thousand Faces tribe, when the name of the tribe was mentioned, people would change their attitude, bing gentler, even if they were reluctant.

    But if you now told them that you were from the ming Horns tribe, they would at most just squint at you: What the hell is the ming Horns tribe?!

    Power, fame, and the benefitsing along with them made everyone of a tribe expect their own tribe to grow more and more prosperous.

    Here, there was no peaceful diplomacy in the real sense. Most of the strong tribes were mighty andpelling. Take the Thousand Faces tribe for example. Only a tribe that was strong and mighty enough could be dreadful to others.

    After thinking it over, Shao Xuan made a decision that he would take some people back to the tribe, and when the tribe moved over here in future, he would call back the other tribe members dispersed over the various ces at that time.

    The next day, Shao Xuan visited Old He again.

    Old He¡¯s injured ankle was much better. Although he didn¡¯t awaken the totem power or even was no match to Yan Shuo, he was a member of the ming Horns tribe, with the same blood flowing in the body as people of the ming Horns tribe.

    Old He¡¯s grandson felt much better. Having had a good dinner yesterday, he was in good spirits today and helped his grandmother with weeding the meadow.

    Shao Xuan also went over to help. Old He limped over slowly and sat next to him, talking to Shao Xuan while digging the grass.

    ¡°Actually, back then, the totem tattoos also showed up on my father, but they were very few and light. I remember, at that time I was young and about to go to bed when the sound of warning horns came from the Feng tribe. My father said that was the attacks from the wolves. That night, my father joined in the fight for defense with the Feng tribe, killing several wolves. The moment he came back, I saw the patterns on his face. He said that they were the totem tattoos of totem warriors of the ming Horns tribe¡­¡±

    When speaking of his father, Old He had pride on his face. Every time hemunicated with wanderers of other tribes, he would tell the same story.

    While listening to Old He, Shao Xuan was weeding those poisonous nts out. Yesterday he learned from Yu about these poisonous nts and knew which were poisonous and which were not.

    The tribe appointed the wanderers to dig out those poisonous nts. If littlembs or calves died in the areas where the wanderers were in charge of weeding, they would not get rewards from the tribe, but would be beaten or even be dispelled out of the territory of the tribe. Outside the tribe, there were many dangers from other human or beasts. If they couldn¡¯t find safe ces to live for a long time, those who were dispelled would die soon.

    Nevertheless, on this meadow there would always be other medicinal herbs apart from the poisonous nts. When digging the poisonous nts, Shao Xuan also found several kinds of medicinal herbs. Many of the herbs were the ones Old He reminded him of, which were often seen only on this meadow, but were rare in other ces.

    While they were digging, not far away, a kid about the age of Old He¡¯s grandson wasing, dragging along a piece of thick woodrger than his size with a straw rope and pulling it over with puffs. That kid was stronger than Old He¡¯s grandson, but he was almostpletely out of breath, with his face flushed from dragging this wood.

    At the sight of the kid, Old He asked: ¡°Gua Er, what are you doing with the wood?¡±

    Gua Er¡¯s family had built a long-time rtionship with Old He¡¯s family. This meadow where Old He was weeding was the ce where Gua Er¡¯s family often grazed, and sometimes, Old He would help Gua Er¡¯s family to watch over the sheep.

    ¡°Hey, Old He,e here and help me out!¡± Gua Er shouted when seeing Old He.

    Shao Xuan stopped Old He, who was about to go forward, and then went over to pull the wood that Gua Er was dragging over here.

    This nk was not so light as it looked and was quite heavy indeed. But this weight was not a big deal for Shao Xuan. In the mountains of the hunting areas, Shao Xuan saw thicker and heavier wood.

    The wood Gua Er brought was very thick, but not long, looking like only half a meter in length. People of the Feng tribe didn¡¯t like to use wood as weapons, and it would most of the time be chopped as firewood or used to build houses, tents and fences, etc.

    Aftering over, Gua Er sat down on the ground immediately, breathing deeply. He didn¡¯t answer Old He¡¯s question, but looked over at Shao Xuan, who helped him pull the wood.

    Although Old He¡¯s grandson was of a simr age as Gua Er, kids of the tribe seldom yed with those from the wanderers¡¯ families. Wanderers were not ves, but would still be considered as inferior to others. After all, wanderers needed to rely on these tribes for survival.

    Therefore, Old He was always at his beck and call when Gua Er came over during day time. Once, he fought against Old He¡¯s grandson, but it didn¡¯t get worse as both families had known each other for quite long, and both needed each other.

    After watching Shao Xuan for a while, Gua Er asked: ¡°Are you a member of the traveling group? I¡¯ve never seen you in the tribe.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m from the traveling group.¡± Shao Xuan picked the wood up effortlessly and ced it in front of Gua Er.

    Gua Er moved closer and asked again: ¡°Did you carve several beasts on animal bone? Of this size. One looks like this¡­¡­¡±

    Gua Er was talking with gestures.

    Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°I did carve them.¡± Those carved toys were also exchanged for some stuff.

    After knowing that it was Shao Xuan who carved the beasts, with a gleam in his eyes, Gua Er came close in front of Shao Xuan, wearing a smile with expectations, ¡°Can you carve one more? Use this wood I brought!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at Gua Er silently, adopting an air of serenity: ¡°What can you use for exchange?¡±

 Chapter 180 â€“ Ancestral Land

    Chapter 180 ¨C Ancestral Land

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    ¡°Use for exchange?¡± Gua Er stood there momentarily stunned.

    He had seen one of his friends holding some delicately and realistically carved bone ornaments in his hands yesterday. He was still unting off to them in their small little group. Gua Er also wanted a wood carving,paring the wood carvings that the the others in the the tribe had to his, they just weren¡¯t even on the same level.

    Hearing that it was traded with the travel team, Gua Er then went to look around for the guy, however to no avail. Therefore he decided to look for a tree first, then let someone else carve something out.

    Yes, Gua Er did not like things carved out from bones, followed by stone. Compared to carved stone, Gua Er preferred wood carvings. Stone carvings were too brittle. In the past, his grandfather had carved something for him, the thing was naturally carved using the mostmon stone. identally, he touched a piece, and it broke. Inparison, the few wood carvings till now, they were still in a good condition. Even if many think that wood carvings are weaker than stone¡¯s, he was still biased towards wood carvings.

    Today, Gua Er had taken the chance that his dad was going on patrol, he shamelessly followed him, and had even got his dad to cut down a pile of trees for him to drag back. He did not think he would bump into Shao Xuan here.

    When Gua Er went to the travel team to get a sculpture, he had specifically asked about Shao Xuan¡¯s appearance and features. He was doubting it before, but now that he was sure it was the real person in front of him, he was naturally very excited. However, Shao Xuan¡¯s question had stunned him in ce.

    Yeah, people of the travel team all need something in exchange. These people are not like his home¡¯s, they will not do anything free of charge.

    Take what and exchange?

    Sheep? Cattle? If he really dragged these out to trade, wouldn¡¯t he be hit by his mom when he went back home? Then after being hit, his dad would then take over to hit him once again¡­.

    He had thought of things like this before, not that he carefully thought over it, Gua Er was a bit hesitant. But he really wanted that kind of wood carving, and it was even carved better than his Grandpa could. Unfortunately, no matter if its his dad or mom, they would definitely not trade anything for just a wood carving. They would think that it was not worth it, not worthwhile. This is also one reason why he was very envious of his little friend.

    Gua Er could not think of any ideas, and he was anxious and afraid that Shao Xuan might reject him. He scratched his head, gaped his mouth several times, without knowing what to say.

    ¡°How about like this,¡± Shao Xuan voiced out just when the other was in torment over the matter: ¡±You promise one thing, do it with all your heart, then I will carve one out for you.¡±

    ¡°What thing?¡± Gua Er asked.

    ¡°Just help out Old He and his family, like don¡¯t let little Ah Nai get bullied by others. When Old He¡¯s family is in need, help them out with everything you can. How¡¯s that?¡± Ah Nai was Old He¡¯s grandson¡¯s name. Gua Er and the rest would not ept Ah Nai, so Ah Nai had received quite a few bullying too. Shao Xuan had thought of hitting back for him, but this was a battle between kids, it was not convenient for him to interfere. Moreover, Old He and his family still needed to live here, the Feng tribe was also not a ce where if you are strong then they wouldpromise with you.

    ¡°This¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even have this bit of power?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can do this!¡± Gua Er said while sticking his neck out.

    Shao Xuan had understood that Gua Er¡¯s father had some power in the tribe from their chats, and Gua Er also had also some influence on his little group of friends. If this brat isn¡¯t making things difficult, and even give a helping hand, Old He¡¯s family naturally could live a better life here till they return to the ming Horns tribe.

    Gua Er did not think that what Shao Xuan requested was difficult, but he was also considered not stupid and knew how to bargain, ¡° I agree, but then you have to carve it well, it can¡¯t be worse than those bone carvings that you carved for the others!

    ¡°No problem.¡±

    ¡°Then I will sit beside you and watch, if it¡¯s not good, I will not agree!¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    On the road, Shao Xuan had crafted a few good stone knives, those bones were not considered too hard, therefore these small knives were enough. For carving wood, he definitely could use these knives too.

    Since Gua Er had said to carve it here, so Shao Xuan also did not move to somewhere else. The wood that Gua Er had brought over was not bad, fine texture, not easily deformed, the carving effect would probably be even better.

    ¡°What kind of carving do you want?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Let me think¡­.hmm¡­ I want¡­¡± After thinking it over carefully, Gua Er said: ¡° Wolf. I want a wolf!¡±

    Compared to those beasts that he had never seen before and would not appear on the grasnds, Gua Er had wanted a wooden wolf carving the most. Wolves on this grasnd weremon, and people of the Feng tribe, although they also hunt wolves, but they still held a form of respect for them. If the wolves did not attack the tribe or snatch away their livestocks, they would also not actively go against the wolves.

    ¡°It must be majestic, an alpha wolf!¡± Gua Er said while full of a yearning expression.

    Shao Xuan did not understand the yearning towards alpha wolves, but the reason was answered by Old He on the side.

    There was a story told in some of the tribes on the grass ins, of course, it was not known that which tribe¡¯s ancestors had first created this story. It told about a tribe that was often attacked by wolves. That tribe¡¯s Shaman had predicted that the wolf pack would attack one of the warriors¡¯ home, therefore he used a stone to carve out a wolf and left it on that warrior¡¯s door. When it was night and the wolves arrived, they saw that wolf carving at the doorstep, thinking that they had seen their wolf king, they were scared away.

    Only children would believe this story, when they grew up, they would stop believing it. However, Gua Er right now was still a deep believer without a single doubt. But he also knew that not anybody had the power that the story¡¯s Shaman had, moreover, the wood that he brought over was not big, it naturally couldn¡¯tpare to the carving in the story. He had only purely wanted to satisfy himself with a mini version of it.

    ¡°Wolf..¡±The first thing Shao Xuan thought of was Caesar, who was left behind in the tribe. Caesar, after he was branded, was enough to be an alpha. Without even talking about his revenge, he still could go against the ferocious beasts in the forest. Who knows what he has grown up to be now.

    Remembering the appearance of Caesar and the look when he hunts in the forest, Shao Xuan¡¯s knife moved.

    Gua Er had wanted to learn a little carving skill, but unexpectedly, the movements of the knife of the person in front of him were getting faster and faster. At first, he could still see each of the knife¡¯s movements, slices of wood shavings fell, but as it became faster, he had no chance to follow Shao Xuan¡¯s speed. The only thing he could see was the wood chips flying like sshes of rain, forcing him to retreat a few steps.

    Gua Er wanted to ask a few questions, but he realised that the sculptor in front of him was somewhat immersed in a trance, preventing anybody from interrupting.

    Old He grabbed some wood chips on the ground with his hands, then stared at Shao Xuan. Although he couldn¡¯t see clearly the movements of Shao Xuan¡¯s arms, but the totem pattern on Shao Xuan¡¯s face, he could see it as clear as day. That was the ming Horns tribe¡¯s totem. It was much clearer than the ones that appeared on his father.

    To carve a sculpture, you don¡¯t necessarily need to use the power of totems. However, when Shao Xuan is seriously carving something out, he will somehow naturally start using it. The few stone knives he had on hand were actually not that good a tool. Many times, to urately carve out his desired form, strength, speed, etc must all be well controlled. Not allowing any mistake. And the thing that he learnt when he was studying how to carve stones was exactly precise control. It had also made sculpturing much easier.

    The surrounding four people could not help but put down the things that they were doing and stare at Shao Xuan.

    Following the speed of the wood chips falling, the wood carving in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands was also slowly forming.

    Gua Er¡¯s breathing gradually got heavier. He had not seen anybody carving like this before. At the same time, he had a feeling that this sculpture was exactly what he wanted. Maybe, it could be even better than he had imagined.

    Once Shao Xuan¡¯s hand with the knife stopped, his other hand was holding apleted sculpture that was covered in wood chips. He blew over it softly.

    The sawdust covering the wood sculpture flew up, leaving the sculpture, just like scattered gold dust. And the sculpture finally revealed itself.

    That was a very robust wolf, you could even see the muscle underneath all its fur. It stood in an upright posture, without baring its teeth, not growling, and also not lifting up its ws. He only stood there, with a slightly turned head. Just like it was looking at something not worth mentioning, emitting power and aura Gua Er could not exin. Seemingly like everything in front of it could not pass through it and could only only retreat.

    The wood carving was not that big, looking at it, it was only the size of a small dog. But the feeling it gave was totally something different.

    ¡°This, are you satisfied?¡± Shao Xuan held the wood carving in his hand, asking Gua Er.

    ¡°Sat¡­Satisfied!¡± Gua Er excitedly stretched out his hand, holding it carefully.

    ¡°Then, the promise before, do you still remember it?¡± Shao Xuan asked once again.

    ¡°What did you say? Oh, remember, of course I remember! Take care of Old He and the rest!¡± Looking at the wood carving in his hands, Gua Er felt that this transaction was too satisfying.

    ¡°Once a word¡¯s out, you can¡¯t chase it with horses.

    ¡°Uh? ¡° Gua Er was at a loss at the words Shao Xuan had spoken.

    ¡°That is to say, once these words are said, even riding on your tribe¡¯s fastest horse¡­ you will still be unable to take them back. Your promise can never be taken back, and you must definitely keep what you have promised.¡± Shao Xuan simply exined.

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    Gua Er was now only thinking of quickly taking this carving back, not nning to stay any further, he got up to leave.

    Only after Gua Er had left, Shao Xuan turned over his head, meeting Old He¡¯s grandson Ah Nai¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°You also want one?¡± Shao Xuan questioned.

    ¡°En!¡± Ah Nai vigorously nodded his head.

    ¡°What kind do you want?¡±

    ¡°A wolf too!¡±

    ¡°Not necessary.¡± Shao Xuan rubbed Ah Nai¡¯s half grown hair and said: ¡±In the future, you will see a real, living one. Compared to the carving it is even more impressive. Not only a wolf, there is also a cave lion, a big headed crane, and many more¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan told Old He and his family stories of the tribe, and carved a stone carve with a totem pattern: the ming Horns tribe¡¯s twin horns.

    Old He was already old, he had experienced many countless setbacks and attacks, ups and downs, till now. Although it was not much like embracing the harsh winds, butpared to Yan Shuo, he was also more stable. But his hands, that usually hold stone picks, when holding onto that not too big stone token with the twin horns totem on it, kept trembling, even half a dayter it had not lessened.

    A long while after, Old He turned towards a direction, carefully ced the token in front of him, then faced towards the direction of the ming Horns tribe and knelt down to worship. Ah Nai and Old He¡¯s wife also bowed down too.

    After finishing worshipping, Old He then got up.

    ¡°The tribe was once in that direction, butter they left. Where exactly it is, I don¡¯t know. I have never went there, I only know that our ancestralnd is there. This is what my father has told me, and my father also heard this from my grandfather. One generation after another, it was passed down. They said, although the tribe has left their ancestralnd, but the root is still there. If the tribe still exists, one day, the tribe will return to the ancestralnd and reignite the totem me once more.

    Shao Xuan, you don¡¯t have to search for each and every one of our separated members. The wanderers from the ming Horns tribe are many, and there may be even more people who do not know where they really belong to, and even more who do not know where to go and cannot see which path they should take next. But when the me starts burning once again, at that time, every wanderer who has been living all around, they will be able to go home!¡±

 Chapter 181 â€“ Central Tribes

    Chapter 181 ¨C Central Tribes

    Tranted by Lesyt

    Old He had said that the ming Horns tribe¡¯s roots are still at the ancestralnd, the me¡¯s veins still lie there. The totem me has to be at the ancestralnd to ignite once again. This, Shao Xuan did not really know about it, maybe the Shaman might have had some idea, but he did not say it.

    No wonder the ancestors constantly longed to go back to their ancestralnd, among the reasons there was still something like this.

    For the wanderers that had been separated from their tribe and also for the tribe itself to regain their flourishing days, the return of the tribe was indeed really needed. Who knows how many are waiting to wee their new lives.

    The travel team would not stay long in the Feng Tribe, after all they were only passing by, this ce only being their resting stop for their long journey ahead. After resting, the leaders will then call back the team and prepare to set out.

    Shao Xuan left some stuff for Old He and his family, exchanging some cow or sheep¡¯s meat for them. Old He did not want any water moonstones, his family only had two old and a young, not much battle strength. If they provoked other wanderers who coveted their stones and grew to be murderous, then that would be bad. The good thing is that Gua Er had already agreed to take care of them, letting Old He and his family be more rxed.

    Even if it¡¯s hard, Old He wouldn¡¯t mind it too much, because now he had hope. Maybe if he could just wait a few more years, he could bring his whole family and the wanderers living elsewhere back to their tribe. He could return to where he belongs within his lifetime, what a blissful thing that would be.

    After saying farewell to Old He, Shao Xuan and the travel team left the Feng tribe.

    Not long after the travel team had left, Gua Er¡¯s father came back from his patrol. He thought of asking Gua Er how he used the wood block he dragged back that he was asking noisily for as he entered the house. If he had not used it, he nned to chop it into firewood.

    Lifting up the leather curtains, he stepped into the house, but when his sight met a certain something in his house, his scalp had tightened, his hand almost swiftly taking out his knife on his waist.

    But before he could make any more moves, a silhouette leaped out, letting out a sound that pierced through the lungs.

    ¡°Dad¡ª¨C¡±

    Gua Er firmly hugged onto his dad¡¯s leg, ¡°Dad, we already have a lot of firewood, don¡¯t chop up my wood sculpture!¡±

    ¡°Wood sculpture?¡± Gua Er¡¯s father was stunned for awhile before taking a clearer look around, ¡°It really is.¡±

    No wonder he had felt something amiss, so it is just a wood sculpture. But then, for a wood sculpture to be carved to this point, it really is not simple. When he saw it the first time, he had thought he had met upon some beast that came out from the forest.

    ¡°Where did this wood sculpturee from?¡± Gua Er¡¯s father put away his knife, scrutinizing the wood sculpture in front of him like something rare.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you before already? This is something I asked from Shao Xuan, the traveller I found, to carve for me from the wood block I dragged back.¡± Gua Er narrated the story of how it came about, he had also mentioned about his promise to take care of Old He and his family. After he had finished speaking, he got a little worried, he hung his head down, hastily lifting his eyelids up to look at his dad, afraid a beating woulde soon.

    He didn¡¯t think that his dad, who had been silent for a long while, would then say: ¡±If you promised, then you should just do it.¡±

    Shao Xuan, who had already left the Feng tribe, naturally did not know the conversation between Gua Er and his dad. Him and the rest continued along another river. Upstream, this river directly went deep into the grasnds; downstream, it would join together with another river, bing a river that would flow all the way to the central tribes.

    This time there weren¡¯t any rafts, therefore they relied on walking.

    Just like what the other travellers had said, the team speedily kept on the road for a few days and they came closer to their destination.

    ¡°Just a bit further ahead, the territories belong to the central tribes.¡±

    ¡°Let the travel team be more alert, in front is the territory of two big tribes, don¡¯t offend them.¡± Some experienced travellers advised the neers.

    A tribe that can build itself among the central tribes cannot be considered a small tribe at all. Each and everyone of them have their own unique traits, any small tribes could definitely notpete with them. And the tribes in the central tribes, generally, they would also not take the initiative to attack the travel team.

    Coming here, you would also bump into many other travellers from othernds, but now, there would not be nice greetings and calm conversations among them, everybody was cautious against another.

    When passing through a few hills, a few travellers beside Shao Xuan said to him: ¡°Look over there.¡±

    Beside the travel team were a row of curving hills, and on the top of these hills, there were painted rocks of a tribe¡¯s characteristic on it.

    The paintings carved on the rock were not exactly borate. What was drawn was not like a human, but it had a face belonging to human beings. [If you¡¯re confused, read the next paragraph clearly.]

    In front of Shao Xuan, on a huge and almost rectangr rock, such painting of a round human face with a wide mouth was painted; strangely, the body part under this human face looked simr to that ofmon people but it had four more hands.

    The painting style was rough and exaggerated, looking like a man with weird physical proportions and six hands standing there, whose mouth and six hands were opened wide and two legs were also opened at a certain angle, just like a spider watching people passing by. Behind him, on the other part of the rock were some inteced lines, which looked like they were carved orderly and intentionally instead of being carved causally.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Yu asked the experienced travelers beside him, wanting to know more exact answers from them.

    Yet Shao Xuan knew the answer the moment he saw the painting.

    The ¡°Eight Limbs¡± tribe was once drawn and recorded on the animal skin volumes, as well as on the walls in the cave.

    In the cave near the mountain foot district, when Shao Xuan saw the pattern on the stone wall for the first time, he thought it was a spider. After seeing more records on the animal skin volumes, he knew that it was not a spider, but a weird person with eight limbs, like a spider.

    There were some huge ck rocks nearby, on which various faces and weird men with eight limbs were also carved.

    It deserved to be arge tribe in the central area, who started to draw out the boundary and set up the boundary monument at such a great distance, as if they did it for fear that no one knew here was the Eight Limbs tribe. As far as the eyes could see, the row of hill rock paintings were all full of the characteristics of the Eight Limbs tribe, somerge and others small. People passing through this ce, even with a bad memory, would be impressed with this long row of hill rock paintings, which were hard to forget.

    Somebody at the side said: ¡°This is not yet the territory of the Eight Limbs tribe. The ce we are walking on belongs to somewhere between the Eight Limbs tribe and the Mang tribe.¡±

    ¡°Jades in the backwoods of Mang and silk garments in Eight Limbs. What this means are the two tribes?!¡± Yu had heard of these two strong tribes in the central area from some travelers long before, as well as the products of these two tribes. But he never saw the jades of the Mang tribe. Nor did he see the legendary garments made of silk.

    Jades in the backwoods of Mang and silk garments in Eight Limbs were the well-known products of these two tribes. No matter if it¡¯s the jades of the backwoods of the Mang tribe or the silk garments produced by the Eight Limbs tribe, both were extremely expensive. Usually, small tribesing from regions far away, they would not exchange for these two products, as there was no need to do so. Linen had already kept many people away, let alone more expensive silk garments. Even if the silk garments were brought back, they would just be put aside.

    Simply speaking, their consumption level was not that high and they didn¡¯t have the taste to appreciate the silk garment. Moreover, it was useless for people who focused more on practical uses.

    ¡°Apart from the rock paintings of the Eight Limbs tribe, there are marks of the Mang tribe somewhere nearby. There, look ahead. Those are the totem marks of the Mang tribe.¡± The traveler at the side showed Shao Xuan and Yu.

    Over there was a bamboo grove which was not too high, but quite sturdy and thick. They looked quite strong, whose leaves could even wrap Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    There were paintings like the totem tattoos of the Mang tribe carved on almost all the sturdy bamboo. Also, some things made of bamboo simr to wind chimes were hanging on the bamboo. Strings of bamboo chimes tapped against each other with the wind, making sounds of different pitches, which were extremely pleasant to the ear.

    If it were under normal circumstances, many people would have gone there to cut the bamboo or would have taken away those bamboo chimes which could y music. But the truth was that extremely few would touch those things, just as most people dared not touch the hill rock paintings of the Eight Limbs tribe. These were the symbols of the two tribes. Anyone who touched them would be considered as defying against the two tribes.

    Members of the travel team would not do anything risky like that. That¡¯s why they warned those who traveled for the first time not to offend the strong without knowing it before they arrived.

    There were often travelersing and going through this ce, which already made a clear path. On the left of this path were a long row of hill rock paintings. On the paintings of the Eight Limbs tribe, men with eight limbs in an awful look were watching the passersby, imposing great mental pressure on every traveler and making them dread the Eight Limbs tribe even more. It was the so-called strong tribe, even their paintings were so mighty.

    The other side of the path was of totally different style, with fresh bamboo chimes. It didn¡¯t make anyone feel rxed at all; instead, every tapping sound of the bamboo would make them tense up, as if in the bamboo grove, there were eyes watching them, which made the team speed up unconsciously, not to mention touching those bamboo or wind chimes.

    This was the demonstration of the strong in their own way, making passersby remember their strength, not just knowing the jades or silk garments.

    Not until that passage was over, when there were no hill rock paintings by the side and the tapping sounds of bamboo faded away, did everyone feel relieved with the nervous mood dying down gradually.

    ¡°Move further ahead and we will arrive at a valley. That¡¯s a good ce for trading. Also, it¡¯s very close to the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, so no one dares to make troubles.¡± One traveler in front said.

    Soon, Shao Xuan saw the ce for trading. It was just like a small-scale market over there, with houses made of wood and bamboo located around. There were travelers from different ces or people from nearby tribes making deals in this market. As this market was adjacent to the two rge mountains¡±, sometimes they would have to give some gifts to people of the two tribes.

    Entering this market, Shao Xuan felt that it got busy right away. Some people put the items they wanted to trade on the ground, with ayer of straw sheet or animal skin at the bottom, while others built a simple shelf to disy the items for trade.

    It¡¯s a very simple and crude market, but it¡¯s also the biggest and busiest trading ce that Shao Xuan had ever seen since he came to this world.

 Chapter 182 â€“ Cave grabbing

    Chapter 182 - Cave grabbing

    Tranted by Joycelyn

    Edited by EvilGurl, Ilesyt

    There were many potteries around, some were even painted with different patterns on them.

    Bust pottery, canvas pottery, and so on¡­ depicted with each tribe¡¯s uniqueness on it. Not only was it practical, but it also possessed a beauty to look at too. It brought along a sense of mysteriousness and a mystical artistic hue.

    Those round or semicircr potteries were used as containers, to put objects into. For those with ears on them, they were tied with a thin string.

    Not only were there these unusual stuff, but there were even more creative potteries, like pitchers with three legs, potteries for eating, and also urns with those small mouths.

    ¡°What are those used for?¡± Shao Xuan asked the guy beside him while pointing at the area where the urns with small mouths and some funnel looking thing were.

    ¡°Oh, that. It is said to be for wine.¡± The guy beside answered, his eyes looking over that area with envy, ¡°I heard those are wares for wine, they were used to transport wine. It is very popr here. I have traded for a pottery like that before, but it did note with wine. But it was quite convenient using these potteries for storage and transportation. These kinds do not easily spill out of their caps, that sharp bottom of theirs is also more wear-resistant. It is quite convenient to use. Later when we go back, I am nning to trade for a few more. It will be good if I could get some wine too.

    ¡°What is wine?¡± Yu curiously asked.

    ¡°Wine? Some kind of water?¡± Another person who did not know as well asked, ¡°I have not drank it before, but the head leader has said before that wine was made from food. Tribes who have wine are all big tribes, they do notck food.¡±

    Few young guys in the surrounding showed faces of envy. Do notck of food, and still have the material and spiritual enjoyment, who would not be envious.

    Many tribes in the central area, their animal husbandry and agriculture have advanced quite far. When there is an overage of food, then can develop their handicraft rapidly. They have a bountiful amount of art, this is also why travellers say that the central tribes are very exciting.

    Art design has a rtionship between ¡®functionality¡¯ and ¡®decoration¡¯. In such a ce, the people¡¯sbor, their daily tasks, these were all for surviving. After all, survival was the most important, and way of life, was lined after it.

    Creativeness is so that they can live a better life, therefore all creating activity, even if it is in a barbaric and primitive colored ce, designing potteries was also considered as the ¡®people¡¯s¡¯ core, with ¡®practicality¡¯ being the fundamentals.

    The potteries that Shao Xuan had seenyed out had many kinds and patterns, when the few old fellows back at the ming Horns tribe were intoxicated with the ancient potteries that they had, here there were already many more patterns and varieties.

    If those fellows at the ming Horns tribe saw these, who knows what thoughts would they have in their mind. Especially Xing, who had showed off his precious pottery in front of Shao Xuan.

    Other than potteries, there were jade products. Among them there were stripes, half-rings, or even rings less than half. There were a few semi-circr jade ornaments shaped like bridges, some jades had nothing on them, in, there were only one or a few holes on them. And some jades were carved withplex decorations, some were were even engraved fully.

    ¡°Are all those jades?¡± Both of Yu¡¯s eyes shone while looking at them.

    ¡°Yeah, those are jades. but, they are not of very good quality. Later you pay attention when you are looking around, each member of the Mang Tribe, they have a jade on them. Most of them are like this shape.¡± A traveller gestured a shape, drawing out an arc like that of a bridge, ¡°These type of people belonging to the Mang tribe are all of a higher status, we better not offend them.¡±

    The few young people in the surrounding quickly nodded.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s not bother browsing around, we still have not found a cave to rest yet.¡± An experienced traveller called to those youngsters who were looking left and right, ¡°Don¡¯t walk away and get lost, you will suffer if you get lost here, maybe you will even lose your life.¡±

    At awless ce like this, everything is naturally determined by strength. The central tribes are generally stronger, so travellers like them would group themselves in a big group. It is safer like this.

    From hereon, people from the travel team were not that rxed anymore, they also did not have the heart to notice the scenery. They had to constantly be alert. There were many from other tribes around, anybody could also be their enemy. Without you noticing, they would stab you with a knife, snatch your possessions, and then slip into the shadows. These kind of situations were not umon.

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    Not far away from this market, there were hills, although not many, but there were many caves. Some were naturally formed, but some were dug out by travellers who came before.

    The Mang tribe and the rest of the eight tribes would not bother with the caves on that side. The people who came to the market, whether they could stay in a cave depended on their true ability.

    If you walked further in, entering the territory of the Mang tribe or any of the other eight tribes, there will be already built houses, and it was also safer there as well. But if you stay there, you would have to use many things to trade, and the travellers were not willing to go over.

    Shao Xuan and the travel team made it to the front of the hill.

    Pa!

    A guy who had been beaten till his bones were twisted was thrown down from a height. He breathed out a few more breaths before stopping eternally.

    The people around him were minding their own business, like they had not seen the dead guy lying there. They spoke what they needed to, do what they needed to do.

    The travellers, even if they saw something strange, it was not strange to them. Things like this happen daily, snatching caves, snatching things, fighting when it is not pleasing to your eyes. Anytime, these can be seen, it is just that sometimes petty quarrels can lead to someone losing his life.

    When closing in on the hill, subtle changes also urred within the travel team. The more experienced and stronger warriors walked at the outside of the group, while the injured ones and the overly young and inexperienced ones gathered in the centre. At this time, there was no separation between tribes. Since they had partnered up when they came here, then naturally they should work in cooperation. Here, they had to band together, if not, they would be considered weak to the others.

    There were small andrge caves, this team had hundreds of people, of course they would need arger cave to stay in, and the fight over therger caves was very aggressive.

    The few leaders at the front of the team looked towards the hill, with just one look at the peopleing out from their caves, the more experienced travellers could guess roughly how strong they were. If they were too strong, they couldn¡¯t afford to offend them, the caves where the weaker ones stayed also couldn¡¯t be that big either, therefore they targeted the more average and those that couldn¡¯t endure any more opponents to snatch from.

    ¡°That side.¡±

    Fan Ning pointed towards a direction, the other leaders also nodded their heads in agreement, gesturing for their own tribes to follow.

    With a team of hundreds of membersing over, they couldn¡¯t help but attract a few stares, and some people also had some impression of this group. Those who were more familiar with them would also know their way of handling things, and those who were new to them, went around to investigate about them now. To have a stable standing in this chaotic ce, it is a must to know your enemies as well as yourrades.

    The few first time young men, the novelty and excitement they had felt at first had long been reced by the pressure and the strange stressful atmosphere around. They did not even dare to meet anyone¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Lift your heads up, don¡¯t act all like a coward. You¡¯re throwing away your tribe¡¯s face!¡± Someone in the teammanded in a low voice.

    Shao Xuan looked at the other people on the hill, they all looked the same, nobody had an extra arm or two legs less, but their facial features and body size still had more obvious differences.

    Some had painted faces and some did not, and their clothes also had their own intricate styles. One could see who was rough with just one look. This ce really was a ¡®hodgepodge¡¯. It was also really the first time for Shao Xuan, being at a ce with so many people who came from so many different tribes.

    Walking up the hill a little, the team went straight into a slightlyrger cave.

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    At the entrance of that cave sat a few people. Seeing the grouping over, they called out to the people inside the cave toe out.

    ¡°We have already taken this cave.¡± A skinny tall guy walked out and said.

    ¡°Oh,¡± Fan Ning continued on with the team, ¡°Now, it¡¯s ours!¡±

    With no further words, the fight had begun.

    A silhouette sprang out from within the cave, the sound of wind broke while he headed towards Fan Ning at the center.

    Bracing the sudden burst of air, Fan Ning¡¯s both eyes grinned, a cold glint shed past his eyes, he stepped forward, his ankle abruptly turned, and his shoulder shed, weing the opponent.

    The opponent¡¯s legs swung sharply, hidden with murderous intent. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t doubt that this one kick could make one¡¯s brain move house.

    After that kick was blocked by Fan Ning, the opponentnded on the ground and changed to using his hands. He swung his hands like an axe moving up and down. When Fan Ning dodged, his arms directly hit onto the rock on the side. A deep mark was left on it.

    Shao Xuan, who was also young, was shoved to the middle by the travellers. The surrounding young guys were silent, their eyes wide open, staring over to that side, looking at the dangerous battle going on. When they just arrived, that guy, who was beaten till his bones broke, had already left a very deep impression on them. Maybe the guys who lose will end up like that too. Losing the cave is small, but if you lose your life, then everything will be for naught. But at this moment, although you know its dangerous, you also cannot take a single step back.

    ¡°Do you know what type of frog leader Fan Ning likes the best?¡± Yu whispered to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What type?¡± Shao Xuan turned towards Yu. He remembered that the flower pattern around Fan Ning¡¯s eyes weren¡¯t that many colours. Like the bright fresh colours of the poisonous frog¡¯s patterns that Yu had.

    ¡°The Overlord Jiao frogs. He and the Chief like the same kind.¡± Yu exined.

    Guang Hou, the chief of the Pu tribe, his appearance was just like a dumpling. After that meeting, Shao Xuan knew from seeing some of the frogs, which were bigger in size than any others, from the Pu tribe¡¯s events that Guang Hou¡¯s appearance was very much alike to Jiao frogs. And the few whose body size were bigger in the Pu tribe, all had more explosive personalities as well.

    Fan Ning likes the Overlord Jiao frogs the best, his temperament was also closer towards the overlord. Also, his true ability was also one that the Pu tribe could rely on.

    Although this Pu tribe travel team leader had never given Shao Xuan a good attitude during the entire trip, but Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but admit that Fan Ning was a person with ability.

    That side, Fan Ning had caught onto a negligence of the opponent, a seemingly simple move, although the punch he made looked to be nothing special, but it was actually packed with an overbearing force, breaking through the air, straight into the other¡¯s chest.

    Pu!

    The guy who abruptly suffered the blow got blown away,nding on the ground roughly ten meters away. The opponent still got up while struggling, nned to say something, however he spit out a mouthful of blood instead.

    Quite a few of the opponent¡¯s group members¡¯ faces changed, and looked horrified at Fan Ning, who stood there. Although Fan Ning had suffered a few blows too from him, his beast skin clothing was torn a little and stained with blood from his wound, butpared to the guy who got blown away, FanNing¡¯s condition was already considered very good. Moreover, Fan Ning still stood there stable and firm.

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    Shao Xuan thought that Fan Ning had actually held back a little with this punch. During the trip here, he had seen Fan Ning hunting wild beasts before, and at that time, he really used his explosive power. If just now he had punched with all his strength, the opponent would had lost his life much sooner. If there was one more punch, the opponent¡¯s bones would probably be all in pieces then.

    The opponent was being helped up, blood was still flowing from the corner of his mouth. Even if he did not hurt his bones, but that powerful force from the punch still made him suffer a major injury to his inner organs. Continuing to battle was impossible for him, he could feel that his own bones, although not broken, but were still fractured. If he took another hit, he would be in a much more miserable state than he is now.

    Rush in with his body and continue fighting? Not worth it.

    Someone from the opponent¡¯s group still wanted to say something, but catching a view of Fan Ning¡¯s frosty grinning eyes, he then swallowed his words back down.

    ¡°Who else?¡± Fan Ning stood there, his sight swept past the group gathering at the cave¡¯s entrance. Many did not dare to meet his sight. The tough and arrogant disy of power just now, and the fast yet violent blow,pletely broke these people¡¯s guts.

    Their leader was already beaten, even if their group had some capable ones, with their amount, they also couldn¡¯t beat them. Looking at their opponents, each and everyone of their mental state was very good, especially the one who had fought with their leader. With a face full of evil, standing there, looking like he could still go a few more rounds.

    Forget it, let¡¯s go, bah. Can¡¯t beat the leader, can¡¯t beat with quantity either, might as well save up their battle strength to look for another target.

    The group of people originally standing in front of the cave¡¯s entrance, one after another, packed up and left. They nned to vie another smaller cave that they had seen yesterday. The people in that cave looked easier to take care of.

    With such a result, Yu gave Shao Xuan a proud look: Look, our leader is domineering!

    At the same time, Yu had thought, as expected of someone with paintings of the overlord Jiao frogs. If Leader Fan Ning had the same eyebrows as the chief, then it would be good. He will then really have the look of an overlord Jiao frog.

    Not only Yu, but many youths from the Pu tribe also became fervent, looking at Fan Ning with admiration.

    Fan Ning had a look like a cold guy on a high pedestal, but in fact, in his heart he was suffering. If he had battled again with his paralysed body, he would definitely lose terribly then. The few hits he took had injured his inner organs, he was only pretending he was alright and just needed a rest. Hisst punch he did not use his full power because he wanted to save up a little strength to prepare for what¡¯s toeter. Snatching a cave, you only need to deter and force out your opponents.

    ¡°Go in and tidy things up. bah.¡± Fan Ning told the others.

    The team poured in. Their team was ratherrge and this cave was just enough to amodate them. Although the space that they could move around in was not a lot, but to be able to posses this cave, it was already good enough.

    The crowd was happily going in, but then from within the cave came a person¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What are you making noise for!¡± The voice sounded leisurely andzy, and along it also came a yawn.

    Hearing this voice, the travel team had not thought that the cave they had already snatched still had someone who dared to stay behind?! Could it be that someone from that group before had someone who slept like the dead and did not hear the noise?

    ¡°Who? Come out! We have already taken over this cave, you better pack up your things and leave!¡± One of the leaders from the group shouted with surprise and anger.

 Chapter 183 â€“ Courage is not small

    Chapter 183 - Courage is not small

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by EvilGurl, Ilesyt

    Da- Da- Da-

    Footsteps came from a hole inside.

    The person inside the cave walked forward, step by step, not urgent, not slow, with a small hint of carelessness.

    He didn¡¯t seem to panic because of all the strangers in the cave.

    There was no fire burning inside the cave, it was dark, so at first, the people couldn¡¯t see the person inside. Because of his sudden appearance, they became vignt and picked up their weapons while facing him.

    In this ce, you could not afford to underestimate even a single person, or you might end up regretting it.

    Inside the cave, where the light was brighter, the person gradually revealed his shadow.

    The man looked very young, wearing a linen dress. Although it was somewhat wrinkled, but you could still see it,pared to the piece of linen Shao Xuan saw in the Pu tribe, these linen clothes were much better, weaved more finely. In the cor, there were some series of decorations made from small bamboo pieces, so that piece of linen cloth did not lookso simple.

    The manzily stretched his arms and his waist as the light shone on him. He fixed his hair with his hand and looked at the people standing in the cave, and said: ¡°Hey, switched?¡±

    ¡°And you are?¡± Several leaders of the group looked at each other and then one asked.

    ¡°This hole is ours! You get out quickly!¡±

    There was a youth standing next to him. He originally intended to grab a better ce in the cave, but then he became shocked when a sound came from within the cave. As a result, the person behind him grabbed the ce. Thus his mood was disgruntled and the tone of his voice also sounded somewhat angry.

    But he did not notice that his teamleader¡¯s arrogance had toned down a lot, he also did not notice the sudden discolored faces of some of the experienced travelers.

    Seeing the other did not answer, he was about to say something else, but several older people next to him covered his mouth. Dragging him to the middle of the team.

    Shao Xuan looked at the person who came out.

    He knows that although linen has be popr in the central region, and that there were many people wearing them in the market, but not many can wear linen that fine, even having polished bamboo ornaments. But the most important thing of all was the piece of jade hanging from his waist.

    The experienced members of the team had said that everyone in the Mang tribe wore jade pieces. But those pieces could be of better or lower quality, types ranging from full rings to half rings, to even quarter rings. It could be said that status and jade were associated with eachother.

    And on the waist of the man in front was hanging a piece of jade of an arc of almost 240 degrees. Although it was not a carved jade, but you could still discern some green lines on it.

    It can be presumed that this person was not a small character. Although they did not know why he came to sleep in this cave, but he could not be offended, which is what was going through the minds of the several team leaders at the same time.

    The man seemed to sweep his gaze over the team, then said: ¡°I have already slept well, you go in.¡±

    No one from the team went inside, but the man started stepping forward. The group blocking the entrance of the hole quickly opened a path. Several young people that didn¡¯t move were quickly dragged back by the older ones.

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    With no one blocking the entrance, more light shone inside, and it allowed the people to see this strange young man more clearly.

    He had quite the fair and frail. He also didn¡¯t give off a strong momentum like that of Fan Ning. But his clothes were pretty good.

    Some wondered why they were so afraid. But when their eyes, that were looking at each other, swept over the hanging piece of jade, they scolded themselves in the heart and lowered their eyes. Not daring to look up.

    For a while, the cave became quiet. The happily discussing people also closed their mouths.

    The atmosphere became tense.

    Da..da..da¡­.

    The sound of him moving slowly could be heard very clearly. Even the noise from outside the cave could not cover up this footsteps.

    Suddenly, the man walking outside the cave stopped and paused, and looked sideways to look inside the travelers group.

    The several leaders¡¯ hearts suddenly became tight. They nced at each other, thinking about what to do if an ident happened.

    But the other just looked inside the group and said with a meaningful smile: ¡°Your courage is not small, but when you go out, do not go alone.¡±

    The other people in the group followed the man¡¯s gaze, and there they saw Shao Xuan, frowning.

    After that sentence, the man left. He stood outside andzily stretched his waist and arms, looked to the foot of the mountain, and then jumped.

    The slope of the mountain¡¯s side was steep, there was quite some height from the ground below.

    However, when the people went outside the cave to look below, they did not find that person¡¯s shadow.

    ¡°Fan Ning came to the front of Shao Xuan with a cold face, probably because of the internal injuries he looked even more ugly, and said: ¡°You messed with the people of the Mang tribe?¡±

    ¡°No, this is my first time here. I have not seen people of the Mang tribe before.¡± Shao Xuan was also wondering, that person only spoke in mystery, who knows what he meant in the end?

    ¡°Did not mess with would be the best!¡± Fan Ning heavily harumphed. Because this harumph affected the body¡¯s injury, he even coughed a number of times, almost coughing up some blood. But in order to maintain his face and a stable morale, he held back the blood.

    ¡°Clean up the cave.¡± Said one of the leaders.

    Worried that there might be other people in the cave, they put up a fire, and took torches into the inside, carefully checking around and throwing out some garbage, and then they took up a ce to rest. Being on the road to the central region for so long, they had had tight nerves. And now they were finally able to grab a cave, they could finally have a good rest, some people with an injury also needed some care.

    Shao Xuan and a few other people also found a ce to rest, lit a small fire, and grilled some meat, to regain some strength.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you really do not know that person?¡± Yu asked.

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    ¡°I don¡¯t know him, I have no idea what he meant.¡± Shao Xuan had been thinking about the reasons. He thought maybe he found out that he is from the ming Horns tribe, but he did not hear of any resentment between their and the Mang tribe. Moreover, Shao Xuan did not feel malicious intent from him, of course, no goodwill either. Just a stranger.

    On the other side, the person who left the cave was near the market. He did not go into the market, but was about a hundred of meters away.

    Whoosh!

    A thin spear shot out, inserted in the ground in front of him, nearly half the spear shot into the ground.

    ¡°Qu Ce! Hand over Bai Ling!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, a white figure appeared a 100 meters away. Arriving in front of Qu Ce.

    This was a woman wearing white silk. With anger on her beautiful face, she looked at Qu Ce.

    ¡°Is it not just one spider? How many days do you have to try to kill me?¡± Qu Ce yawned, and said without care: ¡°You care about your spider, but then what do I do about my difficultly raised bamboo rats? Compensate me? I also intended to keep them for a few days to cook in a pot of soup for good meal. But after I took a look a whileter, all that was left were bones!¡±

    Talking about the past, Qu Ce¡¯s face became cold.

    ¡°For your bamboo rats, I can use silk clothes topensate.

    ¡°Bah, how can itpare to your rare tribal spider? When do we not have such good things?¡±

    ¡°In any case, you have to return Bai Ling today!¡± The white woman does not give up.

    ¡°Afraid you can¡¯t¡­wait!¡± Before she could start attacking, Qu Ce quickly stopped her.

    Looking at the sky, Qu Ce¡¯s gaze stayed somewhere. And the anger on his face just now was reced with smile, and then he raised his palm.

    After a while, a green figure shed, and finally stayed in the palm of his hand.

    It was a bird that was smaller than a palm. Wings such as knives, tail like a swallow. Because its body was too small, if you did not look carefully, it could easy be mistaken for an insects.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qu Ce touched the bird¡¯s head with his finger and asked.

    The bird cried out and pecked with his beak.

    ¡°Finally found those thieves.¡± Qu Ce¡¯s face showed a smile. ¡°You Shi, I do not have time to waste with you, here!¡± Qu Ce said, and from inside the clothes, he pulled out a ball wrapped in a skin, and threw it to the white woman.

    The white woman quickly caught it, and looked at the ¡°white ball¡± in her hands. It was originally a spider covered with long white hair. But now it was wrapped into a big fist sized ball, and there were several bamboo needles stabbed in its body. And because of these few bamboo needles, that white spider suffered great pain.

    ¡°Qu Ce!¡± That white woman¡¯s face became full of anger.

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    ¡°What are you shouting for, it is not dead, much better than my poor bamboo rats. When you eat so many of my bamboo rats, you have to be punished. Even if it died, that is also deserved!¡±

    The white woman could not bother to say any more and endured the anger. She pulled out the needles in the ¡°white ball¡±. After a while, the ¡°white ball¡± gradually opened, thin white long legs stretched out. The fist big ¡°white ball¡± inted to double.

    ¡°Next time it eats my bamboo rats, that won¡¯t be all!¡± Not caring to stay much longer there, Qu Ce pulled out a bag: ¡°I¡¯m going to catch the thief, I would like to see who else dares to steal my bamboo rats. When was I ever a pushover?

    The green bird took off and Qu Ce followed. The white woman hesitated for a while, but then also followed. She also found that some of the silk in the tribe was gone. Don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the same person who stole jade and bamboo rats from the Mang tribe.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­

    After eating food and a short break, Shao Xuan, Yu and a few others went out the cave. The travel team split into two groups: One going out for trade now and one guarding the cave, to go out in the afternoon.

    Right now, Fan Ning¡¯s group went out. They will trade in this market for the first batch of items. Things that were popr in the central region might not be liked back in their region. They had to follow the habits of those tribes around the river and select. And change for more items when they return.

    Like the piece of rough linen Shao Xuan had seen, in here was simply nothing, just something to use to cover things. But brought back, it could be used to trade for some good water moonstones. And then change those water moon stones for more good things.

    Because there is no universal currency, in the transactions, Shao Xuan saw a variety of strange items. Sometimes, buyerse out with things the seller did not like, so the transaction would not seed.

    Yu¡¯s frog items were quite popr, they traded quite well. And the Drumming tribes¡¯ water moonstones went even more smooth.

    Shao Xuan thought, if the number is enough, the Drumming tribe¡¯s water moonstones could be used as universal currency. No matter which tribe the seller was from, if Shao Xuan wanted to trade with him, he could take out the water moonstones and be sessful.

    It is no wonder that the people of the Pu tribe were so excited to see the Drumming tribe every time. They had too many water moonstones.

    A level higher than the water moonstones were the Mang tribe¡¯s jade. In the trade they were the same, but they were a bit more ¡°expensive¡± than the water moonstones.

    Shao Xuan was not interested in the linen or the pottery, not even those jade from the Mang tribe. If you touched them, you could feel a calm and peaceful atmosphere. Perhaps they would have a use for other totem warriors, but Shao Xuan felt that he did not need these. And also not having enough money, he did not have a mind to acquire them.

    Shao Xuan, Yu and the others were walking in the market when a square face appeared.

    ¡°How many of you need jade?¡± The man quickly swept his eyes around, apparently vignt of something, and then pulled out animal skins from the loose sleeves, Shao Xuan could see a few pieces of jade inside the other¡¯s sleeves.

    ¡°Jade?¡± Yu was somewhat hesitant, he was very curious about the jade, but other people in the tribe said that jade trading was not worthwhile, so basically no one in the Pu tribe traded jade.

    ¡°Well, I do not have the ability to trade jade, for the jade I won¡¯t be able to trade for other things.¡± Yu refusingly said.

    The other people from the Pu tribe were also of the same mind, only Shao Xuan seemed to hesitate.

    ¡°This jade, how do you want to exchange?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I saw youing up with that white stone, just use that. But¡­ here is too eye-catching, let¡¯s go over there.¡± The man pointed to a ce.

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    ¡°Shao Xuan, we go with you.¡± Yu said. He had heard that such transactions on the market are very dangerous, many times the group would act together.

    Thinking about it, Shao Xuan said to the few people, ¡°No, you continue to look around. After I have traded, I will catch up, I am very interested in this jade, I would like to see more.¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have a lot of jade on the other side, they are finely carved.¡± That person quickly said.

    ¡°You really do not want us toe?¡± A slightly older people next to Yu asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, but thank you.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Some of the deals in the market may indeed involve some personal secrets, and the elders of the Pu tribe had not said that they would also go with Yu and the others.

    So after they went away, the jade trader motioned Shao Xuan: ¡°Come, I think there is a good ce.¡±

    Shao Xuan pointed to another ce: ¡°There are less people.¡±

    ¡°That side¡­ alright.¡± The man walked beside Shao Xuan, slightly half a step behind, from under the sleeves, his fingers gestured in a direction.

    After leaving the market for some distance, Shao Xuan stopped.

    In front, to the left, and to the right, there was each a person, and in the rear, it was the jade trader from the market.

    Shao Xuan turned to look at the jade trader. He was originally smiling, simrly, he was still smiling, but it was now less amicable and it was more a vicious smile. The animal skins with the jades in his sleeves were already gone.

    Four people, with Shao Xuan in the middle.

    ¡°Boy, take out your things.¡± The man in front said.

    Shao Xuan did not say anythings, he did not show any panic either.

    ¡°Do not hide, we are very clear with what you have. You have courage, with that precious thing, even dares toe with me alone.¡± The jade trader¡¯s eyes shed with greed.

    Precious thing?

    Shao Xuan thought, the valuable things on his body were the coat made from the special silk from those insects, the Drumming tribe¡¯s water moonstones, and¡­ the fire crystal!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes shed, he remembered what that person in the cave said: ¡°When you go out, do not go alone.¡±

 Chapter 184 â€“ Idiot

    Chapter 184 - Idiot

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by EvilGurl, Ilesyt

    A bee the size of a thumb was flying around one of them.

    Shao Xuan heard from some people in the team that a few people who engaged in looking for treasures everywhere would domesticate several animals to find treasures. Those animals were very sensitive to some objects with special energies like the fire crystals. With the help of these animals, the chance of sess to find treasures every time would increase a lot.

    This weird looking bee, flying around one of them, should be the so-called ¡°Treasure-Hunting Bee¡±.

    ¡°What exactly do you want?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Drop the act. I know you have the fire crystal. But if you can hand out more things, we promise to let you go. Or otherwise¡­¡­¡± The one standing in the front of Shao Xuan said ruthlessly.

    ¡®Just as expected.¡¯ Shao Xuan thought.

    So, the man before in the cave can also perceive the fire crystal?

    Waiting for a while, the guys still didn¡¯t get the reply from Shao Xuan. One man became impatient and put on a severe face, ¡°Don¡¯t talk any more nonsense with him. Since he doesn¡¯t want to hand it over, let¡¯s kill him and then search for the things on his body!¡±

    For them, Shao Xuan was just a neer to the team, a young man that knew nothing at all with just a little strength. Every time they nned to rob, they¡¯d ask around first. Therefore, after their treasure-hunting bee found the fire crystal, they disguised as the dealers in the market and talked with members of the travel team, knowing that this young man called Shao Xuan came here alone, and didn¡¯t belong to any of the tribes in the travel team.

    What the hell was ¡°the ming Horns tribe¡±? They hadn¡¯t even heard of this name. It¡¯s probably a small tribe somewhere far away, not in need of any attention. A member of this kind of small tribe being killed was nothing serious. They even back-stabbed some people from tribes in the central area, let alone a young man from an unknown tribe.

    As long as it was not people from the few strong tribes like the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, they would stretch out their hands to rob without mercy if necessary.

    There were no other people walking around, and Shao Xuan was besieged by these four men. One of them smiled with a ferocious look, the muscles on his face and body bulged, with his clothes wriggling and swelling oddly. Although his muscles didn¡¯t bulge up like the members of the Drumming tribe did, it gave the impression of great strength, and some patterns appeared on his body at the same time.

    This totem warrior with a look full of bloodlust had a rich experience in robbing. In the past, many people that came to the market to trade were killed by him.

    The swelled muscles and those eye-catching totem tattoos on his body made him look more ferocious. He opened his mouth and roared at Shao Xuan, as if disying his strength. That roar sounded like several beasts roaring together, with an extremely obvious meaning of threat.

    Usually, those people besieged by them would have already panicked, with a frightened look on their faces. Some would even promise to hand out more treasures to exchange for their lives. But in the end, those treasures were taken, as well as their lives.

    About several hundred meters away from there, behind some scrubs, Qu Ce was standing there quietly, looking at the five men over there. He didn¡¯t expect to see this kind of scene when following the green bird.

    ¡°Hmm, I advised him kindly before. Now hees out alone. So, I call him an idiot. Death serves him right.¡± Qu Ce murmured.

    By his side, ady in white stood there with a hairy spider in her arms, looking at those five men with her brows slightly furrowed. She was not interested in the affairs of those small tribes and just followed Qu Ce to see if it was something rted to those who stole the spider silk.

    ¡°Are they the thieves?¡± Thedy in white asked.

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    ¡°Yes, they are. But I didn¡¯t know that they even do something like this. But that¡¯s to be expected, someone who dares to steal things from the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe would certainly put his hands on others too.¡± Qu Ce replied.

    ¡°Won¡¯t you go help?¡±

    ¡°Why? When it¡¯s done over there, I¡¯ll go and clean them up.¡±

    Either for Qu Ce or for thedy in white, people of the small tribes didn¡¯t need any of their attention at all. That is to say, in their eyes they were smarter, stronger and more civilized people in their own conceit, with more techniques and rich culture, while those small tribes were stupid and short-sighted savages who knew nothing but fighting, killing and robbing. Both were onpletely different levels, and they would even not say a word to those savages in daily life.

    Only on rare asions, like when Qu Ce especially reminded Shao Xuan in the cave, but his advice was not taken seriously. Qu Ce didn¡¯t have the mood to interfere again. In that situation, it should be over soon for those mismatches. As to the life or death of that guy, it was none of his business. Also, that guy was not a member of his own tribe. It could only be said that that guy was out of luck and much too stupid.

    ¡°After it¡¯s finished over there, shall I or will you settle it down?¡± Qu Ce asked the one by his side.

    Stroking the spider in her arms, thedy in white answered casually: ¡°Let¡¯s do it together, each for half.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    While Qu Ce and thedy in white were discussing how to torture the thieves for informationter on, over there, Shao Xuan stood calmly, looking at those four people who had activated their totem power.

    ¡°You want the fire crystal? No problem. Take it if you have the skills.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction, some of the four felt confused, but more of their thought was that he was a hot-headed young man that didn¡¯t think of the consequences, who didn¡¯t even know that death was at hand. Quite too dull and stupid!

    A sound like the roar of lions and tigers came out of the mouth of a totem warrior. His two legs, which had swelled and tightened, wriggled and swelled up even more for a moment, each muscle was full of strength. He looked so strong that he could even kick a living elephant to death.

    After a loud roar, the man rushed at Shao Xuan quickly, each step leaping several meters. Almost in the blink of an eye, he arrived in front of Shao Xuan.

    Right now the totem power in Shao Xuan¡¯s body also rose to the peak instantly, and the on totem tattoos in his mind, mes were burning fiercely, just like when oil was poured on firewood. His hand exposed outside didn¡¯t swell up like the other guy did, but the blue dragon-like veins inteced under the skin appeared.

    Shao Xuan looked straight at the man rushing at him, who wanted to kill him. The fighting intent in his eyes was getting stronger.

    ¡°If everyone forgot the ming Horns tribe, remind them once more¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan highly agreed with this sentence from the Shaman.

    Since no one remembers or knows it, just remind them with force.

    Those men didn¡¯t see any major movement from Shao Xuan, who just leaned to one side slightly, and just stretched out his hand as he was just going to punch.

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    The man rushing at Shao Xuan hit air with his first blow. Before he could make the next attack, he felt a very strong power bursting out instantly by his side. This power was too strong and too fast, almost rising to the peak in a short time, which made his blood freeze, and the movement of his body stagnated for a second. The next moment, he got a punch on his chest.

    His muscles, which looked very strong and sturdy, seemed like they changed to fragile peels and sunk in by the punch from thismon-looking fist. The visible ripples spread from the point of punch and the sound of fractures came out from the sunken chest.

    His face, which was full of blood-lust just now, was already frozen at this moment. With the heavy punch, his body cowered a little as if he was frightened. His back, opposite to his chest, bulged, which made him look hunchbacked. Large amounts of blood spurted out of his mouth, while he himself totally flew away upside-down and fell down heavily on the ground 20 meters away, motionless.

    After a breeze, the leaves, which had fallen in the woods not far away, were blown over here with the wind. The rustling sound of the friction with the ground could be clearly heard at the moment.

    The atmosphere in the surroundings was frozen, no one talked for a while.

    Meanwhile, Qu Ce and thedy in white standing behind the scrubs were looking over there, their eyes opened wide and eyelids twitching, as if being unable to believe what they saw.

    Just now, Qu Ce was still discussing with the one by his side about how to torture the thieves for information after a while he didn¡¯t pay any attention at all to the situation over there. Besides, they had already sentenced Shao Xuan to death and expected that the whole process would be finished in a very short time.

    The process indeed seemed to end very soon over there. But, the roles of who killed whom were reversed.

    It could not be easy to deal with those who were thieves, robbers and killers in this ce. But the result was that, the ferocious-looking strong man was beaten to death by one punch from that young man who looked pretty innocent.

    Even Qu Ce himself didn¡¯t have the confidence to do it that way.

    Not only Qu Ce, but thedy in white, who never put those unknown small tribes under her nose all the time, was also standing still and keeping her eyes intently on that figure over there, without knowing that she even pulled up a handful of white hairs from her beloved pet spider.

    ¡°Qu Ce, are you sure that he is only a member of a small tribe?¡± Thedy in white asked.

    Which kind of small tribe would have such a young man with this power? Moreover, the young man had an extremely precise control on his totem power, in a very short time, his power rose to the peak level from nothing. Although they were some distance away from there, she could clearly feel the great change in that instance, which seemed like a fierce beast suddenly appearing there, and then disappearing the next moment without any sign. All that was done in that instance. If that young man really came from a small tribe, he should be considered as highly talented in their tribe.

    Not getting the reply from Qu Ce, thedy in white asked one more question: ¡°That guy, which tribe does hee from?¡±

    Qu Ce swallowed his saliva, ¡°¡­¡­I have no idea.¡±

    Just to avoid troubles, he went to sleep in the cave where the travelers took rest. Anyone with discerning eyes would not screw around with him. During the time when he was sleeping, there were already two groups of men staying in the cave one after another. As to which tribes and which groups, he really had no clue and didn¡¯t want to know the answer at that time, for he usually ignored those travel teams as well as the people from small tribes. Who could have said that he would see something like this today?!

    Thedy in white looked over at Qu Ce without any expression, ¡°You idiot!¡±

    [Hah, you guys were probably thinking the title referred to Shao Xuan right?]

 Chapter 185 â€“ All dead

    Chapter 185 - All dead

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by EvilGurl, Ilesyt

    While Qu Ce and thedy in white were guessing which tribe Shao Xuan was from, over there, the other three men, who were frozen from shock, had recovered.

    They just witnessed their partner being beaten to death by a punch from this innocent-looking young man in front, which left them dazed with confusion.

    One punch! No de, nor any other tools or tricks, only a simple punch!

    This hot-headed young man, which was considered their prey, used only one punch to kill the man who always ran in the forefront every time they robbed.

    Their n failed. They underestimated this man who looked too young. None of them ever thought that this young man would take such a violent action, direct but terrifying.

    At this moment, in their eyes, Shao Xuan was no longer the neer in the team that knew nothing at all, but a demon like a ferocious beast.

    They were bold, but it didn¡¯t mean that they were not afraid of death.

    Those three men roared like monsters, and their totem tattoos appeared on their bodies. Almost at the same time, the three figures, just like those fast running beasts, escaped in three different directions, intending to leave this ce.

    ¡°Trying to run now. It¡¯s toote.¡±

    The totem power in Shao Xuan¡¯ body rose to the peak again, the fighting intent in his eyes intensified once more, even stronger than before. With his eyes falling on one of them, Shao Xuan followed up, not even looking at the other two.

    His clothes made of animal skin, which looked kind of loose, made whistling sounds in friction with the air as Shao Xuan moved quickly. The power bursting out also sped him up, making him faster than those three. Like a strong wind, he caught up with the man.

    Not waiting for any reaction from the man, Shao Xuan stretched out his arm, that wasn¡¯t as brawny as the opponents. He punched out just once again and beat his opponent with a single punch again.

    The man in front wanted to block it with his arms, but the moment Shao Xuan¡¯s fist touched his arms, they were unable to block and were crushed as the punched went straight through to the chest.

    Bang!

    The second man, just like the first one, was beaten to death with just one attack, which was done in the same strong and violent manner.

    After killing two enemies in session, Shao Xuan did not stop to rest. While chasing the third man, he kicked at one small stone on the ground. Like a bullet leaving the gun barrel, the flying stone shot towards the third man.

    Flop!

    The man¡¯s thigh was hit by the stone, but the stone didn¡¯te out. So it showed the strength of the man¡¯s body.

    That man paused for a while, and then kept on escaping regardless of the pain in his thigh.

    Right now, he felt very regretful. Why would they choose such a ¡°prey¡±? It turned out that the prey became the hunter, while all four of them jumped into the trap of the hunter. Now he came to realize that Shao Xuan was aware of their scheme from the very beginning!

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    Perhaps, even as early as before they disguised as dealers and came to him with the jades, he was already aware of their existence. It¡¯s only that he pretended that he knew nothing at all. Or otherwise, why would he ask the others of the travel team to leave first, instead of requesting them to wait nearby?

    That¡¯s it. The young man was confident in himself to dispose of us four, so he chose a darker corner like this. It¡¯s ironic that us four considered the young man as a fool!

    He knew Shao Xuan was fast, but he still underestimated Shao Xuan.

    Right when he almost ran out of the forest, one leg, not stronger than his, swept over him with a whoosh, which sounded like ferocious beasts in the mountains jumping on their prey.

    Bang!

    The man, who was hit by the leg, flew back upside down dozens of meters and fell to the ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡­ Don¡¯t kill me¡­¡­ I have many¡­¡­treasures, like¡­¡­from the Mang tribe¡­¡­the jades, and¡­¡­from the Eight Limbs tribe¡­¡­ Ouch¡­¡­the silk garments. I hope that you can spare my life¡­¡­ I can take you to find¡­¡­the hidden jades. There are lots of jade¡­¡­ Really¡­¡­ A lot¡­¡­¡±

    That man, who brought Shao Xuan, had fallen to the ground now. He spat out blood, leaving a trail of blood at the corners of his mouth, and had difficulty speaking. After struggling several times, he fell back again as if losing power, and moved his eyes to the direction where hisst partner escaped. That guy seemed to have escaped sessfully.

    Shao Xuan took a look at him and then turned around, heading to the direction where the fourth man escaped.

    But the moment Shao Xuan turned around, the man lying on the ground got up noiselessly and took out a long and narrow bone knife from the waist, and stabbed towards Shao Xuan.

    Nevertheless, Shao Xuan managed to dodge the attack as if he had eyes on the back.

    The man only felt numbness on his arms, the bone knife in his hand having already fallen.

    Puff¡ª¡ª

    A slender and long bone sword pierced his body.

    ¡°Er¡­¡­¡±

    His throat making sounds without any meaning, the man looked at Shao Xuan unbelievingly and went down on his knees.

    Looking at the man in front, Shao Xuan lifted his foot and stamped it down.

    Bang!

    The ground underneath, with the area under Shao Xuan¡¯s foot as the center, suddenly sunk a few decimeter and created a crater of nearly two meters in diameter.

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    Standing behind the scrubs, Qu Ce and thedy in white also felt a strong shock from the grounding from there, while the white-haired spider lying in the arms of thedy in white was trembling with all its hairs standing up on end.

    That green bird, which led Qu Ce here, was also standing on alert close to Qu Ce, keeping its eyes focused in one direction in the sky.

    After the stamp, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t pay attention to the man lying down on his knees, but turned around and walked in the direction of the fourth man, at a slow pace, which didn¡¯t look like chasing.

    And behind Shao Xuan, the man was still lying down on his knees, blood spreading out below him, as if his body was burst open.

    Such violent and strong actions made Qu Ce feel as if he was really blind before. Why would he consider this young man as an idiot knowing nothing at all? In actuality, isn¡¯t it he himself who is a fool that didn¡¯t realize such a strong figure?

    Of the four men who besieged Shao Xuan just now, three had been killed by him and he obviously couldn¡¯t catch up with the fourth one. So is that why he is walking slowly like this?

    At this thought, Qu Ce saw the green bird jump into his arms.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Qu Ce felt confused.

    The green bird hiding in his arms looked at somewhere in the sky, seeming quite terrified.

    ¡°The sky?¡±

    Qu Ce raised his head and looked over there. Then, he saw a huge eagle grabbing a person and flying towards the young man.

    Bang!

    The person grabbed by the eagle was thrown to the ground, not knowing whether he was alive or dead. But the skeleton of the body seemed to be twisted. Probably, he is already dead?

    Four men, within such a short time, were all killed.

    Here in this ce, people with power had a say. It¡¯s merely that not all would expose their power in public.

    This young man, who on earth is he? And which tribe does hee from?

    Qu Ce and thedy in white thought in their minds: After going back, they should ask someone to investigate him thoroughly.

 Chapter 186 â€“ Encirclement & extermination

    Chapter 186 - Encirclement & extermination

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    From the moment the man that was disguised as a dealer brought Shao Xuan here, to when the four men were all killed, not much time had actually passed by.

    Shao Xuan tied up the four dead bodies with straw ropes. There were no other people around at the moment, but maybe someone could have heard the movements here. These four men should have otherpanions. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t intend to stay for a long time here.

    While Shao Xuan was tying up the bodies, by his side, Chacha had nothing to do but look around, looking at the scrubs over there for many times. Then it looked back at a weird looking injured bee beside him, which was squirming around on the ground.

    It was the treasure-hunting bee tamed by those men. When its owner was killed by Shao Xuan, it got hurt as well by the shock from the bursting airflow and fell down to the ground, unable to fly up temporarily. No matter how hard it pped its wings, it could only go round in circles in the same ce, making buzzing sounds.

    Chacha stared at the bee for several seconds and then pecked at the bee, eating it.

    ¡°Well,e on, Chacha. Let¡¯s find a ce first to get rid of these men!¡± Shao Xuan said, jumping on the back of Chacha.

    Chacha pped his wings and flew up, its big ws grabbing the four tied up men. Although these men were quite heavy, it was not a problem for Chacha now, as long as it was not a long flight.

    Before leaving, Shao Xuan nced at the scrubs and then took back his gaze.

    He knew someone was behind the scrubs. The young man he saw in the cave was also there. Just because of that, he used that brutal and violent manner to handle those four men just now. Which was exactly the way how uncle Mai and the others hunted the ferocious beasts, for example, uncle Mai once used his fist to beat the four-tooth wild boar head-on.

    The ming Horns tribe mostly used that manner and advocated strength. So in order to frighten the others, Shao Xuan surely needed to use the manner the most like the ¡°ming Horns¡± tribe. Moreover, to get the best effect, he didn¡¯t even use a stone knife, but only used his fist. In this way, he should be able to make some impressions on the people over there?

    After Shao Xuan and Chacha left, Qu Ce and the other came out from behind the scrubs and went over to the battle ce just now for a closer look.

    ¡°Extremely powerful strength.¡± It could be considered as savage and overbearing, but it was not in the same manner as those of the tribes that Qu Ce was acquainted with.

    Some of those tribes also beat their opponents with absolute power, but they could not manage to do it like this. Moreover, that man was so young.

    Shao Xuan and Chacha arrived with the four bodies to a forest not belonging to either the Mang tribe or the Eight Limbs tribe, and threw the four bodies away there. There were traces of many wild animals in the surroundings. It wouldn¡¯t take long before these four men ¡°disappeared¡±.

    The things on the bodies of these four men were all looted by Shao Xuan, among which were some jades and several pieces of good-quality animal skin.

    Cleaning up the blood marks on his body and putting the jades and animal skin into a hide bag, Shao Xuan made some adjustment to dissipate the bloodlust and appease the negative emotions, just as when he would cleanse the sword after having returned to the tribe after hunting.

    After a while, when Shao Xuan opened his eyes again, he looked the same as he used to before, still like a hot-headed inexperienced young man as a whole. No one could see that he killed four men not long ago.

    Tapping the head of Chacha, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    Yu and some people from the Pu tribe were walking around in the market and exchanged the things they wanted to trade. When the walk was almost finished, they saw Shao Xuaning over.

    Looking at Shao Xuan up and down and finding no injuries on his body, they felt relieved, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Shao Xuan took out a jade the size of an egg, throwing it in the air, ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    ¡°Hey, let me see. How much better is the jade from the Mang tribe than the water moonstone from the Drumming tribe?¡± Yu said.

    Shao Xuan passed the jade over, which was just one of the jades he took from the bodies of those four men. The jade contained very little energy inside, but it was quite calming.

    After the set time, Shao Xuan followed the others back to the cave, while another group of people took turns to go out. These people going out were not familiar with Shao Xuan, so Qu Ce didn¡¯t get any useful information about Shao Xuan when he had someone investigate.

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    After two days, the people of the travel team started to prepare for departure. It was thest day they could hang out in this market, so they had to hurry with the exchange. After they left this market, they probably would note here again until next year.

    Shao Xuan came to an old man¡¯s wine shop and exchanged for some bamboo wine. He took a taste of the wine. Its alcohol was not high, bit it had a subtle but kind of refreshing vor, as well as medicinal properties. As the wine was put in the bamboo tube, it also spread the fragrant smell of the bamboo. Nevertheless, it was still no match for the juice of some nts in the greennd at the other side of the river.

    While drinking the wine, Shao Xuan also exchanged ideas with the old man. In hisst life, Shao Xuan used the grapes in his own yard to make wine by himself, so he shared some of his experience with the old man.

    The old man was from the Mang tribe, who also wore a jade on him. But the size and pattern of the jade were not that exquisite or big as those of Qu Ce¡¯s jade, which showed that this old man didn¡¯t rank high in the Mang tribe. But in the market, those nefarious kind of folk did not dare to target him.

    The old man disyed an air of arrogance, but when discussing with Shao Xuan about how to make wine, he became very hospitable. This was a man who devoted himself to making wine, talking about his favorite things, so he didn¡¯t disy the lofty attitude of before, but asked Shao Xuan to sit there and also took out several other grain wines for Shao Xuan to drink.

    While chatting with the old man, Shao Xuan also figured out the functions of the pottery tools for making wine. If it were not for that the soil texture of the ming Horns tribe was not suitable for pottery-making, they would not have had to use only things made of stone till now.

    As they were talking, one man stood in front of the booth, ¡°Hey, you!¡±

    The old man was in a bad mood for being interrupted while talking happily with Shao Xuan. He was about to berate the other person when he looked up and saw the jade on that man in front of the booth. The berating was blocked and he immediately wore a smile.

    But the man in front of the booth ignored the old man and spoke to Shao Xuan, ¡°Hey, youe here. I¡¯d like to have a word with you.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t pay attention to him, but kept on drinking the wine remaining in the bamboo tube.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s attitude, Qu Ce had intended to curse him with some words. But after second thoughts, he went over and turned his head sideways. Seeing the old man by his side, he waved his hand.

    The old man quickly stepped back further with a face full smiles, keeping a distance away from them.

    After the man backed off, Qu Ce lowered his voice and said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Would you like to see the ending of thepanions of those men who tried to rob you that day?¡±

    Thinking for a while, Shao Xuan got up from the ground, ¡°Where to?¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have much interest in those robbers. What he wanted to see was how the Mang tribe would deal with those men. The people of the Mang tribe, how powerful were they?

    After telling Yu and the others, Shao Xuan left with Qu Ce and headed towards a mountain rtively far away from the market.

    The mountain was neither the territory of the Mang tribe, nor that of the Eight Limbs tribe.

    Somewhere in the mountain, a dozen people converged in front of a wooden house. The leader was a man of enormous size and with curly facial hair. He grabbed a jar filled with water, suddenly drunk a lot of water and swung his arms, throwing the jar heavily to the ground.

    Bang!

    The jar broke into pieces instantly.

    ¡°Still no clue of them?¡± The curly-haired burly man asked, his sharp eyes ncing at all the people around like knives.

    The one closest to the curly-haired burly man answered carefully while quivering: ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Even the treasure-hunting bee has not returned?¡± The tone of the curly-haired burly man was forced, as if suppressing his anger.

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    Domesticating a treasure-hunting bee took a lot of work. Those four idiots brought the bee and sent a message that they found fire crystals. Then what? No sight of one fire crystal and all four of them disappeared, together with the treasure-hunting bee. They were probably all killed. He assigned someone to look for them, who only found blood stains in one ce. If those four didn¡¯te back, they may nevere back.

    ¡°Brother, could it be that people of the Mang tribe or the Eight Limbs tribe found something out?¡± One man said, trembling with fear.

    ¡°Do you mean that they know we stole their things?¡± Another one said with worry.

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll have to move.¡± Someone advised. ¡°If theye over, we¡¯ll have little chance to escape.¡±

    Listening to the conversations of his followers, the curly-haired burly man became even angrier as he pondered. With reddened eyes, he punched his fist on the stone table in front. Visible ripples of the air spread out. The stone table turned into broken pieces in an instant, the stone chips dispersing away.

    ¡°All of you restrain yourselves today. Don¡¯t mess around!¡± After a pause, the curly-haired burly man took a deep breath, ¡°Pack up your stuff. We¡¯ll leave tomorrow!¡±

    With his word finished, whizzing sounds in the air came from different directions.

    Thin and tough bamboo needles shot out like rain to the people converging there.

    Those with quick reactions had already started to defend with the tools in their hands, while those slow-reactors were shot directly like hedgehogs. Nevertheless, even in this situation, they didn¡¯t die, and were still conscious. It¡¯s only that they couldn¡¯t move at all. When they moved their muscle lightly, it would lead to twinges all over; every time they moved, their blood would flow out along with the bamboo needles.

    Such slender and tough bamboo needles could only be made from the bamboo from the grove of the Mang tribe.

    The people of the Mang tribe!!

    At this moment, the curly-haired burly man didn¡¯t need to say more. Those people around all dispersed and ran in different directions, with the hope that the ring of encirclement there was rtively weaker, giving them the chance to escape.

    Yet, they had not run far when they were all confined by silk strings. Before being able to struggle out of it, they were already stunned or killed directly. Those who quickly rushed out of the encirclement by force just now were sliced into several pieces when they ran past the passage between the two big trees.

    Shao Xuan could also hear the snapping sounds of strings. Those strings cut people into pieces, but they also snapped off thanks to that fast and powerful force.

    Not only the Mang tribe, but people of the Eight Limbs tribe also came over!!

    Despair arose immediately in the heart of everyone who were encircled. But they didn¡¯t understand, why would the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe make an alliance against them so cautiously? They just stole several jades of bad quality and extracted two pieces of spider silk. Is it possible that just because of that, they annoyed these tworge tribes?

    The curly-haired burly man was also confined by some strings while escaping. He shouted with a loud roar, his muscles covered in ck totem tattoos jumped out, as if ready to burst.

    Another loud roar came, like a volcano erupting fiercely after waiting for a long time. With dense sounds of breaking strings ringing out, he had manage to get rid of those strings by force.

    Although there were some cuts on his body, it didn¡¯t matter at all. But, the moment he got rid of the strings, he heard slight sounds rushing against the winding from right behind.

    The curly-haired burly man felt the danger out of instinct, especially a sudden chill climbing on his neck. He was greatly shocked by the change at the moment. Obviously, the people that came here weren¡¯t themon kind in the Mang tribe. Carrying out this encirclement and extermination, they didn¡¯t hold back the slightest.

    A bamboo knife, with sharp edges of two fingers wide and half an arm long, appeared at the neck of the curly-haired burly man.

    The bamboo knife appeared at an extremely fast speed. The distance between the knife and the neck was clearly short, as if it could cut down the man¡¯s neck the next moment, but it also made people feel an illusion that there seemed to be plenty of time to escape.

    Yet, illusions were just illusions.

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    Puff~

    Blood splurted out.

    The curly-haired burly man still kept the previous unbelieving expression on his face, like a frozen and rusted machine which paused and moved by turns, turning his head around at the side.

    Over there stood a person. The curly-haired burly man opened his eyes wide and looked carefully at the jade hanging on the waist of the other.

    That was a slightly green jade, three quarters of a full circle.

    Why, why should this kind of figuree here and deal with their group in person?

    For their group, though they also killed many people, deceived and trapped some people of the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, for the sake of prudence, they never killed anyone from these two tribes aftering here!

    But, today, the Mang tribe assigned someone like this man to encircle them in person! Usually speaking, this kind of figure should not pay any attention to people like them. They were very arrogant. Why do this?

    Till the end of his life, the curly-haired burly man still had no idea how he provoked someone wearing a three quarter jade ring.

    Bang!

    The burly man fell to the ground.

    That man wearing the three quarters jade ring shook off a few blood stains on the bamboo knife and looked around, not caring about the remaining blood marks. Those people, who were encircled, were already either dead or stunned.

    Not only the dead burly man, but Shao Xuan standing not far away and watching, also didn¡¯t understand it either. In case of such great differences in power between both parties, if it was in the ming Horns tribe, only Tuo and Ke Ke would be enough to take care of it.

    ¡°Uncle Huang Ye, what did you find?¡± Qu Ce asked.

    The man wearing the three quarters jade ring and holding the bamboo knife shook his head, ¡°They are not the ones.¡±

    ¡°They are not?¡± Qu Ce became puzzled, ¡°If it¡¯s not them, who else could it be? Here only they entered the woods of the Mang tribe. Lots of my bamboo rats were eaten by them!¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t have that ability.¡± Huang Ye replied. As he was sure these people were not the wanted ones, he killed them all mercilessly, instead of taking them back and torturing them for information.

    ¡°Then who else could it be?¡± Qu Ce was thinking, his eyes nced at Shao Xuan by his side. But he denied this thought in his heart. No, it¡¯s not this young man. Although he was strong, he couldn¡¯t go so far as to sneak deep in the woods of the Mang tribe and steal several good jades without letting anybody know. This matter even made the leader go crazy with fury.

    ¡°Could it be¡­?¡± One name came to Qu Ce¡¯s mind.

    Huang Ye said with a low sigh, ¡°It could be ¡®Dao¡¯.¡± [This is not the ¡®Dao¡¯ you are looking for thinking of. This ¡®Dao¡¯ meanins stealing, robbing, etc.]

    Qu Ce felt kind of downcast. If it was ¡°Dao¡±, it would not be that easy to catch.

    ¡°Clear it up. Let¡¯s go back.¡± Huang Ye ordered the others.

 Chapter 187 - Flaming Horns, Shao Xuan

    Chapter 187 - ming Horns, Shao Xuan

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Having spoken with the team leader of the Eight Limbs tribe, Huang Ye turned his head and was about to say something to Qu Ce when his eyes fell on Shao Xuan, who stood by Qu Ce¡¯s side, especially looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s clothes made of animal skin with its many bald spots. Huang Ye kept his eyes on him for two more seconds and frowned with discontent, thinking why Qu Ce would know someone from the small tribes.

    At this thought, Huang Ye nced at Shao Xuan again and found nothing special except for the clothes of the same style as the ¡°small tribes¡±. He was more certain in his mind that this boy was no more than an inexperienced and ignorant nobody as he saw Shao Xuan stare at the clothes of the totem warriors from both the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe.

    No longer looking at Shao Xuan, Huang Ye looked around and took his people away when he didn¡¯t find anything useful.

    The people of the Eight Limbs tribe didn¡¯t pay much attention to Shao Xuan either, as they were packing up their things with the intention to leave.

    ¡°Xiao Xu, let¡¯s go.¡± Someone from the Eight Limbs tribe said to thedy in white, who was standing at the side with the white-haired spider in her arms.

    ¡°You go first. I¡¯ve got something to do.¡±

    ¡°Ok. We¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    After the people from both the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe left, only Shao Xuan, Qu Ce and Xu from the Eight Limbs tribe remained.

    Qu Ce winked at Xu as he wanted her to test Shao Xuan, but she instead stood still and watched Shao Xuan¡¯s behavior quietly, with the white-haired spider in her arms.

    Seeing no feedback from Xu, Qu Ce red at her. Today he brought Shao Xuan here and intended to let Shao Xuan know the powerful strength of the Mang tribe. Moreover, the team leader of the Mang tribe today was a senior totem warrior. A senior totem warrior of the Mang tribe leading teams for assault in person was rarely seen. For people from the small tribes, they would be stunned the moment they saw this scene.

    Yet obviously, this young man didn¡¯t have any big reaction. He had no other expression, and he rather looked more at the clothes of the warriors from both tribes.

    Qu Ce couldn¡¯t tell whether Shao Xuan was stunned or not.

    He was about to find another topic for more information, when he saw Shao Xuan heading to one area.

    ¡°Hey. Don¡¯t go that way. There are traps set by the Eight Limbs tribe¡­¡­¡±

    Before Qu Ce could finish speaking, he saw that Shao Xuan had already stepped into that area. After a while he began to think that a bit of suffering deserved him right, as Shao Xuan was not taking his advice again.

    But after waiting for a long time, he still didn¡¯t see anyrge movement over there. Getting confused, Qu Ce looked at Xu beside him with his chin pointing at Shao Xuan, inquiring Xu if they didn¡¯t set any trap over there.

    Xu was also at a loss. She remembered that one batch of traps were activated when their tribe encircled those people just now, but there were still some traps remaining in ce, all of which would not cause great damage, but could still trap people. This was the style of the Eight Limbs tribe, to warn those who came here, making them have a deep memory and fear of the Eight Limbs tribe. Nevertheless, that young man had already walked in for such a long distance, yet no trap was activated.

    Getting more and more doubtful, Xu didn¡¯t even realize that she had already plucked out another handful of hairs from the spider in her arms.

    Seeing Xu¡¯s expression, Qu Ce didn¡¯t expect her to give him a proper answer. He saw Shao Xuan walking in the woods as if wandering leisurely, so he guessed that people of the Eight Limbs tribe probably removed all the traps before they withdrew just now.

    Seeing Qu Ce walking in that way, Xu opened her mouth, but she didn¡¯t say anything in the end.

    ¡°Hey, your name is Shao Xuan, isn¡¯t it? Which tribe are you¡­¡­ Ouch¡±

    Not even having walked i two steps, Qu Ce was hung upside down on the tree, with one of his feet being tied up, swaying in the air.

    Taking out a knife, Qu Ce cut the string on his foot and fell to the ground. He shook off the leaves on his body, turned his head and red at Xu, who was standing there without a word. After staring for a while, he looked back again to Shao Xuan who was standing in the woods. The traps were still there in ce. Why is he still safe and sound?

    By luck?

    No. Who would have such good luck?

    ording to the way on how the Eight Limbs tribe did things, since the traps were not all removed, there should be many hidden strings, ropes,s, and such within the woods, waiting for prey toe. Even though these remainders were only small-time traps for people of the Eight Limbs tribe, many others would still be caught by those traps, just as Qu Ce got one of his feet tied up thanks to his own carelessness just now.

    At the moment, Qu Ce took back the attitude of underestimating Shao Xuan, who could dispose of four totem warriors with extreme speed and could also wander leisurely in the traps of the Eight Limbs tribe. What on earth is his background? He had never before seen the totem tattoos on Shao Xuan¡¯s body when Shao Xuan was in battle.

    This time, Qu Ce didn¡¯t move further inside, but waited at the side, watching Shao Xuan wandering about.

    Shao Xuan held much interest in the traps of the Eight Limbs tribe. Although those skillful traps had all been dismantled and taken away, leaving only some regr traps, Shao Xuan could still find out the emphasis and preferences in setting the traps of the Eight Limbs tribe from those simple traps. Moreover, the strings used by the people of the Eight Limbs tribe should be spider silk, which had many types as well. Although many of the traps were already removed, but they still left behind lots of slight traces on the tree branches and leaves.

    After Shao Xuan walked out of the wood again, Qu Ce gave him the friendliest smile he could make, pointing to himself and saying to Shao Xuan, ¡°Mang Wood, Qu Ce.¡±

    People of the Mang tribe always called themselves as ¡°Mang Wood, xx¡±. Mang Wood meant this vast wood of the Mang tribe. It¡¯s said that in the Mang Wood there are numerous treasures, and people are also born with gifts here; totem warriors here of the same level would be stronger than those in other tribes.

    Of course, this was just what Shao Xuan had heard from those travelers of the Pu tribe. These rumours were probably glossed up truths, bing a bit exaggerated. Warriors of the ming Horns tribe were much stronger than those of both the Pu tribe and the Drumming tribe. Shao Xuan had personal experience on this fact.

    Anyway, since this man from the Mang tribe introduced himself in such a formal way, Shao Xuan would also reply formally.

    Putting several leaves he picked from the wood into the animal skin bag, Shao Xuan looked at Qu Ce and said ¡°ming Horns, Shao Xuan.¡±

    ming Horns? This name was kind of familiar to the ear. Qu Ce tried to recall from his memory.

    Not only Qu Ce, but at the side with the white spider in her arms, Xu also felt some familiarity from the name.

    Looking up to the sky, Shao Xuan said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll go back first.¡±

    ¡°Oh, go ahead.¡± Qu Ce was thinking why the name ¡°ming Horns¡± would somehow sound familiar, so he didn¡¯t say more. After Shao Xuan left, he was still standing in the same ce, pondering.

    ¡°Well, Xu, have you heard of the ming Horns tribe in the past?¡± Qu Ce asked.

    ¡°I seem to have heard of them, but it must have been so long ago that I can¡¯t remember.¡± Caressing the spider with her hand, Xu was thinking when she heard of this tribe.

    Both kept silent, trying to recall when they heard of this tribe.

    ¡°Ah, I got it.¡± Qu Ce jumped up with surprise and then said to himself again, ¡°How could it be possible? How could that be possible?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Xu asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s that one. That tribe!¡±

    ¡°Which one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that sturdily built but simple-minded, violent, brutal and unreasonable tribe. Didn¡¯t you hear of the story of the ming Horns when you were young?¡±

    At Qu Ce¡¯s words, Xu got a sudden shock, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that the ming Horns tribe had died out?¡±

    No matter in the Mang tribe or the Eight Limbs tribe, many kids in the tribes would be ingrained with teachings. Those instructors would tell them a few stories, some of which were true while others were polished and fictitious. The story of the ming Horns tribe was one of them.

    It was said that once in the past, the ming Horns tribe was one of the well-knownrge tribes in the central area, at the same level as the Mang tribe, the Eight Limbs tribe and the Thousand Masks tribe. But this tribe had an extremely savage manner. The shamans in the tribe knew nothing, the leaders were strong-headed and the people of the tribe were stupid and ignorant, arrogant and sell-willed with great strength. Eventually, natural disasters befell on the tribe. The shaman and the leader of the tribe lent a ready ear to the rumours, which led the tribe to split up and go in different ways separately. Afterwards, that tribe died out. Since then, there had been one less strong tribe in the central area.

    Not only had Qu Ce and Xu received these teaching. Before this, they both also thought that way. But now, what¡¯s the story of that man calling himself ¡°ming Horns, Shao Xuan¡±?

    The totem tattoos on that young man when he was killing people were clearly seen, nothing like those of an extinct tribe. Moreover, he was at least an intermediate totem warrior, not losing to Qu Ce, who had just entered the team of intermediate totem warriors.

    That brutal and forceful manner was exactly what they heard of, but ¡°stupid and ignorant¡±?

    That was not the case. That young man even deceived those four robbers.

    The truth of that story that was used as a negative example by the two tribes seemed to be not as what they had thought. When they were young, their instructors told the story of the ming Horns with a sigh, that if the ming Horns tribe still existed, the situation in the central area would not necessarily be as it was now.

    At the thought of this, Qu Ce no longer talked with Xu. He had to hurry back to tell everyone, and ask about what the true ming Horns tribe was exactly like. Putting aside whether they were smart or not, just that power could not be overlooked.

    What should they do if the ming Horns tribe still exists or if the ming Horns tribe returns?

    After Qu Ce left hastily, Xu also hurried back to the tribe and told the others.

    Several seniors of the Mang tribe were still worrying about whether it was ¡°Dao¡± that entered the Mang Wood. While they were discussing, Qu Ce ran over and told them the story of Shao Xuan.

    The attention of those people, who wanted to rebuke Qu Ce from the discontent of his brashness just now, was pulled away.

    ¡°ming Horns, Shao Xuan?¡±

    ¡°Is it really that tribe?¡±

    ¡°Impossible. Isn¡¯t it said that the ming Horns tribe had died out?¡±

    All of them talked about this at once. From the discussion, they still didn¡¯t have a specific image or identification about what the ming Horns tribe was like on earth. But they were still surprised.

    The leader called Qu Ce over for details and then dismissed all of them. Afterwards, he went with the shaman to a solemn stone house, where the things of the ancestors of the Mang tribe were stored.

    They arrived at the ce where the scrolls were kept and opened the lid of one big bamboo box at the corner. Inside the box were some scrolls with shaft rods made of special bamboo.

    At the bottom of the bamboo box were those scrolls which would never be read for hundreds of years.

    The shaman of the Mang tribe took out one scroll at the corner of the bottom. Even the special bamboo and the animal skins would discolor and spread an ancient smell after a long time.

    When the scroll was opened, what jumped into sight was a drawing of two horns surrounded by mes.

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe¡­¡­¡±

    The next day the Mang tribe sent someone to look for that travel team in the cave, only to find that the team left early in the morning.

 Chapter 188 â€“ Bird breeding

    Chapter 188 - Bird breeding

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The travel team moved on along the route as nned.

    After leaving the regions of the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, the travel team walked further for another six days, during which they passed through some small-scale markets or some medium-scale tribes in the central area and exchanged some things.

    Shao Xuan marked every ce along the way on the map he drew by himself, even the characteristics of every tribe being marked on the map.

    As he had to hurry on with the journey, he didn¡¯t exchange too many things, only in traded for some typical tribal items or small light souvenirs.

    Certainly, on the way through some deste mountains and woods, the team also ran into some wild animals and even ferocious beasts. The amount of ferocious beasts was rtively less than regr wild animals. Someone of the travel team pointed to the map and told Shao Xuan the position of most ferocious beasts, which was right in the direction of the old location of the ming Horns tribe where Shao Xuan intended to go.

    It¡¯s said that few human tribes lived there. It was a vast mountainous jungle with ferocious beasts wandering around and various other unexpected dangers. That¡¯s thest ce where all the travelers would go.

    Shao Xuan had nned to take a look there. On this journey, he should go and see the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe and the secrets of this former location which the ancestors kept thinking about, as well as finding out what the ¡°roots¡± from Lao He¡¯s words was.

    Since their target was in different directions, Shao Xuan would separate from the travel team.

    ¡°Do you really want to leave the team? It¡¯s dangerous on your own.¡± After knowing Shao Xuan was going to leave, Yu tried to persuade him.

    ¡°I rarely go out of the tribe, so I want to look around. After seeing enough, I¡¯ll catch up to you along the route.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Throughout the journey, Shao Xuan had drawn a map of part of the central area based on what he knew. Although there were still many ces where the travel team didn¡¯t go, the areas of these ces on the animal skin volume were still reserved. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He would just take his time to finish the map.

    After saying goodbye to the travel team, Shao Xuan headed in the direction of the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe, where Lao He had told him. This time, he traveled alone. In order to hurry on with the journey, he would let Chacha carry him on his back for some a while if thendscape was difficutl.

    One day passed by.

    Shao Xuan looked at the map on hand. Based on the map, the region nearby was the territory of the ¡°Lu¡± tribe. Usually when approaching a tribe¡¯s territory, Shao Xuan would remind Chacha to watch out, as these tribes had very strict precautions.

    Going to the old haunt required to detour around the Lu tribe. Chacha in the sky already cried out to inform Shao Xuan that somebody was in the surroundings. Shao Xuan also heard some movements. Those people seemed to have restrained their presence deliberately, all of them were being silent, notmunicating in loud voices.

    They should be people of the Lu tribe. Yet Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know why they were so cautious. Anyway, Shao Xuan had to be vignt against them.

    Rustle.

    Sounds of friction against some tree branches and leaves resounded, as well as the pounding sound of footstepsing close at a fast speed, which didn¡¯t sound like human movements.

    Shao Xuan jumped to a tree and intended to look from above. Though people of the travel team told Shao Xuan that the Lu tribe would not impose great threat, Shao Xuan still had to be careful. If they were not friendly, he would call Chacha to get ready for assistance.

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    Da~ Da~ Da~ Da~

    The sound of footsteps came closer, so quickly that Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see clearly what it looked like. But from the movements of the tree branches, he could tell that it was tall and big.

    With the sound of footsteps approaching, Shao Xuan hid behind the thick tree branches, looking out from the gaps between the leaves.

    Dadadada~~Da~da~

    It stopped for a while when passing through the tree where Shao Xuan hid himself, and then turned back.

    With the knife handle in hand, Shao Xuan wondered if it had found him. The trees around were not tall, so Shao Xuan chose this tree, which was rtively suitable to hide his body.

    While thinking, Shao Xuan saw the tree branches below being pulled open. He lowered his head and saw a big bird head right in front of him, with a fruit in its mouth. The fruit belonged to this tree.

    Obviously, this bird was just looking for the fruit, not Shao Xuan, but saw him hiding inside when it pulled open the tree branches to eat the fruit.

    One man, one bird, looking at eachother.

    The ce where Shao Xuan hid was at least 5 meters high from the ground, while this bird head was less than one meter away from Shao Xuan, which showed the height of this big bird.

    Remembering Ah-Guang¡¯s phorusrhacos, Shao Xuan always guarded against this kind of big birds. After the tree branches were pulled open, Shao Xuan took the stone knife in hand and intended to give the bird a sh.

    Nevertheless, before Shao Xuan took actions, that bird quacked with a scream, turned around and ran away immediately, without caring about the fruit chips falling out of its mouth.

    Shao Xuan was left speechless.

    What¡¯s the use of even having such an enormous size?

    If it were Ah-Guang¡®s phorusrhacos, which used its head as a hoe, it would probably peck at Shao Xuan immediately. But this bird looked more surprised than Shao Xuan, and escaped in panic and fear, as if a little white rabbit ran across a big bad wolf.

    Shao Xuan pushed aside the tree branches and looked at the bird running away like wind.

    Like Ah-Guang¡¯s phorusrhacos, it couldn¡¯t fly, as its upper limbs had be vestigial. Also its body looked fatter than Ah-Guang¡¯s bird, whose lower limbs were rtivelyrger and fleshy.

    Whoosh~~

    The figure in the sky caught that big bird, which didn¡¯t run far away and flew up again.

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    After Chacha snatched up the big bird, a team of seven people rushed out of the woods. At first, they didn¡¯t notice Shao Xuan, but watched and shouted loudly at the sky. One of them even threw the long spear in his hand, but the spear missed by quite a big margin, as Chacha flew too fast and also swerved.

    ¡°It¡¯s caught.¡±

    ¡°Where did the eaglee from? I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡±

    The men over there shouted and then realized Shao Xuan standing by their side.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± One of them asked with suspicion on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just a passerby. Well, that thing in the sky was my eagle.¡± Although those men were not in good mood, Shao Xuan saw that they didn¡¯t mean to throw more spears. So he whistled and gestured to the sky.

    With that struggling bird in his ws, Chacha circled above and thennded to the ground.

    Those men still worried that Chacha would throw down the big bird directly from the sky, but only when nearing the ground did Chacha throw the big bird in front of Shao Xuan and then fly up quickly. He didn¡¯t have a good impression on the man throwing spears at him.

    The big bird on the ground only had some w marks on its body and was a little frightened, not having recovered yet. After a few breaths, it intended to sneak away but was tied up in straw ropes by those men.

    ¡°Are you really just a passerby?¡± The leader of those men asked with a rtively good attitude this time.

    ¡°Yes. I was resting here when that big bird showed up.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for what happened just now. I thought that eagle was going to take away the bird we raised.¡± That man said with a smile. Every eagle in the surrounding region which stole their food, he knew them all, but that eagle he saw just now looked really foreign. Moreover, it was different from a domesticated eagle and a wild eagle. But just now he saw some drawings on the w of that eagle. Although he didn¡¯t see the drawing clearly, he guessed it should be something like totem tattoos.

    Usually, the Lu tribe would not start a feud with others, so they would not offend many tribes, even if they were not familiar with them. And the young man in front, who could raise such a big eagle, the tribe he belonged to should be a rtivelyrge one.

    ¡°Lu tribe - Yan Jiu.¡± That man introduced himself.

    ¡°ming Horns tribe - Shao Xuan.¡±

    ming Horns tribe? Those men looked at each other, seemingly having heard the name for the first time. Could it be that the tribe was far away from here?

    ¡°Did youe here with the travel team?¡± One of them asked.

    ¡°Yes. I just left the team not long ago.¡±

    He was really from far away. Those men thought.

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    Taking a look at the eagle in the sky, Yan Jiu said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Shao Xuan, can you do us one more favor?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    Yan Jiu told Shao Xuan briefly. So the story was that every once in a while, the Lu tribe would carry the animals they raised out of the tribe and return after exchanging things with the other tribes. But there was an ident early in the morning today: the fence was broken and didn¡¯t get repaired on time; one big bird rushed out of the fencing and then several more ran away in session.

    They sent five teams to search for the birds in five directions, but didn¡¯t find them all till now.

    ¡°So I¡¯m wondering if you¡­can have your eagle give a hand and see if it can find the birds.¡± Yan Jiu said.

    ¡°No problem.¡± It was nothing difficult, so Shao Xuan called Chacha down to give him some words and then had him fly away.

    Those men had been bustling about the whole morning, and had rarely gotten a chance to take a rest. Three of whom sat down on the ground directly, and thinking that if that eagle didn¡¯t find the birds, they would still have to keep on searching.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯sing back.¡± One man who fixed his eyes on the sky said excitedly.

    In the past, they only saw eagles in the sky taking away their livestock; it was the first time that they had an eagle help them get the escaping livestock back.

    This was only just the first bird brought back. About ten minutester, the second bird was brought back. After that, Chacha didn¡¯t bring back any more big birds.

    ¡°There should not be any birds in the surroundings. Let¡¯s go back and see if the others found some.¡± Yan Jiu advised.

    Meanwhile, to thank Shao Xuan, Yan Jiu also invited Shao Xuan. During the chat just now, Shao Xuan had shown great interest in raising those big birds. This also made the Lu tribe proud. They also liked to show their result of raising those birds, hoping that they could trade with peopleter on.

    "Come with us, we have thergest farm in the central area. A lot of people have been trading with us....."

    As Yan Jiu talked with Shao Xuan on the way to the tribe about the breeding of the birds, his tone was carrying a sense of pride.

    When they arrived, Shao Xuan was surprised at the scene in front.

    They stood on top of a hill, looking down, there were hundreds and thousands of birds. And although they had a big and fierce looking body like the ones before, but they were tame and only herbivores.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes this was just a giant lump of meat!

 Chapter 189 â€“ The Wan Shi tribe

    Chapter 189 - The Wan Shi tribe

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    In the surroundings of the vast farm were high enclosures built up by huge tree trunks and stone columns and the kind. Every so distances away around the enclosures, there would be someone standing by on guard. The number of people assigned on guard had probably kind of increased because the ident today.

    In some of the enclosures, the big birds were driven back while some people were repairing.

    Those big fat birds of enormous sizes but chicken hearts were looking around with their long necks. Sometimes there would be people throwing some fruits and unknown grains inside, which would cause a stir in the enclosures. The big birds would fall over one another to peck at the food on the ground. With a full stomach, they would crouch at the sides, enjoy the sunshine and sleep.

    Shao Xuan also saw people carrying lots of eggs of sizes of about half a meter out of some haystacks. In contrast, the egg from which Chacha hatched was unbelievably small. Anyone who saw Cha Cha now could hardly imagine that Cha Cha hade out of that small bird egg.

    People of the Lu tribe called those big birds ¡°Meat Birds¡±, which were kind of domesticated giant moas. After cultivation and domestication from generation to generation, these meat birds had already lost their feralness and became docile and chicken-hearted. But although they look fat with those thick and short legs, these birds could run quickly, or at least run ¡°faster¡± than they looked.

    Apart from those meat birds, Yan Jiu also showed Shao Xuan around to other domesticated animals¡¯ pens, like cattle pens, horse pens, sheep pens, etc... The scale of these animal pens were not asrge as what Shao Xuan had seen in the grasnds of the Feng tribe, but with such various species and feeding techniques, people of the Lu tribe indeed would not face a problem of shortage of food.

    ¡°What do you think of the domesticated animals in our tribe?¡± Yan Jiu asked Shao Xuan with pride on his face.

    ¡°Extremely wonderful.¡± Shao Xuan replied honestly.

    Many tribes knew how to raise livestock, as far as Shao Xuan understood having traveled all the way here, but no one was a match for the Lu tribe. For this reason, the Lu tribe kept a foothold in the central area and was on good terms with many other tribes. It¡¯s said that somerge tribes in the central area built friendly rtionship with the Lu tribe: if the Lu tribe was in danger, they would also send people to give aid. Or so it was said at least.

    And though Shao Xuan knows that this is not an aggressive tribe, it could even be called ¡°a nice tribe¡± in the central area. For sure, being nice didn¡¯t mean it had no temper. Strength was indispensable to have a firm foothold in the central area.

    ¡°Are those also raised for food?¡± Shao Xuan pointed to one feeding area. Over there were many giant cattle grazing. In spite of the small quantities, the giant cattle were quite eye-catching, which were obviouslyrger in size than those cattle, sheep and horses around.

    ¡°No, not all of them are for food and trade. Most of the time, we use them to pull carts.¡± Yan Jiu said.

    ¡°Pull carts?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Look over there. We are packing up the meat birds of before. If it were not for the ident, we would have started off already, and be on the way.¡± Speaking of this, Yan Jiu restrained his smile.

    For that kind of ident to happen to the animal pens. Was it really that no one saw the damage and the warriors on guard couldn¡¯t stop the ident? Yan Jiu didn¡¯t believe it. He thought there must¡¯ve been someone who destroyed the fences deliberately. But he wouldn¡¯t tell Shao Xuan about this. This was their internal issue, still under investigation, and not a glorious thing to publicize. In public, they would just say that it was an ident.

    Shao Xuan, for the first time, saw the cattle carts in this ce.

    Extremely big cattle carts.

    Even if no cart was in sight, seeing the deep ruts left on the ground alone showed the size of these carts.

    In the surroundings, there were some worn-out wheel-shaped tools, such as stone wheels or pottery wheels. The stone spinning wheels were made of special stone, made of rtively hard stone, while pottery wheels had greater varieties, ranging from somemon small wheels to high wheels up to the waist of a man. These wheels also had drawings in pigments on the surface.

    Some of these tools were used to twist and spin the threads, and some were used as wheels to transfer some fodders for the domesticated animals, while others were used as wheels, likewise to transport heavier goods.

    The distance between the two almost paralleled ruts were more than four meters.

    Walk a little forward and rumbling sounds could be heard. Many people were carrying the meat birds to therge wooden carts, piling them up like small hills. Those meat birds were already tied-up and unable to escape.

    Yan Jiu grabbed one warrior who was carrying the meat birds and asked, ¡°Have all the escaped meat birds been taken back now?¡±

    That warrior wiped away the sweat on his forehead and sighed, ¡°All the people who went looking for the meat birds havee back. So far, almost all the birds have been brought back, but one escaped.¡±

    ¡°Only one escaped. This is already a good result.¡± Yan Jiu said with a sigh, looked around, and asked again, ¡°By the way, how is it going with the goods?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s almost done. We can start off in the afternoon.¡±

    ¡°All right. You can go on with your work.¡±

    Not saying much more to the others, Yan Jiu invited Shao Xuan to a rich lunch at noon in return for his assistance today and sent him a meat bird and a meat-bird egg. Shao Xuan gave the egg to Chacha as an extra meal.

    Sending gifts to Shao Xuan was not merely in return for his help. Yan Jiu also had a n. Although they hadn¡¯t heard of the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡±, this tribe was not necessarily a weak tribe. Maybe in future they would have contacts with this tribe. It¡¯s not a bad idea to make friends with Shao Xuan.

    Knowing that Shao Xuan left the tribe and went on a long journey, Yan Jiu didn¡¯t ask for more details, as people of many tribes would travel about. Especially some small tribes located in the outer regions, the elders would take the young men to the central area, widening their horizon. It¡¯s just rare to see a case like Shao Xuan, who traveled alone.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say the specific ce where he¡¯d go, just pointing to several ces closer to the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°Our transport team will pass through those ces, so you can go with us. It¡¯s also safer that way. One more thing, the Wan Shi tribe is over there. People of that tribe have bad tempers.¡± Yan Jiu said.

    Those who were branded as ¡°bad tempered¡± by people of the Lu tribe for sure had very bad tempers, probably pretty bad.

    For people of the Lu tribe, inviting others on the cart was one of the ways to show friendship, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t refuse. After thanking them, Shao Xuan also helped them to carry the tied-up meat birds.

    Getting a closer look at these meat birds, Shao Xuan found that after being tied-up, these meat birds would sometimes cry out, but most of the time they were all sleeping, without any sense of crisis at all.

    For this kind of meat birds, the Lu tribe usually needed two men to carry one bird, but when it came to Shao Xuan, he had no difficulty in carrying two birds on his own.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, people of your tribe really have great¡­strength.¡± Yan Jiu couldn¡¯t help saying.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. People of our tribe actually don¡¯t have good tempers either, but they have great strength.¡± Shao Xuan said, throwing the two meat birds on to the wooden cart.

    As to Shao Xuan mentioning ¡°People of our tribe actually don¡¯t have good tempers either¡±, Yan Jiu didn¡¯t take it seriously. He just took it as a joke, thinking that Shao Xuan was not an irritable or savage man, so others in the ming Horns tribe were just like him. But he believed Shao Xuan¡¯s words about ¡°great strength¡± of people of the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°Your tribe resembles the Wan Shi tribe, both having great strength.¡± Yan Jiu said.

    It¡¯s said that the Wan Shi tribe was not one of therge tribes in the central area in the past; butter on, the tribe developed and gained name. Yet some old strong tribes seem to hold the Wan Shi tribe in contempt.

    After all the goods were loaded on the carts, the leader of the team called on the others to get ready to start. Yan Jiu was also a member of the transport team.

    Over ten cattle carts lined up in a linear shape. The giant cattles were already fed and ready for work.

    ¡°Come on, Shao Xuan. Get on this cart.¡± Yan Jiu called Shao Xuan while jumping on one of the carts.

    Shao Xuan went over and jumped on the cart, which was taller than his height.

    The wheels of this giant cattle cart were huge stone wheels, whose shafts were round and rtively thick. Probably for buffering, circles of straw vines were also tied around the stone wheels.

    In order to load more meat birds, they didn¡¯t add a roof to the carts, they were only open wooden carts.

    The good thing was that the thick wood boards were strong enough, or the carts would break down from just a pull.

    After counting the heads, the leader of the transport team shouted out, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The rumbling sounds of the stone wheels grinding the ground and the creaking sounds of the wooden boards, together with the cries of the meat birds, rang up when the team started off.

    To Shao Xuan, this was a fresh experience.

    Sitting on the wooden cart with the his legs hanging off the edges, Shao Xuan listened to the others talking about rumours of some tribes in the central area, for example which tribe went to war again, who of which tribe got beaten, which tribe finding some treasures again, and whose leader or shaman was getting changed, and the like.

    The sunshine of the afternoon was still strong. Maybe because it was almost the end of the year, so the temperature was not that high.

    Listening to the chatter of the people of the Lu tribe all the way, Shao Xuan asked some questions once in a while, acquainting himself with the surrounding situations and improving the map as well.

    When nearing the old haunt, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t hear anything about the ming Horns tribe. No one mentioned the name of the ming Horns tribe, only the Wan Shi tribe, which was said to have great strength but bad tempers could be considered a clue.

    Beside the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe, this new strong Wan Shi tribe rose up, taking up the new territory. From the meaning of the words said by the people of the Lu tribe, in the eyes of the old strong tribes with a long history, like the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, the Wan Shi tribe was probably the second ming Horns tribe, while the flourishing ming Horns tribe in the central area of the ancient time had already been forgotten.

    While chatting, Shao Xuan heard a long and high-pitched sound of an elephant horn from the front.

    Looking over there. ck figures were appearing at the horizon. The vision was blurry because of the movements over there.

    ¡°The Wan Shi tribe.¡±

    ¡°They are people of the Wan Shi tribe.¡±

    The people in the team didn¡¯t have the mood to chat leisurely anymore as they did just now, putting on tense faces, while others had taken out weapons noiselessly.

    The Lu tribe built good rtionship with many tribes. In the central area, lots of tribes would not attack this ¡°nice tribe¡± as it didn¡¯t have any threat; even in case of fighting for territories, they would not put their hands to the Lu tribe. Nevertheless, the Wan Shi tribe was an exception.

    Yan Jiu said that people of the Wan Shi tribe had bad tempers, so there were frequent conflicts between these two tribes.

    ¡°Look at their formation. They¡¯ve fought against other tribes again.¡± One man on the cart said.

    ¡°Probably so. See how many things are on the back of their mammoths.¡± Another man said in disgust, ¡°If they have the power, why won¡¯t they go hunting the ferocious beasts in the woods instead of always robbing other tribes?¡±

    The Wan Shi tribe was rtively close to the mountain woods, with the many ferocious beasts, but they seldom hunted the beasts in the woods. Every time they almost ate up the food in the tribe, they would rob the goods and materials from other tribes. Their targets were those tribes which were smaller than their own tribe, but they would not bother therge strong tribes.

    ¡°I heard that long time ago, in the woods with the ferocious beasts, there was onerge tribe. But it has died out. It¡¯d be nice to hear that the Wan Shi tribe would die out someday.¡± One man lowered his voice and said.

    ¡°Stop talking. Protect the goods.¡± Yan Jiu said to those men on the cart in a whisper.

    ¡°Got it.¡± The others on the cart replied.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, be careful. Though the Wan Shi tribe would not necessarily start fights against us, we¡¯d better be on guard against them.¡± Yan Jiu looked towards Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Ok. I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the figuresing closer.

    Many people came and went through this ce for a long time, so it created a dirt road with little grass. The giant mammoths treaded on the ground, stirring up the dirt. A team of several hundred people and dozens of mammoths, which wererger than the giant cattle, all had bloodthirsty looks on their faces.

    In view of the massive people in front, and to avoid conflicts, the team leader of the Lu tribe took the initiative and told the others to keep to the side and leave the main road open.

    Thoseing from the front, however, didn¡¯t have any intention topromise; the speed of the mammoths was even faster than before. If the Lu tribe didn¡¯t step aside, they would probably have run into each other directly.

    On every mammoth sat several people. Apart from some goods and materials robbed from other tribes, there were also a few tied-up young women on the back of the mammoths. From their looks and clothes, these women were not from the Wan Shi tribe, but were robbed as one of the trophies. In fact, the Wan Shi tribe was not alone in this case. Wars between the tribes were all like this: some captures would be killed, and some would be sold to the potential veholders, while some young women would be taken back as trophies.

    The leading mammoth had long ivories. Some decorative ornaments colored with blood were put on its body, which included bone, stone and wooden ornaments. The man sitting on the head of the mammoth wore a headwear, like a grimace carved in ivory. His stiff and short hairs stood on end like steel needles, while the long hairs were simply tied up by bone ornaments. This man was robust; his uncovered strong muscles seemed to contain explosive power, and his eyes were full of obvious ferocity and haughtiness.

    This was the team leader of the Wan Shi tribe.

    He nced at the transport team of the Lu tribe, his eyes filled with greed, as if seeing meat at the sight of the things on the carts of the Lu tribe. But thinking of the warning he got not long ago, he suppressed the impulsion of taking out his de to rob.

    Not only this team leader, but those people of the Wan Shi tribe walking on the ground also coveted the goods on the carts of the Lu tribe. They looked at their team leader time, and just waited for his order to take actions.

    People of the Lu tribe were all tense. They didn¡¯t expect to encounter this team of the Wan Shi tribe today, but they would not cower or even send out their goods.

    The team leader of the Wan Shi tribe ignored the looks from his subordinates, just taking a rough nce at the team members of the Lu tribe. When seeing Shao Xuan, he looked away immediately and didn¡¯t linger his vision at all. But he paused for a while every time he looked at the meat birds on the carts. He ckened and scowled, whipping at the mammoth and shouting ¡°hurry up¡±.

    The mammoth gave out a loud cry with pain, speeding up the pace.

    The raising dirt was blown with the wind towards the transport team of the Lu tribe, which made people of the Lu tribe choke with anger many times, and suppressed their intention to fight. They were outnumbered by the enemies who were not easy to handle, so they had to endure when they should. The disgust with the Wan Shi tribe was getting deeper.

    The long whips of the Wan Shi trube were almost swung towards the giant cattle of the Lu tribe. If that warrior of the Lu tribe didn¡¯t defend with his knife, the whip would have fallen on the cattle.

    When passing by, many people of the Wan Shi tribe also bared their teeth towards the transport team and waved their swords and spears in their hand, as if saying that we are going to rob all the things of your tribe sooner orter.

    Only after all people of the Wan Shi tribe passed by and went away, and the raising dirt dispersed, did the men of the Lu tribe rx and the team started off again.

    Looking at the receding backs of those people, Shao Xuan thought, ¡°Is this the second ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± in the central area?¡±

    They are not even worth a fart!

 Chapter 190 â€“ The old haunt

    Chapter 190 - The old haunt

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The encounter with the Wan Shi tribe made those of the Lu tribe, who were originally talking happily, be quite silent.

    After traveling with the team of the Lu tribe for some more distance, Shao Xuan said farewell to them. At this point, Yan Jiu and their team would move away from the direction of the ferocious beast mountain forest, while that was the way where Shao Xuan would go.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not that far away from the Wan Shi tribe. You can go a bit more further with us.¡± Yan Jiu advised.

    ¡°No, thank you. You don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Shao Xuan pointed to the sky above his head while saying.

    Seeing the eagle hovering in the sky, Yan Jiu realized that Shao Xuan could indeed move on with the aid of the eagle. After all, it would be safer in the sky, as they hadn¡¯t heard of the Wan Shi tribe having domesticated eagles.

    ¡°Anyways, you need to watch out for the Wan Shi tribe.¡± Yan Jiu said.

    ¡°Okay, thanks. Oh, wait.¡± Shao Xuan took out an engraved stone given by the Shaman, which had the drawing of the totem pattern of the ming Horns tribe.

    Showing the engraved stone to those men on the cart, Shao Xuan said, ¡°This is the totem of our tribe. Maybe many people don¡¯t remember this right now, but I believe that everyone will recall it soon.¡±

    The men on the cart looked at the totem pattern on the stone, not understanding what Shao Xuan meant with ¡°Everyone will ¡®recall it¡¯ ¡±. As to the totem pattern, they were sure that they had never seen or heard of it, but to show friendship in return for Shao Xuan¡¯s favor, they looked properly, thinking that they would probably not see him again in the future.

    Noticing the expressions of those people on the cart, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say more but smiled. Then he put away the engraved stone, said farewell to those men of the Lu tribe and gestured to the sky, then jumped on Chacha¡¯s back when hended.

    ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    Waving towards Yan Jiu and the others, Shao Xuan tapped Chacha¡¯s head and ¡°left¡±.

    Seeing the figure receding in the sky, the men on the cart pulled back their gaze.

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯ll meet Shao Xuan again in future?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°I think people of the ming Horns tribe should be nice, at least much better than the people of the Wan Shi tribe. If the ming Horns tribe is not far away, we can take a trip to their tribe. But it¡¯s a pity¡­¡±

    Several people were talking about Shao Xuan and the ming Horns tribe. After a while, they found Yan Jiu didn¡¯t say a word, so someone asked him, ¡°Yan Jiu, what¡¯s your thought?¡±

    Yan Jiu recovered his attention and looked at the others on the cart, ¡°My thought?¡± Putting his hand up and pointing to the direction where Chacha was flying, Yan Jiu said, ¡°Don¡¯t you think there is something wrong with that direction?¡±

    ¡°That direction?¡±

    Just now, they were just thinking about the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± that Shao Xuan mentioned many times and the totem pattern of their tribe; when thinking back at the moment, they realized that the direction where Chacha was flying was right the way to the Wan Shi tribe and the ferocious beast mountain forest.

    ¡°Why would he go there?¡±

    ¡°Did he go the wrong way?¡±

    ¡°¡­Will we see that young man again in future?¡± Someone said worriedly.

    That mountain forest was the only vast and dangerousnd directly connected with the central area. Further outside, in the other directions out of the central area were the outer regions, where lots of small tribes were scattered. This was the only acknowledged dangerous ce, where even the Wan Shi tribe seldom went inside. Everyone who entered the forest would go withpanions in groups, but even so, many people still lost their lives in the forest.

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    ¡°s.¡± Yan Jiu shook his head with a sigh, not speaking any more.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan looked down to the ground on the back of Chacha.

    He saw the team of the Wan Shi tribe, which he encountered before. After passing the group, they flew for some more time and saw the territory of the Wan Shi tribe.

    Compared with the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe before, the Wan Shi tribe had more primitive and savage styles. Yet these men loved to decorate their houses with bone ornaments or stone ornaments hanging everywhere. There were many people walking around inside the tribe, and there were some livestock being kept in pens as well. But the livestock seemed nothing like they were being raised, but more as if they were robbed from other ces and reared in pens. They didn¡¯t expect to raise the livestock for long, but fed them temporarily; whenever they would like to eat the livestock, they would just kill them. Moreover, the winter seemed to being soon. Who knows whether it would snow or not in the winter of this ce.

    It looked like something had happened to the Wan Shi tribe; many teams were running around, as if looking for something

    At the moment, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have the intention for more exchanges with them; what he most wanted to do now was to look for the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe, as Lao He had mentioned.

    The totem mes in his mind had started rolling; the closer he got to that location, the more fiercely they moved; so active, that it was as if something over there was attracting them.

    Though the Wan Shi tribe didn¡¯t have tamed flying animals, flying above the tribe at a low altitude would definitely cause them to get attacked intensively. When flying over the Wan Shi tribe from the sky at a high altitude, Chacha also pooped and left some droppings, giving a happy cry.

    Those teams of the Wan Shi tribe below, who were running about, heard the eagle cry and looked up, guarding with their bows, arrows and long spears, etc. At times, in this ce, some birds would fly out of the forest and snatch their food, and even take some people away sometimes. So at the sound of the eagle cry, they would warily watch the eagle high in the sky, waiting to attack the eagle when it lowered down.

    But after a while, the eagle didn¡¯t fly lower, but they got some bird droppings instead, which fell on their heads, on top of the houses, in the animal pens, and in the storage houses, where they kept their food. Those who didn¡¯t dodge were wiping away the bird droppings on their heads and shouting with loud curses, which didn¡¯t do any harm to Chacha at all.

    The animals in the pens were in tumult thanks to these bird droppings, running about for fear of being caught by the eagle in the sky. In their vague memory, some of their kind seemed to have been caught by this kind of birds flying down from the sky. With this sense of crisis, these enclosed animals, without care, hit the fences more violently; if not hitting the fences, they would hit the other animals by their side, most of which didn¡¯t belong to the same kind.

    One of the sheep, whose horns were cut down, was chased by bull, running about while bleating; an old cow, which was grazing, was kicked over by a horse, falling directly into the haystack. The old cow got up, snorted and started fights against the horse.

    The people of the Wan Shi tribe outside had to transfer some manpower over to put down the disturbance in the animal pens.

    Chacha didn¡¯t know that his droppings along the way brought about a riot in the Wan Shi tribe. After having a pleasant crap, Chacha carried Shao Xuan and flew in the direction where Shao Xuan pointed.

    Compared with ces with lots of human activities, the mountain forest would make it feel morefortable.

    When he flew into the mountain forest, none of the noises from those human tribes could be heard.

    The number of flying birds in the sky increased gradually.

    With Shao Xuan on his back, Chacha would be limited in regards to maneuvrability, while Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t fully disy his power. Therefore, he asked Chacha to put him down. He sneaked in stealthily in the forest and took a good look at this strange but kind of familiar region.

    The human civilization which he saw before faded away. Here, everything returned to the most primitive state.

    No house, no cart, no clothes with borate designs. The cruel rule of nature came on stage again.

    Standing in a tall tree, Shao Xuan saw the forest in front of him and took a deep breath. From only one breath, he could smell the agitated and dangerous factors in the air. Nevertheless, Shao Xuan was not timid at all; instead, a long-lost exciting feeling was getting stronger.

    From jumping down from the tree to walking through the forest. Almost from the first step into this forest, Shao Xuan had already adjusted himself to his best state.

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    If Qu Ce from the Mang tribe and Xu from the Eight Limbs tribe saw Shao Xuan now, they would not believe what they saw. After all, what impressed them from Shao Xuan was a straightforward, savage and violent style, while now Shao Xuan lookedpletely different.

    He was nimble, fast and covert, without any unnecessary presence exposed outside, as if already integrating into this forest.

    In the forest, there were lots of wild animals as well as ferocious beasts. Many times, Shao Xuan slipped past those ferocious beasts. He was alone here; if not to hunt for food, he wouldn¡¯t bother those ferocious predators, as he had to save his strength to search the target.

    His strength should only be used for the necessary situation. To survive in the forest, you had to use the least effort to get the best result and saving the remaining strength to preserve your life.

    A vine was approaching Shao Xuan from behind noiselessly; even the rustling sound of friction was too small to be heard. On top of the vine was something like a bud, which opened suddenly like a big mouth with sharp teeth and bit at Shao Xuan¡¯s leg when near him.

    A knife flitted through the ¡°big mouth¡± on top of the vine. From the opening of the cut on the vine, some dark green juice flowed out and then the vine pulled back quickly.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t look much at that vine, as he had seen many nts of the like in the hunting area before.

    The old haunt was just around the corner.

    Shao Xuan had already felt the excitement of the totem mes in his mind.

    One huge rock caught Shao Xuan¡¯s attention.

    The rock stood there, which seemed inharmonious with the surroundings. It was covered by some thick moss and various residual decayed leaves.

    Scouting the surroundings and finding no dangerous objects, Shao Xuan approached carefully and shaved that thickyer of moss with the stone knife. The areas scraped away on the surface of the rock had some deep grooves.

    Shao Xuan scraped anotherrge area of moss and simply cleaned the rock, in order to see the grooves on the rock more clearly.

    On the surface of the rock were carved some drawings, which were the characteristic patterns of the ¡®ming Horns¡¯ and some other characters.

    Probably because of some reasons in the past, some areas on the rock were damaged; many dents couldn¡¯t connect each other; only the tworgest characters that could be seen clearly was ¡°ming Horns¡± while the other smaller characters were hardly identified.

    After the removal of the thick moss and the residual decay, ¡°ming Horns¡± was eventually brought to light again.

    Just like the hill rock paintings of the Eight Limbs tribe, these huge rocks also yed the part asndmarks, telling everyone who came here that this was the territory of the ming Horns tribe.

    Apart from the huge rock, Shao Xuan also found several other rocks of the like in different sizes and different quality: some looked like they were cut open in half, while others were mostly buried under the earth.

    Lao He mentioned that the roots of the ming Horns tribe still existed here.

    Beforeing here, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know or feel the existence of the roots. But now, entering this region, Shao Xuan felt as if was being attracted over there by a beckoning force.

    Havinge here for the first time, but Shao Xuan had a familiar feeling somehow. He knew that it was the me and the totem pattern.

    Following the beckoning force, Shao Xuan headed over there with a quick pace. During the process, Shao Xuan also found one phenomenon.

    It seemed that the closer to the center of that region he got, the fewer ferocious beasts would show up.

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    Maybe just as Lao He mentioned that the roots of the ming Horns still existed, those roots also had some effect of the me to the wild animals and ferocious beasts. But the effect was not as obvious the me back home.

    Without the distraction of more ferocious beasts, Shao Xuan moved forward more quickly.

    Getting closer to that direction, Shao Xuan found more life traces of the tribe.

    For example, houses and some towering stone columns, etc.

    As a long time had passed by, some had lost their previous shapes. Moreover, the changes of the terrain caused even more damages. Because there were no human beings and very few ferocious beasts, it was almost covered by all kinds of nts in this region. Inparison with the growing situation of those nts in the forest, the nts here grew calmly and were not overgrown, or at least did not fully cover this region.

    The tops of the copsed houses had be the habitats of nts and micro-organisms. Shao Xuan had to scrape the aboveyer to see the real look below. Wooden things had already decayed. The only things left were some stone-made items as well as some pottery remains dug out from some ces.

    Entering this region, Shao Xuan stopped scraping or digging, but just took a good look at this region which had no human activity for nearly a thousand years.

    Some stone houses fell down to the ground, while others were half on the ground and the other half in water. A stream flowed by, polishing those stones shaped like tiles.

    Without tall trees as shelters, that high and thick stone column looked extremely eye-catching.

    But the stone column had already been intertwined and covered by green vines. Shao Xuan pulled off all the vines with immense efforts while being careful not to damage the stone column.

    With the vines pulled off, the carvings on the stone column also appeared. Compared with those huge rocks like boundary monuments that he saw before, the patterns on this stone column were better kept and clearer.

    There were also some records with characters of the ¡®ming Horns¡¯, as well as drawings, which Shao Xuan could hardly read.

    Were these used as a sundial or for sacrifices?

    Probably for sundial Shao Xuan thought, as sacrifices were usually held nearby the firece. The ce where the firece was located should be the one Shao Xuan was looking for.

    The sun set gradually, with the dusk shining on this region of ruins, which added a deste feeling of history.

    Standing on the high stone column, Shao Xuan fixed his eyes to the distance. Far away, beneath that reddening sky were curving mountains and forests.

    No matter how much it had flourished, it was just a weed-riddennd of ruin at the moment.

    With a long sigh, Shao Xuan jumped down from the stone column and walked to another ce.

    There was nothing special there, but it was rtively t with some small nts growing and some flowers scattered in between on the surface.

    Walking around there in a circle, Shao Xuan came to the center and stopped, lowering his body and putting his hands on the earth.

    He felt that there seemed to be something underneath the earth, surging and flowing.

 Chapter 191 - The location of the Flame

    Chapter 191 - The location of the me

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The sun set at the other side of the mountain, the light in the forest was lessening.

    The surroundings became darker.

    At the moment, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t notice the passage of time. Nor did he even care about the existence of dangers around. He had some feeling that it was safe here, and there would be no sneak attacks from dangerous nts or ferocious beasts.

    All his attention was focused on the earth under his palms.

    Shao Xuan was perceiving the bit of warmthing from underneath, which passed from his palms and arms upward to the totem in his mind, stimting the mes on the totem, making them jump around vigorously.

    A night breeze blew over, as if carrying some unusual things in the wind.

    It started to be quiet all around. The bird chirps and insect buzzes, beast roars in the wood, sounds of flowing water and so on, all faded away.

    Hoo~~

    Hoo~~

    It sounded like mes jumping with the wind.

    Nevertheless, there was no fire in the surroundings. Even as the sun set and the night fell, this unrecognizablend of ruins had already been covered with darkness.

    Shao Xuan fixed his eyes on his palms on the earth,pletely motionless. He felt that it became warmer under his palms, as if something was spreading under the earth and was going to break out.

    A small me came out between his fingers, which was quite conspicuous in the dark night.

    Soon, more mes showed up under Shao Xuan¡¯s palms and becamerger than the previous small mes, Shao Xuan was unable to cover them with his palms.

    After the fire light under his palms became bigger, it was divided into six branches, spreading gradually in six directions, no rising mes, just like magma extending in different directions into the forest, all the way until it was out of sight.

    Taking back his hands, Shao Xuan stood up and looked at those six branches extending from one point.

    Is this, the ¡°root¡± of the ming Horns tribe mentioned by old He¡¯s ancestors? And is the center point of the six branches the original location of the me?

    Whiling thinking, Shao Xuan suddenly felt that it was wrong, he then became entranced in that uncontroble but special state again.

    Looking at the ce under his feet: it should have been a ground full of flowers, grass and dirt, but now all turned into stones. As to the size of these kind of stones and the way how they were ced, Shao Xuan was very familiar with them, just as if he was standing in the fire pit of the ming Horns tribe.

    Fire pit?!

    Shao Xuan looked up at the other ces.

    Thatnd of ruins just now disappeared, and lots of blurry figures showed up instead: numerous people stood not far away. Behind the crowd were stone houses, a lot higher than the people. Just like those paintings drawn on the walls of the cave at the mountain foot of the ming Horns tribe,pared with the houses of most tribes, these stone houses wererger, higher and more magnificent¡­¡­

    There were also some carved statues of humans and animals, some of which were statues of warriors striking down ferocious beasts.

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    In ces close to the fire pit stood some people lined up in a simr way as during the tribe¡¯s ritual ceremony, and some warriors doing the ritual dance. There were also some columns standing erect near the ritual. The difference was that near the firepit stood another six men. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see what they looked like exactly, only blurry figures. Their costumes were more ¡°gorgeous¡± than those of the dancing warriors, with moreplicated decorative ornaments on their heads and bodies.

    One figure stepped into the fire pit and headed towards Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan knew that the man was noting towards him. The objective should be the me located where Shao Xuan stood. This man should be the shaman of the ming Horns tribe at that time.

    All these men could be those called ¡°ancestors¡±. If those tribesmen at the other side of the river saw this scene, most people would probably go down on their knees again.

    Shao Xuan stood there, quietly watching those figures around him.

    The shaman walked to the side of the me, put down something and stepped back out of the fire pit. He stood next to the fire pit, raised his two arms, and started singing.

    It seemed to be brighter in the surroundings.

    Shao Xuan looked around. The fast-rising mes covered him, while the surroundings became brighter thanks to the suddenly rising mes. The crowd standing not far away was also lit up, but Shao Xuan still couldn¡¯t see them clearly, only rough figures of men, women, the old, and the young; there was also a pack hunting dogs branded with a mark.

    Everyone was facing the fire. No matter where Shao Xuan looked, even if he couldn¡¯t see the expressions on their faces clearly, he could feel that they were all looking at the ce where he stood.

    Shao Xuan lifted his feet and walked out of the center, out of the area where the fire light covered.

    Just like a bystander, Shao Xuan looked at the figures around: those men didn¡¯t have any changes because of Shao Xuan¡¯s movement, as both were in different time points. All of these were the past scenes reappearing, the same as when he saw the scene of the green thief sneaking at night when he followed the advance group to the greennd.

    The crowd went down on their knees and worshipped in the direction of the fire pit faithfully.

    Ayer of heat color covered the surroundings.

    Turning his head, Shao Xuan looked at the direction of the fire pit: the rolling mes rose higher and more violently than those he saw while attending the ritual ceremony in the ming Horns tribe; the sky around seemed to be burning, all in the color of fire, looking extremely splendid.

    There are three mes of fire pit, and this was just the first me, and it rose so high. What about the third me?

    In the ming Horns tribe, when Shao Xuan saw the mes of the me rising up, he thought that it was an unbelievable and grand sight at that time; but now seeing the scene in front, Shao Xuan really understood what the true mes of the me were like, just like the drawing once recorded on those animal skin volumes.

    When Shao Xuan was standing at the side of the fire pit of the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe and looking at the images of almost a thousand years past, at the other side of the river, far away from the central area...

    In the ming Horns tribe, few people would go out at this time. It was already in darkness for most areas near the mountain foot region. The night swallows were also actively flying around, watching every house and waiting to swarm and attack anyone who came out.

    Up the mountain, where there was more fire light, in some houses, the warriors were burning fires, perhaps for cooking, or just burning the firewood and chatting around the fire.

    On top of the mountain, the Shaman detected something, dashing out of the stone house like the wind and heading to the fire pit without taking the walking stick. Those warriors on guard around the fire pit intended to inform the Shaman and the chief of the changes on the fire pit, but they didn¡¯t expect that the Shaman woulde over by himself.

    Looking at the images in the fire pit, the Shaman seemed to be stunned, standing there, his mind nking out for a moment.

    In the fire pit, the original me with the small mes was now burning and jumping violently, and then rose up suddenly, rolling and spreading to the entire fire pit.

    It was not the time for the ritual right now, so there was no rite, even the Shaman didn¡¯t do anything. However, the mes in the fire pit were burning as they were during the ritual ceremony after every winter.

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    Moreover, they all burned by themselves. The rolling mes were more brilliant than those during the ritual ceremony every year.

    ¡°This¡­¡­This is¡­¡­¡± Coming over in a hurry after receiving the report, the chief was left stunned likewise after seeing the images in the fire pit.

    The word of Ao, the chief, brought the Shaman back from the daze just now. He was just too excited to move.

    ¡°He arrived! He found it! Ah-Xuan found the ming Horns old haunt!¡±

    Shaman went down on his knees and worshipped in the direction of the fire pit.

    To everyone in the tribe, the Shaman always appeared in a dignified manner all the time. But now this old man was down on his knees, crying in aplete mess. However, no one there wouldugh at him. They went down on their knees together with the Shaman. Though they didn¡¯t understand what this meant, in their mind they had subtle thoughts, which made them greatly excited.

    Shao Xuan had left the tribe for some time since the end of the rainy seasons to now, when the winter wasing soon. No one could tell if Shao Xuan had crossed the river safely, or after crossing the river safely, what happened to him. After all, he was just a young warrior.

    All held the fantasy and hope that Shao Xuan could manage to find something over there, but they felt anxious in their mind: after all there were too many dangers in the river and there must be more dangers and troubles at the other side of the river. Only Shao Xuan alone, was he able to handle all of them?

    But now the changes to the me in the fire pit, together with the words of the Shaman just now, both told the people at the mountain top that Shao Xuan not only crossed the river safely, but also found the old haunt of the tribe!

    Several old men who came over hurriedly were also too excited to say anything.

    People at the foot of the mountain also realized the changes at the top of the mountain. The rising mes were too obvious. In the surroundings, those night swallows, which were flying here and there rampantly just now, were keeping a safe distance now, just like when they were scared during the ritual ceremony every year.

    Old Ke walked out of the room, looked at the fire pit at the mountain top and said to Caesar by the side: ¡°Is that caused by Ah-Xuan?¡±

    Caesar watched the mountain top and looked at Old Ke, humming, as if replying to Old Ke.

    The ming Horns tribe was not the only one with the obvious changes. No matter at this side of the river, in the central area or in outer regions, many people were changing.

    Yan Shuo went out for hunting in the mountain today and brought back a small wild animal. After getting greater strength, though sometimes the totem pattern was still light, he felt better than before. He could also hunt some wild animals for his wife and kids at times.

    At this moment, Yan Shuo and his family were cooking meat and chatting around the fire. Yan Shuo realized something and looked at his arms: the original light totem patterns should showed up by themselves and looked darker and clearer than they used to be.

    Without saying any more, he just clenched his fists tight and smiled at his wife and kids, bright fire light reflecting from his eyes, ¡°I feel that what we have been waiting for ising soon.¡±

    On the grasnds...

    Old He was burning firewood at home and disposing of some newly-dug weeds today. While bustling about, he felt something strange all of a sudden. Not waking up his wife who was asleep, he added some firewood to the fire and got up to fetch a basin of water in a hurry. With the fire light, he looked at the inverted reflection in the basin.

    What he saw were some patterns appearing on his face. The color was not dark. In view of the dark light, he couldn¡¯t see the patterns clearly, but he knew what these were: they were the same patterns appearing on his father¡¯s face at that time.

    That power really exists; it was no longer that illusive and intangible feeling as before.

    It exists in every muscle and every blood in their body, flowing.

    At the side of a broad river...

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    Wooden boats of over ten meters high were docked at the bank. Compared with boats of other tribes, these boats could be considered to be luxurious.

    Not far away from these boats were some broken-down small boats at the other side of the bank. In contrast with thoserge boats, these small boats looked quite pathetic.

    On the bank beside the ces where these small boats berthed, some wanderers converged there. Every day they would work tillte ande back, getting together at this ce and making a big bonfire to cook something to eat.

    Right now they were alsoughing and chatting. Compared with those people wandering aimlessly and starving, they were living a better life, even if not living infort.

    While chatting, those people around the bonfire were all stunned as if seeing something unbelievable.

    No more talks andughs. Several men that were naked to the waist and of rtivelyrger size than the others, realized the abnormal situation all around and were about to ask, when they saw everyone pointing to them, as if being strangled and unable to say a whole word but just uttering ¡°er¡± for quite a while.

    But when seeing their own naked upper bodies along the direction where the others pointed, they were all shocked, with their hands quivering, and the stone bowls, which they usually treasured and fought for, fell down, half of the meat soup spilling on the ground. usually, everyone would probably feel sorry about the spilled meat soup, or would even lower their bodies to the ground, licking, picking up the fallen minced meat and eating it.

    At the moment, however, no one paid attention to the minced meat.

    ¡°To¡­Totem patterns...¡±

    No idea who spoke first, but it was like a fire igniting a barrel of oil.

    Totem patterns!

    Although these totem patterns didn¡¯tst for long, some people were destined to lose sleep tonight and others had radical changes on their mental states.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan, who caused all these changes without knowing it, was standing at the side of the fire pit of the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe and watching those images untill they disappeared. After everything returned to what the ruins used to be, there were no high andrge stone houses, no stone statues, no dense crowds and no shaman. Every one at that time had already disappeared; the fire pit was no longer what it used to be; and the six extended branches also vanished.

    Shao Xuan gave a long sigh.

    ¡°Past glory no longersts.¡±

    The images were illusive and only he himself could see the scene. But when Shao Xuan saw the situation on the surrounding area, he constricted his pupil.

    At the location where the me was and the ming branches extended from, the flowers and grass originally growing on this ce, all disappeared, only bare earth left.

    It looks like not everything was just an illusion. Those six branches from the me really appeared up.

    Meanwhile, inside the Wan Shi tribe not that far away from the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest...

    ¡°There are abnormal changes in the forest. Though it¡¯s not clear, I have a feeling that it will be the greatest threat of the Wan Shi tribe.¡± The shaman of the Wan Shi tribe, wearing bone ornaments on his face, faced the forest with an expression as if intending to devour someone.

    The leader of the Wan Shi tribe, standing beside the shaman looked at the forest and instructed thoseing over.

    ¡°Get ready. Tomorrow, enter the forest with the Wan Shi beasts.¡±

 Chapter 192 â€“ The traps in the forest

    Chapter 192 - The traps in the forest

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    In the early morning, Shao Xuan woke up and sat on the tall stone pir. He yawned, stretched and looked around.

    At the first nce, he found everything was the same as yesterday. But when he observed, he saw the ¡°lines¡± running from the bushes to six different directions.

    Going down from the pir, he ate the carnivore bird¡¯s egg which the Lu tribe had given him.

    After having fed itself in the early morning, Chacha didn¡¯t sense any potential danger in the surrounding area while flying.

    The old me pit was different now and was covered byyers of mud and stones. Shao Xuan had intended to uncover it but he thought that the me had nothing to do with whether the me pit was covered.

    Let it be.

    Shao Xuan recalled the vision he had seenst night and walked along the me pit.

    It changed a lot. If he hadn¡¯t seen the visionst night, he couldn¡¯t have imagined where the original buildings stood in this ce.

    He was looking to uncover some special items, but after walking around he found nothing. Maybe something was buried under the ground. Maybe these things had already been ruined. Maybe they had been taken away by the members of the ming Horns tribe.

    Shao Xuan had nned to look for them carefully and suddenly he heard an eagle scream.

    He stopped and put aside a broken pottery jar which he had just found. He entered the forest in the direction of Chacha¡¯s scream.

    In the early morning, the Wan Shi tribe sent over one hundred people into the forest to search for people of other tribes. They were divided into five groups. The shaman and the chief had ordered them to kill whoever they met as long as they weren¡¯t members of their tribe.

    If they could bring back their heads, the shaman and the chief would reward them.

    Even though the shaman and the chief didn¡¯t tell them who was in the forest and how many people there were, they were motivated to finish the task to get the rewards.

    Those who had just taken part in the tribe war weren¡¯t sent to search for the people in the forest. The shaman and the chief had discussed about it and finally decided to send more than one hundred people to carry out a search and get some information.

    The rest stayed in the tribe and with envy looked at those walking towards the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest. This shouldn¡¯t be a dangerous task, because so many people went there together with the Wan Shi beasts.

    Those who would enter the forest set out with the Wan Shi beasts cheerfully while the rest looked at them with envy.

    Not many cows, goats or horses were raised in the Wan Shi tribe. For one thing, they showed no interest. For another, more importantly, they focused on raising Wan Shi beasts.

    The so-called Wan Shi beast hadn¡¯t existed originally. It was bred by this tribe selectively. It was a new breed of the offspring of some wildlife and ferocious beasts, so they were stronger than the other beasts. Due to the mutant genes, every new generation of this kind of Wan Shi beast was different from the former generation. In order to remember this kind of Wan Shi beast and make them known for it, they named it Wan Shi beast.

    The Wan Shi beast was bred selectively, so over the previous hundreds of years some genes could be passed on. They needed some powerful beasts and this came as their first standard. Therefore, some abnormal species and even some with many ws were selected and preserved. But those weak species with dominant genes were abandoned and cooked for food.

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    These Wan Shi beasts were bigger than hounds trained by the other tribes and looked different. Some looked like dogs while others looked like cats. Their patterns were various, but they had one thing inmon. That was their eyes looked cruel as if they would rush to bite anyone they caught.

    When this tribeunched war against the other tribes, the members of this tribe often sent the Wan Shi beasts to chase those enemies who posed threat to them and had to be killed.

    These Wan Shi beasts were tied by some strong and thick straw ropes, which had been specially made and soaked in special liquid. Only the strong totem warriors in this tribe could pull and control them and they also had to prevent them from biting the ropes.

    Over one hundred people divided into five groups entered in the forest. Each group went with three or four Wan Shi beasts and wouldn¡¯t stay too close or too far from each other. If one group met something unusual, its member could whistle so the other groups would hurry over to help them.

    When they left the tribe they were excited by what the shaman and the chief said, But they were still anxious when stepping into the forest.

    All kept silent and only the Wan Shi beasts roared in a deep voice from time to time. They didn¡¯t find anything unusual or any trace left by men. They had thought that after entering the forest with the Wan Shi beasts, they could find the targets, but in fact, after walking for a long time, they still found nothing except several ferocious beasts.

    Shao Xuan got used to hunting in the forest so he had learned how to manage to not to reveal his trace and presence. There were so many ferocious beasts that were good at tracing, but he wasn¡¯t found by them. That was why he wasn¡¯t be found by the Wan Shi beasts.

    All the group members who had set out in the early morning felt tired at noon. They didn¡¯t find anyone, but were attacked by some nts and animals. They couldn¡¯t hide themselves, for there were more than twenty warriors in each group with Wan Shi beasts. Not to mention, they were not good at hiding themselves.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t we find anyone?¡± A warrior said while resting.

    ¡°I really hope that I can take the head back to get the reward sooner. ¡± Another warrior said in an optimistic tone.

    ¡°It depends on whether you can act quickly enough. I won¡¯t give the prey to you. ¡±

    ¡°Maybe there isn¡¯t only one man here. Several men, maybe. Even if there is only one man, we can cut him into pieces.¡± Some cut in.

    ¡°Yes, you are right. It all depends on your ability.¡±

    When they were talking about it, a warrior suddenly said, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that?¡±

    The warrior stood up and went next to a big stone. When they normally saw such a stone they would have ignored it. But now, this stone seemed to be an unusual one.

    They only saw one side of this big stone from their original location, but when they changed their position, they found the scratches on the other side of the uncovered stone.

    ¡°Who did that?¡± That warrior asked.

    The others shook their heads.

    The scratches on the moss of the stone were newly left. If they weren¡¯t left by the warriors of their tribe, it showed someone else had been here.

    Not just that warrior thought so, the others had a simr thought.

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    ¡°Someone has been here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. ¡±

    ¡°Well, what is ming Horns?¡± The warrior saw the words on the stone and asked.

    ¡°It is said that here was a big tribe here, but it disappeared long ago. Perhaps the tribe was called ming Horns. ¡±

    ¡°Possibly.¡±

    When talking about this, everyone became very excited.

    A big tribe. Although they didn¡¯t know what a big tribe was like thousands of years ago, every tribe had precious things, like the tribes in the central region. Perhaps some gems, jade and even fire crystals were preserved.

    Thinking about this, everyone in the group became excited. They knew it was dangerous for them to stay in the forest where many ferocious beasts lived. But there were many warriors in this group, so if they were careful enough, they would be safe.

    ¡°Those who entered and hid in the forest might be looking for the precious things of this big tribe.¡± A warrior said.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let the others take those things away ahead of us. Hurry up. ¡±

    Before the leader said anything more, the other members hurriedly set out again. The tribe wars had brought them a lot of benefits, so when they found the remains of such a big tribe, they immediately wondered whether they could get something precious.

    Yan Jiu had said those in the Wan Shi tribe were very greedy and their greed often overwhelmed their reason. That was why they would do so many crazy things.

    In recent years, the ve owners hade to the central region more and more frequently. They especially enjoyed traveling to the ces where the Wan Shi tribe had been.

    Before they left, a warrior of this tribe took off his hide pants and intended to piss against the stone engraved with ¡°ming Horns¡±. Such a stone with the name of the tribe or totem pattern was not just some border stone for a tribe. In the eyes of those in the tribe, it was important, like the rock paintings in the Mang tribe. If anyone pissed against the stone paintings, the members of the Mang tribe must attack him fiercely, because ording to the tribal rules, that was a provocation.

    However, ming Horns tribe had disappeared for nearly a thousand years so those in the Wan Shi tribe had nothing to fear. Even if anyone came to attack them, they could kill them directly. Someone had tried cutting the stone with a de, but the stone was quite hard, so it wasn¡¯t broken. They nned to carry the stone away and change it into tools.

    This group of warriors continued to move forward and searched for the men and things they wanted. After several steps, the leader found something wrong and turned back to look at the man who was maintaining the same posture next to the big stone.

    Why isn¡¯t he pissing?

    ¡°Done?¡± The leader asked.

    No one replied.

    The other warriorsined. We also want to piss against the stone, but we have to hurry up. Why are you standing there? What¡¯s wrong with you? If we dy, the others may get the rewards.

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    Someone was about to say something more, but he was stopped by the leader.

    As the leader of this group, he was quite alert, since he found something wrong, he went there with vignce and took out the stone knife to poke the warrior standing there.

    The warrior originally standing there fell down silently.

    Everyone was worried and wondered when he was attacked, and why their Wan Shi beasts didn¡¯t notice.

    Something was rustling.

    The slight noise came from the surrounding bush and the noise was so low that no one could hear it if they were not careful enough.

    Three of their Wan Shi beasts had good hearing, so they got mad at once, roared and rushed there. The warriors who pulled the Wan Shi beasts loosened the rope to let them go.

    The leader nced at the others to tell them to be careful and then led them to follow the Wan Shi beasts.

    Louder sounds were heard in the bush as if someone had just left here swiftly. Within a second, he had run far away from them.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡±

    A warrior¡¯s foot was caught and he shouted in a soft voice. Soon he was silent and his body was pierced by a needle.

    Then three other warriors were tied and hung up one by one. Their lives were also ended by a needle.

    At this moment, the rest of them became scared. They looked at the bushy trees with fear. There were more and more trees and weeds in the surrounding area, so they couldn¡¯t see clearly and they just depended on their hearing. They really wondered how many people were hiding near them.

    One warrior cursed and then he suddenly felt a great pain in his ankle. He thought he would be hung like the other warriors but it turned out that he was dragged aside very quickly.

    One more warrior was pulled away and became silent.

    The warrior staying in the original ce didn¡¯t follow them but held a weapon to chase the Wan Shi beasts slowly and alertly.

    The leader waved his sword to cut the pile of weeds but he didn¡¯t find anything strange. Then he spat and cursed silently.

    Before they even saw the enemies of the other tribes, they fell into the traps again and again. But they still failed to find the end of the traps.

    Within a second, four more warriors died.

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    They felt upset and they became irritated by this situation. Not to mention, they had a bad temper.

    When theyunched a tribe war, they had never faced such a situation. At that time, they had yed to their strengths and had been able to cut their enemies with their swords.

    But this way didn¡¯t work here.

    They didn¡¯t get used to this new way of fighting.

    Moreover, in this forest they were worried that ferocious beasts or threats would appear suddenly. They had to be careful about the paths under their feet.

    Their Wan Shi beasts ran far away from them, so they couldn¡¯t order them toe back.

    It seemed that someone had managed to make the Wan Shi beasts run away and then hid here to fight against them, the leader thought.

    ¡°Do I need to whistle?¡± A warrior asked the leader.

    ¡°No.¡± They just came here only a while ago. So if they asked for help he felt he would lose face and prestige. The leader¡¯s eyes were filled with distress.

    Rustle.

    Another warrior was tied on the neck and was pulled over. He just opened his mouth but failed to make any voice. He wanted to shout but he was tied so tightly that his face twisted.

    Puff.

    A wood needle pierced his neck, he was poisoned and fell unconscious and no longer struggled.

    The leader and the others looked up to the sky.

    A silk thread.

    Such silk threads¡­belonged to the Eight Limbs tribe.

    It shouldn¡¯t be. The Eight Limbs tribe was a little far from here. And this tribe didn¡¯t get involved in a war. The Wan Shi tribe could defeat several small tribes, but if a big tribe fought in a war, more powerful tribes would be involved in it.

    The Eight Limbs tribe didn¡¯t want to get anything from this forest.

    The more they thought about it, the more they got confused. So the leader no longer thought about it and decided to just find those hiding here and kill them.

 Chapter 193 â€“ Stopping

    Chapter 193 - Stopping

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    There was lots of brushwood in the surroundings. After every few steps, there would be bushes.

    ¡°Back up.¡± The leader saw that the environment in this ce was unfavorable to them and made a prompt decision, ordering the other people to retreat along the original route. Although he had no idea of what kinds of traps were set all around, at least there must be no traps along the route they had passed by.

    As he thought so, he heard another two screams.

    Two warriors fell to the ground: one was stabbed by a poisonous needle as the one before, while the other was cut on the throat.

    Sha~ Sha~ Sha~ Sha~

    Someone was moving quickly in the bushes.

    The leader lifted his feet and went after the man quickly with a ferocious face. Yet he was not careless and even tried to figure out the movements of the figure in front, almost stepping on the same ce where the other set his foot down. But many people following him behind were not that lucky: all seemed to be entangled by something and had to cut that thing with a knife; after a few steps, they got stuck again and fell down, not getting up again.

    Hearing the sounds behind, the leader guessed the plight which his subordinates may be faced with. He didn¡¯t stop, but speeded up instead of slowing down, catching up closely with the figure in the bushes ahead.

    He squeezed out a hideous smile on his face. Found you atst. Go to hell now.

    Cutting the head of this man and taking it back would earn him rewards and perhaps he could also get some fire crystals for advancing; maybe he would level up to a senior totem warrior. He had already made numerous contributions and any senior totem warrior who was only one step away from the senior level could be advanced as long as he did another deed of merit and got some rewards. His status in the tribe would be higher and he would be able to get more women, food, resources and rights.

    At this thought, he got more excited. The totem tattoos on his face made him look far more hideous. Adding force to his feet suddenly, he waved his right arm with a stone de in his hand, creating winds with his sword.

    Noticing the wind behind, Shao Xuan stamped on the ground with his right foot violently. The ground under his feet made a small ¡°bang¡± sound, sounding like a tough and solid dirt clod being shaken loose, while he himself turned around unexpectedly and rushed towards the opponent using this force.

    Only at this moment did the leader see what Shao Xuan looked like exactly.

    He never saw the totem tattoos on Shao Xuan¡¯s face and was also surprised at the young age of Shao Xuan. But all of these were not important, what he needed to do was only to kill him.

    Both were at fast speeds. Originally, they were not far away from each other; in the blink of an eye, there were only a few steps between them. Right at this moment, Shao Xuan moved left and right with several steps; in such a short time, he changed many directions, with his body drifting from ce to ce, as if cutting to the left while dodging to the right. For a moment, the leader couldn¡¯t understand Shao Xuan¡¯s intention. While having a little hesitation in his mind, he didn¡¯t wave the stone sword in that straightforward manner as before.

    He was about to figure out where the next attack woulde ording to the changes on the movement of Shao Xuan¡¯s body again, when he caught Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes. In this instant, he couldn¡¯t help shuddering.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes made him recall the moment when he hunted in this forest with some other tribe members several years ago: they ran into a ferocious beast, which was not only strong but also good at hiding and cunning. They were unable to evade even if they yed dead. Those entering the forest were all senior totem warriors who were once arrogant outside, but more than half of them were killed by that ferocious beast, the ones remaining were those who ran away fast.

    That ferocious beast at that time also looked inconspicuous and small, but it frightened them so much that they didn¡¯t even have the courage to resist.

    If he hadn¡¯t run away, he would have been dead. This was his only thought at that time, which was also a nightmaresting for many years. This time, hearing the rewards and believing that his strength had improved a lot, he decided to go into the woods once again.

    But now, the same thought as he had in that year came to him again.

    In that instant when he caught Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, he had an illusion that the situation at that time, when they encountered the dreadful ferocious beast, seemed to reappear.

    The leader had an extremely short pause for an instance, a mor in his heart resounded, ¡°Run. Run fast. Run away from here.¡±

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    In this kind of either fight or flight, the least negligence would mean the difference between life and death.

    ¡°Blow the whistle.¡±

    Only having time to say these words, he was prated by a stone sword.

    Killing one man, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stop but stretched out the other hand, grabbing a wrist.

    Another man followed behind the leader. In view of strength, perhaps he was no match for the leader, but he could equal the leader in terms of speed.

    Just now, he obviously saw the leader was in an unfavorable situation, but he didn¡¯t help. Instead, he chose to use the chance to make a sneak attack, but got caught unexpectedly.

    Shao Xuan added force to his hand, cracking sounds rang up and the bones of the wrist holding the sword were crumbled.

    ¡°Aaah~!

    With the strong pain from the wrist, the man couldn¡¯t help but scream miserably. Certainly he couldn¡¯t hold the ivory sword in his hand any longer.

    Shao Xuan caught the white-polished ivory sword in one hand and held the stone knife on the other hand, cutting upward in that position at the other side.

    All these happened in an extremely short time. The man holding the ivory sword was still shocked, regretful and caught in the pain of his wrist, having no time to think about how to avoid this attack; he raised the dark brown sword in another hand out of instinct, hoping to protect himself from Shao Xuan¡¯s strike.

    Bang!

    Two des collided against each other. The man just felt an overwhelming force passing through the sword in his hand and struck his arm violently, as if crashing against the arm.

    Such mighty power abruptly struck his arm upward, while his whole body fell backward with the arm, as if someone was dragging him behind.

    The unprotected area became open, but he didn¡¯t have the chance to cover it as Shao Xuan¡¯s stone knife was already plunged into his body.

    Disposing of the two men following him, Shao Xuan wiped the blood stains on the stone de with the weeds by his side.

    In the hunting life for so many years, Shao Xuan had been on the borderline of death for many times. Aftering here, witnessing the cruel wars between tribes, Shao Xuan had gotten used to this fighting manner that never started but ended up mercilessly once started.

    Taking a long breath out, Shao Xuan heard the whistling sounding from not far away. It must be that someone heard thest cry of the leader and whistled for help; those who were closeby should be hurrying here.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t return to handle those men falling behind, as the smell of humans and the noises there should be able to attract those hungry birds-of-prey over there.

    This was an area Shao Xuan specially found; because of the fire pit in the old haunt, there were not many dangerous nts and ferocious beasts over there. While checking the surroundings this morning, he saw some bird paw-prints and roughly guessed what kind of birds they were from those paw-prints and some traces in the bushes.

    Those were birds simr to the Phorusrhacos; getting pecked by this bird was like being hit by a hoe. It should be quite an ordeal for those people.

    Looking at the sky and seeing the flying path of Chacha, Shao Xuan paid no more attention to those people behind but left quickly.

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    The man who whistled had the intention to retreat when he saw people around falling one after another. No matter what kind of rewards he would get, the basis was being alive; he didn¡¯t want to die yet. At this moment, hearing the cry of the leader, he would naturally blow his whistle hard. Whistling while running back, he was too nervous to notice that he stumbled over something. At the thought of traps or those dangerous vines, he kept on shing without seeing. Aftering to himself, he found that it was only a dirt clod.

    With a long gasp, he was about to stand up when footsteps could be heard.

    Are the othersing to help?

    No.

    They are not sounds of footsteps from humans.

    He got up and wanted to run away from here, only to find that the same sounds of footsteps came from the path of retreat.

    One figure dashed out from the bushes and ran to the man with the whistle still in his mouth directly.

    They didn¡¯t have obvious wings and were not even so big as those meat-birds of the Lu tribe, but they had big beaks. Their eyes were eager; those were the eyes that saw food.

    ¡°Aah~!

    Miserable cries rang through the forest; those heading over there from hearing the whistle couldn¡¯t help pausing for a while, a chill came up in their hearts.

    Meanwhile, at this moment, Shao Xuan, who was already far from there, was crouching on a big tree and watching a bear not far away from the tree.

    There were many kinds of giant bears in the forests; and this kind of bears were definitely the stronger ones among the giant bears. Perhaps they may not dominate the giant bears with the weights, but they had agile speeds and absolutely strong strength.

    Their four limbs were far more slender than the other bears, which made them look not that ¡°clumsy¡± as other bears, but enabled them to move fast for a longer time with light-footed movements and fast running speeds. The short and wide jaw, well-developed muscles, the giant body and rampant canine teeth were foreboding, while the huge grinding teeth in its mouth could easily grind the bones of wild animals and even many ferocious beasts.

    At times, they didn¡¯t even hunt for food by themselves, but would rob the preys directly of other predators. Shao Xuan met many cases that the wolves were robbed by the giant bears.

    Only with one look and no more observations, Shao Xuan, who had followed the hunting groups for many years, could conclude that this species should at least stand on top of the food chain in this area.

    Right now the bear was looking for something hastily, sniffing, standing up and holding the tree trunk, licking one branch. It didn¡¯t feel satisfied, broke the arm sized branch with its¡¯ big palm effortlessly and put the branch in its mouth, chewing it.

    After chewing the branch for a while, it didn¡¯t feel fun and threw away the branch which was almost chewed into pieces. Sniffing, it moved on, walking over there, following the smell.

    In this season, many bears loved to find and eat the honey for enough nutrition in winter, so Shao Xuan just found some honey and lured the bear over there with the honey. Only he himself was there, while there were at least one hundred men of the Wan Shi tribe in the forest.

    This was the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe. Sometimes, even if you knew it¡¯s dangerous, you would not make a concession. The old haunt was the precious ce of the ming Horns tribe. Even if Shao Xuan was unable to stay here all the time, at least now he could try his best to stop those people; it¡¯d be best to make them fear with a bloody lesson.

    The good thing was that it was a forest full of many ferocious beasts, a strange but familiar environment.

    Looking at the figure flying over in the sky, Shao Xuan slid down from the tree and sneaked into the forest.

 Chapter 194 â€“ Chase and kill

    Chapter 194 - Chase and kill

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The team that first arrived at the ce where someone whistled didn¡¯te close, because there were about at least twenty carnivorous birds that were eating there.

    In the surrounding area, the air was filled with the smell of blood.

    Those big birds that were grabbing the food looked vicious and difficult to deal with.

    The leader made a gesture to order his men to retreat alertly. He had thought they would find the people that the shaman and the chief had mentioned. But instead, they met a group of carnivorous birds when they arrived here.

    However, he ignored the Wan Shi beasts.

    The Wan Shi beasts were selected from many ferocious beasts, and usually they still bit their prey even if they couldn¡¯t defeat it. Unlike from those beasts that had been trained and branded by the totem of the tribe, they were not so obedient, and didn¡¯t work well with the members of the Wan Shi tribe. When they became, crazy no one could control them.

    Noticing that there were many carnivorous birds in front of them, four Wan Shi beasts roared, and tried to make the men loosen the ropes to let them rush there.

    When the Wan Shi beasts made some noise, the team members knew they were in trouble. At this moment they became so angry that they even wanted to use the stone swords to stab the Wan Shi beasts, but doing so wouldn¡¯t help.

    The carnivorous birds that failed to grab the meat had noticed the men hiding there, so they shouted excitedly to those hiding behind the bush and rushed at them.

    As soon as one bird moved, several others followed it, and then more also took action.

    The leader could not help but curse, and no longer hid himself.

    ¡°Withdraw!¡±

    The nts here were mainly bushes and weeds. The bushes and weeds were more than two meters high, and also grew thickly. Even though they had intended to be careful, they couldn¡¯t pay much attention to the nts under their feet when the group of carnivorous birds were chasing them.

    ¡°Ouch!¡±

    A man¡¯s foot was entangled by something, so he fell and felt pain and numbness in his foot. After he saw the vines that entangled his foot and cut them off, he ran again but the speed slowed down a lot. Soon the birds rushed over and surrounded them.

    Someone used a sword to cut those carnivorous birds, but he failed to drive them away. Moreover, those birds were provoked, so they chased them even more closely.

    More than one man was caught in the traps in the bushes. In spite of this, in this ce their feet weren¡¯t tied and hung in the tree. Those simple traps were made of rattan grass with the colour simr to that of the weeds. And they just stumbled. The rattan grass was smeared with poison that was not deadly, but at this moment the poison could lead to their death.

    Some of the men who were caught up with by the birds were smashed onto the ground by the ws. Some were hit by the birds¡¯ heads, and others were beaten to death by the beaks. They were attacked one by one.

    No matter how cruel the four Wan Shi beasts were, they couldn¡¯t defeat this group of birds. Because of seeing the Wan Shi beasts break into their domain, this group of carnivorous birds were irritated. They were no less cruel than the Wan Shi beasts bred by the Wan Shi tribe.

    At this moment, the men were shouting. The birds were crying, and the beasts were roaring. All didn¡¯t stop.

    Like the previous team, this team also lost one third of its members in such a short period of time.

    ¡°Climb the tree!!¡±

    ¡°Look for a tall tree and climb up!!¡±

    Leaving the area covered by weeds, they saw the forest in front, and everyone was pleased. As long as they climbed up the tall trees, they could escape from these birds that couldn¡¯t fly.

    A warrior intended to climb up. His hand caught a branch, but a wood needle that was shot by someone pricked his hand. He felt pain and numbness in his hand so he failed to grasp the branch, fell down, and was trampled on the ground by the birds that came over.

    ¡°There is someone!¡±

    ¡°Watch out!¡± The eyes of the leader shed and he nced at the surrounding forest.

    The man who climbed the tree found his leg was pierced by a wood needle. He immediately pulled out the needle and felt pain and numbness in his leg. Fortunately he stayed in the tree and didn¡¯t fall down. He glimpsed a figure moving fast when he thought he was lucky.

    ¡°Be careful!!¡±

    The leader warned him. Unfortunately, when he rushed over, that man had already been cut by the sword and died.

    Under the trees, seven birds gathered, and now a dozen of men were still alive. In terms of number they had the advantage, so if they really fought with the birds, they might not lose. But now none of them wanted to fight with the birds, not to mention, some people who were hiding near them to get ready to kill them.

    The leader said at once, ¡°Go. Into the trees!¡±

    The trees were not far from each other, so they could still jump from one to another the tree to move forward.

    ¡°Be cautious for there may be...¡± Before the leader finished his words, a slight ¡°hum¡± was heard, as if a thin thread was touched.

    When someone jumped from the tree, he touched a thin thread that was not easy to be noticed.

    Whiz!Whiz!

    A Half-arm long wood needle was shot through the leaves and the grass, to the men who were jumping between the trees.

    They had to wave the des to block those wood needles. A man who was not careful enough was stabbed and fell down. Soon, he became the target of the birds.

    A man finally escaped the wood needles and stood firmly on a branch. He was cut by a knife who quietly got close to him.

    This¡­

    The leader opened his eyes wide and looked very shocked. When he saw Shao Xuan, he couldn¡¯t identify the totem patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s body so he didn¡¯t know which tribe he came from. But he could see that Shao Xuan was very young.

    ¡°Which tribe are you from?!¡± The leader felt the cold sweating out through the skin of his back, because he knew such a young and powerful man muste from a big tribe.

    Like the leader of the former group, this leader originally thought he was a member of the Eight Limbs tribe, but the totem pattern of the Eight Limbs tribe wasn¡¯t like the on his body!

    Who was he indeed?

    While the leader was shocked, Shao Xuan slightly bent his right knee, and the soles of his feet pressed against the branch forcefully. Like a tiger climbing down the mountain, he quickly rushed to the leader. His stone sword moved at the lightning speed, as if it could tear anything.

    Looking at Shao Xuan, whose eyes looked as ferocious as those of ferocious beasts, the leader restrained his feelings of shock and lifted his arm holding the knife to stop him.

    Bang!

    The leader felt the burning pain in his palm holding the sword as the strength passing through the sword nearly broke his whole arm. The sudden strength broke the branch below his feet.

    So great the strength was!

    Which tribe on earth did hee from? Why did he have so great strength and look as powerful as those in their tribe? Besides him, were there other people hiding near them?

    The leader believed there were more people hiding. After all, even though he was strong, he was so young that he couldn¡¯t have killed the twenty men of the previous team.

    If many people were hiding around them, and then there was the threat of the ferocious beasts, which might appear at any time...

    The leader thought of the bad results and looked frightened, judging from his eyes.

    No, go back first !

    Because of the broken branch, he fell to the ground. He looked at the birds rushing at him and turned his back on those who failed to keep up with him. He just shouted and then turned around to run away. In that direction, another team should be on their way here. They just wanted to leave here at once, and someone whistled in hope for the timely rescue offered by that other team.

    Shao Xuan stopped and didn¡¯t continue to chase to kill them. He then jumped into the forest, and soon disappeared.

    After the leader and a few surviving warriors ran for quite some while, they no longer heard the noise made by the birds. Then they slowed down and calmed down slightly.

    But it was too early for them to feel safe.

    A roar of a beast resounded, and a nearly four-meter tall figure rushed out from the back of the forest. This made them feel like they were thrown into the wintery cold water. They felt bitter cold.

    It was also a ferocious beast!

    The bear waved its huge paw to attack them. The warrior closest to it was directly pped away and the same time he spilled blood.

    It followed the trace of the delicious honey and came here. He heard the noise of those big birds and voices of men. It always felt that this area was its domain. It could ignore those birds, but considered thosepletely unfamiliar men as intruders.

    The trespassing of its domain naturally irritated it, so after hearing the noise and smelling their smell, it was hiding here in wait. As soon as the prey arrived, it rushed out.

    As one kind of ferocious beasts that were good at pretending to be dead and using tricks, the giant bear¡¯s strength always frightened the members of the ming Horns tribe. Therefore, during the hunting, they usually avoided the whereabouts of the giant bears, and only asionally killed one.

    And for the members of the Wan Shi tribe who seldom fought with the ferocious beasts, this was a nightmare.

    The bear had pped away a man and bit two men to death. It was chopped several times, so the bear just got angrier.

    Three spears were shot at the bear.

    Finally, the members of the third team arrived.

    The bear had avoided one spear, but the second stabbed it. But it was not seriously injured. If it had failed to avoid the spear, its vital part might have been hurt.

    Roaring, it didn¡¯t attack those people, but turned around to run away. It couldn¡¯t defeat the humans, so it had to run at once!

    Four Wan Shi beasts chased it. While avoiding the spears and arrows of the warriors of the Wan Shi tribe, it ran off. It had to fight against the four Wan Shi beasts. On its body there were more and more injuries. The spears and arrows were smeared with poison, but it could stop the effect of the poison, so temporarily it was able to stay alive. But as time went by, no one knew whether it would die.

    ¡°Kill it.¡± Said a warrior of the Wan Shi tribe.

    Even if they couldn¡¯t see or find the men the shaman and the chief mentioned, bringing back a ferocious beast could at least make the leader control his anger.

    ¡°Kill it!¡± The leader of the third team finally ordered. They were not willing to provoke the ferocious beasts in the forest, but now they met such a ferocious beast that had been injured. No matter how the members of the other two teams were, they decided to capture this ferocious beast!

    ¡°Kill it!!¡±

    They saw the bear still struggling to escape, and at once caught up with it. They seldom met such a wounded ferocious beast, so they made up their mind to kill this bear!

    Over twenty men hurried here. They joined the several living men of the second team to chase the bear. They nned to kill the bear first and then look for the men hiding in the forest.

    Shao Xuan stood in a tree and hid himself in the lush foliage. He looked at those men chasing the bear, looked at the sky, and counted the time silently.

    After a while, Shao Xuan looked at the direction in which the men were moving.

    Different from the roar of the bear, another roar almost shook the whole forest.

    The reason why the bear was called giant bear was not that it was just three or four meters tall. This was a little bear. In general, near such a little bear, it was likely that there was a mother bear keeping guard. Shao Xuan had seen arger bear paw print.

    That kind of giant bear was not only smart, but also liked to take revenge. It would frantically chase and kill.

 Chapter 195 â€“ No idea

    Chapter 195 - No idea

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Many people went there, but some didn¡¯t follow. Instead of fighting against the ferocious beast, they cherished their own lives. Even though they hesitated for a while, after hearing the roar, they knew the men who had gone there suffered a bad fate.

    They felt they were fortunate that they didn¡¯t follow them.

    Taking a deep breath, the men hiding in the bushes were happy they made this choice.

    Having sneaked close to them, Shao Xuan jumped from the branch and shed with the sword in his hand.

    Another man died.

    Shao Xuan counted the number silently, and shed the sword horizontally to cut the snake that was about to bite him into two halves.

    Ignoring the twisting snake and the man on the ground, Shao Xuan went to where the dire bear was.

    In that ce, the bear¡¯s body had bite marks all over and several spears and arrows hanging out. Lying on the ground, it growled with a grievance at his opponents, it opened its mouth and roared loudly toward the direction of the people of the Wan Shi tribe. It seemed as if it was calling the mother bear: Mom, they bully me!

    The dire bear always felt that it dominated this forest, so now it was angry, furious, and even crazy. Its ferocity could be felt from a great distance, so the other beasts and ferocious beasts in the forest stayed away. Even that group of preying birds also went back to their old home.

    Having bitten a Wan Shi beast, the mouth of the dire bear was blood-red. The blood of the Wan Shi beast dyed the four fangs red. Big drops of blood were dripping from its mouth. When roaring, it spilled some blood on the people and the Wan Shi beasts.

    The hunting teams of the ming Horns tribe stayed away from a furious dire bear.

    Those from the Wan Shi tribe became its target, and almost all of them were pped to death by its paw.

    ¡°Run in different directions!¡± The leader shouted.

    In the forest where ferocious beasts lived, they were most afraid to meet a ferocious beast. If they met just amon ferocious beast, they could still defeat it. They could try to kill it. But in front of such a dire bear, they were intimidated and had no choice but to run away. Those who failed to escape would be killed one by one.

    ¡°Run!!¡±

    You didn¡¯t have to run very fast, as long as you ran faster than the others, you might be safe. This was known to everyone of the Wan Shi tribe.

    The warrior who ran the fastest had never imagined that he would be so fortunate because he could run so fast. Although his strength wasn¡¯t greater than others, but even the leader might not run faster than him.

    When this man ran away from the forest and passed through a slightlyrge open area, a figure suddenly appeared from the sky and caught the fast running man.

    The man felt as if he was caught by a hard stone, and even struggling hard couldn¡¯t help him out.

    Puff.

    The ws pierced his body. Before his breath stopped, he saw the creature that caught him.

    He hadn¡¯t expected that after avoiding the dire bear he would be caught by another ferocious beast. If he had been given another chance, he wouldn¡¯t have entered this forest. However, there were no ¡®ifs¡¯.

    The men running away in different directions were killed by Shao Xuan and Chacha one by on one.

    ....

    One dayter.

    Bang!

    A stone sword hit another stone sword, the des didn¡¯t crack but some stone powder scattered.

    Between Shao Xuan¡¯s thumb and index finger there was a wound because of the hit of the de and the force of vibration. The blood was running along the sword.

    A figure shed in the sky, so his opponent paused for a while to guard against the figure in the air.

    Shao Xuan ignored the wound on his hand, turned his foot, and leaped to sh the sword fiercely.

    The friction from the de and the air created a whistling sound.

    The man in front of Shao Xuan felt the great force through the sword and he wondered who this brat was. This brat was flexible, powerful and vicious. In their five teams, there were more than 100 men, and nearly twenty Wan Shi beasts. Now, how many of them were still alive?

    After that, Shao Xuan chopped powerfully at him a second, a third, a fourth time¡­ in a row. Before his opponent could rx, he needed to disrupt him. He told Chacha to cause trouble for him from the air from time to time to distract him. In this way, he could seize the opportunity to defeat him.

    Shao Xuan felt his arm holding the sword was almost broken because of his continuous strikes.

    ¡°Jiao~~!¡±

    In the air, Chacha became anxious and wanted to rush down.

    His opponent noticed Chacha¡¯s movement in the air, so he paused for a while again.

    Now was the time to act!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s wrist flicked, this time he didn¡¯t strike at him, Instead, he threw the sword at him.

    His opponent reacted very fast and took a step back. At the same time he stopped the tip with his de.

    But when the stone sword was thrown, Shao Xuan immediately moved a step forward to keep up. At this moment, the ground below his feet dented. Shao Xuan ignored the sword flying towards him from his left and grabbed the sword that was blocked. It seemed as if he wanted to die together with him and shed at him.

    Go!

    Shao Xuan felt as if he struck at him faster than ever. At he moment his hand was injured and his arm bones were about to break. But he believed that this time he shed the sword the fastest since he started his hunting life. He could feel he could control the stone sword more skillfully and more urately.

    Puff!

    Blood was running from the neck of the opponent.

    When the opponent shed at him, Shao Xuan also slightly moved his body. His chest was shed directly.

    The opponent opened his eyes wide and wondered why this brat didn¡¯t get injuries on his body though he had shed at him several times?

    Shao Xuan struck him again, looked at the man ceasing to breathe on the ground, and then swung the stone sword to get rid of the blood on it.

    The man on the ground was the leader of the fourth team of the Wan Shi tribe, which was ordered to enter the forest. Different from the previous few men, this man was a senior totem warrior. Thanks to the dire bear, his several attacks were weakened.

    Although the Wan Shi tribe had a bad reputation, its warriors had to be powerful that they could be considered a group of strong warriors in the central region. Compared with junior totem warriors, senior totem warriors were much more difficult to deal with.

    There were wounds on Shao Xuan¡¯s arms, and legs. Only the part from the waist to the knees, which was covered by animal skin clothes and pants, did not bleed heavily. Thest strike also did not make Shao Xuan bleed.

    Moving aside the animal skin clothes that were cut open, Shao Xuan looked at the specially sewn shirt inside. The shirt was made of the skin from that special insect that had shed it off. He had gotten the skin when he followed Chacha to Eagle Mountain. This shirt had protected him from the most dangerous strikes.

    When Shao Xuan had picked up the insect skin, he had never thought it would save his life.

    However, although he was protected from thecerations, he got many inner wounds. Several of his ribs were broken.

    Quietly looking at the man on the ground, he felt there were many internal injuries in his body caused by the bloody two day war. After this, Shao Xuan knew that he was still not strong enough, and he couldn¡¯t look down on anybody. If there had been two more senior totem warriors, the result would have been different.

    The smell of blood filled the air. Shao Xuan touched the wound on his arm, looked at the sky, and walked into the woods.

    Few people were still alive.

    He didn¡¯t go far and saw the warriors of the Wan Shi tribe escaping in different directions. Holding the sword, Shao Xuan rushed towards them attacked them.

    One... two... three...

    He had been awake for two days and a night. If he hadn¡¯t been strong enough, he couldn¡¯t have persisted until now.

    When the sun began to go down on the other side of the mountain, Shao Xuan¡¯s body was tainted with blood, carrying his sword, he moved in the direction of the old haunt.

    The sword left by his ancestors was made of high quality stone. But after several battles, there were many marks left on the sword inevitably. There were many gaps of different sizes on the de, so Shao Xuan nned to find a good grinding stone to sharpen it well.

    In the air, Chacha looked around alertly. Although most of the loathsome men had been killed, they still had to be alert. Right now, Shao Xuan was out of energy.

    Looking at the erect stone not far from him, Shao Xuan walked over, and put his bloody palm on the part of the stone that had been stripped of moss. His palm was put next to the words ¡°ming Horns¡±.

    Taking a deep breath, Shao Xuan sighed and withdrew his hand. He caught a fruit that Chacha threw to him and ate it to wet his dry throat. He found some herbs to smear his wounds. Rubbing his painful chest and stomach, he wondered how serious the internal injuries were.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan quickly walked towards the direction of the fire pit, the center of the old haunt.

    ¡­.

    The chief of the Wan Shi tribe looked worried and stood on the border. He looked in the direction of the forest. Next to him, the shaman was also quietly standing there, also looking anxious.

    Since yesterday, warriors had beening back from the forest one after another. All of them were wounded and looked depressed. They didn¡¯t bring back any useful information.

    Some people said that they were scared off by ferocious beasts. Some people said that they were chased and injured by something hiding in the forest. No matter why they were injured, members of the Wan Shi tribe were worried. Their joy brought by the victory of the war against the other tribes disappeared.

    In front, another man staggered back, and the leader asked a few men to bring him here.

    ¡°How many?¡± The shaman asked.

    ¡°The sixth.¡± The chief looked angrier.

    More than a hundred men had entered the forest but now only six of them came back! Moreover, no teamleader came back!

    None of the Wan Shi beasts came back!

    Looking at the man being brought over, the chief strode towards him.

    Seeing the face of the chief, the man shivered violently. Having already been scared in the forest, he saw the chief look angry so he was very frightened.

    The chief ignored his shivering and asked him a few questions. These questions were the same he had asked the other few warriors. However, the other few warriors and this one had the same answers.

    Who was the opponent?

    Oh, no idea.

    What did the opponent look like?

    Oh, no idea.

    Is the opponent a man or a ferocious beast?

    Oh, no idea.

    More than a hundred warriors had entered the forest, but finally less than ten came back. What¡¯s worse, no one knew whether the opponent was a man or a ferocious beast!

    When the chief was furious, he usually beat the man directly without saying anything. This time he directly kicked the man.

    He kicked away the man who was kneeling down in front of him. Turning his back on the man, the chief rushed back angrily.

 Chapter 196 â€“ Rain tribe, Yang Sui

    Chapter 196 - Rain tribe, Yang Sui

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After this search, the Wan Shi tribe temporarily did not enter the mountain forest. But they did put guards outside the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest. They would pay attention to anyone not of the Wan Shi tribe that entered the mountain forest. Until they were properly prepared, they would not send anyone in there for now.

    This was the conclusion the Wan Shi tribe shaman and chief reached after discussing together. They did not like seeing influences that could be threatening to them in the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest, but having a fearing mindset, they thought that as long as that side did not pose too big of a threat to their tribe, they could ignore it.

    Perhaps, when things are more stable, they will again investigate it.

    While the Wan Shi tribe people discussed the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest, wounded, Shao Xuan arrived at the old haunt and moved towards the fire pit.

    However, after two seconds, Shao Xuan looked in a direction.

    ¡°Will youe out yourself or do I have drag you out?¡±

    As Shao Xuan¡¯s voice fell, a head appeared from behind some ruins covered with moss and nts.

    ¡°I.... I¡¯lle out myself.¡±

    It was a slender young man, looking somewhat distressed. His hide clothes had many tears and cuts, some probably caused by swords, and was also covered in thin branches.

    That person dreadingly looked at the sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand and forced out a smile.

    ¡°I do not have any evil intentions.... I also helped you solve eight Wan Shi tribe people!¡±

    ¡°I only saw four.¡± Shao Xuan stared at the stranger. He really did not seem to be malicious.

    Although he only killed those few severely wounded people and exaggerated a bit, his words weren¡¯tpletely wrong. But he still had to be vignt, currently he was very exhausted and the opposite party was a stranger who he didn¡¯t know anything about. It¡¯s better to be careful.

    That person was shocked, he did not think that while Shao Xuan was killing the Wan Shi tribe people, he actually also noted how many people he killed. Although he could say that ¡°Some you did not notice¡±, but seing the unwavering look of Shao Xuan, he was quite shaken. Ridiculing himself, he said: ¡°Yes, I only solved four... I waspelled to here by the Wan Shi tribe people.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not speak.

    The stranger walked two steps towards Shao Xuan, but was still maintaining a distance of ten meters.

    As he moved, from the air, Chachanded on the ground and stood next to Shao Xuan, his wings unfurled and his eagle eyes fixed on the stranger.

    Shao Xuanforted Chacha: ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡±

    The appearance of Chacha gave the stranger quite the scare, making him step back and hide behind the ruins again. When Chacha flew up once more, he looked at the sky, at that eagle in the sky. After lowering his head, he introduced himself: ¡°Rain Tribe, Yang Sui.¡±

    Shao Xuan stared at the stranger for a long time as the smile on the stranger¡¯s face became stiff.

    He then calmly said: ¡°ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan.¡±

    ¡±ming Horns tribe?¡± As he thought, he remembered the writings he saw on those stones in the area. From the shock, Yang Sui¡¯s mouth fell open for quite a while.

    ming Horns tribe. That once big tribe that dwelled here? But wasn¡¯t it said they had perished a thousand years ago?

    Shao Xuan had been observing the reactions of the stranger, seeing the totem patterns appear on Yang Sui¡¯s face, he squinted and then moved the de in his hand slightly, the tip pointing towards Yang Sui. Although he had many very heavy wounds, but he was not without strength if he used his all. Moreover, the opposite party was not very strong.

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    "No no, wait! I¡¯m just looking!¡± Yang Sui hurriedly said.

    On Yang Sui¡¯s face appeared some short vertical lines, this should be the Rain tribe¡¯s totem pattern. But on his forehead. There was another mark, like a horizontal line.

    The "pupil¡± inside the ¡°eye¡± was a vertical line and it slowly opened.

    "Can¡¯t be, are you really from the ming Horns tribe?¡± Yang Sui had many doubts.

    "There is no Fire Seed here. I also never heard that the ming Horns tribe still exists.¡± [Because people are confusing the mes on the ming Horns¡¯ totem with the tribe¡¯s me, we have decided to adopt the word Fire Seed instead from henceforth.]

    Without the Fire Seed, nevermind the existence of the ming Horns tribe, even if there were descendants, they should now be wanderers, or some who have adopted a new totem, bing members of another tribe. However, Shao Xuan said that he is a ming Horns tribe person... Shao Xuan is a totem warrior, this Yang Sui could affirm, and because of this, he was having doubts.

    The day before yesterday, Yang Sui had felt something that looked like the fluctuations of energy from a Fire Seed, he only felt it that night, after that he could not feel anything anymore, it was just a regr stretch of ruins. Is it possible that his ability is insufficient? Yang Sui was puzzled.

    Shao Xuan did not move, but was silent. He focused on the ¡®There is no Fire Seed¡¯ Yang Sui said. Obviously, Yang Sui had not noticed the burning roots below the fire pit.

    Perhaps this was the reason that even after thousand years passed by that the burning roots under the fire pit in the old haunt still existed. Because others were unable to notice it, they thought the ming Horns tribe¡¯s Fire Seed had already been destroyed.

    "Are you a shaman?¡± Shao Xuan realized Yang Sui was using the power of inheritance.

    "Yes... How did you know? Are you possibly also one?!¡± Yang Sui looked at Shao Xuan surprisedly.

    "No.¡±

    Shao Xuan no longer spoke and arrived by that high stone column and sat down with his back to it, and gestured to the sky.

    In the sky, Chacha cried inpliance and flew off, after a while he came back and dropped a thing wrapped in leafs.

    Catching that package, he untied the grass ropes and removed the leafs, revealing a cold lump of meat.

    This was meat that he had roasted before but had not finished eating.

    It was the meat of a ferocious beast that Chacha had caught before and had been roasted, it was not a strong ferocious beast, but it is always better than just a wild beast.

    Having eaten the meat and drank some water, Shao Xuan felt a faint energy from the ferocious beast meat replenish him. In fact, he could also have used the fire crystal, the fire crystal could somewhat restore his exhausted strength very quickly, but there was a stranger here. As he did not have a good understanding of him, it was better to not take out the fire crystal.

    Havinge across with the matter of the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, Shao Xuan understood that there were many people that could use various methods to seek out fire crystals. But there were also methods to hide it, for example with a jade box.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s fire crystal is currently in a jade box. It wasn¡¯t any good quality jade, but he still spent many water moon stones to exchange for it. But it was good enough that it could serve its purpose.

    Before dealing with the Wan Shi tribe people, Shao Xuan hid the jade stone with the fire crystal and other things.

    Seeing Shao Xuan close his eyes and rest, Yang Sui took a look at the dark sky, moved a few steps towards Shao Xuan, but did note too close, but was also not too far.

    He understood his own strength, dealing with those four Wan Shi tribe people was the best he could do. Even if he relied on traps like Shao Xuan, the oue would not be great if he met a ferocious beast in the forest on hiw own. After having seen Shao Xuan¡¯s strength, even if he dreaded him, but it was always better than meeting a ferocious beast. In the night there were many dangerous ferocious beast that could appear.

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    Chacha rested while standing on the stone column, vigntly watching Yang Sui.

    This was also a real ferocious beast. Causing Yang Sui to feel tremendous pressure. He thought that under such pressure it would be difficult for him to fall asleep, but as he closed his eyes to just rest for a bit, he surprisingly started snoring. In his dreams he saw a fuzzy silhouette, it was like some sort of fire, inside the mes there were two horns. This was something he had never seen before.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked towards the snoring person, bing speechless. He thought Yang Sui was quite shrewd, didn¡¯t imagine he was also like this. Was he really a shaman?

    Carefully observing the surroundings, he did not discover anything dangerous approaching, so Shao Xuan closed his eyes once more and rested. Although the Fire Seed wasn¡¯t burning, but the roots under the fire pit were still burning, giving Shao Xuan plenty of support. He could feel mes of the totem in his mind burning more vigorously, the totem power flowing within his body was also bing more and more intense.

    Next day, when Shao Xuan woke up, his injuries were much better now. The exhaustion had also alleviated greatly. He ran into the mountain forest to hunt for a not too big ferocious beast for breakfast.

    Yang Sui watched Shao Xuan create a fire and roast the meat. As he wiped his saliva, he was also extremely surprised.

    Although Shao Xuan had not bled that much yesterday, but Yang Sui knew the injuries that Shao Xuan received were quite serious. He also estimated he would need several days to recover. Unexpectedly he awoke today, and ran around energetically, even went hunting!

    Is this a human?

    Really isn''t a ferocious beast in human form?

    No, even a ferocious beast¡¯s resilience isn¡¯t so strong.

    As he was wondering whether Shao Xuan was a human or a ferocious beast, Yang Sui heard Shao Xuan call.

    "Hey.¡± Shao Xuan cut a leg from the roasted ferocious beast and threw it towards him.

    Yang Sui had not regained his focuspletely, but his body actually reacted quite quickly and hurriedly caught the ferocious beast leg. Not fearing being burnt, he quickly took a bite. As for whether Shao Xuan was a human or a ferocious beast, he put it in the back of his mind.

    The reason Shao Xuan gave him something to eat was not out of sympathy, but using this, he reduced the anxious atmosphere and asked Yang Sui some questions.

    Yang Sui did not conceal anything.

    When they were young, the Rain tribe¡¯s shamans would travel to various ces to gain experience and learn how to be a better shaman, this was the same for Yang Sui. From the central region, the Rain Tribe was not very far, but Yang Sui had left the tribe since the beginning of the year, it had been nearly a year now.

    Couple of days ago he arrived at the Wan Shi tribe and happened to run into their team returning from a war. He saw these women that the Wan Shi tribe caught and nned to rescue them before they were taken into the Wan Shi tribe. Unexpectedly, the woman he tried to save called out, causing him to almost be killed the Wan Shi tribe. Fortunately, he managed to escape quickly and hid in the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest, the chasers returned empty-handed.

    Shao Xuan understood it now. No wonder there was a ruckus in the Wan Shi tribe, originally it was because of this guy. The Wan Shi tribe was probably afraid more people had entered their region.

    "Did you also steal the fat birds from the Lu Tribe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    "No! Absolutely not!¡± Yang Sui firmly denied with a straight face, but as he finished the sentence, he timidly added: "As I passed by there, I saw it standing there all alone so I took it along.¡±

    That fat bird was also easily deceived, holding a fruit in front of it using a rope and a branch it started to run. At that time, Yang Sui was quite tired, so he used the fat bird as a mount. The route he took was different from the route the Lu Tribe¡¯s caravan took, therefore Shao Xuan did not bump into him. But as he passed through the Wan Shi tribe time, he saw chaos in the Wan Shi tribe caused by Yang Sui.

 Chapter 197 â€“ Observing the sky and praying for rain

    Chapter 197 - Observing the sky and praying for rain

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After leaving the Rain tribe, Yang Sui spent most of the time with some traveling teams, so he became talkative and enjoyed chatting with others when he was free.

    Like now, when Shao Xuan asked him, he kept talking.

    Yang Sui told him where he had been, who he had met, and which tribes he had encountered after leaving the tribe. He didn¡¯t think he needed to keep it a secret. But he wasn¡¯t trying to show off. In many tribes, most people seldom had such a chance to travel around, and they seldom had the courage to do so. Yang Sui did so, and was still alive now.

    ¡°In fact, I haven¡¯t be the shaman of our tribe yet. After I go back, I will finally be the shaman.¡± Yang Sui said proudly.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your tribe worried about your safety?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°We have no choice. This is the rule set by our ancestors. If I die, another person will continue on. When someone seeds and returns to the tribe, he will be qualified to be the shaman.¡± Yang Sui said.

    Shao Xuan thought about it and asked, ¡°If the shaman leaves the tribe and dies, will there be a sessor?¡±

    ¡°Of course, there will.¡± Yang Sui felt it very strange that Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even knew this, then he nced at the sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. He thanked Shao Xuan for giving him a beast leg, so he said, ¡°As long as the fire seed exists, someone will be selected as the sessor. But it takes a lot of time to train him. Different tribes have different ways to select the shaman. As for the selection of the chief, if one is capable enough, he will be selected in ordance with the rules of his tribe.¡±

    ¡°That is to say, if the fire seed exists, everything will be OK. If not, everything is over.¡±

    ¡°That is right. That is why I am puzzled. Where is the fire seed of your tribe?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not here.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Yang Sui knew Shao Xuan did not want to tell him more, so he no longer asked. Regarding a tribe¡¯s secret matters, no one would tell anything to outsiders.

    Thinking about Yang Sui¡¯s words, Shao Xuan thought of the way of session of the shaman in his tribe and sighed silently.

    The iplete fire seed in the ming Horns tribe was dysfunctional.

    They no longer talked about the fire seed. While talking about the ming Horns tribe, which had been disappeared nearly a thousand years ago, Yang Sui also mentioned the Lu tribe, which was a central tribe with a long history. The sess of this tribe in the central region was attributed to their talent for breeding but also to the ancestors of this tribe.

    ¡°The ancestors of the Lu tribe?¡± Shao Xuan did not expect that it went that far back.

    ¡°I just heard of it.¡± During his travels, Yang Sui gathered a lot of information.

    ¡°It is said that nearly a thousand years ago, the ancestors of the Lu tribe helped severalrge tribes when the continent changed a lot. People at that timecked food, so many targeted the Lu tribe. Helpless, the clever ancestors of the Lu tribe not only provided food for therge tribes, but also taught them some better breeding skills. Although many learned the skills, they didn¡¯t do as well as those in the Lu tribe, but at least they could ease the crisis. The ancestors of these tribes reached a win-win agreement - so the Lu tribe was protected, and until now there have been close ties among these tribes.¡±

    A Yang Sui said, in terms of breeding, they were very simple skills. But even if the others learned all the skills, they couldn¡¯t do as well as the Lu tribe. In the areas with arge poption, people got most of their food through farming and breeding. Many central tribes hadrge areas for farming and breeding, and the areas wererger than those recorded by the ancestors of the ming Horns tribe.

    There was no doubt that over the past thousand years, breeding and farming had developed a lot.

    Shao Xuan thought that he could get an opportunity to learn breeding from the Lu tribe.

    After staying in the old haunt for another two days, Shao Xuan decided to leave.

    Winter wasing, and the temperature significantly dropped and he had to find someone.

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    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Asked Yang Sui.

    ¡°The Longboat tribe.¡±

    ¡°Hey, so do I... I also need to go past there. I need to go back to the Rain tribe. Going through there isn¡¯t taking a long way around for me .¡±

    Yang Sui did not know how long it would take to find a traveling team that shared the same route with after walking out of the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest. Even if he found such a team, he was not sure whether it would be safe to stay with that team. And in his eyes, Shao Xuan was powerful. Moreover, he had an eagle. Therefore, it was certain that he would be much safer going with Shao Xuan. If he left on his own and met the Wan Shi tribe again, he would be killed.

    Yang Sui offered to go with him, and Shao Xuan did not refuse him. He knew little about this ce, and he didn¡¯t stay here for such a long period of time as Yang Sui did. Having listened to what Yang Sui said, he believed that Yang Sui was quite familiar with the central region. With his guide, Shao Xuan could improve his map.

    Shao Xuan agreed to let hime along, so Yang Sui was very happy and very excited. Looking at Chacha flying in the sky, he was looking forward to going with them and couldn¡¯t wait. He even wanted to try sitting on the eagle¡¯s back. When he returned, he could boast that he had ever sat on an eagle¡¯s back!

    ¡°But...¡± Yang Sui looked at the sky and said, ¡°Today it will rain until the evening. Let''s wait and find a ce to rest. Let¡¯s set off tomorrow, OK? It will be sunny afterwards.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the sky, and he noticed the clouds didn¡¯t change a lot. But he still nodded his head.

    Not far from the fire pit at the old haunt, there was a hole on the mountain. Although it was less spacious than a cave, they could seek shelter from the rain .

    While taking shelter from the rain, Shao Xuan asked Yang Sui, ¡°Can you gain information by observing the sky?¡±

    The weather changed very quickly here, so only part of themon knowledge of his past life could be applied. Shao Xuan often failed to predict the weather, for the clouds sometimes changed very fast. It was difficult to predict the weather a long time in advance.

    ¡°Observe the sky? Maybe.¡± Yang Sui said, ¡°The reason why I was the first candidate for shaman was that I was the first to seed in praying for rain.¡±

    While speaking of ¡°seed in praying for rain¡±, Yang Sui spoke with a little bit of guilt.

    A long time ago, the shaman of the Rain tribe could pray for rain at any time. Even during the dry season, the shaman could let drops of rain fall. Later, this ability was lost.

    It was said that the first shaman who failed to pray for rain was burned to death. He had irritated the god of sky, so the totem couldn¡¯t work to bring them rain. Butter, the second, third, and even more still failed to do so. At the beginning, everyone panicked, but they had now be indifferent to it. All means had been tried, but there was no way. A new rule was made so the candidate must travel around to find a solution. But over the past many years, no shaman of the Rain tribe seeded in praying for rain, but this rule was still imposed until now.

    Therefore, when Yang Sui ¡°seeded in praying for rain¡±, many were stunned in the tribe. But in fact. Yang Sui only observed the sky and forecast the rain, but the others in the tribe misunderstood him. Yang Sui had intended to exin to them, but he gave up when he saw the response of those in the tribe and the sparkling eyes of the chief. He thought if he had exined to them, he would have been burned to death in the fire pit by the chief.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Yang Sui could not help but sigh.

    The thought of praying for rain made Yang Sui feel pain in his body as if he was burned. He hoped that he wouldn¡¯t have to tell the truth when returning to the tribe.

    Not in every tribe did the shaman have the highest status . If he was powerful and also good at deceiving the others, he enjoyed the highest status. However, if not, he would be burned to death or be punished in the tribe, like the Rain tribe.

    Yang Sui didn¡¯t talk much about the Rain tribe, so Shao Xuan could only guess the situation of that tribe based on his words. But could anyone seed in praying for rain? That sounded amazing.

    As Yang Sui said, the rain kept falling until the night.

    The next day, it was sunny again. The sun was shining on the earth and drove away the coolness ofte autumn.

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    ¡°When we reach the Longboat tribe, it may snow, right?¡± Yang Sui said. Because of the matter of praying for rain, Yang Sui paid attention to the climate and weather changes in every ce he arrived. He inquired about the climate of previous years, and then ording to the information he got, he predicted the weather. He just made some predictions in advance and only when he got there could he reach any conclusion.

    Having packed up, Shao Xuan gestured for Chacha toe down.

    Looking at Chacha, Yang Sui was excited. And so when Shao Xuan jumped up, he also followed him to climb up.

    However, Chacha flew up when Shao Xuan jumped on his back.

    ¡°Hey?¡± Ready to lift his leg up to climb up, Yang Sui was shocked.

    Chacha flew in a circle, and then flew down to grab Yang Sui.

    ¡°Hey?!!¡± Seeing the eagle w, Yang Sui wanted to run back at once.

    He ran, but the eagle was faster than him. He was caught before he could run far enough.

    Yang Sui, when hiding in the woods, saw Chacha kill the men of the Wan Shi tribe with its w. At this time, the thought of this bloody picture came to his mind. He closed his eyes as he felt he was about to die.

    But soon, he felt something different. The strength of the eagle w was not as great as he imagined, and he wasn¡¯t scratched.

    Opening his eyes, Yang Sui saw he was leaving the ground rapidly .

    For the first time, he was brought into such a height in the air.

    ¡°AAAaaaahhh~~!!¡±

    Early in the morning, a scream was heard over the forest and startled a group of birds which was looking for food.

    After a while of having screamed his lungs out, Yang Sui became quiet. He saw a tribe beneath his feet.

    Chacha deliberately flew over the Wan Shi tribe and dropped some feces along the way. Then it turned around, and flew towards the direction which Shao Xuan pointed at .

    The Longboat tribe also lived in the central region, but not close to the center. The tribe lived next to a wide river. Undoubtedly, the widest river in the central region was way narrower than that one in front of the ming Horns tribe. That river was as wide as an ocean.

    While traveling with the team of the Pu tribe, Shao Xuan heard someone in the team say that the traveling team of the Pu tribe had been to the Longboat tribe before. But for some reasons, the team changed the routeter. Shao Xuan got all the information about the Longboat tribe from the travelers.

    Those in the Longboat tribe were good at shipbuilding. It was said that the tribe made the first boat in the central region, andter this tribe developed a fleet. Owning a fleet was also the characteristics of this tribe.

    How could they make useful and strong boats mentioned by the travelers without metal?

    Shao Xuan was very curious about this.

 Chapter 198 - The drifting flames of the Boat River

    Chapter 198 - The drifting mes of the Boat River

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The old haunt of the ming Horns tribe was a little far from the Longboat tribe,

    so it took them more than two days to reach there and they had to rest a few times on their way.

    Yang Sui was more familiar with this ce. Although he couldn¡¯t give much detailed information, he could tell the locations of tribes and markets.

    In the old haunt, Shao Xuan had been injured and his clothes had been tainted with blood because of his fight with the warriors of the Wan Shi tribe. There were many scratches and tears so his clothes were ragged. He looked quite poor and haggerd.

    In the central region, members of many tribes, especially those big tribes, paid much attention to dressing well and judged others from their clothes. If you dressed well, you would be thought to be a member of a big tribe. On the contrary, if you looked dirty and poor, you would be considered as a member of a small tribe.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at a market, he exchanged for an animal skin coat. The coat was not sofortable to wear because it was made of a regr beast skin, rather than a ferocious beast. But he ignored this and just hoped to look a little decent. After all, he now travelled in the central region and didn¡¯t want to lose face. Otherwise, he would be lectured by the shaman.

    In addition to some winter clothes, Shao Xuan also prepared some food for his journey and inquired about the pattern of the surrounding area to improve his map.

    Yang Sui also put on some winter clothes made of thick fur. To exchange for the winter clothes, he didn¡¯t use water moon stones or jade, but some kind of shell.

    The shells were polished, chiseled and strung on a rope, which was the ¡°currency¡± that many people used to exchange for things. Shao Xuan had heard of this kind of ¡°currency¡± when he had stayed with the Pu tribe. He had even seen this kind of ¡°currency¡± in some markets, back then he had had many questions about it. Yang Sui often used shells to exchange for other things, so he gave Shao Xuan a simple exnation.

    ¡°This kind of shell is very useful. Many people in the central region like to polish this kind of beautiful shell to make ornaments. In addition, this kind of shell can be ground into powder to make medicine and pigments. It is said that the people of the Lu tribe often mix the shell powder with food to feed the animals. and then many tribes followed suit. Oh, pottery craftsmen also use the shell powder¡­ Anyways, many people often use this kind of shell, so it can be used to trade in the central region.¡±

    Yang Sui handed Shao Xuan a shell, ¡°In our tribe it is said that some people traveling across the distant sea often bring many shells like this. We can get many shells only by giving them few things. When I left the tribe, I took many shells with me.¡±

    Speaking of this, Yang Sui was very proud. Although the tribe often suffered from drought and didn¡¯t have good harvest, the shells they got from the other tribes helped them go through it. Those who often travelled could bring back many things thanks to the shells.

    To a certain extent, the Rain tribe could be considered a rich tribe. When the harvest was not good, the people of this tribe could still survive relying on the shells.

    Not every kind of shell was popr. Shao Xuan also asked about the shell coin, which was recorded in the animal skin volumes in details thousands of years ago. This unpopr way of ¡°payment¡±, he still had to teach them about this kind of currency in case that they knew nothing about it when they came here.

    Since it was a kind of ¡°coin¡±, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t just ept those shells from Yang Sui. He used the water moon stone in exchange for a string of shells with Yang Sui. He put it into the animal bag, and nned to bring it back to the tribe.

    Shao Xuan pinched those shells and noticed they were quite hard. The colors of the shells were not exactly the same, and the white shells looked as white and bright as shiny pearls. The other colors looked pretty good. No wonder those living in the central region who pursued ¡°beauty¡± liked jewelry made of the polished shells.

    ¡°It bes colder and colder.¡± Yang Sui wrapped his coat around his shoulders, he had just bought this from the market. He shivered in the wind, looked at the sky, and said, ¡°Shao Xuan, I think in three days it will probably snow here. It will also snow in the ce where the Longboat tribe is.¡±

    ¡°So we have to hurry up.¡± Shao Xuan said. Once it began to snow, it would be much more difficult to hurry along the road.

    But luckily, the winter here was not as cold as in the ming Horns tribe. Shao Xuan knew that it didn¡¯t keep snowing all the time here in winter, and there were not always heavy snows. Even some local rivers did not freeze.

    He was ustomed to the winter when everything between the heaven and the earth was covered by the white snow, and ice cold winds were always blowing. He didn¡¯t feel cold here in winter.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, don¡¯t you feel cold?¡± Yang Sui looked at Shao Xuan who wore a thin animal skin coat, and asked.

    ¡°I am fine.¡±

    Shaking his head and looking at thending Chacha, Yang Sui put on the animal skin coat and cloak he bought. He was wrapped up like a cocoon. His head was also covered, only his nostrils and eyes were revealed.

    While flying in the air he felt even colder. With the temperature beginning to drop significantly, Yang Sui felt ufortable in the blowing wind.

    Chacha looked at him wrapped withyers of animal skins with disdain. Its ws reached out and its wings pped. It flew up again.

    Following the direction that Yang Sui pointed at, two men and an eagle hurried ahead. It was more convenient for them to travel in the air because they wouldn¡¯t need to take detours. As Yang Sui said, the Longboat tribe was not far from them. They might reach there in three or even two days.

    But it was too early for Shao Xuan to feel reassured.

    One dayter, Shao Xuan looked at a fork in the river and asked Yang Sui, ¡°Which is the right way?¡±

    Yang Sui looked hesitant, kept silence for a while and then replied, ¡°No idea.¡±

    Even though Shao Xuan had a map, he roughly drew it only ording to the description of others. There was no way that a map of this ce could be urate in such an age. Even if others showed him a local map, it might be inurate. That was because it was roughly drawn with a few simple lines on it so that he couldn¡¯t find the exact location.

    Shao Xuan totally believed the experience and the sense of direction of Yang Sui.

    ¡°I remember walking along the river from there.¡± Yang Sui also felt helpless. He had followed the traveling team past the Longboat tribe from the other side to the central region, which was not far from this river. He remembered he had been walking along the river, but he did not know there was such a fork. When he returned from the central region to the borders, he forgot the way.

    Go left or right?

    In general, if there was a wide stream and a narrow stream, the Longboat tribe would naturally walk along the wide stream. But now...

    Looking at the two streams with the almost same width, even Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell the right direction.

    There was no one around, and no traces of mankind were found. They couldn¡¯t see any tribes nearby.

    This was an isted ce.

    They could stay here to see if someone went past here and then ask him. Otherwise, Chacha could fly ahead and find the right way or return to look for someone to ask the right way.

    The former solution was uncertain. As Yang Sui said, now winter wasing, less and less people woulde here. No one knew how long they had to wait before they could see another person. But thetter solution was time-consuming.

    ¡°What... what to do?¡± Yang Sui clutched his belly, felt hungry and asked.

    Shao Xuan thought about it for a while, made a decision, and said, ¡°It iste. Let¡¯s first rest tonight and work it out tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Agreed. Maybe some teams of the Longboat tribe haven¡¯t gone back yet. When they go back, they must go past here. If we wait, we may be able to see the teams of the Longboat tribe. It¡¯s said that they all return to the tribe before or after it snows.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s wait for them nearby.¡± Shao Xuan nced around, pointing to a mountain next to them, and said,¡°Go there.¡±

    Shao Xuan hunted a beast, set it on the fire, and roasted it to eat. Then he arrived at a ce on the mountain, from there he could clearly see the other side of the river so he would not miss anything.

    ¡°If a convoy of the Longboat tribe goes past here at night, you can see it clearly from a long distance. The drifting mes of the Boat River are not nonsense.¡± Yang Sui said.

    ¡°The drifting mes of the Boat River?¡±

    ¡°You will understand when you see it.¡± Yang Sui yawned, and found a leeward ce to take a nap.

    At midnight.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes to look at the river fork, but he found nothing. But when he looked above, he saw the drifting mes.

    No, they were not just some mes, but the burning torches on he boats.

    When the boats on the other side got closer, the ¡°mes¡± became a burning line.

    It was the convoy of the Longboat tribe, and on each boat there were burning torches. There were so many boats, it looked like a moving burning line.

    Is this the so-called drifting mes of the Boat River?

    This river was called ¡°Boat River¡± because often the convoys of the Longboat tribe travelled over it. The current scene was probably described as the drifting mes.

    Chacha saw the ¡°fire¡±, and pped his wings, which woke Yang Sui up.

    Yawning and looking down, Yang Sui felt excited and thought, ¡°We really met them! This is the drifting mes of the Boat River!!¡±

    Shao Xuan had seen too many things over the past years, so this scene wasn¡¯t surprising. But under these circumstance, this was undoubtedly shocking.

    The boats of the Longboat tribe were really big, even bigger than Shao Xuan expected. They moved in a stable way, and there were masts and sails on the boats. But now, most of the boats were propelled by men, Shao Xuan could clearly hear the sound of water.

    ¡°They also travel along at night?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Without radar or navigation, the boats of the Longboat tribe could still move stably at night.

    ¡°The convoys of the Longboat tribe often go past here, and they are very familiar with the route. Many people whole sailed at night met with idents. Some hit the bank, and others had other idents. But it was rarely heard of the convoys of the Longboat tribe having idents. The drifitng mes of the Boat River was a unique scene of the Longboat tribe.¡± Yang Sui looked at the long line of fire and said with admiration.

    Above the Boat River, Shao Xuan saw these ¡°drifting mes¡± graduallying to the fork and going over the right stream.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±

 Chapter 199 â€“ The Longboat tribe

    Chapter 199 - The Longboat tribe

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    When the winter came, everyone in the ming Horns tribe had already prepared for the winter because the Shaman had told them to do so in advance.

    This winter, many of the ming Horns tribe were active and energetic, not as quiet as previous years. Even at the mountainfoot, many people were active. This was extremely rare.

    The warriors were in the training, and they even tried hunting at the edge of the tribe. In the past, such a try would have undoubtedly been considered ridiculous. The hunting song told them it was very dangerous to hunt in winter, so everyone avoided going outside in winter.

    But now it was different, and everyone seemed to be so energetic that they had to do something to consume their energy. Some people trained in the training field when it was snowing. They might get someone to spar with. Some felt training was boring, so for the first time they came up with an idea of hunting at the edge. As long as they avoided entering the distant ces of the mountain, they should be safe if they stayed at the edge.

    At first, some people were worried that they would be scolded. But when they found that many people living on the mountain also came outside, they felt reassured.

    ¡°Can we go back to the old haunt after traveling across this river?¡± A warrior asked hisrade next to him.

    ¡°Of course. You doubt whether what the Shaman said was right?¡±

    ¡°No! Absolutely not... Did the Shaman say something like that?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what do you think, what do the people of the other tribes look like? Do they have two pairs of hands, or only one eye?¡± A warrior came over and cut in.

    ¡°I heard that there are eight hands on the totem of the Eight Limbs tribe, they must have eight hands! Of course!¡±

    ¡°Really? That sounds funny. Let¡¯s catch one.¡±

    Those of the ming Horns tribe were like ¡°barbarians¡±, many of whom knew nothing about the people of the other tribes and had old ways of thinking. Therefore, at present, they subconsciously ssified those from other tribes as ferocious beasts. Even when they came together to discuss them, it sounded like they were talking about the beasts.

    Since the event at the fire pit happened, the Shaman decided to reveal more information. He painted the totems of the other tribes and gave them a very simple descriptions. Even the Shaman didn¡¯t know the details. The information revealed was copied from the animal skin volumes left by the ancestors. The Shaman wasn¡¯t sure whether the people of the other tribes had eight hands, for the ancestors left too little information about them.

    Not only the warriors of the tribe, but also the elderly, children, and women had winter activities different from previous ones. Even those children living in the cave had more winter courses.

    However, wherever they talked about the people of the other tribes, their discussions sounded a little terrifying.

    The Shaman had even paid a visit to the mountainfoot secretly. After hearing their talks, he felt worried. While going up the mountain, he kept sighing, and bent his back. But he had no choice but to wait for the return of Shao Xuan to figure out a solution.

    And Shao Xuan, who was missed by his tribe, moved forwards with Chacha and Yang Sui. Following the direction of the fleets of the Longboat tribe, they arrived at the ce where the Longboat tribe lived as expected.

    When Shao Xuan arrived there, it had snowed for half a day. It didn¡¯t snow heavily, so some ces were not covered by snow, which never happened in the ming Horns tribe. If it snowed for less than half an hour in the ming Horns tribe, a lot of snow would pile up.

    The Longboat tribe had and domain and water domain. Not far from the river bank, they usually left some space for the travelers. But when the boats unloaded or loaded, they blocked the road. In some special period, they also did so. If the road was blocked, the travelers had to make a detour when they went past this ce.

    Fortunately, at this time, the road along the river bank was not blocked. Before Shao Xuan arrived here, arge team of travelers had went been past this ce.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, did youe here for a boat?¡± Yang Sui asked.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m looking for someone.¡±

    ¡°Looking for someone? You know someone from the Longboat tribe?¡±

    ¡°I know none of them.¡±

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    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Yang Sui asked and felt puzzled.

    ¡°Some of our tribe.¡± Shao Xuan paused, and said: ¡°If they¡¯re here, they should be regarded as wanderers.¡±

    ¡°Wanderers? You came here to find wanderers ?!¡± Yang Sui was surprised.

    The so-called wanderers, those who had not been caught as captives when their tribes had been exterminated and were unwilling to be ves?

    Shao Xuan was a totem warrior, which showed that the fire seed of the ming Horns tribe still existed. If so, why did those people be wanderers? Were they expelled?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say anything more. Yang Sui didn¡¯t understand, but he didn¡¯t intend to ask him. Now he just wanted to find a boat which was specially rented to the travelers to rent a room to have a sound sleep. He wanted to eat hot food, and it would be better if some hot soup was served.

    Like somerge tribes, the Longboat tribe also provided amodation for the travelers and passers-by. But they had to give something in exchange for the luxurious amodation.

    Yang Sui chose a boat which the traveling team had also stayed at. He gave the Longboat tribe some shell coins, and then he went into the room, unwilling to go outside.

    Shao Xuan drank a little hot water, and decided to go out to find the people he was looking for.

    ¡°Hey, Shao Xuan, don¡¯t go out for too long. If you leave the Longboat tribe, tell me, and I will go with you. Otherwise, I will be killed if I stay here alone. Leave with me and I can be your guide.¡± Yang Sui said.

    Shao Xuan made a response and left soon. He didn¡¯t believe that Yang Sui would be killed if he was left alone for he had been travelling around for such a long time.

    Chacha was seeking food in the surrounding forest, and Shao Xuan didn¡¯t worry about him. He knew Chacha would feel ufortable if he stayed in the Longboat tribe, so it was better to let him stay outside to hunt animals.

    After leaving the boat, Shao Xuan looked back at the big boat on the bank. He had carefully analyzed and found that although the boat wasn¡¯t exquisite, it was strong enough to house many people.

    Shao Xuan looked away and continued to move in one direction. He had asked about that ce, and knew the wanderers lived over there.

    The patrol team of the Longboat tribe eyed every strange travelers alertly in the surrounding area. As long as the traveler crossed the border, they would kill him or her mercilessly. Crossing the border meant entering the habitat of the Longboat tribe or arbitrarily boarding their boats.

    When Shao Xuan walked past, they stared at him. But they probably thought he posed no threat and didn¡¯t dress well so they paid no more attention to him. As long as he didn¡¯t cross the line they drew, they would no longer look at him.

    Snow was falling more quickly than just now but not heavily.

    Shao Xuan was walking on thend without any cover, so the snow was falling on his body.

    Many of the Longboat tribe spent most of the time on board. Even when they came back to the tribe, they still lived on the boat. They were ustomed to the life on board, so they felt ufortable if they lived on thend. So on his way, Shao Xuan found almost no one far away from the river bank, which was close to the forest. Many people stayed on the boats moored near the banks. There were endless sounds of eating and drinking. Theirughter was heard.

    Near the bank it was almost full of moored boats. Most of the tea,s returned, and the boats squeezed on the wide river. The mooring boats formed a big group. Shao Xuan had walked for more than ten minutes and didn¡¯t see the end of the group. That was really a boat river.

    After passing by some big boats, Shao Xuan came to an empty area.

    Here was the border between the Longboat tribe and the living area of the wanderers.

    Shao Xuan went over to look. Compared with the lively atmosphere in the boats of the Longboat tribe, the wanderers living area was more deserted. Although some were talking,ughing and roaring loudly, the atmosphere was different. It was like a slum in a dark corner of a bustling city.

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    There were also houses on thend. The wanderers had limited space because they were not allowed to enter the area of the Longboat tribe. They couldn¡¯t enter the forest and there wasn¡¯t a small number of wanderers, so their living area expanded not horizontally, but vertically. As a result, a narrow area for the visitors to live took shape.

    Near the river bank, there were also many boats moored. Butpared to the boats of the Longboat tribe, the boats here were very small, and much simpler.

    In some small boats with the length of four to five meters, a simple shed was built where some people lived. They also spent winter in the boats.

    Sometimes, if there was strong wind, those boats would shake badly. If the boats had not been tied firmly to the stakes on the bank, they probably would have been blown away.

    People here worked for the Longboat tribe. They carried wood, chopped trees, and delivered other things. They did all the dirty work, and they worked in exchange for the permission of living here and also for little money if the employers were pleased. Otherwise, they got nothing.

    Yang Sui had told Shao Xuan about this but perhaps the reality was much harsher.

    Shao Xuan just came here to try looking for some wanderers from the ming Horns tribe, but he was not sure whether he could find any.

    How to find them? Should he write a sign here, or shout all over the ce?

    Thinking about how to find those people, as Shao Xuan walked, he paid attention to the situation on his sides.

    In a ce, Shao Xuan heard some arguing in a wooden house as well as the sound of wood breaking.

    ¡°Jiao Wu, stop!¡± Somebody shouted.

    Jiao?

    Yan Shuo had told Shao Xuan that some wanderers of the ming Horns tribe added ¡°Yan¡± or ¡°Jiao¡± to their names and the names of their descendants. Many of those with ¡°Yan¡± or ¡°Jiao¡± in their names might not be members of his tribe, but Shao Xuan would still ask them if he met any of them. He was disappointed for most of the time and now he nned to ask someone else. [Yan Jiao meaning ming Horns.]

    Just going there, Shao Xuan saw a man taller and stronger than the average striding out of a wooden house. His animal skin coat was not thick and was ragged, and the fur on the coat was torn. This coat was worn out. The man had a beard, but if you looked at him carefully, you could find he was still very young, not much older than Shao Xuan.

    The man was angry, his face was flushed because of anger or the cold wind. A man chased after him and shouted ¡°Jiao Wu¡±. But the man in front didn¡¯t look back, but sped up to get away.

    ¡°Oh, why so angry?¡± A man said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Oh, that guy became even more powerful.¡± Someone in the house said.

    Hearing their dialogue, Shao Xuan looked at the men going further away, and sped up to chase after them.

    ¡°Hey, you guys.¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    The men in the front did not stop, but left faster.

    ¡°Jiao Wu!¡±

    The man in front just kept running away.

 Chapter 200 â€“ Misunderstanding

    Chapter 200 - Misunderstanding

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    ¡°Hey, why are you running?¡± Shao Xuan asked as he chased after him.

    Shao Xuan was able to catch up with Jiao Wu without much difficulty, because after all, a totem warrior was more capable than a man who had not awakened his totem power. But he wondered why Jiao Wu made such a response. After he ran for a while, he slowed down, fell over ten meters behind him, and kept such a distance while following him.

    In the wanderer area of the Longboat tribe, many people walking outside saw Jiao Wu running quickly while being chased by a man. It seemed like Jiao Wu was being asked to pay his debt.

    ¡°What did Jiao Wu do?¡± Someone asked the man next to him.

    ¡°No idea. Did anyone ask him about his totem again?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. After all, many people saw totem patterns on the body of the three brothers. It is hard to believe. They grew up here, but I had never seen their totem patterns. Aren¡¯t they all wanderers?¡±

    Since the day when the totem patterns on the body of Jiao Wu and his brothers appeared, there had been some people asking them about the patterns. Some wanderers were curious about it and wanted to rify it. Some people fawned on them, because since then their strength was obviously greater. Some women in the wanderer area looked at them with sparkling eyes.

    Shao Xuan chased Jiao Wu for some distance, until they left the wanderer area. So he stopped and did not continue to chase him. After a while, he couldn¡¯t see Jiao Wu anymore and then he went back.

    He knew that Jiao Wu was hiding in a ce not far from him. Also, when he had walked past a certain ce, Jiao Wu had nced a few time at that ce. That must be the wooden house where Jiao Wu lived. Shao Xuan had heard the surrounding people talking about him, so now he was sure that Jiao Wu was a member of the ming Horns tribe. When Shao Xuan had run after him, he had felt the totem power of the ming Horns tribe from him. He hadn¡¯t been aware of this before because Jiao Wu had deliberately concealed it.

    What pleased Shao Xuan was that those wanderers said Jiao Wu had some brothers. It would be better if it was true.

    Shao Xuan walked towards a not far away wooden house. Jiao Wu was hiding behind someone else¡¯s wooden house and followed him ¡®secretly¡¯. Seeing Shao Xuan getting closer to his house, he felt anxious. He knew he had drawn much attention because of his totem pattern. There were some people who were jealous of him and even hated him, so he was afraid that others visited him to ask those questions about the totem pattern again. He was tired of being asked those questions, so when he heard someone call his nam, if it was a stranger, he subconsciously thought he or she would bring him trouble. His brother didn¡¯t allow him to fight, so he had no choice but to avoid him.

    It snowed more heavily and the wanderers in the surrounding area found nothing special happening, so all went back to their houses. No one talked with Shao Xuan. They would be inquiring about it in their free time to have some fun, but now it was better for them to spend their time making a fire inside their house. In order to prevent the cold wind from blowing into the room, they even closed all the windows.

    It was quiet in this narrow street again.

    Shao Xuan looked at the wooden house, and he found it was better than the old house of Yan Shuo. He saw that the wood connected well and it looked solid.

    Approaching there, Shao Xuan knocked at the door, but no one opened the door. He didn¡¯t hear any sound in the house.

    Did all of them go out?

    Shao Xuan was thinking about whether to catch Jiao Wu directly, then he heard sound of footstepsing closer to him.

    ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Shao Xuan turned back to look. A young woman wasing to him. Her animal skin coat looked good and not worn out. The fur of the coat was thick. Her hair was very sleek, and her skin was slightly dark probably because she often stayed outdoors, like the others in the Longboat tribe who were tanned by the sun.

    It seemed that she was not a wanderer, but a member of the Longboat tribe.

    Shao Xuan thought so at the first sight.

    ¡°I am a friend of Jiao Wu and his brothers.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Judging from her attitude, she defended Jiao Wu and his brother. After hearing the answer of Shao Xuan, she still looked at him with vignce, ¡°I have never seen you here.¡±

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    ¡°I just arrived here today.¡± Shao Xuan nced at her hand holding an old animal skin coat whose fur was longer but sparse. A pattern featuring the ming Horns tribe was stitched across a part of the coat without fur.

    ¡°This is the totem pattern of our tribe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Your tribe?¡± She was surprised.

    ¡°Yes, I am a member of ming Horns tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Hey, you too?!¡± Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, she looked less alert.

    ¡°It is snowing more heavily. Come here.¡± Shao Xuan asked her to stand under the eaves of the house.

    It often rained here, so the roof of the wooden house was steep and the eaves stretched further, which gave shelter from rain and snow. Moreover, Shao Xuan also wanted to learn more about Jiao Wu and his brothers from her.

    Hiding not far from them, Jiao Wu was looking at the door of his house and clenched his fist. He thought the brat must be hiding some tricks, so he was worried. He did hope his elder brother came back soon, otherwise she would be cheated.

    If he had not been told by his brother not to fight others arbitrarily, Jiao Wu would have rushed out to beat him. Should I go out? If he went out, he could not help but beat him. If not, he felt very anxious while looking at them.

    Shao Xuan was not very loud when he talked with her and Jiao Wu was not so close to them. So he could not hear their dialogue clearly. Under the eaves, it seemed that the two were talking happily.

    Shao Xuan learned that this woman was called Mu Qian, a member of the Longboat tribe. Jiao Wu and his brothers did the heavy work for her at her home. Judging from her tone and attitude while mentioning the brothers, Shao Xuan found that Jiao Wu¡¯s elder brother, Yan Zhi left a good impression on Mu Qian. Yan Zhi had saved her once. Without Yan Zhi, she would have been bitten to death by the fish in the river. The animal skin coat in her hand was brought for Yan Zhi, but he hadn¡¯te back yet.

    This was an old love story about ady born in a rich family and a poor man. But in this ce it should be very rare. Shao Xuan did not expect they were so capable.

    The coat brought by Mu Qian was an old one of her brother. In general, people in the Longboat tribe gave their old clothes to those wanderers who worked for them as a reward, but most of the coats were worn out. Some had lost the fur. This one in her hand was carefully selected by her from the old clothes so it was quite good.

    In order to dispel the suspicion of Mu Qian, Shao Xuan drew the totem pattern of the coat on the ground again. Mu Qian didn¡¯t draw a good one, even Jiao Wu and his brothers may not be able to draw the totem pattern of the ming Horns tribe well. Mu Qian¡¯s was influenced by Jiao Wu and his brothers.

    ¡°Our tribe¡¯s totem is like this.¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the drawing on the ground and said.

    ¡°I got it.¡± She saw Shao Xuan draw the totem pattern urately and more clearly than Yan Zhi had done so she no longer questioned his identity. Thinking of what Shao Xuan had said, she thought that Shao Xuan was also a wanderer like Jiao Wu and his brothers.

    Since Shao Xuan and Yan Zhi were the descendants of the ming Horns tribe, Mu Qian showed a more friendly attitude to Shao Xuan but Jiao Wu became more alert.

    In the wanderer area, Mu Qian had never showed such a good attitude to anyone except his brother.

    He became angrier and couldn¡¯t help but go out. He was worried that she would be cheated.

    ¡°You, go away!¡±

    Jiao Wu shouted, rushed to Shao Xuan, and waved his fist.

    Shao Xuan had paid attention to Jiao Wu and he could guess his thought. So he avoided his fist and his kick.

    ¡°Jiao Wu, stop!¡± Mu Qian cried out next to him.

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    Jiao Wu didn¡¯t listen to her and kept punching his fist at Shao Xuan. Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he failed to hit him. Even though he ignored what his brother had told him and used all his power, he still failed. He couldn¡¯t even touch a fur on his coat, but each time he almost hit the target.

    The harder Jiao Wu tried to hit him, the angrier he got. In the beginning he tried to hit his vital parts, but because of his anger, he punched his fist wildly.

    ¡°Stop!¡± He heard a roar next to him.

    This was not the voice of Mu Qian.

    Hearing the voice, Jiao Wu finally stopped.

    Shao Xuan looked there and saw a maning to them. He wore a animal skin coat which was not so thick and worn out. He didn¡¯t have a long beard like Jiao Wu and was slightly thinner than Jiao Wu. But his eyes were very sharp.

    This person should be Jiao Wu¡¯s elder brother, and he was the man Mu Qian came for: Yan Zhi.

    This weather, for a totem warrior, was tolerable, but it was unbearable for those poor people who hadn¡¯t awakened their totem power. But it seemed that Yan Zhi didn¡¯t feel cold at all and didn¡¯t even shiver.

    After finishing his work, Yan Zhi had some scratches on his hands. The wounds with dried blood were not deep.

    ¡°Brother, this brat he¡­¡± Jiao Wu said, but did not know how to continue.

    Mu Qian at this time came to him and said, ¡°Shao Xuan said he is also a member of the ming Horns tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan found that after hearing what she said, Jiao Wu and his brother still looked at him with vignce and their eyes just shed for a while.

    ¡°Get into house first.¡±

    Yan Zhi came to the door and he walked between Shao Xuan and Mu Qian intentionally or unintentionally.

    Shao Xuan slightly twitched his mouth and found the two remained alert.

    Yan Zhi went in front of the door, took out a thin bamboo knife and inserted it into the gap between the wooden door and the wooden wall, and then lifter it up.

    The door opened.

    The door wasn¡¯t locked. When no one stayed at home, they opened the door in this way. At the back of the door there was something simr to a peg.

    After entering the house, Shao Xuan nced at the furnishing. Although the furnishing was not really that good, it was much better than in the old house of Yan Shuo.

    ¡°No need to worry about me. You can talk between yourselves first.¡± Shao Xuan looked for a wooden stool, sat down and said.

    The atmosphere was tense, so Mu Qian no longer stayed there. After giving the coat to Yan Zhi, she left.

    After Mu Qian went out, Jiao Wu closed the door, shook his fist, and looked at Shao Xuan. A fight was about to begin.

 Chapter 201 - Why did you not come sooner?

    Chapter 201 - Why did you note sooner?

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Sitting on the stool, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t threatened by Jiao Wu.

    ¡°You cannot defeat me.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Jiao Wu grunted and said, ¡°We will beat you together, two to one.¡±

    ¡°Even you two together cannot defeat me.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Jiao Wu was ready to beat him, but was stopped by Yan Zhi.

    Sitting on the stool next to them, Yan Zhi looked at Shao Xuan, and said, ¡°Say your goal.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t state his intention immediately, but asked, ¡°I want to know why you are so alert? Do you question my identity?¡±

    When it came to this, Jiao Wu became silent, as anger shed in his eyes. His anger wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan, but he thought of something.

    Silent for a while, Yan Zhi said, ¡°We feel those of our tribe are kind when we first meet them. I have to admit that I feel you are very kind, and we don¡¯t doubt your identity. But even though you alsoe from the ming Horns tribe, so what?¡±

    Shao Xuan thought about it, and said, ¡°Have you been betrayed?¡±

    Jiao Wu wanted to say anything, but he nced at Yan Zhi, and held back. He sighed deeply, but he was not irritated by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Alright.¡± For this, Shao Xuan was also helpless. He had thought that the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe led a simr life to Yan Shuo. After meeting Old He, he found everyone in the tribe led a difficult life. But they always kept their faith, and all of them were tough. However¡­

    Shao Xuan was told by Old He that not every descendant of the ming Horns tribe could get on well with each other. Not each of them was loyal, so few traitors did exist. They had to be alert of those who betrayed their beliefs!

    When Shao Xuan left the Feng tribe, Old He also reminded Shao Xuan that if he found wanderers, he needed to observe them first. If they looked evil, he shouldn¡¯t bring them back to the tribe.

    Those evil men would also be excluded by the Shaman even if they went back to the ming Horns tribe. The Shaman set a high standard of selecting candidates of totem warriors. The traitors would not be included.

    Shao Xuan wanted to find some wanderers who were good at shipbuilding, but he still had to observe them. He would treat different people in different ways.

    Shao Xuan met with Jiao Wu and his brother for a very short time. But they left a good impression on him. Jiao Wu was a little impatient, and his brother was calm. But neither was evil.

    Shao Xuan sighed, and no longer dyed his n. He took out a stone te, and put it on the table.

    When Yan Zhi saw the pattern on the stone te, he felt he stopped breathing. He was staring at the stone te. Jiao Wu wanted to pick it up to have a look, but he was afraid of being scolded by Yan Zhi. He was so anxious that he kept scratching his cheeks and didn¡¯t know what to do.

    After a while, Yan Zhi said, ¡°Is this the totem pattern of our tribe? This is the first time I have seen such a clear totem pattern.¡±

    While talking, Yan Zhi took out of a small stone knife, the length of a palm. On the small wooden table, he carved a pattern ording to that pattern of the stone te, little by little. He carved very slowly, and carefully.

    Jiao Wu next to him was staring at him, and became very still, for fear of making a little movement and disturbing him.

    Shao Xuan admired them again. Fortunately, they deserved to be cultivated.

    After finishing carving the pattern, Yan Zhi carefully touched it, as if he wanted to remember it forever.

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    When Yan Zhi raised his head, he looked at Shao Xuan with much ease, and felt grateful to him.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Yan Zhi gave a wry smile, ¡°We have been betrayed before...¡±

    Yan Zhi told what had happened to him briefly to Shao Xuan.

    At that time, Jiao Wu had been a boy at the age of ten plus. Working on the ships, Yan Zhi did all heavy work. There had been several men from their tribe living in the Longboat tribe together. Including Jiao Wu, eight men in total had gotten along very well, and always believed that everyone from the same tribe would live in harmony forever.

    Until one day, a guy from the ming Horns tribe appeared. He had been chased and was almost killed. He had gotten injured. Yan Zhi and the others saved him and brought him back. Later, he had lied and said that there was a very good ce where people were much more friendly than those of the Longboat tribe. He had advised everyone to go there with him.

    He had described it as a good and attractive ce, so those working hard and suffering a lot in the Longboat tribe had looked forward to going there very much.

    Later, everyone worked together to build a boat. Although it was not asrge as the boats of the Longboat tribe, it was much better than those in the wanderer area. Everyone had stayed together and had intended to leave together. But when they had arrived at a ce on the boat, this man had managed to push everyone off the boat.

    ¡°In that ce, two rivers converged into one. The water in one river was ck, and that in the other one was muddy yellow. The water in the fork had two colors, and in that ce, there were a lot of fish with long teeth. Eight men fell into the river and only three finally survived. The traitor rowed the boat downstream. I still remember that he used the wooden paddle to beat the men in the water... Later, we three walked along the river upstream and came back to the Longboat tribe. Everything left by generations of our ancestors were used to build the boat. That man left with our remaining savings, and no longer appeared.¡±

    Yan Zhi told this story in a very calm voice, but there was much hatred in his eyes. This was the main reason why they were alert against Shao Xuan. They had suffered such a terrible experience.

    Having been betrayed and suffering a bad experience, they remained vignt when they met descendants of their tribe.

    ¡°To save me, my brother was bitten by the fish and he was close to death. Even though he survived, he is no longer as strong as before. Yan Zhuo¡¯s brother pushed Yan Zhuo to the bank, so he did not survive.¡± Jiao Wu said with tearful eyes.

    The Yan Zhuo mentioned by Jiao Wu was another wanderer of their tribe. He lived in the wooden house next to them. Now he must still be working outside and hadn¡¯te back.

    ¡°Some time ago, the totem patterns appeared on our body. We have greater strength and I became healthy.¡± Yan Zhi looked at Shao Xuan, ¡°Did the totem patterns appear on your body?¡±

    ¡°Totem patterns?¡± Shao Xuan was puzzled.

    In the beginning, Yan Zhuo saw the blurred outline of the totem patterns on his body, but ording to Yan Zhi and co and Old He, they had never seen the pattern before. Why did the pattern suddenly appear?

    Asking about the specific time when the pattern appeared, Shao Xuan found that it was the same day when he was at the old fire pit.

    It seemed that the old fire pit still worked.

    Shao Xuan did not answer him, so Yan Zhi thought the pattern never appeared on his body. They had intended tofort him. But when they were about to say something, they saw the clear outline of the patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s face, which was much clearer than theirs!

    In general, only totem warriors had such a clear outline of the totem patterns.

    ¡°You... you...¡± Jiao Wu pointed at Shao Xuan, and failed to say other words.

    Shao Xuan ignored the two brothers who were excited, took out an animal skin roll and a pen, and asked Yan Zhi, ¡°What is man¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Yan Zhi failed to respond at once.

    ¡°That traitor.¡±

    ¡°Dao Yu. He is called Dao Yu.¡± Yan Zhi carved the name in the corner of the table with a stone knife. He had been educated by his parents at a young age. After the death of his parents, he often worked on the boats of the Longboat tribe and learned some words. He never forgot this name.

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    ncing at the two words, Shao Xuan wrote them down on the animal skin roll.

    ¡°The traitor will never be forgiven. Wherever he goes or what other tribes he depends on, we will punish him as long as we have such an opportunity.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    When Shao Xuan tells the Shaman about it, he believed the Shaman would make such a decision.

    If the wanderers depended on other tribes to make a living, the men of the ming Horns tribe would inevitably feel disappointed, but may not me them. After all, the wanderers led such difficult lifes. But even if the traitor depended on other tribes, he or she would absolutely not be forgiven. In the ming Horns tribe, he or she would even be executed. Shao Xuan knew that for generations, the shaman of the ming Horns tribe on the other side of the river punished those who broke the rules in a cruel way no matter what he was like and whether the rule-breakers lived on the mountain.

    ¡°What is in your hand?¡± Yan Zhi saw the corner of the animal skin roll, where a lot of words were written, but he did not understand many of these words.

    ¡°These are to be brought back to the shaman.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°The shaman! The shaman of our tribe!¡± The two brothers screamed at the same time.

    ¡°Of course. Our tribe still exists, and the fire seed remains, it¡¯s just far away from here. Otherwise, how do you think I, a totem warrior, came here?¡±

    The totem patterns were the most powerful evidence of a totem warrior. He was different from the traitor, for the totem patterns rather than words proved his identity. Yan Zhi and his brother never doubted it.

    ¡°So... so... can we... go back?¡± Yan Zhi was always calm, but stammered at this time.

    ¡°Of course you can. But our tribe is a little far from here and it¡¯s dangerous for you to travel there.¡±

    ¡°We are not afraid!¡± They both said.

    ¡°Wait a minute. I have to look for Yan Zhuo first. Shao... Shao Xuan, right? Can you wait here for a while?¡± Yan Zhi said, even begged.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will stay here.¡± Shao Xuan said seriously.

    ¡°Thank you... Thank you!¡± Yan Zhi wiped his tears, took a deep breath, and opened the door to go out.

    After Yan Zhi left, no one minded Jiao Wu, so he burst into tears. His loud voice almost scared Shao Xuan.

    Jiao Wu did not think there was anything wrong, so he directly sat on the ground, and kept crying. He told Shao Xuan,¡°Why did you note sooner? If you hade here a few years ago, we would not have been cheated by that traitor... Can we really go back?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    On hearing Shao Xua¡¯s answer, Jiao Wu cried even more loudly. He roared and then snuffled. He kept roaring and snuffling.

    Shao Xuan looked at him and his face twitched. He grabbed inside his animal skin bag, took out cold roasted meat and passed it to him.

    Stop crying.

    Jiao Wu sat there, biting the barbecue and snuffling. Shao Xuan ignored him, and recorded all matters about Jiao Wu and his brothers in detail on the animal skin roll. On this animal skin roll, he also wrote down the things about Yan Shuo and Old He, including the traitor.

 Chapter 202 â€“ Nefarious people

    Chapter 202 - Nefarious people

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    When Yan Zhi went out, Jiao Wu sat in the corner and gnawed on the roasted meat. No one knew what he was thinking, he was pretty much absent-minded.

    Shao Xuan looked at the house. He thought Yan Zhi and some others worked on the boat every day. He put his hand into his animal skin bag and saw that there was still a bag of herbs. There were only a few of the herbs remaining that he had brought from his tribe. That was because he had gotten injured when he killed the people of the Wan Shi tribe. He had found some herbs in the old haunt and had put them in his animal skin pocket.

    He went over to kick the absent-minded Jiao Wu, who was still sitting on the ground. He passed him the herbs wrapped in leaves and said, ¡°Boil them.¡±

    Jiao Wu smelt the herb bag, looked happy, and said, ¡°Herbs! Usually we don¡¯t have much time to go out to find herbs... We don¡¯t dare to go out. We have to wait for our wounds to heal, but sometimes Mu Qian brings some herbs for us.¡±

    On the hands and faces of Yan Zhi and Jiao Wu, there were some scars of all sizes. Some scars seemed to have been left a long time ago, while others seemed to be left recently. In the woods, they cut trees, carried logs, chopped the logs, and did other heavy work. They often got injured, although they were seldom seriously injured, they got many minor injuries.

    When the herbs were almost cooked, Yan Zhi and Yan Zhuo came over with a woman called ¡°Zhen¡±. She was Yan Zhuo¡¯s wife and also a descendant of the ming Horns tribe. She had came to the Longboat tribe two years ago. After spending two years getting along with Zhen, Yan Zhi and his brothers finally epted her. Yan Zhuo married Zhen, and the couple lived next to Yan Zhi and his brother.

    Yan Zhi and his brothers all added ¡°Yan¡± or ¡°Jiao¡± in their name, so Zhenter also added ¡°Yan¡± in her name. Now her name was ¡°Yan Zhen¡±.

    The coupleing with Yan Zhi looked excited. Yan Zhi had told them everything about Shao Xuan, they also knew Shao Xuan wanted to take them away together. They had been cheated and suffered a bad experience, but this time they met a real totem warrior.

    ¡°Take some medicine.¡± Shao Xuan poured the boiled herbs into four wooden bowls.

    They didn¡¯t ask any more. After saying ¡°Thanks¡±, the four directly picked up a bowl and drank it directly, even though it was hot.

    Drinking a bowl of medicine made Yan Zhi feel less tired after having worked for a whole day. Outside it was very cold, but the warm medicine flowed through his upper body and he felt veryfortable.

    While they were talking, Mu Qian came over again in a hurry.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yan Zhi wiped the snow on Mu Qian¡¯s head, pulled her animal skin hat and asked.

    ¡°The shaman said that in two days it will snow more heavily than it didst year. He told everyone to make preparations, all of you should take precautions.¡± Originally, Mu Qian nned to bring two old animal skin coats to them, but her brother stopped her. She could only go out to look for them secretly when her brother and her father were busy.

    ¡°Ah, it will snow more heavily than it didst year?¡± Jiao Wu asked with surprise.

    ¡°Yes, prepare more things for the winter. I... cannot help.¡± Mu Qian said, and snuffled. Her nose turned red.

    ¡°Did your brother scold you again?¡± Yan Zhi asked.

    Mu Qian lowered her head and kept silent.

    Shao Xuan thought this girl was really good. In such a cold day, she came here twice to help Yan Zhi. He should let Yan Zhi bring her back to tribe. The Shaman certainly would not reject such a kind girl. Right now, Yan Zhi looked sad, because after all, he was still a wanderer as he had not awakened his totem power yet.

    Thinking of something, Shao Xuan winked at Yan Zhi.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Yan Zhi said to Mu Qian, and then went away with Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You can give this to her.¡± Shao Xuan slipped a piece of jade to Yan Zhi. This piece of jade was taken by Shao Xuan from the robbers. Even in the cold winter, this piece of jade felt warm.

    ¡°You¡­¡±

    ¡°Go,¡± said Shao Xuan, ¡°we are from the same tribe, we are a family. Besides, I will need your help in the future.¡±

    ¡°Thank... thank you!¡±

    Yan Zhi would remember his kindness and would repay Shao Xuan in the future. Although he had sent some gifts to Mu Qian, those were verymon small objects.

    No longer looking at the two, Shao Xuan went into house to give a few pieces of jade of poor quality, shells and some small pieces of water moon stones to Jiao Wu and Yan Zhuo, ¡°These things may be exchanged for thick animal skins and food... But we don¡¯t need too much food. Animal skins can keep us warm. If possible, bring some wood back to reinforce this house. The weather is bad, so we have to stay here for a few days, then we will leave.¡±

    Jade and water moon stones were quite eye-catching.

    After Shao Xuan finished talking to Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu, Yan Zhi came back.

    Shao Xuan looked out of the door and saw Mu Qian going back to the Longboat tribe.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you walk her home?¡± Shao Xuan was puzzled. He found Yan Zhi cared much about her, so he wandered why he didn¡¯t walk her home.

    ¡°Walk her home, why?¡± Not only Yan Zhi, but also Jiao Wu and Yan Zhuo felt puzzled.

    Shao Xuan was silent.

    ¡°If I send her home, she will get into trouble.¡± Yan Zhi whispered.

    Shao Xuan thought about it. The members of the Longboat tribe could do what the wanderers couldn¡¯t do. No matter how bad the rtionship between the people of the Longboat tribe, that was internal conflict and others couldn¡¯t get involved in it, and shouldn¡¯t get involved in it.

    Like those who didn¡¯t have awakened totem power and weren¡¯t supported by any powerful people, they were bullied in the tribe. They were beaten and scolded, but most people in the tribe turned their backs on them. But if these people were bullied by others not of the tribe, the men of the Longboat tribe would absolutely intervene, because that would be provoking the entire tribe.

    So, even if a person had a low status in the tribe, few people in the wanderer area would dare to bully him.

    That was why it was safer for Mu Qian to go home alone.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When wee back to the ming Horns tribe, no one will dare to badmouth you.¡± Shao Xuan patted Yan Zhi on the shoulder tofort him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go out first and tell the others that it will snow.¡± Yan Zhuo asked Jiao Wu to leave with me.

    Yan Zhi intended to go ask someone to trade for some wood.

    Yan Zhen went to pack the things in her house.

    The two brothers¡¯ house was not too small, so Shao Xuan nned to stay here. There were many things he needed to discuss with them, so he didn¡¯t want to go back and forth.

    Before staying there, Shao Xuan had to tell Yang Sui about it, who stayed in the boat.

    Out of the door, Shao Xuan paid attention to the surrounding houses.

    At least, the ming Horns tribesmen were good at building houses. These houses must be built to withstand rain, strong wind in winter, and heavy snow. In contrast, the other houses in the wanderer area were vulnerable. Shao Xuan thought that after he came back, he would help them reinforce their houses.

    When he got back to the boat, Yang Sui wasn¡¯t asleep, but vignt. Seeing Shao Xuan, Yang Sui felt relieved.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    Yang Sui was paying attention to the sounds in the surrounding areas as he told Shao Xuan in a low voice, ¡°The ones from that traveling team are nefarious people.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, I¡¯m going to stay somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Where can you stay? You found your people?!¡± Yang Sui asked.

    Yang Sui saw Shao Xuan nod and packed his things at once. He drank the remaining hot soup in the pot, wiped his mouth, and said, ¡°I will leave with you... Is there any more space for me there?¡±

    ¡°If not, I can sleep on the ground.¡±

    When Shao Xuan and Yang Sui left the boat, they saw several people walking to where many boats were moored. Shao Xuan remembered that they were the people of the traveling team who stayed in the boat in front of them.

    These people were walking to the boat, talking andughing. After ncing at the clothes of Shao Xuan and Yang Sui, they continued tough and walked past them.

    Walking past these people, Shao Xuan smelt the strong smell of blood. Although these people weren¡¯t stained with blood, Shao Xuan could smell it.

    They had just killed some people.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Yang Sui pulled Shao Xuan and whispered to ask him to leave quickly.

 Chapter 203 â€“ Too late

    Chapter 203 - Toote

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The wanderer area¡¯s condition was naturally unable topare with the Longboat tribe¡¯s ships.

    Yang Sui looked at these old worn-out wooden huts in the surrounding, many that had big cracks in the wood. He seriously wondered whether they would freeze to death.

    However, freezing to death was still betterpared to being ughtered.

    Shao Xuan brought Yang Sui to Yan Zhi and his brother¡¯s wooden house. Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu left to trade for animal skins and had note back. Yan Zhi was braving the snow to fix the wooden house.

    Towards Yang Sui, they would inevitably have some suspicion and vignce. If not for Shao Xuan, they would not allow Yang Sui to enter the room.

    ¡°You go ahead, I will help repair the wooden house.¡± Shao Xuan said to Yang Sui.

    ¡°Ok.¡± Yang Sui entered the room immediately, outside it was very cold, he did not want to stay outside and suffer the cold.

    The logs that Yan Zhi brought had not been not been split, Shao Xuan used the de and cut them into 2-3 pieces, and gave them to Yan Zhi.

    Yan Zhi looked at the cuts on the nks, which were very smooth, the speed with which they were cut was obviously quite fast. This was a totem warrior¡¯s strength.

    Thinking he will be able to have such strength one day, Yan Zhi¡¯s heart burst with expectance.

    After the wooden house was repaired and reinforced, Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu also came back with the items. However, they dide back holding the animal skins, but instead brought back some hay piles with the animal skins inside, seemingly to use for their beds or to light the fires.

    This way was more covert and discrete, and it would not attract others'' attention. After all, these two suddenlying back while holding so many animal skins seemed suspicious.

    Entering the room, Shao Xuan noticed that Jiao Wu and Yan Zhuo¡¯s manner towards Yang Sui was full of vignce and caution, butpared to the other emotions it was a lot less.

    Later, when Shao Xuan and Yan Zhi entered the house, Yang Sui was telling his story of his travels, full of exaggerations and embellishments, fooling Jiao Wu easily. Yan Zhuo and Yan Zhi also listened with great interest. Although they knew that Yang Sui¡¯s words were notpletely true, but what he spoke of was truly interesting.

    Seeing Shao Xuane, Jiao Wu, who was unable to remain calm, hurriedly asked Shao Xuan: ¡°Yang Sui said that he is a shaman candidate of his tribe. Is this true?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at Yang Sui, sees him not mind it, and then nodded, ¡°It is.¡±

    Obtaining the confirmation from Shao Xuan, the look of the several people towards Yang Sui became more excited.

    A shaman, that is a tribe¡¯s shaman!

    Although he was just a candidate right now, but he was a candidate who could be a shaman. Must definitely be great person. They lived so many years in the Longboat tribe, but Yan Zhi''s group had never seen any shaman, not even seen the Longboat tribe¡¯s shaman.

    Shao Xuan understood why these people were vignt towards Yang Sui. Yang Sui probably also noticed their behavior and disposition, so he said his status so that his stay here could be a bit better.

    Many people harbored a revering mindset towards shamans. Yan Zhi''s group were such people, probably because the shaman of the Longboat tribe had a very high status. But the wanderers around the Rain tribe felt differently. Because after the shamans failed to pray for rain and were burnt by the tribe, the status of the shaman became lowerpared to the other tribes. Naturally, if he seeds in praying for rain, the status of the shaman would naturally increase tremendously.

    ¡°Right, elder brother, when I and Yan Zhuo were trading for the animal skins, we heard some wanderers were killed.¡± Jiao Wu said with a serious face.

    ¡°We heard they were killed while they were trading for food. Their corpses were thrown into the river.¡± Yan Zhuo also mentioned the matter.

    ¡°Killed by whom? Longboat tribesmen?¡± Yang Sui puzzledly asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Yan Zhi shook his head, ¡°it¡¯s a traveling group.¡±

    ¡°Every year, many wanderers here die at the hands of travellers. Longboat tribe only allows wanderers to live here, so long there is not too much racket, they will not bother with it. After all, they also do not want to have too many wanderers near them.¡± Yan Zhi answered lightly. Regarding this, he had already seen it before and was used to it.

    In fact, it¡¯s not only the Longboat tribe, no matter which tribe, the amount of wanderers surrounding them was always a stable number, it would not go beyond the range those tribe could ept. The tribes would not go out of their way to kill wanderers, so the secret fights and disputes helped them keep the numbers stable, therefor the tribes were naturally d to stand aside and watch the fun.

    When Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu left to trade for animal skins, they were very cautious and careful, even concealing the items with hay. Besides guarding against other people from the wanderer area, it was also to guard against these traveling groups temporarily staying in the Longboat tribe. These were most likely totem warriors, making them a much bigger threat than wanderers.

    ¡°It¡¯s them?!¡± Yang Sui looked towards Shao Xuan, ¡°A while ago, I saw them and thought they had been up to no good, they were discussing together about having done something. It turns out it was about killing people.¡±

    Shao Xuan recalled when he and Yang Sui disembarked, they ran into these people. It must have been them returning after having killed those people.

    The atmosphere in the room became somewhat stiff.

    ¡°Be careful for the next few days, when the weather bes better, we will leave.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Here,pared to the other side of the river at the ming Horns tribe¡¯s ce, the weather was different. In the winter, it did not snow all the time. Every so often the sky would clear up and the sun would break out, and a heavy snowfall was also rarely seen.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Yan Zhi''s group became very excited. this time they could truely leave here and return to their tribe, rather than being deceived or led to an unknown ce.

    ¡°Yang Sui, when does the heavy snowe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Should be in the evening. Wait, I¡¯ll check again.¡± Yang Sui opened the window slightly and looked at the sky.

    Yan Zhi''s group did not dare to make any noise, fearing they would disturb the shaman candidate while he was looking at the weather. At the same time, they secretly thought: As expected of a shaman candidate, he can even predict the weather!

    Half a minuteter, Yang Sui closed the window, ¡°Before dark, heavy snow will start to fall, tomorrow morning it will lessen, butter the heavy snow will start again. In about three days, the snow willpletely stop, and it will be sunny weather for several days. At the moment I can¡¯t deduce anything that will happen after.¡±

    Regardless of what will happen after, Yang Sui has been able to predict at least the recent weather, moreover even more precise than the Longboat tribe¡¯s shaman.

    Seeing the the admiring looks on Yan Zhi''s group¡¯s faces, Yang Sui also felt quite self-satisfied, ¡°I am the primary candidate as shaman!¡±

    ¡°Really amazing!¡± Jiao Wu was a person who easily showed his emotions and he immediately began to praise him.

    What if it was the ming Horns tribe¡¯s shaman? These people would immediately begin to worship on their knees probably. They seemed to be the easily deceived kind of people that shamans liked to meet, Shao Xuan thought.

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan heard a eagle cry. The sound was not loud, Yan Zhi''s group were unable to hear it. However, the self-satisfied Yang Sui, that was being praised by Jiao Wu, looked outside.

    ¡°Jiao Wu, go outside and bring back the thing that¡¯s dropped on the ground.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°The thing that¡¯s dropped on the ground? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Jiao Wu puzzledly went outside and looked around. In the surroundings, many people know that there will be snow the next two days, so they taken many things inside and tightly shut the windows and doors, waiting it out inside their homes.

    The ground, the roof, everything was already white.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything.¡± The Jiao Wu quietly said. He looked around carefully again and again, trying to distinguish any object sticking out. But besides the white snow, he could not see anything.

    Inside, Yan Zhi and Yan Zhuo were wondering what had been dropped outside.

    Just about to ask Shao Xuan, Yan Zhi heard a ¡®bang¡¯ sound.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Yan Zhi asked Jiao Wu.

    Jiao Wu powerfully pushed the door open and said towards the people in the house: ¡°Wild... wild boar!¡±

    Jiao Wu was looking around everywhere a moment ago, but he did not pay attention to the air. When he heard a sounding from the sky, he looked up anxiously and noticed a bird diving very fast towards them.

    Jiao Wu¡¯s first thought was to run, but just as he took 2 steps forward, he saw something fall from the sky, dropping next to him. When he turned to look he saw a wild boar! A big one on top of that!

    Taking a look at the sky again, that eagle had flown back up high again, and soon vanished from Jiao Wu¡¯s view.

    Looking at the dead boar on the ground, he noticed it was still warm. Unable to decide what to do, Jiao Wu stutteringly called the people in the house.

    Listening to Jiao Wu shout, Yan Zhi and Yan Zhuo were confused. Wild boar? Why will there be a wild boar here?

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Quickly, drag it inside!¡± Not even waiting for Shao Xuan to speak, Yang Sui hurriedly called out. He was quite hungry at the moment.

    ¡°But...¡± Yan Zhi''s group were worried that the wild boar was someone elese¡¯s game, if they stole the game, a deadly fight might ur. They did not want to have a conflict with anyone right now. Because of the conspicuous totem matter before, even some Longboat tribe people had be aware of them.

    The Longboat tribe allowed wanderers to live here, but they definitely would not allow totem warriors to do so. If they decide that the Jiao Wu brothers are actually totem warriors, they will be driven away immediately. In the winter, during such cold days and with various dangers luriking around the corner, if they were driven out, their possibility of survival would be almost next to zero. They could only endure it and control the little bit of strength they had gained. And since that day, their totem patterns did not appear again.

    Acting cautious was all good and well, but this is a wild boar¡­ such great food! And delivered to their doorsteps!

    They were hesitating. Jiao Wu looked back and forth from the wild boar on the ground to Shao Xuan, and back again several times.

    ¡°Bring it inside, that is our game.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Since Shao Xuan spoke, Jiao Wu then immediately dragged the wild boar inside.

    ¡°Prepare it.¡± Yan Zhuo said to his wife and then walked outside, ¡°I will go clean up the bloodstains outside.¡±

    Yan Zhi also opened the window and carefully observed the surroundings. Living in the wanderers area, they always had to be careful, after all, they did not have enough strength.

    Shao Xuan had been thinking about going to a nearby mountain for a little exercise, but unexpectedly Chacha caught that thing, dropped it off and flew off again. He was not very happy about staying in the Longboat tribe¡¯s domain, he much preferred staying in the mountain forests.

    During the dinner, Shao Xuan told them about Chacha, so that they could be mentally prepared. Because after leaving the Longboat tribe, they would sooner orter meet Chacha.

    For Yan Zhi''s group, this day was full of non-stop pleasant surprises, the mood had been raised one after another in the evening. While Shao Xuan was thinking about what to do next, Yang Sui was sleeping like a pig.

    That day, just like Yang Sui had said, before the darkness the snow suddenly increased. As big pieces of snowkes fell, the night passed by, and outside the snow piled up ankle-high. Compared to the snow at the ming Horns tribe, this was nothing. But here it was different, such heavy snow was umon here, even in several years you would rarely see such heavy snow.

    When they got up in the morning, the snowing had lessened, but the sky was still full of thick dark clouds.

    Right now, Yan Zhi¡¯s grouppletely believed in Yang Sui¡¯s ability. ording to Yang Sui¡¯s words yesterday, the snowing would lessen in the morning, but after a while, it will start snowing heavily again. Before that happened, they had to prepare some things, such as water, food, etc..

    Shao Xuan nned to go take a walk in a nearby mountain forest and maybe see if he can hunt some game, yesterday''s wild boar had already mostly been eaten up by them. As usual, the ming Horns tribesmen¡¯s appetite was quite big, even if they hadn¡¯t awakened their totem powerpletely, Yan Zhi¡¯s group, including Yan Zhuo¡¯s wife, Yan Zhen, ate a lot.

    Yan Zhi had thought about preserving it, but he had been stopped by Shao Xuan, they needed to increase their body¡¯s strength during these days, because they won¡¯t have a lot of opportunity¡¯s to recover in theing days as they had to hurry along as fast as they could.

    Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu nned to trade for some animal skin again today. After they heard about the wanderers that were killed, they were more careful, they nned to not trade for all the animal skins at ones, but to do so in several batches. Using the things Shao Xuan gave them, they could trade for a lot of animal skins, but that would be too conspicuous and would attract attention, like who the hell carries home a giant pile of hay?

    Besides Yang Sui, the others had divided up their task for the day, as they were about to go outside, suddenly someone ran inside.

    It was the two people Shao Xuan saw quarelling with Jiao Wu and calling out after him when he came here.

    ¡°You two, what happened?¡± Yan Zhi asked.

    ¡°Jiao Wu, Yan Zhi, quickly go and find a ce to hide and look for Mu Qian, have her help you out! The two quickly shouted.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Jiao Wu asked. Although yesterday he had quarrelled with the two, but there was no enmity, their rtionship was usually quite good, everybody stuck together.

    ¡°Yesterday, did you trade for some animal skin?¡± The two asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Zhi did not hide this.

    ¡°Did you take along a jade stone?! I heard a person say that the person who traded the animal skins with you told this matter to the travellers. I think these people will being for you, you need to leave quickly!¡±

    ¡°Jade stone?¡± Before Jiao Wu could say something Yan Zhuo called out in rm.

    Because of the preciousness of jade stonepared to water moon stones and shell coins, therefore for safety''s sake, Jiao Wu and Yan Zhuo did not n to use the jade stone yesterday. But when Yan Zhuo was trading for the animal skin, he brought along a good friend of his who worked with him on a boat, But yesterday, when Yan Zhuo pulled out the shell coins, that person saw the jade stone.

    Yan Zhuo made him swear to keep it a secret, and he quite trusted this friend, after all they usually helped each other a lot, they had quite a good rtionship. And he had agreed to keep it a secret at that time, but now.... Was it him?

    ¡°You two, thank you.¡± Yan Zhi said.

    ¡°Ah, hurry up and go look for Mu Qian. It¡¯s snowing now, even if you run, survival will be difficult. You should have Mu Qian help you.¡±

    Yan Zhi did not want to cause trouble for Mu Qian, he decided to leave here and escape.

    ¡°Toote.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°What?¡± As Yan Zhi was thinking deeply where to escape to, hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words he did not react for a while.

    Shao Xuan looked towards a direction.

    From that direction, a group of people covered in thick animal skins wasing over.

 Chapter 204 â€“ Not easy to deal with

    Chapter 204 - Not easy to deal with

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    A dozen people arrived, judging from their clothes, they didn¡¯t live in the wanderer area. They wore thick coats and they walked with arrogance.

    The residents of the wanderer area had looks of either fearfulness or full of vignce. They were always afraid of provoking others and getting into troubles. But travelers didn¡¯t act like that.

    Looking at those striding towards them, He Er, who rushed here to tell them the news, shrunk his head, he did not expect these people woulde so soon.

    ¡°Yan Zhi, you go look for Mu Qian. Hurry up, maybe she can still stop them, or it will really be toote!¡± He Er said anxiously.

    Living in this ce since childhood, he knew Jiao Wu and his brother. They got more and more familiar with each other and helped each other. Although sometimes they had conflicts, He Er cherished their friendship, for most of his friends who grew up with him were gone forever. They were the few who survived today. Rationally speaking, Yan Zhi and his brothers were powerful in the wanderer area, so their group was more capable. But if today they are killed by the travelers, he would lead a miserable life.

    He Er saw that Yan Zhi was still unwilling to go get Mu Qian and said, ¡°Maybe I can go there to get her!¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to. And right now the gate of the Longboat tribe is closed.¡± Said Yan Zhi.

    During the snowy season, the tribe closed the gate, which was the rule of the Longboat tribe, for the members worried that outside people would sneak into the living area of their tribe to take shelter from the heavy snow. That is why when the weather is bad, the Longboat tribe would close the gate and no one is allowed toe close to the border. Those who came close to the tribe¡¯s living area besides the gate would be attacked by the warriors. Those wanderers were not powerful enough to defeat them. Perhaps before they could even cry out, they would be pierced by spears or arrows and look like hedgehogs.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± He Er pulled Yan Zhi and wanted to leave. But no matter how hard he tried to pull him, he kept still.

    In fact, usually when Yan Zhi saw the arrogant travelers, he would try to get away and find a ce to escape them. In the past, they had met travelers several times. Mu Qian had witnessed their encounter once. They used to run away from the wanderer area and find a ce to avoid them, and then they would came back after the travelers left.

    But now, Shao Xuan did not move. It seemed that he didn¡¯t want to leave. Yan Zhi naturally would not leave Shao Xuan alone, because now Shao Xuan was their hope. Even if they lose their lives, they would not let Shao Xuan die from this.

    Yan Zhi looked away from Shao Xuan and then looked at Yang Sui, who was standing in the house and looking outside. He noticed that this shaman candidate didn¡¯t look anxious.

    Were they certain that they could defeat the travelers?

    Yes. Shao Xuan is a totem warrior, and Yang Sui will be the next shaman of the Rain tribe. Those travelers should avoid offending them. In most cases, travelers didn¡¯t provoke totem warriors and shamans.

    He Er knew he couldn¡¯t pull away Yan Zhi, so he looked at Jiao Wu. He saw that Jiao Wu was still standing there. He looked at Yan Zhuo and his wife, who had just finished packing things to leave. But they put the things down, for they didn¡¯t intend to leave.

    Jiao Wu didn¡¯t think through it as much like his brother, as he wasn¡¯t smart. He saw Shao Xuan and his brother stay standing still, so he naturally did not flee alone.

    ¡°He Er. You leave first.¡± Yan Zhi said to He Er. Those men obviously came for them and it was kind enough for He Er to ask them to leave. But if he stayed, he would just unnecessarily get dragged into it.

    He didn¡¯t understand why they didn¡¯t flee or ask for help, even though they knew that the travelers came to cause trouble. Did they have a deathwish?

    He Er was anxious and scratched his head. He hurriedly ran away, but said, ¡°I will go look for help!¡±

    He Er said that he would look for help, but he would not go to the Longboat tribe, for the gate was closed because of the heavy snow. He would not go there to sacrifice his life in vain. He turned to the wanderers who had a good rtionship with them, to see if there was a solution.

    As a dozen travelers were getting closer, the men in the surrounding areas carefully paid attention to their movement and saw they were not the targets. They instantly felt relieved, as they weren¡¯t the targets of the travelers.

    Judging from their facial expressions and tense air, everyone knew they wereing to kill some people!

    Seeing several people walking in the front clearly, Yang Sui whispered to Shao Xuan, ¡°Those are the people we saw in the boat yesterday.¡±

    In other words, it was very likely that these people had killed the wanderers yesterday. They had killed one or two people yesterday, and today they could kill four or five more. As long as they didn¡¯t make a big trouble or damage this wanderer area, the people of the Longboat tribe would not stop them.

    Shao Xuan had seen the man walking in the front yesterday, but after only less than a day, that man had forgotten him. Shao Xuan was probably no one worthwhile noticing to him. He never remembered such a small potato.

    The man walking in the front arrived in front of the wooden house and nced at the several people standing at the door. He was very shocked that they didn¡¯t run away when they saw them approaching. He had sent a few men to guard at the nearby crossings. It seemed there was no need for him to do so.

    ¡°Who is Yan Zhuo?¡± The man said and nced at each of them, one by one, with his sharp eyes. In his eyes, they were the same, but when he saw the coats of Yan Zhi and the others, his eyes shed. He didn¡¯t like such kind of animal skin, because to him these animal skins were cheap.

    Yesterday, Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu had exchanged for animal skins, which were worn by Yan Zhi and the others now. Because of the cold weather, they all wore thick animal skin coats. As Shao Xuan said, they needed to stay healthy now, for they had to hurry along their journey. Shao Xuan told each of them to wear one or two coats.

    The wanderers in this area rarely wore so many animal skin coats, and these coats weren¡¯t worn out. This proved that the travelers got real news.

    Hearing the man¡¯s questions, Yan Zhi did not move, and Shao Xuan did not move. Jiao Wu was confused, he could not help but nce at Yan Zhuo.

    The man was shrew, so he saw the movement of Jiao Wu. He looked at Yan Zhuo standing next to him and gave a malicious smile.

    ¡°Are you Yan Zhuo? I had lost a few pieces of jade yesterday which I had gotten from the Mang tribe. However, when I got off the boat, I lost them. I heard that you picked up my jade, right?¡±

    It sounded like a fake story, and when he was talking, his facial expression told everyone: ¡°I aming here to rob you¡±.

    When the man shouted his name and looked at him, Yan Zhuo knew who the snitch was. He had always been alert to wanderers and travelers, but he was once again betrayed by the man who he considered a good brother rather than a liar. This really upset Yan Zhuo. This time. because of him. everyone got into trouble. Of course, he would not admit taking his jade.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t pick up your jade.¡± Yan Zhuo said.

    ¡°No?¡± The man looked at Yan Zhuo with his sharp eyes, ¡°But someone said he saw you do so! Otherwise, how could you exchange it for so many animal skin coats?!¡±

    As the man was talking, his voice became more and more high-pitched, and the totem patterns appeared on his face. Those wanderers hiding in nearby houses listened to the sounds outside carefully. When they heard this. they also wondered why Yan Zhi got so many animal skin coats.

    Among the travelers who came here, the leading man was a junior totem warrior. In a fight against an ordinary man, if he used the totem power, he would put arge pressure on the ordinary man.

    However, when that man looked at Yan Zhuo, Shao Xuan stood in front of Yan Zhuo.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who told you this.¡± Said Shao Xuan. ¡°Yan Zhuo got the animal skin coats using the things I gave him.¡±

    The man was a little irritated when Shao Xuan helped Yan Zhuo exin for it. But hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, he was happy. He had wondered who was the previous owner of this jade, and intended to get some information from Yan Zhuo. But now he didn¡¯t need to bother to get the answer.

    Looking at the young man standing in front of Yan Zhuo, the man first thought he was just a ordinary person, who dressed not much better than those wanderers and looked young and energetic.

    His eyes looked greedy and he smiled more happily. He spoke with some arrogance, ¡°Oh, it is you who stole my jade.¡±

    Yan Zhuo and Jiao Wu had intended to say something, but they were stopped by Shao Xuan who raised his hand. He moved three steps forwards and came in front of the man.

    As travelers, they had experienced ups and downs and had narrow escapes from death many times. That was why they were more sensitive than many people. When Shao Xuan moved forward three steps toe closer, each of them suddenly felt scared.

    Especially the man who was standing opposite Shao Xuan no longer smiled. He felt many hairs on his body stand erect, and looked at Shao Xuan with eyes full of vignce.

    ¡°A totem warrior?¡± The man said with astonishment. He could only judge the man standing in front of him was a totem warrior, but he couldn¡¯t tell his level.

    Taking a deep breath twice and holding back his scare and doubt, the man moved his neck to get rid of his strange scare. He shook his sturdy arms and his strong body looked powerful. Swinging the arm, he held a big stone hammer in his big hand to show his strength.

    The stone hammer was stained with dry blood, so that the people who saw it could not help but feel scared. The blood on it was left by the wanderers he killed yesterday.

    ¡°Which tribe do you belong to?¡± The man asked. He often led his people everywhere, so he became used to talking with arrogance and aggression.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have any facial expression facing the man¡¯s aggression, but gently said,¡°The ming Horns tribe. Shao Xuan.¡±

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe?¡± The man said the name of the tribe again. He tried to recall but failed. Then he looked at the man next to him.

    The man next to him shook his head, meaning he had never heard of it. Such an unknown name showed that it was certainly a small tribe. He did not care.

    Travelers seldom offend those from middle and big tribes and their shaman. They were not scared by those from the small tribes, even though many of them came from small tribes.

    ¡°Oh, Shao Xuan from ming Horns tribe. What a pity. Probably you will be unable to return!¡± The man said as he tried to look especially fearsome.

    He never expected that he would meet a totem warrior from another tribe in the wanderer area, which more or less destroyed his original n. But it didn¡¯t matter, because he just came from a small tribe. He believed that even the least powerful man following him here could kill this warrior from a small tribe. What¡¯s more, even if this brat was a intermediate totem warrior, the people he brought here could easily defeat him!

    ¡°But, I don¡¯t think anyone can can stop me from going back.¡± Shao Xuan still looked calm.

    The man fixed his eyes, but didn¡¯te to kill him himself. He always felt that as a leader he shouldn¡¯t do everything in person, his men would rush to take action. So when he wanted to kill Shao Xuan, he just moved his fingers to tell the people standing behind him to do that.

    Then a man among the travelers there walked quickly towards Shao Xuan, carrying a small stone hammer, and threw it towards Shao Xuan. Much snow on the ground moved in the air because he ran very fast and fiercely.

    Everyone thought they would see what had happened yesterday again, but they only heard a bang and the sounds of broken bones. The man rushing at him with the hammer had fallen to the ground, and it seemed that he was embedded in the snow.

    Beating the man, Shao Xuan kept his feet firm on the ground. Just now, he had just moved his arms.

    The hammer that was thrown into the sky was dropping down.

    Shao Xuan reached out to catch the handle of the stone hammer, moved it over the man¡¯s face, and dropped it.

    Bang!

    The man. hit by his own stone hammer, screamed, but he only screamed once. His face bled and he fainted. His face had been hit by Shao Xuan and he nearly fell into aa. Hit by his stone hammer again, he almost fell unconscious.

    The leader of the travelers standing in front of Shao Xuan felt his eyelids twitch twice. His eyes were full of malice as he looked at him angrily.

    He really did not expect that this brat in front of him could defeat his men, and his actions obviously disdainingly provoked him! Provoking him!

    And the people standing behind Shao Xuan opened their eyes wide. They knew that Shao Xuan was a totem warrior, but they never thought Shao Xuan could defeat the other totem warriors with just a punch! Just one punch!

    Those travelers who came to create trouble had very unbelieving facial expressions. As if they saw a dragone out of a quail egg.

    He should have inquired more about this totem warrior. It seems it is difficult to defeat this brat!

    When He Er finally returned with some others, he saw their confrontation.

 Chapter 205 â€“ In a daze

    Chapter 205 - In a daze

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    It began to snow more and more heavily. It snowed as heavily as Yang Sui said.

    He Er brought the people who he had persuaded toe here, and thought about how to help them. But now he was just standing there, feeling cold. However, none of them left, and they knew something weird happened there.

    Hiding behind the door, Yang Sui poked his head out and could not help but wrap himself tightly in his animal skin coat again. It had nothing to do with being a totem warrior. It seldom snowed in their tribe, so he wasn¡¯t adapted to the cold weather here.

    Heined about the bad weather here. Yang Sui hoped that Shao Xuan could defeat them soon. It would be as easy as killing thepeople of the Wan Shi tribe.

    When thinking about this, Yang Sui stopped wrapping his animal skin coat tightly, and looked incredulously at their confrontation.

    No, why do I feel ...something off?

    Everyone paid attention to Shao Xuan so no one noticed Yang Sui¡¯s strange look.

    At the moment, the man standing in front of Shao Xuan looked angry. He did not want to fight directly with Shao Xuan or give up. He hade here with his men full of arrogance. He would lose face if he got nothing and ran away. Then his prestige in the tribe would be damaged.

    Shao Xuan was not afraid of him and was most likely an intermediate totem warrior, even though he was so young. Was this ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± really just a small tribe?

    Give up and leave?

    No, can¡¯t retreat!

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you another chance. Give me my jade!¡± The man almost said it word by word then, appearing to have be furious.

    Shao Xuan ignored his threat. After the man finished his words, he said, ¡°I will give you another chance too. Leave!¡±

    This time, both the leader of the travelers and Shao Xuan revealed the totem patterns on their faces.

    The two men¡¯s power rose. He Er and the men he brought, who were standing a little far away, and the other people felt arge pressure.

    ¡°He Er, I think we cannot fight in their battle.¡± The men next to He Er said.

    ¡°That man is a totem warrior!¡±

    ¡°How does Jiao Wu that fool know a totem warrior?¡± Asked the man who had argued with Jiao Wu. Although they often had quarrels, he still came to help Jiao Wu and Yan Zhi when they were in trouble.

    ¡°Did you forget that?¡± A man whispered.

    The totem patterns had appeared before on Jiao Wu and Yan Zhi. Some people said they may be real totem warriors, but most didn¡¯t think so. But now, they all believed they would be real totem warriors.

    But the people standing nearby focused on Shao Xuan and the traveler.

    Shao Xuan nned to fight against all of them alone if he couldn¡¯t avoided this battle. He could not let those of the ming Horns tribe get killed. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t mind dying to protect them. He would protect them in ordance to the Shaman¡¯s will. At the same time, he could let more people know the strength of a ming Horns tribe¡¯s totem warrior.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t just being arrogant. After he met some people in the central region, he was confident he could beat those people. Undoubtedly, it was difficult to defeat the strong man of the Mang tribe with the three-quart-circle jade ornament, but he was confident he could defeat intermediate totem warriors and below. When he saw the travelersing here, he did not escape because among them, only two were intermediate totem warriors and the rest were junior warriors.

    The travelers knew nothing about the strength of Shao Xuan, but he was able to know about them when they used a little totem power. When they came here, they showed their strength to instill fear in case others didn¡¯t know that they were totem warriors.

    However, both Shao Xuan and the man in front of him clearly knew that at this moment, among those guarding in the Longboat tribe, some of the higher level warriors should have be aware of the situation here. If they began to fight, the higher level warriors woulde to stop them. They would not allow a battle between intermediate totem warriors at the border of the tribe.

    Yang Sui had told him about the bad weather currently, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t want to be driven out of the tribe today.

    Since he couldn¡¯t directly fight with them, he had to let himself look more aggressive and stronger.

    The atmosphere was tense, and their power rose even more. The crowd in the surrounding area could feel their power.

    Faced with Shao Xuan, the traveler soon found that he wasn¡¯t as weak as he thought. He had thought he was just a totem warrior from a small tribe, but never expected he was an intermediate one! This fact was like a heavy mountain, and the mountain was still getting bigger and bigger. If it continued to get bigger, he may directly copse.

    Act when he doesn¡¯t notice? No, now he was more and more perturbed, and had no confidence to defeat this young man.

    While the traveler was thinking about how to deal with him, he suddenly felt very scared . He almost directly shivered, and could not tell why.

    The travelers close to him also felt scared. Yan Zhi and the other three people standing behind Shao Xuan also felt something wrong.

    Those standing far away from them could not feel their power and just wondered why the two looked at each other for such a long time. They were still waiting for a fight between totem warriors.

    Only the totem warrior standing in front of Shao Xuan knew the eyes of the brat in front of him had be unfocused. He had no focus, and it seemed that he was in a daze.

    This should be the best time to attack him, but the traveler had an intuition that if he moved at that moment, rather than this brat, he would die. He had often traveled around with the traveling team, and he still believed in his intuition. If they continued to go on like this, he would just lose face. Once he moved, what he will lose won¡¯t just be his face.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan was wondering why the totem in his mind was so active when he was using totem power. It was too active. The dim egg-shaped mask which covered the totem became bright. At this moment, the totem began to be frantically active. It became bigger, and the me wrapped around the two horns moved fiercely.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan felt something off behind him, so he did not look at the traveler in front of him. He leaned to look back and saw the four wanderers of his tribe standing behind him.

    Those paying attention to Shao Xuan nearby saw Shao Xuan¡¯s movement, and then they also looked back. They were all shocked and in a daze.

    The totem patterns appeared on the faces of Yan Zhi and the other three, and were no longer blurry, but were as clear like those of a real totem warrior.

    Hiding behind Shao Xuan, Yang Sui quickly pulled open the door. He also revelealed his totem patterns now on his face, but he used the power only in order to find an answer.

    In the eyes of Yang Sui, Shao Xuan was wrapped with mes, which were invisible to others except him, because he would be the next shaman.

    When the travelers saw Shao Xuan, they were shocked, as if they saw a dragon came out of a quail egg.

    When Yang Sui saw Shao Xuan, he was also shocked, but as if he saw a guardian deitye out of a quail egg. He thought it was unbelievable, but it did happen. Everything that he saw was true.

    Shao Xuan said he was not the shaman, but why did he have the Fire Seed¡¯s power?!

    Moreover, Yang Sui had not intended to use the totem power, but the unique power of inheritance of the shaman suddenly became active. And then the totem power also became active.

    Yang Sui was very puzzled, and wondered ¡°Who is Shao Xuan in the end?!¡±

    The ming Horns tribe, what kind of tribe on earth was this?

    For the first time, Yang Sui became very curious about this tribe that had disappeared for thousands of years. At the same time, he was looking forward to the reappearance of this tribe in the central region. If it reappeared, the central region must be very chaotic right?

    Yang Sui was very shocked. Meanwhile the travelers were intending to retreat.

    Totem warriors. Four totem warriors!

    Weren¡¯t they just wanderers? If they had known they were all totem warrior, they would not havee here to make trouble. Their conflict would lead to a battle between two tribes. Their tribe was not big one, so they didn¡¯t want to get involved in a battle. And...

    A few travelers nced at Shao Xuan. This young man was powerful, so the ming Horns tribe couldn¡¯t be too weak, right?

    Yan Zhi and the others were in a state of excitement.

    They had the same feeling as they had had on that day when the totem pattern had appeared. They felt energetic, they had desired for this for a long time. But this time, their feelings were stronger. They looked at each other, and saw the totem patterns on their faces. They were very excited.

    Whatever trouble it was, they could face it straight ahead, rather than needing to escape. Though they had courage theycked strength, so they knew the gap between them.

    Those who understood the situation well could survive, though sullen. Everyone hoped that one day they could seek revenge for the troublemakers, but they couldn¡¯t do so because they didn¡¯t have enough power.

    But now, it was different! Even if this was only a temporary situation, but they had enough confidence.

    The square face of Jiao Wu showed a confident and ready to fight face. He looked at several travelers at the back. He wasn¡¯t able to defeat the powerful ones, but he nned to try to defeat the weak ones.

    Contrary to Jiao Wu and the others, who were ready to have a fight, the men brought by He Er changed their facial expressions. They had finally plucked up courage toe here to fight, but it turned out that they wouldn¡¯t have a chance to fight.

    They really envied Jiao Wu and the others.

 Chapter 206 - What kind of tribe is it?

    Chapter 206 - What kind of tribe is it?

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Large snowkes were falling. The crowd in front of the wooden house in the wanderer area felt cold and worried.

    At the same time, in the living area of the Longboat tribe, a man leading a patrol frowned and looked at the location of the wanderer area.

    ¡°There is a battle in the wanderer area.¡± said the man.

    ¡°Another fight?¡± A member in his team asked. If it was just the travelers killing wanderers, the leader would not pay much attention to it. So it must be a fight between totem warriors, at least intermediate totem warriors.

    They could turn a blind eye to their quarrels or fights, but if it is a big fight, then it is different.

    Want to fight? Fine, but you must leave our tribe first.

    But they did not hear any sounds of the battle.

    Why is the leader certain that there is a fight?

    ¡°Leader Xie, do we go and check?¡± Someone asked.

    A senior totem warrior generally did not get involved in a fight near a tribe. If he did so, he would be closely watched by the local tribe. Only those who had been closely watched knew how much attention they drew. That was why usually when intermediate totem warriors caused trouble with their men, senior totem warriors seldom got involved.

    If it wasn¡¯t a fierce fight, the Longboat tribe would turn a blind eye. But now, it seemed to be quite intense. Do we go and check it out?

    Mu Xie stood in the tree and thought about it. He then looked at the snow in the air. Eventually, he did not order the warriors to go there.

    ¡°Nothing serious. When it stops snowing, go there to ask what happened.¡± Mu Xie said.

    At the wanderer area.

    Things went more and more beyond the expectations of the travellers leader, so he did not want to stay there. He did not know whether more idents would happen. He felt worried, he knew it was best to leave now. As for how to deal with those people, he should go back and report it to the leaders.

    Eventually, the travelers failed to get the jade. They dragged away the only man who was beaten andy on the ground and then left.

    After Shao Xuan calmed the power in his mind, the totem pattern on Yan Zhi and the others also disappeared. After all, they were not real totem warriors who were awakened. The patterns appeared on them because of Shao Xuan, but they did not know this.

    Hiding in the wooden house, Yang Sui had aplex facial expression, but Yan Zhi and the others smiled. They didn¡¯t join this battle, but they would have such an opportunity in the future.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, can we really be real totem warriors?¡± Jiao Wu ran over to ask with excitement.

    Shao Xuan no longer thought about the totem and that ¡°egg¡± in his mind, and replied, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Haah!¡± Jiao Wuughed. He looked around and stared at those hiding inside their houses, watching the situation. Then he looked at He Er and the others, and rushed to them at once.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you toe here, good brothers.¡± Said Jiao Wu.

    Before He Er talked with them, Jiao Wu pointed to his face, and said, ¡°You saw it?! Totem! Pattern!¡±

    He Er and the others were speechless.

    He was so conceited that they really wanted to p him a few times.

    Yan Zhi walked over to tell those conceited fellows to go inside the house. And then he earnestly thanked He Er and the others.

    ¡°Thank you for youring!¡±

    ¡°No... no thanks needed... We didn¡¯t make a difference.¡± He Erughingly said.

    He felt strange, because it turned out that his brothers who grew up with him and lived together in the slum for more than 20 years were totem warriors. He no longer felt rxed talking with them.

    This was the gap between the wanderers and totem warriors.

    But since they had a chance to be totem warriors, Yan Zhi and the others would no longer live here. After it stopped snowing, some people of the Longboat tribe woulde to drive them away. It was impossible to conceal it from them.

    ¡°When will you leave?¡± He Er asked.

    ¡°In a few days. When it stops snowing we will leave.¡± Yan Zhi said.

    Jiao Wu came out of the wooden house again, this time he no longer showed his former conceit. He looked at He Er and the others with sadness. Although they often quarreled and fought, they were good friends. They were even willing toe to help them when the travelers came to make trouble.

    ¡°Jiao Wu, your... your tribe... doesn¡¯t allow the wanderers to live around them?¡± The man behind He Er asked with a little anxiety.

    If they lived close to some totem warriors who were their good friends, they would live a better life near the tribe.

    Although they could still make a living in the Longboat tribe, if they could follow Yan Zhi and the others and live near the ming Horns tribe, even if a small tribe, they would have a better life. Thinking of their deceased rtives and friends, they would rather risk leaving here.

    ¡°This...¡± Jiao Wu couldn¡¯t promise them, so he only looked at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan heard their dialogue, came to them and said, ¡°Of course, but our tribe is far away from here. In a few years, our tribe may move to the central region. The old haunt of our tribe is in the central region.¡±

    Getting his permission, He Er and the others were very happy. The ¡°few years¡± Shao Xuan mentioned may be three, five, eight or even nine years, but they were willing to wait! As long as there was hope, they were willing to wait! For better protection for themselves and their offspring, they believed that Yan Zhi and the others would certainly help them. At least, when their children faced the threat of travelers, they would be protected.

    Among the men who followed He Er here, few knew Shao Xuan. They only knew Shao Xuan was a totem warrior who dared to confront with the travelers. They were too timid to ask his identity. After all they were not familiar with him.

    Seeing their embarrassment, Shao Xuan gave a friendly smile.

    ¡°I am Shao Xuan, ming Horns Shao Xuan.¡± Shao Xuan said and wrote his own name with a stone knife in the thick snow that had piled up.

    ming Horns Shao Xuan?

    He Er memorized this name in his heart, so did the men next to him. Those who had a poor memory asked others to help them remember it, and wrote it down when they returned home. This really mattered a lot to their future life.

    ¡°But how can we find you? Where is the ming Horns tribe?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°When the ming Horns tribe once againes back to thecentral region, you will know.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Then we wille to pick you up!¡± Yan Zhi promised. Thanks to He Er and the others, they could survive until today. Although they mutually benefited, they formed a deep friendship, as close as rtives.

    Yan Zhi promised that He Er and those who followed him here coulde. As for those that didn¡¯te, whether they could also follow was to be seen.

    After He Er and the others left, Yan Zhi and the others returned inside.

    ¡°Get ready. Those people did not dare to kill us in the Longboat tribe, but when we leave, they may try do that. Even if they do not chase us, we will have a lot of trouble on the road.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Okay, I will make more arrows.¡± Yan Zhuo said.

    ¡°I will trade for some extra things.¡± Yan Zhi said.

    The next two days, the travelers no longer came to look for trouble. Shao Xuan made preparations with Yan Zhi and the others.

    When it stopped snowing and the weather was clear, the Longboat tribe sent some people here, only to find that Yan Zhi and the others had left. Their wooden house was given to others.

    Those sent to the wanderer area returned to the tribe and reported it to Mu Xie.

    As the head of the patrol team, Mu Xie was puzzled and asked, ¡°The ming Horns tribe? What kind of tribe is it?¡±

 Chapter 207 â€“ The chasers

    Chapter 207 - The chasers

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    When the leader of the patrol team of the Longboat tribe was wondering what kind of tribe the ming Horns tribe was, Shao Xuan¡¯s group was hurrying along their journey thanks to the fine weather.

    Originally he had nned to take a boat to travel, but found that there was still a lot of ice on the river. Although the ice was not too thick, it would certainly make it difficult to row the boat. In the Longboat tribe there was little livestock. The people of this tribe never traded livestock. Therefore they couldn¡¯t travel by riding. Finally they decided to leave on foot.

    Another four people joined them, so Chacha couldn¡¯t carry them as before. Moreover, Yan Zhi and the others found it tiring to travel quickly, because they had not awakened their totem power yet. That was why they slowed down a lot.

    After walking for more than half a day, Shao Xuan stopped to let everyone have a rest.

    ¡°Here, we havepletely left the Longboat tribe, right?¡± Yang Sui asked.

    ¡°Maybe, I have nevere so far from the tribe before.¡± Thinking about it, Yan Zhi said, ¡°But I have taken a boat and travel such a long distance at that time.¡±

    They had been deceived into leaving and got into trouble in a ce which was far from the Longboat tribe. Had they been unlucky, they would have not been able to return to the wanderer area of the Longboat tribe safely.

    But this time, they hadpletely different feelings.

    Jiao Wu looked around and saw that the mountains were covered with something white. In some ces on the mountain the snow had melted, so some rock and nts were exposed . If the fine weathersted for five or six days, more would be exposed.

    The weather here was better than that in the tribe, right now at this time it must be snowing with a heavy wind there.

    An eagle¡¯s cry was heard in the air, it seemed just like any other cry. But Shao Xuan was the only one who knew that Chacha had noticed something irregr, because he was familiar with Chacha.

    ¡°Someone ising!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The people who were resting became nervous at once.

    ¡°Who?¡± Yan Zhi asked.

    Shao Xuan looked at the sky, and then looked to where the Longboat tribe was located.

    ¡°The people of the Longboat tribe?¡± Yan Zhi asked bepuzzled, ¡°They seldom go out in the winter.¡±

    ¡°No, not the people of the Longboat tribe,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°maybe the travelers.¡±

    Hearing this, Yan Zhi and the others felt worried and scared.

    ¡°Did they really chase us here to kill us?!¡± Although it didn¡¯t snow, but the weather was still very cold. So Jiao Wu couldn¡¯t believe that they still chased them.

    Looking at the sky once again, Shao Xuan said to Yan Zhi and the others, ¡°You find a ce to hide.¡±

    ¡°And you?¡± Yan Zhi asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Yan Zhi sighed. They all felt helpless and very depressed, but they had to do as Shao Xuan said. If they didn¡¯t do so, they would only bring trouble to Shao Xuan and be killed.

    Huo Qiu, who had confronted with Shao Xuan in the wanderer area that day, was there. He was leading the group that was chasing them.

    That day, after Huo Qiu had returned from the wanderer area with his men, he had felt even angrier, because he had been scolded and beaten by the leader of the traveling team due to his report about the situation. It had taken him two days to heal.

    He had thought that the leader would directly help them give a lesson to the warriors of the ming Horns tribe. But several people of the Longboat tribe came looking for them, so the senior totem warriors of the traveling team were blocked. So Huo Qiu could only chase after them himself. There were still some footprints in the snow. Although the footprints were not very clear, Huo Qiu was sure that those were their footprints.

    The tracks of wanderers were different from those of totem warriors.

    But he didn¡¯t know whether Shao Xuan was there.

    Thinking of Shao Xuan, Huo Qiu was a little scared. But he only hesitated for a moment, and then they continued to chase them. Even if they couldn¡¯t defeat them, he believed that they only needed to stop them moving forward and wait for their leader to arrive.

    Huo Qiu was confident that they could stop them from moving forward.

    While thinking about that, Huo Qiu suddenly felt a strong sense of danger.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Huo Qiu said.

    In front of them, someone jumped down from a tree.

    Huo Qiu hadn¡¯t seen him clearly. His people walking in front of him were kicked away, and some were thrown at him.

    Huo Qiu dodged the people thrown at him, but the people behind him responded slowly, so they were hit. They fell down together, rolling around in the snow.

    Ignoring the people behind him, Huo Qiu¡¯s eyelids twitched, he knew this was a powerful person.

    Fast!

    Too fast!

    Huo Qiu didn¡¯t see his face and only noticed his cold stone sword being pulled on him swiftly. He raised his axe in his hand to stop the sword.

    Bang!

    His stone axe was cut and severe dents were left.

    Holding the stone axe, Huo Qiu fell back two steps because of the powerful strike and his dark face flushed. The strong impact against the axe, force the totem power in his body to rise to the peak. The muscles of his arm were numb from the shock of the impact. His hand holding the axe even trembled severely, almost dropping it.

    Great strength!

    Feeling shocked and scared, Huo Qiu looked at the man who struck at him. Then he felt even more scared.

    It was Shao Xuan!

    Huo Qiu still remembered the arrogant look on Shao Xuan¡¯s face back in the wanderer area of the Longboat tribe, making him suffer defeat. But now, Shao Xuan no longer looked arrogant. Thanks to his rich traveling experience, he was more sensitive than others. Otherwise, he may not have been able stop the sword.

    He didn¡¯t show his power, so Huo Qiu felt even more worried.

    Before Huo Qiu could respond, Shao Xuan kicked him in his lower abdomen.

    The great strength made Huo Qiu lose strength in his legs. His legs tried hard to keep still, but became weak, and then he took a few steps back. His waist bent because of the kick. He vomitted out the roasted meat he had eaten at noon.

    Although he felt scared, he was irritated by this sessive hit. He couldn¡¯t control his rage, so before he regained bnce, he fiercely struck the axe towards Shao Xuan¡¯s waist.

    He had dodged the stone axe that swiftly flew at him. The axe failed to hit him, but hit the tree trunk behind him, which directly cut down the three.

    Ignoring the falling tree behind him, Shao Xuan summoned up his strength to directly rush at Huo Qiu and strike him more powerfully.

    The sounds of stones colliding and wood breaking were heard almost at the same time. The wooden handle of the stone axe in Huo Qiu¡¯s broke because of the powerful impact.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s second strike hit the same ce of his axe, causing his stone axe to almost break.

    His hand holding the stone sword shook, so the sword attached to the stone axe also shook. Thus the stone axe waspletely broken.

    Before the two halves of the stone axe fell down, Shao Xuan grabbed and threw it a person rushing at him. The man with the spear failed to block the stone axe half and fell to the ground.

    The other half of the stone axe was kicked by Shao Xuan and thrown at Huo Qiu, which directly hit Huo Qiu¡¯s chest.

    Bang!

    The stone hit his chest, breaking his bones. When these sounds were heard, Huo Qiu was thrown back and slipped in the snow for a few meters. This time he did not vomit food, but blood. He felt pain in his abdomen, chest, and even his whole body. Because of the strong impact, his arm had be numb and it hurt again. He felt a lot of pain and even passed out for a moment.

    When Huo Qiu became conscious again, only three of the ten people that came surrounded him now, too afraid to attack.

    Huo Qiu was regretting it now. He did not expect Shao Xuan to be so strong. He had only nned to stop him from traveling forward, but unexpectedly he couldn¡¯t even block his attack and couldn¡¯t do anything more to stop him. He had tried his best.

    Falling on the ground, Huo Qiu spat blood again, but did not pass out. Ignoring the three travelers whose legs were trembling, he ferociously stared at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You wait ... you all ... wait ... wait ... we ...¡± He said while coughing.

    Before he finished his words, he coughed again and again. He couldn¡¯t continue to speak. He had been beaten by the leader of the traveling team on the boat in the Longboat tribe and his old wounds hadn¡¯t healed up. Now he got serious injuries again and became unable to even speak.

 Chapter 208 â€“ The Di Shan tribe

    Chapter 208 - The Di Shan tribe

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Looking away from Huo Qiu, Shao Xuan looked at the three people who were standing there, trembling. Huo Qiu¡¯s group consisted of ten people, but Shao Xuan only killed five and let one person go. The man ran in the direction behind Shao Xuan. Yan Zhi and the others hid there.

    Shao Xuan deliberately let him go there. The man was just a junior totem warrior. Although he seemed to have vicious looking eyes, butpared to the dead people, he rushed with hesitation. Obviously, He was afraid of death.

    Clearly he was not as resolute as the others. It¡¯s better to let Yan Zhi and his men practice.

    As for the three people standing there...

    The three travelers who were still alive noticed Shao Xuan was looking at them, so they trembled even more violently. They felt their legs be weak, they almostknelt down. They wanted to run away at once, but when they saw Shao Xuan looking at them, they had no courage left.

    ¡°Which tribe are you from?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Huo Qiu hadn¡¯t finished his sentence before Shao Xuan asked which tribe they were from.

    ¡°I...I...¡± With shifty eyes, the middle of the three thought about how to answer.

    While he was thinking, a cold stone sword was put against his throat, scaring him to death.

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll tell you! I¡¯ll tell you! We are from the Di Shan tribe! All of us are from the Di Shan tribe!!¡± His face was a little pale because of fear. He answered at once without thinking too much.

    ¡°You are also the travelers of the Di Shan tribe?¡± Shao Xuan looked into the man¡¯s eyes and asked.

    The person who was questioned only nodded again and again.

    ¡°Let me go... please!¡± The person knelt on the ground.

    Shao Xuan looked at them, and then turned around to leave.

    The three took a deep breath. Were they spared just like this?

    A hint of bloodlust entered their eyes as they looked at the back of Shao Xuan. The leader will take care of this kid up when he gets here.

    The three had just intended to run away, but when they took a step, they felt a sudden gust of cold wind blowing, and then there was nothing anymore for them.

    Draining off the blood from the sword, Shao Xuan killed Huo Qiu, who was unable to speak, and then walked towards Yan Zhi.

    Hearing the sounds, Shao Xuan knew that everything went on well there.

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    As expected, when Shao Xuan got there, a person was lying on the ground, looking very miserable. Hit by some stones, shot by some arrows, and even gashed open by swords.

    The four ming Horns people were panting for breath.

    ¡°Well done.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words encouraged Jiao Wu, who was closest to that person. He had killed people before, but his previous opponents were wanderers who robbed his things. The disputes between wanderers were inevitable, and the losers would even be killed. However this was his first time fighting with a totem warrior.

    Clenching his fist tightly, Jiao Wu felt the strength from the fist. Although he was weaker than Shao Xuan, he was still very confident. He lifted the foot wrapped in broken shoes and stamped the man on the ground. After confirming he was dead, he raised his head withcence, and looked around to see if there was another dying person like that man.

    ¡°Okay. We have to quickly leave here. Many people are chasing us. There may be some senior totem warriors among them. We cannot fight them. If you want to fight, you can fight them anytime after you return to the tribe and awaken the totem power.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The four looked at each other and saw hope in each other¡¯s eyes .

    From their ancestors to them, so many generations suffering as wanderers, they finally had hope of a better life.

    For the first time, they felt their blood boiling in their bodies, as if hiding a fire.

    In order to evade the stronger travelers that were chasing them, Shao Xuan decided to run away quickly.

    If the travelers still managed to track them, they needed to be alert. He wouldn¡¯t be afraid of them if he was alone, and could even kill the ones chasing him one by one. He had killed the people of the Wan Shi tribe back at the old haunt this way. But now he had to pay attention to the safety of Yan Zhi and the others.

    Shao Xuan led Yan Zhi and the others to a ce and had Chacha fly from one mountain to another with them. Chacha could fly over a short distance with two or three people each time.

    In this way, they could temporarily evade the ones tracking them using their footprints in the snow.

    Chacha did so a few times. Later they took advantage of the fine weather to travel swiftly on their journey for a few days. They no longer met the people who chased after them.

    Yang Sui said it was going to snow again. This time the snow wouldst longer, probably for about ten days. Perhaps it would snow heavily.

    If Shao Xuan was alone, even in the snowy days, he could still continue on his journey. But it was difficult doing so with Yan Zhi and the others. He decided to find a ce for shelter during the snow so that they could avoid injuries.

    The day before it snowed, Shao Xuan no longer continued on but found a cave together with Chacha.

    While looking for a cave, Shao Xuan also cut some leaves and nts from the bushes and some tree bark here and there. Yan Zhi and the others thought Shao Xuan was going to used them as herbs. But Shao Xuan did not exin, they will know when it¡¯s time.

    Finally, Shao Xuan found a cave on the mountainside, which was not very big. But it was big enough for six people to rest.

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    There had been a bear hibernating in the cave, but itnded in the pot.

    Before entering that cave, Shao Xuan burnt those items he collected, put out the fire and smoked the cave.

    Yan Zhi and the others saw a lot of insects running out from the cave.

    Actually, no one in the ming Horns tribe used these nts to chase away the insects, because it was not as effective as some other nts. But here, he couldn¡¯t find any suitable nts to kill the insects. Moreover, in winter it was even more difficult to find some leaves which hadn¡¯t fallen from the trees yet.

    When everything was ready, Shao Xuan started the fire. The six people sat around the fire, talking.

    ¡°Have you heard of the Di Shan tribe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°The Di Shan tribe? I have heard of it, but I don¡¯t remember it clearly. However, the Tian Shan tribe is very famous, one of the strongest tribes in the central part.¡± Yang Sui said.

    ¡°Is the Tian Shan tribe rted to the Di Shan tribe? Do they have a close rtionship?¡± Yan Zhi asked. He worried that they would bring trouble to the tribe. The two tribes were not small, so undoubtedly they could cause big trouble to the tribe. Beforeing back to the tribe, they had already caused trouble, so would they be epted by the tribe?

    Besides Yan Zhi, the others were also worried.

    Yang Sui shook his head, ¡°If the Di Shan tribe is as strong as the Tian Shan tribe, it should have been well-known.¡±

    ¡°But will the Tian Shan tribe give support to the Di Shan tribe? Their names resemble each other.¡± Jiao Wu said. [Ed Note: Di Shan mean Earth Mountain, Tian Shan mean Sky Mountain]

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. Now the most important thing is how to return to the tribe. When the tribe really returns to the central region, we need not be afraid of the Tian Shan tribe even if they get involved.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    It was impossible for the people of the ming Horns tribe to yield because of strong opponents. On the contrary, they would join the battle excitedly. However, there were less people in the ming Horns tribe. If the tribe returned to the old haunt, more wanderers may go there and then the tribe¡¯s strength in all respects would be improved.

    In any case, it was still too early to think about this. Everything depended on hising back.

    Having recorded this in the animal skin volume, Shao Xuan intended to go back and discuss this with the Shaman.

    ¡°Where are we going next?¡± Asked Yan Zhi.

    ¡°Go here first.¡± Shao Xuan pointed to a location on the own map, ¡°Pick up several other people who are also wanderers. One of them is called Yan Shuo.¡±

 Chapter 209 â€“ Meeting Yan Shuo again

    Chapter 209 - Meeting Yan Shuo again

    Tranted by

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After eating the pot of bear meat, they gathered some hay and put it next to the fire to dry off the moisture. Then they put the hay on the ground and then covered it with animal skin. They could sleep propely on that.

    Yan Zhi and the others were not as energetic as Shao Xuan. They had been nervous, so now they were physically and mentally exhausted. They needed a rest.

    Most of the insects were smoked out of the cave, so when they slept they weren¡¯t bitten. In a wild cave there are many little insects which are unnoticeable but caused a lot of trouble to people who were not awakened yet. But now they didn¡¯t need to worry about this too much.

    Before they found this cave, they had checked out several other caves. However, before Yan Zhi entered those caves, Shao Xuan said they were not suitable for them to live in. In some caves there were many insects. Some caves were full of bats, where all kinds of insects lived on the parasites and bat feces. That was why they couldn¡¯t live there.

    ¡®As expected of someone who had often traveled with traveling teams, he was quite experienced in living in caves.¡¯ Yan Zhi and the others thought.

    Both Yan Zhi and Yang Sui thought so.

    In fact, they didn¡¯t know that he didn¡¯t gain the experience from the traveling teams. He had lived in a cave since childhood. Eventer, when he left the cave and built a house, he often went hunting and stayed in caves.

    Who could think that that once powerful central tribe now lived a more primitive life than before. They can¡¯t even make pottery. Even if it isn¡¯t impossible to do so and they had the technology, various factors prevented them from being able to do so. So, besides brute force and hunting skills, there weren¡¯t many things left behind.

    Shao Xuan wondered that when Yan Zhi and the others knew the reality of the ming Horns tribe, how they would feel.

    When they left the Longboat tribe, Yan Zhi and the others also brought three pots to boil water on the way. Two of them broke, so now only one could still be used.

    Shao Xuan ate some roasted meat and then went out to find more prey. The meat was enough for Yan Zhi and the others, but not for him. Without higher grade food, that little wild animal meat couldn¡¯t satisfy Shao Xuan. Since he couldn¡¯t find any other higher ¡®quality¡¯ food, he had no choice but to increase the ¡®quantity¡¯ of it.

    That was why before Yan Zhi and the others fell asleep, Shao Xuan was eating meat. When they woke up, they still saw Shao Xuan eating meat. Next to him, there was a pile of bones.

    Yan Zhi: ¡°...¡±

    Traveling together with Shao Xuan for such a long time, Yang Sui had be ustomed to such a situation. Both Shao Xuan and Chacha had a very big appetite. Yang Sui really wanted to know how they lived in their tribe. Was there wider farnd and more livestock in their tribe? Yang Sui had asked about it, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t answer him, he just told him that he often ate meat. Only when he was in the tribe he didn¡¯t eat so much.

    Yang Sui couldn¡¯t believe that the mostmon food in the ming Horns tribe in fact was the meat of ferocious beasts, which they tried to avoid.

    ¡°Bad news.¡± Yang Sui told the crowd next to the fire after going out for a leak.

    ¡°What is it? Will it snow for a long time?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yang Sui squatted down next to the fire. While warming his hands over the fire, he said, ¡°It has snowed for ten days, but after it stops snowing, it won¡¯t be clear. It will be cloudy for one or two days and then it will continue to snow. As to how long it willst, it is unknown. It depends on where you go. If we go to the Rain tribe, it will snow less and less. If we go in the direction which you said, it will continue to snow.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought about it and asked, ¡°In the direction I said. Will the rivers there freeze?¡±

    ¡°Not all of them will freeze.¡±

    ¡°So some of them will.¡± Shao Xuan thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°Then we can stay here for some time. When the ice in the rivers melt, we can set out. During the snowing days... can you guys make a boat? Not a big one. We only need one which can hold a dozen people.¡±

    ¡°No problem, but I need some materials.¡± Yan Zhi said.

    ¡°Tell me what you need, and I will try to find them.¡± Shao Xuan said.

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    Before going to the Longboat tribe, Shao Xuan had thought about learning some skills of shipbuilding in the Longboat tribe. After all, he needed those skills in such an era, which waspletely different from the old world he had known. So there was a lot of new knowledge Shao Xuan needed to acquire. However, when he reached the Longboat tribe, he found that like many other tribes it was exclusive. The people there weren¡¯t willing to teach others their skills, so even the wanderers like Yan Zhi failed to master those skills, although their ancestors had arrived at the Longboat tribe many years ago. Only the members of the tribe mastered the skills.

    However, Shao Xuan felt that when they returned to their tribes, put their heads together andbined their skills, even if they weren¡¯t able to make a boat like the Longboat tribe ones, it shouldn¡¯t be too bad. It was worth the try.

    Then Shao Xuan cut trees and looked for materials. He built a boat with Yan Zhi and the others.

    Twenty dayster, it stopped snowing and the temperature rose.

    It was not the end of the winter, but almost all the ice on the river had melted.

    ¡°There will be seven or eight sunny days, and then the temperature will start to drop again slowly for about ten to twenty days. It will rain, snow lightly, and then snow heavily. Finally, the temperature will drop rapidly and the rivers may freeze. You have to pay attention to it.¡± Yang Sui said.

    ¡°Alright, I got it. Thank you.¡± Shao Xuan went back to the cave, and then carried the six meter long boat which they built together these past days.

    Yan Zhi and the the others had intended to help him carry, but surprisingly Shao Xuan could do it alone. Shao Xuan carrying the boat still walked faster than them.

    ¡°Are all totem warriors as strong as him?¡± Looking at his figure carrying the boat without difficulty, Jiao Wu murmured.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Yang Sui said with a sense of mystery, and then looked to Yan Zhi and the others, ¡°This may be the unique characteristic of your people from the ming Horns tribe.¡±

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± Yan Zhi said as he pped Jiao Wu, who was giggling, on his head. However, he wanted to try to keep a serious face, but his mouth also could not help but curl up.

    The ming Horns tribe seemed to be really strong.

    When Yan Zhi and the others arrived at the riverbank, Shao Xuan had put the boat on the river.

    As Yang Sui said, most of the ice on the river had melted. They could row a boat on it temporarily.

    Afterboarding, Yan Zhi and the others consciously picked up the oars to paddle forward.

    Along this river, they moved forward a little and went past a fork. Finally arriving at the river the Pu tribe¡¯s traveling team had used.

    And when they got there, Yang Sui had to leave them.

    ¡°I have to go back now to attend the ritual ceremony at the end of the winter.¡± Yang Sui looked at Shao Xuan and the others and said, ¡°Thank you for allowing me toe with you here.¡±

    ¡°You also helped us a lot. Alright, let me have Chacha send you a little along your way.¡± Shao Xuan gestured in the air.

    "Hey, good idea. I have to climb over the mountains to go there. With the help of Chacha, I will feel more rxed.¡± Yang Sui wrapped his animal skin coat to cover his head, and only his eyes, his nose and his mouth were exposed.

    Chacha came down, stretched out his ws to grab Yang Sui, and then lifted him up.

    ¡°I hope that I will hear the news of your tribe!¡± While going up, Yang Sui shouted loudly.

    After he returned to the Rain tribe, he would be the shaman of the Rain tribe. It was unlikely Yang Sui would be able to travel around like now. But... if unfortunately he failed to pray for rain or had a bad performance in the tribe, he could still make an excuse to go to the ming Horns tribe to visit them.

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    The more he thought about it, the better the idea he thought it was. Yang Sui had begun to ponder how to make an excuse to go out to visit them.

    Shao Xuan saw Yang Sui leaving, and took out the map he made. He added a lot of ces on the map. Some locations were drawn with certain details, but others without. He had drawn this map based on what others had said, and Yang Sui had also told him about the Rain tribe and its surrounding situation. On this map the location of the Rain tribe was also marked.

    ¡°Yang Sui¡¯s tribe is quite far from here.¡± Yan Zhuo nced at the map and said. The map in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand was the most detailed one he had ever seen.

    Yan Zhi and the others had a good attitude towards Yang Sui, because he was the next shaman of the Rain tribe. Getting along with him for a small period of time, they felt that Yang Sui was a kind person. He had told them a lot about the central region and what had happened in other ces. Now they had to separate, but they felt reluctant to do so.

    ¡°We will always have a chance to meet again. At that time he will be the shaman. You will also be real totem warriors.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words made the people suddenly look forward to the future.

    Yan Zhi thought of Mu Qian. When he left the Longboat tribe, the gate of the Longboat tribe was closed. He hadn¡¯t seen Mu Qian, but he let He Er send some messages and a written animal skin roll to her. He hoped that when they met next time, they all had a better life.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go find Yan Shuo.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the sky, recently he had also tried to observe the sky in a new way. When using the special energy vision, he saw surges in the flow of air, which he had never seen before.

    Since he left the tribe, his strength had also changed.

    Although he couldn¡¯t make an urate forecast like Yang Sui, he could still make some judgments ording to those changes.

    Taking advantage of the fine weather, Shao Xuan and the others hurriedly paddled onwards. After a few days, it rained once again. The rainy dayssted for a few days and then it snowed lightly.

    During winter there were few people on both riverbanks. Rowing the boat on the river along the way they asionally saw one or two people. They were members of some small tribes living near the riverbanks.

    They had finally left the central region.

    When the river began to freeze again and heavy snow started to fall, Shao Xuan led Yan Zhi and the others to the shore, having arrived at a ce where both wanderers and ves lived.

    Few boats went past there, probably because it was winter now. There were few people to be seen on the banks. ves were called back to do other work, and only some wanderers went out to look for food.

    A few wanderers were at the banks, trembling, intending to go back home. Their harvest was little these days, because few travelers went past this ce in the winter. Undoubtedly they earned much less.

    While walking, one of them suddenly saw a boat docking.

    ¡°Hey, there!¡± The man said to his leader at once.

    Several people turned around and felt surprised.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look!¡± The leader said.

    The so-called ¡°have a look¡± meant that they should look for an opportunity. If couldn¡¯t mess with those people, they would show a better attitude to them. But if not, they could risk it and try to rob them.

    It snowed more and more heavily, so they couldn¡¯t see them clearly.

    They were still shivering. They ran over with their hands covered, in their sleeves they were hiding some thin stone tools and other weapons. To seize the opportunity, of course they needed to act first.

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    They knew there were only five people there, and four of them looked very tired, taking heavy steps. Among them, there was also a woman, and each of them carried several bags made of animal skins! Maybe there were many good things! They felt excited.

    ¡°Boss, how about we just¡­¡± A man said and made a gesture of cutting the throat.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±

    The five people came ashore and got closer. The leader had the intention to kill and rob them. But as he disyed a mocking smile and was about to say something, among the five people who came ashore, the man walking in the front turned around to look at them.

    The leader: ¡°...¡±

    The mocking smile froze on his face, his whole body shivered, he turned around and ran away.

    ¡°Hey, boss, why¡¯re you runni-...¡± One of them was still confused, but after seeing Shao Xuan, he ran faster than his boss.

    Seeing theme towards them and then quickly run away, Jiao Wu was confused and wondered, ¡°Why are they running?¡±

    Yan Zhi guessed the reason, but didn¡¯t say anything. As a man who lived in the wanderer area since birth, he naturally knew they were also wanderers, but with sinister intentions.

    ¡°Come on.¡± Shao Xuan led Yan Zhi and the others towards Yan Shuo¡¯s house.

    Thanks to Shao Xuan¡¯s warning, over the past six months, no one had confronted with Yan Shuo. The ve owner didn¡¯t cause any trouble, as if nothing had happened.

    Yan Shuo had led a much better life since then. Because of the sudden emergence of the totem patterns before winter, Yan Shuo found his strength increased again, and sometimes he could walk in the mountains and hunt some satisfying prey.

    Currently, Yan Shuo was inside the house, and his family was sitting around the fire eating barbecue. Fish soup was boiled in the jar, the fish was caught when it was still sunny.

    Looking at his wife and children with rosy cheeks, Yan Shuo thought if they could return to the ming Horns tribe, it would be even better.

    Thinking about that, Yan Shuo heard someone knocking at the door.

    Judging from the rhythm and strength of knocking at the door, he or she was not one of those living in the wanderer area.

    Yan Shuo indicated his wife to take the children and hide in the back room. Although no one had caused him trouble since Shao Xuan left, but to protect themselves, he was very cautious.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Yan Shuo shouted, and carried a knife as he walked close to the door.

    ¡°Me, Shao Xuan.¡±

    Hearing the voice outside the door, Yan Shuo threw the knife away wildly and removed the thick wooden boards.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, Yan Shuo was very excited.

    ¡°¿ì½øÀ´£¬ÍâÃæÀä!¡±Ñ×Ë¸ÈÃÆÞ×Ó½«¶³´æ×ÅµÄÓãÈâµÈ¶¼ÄÃ³öÀ´£¬È»ºó×¼±¸¸úÉÛÐþËµµãÊ²Ã´£¬¾Í¼ûµ½¸úÔÚÉÛÐþÉíºó½øÃÅµÄËÄ¸öÈË¡£

    ¡°Come in. Hurry up. It is cold outside!¡± Yan Shuo told his wife to bring out the frozen fish. Then he was about to say something to Shao Xuan, but at this moment he saw four people entering the house behind Shao Xuan.

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    ¡°Who are they?¡± Yan Shuo looked at the four men. He felt they seemed familiar, although he saw them for the first time. He guessed the possible answer.

    ¡°They are also wanderers.¡± Shao Xuan briefly introduced Yan Zhi and the other three. On the way, he had already introduced Yan Shuo and his family to them.

    Although Yan Shuo¡¯s house had been expanded, it was crowded because another five people came in. They also felt much warmer in the house.

    Drinking some hot soup, they sat around the fire and chatted. Gradually, they became more familiar with each other.

    Yan Zhi and the other three were alert to others, includingthe decendants of the ming Horns tribe, but they trusted Shao Xuan. So, they also trusted Yan Shuo, who would go back to the tribe with them.

    ¡°As soon as the winter ends, we will leave.¡± Shao Xuan told his own n.

    Shao Xuan nned to go to the Drumming tribe with them first. In that tribe, they would be protected. Any other ce, they would get into a lot of trouble.

    The members of the Drumming tribe looked vicious and aggressive, but they were good men. They would also need their help.

    ¡°We all listen to you.¡± Yan Shuo said.

    ¡°Yes, we follow you.¡± Yan Zhi also said.

    ¡°In the Drumming tribe, are there many crocodiles?¡± Jiao Wu asked with doubt.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°...Crocodiles are very dangerous.¡±

    In the Longboat tribe, Yan Zhi and the other three had seen the crocodiles brought back by the boats, which were hunted during their voyage. They had just nced at it from a distance, and had only seen a crocodile bite and crush a wooden beam the width of an arm.

    ¡°But in the Drumming tribe, as long as you behave and do as what I ask you to do, those crocodiles are actually very helpful.¡±

    Shao Xuan told them about that tribe, as well as his experiences there.

    ¡°However, before going to the he Drumming tribe, I n to go to the Pu tribe to look for a person. The Pu tribe isn¡¯t far from there, so we will pass the Pu tribe on the way.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    When he had left the traveling team, Shao Xuan had told Yu that if he could catch up with them, they would meet in a certain ce. But the Pu tribe¡¯s team arrived at that ce and stayed for two days, they still didn¡¯t see Shao Xuan. The people of the Pu tribe then went back soon after, they couldn¡¯t keep on waiting for Shao Xuan. Yu couldn¡¯t change it, so they finally left.

    But Yu didn¡¯t worry about him, because he knew Shao Xuan was stronger than he looked, and there was an eagle which always helped him. When Shao Xuan left, he told him if he didn¡¯t arrive there in time, the traveling team of the Pu tribe could first go. And he would go to Pu tribeter to visit them.

    Having left the travel team of the Pu tribe for such a long time, Shao Xuan nned to visit Yu and a few other people in the team who had helped him before returning to his tribe. Along the way, he could also get some frog poison from the Pu tribe. Perhaps it would be useful on their journey back to the tribe.

    The winter herested as long as the other side of the river, but the weather here was not as bad.

    When the moon came out, it was already rtively warm.

 Chapter 210 - Brother will introduce you to a crocodile

    Chapter 210 - Brother will introduce you to a crocodile

    Tranted by

    Edited by Ilesyt

    As the winter ended, some rafts and boats started sailing on the river. But most of them were from the wanderers and the ves living here. The traveling teams had not set off yet.

    Shao Xuan did not see the ve owner this time. Yan Shuo said the ve owner called Shi Shu hadn¡¯te back since he had headed out for somewhere in the winter. No one knew when he would return, but he had ordered several senior ves to control the other ves so the ves here didn¡¯t dare to bezy. These days you could see the ves being busy.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan, Yan Zhi and the others fixed the docked boat.

    The boat was still there. It wasn¡¯t stolen, though no ves guarded it. When it snowed, no one was willing to sail. When it stopped snowing, some who nned to steal the boat gave up this idea because they saw Shao Xuan.

    ¡°We set out tomorrow.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°OK, we¡¯re ready.¡± Yan Shuo said excitedly.

    Yan Shuo and his family would leave with Shao Xuan, and their house would be given to their friends here. Since Shao Xuan came herest year, he became a big deterrent to the others. And with the increase of strength, Yan Shuo had formed a group among the wanderers. Among them, some were the good friends of Yan Shuo, but they couldn¡¯t leave with him.

    Thus, Yan Shuo gave his house to those who had helped him ovee difficulties. Getting the consent of Shao Xuan, he told them that the ming Horns tribe would move to the central region. After it moved there, they could live around the tribe.

    Originally they expected to be sad because of Yan Shuo¡¯s departure. But on hearing Yan Shuo¡¯s words, they became very happy. That was good news for them. With hope, they had more motivation to live.

    They just had to wait for several years. Perhaps they would receive good news in only one or two years.

    Everything was ready. Shao Xuan gave the prey thrown down by Chacha to Yan Shuo, and said, ¡°Rest properly tonight, we will leave tomorrow.¡±

    Night fell. With the end of winter, some animals became active at night again, so the wanderers didn¡¯t dare to go out and all stayed at home.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what are looking at?¡± Jiao Wu asked, while holding a roast and eating.

    Shao Xuan looked away from the view outside the window, shut the window, and said, ¡°If I guessed correctly, tonight the tribe will hold the annual ritual ceremony.¡±

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, those enjoying the roast or drinking soup stopped to look at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Ri..ritual, what is that?¡± Yan Zhi asked as he held back his excitement.

    ¡°On this day, everyone in the tribe goes to the fire pit to participate in the ritual ceremony. The totem warriors wear clothes and essories made of their most proud hunt. Everyone paints the tribe¡¯s totem patterns on their face...¡±

    Shao Xuan told them about the annual ritual ceremony.

    Everyone sitting next to the fire was listening carefully, and their eyes reflected the mes of the fire so their eyes looked bright. Even the kid held in Yan Shuo¡¯s arms listened carefully, but no one knew how much he understood.

    While talking, Shao Xuan felt the totem changing in his mind.

    ¡°The fire pit¡¯s Three mes, the first begins.¡± Shao Xuan pointed to his face, rolled up the sleeves of his animal skin coat, and showed his totem patterns that appeared.

    Besides Shao Xuan, all five here, except Yan Shuo¡¯s wife and his children, showed totem patterns on their faces. Their patterns were not as clear as those of Shao Xuan. But they did exist.

    ¡°Every year, the qualified children can awaken their power on this day. After we go back, little Yan Nian also needs to do so.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Yan Nian, Yan Shuo¡¯s daughter, didn¡¯t grow as well as those in the tribe, but it didn¡¯t matter, because she would be healthier after she returned.

    They were told to have a proper rest tonight, but none went to bed early. Yan Shuo, Yan Zhi and the others thought about Shao Xuan¡¯s words all night. They were too excited to fall asleep, even after closing their eyes. The next morning, they were still energetic.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s friends from the wanderer area came to say farewell to him.

    After walking to the boat with his child in his arms, Yan Shuo looked back to the people standing on the bank, ¡°Go back. Wait for good news.¡±

    Taking the paddles passed by Yan Zhi, Yan Shuo rowed the boat and looked at the ce where he had lived for many years. In the ce ruled by ve owners there were more and more houses, and bigger and bigger houses were built there. This year, many wanderers went there to work. They looked forward to getting promoted from the bottom to more important positions. The wanderer area didn¡¯t change and looked the same. Some left and some came. Some houses copsed, and some new houses were built. In the river next to the wanderer area and the ce ruled by the ve owners, countless wanderers and ves were buried there. Some died of sickness, and some were killed.

    It suddenly urred to Yan Zhi that a wanderer sitting in a daze in front of his door had told him something when he had firste to this ce.

    At that time, the wanderer took a bone knife polished by himself, pointed to the river and said, ¡°Every day, some die here. They are thrown into the river, and eaten by fish. And then the wanderers catch the fish and eat it. There were some who were more unfortunate. They would¡¯ve like to have been thrown into the river, but were eaten by humans instead. Their bones used to make bone swords, which were taken all over the ce and used to hunt...¡±

    Yan Shuo couldn¡¯t remember the face of the wanderer, he only remembered that person was seriously injured when hunting in the mountain. After he came back, he tied a stone to himself and jumped into the river.

    It was difficult to survive and make a living, and only those who did so understood.

    Yan Shuo looked back and saw those who were still standing on the bank. They were also looking at the boat. They were envious of Yan Shuo, and at the same time, they were also looking forward to hearing the news of his tribe. Perhaps that day would be the beginning of their new life.

    He vigorously paddled forwards, looked at those who stood on the bank, and shouted: ¡°Stay alive!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Their voices called out from the bank.

    Jiao Wu also had the intention to shout, but he was stared at by Yan Zhi, so he could only hold himself back.

    Above the green river, a boat carrying nine people moved forward with the sound of paddles.

    On the boat, there were wooden shields, which would be used if they were attacked by those on the riverbanks.

    Yan Shuo¡¯s wife and his children were protected in the middle of the boat.

    In the sky, Chacha paid much attention to the situation below. If he found anything unusual, he would alert Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan still remembered this river, he remembered thest time he was here. The experienced travelers had told him their experiences here. They had told him which river passages flowed more rapidly, which were more dangerous, and where small tribes lived. Shao Xuan had also told Yan Zhi and the others about this so that they would not panic.

    It was the first time for the two children to leave the wanderer area where they had lived since birth, so both were curiously looking at the scenery on both sides. But the adults didn¡¯t feel as rxed, because Shao Xuan had told them to stay vignt.

    The third day after leaving the river fork, Shao Xuan saw the symbol of the Pu tribe.

    ¡°The Pu tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said and pointed to the pattern drawn on the prominent rock on the hill near the river.

    At the edge of the Pu tribe there were some totem warriors patrolling. They didn¡¯t remember Shao Xuan, but when Shao Xuan mentioned what happenedst year they recalled seeing him.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan¡¯s group posed no threat, one of the warriors said: ¡°Follow me, I will take you to see Fan Ning.¡±

    The winter had ended, so the temperature rose. The traveling team also began to prepare for the first travel of the year. There were several traveling teams. Fan Ning was telling others to tell his team members about this year¡¯s traveling n. Hearing someone calling him from behind, he turned around and saw Shao Xuan.

    Fan Ning still remembered Shao Xuan, but he still showed indifference on his face.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care about his attitude, for he had always looked indifferent.

    After talking with several familiar men around him, he followed the guide of some people in the Pu tribe to look for Yu.

    It was the first time Yan Zhi and the others had ever entered a tribe, and it was not their own tribe. Surrounded by the totem warrior, they felt very nervous.

    Some members of the Pu tribe near them looked at them with contempt, while others totally ignored them. They knew they had nothing good to exchange with them at the first nce. They would not trade with them, so naturally they had a bad attitude.

    When there were few people around them, Jiao Wu could not help but whisper to his brother, ¡°Their eyes are so big.¡±

    He had intended to say something else, but he was stared at by Yan Zhi.

    As it was warmer, the people of the Pu tribe began to hold some frog activities. Yan Zhi and the others tried not to touch those frogs, because Shao Xuan had told them before they came here, although the frogs looked very fat and very delicious.

    However, those who knew Shao Xuan were clear that this guy owned many good things that were brought from the central region.

    ¡°Will the trade start in two days?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the houses around him and asked the people next to him.

    Many people in the surrounding area had begun to set their things down, which showed that the people of the Pu tribe had started trading.

    ¡°Oh, Shao Xuan, the people of the Luo tribe wille today to trade. You can see what you can trade for.¡± The man said.

    When he saw Yu¡¯s house, Shao Xuan thanked the man, game a piece of dried meat to him, and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The smell of meat shocked him, for he did not expect that he could get a reward because of leading the way. He grinned and looked around. When no one noticed him, he quickly stuffed it into his animal skin bag. He did not want to let others know he got a reward to avoid being robbed.

    This time, Yu did not intend to go with the traveling team. When Shao Xuan arrived there, he was still sleeping in his small house.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s visit pleased Yu. He knew Shao Xuan wanted to get some frog poison, so he made various kinds of frog poison and poisonous stingers in front of Yan Zhi and the others who were curious. He also dug out some of his grandfather¡¯s private buried things.

    ¡°These things were made by my grandfatherst year. If it is kept for too long, it will no longer be effective. I give it to you.¡± Yu said with clear conscience, and didn¡¯t worry that his old grandfather would be furious if he knew about this.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    At this time, some people not far from them became active.

    ¡°Perhaps the people of the Luo tribe areing here. You can get some fishings from them. Their fishings are very good, but I don¡¯t know what theirs are made of.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go and have a look for now.¡±

    After Shao Xuan left, Yu yawned and intended to continue to sleep.

    ¡°Who came here just now? Hey, where is my frog poison? I nned to use it to trade for something with the people of the Luo tribe.¡± The old man hade back.

    ¡°Grandpa, do you know the ming Horns tribe?¡± Yu asked.

    ¡°No idea. It sounds a bit familiar. Where is my frog poison?¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan is a member of the ming Horns tribe.¡±

    ¡°Well, where is my frog poison?¡±

    ¡°Last year, when I went out with the traveling team, I saw Shao Xuan defeat a person of the Thousand Faces tribe.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I remember you said that before. My frog poison?¡±

    They began to have a dialogue of the deaf, which happened once a day.

    The Luo tribe left an impression on Shao Xuan because of its specials. They used very a thin material to weave theirs, and that material was made from some kind of processed nt.

    Shao Xuan traded for a fishing and also several fish skin coats.

    Fish skin coats were verymon in the Luo tribe. It was different from the animal skin coats of other tribes.

    Their tribe was surrounded by three rivers, and they could catch fish in two of those rivers. They used the most primitive tools and the mostmon materials to make clothes which covered their bodies and kept them warm.

    Every tribe, including the Luo tribe and the Pu tribe, had experienced countless ups and downs. Each tribe developed unique skills in its unique history to survive and develop. Even if had not even touched the more advanced civilization and culture of the central region, they had still entered the threshold of civilization, but it took them a longer time.

    Civilization and skills were the results of hard life.

    Compared to the trade in the central region, the trade here was more profitable. No wonder the people of the Pu tribe always liked to travel far.

    Yan Zhi and the others had learned a lot thanks to following Shao Xuan.

    After staying in the Pu tribe for the night, early in the morning of the next day, Shao Xuan took the boat and headed for the Drumming tribe with Yan Zhi and the others.

    The closer they got to the Drumming tribe, the more nervous Yan Zhi and the others became. Although Shao Xuan had told them that the crocodiles in that tribe were special, they still could not help but feel nervous. They kept recalling the bloody event.

    ¡°The Drumming tribe is there.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the river in the front and said.

    Yan Zhi and the others became even more nervous, and they kept ncing over the river from time to time.

    Huaaa~~!

    A figure jumped out of the water. When he dropped down, he stood on the water.

    Soon, Yan Zhi and the others saw a ferocious head covered with some hard skin and a pair of extremely sharp eyes, that revealed gradually, under the feet of the man.

    Behind them, pairs of yellow and brown eyes appeared, also revealing huge jaws...

    Besides Shao Xuan, everyone looked pale.

    The man was a patrolling warrior of this tribe. Different from those of the Pu tribe, the warriors here remembered Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Hey, it is you.¡± The warrior said with enthusiasm and familiarity, but his facial expression made Yan Zhi and the others feel nervous, and always feel like he was very cruel.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s intention, the warrior led Shao Xuan with enthusiasm to the tribe. But when heughed, his face looked even crueller.

    When walking, Shao Xuan heard the shout which others could not hear.

    That little guy was shouting. Last year when he saw it, it was only a fragile little crocodile.

    In the pond in front of him, a figure and a pair of dark brown eyes appeared. Although it grew bigger, Shao Xuan could recognize it at the first nce.

    ¡°Little Yan Nian,e here. Brother will introduce you to a crocodile.¡±

 Chapter 211 - Sailing back

    Chapter 211 - Sailing back

    Tranted by

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Over half a year had passed since thest time Shao Xuan had seen this small crocodile. Now, it¡¯s already more than two meters long, it grew faster thanmon crocodiles. It¡¯s said by the Drumming tribe that these crocodiles would grow faster and faster in future, especially in rainy seasons; every time when they left and came back again, they would experience a crazy process of growth.

    ¡°My little boy, Long time no see.¡± Said Shao Xuan. Looking at the little crocodile crawling towards him, reached out his hand and touched the slightly hard skin on the head of the crocodile.

    At the sight of the intimacy between Shao Xuan and the little crocodile, the warriors of the Drumming tribe who led them into the tribe wore even bigger smiles and treated them with even more enthusiasm. However, Jiao Wu felt scared when seeing their big mouths.

    ¡®Their eyes are really a lot like those of the crocodiles.¡¯ Jiao Wu and the others thought to themselves.

    If they saw thebat state of the Drumming tribe, this feeling would be even stronger.

    After the winter, the temperature warmed up, but it was not yet what they liked. Nevertheless, in the Drumming tribe, crocodiles were already everywhere to be seen.

    Several of the patrolling guards were around Yan Zhi and the others for protection, leading them into the tribe. If no one led them in, those crocodiles would attack any strangers who entered the tribe and eat them as food.

    Some crocodiles emerged out of the pond, watching the passersby coldly, and then went down into the pond again.

    Jiao Wu and the others were tense the whole way, while the two kids had better mental states, and were gazing at thoserge and small crocodiles around them curiously.

    Since they came to the Drumming tribe, they would naturally visit the chief and the shaman first. Moreover, Shao Xuan also had something to discuss with them.

    Last time, when Shao Xuan paid a visit, those two men had showed friendship and hoped that the two tribes could cooperate with each other on good terms. This time, Shao Xuan was here to talk about the cooperation.

    The shaman and the chief of the Drumming tribe had received the report of the patrolling guards and were waiting outside the house.

    Waiting outside for reception instead of sitting inside the house also showed the attitudes of the chaman and the chief. This indicated the importance of Shao Xuan to them.

    ¡°Long time no see, Shao Xuan.¡± The shaman of the Drumming tribe said to Shao Xuan while looking at him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that long. Just half a year.¡± Shao Xuan went over and took out a jade as a gift to them.

    Chief Fan Mu took over the jade. A lukewarm feeling came up when he touched the jade, making the stress in his mind ease a lot.

    It¡¯s not that they had never seen jades, but that their tribe was located in remote regions far away from the central region. Also, they didn¡¯t like long travels as the people of the Pu tribe did, and the Pu tribe seldom brought back jades, so few people of the Drumming tribe had ever seen jades, except for some of the higher ranks.

    The shaman of the Drumming tribe looked at Shao Xuan with a more eased face, not only for the gift from Shao Xuan, but also for the knowledge of Shao Xuan¡¯s strong strength, who had nothing but some water moonstones with him before he left, but was able to bring members of his tribe back safe and sound after traveling the central region with the Pu tribe.

    As a shaman, what he saw was not the short-term gains, but something moresting and favorable for the development of the tribe.

    Not understanding why all those brought here by Shao Xuan looked like just un-awakenedmon people, but this shaman knew that it should be something rted to the tribe¡¯s secret. Therefore, he didn¡¯t ask more details, but let someone take Yan Zhi and the others to the houses nearby for rest, while he and Fan Mu led Shao Xuan inside the house for detailed talks.

    ¡°Move the tribe?¡±

    After listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s words, both the shaman and the chief of the Drumming tribe were quite astonished. Generally speaking, if it¡¯s not for great changes and events, the tribe would not migrate at random. Therger the tribe was, the more difficult it would be to migrate.

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    ¡°Yes. To be honest, the shaman and the chief of our tribe had thought of moving the tribe to the central region since a long time ago, as our tribe used to be there in the past, but left for some reasonter on. After I return, I¡¯ll report the situation of the central region to our shaman. He will probably issue the decision of the tribe¡¯s migration together with the chief.¡± Shao Xuan exined with some omissions.

    ¡°In case our tribe migrates, it¡¯s likely that we¡¯llnd at the side of the Drumming tribe. So we hope the Drumming tribe can give us a hand at that time. I promise that we¡¯ll never be threats to the Drumming tribe, neither will we invade or forcibly upy the territory of the Drumming tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    It¡¯s not for Shao Xuan to decide on whether to invade or upy, so they didn¡¯t believe in his words immediately; after all, Shao Xuan was neither the shaman nor the chief of the ming Horns tribe. As the chiefship of the tribe, both Fan Mu and the shaman needed to take much into consideration.

    Shao Xuan was not in a hurry either. He would stay in the Drumming tribe for half a year, until the end of the rainy season. This was also what the shaman and Fan Mu permitted, and they would make a decision within this half a year.

    After talking in the shaman¡¯s house for quite a while, Shao Xuan went out and headed to Fu Shi¡¯s house with Yan Zhi and the others.

    Not having seen Shao Xuan for half a year, Fu Shi and his family were still very hospital and brought meat out as a treat. Then, Yan Zhi and the others saw the ¡°boldness¡± and bloodiness on the dining table of the Drumming tribe.

    Hearing that Shao Xuan would stay in the tribe for half a year, but had no ce here to live temporarily, Fu Shi rolled up his sleeves, ¡°I¡¯ll build the house for you! Just on thend nearby. You can live there when it¡¯s built up. After Chen Jia has his own family and kids in the future, he can also live in that house.¡±

    Houses of the Drumming tribe were built with some part in the water. Shao Xuan was not yet familiar with this kind of architectural techniques and Fu Shi¡¯s assistance was indeed in need. Fortunately, there was lots of manpower and Shao Xuan had great strength to carry the wood and build the house. After one day, a stilt house of simr size as that of Fu Shi¡¯s house waspleted.

    The house was divided into three rooms: one for Yan Shuo and his family, one for Yan Zhuo and his wife and the rest one for Shao Xuan, Yan Zhi and his brother. It¡¯s only for a short-term stay, so there was no need for aplicated house; moreover, they all had work to do in the daytime on the whole and only lived in the house at night. It was only a foothold for the kids.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make do with it.¡± Shao Xuan said while looking at the house.

    ¡°Well¡­¡­That¡­¡­¡± Jiao Wu pointed to the crocodiles swimming around in the pond beneath the house, a little bit stammering. Won¡¯t you have nightmares when living here?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as you don¡¯t provoke them, they will not attack you.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Bang!

    Chacha threw down a deer he caught from the mountain and flew away.

    With Fu Shi¡¯s instructions, Yan Zhuo and the others dragged the deer to the riverbank to treat it and brought it back into the house afterwards.

    Before roasting, Shao Xuan asked Yan Zhuo to cut a piece of meat from the deer. He walked over to the side of the window and threw the meat to the little crocodile in the pond.

    Although they looked slow while squirming and swimming in daily life, they had quick movements when hunting. The meat Shao Xuan threw out was precisely caught in its mouth.

    For the time before the rainy season, they would live in this house. Surely, Shao Xuan also paid ¡°the housing fee¡± for living in the Drumming tribe, that at times he would send some prey he caught to Fu Shi and his family; after all, this belonged to their territory. Moreover, Fu Shi and his family did them a lot of favors in daily life.

    Shao Xuan intended to leave before the rainy season, but they needed to build another ship for departure, a ship tougher and more durable than the previous one.

    As to the lumber for shipbuilding, Shao Xuan would look for usable lumber everyday in the mountains and forests nearby the Drumming tribe. He would carry the lumber back if it was satisfactory, or he would go further if no satisfactory lumber was found. Seeing that Yan Zhi and the others wanted to build a ship, people of the Drumming tribe also came over to help. Of course, many of them were sent by the shaman to learn. They also would like to learn the techniques of shipbuilding. Usually they used the crocodiles as ships, but sometimes they would need something like this. The ¡°Ship¡± looked much better than the rafts of the Pu tribe.

    Most important of all, they were in high spirits when they heard that ships were often used in the central region. Sometimes, when Shao Xuan went out, many warriors of the Drumming tribe would follow him out readily and when Shao Xuan returned, they would alsoe back with various lumber.

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    The shipbuilding at this time concerned whether they could return to their tribe sessfully or not. About the requirements and designs of the ship, Shao Xuan had discussed with Yan Zhi and the others since a long time ago. Here in this ce, there were no trees big and strong enough to make canoes, they could only use the lumber to make a ship.

    Yan Zhi and the others paid all their energy into building the ship. It could be said that all their hopes were put on this ship. Any carelessness was not allowed at all.

    The necessary rubbers, fish glue, wooden dowels, rock dowels, fish skins, bamboo, rattan and other things were all prepared inrge quantities and tried one by one. After a decision, they would be used on the ship.

    Without metal, it would surely be more difficult and need more stuff to make it.

    Certainly a sail was a necessity. In the middle, Shao Xuan paid several visits to the Luo tribe. Fish glue and fish skin used in the Luo tribe were what Shao Xuan needed, as well as the materials for-knitting. Shao Xuan asked them to weave a morepact. Ayer of thin but tough fish skin used for summer clothes by the Luo tribe was stuck on the. After paying the reward, Shao Xuan went back with this kind of ¡°sail¡±.

    He had also brought some linen back from the central region, so the fish skin sail was used as a spare.

    During the time living in the Drumming tribe, Jiao Wu was no longer afraid of those crocodiles. Although he would still keep away from the crocodiles when he ran into them, he was not that scared as he was in the beginning. Moreover, Shao Xuan told them that during their way back to the tribe, they would encounter more dreadful things than these crocodiles. If they didn¡¯t even dare to look at these crocodiles directly, how could they go on sailing?

    When the ship waspleted, the rainy season was also around the corner. And as their sole hope for returning to the tribe, Yan Zhi and the others built a wooden shed for the ship as protection.

    On the side of the shaman and the chief of the Drumming tribe, after such a long time of considerations and discussions, they made a decision that they were willing to help when the ming Horns tribe arrived and permitted people of the ming Horns tribe to enter their tribe, while Shao Xuan took an oath on his totem that neither would they rob the Drumming tribe of the water moonstones and things of the like, nor would they hurt people of the Drumming tribe maliciously when the tribe arrived.

    Both parties discussed with each other for the whole day inside the small house of the shaman. Though people of the Drumming tribe would not beat about the bush or think too much, the shaman and the chief, as the leadership of the tribe, were wiser, had more careful considerations and concerns.

    After having finished discussing the details of the cooperation between the two tribes, the shaman of the Drumming tribe also particrly wrote a letter on an animal skin roll to the shaman of the ming Horns tribe. At the end of the animal skin roll, the totem pattern of the Drumming tribe was drawn. This the was formalmunication between the shamans, the first talk of the seniors of the two tribes who had never seen each other.

    Seeing the shaman writing a letter, the chief also wrote something. Shao Xuan would take what they wrote back and believed that his shaman and chief would be d to see these.

    ¡°The rainy season ising soon. Are you well-prepared?¡± Standing by the side of the window and looking at the sky outside, the shaman of the Drumming tribe asked.

    Behind the shaman, Shao Xuan put away the animal skin roll and replied: ¡°It¡¯s almost done. We¡¯ll prepare some food during the rainy season and take it with us in due time.¡±

    Shao Xuan had said that he was not sure when the ming Horns tribe would migrate exactly, but it would migrate as soon as possible.

    Inparison with other elders of the Drumming tribe, the shaman preferred to trust Shao Xuan and the ming Horns tribe. From the first time when he felt the power of the shaman of the ming Horns tribe from the stone te, which had the drawing of the totem pattern of the ming Horns tribe, he had got this faith. That¡¯s the intuition and feeling belonging to shamans.

    ¡°Looking forward to your soon return.¡±

    ¡°So do I.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    Coming out of the house of the shaman of the Drumming tribe, Shao Xuan looked up to the sky. It would rain soon. When the rain falls down, the rainy season will be here.

    The biggest change in the rainy season of the Drumming tribe was the crocodiles.

    In this great river spreading as far as the eye could see, many river beasts would move around in the rainy season. It was the same with the crocodiles of the Drumming tribe.

    When the rain fell with pitter-patter sounds, it also meant the beginning of the rainy season in this year.

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    Large and small crocodiles went over in the direction of the great river one after the other. Those usually staying in the pond in front of Fu Shi¡¯s house also left.

    When these crocodiles came out from the gorges, branches, mires and ponds, it was a spectacr scene to see them moving their big ws, slowly crawling on the ground while dragging their huge bodies.

    Those small crocodiles, which couldn¡¯t leave with the teamst year, could also follow the team and depart this year after one year¡¯s growth.

    Because of the rain, Shao Xuan and the others didn¡¯t go out today.

    Watching thoserge and small crocodiles outside passing by the house, Jiao Wu said: ¡°I didn¡¯t think that there were actually so many crocodiles.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because many of them do note out, so you don¡¯t see them.¡± Yan Zhi said.

    Lying in front of the window with his little brother, Yan Nian moved his eyes away from the group of crocodiles outside and asked Shao Xuan: ¡°Brother Xuan, does our ming Horns tribe have this kind of crocodiles?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Then what does it have?¡± Yan Nian was very curious.

    ¡°Apart from humans, there are only some strange guys.¡±

    ¡°Are they like Chacha?¡±

    ¡°They look different.¡± With a charcoal pencil in hand, Shao Xuan drew some drawings on a wooden te, ¡°This is Caesar, a wolf; this is Liao, a cave lion; and this is Si Ya, a babirusa, it looks a bit like a wild boar but without the thick fur. You¡¯ll know it in due time. And¡­¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan also had told Yan Zhi and the others about these things, as well as the situation of the tribe, getting them prepared in their mind. Nevertheless, for Yan Zhi and the others, it didn¡¯t matter whether the tribe could make pottery, whether it had jades, silk garments or big boats, etc... What they wanted was to return to their tribe. This was their biggest wish.

    As the days of the rainy season went by, the group of crocodiles in the Drumming tribe also all left gradually. When the rainy season was over, the crocodiles that could be seen in the Drumming tribe were only those small ones not born in the breeding seasons. They were unable to leave, but people in the tribe would take care of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to set off!¡±

    Shao Xuan asked all the others to pack up and carried the ship out to the riverbank.

    The shaman, the chief and some elders of the Drumming tribe all came to the riverbank to see them off.

    Having said goodbye to the people of the Drumming tribe, they boarded the ship.

    Havinge to this ce from the tribe, Shao Xuan was only here for preliminary investigations. There were many ces that he had not been to. After the whole ming Horns tribe migrated here and settled down, he would travel all around, pay a visit to the Thousand Masks tribe, Hui tribe,... and Yang Sui¡¯s Rain tribe.

    Setting the sail, they began their return journey.

 Chapter 212 - I am back

    Chapter 212 - I am back

    Tranted by

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After the rainy season ended, many creatures in the river disappeared. Piranhas were the mostmon in the river, but there were also smaller fish which appeared from time to time to eat the bigger fish that sometimes gnawed on their ship.

    Shao Xuan had told Yan Zhi and the others about the danger in the river. This time they set out together and Shao Xuan paddled together with the others.

    Making use of the sail, and paddles, they moved forward with the help of Chacha. Just like when he had done so when they came herest year.

    Thanks to his experience ofst year, this time Shao Xuan knew what he should pay attention to. He had made preparations in case that the invisible air pressure came down.

    They had made preparations and avoided being curious. They focused on their journey, so in general it was a smooth trip.

    But Shao Xuan always had a very strange feeling when sailing on this river again. He couldn¡¯t tell the reason, but he always had the feeling that they should be moving faster.

    Although it was not clear what that feeling was, he didn¡¯t have a sense of danger. Shao Xuan did not understand, and no longer thought about it. He thought when he was free he would ponder it again.

    For Yan Zhi and the others, they would ovee no matter what kind of difficulties they encountered, because they knew that the ming Horns tribe was on the other side of the river.

    As they sailed on the river, the people in the ming Horns tribe had been restless since the beginning of the rainy season. Even after the rainy season ended, the restlesssness grew.

    ¡°Mai, you think Shao Xuan wille back?¡± Lang Ga asked as he yed with some stone arrowheads that he had just sharpened.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Mai said as he put away his hunting tools.

    ¡°The Shaman said Shao Xuan had gone to the old haunt. Do you think Shao Xuan will spend a few years there before he returns?¡± Lang Ga asked.

    Mai did not answer this time, none of them knew the situation on the other side of the river.

    Mai¡¯s silence did not make Lang Ga shut up. He continued to speak to himself, ¡°What do the people of the other tribes look like? If Shao Xuan cane back safely now, can we go with him to the other side of the river next year, to the old haunt that the Shaman had mentioned?¡±

    Lang Ga thought like that, and the majority in the tribe had the same idea.

    This year, the people in the tribe changed a lot. Even the two teamleaders who had always had conflicts could get on well.

    If the past, after the rainy season ended, the people would go hunting. But this year, the two teamleaders didn¡¯t want to lead their teams to go hunting, so after a discussion, the Shaman and the chief allowed them to stay.

    Every day, many people were active on the banks of the river.

    After the rainy season, there were continuous sunny days. It was time for them to go hunting and do some washing. However, both adults and children, on the mountains or at the foot of the mountain, didn¡¯t want to do anything else. They just stared at the river when they were free.

    Day by day, the water level of the river had begun to decline.

    ¡°Can Shao Xuane back?¡±

    ¡°Did he forget toe back?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡±

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    Once the water level of the river began to reduce, time would fly faster and faster.

    So anxious!

    They didn¡¯t know how long he needed to travel on the river. They felt anxious when they saw the water level of the river drop day by day. Shao Xuan shoulde back after the rainy season ended and before the full moon.

    On the river bank there were fish cages, which were removed from the river one by one. Those who came here for a walk every day ate less and less and became much thinner in just a few days.

    A certain day, some sand was exposed on the river. The two teamleaders who came here every day saw it and sighed. They saw the helplessness in the eyes of each other.

    The greater hope they had, the more disappointment they felt. They had already believed that Shao Xuan would note back this year. Maybe next year?

    They didn¡¯t feel one year was a long period of time, but now both felt it was too long.

    When they were sighing, next to them Ke Ke was poking the sand with boredom and staring at the river. Suddenly, he rose and fixed his eyes on the distant river.

    Ta and Gui He saw Ke Ke and became nervous. They ignored everything else and looked to the distant river at once.

    The sun was dazzling and the ripples of the river reflected the golden light. Far away, on the border between the river and the sky, Ta and Gui He saw a ck dot, although it was blurry.

    ¡°Is... is that Ah Xuan?¡± Ta said in a trembling voice. He hadn¡¯t liked Shao Xuan. But since he knew more about him, he had understood that whether the tribe could move or not depended on Shao Xuan. Since then he had a different attitude towards him, and even held unprecedented expectations.

    Ta had great hope, so at the first nce of the ck dot on the river he hesitated and didn¡¯t dare to believe it.

    ¡°Yes, that must be Shao Xuan!¡±

    ¡°Who else could it be?¡±

    ¡°Boss, that must be Shao Xuan!¡±

    Standing next to Ta, Ke Ke and others replied.

    Ta ignored them and looked to Gui He, waiting for his answer.

    Gui He stared at the river, the ck dot was getting closer. His face had been stiff and the facial muscles trembled now. His eyes were filled with ecstasy, ¡°Yes, look at the sky!¡±

    In the sky, there was a figure.

    ¡°That¡¯s Chacha!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha!!¡±

    Gui Heughed loudly. He held a whistle, took a deep breath and blew it hard.

    In the mountainsm the whistle usually made a clear sound as a bird, but this time, the sound was very sharp. However, hearing the whistle, the people in the tribe didn¡¯t found it was sharp. Because the sound was made by a person on the river bank, which meant something they were hoping for had happened.

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    The whistle was short and it stopped. Gui He had intended to continue to blow it, but the wood whistle broke because he blew it too hard.

    Gui He was so excited at this moment that the whistle broke.

    The Shaman said as long as Shao Xuan came back, they would have hope to make all their wishese true.

    For thousands of years, what the ancestors had been looking forward would be reality.

    ¡°Jiaoo~~!¡±

    A long eagle scream was heard between the earth and the heaven. The people in the tribe heard it.

    Caesar, before old Ke could ride on his back, ran to the river bank. Old Ke was left alone, looking at Caesar¡¯s back and shaking his crutch. He didn¡¯t look angry and his red eyes were filled with joy.

    ¡°Awuuu~~!¡±

    The beasts on the mountainside and the mountain also roared because they heard the sound which they hadn¡¯t heard for a year.

    Standing on the top of the mountain, the Shaman turned around and climbed down the mountain directly to the foot of the mountain. He was even more excited than he had been when he had heard that the remains of the ancestors were found.

    One year. This year, the Shaman thought every day about if Shao Xuan seeded, what would happen. If not, what else would happen.

    The Shaman was stressed out, so he looked much older this year.

    Soon, many people gathered on the river bank. Even when the hunting teams returned from their hunt, not such a great number of people would wee them. Almost everyone that could walk came to the river bank. Those who could not move or were injured asked others to carry them on their backs.

    Standing in the front were the Shaman, the chief, the team leaders, and several respected elders. The ce they stood was the only ce which was not crowded.

    In the other ces, everyone wanted to stand in the front, but the space was limited. They had to jostle for position.

    Even on the fish cages made by Shao Xuan and Lang Ga, it was also crowded. Whoever wanted to stand there, he or she needed to rely on his or her strength.

    It was more difficult for the brawny people to squeeze on the few pirs in the small space

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t push!¡±

    ¡°Fuck! Go behind!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push. Or I will give you a lesson...¡±

    Those who stood in the front on the river bank felt their backs were pushed hard. They had nned to turn back to roar, but when they saw Caesar, who was even taller than them, they immediately shut their mouths and gave way.

    They had to let it go. They saw Caesar expose his teeth, and if they didn¡¯t let him go, they would be bitten and thrown away.

    Shao Xuan also saw the people on the river bank. He stood at the front of the boat, waved his hand, and shouted at them loudly, ¡°I am back!¡±

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    ¡°Awuuuu~~!¡±

    Caesar raised his head, howled and shoved the several people next to him. He was so excited that he wanted to jump into water. But he didn¡¯t do so, because there were too many uncertainties in the river.

    ¡°That...that is...our tribe?¡± Yan Zhi and the others felt their hearts beat quickly. ¡®Our tribe¡¯ were two words that changed the meaning of their life.

    They could feel the people there were kind and familiar before they even saw thend. That kind of strong feeling was brought by the fire seed, which made their blood boil.

    And now, when they saw those people on the river bank, they became energetic again, though they had be weak after sailing on the river for so long.

    That is our tribe!

    Yan Shuo held a wooden paddle and intended to paddle harder. Although Chacha pulled the boat, they now wanted to hurry to go closer to the bank.

    Yan Zhi had the same idea. They had nned to paddle forward, but suddenly they heard the sound of something jumping out of water in the back of their boat.

    They had heard a simr sound many times during the journey. That was the sound of a fish jumping out of the water. Judging from the sound, it must be a big fish.

    Yan Zhi and the others felt worried.

    When they had faced with such a problem on the water, Shao Xuan and Chacha had solved it. But now Shao Xuan was standing at the front of the boat at the moment and he did not intend to turn around to help them.

    Judging from its shadow, the fish got closer and closer to them. Yan Zhi turned around and he saw the fish scales, which wererger than his palm, and its thick big fangs in its mouth.

    If they didn¡¯t take action, the fish would drop down and eat Yan Zhi and Yan Shuo, who were closest to its mouth. And if it hit the boat, the boat would be turned over.

    The fish was getting closer and Yan Zhi could even smell the fish smell.

    We almost reached the tribe. Will we be eaten by the fish?

    Yan Zhi and Yan Shuo felt their hands and feet be cold, and could only take the wooden paddles to try to beat the fish, though they all knew that they weren¡¯t as strong as the big fish.

    But before Yan Zhi and Yan Shuo could act, they heard a sharp sound from the river bank. Then a strong and cold wind quickly swept across their skin, so they all got goose bumps.

    Za! Za! Za! Za!

    Many spears, thin or thick, and many stone des, long or short, were thrown past Yan Shuo and Yan Zhi and hit the fish.

    Puff!

    Suddenly, blood sshed all over.

 Chapter 213 - There is hope

    Chapter 213 - There is hope

    Tranted by

    Edited by Ilesyt

    At that moment, the fish that jumped out was pierced by so many spears and swords that it looked like a hedgehog.

    Pierced by the spears and swords, the fish was pushed away from above the ship.

    Before the fish fell down, a variety of stone tools that were thrownter hit it continuously. This hedgehog-like fish looked even more miserable.

    Whoosh~~!

    A stone rod that was as thick as a man¡¯s thigh and much longer than a man''s body was thrown as a spear and directly hit the leaping fish. The rod was part of of a fish cage and it was pulled out by someone.

    Yan Zhi and the others just heard a thud and then they saw the blood ssh in their faces.

    When they looked at it again, the leaping big fish with fangs, which had just been shot, looked like a hedgehog, and then was smashed in by the stone rod.

    The fish fell into the water again. During this whole process, Shao Xuan didn''t turn around, as if he had known what would happen.

    Such a violent and bloody scene shocked Yan Zhi and the others for a while, but it also made them feel surprised and an unprecedented excitement.

    To put it bluntly, they had a feeling of being supported by others. They were no longer alone and weak. There were many people and a more powerful force that would support them.

    Yan Zhi had once asked a man of the Longboat tribe how it felt belonging to a tribe. That old man with a good character told him: ¡°When you are in danger, maybe you cannot cope with the situation. But it doesn''t matter, because you know your tribe will help you.¡±

    Yan Zhi still remembered when the old man said this, his eyes were filled with pride. Though he had also been bullied in the Longboat tribe, he knew that in his need the tribe was his greatest support.

    And Yan Zhi finally felt the support from his tribe.

    The sshed blood made the piranhas be more active in the river. Luckily, the ship quickly approached the shore because of Chacha pulling the ship. The piranhas currently targeted the fish that fell into water.

    Having been away from this ce for a year, Chacha was even more excited than Caesar. That was probably because travelling around made it finally believe that it was better to stay in the tribe. He was free in the mountain. While flying outside, he needed to considder whether the area controlled, and he was only apanied by Shao Xuan. Whatever he wanted to do, he had tothink twice before acting. He had to solve all problems on his own. This made him feel very ufortable. The food was not good, so he felt he didn''t grow bigger the past year. Now that he finally came back, the first thing he wanted to do was have a good meal!

    Looking at the ship approaching quickly, the people of the ming Horns tribe were very happy. There were several people behind Shao Xuan!

    It was the first time they had seen others from outside the tribe.

    With the ship approaching fast, the Shaman looked at Chacha, who forgot to slow down in the air, and told the crowd to make way quickly.

    ¡°Come on. Move!¡±

    Since the Shaman told them to do so, everyone naturally obeyed.

    Then, some empty space could be seen in the path of the ship in an instant.

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    The ship skid over the shore, and the smelly sand sshed on the bodies of those people who were close to it, but they did not mind. They raised their hand to wipe out the sludge on their faces, smelled it and twitched with disgust. They wiped the sludge on their arms and their body and chased after the ship.

    ¡°Chacha, stop! Loosen the rope!¡± Shao Xuan shouted to Chacha in the air.

    Caesar bit the tail of the ship to slow it down after it came ashore.

    Chacha felt the pull on the ws and heard Shao Xuan¡¯s shout. Then he snaped out of the joy of havinge back and began thinking of the various kinds of prey in the mountains.

    Getting rid of the rope in its ws, Chacha glimpsed at old Ke, who slowly walked in the back, and flew directly towards him.

    Looking at Chacha in the sky, old Kesighed, as if his child grew up and he finallye back after his trip. But when old Ke was still thinking of this, he was held by Chacha.

    Old Ke: ¡°...¡±

    Back at the ship, Shao Xuan jumped from the ship that finally stopped, pet Caesar¡¯s head, and then walked towards the Shaman and the chief.

    ¡°I am back!¡±

    ¡°You came back well! You came back well!¡± The Shaman showed his rare wrinkledugh.

    At this moment, the Shaman did not ask him too much, and he just made eye contact with Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan patted his chest, which was covered by his animal skin coat, and the Shaman got even deeper wrinkles on his face.

    The people in the tribe had so many questions to ask Shao Xuan. But it was not the time when Shao Xuan could answer their questions one by one. Shao Xuan greeted Mai, Lang Ga, and the others who were familiar to him. Then he looked at old Ke, who was finally put down by Chacha.

    Without saying anything, Shao Xuan gave old Ke a hug.

    ¡°Wee home.¡± Old Ke said and smiled with his eyes filled with tears.

    After greeting the people of the tribe, Shao Xuan did not forget to introduce Yan Zhi and the others, but not in detail. He only said that they lived outside the tribe and had not awakened their power yet.

    The Shaman and chief knew that it must be a long story, but now it was not the time to ask him about the details.

    Seeing the Shaman and the chief, Yan Zhi and the others looked a little helpless. They were so excited that they did not know what to say. Although Shao told them the etiquette of the tribe, they all forgot it because of the excitement.

    The Shaman and the chief saw that, but did not me them for that.

    ¡°Ta, Gui He, you two get them some ce to rest. This trip must have been very tiring and they need to have a good rest.¡± Ao said.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Shao Xuan said Yan Zhi and the others had not awakened their power, so they were very weak. But the two team leaders did not mind this and told the people to prepare some food for ordinary people. They couldn''t eat ferocious beast meat currently for they were not strong enough to eat it.

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    When Ta and Gui He brought Yan Zhi and the others to the mountain, a warm-hearted aunt jostled and lifted Jiao Wu with one hand, weighed him, and then said with pity, ¡°Not strong enough.¡±

    Jiao Wu: ¡°...¡±

    Finishing her words, the aunt smiled with enthusiasm, patted Jiao Wu¡¯s shoulder, and earnestly said, ¡°Young man, eat more meat!¡±

    Some people around them gave Yan Zhi and the others some food, but the team leaders told them that without awakening their power they couldn''t eat some things. That was a pity.

    Those who stayed on the shore surrounded the ship moored on the shore.

    ¡°Hey, is this a ship?¡±

    ¡°Of course! But it¡¯s better than that one made by usst year.¡±

    A totem warrior did not control his strength well, so he pinched the wooden ship and left a hole in it . Then he quickly stopped doing so.

    ¡°It¡¯s good looking, but it¡¯s not strong. We can make a more solid one this.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± The people surrounding the ship said and nodded.

    Shao Xuan had a brief talk with old Ke and then went up the mountain with the Shaman and the chief. Therefore those who wanted to ask him about the situation outside the tribe had no choice but to temporarily wait for his return.

    Shao Xuan followed the Shaman up the mountain and once again came to the stone house of the Shaman, which was familiar to him. He went into the house, poured a ss of water and chugged it. And then with the expectations of the chief and the Shaman, he took out a animal skin bag and took out four rolls from it.

    ¡°These two are written by the Shaman and the chief of the Drumming tribe and they are for you. This is the map I drew. That ce has seen great changes, and what the ancestors left was already out-dated. But I didn''t have enough time, so I wasn¡¯t able to go to all the ces. And thest one is a summary of my trip.¡±

    Handing in the four rolls to the Shaman and the chief, Shao Xuan took out some small items he brought back, such as coins, jade, and water moonstones. In terms of the origin and use of these things, he wrote them down in thest roll.

    Putting down these things, Shao Xuan did not stay for a long time and went back down the mountain. Such a long sailing trip really consumed a lot of his energy, for he had to protect Yan Zhi and the others. Shao Xuan had felt excited at first but then he felt very tired. He needed to have a good rest tonight, so he would tell them more things the next day.

    The Shaman and the chief would discuss about the things he had left for a long time.

    After Shao Xuan left, the Shaman and the chief tremblingly picked up the rolls that Shao Xuan gave to them and then looked at them carefully. They looked at thest one first. This was the first time they knew about the situation outside the tribe.

    In the evening, the Shaman and the chief asked all the prestigious people in the tribe to gather together in order to discuss the tribe¡¯s migration. In fact, it was not a migration, but a return.

    Once, they had had no hope for the return to the oldnd, but now, there was finally hope.

 Chapter 214 - The decision

    Chapter 214 - The decision

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Shao Xuan¡¯s return changed the atmosphere in the tribe again.

    Some people in the tribe had doubts, but now they had faith and looked forward to it.

    In the morning.

    Shao Xuan walked out, felt the sunshine from the sky, and stretched.

    ¡°The soup is ready, and the meat is beint roasted. Before you go up the mountain, drink the soup and eat the meat.¡± Old Ke said in the house. He had prepared the food early in the morning and then started grinding the stone tools.

    ¡°Ok.¡± Shao Xuan replied. Thanks to a night of rest, all his tiredness caused by the trip disappeared, and he was energetic now. He hadn''t so slept well for a long time.

    Yesterday he had promised the Shaman that today he would go up the mountain to discuss with them. Then Shao Xuan quickly took down the meat which was already roasted well and poured a bowl of soup.

    After eating the meat and drinking the soup, he felt especially pleased as his stomach was full.

    ¡°Undoubtedly, ferocious beast meat is more delicious.¡± Shao Xuan wiped his mouth, said goodbye to old Ke, and then went up the mountain.

    In the past year, the Shaman had contributed to narrowing the gap between those living up the mountain and those at the foot of the mountain so they got much closer. The previous division had be blurred.

    The Shaman said if they wanted to go back, they had to be one group. Outside the tribe, every one of them was a members of the ming Horns tribe, and there was no top of the mountain or the mountainfoot.

    Perhaps, there were still many people who didn''t understand and had the old mindset. Even the team leaders and many others couldn''t change their thinking in a short time before leaving.

    When going up the mountain, Shao Xuan was seen by many people who wanted to ask him question, but they knew that Shao Xuan was going to visit the Shaman. So they could only say hello to him and then watch him climb the mountain helplessly.

    When he arrived there, no one stopped him, so he didn''t need to take out the Shaman''s te. People in the mountain saw Shao Xuan and their eyes shed. Even those old people who always put on airs now looked kind.

    When Shao Xuan walked into the house, the Shaman was alone, for others had just left.

    They didn''t sleep for a whole night, so the Shaman was tired. But his eyes were full of excitement. He also read the roll written by the shaman of the Drumming tribe and also learned about the cooperation discussed between that tribe and Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Well done!¡± Said the Shaman.

    If another man was spoken highly by the Shaman, he would be very excited. But now it was Shao Xuan who was admired and sitting in front of him.

    Shao Xuan calmly sat down opposite the table and said, ¡°So, your and the chief¡¯s decision is?¡±

    ¡°Move!¡± He said in a loud firm voice.

    His answer was what Shao Xuan expected.

    Last night, at the top of the mountain, they had discussed about this for a whole night and made an initial decision. Then, they would do everything possible to prepare for the return to the oldnd.

    They might prepare for a year or two, maybe longer. After all, they had been here for nearly one thousand years since the ancestors came here. One generation after another, this group of the ming Horns tribe settled here and produced offspring.

    There was no doubt that they would return. Their ancestors and everyone who knew the ¡°oldnd¡± had always been obsessed with it. Old He had told Shao Xuan that the root of their tribe was still there. They had to go back.

    Undoubtedly they could also bring their ¡°root¡± here in other ways, but no one in the tribe was willing to do that, because ¡°oldnd¡± had left a deep impression on them when they had heard of it for the first time.

    ¡°You mean, all of the tribe will move there?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Everyone.¡± The Shaman said firmly.

    Wherever the fire seed is, the tribe should also be there.

    If the tribe migrated, the fire seed would naturally be taken along.

    As long as the fire seed was taken along, everyone in the tribe had to leave there. Without the fire seed, they couldn''t live in peace there because the ferocious beasts in the surrounding area woulde to them gradually.

    The fire seed could deter the ferocious beasts, which could not be underestimated.

    This was also true in the oldnd. Just the underground fire veins alone could make ferocious beasts rarely appear there.

    ¡°What about this ce?¡± Shao Xuan asked. To be honest, Shao Xuan felt nostalgia for this ce. Compared to the other side of the river, this ce was really quite peaceful.

    There were always disputes among people. Usually, moreplex things happened besides robbery and murder. Would those who had lived here since childhood adapt to the life there? This really worried Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Here is our escape!¡±

    The Shaman was standing near the window and looking in the distance.

    ¡°If we cannot survive in the oldnd, we will return here again. We can build up our strength and then go back when we are strong enough!¡±

    The Shaman had made up his mind, probably because it was his duty to carry out what the ancestors had said.

    ¡°The exchanges with other tribes will promote the development of our civilization. This is good.¡± However, the temperament of the people in the tribe was too straight and had to be refined.

    The Shaman looked in the direction of the river and said, ¡°We will go and we will naturally get used to it.¡±

    If we fail, we can just do as he just said. We cane back to build up our strength and make more preparations.

    ¡°Well, have you read the rolls I gave you yesterday?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Because he had read them, he thought about it a lot and strongly desired to go back. As a strong tribe in the central region, the ming Horns tribe should not be forgotten.

    The ming Horns tribe should be known by more people, but Shao Xuan alone couldn''t do so.

    ¡°Although I did not have much contact with the people of the big tribes in the central region. But I know that there are many powerful warriors in each tribe.¡±

    ¡°Strength¡­¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, although there are only so many senior totem warriors in each tribe, butpared to our tribe, that is a huge amount. After all, there are still few people in our tribe. After we return to the oldnd, although there will be more wanderers that will join us. But before that, we have to be strong enough to make them be afraid of us.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, the Shaman was silent for a while. He naturally understood Shao Xuan¡¯s concerns, but it will take a long time to improve their strength.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Since Shao Xuan put it forward, the Shaman knew he must have an idea.

    Shao Xuan smiled, took out a fiery-red crystal stone and showed it to the Shaman.

    ¡°This.¡±

    ¡°The fire crystal? Too few.¡± The Shaman frowned and said. They should be used by the best of the elites not by all, because it was difficult to find the fire crystals.

    ¡°Those living in the central region rarely eat ferocious meat, they usually eat the nts they grow and the animals they raise. They get very little energy from their food, so those from the big tribes in the central region improve their strength by exercising and relying on the fire crystals. Sometimes some disputes caused by fire crystals can destroy the entire tribe.¡± Shao Xuan told him his experience. That was the massacre that he had seen when traveling with the Pu tribe to the central region.

    ¡°The fire crystals are naturally precious.¡± The Shaman did not understand Shao Xuan¡¯s meaning.

    ¡°If we can find more fire crystals, we had better use all of them.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The Shaman''s eyes were suddenly open wide and he then looked at Shao Xuan, ¡°More fire crystals?!¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the ce where we found the fire crystals, the bat cave?¡±

    ¡°Didn''t you say that we cannot go there anymore?¡±

    ¡°I want to try again.¡±

    .....

    When Shao Xuan came out of the stone house, it was noon.

    ncing at the hot sun in the sky, Shao Xuan took a deep breath and sighed.

    That was really a very short trip to the central region, so he failed to learn much about the big tribes in the central region. After all, everyone in those big tribes were alert to this stranger in the beginning. Shao Xuan could not get too close to them and he only talked some with the two people from the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe.

    And that trip also let Shao Xuan know more clearly about the importance of belonging to a tribe in such a big ce.

    If his tribe was strong enough, he would have more protection.

    Using the fire crystals was undoubtedly a very good way to improve themself in a short time. Last time, because of the group of vampire bats, he didn''t dig deep inside. But Shao Xuan believed that there should be more fire crystals. It was probably a fire crystal mine!

    Shao Xuan had also heard of the fire crystal mine when he was in the central region. A fire crystal mine may lead to disputes among two or more tribes.

    And now, in the mountain, there may be a fire crystal mine. Before another tribe found it, Shao Xuan would seize the chance.

    For this, Shao Xuan was willing to take a risk and go there!

    Two dayster, the Shaman and the chief put forward the ¡°return n¡±, which also indicated that the tribe''s return trip was formally put on the agenda. Although the return date had not yet been determined, they made up their mind to focus on this n in the following years.

    From the day, when the Shaman and the chief announced the ¡°return n¡±, everone in the tribe began to prepare for it. What they had donest year was just a beginning, and from that day on, it was a real fight for the return.

    First of all, they had to keep healthy and strong, especially those living at the foot of the mountains. They led a tough life. The tribe would provide more food for those thin children, for every child was the future of the tribe.

    But the Shaman had also said that useless people were not wee in the tribe. If they didn''t take this opportunity to improve themselves, they would...hmmph!

    The Shaman did not say how to deal with them specifically, but everyone was worried that they would be abandoned. If they were left behind by the tribe, how could they survive in this barren ce ?

    Ordinary people had their work, and the disabled also had their ways to prove their value. For example, old Ke crafted more stone tools every day. People living at the foot of the mountain only needed to exchange very few things for old Ke¡¯s things.

    When Shao Xuan was in the tribe, old Ke didn''t worry that he didn''t have enough food. Moreover, Caesar and Chacha often went out to look for prey. At the foot of the mountain, old Ke could be regarded as the ¡°richest¡± person.

    When Shao Xuan and the others came back, it was almost full moon.

    The hunting team would go out after the full moon. Then the number of the members of the hunting team would be doubled.

    The warriors went out for hunting and the others needed to collect timber, which would be used to build a ship.

    There was plenty of high quality wood in the mountains for them to choose from. They didn''t need to worry about it. The problem was how to build a bigger ship.

    Yan Zhi and the others could make a small ship, but they were not confident that they could make a ship like the Longboat tribe. They needed to spend more time in trying to make a ship. Before they could build a ship, the tribe would not move there.

    After all, this time, it was a migration which more than two thousand people would get involved in!

 Chapter 215 - Looking for fire crystals again

    Chapter 215 - Looking for fire crystals again

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    This time, in order to build the ship, the tribe¡¯s ¡°skilled workers¡± also joined in.

    No matter if it was woodwork of traps, all the skilled workers could get involved, because they were skillfull in something, they could learn other skills in a short time. They soon acquired the skill of making a ship, which Yan Zhi and the others possessed. When they joined in, they could work together to figure out how to make a ship.

    Shao Xuan often joined in their discussion. Although Shao Xuan was not good at building ships, he had seen many big ships. Therefore he could give some advice in terms of ship design.

    When the hunting teams went out, they had to prepare food, wood, herbs, and other necessary things. Meanwhile they also had to enhance their strength. If they were not strong enough, how could they defeat their enemies? Of course, they had to preserve their lives. Otherwise, all their efforts would be in vain.

    On the mountain.

    Yan Zhi and the others settled in. They were temporarily unable to awaken their totem power, because it was not time for the annual ritual. At the beginning of next year, they could join the next batch of qualified children.

    Although they had to wait for six months, Yan Zhi and the others had been very happy about it. After all, they returned to their tribe, found their roots, and would no longer be bullied.

    Having been living in the tribe for a few days, they learned about the condition of the tribe. They had confidence in the ming Horns tribe, and they also looked forward to going back to the oldnd.

    ¡°How about it ?¡± Yan Zhuo asked his wife. He knew his wife had been trying to make pottery in the past few days.

    Yan Zhen shook her head and said, ¡°I can notplete it.¡±

    the old men sitting next to her looked disappointed.

    As Shao Xuan said, even if there was pottery-making technique, they could not seed in making pottery here. All the pottery they made was trash, because some of these potteries were broken and others were fragile. They could not be used. That was why over the past thousand years, the ming Horns tribe usually used stone tools.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Xing bit back his disappointment, smiled, and said, ¡°After we return to the oldnd, try again.¡±

    ¡°Yes. When we return to the oldnd, everything will be different.¡± Another few old men said.

    Yan Zhi and the others settled in here and were taken care of by them. But in fact, they wanted to get more information from Yan Zhi.

    Everything was different when they would leave the tribe. In the outside world, if they wanted to continue to be invincible, they had to be strong enough. If they wanted to hunt animals, they needed better understanding of the habits of prey.

    When Yan Zhi and the others were discussing about making pottery, they saw some people walking down from the top of the mountain near the path of glory.

    ¡°Those are the people of the hunting team?¡± Yan Zhi asked while holding back his excitement.

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    ¡°Yes, because the n has changed, from now on, every time more people will go out.¡± An old man said.

    ¡°Hunting... ferocious beasts?¡± Jiao Wu could not believe it.

    ¡°Well, hey, the hunting teams look good.¡± Said an old man.

    Xing cast a nce there, and said, ¡°Because the chief told them that there are many men who are more powerful than ferocious beasts on the other side of the river. Probably this time many people will be looking for some ferocious beasts to help them improve their fighting skills.¡±

    Yan Zhi and the others: ¡°...¡±

    Many people who were more powerful than ferocious beasts? It sounded unbelievable, and many people of the tribe just believed it!

    Shao Xuan joined the hunting team and left with Mai. However, when they went out of the tribe and entered into the familiar mountain, all the members of the advance force of the teams who would usually go to the greennd followed Shao Xuan to the original bat mountain.

    The other five hunting groups and the group with the new hunting route would only hunt in the first hunting area, totaling six groups, more than 500 people. In the following time, unless they received the news, the group leaders would not continue to lead the group to move forward.

    In this way, they could back up Shao Xuan and the others if they were in danger. No one knew this except the group leaders and important men in the groups. The other group members were told that such a change was caused by the ¡°return n¡±, so they no longer asked.

    Over there, Shao Xuan, after separating from Ta and the hunting team, waited in a ce for a while so as to meet Gui He and others who had already arrived there.

    It was important to look for fire crystals. The Shaman and chief paid a lot of attention to the tribe¡¯s return, so they called out more people. At the same time, Ta and Gui He were told to go there by Shaman and were told that if it was too hard to find the fire crystals they could give up. But they must ensure the safety of Shao Xuan.

    The two team leaders also understood Shao Xuan¡¯s importance for the future of the tribe. This brat was really blessed by the ancestors, so he needed to be protected.

    The two team leaders and their men were very enthusiastic, because it was a pity that they had not been able to participate in search for the fire crystalsst time. After a long time, they finally had such a chance, so they needed to seize it.

    Everyone had gotten information from the warriors in the hunting teams about how to deal with the vampire bats. They had prepared some herbs in case they lost the ability to act after being bitten by the bats.

    Shao Xuan brought them to the giant pit where he had found fire crystals. When went to the foot of the mountain, they found that there were two men standing there.

    ¡°Dad?!¡± Ta was surprised and said.

    The men standing at the foot of the mountain were the chief, Ao, and Dai, another senior totem warrior of the tribe, who was as strong as Ao.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

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    The Shaman hadn¡¯t said that the chief would alsoe here.

    ¡°The Shaman is worried, so am I.¡± Aoughed and said.

    But when Ao saw the small mountain in front of him, Ao suppressed his smile. next to him, Dai also looked serious.

    ¡°It is not easy.¡± Dai said.

    Looking at the distant high mountains, Ao asked, ¡°Those bats all flew over there?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Xuan nodded and said.

    ¡°No,¡± Ao shook his head, ¡°not all of them. This is certainly caused by bats, and they stille back, and oftene back.¡±

    The mountain was not high, but not even a de of green grass was to be seen. Most of the nts here withered. Almost all those nts which still grew there were highly poisonous and there were also some rare herbs.

    ¡°Compared with the scene I sawst time, this ce has changed much.¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°Last time I came here, it was not so serious.¡±

    There was too much miasma caused by those corpses in the mountain. Some ck fog covered the mountain.

    That was to say, it was possible that as Ao said, the bats came here frequently, which caused such a change.

    Why did the bats return to this small ce after the migration? Usually they should have abandoned this small site since they got a bigger one, but they kepting back here.

    ¡°Is it really a fire crystal mine?¡± The eyes of Ta shed.

    ¡°Anyway, go ahead and have a look.¡± Ao said.

    Wearing a rattan mask, everyone went to the giant pit on the mountain.

    For the tribe, they had to go there even though it was a dangerous ce.

 Chapter 216 â€“ The bat in the giant pit

    Chapter 216 - The bat in the giant pit

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    This time Chacha and Caesar also came with Shao Xuan. Chacha searched in the sky, and if he found anything abnormal, he would warn Shao Xuan about it.

    Going up from the foot of the mountain, they found themselves surrounded by ck miasma. If a junior totem warrior came here, he may not be able to withstand it.

    Even Ke Ke and the others felt ufortable.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, when you were herest time, did you see all these?¡± Ke Ke asked.

    ¡°No,st time there was only miasma in the cave, and on the mountain there was grass and other nts.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    But now, none of them could see a tree. The trees were dead and rotting, and there was no fresh green grass.

    That was caused by the miasma.

    Everyone looked a little nervous. They knew that this task was quite difficult.

    Shao Xuan stopped walking and then listened carefully.

    He heard the sound he had heard when he had been here for the first time. That was the rhythmic sound of air and it also sounded like one¡¯s breath.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ah-Xuan?¡± Walking behind Shao Xuan, Gui He asked.

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Ao, walking in the front, also stopped.

    Others couldn¡¯t hear that breathing, including Ao.

    ¡°It¡¯s here.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What¡¯s here?¡± Ta thought of something, and then looked serious, ¡°That bat leader?¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say he went somewhere else?¡± Ke Ke turned to look at the distant mountain.

    Looking from here, you could see the distant mountain was much higher than the mountains in the surrounding area. It was surrounded by the clouds, and its peak was covered by snow. The mountain was where the members of the hunting team had seen the bats fly to, andter it was proven that it was upied by the bats.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but I am sure that the bat leader is in this mountain.¡± Shao Xuan said while pointing at his feet.

    Thinking about it, Ao said: ¡°For now let¡¯s go up and look.¡±

    Last time they had dug fire crystals from the giant pit in the mountain, so they naturally had to go down into the giant pit.

    Continuing to go up the mountain, Shao Xuan had Caesar stay away from there and made a gesture to Chacha in the sky to tell him not to follow him. In the wild, there is a strong sense of repence between the ferocious beasts, causing bloody battles among them.

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    The mountain was not high, so everyone soon climbed to the top of the mountain and arrived at the giant pit.

    Last time Shao Xuan had been here to look for some people. When he found this ce, he had been able to see the situation inside the giant pit clearly, including the various nts growing on the walls of the pit. But now, everything was different.

    The fog, thicker than that at the foot of the mountain, surrounded them; and because of the miasma, the clear sky looked gloomy.

    In the giant pit there was thicker miasma, so the men standing above it couldn¡¯t. see the situation in it.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Ta and Gui He were looking towards Ao. Since the chief was here, they naturally followed his orders.

    ¡°I will go in and take a look around with Dai first.¡±

    As Ao spoke, he put down a bunch of rough grass rope made from rattan. He and Dai went down along the grass rope one after another.

    Others were staring at the giant pit, even though they could not see anything.

    There were no bats active around there. From the foot of the mountain to the top, no bats were seen, but Shao Xuan heard the rhythmic breathing sound and felt very worried.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s facial expression, Tuo said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The team leaders and the chief are here, we are safe.¡±

    He still remembered thest time when he had entered into the cave with Mai and the others and had met the bat leader. They had almost been killed in a second.

    Others thought so too.

    Last time, five hunting teams had dug the fire crystals and had taken them back. They had told others about the vampire bat, so everyone was very afraid of it. But no one thought that the same ident would happen, because the team leaders and several senior totem warriors were here.

    After all, the members of the hunting team were basically junior and intermediate totem warriors. Compared with those in the advance group, as well as the senior totem warriors, they were much inferior.

    Ao and the two team leaders also thought that they could win if they worked together.

    Only Shao Xuan was not so optimistic.

    They waited for a while and did not hear any noise in the pit. Ao and Dai, who had been down there to look around, came up and neither of them had injuries.

    ¡°Only dead ferocious beasts.¡± Said Ao.

    Dead ferocious beasts?

    Last time they hadn¡¯t seen those when they had been here.

    ¡°Anyway, go in first to see if there are fire crystals.¡± Dai said.

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    ¡°Ta, Gui He, Wei,...¡± Ao pointed at five men, ¡°Follow Dai and me into the pit. Shao Xuan, you alsoe with. The others stay outside and wait for the whistle.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    All whom Ao had pointed at were senior totem warriors, and Shao Xuan, who could feel the fire crystals, naturally had to go with them. He was the only intermediate totem warrior, so he was guarded by the others.

    Going down along the grass rope, Shao Xuan felt more and more confused.

    ¡°There must be something wrong.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The other people did not say anything, but Shao Xuan knew that they were listening.

    After carefully checking around, they didn¡¯t find any other creatures. Shao Xuan said, ¡°Last time we came here, the giant pit was not so deep.¡±

    When his feet finally touched the ground, Shao Xuan once again looked around.

    But he still could not find anything.

    The breathing sound could still be heard clearly. Shao Xuan only heard that rhythmic sound, but he could not confirm the location and was not sure whether it was far from him or not.

    He felt more and more anxious.

    At this moment, it was noon and it was sunny outside the mountain.

    However, in the giant pit it was as dark as the night.

    The ck miasma in the giant pit almost blocked all the light above.

    But fortunately the people here had eye-sights better than others, so they saw the surrounding situation under the weak light. But they could only see nearby areas, and couldn¡¯t see farther because of the dense miasma.

    The bad smell was so strong that the people felt dizzy. They did not know whether it was the smell of the miasma.

    Gui He stuffed a herb into his mouth to be clear headed, because he had been feeling faint.

    That was why the chief didn¡¯t have Ke Ke and the otherse down. In this ce, even Ke Ke and the other intermediate totem warriors could not stay conscious.

    While thinking about it, Gui He turned around and saw Shao Xuan carefully looking around. He stopped thinking about it.

    He was also an intermediate totem warrior, but he still looked very sober !

    Compared tost time when he had entered the bat cave, Shao Xuan could better withstand the miasma. Even though the miasma was thicker, he could hold on.

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    ¡°This ce has changed a lot.¡± Shao Xuan said in a low voice.

    Last time the five hunting teams had dug fire crystals, so they had left a lot of holes.

    Now there were also holes on the ground, butpared to those made by the hunting teams, they were muchrger!

    If you looked at those holes carefully, you could see there were some deep w marks next to them.

    Everyone knew who had made them.

    However, judging from that w marks, the bat leader had grown much bigger if those were its scratches.

    In the giant pit there was a strong odor.

    There were many corpses. Some were just skeletons; others still had fur, but looked very dry, as if all the water in their bodies was sucked away.

    These skeletons and those with fur belonged torge ferocious beasts.

    ¡°Did ¡®it¡¯ kill them?¡± Ao whispered to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, that should be the case.¡±

    It was the most likely that the bat leader killed them.

    However, they did not know why, after the bat leader led its brothers and grabbed the other site, it still came back here. It seemed that it had stayed here for a long time, more than a year, judging from the skeletons.

    The bat leader was able to catch theserge beasts, so it must be very strong.

    Everyone became vignt.

    ¡°Where¡­ are the fire crystals? Shao Xuan, can you find them?¡± Ao asked.

    This was the priority of their trip, so others were also listening carefully and waiting for Shao Xuan¡¯s reply.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Where?¡± Ao held back the excitement in his heart and whispered.

    ¡°Under your feet, chief...¡± Shao Xuan said while thinking about something. ¡°Ten steps away from the right of Ta, there is one. Behind Gui He, not far away from him, there is another one. It was not like this before.¡±

    So many?

    Ao bent over and intended to dig with a knife. But when he moved his feet, he felt he stepped on a lump, After he put away the soil with the knife, he saw the crystal whose texture was very familiar to him. Although the light was dark and he couldn¡¯t see it clearly, he was sure that that was a fire crystal!

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    Ao stopped breathing for a while and fixed his eyes on the crystal at his foot, which was as big as a thumb. It was the biggest crystal he had dug in his life. When he was young, he had dug one by ident, but he had beenpletely lucky at that time. Many people couldn¡¯t dug one in their lifetime, but he had done it. But at that time, he had gotten just a small one, which still made him feel excited for a long time.

    But now, Ao looked at the crystal at his foot and couldn¡¯t believe it.

    So easy? Was digging up a big fire crystal so easy?

    Even as a chief, Ao failed to respond in that moment.

    The so-called digging was just like this?

    No, no way!

    When Ao picked up the fire crystal, he suddenly had a strong sense of danger...

    ¡°Be careful!!¡±

    Ao and Shao Xuan shouted almost at the same time.

    But at the next moment, they found that their vision was blurred. Suddenly they had a serious headache and lost their sight and hearing. After a few seconds, they calmed down slowly, but they couldn¡¯t hear any sound.

    Ao could see Shao Xuan opening his mouth to say something, who was not far from him. Dai, next to him, holding the huge stone hammer, opened his mouth like the others.

    Everyone seemed to have lost their hearing at the moment, so they could not hear the voice of the others or the sound outside the pit. But they could clearly hear their heartbeats.

    Bang bang!Bang bang!

    That sounded like thunder in the chest.

    By intuition, Ao looked in a direction.

    Over there, a shadow was approaching fast.

    He could see its folded wing hands and strong hind legs. It looked tall but moved swiftly and flexibly.

    When it approached, Ao could see its open mouth, its nose bone and throat were moving weirdly.

    This should be why they couldn¡¯t hear any sound.

    The bat leader!

    At the moment, Ao first rushed to Shao Xuan to grab his cor and throw him down to where they put the rattan, instead of thinking about how to hide the fire crystal, or how to confront with the big guying at him rapidly.

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    Here, they could not hear any sound, and Ao was not sure whether those above the pit could hear the sound in the giant pit. Now what he had to do was to keep Shao Xuan away from this battle, and then he had to work with the other six people to fight with this bat leader!

    Shao Xuan was thrown out of the battle circle by Ao.

    The others did not need more instruction from Ao, as they had long been ready to fight.

    All of these seven people were experienced totem warriors, and were leaders of hunting teams or groups. But no one knew what they were faced with.

    This was a ferocious beast that was more powerful than the ones they had met in the mountain while hunting! They needed to work together, and in the shortest time, they should try their best to kill this beast!

    Closest to the bat leader, Dai took action before the others, and on his thick arms, clear totem patterns appeared. His arms became much stronger and held a stone hammer the length of a man. But it seemed he did not feel the weight of the stone hammer, as he quickly swung it towards the head of the bat leader.

    Swinging it, in a very short period of time, Dai¡¯s arm umted strength, and he suddenly hit it.

    Visible shockwaves spread out from the collision, and the miasma around there was forced away from that small area at that moment.

    If there was no interference by the bat leader, the whistling sound would have been heard when the stone hammer was swung. It was as if the the hammer was splitting apart the air.

    No scattering stone pieces could be seen and no hitting sound could be heard.

    However, at that moment everything stopped moving.

    When the stone hammer approached the bat leader, it raised its folded ws. It stopped the hammer with its wing, which hit it heavily.

    While Dai attacked that bat leader, others also took action.

    Gui He chopped at the bat with his sword, which was bitten by the bat.

    Bitten by the teeth of the bat, the stone sword seemed to be fixed in ce no matter how hard Gui He tried, he couldn¡¯t draw back his sword.

    At the same time, Ta, Wei and the others attacked it, but before they got close to it, the bat leader pped its wings to hit them.

    After striking twice, Dai was mmed into the wall. His whole body was embedded in the pit¡¯s wall, and if he was not strong enough, he would probably have been ttened.

    Ao, who had thrown Shao Xuan out, ran back to one side. The totem power in his body was instantly fully activated. When his wrist moved, the spear in his hand rotated at a high speed. The flow of air pushed away the surrounding miasma and the spear stabbed at the neck of the bat!

    However, the spear in Ao¡¯s hand did not touch the neck of the bat. It was caught by the weird w with an even more powerful force. His fierce and swift attack was resisted.

    Ao felt the spear in his hand being pulled away by an even more powerful force. His right hand holding the spear felt extremely painful, as if he was stabbed by thousands of hot awls.

 Chapter 217 - Whats going on?

    Chapter 217 - What''s going on?

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Seven senior totem warriors, almost the strongest people of the ming Horns tribe, were all defeated soon after they did their best to attack it!

    It was very likely that they would lose!

    What Shao Xuan worried about happened ultimately.

    It was still the bat leader, but it became much stronger after it transformed. Before it started transforming, Ao and the other six naturally could defeat it. However, now everything was different. Nobody could ever expect that such a ferocious beast could grow so fast!

    Was it just a ferocious beast ?

    No, more than that!

    Beforeing here, Ao and Gui He had only thought that it was just a more powerful ferocious beast. Unexpectedly, this ferocious beast begun to make not just a little progress and gradually would be a king beast.

    Even ten or a hundred senior totem warrior like Ao did not dare to confront with a king beast. When the people of the tribe mentioned a king beast, they were afraid of it.

    For people who had been close to a ¡°king¡± beast, like Shao Xuan, they clearly knew how powerful it was.

    You werepletely unable fight against it!

    Now this bat leader had made great progress in bing a king beast in a much shorter time than Shao Xuan and the others had expected.

    To get the fire crystals, Ao chose to confront with the ferocious beast of such level. But if he met such a beast when hunting, he would try to escape.

    But their return to the oldnd depended on the fire crystals.

    They could not give up easily!

    Ao was pushed away and the spearhead was broken by a w.

    Following Ao, the warriors who were initially not close to it were directly hit to the ground, and their foreheads heavily hit the ground. Fortunately, there was ayer of soft mud at the bottom of the pit. Otherwise they would have hit the hard rock. Even so, they were hurt, and the blood flowed out from the wounds on the head. Moreover, due to the attack of the sound wave they couldn¡¯t hear, they suddenly felt very painful as if the whole world was chaotic and spinning. The blood flew into their eyes and their sight was blurred.

    Struggling on the pit wall, Dai had finally managed to get out of the pit wall. The ck wings pped at a lightning speed and he was thrown into the pit wall again. This time Dai was stuck in it.

    Ta and Wei were not good either. Every time they felt that they almost seeded, they were hit back.

    Gui He looked at the sharp teeth which bit his stone sword firmly. Then he looked up, and could see a pair of colourless but vicious looking eyes.

    In such a distance, at this moment if he immediately released the handle of the stone sword, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could sessfully avoid this big guy which was more powerful than them.

    Since he couldn¡¯t escape it, he had no choice but to fight with it!

    The hand holding the sword handle helped him jump up, and the other hand took out a smaller stone knife from behind his waist. He stabbed the bat leader on its twitching nose.

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    However, unexpectedly the de didn¡¯t pierce into the bat¡¯s nose. Having jumped into the air, Gui He was caught by a wing w. On the wing w, the sharp w made a cut in his belly. If the wound was deeper, he may have been cut in half directly.

    Gui He had just avoided being hit on his vital parts but now he was in a dangerous situation.

    Gui He¡¯s behavior probably irritated the bat leader. Gui He only felt a burst of pain. Although he could not hear the sound around, he could clearly hear in his body continuous sounds of broken bones at the moment.

    The stone sword bitten by the teeth of the bat leader was shattered. As to Gui He, who dared to hurt its nose, it did not intend to let him go. Its wing ws firmly caught the ¡°small prey¡±, and it intended to suck his blood with its sharp teeth, bite his bones and chew!

    Seeing the vampire bat open the mouth and show its teeth, which were as sharp as knives, Gui He felt that all his blood was frozen, and even the pain of the broken bones disappeared.

    Gui He thought he would die soon, and he would not be able lead the team to go hunting in the future. Faced with such a ferocious beast, no one could escape. However, when its teeth like knives almost touched him, it stopped.

    It seemed that he could hear the sound around him again.

    They gradually no longer had a headache.

    At this moment, the people who were about to attack, the people who had been defeated, and the person who had been caught by the wing ws and was to be eaten, found the bat leader was behaving oddly.

    It no longer paid attention to Gui He, moved slightly and then looked down.

    At its feet, a man stood.

    Seeing the man standing behind the feet of the bat leader, Ao was shocked and almost spat out blood.

    Didn¡¯t he throw this guy out?

    Shouldn¡¯t he have climb out of the giant pit along the rattan?

    Why did he appear here again?

    The Shaman said, even if he could not bring the fire crystals back, he must bring Shao Xuan back safely.

    Safely!

    But what happened now? !

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, go away!¡±

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Ao, Ta, and the others wanted to take this opportunity to attack it so that Shao Xuan could escape.

    ¡°Everyone stop!¡± Shao Xuan shouted at once.

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    Seeing Ao and the others stop, Shao Xuan looked up and stared at the bat leader.

    Apanied by the rhythmic sound of breathing, ck fog came out from its mouth.

    Its wing w moved and threw the ¡°little prey¡± away. It had no more interest in the ¡°little prey¡±.

    If Ao could see invisible energy, they would find that red energy lines being released from the fire crystal in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. A part of the energy was absorbed by Shao Xuan and the restflew into the bat leader¡¯s body in front of him.

    Seeing the bat leader staring at him and ignoring the others, Shao Xuan said: ¡°Ao, you go out first.¡±

    ¡°No! Not without you!¡±

    ¡°Ao, what did the Shaman say before.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The Shaman had said if something unexpected happened, they should follow Shao Xuan¡¯s orders.

    Even if the chief joined in, but they had to think about the Shaman¡¯s words at this moment.

    Looking at Shao Xuan standing there with the bat leader, Ao did not know what should he do.

    What was going on?!

    Everyone was standing there and no longer attacked the bat leader. But they stayed vignt. As long as it moved suspiciously, they would attack it once again. Even if such an attack could not cause it any damage, but they could still distract its attention.

    Pi da.

    The wings of bat leader moved.

    Ao and the others immediately became nervous and looked there. But they saw that the bat leader only folded its wing and kept standing there. This meant that it had no intention to attack them temporarily.

    Shao Xuan felt relieved. As expected, he was right, just like thest time. The bat leader was very interested in the energy of the fire crystals, which was one of the reasons why Shao Xuan wanted toe here. However, before he could tell this to the others, the fight had begun.

    If this bat leader kept quiet, maybe they could defeat it.

    The time flew.

    The bat leader did not move. Ao and his men did not leave.

    After examining their wounds, Ao had Ta and Wei take the seriously injured Gui He and the others out of the pit first and he would continue to stay here.

 Chapter 218 - Unwilling

    Chapter 218 - Unwilling

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Outside the pit, Ke Ke and the others kept guard. Caesar wanted to go up the mountain several times, but it was stopped by them. He just walked around anxiously.

    They did not hear any sound, but felt a little bit of shaking, so they felt it was very strange.

    There were a few people who wanted to go down to have a look. But the chief had said they couldn¡¯t move until they heard the whistle.

    They had not heard the whistle of the chief yet, so naturally they could not act rashly.

    The sun began to go down.

    ¡°What to do?¡± Ke Ke looked at Tuo who was next to him.

    Tuo shook his head.

    As time went by, everyone became more worried.

    ¡°Hey, someone ising up!¡± The man at the edge of the pit shouted.

    ¡°It¡¯s team leader, Ta!¡±

    ¡°Wei and the others!¡±

    The people waiting outside the pit went to surround them at once.

    Ta and Wei found a ce to put down the two men with serious injuries and ordered the others to take them down the mountain and prepare some medicine for them. They needed to rest in a ce where there was no miasma, to recover properly.

    ¡°Wei, you stay here, I will go down to have a look.¡± Ta paused and then said to others, ¡°Move away, and stay away from the pit. Don¡¯t go down.¡±

    After a short fight, Ta knew the gap between them and the bat leader. It was not amon ferocious beast, Even if everyone in the two advance groups fought against it, they may not be able to hurt the bat leader. But it was likely that everyone of them would be killed.

    In the pit.

    Shao Xuan was still activating the power in his body and releasing the energy of the fire crystal in his hand.

    Fortunately, he had been absorbing the energy of the fire crystal, so he was not too tired. But everyone had a limited amount of energy they could absorb from the fire crystals.

    Like those warriors who absorbed the energy of the fire crystal at the fire pit, they could only improve themselves a little. A junior totem warrior couldn¡¯t be a senior one directly. If one was too confident or too greedy, he may die before he could upgrade himself due to the explosion of the totem power in his body.

    Therefore, after reaching the limit, Shao Xuan no longer absorbed the energy. If he became tired again, he could then still absorb the energy.

    And this big guy in front of them, from the beginning to the present, still greatly absorbed the energy from the red energy lines released by the fire crystal. If Ao could see those energy lines, he would be shocked.

    A ferocious beast could really absorb the energy of fire crystal! They never knew this.

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    The light above the pit became less and less. Due to the dense miasma, it was very dark in the pit. Now it was even darker. If they kept waiting, Ao did not know what would happen. They did not like the night, for that would make them feel more worried.

    ncing at the man and the bat that both stood still, Ao carefully stepped toward Shao Xuan.

    When Ao was just two steps away from Shao Xuan, that bat leader suddenly looked at Ao. It pped one of its wings but didn¡¯t open it. This was more like a warning.

    A bead of cold sweat dropped from Ao¡¯s forehead, and he even breathed more cautiously. He could feel the ck warm fog from the mouth and nostrils of this big bat.

    Shao Xuan made a gesture in the back of the bat with his other hand to Ao to tell him not to worry about him and not to get close.

    ncing at the moving wing ws of the bat leader, Ao decided to move back to avoid irritating this guy. Otherwise, Shao Xuan, he, and several others around it would not be able to escape.

    Ao had intended to go back, but he could not help but nce at the arm which Shao Xuan held out to the bat. He wanted to find out what was in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

    It was very dark, but Ao was rtively close to him and he had good eyesight. Even though he could not see the color of the thing in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, he could generally judge what that was in the end.

    The Fire crystal?!

    He fixed his eyes on it and found the colour of the fire crystal had be much lighter.

    The color of the fire crystal would change for only one reason!

    Ao had seen the colour of the fire crystals getting lighter gradually in the fire pit many times. But now it was the first time in his life seeing the color get lighter outside the fire pit!

    No wonder the Shaman had such a good attitude towards Shao Xuan!

    Ao held back his shock, thought about it, stared at the bat leader, and walked backwards.

    Moving back two steps, Ao felt he stepped on something, and with the toe he shifted away the soft soil on the ground. Then he saw a fire crystal the size simr to the one he had picked up earlier.

    He had dropped the one he had picked up earlier because of the bat leader suddenly appearing and he did not know where it was now. Unexpectedly he found another one!

    Ao picked it up with the toes and it was lifted from the ground.

    Ao was about to catch the fire crystal, but he suddenly felt an something about to attack him. A shadow chased away the miasma, and it quietly arrived at him. If not for Ao¡¯s rich experience and intuition, he would probably have died here, not knowing how.

    After the previous fight, Ao didn¡¯t dare confront with it and just moved his feet. The soft mud scattered because of the strength of his feet. He barely avoided the attack from something which was as sharp as a big knife by making use of the strength of his feet.

    He avoided the attack, but before he went down on the ground, its sharp ws came down from above, and in the next moment would almost kill Ao there.

    Fast!

    Too fast!

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    The spear which Ao had used was broken, He could only take out a stone knife at the moment, and raise it to stop the w. He knew that the bat leader had been able to destroy his spear and Gui He¡¯s sword easily. He might not withstand the next hit, but he had to do so.

    Ao knew that when his feet touched the ground, its wing w would directly hit the knife, and even press hard on the stone knife. However, he could no longer retreat.

    When the wing w came down, an arm raised to stop the wing w.

    The sharp and fierce w which was about to hit him stopped suddenly.

    Aonded on his feet, but did not run away. He still raised his knife, but looked at Shao Xuan in front of him.

    The bat leader stopped for a few seconds and retracted its wing w.

    As for the fire crystal which Ao found, it was swept away by the wing of the bat leader before he grabbed it. He did not know where it was.

    In fact, Shao Xuan did not have the confidence to stop the bat leader, who suddenly became mad. But he couldn¡¯t do nothing while seeing it attack Ao. He just had a try.

    It did work.

    This bat leader really cared about the fire crystal.

    There were many fire crystals, but the energy of those which had been dug out hadn¡¯t been absorbed. There was only one reason for this - it could not absorb the energy inside the fire crystal by himself!

    It could perceive where the fire crystals were, and the giant pit was made by it. In other words, it was very likely that the fire crystals on the ground were dug out by the bat leader himself.

    Although it dug some fire crystals, it could not get the energy from the crystals. Shao Xuan guessed that it might have swallow the fire crystals as it ate prey. However, after all, even a ferocious in the transformation towards a king beast couldn¡¯t digest those fire crystals.

    It just excreted what it ate.

    The ground of the pit was covered by rotten things, of which there was much that looked like mud. In fact, it was the feces of the bat leader.

    The fire crystal at the foot of Ao, in fact, was what the bat leader got rid of from its body. The soft ¡°mud¡±, in fact, was its feces.

    Having avoided being killed, Ao still felt his fast heartbeat, then heard some sounds on the rattan vines. He saw Taing down from above. Ao waved his hand, indicating that they should note over. If they irritated bat leader again, Shao Xuan may not be able to stop it from attacking them.

    Ao had guessed correctly what Shao Xuan was doing, but due to his limited knowledge, he could not believe it. And he did not want to let more people know Shao Xuan¡¯s secret. The Shaman certainly knew it, but he had not said it for some reasonable reason.

    Three hourster, outside the pit, it became even darker. The little moonlight that could enter the bottom of the pit was almostpletely blocked by the miasma.

    Click!

    A slight noise in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand was heard.

    The fire crystal, which could not be cut or broken by a sharp knife, cracked.

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    This also meant that the energy inside this fire crystal was almostpletely consumed.

    Shao Xuan turned over his wrist to drop the pieces from his hand. In this way he told the bat leader in front of him that the energy of this one had been absorbed. At the same time, Shao Xuan was still thinking: Don''t dig out another one from the feces and make me continue to absorb the energy from it.

    That bat leader pped its wings to poke at the crystal pieces on the ground, which has be unobtrusive. No one knew what it was thinking and it just looked at the pieces for a moment, opened its wings, flew, and disappeared in front of Shao Xuan and the others.

    When the bat leader left, Shao Xuan felt the air here be fresh. As the bat leader, they felt the stress release.

    ¡°It has gone.¡± Gui He came and said.

    Ta also came, held a fire crystal, handed it to Ao and said, ¡°I just picked it up from there... ¡°

    Before Ta finished his words, Ao grabbed the fire crystal from Ta¡¯s hand and threw it far away.

    Ta: ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°The fire crystals in this ce, we had better give up.¡± Ao said.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ta and Gui He were anxious. There were many fire crystals!

    ¡°The bat leader knows this, and it will not let us take even one from here. Otherwise... I fear it will chase us and kill us.¡±

    If it was a powerful ferocious beast, even if they could not defeat it, Ao would take the risk to take the fire crystals away from here. But this was one in the middle of bing a king beast. That was why they were totally defeated.

    If they were chased by such a guy... all of them may be killed. Ao did not dare to take this risk.

    Many beasts in the mountains were much smarter than what the people expected.

    ¡°I agree with the chief.¡± Shao Xuan moved his painful arm and said, ¡°Here, every fire crystal has the smell of the bat. Even if we bring them back to the tribe, we will be tracked.¡±

    Ta and Gui He were silent. They all understood the reason, but they were unwilling.

    Fight? They would lose.

    Steal? They could not steal.

    There were so many fire crystals within reach, but they could not take them.

    So unwilling!

 Chapter 219 - Dig a hole

    Chapter 219 - Dig a hole

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The two team leaders, Ta and Gui He, and the chief, Ao, hesitated and had strange facial expressions. They tried to resist the temptation of the fire crystals.

    Holding back all the emotions, Ao said: ¡°Go up first!¡±

    The chief gave the order, so even if the others were not willing, they had to obey.

    Going out of the giant pit, the two moons in the sky cast a light and let everyone see the surrounding.

    Although the moonlight helped everyone see the surrounding objects, they still carried the torches as usual.

    ¡°The chief came out of the pit!¡±

    ¡°So did the team leaders!¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan, are you alright?¡±

    The men guarding outside the pit swarmed around them.

    Among the eight people who had entered into the pit, seven were senior totem warriors, and one was an intermediate totem warrior. The seven had slight or serious injuries, and the only one who wasn¡¯t injured was Shao Xuan.

    Some people said that was because the seven senior totem warriors protected him, while some didn¡¯t believe the seven with serious injuries could protect him.

    Even though they felt puzzled, they didn¡¯t dare to ask more about it, for they saw the chief and the two team leaders look upset.

    ¡°It seems that it didn¡¯t go well.¡± Ke Ke whispered to Tuo.

    Among the eight people who went down into the pit, seven had wounds, and they didn¡¯t bring back a fire crystal. It was obvious that they had failed.

    Many people hade here this time, and they gathered around the pit.

    Fortunately, there was miasma everywhere, so other creatures did not dare toe here. They just needed to guard against those vampire bats for others would not appear. Then, from the twilight until now, they did not see any dangerous ferocious beastse.

    The most dangerous one was not in the pit now.

    ¡°It¡¯s night. Let¡¯s look for a cave to a rest. But there is miasma on the mountain, so we have to go down the mountain.¡± Gui He said and found that Shao Xuan suddenly stopped to stand there, thinking about something.

    ¡°Shao Xuan?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked up and saw the people around him looking at him with puzzlement. He just shook his head to indicate that nothing special happened and he just thought of something.

    ¡°What did you think of?¡± Ao asked.

    Shao Xuan looked at the foot of the mountain, and looked at the pit at the top of the mountain. He said, ¡°I am thinking that if we cannot dig out the things in the pit, we can dig at the foot of the mountain, right?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Gui He was confused at first, then his eyes shed, and he said,¡°Dig!¡±

    Like the beasts in the mountain that were good at digging, they could start from a remote ce to reach another ce. They couldn¡¯t dig at the top, but they could choose a ce from the foot of the mountain to dig a hole to enter the mountain.

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    If there was really a fire crystal mine, there must be fire crystals that had not been dug out by the bat leader.

    ¡°Yes! We can dig a hole!¡±

    They did not want to give up, and the chief and the team leaders, who had hesitated until now, thought that the idea was good.

    Ao led the men down the mountain, found a suitable ce, and said, ¡°Dig from here!¡±

    There was no miasma in this ce, so the bat leader had paid no attention to this ce. They could safely dig a hole here.

    ¡°In two groups. Ta and Gui He each, lead your men and take turns to dig.¡± Ao gave them their tasks.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    With hope, Ta and Gui He no longer felt regretful and also became calm. Now full of energy, they didn¡¯t care about their injuries. They just wanted to hurry and dig a hole to reach the foot of the mountain, which was below the pit.

    ¡°Let Caesar help, he is good at digging.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Caesar had great strength and ws. Soon, under the ce which Ao had chosen they dug a vertical hole. Then in the hole, they moved towards the direction of the giant pit and kept digging.

    When Caesar was digging in that direction, the others begun to dig deep in the hole. They made the earth around it solid to build steps.

    Caesar dug out the soils and stones, which needed to be taken away.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you rest for now. They can help.¡± Ao said to Shao Xuan.

    Although Shao Xuan was the only one among the eight people who looked uninjured, but Ao thought Shao Xuan probably consumed more energy than them. It took a lot of energy to get the power out of the fire crystals, right?

    Seeing Caesar¡¯s progress, Shao Xuan did not refuse and said, ¡°Ok, I will take a nap for now. If you need me, please call me.¡±

    ¡°Well, don¡¯t worry. Go sleep. The bat leader must have gone to look for food, and it will note back soon. We are not on its site, so we should be safe.¡± Ao said.

    Shao Xuan really felt very sleepy, and then went away, leaned against the hole wall and closed his eyes.

    He had intended to have a short rest, but when he opened his eyes again, the sky was bright. Maybe he had consumed too much energy yesterday, at night he had had a sound sleep. He hadn¡¯t felt the movement around him and it seemed he had been isted. All the fatigue and muscle pain had gone so he felt refreshed.

    The sun was shining in his eyes when he opened his eyes wide, so he could not help but squint. He had intended to open his eyes slowly but the next moment, he felt something wrong.

    The surrounding area was unusually quiet.

    There was no sound of digging, no voices of discussion, and no sound of footsteps.

    Snap!

    The wood in the fire was burning, and the sound could be heard clearly in this morning forest.

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    Around him there was the smell of burnt meat.

    But this ce wasn¡¯t empty.

    Everyone was here, including Caesar and Chacha. Shao Xuan could feel that no one had left.

    However, none of them made a sound.

    Judging from the sound of their breaths, they didn¡¯t feel calm, but felt extremely nervous. The frequency of breathing was not casual, as if they didn¡¯t dare to breathe randomly facing with their enemy.

    Facing with their enemy?!

    Shao Xuan ignored the dazzling sunlight, and opened his eyes.

    Feeling something touching him, he turned around and saw a strange big nose.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡±

    Fuck!

    Shao Xuan suddenly became conscious.

    The bat leader silently hung itself on the pit wall upside down. It was firmly hanging there as if it had no weight, and the bat¡¯s head was next to Shao Xuan.

    Near him, standing on the edge of the pit, the neck feathers of Chacha were on ends and Caesar was not much better. He exposed his teeth, and his body was tense, as if he could attack any moment

    Those who had been digging, those who had been roasting the meat, and those who had been drinking water, all stopped what they were doing.

    Those who had been roasting the meat dropped the meat on the stick, and didn¡¯t care whether the meat was burnt. Those who had been drinking water threw away the kettles, and let clear water flow out of the kettles.

    Everyone was holding the stone picks, knives, axes, and other tools in their hands. They nervously looked at the creature which appeared here unexpectedly.

    The reason why they didn¡¯t take action until now was that Chief Ao said they couldn¡¯t act rashly.

    No one knew how shocked Ao felt when he saw that the bat leader even appeared here. He was just drinking some water, turned around, and saw that the bat leader was hanging there silently, causing him to throw away his kettle in a scare.

    Each of them, including Ta, Gui He, Dai, and Wei, who had been beaten by the bat leader felt scared when they saw the scene. All of their hairs were almost standing on end at the same time.

    At the moment, everyone almost kept their original facial expressions.

    The slightest twitching of their facial muscles and the beads of sweat on their foreheads and the arms... all showed their tension.

    This situation was extremely tense.

 Chapter 220 - Bear with it for the fire crystals

    Chapter 220 - Bear with it for the fire crystals

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Shao Xuan was staring at the bat leader next to him. He stayed silent for a few seconds and then stood up.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s movement made the atmosphere be even more tense, and the air seemed to be frozen, so they found it difficult to breathe.

    Everyone was worried that the next moment that upside down bat leader would suddenly attack them. It was different from the ferocious beasts they hunted. On the contrary, in its eyes, they were prey.

    After Shao Xuan stood up, the bat leader moved its head at a slight angle. It seemed that it didn¡¯t feel the tense atmosphere and looked very calm.

    Seeing this guy suddenly shocked Shao Xuan, but he was not too surprised. He just woke up so he was sacred for a moment. No matter who opened their eyes and saw this scene would be frightened.

    It wanted more fire crystals, but Shao Xuan lost the one he carried with himself. Now he had none in his pocket. If the bat leader became crazy here, Shao Xuan would not be able to stop it.

    While he was thinking about this, the bat leader suddenly moved.

    It pped its wings, changed its upside down position, and flew into the air.

    The air flow caused by the pping wings fanned the fire.

    Everyone once became even more nervous once again, as if the next moment they would break down.

    However, the crowd, ready to fight, Chacha, standing on the edge of the hole, and Caesar, poised to attack, did not make this flying bat feel scared. It did not even nce at the people around it. It pped its wings and a ck shadow shed like a lightning, which appeared and disappeared. At the same time, originally standing there, Shao Xuan also disappeared.

    Chacha cried and chased after it, and Caesar followed it.

    ¡°You all wait here, I will go there to look!¡± Chief Ao also went to the giant pit.

    Yesterday, in the fight with the seven senior totem warriors inside the pit, Ao had the smallest injury. Gui He and Dai were seriously injured, so they had to recover. They shouldn¡¯t go there again, otherwise they would get more injuries. After all, they were not powerful enough to confront with it.

    When Ao reached the giant pit, Shao Xuan had been brought inside the giant pit once again.

    Although the bat leader controlled its strength, its two hind ws pierced the animal skin coat of Shao Xuan. His shoulder was not hurt because he wore the shirt made of the insect skin found near the Eagle Mountain. But its great strength still made him feel painful. However, his bone wasn¡¯t broken, his skin wasn¡¯t scratched and he didn¡¯t bleed.

    The bat leader flew to the bottom of the pit and opened its ws, Shao Xuan fell forward because of inertia. If he hadn¡¯t reacted fast enough, he would have probably fallen onto the ground covered with humus and bat feces.

    It seemed that it knew Shao Xuan did not have fire crystals. After the bat leader had brought Shao Xuan, it walked around for a while. Then it moved its folded wing ws, dug out a piece of fire crystal from the ground and threw it to Shao Xuan.

    The fire crystal thrown towards him was like a bullet. Shao Xuan did not directly catch it, but leaned to one side to avoid it. If he directly caught it, his palm may have been gashed open and the carpal-bone would probably be crushed. In addition to the fire crystal, the bat leader also lifted the humus and bat feces, Shao Xuan also avoided them.

    After the fire crystal was shot into the pit wall, Shao Xuan went there to dig it out.

    Shao Xuan avoiding it seemingly made the bat leader quite angry. ck miasma came out of its nostrils and its mouth issued a sharper sound of the air flow than ever before.

    Shao Xuan looked at the fire crystal in his hand, which had a simr size like the one he was holding yesterday. But the energy of this one hadn¡¯t been consumed, unlike the one he usually carried with him. It only took him half a day to run out of the energy of that one. But he had to spend more than half a day to run out of energy of this one. Even as his efficiency improved a lot, but he could not absorb all the energy of this one in such a short period of time.

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    He wouldn¡¯t be able to absorb all the energy until the night.

    Above the giant pit, there came the sounds of Chacha and Caesar. They were here.

    This bat leader could break the neck of Chacha as if it was just a chick. It could also kill Caesar easily.

    Before the bat leader moved, Shao Xuan put his fingers into his mouth to whistle to indicate to Caesar and Chacha that he was fine and they shouldn¡¯te to him.

    Listening to the movement above the pit, he confirmed that Caesar and Chacha did note down. Shao Xuan immediately began to activate the power in his body to let that fire crystal ¡°burn¡±. In his special vision, Shao Xuan could see the fire crystal in his palm release several red lines. Some of the red lines came to him and others moved towards the bat leader.

    Originally the bat leader was more than ten meters away from Shao Xuan, it came much closer to him when it felt the energy.

    Standing in front of this semi-king beast, Shao Xuan felt tense.

    Shao Xuan looked around, and found the bottom of the pit in chaos. Dirt could be seen everywhere, and the only difference to yesterday was that there was the corpse of a long hair elephant. That should be its food which it had brought backst night. It was difficult to imagine how it could bring such an elephant, several times its size.

    A long hair elephant was strong and huge, but now its dry body was thrown there. Its bones were prominent. And its tworge spiral ivories in the front drew much attention. But the bat leader showed no interest in these ivories and bones. All the dead bodies were dry, and their bones and teeth remained there.

    When Ao hurriedly arrived at the giant pit, Chacha and Caesar were hovering around the pit. They did not go down. He went down along the rattan, which he had dropped down yesterday, slipped to the bottom of the pit, and saw the same situation.

    He was scared but when he saw Shao Xuan uninjured, he felt reassured. He felt quite helpless early in the morning when he was frightened and hadn¡¯t calmed down yet.

    Shao Xuan also saw Ao at the bottom of the pit, and made a gesture, indicating that he was fine.

    Since Shao Xuan was aware of the movement of Ao, that bat leader would also have noticed. But it didn¡¯t pay any attention to Ao. At this moment, it focused on thinking about how to absorb the energy from the fire crystal. However, if Ao took away a piece of fire crystal here, it would not be so calm. It would directly kill him.

    Ao didn¡¯t dare to get the fire crystals. After confirming Shao Xuan was fine, he did nothing and just stayed there to look at him in case of any ident.

    After a while, Ta also came down. He came because he saw that Caesar, Chacha and Ao didn¡¯t came back. He came here to learn about the situation.

    ¡°You go back first, and let everyone go ahead. I stay here.¡± Ao said to Ta in a low voice.

    Ta looked at Shao Xuan and his father, nodded, handed Ao a spear, and said, ¡°Be careful.¡±

    As Shao Xuan expected, from the morning until finally at night, the fire crystal finally issued a sound and cracked.

    Seeing the crushed fire crystal, the bat leader no longer stayed here. It pped its wings and flew away from the giant pit to look for food.

    Shao Xuan sighed and quickly left the giant pit with Ao guarding him next to him.

    Shao Xuan was fine for he kept absorbing the energy of fire crystal, but Ao was exhausted. Although he had some herbs, he was weak due to the miasma in the pit. Leaving there made him feel better.

    Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t eaten anything since the morning. The fatigue and the empty stomach made him look as weak as Ao.

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    After going back to the ce where the others were digging, Shao Xuan ate a few pieces of meat, and fell asleep with fatigue.

    The next day, the same thing happened again.

    But this time, before Shao Xuan woke up, it directly clutched him and took him away.

    Ao did the same thing. He went there to guard him. Ta and Gui He worked harder with the others, as they thought they should quickly dig the hole, and when they got the fire crystals they could leave.

    On the third day, before the bat leader took Shao Xuan away, someone was so nervous that he touched the trap set around the hole, which was originally set up to guard against the ferocious beasts which looked for food at night. This scared them to death.

    The stone arrow was shot to the bat leader. It issued a sound and hit its wing, as if it hit the hard metal.

    The stone arrow fell on the ground, and the bat¡¯s wing wasn¡¯t hurt, but the atmosphere became more tense.

    Hit by the arrow, the bat leader didn¡¯t get injured, but this could be seen as provocation. It was a little angry, but it didn¡¯t kill the people around it immediately. It shouted toward the hole which the crowd dug so the hole copsed. Their two-day effort was in vain.

    Chief Ao and the two team leaders saw the copse of the hole and their faces turned pale.

    Ao went over to have a look at the area near where the hole copsed. They couldn¡¯t continue to dig in the original ce and had to dig in another ce .

    So infuriating!

    However, no matter how angry they were, they had no choice but to swallow it.

    They couldn¡¯t defeat or scold it. They couldn¡¯t irritate it, so they had to bear the suffering. It was more powerful than them, and this was a fact.

    Fortunately, now the bat leader did not want to directly attack them. If such a ferocious beast close to the king level went to the tribe, they would be even more helpless.

    Fortunately, in the tribe there was the fire seed. The fire seed always made these ferocious beasts stay away from them. But, after this, how could they get rid of this beast?

    This was what Ao was worried about.

    ¡°I think the bat leader has a need for the energy from the fire crystals. But simrly with totem warriors, it has a limit. It won¡¯t endlessly absorb the energy, but it hasn¡¯t reached its limit yet.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Well, Shao Xuan, we can only rely on you!¡± Ao guiltily said. Beforeing here, he told the Shaman that he would protect Shao Xuan well. But now...

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. Anyway, it did not hurt me. It just wants to absorb the energy of the fire crystals. And, I think if it is satisfied, maybe it can help us in the future.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Ao knew that Shao Xuan wasforting him. His mouth twitched, but still failed to smile. This ¡°king¡± level beast was different from the other ferocious beasts, it was arrogant and it was difficult to get along well with it. It was not as obedient as those regr beasts and ferocious beasts in the tribe. If they were careless and angered it, the consequences would be disastrous.

    For the fire crystals, bear with it.

 Chapter 221 - Dug it out

    Chapter 221 - Dug it out

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The hole they had dug was destroyed by the bat leader, so they had no choice but to start digging again.

    When they started digging again, Ao ordered some people to go back to the tribe to report what happened here to the Shaman.

    In terms of the details about Shao Xuan, the fire crystal, and the near king beast level bat leader, Ao did not let the person tell the Shaman. Instead, he tore off a skin volume and wrote down what happened in detail. He tied it with a grass rope and let the people bring it back to the tribe to give to the Shaman. He needed to ask the Shaman before he made the final decision.

    Ao did not worry that the ones who would go back to the tribe would secretly open the skin volume and read it. Without permission, the people in the tribe would not read the animal volume randomly. Ao was sure about this and he trusted his tribesmen.

    When the warriors came back from the tribe, they also brought back the Shaman¡¯s reply.

    Walking to an empty ce, Ao opened the skin volume and read what was written by the Shaman.

    Ao had thought that the Shaman would write a lot of things and tell them how to deal with the bat leader. However, astonishingly, when he opened the skin volume, he only saw one sentence: Follow Shao Xuan.

    If he hadn¡¯t known that the Shaman had selected Gui Ze to be the next shaman, he would have thought that the Shaman chose Shao Xuan to be his sessor.

    Could it be that the Shaman wanted Shao Xuan to be the next leader? Ao could not help but think so.

    No, it should not.

    Ao knew much about the Shaman and he believed that if the Shaman had intended to train Shao Xuan to be the next leader, he would have done it differently.

    Shaking his head, Ao no longer thought about it since he could not guess the purpose of the Shaman.

    At this time, the priority was to solve the urgent problem.

    Every day, they dug the hole deeper and reached the foot of the mountain. It would probably take them another two or three days to get to the bottom of the giant pit. At that time, they would know whether at the bottom of the pit there were fire crystals as Shao Xuan said.

    During this period of time, everyone was less afraid of the bat leader. Because the bat leader hadn¡¯t appeared here for several days. Shao Xuan took the initiative in going to the giant pit early in the morning, so it did not need toe here again.

    Ten days had gone. Shao Xuan could absorb the energy from crystal faster and faster. With his special vision, he could see the red lines of the fire crystal be much more intensive than ever before. This also meant that the energy of the fire crystal came out faster.

    Sometimes, Shao Xuan could go back to the foot of the mountain to meet others before sunset. Shao Xuan had told Caesar to help them dig the hole.

    During this period of time, Shao Xuan spent much time in the pit and he gradually found out what could irritate bat leader.

    As long as you did not take away the fire crystals in the giant pit, it would not be angry. Shao Xuan consumed the energy of the fire crystals and also cut down tworge ivories of the long hair elephant, He even took away a few giant horns of the giant horn deer, but it ignored that.

    One day, when he finished consuming the energy, the bat leader did not fly away to look for food. Before he left, it pped its wings to chase him out of the giant pit.

    Before leaving the giant pit, Shao Xuan saw thicker ck foging from its mouth and nose.

    The giant pit gradually became as ck as ink from the bottom due to the darker fog.

    At this time, even though Ao went there with some herbs, he could not bear it.

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    The ck fog came out of the top of the pit and spread from the mountain top to the foot. Over half of the herbs and grass which could resist the poison before and grew in the mountain, withered.

    ¡°We can no longer walk on this mountain .¡± Ao looked at the mountain surrounded by the ck fog and said.

    ¡°Fortunately, we dug a hole here.¡± Ta was filled with emotion. There was no ck fog around the hole they dug.

    Digging a hole, they could stay away from the ck fog and miasma on the mountain. Even if the miasma permeated the soil and rocks, there was not much miasma in the hole, so they could still bear it.

    ¡°Is it going to transform again?¡± Gui He asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s very likely.¡± Ao said.

    A king beast ...

    The bat leader took one more step close to the level of a king beast.

    ¡°Why not take this opportunity to kill it...¡± Ta held a sword on his hand and made a posture as if he was cutting something.

    Ao, Gui He, Dai and the others looked up. They looked at Ta as if he was a fool.

    Ta looked embarrassed, probably because he realized that he was foolish for saying that.

    They didn¡¯t know whether they could resist the ck fog and walk into the pit. In addition, when the five hunting team leaders had met the bat leader in the hole, it had not transformed. It had moved freely in the darkness, Mai and the others could not find its trace. And now, that bat leader had upgraded. Even though it was not a king beast, it took a big step forward, which really scared them a lot.

    They were about to return to the oldnd. Ao did not want to take the risk and did not dare to do so. The Shaman had said they would have to face more people and more powerful warriors, rather than ferocious beasts or king beasts.

    ¡°But if they don¡¯t kill it, it will get more powerful after it wakes up. Will it chase us and follow us to the tribe?¡± Dai worriedly said.

    ¡°There is the fire seed in the tribe, so it should not.¡±Ao said. They ced great trust in the fire seed. If a powerful ferocious beast attacked them and the people in the tribe couldn¡¯t defeat it, the Shaman could depend on the power of fire seed to drive it away.

    Dai was still not assured, and said, ¡°It would be better if we could return to the oldnd by then. But if we can¡¯t return, we have to go out for hunting. Won¡¯t it pose a threat to the hunting team, or kill the warriors?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°as long as you do not provoke it, it will not kill the warriors of the hunting team.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Gui He had some doubts on Shao Xuan¡¯s answer. Why was he so sure?

    ¡°I feel it.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan had a secret. Gui He and Ta knew about this, and Ao also knew that. He did not want to let the others know. They stopped asking for they saw the eyes of the chief which warned them.

    A few people were talking when an ecstatic voice called out from the hole. It was the loud voice of Ke Ke.

    ¡°Boss! Boss!¡±

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    Ke Ke rushed out from the hole with a very wide smile on his face.

    ¡°Got it! Dig it out! A fire crystal. There is really a fire crystal!¡±

    ¡°Really? Let me have a look!¡± Ao could not sit still, and rose from the ground like a spring.

    Ke Ke held a small fire crystal in his hand, and it was as small as a nail of the little finger, but it was indeed a fire crystal.

    The fire crystal was covered with some soil and stone chips. It had been dug out just now.

    Ao carefully took over that small piece of fire crystal and put it on his palm and wiped the dust off its surface.

    Under the sun, its red color looked like the fire which could burn everything that touched it.

    Different from the fire crystals covered with the humus and bat feces, this one belonged to them, for they dug it out on their own!

    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡±

    After saying that, Aoughed out.

    Without the bat leader¡¯s interference, they dug out a fire crystal, so he no longer felt depressed. Aoughed with his chest shaking.

    Exciting! Amazing! Wonderful!

    ¡°Dad, give it to me. Let me have a look.¡± Ta rarely called Ao like this in front of others. When other people were around him, he usually called Ao ¡®Chief¡¯. But now he called him dad in order to let Ao know that his son was still awaiting.

    But Ao did not understand his son¡¯s mood right now. He clenched his fist holding the fire crystal.

    ¡°Are there more fire crystals?¡± Ao asked Ke Ke.

    ¡°Maybe...¡± Ke Ke scratched his head, he was not sure. He just dug out this fire crystal and immediately rushed here to tell him the good news.

    ¡°Go. Go into the hole to have a look!¡± Ao could not wait to lead the men inside the hole.

    Shao Xuan fell behind. Before entering the hole, he raised his head to look at the mountain covered with ck fog in front of them. Its top was as ck as ink.

    ¡°Shao Xuan,e on!¡± Ke Ke in the hole urged him toe in.

    ¡°Coming!¡±

    Looking away from the mountain top, Shao Xuan raised his feet to walk into the hole.

 Chapter 222 - The failsafe

    Chapter 222 - The failsafe

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Under the giant pit, there simrly a ce to the fire crystal mine.

    After Ke Ke, another man dug out a fire crystal. This excited them after they had been depressed for ten days.

    What was their purpose ofing here?

    Fire crystals. Since they couldn¡¯t dig out fire crystals in the giant pit, they could do that here. Moreover, the bat leader had been inactive, so they didn¡¯t need to pay any attention to it. They could just work harder to dig while the bat leader was not here. They should try their best to dig as many as possible.

    Another six days passed by.

    The fire crystal they had dug out, big or small, already filled a bag. This was only a part of it.

    Shao Xuan estimated that not even half had been dug out.

    These fire crystals were enough for all the warriors in the tribe to use.

    Seeing Ao opening a skin volume, Ta wiped the sweat off his face and asked: ¡°What did the Shaman write?¡±

    After finding the fire crystal, Ao wrote one more skin volume to the Shaman and ordered some warriors to bring it back to the tribe to ask for the view of the Shaman.

    Ao looked less excited, but a little serious because of the fire crystals.

    ¡°No one is allowed to tell anyone about the fire crystals we dig out!¡±

    When they had a rest, Ao ordered everyone toe over and ordered them not to tell others about the location, the process and how many fire crystals they had dug out.

    Thest time, the five hunting teams had found the fire crystals in the giant pit. But this time, they found them under the giant pit. They had even dug an underground channel leading to the foot of the mountain. This was a secret.

    If they didn¡¯t go back to the oldnd, it didn¡¯t matter. But as a matter of fact, they must return to the oldnd. If someone told this to the others in the tribe, it would bring big trouble, and even cause a war.

    The fewer people knew this, the better. Fortunately, this time the advance team came here. They were familiar with and knew much about the members of this team, so they trusted them.

    They had to return to the tribe because the hunting time was over. Ao did not take all the people back, and left some me here to keep digging. He took some men and the fire crystals back to the tribe. They met the hunting team, and then went back to the tribe.

    Shao Xuan had intended to stay here to prevent the bat leader froming here suddenly, but he was refused by Ao.

    ¡°The Shaman asked you to go back.¡±

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    Since the Shaman said so, Shao Xuan did not insist. The Shaman made him go back, it was certainly to tell him something.

    When the hunting team went back to the tribe, the men in the tribe all knew that the leader had led the men to find the fire crystals. This couldn¡¯t be kept as a secret, but it didn¡¯t matter as long as they didn¡¯t tell the specific location.

    Fortunately, many people in the tribe were duteous, and they didn¡¯t ask more about it because the chief and the Shaman didn¡¯t say. For them, it was fortunate enough to be able to use the fire crystals. They did not care about other things.

    Everyone in the tribe was happy. Recently, they had a lot of good news. They were going back to the old haunt and had also found fire crystals. Both made them feel happy for a long time.

    In the Shaman¡¯s stone house, at the top of the mountain.

    Returning from the hunting area, the chief, the two team leaders, and several respected seniors gathered here, Shao Xuan was also present.

    Shao Xuan had not been eligible to attend such a meeting, but now no one opposed. And sometimes before they made a decision, they would ask for Shao Xuan¡¯s views. After all, Shao Xuan was the only one who had been to the oldnd, so he knew much more than the people who had always been here.

    ¡°Everyone will be allowed to absorb the energy from the fire crystals next year when the ritual ceremony is held,¡± Said the Shaman, ¡°but before the ritual, we let up.¡±

    Even though we have fire crystals, we cannot ignore other things. How much energy can be absorbed depends on the state and ability of each person. Those who have injuries, those who haven¡¯t recovered from serious diseases, and those who are malnourished should prepare themselves before the ritual ceremony.

    This time, it was not a private thing or something involving a small number of people. Instead, it was vital for the entire tribe. From the mountain top to the foot everyone had to pay attention.

    Ao nodded, nced at Ta and Gui He, and said, ¡°I will go to the greennd and try to find more herbs to bring back.¡±

    Most of the totem warriors¡¯ injuries healed because of the special herbs. But themon herbs didn¡¯t help, so they had to get those in the greennd.

    ¡°Put the fire crystals here first.¡± The Shaman told Shao Xuan, who was sitting on the edge and stayed silent, ¡°Shao Xuan, what¡¯s your idea?¡±

    ¡°I found that many people have their own way to detect fire crystals when I was there. If we take a lot of fire crystals to there, we will be their target. Probably before we arrive at the oldnd, we will be attacked by one group of people after another, especially those of the central tribes, who are not weaker than those of our tribe.¡±

    Hearing this, many, including the chief, felt worried. They looked to Shao Xuan, waiting for his next words.

    ¡°I know that some people put the fire crystals into jade boxes so no one can detect them, but¡± Shao Xuan pointed to therge bag of fire crystal in the middle stone table and said, ¡°We do not have enough jade boxes, and jade is also very precious there.¡±

    No one had found a jade mine in the surrounding area and had never seen jade. Shao Xuan had brought back some and let everyone know a little about the jade.

    The Shaman smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    While speaking, the Shaman took out a wooden box in which there was a fire crystal. However, before opening the box, Shao Xuan did not perceive the existence of the fire crystal.

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    ¡°This is?¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes shed.

    ¡°This is a box made of ¡®hollow wood¡¯. I believe it can work as the jade box. Hollow wood can be found in the greennd. Cut some and put it under the sun. We can bring it back to make boxes.¡± The Shaman said.

    ¡°This sounds good!¡± Gui He patted his thigh, ¡°I will take more men there to cut more to make more boxes. In this way, we can bring the fire crystals back to the oldnd!¡±

    ¡°No, I do not intend to take along all the fire crystals.¡± The Shaman¡¯s words stunned everyone that had been excited.

    ¡°Why?¡± Everybody was confused.

    The Shaman had a thin smile and said, ¡°If one day we return to the oldnd and something bad happens to us, we wille back here. We can retreat here. Leaving some fire crystals here can ensure our safety.¡±

    Every tribe must pay attention to inheriting and carrying forward the tradition. The Shaman had to consider this and n for the future.

    ¡°The fire crystals we dug out are enough for all the totem warriors in the ritual ceremony. Ao, you take the rest with you and put them back in the hole that you dug out, block the entry of the tunnel and cover it.¡±

    Those who had followed Ao there must keep the secret about the tunnel. Shao Xuan once said that the fire crystals were very attractive. The Shaman believed that if some people from other tribes heard about the news, they would certainly go to the giant pit to look for the fire crystals.

    But what¡¯s in the giant pit?

    That bat leader close to the level of a king beast!

    ¡°If someone is looking for the fire crystals there... then let them die!¡± The Shaman¡¯s kind eyes became sharp, making people there feel cold and they unconsciously shivered.

    A king beast, it¡¯s umon.

    So far, Shao Xuan only knew that there was a king stone worm in the mountains of the second region of the hunting team led by Mai. He had felt the threat it posed when it had been close to him.

    It was not easy to deal with each king beast. Shao Xuan was an exception. It was believed that the king beast will be able to cope with the people who woulde. Even if the bat leader had not really reached the king level, it was strong enough to defeat anyone.

    The Shaman¡¯s words made everyone here silent for a while, and finally they only sighed.

    ¡°We do need to think about it.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°Just follow the advice.¡±

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    ¡°This should be kept as a secret.¡±

    After they finally made a decision about the fire crystals in the stone house, the Shaman let them leave.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you stay here,¡± The Shaman said.

    After the others left, the Shaman told Shao Xuan, ¡°In the beginning of next year, for the ritual dance, you remember to practise it.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s face twitched, and he replied, ¡°Ok¡±.

    Although the dance looked weird, he got used to it. He had to hunt good prey to use its skin to make a new coat. If in the ritual he wore his old coat, he would beughed at and it would be considered that he made no progress.

    The Shaman let Shao Xuan do the ritual dance because Shao Xuan had made contributions to the tribe.

    Over the past one year when Shao Xuan had left, fewer people awakened the totem power in the ritualpared to the previous year. In addition, the Shaman had tried to engrave two beasts, but he had failed.

    The warrior that kept the animals thought they themselves were to me. The beasts had not been raised well, so he had failed. However, the Shaman knew that it was his fault.

    When he tried to do that, he was not in the good state as before when he had engraved the first group of beasts. He felt exhausted when he had just finished half of the task. So the totem didn¡¯t form properly when he had finished the second half.

    The Shaman felt that Shao Xuan also needed to take the responsibility. When Shao Xuan was present, it would be better.

    The Shaman didn¡¯t tell this to Shao Xuan undoubtedly, but every time he thought of this, he had to go to the fire pit. He kowtowed to the ancestors and talked about what made him feel depressed.

    Shao Xuan did not know his depression. He went to find Ao. He wanted to go with him to the greennd a few times before returning to the oldnd. He had to help look for more herbs to bring them back to the oldnd. In the future, he was sure that they would need the herbs when they just arrived there, for a while they would not be familiar with theyout of thend. It would be difficult for them to find good herbs.

    And the other reason was that he wanted to let old Ke be stronger before the ritual ceremony, for he was old. If he was stronger, he would absorb more energy of the fire crystal and it would be beneficial for him.

    In the other tribes, the injured and disabled like old Ke didn¡¯t have a good life. Shao Xuan only hoped old Ke¡¯s life could be improved.

    Before the arrival of the winter, the entrance of the tunnel to the fire crystals had been blocked and covered. It would not be easy to find, and then after two or three years, it would be even more difficult to find.

    Shao Xuan prepared a lot of food for the children in the cave. Over the past two years, before the winter, he had brought some food to the children in the cave. Now, those children caught fish and ate the meat other people sent to them. Each of them got much stronger.

 Chapter 223 - The change in the ritual

    Chapter 223 - The change in the ritual

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    It was always snowy and extremely cold in the tribe in winter.

    Yan Zhi and the others were up in the mountain, and in this weather, it would have been impossible for them to survive on their own. Fortunately there were people that took care of them.

    The people in the tribe had never looked forward towards the end of the winter so much.

    After the end of the winter, there would be the ritual ceremony. The wanderers who had just returned to the tribe would get to awaken their power, and there would be fire crystals which was what the entire looked forward to.

    Every warrior prepared for it and they kept training in the winter. Even though they could not go far away, they stayed at home to lift stones to build up their bodies. They wanted to keep their bodies in a good state when the ritual ceremony was held. They tried to avoid getting weak after the winter.

    Shao Xuan often went up the mountain, the Shaman and the chief had been nning for the return to the oldnd. Every time they asked Shao Xuan toe there to join them. When he was free, Shao Xuan went to the medicine house to help Gui Ze deal with the herbs.

    In the medicine house, that turtle that took care of the drug waste grew a lot bigger. Its shell was two meters high. No one knew why it grew so fast and more stronger. It was either because it was engraved by the profound craft or because it often ate herbs. Moreover, the vertical ridges on its shell became more prominent, it looked even more intimidating than the big crocodiles in the Drumming tribe.

    The instant Shao Xuan went there, the turtle tried to bite Shao Xuan a few times, but it was always pped away by Shao Xuan with his knife to the corner.

    When the moons that had disappeared in the winter came out, the people in the tribe became excited.

    Old Ke had rested for a whole winter so his face looked ruddy. He looked much younger.

    In the ritual ceremony, Shao Xuan took out a costume of giant bear skin madest year, he would wear it to the dance. In order to hunt this bear, Shao Xuan had fought with it for more than ten days.

    ¡°Have you prepare your clothes? Have the insects on the bear¡¯s skin been removed?¡±

    ¡°Everything is done. Hey, old Ke, I really can¡¯t remove these bear ws, really? They make me feel ufortable while wearing it.¡± If he wore the bear w gloves, Shao Xuan could not see his fingers. If anyone saw him, he or she would first see the ck bear ws.

    ¡°No! The ws look great!¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    ¡°There is the ne made of the bear¡¯s teeth! Don¡¯t forget it!¡± Old Ke quickly put the bear teeth ne on his neck.

    One by one, the bear¡¯s teeth, which were as big as big carrots, were strung around his neck, making an odd sight. His neck was slender and he wore this thick ne. But this wasn¡¯t odd among the tribe at all.

    ¡°I will go up the mountain first, youe with Caesar. And Chacha, you can find a ce to have some fun, but do not run too far away.¡± Shao Xuan shouted to the eagle in the sky.

    ¡°OK, quickly go up the mountain. The Shaman and the chief may have something important to tell you.¡±

    Shao Xuan was chased out by old Ke and went up the mountain.

    Today, everyone ¡°dressed up¡±, if you did not look closely, you would not be able to identify anyone.

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    Although Shao Xuan had participated in many rituals, but every time he felt the ritual was a party of beasts.

    Looking around, you could see some wear skin coats, horns, bone adornments, snake skin belts, or beast bone masks...

    On the mountain, Shao Xuan met several people standing around Yan Zhi and the others.

    It was the first time for Yan Zhi and the others to participate in a ritual, so they were cautious. However, their faces looked excited.

    ¡°So cool!¡± They hadn¡¯t awakened their power yet, so they didn¡¯t have their own ritual beast clothes. Now they just wore the warm clothes given by the people in the tribe. These clothes were just made of general animal skins.

    Shao Xuan waved his ¡°bear ws¡± to Yan Zhi and the others to greet them. The bear ws were very big. And although everyone in the tribe considered them useless, it was not easy for Shao Xuan to get rid of them.

    Yan Zhi and the others enviously looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s coat, ¡°Nice!¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan? You did not see him wear that thorn ck wind coat. I still think that one looks more amazing.¡± A man went past them and said jokingly.

    The giant bear coat was not inferior to the thorn ck wind skin coat, but the thorns looked much more scary than the bear skin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t envy others. When you awaken the power, you can follow the hunting team to go hunting. Then you will have your own ritual beast clothes.¡± The man said.

    ¡°We will also have the clothes like what Shao Xuan wears, right?¡± Jiao Wu clenched his fist.

    ¡°It depends on your strength. Few can be as strong as Shao Xuan. Anyway, you first have awaken the power¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    They were about to awaken the power and be real totem warriors! This year, they wore the clothes which someone else prepared for them, inferior to others¡¯. But next year, and in the following years, they would wear clothes made of their best prey to participate in tribal rituals!

    Shao Xuan first went to look for the Shaman. Like the others who would dance together, his face was painted in some patterns, and then he went to the fire pit.

    ¡°This year many people will awaken the power¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Yes,st year, seven failed to awaken the power. This year coupled with Yan Zhi and others, over hundred will get the power.¡± Tuo wearing a beast bone mask said. He had taken off his mask to draw a pattern on his face and then he put it on again.

    His beast bone mask was made of a beast head. The head had been cut down, and boiled. It¡¯s flesh was gotten rid of and the bones and teeth in the mouth were left and modified. Those sharp teeth were the most important, the best mask in the tribe should be the one without any broken teeth. Moreover, the dancers should wear decent clothes.

    Shao Xuan could only see the face of Tuo through that mouth with sharp teeth.

    The night wasing.

    Everyone gathered at the top of the mountain.

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    After the chief finished his words, the Shaman walked next to the fire pit.

    The Shaman spoke a spell.

    In the fire pit, the small mes became a fierce fire, and instantly it spread to fill the entire fire pit. This gained a momentum which was greater than ever.

    Even the Shaman felt stunned and was in a daze for a moment, let alone others.

    Music was heard, and the ritual dancers started to dance.

    Wearing the heavy bear skin, Shao Xuan danced together with the others, swinging his hands and feet.

    While dancing, Shao Xuan was again under the mysterious trance.

    In the fire pit, he seemed to see many people wearing primeval and strange clothes, swinging their hands and feet like him, dancing around the fire pit. Further, there were tall stone houses...

    The fire became even more fierce in the fire pit, and it seemed that the ming horns totem would rush out of the mes.

    The whole mountaintop was covered with fiery light.

    The me flying out of the fire pit was more intense than ever before.

    At the same time, far away from the ming Horns tribe, at the old haunt.

    In the old haunt, where there had been the fire pit. The fire appeared again.

    First there was a shining spot in the center, and then this spot was divided into six fiery branches extending to six directions.

    Birds nesting around the trees that had just fallen asleep were awakened. They flocked from the tree nests, chirped and flew away from the fire pit.

    Just stepping into this area, a ferocious beast of the night growled, turned around and walked away quickly.

    On the ground the fire spread, and bloodthirsty vines which had captured countless creatures struggled helplessly and quickly withered.

    It was silent in this ce as the birds and insects had left.

    There was no music, and no dancers. No one was there, and under the ck night sky, the outline of the fire on the ground lighted up the ruins.

 Chapter 224 - The suppression of the fire seed

    Chapter 224 - The suppression of the fire seed

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    In the Wan Shi tribe

    In the shaman¡¯s house.

    The door with a beast skull hanging on it was suddenly opened.

    The shaman¡¯s face was painted with a colorful totem pattern. He was sweating while rushing out. Then he hurried to the chief¡¯s house.

    The Wan Shi tribe¡¯s chief was served by several female prisoners who had been brought herest year. But he was suddenly disturbed by the shaman and now had a displeased look.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Having hurriedlye, the shaman was out of breath and said at once, ¡°There was a change in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest!¡±

    The chief¡¯s closed eyes suddenly opened, and instantly became sharp like a knife. He asked, ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Last year, the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest made the chief of the Wan Shi tribe lose face. The men of his tribe had always ughtered, bullied, and robbed others. Before that, they had never been bullied and thus felt so frustrated! Every time he thought of this, he felt someone had insulted him. He didn¡¯t allow anyone to tell this thing which would ruin the reputation of the Wan Shi tribe. If anyone mentioned it, he or she would be killed. Until now, there were no less than ten people killed by him because of this.

    This remained an unsolved problem for the chief of the Wan Shi tribe. Because of the previous casualties, until now he hadn¡¯t sent any more people into the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.

    ¡°Indeed, just now, something ominous is happening, I feel...¡± The Wan Shi shaman said with unrest. He could hear his heartbeats, much faster than usual.

    ¡°What do you feel?¡±

    ¡°I feel...¡± Looking at the chief¡¯s red eyes, the Wan Shi shaman lowered his head, and kept silent as a coward.

    ¡°Say!¡±

    The Wan Shi shaman took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice, ¡°The suppression of a fire seed!¡±

    The atmosphere inside the house suddenly became tense.

    The women who had served the chief with a smile at the moment were trembling like sieves. But they did not make even a little bit of sound, for fear of being noticed because of the sound.

    They had served the chief here for some time, and understood his temper. At the moment, the chief was furious.

    They did not know the Wan Shi chief was not only angry, but also scared. He had manyplex thoughts, so he became absent-minded for a bit. But he soon became conscious and smashed the wooden table next to him. His strong totem power showed his anger. His eyes became red and looked at the women who were scared, hiding in the corner.

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    The guards outside the chief¡¯s house suddenly heard shouts and screams from the house, and soon the sound ended abruptly.

    Bang!

    The wooden door was kicked open and broke into several pieces.

    Full of bloodlust, the man took big steps out from the house. His every step threatened the guards, so that they had to breathe carefully. They worried that the chief would scold them.

    Fortunately, at this moment, the Wan Shi chief paid no attention to them and just walked away. He walked toward the fire pit.

    After the Wan Shi chief, the Wan Shi shaman came out without any expression. When he went past the guards, he paused for a while, and said,¡°Clean up the things in the house.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± The guards replied. They knew what the ¡°things¡± in the house the shaman referred to.

    After the chief and the shaman left, the guards went into the house. They removed the blood stains in the whole house and took away the iplete dead bodies. They had done this more than once, so they didn''t feel afraid of the blood in the house. While cleaning the house, they were discussing in whispers as to why the chief was so angry.

    Coming to the fire pit, the Wan Shi chief saw the mes were not as fierce as usual. Then he felt frightened. Although he had heard what the shaman said, when he witnessed it himself he was still unable to control his emotion.

    The Wan Shi shaman was standing ten steps away from the chief. He knew the chief¡¯s temper so he knew if he was too close to him he would suffer.

    ¡°Call our men! I will go to the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest in person!¡±

    Just finishing his words, the stone near the Wan Shi chief¡¯s feet was broken.

    Bang!

    For the people of the Wan Shi tribe, this night was not m. The chief was furious, so everyone was scared. They heard that tomorrow they would go to Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, so they became even more worried. This night, they were unable to sleep.

    On the other side, the men of the ming Horns tribe were filled with joy. They did not know what kind of people were about to arrived at their old haunt. Now they were absorbing the energy of the fire crystals.

    In the fire pit, the three mes had beenpleted. The third me went on smoothly, so the Shaman said everything would go on well.

    In the past, when the mes had beenpleted, the ritual would end. The chief and the Shaman would announce something and the gathering would end. Everyone would have gone back home. But today, after the third me and the fire seed retreated to the fire pit, the Shaman took out the long-awaited fire crystals.

    Having waited for a winter, they finally saw the fire crystals at this moment. Each totem warrior tried hard to absorb the energy from the fire pit into their bodies. They seldom had such a change.

    Besides those who had not awakend their power yet, Shao Xuan was one of the people that felt the most rxed.

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    The energy of the fire crystal could not directly improve him, but in order not to avoid looking different, he still stayed with the other people. Different from the others, he did not absorb the energy. Instead, he was just contemting about his mysterious state while dancing.

    What he had seen at the time was probably a past scene of the booming ming Horns tribe, rather than the present scene. That kind of scene was simr with what he saw in the old haunt.

    The old haunt...

    When the tribe returns with the fire seed, it would see a big change.

    When all the energy in the fire pit was consumed, it was close to dawn.

    Everyone absorbed different amounts of fire crystal energy. Some people absorbed much, while some absorbed less. Some absorbed the energy fast, while some did that slowly. Those who had finished the absorption quickly did not leave, but stayed there to stimte the totem power to properly integrate the energy which they had absorbed.

    Some people who were close to making a breakthrough upgraded to a new level on the spot. When the young warriors saw the totem pattern extending to their elbows, they could not help but show joy on their faces. The ritual had not yet ended, so they dared not speak out. They just stopped themselves fromughing. They exposed their teeth and clenched their fists, and their faces twisted.

    The Shaman nced at them and his eyes showed his joy.

    After the announcement of the end of the sacrifice ritual, everyone left one after another. Tonight probably those close friends talked more with one another, and gathered together to celebrate.

    ¡°A few dayster, when they are in a stable state, summarize their situation and report it to me.¡± The chief said to the man next to him.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Tonight a hundred people would awaken their power. If all of them seeded, they all became totem warriors, including Yan Zhi and the others.

    Jiao Wu almost could not help but shout out. He smiled and then began to cry with a smile. The eyes of Yan Zhi, Yan Shuo and the others were filled with tears.

    Next to them, those children did not understand why these men older than them cried. Although they had awakened their power and were proud of bing totem warriors, they didn¡¯t need to be so excited, right?

    The Shaman did not say anything, and told someone to bring the new warriors to the edge. Tonight, he would personally teach these new warriors.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Shao Xuan!¡± Old Ke sat on Caesar¡¯s back and cried at the edge of the top of the mountain.

    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡± Shao Xuan looked away from the fire pit, and looked towards Old Ke and Caesar.

    ¡°Do you... improve?¡± Old Ke patted his wrist.

    He was asking Shao Xuan whether he had improved from intermediate totem warrior to senior. A senior totem warrior¡®s totem patterns extended to the wrists. Shao Xuan wore his ritual beast clothes so he could not see the totem patterns on his arm. That was why old Ke asked such a question.

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    Shao Xuan shook his head.

    Old Ke was looking forward to that and his eyes told his disappointment. But he then smiled and said,¡°It¡¯s fine, take it easy.¡±

    He just saw many people tonight improve to a higher level. Shao Xuan, in the eyes of old Ke, was a very good and talented warrior. He should also be able to improve a lot, but he saw Shao Xuan shaking his head. He was worried Shao Xuan would think too much so he held back his depression tofort Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan smiled and did not say more.

    While going down the mountain, Shao Xuan was stopped by Lang Ga and some others. Many in the hunting team had improved a lot and Mai became a senior totem warrior. Everyone was happy. As the head of the hunting team, Mai waved his hand and asked them to gather together to celebrate. Shao Xuan was invited as he had helped a lot.

    ¡°You go on.¡± Old Keughed. His eyes narrowed, patted Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulders, and then patted Caesar¡¯s wolf head, ¡°Go, let¡¯s go back first.¡±

    After resting for a whole winter and absorbing the energy from the fire crystals, old Ke felt that he was young again and energetic. It was obvious that he was stronger. Although he lost one leg, it was easy for him to go down the mountain with the help of his stick. But old Ke did not walk down the mountain. Instead, he rode a wolf. Ge and some other old friends looked at him with disdain, but he just hummed the tune of the ¡°Hunting Song¡± while going down the mountain.

    Before the first hunt this year, the Shaman and the chief got the report and the report delighted them.

    Originally there were only a little over ten senior totem warriors, and two of them were old warriors. Compared to young warriors, they were less powerful. But now, there were another twenty young senior totem warriors! ording to the report, although many people failed to make a breakthrough, they had improved. It was believed that they were not far from a breakthrough.

    ¡°Good, very good!¡±

    In order to return to the oldnd, the Shaman and the chief naturally hoped that there were more and more powerful warriors. After all, they would face more challenges brought by other humans and ferocious beasts after the return to the oldnd. Only when they had strength could they finally settle in the oldnd after going back there.

    ¡°Have the ships finished building?¡± The chief asked the man next to him.

    ¡°We are still trying.¡± The warrior reported the progress of the shipbuilding to the chief and the Shaman.

    ¡°Not fast enough.¡± Ao said.

    He was looking forward to the return to the oldnd, so he was not satisfied with the current progress.

    ¡°Take it easy.¡± the Shaman said. Although he said so, he then discussed with the chief about whether to build a bigke near the training ground. If they had ake without the wood-eating insects, it would be easy for them to test the new ships.

    This was not a small project which involved the location selection, digging, transferring water, and so on. That was aplex process.

    Ao agreed.

 Chapter 225 - Destroy everything

    Chapter 225 - Destroy everything

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The chief and the Shaman had ordered them to dig a bigke, so everyone tried their best. When those hunting warriors went out, some stayed in the tribe to dig, and even some disabled people helped. In the tribe many women without awakened totem power also gave a hand.

    After the first hunt, when Shao Xuan returned to the tribe, they had made a hole covering an area of more than four hundred square meters. They continued digging.

    At the foot of mountain, some children from the cave were helping cooking fish soup.

    A twenty-meter-long wooden ship was ced there, and Yan Zhi and the others were busy filling its gap.

    This was only the first ship they tested, and there were another two bigger ships next to it, which had not yet been built.

    Shao Xuan picked up the tools to help them.

    ¡°How is everything going on?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Before the rainy season, we can finish building three ships. Then we can test them first.¡± If they seeded, they would try to make a bigger one.

    As the Shaman said, the ships they built concerned everyone in the tribe. If the ships were not good enough, they would break and the water would fill them if they were hit by the fish on the journey. If so, they could do nothing but cry.

    ¡°How about the hunt?¡± Jiao Wu could not help but ask.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Shao Xuan followed the advance team to the greennd this time. This time in the greennd they found some kind of curling nt, they also hunted a lot on the way. These satisfied them.

    ¡°We have to go hunting next time.¡± Jiao Wu said.

    ¡°Yes, but the time after next.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Yan Zhi and the others, like most of the new warriors, did not follow the hunting team for the first two hunts. They would do that at the third hunt. Yan Zhi and the others were different from other new warriors, so they would certainly be protected at that time.

    ¡°When we leave, you should pay more attention to what happens here.¡± Yan Zhi told Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Yan Zhi and the others went hunting at a different time from Shao Xuan¡¯s. They did so to ensure that one of them would supervise the shipbuilding for they did not trust others.

    The men of the ming Horns tribe dug a hole as big as ake. The hole wasrge enough to amodate all the ships of the Longboat tribe¡¯s fleet, but the warriors were not satisfied it. If there were not the mountains in the surrounding area, they would dig a bigger one.

    When the rainy season came, the hole would begin to store water. After the end of the rainy season, when there were no wood-eating insects in the river, they could divert the water from the river into the hole.

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    From theke to the river, they dug a nearly ten-meter-wide waterway, so the ship could move from theke to the river.

    With the advice and guidance of Shao Xuan, they built a floodgate near the mouth of the river, which would be closed except for the end of the rainy season.

    ¡°We have theke and the waterway, and we just wait for the arrival of the rainy season.¡± When it rained, they could divert the water from the river into theke.

    ¡°Unfortunately, this year, we cannot go back.¡± Lang Ga looked at theke and waterway and said, ¡°If there weren¡¯t insects in the river, we would not spend so much time in digging a hole and instead we could just test the ships in the river.¡±

    ¡°Ok, we just have to wait and return there next year, probably.¡±

    When the people in the ming Horns tribe were busy, on the other side of the river, the chief ofthe Wan Shi tribe was walking with arge number of people in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest to their old haunt.

    This time, the number of people he brought was nearly one third of that of his tribe. Because of the ferocious beasts and dangerous nts in the forest, a lot of warriors died or got injured. However, they eventually found the old haunt of the ming Horns tribe.

    Using a knife to scratch away the moss and vines on the stone, Fu Ji,the Wan Shi tribe chief, with blood on his body, looked at the engraved stones in the woods, and gently read, ¡°The ming Horns tribe?¡±

    Then heughed with disdain, and said with contempt to the shaman who came towards him, ¡°Is this what you are concerned of? This tribe has been extinct.¡±

    The Wan Shi shaman was silent.

    Fu Ji smiled but his face suddenly became frightening. He punched the big stone which was engraved with the words.

    Bang!

    On the hard stone, there was a hole as big as a fist. The stone which had firmly stood on the ground was knocked down by his great strength and rolled far away from them.

    Ignoring the stone rolling away, Fu Ji continued to lead his men forward.

    It was not long before they arrived at the ruins.

    The people of the Wan Shi tribe had known that a tribe had existed here, but that tribe had disappeared, and only ruins had remained. Later, the sessive chiefs did not pay any attention to the ruins in the forest. As the forest expanded, the ruins and surrounding areas became more and more dangerous for them. That was why they seldom went there.

    The ruins had seen a historical event causing a huge change. The members of that tribe had lived here. As the tribe waned, none of its member stayed here, so this tribe was considered to be extinct.

    Although the surrounding area was full of vitality in the current season, each person standing in front of the ruins felt it was dested. It was like an old man who stripped and exposed his scarred body.

    Glory or obscurity, everything had happened several thousands years ago, they were no longer important. Except for the people of the ming Horns tribe of course.

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    For example, the Wan Shi tribesmen standing here just thought about whether some precious items were left here, though when they had seen the ruins in the beginning they had some inexplicable emotions.

    The Wan Shi tribe chief, Fu Ji, looked at the six obvious traces on the ground, and squinted to indicate that there was danger.

    ¡°Are these traces of a ritual ceremony?¡± Fu Ji pointed to the six lines that seemed like they were caused by fire and asked the shaman. Although he did not understand this way of worship, he guessed that they were the traces left after a ritual performed by another tribe. Each tribe had its own style of worship.

    ¡°Maybe.¡± The shaman said.

    ¡°Maybe?¡±

    The shaman paused, and said, ¡°I have never felt the presence of a fire seed here.¡±

    ¡°Of course there is no fire seed! This tribe has been extinct!¡± Fu Ji yelled.

    But if there was no fire seed, then why had the fire seed been suppressed?

    The emergence of fire seed suppression showed that there had been another tribe stronger than theirs here.

    If the people of the extinct tribe had not done this, probably the people of another tribe in the central region had had such a scheme.

    The Wan Shi tribe had repeatedly made trouble for the Lu tribe and was warned several times by the several major tribes in the central region.

    Did they deliberately hold an activity simr to a ritual ceremony to frighten the Wan Shi tribe? Maybe, the previous trouble was caused by those guys in the central region! Fu Ji thought that, after all, except them no one was in dispute with them and could cause the fire seed suppression.

    The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Fu Ji ignored the shaman next to him, who was hesitating to say something, and he called the others.

    ¡°Destroy everything here! Everything! Especially what is in this ce!¡± Fu Ji pointed to the six traces in the center, ¡°Remove them! I don¡¯t want to see them again!¡±

    Although he felt that it was done by the old guys in the central region, he did not feel this was a good ce. He thought it seemed that the several tall pirs wereughing at his tribe. The Wan Shi tribe was one of the strongest tribes in the central region, but it was still weaker than theother big tribes because of the fire seed suppression.

    ¡°This, destroy it!¡±

    He could not defeat the old guys in the central region, but he could still destroy these stones. Anyway, these things were useless, for the tribe had been extinct. They didn¡¯t want to keep these stones and they were even their eyesores.

    In the forest, a loud sound was heard. The tall pir where Shao Xuan had stood finally fell down.

    Fu Ji saw the pir fall down, but he was still unsatisfied. He ordered his men to cut it into columns and chiseled a lot of holes in each column. This way, the painting on the stone pir was destroyed and looked even more unreadable. No one could see aplete pattern.

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    The ruins there looked in an even worse condition. Some of the stone houses which had almost copsed finally fell down. The big tes were crushed into small pieces, and the small pieces were thrown in to the distance in all directions.

    The better stones were dug out and taken away.

    In the original fire pit, they dug many holes,rge or small. It waspletely different from what Shao Xuan had seen the first time.

    The trees were cut down, and the grass was pulled out. The whole ce changed and looked totally different.

    Looking at the whole picture, Fu Ji felt content and thenughed. He set the forest on fire to burn those things he hated. Perhaps, if everything was burned, no one woulde here to cause trouble. The best solution was to burn the whole forest, but it was impossible! There were a lot ofkes and ferocious beasts near here. Some of the ferocious beasts knew how to put out the fire.

    What a pity. However, it was not bad to leave something. If they burned everything, all the ferocious beasts woulde out and the Wan Shi tribe would suffer.

    Even though Fu Ji could not burn everything, this could at least make him feel better. He liked destroying things in person, which made him feel extremely happy.

    ¡°Go!¡± Looking at the burning fire and smoke, Fu Ji turned around and shouted.

    In this ce, in this season, the fire didn¡¯t spread very fast, and many trees in the surrounding area did not burn so easily. Today there was no wind, so they had enough time to leave.

    Although this time many people lost their lives in the forest, Fu Ji thought that this was a good trip for he felt reassured now.

    ¡°I wonder what those old guys will do now!¡± Fu Ji said.

    Although from the bottom of his heart he knew that these old guys were really stronger than those in the Wan Shi tribe, he was not worried about it. He thought they would not be much stronger, right? It was impossible that all of the people of those tribes woulde here to fight against them.

    Fu Ji left with his men, but they did not go far when the sky began to rain.

    It rained more and more heavily, so the fire, which they had tried hard to start, was put out. The rising smoke cleared.

    ¡°Fuck, it is raining!¡± Fu Ji said angrily.

    Today it was really cloudy and he knew it would rain. But he did not expect that when he had just started the fire it would begin to rain.

    But Fu Ji did not intend to return there. Anyway, he had done what was needed to be done.

    Fu Ji was happy, but the shaman had a mixed feeling. He felt anxious again. Moreover, he felt even more worried than ever before. He hoped that what he was concerned about would never happen.

 Chapter 226 - Ready

    Chapter 226 - Ready

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After the people of the Wan Shi tribe journeyed to the ming Horns tribe, many of them still felt anxious, especially the Wan Shi tribe¡¯s shaman. He always felt very tense and had great difficulty in breathing.

    However, since then, the chief of the Wan Shi tribe, Fu Ji sent some people to the forest again. They didn¡¯t find anything strange in besides beasts, ferocious beasts, and some dangerous nts.

    So, the people of the Wan Shi tribe finally felt reassured after the scare caused by the previous heavy defeat.

    Now everyone of the Wan Shi tribe believed that if they hated someone, they could just stab them with a knife. They had been worried that the people would take revenge. But it turned out that nothing happened. They did that again! Nothing happened, so they feared nothing.

    In this way, Fu Ji finally felt rxed and was even more sure that the tragedy and the suppression of the fire seed were caused by the old guys from those several tribes.

    That was the fact and Fu Ji smiled proudly. Anyway, those people could do nothing to stop him. One of the ancestors of the Wan Shi tribe, a chief, once said that in the central region the tribes seldomunched a war with a slightlyrger tribe. And this was why the sessors of the chiefs of the Wan Shi tribe didn¡¯t hide their ambition andunched wars randomly. Fu Ji also did so.

    However, the Wan Shi shaman still felt worried. Day by day, his anxiety didn¡¯t reduce but increased.

    Fu Ji did not hide his ambition, but the Wan Shi shaman was afraid that if one day the Wan Shi tribe reached out, its arms and legs would be cut off.

    Regardless of how the people of the Wan Shi tribe felt, on the other side of the river, the people of the ming Horns tribe were busy with building ships and training.

    Since the water was diverted from the river into the artificialke during the rainy season, they sped up the shipbuilding and training.

    The people of the ming Horns tribe, from birth to the present, had never traveled on a ship, except for Shao Xuan and Yan Zhi and the others. They needed appropriate training, so if the sail did not work they could still paddle forward. They had to adapt to living on a ship.

    The hunting warriors spent less time going outside, and also reduced their routes. For the people of the ming Horns tribe, as long as they had basic amount of food, they didn¡¯t try to get ¡°quality¡± food. In the past, some beasts and ferocious beasts, which they hadn¡¯t paid much attention to, were now included in the hunting list. In the tribe, they needed food and others also needed it. The Shaman said now every member of the ming Horns tribe should be united and no one would be ignored.

    A year passed.

    In the artificialke of the ming Horns tribe, there were more than 20 ships, and each was more than thirty meters long. In addition to the first three ships with one deck, the others had two to three decks. After more than a year of continuous trials, they now built much better ships.

    Now, Yan Zhi and several others were building a ship, bigger than the twenty-plus ships.

    There were three ships made of quality wood, which was selected carefully by the hunting teams in various hunting areas.

    Because in the three ships, there would be chief, the Shaman, and other top warriors of the tribe.

    ¡°Can we set out this year?¡± Having finished training on board, Lang Ga came to ask Shao Xuan.

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    ¡°It depends on the progress of the shipbuilding and how soon everyone adapts themselves.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    This year, almost every day, everyone prepared for the departure. Shao Xuan had been asked to go to the mountain top. He spent his free time in painting volumes for the Shaman. He drew the important things he had seen on the other side of the river on the Shaman volumes, so that the Shaman could know more about it.

    The Shaman gave many orders in the tribe, and the tribe saw rapid changes.

    It had been three years since Shao Xuan had decided to travel from the tribe. They got more information than they had already got in total. Some people were at a loss, they were not so enthusiastic about the changes, but more people were looking forward, because they wanted to know more new things and contact more people.

    ¡°This ship will be finished in about ten days?¡± Shao Xuan looked up to the ship in front of him and said.

    ¡°Ten days... there are about twenty or thirty days before the rainy season. It is not toote.¡± A few people next to him said.

    If before the rainy season they could finish building the ship, they could spend the rainy season to prepare for the return. At the end of the rainy season, everyone would set out!

    ¡°It depends on whether the ship is built. If it is built...¡± Shao Xuan did not finish the words, but everyone knew what he meant.

    If the ship was built, they could set out!

    In one of the rooms of the Shaman¡¯s house at the mountain top.

    There were big cartons and boxes which were put aside in order.

    In addition to some stones, the stone cartons and boxes were reced by wooden cartons and boxes.

    The Shaman looked very calm, but in fact, the people in the tribe did not know the had Shaman begun to pack up for he was more impatient than others.

    Many years had gone and many Shamans hadn¡¯tpleted this task. He finally had hope.

    Seeing chief Aoe in, the Shaman asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan says the ship will be built in ten days.¡± Ao nced at the Shaman, and he saw nothing from his old face. He paused, and said: ¡°If the ship can be built, we will be able to set out this year.¡±

    ¡°Yes, this year we will be able to leave here.¡± The Shaman sighed.

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    If they couldn¡¯t set out this year, they had to wait for another year.

    ¡°The rainy season starts early this year and it will be a shorter period of time.¡± The Shaman said.

    He could not predict the weather urately like Yang Sui of the Yu tribe, but he could still make a useful prediction.

    The rainy season began early and also ended early. That was to say, it was a longer period of time from the end of the rainy season to the time when two moons appeared.

    It was really a good opportunity. If they failed to seize this opportunity, they didn¡¯t know what would happen next year and in the following years.

    ¡°Step up the training and also crank up the security, if anyone dares to make trouble at that time...¡± The Shaman put on a stern look on his calm face.

    Ao nodded, ¡°I have told Ta and Gui He. If any ferocious beasts that have been branded run out of control, I will teach them a lesson.¡±

    Nothing was more important than the return of the tribe, although it was not easy to brand the ferocious beasts.

    Ten dayster, three ships had their maiden sails on the artificialke.

    ¡°How about it?¡± Ao came here early, stared at the three ships on theke, and asked Shao Xuan and Yan Zhi on the ships.

    ¡°For now, I don¡¯t see any problems. Will know moreter.¡± Yan Zhi said.

    Ao still looked very serious. He looked towards Shao Xuan and saw Shao Xuan nod slightly. Ao clenched his fists on his both sides. He kept calm as a chief, and took big steps to leave faster and faster.

    When he climbed up the mountain he could only see a shadow.

    Since everything was ready, he needed to discuss with the Shaman about the return of the whole tribe after this rainy season.

    The oldnd¡­

    ¡°I really want to see what it looks like.¡± Ao thought.

 Chapter 227 - Return

    Chapter 227 - Return

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The rain poured down on the earth.

    With the arrival of the rainy season, those huge river rulers began their annual migration.

    In some invisible ces of the river, there were many aquatic creatures doing the same thing as the river rulers.

    Compared with the active creatures in the river, the people of the ming Horns tribe were much quieter. Except the guards who were arranged to stay in various ces, most people stayed at home.

    One insect climbed out from an unknown ce and it was moving its countless ws to climb into the house very fast.

    Snap!

    A wolf paw hit the insect heavily to kill it, for it was going into the house.

    Caesar was lying in the room, and he almost filled the whole room. His head rested at the door. He looked like a doorkeeper, and killed whatever tried to go into the house without any dy.

    Old Ke was standing in the room where he usually polished the stone tools and looking at the rain outside the window. His eyes were filled with hope.

    Behind him, many wooden box had been packed and put there. At the corner of the room, there were some old stone cartons and boxes of different sizes. But those could not be taken away.

    ¡°Ok, I...¡±

    In the tribe, like old Ke, many had already packed their things at home. There was limited space, so everyone could only take away a limited amount of things. If anyone wanted to take more things, he or she had to report it to get the permission. Otherwise, his or her things would be thrown away. If anyone didn¡¯t want to abandon his or her things, he or she could stay here.

    At the top of the mountain, Shao Xuan looked at the Shaman standing next to the of the fire pit and was saying something.

    In this period of time, the Shaman came here once every day.

    The Shaman said that it was a kind of ceremony, a farewell ceremony. When the rainy season ended, the tribe would leave this ce where their ancestors and they had lived for nearly a thousand year. Naturally they also had to take away the fire seed.

    The fire seed in the fire pit was always burning no matter how the weather was.

    After today¡¯s ceremony, the Shaman turned around and left the fire pit and walked towards Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what will happen after the ming Horns tribe returns to the oldnd. What¡¯s your idea?¡± The Shaman asked.

    Shao Xuan thought about it for a while, and said, ¡°We will no longer have a peaceful life.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Shaman overlooked the waves of the vast river. Although he spoke with mixed feelings, his eyes still showed his determination.

    Next to him, Ao did not speak, but his face showed his pleasure. Clenching his fists showed that he was still excited at the moment. As the chief, he would be remembered by the descendants long after he died. This was an important turning point in the tribe¡¯s history, and their names would be recorded on the animal skin volume that would be passed down one generation after another. This was the top honor.

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    Standing at the top of the mountain for a while, the Shaman, Shao Xuan and Ao went back to the stone house. The two teamleaders and several other old people had arrived there.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s confirm the return n again today.¡± Ao opened an animal skin volume, and said.

    Every two days, they gathered here to have a discussion. If they didn¡¯te here to discuss about the n, they would feel something was wrong. As an important member, Shao Xuan was often asked toe here for he was the only one who had ever undertaken a voyage.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    When the rainy season finally ended, even the people who had been quiet now became very excited.

    It was time to leave.

    For most of them, this ce was like their oldnd, for their grandfathers¡¯ grandfathers had been born here and had passed away here. It was absolutely impossible for them to have no nostalgia for this ce, but the Shaman said this was not the oldnd of the ming Horns tribe.They believed him and went back together with the hope of their ancestors.

    The people on the mountain went down withrge and small boxes. Men and women walked along the road of glory in groups, perhaps, this was theirst time to walk along this road.

    A child holding his own animal skin bag followed his parents going down the mountain. Halfway, he turned around to look to the direction of his own house, and cried for some reason.

    A rough big hand was put on the head of the child, and turned his head to the front. ¡°Watch ahead and don¡¯t look back.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    At the foot of the mountain, Ge and several people usually responsible for sending food to the cave guided the children in the cave to leave.

    Chacha grabbed several boxes tied by old Ke and flew to the ship on the artificialke. Caesar carried old Ke down the mountain with the others to theke.

    They boarded their ships ording to the arrangements. They had adapted to the life on board ahead of time so they would not feel ufortable immediately after boarding.

    Shao Xuan was asked to go up the mountain to help the Shaman, who had the most things. Others could take less packages, but the Shaman could not do so. Even if the Shaman wanted to take less packages, others did not want him to do so, for many of his packages were the things left by their ancestors.

    The warriors carried the boxes very carefully, as if what they were holding something fragile. They were respectful of these things so their bodies were quite stiff, and they took each step cautiously.

    After carrying something down the mountain, Shao Xuan went to see old Ke and learned about his situation. He confirmed that everything was going on well and then climbed the mountain.

    Before going to the mountain top, Shao Xuan went to the cave to have a look.

    Since he woke up in this cave, quite some time had passed.

    Shao Xuan came to the stone room with the mural, and looked at the mural on the wall. He fixed his eyes on the end of the mural and thought about it for a while. Then he carved a few words with his stone knife in the nk - We returned to the oldnd.

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    After finishing carving the words, he added a word at the end of that sentence: ¡°Xuan¡±.

    Standing up, Shao Xuan blocked the vent with stones and straw, and then went out.

    A gust of wind was blowing, and he could still smell the smell of fish.

    Shao Xuan looked at the stone wall close to the entrance of the cave. There were still some words left carved by him when he hadn¡¯t awakened the totem power yet, and some pictures drawn by him with carbonized twigs.

    Besides Shao Xuan¡¯s paintings, a variety of traces were left here, for the children had lived here for nearly a thousand year. There were also fish bones, old beast skins, and messy straw in piles...

    Exiting the cave, Shao Xuan moved a big stone not far from the cave to block the entrance of the cave in order to cover the cave.

    When he arrived at the mountain top, everything had been moved away. He didn¡¯t need to do anything else, but the Shaman did not let him leave.

    Besides Shao Xuan, Chief Ao, the two teamleaders, Mai and the other heads of hunting teams, and a few elderly people always involved in the discussion had not left.

    The Shaman led them to the top, and then came down. The Shaman was holding a small me in his hand. The me was much smaller than it was in the fire pit, like that of a birthday candle. It was held in the palm of his hand.

    Chief Ao went next to the Shaman, and Gui Ze, as the next shaman, helped the Shaman hold the stick and stood on the other side, slightly behind Ao. The others were standing around to protect the Shaman.

    While walking along the road of glory down the mountain, on both sides of the road, two rows of warriors were standing there. All of them were intermediate totem warriors or above.

    When the Shaman passed them, the standing warriors knelt down to show their greatest respect. They rose when the Shaman left and followed him in the back. Each of them had red eyes.

    The Shaman didn¡¯t go fast from the road of glory to the artificialke where twenty-three ships were moored. However, no oneined about this. The people who had boarded were not impatient.

    Thergest ship had been docked and a woodendder was put down from the top.

    On the ship, there was a ¡°fire pit¡± as small as the basin. The Shaman brought the fire seed to the ship and then ced it into the small ¡°fire pit¡±.

    When the Shaman was ready, Ao announced the beginning of their voyage.

    Woo~~!

    The sound of a bone horn was heard. Then each person in charge of each ship gave the order to start the voyage.

    They had received training, though they could not control the ships as skillfully as Shao Xuan did.

    All the ship had left the artificialke one by one. The water gate between theke and the river was opened, so the ships gradually entered the river after leaving the channel.

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    At the head of the fleet,

    ¡°Well, be careful. Don¡¯t separate from the fleet!¡± Ao roared.

    The fleet travelled farther and farther, and the mountain they had lived looked smaller and smaller. Each of them would have the same experience which Shao Xuan had had.

    Under the water,rge and small piranhas were active. If you looked down while standing at the edge of the ship, you could see many big fishes which were longer than a man. When the fishes swam past the ships, they hit the ships from time to time and the ships shook.

    During the journey, Shao Xuan, who had stayed in each ship to make observations, found that the farther the ship was from the central ship, the more it was hit by the fishes.

    Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t known the reason at first, but had guessed it. In his special vision, he saw that the central ship emitted a light and influenced those closest ships. That was why they were rarely hit by the fishes.

    The fire seed?!

    Holding Chacha¡¯s feet, Shao Xuan went from the outer ship to the central one. He told his discovery and guess to the Shaman and the chief, but he did not tell them about his special ability.

    ¡°Because of the fire seed?¡± The Shaman thought about it and his eyes shed. ¡°Yes, the fire seed. It is able to protect the tribe from the attacks of other beasts, ferocious beasts and the fishes in the river.¡±

    Then the Shaman read the Shaman-spell as he did in the ritual ceremony to make the me spread across the entire fire pit. But the fire pit on the ship was much smaller.

    ¡°Let everyone get close.¡± The Shaman said to Ao.

    Ao went out and told the Shaman¡¯s order to everyone. The other ships got closer to the central one, but they could not get too close. If so, an ident may happen.

    Out of the cabin, Shao Xuan saw the light emitted from the central ship was much brighter and also expanded to cover the ships close to it.

    After that, the other ships were seldom hit by some big curious fishes, so they were safer than he had been during his lonely voyage.

    Day by day, everything was going on well. In order to save time, besides the use of sails, the people on each ship took turns to paddle. This time, Chacha didn¡¯t push the ships, but they picked up speed. Once they confirmed the direction, they directly moved forward. They tried to take a straight route, unless they encountered some floatingrge fish bodies and avoided the danger. After all, if they failed to reach the other side of the river before the water level dropped, all their efforts would be in vain. If so, their tribe would be extinct.

    At the same time, Shao Xuan had a strange feeling again.

    This time, thanks to the fire seed and more helpers, Shao Xuan had a little more leisure time. He spent his free time in observing around the river carefully. He even observed the sky, the clouds, the moon, the stars and so on.

    Shao Xuan suddenly made a guess.

    Perhaps the river was not as vast as he imagined.

 Chapter 228 - Sounds quite familiar

    Chapter 228 - Sounds quite familiar

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The ships seemed to be sailing fast in the waves, but probably, they just moved forward a little bit.

    Wind flow on the river was always changing, so it may be the same case with the water flow in the river!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t notice this in the past. When he was in the tribe, he could only see the shallow water near the bank. The water flow was not very visible, and what he could see was only the horizontal changes of the water. Moreover, after sailing out, he focused on operating the vessel and identifying the locations, so he paid no attention to the changes of the water flow. But now, with close observation, he noticed the changes of the water flow. Therefore, sometimes the ship looked like it was moving forward, but in fact it may just be travelling.

    This was only Shao Xuan¡¯s guess and he couldn¡¯t verify it at the moment.

    Nevertheless, Shao Xuan was thinking: Is there another rtively steady passage in other ces of this river?

    And how did those giant eagles go to the Eagle Mountain at that time?

    To keep it in mind, Shao Xuan wrote down this thought on an animal skin volume where he made records. Maybe he would find something in future, especially after meeting that ¡°Hui¡± tribe.

    The ships of the tribe sailed in the direction indicated by Shao Xuan all the way. At the very beginning, some didn¡¯t adapt and even had seasickness. Shao Xuan was prepared for this and even developed seasickness pills with the Shaman. The pills worked but had limited effects. Many staying inside the cabin were depressed, while those in high spirits were restricted to only going out to look at the scenery outside and seeing the big fishes with stripes and thorn-shaped back fins swimming away from under the ships.

    The life on the river was boring and full of tension. Nobody slept properly. At times, the moment when they closed their eyes, the ship would shake for a while, which immediately woke them up full of anxiety. People of the ming Horns tribe still remembered the horrors of this river.

    In order to gain time and make sure they could arrive before the river level dropped, the warriors took turns to paddle day and night.

    As the days went by, those in high spirits also became depressed, like the seasick ones. Many of them were obviously much thinner than before.

    The water and food on the ships were also lessening. Little food was given to those who didn¡¯t work, to guarantee their minimum necessity, while the remaining food was given to the warriors who worked. No one said anything about this allocation.

    As to those branded ferocious beasts that were restricted on the ships, they didn¡¯t even dare to move around, for fear of being thrown into the river as food. Every day they could only enviously watch Chacha flying around and around in the sky and catching fish.

    When Chacha came down from the sky, watching the sky with fear and there was no wind around, Shao Xuan would advise the danger in advance and Ao would order everyone to work the oars.

    After finally moving away from the dangerous area and looking back, they found that on the surface of the water behind, the drifting wooden boards that were thrown away were smashed instantly. The water seemed to evaporate and turned into mist, Ao and the others, with the same feeling as Shao Xuan at that time, all drew a cold breath and couldn¡¯t calm down for a while.

    ¡°This river is really full of dangers.¡± Ao said.

    Ta and Gui He looked at each other and saw fears in each other¡¯s eyes and nodded, to show their agreement.

    At that time, they only knew that Shao Xuan crossed the river with hardships, as well as many difficulties, but they had no clear idea. Now after they experienced themselves, they knew the hardships in the process. Any carelessness would lead to death in the river.

    With their personal experience, in the hearts of everyone in the tribe Shao Xuan became a heavier existence. It could be said that without Shao Xuan, the tribe would not have been to cross this river safe and sound even if they made big ships.

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    ¡°Are we almost there?¡± Ta looked ahead, but what he could see was still a vast river.

    ¡°Still far away. But I believe we can make it.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    This year the rainy season came and went early, giving more time to the tribe. Even if the speed of the ships was slower than that of Shao Xuan¡¯s boatst time, they still had enough time.

    The life on the river continued. On the ships, the excitement at the beginning had already died down; kids in the cabin were either eating or sleeping. They would gather for talks for limited activities while awake.

    When a long eagle cry came from the sky, those originally depressed ferocious beasts pricked up their ears immediately with shining eyes.

    Ao and the others didn¡¯t understand What Chacha meant, everyone looked at Shao Xuan.

    Holding the eagle ws and flying into the sky, Shao Xuan said to the others after hended again, ¡°We¡¯re there! I can see the river bank!¡±

    Ao was ovee with joy and the two teamleaders also shouted loudly with excitement. After shouting, they turned around and went back to the cabin right away.

    ¡°What are they doing?¡± Shao Xuan was confused. Not only the two teamleaders, even Ke Ke and the others also ran inside the cabin.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that the Drumming tribe is over there? Ta and the others are dressing up.¡± With this word, Ao also went inside the cabin.

    Shao Xuan was left stunned. Dressing up? Could it be what he thinks?

    Messages were passed between the ships. Almost simr things happed on every ship. The silent cabins became noisy.

    The moment when Shao Xuan watched the Shamaning out of the cabin, he felt a twitch on his eyes.

    When did this old man wear those bone ornaments? Also wearing a ne made of beast teeth on his neck. The cloak is not the one he wore when getting on board. It is a new fur cloak made with borate care!

    And looking at the chief, the teamleaders and the totem warriorsing outter, Shao Xuan felt like seeing another group of Phorusrhacos running back and forth in the dust with their big feet, making sounds of ¡°Bang Bang Bang¡±.

    Probably, people of the ming Horns tribe thought that it was a very important day today. Moreover, the Shaman and the chief mentioned to leave a good impression on the first tribe they would see, also their first partner!

    So Shao Xuan saw everyone dressing up like they did on the day of the ritual, wearing animal skin, horns, bone ornaments and facial masks. Looking elsewhere, and it was the same case on every ship! Except that they looked thinner than before, everyone was in high spirits, rid of the previous depression on the voyage.

    Shao Xuan covered his face with his palms, lowering and shaking his head with a smile, not knowing what the first impression of the ming Horns tribe would be on people of the Drumming tribe.

    Inside the Drumming tribe.

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    The people of the Drumming tribe, who knew nothing about the arrival of the ming Horns tribe, they were not in a good mood.

    From the time when they got that message, everyone was in a bad mood and got ready for a fight earlier than they didst year.

    The crocodiles had already left in the rainy season. Those remaining in the tribe were only the newly born small crocodiles, which could not go on a long journey.

    Fu Shi carried a wild beast back home with an exhausted face.

    The family was eating without any word. After finishing the meal, Fu Shi and his wife would continue their duties, one for patrol and the other for defense.

    It was rare for Chen Jia, who was quite rebellious usually, to be obedient. He knew that recently the atmosphere in the tribe was not good, and that everyone was worried.

    ¡°Are they reallying?¡± Chen Jia asked.

    Fu Shi looked up at Chen Jia, nodding with a long sigh.

    When the rainy season was over, they went to the Pu tribe to trade, to exchange for tools and better stones, and to make preparations for the Water Moon Festival. It was at that time that the Pu tribe told them a message:st year, some tribe in the central region found an important medicinal function of the water moonstone, and then, water moonstones became even more popr in the central region. For a water moonstone of the same size, the things it could exchange for now were two to three times more than it did before.

    Thoserge tribes in the central region would note to create trouble for a tribe in the border regions in public, but it would not be the case with other tribes. Take the Martyr tribe for example, who even attacked in thest two years. It¡¯s said that because of the failurest time, the Martyr tribe allied themselves with other tribes to loot the water moonstones this time.

    Just the Martyr tribe alone was quite an ordeal for the Drumming tribe, nevermind othersing along. Things became troublesome.

    Moreover, after knowing that there would be trouble at the Drumming tribe, the Luo tribe and other tribes nearby began to evade people of the Drumming tribe. There was no way for the Drumming tribe to ask them for help. Everyone did the same, in fear of getting themselves in trouble.

    As to the Pu tribe, they just provided some information and clues. It¡¯s impossible for them to interfere with this kind of trouble.

    That¡¯s why Fan Mu, the chief of the Drumming tribe, had pulled a long face recently. He had had no good sleep since the day when he got the message. What he could do was only ask the members of the tribe to prepare more tools and weapons, as many as possible.

    ¡°This year may be the most difficult one over the past few years for our Drumming tribe.¡± Fan Mu said.

    The shaman of the Drumming tribe was sitting aside, his eyes full of worries. Others around were alsoden with anxieties.

    It was a good thing for the water moonstones to be more precious, and it was also a bad thing. The good thing was that the Drumming tribe could exchange for more items with water moonstones, while the bad thing was that they had no idea whether they could protect and keep these water moonstones.

    ¡°No need to fear them! They cane as they like. We can kill them one by one!¡± One warrior said with cold eyes. The vertical pupils in the brown eyes looked quite cold and sharp, but his temper was hot.

    ¡°He is right! Kill them one by one! Just as we did in the past!¡±

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    ¡°We are not afraid!¡±

    Several young warriors could not help shouting.

    ¡°Shut up!¡± The chief, Fan Mu, berated them.

    Many were not afraid of death, but it didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t worry. What would happen to the Drumming tribe could be foreseen if the Martyr tribe really attacked them with others.

    ¡°We can find others for help, too!¡± A middle-aged warrior by the side said.

    Fan Mu shook his head. Few days were left now. No tribe nearby was willing to help. And they were not familiar with those tribes far away. Even if they persuaded those tribes to help, it was probably like trusting a wolf to watch over sheep. Fan Mu distrusted the tribes.

    It suddenly quieted down inside the house, only some young men were panting with anger, for the Martyr tribeing to loot the water moonstones so many times, and for the nearby tribes not willing to help.

    ¡°If only Shao Xuan and his tribe were here.¡± One of them suddenly said in a low voice.

    At that time when Shao Xuan left, he said that the ming Horns tribe and the Drumming tribe would be on good terms. If it were the people of the ming Horns tribe, they would probably be willing to help.

    ¡°But, where will we find the people of the ming Horns tribe? Shao Xuan didn¡¯t tell us where their tribe is.¡±

    Inside the house, it quieted down again.

    Right at this moment, sounds of whistles came from the river bank.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did theye to attack so quickly?!¡±

    ¡°No. Not it¡¯s not an rm of attack, but more like¡­¡­¡±

    Soon, a patrol guard rushed in from outside in gasps, who ran too fast to stop. Fan Mu caught him and made him stop by force. The man was red-faced, whether for running or for being too excited.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?!¡± Fan Mu asked.

    Fan Mu heard a long and loud eagle cry when the warrior was about to say something.

    It sounded quite familiar.

 Chapter 229 - Should not be silent

    Chapter 229 - Should not be silent

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    They had prepared for the battle, and hearing the whistle made them nervous. They heard the cry of an eagle, so they became very worried. And they soon confirmed it because they saw the chief, the shaman, and a group of people behind the chief rush to the bank of the river.

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    Fu Shi who was patrolling looked very surprised.

    ¡°Buddy, I have to leave for a moment.¡± Fu Shi said to the man beside him and ran to the river bank.

    Left at home and sharpening a de, Chen Jia, on hearing the cry of the eagle, rushed to the river bank while holding the sword. He was very familiar with the cry for he had often heard it.

    Chief Fan Mu led many people to the river bank while looking for the eagle in the air.

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡± Fan Mu said with happiness. He did not expect Shao Xuan toe here, but now he could ask Shao Xuan whether he could ask the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°Chief, chief, look!¡± The man next to Fan Mu hit him with the elbow. He was so excited that he hit him very hard. He normally wouldn¡¯t have dared to do so, but now he didn¡¯t pay any attention to such a detail.

    Fan Mu was about to ask him. He looked down, saw what was happening on the river. and suddenly opened his eyes wide.

    Besides Fan Mu, everyone that rushed to see the scene were shocked.

    On the river far from them, ships were approaching.

    Those ships were not better than those of the Longboat tribe, but for the members of the Drumming tribe, they were the best ships they had ever seen, especially the three in the front.

    ¡°They are... members of the Longboat tribe?¡± Seeing the fleet, the people thought so at once.

    ¡°No, no!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯sthe ming Horns tribe!¡±

    The man who shouted next to him was so excited that his voice was shaking.

    Although the ships were still far away from them, those with good eye sight could vaguely see the pattern painted on the sail, which looked like Shao Xuan¡¯s totem pattern of the ming Horns tribe.

    The ming Horns tribe. It was said that Shao Xuan had a good rtionship with their tribe. Did the ming Horns tribe get the news and came to help them?

    If so, that was really good!

    What good news! When everyone around them was avoiding them and they thought they had to confront with the enemies alone and suffered a lot, that tribe came to help them.

    On the other side, people on board found they were getting closer and closer to the river bank.

    ¡°Finally, we are here.¡±

    ¡°Are they the members of the Drumming tribe?!¡±

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    ¡°Did theye to wee us? So many people!¡±

    ¡°Tuo, look at me. How about the horn on my head?¡±

    ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t it said that there are crocodiles? The crocodiles, where are the crocodiles?¡±

    People on board were chatting fervently.

    ¡°Hey!¡± Ao nced at them.

    Everyone stopped talking, raised their heads, straightened their backs, and showed thergest tooth of their bone nes.

    Everyone wanted to show the Drumming tribe their best, because this was the first other tribe they had ever seen.

    Ao managed to keep his image as a majestic chief, but his palms sweated so he had to wipe the sweat off his palms with his animal skin coat.

    The Shaman kept his typical ¡°Shaman Smile¡± and looked very calm. Those that didn¡¯t know much about him would think the old man was very calm.

    Chacha arrived there first and circled in the air for a while. It didn¡¯tnd until the chief of the Drumming tribe and the chaman got there.

    Close to the ground, Shao Xuan released his hand holding the eagle w, fell to the ground and stood firmly.

    ¡°Everyone, long time no see.¡± Shao Xuan looked at those of the Drumming tribe people and said with a smile.

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you got taller!¡±

    ¡°Are youing to help us?¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan, those behind you are members of your tribe?¡±

    Fan Mu knocked against those jostling and held back his excitement and joy. He said to Shao Xuan,¡°Long time no see, wee to the Drumming tribe again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, our tribe is ready to go back to the oldnd. This time we need to go past your tribe. Sorry to bother you.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    In the Drumming tribe, there were several tributaries flowing into the river, one of which was quite wide. The water level there had not dropped yet, so the ships could sail on it to go through this area.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Fan Mu agreed without hesitation, but then he nced at the shaman. Then he said to Shao Xuan, ¡°I will greet them in person.¡±

    Shao Xuan noticed the talk between the two leaders of the Drumming tribe and knew that they kept something secret. The Drumming tribe was about to get some the water moonstones so he guessed they were talking about it.

    Finished talking with Fan Mu, Shao Xuan once again returned to the ship, and told Fan Mu¡¯s reply and his thoughts to the Shaman and Ao.

    ¡°If they are faced with the invasion and robbery as you said, we can help them. After all, they had helped you and Yan Zhi. It is the first tribe we have seen. As you said, since we want to be friendly and get mutual benefits, we should give them a hand when they are in trouble.¡± Ao said.

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    ¡°Yes,¡± Said the Shaman, ¡°the ming Horns tribe should not be silent.¡±

    Ao smiled, looked at the shore that he was getting closer and closer, and said, ¡°Take it as the first test after our return!¡±

    The fleet headed towardsthe tributary in the Drumming tribe, and the people on the other side of the river gathered there.

    The people of the Drumming tribe people had been in excitement at the beginning andughed very loudly. But as the fleet was getting closer and closer, the people gradually became silent.

    After the fleet came near, the people of the Drumming tribe saw everyone on board dressed up, so they were stunned.

    The people of the ming Horns tribe looked... too magnificent. On such a hot day, didn¡¯t they feel hot while wearing such a thick animal skin coat?

    But their coats looked bright and smooth, and those that wore them in winter must feel warm. They didn¡¯t know how many water moonstones they had to exchange for such a coat.

    They also wore teeth nes. Look at the animal teeth!

    What kind of beast could have such a tooth ?

    The ships of the ming Horns tribe moved to the tributary and then docked at the shore.

    The people of two tribes could see each other clearly.

    In fact, the people of the ming Horns tribe were also excited, but they saw the chief look very serious. So they pretended to be serious as well, as what he did was always right!

    The members of the ming Horns tribe looked as serious as they were faced with ferocious beasts so it seemed that they were ferocious and intimidating.

    A gust of wind blew and Fu Shi shivered, scratched his arm and whispered to the next man, ¡°I feel a little...¡± He didn¡¯t say he was scared, the others had simr feeling.

    They had thought the people of their tribe looked very domineering, but today when they sawthe people of the ming Horns tribe they suddenly felt that they looked even more tough! But that Shao Xuan was not like that!

    ¡°Is this really a small tribe?¡± Someone whispered.

    The number of the members of this tribe was small. However, each of them looked so intimidating that no one dared to provoke them. Look at the beasts on board which were eager to¡­ Something¡¯s wrong!

    ¡°Chief, are the animals on the ship beasts? I have not seen such beasts.¡± A warrior leaned forward, pointed to the several heads exposed to them from the threerge ships, and said to Fan Mu.

    ¡°Those are ferocious beasts!¡± Fan Mu stared at the ship, and almost said it word by word. When he saw it at first, he was not sure. But now they got closer, he found something was wrong. Thinking of Shao Xuan¡¯s eagle, which was aferocious beast, he believed those on the ship were probably ferocious beasts.

    Fan Mu held back his shock, his hand holding the sword was sweating. He hadn¡¯t expected that the ming Horns tribe was such a tribe. Even though its number was small, Fan Mu was sure that if both sides had a fight now, the Drumming tribe would lose and suffer a lot.

    The woodendder was put down on thergest ship, and the chief and the Shaman went down, side by side. They were followed by the two team leaders and behind the team leaders were outstanding young warriors of the ming Horns tribe.

    Many people had nned to jump directly from the ships, but Ao told everyone to take thedder, so they had to follow his order.

    ¡°Wee to the Drumming tribe! I¡¯m the Drumming tribe¡¯s chief, Fan Mu.¡± Fan Mu went to them and said with a polite smile on his face.

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    ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Ao¡¯s face serious but also smiled, ¡°The ming Horns tribe chief, Ao.¡±

    The two shamans saluted each other in their respective ways, face to face. For the shaman, salute was also as important as a ceremony.

    After the introduction of both sides, it seemed that the two shamans, one with a mysterious smile, the other with a knowing smile, indicated something else.

    Shao Xuan stood next to them and looked at them: ¡°...¡±

    It was not easy to be a shaman. The two shamans had had in-depth exchanges before they even talked to each other.

    Based on Shao Xuan''s understanding of the Shaman, he believed that the two shamans left a good impression on each other.

    They had exchanged ideas without saying a word for a long time.

    The chief and the shaman of the Drumming tribe invited the members of the ming Horns tribe to stay here. Ao intended to rest here for a few days. Although everyone now looked very energetic, it was only because they saw the members of another tribe for the first time. More or less, they were tired and needed a proper rest.

    Some of them followed Ao and the Shaman into the tribe¡¯s residence with the members of the Drumming tribe. Others, under the guidance of some people of the Drumming tribe, moored the ships in a suitable dock of the tributary, but they did not left the ships without themand of the chief. They still stayed there.

    Moreover, even though they were excited, for they saw the Drumming tribe, they still needed to be vignt.

    Only those ferocious beasts felt very ufortable and grabbed the edges of the ship to look at the people of the Drumming tribe below the ship. Their staring made the several people of the Drumming tribe feel scared.

    Fan Mu led the members of his tribe into the tribe, and then chatted with Ao to tell him his difficult situation here.

    ¡°Since the Drumming tribe is in such a difficult situation, we are naturally willing to help you. After all, Shao Xuan got your help, but my people need a rest right now.¡±

    ¡°We can provide the shelters and food for you all, so that your warriors can have a proper rest!¡± Fan Mu said at once. In the Drumming tribe there was much space, so they could build some shelters within a few days.

    ¡°We can get our food. And we just need a few houses. After all, some of us can live on the ships."

    The two chiefs were talking about the settlement. Outside the house, Shao Xuan and Fu Shi were also chatting.

    The Shaman and Ao had Shao Xuan learn more about what happened outside the tribe in details.

    ¡°Son of a bitches. They¡¯re robbing our water moonstones! It is said that they found a helper this year. Shao Xuan, if you did note, we the Drumming tribe, would have had to confront with them alone.¡± Fu Shi indignantly said.

    Listening to the story told by Fu Shi, Shao Xuan had a general understanding of what happened.

    ¡°Don''t worry. We will not stand by silently.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Ao had determined to take this as their first test, and the warriors were gearing up.

    The warriors had fought against ferocious beasts, but now they had to confront with human beings. Ao looked forward to their performance.

 Chapter 230 - Night slaughter

    Chapter 230 - Night ughter

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The arrival of the ming Horns tribe caused the people of the Drumming tribe, who wereden with tension and anxiety, to be very relieved. At least, they were not alone in the uing battle and would feel more at ease with a helper.

    After the two chiefs exchanged ideas with each other, they started to build houses in an area with fewer ponds. After all, not everyone liked living on a pond. Fan Mu took this into consideration and decided to use that area after discussions with Ao.

    That area was a little bit far away from the habitat of the Drumming tribe. No one walked there except the patrolling groups. That was what Ao wanted.

    Even if it was the cooperation between the two tribes, precautions against each other were necessary, as both were not that acquainted to stay together without any defense. Moreover, that area was closer to the branch where they were docked.

    It not only resolved the housing problem, but also kept a distance both agreed on. Certainly no one rejected this decision.

    With the assistance of the people of the Drumming tribe, they worked fast on the construction. On the second day, many houses appeared in the forest overgrown with weeds. Although those houses were simple and crude, people of the ming Horns tribe didn¡¯t care, as they were not here for a long stay. After the issues of the Drumming tribe were resolved, they would have to leave.

    The old, the women, and children were still settled on the boat, where it was rtively safer. When someone invaded, the people of the ming Horns tribe would also try their best to stop the invaders from getting on board.

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    Shao Xuan was clearing up the trees and bushes around the newly built temporary residence and setting up some rm traps. He looked up when he heard someone calling his name.

    It¡¯s been two years since he saw Chen Jia thest time. Chen Jia obviously grew taller and gained an a scar on his face like a cut from a de.

    ¡°What happened? ¡± Shao Xuan pointed to the scar on Chen Jia¡¯s face.

    ¡°This scar?¡± Chen Jia smiled, saying proudly, ¡°I got it in the Water Moon Festivalst year.¡±

    Every year there would be lots of troubles in the Drumming tribe during the Water Moon Festival. Last year, Chen Jia joined in the defensive battle and got wounded. It was then when he gained the scar on his face.

    While smiling, Chen Jia became depressed: ¡°This year my father doesn¡¯t allow me to join in the battle.¡±

    Because of the message they got, the people of the Drumming tribe were on the highest alert. Unless there was no other way, they would not let these young kids join in the battle, as these young people in the middle of growth would be the hope of the tribe in the future in case any idents happened to the warriors who are participating.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, Chen Jia was very happy and told Shao Xuan without cease the things that happened within the recent two years, especially his brave battle storiesst year.

    Young warriors were always ready to share their glory with others.

    After finishing his stories, Chen Jia looked around. Seeing no one watching them, he asked in a low voice: ¡°Shao Xuan, do people of your tribe usually dress up like this?¡± Chen Jia gesticted on his head, his neck and his body.

    ¡°Not quite. We only dress up in this way on important dates.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    So, it means the ming Horns tribe attaches much weight on his own tribe? Chen Jia felt pleased in his heart. He decided to tell everyone this finding when he returned.

    ¡°By the way, Shao Xuan, where are your animal skin clothes?¡± Chen Jia looked around inside the room. When he saw the people of the ming Horns tribe before, he never took his eyes off the unknown animal skin and various ornaments, as well as those big teeth on the people of the ming Horns tribe, which made him dumbfounded!

    But Chen Jia was not acquainted with the others of the ming Horns tribe, so he had toe to Shao Xuan, wanting to see the clothes in the style of the ming Horns tribe, so that he could brag to others after returning.

    ¡°I only brought one with me, I put in the wooden box inside. The rest are on the boat.¡± Shao Xuan pointed to the wooden box on the right at the corner.

    These were sent by Caesar early this morning at the request of old Ke: two boxes, one with daily necessities and clothes, and the other with the clothes made of fur of the Thorn ck Wind, which was erged. Old Ke was afraid that Shao Xuan had nothing to ¡°show off¡±.

    ¡°May I take a look?¡± Chen Jia asked with expectations.

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    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Chen Jia ran to the front of the wooden box with joy, opening the box.

    ¡°Wow~~!¡± Chen Jia curiously touched the clothes with the long thorns. Except the crocodiles, they only saw some wild animals in daily life, he really never saw any animal like this with so many long thorns.

    While Chen Jia was watching the clothes made of fur of the Thorn ck Wind with shining eyes, Shao Xuan also tried to make conversations and asked him about the approaching battle.

    Don¡¯t belittle these rebellious kids who always caused trouble. What they know was not necessarily less than the adults. There were close contacts between Chen Jia and the other kids.

    ¡°Apart from the Martyr tribe, the Jian tribe is probably alsoing, also an extremely dangerous tribe.¡± Chen Jia said.

    ¡°Jian tribe?¡±

    ¡°Yes. One of my friends overheard that. But the Jian tribe is near the central region and seldomes here. Whether they will reallye here is uncertain.¡±

    While listening, Shao Xuan was changing the positions of the threads in his hand, thinking to himself, that there really would be many peopleing over for the water moonstones this time, and all were hardy enemies. Probably someone from the central region also interfered.

    No wonder that people of the Drumming tribe were so desperate before.

    The ming Horns tribe has to be more cautious.

    In the evening, there were eight warriors with Shao Xuan in a room, including Keke and Tuo. Everyone knew each other.

    Night was drawing on. Fires were not burning around the Drumming tribe. People of the ming Horns tribe also went to rest early. There was no fire light all around, only the moonlight shining.

    At midnight, Keke was awakened by the need to relieve himself. He got up and went peeing outside in a daze.

    Not long after Keke went out, an imperceptible buzz rang up.

    Shao Xuan abruptly opened his eyes, carefully identifying the rough direction of the thread. He took out the skinned whistle and made slight sounds like chirps of the insects at night.

    Keke, who was dazed and walking from the residence to the forest, paused for a moment. After yawning, he moved on forward, putting his hand on the sword handle on the waist.

    It¡¯s a habit of hunting. On the outside, no matter where he was or what he was up to, he always held a sword in hand.

    Coming to this strange tribe for the first time, he had to take precautions.

    Everyone dressed up on the first day and then changed back to daily clothes the day after, which were convenient for work.

    At this moment, most of the ming Horns tribe wore clothes made of animal skin without sleeves. Keke¡¯s strong arms were exposed, the muscles were as hard as stones while the veins were popping out. His robust figure looked like a tough wall, a bit like the people of the Drumming tribe at first sight.

    Rustle. Rustle.

    Keke walked deep into the forest step by step.

    While walking, Keke suddenly stimted the totem power in his body to the maximum, the momentum around him instantly rising up. me-shaped patterns on his uncovered arms were appearing clearly.

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    He stamped violently on the ground, mud and grass sshing up. His figure, like a bullet shooting out, dashed towards one direction.

    Am I exposed!?

    The man in the bushes didn¡¯t understand why he, a person good at hiding, would be found so quickly.

    When did people of the Drumming tribe be so perceptive?

    The man hiding in the bushes never thought that the guy looking so sleepy wouldunch an attack suddenly and dash directly at him, at such a fast speed that he didn¡¯t even have time to react at all.

    Actually this way of attacking was what people of the Drumming tribe would do: they would burst out instantly and hold on to the prey tightly.

    The man in the bushes also moved quickly, in his haste stepping back several meters. His movement was not that fierce as that of Keke, but was very fast, his body going to the left or the right. The next moment he would abruptly run in another direction like a lightening, which totally looked like a ghost at night, drifting from ce to ce.

    He originally thought that after avoiding the first outbreak, he would have gotten rid of the tight pursuit. But soon, he found that it didn¡¯t work at all!

    The figure like a wall followed him tightly all the way, who moved more flexibly at a speed not even slower than his!

    How could it be possible?!

    Horror swelled up his heart while he was dodging.

    Isn¡¯t it said that in face of people of the Drumming tribe, you can get rid of their tight chase as long as you avoid the first explosive attack?

    Then what¡¯s this now?!

    The two were getting closer, the night wind piercing like knives, a cold mixed with heavy bloodlust.

    The man could only feel a strong wind striking him, his keen nose smelling ferocious blood, not like human blood, but like something more dangerous.

    Despair shed in his eyes. He could feel a chill all over his body and his feet were like being frozen, making his movementgging for a moment. He could hear his heart beating like thunder drums.

    Somewhere in the forest where the trees were sparse, the moonlight fell and Keke¡¯s face became clear.

    Seeing Keke¡¯s face, the man narrowed the pupils in his eyes.

    No!

    No way!

    He is not a member of the Drumming tribe!

    Who the hell is that?!

    Before losing consciousness, he could only see a de¡¯s silhouetteing over, as well as those me-shaped patterns in the moonlight.

 Chapter 231 - Not enough

    Chapter 231 - Not enough

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Ke Ke relieved himself and carried a bleeding man in his hand while yawning. He opened the door and found that several pairs of eyes staring at him. The eyes reflected the moonlighting from outside and looked bright, which scared Ke Ke. He no longer felt sleepy.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong ?!¡± Ke Ke asked nervously.

    Although there was no torch in the room, thanks to the moonlight, everyone could see what Ke Ke was holding in his hands and there was also a strong smell of blood.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle had woken up all the sleeping people. They had gotten up at once and hade near the door silently. They had nned to go out to help him if something unlucky really happened. However, they hadn¡¯t heard Ke Ke¡¯s signal for help. It seemed that this guy had already handled it.

    ¡°What is in your hand?¡± Tuo asked. He feared that he had ughtered a patrol guard of the Drumming tribe for they rarely encountered another tribe. They had established partnership, so he did not want to see that Ke Ke caused any trouble at this time.

    ¡°Oh, this, I do not know who it is.¡± Ke Ke scratched his head, rxed his hand and put down the man. He did not know how to exin to him.

    He didn¡¯t find anything wrong when he killed him, but now he suddenly felt so ufortable.

    At that time, he had been into the habit of killing no matter what as long as he felt a potential danger. He didn¡¯t think about whether there was a man or a ferocious beast hiding in the grass. He killed the man in the same way as he killed a ferocious beast. After he killed him, he found that something was different.

    Before Ke Ke replied, Shao Xuan approached the dead man to have a look.

    The man was nearly cut in half with a de, and the blood spread from the woods all the way to this ce.

    ¡°Not a man of the Drumming tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said after looking at the man¡¯s face.

    ¡°Not a person of the Drumming tribe? Who is this? He is not a member of our tribe either.¡± Tuo came near and searched the dead man lying on the ground, though there was some blood and grass on his body. But he did not find anything.

    ¡°Tomorrow, let the chief and the Shaman have a look. Otherwise, let the people of the Drumming tribe have a look. They¡¯re more familiar with the tribes here so maybe they can recognize him.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Ke Ke agreed and then climbed to the wooden bed. Putting his arms behind his head, he stared at the dark roof.

    Shao Xuan saw this, and thought about whether his first murder of a human made him feel ufortable. He then asked, ¡°Ke Ke, are you alright?¡±

    A few people around them heard his words and no longer felt sleepy. They intended to listen to Ke Ke¡¯s answer.

    Ke Ke was silent for a few seconds, and then said mysteriously, ¡°...No...¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Someone could not help but ask him. After all, they hadn¡¯t killed a person. Thinking of the uing battle, they wanted to learn more from Ke Ke who had just killed a human. Experience was something that warriors had always valued.

    ¡°It is ...¡± Ke Ke said something but stopped.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I felt... why is this person... so weak? I cut him and he died at once. Not enough and not interesting.¡± Ke Ke said.

    Shao Xuan:¡°...¡±

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    He looked down on the man who was killed by him with a just a single strike.

    If the dead man heard what he said, he would be furious.

    A few days before the Water Moon Festival of the Drumming tribe, someone was sent here to get some information by the invaders. It was certain that the man sent here couldn¡¯t be weak. At least this man was confident that he could avoid the patrol of the Drumming tribe, but he touched the traps set up by Shao Xuan in the woods. At the same time, Ke Ke, a member of the advance team, had always done his utmost to defeat every opponent he met without any dy and neglect. This was the main reason for the immediate death of man.

    After chatting for a while, the warriors were so tired that they fell asleep. The man cut in half by Ke Ke was also thrown at the door.

    The next day, when the members of the Drumming tribe came here, saw the scene and felt shocked. They thought it was caused by a internal fight of the ming Horns tribe. After listening to what Shao Xuan said, they became serious.

    To confirm his identity, they took the corpse to the chief of the Drumming tribe with Ke Ke and Shao Xuan. Ao heard the sound and went over there.

    Looking at the man killed by Ke Ke carefully, Fan Mu shook his head, and said,¡°I don¡¯t know from which tribe that persones from.¡±

    They didn¡¯t travel around as often as those of the Pu tribe, so they only knew the several tribes that were closest to them and those that often attacked them. The rest were unknown to them.

    ¡°He may be a helper sent by the MArty tribe.¡± The man beside Fan Mu said, ¡°He avoided the patrol guard on the periphery.¡±

    He could avoid the patrol guards but was easily killed by Ke Ke. Fan Mu and the shaman looked at each other silently, and he learned about the strength of the warriors of the ming Horns tribe judging from the cut.

    Fan Mu and some others actually wanted to ask more about what had happenedst night. For example, they wondered whether the man had revealed his totem pattern. But Ke Ke¡¯s answer made them feel helpless.

    ¡°Too sleepy,¡± ¡°paid no attention,¡± ¡°Forgot¡±...

    As the best young warrior of the Drumming tribe, Qing Yi nced at Ke Ke, who was scratching his head and recalling what had happenedst night and thought about it.

    As Ke Ke made gestures to tell the situation yesterday, his face didn¡¯t have a vicious look, if anything it looked a little stupid. Judging from his appearance, after the people of the ming Horns tribe took off those distinctive clothes, they would certainly be more popr to the other tribes than their Drumming tribe.

    This depended on the appearance. Most of the people of the Drumming tribe people looked vicious.

    However, as a man who often led a team to trade with different people, Qing Yi had an intuition while dealing with others. He felt Ke Ke was dangerous, as if he was a beast which killed the prey at once as long as it caught it.

    Fan Mu asked for a long while, but he still couldn¡¯t get much useful information. He gave up and said to Ao, ¡°It seems that we have to make a n as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ao nodded.

    When the members of the Drumming tribe and those of the ming Horns tribe were discussing about their n. Not far from the border of the Drumming tribe, there was a mountain where hundreds of members of the Martyr tribe stayed.

    The leading person wore a ck animal skin coat, tall and thin. On his face, a scar was extending from the forehead to the jaw. In addition, his eyes looked cruel like a serpent.

    The leading person was Zhi, who led the Martyr tribe to attack the Drumming tribe in order to rob their water moonstones.

    The first man held a half-meter long knife made of polished animal bone and looked at the Drumming tribe.

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    After a while, when he heard something, he looked back and raised his chin. ¡°You have arrived? I thought you gave up this. Unexpectedly, you came here.¡±

    Nearly 500 people came over. Although these people looked ordinary and not as strong and vicious as those of the Drumming tribe, their footsteps were very light. They didn¡¯t do so deliberately, it was their habit. They had been used to doing so since childhood. Each totem warrior held a long weapon made of stone or a beast horn, which looked like an axe-dagger.

    ¡°We rarely have such a good opportunity, so we the Jian tribe naturally do not give it up.¡± Among the people who came there, it was the chiefughing and talking.

    ¡°As for the reason why weete... We sent two men to go to the Drumming tribe yesterday, but this morning only one came back.¡± His smile faded in a moment. Instead, he looked cruel. It was very strange for his expression to change so fast.

    ¡°Zhi¡± frowned, so his scar looked even more scaring. He asked, ¡°What do you want to say?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told us. The Drumming tribe found others to help them!¡± The man said angrily.

    ¡°Helpers? Fuck!¡± Zhi looked at the chief of the Jian tribe, his mouth twitched, looked with disdain and said, ¡°So what? If you, the Jian tribe, are scared, you can leave! We, the Martyr tribe have never asked you toe together. We don¡¯t need you!¡±

    In the view of ¡°Zhi¡±, if the Drumming tribe found helpers, the helpers must be the members of a weak tribe so they needn¡¯t be frightened.

    ¡°You think too much!¡± The chief the Jian tribeughed and said. In fact, he had a simr idea. They were not in the central region, so they didn¡¯t need to be very cautious. He was just a little more cautious than ¡°Zhi¡±. One of the two sent there returned, but the other failed toe back on time. It was apparent that something had happened to him.

    ¡°We still have to be careful and send someone to get more information. The man I have sent there only knows that they have found helpers. But he doesn¡¯t know who are the helpers. The Drumming tribe had much stronger defenses, so he couldn¡¯t go into the tribe¡¯s residence.¡±

    ¡°OK!¡± Zhi impatiently interrupted him, though the other wanted to continue. He then said, ¡°Those crocodile breeders found help, who cares? You are so timid.¡±

    The people of the Jian tribe people thought: Do you think we are as greedy as you, the Martyr tribe, and don¡¯t value life? The people of the Jian tribe were not just greedy, but also afraid of death. They cherished their lives more.

    ¡°Zhi¡± looked at the people of the Jian tribe mockingly, then nced at the rest of ce of the mountain. On this mountain and a few mountains around it, there were a lot of people waiting to sneak into the Drumming tribe to get something while they fought against each other. ¡°Zhi¡± ignored them, he nned to kill these weaklings after he got what he wanted!

    ¡°Zhi¡±took out a wooden whistle and blew on it.

    Wheeeeeee~~~

    A figure flew over the woods behind him and circled in the sky for a while as if it was showing its strong body to the people below it.

    ¡°A kite trained by the Feather tribe?¡± The chief of the Jian tribe said with surprise.

    ¡°Zhi¡± raised an arm and watched the bird fly down to stand on his shoulder with pride.

    This was a nearly one-meter-high raptor with sharp eyes. When it fluttered its wings, it looked bigger and mightier. The bird¡¯s w was powerful, so the animal skin coat of ¡°Zhi¡± was scratched on the arm, but ¡°Zhi¡± did not care.

    This was a kite which he had exchange a lot of things for with the Feather tribe. It could help get some information and looked the same as other kites, except for a few pieces of fan-shaped feathers on its head. The feathers looked like those on the crown of a rooster so it was called Crown Kite, a best seller in the bird trading market of the Feather tribe.

 Chapter 232 - Carnage

    Chapter 232 - Carnage

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    This kind of birds domesticated by the Feather tribe, were usually sought after to search or spy some simple information by other tribes, also for early warning. It¡¯s only that it required a lot of food to exchange for this bird; in case of shell money, one bird needed many chains of shells for exchange, and that was not even enough for a crown kite, which needed even more for buy.

    It¡¯s expensive, but very popr, especially in the central region.

    Probably because the previous failure, the Martyr tribe were more concerned and paid high prices to get one crown kite for this time.

    The crown kite was better at spying the situation. It was this crown kite which told Zhi the existence of other people hiding in the nearby mountains. Moreover,pared withmon kites, the crown kite was far more intimidating. When there was a crown kite, many birds in the mountains would evade it; even if they didn¡¯t evade, they would not readily sh with it.

    Zhi showed off the crown kite standing on his arm to the people of the Jian tribe, and said slowly then: ¡°We¡¯re counting on it to spy the movements over there.¡±

    People of the Jian tribe strongly agreed with this idea by Zhi in their hearts, thinking that this man was not yet too crazy and lost his brain. Anyway, he should have exchanged many things for this kind of bird from the Feather tribe. If it were their Jian tribe, they would definitely not pay much for only one bird.

    Zhi said something to the crown kite and raised his arm.

    ¡°Go!¡±

    The crown kite flew up with a loud cry, as if indicating other birds in the surroundings to make way for it.

    Looking at the figure in the sky flying over to the Drumming tribe, Zhi couldn¡¯t helpughing, ¡°It won¡¯t be long before my birdes back with the movements inside the Drumming tribe.¡±

    Unfortunately, with this word and the smile still remaining on his face, Zhi saw that the crown kite, which just entered the territory of the Drumming tribe, flew back in haste, pping his wings hard, as if being chased by something. If it were a wild animal running on the ground, this could be described as ¡°frightened out of its wits¡±.

    Seeing the crown kite flying back hurriedly in the sky, people of the Jian tribe all looked at Zhi standing there with a frozen smile on his face. Is this what you meant by ¡°It won¡¯t be long¡±? Didn¡¯t ite back too fast?

    Whoever saw this scene would also be doubtful, thinking that this was not the way to spy.

    Obviously, something was wrong.

    Suppressing the anger in his heart, Zhi took out the wooden whistle and blew it, refraining himself from breaking the wooden whistle.

    Hearing the whistle, the crown kite flying back just paused its pping its wings fervently for a bit, but it didn¡¯t mean to stop. Instead, it glided over their heads directly and slipped away in the blink of an eye. No matter how hard Zhi blew the whistle and called it, the kite would note out.

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha!¡± The leader of the Jian tribeughed out loudly. He was happy to see the Martyr tribe making a fool of themselves. So many things exchanged just for such a cowardly bird.

    Crack!

    Zhi pinched the wooden whistle into pieces out of anger.

    ¡°No need to spy any more. Just rush overter!¡± This time he brought two hundred people more than he broughtst time when attacking the Drumming tribe, all of whom were at least intermediate totem warriors and elites, with two more senior totem warriors. Down the mountain, there were also some more hands, almost two thousand people with the men of the Jian tribe added. No doubt that it would be easier than thest time. They definitely could manage to loot the water moonstones. Actually, there was no real threat in the Drumming tribe which had more head count though.

    Originally, the Martyr tribe intended to send one thousand more to Zhi, but he refused. With more people joining, he would get less. He knew that among the things he looted, he could keep some for himself as trophies.

    They only came to loot things, not fighting for territory. If the two tribes started warfare, it would not be a matter of this number of people.

    Why not wipe out the Drumming tribe directly? No, no, without the Drumming tribe, how could they get the water moonstones in the future? Zhi suppressed the thought in his mind.

    As to the Jian tribe, they sent two people to spy the situation inside the Drumming tribe. This time, they didn¡¯t go further and both returned, knowing that the helper of the Drumming tribe was a tribe called ¡°ming Horns¡±, nothing more than that however.

    ¡°See? I told you.¡± Zhi had never heard of the ming Horns tribe, ¡°Just a small unknown local tribe. No need to worry.¡±

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    But a few in the Jian tribe seemed to have heard of the ming Horns tribe, seemingly in the recent two years. They also didn¡¯t take it seriously, as there was indeed no tribe like this in the central region.

    People of the Jian tribe felt relieved at this time: it was good news as long as the central tribes didn¡¯t interfere. In the case of a small regional tribe, they would feel rtively rxed and confident of dealing with it.

    Several days went by soon.

    The day with the full moons also came finally.

    People of the ming Horns tribe saw this great wonder of the Drumming tribe for the first time: the originally muddy water became so clear with shining stones at the bottom of the river!

    However, people of the ming Horns tribe now didn¡¯t have any idea of value. They just felt fresh at the sight of the water moonstones, this thing that was not edible at all.

    Seeing the reactions of the ming Horns tribe, those of the Drumming tribe felt finally at ease, thinking that people of the ming Horns tribe were all kind-hearted!

    Ao took some people in person and guarded one area in the territory of the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°This is our first battle here since we came here, also a battle with great significance. Our enemies are no longer those ferocious beasts in the mountains, but the invaders from other tribes, human beings just like us. But here is what I want to say: although the invaders are human beings, not ferocious beasts, I want you to act as if you¡¯re hunting ferocious beasts and deal with these savage enemies seriously. Like Keke, tell these invaders the power of our ming Horns tribe and make them remember how we, the ming Horns tribe defeats them!¡±

    Praised by the chief in public, Keke started walking on air.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to brag about. I¡¯ll hunt more than you doter.¡± Tuo and the others thought in their hearts.

    Ao nced at all thoseing together here and said seriously: ¡°The invaders are not our tribesmen. Kill anyone who invades!¡±

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    Everyone felt like back at the tribe, when they stood on top of the mountain for before a hunt.

    At this moment, they really felt like singing the Hunting Song, but the chief forbade them.

    Finishing his speech, Ao waved his hand. People gathering here immediately scattered here and there. They had made arrangements beforehand, everyone guarded their own area in the units of hunting groups.

    Shao Xuan was in Keke¡¯s group. Every member of this group was from the advance team and would handle those tougher enemies like the intermediate and senior totem warriors after a while.

    Facing this kind of hunting for the first time, most of them were nervous, but more excited. After being depressed for so long, they finally could go hunting.

    ¡°Jiao~~!¡± In the sky, Chacha already gave a warning.

    Soon, not far away, the sounds of the patrols on the outskirts of the Drumming tribe also came, which meant that they had also already set out.

    Ao, standing still without moving, quietly listened to the nearby movements, as well as some faint sounds approaching quickly from a distance.

    Whoosh~~

    An arrow, from the other side of the forest, was shot at Ao standing there, aiming directly at his head!

    This arrow was made borately and its tip was also made of good stone, which could effortlessly prate the trunk of a tree. The archer was also good at shooting, as this arrow passed through the forest without touching any branch or any leave, spotting those gaps hardly noticed throughout the forest.

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    Nevertheless, at half arm¡¯s length from Ao, this menacing arrow was caught steadily and thrown back, almost going back the same route where the arrow came from. But with slight differences, the arrow hit inside the trunk of a tree with a sound of a ¡°thud¡± atst.

    Zhi, who shot the arrow, was looking at Ao from the other side of the forest, he felt a twitch in his eyelids, a strong sense of crisis suddenly struck. He himself was a senior totem warrior, while the person standing over there was also a senior one.

    Looking at the arrow stuck on the trunk not far away, Zhi caught Ao¡¯s eyes right when he moved his eyes over to the other side of the forest.

    Ao took a longnce in his hand and looked at the person who shot the arrow closely, adjusting the internal totem power to the maximum. The totem patterns all appeared up on his body, me-shaped patterns of senior totem warriors almost covered his whole body, extending to his fingers.

    A strong sense of foreboding spreading throughout his body, Zhi jumped down from the tree at once, away from his previous position.

    That kind of totem patterns definitely did not belong to any tribe he had ever seen!

    Is this the ming Horns tribe? Zhi was pondering in his heart.

    Rubbing the long handle with his thumb, just like hundreds of thousands of throws he did on his hunts, Ao threw the longnce in his hand.

    Fast!

    The longnce, like a lightening suddenly shing down, quickly passed through the gaps in the forest. It shed against some tree barks in the middle and then prated the body of an invader who rushed over.

    His body was prated and fresh blood came out of the longnce, but it did not stop as the blood did. Instead, at a faster speed than the sshing blood, the longnce prated two trees again and headed towards Zhi, while Zhi was quickly changing his positions. In the ce where he stood just now, another warrior of the Martyr tribe came by.

    Prating one person and two trees, the longnce again cut through the body of the second invader and finally nailed itself deep into a tree, which was as wide as a water bucket!

    In the ces where thence head touched, tree barks and chips on the trunk were sted away, making a loud sound of bang.

    Crack~ Crack~ Crack~

    The tree fell down.

    Seeing the situation over there, Zhi felt great horror in his heart.

    The ming Horns tribe did not seem to be as weak as they thought.

    Apart from the area where Ao guarded, fights and massacres were going on in other ces here and there.

    Actually, some of the Martyr tribe, as well as the people of the Jian tribe, were good at hiding, but this was really nothing to the people of the ming Horns tribe, who always dealt with ferocious beasts in the mountains which were better at hiding themselves. That was why Keke could detect the invader¡¯s position after getting the early warning from Shao Xuan at that time.

    Waving the stone sword in his hand, like a grey lightening falling down in the air, Shao Xuan went straight to the back of the bushes in the front. But before hitting the bushes, he shook his wrist slightly and changed the original route of the sword immediately, cutting through the bushes.

    Seeing Shao Xuaning over with a sh, the person intended to withstand the attack with the stone tool in his hand, but he didn¡¯t expect that Shao Xuan would abruptly change the direction halfway, leaving him no time to react. His arm was prated by the falling stone sword.

    The de quickly prated the arm bone and stabbed his neck without pause!

    Taking out his sword, Shao Xuan looked at the other people in different ces.

    Tuo killed an invader with one cut without any carelessness. As Ao said, treat every invader as if facing the ferocious beasts in the hunts.

    The out-breaking totem power, every cut and every attack were all the same as they did when hunting in the mountains of the tribe. The de was not just a de, it cut with the force to strike the ferocious beasts.

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    Even the ferocious beasts with thick fur and strong body would bleed; let alone these humans without any protective armor.

    This cut by Tuo was more powerful than the cut by Keke on that day, while the person getting this cut did not even have time to say anything at all. His body split into half and his warm blood sshed out, falling on the ground, on the trunk, in the bushes and some sshed on Tuo.

    Without cease, Tuo quickly aimed at a second person. Before Shao Xuan could wave the sword, with an arc moving fast horizontally in the air, the second invader was shed at waist directly.

    The attack aplished in one breath, the fast speed, the fierce and determined movement and the violent cut, all these were beyond the invader¡¯s imagination!

    Poof!

    The blood spluttered out, like a red spring.

    As to the invader who was split, his upper body remained in the air, while the part under the waist still moved forward for several steps before falling down.

    When Fu Shi came over with two warriors of the Drumming tribe to see the situation of the ming Horns tribe, they immediately saw this scene. On the way, they had seen many simr cases, a chill swelled up in their hearts.

    Breathing in a chilly air with the smell of blood and looking back to the ones with a raging sense but a calm mind in the battlefield, Fu Shi and the others felt their hair on the heads almost standing on end.

    They¡­¡­What kind of people are they?! Not even inferior to the fighting style of their Drumming tribe!

    People of the Drumming tribe also tore human bodies apart by force, but they still couldn¡¯t help swallowing when seeing the actions of the ming Horns tribe.

    Realizing the arrival of Fu Shi with the other two and killing the third invader, Tuo turned around and looked in their direction, giving them a friendly smile as he thought. But in the battlefield, a cold light was brightly shing in his eyes.

    Taking a deep breath and another, Fu Shi and the others felt like cold water was poured over them in the winter, feeling like their whole body was almost frozen.

    Is the Martyr tribe bloodthirsty?

    That¡¯s right.

    Is the Jian tribe even more bloodthirsty?

    Of course.

    Then, how about the ming Horns tribe?

    People of the Drumming tribe couldn¡¯t help asking this in their hearts.

    It was already not a question of being bloodthirsty or not, but far more like another level of carnage.

    Seeing the dumbfounded faces of Fu Shi and the two, Shao Xuan was also in fact emotional. Before this, he thought that faced with human invaders for the first time, people of the ming Horns tribe would show them mercy or have bad psychological shadows and physical effects. But, now Shao Xuan had to admit that his thoughts were still too naive.

    From Keke¡¯s reactions at that time, Shao Xuan had known that in the face of the same species, they almost never had things like psychological shadows or physical effects. Here, they only knew their tribe, people on their own side and enemies. This kind of ssification probably was deeply rooted in their minds, surely this was the same case with Shao Xuan

    These people of the ming Horns tribe were just like humanoid weapons locked for a long time. In the past, they were enclosed in somewhere unknown for practices, but now these humanoid weapons were finally unleashed.

 Chapter 233 - Ongoing fights

    Chapter 233 - Ongoing fights

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    No matter whether Tuo or the others of the ming Horns tribe, at the moment everybody gave off a murderous look which couldn¡¯t be ignored, so imposing and terrifying.

    This was a group hunters who fell apart and began living in the outside and gradually forgotten by the masses, A group of killing gods.

    They looked to be walking out of a blood sea, the raging and rude momentum making others gasp from tension. However, these people were also extremely restrained: as long as they wanted, in the next moment they could conceal the entire murderous look.

    These people, just like humanoid weapons released into this region, initiated bloody killings everywhere.

    Realizing Shao Xuan and Tuo looked at them with confusion, Fu Shi gulped and came to himself and said: ¡°The chief asked me to check up here, and see if you need any help or not¡­¡­¡±

    At the end of his sentence, Fu Shi felt too embarrassed to continue forck of confidence.

    Need any help?

    Don¡¯t you see the almost one-sided situation here?

    ¡°Cough. It seems that you don¡¯t need any help.¡± Fu Shi said embarrassedly.

    ¡°No need to worry on our side. Fu Shi, you can pay more attention to those who are gathering the water moonstones inside the tribe. Some extremely good at hiding should have broken through the defense.¡±

    Even if the ming Horns tribe guarded perfectly here, there would be other ces where the invaders could break the lines of defense. As what happened in the past, some others may also interfere. It was far from being tranquil inside the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°Alright. Since you don¡¯t need help, we¡¯ll go ahead!¡±

    With this said, Fu Shi made off at once with his men.

    When running away, Fu Shi was still thinking in his heart: I¡¯ve said that there is no need to worry about people of the ming Horns tribe. Look at Shao Xuan¡¯s power from before, and you¡¯ll know that members of their tribe should be rtively strong. The chief really worries in vain. These people of the ming Horns tribe are not weak, rather, even stronger than they had imagined.

    If this kind of tribe bes their enemy¡­..

    Fu Shi trembled with fear.

    Anyway, with this kind of tribe as a helper, the Drumming tribe felt indeed rxed at this time.

    After Fu Shi left, Tuo shook off the blood stains on the de. There was also much blood on his body. He had no time to wipe it all off and went to the other side with Shao Xuan.

    In this ce, no one came for the moment. It¡¯s a waste of time by standing in the same ce, so they had to find the invaders for themselves.

    Inside the Drumming tribe, there were many ces with high grass and thick bushes. Lots of the invaders good at hiding would prefer these ces, waiting for chances toe.

    Shao Xuan walked into an area of bushes higher than his height and pushed aside the weeds in front with the stone sword, watching carefully in the surroundings. As long as he found any unusual movement, he would give a quick and forceful cut directly, as most of that kind of movement was made by the hidden invaders.

    While he was walking, another two invaders dashed out of the bushes.

    Shao Xuan was about to act when Tuo stopped him: Tuo wanted to take care of the two invaders.

    Before Tuo waved the sword, one person ran out from the side.

    ¡°Leave it to me! I¡¯ll do it!¡± Keke struck before Tuo even moved, the stone sword in his hand falling on the nearest invader.

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    First cut, second cut, third cut¡­¡­

    In the thick bushes of weeds filled with the smell of grass, a strong smell of blood permeated the air, while the formerly alive invader already fell on the ground silently.

    Here in this ce, besides people on their own side, all aggressive and living creatures would be regarded as enemies. At this moment, in their eyes, these people were just like the various preys they met when hunting in the mountains. Although they had simr appearances, the chief had said that anyone who was not a member of their tribe, was an enemy; of course, our ally was different.

    Keke cut the invaders without any emotional turbulence.

    At times, Shao Xuan only felt that these people were incredibly simple-minded. For something many people would think hard to do, it waspletely nothing to them.

    After killing two invaders, Keke ran away and kept on searching the invaders hiding in other ces. Tuo got angry for his ¡°prey¡± being looted, so he ran after Keke and wanted to rob him of his ¡°prey¡±. The number of ¡°preys¡± they got would be reported to the chief afterwards, who promised to award them ording to their contributions.

    Their group was responsible for this area, but it didn¡¯t mean they had to stay in a fixed position. Therefore, what they needed to do was to find those invaders in this area and kill them.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t follow them, but moved on forward. While walking close to the border of the area where they guarded, he met Mao running over.

    Behind Mao, three invaders were chasing him. They were members of the Jian tribe, seeing from the weapons in their hands.

    Mao, who was running, turned around abruptly and shed the one closest to him fiercely, but the invader¡¯s reaction was not slow, and warded off with the weapon in his hand.

    There were already many gaps on the surface of Mao¡¯s de because of the many strikes. The violent strike this time broke the de directly into half.

    Throwing the broken sword in his hand, the half part of the de plunged into the throat of the invader following him, Mao didn¡¯t pause but took out another stone sword from the waist. Taking a look at those two chasing him closely, he bent his knees and bounced away to the side, starting running in that way.

    Mao had seen Shao Xuan there, but he felt he could handle this so he took the action to tell Shao Xuan not to interfere and that he could handle it. Otherwise, if he was unable to deal with it, he would run to Shao Xuan, instead of moving away from him.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t worry at all. Mao was a intermediate totem warrior now. It was quite difficult to fight against three all by himself, as those three were also intermediate warriors.

    Facing these tough to handle looking people, the people of the ming Horns tribe were not so silly to confront them head on, but ran away instead.

    Just like in face of difficult ferocious beasts while hunting, if they were no match to the beasts, they certainly would run. While running, they would take chance to counter back with a sh, or even a fatal strike on the beasts.

    No doubt thatpared with the people of the Drumming tribe, warriors of the ming Horns tribe became calmer during the battle, too calm, terrifying people of the Drumming tribe.

    In simr cases, most people of the Drumming tribe would act like this: I¡¯m not afraid of you! Fight!

    That¡¯s because they were so fractured that their emotions were already out of control.

    But as to people of the ming Horns tribe, like Mao, he would run first. While he was running, the chasers thought he would run to a safe ce or search for partners, only to find him turn around with a strike, shing and killing the chasers one by one.

    They could always find the best time to act clear-headedly when others were crazed and lost their heads.

    However, including people of the Drumming tribe, the Martyr tribe and the Jian tribe, no one knew that while facing those ferocious beasts while hunting in the mountains, the people of the ming Horns tribe woulde up with more ways of killing when the situation became worse. If the hunter didn¡¯t have a clear mind at that time, he would have died a long time ago.

    They did not expect to be smart or agile, but only needed to stay clear-minded and calm within the decisive short period of the crisis. In this way, even if they could not kill the beasts, they could choose to escape unscathed.

    As expected by Shao Xuan, Mao calmly handled the chasers.

    One cut, another cut, the third cut¡­¡­

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    After finishing the invaders, Mao also had several wounds on his body, but he didn¡¯t care. With some medicine applied, he headed towards his grandpa.

    At the side of Ao.

    Zhi failed in several attacks and realized that the person he faced was quite difficult to handle.

    Faced with Ao, he felt like facing a lofty and ancient high mountain. Standing in front of this high mountain, Zhi suddenly felt himself a little bit small.

    There was not any sign of Ao¡¯s attack at all: just now he was walking slowly, as if keeping away from the battlefield like a bystander unwilling to interfere in this fight, but in the next moment he would take a stride towards this way like lightening. By force of this stride, he dashed towards Zhi with a strong momentum to break through everything, his arms stretched out, looking like the longnce he threw out just now.

    When Mao arrived, he saw a figure being sent flying through the air by his grandpa.

    Paying no attention to the figure flying out, Mao checked the situation around, finding no dangerous person nearby, and then he went over to Ao.

    ¡°Grandpa, can I release them?¡± Mao nced at Ao and quickly looked in the direction of the ships.

    Staying silent for a few seconds and listening carefully to the movements in the surroundings, he said: ¡°All right, just let them out to stretch their limbs.¡±

    Ao took this battle as the first test run and the first de sharpening stone since the ming Horns tribe came here. In view of the current situation, there was absolutely no need to let those guys out. But some time had already passed and there were still others outside the Drumming tribe ready to cause trouble. The quicker they won the battle, the better it would be.

    With Ao¡¯s permission, Mao had delight in his eyes. He didn¡¯t stay longer, but hurried away to make room for Ao to continue the fight.

    Seeing the person who was sent flying getting up again with the thought of escape, Ao frowned and clenched his fists, thinking that the man was really endurable.

    Zhi only wanted to escape at the moment. People of the ming Horns tribe had a keen anticipation of danger, took fierce and determined actions, and wore overbearing, ferocious and murderous looks, all of which made him greatly shocked.

    Where the hell did this tribee from?!

    Zhi felt great horror in his heart.

    Also, what does the young man mean just now by saying ¡°release them out¡±?

    Who are ¡°they¡±?

    The sense of foreboding in the heart of Zhi became stronger.

    Perhaps, this moves is not as simple as he thought, but would go on to terrify them in another way.

    Mao, running away from Ao, avoided the sneak attacks of the invaders. He didn¡¯t want to fight at this moment, but took out a wooden whistle, blowing it in a specific rhythm.

    Excitement shed in Mo Er, Yang and Guang, Lei and others¡¯s eyes who were in the defensive battles in different ces. Regardless of the wounds on their bodies, they dodged the des of the invaders and began running while blowing their own wooden whistles at the same time.

    For a while, in the areas defended by the ming Horns tribe, all kinds of whistles rang up in many ces. There were slight differences between the whistle sounds of the wooden whistles made by different people, while the engraved ferocious beasts were familiar with the whistle sounds made by their own tamers.

    Those ferocious beasts, ordered to stay around the fleet, had nothing to do but to paw at the ground or kick up their feet. Hearing the whistle sounds, they pricked up their ears and speeded up, heading toward their own tamers.

 Chapter 234 - Theres something wrong

    Chapter 234 - There''s something wrong

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    On hearing Mao¡¯s whistle, Shao Xuan knew Ao decided to release those guys. However, Caesar was not included.

    Shao Xuan did not let Caesare over, he had Caesar protect old Ke and the others on the ships. After all, the elderly, children and women who hadn¡¯t awakened stayed on board. Moreover, the Shaman and the fire seed were also there.

    After Mao whistled, he was again targeted by two invaders. But this time, Mao did not immediately kill them. Instead, he kept moving around with both following him, andter three.

    Suddenly, Mao stopped, stood there, and turned around to look back at the three.

    Because of the sudden stop of Mao, the three people who were chasing him stopped at a distance of ten steps away from him.

    The three targeted Mao because he was young, so they thought such a young warrior could be defeated easily. They believed that they should avoid those middle-aged warriors who looked very intimidating. But why didn¡¯t this young warrior surrounded by three people look nervous and scared?

    A trap?

    The three were suspicious.

    Then they looked down on him for they believed such a young warrior could not be very powerful.

    While the three were rushing to him, they suddenly heard a sound and felt the ground shaking.

    Clump, clump...

    The sound quickly approached them, and the ground was shaking even more. All pointing towards a heavy creature moving closer.

    What exactly was it?

    The three looked back and saw a tall figure running rapidly from afar and shoving away the hindrances in front of it violently. Because of the quick speed, its fat was trembling.

    Unexpectedly, such a fat creature could run so fast. It looked like a chariot rushing at high speed.

    What is that?! The three showed awe in their eyes.

    A boar without hair?

    Anyway, it looked very powerful.

    ¡°Get away!¡±

    The three people dispersed in three directions.

    However, they didn¡¯t expect that Si Ya could change his direction so fast.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

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    Si Ya hit them consecutively.

    Because of the rapid change of direction, the grass and mud were kicked away and scattered. When the grass and soil fell on the ground, the three who had intended to beat Mao disappeared and only some sshed blood was left on the ground.

    After hitting the three invaders, Si Ya was very excited. Since they left tribe, they had been restricted. They had been either locked up on board or ordered to stay near the fleet. They had been not allowed to run around. Hearing the ongoing fighting in the tribe, they all wanted to join in the fight.

    ncing at the happy Si Ya, Mao smiled, stood up, jumped on the back of Si Ya, and waved the sword with excitement.

    ¡°Come on! Let¡¯s take our part or it will be grabbed by others!¡±

    ¡°En~¡± Si Ya issued a sound as a response to what Mao had just said.

    In another ce.

    A warrior holding a stone sword in his hand was running, he was a member of the Jian tribe. His weapon had been damaged, so he picked up this stone sword from a warrior of the Drumming tribe, who had been cut and killed by him.

    He was injured a little seriously, and his waist was stabbed by a sharp de. His blood was dripping while he was running. He was bleeding continuously from his wound, so the blood spread everywhere he went.

    He knew he could not survive this time. However, he didn¡¯t want to wait for death.

    He wanted to kill more people or get several water moonstones.

    Thinking about it, he looked vicious, with his eyes revealing his determination and madness.

    Why not kill another one, but kill who?

    While he was running, he was searching the surrounding trees and grass to find a person who he could kill.

    He suddenly felt a chill in the spine. He stopped, kicked the soil lump at his feet, and was tripped over.

    He was about to get up when he saw a figure. That warrior looked very young.

    He felt a sharp pain in the bleeding wound. His mouth twitched and showed a vicious smile.

    He intended to kill the young warriors in the tribe.

    However, before getting up, he found that the young warrior stopped not far from him. He no longer came closer to him, but it seemed that he was just waiting to see something.

    What was he looking at?

    Rustle...

    Rustle...

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    Footsteps were approaching,ing closer and closer, almost beside him. Before that, he had not heard anything about it.

    In the moonlight, a shadow was cast on the ground.

    The approaching ck shadow almost covered his whole body.

    He had a sense of danger and crisis, which made him give up the crazy idea.

    He felt all the hairs on his body stand erect, and his teeth were chattering uncontrobly.

    Twisting his neck stiffly, he looked behind.

    Arge hairy paw appeared in his vision.

    He felt the warm and bloody breath above his head.

    Looking up little by little, finally he saw what the shadow was.

    A cave lion?

    Why is there a cave lion?!

    A beast?

    No, no!

    A regr beast doesn¡¯t look so powerful, so this is a...ferocious beast?!

    Before he could think more about it, its big mouth opened and sharp fangs were exposed to him.

    He failed to fight back.

    ¡°Aaah~~!¡±

    In the woods, in the moonlight, a scream resounded, which causes shivers to run over the spines of the invaders.

    If he had been just cut, he would not have had such a anguished cry. What had made him give out such a cry?

    Simr things happened in all parts of the Drumming tribe.

    And at the moment, shortly after the branded beasts had left, in the ce where the ming Horns tribe fleet was.

    A figure ran out of the woods like a ghost, almost without any sound.

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    The few beasts around the fleet had run away, so on the riverbank of the tributary where the fleet¡¯s ships were docked, no ferocious beasts were guarding at this moment.

    This invasion was much more difficult than ever before. As one of the people of the Martyr tribe who were good at hiding, he was one of the few people who could sessfully ovee the defence. He had nned to go directly to the waterway of the Drumming tribe to get the water moonstones. However, after seeing the ships on this tributary, he came here.

    Looking at the ships in front of him, that person was uncertain.

    These were really not the ships of the Longboat tribe?

    Why are these ships so big? Besides the Longboat tribe and those who exchanged a lot of things for the ships of the Longboat tribe, who else can make big ships?

    After careful observation, he found that the ships were made of huge trees he had never seen before.

    Probably even the chief of the Martyr tribe had never seen such big trees, right?

    So where did the owners of these shipse from?

    But he didn¡¯t think about such a question for long. He believed in such big ships, there must be many precious things. Maybe there were fire crystals.

    He showed his greed for a moment.

    He decided to go there through the water, for many warriors were guarding around there.

    In the Drumming tribe all the crocodiles had left. He remembered that it was safe to go through the water at this time.

    In order to invade the Drumming tribe, the members of the Martyr tribe had practised swimming in the water. It was not difficult for him to go through the water.

    He set out from another ce and intended to get close to thergest ship. In thergest ship, he believed that there must be the most valuable things.

    Quietly, he dived underwater and swam to the fleet.

    But while swimming, he noticed the water around him moving, which was not caused by him.

    What exactly was it?

    Before he turned back, a big mouth like a hook tried to bite him, caught him on his waist, and then closed.

    The blood spread underwater.

    Standing on board, a warrior saw the dark liquiding out of the water as well as the waves. Without any facial expressions, he looked at somewhere else to look for any potential invaders. The turtle guarded underwater.

    ¡­¡­.

    In the water moonstones stream, the children of the Drumming tribe hurried to collect the water moonstones out of water. The adults were watching them, who had been vignt for they worried that someone would suddenly appear to grab the water moonstones.

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    But strangely, until now, none of them had seen an intruder.

    They had just heard a scream ringing out not afar, but they had seen nobody else.

    In the woods, the fight was still going on.

    ¡°Roar~~¡±

    A beast roar came from the woods.

    When they were still thinking about what it was, another beast roar was heard, just different from the previous one. They knew these were the sounds of two different kinds of beasts.

    ¡°Two beasts?¡± The hiding people thought.

    However, this was not the end. Then another two cries were heard. The woods was trembling.

    The sounds of another two different beasts were issued one after another as if something was reported.

    At this moment, standing not far away from the Drumming tribe, those who nned to get something good and followed the Martyr tribe and the Jian tribe, stopped abruptly.

    The chief was a bit fat. On hearing the roars ring out through the woods, the fat of his face repeatedly twitched. His fingers holding the sword became pale and his lips twitched due to his nerve, as if someone standing next to him pped on his face.

    They had only heard that the Drumming tribe had helpers, but they did not care. But now, they had to pay attention.

    ¡°Chief, should we... go in?¡± A warrior behind him asked and shivered.

    ¡°There is something wrong,¡± The leading man said in a deep voice. Although he hadn''t gone inside the Drumming tribe to see what happened, he knew that the two tribes wanted to grab the water moonstones, which was a piece of bad news to them.

    He did not think that the Drumming tribe could win against the joint offense of the Xun tribe and Jian tribe. He had heard of some unbelievable things before, but this was his first time actually encountering such a situation, so he was too shocked to be able to calm himself down.

    ¡°Chief, look, there is a bird over there!¡± A warrior said to the leading man.

    The people in a row looked over.

    In a tall tree not far from them, there was a white bird. Exactly, it was a falcon, as big as Zhi''s crown kite.

    They had never seen such a snowy white falcon, which was not like a wild one.

    ¡°That is?¡±

    ¡°Could it be a bird that the Drumming tribe exchanged for with the Feather tribe?¡±

 Chapter 235 - Gift

    Chapter 235 - Gift

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Many of these type of birds were raised to help scout out the situation, so now when these people saw the bird, they first thought the bird was raised by the Feather tribe.

    ¡°Will it tell our actions to the people of the Drumming tribe?¡± One warrior said with worry. They were more afraid of death than those of the Martyr tribe were, they did not want to gain nothing and lose their lives.

    The leader cursed to express his anxiety and dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Give the bow to me!¡±

    Taking the bow given by his follower, he pulled the bow backpletely and stared at the white bird, which rested in a tree as if it was sleeping. His eyes looked vicious.

    Whiz!

    The bowstring vibrated.

    The arrow flew at a high speed, and the friction of the air issued a sharp whistle.

    The leaves in the front were pierced and fell from the branches.

    Rustle!

    The arrow was nailed into the branch of a tree, and the arrow tail was still shaking. However, it missed the target.

    He had thought it would hit the bird, but it failed. The bird which had stood there disappeared!

    ¡°Where is the bird ?!¡± The leader had a sudden sense of danger.

    This ce of the Drumming tribe was dangerous! It was definitely not the same as they had thought. Perhaps others from the central region had alsoe here.

    It was true that the tribes in the central region hadn¡¯t directlyunched an attack against the Drumming tribe, but no one knew whether they did something secretly. If the other tribes in central region besides the big tribes got involved, they would have to take that into ount.

    The bird, perhaps, was brought by the people of a tribe from the central region. And the beast roars they had heard may also be rted to them.

    Although he did not know what happened to the Drumming tribe, he could now confirm that this was not something that they could deal with.

    ¡°Withdraw!¡± The leader threw away the bow and cried.

    However, it was toote.

    A white shadow shed.

    The leader felt some coldness over his scalp. Something went over his head.

    He did not feel a pain, but the running blood covered his eyes.

    ¡°Chief!¡±

    ¡°Chief!¡±

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    Their chief was missing a piece of his scalp, kept bleeding, and fell down. They saw this, panicked, and dispersed while shouting.

    This filled the people within and outside the woods with horror.

    The white bird shook to get rid of the blood and meat on its w. Then it found a tree to rest. It didn¡¯t want to take actions at night. It had nned to have a proper rest. Unexpectedly, it was attacked. Being taken way from the greennd by Gui He and sessfully branded by the Shaman ofthe ming Horns tribe, it would not take the initiative to attack the people of the ming Horns tribe. But it was not friendly to the people of other tribes.

    It was about to continue to rest, but at this moment a figure flew over it in the sky.

    The white bird looked at Chacha, who flew over it. He then continued to rest.

    Inside the Drumming tribe...

    This invasion battle was close to its end, shorter than any of the previous battles the Drumming tribe had ever fought.

    All the water moonstones in the Water Moon Stream had been collected out of the water, and the water gradually became murkier.

    This time the Drumming tribe had a good harvest, for the output of the water moonstones wasrger than ever before. The adults protected their children and hurried home.

    The people of the Drumming tribe were happy, but the intruders hiding in the woods failed to retreat, so they felt afraid of death.

    Ao dragged a man and walked towards the center of the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°Ha, ha ha ha!¡± Zhi was held by Ao in his hand and keptughing derangedly. His face was twisted, so he looked like a crazy man.

    The Martyr tribe and the Jian tribe had originally nned to grab many good things, but it turned out that none of them could leave safely.

    The ming Horns tribe was such a strong tribe. Why had they never heard of it? Zhi was puzzled. If he had seen one battle between the ming Horns tribe and others, he would not have refused to let another one thousand men join them. Unfortunately this ¡°ming Horns tribe¡± appeared suddenly and then gave the intruders a painful and unforgettable lesson in a very ferocious way.

    Zhi couldn¡¯t move now, and he knew the result of being caught. He was clear that those of the Drumming tribe hated him very much. He controlled the totem power of his body and let it gather in his heart and then hit.

    Puff!

    Blood spat out of the mouth of Zhi, and then he stopped breathing.

    Ao lowered his head and nced at him. His face looked calm, he did not even stop. He dragged the man to the Drumming tribe. He nned to give this man to the Drumming tribe in exchange for more things. It did not matter whether this man was alive or dead.

    Ao didn¡¯t care about those of other tribes.

    Shao Xuan and the others were busy with the cleaning when they suddenly heard the cry of an eagle. Then, an object was dropped.

    The creature that was dropped to the ground fluttered its wings for a while, but the wings were injured so it could not fly.

    If the members of the Martyr tribe and the Jian tribe were here, they would surely recognize that it was the crown kite exchanged from the Feather tribe. It had not wanted to follow the order before and was now caught by Chacha. At this point, it was no longer arrogant, and just shrank like a quail.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

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    ¡°It looks very tasty.¡±

    ¡°Do we have more for dinner tonight?¡±

    Ke Ke and the others came here.

    Shao Xuan picked up the crown kite and said: ¡°For now we can¡¯t eat it.¡±

    Hearing what Shao Xuan said, Ke Ke and a few others were not interested in it and they continued to look for those hiding intruders.

    Shao Xuan knew that because Chacha brought the bird back, it certainly had something to do with the intruders. He thought to bring the bird to the people of the Drumming tribe to see if he could get some useful information. If it was useless, they could eat it.

    The crown kite which was traded by people in the central region at a high price was directly included in the list of things to be eaten by the ming Horns tribe.

    When the sun rose the next day, in the ming Horns tribe, they had cleaned the ces that needed cleaning three times.

    ¡°Done¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±

    The Drumming tribe people had a kind of unbelievable feeling, and were still in a trance.

    They had thought it would be a fierce defensive war, and had nned to try to bring the crocodiles. But it turned out that they had really underestimated the strength of the tribe called ¡°the ming Horns tribe¡±.

    Although this time there were still casualties, it had been much better than they had imagined.

    The ming Horns tribe also suffered casualties this time. Two warriors died, and a few were seriously injured. They were prepared for this, for they had also encountered such problems during their hunts.

    A funeral was held for the deceased. They saw their bones engulfed in the mes of the fire seed.

    The deceased warriors of the tribe were not allowed to be buried in other ces. In ordance with the tradition, their bodies should be burned in the mes of the fire seed. The Shaman said that in this case the warriors¡¯ souls would be integrated into the fire seed and returned to the oldnd with the others.

    In order to thank the ming Horns tribe for their help, the chief and the shaman of the Drumming tribe presented ten baskets of water moonstones. These were gifts which many families were willing to give. They were thergest and brightest water moonstones. The baskets filled with these stones was several times heavier than those often used.

    Ao epted everything and also got a lot of pottery. Although since they came here many of the tribe had learned how to make pottery, they still liked the pottery given to them, for they had never had such things before.

    After a fight, they had to rest for a few days.

    The members of the ming Horns tribe stayed in the Drumming tribe for another several days. These days they also encountered difficulties. Those crocodiles who came back were vignt against those ferocious beasts, so they often surrounded the fleet inrge groups. If they were not stopped, they would go down to fight.

    Among the beasts, the crocodile turtle was the most special one. Perhaps it had once lived in the river, so it could get along with those crocodiles peacefully.

    ¡°Let''s head out when everyone recovers.¡± Ao said.

    ¡°Good, but where to now?¡± The Shaman asked.

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    Nobody answered.

    After a long while, the Shaman called Shao Xuan over, who was talking to a crocodile below.

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    Shao Xuan, who was talking to the grown dark-eyed ¡°mute¡± crocodile, heard his name and knew that the Shaman had something to discuss with him. Then he patted the rough skin of the crocodile¡¯s head.

    ¡°Go. I have to leave.¡±

    And then Shao Xuan turned around, but he was bitten in the corner of his pants. The ¡°dumb¡± crocodile also tumbled a few times. Different from the ¡°death tumble¡± to tear food, it now rolled more gently.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Shao Xuan looked to the crocodile in the water. If it tumbled again, his pants would bepletely destroyed.

    Loosening Shao Xuan¡¯s pants, that crocodile nced at Shao Xuan and then swam into the deep water.

    Shao Xuan went aboard and discussed the route with the Shaman. After the discussion, he went down from the ship. He was then blocked by the dark-eyed ¡°mute¡± crocodile.

    This time, it did not bite Shao Xuan''s pants and tumble. Instead, it opened its mouth toward Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Something in your teeth?¡± Shao Xuan was not afraid that it would directly bite him. When Ke Ke and other people stared at them anxiously, he calmly looked closer and saw no meat but a stone as big as a bowl.

    The mud-gray stone was like those in the bottom of the various rivers in the Drumming tribe, it seemed to be ordinary with an irregr shape.

    ¡°A stone?¡± Shao Xuan was puzzled.

    ¡°This is the gift it gives to you.¡± Fu Shi was ordered by the chief toe here, he when seeing the scene, heughingly said.

    ¡°Give this to me?¡± Shao Xuan did not understand the customs here.

    ¡°They send thank gifts to those who help them, and the gifts are the stone they bring back. As you know, they leave every year in the rainy season ande back when the water in the river rises. At that time, the full moon appears. The Shaman says that when theye back, they also bring back some stones and spit them in the bottom of the Water Moon Stream, and some of these stones willter turn into water moonstones. If some people in the tribe get stones from them, they can put the stones in the Water Moon Stream. At the full moon night, the stones will be water moonstones.¡± Fu Shi said what he knew to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan took out that stone from the crocodile¡¯s mouth and asked, ¡°This stone will change into a water moonstone?¡±

    ¡°I heard that the stones given by them will turn into water moonstones as long as they are put into the Water Moon Stream.¡± Fu Shi said.

    In other words, if you want it to be a water moonstone, you have to put it in that stream of the tribe. But it was not absolute that it would change, and no one knew when it would change exactly.

    However, Shao Xuan was not obsessed with turning the stone into a water moonstone. He was still happy for receiving such a special small gift.

    ¡°That year you left, it left with the group for the first time. When it came back, you returned to the tribe.¡± Fu Shi said, ¡°So it will be hard to see you again, so it seizes this chance to give you the gift.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. I will keep it.¡± Shao Xuan said.

 Chapter 236 - Who

    Chapter 236 - Who

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Putting the stone into the animal skin bag, Shao Xuan looked at Fu Shi and asked, ¡°Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes!¡± He had just seen the crocodile give the stone to Shao Xuan so he paid attention to this and almost forgot to tell what the chief had said.

    The Drumming tribe was no longer in danger and in at least one year it would not see a huge change. Hearing that in a few days the ming Horns tribe would leave, the chief, Fan Mu, intended to invite several important figures of the ming Horns tribe to a feast.

    This was a custom of the Drumming tribe. They would serve important guests with the best food as a token of their appreciation. However, there were too many people of the ming Horns tribe that came here, so it was impossible for them to invite all of them. They only invited the seniors of the ming Horns tribe and warriors who yed an important role in this event. As for other people, they would send some food to them, even though they could not invite them.

    Shao Xuan led Fu Shi to meet Ao and the Shaman, and they epted the invitation. They would go to the central area of the Drumming tribe tonight.

    The event was held at night rather than during the day, because Fan Mu wanted to decorate with the water moonstones to show their great sincerity. They couldn¡¯t see the beauty of the stones during the day.

    In the evening, Ao brought fifty people there with the Shaman, and Shao Xuan was included.

    In order to help those of the ming Horns tribe find the way, they ced the water moonstones from the fleet to the ce where the dinner party was held. In this way, the stones could emit light so they could see the surrounding ces clearly.

    Currently, the moonlight was bright enough, but the light of the water moonstones was not weaker than the moonlight. Walking in the woods, Shaw Xuan felt that there werestreetmps.

    There was an open area in front of Fan Mu¡¯s house and there were fire piles on the ground. There was meat roasted over the fire and soup was cooked next to it.

    The water moonstones were piled on the wooden pirs, which lit up the surroundings.

    It was a very simple dinner party, but in this ce it was a grand one.

    The warriors of the ming Horns tribe did not mind. They were used to gathering around the fire. They sat in a circle, chatted, and roasted food so they enjoyed themselves.

    This dinner party was held to show their appreciation, and Fan Mu also asked about whether the ming Horns tribe needed to go to the Pu tribe to participate in the trade. Soon after the Water Moon Festival, the Drumming tribe would send a trading team to the Pu tribe to exchange for something.

    Hearing that they could trade with other tribes, all the warriors of the ming Horns tribe present here looked at Ao with sparkling eyes and expected his agreement.

    Chewing the meat, Ao was silent for a few seconds, and said, ¡°Not all but just ten go there.¡±

    Then Ao ordered ten people to go there, including Shao Xuan. After all, Shao Xuan knew much about the situation there, which made Ao felt assured.

    ¡°Chief, me, me!¡± Ke Ke was not ordered so he hurriedly reminded him.

    Ao nced at him, but did not said anything. He always felt he was unreliable.

    Ke Ke made quite a lot of contributions in this defensive war, and the number of his ¡°prey¡± ranked the top five. The people of the ming Horns tribe didn¡¯t falsely report their amount of prey. They did not dare to do that. No one had ever told a ¡°lie¡± or delivered a ¡°false report¡± to the chief, the Shaman or the team leaders, unless someone did not know how to count numbers. In general, the numbers reported were true and credible.

    Ke Ke felt disappointed for he couldn¡¯t follow them to trade with others even though he had made such a great contribution. When the dinner party ended, and the ming Horns tribe returned, Ke Ke still tried to ask Ao for permission.

    Before they left, Shao Xuan went after Ao and others, he wanted to learn bout the situation of the Pu tribe from the leader of the Drumming tribe¡¯s trading team.

    After Shao Xuan finished asking and then left, Ao and the other people had already returned to their resting ce and got ready to sleep.

    Shao Xuan walked in the woods alone, the water moonstones around had not been put away, which looked like streetmps in a row on one side of the road. The shadow cast by branches was swinging on the ground.

    Raising his head, Shao Xuan looked to the night sky. In the dark sky, the two moons begun to wane without stars around.

    There were no electric lights, no pollution, no mechanical tools, and nofortable hotels. He could breathe in the damp air of the forest and the beauty of the nature feasted his eyes.

    The breeze was blowing, and the leaves in the trees were rustling. Shao Xuan could clearly feel the change of the airflow when the wind blew the trees.

    Closing his eyes, he couldn¡¯t see anything but he could sense more acurately.

    He could hear the noise made by the rubbing of leaves, theughter of the Drumming tribe people afar, and the sound of crocodiles moving in the pool.

    The changes of the wind speed, the direction of the air flow, and the acute sense helped Shao Xuan confirm where the trees and blockades were. He didn¡¯t need to open his eyes to urately find the way out.

    He avoided the tree trunks, bypassed the bushes, and went across the prominent soil lumps on the ground.

    Shao Xuan walked faster and faster, and more and more smoothly. Everything around him formed a three-dimensional picture in his mind. In this picture, he could urately determine the locations of the obstacles.

    He even felt that if he had enough time he could even count how many ten-meter tall trees were next to him, how many branches as thick as an arm, and how many leaves.

    Yes!

    This feeling was more and more distinct.

    In such a state, Shao Xuan slowly immersed himself in the woods. Walking in this unfamiliar forest, he could close his eyes with ease.

    While walking, Shao Xuan found that there were bright spots in the three-dimensional picture in his mind. Most of these spots were slightly away from him, and the moving spots were as white as the water moonstones.

    Those were the people of the Drumming tribe?

    Shaw Xuan felt it carefully and found some people that he was familiar with, such as Fu Shi, Qing Yi, Fan Mu... etc.

    Some of them didn¡¯t leave the party and some were patrolling in the woods. Only one was... abnormal!

    In the front, there was a moving spoting towards him. This spot was not as white as the people of the Drumming tribe. Instead it was an unobtrusive gray. If he was not careful enough, it would¡¯ve been easy for him to miss this spot.

    Not a person of the Drumming tribe?

    He was very strange. Naturally he was not a member of the ming Horns tribe.

    So who was he?

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked to the front.

    There were almost no footsteps, but he was approaching.

    Shao Xuan stood still with a sword in his hand, looking at that ce quietly.

    Probably he had noticed Shao Xuan found him, so he no longer hid himself. His footsteps became loud, but he still controlled the sound and rhythm. It sounded as if a patrol warrior of the Drumming tribe walked at such a speed and made such noise.

    A strong figure came out. Judging from his stature, he looked and dressed like many warriors of the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°Are you a member of the ming Horns tribe?¡± The wild voice of the man showed randomness and familiarity, as if the people of the Drumming tribe said to those of the ming Horns tribe.

    Shao Xuan also saw his appearance as the man slowly approached.

    He looked like a person of the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°You are a patrol warrior? What is your name?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The man smiled, and it seemed he was a bit embarrassed to tell him.

    ¡°I was just, beingzy and taking a rest, and just going for a...¡± The man said slowly and finally he stopped before finishing the sentence.

    ¡°Really keen.¡± The man nced at Shao Xuan¡¯s sword in his hand. He noticed that Shao Xuan did not have confusion so he knew that he was recognized. He no longer made any excuses, and even his tone changed.

    ¡°Actually, I am just a bystander.¡± He said. His voice didn¡¯t betray his age or gender.

    Crack, crack, crack...

    With sounds of several cracks of bones, Shao Xuan saw that the man¡¯s body shape was changing. He had been burly but now became thin. His face was also changing. He no longer looked like a member of the Drumming tribe.

    Bang!

    It was like the sound of a wooden pir falling down.

    The man suddenly pushed off his feet, his legs were as lean a wet wood. However, it seemed that they were as hard as the steel. Shockwaves were caused by such a powerful force, and everything touched by his feet scattered around. The weeds on the ground were torn into small pieces, and that slightly dry soil in the bush instantly smashed to dust.

    The man stamped, jumped, and rushed towards Shao Xuan. His entire leg that swung to him was as cold as a sword, and showed its arching orbit in the air. It attacked Shao Xuan with great strength.

    Shao Xuan did not intend to resist this attack directly, but he chose to retreat to avoid it.

    Missing the target, the man did not stop. Like a snake biting others, he stamped and bounced again, and it seemed he wanted to try once again.

    However, beyond the expectations of Shao Xuan, this time, after stamping, he disappeared. He didn¡¯t hid himself, but ran away.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡±

    The man only took two steps since he was discovered.

    In the first step, he tried to kick Shao Xuan, and looked as vicious as a beast¡¯s w and a serpent¡¯s teeth. It seemed that he had intended to kill Shao Xuan. However, in the second step, he suddenly changed his strategy and then ran away.

    Shao Xuan did not follow him for the man acted in such a strange manner. He could run so fast that it was not easy to catch up with him. Moreover, he was so powerful. In addition, Shao Xuan did not feel that the man attempted to kill him even if he had just tried to kick aggressively, but he had failed. He did so in order to frighten Shao Xuan and retreat immediately.

    Shao Xuan looked at the man disappear in the distance, and wondered who on earth he was.

    When he had stayed in the Drumming tribe before, he had encountered someone who was good at camouge. He was not a member of the Martyr tribe.

    Could he be the man what the people of Drumming tribe called ¡°Thief¡±?

    His purpose was to steal water moonstones? But he couldn¡¯t be. There were so many water moonstones along the way and none was stolen.

    So, as he said, was he just a bystander ?

    Encountering such a strange person, Shao Xuan naturally would not keep it as a secret. He took out the wooden whistle and blew it. Hearing the whistle, the patrol warriors closest to him came here, and so did those who had not left and stayed with Fan Mu. They didn¡¯t know the meaning of the whistle of the ming Horns tribe, but they knew Shao Xuan would not just whistle for no reason.

    Not only the people of the Drumming tribe, but also those of the ming Horns tribe who had just returned to the temporary shelter immediately rose, but they did not go look for Shao Xuan at once. They looked around with vignce first, because they knew meaning of the whistle of Shao Xuan. They just needed to be alert, rather than go there.

 Chapter 237 - Conquest

    Chapter 237 - Conquest

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Shao Xuan told the people of the Drumming tribe that he had just met a strange man, and after a careful check on the location, they quickly counted their own water moonstones to see if their stones were stolen. The previous years often saw theft.

    They thought that the strange man was a ¡°Thief¡±, but after they counted their stones, they found none were stolen. They felt relieved at once.

    Every year some water moonstones were stolen, but they could not catch the thieves. That was just their spection. Except the ¡°Thieves¡±, they didn¡¯t know who could do it.

    The ¡°Thieves¡± was a very special tribe and its members were rtively more independent. They did not even stay together for most of the year. This tribe was very mysterious, so the Drumming tribe knew little about it. That was why Shao Xuan could not get more information from them.

    ¡°Nothing stolen. This time, the man cannot be a member of ¡®Thieves¡¯, right?¡± Fu Shi¡¯s wife, Ping, said.

    ¡°Who knows, no one knows who he is because we could not find him.¡± Fu Shi sighed.

    After everyone exchanged their ideas, they went back home since none of the water moonstones was stolen.

    Shao Xuan did not stay here. After the people of the Drumming tribe dispersed, he said goodbye and left. Just now he had noticed that the shaman of the Drumming tribe didn¡¯t look good, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t ask him since he did not say anything. He just guessed if the man was a member of ¡°Thieves¡±, he certainly stole something. This time, the others¡¯ water moonstones were not stolen, so maybe the shaman¡¯s was stolen.

    Shao Xuan did not know that he was right.

    After all the people of the Drumming tribe left, the shaman of the Drumming tribe called the chief and they talked alone.

    ¡°This year, the king water moonstone was stolen.¡± The shaman of the Drumming tribe spoke with a calm look while looking at the empty box.

    Every year after the water moonstones were collected, they picked out thergest water moonstones for the Shaman to evaluate, and then he chose thergest, and brightest stone with the best quality, which was also called the ¡°king water moonstone¡±. This piece of stone was not be used to trade but was kept by the shaman. At the ritual ceremony, it was used as one of the offerings.

    But now, this piece of stone was stolen.

    The shaman¡¯s room was well-guarded. Even those of the Martyr tribe and the Jian tribe could not go in silently and steal it.

    ¡°Sure enough it a was a member of ¡®Thieves¡¯, but this time he was a high rank ¡®Thief¡¯.¡± Fan Mu said helplessly.

    If Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t discovered something abnormal and told them today, perhaps, they wouldn¡¯t have found out that the king water moonstone was stolen until the ceremony.

    ¡°Choose another one secretly.¡± The shaman said.

    They were unable to get the water moonstones stolen in the past back. Now a high rank Thief made it even harder. Perhaps the man had already left the tribe.

    ¡°We have no choice.¡±

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    At the same time, a figure evaded the search of the people of the Drumming tribe and then left the area. After leaving the site of the Drumming tribe, he ran for a while and then sat down on a rock at the foot of the mountain.

    ¡°What happened? Were you discovered?¡± A voice with astonishment called out behind him. It was a woman¡¯s voice, but you could not tell her age judging from her voice.

    The man sitting on the stone did not look back and continually patted his legs. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about it. I met a strange guy of the ming Horns tribe. Unexpectedly he could recognize me at the first sight, and we almost fought against each other with our des. But fortunately I ran fast enough. If we really fought, I may have been caught by the people of the ming Horns tribe that came there. I would not have been able to escape.¡±

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe? I have never heard of it before, they suddenly appeared. They are not weak. Although they are inferior to those big tribes in the central region, they should not be underestimated. In addition, they have several ferocious beasts.¡± The woman¡¯s voice showed her suspicion, and after a pause, she asked again, ¡°Did you get it?¡±

    The man sitting on the stone took a leather bag out of the animal skin coat and from the bag took a shiny stone, like a very big bulb. The surrounding area was brightly lit instantly.

    This was the king water moonstone of that tribe!

    ¡°I had nned to go board the ming Horns tribe¡¯s ship. Maybe there were many good things there. What a pity.¡± The man sitting on the rock said with pity, patting his leg.

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe is rather interesting. We shall keep track of it, OK?¡± The woman said with interest.

    ¡°Yes, but we must stay a little far from them. The old methods don¡¯t work. I feel that the methods we used before to blend into a tribe might not work with this tribe.¡±

    ¡°As far as I know, there have already been several idiots that have already started taking actions with those regr methods.¡± The woman said with disdain.

    ¡°Oh, let it be. They will soon suffer from it and be reced by others.¡± The man sitting on the stone said.

    The ming Horns tribe did not know that they had been eyed. Even if they knew it, they would not be afraid.

    The next two days, Shao Xuan led ten members of the ming Horns tribe together with the trading team of the Drumming tribe to the Pu tribe. They traded for a lot of things. Even though they themselves did not use some things, the others in their tribe may need them.

    Finally, Ao allowed for Ke Ke to follow the team to go to the Pu tribe. To him, the rare things in the eyes of other people were not attractive to him, except for those fat frogs which jumped everywhere. If he hadn¡¯t promised Ao to listen to Shao Xuan and not to eat the frogs in the Pu tribe, he would have secretly taken away a few fat frogs from the Pu tribe and eaten them.

    Nowadays, people of several tribes around there knew that in order to cope with the crisis, the Drumming tribe had gotten help from the ming Horns tribe, an unknown tribe. However, this time, almost all of the people sent by the Martyr tribe and the Jian tribe were killed, and even the bird did note back.

    Therefore, everyone was curious when they saw the ming Horns tribeing with the Drumming tribe.

    But the people of the ming Horns tribe people did not feel that they were being watched by the crowd. They just did what needed to be done and asked questions about what they wanted to know. They gradually got acquainted with such transactions. The chief had said that in the future they must master relevant skills like those transactions.

    Besides frog poison and other things that Shao Xuan exchanged with Yu, he also exchanged with the Luo tribe that arrived at the Pu tribe on the same day for some fishings. When he sailed, he could catch some fish with thoses.

    That ce was different from the hunting mountains, where you gathered what you wanted. In a ce where many human tribes lived, you had to exchange for many resources and store them. Whenever you needed them, you had ess to them. Saving you time.

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    Returning from the Pu tribe, the people of the ming Horns tribe were ready to set out again.

    Upon leaving, many people of the Drumming tribe came to see them off, led by Fan Mu and the shaman.

    In addition to the people, there were groups of crocodile which probably came here because of the cheers. After all, those ferocious beasts that annoyed them were finally leaving.

    ¡°There are some smaller tribes ahead that may shoot arrows to stop us. So be careful!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The warriors of the ming Horns tribe standing outside the cabin held wooden and stone shields to block the arrows, but they did not see any arrows when they passed by.

    Shao Xuan thought about the reason, and suddenly he wanted tough. He had suddenly remember a joke a friend had said to him in his former life: You dared to attack me when I was on a raft. But now I am on a ship, you have lost your courage.

    When Shao Xuan had been on a raft, many arrows had been shot at him continually to stop him. But now he was on a ship, no arrows were seen. Hiding behind the bush on the banks, the people were cautious and looked at them. They did not shoot the arrows for they were not stupid. They knew they could not provoke them.

    In the early morning, the air there was a little damp. There were high and low mountains and many trees on both banks of the river, but they were inferior to those in their hunting areas.

    In the past, when they had still been on the other side of the river, they had been able to climb mountains the height of thousands of meter in the hunting areas. Crossing the high snowy mountains was a conquest, but the mountains here were not as high as those in the hunting areas. The beasts here were not as strong. However, there were people of other tribes and other challenges. Here, the challenges brought by the people were far greater than those mountains and ferocious beasts.

    Ao achieved his goal. Thanks to the incident in the Drumming tribe, the people of the ming Horns tribe had a preliminary understanding of the life here. Their attitudes had changed. They had to adapt to new life and face new challenges.

    Shao Xuan stood on the head of the ship and told Ao and the two team leaders about what he had learned from the Pu tribe. In the past two years, some tribes disappeared and some tribes that did not exist had emerged.

    ¡°Well, Yan Shuo asked me whether he can bring several of his wanderer friends along. Shao Xuan, what do you think?¡± Ao asked.

    ¡°Take them, including Yan Zhi¡¯s friends in the Longboat tribe. They can help us in some ways, though they are not that strong.¡±

    Ao nodded, ¡°Ok, you and Yan Shuo bring them here.¡±

    ¡°Right, chief, since we are here, the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe may feel it.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Mentioning the wanderers of their tribe like Yan Zhi, Ao said in a high-spirited voice, ¡°Indeed.¡±

    Even though they had not arrived and ignited the fire seed in the oldnd, maybe they could meet many wanderers of the ming Horns tribe.

 Chapter 238 - Things change

    Chapter 238 - Things change

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Shao Xuan had intended to go with Yan Shuo to bring those wanderers who had stayed with Yan Shuo here. The original route did not include that ce, they wouldn¡¯t pass by there. But there were many forks in the river, so the tribe¡¯s fleet decided to use a different stream.

    Before they set out, the Shaman stopped them from leaving.

    The Shaman told the fleet to go past where Yan Shuo had once lived. Shao Xuan had told him that there were many wanderers and ves, who had a very tough life.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there to have a look.¡±

    This was what the Shaman said at the time.

    He wanted to let the people of the ming Horns tribe, who had been isted, to learn about the lives of those whose tribes had been extinct- wanderers and ves.

    The Shaman wanted to give a lesson to the members of the ming Horns tribe.

    The Shaman hadn¡¯t drawn much attention since they had crossed the river. In the past, many things were decided by the chief and the Shaman after discussing. But since then, the Shaman seldom got involved, and it was Ao who often gave orders.

    The Shaman gave his opinion again now, no one disagreed with him.

    The fleet took the longer route, different from the original nned route, and came to the waterway which the traveling team of the Pu tribe often traveled.

    ....

    On thend next to the Y-shaped river fork, ves were called to rise early in the morning to work one by one.

    There were manyrge and small bamboo rafts on the river, and the ves were fishing. When they were there, the wanderers did not dare to snatch the things and fight with them, because they would be besieged. At the shore, some supervisors with whips were staring at the river to keep the ves working and be vignt against the wanderers.

    The life of these supervisors was only a little better than that of the ves of the lowest rank. They couldn¡¯t order the ves but at least they were given strength by the ve owners. They were more powerful than those who had not awakened their totem power, so their presence here could deter those wanderers who wanted to cause trouble.

    Promoted to be supervisors, all of them were vicious judging from their eyes.

    In a ce a little further from the ves, some wanderers became active.

    Several wanderers wearing decent clothes yawned and slowly walked to the river. They drank a little water and washed their faces directly with the river to be sober.

    Looking at the ves who had started working, the leader spat there.

    ¡°Boss, recently, some of the wanderers have been active, right?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°There are more wanderers and we can also get some work from the ves.¡± Another man said.

    The leader got up and wiped his face, ¡°Keep an eye out.¡±

    Now in the wanderer area, the only people who could fight against them were the those who had been brought by Yan Shuo here. Both sides did not fight directly, but they stayed vignt against each other.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard that they will leave in the future? They will go to Yan Shuo¡¯s tribe.¡± Someone said.

    A bearded man next to them said with scorn, ¡°Leave?¡± and sneered. ¡°They just talk about it here. How long can they live if they left here? They may be eaten by wild beasts or killed by other tribes.¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± The leader nodded approvingly, ¡°Not to mention that they have no ability to survive after leaving. Even if they are able to leave, they will meet the ming Horns tribe. What is that? Who knows? The wanderers will live under the tribe¡¯s control, so it is a more difficult life. The people in the tribe will kill anyone who they don¡¯t like directly, especially in those small tribes without enough food. They may eat the wanderers for food, we have seen this before. Go to a big tribe in the central region instead.¡±

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    ¡°What is the big tribe in the central region like?¡± A younger man asked.

    The leader suddenly becamecent, raised his chin, and made gestures to make those near him move away. He went to sit on a tall stone and then told some of the scenes he had seen while drifting outside.

    In fact, there were many scenes he did not remember. His memory was too vague, but it did not matter. He just needed to shock his subordinates.

    ¡°...especially the members of the Longboat tribe. They are really good at building ships. Their ships are much higher than our houses, different from those used by the ves. Those are just simple and broken rafts. The ships of those traveling tribes are not good, either.¡±

    When talking, the leader suddenly noticed that he had told this to them for a long time, but they were still calm and indifferent! Moreover, each looked at somewhere else. Were they looking at those ves who were fishing with thes?

    ¡°What are you looking at?!¡± The leader became dissatisfied.

    ¡°No, boss. There¡¯s a ship over there.¡± One of them pointed there and trembled.

    ¡°How many times have I said? Those ves are on boats rather than ships!¡± The man became even more angry.

    ¡°Yes, boss. The ship is as high as our house.¡± Another man said.

    ¡°Yep!¡± The others nodded.

    Bigger than our house?

    The man sitting with crossed legs on the stone turned around and looked at the direction they pointed to.

    What he saw shocked him so much he almost twisted his waist.

    On the distant river, ships came over, one by one, and each was higher than the house they lived in, especially the threergest ones. They reminded the leader of the vague memory of when he had met the fleet of the Longboat tribe.

    ¡°The Longboat tribe?!¡± The leader eximed.

    ¡°No, no, the Longboat tribe doesn¡¯t have such a totem, but it looks like...¡±A thin man next to the leader pulled his long beard that he had not cut for a long time. ¡°The pattern on the ship seems familiar, as if I have seen it.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, I have seen it too,¡± Someone replied, ¡°in the wanderer area.¡±

    ¡°In the wanderer area? Impossible!¡±

    ¡°Come on! Will they stop here? If they stop, we will get into trouble, right?¡±

    At the first sight, they knew they shouldn¡¯t provoke them. They gave up the idea of robbing them immediately. They fixed their eyes on the approaching fleet.

    And on the river, the ves were yelling, and theirs raft were floating towards the bank of the river. If the rafts were left on the river, they would block the way. They didn¡¯t even dare to offend travelers on rafts, not to mention such a fleet.

    Before the supervisors could even use the whips, each of the ves tried to hurry to avoid getting in trouble.

    The emergence of a fleet could be considered a major event, so it must be reported. The supervisor had shouted to tell the leader what happened on the river. The ve owner was not here, but he asked a man in charge.

    Many who still stayed in the wanderers area came close to the bank. They had a look at the fleet which suddenly appeared. Many of them had always been here and had never seen such big ships, so they naturally felt it was very rare.

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    The fleet gradually docked, and the waves washed the sand on the bank.

    The ves had waited there, and those supervisors holding the whips now had different facial expression. They no longer looked ruthless. Instead, they wanted to please the lords. If they did it well, they would be rewarded.

    After the ship docked, they did not put down thedder, but one after another, some warriors jumped from the ship. The one at the front was Yan Shuo.

    Looking at this familiar but also strange ce, Yan Shuo had a mixed feeling.

    A supervisor hung the whip on his back, trotted forward and intended to say something. But he said nothing when he saw Yan Shuo. He knew Yan Shuo, for he had stood on the bank of the river when Yan Shuo had left with the others.

    Yan Shuo nced around, he fixed his eyes on those few wanderers who were as stiff as a stone not far from him for a moment. He then looked to the wanderers area.

    ¡°This is where you lived, right?¡± Another warrior jumped down and asked Yan Shuo.

    ¡°Yes, it changed a lot.¡±

    While speaking, Yan Shuo brought them to look for the friends who had stayed here with him.

    Shao Xuan did not go down, he stood on board, watching a distant stone house which was about ten meters high. When he had left, it had not been built. It was clear that the ves had been ordered to build it in the past years, it belonged to the ve owner.

    The wanderers only lived in some simple huts, and the ves lived in even worse ces. Unike the camp-like buildings behind the woods.

    ¡°The ve owner seems to be very greedy.¡± Shao Xuan thought. They just came here to pick up a few people, but he did not expect to see so many camp-like stone houses. If he was not on board and stood on the ground, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see the house because of the trees.

    It did not take long before Yan Shuo brought back a dozen people. He was familiar with some of them. There were also those who joined this small group in the past two years. They all wanted to leave with the ming Horns tribe. Ao permitted it.

    Those who were brought to the ship were so happy that they cried, for they could have a new life. Those standing and watching on the bank were very envious of their leaving.

    Unexpectedly, those miserable people could have such an experience. No one expected that the stubborn man leading a hard life with his wife and children could be a totem warrior.

    Everything was possible.

    The ming Horns tribe fleet did not stay there for a long time, and when they picked up those wanderers, they left there. The Shaman just wanted the tribesmen to learn about the hard life of the wanderers and ves here and gave them a lesson.

    The Shaman¡¯s goal had been achieved. Everyone was shocked, not only those who followed Yan Shuo to the wanderers area, but also the people standing on board saw those numb working ves who were being whipped.

    In the war, the losers may die or lead such a life.

    So, no matter who they would face in the future, they could not be defeated! Absolutely not!

    The ming Horns tribe arrived here and then left. They continued to sail along the new route they had nned. And wanderers and ves in thisnd remembered the name of the tribe called ¡°ming Horns¡± and the two-horned totem pattern wrapped in mes on the sail.

    The man who was ordered by the ve owner to stay there, after the fleet left, went back. He took out animal skin volume left by the ve owner from the box and dipped the animal hair brush in the colored water to record today¡¯s event. The ve owner said that if the ming Horns tribe really appeared, he must write to him.

    The ming Horns tribe really existed!

 Chapter 239 - Notice

    Chapter 239 - Notice

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Beside the ones that Yan Shuo knew, the tribe met some other wanderers looking for the fire seed on the way.

    Shao Xuan had never seen them before. However, they were able to feel the fire seed and came here, so they must be the descendants ofthe ming Horns tribe. Many of them that came had totem patterns showing on their bodies like Yan Shuo.

    Among these people, some were weak, some were thin, some were malnourished and some were injured. They did not look good, but they said that they felt much better than ever before. Two years ago, the totem patterns had appeared suddenly and they had gained greater strength. Today, the pattern appeared again and they felt something strange. That was why they hurried here.

    Ao prepared two boats. One was for the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe and the other was for those wanderers of the extinct tribes. Undoubtedly, Ao would send someone to guard each boat. Ao was wary of the wanderers, for he knew Yan Zhi and the others had been betrayed. He was clear that a lot of people here were not as loyal as those in the tribe. He didn¡¯t trust them until he knew more about them. If they could be trusted, he was naturally very happy to ept them and wee them back. If some of them were not so faithful, he would deal with them in a different way.

    In the cabin of the central ship.

    ¡°How many wanderers in total?¡± The Shaman asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There are 27 wanderers of foreign tribes and 49 of our tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said. Among the wanderers of the foreign tribes were He Er and the others, who had stayed in the Longboat tribe, they were brought here by Yan Zhi.

    The fleet of the ming Horns tribe did not go past the Longboat tribe, because Ao did not want to get in contact with the Longboat tribe. The fleet went on another waterway.

    ¡°Few can feel the fire seed, after all.¡± The Shaman sighed and said.

    ¡°They can only feel it in a limited range. They are those who are near the sailing route. But now the fire seed has not really been ignited in the old haunt. When it is really lit, more will perceive it.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Yes, Shao Xuan, you keep an eye on that ce. I feel something strange happened there.¡± The Shaman actually believed Shao Xuan was more capable than other people, including the two team leaders.

    ¡°I felt it. You first have a rest and I will go there to have a look and catch those trying to hide themselves.¡± Shao Xuan put down the map in his hand, had Gui Ze give him two bags of medicine and then left the cabin.

    Shao Xuan took the medicine first to the wanderers of his tribe, and had Mai cook it for them, and then took the other bag to the wanderers of the foreign tribe.

    Some wanderers of extinct tribes had decided toe here, but they were still a little afraid of the strange totem warriors. Seeing Shao Xuan without a weapon, they felt relieved. Those warriors who hade in fiercely, carrying stone weapons, scared these wanderers. Finally, a warrior who looked kind came here.

    Among these wanderers, some knew Shao Xuan. So when they saw him, they were not so scared. They greeted him with a smile, but talked to him cautiously to avoid annoying him.

    ¡°Have Yan Zhi and Yan Shuo been here ?¡± Shaw Xuan nced at the people in the cabin and asked.

    ¡°Yes, they just left.¡± He Er, who had been brought by Yan Zhi and Jiao Wu from the Longboat tribe two days ago, hurriedly said.

    Shao Xuan handed the medicine to him. ¡°The medicine is for you. It will make you get better faster.¡±

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    A simple cooking stove was made outside. He Er thanked him and then went out to cook the medicine.

    Shao Xuan gave him the medicine. Then he lifted his feet and intended to leave. However, while turning around, he shot two things which passed the hairs of several wanderers in the front and hit two people leaning in the corner.

    They were one man and one woman, and both were as young as those wanderers of the ming Horns tribe they had met on the way. It was said that they knew each other and that they were one the seven foreign tribes who were brought here.

    Here the men were not separated from the women, but no one dared to cause trouble here. Some of the ming Horns tribe were watching them outside so they all wanted to behave well. Naturally they just stayed here.

    After entering the cabin, the man and the woman started to talk with others. But they had seldom talked with others recently. Especially when the warriors of ming Horns tribe came in, they basically kept silent.

    Several times when some warriors of the ming Horns tribe came in, they nced at the young woman many times. Each time when everyone thought they targeted this woman, they left.

    Everybody saw the young woman shrink in the corner, and wondered whether because every time the warriors came in to see her, so she hid scared in the corner. Because of this, there was even a young wanderer standing in front of her to protect her.

    At that moment, no one in the cabin expected Shao Xuan to suddenly make an attack.

    The two people saw Shao Xuan¡¯s action, they were so astonished that they opened their eyes wide at once. They had no time to avoid it. They felt pain in the their necks at once, as if they were stung by the hot stone needles.

    The pain was sharp and great, the pain rapidly shot through their whole bodies. Feeling as if numerous stone needles stung their every muscle and every internal organ. They seemed to take root like nts and were unable to be pull out.

    This acute pain shot through their whole body in a very short period of time, making them want to shout and jump up. They just wanted to move, but were held down by a strong force.

    That man also wanted to take out a small stone knife hidden in the animal skin coat, but he was lifted by Shao Xuan. The next moment, his face hit a thick wooden shield directly on the ground, which had been left by the warriors on this ship.

    He was dazed, and hitting the ground made him feel even more pain. Within a few seconds, hepletely fainted and his nose bled. That young woman also fainted after a while.

    No one in the cabin expected Shao Xuan to attack them so suddenly and everyone there became silent at this moment.

    They had just believed that he was a kind person, unlike the others who looked so fierce, but he acted so suddenly? All the wanderers thought the members of the ming Horns tribe were just like those of the others. They all killed wanderers arbitrarily.

    They had thought they would have a new life. They knew some people of this tribe, so they had believed that the tribe would not be too harsh on them, at least not be killed. But now? Two of them had been treated in such a way suddenly, and no one knew whether they could survive.

    At this moment, all the wanderers in the cabin had aplex feeling. Not only the wanderers, but also the totem warriors of the ming Horns tribe who were there didn¡¯t know why Shao Xuan did so. But they didn¡¯t question the Shao Xuan¡¯s reasoning. In their opinion, Shao Xuan made a lot of contributions to their tribe, so what he did was certainly right. They did not care about the wanderers¡¯ views. The warriors of ming Horns tribe didn¡¯t consider them important. They didn¡¯t know them and they were not members of their tribe. It was obvious that Shao Xuan was more important in their eyes.

 Chapter 240 - Travel by land

    Chapter 240 - Travel bynd

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The wanderers in the cabin and the warriors of the ming Horns tribe who came in after hearing the noise had different views about what they saw. Suddenly, they all heard cracks from the two that fell down on the ground.

    The sound was not loud, but everyone in the cabin heard it because of the absolute silence.

    The crowd looked over at the same time and saw their bodies changing gradually. They had looked weak and thin due to injuries, diseases, and a hard life. Now their bodies stretched and swelled. Although they did not look very strong, they looked much better than before.

    The warriors of the ming Horns tribe noticed the danger when seeing the two.

    The wanderers in the cabin were shocked, for they were also aware of their obvious change.

    It was impossible for wanderers to have such a change!

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, who are they?¡± A warrior of the ming Horns tribe asked.

    ¡°They may havee from another tribe.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say more. He just reminded those in the cabin to take the medicine. Then he brought the fainted two and left the ship.

    After Shao Xuan left, the wanderers in the cabin felt relieved. They had realized that he had attacked because he had found something wrong. They didn¡¯t expect that some totem warriors of another tribe had hidden among them. They now became vignt and just stayed with those they were familiar with and stayed away from those they didn¡¯t know.

    Shao Xuan brought the two to another ship, where Ao and the two team leaders stayed.

    ¡°Are they...?¡± Ao looked at the fainted two and asked.

    They were asked toe here by Shao Xuan, who had told them some people of another tribe hid among them. On hearing this, they had rushed here without any dy.

    ¡°Yes. Perhaps they targeted us when we were in the Drumming tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± Ta asked.

    ¡°I guess they are from ¡®Thieves¡¯. Before we left, the Drumming tribe lost something, probably something important. It was kept by the shaman of the Drumming tribe, but it was stolen.¡± Shao Xuan told them his guess.

    That evening, Shao Xuan had notixed something off and everyone knew this. But they hadn¡¯t known the shaman of the Drumming tribe lost something.

    The thief was so crafty that he could steal something from a shaman of a tribe.

    Ao and the others became serious instantly.

    ¡°Did they steal it?¡± Ao pointed at the fainted two.

    ¡°No, the thief wasn¡¯t caught that night. He escaped. The two are also from ¡®Thieves¡¯, maybe. But they are not as crafty as him.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Although inferior to the Thief who had sneaked into the Drumming tribe, they were still very cunning. They dared to hide themselves in the ming Horns tribe, so it was likely that they wanted to steal something from this tribe.

    Ao and the two team leaders thought that they might have nned to steal the fire crystals they brought with them. Their eyes looked vicious for a moment.

    ¡°Kill them!¡± The three said almost at the same time.

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    ¡°I know we should kill them. But I want to get more information about the Thief that hid in the Drumming tribe from them. Perhaps that thief has targeted us and he hasn¡¯t been found yet.¡±

    He had used needles coated in poison to throw at the two. That was the poison of a nt he had brought from the other side of the river. It was effective for a short period of time so that a totem warrior would fall unconscious. But the poison didn¡¯t work long.

    After about an hour, the two woke up

    Questioned by Ao and the others, they didn¡¯t speak. When Shao Xuan said he had met the Thief that night, the two finally made a response.

    ¡°Who is he?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I have no idea.¡± The woman said. Her breasts rose as she breathed. Her animal skin coat was torn when she was brought here, so they could see her breasts vaguely because of the dark light.

    She looked at Ao and the other two several steps away from her. Her eyes told her plea and begged, ¡°Spare me! Please. I came here out of curiosity and I didn¡¯t steal anything.¡±

    Their hands and feet were tied and the poison still worked in their bodies. That was why they could only move slightly.

    That woman spoke while twisting her body and her animal skin coat was pulled down. Seeing this, Shao Xuan raised his eyebrows and looked at Ao and the other two behind him.

    This woman was ying a trick. Perhaps she had had a lot of simr experiences, but this time she faced with the men of the ming Horns tribe.

    They were like a bunch of rocks, whoever was considered as an enemy, regardless of male or female, young or old, they would not spare them.

    That man kept silent and just lowered his head as if he was thinking about something. When the whole room was quiet, he burst intoughter.

    ¡°We are so stupid¡± Obviously, he spoke to the woman next to him.

    ¡°We are guinea pigs. Guinea pigs!¡± The man wasughing when his nose bled and the blood flowed into his mouth. His teeth were dyed red. His eyes looked crazy, and if possible he might bitten the person closest to him to vent his anger.

    In the forest, if you sensed potential danger, you could throw out a stone to find out whether there was something threatening. If there was danger, well, it was just a stone.

    And now the crazy man was clear that they were in such a situation. The man who ranked higher than them had been in the Drumming tribe so he must have targeted the ming Horns tribe. However, he had never appeared, for he had sensed danger. He hadn¡¯t told them, but let theme here. He was ambitious, but just observed them behind the scene.

    ¡°One of the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe who have boarded the ship said three were lost on the way, a father, his son and his daughter. They could not be found. Did you kill them? ¡± Shao Xuan.

    He stopped his crazyughing.

    ¡°You wanted to disguise yourselves as a brother and his sister, but you were recognized by their father. Then you killed him, too. But you found that even if you disguised yourselves, you would still be recognized easily. So finally you decided to hide among the foreign wanderers.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan nced at the two who had been silent and hesitated to defend themselves. He then whispered to Ao and left the room.

    The two seemed to have no idea about who had stolen the thing from the shaman of the Drumming tribe. Judging from their response, they had killed the wanderers, so Ao would not spare them.

    After a while, two corpses were carried out of the cabin and thrown into the river. Many carnivorous fish with sharp teeth lived in the water.

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    The fleet kept moving forward and the members of the tribe paid no attention to the missing two. Many of them didn¡¯t notice that the two were missing. None of the wanderers mentioned the two and avoided depressing others.

    It seemed that nothing had happened. However, if careful enough, one could find that on each ship more warriors were guarding and paid more attention to them.

    The fleet followed the nned routed and moved towards to the oldnd. However, they couldn¡¯t reach the oldnd along this way. They would still have to travel bynd.

    They would no longer use the ships, but they couldn¡¯t just abandon them.

    Sell them? That was unnecessary.

    Taking the advice of Shao Xuan, they changed them into carriage. The ships were made of the quality wood from the hunting grounds, so they should be reused.

    They removed the wooden boards from the ships and changed them into carriages.They didn¡¯t need perfect ones, but just safe ones. Besides, to make a perfect one would take them a lot of time and they couldn¡¯t stay here for too long.

    After Shao Xuan finished the blueprint of the carriage, he asked those who had built the ships toe here to make the carriages.

    They had worked together to build ships, so they could cooperate better with their skills.

    They wouldn''t move forward until they finished making carriages.

    They stayed in a ce selected by Shao Xuan, which was surrounded by mountains where few tribes existed.

    If a small group of wanderers or a small traveling team stayed here, they would be very scared in such a isted ce. However, for those of the ming Horns tribe, this was a piece of cake. They were used to trying to get something in the surrounding woods, especially the strong and fat beasts.

    The ferocious beasts were set free to look for their food so the beasts on the mountains were scared and ran away. That was why the warriors had to go further to hunt.

    "The ming Horns tribe is¡­so amazing." He Er said in the ce where the wanderers stayed. He saw the mountain bear as tall as two menbined. It was running up the mountain as if it was very scared and avoided its arch enemy. But it was pushed down by the wolf soon and breathed itsst. The wolf dragged it back and the people of the tribe ate it.

    The ming Horns tribe gave the wanderers confidence. The more powerful this tribe was, the safer the wanderers relying on it would be. At least, they would be less likely to be eaten due to the tribe''s starvation.

    ¡®These warriors could hunt across the mountains so they shouldn''tck of food¡¯, the wanderers believed.

    In the beginning of making the carriages, the craftsmen wasted a lot of wood because they were not good at making carriages. Thanks to the proper guidance, they soon became skillful.

    These would not be as big as the ships and the number was limited.

    To change the ships into carriages, they had to remove the wooden boards one by one. In the beginning they were not so willing to do so, but when they saw the carriages they became more active and positive.

    After five days, seven carriages were made which could protect them from wind and rain. They were as long as ten to twenty meters, and looked like buses.

    There were no horses, so the ferocious beasts pulled the carriages, except Chacha and Gui He''s white bird.

 Chapter 241 - Come visit often

    Chapter 241 - Come visit often

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The Shaman was in the smallest carriage this time with Gui Ze. They were the only ones in this carriage, and without doubt, the fire seed was also ced there.

    The smallest carriage was the most important one, surrounded by the most powerful warriors of the tribe. It was pulled by the turtle.

    Although it was usually toozy to move, it did not run slower than othernddwellers. It could keep up with the team in spite of its slow speed.

    The number of carriages was limited, so not everyone of the fleet could get on them. Only the sick, the old, the disabled, and the pregnant of the tribe could board the carriages. The warriors did not intend to get on the carriages. Those who had not awakened their totem power tried to walk outside and didn¡¯t get on the carriages unless they were tired.

    Many children, as long as they could walk, were led by their fathers. When they were too tired, they had a rest and then got off to continue to walk.

    They thought this as an exercise. They knew they could not be too weak. After knowing about the living conditions of the wanderers and ves, they were more eager to be stronger. In the past, they had just followed the ancestors¡¯ rules and tried to be strong. But now they had to get stronger in order to survive and also for the whole tribe.

    The people of the ming Horns tribe were very ambitious, so the wanderers could not be the exception. They did not get on the carriage if they could walk. If they didn¡¯t do so they would be despised. They may even be abandoned by this tribe. They finally had a hope of leading a new life. They could not give up at this time.

    The route of thend in the n avoided the ces where a few big tribes were. At this time, the ming Horns tribe tired to avoid having a conflict with other big tribes. ording to the Shaman, their first task was to return to the oldnd to start the fire seed.

    Therefore, the tribe went past some sparsely popted areas and some deste tribes. Several times they almost fought with others. But when their enemies saw the ferocious beasts of the ming Horns tribe pulling the carriages, they hesitated and in the end just watched the team passing in front of them.

    The Shaman and the chief had ordered the members of the teams to act only on their orders.They couldn¡¯t move arbitrarily. If they broke the rules, they would be chased out of the tribe.

    They took a detour to avoid unnecessary conflicts and get food. To look for food, they had would go to the sparsely popted ces where there were mountains and rivers. Taking the least amount of risk possible.

    Climb the mountain? Will the carriages not overturn?

    Who said that?!

    We can¡¯t pull the carriages, but we can carry them. It was possible for several warriors to carry a carriage filled with people.

    The ming Horns tribe kept moving to the oldnd and were never stopped. No one knew how many beasts in the mountains had been eaten, the local people and beasts were scared no matter where they arrived.

    The members of the teams mentality gradually changed. On the other side of the river, they had to be alert and low-key when outside of the tribe. But here it was the opposite.

    When they met those who caused trouble and were sent here to get some information, they used the most direct and most violent way to deal with them to warn those who were thinking of causing trouble. Otherwise, they would be killed directly!

    This way, they had killed numerous beasts and people.

    Some traveling teams deliberately walked behind the ming Horns tribe so no beasts dared to attack them.

    As long as the traveling teams did not cause trouble, the Shaman and the chief didn¡¯t stop them. Moreover, they could be paid.

    ¡°I feel it is close.¡± Looking at the leaping mes in front of him, in the center of the carriage, the Shaman said with excitement.

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    So many years ago, what was the oldnd like?

    The Shaman looked at the leaping mes and gradually became absent-minded.

    Shao Xuan looked outside and saw therge grasnd in the surrounding area. The warriors who had gone hunting came back, but they looked quite depressed. There were many trees, but few beasts. The food was not enough for them to eat. Even if they didn¡¯t starve today, what about tomorrow? Maybe in the ce they would arrive tomorrow, there would be fewer beasts and they couldn¡¯t get enough food.

    They had thought they easily became hungry when they just ate regr beasts. Therefore they didn¡¯t like eating beasts. But now they almost couldn¡¯t eat even the beasts!

    ¡°Chief, what should we do?¡± Ke Ke held up a hare in his hand and shook it. Then he looked depressed.

    Dragging a snake as thick as a man¡¯s arm, Tuo came back listlessly. But this snake was not enough for him.

    Guu~~ [ED: Stomach rumbling]

    They ate very little, so many warriors had begun to feel hungry.

    Ao did not know what to do and did not immediately reply.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to exchange for some food. Where we are is not far from the Lu tribe, which breeds many beasts. I can take some people to exchange with them for some beasts. There won¡¯t be much food that we can get before we arrive at the oldnd. The food is not enough for us.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The people living here mainly raised animals and grew crops. Furthermore, in this journey, there were less mountains, all of which were small, and so there were fewrge beasts. It was difficult for them to hunt enough beasts for food.

    Regarding the Lu tribe, Ao had learned about it from Shao Xuan¡¯s record. Ao liked this tribe. The people of this tribe lived on raising beasts and were known as the kind people in the central region. He believed they were good trading partners.

    After thinking about it, Ao agreed with Shao Xuan¡¯s idea.

    The team didn¡¯t need to stay here and wait, Shao Xuan estimated where they would arrive. He agreed with Ao to meet at a ce. Then he brought some water moonstones and left for the Lu tribe with fifty warriors.

    Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t seen the people of the Lu tribe for two years since he left, but that man called Yan Jiu still remembered Shao Xuan.

    Hearing Shao Xuan wanted to exchange for some beasts, Yan Jiu led Shao Xuan and his followers to the farm with enthusiasm.

    Although Shao Xuan had told Ke Ke and the others about the farm of the Lu tribe, they were still really surprised when they saw it. Yan Jiu felt proud of his tribe when he noticed their reaction. He boasted about the various breeding beasts.

    The warriors who ate a few small beasts for a couple days, couldn¡¯t help but drool and fix their eyes on those fat birds as big as cranes.

    Meat, meat!

    ¡°What do you need?¡± Yan Jiu asked Shao Xuan. He knew that although Shao Xuan was not the oldest, he was the leader among them.

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    ¡°Shao Xuan, that one! We must take the fattest one!¡± Ke Ke hurriedly pointed at it to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What else? We will take them out for you.¡± Yan Jiu said with a smile.

    Shao Xuan ordered some beasts, the few people next to him could not help but choose several.

    Shao Xuan calcted how many beasts they could exchange their water moon stones for while Ke Ke and the others chose some. Fortunately in the central region, the water moonstones value appreciated, so they could exchange them for more beasts.

    After they finished choosing the beasts, Yan Jiu calcted the number of the breeding beasts in his mind twice and then said,¡°Two hundred and fifty, right?¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...Yes.¡±

    Taking out the water moon stones to Yan Jiu, Shao Xuan looked at five breeding birds which had been tied up and saw someone pushing a wooden cart towards him. He said, ¡°We don¡¯t need the cart.¡±

    ¡°You sure?¡± After confirming that they did not need the wooden cart, Yan Jiu took out a dozen bird eggs, ¡°Since you do not need us to carry the beasts, I will give you some eggs.¡±

    The eggs were ced in astraw, and Shao Xuan had Chacha hold the. Each warrior held five of the breeding beasts.

    Seeing Shao Xuan and the others walking quickly with five big birds each, Yan Jiu was shocked.

    While seeing off Shao Xuan and the others, Yan Jiu smiled and said, ¡°If you need more breeding beasts, you can just get me a message. I¡¯ll send them to you!¡±

    ¡°OK, we will soon return to our oldnd. When we settle down, you can visit us often.¡± Shao Xuan said, turned around, carried the breeding beasts and then left the Lu tribe with Ke Ke and the others.

    ¡°Where will you settle down?¡± Yan Jiu asked.

    ¡°The Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest!¡±

    Yan Jiu stood still in the original ce: ¡°...¡±

    Rubbing his stiff face, Yan Jiu could not help but clean his ear with his finger. He asked the man next to him in a daze, ¡°Where did he say they will settle down?!¡±

    Standing next to Yan Jiu, the man swallowed his saliva, and stuttered, ¡°Maybe¡­ near the Wan Shi tribe, the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.¡±

    Not mention the Wan Shi tribe, the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest is a dangerous ce. They will settle there? Did he ask us to visit them often?

    Who dares?

 Chapter 242 - Only once

    Chapter 242 - Only once

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Thanks to the food brought by Shao Xuan from the Lu tribe, the tribe was in a much better condition.

    The tribe had been travelling if they were not sleeping or taking a short break.

    The tribes and the wanderers who saw them were very curious about the ming Horns tribe.

    They had seen a tribe migration on such arge scale, but most of them had never seen such a powerful tribe. The ming Horns tribe became famous gradually thanks to the traveling teams.

    In the center was the carriage where the Shaman stayed.

    The Shaman was sitting next to the fire seed in basin and counted the days silently.

    The fire seed was much bigger than ever before and was zing. But if you looked closely, you could see that there seemed to be a faint barrier around the small fire basin.

    The barrier was created by the Shaman. ording to the animal skin volume the ancestors had left, if the Shaman carried the fire seed past other tribes, without barrier, it would fight against the other fire seeds. The loser would be temporarily suppressed. No one was willing to see the suppression of their fire seed, for it would affect the tribe¡¯s morale. Currently, the ming Horns tribe did not want to antagonize any other tribe.

    This is why that besides the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe, few could feel the fire seed here. And those who guessed the fire seed was inside and wanted to steal it were all defeated by the warriors in the most direct and most violent way.

    There were more than two hundred wanderers they had picked up while traveling over the water and on thend, all the way from the Drumming tribe. Some wanderers of other tribes also followed them. Shao Xuan counted the number and found it was almost two hundred now.

    Getting closer and closer to the destination, the people became restless.

    The ones being restless were not the ming Horns tribesmen, but rather the wanderers who had joined.

    Now, these wanderers knew the destination of the ming Horns tribe. Hearing that it was the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, some people became afraid.

    Especially in recent days, those warriors of the ming Horns tribe who protected the wanderers had always mentioned the ferocious beasts were sturdy and fierce, and some of them had been killed by the beasts and some had almost been killed. Those injured and disabled warriors had also talked about the dangerous situation they had faced with while meeting the ferocious beasts.

    The ming Horns tribe warriors could continuously talk a lot about the ferocious beasts, because they had dealt with the ferocious beasts since childhood.

    Originally, the topic of ferocious beast scared these wanderers, for they felt they were listening to horror stories. But many people talked about this topic every day, so it was impossible to avoid hearing about the stories. Gradually, they thought about leaving there more and more frequently, day by day.

    This night, the team stayed at the foot of a mountain.

    He Er was asleep, but then was woken up by the whisper of the man next to him.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Are we being attacked?¡± He Er awoke at once. They were in the wild, and recently they had heard many stories about ferocious beasts. After being awoken, he first thought the ferocious beast attacked them.

    He Er was about to say something, but his mouth was covered.

    The man who woke him up had a good rtionship with him when they had been in the Longboat tribe. They were familiar with Yan Zhi and the others.

    ¡°Look over there!¡± The man who woke up He Er said in a low voice.

    The burning fire around them was about to die down. The me was very small, so only people near the fire could see it clearly. Those a little further away from it could just see a faint shadow.

    He Ee and others were slightly far away from the fire, but they could see the figure on the other side of the fire.

    Several figures got up from the ground. With animal skin bags and few packages, they tiptoed away from the crowd.

    A hunting warrior around there noticed these people, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    The people shivered and stepped back after they were called, but still pretended to be calm and replied, ¡°We drank too much water and want to relieve ourselves.¡±

    The warrior yawned, did not care about it and said, ¡°Come back soon, and do not go too far!¡±

    ¡°Yes! We wille back soon and we will not go too far!¡± The several wanderers promised hurriedly.

    After those few people left, He Er was going to talk to the several friends who were woken up next to him. But he saw another few people get up and leave because of ¡°diarrhea¡±, which was just an excuse. The warrior just muttered ¡°Troublemakers¡± and did not say more.

    ¡°What do we do? He Er, shall we leave?¡± The man next to him asked.

    Those decided to leave because they had heard much about the ferocious beasts, and knew that the destination of the ming Horns tribe was the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.

    Compared with the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, they preferred going to other tribes.

    Some had to find another ce, because they had been oppressed in their original living ce. They had always wanted to find a new ce. This time they followed the ming Horns tribe because they had thought they would have a better life. Unexpectedly, they were about to face more severe problems. The good news was that on the way they had seen quite a few good ces. The living conditions around several tribes were in line with their standards as they had nned.

    The wanderers did not understand why the ming Horns tribe went to the dangerous Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. It was a tribe with so much potential, that it would certainly be able to get a good safe ce, much better than some other small tribes in the central region. Although it was a small tribe, within one or two decades, the number of its members would double. Why did they want to go to such a dangerous ce?

    Even if they had a few ferocious beasts, so what? In the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest there were millions of ferocious beasts, even the big tribes in the central region were reluctant to go in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest!

    They just wanted to have a better life, instead of ending their lives together with those of the ming Horns tribe!

    Two days ago some had left, but not so many. But tonight, maybe they were aware that they would soon arrive at the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. This may be theirst chance to leave. If tomorrow the people of the ming Horns tribe people noticed so many people had left, would they be angry?

    ¡°He Er, what do you think? Should we leave? Maybe tonight is thest chance. If we don¡¯t leave this time, after entering the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, we cannot run away.¡± One person asked He Er .

    The people of the ming Horns tribe had said that along the way they had hunted a few beasts. Even somerge beasts in the mountains on the way were scared by the ferocious beasts of the ming Horns tribe and ran away. The remaining beasts became food for the warriors of the ming Horns tribe. Those beasts had been chased away, and at least for a short while they would note back. As long as they return following the route of the ming Horns tribe, it is much less likely for them to meet those dangerous beasts.

    Go now and return following the route. They will be safe!

    Over the past two days, some of them had also specially collected the excrement of those few ferocious beasts so that they could be safer after using these ferocious beasts¡¯ excrement to scare the beasts in the mountains.

    He Er did not answer, and then the man next to him poked him and asked, ¡°Go ?¡±

    He Er clenched his teeth,id down again and whispered,¡°I won¡¯t go! I do not want to go back! I believe in Yan Zhi and the others.¡±

    Several people around were silent, and thenid down one by one. Well, let¡¯s bet on it!

    They made up their mind andyed down again, but they did not fall asleep. Listening to the sound made by those who were leaving, each of them opened their eyes wide and were in daze.

    In the dark, where the fire light was not shining, the night guard was leaning agaisnt a tree. He was looking disdainingly at those who were running away, but did not stop them.

    The next day, they continued the journey. Nearly a third of the wanderers had left.

    Obviously, everyone could notice this at a nce, but it seemed that the people of the ming Horns tribe people did not know it and even did not mention it. Strangely, no one told the wanderers about the stories of the ferocious beasts again.

    Some were clever and realized that the ming Horns tribe gave them a test.

    When Yan Zhi and the others saw He Er and his friends, their tight faces rxed. Fortunately they were still there.

    The Shaman had nned to test the wanderers in advance, and no one dared to tell them the truth. Even when Yan Zhi saw the restless wanderers, they could do nothing but feel worried.

    Shao Xuan got on the Shaman¡¯s carriage holding a fully-written animal skin roll.

    ¡°More than seventy have left. Six of them are wanderers of the ming Horns tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said as he handed the roll to the Shaman.

    They didn¡¯t care that wanderers from other tribes left, but they felt disappointed because some of the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe, who were treated well by the warriors, left. Although the warriors hadn¡¯t fully trusted them, they helped them a lot. Some of the warriors gave the food they had saved to them over the past two days.

    But some of these people still left. Fortunately, it was a small number.

    The Shaman took over the animal skin roll and did not read it. Instead, he closed his eyes and showed no disappointment or grief on his face. But the people familiar with the Shaman knew that when the Shaman had no facial expression, it was the most horrifying. Even the two team leaders here became anxious.

    Shao Xuan did not interrupt the Shaman¡¯s silence, quietly waiting for him to make a decision.

    A momentter, The Shaman opened his eyes and said, ¡°Let them go. But they can nevere back again.¡± Although he spoke gently, he still showed his anger and aggression.

    Shao Xuan had expected the Shaman to answer like this. He nodded and said, ¡°I got it.¡±

    The names of those who left or stayed were recorded.

    There was only one chance. The Shaman of the ming Horns tribe only ced trust in them once.

    Those who joined themter felt the chief was the decision-maker in the ming Horns tribe, which wasmon in many tribes. They thought the Shaman couldn¡¯t make the final decision. But those who grew up in the ming Horns tribe understood thesupreme authority of the Shaman in the tribe.

    Since the Shaman made such a decision, Ao, the chief, or any others could not object.

    Going down from the carriage, Shao Xuan looked at the sky.

    ¡°The weather is not good.¡±

    After leaving from the Shaman, Shao Xuan went to another carriage. The disabled and the women who had not awakened stayed in this carriage. Even though these people could not move much, they were busy sewing the animal skin boots with the tools brought here and some animal skins ced here by the warriors after their hunts.

    Putting down the skins and a few rolls of linen threads, Shao Xuan said to them, ¡°Please make some long boots, the children will also need them.¡±

    Although they did not understand the reason, they did not ask anything. They just did as Shao Xuan instructed.

 Chapter 243 - Arrival

    Chapter 243 - Arrival

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Passing a in, the team finally saw the endless green border in the distance.

    On the border between the sky and the earth, there was a green strip.

    Farther, there were some mountains.

    The warriors hadn¡¯t arrived at that ce yet, but their eyes shed. They felt familiar with it, and this feeling made them instantly be excited. They felt as if they came back to the other side of the river, where the mountains were dangerous. They recalled their fearful experiences, but they no longer feared. Now they were so excited that they wanted to jump up.

    Of course, the reason they were very excited, part of it was because of the fire seed.

    Getting closer and closer to the oldnd, the totem power in the warriors¡¯ bodies surge and seemed to rush out.

    ¡°That, is that theFerocious Beast Mountain Forest?¡± The people looked at the green strip in the distance with aplicated feeling. The people of the ming Horns tribe were excited, but the wanderers were worried and dazed.

    Ta!

    Ta, ta, ta, tata...

    It began to rain, and soon it rained heavily. Large raindrops fell down and hit the ground.

    Because of the rain, the dust lifted from the dry floor. The air was filled with the smell of soil.

    The sky quickly became dark, and the dark clouds were like a giant hand that wasing down. The green strip in the distance, in the eyes of wanderers, was like a mouth full of fangs, waiting for its prey.

    Raising their heads, they saw the thick clouds and felt too tense to breathe. In the front, it was the famous Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. The pouring rain seemed to been pouring straight into the hearts of some wanderers. They were still standing here, they did not want to retreat or go back.

    The tribe, don¡¯t know when, suddenly became solemn.

    They no longer talked orughed.

    The emotions of the wanderers were also affected by their solemnness. They no longer felt anxious, and they miraculously calmed down.

    At this moment, anyone who could walk got off the carriage, including the sick, the disabled, and the old, with others¡¯ help.

    The Shaman waved his hand to reject Gui Ze and jumped down from the carriage. He wore his new leather boots which were made in the rainy season of this year. The gray and white boots were stained with mud when he stepped on the ground.

    The Shaman looked at the forest with mixed feelings.

    Over the past nearly thousand years, generations had never been here. They finally returned here, in ce of their ancestors.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± The Shaman said.

    TheFerocious Beast Mountain Forest was big. The route of the ming Horns tribe team did not include the location of the Wan Shi tribe, and they were a little far from it. So they did not see anyone of the Wan Shi tribe.

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    Even without Shao Xuan¡¯s guidance, everyone of the ming Horns tribe could find the right direction by intuition.

    Walking into the forest, they heard the sound of the raindrops hitting the leaves and the sound was louder than the noise made by some of the creatures in the surrounding area. The various smells in the air became faint thanks to the rain.

    It didn¡¯t stop raining. In the rain, they couldn¡¯t see clearly. Many people simply could not see the situation in the remote forest, but it did not matter. They just followed the people in front.

    The fire seed was ced inside the carriage, and its barrier had been removed by the Shaman.

    The fire seed suddenly became powerful in the forest.

    Ta, ta, ta, ta...

    On the soft ground covered by leaves, stones and soil, there were numerous dead insects. Warriors carrying animal skin bags and their weapons walked in the muddy forest and each step left a deep footprint on the ground.

    The raindrops from the sky washed the dense leaves at the top, dripping to the ground, and soon filled these pits of the footprints with water.

    The people of the tribe continued to walk, except the disabled, the injured, and those who failed to keep up. Whenever some children, led by their parents, took a step, all kinds of humus and soil on the ground stained their ankles. Fortunately, their boots were long, so the insects in the mud just bit their fur.

    Cutting off thin worms with suction cups from their feet with a knife, they continued to move forward.

    There were many beasts and ferocious beast in the forest in spite of the deterrent of fire seed. They could notpletely avoid those beasts that dared to risking out from this thick forest to attack them suddenly.

    Behind the lush trees, the caves on the mountainside, and in the swamps... there were some lurking. All of them were bloodthirsty and their eyes shed with ferocity. They were staring at the procession that suddenly entered the forest. In the past, when other people walked into the forest, they certainly killed them and ate them. But this group was too special.

    This group had the fire seed that scared them, some fierce beasts as powerful as them, and a group of totem warriors that could not be underestimated. The clever ferocious beasts all hid and kept watching them. If they attacked this group, they would die.

    Some beast tails swept out of the rain like bullets. But they were stopped by the warriors of the tribe who guarded around the procession. The members of the advance team fought against those ferocious beasts which dared to attack them.

    During the battle in the forest, only the ferocious beasts roared, while the warriors were silent.

    Silently cutting and killing, they were unprecedentedly fierce and ferocious. The sshing blood mixed with the rain and dripped on the ground. The path was red, and blood filled each pit of the footprints.

    No one in the procession made a sound or stopped walking. When a ferocious beast rushed out, naturally some people resisted it. What they had to do was to continue to go in that direction.

    The wanderers following them tried very hard to keep up with the team. If not, they probably fell to the ground, for their legs were weak. Maybe the solemness of the team stopped them from shouting when they saw those ferocious beasts rushing out. But it was just like they were being grabbed around their necks, when they just opened their mouths, they failed to make any sound.

    The silent group walked in that direction steadfastly, it seemed that they were going on a pilgrimage.

    Shao Xuan put away the sword and did not care about the ferocious beasts that were cut down. The other warriors didn¡¯t collect it, all beasts were like a sacrificial offering for their return to the oldnd.

    The heavy rainsted for a long time. Shao Xuan, with the other warriors, killed no less than ten ferocious beasts.

    Fortunately, they were notdeep in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. There were few ferocious beasts and they were not very powerful.

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    Shao Xuan threw the animal skin coat on the carriage, exposed his upper body, and let the rain wash it.

    Many did as Shao Xuan did, and each had the same totem pattern. Don¡¯t know when, every warrior that had awakened was showing the totem patterns on their body, even the non-awakened and the tribe¡¯s wanderers had a faint totem pattern.

    At the same time, in the oldnd of the ming Horns tribe

    A team of the Wan Shi tribe was having a rest. From time to time, a team of this tribe came here. This was the shaman¡¯s order, the chief hadn¡¯t agreed with this. But he had been persuaded and finally agreed, but he no longer led the team here in person.

    The people of the Wan Shi tribe didn¡¯t fear the ruins here, for they had been here many.

    Failing to find a shelter, they simply stayed here and didn¡¯t go back until it stopped raining.

    They used the stones in the ruins as chairs, some were directly sitting on the copsing pirs which were cut into several sections. They were chatting,ughing. When they felt bored, they poked those patterns and carved on the stone pirs.

    ¡°Hey, it isn¡¯t raining so heavily anymore.¡± Someone said.

    ¡°Is it going to stop raining?¡±

    The thick clouds in the sky were rapidly dissipating. The sunshine came through the clouds and was dazzling.

    It hadn''t stopped raining yet, but it seemd that the rain was about to stop.

    They were smiling, but suddenly they heard cracks, like the sound of pieces of burning wood breaking.

    At this time, who started a fire?

    A man of the Wan Shi tribe was frightened, pointing to one direction.

    ¡°Fire, fire!¡±

    The others looked to that direction. They only saw that in the center of the pit they had dug that there was a sparkling spot. Six fire lines, with that spot as the center, extended outward.

    They panicked.

    When the fire lines on the ground were about to spread to their feet, a warrior of the Wan Shi tribe turned around, ran away, and shouted, ¡°Quickly go back to the tribe!¡±

    Before the rain stopped, they ran away in a panic. They suddenly remember the first group that came here and waspletely exterminated.

    Leave, leave here!

    Because of the panic, even the dripping raindrops felt like poisonous insects biting them.

 Chapter 244 - Outrage

    Chapter 244 - Outrage

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Not long after the people of the Wan Shi tribe left, the ming Horns tribe arrived at this ce.

    Those carved stones were like boundary markers. But some of them had been removed, some had cracks or had been cut, and some had been burned.

    They must have been damaged by the people of the Wan Shi tribe.

    Looking up, Shao Xuan did not see the tall stone pir that seemed to stand above the forest.

    Shao Xuan suddenly felt an ominous feeling.

    He was afraid that something bad happened to the fire pit.

    Besides Shao Xuan, the Shaman also had such a feeling and his hand holding the crutch was shaking.

    A burning fire line extended to their feet.

    They did not feel scared. Instead, they were familiar with this, and finally got a sense of belonging.

    The totem pattern in all their minds was active and very energetic.

    Setting foot on thend made them be high-spirited and energetic.

    The oldnd!

    Here it is!

    Their eyes were keen.

    They would reach soon. Just a few steps away from it, just a few steps...

    Atst, however, when they walked through the forest and arrived at the ruins, what they saw shocked each of them.

    Some destruction was caused by environmental factors. But the copsed houses had beenpletely destroyed by men several times over. In the center, arge hole had been dug and the fallen pir told people what it had experienced.

    The whole ruins were bleak.

    In spite of the bright sunshine, it still looked very bleak.

    ¡°This... this is... the oldnd?¡± Ao¡¯s voice faltered.

    How could it be like this?

    This scene puzzled the people of the ming Horns tribe people.

    The Shaman walked a few steps forward to get a closer look. He staggered, and his hand held the crutch more tightly. The bulging pulse on his hand¡¯s back was beating, and because of the changing emotions when he saw the scene, his body shook uncontrobly.

    The ancestors of the ming Horns tribe had waited for so many years toe back here. Finally they returned here again, but unexpectedly they saw such a scene.

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    Besides anger, there was a touch of deep sadness.

    Staring at the fragmented and damaged stones, the Shaman felt heartbroken.

    When Shao Xuan had returned from this ce, he had drawn a picture of this ce on a Shaman Volume and showed it to the Shaman. Therefore, in the entire tribe, the Shaman was the second most familiar with the situation of this ce. He was clear where the houses, the stone pirs, and the fire pit were.

    Two years ago, although it had been a ruin and looked bleak and dested, now it was much bleaker.

    Even the fire pit had been damaged!

    How could it be! Bastard!

    Raising his old bark like hand, the Shaman gently covered his chest.

    So painful!

    He had never felt so heartbroken!

    From birth, taking up this post, to now, this old man had never had such a feeling. He was not injured, but he had a great pain.

    The Shaman was too shocked. Shao Xuan worried the Shaman couldn¡¯t bear it and he hurriedly helped him stand firmly.

    Seeing the Shaman staring at the copsed stone pir that had been cut into pieces, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Now we havee back. A pir fell, but we can make a longer one. I still remember the patterns on the pir, we can copy it in the style of the ancestors.¡±

    Of course, he just said so tofort him. What was more important was that it had been damaged again and again. This was a sound reason for them tounch a war. This was a provoking insult. The people of the ming Horns tribe couldn¡¯t bear it.

    Ao clenched his fists furiously, this chief showed his anger.

    ¡°Who?! Who did this?!¡±

    Several consecutive roars like cannons bursting exploded in this forest. A lot of birds and animals ran away scared.

    After calming down, Ao soon thought of who would do so, because Shao Xuan had told the situation about what had happened in this ce to him.

    The Wan Shi tribe!

    Stroking those carved stone, Ao clenched his teeth.

    As a person who dealt with stone tools from an early age, he could get much information, judging from the traces. Several traces on this stone had been left long long ago. Half of the rest had been left withing one to two years, and the other half had been newly made just before their arrival.

    There were many traces of human activities around, which showed that the people who caused this had just left.

    Stroking the stones, the grief in Ao¡¯s eyes gradually disappeared and he looked furious very soon. Because of the anger, his eyes became red.

    ¡°They have not gone far!¡±

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    ¡°I will go after them!¡± Ta could not help but say.

    ¡°Me too, ¡®Xue¡¯ can help find those people.¡± Gui He said.

    The ¡®Xue¡¯ was the white falcon, who would y an important part in detecting and hunting prey. [¡®Xue¡¯ means snow]

    ¡°Bring several other beasts too, for their sense of smell is very sharp.¡± Shao Xuan said. Now the rain had stopped, and they could still smell it.

    Ao stood up, looked at the angry faces of the people of the ming Horns tribe behind him and looked at the Shaman.

    The Shaman did not say anything and just removed his hand covering his chest. He waved his hand heavily and outwards.

    Everyone understood the Shaman¡¯s attitude. This meant he let Ao and Shao Xuan do what they thought they should do.

    ¡°What about here?¡± Ao asked.

    ¡°Do not worry, here is the oldnd! The ce belongs to the ming Horns tribe!¡± The Shaman said firmly, shocking them.

    Because it was the oldnd and the fire seed was here. It would only protect those of the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°I got it.¡± Ao lifted his hand to point at a few ferocious beasts, indicating that they should set out. Another thirty people were ordered to go with them.

    Shao Xuan and Caesar went first.

    Except for the turtle pulling the carriage where the fire seed was, all the others left.

    Whoosh~ Whoosh~ Whoosh...

    The warriors ordered to go with them put down their animal skin bags one by one. Picking up the weapons, they quickly went through the grass and followed after the few ferocious beasts.

    ¡­¡­

    In the forest, the escaping people encountered some beasts, causing them to disperse.

    One warrior of the Wan Shi tribe left his partners. He was too tired and sat on the ground. Out of breath, he opened his mouth, his heart was beating quickly and his body shaking. From time to time, he looked back in horror, and his eyes were full of fear.

    Ga~ga~

    A roar was heard. The warrior of the Wan Shi tribe who was sitting on the ground bounced from the ground at once as if he was stung by a needle and tried hard to run away.

    Behind him, five carnivorous birds were shouting and chasing after him. They ran fast and were very familiar with this forest, so they could run as fast as the people in front of them.

    Hearing the approaching footsteps and cries, the running warrior of the Wan Shi tribe felt desperate, for he was alone against the five birds behind him. He would die or get seriously injured. He closed his eyes and then opened them. He clenched his sword and intended to try his best to defeat them.

    ¡°Ah~~!¡±

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    When the warrior of the Wan Shi tribe waved his sword and turned around to fight to the death, he saw that the five carnivorous birds chasing him all stopped at once. The birds'' ws sttered up muddy water, which sshed on him.

    Before the warrior could even move his sword, those five birds tried hard to run away, even without even a cry.

    The warrior stood there, holding his sword. He stared at the five running away from him and gasped for air. Just as his life was temporarily saved, he heard the piercing sounds simr to those of the footsteps of those birds. But this sound seemed to move faster.

    Why did those proud hunters flee so quickly? Was it really not because of him?

    He was in a greater panic.

    He changed his direction and ran away from where the sounds of footsteps were heard.

    But, this time the one chasing him was much more powerful.

    Da! Da! Da!

    Behind him, each sound of the footsteps was like thunder, scaring him a lot. He did not even look back to see what it was and just ran away.

    Within two minutes, a hoe-like bird head stabbed the warrior. He was immediately knocked down to the ground. There was a hole in the back of his neck and the wound was bleeding.

    Mai arrived there following the crane. No matter whether the person on the ground died or not, he struck his sword at him.

    ¡°Continue on!¡± Mai patted the head of the bird next to him and said.

    It had intended to chase the several birds as a meal. Hearing Mai¡¯s words, it had to temporarily give up this idea. After all, it would have many chances to get its food.

    Simr things happened all over the forest.

    This time, Ao had ordered Shao Xuan, the only intermediate totem warrior, and another thirty senior totem warriors toe here.

    In the sky, Chacha and that white falcon were flying. In the forest, the fewferocious beasts led the warriors in the chase after those Wan Shi tribesmen. As long as they were still in the forest, Ao nned to kill all of them.

    At the same time, in the Wan Shi tribe, the shaman of the Wan Shi tribe once again hurried into the living room of the chief, Fu Ji, who was still enjoying himself.

    ¡°Chief, the fire seed, the fire seed changed!¡±

    Looking at the shaman, who panicked more than ever before, Fu Ji was disappointed at him. Over the past two years, he had always felt that there had been a threat in the forest, but he hadn''t found anything abnormal after sending people there.

    Fu Ji had always thought it was done by those few old guys who hated him in the central region. He was also irritated by this. The shaman''s panic worried Fu Ji and nned to lead a group of people in there. It was better to find some evidence so that he could use those old guys. Did they not often say that they would not start a war? What about this? If he could get something from them, it was even better.

    Fu Ji was not afraid to offend others, for this ce was his site.

    He kicked the door to open it, and called his men, Fu Ji decided to go to the forest.

 Chapter 245 - Whoever enters the forest, kill!

    Chapter 245 - Whoever enters the forest, kill!

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After the rain, the air in the forest became fresh.

    Those who were fleeing in the forest did not pay attention to the air, and they only thought that this forest full of sunshine was dangerous, driving them almost crazy.

    Whiz!

    A bright light shed.

    A spear prated the body of a fleeing warrior of the Wan Shi tribe.

    The people beside him did not look at the person who had fallen down, neither did they slow down. Instead, they ran even faster.

    In the distance, they heard some strange cries of a beast or a ferocious beast, which scared them. In this jungle, it seemed that disaster was always around the corner. All the birds and beasts living here escaped, even ferocious beasts began to look for another site.

    The sunshine was bright, and the water on the ground reflected the dazzling sunshine. But the running warriors felt the temperature rapidly declining. Judging from their eyes, they were no longer angry because of being chased. Instead, they just panicked.

    Feeling the imminent threat, a warrior¡¯s pupil suddenly dted. He felt a chill running up his spine, and his neck felt cold.

    What now?!

    This fleeing warrior was anxious and desparately thought about a way to save himself. Suddenly, his eyes shed.

    Yes, the giant bear. He remembered there was a giant bear near here!

    He decided to bring those killers behind him to the giant bear. Maybe he would no longer be the target and then he could escape in the chaos.

    The more he thought about it, the more feasible this aproach seemed and his mood lifted. Because his face had be distorted because of his extreme fear, his face was quite vicious at the moment.

    Here, it¡¯s here!

    Look, the giant bear is sleeping.

    He could see the brown fur behind the bush.

    That was the small one. The big one must be near here. Great!

    The sleeping giant bear moved its semicircr ears and sniffed. It smelled the smell of food and opened its eyes. It was no longer sleepy and looked around to locate the food.

    The running Wan Shi warrior looked at the moving figure behind the bush and almostughed loudly. But before heughed, the killers came closer to him quickly, he became so tense that he had difficulty breathing and walking calmly.

    A senior totem warrior?!

    Anyhow, he was a intermediate totem warrior. Only those as powerful as the chief could exert this strong a pressure on him.

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    He had no time to think about who this attacker was. He didn¡¯t even have time to react.

    The man acted too fast. When he tried to see who he exactly was, he could not see clearly thanks to the enormous pressure. He heard a roar as loud as the sound of a devastating flood. The sound overwhelmed him and hit him.

    Bang!

    On the ground there was a muddy pit.

    At the edge of the pit, blood was gushing out.

    Just after the rain, the muddy water diffused because of the violent hit and then flew into the pit again, mixed with the fresh blood. The man who had been smashed into the pit was drowned.

    Shao Xuan rode Caesdar, looked at the furious Ao standing at the edge of the pit. His hands were stained with blood and his body was also stained with muddy water and blood. He looked very vicious, like a god of killing.

    Looking away from him, Shao Xuan looked to the bush not far away from him.

    The bear paw stretched and soon retreated.

    Crack!

    The bear paw stepped on a branch and broke it. In this silent ce, the sound was heard clearly.

    Shao Xuan, the furious Ao, and Caesar grinding its fangs looked over there.

    Hiding behind the bush, the baby bear was frightened, judging from its eyes.

    Retreat. Turn around and run away!

    Shao Xuan and Ao actually had noticed this little guy behind the bush, but at this time no one had the intention to hunt ferocious beasts. They targeted those of the Wan Shi tribe in the forest, so they naturally did not pay any attention to the ferocious beasts. As long as those ferocious beasts did not prevent them from looking for the enemies, they would ignore them.

    The baby bear ran towards the mother bear. Seeing its savior, it was going to roar, just like when it would turn to her when it was in trouble.

    But when it opened its mouth, it was pped by a bear¡¯s paw.

    The baby bear was too shocked to roar and just looked at its mother.

    The mother bear stood up and carefully checked the surrounding area. It moved down on the ground, growled, clenched its teeth, and left with the cub.

    This ce was too dangerous, so they could not stay here any more. They nned to im a different site.

    In the group of the Wan Shi tribe, the luckiest man, the one who ran the fastest, finally reached the border of the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.

    ¡®Ha ha ha, I escaped. I finally escaped!¡¯ He mored in his heart.

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    Out of the forest, looking forward, he saw Fu Jiing here with others.

    They knew something bad happened in the forest so they came to save us?

    This is good.

    The one who ran out of the forest was ecstatic and he vowed not to go into the forest again. No matter what, he would not go into it again, and he would look for any excuse to avoid going there!

    But, just as he was feeling fortunate enough to escape, he did not notice that Fu Ji and others looking scared while looking at his back.

    As fast as the wind...

    A gray figure jumped out of the forest andnded. His body was like a spring, and bounced in an instant to catch up with the man running away.

    It seemed that Caesar knew where the prey would go the next moment. When Caesar leaped and came down, its wing down upon the running man.

    Crack!

    The w almost prated the runner''s body and smashed him onto the ground.

    The blood spread.

    After the rain, the wind carried the smell of soil, water and also blood.

    Fu Ji and his men were silent, as if their throats were being threatened with a knife. They were looking at the man and the wolf that rushed out and all were in a daze.

    Who was this man?

    Fu Ji saw the totem patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯ s body and recalled the many tribal totems he knew. Hepared it with the patterns of several well-known tribes in the central region. But he couldn¡¯t find the answer.

    Frowning, Fu Ji panicked. This was different from what he had expected, and everyone knew there was something wrong.

    What about the wolf that had just jumped out of the forest?

    Was it just a ferocious beast?

    Or a tamed ferocious beast?

    No wonder this brat could be so arrogant, daring to chase the man and kill him here in front of him!

    Fu Ji looked depressed.

    This warrior looked very young. Was he a senior totem warrior?

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    No, he couldn¡¯t be. At best, he was only a strong intermediate totem warrior. Fu Ji could judge this correctly by intuition. He did not know why he felt a great threat posed by this intermediate totem warrior.

    Anyway, he was just an intermediate totem warrior with a ferocious beast. No matter what tribe he came from, Fu Ji was confident that they could defeat him. Otherwise, they would beughed at.

    Fu Ji was about to attack him, but suddenly he became aware of something dangerous approaching, stopping him from attacking.

    A powerful warrior!

    A figure rushed out from the forest. Although he rushed out quickly, he could stop and stand still in an instant. His feet stamped hard on the ground.

    Bang.

    The wet soil on the ground sshed.

    About one hundred and ten meters away, the Wan Shi tribesmen could feel the shaking of the ground.

    Fu Ji¡¯s eyelids twitched. A senior totem warrior! And this one was not inferior to him!

    Such strong warriors appeared here! When did theye?

    Fu Ji was considering how to deal with this senior warrior, intermediate warrior, and a ferocious beast when another several figures rushed out from the forest.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    Almost in the same way, they rushed out and stood still in an instant.

    The ground shook many times. The people of the Wan Shi people were too shocked they forgot the count how many times it had shaken.

    Fu Ji¡¯s eyelids twitched.

    Senior warrior! Another senior warrior! All were senior warriors!

    Those who came were all senior totem warriors!

    Fu Ji felt his back muscles be stiff, it was even difficult for him to twist his neck. This situation was so shocking!

    While the people of the Wan Shi were stunned, Shao Xuan nced at the warriors of the ming Horns tribe. Since they arrived here, apparently they had killed all those in the forest.

    Shao Xuan did not speak with the others. After all, Ao was still here.

    Ao looked more fearsome than Fu Ji and held a spear in his hand.

    Whiz!

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    A deep line appeared in the ground in front of Ao.

    It was caused with his spear. It was less than two meters long. However, in the eyes of those who saw this scene, the line seemed to extend on.

    ¡°Whoever enters the forest, kill!¡±

    Each of his words were powerful.

    The Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest was the border. A life and death border.

    After Ao spoke, the thirty people outside the forest stood in a row. They were more than ten meters away from each other, a longer distance than those of the people of the Wan Shi tribe. But in an instant it seemed that they built a tall and huge wall that stopped everyone.

    Far away from them, the people of the Wan Shi tribe could not help but step back farther. In the face of the pressure, they felt ufortable.

    ncing at the line on the ground, the people of the Wan Shi tribe people looked up, saw their eyes, and swallowed their saliva. On the bodies of these people with unfamiliar totem patterns, there was a lot of dry blood, as if they were washed by the blood. They had never seen such fierce eyes. It seemed that they were facing with the merciless ferocious beasts. Even though they had weapons, they still felt afraid.

    These people were different from those of the other tribes they had ever seen.

    Before they begun to fight, their enemies¡¯ aggression made them want to retreat.

    Fu Ji looked even more upset.

    Pulling hard at the restless Wan Shi beast next to him, Fu Ji¡¯s eyelids repeatedly twitched. These people who suddenly appeared here to provoke them irritated him, and his facial expression became particrly fearsome. But the anger gradually faded and fear took over.

    It was intuition. Although both hadn¡¯t fought yet, he was really not confident that they could defeat those people. Who else like them was in the forest? How many? How many of them still hid themselves? In his heart, Fu Ji thought it was fortunate that these people used the forest as the border.

    Although he did no know what to do, as the chief of the tribe, he could not retreat. He could not move forward, but he couldn¡¯t say nothing and show timidness. A variety of emotions made Fu Ji have a stiff facial expression.

    ¡°You¡¯d better note out of this forest!¡±

    Saying these warning words, Fu Ji fiercely pulled a Wan Shi beast, exposing its fangs, and shouted, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ao held back his desire to have a fight with these people, and he said to himself in the bottom of his heart, ¡°Hold on. It is not the time.¡±

    Just wait, people of the Wan Shi tribe.

    When the fire seed of the oldnd is started again and the wanderers returned, they would have a stable life and they could take revenge.

    ¡°Go back!¡± Ao said to several other people.

    Shao Xuan looked towards the location of the Wan Shi tribe, patted Caesar and then turned around to follow Ao into Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. And those ferocious beasts that helped them look for those hiding in the forest, from beginning to end, except Caesar, had never appeared in front of the people of the Wan Shi tribe. And those of the Wan Shi tribe who had seen them could not say anything anymore.

 Chapter 246 - Lighting up the fire pit

    221374

    220668Chapter 246 - Lighting up the fire pit

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the old haunt with Ao and the others, they saw that the broken stones and waste had been taken away. The weeds had been removed and even some dangerous nts in the surrounding forest had been cut.

    The beasts had run away, some which had failed to escape were cooked.

    The fire pit had been rebuilt and its size was nearly double that of the original one on the side of the river.

    As long as the fire source was still under the ground, the fire pit could be rebuilt.

    The fire source, a part of the fire seed, had been left when the ancestors had to leave hurriedly. Perhaps the ancestors had to leave quickly because of some sudden natural disaster, but unexpectedly this tribe had been gone from here for nearly a thousand year. Over the past millenium, the fire seed hadn¡¯t been brought back here.

    If you want to migrate and take along the fire seedpletely, it takes a very long time, just like on the other side of the river, the Shaman had spent a long time praying and worshiping and putting in a lot of effore before he couldpletely remove the fire seed from the fire pit.

    Fortunately, the fire source hadn¡¯t been damaged much when they returned.

    Although the fire pit was rebuilt now, the fire seed hadn¡¯t been put in yet.

    The Shaman had to hold the ceremony first and put the fire seed in the fire pit to connect it with the the fire source.

    The people near the fire pit were cutting down some trees to build houses. The strong totem warriors were carrying stones.

    The Shaman stayed in the carriage.

    When Shao Xuan came back, Gui Ze jumped down from the carriage, holding some processed herbs.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Shao Xuan nced at the carriage and asked Gui Ze.

    ¡°The Shaman is in a bad mood.¡± Gui Ze sighed.

    They finally returned and then they saw the old haunt had been devastated. That was why he was upset. And as the shaman, he was used to writing down what he saw and how he felt on the Shaman Volumes, which could be passed down.

    Shao Xuan knocked at the door frame of the carriage.

    ¡°Come in.¡± His voice didn¡¯t betray his mood.

    That meant this old man was unhappy.

    As he expected, when he came in, he saw the Shaman writing on an animal skin roll.

    ¡°What happened?¡± The Shaman didn¡¯t raise his head and asked.

    Shao Xuan told him briefly.

    ¡°What Ao did is right. We still need some some time.¡± The Shaman said, and then asked, ¡°Can you make a simr stone pir?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but it will take some time. It is not easy to find some stones and I have to spend some time chiseling it. Should I go find some now?¡±

    Looking at the broken stone pir, Shao Xuan felt upset. Two years ago, he had once sat near the pir that was considered andmark.

    The Shaman shook his head, and said, ¡°No, wait. You should do that after the fire seed has been put into the fire pit. First, the tribe has to go and meet up with those wanderers who will return here.¡±

    When the fire seed is lit in the old haunt again, the wanderers will also return. This was what Old He had told Shao Xuan.

    ¡°When will the ritual ceremony be held?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Tomorrow evening.¡±

    It was time, and everyone prepared for the ceremony like they did before. They washed away the stains on their bodies and clothes with water and took out their ritual costumes.

    But this time they skipped some steps and didn¡¯t do much as they did when preparing for the ceremony in the beginning of the year. They only prepared for the lighting of the fire seed in the fire pit.

    The next evening.

    After cleaning, the people of the ming Horns tribe gathered around the fire pit in their ritual clothes, including the wanderers who joined the teamter. The wanderers of the other tribes only stayed near, but didn¡¯t join them.

    In a ceremony, the more important figures stood closer to the fire pit. In the oldnd, they also obeyed this rule.

    Shao Xuan was one of those staying closest to the fire pit, the only intermediate totem warrior.

    The carriage where the fire seed was ced was beside them and they all became quiet and solemn.

    The wanderers a little far away from them stared at that, but didn¡¯t dare to say anything.

    This ce was different from the mountain where they had stayed. Now they were not at the top of the mountain. Looking around, they noticed there were many mountains in the distance and they were in a lower and unnoticeable ce surrounded by trees.

    Everyone was silent. The Shaman stepped on the carriage carefully. After a moment, he came down from the carriage with a me in his hand. The size of the me doubled and it was leaping in his hand.

    As the Shaman was getting closer and closer to the fire pit, another me rose in the fire pit. Then six fire lines extended in different directions with the me at the core. Each fire line went through the crowd in the surrounding area and spread.

    The closer the Shaman got, the brighter the me in the fire pit became, and the six fire lines became thicker.

    When the Shaman walked into the fire pit and put the fire seed in centre, a me rose to the sky, like a high tower pointing to the sky. It was very noticeable in such a dark evening.

    After returning from the fire pit, the Shaman knelt down on the ground together with the others to worship the me and wee the lighting.

    In the fire pit, the fire pir rapidly became thicker and it spread to the whole fire pit. The leaping mes cast a fiery glow on the mountains in the distance.

    Moreover, the mes in the fire pit spread in six directions along the fire lines.

    Each fire line was like a fuse, which helped the fire spread from the fire pit to the remote areas. The rising mes from the fire lines on the ground were like some huge and powerful warriors that cut the ck sky into six parts. The whole picture looked very overwhelming and beyond description.

    The wanderers at the edge felt their bodies shaking and they were very shocked. The atmosphere scared them and they got goose bumps. They had never seen such a scene.

    This was the power of the fire seed and it was very amazing.

    Only such a fire seed could drive away ferocious beasts.

    Only such a fire seed could protect the tribe in this forest so that they could settle here.

    Shao Xuan fixed his eyes on the amazing change of the fire seed in the fire pit. He felt the totem power in his body be active and moving with the rising mes.

    The totem me in his mind had been erraticly floating about without a root before, but now it was rooted and supported. It was stable and became bigger.

    Since the fire seed connected with the fire source, Shao Xuan had felt excited and energetic. The totem in his mind had been in excitement. The totem power in his body was stimted, as if it was going to rush out of his pores. The totem pattern on his body was also clearer.

    His heart was beating fast and strongly.

    His blood was boiling.

    He could no longer control his emotions.

    ¡°Aaah~~!!¡±

    Ao was still kneeling down on the ground, but his upper body was standing straight up. He raised his face and looked at the ¡°me tower¡±, which was so high that he couldn¡¯t see its top. He was so excited that his voice was coarse.

    It seemed that he was releasing his emotions or calling for something.

    His stimted totem power seemed to be rushing out through his skin as his blood was boiling.

    The ritual clothes on his body reflected the light of the me and were scratched by the air flow near the totem warriors. There were many holes and tears in them.

    His legs on the ground were impacted by the air flow. The broken stones and dust were flying. The flying dust was very quickly swallowed up by the me.

    Following Ao, the team leaders, the group leaders, and the other warriors all shouted. Their voice echoed in the forest, which was lit up by the fire.

    They had never felt so proud.

    Everyone in the ming Horns tribe felt proud of being a member of this tribe. The honor dated back to nearly a thousand years ago.

    They could feel the invisible power which made each of their blood vessels, muscle, and bones work together. They were united in spirit.

    Shao Xuan nced at the fire pit and heard the shouts near him. His eyes showed his pleasure and he shouted with them to share the excitement.

    The Shaman looked at the fire seed and the rising mes in the fire pit. He saw the familiar two horns totem and then tears appeared in his eyes.

    We are still powerful. We have never been forgotten. We still have the honor, though wee back a littlete.

    At the same time, in the Wan Shi tribe, the shaman of the Wan Shi tribe, and the chief, Fu ji, looked at their shrinking fire seed. They looked upset.

    Besides those of the Wan Shi tirbe, those of the other tribes had the same feeling, especially those big tribes in the central region.

    Their fire seeds in the fire pits had also shaken because of the powerful fire seed.

    Which?

    In the central region, besides the few powerful tribes, who else could do so?

    Many were thinking about it.

    Farther away from the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, the shaman of the Mang tribe was standing on a high hill. Looking at the vast green forest and looking in a certain direction, he said with a wry smile, ¡°The savages reallye back.¡±

    On the vast teau, in the Feng tribe.

    Old He looked at his much clearer totem patterns. His dry face filled with wrinkles was shivering. He looked to a direction and knelt down. Tears dripped into the grass and seeped into the soil.

    So many years had gone, and he finally saw their return.

    Old He told his wife and grandchild to drop to the ground on their knees. After some time, he rose when his totem pattern gradually disappeared.

    His wife had intended to help Old He get up, but she was pushed away. Old He was energetic and strong now. Although he was inferior to the totem warriors, he was much stronger now, and he could even carry heavy water baskets.

    Seeing Old He so excited that he was till shivering, she asked with worry, ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Old He straightened his back, held his little grandson, who had grown much taller, and said firmly, ¡°I am hungry!¡±

    His wife: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Pack the things. We are going back home.¡± Old He said. He had seen people of the ming Horns tribe in other tribes during the trading times of the grasnd tribe. And they had agreed that if their fire seed was lit again in the oldnd, they would go back together as a group.

 Chapter 247 - Go out

    Chapter 247 - Go out

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    On the evening when the fire seed was lit, no one knew how many people were sleepless. They didn''t know and never thought about what the other tribes thought and they just did what the Shaman and the chief asked them to do.

    The fire seed was lit again in the oldnd and each of them felt their totem power was strengthened, which was a good change.

    On that evening, another seven were promoted as senior totem warriors, which surprised the Shaman and the chief. Those seven hadn''t made any breakthroughs after absorbing the energy of the fire crystals. Unexpectedly, they seeded now.

    Many in the tribe said they realized the dream of their ancestors thanks to the return of the fire seed to the oldnd. Shao Xuan still felt that the fire seed was iplete, though it looked more powerful.

    The fire seed had been divided in two halves and only one half was at the oldnd. The Shaman didn''t tell them about this. He didn''t know where the other half was and couldn''t feel it.

    In the early morning, Shao Xuan got up and had nned to build the house for Old Ke first. But he was asked to go to visit the Shaman before he started building it.

    Near the fire pit, there was an iplete stone house which was built for the Shaman. They could the build others'' housester, but they should take the building of the Shaman''s house as a priority. The warriors building that house didn''t sleep for a whole night. They didn''t feel tired. Instead, they were still excited.

    When Shao Xuan got there, over thirty people were already there.

    "Uncle Mai, why did the Shaman ask us to here?" Shao Xuan asked in a low voice.

    "For picking up the wanderers." Mai replied.

    "Really?" Shao Xuan had thought the Shaman would send people to pick them up after almost finishing building all the houses.

    They had gotten along with many wanderers, so they understood their strength and capability. They were stronger than those not awakened yet, but inferior to the totem warriors. The Shaman hoped that they could pick up as many wanderers as possible.

    After the ritual ceremonyst night, the Shaman and the chief had been discussing about this and finally agreed on the list of the warriors who would go to pick them up.

    Shao Xuan nced at those asked toe here. He was familiar with those surrounding Mai, they were the members of his hunting group. It seemed that they would go out in teams.

    All asked toe here had arrived. Then Ao asked them toe to a ce where there was a wooden pir and several broken stones next to it.

    Ao went there to step on the broken stones and open the animal skin roll in his hand. He hung it at the tip of the wooden pir to show its content. That was a simple map drawn by Shao Xuan, he had added some details into it on his way to the oldnd ording to some information he collected.

    Ao drew ten copies. About five hundred warriors in total were ordered toe here, and every fifty formed a team. Each team would be led by a former hunting group leader with a map.

    The routes were highlighted on the roll. Each team would follow one.

    Ao arranged for them to take on the tasks and told each team briefly about its route. The tribes on the routes were highlighted. Perhaps some were missed, but the important ones were marked.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you go with Mai and the others. Bring them to the grasnds to pick up the wanderers. You have been there and you are more familiar with that ce.¡± Ao said.

    ¡°Ok.¡± Shao Xuan thought of the old man who sang the Hunting Song on the mountain. He wondered whether the wanderers on the grasnd had set out and when they would meet.

    After telling them their tasks, Ao let them to go back to prepare for their trip. They would set out tomorrow. The ten team leaders were asked to stay there, for Ao had something to tell them. When they would go out, the ten team leaders would be in charge of their teams and they had to know more.

    Having just been here for a short time, they hadn¡¯t be used to living here. They used to focus on hunting while going out. But now they had to be alert, because people were often more dangerous than the ferocious beasts. At the same time, they had to adapt to the new rules.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you stay here.¡± Ao said.

    Ao didn¡¯t know as much about the situation here as Shao Xuan.

    In fact, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know much about it. He just heard about it a lot and drew some conclusions. ording to what Yang Sui had told him, he guessed the rtions of different tribes and some famous figures.

    After talking to the team leaders, Ao let the team leaders leave, but Shao Xuan still stayed there.

    ¡°Is there something else?¡± Ao asked with confusion.

    ¡°Well, I am thinking about whether we can exchange for some livestock like horses, cows, and goats. In the Lu tribe, there is some livestock, but I think the species there are more suitable.¡±

    Ao¡¯s eyes shed, nodded, and said, ¡°Yes, we need to raise some livestock.¡±

    There would be more and more people and the people shouldn¡¯t just focus on hunting. The situation wasplex. In addition, there would be more and more people with awakened power. The number of the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe and those of other tribes would increase. Ao should think about how to settle them and let them make contributions to the tribe when they lived here.

    As Ao had discussed with the other leaders, these people should be responsible for raising animals and nting. They couldn¡¯t go hunting, but they could still raise the animals and grow nts. Those who learned how to make pottery from the other side of the river started to make some and seeded in doing that. Others were doing something else.

    It took a lot of time to domesticate the wild beasts and exchanging for some tame beasts would save time and effort.

    ¡°You are right. Alright, I agree. Go!¡± Ao ordered.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t move.

    Ao waited for a moment. He saw Shao Xuan stay there, rasied his head, and asked, ¡°Anything else?¡±

    Shao Xuan snapped his fingers, and said, ¡°I need some watermoon stones.¡± He stayed there to wait for Ao to give him some water moon stones.

    Ao was in a daze. He had just told the team leaders to adapt to the new environment, but he forgot the way to exchange for things with others. It was different here. They couldn¡¯t exchange several stones and beasts for others¡¯ things. Many were not willing to ept the food.

    ¡°Wait, I will get some for you.¡± Ao walked to the Shaman. All the water moonstones were put in the carriage where the Shaman was.

    Leaving Ao, Shao Xuan took his water moonstones and other stones to the group leaders. He also told them Ao added that they just needed to bring some seeds rather than livestock here.

    In the forest, they didn¡¯t know which kind of nt they should grew. If a mutation of the nt urred, they may lose their lives after eating the nts. Those who has not awakened were even more vulnerable.

    Many tribes kept their seeds well and sold them at a high price. They never told how to nt the seeds, so the people of the ming Horns tribe had to try to find out how to do that.

    After having distributed the water moonstones, Shao Xuan went to look for Mai and saw Yang and Guang talking to Mai.

    Yang and Guang would not go out, not just them, but the others who raised the several ferocious beasts would not go out either, except for Shao Xuan. More than half of the members of the advance team had to stay here, including the two team leaders.

    Yang and Guang kept trying to persuade him to let theme along, and he said, ¡°I cannot change it. You should go persuade the chief.¡±

    Ao chose whom to allow to go outside, so if they wanted to go, they had to persuade Ao. But their efforts would be in vain, since Ao had already chosen these people. Many people desired to go out, but none dared to try to persuade Ao.

    Shao Xuan saw Yang and Guang were upset. Their two ferocious beasts were bored, kicking the stones next to them. Shao Xuan said, ¡°You stay here to guard the tribe.¡±

    Their experience in the Drumming tribe made them understand that there were intruders. Thinking of the Wan Shi tribe not far from here, they squinted and felt it was good to stay here, and they may even catch some intruders.

    Next day, Shao Xuan said goodbye to Old Ke and left the tibe with Mai and the others, followed by Caesar and Chacha in the sky. Caesar was very visible and did not inted to hide. Like Chacha, he didn¡¯t listen to anyone except Shao Xuan. Those staying in the tribe couldn¡¯t make them obey their orders. Gui He¡¯s white falcon was responsible for warning them in the sky when something bad would happen, so they didn¡¯t feel worried.

    The people of the Wan Shi tribe were scared, so they would not go into the forest for a short period of time. Moreover, the fire seed was lit again here. The closer they got to the ce covered by the fire seed, the worse they felt. Their totem power was affected, and their strength would be reduced. A small tribe could be extinct, but those big ones could survive thanks to the fierce fire seed.

    They didn¡¯t have enough time and the Shaman and the chief were anxious. Fortunately, the fire seed was lit again and they were so excited that they didn¡¯t feel tired. Instead, they were energetic. Those who would go outside were even more excited, for they were looking forward to meeting more people of other tribes. Those who would stay in the tribe envied them.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, when will we get to the grasnds? Can wee back before winter?¡± Lang Ga, carrying his package, couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    ¡°A little far from here, but we cane back before winter. Even if we cannote back before winter, it is not as cold as on the other side of river, and there are no ferocious beasts. We can survive there.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°That¡¯s great.¡± Lang Ga showed that he was looing forward to it. Long long ago, his goal was to be a intermediate totem warrior. And now he had realised his goal, and he believed he could be a senior totem warrior.

    ¡°My father says our generation is blessed by the ancestors.¡± Lang Ga said.

    Others responded to show they agreed with him.

    But no one noticed that Caesar, who was walking in the front, sniffed and showed its disagreement in its eyes.

 Chapter 248 - Underground threat

    Chapter 248 - Underground threat

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    When Shao Xuan left for the grasnds with the others to where the Feng tribe was, Old He went to the border of the Feng tribe to await for thoseing from the other side of the grasnd every day.

    ording to their appointment, they would set out from the border. But one, two¡­ five days had gone by, but Old He didn¡¯t see them.

    On the tenth day, Old He asked his wife and grandson not to stay there to wait with him. He would tell them the news as soon as he saw them. Not as healthy as him, his wife was old and wasn¡¯t a member of the ming Horns tribe. Ah-Nai, his ten-year-old grandson, was asked to help the others herd the sheeps so that he could get some food as reward. After all, no one knew how long they had to wait before they could leave here.

    Old He understood the grasnd wasrge and it would take them some time to get here. In the beginning, he had waited calmly. On the fifteenth day, he became worried. He worried that he was forgotten or they didn¡¯t want to pick them up for fear that they would bring trouble to them.

    Old He couldn¡¯t help but worry.

    The wanderers on the grasnd were divided into several groups and not all groups followed the same route. The man that Old He got in touch with had decided to take that route, but he hadn¡¯t been here over the past fifteen days. Did he avoid them deliberately or did he get into trouble?

    If this man avoided them deliberately, Old He would leave with just his family. He knew that they may get into trouble on this journey, but he was willing to take the risk. He still believed the man just got into trouble rather than avoiding them...It was said that a war broke out on the mountains. If the wanderers were involved in it, they may get into trouble. Thinking of this, he became even more anxious. As long as the wanderers got involved in the war, they would be killed. He did hope that they didn¡¯t face the war.

    He had been calm all these years, but suddely became very impatient. Old He still went there with food every morning and waited there until sunset.

    While Old He was waiting on the mountain, his ten-year-old grandson helped Gua Er herd his sheeps. Besides him, another five herded the sheeps, it used to be that three were enough before. Before, just one family could keep an eye on the livestock, but recently some sheep, cows or horses went missing. Most of the missing livestock were still young.

    The warriors of the patrol team kept patroling day and night. But sometimes livestock raised by this famiy or that one went missing. Thissted for over ten days.

    Someone said he saw a group of wolves near here. Maybe there were some cunning wolves that moved swiftly. A war broke out among tribes on the mountain. Therefore, the beasts living there left and some even climbed over the mountain toe here to escape the war. More warriors joined the patrol team and kept an eye on the track of the wolves.

    Recently, Gua Er had been upset, for his calf was missing. He had nned that when his calf grew up, it could have a fight with those of his friends living next to him. Unexpectedly, when he had got up on the morning of the day before yesterday, he had found it was missing when he reached the cow pen. He didn¡¯t want to stay with his friends these past two days because of the missing calf. The calf he had nurtured and fed the best grass to had just up and disappeared

    ¡°Ah-Nai, when do you think the wolf stole the calf?¡± Gua Er felt bored and asked.

    ¡°No idea.¡± He paused and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it was grabbed by a wolf.¡±

    Gua Er had promised Shao Xuan to take care of Old He and his family, so over the past two years he had been friendly to Ah-Nai. Although he didn¡¯t let him join his friend group, he never embarrassed him. Sometimes when Ah-Nai was bullied, he even gave him a hand. Therefore, they talked more with each other.

    ¡°I think so. It may have been grabbed by a fox or an eagle. Many animals on the grasnd tend to grab...¡± Gua Er looked bloodthirsty while speaking. He took out a bone knife and said, ¡°If I find out which has stolen it, I will kill it.¡±

    Saying something threatening, Gua Er found no one made a response. He turned his head and found Ah-Nai didn¡¯t listen to him. Instead, he was looking around.

    ¡°Hey, did you hear me?¡± Gua Er said angrily.

    Ah-Nai didn¡¯t reply, and asked,¡°Did you hear any noise?¡±

    ¡°Any noise?¡± Gua Er thought he was making an excuse.

    ¡°Yes...¡± Ah-Nai thought about it, but he failed to describe the noise. Ignoring Gua Er¡¯sint, he rose and looked at the sheeps eating the grass not far from him.

    Although Ah-Nai ignored him, Gua Er kept talking.

    ¡°It is said that you are gonna leave. When? Where will you go? Will you meet Shao Xuan? If you will, please ask him to make a wood carving of the alpha wolf for me. I will exchange some sheeps or cows for it. My old wood craving was taken away by my father and he doesn¡¯t let me touch it.¡± Gua Er said, he didn¡¯t care whether he made a response.

    ¡°Gua Er!¡± Ah-Nai suddenly shouted.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°A sheep is missing!¡± Ah-Nai said with anxiety.

    Hearing this, Gua Er stood up immediately and looked at the herd while standing next to the wooden stool. He counted thembs. Their family didn¡¯t have many sheeps, and most of the sheeps they lost werembs.

    ¡°All are here. You made a mistake. None is missing.¡± Gua Er said after being reassured.

    Gua Er was about tough at Ah-Nai, but Ah-Nai said,¡°Not amb. A big sheep! I have counted it many times. One is missing!¡±

    ¡°Impossibe!¡± Gua Er didn¡¯t believe it and counted it again. Although he was naughty, he was clear about the number of the livestock raised by his family. He even knew how many were taken away and how many were newly born.

    After counting the number, he found one was really missing.

    Four other people in several other ces kept an eye on the herd. Although they didn¡¯t fix their eyes on the herd and looked around, they had to make sure none of the sheeps was stolen. Gua Er hurriedly asked the four, but none of them saw a sheep being stolen from the herd.

    They were all here and none saw any wolves or foxes. Was it stolen by an eagle?

    Raising his head to look at the sky, he didn¡¯t see a bird. Even if an eagle caught the sheep, it must make some noise. But they didn¡¯t hear any noise, including Gua Er.

    ¡°Hey, Gua Er, what are you looking for?¡± A girl the same age of Gua Er came over, she lived next to him.

    ¡°None of your business!¡± Gua Er was worried and spoke with anger.

    The girl called Duo Ya knew his temper and no longer asked him. She asked Ah-Nai next to her about it.

    Duo Ya had left a good impression on Ah-Nai and so he told her what had happened.

    Hearing what had happened, Duo Ya was no longer interested in asking Gua Er to go horse-racing with her. One of her family¡¯s sheep had been stolen yesterday too, it was not small nor big.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Duo Ya asked.

    ¡°Gua Er, tell it to your father. If your mother is at home, tell her.¡± Ah-Nai urged him.

    ¡°No, I will go to look for it first.¡± Gua Er didn¡¯t want to look for his father, who was patroling, or wake up his mother. His mother was pregnant and she needed rest. Moreover, he hoped to find a clue before telling them about it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you!¡± Duo Ya waved a whip and rolled up her sleeves to follow him.

    Ah-Nai looked around, told the man guarding the sheep closest to him and ran after Duo Ya.

    The man guarding the sheep didn¡¯t care, for the children of the tribe often hung out. Moreover, the members of the patrol team guarded the border. They didn¡¯t worry about their safety. [Brah, a sheep had just been stolen, how can you not worry about their safety?]

    While Ah-Nai and Gua Er were looking for the missing sheep, standing on the low hill, Old He finally saw a group. The man leading the group was the one that had gotten in touch with him.

    Old He hurried to them with ecstasy, but noticed the members of the team were exhausted and injured. Two in the team were seriouly injured and they may even breathe theirst soon.

    They had be involved in the war on the mountain. But fortunately they survived and reached here.

    Thanks to the war among the tribes on the mountain, three in this group up of thirty-two people died. If the injured two also died, five in total will have lost their lives.

    This group of wanderers traveled on the borders of the tribes. So long the patroling warriors were not bloodthirsty, usually nothing would happen. Old He wanted to bring the others back to his home, but it was a in period when the people of the Feng tribe prevented anyone suspicious from entering the tribe. So Old He ran back home and brought some herbal medicine to the injured warriors.

    ¡°I also brought some food. Eat it.¡± Old He passed them half a sheep leg. It was not enough for them, but they could roast it and each could have a bite.

    While they were talking about the situation of the group, a patrol team of the Feng tribe came rushing to them on horses. Gua Er¡¯s father led the team in the front.

    ¡°Old He, did you see Gua Er?¡± He asked with worry and sweat.

    ¡°No, what¡¯s up?¡± Old He guessed something bad happened and his voice was trembling.

    ¡°A sheep is missing, and Gua Er didn¡¯t tell us. He has directly gone to look for it with Ah-Nai and Duo Ya! But until now, they haven¡¯te back.¡±

    Old He was too shocked to stand still. Ah-Nai was the only chid of his family, and if he...

    ¡°Go look for him...look...for...him...I...¡± Old He said with trembling lips.

    The people of the patrol team nced at the wanderers, nearly thirty, in front of them, and asked, ¡°Did youe from the mountain? Did you see anything strange there, like group of wolves or other beasts.¡±

    ¡°There are wolves, foxes, and...¡± The man was saying when he suddenly thought of shing. His face showed his fear. He added, ¡°And some kind of big insect. It is said that they were sleeping near the mountain, but were awoken by the war. Then they came out and ate many people. A man of our team was dragged into the ground. I don¡¯t know whether the big insects came here.¡±

    ¡°Insect? Stone Worm?¡± He asked.

    ¡°They are not stone worms. They are t with sharp fangs and many feet. They block each hole they go through with soil. We have spent a lot of time digging... ¡± Speaking, the man cried. When they had seen their fellow being dragged under the ground, they had hurried to dig him out. But they only dug the soil out, the insects entered the hole so quickly.

    The insect went through a hole in the ground and blocked the hole?

    The people of the patrol team were stunned. They looked at each other bepuzzled.

    The missing livestock of the tribe may have been stolen by the insects under the ground rather than by wolves or the animals in the sky!

 Chapter 249 - Strange insects

    Chapter 249 - Strange insects

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    In ordance with the descriptions by the wanderers, the patroling team immediately returned to inform the others and tried their best to find the insects, which Gua Er and others may encounter.

    Those wanderers with minor injuries also helped them look for the insects at the border. They could not enter the tribe, but they could still reach the border and give a hand to Old He.

    Since the blurry totem patterns appeared on their bodies, they had gradually be stronger. Especially thest time, that night, they felt particrly excited, they even had the illusion that they were true totem warriors. Because they became strong, they could walk all the way here and so many of them could survive. On the mountain, some people wanted to kill them in the war, but they jointly defeated the attackers, although inevitably some of them were injured and some even died.

    While the Feng tribe was panicking by the news of the wanderers, the three that went to look for the missing sheep, as everybody expected, ran into trouble.

    The three children were running very quickly and out of breath.

    ¡°Hurry up! It is going to catch up with us!¡± Gua Er roared.

    They now extremely regretted why they had not just immediately informed the others. Not long after they had left the herd, their attention was attracted by some wool on the ground. They walked for a while, but they did not meet the patrolling warriors. Suddenly they noticed something behind them. The bumps on the ground were rising quickly and approaching them.

    The three ran, even farther away from the residential area. At the beginning, they also ran while shouting. They hoped that someone around could hear their shouts, hoping that they could meet the patrol team. However, until now, they met none of the Feng tribe. When they focused on the surrounding area, they saw that it was empty. Although they were still on the site of the Feng tribe, they were close to the border and few came here.

    The pursuers behind them seemed to deliberately avoid the patroling team and chased them here.

    The three were so tired that they could no longer shout. They just kept running.

    Thinking of what he had said, ¡°If I find the one who stole livestock, I will kill him.¡± But now Gua Er knew he was wrong.

    ¡°Run over there. Don¡¯t run out of the tribe!¡± Gua Er changed his direction with the two, but soon, they found that they had underestimated them.

    Another red-brown insect climbed out of the ground and blocked them in front.

    The insect was wider than their total width, and the erected earth was longer than three horses in a row. Its small and pointed head and two pincering teeth were moving. Its first two legs were like two long and soft sickles, they were swinging flexibly, inciting fear into the onlookers.

    ¡°Aah!¡± Duo Ya screamed, her voice was hoarse. She was shouting for the hope that the patroling team around woulde to save them. However, when she looked to the direction of the tribe, no one appeared.

    On the border, there were low hills. Climbing the low hills, they left the Feng tribe.

    They had never left the tribe since birth. The adults had warned them that only when they stayed in the tribe they could be safe. Once they left the tribe, they would be chased by the other tribes.

    But now they had no choice.

    Gua Er clenched his teeth, rapidly changed his direction, ran towards the direction away from the tribe, and shouted: ¡°Run!¡±

    Duo Ya and Nai closely followed him.

    When Gua Er ran away, he thought of his parents¡¯ words. If he had a sheep, he could throw it to the beast that he had encountered and that chased him. The beast would get the sheep and give up killing him temporarily. If so, he could have a chance to escape.

    At the moment, two insects chased them. Duo Ya and he were the members of the Feng tribe, but Ah-Nai was a wanderer. Wanderers, in the minds of many people, were the ¡°sheep¡± that were abandoned when they were in danger.

    However, Gua Er remembered that two years ago he had promised the man who gave him the wood carving. Gua Er had promised to take care of Ah-Nai and he couldn¡¯t break his promise.

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    If there was another wanderer, Gua Er would push him to the pursuers behind him without hesitation, but because of his promise he could not give up this ¡°sheep¡±. The ancestors were looking at him over the grasnds, and the people of the Feng tribe could not break the promise.

    He just recently awakened his totem power. Yesterday, he had told his father that he would be the bravest warrior of the tribe in the future and be a famous warrior on the grasnds. However, he may not be able to wait for that day.

    Gua Er grasped the bone knife in his hand and slowed down. Holding the knife, he turned around to look at the two red-brown insects, one behind him and the other next to him.

    ¡°Run, I will stop them!¡±

    He had not yet finished his words as his eyes reflected the insects rushing towards him quickly.

    The wo exposed teeth were like a pincet, which could easily catch the people. Gua Er could even smell the smell of blooding out of the insect¡¯s mouth, and he also saw the wool on its teeth.

    This was the thief who ate his cow and sheep!

    ¡°Aaah~~¡°

    Gua Er shouted, closed his eyes and brandished his knife.

    Puff!

    A sound of a body being pierced. Before this, Gua Er had seemed to have heard the whiz of an arrow flying in the air.

    Gua Er¡¯s hand holding the knife was still shaking and his legs were weak. He issued a small ¡®Aaah¡¯, but when he felt he did not cut anything, he stopped shouting and opened his eyes.

    The next moment, he was shocked to see the red-brown insect that was rushing at him was pierced by a spear in the head.

    The insect was still moving, however, another two spears flew into it. Its body rose because of the pain as it was prated. The powerful impact pushed the insect¡¯s body backward. Blood sshed onto the surface of the insect¡¯s body, on its very fine scales, on the ground, as well as on Gua Er.

    As a gust of wind blew, Gua Er only glimpsed a gray shadow. Then, the otherrge insect next to him that chased them was dragged away.

    Yes, it was dragged away.

    A wolf taller than the tallest warriors in the tribe dodged the two soft ¡°sickles¡± and bit the insect and pulled itpletely out of the earth. It dragged it away to a distance, and then stepped on its body. The entire insect was directly torn apart. It was like the omnipotent wolf in the story.

    The insect sshed brown liquid around and gave off the smell of rotten leaves. One of the insects chasing them was was pierced by spears and dying, while the other was violently torn apart and had died.

    Behind them, the sounds of footsteps were approaching and there were voices.

    Gua Er managed to look away from the wolf and looked back. Ah-Nai and Duo Ya did not run away, but stopped two steps away from him after he stopped.

    In the distance, a group was running here from over the low hill. Gua Er only recognized one of them. That was the man who had given him the wood carving, and he was called Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 250 - Living

    Chapter 250 - Living

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After the crisis, the three children felt they were fortunate, but they were still scared.

    Two yearster, Ah-Nai still remembered Shao Xuan. After seeing Shao Xuan, Ah-Nai felt relieved and his face could not help but reveal his joy. His grandfather had said Shao Xuan and they were all the members of the same tribe.

    Lang Ga and the others went to look at the struggling insect, which they had never seen before. Perhaps, such strange insects only survived on the grasnd.

    ¡°Ah-Nai, why are you here?¡± Shao Xuan came over and asked. If they had arrived anyter, it would have been bad.

    Ah-Nai told him the story briefly.

    ¡°The livestock must¡¯ve been eaten by these insects. It is said that a war among the tribes broke out on the mountain, and more beasts have appeared around the mountain recently. The insects may havee from the mountain.¡± Ah-Nai uttered his guess.

    ¡°Well, it must have been them. Where is your grandfather?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Grandpa has been waiting for Uncle Kun and the others for more than ten days.¡± Ah-Nai said.

    Shao Xuan had already suspected this, but just then, he heard the sound of horseshoes.

    ¡°The people of the Feng tribe areing.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Duo Ya and Gua Er looked around.

    Duo Ya was still vignt. Even though these people saved her and the other two, they were not the members of her tribe. Seeing that both Ah-Nai and Gua Er were familiar with him, she became less alert, but she still carefully looked at these outsiders. It seemed that it would not be easy to deal with these people who were not inferior to the patrolling warriors.

    When Duo Ya and Gua Er saw the members of the patrolling team on the other side of the hill, they were so happy that they shouted at once.

    The team of the Feng tribe came here, led by Yi Bei, whom Shao Xuan had met. Gua Er¡¯s father was also among them, and he was so anxious that he was sweating.

    The two children were all right, and the people of the patrolling team immedately felt relieved. But the other ones who appeared here made them be vignt. Not to mention, there was an unusual wolf next to them. Those who had hunted wolves before could see that the wolf was different from those they had killed. It would be difficult for them to defeat it, except for their chief. It was more powerful than the wild wolves in the forest.

    Gua Er¡¯s father drove the horse over, first he checked to see whether Gua Er was injured. Then he noticed this group of strangers.

    Shao Xuan left an impression on Yi Bei, but he just could not remember his name.

    Shao Xuan approached and said,¡°From the ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, you¡¯ve been here with the traveling team.¡± Yi Bei remembered him.

    Hearing ¡°Shao Xuan¡± this name, Gua Er¡¯s father knew that he was the creator of the wolf wood carving. He looked at the wolf next to him, andpared it with his wood carving. They looked really alike! He had made it ording to the appearance of this wolf, right?

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    After Shao Xuan briefly introduced Mai and the others, he told their purpose ofing here.

    ¡°We came here to pick up some people and try to exchange for some healthy young livestock.¡±

    Yi Bei nced at the group of people behind Shao Xuan. All looked powerful, though they did not look very aggressive, they couldn¡¯t be underestimated. If the people of the Feng tribe encountered such a team, they would immediately be alert. But these people had just saved their children, and they knew one of them.

    Yi Bei noticed that after the members of the patrolling team arrived, they had fixed their eyes on the wolf. He was also shocked, for he had never seen such a wolf on the grasnds. Perhaps in some tribes on the grasnds there were some wolves of such a size. For example, there were ferocious beasts in the Hui tribe. But after all, there are few such tribes on the grasnd. There were other famous big tribes, not inferior to those in the central region. But the one in front is an unknown ¡®ming Horns tribe¡¯.

    No matter what he thought, Yi Bei still showed his enthusiasm since they were not malicious or aggressive. Their words showed their intention of exchanging with them.

    Ordering some people to bring along the two dead insects, Yi Bei led Shao Xuan and the others to the tribe.

    Shao Xuan hade here with the traveling team, with the people of the Pu tribe. Naturally he hadn¡¯t got much attention. But this time, they came to represent their tribe, a mysterious tribe that could not be underestimated. Yi Bei should attach great importance, he had also ordered someone to go back to report it to the shaman and the chief.

    Shao Xuan and others did not directly enter the Feng tribe. Instead, they went to the ce where Old He lived.

    The wanderers who went out to find Ah-Nai had already gotten the news and hurried to go back. When Old He was told that Ah-Nai was fine, he was considering whether or not he would go back to see his young grandson. At that moment, he saw a group of peopleing here.

    ¡°Shao... Shao Xuan?¡± Old He saw Shao Xuan, and his grandson, Ah-Nai, next to Shao Xuan.

    Hearing the name ¡°Shao Xuan¡±, the people sitting on the grass immediately got up, and stretched their necks to look at them. They had learned from Old He that two years ago in the tribe a totem warrior had appeared who was called Shao Xuan.

    So some of their tribe arrived?

    Thinking of this, the wanderers were excited.

    Even those whose legs and feet were hurt had their partners help them up and looked at the teaming towards them. Obviously they had never seen them, but they felt familiar with them. They were really from their tribe.

    ¡°Yes... yes, it is the ming Horns tribe?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s ¡®our¡¯ tribe!¡± Someone corrected.

    ¡°They are really from our tribe, and they are certainly totem warriors!¡± The tribes on the grasnds had a different attitude towards totem warriors,pared with towards the wanderers. Since the members of the patrolling team of the Feng tribe were cautious, they knew they were totem warriors, not wanderers like them.

    ¡°Look, there is a wolf!¡±

    ¡°Such a big wolf! Is it tamed?¡±

    Old He was so excited that he moved a few steps forward to wee them.

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    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Ah-Nai threw himself into his arms and told him what he had experienced.

    Looking at his uninjured grandson, Old He looked at Shao Xuan with gratitude.

    ¡°Long time no see, Old He.¡± Shao Xuanughed and said.

    Looking away from Old He, Shao Xuan looked at a young man walking towards him.

    With excitement and shyness on his square face, the man walking towards them had dark skin, rough palms, and new and old injuries and scars on his bodies due to frequent working outside. The torn animal skin coat failed to cover the traces left by the grass rope on his shoulders. Because of the hard life, although he was not stronger than the other warriors of the ming Horns tribe, but he looked sturdy. He hadn¡¯t had a good rest for many days, so he looked a bit tired. But he looked at the warriors of the ming Horns tribe with keen eyes.

    ¡°He is called Kun Tu. Originally he intended to take us back together.¡± Old He introduced him to them.

    Raising his chin, Shao Xuan stepped back, pointed at Mai, who was standing next to him, and introduced him to the wanderers, and said, ¡°This is our team leader, a senior totem warrior, Mai.¡±

    Shaw Xuan specifically mentioned he was a ¡°senior totem warrior¡±. It was obvious that he wanted to make these wanderers feel more secure, and also make Mai leave a deep impression on them. If these people awakened the totem power in the future, Mai could lead them.

    For the wanderers, they seldom saw totem warriors, not to mention senior totem warriors. He was at the same level as the leader of the patrolling team of the Feng tribe, right?

    Mai let people distribute some food and herbs to the wanderers, talked with Kun Tu, and asked him some details.

    ¡°Mai, Shao Xuan. Our chief invites you to go to see him.¡± Yi Bei came and said.

    Shao Xuan nced at the wanderers. Yi Bei saw this,ughed and said, ¡°They go with you.¡±

    From now on, Kun Tu and the others were no longer wanderers. Since they were no longer wanderers, they were treated differently.

    Thanks to the support from the tribe, the few wanderers had been excited for a long time and could not be calm.

    They first found a ce to settle those injured and tired wanderers. Mai brought some people to the tribe to visit the chief.

    The chief of the Feng tribe wanted to see the people of the ming Horns tribe to know who they were and to thank them for killing the strange insects.

    It was said that they wanted to exchage for some livestock, so the chief of the Feng tribe had someone take Shao Xuan to choose some.

    Mai stayed there to talk with the people of the Feng tribe while Shao Xuan selected livestock with ten people. Not all livestock were in one ce. They picked some in one ce and others in another.

    Gua Er saw Shaw Xuan with the people and the wolfing to his home and he was especially excited,

    ¡°Father, a real living wolf. Living!¡±

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    ¡°I know! Don¡¯t go there. Be careful, or it will eat you!¡±

    Gua Er¡¯s father helped Shao Xuan pick the livestock, Gua Er wanted toe close, but he did not dare. He could only stand not far to watch them. He had forgotten he had panicked when he had met the insect. When he was free, he stared at Caesar.

    Besides Gua Er, there were a lot of people standing around there, adults or children, especially Gua Er¡¯s friends, who had seen Gua Er¡¯s wood carving. Gua Er had showed it to them. They had thought the wood carving was exaggerated. Some of them had seen wolves, and even alpha wolves. But they had never seen such a wolf with such sharp paws and fangs.

    However, it seemed that wood carving still could not show the essence of the real wolf. They nced at the real wolf and felt afraid at once.

    Shao Xuan let others help him select some, and he also selected a few, including cows, goats, and horses. All were young livestock, and they were able to run. Because the chief attached great importance to the ming Horns tribe, the people who helped pick the livestock took it very seriously.

    After selecting some livestock, they exchanged with them with water moonstones or shells. On his way, Shao Xuan had traded water moon stones for shells and other things in a market. No matter what the Feng tribe epted, Shao Xuan could give them.

    Atst they got twenty cows, twenty goats and twenty horses, male and female.

    Then they asked the wanderers to look after the livestock, for they had experience on this and could take good care of them.

    Tonight the ming Horns tribe would stay in the Feng tribe. Because of the war over the mountain, more beasts climbed over the mountain.

    On the mountain, besides the Feng tribe, there were several other tribes which had been attacked by the strange insects and beasts. Naturally, the number of patrolling warriors was increased.

    Caesar was lying on the grass outside and listening to the distant sounds, one after another. He felt it was too noisy. He stood up, shook his fur, looked up and howled.

    ¡°Awuuu~~!¡±

    Its howl passed through the grasnds of the Feng tribe and even spread further to the mountain.

    The cows and goats of the Feng tribe were shivering in the small field, and many horses in the paddlock became anxious, but not too much. They did not feel like the bloodlust was target towards them. Some of them had also faced against wolves before and they did notck courage.

    Some of the beasts that were active on the border of the Feng tribe, hearing the sound, without hesitation they turned around and ran away, especially the wolves.

    Under the ground, a few insects were moving towards the Feng tribe. They also paused, and probably were thinking about it. After a while, they also turned around and went to another tribe.

    After Caesar howled, everything became silent.

    Not hearing any provocative shouts, Caesar was satisfied. Heid down again and continued to sleep.

    The patrolling warriors of the Feng tribe looked at the beasts running away from them and looked at each other.

 Chapter 251 - Searching

    Chapter 251 - Searching

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    It was said that this evening, when the ming Horns tribe stayed there, it was the quietest night for the Feng tribe. They did not hear any sounds of the various night animals in a wide area, or the emergency whistles from the patrolling warriors. Nothing strange happened in the tribe and they didn''t even meet those strange insects that they had been alert against.

    The next day was sunny.

    After getting up early, the first thing every house did was count the number of their livestock.

    ¡°How¡¯s the livestock?¡±

    ¡°All are here!¡± A woman from the Feng tribe said happily to her husband after counting her livestock.

    The neighbors talked with each other to see who was the unfortunate one to lose livestock this time. However, they had talked for the whole morning and noticed that no livestock was lost. A man said he lost a goat, but it turned out that he just counted it wrong. He recounted it several times to make sure.

    This was the first time that none of their livestock were lost in a while.

    Listening to the reports based on the information collected by his subordinates, Yi Bei nodded and said, ¡°It seems that it was the insects that robbed the livestock.¡±

    ¡°Or maybe they just ran away scaredst night.¡± Someone whispered.

    The howl of the wolfst night was heard by those sleeping at home and also the patrols on the grasnds. The patrolling warriors even witnessed the beasts running away after hearing the howl.

    Instantly, the people of the Feng tribe thought that the arrival of ming Horns tribe was beneficial for them. There was such a wolf guarding them and keeping those livestock thieves away.

    The ming Horns tribe stayed at the Feng tribe for two days. They mainly wanted to take care of those wanderers, the badly injured people were finally safe thanks to the two-day treatment. Shao Xuan seized this chance to take a few warriors to the mountain to get some wood so that they could made a simple carriage.

    There were few materials and most of the craftsmen were not here. Therefore, Shao Xuan made it almost all on his own. The carriage was not as big as those they had made for the return to the oldnd. It didn¡¯t have a roof, but the carriage had supports with a straw mat on top, woven by a wanderer, to shade the people on the carriage from the sun.

    The wood was not good nor tough. He was reluctant to make the carriage with it. He did not have Caesar pull the carriage. Shao Xuan chose two adult horses for the job. He let those wounded people who had difficulty walking get on the carriage.

    The wanderers were in a good mood. After the two-day rest, they looked much more vigorous. Companied with the totem warriors of the ming Horns tribe, they wore a rxed and happy face.

    When Ah-Nai and his family left, Gua Er gave him a pony. Duo Ya and the other children of the same age who knew them, although they seldom stayed together, saw Ah-Nai off.

    ¡°When we meet next time, we will all be totem warriors, right?¡± Gua Er said and looked at those leaving.

    ¡°Ah, where is Ah-Nai''s tribe? If we go outter, we¡¯ll visit him.¡± Said one of the children. Saying so, he fixed his eyes on Caesar.

    When it came to this, Gua Er hesitated, ¡°My father said they were in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.¡±

    The other children: ¡°...¡±

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    Even though it was far away from them, they knew what the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest was.

    Saying goodbye to the patrol team of the Feng tribe, the ming Horns tribe left with the wanderers, they did not continue in the grasnds. Although they had a strong curiosity and wanted to see the other tribes on the grasnds, their task was more important. This time their important task was to pick up the wanderers, rather than wander about. They knew they had to wait for another chanceter to explore here.

    Leaving the tribe, and almost having left the grasnd, Shao Xuan still did not see Chacha.

    Looking at the sky, Shao Xuan wondered why Chacha hadn''te back.

    When they had been in the Feng tribe two days ago, Chacha went out for fun alone and did not follow them into the Feng tribe. Shao Xuan did not mind it, and only told him not to go to the other tribes to take their livestock. Otherwise, he would be attacked.

    Shao Xuan hadn''t worried about it, but he hadn''t seen Chacha for two days now. Chacha always came back and reported to him every day, but this time he didn''t. He just disappeared. They all intended to leave, but he still hadn''t appeared yet.

    Did he go to the mountain to see the tribal war and forgot toe back?

    Fortunately, before they walked out of the grasnds, Chacha finally came back.

    Chacha was in a sorry state, with a lot of wounds and lost a lot of feathers. But he was fortunate enough that he could fly back and was still alive.

    Shao Xuan carefully looked at Chacha¡¯s wounds. Some were caused by ws, and some were caused from being pecked and some feathers were pulled. However, although he was injured, he seemed to be very excited.

    ¡°Who did you fight with?¡± Lang Ga asked.

    ¡°He probably fought with a bird of his size and perhaps of the same race.¡± Shao Xuan took a feather with blood from his w, which was a trophy. When Chacha flew back, his w was still holding it. Obviously, the blood on the feather was not his blood.

    The several feathers held by Chacha¡¯s w had almost the same size and color as his feathers. If Shao Xuan was not familiar with Chacha , he may even mistakenly think that they were all pulled off from Chacha.

    ¡°You look so joyful. Did you win?¡± Lang Ga said praisingly.

    ¡°Jiao~¡± Chacha replied and proudly pped his wings.

    Unlike Caesar¡¯s intimacy with the ming Horns tribe, Chacha had always been alienated from the others, not to mention the fact that there were many strangers in this team. After Shao Xuan gave him the medicine, he flew back to the sky and followed the team. He did not fly away this time.

    The feathers were his loot, so Shao Xuan helped him keep them. After they returned to the tribe, he would have Old Ke store them. When Chacha returned with trophies, Old Ke always kept some of them.

    The wanderers were very curious about the two ferocious beasts in the team. But they did not dare toe close to Caesar, and Chacha in the sky was too far away from them. They could only look up at him. They did not expect that the ming Horns tribe would even have ferocious beasts. A tribe with ferocious beasts should be a strong tribe, right?

    After leaving the grasnds, the team did not go back immediately, but went to another ce. In that ce, the leaders responsible for gathering, like Kun Tu, had agreed to meet the when they woulde out of the grasnds.

    The grasnds wererge and there was not only one way out, and the shortest route for Kun Tu was not necessarily the shortest route for the people living in other ces on the grasnds. Therefor they all set out separately.

    ¡°There¡¯s a market there and a lot of travelers will pass by. But we didn''t agree to meet in a ce located in the market, instead, on a mountain. It is close to the market. Use this whistle to make contact.¡± Kun Tu told their arrangement to Mai.

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    In order to return to the oldnd and the tribe, they had made great efforts. Wanderers had always been a vulnerable group. Wherever they were, they were the weak. Even when they just collected some information, some of them were killed.

    Getting along for two days, Mai knew a little about Kun Tu. He was smart and calm, no wonder Old He and the others always turned to him. Without Kun Tu, the wanderers in this side of the grasnds may not have been able toe here safely.

    Although there were many untrustworthy people among the wanderers, most of them were loyal for they came so far. Otherwise, they would not take such a big risk, even considering that they heard that the tribe was in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forests.

    They arrived at the market Kun Tu spoke about after they left the grasnds and then walked for another day. Because they moved with wanderers and livestock, they slowed down a lot. If the totem warriors traveled alone, they could be there in half a day, but it was different when they went with the wanderers.

    The market was popr among many travelers who went through the grasnds, and many of the travelers rested there before entering or leaving the grasnd.

    Kun Tu did not know where the other wanderers were, he had never left the grasnds. Everything he knew was by exchanging some food for info and asking several team leaders. When he arrived there, he was still confused. Even if he could refer to a map, it would be difficult to locate himself urately, not to mention the fact that they did not have a map at the time.

    Kun Tu kept his appointment and blew the wooden whistle. But there was no response.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t they arrived here yet?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°No, we arete a few days because of the tribal war and they are closer to this ce than us. Did they get pulled into a tribal war? Even if some did, not every group would be the case. A war doesn¡¯t break out so often on the grasnds.¡± Someone retorted.

    Even if not all the teams arrived here, one or two should have arrived. However, no matter how Kun Tu whistled, there was still no response. Some of the travelers who went past them looked at them with curiosity. If the warriors of the ming Horns tribe didn¡¯t look powerful and weren¡¯t apanied by Caesar, those travelers who were not afraid of them may even attack them.

    Not receiving any response from them, Kun Tu became anxious and Mai frowned.

    Shao Xuan looked at the sky, Chacha did not give him any messages, which meant there were no wanderers in the surrounding area.

    ¡°There are no wanderers around, we first find a ce for them to rest and then continue to search.¡± Shao Xuan told Mai.

    With so many wanderers and livestock, it was not easy to walk around.

    Searching around the mountain, Shao Xuan and Mai decided to settle the wanderers and the livestock they had bought there. Then Shao Xuan went with Kun Tu and more than twenty warriors to continue to look for more wanderers. The remaining half of the warriors and Caesar were left behind to protect the wanderers.

    They took Kun Tu to look for the wanderers around there. They also looked for them in groups, but they still did not see any wanderers.

    Kun Tu¡¯s whistle was different from Shao Xuan¡¯s and the sound was not the same. Mai worried that they heard the whistle, but as it was not the same as that of Kun Tu, they would not respond. Therefore, he had to bring Kun Tu wherever they went.

    They searched the mountains near the market, but they did not find any wanderers. Shao Xuan advised to ask for some information in the market. After all, there were so many wanderers. Though they covered their tracks, they would be seen. In that case, they could get some information about them.

    Mai agreed with Shao Xuan¡¯s idea. Anyway, there was no other better way, so they decided to do as Shao Xuan said.

 Chapter 252 - Bored people

    Chapter 252 - Bored people

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    They came to the market. There were travelers walking scattered, some of them were probably from the tribes on the grasnds and lived close from here. They sold things at fixed stalls. They gathered with the members of their tribe as they were of being bullied.

    The markets in the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe were orderly because they were under the control of at least two tribes. That was why others did not dare to cause trouble. If anybody caused trouble, those two tribes would not let them go.

    It was different here, for there were often fights amongrge groups. When Shao Xuan got there, a fight had just ended, which was caused by two traveling teams. Some warriors of both team got injured or were killed. A lot of bloodstains were still left on the battlefield. Some people were cleaning up the corpses, while others who had seen such a scene before just stepped on the ground covered by blood and bodies mly.

    In this ce, everything depended on your strength. They obeyed the most primalw. If you didn¡¯t have strength, you would be ughtered, and no one would care about it.

    Fortunately,pared with the markets in the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, this was not part of the central region. Only a few of those travelers were from the tribes in the central region. This ce was close to the grasnds, so most were warriors from the tribes on the grasnds. There were many people from nearby tribes that came here to trade.

    People sold at stalls here. Some people sold cows, goats and other livestock, and others did as the Pu tribe, who bought things from other ces and sold them here again.

    Most of the things sold in the market were livestock, food, tools, weapons and herbs. In general, the variety was no less than the market of the two tribes. And the market here was quite lively. After all, it was the only ce where people could trade.

    Tall and strong warriors were talking loudly. Some people directly fought with others because they did not finish the transaction. Such things could happen at any time.

    Shao Xuan inquired someone about the market. It was said that no wanderer groups hade here, which made Mai a little disappointed. It seemed to be not easy to find the wanderers.

    Kun Tu did not give up. Even in the market, he whistled ever so often, hoping that someone could hear the whistle in the market. Otherwise, how would they find the other wanderers in such a big ce? Maybe the other people were not as fortunate and they got in deep trouble because they didn¡¯t meet the warriors sent bythe ming Horns tribe.

    Thinking about something, Ku Tu followed behind Mai absent-minded. As they walked all the way along the market, they did not find any wanderers and intended to leave. However, they heard a whistle when they passed the hill closest to the market.

    It was the same as Kun Tu¡¯s whistle.

    ¡°They are here!¡± Kun Tu¡¯s eyes shed and looked around. It was difficult for him to determine the location in a short time.

    Mai¡¯s hearing was better. They immediately found the location.

    ¡°Over there! Go, go!¡± There was a clue atst. Mai was very happy, but was also worried, because the mountain was a ce where the travelers were resting. Arge number of people stayed there and the situation wasplicated because of the power struggle. They were totem warriors. For the wanderers, that was really not a good ce.

    Shao Xuan had encountered such a mountain. In the market of the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe, he followed the traveling team of the Pu tribe and stayed in simr caves and he witnessed a fight. All depended on strength if you wanted to stay in a cave. Because of this, he wondered why Kun Tu said the wanderers would go there.

    Kun Tu blew the whistle twice and stopped. He blew it again, but there was no response.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they blowing?¡± Lang Ga was puzzled.

    ¡°Maybe something bad happened.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    As a ce used to rest, the mountain was quite hollowed out. There were several entrances and exits, and the most important one directly divided the arched mountain. If you looked down from above, this mountain where travelers rested looked like an arch of nearly three hundred degrees.

    Many of the holes in the mountain were manually dug, such holes could be seen everywhere.

    When Shao Xuan hurried to the mountain, there were ten wanderers standing at a ce on the arched mountain. Several of them were injured and hadn¡¯t wiped the blood off. And in the front, a traveling team surrounded them.

    Other people were watching this ce as if they were watching a movie. No one intervened in this situation. Such an incident actually gave them some entertainment. They stood in the holes where their teams stayed, looking at what was happening there.

    Among the ten people, the leader was called Chi Yi. He was holding a wooden whistle in his hand. But it was not he who whistled, rather a young man beside him. But before he could blow the whistle again, Chi Yi took it. He naturally knew hispanions were nearby, but he did not want to let theme here. They were wanderers. And this ce was like a big mouth, and those totem warriors were the sharp teeth in the big mouth. If a wanderer came in, he would get badly injured and even die. They could sacrifice their lives, but others should not get involved in it.

    In front of Chi Yi, the traveling team watched them jokingly as if they were the prey in the cage.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue to blow it? Did yourpanionse here? Go on and blow it, tell them toe here. I want to see what yourpanions are like.¡± A man of the traveling team said.

    ¡°Yeah, keep blowing. We wee all of you.¡±

    ¡°Are there any women?¡± Someone beside him echoed.

    Hearing those words, Chi Yi and a few people looked even worse, but now they could not escape.

    Chi Yi looked to the people in another hole not far away from them. He knew many of them, but none of them stood up and helped them.

    As everyone looked at Chi Yi, a totem warrior went into a hole above them with a y jar full of water. He walked along while talking with the otherpanions in the hole, ¡°These wanderers are bold. Only ten in a group dare toe here.¡± He saw the scene over there when he went out to get some water.

    ¡°Wanderers? Why did the wandererse here? Even one hundreding here will die.¡± Someone in the hole asked.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± The man holding the y jar said indifferently. ¡°If you want to know, you can go out to watch. They haven¡¯t started fighting yet.¡±

    ¡°Well, where is the fun? If two traveling teams fight, I will be interested. But a battle against wanderers? Not interested.¡± The man distorted his mouth, leaned against the wall and looked to a personing from within the cave, ¡°Gu La, do you know what happened to Shan Dao? Did he really encounter another eagle?¡±

    The peopleing did not answer and just sighed.

    In the hole, a wounded eagle was resting there. There were many scratches on its body and some parts were bald, for the feathers were forcibly pulled off its body. It was still bleeding. It was feeling better now after getting some medicine. Compared to Chacha, this eagle called ¡°Shan Dao¡±, which was as big as Chacha, was injured more seriously.

    Gu La took the water bottle and drank, recalling the scene he saw this morning. He did not expect that Shan Dao would encounter an enemy in the air here. Because of the size and strength of Shan Dao, he could hunt on the other birds. It was not very likely for him to meet an equal. So they did not worry about him. However, they were shocked when they saw Shan Daoe back like that.

    At that time, Shan Dao¡¯s feathers were stained with blood and some feathers were in a mess. He couldn¡¯t fly stably. When he flew back, he fell on the ground straight away, crying from pain. After he got some medicine, he became quiet and fell into a sleep. If he was awake, he would¡¯ve tried to fly out.

    What happened? Why was he hurt so badly? Gu La did not know.

    Other people were resting in the hole. Two teenagers, among them, felt bored and left the hole to see what was going on over there.

    ¡°They are the members of the Di Shan tribe, they can only bully the weak.¡± One of them saw the traveling team over there and spoke disdainingly.

    Chi Yi was thinking of how to deal with the current situation when he heard the whistleing from outside once again. Seemingly afraid that they could not hear it, the man tried his hardest to blow as they approached.

    Chi Yi was anxious, why did theye here?!

    The people of the Di Shan tribe wore a sardonic smile and looked at the depressed Chi Yi. The leader said: ¡°It seems that yourpanions areing here. You can either take them with you, or stay here with yourpanions!¡±

    Chi Yi¡¯s facial muscle was twitching because of excessive anger and anxiety. He turned to look at the entrance of the mountain and prayed: Don¡¯te in, please!

    Besides Chi Yi, others were curiously looking at the entrance at the bottom of the mountain, where the whistle came from. Many people thought: The wanderers were bold. Here is the site of totem warriors, and they still came in. Fools, right?

    Above, two young warriors were lying on the path in front of the hole, and stretching their necks to look down. What did the bold men look like?

    Soon, they saw an ordinary dark man running in and in his mouth there was a wooden whistle. Look, who is next to him...?

    Suddenly, the people in the mountain became confused. More than twenty people came in with the man blowing the whistle, and they didn¡¯t look like wanderers!

    Mai nced around and fixed its eyes on Chi Yi. He walked a few steps quickly and did not wait for Kun Tu to make his way up the mountain on his own. He seized Ku Tu¡¯s animal skin coat and then bent his legs to jump.

    It wasmon for the people of the ming Horns tribe to climb mountains. They were good at climbing even the steep mountains. They climbed mountains every time when they went hunting. For them, the mountain where these travelers rested was very easy even without walking on the path.

    They climbed the mountain like apes climbing trees, and more than 20 people reached the ce where Chi Yi and the Di Shan tribe were.

    ¡°Sure enough. They are totem warriors!¡±

    ¡°Only totem warriors can climb the mountain so easily. It is as easy as climbing a tree for them.¡±

    ¡°But why are those totem warriors staying with the wanderers? Are they helping the wanderers?¡±

    The people in the mountain had a heated discussion.

 Chapter 253 - One strike

    Chapter 253 - One strike

    Chapter 253 - One strike

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    More than 20 people almost vertically climbed up from the bottom of the mountain. They spent very little time, and all of them stood in front of the Dishan tribe. The people who saw this could not help but wonder which tribe these people were from.

    Seeing Kun Tu being easily brought up, Chi Yi got confused at once. He knew Kun Tu, but he had never seen the others.

    However, he felt that the more than twenty people were familiar, and he guessed who they were. His heart suddenly beat fast and he seemed to forget to breathe.

    Chi Yi was silent and Kun Tu came over and asked him: ¡°What happened?¡± Thinking of Mai next to them, Kun Tu introduced them to him at once, ¡°They came from the tribe to pick us up. Mai is a senior totem warrior! Uncle Wei is also a senior totem warrior.¡±

    Wei was a vice-captain of the advance team led by Ta, and also one of the few members sent here in this team. Ao knew Shao Xuan would go pick up the wanderers and alsoe back with livestock, so he asked Wei to follow him. Wei¡¯s status was higher than Mai, but most of the members in this team were the members of the team led by Mai. Wei did not want to seize power. The chief had said that he was only responsible for assistance this time.

    Hearing there were two senior totem warriors, Chi Yi and the others felt excited and confident at once. The tribe could support them.

    Chi Yi was too excited to say anything, so the young man next to him, after getting to know the identity of Mai, told the whole story briefly without dy.

    When Chi Yi brought the people to the appointed ce, they found that there were also many travelers. To avoid conflict with those traveling teams, they intended to stay away from them. But unexpectedly, before they could leave they were stopped by eight people of the Dishan tribe who targeted a few young women in their group. They wanted to get the women, but Chi Yi did not let them do so. Fortunately, all eight of them were junior totem warriors. Chi Yi was in arge group and they had gained some strength because of the relighting of the fire seed in the oldnd. They worked together to drive the eight people away, but some people in the group became seriously injured and two were killed on the spot.

    Chi Yi led the team to a ce far from the market and he himself brought ten people out to look for herbs to treat the injured. Otherwise, the seriously injured would die in a few days.

    While they were looking for herbs, Chi Yi met people of another tribe. Before he left the grasnds, he had depended on the tribe. He was the in same situation as Old He. Some in this team also knew about Chi Yi and allowed them to take herbs from the hole where they were staying.

    However, when they came to this mountain, they found that the eight people who had caused them trouble were members of the Dishan tribe, and the hole where they were staying was right next to them.

    They were stopped.

    The people of the Dishan tribe wanted to make Chi Yi go back to the bring those few young women here. Otherwise they would not let them go and kill all of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. Just now they heard the whistle and they said that no matter how many peoplee here, they will kill them all!¡± The young wanderer next to Chi Yi began toin about them.

    The faces of the people of the Dishan tribe thought: Shit, when did we say we would kill all who came here? Although we thought so, we did not directly say so!

    Getting to know the reason, Mai suddenly became angry and he showed his aggression and his ferocity, like a fierce beast ready to hunt prey, with a pair of sharp eyes staring at the Dishan tribe.

    Shao Xuan nced at this team of the Dishan tribe. He saw a few familiar people, but these people may not remember him. When he had been in the Longboat tribe, Shao Xuan had met this team, and had also ughtered a few of them.

    One can¡¯t avoid one¡¯s enemies.

    The people around there who carelessly watched them were suddenly startled, for it would be a battle among totem warriors rather than between wanderers and totem warriors. They just did not know which tribe these people came from.

    Seeing this group of people, the people of the Dishan tribe were stunned and wondered why they were not wanderers. Why were there suddenly so many totem warriors, and two of them were even senior totem warriors?

    ¡°Leader.¡± The people of the Dishan tribe looked to the leader of the team and asked what to do next.

    The leader of the Dishan tribe team changed his facial expression and he fixed his his eyes on Mai and Wei for a long time. He held the stone sword tightly and said: ¡°Well! Well! Unexpectedly there is a tribe! Which tribe are you from?¡±

    Mai moved a step forward. Under the feet there was a stone as big as a fist, he did not avoid it but directly stepped on it. He said in a low voice: ¡°The ming Horns tribe!¡±

    As he finished his words, a loud sound was issued from below Mai¡¯s feet. The stone was crushed, even the corridor outside the cave was shaking. It also shocked the crowd around there.

    The ming Horns tribe? Never heard of it.

    Some people felt it was familiar, but they could not say more about it.

    In short, in everybody¡¯s eyes, if they could not say anything about it, it must be a small tribe and they didn''t need to care about it.

    Seeing Mai did not n to retreat, the leader of the Dishan tribe was angry. There are two senior totem warriors in their team, so what? We have three! Besides, there are so many people in our team. More than 100 people should not be afraid of only twenty enemies.

    ¡°So you won''t give them to us?¡± One of his opponents asked.

    ¡°Anyone who bullies the members of my tribe,¡± Mai looked straight at him, his sharp eyes shed, and said, ¡°will die!¡±

    So arrogant?!

    This sentence of Mai shocked the people around there. The ming Horns tribe was really aggressive and almost looked down on everyone. The faces of the people of the Dishan tribe were angry.

    Mai¡¯s words told what the people of his tribe thought.

    From the river, they had travelled a long way to return to the oldnd. Along the way, they learned a lot. They had to keep the tribe¡¯s dignity, and in the face of the provocation, they could not retreat! The strength in their bones did not allow them to surrender their people to another tribe. The Dishan tribe? So what? So many people?! Beat them!

    In the face of the aggressive twenty members of the ming Horns tribe, the leader of the Dishan tribe felt some unrest. Among them, no one intended to retreat and their eyes were firm. The more than 20 people shared the same goal, like an erect sword with fierce mes. They were ready to fight.

    It was really tricky.

    We¡¯d better test them.

    The leader of the Dishan tribe made a gesture with his hand on his back. A warrior on the edge suddenly moved forward a few steps, not facing Mai and Wei, but stepped towards Chi Yi. He said, ¡°I bully you, so what?!¡±

    Then, the man took out a stone sword the length of a man''s arm from his waist. In the sun, the de had a luster like twilight, as if the night wasing. With the sudden emergence of totem power, the opponent''s body showed the totem patterns. He thrust forward with a jump and the tip of his sword targeted Chi Yi, behind Shao Xuan. The next moment it would be easy for him to chop off the head of Chi Yi.

    Seeing the other suddenly shoot towards himself, the de locking on him, Chi Yi¡¯s scalp felt a numbness. He could not help but take a step back, but Shao Xuan, who stood in front of him, did not back down.

    When he rushed forward to stab him, Shao Xuan suddenly swung his arm. The gray sword shadow and his anger made the ordinary looking sword feel frightening.

    Faster than him, Shao Xuan''s de swept from front to back and went through his body without any dy. The blood sshed as his body was pierced.

    This sword did not bring the dusk, but the permanent night. Stained with blood, the sword was scary.

    Puff!

    The man was cut in half, and judging from his eyes, he was at a loss. The attack lost its supporting force and the de was useless.

    One part of his body fell to the ground, and blew up dust, while the other flew out of the hole and fell down the mountain.

    Shao Xuan did not look back to see the falling part, but to the other people of the Dishan tribe. He repeated Mai''s words, as a reply to the opponent.

    ¡°Whoever bullies my tribe will die!¡±

    It was clear that his tone was not as firm as Mai, but it still made the listeners feel scared. The onlookers could not help but shiver.

    In front of the people of the Dishan tribe, this brat actually took actions so decisively! Straight forwardedly cut him in half? The people of the ming Horns tribe really feared and worried about nothing!

    People reevaluated the people of the ming Horns tribe. The man was a intermediate totem warrior of the Dishan tribe! Not a junior one! He did not even have time to avoid his attack and he was directly cut?!

    If I was attacked by him, would I be able to dodge? Many people thought about it in their hearts, but found that they were not confident enough to dodge. He cut in such a quick and fast way, which was very terrifying.

    The people of the Dishan tribe stared at the half on the ground and nced at Shao Xuan staring straight at them. Many people subconsciously stepped backwards. If they had not been stopped by those behind them, they would probably have left the battle circle.

    Above, two young men who had seen that kept raising their eyebrows, ¡°Oh my god!! Actually just one strike!¡±

    ¡°Nothing special. Wanderers are weak and it is normal that they can be killed by a single strike.¡± Someone inside the hole heard what he said and spoke.

    ¡°Not a wanderer, a member of the Dishan tribe and he was killed by one strike!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± The people inside the hole were surprised.

    ¡°Is he really just an intermediate totem warrior? Is he the third senior totem warrior in the team?¡± The other young man said.

    ¡°No, he isn¡¯t a senior, but he is very strong. In addition, he is so young. How could he be a senior totem warrior? He is not a member of a big tribe in the central region.¡±

    Hearing the discussion of the two young men outside the hole, people who were resting in the hole could not stay m. Just now they had felt a hint of shock. They guessed that the fight escted below, but they didn''t know exactly what happened. Just at that moment, the atmosphere seemed to be tense in the mountain, and although it was less tense now, it was still not the same as before.

    ¡°I want to know what kind of people they are, who surprised you so much!¡± Gu La came out, looking down to the hole where the Dishan tribe stayed.

 Chapter 254 - Fight starts

    Chapter 254 - Fight starts

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Currently, in the mountain where travelers rest, most of the people who were active outside their holes paid attention to what happened in front of the hole of the Dishan tribe. They were curious about the warriors who suddenly appeared, and especially Shao Xuan, who had just killed the man with a single strike.

    Hearing the ¡°ming Horns tribe¡±, the people discussed with each other, but they could not draw a conclusion, so they asked people of the other tribes around them. They asked where the tribe came from, and why these people suddenly appeared here in such an aggressive manner.

    The twenty plus totem warriors of the ming Horns tribe ignored the other people in the mountain and only payed attention to the travelers of the Dishan tribe. They were ready tounch an attack.

    Chi Yi looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s back in a daze and then looked to the half body bleeding at his feet. He finally nced at Kun Tu and asked what to do the next. He wondered whether they should fight against the Dishan tribe with these warriors or they should stay away. He was not afraid of death, for he thought it was an honor to fight with these totem warriors. Even if he was dead, others would take care of the wanderers following him and take them back to the tribe.

    Kun Tu did not know what to do. Mai was confronting a senior totem warrior and Shao Xuan was closest to him. Therefore, Kun Tu could not help but look to Shao Xuan.

    Noticing Kun Tu looking at him, Shao Xuan looked sideways to the aisle outside the hole. He raised his chin. There were some protruding stones in the shape of stairs, which were the ¡°steps¡± for people to go up and down the mountain. Even those who had not awakened could walk on those prominent stones.

    We should stay away? Kun Tu understood.

    Once the totem warriors fought, the outsiders may be identally hurt. Although they were a bit stronger than before, they were still wanderers. Compared to Shao Xuan, who had just killed a man with one strike, they were really weak.

    Forget it. They should leave here.

    Kun Tu beckoned Chi Yi and the others to go down the mountain with them.

    The interaction between Shao Xuan and Kun Tu was witnessed by the people of the Dishan tribe. They saw Kun Tu and the others leave, but some people still wanted to stop them. Noticing being stared at, they looked over and saw the eyes of Shao Xuan. The several warriors of the Dishan tribe gulped and moved back before they could even begin to move forward.

    None of the people of the Dishan tribe stopped them, and the onlookers did not want to get involved and gave them the way to go down the mountain. Without thepany of Shao Xuan and Mai, Kun Tu and his people would not be treated well. People showed an obviously different attitude to wanderers.

    When Chi Yi left, he looked to the hole next to the Dishan tribe. In the traveling teams of the tribes on the grasnds that were resting there, he had known some of them for more than a decade. He thought that they had a good rtionship, but these people did not stop the Dishan tribe or say something for them.

    Looking at the eyes of Chi Yi, they unconsciously looked away. In fact, if the people of the Dishan tribe hadn''t caused trouble deliberately, they would have given some herbs to Chi Yi. But Chi Yi offended the tribe, so they would not intervene in it. No one would offend a totem warrior of a tribe for a wanderer.

    After ncing at them, Chi Yi and Kun Tu took the people down the steps swiftly. He did not me them, but he would not have a close rtionship with them.

    When Chi Yi went down the mountain, in the Dishan tribe, a man came out of the hole, he was the third senior totem warrior in this traveling team of the Dishan tribe.

    After he came out of the hole, the Dishan tribe now had three totem warriors.

    ¡°What happened?!¡±

    The man walking out of the hole carried a stone stick thicker than a thigh in his hand. The stone looked good, it should be at least a superior stone. The handle of the stone stick was thin, so a hand could hold it. Probably because it was often used, there were some dents caused by fingers on the handle.

    No one knew how many people and animals had been killed by this stone stick. There was much dry blood left, and perhaps he deliberately kept the blood on it to deter others. The stone tools stained with blood could leave a deeper impression than the bare ones.

    The maning out of the hole listened to a warrior next to him, who said a few words,ughed, put the stone stick vertically on the ground, andughed.

    However, the people of the Dishan tribe who were familiar with him felt scared. The more heughed, the crueller he was.

    Whileughing, the man supporting the stone stick looked instantly cruel. His face became gloomy and distorted. Afterughing, with sinister eyes he nced around. He did not fix his eyes on the half body on the ground, but looked to Shaw Xuan.

    ¡°Courting death!¡±

    ¡°What Hu Ma said is right!¡± Said he leader of the Dishan tribe team, who was confronting Mai. They really shouldn''t feel scared just because the brat killed a man with one strike and that they had two senior totem warriors. He stared at those wanderers going down the mountain and looked straight at Mai, opposite him. Two senior totem warriors, so what? More than twenty aggressive people, so what? We have three senior totem warriors, and a lot ofintermediate totem warriors, and many junior totem warriors. If we reallyunch a group attack, they cannot defeat us.

    Since you provoked us, we will kill you.

    To survive in this world, one must have strength and be threatening to deter others. Why could the Dishan tribe here easily upy a big hole on the mountainside and no other tribe dared to challenge it? It was because of their fearsome strength! Once a provoker appeared, they would mercilessly ughter him. That was why no one came up with the idea of resisting or provoking it!

    Relying on the killing, they became infamous, so many feared them. Like the Wan Shi tribe living in Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, people trembled on hearing its name.

    Looking at his changing facial expression, Mai understood his choice. Without saying anything, they activated their totem power instantly, and the totem patterns appeared on his face, neck, and arms. At this moment, the stone sword in his hand had be one with Mai''s body.

    A violent force erupted from his body and a sound was issued by the friction with the air. The sound was like a howl of a forest animal. Mai, like a swift predator, attacked the prey swiftly. His stone sword was like a huge beast¡¯s w targeting the prey in the forest. He chopped straight at the head of the leader of the traveling team of the Dishan tribe.

    When Mai moved, the other people of the ming Horns tribe attacked almost at the same time.

    That battle started. They did not need to make other preparations and began to fight, which was the tacit understanding they gained when they went to the forest for hunting. They did not need to say a word and moved together if necessary. In the forest, one little sound would make the prey be alert. If they had shouted before acting, the hunting team would have already starved to death.

    More than twenty people, at almost the same time, mobilized the totem power inside the body, and at this moment they became even more intimidating, like a steep mountain. It rose and overwhelmed the Dishan tribe. Theypletely overshadowed the people of the Dishan tribe that became arrogant because of the arrival of Hu Ma.

    The people of the Dishan tribe were thinking about other things. They failed to respond as quickly as the opponents because of the sudden change, except the three senior totem warriors and some vignt and sharp people.

    Those with slow responses had not yet acted, but the stone swords brought a gust of wind with them when they just waved the sword. This made the people feel the ferocity.

    Whiz whiz......

    A dozen warriors of the Dishan tribe who responded slowly were directly cut in two.

    The moving weapons caused a smell of blood. Thanks to the tacit understanding of more than twenty people, in this ferocious attack, there was no error. They could always urately hit their enemies and avoid hitting their own even when they attacked with full strength.

    Although there were only over twenty people, they were as powerful as an army. Wherever they arrived, much blood sshed and the ground was covered with corpses.

    The wind blowing into the mountain spread the pungent smell of blood to every corner of the mountain.

    The onlookers, who had been staring at this ce, had different facial expressions after seeing this scene.

    Killings happened every day in this ce. I kill you, or you kill me. They were used to seeing the murders and became indifferent. But this was the first time they saw such a ferocious battle.

    The people of the Dishan tribe became even more scared. After they reacted to it, they started a counterattack.

    Attacking the leader of the traveling team of the Dishan tribe, Mai used his full strength every time and did not hide anything, a habit from the hunts. He did not avoid but directly confronted with him in this arrogant and fierce way. His every step was as heavy as that of a ferocious beast stamping on the ground. He would certainly crush the stones at his feet, and the wind blew the fragments and dust up from the ground.

    Boom!

    The two leaders confronted with each other and neither would give way. This moment, the ground at their feet cracked, even the mountain rocks cracked. The stones sshed, like a blooming lotus.

    At first, Hu Ma was shocked and then was endlessly furious. He did not expect the people of the ming Horns tribe would actually dare to attack them!

    He used the stick to shove the man in front away, Hu Ma did not care whether the tribesman could survive or not. He just rushed to the nearest totem warrior.

    People originally around Hu Ma hurriedly dispersed and did not move forward. If any one of them disturbed Hu Ma, they would end up being beaten by the stick, just like the poor guy.

    Seeing Hu Ma go towards Lang Ga, Shao Xuan changed his target and ran there.

    Lang Ga was strong enough to deal with the others, but he wasunable to defeat Hu Ma.

    Because of the sudden attack, Hu Ma could not attend to Lang Ga. His stone stick lifted over his head and it hit the sword which was swinging towards him. In this moment, Hu Ma could not help but change his expression. His wrist, arm and shoulder, because of this collision, suffered from a big shock. Though he was a senior totem warrior, he could not underestimate this strength.

    Looking at the person who shed at him, Hu Ma was shocked again. He was the young man who had killed the intermediate totem warrior with one strike.

 Chapter 255 - Battle

    Chapter 255 - Battle

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Hu Ma hadn¡¯t thought about it a lot. Since Shao Xuan came, he would naturally no longer focus on others. He moved and the stone stick in his hand leaned towards one side to aviod this strike.

    However, Hu Ma did not expect that Shao Xuan would move much faster than he imagined. When the sword in his hand collided with the stone stick, the sword moved with a little strength. He then made another strike.

    The way in which he shed was simr to the way he shed at the beasts during hunting.

    However, this was not the end.

    The third strike, the fourth strike...

    One strike after another. As long as this stone stick was shoved away, Hu Ma¡¯s head would be cut down.

    Being attacked by sessive strikes, Hu Ma only resisted with his stone stick.

    The sword hit the the stone stick with such a violent force, some stones spattered around and caused sharp rattle. The sound became louder and even louder than the sound issued by both in the fight.

    The storm-like attacks made him find it hard to resist. Those who saw them in the surrounding area were shocked. They all looked over there in a daze. Before the battle, they didn¡¯t expect this would happen.

    Who was Hu Ma? Many travelers who often rested here were familiar with him, he was also one of the well-known killers of the Dishan tribe. Now, however, this senior totem warrior was being beaten badly by a young intermediate totem warrior of the ming Horns tribe!

    However, Shao Xuan was also unusual. Obviously he was not a senior totem warrior, but his power and speed were superior to otherintermediate totem warriors. Looking at the others of the ming Horns tribe, everyone was surprised. It seemed the people of the ming Horns tribe were somewhat unusual. They were more powerful than those at the same level of other tribes in a one-to-one fight. The most unusual person was the one who was fighting Hu Ma.

    It was expected that the Dishan tribe would be stronger, for there were three senior totem warriors, while there were only two in the other tribe. But now? They couldn¡¯t draw a conclusion in a short time, but if it went on like this, everyone was not optimistic about the victory of the Dishan tribe. The Dishan tribe was overwhelmed. Ouch! Even if the Dishan tribe won, they would suffer a lot. In a short period of time, they could not recover.

    So, if they wanted to avoid this result, the three leaders of the Dishan tribe had to change the current situation.

    Over there, the crowd once again focused on Hu Ma and Shao Xuan. If the Dishan tribe wanted to change the situation, they all depended on Hu Ma, for the other two were in worse condition.

    Although Hu Ma was said to be violent in this area, he was not a fool and he was clear about his situation. On his forehead, a lot of sweat was dripping, but he did not wipe it off.

    He did not expect that he would be beaten by such a young man and fail to fight back. He had no choice but to defend. Facing such an attack, he couldn¡¯t do anything more to fight back. His oppoent was just an intermediate totem warrior. Though he was unusual, Hu Ma was sure of it.

    Shameful. It was shameful!

    The angrier Hu Ma was, the more he concentrated. He would die with just some negligence in such a fight between two powerful men. Hu Ma had been in such a trouble frequently.

    Shao Xuan once again waved his sword to cut at him, and Hu Ma roared. The totem power incresed again, almost to the limit. The rock under Hu Ma¡¯s feet issued a loud sound and was dented instantly. He also looked shorter instantly, his feet were in a crater. His straw shoes had been shattered.

    Hu Ma¡¯s knees bent, at this moment, he was like a pulled arrow, ready for flight.

    The moment that the sword and stick collided, the full outbreak urred. The palm of Hu Ma¡¯s hand was deeply sunken in. The fractured rocks and stone chips around the ce were all soaring high. If the distance was close, you could even hear some breaking sounds from the rocks under the feet.

    This time Shao Xuan did not sh at him sessively, but removed his sword. Lifting the sword, Shao Xuan stepped back because of the impact. He didn¡¯t attack him again immediately. Holding the sword, his hand was bleeding. Resisting against the force of Hu Ma, Shao Xuan was also hurt and his whole arm was numb. There was a gap on the stone sword and Shao Xuan, familiar with the sword, knew that it could only withstand two more of Hu Ma¡¯s two hits. His third hit would break it.

    Above them, the young people who had been concerned about the fight in front of the hole excitedly said: ¡°Unexpectedly the young man can even defeat Hu Ma. He looks as young as me?¡± He was happy to see Hu Ma¡¯s being defeated.

    But next to him, another young man was not so optimistic, and he looked a little worried: ¡°Oh, the young man will lose. What a pity.¡±

    Coming out of the hole, Gu La saw that scene and also nodded. He looked indifferent and said: ¡°That young man failed to kill Hu Ma just now, so he will suffer. He is good at attacking suddenly and quickly. Just when he attacked Hu Ma, it was also a sudden attack. If not, it is difficult for him to defeat him. Now, Hu Ma has recovered, he will not have another chance to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, even though he is strong, he is just an intermediate totem warrior. And it''s undeniable that there is a gap.¡± Said the man next to Gu La.

    Gu La¡¯s eyes moved and said: ¡°Have you noticed that the young man mobilized the totem power faster than the other two senior totem warriors? The faster he mobilizes the totem power, the more skillful he is at controling the totem power.¡±

    Hearing that, the others fell silent. They did not notice this, and if so, it was really shocking. That young man was not inferior to those of the tribes in the central region, not to mention the fact that he was young.

    One man said with puzzlement: ¡°Where is the ming Horns tribe from in the end? It should have been famous for its strength. Is it too far away from here?¡±

    More than twenty people could defeat this team of the Dishan tribe. How about the entire tribe? How many unusual people like him were in that tribe?

    While the few people above the hole were talking, the war in front of the Dishan tribe¡¯s hole continued.

    Outside the pit, Hu Ma looked very savage, walking barefoot on the ground. Wherever he went, the broken stones were crushed into chips, his red eyes showed he was ready to kill him.

    The people of the Dishan tribe in the surrounding area saw Hu Ma and could not help but once again retreat to stay far away from him. Instantly, it was an empty field. In this field, there was only Hu Ma and Shao Xuan on the other end.

    Hu Ma¡¯s toes touched the ground and his body moved. He rushed straight at Shao Xuan. Each step caused a footprint in the ground and the ground also shook rapidly. The wind blew the stone chips and dust. Hu Ma¡¯s arm that was holding that stone stick swelled. With the shaking of the shoulders, his arm hit at Shao Xuan like a whip. Where the arm arrived, the wind blew.

    The stong wind blew and Shao Xuan carefully listened to the movement around. His eyes shed and he didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, he just moved forward. When they were about to confront with each other, he suddenly changed his direction and instantly slowed down and was no longer aggressive. He looked like a sleek and cunning loach. He turned around and changed the direction. It was not an attack, but a retreat. He stepped back a few meters.

    Boom!

    The stone stick hit the ground and the ground trembled again. There was another pit in the ground.

    Hu Ma failed to hit the target. He didn¡¯t stop, but continued to attack as Shao Xuan had attacked him in the beginning without pause. Therge stone stick seemed to be light and integrated with his arm. Each hit was very heavy. Spattering stone chips were like blossoming flowers. They kept falling.

    People around there avoideding close to them. No one wanted to stay in such a dangerous ce. Therefore, even if many people of the Dishan tribe stayed here, many of them hadn¡¯t taken actions. In particr, people near the three leaders had left and it was empty.

    Boom!

    It was another heavy hit on the ground, but the target escaped it. Even the calm onlookers could not figure out why Shao Xuan kept dodging.

    Retreat? No, attack? No.

    Sometimes that young man even appeared in the front. Was he too confident?

    Above the hole, the people who had been concerned about the fight looked to Gu La. Gu La had just said the young man would certainly suffer, but now it seemed that the young man still had a chance to win.

    Gu La could not help but get flushed, for he really did not expect that man to suddenly change his strategy.

    ¡°Well, look, keep looking!¡± Gu La said.

    Hu Ma¡¯s stone stick was worn out. Even the finest stone could not stand such repeated hits.

    Kaka!

    Kaka!

    The ground under the feet issued the sound.

    It was not the sound made by one or two stones, but the whole mountain!

    People with good hearing could not help but stop to think about it. For those travelers who had much experience, they were familiar with such a sound, so did the people of the ming Horns tribe.

    Everyone in the field seemed to stop suddenly.

    At the top, probably because of the fight, a protruding stone was shattered. Now, the stone detached from the mountain, rolled down, smashed on the aisle in front of the hole of the Dishan tribe and made a loud sound.

    Kaka Kaka~~

    A louder sound was approaching again.

    No one moved and the ground under the feet trembled as if it was about to break.

    The mountain was going to copse!

    No one knew if there was any copse in other ces.

    Whether it copsed or not, they had better leave here. If one fell down or was hit by the stones, even senior totem warriors would be injured. No one wanted to be hurt because of this.

    Regardless of the confrontation, the people of the Dishan tribe and the ming Horns tribe evacuated. Some people of the Dishan tribe entered the hole and some of them retreated towards the two sides of the aisle.

    Except Shao Xuan.

    Just when they wanted to leave, Shao Xuan suddenly stepped on the ground. He moved towards Hu Ma and swiftly shed at Hu Ma, who was about to run to the entrance of the hole.

    Hu Ma was furious, he did not expect this young man to even attack him regardless of the danger at this moment!

 Chapter 256 - The collapse

    Chapter 256 - The copse

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Shao Xuan attacked Hu Ma again, he could only lift the stick once again to stop his sword.

    First strike.

    Second strike.

    The ground under the feet of Hu Ma was shaking from blocking the two fierce attacks. More and more sounds were issued.

    Just as everyone thought he would attack consecutively again, there was the third strike!

    Hearing a sound, Shao Xuan noticed the sword in his hand was broken in half.

    When Shao Xuan struck at Hu Ma for the third time, he lowered his body and suddenly changed his momentum. He agilely went past Hu Ma swiftly, the half broken sword still in his hand. He cut at him so fast that Hu Ma failed to dodge it. Drawing blood from his waist.

    Hu Ma did not expect such a thing to happen to him, but fortunately he reacted quickly and tried to avoid it. Shao Xuan only held half sword in his hand. If the de was intact, Hu Ma would probably have been cut in half like the first man.

    Although the wound was not fatal, it was a serious one.

    His cold sweat was dripping.

    This strike scared Hu Ma.

    Feeling the shaking of the mountain under his feet, Hu Ma ignored his wound and hurried to the hole with his stick.

    At this moment, Kun Tu and the others anxiously looked above. After all, they were not totem warriors and their eyesight was not good enough to see what was happening above. Based on the discussion of those travelers around there, they guessed the situation above.

    Like others, they were not optimistic about the victory of the twenty plus people of the ming Horns tribe. In such a fight between senior totem warriors, one more powerful warrior could guarantee the victory. All in all, Kun Tu and Chi Yi felt thatthe ming Horns tribe was less likely to win. However, judging from the discussions they heard, the situation above was really different from what they imagined.

    ¡°Kun Tu, I cannot see it clearly. Could you tell me who is fighting against Hu Ma?¡± Having lived on the grasnds for a long time, Chi Yi naturally knew about the Dishan tribe¡¯s bad reputation and Hu Ma was famous for his strength. However, Chi Yi could not figure out who in the end fought against Hu Ma and was seemingly likely to win. He wondered who could strike at Hu Ma.

    Kun Tu could not see it clearly, and he tried hard to think of the twenty individuals who hade with him. Among them, there was only one possible man ording to the discussion of those travelers.

    ¡°Shao Xuan? Except him, I could not think of anyone else that is the youngest intermediate totem warrior with a stone sword.¡±

    ¡°However, Hu Ma is a senior totem warrior, one of the top three warriors of the Dishan tribe!¡± Chi Yi could not believe it.

    Kun Tu looked up. ¡°When Shao Xuan cut the intermediate totem warrior of the Dishan tribe in half, did you see it?¡±

    Chi Yi was silent.

    That strike really scared Chi Yi.

    Kakakaka~~

    Above, they could hear the cracks of the mountain even more clearly.

    Everyone below the hole of the Dishan tribe hurriedly escaped. If that section of the mountain copsed and hit them, they would be seriously injured or die. Moreover, there was a passage in front of that hole. It was the widest part of the whole mountain, the people who could rest in that hole were powerful. After hundreds of years, a passage the width of about 10 meters was formed.

    Byparison, no one tried to upy the holes near the top of the mountain. Because few tribes rested there, there were less disputes, fewer people living there ment the passages were narrower.

    Therefore, looking down from the top, you could see that the ce where the people of Dishan tribe were resting had the widest passage. Once it copsed, a terrible threat would be posed to those people below them.

    Under such a circumstance, those below it hurried to escape, and those close to the bottom of the mountain at once took away the livestock tied in that ce for fear that it would fall down.

    In front of entrance of the hole of the Dishan tribe.

    Hearing the loud sound behind him, which was caused by a man walking on the ground, Hu Ma tried his best to rush to the hole. The wound at his waist was bleeding because he was running so fast. Looking at the man holding the bow at the entrance of the hole, Hu Ma roared: ¡°Shoot him!¡±

    If he could¡¯ve killed Shao Xuan with an arrow, he would¡¯ve done so long ago. Hu Ma knew this, but at this moment he needed someone to stop Shao Xuan. He did not want to fall down with this section of the mountain.

    The archer in the hole also reacted quickly and drew the bow to shoot Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan slowed down to dodge those arrows and stamped on the ground fiercely. Some egg-sized rocks were shaken.

    Shao Xuan stamped on the ground fiercely again and many people became furious.

    Shit, it is going to copse. Stop stamping on it!

    Kakakaka!

    They could see the clear cracks spreading from under the feet of Shao Xuan to other ces, connected with a gap in the wall of mountain.

    Boom~~!

    A section of the mountain, over 30 meters in length, copsed nearly one-arm height lower. Many different sizes of stones crushed and rolled down from the mountain.

    The crowd below it saw the scene and ran. They were not hit by the falling stones, but while looking at those constantly rolling stones, the travelers near it could not help but tremble.

    No matter where they came from and which party they supported, the travelers were intimidated by this sudden change. The battle between the Dishan tribe and the ming Horns tribe had just began, so why did it copse? Such great strength.

    Many tribes around there did not allow senior totem warriors to fight, because the fight between them would cause a lot of damage.

    Shao Xuan did not retreat because of the copse. He swung the arm holding the broken sword and the de hit the flying stones. The stones didn¡¯t get destroyed, but they moved as fast as meteors.

    The sound of bone cracking and a body being punctured could not be heard clearly, because of the loud sound made by the copse of the mountain. The archers in the hole fell down one by one.

    Mai and the others acted immediately. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t do this impulsively. He did it to attract the attention of those archers in the hole so that they could evacuate. Among the over 20 people of the ming Horns tribe, many were injured, including three who couldn¡¯t walk. If the archers shot arrows at them, they definitely would not be able to evade them.

    Fortunately, now those archers paid all their attention to Shao Xuan, who was getting closer to the hole. At the same time, the others could leave with the injured as soon as possible.

    There were many limbs and corpses on the ground of the Dishan tribe. Moreover, some living people who could not move were abandoned.

    The archers fell down one by one, Hu Ma pushed aside the man next to him. He took out his good bow, which was made by himself, made of the best ox horn in the tribe, as well as the bamboo which they exchanged for with arge number of livestock. It was different from those other bows.

    He was drawing the bow.

    Jiu~!

    A sharp sound was heard and an arrow was shot.

    This arrow was much faster than those shot by those archers, it had a much higher chance of killing its target. Shao Xuan did not dodge it, but twisted his wrist to block the arrow shooting at him with his sword.

    Boom!

    The stone head of the arrow broke and Shao Xuan¡®s sword was dented.

    Feeling the strengthing from his hand, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes shed. He looked at the bow in Hu Ma¡¯s hand in the hole. He did not know if that was their best bow. If they could make a better bow, Shao Xuan wanted to find the material to make one which totem warriors could draw. In that case, such bow could help them defeat the Wan Shi tribe in the future.

    Not enough. If the bow was a little stronger and the man drew it with greater strength...

    Shao Xuan blocked the arrow, but Hu Ma didn¡¯t stopped. He took out three arrows, and shot the three almost at the same time. Then he quickly took out another three from the arrow tube.

    He took out arrows, drew the bow, and shot them in a short period of time. Judging from this, you could know he was very skillful at it.

    However, the bow could only withstand limited strength. Hu Ma, the senior totem warrior, could only suppress his strength to shoot these arrows. Otherwise, the bow would break.

    Hu Ma tried to hit Shao Xuan and kill him. If not, at least he could force him to fall down with the section of the mountain.

    Shao Xuan no longer moved forward, but suddenly pushed off the ground to dodge the three arrows, and he waved the broken sword to stop the ensuing arrows. He only had the half sword and it took him great efforts to stop them. If he had had aplete sword, it would have saved a lot of effort.

    The people of his tribe had evacuated, so Shao Xuan stamped hard on the ground.

    The rocks on the cliff of the mountain shook violently and some gravels went rolling off from the cliff. Large chunks in the passage in front of the hole separated from the entire mountain. They didn¡¯t fall down consecutively, but directly copsed.

    In the big ring-shaped mountain, the sound of the gliding mountain overwhelemed everything. Some of the people below it tried to dodge it, while some continued to watch the scene. Some horses tied in a safe ce at the foot of the mountain heard the sound and were still restlessly treading on the ground.

    Thanks to the copse of this section, the stones in other ces also fell down. In a second, those who stood outside the hole went into the hole. In the location of the people of the Dishan tribe, the situation was worse. Just now, a man had been hit by a rock falling down.

    Hu Ma was standing at the entrance of the hole and did not dare to stretch his neck. From time to time a rock fell down. He was afraid that if he turned his head, he would be hit. He saw the piece of rock where Shao Xuan stood, fall down, Hu Ma felt reassured. Even if he survived, he would get injured, right? In that case, he would no longer need to be afraid of him.

    He touched the bleeding wound at his waist and Hu Ma¡¯s eyes looked sinister. He did not expect to get cut and even get injured! Even he had experienced a lot these years, he couldn¡¯t calm down now.

    Kill them. Kill all of them!

    Hu Ma thought about it.

    However, he just put down the bow and intended to look for herbs to smear his wounds. At this moment, he heard the man next to him shouting.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Hu Ma hadn¡¯t look for the herbs and asked the man next to him.

    ¡°There... over there...¡± The man pointed out.

    Hu Ma looked outsides and just turned his head. A gray shadow shed and the wind blew. The half sword was struck at his neck. When he thought he was temporary safe, he was killed.

    Puff~

    Blood sshed.

    Before Hu Ma fell to the ground, he saw the person who should have fallen down with the mountain holding the w of an eagle and rising from below.

 Chapter 257 - Nice To Meet You

    Chapter 257 - Nice To Meet You

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Suddenly, an eagle flew into the arched mountain, and it was quite a big eagle. If it stood on the ground, it was as tall as the total height of two men.

    This was quite odd.

    However, the people of the tribes on the grasnds were familiar with such eagles, and the travelers had seen such eagles.

    After seeing Chacha, people who were shouting at the copse of the mountain paid attention to him and then they all looked at a hole near the top of the mountain.

    In front of the hole, Gu La and several other peoplewere stunned.

    ¡°That...that...is...a giant eagle?!¡± The two young men who had been watching the bottom of the mountain were shocked.

    ¡°So the wounds on the Shan Dao¡¯s body were caused by this eagle?¡± Another man said.

    Shan Dao was the name of the eagle which they brought with them this time. It was raised by Gu La since childhood. But at this moment, the injured Shan Dao was resting to recover his wounds.

    ¡°Oh... why does the ming Horns tribe have such a giant mountain eagle? Isn¡¯t it said that the giant mountain eagles stay away from human?!¡± A slightly older man of the Hui tribe said.

    They always thought that their tribe was the most liked by the giant mountain eagles. Except their tribe, only few other tribes could raise giant mountain eagles, that included the Feather tribe. Even if a tribe could raise a giant mountain eagle, it was quite difficult. It wasmon that the mountain eagles raised by them pecked them. How arrogant the mountain eagles were. How could they so easily be tamed by human beings?

    However, here, this unknown ming Horns tribe had such an eagle, and it was stronger than the one they brought with them!

    They were simr of size, but if Shan Dao was injured by this one, it was very powerful!

    They had nned to watch the fun like the others, but unexpectedly they found this.

    ¡°Gu La. What do we do?¡± The people around all looked to Gu La, for this time they were led by Gu La. Everything must be decided by him.

    Gu La thought for a moment and was about to say something. But at this time, a loud eagle scream came from the bottom of the mountain.

    ¡°Jiao~!¡±

    After Chacha lifted Shao Xuan, Shao Xuannded in the ce where Mai and the others were standing. Chacha flew up to the entrance of the hole of the Dishan tribe. Itsrge w grasped the stone wall, and then gradually dug out the stones in the mountain wall. Some loose stones were dug out and thrown to the bottom. All the people of the Dishan tribe did not dare to stretch their heads in the hole for fear that they would be hit.

    After a short while, Chacha wanted to leave. It disliked this small ce and felt restrained here, for there were people with arrows in their hands. When it was about to fly away, it heard an eagle scream from above.

    Whoosh~!

    Close to the hole at the top of the mountain, an injured giant mountain eagle with few feathers rushed out.

    As soon as it saw the eagle, Chacha got angry and did not hurry to leave. It flew up and rushed to fight it with his ws.

    ¡°Shan Dao,e back!¡± Gu La was so anxious that he almost rushed out. If he could fly, he would have already flown out. Comparing the two eagles, he knew Chacha would win.

    Shao Xuan whistled at once to tell Chacha to stay calm.

    The resting travelers in the mountain felt more and more confused when they saw the two eagles appear. At the same time, they reevaluated the strength of the ming Horns tribe.

    This tribe was really a lot more powerful than they had thought, and they intended to get more information about this tribe.

    Shao Xuan ignoredthe Dishan tribe, gave a signal to Mai and then climbed up the mountain.

    In the hole where Gu La and the others were resting, Shao Xuan saw the injured giant eagle standing next to a person who did not show obvious hostility, but curiosity. He looked at the other few people and then made a gesture.

    Because of the sudden appearance of Gu La and the several people, Chacha flew up to avoid the danger. But when it saw Shao Xuan¡¯s gesture, it flew down. Although the passage here was not wide, it was enough for Chacha to stand on it.

    Standing behind Shao Xuan, Chacha felt like he was supported. He dared to scream towards the eagle and the man beside it. It sounded like ge wasughing at them for seeking a helper.

    Gu La looked at the eagle closely. Although the two eagles looked alike, he always felt they were a bit different. He knew that even if another eagle of a simr size was called here to help them, they would still be defeated.

    ¡°The Hui tribe, Gu La.¡± Gu La said.

    Shao Xuan raised his eyebrows, and said with his eyes showing his joy, ¡°The ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s smile surprised Gu La and a few people. He smiled without ttery, but friendliness.

    However, the two young warriors thought Shao Xuan showed his friendliness because he knew they were from the Hui tribe. After all, all knew the Hui tribe was the strongest on the grasnds. He did not want to offend the strong, so he had this attitude.

    The people of the Dishan tribe all hoped that the Hui tribe would fight with the ming Horns tribe, because they had suffered from serious losses. Hu Ma had been killed, and the team leader was also seriously injured. Another senior totem warrior lost an arm and was about to die. If they continued to fight, all of them might lose their lives.

    However, the atmosphere above was not as tense as anyone else imagined.

    The Hui tribe left a good impression on Shao Xuan. Those long years ago, the ancestors of the ming Horns tribe probably had had a good rtionship with the Hui tribe. And thanks to that tribe, they met that eagle.

    ¡°Do you know our tribe?¡± Gu La asked.

    ¡°I have heard of it.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The young man behind Gu La was disappointed. Of course, the Hui tribe was the strongest tribe on the grasnds. Looking at Shan Dao with the many wounds, he touched his feathers tofort it: I will let Gu La give a lesson to the ming Horns tribeter.

    As for why he let it up to Gu La, rather than take revenge himself? Cough, that is because he knows he can¡¯t defeat Shao Xuan.

    When the people of the Hui tribe thought that Shao Xuan would say what they expected, unexpectedly he said: ¡°The Hui tribe is the first tribe I met.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is it?¡± Gu La casually asked, he in fact wanted to asked Shao Xuan about the giant eagle behind him.

    ¡°This patterned stone, it has the totem patterns of your tribe.¡±

    As Shao Xuan said, Gu La, who was staring at Chacha, suddenly looked to Shao Xuan, from top to bottom, as if he had never seen Shao Xuan before. His face also looked serious, and he asked while fixing his eyes on Shao Xuan: ¡°That piece of stone, how did you get it?¡±

    ¡°A giant eagle gave it to me.¡±

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Gu La hadn¡¯t said anything yet, but the young man behind him could not help but shout, ¡°Nonsense! How can a giant eagle give it to you!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Gu La shouted at the man behind him.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling the truth, the eagle¡¯s ws were painted with the totem patterns of your tribe.¡± Facing with their questions, Shao Xuan was not annoyed, and continued to say: ¡°The eagle is veryrge, ayer of skin hade off from its ws. The pattern is not very clear...¡±

    Listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s description, Gu La and the several people thought of something, They trembled and breathed quickly. Only one eagle fit Shao Xuan¡¯s description, and it had again left the tribe at that time. In their tribe, it had a status as high as the chief.

    Why did the people of the ming Horns tribe encounter that one?

    Why did it give the patterned stone to them without much consideration?

    ¡°It should have returned already, I think. I hope I will have a chance to see it again.¡± Shao Xuan said. He really wanted to see the giant eagle again.

    ¡°Yes, it has returned, and it is very fine now.¡± Gu La finally calmed down, his face no longer looked serious. He smiled happily, opened his arms and walked towards Shaw Xuan. He gave him a hug. This was how they expressed their joy.

    ¡°Nice to meet you!¡± Gu La said. As long as that eagle had been willing to give the patterned stone to him, they shouldn¡¯t be hostile to him.

    The travelers who had fixed their eyes on them were extremely surprised when seeing Gu La¡¯s action.

    What happened there? Why did the people of the Hui tribe and those of the ming Horns tribe not fight? Instead, they seemed to be old friends.

    Different from the stunned travelers, the people of the Dishan tribe were pale at the moment.

 Chapter 258 - How big

    Chapter 258 - How big

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Seeing Shao Xuan talk leasurely with the people above, Mai felt relieved. It was the first time they came here, but Kun Tu had told them that many tribes took refuge here. And the people of the stronger tribes rested in the higher holes.

    Having fought against the Dishan tribe, the warriors of the ming Horns tribe were too tired and injured, they were not as strong as before. If they confronted with another strong tribe from the grasnds, they had a slim chance at winning. After all, they had no advantage in numbers. Moreover, Mai felt that the man named Gu La was much stronger than the leader of the Dishan tribe, and he was not sure whether he could defeat him.

    Mai looked down to the hole of the Dishan tribe and his eyes once again looked fierce. When hunting in the ferocious beast forest, they had better kill the target, or a simr situation like with the Thorn ck Wind would ur, and they would suffer from unexpected attacks.

    He was going to ask the slightly injured warriors to go with him to kill the rest of the Dishan tribe. At this moment, he heard the leader of that tribe above him shout loudly: ¡°Gu La, I have something to say to you!¡±

    Hearing his words, Mai prepared his sword to fight, and made a gesture towards the others to signal them not to take actions. Although they had heard about the Hui tribe from those other tribes, they were unfamiliar with them. After all, Mai was not sure about the response of the people of that tribe. So they didn¡¯t act and looked on to see what would happen next.

    The leader of the Dishan tribe, who had been aware of the intention of Mai, avoided starting a war fight them. Instead, he came up with another idea in order to get out of trouble.

    Above him, Gu La frowned, he didn¡¯t intend to intervene in the dispute between the ming Horns tribe andthe Dishan tribe. In this ce the strong had the say. If two tribes had a conflict, they should have a fight. The winner could decide everything. The loser would retreat or would be ughtered. Therefore, even if all team members of the Dishan tribe were killed, the people who rested here would not think the ming Horns tribe was evil.

    However, why did the Dishan tribe ask them for help? They couldn¡¯t have forgotten the basic rule, especially those from the Dishan tribe. They had ughtered many teams before. The people of the Hui tribe would not engage in it unless they could get some benefits.

    Gu La closed his eyes and the others failed to guess what he was thinking. Then he raised his head, smiled at Shao Xuan and said: ¡°Wait.¡±

    This meant he told Shao Xuan that he had to wait for thoseing up from below.

    Shao Xuan did not argue with him, instead he rose his hand to stop Chacha, who wanted to fight with Shan Dao.

    The leader of the traveling team of the Dishan tribe climbed up and reached there, with blood on his body. He nced at Shao Xuan with fear and vignce. Then he walked to Gu La and whispered something. They went into the hole to have a secret conversation.

    Gu La just changed his facial expression for an instant. Shao Xuan saw this and sighed silently. It seemed that they would not be able to kill the whole group. Walking to the edge, Shao Xuan looked down and signaled Mai and the others to clean their wounds.

    About five minutester, the leader of the traveling team of the Dishan tribe and Gu La came out. The former didn¡¯t show his emotion on his face. Thetter looked upset, as if he lost something very important.

    It was likely that he had promised to give something good to Gu La.

    After the leader of the Dishan tribe went down, Gu La asked Shao Xuan: ¡°In your team, who is the leader?¡±

    Shao Xuan shouted towards the people below: ¡°Mai,e here.¡±

    Mai was ready for this, he climbed up, said to Gu La: ¡°Mai, ming Horns tribe.¡±

    ¡°Gu La, Hui tribe.¡± Gu La didn¡¯t put on airs because of the mystery of the ming Horns tribe and the giant eagle mentioned by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Let those of the Dishan tribe go.¡± Gu La said while pointing to those next to him. Three of the Hui tribe came down together, carrying severalrge bags. ¡°This is thepensation for you.¡±

    Opening the bag, he found there were a lot of jades, shells and some stones simr to the water moonstones of the Drumming tribe. They could exchange them with others. If all were exchanged for water moonstones, they could get more than twice they had gotten from the Drumming tribe.

    Mai thought for a moment, and said: ¡°Deal.¡±

    Gu La only said to ¡°let them go¡±. He didn¡¯t care what would happen after they left, which meant he would not intervene in their disputes next time.

    Mai also understood this. Over the past two years, before the return to the oldnd, they had been trained by the Shaman as leaders of the hunting teams, so they now had a different mindset.

    Below, the people of the Dishan tribe left with the slightly wounded warriors. Most of those with serious injuries were abandoned.

    Lang Ga and a few people saw this. They wanted to say something, but were stopped by Wei, who said, ¡°Wait.¡± Since the Hui tribe got engaged, they could not keep fighting.

    Besides the things that the Dishan tribe took out, there was a wooden box, which was given by Gu La. The box contained many rare herbs. Of course, the people of the ming Horns tribe had seen many quality herbs, but right now they didn¡¯t have enough herbs for treatment and first aid.

    Mai talked with Gu La again to confirm that Gu La would not interfere in their disputes in the future. Then he left to take care of the wounds of the injured warriors with the herbs.

    Mai went down with only the wooden box filled with herbs, he carried none of the animal skin bags that contained jade and shells.

    ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t want this?¡± A man next to Gu La shouted.

    He had just said that, and then a gust of wind blew.

    The several bags on the ground were all grabbed by Chacha, and then he flew down.

    The people of the Hui tribe nced at Chacha and looked towards Shan Dao, who was standing next to Gu La. They thought this eagle was really a lot more helpful than certain others, for it could help carry the bags. On the contrary, their eagle even had difficulty in catching a rabbit.

    ¡°Go in and chat?¡± Gu La pointed to the hole where they rested and said to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Good.¡± Although Shao Xuan was unhappy for the intervention of the Hui tribe, he saw Gu La and noticed he had something to say. He didn¡¯t refuse him.

    After entering the hole, Gu La told someone to guard the hole to stop others from getting close.

    ¡°Do you know what he just said to me?¡± Gu La asked.

    This ¡°he¡± referred to the leader of the Dishan tribe.

    ¡°No idea.¡± Shao Xuan had not expected Gu La to even tell him this.

    Gu La said in the low voice: ¡°A fire crystal mine.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. No wonder the people of the Hui tribe were willing to help those of the Dishan tribe. The fire crystal mine was really tempting.

    ¡°In the grasnds, there is a small mine. The Dishan tribe found it, but they have not been able to grab it yet. There are others trying to snatch it.¡± Gu La said with irony, ¡°I know what they¡¯re ying at. They want us to fight for it so that they can get it without much effort, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    Gu La paused and asked Shao Xuan: ¡°Do you want to have a look at it?¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head, ¡°Since it is in the grasnds, we will not go there, for it is too far.¡±

    Gu La had asked this in order to guess the situation of the ming Horns tribe based on Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction. Unexpectedly he got such an answer.

    ¡°Where is your tribe? If wee out for travel again, we may visitthe ming Horns tribe.¡± Gu La said.

    ¡°Oh, it is not too far away.¡± Shao Xuan pointed to one direction. ¡°Go in that direction. It is in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.¡±

    Gu La: ¡°...¡±

    The others of the Hui tribe had been listening carefully: ¡°...¡±

    Even Shan Dao, who had stretched to look outside also made a strange cry.

    Gu La no longer looked calm and said: ¡°If I remember correctly, the Wan Shi tribe is over there.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°it is just next to the Wan Shi tribe. They are outside the forest, but we are inside it.¡±

    Gu La asked more questions about the ming Horns tribe, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t reply. Gu La knew that even if he kept asking, he would not get the answers. Then he talked about the Hui tribe and his keeping of Shan Dao.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy!¡± Gu La sighed.

    Shao Xuan nodded while listening to him: ¡°Raising them is really not easy.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Speaking of this, Gu La was excited again, ¡°In the beginning, Shan Dao was the smallest egg in the nest, like this.¡±

    Gu La said, and also swung his hands to show how "small" it had been.

    Shao Xuan looked, as Gu La said, if the egg was put vertically, it came higher than his knee. It had been ¡°the smallest egg in that nest¡±. Because of this, Shao Xuan looked strange.

    Gu La spoke excitedly, ¡°When Shan Dao came out, he was the weakest among his brothers and sisters. After all, it was the smallest egg. Some people said it is difficult to hatch the smallest egg of the giant mountain eagle. Even if it hatched, it would also be difficult for it to survive, let alone grow up. When I brought Shan Dao here, I had little hope. Unexpectedly, Shan Dao survived, and now he became the strongest among his siblings. Even in the whole tribe, among the mountain eagles of the same size, he is the most powerful!¡±

    Gu La said with obvious pride on his face.

    In the Hui tribe, he really deserved praise because of this. Unexpectedly, During Shan Dao¡¯s first outing, he encountered Chacha and was defeated. He suffered a crushing defeat.

    The fight between the giant mountain eagles had always been like this. There were many fights among the mountain eagles in the tribe, and many losers even suffered a lot more than Shan Dao had. Gu La thought he wasn¡¯t bullied, for the giant mountain eagles should meet challenges head-on and be tough. In this way, they would be able to ovee difficulties in the future. This was why when Gu La saw Shan Dao defeated, he didn''t get very angry.

    Thinking of this, Gu La curiously asked Shao Xuan: ¡°Chacha looks very good, and very strong. It is the strongest among the eagles of the same size I have seen. The egg was also very big, right?¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...Oh.¡±

    ¡°How big was it in the end? Don''t worry. Tell me the truth. I have seen bigger eggs. Tell me, how big it was?¡±

    Shao Xuan showed his index finger and thumb, and made a gesture: ¡°Like this.¡±

    Gu La: ¡°...¡± Do you think I have not seen the giant mountain eagle eggs?!

    Shao Xuan was helpless, for he didn''t know there were big and small eagle eggs. There were totally different sizes. He had held the egg in his hand and he had intended to cook it.

 Chapter 259 - Yes, right there

    Chapter 259 - Yes, right there

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Shao Xuan isn¡¯t going to say that he had almost cooked Chacha. If he told them about it, the people of the Hui tribe may be even more agitated.

    ¡°Impossible! It¡¯s absolutely impossible!¡± The several young people of the Hui tribe became impatient. They were just pretending to focus on cutting the wood, but now they rushed over, stared at Shao Xuan and said: ¡°You¡¯re a liar!¡±

    Shao Xuan stayed calm and said: ¡°I didn''t lie.¡±

    Gu La observed Shao Xuan¡¯s facial expression carefully. He knew Shao Xuan was serious and then asked: ¡°What did your eagle eat?¡±

    ¡°It ate many kinds of things, but what it ate the most was the meat of ferocious beasts.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The people of the Hui tribe became silent again.

    If they hadn¡¯t seen Chacha or hadn¡¯t witnessed Shan Dao having suffered a crushing defeat, on hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, they would have directly shouted at Shao Xuan: ¡°You are lying!¡±

    But this was a fact.

    ¡°No, that is not the reason.¡± Gu La shook his head and firmly opposed to it, ¡°There are many ferocious beasts on the grasnds, but I have never seen what you mentioned. They are totally different. To be honest, an egg of the size you mentioned cannot be a real giant mountain eagle egg. The other birds can not live so long, because they are not strong enough to go to the Eagle Mountain!¡±

    ¡°Eagle Mountain, have not you heard of it? Only those eagles which have been to Eagle Mountain are the real giant mountain eagles. Of course, strictly speaking, Shan Dao is not a real one. But when it feels that it is strong enough, it will go there, just like his parents did. The parents of the small eagles you mentioned have never been to Eagle Mountain, so they are different from Shan Dao¡¯s parents.¡±

    ¡°So, what you mean is that Chacha¡¯s parents are not real giant mountain eagles. Their size is notrge, and their egg is also small, that¡¯s what you think, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gu La thought that no one knew more about the giant mountain eagle than the people of the Hui tribe.

    ¡°Oh, he may have been to Eagle Mountain.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Everyone in the hole were in a daze and fixed their eyes on Shao Xuan.

    ¡°He had disappeared for a period of time and he got bigger when he came back.¡± Shao Xuan continued to say.

    The people in the hole were still in silence. They thought it was unbelievable at first, but as they thought about it again. They found it was the only exnation.

    Outside the hole, having delivered the things to Mai and the others, Chacha flew into the air. He didn''t see Shao Xuan, so went to the entrance of the hole. He stretched his neck to look inside.

    Gu La had just told the man who guarded the hole to stop others froming close, but he didn''t say the eagle was not allowed toe here. So, when Chacha was approaching, the guard didn''t stop him. Instead, he let him get closes. But Chacha didn''t go into the hole.

    Chacha had fought with Shan Dao, and there were a lot of injuries on his body. Now he had almostpletely recovered and was very energetic. Looking at Shan Dao, he was full of confidence.

    Gu La sighed deeply: ¡°I believe you!¡±

    Chacha had been to the Eagle Mountain. That was why he was much stronger than other eagles of the same size and had a stronger recovery.

    Chacha and Shan Dao were different in the beginning. Compared to Shan Dao, Chacha had no advantage from the start. Fortunately, Chacha had been to the Eagle Mountain, experienced a lot, and finally survived. Now he was superior to Shan Dao. Because Shan Dao had never been to the Eagle Mountain!

    Amazing.

    The people of the Hui tribe had doubted Shao Xuan at first, but now they had no doubt at all.

    ¡°Where is the Eagle Mountain?¡± Someone asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± Shao Xuan replied. He would not say, though he knew.

    However, the people of the Hui tribe believed Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know about it. The giant mountain eagles went there on their own. The people of the Hui tribe had kept giant mountain eagles for so long, but except a few ancestors, no one had been there. That was there were few records about that ce.

    When Shao Xuan went out of the hole, Gu La said with enthusiasm: ¡°If you n to have a long journey, you could go to the Hui tribe. We have a lot of giant mountain eagles.¡± Gu La paused and added: ¡°Don¡¯t be threatened by the Dishan tribe.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t fear them.¡± Shao Xuanughed. ¡°We defeated them once, and we can do that again.¡±

    His words showed arrogance, but those who had seen the people of Dishan tribe being defeated believed his words.

    Gu La wanted to say something, but he thought it was unnecessary and then gave up.

    Shao Xuan left the hole and climbed down the mountain. Mai and the others had upied the hole where the Dishan tribe had stayed.

    ¡°Are your injuries serious?¡± Shaw Xuan asked. He had nced at their injuries before going up, he had had no worries about any warrior¡¯s lives.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, several cannot walk for a bit, so we will have them stay in the carriage.¡± Mai said.

    They didn''t intend to stay there any longer. Ku Tu¡¯s group had been waiting for them at the foot of the mountain, but because the totem warriors of the ming Horns tribe apanied Kun Tu and the others, the other people didn''t dare to attack them. The people of the Dishan tribe had suffered a lot because they had attacked them.

    After packing, Mai led the group down the mountain.

    ¡°Where are the others?¡± Mai asked.

    ¡°A bit farther from here. Follow me!¡± Chi Yi said at once. He was nervous and excited. Anyway, he felt happy.

    Out of the mountains, through the extrance, Kun Tu looked back and said with mixed feelings: ¡°Unexpectedly, it copsed.¡±

    ¡°It has seen many fights, and there are some traces left on the passages. That section of the mountain is not strong, and today it was attacked fiercely. It copsing is only right.¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    Mai nced at those who went with Chi Yi and asked: ¡°Are you satisfied with me relinquishing chasing and killing those of the Dishan tribe?¡±

    ¡°Yes...yes!¡± Chi Yi and the others said without dy. They were really satisfied. Many warriors of Dishan tribes were killed. Moreover, of the three senior totem warriors, one was dead and one was disabled. The leader of the traveling team was the only one that was able to continue fighting. Chi Yi and the others thought they had seeded in taking revenge. Besides, as wanderers, they knew much more about the situation than others and believed Mai had made the best choice.

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t satisfied, after you awaken your power, you can go take revenge.¡± Lang Ga smiled and said.

    Awaken...

    When they heard this word, including Kun Tu and Chi Yi, they became very anxious.

    At this time, Shao Xuan suddenly said: ¡°You may not be able to take revenge.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Even Mai also looked at Shao Xuan with confusion.

    ¡°You mean the people of the Hui tribe will help them?¡± Lang Ga asked.

    ¡°No, on the contrary.¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°Daring to use the Hui tribe. Not only will the benefits be fished by the Hui tribe, the Hui tribe will also not let them go. So, next time when we hear of the Dishan tribe, that will be the news of the Dishan tribe suffering.¡±

    That traveling team was only one of the force of the Dishan tribe. Even though many of its members were killed, they hadn¡¯t suffered a crushing defeat. What awaited them was a more catastrophic defeat.

    Shao Xuan thought that he shouldn¡¯t talk about the fire crystal mine mentioned by Gu La, so he decided to tell Mai and the Shaman after returning to the tribe.

    Chi Yi took Shao Xuan and the others to the mountain where the wanderers rested. Beside the people following Chi Yi and Kun Tu, Liang Fang was also here. After Mai met them, he left with all of them.

    Their purpose ofing to the grasnds this time was to pick up the wanderers and return with them. They met many other wanderers on the way, whoter joined them. They had encountered some on their way to the grasnds and had settled them in one ce. On the return journey they also picked them up.

    Finally, the fifty totem warriors that hade here returned to the tribe with nearly six hundred wanderers.

    To meet the demands of so many wanderers, they needed to prepare more food. Fortunately, they had thepensation from the Dishan tribe and the water moonstones given by the chief. They exchanged with other tribes for some food, meat and crops. Shao Xuan also got some seeds, he stashed them with the rest to bring them back.

    With the wanderers, the team naturally moved slowly. Many people were curious about such a traveling team with hundreds of people and some livestock. Those who created trouble were killed. The warriors were tired, but Chacha and Caesar helped them.

    As for the other teams that were dispatched, they had it harder than Mai¡¯s team. At least Mai¡¯s side had carriages and enough ¡°money¡±.

    The ming Horns tribe gained fame because of the actions of those teams.

    There was now a tribe calledthe ming Horns tribe in the central region.

    The people of the tribe calledthe ming Horns were very fierce.

    The people of that tribe were fierce, and ording to the wanderers on the grasnds, they raised two ferocious beasts, namely, a wolf and an eagle. No one knew whether they kept other ferocious beasts.

    What? Where is the tribe?

    Go straight in that direction, next to the Wan Shi tribe. Yes, right there, in theFerocious Beast Mountain Forest!

 Chapter 260 - Clean up and expand

    Chapter 260 - Clean up and expand

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Before the winter came, the ten teams sent to pick up the wanderers all returned to the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.

    At this time, the brought back wanderers and those who had joined them already, together with the original members of the ming Horns tribe, totaled 8,000 to 9,000. Together with the wanderers from other tribes, now in the oldnd, there were about 10,000 people in the ming Horns tribe.

    There were so many people, they had never imagined this happening. The more people, the livelier it was.

    In the tribe, many houses had been built, basically they were huts. Simple huts could be built in a short time, they were just temporary shelter for them. Everyone could build different houses for themselves as they liked in the future.

    Totem warriors guarded this ce and took turns to hunt to get some food. They needed to hunt many ferocious beasts and beasts, for there was arge number of people in the tribe.

    The wanderers of the tribe and the foreign tribes tried to be helpful. They took an active part in building huts, cutting trees, cooking, and so on. This was a chance for them to leave a good impression. Craftsmen, of course, were asked to help. Those who knew how to build ships, make pottery, process herbs, were asked to give a hand.

    Therefore, in the tribe, it was alsomon that some wanderers pushed and pulled single-wheeled or two-wheeled wooden carts to transport things. Several old men, like Xing, who were interested in pottery, called on those who knew how to make pottery to find out which kind of y was suitable for making pottery, and which was the best form, and how to make quality pottery.

    When Shao Xuan returned to the tribe, many people in the tribe used potteryware. Potteryware was better than the stoneware, but some people hadn''t got used to them yet. For example, Ke Ke often broke potteryware, so Xing became irritated and went to punish him.

    Shao Xuan had been to the pottery kiln, and the ancestors of the ming Horns tribe had also left records on the making of pottery. But a thousand years had seen many improvements in the making of pottery.

    In the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, there was a lot of y suitable for making pottery. Xing and the others were happy about this every day, and stayed there with a piece of animal skins in their hands to record things. They often did so in person.

    Shao Xuan had made several potterywares for his family, and at the same time, he also tried to make some tiles and bricks that he could used to build a house.

    His hut had changed into a brick house, bigger than the one he had built on the other side of the river. Next to the house, he set up a shelter for Caesar. Chacha did not stay here to rest, but went to the nearby mountain to build his own shelter. Shao Xuan went there and saw that his shelter was on a high cliff. Chacha had changed an indentation on the cliff into a cave and lived there.

    The team had returned with livestock and seeds. These were given to the people who knew how to handle them. Among the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe from all parts, many were craftsmen. They could handle these better than the totem warriors.

    Old He and the other people who came from the grasnds were responsible for the raising of livestock and building pens. When Shao Xuan went there, he noticed that several goats and cows that had be weak were now much stronger. They were very strong now, though sometimes they were scared by the roars of the beasts in the remote forest. They were bolderpared with those raised by the Lu tribe. They adapted to the environment after a period of time.

    Shao Xuan was asked toe out by Tuo in the early morning. Today he didn''t go patrolling. Later he would go out for hunting, but right now he was still free.

    ¡°What do you think? I built it by myself!¡± Tuo contentedly pointed to the newly built house.

    Tuo had intended to build a stone house, for his family had been living in a stone house on the other side of the river. After he saw Shao Xuan¡¯s brick house, he changed his mind. He visited Xing, had them make some bricks and tiles, and brought them back to build his own house. The moment he finished building his house he asked Shao Xuan toe over.

    ¡°It¡¯s great.¡± Shao Xuan said after he looked at Tuo¡¯s house.

    The ce where Shao Xuan lived now was not far from the houses of Tuo and the others. The distribution of houses in the tribe was simr to that of those houses where they had lived. People with higher status lived in the houses closer to the fire pit. Even though they no longer lived on a mountain, they still followed this rule.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s family, no one had a high status, but everyone knew his contribution to the tribe. No one would oppose that his house was close to the fire pit.

    ¡°Where is Ke Ke?¡± Shaw Xuan asked. Ke Ke often acted together with Tuo, but he hadn''t been seen recently.

    Ke Ke¡¯s home was nearby. Shao Xuan looked around, but did not see him.

    ¡°Oh, he,¡± Tuoughed, ¡°he has been hatching an egg.¡±

    ¡°...hatch an egg?!¡± Shao Xuan stopped his yawn in the middle and asked.

    Tuo told Shao Xuan what had happened when he had left.

    The tribe would settle here, but they needed a rtively safe environment. The totem warriors in the tribe were responsible for getting rid of all dangerous creatures.

    They had to remove all lethal nts,rge beasts and ferocious beasts, etc... Therefore, in this period of time, they did not travel a long distance or n the hunting routes. As they cleaned the area and expanded, they could hunt for prey. The birds-of-prey living in this area moved their nests, but they were still caught and cooked by the warriors.

    ¡°When we hunted those birds-of-prey, we also found some eggs and brought them back for cooking. Afterwards, Ke Ke kept some eggs and intended to hatch them to raise some birds.¡±

    Ke Ke had tried to raise some beasts before, but in the end he threw them in the pot. Now he was hatching eggs, no one knew what would be the result.

    Shaw Xuan became interested.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look. He has been hatching the eggs for so long. Have the birdse out yet or not?¡± Shao Xuan went to Ke Ke¡¯s house.

    ¡°Not yet, probably.¡± Tuo recently had been busy with his own affairs. He had to finish his tasks in the tribe and spent the rest of his time building his house.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, Ke Ke wasing out and saw Shao Xuan. Ke Ke looked happy and said, ¡°I was justing to get you! Shao Xuan, what did Chacha eat when he had just hatched?¡±

    Listening to the twitter in the room, Shao Xuan and Tuo also knew what had happened.

    ¡°I fed it some beast meat... You should feed them some beast meat now, rather than ferocious beast meat... Tear the meat into smaller pieces. Yes, like this.¡± Shao Xuan saw Ke Ke tear the beast meat into strips to feed those birds. He seldom showed so much patience.

    ¡°Why do you want to raise them?¡± Shao Xuan asked. These birds-of-prey were aggressive and vicious. They didn''t have much flesh, so he shouldn¡¯t be nning to raise them for food. If he wanted food, he should buy somerge birds from the Lu tribe. Could it be that he wanted to raise them and have the Shaman brand them?

    ¡°They run fast.¡± Ke Ke said as he fed them, ¡°I figured that if they can be tamed, then we can ride them in the forest.¡±

    While chasing the people of the Wan Shi tribe, Ke Ke noticed that the birds ran very fast in the forest. Though they were not as big as Mai¡¯s crane, which was a ferocious beast. However, it was undeniable that these birds could move swiftly in the forest.

    If they could be tamed, they could be more helpful in the forest than horses.

    ¡°What will you do if you fail?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I will eat them.¡± Ke Ke said. It wasmon for the people of the ming Horns tribe to cook those they raised.

    After giving some advice to Ke Ke, Shao Xuan left, as he had to go hunting.

    Old Ke had polished the hunting tools, and Shao Xuan took them with him.

    Winter wasing. Every day, some of them went hunting. They went out in the morning, and returned with prey before the sunset, because it was a short trip and they moved fast enough.

    Shao Xuan met up with Mai and Lang Ga and went deep into the forest.

    Because of the burning of the fire seed, some ferocious beasts had left the area of the tribe, but not all of them had gone.

    Shao Xuan could see some marks left on the trees while walking. If totem warriors had gotten rid of the dangerous animals in the area, they would leave a mark on the surrounding trees. One group after another took turns and more and more marks were left across the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest.

    ¡°There¡¯s still a long way to the border that the Shaman drew.¡± Mai said as he looked at thest mark.

    In the n made by the Shaman and the leaders, the ming Horns tribe had arge site. In fact, it was not really a border they had drawn based on their personal opinion. Instead, they had drawn ording to the map left by their ancestors.

    The ming Horns tribe hadn''t settled in the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. A thousand years had seen geographic changes and the disappearance of the old ming Horns tribe. The Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest had expanded like this. If the ming Horns tribe wanted to keep the old border, they had to remove all beasts and ferocious beasts gradually to upy asrge a site as before.

    ¡°If we¡¯re going to grow some nts, we need arger ce. To keep arge number of animals, we also need more space.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± The others nodded and became excited as they began imagining that picture.

    ¡°OK, from now on, be careful!¡± Mai said.

    Here, no one had ever cleaned up the dangerous creatures. Everyone needed to be careful about the poisonous and extremely threatening nts, and the hidden beasts and ferocious beasts.

    They had plenty of hunting experience, and when Mai reminded them, they became alert immediately and stopped talking andughing.

    While others feared the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, the people of the ming Horns tribe did not feel it was hard to live here. Moreover, they even felt it was familiar. The environment here was very simr to that of their old hunting grounds. They soon adapted themselves to the environment of the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. They loved it very much, although it was indeed very dangerous.

    Next day, the warriors began hunting. They struck the stone tools in their hands to kill their prey one by one. When it was close to the sunset, they left a mark on a surrounding tree. Another group of warriors woulde here and finish the work. One day after another, they kept doing this until the snow fell in the winter.

 Chapter 261 - The ancestors bone ornament

    Chapter 261 - The ancestors'' bone ornament

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    It snowed heavily in winter, which might be bad news for some wanderers. But for the people who came from the other side of the river, they thought it was warmer here.

    The snow was falling. Standing at a high ce, you could see that everything on the mountain was covered with white snow.

    Although it was snowing here, the snowpile would not get taller than a person. It didn¡¯t snow heavily every day and sometimes the weather was fine. Of course, deep in the forest, the weather was worse.

    Shao Xuan and the warriors of the hunting team were carrying some prey as they stepped on the snow on their return to the tribe.

    In the ce they had walked past, there were some reimed fields. It was said that they could sow some of the seeds they brought back, even in the autumn and winter, because those nts could survive in cold weather. The field was notrge, but they could try growing some nts here. Around there, you could see some people walking back and forth, busy doing things.

    In addition to these fields, there was a livestock pen which was newly built. The old one was too small. Since the tribe expanded, they had more space to build a bigger pen.

    When the wanderers came here, those who knew each other lived in one house, simr to a dormitory. At that time, the space was limited, but now their site expanded by nearly two thirds. They had much more space. Nowadays, some wanderers moved out of the ¡°dormitories¡± and built their own houses in the designated areas.

    Although the tribe allowed the wanderers to live here, they could not get the food for free. It meant that if they needed food, they had to work for it. Not only the wanderers from other tribes, but also those from the ming Horns tribe had to do so. The Shaman and the chief did not allow anyone to get things without working. The wanderers that could survive must have some skills, though they hadn¡¯t been trained. Thanks to these skills, they could exchange for a lot of food from the tribe.

    The wanderers from other tribes lived at the border of the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest. From there they coulde out of the forest easily, but until now no one had left.

    Although they lived in theFerocious Beast Mountain Forest, after removing the dangers, this ce was not much different from the other forests. Moreover, close to the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest, it was guarded every day by warriors, in case some ferocious beasts broke in. Even though there had been some beasts, they were small and weak, so they were captured and cooked quickly.

    The warriors patrolled on the outer border and the core area of the tribe. In the core area lived the Shaman, the chief, and other vital people, but most importantly, there was the fire pit.

    The orphans were taken care of by those in the tribe as they could not catch any fish here, and there was still enough food supply. Now the tribe paid more attention to them. They were educated by others and received training together. Anyone who behaved well would get rewards, everyone was motivated.

    Everything was going well.

    Having arrived home with his prey, Shao Xuan was preparing to process the prey.Old Ke said at once: ¡°I will process the prey, you go to visit the Shaman. The Shaman sent someone to call you to his ce.¡±

    What happened? Is it about the ritual ceremony after the end of winter?

    If it was only about the ritual dance, the Shaman should just have someone tell him about it. It was unnecessary for the Shaman to ask him toe there. Shao Xuan set out confused. Without dy, he put down the prey, and went to find the Shaman.

    The ce where the Shaman lived was very close to the fire pit, and his house was simr to that of the ancestors, which was painted on the Shaman Volumes left by the ancestors.

    When Shao Xuan got there, only the Shaman was in the stone house, he was writing something.

    The Shaman did not stop writing and Shao Xuan did not bother him. He just found a stool to sit down on and took the earthenware kettle and the pottery cup on the table. He poured a cup of water to drink. The water was still warm.

    Someone came in to pour some warm water into the Shaman¡¯s kettle at intervals. It was also the case when they lived on the other side of the river.

    About a quarter of an hourter, the Shaman stopped writing, rolled up the animal skin volume, put it aside, and then looked up to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°How was the winter hunting?¡± The Shaman asked.

    ¡°It was good, probably because we are not deep in the forest, the ferocious beasts we met are not strong. Even when it is snowing, we can still go out for hunting, but we get less prey. We¡¯ve almost removed all the dangerous creatures on the border.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The border he mentioned was the junction between the ming Horns tribe and the Ferocious Beast Mountain Forest a thousand years ago. Now the Shaman and the chief had changed that into a border. The hunting warriors needed to reach there and remove all the dangerous creatures, only then would their task bepleted.

    At the border,rge stones engraved with words and totem patterns could be found, which had been left by the ancestors. The stones were broken to some degree, and some were buried in the earth.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Shaman said calmly and made a small nod. He had already learned about what Shao Xuan said, right now he was just asking him casually. This was not the reason why he asked Shao Xuan toe here today.

    The Shaman turned around and walked into another room. He took out a stone box with a respectful attitude, as if it was treasure in his hand.

    Shao Xuan saw it and sat with his back straight. He knew that the Shaman only treated the things of the ancestors in such a way. However, why did the Shaman take it out?

    After carefully cing the stone box on a low table, the Shaman opened it and took out a bone ornament from it. There was also a faint ball in the middle of the bone ornament.

    Shao Xuan was familiar with this. When he had carried the ancestors on his back out of the cave where the king stone worm lived, he had seen one of the ancestors wearing such a bone ornament. Later the Shaman also told him that the ancestor with the bone ornament was one of the elders in the tribe.

    ¡°Do you remember this?¡± The Shaman asked.

    ¡°I remember.¡± Shao Xuan said. He still remembered that this bone ornament was a treasure, for it could resist the attack of the king stone worm. That was why the ancestors could stay intact in the cave.

    The Shaman sighed, held the bone ornament in his hands and passed it to Shao Xuan. ¡°This bone ornament, you keep it. You wear it at the ritual ceremony after the end of winter.¡±

    Shao Xuan was surprised, ¡°This is... for me. What if I lose it?¡±

    The Shaman¡¯s sad face twitched and looked at Shao Xuan without a facial expression. [If you remember, poker face shaman, angry shaman.]

    ¡°Nevermind.¡± Quickly taking the bone ornament, Shao Xuan asked again: ¡°Why do you want me to wear it? Didn¡¯t you say only an elder can wear it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Shaman looked at Shaw Xuan with mixed feelings, ¡°If you can light it, you are an elder.¡±

    ¡°This is left by the ancestors, it cannot be lit so easily.¡± Shao Xuan said. He was not a fire seed, how could he light it? He thought he was too young to an elder in the tribe.

    ¡°I am not sure. Have a try.¡± The Shaman said. Since he brought it out, he did not intend to change his mind. The reason why he did so was that he just wanted to see if the bone ornament could be lit again.

    In fact, the Shaman did not have much hope for this, after all, the fire seed was iplete. But when he recalled that when Shao Xuan awakened, his situation was different. It was the kind of awakening that came from aplete fire seed. Because of his power of inheritance, the Shaman decided to let him have a try. After all, Shao Xuan was recognized as the man blessed by the ancestors. Even if he could not light it, it could protect Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 262 - Remains of the shaman

    Chapter 262 - Remains of the shaman

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    Holding the bone ornament, Shao Xuan recalled the situation of that time. He remembered that it was the ball in the middle of the bone ornament that was the cause and asked, ¡°Do you know what this ball is, and where did the ancestors get it?¡±

    In the cave where the king stone worm lived, it was dark, but with his special vision, Shao Xuan saw the light of the ball. The light shone the surroundings. But with the ordinary vision, it did not emit any light.

    This was a very special thing.

    ¡°Treasure? It is indeed a very precious thing.¡± The Shaman showed admiration in his eyes and stared at the ball. He said: ¡°Long long ago, when the tribe was first established and the first shaman passed away, the chief put him in the fire pit. He saw that the first shaman did not disappear like the others, he left behind six balls.

    ¡°Is this one of them?¡± Shao Xuan was surprised and asked.

    The Shaman nodded and said, ¡°Later, the six balls were given to those who made great contributions to the tribe. They were called ¡®elders¡¯. Except the shaman and the chief, they had the highest status in the tribe and worked as the assistants of the shaman and the chief. The six balls were also the light of the tribe. Even in a ce far away from the fire pit, they could bring light to the people of the tribe... Unfortunately, after the fire seed was divided, the six balls became dim.¡±

    Shao Xuan paused and felt that the bone ornament in his hand was heavy. What should he do if he lost it? The Shaman would kill him. If it was only something precious, the Shaman might forgive him. But this was a thing left by the first shaman, and in this world he could not find a seventh one.

    Shao Xuan was in a daze for a moment. Six balls?

    Shao Xuan asked with doubt: ¡°The six balls left by the first shaman are kept by you?¡± He had just seen only three bone ornaments in the box which the Shaman took out.

    The Shaman shook his head and said with regret and pity: ¡°The other three disappeared with the missing half of the fire seed. So far I have not been able to sense where the other half of the fire seed is.¡±

    The Shaman could not feel it, and no one knew where it was. The fire seed was still divided. No one knew when they would find the missing half.

    In regards to the ritual ceremony at the end of winter, the Shaman told him some things about it and then let him leave. This time, as expected, Shao Xuan was still one of the dancers of the ritual dance.

    After Shao Xuan left, the Shaman sat in the original ce and looked at the other two dim balls in the stone box. He had been in deep thought for a long time and he eventually let out a sigh. He had always thought about how to cross the river to return to the oldnd and what to do after the return. However, aftering back, the Shaman felt very stressed as he became more aware of the situation here.

    Was the ming Horns tribe strong enough? Yes, it had been strong. However, it is weaker than the severalrge tribes in the central region nowadays. If it confronted with the Wan Shi tribe next to it, maybe it would suffer a crushing defeat. He didn¡¯t want this to happen. After the winter ritual ceremony, the wanderers would awaken their power.

    They had to be stronger. Only by doing so could they settle here.

    Shao Xuan left the Shaman and then went back. At this time, it was dark. Few people were active. Fortunately, there were no night swallows. There were also less annoying nocturnal insects, partly because of the fire seed.

    After the fire seed was connected with the fire veins, it had a bigger impact on other creatures, Chacha now did not like to stay close to the fire pit. He came here every day once to bring some prey toOld Ke and then left in a hurry.

    After dinner, Shao Xuan had nned to go see the birds of prey that Ke Ke raised. Finally, he did not go out because of the bone ornament that the Shaman had given to him. He sat in the room to study it.

    The most important part of the ornament was the ball, Shao Xuan touched the surface of the dim ball. It was not as cold as the other things in the winter. Instead, it was warm. Such a thing was left after the cremation of the first shaman. If the Shaman hadn¡¯t told him, Shao Xuan would not have known where it came from.

    Shao Xuan knew it was special, but he did not discover anything. In the end he fell asleep and had a dream.

    In his dream, a figure in the shape of a person. made of mes, appeared and it slowly became clearer. In the beginning it was only in a distant ce, but gradually the burning person walked straight towards him. The person was getting closer and closer, but he could not see person¡¯s facial features and knew nothing about the age and the gender. He was only sure that it was a person that was wrapped in mes.

    That ming person opened his arms and did what the Shaman did while summoning the fire seed near the fire pit. It seemed that he was saying something, but Shao Xuan could not hear what he said.

    A shaman?

    Shao Xuan, like a bystander, watched the me person¡¯s movements.

    As Shao Xuan was immersed in such a strange dream, the bone ornament he wore shed in the dark night and then became dim again. Nothing had changed.

    Shao Xuan woke up the next day, he still remembered his dream clearly. He looked at the bone ornament on his neck and thought whether it was a dream in which the ancestor wanted to tell him something. Maybe nothing had happened and it was just only amon dream,right ?

    He shook his head, he saw the ball was still as dim as yesterday and no longer thought about it. Today he didn¡¯t go hunting, but the needed to patrol.

    The people of the Wan Shi tribe asionally came to the border to get some information secretly before winter, When the winter came, few of them came here but they still had to be alert. Moreover, there were now a lot of wanderers in the tribe, no one knew whether they were loyal enough.

    Most of the wanderers who followed them all the way here should be loyal and know what kind of life they wanted. Even though they didn¡¯t have any good skills, as long as they were willing to learn they would not starve.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, how many people can awaken in this ritual ceremony?¡± Lang Ga asked.

    ¡°It depends. Maybe one or two thousand people can.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Only one or two thousand?¡± Not only Lang Ga, but the other patrolling warriors were also doubtful.

    In the tribe, there had been more than 1,500 totem warriors with or without the ability to hunt. There were women and some children who were not old enough to be awakened. In the future, most of the children would also awaken and be totem warriors. After their return to the oldnd, including all the wanderers, there were six or seven thousand people, which surprised them. If most of them could awaken, they would help a lot.

    But that was in fact not the case.

    Many of the families of wanderers who were considered to be members of the tribe were not people of the ming Horns tribe, such as Yan Shuo¡¯s wife and Old He¡¯s wife. Some women were members of the ming Horns tribe, while their husbands were not. All of them were registered as members of the ming Horns tribe. Therefore, strictly speaking, among the six or seven thousand people, 30% to 50% should be reduced. It was estimated that only one or two thousand people could awaken.

    Listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s analysis, the patrolling warriors were upset.

    ¡°However, among these wanderers, nearly half of them are female.¡± Shao Xuan said. Most of the wanderers who had left on the way were men and few women left. Perhaps the women knew that even if the tribe was facing a crisis, it was the best choice for them.

    Hearing him mention this, Lang Ga and the others, who had been upset, suddenly cheered up. This was indeed a good thing.

    In the past, there had been few women, so the shamans had been strict on the other side of the river. Therefore, in each generation there were a lot of bachelors. And because of the low birth rate and the harsh environment, the tribe had only a small poption over the past years.

    Now, among these wanderers who came back, there were many women, so the birth rate will rise. In Yan Shuo¡¯s family, two babies were born. Thanks to the improved living conditions, his wife was in good health and got pregnant again. Lang Ga and others felt he was enviable.

    It was believed that the tribe would soon develop.

    Shao Xuan was thinking about it. He suddenly stopped walking and turned to look in one direction. That was the ce where the wanderers lived.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Lang Ga and the others noticed him stop and asked.

    Shao Xuan said with doubt and vignce: ¡°I always felt that someone was looking at me.¡±

    ¡°Nothing strange. You are so popr, maybe a girl is into you...¡± Lang Ga said after a pause.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s face looked serious, the others no longer joked about it. He had experienced a lot in the hunting, and since he had such an intuition, there must be something wrong! Not all of those wanderers were trustworthy.

    ¡°Go and have a look?¡± Lang Ga asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Shaw Xuan stopped him, ¡°you had better pay more attention to that ce.¡± If he guessed correctly, among the wanderers, some others were hiding.

    Shao Xuan was just looking at a ce where the wanderers lived. It was a in hut.

    ...

    ¡°I had asked you to be careful and you did not.¡± In the hut, an honest looking young man was sitting on a wooden stool with his legs crossed. However, at this time, his face showed ridicule.

    Close to the window of the hut, a beautiful and slender woman shrank against the wall. She had nned to observe his reaction, but unexpectedly the young man looked towards her. Fortunately, she moved quickly to dodge his sight and he didn''t see her.

    The woman was looking for something. But at this moment, she heard the sounds of footsteps outside the hut. Those were not the footsteps of a totem warrior, which made them feel relieved.

    ¡°They came for me, I have to go out to work, so you must be careful. In the next two days, you had better stay here. Otherwise, we will be found out.¡± When the man said this, his face no longer showed ridicule. He looked honest again, and even a little dumb...

    In the following days, each patrolling team would pay more attention to those wanderers. Nothing unusual happened over the past days.

    The winter soon passed. The most significant ritual ceremony in the tribe''s history was to be held.

 Chapter 263 - Lighting up

    Chapter 263 - Lighting up

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The snow on the ground began to melt quickly, and some ces were no longer covered by the white snow.

    In the ming Horns tribe, everyone was happy. Some were pleased by their sess of nting the seeds, and some were d because they found their lifelong partners. More importantly, they were looking forward to the forting ritual ceremony.

    Strength and sense of belonging were what the wanderers had been eager for.

    For wanderers, bing totem warriors had just been a distant dream, but now their dream was going toe true.

    In the early morning, the warriors of the ming Horns tribe went to draw totem patterns on the faces of the wanderers who would be members of the tribe. This was a necessary part of the ceremony. Even those who would not awaken or who were the wanderers of other tribes had to be painted with the totem patterns on their faces. Thetter would also be considered as the members of the tribe, for they were the rtives of tribe members.

    Only those who attended the ritual ceremony became the members of the ming Horns tribe. Those who were not from the ming Horns tribe could not awaken, but could gain some strength from the fire seed. Even though they would not be as strong as the totem warriors, they could at least get stronger. That was still better.

    It was the first time for the wanderers in taking part in such a ceremony. They were so excited that they wanted to touch the paintings on their faces. But they didn¡¯t dare to do so, for fear that they would ruin them. It seemed that the paintings were a living creature.

    Everyone had spent the whole winter preparing for the ceremony. Even when it was the coldest, they were not willing to wear animal skin coats, in order to preserve their coats. The ritual coats were also very important, which could show their good manner.

    Shao Xuan was asked to go out in the early morning. This year he was told many details about the ceremony, like the ritual dancers, by the Shaman and the chief. In this way, they could make sure that everything would go on well.

    When the Shaman came out, he nced at Shao Xuan a few times. Though he did not show his emotions on the face, he felt disappointed.

    It hadn¡¯t changed. The ball on the bone ornament was as dim as before.

    As Shao Xuan looked at the Shaman, he knew what he was thinking. He felt helpless, for he had no way to make it light up. Maybe it was because the first shaman looked down on him. After all, ording to the records about the elders in the animal skin rolls, an elder must be at least as old as Ta, on the contrast, he was too young.

    Many people had seen the bone ornament, especially those from the hunting teams, like Shao Xuan. They remembered the ornaments and weapons of the ancestors when they had brought their ancestors back to the tribe. Therefore, when many saw the bone ornament worn by Shao Xuan, they were surprised. They did not know the meaning of this bone ornament. Even if they knew, they would still believe in every decision made by the Shaman and the chief. Moreover, Shao Xuan really made great contributions to the tribe.

    It was twilight.

    All the people of the ming Horns tribe, including the original members, the wanderers and the rtives of wanderers, were brought to the ce where the ceremony would be held. People who may awaken were also brought around the fire pit. There were arge number of people and they surrounded the fire pit in several circles. The youngest were the closest to the fire pit. The younger you were, the closer you got to it. Of course, those who made a significant contribution to the tribe, like those good at nting, raising animals and making pottery, could make a step forward to move closer to the fire pit.

    Many people were aware that the closer they got to the fire pit, the more power they may get. However, no one opposed this arrangement. Even though some disliked it, they had to follow it.

    Last time they had lit the fire seed, and today, it was the first ritual ceremony.

    In the fire pit, a me the size of a palm rose immediately. The first me of the three mes of the fire pit, Soaring me, appeared.

    As the Soaring me appeared, the totem also appeared!

    With the appearance of the totem, the totem patterns also appeared on each totem warrior¡¯s body. They were devoutly looking at the fire pit.

    mes were rising above the fire pit, higher than usual. It seemed that they would cover everything around. The two-horns totem was even much bigger than usual. Everything in the surrounding area looked as red as fire.

    The Shaman was standing near the fire pit. He raised his arms, faced the fire pit, and read the spell which no one understood but felt excited about. As the Shaman was saying the spell, the tribal music resounded, which was created by bones, stones, and animal skin drums. The rhythm was fast and sometimes slow. The ritual dancers wearing horns began to dance to the music around the fire pit.

    The second me, Flying me. Much denser than previous years. Part of the mes spread out of the fire pit, and extended in the air. They didn¡¯tnd. Six hot lines extended from the fire pit.

    Shao Xuan concentrated on dancing, but suddenly he felt something strange. The totem in his mind was moving very violently, and the ¡°shell¡± which wrapped the totem up became bright.

    This was unusual.

    In order to find out what happened, Shao Xuan nced at his bone ornament while dancing. What he saw almost shocked him a lot and he almost forgot how to dance.

    The bone ornament was bright. The ball left by the first Shaman after his death was lit up.

    In the beginning, the ball seemed to reflect the light of the fire, but gradually, its dim surface began to be noticeably bright. In addition, the ball emitted a light as bright as the mes.

    Shao Xuan paid attention to the ball and at the same time he danced to the music. He ignored the others. The people who were looking at the fire pit were shocked, especially those who had witnessed Shao Xuan¡¯s awakening. If they could speak out at this moment, they would certainly shout out to Shao Xuan: ¡°You are on fire!¡±

    The ritual dancers were surrounding the fire pit as nned. One of them was suddenly lighting up, it was very obvious. The Shaman and the chief did not say anything because he kept dancing happily. The others pretended that they didn¡¯t see it.

    The Shaman had noticed that something unusual had happened to Shao Xuan. Different from the others who saw his mes, he noticed Shao Xuan¡¯s bone ornament at the first sight.

    The Shaman¡¯s hand shook and he could not wait to see if it was the ball that was lit up, or just reflecting the mes of the fire pit. However, the ceremony was going on and he couldn¡¯t stop dancing.

    He tried hard to control himself. The Shaman continued to say the spell, but the wrinkles on his face were trembling because of his excitement.

    Was it lit up? Yes!

    Even though we haven¡¯t found the other half of the fire seed, the ancestors did not abandon us!

    This was what the Shaman thought.

    He had nned to keep calm and host the ceremony. However, with the disappearance of the second me, the third me, Spreading me began to spread from the sea of mes in the fire pit. A figure gradually emerged at the edge of the fire pit, where Shao Xuan was standing.

    The huge figure gradually became clearer, like a giant rising in the sea of mes. He lowered his head to look at the people of the ming Horns tribe who were kowtowing on the ground.

    No one could see his face, for he was a person wrapped in mes, exactly like the one in Shao Xuan¡¯s dream.

    Because of the sudden appearance of the giant, the Shaman was in a daze for a while. The people dancing around the fire pit could not help but stop. They knew that they should continue dancing. However, when they saw this giant, they could not help but stop and look over there in a daze.

    Shao Xuan also raised his head to look to the giant in front of him.

    Not only the people next to the fire pit, but also those unawakened wanderers far from it could clearly see the giant standing by the fire pit.

    What is that? Who is it?

    The Shaman came up with a possible answer, but he was not sure. After all, no information about it had been recorded by the ancestors. It was certain that such a situation didn¡¯t mean a threat to the ming Horns tribe. On the contrary, it could protect the tribe better.

    The third me extended far and out.

    It had extended to the border of those gone by years.

    No one paid any attention to whether the me reached the border and or how far it was from the border. Everyone focused on the giant beside the fire pit. He was also raising his arms, like the Shaman , but he made no sound.

    When the third me gradually retreated, the surrounding light faded. The giant standing up disappeared gradually, and finally returned to the fire pit with the mes.

    Everything was as usual.

 Chapter 264 - The young elder

    Chapter 264 - The young elder

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    After the third me disappeared, the ritual ceremony should normally be over, but it was different tonight.

    Even the new warriors that had just awakened did not have time to rejoice about their new life when the giant appeared. Although the giant had already disappeared from the fire pit when the mes retreated, they remained astonished.

    Besides the appearance, the giant even made them feel like worshipping it.

    The Shaman sighed deeply, looked at Ao in his eyes, and then both looked towards Shao Xuan.

    The eyes of the Shaman and the chief were filled with joy.

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen,¡± Ao shouted in a deep voice on the venue to attract the attention of all the people who were still immersed in that feeling.

    ¡°I am the chief of the ming Horns tribe, called Ao. In ordance with the will of the ancestors, I ept ¡®Xuan¡¯ as an ¡®elder¡¯!¡± Ao said solemnly.

    After the chief, the Shaman also said: ¡°I am the shaman of the ming Horns tribe. In ordance with the will of the ancestors, I ept ¡®Xuan¡¯ as an ¡®elder¡¯!¡±

    All the people hadn¡¯t be focused yet. Hearing the chief¡¯s and the Shaman¡¯s words, they were suddenly stunned.

    An elder? Shao Xuan?

    They had heard that in other tribes there were elders, but those were the elites who had made countless contributions to the tribes and were strong and powerful. Most of them hadpeted to be the chief. In some tribes, after retiring, the chiefs would be the elders. However, they had never heard of such a young elder!

    The original members of the ming Horns tribe¡¯s only understanding of elders was from that person that was cremated back then, who used to be an elder. Since the Shaman and the chief had announced it and they said they did so ¡°in ordance with the will of the ancestors¡±, no one could disagree with the ancestors, right? Who dared to do that? Whomever dared to do that would suffer a lot.

    Shao Xuan handed the bone ornament to the Shaman and an official title-awarding ceremony was held. From now on, Shao Xuan was an elder of the ming Horns tribe, only below the Shaman and the chief.

    The Shaman was holding the shining bone ornament. He was so excited that his hands were trembling. He could feel the familiar bone ornament contain the power of the first Shaman, the most powerful Shaman! Meanwhile, he had consumed some energy in the ritual ceremony, but the amount of his energy was rapidly increasing.

    In the crowd, Old Ke flushed from his emotions, and in his hollow eyes, tears were flowing. Unexpectedly, the child who had starved in the hole grew up and became an elder with such a high status today.

    The original members of the ming Horns tribe thought that in the whole tribe only the Shaman and the chief had the absolute authority. Ta and Gui He, the two team leaders, could not make everyone follow their words. But now, it seemed that another entity also had the absolute authority. ording to the Shaman and chief, an elder had a higher status than the team leaders. When the Shaman and the chief made major decisions, the elder could participate in the discussion and even oppose the ideas.

    Afterthe title-awarding ceremony, the ritual ceremony finally ended.

    The new totem warriors were asked to go to a ce to wait for the Shaman, who would give them lessons. The others would go back together. From now on, they were not wanderers, but members of the ming Horns tribe!

    This time, there were less than two thousand people who awakened, including the children who were old enough to awaken and the wanderers who came back. They were still counting the exact number. This was what Shao Xuan had expected.

    Shao Xuan had Old Ke and Caesar go back first, for the chief looked for him to ask him something about the bone ornament.

    The people who had gathered around the fire pit gradually dispersed. The family members of those who awakened were so happy that they invited some good friends to celebrate. Those who failed to get the power, besides the young children, would be even less likely to get it in the future.

    A thin woman looked very depressed, and also reassured the others around her with a wry smile. She did not speak. Many did as her, and in the crowd she was not very noticeable.

    As she walked from the crowd step by step, her husband was waiting for her anxiously. Her husband was one of those wanderers from other tribes.

    ¡°So?¡± When he saw his wifee to him, the man strode forward.

    The woman shook her head.

    The passers-by looked at the honest man who clumsilyforted his wife, they understood the reason. Theyforted them, sighed, and left.

    The frustrated couple walked out of the venue, went back to their hut and shut the door.

    The man didn¡¯t look sad anymore but serious. With helplessness, he took out some herbs to smash them. He put them in a pot, added some water, started the fire, and cooked them.

    These herbs didn¡¯t smell strong. When they were cooked, there was a light smell of grass. If one was did not pay attention or stayed away from the herbs, they could not smell it.

    That thin woman closed the windows and doors. Her face became pale at once, she couldn¡¯t stop herself. She spat out blood and looked exhausted. If she hadn¡¯t sat on the stool with the help of the wooden table, she would have probably fallen down.

    ¡°Damn it.¡± The man looking at the y jar said.

    The woman was panting and sitting on the stool next to the wooden table. She did not say anything, for she was afraid that she would spit out blood again if she did so.

    When the herbs were ready, she took the medicine and quietly rested for a while. Then she slowly said: ¡°If the me giant didn¡¯t appear so suddenly, I would not have suffered so much!¡±

    They had nned to find out what treasure the ming Horns tribe had at the ritual ceremony. They usually showed the valuable items at the ritual ceremony.

    However, this time, they failed to implement their n.

    They pretended to be a couple here. In their n, the man was from another tribe and the woman came from the ming Horns tribe. At the ritual ceremony, they stood at different ces, because the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe could stand close to the fire pit in order to awaken easily.

    Those from other tribes who wanted to join the ming Horns tribe needed to attend the reditation ceremony. In this way they could be epted by the fire seed or rejected by it. No one wanted to take that risk. The wanderers without faith would feel less repulsion by the fire seed.

    They hadn¡¯t taken part in such a ritual ceremony. Nor were they wanderers without any faith.

    When the mes of the fire pit spread, she felt stabbing pain inher body. However, she endured such pains. They had many many experiences, different from ordinary people, they could bear a lot.

    However, unexpectedly, a me giant suddenly appeared! The repulsion of the fire seed became stronger at that time, that me giant had a big impact on her. She had almost spat out blood at that time, but she held back. Fortunately, people around her only paid attention to the fire pit, so no one noticed her. Otherwise, her secret would have been revealed.

    She remembered that at that time she was like a weak beast facing a mighty monster and she couldn¡¯t resist it. At this time, she was still scared. However, thanks to their many experiences and their good disguising skill, they avoided being discovered by those around them.

 Chapter 265 - Wait!

    Chapter 265 - Wait!

    Tranted by Lesyt Team

    Edited by Ilesyt

    The man cleaning up the dregs said, ¡°I thought I could steal the bone ornamentworn by that kid, but now it seems that I have to make a new n.¡± Although he was far away from the core area around the fire seed, he still felt the repulsion and deterrence.

    Few people knew anything about that bone ornament. Those who had carried the ancestors back knew about it, while others had never observed it carefully. They didn¡¯t remember it clearly as a few years had passed. Shao Xuan usually wore the bone ornament hidden in his animal skin coat and never showed it.

    He had seen Shao Xuan¡¯s bone ornament in the winter. At that time, Shao Xuan went to the pens and had helped Ke Ke catch the birds of prey. When Shao Xuan was putting in effort to catch the birds, he saw the bone ornament that hade out.

    As a thief, he had sharp eyes. Even though the ball of the bone ornament was dull and seemed to be worthless, he had the intuition that it was precious, even more precious than a fire crystal. Shao Xuan was very alert, so he had never had a chance to steal it.

    Now, after the ritual ceremony of the ming Horns tribe, he had given up trying to steal it. It was left by the ancestors of the ming Horns tribe, and showed the status of an elder. It was precious, but that kind of force caused him to be vignt of it.

    ¡°What do we do next?¡± The woman had almost recovered and asked.

    ¡°Seize an opportunity and act! If we fail, retreat!¡± The man said. In fact, he still wanted to go to the house of the shaman of the ming Horns tribe. Unfortunately, there was tight security around his housepared with that of the Drumming tribe. Moreover, the young elder had sharp eyes... It was hard for him to seed.

    After the ritual ceremony, the atmosphere in the ming Horns tribe became more lively and began prospering.

    Because of the awakened power, those epted as members of the tribe became energetic. Even the wanderers of other tribes who were not qualified to participate in the ritual ceremony of the ming Horns tribe could not help but begin to envy their power. Among them, some were smart and were thinking about how to build a close rtionship with a member of the ming Horns tribe. If they seeded, they could, in the name of rtives, joined the tribe.

    The tribe was lively, but there was also turmoil.

    The winter had gone, and every creature in the forest began to get restless. After the people of the ming Horns tribe removed the dangerous creatures from their site, the tribe reorganized the hunting teams, which took turns to go hunting, and nned new hunting routes. At the same time, they strengthened the defense. The new totem warriors were quite active and fulfilled their duty. With their weapons, they wanted to walk around the border. As totem warriors, they felt excited at participating in such an affair.

    In the tribe, some fields had been reimed, and the livestock pens had also been expanded.

    Everything was going on well, but no one knew when a crisis would arise. They had to remain alert, especially towards the Wan Shi tribe.

    Today, Shao Xuan went patrolling with others. Even though he became an elder, he could not be idle all day. Although an elder did not have the duty to participate in patrolling and hunting, Shao Xuan was also young. He was not too old to take part in it.

    In the beginning, the hunting and patrolling warriors were afraid of Shao Xuan and didn¡¯t dare to y a joke on him. However, gradually, they found Shao Xuan did not scold them for telling jokes and they felt free to do so.

    In terms of making decisions, they still followed Shao Xuan¡¯s words. Ke Ke and Tuo usually talked with Ta jokingly, but they always listened to Ta when it came to their business.

    Shao Xuan and some warriors were patrolling in the tribe. They arrived at where the new members of the ming Horns tribe lived. After the ritual ceremony, the wanderers of the ming Horns tribe finally settled here.

    Shao Xuan nced,ughed and said: ¡°Such a big change.¡±

    In the winter they had seen huts here, but now he could see that some families had changed the huts into houses made of stone and wood. Perhaps, soon they would build houses with bricks here.

    ¡°Yes, that is because there are more totem warriors,¡± The other patrolling warriors said.

    The huts had changed into stone houses because those were stronger and looked grand. The construction of stone houses showed that there were totem warriors in the families. The wanderers who had endured a lot finally awakened, and now wanted to show off.

    ¡°Pay more attention to them.¡± Shao Xuan said. This was the order of the chief and the Shaman. They didn¡¯t exclude these neers from joining them, but quite a few of these new warriors werecent. Anyone who broke the rules of the ming Horns tribe, even a totem warrior, would be punished by the Shaman and the chief.

    As they were walking, they heard that something happened in the animal pens. The patrolling warriors were closer to the pen, so they went there to find out what happened.

    Shao Xuan also intended to go there. He stopped walking when he nced and saw something.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, why aren¡¯t you going there?¡± Lang Ga saw Shao Xuan didn¡¯t keep up and asked.

    ¡°You go ahead. I still have something to deal with. If something serious and urgent happens, whistle.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Lan Ga said.

    The patrolling warriors hurried to the pens and soon Shaw Xuan couldn¡¯t see them. He walked toward another direction.

    There was a couple who were walking to where the new warriors of the ming Horns tribe lived. The woman was carrying a rattan basket in her hand.

    Shao Xuan did not act because there were other people around.

    When Shao Xuan followed them, the two in the front walked faster and faster, and changed their direction.

    Around them, there were less people now.

    ¡°The two over there, please wait!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The two in the front seemed to not have heard his words and continued moving forward.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t meet all of the new warriors of the ming Horns tribe, and he didn¡¯t know the two. Shao Xuan would be able to confirm whether the two were new warriors if he could get closer to them.

    Shao Xuan no longer said anything and rushed forward like an arrow to the two.

    The couple walking side by side suddenly separated, and the man turned to face Shao Xuan. In a moment, he became aggressive, like a sharp de. He punched towards Shao Xuan.

    He didn¡¯t have any totem patterns on his body, but he was as powerful and fierce as a totem warrior.

    When Shao Xuan approached, his right hand looked like a w and attacked Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder even more fiercely.

    The hand was like a rock, strong and fierce. Whether the speed or power, they were above those of intermediate totem warriors. Even an intermediate totem warrior might not be able to resist such a violent attack, and weak shoulders would be smashed into pieces.

    A wanderer?

    No wanderers could be so fierce and powerful!

    At the same time, the man in the front was familiar to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was going to use his fist, but he instantly turned his palm, like a vine catching prey in the forest. He swiftly grabbed his wrist and attempted to throw him!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t want to just throw him away, but firmly grasped him to m him towards the ground.

    When he tried to lift him, he stamped hard on the ground. Others, even if they managed to stand firm, they would also have to resist the power passed through ground. Not to mention the ground cracking, there was also a crater under his foot. After all, Shao Xuan attacked him with his strongest totem power.

    It was hard to resist such an attack.

    However, the man whose wrist was grasped by Shao Xuan didn¡¯t counter stamp hard on the ground as Shao Xuan expected.

    Whoosh~~

    Like a gust of wind.

    The dust on the ground was blown away from his feet.

    He stepped on the ground lightly!

 Chapter 266

    Trantor: Kuhaku Chisaac

    Editor: Akumu, Spade29, and TheSilentDoaist

    Author Reminder:

    First time doing this novel. If someone is willing to summarize the story for me, it would be very much appreciated because I haven¡¯t read the story and I don¡¯t know what is happening. I don¡¯t have time to read it so please help me out in understanding this better. If you guys have any suggestions for me or changes that I should put, then go to discord and put in any improvement that I need. This novel¡¯s chapters are long so it will probably take longer to release. If you guys want more chapters on a certain light novel, please donate to the PayPal ount below. Only $13 is needed to get an extra chapter for a certain light novel. You guys will only get two extra chapter for the certain light novel. Please help support us and thank you very much. Donations will be very much appreciated. When you enter your PayPal, justment on what novel you want for extra chapter. Once again, thank you guys for joining us.

    paypal.me/ChisaacXu

    Chapter 266

    The person who has been beaten, transformed into a different figure. The moment Shao Xuan arrived, he could clearly see the incredible changes happening to that person. The tall man transformed into an obese person. At this time, Shao Xuan had underestimated the person in front of him.

    When they were fighting against each other, the petite woman who had retreated to the side, stared at Shao Xuan with amazement. She knows that Shao Xuan is clever. When she detected Shao Xuan tailing behind them, they immediately changed their ns. They tried to avoid the patrol team especially Shao Xuan¡¯s patrol team.

    ¡°How did this brat discover us? How are we supposed to get past them in the future?¡±

    Shao Xuan also noticed the movements of the petite woman. Whatever happens, he was mentally prepared to fight the woman if she joins the fight, but she just stood there and watched the battle.

    When Shao Xuan looked back at his opponent, he was caught by surprise to see the man on the offensive and attacking him. Suddenly, the man moved and jumped back. His face was somewhat distorted. His bones haven¡¯t been restored to its original form. He was smiling at Shao Xuan and then, started tough for some reason. It was weird and horrible.

    The man looks like he was about to speak, but he looked up at the sky.

    ¡°Someone ising! Let¡¯s go!¡± said the petite woman. She quickly ran away from the scene.

    The man who was fighting Shao Xuan also quickly left the scene, but they were both going in different directions.

    As soon as they left, ten people came and chased after the two people. Shao Xuan could not catch up to the two people.

    After fighting with the man, he is now sure that the man he fought with was the one he met in the tribest year. Perhaps he could have also stolen the things that belonged to the tribe.

    It didn¡¯t take long before the ten people came back. From their expressions, Shao Xuan can see that they did not catch the two people

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°They ran away,¡± Gui He said.

    The white dragonfly in the sky also came back. It also failed to find the two people.

    ¡°Were the two people thieves?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    Shao Xuan asked around to see where those two thieves lived. Shao Xuan described the faces of the two thieves.

    It did not take long for Shao Xuan to find out where the two thieves lived.

    ¡°Is it here?¡± Gui He kicked the door open.

    The people inside the room didn¡¯t understand what was happening, but they did know who Gui He and Shao Xuan are. One is the tribe¡¯s boss and the other is the tribe¡¯s elder. Both of them has high status in the tribe. The people in the room did not dare to speak a word.

    Shao Xuan talked to Tuo and asked him to do something. Shao Xuan entered the room.

    Tuo told the customers that two couples had secretly left their rooms without paying. He asked if any of them knew the two couples.

    Shao Xuan listened to the information provided by the people around Tuo. From the information that Tuo has gathered, the two people were already in the tribe before winter!

    After looking around the house, they found nothing useful. Shao Xuan and Gui He went to the leader and reported the matter.

    The thieves entered the tribe secretly. This made the leader felt angry and vignt.

    ¡°Go to each tribe and re-register the people. You are responsible for this matter!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Last year there was a lot of negligence, and there was a lot of trouble. Now that something has happened, you need to clean up the mess. Not only do you need to re-register the people of Yanjiao tribe but also the tourists who live in the peripheries. You guys have to re-register and then check and re-check them every once in a while.

    The leader asked: ¡°Xuan, how did you find them?¡±

    ¡°Intuition.¡± Shao Xuan said. He couldn¡¯t tell why. After seeing the two, they felt a little bit suspicious. After following them, he felt more and more suspicious.

    ¡°I will get more people to try and find these two thieves,¡± said the leader.

    After leaving from the hustle and bustle, Shao Xuan walked with the patrols and walked through the residential area Yanjiao. He left the patrol team and nned to go over and see if he could find some clues.

    Simr to the other wooden houses, there was a wooden table that has been smashed and shattered in the room. There was a lot of wood residue on the ground. In the wooden house, the furnishings were simple. The wood on the wall was knocked over. Marks were left by the tools, the ground was also shaved, they probably did not find anything, and got so angry that the wooden bench was also crushed.

    Shao Xuan did not find anything suspicious. It really feels like those who have not yet have their Totem Power awaken.

    Nothing special here.

    No. There is something.

    Shao Xuan smelled carefully. Since he has seen lots of herbs with Wu, he can identify many of them. The subtle smell of here is more like grass, not bitter medical herbs. By the fire pit, there were some light green dregs. Shao Xuan picked some with his finger and lifted it under his nose. Were those two injured? Probably recently, too. Thinking of the ceremony a few days ago, Shao Xuan wondered if their injury was inflicted by the fire in the ceremony. Really? Are thieves these days so relentless? All that rejection and pain from the fire, just for some petty theft? How dedicated. He looked around, but nothing sketchy other than those dregs. Shao Xuan was about to leave, but he turned around after some brief thinking. He looked around again, but with his special ability.

    The entire ce was shrouded in darkness. The wooden walls and stone-like objects lost their original color and turned gray¡­though there was one exception! Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze was fixated at the base of a particr ce along the walls. There a dim glow that stood out from the surroundings. Compared to the gray hue around it it was very noticeable.

    After closing the door to the log cabin, Shao Xuan walked over to take a look at the dim light. It appears to being from the ground. Unable to see what was buried underneath, Shao Xuan took out a dagger and started digging. As he dug further, the light became brighter and finally, he was able to see the light emitting item. It was a pouch made of animal hide with something inside. It was cylindrical and about a forearm¡¯s length. He opened the pouch and took out what was inside it. It was a wooden tube of some variety. It was not bamboo, but it was not a type of wood Shao Xuan hadmonly seen before. This was slightly harder. There was a tightly stuffed stopper at the end of the wooden tube. There was the trace of a golden powder-like color near the stopper. What was this shiny gold material? Was it some kind of metal? To be hidden like this by those two people, could it be a stolen treasure from some other tribe? Filled with curiosity, Shao Xuan decided to pull out the stopper. Though it was just a stopper, he needed to apply quite a bit of strength in order to pull it out. An ordinary passerby would not have the strength to do so. In order to prevent the contents inside from spilling out, Shao Xuan kept the stopper faced up as he pulled with force. The abundantly packed gold powder dazzled as if it was ced under sunshine. Was it gold? No, no it was not. In fact, it was not any sort of metal. Shao Xuan slightly weighed the tube in his hands and stirred up the contents a bit with the dagger. The golden powder was not as heavy as metal or stone. It was more akin to wood! A golden colored wood?

    Unlike the dyed color, it was more like a natural gold.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan found a wooden te and took it. After wiping the wooden te clean, Shao Xuan poured out the gold powder into the wooden tube.

    He carefully pinched at the clipping within the gold powder. It appeared to be a portion of a leaf that had been shaped into a square-like shape. The cut marks could be seen on both ends but they were not apparent along the borders and the leaf veins were still visible. The wooden tube gave Shao Xuan the impression that it was very archaic, but the leaf looked like it was freshly plucked with no signs of withering.

    Sniffing the leaf, he could smell a faint foliage scent. Though it was not pungent, one whiff of it would cause one¡¯s built up fatigue to disperse. What was more fascinating to Shao Xuan was the design on the leaf. The lines were in a messy zigzag so he could not tell what it was.

    Was it a letter? It did not seem like it. Shao Xuan delicately blew off the gold powder covering the leaf in order to get a clearer look. Looking on top of the dark green leaf, he noticed the golden letters formed by the powder were gradually fading out so he stopped.

    The windows were tightly shut but even if the wind were blowing in it would not have scattered the powder that quickly. Moreover, the powder on the wooden te beside him was fine, only the golden powder letters on the leaf were rapidly disappearing. Shao Xuan wanted to bury the leaf in the gold powder again thinking it would perhaps prevent the powder from dissipating. Before he could do so, his vision cked out and he had lost consciousness.

 Chapter 267

    Chapter 267

    After the couple escaped the ming Horn tribe, they originally thought, ¡°we cannot afford to continue to stay around the people of the tribe.¡± We¡¯ll just try to go around to the area of the wanderers. However, unexpectedly, the people of the ming Horn tribe started a head count.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just wait for another chance. There will always be people leaving, and that would be our chance.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± The originally slender woman had blossomed quite a lot, and her facial features had also changed. So, if people were to find her, they wouldn¡¯t think of them as ¡°traitors¡± immediately. While thinking about that, the woman yelled: ¡°Where is the thing?¡±

    ¡°What thing?¡±

    ¡°The leaf of eternal youth!¡±, the woman said while gritting her teeth.

    This stunned the man, but he said nonchntly, ¡°It¡¯s fine after the wind dies down, we¡¯ll go back and dig it up.¡±

    ¡°But what if someone else gets it first¡­¡­¡±, the worried woman said. This is a treasure that they found while hiding their belongings, down in a hole. Nobody knew which tribe the dead person was from. However, looking at the bone structure, one can deduce that it is from a very strong warrior.

    The treasure wasying by the set of bones, which showed that the person seemed to have been dead for a long time, and the bamboos had already changed color. However, the leaf that it contains, was still good as new.

    This was the leaf of eternal youth!

    ording to rumors, once this leaf enters the soil, it will stay fresh for ten thousand years. That is a really long time. The scribes of the tribes used this to write stuff to pass on toter generations. However, the ones that are left are really rare nowadays, and almost no one had seen one before.

    Before, they were only rumors, but now since they were able to see the leaf they knew it was more than rumors. However, even when they saw it, they were both shocked. They were extremely surprised to be able to find such a treasure. It may even be able to make them rich. Unfortunately for them though, they weren¡¯t able to read the ancient text inscribed on the leaf.

    Because of how curious they were, and as well as not feeling secure putting it outside, they kept it a secret. They brought it along with them during the excursions with the ming Horn tribe but made sure to keep it well concealed.

    When they entered the tribe, they shut themselves in a room to study secretly the leaf for a long time. They still couldn¡¯t find the secret behind the leaf though. Maybe only mages and magicians could decrypt these.

    ¡°Who wants to go dig these things? Even if they break the house down, they still won¡¯t be able to find it. Even if they did find it, would they even be able to understand what it means?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡± The woman said while calming down tremendously.

    However, unknown to the pair, Shao Xuan has already found the items a long time ago.

    Unbeknownst to Shao Xuan, the gold powder on the freshly picked leaf disintegrated after he fainted. The leaf became dried up and turned yellow and proceeded to mix with the dirt on the ground.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan suddenly saw a sea of knowledge, and the shape on the leaf took the form of a weird 2D shape.

    What is the painting trying to depict here? Is it a totem?

    No, it can¡¯t be.

    He looked at the odd, moving drawing. It is almost as if it had life in it as it was squirming.

    Is it a bug? A snake? Something else?

    It didn¡¯t have eyes, nor did it have feet. It just is a simple line, but it is ceaselessly moving.

    What in the world is this?

    Shao Xuan doesn¡¯t really know much about this world, and his knowledge of the history is even more scarce. Everything he knows is from what others told him, and all of it was just pure rumors, he couldn¡¯t tell if it was true or not. He doesn¡¯t know what the leaf that was in his hand before he fainted meant.

    And he doesn¡¯t know what the gold powder is either. He is even more confused on what the moving lines were trying to tell him..

    While Shao Xuan was pondering behind the meaning of this, he noticed that within this weird shape, a faint pair of hands started to materialize. After this pair of hands appeared, the shape became much more realistic. This time, he could guess what it was.

    When he was learning traps with Lao Ke (TL: Loki?), he also learned a few new ways to tie knots. And the pair of hands that he was seeing, was tying knots with a rope.

    It was only tying knots, is it really that mysterious?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t understand, but after looking at it for a while, he noticed something was going on. The knots that it was tying were not the ones used to set traps but instead are more like the ones to transmit a message. A very important, serious and powerful message.

    After a long time, Shao Xuan still couldn¡¯t see the hands tie any knot. It was just there twirling chaotically.

    Shao Xuan was staring at the pair of hands in his mind. However, in reality, he was inside the stone house of some sorcerers.

    The leader, two elders and some other people were all here. Their attention was totally directed at a person, lying down on some animal skin.

    ¡°Leader, what happened to Shao Xuan? Did he get ambushed by some people?¡±, Ke ke whispered quietly.

    The leader red at him and said nothing, but he had an ugly expression.

    Not only in the tower, but in the house, nobody had a kind expression. Especially Gui He. Gui He brings the people of the ming horn tribe out and does head counts every day, and even searched the house of those two suspects. He didn¡¯t find anything abnormal, but just as he finished at wanted to leave, he heard that Shao Xuan was heading this way. When he didn¡¯t see much happening, he left. However, Gui He wanted to see if Shao Xuan went back to the house of the two traitors, so he headed back.

    Unexpectedly, when he entered, he saw Shao Xuan lying down on the ground. He was scared out of his wits. Shao Xuan was promoted as elder just a while ago, and if something were to happened to him, the sorcerer and the leader would go insane. Good thing is, Shao Xuan¡¯s breathing patterns were normal. Yet he was not responding to his name being called. Gui He could only carry him to the sorcerer for help.

    Unfortunately, even when he brought him to the sorcerer, he still couldn¡¯t wake him up either.

    Gui He reported some details to the sorcerer and approached the holes with empty containers and sprinkled some of the gold powder onto it.

    The two elders started to suspect that maybe the two traitors had returned. Maybe they decided to dig up some stuff, but when Shao Xuan touched it, he fainted. However, upon closer investigation, the facts just didn¡¯t line up. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even have any signs of injuries on his body, so he didn¡¯t get into a fight. Even more, if these two can knock out Shao Xuan so easily, why didn¡¯t they just kill him?

    They couldn¡¯te up with any conclusive evidence, so everyone just stood in silence.

    The sorcerer touched some of the golden powder inside the empty container. When he touched it, his eyes started to sparkle.

    ¡°He is moving! Look! He moved!¡± Gui He yelled in astonishment.

    Everyone gazed at Shao Xuan, who was lying on some animal skin. They saw that Shao Xuan¡¯s fingers were twitching. There was no pattern in the movement, however, it was clearly very fast. The originally jittering fingers started to move to arger area, and the wrists were starting to move. It seemed like Shao Xuan was enduring something very exhausting because he was drenched in sweat.

    He didn¡¯t fight, nor did he do anything other than lie there. What was draining his energy?

    Everyone was astounded.

    ¡°Did he have a bad dream?¡± Ke ke said quietly. Looking at this man¡¯s sweat-covered face, one could even assume that he was hunting some savage animal inside a dense forest.

    The sorcerer saw the movement of his hand and felt that what Ke Ke said was wrong. It seemed familiar¡­. what is it? The sorcerer¡¯s pupils contracted violently and raised his hand and started waving.

    We must get everyone out of here.

    The two elders kicked everyone out and returned to look at Shao Xuan¡¯s situation. They also bolted the door shut so no one could enter.

    Gui He was reluctant to leave, but after getting a firm stare from one of the elders, he turned around and left.

    After confirming that everyone has left, and the door was firmly shut, the elders asked the sorcerer, ¡°What do you think happened?¡±

    The sorcerer looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s hand movements and signed in vain. ¡°Judging by his movements, I can conclude that he is fighting with something, and it seems to be tying knots.¡±

    ¡°Tying knots?¡± he said confusedly.

 Chapter 268

    Chapter 268

    When Shao Xuan opened his eyes, his vision was very blurry. Only bing clearer after a while.

    The face of the Wu and Shou Ling appeared above him. ¡°Ah Xuan, how are you?¡± Ao asked sound worried

    For Shao Xuan, it took quite some power to just sit up. Wu handed a cup of water to Shao Xuan to drink, which helped relieve a bit of his headache.

    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡± Shao Xuan answered weakly.

    ¡±You don¡¯t look okay.¡±

    Ao poured more water into the cup. Shao Xuan felt that he was recovering and proceeded with telling Ao what happened at the cabin.

    Ao was relieved when he heard that nothing bad happened to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Is that all?¡± Ao took the wooden te and barrel with the gold dust.

    ¡°Yes, What happened to the leaves?¡±Shao Xuan asked.

    Ao and Wu looked at each other and then shook their heads. ¡°I¡¯ll go and ask again, no, I¡¯ll go to the wooden cabin myself,¡± said Ao.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and see too.¡± Shao Xuan stood up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too,¡± Wu said.

    Once again, Shao Xuan came back to the wooden house. Shao Xuan pointed to the ce where he had held the leaves before.

    Only, the leaves were gone.

    ¡°Has anyone else been in here?¡± Ao asked.

    Shao Xuan shook his head, ¡°There shouldn¡¯t have been. Recently, the people around here have busy with the two thieves, how could they havee to this house?¡±

    Wu walked around the house, then stayed in the ce where Shao Xuan fainted, crouched, stretched out his arm and brushed on the ground.

    ¡°The leaves are dead,¡± said Wu.

    ¡°Dead? When I took it out, the leaves looked fresh and green.¡±Shao Xuan was amazed.

    But if Wu said that they were dead, then they really were dead.

    After going back to the stone house, Wu told Shao Xuan to stay behind. ¡°Do you know what your hand positions were in while you were unconscious?¡± asked Wu.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±Shao Xuan shook his head.

    ¡°The leaf you were holding might be a leaf of eternal youth,¡± said Wu.

    ¡°Is there really such thing as leaf of eternal youth?¡± Shao Xuan was doubtful

    ¡°These are also powders from the tree of eternal youth.¡±

    Wu didn¡¯t care whether Shao Xuan believed it or not, just continuing with his exnation: ¡°Reportedly, long ago, our ancestors used to inherit tools such as the leaves of the tree of eternal youth to record events of messages.

    An example is if I wanted to pass on some of my abilities to future generations, I would write it on the leaf.

    Such a heritage, even if written down, will be destroyed. They only exist once. When the recipient absorbs the leave or message, others will not be able to read the text. Naturally, there will not be a second person to get that kind of inheritance.¡±

    ¡°Do you mean that the message of the leaf of eternal youth is inside my head now?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes¡±

    He nced at what used to be the leaf.

    ¡°So, I inherited the message of that leaf? I don¡¯t know what it was, I only saw a pair of hands with a partially fastened rope that looked like an iplete knot¡±

    Wu smoothed out his beard and pulled on it two times, still wondering what it was. ¡°How about you go to GuiZe and ask her to teach you about the meanings of the ropes.¡± ¡°Wu said.

    ¡°What do a few knots even represent?¡± ¡°Shao Xuan asked.

    However, Shao Xuan was really interested in what the ropes represented. He wanted to understand what kind of information the leaves were trying to give him.

    The next day, Shao Xuan went to the medicine house.

    Wu already told GuiZe about the situation. When Shao Xuan arrived, GuiZe gave him a scroll

    Shao Xuan untied the scroll and opened it. There were some pictures of ropes and knots and next to it were text annotations.

    The scroll was still new, From the time of production, it had only been a few years.

    ¡°Thank you. When I need help, I will call you.¡± Shao Xuan pulled out a rope and looked at it.

    These ropes were rtively smooth. The pictures in the scroll told Shao Xuan how to make the knot and what the knot represented.

    Sometimes, seemingly very simr knot had very different meanings. This was probably used to pass the hidden information.

    Shao Xuan thought all of them were very simple knots.

    Shao Xuan was able to make a sentence with the knots he made.

    Shao Xuan tried to remember the sequence of knots that were on the leaf. He tried to copy the knots in his memory, but couldn¡¯t make them look the same.

    One by one, he started tying knots that were impossible to untie. All of them tied in a chaotic way.

    When tying the knot Shao Xuan thought to himself: ¡°Am I not supposed to be the smart one? Why is it so hard to tie a simple knot? Why are my hands all tangled up with the knots?¡±

    After Shao Xuan untangled the knots from his hand, he wiped the sweat out of his forehead. It was very tiring

    He decided to stop because it was gettingte, choosing to continue tomorrow.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t believe that he couldn¡¯t solve this simple knot.

 Chapter 269

    After that day, Shao Xuan did not use the expensive ropes provided by Guize; it was too wasteful. Instead, he practiced the knots on grass ropes. Although they were rough, it didn¡¯t hurt his hands after he tore it apart. Also, if the knot couldn¡¯t be undone, it could also be used as firewood.

    For five days, in addition to patrolling and hunting, Shao Xuan used the ropes to tie knots.

    As a result, many of the failed grass ropes were used as firewood.

    Lao Ke did not quite understand why Shao Xuan was so obsessed with ying with the grass rope, but since Shao Xuan insisted, he did not say anything.

    After failing again, Shao Xuan was somewhat discouraged. He mmed the grass ropes to the ground and threw them aside, before picking up the water-filled gourd and pouring a few mouthfuls down his throat.

    After taking a long break, Shao Xuan ran to Wu¡¯s stone house and said that he was having trouble tying the knot

    ¡°I just feel that I am not doing this right. My hand somehow gets tied into the knot every time.¡±

    Wu was silent for a long while.

    Then he said, ¡°If this is the case, it is better not to think about the knot, but to be free. Don¡¯t be obsessed with imitating the movements of the hands; you can try to make the knot your own way.¡±

    Shao Xuan had thought about it too. It was in his own mind, even though he couldn¡¯t figure it out. He would try itter.

    ¡°You should learn to empty your mind.¡±

    It has been said that people who are empty-minded are actually very smart, because they can always do things that others can¡¯t do. [EN: Something akin to the flow mind method?]

    Enlightenment of that inheritance is not something you can achieve overnight.

    ¡°I know.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Wu nodded with satisfaction and prepared to say something, but Shao Xuan cut him off. ¡°After two days, I n to go to the forest and take ago on a trip. It may be a bit far, and it might take three to five days toe back. I¡¯ve found a nice stone over there that I want to check it out.¡±

    Wu¡¯s heart twitched. ¡°By yourself?¡±

    After Shao Xuan said that he wanted to go out and that he wouldn¡¯te back for three to five days, Wu seemed to be worried.

    If it was someone else, Wu wouldn¡¯t have cared, but it was Shao Xuan that was leaving. Wu was hesitant, but still nodded.

    ¡°Alright. You must be careful; don¡¯t make any rash decisions!¡± Wu said.

    ¡°I know, you can rest assured.¡± Shao Xuan promised.

    Two dayster, Shao Xuan took the polished stoneware, some food, and left the tribe.

    After flying away from the tribe for a day, Shao Xuan walked directly between the forests. The guards usually searched the skies for suspicious birds. Shao Xuan did not want to bebelled as someone suspicious.

    The surrounding environment felt sinister. With many years of hunting experience,, he had stronger instincts than most people.

    Shao Xuan could sense negative emotions that were directed towards him, and within a certain range, he could also detect danger.

    The forest was very wet and very foggy. Here, it seemed like even a small beast was dangerous.

    Shao Xuan walked into another forest. The tall, dense branches obstructed the light above, giving the whole ce a rather gloomy atmosphere..

    Shao Xuan noticed a beast not far ahead.

    It hid behind the thick grass between the trees, staring at Shao Xuan with wild eyes.

    The beasts that Shao Xuan usually hunted would run away after seeing the hunting team because they knew that the hunters were going to kill them.

    However, in this strange forest, the beasts did not know human beings.

    They were wary of any strange things, and they thought of humans as prey. Not only would they not run away, but they would also attack.

    Apanied by low howling, the figure that leapt from behind the grass dered the first strike.

    The low-lying beast violently attacked Shao Xuan, but Shao Xuan¡¯s de cut deep into the beast¡¯s flesh. Blood came sshing out of the beast¡¯s body, which fell to the ground, lifeless.

    Shao Xuan took ten steps backwards. Several small beasts came rushing out, not towards Shao Xuan, but to the body of the beast that had been cleaved in two, screaming for food. However, it wouldn¡¯t take long for the pungent smell of blood to spread out. There would soon be other beastsing over, driving away the smaller beasts and iming the corpses.

    Having flown and walked for an entire day, Shao Xuan looked at the sky. The sun was already hidden behind the mountains; he needed to find a ce to rest.

    He fought a fierce beast with a pointed w over a hole in the cliff, and drove the beast out of the cave.

    There were many animal bones in the cave, with a rotten smell, and manyrge and small bugs crawling up and down. Shao Xuan burned a torch and expelled the insects. As for the animal bones, they were all smashed. There were holes inside the bones.

    Shao Xuan took out of the animal skin and used the skin as a paper. He drew a picture of the surrounding environment. This time, in addition to looking for the stone, he would also map the ce he passed into onto some animal skin so that his hunting team could explore this ce.

    Shao Xuan extinguished the fire and took time to rest.

    When Shao Xuan woke up the next day, the sky outside was a bit gloomy. Standing in the hole and looking out, the forest below was covered in fog

    ¡°It seems to be raining.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t like rain very much, so he nned to stay in the hole and wait until the weather is fine before going out.

    The little animal meat that was cooked yesterday was eaten for breakfast. The meat of the beast had be cold and hard. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care. He ate while watching the sky outside.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know when this rain will calm down.¡± Shao Xuan said to himself, going to the cave to get himself out of the rain. The wind here was very violent

    .

    Sitting in the hole, Shao Xuan saw the rope tied to the waist. He hadn¡¯t touched the rope for two days. He took out the rope, now that he didn¡¯t have anything to do. Having taken it out of the animal bag and cutting it with a knife, he started ying with it in his hands.

    He was nning to tie the rope ording to how he remembered it from his dream.But when he thought of Wu, he paused. ¡®If I did what I was doing before, the result must be the same. I will get my hands tied up in the knot again.¡¯ Shao xuan thought

    Sighing heavily, Shao Xuan closed his eyes and put aside the memories of the hands. The rope just moved around aimlessly in his hands.

    Gradually, Shao Xuan forgot about knots. He started thinking about when the rain would stop. It wasn¡¯t the rainy season yet the sky was still gloomy and rainy.

    While his thoughts were wandering, Shao Xuan¡¯s hands seemed to move on its own. The rope around his hand was circling between his fingers. However, something was different. The way he knotted the rope was different. The feeling that Shao Xuan felt was not so chaotic, it seems to have a strong purpose.

    This time, Shao Xuan did not get distracted but was concentrated and paid attention to the knot movement on his hands. And Shao Xuan¡¯s hands are also unconsciously following the action, exactly the same as the action of the hands in his mind!

    When Shao Xuan broke away from that state, he opened his eyes and looked at his own hands. He was shocked to find that the rope on his hand had already got several knots on it instead of sticking his fingers.

    was it sessful?

    Or was it still a failure?

    Shao Xuan spected what the meaning of these ropes and knots were. Just now, what was he thinking when tying these ropes?

    ¡®Hunting? No, no.

    Stone? No.

    Rain? Yes, it was rain!¡¯

    At this point, Shao Xuan was getting excited. He needed to verify what these knots meant.

    Looking at the sky outside, Shao Xuan stood up, walked to the edge of the hole, took a deep breath, feeling the damp and cold water vapor in the air, clenching his fist, and reaching out.

    counting the time in his heart.

    Five¡­¡­

    The fist was open and the little finger extended.

    Four¡­

    The ring finger extended.

    three¡­¡­

    The middle finger extended.

    two¡­

    The index finger stood out.

    one!

    The thumb is extended and his palm was now open.

    Snap!

    A soft sound of a liquidnded on his hand.

    The palm felt slightly cool.

    Then bird poopnded at the center of his palm.

    Shao Xuan was going to wipe the poop off his hand with something. Just as he was about to take back his hand, another drop of poopnded on his hands.

    Followed by a second drop, a third drop, and a fourth drop¡­

    Dense water dropletsnded on the floor.

    The woods under the mountain were blocked by trees. The dense raindrops hit the leaves of the trees and there was the sound of somethinging from below.

 The Chronicles of Primordial War Authorâ€™s Remark

    Note: this is not a chapter, just the author¡¯s note on the story. I am still tranting it so you guys can support the author of this story.

    Author¡¯s Remark

    Including [Novel that includes ¡®star¡¯ and ¡®hunt¡¯], [Novel that includes ¡®Return¡¯ and ¡®Cat¡¯], this is the third time that the Author(³Â´Ê) has experienced being on ´ó·âÍÆ(guessing something to do with being nominated big time on the site), It isn¡¯t as agitated/excited as the first time, but I¡¯m still very happy.

    The result of this book is betterpared to the previous 2,rgely due to having support from a lot of fans from the other books, Appreciation to the close to 9k book friends who subscribed to [the current novel name], Appreciation to those who continuously vote everyday to let [the current novel name] stay on the board(billboard, bookshelf?), Appreciation to those who (donated?) everyday. Also thanks to the assistant editor ¡®Lie Shou¡®, Editor Chief ¡®Tai Shan¡®, and also (not sure what this means, guessing just from the word is the one in charge of making jokes) ¡®Bing Gan¡®, for their help.

    There have been some troubles encountered when writing this book, but luckily it has been sessfully ovee. Now at 800K words, and thinking back to the starting of the book, time really does pass by quickly.

    Compared to books that are on the same (bookshelf?), this book is considered slow, the author(himself) has even been monikered ¡°Chen.Update betrayal. Ci¡±, however,pared to the previous book, Chen Ci has improved a lot, isn¡¯t that right?

    Inserting a line: Regarding the paperback version of ¡¶Return to the past as a cat¡·, both simplified and traditional Chinese version are in the process of making, Everyone will be notified once it ispleted.

    I¡¯m too hungry while churning out words in the middle of the night that I¡¯m not making sense of what I¡¯m writing, so that will be it, I wish that everyone will continue to follow me up to 1.5M words, 2M words, and even further beyond.

 Chapter 270

    Chapter 270

    It¡¯s raining. It¡¯s really raining.

    Compared with the time predicted by Shao Xuan, it was only a few seconds apart.

    Coincidence? Or is it really the same as the result predicted by the knot?

    After using the rain to rinse off the bird poop, Shao Xuan walked back into the hole. He took out the straw rope in the animal skin bag and cut it again. Looking at the rain outside he thought to himself, why not try it once more?

    Since it¡¯s already raining, why not predict when the rain would stop.

    Shao Xuan thought of his state when he made the knot; he was thinking about what he was thinking when he was tying the knot. Then picking up the rope again, closing his eyes and letting go of other distracting thoughts, he thought about the time when the rain stopped.

    Finally, the knots appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind. It was inconsistent with the previous one. Shao Xuan carefully observed the movements of the hands in his mind. In his own hands, there appeared a knot that was simr to the one he had in his mind.

    When Shao Xuan finished the knot, the feeling of fainting came back. There was a moment of darkness in his eyes, and his brain was hurting for a while. Shao Xuan looked at the new knot in his hand; Shao Xuan interpreted what the knot meant.

    The rain will stop before noon.

    Even without the sun, Shao Xuan could estimate the approximate time when the rain would stop. As a hunter, he could guess what time it would stop raining.

    Noon, not too long from now. I merely have to wait and see.

    Shao Xuan put the knot next to him, munched on a piece of chilly barbecue, and rested against the wall. He needed to restore his strength as soon as possible. When it was almost noon, it was drizzling outside. But it didn¡¯t stop raining.

    After going back into the cave, Shao Xuan looked outside; the thick clouds of the sky were dissipating. The sun was shining through the gaps between the clouds. The rain gradually decreased until it stoppedpletely. The sky and the dark clouds scattered. The sun was out.

    The first time is a coincidence. But is the same thing happening two times a coincidence?

    Shao Xuan believed that the leaf recorded different knots. So is it technically a weather book? Even when he was traveling, he had never heeded a weather book. He didn¡¯t expect he would get such a thing.

    He didn¡¯t know which one of the members of this tribe left this behind. There was no trace on the totem. After the rain, Chacha flew out and grabbed a not-too-big beast and came back and ate it with Shao Xuan. After eating, Chacha rested next to him in the cave.

    His physical strength had almost recovered. Looking at the remaining straw ropes in the animal skin bag, he contemted about it and decided to cut it again with a stone knife. Not in a hurry to leave, Shao Xuan intended to try tying a knot once more. He nned to study more.

    He wanted to predict where the stone he needed to find is, but it wasn¡¯t so smooth the third time.

    He tied the knot

    Tried again!

    Failure.

    Tried again!

    It failed again.

    ¡­¡­

    The straw ropes in the animal skin bags have almost been used, and Shao Xuan put down a mess in his hand. Rested beside the wall.

    How can I fail?

    Was it just a coincidence the first two times?

    Chacha was next to him, watching Shao Xuan create one grass knot after another and then hit his head against the wall. It didn¡¯tpletely understand Shao Xuan¡¯s thoughts. It just thought human beings were really fascinating animals.

    When his physical strength was restored again, he picked up a straw rope and tried again.

    When the knot was finished, he looked at the knot. It was sessful. Shao Xuan felt a sigh of relief. Was it just because it was excessively confusing? The ce he needed to go next was a ce where he can find the stone.

    However, when Shao Xuan interpreted the meaning of the knot andpared it with the direction given by ChaCha. He found the directions pointed in two different directions

    To have a better understanding, Shao Xuan made a slight adjustment and tried again with a straw rope. The result was the same as before. Shao Xuan looked at the direction predicted by the knot, thought about what was more important. After a little thought, Shao Xuan made a decision.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s not go to the stone first, let¡¯s go there instead.¡±

    Shao Xuan pointed to the opposite direction while talking to Chacha. The direction pointed by Shao Xuan was a ce he has never visited, but it didn¡¯t matter. It was quite thrilling to go to a strange forest area.

    Because of the consumption of physical strength and time, Shao Xuan decided to start traveling tomorrow.

    Shao Xuan and Chacha, who regained their spirits the next morning, left the cave together and marched in the direction indicated by the knot. There was a river running through the forest. The river was a little green, and some animal activities were asionally seen around.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t walk by the river; it was too risky. He was at least 20 to 30 meters away from the river. By the river, there were some things there, and Shao Xuan wanted to take a look. However, as he walked over, there was a whistling sound that cut through the air. Shao Xuan had been aware of his surroundings. After perceiving the movement, he shifted his body and dodge to the side.

    Snap!

    A water arrow came charging at that ce where Shao Xuan was standing.

    Water arrow?

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelid rose.

    Where did the water arrowe from? Was it from a fish by the river?

    It didn¡¯t wait for Shao Xuan to think. A second shot was shot again from the river. Although it was water, it possessed fierce power, and the speed was extremely fast. The second water arrow missed Shao Xuan.

    The third and fourth water arrows were shot. From the river, there was an object that was holding something.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have time to investigate. After he had avoided the water arrow, he left the river bank. ¡®The deeper you go into the forest, the more dangers there are. Even a small fish is a threat.¡±

 Chapter 271

    Chapter 271

    To go to the ce indicated by the knot, Shao Xuan had to cross the river.

    Shao Xuan walked along the river for a while, but still couldn¡¯t find a ce where he could directly crossover.

    While clutching Chacha¡¯s ws, Shao Xuan saw an animal near the river.

    The animal had long, sharp ws like a gibbon¡¯s ws. The animal was attracted by the shiny thing on the banks of the river. Suddenly. something from the river shot arrows at the animal on shore.

    However, the animal reacted quickly. It stopped its excavation and quickly began to dodge.

    Two of the arrows had missed. The fish in the water was a little anxious. The head once hidden under the water was now exposed, and some fan-shaped scales could be seen.

    Three water arrows were fired simultaneously. The first two water arrows sealed off the retreat path of the animal on the shore. When the animal turned around, the third water arrow hit the animal in the chest.

    The animal on the shore was beaten, and there was a short pause.

    A sharp scream rang throughout the mountains. There was stillness. The only thing that was moving was the animal in the water.

    The fish¡¯s body, which was about six or seven meters in length, looked big and heavy. It suddenly jumped out of the water and fell onto the river bank. The developed pectoral and pelvic fins acted like four legs. After itnded on the shore, it started to jump towards the animal. It opened its fangs and bit the animal.

    Shao Xuan could clearly hear the crisp crunch of the bone breaking.

    The animal¡¯s eyes were filled with fear and disbelief. The strange fish, still biting down on the struggling animal, shrunk its developed pectoral and pelvic fins, and rolled its rough cylindrical body off the bank and back into the river. The screams of horror disappeared instantly.

    Tranquility was once again restored to the river and its surroundings, with only a few bubbles and an inconspicuous blood floating up from within the river.

    This was the forest that the tribes were afraid of. The hidden dangers under the seemingly tranquil surface gave people a great sense of pressure.

    After crossing the river, he returned to the ground and continued to deal with all kinds of murderous animals in the mountains.

    On the other hand, Wu was counting the days that Shao Xuan has left him.

    ¡®It¡¯s been six days, and I don¡¯t know when Shao Xuan wille back. Whenever I think of Shao Xuan, I get a headache and I can not feel relieved.¡¯

    Wu was worried. He walked into the house from outside. As he walked into the house he saw people from the Lu tribe

    ¡°What happened?¡± Wu asked.

    Wu felt embarrassed after hearing himself say those words. He knew that the news could not have been about Shao Xuan. Wu was slightly relieved, but what he said was indeed serious.

    The people of the Lu tribe told them that there would be a special long-distance partying. The party wasprised of people who were from the big tribes.

    These things required the attention of the tribes, and Wu did not have time to count the days that Shao Xuan was away.

    After three days of hard work, Shao Xuan finally arrived at the ce indicated by the knot.

    Although Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know where to look for the stone, he was able to feel that there was something important here.

    Shao Xuan could feel that there was something in the mountain.

    While vigntly observing his surroundings, Shao Xuan walked closer towards the mountain. He didn¡¯t know where he was, and he didn¡¯t know what he was looking for. But he knows that he will find something there.

    As he climbed the mountain, the trees got thinner. He feels that he is getting closer to something.

    Atst, Shao Xuan came to a hole. Looking at the huge stone wall in front of him, Shao Xuan inserted the knife back into the leather sheath on his waist, took a deep breath, and pulled the stone wall outward.

    With a dull grating, the stone wall moved a little.

    Shao Xuan was close to the top of the mountain. Although there was no snow, the temperature was really low. However, when Shao Xuan went into the cave, it was really hot.

    The cave was dark and there was no fire.

    There was a weird force blocking the entrance.

    However, this weird force gave Shao Xuan a familiar feeling.

    Chacha hovered around in the sky, unwilling toe down. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t try to force him toe.

    After removing the stone wall, Shao Xuan went to find some dry wood, ignited a torch, and walked into the hole

    He didn¡¯t know how long the hole had been there.

    Inside! Just inside!

    After going into the hole, Shao Xuan saw several people. To be exact, it was the bodies of six dead people.

    At first, Shao Xuan thought the bodies were things that were blocking the path. After getting a proper look, he found six brown, bone-like corpses. Their hair was still there. Although the animal skin on their bodies was no longer bright and covered with ayer of dust, it was not as flexible as it used to be; it could easily be cut with a knife.

    The six peoplepletely blocked Shao Xuan¡¯s way forward.

    The bodies had no eyes in their eye sockets, yet they seem to be watching intently. They obviously had no expressions, but they inexplicably gave people a firm and resolute feeling. It seems that nothing could move them away.

    The closer he was to the bodies, the more he felt like being ripped apart by this mysterious force.

    Shao Xuan had to use the power of the totem to resist this force.

    However, the strange thing was that when Shao Xuan used the power of totem, there was no longer a strong resistance. The force no longer repelled him. Instead, it gave Shao Xuan a feeling of closeness.

    The weird force was gone.

    Are they people from the ming Horns Tribe?!

    If they really were people from the ming Horns Tribe, then they must be my ancestors!

    ording to the tradition of the tribes, people of the ming Horns Trib were required to worship their ancestors. Shao Xuan only felt a blood connection to the bodies in front of him, but the people from the ming Horns Tribe would naturally worship them.

    Shao Xuan put the torch to the side and turned to the six people in front of him, and worshipped them.

    Boom¨C

    The six bodies fell to the ground.

    Looking at the fallen bodies, Shao Xuan was stunned. He wondered whether or not he had fallen down on his ancestors, but he realized he didn¡¯t fall down.

    Previously, these six people had blocked the way forward, but now they had fallen, leaving an aisle; not too wide, but just right for Shao Xuan.

    Picking up the torch and careful not to trample the ancestors, Shao Xuan continued inside.

    As he walked about 20 meters. Shao Xuan saw a person sitting on the ground. Rather, a dry corpse simr to the six people in front. However, this corpse was moreplete, except for a slight discoloration.

    Probably because due his age, this person had more folds on his face. As for his attire¡­

    Unlike a warrior, it was somewhat simr to a Shaman.

    Shaman?

    Regardless, when seeing one¡¯s ancestors, one must worship.

    Shao Xuan once again bowed. Then, he felt that the strange power from before had disappeared.

    The temperature inside the cave suddenly dropped. It was as if the torch was extinguished.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s line of sight passed over the person sitting on the ground. Behind this person, there were several wooden and stone boxes with ayer of dust umted on them.

 Chapter 272

    Why did my ancestors ce so many boxes here? This ce is not just a day or two away from the tribe. If there were no dangerous creatures in the mountains, it would make more sense, but there are many dangerous creatures in the forest.

    Shao Xuan walked over to the boxes with the torch. The boxes were tied with straw ropes, probably to keep the lid from falling during transportation. However, after a closer look, it seems that the knots that tied the boxes together were moreplicated than he first thought. The bundled straw ropes are tied into knots, the paint was applied, and the knot in the middle position was the symbol of the witch. As for the others, the straw ropes used are rtively ordinary, but it cannot be said that the things contained in these boxes were of no value. Whatever is transported here by the ancestors were certainly of some value.

    Shao Xuan intended to have a look at the boxes with rope knots that were different from the rest. However, he found that the knots were difficult to unravel and the ropes were much stronger. It was as if they hadn¡¯t been there for a long time, they were still as strong as the day they were tied.

    Cut them off?

    Burn them.

    Forget it, if the tribe knew that he was going to cut the ropes off, they would say that he was being disrespectful to the ancestors

    Putting the few boxes withplicated knots aside, Shao Xuan turned to look at the boxes with moremon bindings. Raising his hand he intended to undo the knot on a different box, but by just slightly touching it the straw ropes tying the box had broken. The broken parts had turned to dust.

    This same urrence happened to the rest of the rope tying the box. Perhaps due to the passage of time the grass ropes binding them had eventually turned to dust, but due to it being undisturbed all this time the image of the bindings had remained until he touched them.

    The front of the boxes was high in density and the ropes used were different. Now, these densities are low, and Shao Xuan looks at the contents of the box without pressure.

    Opening the box, Shao Xuan saw animal skins rolled neatly inside. Shao Xuan picked up a piece and looked at it, it recorded what happened to the Yanjiao tribe in that year such as the number of harvests, disputes, and other misceneous information. He picked up another one, it held records various wars the Yanjiao tribe and other tribes had been apart of at the time. it included the names of several tribes that Shao Xuan was familiar with such as the Qianbian tribe, the Weiba tribe etc. Several central tribes known to Shao Xuan were recorded on the animal skin

    What made the Yanjiao tribe so hated by the others? However, Shao Xuan found his thoughts to be wrong, by looking at the other animal skins it was not that they were hated but that during the era it was a normal urrence for wars between tribes to ur. ording to the records on the animal skins, the tribes were not as peaceful as they were now. Perhaps for the tourists, the life outside is now very difficult, especially in the rest of the market, the long-distance teams of various tribes are killed every day, and then the pool fish.

    However,pared to the records on the skin rolls, they were nothing. At best they were minor conflicts between distant teams from other tribes, the records on the animal skins however were ofrge-scale conflicts between tribes, full-scale wars. Three days and one small fight, ten days of arge-scale conflict.

    Dislike someone?

    Hit them!

    Someone looked at you the wrong way?

    Grab them!

    See something you like?

    Grab again!

    Everything is based on strength, if you hit it and it it¡¯s back? Kill it!

    If you can take it? You can steal it!

    If you rob it? Never give it up! Fight or die!

    It could be said that once upon a time the survival of a small tribe was extremely difficult, ording to these records many small tribes were destroyed in the conflicts.

    The middle was even more chaotic. Because there were many big tribes, there were two wars in two days.

    Today you raided my team? Tomorrow I¡¯ll kill your whole tribe!

    That mentality was extremely prominent from what Shao Xuan had already read.

    Even the eight tribes that Shao Xuan had always thought to be good neighbors and close partners, used to be hated enemies of one another! It had reached the point that one couldn¡¯t im that the bamboo of their tribe was their own as it resided on the border of the another tribe!

    Even if there is a green onion that does not belong to his own tribe, the people who were not a part of the 8 will be plucked out of the ground. And all the small tribes that hadn¡¯t joined one of the big 8? as long as they were discovered, are either ughtered or eaten. The weak tribes are not good? No problem, as long as people who are not a part of the 8 are unhappy, they would be happy!

    Some of the notes, weren¡¯t so solemn and had a lot of bad tastes. The notes also contained many other tribal scandals, such as who was dug in the corner, who was a cuckold, who was squeezed by the brothers. The position of the next leader¡­ The words were slightly exaggerated, revealing gossip and excitement. Not all shamans were just as serious as the current shaman of the ming Horns Tribe.

    The hatred of one family could easily be the revenge of a tribe, for such an era war is too easy a solution to not be used to solve problems. The Yanjiao¡¯s physique and their dominant strength made quite a few people bite their tongue yet they wouldn¡¯t dare take revenge, their impression on others were rude and arrogant. However, Shao Xuan could see from the words written on the animal skin the pride of the ancestor who had recorded these details. No matter what was recorded, this same pride could be felt embodied by these words. As one of the tribes which held immense power, albeit in their younger days, Yanjiao had the capital to be arrogant with such a rich history.

    It was hard to imagine that the chaotic environment of that era had now be much more peaceful, although it was still filled with brutal violence and mindless killing ¨Cpared to what was recorded on the animal skins it was a different time indeed.

    Why did the tribes which once hated one another, treating one another as enemies to be fought to the death now live peacefully however? When Shao Xuan followed the hunting team he had also inquired this same thing. The answer he received was as enigmatic, ¡°For a long time, I don¡¯t know how long ¨C at least in the past two or three hundred years, there have been no big wars between the tribes. Instead the Wanshi tribe would always harass those smaller tribes in the central parts of the country yet no one in the tribes are really fighting each other like in the past.¡±

    Speaking of the Wanshi tribe, returning to the present, Shao Xuan had only seen the name of the tribe on two animal skin rolls ¨C the witch witch who had recorded these had also predicted that the tribe would disappear within five hundred years, yet the facts proved this was wrong. Instead the tribe had be more arrogant than the Yanjiao tribe in the past few years, it had also be more violent and aggressive ¨C bing one of the central tribes in the process.

    Between the major tribes, abandoning the former suspicion, letting go of hatred, not talking about peaceful coexistence, at least it seems that there is a cooperative rtionship that allows them to change like this. Shao Xuan only thought of one of the most likely answers ¨C they havemon Enemies, this enemy makes them afraid. One or two tribes alone can¡¯t do it.

    Enemies that threaten Yanjiao tribe? Not that the Yanjiao tribe wasn¡¯t strong, it was indeed strong but they were not so strong that they couldn¡¯t be threatened.

    There was another point that Shao Xuan found strange, there were no records of ve owners. During the time there were captives, these captives were dragged back to work for the tribes who had captured them however, there were no records of ve owners on the animal skins.

    In addition to the information he found on these skins, Shao Xuan had opened several other boxes with time-worn straws and had learned a lot of information from them, they were not entirely of wars between the tribes but covered all aspects, such as records rted to farming and animal husbandry. In addition to these, Shao Xuan had turned over several other boxes with unsound straws and learned a lot of information. The notes didn¡¯t only include information about war between tribes but covered all aspects, such as records rted to farming and animal husbandry.

    The Yanjiao tribe of a millennium ago was mainly a tribe which relied on hunting for their food, after all they were so close to the forest it was only natural to to use such a primary food source, most of their food came directly from the forest. However, it was also nted ¨C it was like the murals that Shao Xuan saw at the beginning they were nting, breeding and harvesting. These records contained all of these and mores ¨C maybe these were part of the records that the tribes shamans held now, however he believed that these records were definitely more detailed than those of the shamans.

    Thinking about it, when the ancestors of the Yanjiao tribe left their old tribal home, they had mainly tried to escape ¨C there were not many records about nting and breeding that they could carry on their body. Maybe they didn¡¯t bring them when they left because the ancestors had left and they didn¡¯t expect to leave for so long. The records the shamans held may even have been written by those who leftter than others.

    There were simply too many skins in the box, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t find it convenient holding his torch inside because he was worried that the torch would damage the animal skins, losing the knowledge of the ancestors due to his own carelessness would undoubtedly cause the tribe to cast him out in exile, or even kill him for his disrespect!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t doubt the authenticity of these records, the records were all created by shamans. On some of the animal skins were records of important facts, there were also some seemingly meaningless words at the beginning. Actually these words were thenguage of the shamans! Do you need something? It was recorded that if there was a contradiction within the tribe, the decision would be given to the fire in turn being given to the totem. These seemingly meaningless words were actually a more solemn tone of speech used by the shamans to indicate that these were decided by everyone or by sacrifice, without any falsification.

    In addition to farming, fishing, hunting, animal husbandry, crafts,arium, architecture, medicine, war, politics and daily life, although many of the records were vague in these regards and not detailed ¨C it could be seen from these that the tribe was not proficient in them at the time. For example there are many records of the sky and handwork, which could only be considered immature, but there are so many aspects to the record that it still shocked Shao Xuan at the sheer amount.

    What¡¯s important to the Yanjiao Tribe? The Fire Crystal? A variety of spar coins that act as property? Or other precious stones?

    No, no! In fact, all had to be left behind.

    The more he read, the more important it was for the shaman of the tribe to know of his discovery. Among the tribe, the first thing they need to know is their own members, their origins, totems, etc. Secondly, they need to know the customary rules, important weddings and mournings, past leaders and deliberations. However, the big things would be production, war, sacrifice etc. Undoubtedly these are the contents that the shamans need to record and pass on to the future generations!

    These contents, poprly speaking, are what people call ¨C ¡°History!¡±

    In the values of the shamans, the longer the history of the tribe, the longer the tribe exists, the more powerful the tribe is. As for why the history of Yanjiao was preserved here, perhaps it was not taken away in the past and was simply forgotten. It was brought here to be hidden ¨C after all few tribes dared to directly rush into the fierce Beast Mountain Forest, it was simply too good a ce to hide such valuable records.

    The people in the cave were long dead, the only thing left is the power that Shao Xuan had felt before. It was a devastating force to invaders, but for this cave it was like a guardian that had remained for thousands of years, silently waiting, guarding the history of Yanjiao and waiting for the future generations to return and find this cache of knowledge

    However, one of Shao Xuans¡¯ regrets it that there were no detailed records of the type of egg surrounding the fire in his mind in the things he had seen before. Perhaps such things were sealed in the boxes which couldn¡¯t be opened by him.

    Forget it, wait until the timees to bring them back and the shaman will open them, as long as they were not contents which were secret and couldn¡¯t be seen the shaman should allow him to read the rest contents of the records.

 Chapter 273

    <strong>Chapter 273</strong>

    Trantor: Kuhaku

    Can these things, in the box, be eaten as a meal?

    No.

    But! These are extremely precious spiritual food for the tribes, and even the witches who are willing to starve to death will not throw them away.

    After careful consideration, Shao Xuan decided to leave these for the time being. When he returned home, he would call some people toe over and bring back the ancestor¡¯s body and ¡°antiquities¡±, which are important to the tribe.

    There were too many things here. Each one very precious too. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t guarantee that these things could be all brought back.

    The weird power that existed in the cave has disappeared, and may not appear again. Its mission to guard this palce has beenpleted.

    In order to prevent the other creatures from destroying the ancestral body and those precious ¡°antiquities, ¡°Shao Xuan has set up some traps at the hole and went to the forest to find a lot of insect-proof nts. For these insect-repellent nts, Shao Xuan even fought with a giant bear. His arm bones were almost broken. The giant bear was much bigger than the two he had seen in the old ce.

    Sure enough, the deeper he went into the forest, the stronger the beast.

    After dealing with the things inside the cave, Shao Xuan left and went to the direction that the knot had told him.

    His original goal was to find the stone, but he didnt expect to find so much treasure on his way.

    More than half of the stones found in the que are embedded in the stone wall, which is slightly different from the surrounding wall. There are various animals marks and other markings on the surrounding stone walls, such as scratches, scars, etc., but this stone is rare.

    ¡°Good, very good!¡±

    It took Shao Xuan some time to dig up the stone. The rock was very hard and was estimated to be nearly two meters high and one meter wide. Shao Xuan tried to dig it out, but the more he dug, the harder the stone was.

    The stone was heavier than the average stone, but with the strength of the Yanjiao people, Shao Xuan can carry the stone back home.

    Because he had to break the stone wall, he consumed a lot of strength. He had to retain enough physical strength to deal with all kinds of possible raids around him. Hence, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have time to study the knots.

    He felt ufortable holding a heavy stone for the first few days, but he gradually got used to it. Sometimes he used this stone as a shield to block the attack of the beasts. After some time, he got used to the weight of the stone.

    When Shao Xuan returned to the tribe, it was twenty-nine days after he left the tribe.

    Shao Xuan did not expect that he would leave for so long. He said that this trip was a matter of three to five days, but he never thought it would take nearly 30 days.

    ChaCha flew down from the air and yelled at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There are outsiders in the tribe?¡± Shao Xuan wondered. Could it be the Wanshi tribe?

    After making a gesture, ChaCha continued to pay attention to the situation in the air. Shao Xuan, after a little rest, picked up the stone that had just beenid down, and his other hand grasped the dead prey

    Go to the tribe.

    The prey is a python, nearly 20 meters long. Shao Xuan found it when he woke up to find food in the morning. He was almost killed by the snake. It took some effort and time to get the snake. He thought that he should be able to return to the tribe before dark. He didn¡¯t throw the python away and dragged it back by the snake¡¯s tail. There are many snakes in this forest. There are a lot of them in the forest. Shao Xuan has seen a snakes that were more than three or forty meters, but those, Shao Xuan have always avoided them.

    When he came to the border, he met the soldiers who were standing there.

    ¡°A Xuan, you havee back!

    A warrior looked at Shao Xuan and dragged him as he talked.

    ¡°Alright, how is the tribe now? Has anyonee?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Oh, you have been away for a long time, that¡¯s why you don¡¯t know.¡± The soldier thought of something, his voice was slightly depressed, and said: ¡°There are some people who heard that people of the Central tribe are here. The people who have used to hunted have not gone out.¡±

    ¡°No wonder. So that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t met anyone on my way back. It turns out that no one went out hunting.¡± Shao Xuan said

    ¡°I might have to ask the witch about the situation in the tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan hurrided back to his tribe. Now that the sun is setting, he has to hurry back, so he can catch up with dinner.

    The tribe seemed to change a little. Since he left, the leaves of the tree became denser, and there were some farnd not far away. The seedlings in the field had grown taller.

    Because of the stone he was carrying, Shao Xuan did not go directly to crowded areas, and took the small roads.

    At this time, many people who came out to work have already returned to home. Therefore, there are not many people who Shao Xuan passed.

    Walking and walking, Shao Xuan heard someone talking in front of him, his voice was very strange.

    ¡°Oh, so this is the Yanjiao tribe!¡±

    ¡°Quce and Xu also said that they are a powerful tribe, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°That is before I heard those rumors. I thought that all of them were like monsters. When I really saw those people, I was very disappointed.¡± A soft female voice said.

    ¡°There is nothing special about these people.¡±

    ¡° What about their strength? Can you kill someone with a stone?¡±

    The man couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    Others also thought that this was very funny, and thenughed.

    However, he soon discovered that everyone¡¯sughter stopped and the atmosphere was a bit strange. He heard the sound of someone close behind him, but he didn¡¯t care. Even if he was heard by the Yanjiao tribe, it was no big deal. He is not afraid. The man turned around.

    The setting sun fell in the obliquely forward position, and he could not see who the person was, but he looked like a monster.

 Chapter 274 â€“ The Foreigner?

    When Shao Xuan came back home carrying a snake tail and a stone, Old Ke was cooking the broth, and he wasining about Caesar outside the window while cooking. When he saw Shao Xuaning back, Old Ke couldn¡¯t care for anything else. He cast aside the housework and helped Shao Xuan take the snake.

    ¡°This snake is quite big, where did you hunt it?¡± Old Ke looked at the snake thrown at the door, went in and fetched out the tool, going to chop it.

    ¡°Just near the tribe, I dragged it back directly after killing it. This stone is the one that Chacha found, isn¡¯t it?¡± Shao Xuan loosed up his shoulders, carrying the stone for too long, his shoulders hurt.

    Old Ke tinkered with the snake with a small stone knife and nodded, ¡°It¡¯s very good. It¡¯s worth a special haunting¡­ Well, you¡¯d better visit the Shaman, I will handle this snake.¡±

    ¡°All right, I happen to have something to say to him.¡±

    ¡°Wait! I almost forgot, don¡¯t go to the stone house of the fire pit, the Shaman is not there. Both he and the leader are in the big house, talking to people from central tribes, and they haven¡¯te back yet. You just look for him in the big house.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked in the direction of Old Ke pointed. A rtively atmospheric stone house had been built. On the border of the core area, there was no other house around it, so it was very conspicuous.

    ¡°It is the Shaman, who knows someone ising, had it done. These days he and the leader are there to talk to the foreigner.¡± Old Ke exined.

    ¡°Well, then I will go there and have a look.¡±

    On the ground, a stone road was paved, so even if it was raining, people couldn¡¯t step on the mud. All this was not there before Shao Xuan left.

    There were many warriors around the big stone house, most of them from the ming Horn tribe and some external tribe warriors. The warriors of external tribes were not all from the same tribe, for that, even those with poor eyesight could find it. They came from at least three different tribes because the style of their clothing is so different.

    The clothing of each tribe was rted to the totems and customs of that tribe. For example, people of the Mang Tribe liked to wear green, some were in light green, some were in dark green, whose clothing material was simr to linen. And they all wore jade. From the jade, Shao Xuan could figure that these people were intermediate totem warriors at least.

    People of the Eight Limbs tribe, their clothes were silky, which was the characteristics of their tribe. Some of the warriors also had crawling spiders of various sizes and kinds.

    Another tribe had feathers in their heads. Their makeup was simr to the person who had stood in Shao Xuan¡¯s way just now ¨C their faces were also painted colorful, which made it hard for people to see their original appearance.

    the Feather tribe?

    When Shao Xuan observed these people, they did not care Shao Xuan walking towards them, except two men whom Shao Xuan had seen before.

    Both Xu and Qu Ce looked at Shao Xuan. They were deeply expressed by Shao Xuan, especially when they saw Shao Xuan fighting with four warriors. In retrospect, they still felt a little scared.

    As for the other ming Horn tribe warriors who guarded outside, they smiled unconsciously after seeing Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Come to look for the Shaman?¡± Asked one soldier.

    ¡°Yes, you can ask them whether I can get in.¡± said Shao Xuan.

    One warrior, a guard of the Shaman, was familiar with Shao Xuan. He didn¡¯t think the Shaman would prevent Shao Xuan from entering the room. However, because the situation was a littleplicated, it was better to ask for permission.

    Shortly after the man entered the room, he came out and told Shao Xuan to enter directly.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was walking in, a few people of other tribes had some issues with Shao Xuan. Inside were some important figures. How could Shao Xuan, a small figure, enter the room?

    ¡°Who is that guy? Why could he enter the room?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°He is Shao Xuan,¡± replied Qu Ce.

    That person who was also about to say something stunned. Turning around and looking at Qu Ce and Xu, ¡°Is he that Shao Xuan?¡±

    Before the return of the ming Horn tribe, these four characters ¡°ming Horn, Shao Xuan¡± had already been known to some people. But when they looked for himter, they couldn¡¯t find Shao Xuan until the ming Horn tribe appeared.

    Several warriors of the ming Horn tribes looked at the opposite people with sarcasm and said, ¡°Why could he enter the room? Because he is the Elder of our tribe, the only one Elder! His status is just next to the Shaman and the leader. Could he not enter the room?¡±

    The ming Horned warriors had long been unsatisfied to these arrogant people of other tribes. Now, they even look down on the Elder, Shao Xuan. If they said one more word about that, we dared to fight with them!

    Seeing the trend went wrong, a senior warrior pulled the people in front of him and said, ¡°All right, we are not to quarrel here. Be careful, our team leaders would be angry.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know people outside had begun to argue and almost had a fight. After Shao Xuan entered, he saw four people of other tribes, three sitting and one standing behind them. Among the three people who sat, Shao Xuan knew one of them, senior totem warrior Huang Ye of the Mang tribe, with the three quarters jade ring.

    Huang Ye looked at Shao Xuan carefully. When he first met Shao Xuan, he did not pay much attention to him. Huang Ye only thought that Shao Xuan was an insignificant figure of a small tribe until Qu Ce told him things about the ming Horn tribe.

    For the eyes of the four people, Shao Xuan did not care, and went straight towards them.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, the Shaman, whose face had no expression before, smiled. He waved at Shao Xuan and gestured to Gui He, who was standing behind him, to move a stool.

    Here, except for two people seated: Shaman and Chief Ao, Gui He and Ta were standing. However, after Shao Xuan came over, he became the third person from the ming Horn tribe who had the right to sit.

    Upon seeing it, the three people sitting across the table became stunned at the same time. People of the ming Horn tribe who could sit here were definitely very prominent in the tribe. Even the two team leader-level senior totem warriors could not sit down, but the young man dared to sit still, and the other few did not have any objection. Obviously, Shao Xuan¡¯s status was even above the two team leaders!

    How old was him?! He was not even the senior totem warrior!

    ¡°I¡¯m the Elder of the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    To their surprise, as the only person who was not a senior totem warrior in the house, Shao Xuan has nothing to fear. He behaved naturally even when being surrounded by the senior totem warriors.

    Huang Ye was very confused about the word ¡°Elder¡±, but it was not the time to ask questions, and he may not be able to get an answer even though he asked.

    ¡°Mang Wood, Huang Ye.¡± said Huang Ye.

    ¡°Wei Ba Valley,¡± said the person next to Huang Ye. The man looked at the age of Huang Ye, but he had a smiley face which was not as serious as Huang Ye.

    ¡°The Feather tribe, Gu Zhi.¡± said the third person. Because there were too many paints on his face, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t figure his original appearance.

    ¡°I just came back from the mountain forest and I¡¯m very sorry to bother you,¡± said Shao Xuan. However, he showed no regret on his face.

    Huang Ye was about to satirize. The Shaman said first with a faint smile, ¡°As the Elder of the tribe, you are qualified to know what is being discussed.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What are you talking about?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman simply exined what they had just discussed. Two things, the first one, they suggested that the ming Horn tribe should not fight with the Wan Shi tribe, and all three people present agreed with that. They also represented the three tribes here.

    The second thing was that a special travelling team would be formed in the middle each year. Most people of the team were the young from various tribes. This year, the ming Horn tribe was added, and theye over to ask about the candidates.

 Chapter 275 â€“ Not Feeling Good

    The Shaman and Shao Xuan continued to talk and ignored the three people opposite.

    Feeling funny, Ao didn¡¯t interrupt their conversation, but just listened to Shao Xuan talking to the Shaman, and then looked at the three changing faces opposite with interest. Being so arrogant? Who do you think you are?!

    ¡°The hatred between our tribe and the Wan Shi tribe has nothing to do with other tribes! Why do they not allow us to fight?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman sighed, ¡°They said we would have trouble.¡±

    ¡°How much trouble?¡± asked Shao Xuan again.

    The Shaman sighed again, ¡°Very much.¡±

    ¡°Ah? What if we just fight?¡± said Shao Xuan.

    This time, not waiting for the Shaman to talk, Huang Ye finally couldn¡¯t help but speak.

    ¡°I suggest that you don¡¯t fight the Wan Shi tribe, it¡¯s good for you! If the ming Horn tribe really wants to fight the Wan Shi tribe, it depends on you! We are just reminding you! We Mang Wood Tribe is not willing to take care of these things!¡± said Huang Ye, being so angry that he was about to say some curse words. The people of the ming Horn tribe were as stubborn and ignorant as everyone said!

    ¡°Is that because of the ves¡¯ master?¡± asked Shao Xuan suddenly.

    ¡°¡­¡± The anger that Huang Ye just burst out seemed to be directly eliminated by a big fan. Thinking that the ming Horn tribe only knew to solve the problem with brute force, Huang Ye did not expect that Shao Xuan would say these words.

    Qiu Gu of the Eight Limbs tribe and Gu Zhi of the Feather tribe were also greatly surprised by Shao Xuan¡¯s words.

    Not only these three, but the Shaman, the Chief, and the two team leaders were shocked. They really didn¡¯t know this. Although it was very ufortable for other tribes to intervene in their affairs, they knew that there was definitely a reason. However, they did not expect that Shao Xuan would suddenly say such a thing.

    ¡°They (the ves¡¯ master) are supporting the Wan Shi tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan again.

    There was silence in the house.

    Even Huang Ye, who was about to say some curse words, got serious and didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Ok, I see.¡± Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the second thing. What¡¯s this special traveling team?¡±

    Not reacting to the sudden turn of Shao Xuan, Huang Ye and the other two people looked at Shao Xuan. What did he mean by saying ¡°Ok, I see¡±?

    ¡°I see¡±, then what? Do you agree to not fight for the time being? Give a message! Why change the topic so quickly?

    Huang Ye didn¡¯t want to speak. He actually had a lot to say. He wanted to educate this arrogant guy, but he couldn¡¯t say it.

    Qiu Gu, who had a smiley face, said, ¡°The reason we organize such a traveling team is to improvemunication between these young people. After all, it¡¯s not the chaotic era of vendettas. To understand each other more would be beneficial for all of us. Moreover, it¡¯s about the ves¡¯ master that Shao Xuan mentioned. In fact, most people in the tribe have very limited understanding of the ves¡¯ master. The reason to form such a traveling team is also to evaluate the security threat from the ves¡¯ master.¡±

    Shao Xuan only believed 30% of what Qiu Gu said. But he could make sure one thing that these central tribes had allied to look out for the ves¡¯ master.

    Except for Shi Shu, Shao Xuan had never met others in the ves¡¯ master. However, those big central tribes were fearful of the power of the ves¡¯ master, there must have a deep-seated reason.

    ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Qiu Gu nced at Shao Xuan, a light shing in his slender eyes, ¡°This is not a rush. Not everyone can join the traveling team. If one wants to join, his strength must be recognized by other team members.¡±

    Decades ago, the ming Horn tribe was really very strong. They couldn¡¯t raise an objection to the point after they knew the history of ming Horn tribe. But today, after decades, was the ming Horn tribe still as powerful as they were before? Seeing the current state of the ming Horn tribe, they doubted that the present ming Horn tribe had regressed while other tribes were progressing. How could they trust the ability of the ming Horn tribe? This time, the reason why they came here was just to feed their curiosity for the records of ancestors. But they were disappointed by the present ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°One more thing I have to remind you first, this traveling team would suffer a great number of casualties every time it explored. Nearly half of the team.¡± said Chu Gu.

    When mentioning this, Qiu Gu, Huang Ye and Gu Zhi were all with heavy hearts because of the great loss for their tribes.

    More than half of the team were killed, rather than injured. The force which was almost established by central tribes should have such a high death rate, which reflected how difficult the traveling was.

    The Shaman¡¯s and Ao¡¯s expression changed. They would rather not join the traveling team, nor do they want Shao Xuan to be in trouble.

    The Shaman was about to say something when he heard a rumble. The sound was so clear in the quiet room that everyone sitting there could hear it, if they were not deaf.

    ¡°Well, you must be hungry. How about stop here today and continue to talk about it tomorrow?¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The three people looked at each other and nodded: ¡°All right.¡±

    ¡°Then we will continue the talk tomorrow.¡± Ao stood up and said.

    They needed to have a serious talk about it. Besides, it was gettingte.

    Ao asked Ta to take Hung Ye and others to the resting ce, while he went to the stone house of the Shaman, together with the Shaman and Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan asked Ao for a piece of dried meat first tofort his belly for the time being. When they entered the stone house of the Shaman, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t remove their doubts on the ves¡¯ master but told them that he had found their ancestors and ¡®history¡¯ in the forest.

    Then, Shaman and Ao left everything behind, neither the Wan Shi tribe nor the traveling team, let alone the ves¡¯ master. For them, to find their ancestors and ming Horn¡¯s ¡®history¡¯ was the first thing. There was nothing more important than it.

    That night, Chief Ao summoned the two team leaders and the ten hunter group leaders to discuss the action. On the hunting warrior list, 50 people were chosen, and they will be given words by their leaders that all of them had one day to prepare the necessary, and the day after tomorrow they would follow Shao Xuan going deep into the forest to bring back the ancestor¡¯s body and the precious ¡°history¡±.

    The next day, the three including Huang Ye met the Shaman, the leader and the young elders of the ming Horn tribe again to continue what they had not finished yesterday. However, soon the three of them found that the leader of the ming Horn tribe was always absent-minded, and Shaman seemed to ce his mind elsewhere, only Shao Xuan was talking to them about the traveling team and the ves¡¯ master.

    By noon, everything had been going well. As for the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan agreed to join, and others would take more time to consider. Anyway, the time for the traveling team has not yet arrived. That was the meaning of Shaman and the leader, the oue was a foregone conclusion since they had made the final decision.

    As for that the one received the recognition could join the traveling team, Shao Xuan felt quite confident that what he needed to do was to find someone who had been in the team to have a hand-in-hand fight. Because the team would have to leave for the forest, so it must be done today. But which one should he fight with?

    Looking at the ce where the foreign tribes were arranged for, Shao Xuan scanned his eyes back and forth.

    When Shao Xuan selected his target, the three of Huang Ye was also discussing.

    ¡°The people at the ming Horn tribe today are somewhat weird,¡± said Huang Ye.

    ¡°There must be something we don¡¯t know, could it be that they are still not reconciled to their defeat? Do they want to set about attacking the Wan Shi tribe right now?¡± said Fe Zhi of the Feather tribe.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s impossible.¡± Qiu Gu thought a little and said to Gu Zhi, ¡°What did your bird find?¡±

    Speaking of the bird Gu Zhi took, although the team leader of the ming Horn tribe also had a ferocious beast-level white falcon, it alone might not be able to stop all enemies, so they carried not just the two on the bright side, another two were hiding in the dark side.

    Gu Zhi pulled out a palm-long bone flute and blew it.

    However, after blowing for a long time, only the two on the bright side appeared. Their feathers were messy, which seemed that they had fought with the white falcon of the ming Horn tribe. But another two they were very concerned about were still unseen.

    Huang Ye suddenly said, ¡°Do you still remember that the ming Horn tribe actually has a Giant Mountain Eagle? It is said that the mountain eagle easily defeated a mountain eagle of the Hui tribe.¡±

    Gu Zhi, ¡°¡­¡± not feeling good.

    In the meantime, not far from the border of the ming Horn tribe, at the peak of another mountain, with its one paw, Chacha was wing a bird struggling on the ground, and the other paw stepped on it.

    Are you going to scream? I will step on you since you continue!

    When Chacha stepped on the bird till it couldn¡¯t scream anymore, not far from it, the other fainted one, whose feathers were pulled out a lot, lying still, at itsst gasp.

 Chapter 276 â€“ Taking One Step Forward

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know that Chacha had already ¡®abused¡¯ the two covert birds of the Feather tribe almost to death, and now he was thinking about who should he fight with. He didn¡¯t know much about people from foreign tribes. If he chose a weak one, they would definitely think he was insufficiently capable of winning an overmatch. However, who was the one in the traveling team meanwhile strong enough?

    After thinking about it for a while, Shao Xuan smiled again.

    Since it was so difficult to decide, why he had to choose one by himself? It was a mere waste of time standing here and pondering over the target. Why not ask all of them, and the ones who wanted to battle would definitely take one step forward. Therefore, what Shao Xuan had to do is just to wait for a fight.

    At this time, the foreign tribes were staying at the resting-ce arranged for them. Their range of activities in the ming Horn tribe was limited after all. So after two days, they felt somewhat boring and just chatted in the house. Then, when they were having fun talking, Shao Xuan came.

    Showing his purpose ining, those young people were excited. Two days aftering to the ming Horn tribe, they had been bored. Fun things rarely happened, and they surely won¡¯t miss it. Not all of them were qualified to join the traveling team. Some were not strong enough, but it didn¡¯t keep them from being a looker-on.

    Original Trantion from Wangmamaread

    The stir here was naturally known by Huang Ye¡¯s group, and they cannot attend to figuring out whether the two birds were shot and eaten privately by the ming Horn or were captured by the eagle. The three people came outside the house, looking at Shao Xuan surrounded by people who were eager to try.

    ¡°You¡¯ve decided?¡± asked Huang Ye, quite surprisingly, ¡°Who are you going to challenge to prove your strength?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know who has joined the traveling team, but it doesn¡¯t matter,¡± said Shao Xuan, ncing at surrounding people, including the young ones and other middle-aged warriors with totems, and then continued, ¡°Among those who have entered that team, who is confident to battle with me?¡±

    Huang Ye was surprised. How could Shao Xuan be so confident? Since Shao Xuan was given some time, they thought he would challenge a person he could defeat after careful investigation. After all, among those who were qualified to enter the traveling team, there were some weaker in strength. But unexpectedly, Shao Xuan took such a way to choose apetitor.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words also made these energetic young people dissatisfied. They had nned to be lookers-on, but now they were provoked by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I¡¯ll battle with you!¡±

    The first person who took one step forward was a tall, strong man who looked a little older than Shao Xuan. The exposed muscles on his arms bulged and looked very powerful. Judging from his clothes, this person muste from the Eight Limbs tribe.

    ¡°How about me?¡± said another person, turning a stone axe in his hand.

    ¡°Although I haven¡¯t joined that team yet, I think I¡¯m among the strong ones.¡± said the third person.

    Then, the fourth, the fifth¡­

    And there were some elders on the spot who also wanted to challenge Shao Xuan. But feeling themselves bullies if they did so, they didn¡¯t step out of the crowd.

    Huang Ye waited for a long time but didn¡¯t see the person whom he expected. He couldn¡¯t help but turn around and look at Qu Ce, only finding him staring at the leaves on a tree. It seemed that the leaves were so beautiful that Qu Ce immersed himself in them.

    Was there something special on a tree with worms?!

    Seeing Qu Ce¡¯s reaction to Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Huang Ye was angrier than before. Shouldn¡¯t you take the lead at this time? Did you want to yield the opportunity to others?

    Qu Ce still looked at the askew tree beside him, the leaves of which were bitten many holes by worms. It seemed that he wasn¡¯t aware of the present situation at all.

    Qiu Gu looked at Xu who stood quietly next to him and also wondered: Was this child not with a hot temper? Usually, he would fight anyone when that person said something he didn¡¯t like, but this time, why could he bear the words and keep silent?

    Check Original Trantion at .WangMamaRead

    ¡°All right, don¡¯t argue about it. Let me have a try first.¡± A young man with colorful bird feathers on his head stepped forward.

    Gu Zhi smiled with corners of his mouth upward and glimpsed with pride at Huang Ye and Qiu Gu who were depressed.

    ¡°Hong Xi, don¡¯t go overboard.¡± In Gu Zhi¡¯s eyes, the smile is beaming. When speaking, Gu Zhi saw Hong Xi didn¡¯t bring his sword, then he offered his own.

    Hongxi didn¡¯t want to pick up the sword at first because he had his own weapon. However, he thought it over and finally took it.

    Shao Xuan looked at the person standing not far away. Isn¡¯t it the boy who blocked his way, and joked with the strength of the ming Horn tribe yesterday.

    ¡°Shao Xuan from the ming Horn tribe. ¡°

    Since it had been decided that Hong Xi would battle with Shao Xuan, Qu Ce, who was just observing leaves, immediately shifted his attention. Looking at the two people who were ready to battle, he whispered to Xu, ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet. If you lost, how about lending me your white-haired spider for one day.¡±

    Xu touched the white-haired spider under her body gently. Now she could even sit on the white-haired spider that she had been holding in her arms in those days.

    ¡°What¡¯s the bet?¡± asked Xu.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet on the result of the battle. I bet that Shao Xuan will win, and you bet Hong Xi. I¡¯ll give you two bamboo rats if I lose.¡± Qu Ce paused and then said, ¡°the fattest two.¡±

    Xu nced at him indifferently, ¡°I¡¯ll not bet.¡±

    When Qu Ce and Xu were talking, the battle had already started.

    Shao Xuan first moved. Just like a leopard hunting in the mountains, he was quick-moving and punched sharply.

    Shao Xuan was indeed fast, but Hong Xi was faster. His body seemed to light up in an instant. Like the twist of the air, Hong Xi could easily avoid Shao Xuan¡¯s fist every time. Hong Xi seemed to want to y with his opponent, only keeping defending.

    Looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s fierce attack, Gu Zhi nodded and said, ¡°His style is exactly ¡®the ming Horn tribe¡¯ style.¡±

    In perspective of strength, the Feather Tribe would definitely be defeated. Even Gu Zhi went into battle in person, he couldn¡¯t bear the intensive and violent offensive of Shao Xuan, it was a weakness in nature. However, as for the speed, the Feather tribe was in a dominant position.

    Even the people of the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe had to acknowledge that.

    When Gu Zhi and Qiu Gu were evaluating them, Qu Ce and Xu looked at each other, falling in silent. They also thought that Shao Xuan¡¯s attacking way was indeed in line with what the ancestors described, full of fierce violence. But the more they knew, the more doubtful they were. Yes, it was true that the people of the ming Horn tribe did have an absolute advantage in strength, but in terms of speed, they might not lose!

    As expected, no sooner had Gu Zhi finished hisment, than the situation over there changed again.

    Shao Xuan stopped his offensive, didn¡¯t get as tired as everyone else thought before, instead, he loosened up his hands and feet.

    ¡°Warm-up was done, attention.¡±

    After the words finished, Shao Xuan moved again, the totem covered till his elbow, and then the Power of Totem reached to the limit. If Shao Xuan¡¯s figure was like a leopard in the forest, then now it¡¯s more like a lightning, whose speed was directly increased by more than double. The stir of his footsteps was small, and every time when he was seen, his soles had risen to the sky, only leaving the scattered dust.

    Fixed his eyes, Hong Xi¡¯s teasing mind disappeared. In the face of such a fast and fierce attack, he intended to avoid it temporarily and looked for an opportunity to fight backter. However, he never thought that Shao Xuan also had an action while he decided to avoid it.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s soles turned heavily on the ground, which copsed because of the strong force, leaving a pit on the ground. Shao Xuan turned his direction abruptly with the force. His galloping movement, like a fast arrow from a strong bow, rubbed against the air and made a sharp sound. Then Shao Xuan appeared in front of Hong Xi in an instant.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, like a hurled spear, was thrown straight at Hong Xi.

    Couldn¡¯t avoid it!

    ¡°original trantion: WANGMAMAREAD¡±

    Facing the unexpected situation, Hong Xi had almost no time to defend himself but stopped Shao Xuan¡¯s fist with his sword body. If he could not block the punch, all his bones would probably be broken.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s fist hit on the sword with a dull thud.

    The sword managed to block the iing fist, but Hong Xi¡¯s footsteps were disrupted.

    An experienced hunter would have developed a long-term habit, that was, not allowing his prey a breathing spell.

    The sounds of cracking didn¡¯t stop. This time, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t attack Hong Xi from the front. Instead, he jumped and threw his fist from the top after he caught up with Hong Xi.

    Bang!

    Blocking the punch with the sword once again, Hong Xi felt the powerful force transmitted through the sword and his body sank. Regardless of the sharp pain in his arm, Hong Xi thought: it¡¯s all over.

    The ground here was not as solid as it was elsewhere. There was more earth than rock. Therefore, under the great pressure, Hong Xi¡¯s ankles sank into the soil. Hong Xi wanted to jump out, but before he took action, another punch followed.

    All people around only heard a series of bangs that were as dense as a rainstorm. Under the punches, Hong Xi, like a hammered nail, sank a little every time Shao Xuan attacked.

 Chapter 277 â€“ New Routine

    In the blink of an eye, the body part below the waist of Hong Xi, who had been standing on the ground with others, got nailed to the ground now.

    Listening to the sound of the bang, which froze their blood, the people who had wanted toe to grips with Shao Xuan at the outset felt that the boom seemed to be thumped on their own body.

    How could it be¡­ This guy threw punches as if he was using a hammer! Didn¡¯t it hurt? Won¡¯t the hand bones break? Why not use the knife? Is Shao Xuan not taking a knife?

    Why not use a knife?

    Huang Ye¡¯s group clearly knew that if Shao Xuan really had used a knife, Hong Xi would have been killed.

    After Shao Xuan stopped, Hong Xi was still maintaining a knife-lifting guard posture, frozen.

    Shao Xuan looked at Huang Ye and others, asked, ¡°Is it ok?¡±

    With unclear meaning, Huang Ye just said, ¡°Well¡±.

    ¡°Does that mean I am eligible to join the Traveling Team?¡± Shao Xuan continued.

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Huang Ye. wangmama read

    ¡°Well, then see you next time.¡±

    Finishing that, Shao Xuan left.

    Realizing the sight threw by Huang Ye and Qiu Gu, Gu Zhi was blushing. Before that, he had asked Hong Xi to ¡°be careful not to go too far¡±.

    The people of the Feather tribe hurriedly pulled Hong Xi out. On Gu Zhi¡¯s wide and thick stone knife, the temperature caused by the fight still remained, somewhat hot.

    They checked Hong Xi¡¯s injuries, which were not that serious, but miserable instead. Once Hong Xi moved, he felt the pain as if his muscles were torn.

    ¡°Hong Xi, you should have been holding the de up. If so, you could have definitely blocked him! Maybe his hand would have been cut off by the de when he punched you.¡± said someone who couldn¡¯t help but share his opinion.

    ¡°Yes, right, and at that time, you should¡­¡°

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Hong Xi roared, blue veins appearing in his forehead, ¡°Do you think I am so foolish that I don¡¯t know how to use a sword?! Or do you think Shao Xuan is so stupid that he doesn¡¯t even know how to avoid the de? If I really had the chance, would I be beaten like this?! Well, he hasn¡¯t gone far, you guys, why don¡¯t you take the sword and continue the fight against him?¡±

    Surrounding people be silent.

    Hong Xi¡¯s own weapon was not a sword so he was not well-versed in it, but it didn¡¯t mean that he did not even know how to use it. Defense looked easy, but when facing Shao Xuan, the pressure was very high. At that time, Hong Xi had an illusion that he seemed to face a beast that had rushed out of the forest.

    When he blocked the opponent¡¯s attack, he felt that his hand bones were almost broken, and even turning the handle of the sword was difficult. As Shao Xuan suppressed Hong Xi in an imposing manner, both in power as well as speed, Hong Xi knew that his failure was reasonable. Thest thing he should have done was looking down upon Shao Xuan at first, because of that he was always in a passive state and got defeated in an extremely embarrassing manner.

    ¡°If I had known your power earlier, I should have used my own weapon.¡± Hong Xi struggled and walked to Gu Zhi with the sword. Then Hong Xi handed Gu Zhi the sword and said a little angrily, ¡°When I recover, we shall have a fight again! Next time, I will use my own weapon!¡± After falling into silence for a while, he added, ¡°I¡¯m not a sore loser, but feel that I have not yed for my full strength.¡±

    ¡°Chi¡ª¡ª¡±

    Qu Ce couldn¡¯t helpughing.

    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Hong Xi red at him.

    ¡°Your bird feathers have fallen.¡± said Qu Ce, pointing to the feathers on the ground.

    Hong Xi flushed and said angrily, ¡°Qu Ce, just wait and see! I will fight you when I am alright!¡±

    Ignoring the quarrel between the young men, Huang Ye sighed and then said to Gu Zhi and Qiu Gu, ¡°Now I believe that Hu Ma, from the Di Shan tribe, was killed by him.¡±

    Before that, all three of them had heard the rumor that Hu Ma, from the Di Shan tribe, was killed by a young man from the ming Horn tribe who had an eagle. But they did not believe it because 99% of the rumors were exaggerated and ridiculous, not to mention that the young man was from the ming Horn tribe whose power was in dispute at that moment. So they didn¡¯t take what they heard seriously.

    But now, it was probably Shao Xuan who killed Hu Shan.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Gu Zhi patted on his own forehead, ¡°Forgot to ask him about the two lost birds. Maybe he knows about it.¡±

    They did not talk to the ming Horn tribe about two other birds. If the ming Horn tribe knew they had two birds as spies, their motives would definitely be doubted. In this case, once a strange and suspicious bird was found, it¡¯s highly possible that it would be shot immediately.

    ¡°How could we ask?¡± Gu Zhi felt quite sorrowful for the two birds. He had been training them for a long time and thus they had rarely been caught in the past. This time, he really didn¡¯t expect it. The ming Horn tribe seemed to have a lot of secrets.

    The next day, Chief Ao of the ming Horn tribe invited Huang Ye and other two to have a talk. When the three people saw the two dying birds on the stone table and looked at the serious faces of the ming Horn tribe soldiers around them, they suddenly understood. Huang Ye only felt a headache.

    ¡°Where is Shao Xuan?¡± asked Qiu Gu.

    ¡°He has other things to handle,¡± replied Ao simply. WangMamaRead

    Huang Ye nced around the house and found that except for Shao Xuan, the two team leaders of the ming Horn tribes were not there either. Where were they going? Forget it, no matter where they were, it didn¡¯t matter as long as they didn¡¯t fight against the Wan Shi tribe.

    Ao ignored the doubts of Huang Ye, just taking the two birds and talking with the people of the Feather tribe.

    On the other hand, Shao Xuan left the tribe with Ta and Gui He and went to the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest early in the morning.

    Not far from the border of the ming Horn tribe, a team with about ten people had been waiting for them there. Besides the team, there were a few ferocious beasts which hadn¡¯t appeared in the tribe for several days.

    The Shaman thought that since these ferocious beasts had no task and this time they would go to the deep forest, why not take them together? In case they lost their ferocity, don¡¯t leave them in the tribe for too long. For ferocious beasts, it¡¯s better to keep their nature.

    ¡°Is everyone here?¡± Shao Xuan looked around and asked.

    ¡°All are here,¡± said Gui He.

    Over there, Ta also nodded.

    TL from wangmamaREAD

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go¡±

    Shao Xuan, together with more than 50 people, ran towards the deep forest.

    Around the team were those running beasts.

    In this route they chose, Shao Xuan had walked through some roads, where he could tell others what to pay attention to, which kinds of breasts they should look out and what dangerous nts and animals were in the forest. However, as for the rest roads, Shao Xuan also knew nothing about them.

    Last time, when Shao Xuan went into the forest, he went to the ce Chacha showed to him, and then changed the direction halfway. This time instead, they started from the tribe. In order to take back the ancestor¡¯s remains and the ming Horn tribe¡¯s ¡°history¡± lost for nearly one thousand years as soon as possible, they almost went straight.

    There were a lot of unknown dangers, unpredictable evil beasts, and rugged environments, but they were fearless. For such an environment, not like people of other tribes, they had lost the fear, and the only thing they had was the excitement for challenges, as well as the persistence and urgency to bring back the ancestor and ¡°history.¡±

    At the same time, this road was likely to be their new hunting route in the future.

    Since they returned to the old haunt, they hadn¡¯t decided on a new hunting route. However, their ancestors helped them solve the problem. Perhaps this was also an indication from the ancestors.

    In those days, the ancestors took this route too for sure. Nowadays, these people of me Horn would retrace this road and dered to the forest that those who left were back.

    Without break, the stone shing sounded in the mountain, the sshing blood was full of suffocating murderousness, the roar of the giant beasts was deafening, and the frightened birds chirped and flew toward the direction of the setting sun.

    Under the darkening blue sky, the road stained with blood carried all before one.

 Chapter 278 â€“ The Complete History

    During the traveling from their tribe, they had rushed for five days and only took short breaks halfway. They also found two caves that could be used as bases. Sure enough, there were fierce beasts in caves, so they surrounded and killed these beasts, then ate them as their dinner.

    Everyone had experienced bloody battles before. When deeper in the forest they marched, the old-familiar feeling of hunting came back again ¨C stimting, dangerous and blood boiling. They liked the old haunt very much and were very satisfied with this mountain and forest.

    If other tribes knew the ming Horn people¡¯s attitude toward this mountain and forest, they would definitely consider all them madmen. Who liked to be neighbors with and abused by the beasts?

    However, the ming Horn people who hade from the other side of the river were exposed to such an environment from their childhood, therefore, facing the environment, they were more likely to adapt to it.

    Sometimes the two team leaders thought, was there a in just like the green forest where grew dangerous but precious nts?

    In just five days, everyone was like a yer out of a sea of blood, with a great murderous look. As for the beasts they brought, they looked even more fierce. But their eye expression was a little soft when looking at the ming Horn people. Except for that, they looked the same as the wild beasts in the mountain at first sight.

    ¡°It¡¯s there.¡±

    Shao Xuan pointed to a ce on the mountain and said.

    Although they didn¡¯t walk there yet, Ta and Gui He looked at the direction Shao Xuan indicated. They could see clearly the ce where was blocked by arge stone. Behind the stone, it must be the cave Shao Xuan referred, in which their ancestors had lived.

    Taking a deep breath, all people tidied up their hide dressing, dust off grass clippings stuck on their hide clothing, and then they came to a clear spring to wash their faces and rub off the dried blood stain on their arms and legs.

    In the face of their ancestors, they would take it seriously.

    After careful tidy-up, the party went over there.

    In the cave, the guardian power Shao Xuan encounteredst time had gone, it looked asmon as other caves.

    Moving the stone blocking the entrance away, keeping the ferocious beasts guarding outside, Shao Xuan guided the two team leaders and others to enter into the cave.

    The anti-insect herbs being scattered in the cave were still there, but the smell fainted.

    Last time when Shao Xuan left, he had set the trap and scattered some anti-insect herbs. However, as the guardian power in the cave had gone, Shao Xuan worried that the remains of ancestors would rot, so he took off the bone ornaments from his neck and put it on the body of the person who was hunkering on the ground, whose dressing looked like the Shaman very much. Another six bodies of ancestors were also moved together by Shao Xuan. Since the bone ornament was able to protect the remains of ancestors in the King Stone Worm¡¯s cave, it should also be useful now.

    After they entered the cave, Shao Xuan took a closer look. Just like what he had seenst time, the seven remains of ancestors didn¡¯t rot quickly, which eased Shao Xuan a lot.

    Every time they saw the remains of ancestors, the people of the me Horn tribe were always excited. Especially when they heard what Shao Xuan had seen in the cavest time, Ta, Gui He, and others were very anxious to show their worship.

    Carrying the firebrand, Ta followed Shao Xuan cautiously and approached the depth of the cave.

    ¡°It¡¯s history.¡± Said Shao Xuan, pointing to those boxes.

    Either the ancestors or those boxes containing the history of the me Horn, they would take them back at all costs.

    After seeing the ancestors and ¡°history¡±, the two team leaders took some people out of the cave and went down to cut wood to make sedan chairs. In fact, what they made were not sedan chairs, but just three carriages and each would be carried by four people, others guarding around.

    Shao Xuan and the team rested in the cave for two days. In these two days, they also finished the three sedan chairs for their ancestors. They carefully ced the remains of the seven ancestors into a sedan chair, and the boxes containing the ¡°history¡± were ced in two other sedan chairs respectively.

    The things left in the cave were limited, and many had lost their original appearance. If they found these things in the tribe, they would definitely throw them away as garbage. But these things in the cave were what their ancestors left which were of great significance. They took all important things away, and as for the rest, they left them in the cave.

    ¡°Since the route has been discovered, we¡¯lle over again,¡± said Gui He.

    The speed of going back was much slower. After all, it was necessary to take the ancestors and ¡°history¡± and protect them from being destroyed by other beasts, which naturally took more time.

    At this time, several ferocious beasts taken from the tribe behaved excellently. When the team encountered wild animals, the ferocious beasts would attract these animals away from the team and then killed them, instead of fighting around those sedan chairs.

    Eight dayster, the team returned to the tribe. When they were some distance from the tribe, they met people sent by the Shaman and the Chief to help them, which reduced burdens on everyone.

    Everyone in the team had got injuries, so did the beasts, but they felt excited. People of the tribe were excited because they brought back the ancestor and ¡°history¡±, which was considered a great honor. For the beasts, they were very happy to go out although they got many injuries and almost died several times.

    The outsiders had already left, and people in the tribe had stopped everything in their hands, following the Shaman and the Chief to the border to wee the team back.

    Some people didn¡¯t know what happened at the beginning. After they talked to each other, they couldn¡¯t help but get excited.

    ¡°They are ancestors!¡±

    ¡°What do ancestors look?¡±

    ¡°They must be strong and talented!¡±

    ¡°I heard that people who have worshipped the ancestors can get the blessing from the ancestors! A soldier I know has worshipped before, and then ancestors helped him change danger into safety several times when he was hunting.¡±

    ¡°Have ancestors been found before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s Shao Xuan who found ancestors that time.¡±

    ¡°How about this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also Shao Xuan who found ancestors.¡±

    ¡°...He is indeed the Elder...¡±

    ...

    For the ming Horn tribe, even if the ancestors¡¯ remains were rotten, they were still significant and invible.

    It was a pity that they did not see the ancestors and only saw three big ¡°boxes¡±, which were carried by a dozen of people.

    ¡°Wee the ancestors back!¡±

    The Shaman and the Chief took the lead to kneel down.

    Thousands of people at the border all kneeled down. Even children who didn¡¯t understand anything followed the adults. Without being mischievous, they had a very strange feeling ¨C somewhat heavy and a little excited.

    When Shao Xuan brought back the remains of the ancestors from the King Stone Worm cave, a ceremony was held in the tribe to cremate the ancestors. This time the ceremony would be simr to the previous one, but it would not be held immediately.

    Being protected by the bone ornament, the seven ancestors¡¯ bodies would not rot quickly. The Shaman ced them in a room of the stone house, and he did not leave the house for several days. He was not focusing on the ancestors, but was studying the ¡°history¡± that was brought back.

    Ao would go there every day and have a look. Gui Ze who was appointed as the sessor of the Shaman, also looked through the ¡°history¡± every day.

    There was too much information in the ¡°history¡± they need to master. Shao Xuan and Gui Ze worked together andprehensively ssified those records selected by the Shaman, including the records of celestial phenomena, farming, animal husbandry, handicrafts and so on. Although a thousand years had passed, these records were still very helpful to some extent.

    With limited records, neither the Shaman nor Chief Ao had any concrete perception of how prosperous the ming Horn tribe was. But through the ¡°history¡±, they deeply felt the prosperity of their tribe in those years.

    Thinking of the arrogant expression of other tribes and the powerful ming Horn tribe in the past, Ao only felt that there was a long way for the ming Horn tribe to develop and restore its previous state. While it needed time to do.

    ¡°Who are the ancestors?¡± Shao Xuan asked the Shaman in spare time.

    The Shaman kept silent for a while and said slowly, ¡°When that disaster happened, one shaman of the ming Horn tribe asked his sessor to leave here, together with a chief and others, while that shaman and another 100 people hid the valuable ¡°history¡± in the mountain and protected it from natural or man-made disasters. Then those 100 people, including that shaman, kept the ¡°history¡± until the end of their lives.¡±

    ¡°More than one hundred people?¡± Shao Xuan was confused. When he found the cave, there were only seven people, including that old shaman.

    ¡°Others... were dead...even no remains!¡± The Shaman gently stroked a small roll of animal skin in his hands. This was thest mournful record of that shaman, which made people depressed.

    In those years when natural disasters urred, due to the sudden change of the environment, the ferocious beasts in the forest were also frightened and became agitated. Encountering such mad-like ferocious beasts, every day, people went out to hunt would be killed and even left no remains. In the end, only seven of them remained, and they never waited for the nsman toe until they died.

    ¡°If one day, the same situation happened to me, I will do the same.¡± Said the Shaman.

    ¡°When are you going to hold the sacrifice?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The Shaman didn¡¯t reply, but asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Could you re-carve the patterns on the stone columns?¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    During the period when they went to the forest for the ferocious beast, Ao had led more than a thousand people to hump several huge stone columns here. Shao Xuan understood what the Shaman meant, he hoped that the stone columns could be done before the cremation of the ancestors.

    It¡¯s impossible for Shao Xuan to carve all stone columns, they were too huge. So the Shaman and the Chief asked some stone-technical people to polish the stone columns smooth. After the primary polish, Shao Xuan would carve out the patterns in his memory.

    In the past, Shao Xuan only remembered the patterns on the stone column, but he couldn¡¯t understand what it meant. After reading more ancient and detailed records left by the ancestors, however, he found that many patterns on the stone column had special meanings. And the patterns carved on different position and different stone columns were different as well. In addition to being used as a sundial, the patterns also had a meaning of sacrifice.

    It¡¯s no wonder that the Shaman hoped to, ording to the legacy left by the ancestor, makepletion of the ruined and missing things around before the cremation. That would be the most orthodox sacrifice ritual of the ming Horn tribe.

 Chapter 279 â€“ The Gathering Place

    ording to the records left by the ancestors, there should be two tall stone columns near the fire pit, rather than one. When Shao Xuan first came to the old haunt, he only saw one tall stone column. As for the other one, it may have been destroyed by man-made or natural disaster long before.

    In addition, there were other short stone columns as well, whose significance was not as great as the former two, but they were more flexible to be carved.

    Shao Xuan was in charge of the tworgest stone columns closest to the fire pit. As for other columns, they would be carved by other people, and some symbolic patterns would be ok.

    The tworgest stone columns were respectively located on each side of the fire pit, toward the direction in which the sun rises and sets each.

    The patterns on stone columns were some paintings simr to the totem, but these totems were slightly different from totem patterns of warriors, the texture gap of the totem wasrger, and some patterns were carved in manyrge gaps.

    On the stone column in the direction of the sun rising, choppers, bows, stone balls, hammers, axes, cymbals, chisels, etc., which weremonly used by soldiers, including articles for hunting and daily life were carved. In addition, there were also various ferocious beasts was carved. Although there were many patterns, every one of them wasn¡¯tplicated. Only a few strokes on the animal skin-roll could show their features so that one could figure out what they were.

    On the stone column in the direction of the sun setting, various nts, flowers, ornaments, etc. were carved. Some of the nts and flowers were cultivated species, and some weremon herbal medicines.

    The pattern on the stone column represented harvest, prosperity, and so on, which also seemed to be a prayer divided into two parts.

    From his memory, Shao Xuan painted those on a skin-roll first, and then he chopped a block of wood as a shrunken model. The small wooden pile was easy to be carved. Shao Xuan set about engraving the first day, and the next day, he could take it to the Shaman and the leader.

    After the huge stone column was carved and set up, the whole tribe was full of cheers. The people in the area of the wanderers could see the two high stone columns standing there only if they climb the tree and remove the leaves that block their sight.

    All short columns in other parts of the tribe had also beenpleted. The tribe became more and more simr to the pre-millennial tribe recorded by the ancestors. Maybe the tribe would change more in the future, but now, they just wanted to copy the way the tribe looked like at that time.

    Since the stone columns were done. Then the cremation of the ancestors would go on.

    This time, all they saw the appearance of the seven ancestors, but no one was afraid. What they felt more was reverence, and then everyone kneeled down and prayed more sincerely and respectfully. To pray for the good harvest and peace with the ancestors¡¯ blessing. To pray for strength and for that young children could awaken their Power of Totem sessfully.

    In the fire pit, the remains of seven ancestors were devoured by the soaring me. After a while, nothing was left, even their cremains.

    There was a strong wind blowing from the forest. Maybe because of the influence of these new stone columns, the wind blew with some sounds up and down, like someone was whispering and singing.

    Some people considered it as the symbol of ancestors¡¯ return, and others thought it was their ancestors¡¯ answer to their prayers.

    No matter what the truth was, everyone believed in what they thought and no one would refute that.

    After the ceremony, all the people left. While Ao walked to the broken stones that were piled up on the side and stood there for a long time. Most of these pieces were the wreckage of stone columns and buildings, which were destroyed by the Wan Shi people. Whenever the ming Horn people saw that, they would burn with silent anger.

    ¡°The Wan Shi tribe, the fight against it is doomed!¡± said Ao.

    The fight against the Wan Shi tribe would beunched sooner orter, Shao Xuan knew it clearly, because the ming Horn people wouldn¡¯t eat crow with no resistance. If they didn¡¯t do that, they would be ashamed to meet their ancestors. Perhaps, because their ancestors knew some people woulde here to destroy it, they brought the precious ¡°history¡± to the mountains and hid it in the ce where other people dared not to go.

    ¡°Maybe this battle is being on,¡± Ao said, looking at Shao Xuan, ¡°Ah-Xuan, although I don¡¯t like outsiders to intervene our war, I¡¯m still a little worried about the ves¡¯ master they referred. After all, we don¡¯t know them, who never urred in ancestors¡¯ record.¡±

    As a leader, he had to think more and couldn¡¯t take actions rashly. If there was no ves¡¯ master, even if the central tribes opposed it, he would surely adhere to his decision. But now Ao couldn¡¯tunch the war without any scruple. The Wan Shi tribe, which was predicted by the ancestors to perish, should turn more powerful. What role did the ves¡¯ masters y in it?

    ¡°After I join that traveling team, I will pump for more information about the ves¡¯ master,¡± said Shao Xuan. Even if he had seen a ve master, he didn¡¯t know them well. The only thing he knew, ¡°The ves¡¯ master has great ambitions.¡±

    For this, Ao also knew it very well. They were the dread for the central tribes so that even the mutual hatred between different tribes could be forgotten temporarily. The ves¡¯ master was a bigger threat.

    ¡°Lei and Tuo will go with you this time.¡± Said Ao.

    From the ming Horn, there were three people who had joined the traveling team. Lei was a famous person in the younger generation of the tribe. His ancestors had been the tribal leaders, after all, besides, Lei was also powerful enough and owned a ferocious beast. And Tuo was not bad too, as the one who had joined the advance team early, he had the abundant talent to be one of it.

    The time to gather was drawing near, the three including Shao Xuan were about to leave for the destination. Before they set out, Huang Ye took out a map, on which the location of the gathering ce was marked.

    It was a simple map, only a few strokes and general tribal branch location marks were on it. As a result, the map was so blurred that if without the guide no one could find the destination easily. Fortunately, Shao Xuan had a more detailed map, although it wasn¡¯tplete, the gathering ce Huang Ye said was near the edge of the map drawn by Shao Xuan.

    The edge of the map was not the border of the continent. Beyond the edge, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know more, and he couldn¡¯t get the exact information from others too. This time¡¯s journey was a good chance to perfect the map.

    Tuo, Lei, and Shao Xuan, among the three, Shao Xuan was the youngest, but he held the highest position among the three, just because he was the Elder. Therefore, without Ao¡¯s words though, Lei and Tuo also knew that once went outside, Shao Xuan¡¯s opinion was the rule. Besides, they were okay for hunting, but when it for finding a ce, they were no expert in that.

    Because it was a particr case, Lei couldn¡¯t find the gathering ce with his ferocious beast, so he unloaded his ferocious beast ¡°Meng¡± onto his father. And Shao Xuan took Caesar neither, the uncertainty outside the tribe was severe, so it was dangerous to take it with him.

    ¡°You can go hunting with Uncle Mai. Don¡¯t be bellicose when you are hunting. Don¡¯t run about. Listen to Old Ke when at home. If encountering with female wolf you like in the forest, you can bring it back to everyone, but you can¡¯t let it bite others¡­¡± Shao Xuan said, brushing Caesar¡¯s fur.

    Caesar was depressed for Shao Xuan to go out not taking it. It whispered before Shao Xuan said a few words.

    Three dayster, Shao Xuan, along with Lei and Tuo, left the tribe for the gathering ce of the traveling team that Huang Ye told them. They left before the sun rose, and apart from a few people, they didn¡¯t disturb the rest of the tribe.

 Chapter 280 â€“ Catch up With

    Marked on the map left by Huang Ye, the traveling team gathering ce was a wastnd. Probably the weather reason that it rarely rained here, so the vegetation on the mountain was not as dense as that in the ferocious beast forest. So that the ferocious beast, as well as the giant beasts, were rare.

    No one thought that such a wastnd could be the gathering ce of the traveling team. And if no one showed the way, it would be difficult to find its urate location.

    At the top of one of the hills, there were several wooden houses and thatched houses. At the moment, in front of those houses, some people dressed differently were looking around in the grasnd.

    ¡°What now?¡± Huang Ye walked out of a bamboo house and asked a middle-aged man standing outside.

    ¡°The people of the Longboat tribe have just arrived, and the rest, including the Tian Shan tribe and the Hui tribe.¡± Said the man.

    ¡°How about the ming Horn tribe?¡± Asked Huang Ye.

    ¡°The ming Horn tribe?¡± The man even forgot which the ming Horn tribe was. It took him a few seconds to remember it, and then he suddenly smiled lightly, ¡°They joined the traveling for the first time, so maybe they get lost.¡±

    ¡°The ming Horn tribe doesn¡¯t have the guide.¡± Another person came over and said.

    Those were the people who had participated in many travelings. Although they wouldn¡¯t join in it every time, every one of them would take a turn to guide the team every few years, so each one of them would be an experienced elder in the end and would guide the junior of the tribe to travel. If all of the members were young soldiers who participated in this traveling team for the first time, no one knew if they can find the destination or how many people will die. It even was most likely to bepletely annihted.

    ¡°I heard that the ming Horn will send three people over this time. I wonder if they can survive,¡± said one man.

    ¡°It¡¯s an unknown that if they can find this ce on time, not to mention if they can survive.¡±

    While they were in discussion, someone near them shouted, ¡°Here theye!¡±

    In the air, two flying dots appeared.

    ¡°The Hui tribe? Or the Tian Shan tribe?¡± Only these two tribes woulde by the bird.

    No one could recognize who they were at once. But when these two flying dots flew closer, someone said, ¡°They are the Tian Shan people.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± A young warrior who joined the traveling team for the first time was puzzled.

    ¡°Their birds are different. The birds¡¯ bellies of the Tian Shan tribe are white, while the Hui tribe¡¯s birds are not.¡± One man of the Feather tribe answered. Even though it was the first time for him to participate in the traveling, he had learned about the birds of various tribes. Therefore, it¡¯s easy to identify who they were, ording to their birds¡¯ physical characteristics.

    ¡°It really is the Tian Shan tribe.¡±

    These two figures in the air flew closer and closer and rushed straight toward their direction.

    The sound of vigorously pping wings came.

    Dust and gravel were blown away with a rush. Strong ws fell on the rocky ground, leaving deep w marks easily.

    They were two huge eagles, which were about five meters high and looked much bigger when they stretched their wings, standing on the ground with closed wings. The upper parts of their bodies were covered with dark brown feathers, with some different shades of patterns on the feathers looked a little misceneous, while the feathers on their abdomens were pure white, without any other color. Because on their heads were a few short and hard crests, as if they had horns at first nce, they were also known as Horn Eagles.

    As a kind of giant birds among flying birds, only a few birds were able to match it, such as Giant Mountain Eagle.

    The front part of Horn Eagle¡¯s sharp beak was hook-shaped, with strong ws and sharp nails which could crush the skulls of their preys easily. It was strong and looked fierce, especially when it stared at you with standing hair on its head, looking like a fierce monster. Some young warriors met Horn Eagle¡¯s eyes in the air, swallowing. It was really ferocious.

    There were five people standing next to each Horn Eagle, with arge bow on everyone¡¯s back and three long feathers on their heads.

    Looking at the ten people who walk toward them, Huang Ye smiled and greeted the team leader who was about the same age. Then Huan Ye asked what happened and if everything went smoothly during their journey.

    As for the Feather people, including Gu Zhi and Hong Xi, they didn¡¯t like the Tian Shan people and wore unpleasant looks.

    But those people from other tribes, especially some young warriors, stared at the two eagles of the Tian Shan tribe and greatly admired their mount. Because they had toe here by either climbing mountains or taking a detour, while the Tian Shan people could arrive directly by birds. How convenient and cool it was!

    The Tian Shan people didn¡¯t care the hostile eye expressions around. But for the people who looked at them with envy, they smiled back smugly.

    Soon after the Tian Shan tribe¡¯s arrival, the Hui people also arrived. As before, they came by two Giant Mountain Eagles, but this time they only had nine people.

    ¡°Everyone is here now? Have a short break now, then start off today? Or to prepare for another two days?¡± The middle-aged man of the Tian Shan tribe nced around and said.

    ¡°Let¡¯s rest for two more days. What¡¯s more, the ming people haven¡¯t arrived yet,¡± said Huang Ye.

    ¡°Is there any other tribeing? The ming tribe?¡± Hearing the name, the people of the Tian Shan tribe changed their countenances, looking at each other. Then they quirked up the corners of their mouths and smiled a little ghastly.

    ¡°Does the ming tribe also join our traveling team this time? No guides?¡± The Hui people frowned, looking at the Tian Shan people with worry.

    ¡°It is the first time for them to join the team, sure enough, no guides.¡± said someone.

    Without a guide, it was very hard to find the gathering ce.

    ¡°Then wait for two days. After two days, if the ming people still don¡¯t appear, we have to set off first.¡± said the Tian Shan people.

    The other tribes had no objections. Two days were thest chance for the ming Horn tribe. If the three people of the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t appear after two days, the team wouldn¡¯t wait for them.

    Two dayster.

    In the morning, everyone on the top of the mountain came out of the house, looked at the rising sun, and packed up for the departure.

    People of the Hui tribe looked at the distance and shook their head with a sigh.

    Hong Xi and Qu Ce couldn¡¯t do anything. Even if they wanted to wait for the ming Horn tribe, there was no chance now.

    People from the Mang tribe, the Eight Limbs tribe, the Hui tribe, the Tian Shan tribe, the Feather tribe, the Thousand Masks tribe, the Longboat tribe, and some other small central tribes formed a group of nearly 100 people, walking down the hill. As they approached the mountainside, there were several hawks crying in the air, which included the Mountain Eagles of the Hui tribe, and the Horn Eagles of the Tian Shan tribe.

    ¡°They¡¯reing!¡± said someone of the Hui tribe.

    In the sky, a figure smaller than the other four appeared. With a loud eagle sound, it swooped down toward the team. When it passed the team, three men jumped down.

    It was Shao Xuan and the other two members.

    ¡°Finally we catch up. Sorry, wee for the first time and thus bete.¡± Shao Xuan said to a few people he knew among the elder ones. He did not pay attention to the malicious sight from others.

    Huang Ye nodded, ¡°I¡¯m d you finally catch up with us. Are you ready for the traveling?¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± replied Shao Xuan.

    Without rest, Shao Xuan and the other two went down the mountain with the team.

    During the downhill process, Shao Xuan observed the team and found that the undercurrent in the team was not as harmonious as the surface.

    Finding a chance, Shao Xuan warned Tuo and Lei to be wary of the surrounding people and to be on guard.

    Although Tuo and Lei had always been on the alert, since they had been in the hunting team of the tribe before, so they were used to teamwork, and in addition, Huang Ye had told them that the team was a united team and all people were partners, so they let their guard down and even chatted with the people of other tribes. But since Shao Xuan had reminded them to be careful, they were on the alert. Especially be on guard against the people from the Tian Shan.

    Knowing Tuo and Lei was in a quandary, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say much but just gave some notices to them. ¡°Never take it for granted that all the people who died were killed by the ves and the ves¡¯ master.¡±

    Not being killed by outsiders, and the ferocious beast was rare here, then¡­ only could be killed by insiders!

    Of course, all were in the same team though, everyone was from different tribes, so anyone of other tribes could be an ¡®outsider¡¯. Looking carefully, those people always were close to their own tribes, and every tribe kept each other at a distance.

    After leaving the gathering ce, the traveling team proceeded to the one direction, the direction where Shao Xuan had never gone.

    One dayter, on the way, they saw a long queue with more than 200 ves.

    The long vines tied the ves together, and next to the queue, some people held the whip. Those were ves of a higher rank.

 Chapter 281 â€“ Those Slaves?

    The ves whose wrists were tied by the vines barely wore anything. And even the hides they were wearing were shabby, far from being shelters.

    Being exposed to the burning sun, all of them were tanned, their lips were chapped, and all were in poor shape, walking barefoot. Without good treatment, some ves with rotten injuries were surrounded and followed by some flying insects.

    ¡°Where will those ves be sent to?¡± asked Shao Xuan. He knew if he didn¡¯t ask, no one would exin it. So he had to take the initiative. Even he would beughed at, he didn¡¯t care, it¡¯s enough for him to get the answer.

    As soon as Shao Xuan asked this question, he wasughed at by some people, but there were also some people answered him, although they may be ridiculing him, Shao Xuan only wanted to know the answer.

    ¡°Of course the ce where the ves¡¯ master live.¡± replied someone.

    ¡°Does the ves¡¯ master live there? The ce where we will go?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It is, what¡¯s up? Are you afraid?¡± said one of the Tian Shan, contemptuously.

    Shao Xuan fell into silence. He looked at the sky, then looked at the surrounding environment, and recalled the terrain all the way. He said, ¡°The ves¡¯ masters, where they are living seems not to be very good.¡± If they went straight, they would go to the desert area. The ves¡¯ masters lived in the desert? It made Shao Xuan very curious.

    Although he knew that the ves¡¯ masters would escape from the central section to avoid the big tribes, he never thought that they would live in arid areas.

    ¡°Not good?¡± An older middle-aged man next to Huang Ye sneered, ¡°They have a good time there! Only ves are suffering.¡±

    That¡¯s for sure. The ves¡¯ master was exactly the one being served.

    Just then, in the long ve queue, suddenly a ve broke free from the vines and ran towards Shao Xuan. Although he was skinny, he ran so fast that no one thought he was weak.

    Someone in the ve queue shouted and looked at the running ve, and the ve running towards Shao Xuan, who was a shock-headed and dark-skinned ve, was shouting with a hoarse voice. He probably wanted to ask for help. Shao Xuan could see the hope from his eyes.

    Poof!

    A sharpened piece of wood pierced the body of the running man, and the blood dropped to the ground, the light in the ve¡¯s eyes was annihted.

    With a whip in hand, a man in a hide walked over to the fallen ve. On his forehead, there was a tattoo seemed like the word ¡°Tai¡±.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ¡°Tai¡± ve.¡± Said someone with a calm tone and there was no fluctuation for seeing a ve being killed.

    ves were also graded. The lower ves didn¡¯t have any title, but for higher ranked ves, the lowest level of entitled ves was ¡°Tai¡±. On their forehead was a tattoo, the shape of which was simr to the character ¡°Tai¡±, so they were named ¡°Tai¡± ves. For their strength, they could rival primary totem warriors.

    The initial goal of somebody who just became a ve was to be a ¡°Tai¡± ve. Even though they had turned into ves, they would be satisfied as long as they could gain the equivalent power to primary totem warriors.

    The ¡°Tai¡± ves were just at the lowest level among the higher ranked ves. The ves ranking higher than ¡°Tai¡± ves were ¡°Pu¡± ves. There were some ¡°Pu¡± ves in this ve team, holding swords rather than whips. Generally, they didn¡¯t manage the matters of this team and seemed very harmless. However, once they took action, it would be much more bloody than killing one ve. Therefore, when that ve just tried to flee, the ¡°Pu¡± ves just nced at him. Some of them didn¡¯t even raise their heads and continued on their way. Anyway, there were lower-level ¡°Tai¡± ves to cope with it.

    That ¡°Tai¡± ve strode to the ve who fell on the ground, having a nce at the direction where Shao Xuan stood. When he looked at the ve, there was no vignce, no worries, and even no emotions. The only thing left was numbness, cold and tough as swords as if he was looking at some other dead things.

    Leaning over, that ¡°Tai¡± ve grabbed the feet of the ve, who had stopped breathing, and dragged him back to the direction of this team.

    Because of that, a long bloody line was left on the ground.

    That ¡°Tai¡± ve dragged the dead ve back to the team and waved his arm to throw him into the lower ves¡¯ team. Then, Shao Xuan saw that all wizened ves whose wrists were tied tightly rushed to the dead ve.

    ¡°That¡­ that is¡­¡± Lei stuttered.

    The Eight Limbs people said in an indifferent voice, ¡°They arepeting for food.¡±

    Although their wrists were tied, their arms, fingers, legs, and feet could still move. They were scrambling for food, although the ¡°food¡± was also a human being. If they didn¡¯t eat, they were likely to starve to death, while if they ate, they could survive.

    Noticing Shao Xuan and others silent, the Tian Shan people said, ¡°Can¡¯t bear their behavior? If you really can¡¯t tolerate it, you could save one or two lower ves. If that ve ran closer just now, you could rescue him in time.¡±

    Observing carefully the reaction of other people in their team, Shao Xuan also understood that there were some things that they didn¡¯t know. When most of these people looked at the ves, their eyes were filled with disgust.

    Many totem warriors surely looked down on ves and thought that these ves betrayed their ancestors. However, unlike many warriors, some people in the traveling team, especially the Eight Limbs people, looked at these ves with hate in their eyes.

    Shao Xuan learned the reason from Qu Ce. A few years ago, the Eight Limbs people who had encountered simr things, saved a few lower ves and killed some ¡°Tai¡± ves.

    ¡°In fact, the people of the Eight Limbs tribe were very secret when they tried to save those ves. They shouldn¡¯t have been discovered, but finally, they were discovered in some way. A young girl from the Eight Limbs tribe gave a ve a piece of dried meat before leaving, and the ve saw a spider kept by her. Later, the ve failed to escape. He was arrested and confessed everything. And then these people who had rescued ves were all killed when they went out with friends and elders.¡± Said Qu Ce.

    There were more than a dozen people from the Eight Limbs tribe being killed, including even senior totem warriors. Among the ves who attacked them, there were more than thirty ¡°Tai¡± ves and at least four ¡°Pu¡± ves. If they fought alone, even a ¡°Pu¡± ve was equivalent to a normal intermediate totem warrior, and would not cause such a tragic result. However, these ves almost attacked in a suicidal way. They never hesitated to cut themselves in order to attack others, and they were willing to hurt themselves even when the enemies were just slightly hurt.

    ves were just tools. When the tools were lost, those ves¡¯ masters never felt pity and they would just find other tools.

    ¡°After that, people of the Eight Limbs tribe kill all ves, regardless of their level. As long as they attack those ves, they would not leave a single ve alive and would not give anyone a chance to inform others.¡± Qu Ce looked at Shao Xuan and the other two, ¡°There are a lot of things like this, and almost every tribe has encountered. Remember, those ves can betray their beliefs and ancestors and they can forsake anyone.¡±

    ¡°Would they betray their ves¡¯ masters?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°¡­It depends on whether they dare or not. For different ves¡¯ masters, their ves will be different, and you will understand when you see more.¡± Said Qu Ce.

    After the ve team left, the traveling team continued to move forward, and the ve who was eaten left only a smudge of blood and a few pieces of bones that could not bebined. Some scavenged insects surrounded it and carved up thest ¡°meal¡±.

    Later, Shao Xuan and the traveling team did not encounter the ve team again. The way they went was different.

    The more they went forward, the more clearly Shao Xuan felt the dryness of the air.

    The surrounding vegetation was sparse. Compared to other ces, animals and nts were much less there. The grass on the ground had also withered.

    The team continued marching for five days, and some members of the team had begun tonguish.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go further. There will be a tribe, and we can rest there for a few days,¡± said an elderly person.

    When hearing these words, the young people became excited. ¡°Is there a tribe? Is there a tribe in this ce? What¡¯s the name of the tribe?¡±

    ¡°The Rain tribe.¡± Replied someone.

    Shao Xuan looked at the sunny sky. The Rain tribe.

    How was the young boy Yang Sui going? Had he sessfully be the Shaman of the Rain tribe?

 Chapter 282 â€“ See Yang Sui Again

    The surroundingnd got arider, and the creatures in the forest also became less active.

    After passing over several high mountains, they came to a hilly area.

    Standing on the top of a small hill, Shao Xuan could see the houses scattered around thend and vast areas of farnd in the distance. However, the crops on the farnd seemed not to grow well because of the water shortage. Not only didck of water result in the slow growth of crops, but also a high death rate.

    As for the farther distance, it was hard to see clearly, as if there was shrouded withyers of gauze because of too much dust in the air, which blocked our sights. In the drought area, when the wind blew, it would bring the sand high.

    As they kept going along that direction, more and more cracks were embedded on the ground. Although there were also some sparse grass, the cracked ground upied almost all of our field of vision.

    ¡°Over there, it is the Rain tribe.¡± Huang Ye told the young warriors who came here for the first time.

    During the journey to the Rain tribe, the elders would teach the young warriors something about various tribes. Now when they saw the Rain tribe, the elders would definitely tell them the customs and practices of the Rain tribe.

    Although Shao Xuan knew Yang Sui of the Rain tribe, he had only limited information about the tribe. Therefore, when that middle-aged man exined the local customs to the young warriors of his tribe, Shao Xuan also picked up his ears to learn it. It was better to know more information.

    ¡°The totem of the Rain tribe is ¡®rain¡¯ and the Rain people worship water. Their belief in the rainwater is far beyond your imagination. If some people of the Rain tribe die from being drowned or eaten by the beast in the water, most of the time, other people of the tribe would not mourn the dead, instead, they believe that the dead must have the mysterious power that others don¡¯t have. Depending on the power, they could send themselves to the ce where Gods live in¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan and others, ¡°¡­¡± WTF!

    If it¡¯s really the case, the crocodiles of the Drumming tribe were simply the spokespersons of God.

    It sounded ridiculous, but it could be understood. Each tribe had their own beliefs and worship. Many things that seemed extremely foolish to others were the unyielding conviction of some. For this, you couldn¡¯t change their thoughts even if you opened their brain.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that the Rain tribe¡¯s shamans who cannot pray for rain would be burned to death?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°Not exactly. I heard that some shamans were burned to death at the beginning, but afterward, no one could bring the rain, and they couldn¡¯t kill all shamans, so they changed the rule. But the result was that, in the Rain tribe, the status of shamans was gradually degraded. It¡¯s said that the candidate of the Rain tribe shamans must peregrinate outside, hoping to find a solution.¡±

    ¡°Did they find the solutionter?¡± A young soldier of the Feather tribe couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    The other guys looked at the douchebag-like warrior who asked the question, ¡°It must be unreal, how could one bring rain whenever he prays for it? At least it¡¯s impossible for shamans of our tribe, not to mention the Rain tribe¡¯s shamans. The people of those small tribes just love messing about!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure.¡± Others nodded, feeling that those small tribes couldn¡¯t make it if their own tribes couldn¡¯t. What¡¯s more, praying for rain must be just a lie.

    ¡°How could God be rted to ¡®rain¡¯? However, one thing is true, that is, God must be able to fly. Well, it¡¯s for sure,¡± said some of the Feather tribe.

    ¡°Bosh! How could God have wings? He must have eight hands!¡± said someone from the Eight Limbs.

    ¡°Bullshit! God couldn¡¯t be like that!¡±

    When ites to the appearance of God, tribes with different faiths would quarrel because of different opinions.

    The people of the Tian Shan tribe thought that God lived on the mountain, while the Mang tribe people vetoed who strongly believed that God should live in the woods, especially with the bamboo forest.

    The people of Thousand Masks tribe didn¡¯t speak, but the dissatisfaction on their faces had told everyone what they thought.

    Shao Xuan thought about the ming Horn tribe. As being brainwashed by the Shaman since childhood, or being taught by the Shaman since childhood, they only believed in three things ¡ª fire, totem and ancestor. What was God? Was it fire? Was it the incarnation of the totem? Or the passed ancestor? Or all of the three things?

    Listening to the opinions of the people around them, Lei and Tuo touched their head at the same time, and they began to outline the appearance of God in their mind. If there was a God, should he have¡­ a long horn on the head? Anyway, God would certainly not have those long wings or y spiders or be an incarnation of rain either.

    Well, God must have long horns on the head, and must be very powerful! Lei and Tuo discussed and nodded, thinking that other people¡¯s opinions were nonsense.

    Noticing that they were about to fight, the older people who were irritated by each other had to calm down and pull the excited young soldiers away.

    ¡°Eh? Who are they?¡± Asked Lei, pointing to a group of people who passed by not far away.

    Hearing these words, the crowd stopped quarreling and looked over there.

    There was a team of nine people. The leading person was in green vine grass and yellow hay-woven clothes, with some wooden and bone ornaments. Each person held a pottery bowl in hand. Taking a few steps, they dipped the other hand in the pottery bowl, then shook the dipped hand toward the side of the road and repeated the action constantly. There must be water in the pottery bowl.

    On their waists, there were some wooden bells made of walnut-like nuts. Every time they swung their arms forcibly, these wooden bells would also swing along with their bodies and made a pattering sound, simr to the sound of the rain falling on the ground.

    ¡°They¡¯re the Rain people.¡± Said Huang Ye.

    ¡°Are they for a sacrifice?¡± Asked someone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe it¡¯s rted to their sacrifice.¡±

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s find a ce to rest now.¡±

    ¡°Right, the Rain tribe will provide houses for travelers to live in. Let¡¯s have a rest there.¡± Said one experienced traveler.

    The team of the Rain tribe didn¡¯t proceed fast. When the traveling team walked over, Shao Xuan¡¯s party just crossed them.

    All the Rain people painted the totem on their faces with pigment, so no one could see their faces clearly. But Shao Xuan recognized Yang Sui who was walking in front of the team.

    Yang Sui¡¯s dressing was slightly different from the other eight people who walked behind him. His cloth was moreplicated, and the pottery bowl in his hand was also not the same as others, which was a little higher. Besides, the bowl was painted with stripes and dots, symbolizing the running water and rainwater.

    At the same time, Yang Sui also noticed Shao Xuan. He was stunned for a moment and wanted to say something, but realized that it wasn¡¯t a good time to catch up on Shao Xuan. He saw people around Shao Xuan and thought of something, then motioned Shao Xuan to go to the Rain tribe by rolling eyes quickly.

    Yang Sui signed to Shao Xuan to go there first. After his work was finished, he would take a chance to look for Shao Xuan and catch up on each other.

    There was a row of wooden houses at the border of the Rain tribe, which were built for travelers who just needed to pay a little ¡°amodation fee¡±.

    The original trantion from wangmamaread.

    Sure enough, the fee was at their own expenses and the people from each tribe would not pay for outsiders. Fortunately, Shao Xuan took a lot of ¡®money¡¯ with him. They gave the guardians of the Rain tribe some shell money and exchanged for a three-person cabin.

    The cabin was very primitive, but in the ce where it was hard to find a tree, it was tolerable.

    Shao Xuan exchanged some food with the Rain people, a kind of hard bread. All they were not ustomed to eating the food, especially Tuo and Lei who always fed themselves with fierce beasts by hunting, if in the wild. It was the first time for them to encounter such a ce and eat such kind of food.

    ¡°I think the ce our tribe lives in is really great.¡± Said Lei.

    Nibbling at the dry and unptable bread, Tuo nodded with agreement and asked Shao Xuan, ¡°How long do we have to stay here? During the adventure, are there some ces that worse than this?¡±

    ¡°It depends on the elders¡¯ opinion. And as for the rest of the journey¡­you¡¯d better be mentally prepared.¡± Shao Xuan showed a look, meaning ¡°There must be some ces worse than here, you know¡±.

    The expecting look on the faces of Lei and Tuo suddenly disappeared. There would be ces even worse than this! They would rather go to the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest to stay alone for ten days but didn¡¯t want to stay here where they couldn¡¯t even see one beast.

    No wonder they said that the travel would be extremely difficult.

    After a short break, a young girl who came in with water smiled at Shao Xuan and gave Shao Xuan a leaf.

    After the girl left, Lei and Tuo squinted and said, ¡°Ah-Xuan, is sending leaves the custom of the Rain tribe?¡±

    ¡°Is there anything written on the leaf? Let me see!¡±

    Shao Xuan avoided the two, quickly nced at the words on the leaf, and then ground the leaf.

    Lei and Tuo were disappointed.

    ¡°I am going out. If there is anything urgent in the team, whistle.¡± Said Shao Xuan, who paused and then continued, ¡°Be on guard against people of the Tian Shan tribe.¡±

    ¡°We know, go ahead, the Elder.¡± Tuo waved.

    Before leaving the chalet, Shao Xuan saw people who looked at their room from the window of another room. It was the room for the Tian Shan tribe. Someone was holding a bow in the window and the arrow was facing Shao Xuan, but it was not shot but just kept the aligned position.

    Noticing that Shao Xuan was looking at his direction, the man smiled, which was quite annoying.

    Were people of the Tian Shan tribe hostile to Shao Xuan and the other two because of the Di Shan tribe? Or because of other reasons?

    Anyway, their hostility made Shao Xuan be always on guard against them.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the man over there as he knew that they would not act brazenly at that moment. After leaving the chalet, Shao Xuan walked towards one direction. There was a small hill over there and some wooden houses on the hill. It was beyond the territory of the Rain tribe where Shao Xuan would not be stopped.

    These wooden houses were much worse than the houses where they rested. Looking at the straw rope hanging on one of the wooden houses, Shao Xuan walked towards that house.

    The door panel was half-closed. Shao Xuan saw the people in the room. One was the young girl who gave him water and the leaf and the other person sitting on the ground was Yang Sui.

    At this moment, Yang Sui was holding an oxtail and staring at it.

    Before the young girl delivered water and leaf to Shao Xuan, he had seen her once. She was behind Yang Sui at that time, but the clothes she wore and the pattern painted on her face made it hard to recognize her.

    When Shao Xuan came, the girl was whispering something, and she stopped when she heard the noise. The two looked up at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Youe.¡± Yang Sui didn¡¯t look good. After the pattern on the face was cleared, Shao Xuan could see dark circles around his eyes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look good. You failed to be the Shaman?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, I am the Shaman now, but I¡¯m going to fail.¡± Sighed Yang Sui.

 Chapter 283 â€“ Pray for Rain

    Yang Sui put down the oxtail in his hand and stood up.

    Noticing that Yang Sui casually threw the oxtail, the young girl next to him nced at Yang Sui, then carefully picked up the oxtail and ced it in a long wooden box next to it, which was covered with ayer of hay. The box could just contain the oxtail.

    Yang Sui forced a smile, ¡°Is it necessary? It doesn¡¯t work anyway.¡±

    After the brief introduction.

    Shao Xuan knew that the young girl named Mi Xu, who grew up with Yang Sui, was now one of the shamanesses who followed Yang Sui and would participate in the sacrifice.

    ¡°I heard that the ming Horn tribe has gone back? Are youing with those in the middle?¡± Asked Yang Sui.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Looking at the expression of the two, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°What happened? Are you going to be ousted?¡±

    Yang Sui scratched his head, ¡°Sort of.¡±

    Keeping silent for a while, Yang Sui said, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t selected as the Shaman, I can live longer. But what¡¯s worse now is that I might have to be burned to death.¡±

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    Mi Xu threw the wooden box in her hand away and the oxtail that had been carefully put into the box fell out. Not caring about the oxtail, she shouted with red eyes, ¡°How do you know you¡¯ll fail to pray for rain?!¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that.¡± Yang Sui smiled dejectedly, ¡°I¡¯ll be burned to death sooner orter.¡±

    ¡°If you knew that, why did you deceive others?! Why not tell others you can¡¯t pray for rain. Why did you say you can?!¡± Mi Xu shed tears and wiped it off, regardless of the dust on her hands. She put the oxtail on the ground into the box and gave the box to Yang Sui. Then she ran out, mming the semi-closed door panel.

    Shao Xuan nced at Mi Xu who had run away after mming the door panel. Then he turned to Yang Sui, who was standing still in the same ce, and asked, ¡°What happened? Was the event exposed?¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that when Yang Sui waspeting for the Shaman, he observed the weather when it might rain. Then, thanks to a coincidence, he finally defeated otherpetitors and became the Shaman sessfully.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    Yang Sui¡¯s face pined away, which looked much worse than that when he was sick. He said, ¡°I really regret making the promise!¡± Looking back upon the situation at that time, he really looked for trouble! At that time, he should confess the truth under the pressure of the Chief.

    When he met Shao Xuan again, he was still in an unfavorable situation. Then Yang Sui told Shao Xuan what happened briefly.

    When Yang Sui returned back the tribe from his travels, he seeded in bing the Shaman of the Rain tribe. But at the end ofst year, the new Chief took office who supported another candidate of the Shaman in the previous election. When he knew that Yang Sui had ¡°cheated¡± during thest election, he decided to dispose of Yang Sui, so he started to make trouble for Yang Sui ceaselessly. What¡¯s worse, there wasn¡¯t even a drop of rainwater until today this year, so the present Chief seized the opportunity to ask Yang Sui to pray for rain.

    Yang Sui said it was difficult.

    If Yang Sui wasn¡¯t the Shaman, that¡¯s okay. But the present Chief wanted to promote one person who stood on his side. Therefore, the Chief questioned Yang Sui¡¯s ability to pray for rain in public and said that it was just a coincidence to rainst time when he prayed, rather than depending on his own ability. Yang Sui not only deceived everyone but alsocked disrespect for their ancestors and the totem. Because of that, God didn¡¯t rain this year as a punishment. If it got worse, as the weather got hotter and hotter, thend would be dry and crack before long and the crops on farnd couldn¡¯t survive. The Chief incited the crowd and took Yang Sui¡¯s deception as an excuse.

    What? At that time, it was the former Chief who forced you to admit that you were able to pray for the rain? Bah! You dared to nder the previous Chief. Yang Sui, you should be burned to death!

    ¡°He asked me to pray for rain. If I couldn¡¯t do, that means that I provoked God, then I would be burned to death to calm God¡¯s anger.¡± Yang Sui took the oxtail out of the box and shook it at will. He continued, ¡°In fact, many people know clearly that it¡¯s just an excuse. It¡¯s impossible to rain after praying. But there is no way out because the Chief has given the order. Moreover, at his instigation, many people really believe that when there is no rainfall, it could solve the problem ¨C only by burning me to death.¡±

    In the past, Yang Sui could manage to take office because of the support of the former Chief. Although the former Chief knew it was just a coincidence to rain when Yang Sui prayed, he needed one person who could stabilize the tribe and one chance to enhance his prestige at that time. So that Chief put pressure on Yang Sui when he intended to confess.

    ¡°How many people are there to support you now?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    Since the Chief didn¡¯t dare to burn Yang Sui immediately and had to find an excuse, he must be worrying about something.

    ¡°My supporters are more than the Chief. But after the day after tomorrow, probably no one will support me anymore.¡± Replied Yang Sui, forcing a smile.

    ¡°You¡¯ll pray for rain the day after tomorrow?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, these days I¡¯ve been preparing for it. I¡¯ve practiced it a few times in private. These oxtails are what I used to practice.¡± Said Yang Sui, swinging the oxtail towards Shao Xuan. ¡°Yesterday I¡¯ve broken one oxtail. This is the new one.¡±

    ¡°You have to use oxtail to pray for rain?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Yang Sui continued to swing the oxtail in his hand. ¡°When praying for rain, I have to hold the oxtail in my hand. But this oxtail is just for practicing. When I officially pray for rain, I will use another oxtail which is carefully prepared by my supporters. It¡¯s not something that can be used casually.¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do? If you failed to pray for rain, would you stay here and be burned to death?¡±

    ¡°What else could I do?¡± Said Yang Sui helplessly, ¡°I have been wondering whether I should run away if something happens. But I can¡¯t run away. My family and friends are here, the tribe is here, and the fire is here. Where can I go? I don¡¯t want to be a wanderer, let alone a ve. I would rather be burned to death!¡±

    Silence descended quickly on the room.

    ¡°When will it rain next time? Is the rainy seasoning soon?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There is no rain in the next short period of time. As for the rainy season, the rainy season here is after the full moon,ter than that in other ces.¡± Exined Yang Sui.

    That was a really difficult problem. When the rainy season didn¡¯t set in, Shao Xuan also couldn¡¯t find a way out. Artificial rainfall? In the ce where many mysterious matters happened, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have a solution.

    ¡°Go back. The blowing sand ising.¡± Yang Sui said, ¡°During these days when I¡¯m still the Shaman, I can provide you with some delicious food. Later, I¡¯ll ask somebody to send you more water and food.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked out of the broken window and found that the blue sky had turned gray and a little turbid. Sand and dust began to rise in the air outside.

    ¡°If you stay for two days more, you could see me be burned to death.¡± Yang Sui said and walked outside, holding that wooden box with the oxtail in his arms, ¡°Go back earlier and you¡¯d better not to go out tomorrow.¡±

    When Shao Xuan stepped out of the cabin and returned to their resting ce, the sky had be amber-yellow in color and its visibility also reduced a lot. The blowing wind mixed with sand and dust hurled all around and blocked out the sun. People outside were having some difficulty breathing. They all squinted, and from time to time being smothered by the dust.

    For the people of the Rain tribe, they were used to it, but for the younger travelers who came out for the first time, they were ufortable. Looking at the dim sky, they felt dull.

    ¡°I feel that the ce where our tribe stationed is so good.¡± Lei looked at the weather outside, closed the window and said to Shao Xuan.

    For Lei and others, they would rather live in the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest than live in such a sandy and aridnd, but for people of the Rain tribe, they were exactly the opposite, preferring to live in such a ce rather than set foot on the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest.

    ¡°It¡¯s all like this outside, let¡¯s go to bed early. Maybe the sand will go after sleep.¡± Thought Tuo optimistically.

    Shao Xuan was not so optimistic. Yang Sui had said that it would be better not to go out tomorrow. Obviously, it would be worse than today. On the astronomical phenomena, Shao Xuan still believed in Yang Sui.

    As for praying for rain¡­

    The people of the Rain tribe more worshipped the powerful force behind the ¡°rain¡± than they worshipped the fall of the sky. The rain was just a messenger to transmit power, which was a stage of the ¡°Powerful and Mysterious Power¡±. If someone could pray for rain, he would have such a power and be worshipped wholeheartedly.

    However, it was unclear whether the power really existed and how strong it was¡­¡­

 Chapter 284 â€“ Praying For Rain 1

    In the wooden houses where the Rain tribe arranged for visitors to rest, the people of the travelling team put up for a night. As for how they slept, it could be known the next morning when looking at their worn out expression.

    When Shao Xuan opened his eyes, the house was very dark, but with the biological clock formed over the years, he knew that the sun had already risen now.

    The wooden houses here were poorly built, and there were many gaps in the roof and surrounding wooden walls. So if there was sunlight outside, it could prate through these gaps.

    However, the atmosphere in the house was just like the night before the dawn. Even though there was a little bit of light, it was still mostly dark.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Tuo rolled over and got up from a wooden hay bed which was slightly high above the ground. He also felt that the sun should be hanging in the sky at this time, but he did not see any light. Instead, he felt the atmosphere was a little gloomy and depressing.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Tuo said in confusion.

    Shao Xuan also rolled over and felt ayer of soft sand on the ground in the house as hended.

    Creak¡­

    Shao Xuan opened the door.

    The dusty wind suddenly blew in, which almost choked the people inside.

    The door was opened and there was a bit of dim light shining into the house. By the light, the three saw the situation inside the house.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    Except for the ce where they slept, a thickyer of dust covered the whole house, and a lot of dust was falling from the roof.

    The people of the Rain tribe were thoughtful enough. On the top of the wooden bed, near the roof, they covered it with a straw mat, and the dust falling from the roof fell onto the mat.

    ¡°No wonder I I kept hearing a rustling soundst night, which made me sleep badly.¡± Said Lei with a yawn, while looking at the situation in the house.

    People who often hunt in the mountains would certainly not sleep soundly. A little bit of noise would alert them. With extraordinary hearing ability, they could even hear the sound when the sand and dust fell very clearly in the quiet night.

    ¡°The weather is so bad, would we go?¡± Asked Tuo.

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t go today.¡± Shao Xuan heard the footsteps near the house.

    Soon, Huang Ye appeared at the door of their house.

    ¡°The team would stay here for two days and wait for the weather to get better.¡± Huang Ye said to the three people.

    ¡°OK.¡± Answered Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Be careful. Every time this kind of dusty weather appears, some creatures woulde out. Be on guard against it.¡± Huang Ye intended to warn these young warriors who came to this ce for the first time and by the way mention that these creatures were horrible so that these young warriors who were prone to take things lightly would be careful.

    However, as he spoke, Huang Ye found that the atmosphere became weird. Raising his head, he saw the three pairs of bright eyes and couldn¡¯t continue to say more words.

    Thinking about it, Huang Ye suddenly realized something.

    The people of the ming Horn tribe were different from those of other tribes. These ming Horn people lived next to the beasts. How could they be afraid of those creatures that suddenly appear? Maybe they were thinking about how to catch those creatures as food.

    What Huang Ye thought was right. Shao Xuan and the other two were exactly thinking about catching a few such beasts as food. People of the ming Horn tribe still liked meat, and those hard cakes couldn¡¯t provide them with enough energy.

    Huang Ye sighed. Anyway, he had brought them the information. Then he turned to another wooden house to inform other people.

    Shao Xuan looked at the sky outside. In the distance where the Rain tribe located, there was a tinkling sound. Due to too much dust, he couldn¡¯t see the situation there. Yang Sui said the Rain tribe was building an altar for praying for rain.

    Thinking about praying for rain, Shao Xuan gave out a sigh. When he was about to close the door, his hands suddenly stopped. Lei and Tuo behind him also stopped their work and darted their eyes to the ce near the wooden table in the cabin.

    A thickyer of sand had gathered around the legs of the table, but now its surface bulged slightly and moved. Obviously, there was something beneath the nket of sand.

    Lei and Tuo looked at each other and took action nearly simultaneously.

    ¡°It¡¯s mine!¡±

    ¡°It belongs to the person who gets it first!¡±

    When that creature beneath the sand noticed the danger approaching, it suddenly elerated and rushed out of the cabin.

    Shao Xuan saw a slender and earthy figure shing through the door and rushing into the ground outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s a snake!¡± Shao Xuan reminded them to be careful. In such a ce, snakes always had the ability to defend themselves, which may be very poisonous.

    In the house, Lei and Tuo had to restrain their action, for fear of destroying their dwelling ce. Seeing that the snake ran out, they were delighted and rushed outside.

    The snake buried itself deeply under the sand, but as Lei and Tuo approached closely at a fast speed, it ejected out like a spring. It was a snake, around one meter long and as thick as one¡¯s thumb. With its upper body upright, the snake opened its mouth, exposed two fangs and squirted the poison.

    Though Shao Xuan stood in the doorway, he could also hear the sound of poison corroding the sand.

    Tuo chopped off the snake¡¯s head, one step ahead of Lei, and then he crushed the head of the snake with a sword. When they hunted in the forests, they always disposed of the snake in this way because some snakes could also bite people even though their heads had been cut off. After learning the lesson, they would act in this way to avoid potential danger every time they encountered snakes, no matter which kind of snake it was.

    ¡°Ha, it¡¯s mine!¡± Tuo held the snake¡¯s headless body and swung it towards Lei.

    Lei didn¡¯t turn his head to look at it. It seemed he was listening to something carefully. He turned back, took two steps forward and jumped up. Lei tensed the muscles on his arms, half of which was covered by the ming Horn totem. He swung the stone sword and cut it vigorously at one ce.

    Bang!

    The hard earthy ground exploded and under the cover of the flying clods and the rising sand and dust, something quickly leaped out.

    Shao Xuan stared at the creature that had rushed out.

    Pangolin?

    No, the scute of that creature looked much thicker than pangolins¡¯, and its body was much longer, nearly two meters long. Its body color was sandy yellow, simr to the color of the earth. While that creature didn¡¯t move slowly because of that hard scute, on the contrary, they were very agile.

    The creature had been trying to run away or drill into the ground, but Lei and Tuo didn¡¯t give it the chance. Under Lei¡¯s and Tuo¡¯s joint action, it was chopped off within three seconds despite its struggle.

    They didn¡¯t stay outside for a long time. Lei dragged the creature and took time to peel. Though it was the first time to see such a creature, they encountered something simr before. It was not rusty for them to peel it off, so they disposed of it immediately, not expecting to get extra water to clean it. Lei carried it toward the house and today their food was due. The hard scute was left to wear as armor, only if disposing of it simply.

    They wanted to catch one more, but it was a pity that even if there still had some more, all the creatures under the ground would avoid the ce near their house because of their loud actions. So they couldn¡¯t but wait patiently.

    Lei¡¯s and Tuo¡¯s actions attracted others¡¯ attention. The people who had rested in the houses opened their windows or doors to see what had just happened outside.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t take action just now, in order to guard against others, not just including the people of the traveling team. There were also some people of the Rain tribe nearby. Not everyone in the Rain tribe was friendly to them. Just now someone wanted to grab it, but when they saw Shao Xuan staring at them, they gave up the idea.

    After Shao Xuan and others entered the room, other people withdrew their eyesight.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    ¡°People of the ming Horn tribe are really¡­¡± Said someone in the room.

    For really how? Everyone thought differently.

    Shao Xuan and the other two ignited the fire in the house and began to roast the beast meat. Although the meat was unptable and a lot of sand was attached to it, it was much better than the hard tbread.

    Having some meat, Shao Xuan nned to go out for a while.

    Lei and Tuo had known that Shao Xuan was acquainted with the current Shaman of Rain tribe, so they didn¡¯t say much and started to have a rest after eating. They thought they could catch another one or two beasts after their sleep.

    Against the wind and sand, Shao Xuan went to the hill yesterday he had been.

    Yang Sui was still staying in the wooden house, holding an oxtail in his hand. He had probablye early in the morning, as ayer of dust had fallen on his body.

    ¡°Why do you need oxtail to pray for rain?¡± Asked Shao Xuan when he entered.

    Hearing what Shao Xuan asked, Yang Sui came back to earth. He waved the oxtail in his hand. He told everything, it¡¯s not a serious secret.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that in the ancient time when the ancestors prayed for rain, they sacrificed stones. And those stones were special, which were called ¡®rain stones¡¯. You can find some if you dig in the nearby mountains. They are ck and cold even on hot days. The rain stones we use to pray for rain are as high as a man. When we pray for rain, the oxtail will be the whip tosh the rain stone.¡±

    ¡°The rain wille like that?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°A sacrifice dance is also necessary, but that is not important. Whipping the stone to pray for rain is indeed the earliest mean. Butter, I don¡¯t know when the way to pray for rain has changed. The ancestors said that there is the older spirit of ancestors behind rain stones, which is the protector of good weather, farming and harvest in the tribe, and is able to eliminate diseases and disasters. Therefore, everyone began to fear rain stones. In order to protect the prosperity of the tribe, we no longer whip rain stone. Otherwise, we believe we will suffer disasters and those who whip rain stones will not live longer.¡±

    When Yang Sui said these things, his tone was a little bit ironic. It was not because he did not respect his ancestors, but he was only skeptical about some things, which normal people did not dare to doubt and would not think too much about. Only people who knew it well would get to the bottom.

    As for the statement that those who whipped rain stones did not live long, it was probably because the task of praying for rain consumed too much energy and shamans had to sacrifice some for it. Those who were weak would probably be exhausted after praying for rain. Moreover, as what Yang Sui said, praying for rain was getting harder and harder and shamans naturally had to bear great psychological burden as the Rain tribe had burned shamans to death before. Under both physical and psychological pressure, shamans who had to pray for rain had never been rxed. If a shaman was weak, praying for rain once must consume all his physical strength.

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t have to pray for rain by whipping rain stone with oxtail now, why are you still practicing with oxtail?¡± Shao Xuan pointed to the oxtail in Yang Sui¡¯s hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s used to ask for ancestors¡¯ and the Rain God¡¯s forgiveness. We offer up the oxtail to atone for our crimes.¡± Yang Sui swayed the oxtail casually, and his eyes were full of sarcasm, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there was a shaman who was whipped by the Rain God after praying for rain.¡±

    Shao Xuan was shocked.

    So, the way to pray for rain had been changed from the concept that ¡°If you don¡¯t rain, I¡¯ll whip you¡± to ¡°ask for rain and ask for punishment¡±. Were people in the Rain tribe ying whipping and SM games with the Rain God? But there was no rain even after the shaman was whipped!

 Chapter 285 â€“ Praying For Rain 2

    Regardless of the legend, and regardless of how much the process of praying for rain had changed, in any case, one thing was certain that the people of the Rain tribe were very realistic. ¡­

    No matter what lies you made, only if it could make a difference, they would believe what you said and would strictly make it. Otherwise, even if you paid much more but failed to satisfy them, they would brutalize the liar.

    How much high they boost you up before, then how much heavily they would throw you down, and then push you into the fire pit. Yang Sui was an example.

    Compared to the ming Horn tribe, the Rain tribe¡¯s Shaman was really at a low level. However, Shamans also differed from each other. If the ming Horn tribe also had Shaman like the Rain tribe¡¯s, it would be no different from the Rain tribe now.

    What Shao Xuan thought was that it depends.

    Probably, since he thought he would only live for a few days, Yang Sui withheld nothing. In many cases, he couldn¡¯t talk to people of his tribe, because it would be considered too sphemous, but he could talk to the foreigners because outsiders had never recognized other tribes¡¯ affair. Yang Sui needn¡¯t care anything when he talked to the outsider, and he could vent his grievances by the way.

    After a short silence, Yang Sui lowered his eyes, waving the oxtail in his hand, he sang with his hoarse voice, ¡°the light drizzle, the mud covers the road¡­ god in heaven, rain is the clothes¡­ please your¡­¡±

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    It¡¯s a song that every person of the Rain tribe could sing.

    When no one could pray for the rain anymore? And how many years had passed since then?

    Hundreds of years? Thousands of years? Or even longer?

    ¡°the light drizzle, the mud covers the road, what kind of scene was that? I really want to see it again,¡± said Yang Sui.

    The records left by the ancestors were iplete, but the songs passed down from generation to generation were known to everyone. The pity of it was that no one could imagine the scene this song depicted. Neither the people who knew it. Because the people who knew had been gone.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that the rain will drop like the line and the ground will be covered by the mud when praying for rain seed. The bare-foot people will walk in the wet cold mud and enjoy the bath of the rain.¡± Said Yang Sui.

    Mud, had no derogatory sense here. For the people of the Rain tribe, ¡®mud¡¯ was a desirable image, because, in most of their memories, the ground was always hard and cracked.

    Speaking of that, the girl named Mi Xu that Shao Xuan had seen yesterday came over. It seemed that she was seized with uncontroble rage. Maybe she never thought she could meet Shao Xuan here. The surprise on her face shed and disappeared, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to Shao Xuan and turned to Yang Sui sitting on the floor.

    ¡°Another two threw up their jobs! Assholes!¡± Mi Xu appeared enraged.

    Yang Sui¡¯s hand holding the oxtail quivered, then he said quietly, ¡°Just let them go, I will double the shell coin for those who want to do it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use adding more coins!¡± Shouted Mi Xu. ¡°He Chao has taken them with the shell coin! They can also give them more coins! One has left yesterday. It¡¯s hard to find someone to supply theck, but now he has left! Who else can we look for?! Who knows if anyone will leave today!¡±

    The ¡°He Chao¡± Mi Xu said was the Shaman who hadpeted with Yang Sui, Yang Sui won then. But now, the chef Hang Mang supported He Chao and took Yang Sui down. Day by day, the supporters of Yang Sui decreased quickly. Yang Sui had said yesterday that his supporters were the less half while the opposite party was the more half. But now, even the less half left.

    They probably thought that Yang Sui couldn¡¯t pray for rain so that even his shamaness would be in trouble.

    Someone supported him before, just because of those supporters behind Yang Sui. But now, his supporters had bowed to the opposite party under the coercion from He Chao and the Chief Hang Mang. And naturally, there would be Shamaness who changed their positions.

    In order to pray for the rain, the eight shamanesses were indispensable. But now, they couldn¡¯t find another right one to supply theck.

    If no one would supply theck, the rain-praying would fail.

    It¡¯s the rule made by ancestors, thus unchangeable.

    Trantor¡¯s note:

    If you want to get thetest chapter in time or have some suggestions, please join our discord and have more discussions: https://discord.gg/QPfPCmk

    Want to change the rules? OK, if you could seed in praying for rain, then the people of the Rain tribe will definitely not object your ideas. But if it didn¡¯t rain, you could only obey the rules.

    ¡°Moreover,¡± Mi Xu took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down and said, ¡°The oxtail they prepared for you was also taken back and given to He Chao.¡±

    Not only were people taken away, but even the carefully prepared oxtails were also sent to the enemy.

    Pray for rain?

    How to pray?

    If went on like this, they didn¡¯t have to prepare anything and just wait to be burned to death.

    ¡°What to do? The ceremony will begin tomorrow!¡± Mi Xu was anxiously walking back and forth in the house.

    ¡°Is there a cow in the surrounding mountains? I can find an oxtail for you.¡± Said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No,¡± Yang Sui waved his hand and raised the oxtail that had been dusted in the hand to Shao Xuan. ¡°This is enough. Any oxtail could be a whip? The ancestors didn¡¯t say what kind of oxtail we must use.¡±

    ¡°What about shamaness?¡± Asked Shao Xuan asked, ¡°If you need shell coin or something else, I have brought some here.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, we don¡¯t need shell coins. We have them.¡± When Mi Xu looked at Shao Xuan, her expression eased a lot. Although Shao Xuan was not part of the Rain tribe, at this time, he was willing to help and she felt grateful.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    Just¡­

    ¡°More shamaness is needed.¡±

    As soon as Mi Xu said that, a voice came from outside, ¡°Who said that !?¡±

    Yang Sui, sitting on the ground, jumped up quickly, looking at the outside with shock.

    The dpidated wooden door covering the house was removed by a pair of calloused hands.

    Then Shao Xuan saw two middle-aged dark-skinned womene in, one after another, and behind them was an old woman with grey hair, her body was strong enough and her footstep was stable, which made her seem as though she was not so old.

    ¡°If more is needed, we can do it!¡± said the first middle-aged woman.

    ¡°Mother! Grandmother!¡± Looking at the womening in, Yang Sui was surprised.

    ¡°Mother!¡± Mi Xu was so shocked that she even forgot to say something.

    The three women who came in were Yang Sui¡¯s mother and grandmother, as well as Mi Xu¡¯s mother.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, they were shocked slightly, but after the introduction of Shao Xuan, the three women showed their kindness and expressed their thanks to him. They knew that Shao Xuan had helped Yang Sui.

    ¡°You¡­ You¡­ ¡± Yang Sui stammered.

    ¡°We what? The ancestor never said that the shamaness must be young.¡± Said Yang Sui¡¯s mother.

    The ancestors didn¡¯t say that, but the Rain tribe always regarded the slim-shaped girl as the beauty, therefore, when choosing a shamaness, this kind of young girl will be chosen, and even some families would train their daughter as the shamaness from an early age. Up to now, no one had ever seen a middle-aged or older woman got chosen as the shamaness. After all, due to manual work, the middle-aged women in the tribe were not slimmer than the young.

    However, with more and more people turning their coats, it became even harder to gather 8 shamanesses, so that the three elders took such a decision.

    If the shamaness were others, although they couldn¡¯t get anything even after Yang Sui failed to pray for the rain, they would never lose their lives. Yang Sui¡¯s family, however, was different. The new leader and his supporters were directed against Yang Sui, so they would be harsher to Yang Sui¡¯s family than to others, and they were likely to be burnt to death.

    Looking at the people choking with sobs inside the house, Shao Xuan left the wooden house.

    Outside the house, a few middle-aged men were standing there, guarding around the house. They should be the rtives or elders of Yang Sui.

    No wonder Yang Sui cared about those people, at this time, within the Rain tribe, only those could support him.

    The outside was turbid and the visibility was poor, but Shao Xuan wished to wander for a while. He wanted to help do something.

    Not far away, a half-armed long lizard was crawling, at the moment, a creature rushed out from the sand.

    Shao Xuan looked at the creature, he found it was just the same kind of species they had eaten not long ago.

    The little one was so pitiful that it had been chopped before it found the food.

 Chapter 286 â€“ Praying For Rain 3

    Shao Xuan dragged the hunting prey back as the dinner for the three of them.

    When Shao Xuan was absent, Qu Ce and Hong Xi of the Feather tribe hade to find Shao Xuan. For Qu Ce, he looked for Shao Xuan out of boredom, so he gossiped with Lei and Tuo about the affairs of the Rain tribe since he didn¡¯t find Shao Xuan, which was just a joke to kill time. For Hong Xi, however, he came to fight with Shao Xuan, so he left after he couldn¡¯t get the person he wanted.

    As for the affair of the Rain tribe, Lei and Tuo asked Shao Xuan again after they heard of it from Qu Ce. Shao Xuan answered them roughly, but he didn¡¯t say too much. Nheless, after they knew the current situation, the two couldn¡¯t believe it.

    How could they treat the Shaman like that? In the ming Horn tribe, the Shaman was the authority.

    However, the two seemed less than enthusiastic about the affairs of the foreign tribes, just sighing with emotion, ¡°Poor thing!¡±

    The same as others in the team, they didn¡¯t believe the Shaman could seed in praying for the rain, so they just chatted about the affair to kill time.

    Towards nightfall, Yang Sui sent someone over to find Shao Xuan. As the Shaman of the Rain tribe, Yang Sui shouldn¡¯te here directly. Because if anyone saw that he was looking for Shao Xuan here and now, it would get Shao Xuan into trouble.

    Yang sui was still in the poor wooden house, but this time, only by himself. He started a bonfire and sat on the ground waiting for Shao Xuan. Next to Yang Sui, there was a hide bag.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    Tomorrow would be the day to pray for rain, but Yang Sui was in no hurry, only being more silent than he was in the daytime.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Asked Shao Xuan, who entered into the house.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, I need your help.¡± Yang Sui pleaded for help.

    ¡°Go on.¡± Finding a ce to sit down, Shao Xuan waited for what Yang Sui would say.

    Yang Sui gave the hide bag, that was next to him, to Shao Xuan, ¡°If I can¡¯t make it tomorrow, my father and my mother will be sent out, you¡­ please help¡­¡±

    Probably realizing that he was a little bit off, Yang Sui paused without finishing the whole sentence. Actually the friendship between Shao Xuan and Yang Sui was not too deep. If Shao Xuan helped Yang Sui, then it would be regarded as being against the Rain tribe.

    Without waiting for Shao Xuan to speak, Yang Sui hurriedly said, ¡°You only have to help them leave the Rain tribe. The person He Chao wants to defeat is me. If other people leave the Rain tribe, they will simply be expelled and wouldn¡¯t be chased.¡±

    Running a hand through his hair, Yang Sui said, ¡°If they are expelled, I hope they can go to the Ferocious Beasts Mountain Forest which is within the region of the ming Horn tribe. I heard that there are wanderers who have been following you there.¡±

    Yang Sui gave the hide bag filled with shell coins to Shao Xuan and continued to talk about his following arrangements. He mentioned a lot of people leaving out himself.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t look at the hide bag with the shell coins and asked, ¡°No other solutions?¡±

    Yang Sui was helpless, with hands down, and said, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you will seed in praying for rain.¡± Said Shao Xuan again.

    ¡°Hope so.¡± Yang Sui forced a smile. He doesn¡¯t believe it himself, but just said that casually. If he could really seed in praying for rain, would he care about the new Chief and He Chao? Not only would he not be dismissed, but he would stand taller and (his power would be) more stable! However¡­

    It¡¯s impossible!

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If I can, I will definitely help. Chacha is alsoing. However, because of blowing sand, it¡¯s now staying far away.¡± Shao Xuan did not return the bag of shell coins, so that Yang Sui would feel reassured (of Shao Xuan¡¯s promise to help). If the parents and rtives of Yang Sui got expelled, Shao Xuan would return these shell coins to them and draw a map for them to the ming Horn tribe.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Yang Sui lightened up immediately, ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Shao Xuan waved his hands and then asked, ¡°When praying for rain, if one method doesn¡¯t work, how about trying the old methods? Such as whipping the stone to pray for rain?¡±

    Yang Sui smiled and said in a tone of self-mockery, ¡°It¡¯s no use. Despite the stiptions formted by our ancestors that could not be easily changed, the way to pray for rain isn¡¯t the methods. In fact, as long as you have that ability, whatever you do is right. If something goes wrong, it won¡¯t seed no matter how hard you work.¡±

    Shao Xuan stunned, ¡°You mean¡­ the key point is Shaman? Rather than these methods?¡±

    ¡°You could think so. However, now the critical point is the Inner me, not the Shaman.¡± Yang Sui hesitated for a moment, but he still told the reason, ¡°There is something wrong with the Inner me of the Rain tribe.¡±

    ¡°Something wrong with the Inner me of the Rain tribe?¡± Shao Xuan was confused.

    ¡°The Shaman could offer sacrifices to pray for rain, but the Inner me is key to determine sess or failure. Because the Inner me of the Rain tribe has an issue, it wouldn¡¯t rain no matter which methods the Shaman adopts to pray for rain. By ident, I found it on the private records of a Shaman. The records say, as if the Inner me falls asleep, the Shaman cannot wake it up when praying for rain. It only wakes up at arge-scale annual sacrificial ceremony. At other times it will not wake up. If prayer for rain is attempted during arge-scale sacrificial ceremony, it may seed. However, the time to hold thatrge-scale ceremony is not in the dry season, and at the actual ceremonial time, the weather is very cold, so the willingness of people to pray for rain is not strong. Except in the period of therge-scale sacrificial ceremony, the Inner me would remain asleep and no one can wake it up, let alone manage to pray for rain.¡±

    It was really an ident that Yang Sui found that animal skin scroll with the mystery. It was buried underground, recording the mystery with symbolic words that only the Shaman could read.

    ¡°Even you can¡¯t wake it up?¡± Asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°If I could wake it up, I would have seeded long ago and will not wait until now. Moreover, this situation hassted for a long time. In fact, the main aim of the stiption ¨C the candidates of the Shaman have to travel around ¨C is not to find a way to solve the problem, but to choose a more powerful man as the Shaman. Only the Shaman can be powerful enough to wake up the Inner me.¡±

    While speaking, Yang Sui patted Shao Xuan and said, ¡°Keep it between the both of us. Otherwise, the Rain tribe will be in panic.¡±

    If the Rain tribe turned chaotic, even if the turmoil could be controlled by the present Chief, the panic can¡¯t be suppressed. In the long run, the development of the Rain tribe would be more affected, or worse still, it may gradually move towards destruction. Therefore, those people who knew the secret would carry it to their graves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t tell others.¡± Shao Xuan promised. The ming Horn tribe was far away, and the Rain tribe couldn¡¯t cause a great impact on them no matter what direction it developed toward. Besides, Shao Xuan was not a man who would betray others¡¯ secrets casually.

    After talking for a moment, Yang Sui stood up and left to prepare for the death ritual tomorrow. For him, the ceremony of praying for rain was his death ritual.

    Shao Xuan took the bag of shell coins back to the resting ce.

    The next day, the dust and sand in the air were more serious. And the visibility was lower as if there would be a sand storm.

    The people of the traveling team stayed in the cabin except for going out to exchange for food. The weather outside was so bad that they didn¡¯t want to go out to eat sand.

    Original trantion from wangmama.

    They knew that today was the time for the Rain tribe to hold the ceremony of praying for rain, so they didn¡¯t intend to go closer to the Rain tribe. At the moment, the Rain tribe¡¯s would be heavily guarded.

    ¡°Cannot see the y, and the weather is too bad. s!¡± Qu Ce leaned against the window and looked at the blowing sand outside.

    ¡°Close the window, the sand is blowing in!¡± The people in the room med.

    Sighing, Qu Ce closed the window and asked the people in the room, ¡°Do you believe people of the Rain tribe can really pray for rain?¡±

    ¡°You believe it? These little tribes always like to exaggerate and brag!¡±

    Not only the people of the Mang tribe, but also others had simr ideas. They were not waiting to see if it would rain, but just rested in these two days. Once the weather got better, they had to start again. The journey further ahead would be even harder, and it would be difficult to find a ce to rest.

    In the Rain tribe.

    On the high tform built above the fire pit, some of the things needed for praying for rain were ced.

    They didn¡¯t need to worry about the fire suddenly zing up, because they hadn¡¯t seen it except the time of the grand sacrifice at the beginning of each year.

    There were a lot of people gathering around the fire pit, and everyone was whispering. Some people really wanted rain. No matter who the Shaman was, the crops in their fields needed rain. There were still some people who just wanted tough at Yang Sui.

    People headed by He Chao, who were the parties of the new Chief, looked at Yang Sui with glee and expectation. They were expecting to see Yang Sui¡¯s failure to pray for rain, and being pushed to the fire by people of the tribe.

    ¡°Look over there!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! How dare you Yang Sui!¡±

    ¡°Would they really pray for rain? The Rain God will be angry!¡±

    He Chao followed the eyesight of the public, and saw Yang Sui wearing a yellow-green woven suit for the praying ceremony, followed by eight shamanesses. And these shamanesses surprised He Chao extremely.

    They had intimidated and tempted some shamanesses to leave Yang Sui so that Yang Sui would not be able to gather eight shamanesses for the ceremony, but he did not expect that Yang Sui would take this step!

    Where are the curvaceous bodies? Where were the young beauties?

    Why were there old women?!!!

    What¡¯s that? Is that a ball?

    Mi Xu¡¯s mother had mistakenly eaten a nt, which caused her bones to lose shape so that her body became as puffy as a ball. Even if she starved, her body wouldn¡¯t be out of shape of a ball. The ceremonial clothing that was rushed out overnight was slightly wider and seemed more fat when she wore it. Although Yang Sui¡¯s mother was not so fat, her body was also clearly different from those of the young girls. There was no such feeling of beauty. As for Yang Sui¡¯s grandmother, not to mention, her body was more conspicuous than others.

    The team of nine came out of a room near the fire pit and went straight to the altar. Wherever they passed, the people around them hurried away, and some of the people who reacted slowly because of the surprise, also stepped back a few steps after they came back to earth, for fear of being mistaken of having any rtionship with these people.

    Some of the elders in the tribe who thought themselves as people of ¡°noble character and high prestige¡±, after seeing this scene, their eyes almost rolled back and fell down.

    Nonsense! Tomfoolery! Damn!

    Were they making a fool of the tribesman or insulting the ancestors? It¡¯s affirmative that they were offending the gods.

    Gosh!

    If the gods became angry with Yang Sui¡¯s disregard of the rule, it would likely not rain anymore in the future?

    Some of the elders were too old to ept such a situation and fainted, another riot was triggered.

    Due to the sand all over the sky, the people being far away from the altar couldn¡¯t see the situation clear, but when they heard the news from others, they were also shocked and speechless for a long time. Aftering back to earth, they followed the people around them to scold Yang Sui and his families.

    ¡°They must be burnt to death!¡±

    ¡°They must be burnt for the deliverance of God!¡±

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 Chapter 287 â€“ Praying For Rain 4

    ¡°Stop! Hurry up and stop them!¡±

    Chief Hang Mang shouted and rushed towards there.

    Hang Mang was intending to stand by as an onlooker, staying far away from the altar of sacrifice, but when he saw Yang Sui¡¯s party, he bitterly regretted his initial decision.

    Rather than to humiliate him, the new Chief, Yang Sui¡¯s behavior was nothing short of offending ancestors and the Gods!

    However, thinking it over, it seemed¡­perhaps¡­as if the ancestors didn¡¯t appoint such special kinds of people as the shamaness.

    But such behavior of Yang Sui was indeed a provocation to their ancestors. In his eyes, it was ominous.

    The new Chief Hang Mang called someone to stop them, but Yang Sui and his party had already ascended the steps of the altar for the rain-praying ceremony.

    Once setting foot on the altar, it meant the sacrifice to pray for rain had started.

    Hang Mang chased after them and got close to the altar. His fist clenched tightly, Hang Mang was so angry that he nearly vomited blood. He suppressed his anger with great effort and stopped short of shing Yang Sui. If Yang Sui had not stepped on the altar, he would have killed all the people of the group on the spot, and no one in the tribe would doubt it. But the party moved too quickly and he was a littlete.

    Hang Mang red at the group of nine people who ascended the altar step by step, his gaze was like that of an envenomed sword. He stepped back, moving farther away from the fire pit in case it got stained with the misfortune. He couldn¡¯t do it now, but as soon as the ceremony was over¡­Yang Sui, wait and die! I¡¯ll sacrifice your blood to the Gods!

    Yang Sui didn¡¯t turn around to look at the reaction of the other Rain people, but judging from their words that were heard from below, his destined for doom. At the moment, he regretted it again that perhaps, he should have given up earlier so as not to make the Rain people enraged like that. What Yang Sui felt most concerned about was hispanions ¨C his friends and rtives.

    Wlehi thinking, unconsciously, Yang Sui became somewhat hesitant and his pace slowed down.

    At that time, Yang Sui heard some words from his back.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    ¡°Since we came this far, there is no turning back. Go ahead!¡± This was the voice of Yang Sui¡¯s mother.

    ¡°We stand with you and we have no intention of turning back.¡± This was Mi Xu¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re with you.¡± This was Mi Xu.

    Yang Sui listened to the footsteps close behind him and then knew the decision of others who didn¡¯t voice it out.

    Yang Sui held the oxtail with great force so that the blue veins bulged on the back of his hands. After a short pause, he kept on walking up towards the altar.

    The tribe had already prepared sacrificial utensils, decorations, ceremonial scepters and some other things on the top of the altar for the rain-praying ceremony. In addition, praying for rain also required special dance and necessary ¡°mantra¡±. Except for these two things, the sacrificial music was also an essential part, so naturally, there was a need for people who will y it.

    Originally, Yang Sui had invited people with a lot of shell coins to y the instrument, but when Yang Sui stepped on the high tform, he found that his father, uncle, and his grandfather with a stoop¡­ were all there.

    Noticing a shocked Yang Sui, Yang Sui¡¯s father held the diabolo used to y the rhythm and smiled at Yang Sui.

    Since they had been here, they never nned to withdraw.

    Perhaps, the people of the tribe would set up firewood under this high tform and ignite it before the end of the ceremony.

    Yang Sui stood on the high tform and looked at the people around him, giving them a smile, although the smile looked like a cry.

    DONG DONG! BANG BANG BANG¡­

    The rhythmic music sounded.

    Holding the oxtail in his hand, Yang Sui looked at the rain stone that was as high as a man. He closed his eyes. There had never been such a moment when he yearned for the rain, even just a few drops.

    Although he had always suspected the ancestors and questioned the gods. But at the moment, he really hoped that the ancestors and gods could help him, just for once. He was willing to pay any price.

    Respectfully, Yang Sui put the oxtail on the rainstone with both hands and swung his sleeves.

    Because of the clothing material, the wide sleeves were somewhat hard, not as elegant as the gauze ribbon, but as the hand swung, the wooden nut bells tied to the sleeves swayed with the arms and made a ttering sound.

    The hop and the wiggle of the nine dancers¡¯ limbs made the tter denser, which sounded like the rain was beating the ground.

    The praying dance of the Rain tribe had a unique feature, which required dancing with the face towards the sky.

    For many tribes, it¡¯smon to dance with the face towards the sky asionally. However, the Rain tribe was distinct, their sacrifice dance needed the dancers to maintain the posture during the praying. In their faith, the gods of the rain they worshipped were always in heaven, so if they wanted to pray, wish, and state their aspiration, to get the blessings, then they had to look up at the sky religiously.

    Meanwhile, Yang Sui took the opportunity to observe the condition of the sky.

    Although the sand flew in the sky so that it could get in eyes, Yang Sui could still see the change of the sky, it¡¯s an ability that was peculiar to him. Depending on the unique ability, he could predict the weather.

    No rain!

    Not even a single sign of rain!

    Yang Sui kept pressing on steadfastly. He knew that he differed from other people, which was always the advantage he had been proud of. Maybe, it¡¯s likely that he could find a way out of the stalemate and achieve what the ancestors could never achieve. Try harder! Maybe it¡¯s on the verge of sess, just a few raindrops would be OK.

    Gradually, he felt that the strength in his body was being taken away and he could feel the change of the inner me.

    Although it still didn¡¯t rain, since the Inner Fire had changed, it was good news!

    People of the Rain tribe who were a little far away from the stage couldn¡¯t see the situation clearly, but some people close to the fire pit felt the change in it.

    Hang Mang saw the Inner me in the fire pit, the red color gradually faded. And the surrounding temperature seemed to have dropped a bit.

    ¡°This¡­this¡­¡± An old man blinked and unbelievable expression appeared on his face.

    The muscles on He Chao¡¯s face twitched. He said, ¡°This has also happened when other shamans prayed for rain, but in the end it did not rain.¡±

    An old man nearby looked at He Chao sharply, which scared him. He had wanted to say something more, but he had to stop talking now. Although there were many people who supported He Chao¡¯s party, there were also people who were neutral. These people didn¡¯t care who the Shaman was. They only cared about whether the Shaman could seed in praying for rain.

    However, after a while, as He Chao had said, the Inner me with a lighter color and lower temperature began to return to its original state.

    The eyes of people who looked forward to sess were full of disappointment.

    Yang Sui, who was praying for rain, could feel the change of Inner me even if he couldn¡¯t see it. Although he had imagined the consequences before, he was extremely disappointed when experiencing it.

    Just like after a hysterical shouting, you found that the person you wanted to wake up just yawned and continued to sleep.

    You cannot ept the result but it was useless.

    The dance for praying for rain was almost over.

    After the initial fading of the Inner me color, the original fire color was restored.

    He Chao¡¯s eyes were filled with delight. Looking at the big bundles of firewood not far away from the fire pit, he was so excited that his hands were shaking, and he wanted tough out. Now, he only hoped that the ceremony could end soon. As soon as it was over, he would ask someone to set fire to the altar!

    At this moment, at the border of the Rain tribe, Shao Xuan, who was staying in the wooden house, was puzzled while observing a new pattern appearing in the egg-shaped ¡°shell¡± in his mind.

    Shao Xuan had seen this pattern before. The pattern was engraved outside the wooden house where they lived.

    This was the totem of the Rain tribe!

    Just like the totem of the Drumming tribe, it was not as big as the totem of the ming Horn tribe, and it only appeared on the side, close to the ¡°egg shell¡±.

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 Chapter 288 â€“ Praying For Rain 5

    The upper totem of the Rain tribe was an arc, under which were rain-drop-like dots. Shao Xuan counted the dot, eight in all. Around the totem, some foggy matters were flowing.

    When the Drumming tribe¡¯s totem emerged from the ¡°eggshell¡±, Shao Xuan was very surprised, and now, the Rain tribe¡¯s totem had also appeared in it.

    Nice consistency. Shao Xuan thought.

    Although the totem that emerged from the ¡°eggshell¡± was neither big nor bright as the ming Horn tribe¡¯s totem, it did exist there, and it was still shing.

    The totem of the Rain tribe that emerged was not the same as the ming Horn¡¯s totem, but simr to the Drumming tribe¡¯s. shing white and translucent light, it was just like the liquid¡¯s brightness.

    Shao Xuan kept observing the shing Rain tribe¡¯s totem. Maneuvering the power of inheritance, he wanted to take a closer look at the foreign tribe¡¯s totem that emerged suddenly.

    The blue me separated from the bottom end of the me around the ming Horn totem, reaching out to the much smaller totem of the Rain tribe.

    It stood to reason that there should be exclusion between the different tribes¡¯ Power of Totem, but here, it was not. The separated blue me easily got in touch with the totem of the Rain tribe.

    At the time of their contact, Shao Xuan felt that the totem of the Rain tribe trembled, and the eight dots moved as well. Shao Xuan was curious why the eight dots looked more like drops of liquid.

    A bright liquid-like dot, falling from the totem of the Rain tribe, Shao Xuan stared at the falling drop, intending to see where it would fall, but only found that drop just fell down a little. It turned into a mist when it fell down from the Rain tribe totem, blending with the mist around the Rain tribe totem. Look at the totem again, in the ce where it fell down, the gap has been filled and another of the same drop appeared.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    This was just the beginning. As if a start switch was pressed, the new dot on the Rain tribe totem began to fall down like the previous one. After the dot became fog, another dot was formed again.

    In the beginning, only one or two drops were formed. After a while, all the eight drops began to move and rotate. It looked like it was constantly raining.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan remembered what Yang Sui had told him about Inner me of the Rain tribe.

    Yang Sui said that there was something wrong with the Rain Tribe¡¯s Inner me. Therefore, it was hard to wake it up except during therge-scale annual sacrificial ceremony at the beginning of each year, which was the reason why they always failed in praying for rain.

    But now, Shao Xuan felt that this moving totem looked like it was waking up from a deep sleep.

    Shao Xuan felt a shock and he felt a powerful force in the outside world.

    Outside the sea of consciousness, Shao Xuan looked to the side.

    Although the room was dark due to the weather, Shao Xuan could still see the reaction of Lei and Tuo. The two who were resting stood up and looked in the direction of the Rain tribe.

    ¡°What happened?!¡±

    ¡°Why is there such a strong totem power?¡±

    Feeling the sudden rejection of the totem of a foreign tribe, Lei and Tuo opened the door and went out.

    Outside, the wind and sand were all over the sky, which was even worse than the previous days. Lei¡¯s hair was blown up, and his eyes squinted because of the dust. The sand could also be smelled clearly while breathing.

    The sky and the surrounding were all full of yellowish dust. Because of extremely low visibility, even the wooden houses in front could not be seen clearly, let alone the Rain tribe further away.

    They tried to see what happened there, but could only see turbid sand.

    Shao Xuan covered his face slightly with his hands, and thus shielded himself from the sand and dust that were blown straight towards him. Shao Xuan listened carefully to the riot of sound over there. There were lots of people over there, so it was too noisy to clearly understand what they were talking about. But he could clearly feel the increasing power of the totem in that direction.

    Not only the three people, but also the rest of the traveling team came out. When they found nothing different ¨C the weather was still too windy and dusty ¨C they grumbled for a few minutes and then went back to their houses.

    ¡°You say, what¡¯s going on over there? Could it make such sound when praying for rain?¡± Asked someone.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is like, but it certainly won¡¯t rain.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, I just hope the weather gets better soon and we can leave.¡±

    On the altar built above the fire pit of the Rain tribe, the dance and mantra to pray for rain had already reachedpletion. Atst, all people knelt down, with their foreheads touching the sandy wooden board, and didn¡¯t get up.

    Like others around him, Yang Sui kept silent and waited for death. Since they stepped on the altar, they didn¡¯t intend to leave alive.

    The wooden nut bells tied to Yang Sui¡¯s waist swayed in the wind and made a constant rattling sound that sounded like a shower. However, it just sounded so, it was not a real rainfall.

    The ceremony ended and the music and dance also stopped. Beneath the altar, of all the people who knelt down, some of them were disappointed. Although they had failed for many years, they still held the slightest hope for rain every time. Some people had been ustomed to the annual situation, with numbness on their faces. The rest were happy secretly, such as He Chao who oncepeted with Yang Sui for the position of the Shaman.

    Looking at Chief Hang Mang in front of him, He Chao took two steps ahead and whispered, ¡°All is ready.¡±

    Hang Mang¡¯s eyes shed and he looked at the several old men a few steps away. Among them, some were their supporters and some were neutrals. Who he was worried about were those neutrals.

    Fortunately, those people were quite disappointed when Yang Sui failed to pray for rain. Therefore, Hang Mang couldn¡¯t help but raise the corners of his mouth and said loudly, ¡°As Yang Sui has offended the ancestors and gods, vited the ancestors¡¯ intentions and provoked the Rain God, he will no longer be the Shaman of our tribe!¡±

    Hang Mang and He Chao looked around and found that people who had opposed them before became silent.

    After the words of Hang Mang, He Chao suppressed excitement in his heart and shouted, ¡°Prepare firewood!¡±

    People who had been waiting there, carried bundles of firewood and hay, which were ced around the altar.

    People on the altar knew what was happening below very clearly.

    Hearing the noise of gradually approaching firewood, Yang Sui said in a voice that everyone on the high tform could hear, ¡°Sorry!¡±

    Under the altar, He Chao, who was the most likely to take over the position of the Shaman after Yang Sui was dismissed, took the torch in person and walked to the side of the altar to ignite the firewood around the altar.

    ¡°Burn them to death!¡±

    ¡°Burn all of them to death!¡±

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    ¡°People who disregard the ancestors and provoke the Rain God should be burnt to death!¡±

    Hearing what people said, Yang Sui closed his eyes and waited for death with everyone. Though the ceremony failed, he had spent almost all his energy on it, and thus he only felt exhausted, desperate and sad now.

    Suddenly, Yang Sui¡¯s body trembled and his closed eyes opened suddenly, showing incredulity. Again he felt it carefully. Indeed! Inner me! It was the sign of the inner me!

    Underneath the altar, the people who had been shouting ¡°burn them to death¡± also noticed something different, especially those near the fire pit.

    They were very familiar with the power since they always felt it at the annual big sacrifice. However, it wasn¡¯t the time for a big sacrifice, andpared with a big sacrifice, the present situation wasn¡¯t exactly the same.

    The surrounding temperature began to drop rapidly.

    Through the erected firewood, they could see that the fire in the fire pit had changed its color again. It lightened and turned translucent atst.

    ¡°This¡­ this is¡­¡±

    The blowing wind and sand around the fire pit seemed to disappear gradually, and the field of vision became much clearer.

    An old man with calloused hands and cracked skin snapped his fingers, felt the wetness on them, and then looked up at the fire pit. Looking at the altar built above the fire pit, an idea suddenly struck him and it changed his nk expression into a shocked one. He shouted, ¡°Fire! Put out the fire! Remove the firewood!¡± He was so excited that his voice cracked. The old man rushed to the altar and disregarding the burning firewood, he waved his arms and kicked away all the firewood that had been ced over there earlier.

    Hang Mang felt a bursting chill in his mind, trembled with shock, rushed toward there as fast as he could and removed the firewood, together with the old man. Others also began to react to his action and though they didn¡¯t know what happened on earth, they just followed the order.

    People who stood farther away could not see what was going on around the fire pit, but they guessed what happened by listening to the movement. Though they couldn¡¯t see it clearly, they could feel the familiar power from the inner me.

    From the fire pit, the white and bright mes rose. Starting from the top, it turned into a white mist, rushing out of the fire pit like a Dragon rushing out of the water.

    The surrounding temperature became lower than before.

    The firewood that had not been kicked away was extinguished instantly when it was swept by the mist.

    Yang Sui couldn¡¯t figure out what was going on underneath. He didn¡¯t get up, just looked up at the sky. Then, his original stiff expression melted away, and it was reced with delight and surprise.

    It seemed to rain finally¡­

    Underneath, like a long dragon, the rising white mist was hovering around the fire pit and then its range was wider and wider as its body grew. The people standing near the fire pit couldn¡¯t help but step back hurriedly.

    They were not sure what such a change meant, but the spection, which was unbelievable even for themselves, had risen in their mind.

    As the misty dragon spiraled, the ces it passed, including the piles to build the altar and the piles that had not been ignited or had been extinguished, were all covered with ayer of hoarfrost.

    The misty dragon was still expanding rapidly, and within the range around the fire pit, the feeling of chaos caused by sand and dust was also rapidly disappearing.

    Taking a deep breath, everyone present could feel a refreshing coolness without the smell of sand. It felt like the whole person was being poured with a bucket of ice water.

    Because of such a change, other people of the Rain tribe were shocked. They didn¡¯t know what was happening, neither knew how to react now, and the Chief didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°Did the¡­ praying for rain ceremony¡­ seed?¡± Someone asked the people around.

    Others wanted to refute because of their previous experiences, but after seeing the scene over there, they also closed their mouths.

 Chapter 289 â€“ Praying for Rain 6

    The huge foggy dragon broke through the sands chaotically circling in the sky and hovered around the altar at the fire pit. It seemed nothing could stop it.

    At this moment, people on the altar also saw this white mist band that they had never seen before.

    When the fog passed through the altar, everyone on the altar felt the freshness and coolness, as if it was winter. However, there was no such freshness even in the winter!

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­that?!¡± Asked Mi Xu as she looked at the fog that had passed over them.

    Yang Sui was still kneeling on the ground, but he kept looking up at the changes in the sky. Almost every second, the expression on Yang Sui changed a little.

    He didn¡¯t answer Mi Xu¡¯s question, but his expression changed from surprise to crying. If it was a normal time, others must think that he was insane. But almost no one could regard the changes at this moment calmly.

    With eyes staring at the sky, Yang Sui¡¯s expression kept changing like the clouds. Yang Sui seemed to want to say something, but couldn¡¯t find specific words and didn¡¯t know how to say it. In the end, it only turned into a scream.

    Feeling the sourness in his eyes, Yang Sui didn¡¯t care about how others thought about it. Looking up at the sky, he only wanted to scream, which integrated all the emotions and all the words he wanted to say.

    It was going to rain. Yang Sui had never been so excited and tearful because of the changes in the sky.

    Could it be that the ancestors were moved? Or the Rain God showed mercy?

    At the border of the Rain tribe.

    Lei and Tuo had already entered the house, and only Shao Xuan stayed outside.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, don¡¯t stay outside!¡± Said Lei loudly as Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t entered the house for a long time.

    However, after waiting for a moment, they only heard Shao Xuan¡¯s voice, ¡°Come out!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Muttered Lei. However, since Shao Xuan asked, Lei and Tuo had to do the elder, who was even younger than them, a favor.

    Lei and Tuo were reluctant to go out, but they were stunned after looking outside.

    When they came out before, the wind and sand were all over the sky. However, after a short while when they hadn¡¯t even finished drinking a ss of water in the house, the weather outside had changed.

    Someone in another wooden house got curious after hearing the voice of Shao Xuan. He removed the window panel and wanted to know what the ming Horn tribe was doing outside. After he removed the window panel, he squinted as he thought the sand would blow into the house. After a while, he hadn¡¯t felt any sand blowing in. On the contrary, when he looked out, there was no sand at all?!

    ¡°Ah¨C¡± Screamed someone.

    Others also came out and looked at the changes outside.

    The chaotic weather had changed and the yellow sand had disappeared. People could see the Rain tribe outside wooden houses. Although not that clear, it was much better than the situation before when they could not even see anything ten steps away clearly.

    ¡°Look, what¡¯s that in the sky?¡± Qu Ce pointed to the sky above the Rain tribe and shouted.

    Over the Rain tribe, a long white band, like an ancient behemoth, rotated from below, with the tail on the ground and the head in the sky. From the ground up, the long strip of the white band was getting wider and wider.

    And in the sky, the chaotic sand disappeared, reced by the clouds that were gradually umting. At the head of the white ¡°behemoth¡±, it seemed to be the origin of the dark cloud, from where the rain clouds spread.

    Like hordes of troops and horses with heavy armor, the flung clouds were extended to the surrounding with a mighty spur, bringing the tension far away.

    ¡°They did it.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the changes in the sky and said.

    As soon as Shao Xuan¡¯s voice had died away, someone made a row, ¡°It¡¯s impossible!¡±

    However, looking at the changes in the sky now, it was indeed going to rain. If the sky was still filled with the chaotic yellow sand, they would never believe that the rain wasing. But in the current situation, they all felt that any rebuttal was pointless even if they wanted to refute.

    Huang Ye and other seniors were all taking a serious look. They had joined this traveling team and began to contact the Rain tribe since they were young, and they also had experienced the rain tribe¡¯s rain-praying ceremony, but nothing like this could give them such a shock.

    The rain seemed toe soon?

    In his brain, Shao Xuan looked back upon the Rain tribe¡¯s totem in the ¡°eggshell¡±, it was still shing, and the water-dropping dots on the totem scrolled faster.

    The surrounding moisture was getting heavier.

    A drop of water, like a grain of rice, fell from the sky, and its volume was inconspicuous. However, under the gloomy sky, in the gaze of the eyes of the people, this drop of water was discovered.

    It was different from the ordinary raindrops, with a little bright white, under the gloomy sky, it was just like the shining light of the creatures in the deep sea.

    PLOP!

    The raindrops mmed on the ground, making a soft bang.

    Pitter-patter¡­ pitter-patter¡­

    More and more sounds emanated, getting denser.

    When one looked up at the sky covered with thick rain clouds, they could see the white bright drops falling straight down, like a sloppy meteor.

    It was just some raindrops at first, but very soon, these raindrops were like strings that went straight down.

    The dusty ground was softened by the raindrops, and the dry clods became soft and muddy in the falling rain.

    Shao Xuan raised his finger and dipped it in a rain-drop, licked it, then decisively took out the kettle that was almost empty, poured out the water inside to collect the rain. Because it was a thin narrow-mouthed bottle gourd, Shao Xuan found a leaf, washed it in the rain, then swirled it into a funnel and inserted it in the gourd-mouth to collect water. In addition to the gourd, there was also a water bag made of animal skin. This area was too dry, it rarely rained, so he had to collect enough water.

    The water of the Rain tribe seemed to be extraordinary, maybe the water could help themter.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s behavior, Luo and Tuo followed without asking too many words.

    The other people of the traveling team looked at each other and then turned to their tribe elders, who brought them out of the tribe. After the elders nodded, they all took out containers to collect rainwater.

    While in the Rain tribe, all people were wild with joy.

    In the rain curtain, people ran crazily on the muddy ground, screaming and roaring loudly. Just as what Yang Sui experienced, they didn¡¯t know what to say now, but they just wanted to roar as if theypletely lost their minds.

    Original trantion from wangmamaread.

    The rain came down.

    Praying for rain really seed!

    ¡°The light drizzle, the mud covers the road.¡±

    For how many years?

    Among the dead, many people passed away with the pity that they never saw the described scene in the song during their lives.

    While now, in the Rain tribe, all living people witnessed the scene.

    How could they not be excited? Why wouldn¡¯t they be overjoyed?

    However, for He Chao, his mind was quite different from others¡¯. What others felt was coolness, while what he felt was the piercing cold. A shiver sent down He Chao¡¯s body and he wished to huddle up.

    Apparently, Yang Sui turned around the situation and he may attain the height that no Shaman of the Rain tribe had achieved in the past many years. Thinking of his behavior, He Chao felt cold and bitter. The falling raindrops were like a heavy hammer that struck him again and again. It made him feel out of breath, so he gulped for air but was choked by rainwater.

    On the altar, Yang Sui felt the rain, stood up, went to the altar edge and looked at the crazy people under it. At the moment, no one shouted ¡°burn them to death¡± orined about Yang Sui¡¯s faults, let alone his unproven deception. They only believed in their eyes and the result. It was no doubt the rain was the best evidence. All stains, whether true or false, had been washed away in the rain.

    It didn¡¯t matter who first saw Yang Sui on the altar or who knelt down first, but the important thing was that it triggered a rapid chain effect. Arge number of people knelt down on the muddy ground and worshipped piously toward the altar above the fire pit. This was a scene that had never happened in at least hundreds of years. Perhaps some Chiefs had been respected like this, but none of the Shaman. Over many years, Yang Sui became the first Shaman to receive such high-level respect.

    What? The Chief wanted to rece the Shaman?

    Disagreed! Wanted to rece the Shaman? Over our dead bodies!

    Just as He Chao thought, in the future, Yang Sui could certainly achieve the height that their ancestors hadn¡¯t achieved.

    Behaviors of the people kneeling beneath the altar, including the senior members of the tribe and the new Chief Hang Mang, showed everything.

    But looking down from the altar, Yang Sui¡¯s excitement gradually calmed down.

    They would not hesitate to throw Yang Sui into the fire pit, but they could also put Yang Sui on a pedestal.

 Chapter 290 â€“ Desert Divine Beas

    The sandstorm had passed. The traveling team wouldn¡¯t stay in the Rain tribe anymore, so Huang Ye and others decided to depart the next day. After all, the rain wouldn¡¯tst until then.

    The rain had eased off and began to fall drop by drop, rather than form a line. The thick clouds in the sky had opened a few cracks and the golden sunlight poured down. It would not be long before the weather got clear.

    ¡°I really did not expect them to seed.¡± Tuo felt amazed.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s called the Rain tribe?¡± Lei said.

    Not only Lei and Tuo, but also other people were shocked, even though they didn¡¯t speak a word about it. That scene which happened just now left a deep impression on them.

    ¡°Is it said that the Shaman of the Rain tribe would be burned to death? Then have they done that?¡± asked Someone.

    ¡°Nonsense. He would be burned to death on the condition that he failed to pray for rain. But it rained heavily and all the credit for it goes to the Shaman. In my opinion, the Shaman¡¯s position in the Rain tribe is expected to rise.¡±

    ¡°More than that, in my knowledge of the Rain tribe, if the Shaman really seeds in praying for rain, he will be absolutely the most powerful person in the tribe. No one will refute what he says and his position is higher than that of the Chief.¡±

    This was indeed true. The people of the Rain tribe now regarded Yang Sui as their god. Even if Yang Sui requested them to kneel down and lick his toes, they would consider it an order and follow it.

    Shao Xuan checked the Rain tribe¡¯s totem in his sea of consciousness. The dots on the totem in the shape of drops were still rolling. However,pared with their rolling speed when it rained heavily just now, the rolling speed of these dots was much slower now.

    It was probably the first time the Rain tribe seeded in praying for rain, so they sent some water and food to the travelers who rested at the border of their tribe. These things usually needed to be exchanged, but now, the people of the tribe were happy, so they wanted others to be happy together with them. Therefore, some water and pancakes were delivered.

    However, the people of the traveling team were not very interested in water and pancakes. Water? They¡¯ve enough of it. Pancakes? Who would like that kind of hard pancakes that could break one¡¯s tooth?

    However, the experienced elders were happy to ept these pancakes and carefully put them in their hide bags.

    In the afternoon, Yang Sui came to look for Shao Xuan. This time, instead of delivering him a message, Yang Sui came in person. The crisis had passed and his status was stable, so there was no fear that it would bring trouble to Shao Xuan. On the contrary, if the guards who managed the area saw the scene, they would give more preferential treatment to Shao Xuan.

    Compared with Yang Sui two days ago, now he had changed into clean and tidy clothes. The awkwardness before he prayed for the rain was also gone.

    Within just one day after the ceremony, Yang Sui looked much more calm andposed. Maybe it was because of this incident, or because of others. In short, he looked like a real Shaman now.

    Only Mi Xu came with Yang Sui.

    It was sunny, and the air after the rain was fresh. The moist coolness had not yet dissipated, and most of the Rain tribe people were smiling.

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± said Shao Xuan. Then he took out the hide bag with shell coins and handed it to Yang Sui, ¡°This is for you.¡±

    ¡°You take it, I don¡¯t need this now.¡± said Yang Sui. He didn¡¯t lie. He did notck shell coins because of his current status. The Rain tribe looked barren, but Rain tribe people actually had a lot of shell coins. As the highest-ranking person in the tribe now, Yang Sui possessed more, and this bag of shells was nothingpared to the wealth he currently had.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need it. It¡¯s useless for the next part of my journey.¡± If there was no ident, the direction that this traveling team was going to was very likely the desert. These coins were useless for Shao Xuan there. Even if he needed help, he had something for trade. There was no need to bring a bag of shell coins.

    Hearing the words of Shao Xuan, Yang Sui thought of something and didn¡¯t object. He took the hide bag, handed it to Mi Xu, and whispered a few words to Mi Xu.

    Mi Xu hesitated and then nodded, leaving with the hide bag of coins.

    After Mi Xu left, Yang Sui said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Wait a moment, I asked her to get something for you. You will definitely need it.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to the Death Land?¡± Asked Yang Sui.

    Shao Xuan thought that people here called the desert ¡°the Death Land¡± and then nodded, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going there.¡±

    ¡°I know many people have gone there in the past. Some are travelers like you, and some are ves. However, many people who entered the Death Land never came out. I also went in when I was a child, and I was almost not able toe out.¡± Yang Sui talked about his own experience, ¡°When you enter the Death Land, don¡¯t trust anyone, neither your team members nor the seemingly poor ves. They may do anything to survive. Moreover, in the Death Land, even if you see something, you have to be cautious of the way you react. Sometimes, what you see is not the truth.¡±

    Shao Xuan agreed and nodded. To survive in the desert was difficult, which may stimte some people¡¯s extreme thoughts, so he had to be on guard. As for thest sentence said by Yang Sui, there may indeed be mirages in the desert.

    After talking about what he saw and heard, Yang Sui looked at and bowed to Shao Xuan solemnly.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, thank you!¡±

    Noticing Shao Xuan¡¯s confused expression, Yang Sui became upright and smiled, ¡°I know it¡¯s you.¡± When he prayed for the rain, he could feel the inner me had begun to wake up, but it didn¡¯t take long for the inner me to fall asleep again. At that time, he already knew that he had failed. But not long after that, the inner me changed again and woke up. He felt that the power that woke up the inner me came from the border of the Rain tribe, where the traveling team resided.

    At that time, Yang Sui guessed it was Shao Xuan. As far as he knew, Shao Xuan had a strange power of inheritance.

    Now, after seeing Shao Xuan, Yang Sui was more certain about that.

    While they were talking, Mi Xu hade over. She did note by foot but rode a camel.

    This was the first time Shao Xuan saw a camel in this world.

    It was a two-humped camel, and its humps were about two meters. The body was yellowish brown in color, and it had short ears and long tails. Most of the fur on its body was not long. Although it wasrge, it looked thin.

    When looking closer, one can see that the camel had some white fur around its forehead and on its short ears. On its long, bent neck and the humps, there were long dark brown fur, and also on the forehead, flying with the wind.

    Shao Xuan observed the camel, thinking: a desert divine beast.

    ¡°I think you will need it.¡± Yang Sui looked at the camel that ran over and said to Shao Xuan, ¡°These camels live in the Death Land, and it took us a lot of effort to catch them and bring them back. There are not many that survived the trip back to the Rain tribe from the Deathnd, and the surviving ones are usually used by tribes to carry things or as meat.¡±

    When Yang Sui brought the camel to Shao Xuan, Mi Xu, who slid off from the back of the camel, looked at the camel¡¯s eyes with reluctance and sadness. Moreover, this camel seemed to be familiar with Yang Sui and Mi Xu, since Shao Xuan could feel its closeness with the two.

    Giving this camel to him, the two of them must have been reluctant, and once it went into the Death Land, its chance toe out was small.

    ¡°And this, take it.¡± Yang Sui handed Shao Xuan a heavy hide bag and a ck stone wrapped in leaves.

    Shao Xuan took the heavy hide bag, opened it, saw the things inside, and got shocked, ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Pancake.¡± Yang Sui calmly said.

    Pancake? This was a discus.

 Chapter 291 â€“ Sand Slaves?

    These pancakes were different from the ones they usually ate, which were hard enough to be used as a discus to kill people.

    Shao Xuan broke off a piece of pancake and felt the strength. It would be very difficult for someone who didn¡¯t have the strength of the totem warrior to break off a piece from a thick pancake.

    Chewing the small piece of pancake, Shao Xuan thought a warning that ¡°People who have bad teeth are not suggested to eat¡± should be written on the pancake.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard! But it could keep starvation away.¡±mented Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This is a must for our travelers. Unlike the pancakes exchanged with others, these are all made for ourselves, and we generally do not trade. There is little food in the Death Land. You can at least temporarily survive by taking these.¡±

    Saying these words, Yang Sui handed a ck stone wrapped in bark to Shao Xuan, ¡°This is also useful for you.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Shao Xuan felt the coolness of the ck stone, guessing, ¡°Rain stone?¡±

    ¡°This is indeed a rain stone, but it¡¯s not a usual one. Only one such rain stone can be found from thousand pieces of rain stones. We call it ¡®efficacious rain stone¡¯, which is the gift of the gods. It can help the tribe people pass the driest season.¡±

    Shao Xuan touched the surface of the small ck stone. Within a while, part of the stone that had been covered by the leaves became covered with mist, but the mist on the rest of the parts had evaporated.

    This was indeed a water-producing artifact in arid zones.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Shao Xuan epted Yang Sui¡¯s kindness, repacking the small efficacious rain stone with leaves and putting it in a clean hide bag.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Thank yourself, otherwise I would¡¯ve already been burned to death.¡± Yang Sui paused and said, ¡°If you encounter the ve masters in Death Land, don¡¯t fight with them and try to avoid them.¡±

    ¡°How much do you know about the ves¡¯ master?¡± asked Shao Xuan. The Rain tribe people who lived here may know more about ves and the ves¡¯ master.

    ¡°The ves¡¯ masters?¡± Yang Sui¡¯s eyes had a hint of fear, ¡°The ves¡¯ masters are a group of people who don¡¯t have inner me.¡±

    From the perspective of the tribes, if there was no inner me, it would be impossible to form a tribe. Naturally, if a tribe was not formed, then the group would be wanderers with weak fighting power. However, the ves¡¯ masters were different. They didn¡¯t have inner me but they had great power, and they could even create more ves with great power.

    ¡°Where does their powere from?¡± Shao Xuan was puzzled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Yang Sui shook his head, ¡°Perhaps this is why people of the Central Tribes go there again and again.¡± In the records of the ancestors of the Rain tribe, ve masters had the ability that was powerful enough to frighten those of the Central Tribes. A thousand years ago, they appeared andunched bloodthirsty ughter, leading many tribes to their destruction. After that, they all went to the Death Land. It made people confused, so some people also followed them to the ce to look for answers. Usually, many people go to the Death Land while only a fewe out. Some became ves and some died. Only you people of the Central Tribes often step into the Death Land¡­ If youe across something astonishing, tell me when youe back.¡± Yang Sui smiled.

    ¡°OK.¡±

    After talking with Shao Xuan for a while, Yang Sui left together with Mi Xu.

    Some people of the Rain tribe were looking for their Shaman Yang Sui, who still had many things to deal with, but Yang Suimanded them to wait for a while, so they all gathered obediently in a nearby ce and waited for him patiently. Judging from the respectful behavior of these people, Yang Sui¡¯s position would remain stable for at least a few more years.

    Shao Xuan carried that bag of discus-like pancakes, wore that efficacious rain stone and then turned to the camel that had a face shaped like that of a mythical animal. Mi Xu called it ¡°Mud¡±.

    In the Rain tribe, ¡°Mud¡± was not a derogatory word and on the contrary, it is an auspicious word. What was mud? Soil and water. For the Rain tribe which was short of water, it would be better if thend became like mud, instead of cracked lumps.

    ¡°Come on, Mud.¡± Shao Xuan took the rope and tied the camel near the door of the wooden house where they rested.

    Lei and Tuo regarded the camel Shao Xuan brought as emergency food supply, with glittering lights in their eyes.

    ¡°Chi, with that kind of thing, our pace will slow down. Why not eat it now?¡± said a man from the Tian Shan tribe.

    The response he got was a long puff from the camel¡¯s shaking lips.

    Huang Ye and others were a little familiar with the camel and weren¡¯t against it, but they warned Shao Xuan to take caution and catch up with the traveling team.

    The next day, the group left the Rain tribe and headed for the desert.

    As Shao Xuan expected, the further they went, the more serious the desertification became. At first, there were some trees and grass but gradually, only the sand remained in their sights.

    With the scorching sun in the sky, the sand on the ground was also extremely hot.

    The group of people hurried on their journey since Huang Ye said they had to arrive at a resting ce before it became dark, where they would be safer.

    Up till now, there was no one left behind, after all, these people of the traveling team were selected based on a standard threshold criteria. As for those who failed to meet the requirements, they would bring back their legs. Even if some of these people really couldn¡¯t keep up, the elders would let themselves go back and the team wouldn¡¯t dy the journey because of a few people.

    Shao Xuan looked at the camel named ¡°Mud¡±, which was following on the heels of him, carrying a few hide bags with food and stoneware, as well as a few pieces of hide. It was still tagging along after the team.

    Shao Xuan and the other two were quite relieved, although they could afford to carry those bags, which meant nothing to them after all. But they could keep their strength because they lightened their loads. What¡¯s more, for Lei and Tuo, who came to such a drynd for the first time, it couldn¡¯t be better than to reduce their load.

    For others, however, who came here for the first time, they could only feel sad over their misfortune as they didn¡¯t have the camel to help them. They had given Shao Xuan a dig before, but now, they could only nce at Shao Xuan with envy every few steps forward.

    To withstand the strong sunlight, the camel¡¯s brow ridge was very high; and to resist the sandstorms, its eyshes were long. When it bent back its neck and looked down on the people, it seemed to give an impression of nobility and indifferent arrogance.

    Above, five eagles glided around the Traveling team, and sometimes when they saw a stir somewhere in the desert, they would scramble for the prey.

    Towards evening, the team finally arrived at the resting ce which Huang Ye mentioned.

    It looked like an abandoned vige: the walls made of dinas, the dry wooden stakes, and some of the semi-buried broken pottery pieces and stone vessels.

    Shao Xuan and others were not the only ones who arrived there. Before their arrival, another team was already there. They looked like ves, but they differed a lot from the ve team they had met on the way there.

    They were not tied up.

    ¡°It¡¯s Sand ves.¡± said someone.

    All tribes called the ves born in the desert as Sand ves ¨C Their ancestors were ves and many ve generations had been before them.

    These people were different from those new ves. They didn¡¯t have to be bound and they wouldn¡¯t run away either.

    Taking a look, Shao Xuan found that these ves were simr to tribesmen in appearance, but they were thin and their skin was darker, which was one of the physical features shared by most desert residents.

    Perhaps because of strong sunshine, excessive exposure, coupled with the harsh desert climate, frequently urring sandstorms, and the habit of sitting around the fire to keep warm when it was cold, their skin lost sticity and wrinkled, bing stiff and rough.

    Their teeth were yellow, their feet were bare, without any protective footwear, and their soles wererger than others.

    When looking at Shao Xuan and others, their eyes were full of curiosity and precaution. However, when they saw the things carried by these tribesmen, their eyes showed greed and killing intent.

 Chapter 292 â€“ Desert Nigh

    Needless to say, seeing the eyes of these sand ves, the others knew what to do.

    It was a really good ce to rest, but it¡¯s not a ce to be taken lightly, and the first thing to be prepared for was the sand ves.

    There were only a few tall walls, no roofs, and the wind was dry and dusty. The temperature was dropping when the sky was getting dark. Even the three people who had to adapt to the cold winter in the ming Horns tribe could also feel the goose bumps. They were not frozen, but they always felt a chilling feeling.

    ¡°Eat something first, and keep watchter.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    They broke apart a piece of bread and divided it for the three people to eat, together with a little meat and water to keep it down.

    The rest of the team were simrly eating, and the people of the same tribe were together. This time, they would naturally rely on the people of their own tribe.

    Shao Xuan looked closely at the camel following them. It was very clever, knowing it was with Shao Xuan¡¯s side, so it avoided the other people, especially the sand ves. Currently, it was chewing a corner of a nt like withered roots, and was eating with relish.

    The sight of the sand ves swept round the men in the procession, and then stuck to Mud that was chewing, with a hint of greed in their eyes.

    A sand ve closest to Mud finally couldn¡¯t help it. This sand ve was one with a darker skin. In the night, it was like ayer of protective color, and while holding a sharpened spur, like a predator of the night, he suddenly rushed out.

    Although his ultimate goal was the camel, the first thing he has to solve was Shao Xuan next to the camel.

    There was no other extra action, everything was just fast! Ruthless! Hard! Enough for the hit to be deadly.

    The protruding bone spur was screaming with a broken wind. If Shao was stabbed, his chest would be directly prated. Even if the resilience of a totem warrior was strong, they could not escape the fate of a man who had been stabbed to death.

    There was no fire on Shao Xuan¡¯s side. By the light of the moon, Shao Xuan could see jagged lines appearing on the sand ve. It was different from the ves he had seen before, when he was looking for the ming Horns tribe people. The ves over there showed a chain-style pattern, not a jagged one.

    So, these ves belong to a different ve owner?

    The flushed sand ve¡¯s eyes reflected the cold moonlight, with a hint of bloodthirsty excitement, as if he would immediately hook the piece of meat from the other. Perhaps he felt that he would soon be able to solve these extra people and then monopolize the camel.

    Puff!

    The sound of the body being prated was particrly clear at this time.

    The expression on the washed-out sand ve¡¯s face solidified. Not only did he not hit the target, but he suffered a sudden pain.

    ChapterMid();

    Stone knives with a strong prating force, same as a fierce beast, mercilessly went into the body of the sand ve, then easily smashing people away.

    Bang¨C

    The flying sand ve fell to the ground, without breath.

    Shao Xuan waved the stone knife on his hand, wiped the blood on his body, inserted it into the sand in front of him, and then looked up to the group of sand ves on the other side.

    A few of the sand ves saw the one on the ground that did not get up after. Their faces held no surprise or fear or other expressions, and just looked on with curiosity, seeming to reassess Shao Xuan¡¯s strength and the threat of this team.

    Among the sand ves, there were several strong men who were not as thin as the other sand ves. A few steps away from the body, there was no one from the other sand ves who went near. They looked at Huang Ye and the others too, then continued to do their own things. They had an unknown creature tied to a bone knife and was set on fire to roast. Because this ce had limited firewood, the fire that could be ignited was not big, the fire was limited, so the meat was not thoroughly cooked. They also ate a lot, and when they bite, they brought out the guts and blood of some animals.

    ¡°Is that supposed to be a higher-level ve?¡± Tuo asked Shao Xuan

    Shao Xuan nodded.

    ¡°You sleep first. I¡¯ll guard with Lei.¡±

    Because of this unfavorable situation. Shao Xuan decided that the two men had to keep watch while one slept alone, then change for the other to rest. Two people were more secure than one, as the threats of these ves were too great.

    No wonder the tribes were so terrified of ves. They did not even take the life of theirpanions seriously.

    Shao Xuan walked to the sand wall and crouched down. At the foot of the wall, there were some piled up sand. Shao Xuan stabbed a stone knife like a stick, and found something. The tip of the knife picked up some sand, but Shao Xuan saw a skeleton, with the first exposed was the skull.

    The night breeze blew the sand away, and more and more of the skull was exposed.

    Shao Xuan looked at a gap in the skull. It was like a wound from a sharp weapon, not from Shao Xuan¡¯s knife, but this crack on the skull has existed for a long time.

    Looking carefully at the injury on the skull, Shao Xuan threw the skull to Lei, ¡°Look.¡±

    Lei was walking while ferociously staring at the sand ves farther, while those sand ves also stared with eyes more ruthless. Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, he took back his line of sight, and caught the skull thrown. He was not afraid of these, so he directly took it in his hand to carefully look at.

    From a young age when he joined the hunt, Lei had a good understanding of wounds caused by beasts. He was able to distinguish which was artificial and which was injured by other beasts. Seeing the long crack in the skull, Lei¡¯s eyes shed, and his sense of vignce turned stronger. He no longer put all his attention on the sand ves, but divides part of it around.

    Compared with other people in the team, the ming Horns tribe had the least understanding of the dessert. After all, they did not have any elders to tell them things, so they could only judge from their own experience. They didn¡¯t expect the other tribes in the team to tell them much. During this time, the first they look at were their own tribe¡¯s people, and would not pay much attention to Shao Xuan¡¯s side, not making an effort to narate to others.

    The wound on the skull was made by a beast¡¯s w, which was very fast and sharp. Maybe the beast that killed this man was not veryrge, but the beast that was able to carry out a swift and aggressive attack must be defended against.

    From the bone of the skull, it can be seen that the deceased was at least at the level of a primary totem warrior, or a little higher. In any case, they had to be more careful.

    Because Qu Ce and the other people were curious, Shao Xuan threw the skull over to let them see more.

    Shao Xuan and the other two rotated their watch, while the others did the same. The sand ves also attacked them, but majority were like a temptation, one after another, and then the attack mostly picked up.

    Because no more firewood was added to the fire, it was soon extinguished, and only the moonlight was in the sky. Some tribes were in warmer areas, as they were not ustomed to the cold so they were covered with twoyers of animal skins.

    Huang Ye and several older people looked at the team, until their eyes finally fell on the three people of the ming Horns tribe. As their first time to participate in such a journey for warriors, these three people was able to adapt the fastest.

    During the night, in the temptation and fighting, every once in a while, there would always be noises. It could be the sound of intertwining knives, or the movement of being beaten.

    There were more and more bloody sounds surrounding them. Some insects living under the sand were attracted by the blood, crawling out and sucking the flesh and blood on the sand. If there was not enough to eat, they would be the target of other organisms.

    Shao Xuan always heard the sound of the camel hooves treading on the ground. Looking at it, he saw that the camel¡¯s feet had trampled several to death, and then, it ate all these insects.

    Shao Xuan did not know whether other camels were like it, but for this one, the diet was not a concern be it meat or vegetables. This was good for him since it was easy to raise.

    The next day, when the sun came out, the sand ves had left, and the dead sand ves were left behind. Not long after, they were skeletons.

 Chapter 293

    C293 ¨C City and King

    Posted on October 24, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    In their sight was a sea of sand. The sand dunes formed by the gale stretched far into the distance.Looking around, they did not see any vegetation, and there were only rocks of different sizes exposed and a variety of strange forms formed under the eroded sand.

    Shao Xuan looked at the head on top of the thin neck of the alien-looking rock. This kind of stone would be enough for a ce to stop at before they copse.

    After half a day of trekking, the team rested on the shade of these rocks to keep out of the hot sun.

    If youy an egg on the ground at this time, it would be mature immediately.

    ¡°Where did the man from the Mang tribe say we were going?¡± The question came from Tuo.

    ¡°The Luoye City,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°It¡¯s a ve owners¡¯ turf.¡±

    After two days in the desert, Huang Ye finally told Shao Xuan where the destination of this trip was. Before, Shao Xuan repeatedly asked but failed to get a reply. He only got one sentence ¡°You¡¯ll know it in time¡±. Then, on the way, Shao Xuan and the other two could obviously feel the rejection of the others. It seemed that this time, they just let them join, and were not arranged in the n.

    In particr, the people of the Tian Shan tribe were not only guarding against Shao Xuan and the two, but also with apparent hostility. They often had arrows pointed at Shao Xuan¡¯s group, and there were several times the two sides almost fought.

    The other tribes had elders to inform them of relevant information, but only the three of them were from the ming Horns tribe so no one could tell them more things. Even if Qu Ce and some members usually chatted with these three people, they dared not talk about this.

    Now, finally, it was time to go to a ce called ¡°Luoye City¡± which was under a ve owner¡¯s territory. The person who had been tight lipped before has been able to reveal more things and spoke freely.

    Some people in the team had their head high in the face of these three people from the ming Horns tribe, probably feeling like they were city intellectuals facing the country bumpkins.

    The concept of ¡°city¡± was quite unfamiliar to the people of the ming Horns tribe. In their knowledge, they only know the concept of a tribe. As for a ¡°city¡±, it was blurred, and if there was no Shao Xuan to exin, Lei and Tuo would now be confused.

    ¡°¡®City¡¯, I really want to see how it ispared with the tribe. Which one leads.¡± To Shao Xuan, they asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the biggest in the city? The chief?¡± Lei asked.

    ¡°No, I heard it was the ve lord.¡± Tuo said.

    ¡°¡®Lord¡¯ is how the ves call their owner, but not the others.¡± Lei corrected Tuo.

    ¡°It is the King, the highest ruler in the city calls himself ¡®King¡¯.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    From Shao Xuan¡¯s knowledge, there were several ve owners in this desert. With his men all over the ce, every ve lord has his ce that was called a ¡°city¡±, not what the others knew as the ¡°tribe¡±.

    It was a matter of principle that the ve owners and tribes cannot coexist peacefully, but there were always a few special ces to live.

    The Luoye City was the most special one among the desert cities.

    In the past, the ¡°king¡± of Luoye City was also a ve lord who hated the tribes very much. Generation after generation, the ruler of Luoye City was changing, and the style of the city was also changing.

    The biggest change happened twenty years ago.

    A former Luoye City king, because of hissciviousness, robbed a lot of beautiful female ves, leading to a bunch of sons and daughters.

    Originally, under normal circumstances, a ve owner could only inherit the powerful abilities of his parents if he was a descendant born from both ve owners. Because of this, many ve owners did not take the descendants of those ves as the same thing. They threw them into the pack as ves, until 20 years ago, when there was a strong counterattack.

    The man who had attacked fully inherited his father¡¯s ability. He was gifted, even stronger than his father after adulthood. Later, the attacker killed not only his ve father, but also the queen of the ve lord, together with his half-brother who was about to inherit the throne.

    The man who had startled the people, was now the highest ruler of Luoye City, the lord of all the ves of Luoye City, bing the king of the city.

    In hearing these, Lei and Tuo were extremely puzzled, probably because these did not ord with their views. In the ming Horns tribe, even if there waspetition, fighting to kill was seen in such bad form, let alone if it was with a brother by blood. However, that was how it was in other people¡¯s homes. Besides, their chiefs have not found so many generations of descendants that came, and the Shaman was also watching.

    ¡°The Luoye King should be the best one among the ve owners? Then, it would be impossible for the tribe¡¯s people to enter the city.¡± Tuo said.

    ¡°We havd to go to the city and see.¡± Shao Xuan said. He did not think that the Luoye King, who had chopped off his father and siblings, would have a different view of the tribes. Most likely, he was using the tribes to rival the other ve owners. After all, a shock that made countless jaws drop from that attack was quite highpared to the price paid.

    ¡°Go, move towards Luoye City!¡± Lei looked at the men who were getting up too.

    After the team set off again, it took another two days. Sometimes they could not find a suitable ce to rest, so they directly stayed in the desert. They have also encountered some desert beasts during their night activities. The team lost four people, dragged into the sand and could not be found.

    On their fifth day in the desert, the team went ahead under the sun. Compared to those travel teams Shao Xuan once saw, this team was the most abused.

    Hot and dry air sts swept over the boundless desert.

    The atmosphere was windy, the whirlwind turning.

    Meanwhile, the sand was blown into sand dunes.

    Not far from the high hillslike mountains, some grains of sand were blown up and blown across the ridge.

    They did not know how many years the main body of such tall dunes had existed. Perhaps hundreds of years, thousands of years, or possibly longer.

    ¡°Look, there¡¯s someone over there!¡± Not just one shouted aloud.

    Looking over, they saw that on a tall hill in the distance, a group of people were on the ridge, riding on top of a camel.

    ¡°Who are those?¡± The ves of that city?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly, so I don¡¯t know if it is that city, but look at the direction they¡¯re going, it should also be Luoye City?¡± someone said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, keep going, we¡¯re almost there,¡± said one elder.

    When they encounter ves, as long as those ves did not take the initiative to look for a fight, these people would not move freely. They have to save their energy, since they did not want to spend more of their strength to deal with those ves.

    As he went on, Shao Xuan found that the team was walking in the same direction as their side, and that the camel he was holding was beginning to get excited.

    ¡°Is this the same of their kind?¡± Shao Xuan pulled the slightly excited camel, and did not let it dash forward.

    There seemed to be some other smell in the air as the wind drifted over. The camel next to him was more agitated, and seemed to want to run over with its hooves, not in the general direction of the team, but directly towards the front.

    ¡°Is Luoye City near?¡± Lei also smelled the other scents in the air. Because of frequent hunting, his nose was very sensitive to changes in some smells.

    In addition to the smell changes, there were some sounds.

    Over a hill again, Shao Xuan saw the destination of their trip¡ªLuoye City.

    At this time, the sun has been nting, setting towards the ground.

    The orange sunset shone above the vast desert, and in front, there wererge tracts of leaves with almost the same color as the sunset.

    Orange trees, an orange sunset, and a desert city stained by the sunset.

    It was said that the most abundant trees in Luoye city was the sunset trees. It was named so because the color of its leaves was simr to the sunset, and it never changes colors regardless of the seasons. Even the sign of Luoye city was the sunset tree.

    Sunset trees were said tost for thousands of years without dying, thousands of years not decaying nor falling, thousands of years and still immortal. It was unknown if it was really the truth though. However, in the sights of the city, there were indeedrge tracts of sunset trees, and seeing these trees made people feel cool. After being in the desert for so many days, except for sand and stone, the travel team could now see so many rare nts.

    In addition to the sunset trees, there were some unknown grasses in the city. Although not many, but it does exist, hence, it was no wonder the camel next to Shao Xuan was so excited. It was aware of the food.

    Standing on the sand dunes and looking over at Luoye city, they could see that there was a tall building in addition to the trees with the same colors as the sunset.

    Underneath the building was a huge block of rock like a pyramid, and a house was built above it.

    ¡°The highest ce in Luoye city is the ce where the king resides,¡± an elder from the Hui tribe said.

    Note: Uh.. I haven¡¯t been updatingtely.. because I¡¯ve started reading a few Manhuas.. (£Þ¦Ø£Þ)

    And reading the MTL was kinda tiring so the updates likely won¡¯t be regr.. My apologies..

 Chapter 294

    C294 ¨C Hierarchy

    Posted on October 25, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The highest ce was the king¡¯s pce. It was indeed a ce that overlooked the whole city.

    ¡°I heard that in order to build that high ce, a lot of ves died.¡± Someone expressed.

    This was the difference between a tribe and a ve owner.

    In the tribe, very few people would like to deliberately build such a ce. At most, the house was built in high ces, such as trees or mountains, but they would not spend a lot of manpower and resources to build a high pce.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can rest in this evening,¡± Huang Ye said.

    The others found it hard to raise their spirits, and they were very curious about the city where the ve lord resides.

    Around Luoye City, the walls were made of sand, averaging to around 10 meters and looking a few years old.

    There were some people around the city walls, these were the ves. On a ve-owners¡¯ turf, the ves ounted for the majority.

    The dark and chapped skinned ves looked at the men who wereing, holding sharpened spears in their hands and shouting loudly.

    Shao Xuan did not understand their words, but, some people in the team did. They turned back to the group, then threw something to the ves. That should be some kind of clue.

    Sure enough, after seeing that thing, the ves situated near the gate let go, and the huge wooden door that were closed were opened.

    Shao Xuan and the other two followed the team in. As for Chacha, it closely followed the two eagles of the Hui tribe. This was not the first time they came here so they knew what to do.

    In the city, some of the sandy houses were everywhere, densely packed. Those were not big, and the shapes were irregr. Instead of saying they were houses, rather, they were like ¡°nests¡±, which seemed to copse at any moment. This was the ce where the lower ves live.

    Walking ahead, they could see some stone-built houses, which were a little bit bigger.

    In the corner of the city, there was arge area where there was not much ve activity, and the people who live there were mostly the tribes.

    Shao Xuan, like everyone else who came here before, thought that there was an absolute contradiction between the ways of the tribe and the ve owner, but that was not the case. The tribe might take different attitudes towards different ve owners, but the king of Luoye City had a partnership with the tribes. Here, there were some ces like embassies.

    In addition to the people who came in the travel team, there were some people stationed here, and probably lived here for a long time. Their skin was a lot darker, and if you ignore the tribes with very striking tribal costumes in the city, theirs didn¡¯t look much different from the ones in town.

    Several tribes have a special resting ce in this city. However, for the ming Horns tribe who came over for the first time, the situation was a bit awkward.

    Because there was no special ¡°embassy¡±, the three could only be arranged in some small sand house, which was usually used for storage. The ce was temporarily vacated of its things to make room for the three of them, but when they entered the room, they could smell something rotten.

    In other people¡¯s eyes, the three from the ming Horns tribe just came for an errand, and had no activities nned for the trip while the others also won¡¯t guide them.

    This repulsive feeling were already known to Shao Xuan and the other two. It was just that they still didn¡¯t know how long they were supposed to stay in this ce, hence, the three people were unhappy.

    Lei pushed the stone wall from the inside, andined, ¡°Not strong enough.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay here for a night first, then find a stone to build a house tomorrow,¡± Shao Xuan said. Since the other tribes could have a station here, the ming Horns tribe, of course, also has to build one here, not just for himself or for the three of them. He also has to provide a welfare for the tribesmening back, as they won¡¯te over and live in such a broken house.

    Although the room was poor, it was much better than sleeping in the desert during their first few days. The three of them rested in the room for a night, and the next day, they got up in a much better spirit.

    The camel was left by Shao Xuan outside the house. In the morning, Shao Xuan gave it a little water, while the surrounding grass has already been eaten by it. Shao Xuan then had to find something for them to eat.

    Tuo was left to look at the house and the camel, while Shao Xuan went to ask the other tribes where it was better to look for many stones nearby. Lei followed Shao Xuan to see the other parts of the city, and at least get to know the general situation of the city.

    Leaving the area where the tribes stayed, Shao Xuan found that, in Luoye City, many people did not wear animal skins, instead, mostly linens. The daytime temperatures were high, and many people simply wrapped themselves with a few linen pieces.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group have been told that, while walking in this city, it was better for them to avoid the ve owners. In a city, there was not only one ve lord, but the highest ve owner was only one, which was the king. The ves under the other ve owners were not many, but within them, their identity were higher than the ves. Their authority were only surpassed by the king of the city.

    There was also a ce to trade. However, Shao Xuan found that thenguage and text here was another set, which was not the same as the tribal text, but was moreplex.

    Shao Xuan intended to buy some food with the money in his hand, and temporarily eat it when they couldn¡¯t find any prey.

    Here, shell coins and many other popr items in each tribes couldbe used as trading goods, but it has a serious devaluation. After all, in the ve owner¡¯s ce, as long as the ve owners live well, the ve¡¯s demands were not of importance.

    The ve owners of Luoye City preferred beautiful clothes and jade, and naturally their clothes and jade were the expensive variety. Perhaps this was the main reason why the Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe have the best living conditions here. Of all the tribal ¡°embassies¡±, these two ¡°embassies¡± were thergest.

    Where the food was sold, the man responsible was also a ve. The ves engaged in this kind of work seemed to have less aggression and able to understand thenguage of the tribes. But when Shao Xuan was about to take out his money, their eyes were filled with contempt, and talked to themselves in anguage Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t understand. Seeing it did not gave them a good feeling.

    What qualifies you to despise a man when you yourself are a ve?

    But, on the ve owners¡¯ turf, the ves were able to throw their faces at the tribes. After all, here was the ce of the ve owners. For the ves, the hierarchy was, the ve lord first, the ves second, and the people of the tribes were after those two.

    After they bought the food, they did not walk far when Shao Xuan heard a noise from nearby.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Lei looked over there and asked.

    ¡°The ve Lord.¡±

    Not far, four dark and sturdy ves were carrying a simple wooden sedan. The wooden sedan was not closed all around, the top was not capped, but was blocked by different colors of cloth to shield it. When the wind blows, the banners were swinging and one could see the people sitting inside.

    It was a woman carried inside, but they could not see her specific age. Anyway, she was not young, and her face had a variety of color paintings so her original appearance could not be seen.

    The person who was being carried inside the sedan chair often had the people stop on the way, sometimes in the liquor ce, then the person would directly reach out her hand, and someone would hold a pottery ss with fruit wine and she¡¯d drink it from time to time. They would also hand out a barbecued piece of fruit or a string of good stone bracelet and so on, and the person would not pay anything for exchange. All she had to do was stretch her hand.

    This was absolute ss.

    ¡°The life of this ve lord is really good.¡± Lei said emotionally.

    Remembering the warning of the others in the procession, Shao Xuan, when he saw the person who was being carriede their way, quickly departed with Lei. In thend of the ve owners, one couldn¡¯t reason with them, and they alone would define what was right or wrong.

 Chapter 295

    C295 ¨C The Young Masters

    Posted on October 29, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Outside their circle, the information Shao Xuan got was limited. However, the position of the ve owners here let Shao Xuan and Lei have a measure. In this city, the ve owner was the ruler, and right and wrong were defined by them.

    What made Shao Xuan feel troubled was the words andnguage of the ve owners. His understanding of thenguage used by the ve owners was limited to the few words carved in the ves, because those words also appeared in the tribal discussions. Shao Xuan had seen it before in other teams, so he would know, but here, it was difficult.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s side did not go smoothly, and Tuo, who stayed in the broken house on the other side did not have good news either.

    ¡°Were we not at liberty to act?¡± After hearing what Tuo said, Shao Xuan began to wonder what to do next.

    ording to Tuo, the people of the other tribes around told him that, whether in the city or outside, if one has no certain permission or pass token, it was easy to be regarded as an enemy and be attacked.

    The so-called special permission should be the type shown when the team entered the city, which Shao Xuan did not have now. That kind of token was not easy to get. The other tribes had stayed here for several years, therefore, they have on hand one or two. Nobody would be so generous as to give any to Shao Xuan, for the three people to use. After all, there were not enough even for themselves.

    Unable to travel at will, they had to put their finding of stone to build the house on hold temporarily.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go find someone,¡± Shao Xuan told the others.

    After resting in the room for a while, Shao Xuan went to the Mang tribe to find Huang Ye. However, today, the people of the Mang tribe seemed to be deliberating about some things. Huang Ye had no time, so Shao Xuan went back to their area. On the way, he visited Chacha who was staying together with the Hui tribe¡¯s two eagles.

    In the Hui tribe¡¯s area, Shao Xuan consulted an elder named He She. The elders in this trip had also helped Shao Xuan even though they were busy. But not by much, the will was there.

    Instead of asking for tokens they wanted as passes, Shao Xuan asked He She if there were anyone proficient in thenguage and words of the ve owners. Then, he was able to pay somepensation for the exchange.

    The Hui tribe had a few people who had a long-term stay. Some had been here for a half year, somested ten years, so it was not a matter to them. They were not too busy to have time to help Shao Xuan.

    ¡°By the way, can you tell me something about the ve owners in this city? Today I met a female ve owner outside¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan said what he encountered today, hoping to get some information from He She.

    If Shao Xuan did not ask, He She would not take the initiative to say something. Since Shao Xuan asked, he did not hide anything, except for other things he could not say, but not this. It didn¡¯t matter if he said this. Back in the Hui tribe, He She had listened to Gu La mention Shao Xuan and that the eagle named Chacha. After seeing them, Herscher¡¯s impression of Shao Xuan was also good.

    He She was rtively calm and did not say too much nonsense. The few words let Shao Xuan have a general understanding of those ve owners in this city.

    The great ve owner of Luoye city, the king, was named Su Lun. Since the rebellion of Su Lun twenty years ago, many ve owners spread blood shed in town. The ve owners in the city became much less, and now, those few who were still alive and of higher-status ve owners, except for the two half-sisters of Su Lun, were his three sons.

    Originally, there were five sons. However, the two of them failed to survive due to a variety of reasons. Now, there were three left: the first was Su Ka, second was Su Lei, and third was Su Gu. They were born to different women.

    In the past two years, thepetition between these three Luoye city ve owners was bing more and more intense. Although the Luoye King has cooperated with the tribes, there were a lot of times that he did not care much what happened to the tribe¡¯s people. Hence, a lot of things in his eyes were seemingly trivial, directly taking the attitude of ignoring their fight as love. But, on the contrary, several men from the tribes could help a lot.

    This was, of course, a mutually beneficial rtionship.

    The tribes could get some convenience and information from the lords of Luoye city, to deal with their own tribe-rted matters. At the same time, they could give some credit to the ve owners, so that they could gain more advantages in thepetition to be the next king.

    ¡°The Hui tribe have deals with the second son Su Lei?¡± Shao Xuan asked. When He She mentioned the three young masters, there was a pause when it came to the second young master, Su Lei.

    He She looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, and did not refute it.

    The tribes regarded the ves of the other cities as a grindstone. They hoped that in this way, they could train potential young warriors of their tribes. Only in constant battle, could they be more and more brave, at the same time, also let them be vignt and prepared against the ve owners, their so-called enemy. Remaining in the tribe was too easy and too narrow-minded. Like a lot of soldiers who had no real contact with the ves would always feel that ves were inferiors they could easily cut down, when in fact, that was not so.

    Shao Xuan wanted to ask which of the other tribes had traded with the young masters, but He She did not answer this question.

    Seeing Shao Xuan seemingly interested in this, He She reminded him, ¡°If you want to make a deal with the young masters, it is best to choose the eldest Su Ka or the second Su Lei. The youngest one was¡­¡±

    ¡°What about the youngest one?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°It is said that the youngest, so far, had no ves belonging to him.¡±

    The greater the number of ves, the greater the wealth and strength of the ve owner, which was a direct manifestation. The ve owners had the ability to enve, to empower those who did not have any faith, and then to enve them. And yet, he has no ve of his own. For a ve lord, it was quite a failure.

    Among these three lords, the age difference was not big. However, from the ves in their possession, you could see the pros and cons.

    ¡°Has anyone chosen the youngest one?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°No.¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°I see, thank you.¡±

    Over the next few days, Shao Xuan went back and forth to the Hui tribe¡¯s stronghold, where he learned thenguage of the ve owners with the rest of the warriors of the Hui tribe. Thenguage and writing of the ve master was not too difficult, norplicated. Shao Xuan memory was also good, and he was learning fast.

    After three days, Shao Xuan had already almost learned it all. He had also carried on hand a hide roll to write the words, as he went back to consolidate. Usually, he went to walk on the street, listening more to remember. But he believed that it would not take him long to be proficient.

    On this day, because he had spent the past few days inside the house to learn ve¡¯snguage, Shao Xuan took Tuo out for a walk, making Lei stay behind this time for a change. Although the things seen in Luoye city streets were only simple, there was no market as lively as this within the tribes. There were some items that were quite novel, such as some never before seen animals, medicinal herbs, ornaments and so on.

    It was just their bad luck today, that they saw the female ve owner who was being carried again.

    ording to what He She had told Shao Xuan, this should be one of the current king¡¯s two half-sisters. As the only two surviving among the siblings, there must be a reason for their survival. Based on the information Shao Xuan learned, he spected that these two were either very smart or very stupid.

    No matter what, Shao Xuan did not intend to deal with these ve owners now. He has not yet decided to find out which one of the young masters to go to. There were only three people in the ming Horns tribe here. They were unknown, and he did not know whether the cooperation could be carried out smoothly.

    Just as Shao Xuan and Tuo were nning to leave, there came a cry. It was from that wooden sedan, the voice was of the female ve owner.

    Shao Xuan pretended not to understand, ignoring the scene.

    Before they left, the ves in front had blocked the road.

    ¡°Stop!¡± This time, the ve owner used thenguage of the tribes, but it sounded a bit poor.

    Taking a look at Shao Xuan, the ve owner had her hand already holding the edge.

    Shao Xuan signaled for Tuo who was also a little stunned, as he turned to look at the female ve owner who was carried over to them.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± A hand wearing a variety of ornaments moved the strip of cloth shielding the front of the wooden car, exposing the face that was not clear, the voice was filled with disdain.

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Oh, the ming Horns tribe? Never heard of it.¡± The voice was slow and casual, ¡°But it doesn¡¯t matter, I guess it is not a big tribe. Would you like to follow me?¡± For her, it was a glorious thing to be a ve, like she was offering them charity.

    To follow a ve owner meant to be a ve, not to cooperate.

    Tuo¡¯s eyes shed with anger. He was preparing to pull his knife, but was blocked by Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan looked to the wooden sedan, ¡°Not interested.¡±

    The hand on the wooden sedan was loosened, and the strips of lifted cloth were closed again. Only a gentle hum from inside was heard after.

    Next to the wooden sedan, a burly big fellow with arge stone hammer in his hands strode forward. With each of his steps on the ground, they could hear a mming sound. The gravel was shaken, leaving deep footprints.

    Looking at the word written on his face, He was a ¡®servant¡¯ ve.

    Letting go of Tuo¡¯s hand, Shao Xuan moved forward two steps. When the other man swung his arm down, he moved sideways to avoid it. Then, he took advantage while both hands of the other man was upied, directly grasping the handle of the long stone hammer, then his wrist moved fiercely so that the force pulled and dragged it away.

    The ve holding the hammer handle immediately felt as if his hands were being put in the hot desert, and the sting in his hands hurt. He tried to grasp the hammer handle, but could not resist the greater force pulling it. Even though clenched his hands on the hammer tightly, it was still dragged out of his hand.

    Ka!

    Under the tyrannical force pulling his arm at the moment, this ¡®servant¡¯ ve¡¯s arm was unexpectedly dislocated!

    Peng!

    The ¡®servant¡¯ ve who lost his stone hammer was then kicked by Shao Xuan, flying out for ten meters beforending. He wanted to get up, but the pain all over his body caused him to sweat big buckets, making him unable to get up.

    The people who had been standing in the crowd, upon seeing this scene, had their pupil shrink, then shed to brighten up. Inside the wooden sedan, before the people were going to call out more, she shouted, ¡°Stop!¡±

    Hearing this voice, the surrounding people sneaked away with their heads down low, as they answered, ¡°Yes, master!¡±

    The people who were ready to shout out became meek.

    ¡°When can Luoye City force a tribe member to be a ve?¡± Someone came along, speaking these words righteously.

    Shao Xuan frowned and looked at this person sourly. Your side has been watching for so long, and you just pop out now. Isn¡¯t this skill fake?

    Note: Aargh! So many new names here!

    I miss Chacha. His appearances were less when he was a better pet than Lei and Tuo. *cough*

 Chapter 296

    C296 ¨C Avoid Water

    Posted on November 2, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The person looked to be fourteen or fifteen years old, not as dark as the other ves, and was wearing clean clothing. He also had a lot of ornaments, bright gems and some bone ornaments. In Luoye city, this was a kind of luxury. As long as one was not blind, one could see that this was a figure of ve-master level of the city.

    Around him were those ves who called him young master. Shao Xuan thought about the information he got of the city¡¯s three ve owners. This one was most likely the youngest of the three sons, Su Gu, who was said to have not been able to have his own ves. None of the other tribes had chosen to trade with him.

    Even though he was more ipetent, he was still a young master in the city, therefore the ves have to be respectful to him.

    At this time, this third young master, who thought it was his shining debut had his chin up, his pair of eyes sweeping a belittling look around. Seeing that the people all put a respectful facade, his eyes showed satisfaction, before turning to the wooden sedan on the side.

    When the third young master came out, the people around the wooden sedan became quiet. They did not know what to do, and there were no noisesing from inside the sedan chair. It could be that the person inside was also feeling the same.

    There was a hum heard from inside. The sound this time was not as strong as before, seeming a bit guilty.

    ¡°Go!¡± The woman inside the wooden sedan threw out a painted ss as she spoke with anger.

    The painted ss fell on the ground and immediately shattered.

    Shao Xuan looked at the painted ss. It was made exquisitely. The cup wall was very thin, and the pattern of the cup was also veryplex. If he took it back to his tribe who loves pottery, it would certainly be treated as a treasured collection. However, here, it was treated as a random thing to be used for venting. What the ves have done with their hearts was nothing but a handy thing for the ve owners.

    After the wooden sedan disappeared, almost all the surrounding people also scattered.

    Su Gu¡¯s eyes swept to Shao Xuan and Tuo, seeming to look at the goods in general. He estimated that he did not know these people. His eyes were more questioning, but this self-righteous attitude was better for Shao Xuan. He only showed a smile towards the two.

    Shao Xuan and Tuo: ¡°¡­¡± They didn¡¯t know what more to say.

    ¡°What tribe are you from? I haven¡¯t seen you in town before. My name is Su Gu, Luoye City¡¯s third young master.¡± Su Gu came over and pretended to ask curiously.

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan and Tuo,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe¡­ Looking at the strength you showed just now, your tribe is certainly not weak,¡± said Su gu.

    ¡°Not too strong, but I wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re weak,¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Is it the first time you came here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your n?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re out for an errand.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± What was your errand?

    After asking a few more questions, Su Gu still did not get from Shao Xuan what he wanted to know. Instead of suppressing his exasperation, he finally couldn¡¯t help but gently cough as he said, ¡°Actually, for you new tribes, it is indeed inconvinient if you have no token for passage.¡±

    Shao Xuan and Tuo stared at him without speaking.

    After waiting for some time without getting any reply, Su Gu spoke again, ¡°I can get you a token!¡± He smiled at the Shao Xuan and Tuo.

    Shao Xuan and Tuo once again just stared at him, still not speaking.

    The information Shao Xuan heard, he also shared to Tuo and Lei. This was the most useless of the three contenders to the throne. No tribe wanted to trade with him. In Tuo¡¯s view, such a weak man did not have the necessary status to have a trade cooperation with them. However, here, everything was decided by Shao Xuan. At such times, he would not speak indiscriminately.

    Seeing Shao Xuan and Tuo still being silent, Su Gu thought that they did not understand how these things work here. ¡°You can work with me to make a deal. Both our sides will benefit.¡±

    ¡°We are poor.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°That¡¯s nothing. I am not poor.¡± Su Gu waved his hand.

    ¡°We are strangers.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s no hindrance. We could get acquainted.¡± Su Guughed.

    ¡°There are only three of us.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°¡­¡­The three of you must be very powerful figures.¡± Su Gu¡¯s smile had some stiffness. He did not know whether his answer was for Shao Xuan or to convince himself.

    Shao Xuan only looked at Su Gu¡¯s eyes, ¡°Thanks for today. As for the cooperation, wait for us to go back first to discuss.¡±

    It was just three people, and you have to go back for a discussion? Su Gu smiled more reluctantly, ¡°When can you give the results of your discussion?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow will be our answer,¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Good!¡±

    Although Shao Xuan¡¯s group did not immediately agree, they also did not promptly refused, so, after that thought, Su Gu¡¯s mood was better.

    After the two sides parted, Tuo eximed, ¡°The third young master seems to be different from the other ve owners. If it were with another ve owner, it would not be so easy to speak.¡±

    ¡°Actually, he was not much worse, but he was forced to rush.¡± Shao Xuan said. A man who did not have a ve until now, and who has not cooperated with any of the tribes, had nothing to bring out to contend with his two elder brothers. He could almost be removed from being a candidate to the throne, so he could only make a final struggle.

    Whether to cooperate or not, Shao Xuan really needed to think carefully.

    The three people from the ming Horns tribe were indeed in a weak position here. They were also inferior to the other tribes with connections with the two other young masters, who would not necessarily put their group in their sights. Cooperation with them has great difficulties. Even if they could sessfully do it, they would not be treated seriously like the other tribes.

    Coming here, Shao Xuan did not intend to just nest up. He wanted to know more information, but since the other tribes were always hiding and guarding, it is a good thing indeed to cooperate with the locals.

    Su Gu was useless? Well, maybe, but who was the real waste if he was able to live a healthy life now?

    When Shao Xuan returned to the broken house in the tribal area, the camel at the door was chewing hay. It was a kind of grass growing in the city, a long hollow rod the size of a finger and camels seemed to like it.

    Shao Xuan stared at the small pile of hay piled up, thinking.

    When the camel chewing hay saw Shao Xuan has been staring at its hay, it moved its body so that Shao Xuan¡¯s sight was blocked. However, in the next moment, Shao Xuan directly reached his hand out to take out two roots from the pile.

    ¡°Ang¨C¡±

    ¡°Back off. I only took two, and tomorrow, I will give it back.¡± There were a lot of dead grass in some parts of the city because ofck of water recently.

    Lei and Tuo saw Shao Xuan grab the camel¡¯s hay to take inside the house. They thought, does Shao Xuan want to chew grass too?

    However, after Shao Xuan went inside the house, he just picked up a hay, then closed his eyes. After counting, Shao Xuan¡¯s fingers moved around, with the hay beginning to form a knot.

    Lei gave Tuo a look, asking: What is Ah-Xuan doing?

    Tuo just shook his head.

    Whatever Shao Xuan was doing, they just had to wait for him to finish.

    An instantter, Shao Xuan opened his eyes. He looked at the grass knot formed in his hands, and he could not help but frown.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s face being serious, Tuo asked, ¡°Ah-Xuan, what did you do?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I intend to cooperate with Su Gu.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Lei opened his mouth, but did not say a word against it. Before, when they talked to the Shaman and the chief, they were told to leave the decision making to Shao Xuan.

    The next day, early in the morning, Shao Xuan had not gone out, and instead, Su Gu went to find him. For the city¡¯s tribal areas, although he did not have a cooperation with any tribes, he still knew about this piece ofnd, and also knew where Shao Xuan and the two people with him lived.

    Not expecting Su Gu to personallye to their door, Lei and Tuo were surprised.

    ¡°How was your discussion?¡± Su Gu asked when he entered the door.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t answer directly, but said, ¡°You¡¯d better avoid water today.¡±

    Water?

    How long has it been raining, where did the watere from? Isn¡¯t it what you usually drink? Won¡¯t he die of thirst then?

    Hearing this, Su Gu thought that Shao Xuan was ying with him. His eyes shed with hostility, but quickly converge, as he looked at Shao Xuan with a serious face. ¡°Why say so?¡±

    ¡°After today, if you still want to, we will cooperate.¡± Shao Xuan did not care about Su Gu¡¯s anger as he replied.

    ¡°Good! You wait!¡± Su Gu grasped his fist tightly, feeling like he condescended to this. Shao Xuan¡¯s group really didn¡¯t know how this works, and he felt that the situation seemed to be a bit wrong. Seeing that Shao Xuan was such, his heart was feeling weird. After thinking about it, he quit and went out of the house.

    Therefore, that day, a lot of people saw Luoye City¡¯s third young master rush into the tribal area and came out with a cold face.

 Chapter 297

    CoPW C297 ¨C Acting so Weird

    Posted on November 3, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    After the first time that Shao Xuan saw Su Gu, he meant to cooperate with him. However, he thought that there was something a bit strange. He could not say what, but a general feeling told him that Su Gu¡¯s strength should not only stop there.

    After returning to the tribal area, because he couldn¡¯t figure it out, when he saw the camel chewing hay, Shao Xuan thought of the idea of divination.

    While the travel team was on the way, Shao Xuan also tried divination several times. He counted how many sandstorm they¡¯ll encounter in the desert and other weather changes. As for the distant or moreplex events, he wasn¡¯t able to predict, and the knots would be tangled in his fingers. It was not enough.

    When he was tying the knots, it was not seen by other people. The knotted straws were also fed to the camel afterwards. Therefore, those who knew that Shao Xuan was knotting were only the two, Lei and Tuo.

    This time, Shao Xuan only intended to try. If the ropes showed sess, then it was naturally good, but a failure still did not matter. He would just choose the best choice for the moment.

    He wanted to predict something rted to the third young master, and, indeed, somethinge out. The ¡®conclusion¡¯ that came out only predicted of today¡¯s event. It was about water being more dangerous, and that the third young master couldn¡¯t wait to make an alliance with them and actively run to this side. Shao Xuan then said this to him, but as for Su Gu listening to it, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t ensure. If this third young master resisted the warning, there would be no need for an alliance.

    On the other hand, when third young master Su Gu came out from the tribal area with a cold expression, he did not wander around, but directly went toward the city center.

    The center of Luoye City was the ce where the ve owners live. Not to mention the very low-leveled ves of the city, very few ve owners stayed around the town area, and most were concentrated in the center of the city. But the difference here was that the king and the young masters could live in the highest pces, while the other ve owners were not allowed there by the king. Since they could not set foot there, they would be killed without forgiveness otherwise. Even with the king¡¯s friendship, you could still find death. Hence, as long as it was not too important, it was better to abide by the rules.

    Seeing Su Gu¡¯s expression, the ves hurried aside for fear of being the target of his anger.

    ¡°Su Gu!¡±

    Suddenly, Su Gu, who was walking onward, was called.

    Hearing the voice, Su Gu frowned and with an impatient look, looked over there, ¡°What?¡±

    He turned to find a female ve owner wearing a blue dress with a painted blue pattern on it. Her hands also had a variety of jewelry. It was Su Ya who leisurely stepped forward and walked over to him. Behind her, she was followed by two ves, holding fruits and water.

    This was one of the remaining two sisters of the king. They were the ones who Shao Xuan encountered trouble with yesterday. It was only now that she was not being carried by anyone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done what I promised, what about you?¡± Su Ya held a blue grass-juice in her hands, extending it to Su Gu. She promised Su Gu to test the ming Horns tribe, but yesterday, after returning, Su Gu¡¯s promised gems were not delivered. Today, early in the morning, she also did not find the person, so she personally came to wait this time. She just managed to stop Su Gu now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have someone send it to youter!¡± Su Gu didn¡¯t look at Su Ya again. After replying, he immediately left.

    Looking at the back of Su Gu, Su Ya squinted andughed, ¡°Useless, still trying to cross with me!¡± If it were not for those beautiful jewels, she would not bother to deal with Su Gu, a man who had no exclusive ves, and who would be driven out of the pce sooner orter.

    Her sight was withdrawn from the high steps, and Su Ya carried on with the two ves. She just came to talk about their deal, and the rest of it was not important.

    Su Gu walked up the steps, before entering the pce. He turned to look around.

    Standing on Wangcheng Pce, one could see many ces in the city. This feeling of being above everything was what every ve owner expected.

    Do you want to be king? Naturally, he was thinking about it and did not want to think otherwise. If his other two elder brothers inherited the throne, Su Gu¡¯s own fate could be imagined. It was not so cruel before, but after the rise of the current king, a lesson was given to the ve owners, opening a new door to the aspiring ve owners. When they were at the peak, everyone who threatened them would be cut off to prevent the chance of a reversal.

    Thinking of his ability, Su Gu shook a fist. Previously, his father left each of the lords equal resources. However, when this year began, there was a deflection, and Su Gu received a lot less resources. For Su Gu, this was not a good thing.

    Once he was in his own residence, Su Gu took a few mouthfuls from the painted pottery cup handed by the ves.

    After putting down the cup, Su Gu looked at the surrounding ves. These were the resources his father gave. No one was his own, while in these years, his two elder brothers procurred more and more ves. In addition to what his father gave, the two brothers also have some of their own ves. Compared to Su Gu here, who still has the same number, or rather, he had less, since some of the ves have died for various reasons. He could not have his own ves because he was notpetent enough.

    Upon seeing these ves, Su Gu¡¯s chest had some tightness. He then waved his hand to show that the ves should go out as they were being unsightly. After sitting down, Su Gu recalled today¡¯s events, thinking of what that Shao Xuan from the ming Horns tribe said. He was about to continue drinking, but Su Gu looked down and stared at the ss of water. Should he drink it or not. He was thirsty, and Shao Xuan¡¯s words were like a thorn to his side. Seeing the water, he felt like it was stabbing him a bit. Really¡­¡­ this was making him angry!

    Peng!

    The discarded cup of water hit the ground. Su Gu swept his eyes on the ground with the ssh of water stains. In his heart, hemented: That person from the ming Horns tribe was certainly bluffing and ying with him. Feeling that he was just a waste, they deemed that no cooperation was necessary, so he just made up such a lie to deceive him?!

    Su Gu wanted to put Shao Xuan¡¯s words behind him, but every time he tried, he could not forget it. He was also afraid of death, and the more he thought of what Shao Xuan said, the more it gave him a chill.

    These tribal people¡­

    ¡°Wu Shi!¡± Su Gu suddenly called.

    A figure, like a ghost, appeared silently in front of Su Gu, with his head bowed respectfully, but less humbly than the other ves.

    Among the resources provided by the Luoye City king to his three sons, in addition to the ¡°pu¡± and ¡°tai¡± level ves, there were also two more senior ¡°liao¡± level ves. However, one of them was dragged into the sand by a beast in the desert in order to protect Su Gu when he was out of the city. Now, it was only this ¡°liao¡± ve called Wu Shi left

    ¡°Third young master.¡± Wu Shi said.

    ¡°Wu Shi, I know you have some knowledge of the tribes. You said that among the tribes, there were people who could predict inauspiciousness?¡± Su Gu asked.

    Wu Shi thought before he replied, ¡°I heard that the tribes have shamans, and that Shaman, indeed may have that ability.¡±

    Hearing these words, Su Gu¡¯splexion slightly changed. So, such ability really exist.

    Wu Shi¡¯s words were not finished so he continued, ¡°But the tribes generally would not let their shamans leave too far from the tribe. Even if they left, there will be ayer of protection. Therger the tribe, the more tightly guarded their shamans were. In many tribes, the shaman¡¯s position is second only to their chief.¡±

    Su Gu¡¯s expression changed. As he thought of the ming Horns tribeing over with only three young people, naturally they couldn¡¯t have brought their shaman. And from their looks, it could also be gleaned that they were warriors instead of shamans. That was to say¡­

    ¡°They¡¯re lying to me!¡±

    Almost only a word was squeezed out of his gritted teeth. Su Gu jumped to his feet and flipped the table, all the pottery on top of it smashing to the ground. The other surrounding ves would like to shrink themselves into an egg, not daring toe forward to clean up immediately. Although they were ves thrown over by the king, now with the young master here, they still have to act properly in front of him. Otherwise, they would be dominated and could also be ughtered. Moreover, their level was inferior to Wu Shi, hence this time, they could only shrunk up.

    Su Gu smashed things in the house again, the atmosphere inside reaching a boiling point. He felt that the house was too stuffy, so he intended to go out for a walk. Once he was out of the door, Su Gu somehow thought of Shao Xuan words. He stood still in the doorway, then started pacing back and forth a fewps, before he went out two steps, and came back to roar, ¡°Wu Shi! You¡¯reing with me!¡±

    Wu Shi eyes shed with surprised. This young master was very annoyed when the ves followed him. Unless he was going out of town, he would not carry ves with him as long as it was in the city. He probably felt that he couldn¡¯t face other people with these ves. But now, he was letting them follow.

    No matter what his heart thought, Wu Shi still followed.

    Maybe because he also felt that this style was not his usual, Su Gu¡¯s mind changed a few times, turning, then trotting away.

    Most of the king¡¯s pces on the high tforms were not made of stone, but wood. There was also a famous legend about the city. That even for thousands of years it would not die, thousands of years it would not fall. That it was made of thousand of immortal sunset trees.

    In Luoye City, only the ve owners could use the sunset trees to build their houses. Other ves did not qualify.

    The main material for building the pce was a carefully selected sunset tree, with the scent of a sunset tree lingering in the pce.

    Su Gu looked at the front. There was a small pool, with his raised turtle inside.

    Pool? Water? Go around it.

    Several ves were holding a jugs of wine with several sharp bottoms,ing out from the cer.

    Wine? Have water? Avoid it again!

    A group of ves, carrying arge wooden box, came in from outside the pce. The wooden box was made from a sunset tree, which belonged to a ve owner under the Luoye king.

    Seeing this wooden box, Su Gu knew that their water came.

    In addition to owning the city, the Luoye king has a small oasis where the water they drink was being transported from.

    Although there were a few deep wells in the city, the water was cloudy. If the turbid water from those wells were drunk for a long time, their skin would easily crack. This was one of the reasons why most of the city¡¯s ves had dry and cracked skins.

    Most of the ve owners seek for the enjoyment of their whole family, and they have higher requirements in their material life. Therefore, every once in a while, the Luoye king would let peoplee to a distant oasis for the ve owners to enjoy.

    Therefore, after seeing the big wooden box, Su Gu didn¡¯t intend to pay much attention to it at first, but thought it was also rted to ¡°water¡±. Before walking again in a few footsteps, he moved his foot to take a turn towards the side and detoured.

    After seeing Su Gu¡¯s actions, Wu Shi looked at the young master with his mind extremely puzzled as he pondered: Today, third young master¡¯s brain must have been buried in the sand* again? Why is he acting so weird?

    However, after this thought about the actions not being normal, Wu Shi did not think much of it. He just followed the young master.

 Chapter 298

    C298 ¨C Assassination

    Posted on November 4, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Not far away, there was a door where the crates of water would be put down. The ve guards would take out the earthen pots filled with water, and then put these pots into the water storage, waiting for the ve owners to enjoy for themselves.

    Su Gu¡¯s sight swept a nce over the area. He did not feel that anything was wrong, and instead felt that his own behavior was quite silly. However, in his heart, he still felt the thorns of the warning again and again, so he chose to avoid it and took a detour.

    If he encountered no idents afterwards, the three people of the ming Horns tribe should wait for him! Su Gu scolded this in his heart.

    Wu Shi, who was behind Su Gu did not know what the young master was thinking at the moment, but he still slowly followed him. As they walked, Wu Shi suddenly felt a chill in his heart. The hair in his neck instantly stiffened after.

    ¡°Young Master!¡±

    Su Gu was walking and only heard when Wu Shi shouted loudly. Then, he was picked up and what one could see was a hastily retreating scene.

    Boom!

    Therge wooden boxes which were originally carried by the ves were sted open.

    Scattered sshes of water and pottery fragments came whistling through Su Gu¡¯s ears, hitting the surrounding wooden walls. ¡®Pa¡¯ sounds issued around like dense arrows flying in every directions.

    As the wooden crates exploded, the water spray and pottery scattered, and three figures rushed out from inside.

    The people who were squeezed inside earlier were moving once more when they rushed out. Unlike ordinary ves, these men did not have any ve patterns in their bodies associated with any ve owners, nor did they have a character tattoo on their faces.

    These men were specially trained for assassination. Just like death, when theye, they did not intend to leave, mindlessly staring at their target. And their purpose should be to dash inside the pce to assassinate King Su Lun, thergest ve owner in the city.

    The surrounding ves shouted. The roars of the assassin were heard as well.

    From the earlier calm to this chill, the air was filled with the suffocating breath of killing. Blood was overflowing.

    Su Gu was carried far away from the battlefield to hide. His peripheral glimpse was a red and white liquid spurting from not far out, as well as the sound of bones fragmenting, and a sudden halt of the screaming.

    Bang¨C

    Shortly after the departure of Su Gu, several figures were struck by violent forces and smashed into wooden walls. In an instant, they were sted to the wall which Su Gu just passed through. Their bodies were twisted, flesh and blood were mangled. These were the ves of Luoye City that were guarding the pce.

    The trunk of the sunset trees were more solid than an average tree. The longer it lived, the more solid the tree trunk¡¯s quality. The ve owners in the city sometimes used the sunset trees to make spears, arrows, and other weapons. This was the same for some people from the tribes. In particr, those who used these arrows would alsoe up with arge number of objects to exchange for the sunset trees.

    For the woods used in the pce, most were from centuries old sunset trees. Those hard wood walls, even if it were not as hard as stone walls, were enough to block most of these assassin ves. But at this time, Su Gu only heard the sounds of broken walls. Normally, it was called the hardest tree in the desert, but now, it was so fragile.

    Wu Shi carried Su Gu away from the battlefield, where there was still a continuous fight and killing.

    At the edge of the pce, when Wu Shi stopped to rest, he observed that he had a lot of wounds on his back. Fortunately, those were not deadly since they escaped quickly. The sinister moment was temporarily over. But if he had juste closer to that side, he would not have had the time to dodge.

    It was really lucky, otherwise he would have followed the footsteps of a former ve. Wu Shi thought.

    Wu Shi checked the status of the young master he had carried here. He then found that this young master¡¯s state was somewhat wrong. His eyes were only staring at the front, unfocused, and Wu Shi couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking.

    Was he freaking out?

    Although this time was indeed dangerous, but this kind of assassination has urred every year. As the king¡¯spetitors, their courage should not be so small.

    ¡°Young Master?¡± Wu Shi called.

    Su Gu didn¡¯t answer.

    ¡°Third Young Master?¡± Wu Shi increased the volume.

    Su Gu still did not respond.

    ¡°Third Young Master, are you all right?¡± Wu Shi reached out and poked him.

    Su Gu, who was immersed in his thoughts, was startled that he almost jumped up.

    ¡°Third Young Master, are you all right?¡± Wu Shi asked again.

    ¡°No¡­ Nothing¡­¡­ I¡¯m okay!¡± Su Gu¡¯s voice was shaking a little.

    You¡¯re freaking out? Wu Shi thought.

    Ignoring Wu Shi, Su Gu carefully listened to the movements over there. When the other side slowly calmed down, Su Gu said, ¡°Let¡¯s look back there.¡±

    Noticing that there were no noises over there, Wu Shi knew that was only temporary. He did not know whether there were still other unknown assassination attempts. However, at this time, he could not stop this young master for going back, so he could only guard him as they went.

    The red blood was conspicuous around a broken wooden wall, and the dead ves were being towed away.

    In this copsed ce, there were ves doing the cleanup.

    Su Gu saw a man who was lying on the ground under a broken wall. The man was not a ve of Luoye City, but an assassin.

    Signaling that Wu Shi should cover the sawdust above, Su Gu carefully looked at the dead assassin.

    The assassin had many injuries. There were pierced wounds and sharp weapon stabs. However, even if he had such injuries, he stil persisted for a period of time, which was much more stronger than the average ves.

    [In his hands, there were ck raised phnges that seemed to quench the poison in the sharp de, shining a cold light.]

    There was no special logo on the body, and it was impossible to see which city they came from.

    These people usually hide very well. It was very difficult to detect their breaths, or they could not be kept hidden as they were carried from the oasis to here.

    This was a specially trained ve for assassination, and these ves were carefully trained until they were sent to work. Their whole lives were just for assassination. Such ves were extremely dangerous, and they were a sharp knife in the hands of the great ve owners.

    With thepetition between the big ve owners, in addition to the asional start of desert wars, there was a steady stream of assassinations. Su Gu knew that his father had his own team, but no one had ever seen those, including Su Gu himself and his two other brothers.

    ¡°Third Young Master?¡± A ve came over. He came by the order of the king to clean up the post-war issues, but what was the third young master standing here for?

    Su Gu¡¯s eyes turned away from the ve, as he waved his hand to motion them to continue cleaning the battlefield. He listened to what the ves cleaning the battlefield said after, then he turned away.

    Twenty-three ves died, nine were ¡®liao¡¯ ves while fourteen were ¡®servant¡¯ ves. The twelve men carrying the wooden crates all died. Of the fifteen ve guards at that door, ten were dead. There were other ves who came over. Some were dead, while the others were wounded, with some of the injured not even sure would live long. The death toll would eventually be more than thirty, or even forty, in the end.

    If he did not take a detour, but directly went there, would he also be on the death list?

    Su Gu recalled the words of the man named Shao Xuan of the ming Horns tribe. Was it by chance? Or did he get a message from fate?

    The more he thought about it, the more he couldn¡¯t stand the suspense. Originally, Su Gu was walking towards his own quarters, but now, he immediately turned towards the pce exit at a run.

    Wu Shi, who was behind this young master, saw him suddenly turn to run, did not stop to think and continued to follow.

    Then, that day, the ves of Luoye City who saw the third young master rush out of the tribal area with a cold face in the morning, now saw him rush back in.

 Chapter 299

    C299 ¨C Are You Really Not a Shaman?

    Posted on November 5, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan was inside their house, burying his head in a room.

    He wrote down the set ofnguage used by the ve owners that he had learned about in this period of time. Each time he has a new experience, he would also record it.

    Shao Xuan also forced Lei and Tuo to learn these words. Even if they could not fully learn it, as long as they can understand some, it would still be good. They wouldn¡¯t be deceived by the ves and ve owners. In thisnd of the ve owners, they would have it easier if they knew more about it.

    There was a saying that ¡®sharpening the axe does not harm the woodcutter¡¯. This was the reason they now have food and did not need to rush out to do other things. The first the two had to understand was the most basic things to say.

    When Su Gu came over, Lei and Tuo were looking at thoseplicated words, feeling dizzy. They were then allowed to take a rare break because of the arrival of Su Gu.

    Shao Xuan looked up at Su Gu who rushed in. He stopped his pen, rolled up the animal skin rolls full of written text and put it aside.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Shao Xuan asked after packing up.

    Rushing into the house, Su Gu was panting as he took two steps towards Shao Xuan. The palm of his hand patted the table. ¡°I ask you¡­¡±

    Peng!

    Originally, the base of the table was not very strong. Because it could not withstand the force, it scattered into the sand everywhere.

    Seeing Shao Xuan and the other two people staring at it, Su Gu just waved his hand. ¡°I will let peopleeter to repair it!¡±

    Looking around, Su Gu saw that there was no ce to sit so he simply stood.

    ¡°I have something to ask you.¡± Su Gu looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°Are you a shaman?¡±

    Shaman? Lei and Tuo were a little confused. How was Shao Xuan a ¡°shaman¡±? Besides, the Shaman could not havee to such a ce.

    ¡°No.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°But you said this morning¡­¡± The expression on Su Gu¡¯s face changed a few times. It was not good to tell the things that happened inside the pce. However, thinking of Shao Xuan¡¯s hints unexpectedly rting to today¡¯s events, Su Gu took a deep breath. His earlier eager look calmed down as he stared straight at the Shao Xuan. ¡°You do not have any idea of what happened?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re here for the first time and we don¡¯t know anything about it.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    Su Gu was silent for a moment, but did not address the problem again. Whether Shao Xuan knew the news long ago or he really have the ability to predict the future, now, he really wanted to work with the people of the ming Horns tribe. He has no reason to back out.

    ¡°What do you think about our cooperation?¡± Su Gu asked.

    ¡°We can cooperate, however, before the cooperation, I want to know what benefits we can get.¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Su Gu straightened his spine as he stood upright. As a ve owner, he could provide a lot. With this, he was emboldened to have enough.

    ¡°I can have ves build bigger houses for you, and give you ess tokens, food and water.¡± Su Gu replied.

    Shao Xuan nodded. These three things were really good, but it was not what he wanted most. ¡°I want to know something about the other ve owners.¡±

    Su Gu frowned, ¡°Of course. I can give you all the information I know, but you muste up with something worth exchanging.¡±

    ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll happily cooperate?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll happily cooperate.¡±

    They did not sign a contract. In the case of cooperation between the ve owners and the tribes, a fixed death contract was not normally signed, unless something important was involved or when both parties were well aware.

    After resolving the things he had been thinking in his heart, Su Gu¡¯s mood has gotten better. As a reward for Shao Xuan¡¯s reminder this morning, after he left the tribal area, he had people sent over some stone to build a house. These stones were dug from the rocky terrain in the desert. There were special ves guarding the area, so Shao Xuan and the others could not go there at will. Su Gu had provided a lot of convenience for Shao Xuan. They just had to wait in their room for the stones to be transported.

    Shao Xuan looked for a vacant space in the tribal area and asked the other tribes if they could build a house there. He built it with Tuo and Lei, with the help of the ves Su Gu sent.

    Two dayster, anotherrge house was built in the tribal area. It was no worse than the other tribes. The difference was that there were dozens of people in each embassy of the other tribes, while there were only three people in the ¡°embassy¡± of the ming Horns tribe.

    In order to show his concern and sincerity, Su Gu specially cut a piece of a sunset tree to make the wooden sign hanging in the entrance of the ¡°embassy¡± doorway. He also wanted to write the words with the gold paint, but was moved aside by Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan himself polished a te and hung it in the doorway. He carved the tribal characters to engrave the two words ¡°ming Horns¡±. The totem of the tribe was also engraved on the stone.

    As for the nk used by Su Gu, the text was what the ve ownersmonly used. Therefore, twonguages and two brands were hanging in the doorway, Shao Xuan¡¯s te at the front door and Su Gu¡¯s wood in the middle.

    ¡°This will be our embassy!¡± Shao Xuan dered as he looked at the house that was finished.

    Although such a building did not seem to be too gorgeous in Shao Xuan¡¯s view, as long as it was simr to the other tribes¡¯, there was no need to appear too prominent. If they came overter with more people, once they stood firm and strong, there would be no harm in expanding again. Now, not being too high-profile was better.

    Before, because there was not enough space, the three of them huddled in a broken stone house. Now that they have a new embassy, they have separated rooms, each person upying a big room. The camel tied in the back yard was also specially given a shed by Shao Xuan.

    With the changes in the status of the ming Horns tribe, the other people in the tribal area were aware that this was their cooperation with Luoye City¡¯s third young master. Really, what were they thinking, cooperating with someone useless? If they were seeking a cooperation, looking for the other two young masters were better. This third young master didn¡¯t even have his own dedicated ves.

    He She of the Hui tribe who was chatting with the others could only sigh. With all his advice of looking for the two other young masters to cooperate, but they didn¡¯t follow. Why not listen to his advice? What a pity! This was their first timeing over here, and they were still young, thoughtless, impulsive and short-sighted.

    However, no matter what other people thought, Shao Xuan and the other two were still quite satisfied with this cooperation.

    The next day after the house was built, Su Gu came to find Shao Xuan again.

    This time, there were only two people in Shao Xuan¡¯s room for the meeting. Lei and Tuo were not inside, and Su Gu also did not take Wu Shi.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the pass token you wanted.¡± Su Gu handed the token to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan took the brand made from a sunset tree, with the words used by the ve owners. Written in it was ¡°ming Horns¡±, while the other side was the sign of Luoye City.

    As he put away the pass token, Shao Xuan looked at Su Gu. The third young master¡¯s expression seemed to be somewhat tangled.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Let¡¯s talk.¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Su Gu scratched his head with impatience. In addition to helping Shao Xuan get a pass token in the past few days, he also specifically asked for information about the tribal shamans. The more he thought about it, the moreplicated it was.

    After a long while, Su Gu was unable to suppress his question. ¡°You¡¯re really not a shaman?¡±

    ¡°No. If you know the tribes, you should know that the shaman of the tribe will note out easily.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Are you not the shaman¡¯s heir?¡± Su Gu asked again.

    ¡°No.¡± Shao Xuan affirmed.

    ¡°If not, then how did you predict about the ¡®water¡¯?¡± Su Gu reluctantly said.

    ¡°It is not a necessity to be a shaman to predict it.¡±

    When Su Gu heard that, he sat slumped in the stone stool, looking disheartened.

    Shao Xuan thought about it and asked, ¡°There is no shaman in your city?¡±

    ¡°There are no shamans in many cities,¡± said Su gu. ¡°As far as I know, there are three cities with shamans, and there are over twenty cities in the desert!¡±

    For the ve owners, a shaman was not necessary. A city only needed one master.

    ¡°The power of your tribees from the fire seed, while our strength exists in our veins.¡± Su Gu stretched out his hand.

    Shao Xuan saw it. On Su Gu¡¯s hand, a blue me gradually emerged.

    What surprised Shao Xuan was that when Su Gu made these blue mes, at the edge of the ¡°eggshell¡± in his mind, a me suddenly appeared. It was not big, but very obvious.

    Seeing this me for the first time, Shao Xuan¡¯s heart jumped out at the fire!

    However, this was somewhat different from the fire seed of the tribes.

    Shao Xuan suddenly had a thought. The ve owners did not need a fire seed. Was it because of the power of the fire not existing in the outside world but in their bodies?

    Inside his mind, the ¡°eggshell¡±, the sudden appearance of the me, the red me and the blue me mixed together, seeming a bit chaotic.

    Su Gu looked at the blue fire that came out of his hand as he spoke, ¡°A sessful ve owner must have the ability to enve people. This ¡®very¡¯ does not mean an ordinary ve, but for a person who has no rtionship to be a special ve to himself. The greater the power of very, the more ves the ve owners could have.¡±

    As for the king of the city, he was the ve owner with the highest capacity of very with many ves under hismand. Of course, the other ve owners, even if they could enve more ves, could not cross the king of the city. Otherwise, they would be regarded as someone with ulterior motives. In addition to the big ve owners, other ve owners were more or less able to own some of their own ves. However, in Luoye City, Su Gu was the only one who has not been able to have his own ves. He was a ve owner who was considered a waste in the others¡¯ eyes.

    Su Gu did not exin how they enve people. But based on what Su Gu said, Shao Xuan could tell that the ve owners¡¯ ability to enve people seemed to be simr to their imprinting of the ferocious beasts, but more hegemonic.

    The blue me in Su Gu¡¯s hand also let Shao Xuan thought of the way he used the engraving secret technique when he engraved it on Caesar.

    Su Gu has been staring at the blue fire in his hand, not knowing what to think of it as he fell into meditation. Shao Xuan was also inside his mind, studying the me that appeared in the ¡°eggshell¡±.

    The red and blue inteced mes were weakerpared to earlier. The separated and scattered blue mes were slowly gathering.

    ¡°Oh, forget it. You don¡¯t understand. You tribes don¡¯t need to worry about these.¡±

    Su Gu put away the fire in his hands. Inside Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, that strange me also gradually disappeared.

    Leaving the tribal area with regret, Su Gu returned to the pce. After a meal, he confined himself in his room and began his required daily envement exercise.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was just an illusion, but Su Gu thought that today, his use of his envement ability was a lot smoother. Although it still did not reach the standard of very, but,pared to yesterday, there was an improvement.

 Chapter 300

    C300 ¨C First Envement

    Posted on November 6, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Even as a waste in people¡¯s eyes, Su Gu has not given up. He knew his situation and analyzed his own possible failures. He was advised to show weakness now and then to his two elder brothers. However, Su Gu was clear about his two elder brother¡¯s temperament. No matter who finally became the king of Luoye City, even if Su Gu¡¯s life was spared, he will not have a good one.

    It was better to fight than to be a ve owner without ambition. That was not how a good ve owner should be.

    Because of this decision, Su Gu would practice every day, closed in his room without other people knowing. Again and again, he experienced failure, so his confidence was getting less and less.

    Since he had attempted it for a lot of times, Su Gu was very clear in the changes in his ability. After sensing today¡¯s difference, he carefully observed it more when he practiced envement again. Then, he was pleasantly surprised that the force now was more fluent than usual and not as hard as before.

    Why did such a change happen?

    After the surprise, Su Gu began to analyze it carefully. He also thought of the results of his daily practice, but, despite diligently practicing, he did not see such a noticeable change before. These days, he also had less practice time than usual because he had to do various things, hence the result this time was extremely shocking to him.

    Why?

    Why was this happening?

    Su Gu thought of the things he did these past two days, and analyzed it. Suddenly, the movement of his fingers stopped and his pupils contracted as he thought of a possibility.

    ming Horns tribe¡¯s Shao Xuan!

    The man who had the predicting ability of a shaman!

    Yes, it seemed that the change was born at that time. Before, because of his heavy thoughts, he paid it no attention. Now, in retrospect, at that time, there was indeed a bit of a strange feeling. It seemed that a scoop of muddy water, mixed with sand, was filtered by a densely woven linen.

    The more he thought, the more he felt it was so.

    Su Gu walked back and forth in the room, jumping with his fist clenched as his spirit raised. He took deep breaths several times, and let his excited mood gently calm down.

    In order to confirm it. Su Gu ran to the tribal area again that day.

    In the evening, Shao Xuan looked at the energetic and spirited third young master, practicing very before him.

    Because there was less firewood, it was inconvenient to light a fire, so Shao Xuan took out a piece of water moon stone for lighting. Looking at the young ve owner who was practicing, Shao Xuan was not in a hurry as he observed the change of the me in his mind again. He had guessed that, because of the eggshell in his mind, Su Gu had some favorable changes. Su Gu wanted to get advantage from that, and Shao Xuan himself wanted to study the source of a ve owner¡¯s power. Su Gu was just an experimental product.

    Among the red and blue mes, the sense of clutter grew weaker. The blue mes and the red mes were both gathering and bing distinct. When Su Gu used the power of very, the blue me appeared on his hand, and it was more and more stable, unlike before. It seemed as if the wind had blown away.

    Lei, who was living in the opposite room looked at the moon outside the window, then looked at the light in Shao Xuan¡¯s room. He thought: The night was alreadyte and they were not sleeping yet. Did that third young master came again to do something? Is his brain in the sand*?

    Su Gu stayed with Shao Xuan until dawn of the next day.

    In the morning, the tribes who started to get up early talked about the cooperation between the three people of the ming Horns tribe and the useless third young master. When they saw the door of this tribe¡¯s embassy open, the third young master that they were talking about walked out from inside with a straight face, as if there was something that made him very angry.

    After Su Gu left, the tribes who gathered together to chat were full of disbelief.

    ¡°That was just¡­ Su Gu? The third young master of Luoye City?¡±

    ¡°It seems to be.¡±

    ¡°What seems to be?! That¡¯s Su Gu!¡±

    ¡°How can Su Gue out of the ming Horns tribe¡¯s? Did hee here before dawn?¡±

    ¡°I heard that Su Gu came overst night. He never left and just went out now?¡±

    Even if the tribes had cooperated with the ve owners, there had never been a ve owner who stayed at the tribe¡¯s area for the night. What they saw had not happened to them.

    ¡°From looking at Su Gu¡¯s face just now, was there a fight with the people of the ming Horns tribe?¡±

    ¡°Maybe they fought over a negotiation,¡± someone reckoned.

    ¡°Very likely.¡±

    In their view, whether it was Su Gu or the ming Horns tribe¡¯s peoplr, both were unreliable and their gathering together would certainly result in a fight.

    On the other hand, Su Gu maintained his tight face, not letting other people see the excitement in his heart. While suppressing hisughter, his veins were all out, making his face look a little scary. Not that he didn¡¯t want tough, but if he showed his happy face whileing out of the ming Horns tribe¡¯s, there might be some spection that there were some benefits one could get from there.

    He couldn¡¯t let other people know of Shao Xuan¡¯s ability. If it was known by his two brothers, Shao Xuan would be dug out from him. Su Gu has never been so fortunate to cooperate with the ming Horns tribe.

    At first, Su Gu decided to cooperate with the people from the ming Horns but he did not n to actually take them seriously. Even if it was not this tribe, as long as it was a tribe, he nned to treat them with the same attitude. However, now, Su Gu¡¯s view of these people haspletely changed. Whether it was from Shao Xuan¡¯s suggestion or his own ns, he decide to pay more attention to it.

    The deal was worth it! Thinking of Shao Xuan¡¯s request, Su Gu also began to prepare. If these people wanted to know more about the ve owners, he has to hurry to get these information ready or his allies would leave.

    From the tribal area back to the pce, Su Gu saw the ves were moving out many sharp-bottomed pottery with fruit wine from the cer. Today, there was wine to drink. Su Gu¡¯s mood was better that he couldn¡¯t help but show a smile. What he suppressed before, now, he finallyughed out. Well, then, he could also send some to the ming Horns tribe.

    His mood was good that, even if it was to the ves, Su Gu also showed a rare smile.

    When the ves holding the wine saw Su Guugh, they shook the wine and it almost fell.

    Is this the third young master? Third young master couldugh so kindly instead of hypocritically?

    Haven¡¯t they woken up yet?

    Su Gu did not see the reactions of the wine ves there as he directly went to his residence. When he was passing through the pool in the pce, he was fine to stop and watch.

    In the desert, it was extravagant to build such a pool of flowers and raising turtles. Only the king¡¯s pce could have such a view.

    With the flowers growing in the water, Su Gu was confused when he saw a turtle had crawled out of the water, lying on the side of the pool with half of its body exposed outside.

    The turtle in the pond was brought from another ce by a ve of Su Gu¡¯s father. They thought it would not live, but who knew it really survived long. It was just not active and every day, it was listless. With a grass stick, he poked it to get a rare reaction, since its body color had be lighter, but he didn¡¯t know how it happened.

    Near the flower pool, the air seemed exceptionally fresh and moist. Su Gu sat by the pool, looking at the turtle on his side. With his fingers, he quickly poked it a bit, but the turtle did not move.

    He poked it again.

    It¡¯s still not moving.

    Su Gu didn¡¯t care about other matters.

    Looking around for the ve team that were just patrolling this side, he saw that they had gone and no one else was around.

    Thinking of his achievementst night, Su Gu couldn¡¯t help but reach out his hand and mobilize the power in his body. Soon, in his palm, there appeared a bunch of blue mes, the shape of the me could be seen clearly.

    Feeling the smoothness of the process, Su Gu¡¯s mood was like pouring cold water in a hot day. It was refreshing.

    Perhaps, in a short time, he would be able to enve people and be able to own ves that truly belong to him!

    Looking at the me in the palm of his hand, Su Gu took a glimpse at the slow-moving turtle, and unconsciously reached his hand over there.

    At the moment he touched the turtle¡¯s back, the blue me ran down Su Gu¡¯s palm and spread over the turtle¡¯s body.

    As the mes spread, ck stripes appeared on the turtle¡¯s back. Su Gu felt a force along his arm, passing to the turtle.

    After counting his breath, Su Gu felt the energy of his body stabilize again, and the mes on his palm disappeared.

    Suddenly, tiredness hit him and Su Gu rubbed his forehead as he felt something. His eyes fixed at the side of the pond where the turtle was and his facial expression changed from disbelief, to stunned, to surprise, then to anger. The fast-changing expression made the muscles on his face twitch.

    He seeded in envement.

    This was worth celebrating and he should be happy.

    However!

    Su Gu really did not want to be the first in history, the first ve owner to have enved a turtle!

    Note: Same in C297¡­

    *means soft in the head, have lost one¡¯s mind or crazy.

 Chapter 301

    C301 ¨C Out of the City

    Posted on November 7, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    After confirming that he had enved a turtle, Su Gu¡¯s mood was quiteplicated.

    After a team of patrol ves passed by, Su Gu quickly threw the turtle he had just enved sessful back into the water. He did not want it to be known that he had enved such an animal for the first time. If his two other brothers knew it, they would take it out and make it known to all, then he himself would be a joke that would be made fun of by the other ve owners.

    In general, however, it was better that he had sessfully enved than to have been enved himself.

    After leaving the pool, Su Gu quickly returned to his home, not to rest, but to continue to train his envement ability. When he was training alone, he didn¡¯t use actual people for practice. One reason was because he knew hisck of strength which was not enough to enve a person. Another was that he was afraid of repeated failure after it was known.

    He practiced on his own for a while, but Su Gu felt bored, so he had someone send over a live scorpion, and then secretly used his ability once. This became a failure, and the scorpion died. Although the scorpion¡¯s body didn¡¯t seem to have any wounds or other abnormalities, but like how a ve owner who failed in enving a ve, the ve would likely die.

    After the failure, although he was disappointed, Su Gu quickly cheered up. After all, he had seeded once.

    After a day of recuperation, Su Gu came to his father¡¯s turtle pond again.

    There were five turtles on the side of the pool. They all looked the same. If put in front of him, Su Gu would be unable to identify which was which. However, at the moment, he had a feeling that among these five turtles, the one he had sessfully enved yesterday were not among them.

    A momentter, Su Gu saw another ck turtle crawling out of the water. This turtle was bigger than the others and its color was deeper.

    When the turtle climbed out, the original five turtle lying on the edge of the pool retreated and let go of their ces. It was like they were all being fearful.

    That¡¯s the one!

    Su Gu leaned forward, carefully observing this turtle enved by him only yesterday. He knew that ves who had been enved would be stronger than the rest of the ordinary people, but he did not expect that it could be the same for animals.

    It had just been a day. It¡¯s already so obvious!

    I¡¯m not a waste! Su Gu cast aside yesterday¡¯s embarrassed mood of enving a turtle. Now, he was quite content.

    This turtle was not only big, its spirit was also high. Because of the sess of the envement, this turtle did not open its mouth to bite Su Gu when he picked it up. It was very obedient.

    After the excitement, Su Gu calmed down. He would not let other people know about these changes. He could not let his two brothers know that he had been able to enve this. He must wait until he had enough strength to reveal it. He was already too far behind his two elder brothers, and now, still have to be low-key.

    Thinking of the change in the turtle, Su Gu couldn¡¯t let it stay here. Otherwise, in another two or three days, it would grow bigger. That was too obvious and people would find it unusual.

    After thinking about it, Su Gu ran to his father to request for a favor, saying he wanted to take a turtle back to eat.

    The Luoye King just reprimanded him with a few words without hurting him, then agreed.

    Su Gu used a hide bag to bring that turtle back to his ce. But he had no ce to keep it. Finally, Su Gu directly put it in the pot, and then took the boiling pot to find Shao Xuan and his team in the tribal area.

    ¡°Please eat.¡± Su Gu put the pot on the stone table as he said that.

    Smelling the taste of the meat soup, Lei and Tuo couldn¡¯t help but take out two bowls. When they saw that Su Gu and Shao Xuan were going to discuss, they went out with their bowls.

    Shao Xuan smelled the scent of the pot ¡°What is this you cooked?¡±

    Without other people, Su Gu did not hide it, and proudly said, ¡°My ve!¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡± A person?!

    Looking at the pot of soup, Shao Xuan immediately felt that he has no appetite. After thinking about it, he used a spoon todle a scoop and observed the scooped out bones and meat. After recognizing it, he was relieved.

    ¡°Is this a turtle?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Su Gu.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Su Gu told him his experience of how he enved a turtle.

    Being able to enve sessfully was also from Shao Xuan¡¯s blessing. Because of the cooperation between the two, Su Gu also hoped to disclose some information to Shao Xuan here. He told Shao Xuan that he still have the potential for development and would not be useless, to let them be at ease with this cooperation. At the same time, he also asked Shao Xuan not to tell of this matter, even to Lei and Tuo.

    Shao Xuan was just a little surprised, but it was not shocking for him. After all, their tribes used engraving secrets on their ferocious beasts. The ve owners¡¯ matter was not surprisingly different.

    ¡°I believe it won¡¯t be long before I can have my own ves!¡± Suddenly, Su Gu added, ¡°Human ves!¡±

    ¡°About the ve owners in the other cities, I¡¯m tidying up and finishing up for two days to get what you asked.¡± Su Gu continued.

    ¡°Ok.¡± Shao Xuan waited for Su Gu¡¯s next words.

    ¡°After ten days, I will go out of town. I hope you can apany me too,¡± said Su Gu.

    ¡°What¡¯s out of the city?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to the oasis to find something and I will tell you when it¡¯s time. Don¡¯t tell anyone about it.¡± Su Gu told him.

    He nodded, then thought about something, so Shao Xuan said to Su Gu, ¡°Ah Third Turtle, could you go out for a while.¡±

    ¡°Call me Third Young Master!¡± Being called ¡°turtle¡±, Su Gu was quite dissatisfied. Originally, he wanted to add something, but he thought of Shao Xuan¡¯s words, then Su Gu¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°Will you be doing a ritual?!¡±

    ¡°I am not a shaman.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°I know that.¡± Su Gu waved his hand. His words were not said, but the expression on his face was saying: Don¡¯t hide it. I know you are!

    After Su Gu left, Shao Xuan went to find a coarse, thick, hollow hay, which was specially picked from the camel¡¯s pile when he went out to look at its food.

    To go out of town, he wanted to forecast the weather. At first, he could only predict the weather of the next day or two, but now he could predict the weather for the next days using the ropes for divination. The divination was not as difficult as it was in the beginning. Although moreplicated things still could not be predicted,pared to before, there has been a lot of progress.

    An instantter.

    After knotting the rope, Shao Xuan looked at the finished knot and read the conclusion shown. Then, he turned the knot into a ball, and threw it out of the window.

    Not far from Shao Xuan¡¯s room was the camel¡¯s shed. Shao Xuan had thrown the grass ball over the camel¡¯s head.

    It was smashed by the camel as it stepped on it. Then, it found the grass ball on the ground. Its mouth crooked as the grass ball was picked up and eaten afterwards.

    This was a very good way to destroy the knots.

    Su Gu came in again. He was then told by Shao Xuan, ¡°Six dayster, there will be a sandstorm. Prepare yourself. Don¡¯t run around that day. It¡¯s best to stay in the pce.¡±

    With hisst experience, Su Gu was convinced of Shao Xuan¡¯s advice.

    A sudden sandstorm in the desert could make this city, including all the surrounding areas, invisible, with visibility instantly down to zero. At the same time, there were some desert ferocious beasts in the sandstorm, specifically using such weather to ughter their prey. With each sandstorm encounter, Luoye City would strengthen their defense. The ve owners were all well-hidden.

    He cooked the turtle?! ?( ? §¥ ? )?

 Chapter 302

    C302 ¨C Most Beautiful Thing in the World

    Posted on November 9, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    After Su Gu returned, every day, he had someone send some food that has not been ughtered to his own residence. He said that he wanted to cook the food personally, but in fact, he was secretly training his envement ability.

    As he practiced, there were sesses and failures. And as time passed, the sess rate of Su Gu¡¯s envement was getting higher.

    Su Gu fulfilled his promise, and initially sorted out some of the ve owner¡¯s information. He had written it on a hide roll for Shao Xuan to see.

    Shao Xuan kept these skin rolls together with a preliminary understanding of several major cities in the desert and the great ve owners of the cities.

    On the sixth day, as Shao Xuan¡¯s predicted, a sandstorm came. Before that, there was no warning.

    Su Gu stood on the high tform of the pce, looking at the distant, fast approaching, muddy sandstorm, his apprehension of the tribal shamans became even worse.

    It was always easy to be afraid of the unknown. In particr, such a profession was extremely rare in the cities of the ve owners.

    The sandstorm instantly swept the whole city. Therge particles of sand in the storm was close to the surface, scouring the ground of everything. The people standing in the way of the sandstorm would have to withstand the needle-like attack. Even some of the creatures with epidermis covered with scales were not willing to endure such pain, and would try to drill under the sand to avoid the sand attack in the surface.

    The lighter dust was swept higher, blotting the sky out.

    Prepared, the three people of the ming Horns tribe were staying inside the house. They had closed the doors and windows, listening to the banging sounds outside.

    Outside, the camel ¡°Mud¡± stood in the face of the sandstorm, its mane fluttering in its head. They were such species. They had already adapted to the desert life. Even in this sandstorm, it was not frightened, and some of the best of them could even walk freely in such a sandstorm.

    When they heard the roar of a beast outside, Shao Xuan and the two rushed out with their equipment.

    Some of the beasts in the sandstorm have crossed the outer walls of the city, breaking through the perimeter defenses into the town.

    The other tribes were not out. Unless they saw those sandstorm beasts rushing to their doorstep, they would onlye out to solve it. But these three people were not like this. These days, they were suppressed a bit, as it was rare for them to find things to vent on. For those who were in the habit of hunting since small, in the face of longer peroids of no hunting, they were feeling rusty for not moving in three days.

    Was the beast in the sandstorm dangerous?

    Yes, it was dangerous.

    But the people of the ming Horns tribe were not afraid, as they have encountered such dangerous beasts again and again. They could only feel happy in these kinds of situation. Moreover, after killing those sandstorm beasts, they could also be eaten as food. Even if it did not have much meat, boiling the bone for soup was good enough.

    If the other people knew of what the three people of the ming Horns tribe think, they must feel that people of this tribe were madmen.

    Shao Xuan was not free to confront the sandstorm beasts alone. All three responded in a coordinated manner, as they did with hunting in the mountains.

    Low visibility? That was nothing, as long as they have normal hearing. The movements of the sandstorm beasts in the storm, with careful discernment, could still be heard.

    Finally, the beasts moved to the side where Chacha was also able to grab some of the rations.

    When the sandstorm was over, everything came back to calmness. The people around could see that, near the ¡°embassy¡± of the ming Horns tribe, there were sandstorm beasts hanging with smashed innards to dry.

    The ve and ve owners of Luoye City changed their view of the three people of the ming Horns tribe again¡ªfierce, strong, and with big appetites.

    On the tenth day, the city was restored to its former state.

    The tribal people all did their own things,ing and going in a hurry.

    Shao Xuan knew that the people in these tribes have something to hide from their tribe, but it didn¡¯t matter. He would figure out what these people were hiding soon.

    On Shao Xuan and Su Gu¡¯s appointed day, Shao Xuan and the other two people had already been ready to go.

    This time, they did not n to bring the camel, letting Su Gu send people to care of it, while Shao Xuan took Chacha as they left. Being inside for so long, Chacha should also go outside to rx, although the outside was a vast desert.

    On the tenth day, Su Gu¡¯s ability to enve became more and more stronger. He felt that he was almost able to enve ves. However, until he has not enough certainty, he would not be enving ves in the city.

    After a long six months, Su Gu went out of town again. This time, he only went out with Wu Shi, plus Shao Xuan and the two with him, making them a five-people group altogether.

    Su Gu said that the oasis where they were going belonged to his father. It was said that a long time ago, he stole it from the hands of other ve owners, and now, there were some people who wanted to snatch back that oasis, but have been beaten back. Resources were all based on looting, and then, kept safe by the strength of the guards. When one had no enough strength, one couldn¡¯t keep it and would have to change ownership.

    From Luoye City to the oasis, they probably needed to walk for two days. If one would travel lightly, traveling by foot hurriedly could have taken a day.

    There were not many salutations this time. With Shao Xuan and the rest¡¯s strength, in the desert, they did not feel too much difficulty. They only needed to guard against the appearance of the desert beasts.

    Perhaps because the sandstorm had just passed, the desert was calm. Their sight were full of sand dunes that were as wide as the waves. When one look at them, there seemed to be no signs of life.

    Out of the city, Su Gu finally told Shao Xuan the purpose of this trip. Although Su Gu said to other people in the city that he was going to go to the oasis to let the three people of the ming Horns tribe as his bodyguard. But in fact, he just wanted to find something, a beautiful stone, for Su Gu to give his father as a birthday gift.

    The birthday of Luoye City King, Su Lun wasing. Su Gu decided to go to his father this time to show his presence more, so he could get more resources. There were many ves in the city who have not yet recognized their owner, all of them were prepared to be rewarded to other ve owners. Because Su Gu has not yet been able to enve, the king did not send the ves to him. This time, Su Gu decided to seize the opportunity to pick a good one ves, too, have pros and cons.

    ¡°Stone? What kind of stone?¡± Shao Xuan was curious. What kind of stone was this that Su Gu was going out of his way to get and would even give it out as a birthday gift to the king?

    Su Gu¡¯s eyes was full of longing. That stone was something he had found before, but he was not strong enough, so he had no ns to take it out then. Now, in order to seize an opportunity, he decided to find the hidden stone again.

    ¡°It¡¯s incredibly beautiful. It¡¯s the most beautiful thing in the world.¡± Su Gu¡¯s eyes looked at the distance, seeming to think back to that intoxicating feeling of seeing the stone.

    Before reaching the oasis, Su Gu strongly demanded for Shao Xuan to sign a contract with him, swearing by the totem of the ming Horns tribe that he would not covet to rob that piece of stone. Of course, Shao Xuan also got a lot of benefits from Su Gu.

    For the people of the ming Horns tribe, even the jade of the Mang tribe had limited attraction. Also, in Lei and Tuo¡¯s minds, the best stone could be used as a weapon. If it was purely ornamental, what use could it have? For their hair? Can you hunt with that?

    Hence, for what Su Gu said, Lei and Tuo did not care at all. Shao Xuan was more curious. What kind of stone was it that could fascinate a ve owner who had enjoyed a luxurious life since childhood.

    Atst, when they reached their destination, Su Gu stopped.

    Shao Xuan looked around. There was no mountain, only tall sand dunes. The water of the oasis from a distance seemed to being out from underground. The ce where Su Gu said the stone was hidden was not within the oasis, but in a ce outside the oasis.

    Looking up at the high dunes surrounding them, Su Gu judged the position, then rushed to one of the two high dunes, where he started digging.

    Shao Xuan and the rest also came to help.

    Time has passed for a long time. There have been some changes here, and wanting to dig things out would be very difficult.

    Fortunately, Su Gu¡¯s memory was good, but he still roughly judged where he buried the stone. After digging for half a day, he finally dug a wooden box buried in the ground.

    ¡°All of you, turn around and watch the surroundings!¡± Su Gu gasped, his eyes guarded.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I have a look?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Su Gu was a bit tangled, but he thought that Shao Xuan signed a contract with him, and the tribes value an oath to theit totem. Then, he also thought of Shao Xuan helping him. Su Gu was silent, but still defaulted to let Shao Xuan take a look.

    Su Gu carefully took out the box from the sand, gently brushing the sand outside the wooden box, then opened the wooden box.

    Inside was a thing wrapped in linen. Several pieces werebined to cover the parcel, making it fist-sized, but the stone inside was even smaller.

    After taking out the things inside, Su Gu¡¯s eyes seemed to only see this as the only thing under the sun that shone with dazzling luster.

    Seeing what was in Su Gu¡¯s hands, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelid twitched. He really never thought that he would see it here.

    For a long time, Shao Xuan thought that it could not be found in this world. However now, it appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

    Looking at Su Gu who had been intoxicated, Shao Xuan really wanted to say, ¡°Turtle three, it¡¯s not a stone, it¡¯s gold.¡±

    Ooh, gold! So, they should find the mine or something. Or should be diamonds with the title.

 Chapter 303

    C303 ¨C Someone From the ming Horns Tribe

    Posted on November 14, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    In Su Gu¡¯s hand, the piece of square block of gold was shining brightly under the sun. Even if it has been shelved for so long, no other variegated colors tainted it.

    Shao Xuan had no greed when he looked at the gold. He was more curious. He really wanted to take the gold to look at it closely, but, seeing Su Gu was guarding it tightly and was so excited, he temporarily gave up this idea as he waited for his mood to be stable again.

    ¡°Su Gu, have you seen enough? We¡¯ll go on with our departure if it¡¯s enough.¡± Near the oasis, Shao Xuan was feeling thirsty rather than wanting to admire the gold under the sun. He was more willing to go to the oasis to find a shade and drink some water as they take a rest.

    From Shao Xuan¡¯s words full ofposure, Su Gu returned to himself from staring fascinated at the stone in his hand. He quickly rewrapped the gold and put it in a close-fitting inner pocket. Today, he had worn clothes with a dark bag sewn on the inside, to specifically use to hold such things.

    After Su Gu got up, he walked only two steps when he felt that something was wrong. Turning his head to sideways to look at Shao Xuan, he eyed him up and down, carefully observing Shao Xuan¡¯s expression, careful not to miss any details. But in the end, Su Gu helpless sighed, as he really did not see from Shao Xuan¡¯s face even a little greed and fascination. It seemed that it was just amon stone for him rather than a piece of treasure.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that stone is so addictive?¡± Su Gu couldn¡¯t help asking.

    Shao Xuan shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± Su Gu looked at Shao Xuan again, still confused right then.

    Someone could resist the charm of it?! This made Su Gu surprised. At the same time, he had some doubts. Was it only himself that thought that the stone was great? If that¡¯s the case, when this gift was given to his father, what if the king didn¡¯t like it?

    Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction made Su Gu¡¯s previous convictions waver. In the end, was it himself giving it too much value, or Shao Xuan having no eyesight?

    ¡°When you saw it, wasn¡¯t there a special feeling?¡± Su Gu asked.

    A special feeling? Shao Xuan thought, he was surprised, but just that.

    Seeing the expression of Shao Xuan, Su Gu did not give up his questioning. ¡°You did not feel that this stone has a strange feeling like standing on the top of the pce, looking down?¡±

    ¡°I have not been to your pce.¡± Shao Xuan said. While he said those words to Su Gu, inside, he spected the other¡¯s feeling. When Su Gu saw that piece of gold, he could see rights and wealth. The first time he had seen gold, Su Gu would unexpectedly have such thought, like a master a city. But if you showed it to Lei and Tuo, those two people would probably be more confused than Shao Xuan, thinking that this ¡°stone¡± was not as important as a piece of meat.

    ¡°Then, do you think, if I gave this stone to the king, he will he like it?¡± Su Gu asked.

    ¡°I think he should like it.¡± As the king of the city, naturally, he has absolute ambitions. His pursuit of power and wealth was evenrger than other people. Even if it was only his first time to see gold, as long as the preference of King Su Lun was the same as Su Gu, then he would certainly like this ¡°stone¡± that reflects a golden light.

    Su Gu wanted to take it out to show to the other three and see how they would react, but thinking about it, he decided that they could wait until they returned.

    Going ahead, they could see some scattered grass, which was very conspicuous on this sandynd. After seeing a lot of sand, a pinch of green grass could also make the people feel infinite vitality.

    The more they went forward, the more there were grasses on the ground. There were also some trees that Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t name. Not far away, a dozen camels under a tree were eating grass, while some of the ves with weapons were walking back and forth, staring at the distant desert with watchful eyes to prevent abnormal situations.

    Shao Xuan and the two followed Su Gu and Wu Shi to the oasis, then a team of ves stopped them. After the Su Gu¡¯s exnation, Shao Xuan and the two was also able to enter.

    The oasis was not too big. However, there were probably thousands of ves stationed here in this oasis for defense, therefore it was really heavily guarded.

    After entering this oasis, Shao Xuan found that there was a team of special ves in it. There were about a dozen of such ves, each with clothings better than other ves. The other ves were wearing clothes too, but most of them were tattered. Meanwhile, this dozen people¡¯s clothes, even if there were dust and stains on it, it was very neat and had no holes. There were also patterns on the fabric of their clothes, especially the leader¡¯s. His clothes were neat. If Su Gu did not say that those were ves, Shao Xuan would probably mistakenly think of that one as a ve owner.

    ¡°Those are the people around father.¡± Su Gu exined, ¡°Usually, there were not so many people in the oasis. But, presumably because of an ident some time ago, he just sent people over.¡±

    Seeing Su Gu, that ve respectfully gave him a salute. Then, his eyes swept over Shao Xuan and the other two, seemingly calm, but those eyes swept as if it was a stab of a knife.

    Shao Xuan felt that the other party was defensive of the three of them, and it gave him a bad feeling.

    ¡°Third Young Master, are they the ming Horns tribe?¡± The ve, who was called Ai Shi, asked.

    ¡°Yes, the three of them are the people I work with and they came with me,¡± said Su gu.

    Shao Xuan found that Su Gu was speaking with a much better tone with Ai Shipared with the one in his side, Wu Shi. The attitude was different.

    One was following the king, while the other was following this young master, hence, their status was naturally separated by a level.

    ¡°That is, I hope third young master could stay away from the spring pool,¡± said Wu Shi. The tone was stiff, and there seemed no room for argument.

    ¡°Why?¡± Su Gu asked. Although he knew that the others should stay away from the spring, Ai Shi¡¯s words sounded a little strange to him. Was there anything that he didn¡¯t know about?

    Ai Shi did not answer, but only gave a guarded stare to Shao Xuan¡¯s group.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s go to that house over there and have a rest.¡± Shao Xuan did not wait there. Together with Lei and Tuo, he went to the area where people could rest. It was also what Su Gu just pointed to them as the resting ce.

    After waiting for a while in the sand house, Shao Xuan stayed there until an angry Su Gu returned from his not so pleasant conversation with the ve.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Nothing¡­ It¡¯s okay.¡± Su Gu was a little embarrassed as he replied.

    ¡°Third Young Master, I think, since we are now in a cooperative rtionship, there are some things that we still hope you can tell us.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Well, naturally, I know this.¡± Su Gu nodded.

    ¡°Then, Third Young Master, I want to ask, why is the ve so guarded against us?¡±

    Su Gu was ready to answer, but Shao Xuan raised his palm to stop him. ¡°Don¡¯t say he is the same with the other tribes. The look in his eyes told me that he is only exceptionally defensive to ours.¡±

    Just now, when that Ai Shi was inquiring, he spoke the words ¡°ming Horns¡± a bit heavier. Apparently, there was something about their tribe that has happened but Shao Xuan¡¯s group did not know it.

    After Su Gu thought about it, he had Wu Shi guard outside, then told Shao Xuan. ¡°Some time ago, when water was sent from the spring pond to the city, someone was hiding within the water delivery team, creating some trouble.¡±

    Su Gu did not say much, but Shao Xuan could still roughly guessed some. ¡°Was it that the ves think that the assassin was rted to us?¡±

    Su Gu nodded.

    ¡°But we, the people of the ming Horns tribe, came with only three people, which are all known to the other tribes.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°I did not say it was you. If we are sure it is rted to you, you would already be surrounded by ves.¡± Su Gu exined.

    ¡°Then, what is it?¡± Shao Xuan inquired.

    ¡°Because of a person who is rted to your tribe. Although, ording to the standards of your tribe, he is no longer a part of it. In the eyes of ve owners and ves, there is still a rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Who is that man?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Dao Yu.¡±

 Chapter 304

    C304 ¨C Traitor¡¯s Message

    Posted on November 14, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Dao Yu. This was a name Shao Xuan had not heard for a long time, but has been deep in his memory.

    This name was only one of the few who have been included in the list of the ming Horns tribe of the people who had betrayed and murdered the tribe¡¯s wanderers, then fled without traces. Back then, the chief and the Shaman sent out people secretly several times to catch them. They met Dao Yu then, and confessed that he killed innocent people with no forgiveness. However, Dao Yu went missing. Some people even guessed that the traitor has already died. After all, he was just a wanderer.

    Shao Xuan did not think that now, he would unexpectedly hear this name again.

    ¡°Dao Yu is here?¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s face was grave.

    Next to them, Lei and Tuo also heard the talk about Dao Yu. They remembered the chief and the Shaman¡¯smand, resolutely executed. Hearing this, they also had their own thoughts, thinking about cutting the traitor on the spot.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s group¡¯s reaction, Su Gu¡¯s heart was clear. In order to prevent misunderstandings, he hurriedly denied it. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have people expelled from any tribes in Luoye City. Previously, many of the tribe¡¯s traitors expelled from their tribes would go to our ve owners afterwards. However,ter, father and the tribes agreed on a cooperation, and those traitors were handed over to the tribal people, treated as a gift to the tribes.¡±

    Looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s face, Su Gu continued, ¡°However, even if this is so in Luoye City, the other cities are not. There are people who have been abandoned by the tribes that went into the desert cities to be senior ves of the ves owners. Although every tribe¡¯s team enter the desert to look for those traitors to kill them, the expected result was very little. After all, the desert is our, the ve oweners¡¯, turf.¡±

    Su Gu meant to tell this to the three people of the ming Horns tribe to calm them down, asking them not to be impulsive and chase after to kill the traitor. The traitor should not be killed, but cut off instead.

    ¡°Dao Yu was not an outcast totem warrior. He is a wanderer.¡± Shao Xuan said. However, looking at Su Gu¡¯s still nk face, he could see that the other could not distinguish what was the difference between an expelled totem warrior and a wanderer. But he did not borate, asking instead. ¡°Where is Dao Yu now?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t have that information before. I asked Ai Shi just now, and he said thatst year, he saw Dao Yu in Beast City,¡± said Su Gu. In the past, he only thought of how to avoid the pit his two elder brothers dug, how to survive, how to enhance his ability to enve, and would not pay attention to others. Now, with the cooperation of the ming Horns tribe, he was involving himself with their issues. Naturally, he would be more attentive to inquire.

    ¡°Beast City?¡± It was the first time Shao Xuan heard it. He only knew a few ve owners in the desert, and there was no such city in the information that Su Gu had given him.

    ¡°It is not a city ruled by a ve owner, but a ce where the ve owners could y at every year.¡± Su Gu exined to the three.

    Beast City was deep in the desert. It was a ce built by the threergest ve owners in the desert for leisure and fun. Then, they felt that having only three parties had no meaning, so they called on the ves of the other cities in the desert to have fun together.

    Beast City, as its name implied, was the ce for the beasts. Many ve owners would bring their domesticated beasts there and have them fight in a battle of beasts with other ve owners¡¯.

    ¡°Dao Yu is under the behalf of the White Rock City in that city, defeating another beast,¡± said Su Gu.

    ¡°Wait. It¡¯s a fight of beasts in the city, why was Dao Yu a participant?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Dao Yu is the other side¡¯s ¡®beast¡¯.¡± Su Gu showed a face like it was a matter of fact. ¡°There are many ves taking the initiative to participate in order to please the ve owners and prove their value. If they win, they can get more benefits from the ve owners, such as lifting ayer of shackles.¡±

    When they first enved the ves, the ve owners gave them another kind of power, as well as put shackles on them and locked their way to rise a level. If you want to ascend, you have to let the ve owners unlock them.

    Lifting ayer of shackles means that the ve has an opportunity to ascend. Of course, even for ves, there were different qualifications. The ve owners, like the fire seed, gave the ves a gift, and to what extent they could use such a gift could only be seen by themselves.

    Su Gu¡¯s words gave Shao Xuan a lot of information. He took all of these down, but as for Dao Yu¡­

    He had deceive the people in the desert that he only had a small power like that of the wanderers. After bing a ve, he was able to safely climb to a high status, and gain greater capacity. Obviously, he was not a simple character. Even though there may be a reason for a wanderer to have such talent, at the same time, it could be seen that Dao Yu was a cunning, vicious, and clever person. He did not hesitate to swindle his tribemen, leaving them with nothing. They knew his character.

    But, was it true that such a person had be a ve?

    ¡°I have heard that many people who were from your tribe wanted to be ves, but the number of people that have be ves now was not much,¡± said Su Gu.

    ¡°Not much means, in addition to Dao Yu, there are other ming Horns descendants who chose to be ves?¡± Shao Xuan frowned.

    ¡°It looks like it.¡± Su Gu was not sure. He did not see it personally, and he just heard everything. Seeing Shao Xuan and his group¡¯s uglyplexion, Su Gu, who originally wanted to say that he also wanted ming Horns tribe ves, didn¡¯t say anything. These people seemed to be averse to ves, so he still would not mention it.

    ¡°Those traitors! Shameless!¡± Lei was very angry with those who became ves, especially the Dao Yu. Not only was he a murderer, he even became a ve!

    Seeing Lei wanting to cut the person immediately, Tuo hurriedly held him off. Athough he was also angry, he understood their situation now.

    ording to Su Gu¡¯s words, Dao Yu seemed to be a person under the White Rock City. The ves¡¯ status there was not low. If the three of them rushed just with these words, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get anything.

    ¡°White Rock City¡¯s rtionship with us is not good. Ai Shi suspected that the previous incident that urred in the city was orchestrated by White Rock. He also suspected that it was by Dao Yu, so he was only wary of the ming Horns tribe.¡± Su Gu exined.

    ¡°I see.¡± Shao Xuan nodded. He could understand, however, Dao Yu was too big a threat. To a person who did not hesitate to cheat and kill his own tribe¡¯s men and was full of hatred to the tribe, such a person should be dealt with at once.

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan heard an eagle calling outside.

    ¡°There is a situation!¡± Shao Xuan ran out and looked at the sky.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Su Gu could see the three people of the ming Horns tribe looking vignt, making his heart uneasy.

    Not far, Ai Shi, who was keeping guard in the oasis next to the spring pool alsoe over. ¡°Young Master, what happened?¡±

    Su Gu did not answer. Instead, he looked at Shao Xuan, since he alsodidn¡¯t know what was going on.

    Shao Xuan looked at the eagle in the sky. He raised a hand to point to one side. ¡°In that direction, there is a situation.¡±

    Ai Shi looked at the eagle in the sky, and hurried over to have the other ves on alert.

    Was it another attempt to steal the oasis? Ai Shi thought.

    It was no wonder that Ai Shi was so doubtful even though this oasis was small. Oases were precious enough in the desert, and the wars and contradictions between cities were often due to the oases.

    ¡°Jiao~¡±

    The eagle in the sky called again, and it was another reminder.

    ¡°Come on!¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Everyone looked at the distant dunes. Above the rolling sand hills, there were several moving ck spots. Those were people running. The men were shouting and running towards the oasis.

    ¡°Those are the ves of Luoye City!¡± Su Gu¡¯s eyes were good. As the ves ran closer, he could distinguish them, ¡°It¡¯s the ves of second eldest brother. I have seen that person in front. I remember that a few days ago, I heard that brother ordered them for out of city affairs.¡±

    Su Gu wanted to inquire about what his second brother was going to do at that time, but failed to inquire about it sessfully since those people disappeared when they stepped outside the city. Su Gu sent some people to follow them but they returned without merit. He didn¡¯t expect to see them here.

    ¡°There seems to be something terrible behind them.¡± Lei said. He could feel a fast approaching crisis, as if he had met a mighty beast in the mountains. There was a chill that made him shiver.

    ¡°Ah Xuan.¡± Tuo looked at the Shao Xuan to ask how they should actter.

    Shao Xuan made a gesture. This was a signal during a hunt to stay quiet to wait and see. After all, this was not the ming Horns tribe¡¯s. It was the ve owners¡¯ turf, and they don¡¯t have to fight.

    As the ves ran closer and closer, Shao Xuan saw that there was movement in the sand. There seemed to be something in the sand that was moving fast and circling to the front of those ves.

    Peng!

    In front of those ves, the sand exploded, and a huge figure rushed out from under the sand.

    With spines of coarse scales covering its whole body, the creature locked its rounded pupils on those people running in the sand. Standing on top of the hill, it opened its mouth like a python that was about to devour its prey. It opened up to its jaws, its mouth with sharp teeth rapidly mming on the ground. After the hit, it suddenly turned around.

    In the blink of an eye, four ves, together with the sand on the ground, were shoveled into the jaws of the beast.

    ¡°Quicksand Beast! It¡¯s a quicksand beast!¡± On the side of the oasis, there were ves screaming aloud.

    It was said that the quicksand beast could make quicksand. Its name was taken from it. At the same time, some people called it the Beast King of the desert. Not only were its body huge and have powerful attack, its body was like sand with the same color.

    Their skin, blood, bones and so on were all yellow sand colored, especially their horns. The color was simr to gold. The ve owners very much liked to use their bones to make utensils, especially the golden horn. Manyrge ve owners used it to make crowns.

    However, in the desert, the quicksand beast was notmon. They appear only for the purpose of predation. Humans were not on its main meal, therefore, many times, a quicksand beast would not take the initiative to hunt people. They probably thought that humans were too small, not enough for them to eat, not wanting to waste their time for such prey. Now, the sand beast in anger was chasing the ves angrily. It was most likely because the ves had taken the initiative to provoke it.

    ¡°I know! Second eldest brother wanted to hunt a quicksand beast for father¡¯s birthday ceremony!¡± Su Gu cried.

    Indeed, Luoye City¡¯s second young master¡¯s ves went out to hunt a quicksand beast. Now, it seemed that sending them out to hunt not only resulted to failure, but they themselves were hunted by the sand beast, and now, they also led it to the people in the oasis.

    Note: Changed Dou Shou City to Beast City and Baishi to White Rock. I used the former to conform with what I used with Luoye City but decided that Beast City and White Rock City was better.

 Chapter 305

    C305 ¨C King of the Desert

    Posted on November 17, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    At the time the Quicksand Beast shoveled a mouthful, the other ves had already fled to the oasis. The ves, who had just started to rush to the oasis, was kicked forward by Ai Shi.

    Unexpectedly, even those who attracted the beast to the oasis, Ai Shi still helped. If they were not people belonging to the second young master but on their own, he would have cut them off earlier.

    ¡°Prepare!¡± Ai Shi shouted.

    All the guards in the oasis stared nervously at the other side. The Quicksand Beast can be defeated, but with every victory, there would be a heavy price to pay.

    On the other side, the Quicksand Beast, which had digested a mouthful of food, looked towards the oasis with its golden eyes, staring at the people who were defending at the edge of the oasis. Even in the hot weather, it made people feel like they were in the ice.

    This was a vicious beast, thought the three from the ming Horns tribe.

    Staring at the oasis, the Quicksand Beast did not immediatelye. It also did not pull out the other half of its body out of the sand. Instead, it slowly shook the upper half of its body above the surface, its head still moving slightly, up and down.

    This was not a sign of approval nor counting the number of people, but a signal of an attack.

    ¡°Be careful!¡± Ai Shi roared.

    Even if they did not know this creature, Shao Xuan could intuitively determine its next step to make a response. Without the slightest hesitation, when the sand beast nodded again, he shouted a reminder to Lei and Tuo, ¡°Retreat!¡±

    Bending his knees, Shao Xuan quickly jumped off the ground. In the position where he had just stood, an arrow made of sand grains shot there and exploded. The rapid ssh of sand hitting a human body was like tens of thousands of needles. The ves who hadn¡¯t had the time to avoid it could not help but cry out loud.

    It was the sand that was ejected from the mouth of the Quicksand Beast. The sand it had shoveled earlier caused the explosion-like effect.

    Lei and Tuo¡¯s reaction speed did not cause Shao Xuan to worry. Shao Xuan believed in them. As for Su Gu, there was Wu Shi protecting him. They had also retreated, not worrying Shao Xuan.

    Together with Lei and Tuo retreating to Su Gu¡¯s side, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°What is the weakness of this beast?¡±

    ¡°Weakness?¡± Wu Shi did not know. ¡°Generally, when we encountered a Quicksand Beast, we will attack its eyes.¡±

    This was also the method that they often used when they encountered other beasts. As for the weakness of the Quicksand Beast, Wu Shi did not know it. Not only Wu Shi, the other people here also did not know it. Even when they had defeated it before because the big ve owners had high valuation of the animal, as it was the beast King of the Desert, they had not found an absolute weakness to speak of. They could only use greater manpower and quantity to beat it.

    Shao Xuan and the other two looked at each other. Even though they felt helpless, they still had to find a way to fight against the Quicksand Beast.

    If they couldn¡¯t fight it in a direct confrontation, it was necessary to outsmart the animal. Since they had to outsmart it, of course, they had to know the main weakness of the prey.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group was watching in the sidelines. Anyway, here was not their ce, so they were not distressed. Moreover, this was caused by the ve owners and ves of Luoye City, which was their own matter.

    On another side, Ai Shi has taken a few people to battle with the Quicksand Beast attacking the oasis.

    An archer tried to shoot its eyes, but it was always avoided by the beast. The arrows bounced off its hard scales and raised horns that were extremely hard, having an astonishing defensive power. A series of arrows shot out, but they did not managed to shoot its eyes. The arrows were thin too. The material was only wood and stone, therefore, it has a limited attack power to cause harm to the sand beast.

    Shao Xuan jumped on the roof of a stone house and looked over the ongoing fight.

    Many reptiles do not have hard scales on their abdomen, but the Quicksand Beast did not fall into this category. Its slightly shallow belly was also covered with a thickyer of protection.

    The long, t body that was nearly twenty meters tall, though huge, had flexible movements, avoiding the ves¡¯ attacks. It was also constantly decreasing the ve count. The other half of its body buried in the sand drove further into the ground. With its movements, the sand looked like it was water, waves of sand lifting up.

    The ves kept attacking. Their thick spears flew with a piercing sound, trying to hit the beast¡¯s head, trying to hit its eyes, even trying to hit other ces. Even if they kept trying to break the protection of its surface scales, for the Quicksand Beast, the hits were perfunctory

    It narrowed its eyes. In the exposed slit under its eyelids, a golden luster flowed out from the gap. Shao Xuan thought that there was a slightly different feel from it, but it was still tricky.

    Some of the desert beasts that were still moving around earlier had disappeared, including the ck beetles who were always wandering in front of them. They either ran away or dug deep into the sand.

    After another attack by the oasis-guarding ves, the Quicksand Beast did not leave but seemed even more angry.

    Today, this beast was really triggered, staring at the people in the oasis and would not let them go. Even if they never moved to attack, it did not intend to leave.

    A terrifying whistle, as if a storm was blowing through the narrow crevices, sounded in front of the oasis.

    The Quicksand Beast opened its big mouth and shouted aloud. In its neck, there were some folds that was attached, and at this moment, these folds, all spread out with the sound of the Quicksand Beast screaming. It stretched, so that the original color of these folds became a little lighter. The hard scales on those folds exuded a golden luster under the sunlight, like the king billowing his cloak,pelling the eyes. The golden horn on its head was speciallypelling. It seemed to break through all obstacles, sharp and fierce.

    ¡°It¡¯s so beautiful!¡± Su Gu sighed next to him.

    Hearing Su Gu¡¯s sigh, Shao Xuan had his veins popping out of his forehead. At that time, he also had such feelings. Was his brain turning into that of the desert people or was he losing his mind?

    The three people of the ming Horns tribe have already been on alert, even if they haven¡¯t encountered this beast before. This was their instinct for so many years of hunting experience. Upon seeing this Quicksand Beast, they had increased their vignce to the highest. If they encountered such a fierce beast in the mountain forest, they would not fight it, but leave immediately.

    Lei and Tuo looked at the situation at the edge of the oasis. They felt that something was wrong. The Quicksand Beast seemed to be mad. Its body had started to take injuries, and some of its skin¡¯s scales were broken due to intensive attacks. Even if it lost more blood, it wouldn¡¯t retreat.

    Looking at the ves who had escaped, the two men couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°Did those people really took the initiative to make this Quicksand Beast mad? Or was the Quicksand Beast this easy to anger as its nature?¡±

    Shao Xuan did not think of the reason why the beast was acting so crazy. Su Gu said that the Quicksand Beast was known as the beast King of the Desert. It has no absolute weakness, but, Shao Xuan still wanted to observe.

    Inside his mind, the totem me became weak and the egg-shaped shell lit up. In Shao Xuan¡¯s outside vision, the re of the sun, the sand-colored beast and thend have be dark.

    In the eyes of Shao Xuan, the sand beast with a golden sheen now only has a denseyer of scales left wrapped around the outside.

    It must be said that the sand beast¡¯s defense was almost invulnerable. Its eyes have shrunk into a slit, leaving the ves with extremely limited opportunities for attack. Its other parts were hard scales, and even the open neck folds were covered with small, dense scales.

    If it were not for thepact and intensive attacks of the ves, it would have been harder to injure it.

 Chapter 306

    C306 ¨C Fight

    Posted on November 19, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    In his special field of vision, Shao Xuan could even prate the sand to see the feet and long tail covered with scales of the Quicksand Beast.

    Before, this ability could not prate some blocked objects. However, with the ability improving, Shao Xuan could also gradually see through some of the blocking objects. In the tribe, inside the house of the two thieves, Shao Xuan had used this ability in such a capacity that he could look at what was buried under the soil. It was just that the thickness it could prate was limited.

    The farther down the ground, the more blurred Shao Xuan could see. Therefore, now, even if he could see the other part of the Quicksand Beast under the sand, it couldn¡¯t be seen clearly.

    When hunting in the past, if they encountered an unfamiliar fierce beast, Shao Xuan would also use this method. However, during those the previous hunting times, he did not have so much leisure time to observe and study while hunting.

    The habits of the beast, their habits during battle, and their ws that arise during the battle, Shao Xuan could observe it as long as there was enough time.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze moved to the Quicksand Beast that was fighting with the ves at the edge of the oasis, constantly avoiding the fast attacks.

    In just a moment, another five people were swallowed by the beast.

    Shao Xuan also temporarily failed to see its physical weaknesses through the almost perfect defense of the Quicksand Beast. At least in his present view, only through uninterrupted attacks could they break off its outer scales, and then cause damage to it.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes found that the powerful legs of the Quicksand Beast buried under the sand were bending.

    ¡°Dodge! It¡¯s going to jump over!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    Just when Shao Xuan¡¯s voice fell, at the edge of the oasis where the Quicksand Beast was, countless grains of sand were set off. The sand beast¡¯s huge body jumped off the sand, and its whole body was pulled out off the sandpletely. The dust was like that of a reverse waterfall, rushing upward, then flowing down after it reached its peak. While jumping into the air, the long tail of the beast was still vigorously swinging as it made adjustments.

    The Quicksand Beast lost its patience. It did not intend to continue to fight with those people. It jumped out of the battle circle, but not to quit. Instead, it directly jumped over the five-meter-high wall made of wood and stone outside the oasis, smashing into the oasis, and beginning its wanton destruction.

    Because of Shao Xuan¡¯s quick reminder, Lei and Tuo together with Su Gu and Wu Shi managed to avoid it again. Shao Xuan originally intended to retreat too but then, he saw a ¡°gap¡± in the Quicksand Beast.

    That gap was at the lower side of the beast. It was located beneath the folds of the cloak on its neck. Moreover, the gap was not always there, but when the Quicksand Beast roared, it would open. Hence, when the Quicksand Beast stopped roaring, the ¡°gap¡± would also disappear, like a door closing.

    The Quicksand Beast that dived into the oasis shook its long tail vigorously. Its strong front paws and hind legs were also constantly stepping on the ground, like an armored car with a hard body directly knocking down houses and destroying things.

    Dust and sand sshed around, as if there was a round of sandstorms. At the same time, the sandstorm maker was still in the oasis, moving around and wrecking havoc wherever it went.

    The ves¡¯ attacks became rushed and disorderly. Even the ves identally injured their own in the crisis.

    Ai Shi shouted, but the ves originally stationed in the oasis did not cooperate with the people brought by him. For a time, the oasis was in a state of confusion.

    Wu Shi, who was together with Su Gu in the oasis, observed the battle farther away.

    The house where Shao Xuan had just stood had been swept away by the tail of the beast, but he had found an opportunity. Shao Xuan went to a tree and whistled. He made a few gestures in the air and then jumped off. He did not stop dodging, avoiding the main attack range of the Quicksand Beast, but did not go far.

    ¡°What did Ah-Xuan wanted to do?¡± Lei asked Tuo on his side. He hafl wanted to rush over but was dragged back by Tuo.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he nned. But since Ah-Xuan didn¡¯t let us go yet, you should still wait right next to me.¡± Tuo said.

    While the ves in the oasis fought with the beast, a shadow flew in the sky. Then, a w was drawn to the back of the Quicksand Beast.

    The eagle¡¯s w collided with the scales on the back of the beast. It made a screeching, chilly sound, like metal cutting metal.

    The scales on its back were the hardest part of its body. However, the eagle¡¯s talons were effective. It was hard to leave a deep trace on the back of the Quicksand Beast. Although it was not bleeding, if you look carefully, the flesh has already been broken open quickly.

    Looking at the shadow of the eagle flying through the air, the beast let out a golden light sh in its eyes, and a leg swept away a room that was blocking its front. The eagle screamed in the air, while the folds on the other beast¡¯s neck blew up because of a roar, as if it was an angry lion.

    In the air, Chacha also seemed to be deliberately provoking it. It also screamed at the sands, and looked for opportunities to swipe its w.

    After several times of doing that, the Quicksand Beast once again looked up and roared into the air.

    It¡¯s now!

    Shao Xuan looked at the ¡°cloak¡± that the beast had blown up. His eyes locked at the cracked gap under the ¡°cloak¡±, and his legs burst out with a powerful thrust. Like a silent wind, he rushed towards the moving beast¡¯s neck.

    The screaming beast felt that there was something wrong in the air. Between a hasty movement to the next, it almost instinctively stopped roaring, moving the bones in its neck, and closing the gap.

    However, it was still a stepte.

    Shao Xuan, who rushed out quickly, held the handle of a stone knife and stabbed the knife into the narrow gap that was about to close.

    The gap, in the eyes of the others, could not be distinguished, because it has a color that was simr to the scales covering it. However, the scales were sparsely distributed. Because of the color of the skin, there were often folds and lusions that were hard to see.

    At the moment when the stone knife prated, Shao Xuan only felt that the stone knife in his hand seemed to pierce the densely packed skin and muscles. The resistance was great, and the sound made by the stone knife could be heard every minute, striking the bones beneath the cortex.

    Fortunately, it was just ¡°a mass of bones¡± instead of a ¡°single te¡±. In this way, there was always a gap that allows the de to find a chance to advance, even if the gaps were only tiny slits that were invisible to the naked eye.

    ¡°Chi¨C¡±

    The harsh whistling sound was different from the beast¡¯s warning roars. It was more of a noise of suffering.

    This was not caused directly by the attack, but a physiological reaction. Still, there was pain that it had suffered after this attack.

    The Quicksand Beast swung its head, wanting to bite its neck to dislodge the one threatening it. However, it was an unreachable area, and the beast couldn¡¯t bite the ce anyway. It could only use its front legs to scratch.

    After several failed attempts, the beast rushed to the remaining stone houses in the oasis.

    Peng!

    The remaining stone houses were knocked down one after another. Every time they hit, the Quicksand Beast intentionally smashed its neck against the stone houses.

    Shao Xuan, who stabbed the knife into the neck of the moving beast, grabbed the handle and the scales of the beast each in one hand, preventing him from falling. Still, the self-mutting collision of the beast did bring Shao Xuan a lot of trouble.

    His back kept colliding on the stones. Shao Xuan could even hear them hitting the bones in his body. Fortunately, his physical strength was strong and he could temporarily withstand such pressure.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Lei and Tuo wanted to help, but was stopped by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Get away! Don¡¯te over!¡±

    At this time, Lei and Tuo rushed past to help. The Quicksand Beast becamepletely angry and frightened from the madness then. It didn¡¯t know why such a small guy could give a huge threat to itself, and it was its fragile spot that was hit.

    Even hitting a house or hitting a tree, knocking down arge piece one after another, still did not knock Shao Xuan down. The rampaging beast itself screamed several times, but every time it howled, Shao Xuan would send his knife to the gap again. The beast was being pained as it exhaled, since Shao Xuan always seized the opportunity to send a knife in.

    The Quicksand Beast then wanted to sneak into the ground to escape. Its head was just drilled in half, but its tail was dragged back by talons.

    Chacha couldn¡¯t really catch this monster, but it can be done with a certain strategy. When it saw the beast wanting to drill the ground, it would grab its tail and drag it in the opposite direction.

    Shao Xuan had continued hitting the beast¡¯s neck folds, but he felt heavier as time went by.

    Looking at the stone knife that he pulled out from the flesh, he noticed that it was only the knife handle left. Shao Xuan pulled back his arm and made a fist. The force of the totem gathered into his arm and his blood seemed to be squeezed in his veins. Shao Xuan could even hear the power in his arm because of the totem. The flow on the collection of his bones exploded, while a strip of blue veins burst.

    His fist trained on the open seam again because of the roaring of the beast, and his entire arm suddenly mmed down after it umted enough power. The powerful force suddenly hit, and the shock ripples scattered.

    The power went under the skin, hitting the spot connecting the internal organs. It went under the bones, gathering together, and shaking the hard meat like tofu.

    Peng¨C

    The screams after were sharper and harsher.

    The blood with the same color as the sand dunes was vomited from the Quicksand Beast¡¯s mouth. Shao Xuan himself was immersed in the blood sshed by the vomitting.

    The blood of the beast was not as hot as its color, but was cold.

    His attack was effective!

    Shao Xuan did not stop. Once again in the same area he just hit, he punched and punched.

    The beast was weakening under such bombardment.

    Its collision with the houses was ineffective, and the folds on its neck were trying to squeeze to close. However, it was impossible to stop Shao Xuan from attacking again and again.

    The screaming sound continued. The dust that picked up from the rolling beast caused a wholeyer of sand to the oasis.

    The other people around it, including Su Gu, who was protected by Wu Shi, were shocked to see the rolling figure in the sand.

    What exactly happened?

    Why did the Quicksand Beast suddenly react like this?

    Was it after that tribe member rushed over? After rushing over, what did he do?

    They couldn¡¯t know just by looking at the huge figure that was screaming and tumbling. The ves who had just fought the beast couldn¡¯t help but swallow in their throats. This, what is going on?

    Note: If you think the description of the actions here doesn¡¯t make sense, it¡¯s not my fault. The raws I had on Bing was iplete and I only used google to do thetter two-thirds, I think.

    Don¡¯t know the title too. I also tried to look at Qidian but it wasn¡¯t clear there either. ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥

 Chapter 307

    C307 ¨C Who Deserves the Merit?

    Posted on November 20, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The pained screaming gradually weakened. The tumbling movements gradually slowed down.

    Above the desert, a gust of wind blew toward the oasis, taking the dust of the oasis away.

    The muddy sand curtain faded and scattered. The situation inside was then revealed in front of everyone.

    The original oasis had several stone houses. Two-thirds of it were destroyed, and the rest, even if not thoroughly smashed, was also damaged. The ground was rugged, and the surrounding houses and trees were covered with a thickyer of sand.

    With the usually clear spring pond, the water had be cloudy. There were a lot of dust floating on the surface of it. The people wanted to clean the spring, but they had to wait at least one night to finish.

    The area between a copsed house and the spring pond had a high hill, only revealing a tail outside. At that moment, Chacha grabbed the tail and pulled outward to drag it out. Its power,pared to this type of beast, was small, especially since the Quicksand Beast forcibly drilled underground. It would have been doomed to drag it for a long time, but, fortunately, the Quicksand Beast now has been weakened, and could not continue to drill anymore.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan!¡±

    Lei and Tuo rushed forward, ignoring whether the beast was really defeated. Whether there was danger depended on the movement in the sand.

    ¡°What are you staring at? Hurry over to help!¡± Su Gu urgently shouted tomand the ves to pull out the sand beast.

    The ves were still a little wary, but, after seeing that the two tribesmen were all right, that was only when they dared to gather and move out together.

    Peng!

    A figure emerged from under the sand, which scared the ves who were pulling the beast out. Their hands let loose, and they fell on the ground.

    However, after seeing who came out, the people around visibly rxed.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, are you all right?¡± Lei and Tuo stepped forward to pull Shao Xuan out.

    ¡°Cough!¡± Shao Xuan cleared the sand in his mouth as well as the sand inside his ears and nose. Once he had taken a breath, he replied, ¡°I¡¯m okay. I just had a few bones broken.¡± The injury was not too serious for Shao Xuan. He didn¡¯t need to take a rest.

    After looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s injury, Lei and Tuo stopped worrying and dragged the sand beast out of the sand.

    Watching thempletely dragging the motionless Quicksand Beast out of the sand, the ves looked at each other, seeming not to dare believe it.

    ¡°Dead? Is it really¡­¡­ dead?¡±

    ¡°How could it die?¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    The ves were puzzled as they gaze at Shao Xuan, looking at him with dread in their eyes.

    ¡°Ha! Haha haha haha!!¡± Su Gu looked at the dead Quicksand Beast andughed aloud. Seeing that a few ves came near the beast too, the smile on his face disappeared, instantly changing his expression as he spoke in a cold voice. ¡°What is it? You want to rob our prey?! This was killed by the ming Horns people, not you!¡±

    ording to the rules here, since the ming Horns tribe and Su Gu have a cooperation, then naturally, the results could also be partially attributed to Su Gu. Hence, Su Gu could say that this was his things.

    ¡°Yes ¡­ But¡­¡­ Third Young Master ¡­¡± There were ves who wanted to justify themselves, looking at the big Quicksand Beast on the ground with unwilling expressions.

    They wanted to say that it was not just them who should take the credit. What about the others? Those people stationed in the oasis? Most of the wounds in the Quicksand Beast were caused by these ves. At most, this ming Horns person met an opportunity to just add a few attacks on the beast afterwards. How can it just be owned by them and the third young master?

    ¡°Move aside!¡± Su Gu let out a loud roar, pointing to those several ves. ¡°Don¡¯t mention anything. You failed to catch the Quicksand Beast, then unexpectedly led it to the oasis! Look how you¡¯ve ruined the oasis!¡±

    The number of guards on this side of the oasis was indeed quiterge. However, today, it was different because of Ai Shi. Shortly before the Quicksand Beast came, nearly two-thirds of the guards were sent to several ces near the oasis to patrol. They were tasked to search for suspicious people, hence, when the Quicksand Beast rushed over, those who were sent out did not get back in time to help. When they finally came over, the Quicksand Beast had already been rolling on the ground because of Shao Xuan, making a haze in the oasis.

    The ves who just came to help, looked at these ves poorly. They actually dared to bring the Quicksand Beast here, and more unluckily to encounter it today when most of them were out for a search. Then, looking at the ruin of the oasis now, they knew that the king could certainly be angry at them, especially at the oasis guard ves.

    A fierce-looking ve went to Ai Shi¡¯s side. He was one of the leaders of the oasis guards. During the attack of the Quicksand Beast, they were looking for a suspicious person. They never thought that they woulde across this matter when they came back. He whispered a few words to Ai Shi, and did not look at the ves of the second young master, thenmanded his men to mend the houses. His master was the king of Luoye city, and not these young masters.

    After hearing the news reported by the man just now, Ai Shi recalled that it did seem too coincidental. Why did the Quicksand Beast attack this side just as some of the oasis¡¯s main guards were outside? Second young master sent these people to hunt the Quicksand Beast, and there was no certainty that they could do so. This matter was not simple, perhaps, something that those from White Rock would do.

    ¡°You guys,e back with me to see the king!¡± Ai Shi pointed to the ves who had led the Quicksand Beast.

    When they heard that he wanted to see the king, the ves immediately felt their legs go soft and they were desperate.

    Ai Shi did not look at them, but went to Su Gu¡¯s side, saying, ¡°Third Young Master, may I also ask you to see the king together.¡±

    This time, Su Gu did not lose his temper. He also felt that there was something wrong with this, as he nodded. ¡°Ok.¡±

    Since he already promised to see the king, just as well that Su Gu would bring back the sand beast to his father on the way.

    Ai Shi did not call Shao Xuan¡¯s group. His eyes just stared at them with suspicion and vignce.

    Shao Xuan was indifferent to it. His main aim was not necessarily to show a good impression in front of these people. He didn¡¯t care how these people thought. This time, he could have just watched, but he chose to risk attacking the Quicksand Beast for Dao Yu.

    ording to what Su Gu said, some people went directly to White Rock to find Dao Yu, and most of them already got back. Majority of the desert cities were not friendly to tribes. Of course, this second point was important. Shao Xuan did not know whether he could find Dao Yu if he infiltrated White Rock.

    However, if he could follow them to that beasts fight in Beast City, it would be different. Not only could he see Dao Yu, he could also have a glimpse of the legendary Beast City.

    To naturally be invited to go to the Beast City, it would be with Su Gu as Su Gu made a good suggestion in front of the Luoye City King. He would then have an opportunity to go with Su Gu to that city of fighting beasts. In the past, there were tribes who had used simr ways.

    That day, when Ai Shi and the others returned to the city, many people saw the Quicksand Beast that was put on a cart and dragged into town.

    Before separating from Su Gu, Shao Xuan whispered to him a few words. Originally, Su Gu was angry because of other people¡¯s doubtful eyes. When he heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words, his eyes became bright and said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Good! If it¡¯s really sessful, I will help you find Dao Yu!¡±

    Note: Not sure about the title. Anyway, I have another issue on the names. What¡¯s better?

 Chapter 308

    C308 ¨C Ascension

    Posted on November 22, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    What kind of person was the king of Luoye City? Shao Xuan had not seen him since he came to this city, and he had learned very little from other people. What he knew was only what was generally known to all.

    Before Shao Xuan separated from Su Gu, what he told him was, in fact, the weakness of the Quicksand Beast. The ming Horns tribe lived in the Ferocious Beast Mountain forest, this Su Gu knew. He then felt that Shao Xuan could determine the weakness of the Quicksand Beast probably because the tribe often came in contact with fierce beasts. He had not much doubt for Shao Xuan. Even if there was, he would not volunteer to ask since their two sides was in a cooperative rtionship. As long as everyone was favorable, it was not necessary to divulge each other¡¯s secrets.

    Su Gu intended to have the sand beast as one of his birthday gifts to the king, adding to that ¡°stone¡± Su Gu liked. For Su Gu, those were already very good gifts, but, in order to be able to get more chips, Shao Xuan informing him of the weakness of the sand beast could also be sent up as one of the birthday gifts. This was even more important than the Quicksand Beast. After all, the cost of killing a Quicksand Beast was too high, and it was different to know its weakness and then kill it.

    The ve owners of Luoye City have learned how to lure a Quicksand Beast. Therefore, this message given by Shao Xuan would undoubtedly reduce their wear and tear to a great extent.

    As to whether the king would attribute the killing of the sand beast to Shao Xuan¡¯s group, that would be for Su Gu to solve.

    Back to their residence in the city, Shao Xuan carefully recalled the anomaly with the appearance of the sand beast. With his many years of hunting experience, he understood that the sand beast seemed to have been angered, and not necessarily by the second young master¡¯s people. The timing was just right, and there was a sense of a diversion with some of the oasis guards leaving when the Quicksand Beast came.

    Was that a coincidence? Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think so.

    Thinking of the words Ai Shi had said before, Shao Xuan could not help but think of Dao Yu, now a ve under a White Rock City ve owner.

    Putting aside the other things, Dao Yu was a ruthless man. Shao Xuan was not worried, and did not fear him but he was still a great threat to the ming Horns tribe.

    The next day, Su Gu came to the tribe¡¯s ¡°embassy¡± to find Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan checked on the appearance of the third young master. Although he looked tired, his eyes was bright with joy.

    ¡°It seems to have gone well.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right!¡± Su Gu did not go into detail of what happened after in the pce. However, he still told Shao Xuan that his second brother was punished by the king. Those ves who had pulled the Quicksand Beast to the oasis were also executed. Meanwhile, Su Gu, because he had presented a good gift, was rewarded. Before the king could offer him any possible benefits, Su Gu proposed to have an unimed ve. After some astonishment, the Luoye City king still agreed.

    ¡°What was the reason for the Quicksand Beast¡¯s madness? Did you find out?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°From what I heard from the oasis guards who looked for the suspicious characters, it might be those from White Rock City who made the Quicksand Beast crazy. Su Lei¡¯s ves were disturbed when they were hunting and trapping the Quicksand Beast. They really thought they would fail and have heavy losses. But, as father said, a failure is a failure. There is no excuse, so he had Su Lei reflect this time.¡±

    ¡°Was it rted to Dao Yu?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Frankly, Su Gu¡¯s own hands and manpower were limited, so he could not find out more.

    ¡°However, the weakness of the Quicksand Beast that you talked about made father really happy. If you did not know the weakness of the beast, we will have to worry about the White Rock people doing another trouble like this with a crazy sand beast. But now that we know, father was instead hoping for a few to appear so that we can kill more. Father will have clothes made with the Quicksand Beast, and a new crown.¡± The smile on Su Gu¡¯s face as he said this was bigger. ¡°Father agreed to let me follow him, so I could improve more. I had not done that except when I was young.¡±

    Because he had no ves of his own, Su Gu had been excluded from the big events. The desert has an annual tournament at a Colosseum where the first young master, Su Ka and second young master, Su Lei had taken a number of their bouts. Now, Su Gu also got such an opportunity.

    ¡°I also told him about your proposal, and you¡¯ll go with me,¡± said Su Gu.

    This was a good news for Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Did you pick a ve?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°My father has allowed me to pick out twenty of them. I had already chosen some ves, and he said that we¡¯re still waiting for the next batch of ves toe to let me continue picking.¡± Su Gu said excitedly.

    ¡°Have you done the very on them?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    When it came to the envement, Su Gu¡¯s excitement slightly fell. ¡°I tried to enve three, but only seeded on one.¡±

    If very failed, Shao Xuan knew what would happen, so he didn¡¯t ask what happened to the other two.

    Su Gu¡¯s face was filled with ridicule. But one would not know if it was self-deprecating or taunting others. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. When I went to pick the ves, those ves were like they were already seeing their death, like the ones that I picked will die. But when Su Ka appeared, those people seemed to have seen hope.¡±

    The witnesses knew that the third young master was dissatified with those ves¡¯ reactions, but he should ept the reality. Although he had one sess out of three,pared to other people with nearly ny percent sess rate, he was obviouslycking.

    ¡°I¡¯ll practice it again.¡± Su Gu began to spontaneously mobilize the strength of his body, stretching out the palm of his has as the blue mes appeared.

    Shao Xuan looked at Su Gu who had entered into his training state. He did not disturb him, and instead observed the mes in his mind again. There was a me that belonged Su Gu, with the boundary between the red and the blue mes was already very clear. The two mes gathered together, intertwining while Su Gu was in training of envement. Among the mes, the blue one was unusually active.

    As Su Gu could get benefit from Shao Xuan here, Shao Xuan could actually also get benefit. The most direct reaction was that tgere were more blue mes rising fron the totem belonging to the ming Horns tribe in his mind.

    After half a day, at the end of his practice, Su Gu felt that his power of very had improved. He believed that today, when he went back to his very, he could be more fluent, and could sessfully enve more people.

    ¡°After being shackled, was the ve¡¯s ascension limited?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s basically the case.¡± Su Gu replied.

    ¡°Was there a special case?¡±

    ¡°It is said that there are some, but it was very little. People who can break through the shackles was certainly very scary.¡±

    After Su Gu left, Shao Xuan mobilized the power of the totem in his body. The dark me-like pattern was now over two-thirds of his forearm, closer to his wrist. Before leaving the tribe, the totem lines on Shao Xuan¡¯s arm showed that there was not so much, but after his experiences in the rain tribe and the things here, his totem lines went one step further.

    For a totem warrior of the ming Horns tribe, the disy of the totem lines was the most direct proof of their strength. A warrior with the totem lines on the arm reaching over the elbow belonged to the intermediate rank, while ones closer to the wrist showed that one was closer to being a senior totem warrior.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, there were changes in the other tribes!¡± Tuo eximed.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group always paid attention to the movements of the other tribes in the city. Some time ago, these tribes were asionally going out of town. They said it was to go to the desert for experience, then they woulde back every few days. However, this time, it looked more dynamic.

    ¡°Those people are leaving in session.¡± Lei told his day¡¯s findings to Shao Xuan. ¡°Yesterday, the people who were away from the city came back, and they were packing their things. Then, I saw someone in the process of making new stone tools. I thought it was time to travel back, but in fact, it was not so. Today, the Tian Shan and the Thousand Masks tribes went away from the city. The other tribes seem to be preparing to leave too. I heard that the Hui tribe would also be out of the city for two days. Not to go back, but to go to the desert. Ah-Xuan, tell us. Where are they going?¡±

    If they wanted to end this journey and go back to their tribes, they would surely inform the people of the ming Horns tribe. Where the hell were these guys going then?

    What was going on in the deserttely?

    After some time, Shao Xuan could only think of one thing¡ªthe Beast City

    The annual feast of the ve owners, where the great ve owners who were willing to attend would take their people to the city to battle. The rest of the tribes might want to take this opportunity to find something that might have something to do with what those people were hiding.

    Shao Xuan thought about it, then spoke to Lei and Tuo. ¡°No matter how the other tribes are arranged things, we have to prepare ourselves. After the Luoye City King¡¯s birthday, we have to go to Beast City.¡±

    Note: Changed Chi Shi to Ai Shi. I think the former doesn¡¯t match his personality? Does that makes sense?

    (@?§Õ[emailprotected]</a>£©?

 Chapter 309

    C309 ¨C Leaving the City

    Posted on November 25, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The Luoye City¡¯s high ranking ve owners, being it was their King Su Lun¡¯s birthday, were lively. On that day, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t go out of the house, since going out might be more troublesome.

    The rest of the city¡¯s ve owners would be carried up, to be walked around the city while they gave out stuff. Sometimes it was foreign currency. Other times it was things, such as food.

    The ves who encountered these situations would be grateful as they kneeled on the ground to worship. With those high up looking down on these people, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t want to stand out.

    During these days, the people in the other tribes have been leaving the city. It seemed that their former departure was only practice, but Shao Xuan could feel that they were serious this time. The young warriors who were also first timers were also calm.

    Before they left, they did not say anything to the three people of the ming Horns tribe. They only told Shao Xuan¡¯s group to wait for them in the city. When they all returned after, it was finally time to leave for their tribes.

    However, these people did not know that Shao Xuan¡¯s group would follow Su Gu to fight in the Beast City.

    The two moons in the sky had already moved closer, beginning to transition towards a full moon. The night in the desert had ayer of white light, standing high and looking from a distance. One could often see some desert activities of the nocturnal beasts¡¯ shadows.

    Lei and Tuo walked to Shao Xuan¡¯s room. ¡°We¡¯re all ready.¡±

    Tomorrow, they would leave the city. Tonight, they have to get everything ready, to have enough time to start tomorrow at any time.

    ¡°These three pieces of cloth are sent by Su Gu¡¯s people today. You each take one.¡± Shao Xuan refered to the long coats ced next to them. It was even in the style with a hood, which what Shao Xuan had Su Gu do.

    The color of the cloth was dark, very low-key, but the material was not the kind the ves wear. Still, Su Gu had these in his inventory.

    This was the first time Lei and Tuo had seen such clothes. It felt very novel.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Ah-Xuan, what about the camel?¡± Lei asked.

    If they leave the camel in the city, they could ask Su Gu for help. But there was no insurance that the person in charge would not be out to ughter the camel. In particr, the second eldest brother of Su Gu might be a problem, as he now perceived the ming Horns tribe¡¯s three people as bad in his eyes.

    ¡°It will go with us.¡± Shao Xuan said, adding another sentence, ¡°It chose to go on its own.¡±

    As he mentioned this, Shao Xuan felt funny when he recalled what happened during the daytime. He asked Mud if it was going to follow them or stay here, and Mud had stepped forward. That meant to tell Shao Xuan that he chose to go with them.

    The next day.

    Early in the morning, the loud sound of the bone rang throughout the city.

    In the past, the city was quiet during this time. Now there were already sounds of people talking and running around.

    In addition to the human voices, there were also beasts roars.

    This morning was destined not to be quiet.

    When the sun came out, Shao Xuan¡¯s group led the camel, and followed the people sent by Su Gu to leave.

    Outside, some ves dressed in leather were already lined up on the main road in the city. These people were different from the ordinary ves in the city. They were used to guard the fighting army.

    A strange-looking beast was brought out by high-ranking ves. It opened its jaws, howling at the other people around and seeming to want to rush out and bite.

    Peng Peng Peng ¡ª

    The sound of heavy footsteps sounded at the end of the road.

    A beast approaching eight meters high, that looked like a lizard with a thickyer of thorny covering and stripes, walked a few steps and revealed a forked tongue. For such a beast, its only role was as a bearer, carrying the king of Luoye City on its back.

    Behind the giant beast, there were several ve owners who followed. They rode their domesticated beasts, but it was just that those beasts¡¯ bodies were much smaller than the king¡¯s beast.

    Su Gu was riding on a beast that looked like a hyena. He waved to Shao Xuan¡¯s trio and motioned for them to follow. Beside him, there were three camels, which were prepared for the three men of the ming Horns.

    Shao Xuan took the lead, while Lei and Tuo followed to get on the other two camels on the back.

    In their travel team, the ves walked and only the ve owners could ride a beast. However, Shao Xuan¡¯s group of three were more special. They were not ves, nor were they ve owners. However, they did not have to run as ves, so Su Gu got them the three camels.

    As Shao Xuan sat on top of the camel, he felt an eye on him. On his side, he saw the calm face of a young man. That man and Su Gu looked alike, but, just now, he had coldness in his eyes as he stared straight at Shao Xuan across the crowd.

    Was it Su Lei, Luoye City¡¯s second young master?

    Also, because of what happened at the oasis, all this second young master¡¯s grievances were recorded because of Shao Xuan. Originally, he should be following the Luoye City King to fight in Beast City. However, because Su Gu had requested to join, adding the issue at the oasis, he was ordered to defend the city together with a few high-ranking ve owners of Su Ka. His mind was naturally unhappy.

    Shao Xuan once asked Su Gu. After the king left the city with his team, would the second young master take the opportunity to seize the ce?

    Su Gu¡¯s answer was: He wouldn¡¯t dare.

    Besides, the majority of the king¡¯s ves in the city have their own strengths. The others feared the king, Su Lun, hence they dared not try to usurp him before they had enough strength.

    Shao Xuan took his stare back, and looked forward to where Su Gu was.

    Su Gu had sessfully enved fourteen ves. This time, he had them all on his side, presumably to observe these people. With Wu Shi also on his side, he had fifteen ves altogether.

    Next to them, a guard in the street who usually had a ferocious face when facing against other ves, now had a turn around. He looked at Su Gu at times, his face that always had a high-up expression immediately changed. He trotted over with a fruit te handed up, givingplimenting words skillfully with a face ttering smile.

    In the past, Su Gu would not be treated like this. Even if it was the ves, although they maintained respectful to Su Gu, they were not so gant. Now, it was different. Su Gu, this young master had been able to enve sessfully and have his own ves. He was also taken by the king to go to Beast City, hence, other people¡¯s attitude towards him was naturally different.

    Su Gu randomly picked a fruit, looking at the city gate in front. He breathed out a long exhale, trying to stabilize his excited emotions.

    After the king¡¯s team left the city, Su Lei could no longer suppress his anger inside. He went back to his residence and smashed his things.

    However, the people with him in the city did not care so much.

    Beast City was a little far from Luoye City. It was a special ce in the desert when one talked about a city for fighting. Although it was also in the desert, the weather was different from the rest of the cities in the desert.

    The area was much cooler than the rest. After all, the temperature was low since the ve owners started this city for fighting, not to suffer, but to have fun.

 Chapter 310

    C310 ¨C Narrow Road

    Posted on November 26, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Along the desert, the Luoye City team has been moving in the direction of their destination.

    The team of more than two thousand people was worth the whole tribe of the former ming Horns tribe.

    In the middle of the crowd, a huge beast was walking with the king eight steps ahead of them. Shao Xuan could clearly hear the huge beast¡¯s w rubbing against the yellow sand.

    There were also some animals led by the ves. Sometimes, they often saw an active desert beast not far from them. It would create noise, but then taken down soon after. Even the one Su Gu rode also had to suppress some from time to time. In the team of beasts, the most quiet and steady was probably the camels being ridden by Shao Xuan¡¯s group. He just didn¡¯t know if they were really calm or were just slow to react.

    The air has changed from the scorching one in the beginning. When noon came, it was with some coolness.

    This was already the tenth day since they had left Luoye City.

    In this procession of ves, some failed to continue on because of a variety of reasons. In the ve owners¡¯ team, there was a fixed rule that if one fell in a short period of time and could not get up, they would then let him be food for the beasts.

    The tribes has never been so cruel. However, even if Shao Xuan¡¯s group initially could not adapt, the days graduallying over have made them numb. This was the rule of the ve world, and it was unknown whether those people would regret their choice before they close their eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost there!¡± Su Gu whispered to Shao Xuan¡¯s group.

    Over a tall old sand dune, they stood on the sand ridge, looking out over the yellow undting sand. There were plenty of white areas. Those were snow.

    The wind that blew over their heads was also with cold snow foam.

    ¡°This ¡­ It snows here?!¡± Lei looked at the ce in amazement. He had thought that such a ce in this season, even if the temperature was low, there would be no snow. After all, in his impression, the desert was a hot and dry ce. However now, his impression was overturned.

    ¡°Where is the city? I only see the desert.¡± Tuo looked at the distance. Except for the desert with snow, he didn¡¯t see anything else.

    ¡°Beast City is still a bit far from here, but this is already in the range of the city¡¯s desert.¡± Su Gu said to the three people what he had learned.

    Although they could see a lot of snow in the area, the air was still dry, too cold and too dry to allow the snow to melt. Hence, the snow directly evaporated into vapor.

    However, snow was the only source of water in the Beast City desert. The animals around bowed their heads and quench their thirst with little snow from time to time, so they could fill their stomachs with water. However, one could not directly eat snow every time. Gnawing too much snow here would either make them sick or even die. Therefore, as the people and beasts in the team were walking for a while, they were gathering for some snow.

    Some flying birds could be seen in the distance, but those were not wild birds, but domesticated birds in other cities. Probably in the vicinity to investigate the situation and to see which teams have arrived.

    Shao Xuan listened to what Su Gu was saying about this desert, when he heard a call in the sky.

    ¡°Someone ising.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Su Gu believed Chacha¡¯s judgment, what Shao Xuan said that someone wasing. It would certainly be in a form of a big troop.

    ¡°Which city?¡± Su Gu questioned.

    Wu Shi next to him thought of something. His expression changed as he quickly walked a few steps to go to the other side, facing the team.

    ¡°Third Young Master, let¡¯s be careful. It might be the people from Baishi.¡± Wu Shi said.

    Baishi and Luoye city were not on the same route and destination. But if youpared the lines between the two sides, you would find that there was an intersection, and at this point, they were at that intersection.

    It was a narrow road.

    The team has been moving forward at the same speed for a long time. The people of Luoye City would not evade because of an encounter with an old enemy. In that case, would they even consider to be afraid, then what would the king¡¯s face present?

    On the distant ridge, there was a shadow of a procession.

    Zu~

    A buckle-like roar of a beast sounded from so far away. Even at such a distance, they could feel the impact of it hammering.

    ¡°It was Baishi¡¯s riding beast.¡± Su Gu still has some impressions of the cry.

    The huge figure of the beast that did not lose out with that of the Luoye City King¡¯s finally appeared in the eyes everyone. Simr to the Luoye City¡¯s team, there were many other animals of different sizes surrounding the king¡¯s. Some were held by the ves for the battle in the Beast City, and some were mounted by the ve owners.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan.¡± Tuo and Lei looked toward Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Let¡¯s just look first.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew what they were going to say. That the traitor of the ming Horns was probably in that team.

    The two-team walking route was almost forming an X-shape, and the other side seemed to be speeding up, not wanting to miss the other side.

    As the two sides moved closer, the fighting beasts on both sides were out for blood. No matter how many ves pulled, they bared their teeth towards the other team, roaring as if they wanted to jump up to bite the people.

    Closer now, both sides were beginning to put their guards up. Shao Xuan could see the ves of Luoye City picking up their wooden and stone shields while the archers were also preparing.

    This would be¡­¡­ Did they n to have a fight before going to town?

    Shao Xuan motioned for Lei and Tuo¡¯s attention. The ves of Luoye City would protect their ve owners, but they would not care for the three of them.

    Zu~

    Again, a roar of the beast sounded. This time, closer, deafening, and more powerful.

    Ga¨C

    The Luoye City King¡¯s riding beast was not to be outdone, as it roared back.

    Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!

    Almost at the same time, hundreds of arrows were shot out from inside both teams. There were also spears thrown with more powerful impact.

    The high-level ves guarded the ve owners with their bodies, while most of the ves seized the opportunity to show their loyalty. The more dangerous the situation was, the more opportunities they could have. On Su Gu¡¯s side, the new ves were also eager to squeeze in and block thoseing for Su Gu. When they saw that there were arrows, they gathered to that area, lest when the chaos ended, their own wooden shield not having any arrows would mean that they had not done their work.

    Because they all went to the ve owners, Shao Xuan¡¯s group¡¯s position immediately emptied out.

    Shao Xuan had one hand on the camel¡¯s back, pushing his body by force to jump above the camel. He flipped as his other hand swung with a stone knife, hitting the arrows shooting over them.

    After defending off a round, Shao Xuan did not continued to stay on the camel¡¯s back. Hended on the ground after hitting the arrows to continue defending against those shooting over their area. He did not like to use a shield in such a situation, under these series of attacks. Having a shield would instead make him feel shackled, which was not a habit of the people of the ming Horns tribe.

    Holding a knife, Shao Xuan eyes shed as his fast-waving stone knife exploded in a group of gray light. In an instant, his surroundings did not have an arrow shot in. If people were also included in the attack, they would undoubtedly be killed in a bloody storm-like de.

    Meanwhile, the camel behind Shao Xuan still had its neck held high, calmly looking around. In its idle time, it also had the mood to squat on the ground, gnawing the snow.

 Chapter 311

    C311 ¨C Laughing at Me

    Posted on November 27, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The teams on boths sides were getting closer.

    Peng! Peng! Peng!

    Shao Xuan received another round of flying arrows shooting down. He grabbed a few arrows in the air, and shot it back to return, not needing to look at the archer that was shot over there.

    As the teams approached, the beasts on both sides had endured, but the bloody smell in the air stimted their madness. The ves who had been pulling the beast before, now began to weaken the force of their pull.

    The shackled beasts felt the force of the pull reducing, which was like a signal to them, like a horn for attack. Roaring out with fangs and ws out, they rushed towards the other side.

    The roar of the beasts was more intense, the sound of their biting covering the ve¡¯s screams. The bloody scent became thicker, and the blood that hit their faces were unknown if it was apanion¡¯s or an enemy¡¯s as it set off on the snow and sand.

    Whether on the white snow or yellow sand, blood was sshed everywhere.

    However, upon a closer look, the blood were all from the lower level ves. The more senior ves did not even shoot themselves and just protected their ve owners, or on the sidelines, seeming like watching a y.

    Meanwhile, their masters, the two kings as well as the ve owners, were sittingfortably on their own riding beasts. There was a good atmosphere going on, strangely like they were just getting a taste of it. Everything that has happened was an appetizer, and the more intense it was, the more they would get a taste of an aged wine.

    Blood was nothing but a factor of entertainment.

    On the side of Baishi, a fighting beast was put forward. It shook the mane on the side of its neck and lifted its front paws to give a condescending oppression. Inside its mouth was full of blood. Its two sharp teeth were like swords, not letting the other team¡¯s ves to pass.

    While on the Luoye side, there were ves leading a beast tied on a rope. Their other hands were clenched on a spear trained towards the enemies. They looked almost exhausted as they stabbed out, but the people there still held their spears in the open.

    Looking at the two big fangs that were getting closer, the ves holding the fighting beast thought that they would be bitten to death. However, in the next moment, when the beast from Baishi had jumped up to attack them, they were swept under another shadow from the air. A wnded on the ground, but the mouth did not opened up to bite the people. Instead, it shoveled a mouthful of sand.

    The ves, who were about to be bitten, were directly knocked down.

    This was not the end though. Not waiting for the other beast to have other reactions, it lifted the other up whole, even with five ves still holding it.

    Chacha had just been watching in the air. After watching for a while, it felt its ws itch. Both the arrows and spears were almost used up in the attacks, hence, it quickly rushed over using its w.

    The beast¡¯s size did not exceed Chacha¡¯s maximum capacity. Even though there were five additonal people with it, Chacha still intended to carry them. After carrying the beast, Chacha suddenly threw it off together with those men down to the riding beast that was carrying the king. They were directly thrown to the huge riding beast¡¯s mouth.

    The confrontation between the two sides had a silent agreement of not going against the king on both sides. Therefore, the king¡¯s riding beast had no other attackers around it. It seemed to be a tacit understanding that a king¡¯s contest would take ce in the Beast City, not in this deste area where no one could witness.

    Hence, at that moment, the huge riding beast was itching to fight as it looked at the battle not far away. It could only vent its rage with a roar several times, but couldn¡¯t go kill those people and beasts. However now, this beast of Luoye City¡¯s king had unexpectedly received goods from that eagle.

    The kings¡¯ riding beasts on both sides would not easily join the battle. But for the prey itself tobe delivered to it, what would be its reason not to bite?

    In next moment, the one who tried to bite the ve¡¯s beast became the food of thisrger beast.

    Because of Chacha, a few of the fighting beasts on Baishi¡¯s side had a few scruples. During that attack, they also became distracted as they turned their sights to the sky. This then made their attacks to be unfocused, making Luoye City¡¯s fighting beasts able cause more wounds. They took bites on the necks, which made a lot of blood spatter out. It would seem like they wouldn¡¯t be able to perform their best then in the Beast City. Even if they insist on it, it was impossible for them to fight in this state, or they would be immediately disposed of.

    The battle continued as both teams did not stop. Th kings on both sides were also in a mood look openly at each other from dozens of meters away, giving a smile as a greeting.

    Shao Xuan blocked an arrow again, then threw it back to the other side. He then had his stare at the people on the other side riding the king¡¯s beast.

    The Baishi riding beast was a fierce beast Shao Xuan had never seen. Its body was not covered with ordinary scales, but more like a block of stone, with a thick and short tail on its end. This tail also has arge ball, that when it swung like a heavy hammer and mmed down, snow and sand flew out.

    On the riding beast, in addition to the king in a sedan chair, there stood three men.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think they were ve owners, but more like ves guarding the king¡¯s side. One of them had been staring at Shao Xuan too.

    Shao Xuan continued looking. That person was a seemingly friendly middle-aged man, not as hostile and wild as the ves of the other ve owners.

    Seeing Shao Xuan still staring, the other side also smiled at him, like a kind elder. In other people¡¯s eyes, it could be a very friendly smile, but Shao Xuan felt that it was augh intending to kill.

    Dao Yu.

    Shao Xuan had never seen Dao Yu before, but at this moment, it made him inexplicable sure that this person was the one he was looking for.

    Still, being able to stand on a riding beast was not an unusual position.

    The other person swept his eyes to Shao Xuan, Lei and Tuo. Then, he stopped staring at them, and instead turned to look at other ces, as if admiring the view.

    The riding beasts each went to different directions, while the team continued to move forward. The Baishi beast almost swept its tail on Luoye City¡¯s side as they passed.

    After the collision, the two teams gradually separated far away from each other. Meanwhile, the ce they had just vacated was the only evidence of the wreckage. Some of the bodies were left there, while others were taken away to be fed to the beasts.

    The arrows and broken spears left inserted in the blood-stained ground, not long after, had ayer of white frost.

    When the procession was gone and there was only a vague shadow left of it, the scavengers of the desert came out from various ces. Birds, beasts, insects, and so on, came to enjoy the meal.

    Like any other night, the wreckage here would be divided and eaten cleanly. The wind with snow particles would soon cover the ground, until you could not see a bit of the fight that had just ured.

    On this side, Shao Xuan checked the camel and made sure that Mud was not hurt before he jumped over and rode up.

    Lei and Tuo¡¯s situation was also a good. Lei¡¯s camel just had an arrow scratch it, but did not hit. However,pared to the Tuo and Shao Xuan, his was slightly worse.

    ¡°What¡¯s happened? With your ability, you won¡¯t have missed this arrow.¡± Tuo asked.

    Lei rode on the camel, while he drank water from the mouth of the kettle. His line of sight was taken back from the direction where the Baishi team went, then turned to Shao Xuan and Tuo, ¡°At that time, I felt someone staring at me ufortably. Later, I saw him smile at me¡­ I really want to break his neck.¡±

 Chapter 312

    C312 ¨C Battle in Beast City

    Posted on November 29, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Even when other people were not paying attention due to the chaos, Shao Xuan had noticed the person who might be the ming Horns tribe traitor Dao Yu. Therefore, in Lei and Tuo¡¯s mind, it would have been good if, at that time, they had directly rushed past to kill that traitor.

    ¡°No wonder I think that guy looks weird,¡± Tuo said.

    ¡°I knew I should have ripped his head off.¡± Lei thought it was a pity.

    However, even if they said that, they understood that at that time, their sess rate of rushing past was not high, let alone executing Dao Yu here. Besidez, Shao Xuan felt that Dao Yu¡¯s strength might not be weaker than theirs. It could even be that he already have enough to match the strength of a senior totem warrior. If the two really rushed past, even if they managed to single him out, whoever lost or won may be unclear. What more when Dao Yu was surrounded by Baishi people.

    After a careful analysis, Lei¡¯s and Tuo¡¯s thoughts were quiteplex. A traitor has a strength that was stronger than theirs. They wanted to clean this up but couldn¡¯t. So, how do they go back to face the Shaman and the chief?

    Shao Xuan looked around to find Ai Shi to rify if that person standing before in the Baishi King¡¯s riding beast was none other than Dao Yu. Lei and Tuo then paid more attention.

    Unlike a native-born ming Horns tribeman, Dao Yu had already mixed himself with the ve owners. As a wanderer who had reached his current level, he was already better than Lei which made thingsplicated. If one was careless, it would likely repeat the tragedy of their former years.

    The farther forward they travelled, the more snow covered the ce. Shao Xuan could even feel a force of oppression, like ordinary people might not be able to safely stand in this ce.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally here!¡± Su Gu said excitedly.

    In front of them was the base of Luoye City in the Beast City.

    The stone walls, which were nearly ten meters high, were built to circle around the perimeter. The inner houses were made of stone, while there were small sandy houses surrounding those, as well as some simple tents. The stone houses were for the ve owners, while the sand houses and the simple tents were for the rest of the ves to live in in this ce.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group were to stay in a stone house with Su Gu. Meanwhile, the fifteen ves under Su Gu were brought in together to serve the young master.

    Although this was not Luoye City and was just a stronghold in the Beast City, the construction of the stone house took a lot of thought. Many meter-long, whole block of boulders were used to build this two-storey house into a height of more than ten meters. This house was made for the king to live in, so, naturally, it could not shabby. At the same time, this also represented the king himself. Hence, if the king of Luoye City only lived in an ordinary three or four-metre-high stone house, he would beughed at by the other cities.

    Su Gu originally had a vacant space located beside the stone house to let Chacha rest. Unfortunately, after entering this piece of cold ce, Chacha¡¯s spirit was too excited. It did not only like the weather, but also like the atmosphere here¡ªtense and bloody, with a variety of beasts. Every time he disappeared for a time, it would always return with some injuries, but its spirit was very good.

    It was rare to see Chacha so happy, so Shao Xuan let it have its fun. As the people of Hui tribe had said, the growth of a mountain eagle should be apanied by a variety of challenges. Shao Xuan was rest assured that Chacha would be reasonable. It wouldn¡¯t be reckless, and would know how to weigh the pros and cons of a fight, and retreat if it could not win.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s room was not far from the Su Gu¡¯s. Because of his power on very, Su Gu trusted Shao Xuan quite a lot. As to how long this trust would remain sincere, they couldn¡¯t say for sure. However, at the moment, the cooperation between the two sides has been smooth.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Su Gu asked to Shao Xuan¡¯s group.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Perhaps some people were not ustomed to such weather, but that wasn¡¯t the case for the ming Horns tribe.

    Su Gu looked at the Shao Xuan and the other two. He determined that the three people really did not care about the cold. Since their state were also good, he suggested happily, ¡°As it happens, I nned to go out and have a look around. I have note here for several years, so I already forgot how the Beast City looks like, and didn¡¯t know how much had changed here.¡±

    From his memory of the Beast City, Su Gu was most impressed with those violent and bloody pictures that were full of primitive power, making one¡¯s heart burn.

    When they heard that they could go stroll around this territory of the ve owners, Shao Xuan¡¯s group also became excited.

    Seeing Lei and Tuo looking forward to look around themselves, Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°Then, we¡¯re grateful to Third Young Master.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that, with their identity as just a tribe, they would be unable to enter the city, hence they had to borrow Su Gu¡¯s identity.

    The Luoye City King was not strict on the whereabouts of Su Gu. Rather, he would like to see Su Gu toe in contact with the masters of other cities. It was a kind of interpersonal rtionship andmunication.

    With a few ves, some were high-level ves sent by the king as guards, Su Gu rode a domesticated beast, then rode to the city.

    In the world of ve owners, identity was a very important factor. ves were seen as dust, and even some low-status ve owners might not get much attention.

    For their partnership, Su Gu was very caring towards Shao Xuan¡¯s group, looking for a beast for them to ride since the camel was not convenient. Only domesticated beasts were eptable, which was also to show others that the three were not ves.

    The Beast City was not far from the base of Luoye City. After they passed by the city gate, the guards outside the city walls did not pay them much attention.

    ¡°Who are the guards in the city?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Most of them are people from Rock Tomb, Fire Hill and Snowfield Cities. Those were the three great cities of the desert. The Beast City was also established by these three major cities.¡± Su Gu said.

    Ragarding these three authoritative cities in the desert, Shao Xuan had long ago been provided by Su Gu the information that the atmosphere around these three had beplicated. Shao Xuan did not asked much, and only paid attention the situation around them.

    In the middle of the city, on a high ground, there was a giant structure entrenched which was also the symbol of the city¡ªthe Colosseum. However, it would only open when the kings of the cities were present, but would not open to the other ve owners.

    There was a bloody smell in the air. Some were fresh flesh, while some were more stale. Perhaps this was the taste of the city.

    Taking a deep breath, Su Gu said with emotion, ¡°Really memorable.¡±

    At that moment, a number of figures passed by Shao Xuan and his entourage. The ves guarding at the edge were almost kicked.

    Shao Xuan noticed that those people were riding a gerbil, tall and fast-moving, uncaring of the city¡¯s people.

    ¡°Quick! The people of Rock Tomb are fighting with the Fire Hill people!¡± Those people shouted.

    ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll go too!¡± There were other people following behind them.

    Su Gu was originally angry because of those people¡¯s behavior. However, when he heard those words, he immediately put aside his anger.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, and look too!¡± Su Gu looked forward to the excitement.

    Note: I don¡¯t know what happened but, in this chapter, it said that there were only ten ves that Su Gu had enved instead of the previous fourteen. Now, I¡¯m not sure if the others died¡ªwhich was not told¡ªor the author made an error. I¡¯ll stick with fourteen, plus Wu Shi to make the fifteen.

    Other City Names (What¡¯s better?):

    Yanling ¨C Rock Tomb

    Huoqiu ¨C Fire Hill

    Xueyuan ¨C Snowfield

 Chapter 313

    C313 ¨C Betting

    Posted on December 1, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    They followed the people on the huge gerbils and went over to the side of the Colosseum.

    In addition to the battle among the cities¡¯ ve kings, the other ve owners usually entertain themselves with other beasts fight, usually held in this area.

    In Beast City, aside from the great Colosseum in the city, there were many sunken pits for beasts, and what those people just gossiped about was held in a pit nearby.

    Because it was people from Rock Tomb and Fire Hill of the three big cities involved in the fight, whether they only wanted to join the excitement or to give their support, they would all gather over there.

    When Shao Xuan¡¯s entourage arrived, a lot of people were already gathered around the giant pit with a diameter of nearly 100 meters, and about 30 meters deep.

    Since many of the riding beasts were prone to manic after getting close to the pit, the ve owners would hand the beast to their ves, then they¡¯d only watch as they walked over and stood next to the pit to watch it up close.

    At this time, the pit has a nearly seven meter high fierce beast. It has yellow sand fur color, while its whole body was like a gori covered with steel needles. It looked like some kind of orangutan, but its head was not the same, bigger and weird with three eyes, blood-red bead-like eyes rotating to look at the people around the pit.

    At this moment, the beast had probably just been brought up and been restrained by the ves. While suppressed, it had been screaming and breathing heavily. Those listening heard it like the sound of boulders shing, giving a person a heavy pressure.

    It was probably the onlookers around it that made it more irritable. The bloodthirsty and violent colors of its three eyes were even worse.

    Hou!

    The beast roared, lifting its two stout arms and hitting the ground in order to show its strength.

    For a time, the pit that was originally a sturdy ground, had a dent.

    The spectators who saw this scene were even more excited. Under the attack of this level of beast, could the other side win?

    After showing its own prowess, the beast turned its eyeballs again, sweeping a circle around the pit and setting it on a silhouette.

    Standing on the side of the beast pit, Su Gu was excited. He couldn¡¯t wait for the pair to go battle immediately. As he thought of something, Su Gu gestured to Wu Shi next to him and said a few words, pointing to a ce near the pit.

    Wu Shi nodded, then took a bag and left.

    Shao Xuan noticed what Su Gu was referring to, and that was the area where you could ce bets.

    In the Beast City, the spectators around could also join by betting.

    ¡°Who are you going for?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Su Gu pointed to the pit, ¡°That ve will win.¡±

    The man was a ve who was set to make a brutal killing of the beast sent down by Rock Tomb City.

    Now, the ve stood there very calmly, with no weapons at hand.

    Going into the pit, one would face more than half possibilities. Only one side coulde out alive in the end, while the other side would be the stepping stone of the winner. Of course, it¡¯s also possible that neither would be able to live.

    ¡°It¡¯s beginning!¡± Someone shouted.

    Shao Xuan turned to watch.

    The first thing to move was the beast that was already on the edge of agitation.

    They saw the beast went straight to the only creature in the pit except for it. Its two arms full of destructive force were mercilessly smashed, without any superfluous skill. The beast¡¯s attacks were always more direct, aggressive, and each hit was the most simple, powerful attack.

    A sound immediately blew in the pit. The dust in the air was so diffused that the people could not see the situation inside.

    At this time, everyone standing outside the pit could clearly feel the tremor that was sent in the ground.

    The ves standing on the edge of the pit stood by guarding their ve owners, and saw the beast¡¯s attack, but not much change was seen on their faces. Their bodies remained close to the ve owners to protect them better and provide more timely protection in case of idents. Some of the ve owners also retreated two steps outward.

    There had been unexpected incidents in the pit previously. The fighting beasts were too aggressive, and the young, easy-going ve owners were too involved. They stood too close to the edge of the pit, hence, when the pit wall around couldn¡¯t bear the fighting beast¡¯s continuous attack and copsed, they fell together into it. With the fighting beast already with red eyes, it had trampled them to death.

    With these lesson from the past, even though there were still a lot of crazy young ve owners close to the pit, more people still cared about their small lives.

    The attack of the beast just now was very fast and destructive. However, the ve was certainly not a simple character to be able to enter the pit of the Colosseum.

    When one was in a weak position, it was necessary to rely on one¡¯s own physical strength, speed, skills, and so on. Hence, to deal with this opponent while slowly taking out its life, recklessly moving would make it harder to get the upper hand. In such a ce, once he misses, he would only be waiting for his death.

    For the first blow, the ve had avoided it.

    In the dust that has not yet dissipated, there was a continuous roar thundering. It was the beast¡¯s subsequent attacks after discovering that the first strike had missed.

    The beast¡¯s arms hit on the surrounding stone walls. A block of stones embedded in the walls were split and some of the protruding corners were ttened. In the face of such violent, continuous bombardment, the ve in the pit in contrast appeared to be extremely delicate.

    After several of its attacks were dodged, the beast inside the pit became more irritable and anxious. Such a small human had avoided its attacks a number of times. When it had fought other people, it could kill them in a single strike.

    There was another sound of explosion. This time, it hit the person, sending him to fly and hit the wall of the pit fiercely.

    The people around hissed at the same time, as if it was them that was just hit on their bodies. Some of the probably thought of how much painful that was.

    However, the ve, who had just suffered a blow, soon entered the battle again. He was able to avoid the next attack.

    A few momentster, the attack frequency of the beast began to fall. The spectators around them started to get impatient.

    At this time, the beast in the pit suddenly uttered a mournful howl.

    This gave the people who had justined a mental jolt.

    In the pit, the huge beast had one of its eyes spraying blood. Its two hind legs angrily trampled on the ground, but, even with brute force, it couldn¡¯t be used against the opponent, because the ve dodged too fast.

    Some of those who have already ced their bets had a sudden change in their expressions. Some appeared dignified, while others, like Su Gu, looked surprised with joy because of this.

    ¡°I¡¯ll win!¡± Su Gu said.

    Inside the pit, the beast¡¯s attack became disorganized because of pain and impatience. The ve also knew that his chance had finallye. He took a big breath, his momentum suddenly soared while the patterns on his arms lit up, some lines appearing on his body.

    Shao Xuan observed the ve patterns on the ve.

    The ve patterns were simr to the tribal totem pattern. In the desert cities, different cities and different factions have their own unique ve pattern produced by the ve owner¡¯s own hand.

    When he saw the ve patterns, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids jumped. He had seen this ve pattern before, when he first encountered the other ming Horns tribesmen.

    Those were originally from Rock Tomb City. He just didn¡¯t know what role this ve had in it. Looking around, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t find the ve owner.

    ¡°Good!¡±

    ¡°Kill it!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Kill!¡±

    ¡°Kill!¡±

    The young ve owners around were so high-spirited. They liked to see blood for fun, and the bloodthirsty atmosphere and the sound of fighting made them all burst out loud shouts.

    There was another mournful roar.

    The beast was struck again.

    It felt a heavy threat, and its remaining tworgentern-like eyeballs were frightened by the violence.

    Peng! Peng! Peng!

    The sound of bombardment in the pit exploded, the earthquake sending out countless sand. Even the stone wall had been knocked down, with a lot of dust flying. The scattered smoke blocked the battlefield inside the pit for a time. It was difficult to see the inside of the fight, but the intense bloody smell and constant thundering of the roar of the beast stimted the young ve owners outside the pit.

    ¡°Boring,¡± Lei said.

    Lei¡¯s voice was not loud. In the midst of the excitement, this little statement was drowned out. When they were hunting, they have never been so quick to grind. For them who often hunt, Lei could naturally see that this was deliberate dy for the performance. He was not ustomed to these kind of fighting for the ve owners. He enjoyed a fight with the fierce beast, but not in this form.

    But this was Beast City.

    The breath of life inside the pit was disappearing. The breath of a very strong presence was slowly weakening, until it ended.

    ¡°Win! I win!¡± Su Gu shouted, his expression excited andplexion flushed.

    Meanwhile, some of the audience around the pit were angry, their mouths stillining about what things like losing the bet. Some were excitedly jumping, like Su Gu, when they won the bet.

    ¡°Go on, take our bets! Then, see what we can win.¡± Su Gu excitedly squeezed past the people to get to the ce where the betting was. Many of the ve owners who won the bets were already gathered there.

    The betting here was more special. Even if one won and took their winnings, winning back something good depended on their luck.

    Note: Sigh.. I think this chapter was longer or maybe just more tiring. And I used Pinyin(?) now for the three city names. ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥

 Chapter 314

    C314 ¨C Blue me

    Posted on December 3, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The young ve owners¡¯ way of betting was slightly different. The losers could still not recover their bets, while the winners would return for theirs, and get a loot from the lossings of the losers.

    However, they don¡¯t get to chose what they wanted.

    When Shao Xuan went with Su Gu to see the betting area, there were already several wooden boxes of the same size ced in a few rows. These boxes contained the bets of the people who lost. Those who won in the gambling would get to choose by order, ording to the value of their bets.

    As for what could be chosen, it might be something unexpected. Many young ve owners put in some alternative things when they were betting.

    They did not seek wealth anyway. What they pursued was excitement and y.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll getter. I hope it¡¯s more valuable.¡± Su Gu said. He looked at the ranking of his bets. He was ranked 17th, which was not far behind.

    After withdrawing his bets, Su Gu stared at the choices of the people already done. Although their pursuit of things was not so persistent, choosing a more valuable item in this limelight was still going to be cool.

    Living far away from Beast City, Su Gu, among the younger generation of ve masters, was not among the famous ones. He was also not from the three big cities, hence, his sense of existence was even lower. If he could pick a good one, without even doing anything, he could get a good brush up his presence.

    Yan Hui, the ve owner of Rock Tomb City who had just won the beast fight, was sitting nearby, smiling as he looked over the selection of loot. He was probably in a good mood. When the people in front picked a box with something not of high value inside, he would speak a word offort or two.

    However, the loser, young ve owner Di Sheng, who sent out the beast from Fire Hill City, sat on the other side with a cold face. They appeared like a pair of strangers.

    These boxes were ced in person by these two, and they also did not know what was in the other¡¯s box.

    Shao Xuan also saw a ten-year-old ve owner pick a box and took a look at what was inside. It looked like sand, but it was in fact, a shrimp egg that lived in the desert around Red Star City.

    The life of that shrimp was very short. It would only hatch and grow when there was abundant rain. When there was less rain, the springs dry up and its eggs would die, leaving some shrimp eggs that looked simr to sand.

    Those shrimp eggs were the bet of the people from Red Star City. If it was other candidates getting such spoils, they might not be happy. However, the one who picked it now was a ten-year-old child, so this kind of food trophy was still very satisfying for him.

    Yan Hui said a few words to the child. The child holding the box of shrimp eggs was red-face with excitement. It was probably the first time he came here, and he even got into contact with a person from the three major cities.

    Su Gu didn¡¯t pay much attention to that side, as he was a little nervous.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what do you say I¡¯ll pick?¡± Su Gu asked.

    ¡°What do I know with what you want to pick?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Of course, you choose the best!¡± Su Gu was even more nervous in his excitement.

    Shao Xuan looked and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what criteria to use to determine the best.¡±

    ¡°If you choose, which one will you pick?¡± Su Gu asked instead.

    ¡°The third one in the first row.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    Su Gu looked over the boxes ced in the front row. When people picked, they chose the second row or the more farther away, while the first row instead was chosen less. Maybe they all subconsciously felt that things that were far away were better.

    ¡°Why?¡± Su Gu asked.

    ¡°Intuition.¡± Although this was what he said, in fact, Shao Xuan had used his special view but could not see the contents of the box. However, he saw that the light that the box emitted was the brightest.

    Shao Xuan did not give much exnation, and Su Gu had no time to ask again as his name had been called.

    ¡°Luoye City, Su Gu!¡±

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s finally my turn!¡± Su Gu walked a few steps forward.

    Su Gu was a new face, but the ve owners around did not care. In this vast desert, Luoye City was not much of a powerful city. Even though the deeds of the Luoye City King were known to many people that it became a topic of after-dinner chat, for the rest outside Luoye City, no one cared for it.

    Under the people¡¯s scrutiny, Su Gu stepped forward and stopped near, then pointed to the third wooden box in the first row that Shao Xuan told him.

    Yan Hui next to it sat up straight. Meanwhile, Fire Hill¡¯s Di Sheng¡¯s originally cold face became slightly better. For him, this getting picked by Luoye City¡¯s people was always better than Rock Tomb or other people they were not in good terms with.

    Seeing Di Sheng getting up personally to open that box, Su Gu¡¯s heart jumped. He had a spection deep down, could it be¡­

    The other people around also thought the same. Their voices were a lot smaller, while staring at it.

    Yes, the thing inside the box was the bet from Di Sheng own side.

    Di Sheng opened the box, and the crowd only saw the red light shing through the eyes.

    Inside the box, there was arge, crimson and bright gem, the size of a fist. As Di Sheng picked up the gem, the red light was even more brighter, and the people around it felt a flurry of heat.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the famous fire hill stone of Fire Hill City?!¡± Someone eximed.

    The fire hill stone that was produced in the desert around Fire Hill City, was a bright stone, that was attactive to a lot of people. At the same time, if you injected your power into it, the stone would be hot. The more energy injected, the higher the temperature of the stone, that even wood could be easily burned.

    In Fire Hill City, the fire hill stone was a symbol of power, beautiful and noble. People from other cities wanting to buy this fire hill stone might not be able to seed. They never thought that only a small ve owner of Luoye City would unexpectedly easily obtained such a big piece!

    Shao Xuan looked at Su Gu being discussed heatedly by the people and thought, ¡®With that item, he will probably be happy and satisfied.¡¯

    What was the practical value of that gem? To the people of the ming Horns tribe, it was only that. If it can be made into weapons, then it¡¯s good, but it was only as big as a fist, hence, it could only be an adornment. Or perhaps used for warmth in winter time, in case there was no fire?

    But what Su Gu valued was its symbolic significance and the influence of the stone on the ve owners.

    From now on, the name of Luoye City¡¯s Su Gu has been in many people¡¯s minds, and would certainly be mentioned during conversations.

    When Su Gu came back, his smile was particrly proud. Some people wanted to fight with Su Gu¡¯s beast, but Su Gu protected the stone tightly, saying that even if there was a fight, he would not take out the gem and just leave.

    The carcass of the beast in the pit has been withdrawn, leaving only one bloody ce.

    Soon, the second beast fight would begin.

    This time there was no beast, and only two ves. For the ve owners, ves and beasts were actually not much different. Even some ves were notparable to beasts. A giant beast on the scene would be appreciated much higher, hence, ves were inferior to many.

    The people standing around the pit scattered. They were going to see the other pits, but Su Gu didn¡¯t leave. He was going to watch the next one.

    In the field, the two ves seemed like they were moving irregrly. Suddenly, their shadows intersected, followed by a burst of rapid, broken sound.

    One of the ves was struck and his body tumbled into the air towards the stone wall. After the collision, arge amount of blood was sprayed out of his mouth.

    Shao Xuan could see that the ve had several broken bones in his chest, and that the broken bones stabbed his insides and wounded his heart and lungs.

    Sure enough, the head of the ve as he fell on the ground was crooked and he died immediately.

    The reason for this beast fight was because of an owner less female ve. Whoever won would have the ve.

    The victorious ve owner was very happy. On the spot, he used his power of very to enve the woman.

    In addition to Du Gu, this was the second time that Shao Xuan hade across a ve owner enving a person, and this was not a practice.

    The young ve owner doing the ritual was a little nervous. Although it was not his first envement, he had encountered several failures, and now, he had to do it under the eyes of many. If this failed, he would certainly be treated by the people of other cities as a joke. The pressure was quite big. However, this time he had done it very smoothly. Watching the sess of very, the ve looked at him with charming eyes, and he only felt a burst of fiery and quite contented feeling today. It really was an extraordinary day.

    While observing the fluctuations of the mes in his mind, Shao Xuan moved his fingers. Because his long and wide sleeves were obscuring it, no one saw his hand under his sleeve, when a little blue me appeared.

    Note: And that¡¯s the title. XD I thought the title was wrong since I haven¡¯t seen the blue me yet.

 Chapter 315

    C315 ¨C First ve

    Posted on December 4, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    For the more sensitive people around, even if they could detect something, the mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand had already disappeared. When they could not find the source of the energy fluctuations, they¡¯d only think that the other ve owners had itchy hands and would not care.

    Shao Xuan then followed Su Gu to the other pits to watch a few beast fights. There were some battle with beasts, but most of the time, it was ves fighting inside the pit.

    Every year, Beast City would be burying some ves, but they would also make new ones. For the ves, the trip to the Colosseum was a good opportunity, likest year¡¯s Dao Yu, who took a glorious victory in the center of the Colosseum, hence, his position within the Baishi ves increased greatly.

    Afterwards, Su Gu pressed a few bets again, winning and losing some. If he won, he would let Shao Xuan help him pick a box to be under the limelight again. But Su Gu was not too stupid. He knew not to overdo it, therefore, several choices were still his own. Although this made him choose poorly, he had reduced some people¡¯s doubts. Besides, his harvest today was far more than he expected.

    Since he received Shao Xuan¡¯s help, Su Gu naturally gave more care to the three people of the ming Horns tribe. He also informed Shao Xuan of the news he heard in the ve owners¡¯ circle.

    Back to their camp, Shao Xuan went inside the house to rest for a while, then said to Lei and Tuo, ¡°Help me look at the door outside. I have something to do.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    The two did not ask Shao Xuan what he was going to do. Usually, when Shao Xuan would record things, they would also be guarding outside the door. Some things should not be seen by the ve owners. Therefore, at this time when they heard Shao Xuan said he had something to do, they did not think of anything else. The two people just went out to stand by while talking about the day¡¯s events. If someone asked for Shao Xuan, they would tell them to returnter, and won¡¯t let anyone else enter the house.

    After Lei and Tuo went out, Shao Xuan carefully examined his surroundings, making sure that no one was around, before raising his hands.

    He saw several fights among ve owners to fight for other ves today, and he had seen the envement of the ve owners on the spot.

    Every time the ves were enved, a me would appear in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind. It was simr to Su Gu¡¯s, albeit there was a difference between the fire structure, but it was not as great as the totem mes between the tribes.

    During the ritual, the power of the fire was vtile. However, every trace of movement and rotation of the enery, Shao Xuan remembered clearly. Every time it happened, the impression deepened more, even when he was only watching. Shao Xuan only had the image of it just then because many ve owners were around, and he did not let the fire out. Now that he was back here with no other people around, it was a good opportunity to try.

    Before leaving the tribe, Shao Xuan had a discussion with the Shaman about the power of the ve owners. It was hard for the tribes to imagine how the power of the group ve owners came to be and how the power was given. Shao Xuan now determined that the power of the ve owners was very simr to the energy of the tribe¡¯s fire seed. He even spected that these two forces may be homologous.

    Recovering his thoughts, Shao Xuan mobilized the power in his body. The totem me in his mind was filled up, with the blue me more active. Some slender fments stretched out, then gathered together to extend.

    Shao Xuan only felt a pressure from hid head down through his neck, then shoulder, going along his raised arm, then straight ahead.

    The totem lines on his face and other parts of his body were revealed. The totem lines on his arms have been rushing through his elbows, stopping at the ce close to his wrist. However, the pressure did not stop there, and still continued to move forward. It seemed to Shao Xuan that it would rush out of his arms.

    Peng!

    A loud, imperceptible sound.

    Then, Shao Xuan¡¯s palms were surrounded by a blue me that suddenly emerged.

    At first, these blue mes, which darted out of his palms, were scattered and seemed to dissipate at any moment. But soon, they became solid and stable, clinging to Shao Xuan¡¯s palms.

    Shao Xuan looked at the meing out of his hand. This was different from when he used the tribal engraving secret to engrave Caesar. This time, there was no totem appearing in his hands, and the feeling was also different as he was more fierce and strong.

    As he retrived his power, the blue me disappeared in his palm, and when he mobilized it again, the blue me appeared.

    He did this back and forth several times, and Shao Xuan was able to do this more skillfully.

    Was this the power of the ve owners to enve?

    He just din¡¯t know whether he could really use it to enve.

    Thinking about it, Shao Xuan thought that he should practice with a smaller creature like Su Gu did at the beginning.

    His sight swept around the house, and Shao Xuan found a ck beetle that had drilled out from a hole in the corner. The beetle that crawled out of the hole was originally going in the other direction but was intercepted by the Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan looked at the beetle that was not bigger than a finger, thinking that the insect was familiar but he couldn¡¯t remember what kind of beetle it was. The Beast City was located in this piece of desert with rtively low temperature all year round. He did not expect that these kind of insect would stille out in such a cold day. This was extremely rare in other ces.

    However, there were many unusual creatures here, hence, Shao Xuan no longer thought of it. Instead, he thought of using this beetle to try to learn the method of envement, even though he wasn¡¯t sure it would work.

    He¡¯d still give it a try.

    Shao Xuan mobilized the power in his body again, and felt the touch of the blue mes extending out through his arms.

    When a solid blue me appeared in his hand, Shao Xuan turned to the beetle that could easily be crushed by a finger on the ground. He reached out and hit the insect with the me.

    At the moment of contact with the beetle, Shao Xuan seemed to see a strip of me stretching out toward the beetle to bound it tightly like a bundle.

    The struggling beetle, with the bundle of fments, struggled less and less, until it finally stopped.

    When everything was done, the blue me in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand had disappeared. Everything around him was no different, except for the little ck beetle that was obediently staying at Shao Xuan¡¯s foot.

    Did it work?

    Shao Xuan looked closer at the beetle at his foot to make sure it wasn¡¯t dead, but just stayed in the same ce.

    Insects were not like humans, not to mention these low-grade insects. They could not speak, express themselves, normunicate. Therefore, Shao Xuan would not know whether his first attempt at very was sessful or not in the end. And how sessful was it?

    Su Gu¡¯s first ve was the turtle that has already been sent to the pot. The beetle would not even reach the extent of being cooked, so Shao Xuan temporarily did not intend to crush it, and set it aside for observation.

    The beetle probably sensed that there was nothing else to be done, and went back to the hole.

    The ground was not paved with te. It was all sand, so it wasmon for insects to make holes but Shao Xuan was not thinking of plugging the holes.

    Looking at the beetle going into the hole, Shao Xuan got up to get a breather. However, after taking two steps, Shao Xuan suddenly thought of something and jerked his head back to look at the beetle still crawling towards the hole. The muscles on his face twitched twice and he suddenly wanted tough, feeling helpless and slightly embarrassed.

    He remembered why he thought the beetle looked familiar. Although there were some differences in the appearance of this beetle in front of him, it was very simr to that of an insect in his memory.

    As for the name of that beetle, it was the scavenger in nature, the dung beetle.

    Yuck! At least Su Gu¡¯s was a turtle. XD Anyway, the title was kinda the same as when Su Gu enved the turtle.

 Chapter 316

    C316 ¨C Sapphire

    Posted on December 5, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan did not tell the others that he had enved a bug, and that the hole in the corner of his room was not sealed up.

    Originally, he intended kill what he enved sessfully, but Shao Xuan changed his mind, letting the bug out of his control. But every day, the beetle would appear once.There was even one day when it started pushing a dung ball to Shao Xuan¡¯s feet.

    Shao Xuan thought at that time if this beetle wanted to be spared or killed?

    Probably aware of Shao Xuan¡¯s mood, the beetle pushed with its legs again to put the dung ball back into the hole. Since then, it has not pushed a dung ball out of the hole, which saved the bug¡¯s life.

    Every day, watching the guy always pushing the dung ball in front of him, Shao Xuan almost trampled it to death. Fortunately, the bug did not run around the house again and no longer appeared inside the room except for a daily peek. It was several days then that Shao Xuan saw it in the ce where the camel was tethered.

    At first, the insect was not conspicuous. In Beast City, there were many insects active despite the cold weather. These insects were more resistant to freezing than in other ces and they were often seen in the ce where the beasts were kept. From these dozens of beetles, Shao Xuan could point out which was his ve.

    As the days passed, Shao Xuan discovered that the bug was growing fast, much faster than its peers. Then, less than five dayster, it grew twice as fast and still continued to grow.

    In addition to its size, the bug was beginning to change its color. It was ck but now, it was turning blue.

    Shao Xuan also wanted to try unlocking the shackle of his ve, but he was not aware of the process of unlocking it, nor has he ever seen Su Gu¡¯s ves unlocking it. Hence, after careful consideration, he gave up the idea.

    Another five dayster, the beetle¡¯s body was darker and more pure. It looked like a dark blue armor, with a bluish light reflected under the sun. Its size, meanwhile, was still growing faster, day by day.

    From Shao Xuan¡¯s envement sess to the present, ten days have passed. A beetle that was not bigger than a finger has grown fast until it was the size of Shao Xuan¡¯s fist. Its six feet were also like knives with a hook. When Shao Xuan saw it in the camel shed, rolling a dung ball, he picked it up and swept it around, easily cutting off the surrounding weeds.

    Originally, Shao Xuan was worried that the beetle would be seen. After all, in such a ce, such arge beetle was too special. It was not a problem however, since this bug was quite clever. When someone passed by, it would hide quickly, slipping under the haystack. It still left its dung ball that was obviously bigger than others there, but fortunately, the ves taking care of camels did not notice.

    On weekdays, this beetle would appear in Shao Xuan¡¯s room, staying just around the corner of the hole and not running around. This was Shao Xuan¡¯s order. To his surprise, the beetle was obedient. It was more and more able to understand some of the moreplex instructions.

    Besides Shao Xuan, Lei and Tuo, who were staying in the same room naturally knew the existence of the beetle, but they did not know that it was a ve of Shao Xuan.

    Lei and Tuo were told by Shao Xuan not to kill the beetle. The two also noticed that each time they see it, the beetle had changed. Although they were curious, since Shao Xuan did not say more, they never thought to ask. In their mind, they guessed whether the bug was domesticated by Shao Xuan.

    The beetle looked like a piece of sapphire when it didn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Now that you say that, it¡¯s kinda like that.¡± Lei said.

    They had seen a ve owner bet two days ago with a blue gem. It was not as bright as the fire hill stone or the fire crystals, and now, they thought that the beetle looked like the sapphire.

    So, when no one else was around, Lei and Tuo would jokingly call the bug ¡°Sapphire¡±, shouting it until it became its name by default. Whether it was Lei or Tuo, they didn¡¯t mind the bug and just thought that it was interesting. Sometimes when they were bored, they would pick up a few twigs to tease it, watching the twigs cut into pieces.

    On this day, Su Gu and a Baishi ve owner had a fight, and Shao Xuan¡¯s group followed to watch.

    In these recent days, Su Gu often had fights with several ve owners of Baishi City. He had won and lost some. Just yesterday, he won a desert specialty and rare healing herbs which Su Gu brought back to Shao Xuan,. Shao Xuan had helped him a lot in the times he had to pick the rewards, so some of Su Gu¡¯s winnings were given to Shao Xuan.

    As for those herbs, Shao Xuan took a little with him, and left the rest in his room.

    When Shao Xuan and his entourage went to the city, in another ce not far from the city, there were a few people from Baishi having a discussion inside a stone house in their area.

    The doors and windows were closed, and only a few small stones emit a faint light. There was a strange smell in the room, but the three people inside didn¡¯t care.

    ¡°How?¡± A young man wearing a lot of gemstones as ornaments asked.

    Next to an animal hide, another young man was sitting on a mat, his neck hung with a string of bones carved into a variety of skulls. His facial features was cold and ruthless. Hearing the question of the person next to him, he turned slightly in that direction. ¡°Young master, rest assured.¡±

    As he said that, he lifted up a jar made of animal shells and released the contents of it out.

    They saw ants with heads likerge soybeans climbing out of the jar. There was a total of nine, all colored brown and ck.

    After a few ants came out, they entered a hole inside the house and soon disappeared.

    When he saw that, the young master sat down. ¡°Su Gu should be in a fight in Beast City. He would certainly not be in the room now. When he returned and found the fire hill stone missing, I wonder what kind of expression will he show. Haha ha!¡±

    Su Gu was known to a lot of people since he won a fire hill stone from Fire Hill¡¯s Di Sheng. Additionally, he had constantly brushed up his existence with the young ve owners¡¯ circle, hence, the number of times Su Gu was mentioned increased, which made many people ufortable, including ve owners from Baishi City.

    Unfortunately, Su Gu never took that piece of fire hill stone out to bet in a fight.

    In order to teach Su Gu a lesson, this young ve owner specially called these two people toe over to think of a way. At the same time, he also received news that Su Gu did not like to have a ve stay in his room. Therefore, this was what they did today.

    The thought of Su Gu losing the stone he recieved from Fire Hill City and his possible fate made the Baishi young masterugh again. Losing such a stone, Su Gu as a ve owner would certainly lose face!

    For the young ve owners, reputation was very important.

    Inside the room, in addition to these two people, there was a third person, but he did not make a sound from beginning to end. Instead, he quietly listened to the other two talking.

    Underground, a team of nine ants were moving from the Baishi station to the Luoye City station.

    (£þ©\£þ) I don¡¯t like that the name of the dung beetle was my birthstone. Sad¡­

 Chapter 317

    C317 ¨C Cutting Flesh

    Posted on December 8, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Deep underground, there were many caves, all of which were dug by a variety of insects.

    And these nine ants, in addition to digging their own, used these holes as they moved forward.

    The Baishi young master held up a cup of tea and drank a mouthful, before looking at other man who was sitting on the rug. ¡°What do you see?¡±

    This other person remained tolerant in the face of the other. In his heart, he wasining that the young master was really impatient. How long has it been since hest asked? He had already asked four times! Answering him was also distracting, and the more he was distracted, the more energy he consumed.

    Regardless of what he was thinking, the person¡¯s expression did not show any antipathy, but was more respectful of the young master, ¡°They¡¯re still moving forward.¡±

    He was able to sense something through the ants and then guide the ants to do things. In order to satisfy the demand of this young master, he would not hesitate to take these long-bred sand ants out. He was not a ve but has maintained a simr status as a ve. Because of his own ability, he had a good position among the Baishi of ves.

    If Shao Xuan was here, he would be surprised if he saw the young man¡¯s totem patterns. He was familiar with this person¡¯s totem pattern as he had encountered the warriors with such patterns just neighboring their ming Horns tribe¡ªthe Wanshi tribe!

    Moreover, this young man was not a mere warrior, but the next shaman of the Wanshi tribe. However, he had been in Baishi City for a while, and when he returned to his tribe, it was time of his session as shaman.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t they arrived yet?!¡± Baishi¡¯s young master was unsatisfied.

    The other two people did not make a sound. All their exnations would be nonsense, and the more said, the bigger the young master¡¯s temper would be.

    After a long time of waiting and the young master asking eight times, the person sitting on the rug finally eximed, ¡°They arrived!¡±

    He already sensed through those sand ants that they were already inside Luoye City station.

    Around Beast City, there were many insects in any station. There were many bugs, especially the kind of cold-resistant dung beetle Shao Xuan had seen. In particr, they dug deep into the holes, even if they were resistant to cold, and would still try to avoid the cold of the surface when resting. Therefore, deep down in every city, there were many wormholes.

    The team of sand ants that came from the Baishi, entered Luoye City through the underground wormholes and marched forward for a while. Then, they would go out of the hole to explore and determine the direction of the scent, before moving forward again.

    These sand ants were raised with herbs and were particrly sensitive to the smell of herbs. At the moment, they were looking for the herb that Su Gu had won a few days ago. That victory of Su Gu and the spoils that he won were all nned.

    The purpose of that herb was nothing more than a thing for the Baishi people to use to locate it.

    It was just that, those people didn¡¯t know that Su Gu had given these herbs to Shao Xuan. Hence, this team of sand ants eventually found the scent leading to Shao Xuan¡¯ room or more urately, the hole in which Sapphire was frequently entering.

    They continued to follow the scent, but did not sense the fire hill stone.

    In the area of Baishi City, the person sitting on the rug had a puzzled expression.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Baishi¡¯s young master asked.

    ¡°There was no fire hill stone.¡±

    ¡°How could there not? Did Su Gu go out with the fire hill stone? No, that couldn¡¯t be it. It¡¯s your ants that may have found the wrong ce. Keep looking for it!!!¡± The young master shouted.

    No matter how he felt in his heart, the man still had on a respectful face. ¡°Yes.¡±

    In Luoye City station, inside Shao Xuan¡¯s room, the nine sand ants were about to return after another round of the area when they found that the hole in which they came in was blocked. There was a beetle bigger than them there.

    There was a given task to them hence the team of sand ants immediately showed their killing intent and posed to fight. However, soon, they found that the opponent was too strong.

    After a face-to-face confrontation, the leading sand ant¡¯s head and torso has been cut apart.

    In Baishi City station, the expression of the man sitting on the rug looked ugly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Baishi¡¯s young master urged. See that the other side did not answer, he stood up from his seat and stepped forward a few steps to continue to ask, ¡°Tell me, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°There is¡­ Hey!¡± His words were not finished yet, when the man suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.

    With this, even the person who had been silent in the corner of the house, couldn¡¯t help but frown at the scene.

    ¡°Dao Yu, what do you think happened to him? What could it be?¡± The Baishi young master looked at the man who had never made any noise.

    Da Yu didn¡¯t answer. From the wooden box onthe side, he took out an herb, crushed it into pulp, then fed it to the man sitting in the rug.

    After swallowing the drug regiment, the skin on that person slowly returned, but he didn¡¯t say anything to the others as he closed his eyes to continue to do what he unfinished. Regardless whether he could find the fire hill stone, his few carefully raised sand ants must be withdrawn!

    Immediately after the first one, the second and the third sand ant had alsopletely disconnected from his consciousness, which meant that these sand ants have all died!

    He couldn¡¯t keep dragging this down!

    He must let them escape! If the team could not escape, then they would escape separately! Even if it was only one!

    He could not see exactly what the sand ants were up to, but he could still perceive a vague image. It was not the beetle, but a me-wrapped thing that looked like a horn.

    Seeing that the Baishi young master¡¯s face was getting angrier and intended to ask again, Dao Yu hurriedly spoke to him. ¡°Young Master, the situation now is different. Do not rush him, and wait a little.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s something different? What¡¯s the difference? I thought you said you could do it.¡± Baishi young master kicked the chair next to him, but now, his only course of action was to wait.

    In Luoye City station, the ves responsible for cleaning up the beasts like the riding beasts and others found that the insects around the beasts were exceptionally few. Even a shadow of a beetle could not be seen. Did they hid from a natural enemy?

    However, the ves¡¯ task was to take care of the beasts, not the insects. Even if they found that the bugs were less, they did not care and just continued their task to clean the animals.

    In the ce unknown to these people, arge-scale chase was being carried out.

    Among the nine sand ants that entered Shao Xuan¡¯s room, only four were left. The remaining five were fleeing separately. Some never tried the holes, some fled to other ces, climbing out of the windows or the door, then crawling to the ground to escape, or find a hole that led underground.

    However, even if they flee separately, they still could not escape hundreds of thousands of beetles and were soon killed. Especially those who drilled a hole underground, they were directly blocked and died there.

    Peng!

    In the Baishi station, the man sitting on the rug spat another mouthful of blood. He looked more frail than earlier, his face gray and defeated. It was not only because of the effect of those ants being cut off, but mainly by a thought of his.

    He had spent a lot of effort to cultivate the sand ants. He had around twenty in total, and now, suddenly, they were nine fewer!

    It¡¯s more painful than cutting his flesh!

 Chapter 318

    C318 ¨C Invited

    Posted on December 11, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The n failed. Hence, the Baishi young masterpletely thrashed all the contents inside the house. The man sitting on the rug was brutally kicked, and Dao Yu was also was sprayed with spit and scolded with a couple of sentences. Still,pared to the former, he was not beaten. This treatment could be considered good.

    When the young master lost his temper, the man on the rug and Dao Yu did not speak. One remained sitting while the other one was in meditation, both not knowing what to think.

    Waiting until the Baishi young master finally calmed down, Dao Yu stood up from his corner stone stool and moved to put it behind the young master as he advised. ¡°Young Master, with this failure, the next time you encounter them, why get angry when you can kill.¡±

    Fortunately, the young master was almost out of air, so when he heard Dao Yu¡¯s words, he grunted as he shook his sleeves and sat down. Then, he trained a hateful stare to the person sitting on the rug.

    Dao Yu quickly exchanged a nce with the man on the rug, indicating that he was not safe. After soothing the young master, he asked the man, ¡°What the hell is going on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, only that the nine sand ants were all dead. Not one managed to escape.¡± As he remembered that thought, the muscles on the man¡¯s face twitched, looking distorted and hideous. He was very distressed.

    ¡°Did anybody leak the news?¡± Dao Yu whispered, seeming to be talking to himself.

    The Baishi young master next to him heard this and denied. ¡°No, it¡¯s only the three of us who know, and there are two ves arranged in the vicinity of Luoye City. Those two ves would never betray me! It is impossible to leak the information in advance!¡±

    Since that was the case with the ves, the three people in the house also would not have been foolish enough to reveal the news of what they nned.

    ¡°What have you seen?¡± Dao Yu asked the man on the rug.

    ¡°A fire and what seems to be in the fire was like a horn? It wasn¡¯t very clear but I¡¯m sure that the sand ants definitely did not encounter an average desert beast,¡± the man said.

    ¡°Perhaps it was the ve owner of Luoye City who enved something?¡± Baishi¡¯s young master asked.

    ¡°No, it was not like someone from Luoye City.¡± Not even like a ve owner. But the man did not say thetter half of the statement. If he said that, the young master would be more angry, and the more angry he was, the consequence was that he was going to be beaten again. The young master has no good impression of the tribes, even the people of the Wanshi tribe were treated as ves. Looking at the different treatment between him and Dao Yu, one would know that he was still inferior to a ve!

    When Dao Yu heard the ¡°group of fire¡± and ¡°horn¡±, his eyelids twitched as he thought.

    On the other side, Su Gu¡¯s battle today was very smooth. Whether it was the fighting ves or the fighting beast, he had won, and won back two other fighting beasts which he had his people take back to their station.

    Back at the Luoye City station, Su Gu first let someone put the two fighting beasts he had won into the beast pen. They would take good care of it so he then went back to his rooms to rest. He had exerted more energy today outside, hence he was tired, and there were still stuff to do tomorrow.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s also returned to the house. Inside the house, Shao Xuan felt that something was wrong. He looked at the house, but there were no difference in the surroundings. The table, stools and other furnishings were the same as when he left them. Even the box with the herb was not moved.

    But when he moved his gaze to the corner, he found it. At the hole in that corner, a dung ball about the size of the hole was ced there.

    As the beetle grew, the hole grewrger and bigger, even with the dung balls piled up.

    ¡°How did the dung balle out again?¡± Shao Xuan wondered. For the past few days, the beetle gathering this pile was already stopped. Howe this thing was here inside the house again today? Fortunately, it was only piled up by the hole and not pushed to the other parts of the house.

    Aware that Shao Xuan was back, the beetle also quickly appeared from the hole, and then it stood on its hind legs, pushing the big dung ball to Shao Xuan¡¯s feet as an offering.

    Shao Xuan was still thinking how to get this ball and the bug all out, when suddenly, he saw the strange things wrapped in a dung ball.

    ¡°Sand ants?¡±

    Shao Xuan was confused.

    When did the beetle change its meal preference to sand ants?

    Moreover, these were long sand ants. He hadn¡¯t seen anything like it around here, so where did the beetle get it?

    It¡¯s not a good experience to study the dung balls inside the house, so Shao Xuan pushed the dung ball to the hole in the corner, and said to the beetle, ¡°You can eat it yourself.¡±

    For this appearance of a few corpses of sand ants, Shao Xuan did not seek to know the reason for it, but he had raised still raised his vignce. Even though he was not sure if the presence of the sand ants was unusual, it was always good to be careful.

    If, at this time, the owner of the sand ants knew that his beloved things were rolled into a dung ball, he might be angry again and spat a mouthful of blood. However, there was no way that the beetle would not wrap these corpses as it rolled the dung ball.

    Since he could not determine the cause of the sand ants nor get any information from the beetle here, Shao Xuan no longer thought of it, and decided to figure out what he had seen today.

    Today, in the Beast City, he saw a man from Shaqi City enve a fighting beast, when Shao Xuan realized something. Su Gu also wanted to enve the two fighting beasts he won, so Shao Xuan could just look again. He found that there was a difference with the ve owners when they enved menpared to when they enved beasts. The process of very was not soplicated, and was just like determining the rtionship between master and servant.

    The next day, Su Gu went to the beasts area to enve the beasts. The one he had used to fight in the city was brought by the team, and not something he had enved himself. Now, he wanted to enve the two he won so they could really be his own fighting beasts. The next time he fought in the city, he could be more proud as he announce that it was his own fighting beasts.

    Shao Xuan also followed him to the area where the beasts were kept. In other people¡¯s view, Su Gu was giving mercy as he invited Shao Xuan to watch. But in fact, Su Gu wanted to borrow Shao Xuan¡¯s ability. He knew that with Shao Xuan, his envement would be exceptionally smooth.

    The two beast¡ªone was a lizard while the other was a scorpion¡ªwere nearly two meters in height when they stood on the ground.

    Su Gu intended to try to enve the lizard first, which was a little easier.

    In the beast area, the two beasts did not recognized their master when someone went close, hence, they were more alert. The more aggressive scorpion lifted its tail and bent it towards its front, towards the direction of theing people. It seemed to be always ready to attack with its stinger. Its tworge pincers were also active, facing the people as if in demonstration.

    Su Gu was under the protection of ves as he entered. There were special ves in charge of taking care of the fighting beasts. If they were working here, they certainly have a bit of strength. Therefore, during the Su Gu¡¯s envement, he would need to use these ves.

    He finally let a person restrain the lizard as Su Gu moved close, then reached out to start the very.

    Shao Xuan felt the change, which was indeed much simpler than Su Gu enving a human. Of course, even though it was a simpler process, that didn¡¯t mean he could easily enve sessfully.

    An instantter, Su Gu¡¯s envement finished, and the beast did not need the restraining of the ves for the time being.

    Waving to let other ves to retreat, Su Gu went near the lizard beast, intending to take a good look at it and thinking about using it to fight with people in a few days.

    The ves surrounding Su Gu just ignored Shao Xuan. They were only concerned about the safety of their ve owner. As for Shao Xuan, even if the scorpion attacked him, they still would not look at him.

    Shao Xuan went to the other animal pen and looked at the big scorpion inside.

    The scorpion remained alert against Shao Xuan and seemed to be looking for an opportunity to attack.

    Shao Xuan looked at the scorpion inside, but his mind was back to that change in power the time when Su Gu enved that lizard. While pondering the scene in his mind, under Shao Xuan¡¯s covered long sleeves, there was a little blue fire that appeared.

    Almost at the same moment when the blue me appeared, the Scorpion, which was preparing to attack Shao Xuan, immediately retreated several paces. Then, its two pincers formed a shield in front of its body.

    Note: Not sure if I got the title right. It didn¡¯t fit the chapter much.

 Chapter 319

    C319 ¨C Ways of very

    Posted on December 13, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Was it afraid?

    Shao Xuan looked at the scorpion, then looked around him.

    Ten steps away, Shao Xuan was the only person. Su Gu who was nearest was still more than twenty meters away from there, while the ves were farther away.

    Since it was far away, Su Gu also did not sense the power fluctuations in the surroundings. His envement of that first turtle was more of a trial and the turtle was not a fightinh beast, hemce, in Su Gu¡¯s view, it was just slightly better than failure. However, now was a true sess, so naturally, his attitude was different. He was immersed in the joy of the sess of his first real fighting beast and did not pay attention to Shao Xuan anymore.

    After taking back the me in his hand, Shao Xuan observed the change in the scorpion.

    After a time, the scorpion opened its two big pincers and readied its tail again for an attack. However,pared to before, it seemed to be more afraid as it tightly guarded in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction but never stepped closer.

    Shao Xuan had a thought. He didn¡¯t know why but somehow, he remembered that time when the tribe was still hadn¡¯t travelled past the river and Lang Ga said something. At that time, Shao Xuan was just a poor little brat living in the Children¡¯s Cave.

    Then, Lang Ga was talking about the fire seed and Shao Xuan was called to listen in as theyughed. Puzzled, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Why was the tribe not invaded by beasts?¡±

    Because of this question of Shao Xuan, Lang Ga and the restughed and then, someone pointed to the top of the hill and said, ¡°Because they are afraid of fire.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that when they said ¡°fire¡±, they referred to the firepit. Now, Shao Xuan inexplicably had thought of those words from that year.

    Mobilizing the power in his body, Shao Xuan had mes appear in his hand again.

    The watchful scorpion saw it and moved one step back again, its two big pincers still forming a shield.

    Shao Xuan took a step forward.

    The scorpion retreated.

    Shao Xuan moved further forward and the scorpion moved back again.

    When he put out the mes and took another step forward, the scorpion remained on alert but no longer retreated.

    Shao Xuan twisted his fingers as he kept thinking. He had been able to determine that this scorpion was afraid of the fire in his hands. However, when Su Gu enved the lizard, why didn¡¯t the same situation ur?

    During Su Gu¡¯s envement, the blue me in his hands was also strong. But the two beast, at best, were just unhappy and alert, far from reaching the level of fear as he had seen now.

    Shao Xuan also wanted to try more, but on the other side, Su Gu was already nning to leave, so he had to stop too.

    Su Gu had managed to enve a fighting beast today. He had no more energy to enve the other, so he decided to take a good rest, then return and continue.

    On the way back to the house, Shao Xuan asked Su Gu, ¡°Between the very of a beast and human, is there a difference?¡±

    Su Gu¡¯s mood was very good these days, hence, he readily answered when this partner of his, Shao Xuan asked a question.

    ¡°Most of the beasts that have not recognized a master yet are much stronger than the lower ves. Therefore, during the ritual, we don¡¯t use the moreplex forms of very, but use another one.¡±

    Su Gu told Shao Xuan that when they enved a beast, the main purpose was only to have a fighting beast. Therefore, during very, they would only let those beasts form a servant consciousness to make them more obedient, but their own ability would not be improved or weakened. For those who were more powerful physically but weaker in obedience, the ve owners needed more constraints and management. Hence, the process of very was moreplex when they actually provide a source of power.

    ¡°There was no shackles on the beast when it was enved then?¡± Shao Xuan remembered the very and the lock theory that Su Gu had told him.

    ¡°There is, but not the kind for enved people. In general, when enving people, in addition to the source of their power, they will be given three locks. Three chains. These can be seen when the ves use their abilities. And, with each unlocking, it is tantamount to lifting a barrier to increase their strength. This is the way of very of our ve-owners!¡±

    When it came to this, Su Gu was proud as he looked at Shao Xuan. Like other ve owners, they always have a sense of superiority over the tribes.

    ¡°Can the tribes enve ves, too?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Su Gu thought that Shao Xuan was envious when he saw him enve the beast, so his smile became morecent, ¡°The tribes that believe in totems simply can¡¯t do these!¡±

    Really can¡¯t do it? Shao Xuan moved his sleeve-covered finger. However, he did not continue with this question, and instead asked, ¡°The turtle that you enved, did you also use the way of enving a beast?¡±

    When he heard Shao Xuan mentioned that turtle, Su Gu hurriedly looked around. He did not see other people, so Su Gu let out a loose breath. That was his ck history.

    ¡°Of course I used the way of enving a beast! Or do you think I would enve a food like a man, with no thought and no execution? How could I do that stupid thing!¡± Su Gu got slightly angry.

    At that time, he really used that method, butter regretted that so he had cooked the turtle in the pot. Anyway, no one knew how he had a turtle for a ve, and if it was mentioned again, he would just need to deny it.

    Shao Xuan looked at Su Gu, not saying anything and no longer made any noise. He thought of the beetle again. He did not know much about the envement of the ve owners before, but had tried it then. He did not expect that the method he used to enve the beetle was not for enving beasts.

    Thinking of the three locks Su Gu mentioned, Shao Xuan checked out the beetle seriously once he was back to rest at his room. Now that he looked, he saw that the locks on the beetle was not three, but five!!

    Shao Xuan did not know why such a situation arose, and what was the purpose of the two more locks. He guessed that it was probably rted to the special power in his body. It was probably the reason why the other tribes could not enve ves but he could.

    Shao Xuan himself was a special case!

    As for the unlocking, Shao Xuan saw it from Su Gu.

    One time, after he had observed his more than ten ves, Su Gu chose the two best-performing ves and unlocked them. Shao Xuan was right beside him at that time.

    Shao Xuan quietly looked at the beetle wearing a blue armor at his foot. He would not be like Su Gu, killing his first ve. As he recalled the changes on the beetle, Shao Xuan thought, should he try to solve a lock?

    However, his understanding of the envement of the ve owners was limited. Wouldn¡¯t his reckless attempts make more uncontroble trouble?

    To be on the safe side, Shao Xuan intended to wait and learn more, before giving it a shot.

    At the moment, the beetle, who was at Shao Xuan¡¯s feet, did not know what was going on in the mind of its master. Yesterday, it pushed the wrapped up sand ants¡¯ bodies back to the hole when his owner said that he¡¯d let it enjoy for itself. However, it usually did not eat sand ants, but the master said those words so it was not good not to listen. After only a day, those sand ants were eaten. Afterwards, it realized that ¡­ oh, it tasted good.

    Note: I had difficulties understanding what methods used when, but I hope this was clear. Anyway, I¡¯m liking the beetle but I still don¡¯t feel good naming it Sapphire.

    (?¡ä-§Õ-)¡£¡£

 Chapter 320

    C320 ¨C Missing

    Posted on December 15, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    The next morning, Su Gu called Shao Xuan to go together to the animal pen again to enved the other fighting beast.

    After a night¡¯s rest, Su Gu was eager to give enving the scorpion a try. For two days, he did not go to fight in Beast City and his heart was itching unbearably. However, as long as he enved that scorpion smoothly today, tomorrow, he could take them to fight in Beast City and gamble again.

    The inner pen was still the same as yesterday. There was nothing unusual. Knowing that Su Gu wasing to enve the beast today, the ves who take care of the beast pen have been waiting there.

    Shao Xuan looked around. Since they came to this piece ofnd, he never saw the king of Luoye City. It seemed that every king¡¯s whereabouts would always let the people wonder. Even when he had been inside the city so many times, Shao Xuan just saw the small ve owners of each city, but did not see any king. Perhaps, until the opening day of the Beast City Colosseum, they wouldn¡¯t see the any of the kings showing their presence.

    The movement inside the animal pen turned Shao Xuan¡¯s attention back. Over there, the ves have joined forces to keep the scorpion restrained, especially the few ves of Su Gu to show their strengths. Although they have limited power, their attitude was sufficient enough to get a brush of Su Gu¡¯s goodwill, and have an early release of the locks in their bodies.

    When the scorpion was restrained, its tail was bound, while Su Gu just went up and began to enve it.

    This time, the very took a little longer than yesterday. Even if the scorpion has been enved, Su Gu, at the end of the ritual, still appeared to be weaker and full of sweat.

    Behind him, the ves hurriedly took a towel wet with water to wipe off Su Gu¡¯s sweat. The other ves also did their duties, taking care of this young master. Seeing that there was no stool, there was even a ve who cleverly kneeled directly on the ground to let Su Gu sit on his back.

    After resting for a while, Su Gu¡¯s face was a lot better. He then stood up to go see the scorpion at a closer distance.

    Unlike yesterday with the lizard fighting beast, the scorpion¡¯s temper was obviously a lot worse. As Su Gu got near, the scorpion¡¯s tail went up again, though towards Su Gu, the thorn was down, but it was still threatening.

    Shao Xuan looked puzzled. ¡°You have enved it sessfully, right? Why is it still so defensive on you?¡±

    Su Gu was not angry because of the scorpion¡¯s behavior, and instead, his eyes actually lit up. Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s question, he said, ¡°The stronger the beast, the harder it will obey. All the more it behaves like this because I have enved it using other forces rather than by the strength of my own body to make it surrender.¡±

    ¡°Is there a difference?¡± Shao Xuan questioned.

    ¡°Naturally, there is. It¡¯s certainly different for the ves to be forced into very when they are defeated directly. The riding beast of my father, the king was defeated then enved, so even if the great beast was very powerful, it listens to my father.¡± Su Gu pointed to the scorpion in front of them. ¡°And like this, I sessful enved it, but it will be in a rebellious mood. However, it doesn¡¯t matter as long as can stabilize it and have it be obedient at some point. Then, it will stick to me once the battle of the beasts was on the line.¡± Su Gu said confidently. ¡°Later on, I will be stronger and will have others surrender to my strength!¡±

    Although the scorpion still had a little resistance, butpared to yesterday, it was much better. It showed fear to Su Gu, especially when Su Gu stretched out his hands with blue me, it was even more fearful. It was just that its vignce was no different than yesterday when it saw Shao Xuan.

    Su Gu walked around the scorpion and tested it. He felt that if it was in a fight, the scorpion would have a bigger chance of winning than the lizard beast yesterday.

    Since he ced high hopes on the scorpion, Su Gu naturally gave more care to its breeding. When he wanted to test it, he would also look for the ves in charge of this beast pen to inquire.

    There were ves all around Su Gu, some to protect him, to prevent the scorpion from suddenly attacking, while some were called by Su Gu as he asked questions.

    Shao Xuan did not join them then. He found a dung ball inside the animal pen which was much bigger than the other little beetles¡¯ and there was something else on the dung ball.

    Shao Xuan looked closely and found that the ball wrapped with some insects, like yesterday¡¯s ball wrapped with sand ants. But the bugs that were wrapped in this ball were not sand ants but other bugs that live underground.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan finally saw a little blue figure under a pile of twigs.

    It was good that it knew to hide. Ii was just that, it had hidden but left a ball that was too conspicuous. Fortunately, the ves who take care of the animal pen did not pay attention to these balls.

    That being said, the insect-wrapped ball was really made by the beetle. But when did this beetle switch to eating bugs?

    It probably became aware of Shao Xuan, hence the beetle moved to his side.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what are you doing over there?¡± Su Gu asked. He didn¡¯t go that way though since it was too dirty over there.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shao Xuan also retreated. He did not want to be near these wastes of a bunch of beasts so he didn¡¯t stay long.

    ¡°By the way, three dayster is the opening of the Colosseum. You can follow me in.¡± Su Gu and Shao Xuan talked about some things to pay attention to during that time.

    Shao Xuan took notes as it was prudent to stay safe while in a ce full of ves and ve owners.

    After returning to the house, Shao Xuan repeated what Su Gu said to Lei and Tuo.

    The next day, Su Gu got up early in the morning. He nned to take the lizard fighting beast out to fight with people. He then sent a person to call Shao Xuan¡¯s group to go together, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t n to go out today. He wanted to practice in the house to unlock the turtle¡¯s shackles. Although he had seen Su Gu actually doing the unlocking of a ve, but he still couldn¡¯t grasp it so his was more of a simtion. With Su Gu¡¯s exnation, there was no chance to practice his simtion. The beast masters were mostly ve owners and his would be detected.

    However, even when Shao Xuan did not go out, Lei and Tuo were very interested in the happenings outside. Staying in the house for two days and not walking freely nor go out when they heard that Su Gu went out, they were more piqued. Looking at the beasts was only second, and they just wanted to go out to know more of the other beasts. In Beast City, there were a lot of beasts that they have never seen before, and observing them more could make them know more of these beasts.

    After the other people have left, Shao Xuan listened to the movements around. Once he was sure that no one was close to the door, he recalled resulting power fluctuations and methods Su Gu did when he unlocked a ve and began to simte.

    However, somehow, Shao Xuan¡¯s simtion today was not smooth. There was always a certain part with an error.

    After repeated failures, he was a little tired so he put out his power, then Shao Xuan sat on a stool, feeling unsettled. Maybe because he couldn¡¯t concentrate, hence there were repeated mistakes.

    In the afternoon, a ve from Su Gu¡¯s side came to Shao Xuan¡¯s room and asked Shao Xuan about Lei and Tuo who came with them.

    ¡°What happened to those two that nobody saw them?¡± Shao Xuan asked hastily.

    ¡°A dispute happened not long ago. When it finally calmed down, the young master cannot find those two, so the master was also angry.¡± The ve said with displeasure.

    Hearing so, Shao Xuan ignored the other¡¯s tone and thought of Dao Yu who went to Beast City as a ve.

 Chapter 321

    C321 ¨C First Lock

    Posted on December 17, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    On their way to the city, Shao Xuan listened to what the ve was saying.

    The ve also couldn¡¯t tell much. After all, in the chaos, the ves naturally protected their ve owners, and did not care about other people. They won¡¯t ever divert their attention to check Lei and Tuo¡¯s movement.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at Beast City, Su Gu had stretched his face with anger, obviously in a very bad mood.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan did not see the lizard fighting beast brought this morning, and then connected it to what the ve said that Su Gu had that beast lost in a fight.

    Upon seeing Shao Xuan, Su Gu¡¯splexion slowly returned to normal. Since Shao Xuan was hisrade, Su Gu¡¯s attitude to him was good.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know where they went, and nobody found them when I sent someone to look.¡± Su Gu said. He didn¡¯t want to mention the stuff about his fighting beast losing before the chaos.

    After the end of the battle, this side became a mess because of a dipute of a few bystanders. When the chaos ended, the ve owners left with their ves, but Su Gu could not see Lei and Tuo.

    In this territory dominated by ve owners, if the tribal people randomly wander around, they would likely suffer losses. Even if they were not the instigators, it was a very likely thing that they¡¯s still lose. Therefore, during the first day they were in Beast City, Su Gu and Shao Xuan¡¯s group talked about it. Before this, the three had behaved cautiously, but nobody expected that such a thing would happen today.

    Su Gu thought that Lei and Tuo went out of the city to go back to the station or to other ces in the city to do other work. In his impression, the tribal people¡¯s style was always mysterious. However, seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction, Su Gu knew that those two circumstances were not the case.

    After hearing the story, Shao Xuan said, ¡°I did not have them go do other stuff, and I also believe that they will not wander around at random. It must be that something happened or they saw something.¡±

    ¡°Where did they disappear just now?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    There were traces of the chaos that just ured on the ground. The footprints were messy with many people and animal traces.

    ¡°They were not far from me, but when it turned chaotic, they were driven away by the crowd.¡± Looking back at the chaos then, Su Gu¡¯splexion changed. When he was angry, he had not thought much about it but now that he¡¯d calmed down, the more he thought that there was something wrong. Then, he looked at Shao Xuan and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head, ¡°All were only suspicions.¡±

    When the two went missing, nobody paid attention to the situation during the chaos. Su Gu felt depressed , having some guilt while he faced Shao Xuan. ¡°I¡¯ll send someone to find them.¡±

    ¡°It would be easier to find people if there were a few animals with a keen sense of smell and tamed beasts.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Su Gu also understood what he wanted to do. Hence, he said a few words to Wu Shi on his side and let him go back to get the requirements of the beasts to be brought over.

    Wu Shi did not say much words, rushing back to bring two wolf-like beasts. This kind of beast¡¯s individualbat effectiveness was inferior to others. It was basically one that was not put in the pit. On weekdays, many of them were used to looking for escaped ves or fighting beasts, or to seek for prey.

    Shao Xuan rushed over, and specially brought two clothes used by Lei and Tuo to let the animals get their smell.

    After smelling the clothes, the two beasts sniffed at the ground, then ran straight in one direction.

    ¡°There!¡± Su Gu¡¯s spirit rose. ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    At the same time Su Gu thought in his heart: Only Lei and Tuo would leave without permission. If they had to find other people, he will never spare any!

    However, Su Gu and Shao Xuan wereter disappointed when the two beast stopped after a while.

    ¡°Nothing? They can¡¯t look more?¡± Su Gu looked around. The ve owners were riding all kinds of beasts, with ves walking back and forth and no one had stayed in this area to ask for useful news.

    The useful footprints on the ground had already been trampled by other passersby, so they couldn¡¯t see other clues.

    Shao Xuan blew out a whistle to contact them, but no one responded. Until dusk, they didn¡¯t find anyone.

    After being out of town, Chacha found many entertainment in the desert but still came to Shao Xuan when he called.

    Back to the Luoye City station, Shao Xuan entered the house to see the dried grass that was brought in and put unused in the corner. He picked it up to test, and the softness was still there.

    Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mood. Once he had cooled down, Shao Xuan held the end of the grass, mobilize the power in his body, and watched the hands and rope in his mind, immersing in it. He wanted to predict the position of Lei and Tuo in this way.

    And so, when he separated from that state, Shao Xuan had a moment of vertigo. Today, he had tried to unlock too many times, consuming a lot of energy, so now, doing rope divination soon after would really make him unusually exhausted.

    Putting his head down and letting his consciousness clear, Shao Xuan looked at the knot in his hands, carefully identifying the conclusion of the knot. The more his eyebrows wrinkled tightly, the deeper the hostility that came in his eyes.

    Just then, Su Gu came knocking at the door.

    Shao Xuan swept the door panel aside, seeing Su Gu standing at the door looking very poor.

    Su Gu walked into the room but did not let the ves follow. He looked at Shao Xuan and asked, ¡°Do you have any spection about Lei and Tuo?¡±

    ¡°Baishi City!¡± Shao Xuan said simply.

    Su Gu was surprised. He didn¡¯t think that Shao Xuan would unexpectedly guess it. However, as he thought of Shao Xuan¡¯s uncanny predictive ability, he felt relieved.

    Su Gu passed a piece of cloth to Shao Xuan, as he spoke. ¡°Take a look at this. Someone just sent it over.¡±

    The piece of cloth was simr to the one worn by Shao Xuan. It was obviously cut off from Lei and Tuo¡¯s clothes. There were words written on top of it, and it was only four words¡ªMeet at the Colosseum.

    Scratching his head, Su Gu did not know what to say. As he thought about it, he was afraid that Shao Xuan would impulsely go directly to the Baishi station so he advised, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t go to Baishi Station. You might not be able to go back.¡±

    ¡°You rest assured, I know.¡± Shao Xuan said. He put the cloth on the side, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll keep this piece of cloth.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± This time, Su Gu had no other opinion.

    After saying a few more words, Su Gu then left.

    Shao Xuan thought for the whole night alone in his room. He wasn¡¯t even a little sleepy, thinking of the real intentions of the other side to grab Lei and Tuo.

    The next day, Su Gu did not enter Beast City as he was not in the mood. Knowing that the scorpion came from the Baishi people, he also sighed with anger. With the two fighting beasts he had enved, only one was left which was the scorpion beast. He spent the whole day in the animal pen, staring at the ves feeding the scorpion, and also inquired about some of the herbs that were said to enhance itsbat effectiveness. Although it may be true or false, he still made some and had someone catch a few small desert beasts to do experiments.

    Shao Xuan did not go out, except to call back Chacha to not let it run around in the mean time, or also go to the Baishi station site.

    Su Gu thought that the Baishi people did that because of the grievances between ve owners and tribes. In his heart, he was really d that Shao Xuan didn¡¯t go out that day.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan was thinking some more about the thing which has garnered the other city¡¯s enmity. Perhaps, Dao Yu was one of the reasons, but he didn¡¯t know which role Dao Yu yed in this.

    Dao Yu¡­

    Shao Xuan put his hand on his waist.

    Su Gu said that if Shao Xuan went over to the Baishi station, there might be a chance that he couldn¡¯t return. Shao Xuan also knew that his strength couldn¡¯t take care of everyone in Baishi. Not to mention, the other side had sent that cloth telling him to meet them, so they certainly took precautions.

    After thinking for a night, he couldn¡¯t think of a way to deal with it. Shao Xuan was still sitting in his room, continuing to think. Since the other side said ¡°Meet at the Colosseum¡±, was it necessary to let him fight a beast? If so, until then, would both sides not do anything life-threatening to each other for the time being and deal with it at the Colosseum in the center of Beast City¡­ How else can they fight?

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan heard something. He looked at the ground and saw the blue beetle at his foot.

    Shao Xuan stared at the beetle at his foot thoughtfully.

    As usual, the beetle did not wait for a long time for Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction. When it was about to leave, Shao Xuan made a noise.

    ¡°Come back.¡±

    The beetle, who walked a few steps towards the hole, turned and climbed back.

    Shao Xuan leaned over and stretched out his hand towards the beetle. He had thought to try to unlock the beetleter, but now that something happened to Lei and Tuo, Shao Xuan changed his mind. He intended to relieve the beetle of the first lock.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s hands out with the blue me, the beetle seemed to know Shao Xuan intentions. It obediently stayed in the same ce. He did not know if it was too excited, but its two hind legs were on the ground, gently pushing the ball as was its long time habit, especially now that it was excited.

 Chapter 322

    C322 ¨C Attack

    Posted on December 19, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Recently, in the Luoye City station, the ves who take care of the fighting beasts found something wrong with the insects in the beasts¡¯ pen. Those who specialize on beasts were considered to be very experienced and they were familiar with the bugs that often appear in the animal pen to clean up the debris, but this time, the insects¡¯ movements made them scratch their heads.

    Some days ago, they all started to disappeared. They didn¡¯t care about that, but then, the waste in the pen decreased, while the insects increased. Often, they could see the small beetles active in the animal pen. In this respect, the ves were very happy as they didn¡¯t have to deal with the waste, which was easier for them. Sometimes they could even find a few huge dung balls. However, the situation did notst long, and then it changed again.

    The waste in the animal pen has be more and more, but the beetles, which were active before decreased, and the change continued.

    Where the hell were the beetles going? The ves who cleaned the beasts¡¯ pen were baffled.

    In one of the animal pens, two ves had just cleaning up the waste inside and sat next to the animal pen to rest.

    ¡°How is it that I feel that these wastes are increasing?¡± A veined.

    ¡°I think it might be because the Colosseum is about to open and there are more things they could feed themselves these days from those fighting beasts.¡± The other ve sighed.

    They could onlyin privately when the ve owners were not paying attention.

    ¡°Well, thest two days, these bugs started decreasing, right?¡± one asked. He then saw a beetle crawling past his feet, so he stretched his legs, kicking it with his feet.

    ¡°I know. They might also have gone underground for the winter. Whatever it is, we just have to look after the fighting beasts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so¡­ Ah, Oh!¡± The ve who was ying with the kicked beetle suddenly screamed.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The othet one was startled by the sound of hispanion.

    The ve, who had just called out, bent his leg and looked at his feet. His shabby shoes, made of coarse cloth and grassin the front-ends was now broken with a big hole and his toes were all out. Originally, he did not care as he usually wear nothing. However, just then, when he stretched his foot to kick the beetle, he felt a bit itchy.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it was bitten or scratched.¡± The ve said.

    ¡°Must have been scratched a bit. These insects eat rubbish, how can they bite?¡± The other didn¡¯t care. They have been in the animal pen for so many years, have been with these insects for a long time, and have never been bitten before.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s even bleeding.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. The bug just scratched it.¡±

    The two ves didn¡¯t care. The ves who were busy with the other beasts were not careful to observe the changes of the beetles in the pen either so they didn¡¯t realize that the increasingly bizarre beetles were gradually abandoning those wastes and turning to other foods.

    On the other hand, Shao Xuan sent a person to Su Gu to give a message that he just left the Luoye City station.

    Shao Xuan has the pass token here, so he could freely ess the station. Although he couldn¡¯t go into the Beast City, the other ces were still avable.

    He was going on a trip. Even though there¡¯s a chance that he might meet people from Baishi, he decided to take a risk. The other side was very calm. Perhaps they also did an investigation on Shao Xuan¡¯s group, but Shao Xuan only knew very little about them. Since the other side wouldn¡¯t take the initiative, Shao Xuan decided to take a step, trying to gauge the other¡¯s reaction to help specte on their intentions.

    As for Su Gu in the beast pen, after he had heard the news the ve reported, he didn¡¯t have the heart to continue checking the scorpion beast.

    ¡°Where did he go?¡± Su Gu asked the ve who came forward to report.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t say where¡­ Just going out for a walk.¡± The ve trembled.

    ¡°He must have gone to Baishi!¡± Su Gu eximed. He didn¡¯t expect that Shao Xuan would let him rest assured yesterday, but today, to so quickly run off. He also counted on Shao Xuan to help him a few more times, but he couldn¡¯t be ughtered by the Baishi people so early.

    As Shao Xuan left, he rode on Chacha¡¯s back. First, they flew around the Luoye City station for a fewps to familiarize themselves with the terrain. Chacha was well aware of this already, but Shao Xuan himself has to take a look.

    After looking around in a circle, Shao Xuan had Chacha head to the direction of the Baishi City station. As they drew closer, they became more cautious.

    Seeing the Baishi station, Shao Xuan let Chacha temporarily stop moving forward to hover in ce.

    A shadow flew from the Baishi station.

    It was a bird. Its figure was slightly bigger than Chacha, but didn¡¯t look as strong as Chacha. However, its speed from the start of take-off has been very fast, flying towards Shao Xuan¡¯s side with people on its back.

    A chill suddenly rose on his back, hence Shao Xuan pulled back hastily.

    ¡°Go!¡± Shao Xuan patted Chacha, motioning it to withdraw.

    Suddenly, several other shadows appeared around.

    They were appearing from beneath the ground. There were some undting dunes around them, and the group should have dugged out hidden from inside these dunes.

    One, two, three¡­¡­ Five¡­¡­ Ten!

    Altogether, ten birds took off from the ground and encircled them.

    Fortunately, Shao Xuan did not let Chacha move closer to the Baishi station and they were able withdraw quickly, not being surrounded therein.

    Shao Xuan kept his body low, paying attention to the surrounding chasers. These people were deliberately waiting for him, probably since they only grabbed Lei and Tuo, and already knew about him, so they just waited at their own door.

    The chill in his heart rose again. This time, it was more intense, and Shao Xuan had a sense of being locked on.

    Swish-

    An arrow broke the wind. It was from the man who had shot from the back of the bird that hade up from dunes in the station.

    If it was an average person, their main target would be Chacha¡¯s body, but that wasn¡¯t the case with this side. Their goal was directed at Shao Xuan!

    Shao Xuan, after perceiving the threat, motioned Chacha to avoid the sh. He pulled out his knife and guarded against it.

    The arrow had almost grazed his arm. The wind that passed through his body like a stirring storm caused him pain and the apanying arrow torn through a hole in his sleeve.

    Although it was just through his sleeves and not even a direct contact on the skin in his arm, if Shao Xuan now lifted up his sleeves to take a look, he would certainly find that there was a scratch. The skin might even be broken a little and bleed.

    While avoiding, Shao Xuan quickly looked at the pursuers behind him.

    Although the hit passed him by, Shao Xuan felt that the pursuer behind that just shot that out with absolute killing intent was Dao Yu!

    The prejudgment of the target behavior as well as the decisiveness of the shot proved that it was done by a shrewd hunter, a killer who had hunted countless prey. The arrows were shot more strongly which was definitely not the bow and arrow of the Tian shan tribe, but of even higher calibre.

    In addition to Dao Yu, the other pursuers were also carrying bows, aiming them at the Chacha.

    Chacha needed to constantly avoid those shot over arrows. Fortunately, those who shot the arrows, regardless of the strength, speed and uracy, were not as good as Dao Yu. Otherwise, Chacha might not be able to sessfully avoid the hits.

    Even if he had to face Dao Yu alone Yu, Shao Xuan felt quite pressured. Not to mention that the other side chasing him consisted of ten people.

    The second arrow flew straight at Shao Xuan¡¯s back.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s wrist moved and his knife slightly veered off.

    ng!

    After contact with the knife¡¯s de, the arrow went in another direction because of the angle of the de.

    Shao Xuan could clearly feel the arrow tiping in contact with the stone knife at that moment, the knife chipping stone crumbs. The wrist of his hand holding the knife felt the shock of the impact that his hand was still aching with pain afterwards.

    No! That strong of an attack single-handedly shot by Dao Yu should also be to the degree of a senior totem warrior!

    How long ago has it been? From his betrayal of the ming Horns tribe until now has only been more than ten years. Dao Yu was just a wanderer then, but now, unexpectedly he could ascend so fast! Even if the totem warriors in the tribe had the help of the fire crystals with the fire seed as it re-ignited in the old haunt, there were very few people that could reach this speed of ascension.

    Dao Yu still had his third arrow poised, but just looked at the figure moving farther away in front of them. The other had their bows down and stopped attacking. Releasing another shot was a waste of arrows. Each of these arrows were manufactured from precious supplies, hence, they didn¡¯t want to waste them at such times.

    When the arrows were put down, Dao Yu standing behind an eagle also stopped and no longer chased.

    ¡°We won¡¯t chase them?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°A man of such gall, why bother.¡± Another replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a pity that we did not catch him. We would have had the three people of the ming Horns tribe together then, which is better. It would be very interesting.¡± The personughing nced slyly at Dao Yu¡¯s face. Seeing that Dao Yu seemed to be in a good mood, he asked, ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    Even though there were simrly ves, their level was not equal to Dao Yu¡¯s. If one would have to be specific, they have to work under the control of Dao Yu, therefore, in the case that Dao Yu ordered them to wait in ambush here, even if they were frozen outside for a day, they dare not voice out theirints aside from only saying it in their hearts. They were clear that if the other was offended, they could not see the sun of tomorrow.

    To have fled their range of pursuit, Dao Yu¡¯s evaluation of Shao Xuan was still an understatement of ¡°so-so¡±. His tone was its usual and would not reveal his arrogance and pride. But what about the rest of the totem warriors? Still not suppressed by his wanderers?

    As for Shao Xuan, in fact, Dao Yu did not have detailed information. He only knew that the two people they caught seemed to listen to Shao Xuan¡¯s orders. Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s age, he believed more that Shao Xuan was a descendant of the tribe¡¯s chief, like what the other tribes thought.

    ¡°Look for someone to observe at the Luoye station to look into the movements of that child.¡± Dao Yu ordered.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The man next to him answered quickly.

    ¡°Are you worried he¡¯s going to find someone from another tribe to help?¡± Someone asked.

    Dao Yu showed a contemptuous smile. ¡°People from the other tribes? In addition to the few who were caught, the others are also busy. Can they give attention to the three people from the ming Horns? As for their tribe, it was too far away so it¡¯s toote to ask for help. The few who are caught are just waiting for their deaths.¡±

    ¡°What if the escaped young man rushed to the Colosseum?¡± One of them asked.

    ¡°That would be better.¡± Dao Yu¡¯s smile deepened. In the Colosseum, the battle was between life and death. One could be put in a fight with a beast in the Colosseum, so which one would be good to deal with? Even when he went to the Colosseumst year, he made all kinds of preparations ahead of time. His strength wasparable to that of a senior totem warrior of a tribe, but he still paid a price. Therefore, how could those with the strength of just an intermediate totem warrior escape?

    You¡¯ll see Dao Yu. You¡¯ll see. *evil grin*

    Kind of a cliff, right? I was nning to edit a few chapters first, then upload them all at the same time. But then I realized, that¡¯s more tiring for me. Therefore, let¡¯s all enjoy the cliff.. or cliffs. I haven¡¯t read the next chapters yet, so I don¡¯t know.

    ©d(¡¨^?^)?

 Chapter 323

    C323 ¨C Chaos

    Posted on December 22, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    After their escape, Shao Xuan searched for a ce to look at Chacha¡¯s injury. It was nothing big, just a few feathers, so they took off again.

    They did not immediately return to the Luoye station, but looked around the Beast City desert for a ce where people, animals and activities were few.

    In addition, the city was usually more livelypared to outside. This piece of snowy desert has a lot of ces where there were few activities of people and animals. With the opening of the Colosseum, there were fewer peopleing out too. For Shao Xuan, that¡¯s a good thing.

    He needed a quiet, undisturbed and unnoticed ce to break through.

    Yes, Shao Xuan felt the barrier when he was practicing thew of very, which was more pronounced when the first lock was lifted from the beetle yesterday. The totem lines on his arms were very close to his wrist and seemed to be able to rush through as long as he waited a little longer.

    In an ordinary time, Shao Xuan would adopt a more cautious air, but the situation was different now, especially after that short meeting with Dao Yu. The decision in his heart was more firm. He must break through this barrier as soon as possible!

    Dao Yu had the heart to kill them. After just the previous incident, Shao Xuan was already determined to know how Lei and Tuo were now. Were they still ok? If Dao Yu just wanted them to enter the Colosseum, then their lives were not in danger for the time being.

    Shaking his head, Shao Xuan knew that the most important thing now was to first breakthrough. Even if he was more specialpared to other people as he had killed more than one senior totem warrior, but after all, that could be because of skills and coincidence. There was no absolute suppression, especially in this ce where there was enough intermediate totem warriors to see. Only through a breakthrough would there be more opportunities to save Lei and Tuo.

    Back in the Luoye City station, Su Gu saw Shao Xuan safe and sound so he was relieved.

    ¡°Are you going to Beast City?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes! I heard that someone from Baishi just took a fighting beast to the city. It¡¯s just right for me to clean them up!¡± Su Gumanded the ves to take the scorpion beast out and prepare it for the fight in the city.

    Shao Xuan cleaned up, then once again went to the Beast City with Su Gu.

    When Dao Yu received the report from his men, he felt incredulous. That kid from this morning had eaten a loss, but this afternoon would actually dare to run to the city for a stroll? Was he not afraid to end up like his twopanions?

    ¡°Then, should I find someone to teach him a lesson?¡± Dao Yu said to the people around. Although his mouth said to give a ¡°lesson¡±, his posture on the other hand, showed a hand slicing his throat.

    Dao Yu looked around the men but didn¡¯t care about who. ¡°You.¡± What he was thinking now was how to curry favor with the Baishi king instead of spending more energy paying attention to others.

    At this time, in the Beast City, Su Gu was fighting with a small Baishi ve owner.

    Su Gu¡¯s morale was good as he looked at the Baishi City people¡¯s eyes which were spraying fire. He didn¡¯t care about anyone else but these Baishi guys!

    Like it felt Su Gu¡¯s anger, although the scorpion usually wouldn¡¯t give Su Gu face in the animal pen, but in this pit of the beasts, its state made Su Gu satisfied.

    The other¡¯s fighting beast has been defending against the scorpion¡¯s tail. It was a surprise that the scorpion¡¯s fighting style waspletely different than the previous ones of the same scorpion beast they hade up with in a fight, which usually uses its pincers.

    As it was stimted by Shao Xuan and was enved by Su Gu, this scorpion was angered, and it couldn¡¯t wait until it could finally openly vent it in this ce and burst directly. With its vigorous strength, its big pincers waved and all was useless with its tail stings.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay near the pit but walked around. In particr, where there was very happening to get a close-up feeling of very by the city¡¯s ve owners.

    At this time, the blue mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind were very active. The envement methods of the ve owners in different ces were mostly the same, with very few differences. When Shao Xuan experienced these small differences, he also followed it with his simtion, so that the blue me in his mind remained active. As it became even more active, it would be good for his breakthrough, that was why he also chose to go to the city.

    While observing the very of the ve owners, Shao Xuan also noticed that someone was following him, but he had already avoided several attacks. Here, he would not easily show his totem lines, and would not be unscrupulous to open up as it was the ve owners territory and the tribes should stay low-key.

    Just as Shao Xuan returned to the side of the pit where Su Gu was, the pit fight had just finished. Seeing Su Guughing as he let the ves hurriedly go down to check the scorpion¡¯s body for injuries, Shao Xuan knew that they won.

    As the people around the pit were talking about the fight, a riot started.

    Not far from them, a tall beast, like a giant bear suddenly went mad. The ves who originally held it did not know why it went mad, then this fighting beast got out of its shackles and rushed to the crowd, to the direction of the pit where Su Gu just had the fight.

    The giant bear rushed quickly. Its every foot was like a meteor failing on the ground and causing a vibration with the thundering sound. It jarred the people¡¯s nerves.

    The ves only guarded their own ve owners and wouldn¡¯t take care of other things.

    The small riding beasts around were screaming and running around. When their ns were different from those riders on their backs, they became more chaotic.

    A man on a big gerbil pulled a rope and motioned for the gerbil to run to the left. However, the response of the gerbil as it was under the feeling of desperation was to go to the right. With the difference between the left and right choices, there was a moment of pause as the man and beast continued the contest. Therefore, the oue was that they turned around and the people at the back where hit by them.

    The crowd, that had gathered around the pit, were running and shouting. Among them, there were two people passing through the spaces quickly to move towards the ce where Shao Xuan was located, one to his left and one to his right.

    The moment the other party stared at Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan felt it, stretching his sharp nerve.

    With the precedent of Lei and Tuo¡¯s, Shao Xuan naturally couldn¡¯t let it repeat, so he decided to go to the city prepared. At this time, he skillefully moved around the chaotic crowd.

    The person near Shao Xuan¡¯s left took out a small knife that was hidden in his wrist sleeve. When he was ready to take a close little shot, a few big gerbils rushed from his front. He could only stop his movement until the gerbils were gone. When he looked again however, he could not find Shao Xuan¡¯s figure. He was going to look around again, when in front of him, a ck cold light shed. He couldn¡¯t see what it was, but in that moment, he felt a sense of despair.

    Peng¡ª

    The soft sound would be impossible to detect in such a noisy environment.

    The man tried to lift his hand and touch something strange in his neck, but found that the very action of lifting his hand up was difficult. The blood leaking from his throat was like a reservoir with an open gate.

    A cattle riding beasts was still running, and the person directly blocking its front was pushed to a corner with its horns. The ve owner of Red Star City on the back of the cattle had no control over the spatter of blood nor did he look at the flying man as he controlled the cattle and left the chaotd.

    The other person moving towards Shao Xuan¡¯s position avoided the gerbil at the time. When he looked again as it went past, he also couldn¡¯t find Shao Xuan¡¯s figure, but saw his ownpanion being picked up and thrown by the cattle.

    Seeing that the other party failed, as he did not see much, he thought that the other side was really stupid that their target was not killed, and instead, he was thrown by a cow. Looking around for Shao Xuan¡¯s figure, he felt a pain in his wrist. Then, there was a sudden appearance of tension, pulling him in a direction. Looking forward, the manic giant bear wasing that way.

    When he realized that he would be run over by the giant bear, he was anxious but his wrist was trapped by a tough silk. He tried to cut it off with a stone knife but the tension on his wrist was still increasing, pulling him toward the giant bear sides. He could not even find where the other end of the pull was.

    Panicked, frightened, aghast, but his struggle was ineffective. The force binding his wrist just became increasingly tight. Just as he continued cutting, it was toote for him as the bear¡¯s paw had alreadye over.

    Boom!

    Blood sshed, and the man was sent flying.

    For the others, it was just an insignificant man who had been killed under this paw.

    When everything subsided, the riots scattered, leaving only a mess. After another day, no one would probably talk about it.

 Chapter 324

    C324 ¨C Breakthrough

    Posted on December 25, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Su Gu was also worried that Shao Xuan would disappear like Lei and Tuo during the chaos. When he saw him safe, Su Gu was relieved.

    ¡°Are you all right?¡± Su Gu asked, then pointed to Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Shao Xuan turned his head to his side and saw the needle-like white line on his clothes. This was not the silk that he has just used. Pulling it out to look, he suddenly said, ¡°Oh, it should be the beard of the gerbil.¡±

    How did the gerbil¡¯s beard get to you? Su Gu thought. How did those gerbils run slowly, then cut its beard when they were in turmoil? He didn¡¯t know which gerbil was so unlucky.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was fine, Su Gu focused on the ves bringing the scorpion that just had its victory. Because of the sudden chaos, his spoils have not been given, but he could wait for the next time he¡¯d see the Baishi people so he could chase them again.

    The time was alreadyte, hence, Su Gu also did not stay in the Beast City and went back with his people and animals.

    Back at the Luoye City station, Shao Xuan ate something, then took a little rest, before riding away with the eagle. He needed to find a ce to try to breakthrough.

    Shao Xuan let Chacha fly outside, all the way to the beast desert. At the edge of the desert, he looked down over the high dunes, like waves in a sea of sand.

    There was no movement at the border, and there were few desert beasts.

    ¡°Here.¡± Shao Xuan let Chacha down.

    Shao Xuan¡¯sst choice was in the middle of two dunes. As long as it was not in the air, the people in the distance could not see this way.

    Chacha rested on the top of the dunes, and was in charge of alerting him.

    Night fell.

    Above the vast desert, the two round moon were close, circling in the sky. With the full moon night approaching, the two moons were closer together.

    In the desert, the white snow reflected the moonlight, making the desert look like real ice sheet. People would ignore it for a moment, but not in the desert.

    Everything around it was clear in the moonlight. If you stand on top of the sand ridge, you can even see some small animals thate out at night.

    Shao Xuan sat on the sand, closed his eyes and felt the totem mes in his head.

    The power of the totem in his body began to mobilize and prated into each of his meridians and blood vessels as the blood flows.

    A senior totem warrior,pared to an intermediate totem warrior, exceeded thetter¡¯s body strength by arge portion. Therefore, whether it was bones, muscles, meridians, or blood vessels, it would change under the force of the totem to withstand greater strength.

    Under normal circumstances, such changes ur after a day of umtion. Even with the help of a fire crystal to breakthrough, the change was not too fierce. As for the fire crystal, the energy for a totem warrior provided a gentle change. The bite was not strong, which was why the tribe use the fire crystal seriously. Unfortunately, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t use a fire crystal to breakthrough. When the tribe¡¯s people use the fire crystal for ascension, he could only use fire crystals to relieve his fatigue and not any further.

    But now, there was an opportunity.

    In his mind, the totem me curled up. The mes were getting taller and higher. Among them, the red and blue me were very obvious, surrounding the double horns of the totem outward, expanding and expanding.

    With the change of the totem me, the strength of every strand in the totem in his body was like a rushing river, suddenly breaking out and flowing out. Break! Break! Another break! His meridians were widened and strengthened. His every muscle was also changing.

    The pain caused by forced impact was obvious. His body was fighting a brutal war like millions of thorns were attacking his whole body. His muscle was twitching everywhere, his forehead with big drops of sweat, his breathing has be difficult.

    His arm under the cover of his sleeve had swollen. If the sleeves were pulled up, you could see the meridians in his arms. The totem lines on his body, including the surface, and the other totem lines all changed from the original dark color into the color of the me, same as what happened to Shao Xuan at the beginning at the edge of the fire pit during his awakening. At first nce, it was like drawn from a fieryva.

    The fire-colored totem pattern extended along his arm, rushing over to his elbow, then passes through his arm until his wrist, where, like a strong wall block, there was an obstacle not making it rush past.

    The totem lines on Shao Xuan¡¯s body became more and more bright, an umtion ready to send out.

    High above the sand dunes, Chacha maintained a vignt attention on their surroundings. This time, if someone were to sneaked up to Shao Xuan, not only would they encounter failure, but also might be seriously injured.

    Suddenly, Chacha heard something. It sharp eyes sweeping to a ce which wasn¡¯t far from the ce where Shao Xuan sat.

    Chacha opened its wings silently, going towards that side. If there were any unfavorable factors to Shao Xuan, it would rush over. But if it was just some insignificant little beast, it would not act as it might disturb Shao Xuan¡¯s breakthrough.

    In the sand, a hole was opened. From the ground, several small ws came out, followed by a small head, then the whole body of a small watermelon-like insect was seen.

    Chacha saw the insect, the one who always rolled a dung ball.

    Shao Xuan said to Chacha that it shouldn¡¯t worry about the bug. Therefore, after seeing it, Chacha¡¯s spread out wings were taken back.

    The beetle circled around Shao Xuan, not going close. It seemed to be afraid of the flow in Shao Xuan¡¯s body. Perhaps it also knew that now was not the time to greet, so it onlypped around then found a ce to stay. Today, it didn¡¯t find traces of Shao Xuan in the city station, so it went out of the station, then looked for Shao Xuan¡¯s position and found him now.

    Shao Xuan forced breakthrough this time was not short. Starting from nightfall, it continued until dawn.

    Chacha swayed its neck, getting some activity to its stiff body, then it took off, flying in a low-altitude for a check around. It made sure that it did not see other people and dangerous beasts appearing beforending to continue to wait.

    Looking around, Chacha found that the bug had run to the other side of the dune. Probably because it belonged to the border zone, with sand dunes on one side and snow-covered sand on the other side.

    At this time, the beetle was rolling a snowball and walking on its own, with its two legs on the snowball.

    When the sun finally shone on the sand dunes, Shao Xuan opened his eyes with a long sigh. He was sweating, but the wind appeared to be colder.

    When he looked up at the ridge of sand, he saw Chacha standing there with the addition of the beetle.

    He found the bug!

    Looking around the totem mes in his head, Shao Xuan found that the blue me¡¯s activity was stretching out in a line, one end of the line connected to a small star.

    The ignited star was probably the bug.

    It was the first time that Shao Xuan felt the connection between the master and the ve. He was aware of it before the breakthrough, but it was not as clear as it was now. He didn¡¯t know what those great ve owners felt like if they had enved so many ves. How could they separate tens of millions of threads from the mes? What if you cut it?

    After all, he was not an authentic ve owner. Shao Xuan was not sure whether it was the same as other ve owners. Now, he wouldn¡¯t cut the line between him and the beetle.

    When Shao Xuan looked at the ridge, the beetle was just pushing a snowball over the sand ridge. The snowball rolled down the steep slope of the dune until it reached Shao Xuan¡¯s side, then he reach out to block it.

    Just after breakthrough, Shao Xuan¡¯s control under the new power was surely not good. When he blocked it and hit his hand, the snowball cracked.

    There were a lot of sand attached to the snowball. He couldn¡¯t see from the appearance of the snowball on the surface, but after it split, Shao Xuan found that inside the snowball, there was even a small finger-length lizard hidden!

    After looking inside the snowball at the already no longer moving lizard, Shao Xuan was puzzled to see the blue beetle run down from the dunes. When had it began to kill lizards? Its preference have changed?

    Shaking his head, Shao Xuan did not continue to study it, and turned his eyes towards the sky. Shao Xuan put up his arms to stretch his limbs. Although his body still has some pain, he could clearly feel his strength. Fine-tuning his body, he wanted to shout loud, but still endured. This ce was not suitable for this.

    ¡°Come on. Let¡¯s go back!¡± Shao Xuan said as he moved his legs up to turn over the dunes, running to the snow.

    Instead of riding the eagle, he ran backpletely with his two legs. He could feel the strength of his ascension, feel as the strength in his body changed and feel his body¡¯s majestic power. While running, his body could feel the changes clearly.

 Chapter 325

    C325 ¨C The Colosseum Opens

    Posted on December 31, 2018 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan went back to the Luoye City station, then spoke to Su Gu. He wanted to have a talk with the Luoye City King, Su Lun.

    Knowing that Shao Xuan wanted to talk to Su Lun regarding Lei and Tuo, Su Gu agreed. At least he could still help with this.

    From here on, Shao Xuan rarely got to see the king. The kings of the cities were not like the other small ve owners, all day going to Beast City to fight in the pit or gamble. For the king, fighting in the pit was simply humiliating. There was already an event that could match them which was only seen in the huge Colosseum.

    An area in the Luoye City station was for the fighting beast for the Colosseum. In that other direction in the station, the small ve owners¡¯ fighting beasts were separated. Every day, there were people there to train them. However, because of the direction of the wind, the people and animals located in the upper wind could not smell the thick bloody smelling from that area but if you walked over, it was obvious.

    Su Gu went there to look for Su Lun and did not took long to return.

    ¡°Father was busy. He can¡¯t say.¡± Su Gu reluctantly told Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan frowned. So Su Lun would not see him. He would also like to talk to Su Lun about what to do when they encountered Lei and Tuo in the Colosseum, but now it seemed that this road would lead to nowhere.

    Looking at the reaction of Shao Xuan, Su Gu continued, ¡°Although father did not see you, but I will tell him about what happened to Lei and Tuo. Father said that as long as you can be better than the Baishi fighting beast, he would solve the other things, so you don¡¯t have to worry about the Baishi people there.¡±

    When he looked at Shao Xuan, Su Gu thought that Shao Xuan gave up. After all, that was the Colosseum and no average person could go down there to fight. Even the ves who were thepetent ves of the ve owners, every year, more than half have not been able toe out again.

    Last year, when Dao Yu fought, not a lot of people were optimistic. Many people saw him as a joke, that the fighting beast of Luoye City would win. However, it was not as they would¡¯ve wanted. Dao Yu unexpectedly came out alive. It was just a p in the faces of the Luoye City people. Some heard that after that, Su Lun also sent people to assassinate Dao Yu. Unfortunately, they were not sessful, and often, the people sent over there were the ones killed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s forget it.¡± Su Lun had said, ¡°If I didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t end.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know. To be sent there to die¡­ What did you say?!¡± Su Gu cleared out his ears, then looked at Shao Xuan, unsure what to ask.

    ¡°I said, I¡¯ll go. Please talk to the king again.¡± Shao Xuan repeated.

    Su Gu¡¯s face was a bit difficult to understand, like his expression was saying ¡°you¡¯re an idiot¡±. However, when he saw Shao Xuan had already made a decision, he no longer advised him. He just sighed in his heart: The tribe people are really a bunch to die!

    ¡°But, let me say this first. Even if father has agreed before, if you can win against the fighting beast of Baishi, everything will be good, but he may not really agree to let you y. You know that we are not in good terms with the Baishi people. We lost onest year and father¡¯s heart is in rage. This year, we will definitely send the more powerful ves down or just let his riding beast go out. Otherwise, if we lost again, he¡¯s going to get angry.¡±

    ¡°I get it.¡± If he was rejected again, Shao Xuan could only think of talking to him in another way.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you able to predict it? Can you predict what¡¯s going to happen after the Colosseum opens?¡± Su Gu asked.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. He had tried but could not see the result. The fight¡¯s oue was a mess of knots and it wasn¡¯t finished knotting, indicating that he could not see the oue. However, Shao Xuan could always feel that whatever would happen, it made Shao Xuan feel powerless. It was like being in a thick fog and seeming to perceive what was ahead but couldn¡¯t see it.

    Su Gu went to the two-storey building again where Su Lun was. He originally thought that Su Lun would once again dismiss him with a sentence, but what surprised Su Gu was that Su Lun unexpectedly agreed. He also said that he would determine Shao Xuan¡¯s fate after he saw the situation.

    Su Gu couldn¡¯t guess his father¡¯s mind.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan saw Su Lun¡¯s intentions. Tomorrow, when the Colosseum opened and Lei and Tuo were most likely arranged by the Baishi people into a fight, if he wanted to save them, they would either rob the people ahead or go directly to war. Then, with the help of the Luoye City king, they would sweep out of trouble. Both were risky and could only be acted on by ear.

    Before that, there was much to be prepared.

    That afternoon, Shao Xuan stayed in the house most of the time. Su Gu asked around the ves if Shao Xuan did something, but the ves could not say anything important. They only said that Shao Xuan went out several times, like he was looking for something, picked something up, then went back.

    ¡°What did he pick up?¡± Su Gu asked.

    The asked ve thought carefully, then replied, ¡°Was it like a branch? Or a stone?¡± He said it like he was not sure.

    Su Gu was disappointed as he let the ves leave. He wanted to ask Shao Xuan exactly what he nned but he was thinking that since Shao Xuan said nothing today, he would not disturb him. After walking two steps, Su Gu stopped and turned in another direction. He would still go see him tomorrow to prepare the clothes and others. Tomorrow would be an important day.

    No one knew what Shao Xuan was doing and nobody cared about it in the station, except for the people patrolling the perimeter who would focus on the Colosseum.

    The next day, the assembled Luoye City team departed from the station and went to the Colosseum.

    The Luoye City King Su Lun still sat on his riding beast, but this time, he was not alone. He also held a woman, the two people showing intimacy. Although the curtain was obscured and Shao Xuan could not see clearly, he listened to the sounds to know what was going on.

    The woman was a member of Sand Mountain City, the sister of the current king. Shao Xuan did not know whether the two people met up aftering here or had an earlier contact.

    There was also marriage between cities. The exchange among the ve owners was generally good, except when they were enemies.

    Su Gu saw his father was intimate with the other woman, but he behave quite calmly. It was not the first time anyway. If he could also have arge riding beast, he would certainly do the same thing with an enved beautiful female. But no, a female ve was too low. Today, what he thought of this time was not worthy of his identity as the young master. The girl that they won in a fight against Skywheel City a few days ago was good. Her temper was the same as theirs. Or maybe the one from the Red Star City? No, still not suitable. The woman¡¯s looks was not good enough¡­

    Shao Xuan nced at the dreamy look of Su Gu, then focused his attention on the ve owners of the other cities.

    After entering the city, the obvious feeling in the atmosphere was different from usual. There was a kind of eager energy. A few days ago, the small ve owners were arrogant and domineering but today, they were very well behaved. That girl from Skywheel City who had drawn a knife against Shao Xuan and Su Gu a few days ago, now looked meek.

    Near the Colosseum, Shao Xuan saw the Baishi people but did not see Lei and Tuo. However, there was arge box with them but he did not know whether people were locked in the wooden box. Unfortunately, there were too many people here. Shao Xuan could not find a chance to move the box.

    The people of Luoye City and the people of the Baishi City finally met on the road. If not because the Rock Tomb people came, they probably would first do a warm-up.

    Within the Rock Tomb team, atop the huge riding beast, Shao Xuan saw a person he knew. Although he had not see him for a few years, but that shiny golden hair was too conspicuous.

    He was not surprised. That year, when Shao Xuan was searching around for a time, the ve owner he met was actually one of the lesser ve owners in Rock Tomb City

    As the old ritual, if the people of the three great cities came, they should be given the priority. People in other cities naturally have to make the first move.

    At this time, no one noticed that, when that king¡¯s riding beast passed by, Dao Yu standing on the Baishi riding beast slightly bowed his head to the other side, like a salute.

    Hey, guys! Sorry, I didn¡¯t notice that it¡¯s been almost a week since Ist posted. I¡¯m too busy during the holiday vacation to edit.

    £¨£Þ_£Þ£»£©

    I¡¯ll try to post again tomorrow!

 Chapter 326

    C326 ¨C Shiny Debut

    Posted on January 2, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan followed Su Gu as they entered the Colosseum together.

    Inside the huge Colosseum, around the edge was the stands. In the middle, there was a nearly 10,000 square meter pit, simr to the pits outside the Colosseum. Just that, the size of the ce wasrger with a more exquisite structure.

    The sunken pit made Shao Xuan think of the crater of the bat mountain.

    The walls of the pit were made up of huge stones. Looking at the stones, he thought it was at least moderate level. For a lot of ves who couldn¡¯t even use good stones, the building here was simply luxurious.

    The kings of each city came to their respective ces with their ve owners and their ves.

    In the ce where the king was situated, there was a set of specially hung cloth used to shade or block the sun or snow. A few of the carved bamboo sticks were there too and the ves quickly put the cloth over it as they went over. Even if there was no sun today, it could also be used to block the snow.

    The man who presided over this beast game was naturally the king from the three great cities. They took turns to preside every year, and this year was the turn of the Snowfield City.

    The king of Snowfield city first sent the people of the city¡¯s big ve owners in the order he had arranged. Su Gu went over to Su Lun to take a look. Then, he returned, raising his four fingers to Shao Xuan which was to say that the beast game arranged by the Baishi City today was on the fourth.

    ¡°The first is the Snowfield City with their own arrangement for the opening war. Unexpectedly, it was arranged by the king himself!¡± Su Gu eximed. The order of arrangement was not meticulously written. There was only a serial number. However, this opening of the game was usually prepared with more details, almost as if the Snowfield City ve owners were trying to boast.

    Although the battle in the Colosseum was only for the entertainment of the great ve owners, the ves used it for the merits. However, for the other ve owners, especially those who were trying topete for the throne, they would use it in this way in front of their king to prove their strength. If they won, they would have a light on their faces.

    After the king of Snowfield City announced the start, the field was quiet.

    Rumble~

    Inside the pit, the huge te door lifting resounded.

    Shao Xuan listened to the sound of the thick stone gate, and then looked at the huge te. He was sure that the stone b was at least a superior stone. It was better than the rocks on the pit wall. In the tribe, such a good stone might be used to make weapons, but here, the ve owners just used it to build a door! That was a whole piece of fine stone, not pieced together. To find such a stone, the difficulty was not small.

    Especially if it waspared to the weapons in the hands of most of the lower to middle ranked ves and looking at the facilities in the Colosseum. If the tribes were here, they would not understand the thinking of the ve owners. Wasn¡¯t that a waste?! What a luxury!!

    After the heavy stone gate opened, he did not see arge body of a fierce beast but a man stood there with gold glitters. He was even shinier than the golden fur he had worn.

    It was a young master of Snowfield City that was in the opening game.

    After Shao Xuan saw the Snowfield City¡¯s young master, he suddenly felt extremely shocked. It was not that the person was dazzling, but that the equipment in his body made Shao Xuan quite surprised.

    Anyone who was in a stone-d environment suddenly seeing a man in metal armor would be.

    Even before Shao Xuan saw Su Gu¡¯s treasure with that piece of gold, he had thought of whether there was a metal mine here. After all, from the beginning to the present, Shao Xuan never found a suitable smelting metal ore. Originally, he thought that this world only has unique stones but no ores existed. Even if he knew it was difficult to find, he still gave up looking for a metal mine. In the desert, while in contact with the Su Gu and the other ve owners, Shao Xuan also did not see them use metal equipment. Even their knives was the same as Shao Xuan¡¯s stone knife, but the style was a little more extravagant.

    But now, Shao Xuan¡¯s original idea copsed.

    In Snowfield City, this master wore an approximate golden armor as he entered with arge axe in his hand simr to gold. The axe¡¯s body depicted a number of patterns with the edge having a circr arc.

    Gold?

    No. It couldn¡¯t be gold.

    Bronze?!

    As he thought of this point, Shao Xuan heart suddenly set off waves. If it was bronze, was there a metal mine in Snowfield City?

    Looking at the other ve owners, he noticed that, in addition to envy and hate, there was no shock, including Su Gu, which showed that they knew there waa such a metal existing.

    ¡°How is it? Surprised?¡± Su Gu saw Shao Xuan¡¯s expression andughed. ¡°That is made out of stone. But with regards to those stones, almost 99% of them are in the hands of the three big cities.¡±

    Ore.

    The ores they could smelt to metal were in the hands of the three big cities. But where did those ores came from?

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think those people are crazy?¡± Su Gu asked as he looked at the Snowfield City¡¯s young master in the field wearing that dazzling armor and axe. His eyes shed with strong envy and jealousy, muttering, ¡°Showing their powerful strength.¡±

    Thinking of something, Su Gu lowered his voice as he continued speaking to Shao Xuan. ¡°Although outside the three big cities, there were other cities also having it, but most were gifts from the three big cities. There were also in the hands of the kings in each city like father¡¯s knife is. And you tribes are ying with this idea.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelid twitched. What Su Gu meant was that the other tribes were thinking of the metal ore idea of the three cities?!

    No wonder he always felt that there were more secrets with the tribes who came over to the desert. It seemed that one of the secrets was these metals!

    In the field, the young master of Snowfield City wore the golden armor, then in his hand, he held the axe and roared loudly.

    The people in other cities have not reacted. Only the people on the Snowfield¡¯s side immediately followed his howling to cheer their own young master. The answering scream was always inspiring.

    Rumble¡ª

    In the opposite field, another heavy stone gate opened.

    A giant beast with a height of nearly ten meters came into the field from the door. Its stout limbs and fleshy body appeared thick and heavy, looking somewhat like a rhinoceros without horns. Every step of the way, it would make a banging sound and the ground inside the field was also shaken up with dust. The green skin, unknown if it was because of limatizion or other reasons, cracked.

    ¡°Hey.¡±

    Shao Xuan heard someone whisper to Su Gu, ¡°This beast doesn¡¯t seem to be as powerful as it looks.¡±

    Not only the Luoye City¡¯s side, the people in other cities also checked it out. This just looked big, but its offense and threat was notparable to other that could y in the Beast City Colosseum. Moreover, this beast was mostly vegetarian. It was not known from where the Snowfield people found this fierce beast, since it couldn¡¯t evem live in the desert.

    Some people despised this. No wonder this Snowfield young master dared to start the opening battle. Finding such a fierce beast was really too funny.

    But the people of Snowfield City would argue. ¡°You can do it! Even if this beast only has its appearance, then what? At least we have our young master willing to y!¡±

    These people immediately snorted. Even if it was a rtively weak beast, it was still a fierce beast. The next to fight would have a greater risk. With that stout fat leg¡¯s pressure that could turn one into a patty, a real fight would be trouble and a rescue from the people in the stands would be toote. They still cherished their lives.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The huge body walking in the entrance, probably because it was not ustomed to the atmosphere here, released a loud roar like a demonstration.

    The dull, thunder-like roar of the beast called out to the ring in the Colosseum.

    It was like they heard a signal. Not waiting for the roar of the beast to stop, the young ve owners on the stands began to scream at ring.

    ¡°Hey¡ª¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! Start the killing!¡±

    Although the people from other cities saw the golden equipment of the Snowfield young master and the only seemingly fierce beast together on stage and their hearts somewhat had ideas, but with the other people¡¯s roars, their moods were also driven up. At such times, who would wish for so much? They were here to enjoy. Even the clever young female ve owners who had been dressed up in the morning screamed aloud.

    For a time, the whole field was like water boiling. The atmosphere was warm.

    Each of the great ve owners who came into this ce brought hundreds of people. The three big cities even had more people, therefore, summing up, there were thousands of people here.

    Around the Colosseum, the sound waves was like a vortex, seeming to suck everybody into the general mood. The people in the stands, even if they were calm at first, would be affected by such an atmosphere.

    Not sure when I could upload a chapter again. I gotzy yesterday and sick today, but at least I finished this one.

    (?*¡ã¨Œ¡ã)?

    Anyway, I¡¯m not sure if I made a mistake with the chapters regarding the preparation before going to Beast City, like what happened to the other tribes. I thought they went to Beast City too. I¡¯ll look into it once I¡¯m done with all the chapters and reread this again.

 Chapter 327

    C327 ¨C The End (ÏÂ³¡ )

    Posted on January 9, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    There was no snow fall on this day, and the sun was shining.

    The ce where the higher ves were seated had the tarpaulin sheltering them from the sun, and the surrounding gs showing these cities¡¯ symbols were fluttering in the wind.

    In the field, the sun was suffusing the person with golden light, as he powerfully whirled his hands with the axe. He was facing the beast with a blow every step, and every blow seemed to have the power of his whole body. In these number of steps, each one was getting stronger.

    The sounds of the steps on the ground heard on the field were like there were huge beasts fighting. The war drum sounds was adding a bit of a chill and shock to the battlefield.

    Although Snowfield City arranged this opening war with a suspicion making a show, this Snowfield City young master also showed his strength next to this fighting beast. He also knew how to fight. After a hit, he would avoid the giant beast¡¯s counterattack. His important body parts would then be blocked by the armor if the attacks managed to hit.

    Despite the battle ground in the middle of the Colosseum being full of sand, the ve owners were still able to see the battlefield. The sand on the battlefield were screened, so that it includes some particles ofrger sand. Even in a desert sandstorm with the sand flying, it would not be the case with the pit as those dust would not float around and interfere with the audience.

    What the ve owners thought of as ¡°good¡± battles must be a blood stained battlefield. The more dyed red it was the better. Otherwise, it would be considered a failed battle.

    In the battlefield, the grains of sand were shaken up and crashed into the surrounding walls, making a storm of noise.

    The axe¡¯s de continued hacking on the beast, leaving a blood-red scar. The giant beast¡¯s body became like a spring, the blood flowing on the sand of the Colosseum.

    There was madness in this wide Colosseum. In the stands, the ve owners were shouting and cheering for the kill. The atmosphere brewing all around.

    The beast finally reluctantly roared and fell to the ground.

    The Snowfield City young master then lifted his axe, shouting and circling around the ring. His golden armor has been stained red by the blood of the beast, looking like the killing of a god. Hence, this Snowfield City young master seemed kind of overbearing and overweening with this momentum.

    Seeing this scene, the Snowfield City King smiled satisfactorily. In the future, if the person who would inherit his throne did not have strength, what would happen? Today¡¯s battle was to let the others see more of the future Snowfield King.

    No matter what other people thought, the Snowfield King thought that his own children had more ability than other¡¯s anyway. At the start of the next beast fight, the pride in his face had not diminished yet.

    Just as the crowd talked about the future Snowfield King who had just finished his battle with the beast, in the Rock Tomb City grandstand area, the king was holding a delicate wine ss, slowly tasting the wine inside. He had heard the discussion around but he did not express his views. He just smiled, giving little attention to these big-name peers.

    The first game was finished. After a little cleanup in the field, the second game began.

    The young ve owners mostly liked to watch a battle between beasts. It looked fun, but older ones mostly preferred to watch a battle between man and beast. As a result, many of the ves who were ambitious enough to climb up began to stand up and express their willingness to y.

    At the beginning of the second game, the beast battle was no longer for show.

    The real start of the beast fight could be seen as indeed a thrilling brutal battle. Unlike the magnificent show at the opening, it was a bloody and brutal battle that satisfied the intentions of the ve owners.

    The ve owners usually kept the battle beasts well fed, but in the days before the Colosseum opening, they stopped feeding them a lot of food, deliberately letting them experience a little bit of starvation because it would enhance the ferocity of these fighting beasts.

    When these strategically-fed battle beasts were brought out to the entry channel, and after opening the heavy stone gate into the battlefield, one of these long time trapped battle beast finally got its freedom. Its teeth showed as it shouted and roared like a rolling thunder. The whole Colosseum then seemed to be shaken. To the people in the stands, they felt a kind of hairy, bone shacking feeling.

    The second fight was with two high-ranking ves from Fire Hill City.

    Each battle did not limit how many people could participate. Therefore, sometimes there were more than one person in the fight, sometimes fewer people.

    Two ves, one who seemed not physically strong, but with a lot more cunning and was quick in battle while the other was aplete power ve, his every blow was just enough. The two men¡¯s cooperation made an improvement in the appreciation of this battle, at least to the satisfaction of the cities¡¯ ve owners.

    There was no need to tease the beast. When it was finally released, the fighting beast desperately needed to release its killing intent. People killing beast and beasts getting killed made the atmosphere tense and exciting.

    In the Colosseum, screams, shouts, strange howls and cheers were all jumbled together. The Colosseum formed into a vortex, with all the emotions involved in it, almost tearing all other distractions and making it crazier.

    At the end of the second battle, both the beast and two ves were seriously wounded. Both sides lost the ability to continue fighting, and finally, the Snowfield City King decided to end the second fight. As for who won and who lost, that was not important. What was important was that most enjoyed the process and the rest of the Fire Hill City people were left to worry about it. After all, the second fight¡¯s ves were from their city. Losing also meant the Fire Hill City lost face.

    Seeing that the Fire Hill City¡¯s people¡¯s angry faces, the Snowfield City King¡¯s mood became better.

    The third game was a battle between two beasts from Sand Mountain City and Skywheel City.

    In the gap before the beginning of the third game, Luoye City King Su Lun had the ves around him bring his words to Su Gu.

    ¡°Father asked you to prepare for the fourth game.¡± Su Gu¡¯s face wasplex. If this coborator fought the beast and died, wouldn¡¯t he get a lot less benefits?

    Shao Xuan heard this speech and was only slightly surprised. He had requested that if Lei and Tuo were forced in the end, he would take action next. But now, the third game only began, with the fourth game not yet seen, then what could have Su Lun learned?

    Hence, it seemed that Su Lun did not at all understand the arrangement of Baishi City. This was his means to understand.

    ¡°I understand.¡± Shao Xuan nodded. He was prepared and was not surprised.

    ¡°Also,¡± Su Gu lowered his voice as he spoke to Shao Xuan, ¡°Baishi has prepared a recently caught horned lizard beast. It was not enved, so it was wild and very strong. Moreover, the horned lizard beast is not so easily irritated as the other fighting beasts. They understand the situation well, so if you intend to use any strategy to induce it to madness, then find a loophole. But it may not be sessful.¡±

    Su Gu gave Shao Xuan a talk about the desert horn lizard beast¡¯s habits and way of fighting. A horned lizard beast rarely could be put under a trap and a lure like food had limited effect on them. At the same time, the horned lizard beast¡¯s rejection of other organisms was also very strong. If it were in the same battlefield and encountered other people, a horned lizard beast would definitely kill all these people, and even one would not be left alive.

    ¡°I heard that Baishi told several city owners that the arrangement for this battle would certainly make everyone satisfied.¡± Su Gu said.

    In general, the beast fight was a battle between several cities, like the second and third games. But sometimes, it was the city¡¯s own arrangements, like the opening of the first game. Then, there was another example, like the fourth game that Baishi had arranged.

    ¡°Can you predict for yourself?¡± Su Gu asked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t.¡± Shao Xuan replied. He also tried divination, and did not get a definite indication. But he thought that something big was brewing.

    ¡°Be more careful. If you can¡¯t beat it, find a chance to avoid it then!¡± Su Gu was not optimistic about Shao Xuan. Even if its the three people grouped at the same time, even if they could exert their peak strength, here was not their mountain forest. There was no hidden shelter in ce, so they could only bite the bullet. Besides, Shao Xuan¡¯s group of three¡¯s strength was also insufficient. Maybe if it was put in other ces, but here in the Colosseum, where the strong always wins, it was just not enough.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s breakthrough to senior-level totem warrior was not told to other people, so Su Gu did not know Shao Xuan¡¯s current strength. Besides, even if he knew, he would still not be optimistic.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯ll go down first.¡±

    Shao Xuan pulled at his clothes, then left the stands with Ai Shi. Behind the stands was a step leading to the Colosseum from where they were able to reach the tunnel into the battlefield.

    Sigh.. Not sure about the title again so I included the actual..

 Chapter 328

    C328 ¨C Hit the Road

    Posted on January 11, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    As they walked down the steps, the surroundings started to look dark and empty, with the windows above their heads giving limited light.

    There were a lot of ves from the three big cities around here, presumably to prevent idents.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, those people stopped to ask, and heard that he was next to y. They saw Ai Shi take out a piece of wood from the Luoye City king, then simply put them aside and also reminded them. ¡°You can¡¯t go in now. You have to wait as there are Baishi people inside.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked past the channel¡¯s mouth. Indeed there stood a dozen Baishi people. Shao Xuan wanted to see if Lei and Tuo were in the channel too but before he got close, he was stopped.

    Both Baishi and Luoye City had had many grudges and fights before, so Ai Shi restrained Shao Xuan down when he also called the other people following after them. Now, both sides in this channel mouth were having a confrontation.

    ¡°Is there anyone else in the next game?¡± Shao Xuan asked loudly. If Lei and Tuo were in the channel, they would respond.

    Sure enough, after Shao Xuan¡¯s voice fell, Tuo¡¯s voice was heard from the passage, ¡°Ah-Xuan?!¡±

    Presumably, Tuo was about toe out, but he was stopped.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, what are you doing here? Get out of here!¡± Tuo shouted.

    ¡°What are you shouting?!¡± There was a session of voicesing from the Baishi City area, then there was the sound of fighting.

    Shao Xuan eyes was sternly looking at the nearest Baishi person¡¯s foot.

    This foot was like a line separating Baishi and Luoye City on both sides. When the two sides looked at each other, they immediately fought.

    The guards of the three great cities were shouting and running, brutally pulling the two sides apart. When the two sides finally came to a truce because of the guards of the three great cities, Shao Xuan had already entered the passage.

    Inside the channel, the light was darker but was enough for Shao Xuan to see the situation inside.

    Tuo stood against the wall. Perhaps he just had a short encounter with the Baishi people, he was standing there panting. Beside Tuo, Lei sat on the ground and it seemed that his situation was not good.

    Afterwards, he checked that the situation of Tuo¡¯s life was not dangerous at the moment with only a few broken ribs and injured internal organs. He took out some medicine in his person to apply to Tuo and Lei. Then, Shao Xuan looked at the other people around.

    Yes, there were four people Shao Xuan knew inside, in addition to Lei and Tuo. Two from the Yu tribe and two from Tian Shan tribe. All four people have different injuries. In addition to them, there were four ves with whish wounds, one with the wrists cut. It was estimated that it was a ve who was guilty of a sin punished by the Baishi.

    Shao Xuan had only known before that the wooden box the Baishi people had had many people. He was not sure whether Lei and Tuo were in there. Now, it seemed that not only Lei and Tuo were there, but also four other tribe members and sinned ves!!

    Including Lei and Tuo, Baishi had prepared a total of ten people for the fourth game to fight, to be exact, as the victim of the prepared fourth game. After all, if one took these ten people¡¯s present state, there was no way they could beat a specially prepared fighting beast.

    At this time, Tuo told Shao Xuan about the day they were caught. Because the two saw the Yu and Tian Shan tribe people captured, they fell into the trap Baishi City had set.

    ¡°And,¡± Tuo¡¯s expression was changing, ¡°Ah-Xuan, I saw a sign that the Wanshi tribe was there that day.¡±

    That the Wanshi tribe and the ve owners have rtions, this Shao Xuan had long known. It was just that he did not think that the connection was with the Baishi people. Were they rted?

    ¡°In addition to these, we also¡­ also saw Dao Yu.¡± Tuo spoke like he couldn¡¯t bear to mention it. ¡°I tried to beat him together with Lei, but Lei¡¯s body¡¯s injury was done by Dao Yu that time.¡±

    To be beaten like that by a once traitor turned wanderer, Lei and Tuo felt like they had lost face in front of the ming Horns tribe Shaman and chief. Now, in front of Shao Xuan, their heads were also down low.

    ¡°Now is not the time to say this. Hurry up and take good care of yourselves firat.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    What Tuo and Lei still wanted to say was stopped by Shao Xuan. The remaining herbs Shao Xuan brought was then given to the other people.

    The four people of the Yu tribe and the Tianshan tribe were not very well, especially the two people of the Yu tribe. They were young and have never experienced such a thing, so they were uneasy and dejected. Even if the Tianshan tribe people have their bows and arrows, they would still feel their confidence drop. They had joined the long journey team thinking that there was a chance they may die, but they never thought it would be in the face of such a situation.

    Beast City¡­ They would rather be eaten in the desert by wild beasts than to die in such a ce in humiliation. Suicide? They didn¡¯t have the guts.

    Lei and Tuo have the courage tomit suicide, but they were not willing to do it. Was it not a fight with a beast? Then, they would fight and fight! For them, fighting was better than suicide.

    From the battlefield door, the sound of the fighting beast was clearly spread to the ears of the people inside, and their hearts shivered with it. The legs of a young warrior from the Yu tribe were shaking after their experience. If they had been in the desert, they would have been howling out of pressure.

    Escape from here? Not that they haven¡¯t thought about, but, at the end of the tunnel, there wereyers of guards. Above, the archers were ready, so they could not break out. And how many of them were here? There¡¯s not even a stone in their hands! How do they fight? Or were they looking for death?

    The vibration of the door was getting smaller and smaller, not as fierce as before. After a few wailings of the beast, the people became aware that the third game¡¯s end was imminent.

    When all had settled down, the air in the passage could be heard, and even everyone¡¯s breath sounded clear.

    The wind blew over with decay and blood. The chills making the people more nervous.

    There were no more talk before a team of men with weapons came to the entrance.

    It was led by a person wearing a malicious smile, pointing at Shao Xuan with his spear tip. ¡°It¡¯s time to go in!¡±

    That sounded like ¡°it¡¯s time to hit the road.¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    The heavy te door opened, and the re of the light made the people inside the passage raise their hands up.

    Although some sand would be reced after each game in the field, the bloody remains of the previous battle beasts couldn¡¯t all be erased.

    Behind, the guards urged them to go to the battlefield. If they didn¡¯t move, a knife was positioned on their backs, but was then blocked by Shao Xuan.

    The guard who had his knife blocked was thinking of getting two more knives, when Shao Xuan spoke. ¡°Why, you want to go in with us?¡±

    The guard took a step back. He didn¡¯t want to go in and fight the beast.

    Shao Xuan did not look at the others and went into the battlefield followed by Lei and Tuo. The four people from the Yu tribe and Tian Shan tribe looked at each other and could only move a foot forward. Thest four ves were being kicked into the battlefield by the guards.

    The heavy stone gate closing then blocked their way back.

    Peng!

    From the top of the grandstand, there dropped more than ten stone knives. The knife edge grinding was still sharp. The stone was good, medium and fine.

    The people who entered then grabbed a knife in their hands.

    On the opposite side of the battlefield, the stone gate was opened with a bang. A giant beast with a conical thorn walked slowly passed the entrance.

    At the same time, in another part of the Colosseum where the beast fight was connected, there was a tall building where there were a variety of fighting beasts that were about to take part in the Colosseum. They were kept separate. In one of the single rooms in which a fighting beast was closed in, a beetle broke out.

    Sapphire to the rescue?! £¨-¡°¡±-£») But please give him another name Ah-Xuan!

 Chapter 329

    C329 ¨C Palm of His Hand

    Posted on January 15, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    In the ce where the fighting beasts were kept, a barn-like room had a huge beast lying there quietly.

    It was a bull with arge sharp horn, and if it was in a better ce outside, one could see its brown fur.

    This was the fighting beast that Red Star City has yed every year for nearly five years, with five victories. Because some of the patterns on its back were like fire, the people of Red Star City called iy the me Bull.

    This me bull has been enved by the king of Red Star City. It was not the first time it participated in the Battle at the Colosseum, even entering many times as a finale.

    The sounds of the Colosseum were annoying but it did not make it crazy. There were some drugs that would keep it quiet for the time being.

    There were not much light raysing in from the holes on the walls. However, the dim environment did not have much effect on it.

    Suddenly, it heard the movements on the ground. It looked around and saw a bug crawling out from underground.

    The me bull did not heed it. After taking a look, it continued to rest, preparing for itsing battle. Why would it look at the bugs?

    But just because it did not bother with the bug meant that the bug was safe. It might bite or scratch and be more and more rampant, so the bull swung its tail to expell it. However, the bug¡¯s speed was too fast.

    It became annoyed.

    In order to fight, it would be hungry for a day or two, just like most fighting beasts. Although there would still be food supplies in the next two days, they were much less than its previous careful rearing. Plus, aftering to the Colosseum, there was no more of its favorite grass. In the past, when it was in Red Star City, ves would transport it every few days. Aftering here, it could only eat hay and some other nts with bad taste.

    It was now a bit angry.

    From the two big nostrils of the me bull, hot air was expelled. This made its mood stabilize with faint waves.

    On the other side, within the Colosseum.

    Shao Xuan looked at the horned lizard beast that went into the battlefield.

    It has a t shape and an oval torso. Far as it seems, it was like a thorny cockroach with a long tail behind it. This horned lizard has dark sand on the back of its body, covered with spiny scales, like sharp spears. It¡¯s like it was wearing armor. In addition to those cone-shaped spines, there were some coarse scaly spines.

    The horned lizard beast looked very ferocious, especially those sharp short spines. Even if it was only for defense rather than for attacking, it was enough to give people a headache.

    The horned lizard moved its limbs to move to the center of the battlefield. The shouting from the surrounding stands was making it very ufortable, turning its stubby neck and sweeping round. Then, its sight was ced on Shao Xuan and the others. Its slightly reddish-brown head and red-dried traces around its two eyes was making its eyes look more bizarre, especially when pointed at Shao Xuan¡¯s group.

    When those eyes turned to them, Shao Xuan heard the few people behind him gulp. He could even hear their elerated heartbeat.

    Even Lei and Tuo, who had hunted for years, could not maintain the mentality of their previous hunting. There were no obstructions around, hence this was aplete face off!

    The giant beast then in the middle of the battlefield opened its mouth and roared at Shao Xuan¡¯s party.

    The sound was not as high-pitched as some of the previous giants, nor was it as shocking as a heavy thunder of drums. However, it was like the sound of a storm sweeping the dunes, making the people feel their hairs stand.

    As the roar swift the air, the sands on the battlefield were blown up. The iing sand flew to everyone¡¯s eyes but they couldn¡¯t dare move away for fear of missing the chance to escape.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, what should I do?¡± Tuo asked.

    ¡°Just wait.¡± Shao Xuan was observing the horned lizard beast, recalling the information Su Gu gave him to determine the feasibility of his strategy. He didn¡¯t really want be here with such a fierce beast, if it really fought for its life. The wounded Lei and Tuo could not be spared. And from the previous three battles in the field, the destructive power of the beasts were too much. Lei, in particr, was probably just trying to endure his pain and his action would be severely limited.

    In the battlefield, after the horned lizard beast roared, it then moved its limbs, speeding up its pace as it ran towards Shao Xuan¡¯s line. Its every step has a lot of sand flying up.

    Shao Xuan still did not move. However, the four ves in the rear began to shout and run away.

    The horned lizard beast was originallying toward Shao Xuan¡¯s direction, but seeing those people run, it instead focused on the people running. With its bulky body, each step of it across the the field was huge. After few steps, it had caught the first ve it had been chasing. The beast did not extend its rtively short limbs nor swung its long tail, but directly slipped and slid past, crashing into the side of the walls.

    Boom!

    Gravel sshed. The stones on the edge of the wall fell off, with a lot of the stone crumbs hitting the hard corners of the beast¡¯s body.

    The ve in front was caught between the horned lizard beast and the battlefield wall. One could then imagine his fate.

    The rest of the people felt a catch in their breaths, still holding their knives with shaking hands. Just as they gathered their courage up, it scattered again in the face of this collision.

    ¡°Ooh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Good!¡±

    ¡°Aw! Whoa¡ª¡±

    On the surrounding stands, the young ve owners were so excited that their faces looked hideous as they screamed wildly.

    When the ve owners heard that, except for the four obviously sun-drenched ves in the field, apparently the others were from the tribes, they were even more excited.

    It was a tribal man¡­

    ¡°Kill, kill, kill!¡±

    ¡°Kill them!¡±

    They shouted loudly.

    After hitting the corner of the wall, the lizard twisted its short, pattern spotted neck and looked at the others.

    The nearest ve to the horned lizard beast dared not go any further. Seeing the horned lizard beast concentrating his attention on him, the ve did not have the courage to lift his knife. Turning and running, this time, he did not run away from, but back towards the area where Shao Xuan and the rest were.

    However, this time, the horned lizard beast did not immediately elerate to chase. It took a step, shaking the stones off its body. Not sparing a nce at the squeezed into a meat loaf ve, it walked step by step towards Shao Xuan and other people¡¯s direction. Its eyes were slightly closed, and looked somewhat inattentive.

    After just that scene, no one dared to rx their vignce. They were nervous and tense, staring at the giant beasting at them.

    Looking at the behemoth getting closer and closer, a ve swept his eyes at the still standing people beside him, then bit his lip and ran away. After only a few steps, he stopped stiffly because he had found that the horned lizard had already focused his attention on him.

    Stiff there as a sculpture, the ve maintained his running posture. He was afraid to look at that side and only observed with his peripheral vision as his forehead dripped with sweat.

    Seeing that the ve was no longer running, the horned lizard beast seemed to be a little disappointed. It then turned its stare to the area with more people. It only looked for a moment, then jerked forward two steps towards the front.

    The four people of the Yu tribe and the Tian Shan tribe were also thinking of staying with the three people of the ming Horns. With this, they could also share a lot of pressure and could look at the beast as it moved closer. However, their hearts were ying like drums as they hesitated if they should avoid farther. Seeing the horned lizard beast stepping forward, it was just in their nature to move on reflex to a distant ce to retreat.

    But the battlefield was round. They were already near the edge, so even if they retreated, they could only run along the edge of the arc.

    When they thought that the horned lizard beast woulde again in a sh, it unexpectedly crossed two steps, stopped, then roared.

    The grains of sand on the ground shook, rushing straight to where Shao Xuan and the rest were located.

    The four ves had long ago retreated but without sprinting. Step by step, they were thinking of not trying to arouse the attention of the horned lizard beast. The Yu tribe and Tian Shan tribe people have also retreated several steps, in the face of the impact of the shaken sand and did not go back again.

    In this way, the closest to the beast were the three people of the ming Horns tribe.

    With this scene, there were a remaining of ten people in the field, the other seven were clearly in a safer distance. In any case, the first to face the giant beast¡¯s attack would be those three.

    Lei and Tuo were headed by Shao Xuan, hence they did not move.

    His outer cloth was blown back by the wind, so Shao Xuan pulled his hat to cover his head. Then, he lifted his foot to go towards the giant beast.

    With Shao Xuan¡¯s move, Lei and Tuo also moved. Probably thinking that Shao Xuan issued a signal to attack, Lei copied him, holding his knife as he walked forward. If it was a hunt, he would not be so impulsive, but here, the pressure in the atmosphere pulled his nerves. After seeing the beast, he didn¡¯t even want to leave.

    He¡¯d be willing to die, at least to try to give Shao Xuan and Tuo a way to create some opportunities. If he could hurt the beast with a few knives, that would be better.

    However, before his n to try to fight the beast has even started, Lei was tugged back by Shao Xuan with Tuo at the other side.

    Shao Xuan lowered his voice and said quickly, ¡°You two stay here first. If I can¡¯t stop it,ter, you can go fight.¡±

    Tuo also wanted to say something but Shao Xuan waved it away. Then, he continue towards the giant beast again.

    ¡°What is he going to do?¡± a man from the Yu tribe asked.

    ¡°Is he out of his mind?¡±

    One of the people from the Tianshan tribe recalled that in their tribe, when the shaman heard the news of the ming Horns tribeing, his evaluation was: They were mad men.

    Now, it seemed that the people of the ming Horns were really crazy. It was enough if they just retreat, but they would still go forward!

    Not only the other people on the battlefield, even the ve owners on the stands were thinking the same. Was the man in the entric hooded cloth looking for death?

    Still, no matter what others thought, Shao Xuan continued to go forward, his long sleeves covering his hand so that people could not see if he had a weapon in the end.

    Shao Xuan not retreating made the giant beast vignt. It ignored the other people as its two micro-close eyes opened a little bit, closely staring at the person approaching. The other people couldn¡¯t feel it, but the beast can clearly detect the strength of this person every step of the way.

    Twenty meters¡­

    Ten meters¡­

    Five meters¡­

    Shao Xuan could even smell the muddy scent that the beast exuded.

    The giant beast looked at the personing near, then roared loudly. It raised a front paw, nning to move towards Shao Xuan to shot him down.

    But Shao Xuan was faster as he lifted an arm.

    The umtion of all the momentum in this one instant burst out. In his mind, the totem me violently coiled, wrapping in the outer shell as it became shiny. Five blue mes came from inside out, like a sea dragon swimming along his meridians, unstoppable as it rushed over his arm. From his lifted arm, his five fingers opened out.

    Peng!

    The blue mes wrapped around his palms.

    The sand that was raised by the roaring of the beast centered on Shao Xuan. At the moment the mes appeared, ayer of visible ripples covered the surrounding area.

 Chapter 330

    C330 ¨C Scared

    Posted on January 18, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    It was the first time that Shao Xuan exposed the blue mes in public.

    Although this was not a good idea, after revealing the blue me, the ve owners would certainly target it. However, this idea was the best he could think of.

    After the appearance of the blue me, the ve owners, who had been high-pitched and excited in the stands, were like they were caught in their necks.

    ¡°That¡­ That is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not a tribe member? How could there be a ve owner there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, who¡¯s that guy!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t see clearly with the hat!¡±

    As ve owners, they knew from the beginning what such a blue me represented. If they could not make such a blue me, they would not be counted as a true ve owner.

    This blue me was the symbol of very! It¡¯s the proof of the ve owners!

    Not only the young ve owners, but also several city owners could not help but sit straight. The people stillzily sitting, absent-mindedly tasting the wine, while being affectionate with theirpanions, all trained their sights on the battlefield.

    Su Gu in particr, had some worries, but now, his jaw has quickly fallen down. A ve owner? What a joke! No one knew better than him that Shao Xuan was from a tribe! A real tribe! In the oasis, he had seen Shao Xuan¡¯s totem lines, so how could he be a ve owner?!

    At this time, Su Gu suddenly remembered Shao Xuan once asked him, ¡°Can the tribes enve ves?¡±

    How did he answer that? Not possible? Su Gu stretched his neck, watching the scene on the battlefield while rubbing his eyes. It was indeed a blue me, alright!

    On the Baishi City side, when he first saw Shao Xuan ying, Dao Yu was sneering proudly in his heart, thinking that three people would have a tragic end. Now, hisplexion has been constantly changing. He was suddenly full of regret. How could he neglect such a person? He was sure that the boy was a real tribal man. Because of this, he was vaguely worried and frightened in his mind. If he had known this before, he would have done whatever it took to get rid of this big threat first!

    The Baishi City king now wanted to smash a cup.

    Wasn¡¯t this about the tribal people? How did this became a ve owner?

    You say that¡¯s from the tribe?

    Don¡¯t lie! Did you think this king has no eyes? Can the tribes enve ves? Can the tribes make that blue me? The fire was bigger than this king¡¯s!

    The Baishi King was livid.

    Several ves around had a glimpse of the white face of their king, so they hurriedly went down for fear of being the outlet of his anger.

    However, the Baishi King knew he must endure temporarily even if the arrangement has gone awry. He couldn¡¯t show his anger now, otherwise, the other city kings might make fun of his ability to control the situation. Hence, the Baishi King could not vent, but also had to stand aside, looking like he had control of everything.

    On the battlefield.

    Shao Xuan faced the beast, carrying in his palm the me as it went on against the sand and air flow. It fluttered towards the big beast¡¯s side like a predator who had smelled good food.

    The moment the blue me appeared, the horned beast¡¯s lifted stout foreleg froze. Its roar stopped too, but then it roared again. The sessive screams seemed to be demonstrating its might to Shao Xuan.

    Those who could get a monstrous demonstration like this from a desert behemoth must be ssified as a threat. Before, its roar was just for show, but now, it was calling out with all its might.

    It stared closely at Shao Xuan, looking at the blue me with dread.

    Shao Xuan slightly raised his head. Because of the hat on his head, the men standing in the high stands could not see Shao Xuan¡¯s face, but the giant beast could.

    The dark totem pattern that was exposed on Shao Xuan¡¯s skin becameva red. If there was no clothing covering him, you could also see that the totem lines in other parts of Shao Xuan¡¯s body were simr.

    After a continuous roar, the giant beast lifted its forelegs and moved.

    The men in the stands thought that the beast was going to attack first. When the boy who dared to show the fire of very in front of them made a move, they found that the truth was not what they thought.

    Not only did the giant beast raised its forelegs without moving forward, but it stepped backwards.

    It fell back!

    Such a huge beast, and it unexpectedly retreated!!

    Those who had enved a fighting beast knew that when they enve, the beast would fight back. That was why many ve owners would have their ves help them when they were enving beasts. But what about this one on the pit?

    Why did it fell back?

    The answer was only known by the lizard beast closed-up facing Shao Xuan.

    The men who were far away couldn¡¯t understand the power, but this beast could feel it clearly.

    No, it couldn¡¯t pass!

    Therefore, it chose to retreat, screaming on the side at this formidable enemy.

    Taking a step back, it showed that it was timid and afraid. At this time, Shao Xuan took another step forward, with even more momentum just now, more decisive. His hand with the blue me, once again fluttered to the big beast.

    Shao Xuan knew that the horned lizard beast, after being caught, became cautious. It ate a loss from the men and was naturally more cautious about people¡¯s attitudes. Its first step after entering the battlefield was to test the strength of the people on the field and to test the hardness of the surrounding walls. The people here seemed not that strong. There were not much threat. When it failed to break the hard wall, it temporarily put its eyes on Shao Xuan and the others, wanting to vent some stress.

    But now, it perceived the threat, but the psychological line was not routed yet.

    This time, Shao Xuan could not show fear and hesitation. His performance had to be more powerful to make this beast have more self-doubt.

    Yes, Su Gu had said that this beast was very clever. However, the more intelligent it was, the more it would think, rather than attack like somebat beast with not much thought. Not the style of directbat.

    Dao Yu and the Baishi people did not expect that deliberately picking such a tricky beast would instead be beneficial to Shao Xuan.

    Listening to the roar of the beast now,pared to the strength at the opening, the sound only had a kind of cowardly feeling.

    Seeing Shao Xuan pressing, it continued to move backwards. When its tail hit the wall, it had to turn to another direction and continue to retreat.

    The sessive howls set off the sand on the ground, as if to blow the fire out of Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

    However, this round of sandstorm could not break through thisyer of barrier.

    Moreover, the fire from the me was not extinguished by the wind. How could the roar of a fierce beast extinguish it?

    One retreated, one stepped forward.

    Shao Xuan would reach that horned lizard beast. From the side of the battlefield, he had stepped into the center of it. Still pushing!

    Not just the other people on the battlefield, even the countless self-proimed experienced ve owners on the stands were watching the scene.

    What was this scenario?

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    Hundreds of years rare encounter in Beast City!

    ¡°Who the hell is that kid? Seems to be much more arrogant than the Snowfieldd!¡±

    ¡°Is it deliberately arranged by Baishi?¡±

    ¡°Is it a Baishi young master?¡±

    ¡°Who cares who he is! Fight quickly! That fighting beast Baishi set had such a vicious appearance!¡±

    The ve owners in the stands didn¡¯t know what to do. They even threw in objects, pottery, stone, etc. to hit the giant beast in the battlefield, wanting to stir up the fury of the beast.

    The giant beast was really angry after being hit, but it was not against Shao Xuan. It turned to the direction of the hitters, screaming its anger as the airflow rushed to the stands. The frightened young ve owners hurriedly pulled the ves around them to block their front.

    The horned lizard, after roaring at the audience, turned and retreated until its tail touched the walls of the battlefield.

    Shao Xuan has this beast trapped. From the side of the battlefield, he had forced it to the other side.

    There was no way to retreat. The beast turned its sight around to some ces, agitated. Its eye area even began to redden.

    Shao Xuan was prepared to defend against the beast¡¯s final counterattack.

    He saw the change in the giant beast¡¯s eyes bing more and more obvious, the stare looked more and more stronger. The redness was also getting more severe.

    Xiu¡ª

    Two bloody liquids sshed from the eyes of the beast.

    The battlefield exuded a strange bloody smell. Although it did not feel unpleasant, it inexplicably made a person feel a stir in his stomach. It was quite ufortable.

    Not only the people on the battlefield, the wind carried the smell, sending it to the high stands.

    The ve owners, who had been eating and drinking at the time, vomited immediately. Those who did not vomit also faced their dishes like they couldn¡¯t wait to find a ce to throw it away.

    But not the Luoye King, Su Lun. At this time, heughed aloud, watching the Baishi people eating. He was happy.

    ¡°No more watching! This fourth game is over!¡±

    In the desert, if a horned lizard encountered its iparable beast, it would expel blood from its eyes to drive away the beast that threatened their lives.

    This horned beast, when it was caught by the Baishi people, had such a situation because it was extremely frightened. The red traces around its eyes when it happened then were left behind. And now, with just one person, it let its eyes blood again.

    How much fear did it feel?

    In the field, who was this man who was forcing the horned lizard beast into this situation?

    Even the Luoye King was puzzled. Was it really a tribe?

    In any case, with the sight of the lizard beast eyes bloodied, the experienced people knew that this battle of the beasts would not go on. Dragging it down would be a waste of time.

    But even though he knew it, the Snowfield King was not really pleased with this mysterious man who gained more limelight than his son. He waved his hand again, announcing, ¡°This fighting beast cannot fight. Hence, this destroyed everybody¡¯s interest!¡±

    The words of the Snowfield King was a p to the Baishi King¡¯s face. Before the beginning of this, Baishi had said that they would let everyone see something more entertaining. The result?

    This one phrase, ¡°destroyed everyone¡¯s interest¡±, directly pped the Baishi people¡¯s faces, merciless and unrelenting.

    He was not looking over the Baishi side, but as the city presiding over the overall situation of the people this year, the Snowfield King thought that the Baishi really performed poorly. Caught in such a cowardly waste was disappointing! In that case, let us show you the ability of my Snowfield City! Change it to my Snowfield fighting beast!

    Standing up, the Snowfield King cleared his throat. Although the Colosseum wasrge, he could make his voice spread to every ce in the stands.

    ¡°Since this beast of Baishi is a waste, Snowfield City will make it up ande¡­¡±

    Before the Snowfield King finished speaking, he heard a sound of a beast not far away.

    ¡°Moo¡ª¡±

    Being interrupted amidst his speech, the Snowfield King was angry deep in his heart, hence his face was not pleasant. He paused, then continue to say, ¡°Come, we will¡­¡±

    ¡°Moo¡ª¡±

    Another beast called, this time, louder than the first.

    The Snowfield King¡¯s face was getting more and more unpleasant. He gave a dissatisfied snort, and then said, ¡°We will¡­¡±

    ¡°Moo¡ª¡±

    The third sound even drowned out the Snowfield King¡¯s voice.

    After the consecutive interruptions, the Snowyfield King mmed his ss, then stared at the Red Star City¡¯s side. That¡¯s the me bull from Red Star City!

    Although separated by a distance as there was the sand pit in the middle, the Red Star King still felt the sharpness of the re. Many other people in the city also looked at the Red Star City¡¯s side.

    After a small cough, the Red Star King turned to his side to give a few words to his men. He¡¯d let them drug it, but not hurt the cow.

    The king has just finished speaking when there was another loud roar from a beast.

    The others looked at the king of Red Star City

    The Red Star King was preparing to say ¡°it has been passed¡±, but the words ready to be delivered was temporarily stopped.

    Huh? This wasn¡¯t right!

    ¡°This is not our cattle. More like¡­ the one from the Snowfield City.¡±

    Hearing the words, everyone again looked towards the Snowfield City¡¯s side.

    Standing there in the wind, the white-suited Snowfield King looked especially conspicuous.

    Because his speech was interrupted, the Snowfield King¡¯s face was already dark, but it became even darker.

    Wahahaha.. Is it really Sapphire to the rescue? I want something like it fighting thoserge beasts! Or maybe leading them!

    (*?¦Ø????¡î??

 Chapter 331

    C331 ¨C Wind and Rain Came

    Posted on January 23, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    The first three times the Snowfield King was interrupted by a bull¡¯s cry was indeed the Red Star City¡¯s famous me Bull fighting beast. However, thetest was not the case.

    With this, the Snowfield King really could not refute it. If he didn¡¯t acknowledge it, he knew their own fighting beast would be torn down.

    The overcast face of the Snowfield King was full of anger. With a wave of his hand, the two ves around him quickly withdrew, going to deal with the fighting beast and see what was going on there.

    Seeing the Red Star City and Snowfield City two kings losing face, the Baishi King was already looking satisfied. The other cities¡¯ ve owners were also gloating in their hearts. Ha! That¡¯ll teach you!

    However, their satisfaction did not linger for long. Soon, a session of beast roars sounded, not only from the Red Star City cow or the just now Snowfield City beast, but there were other calls.

    The beasts roared more and more intensively, with a high cry.

    All of them here were experienced people who knew a lot about fighting beasts. Even if they didn¡¯t know their daily habits, listening to sounds could make them feel the emotions these beasts express.

    At the moment, the session of cries were full of anger and irritation, as if they were being turned around. Along with the sound of the cries, there were sounds like the fighting beasts hitting the stone walls.

    That¡¯s not a good thing.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡± They couldn¡¯t sit still and stopped paying attention to the battle ring.

    ¡°Is it the beasts in the pens were fighting?¡±

    ¡°All the good ones in our city are over there!¡±

    ¡°Hurry and send someone over to see! But remember, do not let the others hurt our own city¡¯s fighting beast. The Beast Battle is not over yet!¡±

    The small ve owners as well as the major ones let the ves around them take a look at the situation in the pen.

    The Snowfield King looked at the stands, which had already turned to chaos, and took a deep breath.

    ¡°Quiet, everybody!!¡±

    This roar seeded in attracting the attention of the ve owners around. The tumultuous field suddenly calmed down.

    Seeing this, the Snowfield King was slightly satisfied deep inside. Looking at the situation in the sand field, he lifted his hands and reluctantly said, ¡°The fourth battle of the beasts has ended. Start the fifth game preparations!¡±

    As for the hooded man who can make the fire of very, they would send someone to check him. At this urgent moment, it was better to stabilize the field first.

    Inside the sand pit, two heavy doors opened.

    These people originally thought that when they entered the field, it wouldn¡¯t be long for them to die. Seeing the heavy stone door slowly opening now, they had a kind of newfound excitement for life. The three ves rushed out first, followed by the Yu tribe and Tian Shan tribe¡¯s four people. The three people from the ming Horns tribe also walked out briskly.

    Shao Xuan watched as the horned lizard beast was pulled out with thick rattan ropes by nearly twenty tall, stout, strong ves that came out. Since it could get out of here, the beast was also happy, so it did not resist and cooperated.

    Since the beginning of the fights, even if you could get out of the battle, it wouldn¡¯t be unscathed. It was rare for such a fighting beast to almost maintain its appearance as it went out. The only difference was that it has another¡¯s blood.

    When the beast left, Shao Xuan and the two turned to the other door.

    While walking out the door, Shao Xuan whispered quicky to Lei and Tuo, ¡°Later, I¡¯ll let you leave first. It will soon be a mess here. For that time, no one would care about us.¡±

    Lei and Tuo looked at Shao Xuan surprised, but they did not quite understand what Shao Xuan meant. However, since Shao Xuan said so, they would do it. The scene that had just happened in the sand pit was a surprise not only to the ve owners, but also to the two of them. They heard the spection that Shao Xuan was a ve owner, but they did not believe it. Shao Xuan was a man with the Shaman¡¯s favor. He was also the elder of the ming Horns recognized by the ancestors! Whether he¡¯s a ve owner or not, Shao Xuan was still a ming Horns tribe member!

    The roar of the beasts and the sound of the crash still showed no signs of stopping. It even intensified.

    At this time, inside the big warehouse with the me Bull.

    The me bull was stomping the ground with its hooves.

    Damn it, what was it about this bug bothering the bull?! How did it drill the ground and disappear?

    Just as it kept stomping, the beetle, which was making the me bull crazy, had drilled silently out from the corner. Then, it quickly flew to the bull¡¯s back, clinging to it, biting and stabbing it hard with its hook-like limbs.

    The me bull screamed again.

    ¡°Moo¡ª¡± It was numb with anger now!

    Boom!

    The bull swung its head with two thick horns and hit the stone wall next to it again.

    Those stone walls could only block for a moment, but could not withstand the fighting beast¡¯s crazy collision. Here was not the Colosseum after all.

    The people who were sent over there to find out about the situation were listening to the fierce roar and banging, and did not dare to open the stone door so easily. Just as they were thinking of how to let these fighting beasts calm down, a bang resounded in the ce. The wall that consumed a huge amount of human and material resources, that ruined hundreds or even thousands of ve lives for the tall building, was finally knocked down.

    Around the copsed stone wall, the people standing saw the angry me bulling out of it, with a scorching smell spewing from its big nostrils. The ves standing outside could clearly see the two streams of white air spewing out.

    A small ve owner who had rushed to appease the me bull with more than ten ves, saw this scene, and at the same time, thought in his heart: it¡¯s bad!!

    What the hell happened that made this cow so angry?

    me bulls have a characteristic that their eyes change color with their emotions. When their eyes turned red, it meant that they were angry, and the darker the color, the greater their anger. By this time, the eyes of the me bull had turned into a nearly blood-red color. It was like a piece of red-hot stone, whoever caught it would burn.

    Such a state was really suitable for the sand pit, but here was not the battlefield nor the time to fight a beast.

    The me bull¡¯s blood-red eyes looked out at the people, its hooves ning on the ground.

    At the sight of this situation, the heart of the people of Red Star City thundered.

    ¡°It¡¯s going to attack!¡±

    ¡°Go find the king! Fast!¡±

    The me bull was enved by the king, and only the king was able to calm it down. If others wanted to stop it, they could only join forces to take down and kill it. But before that, the king of the Red Star City said not to hurt the me bull. The only solution then was to go find the king.

    On the me bull, with its horns facing forward and hooves stomping to jump up, the culprit of the angry me bull has changed its ce, then started the same thing, as there were many fighting beasts around the area.

    The task that Shao Xuan gave it before was to stir up the bull¡¯s anger.

    Two days before the Colosseum opened, Shao Xuan asked around Beast City about the me bull of Red Star City. With a five-year winning streak and an irritable temper, it became part of Shao Xuan¡¯s n.

    In order to see the beetle¡¯s obedience and ability to perform, Shao Xuan also specially checked it. That day when he had been locked inside the house and only asionally went out to pick up something and went back to the house again, was to test the beetle. He gave the beetle a small, ordinary branch and let it take it to the ground near the corner of the house. The beetle did a good job. Three times in a row and it was all done very well, which made Shao Xuan rejoice in enving such a beetle.

    He had told Sapphire that, when this was over, he would unlock its second lock. In fact, Shao Xuan, after determining its ability, actually wanted to remove the second lock, but the time to unlock it from the first lock was too short. ording to Su Gu, if the time when the ves unlocked the second lock was too short, it may not be beneficial. There were even examples of it resulting to death. Hence, Shao Xuan did not immediately solve it but promised to unlock it afterwards.

    Moreover, in addition to the big blue beetle, there were arge number of beetles in the ce where the fighting beasts were held. Although they pose no threat alone, with their number, it was different. This was why the other fighting beasts were beginning to fret and be annoyed.

    The Colosseum would be open the three days before and after the full moon, with about ten or so fights daily. Most of the fighting beasts that would appear in the games were locked in the ce next to the Colosseum. After all, there may be some small changes before the fight, so they may temporarily change the beast. Therefore, the fighting beasts would not only be present the first day but also until the closing day.

    Now, these battle beasts, which have been hard to appease and locked up for preparation, were all insanely mad.

    At first, it was only one or two, but soon, it was like a chain reaction, driving the mood of other fighting beasts. The fighting beasts, who were not very good-tempered, were in a worse mood. What¡¯s more, this time, there¡¯s a factor igniting their anger.

    Bang¡ª

    Another stone wall was knocked down.

    It¡¯s like an opening prelude. After that, another stone wall was knocked down and the stone door was knocked open.

    In the rage of the fighting beasts, the remaining ten that were still sensible were the first to bear their anger. Aside from the ves guarding the side of the Colosseum, the Colosseum has more protection. There were high walls blocking the way so the beasts could not attack it. They could only turn to several directions, rampaging and venting their umted anger and killing intent.

    The guards of Beast City were made up of people from the three major cities. It was impossible to say that absolute harmony was not possible for them, but coupled with the less secure orders, loopholes were magnified at this moment and they were instantly messed up.

    The game at the Colosseum could not be carried out either. Because of the fighting beasts outside, the ve owners who were previously emotional and excited, were afraid to leave at will. They stayed there first, waiting for the king and the ves to deal with the fighting beasts outside.

    It was not until the afternoon that the outside situation was barely stabilized. The small ve owners who were terrified in the Colosseum stands, were not in the mood to continue watching the fighting beast and returned to their respective stations under the escort of their ves.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group did not follow when the others returned to Luoye station. After sending people to give a message to Su Gu, they looked for a ce to rest first.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, shouldn¡¯t we go to the Luoye station?¡± Tuo asked.

    ¡°Not for a while.¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Why? Are you suspicious of the king?¡±

    ¡°More than that. I fear that something big is going to happen. If it did happen, it¡¯s a good opportunity to leave.¡± Shao Xuan was looking at the full moon in the sky as he spoke.

    I don¡¯t get the title!!! (?¡ä-§Õ-)¡£¡£

    And it really is Sapphire to the rescue!

 Chapter 332

    C332 ¨C Changes

    Posted on January 31, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    The effect caused by the fighting beasts was more intense than Shao Xuan expected.

    One thing was that Shao Xuan underestimated Sapphire¡¯s ability, and another was the time.

    When the moon was full, it was the most vulnerable time for the beasts, causing them to riot.

    However, the ve owners just liked the beasts¡¯ rage as they fought each other. For them, only in such a situation was it fierce enough and entertaining.

    They never knew that after all this time, there would be a fighting beasts riot. When they went to Beast City again, will there be a psychological shadow on them?

    Shao Xuan stood on a high sand ridge, looking at the distant Luoye City station, as well as the Beast City further afield.

    This night, Lei and Tuo had a rare good sleep. During the time they were caught, they have been on guard, nervous, tense, and always alert. But now, there were Shao Xuan and Chacha with them so they were finally rxed. If they slept well, they could recover quickly.

    After midnight, Shao Xuan saw that a bird flew into the Luoye City station. Then, not long after, a small team rushed to the city station. Seeing their almost silent but fast run, Shao Xuan guessed that these people were the people the Luoye king sent out to explore for news.

    There must have been something that made these people rush back in such a hurry.

    The next day, Shao Xuan went out alone to find Su Gu. He did not take Lei and Tuo, and had the two find a ce to rest first so they could recover faster. He had to determine first whether there was someone hunting them, Dao Yu, in particr, who saw Shao Xuan in the Colosseum showing his hand. Even if other people did not care, Dao Yu would certainly have an idea.

    It¡¯s always good to be careful when such a storm was likely to lead to a more intense one.

    It¡¯s just that Shao Xuan didn¡¯t expect that what he¡¯d learn from Su Gu was a more surprising news.

    ¡°The Baishi king is dead?!¡±

    ¡°Well, someone came to report itst night, and my father asked me toe over. He did not let me leave the station, and told me that we will get out of here as soon as possible.¡± Su Gu looked a little tired. He was also curious as to why Shao Xuan could make a fire for very. However, in such a big situation, an issue about the tribes was less important. Moreover, Su Gu still needed the help of Shao Xuan, so naturally he could not push him too tightly.

    Shao Xuan pondered Su Gu¡¯s words just now.

    The Baishi king, the King of a city, was killed? Yesterday, he was still raging at the Colosseum. Howe when he went back, he was killed?

    ¡°Do you know who killed him?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Su Gu shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°How about Dao Yu?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I heard that among the Baishi king¡¯s three close guards, one was dead.¡± After a pause, Su Gu spoke again. ¡°It seems that the dead one is not Dao Yu.¡±

    After the Colosseum riot, it was the king of a city who was killed, hence this battle of the beasts was doomed not to be continued.

    Before hearing the news, the Snowfield King was still yelling for his people to investigate why the fighting beasts rioted. Now that a king of a city was killed, in the afternoon, when another news came, the Snowfield King left with his people.

    The words of the Snowfield King was: ¡°This king has an emergency. Who cares who is in charge. Anyway, this king doesn¡¯t care!¡±

    ¡°What the hell is going on that can make the Snowfield king so anxious?¡± Shao Xuan wondered.

    ¡°I heard that on the other side of Snowfield City, something extremely important seems to have been lost.¡± Su Gu said.

    ¡°What could be that important?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it is and I¡¯m still inquiring about it. It is said, however, that it may have something to do with your tribe.¡± Su Gu replied.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. What were the secret purpose of people from the other tribes? His previous guess was to look for metal ores. Have they already seeded?

    The Yu tribe and the Tianshan tribe, who had returned with them that day, had leftst night. They didn¡¯t remain to give greetings to the people of Luoye City, so even if he wanted to ask, he couldn¡¯t find these people.

    ¡°If it really has something to do with the tribes, then you have to avoid it early. We from Luoye City, have taken in a lot of the tribes people.¡± Su Gu said.

    Things were as Su Gu had said. In the afternoon near dusk, the Luoye king gathered his men and beasts, then left together with everyone, not staying for long in the station here.

    Originally, Shao Xuan wanted to let Chacha leave first with Lei and Tuo, but Su Gu offered to let Lei and Tuo also travel with him. The two days before and after the full moon, the desert was very dangerous, so being extra careful was for the best.

    Shao Xuan agreed after thinking about it.

    The day they left the Beast Desert, the Luoye king saw the three of them but didn¡¯t say a word.

    As for Baishi City, after their king was killed, Baishi¡¯s young masters and their small ve owners left with the ves. It was too dangerous, so they went back to their city first before fighting for the throne.

    Not only the Baishi and Luoye City, the people of several other cities have also left one after another, seemingly aware of theing storm and were travelling in a hurry.

    Several people in the city left, leaving only the original guard of the Beast City. The guards of the three cities were already on guard against each other.

    A guard from Snowfield City who had stayed here went out that night to relieve himself. The desert at night shone brightly because of the moon in the sky.

    The guard went to the side of a beast pit. There were a lot of corpses piled up in the pit, most of them were the losers of thest two days of fighting. If it was like the past, they would have been given to the ves to eat, but now they have all withdrawn, too many corpses left behind were still in the pit. After another ten days, only the bones would be left. There were scavengers and other bugs around here that would feed on the carcasses.

    Yawning, the guard looked around and did not find anyone else in the city except for hispanion not far from him, which reassured him so much when he intended to pee here.

    As he was about to pee, he suddenly heard some low noises. He hurriedly looked around but did not find any other abnormalities. Then, he listened carefully, and found that those voices wereing from under the pit.

    Was there a fighting beast alive in the pit when they thought it had died?

    Thinking of the riots in the Colosseum, the guard swallowed hard. Holding the hilt of his weapon in his hand, he stretched his neck to look down. Then, he saw some ck beetles drilling out of the beast pit, one after another. Soon, they wrapped up the corpses stacked on top of them.

    The situation continued until the guard found that the corpses in the pit were rapidly thinning down. The original strong muscles became withered with visible speed under his naked eye.

    Even if he had seen scavengers in the desert quickly destroying corpses, it was often caused by thebined action of many birds and other animals of all sizes. However, now in this pit, there was only one kind of beetle which nibbled wildly. The ck armor on their backs reflected the cold, white light of the moon.

    He had guarded the Beast City for so many years but he had never seen such a scene. ording to his experience from previous years, such arge number of corpses would usually take about ten days to be finished. But looking at the situation at this time, he could see that it would not take ten days. He didn¡¯t even have to wait for tomorrow when the sun came out before these corpses would be wiped out, with only hard bones and thick scales left after.

    There was a cold sweat dripping on the guard¡¯s back as he stood outside the pit. It felt like his scalp was frozen. He shouted, running to hispanion¡¯s side and saying what was happening in the pit.

    ¡°Bugs? You mean those little beetles, didn¡¯t you?¡± The other guard was skeptical.

    ¡°Really, really! If you don¡¯t believe me, see it for yourself!¡±

    The other guard still doubted it, intending to just march up to see. They were really scared by the recent events and would not dare run around with only one or two alone.

    However, by the time they marched up to take a look, there were no more ck beetles in the pit. There were no traces to be seen. However, since the corpses had obvious traces of being gnawed, they had dried up a lot.

    ¡°How¡­ Why is it all gone? It was there just now!¡± The guard paced along the pit side, looking but did not find one.

    Meanwhile, beneath the sand, a group of beetles who had just nibbled on the corpses had left, following a blue beetle as went out of Beast City.

    The next day, when the sun rose, there were only a handful of seemingly harmless beetles in Beast City that were still rolling dung balls. Most of them were gone.

    Sorry, guys. I wasz¨C *cough* I mean, busy these days.

 Chapter 333

    C333 ¨C Leave as Soon as Possible

    Posted on February 1, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Leaving Beast City regardless of the previous riot, the Snowfield king rushed back to Snowfield City overnight together with his people.

    Standing in a secret underground ce, the Snowfield King opened his eyes wide and looked at a small open space beneath his feet. The things that should be ced here had disappeared.

    Staring at the big sinkhole under his feet, the king had bloodshot eyes, looking like an angry me cow of Red Star City. The fist hanging on the side of his body was clenched tightly. The horror and hostilitying out of him made the men behind the Snowfield king afraid to breath.

    For a while, the Snowfield king gnashed his teeth. ¡°Whoever it is, no matter how many people are involved, I want them all to die!!¡±

    After leaving the pce, the Snowfield King issued a pursuit order: Anyone who meets the tribesmen, kill! Killing one has a reward, killing two can get you promoted! The more you kill, the more rewards you get.

    At the same time, the Snowfield King was still looking for who stole the treasure. He has always looked down on the tribesmen, hence, although his men say there were traces of tribal activities, he still believed that there were certainly other people involved, such as the other two major cities or other restless small cities.

    It¡¯s not just in Snowfield City that there was an impending storm brewing. So was in Luoye City.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group followed Su Gu back to Luoye City. As they returned to the city, he found that the defense of the city raised a level. The whole ce has a solemn and restless atmosphere. After entering the city, this feeling was even more prominent. The usual arrogance of the two young masters in the city was not obvious as they kept to their own residence. Day and night, there were ves outside the pce to guard.

    When the Luoye King Su Lun returned to the city, he had called his three sons together to talk. The summary was: Now is an extraordinary period. No matter how you usually fight, this king will be in charge. Whoever you think has a better hand, you will still answer to this old man.

    Su Gu and his brothers did not doubt Su Lun¡¯s words. Su Lun really did not care about father and son rtionships. On his side was a lot of beautiful women and he also has a lot of lovers in other tribes. If he really wanted to have offsprings, he would just make them again.

    This was clear to the three brothers, especially Su Gu. He usually had to be on guard, and now, he still has to stay alert.

    Then, after entering the city, Shao Xuan¡¯s group returned to the tribal areas of Luoye City. Before, the other tribesmen go about, people always moving to ces, but not a single one was present now. The doors and windows were closed that even a little noise was not heard.

    ¡°Did they go back early? Didn¡¯t you say we¡¯d leave together when everyone came back?¡± Lei resented. It¡¯s bad for those people to leave when they threw their group of three away.

    ¡°No. Even if the traveling team left, there will always be someone left behind.¡± He frowned as he looked at the situation in front of him. His heart became more and more uneasy.

    Shao Xuan looked at a man next to them and pointed to an empty house. ¡°Where are they?¡±

    This was a ve Su Gu left to follow them. Although his heart was repulsed of Shao Xuan¡¯s group, to give face to Su Gu, he maintained a polite demeanor on the surface. When he heard Shao Xuan ask, he replied, ¡°They were gone the day before yesterday.¡± His tone was contemptuous and angry, as if those people had done something unforgivable.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care about the ve¡¯s tone. He opened the door and went into the house that belonged to their ming Horns tribe. A leaf with a written word was found by the window of the room, which was tucked in through a gap in the window.

    Based on the handwriting, it was left by Gui He of the Mang tribe.

    Two sentences were written very briefly on it. It meant that the situation was urgent that they had to leave first. If Shao Xuan¡¯s group came back, they should also leave quickly.

    ¡°They actually really left first!¡± Lei was angry.

    Tuo was a lot calmer. He never expected the other tribesmen to have the same attitude as their own tribesmen.

    Just as Shao Xuan looked at the leaf, Chacha from outside also shouted. It then picked up a feather.

    The feather was inserted on the roof of the house where Shao Xuan was. Chacha could discern the other from the smell of the feather.

    ¡°Is it from a Hui tribe¡¯s mountain eagle¡¯s feather?¡±

    Shao Xuan took the feather and found that there was also a sentencd left on the feather.

    The written five [E/N: I guess it was actually four but tranted was five] words were¡ª¡±leave as soon as possible.¡±

    This has been left both by the Mang tribe and the Hui tribe. No matter what happened, no matter what serious state of affairs the people were actually doing, leaving at this moment was the most important thing.

    The ve that Su Gu had sent over had been excluded by Shao Xuan, so there were only three of them in the room.

    When he came in, Shao Xuan found that the people in the city were very defensive of them. As they went near this house, he couldn¡¯t tell how many eyes were staring. The reason why they hadn¡¯t done anything now was probably because of Su Gu. It was probably difficult to leave without permission.

    ¡°Huge events may happen in this desert, which is not something we can get mixed into. You leave first.¡± Shao Xuan said to Lei and Tuo.

    ¡°What about you?¡± Tuo asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to stay here for a few more days. You go first and let Chacha take you away.¡± Shao Xuan answered.

    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work. It¡¯s too dangerous for you to stay here alone!¡±

    Lei and Tuo were not willing. In the tribe, they understood Shao Xuan¡¯s value in their heart. Not to mention that Shao Xuan was an elder. How could the elder stay here while the two of them run first?

    Shao Xuan did not immediately answer. He lifted his sleeves, then mobilized his totem power.

    The me pattern stretched from his shoulder to his elbow, over his lean arms, then over his wrist.

    Lei and Tuo showed a shocked face, their mouths open. ¡°Ah-Xuan! You¡­¡­ Did you ascend?!!¡±

    Tuo thought about it. ¡°You¡¯ve been promoted before going to the Colosseum, haven¡¯t you? No wonder I felt like you had a different momentum at that time.¡±

    At that time, more of his attention was ced on the beast. When he had looked at the Shao Xuan, he did not pay attention to his power. Besides, at that time, Shao Xuan was wearing clothes with long sleeves, covering up to his wrists. They did not see Shao Xuan¡¯s wrist with the totem pattern.

    ¡°Even so, with only you, it¡¯s still too dangerous. The other tribes havee with several senior totem warriors, and they have run away. How can you stay here by yourself?¡± Tuo and Lei were still not at ease.

    ¡°I still need to contact Su Gu. I¡¯ll let you leave first since you still have injuries.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Thinking of their own situation, Lei and Tuo were a little frustrated. ¡°Rather than us leaving first, we could wait for you on the road. Beforeing here, did we not pass a rocky area? We could rest there and still wait for you in that ce.¡±

    ¡°Ten days,¡± Shao Xuan said, looking at Lei and Tuo, ¡°If you have already waited for ten days and I still did not show up, you will leave on your own.¡±

    Tuo and Lei still wanted to say something, but Shao Xuan stopped them. ¡°In addition, I also n to go to Baishi City, take advantage of the chaos over there, then look for an opportunity deal with that traitor, Dao Yu.¡±

    With such a threat, Shao Xuan dare not rest assured to go back to the tribe.

    Being familiar with the Wanshi tribe, in this uing storm, he was yet to know what kind of role Dao Yu would y.

    ¡°Dao Yu must die!¡±

    Although Lei and Tuo were very reluctant, they still acted ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s arrangements.

    Shao Xuan went to find Su Gu. Su Gu did not pay much attention to Lei and Tuo. Those two people could not help him any more, so he readily let his people release them. He recently intended to enve a group of people, hence, as long as Shao Xuan stayed, he would be fine.

    After Lei and Tuo left with Chacha, Su Gu looked for Shao Xuan as he wanted to enve a group of ves and he had already seen Shao Xuan¡¯s fire of very. Su Gu also wanted to exchange notes with Shao Xuan. It was only that Shao Xuan has not enved people before. For the time being, he did not intend to enve people, so Su Gu had some disappointment this time. He actually wanted to see if Shao Xuan could sessfully enve a person.

    No one from the tribes have had this talent. But this person actually would not use such a good gift! Su Gumented.

    Shao Xuan also did not tell Su Gu about his envement of beetles. He assisted Su Gu as he sessfully enved more than twenty people, then finally left.

    Su Gu was quite reluctant. ¡°I know that this thing is actually not rted to your ming Horns tribe, but, I still have to remind you to be more careful. I heard that the Snowfield King had orders to kill the tribesmen in Snowfield City. As long as they meet a tribesman, they would directly kill him.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you all worried about the Snowfield king killing you? You took in the tribesmen.¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Su Gu thought about his father¡¯s attitude. It seemed that he was not worried at all. Recently, his father had several people around him and he was very happy everyday.

 Chapter 334

    C334 ¨C Baishi City

    Posted on February 7, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    When Shao Xuan left Luoye City, the camel he had brought from the Rain tribe spontaneously followed suit.

    Originally, Shao Xuan also thought that the camel knew that it was not good to stay in the city, hence it wanted to follow him. However, when he exited the city, Shao Xuan saw the camel give a head shake, then uttered an ¡°aang¡± sound, as if it was saying goodbye. Afterwards, it went to another direction, different from where Shao Xuan was supposed to go.

    Shao Xuan stared at the camel¡¯s figure before trotting over. He removed its reins, leaving only a water-filled animal bag hanging around its neck. Shao Xuan has a kettle on him and the stone that Yang Sui gave to him for water, so he left the other water bag to Mud.

    After patting Mud¡¯s neck, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Good luck. Don¡¯t be eaten.¡±

    There were also wild camels in the desert, and Shao Xuan had seen them several times when he entered the desert with the travel team. It¡¯s all formed in groups, walking above the ridges.

    Above the scorching desert, the images in sight were somewhat distorted.

    The camel¡¯s mood seemed to be good. Mud just slightly tilted its head, and called out ¡°Aang¡±, before facing the wind and sand as it slowly walked away. That pinch of long hairs on its head were fluttering in the wind.

    Shao Xuan saw that camel figure disappeared in sight. After a sigh, he looked at the reins in his hand. He put them inside his animal skin bag and pulled on a cloth with the same color as the desert. Then, he quickly moved to the direction of Baishi City.

    Baishi was known as Baishi because of the area it was situated at. It has a particrlyrge number of stones exposed in the desert which were white.

    In the desert, few rocks could withstand the uninterrupted blow of the sand. The rocks with their surfaces revealed under such polishing, showed a variety of bizarre shapes.

    Shao Xuan understood that when he saw the many white stones scattered in his field of vision. It¡¯s not far from Baishi City. Maybe there were Baishi people out there who patrolled outside, so he had to be careful.

    Shao Xuan learned from Su Gu that, after the death of the Baishi king, the young masters returned to Baishi City with their men. They then began topete for the throne, and the city was now in civil war.

    What exactly was the cause of the Baishi king¡¯s death and who killed him?

    Ironically, after his death, his sons and daughters did not use much energy to investigate the cause of his death, to find the real culprit. Rather, they started topete for the seat of the king of the city.

    During Shao Xuan¡¯s trip to Baishi, inside the city. A stone house.

    Dao Yu¡¯s gray face looked like it had drastically thinned. The exposed skin was not intact and his face was covered with wrinkles and variety of muscle necrosis wounds. In particr, his left arm was wrapped in thick cloth, with a strong herbal vor. His whole person looked very weak, like he has a serious illness and would soon die.

    Suddenly, Dao Yu vomitted out another mouthful of blood. Lying on a wooden bed covered with thick skins, he pulled out a smile and looked at the person in front of him. ¡°Young¡­ Young Master!¡±

    Seeing Dao Yu struggling to get up, the Baishi young master who often looked for Dao Yu to negotiate things hurriedly said, ¡°You do not need to be courteous. Lie down!¡±

    His sight swept over Dao Yu¡¯s creepy face but he did not dare stare for long. The Bashi young master held back his disgust, still maintaining a neutral expression. His face showed worry, seeming to worry about Dao Yu¡¯s injury.

    That day, when the Baishi king was killed, the Baishi¡¯s piece of the symbol of the king¡¯s identity was also lost. Dao Yu went to track the murderer. Although he did not get the murderer back, he had retrieved this symbol and had given it to the young master.

    No one doubted that Dao Yu could have possibly killed the Baishi king. In their view, Dao Yu wouldn¡¯t get any benefit doing that. Besides, he did not have the ability. With how powerful the Baishi king was, how could he have been killed by a ve? Even seeing Dao Yu now who had chased the culprit and returned looking like a ghost, they would know that he did not only lose the murderer, but was also poisoned.

    When Dao Yu handed over the Baishi symbol, the young master was of course happy. With this stone symbol, the throne in the city was within his grasp more than the others.

    He then looked at the frail person in the bed. If it was on usual days, this Baishi young master certainly would not take more than a nce. One reason was that Dao Yu now looked too hideous. Moreover, Dao Yu now seemed to have been abandoned. On the first day, he still looked good, but time had passed. The disease was getting heavier that it was better to hide him from others. Most of the Baishi people did not know Dao Yu¡¯s condition.

    Among the Baishi king¡¯s three close guards, one died, leaving only Dao Yu and another person. The two respectively supported different young masters. Although they were only ves, but to this day, they had already known too many secrets. Before getting the throne, even if they were the young masters, there were many people who still have to consider each of them.

    Now, Baishi City had still separated the two guards. If the other side knew that Dao Yu¡¯s disease has worsened, they would certainly take the opportunity to act. Therefore, this young master chose to hide Dao Yu¡¯s illness until his death. Still, Dao Yu wanted to be healed at his home and this young master would also be happy to fulfill his wish but, that is, as long as Dao Yu would not go out to see other people.

    After enduring to say a few words, the Baishi young master really could not stand looking at Dao Yu¡¯s festering face, as well as the smell here. From Dao Yu¡¯s mouth, he had already learned what he wanted, so he excused himself, saying he had something to deal with and hurriedly left. As he left, he was still thinking: When I won, I will kill this ve!

    After the Baishi young master hurriedly left, Dao Yu was left lying weakly on the wooden bed. His eyes looked cold as he scoffed. After moving in afortable position while lying on the animal skins, he lifted apart the cloth in his hand to take a parcel.

    This arm has been covered with festering injuries and multiple muscle necrosis. You could even see the white bones which was very frightening.

    After somebour to free his hands, the sharp pains left Dao Yu shivering all over. However, this did not concern Dao Yu. Instead, his eyes was showing the contrary, full of expectations and uncontroble excitement.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that this would be so strong!¡± Dao Yu looked at the burning in his hand that almost left only the bone in it.

    Poison? This is a treasure! A treasure that would make the world crazy! So many people wanted to get it, but it was Dao Yu who got it in his hands!

    Just as he was thinking of the stolen treasure, Dao Yu suddenly heard approaching footsteps.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡±

    His sharp eyes swept over, then saw a man in a cloak.

    At the sight of this man, the expression on Dao Yu¡¯s face suddenly changed. His eyes lost its sharpness, his festering face changed in a respectful expression. If his face was intact, you could also see its color of reverence.

    As if there was no previous weakness, Dao Yu jumped up from the bed, kneeled on one knee and offered a bow.

    ¡°It seems that you have seeded,¡± the man with the cloak said faintly. This was a female voice, sounding like the water of the spring pool, dripping cooly.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Dao Yu looked up slightly at the person with the cloak. With caution in his words, he continued, ¡°The seed¡­¡±

    ¡°Take it yourself.¡± The cloaked person was not concerned with it.

    ¡°Master Xie Shao!¡± Dao Yu¡¯s eyes was full of joy.

    ¡°This lord has a few orders for you. If you can take Baishi, Baishi will also belong to you.¡±

    After simply saying a few words, the cloaked person left a packet of herbs and left silently.

    Dao Yu carefully held that bag of herbs. He personally cooked and drank it all until even the little dregs were gone. These would allow his injuries to recover more quickly.

    After drinking the medicine, he looked out the window at the dark sky. Dao Yu called over two people, whispered a fewmands, and then jumped out of the window.

 Chapter 335

    C335 ¨C Underground Pce

    Posted on February 12, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    In the Baishi desert area, Shao Xuan met two people who were patrolling outside. However, looking at their absent-minded appearance, he thought of how the situation was in Baishi City now. ording to the information Shao Xuan learned, in the past, Baishi¡¯s outside patrol should be far more stricter than now. The patrol should not be so withered, especially in the state of the city today.

    However, it could also be understood.

    For the ves, Baishi was now in a very critical time. The death of the king of ve owners meant that their greatest master was gone. Who will take over, who is about to be their next master. Everything was not fixed and the future developments were also full of worries.

    Easily dodging these absent-minded guards, Shao Xuan also paid attention to some of the surrounding creatures, such as birds, small animals and so on. Maybe the Baishi City people has another eye. Perhaps someone had enved the insects? He had to be careful.

    Afterwards, he went to a big rock. The rock looked like a mushroom with arge umbre top above it. This was because, when a sandstorm came, therge particles of sand scraped closer to the ground, slowly grinding the rock close to the ground, so that it formed what it was now.

    Hiding under this, Shao Xuan temporarily did not have to worry about being found by the birds above. As it approached night time, there was no people patrolling around, so he went ahead, close to Baishi City. Shao Xuan nned to rest first before entering the city.

    After drinking a little water, he had restored a little of his strength. Then, Shao Xuan began to ponder his n to mix into Baishi City. As he was thinking, his brows frowned. He had suddenly thought that in case he had sessfully mixed into Baishi, what if Dao Yu was not inside the city? What was he going to do?

    After thinking about it, Shao Xuan cut the reins he had taken off the camel. He intended to use this rope to check the position of Dao Yu. However, he didn¡¯t know if he could seed.

    The divination finished. Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked at the knot in his hands. He read out the conclusion and checked around ording to the result. His fingers drew a picture on the ground, and finally determined the direction shown. However, this direction was not going to Baishi City.

    Anyway, Shao Xuan was just going to go over and have a look.

    Fortunately, he had checked this before mixing in Baishi, otherwise, it would be a real waste of time.

    After changing his direction, Shao Xuan quickly went towards the position shown in the divination. Without the help of Chacha, Shao Xuan¡¯s pace in the desert has slowed down, but it has not been too slow.

    Walking more, Shao Xuan discovered that he hade out of the Baishi desert. At such a critical time in Baishi City, Dao Yu was not in the city. What was he doing, running away?

    Shao Xuan continued to move in that direction and only took a short break at night. Then, he continued to search until he came to a ce.

    It looked no different from the rest of the desert, having all those high and low sand dunes. Even if it was a rtively t ce, it also looked like the wind had blown over a sparklingke.

    The wind here was slightlyrger. The dust was flying.

    Shao Xuan looked at a mountain-like sand dunes in front of him, observing around. He did not see anything suspicious, but the divination showed that there should be something around here. Did he still have to walk more?

    Not only because of the divination, Shao Xuan also has a very strange feeling. He always felt that there should be something here.

    As he went ahead to climb up the mountainous sand dunes, the strange feeling in his heart grew even more.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, the ¡°shell¡± wrapped in the fire shed up. This kind of change made Shao Xuan stop his movement.

    As Shao Xuan was puzzling over it, he suddenly heard a light sound. Although there was the sound of the wind blowing the surrounding sand grains, after his ascension, his hearing has also increased, that he was able to distinguish other sounds from those noises. That was obviously not the sound of the sand blowing.

    Quickly lying low on the ground, he pulled his hood up, then went in the direction of the sound to see what it was.

    The sound was light, like the sound of the stone moving, but cautious. It seemed that the man who made the sound was on his guard.

    Shao Xuan patiently lied there, staring in the direction of where the sound wasing.

    The surrounding sand blew on Shao Xuan andter covered him.

    Soon, Shao Xuan found that between the two dunes in front, a gap opened on the ground and the sand sank.

    The gap opened more and morerger, until it could allow a person to go out. Shao Xuan then saw a person quicklying out from inside, looked around and did not find anything, then only waved at the bottom of the gap.

    Shao Xuan saw that the man had moved another man from the opened gap. Someone also seemed to be helping to send him out. It¡¯s just that when the fatigued man was handed out, the underground gap closed.

    The man who first came out looked at the surroundings, then dragged the other man to a distance.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment before following past the sand ridge and walking along the ridge line for cover. Although he could not follow far, he could at least see where those people went in the end.

    The man walked farther, around a hill, then ploughed the sand off the ground with his hands. He ploughed out a pit, then pushed the person in. Before burrying the body, he had removed all the clothes off the man,pared them to his, then decided to to keep it for himself.

    After collecting all the clothes, the man filled the pit with the surrounding sand, then looked around before returning.

    Shao Xuan continued looking when the man came back. The man pulled at the sand until the te buckled.

    The te was moved away and the man said something to the man below. Then, he went down the open seam.

    The te closed again and everything returned to normal. The wind quickly blew the sand, covering the ce up until he could not see any abnormalities.

    Shao Xuan wrote down the ce, then went to where that person had just buried someone. He pulled out the sand, then saw the buried man.

    Before, this man was dragged with his face down, hence, Shao Xuan had not seen his appearance. He only saw the person now, and Shao Xuan found that this person not only had his face but also his body full of multiple skin disintegration and necrosis, looking very frightening. His nostrils and other areas also had traces of bleeding.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see how the injuries on this person was caused. There were no hits on his face, if not for those festering injuries. It should be a tall and muscr man. In the desert, even if it was a low ranking ve, it was still good forbor.

    That ce, what the hell was down there? Shao Xuan was curious. If Dao Yu was there, on what purpose?

    Shao Xuan lurked around the area, waiting for an opportunity.

    Around the next afternoon, the weather was hot in the desert. Shao Xuan was still hiding behind the sand ridge and he had been covered with ayer of sand. He didn¡¯t care about the heat of the sand as Shao Xuan stared at the other side. Then, he heard a little more movement.

    Soon, there was a gap in the ce again. Another man came out. It was not the one Shao Xuan sawst night, but he did the same thing.

    After the other man came out, he also dragged the person to the distance, intending to dig a pit to bury the person. He was startled by the sudden appearance of Shao Xuan. Before he could make a noise, he was caught in his throat and his two arms fell loose.

    Shao Xuan stared at the vanishing ve tattoo on the man¡¯s body and found that the man was a ve of Baishi City.

 Chapter 336

    C336 ¨C Seed

    Posted on February 16, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Looking at the other person¡¯s frightened eyes, Shao Xuan whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll ask you a few questions, you better answer!¡±

    The other side nodded multiple times.

    Shao Xuan opened his hand to free the other¡¯s throat. Seeing the other relieved, he then asked, ¡°What is Dao Yu doing down there?¡±

    The other side jerked up, obviously not expecting Shao Xuan to directly to say Dao Yu¡¯s name. A deep hue colored the man¡¯s eyes when he heard the name, obviously out of fear.

    Shao Xuan held the other¡¯s throat again, as if he would break it directly.

    The man nodded and shook his head, like he had something to say, but could not make a sound. Shao Xuan loosened again and the man coughed incessantly.

    ¡°Tell me!¡±

    ¡°In the¡­ In¡­¡­ Die!¡±

    The frightened eyes of the man suddenly dispersed, only to turn murderous. He jerked back a step, twisted his legs, then swept it towards Shao Xuan like whirlwind. At the front of the leg he swept out, the toe was covered with a sharp piece of bone. If it had sessfully cut, the blood that would gush out would be a lot.

    However, Shao Xuan guarded early. He did not move forward and retreat, only his hands moved.

    A wooden thorn was stabbed in the other person¡¯s neck.

    This was something Shao Xuan found in the desert. A kind of hard thorn in the tree he had smashed down. Aside from the thorns¡¯ certain hardness, Shao Xuan also wiped a poison on the wooden thorn. A person stabbed would be in a dizzy state then, would eventually fall asleep.

    When the man fell, Shao Xuan took out a knife after burying the man, then came to the ce where the man had juste out from. Learning from the man¡¯s practicest night, he pulled out the sand and buckled the te there.

    The te opened a seam. Inside, the person who was guarding the bottom looked out, but did not see anyone. He was puzzled but opened the seam a little more, then stretched his neck to look outside. Just as he let out his head, he felt a sudden pain in his neck. His sight then quickly blurred.

    Shao Xuan waited a little after the man fell. He did not hear any movement below, hence, he went down from the open seam while positioning the sleeping man to sit down beside him. He had given it a pose to look as if he was just sleeping.

    After pulling the te closed, he saw a polished stone stick next to the entrance. Shao Xuan picked up the stone stick to position it at the closed seam, so as to prevent people outside from pulling the te open.

    After the te was closed up, the passage below was dark.

    There were ignition torches next to it, but Shao Xuan doesn¡¯t need it.

    The passage was nearly two meters high and a metre wide. Shao Xuan listened to the movements inside the passage, before going forward. The dark environment was not much of a difficulty for him when he changed his view.

    He went straight all the way until he encountered a fork, where there were three branches.

    Shao Xuan intuitively chose one, and the more he went in, the ¡°shell¡± wrapped in his totem me in his mind grew brighter. However, at the same time, Shao Xuan also has a very ufortable feeling. Every nerve in the body was moring that it was dangerous. This danger did note from men, but from other reasons.

    The farther he went, the wider the road was. The wind flow in the passage proved that there should be other exits. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s just been built. It¡¯s more like it¡¯s been here for a long time.

    Further ahead, Shao Xuan found that there were many warehouses. There were guards next to the warehouses with a burning torch beside them, but all three were sitting on the ground by torches. However, looking at the way they had their chins slightly down, he knew that they were dozing off.

    Shao Xuan sneaked into one of the warehouses, while the three people who were outside were unaware.

    There was no door blocking the warehouse, just a lot of stones of different sizes. The stones were not bad, at least middle level. Shao Xuan first thought was that this was where Baishi City was storing their stones and used the ce to polish stone tools. However, that wasn¡¯t the case when he thought further about it. When storing stones, they won¡¯t run so far away to hide it. Hiding it so well meant that they have another n for these.

    Just then, Shao Xuan heard a noise outside. He hid behind a few stones, then observed the outside from the gap in the stone.

    A team of people came over outside, and the torch they were holding lit up the inside.

    ¡°Hurry up. Move a few more!¡± someone said.

    ¡°Still moving? There are already a lot of stones there.¡±

    ¡°Master Dao Yu told us to move and move quickly! He¡¯s checking for us over there.¡±

    Outside a warehouse came the sound of moving stones. Someone lowered his voice as he spoke. ¡°I heard a few more were dead, covered in rotten, dried skin¡­ Do you think that we will be like that?¡±

    ¡°But as long as we get through these days, we can ascend, which was what Dao Yu¡¯s master has promised. He will speak to the young master.¡±

    The men moved the stones and gradually left, until the outside darkened again.

    The three guards outside said something. One was going to take care of his business and leave for a while. This was where the stones were ced, therefore, they were afraid to scatter around here.

    Of the remaining two guards, one yawning and the other continuing to sleep, the former had been feeling particrly illtely while thetter looked like several patches of his skin had begun to fester. He looked at the face of his sleepingpanion, sitting on the ground, and his heart grew more and more frightened. He knew that the other man was afraid he would not persist for a long time.

    Just when he was despairing, he suddenly heard the sound of a stone ttering. He was startled, but still looked over there to check. However, he did not see anything, so he went back to his original ce, then continued to think deeply.

    Shao Xuan has alreadye out of the warehouse, and quickly left. The noise earlier, with the stone ttering, was him getting out.

    Shao Xuan remembered the direction where the men who moved the stones went then, also went straight over there.

    The feeling of danger was getting stronger, which may be rted to the sickness of those people.

    What the hell was hidden here?

    Was Dao Yu and his ¡°master¡± here like what those people said?

    Just as Shao Xuan continued to sneak in, Dao Yu was staring at a small piece of something not far away. His eyes were feverish.

    Beside Dao Yu, there were a lot of piled uprge and small stones. The stones were at least medium level.

    It was originally built by a former Baishi king to hide his gems and as a graveyard after his own death. Hundreds of ves were killed in order to build such a pce-like cemetery. The remaining ves were all killed after the pce was built. Therefore, there were very few people who knew the ce. Only the seeding Baishi king could know it, while the others, even if they learned that there was such a ce, did not know the exact location.

    Later, the Baishi king who had died had opened it before, throwing his deceased ancestor into the corner in a coffin and turning the underground pce into a stone-hiding ce. Because he knew a secret, a secret that the three major cities had been hiding, he thought that one day, he could steal things from the hands of the three major cities.

    Unfortunately, he did not wait for the seeding Baishi king to implement his own ambitions. He was killed by one he was in partnership with, presumably he died unexpectedly. His end would be that he was killed by the ves beside him. There were more than one traitor among his three close guards. Two betrayed him and the only one who was loyal had been killed.

    Dao Yu looked at that thing that was not much bigger than a fist. That was the ¡°seed¡± that the Baishi king had been cherishing. Dao Yu had given sparse help while those tribesmen was provoking trouble when they had stolen something at Snowfield City. But, being allowed to have this seed, he was really ecstatic.

    The shiny weapons used by the three cities, such as the armor and weapons used by the Snowfield young master that day, came from this seed. It could turn stones into ores and then extract what was needed from these ores.

    It¡¯s all his after that!

    This was now the underground pce where he was the master!

    Afraid of the vengeance of the ming Horns tribe?

    At first, he was naturally worried when he heard the news of the ming Horns tribe. However, as his strength grew, with more and more of what he had in his hands, he knew some secrets about the tribal fires and did not have the tribesmen in his sights. ve owners were the hegemon of the future!

    And he, Dao Yu, would do everything he could to be a ve owner!

    Thinking of that one called Shao Xuan actually having that ability, Dao Yu¡¯s clear mood suddenly clouded, but soon, he was happy again. With the Baishi City, with this seed, he did not have to be afraid. If he really couldn¡¯t solve the difficulties, he could also go find help.

    The desert was undergoing a purge. After this cleaning, there may not be the three major cities. As for the other cities, only a few could exist and Dao Yu did not know whether Luoye City may continue to exist. But he, Dao Yu would take over Baishi City¡­ No, he wouldn¡¯t call it Baishi City in the future. He has to change the name.

    Dao Yu, who was fantasizing about a better future, did not know that one of his most unliked person wasing towards his side.

    I don¡¯t know what to call that ¡°seed¡±. It was tranted as ¡°nuclear species¡± which I find weird¡­ or was that just me? (^_^ ¡®)

 Chapter 337

    C337 ¨C Rage

    Posted on February 25, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Dao Yu had the seed surrounded by stones, leaving only one slightly narrow walkway to be able to go directly to the seed.

    Now, the ce where Dao Yu stood was this aisle.

    The others did not quite understand the use of these stones, didn¡¯t know what was in the middle of it, but Dao Yu gave a vague exnation. They knew that it was a dangerous thing, but did not recognize the value of this seed, so they wouldn¡¯t want to approach it.

    Looking at the stones piling up more and more here, Dao Yu had on an expression that grew deeper and darker. Then, looking down at his palms, he could see the original deep visible bone injury. After drinking medicine, he has been a lot better. His own recovery ability was also strong, so the flesh on his injury has been re-growing. Two days after, it would grow intact, and after another five or six days, it would certainly be healedpletely.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s stop here for a while.¡± Dao Yu said to the men who were transporting the stones.

    There were fifty ves who were sent here at the beginning by Dao Yu. However, a few dayster, there were only more than thirty left. Especially thesest two days, the death was particrly much. Hearing Dao Yu¡¯s words, the other people¡¯s hearts turned loose. The work has finally been done, the taskpleted, so they were waiting for the reward.

    Dao Yu called the people guarding the inside of the pce and took out a y pot. The opened pot sent out a burst of fragrant wine. For the slightly lower ss of ves, wine was a luxury and could not often be tasted. As for the lowest levels, they may never be able to taste it in their lives.

    After smelling the aroma of the wine, some of the people swallowed hard, their eyes staring straight at the pot on Dao Yu¡¯s hand greedily. It was said that it was only high ranking ves and ve owners who could often drink it. Regardless of whether it was good to drink, this was at least a symbol of identity, which was the reason why these people¡¯s hearts were itching to drink it.

    Dao Yu swept his sight on the other people¡¯s expressions and a smile showed on his face. ¡°Well, have all of youe over?¡±

    ¡°Should¡­ should be.¡± Someone said, some couldn¡¯t wait.

    Dao Yu looked at each of the eyes of the gathered people. He counted and asked them about what happened to the missing people who had been dragged out. After a few more calctions, there were still two people less. One was the man who dragged a body out, but did note back, and one was the guard at the exit.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I go over there and look for them?¡± Someone offered.

    Dao Yu squinted his eyes as he thought. Afterwards, he shook his head, saying, ¡°Forget it. I don¡¯t care about them. Let¡¯s drink first. These days are really hard for everyone! I made a point of asking for a pot of wine from the young master and will give it to everyone for a drink.¡±

    Hearing Dao Yu¡¯s words, the other people were really happy. Although they were afraid of Dao Yu, even calling him ¡°Master Dao Yu¡±, when they heard his words now, they still could not help but loosen up. Their days of fearing him scattered. As for the two people who did note, none of them wanted to move their feet. Besides, if they didn¡¯t get the benefits after they left to look, they would lose a lot!

    Dao Yu lifted up the pot to take his own sip first. After a drink, he licked his lips, seeming to be relishing the aftertaste, letting the others envy him unceasingly.

    After filling the first cup, Dao Yu then handed the wine cup to the next person. ¡°Everyone get a mouthful.¡±

    There were not so many cups here. For the ves, this was not so much to pay attention to as usually, everyone share food. Therefore, when Dao Yu handed out the wine cups, a person directly took over the jar to get a drink while the others were eager toe over and grab the cup from him.

    The first ve who filled his cup had just taken a sip and had not tasted it carefully, when the jar was grabbed by another. If it hadn¡¯t been for Dao Yu standing there, these people would probably have fought for this pot of wine.

    Dao Yu looked at the ves who were grabbing the wine cups, while speaking out to stop their snatching, to ensure that everyone had at least a sip.

    No one noticed the fierce and hard look that shed through Dao Yu¡¯s eyes.

    Pa!

    The wine jar, which had been thoroughly drunk, was smashed to the ground. The ve holding the jar covered his throat, making a ¡°Uh-er¡± sound, with blood flowing from his mouth. His legs then seemed to be unsteadily soft, as he staggered a few steps before falling to the ground.

    After a ve fell, some people reacted to the wine they had just drunk, knowing there was a problem. However, it was already toote.

    Dao Yu quietly stood by the scene, watching as the ves fall down with their breathing stopped. A ve with a knife climb past another ve, his eyes full of anger as he dragged himself to Dao Yu¡¯s position and together, they would go to hell. However, his arm hasn¡¯t even touched the tip of Dao Yu¡¯s foot, when he powerlessly dropped and no sound came out of him again.

    Dao Yu contemptuouslyughed out loud. He kicked to see if the people would not respond and should not have any breath left. But he was not at ease. For the poisoned man who fell at his feet, he had crushed his sternum to make sure that none of them could survive, then made his way towards the exit. There should be another guard who didn¡¯te, and there seemed to be another ve? All in all, he won¡¯t let go of anyone who knows the secret here. Even the birds he had taken when he hade from Baishi City had stopped with him in another ce, then he sent the birds back. Afterwards, he hiked further so as not to let the birds follow.

    Before Dao Yu had picked these ves and sent them here, in order to mend the pce and carry the stones, Dao Yu did it himself. However, he no longer wanted to risk his life every day with close contact with the seed. He had almost died, stealing the seed when his arm was destroyed. Naturally, he didn¡¯t want to try it a second time. Since he didn¡¯t want to die, he made it so others would die. Now that these projects have been initiallypleted, there was no need for those ves to survive.

    If there was any needter, he would send a group of people toe over. The desert has a lot of ves, especially now, in this chaotic time. Dao Yu did not care at all about the survival of these ves. Although Dao Yu himself was also a ve, he still would not waste his time thinkng about the other ves.

    When Dao Yu went towards the exit to look for the missing ves, Shao Xuan came out from the dark and looked at the ground with the thirty people no longer breathing, thinking: Dao Yu really was too much.

    Taking back his sight from the men on the ground, Shao Xuan went over to the seed.

    ced there were some glowing crystal, with no me. He did not know if it was not an illusion, but Shao Xuan always felt that the ce near the crystal was much brighter than the other ces. Even if it was the same kind of luminescent crystal, the one in the middle was the brightest.

    Feeling the dangerous signalsing from every single cell in hid body, Shao Xuan looked at the small metallic object ced in the middle of the heap of stones. It must have been a very special thing to be hidden so by Dao Yu.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart moved. Was this rted to metal?

    The closer he got, the more Shao Xuan could feel the burning thorns in his arms, face, and so on. No, it was not in every parts where he could feel such a pain. Shao Xuan opened the outer cover of his clothes, showing the clothes he was wearing that was made out of insect leather.

    It was the skin of the huge insect that he had picked up when he followed Chacha to Eagle Mountain. At this point, there was no pain in the area covered by these insect skins.

    After a thought, Shao Xuan quickly took the insect leather off. No matter how the events here went, he would not leave this to Dao Yu.

    Quickly rushing over, Shao Xuan wrapped that small metal-colored object with the insect leather, entangling it in severalps until even a little seam was not revealed. Sure enough, that tingling sensation quickly disappeared.

    After he secured the package, Shao Xuan put it inside his animal skin bag, then closed it to hide. Since the insect leather has very well isted it from this crisis, putting it there was not dangerous. Afterwards, Shao Xuan took a light leap towards arge stone to hide.

    Within a few seconds of Shao Xuan hiding, Dao Yu rushed inside. He went to the exit and was nning to kill that sleeping ve, but found that there was something wrong with that ve. Upon a closer look, Dao Yu knew it was more suspicious. That ve was not like he was too tired and fell asleep, but more like he was made that way! Moreover, Dao Yu also felt the disappearance of the seed. In this range of the underground pce, the threat posed by the seed could still be naturally felt by him. When the threat suddenly disappeared, it must be that something was wrong with the seed!

    After killing that ve, Dao Yu rushed back to check, and sure enough, the original ce where the seed was ced was empty. He also didn¡¯t see any shadow around.

    Dao Yu red around, incredulously looking at the empty ce. The blue veins in his forehead was violently showing and his eyes were red as he issued an angry roar. Under his rage, Dao Yu did not care of the others as he mmed a hand on the stone pir support of the pce. The ce he hit immediately showed a clear palm print. At the same time, the column also cracked a clear line.

    The whole pce was shaken, and there were stone crumbs and dust falling from the top.

    Forgot to uploadst night. (£þ?£þ)

 Chapter 338

    C338 ¨C Killing Dao Yu

    Posted on March 1, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Dao Yu was shivering, his whole body giving a slight twitch, as if he was in pain. After all, his body injury has not healedpletely yet. But the main thing was because of the anger still simmering from his body. Compared to his anger due to the loss of seed, the pain was naturally not much of a thing.

    There was no one else here, only Shao Xuan and Dao Yu.

    The more he saw Dao Yu acting this way, the more Shao Xuan became more determined to keep that precious thing he just got, and not give it to anyone especially Dao Yu.

    Shao Xuan could hear Dao Yu¡¯s harsh gasping sound, like a raging me bull. Just as Shao Xuan was about to go out and clear the ce, he felt a change.

    There seemed to be some invisible energy around rioting, and the trigger of this was Dao Yu standing there.

    The power of this energy made Shao Xuan feel bad. From the gaps between the stones, Shao Xuan saw the way Dao Yu was at this time.

    The top of Dao Yu¡¯s head has cracks and he could see numerous fine lines from his head to torso, extending to his arms, just like veins. The fine lines that appeared still extended, covering Dao Yu¡¯s body. But not only that. These fine lines also beat like veins, thickening and thinning.

    Dao Yu felt that such a change was a good thing. That he was able to feel the power flowing through his veins, that his body was reinforcing and changing in a good direction. Only at this moment Dao Yu did not have much thought to savor such a change. He was still in a rage because of the loss of the seed. His anger made his thinking unclear. For a moment, he did not think about the results and significance of such a change.

    To Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, on Dao Yu¡¯s neck, there appeared a tatto of a chain. That was the Baishi City ve pattern. After unlocking to a senior ve, the lines on the ve¡¯s body would also change. There were not as much of those as the lower ves.

    At the moment, Shao Xuan felt that the chain on Dao Yu¡¯s neck seemed to tighten. The bulging muscles made Dao Yu¡¯s whole person look bloated.

    The change in Dao Yu continued, while the airflow around him was surging wildly. With a roar, the chains tightened and tightened more.

    As for his sternum, spine, limbs, knees, and other body parts, almost all the bones on Dao Yu¡¯s body was squeeking, like the sound of a rattlesnake shaking its tail. Meanwhile, Dao Yu¡¯s arm that was seriously injured was being mended quickly, until aplete imitation has reborn.

    His heart became stronger. In the veins on his neck, the blood flows rapidly. The expansion of his muscles appeared to be rhythmically going outward as his heart beat.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan heared a bang sound of movement. It looked like the chain was breaking. At the same time, the chain on Dao Yu¡¯s neck really disconnected, and as it melted, it gradually dispersed until disappearing altogether.

    The corner of Shao Xuan¡¯s eye suddenly twitched, then stopped to show a color of amazement. He once asked Su Gu: For a ve who had been enved, can he break free of the shackles?

    Su Gu said they can, but the odds were extremely low. To be able to do that level for someone, he would be a genius. Not only talent should be extremely high, a certain amount of luck was also needed. That¡¯s not what just anyone could do, so none of them would try it.

    And now, there was such a man in front of Shao Xuan doing so.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, there was a fire, a fire that did not belong to ves and not the totem me of the ming Horns tribe. Nor is it the kind of double-colored me of a ve owner. In any case, it was a me of independence, out of the range of ves. This was his observation of the source of power of Dao Yu at this time.

    At this moment, Dao Yu was like a wrath of anger, powering up like a demon. The power fluctuations that burst out made Shao Xuan¡¯s face be unusually dignified.

    Boom!

    Dao Yu was punching on the side of the stone pir again, his eyes fiilled with madness of destruction, as if he had lost his mind.

    The pce shook even more, and the stones fell along with the dust.

    It can¡¯t go on like this!

    Shao Xuan instantly willed his totem power to the peak. The totem me in his mind violently rolled, his blood seemed to be flowing with the appearance of his totem, rushing and boiling. The momentum in his body was like a river, resolutely rushing forward. It seemed that even if he faced a thick wall, he could also toughly break it open. Compared to Dao Yu, which has just broken through his shackles, his was not weak.

    What was it about Dao Yu just breaking through his shackles? He could still kill him!

    Almost at the moment when Shao Xuan rushed out, Dao Yu¡¯s madness shifted its target to the stone pir on Shao Xuan¡¯s side. Then, his sight locked onto Shao Xuan¡¯s body. At this moment, in the vision of Dao Yu, the surrounding stones, corpses, and even the whole pce, were blurred. His sight only has Shao Xuan left¡ªthe one who stole the seed and would break his dreams!!

    Seeing Shao Xuan rush out, Dao Yu did not avoid the sh. His body shed directly to where Shao Xuan rushed out. As he jumped, the b under his feet could not bear this sudden impact, hence, it snapped into pieces of different sizes. Stone crumbs rose up like fog.

    The dense rocks inteced with the shadows. The air seemed as if it was beaten by hammer strikes, scatteringyer afteryer of the debris and dust that fell from the top.

    One could no longer count how many times the two encountered each other face-to-face.

    As debris fell from the top, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t hesitate now as he pounced straight towards Dao Yu.

    The airflow around them seemed to be driven by Shao Xuan¡¯s movements as he rushed towards Dao Yu. His fist has not reached yet, but the oppressive air made it seem like an army had crossed and was rolling in. The power contained in it was evident.

    In the face of Shao Xuan¡¯s attack, Dao Yu had absolute self-confidence and did not avoid rushing too. His ankle suddenly turned again, hitting the ground and crushing another b of rocks.

    In Dao Yu¡¯s mind, as long as he had broken through the shackles, he was beyond the reach of others. Moreover, this tribal boy, even if this person has been promoted, he would not be as strong as their own, breaking through the shackles. He had already killed several tribesmen after bing a senior ve. In his view, although the tribesmen had such strange abilities, they were also abysmal, especially after he had learned the secrets of the tribal fire. He looked down upon it.

    Kill! He¡¯s going to kill this man who stole the seed!

    A series of roaring sounds could be heard in the air like thunder rolling or drums banging. Every blow contained the determination to kill. If ordinary people were in the face of such an offensive, they would surely be blown into shock.

    There was only the roaring left in the underground pce beneath the desert. The other voices looked extremely faint under such a roar.

    The broken te splitted into more smaller pieces. The rock crumbs and dust that scattered covered the area for a time.

    Shao Xuan felt as if he was back to the mountain forest, full of mystery and crisis. Then, he hade in a situation against a fierce beast. In the face of the beast, an oversight, a slightly weaker momentum, could create an irretrievable situation.

    At this moment, it was what he was feeling. What¡¯s more, it was while facing Dao Yu, the traitor of the tribe.

    He couldn¡¯t retreat, couldn¡¯t be weak! The other side¡¯s attack is strong, but he is stronger! The other side is sharp, but he is even fiercer! The other side has to, so he will fight more!

    The totem lines on Shao Xuan¡¯s body began to brighten. The me casting, like how he did with the blue me at the Colosseum before, as if it wanted to burn the people.

    Boom!

    Dao Yu was punched in the head.

    After the first hit, Shao Xuan did not stop. It was followed by a hit the naked eye couldn¡¯t see and bombarded Dao Yu¡¯s chest.

    The two punches in session made Dao Yu¡¯s body fly and flip in the air, then m down on the ground. His body continued to skid back for a while before stopping.

    Shao Xuan still wanted to continue to punch a few times, but found that Dao Yu¡¯s body started to have those cracks on his skin along the veins of his tattoo, with blood oozing from the inside. It poured on the ground as Dao Yu tilted his head to Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. His mouth constantly sprayed out blood, his whole body twitching. This time, it was not due to anger, but an uncontroble reaction.

    The two punches just now were like a signal, like a pair of hands pushing the start of a domino, ttering it a bit until the domino chain fell. Dao Yu was only able to let out sharps breaths, as his terrible decay and decline continued.

    His body was sshed with blood, his expression was distorted by the pain, making him look more hideous. His eyes were also full of disbelief.

    Did he lose when he broke through the shackles? If, given another two days, no, a day was enough, he had stabilized the strength rioting in his body. Then, after preparing before the fight, he would certainly be able to beat this boy. Would be able to¡­

    He couldn¡¯t let this kid steal the seed. It¡¯s his own, it¡¯s his, Dao Yu¡¯s! He also wanted to build his own desert city, be a ve owner, be a king! How can, how can he die like this?!

    His heart was not reconciled! He was not willing to die!

    Losing to anyone, especially losing to this kid?! No!

    Dao Yu¡¯s eyes opened wide, staring at Shao Xuan who wasing towards him. The stone crumbs and dust havended, and should cleared his vision, instead, it had be blurred. He felt that the strength in his body was cutting sharply, that the power and surging sense of breaking through the shackles seemed to be an illusion. The tide had risen and then the tide receded.

    Finally, in his blurred vision, the figureing closer and closer seemed to turn into fire. There seemed to be a pattern in the mes, a double-horned pattern that he had long since left behind.

    Shao Xuan looked at Dao Yu who had slowly lost his breath. In his heart, he had some doubt. His two punches, although he had used great strength, if Dao Yu had more power as he broke through the shackles, he should not be so easy to kill. The end to these performances was more like an abrupt stop.

    Shao Xuan pressed his finger on Dao Yu¡¯s pulse. Indeed it has stopped beating. Different from his strong appearance, Dao Yu¡¯s body looked like a mess, seriously damaged.

    Just for the seed?

    No, it¡¯s not necessarily because of the seed.

    As Shao Xuan was thinking, suddenly, the whole pce shook. Arge number of stones from the top dropped, together with dusting from the gaps on the roof and walls.

    Boom!

    There¡¯s another shock.

    It¡¯s like someone above was deliberately mming below.

    The dust that fell below expanded like a waterfall. Large chunks of boulders begun to fall. The illuminated crystal was much dimmer after the seed has been wrapped up, and now, they were covered in dust, which made them even darker.

    That, who the hell was up there!

    Now was not the time to think of other things. Shao Xuan hurried towards the exit. Inside the pce, the torches had long been extinguished, so the ce was dark.

    The good thing was that Shao Xuan could still see the way in his special field of vision.

    After Shao Xuan ran away, the ce where he had fought with Dao Yu had another shock and begun to copse.

    The underground pce, which had consumed hundreds of ve lives and has now buried dozens of lives, was about to be a thing of the past.

    I thought of not putting the title on top, but nah~ It was never much of a surprise anyway. But his death was a little disappointing. (¡ä-¦Ø-£à)))¡£¡£

 Chapter 339

    C339 ¨C I Refuse

    Posted on March 4, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan ran out along the underground passage towards the entrance with the pce behind him copsing quickly. The copsed area was getting closer and closer.

    As he pulled back the te and drilled out, he suddenly noticed something so Shao Xuan immediately headed to the side.

    An arrow shot from behind him, almost rubbing past Shao Xuan¡¯s hair. His long hair was brushed by the sharp tip and the wind beside his ears and face was stirred by the arrow.

    Peng!

    The arrows hit into the sand not far away from Shao Xuan. The sand dusted up a small storm, like a sandy flower blooming.

    There was no turning back at all. Shao Xuan propped up with a flip.

    A sharp whistle-like sound was heard again, followed by arrows ripping open the air, instantly crossing through a distance of dozens of meters. These shot towards where Shao Xuan was just now, with sharp cold light as the arrow just rubbed Shao Xuan¡¯s waist, before nailing to the sand. It has blown up a sand bunker nearly a metre away.

    There was no respite at all. In the moment itnded, another arrow came fast.

    Shao Xuan threw out his knife. It was spinning before it nged against the arrow branch. But he did not retreat, dodging towards the side where the arrow rushed from.

    At the moment, Shao Xuan had all his energy focused on the archer.

    The person was cloaked, his face covered with cloth so he couldn¡¯t see even a glimpse of his appearance. But the wind was blowing the person¡¯s long hair, which has lost its softness and became a lot messy probably because of the long desert trek. The dusty cloth was blown swinging, so he was faintly able to see the bump of the figure under the cloak. There were some low-key metal armor, not so golden but shining.

    This was a woman and her identity was not low. If she could wear a metal armor, then she was most likely one of the three major cities¡¯ ve owners

    The archers¡¯ eyes stared at Shao Xuan. Although, at the moment, Shao Xuan was still more than fifty meters away from the other person, he could feel the coldness from her eyes, telling that she wanted to kill Shao Xuan with her cold arrows.

    The other side, holding a strong bow, was simr to the bow that Shao Xuan saw on Dao Yu¡¯s hand. The strength of the bow could be felt from a few arrows just now. The difference was that the arrows shot by the other side had greater threat than Dao Yu that day.

    Whoosh!

    Another one!

    With the shaking of the bow string, the arrows in the air were at high speed rotation. With the air friction, it issued a sharp roar, like meteors being shot at the Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan quickly dodged the arrow shot. A sand lotus flower continued to bloom in the ground, each time the area of explosion was very close to Shao Xuan.

    Ignoring those ssh of sand to focus on the other person, Shao Xuan locked on the archer, including her every tiny movement. Every look was to determine her next moment on where she would shoot again, then make judgments to avoid the threat of the arrow shots.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan¡¯s pupils were trained on the arrows and the arrows¡¯ shadows.

    Seeing Shao Xuan getting closer and closer, the other person had fewer and fewer arrows on hand. She then directly threw the bow to one side, pulled out a nearly four inch? wide double-edged sword. After a wrist shake, she drew a beautiful arc with it as she faced Shao Xuan.

    One de met the other and the hits sshed out a series of sparks.

    The sword that was going towards Shao Xuan chest was pulled back by a fierce force.

    Weng¡ª

    The vibrations from the shing metals made one¡¯s scalp feel as if it was about to explode.

    Peng!

    When the ground shook, the two people in the encounter separated. Shao Xuan hurriedly retreated ten steps.

    Thereupon, a giant beast ran in front of Shao Xuan, its every step seemed to drive the ground to trembling. Its thick hooves treaded on the ground, sshing off countless sand.

    Just as this beast stepped on it, it trampled hard. This heavyweight beast stood up, facing the people in front, then stomped hard.

    The sand curtain lifted up was split by a smashing de.

    Afterwards, the pce area where it has mostly copsed, one could see that there was a very obvious huge sinkhole.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes stared at the person not far away from the beast. The beast which he had not seen in Beast City before looked like it had actually been enved, and that the man who had enved it was the woman with the cloak next to it.

    The other side¡¯s sword reflected under the hot sun light and was very ring. However, now, she no longer attacked, but quietly stood there.

    The other side stood in an area atop the sand dunes, while the location of the Shao Xuan position was lower. Hence, the other side was looking at Shao Xuan from above.

    In front of Shao Xuan was the behemoth still scratching its stout hooves, as if waiting for its owner¡¯s behest to start trampling again. But its goal was no longer the pce, but a smaller point that was Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan raised a single eyebrow. He heard the sound of something fast approaching behind him.

    GA-ga! GA-ga!

    Behind the hills, a huge snakehead sprang up.

    The snake turned over the dunes and came towards Shao Xuan. However, it did note close, stopping nearly fifty metres from Shao Xuan.

    It was the giant snake¡¯s tail that was shaking, making a rattling noise.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s main attention, though, was not the sudden appearance of the giant rattlesnake, but the person standing on the head of the snake.

    ¡°Shi Shu?¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t expect to meet Shi Shu here.

    ¡°We meet me again.¡± Shi Shu¡¯s tone sounded like a friend he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. If the case now was not as it is, it was easy to treat it as that.

    This is bad. This was what Shao Xuan was thinking at the moment.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Just for a ve.¡± Shi Shu seemed to just have mentioned it casually, very casually.

    ¡°Dao Yu?¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s heart moved. ¡°Dao Yu is your person?¡±

    ¡°Not exactly.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s better he¡¯s dead, than me killing him.¡± Shi Shu looked to be more inclined to have a dead Dao Yu. ¡°A dead man is more obedient.¡±

    After Shi Shu talked about it, he added more in a chatting tone, ¡°But, since we met here, you might as well take a trip with us.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t go?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Shi Shu, all the while being vignt of the other person covered with a cloak, to prevent a surprise attack there.

    ¡°Do you refuse?¡± Shi Shu said these three words as if as a question, but with half of it meaning that it should not be denied.

    Indeed, now, Shao Xuan was beleaguered. Facing two ve owners and two monsters, he was in a really bad position.

    Shao Xuan made no sound and the other two also did not speak, their expressions showing that they were waiting for Shao Xuan¡¯s reply.

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan smiled, breaking the atmosphere of the standoff at that moment.

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    Hearing the reply, Shi Shu squinted his eyes as he remained staring at the same ce.

    At Shao Xuan¡¯s feet, a blue creature drilled out from under the sand.

    It was a beetle.

    Subsequently, sha-sha-sha-sha¡ª

    A ck beetle drilled out of the ground and appeared to report in general when others rushed out.

    The yellow sand was quickly upied by the ck beetles. It was not only around Shao Xuan, but further afield, including the position of Shi Shu and the person covered with a cloak. There were ck beetles everywhere, like a ck wave surging.

    Wahahahahaha!!!

    THIS fight and probably the next would be more satisfying! £¨ÈË¡ä?`*£©

    Tentative update sched: Mondays and Fridays, around 7 ¨C 8PM (GMT +8)

 Chapter 340

    C340 ¨C Nonsense

    Posted on March 8, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    This situation waspletely beyond what Shi Shu had expected. Looking at his expression, one would know that he had always had the winning hand, feeling that all things were in his control. However, seeing the current scene, Shi Shu had a rare shock. It was also the first time he hade across a situation like this.

    On the other hand, you wouldn¡¯t see it by the way Shao Xuan has been maintaining a stoic face. He has an inscrutable look, but his heart was also roaring: What is this!

    He did not expect that a bug he had enved by practicing thew of very would have be such. When it was in Beast City with Shao Xuan, he found that the beetle had called a number of little brothers and has now directly turned it into a bug army.

    The two beasts at the moment also did not have theirposure. The huge rattlesnake shook its tail to throw off the bugs climbing up it. However, more and more bugs crawled out of the sand, and they also seem to not know how to fear the behemoths as the snake¡¯s tail shook again. It didn¡¯t know what it should do.

    Previously, the color of the sand could be seen from some voids, but it wasn¡¯t long before the ground was ck and the bright back armor was shining under the light.

    The cloaked person looked at the gathered beetles. Even if she was courageous, she believed that the value of this force was great, and now, she couldn¡¯t calm down. Out of fear, she openly kicked the gathered beetles, then swept off a knife to clear the beetles leaping on the back of her beast.

    After she had jumped on her beast, the ce that she had been standing at before which was previously clear, became covered with waves of ck bugs in a blink of an eye.

    The stomping of the beast¡¯s hooves that made the underground pce copse was also useless at this moment. These bugs which had crawled from the ground would not understand the fear of being trampled to death like that.

    As Shi Shu looked at the ck-pressed beetles as they surged in waves, he thought of something. From a bag he had been carrying, he took out a piece of dried meat, his food that was naturally well prepared for a long journey.

    Unlike those that Shao Xuan had eaten which were slightly rough, the dried meat of Shi Shu was thinner, pressed and then prepared into a roll.

    Shi Shu unfolded the slice of rolled meat to expand it a little, then ripped off a piece, half a palmrge before throwing it out.

    The slice of meat fell more than twenty meters away from the snake¡¯s body.

    Just then, the slightly calm bug wave instantly surged up, going towards where the meat slice fell. Around the bugs surging up, there was like a wave rising out of thin air, instantly elevating.

    Keeping an eye on it, Shi Shu couldn¡¯t help but twitch an eyelid. He was still worried about their emergence. If these beetle army was under their control, he wouldn¡¯t worry too much even if they were vegetarian or ate other things. He himself had seen these beetles in Rock Tomb City when they were active in the dirt. However, the fact he had just seen hadpletely shattered his luck.

    These bugs were really meat-eating.

    Shi Shu did not doubt that, if a bound beast was put here and it encountered such an army of beetles, it was tantamount to being thrown out to die. Its end must be the same as the meat just now.

    It¡¯s creepy to think about it.

    It was clear that a small piece of meat did not satisfy such a number of beetle armies at all. Rather, this made these beetles act more urgent and ferocious.

    As if waiting for an attack order, there were more and more beetles circling around the two behemoths like hungry ghosts smelling the scent of food, greedily looking at the food in front of them. If they could speak, at this time, they would probably shout: The wait is over! At the boss¡¯s order, let¡¯s go together, brothers!

    The hand of the cloaked person holding a knife shook a little. When walking in the desert, many people were afraid of meeting the dangerous desert monsters, but in her case, the greater threat was the small desert creatures, especially if they were also in a group withrge numbers. Even if she had a wide range of knowledge, she had never encountered such a herd of insects.

    Talk to them using emotional reasoning, terms and conditions?

    That¡¯s ridiculous!

    It¡¯s no use saying anything. These bugs didn¡¯t have that much intelligence to understand them.

    The only thing you can do was talk to themander of these bugs!

    The cloaked person looked at the herd, then moved his sight to Shao Xuan, and finally, at the blue beetle at Shao Xuan¡¯s foot.

    If her bow and arrow had not been dropped before, how would the situation change if she could shot and the blue beetle?

    Almost at the moment she had that thought, Shao Xuan looked in her direction.

    In the eyes of Shao Xuan, the person covered with the cloak squinted her eyes, then nced at Shi Shu. Seeing Shi Shu shake his head, she temporarily suppressed the idea down in her heart.

    This man was too keen on detecting them! If the trick didn¡¯t work out, the boy might have made a double kill if he had attacked them both. She didn¡¯t want to be moving alone here.

    ¡°The movement on the other side of the Colosseum, did you elicit it?¡± Shi Shu asked in a calm voice.

    On that day, many people saw such a ck beetle appear in the ce where the fighting beasts were held. However, not many people thought deeper into it. After all, in the eyes of most people, such a beetle was too small, always harmless, so no one cared.

    Shao Xuan did not refute, but did not admit it either. He just scoffed, ¡°You¡¯re speaking as if you are innocent. The desert war was caused by you, right? You sent someone to kill the Baishi King, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Shi Shu also justughed, but did not deny nor admit the usation.

    ¡°Forget it. This is the case today. I did not expect you to have such an ability, but if you have reason to look for me, you can go to Rock Tomb City.¡± Shi Shu said to Shao Xuan as he threw a golden metal card with the city¡¯s logo.

    Originally, he intended passing this to be hard, but things went beyond his expectations. Shi Shu changed his idea as he has always liked to choose in a more favorable direction.

    Shao Xuan caught the thrown insignia. ¡°I think I have nothing to look for you for. I will go back to the tribe after I leave and not mix in the wars in your desert.¡±

    Shi Shu asked, not convinced ¡°Did you know why Dao Yu would choose to be a ve, as well as also look down on the tribes, not thinking highly of it?¡±

    Shao Xuan only replied, ¡°All I know is that Dao Yu is a traitor to the tribe and has to be killed.¡± But did not answer more, waiting for Shi Shu¡¯s next words.

    Shi Shu also did not care, soothing the restless giant snake because of the insects. ¡°Because the ve owners will be stronger and the tribe eventually perish.¡±

    Shao Xuan put on an expression of disbelief. ¡°Nonsense!¡± If it were any other tribesmen, he would probably be furious to hear that at the moment, wouldn¡¯t he?

    ¡°I¡¯m not lying about this. I don¡¯t believe you haven¡¯t paid more attention to see if the tribes are getting weaker? Are there problems with some abilities, too?¡±

    Hearing this, Shao Xuan¡¯s first thought was the Rain tribe. Yang Sui had said that, once, their Rain tribe¡¯s shaman was able to ask for rain, butter, this ability has slowly disappeared.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s expression change, Shi Shu¡¯s smile gradually deepened, and continued, ¡°In fact, some people have already noticed it. It was just that they dare not say it.¡±

    Shao Xuan said nothing.

    Shi Shu decided to put out another bomb.

    ¡°You tribesmen are actually very stupid. You clearly found the facts, but do not want to admit it. Stubborn, conservative, stupid! Not knowing that the longer it takes, the worse it is for them, and the closer you are to perish. The only smart ones were the ming Horns tribe. However, only half were smart, while the other half will continue to go to be ruined.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s pupils shrinked, still staring at Shi Shu. Shi Shu talking about the clever half refered to a half of the ming Horns? If so, he did not think that who Shi Shu had said was the clever half were referring to today¡¯s ming Horns. Therefore, there¡¯s only one possibility left¡ªthe other half of the ming Horns tribe that was split up thousands of years ago and they had no word of!

    Ah-Xuan subtly thinking that the half of the ming Horns tribe with him were dumb. No question about it. (¤Ä¦Ø`*)

    And sorry for thete upload, I forgot about the time. (£þ?£þ)

 Chapter 341

    C341 ¨C Tribe Survival

    Posted on March 11, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan still wanted to ask more, but Shi Shu was unwilling to talk. ¡°You go. We still have something so we¡¯ll stay here. Our people are approaching, do if you want to fight using these bugs, then you can. Of course, if you want to know more, you can go to Rock Tomb City to find me.¡±

    Shao Xuan quickly judged the situation and decided to withdraw first.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he said to the big beetle at his foot.

    The blue beetle immediately opened a path and, everywhere it passed, the swarm spontaneously separated.

    Upon seeing this situation, Shi Shu had his eyes sh, thinking.

    When Shao Xuan left the area and could not see Shi Shu and the rest, he let Sapphire forage with its insect herd, while he himself rushed to the ce he had agreed with Lei and Tuo.

    As for Shi Shu¡¯s words, Shao Xuan did not believe it all, but knew that there should really be three points.

    After Shao Xuan left, the cloaked person man asked Shi Shu with concern, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that he will tell about our affairs to the ve owners of the other cities?¡±

    ¡°He won¡¯t.¡± Shi Shu thought that Shao Xuan was smart enough to decide to not mix with those and would certainly not reveal more to others. Even if it was revealed, at this time, the trend has been set.

    ¡°What if he chose to be involved himself?¡± The cloaked man was still not at ease.

    ¡°If he¡¯s involved, it would not be a good thing to work with such a man,¡± he added.

    As they were speaking, the pce was thoroughly copsed. A lizard wearing thick scales crawled out. It was not too big, but very flexible. It came to Shi Shu, opened its mouth, and spat out something it had swallowed.

    A dead man covered in lizard gastric juice appeared on the sand. It was the dead Dao Yu.

    Unlike his appearance when he just died, Dao Yu at the moment looked like he had shed blood, then withered a lot because the body has cracked out wounds that youpletely could not see its original appearance. Fortunately, although the lizard swallowed it into its stomach, basically, it was not digested. The flesh and bones were still there, just that some looked shrinked.

    When the cloaked person saw Dao Yu then, she dismissed it but asked Shi Shu, ¡°Brother, although he became like this, can we still use it?¡±

    ¡°Of course we can.¡± Shi Shu was still looking at Dao Yu¡¯s dead body. ¡°When you are not obedient when you are alive, you can only be used dead.¡±

    In fact, with Dao Yu breaking through his shackles, he was not far from death. It was just that the presence of Shao Xuan brought him to an earlier death.

    This cloaked person had already been monitoring Dao Yu. She was actually inside the pce, near another exit, trying to stay away from the seed.Then, she followed her beast outside and buried her body in the sand dunes.

    While waiting for the end of Dao Yu and Shao Xuan¡¯s fight, she had wanted to go to help, but she became aware of Dao Yu breaking through. Instead of going up to help, she ran out, called her beast and had it trample the underground pce. She thought of killing Shao Xuan and then taking Dao Yu¡¯s body, but unsurprisingly, Shao Xuan was too strong, and then there were those bugs.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sense the seed here.¡± The cloaked man frowned.

    ¡°It must have been taken away by the boy just now.¡± Shi Shu said.

    ¡°No way! I didn¡¯t feel the seed on him just now.¡± The man with the cloak could not believe it. However, he saw the look on Shi Shu and knew that it was highly likely.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you send someone to kill that kid?¡± The cloaked person asked.

    ¡°If there is no absolute certainty, at this time, it¡¯s better not to take too much risks. Those tribesmen wouldn¡¯t care about anything when they fight for their lives. Only a few can be lured by their interests.¡±

    Once he saw that a few birds had already flown over in the air, Shi Shu said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back first. I believe that the Snowfield City has already gone to war against Fire Hill City.¡±

    ¡°Then, do I have to stay and observe at Baishi?¡± The cloaked figure asked.

    ¡°No. You go and tell Su Lun to go to Baishi City.¡±

    The man who came over with the bird, wrapped Dao Yu¡¯s body in a cloth, put it in a long wooden box, and then followed Shi Shu and left.

    As for Shao Xuan taking away the seed, he¡¯d rather finish the issue in the desert first. At the moment, they have no intention of looking for it.

    How much can a tribesman who had nevere into contact with this new thing think? Even the tribesmen who often came to the desert to ¡°rob¡± and take home only some ore, did not know that it was this seed that made these ores. Because the tribesmen simply did not know that there was such a seed!

    Besides, if the seed was not used properly, genocide was possible. Tribesmen were so stupid. How could they think of the right way to use that seed?

    Thinking at this point, the cloaked person would not worry and went towards the direction of Luoye City.

    Shi Shu also put his main focus on the desert war. This time, whether the n of Rock Tomb City for three generations could be sessful, whether the city could unify the desert, depended on this big storm.

    However, what they didn¡¯t know was that Shao Xuan was not their average tribeman.

    As for the use of the seed, Shao Xuan has even guessed most of it. The rest would only take time to prove his spection.

    With the seed, Shao Xuan rushed to the ce where Lei and Tuo were.

    The two men were anxious when Shao Xuan saw them.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, you¡¯re finally here!¡±

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was safe, Lei and Tuo was able to put down the fear in their hearts.

    ¡°These days, there are always ves entering the desert. Ah Xuan, is there going to be a fight in the desert?¡± Tuo asked.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s already started. What kind of team did you see with the ves entering the desert during this time?¡± Shao Xuan asked the two to borate.

    Listening to the words of the two men, Shao Xuan found that a small part of the ves were from other cities, but most of them might be Shi Shu¡¯s people! Remembering the buildings and the growing number of ves that he had seen the first time he hade looking for the people of the ming Horns, he thought that it might be to raise soldiers.

    Shao Xuan knew only that ce, but did not know if there were simr other ces, perhaps more.

    He had no more to ask, hence, Shao Xuan took out a piece of cloth, holding a charcoal as pen above it.

    Lei and Tuo had experienced this a lot. When they saw Shao Xuan had began to write, they immediately guarded around the area.

    After Shao Xuan had written well, he rolled the cloth carefully, then handed it together with the skin bag with the seed to Lei and Tuo. ¡°You will leave right now, leave the desert. This animal skin bag contains something very important! Do not open it privately, and it must be brought to the tribe, to the Shaman. Let the Shaman look at the content on the bag. But remember to have him read about the content on the bag first! Don¡¯t open it until he had read it! Moreover, this matter should not be known to others, the people of our tribe included. As to how the Shaman decided what to do with it after looking at the content of the bag, I do not care. If you can¡¯t take this thing back, hide it first or throw it away. You can¡¯t let anyone know you¡¯re carrying this!¡±

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s serious face, Lei and Tuo seriously remembered Shao Xuan¡¯s reminders. ¡°Ah-Xuan you rest assured that even if we die, we will not let others know!¡±

    But as he spoke, the two men always felt that something was wrong.

    ¡°Hey! Ah-Xuan, you¡¯re not leaving with us?!¡± The hearts that the two men had just calmed down were now beating up.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°You go first. I still have things to do.¡±

    ¡°What else is going on? Is it important?¡± When they heard Shao Xuan say thst he¡¯d stay in the desert, the two people were anxious.

    ¡°It¡¯s important!¡±

    ¡°How important is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the survival of the tribe.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡± The two men could not utter a reply.

    After telling Lei and Tuo, Shao Xuan also had to persuade Chacha. This one had a temper.

    After he had convinced these people and bird hard, Shao Xuan looked at the sky. He pulled out a cloth rope, then lifted his hands to point to a direction. ¡°You should go that way. It may be safer.¡±

    ¡°Ah-Xuan, after we sent this thing back, if you have not returned to the tribe, we wille to see you.¡± Tuo said.

    Whatever else Shao Xuan wanted to say, the two men had already jumped on the back of the eagle and flew up into the sky.

    Watching the eagle in the sky leave in the direction he pointed, Shao Xuan rested on the stone for a while, then turned back deep into the desert.

    Aww.. I already miss Ceasar and now, Chacha too. When will Ah-Xuan return?

    ??(?>§Õ<?)???

 Chapter 342

    C342 ¨C Key

    Posted on March 15, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    He had to admit, Shi Shu¡¯s words really made Shao Xuan think a lot. Therefore, this time, Shao Xuan also intended to take advantage of the desert chaos, to find some useful information. After all, it was about the survival of the tribe.

    Shi Shu said that ¡°the tribes were going to perish¡±. It might be true, it might be not.

    If what he said was right, there would certainly not be such a noticeable change in just a short period of time. If he can not see any evidence, he can not be sure. It was wrong too to say that Shi Shu was not right. Indeed, there were legends that do have such signs. However, rumors were rumors after all. Shao Xuan could not immediately know what was true. Should he ask people from other tribes? But Shao Xuan was sure that they¡¯re not going to tell the truth.

    Once again, he entered into the depths of the desert. When Shao Xuan learned that Shi Shu had provoked the war, his intention was to go to Luoye City first to observe. Besides, with Su Gu¡¯s cooperation, if he could get the information in advance, perhaps it would let him have more preparation and suffer less loss.

    However, when Shao Xuan was near Luoye City, he found that the city had sent troops to Baishi City, waging war. The ves were in neat ranks with their equipments on, which did not at all look like a hasty decision but was more like a long-prepared army.

    They had such a quick reaction?

    Did they know that Dao Yu was dead? Know that, this time, Baishi City was at its messiest and weakest?

    Seeing this did not make Shao Xuan think for long.

    Remembering Su Lun¡¯s attitude before, then looking at Luoye City¡¯s too fast reaction, Shao Xuan squinted his eyes at the city¡¯s highest building.

    Su Lun was the one who Shi Shu had on this side? Or was it that those two people were working together?

    If that¡¯s the case, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have to worry much about it. No wonder Su Lun kept hisposure and was not worried at all when he heard that the desert was going to turn chaotic.

    In that case, Shao Xuan also would not show up here. After a moment of observation around Luoye City, he left.

    After looking for a ce with no people, Shao Xuan called Sapphire over.

    Sapphire, in addition to foraging with its insect herd, has been following Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan also have a certain connection with the beetle who could also feel Shao Xuan¡¯s thoughts.

    Before long, Shao Xuan saw the blue beetle drilling from under the sand.

    Now, the blue beetle stood on the ground, the height of its back reaching Shao Xuan¡¯s knee. The amount of food it had eaten was alreadyrge, not to mention that it ate with the insect group. Therefore, Shao Xuan was not surprised as he already guessed that they were also killing and foraging under the sand. Few of the other bugs and small desert beasts hiding under the sand were lucky to escape, but the rest could only be swept by the herd.

    He looked around. Combined with Shao Xuan¡¯s knowledge of the ces where the cities were located, he knew that they were a certain distance from the other cities, and few people appear in this ce.

    ¡°Little one,¡± Shao Xuan crouched to look at the beetle in front of him.

    Before it had been enved, the beetle was already big, but now, it has grown beyond his expectations.

    The blue beetle did not quite understand what Shao Xuan really wanted to do until Shao Xuan reached out and the blue me came out. Only then did it understand. It excitedly pedaled its hind legs. For a long time, it had never pushed a dung ball, but when it became excited, it still couldn¡¯t help kicking. This was ingrained deep into its bones out of habit.

    Shao Xuan decided to remove the second lock from Sapphire. Before, he didn¡¯t feel it was the time and the bug needed enough space to adapt and grow. At the same time, there were too many variables. But now, Shao Xuan found that the bug adapted faster than any other beasts and for a long time, it had changed to eat meat together with so many beetles, rather than pushing a dung ball collectively. So, Shao Xuan decided to give it another unlocking. If this guy developed well, it could also help Shao Xuan.

    Not long ago, Sapphire had carried a herd of insects. If there was another period of time, would it develop into arger wave of insects? Thinking about it still made Shao Xuan a little excited. He¡¯s just not sure if it¡¯s going to go as he thought.

    Just as Shao Xuan was lifting the second lock for Sapphire, in Rock Tomb City, inside a two-storey stone house.

    Shi Shu has returned with Dao Yu¡¯s body back to the city, then handed it to an old man.

    Shao Xuan had once asked Su Gu whether there were ¡°shamans¡± within the ve owners, and Su Gu¡¯s answer was yes. However, it was extremely rare. After all, by bing a shaman, one could not be a ve owner. Moreover, the ve owners¡¯ shaman were different from the tribes¡¯ shaman in that they were mostly direct blood descendants and had never enved ves. Hence, there were no shamans in many cities, such as Luoye City.

    At this time, the white-haired old man, with his body painted with strange patterns, in front of Shi Shu was a shaman. His elders were also shamans before him, belonging to the Rock Tomb City with a special status for their family which was not less than that of lower ve owners.

    The old man was busy dealing with Dao Yu¡¯s body. While he was busy working, he also became amazed.

    ¡°Sure enough, for the ves to break through their shackles, their bones be harder. Very good, very good. If there are more such ves, it would be better.¡±

    Quietly sitting on the sidelines and looking, Shi Shu suddenly said, ¡°Great Shaman, what can you say about enving a few bugs?¡±

    The busy old man was pulling out the viscera from Dao Yu¡¯s body, thinking about where to find more powerful ves. Suddenly, he heard Shi Shu say those words, making him shocked that his hands shook a little.

    ¡°You¡¯re messing around!¡± After the old man finished, he felt that his tone was too much, talking in the face of this person. Shi Shu was not his direct junior or subordinate, so he slowed down his tone as he advised, ¡°Young master, how can you enve those kinds of weak things like bugs? An ordinary beast was already low, those little bugs are the lowest of all!¡±

    The old man looked agitated, spitting across a lot of things. He meant to have Shi Shu choose powerful ves, such as those desert monsters, like quicksand giant lizards and others of its kind. He could even tempt some tribesmen into the desert as ves, then say some things that have hold on these people. What use is a bug then? That¡¯s the way down. Only those who couldn¡¯t would y with bugs. That¡¯s absolutely not the case for Shi Shu!

    If the old man was in front of his direct junior or subordinate, he would probably speak more directly, but this Shi Shu was a young master. The old man was against it, making him emotional and agitated, but he still had to weigh his words more.

    Fortunately, Shi Shu still valued the old man. When the old man said something, he could still listen to it. No matter what his heart thought, at least in front of this person, he would humbly listen.

    ¡°It¡¯s not good to enve bugs?¡± Shi Shu asked.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s not good!¡± The old man affirmed.

    ¡°Bugs are the lowest of the low?¡± Shi Shu asked again.

    ¡°Yes, there is no question about their status!¡± The old man was so earnest.

    ¡°Is it really impossible to enve one?¡±

    ¡°Please, I¡¯ll ask you, young master, to think again of other possible ves!¡±

    The old man threw the things in his hands in the container next to him. Afterwards, he did not care to wipe his hand, focusing on persuading Shi Shu seriously. He hoped that this young master could throw this bad idea away.

    Shi Shu looked at the old man bowing in front of him. This person was good and had enough ability, otherwise, his grandfather, father and himself would not have valued him extremely. However, he was a little too stubborn. When he was determined about something, regardless of anything else, he would not change his mind. He just didn¡¯t expect that when he mentioned the bugs, the old man¡¯s reaction was going to be this intense.

    Therefore, Shi Shu did not say more and just sighed, ¡°I see!¡± He did not say anything about Shao Xuan¡¯s bugs. It was useless and would only let the old shaman say more, wasting a lot of his breath.

    When the old shaman heard Shi Shu¡¯s words, his heart that was down now rxed. He has always disdained those small things that could be crushed to death by a finger, especially those who did not have wisdom.

    Satisfied that he had advised the young master sessfully, the old man turned straight up to continue his work. He applied a drug to the body that has almost been treatedpletely, then ce it in a room. After waiting for the medicine to dry, he wrapped it in a cloth, then ced it in a wooden coffin.

    From the beginning, starting from Shi Shu¡¯s grandfather¡¯s time, he had collected the bodies of the dead high-level ves and wrapped them into cloths. This was a kind of secret ritual obtained by the study of several generations of shamans.

    Nowadays, there were already thousands of ve corpses in the pce underground area, which would be used when the war broke out, if there was an urgent need for reinforcements. This was also a key in Shi Shu¡¯s hands that was not known to outsiders.

    ¡°By the way, young master, the tribeman you said that has potential, will he reallye over?¡± The old man asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure he wille.¡± Shi Shu was very confident about this. ¡°If he did note to find me, who can he look for?¡±

    Satisfied that he had dug a pit and the other person would just jump in, Shi Shupletely did not expect that Shao Xuan had no intention of directly going to Rock Tomb City, but to another city.

    I can¡¯t seem to stick to my scheduled time of chapter release, so I¡¯ll just say every Mondays and Fridays (GMT +8).

    (£Þ¦Ø£Þ)

 Chapter 343

    C343 ¨C Snowfield City

    Posted on March 18, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan was on guard against Shi Shu. Such a person who could quietly provoke a war was too dangerous.

    From Shi Shu¡¯s words, Shao Xuan felt that the ¡°decline¡± of the tribes should be linked to the ve owners. He would try to find the secrets of some ve owners, not just Rock Tomb City.

    Of the three major cities, in addition to Rock Tomb, there were two others.

    He had heard that Snowfield City has been at war with Fire Hill City. He just did not know how Shi Shu would lead the disaster. In any case, now, Snowfield City has be messier. Since Shi Shu knew that it has already started at Snowfield City, naturally, he would not let it go calmer.

    Snowfield City. When you hear the name, you¡¯d know that you were in the same area as the desert in Beast City, with more snow and ice in a year.

    When Shao Xuan came to the border of the area under the jurisdiction of Snowfield City, it was snowing. There were also some red purple flowers openly blooming in the snow. Presumably, these nts were unique to this city.

    Compared to the deste Beast City, there were many nts on this side of the area.

    After rushing past a team of two hundred people, he should reach the battlefield. Everyone had on a serious or sad face, with the sessive wars costing them a lot of damage. Now, the king was going crazy, desperate for help to appear. For it was the king¡¯s orders, no one dared to refute it. Their king said to continue the war, they have to continue to fight.

    Even for these people of the three cities, even if they had been peaceful for a long time, when a war suddenly came, no one could afford it if there wererge-scale battles.

    When Shao Xuan came over, he saw a lot of corpses. Some have been buried in the sand, some only about a few days had been there that only a part was buried. Many of the bodies that were thrown there were eaten by scavengers with only the bones left, which looked rather deste.

    Shao Xuan ran along the road to collect some Snowfield City ves¡¯ clothing. Low-grade ves¡¯ and his clothing was not much different.

    After a few days of lurking around, Shao Xuan took the opportunity to blend in at the tail of a patrol team while it was dark.

    The ve, who was walking in front of Shao Xuan, was already sleepy, unaware that there was someone behind him. He only yawned and followed the man in front of him.

    The leader of the team did not pay much attention, only focusing on guarding the surroundings. He did not notice an extra person in the team.

    Seeing the gate of Snowfield Citying near, Shao Xuan pulled the cloth hat over his head. In fact, it was a long strip of cloth wrapped around his head. This was a hat that was worn by low-leveled ves more often. On the surface, Shao Xuan deliberately made himself look dirty, showing fatigue to look like the other ves.

    The guard in front of the city nced at the line, not aware of the wrong. He looked at the end of the line with Shao Xuan still yawning, his face tired. This guard was d that, at least he was guarding in their own doors in front of the city and did not have to run around like these outside patrol. Every day, theyck of sleep and has no spirit at all.

    It waste. After the patrol returned, they were all busy going back to rest. No one had the mind to talk to anyone else.

    The system here was not perfect. There were many loopholes, which was convenient to Shao Xuan.

    As the team entered the city, Shao Xuan looked for a chance to sneak into a sand house.

    The people in the patrol walking in front of Shao Xuan seemed to notice something. However, looking behind them, they didn¡¯t see anything unusual. They thought they were probably too tired and confused, so they didn¡¯t care much.

    The sand house where Shao Xuan was in has no door. The people living in it has been in the war as cannon fodder and never returned. Shao Xuan temporarily settled there, hidden and waiting for an opportunity.

    At night, no one came in and the night gradually deepened. There were fewer people moving outside. There were no lights, with the moonlight not as bright as a full moon¡¯s, making the inside of the house dark, casting ck shadows inside.

    The continuing war made the people in the city tired. Except for the night patrol, the others went back to their houses and began to fall asleep.

    Compared with the earlier Snowfield City, it was now a lot deste.

    Shao Xuan went out of the sand house, avoiding those patrolling the city, then sneaked into the center of Snowfield City.

    The pce in Snowfield City was simr to the one in Luoye City. It was very high-profile, but was muchrger in size.

    The guards near the pce were more vignt. Shao Xuan could not sneak in for a while and had to look for another opportunity. Therefore, Shao Xuan first found a good hiding ce, then waited for that moment.

    This hiding ce was much more spacious than the sand houses in the previous area. The materials they were built with were mostly stone. The closer the sand houses were to the pce, therger they were built.

    The room was used as wine storage. Shao Xuan saw a lot of wine barrels there.

    However, these cers do not sell wines, but was used as a storage for rewards. When ves do meritorious deeds, they were rewarded with wine and the vese here to receive their reward.

    There were three men in the house who were in charge of the wine house. By this time, they were already asleep. Shao Xuan chose a ce to put his stuff, then hid inside.

    After looking at the furnishings and patterns inside the house, Shao Xuan guessed that there should be five people in charge. Two people were drawn out to join the other teams, leaving just three people in the house.

    Not only were they in charge of the wine house, but also in other simr ces. Some of them were pulled into the patrol or gate guards. Worse for them would be if they were transferred to the ranks for the war. The war consumed more manpower and could only be filled with the ves of the city. They were theborers which were not skilled in business. Besides, even if they work in the city, they also suffer from abuse. How could theyin? The consequence of this ck was that there were more loopholes that give people like Shao Xuan the opportunity to take advantage of it.

    Those wines, which appeared to have not been used for several days, showed that those who came to collect the rewards did not show up for days on end. Thinking of the previous news he heard of the Snowfield City war, Shao Xuan also understood that with a session of defeats, where would the reward go? Even if there was a real meritorious deed, the overall defeat made the ve owners in a bad mood to receive a reward.

    Being on the road, hiding and alert, Shao Xuan was also tired. It was rare now to find a temporary foothold in the area. He intended to have a good rest, to supplement the severe wear and tear of his travel. Of course, even if he fell asleep, he has to have the necessary vignce, hence, he couldn¡¯t sleep soundly.

    He came to Snowfield City with the purpose of finding the ¡°history¡± of the city. Luoye City has a special ce to store their historical notes ording to Su Gu. In these snowy ins, as one of the three major cities, they should also have a simr ce. Shao Xuan hoped to find more information from the history of the Snowfield City to answer the doubts in his heart. If he could see those ¡°history¡±, maybe he¡¯d be able to exin Shi Shu¡¯s words.

    ve owners value those historical records, but the degree of emphasis was much lighter than that of the tribesmen. Even when they recorded events, they could change it to demean others and praise themselves.

    During the time Shao Xuan was resting, in the high pce of the city, the Snowfield King smashed the table again. The delicate ss and cutlery were scattered and the freshly made wooden table was blown to shreds.

    ¡°Rock Tomb is deceitful!¡± The Snowfield King¡¯s face was gloomy and the sinews were highlighted. He had just received a letter from the Rock Tomb King, saying that he should stop the war and not let it continue.

    ¡°This king has been at war with the people of the Fire Hill City before! They never stopped it, but now, they were telling me to turn in?¡± The Snowfield King was furious. ¡°No, maybe among the people who stole my treasure, Rock Tomb City was also included!¡±

    After thinking so far, the Snowfield King was breathing hard as he thought of his session of defeats, shivering with anger. At first, he was angry with the tribesmen, trying to kill the tribesmen in the desert, but the news was that the tribesmen had long since slipped away. He then took back all his manpower to fight against the others. The tribesmen, those timid minions, would be dealt withter.

    The Snowfield King did not know that a timid minion in his eyes was snooping on their ¡°history¡±.

 Chapter 344

    C344 ¨C Sneak In

    Posted on March 22, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan stayed in the wine house for four days. In these four days, he also learned a lot of things directly from the three wine house ves. They were also part of the few people with a little bit of small rights near the city¡¯s main pce. Naturally, their knowledge were more than those lower ves.

    Soon after returning from Beast City, Snowfield City went to war with Fire Hill City. The ves who hunted the tribesmen were also called back to fight, but their number of defeats was more frequent. Once in a while, when they were about to win, the people of Rock Tomb City would add their own attack, turning the situation around. Then, Snowfield City would be defeated again.

    In about twenty days, the number of people in this snowy ins has been reduced by more than one-third, which was only a rough estimate. The specific number was even a lot more. However, for the ve owners, the life of the ves was not an important life. When it decreased, they could make up for itter. The important thing now was to turn things around.

    ¡°I heard that the king¡¯s lost treasure was still not found,¡± said a ve, lowering his voice.

    ¡°I heard that the people of Fire Hill stole it. Perhaps, there are people from Rock Tomb involved.¡±

    ¡°s, when will this war stop? I don¡¯t want to go to war,¡± sighed the ve who had been silent.

    If it continued like this, the three of them would be transferred. The situation now was getting more and more serious. The defeat has left the Snowfield King with no light on his face, his anger soaring everyday. There were ves who had been implicated, getting killed because of his wrath, that bodies were being carried out of the pce constantly.

    Just then, someone from outside came looking for them.

    The faces of the three ves became tight, afraid that it was a messenger about to make them go to war. Fortunately, when they returned after going out for a while, their expressions were much easier.

    ¡°It turned out to be an order to send wine. Ah, that scared me¡­¡±

    ¡°Just send the rest of the wine to the pce tomorrow. No, I have to drink a little. Send it away after we drink, then I want to drink again. I don¡¯t know how long we could wait for our next one.¡±

    The man who had just sent the message asked them to send the rest of the wine to the pce tomorrow. The king would reward the wine to the guards of the pce.

    ¡°Being a guard of the pce is good. I hear that they can eat and drink a lot of good things.¡±

    ¡°Good is good, but recently, a number of people have also been killed by the king. There are also many guards who have died as a result of his anger, which has given the ve guards more or less some other thoughts in their hearts. This time, the king had the wine house send the rest of the wine to the pce in order to appease the guards¡¯ feelings.¡±

    The trio were drinking and talking, while Shao Xuan, who was hiding in the cluttered room, was also in a deep thought. So far, he had been waiting for an opportunity. Finally, this chance was worth a try, otherwise, he might miss it, not knowing how long it would take to get another opportunity.

    Before night came, the three ves put all the big and small barrels of wine into tworge wooden boxes. Since they had drank some privately, the amount wine in several barrels was different. Anyway, these wines were to be given to other ves. There was no need to pay more attention to it.

    After the wine was loaded, the three ves went to bed. Shao Xuan added something inside their house while they were sleeping to make them sleep more soundly. Fortunately, in order to sneak into the city, Shao Xuan had prepared a number of desert medicinal nts along the way.

    When the three people were finally asleep, they only made slight movements but did not wake up. Hence, Shao Xuan went to the box with the wine on the other side, took out the wine ced inside, then cut the wooden board to make room of a suitable size. He put barrels of wine inside the free space to check it out until he was satisfied.

    He put in the bottles on top of the board again and Shao Xuan himself stood inside the wooden box, then held up the wooden board with the wine bottles. Something like this was nothing to Shao Xuan. It was much lighter than the stones he had lifted before. [E/n: I¡¯m not quite sure what he did here, but I tried to edit what I understood from the MTL.]

    He slowly squatted down, then using his hands and feet, he carefully ced the wooden board on top.

    After hiding inside, he also put the nks and bottles in ce. Shao Xuan moved a finger and the sound of a thread tweaking followed. The box cover has now urately covered the wooden box.

    Taking back the silk thread, Shao Xuan took a little rest, waiting for tomorrow toe.

    The next day, the three ves were still sleeping. Because of Shao Xuan¡¯s doings, the three not only slept soundly, but also woke upter than in the past. Therefore, when the handlers came over, the three ves inside the wine house were still sleeping.

    Some of the ves who moved the wine were the guards of the pce. It was rare to hear that the king would reward them for something, so naturally, they were feeling very positive and specially brought their own people over to move the rewards. Seeing that the three people inside the wine house were still sleeping, they gave a kick to open the door, rudely waking up the three. Regardless of the confused looks on the three, they directly went to the area where the wines were ced to look. Seeing the already prepared tworge boxes, they were satisfied, but also opened the lid to take a look inside. They thenined that the wine was a little less than expected. Eventually, the wine the three people hid were turned over and all were thrown inside the wooden box. Soon, the wooden boxes were stuffed full.

    When the guards took the wooden box away, Shao Xuan could not see the expressions on the faces of the three people from the wine house. However, he thought that the three people must be sad and disappointed. They had tried hard to hide a few of the bottles, but it was unexpectedly discovered and taken away.

    Because it was the guards of the pce carrying the wine, the pce gate guard had not strictly checked the boxes. Instead, they alsoughed together with the guards carrying the wine, discussing when to split the wine.

    The wooden boxes were carried to the storage room. Although the guard ves were eager, they knew that the reward was still to be arranged by the ve owners. They would be scolded if they arranged it themselves, though they did secretly took two small bottles of wine from the box and hid those in their clothes and left.

    When the porters left, Shao Xuan listened to the movements outside. Once he was sure no one was around, he then came out of the box.

    It was difficult to sneak out from under a box that has wine bottles stacked on top, but Shao Xuan¡¯s strength was enough for it. The bottles remained stable, which could not be achieved if one changed the bnce of even a small point of force.

    However, when he came out, a bottle nearly fell to the ground. Shao Xuan, with his quick eyes, used his foot to cushion the fall and let the bottle safelynd with no big sounds.

    Although the time he had used to get out of the wooden box was not much, the difficulty was quiterge. After he was out, Shao Xuan had a sheen of sweat.

    He put the nks in an inconspicuous corner, returned the bottle inside the wooden box, then covered the box with the lid. Shao Xuan slipped out the room afterwards when there were no guards outside.

    The pce of Snowfield City wasrger than that of Luoye City¡¯s. Theyout was not clear to Shao Xuan, so he just walked around, avoiding the patrolling ves . For those areas that haveyers of guards, Shao Xuan temporarily avoided them. Those ces should be where the ve owners were.

    Observing theyout of the pce, he knew that basically, only a few ces have key guards. In other ces, only a small number of ves were there to guard. They were also guarding loosely, with weak morale and no spirit.

    Where there were few guards, Shao Xuan found a small circle of people. He heard a young man and woman whispering about the stone chamber with records inside it. Shao Xuan quietly followed them.

    The two were not husband and wife, but they behaved intimately. They did not let their ves follow them all the times they went to the stone room where the records were ced.

    This ce was supposed to be something like a book house. By the stone room¡¯s door, there were three ves guarding, two were rtively young while the other was old and blind.

    ¡°Second Young Master!¡± The trio bowed respectfully.

    The man, known as the second young master, waved his hand, referring to the blind old man, ¡°You stay, the others get out.¡±

    The three ves seemed to have known that this would happen. Without the need for the second young master to say more, the other two hurried away, leaving only the old blind ve to follow the man and woman into a room past the stone room.

 Chapter 345

    C345 ¨C Living Records

    Posted on March 25, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Not long after the three people went in, Shao Xuan heard the sound of a click followed by the voice of the blind ve.

    In many desert cities, some ve owners do not want to see the records left by the ancestors. They couldn¡¯t bear to have to study it, and were told to treat it with care and couldn¡¯t be damaged. Over time, those who specifically look at the ancestors¡¯ records were getting fewer and fewer.

    Later, there were ve owners who arranged for their ves to read the records and ordered them to memorize all the records they had seen. When they wanted to know something, the ves in charge of remembering would recite it skillfully.

    As a result, such a ss of ves dedicated to memorizing their records was created. Their full duty was to recite all the records for their masters.

    These people were like living records. The ve owners could always have them in tow. Whenever they wanted to know something, they just needed to ask one. They could even be set to fight.

    Shao Xuan listened to the sounds next door as he sneaked inside the stone room. Those two people were in really high spirits while just messing around, though still listening, of course!

    However, the old ve whose voice has no ups and downs, was calm and not affected by the two people¡¯s actions. Calmer than even Shao Xuan who spected that the experience of the old man was just too deep.

    For the chaotic rtionship between the ves and their owners, Shao Xuan did not have time to think more. The stone room contained a lot of skin rolls, wooden rolls, cloth rolls and others, which made Shao Xuan very excited. He finally found it!

    Looking at the ssification above the records, there was smelting rted which Shao Xuan was looking for. These notes were very old. Some were even broken because of improper preservation as the strength of the medium used was a little bit easy to break.

    This chronicled the seed, as well as where the smelting ore came from. Simr to what Shao Xuan thought, the stones that were ced around the seed for a long time would change and be an ore. A stone ced at a different distance from the seed would also produce a different ore. Since it had a different smelting method, the metal that could be obtained was not the same. The better the stone quality, the shorter the time required, the higher the metal content.

    Shao Xuan looked at the smelting methods described in it. Either failed or sessful, all were recorded. Looking at these records, Shao Xuan felt for the ancestors of the ve owners. It seemed that they have been exposed to smelting for a long time, but had mastered it through numerous trial and errors.

    In this regard, Shao Xuan also had to find the origin of ve owners, about their older history.

    However, probably because it was too long ago, Shao Xuan really could not find the records. He had looked at a lot but still did not find what he wanted.

    At this time, the man and woman next door have also finished their matter,ughing as they left.

    Shao Xuan put down the things in his hand, and immediately hid behind the stone shelf.

    The curtain at the door of the stone chamber was lifted. Shao Xuan heard the footsteps walking inside the stone room. It was not light, every step was slow. This was the footsteps of the blind old ve.

    Shao Xuan heard the sound of the old ve pouring water to drink. He seemed to be thinking of something. The old ve sighed, then got up and came to the side where Shao Xuan hid.

    There was sunshineing in the window. Shao Xuan could see the other side¡¯s shadow, elongating as the figure got more and more closer. He silently took out a knife in his hand.

    When the other side was five meters away from him, Shao Xuan suddenly got out and crossed two strides. He instantlye to the blind old ve¡¯s side, the de of his knife drawn to the old ve¡¯s throat. However, before shing down, Shao Xuan stopped his hand.

    Looking at the still calm old ve, Shao Xuan did not move his knife, but looked at the man carefully.

    There was no one outside the stone room. Inside, it was only Shao Xuan and this blind old ve.

    It¡¯s a bit weird.

    ¡°You¡¯re not afraid?¡± Shao Xuan asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Why would I be afraid?¡± The voice of the old ve was t.

    ¡°You¡¯re not calling for people?¡± Shao Xuan asked instead.

    ¡°Why would I call for someone?¡± The voice of the old ve was still t.

    Shao Xuan looked at the man again. His eyes were blind and he looked like he had no power to fight or even some morbid trump card.

    ¡°How did you find me?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Smell. There is a smell of fruit wine.¡± The old ve pointed out earnestly.

    Shao Xuan was surprised. In order to be more concealed, Shao Xuan infiltrated the pce after changing his clothes. The wine smell has to be very light. Even those guards have not been able to detect him, but now, he was unexpectedly detected by this old ve by his smell!

    Seemingly aware of Shao Xuan¡¯s doubts, the old ve continued, ¡°I am familiar with the smell here. As long as there is a little change, I can detect it.¡±

    The old ve did not care about Shao Xuan¡¯s movements at all. He just dragged over a stool on his own and leisurely sat down, looking like he was going to continue to chat with Shao Xuan.

    This made Shao Xuan feel that the old ve had mistaken himself for another ve owner in Snowfield City? However, the next words of the old ve overturned Shao Xuan¡¯s guess.

    ¡°What did you sneak into Snowfield City for?¡± The old ve asked. Without waiting for Shao Xuan¡¯s answer, he added, ¡°At this time, sneaking into this city anding to the ce where the records were stored¡­ Are you from someone in another city?¡±

    Without waiting for Shao Xuan to answer again, the old ve shook his head and said, ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be. I can feel the ce you had just looked through and you¡¯re interested in the ve owners¡¯ affairs? Most of the ve owners are not concerned about the records of their ancestors, so that means you are a tribe¡¯s man?¡±

    In this process, Shao Xuan never answered a word, but this old ve would guess the answer instead. Rather than just a gentle tone, when he listened carefully, the voice of the old ve actually had a hint of curiosity and interest, but no hint of fear or worry.

    Is this really a ve to Snowfield City?

    ¡°What you want to know, just ask me and don¡¯t look through here,¡± said the blind old ve. With those eerie sunken, white turbid eyes looking at Shao Xuan, he waited for Shao Xuan¡¯s words.

    Shao Xuan thought about it. He temporarily retracted the knife in his hand and asked, ¡°What is the rtionship between a ve owner and a ve?¡±

    If anyone else was hearing this, they would surely despise the person: That¡¯s obvious. Of course, it¡¯s a master-servant rtionship!

    But this blind old ve did not.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s question, the old ve thought, and sighed, ¡°ve owners and ves¡­ ve owners enved ves as if they had nted a seed without any other chances, to germinate in thend under his jurisdiction, giving them the opportunity to grow up. The ve owners would be able to harvest the fruitter. But there are several barriers around the seed. If the barrier is not lifted, even if the seed can germinate sessfully, its growth will be limited. The ve owners lifted the chains as if they had lifted the barriers that prevented the nt from growing, so that they can continue to grow.

    ¡°When the ve owner dies, it is equivalent to no one caring about these growing nts anymore. What about the barrier? What will happen to them? If you are lucky enough to have a ve owner willing to take over, you can pull the nt out of the ground and then nt it under the jurisdiction of the new ve owner. The size of the nt will not change, but to grow to what extent was still based on the past extent. It¡¯s just that there will always be a problem with transnting. nt transnting, if there is a problem with this process, such as rhizome, the other core ces were also damaged. Or transnting when there are other different conditions and it has not been able to be nted again, then it will die. Just as a ve owner has a certain mortality rate, the ve will die if there is any mistake in the process of the next owner.

    ¡°So the ve exchange is like transnting, and there is a risk in it. If you have bad luck, aside from the opportunity to continue to grow, you could also be buried alive. As for breaking the shackles¡­ Not every seed nted by ve owners can break through the barrier on its own. Even if they had a smooth break, the cases of broken branches and leaves will appear. Serious damage will even affect the original power, which is the same as the ve breaking through the shackles.

    ¡°At the earliest, ve owners would not easily lift the chains of ves. The ve owners would lift the chains for them only when they were ves for generations and they were faithful ves. But then, in order topete for that, they had to fight, go to war, else unlocking will bemonce.¡±

    Shao Xuan listened to the old ve¡¯s answer. While he wrote down these words, he marveled at what the old ve had learned. It looked like this old ve really knows a lot.

    The blind old ve in front of him was just a low-leveled ve. In terms of strength, he was even lower than other low-grade ves. Being in his age, his body was weak, that any inferior ve could kill him with his bare hands. But it is such a person that wrote down almost most of the preserved records inside this stone room. After summing up these things, with more abbreviated words, all was told to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Overconfident, arrogant, prideful, not taking others seriously, self-righteous, if they continue to go on like this, it will eventually lead to their destruction.¡± In the end, the old vemented, ¡°There have been more and more ves rebelling.¡±

    The old ve even recited a roll of sinned ves, written by the ve owners of Snowfield City, which listed the most influential high-leveled ves of the city in the past thousand years. They wrote the most heinous, ungrateful and cowardly ves,ing from the ve owners. Those who chose to rebel, but just died.

    There was no doubt that every ve in the sinned-ve roll died very badly, but when the old ve said it, he said it with pity.

    Was it because, unfortunately, the ves who betrayed the ve owners failed to seed? Or was it just a pity for the others? Shao Xuan was not sure.

    Seeing that the old ve continued to pity those ves, Shao Xuan hastened to pull the subject back.

    ¡°How much do you know about the fire of the tribes?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Fire. It¡¯s really a word I miss.¡± The old ve paused and seemed to recall a memory of a long time ago. ¡°I don¡¯t know much about this, but only that the fire of the tribe is weakening. Your tribesmen seem to be looking for a solution too.¡±

    The old ve could not answer more questions about the fire which made Shao Xuan a little disappointed. However, what the old ve knew was already enough.

    ¡°If the ve owners of Snowfield City can keep the records left by their ancestors, perhaps you can find the answers you want. Unfortunately¡­ there¡¯s too much damage!¡± The old ve was very emotional.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s expression changed. Should he really look for Shi Shu? He knew that Shi Shu had nted a pit there, should he still jump in? Shao Xuan was a little hesitant.

    Without getting an answer about the tribe¡¯s fire, Shao Xuan asked a question he had been puzzled about, ¡°Where did the ve ownerse from?¡±

    ¡°From the sea.¡± The old ve replied.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡± You think I¡¯m an idiot?

    Hey, guys!

    I saw a new trantor for CoPW in NovelUpdates, with indicated update sched of 2-3 chapters/week. Trantion was better than thest one so we may not have to depend on my edited MTL if the new trantor managed to catch up. I¡¯ll still stick to editing the MTL though. (^o^)

 Chapter 346

    C346 ¨C Bi Luo

    Posted on March 29, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    From the sea?

    This was unimaginable to Shao Xuan, unless the ve owners were mermaids. But this seemed impossible, as they had been living in the desert for so many years. How could they have had a marine life? Even evolution has to be a process.

    After hearing the blind old ve¡¯s answer, Shao Xuan¡¯s first reaction was to believe it. Then, his next reaction was not to believe it!

    However, the other side had a serious expression, which made Shao Xuan feel helpless.

    ¡°What do you mean, from the sea?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The blind old ve shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure, but I have heard some of the older people say that the ve owners are from over there.¡±

    Shao Xuan was still in doubt about this. After some thought, he asked for a map of the desert from the old ve. The map Su Gu had handed to Shao Xuan was notprehensive. Shao Xuan hoped to be able to see a moreplete picture of the area. After all, this ce was one of the three major cities. Won¡¯t they have aplete map?

    Unfortunately, the old ve did not know much about maps. In his early years, his eyes had already been blind. A lot of the things he knew were remembered by listening to others, hence, pictures and such would be very difficult for him.

    Although he did not have the knowledge, the old ve still had an idea of the approximate location of the maps. He went to the side of a stone shelf, then lifted his hand to gesture a range. ¡°It should be in this area. You look for it.¡± His eyes could not see, but he clearly remembered which piece of record was ced where.

    Shao Xuan carefully rummaged, until he finally turned out several map-like animal skin rolls.

    ¡°It¡¯s been some years since no one had moved it. You should be careful,¡± said the old ve.

    Indeed, these had aged long enough. Even if the animal skins were carefully protected in the earlier times, as usually, there were some caring for it, the quality of the animal skins were really not good. A little negligence and it was easily damaged.

    The map painted on the skins was very simple and the proportion was also not a good representation. It only has the approximate location of the desert cities and some important ces. Some of the edges painted dark, should be the sea.

    Shao Xuan copied all of this down. Then, he put it back how he got it.

    After turning over some more records to look at, Shao Xuan finally stopped.

    Meanwhile, the blind old ve carried some of the records and put it in a sunny area to bask it in the sun. It¡¯s to prevent it from decaying or getting mildew. Although he could not see, such things he have been doing for a long time has no difficulty. He could still feel where the sun was.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have anything else, get out of here as soon as possible.¡± The old ve said.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Xuan also did not intend to stay. However, the current Snowfield City has a lot of issues, which might still changeter. Therefore, Shao Xuan was going to leaveter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wait until sunset. The defense in the pce will be tighter after sunset than during the day.¡± The blind old ve advised.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s expression changed. He really intended to wait for the sunset to act. He had not expected what the Snowfield City pce would usually do. Could it be that the Snowfield King was often assassinated during the night, so the night¡¯s defense was strengthened?

    No wonder the man and woman before came out fooling around during the day, not at night.

    ¡°I see.¡± Shao Xuan thanked old ve and watched him carefully moving the records with different materials.

    When he was listening to the old man¡¯s tone of speech, he could hear that he did not have a good opinion of the ve owners. He adored even more those who had been traitors in their history. For the records left by these former ve owners, he had cherished it very much. Reminiscing of this man¡¯s gift of knowledge, he thought that, if he was in a more advanced era of peace, he may have a talent for learning.

    It¡¯s a pity.

    ¡°How did your eyes get blind?¡± After Shao Xuan had finished asking the question, he felt that it was impolite, just like revealing a scar.

    Seeing the old ve speechless, Shao Xuan intended to change the subject, but he suddenly heard the old ve speak in a calm tone. ¡°When I was very young, I already became a ve of the Snowfield King together with others. Once I averted my gaze from his hand, the king who was already in a bad mood, became angry. I epted the punishment.¡±

    The old ve still remembered. When the king stabbed his eyes then, he threw him over to the stone room, adding, ¡°You don¡¯t like to watch, then you¡¯ll be enough here!¡±

    The blind ve failed to see the words on their records, but he begged the others to read it to him and remembered all the records he had heard, then memorized it every day.

    Shao Xuan thought of what he was hearing, feeling that it was really a pity.

    Before leaving, Shao Xuan also intended to leave some herbal medicine to the old man. It might not cure his blindness, but some trauma might be treated.

    The old ve refused.

    ¡°You need it more,¡± said the old ve.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Shao Xuan looked at the sick old man. If it continued like this, he could not say much about the pain caused by the injury, but the days he could persist would not be long.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much time anyway.¡± The old ve looked at him and waved his hand. ¡°You should go. By the way, you have to be careful of the Bi Luo.¡±

    ¡°What is a Bi Luo?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It is a kind of desert beast domesticated by the Snowfield City. It¡¯s not big, and lurks in the pce during the day. Their sense of smell is very keen even if they had not seen you. If you were seen by it, you would rarely be able to flee,¡± said the old ve.

    ¡°I didn¡¯te across it after I sneaked inside the pce.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    This beast was not clear to the old ve. After all, the scope of his activities was only around the stone chamber where the records were ced, and everything else he had just heard.

    ¡°Maybe the Bi Lou is left near the king¡¯s bedroom,¡± replied the old ve, ¡°but it¡¯s still better to be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. You can rest assured.¡± Shao Xuan thanked him again and then left the stone room.

    After Shao Xuan left, the old ve sat alone quietly. Although he was unable to see, he could feel the direction where the window was. At that time, he just kept staring out of the window.

    He was from generations of ves. His ancestors became the king¡¯s close guard, until his generation, when he was assigned here early on, guarding the small stone chamber. He remembered an old man who used to read the records to him and told him before he died: One day, this system today will be reced by another system.

    During this time, he could not go out, but could feel the changes inside the pce of Snowfield City. He could glean from the conversation of others about their spections on a lot of things. He also had a kind of intuition that Snowfield City would be in much danger!

    He had just said to Shao Xuan that he did ¡°not have much time¡±, but he was not only speaking of himself, but also insinuating the whole city.

    While the old ve was meditating, on the other side, Shao Xuan, who had left the stone room, quietly looked around. There were not many people around. Probably because there were no ve owners in the area, so he did not see anyone other than some of the guards on routine patrol.

    Earlier, Shao Xuan had entered from the main entrance of the pce. As for where he would leave, he intended to run to the back door or the other side doors.

    The pce was surrounded by high, thick walls, the inside and outside were guarded. Shao Xuan knew it would not be easy to get out. He could only look at the other possible exits.

    Just as he was sneaking around, Shao Xuan suddenly had a sense of crisis that he was being stared at.

    Was he discovered?!

    He took a quick look around and set his sights in one ce.

    There was a tree there. On a branch hung an oval thing that was not muchrger than his fist. At this point, the oval thing on the branch was stretching out, rolling out until its body elongated and its shrinked wings unfolded. Its nose, which had unrolled, was almost as long as the rest of its body, unfolding, lengthening, then pointing directly to the direction where Shao Xuan was located.

    Bi Luo!

    Shao Xuan thought of the creature that the blind old ve had said.

    ¡°You should avoid being stared at. If they are staring, you can rarely escape once you are targeted by them.¡± This was the old ve¡¯s assessment of the Bi Luo.

    Even though going through a dark passage was bad, Shao Xuan did not waste time and moved his legs to run.

    He wanted to kill the Bi Luo first, but he had noticed that there were other simr stares around him, suggesting that there was not a shortage of hidden Bi Luos in the vicinity. They had locked their attention on him!

    The Bi Luos in the pce were not all near the king¡¯s rooms. Some of them looked for a ce to sleep with less people and was quiet. Earlier, they had been feeling peaceful until they met Shao Xuan, which they recognized as someone not from the city.

    Eeek¡ª

    A sharp, whistle-like sound emitted from the long nose of the Bi Luo.

    It was like a signal and soon, the other Bi Luos around him were also making noises, flying in the direction Shao Xuan was fleeing.

    The guards around the area heard the sounds. They all went to the ce where the Bi Luo was, shouting, ¡°There¡¯s an invasion!¡±

    But Shao Xuan¡¯s speed was also fast. He already knew where the nearest door was and went straight to that side.

    There were no other ve owners living around here. Just the several beasts raised by the king and the young masters were kept around.

    At this time, a Snowfield young master was watching the ves to help him train a beast. He heard someone was invading, which seemed to be only one person. Immediately, his blood boiled, thinking of the meritorious opportunity!

    ¡°Go! Go get the intruder!¡±

    The other ves followed the order with bitterness in their hearts. To catch the intruder was the guards¡¯ job. Why should you, a young master, mix in! But their master ordered, so these ves could not stand idly by, and could only bite their teeth and follow him.

    Shao Xuan was like a sharp knife, splitting the encirclement in front of him. While still listening to the movements behind him, he had glimpsed arge stone nearly the same height as a person, with an engraving of the words ¡°Beast Garden¡± above.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care if it was a beast garden or a human garden. His hands just picked up that almost a person high stone, turned and threw it out!

    Since the young master was chasing with his beast, some of the guards did not dare to lean too close for fear of being mistakenly injured by the beast. The rampaging beast roared, seeming to want to tten everything. However, before it could act out, a stone came flying towards its head. Its nose was smashed, suddenly giving it a nosebleed. Its footsteps became a bit staggered, until it stumbled at something under its feet. Its two front legs heavily knelt down, its front body continued to rush down until it hit a row of structures.

    Bang Bang!

    The structures here were not the fortified walls of the Colosseum. In an instant, it fell under the fierce collision of the beast.

    The other ves who saw this scene had their eyes alight full of disbelief. Unexpectedly¡­ The intruder could just lift up such a big stone and throw it as a ball!

    Although there was no shortage of strong men among the ves, it was not this exaggerated. Compared to this person, they were still short of lifting a stone to throw at the beast just now.

    The young ve master, who had fallen from atop the beast, also did not bother with his wounds, shouting, ¡°Tie that man to me. I want him to be my ve.¡±

    There were many arrows and spears flying around, but with the speed of Shao Xuan, coupled with the chaos that had just been made, it was not enough. When the guards of the other pces hade, he was already near the back door of the pce.

 Chapter 347

    C347 ¨C Breaking Through the Back Doors

    Posted on April 2, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    The guards, who were watching the back door, hurried to close it. But instead of slowing down, Shao Xuan¡¯s legs picked up speed again.

    Shao Xuan actually wanted to go over the wall, but it was not possible. The walls were not only high, it surpasses Shao Xuan¡¯s jump range. It was also polished and smooth, which was likely deliberate. He could only jump over using other tools, but with that, he had to reduce his speed. Once his speed was reduced, Shao Xuan would be in danger of being shot by his chasers.

    Since he can¡¯t go over the wall, he could only fight hard as there was only one door on this floor.

    Seeing the figure rushing over this side of the door, the guard at the back door had his heart drumming. They could not see what the person looked like because the person¡¯s speed was too fast, their eyes could not keep up. They only felt that that figure was clearly only a person, not a monster. However, it gave them a kind of feeling that they were facing a beast, giving them an oppressive feeling.

    This was not the Colosseum and the other side was only one person. They shouldn¡¯t worry, shouldn¡¯t fear. It would be alright, as long as the boy came over and everyone cooperated to cut him off. Even if that guy chose to flip past the wall, the other side of the door was ready with bows and arrows, all pointing to the top of the wall.

    He was getting close and closer.

    The guards were twitching with excessive tension, their eyes staring at the figure rushing over, their hearts roaring: Impossible!

    The other side really chose to attack forward!

    There were actually two doors in this back area. When they heard the chaos just now, they closed one, but not the other, because they felt it was unnecessary. A stone door was enough to block the intruder. However, at the moment, they suddenly had a sense of uncertainty, but it was toote to close the second door.

    While Shao Xuan was rushing to the back door, at the same time, he also mobilized the totem power in his body. After reaching his limit, he still did not stop. The umted power was squeezed and squeezed, until the totem power surged inside his body. Not having the power find a ce to vent, as if a volcano, it was about to erupt, but it was forcibly sealed, waiting for an outbreak. The momentum of Shao Xuan¡¯s body was also soaring because of this constant umtion of power and the surging of his blood.

    As Shao Xuan got closer to the back door of the pce, wherever he passed, cracks appeared on the bs of te on the ground, until the damage became more and more obvious. The crisp sound of the breaking was like a gear moving forward too.

    When they saw this, the guards who were still in front of the door could not help but move to the side, not daring to put up a hard resistance.

    At the moment of his power¡¯s outbreak, Shao Xuan suddenly issued a roar. He himself was like a cannonball, issuing a fierce punch straight to the closed door in front.

    Boom!

    The ground also seemed to be shaken by it.

    With the shock from the punch, the stone gate could not bear the force brought about by the impact of the extremely fierce punch. It broke open a big hole, and the person who made this hole has already rushed out of it.

    A few guards guarding the door twisted their necks mechanically, staring at the hole which had just been made. They felt that the hole was literally like the bleeding wound of a giant beast, stinging them with terror. As for the man who broke open the hole, he was more than a beast!

    So scary! He¡¯s horrifying!

    A guard hurriedly wiped the sweat off his forehead, thinking about the power that had just hit the pce door. His ear could still hear the echo of the sound from the shock from just now that his heart was still shaken.

    Outside the pce, the ones holding bows and arrows were staring at the wall. They were also stunned by this sudden scene. The moment it happened, they also stared fixedly at the wall. The next moment, they could hear their hearts almost jumping out of their throats. The sounds were even apanied by cracked stones that were ejected outward. Afterwards, they only felt a wisp of air passing in front of them, followed by a figure that was hard to catch shing through, and it was all over.

    Not only the guards at these back doors, a few people lurking outside the pce, hidden near some of the houses closer to the pce, were observing the movement on that side. They were not from Snowfield City.

    Before hearing the movements inside the pce, they were still wondering what was going on, wondering if the associates who had infiltrated the pce had been spotted in advance? Before they came, they were told by the young master of the method to avoid the Bi Luo. If they failed, they really dare not go back to see the young master. If they fail, the task would have to be abandoned.

    However, they did not expect to see someone break through the back door of the pce! Staring at the person that passed by, they were all in shock.

    He even punched his way out the back door of the Snowfield Pce!

    Where did this idiote from, a barbarian?!

    At this time, the Snowfield king was in his bedroom.

    Listening to the clutter of voices sifting to his ears, the Snowfield King, who had wanted to take a break, was not sleepy now.

    As he endured his anger while listening to his subordinates¡¯ report, the expression on his face has be more and more terrifying. The huge room had a solemn sense of repression, with all the people not daring to speak out.

    The people of Snowfield City were rtively fairerpared to the people of other desert cities. However, at this time, because of their numerous defeats, the king was being provoked again and again. After just hearing the riot and an intruder sessfully infiltrating the pce but managing to break out, he was even more red-faced with anger. The veins on his face looked like they were about to pop out.

    When the ves who had reported to him had finished, they shakily stood there, waiting for the king¡¯s orders.

    ¡°So many people can¡¯t catch a little intruder?¡± The Snowfield King clenched his teeth and growled low.

    ¡°He¡­ He¡­ He has¡­ escaped too fast¡­¡± replied a ve. His words came out choked under the re of the Snowfield king.

    If the intruder was exposed during the night, they may have been able to catch him. However, at this time, the people for the night¡¯s defense had not joined yet. Some areas were inevitably weak, not to mention, the intruder was said to be extraordinary. He even directly broke the pce back door!

    After a kick towards the man in front of him, the Snowfield king roared out like an angry lion, ¡°I want him dead!¡±

    Moreover, the Snowfield king also thought of the loss of the seed again. He was so angry that his lungs were almost about to blow up.

    Ignoring what happened to the person he kicked, the king turned to the people andmanded, ¡°Jinjiawei! Call out two hundred Jinjiawei! If you haven¡¯t killed the intruder, you don¡¯t have toe back!¡±

    What is known as the ¡°Jinjiawei¡± [E/n: Not sure what to use, but it was golden armored guard or something on google. *shrugs*] were not because they were all golden. Instead, this team was the only team fully equipped with metal weapons.

    The Jinjiawei was a group of people trained personally by the Snowfield king after he was crowned. There was a total of 1000 people, with 500 transferred to the front lines to fight against Fire Hill City. The remaining 500 people stayed in the city. Now, the Snowfield King unexpectedly pulled out 200 guards to hunt for an intruder! Why? It was fine if they still get to stay in other parts of the city. But to hunt down someone who has already ran away? Was it not a waste? What if this was actually a ploy from another city?

    The people next to the king thought of persuading him to retract the order but they didn¡¯t have the guts. They could only pretend to be dumb.

    The effectiveness of these Jinjiawei on a one-on-onebat might not be able to rank among the Snowfield City guards, but they were absolutely loyal. They would resolutely carry out the king¡¯s orders.

    At the Snowfield King¡¯s behest, after a time for them to wear their equipment, the Jinjiawei were soon riding their beasts and set off. In order to urately find their target, they took more than twenty Bi Luos.

    Gululu~

    At the side of the pce, a normally closed thick stone door opened. Two hundred people in metal armor went out, riding their beasts in line.

    ¡°The Jinjiawei! Even the Jinjiawei was called out! Who the hell was the intruder just now? He could even have the Snowfield King order out the Jinjiawei!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Can you guess?¡±

    ¡°No matter who that person is or which city he came from, he has very well attracted the attention of Snowfield City and some of the Jinjiawei too. We can take this opportunity toplete the task that the young master has given us to attack the pce,¡± one said.

    Some of them have been mixing inside the Snowfield City pce. When they see a chance, they would certainly act to weaken Snowfield City!

    Not knowing that the Snowfield King has ordered a pursuit of him, Shao Xuan¡¯s only goal now was to leave the city.

    Many people in the city only heard the movements on the other side of the pce. However, since it was the beginning of a war, this kind of thing happens often, hence they were not too curious and chose to ignore it. The pce guards on the other side was also naturally busy, so they would not care about it.

    Several people only saw a sh of a figure, but did not see who ran past. Even if they chose to block him, they could not as they couldn¡¯t keep up with the figure¡¯s speed. Besides, if he could not force his way out, he could just go up or on the side.

    Shao Xuan ran past the block obstructing him in front.

    At this time, the gate was yet not closed. It was now dusk, and there would be other people outside, patrolling and about to return. No one ordered them to close the gate.

    Several guards were still talking about whether there had been another assassination on the other side of the pce, when they heard a sound as a gust of wind swept through.

    The speed at which the figure who ran past raged like the wind, rolling up waves andyers of snow covering the sand. Then, it dispersed behind the runner like flowers.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?!¡±

    ¡°Just now, it was like¡­ a man ran past us.¡± They wanted to chase the figure, but looking at the other¡¯s momentum, they knew they certainly could not catch up, hence they simply did not chase him.

    ¡°Was that the assassin from the other side of the pce?¡±

    ¡°So, shall we close the gate?¡±

    ¡°Now, it¡¯s useless. He¡¯s gone!¡±

    ¡°But if there were any other assassins, wouldn¡¯t they all run away here?¡±

    The people at the city gate deliberated. Finally, their decision was to take the lead and close it down first. If there were patrols outside returning, they would open it again.

    However, when they had only closed the gate half way, they heard roaring sounds. As soon as they saw the source, they almost peed due to fear.

    ¡°Its the Jinjiawei, the Jinjiawei! Come on, open the gate!!!¡± The leader then rushed to open the half-closed door again.

    The 200 Jinjiawei passed, their pairs of indifferent eyes had no other feelings as they kept looking straight ahead. They would act the same, mercilessly kill those who prevent them from moving forward, even if these people were people of the Snowfield City.

    The sounds of colliding metals and ripping of flesh showed how cruel they can be, like how a meat grinder was also straight forward. It made the ves inside the city terrified, shivering and timidly hiding in the corner of their houses to jot out that memory of their fears. They covered their ears, wanting to resist those moring outside. Listening to the sound of blood spraying and knives and spears chopping, they could guess how many people outside have not had time to avoid them and were directly killed.

    (?¡ä-§Õ-)¡£¡£I forgot to uploadst night¡­

 Chapter 348

    C348 ¨C Third Lock

    Posted on April 5, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    After fleeing Snowfield City, Shao Xuan recalled the maps he had seen in the stone room. He had no intention of going to any of the cities in the desert. Now, no city was peaceful. Besides, the ve owners never had a good attitude towards the tribemen, even Su Lun has another purpose with his cooperation.

    Therefore, the route Shao Xuan was now taking was not in contact with any of the cities under the control of a ve owner. As far as possible, he wanted to get away from those troubles.

    Originally, Shao Xuan also wanted to go to the seaside to take a look. The n of this route would lead to the nearest sea to Snowfield City. However, Shao Xuan had noticed those who were chasing behind him, so he could only put down his other thoughts and flee again.

    There were 200 Jinjiawei. If Shao Xuan wanted to deal with them, he could break them up, but this group was the Jinjiawei who almost do not act separately. They probably know their own shorings. The Jinjiawei actedpletely as a whole, which meant Shao Xuan could not find an opportunity to attack.

    Moreover, Shao Xuan could feel that those Jinjiawei were like dead people, seemingly unafraid to keep chasing until thepletion of their task.

    If there was a way to deal with those Bi Luos too, Shao Xuan would not have these pursuers chasing him. However, those Bi Luos were very clever, never far away from the Jinjiawei. After a discovery of abnormalities, they would hide within the Jinjiawei team.

    It¡¯s difficult, really difficult.

    Since entering the desert, this was the first time Shao Xuan was being hunted, which was embarrassing. He fled fast, but those Bi Luos were always able to find him urately. No matter how he used his clothes as a dummy and applied other smells to his body, he could not shake off the Bi Luos.

    No wonder the blind old ve had said: Once he was targeted by the Bi Luo, it would be hard to escape.

    He couldn¡¯t think of any good way to escape at the moment. Shao Xuan could only use his speed as an advantage to ease his dilemma.

    He thought of taking this group to other cities, and let them kill each other. Then, before Shao Xuan could wait for a chance to lead these people there, he met two teams from Shaqi City and Skywheel City, fighting. Contrary to Shao Xuan¡¯s expectations though, when the three teams met, they did not continue the fight each other, but grouped up together to catch Shao Xuan.

    This gave Shao Xuan even more of a headache.

    The two teams changed their goal and followed the Jinjiawei. They felt that, since Snowfield City had sent the Jinjiawei to hunt down a man, that man must have been special.

    What was special about him? Was it because he stole something good from Snowfield City?

    Everyone wanted to make a profit. The people of Shaqi City and Skywheel City also did not want to fight with each other, thinking that catching the person in front who might have taken a treasure, then going back to their city afterwards to give it to their king would render more benefits.

    With a glimpse of his chasers, Shao Xuan did not expect to have them fight now. His mind was only thinking of figuring out how to get out of this trouble.

    He had long since left the area under the jurisdiction of Snowfield City. Without the snow, the surrounding desert was under high temperatures.

    Shao Xuan stepped on the scorching, hot sand under his feet and went under the shadows on the back of the sand dunes for a little rest. There was not much time he could use for rest.

    Sha sha sha!

    Arge chunk of sand on the dunes slid.

    Shao Xuan looked in that direction, while hiding his presence well even if he had not seen any big movements at that time. Shao Xuan could not be aware of every beast in the desert every time, as some beasts were hidden under the sand. When they had hidden very well, even Shao Xuan who had been fleeing had almost stepped on the snake and scorpion bodies that were buried under the sand.

    The difference was that at this moment, it was not a small beast that had crawled out of the dunes. It was a behemoth.

    When Shao Xuan had seen the movement, he had already retreated earlier to avoid it.

    Pu¡ª

    The beast snorted and two sand arrows ejected from its nostrils, piercing into the sand not far away from Shao Xuan.

    Looking at the figure that came out, Shao Xuan had a sense of familiarity.

    The beast, aftering out of the sand dune after a sleep, became aware of someone nearby. It immediately became disgruntled, letting out a scream, making the wind and sand rush out. However, when it saw Shao Xuan¡¯s appearance, its roar stopped.

    The horned lizard beast caught half roar: ¡°¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    If he was not in a difficult situation right now, Shao Xuan really wanted to say hello to this one: Yo, long time no see.

    This beast was the horned lizard beast that he had encountered at the Colosseum. However, it had no red marks around its eyes this time, which was probably washed away by the sand.

    At the beginning of the chaos in Beast City, a lot of unowned monsters ran, including this one, out of the Colosseum. Shao Xuan previously had a confrontation with the horned lizard beast, but he did not expect to meet it here.

    Shao Xuan was also worried about the horned lizard beast¡¯s revenge, hence he wanted to avoid an encounter. However, the horned lizard beast was actually more worried than Shao Xuan. At that time in the Colosseum, that feeling of fear was still clear in its mind. It had not mainly looked at the other¡¯s appearance, but also the breath and power fluctuating around him.

    One man and one beast were in a deadlock, guarding against each other, until a blue beetle drilled out of the ground. This caused the heavy atmosphere at the moment to break.

    The horned lizard turned and took the chance to ran away. This made Shao Xuan breath a sigh of relief, then he focused his attention on Sapphire.

    At the start of its sessful envement, this beetle was just pushing dung balls, but now, even with his back armor as bright as a gem, it could move stealthily better than Shao Xuan. He did not know what it had encountered under the sand, but its back armor has a deep concave. If it went a little deeper, there would be a danger to its life. Even if its injury was not life-threatening for the time being, it was still a heavy injury for the beetle. Its wings were damaged and it was no longer able to fly.

    Although most of the time, it was active on the ground or under the sand, in the event of a critical situation, it could also fly to avoid disaster. Now though, if the beetle once again encountered a desert beast, regardless of how big or even just slightly fierce, it could also pose a great threat to it.

    Shao Xuan also knew that Sapphire was with a lot of beetles. However, the other beetles couldn¡¯t keep up with it and fell far behind.

    Shao Xuan did not know the scale of Sapphire¡¯s insect army, but he can be sure that, based on the size he had seen the previous time, they would still be unable to block 200 Jinjiawei. With the addition of the two other cities, there was no hope.

    After carefully looking at Sapphire¡¯s injury, Shao Xuan did not know what to do. If it was a wolf or a lion or other animals, he had knowledge of its treatment. However, the bug¡¯s injury was unfamiliar to him.

    ¡°What are we going to do with this injury?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the wound on the Sapphire¡¯s back and sighed.

    Sapphire crawled on the ground and climbed next to Shao Xuan, but it do not know how to express its thoughts. It could only go around Shao Xuan in a circle.

    Fortunately, Shao Xuan could understand a little bit of what¡¯s on its mind.

    ¡°Unlock you again?¡± Shao Xuan was not so reassured. How long was it that its second lock was unraveled? Unlocking the third lock now, could it handle it? If it couldn¡¯t control the power in its body, it would die.

    But looking at Sapphire¡¯s injury, then looking at its careful and ardent actions, Shao Xuan still decided to grant its wish.

    If the third lock was unlocked, the injury on its body might be healed. It should be worth it for such an injury¡­

    Same as when Caesar was seriously injured, Shao Xuan had engraved its seal. Perhaps unlocking had the same effect.

    It was just that it¡¯s too risky. A single carelessness, and it could lead to failure.

    Soon, the blue me came out of his hand. Shao Xuan concentrated as much as possible, controlling his power to unlock.

    Looking at the excitedly pedalling blue beetle, Shao Xuan thought to himself: I can only wish you good luck.

 Chapter 349

    C349 ¨C Falling into the Sea

    Posted on April 8, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    After the third lock was sessfully unlocked, he could only leave it to Sapphire.

    Originally, Shao Xuan thought he would be able to get the results in a short time. However, after unraveling the third lock, Sapphire went into a sleep-like state. It had no reaction to the outside world, under a state simr to hibernation.

    Shao Xuan was not at ease. He nned to wait longer, but he heard the Jinjiawei¡¯s movement.

    Shao Xuan had some admiration for the obsession of those chasing him.

    This was already the tenth day. In addition to looking for food and a short rest, the rest of the Jinjiawei¡¯s time was in pursuit. Not only those Jinjiawei, even what they¡¯re riding that look like camels or horses also have excellent patience. They were cold and heat resistant, could carry weight andst for a long time running. As for Shaqi City and Skywheel City who had been following closely behind the Jinjiawei, they were being left the farther away they had chased.

    Seeing that Sapphire still has not moved, Shao Xuan chose not to carry it while running away. After all, those people and beasts chasing him were not after the beetle. Lifting Sapphire, he ced it on the sand dunes and dug the sand around Sapphire to cover it.

    The Bi Luos identified that their target was Shao Xuan, therefore, for other things aside from Shao Xuan, they did not care at all and ignored.

    The team chased Shao Xuan, bringing up a burst of dust. The Bi Luos issued a sharp crying sound, pping its wings and pointing its long nose straight at Shao Xuan.

    When the dust dissipated, the ce was restored to its original appearance. The violent wind scraped the sand from the sand dunes to other ces. Soon, there was no sign of movement.

    Shao Xuan felt like he had found this dead end on his own.

    Escaping to the left, he¡¯d face the jurisdiction of Shaqi City, to the right was the position of Skywheel City. Moreover, he was now able to see some minimal growth in the numbers of Skywheel City.

    Shao Xuan also could not determine what he had been thinking, running this way in a daze. Waiting for a miracle, only to find that he had stupidly put himself in a dead end. He knew that he should not be negligent of his escape. The desert was so huge, that even if he took a detour to the back of those Jinjiawei, then he could still find a chance to run back and break open this situation. However, after he had a run up, Shao Xuan felt his consciousness being controlled, directly making him run forward.

    There were birds flying in the sky. It was not the wild birds in the desert, but the domesticated birds of the people of Skywheel City. There were even people on the backs of the birds.

    Although Skywheel City has notunched a fiercerge-scale war with other cities and only had a small friction with Shaqi City, they were also affected by the tension in the desert. Every day, there were long-distance patrol teams out to search. Now, Shao Xuan had encountered these Skywheel City patrol team.

    On the right, there was the Skywheel City patrol team with an ambush. Behind was the pursuit of the Jinjiawei, while in front, was a cliff by the sea.

    Normally, it would be the time for a normal person to run to the left. However, Shao Xuan actually ran straight ahead.

    At the moment, Shao Xuan felt his legs were not like his own, uncontrobly running straight forward. His mind did not think of other stuff, until the moment he jumped. Shao Xuan suddenly woke up. Unfortunately, he had already jumped¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m an idiot¡­¡±

    Jumping from a height, he fell hard into the blue sea and sank.

    Shao Xuan felt as if someone was dragging him down as he continued falling straight under water.

    The surrounding sea water¡¯s temperature was much lowerpared to the desert outside. From the hot sand toing suddenly in contact with the sea water, the more he sunk, the colder he felt. The difference made Shao Xuan shiver uncontrobly. Originally, he had intended to go upstream but found that his actions had little effect.

    The surrounding water current was too strong.

    Such a current made Shao Xuan¡¯s scalp numb. He was too aware of what such a current represented. It had choked his breath and hindered the movements of his arms.

    Thereupon, a huge figure from afar came near. The light dropping from above the sea allowed Shao Xuan to see the markings on it, as well as the fangs that are exposed from that huge mouth. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t even match one of the other¡¯s teeth.

    It has no ws, but its fin-shaped limbs did not lower the power of this beast. Then, being stared at by those eyes, the timid probably would have all his soul fly away. The other side seemed uninterested in Shao Xuan¡¯s little presence, and just swam around but was not leaving.

    What made Shao Xuan even more desperate was that, after he stopped struggling, he dropped faster. Even if his ability to hold his breath was good, it was impossible to keep it up indefinitely under the sea.

    If he went on like this, he won¡¯t be able to leave here alive.

    At this time, on the cliff above the sea, the Jinjiawei that had closely chased him had gathered on the edge of the cliff, looking at the endless blue ocean. They did not follow and jump down. They were not that brainless. How could they go down, just to look for death?

    The riding beasts seemed to feel the pressure beneath the sea and treaded uneasily on their hooves.

    Soothing their riding beasts, the Jinjiawei led everyone out to guard separately, seeing that Shao Xuan could not run nor take off now.

    Meanwhile, the people of Skywheel City ambushing in the sky were stunned by Shao Xuan¡¯s move. Unexpectedly, he just ran straight to the cliff and jumped from above! Was this wishing for death or something else?

    The beast in the sea seemed to perceive that there were many people moving on top of the cliff, which made it very unhappy. It went out of the water and flipped over, giving a roar that made the rocks on the cliff almost fall.

    Even if they were not afraid that they¡¯d fall, the Jinjiawei could not help but move their riding beasts back several steps. Not far away, the patrol team in the sky moved more simply, directly backing off by 100 meters. As they had long been living near this area, they knew exactly what¡¯s down there. It¡¯s an unshakable creature, far from beingparable to the monsters of the desert.

    The Jinjiawei, who was ordered by the king to kill the intruder, lingered on the edge of the cliff for two days. When they did not see Shao Xuan again, they inferred that Shao Xuan should have been swallowed by the sea beast. Therefore, did they indirectlypleted the king¡¯s orders?

    On the third day, the Jinjiawei moved out with a wave of a hand, ¡°Let¡¯s go back! The task is done, and it¡¯s natural that we go back.¡±

    As for the patrol team of Skywheel City, they would have liked to rob the Jinjiawei of their body equipment, but in the end, still did not have the guts. They hesitated a bit, then saw the Jinjiawei had already gone far.

    ¡°Forget it. Let¡¯s wait for a chance next time,¡± said a man from Skywheel City. They did not have many people in this patrol team. Their number was not much more than the Jinjiawei, so if they really wanted to fight, they might lose.

    ¡°Do you think that the man who jumped was eaten by the beast, or he just sank?¡± Someone asked.

    ¡°Forget him. He¡¯s just a madman.¡±

    The patrol team of Skywheel City also returned. Their trip was still calm. The road to their city was also smooth, while the Jinjiawei on the other side was not as lucky. They returned along the original path they took but they were blocked by a group of bugs.

    Looking around,rge swathes of ck beetles covered the sand.

    Peng!

    On a sand dune, the yellow sand exploded.

    A blue-shelled figure gradually emerged, and another beetle made an appearance. The originally calm wave of ck bugs surged up like waves.

    On the side of Snowfield City, there was a heavy loss since someone had attacked the pce. The rarely wounded Snowfield King was sitting with an inscrutable face. He calcted the number of days, thinking why the Jinjiawei he had sent out had note back yet.

    Go, Sapphire! ?(*¡ä¨Œ`*)?

 Chapter 350

    C350 ¨C Changes Under the Sea

    Posted on April 13, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    When he dispatched the Jinjiawei, the Snowfield King had told them not toe back if they haven¡¯t killed the intruder. However, as he was really angry then, if the intruder was not killed by the hard-trained Jinjiawei, he would not ept their return. What he did not expect, however, was that his angry remark became true.

    The Jinjiawei¡¯s solobat effectiveness was really not great. They were good at fighting in a group, but they had only fought against people andrge desert beasts, not those small ones who could be flexible and drill between their armors and clothing like bugs.

    At the moment amidst an insect tide attack, the always calm Jinjiawei also panicked. Their formation could not be maintained. Their riding beasts also became manic from being bitten by the bugs. Even if they turned left to avoid the swarm, in a sh, the right side would also be blocked. They still could not get rid of those insects.

    Chaos reigned in the formation of the Jinjiawei. They had all scattered. Coupled with their riding beasts rioting, the scene became even worse.

    The Bi Luos, who had been hiding within the Jinjiawei¡¯s formation, had wanted to fly in the air to avoid the disaster. However, before they had thought of lifting off, they had been pounced on by beetles with its own wings open. They were just domesticated tracking beasts, notbat-type. It would be simply too hard for them to resist when the tide of insects swept through.

    The screams, the shouts of the Bi Luos, the sonorous sound of the metals shing seemed endless. However, this battle did notst long. After a short time, some people managed to break out, but they had lost the opportunity to save the others from the tide of the encirclement. Even if the others could still hold on for a time, the pain of the bug bites meant that they would soon became food of these bugs. In a short time, they would only be skeletons.

    The people who had managed to break out from the tide ignored their wounds and rushed towards Snowfield City. As long as they can reach the territory of the city, they would be much safer. However, they were out of luck. When they had just escaped from the tide of insects, they met several people who had attacked their city.

    When these people met the Jinjiawei, they knew it would not be easy to fight them. But since they had encountered the Jinjiawei fleeing like a mess, the knives in their hands would be a waste if they did not take a shot.

    The Snowfield King was tolerant of the time and waited for a few more days. Finally, he couldn¡¯t ignore it and felt that the Jinjiawei were really gone.

    The Jinjiawei were personally enved by the Snowfield King himself. If they were just ordinary ranked lower ves, he wouldn¡¯t care. Regardless, if those people were assassinated or had encountered an ident, he would not be interested. However, the Jinjiawei was different. Starting from his dispatch, he had been paying attention to them. Then, he had felt the connection between him and the Jinjiawei being forcibly severed by the sickle of death. Afterwards, like being smashed by a hammer, a splitting headache had suddenly punched him and he could no longer remain calm.

    Surprise, panic, disbelief! The Snowfield King tried to suppress the tumbling of all kinds of emotions in his heart. He had sent a team out to find the Jinjiawei. Even if they only found the bodies, he wanted to know how those people were killed and where they died.

    The people who went out followed the route the Jinjiawei used to chase Shao Xuan earlier. All the way along the path, they had not found any traces. Those who attacked the Jinjiawei had long erased their traces, not even a bone or a stone could be found. Coupled with the desert climate, wind and sand, for the Snowfield King¡¯s men, nothing left would be found.

    As they continued looking for the Jinjiawei¡¯s team, they came upon traces that the team had encountered a swarm of insect. It was just that when they saw that, everyone felt the same feeling like being in an ice cer.

    Under the scorching sun, they only felt the chill on their backs. Their teeth were chattering hard, while they looked at the situation in front of them. They shivered, not even having the courage to go forward.

    In the vast expanse of undting yellow sand, the metal armors and some broken rags covered the skeletons, which had been half buried in the sand. The metal armors exposed outside, as well as the sharp metal weapons, glittered under the sun.

    Now, let¡¯s not talk about how the whole desert reacted to the Jinjiawei¡¯s plight after the news spread. On the other side, under the sea, Shao Xuan had finally stopped sinking after a time.

    Shao Xuan thought he was stepping on the bottom of this area, but using his special ability to view the surroundings, he realized that that was not the case. The ce beneath his feet was like the top of a mountain on the bottom of the sea, going down on both sides and leading to the depths of the sea. As for what it looked like deeper, Shao Xuan has no ability and no time to look now.

    It was the ce beneath his feet that has a power source, pulling Shao Xuan down.

    Looking around, Shao Xuan found that, although the area was not t, it was wide.

    He had been holding his breath under the sea for a long time. If this continued, he would choke to death. Therefore, Shao Xuan thought of umting his strength, then release it all to swim up. The sea beast above has already left. Probably because of the existence of such beast, there was no other fish activity around. There should be no other dangerous undersea creatures in this short period of time.

    This was his chance to rush out!

    However, as Shao Xuan umted his power and just intended to go upstream, the surrounding water suddenly changed.

    Unlike the way when the beast appeared, the change was a massive flow of seawater, like it were going to form a whirlpool.

    The sea water changed very quickly in such a short period of time. Shao Xuan simply could not escape out of it and could only follow his instinct, squatting and clinging to the rugged stone by his feet.

    A whirlpool truly formed around him, but not the kind of whirlpool usually seen on the sea. It was formed vertically and the center of the whirlpool was exactly where Shao Xuan was.

    The flow of water orbiting its axis showed that the underside of this rock was not in full contact with the sea floor. The rotating flow of water could then flow below.

    Around him, there was a suction of everything. Shao Xuan¡¯s body temperature was getting lower to as cold as the sea as the suction continued away. Feeling his body gradually losing its strength, Shao Xuan started to mobilize his totem power, pouring it into his body until his body temperature stabilized again to the normal range. After recovering to normal body temperature, Shao Xuan¡¯s perception also improved.

    When onnd, if one freely mobilized his totem power in the mountain forest, it would be perceived by the beasts. Hence, if one wanted to hide and avoid the fierce beasts, one would not easily mobilize his totem power to the peak, unless it was the moment before a battle.

    But here, Shao Xuan also originally wanted to guard against those undersea monsters. Checking his surroundings using his totem power, he thought that this site might be invaded. However, after observing more, Shao Xuan gradually realized that there was no giant beasts around, not even a small fish!!

    The surrounding rips were getting bigger and bigger, and they were still rising rapidly.

    Shao Xuan felt like a previous injury that has already been a scab, cracked again and blood flew from the wound, sshing and getting caught in the sea water.

    His whole body was under a great pressure of being teared apart. Shao Xuan felt that his bones were going to be dislocated. He could even hear the clicking of his bones, like wood panels shaking in the midst of a storm.

 Chapter 351

    C351 ¨C At the End of the Hole

    Posted on April 15, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan gritted his teeth to endure the feeling of dizziness caused by ack of oxygen, as well as the pain of his bones cleaving. He could only grit his teeth to bear the pain as he tightly clung to the uneven stone surface. He knew that if he let go, he would be dragged out by the force, along with the sea, to be part of the whirlpool. In which case, he would really be dead.

    Surrounded by a formation like an invisible huge, all the creatures that touched the would beted in. Under the powerful tearing force around, Shao Xuan simply had no time to deal with his cracked wounds and could only mobilize his totem power to concentrate around the wound, trying to close it to reduce the blood flow.

    If he didn¡¯t have a high-level totem warrior¡¯s physical strength, if there was not enough strength to replenish what he used, if he only have little strength to hold onto the stone, he would not be able to bear it for long.

    Finally, when Shao Xuan was about to lose consciousness, everything subsided again.

    Shao Xuan only felt his body turn light, then the pressure from the sea disappeared. The power tearing around also disappeared, as if it never appeared at all, so suddenly, it was gone.

    His still shaking bones slowly subsided. His muscles that had been pulled taut loosened. It was not that Shao Xuan let his guard down, but that he had no more extra strength, and that he was now at his limit.

    Suddenly, the changing ended and it seemed to be safe for a while, which made Shao Xuan sigh in relief.

    He could exhale?

    He tried to breath.

    Then, breathe again.

    It¡¯s smooth!

    There¡¯s air!

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked around.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan mistakenly thought that he hade to another world, a world without seawater.

    However, after carefully distinguishing his surroundings, Shao Xuan found that he still held onto the same stone. Not far behind was still the cliffs by the sea floor. The only difference was that this ce that was the sea was almost emptied. However, his clothes, the hair on his head, the little seaweed attached to the stone on the ground, were like water was sucked out of them and were now dry.

    On the stone floor, the dried seaweed, which was attached to the stone floor, cracked and broke into debris as soon as it was touched.

    Shao Xuan felt like he was alsocking water, hence he drank the rest of the water in his kettle. This still could not supplement his body of its missing moisture, but he just took it in a rush.

    There was huge hollow that was formed around him Outside the hollow, the sea was still flowing vertically, but it no longer affected this stonend.

    The surrounding was very dark. It was some distance from the sea, so they was very little light cast around. Fortunately, Shao Xuan had his other sight¡¯s ability.

    Shao Xuan sat on the stone floor, thinking about what to do next.

    The feeling ofcking of oxygen was waning. Though the oxygen content here was low, Shao Xuan could withstand it, as it was still better than choking due tock of air.

    After calming down, his physical strength also gradually recovered as his mind slowly cleared.

    He wanted to set out, but he didn¡¯t know when such a change would end. Should he stay here and wait, or walk down this long hollow?

    Should he do a rope divination?

    But there¡¯s no rope on his body, so should he rip a part of his clothes?

    However, this time, Shao Xuan did not intend to rely on the divination since he did not know whether it would seed. He decided to follow the words of the Shaman: when the choice is difficult, seek answers from the totem me, when in the dark, the fire will light up the road ahead. As it was when he was trapped in the stone worm cave.

    Closing his eyes, he felt the totem me in his mind and carefully observed the movement of the mes.

    At this moment, his will almost blended in with the fire.

    The mes beat, drifting towards one side, once, two times¡­

    It was no ident that when he determined the movement of the me, Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked ahead.

    In front was the direction the me was fluttering. Even though its end was unknown, he could never even guess his road in the future.

    Looking at the swirling flow of seawater around, Shao Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and finally lifted his feet forward.

    Hesitating would only be a waste of time. Now that there was a decision, he naturally has to take the time to act.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how long the hollow wouldst, whether it will disappear halfway through. But, since the fire has so chosen, he would give it a try. In fact, without using the tribal fire, he also has a kind of intuition to go forward.

    Admittedly, it should be safest to stay here and wait for the change to disappear and for the sea to return. But Shao Xuan still intended to follow his intuition and the fire¡¯s choice. Even if this was a dead end road, he would continue.

    The surrounding was very quiet, like all the voices of the outside world was closed out. Only the sound of Shao Xuan walking was heard.

    When he was hungry, Shao Xuan scraped those drained of water seaweed from the stone to eat. This seaweed was very rare that it could still tighten itself on the stone after such arge suction earlier. It didn¡¯t taste good, but it didn¡¯t take much for it to replenish his strength and it kept Shao Xuan from starving to death.

    Shao Xuan also found that these seaweed, even if drained of water, were still well, rooted deep into the stone. If everything returned to its original scenery, the sea would cover it again, so they might continue to grow normally.

    The farther forward he went, the darker the hole became. The dim light that came through from above could be seen at first, but after walking for long, there was only darkness left.

    Shao Xuan did not know how long he had to walk in this dark hole, how long he had to eat those dry seaweed. Every day, in addition to resting and eating, his time was spent on running forward, afraid of the next moment the hole will return to normal and he will be buried in the sea. This ongoing pressure has been urging Shao Xuan to run, and run quickly.

    Fortunately, he also had a water resource which was the rain stone given by Yang Sui. It could condense water here as this hole was only without water because of the formation of the hollow. After the change, the water could still be formed normally. Even though he knew this was not at the bottom of the sea, perhaps because it had been surrounded by water, this stone could condense water much faster than in the desert.

    Shao Xuan was incredibly lucky to be carrying this stone with him, or he would die of thirst.

    As Shao Xuan continued to eat the seaweed without really tasting it, he noticed that there seemed to be some dim light around.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know if this was only for a short time, or he was close to the end. When he saw a mountain wall, he knew that he had reached the end.

    The hole ends here and the wall was attached to the mountain.

    It was just that the surroundings still looked the same.

    As ast resort, Shao Xuan continued to wait again, waiting for the sea to return to its original appearance. He kept to his every day routine of eating, drinking and running, to keep his physical strength and form at its best in order to face the powerful whirlpool that might happen next.

    After a while, the movement of the sea started to change.

    The air was sucked away in a blink, the water vapor around him thickened and the powerful tearing force came atst.

    Holding his breath, Shao Xuan had been prepared as he clung to the stone on the ground calmly.

    When it was all over, Shao Xuan swam above.

    Ssh!

    A head emerged from the surface of the sea, breathing the air together with the smell of the sea. Because he had been using his special vision in the sea most of the time, after the change, it did not take long for him to adapt to the bright world.

    As he opened his eyes, the re of the sun made Shao Xuan have a moment of deep thought. He even has a kind of feeling of not knowing what year it was.

    Ahead was not a high cliff, but a piece ofnd.

    There were high columnar cacti on thend. Some animals, simr to camels, were standing upright and biting the flowers from the columnar cactus.

    A camel chewing a cactus flower, looked towards the sea, and saw the person in the water. It shook its two long ears.

 Chapter 352

    C352 ¨C New Land

    Posted on April 19, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan swam from the sea to the shore. Since the sea has just encountered a change just then, no other creatures came to make a move on him. However, once the movement below has truly ended and a longer time has passed, there will be more sea creatures here.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to take any chances.

    After reachingnd, Shao Xuan finally felt safe. In the sea, although his foot was walking on stone, he was ufortable because it was still in the sea. Surrounded by the sea, there was no such a sense of realnd, and he was also always worried that the hole would disappear at any time. His heart has been hanging, his nerves have not rxed.

    Taking a deep breath, he observed the surrounding was with the smell of dry wind and sand, with the wind having a smell of seawater. Shao Xuan had a feeling of being reborn. This feeling made him want to let go of his voice and roar a few times. However, in such a strange ce, the noise may cause some unnecessary trouble. Therefore, Shao Xuan could only hold back.

    Not far from the higher ground, a few of the camel beasts chewing cactus flowers with a kind of sentient look in their eyes, raised their heads a little. Since they were on higher ground, they were able to see the lower ground where Shao Xuan was at.

    They have seen humans before, but have never seen anyone appear here. Since they had not seen one here since birth, the appearance of Shao Xuan made them surprised. However, these animals, even if surprised, had the same expressions on their faces.

    The surrounding ground was dry, even though it was close to the sea. The scorching temperaturesing from the surrounding sandy ground and the sparse, wilted unknown nts around him told Shao Xuan that it had not rained here for some time.

    Unlike the desert at the other end of the sea, it was not pure sand in this area. Nevertheless, because of drought and prolonged weathering, there were still more fine sand.

    In other words, the ce was more like a mountain, just by the sea and not so high.

    Perhaps, a long, long time ago, the sea level was not as high as it was now, hence, that long strip ofnd at both ends of the sea under the water was exposed above the sea before.

    In the stone room in Snowfield City where the records were stored, the blind old ve had said that the ve owners came from the sea. They had probably passed through that narrow stone strip from this side.

    Thinking of the feeling he had at the bottom of the sea, the idea of listening to the totem¡¯s choice, Shao Xuan had a guess. Could it be that the ming Horns tribe that has disappeared a long time ago, also passed through that narrow stone strip from the other side of the sea and came to thisnd?

    Shao Xuan did not feel the existence of the fire here, so he could not determine whether the other half of the ming Horns tribe was really on thisnd. However, he did not feel discouraged. In nearly a thousand years, anything could happen. In the first ce, the tribe was in a crisis at that time and that other part of the ming Horns tribe searched for solutions because of it, butter disappeared.

    Thinking of this, Shao Xuan was suddenly looking forward to the search.

    After drying the water on his body, Shao Xuan drank some of the water collected in his animal skin bag. His kettle had broken down at the bottom of the sea, so he could only use the animal skin bag with the rain stone as a water bag. In order to survive, one would not worry much about it.

    With some rest away from the pressure in the sea, every cell in his body seemed to carry a pleasant atmosphere. His strength was picking up quickly, hence, Shao Xuan moved and walked along the sand. He did not go far at once. In this area, he did not find any other threat like the existence of ferocious beasts. If he were to pass by thisnd, what he needed first was to replenish his strength quickly, not just to seek for a fight with a beast.

    Speaking of which, after not eating meat for so long, as a member of the ming Horns who were known as a carnivorous race, Shao Xuan felt his teeth itch. Looking at the higher ground where the camel beasts were looking at him, Shao Xuan could not help but think of them all as roasted whole camels.

    Shao Xuan actually wanted to wait for himself to fully recover first before solving his hunger with those camel beasts, but the other side seemed to perceive his intention. Their necks twisted and the camels ran way. Soon, even a little extra peek was not spared to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    Even after seeing the camels leave, Shao Xuan did not chase after them. He waited until he had physically recovered and he had enough ability to protect himself before he set off.

    It was really dry here. As he went forward, he noticed the surrounding nts, most of which were cylindrical cacti. Some of the flowers above the cactus column were just eaten by those camel beasts. Even if they were a group of animals that were used to living in arid areas, they still needed to replenish their water supply. If they didn¡¯t see any fresh water, since they couldn¡¯t drink from the sea, they could only nibble the flowers. Besides, the flowers on this cactus can give them the water they needed to survive temporarily.

    The further he went, the more he saw those cylindrical cacti around him. They were also taller, hence, they had more flowers which the camels couldn¡¯t reach to eat.

    The surrounding was also dry. There were many areas on the ground where there were obvious cracks. The heat waves around it had likely drained all the water on the ground, constantly scraping it.

    But it didn¡¯t take long for Shao Xuan to feel the changes around him.

    The wind blowing from the sea was cool, different from the heat waves on the ground. The surrounding changes cooled down the warm and humid airflow over thend, and soon, a white mist was formed.

    Standing on high ground, Shao Xuan could also see some white fog grouping near the coast. The winds from the sea blew these white fog towardsnd.

    The surrounding became foggy, quickly shrouding the area in more and more white fog. When Shao Xuan inhaled, he could also feel the obvious heaviness in the water vapor in the air.

    In the surrounding nts and other areas, the fog has condensed into water droplets. On a cactus column where a slender thorn has formed, water droplets gradually condensed into a small torge, clear crystal.

    Shao Xuan even saw nts with lichens attached to them. When such a fog appeared, they would absorb the water vapor in the white mist like sponges. If these nts could survive, it meant that the white mist often appeared in this ce.

    It was no wonder that even if the surrounding area was dry, there were some nts. It was not like the other side of the sea with the barren and deste desert.

    There were more and more animals moving around. Living in such a ce, no animal wouldn¡¯t know how to use the natural environment to survive better. The small birds flying rushed in andnded to rest on a cactus column. They drank from the cactus thorns with condensed dew.

    In a ce where there was very little rain but a lot of fog, the dew brought by the fog was almost a life-saving supply of all the animals that live around here.

    Because of theing animals, Shao Xuan was on guard for a moment. Later, he found that there were only small animals here, and most of them were not a threat to him. As forrge beasts, Shao Xuan has not seen any for the time being.

    Shao Xuan also collected some dew. He could not always rely on the rain stone. In the sea, the ability of the rain stone to condense water was very strong, but on the shore, surrounded by arid areas, that efficiency was low. Therefore, this encounter was an opportunity to collect water, so Shao Xuan naturally would not let it go.

 Chapter 353

    C353 ¨C Meeting People

    Posted on April 22, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    The further he went, the less fog remained hanging around him. Although it was not too strong, it was still there. Unlike the ces he¡¯d traveled before, there were a lot more small beasts active. The atmosphere around them was not as harmless as it was before, hence, the area was full of a sense of quiet tension.

    Shao Xuan tied his animal skin bag so his hand was only holding one knife. His footsteps were light, as he vigntly moved forward.

    It was at this moment that Shao Xuan heard voices.

    For a long time, he did not see other people, but now, he had finally heard voices of humans. Although he knew he still had to be alert, Shao Xuan¡¯s heart was indeed a lot rxed. Meeting some people might not be new, but he was afraid that he was the only human in thisnd.

    His foot shifted, turning to another direction. Shao Xuan moved towards where the voice wasing from. The fog in that area was thicker.

    After listening carefully, he knew that there were two people speaking, and Shao Xuan could actually understand what those people were saying. Thenguage here was more in favor of thenguage used by the ve owners. This also proved that the ve owners in the beginning may indeed have travelled from here.

    Once again having proven a guess, Shao Xuan was in a better mood.

    The two people also seemed to be collecting dew, as well as some nts that had absorbed the dew.

    ¡°Is that enough?¡± A young woman in coarse clothes looked at the man carrying a basket next to her.

    Standing next to her, the young quickly watched their surroundings warily before ncing at the basket, then shook his head and said, ¡°Let¡¯s find some more. It hasn¡¯t rained for a long time, and if it continued like this, it would be more difficult.¡±

    ¡°Ok, but remember to be careful as you looked for more.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­ I¡¯ll be careful! Back off!¡± The young man went up two steps and kept the woman behind him. Holding a strange knife with a long handle in his hand, he looked at something a little farther away.

    Not far from them, there were some gravel slowly moving, making a subtle ¡®sha sha¡¯ sound. Beneath this, something was creeping.

    Soon, the movement suddenly becamerger. The other party seemed to know that it had been discovered, and there was no longer a need to hide. The ground raised a long line and something suddenly mmed. Like water vapor spewing out, the sand on the ground tumbled up to spray dust. The original cracked line along the ground revealed a long reptile.

    A dark brown worm, three meters wide and ten meters long, rushed out of the ground. With its several feet and segmented body, covered in hard slices like armor, it came rushing towards the two people.

    There was a sudden burst of powering from the young man. Along with this power, some earthy stripes appeared on him. This is a totem warrior.

    Like a snake, the giant worm stood up, showing the front of its body as it moved to attack the two. Seemingly aware that the man was more difficult to deal with after its two unsessful attacks, it shifted its target. It wobbled around the young man and opened its mouth with two sharp teeth, going towards the woman clinging onto the basket.

    Although in terms ofbat effectiveness, the young woman was indeed a little weaker, her skill at escaping was still good. Not having a bit of escaping ability could not make one survive long here. It was just that, under the pursuit of such arge beast, with more fog around, and with the rough ground, her speed reduced by a lot. After a slightly slip under her feet, another factor added to reduce her speed, affecting her escape.

    Seeing the giant worm shifting its target, the young man became anxious. He moved his leg to run over, wanting to block it off before the giant worm attacked. If he could not block it, he could still attract its attention.

    Just when the pair were getting anxious, a bang sounded. The giant worm, which was preparing to attack the young woman, was hit by an unforseen big stone.

    Probably not expecting to be suddenly attacked, the giant worm took a time a time to react, unexpectedly a little stunned. It became confused of the situation. Before it could slow down to act, another stone hit. This time, the force was bigger and more violent. It was also more urate, directly smashing into its two open jaws, that it almost turned over.

    Without waiting for the giant worm to stabilize.

    Ka ba!

    A tooth fell from the mouth of the giant worm.

    The giant worm¡¯s other tooth, though not as miserable, was also hurt. Even if its body was hard, it still could not stand a piece of big stone smashing to it. Not to mention it had dislodged a tooth, then how would it go on?

    There was no cry, but the giant worm¡¯s movements showed it was angry. Anyone who has dislodge a tooth while catching prey could not remain calm.

    Abandoning its original prey, the giant worm turned to find the source of the throw. It has already felt the location of the stone-throwing man. The average person did have limited vision in such a fog, but the giant worm was different. It could even pinpoint prey within hundreds of meters in a thicker fog.

    The giant worm under a rage rushed towards Shao Xuan¡¯s location. Originally, it thought that when the one who threw the stone saw itselfing over, it would certainly run away and it only had to exert a little to chase. However, what happened waspletely different from what it thought. The stone thrower not only did not escape, but also rushed straight towards it. Based on the man¡¯s momentum, he was not afraid at all.

    Shao Xuan has not hunted for a long time since he had been at the bottom of the sea, repeatedly doing boring activities, like eating, drinking, sleeping and running. As a person from the ming Horns tribe, he probably has this yearning for the kind of exciting hunting life in the mountains. After disembarking on thisnd, he had been itching to act. When he saw those camel beasts, he almost attacked, not waiting to restore his physical strength and act early. Therefore now, with the sight of this scene in front of him, of course, he needed to take more action.

    In his body, the totem power was about to explode. During this moment, Shao Xuan could even hear the powerful beating sound of his heart, like the battle drums before a fight for inspiration. His blood was rushing, and every ce in his body felt like it couldn¡¯t wait to move.

    How long had he not felt this way?

    After a long silence, Shao Xuan once again found that old feeling. The same feeling when the tribe was in the mountains, hunting in the forest, their blood warm, unwilling to silence the power to be ferocious, like waves tumbling to sweep over everything. Even the stomp of each step on the ground would be apanied by a roar, like a heavy beast had pped on the ground. Compared to the other two people, Shao Xuan¡¯s presence was closer to a fierce beast living in the mountains.

    After a full stretch, he was refreshed. Thereupon, his body contracted and the next moment, he suddenly burst out.

    When the giant worm stood up again, ready to attack, Shao Xuan stomped hard on the ground, under his foot was a burst of sand. As this foot raised in the air, a lot of the fog was washed away.

    The strong impact drove his body forward. Shao Xuan quickly rushed towards the giant worm, breaking open the fog as a kick went to the giant worm¡¯s throat, where the giant worm¡¯s tooth and two slightly longer forelegs were at, which were not usually reached by anybody else.

    The giant worm actually hesitated a little in the moment before it felt Shao Xuan¡¯s attack. But what could it want to do now that it was already toote, retreat? It couldn¡¯t retreat now!

    Even if it noticed that something was wrong, what could it do? Shao Xuan¡¯s foot was already near, faster than the giant worm¡¯s reactions. It was simply toote to react!

    Peng!

    The sound produced by the hard collisions was like a huge hammer mming on a rock, resounding in this white fog-shrouded world.

    Taking advantage of the giant worm shifting its target, the young man had taken the girl away to a distance, then looked back at the giant worm. Originally, he thought about the person who had helped them, immediately returning to fight together. However, when he turned to look, he had a shock. The worm¡¯s body was clearly in the air, flying out¡­

    It¡¯s flying¡­

    The eyelids of the two young people twitched at the same time. They even had the impulse to rub their eyes to see if the fog was too big and what they saw was an illusion.

    After itnded, the striped worm¡¯s body rolled several times along the sandy ground, smashing several cacti.

    There was also the sound of a lump falling, one of which fell to the young man¡¯s feet. When he looked at it, he saw it was the scales that fell from the giant worm, with the inner side of the shell glued with some insect skins. The scales, which protected the insect¡¯s body as an armor, were actually kicked down that a few pieces fell!

    ¡°This this¡­¡± The young man swallowed his saliva and spit out, ¡°Who the hell is this?¡±

    His hand holding the knife shook, as the young thought to himself, ¡°Even if I had my usual sword on hand to chop it, I dare not say I could break off thatyer of shell. Even to draw a deep print on that shell was also difficult, but that person unexpectedly smashed the worm¡¯s shell bare handed!¡± He hissed as he kept staring at the bug that has been kicked over in its belly.

    After being kicked to fly andnding in a tumble, the giant worm felt that Shao Xuan was still gaining momentum. Seeing that Shao Xuan was not moving to kick it again, the worm decided to leave and take care of its injuries. It crookedly crawled in a hurry underground. In the mean time, because its throat was injured, it could not eat. Its other injuries also needed time to heal. Anyway, during these times, it decided on noting out. It even nned on getting out of here to avoid this ce.

    When the worm departed, two young people who came out to collect dew looked nervously at the figureing towards them in the fog.

    Although they were grateful of the other person¡¯s rescue, seeing that scene just now made these two nervous that their forehead were sweating. Whatever they wanted to say was stuck in their throat. Even after opening their mouths a few times, no sound came out. They also did not know what tone they should use to speak. If they irritated the other side, would the two of them also be kicked?

    Shao Xuan slowly walked toward those two people. Since he had just finished a battle, the power in his body has not subsided yet. The lingering seemed to hunger for more, making the airflow surrounding his body turbulent. Even the fog around Shao Xuan was dispersing.

    After running at the bottom of the sea for so long, he was ufortable, the physical and psychological pressure giving double impact. After Shao Xuan exerted power just now, instead of weakening his physique, his body seemed to have strengthened, bing stronger. The leg that kicked the worm was slightly numb, but it was not ufortable or hurt. When he rushed out, he seemed to have known that his foot would be undamaged.

    When the Shao Xuan approached, the two people finally saw what Shao Xuan looked like.

    Because he hadn¡¯t had a chance to change his clothes for a long time, what Shao Xuan was wearing had rotten into rags, revealing his body through the holes. The smooth lines of muscle were like the hardest polished stone.

    If they hadn¡¯t seen the scene with their own eyes, it would have been impossible for them to guess how terrible the power was in this man¡¯s body.

    The two stared at the appearance of the person who had kicking the worm. He¡¯s quite young. The other person¡¯s eyes looked back at the two of them in an easygoing and friendly way, not giving anybody a ferocious feeling.

    From the outside, the two really could not think that the man could have that ability.

 Chapter 354

    C354 ¨C Born Ound

    Posted on April 27, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Seeing that the other two people have remained silent, Shao Xuan decided to be the first to break the silence.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Shao Xuan smiled kindly at the two.

    The savage and violent strength he had kicked the giant worm with had disappeared without a trace. With the words of Shao Xuan, the atmosphere had eased a lot. The tension of the young man and woman has suddenly rxed.

    ¡°Hello¡­ to you too.¡± The atmosphere eased, but when the young man opened his mouth, he was still stuttering a little. Facing Shao Xuan still made him tense, but the thought of Shao Xuan helping them made him smile, ¡°Just, thank you. We¡¯re from the Ma tribe, my name is Wanfu, and her name is Shuri.¡±

    ording to Wanfu, the two of them were husband and wife, just gotten married. The tribe was some distance from here, but not too far. After all, this was a remote and arid ce so it didn¡¯t have a lot tribes. Their Ma tribe was already closest to here.

    Because it has not rained for a long time, the two had not saved water at home. Their family life would be difficult without water, so they came over here to look for opportunities. They did not know when the fog would appear, but to be able to collect water, they decided to wait until the fog came. They were willing to continue to wait. Fortunately, they had good luck this time. It was not two days yet when the fog came. Then, they came to a more foggy area to collect some moist edible nts, and also collect some water to take back.

    ¡°By the way, which tribe are you from?¡± After their own side¡¯s introduction, Wanfu asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°My name is Shao Xuan. As for my tribe, I don¡¯t know where it is on thisnd, because I was born and raised outside and have never seen a tribe here. My parents, even grandparents, were born and raised outside.¡±

    What Shao Xuan said was right. He was indeed born outside thisnd. If there really was the other part of the ming Horns tribe in thisnd, then he did not know where the tribe was and had not seen anyone else.

    When they heard what Shao Xuan said, the expressions of the two as they looked at Shao Xuan suddenly changed, summing it up to one word¡ªpitiful.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    Originally, Shao Xuan was still doubtful if the two would believe even a little of thisme statement, if he were to say that he came from the other side of the sea. People who heard this were sure to feel they were being lied to. If it was someone who had never seen a tribe outside, they¡¯d think, was he a wanderer? But, could a wanderer have such strong power? Could a wanderer jump to a senior totem warrior at once? With this nonsense, they should have asked for a better excuse.

    But here it was. The two young people really believed Shao Xuan¡¯s words, and there was no doubt showing in their faces. This really made Shao Xuan doubt if these two people were not stupid. A minimum precaution was still there, but they did not doubt Shao Xuan¡¯s statement. That meant the situation here may not be the same as on the other side of the sea. The time when Shao Xuan saw the young warrior¡¯s body with the totem patterns, he found that the totem color of his body was brighter. Even if it was only the grayish yellow of sand, it did not appear to be dark and had a sense of vitality. This was different from what Shao Xuan has seen before.

    In the ming Horns tribe, except for Shao Xuan, when other people used their totem power, their body¡¯s totem lines were dark.

    There really were quite a few weird ces.

    ¡°Have you ever heard of the ¡®ming Horns¡¯?¡± Shao Xuan carefully observed the reaction of the two. In this new ce, if people of the ming Horns exist here, he wanted to know what other people think of the tribe.

    When Shao Xuan had been searching for the old haunt of the tribe from the other side of the river, he had been always acting high-profile. He never hid his tribe. Because by going high profile, what the Shaman told him to pass the name of the ming Horns out, Shao Xuan would naturally not hide. However here, Shao Xuan has to be a little more cautious. There were too many unknowns in thisnd.

    Wanfu and Shuri were still a little dazed about the name ¡°ming Horns,¡± a word that was unfamiliar to them.

    ¡°Is the ¡®ming Horns¡¯ the tribe of your ancestors?¡± asked Wanfu.

    Seeing the two people¡¯s reactions defenseless and not hostile, Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°Yes.¡±

    After thinking about it, Wanfu scratched his head and apologized to Shao Xuan, ¡°I think I have heard of it, but can¡¯t remember.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all right. I¡¯ll look for themter.¡± Shao Xuan was still slightly disappointed.

    When Wanfu and Shuri saw Shao Xuan like this, they felt hard for him again: Poor man!

    Shuri could not help but sympathized towards this young man who had helped her and her husband. She then pulled at a corner of Wanfu¡¯s clothes.

    Wanfu realized what Shuri meant since he had the same idea himself. He said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Do you have any ns now? Why not return with us? If not for you, we won¡¯t be going back to the Ma tribe, so we want to show our thanks.¡±

    Shao Xuan pondered for a moment. ¡°Well, then I¡¯ll be bothering you.¡± He did need a ce to get a good understanding of this strange continent, to get more news, and to change into aplete set of clothes to use on his way.

    While Shao Xuan followed, Wanfu and Shuri felt a lot rxed. Knowing Shao Xuan¡¯s strength, they were not too worried. There were not many threatening monsters here, and most of the time, they could solve it on their own. Otherwise, they would not have run here with just two. It was just bad luck that they met a giant worm.

    With Shao Xuan chatting more, Wanfu also let go of some tension and said a lot of words.

    ¡°We came out with the rest of the tribe, but once we reached here, we scattered around. We can join them again in another area. We can¡¯t just focus on one ce. It hasn¡¯t rained for a long time and the spring water from the mountain has also stopped. Therefore, everyone¡¯s life is difficult, unless we go further afield to find water. We don¡¯t want that, so we came here to try our luck.¡±

    Shao Xuan watched as they squeezed the water absorbed by the lichen into a pottery jar. They did not throw away the lichen. After squeezing the water, he threw it inside the basket since it could be eaten.

    Following Wanfu and Shuri, Shao Xuan also learned some of the ways to survive here, which things could be eaten and what couldn¡¯t be touched.

    ¡°It would be nice if it rained, so we don¡¯t have to run so far to find dew.¡± Wanfu said with emotion.

    Although he spoke with emotion, he did notin much. They had long been used to living in such an arid ce. In his memory, there was even a longer dry season, but all the tribesmen had survived in the past. They just had to find a method on their own. Only those who do not want to act or were unwilling to work would die of thirst.

    Seeing Wanfu and Shuri¡¯s expressions, Shao Xuan swept his eyes to the vines next to him, entangled in a thick tree. Some branches twined among the vines had withered because of the drought of the previous days.

    He pulled a string of vine off and moved it around his hands.

    The two were still collecting dew, hence they did not notice Shao Xuan¡¯s movements.

    After a little while, Shao Xuan finished knotting. He looked at the result, then ripped and threw the rope away.

    ¡°After ten days, at noon, there should be rain.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Wanfu and Shuri paused from collecting water when they heard this sentence. They looked at Shao Xuan strangely, ¡°You can predict the weather?¡±

    ¡°Only a little.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say much.

    Wanfu and Shuri looked at each other, not knowing whether they should believe Shao Xuan¡¯s words. However, no matter what, they still have to collect dew now. Even if it would really rain after ten days, they also needed to survive these ten days.

    After filling the jars and baskets with them, the three left and went to the ce where they had an appointment with the tribesmen.

    The farther they went, the thinner the mist and the hotter the air became. When one felt that scorching st again, what you would see around you was the dry and barrennd, far from how it was where the fog was shrouding the area, so full of life.

    Before reaching the rendezvous site, Wanfu had hunted a beast while Shao Xuan also hunted two. Although it was not the same level as the giant worm, it has more meat than the worm. The giant worm was indeed a fierce beast, but it has not much meat, so one couldn¡¯t eat too much. Shao Xuan, who had been eating nts for a long time, was not picky.

    Of the two beasts, Shao Xuan intended to eat one for himself and the other he intended to passter to the Ma tribe. He had intended to spend some time in the Ma tribe, so naturally he¡¯de with a few gifts. He couldn¡¯t always depend on the kindness of others.

    By the time the sun has skewed, Shao Xuan had also seen the rest of the Ma tribe who hade out with the couple. Several of them had been injured, but no one had died, which was already a good situation.

    Wanfu introduced Shao Xuan. When they first saw him in rags, some of them had looks of disgust, but when they glimpsed the two meaty beast Shao Xuan had hunted, their faces softened a lot. Some of them also hunted some wild animals, but not as good as Shao Xuan. The amount was just notparable.

    While walking back with the Ma tribe, the other people saw Shao Xuan carrying two beasts while easily chatting with Wanfu. They did not gasp audibly, but they still couldn¡¯t help but show shocked expressions. However, for the couple who had seen Shao Xuan take on a giant worm with a stone¡¯s throw and kick it flying, it was not surprising.

    I forgot to uploadst night again.

    (?_-;)¡­

 Chapter 355

    C355 ¨C Is He Really a Shaman?

    Posted on April 29, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    For the strong, people were always in awe. However, they also gradually backed off with slightly despising looks when they saw Shao Xuan was in ragged clothes.

    As the sun approached the horizon, Shao Xuan finally saw where the Ma tribe was.

    The stone wall separating the Ma tribe from the outside has a height that you could see past and the stone houses inside could be seen. Although it was not high, it was still orderly. Some homes also specially used stones to surround the yard.

    Although Wanfu had brought back a stranger, the Ma tribe people did not intend to pay attention to him. However, Shao Xuan was noticeable in rags while carrying two wild animals. The impact was too contradictory. When they saw this scene, they couldn¡¯t help but stare. Who exactly is this person? He¡¯s weird.

    On they way, Shao Xuan has learned that of the tribes here, many of whom were no longer bound by totems. They also have rituals, but most of it were just spiritual sustenance and not their main source of power. If a stranger was epted by a certain family, as long as it did not interfere with the tribe, he could also be epted and be a member of the tribe.

    The closer he got to the Ma tribe, the deeper the doubts in Shao Xuan¡¯s heart¡ªhe did not feel the presence of a fire seed in the Ma tribe.

    When he asked about the fire pit, Shao Xuan was only told that, in the Ma tribe, they do have a fire pit. Perhaps it was a custom handed down by the ancestors. They also do rituals here, but, unlike the tribes known to Shao Xuan before, there was no fire in their fire pit.

    Not only the Ma tribe, Wanfu told Shao Xuan that the rest of the tribes were the same. As for the fire seed, the ancestors would not mention it unless they tell it as a story to the younger children. But how the fire disappeared, no one could tell. A lot of it were just spections because the stories were not clear. Nobody really knew as it happened a long time ago.

    There were two old people and an elder brother living together with Wanfu. Wancha did not follow them to collect dew, but followed another team in another direction to find water. However, he only brought back some withered fruit, so it was not necessarily unproductive.

    Shao Xuan temporarily lived in the Ma tribe. He spoke to Wanfu that it was only a temporary stay. He¡¯s still going to leave in a few days.

    Wancha was unlike his younger brother with a good temper. Upon seeing Shao Xuan, he also scanned him with discerning and guarded eyes as if looking at someone with bad intention. Even if Shao Xuan had brought two beasts, he didn¡¯t change his attitude.

    Shao Xuan in his ragged clothes already caused Wancha to disregard him. Then, to see Shao Xuan unexpectedly use a stone knife, Wancha had despised him even more. This man was still using a stone knife! No wonder there¡¯s only rags that who knew how long he has worn in his person. A stone knife, tsk. That was what his grandfather¡¯s grandfather¡¯s grandfather had used. Although their tribe was only a little bit capable, a lot of them have metal knives. In the eyes of some people such as Wancha, Shao Xuan was a poor man with only his great strength.

    Wancha also waved his somewhat deformed, scratched short sword in front of Shao Xuan. Not only the Wan brothers, majority of the Ma tribe have metal weapons on hand, or abination of wood and animal horns with metal. Pure stone weapons were not used, with the exception of some old people.

    Of course, some people thought they were smart. When they saw Shao Xuan¡¯s extraordinary stone knife, they¡¯d tell him, ¡°Look at you. Let me help you.¡± Under the guise, they wanted to exchange their own rusty knife for Shao Xuan¡¯s stone knife. Of course, Shao Xuan did not exchange. He just calmly look at the other person until the other became ufortable and took the initiative to give up and left.

    Even if Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were calm, they had a feeling of being unable to breath while facing Shao Xuan. It¡¯s like having a big hand covering the top of your head, which could crush you at any time.

    Wanfu¡¯s attitude has been very good. He took out his own set of intact old clothes and had Shuri slightly alter it a bit for Shao Xuan to wear. They didn¡¯t have new clothes themselves, so they couldn¡¯t share new ones to him.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care about wearing old clothes. It was a lot better than this rags on his body.

    Shao Xuan ate arge amount of food. Of the beasts he hunted, he gave one to the Wan family, the other ate himself. It only took one day to finish and he had to ran a little further out to hunt the next day. Every day, he had to go outside to hunt then return to eat one for himself, and the rest split to the Wan family.

    Because of Shao Xuan¡¯s frequent movements, some people who originally hated Shao Xuan now began to think carefully, especially the young girls of the Ma tribe. The frequency they had been walking around the door of the Wan family has increased. There were people dressed up every day, deliberately blocking Shao Xuan just to say a few words. If they found such a hunting expert, they won¡¯t have to worry about starving for the rest of their life.

    Seeing the rise in Shao Xuan¡¯s poprity, the young people of the Ma tribe provoked Shao Xuan more. Shao Xuan adopted a strategy of ignoring them most of the time unless he could not hide quick enough. There were not many senior totem warriors in this tribe. Many among the young people were mid-level totem warriors like Wanfu, and he was not interested in bullying these people.

    After understanding Shao Xuan¡¯s strength, the number of people who challenged him gradually lessened. Instead, it was a few senior members of the Ma tribe who went to him. They were certainly open for those who were capable to stay. Knowing that Shao Xuan was only temporarily staying with them, they repeatedly sent people to persuade Shao Xuan to stay, promising some benefits. Unfortunately, they did not manage to change Shao Xuan¡¯s minds. Because of this, they were regretting for several days.

    Because Shao Xuan¡¯s temporary residence, the living conditions of the Wan family have obviously improved a grade. The elderly and children in the family also appeared to have a lot of spirit, but the problem of water was still difficult to solve. Shao Xuan could not help them, and the rain stone in his hand was not efficient to condense water in such an arid ce.

    However, the water they had collectedst time helped a lot and could carry on for ten days. In ten days, everything would be all right.

    Seeing Shao Xuan provide meat day by day, Wanfu who still wanted to give his thanks, did not expect that they would receive too much themselves. After receiving a lot of benefits from the other, he could not help but feel guilty that Shao Xuan had not benefited a lot. He was bing more and more guilty as Shao Xuan only asked him some things. If it was something he didn¡¯t know, he would work hard to ask others. But this has helped Shao Xuan a lot.

    On this day, Shao Xuan had been living in the Ma tribe for ten days and had a rudimentary knowledge of the ce. Therefore, he did not intend to continue living here.

    Walking to the door of the house, Shao Xuan looked up at the sky.

    ¡°Hey, Shao Xuan, you¡¯re not going out today?¡± Wanfu just woke up and was surprised to see Shao Xuan unexpectedly did not go out.

    This time of day every day, Shao Xuan has been out in the morning, waiting until the sun has skewed back. Wanfu¡¯s family had been used to it. They also went out hunting, but would not go out every day. However, Shao Xuan was a special case. Sure enough, a real warrior was different from others.

    Seeing Shao Xuan look up at the sky again, Wanfu thought of what Shao Xuan had said to them ten days ago about the rain. He also went to the door and looked up the sky.

    The sun was still hanging high. There were some fluttering clouds in the sky, but in this ce, sometimes, the clouds did not mean that it will rain. Looking at its shape or form was useless. Even during times when they saw clouds bringing thunder rolling, not long after, the sky would be clear again. It was not umon.

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving today. Thank you for your hospitality during this time.¡± Shao Xuan turned and said.

    ¡°Ah? So you¡¯re leaving?¡± Shuri was also surprised. During this time, she also knew about the changes in their family¡¯s lives. Now, there was a lot of meat in the house that were not eaten yet, hanging outside the sun to dry and save up. Many people envy their home more for having such a person. Unfortunately, he was going to go. Moreover, such a person would not be trapped in a remote ce like the Ma tribe. Even if he went to the city-state or go to those big tribes, he could also easily stay.

    When Shao Xuan came, he did not bring much things, so when he left, he also did not bring much. The most obvious was only a change of clothes to not look embarrassing.

    As Shao Xuan was leaving, he run into a Ma team that hade back from outside. The team went further afield to trade, and would help the tribesmen bring something back, like metal weapons and new clothes.

    Among this long-distance team, there were three senior totem warriors, two middle-aged, their levels higher. But Shao Xuan was not afraid of them. Not mentioning that he was already leaving, he wouldn¡¯t get to interact with this team much. It was the people in the team who saw Shao Xuan, a stranger, that nced a few more times.

    Wanfu sent Shao Xuan out of the tribe before going back.

    ¡°Wanfu, who was that man just now?¡± There were people in the traveling team who were familiar with him and asked.

    ¡°Oh, his name is Shao Xuan. He saved me and Shuri, then lived in our house for ten days. He¡¯s good, he can go out hunting beasts every day!¡± Wanfu never hid anything about Shao Xuan when he met these familiar friends. His words also focused more on when Shao Xuan rescued them first. That situation was described in detail, while adding some words to polish it more to get the listener¡¯s interest.

    ¡°Wow, that good?!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s awesome!¡± Wanfu nodded hard. Every time he told the story, a lot of people didn¡¯t believe it, saying it was too exaggerated. But he really didn¡¯t exaggerate, and was telling the truth.

    There were also people at the back of the line who heard all the words. They, like everyone else, felt that there were only three important points in Wanfu¡¯s words, at best it was only five. They knew that the young people in the tribe would always exaggerate things.

    However, as he heard more, the leader of the team thought about it. A spirited, hearty old man looked at the person next to him, asking, ¡°Why do I feel that this direct move of smashing a beast with a big stone was a little familiar?¡±

    ¡°I think so too. I just can¡¯t remember where I¡¯ve heard it.¡± And so said the man beside the old man.

    ¡°Such a violent and insolent style of y. Indeed, I have heard of it. It should be when I went to the city-state before when I heard it.¡±

    That was what the three highest-ranking people in the team said, so the others didn¡¯t talk much. No matter what they thought, they won¡¯t refute the three older ones anyway.

    After a moment¡¯s silence, the old man asked Wanfu, ¡°What did he say to you just now when we saw him leave?¡±

    Wanfu look at the old man awkwardly. This was the current tribal leader, and his rtives also had a very high status in the tribe and were treated respectfully.

    Hearing this question, Wanfu only hesitated a little, then seriously replied, ¡°Ten days ago, when we went out to collect water, Shao Xuan said that this afternoon, it will rain. Just now, he was reminding me that the big jars in our home full of dried meat should be washed, then wait and use it to collect water.¡±

    When all his words finished, there were a few younger guys who didn¡¯t hold back andughed out loud.

    ¡°Ha! You believe that too? Who does he think he is? A wizard?¡±

    On this side, these people do not collectively refer to such people as ¡°Shaman¡±. Because of the gender, the male were called wizards, while the women were witches. Their names were not the same.

    ¡°Would a wizard be in this position? Someone who was born outside, not even knowing where his tribe is? He¡¯s full of lies! Extremely preposterous!¡± Someone eximed.

    ¡°We should have beaten and thrown him out again.¡±

    ¡°And you believed that he¡¯s such an important person, Wanfu. You¡¯re so easy to be cheated.¡±

    The young people kept spouting their words, but the highest-ranking people in the team remained silent. They did not speak out and seemed to be in contemtion.

    After a long time, the old man smiled casually, ¡°I¡¯m probably thinking too much. All right, everybody, move the stuff back.¡±

    Wanfu intended to defend Shao Xuan, but the leader of the team had spoken, so he could only swallow his defense. But when they returned, Wanfu and Shuri quickly cleared out their pots and jars that they had in the house.

    Time gradually passed to noon.

    The young men who returned to the tribe from the long-distance team were bragging with their tribal friends about what they had seen and heard along the outing, while the elders summed up the trip in the house.

    Honglong!

    Thunder seemed to tumble from a distance.

    Whether it¡¯s the young people who were bragging outside or the seniors who were talking about inside the house, they all stopped moving. The rest of the Ma tribe also stopped their work at hand and ran out to look up the sky.

    The scorching sun in the sky, at this time, was rapidly being obscured by the clouds. The wind was blowing. The clouds were rapidly increasing at a speed visible to the naked eye, thickening, like an army arriving.

    Honglong long¡ª

    Thunder rang in session.

    This time, its appearance was not like a trickle of rain, but a strong one really fell.

    ¡°Come on,e on! Clear the jar out of the house!¡± Cried someone.

    ¡°Oh no, everything in my house is loaded!¡±

    ¡°Take care of other stuffter and quickly clear it out!¡±

    ¡°What about the stuff in there?¡±

    ¡°Put it all out! Hurry up!!¡±

    The weather here was changing rapidly. No one knew how long the rain would fall, hence if missed, they would certainly regret it to death.

    Plop!

    Plop! Plop!

    The droplets of rain hit the ground and sshed a lot of dust.

    The sky was no longer clear, but gloomy with horribly thick clouds.

    Soon, the raindrops became dense, pouring as if someone was pouring water down from the sky.

    The children screamed, barefoot and ying outside in the rain.

    Then, those young people sitting at the door, bragging with their friends looked dully at the sky, murmuring, ¡°It really unexpectedly rained down!¡±

    The older people in the room, especially the old man, had the same idea. It was really predicted by that man!

    Did this mean that man was really a wizard?!

    The people who had persuaded Shao Xuan to stay before were now specially feeling remorse and regret! They knew they should not have let that man leave, even if they had to wrap their legs and arms to stop him. They also had shamans in the Ma tribe, but, among the shamans, there were high and low leveled, and their tribe¡¯s would even be afraid to admit they were one if they went to the city-states. Their ability was too low that it would turn into a joke in the city-states. Hence, a person who could predict that it would rain in ten days would, of course, be even more powerful. If he didn¡¯t leave¡­

    By this time, Shao Xuan had already reached a far off distance from the Ma tribe.

    In the area, the cactus around were desperately absorbing the water underground with their roots because of this rain. Their stems were deeply sunken with crease-like folds, but because of their water absorption, it had inted a lot. They were like a machine that continuously stored water. The water saved up would then make them ready to spend the next dry day.

    Shao Xuan walked under the downpour, wiping the water on his face. He looked at the thunder and lightning up in the sky, smiling softly as he continued his journey forward step by step.

 Chapter 356

    C356 ¨C Strange Old Man

    Posted on May 4, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    After leaving the Ma tribe, Shao Xuan also saw other tribes who were out, but he did not join them. Those people were more guarded against Shao Xuan, presumably because they were carrying some goods which they were worried that Shao Xuan would steal.

    Shao Xuan has experience traveling. He knew that in the middle of an encounter with strangers, the team would choose to avoid, so he did not go up to them. He stopped at a distance of twenty meters to ask them.

    The other side saw Shao Xuan did note close, so they reluctantly answered his two questions, but then hurried away.

    Shao Xuan just asked about the geographical structure of the surrounding area, but the other side¡¯s answer was too brief. Shao Xuan could only rte it to the information he got from the Ma tribe to specte of the ce he should go to.

    Here, there were tribes that were also under the jurisdiction of ve owners, but tribesmen and ve owners did not have much contradictory rtions. Not like on the other side of the sea where there was always conflict. It was evenmon for many tribesmen to often trade in the cities under the jurisdiction of the ve owners. The Ma tribe, for example, often has a traveling team to the nearest city, exchanging things for clothes, copper weapons and so on.

    Shao Xuan, however, had no intention of going around the ve owners¡¯ turf. What he most wanted to know now was whether the other half of the ming Horns tribe was here or not.

    If those people¡¯s preferences have not changed, they would probably be more inclined to reside in the forest area, a ce where there were especially many fierce beasts. If they went to a ce with a lot of people, the animals and beasts would naturally be less, so Shao Xuan nned to go to the mountains where there were fewer people to try his luck.

    After asking about the surroundingnd structure, Shao Xuan used rope divination once again to determine the position and went to that area. He just got a rough direction, and did not know the exact distance, so he only went straight.

    At first, he could see some people in a distance for two days, but gradually, he saw a lot less. Thend became deste. The surrounding mountains widened. He did not know if it was because of the soil, but the growing nts were not lush, and even the stout trees were not much.

    When Shao Xuan looked up, he saw the surroundings undting slightly with deste mountains, cascading up and down. He did not change course, intending to pass between the valleys, while listening carefully to the movements around him tht were not from the cries of some birds and small beasts. He did not hear other dangerous noises. The birds and beasts cry were more peaceful, and there was no fear in them. The area, rtively speaking, should be counted as safe.

    There were the asional streams flowing through the valley. Shao Xuan had been walking along a set route and direction. When he walked to a stream, he saw someone lying at the water¡¯s edge, his head resting beside the stream while the stream was flowing by. As he rushed to the person¡¯s side, he saw the man¡¯s gray hair unbound in the stream, scattering in the water.

    If the other side was already dead, Shao Xuan would not be able to do anything. However, the person was still breathing, albeit a little faint.

    After a while, Shao Xuan found that it was an old man with a lot of wrinkles on his face, a little older than how he looked from the back. The person did not have any serious trauma, except for a bone fracture on his right arm. All his other body parts were fine.

    The man¡¯s clothes had gone gray and he did not know how much it had been through. The clothes were ragged, only a little bit better than when Shao Xuan first arrived. But the man had several bronze knives. They looked different and were very small, the shape not looking like these were used as a hidden weapon, so he did not know what it¡¯s for. The old man also had a bag wrapped around his waist. The bag was made of animal skins, the leather from a high-level beast, since the skin of an ordinary beast would not be so strong.

    After careful scrutiny, Shao Xuan slowly turned the man over and moved him away from the stream.

    Calling out also would not wake him, as well as tapping him awake. Seeing that the person would not wake up, Shao Xuan¡¯s vision fell on the animal skin bag on the side at the man¡¯s waist. He reached out to poke it a bit. When the man was lying at the edge of the stream, his uninjured left arm has been protecting it, even when he was turned over, his arm did not leave it. This was an unconscious behavior, indicating that for this person, this skin bag was important.

    When Shao Xuan reached for the animal bag and poked it, the person did not wake up, but his muscles on his face twitched.

    After poking it again, the man jerked open his eyes. Eyes full of blood, guarded and murderous. He propped himself on the ground with his elbow, quickly moving away from Shao Xuan as he did two rolls. Then, his head hit a big stone on the side, and Shao Xuan listened to the sound of his pain. Why are you so excited?

    Fortunately, the man had finally regained consciousness. After a few grunts of pain, the person moved to reach out and touch his hit forehead, but the injury on his right arm hurt. He then moved his left arm that had been protecting the animal skin bag, but after thinking, put it back in its original position to continue to protect the animal skin bag. He let the blood flow on his forehead, as his eyes stared at Shao Xuan, afraid that Shao Xuan woulde near.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t rob you.¡± When Shao Xuan saw him like this, he reassured the other man.

    At such an old age, without knowing why he fainted by the stream near the water, to just wake up and hit his head on a stone, he had to be feeling strange.

    The other man¡¯s posture rxed a little, but his guard on the bag was still up.

    ¡°If I wanted to, I would have robbed you earlier, so why would I wait till now? Besides, even if I wanted to rob you now, can you stop me?¡± Shao Xuan said.

    That¡¯s right. The vignce on gray-haired old man¡¯s eyes withdrew somewhat. He had just woken up when he felt murderous and retreated, so his brain was still a bit dizzy. Gradually, he got his bearings and finally asked Shao Xuan, ¡°You have meat on you?¡±

    It was a question, but his tone sounded certain.

    Shao Xuan reached out and pulled a piece of dried meat out of his bag and threw it over, asking, ¡°How did you faint here?¡±

    The old man hurriedly caught the dried meat Shao Xuan threw over. After smelling it, his eyes showed a little aversion, but his actions did not slow down, quickly taking a few bites while stuttering an inarticte answer to Shao Xuan question, ¡°Hungry.¡±

    Shao Xuan had first thought it was poisoning or any simr reason. He did not expect the answer was unexpectedly because the man fainted due to hunger.

    Quickly, the meat Shao Xuan gave was finished and the old man looked at Shao Xuan again. ¡± Is there more?¡±

    Shao Xuan pulled out another piece, but did not immediately hand it over, instead asked, ¡°You answer a few questions of mine first, then I will give you the meat in my hand.¡±

    The old man frowned but did not speak. He didn¡¯t look happy.

    However, Shao Xuan did not care. He raised his hand and pointed in a direction. ¡°If I go that way, how long would I be able to see a denser forest?¡±

    After hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s question, the old man¡¯s frowning brow loosened. He thought it was going to be a problem, but it turned out to only be this.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I haven¡¯t been there. I¡¯m here for the first time. However, as far as I know, it¡¯s impossible for you to see a denser forest in at least two days. It¡¯s always the same here,¡± the old man replied, ¡°This is a famous wastnd. There isn¡¯t even a tribe. You will not see anyone else in two more days if you go there.¡±

    After handing the meat to the old man, Shao Xuan went to the stream to wash his face, then continued on his way. The old man ate the meat and finally regained his spirit. He could also go, but did not have to follow Shao Xuan and meddle with each other¡¯s business.

    But when Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t even taken a few steps, the old man¡¯s voice came from behind him.

    ¡°Hey, wait a minute! That little brother!¡±

    First, he was guarded against a thief, but now, it¡¯s ¡°little brother¡± like they were close. The man must have some other intentions when he became so affectionate.

    Shao Xuan turned around, his eyes asking the other what¡¯s the matter

    The old man climbed up from the ground, looked around, his eyes finally resting in one ce. He happily pointed in a direction. ¡°There! That grass with white stripes, you pluck it off for me.¡±

    Listening to this tone, you¡¯d know it was amand, especially with the posture of the person. He took another look at the ce the old man was referring to. At almost 90 degrees above ground on the mountain, at least 30 meters high from the ground, there were several half-arm long grass with white stripes growing.

    Shao Xuan wanted to turn around when the other man did not seem to realize his tone was not right. Then, Shao Xuan thought about it, and chose to ignore the old man and his tone. Besides, he also wanted to know what those grass with white stripes do anyway.

    In such a new and strange ce, it was always good to know more.

    (?_-;)¡­ I forgot to upload again. Sorry. Came hometest night and had to leave early this morning. But maybe I should just move the upload to Saturdays. I¡¯ll think about it¡­

 Chapter 357

    C357 ¨C Thousand Gold Grains

    Posted on May 6, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Although the mountain wall was almost perpendicr to the ground that, for many people, it would be difficult to climb, for Shao Xuan, it was nothing. After all, he had been doing this kind of climb up a mountain often in the tribe when hunting, so he was experienced.

    The old man stood below, watching Shao Xuan leap from the ground. He cleverly crawled from below up the mountain wall like a gecko sticking to the wall, lookingfortable and not struggling at all. Seeing this scene, the old man could not help but raise his gray eyebrows, staring at the back of Shao Xuan with burning eyes.

    Shao Xuan, who was crawling up the mountain wall, sensed something. He stopped and turned back to look at the old man below.

    The old man smiled oddly, then waved his hand at Shao Xuan, pointing to the grass on the mountain wall. ¡°Go on, continue.¡±

    Shao Xuan suppressed his questions and continued to climb up. Then, he reached out to the grass to pluck it, intending to directly pull it down.

    ¡°Hey! Don¡¯t pull it, don¡¯t pull! Dig the roots. With the roots it canst longer. Just dig with my knife, then!¡± The old man pulled a strange bronze knife out of his leather bag, then threw it over to Shao Xuan.

    It¡¯s a lot of crap. Shao Xuan abdomen.

    [E/N: Don¡¯t get this. (?_-;)¡­]

    The throw was urate. Shao Xuan left his one hand sped on the wall of the mountain, while the other hand caught the knife. Then, with the knife, he dug out the white striped grass.

    The knife looked strange, but very suitable for digging this kind of grass growing on the wall of the mountain. It was not long before the grass root was dug out.

    ¡°Done.¡± Shao Xuan threw the knife and grass down.

    The old man hurried over, ignoring the falling knife, and carefully caught the fallen grass.

    ¡°What do you use this grass for?¡± Shao Xuan came down from the wall of the mountain and saw the old man cut down a piece of grass and put it in his mouth.

    ¡°Medicine, useful for bone injuries.¡± The old man did not say much, just kept vigorously chewing on the leaves, the muscles on his face twitching. After chewing and swallowing it, he felt that it was not enough, so he cut down a smaller leaf, then kept chewing.

    Remembering the old man¡¯s bone injury on his arm, Shao Xuan stared at the grass. He also saw the old man chewing on the grass changing his expression like his pain was lessening. Shao Xuan asked, ¡°How does it taste?¡±

    The old man didn¡¯t say much, just cut off a small leaf and handed it to Shao Xuan. ¡°Taste it?¡±

    ¡°Can I eat it without an injury?¡±

    ¡°You can as long as you don¡¯t eat a lot. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°Then, I will.¡± Shao Xuan took the leaves. When he had dug it out, he did not look closely, so only now did he find that the veins of the grass looked flexible. However, it was harder than he imagined, especially the parts with the thickest white stripes or veins. It seemed like a hard snap could have it make a crisp sound.

    After taking a bite of the leaf¡¯s tip first, Shao Xuan felt a cool bitter taste but did not find any side effect in his body. Then, he bit half a leaf, chewing it all up. This time, after eating the more veiny parts, the rich bitterness offset the cool taste down.

    No wonder the old man¡¯s face muscles were twitching like it was bitter.

    The old man also wanted to see Shao Xuan¡¯s bitter face, but found that Shao Xuan just wrinkled into a frown. There was no other expression.

    Did it not taste good? Thought the old man. If so, then this young man is so pathetic that he can¡¯t taste the taste of the world.

    Ignoring the old man¡¯s thoughts, Shao Xuan ate the whole leaf after chewing. The bitter taste gradually faded away, but the cool feeling remained. His exhaustion lessened a lot, but as for his bones, since he had no bone injuries, the changes in Shao Xuan was not obvious. He just felt that there seemed to be some power flowing into his bones.

    Now that the old man was all right, Shao Xuan turned to leave. This time, Shao Xuan just moved, but the old man hurriedly stopped him.

    ¡°Hey, wait. You¡¯re going that way? I¡¯lle with you.¡± The old man straightened up and put the white striped grass carefully inside a skin bag.

    Shao Xuan turned to look at the old man. He didn¡¯t say anything, waiting for the old man to follow up his words.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to find something too. Although I¡¯m not familiar with the area, I know more than you do. Don¡¯t think that the area is deste, there¡¯s a lot of poisonous nts here. If anything happens to you, I can help,¡± said the old man.

    ¡°What else?¡± Shao Xuan waited.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not inconvenient for you, if I find anything, you can help me get it.¡± The old man thought it was a really good idea, ¡°Ok, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Shao Xuan ignored him and went on along his nned route.

    The old man quickly kept up, continuing to persuade Shao Xuan.

    When the old man¡¯s spit was almost dry, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°What are you looking for here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for¡­¡± The old man suddenly cut off his words. He seemed a little reluctant and didn¡¯t not want to say it.

    ¡°Then, forget it.¡±

    Seeing Shao Xuan continue forward, the old man followed, sighing, ¡°Have you ever heard of ¡®thousand gold grains¡¯?¡±

    Thousand gold grains?

    The name had ¡°gold¡±, but it certainly did not refer to gold, the metal. Since the old man came here, and seeing his actions, he should be looking for a nt? Since the name was with the word ¡°gold¡±, it either referred to its color or it was used to highlight its value.

    After thinking, Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°Never heard of it.¡±

    The old man looked at Shao Xuan with an expression thinking he was really ignorant. ¡°I came to this ce just to find ¡®thousand gold grains¡¯. ording to reports, it¡¯s a nt that produces thousands of grains and is drought-tolerant and can grow in barren ces where rainwater is scarce.¡±

    Food crops?

    ¡°So you came here to try your luck?¡± Shao Xuan asked. This ce was really barren too, although there was a stream in the mountains. However, this ce looked like it did not experience much rain.

    ¡°Yes, we grow crops in mynd, but there was little rain in these two years, and I heard that the drought willst for several years.¡± As he was speaking, the old man was extremely emotional. Butining was useless, so he came looking for these drought-tolerant food crops.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a witch or a wizard? Can¡¯t they call for rain?¡± Shao Xuan asked again. He didn¡¯t know if this side has tribes that could ask for rain, so he was probing. In this ce, in addition to some tribe¡¯s shaman, there were some independent full-time shamans that many people would pay some remuneration to to please. Thereupon, they would help solve some of the people¡¯s problems they couldn¡¯t solve themselves.

    As the old man listened, he showed an angry face. ¡°Forget that bunch of crap! Saying their family were descendants of ancient sorcerers, but they couldn¡¯t even beg for the rain toe down, useless!¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    He dared to call the shamans ¡°useless¡±. So far, this was the first time Shao Xuan had heard such, and it was in an angry tirade. Even the people of the Ma tribe would be absolutely afraid to say that shamans were useless. Of the people he had encountered, majority of them even held shamans in a kind of awe-inspiring mindset. Except for the one next to him.

    If they couldn¡¯t solve the problem of rain, they could only work on the crops. No matter what the old man¡¯s temper was, trekking for a thousand miles trek in order to find a solution was admirable.

    ¡°That ¡®thousand gold grains¡¯, what does it look like?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s the thousand gold grains! Of course, I haven¡¯t seen it with my own eyes.¡±

    ¡°Never seen it, then how will you find it?¡±

    ¡°I can recognize it when I see it.¡± The old man didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong with it at all.

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± asked the old man.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, and you old man?¡±

    ¡°My name is Ju.¡± The old man also wrote the word on the ground with a branch as he introduced himself.

    The old man did not ask which tribe Shao Xuan was from. He was not interested in which tribe he came from.

    Shao Xuan was ready to ask again, wanting to inquire about the ming Horns tribe from the old man, but the old man suddenly spoke. ¡°That, Shao something, get that for me too.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯m not your ve.¡± Shao Xuan also did not turn back, instead walked forward.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan had already gone far, the old man finally realized the tone he was using. He hurriedly went to slow down and pull Shao Xuan. ¡°Please help me. Take that one for me too.¡±

 Chapter 358

    C358 ¨C Eating Poisonous nts

    Posted on May 10, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan never expected that this old man could get rid of hismanding tone. On most days, he was probably used to call on people and could not change the habit immediately. Being made to say a word of ¡°please/help¡± should be rare.

    Seeing the old man excitedly pointing at something, Shao Xuan turned to the direction he was referring to.

    Another kind of grass was on the wall, but this grass looked very ordinary. It has no pattern, like the grass just under Shao Xuan¡¯s feet, however, the leaves were slightly narrower and a little longer.

    ¡°What kind of grass is that, what¡¯s its use?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­You don¡¯t know then what are you so excited about.¡±

    ¡°Of course it¡¯ll make me excited! I¡¯ve never seen that kind of grass before.¡± The old man stared straight at the mountain wall, urging Shao Xuan, ¡°Hurry!¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head, deciding not to follow the old manmand to hurry. However, the uphill climb to where the grass was only took a moment to reach for Shao Xuan. There was not much difficulty and Shao Xuan never encountered problems along the way. Same as before, Shao Xuan used the old man¡¯s knife to dig down the grass to its roots, then threw it to the old man afterwards.

    Except for some of the herbs often used in the tribe, as well as the recorded nts, Shao Xuan was not familiar with many other nts. Especially on this side of the sea, he did not know most of the nts. Shao Xuan could not tell what was special with this grass, so he wanted to see how the old man treated it.

    He saw the old man give it a careful observation, then smelled it. He cut off a leaf afterwards, then bit a little at the leaf¡¯s tip, and carefully tasted it.

    ¡°How does it taste?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The old man shook his head. ¡°No taste. It¡¯s very strange, not even the usual taste of grass.¡±

    ¡°What else do you think?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°I have an idea. There¡¯s this kind of¡­ a bad feeling.¡± The old manmented.

    You felt something bad about it, but you still kept eating?

    Shao Xuan saw the old man ate a whole leaf, then the old man¡¯s face began to twitch. It was not one of suffering, but his muscles were really having uncontroble convulsions. Hisplexion also turned into a bizarre blue gray.

    Poisonous!

    ¡°SPIT IT OUT!¡± Shao Xuan hastened him. Looking around, he took down a branch and peeled off its outer skin. He¡¯s going to make the old man vomit.

    The old man, who was quickly turning gray, saw Shao Xuan with a branch, going for his throat. He knew what the other was nning to do, so he turned his head to avoid the outstretched branch. He raised an arm to block Shao Xuan. ¡°Nn.. go.. I-I¡¯m okay!¡±

    Shao Xuan took a moment to react. The old man was blocking him and moving away.

    All right, I¡¯ll go and walk away. Shao Xuan thought: I¡¯m not the one who¡¯s poisoned. I¡¯m not feeling anxious.

    He thought the old man would spit it out on his own or take out some herb he had hidden to detoxify it. However, the old man¡¯s actions just made Shao Xuan surprised.

    The old man¡¯s gray a face wrinkled deeper because of the pain. The muscles on his whole face looked squished together, looking like it was very ufortable. After stumbling for two paces, the old man sat down against the wall of the mountain.

    ¡°Hey, old Ju, are you really all right? Shouldn¡¯t you eat something to detoxify it?¡± Shao Xuan advised.

    The old man did not speak. He onlyid down his hands softly and sat there motionless. He did not speak, only closed his eyes. If not for the slight ups and downs of his chest, at first nce, it would really make people think he¡¯s dead.

    His breath was getting weaker.

    Shao Xuan stared at the old man, thinking, is this old man going to die?

    He had not seen him eat anything or vomit. He just continued to choke on the poison. Did this mean he was going to die? But wasn¡¯t it taking too long?

    Suddenly, Shao Xuan saw some ck stripes appearing on the old man¡¯s body, like leaves extending towards his face and arms. On the exposed skin outside his clothes, there appeared a ck tattoo all over his body.

    Totem patterns?

    There was a fire in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind. This fire was the source of strength within the old man¡¯s body. The difference was that there was a vague shadow in the fire, like a grass or something, that he could not see clearly as it was surrounded by the fire.

    Blue and red mes intertwined, far from appearing weak, but burning more and more. The mes swelled and expanded. The faint shadow within the fire, as if a weak seedling, rose and grew.

    Looking at the old man¡¯s tattoo, he saw that the original ck tattoo gradually turned into a bright green. The old man¡¯s gray face also began to subside. The dead air was expelled, reced by a very strong breath of life.

    When the grayness of the old man¡¯s facepletely disappeared, the green tattoo also faded. Everything once again became his usual appearance. By just looking at the old man¡¯s appearance now, no one would think that the old man just ate a piece of poisonous grass and was almost poisoned. If Shao Xuan had not seen it with his own eyes, he never would have believed it.

    No wonder he wasn¡¯t afraid, and even so vigorously pushed him away. He actually has an ability to save himself, so Shao Xuan finally calmed down.

    The old man released a long breath, then opened his eyes. He took a closer look at the seemingly inconspicuous grass that was still in his hand with bright eyes.

    Seeing the old man carefully put the grass away, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°You are really all right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m all right. What¡¯s a little poison.¡± The old man really didn¡¯t care. His tone was light and he never took the usually dangerous situation to heart.

    That was how the old man was. If it was someone else, he would be poisoned and die.

    ¡°From the foot of the mountains to the present, I have tasted more than a hundred kinds of grass. There¡¯s also poisonous grass, and this strain is not even the most poisonous.¡± The old man said casually.

    Getting a glimpse of the old man¡¯s eyes shing with pride, Shao Xuan who wanted to say something, stopped himself.

    The old man thought Shao Xuan would be amazed. He waited and waited but when he looked up, the old man found that Shao Xuan had already stepped forward and left. He knew he needed his help, so he hurriedly chased him. He still expected Shao Xuan to help him get the grasses. In his travel before meeting Shao Xuan, he also saw a lot of strange grass, but he couldn¡¯t get them himself and even broke an arm at one time. He could only give up then. But it¡¯s different now, having someone to help him pick the grass was a great benefit.

    Because of the old man¡¯s concerns, Shao Xuan did not follow the shortest route. Sometimes, he would go over a mountain to find some nts, but the general direction has not changed, though the distance became farther away.

    Shao Xuan followed the old man, collecting some poisonous nts and herbs, encountering a lot of nts. It was rare for him to encounter a person who would listen to his ramblings, so the old man did not concern himself with the time. He would also talk about the locations of various herbs and other ces he knew of more.

    From the old man¡¯s words, Shao Xuan did not only learn a variety of medicinal nts, but also some tribes and the locations of the cities. On the whole, this trip was still worth it.

    The old man told Shao Xuan that one could judge something from the direction of some flying insects, such as what changes were taking ce in the nts there. The insects have different preferences, so they would save a lot of time if they looked for those.

    ¡°Of course, in addition to these flying bugs, we could also look for some other beasts, such as¡­¡± The old man was going to point to a small bird, ready to continue his speech, when his ear quickly shook. The old man¡¯s eyes shed, ignoring the bird, and looked at another ce. At the same time, his hand signaled Shao Xuan not to make a noise.

    Shao Xuan saw that there was a cluster of low grass, which was the densest grass around, where the old man was looking.

    Behind this grass, there was an animal hidden, simr to a mouse with gray fur. It listened carefully to the movement in its surroundings and only poked out its head after a time to sniff the air. Then, in a sh, it jumped out and ran.

    ¡°Come on, follow it!¡± The old man suppressed his excitement and whispered to Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 359

    C359 ¨C Taste Test

    Posted on May 13, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    For this mountain wild rat to make the old man so excited, was it perhaps rted to what the old man called the ¡°thousand gold grains¡±?

    Shao Xuan did not stay idle for long, briskly keeping up with that wild rat.

    The wild rat ran fast, but it stopped at times. Whenever it paused, it looked around with vignce, then continued to run if it found no threat around.

    Shao Xuan could only use some low trees or slightly higher grass for cover since the nts in this area were sparse so he could not find a lot of obstructions. Therefore, quietly keeping up with the wild rat was a little difficult.

    For Shao Xuan, even if the difficulty was big, he could still ovee it and could sessfully keep up with that wild rat, but that was not the same with the old man. His skill in hiding was not as good as Shao Xuan, so he could only remain a little farther away as he followed. Fortunately, he did not have to keep his eye on that wild rat. He only had to follow Shao Xuan.

    After about twenty minutes, the wild rat finally stopped. Shao Xuan stood from somewhere nearby, watching the wild rat eating the food it found. He turned behind him to look at the old man and signal to him with a wave of his hand.

    Even if Shao Xuan did not know that nt, he was still sure that that was not what the old man was looking for, the ¡°thousand gold grains¡±. It was only a nearly metre high shrub, with a number of small fingernail-sized red fruits above. The wild rat¡¯s goal was those red fruits.

    After seeing the wild rat eating the fruit, the old man squinted his eyes, then sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a pity.¡±

    However, the old man never held too much hope. He knew that the thousand gold grains was not easy to find, so he had prepared himself early on.

    After it finished its food, the wild rat slowly moved in the other direction, still running, but not as fast as before.

    There were some birds in the sky that were smaller than sparrows flying over to take a peck at the fruit.

    The old man grabbed the fruit and hid it before the birds pecked it all, then threw it into his mouth.

    There was a raised stone on the ground next to the nt, so the old man sat there, eating the fruit while looking around the forest.

    ¡°Do you know this nt?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m eating it for the first time,¡± replied the old man.

    Shao Xuan frowned but reached out and took a few fruits from the low shrub and threw them into his mouth. It was a little sweet, but the taste was ok. No wonder the wild rat hurriedly rushed this way.

    When hunting in the mountains, if they see a nt they didn¡¯t know, even if the fruit looked delicious, the hunting warriors wouldn¡¯t touch it. Unless they had seem other animals had eaten it. They¡¯d try a little bit of it, then determine if they could be used into their meals. But the old man who obviously had an ability to detoxify, was unbridled and blindly ate it. However, Shao Xuan believed that even if he had not seen the scene of the wild rat and birds eating it, the old man would still do the same.

    ¡°Old Ju, why is it that you wanted to try all kinds of nts and fruits? Just to test if it¡¯s poisonous with your body?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes, whether it¡¯s poisonous or a beneficial drug, it needs to be tried before you know. There¡¯s a lot to be found in the future. We¡­¡­ my family, since the time of our ancestors, began it by countless attempts. We eat anything, and through taste testing, we can obtain a lot. Knives, basket, bed, bedding, pillow, tea, wine, vinegar, sugar, oil, which one an ancestor has not tried out first?¡± The old man said with his eyes having an iparable color of reverence. He did not even had that emotion while eating the fruit. ¡°My generation and its descendants will also inherit the will of our ancestors and lead a glorious future! We¡¯ll be the glory of all ages!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the old man speaking with his spit flying, full of enthusiasm. This was really someone worshiping his ancestors. The old man¡¯s greatest goal today was to find the thousand gold grains that was once mentioned in an ancestor¡¯s notes before dying.

    ¡°Even if I could only have a glimpse of it, I¡¯ll be satisfied,¡± said the old man.

    Since he had read it mentioned in an ancestor¡¯s note, the old man couldn¡¯t sleep without thinking about it. Especially now that in many ces, there was drought and food crop harvest was poor. Not everyone was willing to hunt these days, and many people with little abilities and were used to morefort were used to farming in the fields. Not many people would like to go to the distant mountains to fight with the beasts. Moreover, the areas now with many people gathered around did not have many beasts. Even if they wanted to hunt, they had to run further afield. Furthermore, the lush mountains have been overrun by some fierce tribes. Those who were not willing to talk it out would start a discord, especially those horns guys.

    Hence, if they could find more drought-resistant food crops, they would be able to ease their current problems to some extent. As for Shao Xuan¡¯s thought on rain, there were people who had been asking for it every year, but it¡¯s a pity that it had not been answered. He gets angry whenever this old man thought of it. Those people who called themselves descendants of ancient shamans, only collected the money quickly, but found excuses to not immediately pray for rain. They¡¯re simply a group of waste!

    After a break, the pair continued along the big route, only asionally slipping up a hill midway through.

    Two dayster, even the shadow of the thousand gold grains was still not found.

    In these two days, because he had been touching strange nts and eating them, the old man became poisoned again for four times, one of which even made him bleed profusely. It was very frightening. Shao Xuan thought that the old man would have difficulties getting through, but the only result was that the old man was tired for half a day. Afterwards, he became lively and continued to find the thousand gold grains.

    In this regard, Shao Xuan only had a sigh at the toughness of the old man¡¯s inherited detoxification ability.

    A lot of times, Shao Xuan only listened to the old man, asionally saying a few sentences, but most of the time, he was just a listener. From the old man¡¯s words, Shao Xuan spected about something. Perhaps the old man did note from a tribe, but from the city under the jurisdiction of a ve owner. He¡¯s likely a ve owner himself.

    It was the first time Shao Xuan had seen such a ve owner. He previously only had the impression of a ve owner in the deserts on the other side, and never encountered an alternative kind.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take a break first, and you look around.¡± The old man sat down against the mountain wall using a stick. ¡°This man is old and couldn¡¯t get younger anymore so I will rest first.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about me. Quickly sleep, take a break.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Because he was with this old man, Shao Xuan¡¯s pace had slowed down a lot, and they were not walking the shortest route. After walking for two days, he had not seen any changes around the little dense forest. He did not know how long they had to walk at such a speed to see a little thickening of the forest.

    Since he had agreed to go with the old man, Shao Xuan would not leave him behind halfway. He was fine slowing down since he was not particrly in a hurry.

    In this barren ce, Shao Xuan had not seen arge beast up to now, but saw a few human skeletons.

    Sweeping his eyes around, Shao Xuan recalled the day when the old man introduced to him several useful nts. As he swept his eyes, Shao Xuan silently reviewed the old man¡¯s teachings, brushing up on what he learned again.

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan heard a sound of running. The sound was not big, but as he listened to the sound and rhythm, he thought it was a lot like the wild rat he followed before.

    If it was just one before, Shao Xuan heard a few more moving now.

    Was this wild rats¡¯ nest near?

    Shao Xuan got up and looked over to the ce where the sound came from.

    A few wild rats came from different directions, running in the same direction. It was not like they were running for their lives, but more like the wild rat previously searching for fruit, with eagerness and longing.

    ¡°Old Ju! Hey, wake up, old man, we have a situation!¡± Shao Xuan pushed the old man, who was still asleep.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Because Shao Xuan was there to guard, the old man had a rarely peaceful sleep. Before he had slept enough, he was woken up by Shao Xuan, so he was a little confused for a moment.

    Shao Xuan was about to talk about his discovery to the old man, but before he could open his mouth again, the old man¡¯s ears shook as he heard the movement around. It was aplete professional change. If he heard other noises, he would skip it directly. Only a few specific sounds could stimte his nerves in the shortest possible time.

    After a shiver, the old man excitedly got up and looked around. He threw the stick he used as a crutch, then climbed the small mountain¡¯s side.

    There¡¯s no view here, so he was going to a higher point to look. However, there were no tall and thick trees around, so he looked around the terrain, and thought that the most time saving thing to do was to climb the wall.

    ¡°Hey, you should slow down.¡± Shao Xuan was afraid that his foot would slip so he guarded below. If the old man had fallen from above from his excitement, he would still be able to move on.

    However, even if the old man was really emotional and too excited that he could not help himself, he still managed to single-mindedly climb. Shao Xuan saw him climb hard, but still waited to extend a hand if needed.

    After climbing up, the old man¡¯s radar-like eyes swept around, sweeping his hearing while looking around, presumably distinguishing the desired sound from the rest of the murmur around him.

    The old man¡¯s craziness seemed logical.

    (¡£-`¦Ø-)?

    (?¨Œ£Þ*)¡î

 Chapter 360

    C360 ¨C Group of Wild Rats

    Posted on May 17, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    After climbing down the wall, the old man¡¯s hands and feet were shaking but not because he was afraid, he was actually excited.

    He thought the other man would be too slow to climb down, but he directly jumped down beside Shao Xuan, not even waiting for Shao Xuan to say anything and just ran after jumping down.

    ¡°I¡­¡± Shao Xuan wanted to say something but did not have time to say it. He hurriedly moved to catch up.

    ¡°This is it! Definitely!!¡± When the old man came down, he hurried in one direction. That was where the wild rats ran past.

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s not the ¡®thousand gold grains¡¯, it¡¯s certainly something strange to make these wild rats behave like this!¡± The old man kept running. Even though he hadn¡¯t gotten enough sleep, he had a lot of spirit. This time, he was full of strength and could keep up.

    Shao Xuan also wondered what really led the wild rats to be this crazy. As he ran forward, there were some wild rats that sprang up from elsewhere. Upon seeing Shao Xuan, those wild rats only briefly paused, then continue to run. It seemed thatpared to Shao Xuan, this strange creature, another thing was more interesting to them, so they ignored Shao Xuan¡¯s existence and single-mindedly moved on.

    ¡°There hasn¡¯t been so much wild rats running before, why did it suddenly increase?¡± Shao Xuan wondered.

    ¡°It must be the fruit is getting ripe!¡± The old man didn¡¯t say much, just sped up again on his feet. After waiting so long, looking for so many years, once again, he could see hope. Although he had encountered a simr situation before and it was not the thousand gold grains but another precious herb, this time, he had a strong hunch. The ancestor¡¯s note had also mentioned when he found the thousand gold grains, that he had seen weird rodent activities around, but the note recorded too few things. The old man could not get more information from it, and could only look for it on his own again and again.

    This time, it must be it! For sure! The old man was roaring in his heart.

    From what Shao Xuan knew of the old man now, although it had only been a few days, it was the first time he had seen him running so fast, his eyes filled with fanaticism. If there was anyone to try to stop him, the old man would probably fight them desperately.

    The more they ran, the more wild rats they met. The small animals that live near, whether they were hiding in their caves or hidden underground woulde out and ran out, catching up to them and going towards the same ce they were running to, like they got a boost of energy.

    The movement around them also attracted some other animals. Those animals were actually aiming for the wild rats.

    A ferret-like animal intercepted several wild rats, then shed past with its prey in its mouth. There was also a seemingly stupid ferret actually crossing, as if it wanted to stand as a block, but those wild rats, with their unimaginable energy, did not slow down. They did not even change direction, and just rushed over to jump a foot over the ferret. Thetter few did the same thing. If it were their usual, these wild rats would certainly not have the guts. When they saw the threat, they would definitely ran far away.

    Then, if they saw the same of their kind being taken away, they would not give it an extra look and would not stay a second.

    However, as they got closer and closer to the target, their numbers were growing. The robbing animals were much less, probably seeing such a situation and did not dare single-handedlye to hunt or they¡¯d be the ones bitten.

    Shao Xuan and the old man followed these wild rats. When they came near the top of the mountain, they were forced to stop.

    Why did they suddenly stop?

    They had to stop since they could only go that far. The area forward were all upied by the wild rats. Meanwhile, the wild rats, who had rushed from another direction, joined thisrge team.

    Although this scale was notparable to that time in the desert when Sapphire led a tide of insects, it was different here after all. The only essible area were mostly barren mountains, and you would usually not see many animals. Suddenly seeing thousands of wild rats would be enough to make people shocked.

    The wild rats in the back who were also forced to stop also wanted to squeeze forward, but the front was already full of rats. There was no open space to move past. The ones in front who were particrlyrge, were annoyed that they turned around to bite a few of the ones pushing behind. Seeing this, the other ones on the back all stopped pushing and no longer squeezed themselves forward. They were satisfied to stay at the back, then continued to stare at the top of the tree, staring at the nts being swung by the wind.

    Since they could not squeeze forward, the wild rats at the back had to get up, stretching their necks to get a higher view. Clearly, they were lumped on the ground and all were standing up with elongated necks like a pole.

    Shao Xuan also saw those nts growing on top of the mountain. They were upright, thick stalks, about a person tall. A leaf de has ance-like, narrow appearance and on each stalk, there were several dark golden ears hanging, giving a kind of heavy feeling. When the wind blew, the ears swayed.

    The old man stopped, gasping, his nostrils expanding and shrinking, while staring at the highest ce on the top of the mountain. He has stopped moving, as if the whole world was left with only the things there.

    The old man¡¯s eyes was increasingly full of wonder and excitement. His two fist at his side clenched, and he couldn¡¯t wait to immediately rush over to dig a few stalks away.

    ¡°That¡¯s the ¡®thousand gold grains¡¯?¡± Shao Xuan asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Yes! Certainly!¡± The old man couldn¡¯t repress his excitement. He ignored everything around him, immersing himself in his own world and bing insane. ¡°Haha hahaha! Found it! I finally found it!!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids suddenly twitched a few times. He was getting a bad feeling about this.

    Sure enough, as the old manughed out, the next moment, the gray wild rats in front of them turned to look over. Their small eyes were letting out a ferocious light, especially those closest to the top whose body shapes were significantlyrger than the other wild rats. They were at least two or three times timesrger and their eyes were even glowing red with murderous light.

    A few of the big wild rats at the top of the mountain looked at the swinging dark golden ears, then turned to look with the same burning eyes at the old man. Suddenly, they angrily straightened up and opened their mouths to make a series of sharp squeaking sounds.

    Shao Xuan silently whispered ¡°bad¡±, then carried the old man as the totem power in his body instantly soared. It was like a magma appeared along his totem lines, apanied by the vibration in the surrounding air. It shook wild rats that were jumping around. The force under his foot continued as he went down the mountain.

    However, they were most likely still taking into ount the nts at the top of the mountain, hence, the wild rats were afraid but did not ran down. Perhaps for fear that if they ran away, they would not be back in time to steal a big meal.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan carrying the old man ran to the hillside and saw those wild rats did not chase them. He slowed his pace, then put the old man down.

    The old man did not look much at the totem patterns on Shao Xuan. At this time, his eyes were only on the nts at the mountain top and nothing else. His every thoughts were upied by the dark golden ears.

    As soon as he was put down, the old man wanted to continue running up the hill but was forced to stop by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Let go! I¡¯m going there! Those are thousand gold grains, thousand gold grains, you know?!¡± The old man struggled as he roared.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s thousand golds or thousand droppings. I just know the ce has been upied by the wild rats. Do you want to be fed to the wild rats too?!¡± Shao Xuan yelled.

    When the struggling old man heard this, his sanity gradually returned. He repeated Shao Xuan¡¯s words, ¡°upied by wild rats?¡±

    As he thought of the wild rats at the mountain top, the old man suddenly got more upset. ¡°No, no, no, those cannot be spoiled by those wild rats!¡±

    Fortunately, he finally returned to reason. The old man paced in a circle, thinking about a way.

    ¡°Those stalks are not yet fully ripe and the wild rats are waiting for thest moment of its maturity. We just have to get rid of the wild rats before the stalks mature.¡± The old man said.

    ¡°How do we do it?¡± Shao Xuan asked. It was not that he has no way. He could force himself past and fight that group of wild rats, but he would also be paying a higher price. After all, those wild rats were a lot and the closest to the top were the big ones, which were more difficult than the others to deal with. Fighting them could not guarantee that the top of the mountain would be intact.

    The old man also took into ount a variety of circumstances, thinking for a while. His frowning brows finally loosened, then he called Shao Xuan, ¡°Come with me.¡±

 Chapter 361

    C361 ¨C True Genius

    Posted on May 20, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    Shao Xuan followed the old man along to circle around the mountain. If they saw the nts they needed, the old man would go and get it.

    A low brown grass was cut by the old man. From a growing spiral tree, a skin was peeled. There were even some Shao Xuan had not seen before. The old man also picked some flowers.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to¡­¡± Shao Xuan asked, seeing the old man¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Use it to put down that batch of wild rats!¡± The old man¡¯s tone was like it was obvious. For those he suspected were the thousand gold grains, he was determined to win and never let those wild rats eat those ears.

    ¡°Poison them?¡± Shao Xuan asked. Those wild rats were many, so if he wanted to poison them, even if he concocted an herbal medicine, the amount should be veryrge too. Unless he was actually going to concoct a specific drug.

    However, the old man did not want to directly poison the wild rats.

    ¡°It is useful for them to stay in this barren mountain. If we need more thousand gold grains in the future, we may have to rely on them to find it so they cannot all be poisoned. I am just trying to stun them now.¡± The old man¡¯s hands were full soon after. Although he actually wanted to pick less as there was not much grass growing in every part of the mountain, but the old man had to in order to concoct something in time. He moved fast, going to ces he had in his memory for some of the nts he needed. In a moment, his hands were full.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, you go on.¡± Shao Xuan turned his attention to the grass on the old man¡¯s hands.

    The old man did not decline. He handed the herbs to Shao Xuan and told him, ¡°Be careful with those. Do not touch the fractures, the grass juice is bad for you too. And don¡¯t take a whiff of it, or you¡¯ll fall first and I wouldn¡¯t be able to put all those wild rats down.¡±

    The two men quickened their pace. Those wild rats¡¯ movement showed that the nt at the mountain top would soon be fully mature. They had to collect everything and seize the right timing.

    By following the old man, Shao Xuan had learned a lot of things, but it would be impossible to reach the old man¡¯s ability to get the materials on the spot, when they were rushing for time. The old man would not say a lot, so Shao Xuan could only memorize as they go along. Perhaps he could use theseter.

    The mountains that seem to be short of trees and weeds everywhere was a treasure paradise for people like old Ju. Whether it¡¯s waste or treasure, that depended on the person. Some nts alone might not have much ability, but together it could be different. What the old man wanted to concoct was abination of a variety of nts to get the medicine.

    ¡°All right, that¡¯s all.¡±

    The old man sat on the ground and began to prepare things to make the medicine.

    With a small copper tripod, a few odd-shaped knives, and he would be able to deal with all these.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, go to the mountains to get more ¡®single-lined fruit¡¯. Find the kind that had a small opening, not something with no opening or has beenpletely opened.¡± The old man did not lift his head as he spoke to Shao Xuan. He was busy with his hands and simply did not have the time to look for it himself. He also could not match Shao Xuan¡¯s speed to search for said herb.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Shao Xuan did not ask much too, since he knew what kind of nt the old man was talking about. On the way, the old man had taught him how to recognize it.

    Shao Xuan remembered that most of the nts of the ¡°single-lined fruit¡± grew in the valley between the two mountains. He had seen it quite a few times as he walked along the narrow part of the valley.

    A ¡°single-lined fruit¡± was a kind of shrub, with a height not even reaching Shao Xuan¡¯s waist. This was a shrub the old man himself named.

    As he run down the hill, Shao Xuan looked around, then saw a ¡°single-lined fruit¡±.

    The so-called ¡°single-lined fruit¡± was named as such because when the fruit of this shrub was about to mature, a line would appear on the fruit¡¯s hard shell. Thereafter, as the fruit matured more and more, the line would crack and open, and the inside of the fruit which has a cracked line would dry out until only a small core would be left. When the time came, the crack on the fruit would be snapped andpletely open, spewing out the core inside.

    Shao Xuan tried once to be hit by the fruit¡¯s core ejected from the shell and it hurt a lot. If Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have a strong body, he might have broken a skin.

    In general, when the fruit of this nt had a crack, there would be no other beasts around. In the old man¡¯s words, ¡°When you see those fruit with the line on the shell, you cannot be near, or you will be shot.¡±

    If picked improperly, it would also stimte the crack on the fruit¡¯s shell and have an early ejection of its core. Therefore, the old man told Shao Xuan how to correctly pick a ¡°single-lined fruit¡± when he demonstrated it twice.

    Compared to the previous two days, there were more fruits with a crack in its shell surrounding the trees. He just did not know which were needed by the old man. Some cracks were still shallow and might not meet the requirements of the old man.

    After thinking about it, Shao Xuan decided to cut away a branch with more fruits. After searching for that kind, he cut them, then Shao Xuan went up the mountain again.

    The old man said that those wild rats on the mountain was waiting for the ears to really mature, as it was the most perfect moment the wild rats could get from it what they most wanted, so getting it a point earlier wouldn¡¯t do. Perhaps the group of wild rats at the front which were rtivelyrger than the rest had gotten to eat more thousand gold grains in the past. If they found it themselves, why shouldn¡¯t they eat more of it themselves too?

    As he was thinking, Shao Xuan continued up the hill with the branch.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, the old man has lit a fire, with various herbs that has been prepared next to it. The copper tripod let out some pungent smell from inside.

    ¡°You should stay away from this point.¡± The old man waved to Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan put the branch down then avoided the area. After all, Shao Xuan did not have the old man¡¯s detoxification ability, so he was afraid that even a smell would make Shao Xuan faint.

    Even after just a small whiff, Shao Xuan suddenly felt a little dizzy, so he moved a few more feet away and stood on a higher ground several meters away from the pot.

    The fire was very strong that the inside of the copper pot constantly have water vaporing out. The old man crouched beside it, staring, his eyes did not move a moment away from that small pot. He constantly stirred the medicine inside with a knife.

    ¡°All right!¡±

    The old man screamed excitedly. He extinguished the fire, then picked up the branches brought by Shao Xuan and quickly removed the fruit that matched his requirements. He then held a fruit in one hand and the other held a strange knife. He scraped some powder from the small pot, then poured the powder into the small opening on the fruit.

    Each fruit was as big as quail eggs, while the gap on the fruit was narrower. But the old man only needed one hand mped on the knife and use that strange knife to pour powder into the hole without the powder leaking out and being wasted.

    No wonder he had so many strange knives. It turned out to be used for this.

    After filling one, the old man also covered the opening with a thinyer of almost transparent leaf skin. It¡¯s to not let the powder inside leak out.

    His actions quickly filled up the collected fruits with powder and sealed with the leaf skin. The old man finally picked up thest of the filled fruits with the least powder, then looked around.

    Not far away, there was a bird on the ground pecking bugs. He looked at that target, then the old man threw it like a bullet. The fruit flew straight towards the other side, then hit the ground, issuing a clicking sound. The fruitpletely opened, and the core inside ejected, at the same time, the powder filled in sprayed out.

    Shao Xuan saw the bird flutter its wings twice, looking like it wanted to fly away, but after shaking its wings, it fell.

    ¡°How is it?¡± The old man looked at Shao Xuan with a smug face. It was clear that he was very pleased with what he had made himself.

    Shao Xuan walked near to look at the fallen bird, then looked at thepletely open empty shell, then sincerelymented, ¡°True genius!¡±

    The crazy old man is indeed a genius! £¨ÈË¡ä?`*£©

 Chapter 362

    C362 ¨C Got It

    Posted on May 24, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    On a dry and crackednd, the more cracks there were on the ground, the fewer nts were growing around. In many ces, there were even only stones and dry hard soil that were exposed outside under the sun.

    The wind blowing at the top of the mountain was getting smaller, while the sun was scorching on their head. Many of the wild rats in the area had begun to feel thirst, but they still had not left. Their ws were only crawling forward, and not back. As they stared at the changing colors of the ears on top of the hill, their necks would stretch, wishing they could have a better position in order to better see what was on top of the hill.

    The ears were changing colors, wherein before it was dark gold, then gradually became a little lighter. The dark surface became shiny, not far from looking like actual gold.

    ¡°Squeak¡ª¡±

    Who knew which one of the wild rats called out.

    But it was like a sign to act. The crowd of wild rats moved in an instant, suddenly rushing forward.

    The big wild rats were about to jump up and bite the ears, when suddenly, they heard a whooshing sound. Something came from behind them.

    Then, with a ¡°click¡±, a bad smell was released around them. The wild rats, who had smelled it, began to go into a trance and walked unsteadily.

    That was only the beginning. Soon, a dense tter sounded around in session, smashing into the huddled group of rats.

    Shao Xuan stopped his breath while the smashing of the fruits continued. He quickly rushed to the top of the mountain to guard there, as he dealt with the rushing rat herd.

    The old man has stunned over arge number of wild rats with the medicine. Although he could not solve all the wild rats, his actions reduced the pressure on Shao Xuan in arge extent, as he dealt with the rest of the rats easily. After all, these were only wild rats and not a fierce beast. Shao Xuan reached the stalk, then he was holding a broom tied to a branch on one hand, using it to sweep away the wild rats pouncing on him.

    In fact, Shao Xuan much preferred to use some fierce weapon. Just that the old man himself made this broom and said it was useful to deal with the wild rats, so Shao Xuan used it.

    Sure enough, after being swept by this ¡°broom¡±, the wild rats acted as if they were contaminated with something they did not like. They hesitated to approach at once.

    Before that though, a big rat had jumped up and took a bite off the ears. After smelling its odor, its desire to get a taste of the grain in its mouth increased. It wanted to just sit on the ground and not move its legs, but it could still carry on a little longerpared to the other wild rats. It knew that things had changed. With the grain in its mouth, it run in the distance. Unfortunately, it was caught by the old man before it could get outside the crowd.

    The old man used some of the remaining residue from the previous coating he did on the fruits. He put it around a stick, then lit it and extinguished the fire. The smoke rose above, and the smell of the smoke was more pungent, though the effect was far less than the refined powder in the fruits. It was impossible for the poison to take effect faster, but it was more than enough to deal with these big wild rats now.

    Seeing Shao Xuan block the mountain top with a lot of wild rats surrounding him, the old man was reassured, so he concentrated on dealing with the rat that managed to sneak away. This one must have bitten grains in its mouths! The rat¡¯s mouth was moving, and it¡¯s staring at what what the old man was about to do now.

    When Shao Xuan was finished, the top of the mountain was like it has been poured byrge wild rats. It¡¯s like ayer of rat skin rug.

    As for those who had escaped the drugging, as they rushed up, Shao Xuan swept them away with the broom.

    The old man settled the running rat, then immediately ran towards the mountain top next to the nt. He carefully touched the bundles of ears. Because he was not sure whether this was an annual nt, he dared not chop it nor call Shao Xuan to cut it all off earlier and not stay here to scramble with those wild rats.

    He raised his hand then chopped a little harder, and the old man finally had an ear of grain off.

    He put the whole grain inside his cloth bag, then the old man called to Shao Xuan, ¡°Let¡¯s go. The rest of the wild rats will leave too.¡±

    Without waiting for the old man to finish his sentence, Shao Xuan already waved his broom as he jumped down. After a few jumps, he did not leave the area, but jumped in the rat circle. Shao Xuan fished a few fat wild rats for his mealter. It was difficult to look forrger beasts in this barren area, hence it was not easy to eat meat regrly. He had to take advantage of this opportunity to catch a few.

    ¡°You only took a stalk away. Would those few left still remain here. Aren¡¯t you afraid it¡¯ll be destroyed by the wild rats? It wouldn¡¯t be a problem?¡± Shao Xuan asked the old man. If the old man didn¡¯t care about those nts and it has no value for research, Shao Xuan would not be soborious earlier and cut it with a knife without troubling about it.

    ¡°Those wild rats wouldn¡¯t be interested in it now. They only wanted to eat these grains. As for the few left there, they were rooted too deeply and would not be easy to dig out so it was not convenient to take away¡­ Forget it. Next time, I¡¯ll bring someone over when I get back.¡± As long as those trees did not wither before he brought others here, he would transnt them all in his field and study them well.

    ¡°Then, if the drugged wild rats woke up, wondering why they fainted, aren¡¯t you afraid they¡¯ll retaliate?¡± Shao Xuan followed.

    As he held the cloth bag with the grains like a baby, the old man raised his eyebrows when he heard Shao Xuan question. ¡°Revenge? Why should I be afraid? The next time Ie, I won¡¯t give them a chance to retaliate.¡± Next time he came over, he must bring more people, so he didn¡¯t fear the wild rats.

    Afterwards, they left that mountain, then found a ce to sit down to rest. Shao Xuan reached out to the old man. ¡°Take out the grains and let me see. Show me that legendary thousand gold grains you¡¯re talking about, that you would ignore the group of wild rats just to see it.¡±

    The old man hesitated and did not open the bag containing the grains. However, he still took a piece of ear out of the other smaller bag and put it in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

    Shao Xuan looked at it. One grain was about as big as a soybean, with a golden shell around the grain. Above it, there were teeth marks where the rats bit out.

    Although a grain was only this big, he could feel its obvious weight, which was heavier than what Shao Xuan expected.

    However, it was just one grain, and Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell its importance.

    ¡°Well, I share credit for this. Can you give this to me?¡± Shao Xuan said, pinching the damage ear, as he looked at the old man.

    ¡°What do you want this for?¡± The old man asked as he ordered his stuff.

    ¡°Eat it.¡±

    Hearing this, the old man¡¯s eyebrows suddenly raised high up. ¡°Eat it?!!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t these kind used as food?¡±

    ¡°But we haven¡¯t started to grow a lot of this species yet! These intact ones can only be used as seeds, but cannot be eaten!¡± The old man has a very firm attitude.

    ¡°Then, divide it with me, and I¡¯ll go back to my tribe and nt it.¡± Seeing that the old man was about to decline, Shao Xuan spoke first. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t know how to nt it, our tribe must have someone who could learn it. Don¡¯t be stingy,e on, split it. Anyway, that one has thousands of grains, with still so many stalks on the mountain top. Even if the wild rats take some, you could still get who knew how many tens of thousands of grains. So give me half.¡±

    ¡°Half?!¡± The old man stared at him. ¡°Impossible, never. I can give you a third, but a half is too much!¡±

    ¡°That one couldn¡¯t be equally divided in thirds with only a thousand grains each.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The old man choked on his breath. He did not speak, but the wrinkled skin on his old face kept twitching. He seemed to be thinking hard about it.

    Finally, the old man gave Shao Xuan 1000 grains. As he cut the ear, his appearance was like his heart was shivering with regret, like he had foreseen that these grains would only be spoiled inside Shao Xuan¡¯s belly in the end.

    ¡°If it hadn¡¯t been for¡­ If it hadn¡¯t been for your help in this journey, I wouldn¡¯t have given you one!¡± The old man said with a bitter face.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t be so negative. Maybe you can¡¯t grow it, and I¡¯ll be able to instead?¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    The old man only vigorously shook his head. He didn¡¯t believe that would happen in any way.

    Not sure if I got the split of the grains right. ¡¥_(¥Ä)_/¡¥

 Chapter 363

    C363 ¨C Advice on the First ve

    Posted on May 27, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    For some things, the old man might not say much since he cared for few, but the ¡°thousand gold grains¡± was one of those he cared about. In the old man¡¯s heart, it still has arge proportion, and those who knew that he worked hard a lot for it, even running all the way to this destend to find it, should know.

    If Shao Xuan bargained again, regardless of what others would say and even if he had to directly fight him, the old man would rather die than agree. A thousand grains was hisst concession.

    ¡°I said I wouldpensate it with something else, but I don¡¯t have much on hand right now so I can¡¯t give it to you yet. In this way, if you have time in the future, go to King City, give them my name and I will give it to you there.¡± The old man said, handing Shao Xuan a crooked little bronze knife shaped like a smaller sickle. ¡°This is for you. If you go to King City, you can take this out and someone would take you to me.¡±

    King City?

    Shao Xuan raised his head from looking at the knife, to look at the old man. ¡°What is your full name?¡±

    ¡°This old man is called Ji Ju!¡±

    Ji? Shao Xuan heard that that was the name of the king of King City, a city of aristocratic ve owners. Many of the surnamed Ji now has the most ves among the ve owners, and the surnamed Ji in King City were also transforming the former tribes to ves. Later, the fivergest tribes also gathered there, and took the ¡°Ji¡± as the name of their people.

    Long ago, in thisnd, tribesmen discovered another way to use the fire. With this, some tribesmen be ve owners, building city-states, while others still maintained a tribe.

    ¡°Have you always enved a lot of ves?¡± Shao Xuan asked as he put the fine grains that Ji Ju handed over in his animal skin bag.

    Since he¡¯s one of the ve owners with thergestnds, there should be quite a few ves working under them. However, Ji Ju¡¯s answer was not so. ¡°There are many ves under me, after all, I have morend and it has to be taken care of. However, the ve I have personally enved is only one.¡± Ji Ju said with pride on his face.

    Ordinary ves and personally enved ves have the same distinctions between them as beasts and engraved beasts raised in the ming Horns tribe. It depended on the degree of closeness. Shao Xuan had heard about this in his travels, so there was not much surprise about this. However, it surprised him that Ji Ju only enved one.

    ¡°That must have been a powerful ve.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Naturally, Kitochi is a very good ve. He can help me take care of my fields.¡± Speaking of that, Old Ju had some thought of his ve.

    ¡°Kitochi? How could a person have such a name?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°This is a very good name. I gave it myself!¡± When Shao Xuan questioned it, Old Ju¡¯s face showed that he disagrees. ¡°And who says Kitochi is human?¡±

    ¡°Then what is it?¡± Shao Xuan was curious of a ve owner of this age only having one ve on hand, moreover, the only ve was not actually human.

    Old Ju looked proud of it. ¡°Moo¡ª¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­Moo? A cow, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t you think this ve is particrly good?! It was when it was still little when I enved it, and I had arge field in my hands that was in its care.¡± Old Ju had a big smile on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see it when I have the chance.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    As he talked about his own beloved ve, the old man¡¯s depressed state disappeared. His eyes lit up like a torch and the smile on his face did not diminish. His attention shifted from the thousand gold grains to his own ve, and old Ju said a lot.

    ¡°I tell you, Shao Xuan, if you want to enve ves in the future, you must pay attention to your first ve. That¡¯s because the first ve will most likely be the most loyal one, and would also have the closest connection with your consciousness. Even if the other ves were better, it will always be closer and this is amonality in very. So we, ve owners were very cautious in choosing our first ve. Some were not even able to enve ves until middle age because they could not find a satisfactory first ve.¡± Old Ju also mentioned the topic on very, seeing as Shao Xuan had helped him so much. Additionally, because of him, he found what he suspected was the thousand gold grains, hence, he was in a good mood and adviced Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Of course, many of the tribesmen may not be able to be ve owners. You people don¡¯t have much interest in enving ves either. Besides, it¡¯s unlikely for most to seed, and not many have the knack of mastering it.¡± Old Ju said.

    Hearing the old man¡¯s words, Shao Xuan had an entric expression on his face. ¡°The first ve is very important?¡±

    ¡°Extremely important!¡± Old Ju was adamant about it.

    ¡°From thousands and thousands of picks?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°That¡¯s best.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t just enve anybody?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something to mess around!¡±

    Old Ju continued to advice Shao Xuan. ¡°How can one just enve at will?! Once, when our ancestors did not know that the first enved ve was the most special, they did not pay attention to it so much that there were more betrayal from ves. The envement of ves resulted to their own characteristics and strengths which became scattered, hence, they were not loyal enough. The connection to the owner¡¯s consciousness was not tight enough. Therefore, they learned that their own ve were more special, especially the first ve.¡±

    Knowing the situation on this side and its difference with the desert on the other side, Shao Xuan did not ask more, just thought of his first ve¡­ He did not mean to talk to old Ju about it. He had actually enved before and his first was a dung beetle, just to casually test out his power.

    No wonder the blue beetle was so loyal. Shao Xuan could clearly feel the beetle¡¯s current state as of now. Although it could not know what it was doing now, he was sure that Sapphire was now living well, getting stronger and stronger, so he did not need to worry about it.

    Half way through it, old Ju realized that tribesmen had neve really been interested in very. That many tribesmen were generally more exclusive, especially those from the great tribes. That even finding apanion from a foreign tribe was said to require repeated scrutiny by the tribesmen. That the review would not necessarily be epted immediately.

    ¡°You tribesmen are just full of it. Anyway, which tribe are you from?¡± Old Ju has been forgetting to ask Shao Xuan this question.

    ¡°The ming Horns tribe.¡± Shao Xuan replied. On the way to apany old Ju on this journey, he listened to the old man about his opinion on some tribal stuff. One of which he mentioned was the ming Horns, but he did not have much to say about them. He was not hostile to them, just not having a very good impression. In any case, Shao Xuan was very happy when he heard old Ju mention the ming Horns tribe.

    ¡°Which one?!¡± When he heard Shao Xuan¡¯s answer, old Ju wished to dig out his ears.

    ¡°ming Horns.¡± Shao Xuan repeated.

    ¡°¡­¡­Give me back the thousand gold grains!¡± Old Ju reached out to grab it. ¡°Aren¡¯t you people hunters? How can you take good care of these thousand gold grains?!¡±

    Although the people of the ming Horns tribe go to the King City even less, visiting one or two times would make people remember them. In the old man¡¯s impression, the ming Horns were strong, that a person could carry a few bears while tossing them around to y. However, their characters were rude and violent, that their every return to the city would always make a few aristocrats angry. They were already banned by six aristocrats. However, these past years, the ming Horns tribe dide out a lot. Old Ju once saw the people of the tribe when he was young, and now, the younger generation may not have seen them ever.

    ¡°We, the ming Horns tribe can also farm on ournd!¡± Shao Xuan argued. The history of the tribe also recorded a lot on nting. It was impossible that even in this ce, they were not good.

    ¡°Can farm, my ass!¡±

    Old Ju felt regretful now, but unfortunately, he had already decided to give out the grains. Even if he wanted to retrieve it, it would not be returned.

    When his attempts were fruitless, Old Ju finally gave up. Fortunately, his current focus was not here. He has to hurry back, then bring those thousand gold grains back to his people. King City was not even close to here.

    Soon, old Ju would have to go to one direction while Shao Xuan to another.

    ¡°By the way, do you remember where the ming Horns tribe is?¡± Shao Xuan asked before they separated.

    ¡°Why, are you lost?¡± Old Juughed, but he really did not know the specific location of the ming Horns tribe. ¡°I only know that they should be in the depths of the mountains, from here, it should be a little farther away. You should find them yourself.¡±

    Sapphire is still the best! (¡ä^¦Ø^`)

 Chapter 364

    C364 ¨C Exaggerated Ne

    Posted on May 31, 2019 by AzureOrchid92

    After separating with Old Ju, Shao Xuan continued to travel along his target direction, knowing that the ming Horns tribe really were there. His heart was a lot more solid. Even if he was far from the ming Horns tribe, Shao Xuan still felt rxed on the road.

    Without Old Ju, Shao Xuan¡¯s pace sped up a lot. Midway, he saw some nts. He made a few herbal concoctions, poisonous as well as healing drugs were prepared from what Shao Xuan learned from the old man.

    When he encountered good stones, he also made some spare stone tools. This was the advantage of using stone tools. They could be locally sourced and there was no need to forge it. Shao Xuan also polished arge pot of basin, though actually a lot deeper than the usual basin to use to cook soup and herbs. The stone pot has two left ears on both sides used for a straw rope to pass through and he could carry it on the road, ready for use at any time.

    This sparse mountain was indeed veryrge. Shao Xuan reached the area with dense grass after a while from separating with Old Ju. Over the mountain, he could see the terrain had be t with a vast prairie view. He did not know whether it was because of the season or there was less rain here, but even though there was a lot of grass here, they were still mostly dry.

    Trees suitable for a grasnd environment were grouped together or isted in the middle of an empty meadow, which was also a major feature of the prairie. There was also a river on this prairie, but it is not too big. Along the curved banks of the river, there were walls of trees lined up that he could not name.

    Compared to this vast prairie, the growth of the trees where he was was not much. The grass was richer and more varied, that even if Shao Xuan had learned a lot from following Old Ju, he still had more to learn aftering here. Shao Xuan did not have the same detoxification ability the old man has, so he did not dare to eat indiscriminately. He had to make a careful choice. Even something like a seemingly ordinary grass could be secretly hiding a killing machine inside. Sometimes, a humble grass could ask for a human life.

    There were wild cattles lined up in formation, grazing slowly on the prairie. Even the sharpest predator on the prairie who wanted to drag a bison out of the herd would still have to think more about how to aplish that. This group of wild cattle was not easy to deal with. In particr, those on the periphery were significantlyrger than those in the center of the herd. Those with ck pointed horns would meet their enemy with the sharp point first.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, several bison on the periphery stomped using their strong hooves. Their stout and powerful limbs and calf hooves were like iron palms trampling on the grass, easily stepping out of a hoof pit.

    They were demonstrating their strength and warning Shao Xuan.

    A lion-like predator hidden behind the dry bushes saw the scene, and it unwillingly removed its sight from the herd. It moved to where Shao Xuan was, but, when it caught Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, the hairs on its back rose. Its intuition told it to avoid this seemingly small human. In the end, it decided to keep guarding the herd and wait for the right moment tounch another attack.

    Shao Xuan created a suitable hunting opportunity for the big cat too. He first threw some pungent herbs towards the herd, causing the herd to be restless, then caught the chance to ughter a bison. Afterwards, he ran away, carrying the cow. Meanwhile, the big cat hidden behind the bushes also took the chance to pick up one.

    After roasting the cattle, he ate some. Then, Shao Xuan got the stone pot out and went to the river to scoop some water. After a thought, he threw a few thousand gold grains into the pot, most of which where the ones he got from the old man that were bitten over by the wild rats. In the words of the old man, these species were unlikely to survive with him, so eating it was better.

    Shao Xuan also did not care that these grains were bitten by wild rats. He peeled the shell, then threw the golden grains inside the pot to cook it a little. Although there were fewer grainspared to the pot of water, the cooked soup still became a little cloudy yellow. With its faint fragrance, it was very tempting. It was also a good treat to drink such a pot after eating too much meat.

    The cooked grain was soft and waxy inside. It tasted good. After the soup he drank went down his stomach, Shao Xuan felt a lot morefortable. No wonder Old Ju did not care about any beasts in front of this. It was indeed much better to eat this than the flesh of a beast.

    But even if it¡¯s good for the body, Shao Xuan only has a thousand grains on hand. One thousand capsules could be considered a lot, but put together, you could only see a little bit. Shao Xuan saying that he wanted to try to nt the thousand gold grains was not just as a joke. He really has this idea, that if he could nt it sessfully,ter, when he went back to the other side of the sea, he could also take a batch back to improve the life of the tribe.

    After eating and having a good rest, Shao Xuan carried his gear and went on his way.

    The terrain to the grasnd was with slight inclines. At times, he saw raised low hills in the wilderness. asionally, he also saw some ant nests.

    Shao Xuan stepped into the prairie seven dayster.

    Under the clear sky, several riders rushed by on the prairie. The tamed horses stepped on the slightly arid prairie, raising up dust on their way. Those people were probably riding withpetition against the others in mind.

    The people riding on the horses were wearing fur and clothbined with knitted clothes. Their long hairs were not cut short, woven into a few braids, with men and women having simr hairstyles. Their faces were also painted with some patterns.

    Shao Xuan, carrying two roasted bison thighs and arge basin as a stone pot, stepped forward easily on the prairie. Compared to the rapid hooves and tense atmosphere nearby, Shao Xuan appearing here was a contrast, a stranger passing by particrly leisurely. This abrupt change in the scene made the riders notice him even if they didn¡¯t want to.

    The young man who was at the front pulled on his horse as he approached Shao Xuan. The man behind him looked too, then the rest stopped in session, their eyes all looking at Shao Xuan. Two of the young men also drew the dagger in their waists, one pulled it out, while the other ced his fingertips on the knife hanging on the side of his horse.

    After the head person swept a circle around Shao Xuan, his eyes became more cautious, but his face was not so serious. With a smile on his face, he went to ask Shao Xuan from which side he hade.

    Seeing their leader like this, several other people looked at each other, then changed their guarded expressions. However, the young man who had just touched his knife did not move his hand away, but the one who pulled out his dagger put it back to the holster at his waist. Their sight strayed on the string, an extraordinary ne hanging on Shao Xuan¡¯s neck and stayed for a moment, then like the others, both exposed their white teeth, smiling at Shao Xuan.

    The string of nes hanging around Shao Xuan¡¯s neck was actually made of the big horns of the bison, as well as the fangs and ws of other predators. For these people, a person who could hunt these prairie beasts and carry so many easily on their way, was enough to make them think first before they act.

    One shouldn¡¯t look down at these people, chatting with Shao Xuan with a friendly smile. Shao Xuan knew it was not good to provoke them, but not provoking them didn¡¯t mean he would make friends with them immediately. He would not fight or kill them directly, but he wouldn¡¯t be the underdog. In such a primitive environment, there were moments like these at all times, which was the reason why Shao Xuan left these souvenirs after hunting to make exaggerated nes.

    With just a few words with those people, Shao Xuan did not directly say which tribe he was from. He only said that he was out after a training and was going back, but he did not seem to remember the way. He asked about the surrounding terrain, with a cow leg as a reward.

    These people¡¯s tribe was just in the vicinity, so they were familiar with the surroundings. After receiving Shao Xuan¡¯s cow leg, they listened to Shao Xuan¡¯s questions about the tribes in the dense mountains. Since they were idle, they pointed Shao Xuan to the right direction. One even got off his horse to talk to him, then lent one and apanied him. Although they had not been to further ces and only reached as far as the prairie area near the tribe, they listened to the elders saying things about that dense mountain areas. When they became more powerful, they would take a chance to travel farther out, so they had learned about some of the important geographical locations around.

    ¡°From here, go straight, then climb over a few more mountains, and you should be able to see it.¡± The leading young man said.

    They could only lead the way up to there. It was impossible to go further and there were more danger farther away. Then, they looked at Shao Xuan who looked the same age as them. This person could travel in this perilous prairie alone and also live well. Few of them who were dissatisfied before knew they were no match.

    ¡°Thanks.¡± Then, Shao Xuan got off the horse and organized this equipment to continued walking.

    After walk through the prairie and over a mountain range, he finally saw the scenery he wanted to find.

    Standing on the high mountain, looking upon the thick green in the distance, breathing the moist air, Shao Xuan then took the stone pot to carry it on his back, then went down the mountain.

    Hello, everybody!

    So, I¡¯ve noticed that my views have increased for thest three days. When I checked, the chapters I posted were actually linked in Novel Updates! I never expected that to happen since I didn¡¯t even trante these chapters. I had Bing and Google trante the Chinese ones, meaning these were machine tranted or MTLs, then edit the tranted to make it readable, I guess. As a fan, I still wish for a good trantor to pick this up.

    (¡ä-¦Ø-£à)))¡£¡£

    I don¡¯t know if you all noticed, but I started thisst year when it¡¯s been months since Lesytst tranted and I wasn¡¯t sure if anybody would pick it up. I became impatient so I nned to just read the MTLs. My problem is that I often reread great novels and it¡¯s annoying to always do that with MTLs, so I decided to edit the chapters as I read. That¡¯s why the chapters still needs proofreading, especially the earlier ones, and I only have one fan of CoPW to mostly correct my spelling mistakes. He¡¯s Rextraos ©¥¨h¥Ç¨j¦î(????????? ?) on Webnovel. Also, I¡¯mzy, so I probably wouldn¡¯t even entertain someone who would be willing to proofread it since that will add to the stuff I¡¯ll do.

    So, I chose to post the edited chapters here since, why not. If anybody saw it and chose to read, then they¡¯re wee to. Just that I never thought it would get a lot of readers since it was not the official trantion.

    Anyway, this has gotten long. I only wish that someone will still trante this and the fans of Chronicles of Primordial Wars won¡¯t really depend on me. I¡¯m sorry if this might be showing that I¡¯m ungrateful for the increase in views, but *sigh* yeah, I¡¯ll still post chapters here. d that I got out this rant though.

    (*¡ä¦á`*)?Thanks for reading!

 Chapter 365 - Assault

    Chapter 365 ¨C Assault

    After going over the mountain, Shao Xuan could clearly feel the difference in the environment. The climate on both sides of the mountain was very different. It seemed that the humidity and rain on this side were all blocked by the mountain and could not reach the dry grasnds on the other side of the mountain.

    The further Shao Xuan went down, the more familiar he felt.

    Although he came here for the first time, the environment reminded him of the mountains of the hunting ground. Both the forest on the other side of the river where the ming Horn tribe was originally located, and the Ferocious Beasts Mountain when he returned to the old haunt, were the same as this environment. There was endless green color as far as one could see.

    This was a ce full of vitality and crisis. Maybe because of the familiar environment or the feeling of getting closer to the ming Horn tribe which Shao Xuan felt like he had left for about a thousand years, Shao Xuan became more excited.

    While walking down the mountain, Shao Xuan threw away the exaggerated ne that he wore around his neck. Those which could be used as weapons had already been used and the things that made up the ne were just ws and horns. The stone pot behind his back which was used to cook the soup was also thrown away, as it would be cumbersome at this moment. Shao Xuan had to be more careful in ces like mountains and forests. Carrying as little things as possible would help Shao Xuan avoid danger.

    From the time Shao Xuan stepped into the desert, it had been about half a year. It was the first time Shao Xuan entered such a forest since then.

    Smelling the odor of moist vegetation and hearing the sound of various birds and beasts, Shao Xuan took a deep breath, stepped lightly and tried to integrate himself into the new environment.

    The wide river flowed far into the distance among the dense woods. If one stood on top of a tree, the creatures in the river including dark-backed fish and giant pythons could be seen from time to time.

    Shao Xuan could determine the position of the tribe although there was no obvious signal from the inner me. He took out the bone ornament that symbolized the identity of the elders, hung it around his neck and touched the ball with a red-hot luster in the middle of the bone ornament. Shao Xuan wondered whether his identity could be recognized by the ming Horn tribe there.

    Cheering up, Shao Xuan continued to march towards that direction.

    There were some traces of human activities, such as rags and iplete weapons that had been abandoned here. Shao Xuan even saw a bone of human beings under a big tree, which probably belonged to a hunter who was killed there.

    Carefully discerning the traces around him, Shao Xuan quickly recognized the various creatures there. His steps were cautious, but not slow.

    There was a snake hidden on a branch. At first nce, it was difficult to find this poisonous creature. When Shao Xuan passed, it wanted to take a bite but Shao Xuan was too fast and didn¡¯t leave it time to prepare. The snake lurking on the branch spit out poison, adjusted its posture and continued to wait for the next prey.

    In addition to the tools used by human beings, Shao Xuan also saw paintings on branches or stones but didn¡¯t know which tribe left them. Some paints were simr to totems, some were words, and others showed off the prey they hunted, telling people who came here, about their power.

    Shao Xuan nced at the paintings. He knew these words but he was not familiar with the paintings and style. These may have been left by other tribes. It is possible that people in the ming Horn tribe live farther away, and didn¡¯te here.

    Since there were traces of human beings, Shao Xuan had to be on guard against not only the beasts lurking in the mountains but also other human beings. Sometimes human beings were much more dangerous than beasts.

    After entering the forest, the more Shao Xuan went deeper, the denser and stouter the trees were. Walking on the softnd, Shao Xuan could only see the light through the dense branches.

    On the third day of entering the forest, Shao Xuan suddenly felt a killing intent when walking in the forest. Although the other party tried to hold back, the feeling was so strong that Shao Xuan noticed it based on his hunting experience.

    But Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know whether it was from a human or a beast.

    Since the other party had not taken action, Shao Xuan did not take the initiative to attack but continued to move forward, trying to see how the other party hidden in the dark would act.

    Speeding up, Shao Xuan shuttled between the woods. The eyesight still closely followed him. Its movements were not slow and it was quite good at concealment. Shao Xuan looked around but could not discover its figure. However, the sound made by the other party while moving was clearly captured by Shao Xuan, even though it was very light and could be easily covered by the sound of the shaking of the branches.

    As the wind blew, the branches of surrounding trees swayed and the friction of the leaves made a squeaking sound. asionally there were some movements made by birds that flew up or fell.

    Distinguishing the movement behind from the various other sounds, Shao Xuan sped up again. He shuttled in the woods like dexterous wind. After seven sharp turns and changes of direction, Shao Xuan jumped up a big tree agilely and hid in the dense foliage.

    Some flying insects were on the tree and a spotted flying insect was resting on the treetop. It got scared and almost rolled off the leaf when Shao Xuan suddenly jumped onto the tree. In the trunk, a slender worm, which had been hidden in the unobtrusive cracks on the rough bark, suddenly shot like an arrow at Shao Xuan.

    If such a worm bit a person, it would drill directly into the body.

    Not turning around, Shao Xuan picked a tree branch and threw it towards the direction of the worm. The branch with sharp edges nailed the long worm to the thick bark.

    The long worm that was nailed to the bark writhed its body, as if it wanted to break free, but it couldn¡¯t do anything.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t look at the worm. His ears carefully distinguished the tiny sound that wasing close and his eyes were fixed in the direction of the sound.

    A brown figure shot forward like a shadow. When passing a tree, it paused briefly and then left at a faster speed. It seemed to have noticed that Shao Xuan had hidden deliberately. When the brown figure was about to reach the tree where Shao Xuan was, it suddenly made a turn around a tree and disappeared behind the tree.

    Shao Xuan frowned and stared at the direction, but he paid attention to the surroundings. The other party, who was smart and knew how to lurk, had indeed tailed him.

    Shao Xuan gripped the ck knife on his hand and gathered his attention.

    A figure suddenly came from the trunk behind Shao Xuan, cutting off the branches and leaves in front. A sharp cold re shed out and killing intent suddenly filled the space around the tree. With cruelty, the re drew a curve and swept directly towards Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 366 - Someone from the Flaming Horns Tribe

    CoPW C366 ¨C Someone from the ming Horns Tribe

    At that moment, Shao Xuan moved to the side to avoid the attack, then jumped off the tree, directly into the open.

    If he wanted to deal with this opponent, it was not suitable to fight in close range. If he was too close, Shao Xuan would only suffer as the other side was quick and has longer reach, so it naturally had the advantage.

    It was a strange animal that looked like arger brown monkey, but in fact, it was not. Its limbs were long and flexible, as well as its feet and toes, but its sharp, sickle-shaped ws could be contracted between its toes like a cat. When it was waving its arms like a whip, the ws were out, but when it was just moving, it would put its ws away.

    As it waved its ws towards Shao Xuan, it showed its sharp teeth and red at him. With its fierce attacks and bared teeth, it was obvious that the ferocious animal was feeling a deep resentment. It was not as if it was catching its prey, but more like fighting an enemy.

    This made Shao Xuan puzzled.

    The animal was very clever. It was not just one of the big, stupid ones, but a real beast. Even if Shao Xuan wanted to ignore it, the emotions in its eyes were too strong that he could not. It was the first came he came to this ce, so he was curious how he had actually offended it.

    Aftering down from the tree, the space behind him was tight.

    In the midst of the murderous killing, the cold light of the beast¡¯s ws was like a raging stalker, waving its sickle of death, eager to harvest all life.

    The ws in front of him were too fast that Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t find a good opportunity to counterattack.

    As his feet jumped off the ground, Shao Xuan had moved away from his original position, leaving a sinkhole on the ground. Then, the soft rot and leaves in that area burst up as the approaching w in front turned it into shreds.

    Shao Xuan quickly ran by the dense forest, while the pursuer behind him still let out a strong killing intent. It was like it was wishing it could fly over immediately.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s speed was already fast, but the other side didn¡¯t have to hide this was, was also catching up. Unexpectedly, Shao Xuan did not get too far!

    He tried to dodge but the attack was fast. Each hit of the long and sharp ws was with strong emotion. It was also smart enough that it was no stranger to humans. What would be the best way to deal with such a fierce beast?

    There seemed to be a tense atmosphere in the dense forest as a result of this chase. The other beasts had no intention to meddle, nor could they keep up with the speed of both.

    The sound a trunk breaking sounded again. It was the work of the fierce beast as he sped up with the help of the trunk. The louder the cut sounded, the greater the force used by the other party, the more it continued to elerate. It had probably gotten tired of being ignored by Shao Xuan, so it couldn¡¯t wait to finish this.

    He considered the way the beast used the trunks. If only the trunks were thinner, it would have broken easily.

    Should he cut the trunk before the beast used it?

    Shao Xuan slowed down his speed a little, then took a sharp turn. The totem power in his body instantly increased, the me-like totem pattern almost covering his whole body. The totem power in his body flowed and flooded to his legs, and his leg muscles swelled.

    After a sharp turn, Shao Xuan pivoted around and pointed his leg at a tree. He lifted his legs up and kicked!

    Ka!

    The thick trunk the size of three men was kicked off directly.

    The broken trunk crashed straight into the path the brown beast was running at.

    With the fierce pursuit of the beast, it did not expect that Shao Xuan woulde up with this, after seeing him slow down his speed. It had almost caught up, its ws were already itching, but the next moment it was about to taste blood, it was given such a violent blow.

    Peng!

    The brown figure was hit by the broken trunk, smashing on the trunk of another tree, which made it give a sharp cry.

    However, one shouldn¡¯t underestimate this fierce beast. After all, it is a ferocious beast and its physique is strong. It was hurt when it was smashed like this, but it¡¯s not fatal. Just one step short of a serious injury.

    Shao Xuan wanted to strike again afterwards, but the beast reacted quickly. When the trunk fell, it used its forelegs like a whip to wrap around the trunk and circled to avoid a frontal collision with Shao Xuan.

    The beast, which had fallen several steps back on the ground,nded on its limbs. Crouching down, it trained its dark eyes at Shao Xuan, as if thinking of something or measuring the situation at that moment.

    When Shao Xuan thought that it would attack again, he saw the beast turn away and gave up fighting against him. This was the decision it made after measuring the pros and cons, and found that Shao Xuan may not be an easy person to deal with.

    However, even if it wanted to leave this time, it was already toote. Shao Xuan would not let go of a beast who had dared to attack him.

    This time, the roles of the chase has turned upside down. The side originally in pursuit was now eager to avoid the fight, while the party that was hunted down became a hunter.

    Peng!

    Peng!

    Peng!

    In the woods, the sounds of the trunk being kicked off came from time to time. Some of the birds resting in the trees were startled and flew. The original quiet of this mountain forest became restless. The fierce beasts, who were walking around, twitched their ears, then went on their way and left. They did not want to meddle in such a savage and violent fight. Anyway, it was not them that were unlucky now, so they¡¯re not going to mix in.

    The trunks were constantly kicked off. Although not every time it could directly hit the target, but even if it would not hit, it could still bring a certain amount of obstruction to the brown beast.

    At this time, the fierce beast was regretting that he had provoked this person. Originally, it just wanted to vent its anger on this person, but never wanted to kill him. It has always been afraid to start a fight with the human race, but it thought this one was easy to deal with, especially since the human was still young and alone. However, after experiencing that human using such a direct use of a trunk as a weapon, even if its ws were sharp, it would not be able to find a way out between such thick trunks, so it would certainly be smashed.

    When one¡¯s mood was messed up, one couldn¡¯t make the most correct response in the first ce. The messier it was, the more it would turn more messier.

    In the woods, Shao Xuan did not know how long he had managed to catch up with the beast.

    Ka!

    Another trunk was kicked off, and the timing was so well pinched that it hit the beast directly from the side.

    The stout mossy trunk was bounced back by the force, then drove straight down.

    The beast was hit once again and let out a cry of pain, as it was smashed to the ground.

    After a back-to-back hit by the trunk, the smashed fierce beast did not get up immediately, since it was hit a little hard.

    But seeing that the other party still wanted to escape, Shao Xuan picked up the fallen trunk next to him, then dragged it over like a stick.

    Peng!

    The fierce beast, which had just gotten up, was once again hit.

    The fallen beast screamed again, and its cry was no longer the fierce hiss of the previous ones but a series of brief shouts. In conjunction with the pitiful emotions that appeared in its eyes, as if it was begging for mercy, it put its ws away, then curled up with its head in his arms, bowing to Shao Xuan.

    When he saw this, Shao Xuan threw out the stout trunk in the open. From a tree, he pulled down a long vine, then turned it into a rope to tie the beast up without waiting for this fierce beast to react. Its whip-like limbs were tied, that even if its ws came out, it could not immediately cut all the vines.

    After tying it up, Shao Xuan grabbed it by the neck and raised it to his level.

    Feeling the fingers tightening in its throat a little, the beast found it more and more difficult to breath. It was injured and its neck was being choked, so it has a slight sense of powerlessness. It knew that struggling to swing its trapped limbs was also useless.

    As he lifted the beast, Shao Xuan wanted to figure out why the beast was so strongly hostile to himself, but suddenly, his ears twitched. He heard a few fast footsteps approaching. It was probably the movement they made that drew these people over just now. People from a nearby tribe? Or something else?

    Those people came quickly, and everyone looked burly and eager.

    Apparently, they did not expect to see other tribesmen here. The five people who came over then stopped as they saw the fierce beast in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. One of them wanted to say something but was stopped by hispanions. Shao Xuan had his back to them, therefore, the five people could not see his appearance. Shao Xuan was also wearing more clothes in order to prevent getting poisoned in the woods. He had also added a few animal skins over him, and although his clothes and animal skins had broken a bit, it still blocked the totem patterns in his arms and legs, so the five people could not see them.

    The five looked at each other, then one of the most calm walked forward. He was ready to say his piece, but Shao Xuan has finally turned around.

    After looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s face where the totem patterns has not yet dispersed, the person who wanted to talk got his words stuck. The corners of his eyes twitched, while the others were also the same, staring their eyes out, their hearts roaring.

    What is this?! Why is there someone from the ming Horns tribe here?!

    Hello again!

    So, since my chapters were now linked in Novelupdates, current trantor skipped those and continued from mytest postst week. I saw some readers wereining about that, since mine was not even the direct trantion. What do I do then? Let him continue it and stop mine? That would be great for me since I could read the MTLs faster without editing. ?( ? ? ? )?

    I understand that my site has raised problems for the current trantor since it would be somewhat pointless for him to continue from where he left off if some readers have already read mine. But I¡¯m not sorry for editing the MTLs and posting it here since I started this (way before he picked up CoPW) because I¡¯m not satisfied with the trantor at that time, and I decided not to stop when new trantor came in because I¡¯m already ahead with several chapters which might disappoint the few readers I have if I stopped. Once current trantor caught up to mine, I was thinking of stopping this. And I want to point out that I never nned to submit and never submitted this to Novelupdates since I know mine is not a direct trantion. I guess some fan, maybe, decided to submit it. (?_-;)¡­

    I might still edit as I read since I can understand the story more if I do that, but I might stop posting it here if current trantor has higher release rate than mine.

 Chapter 367 - Wonâ€™t Trade

    C367 ¨C Won¡¯t Trade

    Their team had chased the long-wed monkey up to here, when they had been left behind by the cunning monkey earlier. After losing their target, the team separated to find it and these five people were able to catch up because they suddenly heard the movements on this side and just rushed over.

    When they also heard the cry of the long-wed monkey, they knew that someone had already intercepted the monkey. Naturally, they became anxious, but they never thought that the one who had intercepted their target was unexpectedly someone from the ming Horns tribe.

    To clearly determined that there were no ming Horns following them, this time, from beginning to end, they had closely guarded their actions. In addition, their actions were only to the knowledge of a few people. Even most of the people in their own tribe did not know this, but unfortunately, they still unexpectedly met one from that tribe.

    For the person to havee so far in this area, they also could not tell whether it was a coincidence or it was deliberate. Were there no other ming Horns members around?

    If there were none, with the ability of five of them, they should be able to snatch the prey back from such a young warrior.

    The five had started working together for hunting early, so it only took a few eye signals to know what the others were thinking, especially from the man who led them. After a quick exchange of stares with hispanions, the leader looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d run into a ming Horns tribesman here. Didn¡¯t you go out to hunt?¡± asked the man.

    Shao Xuan did not reply. The other side had a wrong spection of him, but he did not want to correct them. If the other side misunderstood or did not understand the situation, once he said more, it would likely make them understand less. It was better to listen first to also get more information.

    From the attitude of the five men, Shao Xuan spected that the tribe in which these people were members of was an opponent of the ming Horns? Even if they were not in a hostile state, it was certainly apetitive rtionship, therefore, he did not need to be polite. It¡¯s just that the rtionship didn¡¯t seem to be too bad that he had to kill them, so Shao Xuan was still thinking on how to treat them.

    ¡°How can you get anywhere when you¡¯re not with your ming Horns people!¡± One of them whispered, the mood on his face entangled with anger and helplessness. His tone was a bit rushed.

    Although the other side¡¯s voice was not big, the people present could hear it clearly.

    Seeing the two opposite groups didn¡¯t seem to have a good rtionship, the long-wed monkey restrained by Shao Xuan, turned its eyes around and made a few barking sounds in his throat. Its tied legs struggled repeatedly, and it acted like it was about to be choked to death.

    Unfortunately, Shao Xuan gave no indication at all that he cared. The five people opposite also just swept it a nce, but did not care about its survival.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, but ming Horns brother, this long-wed monkey is the prey we¡¯ve been tracking.¡± The leader said.

    The other side¡¯s tone was still peaceful, but not as if they were friends. Even if they had a had time controlling it, Shao Xuan could still see in their expressions their tension, precaution and readiness to fight at any time.

    Shao Xuan looked at the man who had just spoken, and raised his chin. ¡°Go on.¡±

    Go on? Go on, what?

    The leader paused, thinking that Shao Xuan had not taken the long-wed monkey seriously, and said, ¡°We can trade with you for other prey, a beast with a lot of meat and about the same level.¡± His words emphasized ¡°level¡± and ¡°meat¡± more, so was that what he was focusing on?

    Shao Xuan considered it, then replied to the five men, ¡°I won¡¯t trade.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± There was a man on their side who couldn¡¯t help it, his hand pointed to Shao Xuan and he threatened him. ¡°What would could you do if we forced you? Now, you¡¯re alone and there¡¯s five on our side!¡± Anyway, most of the people of the ming Horns tribe should be on a hunt in another area at this time. This person must have sneaked out to y. To have run so far, did he follow them on purpose?

    No matter what the others thought, the expression on the Shao Xuan¡¯s face changed not because of the threat from other party. ¡°Your five people have not caught it, I see you really have the ability. Now that this long-wed monkey has been caught by me, it¡¯s now my prey, so what could you do?¡±

    These five people did show a hostile attitude at first, but decided to give the choice to Shao Xuan. When they revealed some friendly rtions with this ming Horns tribe member, they never thought that Shao Xuan would not only be so direct, but without mercy dismissed their words.

    Seeing the others move their feet, Shao Xuan added, ¡°What, you want to steal from me?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t change your mind, I¡¯m going to have to steal it!¡± The leader did not have his earlier calm expression by then, his eyes suddenly showed a murderous glint. With his strength, a slightly lower ranked warrior facing him would certainly feel a lot of pressure.

    But Shao Xuan only smiled. ¡°Just you?¡±

    Enraged by Shao Xuan¡¯s attitude, these people who knew that using threats against the ming Horns were mostly ineffective, had long been ready to act.

    The bodies of the five suddenly released power, tattoo-like totem lines appeared on them like waves. They have two senior totem warriors and three intermediate totem warriors. If they don¡¯t have the strength, they won¡¯t be able to follow out for this covert operation.

    It was clear to these five that the biggest characteristic of the ming Horns people was their strong strength. Therefore, it would be a stupid choice to fight a member of that tribe by strength, hence they decided to use something else, like speed, flexibility and their number advantage. Although,pared to most people, hunters were not much in terms of speed and flexibility, it didn¡¯t mean that they were more concerned about their power advantages.

    As soon as the five people moved, Shao Xuan had guessed their strategy.

    The two senior totem warriors from the five rushed out, one to the left and one to the right of Shao Xuan, trying to close in on him in a sh.

    Even facing five totem warriors from unknown tribes alone, Shao Xuan felt no psychological pressure. In order to fight better, he directly threw the long-wed monkey he had captive towards a stout tree not far from him.

    At the same time Shao Xuan threw the long-wed monkey, the five others became joyful, especially three at the back. Their footsteps changed direction, bypassing the ce where Shao Xuan was located and going directly towards the position the long-wed monkey was thrown out.

    Even if its hands and feet were tied by vines, the flexibility of the monkey was still good. Earlier, because Shao Xuan had tightly fastened its hands, even with a little bit of movement, its neck could be directly cut off, so it only dared to show weakness, but dared not exhibit any crooked thoughts. However now, seeing both sides fighting, its brain began to move.

    Its body that was thrown in the air turned, as its tied legs adjusted around. When it hit the trunk, its legs yed a good cushion, so it did not get injured. Instead, it used this force to bounce off in the open to run away from this mess. It was not that it despised these people. With its ability, it could free itself from the ropes and could certainly get rid of the trouble. It was able to leave these people behind when they tried to hunt it once, so it could dump them again a second time.

    But it¡¯s a pity......

    After struggling, it could not break free.

    Even after trying again, it could not break free.

    Although the flexibility of this kind of vine was very strong, it could not be easily ripped off. The long-wed monkey never thought much about it. Once it was also tied by some tribes with this vine, but it managed to break free easily so he had experience dealing with such vines. Several times it had deliberately showed weakness, then escape to hide in the dark and smile as it watched those people move around, looking for it.

    However, it had made a mistake. It thought it would be able to easily break free from the vines after getting away from Shao Xuan¡¯s control, but that was not the case.

    No matter how it times it tried, its long ws were unable to untangle the vines, let alone cut it. Naturally, it could not get out of these ropes.

    Still tied up, the long-wed monkey¡¯s ability to move was greatly reduced. It did not know how far it could run for the three people behind it to catch up. Resisting would also be ineffective, or it wouldn¡¯t have run away from these three. These people would get it regardless of whether it was dead or alive.

    Therefore, before it was caught again, the long-wed monkey slowed down to figure out how to escape.

    On the other hand, Shao Xuan who was nked from left and right quickly moved back a few steps to avoid the siege from both sides. As his space tightened with their knife attacks, Shao Xuan¡¯s feet did not stop moving. His body was still backing off, twisting as a knife shed by, then tilting to the side to avoid the other knifeing by, while nudging his shoulder, to directly hit the first one.

    In the face of the collision against Shao Xuan, the other man clenched his teeth hard to meet this blow. How could he say that he himself was a senior totem warrior, if he was afraid? It was only a hit from someone younger than them, and not even one who looked stronger than him. This person was not one of the few of the most outstanding in the ming Horns tribe!

    Two moving bodies mming against each other issued a muffled banging sound. If the other side was like a torrent of surging waves, then Shao Xuan was a towering mountain firmly stuck on the ground.

    After the collision, the person swung out, his surprise made his eyes twitch rapidly. He had to do a session of steps to turn the power of this collision off, then he looked at the half-step made by the one who bumped him. Such a result showed that with this hit, he did not upy the upper hand at all!

    Although he knew he could not win, he did not expect that there would be such a big gap!

 Chapter 368 - Canâ€™t Catch Up

    <h4>Can¡¯t Catch Up</h4>

    After pushing away the person, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t back away, instead, he firmly stood his ground and punched someone else as he turned.

    Hended each punch with the strength he used to chop down a tree.

    Facing an attack like this, Shao Xuan¡¯s pursuers could only dodge his punches. They wouldn¡¯t underestimate the young man¡¯s strength after seeing the fate of one of their teammates.

    People from ming Horn were all terrifying, strong monsters!

    No matter how much the twoined about the strength of the ming Horn tribesman, they eventually reached their goal. They managed to slow down Shao Xuan enough to let their three teammates run away with the beast. No matter how much he chased them, he wouldn¡¯t catch up, right?

    As soon as the thought crept into their minds, Shao Xuan changed his target from them to the trio carrying the long-wed squirrel monkey.

    When hunting, speed is essential. Many prey were quick- even a seemingly heavy wild boar would be hard to chase after when it reached its maximum speed. Therefore, the ming Horn tribe never neglected the importance of speed when hunting. Many forget the other characteristics of people from the ming Horn tribe, they only remember their strength. Shao Xuan¡¯s speed was alreadyparable to the tribe leaders, Mu Ta and Gui He before. Now that Shao Xuan had improved, he was even faster than before.

    So, when Shao Xuan started to run, his pursuers were dumbfounded. They thought to themselves,?<i>The one that got the monkey, he should be fast, right??</i>

    They were right to be worried.

    Looking at Shao Xuan slowly creeping up to the trio, the two could only chase up to him, hoping to block him.

    Activating all his totem power, his tattoos lit up like mes, energy pulsed through his muscles, he lowered his body as he rushed through the dense forest effectively avoiding anything that blocked his path. His clothes let out a low growl as he ran through the wind. He was so quick that the birds on the tree could not see him passing through, they could only spot the two figures that followed him.

    The two pursuers couldn¡¯t help but mutter their frustration as they saw Shao Xuan running through the forest like an agile snake. When did ming Horn produce such a monster? If he hadn¡¯t encountered them, when would they hide him until? Were they going to use him for an ambushter on?

    Seeing as Shao Xuan got closer and closer to their teammates in front, the two got more nervous. They pushed themselves as much as they could to run faster, one of them even grabbed the weapon he originally intended to use to kill the monkey.

    Unfortunately for them, Shao Xuan robbed them of the chance to kill anything.

    The terrain in front was uneven, tree roots covered the ground, thick vines were hanging down each tree, anyone would get caught if they weren¡¯t careful. Naturally, the three in front slowed down.

    Shao Xuan thought of a n to catch up to the trio. He could attack from the top.

    While chasing after the monkey, Shao Xuan paid attention to how it moved and tried to mimic it. He could have ended the chase earlier but he chose to experiment with his movements. Every time he got close to the monkey, he would climb up a tree to scare it and then closely observe its movements without letting it out of his sight. He continued this cycle until he was used to the movements.

    Shao Xuan held his ck dagger and struck as he spun around.

    The two behind him only heard a ¡®chi¡¯ sound as the figure before they jumped high into the air with the help of a tree. The tree he passed by now had an extra set of rather unnoticeable footsteps and a sh across it.

    Chi! Chi! Chi!

    In the dense forest, following a continuous noise, a figure travelling at lightning speed waspletely off the ground. The shrubs, half-decayed leaves, roots hidden beneath fallen leaves were not a problem to Shao Xuan anymore. Even though he was slower than he was on tter ground, currently he was quicker than anyone else pursuing him or he was pursuing. He could even quickly circle around a tree to dodge attacks from behind.

    Noting the way Shao Xuan moved, the duo felt shocked to their cores.

    No way ¡­¡­

    He was imitating the long-wed squirrel monkey¡¯s movements!

    Quick!

    Quick!

    Not quick enough!

    Fuck!

    We failed!

    This tribesman was too fast!

    Looking at Shao Xuan get further and further away, the two felt a looming pressure rested upon their shoulders.

    The trees in the forests had very few branches for its first seven or eight meters from the ground. The higher it is from the ground, the more branches it had. This was key to how the monkey could escape at such speed in this terrain. It could avoid the obstacles on the ground and the dense web of branches at the top. It didn¡¯t need to follow the tree trunks for its route. But now, a tribesman from ming Horn learned its secret.

    The duo tried to mimic its movements but they did not get the technique right so instead of gaining speed, they got slower. They didn¡¯t have time to experiment with techniques now so they could only continue running on the ground. When they finally say their three teammates, they were all lying on the ground.

    ¡°No major injuries,¡± After checking the injuries on the trio, the leader felt a knot in his stomach eased.

    ¡°Should we thank that bastard for showing us mercy then?¡± said the other.

    The others kept their silence. It was obvious, Shao Xuan did show them mercy, or else they wouldn¡¯t be breathing now. Shao Xuan was superior to them in strength and in speed.

    Shao Xuan did go easy on them, considering that these five only wanted to snatch something from him with no intention to kill them.

    ¡°Those, was it him?¡± The leader asked as he pointed at the toppledrge trees.

    ¡°Yes.¡± answered the three with grimace. When Shao Xuan struck them to the ground, they wanted to get up and pursue him again but they heard the trees fall down as if he was giving them a warning.

    They felt frustrated thinking about it.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°What else can we do? Meet with the others and tell them our stuff was stolen by someone from ming Horn,¡± said the leader. This was out of character for the leader, he was admitting to his fault! Anything that had fallen into the hands of someone from ming Horn would be hard to retrieve. They needed to go back and have a good ¡®talk¡¯ with ming Horn

    They could imagine the spat their tribe leaders would get into and how those from the other tribe would brag. This was all fucking great!

    On the other side of things, Shao Xuan took a now spiritless monkey to a quiet spot. He patted its head, ¡°Drop the act, take the thing out.¡±

    The monkey stared nkly at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You still want to act? Show me the thing,¡± Shao Xuan said as he used the butt of his dagger to tap its shoulder.

    If that group of people wanted to bring back this beast no matter dead or alive, they wouldn¡¯t do it without reason. This monkey had something they wanted.

 Chapter 369 - Canâ€™t Snatch it, Canâ€™t Beat it

    <h4>Can¡¯t Snatch it, Can¡¯t Beat it</h4>

    This long-wed squirrel monkey was clever and it knew a lot, it even seemed like it was well aware of human behaviour.

    Shao Xuan stared at the squirrel monkey. His stare was so intense that raised its ws in caution.

    The squirrel monkey was frightened. Its original n was to run off during their fight. However, it didn¡¯t think that it would once again fall back into Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. If it was captured by the gang just now, it would have been better. The chance of escaping would be higher. Now that it was with Shao Xuan, it was very worried!

    It took a long time for the squirrel monkey to voice out a vague cry that sounded like protest.

    ¡°No?¡± Shao Xuan nced at the squirrel monkey, which curled up anxiously. ¡°Oh well, how about I send you to God now?¡±

    The squirrel monkey got anxious as it saw Shao Xuan was ready to kill him. It screamed hastily, its pitiful eyes glimmered in the light. Anyone who looked into its eyes would have been softened up.

    For a moment, Shao Xuan was shaken. However, in a split second, he knew this was the squirrel monkey¡¯s tactic. The sneaky thing!

    As expected, as the squirrel monkey realised that Shao Xuan did not fall for its little trick, its gaze turned ferocious and its face turned hideous. The monkey¡¯s mouth opened, baring its four sharp teeth murderously. It was no longer the tendered eyes pitiful-looking squirrel monkey. Instead, it was a demon on fire.

    This sudden change could have caused a great shock and mental pressure to those who had the trait of cowardice, traumatizing them for a long time. An ordinary human would fluster and make a mistake.

    Shao Xuan took one step back without showing any signs of panic. He raised his hand and reached it out to a few metres away from the forehead of the squirrel monkey. Under its ferocious re, he produced a ball of blue me from his palm.

    The expression of the squirrel monkey went numb; its rage-filled eyes turned into eyes filled with fear of death. It squealed shrilly, trying to break free from Shao Xuan¡¯s hand so that it could leave this ce. However, with the vines, it had no way to break free.

    ¡°So, have you decided? Choose wisely¡­ If you are honest with me, I will let you go, or else, I cannot guarantee that you will live past today.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Upon hearing this, the squirrel monkey did not think that he would be able to get away through his tactic like before. It knew what the me could do to it. However, it never thought it would have been seeing this in such a deep forest. It was extremely disgusted and frightened by the me. ?After several moments of gibbering, the squirrel monkey seemed like it had made a decision. It adjusted his posture. Its stomach bulging and contracting, squirming like there was something inside it. Then, a fist-like thing rolled out from its mouth.

    Shao Xuan frowned and ripped off the leaves on the tree beside him. Then, he picked up the thing from the ground and wiped off the mucus on it.

    ¡°Fruit?¡± Shao Xuan asked with uncertainty.

    The fruit was covered with a thickyer of skin. Thus, it was not digested by the squirrel monkey after it was swallowed.

    After wiping off the dirt from it, the fruit gave off a pleasant scent- not strong, but intoxicating.

    Although Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure what the fruit was, the five people from before and the grudging face made by the squirrel monkey told him that this fruit was special. It would provide great benefit to human beings and fierce beasts.

    While Shao Xuan was observing the fruit, the squirrel monkey was in a state of restlessness with anxiety. It peeked at Shao Xuan from time to time, but it couldn¡¯t look straight at him. It wed the ground repeatedly though it did not extend its ss fully- it was afraid that Shao Xuan would cut them off.

    ¡°Those people were looking for this?¡± Shao Xuan asked the squirrel monkey while holding the fruit.

    The squirrel monkey nodded his head furiously.

    ¡°Hmm.¡± Shao Xuan acknowledged its answer. Then, he kept the fruit covered in clean leaves and put it into his animal skin sack as the monkey watched.

    When the squirrel monkey saw that Shao Xuan was looking at him, it stopped staring at the fruit. Instead, it curled up and looked at Shao Xuan, hoping that Shao Xuan would let it leave.

    Shao Xuan never intended to enve this creature and he had no n of enving his second ve now. He was not familiar with this matter after all. After listening to Ji Ju, he realised that the matter of enving involved a lot more than he thought. If he wasn¡¯t careful when choosing his ves, he might involve himself with unnecessary troubles. Thus, he decided to be cautious as he did not have a lot of knowledge regarding enving.

    Shao Xuan grabbed his stone knife and swung it at the squirrel monkey that gave him a terrified look.

    The squirrel monkey thought it was about to be killed. It closed its eyes in eptance of its fate, yet it felt the manacle that was preventing it from running away loosen. It opened its eyes in delight. There was a moment when it was contemting to snatch the fruit back, however, it tossed aside this n in a split second. It knew that Shao Xuan was different from all the people it had met, he was much stronger and scarier. It was lucky that it could get away from this now, but if it wanted to try provoking him again, it would surely die.

    The squirrel monkey stopped thinking, suppressing its desire to get the fruit. It was nning to leave when it heard Shao Xuan calling it and said, ¡°wait.¡±

    The squirrel monkey got stiff and turned its body to face Shao Xuan slowly, like a robot, while thinking?<i>What now?</i>

    ¡°Do you know about the ming Horn tribe?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The squirrel monkey was stunned upon hearing his question. It pointed towards a direction with confusion while groaning, it sounded like it could not understand the intention of Shao Xuan saying this. Thus, it grunted to ask whether Shao Xuan was referring to the ming Horn tribe in the direction it was pointing at. It had seen people from that tribe before this, it could sense that Shao Xuan was simr to them, thus it was bewildered after hearing this question.

    ¡°In that direction?¡± Shao Xuan looked in the direction the squirrel monkey pointed. It was simr to the direction where he was heading.

    ¡°Sqeak!¡± The squirrel monkey once again grunted after Shao Xuan¡¯s question. It wasn¡¯t sure what Shao Xuan meant but it nodded anyway.

    ¡°Alright, you can leave.¡± Shao Xuan waved at the squirrel monkey.

    The squirrel monkey disappeared from Shao Xuan¡¯s sight in an instant, it did not walk away step by step likest time. It ran hurriedly while thinking that it would take a detour to distance itself from Shao Xuan as far as possible the next time it spotted Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan headed in the direction he nned to after he organised his stuff.

    The five-people gang from before searched for Shao Xuan in the forest. However, they did not manage to find him. When it was time to head back, they returned to their tribe with regret.

    They were from the Taihe tribe, located next to the ming Horn tribe. Fights happened all the time, it was also normal that the things they had their eye on for would get snatched away by the people from the other tribe. However, this time it was by the ming Horn tribe, which they despised. Thus, they were very annoyed.

    After the gang of five returned to their tribe, they informed the chief and elders that their mission was unaplished and the target had been snatched by a person from the ming Horn tribe. Upon hearing this, all the leaders were sullen.

    The fruit, known as Pure Fruit was discovered by the warrior of the Taihe tribe in the forest during his hunt. He couldn¡¯t get it during that time due to the number of fierce beasts that were hiding near the fruit. It was impossible for him to get the fruit as per his ability. Thus, he returned to the tribe and notified the tribe master regarding this discovery.

    Pure Fruit was a fruit that could improve the strength of the warrior greatly, and it was very rare. Thus, this fruit was the favourite of most of the animals in the forest for it aided in the strength improvement of various animals in the forest. The smell of Pure Fruit was almost unnoticeable, it was nearly impossible to be discovered by humans.

    On the other hand, most animals were more sensitive to smell whenpared to humans. Thus, they would have been able to discover Pure Fruit much earlier than humans. Usually, if people found the nt, its fruit would¡¯ve been consumed by animals already so it was very rare.

    People from Taihe tribe had learned from their history and experience that when they discovered something valuable, the first priority was not to guard it against the beasts, but to hide it from their brutal neighbour, the ming Horn tribe. In order to obtain the Pure Fruit, the people from the Taihe tribe had made an effort in nning and concealing.

    Through discussion, they decided to keep this mission secret, sending a team secretly to procure the fruit. They kept a low profile to avoid the mission being discovered by the people from the ming Horn tribe. It was a coincidence that the ming Horn tribe was carrying out hunting activities and did not notice the activities of the Taihe tribe, which increased their sess rate in getting the fruit.

    Unfortunately, during their procurement, the fruit was snatched by a squirrel monkey who was way too quick. The squirrel monkey swallowed the fruit as soon as it obtained it. Thus, once again, the team assigned two persons to return to the tribe and report this situation to the tribe master, while the rest of the team kept on pursuing the squirrel monkey. However, the squirrel monkey was too fast. The team had entailed strenuous effort in tracing and pursuing it. They even lost the squirrel monkey¡¯s trail on the way, which they decided to further split the team into smaller groups to search for it separately.

    The process of chasing down the monkey was difficult. The forest was too vast, they were not familiar with the terrain as these areas were located far away from the tribe. In the end, the five person team found the squirrel monkey, but they were unable to snatch the Pure Fruit.

    The first time they found the Pure Fruit, it was snatched by the squirrel monkey.

    The second time they encountered the squirrel monkey, it was being snatched by the person from the ming Horn tribe.

    The time they attempted to snatched it from the person from the ming Horn tribe, they failed miserably.

    Couldn¡¯t snatch the fruit.

    Couldn¡¯t beat the guy.

    They¡¯d spent so much effort on this, now it was all to waste! Wasn¡¯t it infuriating?

    Raw anger shot through a white-haired elder from Taihe tribe. He pointed at the people who came back empty-handed, scolding them sternly as they had failed the mission. He concluded it with ¡°What¡¯s the use of you all if you can¡¯t even beat a person from the ming Horn tribe?!¡±

    Those being scolded bowed their heads and thought?<i>what¡¯s the meaning of ¡®can¡¯t even beat a person from the ming Horn tribe?¡¯ Do you think it¡¯s easy for you to fight the ming Horn tribe? If it¡¯s easy, why do you lose to the old man from the ming Horn tribe every battle?¡±</i>

    However, they would never say this out loud. It was not a morous affair, that they could not beat the people from the ming Horn tribe. They had bigger numbers, but why was it that they were the ones who lost most of the time?

    On the other hand, the ming Horn tribe had a sessful day out hunting. They were bringing the booty back to their tribe when they met their nemeses from the Taihe tribe. Upon seeing that the people from the Taihe tribe were particrly insulting and sarcastic, the leader of the team was bewildered.?<i>I know every word they said, but why couldn¡¯t I understand their meaning? Am I missing something?</i>

    <i>Are they insane??</i>The leader thought.

 Chapter 370 - Have They Made A Mistake

    <h4>Have They Made A Mistake</h4>

    The hunting party and their leader were summoned by the chief when they arrived at the tribal vige.

    Every time they returned from a hunt, they would have a small meeting to report their hunt. The leader thought it was the same thing so when he stepped into the room, he briefly told the chief about what they got from the day¡¯s hunt and the odd reactions from the Taihe tribesmen that day. He was told that the Taihe tribesmen had such reactions because they had been attacked again.

    Why ¡®again¡¯?

    It was inevitable. The two tribes lived close to each other and while there were no major conflicts, there were constant minor fights between them. And when they fought, the Taihe people were often the weaker side. After many fights, everyone was used to this.

    That was why to the leader, the Taihe people being attacked was a very normal urrence. Was there a need to bring it up? This wasn¡¯t even worth talking about, in such a harsh environment, the weaker tribe would have to listen when the stronger tribe spoke. The losers should know when to shut up.

    However, this time, apparently the Taihe people weren¡¯t just injured, they were robbed of something valuable. What was it? They had not received intelligence about it yet. All they knew was that the Taihe tribe had spent a lot of effort in procuring this valuable thing but it was taken forcefully by the ming Horn people.

    The ming Horn people knew that usually, their tribesmen would not interfere if the thing was already in the other person¡¯s hands. However, the other person hadn¡¯t gotten it yet, it was considered up for grabs- finders keepers. They never hurt the Taihe people severely though, since they were neighbours. If this happened in other tribes, there would¡¯ve been bloody wars.

    That was why the leader was delighted to hear that his tribe sessfully took something from the Taihe tribe again. This meant today¡¯s hunt must¡¯ve been sessful, his good mood improved once again. He leaned back and put his leg up, looking at the few young people standing at the side with kindly warmth. These were the talented warriors of the ming Horn tribe. Though they were young, they were gifted.

    He heard a young man was the one who took the thing? And this young man was up against Taihe¡¯s Fei Ang and his team! Fei Ang of Taihe was an advanced warrior, if this young man could defeat them AND take their stuff, he must be very capable¡­

    The leader¡¯s eyes swept across the few young warriors as he reached into his animal hide pouch to produce a piece of jade as big as his palm. The jade was a beautiful shade of green, translucent, even from far you could feel tranquillity rolling off the stone.

    Holding out the jadestone, the leader said proudly, ¡°Who did it? Step out now and I¡¯ll praise you, I¡¯m very proud of you today. I coincidentally found this during today¡¯s hunt, it¡¯ll be yours!¡±

    Usually, he would never offer this jadestone up as a reward but he was in a very good mood today.

    However, he waited for a moment and no one stepped up.

    ¡°What? No one¡¯s taking the reward?¡± the leader said incredulously.

    No one spoke.

    ¡°Wu Zhe? Tao Zheng? Zhui?¡±

    He mentioned every person¡¯s name as his eyes swept across the group but they all shook their heads.

    The three of them were initially worried because they hadn¡¯t participated in today¡¯s hunt and yet they were summoned for a meeting here. Plus, they weren¡¯t the ones who did it, what was the use of the reward? They couldn¡¯t lie to the chief and the leader, could they?

    The leader retracted his smile, as if sensing something. He turned to the few people around and then the chief, straightened his posture and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    He then noticed the peculiar tension in the room. He¡¯d focused on his excitement before so he did not notice. Now that he had calmed down, he realised they were all in a solemn mood, including the chief and the shaman. They were silent, as if mulling over something.

    ¡°Guang Yi, tell me. What¡¯s going on?¡± said the leader, turning to one of the people on the side.

    The middle-aged man who was sitting next to him sighed, ¡°Although we were very happy to receive such news, after asking around, no one admitted to it.¡±

    ¡°You meant¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying, this might not have been done by our people,¡± Guang Yi sighed.

    ¡°How is that possible? Something like that must¡¯ve been done by our tribe!¡±

    The rest narrowed their eyes at him.?<i>What? ?You think all the ming Horn people do is this? Or other people can¡¯t do the same?</i>

    But this matter did require investigation.

    ¡°Perhaps someone is pretending to be a ming Horn tribesman? Or the Taihe people were lying, ming us for the incident?¡± asked the leader.

    The chief at the head of the table said, ¡°Based on our history, the chances of them lying to us is very low.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, this matter requires serious attention!¡± an old woman with a head of silver hair and a lot of essories sitting next to the chief spoke up.

    ¡°This matter shall remain a secret, do not tell anyone else in the tribe for the moment. We¡¯ll decide after investigations,¡± said the chief.

    Now that the shaman and the chief had spoken, the rest nodded, ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    The meeting adjourned. When the leader of the hunting party saw Guang Yi leaving, he called, ¡°Ey, Guang Yi, where are you going? I have some questions for you!¡±

    ¡°Ask someone else!¡± Guang Yi, who was walking in front, did not even turn his head. Waving impatiently, he continued walking.

    All he could do was ask someone else to know more about this matter. It was peculiar indeed.

    After Guang Yi left the chief¡¯s room, he was deep in thought as he walked, wondering who would do such a thing. Was it someone from their tribe? Or one of the descendants of the ming Horn people from the outside? That was not likely.

    Without noticing where he was going, he had already left the residential area of the tribe and arrived at the border. It was a quiet ce suitable for thinking.

    The ming Horn guards greeted him when they saw Guang Yi then left. With Guang Yi there, there was no need to patrol this area, plus he looked like he really wanted them to leave.

    He grunted nonchntly and did not look at them.

    Guang Yi continued walking towards the border until he arrived at the river. They¡¯d dug this river on their own. Although it wasn¡¯t huge, it helped keep out some fierce wild beasts, it was their first line of defence.

    Now that he was here, he did not n to leave this spot anytime soon. He sat on the ground, staring at the glimmering river gently rippling in the sunset until he heard rustles and footsteps.

    Guang Yi was a very capable warrior. Even the hunting party¡¯s leader might not defeat him in a fight. His hearing was out of the ordinary¨C after the rustle, he was cautious and stopped thinking. He stared intently at the patch of forest on the other side of the river.

    Rustle rustle. Rustle rustle¡­

    It sounded like someone was walking.

    Who would be walking there at this time of the day?

    The hunters had all returned and the people on patrol duty would not be at the other side of the river at this time. Then who was it?

    Rustle rustle¡­

    The footsteps grew louder.

    ¡­

    Shao Xuan walked on the moist, grassy ground. Although he usually thought of himself as a mentally strong person, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous. The nearer he got to the ming Horn settlement, the harder it was to stay calm.

    Would the other half of the ming Horn Tribe be the same as the ming Horn people he knew?

    Their temperament, values¡­ would they be like what he imagined they would be?

    Would they be very different? How would they treat him? The two branches of the tribe had been separated for a thousand years!

    As he was thinking, he stepped out of the forest to see a person on the other end of the river. This middle-aged man was d in clothing made from animal hide and fabric, he had stubble on his face and a muscr build. He was dark-skinned, his posture very straight and stable, though he gave a feeling that he was ready to attack at any moment. This man had an intense stare of sternness and focus in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    The first thing Shao Xuan felt was,?<i>I found them.</i>

    Guang Yi furrowed his brows when he saw the young man walked out, immediately reprimanding the kid. ¡°Why are you out thiste?!¡±

    ¡°??¡±

    He had thought of all the reactions the tribe might have to him but not this.

    When he saw Shao Xuan¡¯s confusion, Guan Yi¡¯s tone grew sterner, ¡°What are you still doing there,e here now!¡±

    As he spoke, Guang Yi turned around and took a tree as thick as two people and kicked it into the river.

    Shao Xuan looked at the floating tree then at the uncle¡¯s scolding stare.?<i>Fine, I¡¯ll cross the river and see what happens.?</i>

    He leapt andnded on the tree, then utilised the buoyancy of the tree as support to leap unto the bank. When he turned around, the uncle was dragging the tree trunk bag on the bank. This tree trunk had straw rope tied to one end so once the other person had crossed the river, it would be kept for the next use.

    When he tossed the tree trunk aside easily, Guang Yi looked up to see Shao Xuan still standing there and was upset once again. ¡°What are you staring at, go home! It¡¯ste, and you¡¯re still loitering about!¡±

    Shao Xuan scratched his head. What did this uncle mean? Did he talk to strangers like that?

    Didn¡¯t seem like it.

    As he stared at the man walking back, Shao Xuan wanted to ask if the uncle had gotten the wrong person.

    ¡°Follow me now! Don¡¯t even think of slipping out now!¡± Guang Yi scolded, his eyes so piercing they could nail a human to the ground.

    Guang Yi¡¯s behaviour was an adult catching a child slipping out to y, now he was scolding the culprit.

    Shao Xuan grew increasingly confused but since he was already in the tribal settlement, his goal was achieved. Fine, he¡¯ll go.

    Weighing his options, Shao Xuan quickly caught up to the man in front as they headed to the ce he had been looking for.

    If other ming Horn people were here, they wouldn¡¯t have reacted like this. However, coincidentally, Guang Yi had chased away all the other people on patrol duty. Anyone who didn¡¯t know Guang Yi would not know a characteristic he had.

    The people of the ming Horn tribe knew that he was a more capable warrior and hunterpared to the current leader. Then why was Guang Yi not the leader? There was only one reason: this master hunter was diagnosed with facial blindness.

 Chapter 371 - Me? Iâ€™m from Flaming Horn

    <h4>Me? I¡¯m from ming Horn</h4>

    Guang Yi was in a bad mood. He had encountered a problem he could find no solution to no matter how hard he thought. He didn¡¯t expect to meet a young man wandering around sote at night.

    Guang Yi had trouble remembering faces. The number of people that he did remember could be counted with two hands and they were mostly old friends of his. With his strength and special status in the tribe, this shoring didn¡¯t affect him much. He wasn¡¯t interested in being the leader of the hunters because of the difficulty he would face to remember the few hundreds or thousands that went hunting with him.

    Usually, when people greeted him, he would respond without remembering what that person looked like. However, he was able to urately determine people from his tribe. Any outsiders, with or without disguise, would be recognised by him if they got closer to him. Tribesmen naturally had a scent to them, that was how the long-wed squirrel monkey knew Shao Xuan was from the ming Horn tribe with a whiff. People from ming Horn had a special connection. Even when Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t activated his totemic powers, anyone with keen senses could tell he was one of them.

    After one look at Shao Xuan, he knew that Shao Xuan was from the same tribe but he had no recollection of his face. He assumed that Shao Xuan was being disobedient by staying out when it was dark outside. He should be punished! If he still didn¡¯t learn his lesson, Guang Yi would take matters into his own hands.

    ¡°You young people are really¡­¡­ you think you¡¯re better than everyone else! Do you know how many beasts there are in the woods? The number of beasts that even I am afraid of? Why would the tribe hunt in a group and not alone? Because no one. Can. Ever. Survive. Alone. Do you think you are better than Duo Kang? You¡¯re probably not even at that level, do you think you¡¯re better than Wu Zhan, Tao Zheng or Zhui?¡±

    As he spoke, Guang Yi turned to look at Shao Xuan, to observe his expression.

    As Shao Xuan saw the older man turn to look at him, he immediately put on a respectful look even though he had no idea who this Duo Kang, Wu Zhan, Tao Zheng or Zhui he was talking about were. In his experience, it was best to obediently listen to the lecturing in a situation like this one.

    However, the names that were mentioned must be people from the tribe so Shao Xuan memorised their name.

    Seeing as Shao Xuan did not give him attitude, Guang Yi was more at ease but the lecture didn¡¯t stop there.

    ¡°You people are arrogant! Foolish! Disobedient! You caught a few small beasts and think you are the king of the jungle, idiots! What if you met a grown mountain lion, bear or otherrge beasts, how many lives do you have to take a risk like that?! Even a small beast can keep you in the jungle forever! Just like that long-wed squirrel monkey that messed up the Taihe tribe, just one of them would be able to kill you!¡±

    At first, Shao Xuan was just obediently listening to the scolding until he heard long-wed squirrel monkey. He thought of the one he caughtst time and was about to say something until he saw the death stare the person in front of him had that said, ¡°You even want to talk back to me?!¡±

    He thought about it and kept his silence, putting on a serious listening face.

    Guang Yi was satisfied and continued to lecture Shao Xuan about his selfish, rule-breaking behaviour.

    Shao Xuan was two steps behind Guang Yi, following his lead.

    ming Horn tribe¡¯s second line of defence was therge wall made of wood and stone with people guarding the entrance.

    The stranger following Guang Yi in had piqued the interest of the guards but they didn¡¯t dare to ask much as Guang Yi didn¡¯t say much about him.

    They waited for Guang Yi and Shao Xuan to be out of earshot to start discussing among themselves.

    ¡°Who was the person Guang Yi brought with him?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°Not sure, but if Guang Yi is alright with it, we don¡¯t need to worry.¡± Even though Guang Yi had face blindness, he had never brought in anyone that would harm the tribe.

    Shao Xuan observed his surroundings while he listened to the older man talk. He didn¡¯t expect he could enter the tribe so easily, especially in this manner. How peculiar.

    Theyout between this tribe and the ming Horn tribe that he knew didn¡¯t have a big difference. The centre of the tribe was located on a mountain but in this case, it was just a hill. There were very few farnds that were located at the border of the tribe. Not many crops were nted, only a few docile animals were raised on a small scale, it looked like the people here still heavily relied on hunting.

    However, looking at the brass weapons and the materials of their clothes, it seemed that they frequently traded with the outside world.

    Shao Xuan felt at ease seeing that they were doing well here.

    The sun was soon setting, many families were having their dinners and no many were outside walking around. The few that were still out were curious about the new face in town but they swallowed their questions at the sight of Guang Yi. They figured that he was from a family on the hill, there were so many people in the tribe, they were only familiar with the people in their area.

    After his long lecture, Guang Yi only remembered to ask for the young man¡¯s name, ¡°What is your name?¡±

    Shao Xuan was startled, he replied seriously, ¡°My name is Shao Xuan.¡±

    Guang Yi stopped his steps, tilted his head as if he was recalling something, then said, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you!¡±

    Shao Xuan was silent. ¡°......¡±

    <i>Who are you thinking of? Did you finally notice you got the wrong person?!</i>

    ¡°Uhm, actually I¡­¡­¡± Shao Xuan got cut off before he finished his sentence.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, go back now, don¡¯t think of running off again, I¡¯ll be keeping an eye on you!¡± Guang Yi said impatiently with a look that said, ¡°What a load of bullshit this was!¡±

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure what expression he should show, he felt that this misunderstanding was getting worse by the second.

    Well, just let it be then. Shao Xuan was curious to know what would happen next with this misunderstanding.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure who the man thought of him to be but looking at the way others greeted this ¡°Guang Yi¡±, he was sure that the man had a high status in the tribe.

    Guang Yi brought Shao Xuan to a house. Even though he couldn¡¯t recognise people¡¯s faces, he remembered where everyone lived.

    ¡°Go in now, don¡¯t think about running away.¡± Guang Yi said as he pointed to the house with his chin.

    The main gate of the house was open, Shao Xuan walked to the gate and scratched his head, he wasn¡¯t sure whether he should greet the owners.

    Shao Xuan heard the creak of the gate as it opened.

    A window opened up and the people inside saw Guang Yi. They didn¡¯t see Shao Xuan who was standing behind the door because of the angle.

    Guang Yi saw the person by the window and pointed to him, trying to recall his name, ¡°You¡¯re ¡­¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Zhao Ming! Uncle Guang Yi, why are you here?¡± asked the person in excitement. Guang Yi was someone everyone knew, he was even idolised by some younger warriors. Zhao Ming wanted to flip out the window but he thought of the mud on his clothes. If he went out like this, he would definitely get an earful.

    ¡°Ah, yes, Zhao Ming. So, Zhao Ming, I brought your older brother back, you better pay attention to him, don¡¯t let him run around!¡± After saying this, Guang Yi walked up the hill.

    Zhao Ming was confused at what Guang Yi said. His brother recently went for a hunt and came back with good results. He was out celebrating with a few friends, why would he be ¡°running around¡±?

    Zhao Ming put down the things he was holding as he left his small room. He decided to question the ¡°brother¡± that Guang Yi brought to the house.

    ¡°Brother, didn¡¯t you go celebrate¡­¡­¡±

    As Zhao Ming walked out of the room, he saw a stranger looking back at him.

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Zhao Ming asked with his mind on alert and his hand reaching behind him.

    ¡°Me? I¡¯m from ming Horn.¡±

 Chapter 372 - Iâ€™m Shao Xuan

    <h4>I¡¯m Shao Xuan</h4>

    What answer was that?

    Zhao Ming looked at Shao Xuan cautiously. He knew that this person was undeniably one of his tribesmen so he rxed a little but did not fully believe it. While he was not great in other aspects, he had a great memory. Like the rest of the children who had not had their powers awakened, he loved watching all the people who went out hunting every day. The children would discuss the more famous people on the hills, even if they were not famous and they did not know their names, at least he would recognise the face. Yet he did not know who this was.

    Although he believed Guang Yi would never bring someone who was a threat to the tribe back here, Zhao Ming trusted his own memory better.

    ¡°I have never met you before.¡± Zhao Ming had one hand behind his back, there was a dagger in his belt.

    Shao Xuan did not care. There was just a random kid in the house so he was not in a hurry to exin himself and nned to tease the kid. The kids here were more cautious than the kids in the other ming Horn tribe perhaps due to the moreplex living environment. The other branch of the tribe had lived an isted life for almost a thousand years, naturally, they were more innocent.

    Dragging a wooden stool over, he sat down and looked around the house.

    This was an area at the foot of a mountain, this should be one of the average households of the tribe. Looking at the daily appliances in the house, there were not many people living in it. Perhaps just the two brothers. Although everything was simple,pared to Shao Xuan¡¯s life in the other ming Horn, the people were came into contact with more types of things. There were cloth pouches hanging from the walls, alloys and metal tools while there were very few pure stonewares. There were ceramic pots and bowls on the table and another ceramic water tank in a corner. All colourful ceramics.

    When he saw Shao Xuan studying the things in his house, Zhao Ming took a step forward and a deep breath as if to steel himself. His voice grew a little louder. ¡°Who are you, really?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Shao Xuan.¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan? I have not heard of this name! Are you really from ming Horn?¡± His powers were not awakened so his sensing abilities were notparable to Guang Yi. Without Shao Xuan using his totemic power, he could not deduce if he was truly a ming Horn tribesman.

    Zhao Ming¡¯s answer lied in the totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s face. Due to the clothing and animal hide, all the totemic patterns on his shoulders and everywhere else were not visible. It waste and everything was dim so he could only see the markings on his face.

    The totemic patterns were very powerful proof worth a thousand exnations. When he saw the pattern, Zhao Ming heaved a sigh of relief and started to rx.

    ¡°Where do you live? I have never seen you before. Also, why did Guang Yi bring you to my house?¡± he pulled a stool over and sat down.

    ¡°I was walking around outside and Guang Yi caught me. He asked who I was, I said I¡¯m Shao Xuan, then he brought me here.¡± Shao Xuan shrugged as if even he did not know what to do. ¡°Does your brother look like me?¡±

    Zhao Ming shook his head vigorously. ¡°No, not at all. But Uncle Guang Yi can¡¯t recognise faces and barely remembers names. My brother is Zhao Quan, not Shao Xuan.¡±

    A man with facial blindness. Although Shao Xuan had deduced this, he had never met a person like that. He couldn¡¯t believe the first person he met here could not recognise faces or names.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going back?¡± asked Zhao Ming.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯ll have to stay for the night,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    He did not understand what Shao Xuan meant by ¡®I can¡¯t¡¯ but when he was about to ask, Zhao Ming¡¯s stomach rumbled.

    They had to eat first. Zhao Ming tossed his questions aside. They were from the same tribe and did not have any history with each other, of course staying a night was fine. Just like how his brother was staying over at one of his hunting friends¡¯ house today.

    ¡°You can stay here. My brother¡¯s noting home tonight, you can sleep there. Right, have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°No, I hadn¡¯t eaten and Guang Yi dragged me back here. He lectured me all the way here.¡±

    Zhao Ming shot him a look of pity. Guang Yi was famous for his scoldings, always walking around with his solemn face. Many people revered him, even the young, talented warriors of the tribe.

    ¡°I¡¯ll share some with you.¡± Zhao Ming brought a ceramic pot over. There was meat soup inside, still warm. His brother had gotten someone to bring this pot of soup over so he wouldn¡¯t starve. If he couldn¡¯t finish this, he could eat more tomorrow. It wouldn¡¯t spoil over just one night.

    But it won¡¯t be enough for Shao Xuan. He was a totemic warrior, he needed to eat more.

    ¡°Should I go cook more?¡±

    Zhao Ming wanted to get more food after putting the pot down but Shao Xuan stopped him.

    ¡°I brought some food, I just need to borrow your pot and get some water.¡± Shao Xuan shook his skin pouch.

    In the forest, he often roasted random animals he found for food, sometimes even eating them raw but he had no choice because it was too dangerous in the forest. He had to always been on guard. It was difficult to find caves for shelter too. A good cooked meal was hard toe by, often his meat was notpletely cooked and sometimes a little blood would flow when he bit into it. Soup was definitely not an option in the forest. Since he was here, he wanted to have some meat soup.

    ¡°What meat are you cooking?¡± Zhao Ming inhaled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s called. It looked very weird. Want¡¯ some?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t eat stuff you totemic warriors can eat.¡± Although he wanted some, he knew of this.

    ¡°You can have a bit of the soup.¡± Shao Xuan scopped a little soup into his bowl. The beast he cooked was not the extremely ferocious kind so after broiling in soup, it would not be a problem for children. Shao Xuan had seen children drinking soup lik this one, plus he thought the kids here were physically stronger.

    ¡°Hehe, my brother says that too.¡± Zhao Ming shed a huge grin, liking Shao Xuan better now.

    He wasn¡¯t sure but Zhao Ming felt like this soup was much better than anything he¡¯d drunk before. He could feel a very obvious surge of energy in his body afterwards. He¡¯d spent the day making y pots so this warmth was veryforting for his tired body.

    The sun had set when they finished.

    They smothered the fire then entered the house to sleep.

    It had been half a year, this was the first time Shao Xuan slept soundly. He did not have to worry about desert beasts or ve masters, or the various threats of the forest. There were ming Horn people all around him. Although there was no fire seed, he felt as if he had the fire seed with him, he was at peace.

    It was a dreamless night. He slept through the night till the next morning.

    Shao Xuan rose early in the morning, a little rmed by all the chatter and noises outside. It took a moment for him to remember he was in the ming Horn tribe, not hte one he was familiar with but the other he had been looking for.

    Opening the room windows, smelling the fresh fragrance of the morning air, Shao Xuan looked outside.

    This moutain was not tall but it took up arge area. Every house was at least more than 10 meters apart, some further. There was a lot ofnd, no need to be frugal with it.

    Zhao Ming awoke to a smell. Yawning, he walked out.

    The meat soup was done. Shao Xuan drank his portion and even cooked for Zhao Ming with a bit of the beast soup added.

    ¡°Where do you n to goter?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I have to get my pots.¡± Zhao Ming had made several huge containers yesterday and handed them to the people in charge of baking hte y pots. All he had to do was retrieve them today.

    ¡°I want to go with you.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zhao Ming had long forgotten yesterday¡¯s questions, gulping down his soup.

    After licking off thest bit of meat, he packed and then brought Shao Xuan to the pottery.

    The ce where they baked pottery in the tribe did not allow people to enter, especially not curious children because it would only invite trouble. That was why once the pots were done, the staff would ce them all on the ground outside and each family would take their own.

    When they saw Shao Xuan, a foreign face, many people were puzzled and asked Zhao Ming about him. When he said he was brought here by Guang Yi, they did not probe further.

    Zhao Ming made two huge y tanks and five containers yesterday. However, when he could not find them, he saw a few pieces on the floor with words on them.

    ¡°I made five of them, two failed?! Thank goodness the tanks did not break.¡± Not every yware seeded every time, for a mistake during the process could affect the results. Zhao Ming was dissatisfied with his results.

    Shao Xuan looked around at the yware of different sizes.They were all ced together based on family. If they failed, the person in charge would write on the pieces and leave the pieces here.

    Everyone could recognise their own yware because they had drawn or written on it. For examples, Zhao Ming¡¯s pots had the word ¡®Zhao¡¯ on it. However, everyone had the same drawing¨C the ming Horn totem and the word ming Horn.

    The characers were not the kind he saw the ve masters use but the kind Shao Xuan had read since young.

    It looked like the ming Horn people never forgot about theirnguage.

    Zhao Ming had nned to take several trips but with Shao Xuan here, once was enough.

    He put the smaller containers into the tank then carry one tank on each shoulder.

    ¡°Roar¡­¡±

    A roar echoed across the area.

    Shao Xuan looked towards where the sound came from.

    Zhao Ming¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard it. ¡°Let¡¯s go watch! The hunting party must have brought back many beasts, the animals from my brother¡¯s huntring group are all there!¡±

    The booty from the hunts were also separated by who hunted it. That was why Zhao Ming¡¯s family also had a share of therge animal he saw there. When they ughtered it, they would get a huge portion.

    Kids who had never participated in hunts were always curious, especially Zhao Ming. He no longer wanted to go home, dragging Shao Xuan over to show off.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dinosaur!¡± it was a rare find so he was very excited.

    Sc looked over to see a beast tied up with thick vines. There was a fence made of thick tree trunks around it too, though these were meant to keep people out. It would ne difficult to keep a non-tied up animal in.

    Many childrenclimed on the wodden fence to look at the beast, chattering excitedly about whose family would get how much meat and which part.

    The dinosaur¡¯s head was shaped like a crocodile or lizard, the skin on its head was cracked. It looked like any fearsome predator in the forest. However, there were no thick scales beyond the head, just thick skin with sparse hair. Its head looked very heavy, it likely used its horn and head to fight. Its tail was short and heavy to maintain its bnce when it stood up.

    When it roared, he could tell fromt he teeth that it was herbivorous.

    Two young warriors were exning about the beast¡¯s living habits to the curious children.

    Zhao Ming gestured for Shao Xuan to put down his tanks and climb up the fence. He could only see through the gaps here and that was too troublesome.

    It made sense, it was not like someone would take their tanks.

    Zhao Ming ran to a side to listen to the two warriors with the rest of the kids while Shao Xuan looked at the beast who had changed its lying position.

    The beast was huge. Lying down, it was already four to five meters tall, it was enough for everyone.

    However, he noticed there was something off with the vines. He was a person who often used vines and could see that one of the parts was broken because of the way it loosened.

    ¡°Hey, you two, the dinosaur¡¯s chewing through the vines,¡± shouted Shao Xuan.

    The two excited warriors were suddenly interrupted. They rushed over and also noticed something was off.

    ¡°Get down quick!¡± Someone waved at the kids on the fence then bkew on a wooden whistle. They often met situations like that so they were not panicking. They also knew that just the two of them would not be enough to take down this beast.

    The beast knew it was noticed so it no longer acted in secret. With a huge bite, it unfurled the vines and stretched its humungous body.

    Crack¡­

    Shao Xuan heard the sound of something breaking, then a high-pitched cry from the beast.

    Zhao Ming and the rest of the kids slid down the fence hurriedly, not looking back as they hurried off. This was a job for the warriors, they were only going to be a hindrance if they stayed.

    Zhao Ming ran for a bit before he remembered something. He turned around but did not see Shao Xuan, only the two huge tanks next to the fence.

    Just as he wondered if he should turn around to search for him, he heard a thud as deafening as thunder that caused the ground to shake.

    The beast did not make any sounds after that.

    Everything returned to normal.

    He could not see what was going on with the warriors guarding the pen so Zhao Ming walked over with a huge gulp. Through the gaps of the fence, he saw the huge dinosaur kneeling on his front limbs. Its huge head was mmed into the ground while hind limbs iled about as it attempted to pull its head out of the ground to no avail.

 Chapter 373 - Real Or Fake?

    <h4>Real Or Fake?</h4>

    At this moment, the people who heard the whistle blows rushed over too. They responded very quickly because emergencies like that happened often. There was no time to hesitate anyway. The entire area around emptied out instantly, all the people who were here left, including the children who were ying.

    However, the problem ended as quickly as it began. Before a lot of people could respond, the matter was done with.

    They looked at the dinosaur beast, whose head was mmed right into the ground, then at the person standing in front of it. They all looked at each other.

    Fuck, who¡¯s that?

    Finally, the higher-ranked ones were shoved forward. They took a few careful steps towards Shao Xuan, saying, ¡°You¡­¡±

    When Shao Xuan turned around, they confirmed that they did not know this person but some who were on patrol duty yesterday took a look at him and said, ¡°Eh, aren¡¯t you the guy that Guang Yi brought in yesterday?¡±

    At this moment, two people appeared at the fences.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± one of them asked.

    The crowd¡¯s expression changed when they saw the two, they spoke with much caution now. One of them briefly exined what just happened.

    Tao Zheng had not been in the best mood. He had a very confusing meeting at the chief¡¯s ces yesterday. Today, he nned to hunt for food outside the tribe¡¯s vige but he ran into Zhui halfway there and it just made him feel worse. Zhui was an unpredictable guy, going hunting with him would just ruin his hunt. However, before they stepped out of the vige, they heard all themotion over here.

    After understanding the situation, he did not think much of it. These things happened often, there were efficient systems in ce to keep these animals in check. His gaze fell on the dinosaur, then at the stranger. His first response: hey, I haven¡¯t seen this person before. He¡¯s from our tribe? This is impressive.

    His second reaction: Oh no!

    Yep. Before Tao Zheng spoke, Zhui, who was standing next to him, had disappeared.

    Everyone in the tribe knew Zhui was a man who liked to pick fights. Every time some warrior in the tribe performed well, Zhui would go ¡®have a chat¡¯ with them. Right now, there was a man who could m a dinosaur into the ground, Zhui was excited as hell.

    As he felt the surge of totemic power within him, he grew more and more confident. Shao Xuan and the rest of the crowd could sense the rush of energy from the advanced level totemic warrior.

    Zhui was initially standing on a block of wood from the fence, now its top bit had been shaken off by the power vibrations. He hurled himself at Shao Xuan at extreme speed and utmost ferocity as if he had spotted an excellent prey in the forest. Everything around him melted away, all that was left was himself and the target he was fixated on.

    That was why very few people were willing to hunt with Zhui. Most people could never get used to how his entire being would change in just one second, plus it was too difficult to keep up with him.

    Before the person who was exining the situation to them was finished, he had already charged ahead.

    The warriors around them just watched. There was nothing to say, it would be useless for it was toote to stop Zhui.

    Although they did not know who the other guy was, all the tribesmen were familiar with Zhui. He was the equivalent of a man who had consumed the blood of a beast, it would be difficult to stop him unless the chief or the tribe leaders were here. Other than that, they could only wait until he wore himself out.

    Something bad¡¯s going to happen!

    This was what everyone thought at the same time.

    They also wondered whose house would be coteral damage in this fight.

    They pitied the guy. He merely fought one dinosaur and now he¡¯s Zhui¡¯s target.

    In the face of the sudden attacker, Shao Xuan did not dodge. Instead, the moment Zhui moved, a surge of power as powerful as Zhui¡¯s exploded from within Shao Xuan. Last night, Zhao Ming only saw faint tattoos on him because he was only using a little of his totemic power. Now, he unleashed all of it to his limit, the totemic patterns flowing likeva down his body, air rumbled around him in currents. Facing the fist rushing towards him, he stretched out his palm. He was ready.

    An advanced-level totemic warrior?

    Tao Zheng, still on the wooden block of the fence, was surprised. Before him was a stranger with ming Horn totemic patterns, an advanced-level warrior too. Was there such a person in the tribe? He suddenly thought of how he was summoned to the chief yesterday as he looked at the person in the pen. Could it be¡­

    Boom!

    A fist hit a palm, creating a deafening boom upon impact. Everyone could feel the vibration in their bones.

    Shao Xuan did not dodge, merely facing the fist head-on.

    It was like a rock fighting a rock.

    Tao Zheng¡¯s eyes shed.

    When ming Horn people fought against outsiders or hunted, they used other techniques but when they werepeting amongst each other, they lovedparing strength, speed, power or any other physical attributes, fighting their opponent head-on. However, not many people in this tribe dared face Zhui head-on like this. And Tao Zheng knew them all, just not this one.

    All the muscles in Shao Xuan¡¯s body were tightly wound. The power in him was unleashed in an instant, he did not need to dodge or move or borrow something else for momentum support¨C facing the brunt of the attack himself!

    To Shao Xuan, this was not like any other hunt- this was his first time ¡®interacting¡¯ with the other ming Horn tribe so he could barely suppress his excitement. He wanted to know: how did the powers of these people develop? Without the fire seed, what were they like? Everything was revealed just through one fight like a glittering sword shing through a veil of questions. Even the roaring totemic me in his mind seemed to be as excited as him.

    It had been a thousand years¡­

    To the rest of the people, it looked exactly like two hard boulders smashing into each other. It was hard to tell who would win.

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

    Most people would barely make out the silhouettes, only several depressions in the ground here and there from what seemed like fists and punches (they were almost round) while the shallower ones were from hard kicks into the ground. Looks like someone would have to fill these holes up after the fight and it wasn¡¯t going to be a simple task.

    The crowd felt the ground shake as dust, pebbles and bits of grass flew as if there was a huge animal on a rampage.

    They felt their bones vibrate with every thud, especially Zhao Ming, who was watching through the gaps of the wooden fence. He was utterly speechless by the entire thing- the person who stayed over in his house was an awesome fighter fit enough to fight Zhui!

    Who was Shao Xuan? Why hadn¡¯t he heard of this person? Were the chief and the leaders secretly training warriors?

    Even the dinosaur dared not move. It had already sessfully pulled its head out of the ground but after witnessing the sheer power of the impact between Shao Xuan and Zhui, it stuffed its head back in the ground¡­ like a thief covering his ears while stealing a bell.

    [Note: that¡¯s an idiom, meaning tantly ignoring a problem]

    ¡°Stop it this instant!¡± An angry roar came from afar like thunder.

    Thud!

    The two people separated.

    Shao Xuan took two steps backwards, a thud with each footstep. Zhui slid backwards for a distance before stopping. Anyone near him could even smell the grass burning under his feet from the friction. If they looked closer, his straw shoes woven with vines were smoking.

    Shao Xuan checked his clothes. He had often encountered ambush attacks in the forest, it had been a while since he could fight out in the open so he did not attempt to hide his capabilities. The pulsing air currents around him were difficult to control, the impact felt like two des mming into each other. That was why the clothes he was wearing had rips from the sharp air currents that surfaced so suddenly. Thank goodness his clothes weren¡¯t too damaged or he would be naked in front of a lot of people.

    It was the same for the other guy too. Zhui¡¯s clothes were more torn than his.

    Shao Xuan peered closer. This person looked almost as old as Guang Yi. He¡¯d heard someone call him ¡®big shot¡¯ earlier. Was this guy the head of the hunting party?

    Just as he was regarding Zhui and the rest, they were also observing Shao Xuan.

    They saw how Zhui had slid back so far and yet Shao Xuan only took two stable steps back. And that was it.

    They¡¯d mmed so hard into each other and¡­ Zhui lost?! This was shocking news.

    Duo Kang, who had just appeared, had not understand what was happening. All he knew was that Zhui and Tao Zheng were preparing to head out for a hunt but then he heard all themotion as he was heading down the mountains. Someone told him Zhui was picking a fight with someone again and hence he got very mad.

    When he thought of this, Duo Kang was furious once again. He had just scolded them yesterday, now this!

    Zhui was supposed to be with Tao Zheng, and he knew almost everywhere in this ce anyway. The moment he stepped into the pen, he started scolding Zhui, who was wringing his hand in pain.

    ¡°Have you forgotten what happened yesterday? What did you promise the chief yesterday? Also¡­¡± Duo Kang went on a rant, his spit flying in Zhui¡¯s face.

    When he finished, Duo Kang¡¯s expression was solemn for he was not done. He nned to scold the other guy too, starting with ¡°AND YOU!¡± but then he stopped in his tracks.

    After the word ¡®you¡¯, he did not make another sound. All he did was re at Shao Xuan. His expression resembled a person who was being strangled- his face was red and he could not make out a sound.

    No one knew what was the matter with him. His features were contorted, either due to rage or something else.

    Duo Kang was staring at Shao Xuan, more specifically the ne Shao Xuan was wearing. This was usually covered by his clothing so other people would not see it. However, after the scuffle, his clothes were torn in ces, bits of fabric pping in the breeze in his chest area. The fire red ball within the bone ornament had caught his eye.

    He was not mentally prepared for this. There had been no signs! He had always thought it was just a story his ancestors passed down to their children¡­ but it was here.

    Was it a fake?

    Just something simr?

    Or¡­ Was it real?

    At this moment, Zhui, the situation, trivial matters were all tossed aside.

    Ignoring everyone else, his eyes were still fixed on Shao Xuan but his hand grabbed a horn from his waist. This was the first time this horn was blown since he took over as head of the hunting party.

 Chapter 374 - Do You Remember Us?

    <h4>Do You Remember Us?</h4>

    Duo Kang brought the horn with him everywhere he went. It was a gift to them from a person from a small tribe from within the forest a few hundred years ago. That tribe specialised in art and craft, especially making carvings like this cornucopia horn out of horns and bones. Even the ve masters might not own one of these.

    The leader of the hunting party at the time had received this horn as a gift. Due to its extraordinary sound, which sounded like the roar of a ferocious forest predator, they did not use it often. There were stories of animals keeping their distance after hearing its roar.

    While the horn was notrge, it was of good quality. It had been a few hundred years but other than a few scratches, there was little wear and tear. It was not used often since there were other tools like wooden and skin whistles used for hunting. In the end, this horn was used only for emergencies that were very serious, passed down from leader to leader.

    Since Duo Kang took over as the leader of the hunting party, the tribe had been peaceful. There were minor issues but they did not involve the entire vige so there was no need for the horn. Yet, he now held the horn in his hand.

    Woooo¡ª-

    The ck horn as big as his palm unleashed a deafening roar, breaking the tranquillity of the vige.

    Many people were busy cleaning the prey hunted that day. When they heard the call, most did not know what was going on. Only the older members that had experienced a call under the leadership of the previous leader knew how to react.

    They had not heard this sound in many years, many were in disbelief, wondering if they had made a mistake. However, everyone had a solemn expression. They were all pale, wondering if the call was truly from the special horn. Then it sounded again.

    In the past, the sounding of the horn symbolised major conflict or killings.

    The younger warriors and small children were shaken. However, the older ones put down what they were doing without hesitation, calling for everyone to put down what they were doing. The tribe might be in danger, the horn was only sounded when something major happened. As for what other reasons, they could not think of any.

    The ones on the hill had simr reactions, especially the chief, the shamaness and the rest of the higher-ranked leaders. They were all pale.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Duo Kang blew the horn?¡± asked the chief, Zheng Luo, running out of his house.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it came from the foot of the hill.¡±

    ¡°Go, now!¡±

    Someone put down their bowl of rice to rush over, some ran out of their toilets to follow the chief. The shamaness had been in a discussion with the chief. Since she was not a fighter, plus she was old, she chose to stay on the hill.

    Rows and rows of people ran downhill. Elders and young children who could not fight all hid in the houses, even the naughtiest children ran inside obediently. The warriors took their weapons with them. In three breaths, the entire atmosphere changed into one prepared for battle.

    Even the animals kept in the animal pens shivered. ming Horn people were scary when they prepared to fight!

    Although the tribe took up arge area of this hill, with the chief. Guang Yi and the rest¡¯s abilities, they arrived where Duo Kang was in no time.

    All of them had hurried over because they thought another tribe had invaded their vige or there was a super beast ravaging the vige, yet when they arrived, they did not see one terrifying animal. There was only a dinosaur with its head buried in the ground. They looked around. Other than a few younger members, who looked shaken and clueless, they did not see anyone else. The horn was only sounded when something major happened, the situation here was not what they expected at all.

    ¡°Duo Kang, what happened?¡± asked the chief, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings.

    Everyone else who soon arrived was equally confused. They were looking for the invading beast but they did not see anything. Their gaze lingered on Zhui and Tao Zheng for a while, trying to figure out what happened. However, these two did not know what was going on either. They did not know what Duo Kang was doing, and they¡¯d never heard the horn in their lives. They only knew of its existence, the elders told them about it. They used to dream about receiving the horn once they ascended to the position of leader of the hunting party. Their eyes bulged out of their heads when they saw Duo Kang sound the horn.

    When Duo Kang first blew the horn, he did not think it would create such a misunderstanding. At that moment, he did not have any mental capacity to think of anything else, it was only when the chief spoke that he snapped back to reality. He did not answer, only lifting a finger to point, his face reddened.

    The chief, Zheng Luo, ?turned to look what Duo Kang was pointing at, frowning. There was a strange young man but he could sense he was a ming Horn tribe member. He was one of them, not an invader. Just when he wanted to ask Duo Kang what the problem was, his pupils contracted, his eyes widened as if he could not believe it. He rushed towards Shao Xuan and peered closely at the bone ornament ne he was wearing- or more specifically, the red, shiny ball in the middle of the pendant.

    When he saw the ball, even the calm chief Zheng Luo felt his breathing quicken.

    ¡°You¡­¡± Zheng Luo¡¯s voice shook uncontrobly, ¡°You¡­¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the man who was too emotional to speak with a grin. ¡°Do you still remember the ming Horn Tribe from the Fearsome Beast Forest?¡±

    Many people did not understand? Where was the Fearsome Beast Forest? The forest they lived in had many fearsome beasts, which part did he live in?

    However, as the chief, Zheng Luo was not confused at all. His spections were confirmed once again.

    ¡°You¡­ follow me!¡± Zheng Luo did not borate, right now he had to bring this person to the shamaness immediately. Although he already had his guesses, it had been a thousand years. There had been generations and generations who did not encounter this, yet one of them suddenly appeared without a sign. It was still unbelievable.

    Zheng Luo ignored the rest, dragging Shao Xuan up the hill, sprinting. They both disappeared so suddenly, leaving behind a crowd of confused people. They were confused at such a big reaction from the leader and the chief. What was going on? Was there danger? Should they go home now?

    Duo Kang, who snapped back to reality, ignored everyone¡¯s questions and quickly followed suit. He had no time to exin, plus it was not appropriate for him to exin without the shamaness¡¯ confirmation. All he could do was tell everyone to leave and then sprint up the hill.

    As for the bone ornament, while the rest might not know what it was, Duo Kang had a strong memory of it. When he took over as the head of the hunting party, there was a ceremony. He had to swear an oath with a hand ce on a box containing bone ornaments. These ornaments belonged to their ancestors. That year, he was told the story of these ornaments.

    The shamaness on the hill was worried. It felt as if something major had happened, but it didn¡¯t seem like anyone was in danger. What was it?

    When she heard footsteps, she looked up only to see Zheng Luo, who had always been aposed person, hurriedly dragging a young man over. She had never seen him this worried.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter¡­¡± The shamaness stood up and before she finished her sentence, her gaze instinctively fell on the bone ornament. She yelped in surprised, ¡°Elder¡¯s Bone?!¡±

    It looked like the Elder¡¯s Bone!

    She was in charge of protecting three of them, but all three ornaments were dull in colour as if they were in deep sleep. In the past, the shamans and shamaness had a theory that the ancestors had left them due to disappointment in their behaviour. That was why so many shamans left that year. However, here was a strange young man wearing the bone ornament with the orange bead. It was the fiery bead, as red as totemic fire, described in the legends!

 Chapter 375 - Staying Behind

    <h4>Staying Behind</h4>

    ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ really from the other side?¡± the shamaness¡¯ eyes fell on a specific spot.

    Shao Xuan knew what she meant, nodding. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Are all of you here? Where did youe from? Why are you wearing the Elder¡¯s Bone?¡± The shamaness had always been a solemn person of few words, yet she was firing several questions at once.

    Shao Xuan answered all her questions, telling her about the thousand-year history of the tribe, the life of the other branch of the tribe and other matters of where he came from. He also told her about other tribes and the ve masters on the desert.

    ¡°The ve masters of the desert were warring, I encountered the underwater tunnel by coincidence, that¡¯s how I got here. The rest of them are still over there,¡± he said.

    When Shao Xuan spoke of their lonely lives on the other side for the past thousand years, and their difficulties, the Shamaness and the chief secretly bled for them. Their eyes welled up.

    The ming Horn Tribe described by their ancestors in their records were once a mighty force, yet after an incident a thousand years ago and the separation of their people, the powerful tribe had be two, surviving in the world alone.

    ¡°As for this ornament, I found some remains of our ancestors in a stone worm¡¯s cave while hunting. That ancestor was wearing this. After that, the shaman let me wear this. When we went back to our tribe, as the fire seed was lighted again, this ornament regained its colour,¡± Shao Xuan told them about the Fire Giant.

    When they heard this, the chief and the shamaness stood up emotionally, their voices solemn and the hand holding a walking stick shook.

    ¡°Really?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Shao Xuan took off the bone ornament hanging from his neck and passed it to the shamaness for a better look.

    The shamaness tossed her walking stick aside, both hands carefully holding the ornament as if she was holding the most precious treasure in this world. Her eyes were filled with reverence. Then, she knelt in prayer towards a direction, two streams of tears flowed down her weathered face, dripping unto the floor. This was the first time in her life losingposure like this.

    Chief Zheng Luo and the shamaness both performed the prayer reserved only for the most respected. Although they still had a Fire Pond here, it was not as active as what it used to be. However, they prayed in the direction of their roots, for that was what their ancestors once used.

    Thud!

    Someone pushed the door open in great force, his face filled with anger and usation. However, he paled when he saw the kneeling chief and shamaness because he was now directly in front of them.

    This person immediately leapt away, his anger dissipated in a moment. Stuttering, he asked, ¡°What-what-what-what happened?¡±

    There were many people squeezed outside the door, including Duo Kang, Guang Yi and many others but they did not dare barge in like that. They were all whispering outside. However, the chief¡¯s door was made using a soundproof wood so they couldn¡¯t hear the inside, all they could do was suppress their curiosity. They were waiting anxiously outside but when they saw the kneeling two, the crowd flew to the sides immediately.

    Upon this sudden interruption, the chief and the shamaness regained a bit of theirposure. Although they were still emotional, what they wanted to know most was already known. There was time to ask about the rest.

    They named a few people for them to enter, Zheng Luo giving the guy who barged in a dirty look. The person also understood that he¡¯d done something inappropriate so all he did was scratch his head.

    The people who came in were the highest-ranked tribe members. There were young and old.

    The Shamaness repeated what Shao Xuan said, introducing Shao Xuan.

    When she finished, all of them were wide-eyed. Some of them knew of this period in history, while the rest were confused. It was shocking news, it meant their tribe was neverplete!

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you¡¯re very young. It must have been a difficult journeying here,¡± sighed an elder, looking at Shao Xuan with eyes filled with warmth and kindness. After a moment of thought, he added, ¡°Everyone, take good care of him.¡±

    Duo Kang smirked. ¡°Shao Xuan¡¯s stronger than Zhui.¡± While the ones here could beat Zhui, how many here could confidently win Shao Xuan? This guy did not need them to care for him, it would already be amazing if they did not provoke this person into hitting someone else.

    ¡°Right, Shao Xuan, how did you enter the tribe?¡± asked Duo Kang. Were the guards cking off during patrol? The guards left their posts without permission?

    Shao Xuan looked at Guang Yi, who was not speaking. ¡°I was brought in by Uncle Guang Yi.¡±

    When he heard his name, he looked up to see everyone looking at him sceptically. ¡°I brought you in?¡± It was obvious he did not remember Shao Xuan. If he had spent more time with him or fought him, the memory would¡¯ve been stronger but they didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Yesterday evening, when it was almost sunset. You brought me to Zhao Ming¡¯s house,¡± reminded Shao Xuan.

    After a moment of thought, Guang Yi gasped, ¡°So it was you!¡±

    The chief and the rest were speechless. Duo Kaang cursed to himself, ¡°Guang Yi you idiot, I was so underprepared for this I almost couldn¡¯t blow the horn!¡±

    The shamaness took a sip of water then said slowly, ¡°Shao Xuan, since you¡¯re an Elder in the other ming Horn, you¡¯re also one here.¡±

    The rest all looked at the shamaness. The position of an Elder had been empty for years, it was even a taboo to speak of it. The mere mention of it made the shamans sad, yet now the taboo was lifted? And it was passed to a person who could¡¯ve been her grandchild.

    Although they had their opinions, they did not dare speak up. Well, Shao Xuan¡¯s appearance was still a very major thing to the tribe, plus the guy¡¯s wearing the Elder¡¯s bone!

    It didn¡¯t matter what they agreed on, the shamaness knocked her walking stick on the ground with a frown for them to quiet down. But when she turned to Shao Xuan, her gaze was much less stern. ¡°Shao Xuan, you mentioned you weren¡¯t sure if you can return safely through the underwater tunnel once again. Why don¡¯t¡¯ you stay for the moment? We can go with you once we have a better idea. Part of our roots is there after all!¡±

    Everyone agreed and could not wait to leave. They wanted to see their ¡®brothers¡¯ on the other side.

    Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He wanted a better, safer method to bring the rest over too. He wondered if the people here went over, would ming Horn return to its past glory?

    With a pause, the shamaness said, ¡°In two days, we shall hold the ceremony for weing Elder Shao Xuan. Please make the appropriate arrangments.¡±

    The most important things had been settled so the shamaness shooed everyone out. When they all left, the shamaness brought Shao Xuan over to show him records kept by her ancestors. Since he was an Elder, he had the right to see these things. There were records of their experiences and the changes in the fire seed.

    Other people were banned from entering.

    Shao Xuan read the records in the designated room. In the house next door, the shamaness pulled out the box containing the other Elder¡¯s Bones. There were three inside, each had a dull bead. It waspletely different from Shao Xuan¡¯s, like a rusty knifepared to a new knife. There was a sense of deep, ancient sleep in them.

    She decided to take them out during the ceremony. Perhaps these ornaments would be happy to see a friend?

 Chapter 376 - One Day, We Shall Return

    <h4>One Day, We Shall Return</h4>

    Shao Xuan studied the roll of records made of animal hide in his hands. It was already the tenth roll today.

    The shamaness had ced food for him nearby but he did not touch it. Since he sat down and started his first scroll, he did not look at anything else.

    Previously, when he described the history of his part of the tribe to the chief and the shamaness, the two felt like they had led very difficult lives. However, as he read the records, he realised this part of the tribe had suffered too. They had to pay arge price toe here, less than a tenth of them had survived the journey here. They suffered huge losses, most of them arrived with severe injuries too.

    The records told of how someone had already realised the weakening of the me/fire seed a thousand years ago. They did not find a solution but found an opportunity with the emergence of the ve masters.

    The ve masters were able to cross from this piece ofnd to the other side due to a huge change in terrain a thousand years ago. Tall mountains became londs, vast oceans became drynd. The underwater tunnel Shao Xuan encountered was due to that change. After that, a group of ve masters crossed over using that ¡®bridge¡¯.

    Near the ¡®bridge¡¯ was the aridnds that Shao Xuan had encountered in the beginning. There was where the ve masters released the criminals. It was a difficult environment to live in, not a single tribe lived there during those times. It was still a piece of deadnd now, not many of the criminals survived.

    A thousand years ago, there were several prodigies and geniuses among the group of ve masters who crossed over from this to the other side. The scrolls mentioned a few of them, a person named ¡®Mu Han¡¯ was mentioned the most. The ve masters were able to rise on the other side all thanks to this Mu Han.

    The ming Horn Tribe¡¯s ancestors seemed to havee into contact with this Mu Han quite often. The chief that led his tribesmen out to avoid trouble had once fought Mu Han. While they weren¡¯t enemies in the end, they were not friends either. Just people who knew each other well after a long time.

    Then, the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s chief won in an encounter against Mu Han another time and got some secret information about the ve masters from Mu Han. At that point, the ¡®bridge¡¯ was already unstable. The ming Horn¡¯s shaman and the divination masters with Mu Han all said the ¡®bridge¡¯ would notst long.

    It was at this point when the ming Horn Tribe started to fall apart. The chief wanted to look for a way to save the weakening Fire Seed but the shaman strongly opposed. At that point, the sessor to the shaman was already named, he was a person named ¡°Zhi¡±. He was a person the shaman spent a long time to train and had high hopes for him. Zhi was a prodigy and also had the power of inheritance. Like how Shao Xuan once helped the shaman with drawing scriptures, Zhi also did that.

    However, this prodigy, in the end, decided to take the chief¡¯s side. With the chief, he brought half the tribesmen and half the fire seed over to cross the bridge that parted the ocean. They arrived at this piece ofnd and lived a difficult life of being shunned andughed at until they arrived at the forest.

    There were ten full scrolls after this detailing what methods Zhi used to look for a way to curb the weakening of the fire seed. The riddle was finally solved when this prodigy was well into old age.

    ¡°The me did not disappear, it has always been there, in the blood of the ming Horn people. And it will continue to live on with the people.:

    When he read this, Shao Xuan wondered if the other half of the fire seed had already merged into the ming Horn people¡¯s physical bodies.

    On the back of a scroll written by Zhi, there was a simple drawing. It was thest time they knelt in respect to the shaman before he and the chief came over to this side.

    Did he regret his decision? From the writings and drawings he wrote in hister years, it was evident he did not regret it. However, he did think it was a pity and felt guilt. He missed his homnds but he knew the bridge had sunk. He did not know when it would surface once again, and if it did, he would not live to see it. However, Zhi believed that when the ¡®bridge¡¯ appeared again, the tribesmen would be able to return with his answer back to the ming Horn Tribe.

    ¡°One day, we shall return.¡±

    This was what he wrote in the end. It was simr to what Shao Xuan saw in the stone chamber written by Zhan years ago.

    However, they did not know that the other part of the ming Horn tribe that remained did not have great luck either. They travelled and travelled, only for thends to separate and a huge river emerged. Itpletely cut off their path to ever return. They then lived a life of ¡®primitives¡¯ for the next thousand years.

    When he read all of this, Shao Xuan sighed. It did not matter if it was Zhi and the chief or the shaman from the other side, neither had a perfect ending. The ming Horn Tribe was divided into two. They saw themselves as the ones at fault.

    It was evident from the scrolls left behind by Zhi and the chief that their biggest wish was for both branches of the tribe tobine as one and revert back to its initial glory. They were sure that was the only way to restore their prosperous lives.

    From that chief¡¯s scrolls, Shao Xuan read a lot about Mu Han. Mu Han and the chief had met many times so his records on the ve masters had many mentions of Mu Han.

    Apparently, Mu Han was betrayed, therefore he was exiled into the aridnds. He was a genius, how else would he get himself into a situation like that? However, it was unexpected for these people in exile to find an opportunity to cross over to the other side through the ¡®bridge¡¯.

    There was a line in the chief¡¯s records: ¡°Mu Han felt like this was paradise.¡±

    ¡°This¡± referred to the other side of the bridge where the ming Horn and other tribes resided. There were many ¡®weak¡¯ people there, prisoners of war, nomads etc- they were all great material for ves because these were powerless people who had a thirst for it! These were the best ves!

    There was a huge pool of ves to choose from, igniting the greed in Mu Han. He bore a lot of hatred, nning to one day return to kill everyone. That was when he abandoned his ¡®Mu¡¯ family name for the character ¡°Shi¡±.

    [Note: Shi (ß±) = the assassination of an emperor or minister]

    The chief knew Mu Han well and had written manyments about him. His generalment was that Mu Han did not live a fair life. He was talented and capable, yet was betrayed in the end.

    Shao Xuan recalled the kings he had met in the desert cities. There were no people with the surname ¡®Mu¡± or ¡°Shi (ß±)¡±... No, there was someone named ¡°Shi (éø)¡±!

    Did Mu Han finally repent and want his descendants to learn how to suppress their anger? Did he switch from public anger to secret tactics? Why was the vicious name of Shi (ß±) was then changed to a more demure Shi (éø)...

    [Note: the É± in ß± symbolises killing; this part of the character was changed to éø of the same pronunciation. It now means a piece of wood, instead of assassination]

    He thought again. It was possible! Shi Shu and the rest were the ones who secretly triggered the entire desert war!

    Shi Shu¡¯s understanding of the ming Horn people perhaps didn¡¯te from Dao Yu, but from records left by his ancestor, Mu Han. Was this possible?

    It didn¡¯t matter if this was true, he could not possibly ask Shi Shu now.

    Shao Xuan read through the stuff left behind by Zhi once again, then kept them carefully.

    If he could return, these would be extremely valuable records. It was Zhi¡¯s life¡¯s work and the results of his research on curbing the weakening of the fire seed.

    Shao Xuan stretched to relieve his stiff muscles. He looked outside the window.

    It was sunny outside.

 Chapter 377 - If I Told You...

    <h4>If I Told You...</h4>

    When she saw Shao Xuan walking out of the house, the shamaness cracked into a rare smile. ¡°You¡¯ve read them all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Shao Xuan approached the shamaness and sat on the animal hide on the floor. He couldn¡¯t let the shamaness look up at him, her neck would hurt.

    ¡°Our ancestors always wished to return. Every year, we would send people to the sea to check if there¡¯s a chance we can cross but all we got was disappointment. I can¡¯t believe we met you,¡± sighed the shamaness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if we can cross safely either. I was forced toe here, and got lucky enough to survive. I really don¡¯t know if we can cross safely back, what about I go check?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± stopped the shamaness immediately. She did not want Shao Xuan to bear this risk. It was a rare chance to meet someone from the other side. What if something happened to him? It would be toote to cry!

    Shao Xuan recalled the experiences recorded by the ancestors in the scrolls then his own. ¡°When I came through the sea, there was some dried seaweed in the tunnel, but that was all. I did not see the red and blue flowers in the records.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t take the risk. We can always wait for opportunity, but if you die, we will never have the chance,¡± advised the shamaness. She was about to speak when she shuddered and looked at him in disbelief. ¡°You.. You¡­ You¡­ You can read the shaman scrolls?¡±

    The text scrolls did not mention the red and blue flowers but it was described in the shaman scrolls. People who did not know how to read shaman scrolls would not know this. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she had once written one of those and frequently flipped through them, she wouldn¡¯t remember it so clearly.

    ¡°Yeah, I can.¡± Shao Xuan had thought that the people here might have evolved or even read the shaman scrolls since they already had the Fire Seed merged into their bodies. Looks like that wasn¡¯t true.

    ¡°Other people can¡¯t?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Your people can?¡± The shamaness was astonished.

    He shook his head. ¡°On our side, other than the shaman, only I can read.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the shaman there?¡± she gasped.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the Elder. We have another shaman over there. He¡¯s about your age but the old man has trained an excellent sessor.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t he let you do it?¡± In this moment, shes of stories about how ve masters fought them for power surfaced in her mind.

    The people over there did not have the fire seed merged into their bodies, it was rare for anyone to be able to read the shaman drawings. ording to records, that time, almost every person who could read shaman scrolls would be the tribe¡¯s shaman. Just like Zhi. That was why the olddy thought it was only fit they trained Shao Xuan to be the next shaman, for he was as talented as Zhi!

    If she had the chance to meet the old man, she would have to discuss this with him!

    ¡°No, the old man has approached me many times but I refused,¡± exined Shao Xuan. It was not right for the old man to take the me.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you want to be a shaman?¡± The olddy was curious. She had not found the most suitable sessor here. Although there were a few people who could understand some parts of the shaman scrolls, they could not truly grasp the scrolls. It would take a long time to train them and they might never achieve Shao Xuan¡¯s level of understanding.

    ¡°I¡¯m not suitable,¡± said Shao Xuan. He couldn¡¯t tell her that he was naturally restless and liked to roam about, with a tendency to cause trouble. A shaman like that would just cause problems in the development of the tribe. Also, in this environment, Shao Xuan did not think he was as wise as the people here.

    She wanted to advise Shao Xuan to take her position but when the shamaness heard this, she swallowed the words. She wanted to scold him, yet couldn¡¯t bear too. Theplex change in her emotions made the muscles in her face twitch. There was a sudden urge to kowtow to her ancestors to vent her chaotic feelings.

    After a chat with the shamaness, he left the house.

    He had juste out when he was stopped. Chief Zheng Luo brought him to a ce at the peak of the hill. It was an empty piece ofnd. Right now, there was a hugemotion as rocks were stacked and thick wooden pirs were carried over. There was the continuous sound of chopping wood.

    They were building a house here under Chief Zheng Luo¡¯s instructions for Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The house might not be done by tonight, you shall stay at my ce for a night. It¡¯ll be done tomorrow. We have dried animal hide, baked pottery prepared. You do not have to worry about anything,¡± said Zheng Luo as he pointed at them. Then, he roared at the people who were taking secret nces at them, ¡°Focus on your task at hand! You, what are you looking at?! You almost chopped off your arm there!¡±

    The people quickly turned to focus on their task. With the chief here, they could not daydream.

    Zheng Luo then brought him further up the peak to a special ce in the vige. It was a ceremonial fire pond, and there was a warehouse and other structures there.

    Shao Xuan felt like a monkey who wandered into a crowd of humans. Everyone was staring as if he were an exotic animal. In a few moments, more people crowded around them. Zheng Luo would then shout and shooed them away but in another few moments, new people would arrive and Zheng Luo had to shout again. This happened again and again.

    They were curious. After all, Duo Kang¡¯s horn had scared everyone and the matter had no proper closure. All of this started because of this foreign young man, and apparently this person was one of them!

    A descendant of the ming Horn Tribe from the outside?

    But if he were just a missing person who returned to the tribe, that still wasn¡¯t important enough for the chief to apany him all day. A few years ago, there was a long-missing man who returned with a wife and children. The chief and the shaman did not treat them like this. Right now, the chief was smiling the friendliest smile they¡¯d ever seen. Ugh, they had goosebumps.

    The leaders and older members all had a very odd expression on their faces. They were suddenly told about a weing ceremony to be held in two days. This made their curiosity bubble like a boiling pot of water, overflowing across the kitchen.

    Duo Kang¡¯s son, Duo Li, and Tao Zheng were gossiping with their friends. They had been shooed away in annoyance by the chief just now. They were currently talking about Shao Xuan while roasting meat over a fire.

    They were chatting when Tao Zheng nudged Duo Li, who was biting into an animal¡¯s thigh, his head nodding at something.

    Duo Li looked over to see his father passing by, deep in thought. He did not even wipe off the grease on his face when he sprinted over.

    ¡°Dad, dad¡ª¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t returned to the me yet, what are you howling for?¡± scolded Duo Kang. the tribesmen believed in cremation at the Fire Pond. They believed that the soul would return to the me, or the Fire Seed, where they would be with their ancestors to guide the descendants.

    ¡°I was worried about you?¡± Duo Li offered his animal thigh, with a bite missing, to his father as an offering for peace.

    Duo Kang looked at it in disgust then decided to leave.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t go! Tell me about Shao Xuan,¡± asked Duo Li hurriedly.

    Tao Zheng and the rest who were sitting by the fire strained their ears, fearing they might miss a word.

    In the past, Duo Kang would have noticed these eavesdroppers but his mind was in a mess now.

    Duo Kang looked at his curious son, then thought for a moment. He thought of a way to tell him about how the tribe was separated.

    After a moment of silence, Duo Kang said, ¡°If, I told you¡­¡±

    ¡°Mm! Tell me what?¡± Duo Li looked at his father in anticipation.

    The rest strained their ears harder.

    ¡°If I told you, you had a brother¡­¡±

    Duo Li¡¯s hand shook, almost dropping his food.

    ¡°B¨Cbr¨Cbrother? What brother?¡± he stuttered.

    Duo Kang scrambled to look for a word. ¡°Same father, same mother, and born at the same time as you. A brother!¡±

    Plop! The piece of meat in his hand fell onto the ground.

 Chapter 378 - Welcoming Ceremony

    <h4>Weing Ceremony</h4>

    He¡¯d been the only child for so many years, since when did he have a brother? Duo Li looked at his father, puzzled.

    Tao Zheng and the rest were shocked but it didn¡¯t seem right. Shao Xuan did not look anything like Duo Li.

    ¡°Dad, Shao Xuan¡¯s my brother? My real brother?¡± Duo Li asked, pointing at a person faraway.

    ¡°Just an example!¡± Duo Kang also noticed that his son had misunderstood but unless the chief and the shamaness allowed it, he could not simply tell anyone where Shao Xuan came from.

    There were many people here who knew the ming Horn Tribe did not originate from this ce but somewhere far away, from the ocean. However, a thousand years had passed. It was just a story passed down from generation to generation. Most here just treated it as a bedtime story. If Duo Kang was not the head of the hunting party, he would not have the chance to know more. The younger ones did not usually overthink it either.

    ¡°I mean, you all should just treat Shao Xuan as if he were your real brother!¡± Not knowing how to exin, Duo Kang left them with this sentence. When he finished, he realised this wasn¡¯t right either. Shao Xuan was an Elder. These kids should respect an Elder!

    On the day of the weing ceremony, the atmosphere of the tribe was peculiar. Some were excited, some were curious. All conversations centred around Shao Xuan, a face that had appeared from nowhere. Ever since Duo Kang said that sentence, there were many people who became more curious. Every day, many people would climb up the hill to watch. If it weren¡¯t for the chief and other older people there, they would¡¯ve talked to Shao Xuan themselves.

    Shao Xuan could feel the stares from everyone, as if he was some rare object, at the same time he could feel the warmth of the tribe.

    When the house was ready, the bed, tables, chairs, pottery were all prepared inside. On the day he moved in, many people sent gifts. Some gave him meat, food, hide, etc. As hunters, every family had animal hides. In half a day, Shao Xuan had a pile of animal fur in his house.

    Shao Xuan quietly remembered the people who gave him gifts. Although they were just simple gestures of wee and they did not look like they were here to kiss ass, Shao Xuan remembered them.

    The aunties living on the hill came to visit, each person with a string used as measuring tape. They fussed over Shao Xuan taking his measurements, and on the next day, he received many sets of clothing, some made of animal hide, fabric and leader.

    Someone sent over ceremonial clothing too. This was extremely good quality leather given by the shamaness, it was a very robust material.

    Since there was no fire seed, the rituals were a little different from what Shao Xuan was familiar with.

    On the day of the ceremony, when the sun had just set, everyone slowly climbed the hill, all d in neat, clean clothes.

    Shao Xuan realised these people all wore animal hide to the ceremony, not regr fabric. The totemic warriors mostly wore sleeveless leather clothes, especially the advanced warriors. They would expose their shoulders and totemic tattoos every ceremony, for it was an opportunity to disy their status.

    The clothes prepared for Shao Xuan were sleeveless too. To Chief Zheng Luo and the rest, it was a good time for Shao Xuan to disy his capabilities too. Not everyone had witnessed the time he fought with Zhui, most only heard rumours. People would have a stronger impression if they saw it themselves.

    Since it was a joyous celebration, many people continued the tradition of their ancestors. They brought with them their hunting spoils, horns, bone ornaments etc.

    Shao Xuan had not hunted ever since he arrived. On the way, for ease of travel, he did not keep any souvenirs with him. The only thing he wore was the Elder¡¯s Bone.

    Against the white bone, the fire red bead in the middle stood out. Even at night, with the help of a little light, the bead glowed like a fireball.

    ¡°All ready?¡± The shamaness looked at Shao Xuan, who was standing at the side.

    ¡°Ready.¡± Although this was not the tribe he was used to, it still felt very¡­ ming Horn. He wasfortable.

    ¡°Go then.¡±

    The shamaness walked towards the fire pond while Shao Xuan walked in the opposite direction. A weing ceremony consisted of this ritual where someone walked up the hill while the other walked down the slope. Every neer had to do this.

    There was no fire seed in the fire pond, just torches around it. Shao Xuan waited at the bottom of the hill. There were two groups of people guarding the area in case of an emergency.

    Muffled singing came from the peak. The entire hill was solemn. It was a formal ceremony.

    Red light glowed at the peak as the shamaness lighted a fire in the fire pond.

    When he heard the sound of the horn, Shao Xuan walked back up.

    There were many torches around, his path was well lit probably so he could see where he was going. However, he could see quite well in the dark.

    After passing a quiet area, Shao Xuan saw the gathered crowds. There was a path cleared for him, everyone was looking at him curiously. This was the first time they could observe him in close range without worrying about the chief or the older members scolding them.

    This was Shao Xuan?

    The young man who beat Zhui?

    They heard this was the guy who robbed Taihe tribe!

    No matter what they felt, they did not say it aloud. It was not appropriate to speak during the ceremony

    Using his extraordinary vision, Shao Xuan saw fine red lines extending from each person in the crowd forwards, towards the fire pond at the peak of the hill.

    As he approached the fire pond, the red bead grew brighter, as if it had caught fire.

    Many people squealed but stopped themselves. Their eyes were flued to the ne, which was now on fire.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s totemic patterns appeared too, flowing down from his shoulders to his wrists, to his palms likeva.

    An advanced totemic warrior!

    He was an advanced totemic warrior!

    Eyes widened around him.

    The fire pond finally appeared before him. Although it wasn¡¯t the roaring, tumbling mes he remembered, it was not small. The fire filled the pond.

    The shamaness stood next to hid, a stone box in her hand. There were three bone ornaments identical to the one he was wearing. However, they were not glowing like his.

    When Shao Xuan approached, the shamaness passed him the box.

 Chapter 379 - Flame Giant Appears Once Again

    <h4>me Giant Appears Once Again</h4>

    In this tribe, before a high-ranked member stepped into the position, they would have to swear an oath before the fire pond and the three bone ornaments. The year Zheng Luo took over as chief and Duo Kang as the head of the hunting party, they also went through this process. That was why it was no surprise when the shamaness took these out. Other than the people who stood closeby, most people could not see exactly what it was.

    The day Shao Xuan the Zhui sparred, and his pendant was visible, not just Duo Kang recognised it.

    Shao Xuan bowed towards the box, a gesture of respect towards his ancestors.

    ording to the n, when the box was taken out, Shao Xuan would have to swear his oath. However, the people who stood closest to the fire pond, like Duo Kang and the older members, waited but Shao Xuan still did not speak.

    What was going on? Did he forget what he was supposed to say? Was he too nervous?

    Chief Zheng Luo looked at him in confusion, however, when he saw the shamaness doing her best to suppress her emotion, he sensed that something was happening even though they could not see it.

    The shamaness had tears in her eyes as she stared at the box in her hands.

    The dull ornaments had been in deep slumber in the box, yet when Shao Xuan approached, it was as if someone brushed off a thickyer of dust. They were glowing.

    It was a very faint glowpared to the bead on the bone ornament Shao Xuan wore, yet enough to make the shamaness so emotional. The shamans and shamanesses knew what the beads symbolised. In the past, shamans who looked at the dull beads felt like their ancestors had forsaken them, like they had done something wrong. And yet, with this change, the shamaness saw hope.

    The ancestors had not left. They had always been there, guarding the ming Horn Tribe.

    The ming Horn people had stubbornly prayed to them, these were things left behind by the first shaman. It represented the most powerful shaman who had existed in the tribe. If it was not for the fact that she was still carrying the box, she would have knelt in prayer already.

    Shao Xuan also saw the changes in the box. In the past, when he had received this ornament, the shaman had told him the first shaman left behind six beads to make six pendants. Shao Xuan had seen three, and finally, he saw the other three.

    Thank goodness none were lost. This meant the six pendants would one day unite again.

    ording to the instructions the shamaness had previously given, he harnessed all his totemic power and pushed a portion of it out to connect to the pond. This was something he must do. Everyone else in the tribe also connected their beings to the fire pond. The mes in the fire pond rose.

    However, what he didn¡¯t expect was that the moment he connected his power to the pond, there was a major change. He was so mesmerized he did not speak the oath.

    The totemic mes in his mind roared while the mes in the fire pond shot up.

    The sudden rise in the mes attracted everyone¡¯s attention. Just as they shot up, all the torches and burning fireces on the hill and at the bottom of the hill died in that instant!

    There was only one source of fire left on the hill, which was the mes in the fire pond.

    The older members of the tribe had participated in countless rituals and ceremonies in their lifetimes. They had also heard of many stories from their fathers and grandfathers, yet they had never heard such a thing. It was as if this was the only source of fire in the world. Like the king of fires, it stood tall on the peak, overseeing its empire.

    An image of two horns surfaced within the roaring mes, slowly bing clearer. Every tribe member was familiar with this. They had seen this during ceremonies but never thisrge, or clear.

    They could feel their blood flowing through their veins, like water boiling, surging, celebrating. With vibrations in their bones, their totemic patterns became brighter than they had ever been.

    ¡°This¡­ This is¡­¡± The shamaness was stunned into silence, mesmerized by the tall mes.

    However, this was not the end. The shamaness sensed another surge of energy that threw her mind into chaos. She looked down at the box she was holding to see that the beads were shining. They were no longer just glowing, reflecting light. They were shining from within themselves as if they were fireballs!

    The beads grew brighter and brighter until there were literal balls of me curling out of the beads.

    The three bone ornaments with three beads burst into mes in the same moment. The people who could not see the ornaments could see light from within the box.

    The air was hot but no one was burnt. In fact, they felt a sense offort and warmth that they had never felt before as if they were assured and protected. Everyone from the ming Horn tribe was astonished. Their minds went nk as their eyes were glued to the fire.

    The mes on the bead hanging from Shao Xuan¡¯s neck extended, the same happened for the beads in the shamaness¡¯ box.

    The shamaness and Shao Xuan standing next to the fire pond were now surrounded by the extended mes. However, they were unscathed, with no signs of being burnt. The rest of the people were rmed by this esction.

    The shamaness stood stiff, clutching the box carefully, deeply afraid that she might disrupt this process with a movement. Although she did not know what would happen, she was sure it was to the benefit of the tribe!

    Compared to the shocked people, and the stiff shamaness, Shao Xuanw as a lot calmer. He was able to guess what happened next. This had happened once before.

    Shao Xuan lifted his head to look at the mes extending upwards.

    The shamaness followed suit.

    Everyone else did not understand why but did the same thing.

    Some of them wondered if it was a new ritual but soon realised they were wrong.

    The mes extended upwards, then merged together mid-air to form the outline of arge human. The outline was bing clearer.

    The fire grew brighter, stronger.

    A me giant appeared at the peak of the hill, everyone was shaken by its appearance. When everyone else snapped back to reality, they realised they had already knelt to the ground.

    The giant opened its arms wide and flew upwards from the pond as if it wanted to break the skies.

    The hills and the clouds covering the moon were dyed a fiery red. Its aura of power nketed over the entire hill, creeping into every corner.

    The animal pens at the bottom of the hill still contained captured beasts. At this moment, both the fierce and tamed once were shivering, wishing they were a rock instead. The dinosaur beast tied up in vines struggled furiously, wing the ground with its hooves to dig a hole for itself to hide in.

    There were hungry beasts on the other side of the manmade river circling the hill, yet in this instance, they ran far away, as if they were beaten by a club.

    The Taihe tribe nearby had already gone to bed. However, they were suddenly wide away as they felt chills up their spines. They were terrified.

    They all leapt off their beds, rushing out of their houses to look towards the ming Horn tribe.

    However, both tribes were too far apart for them to see what was going on. All they saw was the red sky and forest.

    There was a bright, fiery patch of red in the middle of the dark forest. It was a chilling sight.

    What were the ming Horn people up to now?!

 Chapter 380 - Stoneware

    <h4>Stoneware</h4>

    Shao Xuan, as the newly-appointed young Elder, had given everyone an unforgettable experience during his weing ceremony. If anyone was still sceptical of him taking the role, after this, all grumbles and doubts would vanish.

    No one objected to him taking a position that was just below the shamaness and the chief. Everyone had an addedyer of respect, for every time they saw him, they would remember the me Giant forming from the mes extending from his body.

    The weing ceremony also involved a formal introduction of Shao Xuan to everyone. His history was not important, everyone only needed to know that he was the new Elder. Since the shamaness and the chief did not borate about his past, they did not ask questions. This trait was simr to the people of the other ming horn.

    ¡°There will be a hunt seven dayster, Shao Xuan, join everyone then,¡± said chief Zheng Luo to Shao Xuan.

    Group activities were a way to quickly integrate him into their tribe. The hunt would help him adapt to theirmunity. Especially with his capabilities, he was going to do well here. His hunting skills should not be too bad since he was an advanced totemic warrior.

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Zheng Luo wanted to give him some bronzeware but he rejected them. After a few days, Shao Xuan had a general understanding of the tribe¡¯s situation. Although many tribes used metalware, they were exchanged from ve masters.

    The Core Seed was in the ve masters¡¯ hands. The Core Seed on this side was a lot bigger than the one in the desert too. A thousand years ago, the ve masters banished into exile only had three small core seeds with them. The ones left in the base camp were the real deal. Metal was in abundance, that was why they were generous enough to share them with other tribes.

    However, bronzeware was expensive too, there was a high price for barter. Before every child¡¯s first hunt, they would receive their first bronze de from their parents, or some other metalware. Sometimes, this gift would apany them for the rest of their lives- it could be a sword, an axe or a dagger. If it chipped off during a hunt, there were cksmiths here although they were not as skilful as the prodigies with the ve masters. They could do basic things like making a new de out of the old damaged one.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s household had many metalwares because they were outstanding in hunting. It was not like Shao Xuan could not hunt without a bronze dagger- if he wanted one, he would earn one on his own.

    That was why Zheng Luo and the rest were puzzled when Shao Xuan lifted boulders towards his house during the days leading up to the hunt.

    Ever since the introduction of metal, more and more people realised its convenience. Stoneware became rarer, though it was still in use. But they were no longer essentials. When Shao Xuan carried the boulders, the shamaness, chief and everyone felt sorry because they realised that their brothers on the other side were still reliant on stoneware.

    Once again rejecting offers from the shamaness and the other people, Shao Xuan focused on making the tools he needed.

    One of the reasons why he rejected their offers was that he was used to making his own tools. He might not be used to tools made by other people, mistakes could happen during the hunt.

    Most of the people here had lost the skill of identifying good quality stone but not Shao Xuan. The boulders were mined from a ce outside the vige, of middle to high quality. It was not amazing but it was enough. He might get something better after venturing out for huntster.

    Every time people passed his house, they would here cling and ngs of his sculpting process.

    Ding ding, dang dang¡­

    Duo Kang and Guang Yi entered his house to watch him make stone tools out of curiosity.

    They admired how Shao Xuan could shave a huge boulder into small pieces, into a shape he wanted. They had both used metal tools for a long time. So this was how their ancestors did it!

    Other than making tools of all sizes, he prepared tools, needles, nails, screws using wood and bones for the hunt. This time, he was prepared to hunt a lot. He had received a lot of gifts when he arrived so he must give them something in return. It was a good time to keep a stock for himself too, maybe he could exchange them for other goodster.

    Seven dayster, a portion of warriors about to leave for the hunt gathered at a piece of emptynd at the foot of the hill.

    Shao Xuan covered his face with some coloured mud, this was simr to the ming Horn practice he knew. Before a hunt, they would draw patterns on their faces- though instead of superstition, this was for camouge.

    This mud was specially made by the shamaness. When their ancestors arrived a thousand years ago, they had experimented on using this as camouge. It did not dry as quickly as regr mud, nor would it crack due to movements in facial muscles. It couldst up to ten days.

    As usually, the hunting party was led by Duo Kang and Guang Yi. The people who hadn¡¯t previously participated came too, if they were not on duty. The younger ones like Wu Zhan, Tao Zheng, Zhui etc were all enthusiastic due to Shao Xuan, who was seen as apetitor. Especially to Zhui, who was still dissatisfied from theirst sparring session.

    After a roll call, Duo Kang waved. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Roar¡ª¡± The party roared, then sang a hunting song ording to their tradition.¡±

    ¡°The skies and earth opened, then came our ancestors. The tribe prospered, and we hunted! The seasons changed, the snows were gone. The animals rejoiced, the birds sang¡­¡±

    It was a familiar feeling. Although both tribes had very different experiences, Shao Xuan felt like he was back to his first hunt. He felt pride for his tribe.

    The people of Taihe tribe were nning to hunt too. They had walked a while when they heard singing from the ming Horn tribe. They started to panic. What the hell? This was getting annoying! Why did they have to do this even on a hunt?

    At least they were all hunting in different territories, or the Taihe people might have puked their breakfasts.

 Chapter 381 - Accurate

    <h4>urate</h4>

    The forest was dense, trees were tall and majestic. It would take three people hugging the trunk to fully circle it at the crown, while the trunk closest to the ground would take more than ten people.

    Roots twisted as if an ancient beast had clenched its ws upon the ground. Some ces even felt like small hills but the hunters paid them no mind.

    A row of silhouettes trekked deeper into the forest. Once inside, they parted different ways, breaking off into small groups. This was not technically a group hunt so the groups were smaller.

    Shao Xuan was with some of the younger warriors, there were about twenty of them in the same group. Tao Zheng and Zhui were here, this group was led by Wu Zhan. In terms of ranking, Shao Xuan should have been the leader but since it was his first time and he was not familiar with all the faces here, he did not ept the position.

    Everyone worked well together on the team. Other than being a little stiff in the beginning due to Shao Xuan¡¯s presence, after some time, they were a lot morefortable and all returned to normal.

    There was no speech, just a gesture and a look was enough. They worked seamlessly.

    Tao Zheng was already given repeated reminders to take care of Shao Xuan by the chief, the leader of the hunting party and his father and a few other uncles. Although Shao Xuan was capable, plus he was the Elder, he might not be used to the fast rhythm of their hunting style. That was why as they approached their hunting spot, Tao Zheng wondered if he should stop to exin to Shao Xuan.

    However, he realised not only did Shao Xuan not need his help, he was well adapted into their team. When there was an emergency, and Tao Zheng made a gesture, Shao Xuan hid as quickly as everyone else. He did not need extra guidance from Tao Zheng.

    A branch from a tall tree shook. However, the team could not see clearly due to the dense vegetation.

    With a gesture, the entire team slowed down immediately. Their footsteps quietened as they approached slowly. Zhui and another person climbed up a tree next to it, as agile as monkeys, to peer forwards. If it was a prey, they would have to prepare to hunt.

    Through his special vision, Shao Xuan could see a silhouette through the leaves. The animal was notrge and based on its bone structure, it was a baby.

    Zhui peered forward and then shook his head at Tao Zheng.

    While the shape of its head looked like a horse, its neck was a little longer, its torso strong. It usually moved very slowly but can speed up quickly when in danger. Its hooves were not big but hard enough to hurt you if it kicked.

    This was one of their usual preys but the hunters did not hunt young animals. If resources were enough in the area, they would often meet young ones like this. The warriors did not touch them because it would not be considered an opportunity to show off their strength, plus there would not be much meat. It would be better use of their energy to hunt an adult.

    They would rather leave it be until it grew up or reproduced.

    At this moment, the young animal stood on its hind legs, supporting itself using a tree trunk, and ate fruit off the tree branch. Its ear twitched but it did not notice the hunters, nor did it know it just had a brush with death.

    They trekked more. There saw a river and a sandy area on the bank but there was no trace of other animals here.

    ¡°We usually don¡¯t take water from that river because it¡¯s too dangerous. If we need water, we will get it from the grass dew, tree trunks or a stream in the hills,¡± Tao Zheng exined in a low voice.

    ¡°What¡¯s in the river?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There are fish with sharp teeth, sometimes pythons but they¡¯re not the main reason.¡± Tao Zheng pointed at the empty sandy bank. ¡°There might be Bone Beasts. If they¡¯re here, then it would be especially quiet in the region. Fish and other animals would hide.¡±

    ¡°Bone beast?¡± A new name.

    There was light, Shao Xuan did not see anything unusual. However, his gut sensed there was something dangerous there.

    ¡°Bone beasts have very hard bones suitable for boneware, making bone daggers. However, they are not easy to hunt because of their thick armour and skull. They¡¯re strong too. If we are not confident, we won¡¯t usually provoke them. They¡¯re very cunning animals, good at camouge.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked towards the sandy piece ofnd again. Activating his power, he identified a hunk of bone.

    There was a bone beast asrge as the dinosaur he fought. However, it was as if it wore a stone helmet. Just by sight, he could tell it was extremely robust. Right now, its entire body was buried in the ground, only its head was on the surface. Its eyes were closed, ears pressed downwards, nostrils constricted and breathing slowed. At a nce, it looked like a boulder. There was even moss and nts growing on it. People who were not familiar with this animal would have thought it was just a boulder.

    It was excellent at camouge. If it felt like it would be too obvious, it would even roll a few boulders over and sit among them for better camouge. Most of the boulders they saw by the river now were ced by the animal!

    ¡°There¡¯s one bone beast there,¡± said Shao Xuan, pointing at the ¡®rock¡¯. It looked like this was an animal who hunted alone. If it hunted in groups, they would be way more dangerous.

    One of the reasons why bone beasts were so dangerous was because it was hard to identify their exact location. If they made a mistake, the beast would take the opportunity to ambush them. However, if they knew exactly where it was, they could make preparations and the hunt would be easier.

    Tao Zheng grew more excited. The younger ones all liked a challenge like that.

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡± he asked again.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±

    After a pause, Tao Zheng asked again, ¡°Are there other bone beasts nearby?¡±

    ¡°No, just one. It¡¯s huge though, mayberger than the dinosaur back at the vige. You all want to hunt it?¡± Shao Xuan saw the sh in his eye.

    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss with everyone.¡± It was a team after all, he could not just hunt alone. A beast like that would require everyone¡¯s efforts to yield a sessful hunt.

    Tao Zheng told everyone and as expected, they were all interested. If they knew exactly where it was, at least they could prepare. And even if it was a failure, they would be able to retreat safely.

    ¡°How are you so sure that¡¯s the bone beast?¡± Zhui asked, staring intently, ignoring a tug from Tao Zheng. His tone was filled with doubt.

    Everyone had this question too, though they did not dare ask. Even the most experienced warriors here were not as quick in distinguishing the animal from its surroundings. So what if he was the Elder? Would they have to believe everything he said? Hunting was not a game, a mistake could result in injury or death.

    Shao Xuan did not answer his question directly. He looked around then pointed at a spot two steps away from him. ¡°There¡¯s a rock under here. About this big.¡± Shao Xuan gestured to show its size, then described its shape.

    Zhui and the rest looked at where he pointed. It was a pile of rotten leaves and broken branches.

    Zhui looked at Tao Zheng, and when he nodded, Zhui took out a small knife and shed away the branches and leaves. He brushed away ayer of soil to see a rock. It was exactly like what Shao Xuan said.

    Zhui raised his eyebrows.

    How could he be so urate?!

 Chapter 382 - Let Me Try

    <h4>Let Me Try</h4>

    After he proved his point, the rest trusted Shao Xuan a little more.

    ¡°So?¡± Tao Zheng looked at Zhui.

    Zhui buried the rock expressionlessly, covering it with leaves again. ¡°Since we¡¯ve made the decision, let¡¯s hunt it.¡±

    The bone beast was tempting. A good hunter was excited by a challenge.

    Once they confirmed the decision, Tao Zheng retreated a little with the rest for a discussion before they moved. If it were an animal they were familiar with, they would not need to discuss. However, they had to n for this one because it was their first time.

    Unfortunately, the world did not wait for them.

    Just as they were discussing, a bird dove into the river like a gust of wind to catch a fish. It did a flip in the air and found a rock to rest on.

    Tao Zheng and the rest stared anxiously. Fly away, bird! Fly away quickly!

    The bird did not leave though. It had chosen this rock.

    The rest watch as the bird with a long neck flew towards the bone beast with the fish in its beak.

    They all cursed the bird in their hearts. You idiot! Why did you pick THAT rock? I¡¯d rather you pick a diseased tree than that ¡®rock¡¯!

    Just as its wsnded on the beast¡¯s head, all hope vanished. They would rather shoot it down now. Some of them closed their eyes- not because they did not want to see it eaten, but because they had to stop themselves from shooting the bird.

    It was such a good opportunity, now it was ruined by a stupid bird!

    If the bird hadnded on another rock, perhaps the beast would not bother with such small prey and continue hiding. However, it would never let an animal standing on its head go.

    Roar!

    A roar that sounded like boulders rolling off a slope echoed. A boulder cracked open to reveal hook-like teeth, snapping up the bird who was bold enough to step on its head.

    The deep roar and the bird¡¯s high-pitched squawk scared all the other birds away, all pping their wings frantically to escape. The young animal they had encounter shuddered and then sprinted off.

    The squawk suddenly stopped, its fish plopped on the ground, gasping for air. It was about to leap back into the river when the bone beast stepped on its with its ws. It was now pulp.

    It was as if a hill rose from the ground. When the beast emerged from the sand, pebbles and stones crackled under its ws.

    It chewed on the bird, panting. The group could feel every rumble of its breath in their bones.

    They looked at the bone beast, shocked by its size.

    Shao Xuan climbed up the tree for a better view of the animal.

    The bone beast was simr to the dinosaur but only in terms of body shape. There was still a huge difference in its features because one was herbivorous, the other carnivorous.

    The dinosaur was a little rounder while this one was muscr. It was likeparing a fat pig to a muscr bull.

    Of course, its greatest defence was hard bone covering its entire body.

    Tao Zheng and the rest discussed in a low voice as they watched the animal slowly chew on tis food.

    ¡°What now?¡± someone asked.

    Give up? But it felt like a waste. Hunt it? But they had no guarantee. This was not what they had nned.

    Tao Zheng had several ideas but they were all no use. They were too dangerous. Even if they seeded, they might get hurt in the process. They would never risk their lives like that just for an animal.

    He felt a nudge. Zhui nced upwards, indicating Tao Zheng to look up.

    Tao Zheng looked up to see Shao Xuan observing something in the tree. In a low voice, he asked, ¡°Shao Xuan, what do you think?¡±

    He still had to ask for the Elder¡¯s opinion. This person was capable and ranked higher than him.

    ¡°Let me try,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What?¡± Tao Zheng strained his ears, fearing he had mistaken.

    ¡°I¡¯ll try,¡± said Shao Xuan, leaping off the tree.

    The rest of the team looked at him. While they were not mocking him, they did not think it was a good idea.

    ¡°Do not underestimate the bone beast,¡± Tao Zheng said solemnly.

    There were many animals who looked slow due to theirrge frame. However, they were powerful during a real fight.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    That bird was a fast one, yet the beast could catch it. He had witnessed its explosive strength. When it emerged from the sand, he had a general idea of its muscles and strength distribution in its body.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go try. Don¡¯t worry, I have a n,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The rest of them were a little less worried when he said that. They wondered if he had other powers.

    ¡°Be careful. If it doesn¡¯t work out, we will save you, then retreat,¡± said Tao Zheng.

    ¡°Mm. If I can¡¯t handle it, I¡¯ll tell you. Do not make brash decisions if I did not ask for help either,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Tao Zheng hesitated, then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    He passed his weapons to him but Shao Xuan refused.

    ¡°Thanks but I have mine too.¡± Shao Xuan patten the pouch he carried then walked over to the river.

    When he left, another guy asked, ¡°Other than that short ck knife, what else does he have with him?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Tao Zheng shook his head.

    ¡°That knifes made of stone, right?¡± another asked, worried.

    Tao Zheng stopped them with a sigh. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait and see.¡±

    As they watched Shao Xuan approach without making a sound, everyone was impressed. It really seemed like he was experienced in this.

    Then, they saw Shao Xuan climb up a tall tree and stopped. Then, he tossed something, though not aiming directly at the beast.

    Feign attack?

    They all wondered if this was a feign attack. It was a good opportunity to learn. However, what happened next made their jaws drop.

    Shao Xuan charged directly at the beast instead.

    Tao Zheng almost had a heart attack. What fucking happened to ¡®don¡¯t worry¡¯?!

 Chapter 383 - The Power of the Elder

    <h4>The Power of the Elder</h4>

    A cloud had blocked the sun. It grew a little darker.

    The forest seemed to grow a little solemn in the shade.

    The trees next to the sandy piece ofnd were very tall, this was what Shao Xuan liked best. Shao Xuan had observed the types of trees and the strength of their roots. The spot he stopped at was the best point to start.

    A troublesome beast like that was not a good opponent in a direct fight. He was a hunter, he had to use another method.

    Today¡¯s weather and their surroundings were perfect. Hiding in a tree, he watched the crouching beast.

    However, all his predictions were still theoretical. He still had to be careful. He was not wearing the wormskin he used to wear for protection. He had used it to protect the core seed for Tuo to bring it back to the tribe. Without protection with him, he was more careful. It would do him no good to injure himself.

    He had silk thread with him though. He aimed and threw a stone nail over, tied to a piece of thread.

    The sound of the nail falling on the ground alerted the eating beast. Its rxed frame was suddenly stiff, its body contracted.

    When it noticed the tiny human charging at it, it roared and waved its ws.

    Shao Xuan dodged and threw a small screw tied to some thread so it would circle a thick tree trunk.

    He still hadn¡¯t used his knife yet. Although there were a few good opportunities to do so, they were not going to be fatal cuts. That would just break its skin, at most, but definitely anger the beast even more. Without knowing what the beast could do in extreme rage, it was best not to take that risk.

    He dodged another w with utmost agility. Every time, when it looked like he was going to be hit, he would dodge it.

    Tao Zheng and the rest were sweating. To them, he looked like he was dancing on the line between life and death. They were all terrified that Shao Xuan would end up like the fish that was pped into pulp.

    With every dodge, the beast had be agitated and each swing grew more forceful. It reached further to grab him but arge tree nearby snapped. While it did not break cleanly, the crown of the tree was still shaking furiously.

    Crack!

    Another tree was snapped in half.

    However,

    Shao Xuan still hadn¡¯t used his knife. His strategy was still mainly running around and making the beast run in circles.

    ¡°What the hell is he doing?¡± Zhui couldn¡¯t help but ask.

    The rest were also confused as ever. Their initial concern had worn off. It was obvious Shao Xuan had the ability to fend himself from the beast, yet he still ran close to the beast.

    ¡°We¡¯ll just watch. If it really gets bad, Shao Xuan is strong enough to escape. Again, he hasn¡¯t asked for help yet,¡± said tao Zheng.

    ¡°What did he throw?¡± asked Wu Zhan, who hadn¡¯t spoken.

    ¡°Knife? Spearhead? Doesn¡¯t look like it. Also, who throws stuff away from an animal?¡± Tao Zheng shook his head.

    The sun was still blocked by a cloud so it was a little dark. They could not see every detail, nor could they approach. This might just disrupt Shao Xuan¡¯s n and put themselves within the beast¡¯s reach.

    That was why they all silently agreed to watch from afar.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan ran up a tree, then did a flip off it. Right under him was the beast, its jaws wide open, all its hook-like teeth waiting for it.

    ¡°Aahhh!¡± Every warrior yelled. He would not be able to dodge mid-air!

    Tao Zheng was ready to run forward, cursing him. Why isn¡¯t he asking for help yet?

    Shao Xuan looked at the gaping jaws under him. There was a mischievous glint in his eyes. Sometimes, the prey and the predator switched roles multiple times.

    It had fallen into his trap!

    Shao Xuan was approaching the jaws, he could smell the coppery smell of blood from its breath and the feathers stuck between its teeth.

    Then, just as it prepared to swallow, it saw its prey leap in the air once again.

    Did he just jump? Mid-air?

    How was that possible?

    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened.

    He didn¡¯t jump once, he was jumping, step-by-step, upwards! As if he was running up the stairs, mid-air.

    Not just the beast was stunned, everyone else watched with bulging eyes.

    How was this possible?!

    There was a breeze.

    In the skies, the thick clouds moved and sunlight streamed down once again.

    Tao Zheng and the rest saw many thin threads reflecting the sunlight around the beast.

    Thread?!

    Shao Xuan was supporting himself on the threads! So that meant he had been tossing thread around previously!

    But how did he do it?

    He had already surrounded the beast with thread, and by now, he was at a suitable height.

    Just in time.

    A pebble rolled into his palm, in between his fingers. Shao Xuan shot the pebble in front.

    Boing!

    The tight thread shook.

    As if he had touched a switched, consecutive sounds of slicing exploded. It sounded like nails on a rock, piercing and deafening. Tao Zheng and the rest had goosebumps just from this, they couldn¡¯t help but shudder.

    Just like a cocoon, the bone beast was now tied up by a thread.

    It struggled hard but the more it moved, the shriller the sound was.

    There was the smell of burning wood.

    Crack! Crack! Crack!

    Consecutive cracks echoed across the forest. Several tall trees had been sliced in half, some were sliced nearer to their crowns, other nearer to the roots.

    Roar¡ª

    The beast struggled and ten magnificently tall trees were snapped in half. It was not able to stabilize itself in time, hence crashing into the ground.

    This was the moment!

    Shao Xuan did not n to rely solely on his threads to tie the beast up. It was just to trip the beast!

    Shao Xuan harnessed all his totemic power. The mud on his face did notpletely cover his patterns, the muscles in his arms rippled. With a leap, all his strength exploded and the trunk beneath him cracked. He had already sprung forward.

    He hurled himself at the beast at an rming speed. In the blink of an eye, he mmed his fist into its face.

    The beast had just looked up after it was tripped over, to see Shao Xuan¡¯s fisting at it. A gust of wind came with him, causing it to squint.

    Bam!

    Everyone shook. Just from the sound, they knew how strong that one punch was.

    Zhui looked at the bone beast, whose head was now smashed into the ground. He thought about how the other dinosaur¡¯s head met a simr fate and he felt his face twitch. Now that he had witnessed Shao Xuan¡¯s power himself, he was astonished. That was powerful!

    ¡°What... what¡­¡±

    Before he could speak, another punchnded.

    The bone beast had just lifted its head when it was smashed down again.

    Zhui, who had personally felt Shao Xuan¡¯s wrath, was speechless.

    Tao Zheng and the rest had their jaws on the floor. They felt the urge to cheer and scream for him!

    Then, they saw Shao Xuan rub his fist. He ran aside to lift a boulder, then hurl it at the beast. He did this a few times.

    The boulder was smashed into pieces, yet the beast¡¯s head was still fine.

    Was it still struggling?

    Alright, another one!

    As they watched Shao Xuan hurl boulder by boulder, Tao Zheng and the rest couldn¡¯t help but pity the beast. All its dignity was gone!

 Chapter 383.1 - Bonus Chapter

    <h4>Bonus Chapter</h4>

    [A bonus chapter provided by the author]

    The meeting point between the desert and the ocean on the other side.

    Since Shao Xuan disappeared into the ocean, Sapphire and its army would check for Shao Xuan¡¯s return at the coast after dealing with the portion of the Golden Guards.

    It was difficult for the people of Sky Wheel City. They had to flee every time the patrol team encountered the beetle army. This had happened a few times. They already knew that the beetles were carnivores, of course they¡¯d run away or they¡¯d be bug food. There was a sea of them!

    Sapphire sensed that Shao Xuan was getting further and further away too, as the days passed. Fewer people visited the coast due to the insect swarm, even wild animals barely passed this region to avoid them.

    Since food was scarce and they could not swim, Sapphire had to lead its army somewhere else for the moment. However, it still wanted to stay close to meet Shao Xuan if he returned.

    The desert was now deste after the war. The first city to fall was White Stone City, followed by others. Unowned ves fled to other ces to avoid being killed. As the desert was vast and the ve masters were busy at war, they could not spare more resources to recover the ves. The ves were too worthless to be worth spending resources on.

    The blue beetle was hunting for food with its army. As time passed, the number of beetles joined the army too. Soon, there were fewer and fewer beetles living in animal pens. Their appetites were changing, along with their physical characteristics.

    The battlefield after the war was the best ce for them. They were the janitors of the desert, cleaning up the aftermath every time. Only bones and useless weapons were left behind.

    They used to be the janitors of animal pens, now they were the janitors of battlefields across the desert.

    Sapphire had been rolling dung balls for a long time, though it had changed a lot, this habit remained. After every sweep, it would collect random objects, roll them up in a ball and push it around. It would run around with other beetles, pushing it. Other than going underground to rest, they were usually on the surface, on the sand.

    If the humans hadn¡¯t fled the army of beetles, they would¡¯ve seen the big blue beetle leading the army ying with a ball. It would use its hind legs to push it around while smaller ck beetles watched.

    ¡­

    A group of ves were trekking across the desert with only a few pieces of cloth on them. They were fleeing the city due to the fighting between ve masters, they were all covered in dirt and wounds.

    Half of them were the lowest-ranked ves in the city, not yet owned by a ve master. Therefore, the ve owners had no power over them. These people were too weak to survive the desert. Fortunately for them, half were recognised by a ve master. While they were not strong, they could still fend for themselves like catch smaller animals to fill their stomachs.

    There was a feeling of camaraderie between them. They had worked well together or they wouldn¡¯t have escaped.

    They couldn¡¯t return after fleeing the city. There was some hope out there but if they returned, they would definitely be killed by the ve owners. They did not want to be cannon fodder in battle, nor killed. They just wanted to live.

    These were men and women, some old and some sick. They had been on the run for a while so they were weak.

    They settled in a ce that looked like it had been long abandoned. Perhaps enough for one ve master but not more.

    Some ves had sought this ce as a sanctuary on the run before them but somehow, only their skeletons remained here.

    To their astonishment, there was a small spring here. Perhaps this was once an oasis but the underground spring shrank. The water became cloudy so it was abandoned.

    Even the cloudy, muddy water was precious to these ves. This was enough to keep them alive.

    When they just arrived, they were terrified every day to see an army sent by their ve masters. Gradually, they were less worried as they did not see anyone else other than the asional desert beast nearby.

    One day, the sun was shining brightly high up in the sky, the ground was burning up in scorching heat.

    They leaned against the walls, eyes closed, as they rested in the shadows.

    Suddenly, a dark-skinned man with a stone spear sprung his eyes open. He leapt behind a broken wall, looking in a direction.

    The rest saw him and grew alert. They also got up, looking in the same direction as they picked up random tools.

    There was a group of people approaching. It was an army sent by the ve owners. Dust flew where the mounts passed. Although they were a distance away, the refugees could smell the copper smell of blood.

    Everywhere this army went, all ves who fled would be ughtered, no matter which city they were from.

    Standing behind the broken wall, the man peered at the other side with fierce eyes. His lean body remained stiff, holding the spear behind his back. His veins were bulging with how tensed he was. He looked like a desperate wolf, paralysed in fear.

    He looked down when he felt a squeeze on his thigh. His youngest son, five years old, was clutching his leg with panic in his eyes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Now, go back,¡± said the man.

    A woman came over to pick the child up and gathered with the others.

    In the face of an army of ve masters, the only way to live was to escape. The young men who could fight stayed while the rest packed their things to leave.

    The ve masters were approaching. When they saw signs of ve activity in the abandoned oasis, the men roared, elerating. All these were criminals, they should be killed!

    Their roar sounded like rumbling thunder. The air grew tense and suffocating.

    They wereing closer. On the other hand, those who were escaping hadn¡¯t run far. They were too slowpared to the army.

    The hoarse voice of the man standing behind the broken wall echoed. He intended to face the ughterers himself but soon found the murderous horde had stopped. They slowed down as if braking suddenly, though the ones at the back struggled to stop, mming into the row in front.

    The ves looked at each other when the army stopped. They were confused.

    When they looked back at the army, then behind them, they were shocked to see something they would never forget.

    There were tall sand dunes behind them. They saw something like bugs pushing big balls on top.

    They had only been here for several days but the dunes were not thereIt was as if the sand dunes had appeared out of thin air.

    These ves did not know what the thing pushing a ball around was but the ve masters did. If you ever encounter the ck ocean of beetles, you had two options: wait for death or run!

    The leader chose the second option. Compared to the worthless ves, they cared more about their own lives. Tugging on the reins hard, the leader on the mount turned to leave.

    The roaring army suddenly turned around and left in a matter of moments.

    The ves who hadn¡¯t run far saw the miracle. One of the older ones started to kneel and pray while the rest followed suit. They felt like the gods had saved them. If not, what was that? The sand dunes? And the thing pushing a ball around?

    They never saw the ve masters again.

    After a while, the people at the abandoned oasis finally saw the beetle army. The most prominent of them was the leading blue beetle, rolling a ball around.

    In the face of such a swarm, everyone paled. They could give their all in a fight against ve masters but what could they do against a swarm of beetles?

    Kill? How? It didn¡¯t seem like they could escape, they were surrounded!

    However, one of the elders was suddenly very emotional when he saw the blue beetle. He picked up a beast his son had hunted and ran into the ocean of beetles. The rest had not reacted in time to pull him back.

    They were all stunned to see him run into the swarm as if it was suicide.

    Sapphire hade here once. Why were there so few beasts here? Because the beetle army had been here before. Anywhere they had passed would be deste for a while. This was also why the refugees could live such a peaceful life here.

    Sapphire saw a human running over. It was about to wave a limb when the human knelt about ten meters away from it. He knelt towards it, then even tossed an animal towards them.

    Since Sapphire wasn¡¯t moving, the rest didn¡¯t either, even though they wanted the meat.

    It sauntered over and looked at the animal on the ground. It sliced a sliver of it and tossed the meat to its subordinates. It did not fancy meat like that.

    The beast was suddenly covered by a wave of beetles. The person who gave the offering was stiff as if all the blood in him was frozen.

    After tossing the animal aside, Sapphire looked at the person kneeling in front. Hmm, not aggressive, not violent. After some analysis, it made a conclusion¨C not delicious!

    At this moment, Sapphire sensed a battle happening somewhere far away. There was no time to deal with this person. It quickly called all the other beetles over to hurry to the battlefield, even leaving its ball behind. If they were too slow, the food left behind would be eaten by other animals!

    The swarm of beetles followed it one by one and soon, the ce was back to a piece of deste desert and a dry bone. That was the animal.

    There was another huge ball as tall as a human left behind, that was pushed over by the big beetle.

    When he was sure they were gone, his blood thawed and he could move again. A young man rushed over to pick him up. When he got up and looked at the ball, they realised there were useful things in the ball!

    Knives, swords, spears, animal hide clothing, bones, branches etc.

    When the elder saw these, his eyes welled up in tears and he knelt in prayer once again. He felt like this was the reward given to them by the blue beetle.

    They found a lot of good weapons and armour to protect themselves. Branches, bones and tarp were used to block out the weather.

    The elder carved a drawing using one stone knife on the highest wall of the oasis every day as an offering.

    The drawing was a beetle, standing upside-down. Above the beetle was a ball.

 Chapter 384 - Hunted by Elder

    <h4>Hunted by Elder</h4>

    The bone beast had fainted from a concussion and looked like it was going to remain unconscious for a while. Even if it woke, Shao Xuan would just throw another boulder. Plus, there were other people like Tao Zheng watching.

    Tao Zheng and the rest approached anxiously. When they confirmed that the beast was really unconscious, they became bolder and found some vine to tie it up. They found vines that were flexible and strong and tied it up like a cocoon. The protruding mouth was tied too. Other than breathing, the beast would not be able to move- at most, it would move its hoove a little.

    Once it was tied up, they started touching and studying it. The bolder ones even lifted its lips to look at its teeth. The unconscious beast¡¯s muscles were rxed. Other than the hard armour that covered most of the body, ces like lips and nostrils were exposed. These were its weaknesses that were usually out of reach during battle.

    After they were done, they worked together to drag the beast towards their resting spot. Although all the teams hunted separately, the resting spot was still the same. Since this was a huge game, they had to first bring it over to the spot before hunting other animals.

    The beast was huge but the ming Horn people were strong. They dragged it across the ground and worked to lift it up when they passed ces where dragging did not work.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, are the people in your vige all as strong as you? Are there many advanced totemic warriors at our age?¡± Tao Zheng asked after hesitating for a long time.

    Everyone looked at him.

    Most of them in this team lived near the top of the hill so they were more knowledgeable than others. Some knew from listening to rumours while the rest learned from their elders. They already knew Shao Xuan¡¯s history from the adult.s

    When he heard the question, Shao Xuan shook his head with a smile. ¡°No, there are very few young advanced totemic warriors. But there are still many very powerful people.¡±

    Tao Zheng and the rest rxed when they heard this. So there were few like him, plus he was an Elder. There was only one Elder between the two branches!

    If they saw other prey on the way there, they would put the beast down and hunt. It was convenient anyway.

    Shao Xuan let the rest have their chance to hunt while he watched the unconscious bone beast in case it woke and caused trouble. One the way, when the rest were hunting, Shao Xuan noticed it was about to wake so he knocked it out once again with arge rock.

    At the resting spot, many teams were there resting after a day of hunting. Some of them would stay overnight if they were far away but most still chose to rest here for peace of mind.

    This resting spot was on a hill in the middle of the forest. There, vegetation was not dense. There was a natural cave, enhanced with some construction to be able to store smaller prey and enough for everyone to rest inside.

    Animals that were easy to clean were ughtered and shifted into the cave. Anything more troublesome would be tied up for the moment and then brought back to the vige.

    Some people stood guard outside, alertly watching the forest in case they were ambushed by other animals.

    These people standing on higher ground saw movement in the forest and blew on their whistle for the people at the foot to stay alert.

    Very soon, they understood that it was not a beast but their own members dragging some prey back. It was arge animal too. Everyone looked- it was Tao Zheng and his team.

    Everyone was familiar with Tao Zheng and his team¡¯s capabilities. Every hunt, they would get incredible animals. Tao Zheng, Zhui and Wu Zhan were some of the best young warriors here and their name was known in other tribes too.

    ¡°Tao Zheng, what did you get this time¡­¡± The person on guard wanted to ask Tao Zheng, who was walking in front but was stunned speechless when he saw the animal.

    ¡°Bone beast?!¡± Two guards on duty shouted.

    ¡°What? Bone beast?!¡± More people ran over.

    It was rare for them to get a bone beast, and every hunt used up a lot of time and energy. Often, they came back with nothing, or even injuries. They couldn¡¯t believe Tao Zheng¡¯s team had hunted one with the entire team with no severe injuries.

    Tao Zheng and the rest couldn¡¯t help but blush in embarrassment when everyone looked at them. They did not even lift a finger! The little scratches they had were from hunting other animals afterwards, unrted to this beast.

    ¡°This was hunted by Elder Shao Xuan,¡± said Tao Zheng.

    The rest did not believe it. Shao Xuan was just one person, how was that possible? This was a fully grown bone beast!

    However, they only got more curious when Tao Zheng and his team exined. Everyone helped carry the beast as they asked questions.

    There were three girls in Tao Zheng¡¯s party. At this point, they were no longer anxious and a lot chattier.

    ¡°Xiao Lin, did Shao Xuan really hunt the bone beast?¡± asked one.

    ¡°Of course!¡± The girl named Lin started to tell them about the hunt excitedly.

    Shao Xuan was dragged away by Duo Kang for questioning.

    Duo Kang did not care about the bone beast. He had hunted one when he was younger too, but that was with a team. He was more concerned about whether he was used to hunting, if he was hurt.

    Shao Xuan answered every question in detail. Now that he knew Shao Xuan was adapting well, Duo Kang was relieved. He even brought Shao Xuan around, introducing him to herbs they had picked during the hunt.

    Shao Xuan had learned about herbs that grew in drier regions from Ji Ju but he was not familiar with nts in a forest. There were differences in species in different regions, of course.

    After learning about herbs and a hearty meal of roasted meat, everyone started to go to sleep while the people on duty kept watch outside.

    After a good night¡¯s sleep, Shao Xuan woke up refreshed.

    Shao Xuan walked out of the cave and looked down at the forest. He took a deep breath, shaking his shoulders and stretched.

    There were people protecting the prey too, all experienced hunters so Shao Xuan was not concerned.

    The second day¡¯s hunt was about to begin. They had to hunt more because the number of animals would decrease as winter approached. They had to be ready.

 Chapter 385 - Itâ€™s Him!

    <h4>It¡¯s Him!</h4>

    Every year, as winter approached, the tribe would hunt more frequently. If it weren¡¯t for limitations in humanbour and they could not bring more things, they would¡¯ve stayed longer.

    That was because they would prepare animal hides to be sold to the ve masters and exchange for other things. When the weather turned cold, the demand for animal hide would greatly increase. Their ves would prepare a lot of goods to be exchanged for animal hide.

    Those with good quality fur can be twice the regr price.

    Things that could not be produced in the vige like grains and bronzeware were exchanged this way. The households that were better off would buy some rare products sometimes too.

    All these relied on the prey brought back from their hunts.

    Last night, before sleep, Shao Xuan heard many people discussing what they needed to get for the trade. They asked Shao Xuan too but he hadn¡¯t participated in a trade before so all he could do was wait and see.

    On the second day, before the sun was up, the small teams had already left to hunt.

    Shao Xuan and Tao Zheng¡¯s team trekked through the forest quickly. Every now and then, Tao Zheng would stop to introduce the terrain here. This was a frequent hunting track so he pointed out all the dangerous ces, fierce beasts, poisonous and medicinal herbs. Shao Xuan memorised them all.

    After they passed a dried-up river, Shao Xuan stopped suddenly and looked in a direction.

    When he stopped, everyone stopped. After the hunt yesterday, the team now dared not underestimate him. Even stubborn Zhui had to admit Shao Xuan was stronger than them.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Tao Zheng asked. He looked at the dried river bed and did not find anything odd. They had passed this ce many times and were very familiar with this ce.

    Shao Xuan was staring at something. ¡°You all wait here, I¡¯ll go check.¡± He ran in a direction.

    There weren¡¯t any dangerous animals there so Tao Zheng followed. ¡°What did you find?¡±

    Shao Xuan did not speak. He wasn¡¯t sure either.

    The river bed was twenty to thirty meters wide. Further away, the river was wider but not deep.

    ¡°Every monsoon, the river would rise but at the end of the year, the river would dry up,¡± exined Tao Zheng. ¡°The river is filled most of the year, it only dries up at the end of the year. Usually, we don¡¯t cross here because there are dangerous fish.¡±

    Shao Xuan walked to the bank but did not go down. The riverbed was so dry it was cracking. However, if you stepped on it, you would sink immediately because it was still mud. Only the topyer was dry. There were weeds growing between the cracks too.

    Shao Xuan paid no interest, his goal was the rocks on the river bed.

    ¡°Do you have a spear? Can I borrow it?¡± Shao Xuan turned around for a tool.

    ¡°Use mine!¡± Duo Li hurriedly handed his spear over.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    Shao Xuan flipped a rock nearest to him on the river bed upwards using the long spear, then caught it. He brushed the dried mud on its surface, studying its qualities and rolled it between his fingers.

    ¡°Is this rock any different from other rocks?¡± asked Tao Zheng. These rocks don¡¯t look any different to him. They were not big enough to make stoneware either.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°Just a guess.¡±

    He flipped up another two stones, all as big as his fist and put them in his pouch. Then, he walked along the bank and stared far ahead.

    ¡°The dangerous fish you talked about, does it have hard scales, sharp teeth, four wed limbs and a long tail? It can swim ande onnd, right?¡±

    Everyone else nodded. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the one. Shao Xuan, you¡¯ve seen the,?¡±

    They wanted to catch these fish but realised they were very dangerous animals that travelled inrge groups. When the weather turned warm and the river was filled, the hunters would avoid this area. They only walked this path when the river was dry.

    Touching the rock in his pouch, he asked, ¡°Where does this river lead to?¡±

    Other people didn¡¯t know but Tao Zheng knew a little. An old hunter once told him.

    ¡°I heard there¡¯s another wider river ahead. That river might run through the entire forest and probably leads to the ocean. However, it¡¯s too far away so none of us have seen it. We just heard it from someone from another tribe.¡±

    A river that leads to the ocean? Shao Xuan thought hard.

    He stopped because he felt like the rocks were very familiar. The texture was familiar too. The year he brought the tribe across the river away from the Drumming tribe, a crocodile had given him a stone. The stories denote the Water Moon Stone from the Drumming tribe originated from a rock like that.

    The Drumming tribe had note here before but perhaps the crocodile had. Maybe not the crocodiles specifically from that tribe but what about other crocodiles? Did they pick up rocks from the ocean and deposit them in rivers too?

    He wasn¡¯t sure.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Shao Xuan. The team still had to hunt, they couldn¡¯t stop because of him.

    Duo Li looked at the leaving group and then the rocks protruding from the river bed. Then, he ran over to flip one up for himself. Ever since he saw Shao Xuan defeat the bone beast alone, he had gained a lot of respect for this Elder. He believed in Shao Xuan¡¯s capabilities. If he thought these rocks were odd, he should take one to study too. Maybe he would make a discovery?

    Many people were also wondering if they should pick up one themselves but the team was leaving. Whatever, they could take one the next time they passed. There was still one more hunt before winter.

    Despite the peculiar method he used to fight the bone beast, during the next few days, he used regr hunting techniques. While ming Horn people admired individual strengths, it was still important to work as a team. With the team, they hunted a lot of prey. At the same time, Shao Xuan wove a using vines to catch a few tapirs.

    These tapirs were a smaller species and edible. They were timid and would sprint like mad at the slightest sound. They often hid in dense vegetation until the threat left. These tapirs had patterns on their skin so when they hid in the forest, it was hard to spot them.

    The younger tapirs are even more timid, unlike other animals who are more curious. They would follow their mother and never leave. This survival strategy made a defenceless animal survive till this day.

    Tao Zheng and the rest did not really want these animals but Shao Xuan caught them. It was a mother tapir with a few young ones. They were initially escaping another predator when they ran into Shao Xuan¡¯s.

    Shao Xuan did not really want to eat amon animal like that either, this was going to be a gift.

    After the hunt, it was time to return to the tribe.

    Everyone gathered at the resting point and prepared to send their game back.

    There was a portion of the path that coincided with the Taihe tribe¡¯s path. Although both tribes had different territories and hunted in different regions, they shared the same part of this path. This was a t area, easy to walk and easy for transporting prey.

    The path had been cleared manually through cutting off branches and pulling out weeds, as well as by the sheer traffic.

    Due to the great harvest and smooth hunt, Duo Kang was in a great mood and started to sing loudly. Everyone sang too.

    The aura they exuded was intimidating enough for predators to not approach. When they left for the hunt they would never do this because they did not want to scare away animals. However, it was time to sing to their heart¡¯s content now.

    At the fork shaped like a ¡°Y¡±, the people of Taihe tribe were transporting some prey too. When they heard the ming Horn¡¯s singing, the leader of the hunting party was annoyed. ¡°Them again?!¡±

    His mood was ruined!

    ¡°Leader¡­ They¡­¡±

    ¡°Ignore them!¡± The leader sulked. ¡°We¡¯ll walk and pretend they don¡¯t exist!¡±

    However, their presence was too strong, you couldn¡¯t just ignore them.

    When the ming Horn people arrived at the fork and were about to get on the shared path, ?both parties met.

    Duo Kang eyed the Taihe tribe¡¯s prey and then snickered.

    Taihe¡¯s leader was furious. ¡°What, are you looking down on us?¡±

    ¡°Hey, not at all! Really, I wouldn¡¯t!¡± Duo Kang said and shouted to the back. ¡°Duo Li, hurry! It¡¯s just a small animal, why are you so slow?!¡±

    The people at the back did not speak, it was as if everyone shared an inside joke. Just as he spoke, Shao Xuan noticed everyone was visibly excited. Soon, Duo Li and the rest arrived in the front, carrying the bone beast.

    When they saw the beast, the Taihe people were speechless. The leader¡¯s face twitched as he turned green.

    Shao Xuan was happy too, hurrying forward while carrying his prey.

    The Taihe¡¯s hunting leader was about to retort when someone from his team gasped.

    ¡°WHAT?!¡± roared the leader.

    A young warrior leapt forward, ignoring the leader. He yelled, pointing at Shao Xuan, ¡°It¡¯s him! That¡¯s the one!¡±

 Chapter 386 - All For You

    <h4>All For You</h4>

    The Taihe tribe¡¯s leader was stunned and then suddenly realised what ¡®that¡¯s him¡¯ meant.

    The Pure Fruit!

    The young man carrying some prey from the ming Horn hunting party was the person who snatched their Pure Fruit!

    ¡°Stand right there!¡± roared the Taihe leader, taking tworge strides towards Shao Xuan. He was so angry the veins in his neck were bulging.

    When he moved, Duo Kang moved too. With a turn, he stopped in the middle. ¡°What, you want to take our prey?¡±

    Everyone from ming Horn stopped, looking at the Taihe people. With one word from Duo Kang, they were ready to drop their prey and fight.

    The people from Taihe were silent.

    The leader had to swallow his anger for it was no time to act arrogantly. Suppressing his anger, he pointed at Shao Xuan and asked Duo Kang, who was between them, ¡°Who is he?!¡±

    As the ming Horn¡¯s neighbours, while they were not very familiar with them, they were still aware of the people and affairs of the tribe. For example, they knew the stronger young warriors like Tao Zheng, Zhui and Wu Zhan. However, they did not know who this young man who took their fruit was.

    At this moment, Duo Kang had already guessed why the Taihe people were so mad. He huffed twice. ¡°None of your business!¡±

    When he finished, he gestured to his team and left, leaving the Taihe people to sulk.

    They weren¡¯t strong enough to fight them. All they could do was sulk even though their fruit was taken from them. But that young man¡­

    The Taihe leader decided to talk to his chief when he returned. So there were still people in the ming Horn tribe they didn¡¯t know!

    On the other side, Shao Xuan had already talked to Guang Yi about the pure fruit.

    ¡°So it¡¯s called pure fruit.¡± It had been a long time since then. Ever since he arrived, he had spent all his attention on the tribe and forgot about the pure fruit. Sometimes he¡¯d think of it but get distracted. The chief hadn¡¯t told him to take the fruit out either so he¡¯d forgotten about it.

    ¡°The thing¡¯s in my house. I¡¯ll give it to you after I get back,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Sigh, you don¡¯t have to. You took it, it¡¯s yours now.¡± Duo Kang quickly waved.

    Guang Yi had said the same thing.

    ¡°It¡¯s not much use with me, it¡¯ll be more useful if the warriors in the tribe can share it.¡± After hearing about its benefits, Shao Xuan had no intentions to keep it.

    The hunting party was warmly weed by the tribe with their hearty loot.

    The bridge made of tree trunks, more than ten meters wide, was already put down for them to transport the goods over.

    When they knew of the harvest, everyone was excited.

    After dragging the bone beast up the hill, Shao Xuan took his and the tapirs to Zhao Ming and his brother¡¯s family. It was given in return for letting him stay a night there.

    When he knew Shao Xuan wasing, Zhao Ming abandoned his pottery and ran over without cleaning the y off him.

    There were older people who were familiar with tapirs who helped Zhao Quan with rearing them. It was better to eat them once they¡¯re grown. And without the mother, the little ones might not live.

    ¡°They eat soft branches, leaves and fruits. Oh, also, the tall grass next to the river in front, they like those too.¡± An auntie who had reared tapirs before told Zhao Ming about them.

    Shao Zun helped to build a pen for them and then was called up the hill. They were going to distribute the loot and the shamaness was looking for him.

    The bone beast was distributed to everyone in the team. They had helped him during the process of transporting it back to the vige. They were all eyeing it anyway.

    After distributing the prey, Shao Xuan did not return but went straight to the shamaness.

    Her house was very quiet. No matter how excited the warriors were, they would be quiet near her house, worried they might disturb her.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± The shamaness looked at him and put down her animal skin scroll. She waved, gesturing for him to enter.

    It was a room built for storage, the windows were not open. A torch had to be lighted for everything to be seen clearly.

    The shamaness had not lighted the torches. She walked over to a shelf. There was a box on it.

    She took out the box and passed it to Shao Xuan. ¡°Keep these.¡±

    He recognised the box. There were three Elder¡¯s Bones inside.

    ¡°All for me?¡± he asked, surprised.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± She nodded and sighed. ¡°The ancestors will be happier with you.¡±

    These three had glowed at the ceremony but only a few days after, they were dull once again. Although they were not as dull as before, they were still far from the bright bead on Shao Xuan¡¯s neck.

    Ever since the tribe was split, the beads had never glowed. There was no Elder either, Shao Xuan was an exception.

    When she saw him hesitate, the shamaness said, ¡°You can take them out again when both halves unite once again and a new Elder is appointed.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m worried I might lose them,¡± said Shoa Xuan.

    Her face twitched. ¡°Then put them on!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t put them at home?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    When she saw him about to speak, she knocked her walking stick on the ground. ¡°Put them on now!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    There was a hole on every bone ornament for the string to pass through.

    Shao Xuan took off the ne he was wearing, untired the leather string, strung up the three ornaments and then tied it up again.

    When the four beads were ced together, their differences were stark. The three were significantly darker. However, the shamaness saw that they were brightening up very quickly, and soon they were as bright as the one he originally wore.

    When she saw this, the shamaness sighed in relief. Looks like she had made the right decision.

    Wearing the four ornaments, Shao Xuan walked out of her house. He picked out some of his share of meat to make some soup.

    He shifted a huge stone wok out of the tribe¡¯s storage. It was used by their ancestors. Sometimes, when the tribe was having arge celebration, they would take this stone wok out to cook for everybody.

    One the first day, he cooked near the peak. On the second day, he cooked further down the slope. On the third day, he cooked near the foot of the hill. There was so much meat from the hunt that it was enough for everyone for three days.

    As for the pure fruit, after he cut it open, he found about twenty little balls inside.

    He took it to Chief Zheng Luo. However, Zheng Luo only epted half as Shao Xuan¡¯s gift to the tribe. He told Shao Xuan to keep the other half in case anyone needed it in the future.

    After all this, Shao Xuan finally returned. He took out the three rocks he collected at the river to study them.

    On the table next to the window, Shao Xuan washed and ced them where there was light. He studied them and shaved them with a knife. The hardness was simr to the rock he got from the mute crocodile.

    The colour and texture were simr but he still couldn¡¯t determine if they were the Water Moon Stone from the Drumming Tribe.

    He might never know.

    He heaved a sigh, rolling the rock in his palm as he reminisced the harvest of the Water Moon Stones at the Drumming Tribe. They could transform because of the me.

    As he was thinking, he had a sudden thought. He cleared all the clutter in his mind and observed the difference in his mind.

    The totemic fire in his mind was still there but the ¡®outer shell¡¯ was flickering.

    The light flickered, and with every flicker, it got brighter. Shao Xuan could feel a thin thread extending out of the fire.

    The thread of energy flowed down his shoulder to his palm, where the rock was.

    Rustle rustle rustle¡ª-

    It sounded like flowing sand, the same rumble he heard at the Drumming Tribe.

 Chapter 387 - The Rock Glows

    <h4>The Rock Glows</h4>

    When the rustling stopped, the thread from his mind retracted.

    Shao Xuan looked at the stone in his hand once again. What was an ordinary rock was now crystal, as smooth as a hard-boiled egg. The crystal was slightly cold, like the Water Moon Stone he knew.

    He was about to move when he felt his vision go blurry. It was probably because he had been squatting for a long time.

    He was tired, it would be better to rest first.

    He looked at the stone in his head. It looked like the Water Moon Stone although there were minor differences.

    Was this really the Water Moon Stone?

    Sunlight was streaming into the house.

    He closed the windows and the door to darken the room.

    If it was the stone, it should glow in the dark.

    However, nothing much happened.

    While there was a faint glow, it was too faint for it to be useful. He wouldn¡¯t be able to read a scroll in this light.

    This glow was far from the Water Moon Stone.

    However, it was useful to know that it had simr properties. He did not immediately transform the two other stones for it took some energy just for one.

    He nned to rest but someone knocked on the door.

    ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, are you there? The chief summons you,¡± yelled the person outside.

    Shao Xuan answered him and put the rock on his table. He opened the windows and patted off the powder left from the stone on his hands.

    He stood up to open the door, leaving to look for the chief.

    The crystal sat on the table. Sunlight streamed in and poured on the stone.

    On the other side, many people were already present at the chief¡¯s house when he arrived. It was the same bunch- Duo Kang, Guang Yi and the other important people. The shamaness was not there.

    ¡°Saho Xuan,e here!¡± Chief Zheng Luo pointed at the seat next to him.

    It used to be the shamaness¡¯ seat, no one would sit in it if she wasn¡¯t here. This was the first time Duo Kang and the rest saw another person sit there.

    As the Elder, Shao Xuan was qualified.

    This time, Zheng Luo held this meeting to discuss the trade with the ve masterster. They were not going to go to the royal city because they had caused trouble there some time ago. As for the rest of the cities, they would still visit them.

    Not every person would go. This meeting would confirm the people leaving and the things they had to take note off. Two more meetings would be held before they left. It was ast-minute meeting so they did not inform in advance.

    ¡°I heard the demand for white fur has been increasing this year, do you have any? Prepare them well, you may increase the priceter,¡± said the chief.

    The hunters usually stored the animal hides they didn¡¯t like- white fur was the least useful one to them. White was stained and dirtied easily, plus it would be too bright to be worn in the forest. Wearing it for a hunt would just be impractical. However, white animals in the forest were rare too. Most of them appeared near winter near the snowy mountains. Who would want to go there?

    ¡°Chief, do they still want the spotted ones?¡± Duo Kang asked, rubbing his palms. This year, his family had kept a lot of spotted furs because it was all the rage among the ve mastersst year. The price was high. As for the other colours, they kept them for themselves.

    ¡°About that,¡± Zheng Luo thought for a moment. ¡°I heard they don¡¯t like spots anymore.¡±

    Duo Kang went stiff, his grin hardened. ¡°Why do they change their mind every year?!¡±

    Zheng Luo ignored Duo Kang¡¯s frustration and turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°Shao Xuan, you ¡®ve only just gotten here so you don¡¯t have much to sell. But you can go and check the trades out, you can help them.¡±

    Zheng Luo wanted Shao Xuan to familiarize himself with the situation but was worried Shao Xuan had nothing to sell. He might not feel good if all he did was watch other people sell their things happily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I understand,¡± Shao Xuan said with a smile.

    Duo Kang and Guang Yi looked at him without a word.

    After the meeting, the chief ate a feast with everyone, celebrating with the meat from the bone beast distributed by Shao Xuan.

    While there were not many spices in the area, the tribe was smart in using leaves and fruits as condiments. It was delicious.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had this in years! It still tastes amazing!¡± cried an older member, smacking his lips.

    Another started talking about the year they hunted another bone beast, even telling Shao Xuan about the uses of different parts of the animal.

    It was only until sunset when the sky darkened, Shao Xuan returned.

    However, he realised there were many people surrounding his house.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Ah, Shao Xuan, you¡¯re back!¡± Duo Li cried excitedly, squeezing through the crowd. ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, what¡¯s the thing in your house?¡±

    Although the door wasn¡¯t locked, no one dared enter. The windows were open too, and they could have reached inside to take the glowing object. But they would not do such a thing. They weren¡¯t close to Shao Xuan, plus he was the Elder! Who would dare take something from his house without his permission?!

    The crowd could only suppress their curiosity as they stared at the glowing rock. Now that he was back, they grew excited again.

    ¡°In my house?¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t understand, but when he looked up, he understood. Although there were many people, he could still see the light.

    The Water Moon Stone?!

    No, it¡¯s not the same. It¡¯s not the usual cold glow, the light from this stone felt warmer.

    The rest of the people quickly opened up a path so Shao Xuan could open his door. He entered and picked up the crystal.

    Even Shao Xuan was confused. It didn¡¯t look like that before he left. Why didn¡¯t it glow just now? Why is it so bright now? It was as bright as the WAter Moon Stone now.

    Then, he looked at the other two rocks. They were still ordinary rocks.

    When he looked at the craning necks and excited gazes, Shao Xuan passed the crystal to them.

    No one dared touch it when Shao Xuan was holding it but when Duo Li took it, everyone started fighting. Especially the ones who were close to Duo Li.

    It wasn¡¯t appropriate to fight like that in front of Shao Xuan¡¯s house¡­ Duo Li quickly exined to Shao Xuan and with his consent, took the rock to an open area, at the same time leading the crowd away.

    When the crowd left, it was much quieter.

    Shao Xuan sat by his table and picked up the two rocks. He wondered what was going on.

 Chapter 388 - Is It Some Treasure?

    <h4>Is It Some Treasure?</h4>

    After a while, Duo Li brought the piece of crystal back to Shao Xuan with some degree of unwillingness. A glowing rock was more convenient than lighting a torch at night. The most important thing was that he had never seen anything like that before.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, where did you get this crystal?¡± Duo Li asked curiously.

    ¡°Yeah, Elder Shao Xuan, where did you get this? Can you tell us?¡±

    Even Tao Zheng and the rest came over. They had never seen Shao Xuan with this crystal before. They had heard of glowing rocks from the ve masters but never knew where to get them.

    Shao Xuan took the crystal back. ¡°This rock¡­¡±

    Everyone strained their ears.

    ¡°Was taken from the dried river the other day.¡± Shao Xuan brought over the two other rocks on his table and showed them.

    The glowing rock was bright enough to be amp so everyone could see the other two rocks.

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± gasped Duo Li.

    ¡°This is the one?¡± Tao Zheng held the two up but they looked so different.

    Shao Xuan nodded.

    ¡°How? You cut them open?¡±

    ¡°No, cutting them open is useless. As for how to transform it, I¡¯m not too sure either.¡± It was true, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure either.

    There were several more questions but it was gettingte so Duo Li and the rest went back.

    When everyone left, he had time to study the rocks.

    It wasn¡¯t bright like this during the day, he¡¯d put it on the¡­

    Shao Xuan looked at his table, then his window.

    Sunlight?

    Or the stone only glows at night?

    Not sure which. Shao Xuan nned to attempt again. He had two more stones, he would know the answerter.

    He picked up one of them and harnessed his totemic power. The reaction was still in the outer shell of his totemic fire.

    A thread of light extended out from his head, flowing down his shoulder into his palm.

    This time, Shao Xuan observed its changes. It could feel it as if the rock had been peeled off ayer of skin. There was a rustling, then the surface turned to dust. He did not need to brush it, for the dust fell off and all that was left was the crystal.

    The new crystal was not glowing. It was duller than the one he opened during the day.

    Did it really need sunlight?

    Shao Xuan nned to experiment again with the third one on the next day.

    He massaged his forehead. Like the first rock, he felt tired after the process. He rested for a moment, then got ready for bed.

    He slept well that day but some people did not. For example, Duo Li, who had also taken a rock back, spent the entire night fussing over the rock. He was so loud that Duo Kang woke up to scold him. He then worked quietly but still did not sleep.

    When the sun came up, Shao Xuan putst night¡¯s crystal where there was sunlight. Then, he transformed the third stone.

    He did it with the third stone in the sun. He held it up in his palm, facing the sun.

    When the transformation wasplete, he closed the door and windows.

    It was true. The third stone was glowing. Although it was faint, it was still much brighter than the other two. This meant that it was affected by the sunlight.

    Last night¡¯s crystal was now glowing after he put it in the sun for a while. While it was not as bright as the Water Moon Stone in the Drumming Vige, it was still very bright.

    ¡°Shao Xuan! Elder Shao Xuan!¡± Duo Li ran over, panicking.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Shao Xuan, looking at Duo Li, who was sweating anxiously.

    ¡°This!¡± Duo Li showed him his rock with a face of disappointment. ¡°It broke.¡±

    He had spent the whole night on it but couldn¡¯t make it glow. However, he identally broke it in the process.

    ¡°I wanted to slice off a little but then it cracked and broke!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the crumbs in his hand. ¡°You have to use totemic power, not brute force.¡±

    Well, he didn¡¯t know. Shao Xuan gave one of his three crystals to Duo Li. ¡°You can have this one.¡±

    ¡°Eh? The other two transformed too?¡± Duo Li held it in his palm as if it was a treasure.

    Shao Xuan thought of something. ¡°Are glowing rocks very rare here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s very rare!¡± said Duo Li. ¡°I heard people from other tribes used to be able to exchange a lot of gold and grains with the ve masters using glowing rocks!¡±

    This was odd. Shao Xuan thought about it. On the other side, while people loved Water Moon Stones and could be used for trade, they weremon enough for people to be familiar with it. There were other glowing rocks that were rarer than the Water Moon Stone. Why did the people here get physically stronger after the merging of the Fire Seed but lost so many special traditions?

    Was this because of the Fire Seed?

    When a human merged with the power of the me, was he still able to transform the stones?

    Shao Xuan went to look for the shamaness.

    When she heard his question, she frowned for a long time. It was ironic but they had not seen the fire seed themselves either.

    The tribes on this side did not have fire seeds to set the fire ponds aze anymore.

    The ming horn people could only see the totemic fires in their minds. However, they had never seen the fire seed brought over by their ancestors that could burn in the coldest weather. All they knew was from drawings but it was still unclear.

    Since the shamaness couldn¡¯t give him an answer, he could only look for it himself.

    He gave the other two glowing rocks to the shamaness and the chief, then decided to enter the forest to get more.

    When they knew Shao Xuan wanted to get the rock, Duo Li, Tao Zheng and the rest were excited. Almost the entire hunting team was present plus Duo Kang and Guang Yi. They both said they were there to protect them but in reality, they were also very curious.

    There were fewer people going out this time and they didn¡¯t bring hunting weapons and traps with them either. Instead, they carried huge sacks ands with small holes.

    The Taihe tribe saw them and quickly reported to their chief. They couldn¡¯t guess what the ming Horn people were up to.

    ¡°Is it some treasure?¡±

    The Taihe people did not understand.

    On the other side, the people who entered the forest had a clear goal. They did not hunt nor did they pay attention to anything else. They did not look at the fat beast walking past them either. The glowing rocks were more important. If they could get them, they¡¯d be able to get a lot more bronzeware from the ve masters.

    They rushed to the bank of the dried river. Duo Kang looked at the riverbed with weeds growing out of it. They were just ordinary rocks! ¡°These?!¡±

    They were very different from the glowing gemstones he had in mind!

    Then again, if that were true, it would have been very odd that no one had seen them but Shao Xuan. It was likely the rocks were somewhere very inconspicuous.

    ¡°Yep, these are the ones1¡± Duo Li could not wait any longer. He was already flipping up rocks with a long stick, out of the river bed unto the bank.

    Before Shao Xuan spoke, everyone started to work. There was even a clear delegation of jobs.

    The dried mud was stirred using long sticks, its upperyer moved aside in search of stones. The wet mud underneath was now exposed. There were still stones inside.

    ¡°Are there still more underneath?¡± Duo Kang used a spade to dig up the mud.

    ¡°There¡¯s more!¡±

    Duo Kang flipped the rocks up. Everyone ignored the pungent smell of mud, rubbed the stones with leaves and passed one to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Are these also the ones?¡± asked Duo Li.

    After analysing it, in front of everybody, he harnessed the totemic power in him.

    The shamaness said they were trustworthy so Shao Xuan did not attempt to hide this. Also, everyone here had the same powers anyway. It would only benefit the tribe if they could produce more crystals.

    As if sensing something, everyone dropped what they were doing to look at him.

    Even Guang Yi, who had always been solemn, had a look of anticipation. He wasn¡¯t interested in the rock, but more on the power rippling within Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan was from the other branch of the tribe, they still had the fire seed with them. Guang Yi wondered how their powers differed.

 Chapter 389 - Setting Out

    <h4>Setting Out</h4>

    Shhhhhhh¡ª¡ª

    There was a sound of debris falling to the ground.

    The stone in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, still covered in mud, looked like it was being washed away by an invisible gush of water. Beginning at the top, theyer of outer ¡°skin¡± was reduced to debris, with the silt falling altogether to reveal the smooth surface of the crystal.

    Duo Li¡¯s eyeballs looked like they were about to fall out of his head.

    So the crystal was wrapped in stone? However, he knew best that cutting the stone would amount to nothing! The stone would only be broken into pieces!

    ¡°How is this possible?¡± Duo Li took the stone from Shao Xuan and peered closer. The crystal was still covered in some mud. He wiped it off with his hand, then covered it with an opaque animal skin pouch. There was indeed a glow, but it was not bright.

    ¡°You have to let it sit in the sun for some time.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Oh¡­¡­ Oh! All right, the sun!¡± Du Li went to stand in the sunniest area while holding the stone. He stood up straight, not daring to move.

    When he saw this, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Just putting it on the ground is fine.¡±

    After cing the stone in a sunny ce, Shao Xuan had everyone continue to fetch stones. The ones fished out of the riverbed were immediately kept away so that before night came, they could still rush back to the tribe.

    Knowing that the dry river was full of treasure, the crowd became excited and quickened the movement of their hands.

    Shao Xuan told them about the Drumming tribe and the Water Moon Stone. Everyone thought it was very strange, it was their first time hearing of such a thing. That was caused by the fire seed?

    ¡°If there is a tribe here that can produce heaps of Water Moon Stones, there¡¯s only one thing that would happen,¡± said Duo Kang.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The ve owners would want them!¡± Guangyi added.

    Therefore, they would only say to the outside world that they had dug it from the mountains, but would not that Shao Xuan transformed it. In this regard, the people who knew unanimously agreed on this decision.

    Altogether, more than ten bags of stones were fished back to the tribe. There was no time to weave more mesh bags, they woulde back to catch moreter.

    Back at the tribe, the stones were washed. Shao Xuan described how he did the transformation of the stone but not theplete picture. After all, the power to change the stone came from the outer shell of the totemic me but not the me itself.

    The results also proved this to be true, as Shao Xuan expected. The others could not turn the stone. Even the shamaness could not. Both the totem power and the power of inheritance had no effect.

    The crowd gave up after trying, too. They realize that the fluctuations of Shao Xuan¡¯s totemic power were not the same as theirs. It¡¯s not new, but it¡¯s not familiar. It felt weird, but it¡¯s really something they couldn¡¯t do.

    They knew their limits, but it¡¯s not to say that they were not disappointed.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s like this, I¡¯ll use my powers to make more. Even if I can¡¯t trade these with the ve owners, it can also be kept for everyone to use.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The shamaness shook her head, looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s tiredplexion. ¡°Just do what you can. No one can say that such a change has no harm to you. We have been living well even without these crystals, we will be fine.¡±

    Once everyone else left, only Shao Xuan and the shamaness remained in the room. The shamaness then asked Shao Xuan how he was feeling. Aside from fatigue, he had no other problems. He¡¯d even transformed two crystals a few moments ago.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, really. I¡¯ll take a break, then I¡¯ll be able to recoverpletely.¡± Shao Xuan affirmed.

    ¡°No matter what, you have to be more careful,¡± the shamaness said.

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Back at his house, Shao Xuan looked at arge bag of stones ced on the ground, thinking about today¡¯s events.

    No one but him could turn the stone sessfully. The power he possessed was not limited to the totem me of the ming Horns tribe and could also be wielded by the Rain tribe and the Drumming tribe. Then there was also the power of envement. What kind of power was this? Shao Xuan had no idea, but he was certain that it must have something to do with the fire.

    Over the next two days, Shao Xuan tried to transform a dozen crystals. When the shell in his mind dimmed, he knew it was the limit, stopping to rest. He slept all night, waking up refreshed the next day.

    Compared to the beginning, his transforming of one stone didn¡¯t make Shao Xuan too tired afterwards. While he didn¡¯t have to sit down immediately after, he still couldn¡¯t transform too many.

    These crystals needed to absorb sunlight, but their glow would not stay as long as the Drumming tribe¡¯s Water Moon Stone. These crystals that had absorbed sunlight could only shine for two days, then, they¡¯d get darker and darker, needing to absorb sunlight again to continue glowing. The glow was bright but harmless to people, unlike lighting a fire. Shao Xuan had no idea how long such a situation wouldst, but certainly not as long as the water moon stone. It was still enough to use on a daily basis or to trade for other things.

    Soon it was the day of the outing.

    The list of who would go had already been announced, but there were still many who wanted to follow. The list had to be reviewed before it could be finalized.

    The tribe had two main requirements for those who wanted to head out: First, do not cause trouble, which was why Tao Zheng, who confronted Shao Xuan on his first day at the tribe, was excluded. He was too reckless, had an affinity to trouble. Hence, for several years in a row, they did not let him go out on these outings.

    Second, these people must be capable enough. There was a certain danger during excursions, possibly with people from other tribes or with the ve owners. This was not just a hunt. A weak person would endanger the entire team.

    The people in the tribe packed two days in advance. Pieces of animal hide were stacked up and tied together. The people went out to help with what they had been entrusted with for the trade and would bring the exchanged items back to be distributed once the team returned.

    Shao Xuan, as a neer, was not expected to have a lot except for his things with him. It was only a bag filled with crystal stones. He also helped the team carry some of their things. Other than that, Shao Xuan just had to keep up with the team. Soon, the group of people led by Duo Kang left the tribe.

    Heading out at the end of each year was not just the business of a single tribe. To avoid being robbed, there were often several tribes working together. This time, the ming Horn tribe partnered with Taihe. After all, their two neighbouring tribes did not have a hostile rtionship. Although they often had petty grievances, asionally, they would also cooperate and mutually benefit in win-win situations.

    Duo Kang with his team of a hundred people arrived at the previously agreed location to find that the Taihe tribe had already arrived. They were a slightlyrger group this time. Not every tribe was as strong as the ming Horn.

    Usually, ?whenever the two tribes met, they never saw eye to eye. Today was different though. The two sides were amiable but did not show friendship. There was not much conversation.

    Shao Xuan was told by the shamaness that the reason why they could get along with the Taihe tribe so far, was because the Taihe people would not stab them in the back, unlike the other tribes.

    There was one year they partnered with someone else, who betrayed them. The ming Horn tribe retaliated, so the traitor tribe, who was living close by, was forced to move away. The only partner they had left was Taihe. In the past thousand years, there had even been intermarriages between the two sides.

    Shao Xuan also saw a few familiar faces in the team in the Taihe tribe, like the few people he had fought when he was chasing the long-wed monkey in the woods.

    When they saw Shao Xuan, they red hard but found that Shao Xuan just smiled at them. They gritted their teeth. What the hell are you smiling at?!

 Chapter 390 - Anba City

    <h4>Anba City</h4>

    The two tribes remained peaceful with each other along the way. asionally, they would exchange res, at times, bare their teeth, but nobody started a fight. Even the few who had been eyeing Shao Xuan had not provoked him directly.

    In both teams, everyone understood restraint. Those who did not know how to restrain themselves would not be allowed to follow the team.

    The people in the Taihe tribe kept looking at Shao Xuan though. He was practically a stranger to them. After all, in the past, the candidates every time were about the same. If there was a change, it wouldn¡¯t be a major one and they would still be familiar even to Guangyi. They could also recognize some of them because they often met them during hunts. Some even got along after a long time and could always remember some characteristics of the warriors.

    The ming Horn tribe ignored the Taihe tribe¡¯s curious stares. While walking, Duo Kang introduced their destination to Shao Xuan¨C Anba City.

    In this region, there were six major cities, once belonging to six tribes¡ªthe Ji, Chao Qiu, Yi, Feng, Mu and Anba, each turning into a city. It was also thergest of the six tribes, but after the Ji tribe reunited the five other tribes, the ce where the Ji tribe was located turned to Royal City after several expansions.

    The descendants of the six major tribes lived in Royal City, but the cities which were originally built by the five other tribes still existed.

    The people of the ming Horns tribe had also been to Royal City. Du Kang told Shao Xuan that because they had caused trouble before, they have not gone back to Royal City for a long time, instead of going to Anba City like this time.

    As one of the six major tribes of the past, the people of Anba had not been idle after embarking on the path of being ve owners. Some went to Royal City, while others remained in this city, making Anba City thergest concentrated trading point for the tribesmen living in thisrge area.

    There were also wanderers here. However, the status of wanderers here was not like what Shao Xuan had seen before, which was likely caused by the integration of the fire. The dependence on the tribe was less apparent, hence, the people became more independent and a little ambitious.

    Some people would leave their tribe to develop and be wanderers. If they had the ability to leave their tribe to survive alone, they were all very capable people, or they would have been murdered long ago.

    From the ming Horn tribe, it took at least 3-5 days to reach Anba City at their pace. If the weather was good, their time would¡¯ve been shorter, but if they encountered trouble midway, it would take longer.

    This time, they didn¡¯t meet anyone who wanted trouble. On the morning of the fourth day, the line of people arrived outside the Anba City gate.

    At the gate of Anba City, there were guards around. Every team entering the city needed to pay in the form of goods for them to be allowed to pass.

    Shao Xuan saw Duo Kang directly handing over the ten prepared animal skins to the gatekeeper. For every ten people, he had handed in one roll of good quality animal hide. The guard picked it up and checked carefully in fear that Duo Kang might have given him shoddy goods.

    After checking it, he circled behind Duo Kang to eye the remaining bundle of animal skins like he wanted to say something. A few people stepped up next to Duo Kang. The tall and strong men of the ming Horns tribe carried that big bundle of stuff easily, exposing their muscr arms as they moved. They opened their mouth to grin slightly, revealing their big white teeth.

    The gatekeeper did not utter a word, knowing that this was the ming Horn tribe, a tribe known for their temper. The one who¡¯d suffer in a confrontation would certainly be him, so after sizing them up, he gave up. Everyone knew that the ming Horn tribe would not hold themselves back in a fight, even here in Royal City.

    The people of the Taihe tribe were safe because they travelled together with the ming Horn tribe. They were not bothered. However, several teams who had entered earlier were exploited badly.

    The city was muchrger than the cities in the desert. The houses were also neatly built, and there were houses on both sides of the street. Duo Kang had told him that half of those selling cloth, pottery, food, ornaments and such were wanderers.

    After entering the city, the crowd went straight to their destination, which was also a rtively special area of Anba city, where it was used exclusively for tribesmen trading in the cities. The area had no pavements, rtively free but more dangerous.

    ¡°All right, hurry up and find a ce,¡± Duo Kang, with a wave of his hand, told the men behind him.

    Without further ado, the people in the back began to assign tasks. Some people would carry their stuff down, while some would use their strength to make a clearing for their tents.

    The trunks they had cut down on the way were ced on the ground to act as a frame. Therge rolls of bup were unfolded afterwards. There were many ces with holes in the cloths, but no one cared since they could still use it.

    The people of Taihe tribe had built theirs next to the ming Horns tribe¡¯s. When one saw everyone¡¯s movements, one could tell they were skilled. The division ofbor was clear.

    After a few tents were set up, the crowd unloaded the goods and put them inside, leaving a man to keep guard. The others took out pieces of animal skins, spreading them out on their arms or putting them on simple shelves so that interested traders or ve owners of Anba City could look at them better.

    Shao Xuan helped set up a good tent and spread his animal skins too for people to look at. Although the people of the Taihe tribe also brought animal skins, they also brought some others.

    The people of the Taihe tribe knew a lot about herbs, so every time they came over, they would bring some herbs to sell. These sell faster than the skins.

    A man who was holding some stuff passed by Shao Xuan¡¯s area but with one look, he immediately turned away.

    Shao Xuan remained calm, turning to look at what the other tribesmen were fiddling with elsewhere.

    There were many people selling animal skins and bones around. There was also a variety of stuff that ve owners liked to use as raw materials to make things.

    He did not take out the glowing stone at first. Shao Xuan intended to observe the trading first, then set the price.

    The market was noisy. In order to attract the eyes of the purchaser, they¡¯d shout out exaggerated stories about the goods in their hands. One said he took the skin from an adult striped beast deep in the mountains. Another said he had the skin of a cave lion king beast. They all vied for the customer¡¯s attention.

    Although they were loud, it was a pity the ming Horn people were selling adult bearskin. Their product simply could not rival the stall opposite them, selling smaller pieces of bearskin. These people imed they were the skin of fearsome bear beast cubs but a customer called them out with a touch, saying it was just amon cave bear, not the fearsome bear beast they imed it was. The seller denied this.

    Several people started pushing and yelling. Some of the stones used to stabilize the poles holding the tent were kicked around, one of which rolled towards Shao Xuan.

    This was just one of thosemon things that everyone could pick up anywhere or was thrown by the people whoe here. They were all ordinary stones.

    Shao Xuan picked up the stone that rolled to his feet and looked at it. The stone was not good enough to be a tool, but it was good enough for other things.

    After a thought, Shao Xuan took out a small stone hammer and a knife he had made in the tribe from his selection of tools.

    Ding. Ding. The sounds of him working on his tools cut through the shouts and fights.

    Some people followed the noise to see exactly what was making this sound. Then, they found that someone was just knocking on some stone!

    Shao Xuan, with a small stone hammer on his hand, hammered so fast that his other hand had to keep turning the stone to knock at the right ces. When the shape became irregr, he had to apply changes at a speed not visible to the naked eye.

    ¡°What is that?!¡±

    With the widespread use of gold and pottery, stone tools were always the most easily overlooked. Therefore, seeing Shao Xuan dealing with some stone, a few who came to see the animal skins suddenly had an interest in him. Since they were bored, they turned around to watch.

    One of the men was particrly conspicuous. He was dressed in a brown animal leather coat, his tall, burly body squeezing steadily between the people in front as if the crowd had no effect on him. His tworge palms were like fans, shoving away the men in front of him and the people would only realise it after it happened.

    Seeing the man, Du Kang¡¯s eyes lit up. He handed what he was holding to the man behind him. The crowd hastened to give way to this conspicuous man.

 Chapter 391 - Eye-Catching

    <h4>Eye-Catching</h4>

    xSome people around also noticed the big man approaching. The people who were pushed away wanted to scold this man, but as soon as they saw him, they immediately swallowed their words.

    Most of the people present here knew who this man was. He was a famous wanderer, known as ck Bear. With his appearance, it was a very appropriate name, especially him in a thick brown animal leather,bined with his stocky figure. He really was like a ck bear.

    The surrounding crowd was pushed back as the ck Bear stepped forward with a steady pace towards Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan did not notice ck Bear and the crowd¡¯s movements, his attention at this time had always been focused on the stone in his hand. He knew that there were already some people crowded around him, and that there were more than he had expected.

    Originally, Shao Xuan only wanted to see if he could use his stone carving to attract a few people to check the animal skins. Even if nobody was attracted, after carving the stone well, he could ce it here to advertise. There would always be curious people. After all, there was no one else doing the same.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s stone carving technique was polished from grinding his tools often. When Old Ke taught him, the requirements were quite strict. His mistakes in subtle ces would be pointed out to Shao Xuan, then he¡¯d continue to polish it, to correct it, until there were no more mistakes to be seen.

    Since the effect of him trying to attract the crowd¡¯s attention was better than he thought, this had to be taken more seriously. The approximate outline had been formed, so Shao Xuan reced the stone hammer with a knife and continued.

    As he carved again, Shao Xuan also quickly entered a more focused state.

    The ding ding sounds were gone, but everyone was already focused on the stone in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. As stone powder fell, a figure was taking shape.

    The traders here had already left their hunting habits which were passed down from generation to generation. Some of the traders had stopped hunting anyrge beast so seeing a stone carving of something they hadn¡¯t encountered would naturally look strange to them.

    ¡°Is this a carved giant bear?!¡± There were other ming Horns tribe warriors next to Shao Xuan talking.

    The ¡°giant¡± word was heard by the rest and, suddenly other people were also talking about it. They did hunt a giant bear, but how could one carve it with such vivid detail?

    Although others had carved on bronze or other artefacts, they have never seen such a lifelike stone carving. This stone carving was small, but it made a person feel the deep wild mountain forest with the roaring of a fierce giant bear.

    ¡°How much is this stone carving?¡± Before the stone carving was finished, someone already asked.

    Tribesmen generally required for a direct trade, which was mostly among the wanderers. They understood well the requirements of the tribes that some people even just directly pull out a copper knife to exchange.

    When the others noticed it, those of the same mind also moved, taking out a knife a little bigger than the person in front. They directly went to find Du Kang to discuss.

    The people here already knew that the head of the ming Horns tribe was the person standing nearby. To discuss the trade, of course directly looking for the most powerful person was the best idea. As for the boy carving, why wouldn¡¯t he listen to the leader¡¯s orders?

    So, the people who thought they had a smart idea went to Duo Kang to talk.

    Meanwhile, ck Bear, who was now standing in front of Shao Xuan, did not move. His eyes were glued to Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, on the nearly finished stone carving.

    A stone carving could convey the carving man¡¯s consciousness when one looked closely. ck Bear found that this small stone carving radiated a savage and violent energy, making the giant bear seem like it was roaring in a forest!

    If Shao Xuan was carving other fierce beasts at this time, ck Bear would not be interested. What made him like bears so much then? Their ancestors worshipped bears and worshipped the power of bears, but at the same time, they were also called hunters of the bears. Now, the tribe had transformed into caravans, with little chance of going to the mountains to hunt the big bears. But their obsession with bears was still passed down. It was the hallmark of their caravans. It¡¯s their totem¡ªthe bear!

    From the start, since he¡¯d seen the stone carving forming in the hands of Shao Xuan, ck Bear¡¯s eyes never moved away.

    ¡°I want 20 animal skins.¡± ck Bear called out.

    Compared to the other people directly negotiating to buy the stone carving, ck Bear spoke more skillfully.

    Du Kang, who was talking to some people, heard this and immediately ordered people to count the skins. He also told them to choose the high-quality ones, since he knew of ck Bear¡¯s good reputation. No matter what kind of attitude he had for other matters, at least in terms of trading, he¡¯s honest and wouldn¡¯t be stingy.

    The animal skins were divided. There wererge ones, but that didn¡¯t specifically mean that theserge pieces of animal skins were the size of the actual beast. Usually, they still had to cut therge ones to smaller pieces. If a beast is huge, a whole piece of its animal skin would be too big and not convenient for sale. People bought these to make clothes and they couldn¡¯t use something so big, so the tribe had to cut it.

    Over time, the traders have formed a consensus that an inherent specification of the size of the divided animal skins would be simr for all to also better organize the pricing. When they went to town and gave the gatekeeper a tol feel, each skin had to meet this specification.

    Twenty of the skins were sorted out. Du Kang had his tribesmen stack them up and handed them over to ck Bear.

    After he had epted the animal skins, ck Bear looked at Shao Xuan, ¡°Twenty skins and that stone carving, how much gold wares do I owe?¡±

    What people here call ¡°gold wares¡± mostly referred to bronze. It was also the target of people of the ming Horn tribe.

    At this point, Shao Xuan had just finished the stone carving in his hands.

    He heard what ck Bear said, so Shao Xuan blew the leftover crumbs on the stone carving, then looked up at the man to say calmly, ¡°Thirty.¡±

    ck Bear gazed at Du Kang and Shao Xuan, back and forth, the stopped at Shao Xuan. He nodded. ¡°OK, another 10¡­ Not more than that. And it¡¯s best if it¡¯s bearskins. If there are no bear skins left, then something close to bearskin.¡±

    Du Kang grinned and motioned to the people behind him to tidy up ten more.

    While others tidied up the skins, ck Bear took the stone carving and stared at it with a very satisfied look. He carefully ced it in a thick fur bag, then pulled his coat from its tether. With a whoop, his hands clutching the coat opened in a domineering way, facing Shao Xuan and Du Kang and the crowd.

    Under the coat, ck Bear had exposed therge and small sword, axe and other bronze he had. Some were inserted in his garment, some withrge points like his axe, sword and such were inserted in his waist. Some were lightly hanging on the side of his coat.

    Shao Xuan did not speak. He had a few guesses.

    No wonder ck Bear intimidated people. He really was carrying something intimidating!

    With so many things inside his coat, how could it not be heavy? This was not a bear but simply a humanoid weapon carrying machine!

    However, it also proved that ck Bear was really strong, strong enough to carry so many things around every day and live to the present. Someone with not enough strength could not sustain it for long.

    Duo Kang¡¯s eyes brightened at the variety of objects before him. There were not just a few good things there. Whether big or small, they could exchange a lot with the thirty skins they had. Duo Kang¡¯s heart was full of anticipation.

    When the deal waspleted, the rest of the surrounding people also shouted out to make trades. Five, ten skins, they¡¯d buy since ck Bear was already there first to trade. They would not doubt the quality of these skins taken out by the people of the ming Horns tribe now.

    Everyone knew that the stuff ck Bear would buy wouldn¡¯t be bad. Even if they didn¡¯t know the ming Horn tribe, following ck Bear would definitely be right!

    They were not as generous as ck Bear, but with the number of people buying, Duo Kang was more than happy. However, these people also wanted the stone carving but it was already bought.

    After a day was done, the animal skins they had sold out was nearly half of what they brought, which made Du Kang very happy. In the next five days, they may not be able to sell so much, but today, they had unexpectedly gotten a lot of sales, all because of Shao Xuan.

    If it went ording to this speed, it won¡¯t take them ten days to finish and return.

    In the evening, they huddled in a set of simple tents to rest. Shao Xuan took the time to carve a stone again, but this time not of a giant bear, but another kind of fierce beast.

    For the next two days, Shao Xuan would take out a stone carving every day. Like the first day, it would encourage the crowd to buy more, which also interested them in wanting to buy animal skins. The carving drew a lot of attention. Although many people couldn¡¯t buy dozens of skins at once, they would still look around the ming Horns tribe¡¯s area because of that stone carving. Arge number of the animal skins were exchanged because of the stone carving. There were traders buying, but the ve owners also sent their people to buy.

    On the fifth day, the animal skins brought by the tribe were almost sold out. They didn¡¯t have to keep staring at the goods for long as they could exchange it for copper weapons or grains or such soon. Each of them would get their own. Meanwhile, the Taihe tribe hade with high expectations this time. They¡¯d brought over some of their rarer herbs so they could sell things much faster than before, but no one expected that the ming Horn tribe would have Shao Xuan!

    There were not many animal skins left, so Shao Xuan stopped his carving. Seeing that the ming Horns did not have much stuff to sell anymore, he decided it was time to get his own stones out. For this reason, he had asked for help to watch over it yesterday so that these stones could shine all day under the sun. Now, when they were ced in a slightly darker ce, you can see the obvious light on the stones.

    These days, more and more tribesmen hade to Anba City, dominating the ce with their yelling and quarrelling voices, all fighting to outshout each other. From time to time, you¡¯d see people injured from actual fights.

    Shao Xuan would not shout to join these voices. Instead, he made a wooden card with words written in bright nt pigments¡ª¡±A unique glowing stone that will absorb sunlight¡ªWater Sun Stone.¡±

    The crystal of the Drumming tribe produced from the light of the moon was called the Water Moon Stone. Therefore, Shao Xuan changed moon to sun with this stone that absorbs sunlight.

    The wooden signboard was propped up with a long pole inserted on the ground. Shao Xuan did not have to yell to wait for people toe to his area. The wooden sign Shao Xuan made could turn to let people see it in all directions so everyone could see the words on the wooden board.

    New things could always attract attention. Just now, when the other tribes were finally rxed that the ming Horns tribe were almost out of animal skins, nobody expected that people would flock around them again in such a short time.

    This is impossible! It¡¯s just a sign, what¡¯s so eye-catching about it?!

 Chapter 392 - We Donâ€™t Want Cauldrons

    <h4>We Don¡¯t Want Cauldrons</h4>

    As soon as Shao Xuan¡¯s stone was taken out, it caught the eye of quite a few people.

    The words on the wooden sign were so simple and clear that many people didn¡¯t need to stare for long, merely squeezed directly towards the area of the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°What is that? It¡¯s glowing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not going to be some nonsense, is it?¡±

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s the ce where the ming Horns tribe is. Their animal skins sold well before this.¡±

    ¡°Go check it out. See if it¡¯s true!¡±

    Whatever their opinions were, they were curious. They¡¯d rather waste time checking it out instead of missing out. The purchasers sent by ve masters knew that bringing a rare item back could mean a possible reward if they made the masters happy. The wandering traders could also re-sell these rare items in other ces.

    These people went towards the ming Horns tribe area, carrying the goods they had traded so far. After Shao Xuan took out the crystal, the people around kept increasing so he also had to keep vignt. Every year, there were many thieves who take advantage of the chaos. They had really sharp eyes for an opportunity.

    This time, Shao Xuan had a total of ten stone crystals but now only took out one.

    The weather had turned chilly. Many people were wearingrge cloaks made of animal leather. To check whether the crystal was really glowing was very simple. They only had to cover the crystal with their coats. Of course they didn¡¯t think about stealing it since there were many eyes around. As long as someone saw something, the thief would not be forgiven.

    Arge body squeezed out of the crowd,pletely covered with animal skin coat, moving towards Shao Xuan to cover his hand holding the crystal. Under the dim light, the small stone crystal emitted a clear light that could make words readable in the dark.

    Not waiting for the man to study it more, Shao Xuan took back his hand to show it to the next person.

    When more people had taken a look, Shao Xuan put the crystal stone back to his bag. To the surrounding crowd, he said, ¡°Are you satisfied now?¡±

    Someone nodded. Someone choked and didn¡¯t make another noise, but they all stared at Shao Xuan. Their eyes were hot, waiting for his next words.

    But Shao Xuan did not speak. It was Duo Kang who took over the task, but he did not tell everyone the whole truth. He only said that the crystal was something they encountered when out hunting for beasts and dug it out in a river connected to the sea. That¡¯s not a lie. If there was water in that river, it would be bigger than the one in front of their tribe. Didn¡¯t that mean it was a big river? They heard that the river flowed to anotherrger river, then therger river to the sea, so it was not wrong to say so.

    When they asked about the number of stone crystals, Shao Xuan only said that there were five. This was what he had deliberatedst night together with Duo Kang and others.

    Unlike Shao Xuan, some of the people who often lingered here were no stranger to Duo Kang, hence, they also believed that Duo Kang wasn¡¯t lying. At least notpletely.

    At the time when Duo Kang was introducing this glowing crystal, ck Bear who had been away thesest three days, was in the city in arge yard of a stone house holding arge pottery bowl. He ate arge bowl of meat soup and next to the te was arge piece of barbecued meat. ck Bear ate two or three more mouthfuls before he was satisfied.

    While ck Bear was eating, a big man barged in.

    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s something else going on with the tribesmen!¡± the neer shouted as he ran.

    Every year, when the tribesmen came over, they would bring something rare. ck Bear would not survey the goods himself but leave someone there to keep watch.

    ¡°Is there anything I have to go over personally for?¡± ck Bear asked after taking another gulp of the soup, then put down the bowl.

    ¡°That man from the ming Horn tribe took out a stone that glows! That rock glows, it¡¯s true! I saw it with my own eyes!¡± The big man was afraid that ck Bear wouldn¡¯t believe him, so he quickly said that he saw it himself.

    ¡°It was the ming Horn tribe again?¡± ck Bear muttered. He put on his coat, called the man, then strode over the trading area.

    Over at the chaotic trading area, Du Kang had already announced the rules of the transaction. It was the same as before where they would negotiate through an auction, to sell the five crystal stones together.

    An announcement like that would certainly attract more attention. If they split it all up, it would take longer to sell which was more unfavourable to them. They might be able to get more benefits that way, but the danger was also greater. It¡¯s better to be quick, then get out of here and walk away first. Duo Kang had also consulted this with the Taihe tribe on the side. In order to get the Taihe tribe to cooperate, Duo Kang also divided some goods with them.

    Duo Kang took out a copper sword which he had traded before. At a nce, they could judge the value of this sword, and Duo Kang used this as the base price to let the others start the bidding.

    ¡°A sword plus a bag of grains!¡±

    ¡°Two swords!¡±

    ¡°Two swords plus five animal skins¡­ But if you don¡¯t want animal skins, then a bag of grains guaranteed that was just collected this year!¡±

    ¡°Two swords plus ten bags of grains!¡±

    ¡°Three swords!!¡±

    ¡­¡­

    Listening to the chaotic atmosphere getting noisier as people called out the price higher and higher, Du Kang was really happy inside.

    ¡°Boss, do we want to bid, too?¡± the man next to ck Bear said in a hurry. With that kind of crystal stone, even if it was for five bronze swords, it would still be very cheap. If they traded it at King City, they could even get more.

    ck Bear¡¯s eyes took in Shao Xuan and Duo Kang in a sweep, about to call out a price when they heard an arrogant voice shout out, ¡°One Ding cauldron!¡±

    [Note: ?Ding ¶¦ cauldron = three-legged copper cauldron]

    The unit of measurement had been swords and grains so far, the word ¡®cauldron¡¯ came as a shock- like a crow of a chicken in the midst of a group of pigs.

    Whoa¡ª

    The crowd was forced to break open a path, then four tall, muscled men opened the road in front, followed by a young man in a silver-gray animal coating towards them. There were other people in his wake, the most conspicuous of which was the man standing next to him, carrying a heavy object. With each of his steps, he was able to leave a clear footprint on the ground, apanied by a heavy beat, as if he was very, very heavy. On his back, there was a heavy object wrapped in cloth. Was it the cauldron?

    The crowd only felt that the ground beneath their feet was shaking with each of the other person¡¯s steps.

    Boom!

    The heavy cauldron was put down not far from where Shao Xuan and Duo Kang were. When itnded, it let out a muffled sound with a metallic ng. The hearts and minds of those who heard it felt like they were being shaken by this sound.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Someone guessed the identity of the young man.

    A person with such an arrogant aura was naturally a ve owner of Anba City, his identity was well-known here.

    The young man walked slowly, then lifted his hand to sweep off nonexistent dust on his skin coat. He spoke with an arrogant tone to the people, ¡°One Ding cauldron. Don¡¯t you tribesmen like bronze? I¡¯ll give you this which is more than enough for you to make a lot of swords.¡±

    Duo Kang almost spat at him. Listening to this tone, he mused at how these people thought they could take advantage of the tribesmen. Could a scrap of copper be the same as an already casted sword? Did they really think that any metal could simply be made into another thing? When were we so gullible?!

    The other party pulled off a piece of cloth, revealing the copper cauldron that reflected the dazzling sun. Many of the people present marvelled at the sight.

    When they looked at it, they thought that this cauldron was actually a good product¡­ Wait. No. Why were this cauldron¡¯s three legs not of the same length?

    The copper cauldron had two long legs and one twisted. Once it was put on the ground, it looked unsteady. The pattern on the copper cauldron looked blurred, and even some parts of its round body were misshapen!

    The ve owners here attached great importance to the cauldron. As part of their rituals, they would certainly not tolerate such failure to have for themselves. Yet this bastard wanted to trade with such a crappy product?

    He acted as if he was doing a beggar a favour, tossing his trash at them.

    The people of the ming Horns tribe never liked the ve owners. When you talked to them about strength, they talked to you about ss. When you talked to them about ss, they talk about something else. Their values were never the same, so thest thing the ming Horn tribe liked was ve owners with some superiorityplex. However, the ve owners did have a lot of good things in their hands. There were a lot of skills and knowledge they could learn from them, and they admit some price had to be paid to try to learn it. But learning from them was different from being afraid of them.

    The ve owners looked at the people of the ming Horn tribe. They thought tribespeople were a bunch of dumb but stubborn people!

    Unfortunately, this young master clearly did not understand the style of the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°We won¡¯t trade! A sword or axe has to be cast, then we¡¯ll take it,¡± said Duo Kang.

    Not expecting to be rejected, the young man frowned, not satisfied with Duu Kang¡¯s answer, ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t want cauldrons,¡± Du Kang affirmed again.

    The young man smiled. There was not muchughter in his eyes, instead, a glimmer of anger shed. ¡°You have to!¡±

    As he spoke, the man who put down the copper cauldron retracted his arm. Almost all of his power gathered in his arms, then he pushed out the scrap of copper towards Shao Xuan and Du Kang.

    The copper cauldron was shoved forward at a high speed, apanied by a sh of golden light. It went off the ground. With the cold strong wind and the chill of the gold, it went straight to where Shao Xuan was at, holding the crystal!

    ck Bear thought that Duo Kang would take the shot. After all, in these usual cases, the fights were taken care of and blocked by the team leader. They represented the whole tribe. It meant that their decision was the decision of the whole team.

    To contend orpromise? The onlookers pondered to themselves.

    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, Shao Xuan, who stood closest to the Duo Kang, did not dodge but was still standing in ce.

    In the face of the copper cauldron rushing towards him, Shao Xuan just lowered his waist and bent his knee. His whole body was like a mountain rooted to the ground. He raised an arm, punching it out towards the scrap of copper.

    He actually chose to face it himself!

    Bang!

    With a trembling echo of the heavy metal, the deafening sound waves like from a huge drum suddenly sounded. Even the golden light reflected by the three-legged copper seemed to bepletely shattered in that instant.

    At the moment the deafening ng sounded, everyone at the trading area was shaking from the force of it!

    What happened?! Someone who didn¡¯t witness this thought.

    What happened?! Someone who witnessed the scene but couldn¡¯t process it wondered.

    ck Bear¡¯s eyelid twitched. That kid¡­ He could actually save himself alone!!

    Bang!

    There was another rattling sound, but it was different from the sound from just now. It was just the sound of the copper falling because of its weight.

    The cauldron, almost as tall as a human,nded on the ground again. The soil around it was shaken off, dust flew, and the copper cauldron failed to advance another inch. It had stopped right in front of Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 393 - Rules of Trading

    <h4>Rules of Trading</h4>

    Because of the barrier made by his men and several ves, the Anba City young ve master, sitting there with a haughty posture, did not suffer any injuries caused by the shock. However, the loud sound it made hurt his ears.

    An Ping frowned as he took a peek at the person in front of them. He continued to frown as he stared at the man just standing there, then looked at the other¡¯s totem patterns. It seemed that he had seen it before but, at that moment, couldn¡¯t remember where.

    Anyway, he was in a bad mood today. He was having the worst luck since early in the morning when he went to inspect something he had ordered. It was something he had booked long ago and he nned to take back. Who knew that they made a mistake with his order. In a fit of rage, he let a few of the ves with him go, carrying the cauldron with them. Besides, he could just get a few more and he had many more at home. And why should he have outsiders cast him a cauldron when he could do it at home? What¡¯s more, it¡¯s cheaper to make it himself.

    However, as he left the cksmith, An Ping heard some people say that there was a free trade area on this side of the city. He then brought people over, thinking that he could exchange the scrap he had for their treasures. Not only could he deal with this failure, but he could also show the people his generosity. If the other party would not give him face, he would just force them. Who expected that this was going to happen!

    What did the people around say this tribe was, the ming Horn tribe? The name was a little familiar.

    When he caught the other¡¯s eyes, this young master actually felt a sense of fear! To save face, he averted his eyes, but appeared extraordinarily stiff as he just turned his neck.

    Shao Xuan, who was sitting at first, had to stand up because of the thinging at him. After he blocked, his handid still at the cauldron¡¯s body, his feet separated, his two knees bent and his body slightly squatting. Him standing steadily like this gave people the feeling that a sleeping beast had just opened its eyes after being provoked. Savage as a beast, this was what the people of Anba City thought of the tribal people living in the remotends. The ming Horns tribe in front of them also gave that same feeling.

    In the eyes of the Anba City young master, this ¡°savage beast¡± had let out such strong power in the moment of it waking up. This was not what an ordinary ¡°savage beast¡± usually did. This was more like the rampage of a fierce beast. He felt like he was in the presence of one. Even if the feeling was dull, it could not be ignored.

    Tricky. This was what the young master thought at that moment.

    After a moment of silence, the crowd erupted in conversation. They thought that the one who should be standing like that would be Duo Kang. If not Duo Kang, Guangyi should be the next expectation. However, who would have expected that it was this young man who took the attack!

    ¡°Who is that man?¡±

    ¡°Are all the young people in the ming Horn tribe this good?¡±

    ¡°Hey, look at the face of that Anba City master. Do you think they¡¯ll fight?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good if that happened. We can take the opportunity to pick up some goods cheaply. I heard that the people of the ming Horn tribe have got a lot of good things these days.¡±

    Although many of the people there had these thoughts, they also knew to keep their voice down or keep it to themselves. It was just their eyes staring at the movement on the field, waiting for the opportunity to take advantage of afterwards.

    An Ping¡¯s eyelids slightly twitched. For a moment, he really couldn¡¯t think of what to say.

    With their young master still not moving, one immediately seized the opportunity toe forward, wanting to kiss ass in front of his master. Stepping forward, he pointed at Shao Xuan and the rest of the tribe, raising his chin and saying, ¡°You. Do you want to be an enemy of Anba City, one of the Great Six?¡±

    Because it once belonged to one of the six strongest tribes, even if itter merged, they were still technically Anba tribesmen. Until this day, the people of Anba City still liked to call themselves one of the great six, in order to show their dominance and satisfy their vanity.

    Unfortunately, to the ming Horn tribesmen, whether you were from the great six or seven or eight, if you tried to fight us, don¡¯t me us for fighting back!

    Shao Xuan calmly looked at the other party. ¡°I heard you Anba people like Ding cauldrons. We wouldn¡¯t want to take something you love so much so I¡¯m returning this to you!¡±

    What was clearly an ordinary hand looked so smallpared to the huge body of the cauldron. However, before the crowd could contemte that scene, he might as well berger than the cauldron from the power he exuded.

    Bang!

    As the hand retracted, the cauldron shot out together with the ringing sound of the metal. The heavy, high-pitched sound seemed like it was going to exterminate everything in its path. Once again, it rang throughout the free space of the trading area.

    Reflecting the sun¡¯s golden light, the cauldron¡¯s body careened straight towards a person who then jumped out of the way.

    But the metal was flying too fast, so much so that the man who jumped out just now did not manage to escape. It collided with him. His skin burst out with bruises, a few cuts showing. The blood flowed from the wounds, while the sound of his arms and sternum breaking had beenpletely suppressed by the sound the cauldron was making. The people around only saw that the person sprayed out blood and flew out by the force. His body slid along as he fell to the ground.

    The cauldron also fell on the ground because of its three uneven feet. It could not remain steady. After stopping and bumping several times, it then skidded to a stop. At this time, the defects of the cauldron¡¯s body werepletely exposed.

    ck Bear looked at the fallen scrap of metal, his eyes filled with contempt. This kind of goods was something they all disdained to see. As for the idiot who took out this thing and tried to force a deal, he deserved to be punched in the face.

    Not only ck Bear, even if most of the people who decided to not speak up, they also secretly felt that this face should be hit well. Who would think that the tribal people were dumb enough to take a defect?

    Although those watching the scene at some distance at the back wanted to stay away from the battlefield, they still did not walk away. Watching the buzz was not too big a deal. For most of the tribesmen here, these Anba City ve masters with the An surname usually had to be given face, but they would not really fear them. Naturally, they were willing to see the ming Horn tribe fight with a young master. This matter didn¡¯t involve them personally anyway.

    On the other hand, seeing his subordinate on the ground, An Ping¡¯s face contorted.

    It¡¯s a provocation! It¡¯s a provocation to the authority of Anba City!

    Not able to sit still anymore, An Ping suddenly got up and waved a hand. ¡°Give them a fight!¡± He paused, then added, ¡°Get those glowing stones back for me!¡±

    After getting the order, several figures around An Ping went straight towards Shao Xuan.

    But this time, Shao Xuan did not move. When the other side rushed out, from his side and rear, the same number of figures rushed out. Du Kang and Guangyi even rushed to the front.

    Did they not see these people?!

    If all of them relied on Shao Xuan saving himself, they¡¯d be scolded by the shamaness and the Chief when they returned.

    The sonorous sound of metals shing resounded, as well as the collisions of muscles and flesh. There was punching, followed by the cracking sound of bones breaking, then a figure hit the ground.

    Plop plop¡­..

    The sound of figures hitting the ground sounded in session.

    An Ping¡¯s face twisted with these sounds. It became more hideous, but he did not have the guts to fight in person.

    When thest person who had rushed out also hit the ground, Duo Kang and others returned to their camp to stand around Shao Xuan. Duo Kang pulled out an axe that had been exchanged not long ago and threw it to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan caught the axe, then he rotated the handle between his fingers, firmly holding it in his palm afterwards. They then stared at An Ping and the others still with him.

    If they were not coated with colored mud, these people¡¯s bright me-like totem patterns would give an amazing show. If it was only just one fierce beast waking from its sleep earlier, now, it was a hoard of fierce beasts!

    The aura of a hundred people was concentrated on one spot like a ming axe. This axe would sh and hack away at any obstacle fearlessly! The bystanders could feel the intimidating energy radiating from them.

    You have your high seat, I have my arrogance. There was no talk of reason in this free trading area. The person first to break the rules would not be eligible to mention the word ¡°reason¡±!

    At any time, the rules of the ming Horn tribe have always been very clear. You want something? Alright, trade honestly with us ording to our agreement. You should offer as much as we are offering, not less! Otherwise, we will beat you up!

    There was a sense of anxiety in the air.

    Even the people who were just watching the excitement didn¡¯t dare make a noise.

    At this moment, suddenly from outside of the crowd came a gentle sound.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    As the sound was heard, a path also opened up from the crowd.

    Unlike An Ping, the person who appeared at that moment was not so showy, but he was more noticeable. Many tribesmen in the trading area knew who this other person was. While An Ping gave people a sense of empty leadership, the appearance of this person was one of nobility. This was the man who was the main source of power in Anba City.

    Hearing that gentle voice, An Ping¡¯s face suddenly changed. He put away his twisted expression, but his eyes were still filled with panic and fear. After a thought, he decided to tell his story. How could he let those tribesmen take advantage of things?

    After thinking thus far, An Ping trotted to the person. Seeing the other turn to look at him, An Ping shrunk his neck but continued with his n toin. His opening was ¡°Those barbarians¡­¡±

    Not only the ming Horns tribe, but even the other tribes watching also had their eyebrows raised.

    Barbarians? At least these people here follow basic rules and etiquette, but what about you? Also, did you really think these people wouldn¡¯t fight back?

    An Yan quietly stood there, listening to An Pingin. His expression remained the same, not uttering a sound but keeping his calm.

    Suddenly, without looking like there was any attack, An Ping¡¯s body jerked. He coughed out blood as his body flew out.

    The lively crowd watching hurriedly rushed out of that area, letting An Ping directly fall to the ground. If it hadn¡¯t been for An Yan here, they would have stepped on him a few times.

    An Yan didn¡¯t care about An Ping, only thinking that how could Anba City raise such a fool. Fortunately, they were the ones in power in this area. As for the other branches who would raise fools like An Ping, they were naturally a bunch of stupid goods, what a waste! An Yan wouldn¡¯t waste a thought on them.

    An Yan knew that the tribesmen in the trading area were angry. Simply taking it out on An Ping would appease these tribesmen. Looking at the people around, sure enough, after seeing An Ping get beaten, the anger on their faces was a lot lighter.

    With a light smile, An Yan Lang said to the people around, ¡°I am An Yan of Anba City, but we also follow the rules. Since we provide the ce for trade, naturally, you should also follow these rules.¡±

    After saying that to Shao Xuan and the other people, he beckoned his people to carry over a big box. An Yan continued, ¡°That crystal, I want it for five swords plus five bags of grains. Is the price eptable?¡±

    The area went quiet. Even if one originally wanted to argue, after thinking about it, they decided to forget it. In the first ce, they couldn¡¯t offer a better price than that. There wasn¡¯t anyone else that generous. Secondly, they didn¡¯t want to fight with this Anba City young master. Those were unspoken rules and this was a reasonable man, so they should also give each other some face.

    Meanwhile, ck Bear¡¯s eyes shed where no one noticed. Rules? The rules were trash!

 Chapter 394 - Something Interesting

    <h4>Something Interesting</h4>

    Duo Kang looked at Shao Xuan. Seeing Shao Xuan nod, they took inventory.

    Shao Xuan also took out five stone crystals. ¡°We¡¯re fine with the price, so these are yours now.¡±

    An Yan smiled, feeling the anxious atmosphere also dissipating.

    He had his people take the crystals, then An Yan had them stand the cauldron upright again and drag it over. ¡°I¡¯ll give this to you topensate for what my people did.¡±

    Although the casting of the cauldron failed, it was still made of bronze after all. If it was not possible to make weapons, you could make other things with it. Even ck Bear felt that this was a goodpensation.

    Duo Kang also thought that this was good enough, however, he still turned to look at Shao Xuan for his decision. Young people these days are full of pride. Sometimes, in order to keep their pride in a fight, they¡¯d refuse to get any benefits.

    However, that¡¯s not the case with Shao Xuan. He smiled, not refusing the gift. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The transaction between the two parties waspleted. An Yan took his people away and the trading area returned to its former state again. Just those who thought about taking advantage of the chaos were quite disappointed. Unexpectedly, a fight did not happen.

    The people of the ming Horns tribe packed their things and left in the midst of chattering of those around them. The people of the Taihe tribe also left, which was ording to what they had already arranged.

    Not far away, ck Bear¡¯s people were just looking at the ming Horn people as they left. Someone lifted his thick finger and pointed to the leaving tribe. ¡°Noss, do we follow them?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s all there is to them.¡± ck Bear grinned.

    The people with ming Horns and Taihe tribe skillfully left Anba City. They arranged a set of scouts ahead, then quickly left along the road they hade from.

    Originally, Duo Kang was nning to go the other way. This was their practice every time. There¡¯s a road for going and a road for returning to be safer. However, Shao Xuan proposed that they take a section along the original road first, then changeter. Anyway, the two roads were not far apart in the front, so changing the pathter didn¡¯t have much difference in time. There was not much obstruction around this stretch of road. They also had scouts.

    The people of Taihe tribe initially objected to Shao Xuan¡¯s decision, but they epted when they knew that they would still change course. After a thought, they reluctantly epted it, but deep inside, they did not agree.

    That big cauldron they received has been wrapped in grey cloth. That way, it was not so conspicuous, and with the ming Horn tribe¡¯s strength, carrying it was not soborious. Sometimes, they just had to take turns carrying to not slow the procession down.

    Going back on the same road should be much more dangerous. They could get robbed a lot. Since many had seen the ming Horns tribe had a lot of good stuff earlier, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to set up a heist on several parts of the road. This time, all the people in the team did not keep their guards down or they could be the ones killed.

    Whoosh¡ª

    There was a sudden noise.

    Were these people going to rob them?

    Vignce in the hearts of the men rose.

    But Shao Xuan only smiled when he saw the approaching figure.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally here.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°You know we¡¯reing?¡± ck Bear asked in doubt.

    ¡°Just a guess.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say much. He only sensed the intentions of the ck Bear when they left, then he based his actions on what others had to say about ck Bear¡¯s personality. Therefore, he had everyone go along the original road first. The danger of doing this was not too high. If this journey was not fruitful, they¡¯d just change the way.

    ck Bear¡¯s thick eyebrows rose, then heughed loudly. ¡°You ming Horn tribe are very interesting!¡± If someone could guess that he¡¯d followed, surely he could have also guessed how the other would act. The people of the ming Horn tribe were smarter than he thought.

    Seeing that it was ck Bear, the guards of the others also lowered. Duo Kang stepped forward and asked, ¡°Do you still want to trade with us?¡±

    When they hurried away, there was still some stuff they had on hand that hadn¡¯t been sold. There¡¯s even more left on the Taihe tribe. They also looked forward to ck Bear trading with them.

    ¡°Yes,¡± said ck Bear with his rugged voice, ¡°I know you still have that glowing crystal with you. How about I trade with you at the same price as An Yan?¡±

    Seeing Shao Xuan nod, Duo Kang was delighted. They listened to ck Bear¡¯s demands and soon the rest of the goods in their hands were bought off. Duo Kang has wrinkles in his eyes from smiling too much. The Taihe tribe on the other side also couldn¡¯t keep their smiles hidden, and they thanked Shao Xuan for his decision. After the goods in their hands were sold out, they were more rxed.

    As his men finished the deal, ck Bear asked Shao Xuan how to use this luminous crystal. When Shao Xuan finished exining, ck Bear removed the thick hat he was wearing and took out an engraved stone with a bear pattern. He handed it to Shao Xuan. ¡°If you have such goods again, you can directly visit us. We also trade animal skins and other goods. And of course, your stone carving. If I can choose, I prefer any bear from the giant bear ss, but I¡¯ll still be open to trade if there¡¯s no giant bears.¡±

    ck Bear also told them of a ce in Anba City. If they brought that token he gave, even if ck Bear was not in the city, they could still trade as usual. The ming Horns tribe didn¡¯t have to worry about chaos in the free trading area.

    Cooperation?

    The people of the Taihe tribe were surprised. ck Bear¡¯s reputation was really good, but he did not often have fixed coborators. They had the power to trade everywhere, so they didn¡¯t have to be afraid of the Anba City people. Even if they were enemies of Anba, they were also trading with others. The little friction the ming Horns tribe had was nothing to them. However, the people of the Taihe tribe were still very surprised. ck Bear unexpectedly looked for the ming Horns tribe to cooperate. Was that stone crystal of the tribe really that interesting?

    After the deal waspleted, ck Bear added, ¡°Don¡¯t trust the people of Anba, especially when they make the ¡®rules¡¯. They think they can make the ¡®rules¡¯ just because you¡¯re in their territory.

    Anba City didn¡¯t have fixed rules. Before, the ming Horn tribe who came to Anba City for trading were not conspicuous. They did not have many items of value- but this time was different. The ming Horns tribe not only fought with an Anba young master, they also had something of real value.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me,¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to trust me too though.¡± ck Bear nced at arge wooden box beside Shao Xuan, ¡°Can I know what¡¯s in it?¡± Just now, when he saw Shao Xuan move the box, he heard a little noise. It was not the sound of metal, but more like the sound of rocks colliding? Do they have anything good that hasn¡¯t been taken out yet?

    As a businessman, sometimes, he was curious- otherwise, how could he smell business opportunities?

    ¡°Those are not up for trading.¡± Shao Xuan refused.

    With this, ck Bear¡¯s curiosity grew even more, grilling Shao Xuan for a while. After promising some other benefits and taking out some small bronze items as a gift, Shao Xuan finally opened the box. When he saw what¡¯s inside, ck Bear had an awkward look, then let out a rare burst ofughter. He was in a good mood as he ordered his men to leave.

    The Taihe tribe people on the other side did not see what Shao Xuan showed in that box because of the angle they were at. Naturally, after seeing the trade with the crystals they were curious what the other items were. What the hell was it?

    Despite the Taihe tribe¡¯s curious eyes, Shao Xuan packed his things up and intended to leave again, waiting for the rest to get ready. It was time to change their course, too. They had gained a partner in ck Bear, so the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t have to worry of being rejected by Anba City for a trade.

    As soon as he had taken two steps though, Shao Xuan stopped again. He saw the wrapped cloth on the cauldron was torn, so Duo Kang used another cloth to cover it.

    Although this was a failed construction, the material used was good. It was still very smooth, with great thickness, and there were engraved decorations and words on it that made it feel ancient and mysterious.

    At that time, when An Yan put forward the cauldron as a giveaway to the ming Horn tribe as an atonement, the others felt that it was because the cauldron was made of bronze. It could be re-cast into other artifacts or exchanged for more benefits, so the ming Horns tribe epted this giveaway. However, that was not the reason why Shao Xuan agreed to ept this thing. The main reason was that he was interested in the engraved decorations and words on it.

    The great six cities had these cauldrons as part of a ritual. It symbolized power, whether it was a major celebration or a reward for the people. A lot of times, they would record something more special on the cauldron, representing a different meaning. That¡¯s what Shao Xuan was interested in.

    It¡¯s true that most of the people here know the words, but their degree of understanding was very limited. They were familiar with themonly used words from trading but, for the moreplex, they knew less. Some of the more distant minimalist but esoteric phrases, like what the tribe used in their records were more obscure. It was even more confusing to the tribesmen so not many cared about it anymore.

    Many people cast their own weapons, and would never add words on it. At most, they¡¯d add their own tribe totem or name and nothing else. They felt it was too troublesome, unlike the fastidious six great cities. They¡¯d not only add words but also paint a lot of other stuff, which to others were just redundant patterns.

    Just like this cauldron. Although everyone knew there were words on it, they just felt it was a decoration. They did not understand what they meant so they paid it no mind.

    After the cauldron was wrapped again, Shao Xuan looked up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s change course.¡± Duo Kang ordered the others who were still resting to pack up. The procession set off again.

    On the other hand, ck Bear led his people away, so did the people who had nned to rob them. It was all settled in a leisurely way.

    ¡°Boss, what the hell did you see in that kid¡¯s box in the ming Horns tribe?¡± A man in ck Bear¡¯s line asked as he pulled a leaf from the tree next to him. He used it to wipe the big blood-stained sword on his hand.

    ¡°Something interesting,¡± ck Bear just replied.

    ¡°What made youugh like that?¡± The rest were also puzzled.

    ¡°What do you think? How many of the people An Yan sent out woulde back?¡± ck Bear asked instead.

    They had a wide distribution of manpower in Anba City. They naturally knew the movement of An Yan on the other side. One shouldn¡¯t trust the front An Yan showed in person when he said he¡¯d follow the rules from his own mouth. He was actually a cruel man.

    As soon as the ming Horns tribe departed, he sent out people to hunt them down. However, he also knew that the tribe decided to go back using another road, so he sent people that way too. He just never thought that the ming Horns tribe would use the first road first but they¡¯d certainly encounter each other at some point.

    Speaking of which, whichever road was not safe. One road had other tribes setting up ambush attacks while the other had An Yan¡¯s men. If it had been earlier, ck Bear might have sympathized with the ming Horns tribe, but now, ck Bear felt that the bad luck would be on the other parties.

    The rest of his team was still discussing ck Bear¡¯s words. Seeing ck Bear¡¯s gloating smirk, one couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Boss, how many do you think the men who Anba City sent woulde back? Even if they fail, at least half of them should be left, right?¡±

    ¡°Half? I¡¯d say at most one or two.¡±

    ¡°How could that be?!¡± The others didn¡¯t believe it. ¡°Was there a trap? That¡¯s not likely to happen.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that they looked down on the people of the ming Horns tribe, but they knew that most of the tribe¡¯s people still treasured their weapons. Even if they had set up traps, they¡¯d choose wooden ropes and such, not metals because they¡¯d be reluctant to use it. The lethality of wood was, of course, much smaller than that of metal wares. As for bone tools, it was extremely restrictive and inconvenient to use. Therefore, in the making of traps, many tribesmen might not be able topare the six great cities. Not everyone was as generous as the ve owners of the six cities.

    ¡°There is not only wood and metal in this world.¡± ck Bearmented.

    Stone tools. This could be considered as almost extinct and only heard in historical records. However, he saw that the ming Horn tribe was faring well with it. From the stone tools he saw, he knew the maker of these tools was experienced in using them too- like a spider perched in a hidden corner, pulling out its first silk and already able to visualise the web it was about to weave.

 Chapter 395 - A Few More

    <h4>A Few More</h4>

    In the free trading area, before Shao Xuan sold the stone crystals, he would use his spare time every night to polish his stone tools.

    Because the animal skins sold out fast, the few days before they returned were idle. Shao Xuan made some of them go out to find stones, then he¡¯d choose the satisfactory stones from it. He¡¯d polish it into stone tools he needed.

    Thendscape on their way back was mountainous, with much vegetation distributed around. The species of flora and fauna in the mountains were diverse. This was what Shao Xuan learned from the Duo Kang and the others, so, when he polished his stone tools, he had already thought about what kind of traps he should make. Even if they had no stone crystals, ording to Duo Kang¡¯s past experience, they¡¯d encounter a lot of ambushes once they left Anba City¡¯s trading area. Many would talk to you the day before andugh, but after a day, they could easily attack you in the mountains, not hesitating to kill.

    Outside the trade, an inhuman heart is necessary, so Shao Xuan made these stone tools. However, it was also to prevent the pursuit of too many people, in case of an emergency.

    Stone tools were not like metal. Usually, the requirements for stone were not really high. Stone that could be used could be found everywhere in the mountains, unlike gold, wherein wasting would cause heartache. For many tribesmen, a small dagger can be very precious. With that, it was impossible to use metals to make weapons such as darts which you¡¯d throw out and sometimes could not be recovered. That would certainly cause heartache.

    Obviously, the same idea was thought of by the people sent by An Yan to hunt them down. They inquired about the previous style of the people of the ming Horns tribe, inquiring about the past. However, they never heard of the tribe usingrge-scale traps when on the way back before, so the chasers were not alert. At first, because the ming Horns tribe did not follow their original route, the chasers did not see them. Once theyter saw traces of their footprints, they were excited and continued chasing. That was until they heard a slight sound.

    It was as if a bird was just fluttering from a tree, when these people were suddenly faced with dense wooden thorns.

    It was too sudden that, even if they reacted quickly, they could notpletely avoid these sudden wooden thorn attacks.

    One man in the line waved the sword in his hand. The sword formed a shield that blocked the prickly wooden thorns. At the same time, one quickly jumped to an open area, wanting to avoid these wooden thorns. However, when hended again, he had stepped on something under his feet. He only felt as if there was a string under his foot that suddenly pulled out, then thorns flew out from his side. Not only that, but whenever he dodged a step, it always triggered a noose that he hadn¡¯t seen, then another round of attacks bombarded him.

    That¡¯s not just for one person. There were so many people in the team. As long as there were one or two that triggered the traps, once they panicked, it¡¯d trigger other series of traps.

    The thorns were not as hard as metal, but when shot out that fast, it could still hurt. There were also other traps aside from the wooden thorns. Once it had scratched skin, the poison on it would immediately spread into the bloodstream. It would not cause death but could still cause them a little trouble. Besides, it would also affect the speed of their pursuit.

    Boom!

    There was a light noise, then the air suddenly exploded in a cloud of yellow fine powder. It was like a fog that quickly spread out in the open.

    People who could get out of the circle jumped away, no matter what that was. It¡¯s better to dodge. But the man who was attacked by the wooden thorns thought it would be some poison, so he held his breath. After blocking a wooden thorn and jumping out of the range of the attack, once he saw the yellowish smoke dissipate, that¡¯s when he finally breathed again.

    When everything finally stopped, the leader looked at the man lying and rolling on the ground, muttering it was a ¡°waste.¡± His sight moved to a tree on the side of the body, where more than ten thin wooden thorns were nailed to it. He carefully moved over to make sure nothing was triggered again before reaching out and picking a leaf quickly, then wrapping it around a wooden thorn before pulling it out of the trunk.

    This is a wooden thorn that was broken from a nt in the mountains. The tail end of the thorn was also marked with some brown and green colour, indicating that they were not plucked out for a long time.

    This nt wasmon in the mountains. A lot of animals here have rough coats though, so these wooden thorns were not much threat to those with thick fur. But that¡¯s not the same for humans. They don¡¯t have thick fur, nor any kind of armour, so the poison had some effect on them. Fortunately, these poisons were not strong and would not kill them.

    Such cheap tricks! The leader was furious.

    However, who had set it up to burst out like rain after a round of attacks?

    Was it someone else¡¯s ambush? Or was it the man who left with the ming Horn tribe?

    There was a faint sweet fragrance around. He didn¡¯t know whether it was the flowers on the tree or something else.

    The leader threw away the wooden thorns he was holding, frowning. His eyes swept around. Even though the several rounds of attack they had encountered had ended, they could not find traces of the traps.

    ¡°Keep chasing!¡± Ignoring the poisoned ones, the rest decided to move on.

    ¡°Everyone should watch their backs. Those tribesmen like to y dirty!¡± The leader reminded them. In their view, these were just childish tricks made of wood and flowers.

    But after just two steps, nobody knew who stepped on what but they just heard another ¡°whoop¡± from a short vine and their brains suddenly thought of the attack earlier. They clutched their weapons, while the leader even pulled another person¡¯s copper shield, warily looking at the direction of the sound.

    However, they didn¡¯t see a new round of attacks of wooden thorns but saw a few strange crescent-like wooden pieces flying out. The direction of its flight was not towards them but in the direction away from them.

    The flying wood urately passed through the gap between the branches of the forest. It was not blocked by the thick trunks and thick branches but managed to fly out of the shade of the leaves, along an arc, then into the distance.

    Bang, bang, bang!

    They didn¡¯t know what the flying wood had hit but when they heard the sound, they panicked again.

    After the wood hit something, it flew in the opposite direction, then there was some buzzing sound.

    Realizing what it was, the leader shouted, ¡°It¡¯s leaf bees! Run!¡±

    Unlike other wild bees, the buzzing sound of leaf bees was very special, like the whooshing sound of arrows passing through. They were two to three timesrger than ordinary bees, and they flew fast. Because there was a conical hard armor in front of their heads, they could easily pass through any defenses. Once stung by them, the consequences were much worse than the wooden thorns.

    ¡°There¡¯s got to be a hive of leaf bees around here!!¡± The leader reminded them immediately.

    Leaf bees generally did not attack. However, once provoked, they¡¯d be aggressive. Additionally, the hive of the leaf bees was veryrge that almost every hive in the forest would upy a whole tree. With that, the number of bees was naturally much more than usual. Except for the beasts with thick fur and often stole honey, all the beasts in the forest were cautious around the hive of the leaf bees.

    These pursuers obviously hadn¡¯t expected the ming Horn tribe to use bees like that. The crescent-like wooden pieces were actually to attack the bees!

    The bees were furious.

    It was evident from all the buzzing.

    When they realised it was leaf bees, the rest of the team panicked and spread out to distract the bees. If the bees were going after the others, they would be able to escape the attack themselves.

    However, even if they were out in the open again, there was always a leaf bee chasing them.

    It¡¯s that yellowish powder with a slightly sweet smell!!

    When he thought of the cause, the leader was livid. If only a few of them were killed, it was nothing. It was just that these annoying tribesmen with these little tricks could actually kill a lot of them!

    Those who managed to kill a few bees only angered them more. The forest around them buzzed constantly.

    One person, because of trying to avoid a leaf bee, even touched another trap and he was now upside-down with his feet hanging up. Not waiting for him to cut the vine, he was caught on both sides with pointed stones like gaping jaws. He wasn¡¯t even able to cry out.

    Suddenly, the smell of blood spread.

    A simr situation had urred everywhere else, be it bundled up or falling into a pothole, then they were greeted by the real killing trap.

    Besides the whooshing sound of a leaf bee like a dense storm, there was also the panic of the pursuers screaming echoing across the forest.

    At the foot of the mountain, two teams were on their way. It was the people of the ming Horn and the Taihe tribe.

    Both tribes could hear noisesing from the forest. From time to time, they took their eyes off the road to nce at Shao Xuan.

    They didn¡¯t know exactly what Shao Xuan did. After changing the course, Shao Xuan made them go to the original road, not paying attention to the footprints they left on the ground. After a break, Shao Xuan left with a few people after looking for some Taihe people to ask for some herbs.

    Because it was for the safety of the two teams, the Taihe tribe did not hide anything. They gave him all the things Shao Xuan requested. The kind of powder that attracted the leaf-piercing bee was actually made by the Taihe tribe. They dared walk to the hive of leaf bees also because the Taihe had a way to avoid attracting the leaf bees.

    The team waited at the foot of the mountain for a while until Shao Xuan and the rest came back. The expressions on those people¡¯s faces were very strange. They were a little dazed but expectant.

    Duo Kang was one of them. He thought that Shao Xuan brought them to block those who hunted them, but he did not expect that once they were on the hillside, Shao Xuan asked them to stop, then assigned them tasks. They were told to break wood thorns, cut wood, look for vines, while Shao Xuan carried his wooden box, with those things to continue to walk up the mountain and began to make preparations.

    Shao Xuan said he could stop their pursuers. Duo Kang did not believe it, but now, he could hear soundsing from the mountains. Shao Xuan might be right.

    Flutter flutter¡ª

    A flock of birds in the sky flew over the woods.

    ¡°Those birds¡­¡± The people of Taihe tribe looked at the sky. Their eyes followed the birds, looking at the mountain behind them which was constantly rustling.

    Those birds were scavengers. They could smell blood from afar, then follow the scent to scavenge for food.

    When hunting in the mountains, these people also judge what was happening in a certain ce based on the movement of the scavengers. Now, where the scavengers were flying towards were where the people of the ming Horn tribeid their traps.

    ¡°Those people, are they all dead?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy.¡± Shao Xuan replied, ¡°However, there were still a few more traps in the back. There should not be much left of them.¡±

    A few more¡­

    Both the people of the ming Horn and Taihe tribe looked at Shao Xuan. They averted their eyes and continued their journey in silence.

 Chapter 396 - Flat Cauldron

    <h4>t Cauldron</h4>

    The team did not cover their tracks. Even if they had, it would not bepletely covered, so they simply did not make an effort to. Besides, they had hundreds of people carrying their goods so it would take a lot to cover all their tracks.

    Along the way, Shao Xuan would set up more traps, while the Taihe tribe would also help with their herbs to make Shao Xuan¡¯s traps more effective. As long as the people behind them continue to follow their footprints, then they¡¯d continue to be ¡°entertained¡± by these traps.

    If you could use these skills against the enemy, why use brute force? The people of the ming Horns and Taihe tribe were naturally happy that they didn¡¯t have to waste time and manpower to deal with their pursuers. They just had to guard against those who had set up ambushes along the way, which greatly reduced their stress.

    Two dayster, the number of ambushes they had encountered had been reduced by a lot. The bigger half of the day, they also did not meet a heist. Du Kang¡¯s heart loosened until his worries finally passed. In the future, they only had to protect the goods from the beasts in the mountains.

    Because of the arrangements Shao Xuan made, the people behind them failed to catch up. They¡¯d only asionally see a group of scavenging birds shrieking and flying over the tops of their heads.

    Along the way, they would see Shao Xuan making stone tools, hence, during breaks, some people in the group woulde to ask Shao Xuan how to use and make various stone tools. In case they became trapped in the mountains, with no other weapons in their hands, they could use stone tools to save themselves.

    They thought that since he had few gold wares, he basically had to use stone tools. It never entered their minds that what they initially thought to be barbaric was useful. But after the events these two days, they realized that the ordinary stone tools could also y a bigger role, not just to be broken to pieces.

    In the absence of gold, their brothers on the other side were using all kinds of stone tools to deal with one mountain beast after another. Their other brothers were really fierce! If they had a chance, they really wanted to see it and have an exchange with them.

    As for what Shao Xuan said about the various hardness of stone, many of them were confused because, in their view, the stones were all the same. Instead, it was Guang Yi who suffered from facial blindness who learned to distinguish the stones the fastest.

    As the ming Horn and Taihe tribes went back, on the other side, inside Anba City, An Yan looked at the ten bloody and muddy people standing in front of him. His angry face was turning darker. He pped a hand on a table, making the copper cup on it fall to the ground.

    ¡°A bunch of idiots!¡±

    The scolded men stood there trembling, epting the words. This time, it really did cost them a lot of people. The constant traps they encountered were one, but they were also robbed by other tribesmen. They had a lot of casualties!

    Outside of the Anba City, the other tribesmen would put up a smiling face but could still rob you in the open, regardless if you were from the great six cities or not. Their immediate interests were the most important.

    Because of the traps, most of the people An Yan had sent out were hurt, so they were taken advantage of from the looting of the other tribes. From the hundred sent out, only the ten were able to return. How could this not make An Yan angry? It¡¯s like his chest was being crushed by a big rock, feeling so stuffy that he wished to vomit blood.

    He didn¡¯t manage to get the stone crystals from the ming Horns tribe and he didn¡¯t even manage to snatch back the cauldron!

    Why did An Yan easily give away that cauldron at the time?

    One reason was to pull envy towards them from so many people in the free trade zone. There were bound to be more people eyeing the trading team of the ming Horns tribe so they could borrow other people¡¯s hands to create trouble for the people of that tribe. Of course, that would make An Yan happy.

    The second reason was to use the copper cauldron to drag the pace of the ming Horns tribe. Carrying such arge scrap of metal in the mountains was certainly not convenient. It would also leave traces of their way, which would make it easy to track them.

    But the oue was like a loud p to him, mercilessly pping An Yan across his face.

    Bronze was still very rare for tribesmen, since the casting process wasplex. Every cauldron, especially those big ones, needed a lot of manpower and material resources. Besides, it was also rare since, from its birth to the present, it has always been for exclusive use of the ve owners. They were still owned by the six from the ruling ss and even the city¡¯s ve owners with lower status had no capacity to own one. Most people could only use them once.

    Admittedly, An Yan, as a descendant of those in power, was certainly entitled to reward the cauldron to others. But to the tribesmen? An Yan never thought so, even for a failed casted cauldron. He never wanted to give it to the tribesmen and merely used it as a chess piece. Who would have expected that this piece would actually be stolen away!

    Were they ever going to get it back?

    Clink!

    Another ss fell. An Yan ignored it as the cup broke into pieces.

    ¡°Get out of here!¡± When he saw these people standing in front of him, An Yan just became angrier. If they remained alive, this meant he probably still has use for them. If he didn¡¯t find them useful, he would have dragged these idiots out and killed them himself!

    Next time, he¡¯ll wait for the people of the ming Horns tribe to settle in Anba City¡¯s free trading area again. He must make those people pay!

    Unfortunately, what An Yan didn¡¯t know was that the ming Horns had struck a deal with ck Bear and didn¡¯t need to go to the free trading zone anymore.

    ¡­¡­

    When the ming Horns and Taihe trading teams returned to their tribe, the weather in the mountains had already turned cold. When one stood high to take in the view, he would see the mountains everywhere turn golden. It won¡¯t be long before those leaves fallpletely, and at that time, winter hase.

    After this outing, the Taihe tribe learned one thing¡ªthe young Elder of the ming Horns tribe was amazing.

    First, he could fight with brute strength. ying mind games? He could do that too!

    They had seen in particr how Shao Xuan had set up a n with a few people to set up traps. Deep in their hearts, they were d that Shao Xuan did not use traps against them. Otherwise, they would go crazy if not dead.

    After separating from the people of the Taihe tribe, Duo Kang walked on with the team with a smile on his face. He carried the big cauldron reflecting the golden rays of the sun. This time, they didn¡¯t have to cover it with a cloth, and revealing its copper body was quite eye-catching.

    Just looking forward, Duo Kang was carrying the cauldron, eager to show it off. Guang Yi, meanwhile, ordered the others to keep up.

    As they walked through the woods, they finally saw the river on the outskirts of the tribe. On the other side of the river, the chief led the tribe, standing there to greet the trading team.

    Duo Kang carried the big cauldron, almost shing the eyes of the greeters blind.

    When Chief Zheng Luo first saw the big cauldron, he did not dare believe it. He closed his eyes, then opened them again, but Duo Kang was still there, grinning with that glittering cauldron!

    What could they have traded it with? Why did they get such a thing?! It¡¯s still just a copper cauldron! Maybe for cooking, but it¡¯s not as good as the big stone pot the ancestors left behind!!

    Seeing that the cauldron¡¯s body was unsteady, Chief Zheng Luo¡¯s expression got even worse.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡± Chief Zheng Luo went up to inquire. If Duo Kang had traded weapons for this, he decided he would immediately hold a tribal meeting and dismiss Duo Kang.

    Duo Kang put the cauldron down and stretched his arms, loosening his tight muscles. He then smiled and replied, ¡°You mean this cauldron? It¡¯s Shao Xuan¡¯s.¡±

    Once he heard it was Shao Xuan¡¯s, the chief¡¯s stiff face stiffened more, his breathing slightly slowed. He was still nning to reprimand Duo Kang. Why did he not persuade Shao Xuan to not exchange this cauldron? But he still listened to Duo Kang exin how it came about.

    After listening, the chief collected himself as he smoothed a hand down his beard. He smiled. ¡°Since it was given to us, then we should take it.¡±

    But from what he heard, how could he not understand what really transpired?

    As the tribe leader, it was clear to the chief what the team had experienced. For the ve owners, the cauldron was not a free gift to be given away. He can now guess An Yan¡¯s face.

    They did not steal anything! It was even openly given to them! That¡¯s that! They deserved it!

    He also heard from Duo Kang about the partnership with ck Bear, which made Chief Zheng Luo¡¯s eyes crinkle even more from smiling. ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡±

    The good mood of the chief made him call Shao Xuan up the mountain, giving him some linen and silk fabrics and such. ¡°Our other trading team received these. I have a lot here. You take some home.¡±

    Although the other textile raw materials were rough, since they were cheap and easy to get, they used it more while the silk fabrics were used less. It was the ve owners who were very fond of glossy and smooth things.

    After stuffing some linen and silk fabrics to Shao Xuan, Chief Zheng Luo then asked Shao Xuan about his experience trading. Duo Kang just briefly said some, but he still wanted to know more details about it.

    When they had finished, the chief looked again at the cauldron that had been brought in.

    ¡°Those cloud patterns should be cast by the Xia people,¡± the chief said.

    ¡°Xia people?¡± Shao Xuan never heard of them from previous discussions.

    ¡°Well, it used to be the Xia tribe. The Xia people are good at casting, butter, the tribe scattered. They changed their surname to ¡®Gong¡¯ and mostly still cast for a living in different areas. Anba City has a lot of cauldrons made by them. A Xia person¡¯s style was mostly to make a round cauldron with cloud patterns. In recent years, they also made it tter. Most of the six big cities now mostly cast their cauldrons round, second is square, while t was the leastmon, of which more than half casted by a Xia person¡¯s hand. If coupled with the cloud pattern rather than the beast pattern, this cauldron should be casted by the Xia. It¡¯s just that somehow, the casting of this cauldron was unexpectedly a failure.¡± Chief Zheng Luo looked at the ttened cauldron¡¯s body, feeling puzzled.

    Since he did not understand, he wouldn¡¯t waste more thought on it, so the chief just advised Shao Xuan. ¡°This cauldron is yours. You can use it as a furnace for smelting or for cooking soup.¡±

    Shao Xuan carried the cauldron he obtained out there to return to his home. He put it in his own stone-making room, where it was big and spacious enough for the scrap of metal. It was also a convenient ce for him to study the decorations on it.

    The words on the cauldron were a little obscure with a few ancient writings. If it was other people, they¡¯d probably be able to read it, though not smoothly, but they wouldn¡¯t understand. However, Shao Xuan could still understand some.

    The usage of thisnguage on this side had changed for the past thousand years. Some words had even changed in meaning and grammar. However, what Shao Xuan had learned from those people in the desert was, in fact, the original writings here from thousands of years ago, which was closer to the ancient writings on the cauldron.

    Shao Xuan would have to write all those words on the cauldron¡¯s body on a piece of cloth, then study it carefully.

    However, when Shao Xuan started copying those words, then looked at the cauldron standing crookedly, he felt that the patterns on it were a bit strange. It was like a whirlpool, attracting the attention of the person staring.

 Chapter 397 - Dismantling

    <h4>Dismantling</h4>

    Many people thought that the patterns on the pots and other artifacts were purely for decoration or to include the tribe¡¯s symbols. Shao Xuan felt the same before, but, after some experience with them, Shao Xuan found that the patterns contain a lot of mysterious things.

    Therefore, as he faced this cauldron, Shao Xuan thought that it would show all about an Anba City ve owner¡¯s great achievements, heroic deeds and such. Or maybe a record of somememorative events, but when he carefully observed, he only found that there were many parts he couldn¡¯t understand.

    For now, he could understand just the words containing some of the glorious history of Anba. Although there were a few words he couldn¡¯t understand, it did not affect his understanding of the phrase as that was just a praise of the ancient Anba tribe, as well as a few words of congrattions. There were also the cloud patterns on the cauldron that seem to act as decorations- however, they were giving Shao Xuan a very weird feeling.

    There were many tribes who liked to use cloud patterns back on the other side, probably because these vortex clouds could be used as both a decoration or background filling. However, it also had a structuralplexity and mystique, giving way to a casual and diverse style. This cloud-decorated t cauldron had its upper end full of these cloud patterns that were more slender andplex. Each of the cloud vortex swirled towards the center, some like cirrus clouds, some like cumulus clouds. Several patterns wereposed of simple swirls continuously going up and down and repeatedly ovepping each other but in a more natural way.

    It was much moreplex than the cloud patterns used by the tribes on the other side. It was the mostplex natural cloud pattern Shao Xuan has ever seen.

    At first nce, this pattern was very beautiful, but there were no big designs like thoserger words to attract people. However, as you stared at those cloud swirls, it drew you in. It was an inexplicable sense of visual shock.

    As decorations, their purpose has been achieved, but was it really made just for that?

    Shao Xuan stared at the decorations on the cauldron¡¯s body for a while. He wanted to copy thoseplex and dense clouds, but there was no paper or anything like that around him. Using animal skin was too extravagant, so Shao Xuan got up to go out and found some long, wide leaves. He brushed paint on the designs on the cauldron, then used the leaves to print it on and wait for the pattern to appear clear on the leaves. Shao Xuan then transferred the painted clouds on a piece of cloth.

    The cloud patterns were not only on the three-legged cauldron¡¯s body but also on its feet. There were also cloud patterns there but unlike the slender andplex ones on the body, the patterns on the feet were thicker, appearing more prominent.

    Shao Xuan also printed the patterns on the feet one by one, then slowly studied them.

    He heard that the man who made the cauldron was a Xia person, who liked cloud patterns. As far as Shao Xuan knew, the cloud pattern was one of the earliest patterns produced. It seems that every tribe that uses cloud patterns has a very long history.

    The me pattern of the ming Horns tribe was made in the earlier times too. However its use was not as wide as the cloud patterns, because the cloud patterns have equilibrium. It has a sense of movement and harmony that its continuous and ovepping lines would not appear abrupt. It was only that it was casted by the Xia people, hence, the cloud patterns seem to contain something more.

    Nothing was going on with the tribe, as it¡¯s almost winter. There would also be fewer outings, so Shao Xuan had more free time to study these.

    After copying all the cloud lines on the cauldron¡¯s body on two pieces of cloth, Shao Xuan also went to the shamaness to ask her for some of the older records on Xia. It¡¯s just that the shamaness didn¡¯t know much, and could only lend records from the ancestors from hundreds of years ago. The problem was that these records handed down were mostly written by the shamaness using the text on the other side, rather than the local text on this side.

    Unable to get much help he wanted from the shamaness, Shao Xuan could only ponder to himself first.

    As he studied these clouds, Shao Xuan felt as if he was back to the time he was learning divination through knot prediction. Everything in the world was full of order and rules, whether it is the beasts in the forest, or the people from various ces. The physical functions of the body ran smoothly because there was order.

    A person¡¯s audio, visual, smell and other perceptions also have their own functions that are kept in order by the brain. It could exert even a slight influence on people¡¯s creativity, resulting in a variety in arts and skills. This sense of order has also formed the creation of the symbols and patterns, like the cloud patterns Shao Xuan was now looking at.

    Much the same but not as messy.

    People who created suchplex and natural cloud-lined graphics must also pursue a sense of bnce and order in their creations, so that this kind of cloud pattern on the cauldron¡¯s body could be produced.

    So, under that order, in the end, what did such aplexbination of cloud patterns stand for?

    Shao Xuan stared at those cloud lines all day but still failed to see anything. After not much progress, Shao Xuan went to the woods to pick up some leaves. The leaves that fell on the ground had yellowed but had not withered yet. The leaves were wider, each piecerger than the palm of an adult, and thicker.

    After picking up the leaves and returning, he dried them up to save as spare.

    At the same time, Shao Xuan also made a square sand tray. The tray of sand was about a meter square in area, he used a sieve to get sand fine enough for drawing. Then, with a branch, he drew in the sand tray.

    The clouds looked veryplex together so Shao Xuan attempted to divide the pattern into a few sections. He drew them all separately in the sand tray. Just like that, he then drew individual patterns on a leaf too.

    It took five days for Shao Xuan to copy the patterns on the cauldron. It was just the beginning of disassembling and assembling the patterns. He didn¡¯t know if it was right as he had no way topare if it was right or wrong. If there was a moreplex pattern, it was even harder for Shao Xuan to interpret it.

    For five days, he had spent all those times on dismantling and analyzing the clouds, except for eating and drinking and taking care of his body needs. When he finally finished painting thest cloud, Shao Xuan was tired. The shadows under his eyes were more obvious. After eating arge pot of boiled broth and a good night¡¯s sleep, he came out of his house.

    The sunshine outside was not as bright as it used to be. But for Shao Xuan, who had been in the house for five days, it was ring.

    As he went back inside, Shao Xuan was nning to go to the other ces at the foot of the mountain to rx his nerves. His muscles had been tight from not moving much, so perhaps a walk around would also give him a little inspiration.

    Recently the weather has been getting cooler and the temperature changepared to the previous day could be felt almost every day.

    Looking at the mountains in the distance, one could see that a lot of yellowish trees from five days ago were now more sparse.

    People who had gone out trading recently havee back too. It was not just Duo Kang with the people who went to Anba City to trade that went out. There were also those who went to other tribes to trade silk fabrics or something else.

    As he walked along, Shao Xuan saw some meat hung outside to dry. At every door, there were lots of good quality meat hanging.

    When he saw a familiar figure, Shao Xuan shouted, ¡°Zhao Ming, what are you doing?¡±

    Holding the big fruit on his head as he was going inside the house, Zhao Ming heard the voice and turned to Shao Xuan happily. ¡°Shao Xuan¡­ Elder!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the fruits Zhao Ming was carrying. These were a species the tribes rarely ate. ¡°What are these? For soup?¡±

    Some of the fruits were not eaten directly but used as seasoning for soup.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s for the tapirs.¡± Zhao Ming corrected him.

    Shao Xuan remembered. When they hunted, he brought back a litter of tapir with even an adult one with the small ones for Zhao Ming to raise.

    ¡°What about your brother? Not home?¡± Shao Xuan swept his gaze to the house and did not see the adults.

    ¡°He¡¯s chopping wood with the others.¡±

    Zhao Ming then took Shao Xuan to see the tapirs he had raised. The small tapir cubs Shao Xuan brought back had grown bigger. Their hair had also grown longer and thicker. With the weather getting colder, the tapir¡¯s body would have more hair, which was more suited to cold.

    Seeing Shao Xuane over, all the cubs squeezed to their mother¡¯s side. They nestled in the pieces of branches and withered grass in the corner.

    ¡°Very good spirit. They¡¯re well raised and would grow a little bigger once they eat more.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the tapirs.

    ¡°Xiaobi¡¯s mother said that these tapirs would grow faster after winter. They¡¯d eat less in winter and grow slowly.¡± Remembering something, Zhao Ming happily added, ¡°But when they grow up, I won¡¯t eat them.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Shao Xuan wondered. Don¡¯t these little kids often watch the captive beasts while drooling? Why won¡¯t you eat it this time?

    Zhao Ming smiled wide with his white teeth showing but did not answer. However, in his face, there appeared some faint tattoo. The tattoo was gradually deepening, not as fast as Shao Xuan, but it was indeed steadily deepening.

    ¡°Totemic patterns?!¡± Shao Xuan was surprised, then smiled. ¡°Congrattions, you¡¯re about to be a totem warrior.¡±

    Although he had heard it from others before, it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time meeting a tribesman who had not awakened at the ritual. Perhaps this was the difference that came with the disappearance of the fire seed. The fire has been incorporated into the blood of every ming Horns tribesmen. As long as they had touched the boundaries of awakening, the power of the fire in their blood would help them awaken at any time without waiting for a ritual.

    As for Zhao Ming saying, he would not eat the tapirs, of course it was because, after bing a totemic warrior, he could eat some of the higher level beasts, such as the fierce beasts.

    If there was no food to eat, he could change something else with other people and would not lose out.

    After a circle around the mountain, Shao Xuan was carrying arge bundle of firewood to Guangyi.

    Before, because Shao Xuan never went out, looking like he was busy with something, everyone did not disturb him. Now, seeing Shao Xuan out wandering, they called him up the mountain to talk.

    After getting along for a long time, despite Guangyi¡¯s face blindness, he finally had an impression of Shao Xuan. Even if Shao Xuan¡¯s face was still blurred to him, as long as he saw Shao Xuan wearing the bone ornaments, he could recognize him.

    ¡°Winter ising. The shamaness says snow will start falling in three days, so the chief is negotiating ?to go out for winter hunting in two days.¡± Guangyi told Shao Xuan.

    Generally speaking, the winter on this side was at its beginning. When there was no heavy snowfall, the tribe would organize a hunt. Once the snow fell, they wouldn¡¯t go out.

    After going up the hill, Shao Xuan was asked by Duo Kang not to join the winter hunt. Winter hunting was more dangerous, and not everyone was fit for it.

    ¡°Let me go hunt.¡± He also wanted to take the opportunity to hunt a better prey and make a sacrificial animal cloth to attend the ritual.

    The winter here was not too long. After the end of winter, there would be the most important ritual of the year. This was the first ritual Shao Xuan would attend sinceing here.

 Chapter 398 - Fire Pond Synchronization

    <h4>Fire Pond Synchronization</h4>

    After the snow, the forest was covered with ayer of white.

    Shao Xuan followed the hunting team out, mostly to look for beasts with thick skin but there were no hairy beasts around. In the winter, they came out less. They also hunted mostly the long-haired beasts that could be made into fur coats.

    Because Shao Xuan, an Elder, participated, this winter hunting involved a lot of people. Everyone was really motivated.

    In addition to hunting, Shao Xuan also went to the dry riverbed to pick up some stones. In his free time, he¡¯d make some glowing crystal again for everyone to use as a light source, since the winter nights would be longer. With those crystal stones, everyone¡¯s lives were made easier.

    During the winter hunt, Shao Xuan hunted a long-haired beast for his ritual clothes.

    When the snowfall in the mountains increased, the tribe would no longer be able to go out. The river around the tribe was also frozen. Instead of putting down the bridge, you could directly walk on it. The children of the tribe liked to skate on it too.

    For the tribes, winter equates to boredom. Every day, a group of three to five would get together to n activities to teach the new warriors. They couldn¡¯t go out to hunt, so they could only use other ways to spend their extra energy.

    Most of Shao Xuan¡¯s time was spent staying inside his house to study those cloud patterns but asionally went out to join the activities, then return to study it again. Sometimes, he¡¯d go out to consult the tribe¡¯s craftsmen. Their craft came from the ancestors, and the ancestors learned it from elsewhere, then summed up their own experience to pass down to theter generation. They had an understanding of the casting or forging style of each faction and were much more exposed to the work of the Xia people.

    However, when Shao Xuan asked them about the cloud pattern, the tribal craftsmen didn¡¯t know much. They told Shao Xuan that some of the ancestors had recorded it but it was mostly iprehensible. What the shamans left were messy, with some parts missing or not clear. Shao Xuan could barely understand the records himself.

    In order to express his gratitude, Shao Xuan sent them a few glowing water sun stones to the great delight of the craftsmen.

    His winter was spent studying the cloud patterns and producing water sun stones, until Shao Xuan heard the cheering outside. He then only realized that winter had passed.

    Winter here camete. The days with no hunting at all were not too long, which made Shao Xuan not react at once when he heard the noises outside.

    ¡°It¡¯s over so soon!¡± Shao Xuan got up and shook the crumbs of leaves on his body, then pushed the door.

    Because of Shao Xuan, some families in the tribe also used water sun stone, especially when there was no moon during the nights. In addition to fire, they could see more in the dark.

    Now, the two round moons that had disappeared in the sky appeared again. After this, the sky will be illuminated by them again next year.

    Once the moons came out and winter had passed, the first thing that the tribe would do was the ritual.

    The ce was different, but the timing was synchronized. No matter if one side was day while the other side was night, both ming Horns tribes were using the moon in the sky as their reference. They just did not know if the specific timing was the same.

    The shamaness was the one who told the tribe the time of the ceremony. After the announcement, the tribe started to get busy, readying themselves for the ritual. Shao Xuan was the only Elder, second only to the Shaman and the Chief, so he obviously had a huge role to y in the ritual.

    Like the past years, the awakened young warriors would be in the top spot at the time of the sacrifice, because from today on, they would officially be part of the tribal warfare, even if they couldn¡¯t begin hunting immediately. They needed to go through a period of adaptation and training, and also be made aware of their abilities. They couldn¡¯t continue to walk around like children.

    As night fell, all the tribesmen gathered.

    The fire in the fire pond had been ignited by the shamaness. Shao Xuan, the shamaness and the chief stood in position from the fire pond.

    Looking at the me in the fire pond, the shamaness started singing. Suddenly, Shao Xuan saw a vision from far away on the other side of the fire pit. It has the same feeling as the fire, so he couldn¡¯t help but stare in that direction. On the other side of the sea, the other branch of the tribe should be celebrating today too.

    There was nomunication between the two, but in their hearts, they felt a connection.

    The shamaness originally thought that in today¡¯s sacrifice, the ancestor from the bone ornaments would appear again as a me giant. As she sang, she found that the mes in the fire pond today were particrly activepared to that previous day.

    What¡¯s going on?

    The shamaness set part of her attention towards the fire in the fire pond.

    Only twice they had seen the mes change like that. One wasst year, to greet Shao Xuan, one was this moment.

    The fire roared.

    There was no wind.

    Afterwards, as if a beast had awakened from its hibernation, it waved its ws and roared.

    The me rolled up, and their totem with the two horns appeared clearly. It was much clearer this time than it was during the ceremony to greet Shao Xuanst year.

    Such changes also surprised the tribesmen who were farther from the fire pit. They had never seen such a change.

    However, Shao Xuan has seen it before. Seen it even more than once.

    It¡¯s the Three mes of the Fire Pond, the first me¡ªSoaring me!

    As if confirming Shao Xuan¡¯s spection, soon, the me in the fire pit instantly rose. It felt like it would rise straight to the sky. At the same time, there were a lot of mes flying out of the fire pit outwards. It was lighter than the me in Shao Xuan¡¯s memory, not so much a me but a reflection of the me.

    Looking at the sparks flying out of the fire pit and the swarm of mes rising out in session, the tribesmen were stunned.

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    The shamaness stared, murmuring. At this point, she had a guess. She immediately turned her eyes to Shao Xuan to try to get answers from him.

    ¡°It¡¯s the fire pit¡¯s second me¡ªFlying me!¡± Shao Xuan said softly.

    Synchronized!

    The fire pits on both sides were synchronized!!

    Even across the sea, even if the situation on both sides was different. At this moment, at tonight¡¯s ritual ceremony, the two fire pits were synchronized!

    The four bone ornaments on Shao Xuan¡¯s neck lit up. The sparks bursting out of the pit were the same asst time he had seen it, erupting and wrapping around them, then it formed a me giant and sprang up.

    Because of their previous experience, everyone was a bit calm this time. They were just astonished at those fluttering sparks. This was the first time they have seen it in their lives.

    It was strange, but they felt an inexplicable closeness from the bottom of their hearts.

    The tall me giant slowly turned around, looking in a certain direction, which was also where Shao Xuan was looking.

    At the same time, in another faraway ce, at the Fearsome Beast Forest.

    The ming Horns tribe¡¯s ceremony tonight was solemn as they were still worried about Shao Xuan, who had disappeared for a long time. Since the event at the desert, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t be found, even when the shaman had sent people to check. It took a lot of effort for them to find out that Shao Xuan was hunted, then he jumped into the sea, went down and did not appear again. The ming Horns tribe nearly started a war in the desert, but then everyone was stopped by the shaman.

    ¡°Ah-Xuan is still alive.¡± The shaman told everyone confidently as he was holding the box of the elders¡¯ bone ornaments.

    Tonight, there were a lot of people thinking about Shao Xuan. However, they never expected that there suddenly would be a me giant in the fire pit!

    If Shao Xuan was here and the me giant appeared, they could still remain calm. However, Shao Xuan was not here now!

    Consequently, the me giant that appeared did not show any interest in the people below it. The figureposed of huge mes slowly turned towards a certain direction.

    When the shaman looked at the lit-up box, his hands shook excitedly, nearly shaking out the bone ornaments in the box.

    ¡°He found it! Ah-Xuan must have found them!¡±

    The others didn¡¯t understand what the Shaman was saying, only that what the Shaman meant was that Shao Xuan was still alive. This was enough.

    ¡°When will he return?¡±

    The others may have thought that the shaman only meant Shao Xuan, but Chief Ao standing next to him knew that this statement meant it was not just Shao Xuan.

    At the end of the ceremony, no one was calm.

    The ming Horn tribe of the Fearsome Beast forest were thinking about when Shao Xuan woulde back, while the shaman and the chief were wondering if Shao Xuan actually found the other part of the ming Horn tribe. On the other side of the sea, the crowd was also thinking. The me giant looked in a certain direction, so the ancestors wanted to convey something to them. Some people guessed the reason, therefore, they had a sleepless night.

    Chief Luo sent a team of people with Shao Xuan to the coast where Shao Xuannded to see if there was an undersea passage. Only that the result was a disappointment when they returned.

    Not only was there no safe passage, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t even see that undersea passage where he came from. It was probably still not the time yet.

    Even if they saw it, Shao Xuan felt that they couldn¡¯t be sure that many people could survive in the tunnel except him.

    He wasn¡¯t saying it was not a disappointment. But this side had a very rich civilization and staying here could also offer a good life. However, Shao Xuan still wanted to go back to the other side¡¯s ming Horn tribe so he could reunite with everybody.

    Build a ship? Not only were their skillscking, but it would also be difficult to build one capable of supporting such a long voyage. There also seemed to be a lot of monsters in the sea. A whip of its tail could be all it took to overturn them. It was as dangerous as crossing through the tunnel.

    Come to think of it, Shao Xuan felt that, if the bridge at the bottom of the sea were to rise, then everyone would be able to move directly from one continent to another, as they did thousands of years ago.

    Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have that ability.

    Forget it. They¡¯d just wait for another chance, or look for other ways.

    By the time they got back to the tribe from the coast, the weather was already warm. Some people had begun to try to grow crops in small fields within the tribe. Even if they didn¡¯t grow much, it was worth it if they could grow something to relieve the pressure on food. Besides, the shamaness had told everyone that while hunting was important, nting was too. This skill couldn¡¯t be wasted.

    It was still a little time away from the next hunt. Looking at the busy people in the fields, Shao Xuan then asked the experienced growers some questions. He remembered that he actually had something important at hand.

    Earlier, he had snatched some thousand gold grains from the rodents together with Old Ju. Shao Xuan still had a bit with him. He brought it with him as he also wanted to nt them. However, he had been busy. Shao Xuan had forgotten about it until today.

    He took out the bag containing the grains. They looked dull in the light when he took them out.

    After looking at these dark gold grains, Shao Xuan put them away again. He¡¯d take them to the experienced growers. Would they be able to grow it with the climate here?

 Chapter 399 - Planting The Thousand Grain Gold

    <hr><h4>nting The Thousand Grain Gold</h4>

    The weather had turned cold. The air was humid but soon faded after the sun rose.

    Shao Xuan brought his small pouch of grains down the hill in search of people to talk to at the designated farm plots.

    He had talked to the olddy experienced in farming and today he was going to bring his grains to the olddy for her opinion.

    Shao Xuan knew how to farm but there were many nts that he did not recognise in this world because they never appeared on the other side. He had spent the past few years working hard to memorise the herbs and nts of this world only to find himself a beginner once again after arriving on this side. Although he knew a few, the main crops and their characteristics differed from the ones on the other side. All he could do was talk to the experienced farmers.

    The farnds extended from the middle to the foot of the hill. These plots ofnd were divided, every square shared by several families. However, the tribe did not control who got what, it was up to them to decide.

    Shao Xuan arrived at the plot near the foot of the hill. There was an olddy with a full head of grey hair called Qi Qi. Her mother was from the Taihe tribe, who specialised in nting crops. They had a vast knowledge of farming so Qi Qi was also good at it herself. Many people often came to her if they had questions.

    ¡°You¡¯re here.¡± Qi Qi hurriedly stood up when Shao Xuan came. Many people treated the leaders with respect, although it was a casual setting.

    Qi Qi obviously thought it was more appropriate for her to stand up and bow but Shao Xuan stopped her once she stood up.

    He did not say much other than showing her the pouch and poured a few grains out. ¡°Could you take a look at these?¡±

    Qi Qi looked at the dark golden grains. She had not seen anything like them before.

    After studying them, she shook her head. ¡°This is my first time seeing a grain like that. You said it¡¯s called Thousand Grain Gold?¡±

    ¡°Yep, this is it.¡±

    Shao Xuan told her where he found this. After some thought, she suggested he find somewhere simr to the spot he discovered the nt to be safe. No one knew what kind of environment it liked. Some nts like sun, some liked the shade, some like humidity, some liked aridnds. They could not be generalised.

    ¡°But you can also nt a little in every spot. Then you can observe where it grows best. Then we will nt it there¡­¡± However, she remembered Shao Xuan told her they were precious and rare so she stopped.

    They were rare, how could she waste them on experiments? However, she was curious too. She wanted to experiment, seeing as she hadn¡¯t seen these before. She had been into agriculture all her life, these grains were very interesting to her. On the other hand, after observation and taking a whiff of its smell, she decided it was very, very attractive.

    However, Shao Xuan was an Elder and these were rare grains. It was not appropriate to ask for them.

    Noticing her gaze, Shao Xuan counted a hundred grains from his one thousand and gave them to Qi Qi. ¡°If you have the time, could you please help me nt them?¡±

    Qi Qi was an experienced farmer. With her help, it would save Shao Xuan a lot of effort. It would be much better than him experimenting on his own too.

    When she heard him, she answered hurriedly, ¡°Yes, yes! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    As she spoke, she took out a cloth pouch and put the one hundred grains inside. She decided to talk to her farmer friends and make a n. If it seeded, Shao Xuan would definitely reward her. However, to her, the most important thing was the sense of aplishment to be able to experiment on such rare nts.

    After giving her the grains, Shao Xuan looked at the people busy working on the fields. They used many types of tools for raking the soil, watering the crops, harvesting etc. Many techniques were learned from the ve masters of the great six. They were useful for loosening the soil, nting, farming, processing etc. Most of these tools were abination of wood and stone. They heard the ve masters were using metal tools but that was too expensive. Stone and bone were not bad recements at all.

    After a while, Shao Xuan got some materials to improve their farming tools, even making them plows for them to develop thend easier.

    Due to limitations in materials, the plow was simpler than nned. It was made with wood and stone and after several rounds of modifications, the plow was made lighter and could twist its head. It was flexible and had many uses. The efficiency of farming would increase with its help.

    After this, Shao Xuan demonstrated how to use it to the farmers.

    Perhaps the ve masters already had something like that but this was a first for the people here. Other than curiosity, joy also brought them here as they huddled around him.

    ¡°Elder, what is this?¡±

    ¡°You use this to nt crops?¡± Everyone was curious.

    Plows were used on farms and usually connected to farmed animals like cattle. However, there were no tamed animals suitable for farming here so it had to be pulled by humans.

    At least the ming Horn people were as strong as bulls so it was easy for them to use.

    ¡°Just like that, it will break the soil into smaller pieces. This plow will make farming easier since you are all starting to nt seedlings.¡±

    After a demonstration, he let them try.

    Many people wanted to try but in the end, Qi Qi¡¯s granddaughter, Ji Ling, got to it first.

    Ji Ling was about fifteen or sixteen. She was very young but her totemic power was already awakened. She had just returned from a hunt a few days ago and since it wasn¡¯t her turn for patrol duty, she came to help Qi Qi during her spare time. Now that Shao Xuan was here with his plow, she had huddled over to watch. With everyone working together, she pulled the plow like how Shao Xuan did with another middle-aged woman helping from the back.

    She must have hit a rock because she stopped in a moment. Without even a knife, she dug into the ground to fish out a rock as big as a winter melon. Without even a look, she flung it far away.

    Shao Xuan watched as the rock as big as a melon flew in an arc over the river and into the forest ahead, scaring a few birds. He turned to see her sharing her experience with a few eager friends.

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    The girls here were strong.

    The people who worked on the farm weren¡¯t just people without awakened totemic power- some of theborious work was done by the totemic warriors too. They did not have to hunt or patrol every day so people like Ji Ling came to help out.

    There were two kinds of people in the vige¨C the weaker individuals without totemic power and the totemic warriors with awakened totemic power.

    Many people helped out during this season to nt seedlings. Other than the fields within the tribe, there were also crops nted on the other side of the river within the forest. They used a more primitive method of open burning and then nting on the burned piece ofnd.

    As they spread the seeds, the person in front would dig holes with a tool while the people behind would put the seeds inside. They did not have to fuss over the crops too, merely observing it every now and then or chase away the birds. Their main food source was from hunting and the second source was the tribe¡¯s inner farms. The crops nted in the forest were just something to kill time. Any harvest was a bonus. After they harvested, they would move to another plot ofnd.

    Shao Xuan did not spend his time in the fields or outside the tribe. He built a fence around a seventy-meter-squared piece ofnd and started to nt one hundred grains.

    The Thousand Grain Gold was found on a hill. Shao Xuan was now living on one, near the peak too. Although the altitude wasn¡¯t high, Shao Xuan did not want to leave it on the peak of another hill. He did not have the time to watch for birds.

    The weather and soil quality here was different but he did not think too much into it. It was just an experiment. He wasn¡¯t too invested in it anyway. It would be great if it grew but if it didn¡¯t, he could just eat the remaining grains. He hoped they were edible.

    After a while, the seeds started to germinate. More than half of the grains had germinated. This was very satisfactory to him.

    However, when Qi Qi called him over, he realised the grains they nted had already grown two or three leaves. More than 90 percent of their grains had germinated, a far better statistic than his own.

    They were the experts after all.

    Shao Xuan was delighted to see the seedlings. It didn¡¯t matter who nted them, as long as they lived.

    Qi Qi and the rest were even more excited. Every day, they would go check on the seedlings. They had found many different spots from the top to the bottom of the hill, nting ten seedlings per spot. Out of the ten ces, the seedlings at the foot of the hill were in the best condition.

 Chapter 400 - Forgotten

    <h4>Forgotten</h4>

    On this day, Shao Xuan had returned from a hunt and received news that there were people from the Taihe tribe here.

    There were asional squabbles between both tribes but also meetings too. Since the trade excursionst year, the rtionship has improved. There had been no fights since then- at least not between the leaders.

    ¡°Why are the people from the Taihe tribe here?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I heard it was about the farm. They¡¯re over at the fields.¡± The person speaking was obviously unhappy.

    The Taihe tribe were better at farming than them, this was something even they had to admit. They didn¡¯t just nt food, they nted herbs too. The herbs they brought for the tradesst year were nted by them. The fields in the Taihe tribalnds were vast- agriculture was very important to them.

    Why was everyone unhappy they were here? That was because the Taihe people had a superiorityplex in agriculture, they often looked for reasons to point out mistakes in their practices because they thought they were better. There had been many fights due to this.

    However, as a whole, the shamaness was still happy to see an exchange of knowledge. Although there were fights, it was still worth it as they learned.

    When he thought of the grains with Qi Qi, Shao Xuan went to the paddy field.

    Shao Xuan had not told Qi Qi to keep the Thousand Grain Gold a secret. She had once asked him if they should hide it if the Taihe people came.

    He had said no. It could be even better if the Taihe people had useful advice for it. So far, there was no need to worry about them ying tricks.

    After asking around, Shao Xuan came to the middle of the hill. There were many people here. He remembered there were grains nted here too.

    Qi Qi was in a good mood today. In the past, whenever the Taihe people visited, they would ¡®give advice¡¯ in a very rude manner, often nitpicking. Of course they would not pass up a chance to insult the ming Horn people. However, although today started off the same, the Taihe tribesmen were distracted by Thousand Grain Gold and the plow.

    When Shao Xuan walked over, there were two Taihe people discussing something, standing around the plow. The other few were with Qi Qi, standing next to a fenced plot ofnd with a few seedlings in the middle. The people were staring at the seedlings with brightened eyes.

    When Shao Xuan came over, Qi Qi bowed and then introduced the people from Taihe. She reported the day¡¯s events, her tone seemed to imply¨C look at these idiots, they¡¯ve never seen a plow!

    After the mockery, the people of Taihe had a stiff expression on their faces. It was rare that they did not retaliate, instead of putting on a friendly smile. One of them coughed lightly and stepped forward. ¡°Quan Bai of Taihe tribe. We are here today to trade with you, Elder Shao Xuan.¡±

    At the end ofst year, they had received reports from the trading team about the glowing crystals. They had sent many people to ask questions but the ming Horn people were very secretive about it and they did not find out anything. This time, their chief decided it would be best for them to conduct an exchange so they could take a few glowing crystals back.

    They were hoping to talk to other people if Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t here. However, Shao Xuan had just returned from his hunt today.

    ¡°You want the water sun stone? Sure,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°What do you have to trade?¡±

    ¡°What would you like, Elder Shao Xuan?¡± asked Quan Bai.

    The trade between two tribes rarely involved bronze, they usually traded animal hide or other things. Since Taihe had more herbs, they thought Shao Xuan would request for some rare herbs.

    However, after some thought, he said, ¡°How are the skills of the craftsmen in Taihe?¡±

    Quan Bai frowned, he didn¡¯t understand why Shao Xuan would ask about that. Did he not like their current craftsmen? So he needed to hire Taihe craftsmen to make something?

    The Taihe people did have very good craftsmen.

    When he thought of this, Quan Bai was even more delighted. ¡°Our craftsmen are very experienced. Although they¡¯re not as good as the Great Six,pared to¡­¡±

    Quan Bai wanted to say pared to ming Horn, we¡¯re better¡¯ but when he met Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, he thought about how he was also requesting something, so he diverted the topic.

    ¡°Compared to tribes like the Fox tribe and the rest, we¡¯re better.¡± As for what he meant by ¡®the rest¡¯, he did not borate.

    Shao Xuan hummed in response, then asked again, ¡°In Taihe, have your craftsmanship knowledge been passed down for a thousand years?¡±

    Quan Bai¡¯s heart clenched. Did the kid want to steal their knowledge? Absolutely not!

    While he was cautious, it did not show on his face. ¡°BEfore the ming Horn people settled here, we Taihe tribe had already started making our own tools. But we¡¯re still very far from what the Great Six has achieved.¡±

    ¡°Can I talk to the craftsmen of your tribe? I have some questions?¡± When he saw the guarded expressions, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask about their skills. I have other questions.¡±

    When they heard this, they were more rxed but were still guarded. Some things could be used to trade but there were many things not up for trade. Just like the method to nt their precious herbs, they would never trade the knowledge. Craftsmanship was one of them. While they could talk about it, they would never leak the core secrets.

    When he heard that this was Shao Xuan¡¯s only request, it seemed like the matter of the glowing stones were settled. At least this visit was fruitful, but¡­ Quan Bai and the rest eyed the seedlings in the fenced plot ofnd.

    Someone nudged Quan Bai, implying that he should ask.

    Quan Bai mustered up his courage. ¡°I wonder if you have more ¡®Thousand Grain Gold¡¯ with you?¡±

    Shao Xuan regarded them. ¡°What? You want some?¡±

    ¡°If you do, we are willing to make another trade.¡± Quan Bai¡¯s eyes were filled with anticipation. They had studied the seedlings just now. When Qi Qi wasn¡¯t looking, he even pinched off a leaf and smelled it, tasting it in his mouth. That was when he knew he wanted it. However, he had to calm himself down to negotiate the trade.

    ¡°Sure you can have some but I¡¯ll make the decision after I talk to your craftsmen,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    After?!

    Quan Bai and the rest panicked. Who knew how long that was? They could fail if they missed the best season for nting! It would be uneptable to these farming experts!

    However, Shao Xuan had made up his mind. They knew Shao Xuan was forcing them to arrange for the meeting with the craftsmen so they could only do what he said.

    The Taihe people who¡¯d initially nned to drag the trade now quickly arranged for an experienced craftsman to talk to Shao Xuan. This craftsman was intelligent and talented at his work. They couldn¡¯t send a dumber one, fearing anyone who was a little slower could identally leak their tribe secrets.

    This craftsman was prepared for the meeting, fully alert as he went to meet Shao Xuan. He wondered how he would avoid answering questions about craftsmanship. However, Shao Xuan had asked about the Xia people instead.

    The craftsman was much more rxed, telling him what he knew. As for the cloud patterns he asked about, the craftsman did not know either.

    After a thought, the craftsman said, ¡°I think I remember there are some records about the Xia people¡¯s cloud patterns in the ancestor scrolls.¡±

    Shao Xuan, who was initially disappointed, perked up. ¡°Your ancestors studied Xia cloud patterns?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°I think so, but after they passed on, no one continued the research.¡±

    The truth was that the craftsmen from Taihe wanted to make imitations of the Xia people¡¯s work because Xia artefacts sold at a high price. Their trademark pattern wasplicated clouds. However, when they started to cast the bronze wares, they realised these seemingly easy patterns were difficult to achieve! Just a small mistake would affect the quality of the entire product. It was very obvious that it was fake.

    These few craftsmen had spent their entire lives on this but it was a pity they could not figure out a way to replicate it. However, they did learn some things that were recorded down and passed to their descendants. The descendants were not interested in making fakes though so slowly, people did not pay attention to it, merely skimming through when they read the records.

    To the Taihe people, the Xia cloud patterns belonged to other people so they were not considered secret knowledge. They were avable for trade. However, they still couldn¡¯t give him the ancestral records so the craftsman agreed to tidy up the stuff and send a copy to Shao Xuan.

    Later, when Shao Xuan received the tidied records, he was so happy he gave them three glowing crystals. This was actually the agreed amount set by the Taihe people but they felt like they had gotten a great deal.

    As for the Thousand Grain Gold they so desperately wanted, Shao Xuan also took out fifty grains in exchange for some medicinal herbs. Other matters were passed to Duo Kang for negotiation while Shao Xuan returned to study the records.

    The Taihe craftsmen really had nned to forge Xia artefacts, it was a pity they could not ovee this block. The Xia cloud patterns looked simple but were really not that easy.

    At least these notes taught Shao Xuan a lot. Although they did notpletely understand the pattern either, their thought processes and solved questions were all inspirations for Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan had been trying to crack the code when one day, Qi Qi came looking for him in panic.

    When she saw his bloodshot eyes, she gasped. ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, why¡­ Did yours fail too?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Shao Xuan asked, rubbing his eyes.

    ¡°The ones you nted.¡±

    ¡°Uh, what did I nt?¡±

    ¡°The Thousand Grain Gold.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not say a word.

    He had been so busy with the cloud patterns that he hadpletely forgotten about his Thousand Grain Gold in the backyard.

 Chapter 401 - Anxiety

    <h4>Anxiety</h4>

    Qi Qi had reminded him about the precious Thousand Grain Gold in his backyard.

    The more precious something was, the more fragile it was. nts like that require constant care. Thinking back at the little seedlings and the number of days he had been cooped up in his house, Shao Xuan heaved a sigh. There was no hope.

    When Qi Qi saw his response, she suspected that the Elder had probably forgotten about the Thousand Grain Gold and did not even do anything about it. If he were someone else, she would¡¯ve probably hit and scolded them. However, this was the tribe¡¯s Elder, the position below the shamaness and the chief and the owner of the Thousand Grain Gold. Of course she dared not scold him.

    No matter how angry she was, all Qi Qi could do was take a deep breath and suppress all her feelings. Then again, the crops she nted had failed so she was in no position to chide him either.

    It was a pity. This little Elder was too young to sense the importance of the Thousand Grain Gold. Qi Qimented to herself.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡± Shao Xuan tidied up the pieces of leaves he had been using to take notes then went to the backyard.

    In the past, when Duo Kang heard Shao Xuan was nting something precious, he had brought people over to build a fence with cloth wrapped around the plot ofnd. This was to prevent naughty children from kicking rocks inside. That was why every person who passed by could not see the inside. The more curious people did not dare look into his house either, the position of the Elder was an intimidating one.

    He had not had much hope but when he opened the back door and looked into the yard, he saw many fresh green seedlings swaying in the breeze.

    Thest time he checked, only half of them germinated. Right now, there were more than eighty of them. Thirty more had germinated since thest time he checked.

    They were not tall, only a little taller than his ankle. Although they grew very slowly and did not look too sprightly, at least they were alive.

    ¡°What¡­¡± Qi Qi was so shocked she did not know what to do.

    Hurrying forward, Qi Qi looked at the ground. No one had watered them nor given them fertiliser. The ground was even cracked in some parts.

    ¡°Elder, how...how did you nt them?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Same as what you all did. You watched me too. After they germinated, I watered them a little but I haven¡¯t used any of the fertiliser.¡± Shao Xuan pointed at a tank of fertiliser, embarrassed. It contained all the fertiliser Qi Qi had given him.

    Qi Qi had told him to put the fertiliser when the seedlings had grown to a certain size but in the midst of all his work, he had forgotten. With the cloud patterns taking up so much of his attention, he had long forgotten about them.

    Qi Qi did not think he was lying either. She had wanted to talk to Shao Xuan about the ns a few times but every time she arrived, she saw the door closed tightly. That was why she never disturbed him. This time, she had to knock because it was an emergency.

    After looking at the seedlings, she said with guilt, ¡°Elder, we have let you down!¡±

    ¡°Why? Did something happen to yours?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Her face reddened, not knowing what to say. It wasn¡¯t just ¡®something¡¯, they were all starting to wilt when they were growing fine some time ago!

    Qi Qi brought Shao Xuan to all the plots ofnd from the top to the bottom of the hill. It was the same throughout.

    ¡°They were all growing well initially and everyone was so happy. But slowly, they all wilted¡­¡± Qi Qi told him about the situation.

    Shao Xuan did not know why. Qi Qi and the rest had taken such good care of them, they were so healthy when they germinated. Why did they wilt?

    Were they over-watering it?

    Qi Qi and the rest had prepared fertilisers for it and watched the nts every day. There were so many people too. When they heard Shao Xuan say that he found it at a ce with dryer soil, they decreased the watering frequency and only watered ording to need.

    Was it not adapting to the environment here?

    They were all germinating and growing leaves in the beginning, only wiltingter. One by one, they died- Qi Qi and the rest were heartbroken. A few of the older farmers hadn¡¯t slept in days, brainstorming ideas and carrying out rescue ns. However, the situation did not improve and out of the ten plots, only about twenty were left. While they were a lot taller than Shao Xuan¡¯s seedlings, they looked weathered and unhealthy.

    Shao Xuan could not exin it.

    ¡°Then¡­. Elder, what do we do now?¡± Qi Qi asked carefully. She was worried Shao Xuan would get upset. They had even promised him to do their best and now, they had disappointed him.

    Shao Xuan was not willing to stop his work on the cloud patterns either. He had finally gotten some ideas and now he didn¡¯t feel like putting them down. Compared to the Thousand Grain Gold, he cared more about the cloud patterns. The more he understood, the more he felt like they contained a huge secret left behind by the Xia people.

    After much thought, he said, ¡°What about this. Please help me care for the seedlings in my backyard too.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Qi Qi looked up in shock. Not only did he not scold her, he even gave them more seedlings to care for! How could she agree to this?

    However, she was still very curious about why his seedlings were doing well. She wondered if they were only living because they hadn¡¯t reached the same height as the ones they nted or due to other reasons.

    ¡°But¡­ but what if they¡­¡± Qi Qi tugged at the muddy clothes she was wearing with conflicted emotions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If they all die, I still won¡¯t me you all. They¡¯re supposed to be difficult to grow anyway. If we can¡¯t nt them, I¡¯ll just cook the rest of the grains and we¡¯ll eat them. It¡¯s fine,¡± said Shao Xuan/

    Qi Qi¡¯s face tightened. Such precious grains and he wants to¡­ eat them?

    After his decision, under her suggestion, he put a small door on the fence. She said they would probably check on the seedlings up to a few times a day. To avoid disturbing him, they would use that door. She promised they would settle everything and Shao Xuan would not need to care about anything.

    On that day, Saho Xuan ced a door for their convenience on the fence. No one else would dare enter, he didn¡¯t even need to tie it.

    When he closed the door, his eyes swept across the backyard. He felt like something was missing. When he walked into his house, he suddenly stopped.

    Shao Xuan looked down at his feet. There was a weed at his backdoor. He had only noticed it when his foot brushed over it.

    Weed¡­

    When he turned to look around the yard, he thought about the day the seeds germinated. That day, there were all kinds of wild weeds growing. Due to the cloud pattern, he had procrastinated de-weeding the ce. Then, he¡¯d left it till today. It had been twenty days, he hadn¡¯t even left the house for a hunt.

    It had been twenty warm days. The weeds that grew all year round should have been very happy in his yard. However, all he saw were several small des on the ground, just protruding from the soil. Especially the ces with Thousand Grain Gold¨C the weeds in that area had disappeared.

    He found an empty leaf and wrote this discovery down for further observation.

    When he stepped into the house, he continued with his research on the cloud patterns. Right now, he had already solved the general meaning of one cloud. Although he had only solved two, and there was a stack of patterns left, it was still progressing. Soon, Shao Xuan would be able to solve the cloud patterns on the Ding cauldron.

    Other than going out to hunt, he spent the rest of the time studying the clouds. As for the seedlings, he only checked every once in a while when he rested. When he returned from a hunt, he talked to Qi Qi about them.

    On the ten plots ofnd, there were only two surviving nts. Those were the ones that were slowest to grow. It looked as if they weren¡¯t going to make it. As for the eighty seedlings in his backyard, under Qi Qi¡¯s care, they grew faster.

    They were all almost the same height as the previous seedlings now. This was where the other seedlings stopped growing. As they watched the seedlings, Qi Qi and the rest were worried.

    Qi Qi even sent people over to talk to the Taihe people just to care for his nts. They had to be humble and learn something useful from Taihe too. If they could keep these alive, at least they had done something for Shao Xuan.

    Unfortunately, the Taihe people weren¡¯t doing well either. While their seedlings survived a little longer, once they reached a certain height, they wilted too. The Taihe people were just about to send people over to ming Horn.

    They had loosened the soil, applied fertiliser¡­ Everything was done, plus the seedlings were so healthy. How could they die so suddenly?

    It was a precious princess after all, such a high-maintenance nt! It was very fussy indeed.

    The Taihe tribe¡¯s nts grew very quickly under their care but they all still died in the end. That was why when they heard about Shao Xuan¡¯s nts, they paid daily visits to his yard to check.

    They watched as the seedlings in his backyard grew faster under the care of both the ming Horn and Taihe farmers. It was going to meet the ¡®roadblock¡¯ soon. Qi Qi and the rest were growing increasingly worried, always anxious and couldn¡¯t sleep at night.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan had been studying the cloud patterns so he did not sense their anxiety at all.

 Chapter 402 - Picky Eater

    <h4>Picky Eater</h4>

    Shao Xuan wrote down all the cloud patterns he could decipher on an animal skin scroll, then drew the unsolvable ones on another. After tidying up, he slept for two days.

    After his rest, Shao Xuan¡¯s fog in his mind had cleared and he was much more energetic. When he heard voices in his yard, he thought of his nts and went to check.

    There were five people including Taihe¡¯s Quan Bai there. They were almost living here now,ing up the hill with Qi Qi and the rest every day to care for the nts. Most discussions were not held in the yard so they would not disturb Shao Xuan.

    When Shao Xuan opened his door, he realised there were ten old men and olddies squatting in his yard. Then there were more people standing outside, craning their necks.

    Then, he looked at the seedlings. They were as tall as his knees now, green and healthy.

    When they saw Shao Xuan, they all quickly stood up.

    ¡°How are things?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Qi Qi replied, filled with confusion, ¡°Only sixty-two left.¡±

    There had been incidences of seedlings dying here too. In the beginning, Qi Qi, Quan Bai and the rest were about to give up. However, they realised not all were wilting, many were still healthy!

    Someone rmended pulling out the wilting nts because they might be diseased. Leaving them here would infect other nts. At Taihe tribe, they couldn¡¯t bear to pull them out but when more and more nts wilted, it was already toote.

    After some thought, Qi Qi did not pull them out immediately. They had tried this on their other plots ofnd too but to no avail. That was why she left them there.

    At least the sixty-two seedlings were still fine. More time passed and they did not show any signs of disease. Qi Qi¡¯s worries slowly turned to delight.

    Shao Xuan looked at the dead seedlings, indifferent. Sixty-two was already more than expected. He was still nning to cook the rest of the grains. Looks like that would have to wait.

    The people from Taihe were deeply concerned with what Shao Xuan would say, afraid he might chase them away. They had tried their best to be civil here. Although Duo Kang had teased them a lot, they never fought. When they saw that Shao Xuan did not chase them out, Quan Bai started to rx. At the same time, he wondered why these seedlings could pass the ¡®roadblock¡¯. Were the seedlings different?

    Then Quan Bai shook away that thought, Qi Qi¡¯s seedlings died too. Shao Xuan did not have to give his own people faulty grains too.

    Then why?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know either but he did not think much into it.

    He walked into his house and had an idea. He opened the pantry where he stored food. It was near the back door and the kitchen was next to it. Shao Xuan only had to take the food from the pantry and then cook it next door.

    He remembered that he hadn¡¯t used his wok in the past few days because he was busy. He didn¡¯t make any soup or boil anything. He had been eating dried meat for convenience as he worked.

    Then, he remembered how he also had a fresh beast thigh he had saved other than preserved meat. He was nning to roast it. They had a bountiful hunt that day so he had to put it on the ground first. When he was about to start roasting the meat, he had an idea, then left the meat there to go study his cloud patterns again.

    Then he never entered the pantry again.

    Logically, an animal thigh that had not been preserved should be rotten by now. However, Shao Xuan did not smell anything.

    When he opened the pantry door, he looked inside. Sunlight streamed into the room, he could see everything.

    Shao Xuan looked on the ground. It was a pile of what looked like animal skin and protruding parts that looked like bone. The entire thing had sunken in and stuck to the ground.

    Other than that, there was something on the ground.

    Shao Xuan went closer to see something that looked like a root system on the thigh. They were very fine, off-white and looked like they could break off any moment now. However, something so fragile coulde from beneath the ground, break through the animal hide, then on the other side, break out again to extend back into the soil.

    It was a fierce beast¡¯s skin! An average stone knife would not be able to break it!

    However, it looked like the animal hide was now sewn to the ground. Shao Xuan tugged and it would not budge. It was strong. However, Shao Xuan did not n to force it up. He used his short ck knife to cut the animal skin. There didn¡¯t seem to be any flesh underneath, just bone.

    The thigh had been more than a metre long, yet now it was only skin and bone!

    Where did the white rootse from?

    Shao Xuan got up to look outside. There were only Thousand Grain Gold seedlings outside in his backyard next to the pantry. Even weeds did not grow there! Right now, with ?Qi Qi and the rest here, they had already pulled out all the weeds but what about before? There hadn¡¯t been many weeds here either?

    Shao Xuan gently touched the white roots with his foot, then left the house to study it. He wanted to see if there were any more of these roots.

    Using his extraordinary vision, he could look underground. These roots were from the region where the seedlings were nted but most of the roots were also deep underground so he couldn¡¯t see them clearly.

    Another ten days had passed.

    Something happened.

    Qi Qi, Quan Bai and the rest were frantic. There were a few that looked like they were going to wilt soon. They were worried, wondering if it was a second ¡®roadblock¡¯.

    Quan Bai even went back to Taihe to bring back some special fertilisers. They used processed animal waste, processed nt waste and these sessfully slowed down the wilting. While the number of wilting nts did not increase, those that looked sick seemed to worsen. Even Quan Bai could not save them.

    Sixty-two nts¡ª seven died in an instant. Qi Qi, Quan Bai and the rest were crestfallen,menting that it was such a pity.

    However, after a few days, more nts wilted. Everyone panicked. What now?!

    Shao Xuan went to look for more meat and did not clean his pantry. He merely put the meat on the animal skin where the roots were.

    On the next day, when he checked, there was a new strand of root growing into the piece of meat.

    The changes in the meat were very obvious. Every day, it would shrink until only the skin was left. More white strands appeared on top.

    Other than three more wilting seedlings, the fifty-two seedlings seemed to be fine. QI Qi and Quan Bai both heaved a sigh of relief, though confused. Shao Xuan had not exined.

    Shao Xuan was looking at the two pieces of animal hide in silence. Then, he prodded the roots with his knife.

    ¡°Thousand GRain Gold? You¡¯re a picky eater!¡±

    Days passed. More long, needle-like leaves grew on the nts. They grew longer and longer, swaying healthily in the wind.

    After noticing the white roots, Shao Xuan would cut off some meat and put it in his pantry for observation. He had confirmed that they were from the nts. It was even possible all fifty nts were sharing the same root system.

    There was a huge gap between houses on the hill here, and no one would randomly toss outrge pieces of meat. This only happened because Shao Xuan had forgotten about it.

    As long as Shao Xuan stopped providing a supply of meat, something would happen in the backyard and the farmers would panic.

    In the end, Shao Xuan told Qi Qi about his discovery, bringing her into the pantry to show her the stuff the seedlings ¡®ate¡¯ and the white roots.

    ¡°Perhaps some kind of fertiliser can help but at the moment, this is the only way,¡± he said as he pointed at the animal skin.

    Qi Qi was surprised. Just as Shao Xuan was talking about how it was such a waste of effort and time, she cried in excitement, ¡°This is amazing!¡±

    The meat supply was not a problem. It wasn¡¯t winter and a lot of meat was brought back from every hunt. They could eat less but not the nts! Right now, there were forty left and Qi Qi did not want to see them die.

    Meat? More! More! More!

    After Quan Bai knew, he was even more excited than the ming Horn farmers, always reminding that if there wasn¡¯t enough meat here, Taihe could bring some over1

    Shao Xuan did not agree to let Quan Bai bring meat over because he had enough. However, Shao Xuan secretly thought that he wasn¡¯t going to nt this ever again, this nt was such a picky eater!

 Chapter 403 - The Secret of the Cloud Patterns

    <h4>The Secret of the Cloud Patterns</h4>

    After being fed meat of wild fearsome beasts, the Thousand Grain Golds seem to despise regr wild animal meat. When they brought it regr animal meat, another two died. Qi Qi and the rest quickly tossed several pieces of fearsome beast meat on the ground when they saw this.

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that Shao Xuan was the Elder, he would probably have been beaten up by both Qi Qi and Quan Bai. They had the opinion that Shao Xuan did not care about the nt. In truth, he definitely did not ce much importance on the nt. After that, he spent more time deciphering on the cloud patterns so he did not spend much time on the nts.

    Shao Xuan had eaten the Thousand Grain Gold before and felt the benefits of it. However, he did not think it was anything special. There were at least three types of nts from the Taihe tribe that could achieve the same effect. Those nts were way easier to nt!

    It was not worth it to keep supplying the nts with fearsome beast meat. The tribe¡¯s main upation wasn¡¯t agriculture anyway, and they brought back nts and fruits of medicinal value from the forest after every hunt. Why spend so much effort on this one? Hunting fearsome beasts requires risking your life, just to feed a few nts? Not many people would be willing to do this.

    Qi Qi, Quan Bai and the rest had not eaten the grain before. He wondered if they would still be this passionate if they tasted it after so much hard work.

    One day, Shao Xuan walked out of the house while rubbing his tired eyes. He walked into the yard to check on the nts he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time and suddenly stopped.

    Perhaps due topetition for resources, even though several kinds of beast meat and fertilisers were used, several still died. There were thirty-four left now. They were as tall as his shoulders, not sure when they would be ready for harvesting.

    Shao Xuan was shocked when he saw the nts. The leaves were wider and longer than he remembered. Every nt was way healthier and fatter than the nt the mice were fighting over.

    He touched a needle-like leaf. It felt different.

    Was it due to better environmental conditions? So it¡¯s healthier?

    If that¡¯s true, would the grains have a stronger medicinal effect?

    Shao Xuan checked on all the thirty nts. Every nt hadrger leaves than he remembered. Qi Qi said they were still growing and would grow much taller. No one knew what would happen then.

    If the oue was worth the hard work, they would try nting more. However, if it wasn¡¯t worth it, he would just distribute them to be eaten. Who knew how long these grains couldst? He didn¡¯t ask Ji Ju. Here, even the most experienced farmers didn¡¯t know.

    Shao Xuan tapped on a leaf, whispering, ¡°We¡¯ll see how well you do.¡±

    It had been half a year sincest year¡¯s winter when he started deciphering the cloud patterns. There was progress, at least he could feel the ¡®door¡¯ where Taihe¡¯s ancestors couldn¡¯t. This was because he built on their work. Opening this door would be difficult and he was stuck.

    It was as if he desperately wanted to open this door but it was locked and he didn¡¯t know how to open it. He could see the view behind the door!

    After talking to Duo Kang and Guang Yi, he knew that the shamaness and the chief had sent a team to the coast where Shao Xuan arrived. Shao Xuan had brought them there once. A team stayed to watch the area and every now and then, the shamaness and the chief would send another team for exchange. They were there to observe any changes in the coast. Perhaps one day there would be a change.

    After a stroll, he saw Qi Qi and Quan Bai in his yard checking on the nts. They came twice a day, and sometimes when the climate changed, they woulde more often, sometimes even staying on the hill.

    The rtionship between Taihe and the ming Horn people improved a lot because of this nt. They even revealed several ¡®secret techniques¡¯. If they wanted these nts to grow, they had to be honest here.

    When Shao Xuan stepped into his backyard, Quan Bai was holding an animal skin scroll, talking to the ming Horn people.

    ¡°A long time ago our ancestors found Green Drought¡¯s Spring here.¡± Quan Bai spoke with glee and pride.

    ¡°Green Drought¡¯s Spring¡± was a type of medicine. They grew in a very special environment- when they were young, they preferred dry soil. Wet soil would cause the seeds to rot and not germinate. After living in dry soil for a while, due to the rain in the mountains, the ces with active springs would trigger the second phase of these nts. They would then grow flowers, bloom and bear fruit.

    The seedling, flowers and fruits were all green, hence the name. It was a mild medicine used for inner and outer injuries. Both tribes often traded using this nt because the hunters brought some with them during hunts.

    They said that most of the nts were found from the wild and it took them tens of generations to attain the best method of nting the nt. As for where they found the nts, that was a secret because the Green Drought¡¯s Spring was one of their main sources of ie.

    They reveal part of the secret because of the Thousand GRain Gold but most of it was vague and they never went into detail.

    Out of curiosity, Shao Xuan leaned in to read the scroll too.

    There was a map. Or more specifically, a simplified map. Quan Bai had made a simplified copy of the map with vague details before bringing it here.

    However, when Shao Xuan looked at the lines, his eyes shed. It was¡­ familiar.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan¡¯s pupils dted.

    ¡°What are these curved lines at the top?!¡± he asked.

    Quan Bai was exining with much vigour and did not notice Shao Xuan behind him. He leapt in fright when he heard him. He dared speak with arrogance in front of others but not Shao Xuan. Thousand Grain Gold belonged to him, and he had helped them too.

    After he heard Shao Xuan, he regained hisposure with a smile. ¡°These are rivers. The thicker lines are wider rivers, finer lines are smaller streams. This is a river that cuts into your hunting area.¡±

    Since it was a river in the ming Tribe¡¯s territory, it was not drawn in detail. This map was drawn a thousand years ago when the ming Horn people were here. They did not draw much detail so they did not draw the branches that led into this river.

    Shao Xuan knew of the river because it was the river connected to where they fished the glowing rocks. It should be filled now, although this river was not on the map.

    Shao Xuan did not care about the smaller branches. He was focused on the thickest line and a few of the most important branches.

    The main river was curved, only one portion was on the map. One side was the ocean, another was the centre of this piece ofnd. However, the curves were already of great help to Shao Xuan.

    One of the questions he had while deciphering the cloud patterns had been solved.

    Quan Bai thought Shao Xuan was going to ask about their secret and was thinking about how he was going to avoid them. However, Shao Xuan only asked about unimportant details and did not ask where his ancestors got the herbs so Quan Bai heaved a sigh of relief in the end.

    After getting the information he needed, Shao Xuan patted his shoulder happily. ¡°Thank you!¡± Then he rushed into his house.

    Everyone was stunned. Quan Bai asked Qi Qi, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with your tribe¡¯s Elder?¡±

    ¡°Who knows.¡± Qi Qi did not know what he was thinking either. She would not ask, plus she wouldn¡¯t tell them if she did know. While two tribesmunicated, there was some information they could not tell the other party without the chief and shamaness¡¯ permission. The Elder must be mulling over something important too.

    Shao Xuan rushed into the house, closed his door and lifted the stack of leaves on his desk. This was the stack of cloud patterns he could not decipher, not even a bit. However, after he saw the lines on Quan Bai¡¯s map, he realised they were not words, they were maps! A map of somewhere!

    Shao Xuan had been staring at the Ding Cauldron for days due to the bottleneck. While he couldn¡¯t draw the patterns from memory, he was familiar with the entire thing. Everything he saw outside could be rted to the patterns. That was why he could rte the map and the cauldron.

    He scattered the leaves and then arranged them in order ording to the picture on the cauldron. Then, he tried to draw on his sand tray using a branch. He only drew the important lines and left out lines meant to mislead the reader.

    The cloud patterns on the cauldron were words and a map!

 Chapter 404 - The Secret of the Cloud Patterns

    <h4>The Crocodiles in the River</h4>

    After two sleepless days of continuous work, Shao Xuan drew his final conclusion on an animal skin scroll.

    Although there were parts of the cauldron¡¯s patterns that he hadn¡¯t understood yet, he already knew a lot from the stuff he figured out.

    The cloud patterns surrounding the cauldron was more like a pointer.

    The cauldrons made by Xia people- no, not just cauldrons, other wares too, had cloud patterns like this too. Just as Zheng Luo said, cloud patterns like this were different from the decorative cloud patterns made by other forgers. These patterns had secrets in them¨C right under everyone¡¯s noses and yet no one could decipher them.

    These cloud patterns wereplicated yet every sessful Xia person was fluent in it. It was like a secret code. Even the Taihe people¡¯s ancestors could not imitate despite wanting to. Not just that, after deciphering the patterns, Shao Xuan felt like there wererger secrets in the cloud patterns. Perhaps a secret rted to the Xia people or something else more important.

    What were the Xia people the best at? Casting and forging!

    The legends denote that the most delicate, secret wares were works of the Xia people. The round Ding cauldrons that they made were perfect spheres. As for why there was a failed cauldron, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know. However, from what other people said, the Xia people were powerful.

    Would the secret be rted to casting and forging?

    ording to the message he deciphered from the message, it talked about a ce where only ¡®true¡¯ Xia descendants had visited before. Anyone who failed to visit this ce was considered a failure of the Xia people.

    Shao Xuan did not know how old these patterns were but it must have been at least a thousand years. They¡¯d existed before the ming Horn tribe came here!

    Casting and forging¡­ Shao Xuan was very interested. If he could master this, he didn¡¯t need to learn everything- just half of their knowledge would be more than enough. It would be a huge leap for the bronzeware in his tribe. The ming Horn people were quite backwards in terms of forging wares. This branch is decent but the other branch did not even own metal weapons. However, they had the core seed. One day, if they could return, everyone would share the skills.

    As for the patterns on the three legs of the cauldron, they represented three characters¨C Gong Jia Mountain!

    In the end, he realised the patterns all pointed towards Gongjia Mountain.

    Was this the main settlement of the Xia people? Or maybe this was where their ancestors were before their people scattered?

    No matter what, Shao Xuan nned to visit this ce ording to the map given. If he found the ce, Shao Xuan¡¯s efforts would not be wasted.

    Shao Xuan went to talk to the shamaness and chief about it. The chief wanted to send someone with him. However, the ones who were qualified to follow him were few enough to count on his fingers. This team must not slow Shao Xuan down, any weaker person would only affect Shao Xuan¡¯s speed. They must send someone at least as good as Guang Yi or Duo Kang.

    In the end, Shao Xuan decided to go alone. There was no say this how long this trip in search of a ce would take. There were still trades where Duo Kang and Guang Yi had to lead teams to, plus Chief Zheng Luo had to be at the vige to lead. The ce Shao Xuan was going to was not somewhere they were familiar with so they couldn¡¯t help with navigation either.

    ¡°Since I coulde here alone, I will be able to go to other ces alone too. Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Shao Xuan to the chief and the shamaness.

    They were still very worried. They gave him weapons and all types of medicine.

    Shao Xuan did not refuse their kindness either, taking the sword and the shamaness¡¯ medicine. The shamaness taught him about their functions and he memorised them.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you can¡¯t find Gongjia Mountain, your life is more important than knowing how to forget things,¡± reminded the shamaness again. She told him to not risk his life if he was too difficult.

    Chief Zheng Luo said the same. Although the cloud patterns could likely describe the Xia people¡¯s secret to casting and forging, he cared more about Shao Xuan. This person was the only person from the other side, plus he was an Elder recognised by their ancestors. If something happened to him, would their ancestors still watch over them? Zheng Luo still wanted to be able to visit the other branch of the tribe while he was still alive.

    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    What do you understand?! The shamaness and the chief chided. They had no choice. They weren¡¯t worried about more matured people like Guang Yi but Shao Xuan was still a young man. They did not trust a young person¡¯s temper and behaviour.

    They had already solved the problem of the Thousand Grain Gold so the nts were left to Qi Qi and the rest. Shao Xuan did not have to worry about them. Therefore, on a sunny day, Shao Xuan set off to look for the Xia people¡¯s secret.

    First, he went to the river where they got the water sunstones. After winter, when snow and ice melted, with added rainfall, the river had risen.

    There were crocodiles in the river. Every time they went for hunts, they would avoid this ce.

    These crocodiles were very aggressive. It didn¡¯t matter if there was a fearsome beast, a wild animal or a human on the bank, they were all prey to the crocodiles.

    These crocodiles wererger than the ones he saw at Drumming tribe, also with a longer snout. The top part of the head protruded more than the chin. The Drumming tribe¡¯s crocodiles had sixty to seventy teeth while these ones had more than a hundred.

    The teeth were thick as nails, and they were proficient in hunting. Therge, gaping jaws easily caught prey, dragging prey into the river to be torn to pieces.

    The strong jaws and muscr body made this seemingly heavy animal very agile.

    The crocodiles in the Drumming tribe had lived among humans for a long time so they showed a little more sympathy towards the people of the tribe. However, the ones here just killed everything they saw- this was what Shao Xuan felt when he saw them.

    It was sunny out so many crocodiles came out to sunbathe on the river bank. Some were rolling in the mud, some fought and snapped at each other.

    At the tribe, Shao Xuan knew that these brawny animals were actually cunning. While they had small brains, they were still more intelligent than expected.

    At the Drumming tribe, he often saw a kid y with a crocodile using a piece of meat. He remembered how the kid would not throw the meat into the pond but instead patted its snout. This was their agreement- he would pat its snout, it opened its jaws, the kid threw the meat in it, then it closed.

    The second time, the kid took another piece of meat but the crocodile had retreated further into the pond. The kid wanted to touch its snout so he waded nearer to y the game again.

    The third time, the crocodile retreated more while the kid waded forward. His legs were in the water.

    One the kid threw the meat, the crocodile immediately snapped at the child after swallowing the piece of meat. It dragged the kid by his clothes and in a second, he was in the water.

    When Shao Xuan saw this, he had panicked but the people told him the crocodiles were just ying with the child.

    It was true. The crocodile was just tugging at his clothes but not actually biting the child. The kid wasughing, ying with the crocodiles in the water. All the meat in his basket were strewn in the pond and snapped up by the other crocodiles. And it was all just a game.

    Even games yed by fierce beasts looked like hunting.

    At that point, Shao Xuan knew that the crocodiles knew how to n and bait their targets. Onnd, perhaps they might be more reserved but in the water, even the aquatically talented Drumming tribesmen would not beat a crocodile. If the child were on the ground, maybe an adult could save him but in the pool, he would be dragged down in a second.

    The tribe treated it as a game but other people, the crocodiles were extremely dangerous monsters. If that child were not from this tribe, the crocodiles would not be biting on their shirt but on their arm, leg or torsos. And the odds of the child returning would be small. ying with the crocodiles was like a dance with death.

    People outside the tribe saw them as killing machines.

    ording to the deciphered map, Shao Xuan walked along this river to therger one, then followed it. Thisrger river was just a faint line, almost forgotten on the map as if it were unimportant.

    From Quan Bai and the rest, Shao Xuan knew that the river was filled with crocodiles. They had been here for a long time. Before the Taihe ancestors arrived in search of herbs, the crocodiles had lived in all the streams in the forest, especially in the main river, the thickest line on the map. Quan Bai said the records left behind by their ancestors had mentioned the crocodiles¨C they were giant beasts not to be taken lightly and you should run when you see them.

    Shao Xuan did not know to what extent ¡®giant¡¯ meant but they must berger than the ones here.

    Many animals stop growing after a while, like humans. Other animals had no limit on their size and grew throughout their lifetime- like trees, or these crocodiles roaming the rivers.

 Chapter 405 - The Secret of the Cloud Patterns

    <h4>Catching Crocs</h4>

    Shao Xuan took more than twenty days to walk from the small river at the hunting area, to the wider river, to the main river on the map. Plus, he was travelling quickly and did not stop to rest. He never expected this to take so long.

    That was why the Taihe ancestors took one year just to head out to look for their herbs. If the nt only bloomed and bore fruit during certain seasons, it would take longer because missing the season would mean waiting for one more year.

    Shao Xuan did not have to wait, he only had to look for a ce.

    Making a flip up a tree, Shao Xuan took out the map he drew while standing on a branch, estimating his current location. There was no GPS here, all he could do was match the map to his surroundings.

    The trees around him were not tall, the ground was moist, there were many swamps and holes in the ground and vegetation was dense.

    This was considered a swamp area. Just to find the river quicker, Shao Xuan had passed through this dangerous swamp instead of taking the safer hills. Although the forests were also dangerous, it was still safer than the swamp.

    Right now, the trees around him were not dense and the water beneath him glimmered under the sunlight. Shao Xuan still had to be alert despite reading the map.

    ¡°It must be here.¡± Shao Xuan looked at therge river not too far away, calcting how much time he would need to reach Gongjia mountain. He only had limited geographical knowledge and if nothing went smoothly it would take a long time.

    As he thought, his eye twitched. Without time to keep his scroll, he leapt away.

    Just as he moved, the still waters broke to reveal a long snout filled with sharp teeth, snapping at where he was.

    It was a crocodile,rge- longer than ten meters. As for how long, he had no time to estimate. As the crocodile leapt upwards, the floating grass and leaves on the water surface flew up in the air.

    The cloudy water sshed in all directions. Shao Xuan could smell the mud and grass, plus the smell of death.

    The cold, emotionless eyes met with Shao Xuan¡¯s mid-air. Its jaws snapped close but due to Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden movement, it bit on a branch.

    Crack!

    The crisp sound meant that a branch as thick as a human was snapped in half like a biscuit.

    Shao Xuan was standing at least 7 meters above ground, yet it was so easy for the crocodile to reach. With the momentum, it had risen even more. Shao Xuan could see itsrge nostrils.

    The crocodile did not give up. It shook its head and swept at Shao Xuan once again for a second attempt.

    From the hook-like teeth in front, it was obvious that it was good at grabbing its prey. As long as a part of Shao Xuan, like his clothes, was caught, he would be dragged down immediately.

    Shao Xuan was faster, leaping out of its reach with the second movement, There was only half a person¡¯s distance away from the crocodile. However, this time the crocodile had lost its momentum and could not perform the third attempt.

    The jaws snapped close and made a sound, its scales shaking as it was frustrated. Then, it sank cruelly into the waters once again, agitating mud and grass in the waters.

    After entering the water, the crocodile did note up again, leaving with the water current.

    Shao Xuannded in another tree but did not stop. The seven to eight meters tall trees were not safe at all. He had to look for taller trees to rest on, they were safer. The waters underneath were deeper than he thought too, or the crocodile wouldn¡¯t have been able topletely immerse itself in it.

    When Shao Xuan leapt around to look for taller trees, he met another crocodile leaping up at him again. Just as he dodged, he took out the bronze sword Zheng Luo gave him and twisted himself. Waving the sword, he shed down at its snout.

    ng!

    The sword sent vibrations up his arm, showing that the crocodile¡¯s outeryer of skin was very hard. However, it was still injured and the tip of the de had knocked up once tooth. If Shao Xuan shed harder, part of its jaw might have been gone.

    Moving in the swamp felt like moving between the gaps of a crocodile¡¯s row of teeth. It was very dangerous. This was why the Taihe tribe¡¯s ancestors had ced emphasis on this area for everyone to be more careful here.

    The swamp was huge. After finding taller trees, he looked for drynd. Not the entire river bank was a swamp. There might be drynd but he wasn¡¯t sure, the maps did not show it. Shao Xuan had to rely on himself now.

    After keeping the map, Shao Xuan continued leaping from tree to tree. He could not leave with his back towards the river either. While it seemed like the quickest way to leave the swamnds, he would be further from the main river. And this river was curvy and not a straight line.

    After moving for half a day, the swamnds shrank. He could see patches of forest and greener forests, then hills.

    The swamnds end here, he thought.

    There were much fewer crocodiles here. He kept seeing many crocodiles when he passed the river, and there were also crocodiles in the swamp. Here, he barely saw one.

    Just like fearsome beasts in the hills, arge crocodile required arge territory to hunt enough food. Here wererge pieces ofnd, yet no crocodiles¡­ He wasn¡¯t out of the danger zone designated by the Taihe ancestors yet, there should be crocodiles here. This was unusual, there must be a reason. Shao Xuan grew more alert.

    As he sprinted towards the forest, he saw something on the surface of the river in his peripheral vision.

    After leaping up a tall tree, he looked at the river.

    There was a bunch of seagrass on the river but based on its structure, Shao Xuan did not think it looked normal.

    The grass floated with the water currents.

    Bang!

    The bunch of grass shook and floated more vigorously. There was a ssh. At the same time, the sound was very odd. There were several sounds mixed together and sounded like metal.

    What was that?

    Shao Xuan looked at the bunch of grass. There was something inside.

    Crocodile? There was a crocodile in the midst of the grass.

    No, the patch of grass looked rectangr, was that¡­ wood?

    After all the shaking, the grass looked more dispersed. Both ends of the patch revealed a tree trunk.

    It wasn¡¯t just grass, it was a cage! It¡¯s a trap!

    Shao Xuan was shocked. If there was a trap, it meant there was human activity here. They made traps especially to catch animals in the river too.

    Some fishermen useds, some fished, some made traps. There were very few who used traps and this was the first time Shao Xuan saw a trap made for crocodiles.

    Bang Bang!

    The trapped crocodile struggled again, the seagrass on top was shaken off. Shao Xuan could see the trap clearly now.

    It was a metal trap. ming Horn and Taihe people would not use an expensive material like metal to make a trap. Although bronze wasmon, they were still conservative about it. Howrge were the crocodiles here? This trap would have to be at least fifteen metres long, how much metal would they need?

    Theoretically, the ces further from the great six should have lesser metalwares. He also met other tribes on the way here but they were using bone weapons and rarely used metal.

    He was shocked to see such arge metal cage.

    He wondered if he was close to Gongjia Mountain. Other people rarely used metal but the Xia people were different. Plus, the ones who could make a trap for a crocodile would be no ordinary tribesmen.

    Shao Xuan was in no hurry to leave now. He found a suitable tree to hide in and waited. Now that there was prey, the person who set the trap would be there soon. If they let the animal struggle more, the trap would be damaged.

    Just as he expected, soon, he heard people approaching quickly. While they were not loud, that person sounded like he was experienced and confident for he did not hesitate.

    The sound approached quickly. Shao Xuan looked over to the river bank and was stunned for a moment.

    While he could not see much, a person¡¯s hand appeared. He¡¯d thought it was a small crocodile but it was not.

    Even the people of the Drumming Tribe did not look as simr to a crocodile as this person when they activated totemic evolution.

    After activating their totemic evolution through their totemic powers, the people of the Drumming tribe would evolve in terms of their facial features and bone structure. This person was just d in crocodile skin though. Now that Shao Xuan could see him, this person resembled a regr human.

 Chapter 406 - The Secret of the Cloud Patterns

    <h4>Gongjia Heng</h4>

    That person quickly came to the bank, then did something in a patch of tall grass. Then Shao Xuan heard clicking sounds like ¡®kata, kata, kata¡¯.

    Shao Xuan watched as that person tugged at some thick vines. With the clicking sound, the floating cage was now quickly pulled to the river bank.

    As the trap approached the riverbank, the crocodile in the cage struggled more furiously. However, it seemed like this crocodile was much weaker than the ones he saw previously. Those crocodiles would not be trapped for such a long time.

    One the trap was pulled up the bank, Shao Xuan could see the entire object.

    It was a metal rectangr cage. On both sides were thick tree trunks tied to it so it would float in the river. There was a lot of seagrass on the trunk and the cage as camouge. It was not clear if the camouge was to trick humans or crocodiles. Some people were dumb enough to identally get caught in traps themselves. Perhaps it was because the crocodiles were not stupid. They might be very familiar with traps here so more disguises were needed.

    Shao Xuan saw the person tug off all the grass tied to the cage then took a bundle of vines from a patch of grass. He tied the vines to a metal bar in the form of a loop at the end.

    Then, the person opened the cage where the crocodile¡¯s head was. There were three doors on the cage, he only opened the part nearest to the head. Then, he reached inside with the bar and the loop, pulling the loop through the crocodile¡¯s jaws.

    The crocodile opened its jaw wide, revealing more than a hundred teeth. It was protesting and couldn¡¯t wait to bite this human to death.

    The loop was a suitable size, plus the vine was strong and flexible enough for the job.

    The person looped it on its mouth cleanly. Anyone less experienced might identally catch the loop on its teeth but this person did it in one go.

    He opened the other two doors on the top of the trap. At the same time, the person released something on its four corners. The cage opened into a t surface instead of a box.

    Right now, the crocodile had lost its ability to bite. It did not have much energy to struggle anyway. So it pulled itsst trick¨C the death roll.

    However, the rolling only made it worse. The vines became tighter with every roll. Without the cage, as it rolled more, the vines grew tighter.

    To be safe, the person tied its jaws together with more vine.

    Then, the person tied somerge leaves on its eyes too.

    The crocodile struggled much less once its eyes were covered. Many animals be less anxious in the dark, it was the same for this crocodile.

    This person was very familiar with crocodiles.

    The crocodile¡¯s back limbs were tied up too.

    Crocodiles crawled onnd, most of their strength was in their hind limbs. The ones Shao Xuan previously met relied on their hind limbs to leap up at him. They had strong muscles throughout their body but they had even stronger hind limbs.

    That was why tying up its hind limbs greatly limited its movement.

    The crocodile no longer moved after this. The person looked at it for a moment then took out more vine to tie its jaws again. Most of its teeth were covered now. Shao Xuan knew that these teeth could easily hurt people even if they were just thrashing their head about.

    That person was sweating now. After taking off his hat that resembled a crocodile¡¯s head, a tanned, stubbly face appeared.

    He kept the ttened cage in a spot then tugged at the vines tying the crocodile. Suddenly, he turned around towards Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You¡¯ve watched for a while now. It should be time for you toe out, no?¡± said the man.

    There was no anger, the tone was t, maybe indifferent.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t realise he would be found. He leapt off the tree and walked over. His sword was hanging where the other person could see. Hiding a weapon would just threaten the other person. This person looked friendly enough. Shao Xuan did not want to offend him the first time they met.

    This person¡¯s eyes swept across his body, lingering on the sword. He did not try to hide the contempt he had for it.

    ¡°Which tribe are you from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°ming Horn tribe.¡± Shao Xuan did not hide his own identity because he had his guesses about who this person was. He had many questions, plus this person did not look gullible.

    ¡°ming Horn?¡± the man thought for a moment. ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it. It¡¯s not nearby, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s far from here.¡±

    ¡°Your tribe¡¯s far away, why did youe to such a dangerous ce on your own? Are you training?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Looking for herbs?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to look for Gongjia Mountain too?¡±

    Shao Xuan stared in surprise. He knew?!

    ¡°Really? And you came alone? To look for Gongjia Mountain?¡± That person looked at Shao Xuan as if he was biting off more than he could chew. There was just one message in his eyes¡ª you must have a death wish.

    ¡°Uh, are there many people looking for Gongjia Mountain too?¡± Shao Xuan asked curiously.

    ¡°Not many, but there are people. But they all died eventually,¡± the man said in a t tone. There was no mockery or glee, just indifference.

    ¡°And you¡¯re¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Gongjia Heng.¡± He did not have to say much. A name was enough to reveal important information.

    When he told Shao Xuan his name, his tone was filled with pride. The Xia people never hid their surnames, always proud of their name¡ª Gongjia.

    So he was a Xia!

    Shao Xuan wanted to ask more but the man added, ¡°I¡¯m a Xia and I haven¡¯t found Gongjia Mountain myself, what makes you outsiders think you can find it? All you find will be death!¡±

    It was no wonder Gongjia Heng was indifferent towards outsiders too. He did not mock them because even he could not find it himself.

    ¡°Many people came here looking for Gongjia Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Not many but not too few. I¡¯ve been here for twenty years and met seventeen of you. Ten were Xia people, seven from other tribes. Nine died, five returned because they were injured, another three continued looking. I don¡¯t know where they died.¡±

    ¡°Maybe they found Gongjia Mountain?¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Impossible! I can¡¯t even find it, how could they?¡± said Gongjia Heng confidently.

    This meant Shao Xuan was not the only one who deciphered the cloud patterns. There were not many of them though. However, finding the mountain was going to be more difficult than expected. If even the Xia people couldn¡¯t find it, then it was an even smaller chance for an outsider to find it. These Xia people must be more familiar with the patterns and had more records with them.

    Since everyone couldn¡¯t find it, Gongjia Heng did not care if Shao Xuan came looking for it too. He gestured over at Shao Xuan. ¡°Come help, I¡¯ll share some of its meat with youter.¡±

    Usually, once he caught a crocodile, he would not kill it here. He still had stock so he did not n to kill it today. He would kill it a few dayster when he finished eating his current stock so the meat will be fresh. That was why he merely had to drag it back.

    The Xia people were good at casting and forging so they were strong. A forger had to have strong arms. That was why they were considered physically strongpared to many people. In the past, Gongjia Heng would drag the crocodile back on his own, sometimes with transport devices with wheels attached. However, there was ack of equipment now so he could only drag it himself.

    It was too time-consuming to do it on his own so he asked for Shao Xuan¡¯s help.

    ¡°Here, you drag the tail, I¡¯ll pull the rope¡­¡±

    Before he finished, Shao Xuan lifted its tail and dragged the ten-meter long crocodile, already walking ahead. It looked so effortless Gongjia Heng did not finish his sentence.

    ¡°Your strength is¡­ not bad at all.¡± Gongjia pulled on the rope too but realised he wasn¡¯t helping so he let go, merely watching the crocodile. He watched for the crocodile in case it suddenly attacked. He was holding a huge bronze hammer in his hand so if it moved, he would just knock it out.

    ¡°Is this crocodile drugged?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Crocodile? Are you talking about this? Of course it¡¯s drugged, or it wouldn¡¯t be this quiet,¡± said Gongjia Heng. The bait in his trap had a sort of medicine that made the crocodile weak. It was very powerful too, enough tost at least half a day. After bringing it back, he would still feed it the medicine for a few days.

    ¡°Right,¡± said Shao Xuan, ¡°How did you know I was there?¡± He was confident in his own skills and sure he had made no sound.

    ¡°I felt someone watching me.¡±

    Shao Xuan recalled the scene and realised he must¡¯ve been staring very hard when he watched too intently. Gongjia Heng could live in this ce, unscathed, for twenty years- this meant his senses must be very sharp.

 Chapter 407 - Armour

    <h4>Armour</h4>

    Gongjia Heng lived on a hill not far from the river. The hill was visible from the riverbank since there were not many hills around.

    Shao Xuan probed and asked a few questions along the way, Gongjia Heng answered his questions- unless they were about Xia secrets. Gongjia Heng didn¡¯t mind the questions and especially loved talking about wares he had cast and forged before likerge ceremonial cauldrons, spears, swords. He spoke with confidence and pride.

    To the Xia people, they called themselves the second-best in casting and forging. No one in this world dared call themselves the best, and if anyone could be called the best, it would be one of the Xia people.

    Just as Gongjia Heng was praising himself, he was still alert for his surroundings. Although his expressions and speech looked like he was rxed, he was still able to react immediately when there was a slight movement near them.

    A gigantic worm with many legs shot out of the grass, taller than the both of them even though it wasn¡¯t standing. On its head were two antennae and two pincers gnashing at Shao Xuan and Gongjia Heng. There was a huge, half-rotten treeying horizontally before it but it would not be able to stop this worm.

    Before Shao Xuan moved, Gongjia Heng, who was still showing off some wares he had once made with a grin, suddenly leapt up. He brought down his arms like the wind, a powerful surge of power travelled from his arms into the bronze hammer and crashed down unto the worm¡¯s head. There was a gust of wind from the impact.

    The worm, still waving its pincers, suddenly had a dent about half a meter deep in its head. The exoskeleton wrapping its head was now cracked and an olive green liquid sprayed out.

    Such a powerful strike was still not a fatal blow to the giant worm. It merely got more agitated and thrashed about but the hammer shed by and like the wind, it was smashed down again. It sounded like the skies would shake.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The cracked outer shell, under a rain of hits from the hammer, finally burst open with green liquid. In just a few blinks, the terrifyingly aggressive worm was suddenly motionless. Its head was just crumbs and pulp now.

    When the hammer left its head, it was now dancing and swaying between Gongjia Heng¡¯s hands. A bronze hammer of five hundred kilogrammes looked so light in his hands as if it was nothing.

    Some people looked terrifying with their muscles but in realitycked actual strength. However, Gongjia Heng, as a Xia person, had muscles filled with true power as his skin was etched with totemic cloud patterns.

    He was a cksmith!

    Gongjia Heng shook off crumbs from the worm¡¯s exoskeleton and the green liquid off his hammer then turned to walk with Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Where was I? Oh, right, a ve master with the surname Chao requested for me to make him a sword¡­¡±

    With a grin on his face again, Gongheng Jia picked up where he left off as if bashing a worm into pulp was just an ordinary day.

    Shao Xuan carried the ten-metre long crocodile easily to where he lived. There was a cave at the foot of the hill where he stored goods like food, random tools, stoneware, bone ware, metalwares etc.

    However, Gongjia Heng did not live inside. He built a stone house outside a cave for himself. There was not much room to sleep inside though, about two-thirds of the house was used for forging.

    Along the way, Shao Xuan noticed Gongjia Heng had set many traps around this area to protect himself from fearsome beasts within the forest. Even if they couldn¡¯t protect him, they served as rms.

    ¡°I live here,¡± Gongjia Heng said, pointing at the cave and the stone house.

    Shao Xuan put down the crocodile and looked around as Gongjia Heng gave him a tour. Gongjia Heng was very passionate about it, probably because he rarely had visitors over. After looking at the food he had, he felt somewhat embarrassed to serve his guest with it. They were alright as food for himself but as a person who loved his face, after praising himself so much along the way, serving Shao Xuan such food seemed very underwhelming. The entire ce was also very simple so he could only impress Shao Xuan with food. That was why he nned to ughter the crocodile today and cook it.

    As Gongjia Heng ughtered the crocodile, Shao Xuan looked around at the things he had in the cave. Gongjia Heng did not try to hide them either, however the things in his stone house were still kept private- it was where he did his forging, he could not show his equipment to outsiders. Shao Xuan did not mind.

    The cave was a little dark and deeper than he expected. Shao Xuan lighted a torch as he ventured deeper. He looked around. There were all kinds of tools, nts and fruits here. From the way these objects were strewn around, Gongjia Heng had been living here for a long time. He had mentioned he¡¯d been living here for about twenty years.

    After taking a look around, Shao Xuan walked out of the cave.

    ¡°I was just twenty years old when I deciphered the Xia patterns. I came here to look for Gongjia Mountain,¡± said Gongjia Heng as he cleaned the crocodile. The ¡®Xia¡¯ patterns he meant were the special cloud patterns Shao Xuan had seen on the cauldron.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity I still can¡¯t find the ce after twenty years. I decided to live here and every year I leave to look for it again. When I can¡¯t find it, I¡¯de back here.¡± Gongjia Heng told him about the sufferings he had gone through all these years. At the same time, he wanted to give this young man some advice to not bite off more than he could chew. It would be toote for regrets.

    He had been searching for twenty years. It was no wonder he did not mock the people who came looking for the mountain too- because he was the same. The only fortunate thing was that he was still alive and he hadn¡¯t given up.

    ¡°It took me a while to get used to this. The tools I used to use were mostly gold and I used to eat better food. However, aftering here, all I could do was do my best to adapt.¡± Gongjia Heng had learned a lot of forest survival skills from the tribes after living here for many years. He used vines to rece ropes and metal locks, learning how to distinguish between different vines suitable for different purposes, making straw rope out of them. He had worn down most of the golden tools he brought when he came here so when hecked materials, he helped the tribes in the forest forge tools in exchange for materials. Either that or he would get them to trade with the people from far away.

    Gongjia Heng was different from the tribesmen, he had lived in a city ruled by ve masters for twenty years. As a Xia person with natural talents in forging, he lived well there. He had many people idolising him- especially the ve masters who had a weapon they wanted. They would heavily reward him for them. However, living here was different. The strategy he had to survive was to be nice to the tribesmen because he needed to work with them in exchange for help.

    As a Xia person with such impressive forging skills, other than other extremely secluded tribes, most tribesmen he met were still polite to him. That was why Gongjia Heng was quite calm when he met Shao Xuan.

    As long as this person did not have ill intentions, Gongjia Heng was polite.

    ¡°That cage, is that meant for crocodiles?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yep! There are many fish here.¡± Gongjia Heng nodded furiously. To survive in such a primitive environment, he had to use materials other than gold. However, he was still a Xia and leaned towards metalwares. That was why he decided to give up on gold and made this cage with metal. Many people mocked him for being stupid and wasteful! But he had no regrets.

    ¡°There¡¯s one giant fish in that river, oh, you call it a crocodile- but it was too big. I¡¯ve almost been eaten by it thest few times I was near the river. I¡¯ve lost so many weapons in that river.¡± Gongjia Heng grew increasingly angry as he spoke, his eyes cruel as he looked up in the direction of the river.

    So he had an enemy.

    He had been living here for twenty years. Even if he hadn¡¯t previously seen a crocodile in his life, twenty years here was enough for him to know the crocodiles well.

    ¡°The river is deep. They only have their eyes and nostrils above water,¡± Gongjia Heng exined so Shao Xuan would know the crocodiles better.

    ¡°They have powerful tails to propel them at fast speeds underwater. This method creates very little waves on the surface so they can approach their prey quietly. They fight and bite each other often and sometimes lose a leg. However, they are nature¡¯s survivors, most of the powerful ones here have one leg missing. This is a sign that they have fought before. Shao Xuan, if you see a fish with one leg missing, do not underestimate it or you¡¯ll regret it.

    ¡°However, the crocodiles can¡¯t move very well on the swamp and shallow waters where you passed if theyck one leg. They need their legs onnd and sometimes would step on an underwater rock to support themselves and jump up.¡±

    ¡®Yeah, as for that, I met one like that.¡± Shao Xuanpared the crocodiles here and the ones from the Drumming tribe. The crocodiles here have thicker, stronger hind legs. If the crocodiles from the tribe had teeth like pyramids, the crocodiles here had teeth like metal nails.

    In many aspects, the crocodiles here were more dangerous.

    ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t know this fish is more than a hundred years old! I can make armour out of this.¡± Gongjia Heng took up a piece of scale and passed it to Shao Xuan. ¡°You can use this to make armour. Hundred-year-old fish are good for making armour.¡±

    ¡°How did you know it¡¯s more than a hundred years old?¡±

    ¡°Look at the top.¡± Gongjia Heng pointed at the scales. ¡°Look at the patterns.¡±

    There were patterns on the scales. Like a tree¡¯s rings, they showed a crocodile¡¯s age.

    This was different from the crocodiles in the Drumming tribe. There were about a hundred pieces of bone on the crocodiles here. These bones on their backs had fused into the skin so it was more like a robust armour on its back. Previously, Shao Xuan could injure a crocodile¡¯s snout with a sword but if he was aiming for the back, he might not make a dent. Perhaps he could injure a young crocodile but an old one more than a hundred years old would be difficult to hurt.

 Chapter 408 - Annoying!

    <h4>Annoying!</h4>

    The Xia People had high standards. Anything they regarded as good was naturally, good.

    Shao Xuan also believed that the bony tes on the backs of hundred-year-old crocodiles must make very good armour.

    ¡°The armour you¡¯re wearing, is it made of a hundred-year-old crocodile?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng was wearing a several-piece suit made of crocodile. When you looked closer, you could see that they were different from this crocodile. The chest te and the back had different patterns.

    ¡°This?¡± Gongjia Heng had delight in his eyes. ¡°This crocodile was over two hundred years old, it¡¯s different.¡±

    The hardness of this armour was double of a te made from a hundred-year-old crocodile. This crocodile in front of him was nothing to him. Plus the two-hundred-year-old crocodile was a lot bigger than this one. Gongjia Heng was delighted to be able to hunt such arge animal.

    ¡°Therge one in the river, the one you mentioned. How old is it?¡± Shao Xuan was referring to Gongjia Heng¡¯s archnemesis.

    ¡°That one? I don¡¯t know. Maybe more than a thousand. Maybe longer. No one knows.¡± As he spoke, he heaved a sigh. His enemy was too powerful, he wouldn¡¯t be able to kill it.

    When he realised Gongjia Heng didn¡¯t want to talk about it, he changed the topic, asking about the process of making armour.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to hunt more. Just use the armour on this one. Although this one isn¡¯trge, it¡¯s more than a hundred years old. The ones you see in shallow waters, although they arerge they might not be a hundred years old. It¡¯s not easy to catch one like this,¡± said Gongjia Heng.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trade with you.¡± Shao Xuan fished around in his pouch.

    ¡°Sigh! It¡¯s just a bony te, I have so much of it! I¡¯m not trading it, it¡¯s a gift for you!¡± He knew Shao Xuan was young, plus his tribe was far away. He did not look like he had a lot of good weapons on him and wasn¡¯t threatening. Gongjia Heng liked him so he decided to help out. He had a lot of the bony tes anyway.

    ¡°It was a long journey so I didn¡¯t bring much with me. I¡¯ll give this to you. Maybe you¡¯ll find it useful.¡± Shao Xuan showed him a water sun stone. He had two stones with him. He could give one to Gongjia Heng and maybe find something else for the trade.

    ¡°You have so little with you, you don¡¯t have to¡­ Eh?¡± Gongjia Heng was about to insist when he paused. He asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It glows.¡± Shao Xuan exined to him the procedures for using the crystal. Since the cave was dark, this crystal would be a lot more convenient. Fire would use up precious oxygen in the cave, lighting a fire would sometimes be ufortable for Gongjia Heng. Plus it wasn¡¯t good to light fires in the middle of the forest sometimes.

    ¡°It really glows?¡± Gongjia Heng tried using it ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions. It glowed!

    ¡°You got anything else?¡± Gongjia Heng was very interested in peculiar things.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± The only special things suitable for trade he had were his crystals.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll keep this then. Don¡¯t take anything else out, keep some stuff for yourself. They can save your life sometimes.¡± He was already very shocked that Shao Xuan could show him a glowing crystal. He did not hope for Shao Xuan to have anything else that was worth looking at. He didn¡¯t like Shao Xuan¡¯s bronze sword either. After looking at it, he thought it was of poor quality.

    ¡°Wait for me to pry the bony tes off the crocodile. Then I will teach you how to choose the best tes to make armour.¡± Gongjia Heng couldn¡¯t stop talking now. ¡°Armour is very important when you¡¯re in a forest. If you meet a beast that¡¯s faster than you, and you couldn¡¯t run in time, it could bite you. Without armour, you would be dead. But if you have armour, nothing would happen! Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    When he saw Shao Xuan¡¯s expressionless face, his smile disappeared. He still thought his joke was funny.

    ¡°Young man, don¡¯t be so serious. You shouldugh more.¡±

    Gongjia Heng also knew he was exaggerating. Perhaps some animals could be stopped by this armour but any stronger beast would be able to bite through the armour.

    Armours were not invincible, though they were still safer than having no armour at all. Shao Xuan understood this. He had been wearing wormskin before he crossed the ocean. Wormskin was very effective and light. Since he was still a middle-ranked totemic warrior, wormskin had helped him a lot.

    Unfortunately, the wormskin was used to wrap the core seed. It was now with Tuo to be brought back. Now he needed a recement. The forest was very dangerous. He could only travel through it unscathed because he had powerful healing abilities.

    As he boiled the meat soup and roasted some meat, Gongjia Heng continued talking about the difficult experiences he had while looking for Gongjia Mountain. However, when he finished his story, Shao Xuan still insisted on looking for it. Gongjia Heng gave up. Young people can be stubborn sometimes!

    He rarely had a friend to have a meal with so Gongjia Heng was very excited, talking through the meal. Shao Xuan learned a lot from him.

    After a hearty meal, Gongjia Heng did not stop. Shao Xuan listened as he made straw rope. Gongjia Heng did not care. Making straw rope was a basic skill tribesmen had so he continued talking.

    When he was done, Shao Xuan¡¯s fingers were still moving. He was preparing it for rope divination.

    Before this, he had tried using divination to decipher the cloud patterns. However, since he began his journey till now, every divination session was a failure. Shao Xuan did not continue.

    Now that he had gotten more useful information from Gongjia Heng, plus because he trusted that it was the truth, he decided to run some divination knot predictions again.

    Gongjia Heng was getting increasingly excited but when he saw Shao Xuan fiddling with the rope and closing his eyes, he did not get upset. It must have been a tough journey for this young man toe here alone unscathed. He must be very tired now. Yet boys will be boys, he¡¯s tired and yet he was ying with rope.

    However, his smile disappeared, reced with focus and solemn. His rxed posture was the same but his eyes were glued to Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    He thought this young man was just fiddling with some rope to kill time but Gongjia Heng came from the upper-middle ss in the city. He had seen a lot. This was why he knew what Shao Xuan was doing.

    Divination!

    Was he from the city? No, the kid said he was from the ming Horn tribe. On the way back from the river, when dealing with the worm, he saw Shao Xuan¡¯s totemic patterns on his body too. He was definitely not from the city. Then why did the kid know this?

    However, as he thought about the tribesmen, there had been stories of them mastering the art of divination. It was not odd that the kid knew it. However, he was so young, was he good in divination? How much of it had he mastered?

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s mind raced.

    This was a kid stubborn enough toe looking for Gongjia Mountain, a kid who was adept in the art of knot divination. Maybe this kid could even find the ce. No, he couldn¡¯t! Other than Xia people, outsiders could never!

    But, even if he couldn¡¯t, he could get them closer to the truth¡­

    The fire roared and the firewood crackled. However, Gongjia HEng was not distracted. He felt a surge of emotion.

    Under Gongjia Heng¡¯s unblinking stare, knots formed one by one on the straw rope in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. Although Gongjia Heng did not know how to interpret the knots, he knew that if it was a failed session, there would be no knots. Did this mean he saw something?!

    Finally, Shao Xuan opened his eyes.

    Gongjia Heng grew anxious, he didn¡¯t even realise that he had burnt the meat in his hand to crisp.

    ¡°You¡­ What did you find?¡± Gongjia Heng¡¯s voice shook from anxiety.

    Shao Xuan was not surprised Gongjia Heng knew what he was doing. In fact, he had done it in front of Gongjia Heng on purpose.

    ¡°That direction.¡± Shao Xuan pointed in a direction on the other side of therge river. ¡°I don¡¯t know the specifics. I just know to walk in that direction. I think you¡¯ve been in that direction too.¡±

    ¡°Of course I know that¡¯s the right direction!¡± he said hurriedly, ¡°but what next? How far should I walk, what should I do when I arrive?¡±

    Gongjia Heng knew he was walking in the right direction all along and yet he still couldn¡¯t find Gongjia Mountain! He may look like an easygoing person on the surface but when he thought about how hard he looked for twenty years, and the uncertainty of the future¡­ Fuck, he was panicking!

    Shao Xuan scratched his nose, itchy from straw kes. ¡°I don¡¯t know either, I¡¯ll have to do another session when I arrive.¡± It was the truth.

    Gongjia Heng had nothing to say.

    The sky was darkening. Shao Xuan had to stay the night. However, he didn¡¯t sleep in the cave or the stone house. Instead, he slept in a small treehouse. This was another resting spot built by Gongjia Heng. When there was danger, he also hid there.

    That night, Shao Xuan fell asleep the moment hey down on the bed in the treehouse. However, in the stonehouse under the tree, Gongjia Heng could not sleep. He tossed and turned on his bed.

    Since he couldn¡¯t force himself to sleep, he decided to enter the forging room.

    When his mind was a mess, he would visit the forging room. Then he would aimlessly hammer on metal pieces. He wasn¡¯t making anything, it was just to vent his emotions.

    He struck. ng!

    Should he go looking for the mountain with the kid?

    He struck again. ng!

    But, he still had his pride. A Xia person asking for a tribesman¡¯s help? Face was very important to him.

    He struck once again. ng!

    He hadn¡¯t been able to find it for twenty years. Maybe this kid could help him?

    ng! ng! ng!

    Aargh! This is annoying! Annoying!

 Chapter 409 - Together

    <h4>Together</h4>

    Gongjia Heng stayed up all night, hammering the bronze piece. On the next day, he heard Shao Xuane down the tree in the morning. When he walked out of the stone house, his eyes were bloodshot. He looked terrifying.

    ¡°What happened to you?¡± Shao Xuan heard the ngingst night too. However, he wanted to sleep and the sounds were still bearable. A person who frequently hunted in the forest would have to get used to loud beasts, birds and insects even while he rested. If the hunter couldn¡¯t stand noise, then he would never be able to sleep. It was rare for the forest to bepletely quiet.

    When Gongjia heng heard him, he looked up at Shao Xuan with his reddened eyes. The muscles on his face twitched. ¡°Nothing.¡± Then, he turned to walk towards the cave.

    There was some water stored in the cave. Gongjia Heng used a fruit shell as adle, scooping up some unto his face to freshen up. The water calmed his chaotic thoughts.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± he said in a low voice as he squatted next to the wooden bucket filled with water. His hand was still holding the fruit shell in the bucket but he had stopped sshing water on himself.

    Shao Xuan turned towards him to show that he was listening, and Gongjia Heng could speak.

    Gongjia Heng did not look up, merely sloshing the water around in the bucket with one hand, his eyes on the ground. As if there was something very interesting there.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for Gongjia Mountain, right? After some thought, I feel like I should go with you.¡± However, when Gongjia Heng finished, he felt the need to quickly defend himself. ¡°You¡¯re so young, it¡¯s your first time here. You must be very unfamiliar with the terrain here. I¡¯ve been here for twenty years and have been out three many times. I¡¯ll be able to guide you.¡±

    Shao Xuan was stunned for a moment. Then when he suddenly snapped back to reality, heughed and pped, ¡°...That would be awesome!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t youugh at me like that! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking! Hmmph.¡± Gongjia Heng tossed the fruit shell and picked up the bronze hammer he used to fight beasts. ¡°Eat first, then you¡¯ll have the strength to work!¡±

    They had to prepare a survival kit if they were going to look for Gongjia Mountain. First, medicine for wounds and antidotes for poison and venoms. Then, food, tools etc. They had to be fully prepared.

    Gongjia Heng had recently gone for an excursion looking for the mountain. If Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t arrived, he had no ns to make another trip so soon. That was why he did not have many tools prepared. However, with the change of ns, he had to work overtime to prepare all that was needed.

    Shao Xuan made armour out of the crocodile¡¯s bony tes. He wasn¡¯t very used to it in the beginning, even the crocodile¡¯s movement was limited due to the tes. Although Shao Xuan could adapt and still function in it, it was a lot lessfortable than wormskin. Under the current circumstances, he could not afford to be choosy. This was better than nothing.

    After putting on armour, Gongjia Heng brought Shao Xuan out to pick out some herbs. ¡°We have to prepare more medicine for treating wounds.¡±

    When they returned, Shao Xuan continued getting used to his armour while making traps for Gongjia Heng.

    Preparations required three to five days so he did not stop setting up traps.

    The underwater cage used to catch crocodiles was set up once again. Gongjia Heng used some beast meat as bait, it had a dash of medicine in it and hung inside the cage. Once the crocodile swam into the cage and bit on the bait, the door would snap shut. Unless someone came to open it or it was smashed open by brute force, it would never open. However, at that point, the crocodile would be weak from the medicine so it would not be strong enough to smash the door open.

    ¡°Be careful with the medicine, only a little bit is needed.¡± Gongjia Heng gestured with his thumb and index finger to indicate the size of a green bean. ¡°This much, and a human will be knocked out. Of course, people as strong as us will be able tost longer. Any weaker person would copse.¡±

    One small bit was enough to knock a grown man out cold, yet the ball of herb he put in the bait was as big as a ping-pong ball. And the crocodiles would still be able to struggle after eating the bait.

    The effects of this sedative were rtive to the type of animal. Some animals would be knocked out cold, while others might die. A person might fall into aa if he consumed the same dosage as a crocodile. He would not just faint- he might never wake up.

    At the same time, Gongjia Heng reminded him that he shouldn¡¯t put too much medicine in the bait either. They were going to eat the animalter and would also be affected if the dosage was not right. Or they would copse after eating crocodile meat!

    Within three days, Gongjia Heng had prepared the tools he needed. He even gave Shao Xuan an axe. If Shao Xuan did not have enough weapons, Gongjia Heng would have to be the one to save him. Giving him an extra weapon would be to both of their conveniences.

    During these three days, no crocodile took the bait in the underwater cage. They didn¡¯t know if the crocodiles hadn¡¯t noticed the bait or they just hadn¡¯t been in the area.

    ¡°How do we cross the river?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Although this main flow of the river was wide, he could still see the other end when he stood on the bank. It was nothingpared to the river that isted his entire tribe.

    ¡°Should we make a boat? A raft?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. We can¡¯t be on the surface. While the river looks quiet, remember that we haven¡¯t even caught one crocodile in three days. This means that big one has been walking around this area. If we use a raft or a boat, we¡¯ll have to use it far from here. We¡¯ll be swallowed together with our boat if we cross like this. That bastard is very annoying and it will be time-consuming to fight it,¡± said Gongjia Heng.

    The underwater cage wasn¡¯t just for hunting. It clued him into the environment. If he caught a crocodile, it meant therge guy wasn¡¯t here. However, if he couldn¡¯t catch even one in three days, that meant all the ¡®smaller¡¯ guys had been scared off. They would never stay to fight for food with the big guy.

    ¡°What now?¡± Shao Xuan waited for Heng¡¯s idea. Since Heng often went out for trips, he must have had his ways.

    Heng chuckled, then pulled out a wooden whistle. He blew it consecutively, three blows per beat.

    ¡°Beep¡ª Beep¡ª Beep¡ª

    The whistle was sharp-pitched, echoing across the forest.

    Very soon, Shao Xuan looked up in the sky.

    A huge, dark brown figure flew over. It was four meters long.

    ¡°Look, that¡¯s our ride,¡± said Gongjia proudly as he looked at the bird in the sky, as if showing off.

    It was a bird that looked like a stork. Most of it was dark brown with very little grey spots.

    The bird did notnd immediately. It stopped on a tree, eyeing the strange man, Shao Xuan, cautiously.

    ¡°Come down! This is Shao Xuan. He¡¯s crossing the river with me today,¡± said Heng.

    It didn¡¯t seem like the bird understood. It looked at Shao Xuan, then at Heng. Then it squawked. But it did note down the tree.

    Gongjia Heng dragged out some animal carcass leftovers to lure the bird over.

    ¡°I called you down and you ignored me! And now you¡¯re here the moment you see food? Asshole!¡± Heng kicked the bird as itnded to eat. However, he was gentle and did not hurt or scare the bird.

    Squawk!

    The bird squawked and then ignored him, pecking on its food quickly.

    ¡°Bring us over there when you¡¯re done, do you hear me? Or I¡¯ll squash you with my hammer!¡± Gongjia Heng held his hammer threateningly. Unfortunately, the bird did not even look at him. All it saw was food.

    However, a keen eye would see that it would slightly cock its head at Heng when he spoke. It was indeed listening.

    When he saw the bird ignoring him, Heng¡¯s face darkened. He huffed and then tossed his hammer on the ground, sitting down. He talked to Shao Xuan about this bird.

    ¡°I caught it years ago using a trap. I looped a chain around its neck and nned to kill it that night. However, there was an avnche that night in the mountains. A lot of rocks rolled down the mountains. The real danger wasn¡¯t even the rocks, it was the panicked beasts. It was very chaotic and all my traps were useless then. I was almost knocked out by a fierce animal. I was lucky that day because I saw this bird struggling. So I took out its chain and climbed on its back.

    ¡°In the beginning, it kept trying to shake me off once it took off. After I pinched its neck a few times it calmed down a lot. After some time, when it was calmer onnd, I forced it tond. I was thinking of using brute force if it did not listen. It was just a forest beneath me, plus I would not die if I have the bird under me. I didn¡¯t expect this bird to listen though.

    After everything was calm again, every time I returned from a hunt, if it was nearby, I would toss some meat for it. Then we got closer to each other. Sometimes, if it was hungry because I couldn¡¯t find food, or hurt because it fought other birds, it woulde to me for food. Now that I think of it, it¡¯s been ten years!¡± Gongjia Heng looked nostalgic. ¡°What do you think, isn¡¯t it great! Although it¡¯s not the most obedient bird, it has helped a lot. Without it, it would have been very difficult to cross the river. We would have to risk the crocodiles. Or maybe even meet therge guy.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I used to have one too. Bigger than yours, and very obedient,¡± reminisced Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Where is it now?¡± asked Gongjia Heng. He thought Shao Xuan was lying.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen it in a year,¡± sighed Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng let out a snicker. ¡°Yours has probably left with its flock already.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a solitary animal,¡± said Shao Xuan. Giant mountain eagles lived in solitude unless they had a mate. Usually, they lived alone and would fight if they met each other.

    What was Chacha up to these days?

 Chapter 410 - Crossing The River

    <h4>Crossing The River</h4>

    While Shao Xuan was wondering about the whereabouts of Chacha, the shaman was thinking about the same problem on the other side of the sea at the ming Horn tribe.

    After Shao Xuan disappeared in the desert, Chacha immediately left after bringing Tuo and the gang back to the tribe. It was heard that Chacha was in the desert andst seen at the Hui tribe. However, it never came back to the Fearsome Beast Forest since then.

    The shaman had sent out people to look for Chacha, but it came to nothing. At first, the shaman wanted to send his people to talk to the people in the Hui tribe. However, the people in the Hui Tribe had visited them before he sent his people out from the Fearsome Beast Forest. They mentioned that Chacha went to their tribe not long ago and took some of the beasts with him when he left the tribe.

    Those that left with Chacha included the one that fought with Chacha and the two eagles that had travelled to the desert with Chacha. The people from the Hui tribe thought they would have gone back to the ming Horn tribe, but they were wrong.

    Chacha was different from the other beasts, it had never been marked before. However, it did listen to Shao Xuan and it only listened to him. It didn¡¯t even listen to Old Ke. No one knew where it was and where it took those beasts to.

    At the same time, a group of seven eagles was flying up a high mountain.

    They were flying through the clouds and over the frost. When they were tired, they would grasp on the wall of the mountain using their ws. After taking a short rest, they would shake off the ice on their wings and continue on their journey.

    The smallest eagle that was falling behind the line had difficulty in following the troop. It was falling further and further behind. In the end, it couldn¡¯t fly anymore. It chose to rest on the mountains, letting out a feeble cry.¡£

    Upon hearing the cry, other eagles who were flying stopped by a mountain as well. All of them screeched to call out to the eagle left behind. However, none of them flew back to help it. One of them had the intention to help, but it was stopped by the biggest eagle in the troop. It was almost beaten up by the eagle. Thus, he could only encourage that eagle instead of giving a helping hand.

    All of the eagles stopped by the mountains to encourage the one left behind to catch up.

    Chacha was watching them from the side. It didn¡¯t offer any encouragement to that eagle. Shortly after, it curled its ws and snatched a stone that was covered with snow from the side of the mountain. Just when the other eagles thought it would help the smallest eagle, it threw the stone at that eagle.

    The other eagles were speechless.

    The stone fell just right on the smallest eagle¡¯s head. The smallest eagle was stunned as the snow grains flew into its eyes. Fortunately, it was just a tiny pebble covered in a lot of snow. Thus, it wasn¡¯t injured, but it stung.

    Chacha didn¡¯t wait for long before it threw a second stone towards that smallest eagle. The smallest eagle dodged the stone this time.

    The youngest eagle was angered by Chacha¡¯s action. The feathers on his neck were kinds of fried and the ice on his feathers was swishing off.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± The youngest eagle screeched. Then, it came after Chacha, fluttering its wings.

    Chacha threw the third stone before it continued on its journey. The other eagles saw this and quickly followed.

    After a long journey, the seven eagles finally reached the mountain top and stepped onto the ice field. All of them were exhausted, without the strength to scream.

    After a short rest, Chacha got up and walked forwards slowly. It was hungry and wanted to have some ice.

    It was the second time Chacha came here. Previously, an eagle it didn¡¯t know brought it and Shao Xuan here. The mere thought of Shao Xuan made it furious. It bit off a piece of ice from an icicle and threw it on the ground. Damn it, Shao Xuan went missing again!

    The fog in the ice field on the mountain top was thick, but a few huge ck figures could be seen from the surroundings.

    Two of thergest eagles were standing on the ground, both of them were more than ten metres tall. One of them was fifteen metres tall. However, both of them were still kids. The seven eagles did not dare mess around even though they were nosy. It was because all the huge eagles from this area could kill them with a single swipe even though they were old. It was fortunate enough to be able to fly here with energy left. Thus, it was best to keep quiet if they wanted to stay alive.

    Every great mountain eagle must pass the test at Eagle Mountain to grow. The trip to Eagle Mountain would be a test period for the eagle and they would experience something simr to the snake moulting its skin.

    Two of the eagles that came here for the first time stayed beside thergest eagle in the troop and watched around with curiosity. Chacha didn¡¯t go near them. Instead, it chose to rest on an icicle while thinking, ¡°I would scare Shao Xuan to death when I get out of here.¡±

    ¡­

    On the other side, Shao Xuan looked at the bird in front of him and turned around to ask Gongjia Heng. ¡°Will this Hammer bird throw me off the river halfway through the trip?¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t. I promise!¡± said Gongjia Heng. Then, he red at the bird named Hammer, ¡°Did you hear him? Finish this job well and I¡¯ll give you a reward when it¡¯s over! Otherwise, I¡¯ll roast you today!¡±

    The hammer bird cried softly.

    ¡°Did you hear that? It promised so you don¡¯t have to worry. It won¡¯t throw you off halfway.¡± Gongjia Heng patted Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Young man, be bold and trust the bird.¡±

    ¡°Alright, fine,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The weapons that needed to be brought along were heavy, especially Heng¡¯s hammer. Hammer the Bird had kept protesting the heavy load. They had to travel a few times, back and forth, so the load would not be too heavy.

    Previously, Gongjia Heng also made the bird cross twice to bring his items over. The hammer bird brought Gongjia Heng went over for the first time beforeing back for his other stuff.

    This time, Gongjia Heng nned to ask Hammer to bring Shao Xuan the first time. Then,e back for the stuff. After that, it had toe back for the third time to bring himself across.

    ¡°There must be at least a person present to look after our stuff. Otherwise, the stuff would be stolen by the monkeys on the other side. Shao Xuan, you go first,¡± said Gongjia Heng. The other side of the river had many annoying monkeys, they had stolen Gongjia Heng¡¯s things before.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Shao Xuan took his stuff. His stuff wasn¡¯t as heavy as Heng¡¯s stuff, thus it could be brought over with him.

    Shao Xuan jumped on Hammer¡¯s back and the bird flew towards the other side of the river.

    Shao Xuan looked out across the vast expanse on the bird¡¯s back. It was a good idea to travel by bird.

    At this point, he had no idea that Chacha had disappeared. The people from his tribe were panicking.

    Shao Xuan saw a small ind on the river. When he looked closely, it was not a small ind, but a huge beast with only a small part of its head protruding from the river¡¯s surface. It stared at the sky coldly with its protruding eyes.

    Shao Xuan could feel Hammer the Bird trembling after noticing the beast in the river. It pped its wings harder than before and flew higher with a higher speed, almost by reflex. It was trying its best to avoid the beast. Shao Xuan could feel that the bird was frightened by the beast even though they were in the sky.

    The beast that was still staring at the sky suddenly revealed itself from the river and showed its narrow snout and its two big nostrils. It was massive.

    It was the giant beast that made every crocodile disappear from the surroundings. It was the king of this river. The giant bastard, age unknown.

    Shao Xuan had heard from Gongjia Heng that Gongjia Heng had travelled across the river on the bird¡¯s back before. During that time, they had almost arrived on the other side of the river when Gongjia Heng looked down and felt a sense of uneasiness. Due to the uneasiness, Gongjia Heng told the bird to fly higher and faster.

    Hammer was flying low that time, due to the heavy load it was carrying. When Gongjia Heng noticed something was off, he forced himself to throw one of his bags into the river. That bag had contained a few well-built weapons. Although he was reluctant, his action did ease the bird¡¯s burden and made it fly higher.

    The giant beast had suddenly shot out from the river and revealed half of its body. Its mouth was simr to a giant trap filled with death and blood, waiting for the prey to fall in.

    The bird sped up and flew higher,a close escape from the jaws of the beast. If Gongjia Heng hadn¡¯t thrown the baggage off earlier, they would have fallen into its mouth at that moment.

    The baggage that had been thrown off by Gongjia Heng was swallowed by the huge beast. Some of his best weapons disappeared into its belly just like that.

    That was when Gongjia Heng decided it was his enemy.

    Shao Xuan finally understood the reason why Gongjia Heng would rather travel back and forth a few times instead of bringing everything at once. If the bags were too heavy, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to respond quickly in case of danger. It was the lesson learned from that time. That incident had affected Hammer deeply too, which was why it trembled when it saw the giant beast.

    Fortunately, the giant beast eyeballed the distance from itself to them and estimated it could not reach them at this distance. Thus, it didn¡¯te at them.

    When they finally reached the other side safely, Shao Xuan vigntly surveyed his surroundings. Fortunately, there weren¡¯t any threats around. However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t let down his guard.

    When the hammer bird finally travelled two more times to bring over Gongjia Heng and all the stuff, they heaved a sigh of relief.

    However, the respite was only temporary.

    As promised, Gongjia Heng hunted a beast for Hammer the Bird as a reward. He didn¡¯t expect the bird to continue with them because the bird was always found near the river. It would go back to its flock as soon as it finished its task. This bird was big but it wasn¡¯t suitable to be involved in individualbat. They were gregarious birds that survived in the mountains in groups.

    ¡°Alright, Shao Xuan. We have to speed up in front. That is an area full of annoying monkeys and there are too many of them. It¡¯s kind of difficult to fight them. If we do not travel fast enough, we will definitely suffer losses,¡± Gongjia Heng instructed Shao Xuan as a person who had gone there before. It was a reminder to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Follow up and try not to lose me! I won¡¯t help you if the monkeys catch you.¡± Gongjia Heng tried to scare Shao Xuan before speeding up in front with his stuff.

    There had been a lot of movement in their surroundings ever since they left the riverbank. They also heard leaves rustling.

    ¡°They¡¯re here! We need to get out of here! Now!¡± shouted Gongjia Heng.

    The sound of a tree trunk breaking could be heard. Gongjia Heng¡¯s sentence had just ended when he saw Shao Xuan sprint past him, then getting further and further away.

    ¡®What the hell! What kind of monster is he? Why is he running so fast? The monkeys are staring at me! Can hee back and help me carry a bag?¡¯ cursed Gongjia Heng to himself.

 Chapter 411 - Two Suns

    <h4>Two Suns</h4>

    In the end, Shao Xuan turned around and came back to help Gongjia Heng with some of the bags. This way, they could both leave the monkeys¡¯ territory as soon as possible.

    The monkeys here were not friendly. Although they were notrge, they were difficult to shake off. They ate human brains too, he found several dead people in this area with their skulls cracked open.

    And anyone who could reach this ce was no weakling.

    That was why fighting the monkeys with brute force was a no-go, you would only suffer huge losses. Running away as soon as you can was the best solution. Since they were both together, it was best they helped each other.

    In the beginning, Heng thought that Shao Xuan, as a young man here for the first time, would have a hard time being here. He thought he would need to save Shao Xuan, that way he could get back some of his dignity and even scold the kid. However, everything was in reverse now.

    That was why as they both ran, Heng¡¯s expressions were very forced. He didn¡¯t know what to say. When he thought about the excuse he used to tag along, his face reddened. All he could do was stammer a word of thanks.

    They heard the disgruntled monkey¡¯s screeches and tree branches snapping behind them. The monkeys were angry they did not catch a single human. They didn¡¯t even get to touch the humans!

    After leaving the monkey territory, both hurried along their journey. Here, Shao Xuan did not have to look- Gongjia Heng led the way since he had been here many times.

    There were a few streams around them simr to the one at the ming Horn¡¯s hunting grounds. During the dry season, the riverbed could be seen too. Not sure where these streams were from or where they led to.

    There were smaller crocodiles and other aquatic animals here. It was not the dry season yet so they could often hear noises made by the animals in and around the river.

    A python was taking azy stroll amongst the riverside bushes. It did not care for the animals here because it was full. When Shao Xuan passed it, he saw a huge, expanded section on its body. Based on its shape, the python had just swallowed a crocodile.

    In the beginning, Gongjia Heng had already told Shao Xuan what he should be aware of. That was why Shao Xuan safely avoided all the hiding predators without needing Heng¡¯s reminders.

    Shao Xuan was a model student. He did not look like a first-timer at all. Heng hadn¡¯t even gotten a chance to teach Shao Xuan something, he realised how useless the excuse he used to tag along was. Secretly, he was frustrated. All he could do was heave a sigh. The tribesmen who lived in the forest were, after all, adapted to move in a forest.

    Two days after they left.

    ¡°At this speed, we will arrive at the resting spot before dark,¡± said Heng.

    Since he came often, there were several designated spots for him to rest. The first time he came looking for Gongjia Mountain, he had discovered a cave in a mountain that was suitable as a resting spot. At the time, there were many insects and snakes inside so he had to use some medicine as a pesticide. After that, every time he left he would put some medicine in there to prevent pests from building their nest inside while he was gone.

    Before sunset, they both arrived at the mountain. The face was steep, with all kinds of wet moss on its walls. While it was slippery, it wasn¡¯t a problem for both of them.

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Gongjia Heng looked around the boulder blocking the mouth of the cave. There were still traces of green powder. That was the pesticide he used, they hadn¡¯tpletely disappeared yet. This meant there shouldn¡¯t be any pests inside.

    ¡°Hold this. I¡¯ll move the boulder.¡± Gongjia Heng passed his bag to Shao Xuan and rolled his shoulders. With both arms on the boulder, he pushed with all his strength. This boulder was heavier than a crocodile, it was still difficult.

    Suddenly, he felt all resistance disappear. The boulder was shoved aside.

    ¡°Sigh, didn¡¯t I ask you to hold the stuff, you don¡¯t¡­¡± Heng wanted to nag at him, for he had told Shao Xuan to watch his stuff.

    They had limited material so the weapons inside were precious. There were many curious ?animals in the area that liked to steal. He should never put down their bags to push the boulder. However, Heng turned to see Shao Xuan holding both their bags in one hand (he did not put them down), and the other hand pushed the boulder.

    ¡°Al¨CAlright.¡± In the end, Gongjia Heng could only force himself to say a word. So what if he was strong?!

    However, as a partner, with Shao Xuan here, Gongjia Heng did find the journey to be much easier.

    In the past, his journey to this point required at least 3 days. They had arrived in two. HEng had to admit that this kid was strong.

    After lighting a fire, they took the opportunity before it wentpletely dark outside to hunt a small fierce beast. After cleaning it, they roasted it over the fire in the cave.

    ¡°In the beginning, I wanted to build a house here but after that I found a cave to be more convenient,¡± said Heng as he roasted the meat.

    ¡°We stay in caves too when we leave the tribe to hunt.¡± Shao Xuan described their hunts.

    In the past, Gongjia Heng wasn¡¯t familiar with life in a forest. However, now that he had lived there for twenty years, he was not interested and hence did not ask questions.

    The night was chilly. There was a strong breeze blowing outside and the cave was not deep. Their fire flickered in the wind. Shao Xuan walked to the mouth of the cave and moved the boulder so the gap would be smaller. This was to prevent the breeze from entering and blowing out the me.

    Gongjia Heng was not happy to see Shao Xuan move a boulder so easily. ¡°You ming Horn people, are you all this strong?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, our tribesmen are physically stronger.¡±

    ¡°Suitable for forging. Then again, I think I¡¯ve heard of your tribe¡¯s name before. It¡¯s been a long time, I can¡¯t remember much.¡± In the past, Gongjia Heng mainly focused on forging so he merely knew what other people mentioned and never asked questions. After that, when he started looking for the Mountain, he was even more cut off from the outside world.

    After a full meal, Gongjia Heng extinguished the fire to rest. However, he saw Shao Xuan take out the glowing crystal, an animal skin scroll and a peculiar pen. He was drawing on the animal scroll.

    ¡°What are you writing?¡± asked Gongjia Heng.

    ¡°Filling in the map,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What for? How many times do you n toe here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be great if you even make it back alive. Don¡¯t overthink it. I¡¯m a true Xia, yet I haven¡¯t found it after twenty years. You think you can find it in one trip? But it doesn¡¯t matter if you don¡¯t, just treat it as training,¡± said Heng in aforting tone. Actually, he was looking forward to finding the Mountain too. However, after so many rounds of failure, he had prepared for this to be a long fight. He was not going to give up though. If it wasn¡¯t for the convenience in getting materials from trading with the tribes nearby, he would have chosen to stay here.

    However, he was still very curious, leaning in to read the map. Shao Xuan showed him the map he got from deciphering the cloud patterns. In the beginning, it was just a rough sketch but by now, it was filled with the ces he had passed- the monkey forest, the swamps, woody forest, plus mountains were indicated too.

    ¡°Why is this part empty?¡± Gongjia Heng pointed.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been.¡±

    ¡°I have! Let me tell you¡­¡± Gongjia Heng started talking nonstop as he pointed at the empty spot on the scroll. Although it had been a few years since he had been there, he had a vague idea.

    When he finished, he said, ¡°When we get back, lend me your map. I want to make a copy.¡± Heng loved Shao Xuan¡¯s efficient and simple markings on the map. He wanted one too.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Since Heng liked it, Shao Xuan was generous too. ¡°I¡¯ll just draw another one for you.¡±

    When he heard Shao Xuan, he was satisfied. At this point, Heng was tired too.

    ¡°Sleep early, or you¡¯ll suffer tomorrow!¡± They had been hurrying through their journey for the past two days, their minds and bodies were tired. It felt like he had been forging for ten days in a row. Yet this kid was still nning to stay up?

    ¡°Alright.¡± Shao Xuan continued studying his map.

    Heng did not speak another word. The kid was going to regret it.

    However, when he woke the next day, he noticed Shao Xuan was more energetic than he was. Shao Xuan had even gone hunting and brought back breakfast.

    Heng was about to say something when Shao Xuan asked in surprise, ¡°Master Gongjia, why are there two suns?!¡±

    When they arrived yesterday, it was sunset and there was only one sun. Shao Xuan had only seen one. However, there were two this morning! Where did the other onee from?

    Heng no longer thought about why Shao Xuan had such astonishing rejuvenating powers. He smirked mysteriously. ¡°There are two suns and you¡¯re already so afraid? Ifter we see even more suns in the sky, what will you do?¡±

    Shao Xuan fell silent, then probed curiously, ¡°Illusion?¡±

    Gongjia Heng was surprised. Other people would ask more questions- if they weren¡¯t already terrified, but he hadn¡¯t expected Shao Xuan to guess it right.

    ¡°Sort of.¡± Gongjia Heng walked out of the cave and looked up at the two suns in the sky. He sighed. ¡°If Gongjia Mountain was that easy to find, then there wouldn¡¯t be so many deaths here.¡±

    Not just the people in the forest, even the people in the ve masters¡¯ cities all used the sun to pinpoint directions and time. However, what happens when the sun¡¯s movements are erratic? Right now, two suns did not affect their journey too much but the further they travelled, the more illusions there would be. It would be more and more difficult to pinpoint directions and one¡¯s travels would be greatly disturbed.

    Although the two suns in the sky were not far apart from each other, anyone who was not familiar with this phenomenon would still struggle to make out the time.

    ¡°Do you know which one is the real sun?¡± Gongjia Heng asked in delight. However, when he thought of Shao Xuan¡¯s knot divination skills, he got a little curious too. ¡°Why don¡¯t you use your divination to find out?¡±

    Gongjia Heng went looking for some rope but Shao Xuan just closed his eyes. Then, he opened them and pointed at the sun that was slightly to the left. ¡°That¡¯s the real one.¡±

    Heng was about to hand him the rope excitedly, expecting to watch his divination process again. However, he paused and then tossed the piece of rope.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°I guessed.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 412 - Leaving The Forest

    <h4>Leaving The Forest</h4>

    ¡°Have you known it all along?¡± asked Gongjia Heng. How would Shao Xuan be able to tell so quickly? He didn¡¯t believe that Shao Xuan was ¡®guessing¡¯.

    ¡°Yeah, I knew,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng rxed. Did someone tell him? As Heng was thinking, Shao Xuan said, ¡°This was a conclusion I made this morning, I just had to confirm just now.¡±

    ¡°...You meant you figured it out this morning?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Just by looking at them, I can tell which is the illusion.¡± Shao Xuan did not tell him about his extraordinary vision. In his other sense of vision, there was no sun present. That was how he could tell. He was just very surprised there was such a phenomenon here.

    Gongjia Heng couldn¡¯t believe Shao Xuan had this ability other than divination!

    Heng knew the right answer from secret tools and experience. Yet this was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time here. However, it was a good thing to Heng too. As for how Shao Xuan did it, he did not probe further. Everyone had their own secrets, just like how he had a lot of secrets he would never tell Shao Xuan too. There were a lot of things he would never tell a non-Xia person.

    After eating the prey Shao Xuan brought back, Heng rested for half a day before telling Shao Xuan they could leave.

    It was already noon by then. One of the suns had disappeared. The illusion was gone.

    ¡°Here, the two suns only appear in the morning. At noon, it will return to normal. That is why, if sometimes you encounter a problem you cannot solve, you can just wait. Sometimes, the problem solves itself,¡± said Gongjia Heng, sounding like an elder giving life advice to him.

    Shao Xuan listened. Although Heng was naggy sometimes, he was still a good person. Shao Xuan listened to whatever he had to say. This was an experienced Xia craftsman, it was normal for him to have his quirks.

    As they ventured deeper, he understood why Heng was not impressed by two suns. There were many more illusions waiting for them, not just the suns¨C sometimes they were mountains, or a simple forest. Taking the wrong path so deep in the forest would result in getting yourself deeper into the problem. While there were not many fierce predators, there were rarely any regr animals too. If you hadn¡¯t prepared dried meat, you¡¯d starve.

    However, they were just illusions. They weren¡¯t a serious problem because all Shao Xuan had to do was to use his extraordinary vision. The real problemsy in physical things. There were so many factors that could affect a person¡¯s decision-making skills here.

    Just like how Shao Xuan and Gongjia Heng walked for two days in the forest only to realise they had arrived where they started. Neither of them were idiots and were good in pinpointing directions. Yet they still managed to arrive in the same spot two dayster. This spelt trouble.

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s experience was only useful in the beginning. He could not give definite answers as they ventured deeper. If he could solve these problems easily, he would not have needed twenty years. He knew that the mountain should be somewhere here, yet he still couldn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°This is where I got stuck. I haven¡¯t been able to get out of this ce,¡± said Gongjia Heng with frustration, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

    The forest looked so normal with no dangerous beasts¨C almost tranquil. Yet Gongjia Heng was facing problems here.

    ¡°It took me fifteen years to reach here. But that¡¯s it. I have been stuck in this part of the forest for five years.¡± Gongjia Heng heaved a long sigh, calming his mind. He wasn¡¯t as frustrated and afraid as the first time he was trapped here so his tone was calm.

    Shao Xuan stood at the same ce he was at two days ago. His eyes swept across the forest as he fished out a piece of straw rope. ¡°I¡¯ll try again.¡±

    Two days ago, when Heng brought Shao Xuan here, he got Shao Xuan to do a reading for them to determine which direction to head next. However, Shao Xuan did three readings and none of them worked. Before the knots wereplete, the rope broke.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it fails.¡± Gongjia Heng looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s face of determination, knowing that Shao Xuan must be filled with defiance now. But if it were so easy, how would he be stuck here for five years? He had a strong feeling that he¡¯d arrive soon after he left this patch of forest. However, just like a heavy door, this ce stood between him and his goal.

    However, although that was what he said, he was unwilling too. The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he got. Whatever calmness he had was gone now.

    He turned, wondering when Shao Xuan would stop. However, after a few moments, the first knot on the rope wasplete. After a while, another knot formed. Then the third¡­

    Gongjia Heng stood as still as a statue, paralysed. His eyes looked like they were about to fall out, glued to the rope in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. The muscles on his face shook.

    The third knot was done. Then the fourth one. The fifth¡­

    One by one, the knots formed on the rope in his hands. The knots were thenbined to form aplicated knot.

    Just a little more! Just a little more! Do not break, please do not break!

    Gongjia Heng was screaming in his heart but he shut his mouth tight to not make a sound, deeply afraid he might startle Shao Xuan.

    It had been twenty years, five of it trapped here. Right now, hope grew little by little with every knot on the rope. Gongjia Heng was waiting with bated breath.

    He prayed hard. O Mighty Straw Rope, please do not break, please don¡¯t! In the future, I¡¯ll pay more attention when I make rope, I¡¯ll put all my effort into making every knot!

    Gongjia Heng regretted not suggesting Shao Xuan use a tougher material to make straw rope. What if the rope breaks at a critical moment?

    He wasn¡¯t moving but he was sweating everywhere. Large beads of sweat dripped down his face but he did not wipe them away. He stared at the rope.

    Sss¡ª

    That was the sound the rope made when Shao Xuan tightened thest knot at the end of the reading. This meant the reading waspleted.

    Shao Xuan exhaled deeply. He had spent a lot of energy conducting his reading, as if he had been hunting for many consecutive days without sleep. He was exhausted and his brain wasn¡¯t functioning now. After a few moments, when he snapped back to reality, he realised Gongjia Heng was still in the exact same position. Heng¡¯s face was very red and he was sweating, twitching asionally.

    ¡°Master Gongjia, what happened to you?¡± he asked in surprise.

    His red face contorted. Then, in a peculiar tone, as if he was suppressing a lot of emotion, he asked, ¡°Did you get anything?

    ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± He had to walk through the forest to be able to conduct a sessful session. Listening to Gongjia Heng describe the ce was no use.

    Shao Xuan just finished his sentence when Gongjia Heng leapt in excitement. He had jumped so high his head knocked on a tree branch. The tree branch broke but he did not care. Taking deep breaths, he waved his fists and sounded like he was about to cry.

    Shao Xuan thought the guy seemed to have gone¡­ a little mad.

    When he finally went back to normal, he ran to Shao Xuan with such emotion in his eyes. ¡°Where do we go?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Shao Xuan switched his vision and focused, ignoring everything else. It was as if he locked himself in this world. Then, he lifted his feet and walked in the direction hinted by the ropes.

    Gongjia Heng did not speak when he saw Shao Xuan like this. No matter how curious he was, he had to wait so that they would arrive as soon as possible. It was not the time to disturb Shao Xuan.

    Both men walked in silence with light footsteps. Within the forest, there was only the rustle of tree leaves.

    After half a day, they finally left the forest. Here, there were no tall trees blocking their vision. They could see a mountain far away.

    Before sunset, they arrived in a valley. They had to stay the night here.

    There was no cave nearby so they found a spot to rest.

    This was not Gongjia Mountain but Gongjia Heng had a strong feeling.

    ¡°We¡¯re near. I can feel the mountain calling to me.¡± Gongjia Heng looked in a direction, his face solemn.

    The closer they got, the more cautious they would have to be. They couldn¡¯t die a few steps from their goal. A simple valley might be more dangerous than the forest they just left.

    Shao Xuan rested, leaning against the slope of a mountain. He had used up a lot of energy today, he didn¡¯t rest after the divination reading. When he walked out of the forest, he felt like every neuron in his brain was highly tense, it was only now that he began to rx. In his mind, the totemic mes had threads of energy extending from them. The threads flowed with his blood, around his bones, then circted around his body. He felt his energy increase with every cycle, quickly recovering to his original state.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s ashenplexion slowly gained colour. It was night time so it was not obvious and Gongjia Heng didn¡¯t see it. If he saw this, Heng would have been once again astonished by Shao Xuan¡¯s rejuvenation abilities.

    Shao Xuan thought silence would never happen in the forest. However, it was silent here.

    It was a quiet night. Other than the asional sound of rolling pebbles when there was a breeze, there was no other sound. When the wind stopped, he heard nothing. As if the strong, roaring wind earlier that day was just his imagination.

    The next day, when Shao Xuan woke, all signs of fatigue were gone. The sun had just risen and it was not bright.

    The valley was shaped like a ¡®u¡¯. The two faces of the mountain around it were about one to two hundred meters tall. If you were standing on one of them, you would realise that the mountains became increasingly taller further ahead. That was why Shao Xuan had no idea what it would be like behind these mountains, nor could he see where this valley would lead them.

 Chapter 413 - Xia Valley

    <h4>Xia Valley</h4>

    During the day, there was still a strong breeze. When the winds blew across the valley, they whistled.

    ¡°There used to be a river here,¡± said Gongjia Heng. The river was called Xia River but after that, it dried up and became a valley. So this was now Xia Valley.

    ¡°It will be difficult to cross Xia Valley. It was easier when there was a river. Now that the river has dried up into a valley, there have been many changes. I heard that people who entered the Xia Valley never returned.¡±

    These were stories the older people had told Heng. Now that he had seen the ce for himself, it felt different.

    ¡°So this is Xia Valley. Shao Xuan, do you smell a very special smell?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Rocks?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the smell of death.¡±

    Gongjia Hengmented wistfully, and then continued walking ahead.

    Gongjia Mountain was in Xia valley. However, there was a suffocating feeling when one walked in the valley.

    There were no animals, just bare rocks and boulders on both sides. Even vegetation was sparse. Before this, although there were no animals in the forest, at least there were nts. Here, it just looked like a dead piece ofnd.

    Did the Xia people live here years ago?

    Gongjia Heng said this used to be a river. That meant a long time ago, this should have been a good ce to settle. Not sure why it became this.

    ¡°We¡¯ll travel in the afternoon,¡± said Heng.

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°The door to Gongjia Mountain can only be found in the afternoon.¡±

    Shao Xuan listened, since Gongjia Heng had said such a thing. The Xia people definitely knew more than him, it was better than travelling blindly.

    In the afternoon, they set off.

    As they walked further ahead, Shao Xuan had a familiar feeling. It reminded him of something. He had to admit that it was just as Gongjia Heng said- there was the smell of death here- but to others, it was the smell of opportunity.

    Shao Xuan felt the core seed¡¯s presence. It was not here, it was still far away. However, Shao Xuan clearly felt the sense of death that came from a core seed. Perhaps this entire piece ofnd was dead because of the core seed.

    The legends denote that only the people of the Great Six had core seeds. It should be very rare for other tribes to have it. Plus the Xia people had already dispersed to different parts of the world, how could they have a core seed?

    No matter what, finding Gongjia Mountain should be the answer.

    Just like the forest, this was like an upgraded version of a maze. There were many forks, and every time you walked, you would quickly be blocked by a cliff or a mountain. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t just climb over either. Right now, he still could memorise the path he had taken, in case he had to return. But if he started climbing mountains, would he still remember?

    Gongjia Heng climbed up the face of the mountain. He did not climb over, merely walked along with it. He was sure they could get out of here.

    Right now, Shao Xuan had not been able to conduct a sessful reading. Just like in the forest, he had not enough information. That was why he had to walk the journey on his own. Perhaps it would seed when he had more information.

    The third time they met a dead end, Gongjia Heng sighed. ¡°My elders once told me that Xia river was a very special river. I have now seen it for myself.¡±

    The Xia river was formed naturally, not man made. That was why it was special. Now that it had dried up, it had be a natural maze.

    They looked up at the blue sky, so empty they could not see any clouds. Around them was just the valley, reeking of death.

    As they travelled, they both made markings on mountain walls. When the sun set, Gongjia Heng stopped. They had to wait for the next afternoon.

    ¡°If we do not find the ce as soon as possible, we will starve to death,¡± said Gongjia Heng.

    In the forest, they knew how to return to their original path so if they were hungry, they could temporarily leave to get some food. Here, if they identally got lost, they could easily be trapped in the valley if they could not find their initial path. They could climb up mountains and take a straight path in the direction where they came from but somehow, one would unconsciously deviate from his original direction. It was a strange feeling. It was very easy to pinpoint the wrong direction too because of the sun in the sky. As time went on, sometimes there was one, then suddenly two, or even more. Sometimes, when you saw one sun, it could also be an illusion.

    In a ce like this, if you were not mentally strong, you would not live long.

    It had been three days. They had walked in the valley for three days to no avail. Every day, they only had half a day¡¯s time to search for the ce. Gongjia Heng said they could walk slowly, as long as the method was correct, it should be fine. Unfortunately, it all amounted to nothing.

    To save energy, other than the designated hours for searching, they would find a ce to rest. Saving energy was also saving food. They brought limited dried meat with them, their stash definitely couldn¡¯tst very long.

    When they once again arrived at a dead end, they saw a human skeleton. Not sure how long this had been here but this must be a stronger person. At least a middle-ranked totemic warrior or above. A regr person¡¯s skeleton would break easily.

    From this skeleton¡¯s position, the person had raised his/her arms to the skies before death, as if roaring at the heavens in defiance. Although the person had long lost his flesh and was just skin and bones, Shao Xuan could still see that he had died an unwilling death.

    ¡°The number of Xia peopleing to look for Gongjia Mountain has dwindled. It¡¯s because most of the people who came searching died. There were too few people who seeded,¡± said Gongjia Heng.

    That was just the first skeleton. After that, Shao Xuan encountered more skeletons. Someone even carved writings on the walls but perhaps due to the weather, they were illegible by now. These people¡¯sst words would never be known, and no one would know who they were. If they were lucky, their identities could be found on their rusty weapons. However, weapons with too much rust rendered the embellishments illegible too. Then no matter how powerful and mighty these people were, after death, no one knew who they were.

    Shao Xuan looked at the rusty weapons on the ground. Then, he got up and with a solemn face, told Gongjia Heng, ¡°We have to hurry. Or we¡¯ll just return to where we came from. We don¡¯t have much food left.¡±

    ¡°Mm, if this doesn¡¯t work out, I cane next time.¡± Although that was what he said, Gongjia Heng still felt like the goal was right under his nose. He just couldn¡¯t see it. How could he return like that? He couldn¡¯t me these people who died. Some of them were just stubborn, refusing to return although they had far exceeded their physical abilities. Most of them probably starved to death here.

    It was sad!

    ¡°Can you do a reading yet?¡± asked Gongjia Heng.

    Shao Xuan shook his head.

    The anticipation in his eyes turned to disappointment. Then, he seemed tough at himself. It felt stupid. Didn¡¯t the Xia people always rely on themselves? How could he ce hope on another person? That person was an outsider.

    He looked at the sky. ¡°We¡¯ll stop and continue tomorrow. He could make guesses based on the sunlight and shadows on the ground, plus the qualities of the rock around him. However, this was still too slow. If he kept using this method, he might just starve.

    Sitting on the ground, Gongjia Heng carefully took out a piece of dried meat and sipped some water in his sk. He thought about what to do next.

    Shao Xuan was thinking too. He had seen some broken skeletons here. This probably meant they had been cannibalised by other people. People could do very shocking things when they were at a dead end. Shao Xuan understood that the ones who would go looking for the mountain had a specific mindset too. Cannibalism was understandable.

    Shao Xuan did not want to starve to death here, nor did he want to eat human meat here. It was fine if they could not find the ce. He would rather return. However, they still had to do their best since they had already arrived.

    He didn¡¯t know why his knot divinations kept failing. He could only use other methods.

    He used his senses to feel his surroundings. The death brought by the core seed was everywhere around him. However, it was difficult to confirm its position.

    Could he determine its location using his mind¡¯s totemic mes? No. This was the Xia people¡¯s territory and unrted to the ming Horn people. Their totemic mes were useless here.

    Shao Xuan was about to calm the totemic power within him when he realised there were threads of power concentrating in his chest. He opened his eyes to see a bit of light there.

    He fished the Elder¡¯s Bone out to realise all four bone ornaments were on fire. There was no wind right now but the mes were all flickering in one direction!

    Gongjia Heng had his eyes closed, deep in thought. When he noticed some movement, he opened his eyes to see mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. And the mes were flickering in one direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll head in that direction tomorrow.¡± Shao Xuan put the bone ornaments behind his clothes again. As he calmed the totemic power in him, the mes died.

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s eyes brightened. He knew the kid would have a solution!

    Initially, he was thinking of returning but now he had hope again.

    On the next day, they waited till noon to leave. They continued heading in the direction of the ornaments¡¯ mes. At the same time, after some time, Gongjia Heng also quickly calcted on his own to check if it was right.

    When they passed by a ce, Gongjia Heng suddenly yelled and stopped. ¡°Wait!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Previously, the mes had been pointing in this direction. Shao Xuan was about to take his ornaments out to check again but Heng had fished out a bronze nail and stabbed it into the ground. He looked at the sky. ¡°This sun in the sky is the real one, right?¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded.

    After his confirmation, Gongjia HEng looked at the shadow of the nail on the ground, made some measurements, then looked at one of the cliff faces. Based on his guesses, he walked over.

    The cliff face wasn¡¯t far away but Gongjia Heng felt like every step was too heavy. That ten meters took him one minute to walk over. His throat was dry, his eyes filled with shock.

    When he finally arrived at the face, Gongjia Heng looked at the seemingly regr wall. He ced both palms on it and roared, using all his energy to push.

    Grrrrr¡ª¨C

    The sound of a stone door sliding open echoed.

 Chapter 414 - You Can Try

    <h4>You Can Try</h4>

    This regr cliff face was a stone door!

    How could there be a stone door here?

    There was only one answer. They were here.

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s hands were shaking as he pushed the door open. He was so emotional he barely could push it so he had to calm himself down first.

    Shao Xuan did not help him. If it was a regr door, he would but this was most likely the stone door leading to Gongjia Mountain. This should be a task left for a true Xia person, it was their pride and honour too.

    So Gongjia Mountain wasn¡¯t beyond the valley, it was in the valley1

    When the stone door was opened, a gust of cool breeze blew from inside.

    As they peered inside, it was pitch ck.

    Gongjia Heng did not care, hurrying inside. Shao Xuan followed him.

    When they entered, Heng closed the door once again.

    With the glowing crystal, there was no need to light a fire. There was no firewood anyway.

    After they entered, Gongjia HEng did not speak. He just walked ahead quickly down a tunnel. He had been looking for this ce for twenty years, it was understandable that he was overwhelmed with emotion.

    Shao Xuan walked with him for about thirty minutes. The breeze in the tunnel smelled like flowers.

    There was light ahead. They were arriving at the end of the tunnel.

    When they walked out, there was a cepletely different from Xia valley. It looked like a regr valley, plus a stream flowed through it. On both sides of the stream were all kinds of nts, Shao Xuan saw many edible nts, and also fruit trees!

    This was where the Xia people once stayed!

    Not far away was a three-meter-tall bell. Not sure how long it had been there. There was a lot of dust and sand covering it so they could not see what it looked like.

    Gongjia Heng walked over and picked up the bell hammer next to it. He hit the bell.

    ng!

    A bright yet graceful sound echoed across the valley as if it had its own rhythm and melody. The notes rose and fall, announcing the arrival of yet another Xia person.

    As the bell vibrated, all the dust and sand were shaken off. Its true form was revealed.

    It was just a bronze bell, though it was almost a golden colour. It was bright and smooth with no traces of rust. There were words and images carved on it, thergest characters read¨C ¡®Gongjia Valley¡¯.

    There was still a ringing across the valley. At this moment, Gongjia Heng, standing next to the clock, let out a heartyugh at the skies as if he had gone mad. When he was finally doneughing, he put down the clock¡¯s hammer and looked around.

    The mountains around were not as steep or bald as the ones at Xia valley. There were creepers and flowers blooming on cliff faces here.

    However, neither of them looked at the flowers or the creepers. Instead, they were admiring the sunlight reflected by the bell onto the face of the cliff. There were patterns too.

    These reflected rays made the valley more mysterious.

    ¡°Twenty years! Haha! It has been twenty years! I finally found it!¡±

    Gongjia Heng followed the face of that cliff and found a bronze door. When he pushed it open, he first saw eighteen shiny bronze statues about five meters tall. Every bronze person¡¯s posture, clothing and weapon in their hands were different. They held an axe, dagger, spear, sword, knife, bow, crossbow, arrow. The ones that held protective gear included armour, a shield etc. Anyone in this industry would know that many of these were ancient.

    There were carvings on the walls around them too. They were words left by the Xia ancestors for their descendants.

    ¡°Talent. Attitude. Opportunity.¡± Gongjia Heng read one of the lines aloud, frowning. And then he grinned.

    Most people only ced emphasis on the first two- or just talent. However, to Xia people, all three were important. At least to the ancestors. Xia people did not want to pass down their knowledge to people with talent but not the right attitude.

    In terms of talent, Gongjia Heng admitted he was not as good as the ones who had arrived before him. These were elites of their people who came here all on their own. Their names would be recorded in history, even until now, many people would have heard of their names.

    Compared to them, he did not have the talent, but he knew how to take an opportunity!

    The key factor to his sess was definitely Shao Xuan. Without Shao Xuan, Gongjia Heng knew he probably wouldn¡¯t find this ce in another twenty years. This probably counted as luck and opportunity. It wasn¡¯t cheating. After letting go of the difort in him, he felt much better. His dad once said that a craftsman must have skin as thick as a cauldron. Gongjia Heng felt like he had to learn from his dad.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, I¡¯ll be going in first. You wait outside, all the fruits here are edible,¡± said Gongjia Heng.

    ¡°Can I go in and check the ce out?¡±

    Heng smiled. ¡°You¡¯re not a Xia, you can¡¯te in.¡±

    This was also why when people other than the Xia¡¯s came here, they still weren¡¯t able to learn about the Xia secrets. They couldn¡¯t enter!

    ¡°You can try if you don¡¯t believe me. Just don¡¯t force your way in, that would just bring harm to you. You can take a small step inside.¡± Since Shao Xuan had been a huge help, Heng did not n to burn his bridges here either. However, there were some things that were not up to him to decide.

    Shao Xuan walked up to the bronze door and peered inside. It looked like the inside of the mountain was dug empty and converted into a shrine.

    Like what Heng said, he only took one small step inside.

    The moment his foot touched the ground, he felt a strong sense of danger, every hair on his neck stood up. His totemic patterns appeared in an instant and all his muscles were tense.

    At the same time, cloud patterns appeared on all eighteen statues. They were supposed to be non-living objects, and yet, in one second, they looked alive like eighteen five-meter-tall advanced totemic warriors. The power they exuded was suffocating to Shao Xuan. It felt like there was an actual object squashing him, the tension in the air felt like their weapons would be used against him mercilessly!

    One step was enough to create such a tensed atmosphere. Right now, the eighteen statues were the only visible threats. Shao Xuan knew there were other weapons to stop outsiders from entering. The Xia definitely didn¡¯t just have statues.

    ¡°The power of the shaman?¡± Shao Xuan felt a power simr to a shaman.

    This was just one step. With another step, the sense of non-belonging here would be stronger. Shao Xuan bore this pressure alone, it was exhausting.

    Gongjia Heng was about to tell Shao Xuan to step back when he saw a sh of fire on Shao Xuan.

    Whoosh¡ª

    mes shot out from his bone ornaments, wrapping around Shao Xuan. At the same time, it blocked off the tension from the eighteen statues.

    Not sure if they had felt Shao Xuan¡¯s resistance because the cloud patterns on the eighteen statues were even more obvious now. The looming threat was even more grave. It was as if they had stepped into a battlefield. They were just five meters but it felt like they were giants!

    The atmosphere within the room changed immediately. The air was frozen.

    Gongjia Heng was a true Xia, standing behind the eighteen statues. Yet he could still feel the pressure. He looked at Shao Xuan in surprise. This kid could trigger such a huge response from the statues?! The more powerful an outsider was, the stronger the response would be. Just from one small step, Shao Xuan had triggered a huge change in the space.

    It was just one regr step. He did not jump or take arge step. And it was already like that?! Gongjia Heng felt like he had overstepped some boundary and almost pped himself. He shouldn¡¯t have let Shao Xuan try, this kid was too peculiar.

    On the other side, as the eighteen statues changed their energetic stances, Shao Xuan did the same.

    The mes around Shao Xuan roared and shot up tall- as tall as the statues. At the same time, a vague silhouette of a person formed from the mes. This giant held up a palm as if to stop the statues.

    Two can y at this game!

    Both sides went through another energetic battle.

    The tension could kill.

    Although the threat was not directed at Heng, he was still very ufortable. He clenched his teeth hard, feeling all his bones starting to shake. If this continued, his entire being would just explode before he had a chance to see what his ancestors had!

    He looked at Shao Xuan. This was the person fighting against the eighteen statues. Although it looked like a tough position to be in, he seemed to fare a lot better than Heng. Heng felt like he was going to suffocate, it was getting more and more difficult to breathe.

    But this was not the end. The energetic sh rose another level, a buzzing could be heard from the statues. They felt like warriors on a battlefield, about to start their massacre. The totemic patterns on Shao Xuan¡¯s body turn brighter, the giant rising even taller.

    The tension was too much.

    Gongjia Heng was drenched in sweat. Veins bulged from his arms, he felt like his veins were about to explode. He wanted to speak but found that he couldn¡¯t. Like the blood in his veins were also frozen in time.

    Where was this kid from? This was a regr warrior from the ming Horn tribe? Bullshit! Even a genius would not cause this! He hoped Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t some demon!

    Just as Gongjia Heng felt like he wasn¡¯t going to make it, he saw the bronze statues vibrate. It must have been a hallucination.

    However, in the next moment, the tension was gone. Shao Xuan took his foot back.

    The frozen air suddenly flowed naturally again.

    Gongjia Heng looked at Shao Xuan at the door. He still looked normal. Although his breathing was quickened, he didn¡¯t look pathetic at all.

    ¡°Alright, I tried,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Heng¡¯s face twitched. Tried?! I almost died!

    ¡°Will you promise not to force yourself in?¡±

    Now Gongjia Heng was truly worried about Shao Xuan using brute force. In the past, he could say confidently that no outsider could safely step into Gongjia Mountain. However, he had his doubts now. Even if Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t make it inside, if he forced himself in, it could shake the entire mountain. He didn¡¯t know what would happen then.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t.¡± Shao Xuan turned to leave.

    When he saw Shao Xuan leave, Heng wiped off the sweat on his face. The muscles in his thighs were stiff, he could barely walk.

 Chapter 415 - Power of the Bone Ornaments

    <h4>Power of the Bone Ornaments</h4>

    Gongjia Heng went inside the mountain while Shao Xuan left. He sat on a rock that had been shaped into a bench near the bell, thinking about what just happened.

    Heng thought Shao Xuan had done it on purpose but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even know this was going to happen. The mes on the ornament came out on their own, Shao Xuan did not control them. It was more like an instinct from the shes between different shamanic energies. When a threat was detected, it would automatically unleash a protective power, helping Shao Xuan block off the strong threat.

    Perhaps this was what the ancestors meant by the protection of the ancestors.

    Or, the mes on the ornaments were rted to the Xia people¡¯s shaman. The ornaments had such a response only because there was shamanic energy here.

    The Xia people had left behind things rted to their craft, likely inside that mountain. To stop outsiders from entering, ?they set up many traps. The first obstacle was the peculiar eighteen statues.

    However,pared to the Xia people¡¯s shamanic arts, Shao Xuan was more curious about the powers within the bone ornaments left behind by his ancestor.s In the past, he only knew that the fire giant would appear during rituals. Just like in the fire pit. However, right now it looked like the giant didn¡¯t just appear in the pit. The ancestors¡¯ power was more powerful than he could imagine, it was obvious from how it blocked the force as threatening as knives exuding from the statues.

    It was a battle between shamanic energies. Shao Xuan knew that if he stuck out till the end, he would be on the winning side. However, the consequences of forcing it would definitely be bad for everyone.

    As he looked at the round, shiny bead on his ne, he wondered if he could borrow some power from it since the ornament contained power left behind by the first shaman. Not the kind that helped them find their way here, but the kind of power they had against the eighteen statues.

    The ancestral ornaments could protect him from dangers. However, if he could control them at will, they could be more than that.

    Shao Xuan nned to test them. If it worked, that would be a huge support to him. He would be able to fare better against external threats.

    He got up from the stone bench, thinking about the energy changes in his body when he stepped past the bronze door. Shao Xuan focused on his power of inheritance.

    Harnessing the power of the ornaments was different from the totemic power he used during hunts. This required the power of inheritance.

    A blue me shot out from the totemic fire. As the blue me extended outwards, the totemic fire flickered too.

    The power of inheritance flowed through Shao Xuan until it reached his chest. All of his power was concentrated in one spot, like a vortex sucking in everything.

    With the feeding of the power of inheritance, mes shot out from the four ornaments. However, they were different from the previous mes. There were both blue and red mes now. The part of the ornament facing outside had redder mes.

    Shao Xuan was first shocked, then delighted. Although the mes were different from before, this was enough to prove that he was right. He could control its powers at will.

    Now that he was right, he could proceed. The power of inheritance flowed quicker across his body to his chest, then to the ornaments.

    The power of inheritance also triggered the appearance of his totemic patterns. However, the difference was that in the past, totemic patterns looked like flowingva. This time, they had mes on them. He could clearly see mes dancing on his totemic patterns!

    As more power umted, the mes on the ornaments grew brighter and stronger, slowly wrapping around Shao Xuan. He could feel the gushing power of inheritance through him, as if bringing warmth across his entire being.

    It was not enough! This was not enough, it wasn¡¯t enough to form the me giant!

    Shao Xuan once again increased the speed of the power of inheritance. Every blue me grew thicker. All of them merged together and surged into the ornaments.

    The fire giant slowly came into shape but it still wasn¡¯t up to his standards. It was far from the mighty giant at the bronze door. However, Shao Xuan felt helpless. He had already utilised all his totemic mes and yet he still could not trigger the same response in the ornaments.

    He didn¡¯t even feel like that when he was using the secret engraving techniques on Caesar years ago.

    Shao Xuan did not stop. He continued focusing power into the ornaments. If he was near his limit moments ago, right now he was at his limit. If this continued, he would use up all his power of inheritance in his totemic me and it would take a long time to recover. Power of inheritance required a longer time to recover, unlike totemic power. However, so what if it was dried up? Shao Xuan still wanted to try!

    At this point, he noticed the outer shell of the totemic me had grown brighter. It wasn¡¯t flickering anymore, it was shining steadily. Compared to this shell, the mes were dimmer.

    The blue mes from the totemic fire thickened once again, right now with white-hot tips as they poked through the outer shell of light.

    The energy surge from these white games was like a wave crashing into the bone ornaments. Shao Xuan¡¯s blood vessels from his neck to his shoulders dted but he felt as if he was carrying the weight of a mountain. He could not take even a step forward, every movement was difficult.

    The air around him grew thicker, yet it flowed quickly. Like he was brewing a tornado. Shao Xuan himself was standing in the eye of the storm.

    The dense air currents brought with them a sense of destruction and the first target was the stone bench behind him.

    Boom!

    The stone bench, unaffected by years of winds and battering, exploded into crumbs and powder.

    One of the pieces flew directly at the shiny bell.

    ng!

    It was even louder than when Gongjia Heng struck it, ringing across the valley.

    In the next moment, golden cloud patterns emerged on the mountain faces around the valley. The cloud patterns danced, then the echoes stopped suddenly. Shao Xuan felt an invisible force pressing on him, simr to when he faced the statues.

    Shao Xuan did not look around, it was difficult even to turn his neck now. It was a critical moment. The me giant was notpletely formed and not tall- just as tall as him. However, this was already extremely difficult for Shao Xuan.

    He had taken too much effort to make this, he was unwilling to give up now.

    However, he realised the looming threat did not make his job harder, instead supported his energy. When the ornaments sensed a threat, its protective qualities were awakened. However, not much energy flowed out¨C though it helped Shao Xuan enough to form aplete me giant!

    Shao Xuan tried to walk but could not lift his legs. As if there were heavy weights tied to them, moving was very difficult.

    He took a few breaths, focusing his strength in his legs and slowly lifting a foot. A simple act like walking was now a difficult task.

    He was already drenched in sweat just from lifting his foot from the ground.

    He took a small step, putting his foot back on the ground. Just like a normal walk However, it was like a walk in slow motion. Lifting a foot then putting it down was difficult, like he was breaking through many obstacles just to move.

    Then, when his foot touched the ground, a surge of energy exploded underneath his foot.

    Boom¡ª

    A dull rumble. Stones and pebbles flew, dust burst into a cloud.

    A circle of force, ten meters in diameter, had formed with his foot in the centre. The uneven ground with many pebbles was now t.

    As the ground shook, bits of stones rolled and cracked down the mountains, falling onto the ground.

    On the mountain face, the golden cloud patterns flickered. This was a protective power left behind by the Xia. However, while it could stop the echoes of the bell, it could not fully suppress the sound of this explosion.

    He felt a stronger pressure on him. The power in the ornaments seemed like it was preparing to fight.

    However, most of its power was still coaxed by Shao Xuan so it was not very strong yet.

    However, if this situation continued, Shao Xuan would lose control over it again.

    At least he had proven a point. There was no need to continue.

    He slowly retracted his power of inheritance and the ornaments were no longer fed with power. The energies were retracted, while the me giant turned into a ball of mes and disappeared into his bone ornaments.

    The cloud patterns around him disappeared back into the walls.

    Everything was calm once again.

    On the other side, Heng was reading ancestral records after entering Gongjia Mountain. He was so overwhelmed by emotion that he cried, his eyes burning with admiration. However, he heard something. Was it the sound of the bell ringing?

    The soundproofing here was good so he wasn¡¯t sure if he heard something.

    When he stopped to listen again, there was nothing.

    Gongjia Heng wondered if he had made a mistake. It must have been Shao Xuan. But didn¡¯t his elders say that outsiders could not make the bell ring? Or was that a misunderstanding?

    Shaking his head, Gongjia Heng continued reading.

    Then, he felt the ground shake.

    Unless¡­

    Did the kid force himself into the mountain?!

 Chapter 416 - The Writings On The Wall

    <h4>The Writings On The Wall</h4>

    When Shao Xuan retracted his power of inheritance, he immediately sat on the ground, panting.

    Controlling the ornaments had used up almost all the power of inheritance in him. He was exhausted,cking even the energy to stand. That one step had taken up all his energy.

    Thank goodness there were no beasts or threats here. As long as Shao Xuan did not attack anything on purpose, the valley was still safe. The Xia shaman had set up a defence system here. However, even without this protection, Gongjia Mountain was still within Xia valley. That was a dead ce without even a rat. So there were no beasts.

    After regaining his breath, he moved his stiff, aching muscles and slowly stood up. He walked to nearby and plucked some fruits to eat. He needed some fruit to ease his thirst and hunger.

    These fruits didn¡¯t look like much but they were juicy and crispy. It was refreshing to the soul, washing out the burning aches to his body. The injuries he sustained from overexerting his blood vessels and muscles were quickly repairing themselv.es

    There was a type of grain growing nearby too. He didn¡¯t know what it was but Gongjia Heng said the things here were edible. It must have been something the Xia once nted. Since the Xia tribes separated and they all left, these grains were left to grow and reproduce on their own. Plus, every time a Xia person arrived, they would clean this ce up.

    Shao Xuan ate many fruits. His hunger slowly subsided and the power of inheritance slowly returned. He didn¡¯t know how long it would take for him to fully recover. This time he had indeed pushed his limits but he knew that in the future, he would be able to yield the totemic power and power of inheritance in his body at the same time. Compared to the past, he would be strong.er

    He would have to wait for a full recovery to know if it was true. If it happened, that would be a good thing. Shao Xuan nned to train with the ornaments again. If he could wield its power, it would be of great help to the ming Horn tribe.

    There were all kinds of creepers growing on the walls of the mountains, some bore fruit while some had blooming flowers. Some didn¡¯t, probably because they weren¡¯t in season.

    Shao Xuan walked over and plucked a fruit from the vines. It was a rare opportunity to visit this ce, of course he had to check out their local produce.

    As he plucked the fruit, the vines shook. He paused, then let go of the fruit to pull the leaves and vine apart to reveal the mountain wall behind.

    There were words. However, they were all different writings and in different sizes too.

    Since they were not cloud patterns, Shao Xuan could read them.

    He realised they were answers to problems these people had encountered. Shao Xuan skimmed through all of them to find the earliest writing.

    The person who carved the words shouldn¡¯t be a Xia. Apparently, this person hade here only to realise he was not allowed into Gongjia Mountain and almost got himself killed. The traps set by the Xia shaman were no jokes. Outsiders were not allowed in.

    After thinking for a long time, that person carved questions he never understood on the wall. He had faced problems when casting and forging bronze ware. He thought it might be a problem when he was smelting the ore.

    It had been a long time since this was carved. Perhaps casting and forging was not asmon then as it was now. Very few people had mastered the art. This person had not been able to master it and could not find a Xia person to answer his questions. Somehow, he heard of Gongjia Mountain. Since this person was very determined and realised hecked talent in this field, he decided toe here. He seeded too.

    However, after carving his questions, he left. There were no more carvings left by this person.

    Finally, one day, a Xia person who arrived here saw the words on the mountain. He must have been in a good mood to carve his answer on the wall. The summary of what he meant was: first you must control the mes. Then, you have to take note of the smoke when you are melting the ore. There was a nonchnce to the writing, reading the words was like meeting the person.

    While these words were carved, the writing looked so natural and was not choppy. Hidden in this handwriting was a deep internal power. The person who carved this must have been very strong.

    After the first person¡¯s answer, another Xia person must have arrived and seen the one question and one answer too. Out of amusement, he added to the other guy¡¯s answer. He made a more specific exnation: there are different colours of smoke during melting. First, dark and thing smoke that would rise as the temperature increase. Then, the smoke would turn yellow. The ore wasn¡¯t ready yet. The temperature had to rise more, until green-white smoke appeared. That meant the ore hadpletely melted. When the smoke was green, the metal was ready to be cast.

    The second person¡¯s words were neat, every character was solemn and serious. They weren¡¯t as nonchnt as the previous guy¡¯s writing.

    Then, there was a third person who answered the question. He even gave the best ratios and timings for casting different wares. Bronzewares were not made purely of bronze, there were other materials sometimes too. Different tools also required different metal ratios to make suitable alloys.

    Shao Xuan took out a piece of animal skin and wrote down everything.

    There was a fourth answer. He confirmed what the previous guys said and then put down his opinion. During the melting process, he rmended adding a kind of beast¡¯s blood. This would make the bronzeware stronger. Bronzeware made like this would be light, yet strong enough to crack rock.

    He continued copying as if recording a miniature version of the wall on his scroll. He even copied their writing style too. Especially the fourth guy. However, Shao Xuan did not recognise the characters used for the beast¡¯s name. They looked like punctuation marks to him. However, he copied them down all the same. He could always ask someone elseter.

    As he read, someone started to rebut the previous answers. Perhaps out of respect to their ancestors, they did not curse but there was onement¨C ¡°How could impurities be inserted into precious wares?!¡±

    This person seemed very emotional when this was carved. Every character was carved deep, like this person could not wait to tell them what he thought. He thought it was horrendous that anyone would suggest adding blood into metal.

    Then, other peoplemented- also talking about blood. They talked about adding foreign matter into products or obscure methods in making weapons. Someone even mentioned they once used human blood. Some people agreed, some disagreed.

    In the end, thest guy said: my ancestors and elders, you all make sense. Wait for me, I¡¯ll test out all of them when I get back¡­

    There was nothing after that. Thest guy didn¡¯t return. Not just this guy, even the rest. If not there would have been further discussions. Although these people were respectful, they weren¡¯t like other tribes, thinking their ancestors were absolutely correct. Their craftsmanship was always improving and revamped because while they respected and were grateful towards their ancestors, they also believed in themselves.

    Shao Xuan did not know if thest guy seeded, nor he didn¡¯t know, in the end, if he should add stuff into his metals or not. He recorded the thousand-year-long ¡®debate¡¯ on the wall carefully.

    When Xia people were outside, they were very protective of their arts. They would never let outsiders know of their skills. However,r here, the barrier was not present. For them to discuss their arts like that, perhaps they wanted descendants to admire them too. At the end of their answers, they even put down their names.

    It was a pity they all onlymented one time. After this, none of them returned.

    He kept his stationery when he was done, rolling up his scroll. Shao Xuan rolled his shoulders, ate a few more fruits then looked for a resting spot.

    The sky was darkening, plus he had used up a lot of energy today. He needed a good night¡¯s rest to quickly replenish the energy he lost.

    The night was chilly but it did not bother him. He plucked a melon as his pillow and then fell asleep on the grass.

    Within Gongjia Mountain, Gongjia HEng was admiring the things his ancestors left behind. He had been reading through the night. During the day, there was some sunlight streaming in from transparent crystals so he could read the words on the wall and the things previous prodigies and ancestors left behind. At night, he took out the glowing crystal Shao Xuan gave him and continued reading.

    When he snapped back to reality, his eyes were red. However, he was energetic as ever and couldn¡¯t wait to continue.

    Other than things left behind by the earliest ancestors, every Xia person would leave behind their best work as an offering so future descendants could see their proudest work. The Xia people were an impressive group, all of the things here were priceless treasures. Something many Xia people dreamed to have.

    Treasures! They were all treasures!

    Right now, these treasures were right in front of him. How could Gongjia Heng stay calm?

    However, he was a little angry. Also, there was Shao Xuan outside, the guy he was wary of. He had to go check on Shao Xuan or he would never rest well.

    Gongjia Heng had wanted to head out to check after yesterday¡¯s incident but he was deeply immersed in the work and the movements stopped after a while. That was why he didn¡¯t leave.

    There was a pond in the middle of the mountain made from an underground spring. It was named the Ding Pond because the pond looked like a Ding cauldron. The little stream outside came from this spring.

    The water in Ding Pond was clear and never dried up. There were even fish as big as a palm swimming in it.

    Gongjia Heng used some tools nearby to catch a few fish, then got up to leave.

 Chapter 417 - The Origin of the Core Seed

    <strong>The Origin of the Core Seed</strong>

    When he arrived at the main hall, Gongjia Heng peered around cautiously. He did not see Shao Xuan. After studying everything carefully, he realised that everything was just as before. The eighteen bronze statues were all standing perfectly still. Everything looked the same and the hidden traps and mechanisms were not triggered.

    Shao Xuan did not step inside at all. Gongjia Heng heaved a sigh of relief though his emotions were in turmoil.

    If it was another person with suspicious intentions, Gongjia Heng would definitely do his best to kill him, relying on the powers within the mountain. However, while Shao Xuan was curious about the Xia arts, he was not greedy. Other people might attempt to force themselves inside while Gongjia Heng was not present. Perhaps even threaten him so he would hand over the treasures. Shao Xuan did not do such a thing. Plus, Shao Xuan had been of great help. Without Shao Xuan, he knew he might not find this ce in another twenty years.

    Gongjia Heng would remember this favour.

    However, Shao Xuan was just a peculiar dude.

    Gongjia Heng touched the dense stubble on his cheeks. What happened when Shao Xuan stepped in was still fresh in his mind. That was¡­ terrifying.

    However, as long as Shao Xuan did not force himself inside, Gongjia Heng was still very willing to make friends with him.

    Holding the fish in his hand, Gongjia Heng stood at the door and looked around. There was a crater ten-meter wide before him. It was very shallow, about one-palm deep. However, the entire crater was very smooth like someone had shaved a piece of the earth with a knife.

    This crater had not been here before. This Gongjia Heng was sure because he would definitely remember it.

    When he thought about the earthquake he felt when he was in the mountain, Gongjia Heng panicked again. What the hell happened when he was inside?!

    As he searched for Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan was sleeping on the ground with a white melon as a pillow.

    When he sensed someone approaching, he woke. They were familiar footsteps so he did not attack.

    ¡°You¡¯re out?¡± Shao Xuan yawned.

    ¡°Must be nice sleeping here? Sweet dreams?¡± mused Gongjia Heng, seeing Shao Xuan sleeping so soundly.

    ¡°I dreamt of your ancestors,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°...Hehe.¡± Gongjia Heng did not take him seriously. He didn¡¯t believe it at all.

    Shao Xuan did not borate either. He cut open the melon he had used as a pillow and offered half to Heng.

    ¡°This melon is delicious. Can I take some seeds back and nt them?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to nt them, they only grow here. I heard many people had brought seeds back before. They didn¡¯t even germinate,¡± said Heng.

    ¡°Then I can only eat them here.¡± Shao Xuan thought it was a pity. When he saw the fish, he asked, ¡°Where did you get the fish from?¡±

    ¡°There was a pond in the mountain, I got the fish from the pond. We can eat thister.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the few fish in Heng¡¯ shand. He hadn¡¯t seen these before, these fish had green stripes on them. Fish would definitely be better than fruits and melons.

    ¡°Finished reading your stuff?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, I was just about to talk to you about it.¡± Heng wiped his mouth. ¡°I might stay here for a while. If you can¡¯t stay, you can just return. When I finish learning the skills here, I will look for you at the ming Horn tribe. I¡¯ll bring a few weapons I made myself.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s ore here?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There¡¯s a tunnel leading to mining locations in the mountain, you outsiders won¡¯t be able to enter.¡±

    So there was a core seed here. Shao Xuan believed Gongjia Heng too. If it was that easy to ess the core seed or ore, then there would have been hundreds of outsidersing here. However, not a single person managed to remove the core seed over thousands of years. This meant it had its protection.

    Shao Xuan did not have the capabilities to steal it. ¡°I saw two words I don¡¯t recognise.¡±

    He drew the two characters he saw on the ground using his sword.

    As he wrote, Gongjia Heng¡¯s expression turned odd.

    ¡°Where did you see this?¡± he asked.

    Shao Xuan pointed at the face of the cliff where the carvings were.

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s eye twitched. He almost jumped. ¡°How¡¯s that possible?!¡±

    Shao Xuan walked to the face of the cliff and pulled the leaves apart. He pointed at the characters he didn¡¯t recognise. ¡°Here.¡±

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s face twitched. He wanted to be mad but couldn¡¯t. In the end, he let out a long sigh and a bitter smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Tell me what these words mean first. This isn¡¯t from the inside of the mountain, it¡¯s in broad daylight outside here. Plus outsiders carved here too,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Heng squatted on the ground and plucked a leaf from the creepers. He chewed on the leaf and after a moment, finally replied, ¡°Those aren¡¯t two words, that¡¯s one word. It means Green Fangs. This was recorded in our ancestral records, it¡¯s a character invented by our ancestor.

    No wonder he couldn¡¯t recognise it. He thought he was just not exposed to enough words. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be a word invented by the Xia ancestors.

    ¡°Your ancestors are impressive,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Hahaha, I think so too!¡± Gongjia Heng let out a chuckle of delight but it soon faded. ¡°Initially, I thought things like that would only be hidden inside the mountain. I didn¡¯t know they¡¯d carve it outside too.

    ¡°The Green-faced fanged beast is a type of fearsome beast. It¡¯s notrge, its face is green and has thick skin. It has hooves but no horns, and two long canines. It often roams the mountains. Although they look fierce and are very aggressive, plus they attack other animals, they are actually herbivores.¡±

    Gongjia Heng spoke as he made a few strokes on the ground.

    They were just very simple sketches he saw in the records. The records were very simple too.

    ¡°However, after that people proved that the blood of a worm that eats rock is many times more effective than the Green-faced fanged beast. But that worm is very rare. Regr worms won¡¯t work, they have to be of the fearsome beast family.

    ¡°Stoneworms?¡± Shao Xuan was familiar with it.

    ¡°I think so. Different ces have different names for it.¡± Gongjia Heng read the debate on the face of the cliff. A lot of secrets were written on it. Even the best timing to add the blood was written there. Gongjia Heng would have probably torn the wall down if he could. Could they really reveal secrets like that?!

    However, since they were left behind by his ancestors, it was not appropriate for him to destroy the carvings too. He hesitated. However, as he thought about it, his people had mastered the arts. They were not afraid if outsiders mastered the same art. The quality of the products would still be far from what the Xia people could produce.

    Gongjia Heng felt guilty about it too. He had a lot to learn from his ancestors in terms of both the arts and his attitude.

    When he realigned his perspective, he was a lot calmer when he read the words on the wall. He even left ament and carved his name in the end.

    Shao Xuan learned a lot from the discussion. IN addition to the current skillsets he had, he was confident that he could forge his own bronze wares with ore. He wasn¡¯t sure about the quality though.

    ¡°Where did the core seedse from?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng didn¡¯t know before this either. However, he read about it in the ancestral records yesterday. Since it was not a secret, he replied, ¡°The core seedes from beyond the heavens.¡±

    ¡°Beyond the heavens?!¡± Shao Xuan eximed.

    ¡°Yeah. More than two thousand years ago, the core seeds arrived and were separated in different parts of the world. In the beginning, many people worshipped them as magical objects. However, after that, more and more people from the tribes that owned a core seed died. So everyone then treated the core seeds as evil objects, symbols of death. They tossed the core seeds far, far away but¡­¡±

    When he spoke, there was pride in his eyes. ¡°There was a core seed near our Xia vige too. However, we were different from other tribes. We discovered the secret of the core seed. It was not an evil object, it was a priceless treasure that could change the world!¡±

    The rise of the Xia tribe came from the core seed. They were the first to discover its uses and started to forge bronze wares. Other tribes started to trade with them. At the same time, the Great Six also started to collect core seeds and also mastered the core seeds. Since then, wars started and spread across the maind. In the Xia ancestral records, it was named ¡®The War of the Core Seed¡±.

    In the history of the maind, there were two significant events¨C the first one involved the fire seed. After that, the tribe¡¯s fire pit no longer had the fire seed. The second event involved the core seed. After that, the Great Six became powerful and controlled most of the core seeds. Other smaller tribes could only make do with what little they had.

    After that, the Ji tribe conquered the other five tribes and called themselves ¡®Hong¡¯, The cities were slowly built. They had many ves working under them so they were also called ve masters. The chief of the Ji tribe was now lord of a city.

    However, to the Xia people, this was not relevant to them. They had immersed themselves into the art of casting and forging. The Great Six did note looking for trouble, instead heavily rewarding the Xia people for helping them make gold wares.

    Under the temptation of rewards, many Xia people left. After that, due to the change in terrain and the core seed, the Xia river dried up and became the Xia valley. Over time, under the influence of the core seed, it became a dead valley and a maze.

    The Xia ancestors had to leave this ce for the survival of their tribe. Before they left, they created Gongjia Mountain and drew all the cloud patterns that hid the secrets of their people so their descendants would not forget about this ce. Generations upon generations, every Xia person who arrived here would offer their proudest product here. It was a sacred ce for them.

    Slowly, this ce umted a wealth of treasures. That was because all the Xia people put all their most unique and best work inside.

    The first Xia people who created bronze wares did not belong to the Great Six. The Xia tribe was also a distance away from the cities. They became more and more dispersed so bringing the people together became more and more difficult.

    Shao Xuan privately sighed. This was the difference between a tribe that emphasised on politics and a tribe that focused on mastering a craft.

    When Heng finished, he felt ashamed that he had no personal secret technique or craft that he could offer to this ce. All he could do was leave an offering in the form of some bronzeware here after he learned the skills.

    ¡°That is why I have to stay a little longer. Shao Xuan, what are your ns?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll probably leave in a few days.¡±

    Heng nodded. ¡°Once I master the skills, I¡¯ll visit you at ming Horn. Also, what happened to the crater there?¡±

    ¡°I took a step and it happened.¡±

    Gongjia Heng was speechless. You¡¯d better leave, or you¡¯d destroy this ce sooner orter!

    A while after Gongjia Heng entered the mountain, Shao Xuan walked to a spot in the valley. He wasn¡¯t lying when he said he dreamt of the Xia ancestors.

 Chapter 418 - Shao Xuan Of Flaming Horn

    <h4>Shao Xuan Of ming Horn</h4>

    Last night, while Shao Xuan was asleep, he saw many people in his dream. Although he couldn¡¯t see their faces clearly, he was sure he didn¡¯t know any of them.

    He saw someone carving words on the face of the cliff. The first person looked very defeated, carving the first line. Then, there were people who came and merely read the writings, while the rest took out their knives to carve ament. Some looked serious, others were proud.

    Other than this wall, there were other people carving words on other parts of the mountain too.

    There were two carvings that had the most people visiting them. One was the discussion about forging and casting that he had read about. The other one was¡­

    Shao Xuan approached another wall ording to what he saw in his dreamst night. There were many nts here, the vines were so thick they covered the entire wall.

    He carefully cut off the vines to reveal the words underneath.

    However, the difference was that the earliest line of words was written using some colour pigment. He didn¡¯t know what pigment it was that could prate into the stone and still remain so clear after so long.

    The writings were all sharp and clear. It was obvious these people were proud.

    ¡°I have observed the life and death of nts, the waters and the rocks. I have watched the skies and thends prosper and wither. Today, I have understood the changes in the core seed. I am here to learn!¡±

    What the guy implied was: I¡¯m here to be a party pooper!

    On the left of the sentence were a few rings drawn on the wall. The ring patterns were veryplex, the distance between the centres of the rings were different. Shao Xuan liked it a lot.

    While Shao Xuan did not understand thebels, he could read the words writtenter. One was bronze, another was tin, so the other rings represented other metals.

    His heartbeat quickened as he read it. This was his first time so close to the secret of the core seed. Gongjia Heng merely talked about historical events. This was the direct truth.

    So the core seed could cause changes within rocks. The people who worked with the core seed used the principals to generate ore.

    ording to this Yi Tribe person here, he could tell which ring an ore belonged to if you gave him a random piece. He could even tell you what ore was best for forging what wares. At the back, he signed off as ¡®Yi Qu¡±.

    This Yi Qu was from the Yi tribe, his writings gave Shao Xuan a deep understanding of how the core seed brought changes to the rocks and their final forms. Which metal was for what, the ratio of alloys for different products etc. All of them were listed out with their forms too. However, the forms were derived from the ring diagram and Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t understand it for the moment.

    He had to admit this person from the Yi tribe was a genius!

    He thought the Yi people were just famous for divination but he didn¡¯t know they were this advanced and intelligent!

    After Yi Qu, there was a reply written by a Xia person. Compared to theplicated diagrams from before, this person wrote a simple word: ¡°Bullshit!¡±

    This word was directly carved on the wall, veryrge too. It was carved deep, obvious that the person was not in a good mood. They must have been frustrated because they couldn¡¯t understand it.

    However, there was another Yi person who wrote with a simr colour pigment. After the Xia person¡¯sment, he wrote, ¡°I am deeply inspired by my dear elder¡¯s words.¡±

    This ¡®elder¡¯ the person referred to was Yi Qu. He even wrote his ¡®inspirations¡¯, which was an upgraded version of the ring diagram. The rings were closer together and each ring was of different thicknesses. There were many lines on the diagram for more urate calctions

    After this picture, there was another line. ¡°These are my findings. As for the Xia¡¯sment above, he must be uninformed, I am too embarrassed toment on this matter!¡±

    There was another Xia person who came toment on the upgraded version of the forms and diagram. Just as the other Xia person, hisment was simple: ¡°This is all bullshit!¡±

    They did not understand the first diagram, of course they wouldn¡¯t understand the upgraded version of it. But this did not stop them from mocking the Yi people.

    After that, there were debates between Yi and Xia people, for example on the ratios of the metals, the best mining season etc. However, one side reasoned using theory while the other relied on actual experience.

    The Xia people¡¯s main values involved having actual experience and practice. They had a natural talent in casting and forging, far exceeding other tribes. Talent and consistency created very impressive products.

    On the other hand, the Yi people were intelligent and sensitive to numbers and divination, always making calctions. They could calcte the ratio of bronze and tin in an alloy up to ten decimal points.

    One emphasised on real-life experience, the other on theory. One loved physical activity, the other encouraged mental exercises.

    One Xia person said: Yi people like beating around the bush, they think they can change the world if they move their lips.

    A Yi person rebutted: This is called rigour, it is where true capability lies.

    Xia: Dear Yi people, quit daydreaming or you¡¯ll go insane. Move your hands! You¡¯re all as thin as chickens, can you even hold a hammer?

    A Yi person scoffed: I¡¯m smart, I¡¯m so much more powerful than you idiots banging your hammers. We only need to use our brain to squash you all! No matter what, we are one of the Great Six. We are more superiorpared to the scattered, weak Xia people.

    Xia: We are willing to sacrifice entire lifetimes to devote ourselves to the art of craftsmanship. We are able to utilise the core seed to its full potential, changing the world. What can you all do? You think you¡¯re so smart because you can draw circles? Such a waste! Absolute idiots! It¡¯s no wonder you were all conquered by the Ji tribe! Go back to ¡®observing the life and death of nts, the waters and the rocks!¡¯

    ¡­

    Shao Xuan almost died fromughter as he read their debate. He took out a scroll and copied everything down. There was a lot of useful information in this, not just theplicated forms and diagrams drawn by the Yi people but also the little details revealed in the debate. For example, the Yi people were physically weaker- they had the core seed but were not good at forging. They mostly relied on theories and calctions. Also, there was information on the Xia people¡¯s history that Gongjia Heng hadn¡¯t mentioned.

    The argument mentioned techniques rted to casting and forging. They were all very useful tricks so Shao Xuan copied every word down.

    Shao Xuan had just witnessed a war of words spanning a thousand years.

    The other wall could still be considered a scientific debate. While they were passionate people, they were mostly Xia people answering. The words used were a lot calmer. As for this part, if the people were physically here, spit would be flying everywhere.

    Shao Xuan had understood the origins of the core seed, plus its uses. He also learned about the distribution of metals and techniques for forging. They were all recorded in his animal skin scroll. He remembered people putting stonewares around the core seed in the desert. Different stonewares would affect the core seed differently too. Shao Xuan had to look for more answers on this aspect.

    Shao Xuan went looking for other walls but the carvings were all very casual. They were mostly by outsiders and useless. Most of them were to express the person¡¯s frustrations. They had been through so much hardship to arrive here, just to be stopped outside the Gongjia Mountain. He wanted to destroy this ce but could not fight against the protective properties here.

    In general, Shao Xuan was still very satisfied with the knowledge he received from this trip.

    During the next few days, while restoring his power of inheritance, he dug up all the useful things in the valley and also spent his time studying theplicated diagrams left behind by the Yi people. It didn¡¯t matter if they were by the Yi or Xia people, they were all useful. Shao Xuan probably could merge their principles- merging theory and practical- and his casting skills should improve a lot.

    Gongjia Heng asionally came out, though he was often in a hurry. He would pluck some fruits and then, as if he was in a daze, he¡¯d enter again. He ignored everything else in the outside world. Shao Xuan once noticed his arm jerked while plucking fruit. The fruit was squashed into pulp but he did not notice.

    This man was too immersed in his world.

    Ten more days passed. Shao Xuan felt most of his power of inheritance restored. He nned to try triggering the power within his ornaments once again.

    To avoid creating too many craters, he nned to attempt again in the same crater.

    This time, since he already had experience, he was more familiar with the process. Borrowing the pressureing from the Xia shaman¡¯s powers, he moved the power of inheritance within him to the ornaments so the me giant appeared again. Shao Xuan tried walking but like before, he could not move much other than take a small step.

    Then, the crater that was originally ten meters wide, one palm deep was now twenty meters wide and half a meter deep.

    Before he left, Shao Xuan wrote a line of words along the wall of the crater, going in a circle:?<i>Thank you to the elders who have visited Gongjia Valley. This trip has been bountiful</i>. ¡ªShao Xuan of ming Horn

 Chapter 419 - Fat Duck

    <h4>Fat Duck</h4>

    Shao Xuan stayed another ten days in Gongjia Valley. He only left when the power of inheritance within him was almostpletely restored.

    Before he left, he bowed toward the valley. Although he did not know the people who left the words, and perhaps these people had long died, since he had made copies of their writings, he should pay them some respect.

    He plucked a leaf and left a note for Gongjia Heng. Then, he nned to leave the valley. There was no use staying here. He could feel a strong sense of non-belonging here. There was no echo when he hit the bell, all its echoes would be muffled by the valley. It did not like outsiders.

    Shao Xuan initially nned to return by the same path but he realised he couldn¡¯t open the door that Gongjia Heng had pushed open. Should he st it open by force? He wasn¡¯t sure if it would trigger some reaction.

    However, while the entrance could not be opened, he noticed another opening in another part of the valley.

    The door of this opening seemed to have merged into the mountain. There were so many creepers and nts covering it, if it hadn¡¯t opened on its own, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have found it.

    There was a dark tunnel inside, simr to the one they used when they came. It didn¡¯t seem like it was a dead end. Although there was a lingering smell of rot, it was not strong. There were other smells here too.

    After some thought, he took a step inside to leave this ce.

    He took out the crystal for some light. As he walked, he studied the carvings on the walls around. In the past, people had used this tunnel too. There were markings made on purpose to prevent them from getting lost at the forks in front. However, Shao Xuan realised there were no forks. He just felt that this tunnel was curved. Not sure where this tunnel led to.

    There were small holes at the top of the tunnel. Not sure where they led to and no light streamed in. He just felt air flowing through these holes.

    He continued walking. When he reached the light at the end of the tunnel, he realised he was no longer in Gongjia Valley.

    Behind him was a huge mountain range. In front of him was a green forest.

    He did not see Xia valley, a ce that reeked of death. It was as if he had stepped into another world.

    This was not the forest he was familiar with, Gongjia Heng had not brought him to a ce like this before. This forest was very foreign to him.

    When he stepped out of the tunnel, he heard a sound. The hole had sealed off automatically. The door merged with its surroundings with no crevices. If he hadn¡¯t seen the door, he wouldn¡¯t have known there was a tunnel here.

    Shao Xuan looked at the sun in the sky to pinpoint his direction and location. He wasn¡¯t too far away. However, it was still a long way to his initial path.

    He walked into the forest. There was no need to worry about food.

    There were sounds of birds and insects but he did not see a single flying insect or bird. There were no insects crawling in the bushes either.

    He continued walking ahead. The insect and bird sounds grew louder.

    The trees trunks here were not thick. The leaves swayed in the wind and he could hear the calls of birds and insects.

    Shao Xuan watched carefully, looking for flying birds. His gaze fell on the trees.

    The sounds weren¡¯t from birds, it was the trees!

    AS for the insect sounds, they came from the grass!

    Especially when the breeze blew, he could hear both the sounds of birds and insects, rising and falling.

    This is a peculiar forest indeed.

    Just like the previous patch of forest, there were illusions here too. There were factors that would cause someone to get lost. However, he sessfully passed through the other one, he would get out of this one too.

    After walking for two hours, he realised he still hadn¡¯t left the forest, nor was he back to the same spot. However, he had a feeling he hadn¡¯t even travelled far from his starting point.

    Shao Xuan plucked a de of grass and tested it. The grass was flexible, simr to the grass he could make knots on. He decided to use this for a reading.

    The first reading was a failure.

    The second reading was also a failure.

    The grass would break not long after he began.

    The problem wasn¡¯t with the grass. Shao Xuan felt like he could not focus at all. If he could not focus, the surge of energy would not be in proper sequence, hence the probability of failure would be high.

    During the reading, the insect and bird noises seemed to grow louder and more annoying. He could barely calm his mind down. If he wanted to conduct a reading, he would have to get away from all the noise.

    Shao Xuan set up a trap around him. He would be alerted of any beast or person that approached this way. After setting up everything, he shut off his hearing to separate himself from the world. He closed his eyes and did another reading.

    This time, it was so much easier.

    When he looked at the final knot, with his hearing still sealed off, he walked in a direction. He did not look around, merely walking straight ahead.

    When he walked out of this peculiar forest, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Lifting the hearing block, he heard noises made by birds and beasts. They weren¡¯t the repetitive, pure noises from the previous forest. Here, there were all kinds of animals, plus the rustling of the tree leaves. There must be a waterfall nearby too because he could hear flowing water.

    Everything was back to normal.

    This was a normal forest. Although there could be threats in a forest like fierce beasts, peculiar nts, he felt more rxed.

    A forest should be like that!

    He washed his face at the waterfall, hunted an unfortunate wild boar for a meal. After some rest, he decided to continue walking.

    There were not many fearsome beasts here, in fact, there were few animals. He had taken a while to find that boar. The birds here were not active too. He saw one or two asionally but they weren¡¯t the flocks of birds he was used to. This was a rtively quiet forest.

    Perhaps because this ce was still near the Xia valley, that¡¯s why there were few animals here.

    No matter what, it was not a good ce to stay for long. He nned to leave as soon as possible.

    A bird with bright green feathers flew past him. There was a leaf-shaped pattern around its eyes, making it look like an eye patch. Based on its behaviour, it looked like a fat duck.

    The bright green bird stopped on a tree about thirty meters away from Shao Xuan. It turned its neck to look at him.

    ¡°Goo¨C goo¡ª- Quack!¡±

    The bird made a very weird noise. When it saw that Shao Xuan did not move, it flew down from the tree andnded on the water. Retracting its wings, it paddled in the water, asionally dipping its head into the water. It paddled hard to a quieter area, swimming around. It sometimes even pecked a small fish out of the water, swallowing with its head facing up.

    Shao Xuan had to admit a fat duck was tempting in a ce with so few animals.

    However, Shao Xuan did not attack immediately.

    When the duck flewnded on the tree, Shao Xuan¡¯s sharp eyes noticed the sharp, hook-like ws. They gripped the branch tightly. However, he also saw webbing between its toes that opened the moment itnded in the water.

    A swimming bird with ws as sharp as a fierce beast.

    It was not as unassuming as it looked.

    However, it was still a fat duck swimming back and forth in front of Shao Xuan as if to say:e, eat me!

    Shao Xuan picked up a pebble and threw it at the duck.

    The duck seemed to be ready. When Shao Xuan moved, it immediately opened its wings and sprinted across the water¡¯s surface by quickly paddling its webbed ws. Water sshed behind it, leaving a trail. Then, it spread its wings to fly and the webbing contracted. All that was left behind were ws as sharp as an eagle¡¯s.

    When it left the water, it did not fly upwards immediately. It merely fluttered among the trees, flying asionally. It looked like it was too fat to fly.

    Shao Xuan quickly chased after it. However, just as he was about to catch it, the duck sped up like it had a booster attached to it, quacking as it fluttered its wings.

    The tree trunks around them were very thick, it would take more than twenty people to hug this tree around its circumference. There were very few birds and animals. This fluttering, bright green duck was too obvious.

    Shao Xuan chased after the duck. With his abilities, he could have caught it very quickly but he was not in a hurry. He maintained a distance behind the duck, watching the as it quacked and quacked.

    When it stopped, he stopped too.

    The duck stood on a branch about seventeen meters in the air, pecking at its feathers. It looked at Shao Xuan, as if it was very curious.

    ¡°Quack!¡± the duck cried again, spreading its wings and shaking its flesh.

    Shao Xuan did not look at it, ignoring its reckless cries and shaking. His gaze swept across the forest, one hand tightly gripping his sword.

    The fat duck stopped crying and he entier forest seemed to be very quiet. There was just the rustling of leaves. He heard the cries of other animals but they were very far.

    At this moment, a dark silhouette suddenly rushed out from among the trees. A de shed in the light as it shed in front of him cruelly. The sh was so strong it created a sharp de of air heading towards Shao Xuan!

    At the same time, on the other side, another dark silhouette appeared. This one had no weapons but their arms wielded solid power. The wind roared with the appearance of such a powerful force.

    Both people approached threateningly.

    Shao Xuan could instinctively sense danger and he was already prepared before they appeared. He did not face their attack head-on, sprinting straight ahead instead.

    The sword that was shed at him left a cut in the ground. Soil and grass flew.

    The other person did not express disappointment, despite the sword not hitting its intended target. Working with the other person, both of them chased after Shao Xuan together. There was an aura of mischief and danger.

 Chapter 420 - Robbery

    <h4>Robbery</h4>

    ¡°Hey kid, give us the things you found at Gongjia Mountain!¡± roared one of the people behind him.

    ¡°If you give them to us, we will let you live.¡± The other guy punched something and Shao Xuan could hear loud, explosive thuds. It was a show of strength.

    Shao Xuan ignored them, sprinting ahead.

    ¡°You won¡¯t be able to run from us!¡± yelled one of them. Although he sounded worried, from his expression, one could tell that he was in a hurry at all. Instead, he had a cunning smirk as he watched Shao Xuan¡¯s back.

    The fat duck on the branch moved its ws. It liked being on a branch when it was startled. It flew up again, perched on a higher branch to get away from the battle below. However, its beady eyes were still glued to the scene, craning its neck as if it did not want to miss the show.

    In the direction where Shao Xuan was running, behind a thick tree trunk was a person waiting quietly behind. Although he had climbed up to five meters above the ground, as if he was an insect, he made no sound.

    At this moment, this person listened as movement approached him. Cruel mischief shed across his eyes. Between his fingers was an array of bronze des as long as his palm but extremely thin. Cold light glinted off their tips.

    Soon. The target was close by.

    The person behind the tree trunk licked his lips as if he could already smell fresh blood. He just had to wait for the target to trigger a trap he had already set. Then sharp bones he had ground himself would shoot out. Then the target would be nailed to death. There was only one blind spot for this trap, which was where he was hiding. Everywhere else was covered with bone spikes!

    He listened to the movement. The target was approaching, still running, jumping¡­ Eh? He jumped?

    The person leaning against the tree trunk sensed danger. His pupils constricted and he shuddered. A chill spread from his spine to his brain, he almost lost his bnce on the trunk, almost falling off the tree. His heart raced. He wanted to peek around the tree but the target was moving too quickly and too suddenly. He had no time to react when he heard a rain of sounds.

    Crack!

    The tree trunk shook vigorously. The vibrations travelled to every twig, every leaf.

    The tree¡¯s leaves flew off the tree like a blizzard, covering the entire ground.

    No one expected the target of their robbery, a prey that was supposed to pass this area and trigger the trap, to jump! He didn¡¯t just jump, he even kicked the tree trunk so hard!

    The thick trunk cracked. The sudden, explosive vibrations were passed to the person leaning against the trunk. He spat a mouthful of blood.

    The tree trunk could not bear the force of the kick. Splinters and wood flew in the air, wooden chips crumbling into powder.

    Therge tree, with its dense leaves, copsed unto the ground. The ground shook. Within the forest, even birds and animals far away were startled enough to escape far away.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    The copsed tree and the scattered branches and leaves triggered the hidden traps. The sharp bone spikes hidden among the trees shot out from all directions. Some shot at the tree trunk, othersnded in the bushes.

    The person who was shaken off the tree quickly dodged the spikes mid-air. Although he could block off many using a branch, he did not dodge them all. He was shot several times,nding hard on the ground.

    Blood sttered on the grass. Some nts that looked like bean sprouts lifted their ¡®heads¡¯ and opened their ¡®mouths¡¯, drinking the blood greedily.

    The fat duck perched high up in the tree was extremely startled, fluttering over to rest in another tree. It wanted to leave but it hesitated. Then, it decided to stay and watch.

    The person chasing after Shao Xuan¡¯s smirk hardened. It was as if his face had been smashed with a hammer, all signs of glee were shattered. He did not have time to think or check on his friend behind the tree trunk. He did n¡¯t check if the other guy was injured. They just looked at the young man whom they thought would be an easy target. How could he kick a tree so hard like that? It was as if he saw through all their traps.

    They had robbed many people here too. Every time they saw someone intimidating, they would stay far away. When they met someone easy, they would rob the victims. Theycked the capability to arrive at Gongjia Mountain so all they could do was take advantage of those who had already made it to the ce.

    When they heard that there were two people heading towards the mountain, and one of them was a Xia, they nned a robbery once again. They heard Xia people had a higher chance of making it into the mountain.

    However, after waiting for so long, they finally saw one person. And this person wasn¡¯t even the Xia guy, it was the young man who travelled with the Xia guy.

    If they had met the Xia person, they would have been more cautious because the Xia¡¯s had secret weapons they did not know how. However, since this was just a regr young man, they did not hesitate to release their bait, luring the young man here. This person hade out from Gongjia Mountain, he must have some treasure on him!

    However, they didn¡¯t expect the situation to escte like this.

    After a life of robbing and surviving in the forest, they had many close brushes with death. They had met all kinds of people, some of them difficult to defeat. However, this situation was the most unexpected.

    This kid saw through their entire n!

    The more terrifying part was his physical strength. He snapped such a thick tree trunk in half with just one kick! While there were many people who could break a tree, not many could do it so effortlessly in one kick. They were not as strong as this guy too.

    When they looked at the copsed tree, they found the tree bare. All the leaves had fallen off with the vibration!

    They had no time for surprise because they realised their target had turned around immediately after the kick, charging at them at lightning speed.

    Both people charged at Shao Xuan too, the distance between them all shortened in the blink of an eye. Two forces of power were hurtling themselves at each other.

    Shao Xuan raised his sword, parrying his opponent¡¯s de.

    The impact of the two swords was so strong that the person felt his arm go number. The skin between his thumb and his index finger broke, two feet nted firmly in the ground were suddenly not. He was almost thrown upwards!

    They were both of simr height, this kid did not look more muscr than them. Perhaps not as strong as the other person waving his fists. However, this kid whom they had nned to rob almost killed him in a second! What the fuck?!

    When the two swords were forced apart, Shao Xuan felt a gush of air from a fist next to him. He did not dodge, facing the fist with his own.

    The totemic power within him surged like ten thousand horses. After attempting to activate the bone ornaments twice, his power of inheritance had been restored as strong as ever. He was even more adept in shifting his totemic power. The totemic pattern on his body was aze, as if they could set the whole ce on fire. The totemic patterns on his shoulder extended down to his fist.

    The other person was very confident too. This kid could kick a tree? Well, he could too! That kick was nothing to him! However, when both fists touched each other, he realised he underestimated his opponent. Was this man or beast?!

    Crack crack crack!

    The other person¡¯s arm sounded like the branches snapping on the tree that copsed. Bones shattered in his arm.

    That was not the end!

    Shao Xuan retracted his fist and hurled himself at his opponent. The other person wanted to retreat but could not move in time. There was a dull thud as he flew backwards. Many parts of his body split open and blood sprayed out.

    This was not over, there was another guy!

    The person wielding the sword witnessed two of his partners incapacitated. He knew this was going to be a tough one so there was no time to breathe. When Shao Xuan punched the other guy, his sharp sword was already flying at Shao Xuan, bringing with it a de of wind.

    The sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand twisted like a dragon, raising to his left in one moment.

    ng!

    The sharp reverberations of metal on metal echoed. The other person used the momentum from the collision to retreat quickly. That blow had failed and he knew he would never get another opportunity to hit Shao Xuan again. He had to leave!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s legs moved and he was now just a shadow moving at incredible speed. The sword in his hand waved in the air, extended towards the person who was running away.

    The sword glinted in an arc mid-air.

    The other person¡¯s footsteps stopped abruptly, disbelief in his eyes and his eyes lost focus. A gush of red liquid sprayed out of the back of his neck. The sword in his hand fell to the ground, grass flew.

    Shao Xuan lifted a solid piece of soil from the ground and threw it in a direction.

    Quack!

    There was a shriek and a bright green silhouette fell from mid-air.

    Shao Xuan walked over and trapped the struggling duck¡¯s wings. He tied it up using some straw rope then tossed it aside.

    Then, he walked towards the tree he had kicked down.

    There was one person under a branch, bleeding. When he walked over, the totemic patterns on this person¡¯s body that looked like snakes slowly disappeared. He twitched and then died.

    Shao Xuan thought it was weird. This person wasn¡¯t crushed by a trunk, and the thorns had not hit any vital parts. Why did he die?

    When he kicked the tree away, Shao Xuan flipped the guy over with his sword and noticed that the wounds were green-purple. Where the thorns coated with poison? No. Shao Xuan looked at the little nts on the ground that looked like bean sprouts. Those were the poisonous culprits.

    The three people had been dealt with, there was no one else around. Shao Xuan approached the duck and lifted it by its neck.

    ¡°Should I roast or boil you?¡±

 Chapter 421 - Black Eats Black

    Chapter 421

    ck Eats ck

    Shao Xuan knew it was not a wild bird the moment he saw it. Shao Xuan had seen the birds in the tribe and Chacha, he knew what that look in its eyes meant. Especially when the bird was swimming around in the water. The look in its ck beady eyes told Shao Xuan that it had some sneaky n.

    In the beginning, Shao Xuan wanted to follow this duck to see who was nearby. However, when he arrived, he realised the other party was not friendly at all. He knew that there was a trap ahead. Other people might not know but he could tell because he had set these traps before too.

    Maintaining a distance, he was confident that he could escape if an attack happened. However, when the other party revealed themselves, he changed his mind.

    He first dealt with the hidden guy and his trap, using this blow to strike fear in the rest of them. At the same time, he wanted to know the difference in his totemic power after activating the ornaments twice.

    Right now, the robbers were killed. And the fat duck that lured him here was trapped in his hand.

    The bright green duck¡¯s eyes shed. It wanted to quack but because he held it by its neck, all it could do was squawk an odd note.

    It was obvious that it understood what Shao Xuan said. It was panicking.

    ¡°I will ask you a few questions. If you give me satisfactory answers, I¡¯ll let you go,¡± said Shao Xuan, ring at the duck in his hand.

    Its wings were trapped. The duck kicked its ws and nodded.

    Shao Xuan moved the hand on its neck slightly but was still cautious. If this duck decided to peck him the moment he let go, Shao Xuan would break its neck without hesitation.

    At least this duck was smart. It did not peck him. It looked at him, waiting for him to speak.

    ¡°Are there more of them?¡± said Shao Xuan.

    There was a pause. It nodded.

    ¡°How many?¡±

    The duck froze. It did not know how to count, it was merely capable of answering yes or no questions. As for how many¡­ to the duck, one was the same as ten.

    When he looked at the duck, Shao Xuan knew he wouldn¡¯t be able to get an answer.

    ¡°Bring me there.¡±

    The duck kicked its feet, indicating that it could not walk.

    Shao Xuan looped some rope around its neck and released its wings. With a long rope as a leash, he said, ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    The duck shuddered. It wasn¡¯t used to having a leash but it still led the way and caused no trouble. However, its eyes kept darting around as it thought of a way to escape.

    When he passed the copsed tree, he realised the person who died under the tree had turned a peculiar green-ck. It was terrifying. Plus there was a pungent smelling from the body.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze swept across the poisonous little nts. He nned to return to study these nts after dealing with the rest of the people. A poison that could kill a totemic warrior was no ordinary poison.

    The duck was quite cooperative too. It did not bring Shao Xuan through a dangerous region on purpose, even deliberately taking a route to avoid hidden traps. Shao Xuan¡¯s impression of the duck seemed to change.

    This duck did not seem to have a good rtionship with this bunch of people. After seeing Shao Xuan kill three of them, it did not seem angry either. While it was still thinking of a way to escape, it still brought Shao Xuan back to their base, leading him through the safest route. It did not seem to care that Shao Xuan was there to cause trouble. It seemed to be happy with this.

    After walking a bit, he noticed evidence of human activity here. There were cooked bones thrown in the bushes. It looked like human bones.

    The duck waddled faster, swaying as it led Shao Xuan in a direction. It could have cried out at this moment to alert the people inside but it did not.

    Shao Xuan looked at a wooden treehouse not far away. There was all sorts of creepers and branches on the house, camouging it in a patch of green. Underneath the tree was some bones and burnt charcoal.

    There was someone in the house. After listening, he deduced that there was only one person. He could not sense how strong this person was.

    This person was muttering, then there were chopping sounds.

    After he was certain that there was no one around, Shao Xuan tied the fat duck to a tree nearby. He did not care if it chewed on the rope either. Also, if the duck wasn¡¯t quacking now, it would notter.

    Shao Xuan quietly climbed the tree and arrived on the treehouse.

    There was an old man with a hunched back. He was as thin as a matchstick and seemed mentally ill, He kept muttering angrily to himself. Next to him was some cut meat. Not sure what meat.

    When he sensed movement, the old man turned around. ¡°You¡¯re all back¡­ Who are you?!¡±

    When he saw the stranger, the old man looked cautious. His eyes glinted as he weighed the difference in their physical strength. He wondered what happened to the three who had left and when they would return.

    However, after regarding Shao Xuan, there was fear in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡­ why are you here?!¡±

    ¡°You know me?¡± Shao Xuan walked into the house, looking at the old man.

    There were skills hanging around the house. Human skulls with traces of injuries from sharp weapons.

    ¡°No¡­No, I don¡¯t know you!¡± the old man quickly denied.

    The sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand shed and it pried the axe out of the old man¡¯s hand. With the tip of the sword, he pointed at the old man. ¡°You¡¯re alone here?¡±

    ¡°There, there, there are three more!¡± the old man answered shakily, his neck retracting to his shoulders when his axe was gone.

    ¡°How do you know me?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know you!¡± When he saw the tip of the de approach, the old man panicked and let out a shriek. He copsed on the ground, hugging his head. ¡°I really don¡¯t know you! I just heard that their target this time is a young man with a sword, that¡¯s why I¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell me where you¡¯re all from,¡± said Shao Xuan, dragging a wooden stool over as he sat down.

    The old man looked up in fear, eyeing the door and then Shao Xuan. ¡°What happened to the other three?¡±

    ¡°Dead.¡±

    The old man shuddered, absolutely terrified. When he looked at Shao Xuan to see that he looked impatient, he quickly said, ¡°If I tell you, will you let me live?¡±

    Shao Xuan shed a wooden stool nearby in half. Both halves burst apart and hit the wall. The loud thud scared the old man so much he shuddered again.

    Shao Xuan retracted his sword and pointed the wooden floor in front of the old man. Calmly, he said, ¡°If you speak, you¡¯ll have a chance to live. If you don¡¯t, I can only send you to meet your friends.¡±

    The old man looked up in panic then hung his head again. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you, I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡±

    The old man¡¯s body shook hard. Stuttering, he told him about their origins. This was a person who feared death. Not much effort was needed to get him to tell Shao Xuan everything. He had nned to keep some secrets but after Shao Xuan scared him again, he stopped thinking and just kept begging Shao Xuan to show him mercy.

    This old man had been banished to exile by a tribe in the forest because he had poisoned and killed someone in the tribe. Then, he stole gemstones from the tribe to trade with a ve master. He had nned to escape far away with his treasure. However, he had been targeted along the way and robbed. He almost died along the way so he escaped back into the forest. Thereafter, he couldn¡¯t return to his tribe, and with his abilities, it was going to be difficult to survive in the forest.

    Out of luck, he met a bunch of people risking their lives searching for Gongjia Mountain in the mountain. Since he was somewhat familiar with the ce, he became a guide for the team.

    After that, along the way, some of these people died, others were injured, some left. There were eight people left and this old man was one of them. The rest were not focused on looking for the mountain anymore. There was a change of ns¨C they robbed people who had found the mountain.

    If they realised the person looked strong, they would not attack. However, when they saw ¡®fat goats¡¯, they robbed without hesitation. However, the people who came looking for the mountain were mostly very capable people. Although there were many sessful raids, and these targets¡¯ skulls became spoils decorating his house, people in their team died during the robberies too. Eight people dwindled to four. When the numbers dwindled, they became more cautious in choosing their target and did not attack easily. However, they were greedy and hadn¡¯t had the chance to rob anyone in a while. Shao Xuan looked like an average guy and they did not see the Xia guy who was with him. This meant Shao Xuan must have found Gongjia Mountain. Either this or he must have killed the Xia guy. No matter what, this kid must have a lot of treasure with him.

    Under the temptation of such benefits, they nned to kill Shao Xuan. They sent out their bait, which was the duck.

    This duck was trained by the old man. He was good at training birds, he used to train birds in his tribe to steal stuff for him. It was because he was found out, that was why he was banished from the tribe. To prove that he was useful, he picked up his skill once again and set up a trap for the duck. After training it for half a year, it was an effective bait to lure people into traps. Strictly speaking, training a duck would take two to three years, maybe longer. The best method was to train it since it hatched. However, he had limited resources so he could only make do with what he had. Although it was quite extreme, and there was potential that this bait could turn against him, he did not hesitate to use it. He had to show the rest that he was useful too.

    There were not many animals here and food was hard toe by. Anyone would be tempted by this fat duck.

    Shao Xuan understood. It was no wonder this duck did not seem close to these people. It must have started to be defiant during the training.

    Once he was done, the old man looked at Shao Xuan carefully. Would the young man let him live?

    Shao Xuan stood up and looked at the old man shivering on the ground. ¡°The people on these walls, they were victims of your robberies?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­. yes,¡± the old man stuttered, then immediately added, ¡°I did not do anything! They killed these people, it¡¯s all them!¡±

    Shao Xuan stared at him. The old man was so guilty he started sweating. Shao Xuan looked away and took a bunch of bronze tools before he left. These people had benefited from their victims. Medicine, treasures, weapons, there were all sorts of stuff here. It was a ck eats ck world, Shao Xuan packed everything up and left.

    [TL note: ck eats ck= using an hical tactic against an hical party. ]

 Chapter 422 - Domestication

    <h4>Domestication</h4>

    Shao Xuan did not touch the old man. He just took the stuff and left.

    What goes aroundes around. If they killed and robbed, they had to be prepared to be robbed themselves.

    When he got down the tree, Shao Xuan did not see the fat duck. There was a piece of rope tied to the tree and the other end had been pecked off.

    Shao Xuan had no interest in where the duck went either. He went back to the robbers. The person who had copsed on the ground had his features blurred like melting wax. It was very eerie.

    Shao Xuan attempted to dig up some of the poisonous grass but they withered immediately. He still brought away a few withered nts but after using them on prey, he realised the toxin in this nt poisonous enough to kill an advanced totemic warrior greatly decreased as it withered. The worse it withered, the weaker its toxins were. In the end, it could not even poison an ant.

    Then it was no use carrying it around. Shao Xuan gave up. Perhaps this peculiar nt could only grow here.

    Shao Xuan continued walking in the nned direction. When he passed the treehouse, he heard a loud thud, like a huge wooden nk was smashed on the ground. Then he heard the old man¡¯s furious curses and the duck¡¯s quacks. It sounded like they were fighting.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡­¡± There was a shriek, then the old man screaming at the top of his voice¨C ¡°Die! Die!!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not look inside. He just walked past with the stuff he packed.

    On the other side, the treehouse had copsed.

    When Shao Xuan left, the old man spat out of his house and cursed but now much softer. He dared not yell too loudly or that damned man mighte again. He was already relieved that he was alive. Then, he saw a green sh flying from outside into the house. It scratched across his head and then flew out again.

    A clump of hair with some skin and blood was torn off his scalp. Not just that, the duck even left deep scratches from its ck. If its ws were a little longer and sharper, or it was stronger, they might have punctured his head.

    The old man yelled in pain, waving his axe immediately. He was still in shock, now his fat bird was rebelling. Now he was so furious smoke might being out of his ears. He swung his axe around his house, chopping at everything.

    However, the fat duck was not slow either. It loped around the house. The old man did not manage to chop off its head but instead managed to wreck his house.

    The wooden treehouse wasn¡¯t a robust structure either. It crashed from the tree and shattered into pieces of nks.

    The old man scrambled out of the pile of rubble and grabbed the chipped axe. He chased after the duck, hacking at it but in the forest, the fat duck was a lot quicker than the old man.

    The fat duck seemed to be having fun, bringing him for a ride and grabbing at him with its ws asionally. It usually did honest work mainly because it was afraid of the rest of the men. Strength-wise, this old man was the weakest. Now that the rest were all dead and this old man was the only survivor, the duck did not want to listen to him. It would never give up such a good opportunity to turn against him.

    The old man had lost all sense of sanity as he chased after the duck. It lured him into the area with traps nearby, set up by the other three men. The old man was not aware of this. The shriek Shao Xuan heard was when the old man¡¯s foot was caught in a sharp, toothed mp on the ground.

    The old man set off multiple traps at once and was trapped on the spot. He did not have the axe with him now and could not get out of the trap. Seeing this, the fat duck went at him a few more times then waddled off. It spread its wings, leaving.

    Soon after the duck left, the sky gradually darkened. A dark shadow perched on a tree nearby, watching the old man below. Soon, another simr bird arrived too. They were nocturnal and liked rotten meat. If there was no rotten meat, they would create some.

    The old man was familiar with these. He sometimes fed them with remains of other humans. Now that he saw a few birds on the tree, a sense of hopelessness crept into him.

    Within the quiet forest, a sudden shriek of agony shattered the silence. Then, there were squawks of many birds and the shriek intensified.

    Animals hidden in the dark corners of the forest caught a whiff of blood and started sniffing in search of the feast.

    As for Shao Xuan, he had already found the original path he came from. He did not rest in the cave, resting on a tree instead.

    Before he closed his eyes, his eyes darted at a tree nearby. Among the leaves was a fat shadow, thinking it was well hidden.

    Shao Xuan ignored it. He had used up a lot of energy fighting the three robbers, it was time for some rest.

    On the next day, Shao Xuan woke up and continued on his journey.

    The fat duck followed not far away. When Shao Xuan saw it, it would fly away and hide. When Shao Xuan turned around, it would follow again.

    He didn¡¯t understand. What did the duck want?

    As he travelled, he suddenly heard a very desperate ¡°Quack!¡±

    When the duck flew between the trees, arger bird swiped at it with its ws. Several duck feathers flew.

    The duck fell on a branch, then a snake coiled itself around it. Its short ws could not reach the snake¡¯s body. Then the snake bit down on the duck¡¯s neck so it could not even make a sound.

    Shao Xuan chopped the snake in half with his sword and lifted the duck by its leg, shaking it. The duck¡¯s neck shook too- it was already unconscious. The snake had been venomous, it might not live long.

    Shao Xuan looked at the unconscious duck, tied its legs with some rope, and carried it off. He picked up the snake too. He was going to roast it.

    There were many venomous snakes in this forest. He wasn¡¯t sure if this duck would live. It was a pity because if the duck was poisoned, he couldn¡¯t eat it.

    That night, Shao Xuan rested in a cave. This was one of the resting spots Gongjia Heng found, there was even a stone pot Shao Xuan made when they rested here.

    He roasted some animal meat, boiled a pot of soup and threw the snake in. Then, he looked at the duck. Coincidentally, the duck had just regained consciousness. It lifted its head and stared at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Quack!¡± It wanted to hide but the snake venom had not dispersedpletely yet. It did not have strength in its wings and legs so all it did was tumble on the ground.

    Shao Xuan looked at the duck, wondering if he should boil it. If it could wake up, that meant its body had broken down the venom already. If it could live¡­. It was edible.

    The duck almost exploded in fear as Shao Xuan stared at it. Toughening up despite its fears, it quacked again.

    Shao Xuan turned around and picked a stone bar up to stir the pot. He looked at the snake. This snake, while it was not the most venomous in the world, it was still not to be underestimated. An advanced totemic warrior had to be cautious too. However, the duck seemed to be fully conscious now, so soon and without the help of any antidotes too!

    In some ces, poisonous nts were probably more dangerous than venomous animals. The duck living in a ce like that must have high resistance towards toxin.

    Shao Xuan looked at the fat duck lying on the ground, his intentions unclear. Cooked and roasted food was all around him. The duck was not interested, perhaps because the effects of the venom had notpletely faded yet. It fell asleep.

    On the next day, Shao Xuan was woken by the sound of a duck quacking.

    The duck had pecked the rope around its feet broken and then escaped at top speed. Shao Xuan had not stopped it.

    The boulder he used to block the mouth of the cave was still there. The fat duck almost got stuck in the tiny gap between the mouth and the boulder.

    When Shao Xuan rose, he pushed the boulder and looked outside. The duck was pecking at something in the bushes not far away, fluttering and energetic as ever.

    Looking at how energetic it was, the venom must have been fully broken down already. The hungry duck foraged for food but Shao Xuan ignored it. It could do whatever it wanted.

    After eating yesterday¡¯s leftover meat, Shao Xuan continued on his journey.

    The duck, who was still pecking among the bushes, dropped what it was doing and chased after Shao Xuan as he left. This time, it followed closer than before although it struggled to keep up with his speed.

    When he passed through the monkey forest, Shao Xuan was once again before therge river. He looked around but he couldn¡¯t see that giant crocodile. He was now going to take the risk though, he had no ns to build a raft.

    Shao Xuan fished out a wooden whistle. Gongjia Heng had whittled it out of a tree branch from Gongjia Valley and taught him how to blow it. However, Heng could not guarantee if Hammer the Bird would obey Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan blew into the whistle ording to Heng¡¯s instructions.

    Soon, a bird flew over from the opposite bank. However, when it saw Shao Xuan, Hammer did notnd immediately. It was only when he spoke a little and offered it a prey when the bird finally relented.

    When Hammer was eating, the fat ducknded from the sky. It hid not far behind Shao Xuan, watching it cautiously. The duck was guarded around a bird so muchrger than it.

    After a full meal, Hammer was in a good enough mood to bring Shao Xuan across the river. The duck continued following behind. Hammer did not even look twice at it. It was just a tiny dot not worth its attention.

    When he crossed, Shao Xuan did not see the giant crocodile.

    Shao Xuan stayed for two days at Gongjia Heng¡¯s ce before setting off again. He did not enter Heng¡¯s stone house, merely resting in the treehouse.

    The fat duck rested outside nearby.

    It understood very well that following Shao Xuan could mean it was going to be eaten but it followed him anyway. This was because it was not capable of surviving in the forest. After it was domesticated by the old man, it had lost all sense of survival. It was very reliant on humans. Everyone was dead and it had vented its anger on the old man already. Since it could not continue living in the forest, it decided to follow Shao Xuan. However, the ces they passed through were even more dangerous. It kept seeing all these birds in the sky that could kill it with one swipe so it lived in terror every day. This duck grew thinner as time went on.

    Even Shao Xuan wondered if the duck suffered from Stockholm syndrome¨C or in the tribesmen¡¯s words, it was an early sign of domestication.

 Chapter 423 - Brought Back To The Tribe

    <h4>Brought Back To The Tribe</h4>

    Shao Xuan observed. Although the duck was still guarded and cautious around him, if there was anything dangerous around it, the duck would immediately run towards him, screaming.

    Should he really bring it back to the tribe? Or just cook it?

    Shao Xuan thought about it. This duck was special. If they could really tame it, it was not a problem to rear it in the tribe. However, Shao Xuan studied its tail feathers. It was probably a male. If he brought it back, it could noty eggs. Should he eat it? There were no female ducks in the tribe.

    After thinking about it, Shao Xuan decided to leave it alone for the moment. If the duck managed to follow him back to the tribe, then they¡¯ll just rear it there. It will be an experiment to rear it as poultry.

    Shao Xuan set off once again after resting a few days at Gongjia Heng¡¯s ce.

    This time, he did not take the path through the water-covered swamp area. He went around it, taking the longer route instead. He wanted to fill out his map after checking the area.

    The duck followed. It had gotten used to him. Since Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t eaten or beaten it during this period of time, even helping it a few times, it followed him even closer.

    Shao Xuan became more rxed when he saw the familiar patch of forest. He moved faster too.

    There was a movement in the forest. Shao Xuan heard conversations. There were hunters from the tribe out hunting.

    Whoosh!

    An arrow flew from among the trees, flying straight at the fat duck behind it. It was unfortunate that it was such an obvious target in the forest. When it flew, it was basically a living target. It could get by if hunters did not want such a small game but if any hunter decided they wanted the duck, this duck would never survive. Plus after travelling for such a long time, it had grown weaker and not as agile as before. It was going to be difficult for it to dodge an arrow.

    When Shao Xuan sensed the arrow, he blocked it with his sword. He hit the arrow sideways.

    ¡°Who is it?!¡± There was a shout among the trees and several people rushed over.

    It was Tao Zheng, Zhui and the rest. This was the area their hunting party frequented. When someone had knocked their arrow away, the first thing they thought was that someone from another tribe must have trespassed their hunting grounds.

    However, when they saw Shao Xuan, their guarded looks faded immediately.

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    ¡°Elder!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re back?!¡±

    Shao Xuan had left the tribe for a period of time, apparently for something important. Some people knew the reason, some did not. All they knew was that ever since he left, the chief had been very worried. Every time they went out hunting, the chief would remind them to be careful and alert. If anyone saw Shao Xuan, they had to inform him immediately.

    ¡°Should I return to inform the chief?¡± asked TaoZheng.

    Shao Xuan waved it off. ¡°No, I can go back on my own. You all carry on with your hunt.¡±

    ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, what¡¯s that behind you? You hunted it?¡± asked a young member of the party. He had been the one who shot the arrow. Now he was very embarrassed, it felt like he had taken the Elder¡¯s game.

    Shao Xuan looked at the fat duck resting on the tree nearby and turned to Tao Zheng and the rest. ¡°Kind of.¡±

    He was carrying a huge bundle wrapped in animal hide and vines. Everyone eyed it curiously.

    ¡°What¡¯s inside?¡± asked Tao Zheng excitedly.

    ¡°Gold wares,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    When they heard him, everyone was curious but it was not the time to chat. All they could do was suppress their curiosity and continue with their hunt.

    After bidding them farewell, Shao Xuan hunted two more animals and then returned to the tribe.

    In the tribe, when the shamaness and Chief Zheng Luo heard of Shao Xuan¡¯s return, they came down the hill to personally greet him.

    ¡°Eh? The bird¡­¡± yelled someone at the manmade river surrounding the vige. He pointed at the bird resting on the tree opposite the river.

    The fat duck studied everyone from the ming Horn tribe, alert.

    ¡°About the bird, if it did not deliberately attack anyone or bring any trouble to the tribe, just ignore it,¡± said Shao Xuan to the people around the river.

    So it was Shao Xuan¡¯s duck! Everyone at the foot of the hill nodded solemnly, promising not to kill it.

    Shao Xuan wanted to exin but the shamaness had dragged him up the hill like she had many questions for him. Shao Xuan did not borate, nning to return once he was done.

    He went up the hill, tossed the prey at his doorstep. A few people resting in the area volunteered to help him clean the prey since he was busy. After thanking them, he went to the shamaness and exined what happened to her and the chief.

    When they heard him say that non-Gongjia people could not enter Gongjia Mountain, they sighed in pity. However, their eyes brightened when he took out the animal skin scrolls with stuff he had copied down.

    Zheng Luo pulled out a piece of animal skin hurriedly and copied down the key points. He could not wait to bring it to the tribe¡¯s cksmith. Zheng Luo was as interested in forging and casting as their cksmith. However, they were still not as good in forging because any tribe with a little more information refused to share their techniques.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s notes were straightforward and helped answer questions that gued the chief. Although it wasn¡¯t like a shower of milk to his head, it was still a huge inspiration.

    [Note: A shower of milk to the head (idiom) = enlightenment/a gush of wisdom; I kept this in because I loved this expression]

    ¡°Take a look at these. Anything that¡¯s rusty or broken can be re-casted.¡± Shao Xuan took out the stuff he took from the robbers and gave them to Zheng Luo.

    These weapons varied in quality. Some good ones could be used immediately while the rest had to be fixed.

    Zheng Luo rubbed his palms, picked up the stuff and left in a hurry.

    Only Shao Xuan and the shamaness were left in the house. Shao Xuan told her about activating the bone ornaments.

    ¡°Great! That¡¯s great news!¡± The shamaness smiled so hard her wrinkles deepened. ¡°If you¡¯re alright, you can proceed. I¡¯ll clear a spot in the vige for you to practice. It¡¯s better to practice here than in the forest, plus you won¡¯t have to worry about threats around you.¡±

    Shao Xuan stayed for a bit then returned to his house.

    When he arrived, his two games had already been cleaned. Qi Qi had been waiting at his doorstep for a while.

    When he saw her struggle to hide her grin, Shao Xuan knew the Thousand Grain Gold must be doing well.

    ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, you¡¯re back! The Thousand Grain Gold are doing very well,e look at them!¡± Qi Qi brought him to the backyard excitedly.

    When he had passed by his house, he had noticed his backyard had been expanded. The fence around the backyard was built taller too so he could not see inside.

    Now that he was back home, he walked into the backyard to see three-meter tall nts. Shao Xuan stopped in shock.

    When he had seen the nt on that hill, it was not like that. It wasn¡¯t this tall.

    There were about forty nts left in his yard when he left. At that time, they were barely at his shoulder. Now, although there were only twenty-three of them left, all of them were growing very well. They weren¡¯t just taller than humans, every leaf was wider and thicker than he remembered! And their stalks were almost as thick as a person¡¯s waist.

    Most importantly, there were grains growing on the nts too!

    Even an idiot would know that these nts were growing a lot healthier than the wild ones! They just didn¡¯t know what would happen to the grains after harvest. If they were valuable, he would nt the rest of his grains.

    In the yard, there were both ming Horn and Taihe tribe members. They surrounded the nts, never growing tired of staring at the twenty nts every day. They used to visit twice a day but now, they even slept in this yard. The yard was expanded partially for this reason.

    ¡°Everyone wanted to watch over the nts but there was limited space in the yard so the shamaness told us to expand it.¡± Qi Qi looked at his face timidly. When she realised he was not mad, the weight on her shoulders lifted.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work!¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing at all, it¡¯s all worth it!¡± Qi Qi had a sense of pride and aplishment as she looked at her nts.

    Since he was back at the tribe, he could finally rx and that night, he slept soundly.

    During the next few days, Shao Xuan was summoned by Zheng Luo to talk about crafting. His position was not even needed here¨C Shao Xuan met a Xia and went to Gongjia Mountain. Naturally, the cksmiths here were all willing to listen. They asked him questions when they did not understand the notes. Shao Xuan also briefed everyone about the development of the core seed and the Xia people so everyone had an understanding of it.

    A few days had passed when he went down the hill again.

    On this day, he nned to check on the duck.

    Everyone who lived at the bottom of the hill plus the ones on patrol all knew of it. The fat duck bobbing its head left and right, fluttering here and there was Elder Shao Xuan¡¯s prey. No one dared touch it, some even voluntarily tossed some food at it.

    On the first day, the fat duck, being in a new environment, was flighty. It was always worried, flying off whenever there was a slight movement. Then, it realised these people meant no harm, it even received food from them. Although it did not like the food, it still thought it was a good thing.

    On the second day, the fat duck attempted to swim in the water. It swam around in the manmade river surrounding the ming Horn tribe. However, every time someone passed by, it would immediately fly away into the forest, only returning when there was no one.

    The third day, fourth day passed¡­

    When Shao Xuan arrived, the fat duck was swimming happily along the river, sometimes even diving into the water. When someone approached, it merely looked cautiously at the person but did not fly immediately.

    Looks like this duck isn¡¯t leaving.

    Since it was living well, Shao Xuan did not chase it away. He just told someone to watch it and make sure it did not cause trouble.

    Until one day, Shao Xuan noticed there were several female ducks in the river.

 Chapter 424 - Duck Eggs

    <h4>Duck Eggs</h4>

    Compared to the other animals in the forest, this duck seemed to be friendly to humans. Sometimes, it flew far away doing goodness knows what but before sunset, it still returned to rest in the forest on the other side of the river. During the day it would continue moving around the river and in the forest. Since it was near the vige, there were no dangerous predators nearby and it was rtively safe to the duck.

    Once it grew morefortable, it grew bolder and no longer had predictable routines.

    ording to the guy who often observed the duck, in the beginning, the duck had disappeared for more than half a day. The people at the foot of the hill were worried it wasn¡¯t going to return but when they nned to report to Shao Xuan, they realised it was back with another bird. Then, they both left. When it returned, the duck had brought anotherpanion.

    Just like that, it would bring back one bird every one or two days. These were not all the same. Some had sharper beaks, some had rounder beaks, some had longer wings, some had shorter wings. Some had bright feathers, some had grey feathers. Some liked resting on the trees, some like resting in the bushes. Even if these birds had their differences, from the general characteristics, they were simr to the duck. Perhaps they were of the same family or shared an ancestor.

    In the past, the tribesmen would hunt birds flying around this area. Of course they¡¯d take food delivered to their doorstep! However, since the duck was the Elder¡¯s, no one touched it. They did not touch the other birds either.

    Right now, themon trend was counting ducks. When the people at the foot of the hill had some time, they would go check on the ducks in the river.

    ¡°Hey, how many are there today?¡± asked a warrior on patrol duty.

    ¡°Seventeen. It was fifteen yesterday,¡± said another warrior excitedly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the number of birds could increase like that!¡±

    ¡°What nonsense is that? That bird was brought here by Elder Shao Xuan. It¡¯s impressive too, he brought one back and it became seventeen so quickly!¡± said another admiringly.

    ¡°But these birds don¡¯t look like good food. They¡¯re small and don¡¯t have much flesh. They look like normal birds. Why does Elder want so many of them?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°He must have his reasons. Let¡¯s not spend too much thinking about it, we just have to make sure no one disturbs them.¡±

    ¡°Shhh, time to turn here!¡± scolded the leader.

    Compared to this fat duck, the rest were timider and very flighty around humans. The duck hade into contact with humans before so it took a shorter time to live in human territory. The rest were different. Whenever anyone approached the river, the ducks in the river would scream and fly away, returning only after many hours. Some only returned after a few days.

    That was why, to avoid scaring the birds, the people who counted the birds would stay a distance away. After some time, they figured out the optimum distance. As long as they maintained this gap, the birds would not fly away. Just because of this, the people who patrolled the area would avoid this region to not scare the birds.

    The hunting party had just returned. The flock of ducks were in the area, and with a cacophony of quacks, all the ducks on the river flew into the air, escaping in fear.

    The hunters had just had a bountiful hunt. Someone wanted to shoot down a few so he took out his bow. Suddenly, the guy on patrol sprinted over and punched him.

    The hunters were speechless. What happened when they left?

    When the people on patrol told them, they all quickly kept their bows and arrows. However, the birds who were scared off weren¡¯t going to return for a few days.

    ¡°Will theye back?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°Yes¡­. I think. But it¡¯ll take a while. If the one belonging to Elder returns, most of them wille,¡± answered the leader of the patrol team hesitantly.

    ¡°The Elder¡¯s nning to rear birds?¡±

    ¡°Elder leaves them alone. Those birds came here on their own. In the beginning, there was only that one duck. Then they became more and more, I counted twenty today!¡± The patrol leader was delighted, but when he recalled how the birds might have been scared off by the hunters, his smile faded into worry. These hunters carried with them blood stains and the aura of death, this time might differ from other days.

    He became very worried and so the leader of the patrol team went up the hill to talk to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. As long as the fattest onees back, even if not all of them return, there will be new members in the future,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Since Shao Xuan put it that way, the leader was no longer worried. IN the subsequent patrols, he would often observe the river and count the number of birds.

    The flock was likely scared off by the hunters because it took them longer to return. In the end, only fifteen came back but once everyone saw that the fat green one was back, they no longer worried. This one could always bring more ducks back.

    Shao Xuan had not expected this at all. He just thought the fat duck might bring a few females here if it stayed near the tribe. However, he had severely underestimated the duck¡¯s capabilities. That bastard brought a whole flock of them! The duck¡¯s number of concubines increased every day.

    Perhaps bringing the duck back to the tribe was the right thing to do.

    If these ducksid eggs and ducklings hatched sessfully, they might even inherit the fat duck¡¯s resistance towards poisons. They could eat the males and tame the females, maybe coax them toy more eggs.

    It was not the time to think about this though, he did not even have eggs yet, the second generation would have to wait.

    One day, Shao Xuan had just returned from the cksmith¡¯s ce to see someone standing at his door. There were two warriors who usually patrolled the bottom of the hill, ady and a child barely up to his waist.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    When they saw Shao Xuan, thedy stepped forward emotionally, carefully showing him a bundle of animal skin.

    ¡°My son picked this up at the riverst night, I think it belongs to you.¡± Thedy gave Shao Xuan an egg.

    Usually, the ducks would leave the river and enter the forest at night to rest in their nests. Some of the ducks built their nests on the tree, some in the bushes. Shao Xuan had checked before.

    These were wild ducks, they would noty eggs as often as tamed, domesticated ducks.

    ¡°Where did you find this egg?¡± he asked the kid.

    ¡°In the bushes next to the river.¡± There were no ducks at night and children sometimes yed by the river out of curiosity. It was a surprise when he found an egg next to the riverst night, he was very excited then. After telling his parents, today, two warriors on patrol brought them to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan studied the egg. There was already a crack on it so he passed it back to the child. ¡°You should just take it home and eat the egg. Eat a little first, then only eat the rest if everything is fine.¡±

    Looking at the egg in front of him, plus Shao Xuan¡¯s face didn¡¯t look like he was joking, the child¡¯s face burst into a grin. ¡°Thank you Elder! Just wait, I¡¯ll bring the eggs to you when I find more!¡±

    After the first egg, whenever the flock of ducks left at night, many people went egg hunting. However, they very rarely found any. Shao Xuan saw eggs in the forest though. Within the duck nests, he saw about ten eggs.

 Chapter 425 - Meeting Gongjia Heng Again

    <h4>Chapter 425 Meeting Gongjia Heng Again</h4>

    The fact that these wild ducks chose to build their nests in the forest near the tribe meant they had epted and adapted to the environment. Perhaps the fat duck was part of the reason. No matter what, to the tribe, it was not a bad thing.

    Now, the daily patrol teams expanded their patrol area to the forest near the tribe. In the past, they would only go there once every two days. Now, they would slip into the forest every day.

    The patrol team had another hobby¨C looking for eggs.

    After finding all the different nests, they would bring back the cracked or eggs that had shattered after falling on the ground. If they were edible, they¡¯d eat it, anything else was used as fertiliser for the Thousand Grain Gold. These broken eggs would likely not hatch chicks.

    Shao Xuan wanted to check if every egg contained an embryo but when he looked at it against the sun, he could not see anything. These eggs weren¡¯t translucent so he gave up, only telling the rest to bring back broken eggs.

    The patrol team were careful not to scare the ducks in the forest too. They usually approached the nests if the ducks had left or they would not go near.

    These ducks were very smart, the ones who had their nests amongst tall grass would cover their eggs with grass. At a nce, it did not look like there was a nest here. It was only when a few of the warriors followed the ducks secretly when they discovered the nest.

    Compared to the hard working mothers, that bright green, fat duck was living a very carefree life. Of course, it would patrol around the forest. Whenever a wild rat or smaller animals appeared, the ones that it could defeat, it would go into a defensive mode. It could be a battle duck in a second. However, when it saw an animal that it could not beat, it would start screaming. When the warriors on patrol heard its screams, they would rush over to save the ducks.

    The tribesmen were always enthusiastic about beneficial, interesting activities. They had time to spare anyway. Many children didn¡¯t have much to do so they would catch insects for the ducks to eat.

    Perhaps sensing that this was a safe area, the mother ducks grew more rxed.

    One day, new sounds could be heard from the forest.

    Grey, yellow and patterned balls of feathers could be seen.

    Although there were people on patrol duty, they could not watch every corner all the time. The fat duck definitely couldn¡¯t watch everything at the same time either. When these ducklings hatched, they attracted predators too. There were several unavoidable incidents of ducklings caught by predators, sometimes even the mother too.

    Shao Xuan sent people to bring the ducklings who had lost their mother back to the tribe and reared them in a pen. The fat duck was unbothered as usual. In reality, once the ducklings were born, he was generally uninterested in them. Although he still patrolled the forest, he did not stop to look at the ducklings.

    As for the ducklings, everyone in the tribe was very enthusiastic. There was a huge duck pen built at the foot of the hill. Shao Xuan even led a team to build housing for the ducks.

    Then, one day, Shao Xuan received a report that the fat duck had moved into the house on its own, even barring the ducklings from entering.

    When he saw how the fat duck¡¯s stubborn face, Shao Xuan had no choice but to build a smaller shed next to the duck housing. Heid dried grass inside and was finally able to lure the fat duck over.

    Previously, Shao Xuan had already discovered the poison-neutralising abilities of the duck eggs brought back. That was why he paid more attention to the ducks reared in the tribe. As for the ducks still in the forest, he did not tell his people to catch them. This was their first time feeding and rearing ducks, it was best to have a control group outside. Then again, with theirck of experience, it was not a good idea to rear so many ducks at once either. Might as well let the adult ducks rear their own younglings.

    Other than the ducks, the cksmiths at the tribe had made huge advancements too. They melted therge bronze Ding cauldron Shao Xuan had brought back to cast other wares. They made huge improvements in weapon-making too. The only problem they had was theck of ore for experimentation.

    To Shao Xuan¡¯s delight, the grains were almost ready for harvest. The grains were starting to turn yellow. They would be ready when they were golden. With his experience, Shao Xuan told everyone to be more careful when the grains ripened, for example guarding them against rats.

    ording to Ji Ju and everyone¡¯s calctions, the Thousand Grain Gold should be able to be harvested before the date they left for Anba City. They had umted half a year¡¯s worth of animal hide, it was time for trade again since it was not ideal to leave it at home. Then again, to the Taihe tribe, who specialised in agriculture, they were going to trade after harvest season. ming Horn had to go with them too, since there was a partnership going on.

    However, since the small conflict they had with Anbast year, they had to be more careful this time. Although they were counting on being able to talk to ck Bear directly, they still had to be careful.

    The shamaness, Chief Zheng Luo, Duo Kang, Guang Yi, Shao Xuan and all the higher-ranked people of the tribe gathered at Zheng Luo¡¯s house to discuss the excursion. Although Shao Xuan was the youngest person seated in the room, no one dared look down on him.

    As they discussed, someone reported that there was a man looking for Shao Xuan at the foot of the hill.

    ¡°Did the person mention his name?¡± Zheng Luo asked the warrior who entered.

    He thought for a moment. ¡°He said his name was ¡®Heng¡¯.¡±

    Zheng Luo and the few looked up abruptly, Zheng Luo leapt up. ¡°Quicky invite him inside!¡±

    However, when he remembered the man was looking for Shao Xuan, he had to get Shao Xuan¡¯s opinion so he stopped the warrior and turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Shao Xuan stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll go down the hill to check first.¡±

    Many people refrained from entering a tribe they were not familiar with. If anything happened, they would never be able to escape. When he thought of this, Zheng Luo understood too. However, he did not sit in his house either, going down the hill with Shao Xuan. As a person who was very interested in casting and forging, the Xia was a mysterious group of people to him. If you didn¡¯t have enough stuff to trade, you would never be able to hire a Xia person to craft a weapon for you in the city. The more experienced the Xia forger was, the less likely the forger was inclined to ept offers.

    Every Xia person who left Gongjia Mountain was a master. Even if they weren¡¯t famous now, it was only a matter of time. Once he became famous, meeting him would be difficult. This was a rare opportunity that Zheng Luo would never pass up.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the bottom of the hill, Gongjia Heng was sitting on a patch of grass near the river, watching the colourful line of ducks in the river.

    After living near the tribe for a while, the ducks trusted the tribesmen more. They would even fight for the food scattered by the people.

    ¡°Your tribe rears so many birds? Aren¡¯t you afraid they will fly away if you leave them here like that?¡± asked Gongjia Heng, pointing at the ducks in the river.

    Shao Xuan smiled. ¡°They flew here on their own, they can fly away if they want.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡± Gongjia Heng did not believe him. Then again, he was not here to look at ducks, he had only asked out of curiosity. As for whether the ming Horn people were rearing ducks, he had no interest.

    ¡°I asked a few tribes before finding this ce.¡± When Gongjia Heng arrived, he had seen a ming Horn warrior dragging a freshly hunted wild boar. He had tossed it to his partner easily as if it was just a small sandbag. At the time, he thought, ¡®Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t lying, the tribesmen are strong.¡±

    ¡°Come into the vige, we can talk inside. You must be tired too. Rest for a few days here before leaving,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng did not refuse. Since he left Gongjia Mountain, other than staying for two days in the house he¡¯d lived in for twenty years, he hadn¡¯t gotten proper rest. There had been many fearsome beasts in the forest so he had been very tense to avoid the beasts. Now, he was just exhausted and needed some good sleep. Although it was his first time at ming Horn and did not know them well, he trusted Shao Xuan.

    After introducing Heng to Zheng Luo and the rest, he brought Heng up the hill to his house.

    Heng had been carrying arge bundle. When they entered the house, Heng plopped the bundle on the stone table and there was a loud thud.

    ¡°These are for you!¡± Gongjia Heng said seriously. ¡°I haven¡¯t properly thanked you properly. This is a portion of the fruit of mybour at Gongjia Mountain, also a gift of thanks to you.¡±

    Shao Xuan took a look at the things in the bundle. Ten weapons including swords, axes, spears and daggers. Although they were just on the table, you could feel how sharp they were from the cold glint on the des. Every weapon had a cloud symbol, which was Gongjia Heng¡¯s signature. One of the golden swords had a dark cloud pattern which was Shao Xuan¡¯s name.

    Gongjia Heng gave a look of pride. With great confidence, he said, ¡°This sword is, other than the one I gave as an offering at Gongjia Mountain, the best sword I have made until now. It can break a rock easily!¡± As he spoke, his eyes swept the room. He saw a few rocks as big as his fist and strode over to pick them up. ¡°Watch!¡±

    Zheng Luo, Duo Kang and the rest had squeezed into the house too. They craned their necks and stared unblinkingly, afraid they might miss something exciting. They had heard of Xia-made weapons that could easily cut rocks in half. However, these weapons were costly to make. Without the right connection, they couldn¡¯t hire a Xia cksmith either. The best masters didn¡¯t usually meet outsiders.

    Today, they had the chance to witness this, they were so excited they couldn¡¯t breathe!

    Gongjia Heng held the sword reflecting golden light in one hand, then threw the rock in the air with the other.

    He shed the sword down powerfully when the rock was in the air, the de directly on the rock.

    As the sword shed, there was a sh of golden light that brought a feeling of sanctity. Like a sh of lightning in a dark night, as if it could split the skies in half.

    Everyone around felt a chill down their spine and shuddered.

    ng!

    The golden sword made contact with the rock and created a sound that almost pierced their eardrums.

    Stone powder flew.

    Thud! Grr¡­

    The rock rolled on the ground.

    The sword was still perfect, there was no dent.

    The rock had a small chip.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°¡­¡±

    Gongjia Heng: ¡°¡­¡±

    Zheng Luo, Duo Kang and the rest: ¡°¡­¡±

    I guess¡­ this kind of counts as splitting rock?

 Chapter 426 - Blacksmith

    <h4>Chapter 426 cksmith</h4>

    An awkward silence filled the house.

    This¡­ this¡­. This was a little different from what they expected.

    That stance, the power, they all thought the rock would split open. In the end, the rock was just chipped off. It was a small chip too.

    Duo Kang looked at the rock on the ground, then at the sword in Gongjia Heng¡¯s hand, then turned to give Zheng Luo a look. He wanted to say something but stopped himself.

    Not just Duo Kang, even Gongjia Heng himself was confused. His entire stubbly face reddened.

    He wanted to show off but in the end, he just looked stupid.

    ¡°Cough, this is a peculiar rock indeed. I¡¯ve tried a few rocks and they were all split in half easily.¡± How could a random rock he picked up here be so hard? The regr rocks in the forest were all broken easily! He hadn¡¯t expected this, he might as well¡­ might as well kill himself right there and then.

    Shao Xuan was astonished. He went over to pick the rock up and looked at the chipped off corner with surprise in his eyes.

    ¡°That was impressive!¡± gasped Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng: ¡°¡­¡±

    Please don¡¯t say that, I want to kill myself.

    Shao Xuan knew what he was thinking from his expression so he exined, ¡°That really is the most impressive sword I¡¯ve seen. This rock is harder than other rocks. Based on the grading we use for stone racks, this rock is near the top grade type. It¡¯s a lot harder than other rocks.¡± Shao Xuan pointed at another rock in the corner. ¡°If it¡¯s that one, it will be different.¡±

    He had picked this rock up during thest hunt. The quality of the stone was definitely very good. It was just too small and not suitable to make into a knife so he left it there. He hadn¡¯t expected it to be Gongjia Heng¡¯s test rock. Gongjia Heng was just ¡®lucky¡¯.

    Shao Xuan passed him another rock. To everyone else, it did not look different, simr to any rock they saw in the jungle.

    ¡°Try again,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    This time, Gongjia Heng wasn¡¯t so confident. However, he bore the ¡®Gongjia¡¯ family name and could not leave a bad impression like that or in the future, there would be rumours of a Gongjia man who made a sword that could not even split a rock¡­ He would really kill himself if that happened.

    He took a deep breath. Heng through the rock Shao Xuan passed to him in the air, clenched his teeth and shed his sword. This time, he used a lot more strength.

    ng!

    The rock was split in half.

    When he saw this, Gongjia Heng heaved a sigh of relief but kept most of the pride to himself. Too bad, he had just embarrassed himself and had to get some of his dignity back. He had to admit what happened was a deep cut. Gongjia Heng now understood that there was a lot of room to improve. He needed to continue his research so that one day, he would be able to split that rock.

    Duo Kang picked up the two halves of the rock, his doubts gone. He stared at Gongjia Heng¡¯s sword, eyes bright. However, he knew that it was Shao Xuan¡¯s. He just hoped to borrow the sword when Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t using it to satisfy his need to wave the sword.

    Zheng Luo was very impressed. This Xia lived up to his name. He really could split a rock in half! It was no wonder the ve masters of the great six worshipped them.

    Gongjia Heng passed the sword to Shao Xuan. He stopped introducing the weapons, instead asking Shao Xuan in detail about distinguishing different grades of stone. This was for his convenience after he made swords, to test his swords. If that awkward incident happened again, all his dignity would be gone. Thank goodness this was just a tribe deep in the forest. If he were in the great six, especially King City, and this happened in front of a crowd, the consequences could have been dire.

    After witnessing the sword in action, Zheng Luo and Duo Kang did not stay. They did not want to intrude on Heng and Shao Xuan¡¯s discussion.

    After Shao Xuan exined how to distinguish rocks, he asked Heng about his future ns.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head to King City directly. I have some seniors and friends there that I need to visit. I have been gone for twenty years! I don¡¯t know how King City looks like now,¡± Gongjia Heng sighed. ¡°Some people, they were just one step away from Gongjia Mountain. Yet they died too soon, they couldn¡¯t take even that one step after death.¡± The skeletons at Gongjia Valley were all filled with huge unwillingness and regret.

    ¡°The elders of my people used to say this was fate. I thought I might end up like them too, yet I did not think I would meet you, Shao Xuan.¡±

    ¡°I benefited a lot from this too,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Heng thought he was talking about the ten weapons he¡¯d gifted him and waved it off. ¡°That¡¯s nothing. Once my skills improve in the future, if you need weapons, you cane look for me. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t charge a high price.¡±

    There was a pause as he spoke, his face twitched. ¡°Before you left, why did you make the crater deeper?!¡±

    When Gongjia Heng left the mountain, due to consecutive days of forging he was still very disorientated. He had almost fallen into the crater and when he saw the note Shao Xuan left behind, he almost had a heart attack.

    ¡°Cough, that ce, was nice.¡± Shao Xuan quickly changed the topic. ¡°When are you going to King City? Our tribe will leave to trade soon too. I will be going with the tribe to King City.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. If you don¡¯t have a ce to stay, you can look for me. Our Gongjia family lives together in King City, you can ask anyone for directions.¡± Gongjia Heng was happy to hear Shao Xuan could go to King City. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce a few of our Gongjia Masters then, if you need any weapons, you can ask them¨C wait, no, I¡¯d be one of the masters too hahaha!¡±

    As he spoke, the confidence shattered by that rock finally returned.

    To different people, the term ¡®master¡¯ had a different meaning.

    Within the ming Horn tribe, the cksmiths who repaired and made weapons were just cksmiths. They were all the same in other tribes. However, to the ones who specialised in this industry, the ones with a certain level of achievement were called masters or cksmiths¨C the rest were just ordinary craftsmen.

    In the past, Gongjia Heng was already known as a Xia cksmith. However, in the eyes of the Gongjia family and the noble ve masters of the great six, he was not one yet. However, now that he had gone to Gongjia Mountain and learned his ancestor¡¯s secret techniques, he had shown great improvement. In the future, he too would be called a master.

    In the past, Gongjia Heng had been proud of himself, though within that pride was a little guilt. Even Heng himself was guilty when he showed off because within the Xia people, he was no prodigy or he would not have spent twenty years searching for Gongjia Mountain to no avail. He was not famous in the great six either, far from the masters of his people.

    However, now, Gongjia Heng was confident he could be a well-known cksmith when he returned!

    The Gongjia Heng today was like a weapon made out of ore. He had moulted his outeryer to be a high-grade, shiny diamond sword.

    ¡°Thank you Master Heng then!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, thank you! Thank you!¡± Gongjia Heng was already giddy as he thought about his return to King City. He quickly calmed down when he saw the rock with the small chip.

    Gongjia Heng asked Shao Xuan for that rock so he could test future swords on it.

    ¡°Knives, spears and axes suit our tribe¡¯s lifestyle better. Will the quality of these be as good as the sword?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Definitely!¡±

    ve masters liked swords, that was why the cksmiths often made more swords. The ces where they lived did not haverge beasts they had to fight off anyway.

    ¡°What are your requirements for these weapons?¡± Even if he did not make them now, Heng wanted to know so that he had an idea when Shao Xuan ever had a request.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°A little bigger, suitable for hunting.¡±

    Gongjia Heng¡¯s eye twitched. It was the style of the ming Horn after all.

    Shao Xuan told him a lot about distinguishing between rocks so, in return, Gongjia Heng went to give the tribe¡¯s craftsmen pointers after talking to Zheng Luo. The people from the Taihe tribe were jealous, wanting to get pointers from Heng but they had no good excuse. He was just talking to the ming Horn tribesmen as a favour to Shao Xuan. As for other people, he was still a cold, arrogant master toozy to talk to them.

    The Xia people were a proud group because they knew that even if they made a weapon in front of an outsider, the other person would definitely not be able to make it better than them. This was just giving them pointers, Gongjia Heng was not threatened at all.

    He stayed at the vige for two days, fully enjoying the warmth of the ming Horn people. When he left, they even gave him a roasted beast thigh that wasrger than his entire body. However, to him, it was very inconvenient to travel through a forest with such arge thigh. IN the end, he cut off just a portion, brought some dried meat with him and bid them farewell.

    Before leaving, he reminded Shao Xuan that if he went to King City, he should bring some Thousand Grain Gold for trade and he would make more weapons. Although Gongjia Heng was not familiar with agriculture, he had seen enough to know that these grains were special.

    When they heard this, the ming Horn people put even more hope on the nts.

    Now, the grains had grown asrge as grapes on the ns, so much bigger than the soybean-sized grains he had previously seen. The grains hung heavily on the nts, waiting for the day they ripened for harvest.

    As he watched the Thousand Grain Gold grow, he wondered how the old man Ji Ju was doing. He was from the Ji tribe, they should be fine. He wanted to ask Ji Ju for more information to see if there were other methods to nt the Thousand Grain Gold.

 Chapter 427 - Harvesting Thousand Grain Gold

    <h4>Chapter 427 Harvesting Thousand Grain Gold</h4>

    The days passed. As the Thousand Grain Gold ripened slowly, there were irregr urrences in the forest at the foot of the mountain. The ducks grew more and more anxious and started to move closer to the tribe in search of protection.

    The number of patrolling members increased, most of them in the forest outside the tribe because many wild rats had appeared. There were all kinds of rats, big and small, digging holes and hopping arounding continuously.

    Not just wild rats, there were birds in the sky too. There were often birds circling the area. Now, around Shao Xuan¡¯s house, Zheng Luo had sent his men with a sufficient supply of arrows to shoot the birds.

    Other than regr animals, there were fearsome beasts too. They were not therge kind though, those lived far away from the tribe.

    Some people even joked that they did not have to go out hunting because all these animals would just arrive at their doorstep.

    Quan Bai and the rest of the people in the Taihe tribe mentioned that they could send people over if they needed help. They were turned down by Zheng Luo because they could solve the problem on their own and they did not need help. The Taihe tribe definitely wasn¡¯t helping for nothing too, they would ask for a favour, and it would be the ripe grains.

    Zheng Luo could not bear to share such a good thing. Quan Bai and the rest had already contributed to the nting of these grains so they were naturally given a portion. However, Zheng Luo did not want to give out even more.

    When it was time for the switching of shifts for patrol, the new members looked at the pile of rats on the ground and asked the patrol team, ¡°How many did you hunt today?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the rest but I hunted thirty, almost forty today!¡± as he spoke, a warrior walked over with a rat as long as half his arm. Although he was worried, he was happy too. These were food. The chief said anyone who hunted these animals could keep half for themselves, they didn¡¯t have to go out hunting. Now that he had twenty for himself, he could give them to his family if he could not finish them.

    And it was just half a day¡¯s work.

    ¡°More than yesterday.¡± The person who just arrived made a swift movement and shot an arrow.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A rat that wanted to slip out of a bush was nailed to the ground.

    The warrior did not pick his arrow up immediately, shooting three more consecutively. Two wild rats with thick fur and long tails were shot on a tree, the other killed a grey rat in another three instantly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll take it from here. You¡¯ve been working for half a day now, go get some rest,¡± said the warrior going to pick up the three rats.

    The warrior who had been stationed there for half a day finally had the time to tie up his day¡¯s hunt with some straw rope and carried them off. He was even hesitant to return.

    The warriors returning from their stations grouped together talking about their hunt of the day. However, the conversation was peppered with worry too.

    ¡°The ratsing have be bigger and quicker. We have to send more men. A few days ago, it was easy but now it¡¯s getting too many. I almost missed one.¡±

    ¡°Me too, we have to be more careful.¡±

    ¡°Thank goodness we have a river in front. Some rats can¡¯t swim so they can¡¯t cross it.¡±

    ¡°There are many rats that can swim, don¡¯t¡¯ let your guard down.¡±

    As they spoke, they looked towards the top of the hill. There were birds flying back and forth nearby. asionally, a bird would dive down and then get shot by an arrow, finally copsing to the ground.

    Two more days passed. The wild rats that came were manic. All the warriors in the tribe were on duty, a portion of them sent to the hill.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know the Thousand Grain Gold would attract so many birds and rats. The previous nt he saw attracted a swarm of rats but not birds.

    A huge was deployed around his yard to prevent the diving birds from damaging the nts in case they weren¡¯t killed in time.

    ¡°Soon, I think.¡± Qi Qi looked at the golden grains, all smiles. From their perspective, theserge scale peculiar urrences signified that the nt was very special. It was good news.

    ¡°Keep watch! Keep your eyes open, don¡¯t miss even one!¡± said Duo Kang to the warriors outside.

    Every arrow had the warrior¡¯s own symbol on it so that they knew whose prey it was. To the warriors, the prey was small but the feat was huge. If they did well here, they might get some reward from the Elder.

    After talking to Zheng Luo, Shao Xuan had made a public announcement that the other nine weapons left behind by Gongjia Heng would be given to nine outstanding warriors of the tribe. There were limited spots so anyone who wanted one had to work hard. That was why they were all so enthusiastic. Both the young and old were excited as ever, sometimes unwilling to leave their posts when the next shift arrived.

    Shao Xuan also held discussions about the strategy to tackle the ripening of the grains. At this point, the grains were not fully ripe yet and the animals were already so riled up. Once they ripened, what would happen?

    When he thought about how manic the swarm of rats was on the hill, then looked at the flock of birds in the sky and the bundles of rats of different sizes the warriors brought home, Shao Xuan felt goosebumps.

    Although they were just animals, they were still going to be difficult to deal with inrge numbers, especially when they had lost their sanity.

    Due to the disturbance caused by the birds and rats, the ducks all hit. The funny part was, the fat duck had opened the door to let many ducks into the duck shed. After seeing this, Shao Xuan got the people who were not involved in defending the nts to separate the ducks originally in the pen and these new ducks. Then, they opened the door to the shed so the fat duck could bring more ducks inside to hide.

    In the sky, conflicts erupted between flocks of birds. They often fought so feathers would fall like snow, bird poop sttered everywhere. There was already ayer of bird poop and feathers on Shao Xuan¡¯s roof, the smell was¡­

    However, for the Thousand Grain Gold, Shao Xuan had to live with it.

    One day, Shao Xuan was guarding the nts.

    ¡°It should be one of these two days?¡± Qi Qi asked as she looked up at the feathers falling like snow.

    Shao Xuan looked at the heavy grains with a pause. ¡°I think today¡¯s the day.¡±

    When Qi Qi and Zheng Luo heard this, their heart skipped a beat. Qi Qi took several steps back into the house. She had no choice, she wasn¡¯t strong enough to fight. This was the time for her to leave the space for the warriors to do their jobs.

    Zheng Luo had already started to call his men to prepare.

    A whistle sounded from the forest at the foot of the mountain.

    When they heard the whistle, the ones on duty knew it was time.

    The rats that were still peering curiously in the bushes had a sudden pause, then as if they were suddenly provoked, stopped hiding and dashed forward with no regard for their lives.

    The birds in the sky stopped fighting as if they had some prior agreement, then dove directly at Shao Xuan¡¯s backyard.

    ¡°It¡¯s ripe! Now!¡± Shao Xuan roared. Before he finished, they all rushed out to cut off the grains into prepared sacks.

    Not just Shao Xuan- Zheng Luo, Duo Kang and the rest who were already there also helped at the same time.

    Within a few moments, the heavy, golden grains were all harvested. Even the grains that had fallen on the ground were picked up so when the birds arrived, there were only green nts but no grains. All they received were arrows.

    There was an eruption of squawking. Since the disappearance of the grains, the birds flew higher up into the sky once again to dodge the attacks. However, they did not leave and just squawked and flew in the area as if they were unwilling to leave and waited to see if more grains would appear.

    The grains were harvested at noon but the birds only leftpletely at night.

    The swarm of wild rats had long dispersed, the warriors were now scooping up drowned rats in the river. These rats could not swim, yet had jumped into the river in a frenzy with the rest who could. They had broken past the warriors¡¯ defences and yet still drowned to death here. They really were not thinking. There were at least thirty rats like that. The people at the tribe were now cleaning up the rats that had slipped inside.

    Shao Xuan looked at the twenty-three animal skin sacks in his house. Including him, there were twenty-three people, each person harvesting one sack and one nt. Although he didn¡¯t count, he knew that there weren¡¯t just a thousand grains, there must be up to ten thousand grains here!

    Ignoring the smell of bird poop since Qi Qi, the shamaness and the chief were here, Shao Xuan opened one sack a little. He took a grain and carefully peeled the husk away.

    The dark golden husk was pried open to reveal a purple grain inside.

    ¡°How?!¡± gasped Shao Xuan.

    The grains he brought back were all golden inside, why was this purple-gold? This was a lot different!

    He opened the other twenty-two bags and took five random grains from different nts. He opened to realise they were all purple-gold inside1

    ¡°Why¡­ Why did they change colour?¡± Qi Qi was worried too.

    Shao Xuan had said the nts were growing better than the one he previously saw but better didn¡¯t mean change in colour!

    There was such a difference in colour, was it natural? Was this supposed to happen?

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment and felt like it must have been due to the nting methods. They had fed it so much bloody fearsome beast meat too.

 Chapter 428 - Broken Cauldron

    <h4>Broken Cauldron</h4>

    To confirm what was going on, they would have to nt the grains again and check if the grains grew like that again. However, they did not have a second nting season this year.

    Another solution was to go talk to Ji Ju and see what the old man nted.

    No matter what the Thousand Grain Gold looked like, no one doubted that it was special. Which regr grain could attract such a hugemotion? The entire harvest process had been chaos.

    ¡°We¡¯ll cook some and check its properties,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    To them, the grains were the most useful as food. Eating it would determine if they were good or bad for the body, if they were beneficial or toxic. Although that was not an urate conclusion, it was enough. Especially the shamaness who specialised in herbs and Quan Bia from Taihe, eating the grains would tell them a lot about the nt.

    Shao Xuan peeled the husk off a hundred and fifteen grains, all the husk ced into a y container for the shamaness to studyter. The grains were then put into a y Ding cauldron by the shamaness. She used this especially for boiling medicine. This time, just for the grains, she had deliberately cleaned the cauldron and prepared it here, even picking out the best firewood.

    Since Shao Xuan¡¯s house was too small to fit everyone, plus there was a lingering smell of bird poop, they moved to an empty warehouse. Zheng Luo personally cleared the space for them.

    The twenty-three people who harvested the grains, plus the shamaness, Qi Qi and the rest of the people involved in nting the grains made a total of more than thirty. They sat around the cauldron in a few rings. As for the Taihe people, they were ¡®invited¡¯ to wait at the bottom of the hill before harvest.

    One hundred and fifteen Thousand Grain Gold grains as big as grapes were ced into the y Ding cauldron, then water was added. The firewood was lighted and the water boiled.

    A light fragrance wafted through the air.

    This was different from the fragrance of the first nt but notpletely different.

    More than thirty pairs of eyes stared at the cauldron, waiting for the grains to cook. When the water turned into a purple soup, the shamaness took a woodendle and scooped up a little of the thick soup into a bowl and tasted it.

    The shamaness¡¯ face was first one of tasting the soup, then thought, then surprise, then joy and finally excitement. ¡°Amazing!!¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that this was a good thing if the shamaness had such ament. Everyone¡¯s hard work was worth it.

    The shamaness distributed the contents of the cauldron to everyone and left ten grains behind. They were put into another bowl. This was for the Taihe people.

    Shao Xuan felt like this was a lot better than thest. He felt as if all the pores in his body had opened to let out the steam. Since he hadn¡¯t previously had any illnesses or injuries, he did not feel major changes but from the surprise on the other faces, he knew that the returns had far exceeded their hard work. It was worth nting the seeds again.

    ¡°I feel like all my energy has been replenished!¡± said a warrior.

    ¡°I feel like my injuries don¡¯t hurt as much anymore,¡± said a warrior who was severely injured in thest hunt.

    ¡°I feel¡­ feel¡­ feel like this is amazing, even better than eating a whole boar!¡± eximed Duo Kang. ¡°What do we need to feed this nt? Next time when you¡¯re nting them I¡¯ll hunt more animals for it. Hehe, just give me arger portion afterwards. Hehe!¡±

    ¡°No, the Thousand GRain Gold definitely has more functions than this. I think this nt will benefit us all!¡± The shamaness was ecstatic. With time, she would be able to find out more of its properties.

    ¡°Keep these well!¡± Zheng Luo cried emotionally, pointing at the twenty-three sacks. While they did not have a definite answer to what benefits this grain could bring, they were certain the shamaness¡¯ conclusion would not disappoint.

    ¡°We¡¯ll nt more next year,¡± said Qi Qi. she had just eaten one grain but already felt satiated. Other than that, she felt refreshed and all her fatigue and tension were mostly gone. She had the same feeling that the nt had more uses.

    ¡°When we bring these to Anba City, we¡¯ll definitely be able to trade for a lot of good stuff,¡± said Duo Kang, smacking his lips.

    Zheng Luo smacked him instead. ¡°Nonsense, of course we¡¯re keeping this good stuff for ourselves! How could we trade it?¡±

    Duo Kang thought for a moment. There were already so many of them here, how could they bear to give these to other people? They still had their animal skins.

    ¡°So we won¡¯t bring these when we leave in a few days?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°Shao Xuan will bring some but the rest won¡¯t,¡± answered Zheng Luo.

    In the previous discussion, they had concluded that Shao Xuan would bring some to King City for Gongjia Heng. Next time, they would be able to ask Heng for weapons.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, how many grains fromst year left?¡± asked the shamaness.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°We¡¯ve used up two hundred and fifty, so there are about seven hundred left.¡±

    ¡°If possible, nt everything next year. We¡¯ll nt some of this year¡¯s harvest too. But nting so many will definitely be difficult.¡± The shamaness frowned.

    ¡°When I¡¯m at King City, I¡¯ll try to find out more efficient methods of nting crops,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The shamaness nodded. ¡°That will be the only way.¡±

    Five hundred harvested grains were given to Quan Bai and the rest of the Taihe people. They had provided a lot of help after all. They wanted more but Zheng Luo said no. He said ming Horn had caught the beasts for food, and the idea came from his people, the seeds were theirs and in the end, they defended the nts too. They didn¡¯t even have enough for the whole vige, how would they spare more for Taihe? This was already very generous.

    Quan Bai and a few went toin to Shao Xuan and in the end, got one hundred ofst year¡¯s grains. They left happily. Last year¡¯s nting was a failure, of course they had to do it again.

    As for the new grains, they would nt them next year and grow their grain store.

    Three dayster, it was the agreed date for the excursion.

    Shao Xuan counted one thousand grains and put them in a pouch. They left as a team. The remaining grains were with the shamaness. They had already discussed how to distribute the grains so Shao Xuan did not have to worry.

    The trade team arrived at Anba but did not directly head to the free trade zone. Shao Xuan held a token given by ck Bear and looked for him.

    There was a small house with a yard, about a hundred square meters. It was not veryrge in this region.

    Shao Xuan rapped on the door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡± A hoarse voice came. There were loud footsteps.

    Creak¡ª

    The wooden door opened and a muscr man walked out. Although he wasn¡¯t asrge as their leader, ck Bear, he already had the physique of a bear.

    That impatient tone disappeared when he saw Shao Xuan. ¡°Eh?¡± He pointed his finger, as thick as a carrot, at Shao Xuan. ¡°Aren¡¯t you the guy who carried that broken cauldron?¡±

    Even the term ¡®guy who carried the cauldron¡¯ was dubious, what did ¡®broken¡¯ mean? Plus that cauldron wasn¡¯t even broken.

    Without wasting time on banter, he took out the token from ck Bear.

    ¡°Eh? So it really is you? ming Horn? If you came two dayster, you wouldn¡¯t have met us. We¡¯re leaving for King City in two days,¡± said the muscr man.

 Chapter 429 - You Want To Die?

    <h4>You Want To Die?</h4>

    ¡°King City?¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t expect such a coincidence, that the ck Bear group was also heading to King City. They could consider going with them. This would save them the trouble of asking for directions and it was safer. It was worth it even if they had to give them something in return.

    However, they had to first discuss business.

    ¡°Your leader is not here?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Boss has left a while ago, we¡¯re waiting for a batch of goods here to bring along. It¡¯s good you¡¯re here,¡± said the man. The ming Horn goods were of good quality. They had made a lot from re-selling their animal skins. They even distributed the remaining hides among themselves. It was cozy that winter.

    However,pared to the animal hide, they were more interested in the glowing rocks.

    They brought Shao xuan inside and sat on stone stools. They did not have wooden stools because they were not very sturdy to these people.

    ¡°I¡¯m Maoda. Boss isn¡¯t here so all trades in Anba City is under my charge. What good stuff did you all bring today? Do you have any of the glowing rocks?¡± Maoda asked excitedly, rubbing his palms.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have many of the glowing rocks. The river¡¯s dangerous this half of the year, not safe,¡± said Shao Xuan, telling the half-truth. The river in the hunting zone had not dried up yet. While there were a lot fewer crocodiles, there were still a few. They would wait until the river dried uppletely to fish for rocks again.

    However, before he came, Shao Xuan made a few water sun stones to bring along. Things were more valuable when they were rare. They shouldn¡¯t bring too many at once.

    When he heard this, Maoda smiled so hard his eyes were squeezed together. He pped hisrge palm on his thigh. ¡°That¡¯s good! Where are the goods?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t bring it into the city,¡± said Shao xuan. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t trust the ck Bears, they just brought too much stuff this time. If another fight with the Anba people happened, they¡¯d suffer losses. The ming Horn people did not want to damage most of their goods just because of a few scuffles.

    Thinking back to what happenedst year, Maoda understood. ¡°You did the right thing. A few days ago when I went to the free trade zone, I saw Anping with his men walking around there. You remember An Ping, right? The guy who gave you the broken cauldron.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I remember.¡± Shao Xuan listened, knowing there was going to be a story.

    ¡°There was a story behind that cauldron An Ping gave away. For some reason, that cauldron had its defects but to the An nobles, it was still good enough as a gift. However, An Ping was idiotic enough to offer this cauldron up in front of arge crowd. When he went back, they chopped off one of his arms. He remembers and mes you for what happened. That is why, if you all enter the city, you all have to be careful. Don¡¯t let him touch you,¡± said Maoda.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the person who made the decision to give the cauldron An Yan?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Maoda frowned and said with contempt, ¡°He gets away with having a scapegoat. But I think you all are impressive, An Yan suffered major losses. I heard out of all the men he sent after you, very few returned.¡±

    After exining the general situation at Anba City, Maoda and his men, plus Shao Xuan, left the city to a forest nearby.

    Maoda and his group often came and went so the guards were used to them. That was why when they saw Maoda leave with Shao Xuan, they did not mind that they did not know Shao Xuan.

    Not long after leaving Anba City, Maoda met the Taihe tribe which hade with ming Horn. Since he had traded with many tribes with ck Bear, he knew Duo Kang and the rest.

    After scrutinising the goods, Maoda negotiated the prices with the two leaders involving food, golden wares or other goods. After the negotiation, since the stuff they brought wasn¡¯t enough, Maoda sent his men to return to the city to bring more stuff out.

    Maoda thought highly of their goods, plus Duo Kang and the rest did not have any objections to the price offered by Maoda. Both sides were very satisfied so the trade was over very quickly. Compared to the previous experiences of having to stay in the city for a few days and guard their own stuff against thieves and robbers, then even paying a venue fee, this was good.

    This was a first for the Taihe people too. Although they had to admit it was all thanks to the ming Horn, and they felt embarrassed, it was still a joyous affair in general.

    ¡°Since we have finished the trade, we still look for a ce to rest for two days before returning. Anyone who still wants to trade can go as a group. We don¡¯t all have to go, we¡¯ll be toorge of a target,¡± said the Taihe people to Duo Kang.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine.¡± Duo Kang looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°When do you n to leave? Bring more people with you.¡±

    Duo Kang was the leader so he couldn¡¯t leave his team- but his members could.

    ¡°I n to enter the city with the ck Bear¡¯s group. They¡¯re going to King City the day after tomorrow too.¡± Shao Xuan had already mentioned this to Maoda and he had agreed.

    However, he could not bring too many people with him if he wanted to tag along.

    ¡°Then we can¡¯t bring too many. I¡¯ll let Guang Yi go with you. It¡¯s good to have a partner. Although he can¡¯t recognise faces, he is still an experienced man.¡± Guang Yi was very sensitive to dangers and threats. Duo Kang felt more secure with Guang Yi following Shao Xuan.

    He thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Two dayster.

    Duo Kang brought his trading team with the Taihe tribe back, while Shao Xuan and Guang Yi headed to the pre-agreed spot to meet Maoda and his men.

    Soon, a group of about a hundred left the city. Everyone in the team was muscr, when they walked together they were a sight to behold.

    At the same time, these hundred people were all carrying a huge bundle or a wooden box. Other people started to have thoughts about robbing them but once they heard it was the ck Bears, they gave up. These were not people they wanted to anger.

    ¡°You all carry your stuff like that to King City?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the bundle Maoda carried.

    Maoda smiled and gestured for Shao Xuan and Guang Yi to follow.

    Guang Yi followed quietly. He couldn¡¯t distinguish them at all, they all looked like bears to him. However, their auras were a little different so Guang Yi attempted to differentiate them by their postures.

    They walked for almost half an hour after leaving Anba City until they reached the foot of a hill. The hill was not tall nor steep. There were obvious signs of human activity too. There was a path and there were buildings near the peak.

    Maoda took out a horn and blew it.

    Wooooo¡ª-

    Not long after, Shao Xuan sensed that something wasing down the hill. Looking up, severalrge silhouettes ran down. Next two theserge shapes were humans running quickly.

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ bears?¡± asked SHoa Xuan in shock.

    ¡°Not bad!¡± Maoda¡¯s eyes glinted in delight. Not every trading party could getrge animals like these to help them carry their things. Other groups mostly had herbivorous animals, unlike theirs. They had bears!

    ¡°Your people wear bear fur, and even use bears as pack animals? Won¡¯t they get mad?¡± asked Shao Xuan in surprise.

    Maoda and the rest all looked at Shao Xuan as if to say ¡®you haven¡¯t seen the world¡¯. ¡°It¡¯s the reverse. They are only friendly when we wear fur. Plus, the better quality our fur is, the more cooperative they are.¡±

    As he spoke, therge beasts bounding down the mountain had arrived.

    There were seven bears in total. If they stood on their hind legs, each of them would exceed ten meters tall. Their fur was dark brown and perhaps due to good care, it was shiny. One could see their fur reflecting light as they ran under the sun.

    The seven bears were supposed to stop but they¡¯d suddenly smelled the scent of strangers. This caused them great difort.

    One bear roared and sped up again, hurtling towards Shao Xuan. Every step made by its thick paws caused the ground to shake.

    Maoda¡¯s brows furrowed. ¡°Go away!¡± They weren¡¯t carrying anything so it was not worth the effort to pull them back. It would be best for them to go crazy for a while and they¡¯d calm downter.

    When he turned around, Maoda realised Shao Xuan was still standing there and shouted, ¡°Go hide! You want to die?!¡±

    The bear had already arrived, every step shaking the ground. With an angry roar, even the trees around shook with fear.

    Shao Xuan looked at the bear that was quickly approaching, lifted a foot, and stepped unto the ground.

    Boom!

    With this one step, a strong burst of energy exploded from beneath his foot as if he intended to shake everything into powder. The deep rumble extended deep underground, then rose up once again. All the pebbles around flew with the vibrations, dust flew in clouds and countless cracks appeared on the ground.

    With that step, totemic power rose in Shao Xuan¡¯s body instantly, though he retracted them immediately. Before everyone could see the patterns clearly, they realised the patterns had faded as if nothing had happened.

    Poof¡ª

    The huge bear stopped abruptly five meters ahead of Shoa Xuan, digging up chunks of soil due to its abrupt stop. There were cracks under its paws.

    Shao Xuan stood his ground and stared at the bear silently. The powerful bear shuddered and turned around, roaring in another direction like a person who hurriedly changed the topic when the conversation had hit an awkward silence.

    Maoda and the rest were speechless. ¡®You want to die?¡¯ was a question that seemed to echo in the air.

    Guang Yi was picking his teeth with a twig. These were just bears raised by humans, so what? I¡¯ve killed bears way bigger than these!

 Chapter 430 - King City

    <h4>King City</h4>

    The ck Bear group carried the goods and tied them to the bears. They carried the bundles while eyeing Shao Xuan quickly, whispering among themselves.

    ¡°Who is this kid?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He doesn¡¯t look like much but that was powerful. Hmmph.¡±

    ¡°Maoda said the kid will follow us to King City. We can ask himter.¡±

    On the other side, Maoda gave an awkward look. Even the person with the thickest skin could not help but feel embarrassed. He had been bragging too much. Now to think of it, the ming Horn people were experienced hunters. They were a tribe living deep in the forest, encountering countless beasts within. These bears might just be nothing to them. Plus, these bears were trained to be pack animals and not fighters. That was why although they were sometimes ill-tempered, their ferocity was notparable to forest beasts.

    Seven bears crouched while the people tied the goods. Some yawnedzily, pawing their ears. They did not look fierce at all.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done. We can go,¡± someone said to Maoda.

    Maoda nodded. ¡°Have the scouts returned?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Oh, they¡¯re here.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked in a direction. There were two silhouettes sprinting over, stopping only when they reached Maoda.

    ¡°We have cleaned the path of obstacles,¡± said a man with a booming voice.

    ¡°Da, we can go now. They¡¯re waiting in front,¡± said the other.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Maoda waved and yelled, ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Roar¡ª

    The bear in front shook its fur and roared with all its might. This was the leader of the pack. Just now, when it came down the mountain, although it sensed that Shao Xuan and Guang Yi were strangers, it also sensed that they were dangerous. It had not attacked like the others because it was of a more sombre temperament. Maoda made this bear the leader, sometimes it was useful in controlling the other bears.

    Shao Xuan and Guang Yi quickly followed.

    Other than the goods on the bears, there were tworge wagons with wheels made of a giant beast¡¯s bone. It was very hard, they had gotten it from a tribe. The wagon wasn¡¯tpletely made out of wood, there were details that required metal. Underneath the wood was ayer of sturdy beast armour. This wagon would not break down easily.

    The party of two hundred walked on the mountain path.

    It was not a paved road, just a used path that became a path.

    Due to frequent human activity, a lot of wood was often chopped down too. The forest here was not big, the trees were not the giant kind that took thirty people to hug around its circumference.

    There was evidence of branches being cut off and new branches growing. These bears were still five meters tall although they had four limbs on the ground. With the bundles on their back, they were even taller. That was why the branches would be obstacles.

    Shao Xuan learned from the team that a few days before they set off, there would be a team that left first to clean the path of branches, rocks, even hiding robbers and traps so their party could travel more efficiently.

    Shao Xuan asionally smelled blood. It was not animal, it belonged to humans. With so much experience in hunting, he could differentiate between animal and human blood.

    The few younger bears were provoked by the smell of blood, either frustrated or excited. They cried a few times and the line broke. It was only when the alpha bear growled that they calmed down.

    After half a day¡¯s journey, they met a party of a hundred people. These were the ones who had set out to clean the path first, the brother was Maoda¡¯s younger brother, Maojin. They looked alike. When Maoda arrived, he was sitting on a rock, wiping blood off his weapons.

    Maoda¡¯s gaze swept across the crowd, guessing that Maojin and the rest must have met with an obstacle but he did not ask. After they met, they all rested for a while before the party of almost four hundred set off once again.

    This group was consideredrge, plus there were seven obvious bears. People who were not confident in their skills would never try to rob this group. That was why they did not meet many in the beginning. There were only a few who were brainless and greedy¡ª those were just here to die.

    When they rested at night, Maojin chewed on his meat and asked Shao Xuan, ¡°What will you all do in King City?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re visiting someone,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Who are you looking for, do you need our help? You shouldn¡¯t keep it to yourself if you need help. We will definitely help you, and we don¡¯t want much in return either. What do you think?¡± Maojin wiped the grease on his mouth. ¡°I just want one of your glowing rocks. See, you haven¡¯t been to King City and don¡¯t know much about the ce. We visit often and we¡¯re very familiar. It¡¯ll save you a lot of trouble.¡±

    Maojin was a rough person but it was the same throughout the group. They were smart too, not the kind with brawn but not brains. To persuade Shao Xuan, he had to pull out the pros and cons for extra persuasiveness.

    Guang Yi could not recognise Maojin, thinking he was Maoda. However, this did not affect the conversation because he agreed. Since they were not familiar with King City, and the ck Bears seemed to be trustworthy, it might not be a bad idea to ask them for help. However, the person who would make the decision was Shao Xuan so Guang Yi did not interrupt. No matter how many looks Maojin gave, Guang Yi was silent.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°Since you know King City so well, I want to ask you about a person first.¡±

    When he realised Shao Xuan was interested, Maojin quickly said, ¡°Tell me.¡±

    Maoda sat down too when he heard this.

    ¡°Do you know this person, Ji Ju?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    When they heard ¡®Ji¡¯, both their expressions fell solemn. ¡°The royal surname, ¡®Ji¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The brothers looked at each other hesitantly. Anything rted to the royal surname could mean trouble. However, it could also be a huge opportunity!

    Maoda rubbed his palms and thought about it. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about Ji ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ Ju, we have heard of him. But we haven¡¯t met him physically before.¡±

    ¡°Golden Grain? Ji Ju?¡± Shao Xuan was surprised to hear that the old man had a nickname.

    Maoda nodded. ¡°I heard the fields under Ji Ju¡¯s care are often golden and produce grains favoured by both the aristocrats and tribesmen. His grains were better than other people, hence he was named ¡®Golden Grain¡¯. He had been called this since he was young. Ji Ju is a very powerful person in King City. However, I haven¡¯t heard any recent news about him.¡±

    Maojin added, ¡°Now that you mentioned it, I think so too. I used to receive news about Ji Ju every year but sincest year, every time we went to King City, we never heard anything about him.¡±

    ¡°I heard, Ji Ju seemed to have found something good.¡± Maoda touched his chin, eyes bright.

    When he finished, Maoda looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°What about this- we¡¯ll help you seek for more information when we arrive at King City.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    They walked for nine days.

    ¡°We¡¯re arriving soon, that¡¯s King City territory,¡± said Maoda, pointing ahead.

    While the city walls and buildings could not be seen, they could see different-coloured crop fields and short houses.

    ¡°Thesends belong to the aristocrats. The ves live in the shorter houses,¡± exined Maoda as he instructed the party to walk on the main road. Here, if they did not take the main road, they could be viewed as hostiles and killed here. That was because everywhere else was privatend owned by ve masters.

    There was not a de of grass on the soil road about twenty meters wide. Perhaps due to the high traffic, the soil on the ground was packed very tightly. Even the wagon wheels left light marks.

    Many people travelled on the path in big and small parties. There were groups of guards in armour on both sides of the road. They were all holding metal weapons with a solemn face, their eyes piercing like daggers as they red at every person on the path. They looked like they would not hesitate to stab a person to death with their spear if something was wrong.

    Some people grew very anxious as they walked, almost tripping themselves over.

    The ck Bear team stood out here, people in front quickly moved to let them pass. The guards recognised them by their bears, one of the guards even chatted happily with Maoda. Maoda had handed over two animal hides and the guard was so happy his eyes were two lines. The furs sold by the ck Bears were always of good quality.

    The head of the guards even helped them clear a path, making the smaller merchants in front make way.

    This was already the norm for everyone, no one thought it was not appropriate. Even the frustrated ones swallowed their words. Even Guang Yi, who was here for the first time, did not think there was anything wrong. The universe had its rules.

    The party travelled ahead. Shao Xuan thought he¡¯d arrive at King City soon but they had to walk for half a day before seeing the City walls.

    Anba City would never allow these bears to enter but King City did. This was power. They were not afraid of these giant bears causing trouble and had absolute certainty that they were in control.

    The city walls were made of giant rocks, every rock was about five meters long and three meters wide, more than one meter thick. Shao Xuan could tell they were middle-grade rocks and in some ces, for example near the city gates, they used high-grade rocks.

    It was a luxury to use such good rocks as a mere city wall.

    The sky darkened as Maoda brought the party to the ck Bear¡¯s base in King City. Some people went to unload the goods and brought the seven bears to the animal pens. Maoda brought Shao Xuan and Guang Yi to ck Bear the leader. If they were looking for Ji Ju, it was best they were brought by ¡®ck Bear¡¯.

 Chapter 431 - How Brave Of You

    <h4>How Brave Of You</h4>

    They had not met for a year but ¡®ck Bear¡¯ still recognised Shao Xuan. Plus, Maoda had already sent people to enter the city and report to him before they arrived.

    ¡°Hahaha, long time no see, Brother Shao Xuan.¡± ck Bear took huge steps forward and pped Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder with his fan-like hand. This was a habit of their tribe to express passion and wee.

    A regr person would¡¯ve broken a bone or winced in pain.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s expression did not change, returning the favour.

    When Shao Xuan¡¯s palmnded on ck Bear, his expression hardened but he quickly recovered. However, the ¡®passion¡¯ was no longer there as he brought Shao Xuan and Guang Yi back into the house and arranged for rooms for them. They often had guests so they had specialised guest rooms.

    Maoda told ck Bear about Shao Xuan¡¯s reason foring to King City.

    ¡°You¡¯re looking for Golden Grain, Ji Ju?¡± ck Bear thought for a moment. ¡°Ji Ju hasn¡¯t appeared in King City in a while but ording to my sources, Ji Ju seems to be nting something good again. He has spent a long time on it sincest year, living in the shed he has outside the city. No one could visit him. Shao Xuan, it might be difficult for you to meet Ji Ju.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to try,¡± said Shao Xuan. These days, he had already learned a lot about the old man Ji Ju from Maoda and his brother. In the past, he just thought Ji Ju was not an ordinary man in King City but so far, it looked like he had underestimated the old man.

    However, he had the Thousand Grain Gold with him and still needed to talk to Ji Ju.

    Seeing as Shao Xuan was determined, ck Bear did not offer any more advice. Like the brothers, he knew that if Shao Xuan really had a connection with Ji Ju, they might be able to gain some benefit from this rtionship. Ji Ju was not an easy man to talk to, if you had no contacts, there would not even be a door.

    Thinking, he said, ¡°What about this. I¡¯m avable tomorrow. I¡¯ll bring you to Ji Ju¡¯s shed outside the city and we can try our luck to see if we can meet him.

    ¡°Thank you so much.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re wee. If I really get to meet Ji Ju, it would be my turn to thank you!¡± ck Bear instructed his people to prepare food and sent someone to retrieve news about Ji Ju¡¯stest activities.

    The next day, ck Bear brought Shao Xuan and Guang Yi out of the city.

    A seven-meter tall mammoth was slowly walking within the city, stomping its feet as thick as stone pirs. This mammoth was brought by another trading group, it was carrying some goods. There was a loud thud where it stepped, clouds of dust flew. When it passed Shao Xuan and the rest, it kicked up a cloud of dust.

    Large animals like this were not rare in the city. The people of King City did not find this odd so they did not stare.

    The city let them in but that did not mean the animals could roam free. After entering the city, under the control of the trading groups, they would bring the animals to their own base.

    Different trading parties from different tribes came. Other than groups of different sizes, there were people d in fine clothing sat on carriages. This was a luxury only aristocrats could afford, other people would not sit in carriages. Even the wagons led by animals to transport goods must not have people sitting inside. This was a rule in King City.

    Since it was Shao Xuan¡¯s first time here, and he had arrivedtest night, Maoda did not talk much. ck Bear gave them a brief introduction to the city.

    Shao Xuan listened to ck Bear¡¯s tone. He was a lot more polite here but as the leader of a trading party, he did not fear any of the aristocrats or thought of himself as beneath them. When he talked about the snobbish aristocrats in the city, his tone would be filled with obvious contempt.

    King City was bustling with people and animal sounds along the wide streets.

    There was always the sound of clinking money. The currency here was coppers shaped in a narrow leaf and about half the size of a thumb. It looked like the leaf of the Thousand Grain Gold nt so it was termed ¡®Golden Leaf¡¯.

    They did not linger in the streets. ck Bear directly brought them out of the city and left through a ten-meter wide path to the left of the city fates.

    ¡°Ji Ju¡¯s shed is over there. I once went with the previous chief but it was a pity we did not see Ji Ju.¡± ck Bear told Shao Xuan about his experience as they walked.

    ¡°At the time, many tribes had heard of the Golden Grain, even the tribes staying far away knew of Ji Ju. Every year, many people woulde to see him. Since they could not see his famous golden grains in the city, they would go to his shed outside. Who knew that they were eventually all stopped outside the shed. No one was even allowed in.¡±

    ck Bear said all of this to mentally prepare Shao Xuan. If they could not meet Ji Ju, he should not feel sad because it was the same for everyone.

    Just as he said, Ji ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ Ju was very famous. A random weed growing in his field could sell for a very high price.

    There were people selling fakes far from King City too. They would sell grains iming that they were produced at his ce but the truth was that demand far exceeded supply. Even the ones who travelled far to King City might not be able to get it. Even if they begged at his door, they might not get it.

    ck Bear told Shao Xuan about which pieces ofnd belonged to whom, and how many ves lived there. Usually, therger thend, the more ves lived there and the more powerful the ve master was. That was why the size of theirnd was enough for a general impression of the owner.

    Around the piece ofnd was a tall fence, stopping people from entering. From the gaps between the wood, they could barely see dispersed wooden sheds around the piece ofnd. Those housed the ves who helped on thend.

    ¡°These belong to aristocrats who don¡¯t even do much with their lives. Thend is passed down generations. Some people are capable enough to expand theirnd but others whomit crimes would get theirnd confiscated¡­ There, that piece. Two years ago, I heard the ve mastermitted a crime so hisnd was confiscated. There¡¯s a new owner now.¡±

    As he spoke, the three of them heard wheels from behind.

    ¡°Go away! Go away! Stop blocking the road!¡± someone yelled.

    It was a carriage pulled by two horses. The horses were three meters tall with chestnut hair plus a long horn on their heads. They had powerful hooves, pebbles crumbling under each step. A veil covered the carriage and there were patterns on it. Shao Xuan recognised them to be the royal Ji family¡¯s emblem.

    The people of King City would instinctively get out of the way when they saw the pattern but some people would not.

    ck Bear didn¡¯t want trouble but after the guy yelled ¡®get the hell out¡¯, he was a little upset.

    Although the road was uneven, the horses did not seem to slow down. They galloped, rushing forward.

    There were eight guards around the carriage, they recognised ck Bear too. When they saw this, they could not help but secretly curse to themselves, ¡°Ah shit.¡±

    The carriage was approaching but the three people did not move. The person driving the carriage red at them and waved his whip, urging his horses to hit them.

    When the guards running next to the carriage saw this, they secretly cursed at the driver for being an absolute idiot. But it was toote.

    These horses were not new to this either. They galloped even harder and lowered their heads so their horns were pointing directly ahead.

    When he saw this, ck Bear huffed mockingly. He didn¡¯t retreat, instead taking a huge step forward and unsheathed a one-meter long bronze knife from his back.

    The thick and wide de was threatening, bringing with it wild, killing aura.

    ck Bear held therge knife in his hand and waved his arm. There was an arc of cold glint in the air like a fierce beast had just waved its ws.

    Thud!

    A cut, half a meter wide, opened on the ground in front of him. Dust flew like a sandstorm, exploding in all directions. Solid pieces of soil rained like hail on the two horses.

    Although they were just soil, at such speed and numbers, they could do great damage.

    The two horses shrieked under the attack of the soil hail, lifting their front limbs. They must have felt the aura radiating from ck Bear. They stopped abruptly.

    So abruptly that the person in the carriage almost fell out.

    Shao Xuan saw the curtain on the carriage move and a feminine voice rang, ¡°What happened?!¡±

    The tone was piercing. The curtain was pulled open and a youngdy d in a pure white dress hopped out. Perhaps due to the incident, her hair was a little messy.

    Thisdy eyed Shao Xuan and the other two and spat with hatred, ¡°How brave of you!¡±

    ck Bear blew the dust off his knife, almostughing at this. He never offended people for no reason- unless they insulted him first. He was the mighty leader of the ck Bears, the chief of a tribe. If someone yelled ¡®get the hell out of the way¡¯, and he obeyed, how would anyone respect the ck Bears in the future? ¡®Face¡¯ was a two-way trade. If you didn¡¯t give me face, why should I?

    The royal family of the great six? I don¡¯t care! A mistake? I don¡¯t care! Brave? I have always been brave!

    ck Bear had no intentions to move. He stood his ground.

    The guards around thedy wanted to say something several times but this was not their ce to speak. Then again, with her temperament, she wouldn¡¯t listen.

 Chapter 432 - No, Tell Them To Get Lost!

    <h4>No, Tell Them To Get Lost!</h4>

    The youngdy in the white dress wanted to say something but a voice came. ¡°Wait!¡±

    Another carriage arrived from behind. However, instead of horses, a bull pulled the carriage. It was physicallyrger than the horses.

    Although it was pulled by a bull, the fabric on the carriage was the same as the one in front. Both the material and the workmanship were exquisite.

    The bull carriage slowed down due to the horse carriage in front. Therge yellow bull exhaled hard through its nostrils and lowered its head to angle its horns at the horse carriage.

    The horses and the bull seemed to be old enemies, both angered the moment they saw each other. The bull horns and horse horns banged against each other. Although it was two against one, the bull still fared well. This was the advantage of having two horns.

    At this moment, two young adults, one man and one woman, hopped off the bull carriage too. They looked simr, the guy was a little older.

    ¡°Ji Yan, Ji Wan? How dare you crash into my carriage?!¡± roared thedy d in white.

    Too bad the other two did not even look at her. They strode towards ck Bear.

    ¡°So it¡¯s Brother ck Bear! Mr ck Bear, apologies for what just happened! We have an emergency today that we cannot tell you about but for any inconvenience caused, we will offerpensation to you another day,¡± said the young man. He was the guy who yelled ¡®wait!¡¯.

    ¡°Ji Yan?¡± ck Bear looked at the young man before him. He knew this person and knew that this matter had now ended. There was no point in fighting so he kept his knife. ¡°Compensation¡± meant he would send someone to him with a gift.

    Thedy d in white in front seemed to sense that this person was not someone they could anger. Knowing she was in the wrong, she did not speak. That meant she agreed to Ji Yan¡¯s offer forpensation.

    ck Bear looked at the three from the Ji family and was toozy to nitpick. Perhaps Ji Ju might talk to him as a favour to them? That old man had a bad temper but they did not know how he treated his grandchildren. Plus, Ji Yan¡¯s emergency might be rted to Ji Ju.

    When he thought about this, he had no ns to continue being in their way. His face broke into a smile. ¡°Are you all on the way to Master Ji Ju, the Golden Grain? That¡¯s great, we¡¯re also here to visit the old man.¡±

    Ji Yan cocked an eyebrow, his eyes swept across Shao Xuan and Guang Yi then to ck Bear. To him, the other two were not important, the most important person here was just Balck Bear.

    ¡°Since we are taking the same path, why note with us. We have space in our carriage,¡± offered Ji Yan.

    Here, other than nobles, ordinary civilians could not unless they were invited.

    These were the exact words that ck Bear wanted to hear. Heughed. ¡°Great, then I shall ept your invitation!¡±

    Seeing ck Bear so nonchnt, Shao Xuan hopped on along with Guang Yi.

    Ji Jing was stunned to see the three getting on Ji Yan and Ji Wang¡¯s carriage, then was furious. They were recruiting supporters! They were cheaters! Too cunning!

    The path was not very wide and the carriages wererge so when the bull passed, the horse carriage was almost squeezed into the ditch.

    The bull carriage wasrge, three meters wide and about eight meters tall. There were main seats and guest seats. Shao Xuan and the other two sat at the guest seats.

    ¡°May I ask, what are you here for today, Mr ck Bear?¡± asked Ji Yan.

    ¡°Me? No no no, I¡¯m just apanying,¡± said ck Bear.

    Apanying?

    The leader of the ck Bears was just apanying someone? Who?

    Ji Yan and Ji Wang looked at Shao Xuan and Guang Yi. They did not look anything special. There were obvious savage, tribal vibes but there were no familiar symbols they were familiar with.

    ¡°And you¡¯re both¡­¡± Ji Yan looked at them.

    Shao Xuan smiled. ¡°Shao Xuan from ming Horn.¡±

    ¡°Guang Yi from ming Horn,¡± said Guang Yi.

    Shao Xuan recalled that Ji Ju once said many people no longer remembered ming Horn. Only the older ones might know. That was why he paid attention to their expressions. He saw a nk look in their eyes. Although it was not obvious, Shao Xuan knew that they really did not know ming Horn.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ve heard of it.¡± After a moment of thought, Ji Yan said, ¡°Your tribe must be quite far from King City?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s quite far,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Ji Yan asked a few more questions and learned that Shao Xuan was here to learn from Ji Ju. His curiosity vanished and did not ask any more questions. There were so many people here to ask Ji Ju questions all the time, the line could span from King City to their fence.

    Ji Wan stared at Shao Xuan.

    After half an hour, the bull carriage stopped.

    When they got off, Shao Xuan saw arge mansion. When he looked around, he saw tall fences around the fields and groups of patrol guards. All of them were in striking uniforms, differing from the guards at the city gates.

    A stone b near the entrance bore the Ji family sigil.

    When the bull carriage stopped, the horse carriage behind arrived too. However, here, they did not argue and were very civilised. Even the animals were quiet there.

    Ji Yan and the other two entered first. They were Ji family members after all, the guards did not stop them. Shao Xuan and the other two were stopped, even when ¡®ck Bear¡¯ uttered his name.

    Ji Yan wanted to persuade them but he had no choice, There was only one boss here, and that was Ji Ju.

    Ji Yan gave ck Bear an apologetic look and entered the house with the other two. The guards at the entrance red at Shao Xuan and the other two as if they owed them something. Even the ck Bear had no special treatment.

    However, this time ck Bear didn¡¯t feel insulted, merely looked at Shao Xuan worriedly. ¡°What do you think? Do you have any other methods?¡±

    They definitely couldn¡¯t force themselves inside. It was too risky.

    Shao Xuan gestured for him to calm down and walked to the entrance. Under the sharp re of the guards, he took out a peculiar bronze knife from this pouch and handed it over. ¡°Please pass a message to Ji Ju, say someone¡¯s here to visit him.¡±

    The people at the entrance were secretlyughing at him. Who the hell did he think he was? And he even wanted to speak to the head of the house!

    However, they realised this person was the real deal!

    If he was just passing a message, the guard would force this guy out of the property. Many people used this excuse. However, it was different when he had something to offer.

    When they saw the knife, the guards looked at him differently and stopped ring at him. Instead, they regarded him with curiosity.

    Once the guard studied the knife in his hand, he retracted his arrogance and held out two palms respectfully to take Shao Xuan¡¯s knife.

    ¡°Please wait a moment.¡± The guard sprinted into the house with the knife, disappearing in an instant.

    When he heard the guard say the word ¡®please¡¯, ck Bear stared at Shao Xuan as if he were a two-headed monster with his mouth agape. ¡°You know Ji Ju?!¡±

    ¡°I do, I told you I met him yesterday?¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ck Bear realised he had mentioned this during dinner yesterday but he didn¡¯t take it seriously, thinking Shao Xuan had only seen him from afar like himself.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, are you really here to learn about nting from Ji Ju? Any other matters?¡± ck Bear asked curiously. If Ji Ju had entrusted an item to him, he must have a special rtionship with the old man.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± He nodded.

    ¡°What else?¡± asked ck Bear curiously.

    ¡°To get back what he owes me.¡±

    ck Bear was speechless. He did not believe it at all. Ji ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ Ju owes him something? Hehe!

    On the other side, on a piece ofnd.

    Ji Ju was looking at thend around him with a horrid look on his face. There were more than ten people listening to him, bowing in respect.

    ¡°I said this before, an arm¡¯s distance! An arm¡¯s distance! What is this you show me? Are your arms as long as your legs?! Do it again!¡±

    ¡°Also this piece ofnd. Have you prepared the grain chaffs? We¡¯ll need it in ten days, if they¡¯re not all covered, and all the nts die, you all might as well die too!¡±

    ¡°Heh, also this part! I said dig in squares! Squares! You¡¯ve worked for me for so long, don¡¯t you know what squares mean? If you don¡¯t know it, get the hell out of mynd!¡±

    Ji Ju cursed as he paced, his expression worsened by the second. The ten people next to him had spit flying in their faces but they dared not wipe it off. They carefully answered Ji Ju¡¯s questions, quickly promising not to make the mistake again. They did not want to be chased out of thisnd. It was great here. The food and rewards here were great. Many people were jealous. Even if they had to be the lowest-ranked ves, many were willing to work here.

    When he walked by another piece ofnd, Ji Ju looked at the ground, expressionless. ¡°This. Who buried these bones?¡±

    All ten people were screaming in their hearts. Oh no, oh no! He was going to explode!

    After a while, they were familiar with his temper. His scoldings were fine because it meant they could still save themselves. However, if he stopped yelling, that meant someone would suffer and everyone there would be coteral damage.

    One of the people paled. He had been in charge of this square. Although they hadn¡¯t nted anything, burying bones was one of the preparation steps. These were beast bones that Ji Ju had sent people to get especially for this purpose. The nts would grow well with these bones. But looking at Ji Ju¡¯s expression, something must have gone wrong!

    Ji Ju¡¯s re was deadly. His eyes swept across thends. He was very familiar with the fields. IF he said there was a problem, then there definitely was a problem.

    The person in charge of the piece ofnd wiped the sweat off his forehead, sending someone to get the person who buried the bones.

    Soon, two ves were brought before him. They were the ones who buried the bones.

    The person in charge red at them like he was about to spray poison out of his eyes.

    When they saw Ji Ju, the two ves realised they had been found out. They did not have the courage to defend themselves, merely crouching on the ground, shaking.

    To be honest, although Ji Ju had a bad temper,pared to the other ve masters who tortured and killed their ves, he was alright. As long as his crops were nted well, he gave generous rewards too. When he was in a good mood, he was generous to people who helped, even if they were ves. However, some people were greedy. Like these two.

    They had switched the bones. They had stolen the original beast bones for a profit somewhere else. It was arge piece ofnd, they were familiar with Ji Ju¡¯s nting procedures. It was possible for anyone to start having these ns.

    However, to a person so familiar with nting, one bone was enough to reveal all the secrets.

    Ji Ju¡¯s face was cold as ice, his tone t. ¡°Take them outside.¡±

    Guards came immediately, covering their mouths and dragging them off for interrogation. No matter what, they were not going to live.

    Some people liked using humans as fertilisers. Other ve masters sometimes used ves who were executed as fertilisers. However, it was different here. Ji Ju was precise in using every bone, rock, handful of soil and bucket of poop as fertiliser. That was why he produced the best goods.

    The person in charge of this piece ofnd would definitely have his title taken away. The esction of the situation would depend on him.

    Just as Ji Ju was still furious, the butler hurried over.

    ¡°Master, the young master and miss are here¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not meeting them!¡± Ji Ju waved impatiently.

    ¡°Also a few traders¡­¡±

    ¡°Tell them to get lost!¡± This was Ji Ju¡¯s answer before the butler could finish.

    The butler already knew this was going to happen, he merely went for formalities. It was his job. The traders must be here to see his master¡¯s precious crops. Hmmph, they were looking to get a scolding.

    After a few steps, the guard from the door spoke a few words and handed a knife to him.

    He was shocked to see the knife. The butler hurried to look for Ji Ju.

    ¡°Master¡­¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Someone came¡­¡±

    ¡°I said, tell them to get lost!¡±

    ¡°But he showed us this knife.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear me, I said¡­ Wait! What knife?¡±

    Ji Ju snapped out of his rage and looked at the little bronze knife in the butler¡¯s palms. He cocked an eyebrow, twirling the knife out of habit. ¡°Who is this person? Is he called Shao Xuan?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I don¡¯t know. The guard said he was a young man, he looked like a tribesman.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that kid! Bring him in!¡±

 Chapter 433 - Nonsense

    <h4>Nonsense</h4>

    The butler was stunned for a second but quickly left.

    Now that he knew Shao Xuan was here, Ji Ju was no longer in the mood to survey his fields. It only made him more and more upset. He wrung his hands, leaving everything up to the leaders of each plot of fields to deal with it. The next time he found so many mistakes again, the leaders¡¯ spots would be empty. There were many smart people waiting to work here.

    He waved and dismissed about ten of the leaders, then walked to a pavilion nearby. It was one of the resting spots in the fields. Sometimes, if Ji Ju was tired he would rest here.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan and the other two were waiting at the entrance. There were other people who came to see Ji Ju but they were all mercilessly left outside. They brought beautiful gifts with them but the guards did not even give them a look. The dissatisfied ones paced outside the mansion, though they would not dare to force themselves inside.

    Balck Bear paced outside, nervous. He couldn¡¯t stay calm. In the past, he had always been stopped outside and very rarely got his hands on Ji Ju¡¯s produce in King City. This was a rare opportunity, of course he was nervous. He looked at Shao Xuan who was waiting quietly, and Guang Yi who hadn¡¯t spoken. He didn¡¯t understand, why were they so calm?

    Soon, they heard footsteps.

    The people who were outside all looked towards the person who walked out.

    It was the guard who had gone inside just now. However, when he came out, he merely returned to his post at the entrance without a word.

    ck Bear wanted to ask questions but the guard was standing at his post and did not look like he wanted to talk. ck Bear looked at Shao Xuan. The entrusted item he sent in did not receive a reply, why wasn¡¯t he panicking?

    He was about to ask Shao Xuan when ck Bear heard more footsteps. They were light, anyone with lesser capabilities would not be able to hear them. ck Bear had seen a lot and had a sharp hearing.

    Creak¡ª

    Therge door with two golden bullheads opened once again. This time, the person was not a guard. He wore different clothing from the guards, with a green cloth hat and his clothes were embroidered with green leaves.

    When everyone saw him, their hearts clenched. They were ecstatic. Someone recognised him.

    ¡°The butler!¡± someone gasped.

    Everyone erupted like a boiling pot of water, swarming to the entrance. Everyone wanted to talk to him, at least leaving an impression of themselves. Maybe they could create a connection in the future?

    However, they were all stopped by the guards outside and there were people behind the butler too. These people looked even burlier than the guards at the entrance, theirrge, muscr arms blocking the crowd outside. Someone tried to jump but was pped down. A guard who could work here was no idiot.

    All the guards here were at least a middle-ranked totemic warrior!

    The butler stood at the door, no stranger to situations like that. His expression did not change as his eyes swept across the surroundings and stopped on Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Are you Shao Xuan?¡± asked the butler.

    Shao Xuan looked up. ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Master invites you inside,¡± said the butler with a smile.

    Although the butler was not loud, everyone heard every word. In a second, as if time was frozen, they could even hear a pin drop. Eyes widened, ring at this inconspicuous Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This is my senior, Guang Yi. He¡¯s with me.¡±

    ck Bear was so happy his mouth almost cracked open. He hurried by Shao Xuan¡¯s side and introduced himself. ¡°I am ¡®ck Bear¡¯, Beimi. I¡¯m with Shao Xuan.¡±

    The butler only smiled and did not refuse. He brought the three into the fields.

    Creak¡ª-

    Therge doors closed once again, leaving the people craning their necks outside.

    There was a main building in the middle of the field¡ªGolden Grain House. This was where guests were brought. In reality, anyone told to meet here were people Ji Ju did not deem important. Usually, the butler would be in charge of serving them and Ji Ju would not even appear.

    When Shao Xuan entered the Golden Grain House with the butler, he saw Ji Yan and the other two who had entered before them. Ji Yan and Ji Wan sat on one side, Ji Jing on the other. Although they were not far apart, they were hostile towards each other.

    They had wanted to see Ji Ju to ask about the Thousand Grain Gold. Other people might not know what Ji Ju was working on but the Ji family knew. ording to the usual schedule, this should be harvest season. However, from the message they received, there were only other crops harvested. They did not see the much-anticipated Thousand Grain Gold in the list.

    Before this, there were many Ji family members here to ask too. They were all met with ¡°I¡¯m not seeing them¡±. Days passed and the harvest season passed too. Since they did not receive news, the Ji family panicked and started sending people inside. They were all sent out again. One powerful member of the Ji family once said that any Ji family member who could get some information from Ji Ju¡¯s fields would get a very good piece of private property.

    The entire Ji family went mad. This time, Ji Yan and the other two came but like the rest, they were stopped. They weren¡¯t even able to enter the Golden Grain House.

    Anyone who knew the rules understood that Golden Grain House was a roadblock. Anyone who did not pass this roadblock would not get the chance to meet Ji Ju. right now, they were sitting on the short benches at Golden Grain House. When they heard the butler hurrying towards the entrance, they were curious. Now that the butler had brought Shao Xuan and the other two inside, Ji Yan, who was drinking water, froze.

    Putting down his cup, Ji Yan leapt up and strode over. ¡°Mr ck Bear, where are you all going?¡± They did not look like they were stopping. Were they passing through Golden Grain House?!

    This was ck Bear¡¯s first time here and he was overwhelmed with emotion. He could not even hide his grin. ¡°As I mentioned, I¡¯m just apanying my friend.¡±

    Apanying his friend?

    Ji Yan finally looked at Shao Xuan and Guang Yi. Previously, he did not take this seriously because he thought they were just using excuses like the rest. Now that they saw the butler next to Shao Xuan, leading the way, Ji Yan was green with envy and regret. He should have asked the guy more questions on the carriage, who knew, maybe he could have used this kid as an excuse to meet Ji Ju?

    However, it was toote. The butler politely stopped Ji Yan and the rest and brought Shao Xuan¡¯s group through the Golden Grain House. There was a long dirt road at the back.

    Once they left, within the Golden Grain House, Ji Yan was sulking. ¡°Who is that guy? Why does uncle want to meet him?¡±

    Ji Jing smirked, amused. She was delighted that Ji Yan did not get the chance. Everyone did not get to meet their uncle so she was satisfied.

    Ji Wan tugged at Ji Yan¡¯s sleeve.

    ¡°What?¡± Ji Yan turned to ask.

    ¡°That Shao Xuan, he was carrying something odd in his little bag. Uncle might be meeting him about the things in his bag,¡± whispered Ji Wan.

    ¡°Something odd?¡± Ji Yan wanted to ask but saw Ji Jing straining her ears to listen. He quickly pulled Ji Yan into a room in the house to ask her.

    Ji Jing smashed her cup in frustration.

    Ignoring Ji Yan and the rest, Shoa Xuan followed the butler on the dirt road. There were crop fields on both sides with all sorts of crops. ck Bear was drooling over all of them.

    These are golden leaves, golden leaves! He heard that every de of grass here was worth a lot of money. There were so many nts here, how many golden leaves was this worth? How many weapons could he buy?

    The butler was only in charge of leading the way. He did not answer any of ck Bear¡¯s enquiries on the crops. Only Ji Ju was qualified to tell him about it, as the owner of this ce.

    The butler brought them to Qingmang Pavilion. It was a lot smaller than Golden Grain House. While its interior designs were not as luxurious, it gave a sense of tranquillity and cosiness. Any frustrations will calm here. If one was exhausted, resting here would be a luxury.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, Ji Ju had just finished a cup of tea.

    As Shao Xuan entered, Ji Ju pointed at a cane chair. ¡°Sit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a nice ce.¡± Shao Xuan epted the tea the butler brought. The tea was green with a light and refreshing fragrance. He did not know what tea it was.

    Ji Ju only grunted in response to thepliment, then said, ¡°Shao Xuan, you still have the grains with you? I¡¯ll trade this year¡¯s harvest from my field for them, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Ji Ju, who was prepared to list out his conditions, almost choked. He had lived in this farm for too long, it had been a long time since someone said no to him like that. However, recalling how Shao Xuan had once helped him, he suppressed his anger. Knowing Shao Xuan must have more grains, his eyes brightened. ¡°You see, it would be useless for you to keep them¡­¡±

    ¡°No, our harvest this year wasn¡¯t that good. We n to nt again next year,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This year, how did you all nt it?¡± Ji Ju¡¯s voice shook with frustration.

    ¡°We nted a little on the hill, at the foot of the hill, also a little in my backyard.¡±

    Shao Xuan described their initial experience with the Thousand Grain Gold but before he said much, Ji Ju mmed the table in anger. ¡°Nonsense!¡±

    Such a sudden outburst startled ck Bear so much he choked on his tea.

    ¡°How could you nt them like that? This is bullshit! Such a waste! Idiots!¡± Ji Ju was furious, his beard quivering and his eyes wide. His heart ached for the dead nts. When he heard that Shao Xuan was a ming Horn tribesman, he should never have given them so many grains. One thousand grains!

 Chapter 434 - You Look Down On Us?

    <h4>You Look Down On Us?</h4>

    ¡°No, listen to me.¡± Shao Xuan gestured for Ji Ju to calm down.

    But Ji Ju could not calm down, his heart ached even more as he thought about it. Afterwards, he had brought people to the Thousand Grain Gold hill to dig up a few to bring back here. However, they could not move the nts because their roots were too long and no one knew where they led to. Digging was impossible. They took the risk to break off the roots of two nts but when they brought them back, the nts withered and died.

    He sent more people but they did not find more nts. The few Thousand Grain Gold shoots there did not bear fruit again. Perhaps that pouch of grains with both him and Shao Xuan were the only ones left.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, talk to me. How much of this year¡¯s harvest do you want in order to trade?¡± asked Ji Ju, suppressing his frustrations.

    Shao Xuan did not speak.

    ck Bear could guess what this was about from their conversation. Shao Xuan and Ji Ju must have found some peculiar grain. Shao Xuan nted them back in his tribe but a portion of them failed. Ji Ju wanted to use this year¡¯s harvest in exchange for more of the grains.

    To ck Bear, this was a win-win situation. In terms of agriculture, especially peculiar kinds, the Ji family produced the best. Now that Ji Ju was called the Golden Grain, it meant his grains were the best. Since Shao Xuan¡¯s side had failed, shouldn¡¯t they just trade it all for something more worth it? How many people could get their hands on the Golden Grain field¡¯s harvest?! If he re-sold the grains, the ming Horn tribe would get a lot of good weapons.

    ck Bear almost started to persuade Shao Xuan to agree and trade. He turned to Guang Yi, hoping this senior could advise the kid. Unfortunately, Guang Yi was just frowning hard as if he had heard something upsetting. And that frown wasn¡¯t directed at Shao Xuan, but at Ji Ju.

    ck Bear¡¯s heart fell. How could he forget? The ming Horn people were never afraid of conflict. Even if this was Ji Ju, if they were angered, they could do anything.

    What now? What now?! ck Bear panicked, thinking of every possible scenario and the solution.

    Since Shao Xuan was silent, Ji Ju thought Shao Xuan was weighing the pros and cons, thinking of the offer price. He decided to persuade him even further. ¡°You¡¯re not good at nting, it would be a waste for the grains to remain with you. It won¡¯t work!¡±

    As he spoke, Ji Ju got his butler to bring arge sack of grains. The sack was almost as tall as a human. Opening the sack, the butler scooped some unto a tray and put the tray on the table in front of Ji Ju.

    ¡°This year¡¯s new harvest. Take a look at these grains,¡± said Ji Ju.

    The grains in the bronze tray still had their husks, all golden. But they were not Thousand Grain Gold, for they were oval and not. They were not as big too, merely the size of a normal grain.

    ck Bear rubbed his hands, wanting to take a handful to look. Unfortunately, he was just apanying Shao Xuan and it was inappropriate. He looked at Shao Xuan. They were good grains, this is a good deal! And if Shao Xuan received a lot here, he could trade again with Shao Xuan.

    Not just ck Bear, Ji Ju was also waiting for Shao Xuan to give a number and close the deal.

    However, after some thought, Shao Xuan did not answer. ¡°On your side, how are the Thousand Grain Gold nts doing?¡±

    Ji Ju was a little upset as he did not get his answer. However, to convince Shao Xuan to give up, he said, ¡°They¡¯re doing alright. Sixty percent of the crops lived!¡±

    This survival rate was very high for the Thousand Grain Gold. Some peculiar nts might not even have a ten percent survival rate. Yet this nt had sixty percent!

    ck Bear understood this too. He nodded. It was Ji ¡°Golden Grain¡± Ju after all.

    Ji Ju knew that if Shao Xuan asked him how he nted them, he would never tell but Shao Xuan asked, ¡°The Thousand GRain Gold you nted, what colour are the grains?¡±

    ¡°When it ripens, of course the Thousand Grain Gold would turn gold!¡± said Ji Ju, touching his beard.

    ¡°After taking off the husk?¡±

    ¡°Gold too, of course!¡±

    Guang Yi¡¯s expression turned odd.

    Shao Xuan cocked an eyebrow when he heard this. ¡°This means, you haven¡¯t been able to harvest any yet?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the hurry?¡± Ji Ju was displeased with Shao Xuan¡¯s attitude. ¡°It¡¯s always because of your impatient attitude, that¡¯s why you¡¯ll never be able to nt anything sessfully! Patience! Rigour! Do you understand?!¡±

    Guang Yi gave him an even weirder look.

    ¡°How tall are your nts?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Taller than my waist. Why are you asking so many questions? I only have one question for you: Are you trading or what?! If yes, how much of my harvest do you want? Just tell me!¡± Ji Ju was already impatient. He had spent too much time on this. He hadn¡¯t tended to the Thousand GRain Gold nts today yet.

    Sensing that Ji Ju no longer wanted to continue the conversation, Shao Xuan did not stop talking. He just continued telling his story. ¡°When we nted both on the hill and at the bottom, the shoots were doing very well. They grew very quickly.¡±

    Ji Ju huffed. ¡°They all died, right?¡± At this moment, he realised that sending Shao Xuan in here was a bad decision. This kid spouted too much nonsense. Just give me a price, will you?!

    ¡°Yeah, but no one expected the shoots to die suddenly. However, I realised that the seeds in my backyard, that I had forgotten about, were still alive. They were just a lot slower. ¡°

    Ji Ju¡¯s mocking tone turned to shock, then he rxed. ¡°It grew slower so it hadn¡¯t reached that ¡®block¡¯, of course it did well. I believe after they reached that point, they were killed by that ¡®block¡¯ once again, right?¡±

    ¡°About that¡­¡± Shao Xuan fiddled with the cup in his hand. ¡°They lived.¡±

    Ji Ju paused. ¡°They lived?!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they didn¡¯t just live, they grew taller and taller¨C even surpassing my height. But the numbers dwindled.¡±

    Ji Ju looked at him. ¡°Continue.¡±

    ¡°Then, they bore grains. Each grain was this big!¡± Shao Xuan gestured with his thumb and index finger, curling to show the size of a grape.

    Even the butler who heard hits could not help butugh. He looked at Ji Ju. Ah, the master was about to rage once again.

    Indeed, after Shao Xuan said so, Ji Ju looked up and red with his aged eyes straight at Shao Xuan. His expression hardened like a brick wall.

    ¡°You¡¯re lying to me?!¡± Ji Ju could take a joke but never a joke rted to his crops. He would get upset.

    ¡°A grain this big? You think I¡¯d believe that?¡± Ji Ju was so angry his face turned green. He had wanted to have a civilised conversation and the kid was insulting him!

    ck Bear was terrified. He was the leader of ck Bear. Insulting Ji Ju could mean they would never get Golden Grains ever again. He even wanted to bring some for the kids in his tribe because he heard they were good for health. It looked like that was not going to happen.

    Shao Xuan ignored his rage and ck Bear¡¯s frantic nudges. He took the bag hanging behind him and opened it.

    Ji Ju stood motionless as if someone had cast a spell on him. He red at Shao Xuan¡¯s bag, his nostrils expanding and contracting quickly.

    Shao Xuan took out a few grains and put them on the tray with the rest of the golden coloured grains.

    The grains asrge as grapes crinkled when they rolled against the tiny grains. This meant it was heavy.

    When the sunlight shone on therge grains, they looked even more golden. The grains were already bright but with the grape-like grains, they were just a dull background.

    With such contrast, everything was clear.

    ck Bear could not think. His eyes widened.

    They¡¯re¡­ grains?!

    The butler, who had been by Ji Ju¡¯s side for many years, was shocked too. He had seen enough to know a grain¡¯s quality. Yet he could not believe his master¡¯s grains were second-bestpared to these!

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Ji Ju¡¯s breathing quickened as he recognised its scent. His voice shook, his throat dry. However, since he was overwhelmed with emotion, his voice cracked.

    ¡°This is the Thousand Grain Gold we nted. nted by our ming Horn tribe,¡± said Shao Xuan seriously as he emphasised on ming Horn.

    Guang Yi had pride in his face. So what if this was Ji Ju? How could he look down on the ming Horn people? You think we can¡¯t nt anything good? I hope you¡¯re blinded by our grains!

    Ji Ju did not notice Guang Yi, he did not see anything else other than the grains in the tray.

    He picked up the fewrge balls, ignoring the smaller grains that fell on the ground and sniffed them. ¡°Not bad, this scent! It¡¯s the Thousand Grain Gold! Bring me my knife!¡±

    The butler quickly left and brought back a tray with a piece of leather. There were several types of small knives on it. The handles were long but the des were rtively short.

    Ji Ju picked up a small knife while the other hand held the grains.

    Crack¡ª

    A gap was opened in the husk. The entire husk fell off to reveal the grain.

    ¡°Why is it this colour?!¡± Ji Ju was astonished.

    The purple grain against the golden husk looked peculiar as ever.

    ¡°That is why I came here to ask you about it. I had to ask you what colour your grains were,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s not supposed to happen! No!¡± Ji Ju¡¯s eyes watered when he held the purple grains. His fist clenched, gripping the grains hard, and sprinted off like the wind. Then he ran back inside and dragged Shao Xuan out once again.

 Chapter 435 - Colours

    <h4>Colours</h4>

    Shao Xuan was dragged out of Qingmang Pavilion by Ji Ju when Ji Ju stopped abruptly and yelled, ¡°Yellow Earth!¡±

    Shao Xuan had heard him mention this name before. It was the old man¡¯s first ve, a yellow bull.

    He yelled several times and because he was too anxious, he paced in circles.

    Soon, Shao Xuan heard thunderous gallops.

    He looked up to see at the end of the dirt road was a giant bull sprinting over, leaving a trail of dust clouds behind it.

    Compared to the bull pulling the carriage, this was a giant! If it were in a forest, it would be considered a dangerous fearsome beast.

    As therge bull approached, the vibration in the ground grew stronger. Itsrge physique and its two horns pointing at the sky brought with it an aura of deadly power, as if it was an unstoppable force.

    Mooo¡ª-

    The cow slowed down and then stopped by Ji Ju¡¯s side. However, its eyes remained on Shao Xuan, regarding this stranger.

    ¡°What were you doing? I called so many times?!¡± scolded Ji Ju.

    The bull lowered its head and nudged Ji Ju like a spoiled child but quickly, it seemed to have noticed something because it sniffed all over him. Then, it turned to Shao Xuan and its eyes scanned Shao Xuan carefully. Then, Shao Xuan realised its eyes were on his bag.

    However, sensing that Shao Xuan was not a weak opponent, plus he was a stranger, the bull did not snatch the bag even though it wanted to. Then, the bull¡¯s eyes fell on Ji Ju and it sniffed again. It stared at his hands.

    Moo¡ª

    ¡°Shut up! I can¡¯t let you eat this!¡± As Ji Ju spoke, he leapt up the bull¡¯s back, who was as tall as two storeys.

    ¡°Get up here.¡± Ji Ju patted the bull¡¯s back and gestured for Shao Xuan to follow.

    It exhaled hard through its nostrils, scraping its hooves as if it was unwilling. Shao xuan did not hesitate, leaping onto its back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, bring us to the Thousand Grain Gold!¡± said Ji Ju, patting its horn.

    Mooo¡ª

    The bull cried and moved its hooves, elerating. Although it was fast, it was stable. This was to protect Ji Ju.

    Ji Ju said Yellow Earth was practically another butler/housekeeper here. It helped with many plots ofnd with other people. Other than Ji Ju, this bull did not listen to anyone in this field, not even the chief butler could not make it move a hoof.

    The Thousand Grain Gold was not nted in this area, he seemed to be emotional as he spoke. ¡°Every time we find a new nt, we will nt it somewhere else because there are just too many variables.¡± He turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°Just as Thousand Grain Gold- you nted them, you should know- other living things cannot live around it.¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true. When it started to germinate, I noticed there were many weeds in my backyard but as they grew, they all disappeared.¡±

    Shao Xuan should have kept quiet, for Ji Ju felt a stab in his stomach. The grains were so precious, yet this kid scattered them in his backyard?! Thank goodness they were strong enough to survive!

    However, the seeds he scattered in his backyard were the ones that survived, even breaking through every block! Not just that, when this ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ master¡¯s nts were just mere shoots, Shao Xuan¡¯s grains had already ripened!

    He could barely keep calm!

    Ji ju, who wanted to say something, swallowed his words. He sulked.

    Therge bull ran past many well-segregated plots of crop fields, different-coloured crops flew backwards as they travelled ahead. Shao Xuan could see what they were with his eyesight but he didn¡¯t recognise any.

    The Golden Grain fields did not just have grains, there were other food crops and herbs too. This piece ofnd included a few mountains so there were herbs and nts who favoured higher altitudes nted on top. When he passed, Shao Xuan could see ves working on the mountains.

    When they entered an area with no other crops but rows of armed guards, Shao Xuan knew he had arrived.

    This was a heavily guarded area. Anyone else would have been ttened before they could make it inside. However, when they saw the bull, the guards quickly moved to let the bull pass. They did not need passes, the bull was the best identification document.

    The bull stopped on the side of a wide dirt path. Ji Ju and Shao Xuan hopped off.

    ¡°This is where the Thousand Grain Gold is nted,¡± said Ji Ju, pointing at a fewrge plots. ¡°There were many other crops here but as the Thousand Grain Gold germinated, all the other crops died.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked around. He could see a very few yellowed grasses swaying pitifully in the wind but that was it.

    It was indeed caused by the Thousand Grain Gold. There were only twenty in his backyard but all the nts around did not do well. At least he was far from the rest of the tribe.

    However, Ji Ju had many crops in the area here so the effects were very obvious.

    There was a fence made of tall trunks of wood. It had a doorrge enough for the bull to pass. Next to the door was a person who bowed when he saw Ji Ju.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Ji Ju told Shao Xuan.

    These tall wooden fences were built after he nted the Thousand Grain Gold. Without Ji Ju¡¯s permission, no one outside could look in. Even the chief butler could not enter without his orders. That was why the Thousand Grain Gold¡¯s situation was a well-kept secret and the Ji family had to send the grandchildren over to check it out.

    Rows of Thousand Grain Goldid out before his eyes. They all looked the same as the ones in ming Horn. They were as tall as Shao Xuan¡¯s waist.

    ¡°They have passed the first ?¡®block¡¯, the ones that didn¡¯t make it be fertiliser. There were three blocks in total, thest ones are the best.¡± Ji Ju looked at the patch of green with pride. However, when he recalled Shao Xuan¡¯s grains, his delight disappeared.

    Taking out the few grains Shao Xuan gave him, Ji Ju waved him over. There was a small structure called Qiju House. It was one of the more luxurious buildings in the plot ofnd.

    Sitting in the house, Ji Ju started to ask Shao Xuan about the nting process. As a descendant of the Ji family, they had many secrets to nt crops that were better than others. They could nt many crops that others couldn¡¯t, especially grains.

    Some people used to say that if you found a very difficult grain-type nt, just look for the Ji family and they will nt it.

    However, the tables were turned. The tribe seen as savage and arrogant had sessfully nted this precious species. Better than the Ji family¡¯s Golden Grain too. What could they do?

    However, Ji Ju was more focused on the grains than other people¡¯s opinions. He was capable of re-aligning his mindset too.

    Shao Xuan did not hide his secrets either. He told everything to Ji Ju. First, he also wanted to know why this happened. The Ji family had a deep understanding of agriculture so he might be able to help. Second, Ji Ju, based on Shao Xuan¡¯s understanding, was not a person who would cheat him. If he learned from Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan would definitely get something in return in the future.

    ¡°Fearsome beast meat?!¡± gasped Ji Ju.

    The bull nearby swivelled its ears.

    ¡°Yes, they¡­ I guess you can say the nts eat the meat.¡±

    ¡°So they ate the fearsome beast meat, that¡¯s how they passed the three blocks and in the end became this?¡± Ji Ju put therge grains on the table.

    ¡°I have heard of some obscure methods like burying bones but feeding a nt beast meat, this is my first time hearing of this.¡± Ji Ju touched his beard, not noticing that he had pulled out a few strands. His ancestor¡¯s secrets fared worse than some meat?! That wasn¡¯t supposed to happen!

    ¡°That¡¯s why I came here, I wanted to know why and maybe check out your nts to see if it¡¯s the same.¡±

    Ji Ju¡¯s face turned red. He did not speak.

    Shao Xuan continued. ¡°You used your ancestor¡¯s secret concoction, your own fertilisers. Do you think your grains might be another colour? Maybe white, green, ck or something.¡±

    Different fertilisers, different colours? Was that possible?

    Ji Ju paused like he remembered something and shuddered. Strands of beard fell on the ground.

    ¡°I know! So that¡¯s what happened! Hahahaha! The five colours of gold, so this is what that means! Hahahaha!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not know what to do as he watched Ji Juugh hysterically.

    When Ji Ju was done, he ignored Shao Xuan and rushed into the house. Shao Xuan and the bull looked at each other.

    Seeing as the bull was staring intently at the grain on the table, Shao Xuan tossed the grain that Ji Ju had previously peeled at it. It was given to Ji Ju for identification so he had no ns to keep these.

    When Ji Ju finally came out once again, he saw the bull¡¯s head blocking the entire entrance, mooing softly as it stared at Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan, who was sitting inside, had fallen asleep.

 Chapter 436 - Iâ€™ll Bring You There

    <h4>I¡¯ll Bring You There</h4>

    Shao Xuan was sound asleep, drooling. His ears could filter background noises but when Ji Ju approached, Shao Xuan woke.

    In the past, anyone who visited was either so tense they didn¡¯t know where to put their hands or they were very greedy, looking around as if they couldn¡¯t wait to get their hands on the things here. It was very rare to see someone who could fall asleep here.

    After getting an answer to a question he had for years, Ji Ju was in a rare good mood. He smiled. ¡°What did you dream of?¡±

    ¡°I was cooking porridge when you came.¡± Shao Xuan wiped the drool off his chin, not embarrassed. It was peaceful here, with the slight fragrance of nts. It was rxing. He had dreamt he was cooking a pot of porridge with white rice inside.

    Eh?

    That¡¯s not right.

    Shao Xuan stretched and paused. White porridge? White rice?

    When he thought about it, the rice was round. Although they were not asrge as the purple grains from his tribe, they were simr

    Ji Ju sat and poured himself a ss of water. When he saw Shao Xuan, he asked, ¡°You thought of something?¡±

    ¡°I am recalling the pot of porridge from my dream,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Ji Ju was amused and did not take him seriously. He thought Shao Xuan was just hungry. This was a ce with food everywhere, dreaming of rice was not odd.

    ¡°Because of what you said, I thought of a question that I couldn¡¯t answer from years ago. Our Ji ancestral records talked about Thousand Grain Gold. The nting methods for the nt, I got them from my ancestral notes.¡±

    Just for this piece of information, he had looked through all the Ji records in detail, finding a lot of new information. They didn¡¯t call it Thousand Grain Gold though, it was just a verymon, overused name¡ª ¡°Golden Grain¡±. Ji Ju spent a lot of effort looking up its nting procedures and then modified them himself. He changed the recipe for the fertiliser and finally produced his own batch.

    However, the notes mentioned something called ¡®the five colours of gold¡¯. Due to some reasons, the records weren¡¯tplete so Ji Ju could not read the rest. He never understood what this line meant until Shao Xuan mentioned it.

    ¡°The word ¡®gold¡¯ from Thousand Grain Gold doesn¡¯t mean one colour,¡± exined Ji Ju. ¡°The five colours of gold vary with thend and the person. It means that with different locations, different people and different methods, the grains will turn out different too. Just like ming Horn got purple grains- my field might not produce the same. Maybe even different colours from the first batch.¡±

    ¡°Varies with both thend and the person? So the different coloured grains have different properties?¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Ji Ju touched his beard, pausing when he noticed it had grown thinner but he continued, ¡°The different coloured grains will be different. Based on my spections, the nts in your tribe will differ even more from the parent nt we found on the hill as the number of generations increase. As long as it is nted in your tribe, by your people with the same method, in the end, the grains will start to adapt to your tribe.

    ¡°However, if one day your tribe moves away and leaves the nts there for a thousand years, they will still live. As generations pass, they will return to their original state, like this,¡± Ji Ju showed him the dark gold grains.

    ¡°Thank you for telling me this!¡± said Shao Xuan solemnly.

    ¡°Treat your purple grains with care. Even if you don¡¯t know what they¡¯re for now, one day, they will prove their value. All the changes happening to every living thing in this world have their reasons. If they say the Thousand Grain Gold has five colours, maybe purple is the one that your tribe needs most! Same thing, my nts will produce the one I need most,¡± sighed Ji Ju.

    Although he was still jealous, he was a lot calmer now. Perhaps the kind he needed wasn¡¯t the one the ming Horn people had, but the ones that were growing slower on hisnd.

    As for their ability to nt the Thousand Grain Gold and coax it into evolving, this meant the ming Horn people weren¡¯t the vulgar savages he heard from rumours. The impression of the tribe changed in his heart.

    Ji Ju wanted to talk to him about the purple grains when he noticed there was one less grain on the table!

    He remembered bringing three grains over, one without its husk and two whole grains. Now there was only one with its husk. What happened to the other two?!

    Shao Xuan pointed outside the door.

    The bullhead at the door quickly retracted outside.

    Since the bull had already eaten it, Ji Ju did not say much, merely grunting. Thinking about his crops, he couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡°Shao Xuan, what colour do you think mine will be?¡±

    ¡°White,¡± blurted Shao Xuan. He¡¯d identally told him about the pot of porridge in his dream.

    Ji Ju was surprised. ¡°Why are you so sure?¡±

    ¡°Just a guess,¡± stuttered Shao Xuan.

    Ji Ju looked at Shao Xuan knowingly, though he did not say he didn¡¯t believe him. He rapped the table gently. ¡°I think my nts are going to reach the second ¡®block¡¯ soon, how long will you stay? Why not stay a little longer, watch and see how they will pass this ¡®block¡¯.¡±

    Shao Xuan did a calction and nodded. ¡°I need to meet another senior too.¡± Then he smiled, ¡°You¡¯re willing to let me watch? Aren¡¯t you afraid I might learn all your secrets?¡±

    Ji Ju waved. ¡°Not at all!¡± The key to everything was his fertiliser but he had already formted and made them personally. He was not afraid of anyone watching.

    After Shao Xuan returned to Qingmang Pavilion, Ji Ju even treated them to a meal. Shao Xuan and the two left the fields after the meal from a side exit. There were too many people at the main entrance and they would be hounded if they took that way.

    ¡°Next time, if there are too many people at the entrance, take this door instead. This is the door nearest to Qiju.¡±

    The guards were told to remember Shao Xuan¡¯s face so they could bring him to Qiju directly next time.

    Ji Ju even arranged for a wagon and tenrge sacks of grains for them.

    The field wasrge and there were many side entrances so their journey was smooth. No one saw them.

    ck Bear was ecstatic. Ten sacks! Although they were all for Shao Xuan, he could get one or two right? He was willing to negotiate!

    Along the way, Shao Xuan talked to Guang Yi. If he did not want to stay in King City, he could return with a portion of the ck Bears back to Anba City and bring some of the grains too.

    Guang Yi refused, saying he did not want to leave Shao Xuan alone here. Duo Kang had told him that his duty was to protect Shao Xuan. He couldn¡¯t let their Elder get bullied in King City.

    Knowing that they were staying in King City for a while, ck Bear volunteered for them to stay at the ck Bear¡¯s base. He was not going to let Shao Xuan go. And Ji Ju never said his people would never get a chance to enter his ce.

    They arrived at King City and went to the base. ck Bear got his people to set up a ce for Shao Xuan and Guang Yi to store their things too.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, when do you n to go to the Golden Grain fields again?¡± asked ck Bear.

    ¡°The day after tomorrow. I want to walk in the city tomorrow and buy some stuff,¡± said Shao Xuan. He couldn¡¯t keep using stuff they gave him, he had to buy some supplies too.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine too, I¡¯ll let Maoda go with you.¡± As the chief of the tribe and head of the trading party, he was very busy. He had been out the whole day today, there was lots to do. If the day after he had to go to Ji Ju¡¯s ce again, he had to make arrangements tomorrow.

    So it is settled! If they were going on the day tomorrow, what gifts should he prepare? The ck Bear wondered.

    Maoda brought Shao Xuan and Guang Yi to their new ce. ¡°What do you want to buy tomorrow? I¡¯m familiar with the ce, I know where all the best things are.¡± He had heard what happened from ck Bear and looked at Shao Xuan like he looked at money. He would never miss an opportunity to impress Shao Xuan. Maybe next time he could go to the Golden Grain fields too? Hehehe, he was excited!

    ¡°We¡¯ll see. But if we have time, I want to visit a friend. I don¡¯t know where he lives though,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ck Bear, who was still thinking about the present, strained his ears.

    ¡°What¡¯s your friends¡¯ name? I¡¯ll send my men to find out,¡± said Maoda.

    ¡°Do you know where the Gongjia family lives?¡±

    ¡°I do! I do! Tomorrow I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Before Maoda could finish, he was interrupted by ck Bear.

    ck Bear took toorge steps forward. He was so emotional that his face was covered in red splotches.

    ¡°I suddenly feel like it¡¯ll be better for me to bring you there tomorrow. I know a few people from the Gongjia family too,¡± said ck Bear.

    Maoda: ¡°...¡± It should be me! I should go!

 Chapter 437 - One Block

    <h4>Chapter 437 One Block</h4>

    After the incident at Ji Ju, ck Bear was extra sensitive to Shao Xuan mentioning an ¡®old friend¡¯.

    Previously, at the entrance of the Golden Grain fields, he had not taken Shao Xuan¡¯s words seriously and took it as a joke. However, what happened next proved that Shoa Xuan was telling the truth. Yesterday felt like a dream

    That was why when he said he wanted to visit the Gongjia family, his treasure hunting senses were triggered.

    However, he still wanted to know who Shao Xuan was referring to.

    ¡°The Gongjia family is a very special group of people in King City. Although the aristocrats of the great six were the highest-ranked, and the rest were just little nobles, the Gongjia family was different. Even the aristocrats would be respectful when working with the Gongjia people,¡± said ck Bear.

    ¡°Because they specialise in casting and forging?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    The Gongjia people were not ambitious or greedy, most of them spent all their efforts on forging wares and did not spare time on other stuff. Although there were a few who were a little greedier, they didn¡¯t make many waves. The core members of Gongjia had no intentions to be powerful so everyone trusted them. Plus with their talents, everyone else was much nicer to them.

    ¡°Many of the weapons from our trading party were from the Gongjia family. However, most of them were just made by the apprentices. As for the masters, it will be difficult to hire one,¡± said ck Bear. ¡°What¡¯s your friend¡¯s name? I might know the guy.¡±

    ¡°His name is Gongjia Heng.¡±

    ck Bear and Maoda: ¡°¡­¡±

    Maoda looked at ck Bear and then hugged him. ¡°I don¡¯t care! Boss, you already said I could bring him there tomorrow!¡±

    ck Bear ignored his pleas and gulped. He confirmed again, ¡°The one you talked about is the newest member of the Gongjia family, right?¡±

    ¡°I think so. How many Gongjia Hengs are there in King City?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Just one! I heard he had just returned from Gongjia Mountain. He left for twenty years, yet returned as one of the highest-ranked masters here. Many people want him to make weapons for them, even the aristocrats too. It¡¯s a pity Gongjia Heng did not appear in public again, I heard he¡¯s making weapons.¡±

    As he listened, Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°Yep, that¡¯s him.¡±

    ck Bear took a deep breath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll personally bring you there tomorrow!¡±

    ¡°Boss, and me¡ª¡± wailed Maoda.

    With his pleas, ck BEar finally relented.

    On the next day, when Shao Xuan and Guang Yi left, ck Bear and Maoda were both guides of the day. The ck Bears were shocked. The incident at Golden Grain fields was only told to the few core members. That was why everyone did not understand why Shao Xuan and Guang Yi had such special treatment. After they left, many discussed among themselves but Maojin hit them with a stick and hurried them to get to work.

    Maojin was in a bad mood too. He knew what happened and also wanted to go but he was given the duty to take care of the team.

    Shao Xuan walked along the street. The street was wide enough forrge beasts to pass through. There were many beasts he had never seen before here, though they were mostly tamed. They wererge but very cid, showing no signs of violent tempers.

    The shops on both sides of the street were special too, the same kind all grouped together. Food was on one street, alcohol was on another, y wares, bronze wares, they were all separated.

    Shao Xuan and Guang Yi were interested in the bronze wares. There weren¡¯t just weapons here, they saw tools and exquisite decorative items too. However, they only looked but did not buy them. They were useless, what were they going to do with decorations?

    Seeing as the four people had no intentions to buy anything, the owner of the bronze ware show did not smile. He looked down on these people, obviously from a faraway tribe. These were good quality wares, how could a tribesman afford this?

    Ignoring the stares, Shao Xuan heard a rhythmic sound of wood hitting against wood. ¡°What¡¯s on the other street?¡±

    ck Bear was about to say something but Maoda interjected, ¡°That¡¯s for divination. Most of them there are descendants of the Yi family. But just the unimportant ones. The true powerful Yi people rarely go there. However, they sometimes visit with their families and when that happens, crowds of people woulde.¡±

    ¡°Divination?¡± Shao Xuan was curious.

    He heard the Yi family of the great six was impressive at the art of divination. When he was at Gongjia Valley, he knew that the Yi family was knowledgeable just from the carvings on the walls. Thinking about the knot divination techniques he used, he nned to check the street out.

    ck Bear and Maoda couldn¡¯t wait to visit Gongjia but since Shao Xuan wanted to check the street out, they had no choice. ck Bear red at Maoda. Why did you have to talk? If you didn¡¯t say that, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have wasted even more time.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many people here, you won¡¯t get answers if you ask. Why don¡¯t we visit again when more important people are here,¡± suggested ck Bear.

    Shao Xuan grunted but still headed in that direction. He just wanted to ask a few questions about knotting.

    There were tribesmen and traders on these streets who came here for readings. Even if these were just distant rtives of the Yi family, they still requested readings.

    That was why the street was still busier than Shao Xuan expected. There weren¡¯t many in the streets but most of the customers were inside the shops.

    Shao Xuan listened as he walked. Some people were loud, so he didn¡¯t need to strain his ears. A guy was asking about his fate. Some customers spoke as if they were talking about a secret, they must be requesting a reading too. Their eyes darted around nervously as if afraid someone heard them.

    After looking around, Shao Xuan entered a shop.

    Inside was a thin old man with white hair.

    The old man sat on a leather cushion, legs crossed. In front of him were wooden blocks connected with some straw rope. There were symbols on the wooden blocks that outsiders won¡¯t understand.

    Someone was walking out just as SHoa Xuan entered. He didn¡¯t have to queue so Shao Xuan came up to the short table.

    ¡°What do you want to ask?¡± The old man asked as if he was some master.

    Shao Xuan looked at the straw rope and the blocks on the table and didn¡¯t speak. Maoda said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you check how our luck will be today?¡±

    The old man pointed at the blocks. ¡°Pull the rope. You know the rules, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Although Maoda said they were unimportant, he was still a frequent customer. He often sought readings when he visited.

    Without totemic power, Maoda shook the rope and the blocks fell apart on the table.

    The old man looked at the table scattered on the table and took out a smaller block. He looked at the patterns on the table, muttering.

    After about ten minutes, the old man stopped and wiped the sweat on his forehead. ¡°Good news.¡±

    ¡°Hehe!¡± Maoda was happy. ¡°Shao Xuan, what do you want to ask? Hurry up.¡±

    ¡°That reading, it¡¯s over?¡± Shao Xuan was confused.

    ¡°Over.¡± Maoda nodded.

    Shao Xuan looked at the old man but didn¡¯t say what he wanted. ¡°Do you know how to perform knot divination?¡±

    The old manughed. ¡°I can tell you don¡¯t know much. Knot divination? That has disappeared a thousand years ago. The knot divination these days are just little tricks scammers use. Young man, let me tell you this, next time anyone tells you about it, you must be careful. Don¡¯t get scammed.¡± The old man spoke as if it was for his own good.

    ¡°That means it existed a thousand years ago?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Of course. It was one of the three divinations of the Yi family. It¡¯s too bad there were changes in the family and the art disappeared. It doesn¡¯t matter, without knotting, our Yi family still has other more powerful methods. During these centuries, the Yi family has created many new ways of divination.¡± The old man looked up proudly. Although he was just a minor member of the family, he often mentioned ¡®our Yi family¡¯.

    As for knotting, the old man didn¡¯t say much about it.

    ¡°Knotting is just with one piece of string? How does the reading work?¡± Maoda was curious.

    The old man looked down on him. ¡°What do you know about divination?¡±

    ¡°Hehe! Don¡¯t look down on me, you don¡¯t know much either!¡± retorted Maoda.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know?¡± the old man blew on his moustache. ¡°The wood-string divination method I use is simr to the knot divination! Plus, mine is more urate. For example, I did a reading for myself today that said there will be an incident today rted to life and death.¡±

    ¡°Life and death, yet you speak of it like it¡¯s nothing. You¡¯re not worried?¡± Maoda didn¡¯t believe him.

    ¡°Why should I? What wille, wille.¡± The old man was calm. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can stay and wait.¡±

    Maoda frowned. What has your life and death got to do with me? I¡¯d rather look at swords at the Gongjia house than wait for your death here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, Shao Xuan. we should go to the Gongjia¡¯s now. I heard they¡¯re testing swords.¡± Maoda was impatient.

    Shao Xuan did not stay but before he left, he told the old man, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired, sitting here all day? You should head outside, walk towards the direction where the sun rises.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk to him, the Yi family only trusts themselves,¡± said ck Bear, though he saw Shao Xuan toss something in his peripheral vision. It was some bits of yellowed grass like a broken piece of string.

    As they left, the old man kept thinking about what the young man said.

    Should he head out? This ce was owned by the Yi family, they had their reputation. There were so many pairs of eyes here too so no one would steal.

    He had been sitting a long time, might as well walk around.

    He got up and walked out of the shop. In two steps, he looked up and thought hard. He turned around and walked in the direction of the sunrise.

    He had taken eighty steps when he wondered if he should return after one hundred steps. Then he heard a rumble and the deafening cry of a mammoth.

    A mammoth had gone crazy for some reason and was rushing from another street. It had smashed into several buildings, including the old man¡¯s own shop.

    Whoosh Whoosh Whoosh!

    Sharp, deadly spears few like a storm, engulfing the mammoth.

    Pfft¡ª

    Blood sttered.

    In a second, the mammoth had turned into a porcupine. The smell of blood lingered.

    People on the street did not scream, most of them leaning in to watch. Incidents like that were not rare but the unlucky ones could suffer¨C for example one could have been crushed in the copsed buildings, or stepped on, or many get stabbed by one of the spears.

    The old man did not hear any of the conversations around him. He stared at the rubble that used to be his shop. There wasn¡¯t even one wooden nk that was intact. Blood everywhere. If he hadn¡¯t walked out¡­

    He shuddered. Just now, that young man, was it just a coincidence?

 Chapter 438 - Sword Testing

    <h4>Sword Testing</h4>

    When the incident urred at the street, Shao Xuan and the three weren¡¯t too far away and heard themotion. Although they couldn¡¯t see what happened, ck Bear and Maoda could guess.

    ¡°Must be a mammoth on a rampage,¡± said Maoda. He had heard the mammoth and how it stopped abruptly. The city guards would never let them continue causing destruction in the city.

    ¡°Thank goodness we left early or we would be involved.¡± ck Bear then thought of what Shao Xuan said as they left the shop. His eyes darted at him a few times, deep in thought.

    In the past, Maoda would have definitely gone over butpared to the Gongjia family, themotion here was not attractive. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go to the Gongjia¡¯s ce. Right, Which side of Gongjia Residence does Gongjia Heng live in?¡± Maoda wondered. He arrived in King Cityter and only knew of Gongjia Heng after talking to other people in the city privately.

    ¡°That side. I¡¯ve been there before.¡± ck Bear pointed and led the way.

    The Gongjia people mostly lived in one spot. There was arge garden wall surrounding the area. Although there were other people there, they were very few. However, due to therge poption, there were four doors in the walls in four directions.

    They didn¡¯t have to worry about getting the right door either because there were so many people outside because of Gongjia Heng. Even if the neighbourhood wasrge, they just had to ask around to find out.

    ¡°What, you¡¯re for the sword testing too?¡± someone who knew ck Bear asked.

    ¡°Mm.¡± ck Bear did not talk much. If he said he was looking for Gongjia Heng, they would not let him go.

    When they arrived, they did not see the door. Shao Xuan sawyers of people crowding around. Some were here for the sword testing, some were just here for themotion.

    ¡°Sigh. Failed again!¡±

    ¡°The sword broke. This isn¡¯t going to work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still not as good as the previous one. But, how many failed today?¡±

    ¡°Twenty-one. Only one seeded. I wasn¡¯t here but I heard it¡¯s someone from the Feng family of the great six.¡±

    As the crowd discussed, one person squeezed out, looking depressed. The people around were pointing at him. This was the person who failed the sword testing.

    ¡°There are so many people here!¡± Shao Xuan sighed when he couldn¡¯t even see the door because of the crowd.

    ¡°This is already alright. Previously, when Gongjia Heng just returned, there were more people,¡± said ck Bear.

    The Gongjia family¡¯s jaws dropped when Gongjia Heng came back from Gongjia Mountain twenty yearster. Before he left, he wasn¡¯t a particrly talented person and wasn¡¯t ranked high in the family. When he left for Gongjia Mountain, many people did not think he would seed. Many people thought so and yet he never returned even once after he left. There were very few people who returned and they were all prodigies. Gongjia Heng was a mediocre guy so they all thought he was just going to die there.

    However, to everyone¡¯s dismay, he didn¡¯t juste back alive, he had seeded in learning the ancestral techniques in Gongjia Mountain.

    Not just within the Gongjia family, he had created waves within King City. Many people came asking for him to make weapons. Since the aristocrats liked swords, many came asking for swords too.

    However, now that he was a high-ranked member, he was in a position to reject these aristocrats. There were simply too many people looking for him. He wasn¡¯t annoyed, instead creating a test. Only the ones who passed the test could register and be qualified to discuss business with Gongjia Heng. The rest were all stopped outside.

    The sword testing session was basically a few rocks Gongjia Heng prepared outside the gate. There were some weapons there too. Anyone who could use these weapons to split the rocks without damaging the weapons passed the test. Even a chipped weapon would mean a failure, let alone breaking the weapon.

    This was a test of capability. Gongjia Heng had deliberately chosen the weapons and specific stone grades for this test. A person capable enough would be able to split the rock. Even if the rock wasn¡¯tpletely split in half, as long as it hit the minimum requirement and the weapon wasn¡¯t damaged, they could register too.

    To most people, these conditions were too strict and just made people suffer. However, everyone understood why he did this, most even said this was how it should be. This guy was a master, how could he forge weapons for any random guy?

    After this test was set up, many people came for the sword test. However, as time passed, the numbers dwindled as more and more people failed. They weren¡¯t afraid of failure, they were terrified of breaking the swords in half. That could mean not being able to hire Gongjia Heng ever again, or they could be shunned by many Gongjia cksmiths.

    Many cksmiths and apprentices of the Gongjia family followed in his footsteps as they looked up to him. If Gongjia Heng refused to make a weapon for someone, all these cksmiths and apprentices who idolised him would do the same.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, he had seen one person break a bronze sword in half when splitting the rock. That was an immediate elimination, Gongjia Heng would not make any weapons for him in the future. That was why the guy was so depressed. In the future, if he wanted a Gongjia-made weapon, he would only be able to hire someone who didn¡¯t look up to Heng.

    ck Bear, like an army tank, opened up a path and forced the crowd aside by forcing himself forward. As he squeezed, the other three followed behind him.

    The ones who were shoved aside were about to yell at him but when they turned to see ck Bear, they kept their mouth shut. It didn¡¯t matter what happened, sometimes it was smarter to shut up if you were smaller.

    The rest of the people dared not scold him so once he passed, they attempted to take the opportunity to squeeze forward.

    ¡°Anyone else who wants to do the test?¡± someone in the crowd yelled.

    ¡°Hurry up, I want to eat after this test is over. I¡¯m starving,¡± cried another.

    It sounded like they all treated this as a show.

    When ck Bear arrived, many people¡¯s eyes brightened and they stood alert. Perhaps this muscr dude could give them a good show!

    ck Bear considered doing the test. During the past few days, he had been receiving news about this test and hade to observe/ This time, with Shao Xuan here, he wanted to try. Even if he failed, perhaps he could ride on Shao Xuan¡¯s connection and change Gongjia Heng¡¯s mind?

    No one could me ck Bear¡¯sck of confidence. Everyone was used to chopping people or vegetables, who chopped a rock?

    When he made his decision, he turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°You all wait here. I¡¯ll do the test.¡±

    Just as ck Bear was ready to walk up, another person d in rough, grey fabric squeezed out of the crowd. His hair was tied up with a strip of cloth, his face expressionless. He looked like a quiet, mediocre guy.

    When ck Bear talked to Shao Xuan, this person had already walked towards the rock. Since he had arrived first, ck Bear had to wait. This upset the boss a little.

    The man in grey looked at the few weapons on the table. There were knives, swords, axes etc. He picked up a sword and without preparation, went up to a rock as big as a winter melon and chopped.

    No skills involved, just one simple movement. Yet the motion felt decisive, powerful.

    ng!

    There was a deep cut on the rock but it did not split open. Looking at the sword¡ª there was a shallow dent.

    There were whispers in the crowd¨C not just pitying him, some were happy he failed.

    The man ignored the crowd¡¯s response as if he did not hear them. He held the sword horizontally and moved a finger gently across the sword, gazing deeply at the dent as if he wanted to etch this deep in his heart. Then he looked at the deep cut on the rock. Both hands holding the sword, his face solemn, he bowed at the gate. ¡°Thank you for the lesson!¡±

    When he finished, he put down the sword and walked away without even looking back. His lonely silhouette looked like one of those wandering warriors in ancient legends.

    Everyone was stunned by his performance.

    ¡°Wait, sir! What did you learn from the dent on the sword? You look like you¡¯ve understood the meaning of life?!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we get a drink together somewhere and talk about life?¡±

    Some people followed, asking questions. Unfortunately, this man without a name did not speak. His spine was as straight as a longsword, he walked majestically down the path.

    Perhaps he was a wise man?

    Wise people of this mortal world always had thoughts that differed from others. They could not be confined to the regr logic. Perhaps this guy would be a famous warrior in the future?

    ck Bear did not pay attention to the man. He was growing anxious, now that there was another failure. ¡°Tell me, what type of weapon should I choose?¡±

    ¡°A sword? I heard the Gongjia people make more swords. Maybe the sword will be sturdier than the other weapons,¡± said Maoda.

    ck Bear turned to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Use whatever weapon you¡¯re used to. When you cut, treat the rock like it¡¯s a fierce beast charging right at your face. Don¡¯t think about anything else,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ck Bear nodded. He had thought of the same thing. It was best to use whatever you were used to. His favourite weapon was actually the axe.

    On the other side, the guards at the gate switched a new rock for the test. A new rock was provided with every test, though they were all of the same grades.

    Just as ck Bear stepped forward, Shao Xuan whispered something to him. ck Bear¡¯s eyes brightened and nodded.

    Under watchful eyes, the chief of the trading party as tall as a bear directly picked up an axe. He tested the axe in his hand and tapped the de with his finger so he had an understanding of its quality. While he was not familiar with the rock, he was familiar with axes.

    Thinking about Shao Xuan¡¯s words, when he walked over, he did not face the rock directly like everyone else. He stood a little nted. Then, he looked at Shao Xuan. When Shao Xuan nodded lightly, he took a deep breath, focused his energy and emptied his mind. He recalled the fierce beast that had charged at them while they were travelling earlier. During the moment of danger, there was no hesitation. He roared loudly, lifting both arms and the axe mightily and then mmed it down on the rock hard!

    His eyes were filled with cold violence, the aura radiating from him gave the crowd chills.

    Bang!

    This was different from the crisp nging of the previous tests.

    The rock split into two sections while the axe was deeply wedged in the wooden block underneath.

    The crowd was even more concerned than ck Bear himself. ¡°Pick it back up! Check if the axe is chipped!¡±

    The coldness in his eyes disappeared in an instant as he snapped back into reality. He was nervous now. Using his strength, he pulled the axe out of the wooden block.

    ¡°N-no¡­?¡±

    ¡°No dent!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha boss! You did it!¡± Maoda ran over excitedly. He rubbed his palms, considering trying out too.

    Shao Xuan also went over to congratte him.

    ¡°You¡¯re done here, so get the hell out!¡± A t voice rang, standing out amongst the congrattory voices.

    It was as if ck Bear¡¯s joy was sshed with a tub of cold water. His smile disappeared and he looked over with a sulk. ¡°Oh! I was just wondering. So it¡¯s Linlu.¡±

    Linlu tribe? Shao Xuan knew what tribe it was because yesterday, the carriage he passed on the way to Ji Ju¡¯s ce was owned by the Linlu tribe. He heard that this family had somehow kissed the Ji family¡¯s shoes and now was a new aristocratic family in King City.

 Chapter 439 - Stepping Stone

    <h4>Stepping Stone</h4>

    There were ten people who squeezed to the front of the crowd. One could tell they were from the same group from their clothing. However, it was still a peculiar style. Although there was a wildness of a tribesman, they also incorporated bright silk worn by only the city¡¯s aristocrats. Together, they wore reflective, patterned silk clothes inside and sleeveless brown animal hide coats outside.

    These ten people attracted a lot of attention because of both their clothing and their height.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s ming Horn Tribe were tall people while the ck Bear¡¯s tribe were mostly a little taller. However, the ck Bears¡¯ most obvious characteristic was that they were muscr and intimidating. Right now, ck Bear was a head shorter than this person in front of him!

    The other guy¡¯s arm was thick like a stone pir. Standing like a stork among chickens, most people were only up to his chest. He wasn¡¯t just tall, he was muscr too. He was just like the thick and solid city walls. Anyone a little timider would shudder in front of this man. Some people wondered if he could squash anyone to death if he copsed right now.

    Anyone smarter would be able to guess who this person was based on what ck Bear said.

    ¡°Linlu tribe? The Lu family? Is that blockhead Lubi?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°Lubi? There was a recent rumour about him killing a bear in one hit using his hammer, right?¡± gasped another.

    When they heard this, ck Bear and Maoda couldn¡¯t help but raise their eyebrows in disbelief. What was that? It felt like the guy was challenging him, this was upsetting.

    ¡°So Lubi looks like that.¡± Some people were excited, though a little regret in their voices. They were excited to see the real person but reality was often disappointing.

    Lubi was named as the prodigy of the century from the Linlu tribe. The stories denoted that he was tall and had the strength of a god. That was why the Linlu tribe specially asked for a favour from the Ji family to hire a cksmith to make arge bronze hammer for him. The legends say that he could kill a giant bear with just one smash!

    Linlu tribe¡¯s move to King City had caused a lot of discussions and just to make themselves famous, the tribe naturally spread stories of their talents across the city. Lubi¡¯s name was known to the public, many wondered what he looked like. They wondered if he was as fierce as a demon, had arms asrge as an elephant¡¯s leg and a hammer asrge as a house. They even said he could create a pond with just one step into the ground. Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t seen this Lubi in person because, at that time, not all the Linlu tribe members had arrived yet.

    However, everyone now knew that the main members of the Lu family had already moved to King City. The man taller than Beimi aka ck Bear was the legendary Lubi!

    While there was a disparity between their imagination and reality, there were still simrities. This was enough for the citizens to talk about for a long time. They didn¡¯t have much entertainment there.

    Lubi held his bronze hammer. It had a long handle, the head shaped like a melon. On it were several deep and shallow dents left from previous battles. Not sure if it was made by a human or an animal. No matter what, one look at the hammer and you¡¯d know this was not an easy opponent. Although his hammer wasn¡¯t as big as a house like the stories, it was big enough to be an umbre. Just holding a hammer like this wasn¡¯t easy, let alone wielding it as a weapon.

    Shao Xuan and Guang Yi were already considered strong and muscr. However, next to Lubi and his people, they just looked thin and weak. The rest of the crowd, including a few from Linlu, were mere matchsticks.

    However, the one who spoke wasn¡¯t Linlu but a younger man who looked more refined. He walked in front and looked at everyone like he was mocking them. His tone was arrogant.

    Apparently, the fact that ck Bear called them ¡®Linlu tribe¡¯ was upsetting to them. This young man in front looked at ck Bear with cold and mocking eyes.

    To them, the word ¡®tribe¡¯ made them sound primitive. Now everyone wanted to mimic the aristocrats of the great six. Instead of identifying as a tribe, they identified themselves as a n or a family with the same surname. Then, they worked hard to be aristocrats. Within King City, when they introduced themselves, everyone went by x family, or xx n. Who would want to call themselves xx tribe? The Linlu tribe had taken so much effort to get to where they were now, yet they were insulted to their faces just like that?

    ¡°Wandering traders are all like that. You allck ambition, rough and vulgar!¡± mused the young man.

    ck Bear squinted. ¡°Right, you¡¯re an ambitious bunch. I heard the Linlu tribesmen all moved to King City to be ves? You¡¯re just in time. The grains outside the city have ripened and they need people for the harvest. Perhaps you¡¯ll all get a job soon. The pay for it is alright too, enough for maybe two meals.¡±

    The tension in the air was thick, as if there was going to be an explosion soon.

    The whispers in the crowd quietened but no one left. The ones who left quickly returned with their friends and rtives to watch. They were either there to see Lubi or to watch the fight. They wouldn¡¯t want to miss this.

    The ck Bear trading party versus the newly arrived Lu family of the Linlu tribe. Four versus ten. Who would win?

    Many people were already cing bets.

    ¡°What, you¡¯re here for the sword testing here too? Do you have the courage? Do you have the skills?¡± said ck Bear.

    The young man in front held his chin high. ¡°Not bad.¡± As he spoke, he walked towards the testing area and looked around at the crowd. ¡°Luming of Lu family, here for sword testing!¡±

    Another person next to Luming stepped forward. ¡°Lupeng of Lu family, here for sword testing!¡±

    Lubi, carrying his hammer, grinned to show everyone his white teeth. ¡°Lubi of Lu family, here for sword testing!¡±

    ¡­

    Ten people announced their names consecutively. It sounded more like they were announcing their names for the crowd and not for registration.

    ¡°You ck Bear people can get the hell out since you¡¯re done. I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re not either. It¡¯s our turn now!¡± Luming said, looking at ck Bear.

    Being told to ¡®get the hell out¡¯ twice infuriated ck Bear. He hated anyone telling him that. Anywhere else, he would have unsheathed his sword already just like yesterday on the dirt road. However, he was now in front of the Gongjia family¡¯s gates. He had just passed the sword test and was now qualified to hire Gongjia Heng to make weapons. If he fought them here and upset Gongjia Heng, what then? Would he miss such an amazing opportunity just for these dogs? He would never.

    Also, right now ck Bear was here with Shao Xuan. He did not want to involve Shao Xuan in this, he was going to visit Ji Ju tomorrow. If Shao Xuan was injured today, then tomorrow¡¯s ns would be ruined.

    ck Bear suppressed his anger, his expressions changing by the second. His re was so piercing they were like knives.

    Too bad the Linlu people ignored him.

    Shao Xuan watched the Linlu people¡¯s actions. He guessed that these ten people weren¡¯t here for the test. Perhaps they were, but after seeing ck Bear, they must have changed their minds. Four of them were now the targets.

    After ck Bear passed his test, when Shao Xuan heard the guy, he wondered who was stupid enough to do something like that. However, it looks like they knew each other.

    They were all deliberately angering ck Bear?

    Shao Xuan often hunted in the forest so he was very sensitive to human and animal auras. He sensed that they were not good people. They were here to fight!

    Shao Xuan was right, that was Luming¡¯s n. They were initially here for the test but when they realised ck Bear was here, he changed his n. There were only four people on ck Bear¡¯s side and there were no other ck Bear people around, while he had ten on the Lu family¡¯s side. It was a rare opportunity!

    In a ce like King City- no- not just here, in any ce, if you wanted to stay, you had to prove to everyone that you were strong and powerful. And to do that in a new ce, they had to look for a stepping stone!

    These were the rules!

    The stepping stone cannot be too small or it would be useless; not too big either, that would backfire. That was why Luming targeted ck Bear. ck Bear was famous and wasn¡¯t an aristocrat here. He was suitable!

    Luming had an odd look in his eyes. His reckless provocation was actually nned. They were going to use ck Bear as their stepping stone. It¡¯s on!

    Lupeng and the rest with him continued mocking him. Even Maoda was angry. Although they knew the other party was doing this on purpose, how could they swallow their anger in front of an audience? What would happen to their tribe¡¯s dignity?!

    Therefore, ck Bear gestured for Shao Xuan and the rest to stand back and unsheathed a wide bronze knife. ¡°Since you are here for death, I will give it to you myself!¡±

    Luming¡¯s eyes shed and gestured. The nine other people with him stepped forward.

    Ten people. Four groups. They were going to attack by the formation of three, three, three and one.

    Everyone thought ck Bear¡¯s opponent would be Lubi, thergest man. This was the guy who had the highest chance of winning ck Bear. However, no one expected Lubi and hisrge hammer to charge at Shao Xuan first!

    Just like how predators hunted in groups, they had to first scatter their prey and kill the weakest ones first.

    Was this bullying? Was this a lowly act?

    No, there was no such thing here. They called it ¡®strategy¡¯.

    Sometimes, even if both sides were equal in strength, as long as the scales were tipped a little, it could mean andslide win. To tip the scales, the simplest way was to start from the weakest link.

    Based on the ten Linlu people¡¯s n, it was simple enough to pick the weakest target. Of course, it wasn¡¯t ck Bear! Maoda was his assistant, he wasn¡¯t going to be weak too. Not him! The other two? One was an older man who was giving them a murderous look. He didn¡¯t look weak. Not him! There was just one left. A young man who didn¡¯t look like much. This must be the weakest among them. Didn¡¯t ck Bear also tell him to stand back just now?

    He must be the weakest member!

 Chapter 440 - The One With The Hammer

    <h4>The One With The Hammer</h4>

    Without a word, Luming and his men unleashed their totemic powers, reaching peak performance in an extremely short time. An energy surge gushed out of their pores as air currents billowed around them. Even the crowd standing further away from them could feel the power flowing.

    Within the ten of them, seven had already achieved advanced totemic warrior rank! The other three were weaker but worked well with the team. They contributed wherever they could, looking for the best opportunities to deliver a fatal blow.

    In front of ck Bear, Maoda and Guang Yi were two advanced warriors and one middle-ranked totemic warrior. They worked seamlessly together¨C they¡¯d definitely prepared for this.

    Guang Yi initially wanted to help Shao Xuan but these three came for him. In a rage, he had no time to think except unsheathe his bronze sword to parry theirs.

    The sound of powerful swords crashing into each other was as deafening as thunder.

    Just from one hit, Guang Yi sensed that something was off. There was a dent on his sword!

    When Gongjia Heng visited ming Horn, he had gifted them ten weapons. At the time, Guang Yi did not take one because he wasn¡¯t used to them. Plus he wanted to let the younger ones take it. His regr weapons were fine. When he followed Shao Xuan here, Duo Kang had wanted to give his knife to Guang Yi but was turned down too. Duo Kang still had to lead his team back and it was going to be dangerous. He was with Shao Xuan and the ck Bears, there shouldn¡¯t be serious trouble.

    That was why the sword that Guang Yi wielded was just a random, mediocre sword he picked out this morning. He had heard that many people in King City had swords so he picked a random one. He wasn¡¯t used to anything. He¡¯d broken the wide, curved knife he was used to and hadn¡¯t had the time to get another. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t veryfortable with a sword yet.

    Shao Xuan had told him that he¡¯d ask Gongjia Heng to make an identical curved sword for him. They hadn¡¯t met Heng yet, but there was a fight now.

    His opponent¡¯s weapons were obviously of higher quality. His regr sword might notst long. It looked like Guang Yi might not shake off his pursuers in a short period of time.

    While Guang Yi sensed something was wrong, his opponents were ufortable too. They felt like they had bashed into a bull, the vibrations reflected from the impact had made their arms go numb. They could still feel their bones shaking.

    They saw that it was the right decision to not pick this man as the weakest link. If Lubi picked this man, he might not solve this problem quickly enough. Although their opponent was not easy, the Linlu people were secretly delighted that they were right.

    ck Bear and Maoda could not win their opponent within a short period of time either, they couldn¡¯t help Shao Xuan.

    Luming¡¯s lips curled upwards. These were all within his estimations. ck Bear¡¯s team was not an easy opponent. With enough time and weapons, these ten people still might not be able to win. However, with this n, they believed that Lubi would be able to settle the guy with one smash using his hammer. Four minus one. Then ck Bear¡¯s team would be left with three. The ratio would be ten to three now. If they could not fight ck Bear, then Lubi would be avable to help. They could never lose this round.

    On the other side. Lubi moved in a sh, hisrge physique was more agile than expected. Both of his thighs seemed to swell as he charged forward with the power of a cannon. He focused right on his target, ignoring everyone else.

    In just a blink of an eye, Lubi was in front of Shao Xuan. He waved hisrge hammer, seemingly sealing off all routes around Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan waspletely engulfed in the hammer¡¯s shadow, he had nowhere to run.

    The Linlu tribe had named Lubi as the prodigy of the century, he was obviously not dumb.

    ng!

    The vibrations of the metal echoed across the street, its power unleashed. Everyone shuddered, for it felt like the hammer had hit right on their hearts.

    With one hand on the sword handle and the other on the de, Shao Xuan blocked the swing. Both his feet were nted into the ground. Due to therge force, the entire ground seemed to shake and then cracks that looked like spider webs started to form. In a second, pieces of rock and soil from the surface of the ground were thrown in the air.

    Shao Xuan was bleeding from the skin between both his thumb and index fingers. Blood dripped on the ground. But he had blocked the hit!

    He¡­ blocked?!

    There was shock in Lubi¡¯s eyes but he did not hesitate. He swung his hammer back to attack again, swinging it directly at Shao Xuan. Like an arrow fired from a crossbow, he swung through the air between them.

    The de of the sword dazzled in the sunlight, forming an arc in the air.

    ng!

    The impact of metal on metal almost pierced the crowd¡¯s eardrums. The ripples in the air were visible, as if one¡¯s vision was distorted.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sword had blocked a direct hit by the hammer!

    Just to block his swing, Shao Xuan took a few steps back, transferring the terrifying power into the ground beneath him. The cracked ground could not bear the pressure anymore. Consecutive explosions sounded beneath his feet, little holes and mountains of rubble formed. Many pieces of rock flew in the air.

    The wounds on his hand split open once again, the cut extending from the skin between his thumb and index finger, to his wrist. The blood was especially eye-catching against the golden sword, now dripping onto the ground.

    He blocked¡­ again?!

    Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped.

    Lubi wasn¡¯t just surprised now¡ª he was afraid!

    He didn¡¯t know that after all their nning to choose the weakest link, this guy turned out to be terrifying! Compared to himself, this guy looked so weak, how could he have blocked two of his hits?!

    Lubi looked at the young man only a hammer¡¯s length away from him. zing totemic patterns appeared on his body.

    This was not a ck Bear trader!

    Then who was he?

    Lubi saw his opponent grin. Within that grin was violence and threat, he felt the hair on his back standing. Chills pierced through his spine into his head.

    Before he could react, a huge force travelled through his hammer¡¯s handle. He could not do anything other than nt his feet into the ground harder.

    The power resisting against his hammer skyrocketed, he had no time to prepare.

    Fight it!

    He must fight it!

    Oh no!

    Crackles came from the ground underneath him, extending behind him.

    And then he was stepping backwards.

    Lubi could not withstand the force, his opponent was forcing him back!

    His eyebrows twitched, disbelief filled his eyes. Both his arms supporting the hammer felt incredibly sore.

    However, the force was still increasing.

    The totemic power within Shao Xuan rose like a manic force. Ever since his trip to Gongjia Mountain, he had noticed how tumultuous his powers could be.

    Stronger, stronger!

    Power! More power!

    The power flowing through his muscles, veins, bones and even his blood were all unleashed, exploding into a mighty strike.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s re grew sharper and sharper. Lubi dared not look straight into them.

    Lubi¡¯s muscles were all shaking. He wanted to block the force but could not. He was now falling back quicker. His two feet, initially nted into the ground, were now sliding backwards uncontrobly.

    Pieces of rubble flew behind his heels, he was now like a bull ploughing a deep trench in the fields. Lubi felt a burning in his heels from all the friction.

    He felt like he wasn¡¯t up against a human, it was a monster he had awakened. This monster had released all inhibitions, roaring in his face.

    Everyone else was frozen like statues.

    Other than the ones dodging behind Lubi, the audience was frozen in a position, eyes bulging out of their heads.

    When his strength reached the peak, his arms tensed and he flipped the hammer up in the air using his de. The reached one hand out to catch the hammer.

    A sharp pain travelled through Lubi¡¯s arms, both shoulders cracked as they were snapped out of their joints. His hands were now empty.

    He hadn¡¯t even done much and his opponent had already taken his hammer!

    Lubi wanted to get the hammer back but he saw a sh and felt a deing. The de was about to chop off his head in a second. He had no choice but to step back to avoid it.

    Shao Xuan retracted his sword. He tried the weight of the hammer in one hand. Since it was custom-made for Lubi, the handle was thick. It was just right for Lubi¡¯s fingers but for Shao Xuan, his fingers could not wrap around the entire handle. Though he could still weild it.

    Shao Xuan looked at the panting Lubi, who was still in shock. Then, without sparing Lubis¡¯ dignity, he swung the hammer.

    The explosions from the fight had attracted many people.

    There was a fight, of course more people woulde to watch.

    ¡°So who¡¯s fighting who?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°One side¡¯s the Lu family, the other side¡­ Who¡¯s that guy? The kid with the totemic patterns doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s from the ck Bear party.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re talking about the Lu family? The ones from Linlu tribe, new to King City?¡± someone asked excitedly.

    ¡°Linlu tribe? I heard Lubi wields arge hammer. Is the guy with the hammer the legendary Lubi?¡±

    The other person paused for a moment. ¡°...No, Lubi¡­ is the guy who¡¯s being chased by the other guy with the hammer.¡±

 Chapter 441 - Tell Them To Get The Hell Out

    <h4>Tell Them To Get The Hell Out</h4>

    THAT¡¯S Lubi?

    The city dwellers who came to watch the fight were astonished.

    Even the guards at the Gongjia¡¯s gates were shocked.

    The Linlu tribesmen fighting ck Bear and the rest were so scared their legs turned to jelly.

    Initially, Luming had detected that something was off. However, he had to focus all his attention on ck Bear as they had to be careful with this man. That was why he could not see what happened to Lubi. However, he trusted that the n would proceed as usual.

    However, when they made the first impact, the sound was not what he imagined. Confusion shed across his eyes but he did not think much of it. What happened next floored them.

    If Lubi was not here, they might not have chosen ck Bear as an opponent. They believed that Lubi would settle the weakest guy quickly and thene to help them. However, Lubi was now the first on their team to go down. Their n was ruined!

    Didn¡¯t they agree to kill the guy with one swing? What happened?

    He couldn¡¯t even settle the first guy, how was he going to help them with ck Bear?

    As he was thinking, Luming was distracted from his own fight and was almost split in half by ck Bear¡¯s broad and heavy knife. He quickly blocked with his sword but the force that came with it almost broke his arms. It was a terrifying amount of strength. ck Bear was a machine, shing his knife heavily. He was a threat.

    This is it!

    Although he blocked the de, Luming still suffered a kick to the chest. He flew back and spat blood. There was no strength in his legs so he copsed immediately.

    On the other side, there was another ¡®thud¡¯. Pebbles and soil fell like rain. Shao Xuan was holding the hammer, standing in the shower of pebbles and staring at Lubi, who rolled away to dodge.

    Lubi ignored the pains in his body, shock still in his eyes as he stared at the young man. This was the first target. And yet, here he was. He never thought his own hammer would be taken away from him. And his opponent wielded it¡­ more effortlessly than he did!

    Lubi¡¯s face twitched. The flying rubble had made many cuts on his face and his blood dripped unto the dust on the ground. His face was so dirty, he looked pathetic.

    The rest were about to help Lubi but they were blocked off by ck Bear and the rest.

    After seeing Luming kicked in the air, the rest of the Linlu tribesmen retreated immediately, grouping together with the injured Luming and Lubi. They had seen Lu family members around just now¨C probably gone off to get reinforcements here. While they were embarrassed, they were also relieved. With reinforcements, ck Bear would not be able to do much.

    Guang Yi stood next to Shao Xuan with his dented sword. He was very satisfied with Shao Xuan¡¯s performance. He was very happy, very proud. This is our Elder indeed! At least now the crowd knows what the consequences of offending the ming Horn are! Did they think we were pushovers?

    When ck Bear saw that Shao Xuan was fine, he turned to look at the Linlu people.

    ck Bear had already guessed what their strategy was. His rough face turned into a smirk as he looked at Luming and the rest. ¡°How blind are you all, choosing to target this boy? A bunch of idiots!¡±

    However, Shao Xuan had sort of helped ck Bear too. If it wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan, if he were someone else, this could have ended differently. When he thought of how Linlu treated them, he was infuriated once again. You dare use me as your stepping stone?!

    It didn¡¯t matter how many people were in the Linlu tribe, attacking the leader of the ck Bears was the same as insulting their tribe. If he had lost terribly here today, it did not matter if the fight was fair. The entire King City would treat them as a joke. Even if they returned in the future, it would still be a stain they could never wipe away in history. There was no fair or unfair in this world.

    At least these people were dumb enough to pick on Shao Xuan. When he thought of the time Shao Xuan blocked therge Ding cauldron with one hand at Anba City, then looked at how he carried the hammer? ck Bear¡¯s impression of Shao Xuan changed. The ming Horn Tribe was impressive.

    With a solemn stare, his eyes swept across the people from Linlu. ck Bear took arge step forward, ck totemic patterns appearing on his arms and face once again. The dense stubble that covered half his face stood like needles, tiny hairs appearing on parts of his face that were not covered by the stubble. Both his pupils were dted and glimmered with cold violence. All his muscles swelled like they were pumped with air. His entire being expanded.

    The ck Bear let out a long roar that sounded like a bear in the forest, so deafening many people covered their ears. His roar travelled far and wide like the tides rolling across the distance.

    When the guards on patrol heard the roar, they sprinted towards the sound only to realise, hey, that was just a bunch of people fighting. They thought it was a beast loose in the city.

    Usually, if there were a fight, as long as the damage was not too severe, the city guards would not interfere. Not ¡®severe¡¯ meant not harming the great six¡¯s aristocrats. As for the life or death of other people, that depended. If they were unimportant people, the guards could care less. After the fight, these people had to pay for the damage caused anyway.

    That was why the guards stopped when they saw that it was not an animal

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s the ck Bear and the Lu family fighting. None of our business.¡± The guard took a look and left.

    ¡°Hey, wait. Didn¡¯t they say Lubi from the Lu family was a very strong guy? From what I¡¯m seeing, that¡¯s not right.¡±

    ¡°Probably some lie made up by the Lu family. There are many impressive people in King City. Anyone who¡¯s strong within their family might not be muchpared to the ones here. They must¡¯ve picked ck Bear to test their strength since they just arrived. Too bad ck Bear isn¡¯t a person you should pick a fight with. Let¡¯s not interfere, they¡¯ll sort it out themselves,¡± said an older guard, indifferent. ¡°Plus, this is the Gongjia family¡¯s territory. They have their own guards so us city guards don¡¯t have to do anything. Let¡¯s patrol somewhere else. That mammoth we killed today was delicious, I wonder what animal will go on a rampage next.¡±

    Other guards did not think much of this too. The crowds here loved fights and the guards had seen too many of them. If they stayed, they might even be dragged into it. Why should they stay?

    That was why the guards left as quickly as they came.

    The Linlu reinforcements were rushing over, while the ck Bears who heard their leader¡¯s roar immediately ran out of their doors and sprinted over.

    When both sides met, the tension was thick in the air. It looked as if a battle was going to happen.

    Everyone watching stepped back but did not leave. This was a rare opportunity to witness this themselves, this was so much better than listening to rumours!

    The guards at the gates gave each other a look. The orders they received was that, as long as those people did not enter nor damage their gate, it was fine. They can fight all they want outside. There were so many people here to do the test, fights were unavoidable. Get them to pay for the damage caused. However, as matters escted, although there was still space between the gates and the fight, they still decided to report to the masters.

    Within the Gongjia Residence, there was a round metal table in a yard. There was a well-dressed young man at the table. Although he was not speaking, he radiated solemn wisdom.

    When the guard ran in, he saw the young man and took a small bow. Then he continued.

    The young man looked up, brows furrowed. Although he did not show any signs of anger, the guard could feel that the man was annoyed. His heart clenched.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked the young man.

    The guard thought for a moment. ¡°There¡¯s an incident outside. Someone from the ck Bears came for the sword testing and they¡¯re now fighting the people from the Lu family. There are more and more people outside, we¡¯re afraid things will escte.¡±

    The young man frowned even more, obviously very irritated. He had heard the noise outside just now too but he was engrossed in crafting so he had filtered all of it out.

    ¡°The city guards?¡±

    ¡°Uh¡­ they came and then left.¡± The guard hung his head.

    While he had contempt for their attitude, the young man knew that the city guards operated like that. ¡°Tell them to fight outside the city.¡±

    ¡°There are too many of them¡­¡± The city guard¡¯s head hung even lower. He was here to report and also get more guards to standby at the gates.

    ¡°Then¡­¡± The young man wanted to say something but stopped when he heard movementing from the forging room. He quickly got up to greet the other man. ¡°Master Heng, how is it?¡±

    Gongjia Heng was exhausted as he walked out of the forging room. He wiped the sweat off his face and shook his head dejectedly.

    The anticipation in the young man¡¯s eyes dissipated into calmness, then determination. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll continue to search! Until we seed! If we still can¡¯t find it, then we¡¯ll have to¡­¡±

    Gongjia Heng sighed. ¡°What for? Why do you have to suffer just for a sword?¡±

    Coming to the table, he picked up a pot of warm water and poured it directly into his mouth. He guzzled half a pot of water before looking at the guard. ¡°What happened now?¡±

    The guard¡¯s presence meant something happened outside. Gongjia Heng had received several reports like this these few days. However, most of the time he was in the forging room and could not hear themotion outside.

    The guard repeated what he said.

    ¡°Tell them to get the hell out!¡± Gongjia Heng said without a shred of mercy.

 Chapter 442 - Master Heng

    <h4>Master Heng</h4>

    x¡°Yes, sir!¡± The guard took two steps, thought of something and then turned around. ¡°One more thing. There¡¯s a young man outside with a sword. There are cloud patterns on the sword, and it looked like¡­¡± The guard looked up at Gongjia Heng. ¡°Looked like your signature.¡±

    When the guards saw the young man unsheathe his golden sword, they paid more attention. They¡¯d been guarding the Gongjia gates for a while now so they were familiar with swords. That was why they were particrly sensitive to weapons and cloud patterns.

    ¡°Nonsense! When have I made a sword with cloud patterns?¡± After he arrived at King City, other than talking to the few leaders of the Gongjia family during the first few days, he had been in hibernation mode and focused on research. When had he made anything for anyone? He never sent out the swords he made either, they were all in the forging room. How could it be outside?... Eh?

    That¡¯s not right!

    Gongjia Heng had a sudden realisation and almost spat his water out. ¡°Wait wait, the kid you were talking about, how does he look like?¡±

    How did he look like? The guard tried to recall but realised he only paid attention to the sword.

    Under Heng¡¯s gaze, he could only say, ¡°That kid was impressive, he took Lubi¡¯s hammer and chased after him. He looks like a tribesman and has fiery totemic patterns.¡±

    ¡°Ask him if he is ming Horn¡¯s Shao Xuan. If he is, bring the kid in.¡±

    The young man standing next to him was shocked enough to hear someone had taken Lubi¡¯s hammer. Now he was even more shocked to hear Heng¡¯s reply.

    ¡°ming Horn? Shao Xuan? I haven¡¯t heard of this name before. Master Heng, you know him? You¡¯ve made a sword for him before?¡± asked the young man.

    Gongjia Heng nodded. ¡°If it really is him, the sword in his hand was given by me.¡± However, speaking of the sword, he recalled the embarrassing incident at the tribe when he split the rock. The test he set outside the gates was inspired by this incident. There was no need to tell anyone about that.

    ¡°ming Horn. Familiar name,¡± the young man said in a low voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s not his name, that¡¯s a tribe¡¯s name. ming Horn tribe,¡± said Heng.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s them!¡± the young man remembered. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of the older generation talking about ming Horn. They said every time the ming Horn people visited, they¡¯d cause some incident. However, it¡¯s been years since thest time they came to King City. Not just me, I think you might not have been born yet thest time they visited. Can¡¯t believe they¡¯re here again.¡±

    When he recalled the impression the elders had of the tribe, he continued, ¡°So the stories are true. They¡¯ve been high-profile here too. Chasing after Lubi with his own hammer? The people of King City will be talking about this for ages.¡±

    Gongjia Heng now really wanted Shao Xuan to quicklye inside. Would the kid ¡®take a step¡¯ outside his gates? Or is the crater there already?!

    ¡°Ji Fang, you were sitting here, you must¡¯ve heard. Was it very loud?¡± Heng was worried.

    The young man, who was Ji Fang, thought for a moment. ¡°I think so. There was a lot of rumbling.¡±

    Heng grew more concerned. The guard had already left so he couldn¡¯t get the specifics. When did Shao Xuane? Unless their Thousand Grain Gold was already ripe? He was looking forward to this.

    With Heng deep in thought, Ji Fang did not ask more questions. However, he memorised the name of the tribe. He had to investigate and ask others about this tribe. How did Master Heng know this person? It sounded like they were close.

    On the other side, the guard who received Heng¡¯s orders returned to the gates, filled with astonishments and doubts.

    There were three hundred ck Bears in a standstill against a group from the Linlu tribe. The two leaders were arguing, their eyes looked like they were aze. They looked like they were going to start attacking any moment now.

    Both sides were just about to fight but the guard¡¯s arrival temporarily halted the battle. Both sides looked at the person jogging over, their hearts racing. Everyone was a lot calmer now, even regretting this. Had they upset the Gongjia family? Was he here to scold them? This is bad! This was a bad decision, they shouldn¡¯t haveunched a battle at the Gongjia family¡¯s gates!

    There wasplete silence. The crowd shut their mouths to listen to the conversation.

    Under the gaze of a few hundred pairs of eyes, plusyers andyers of bystanders, the average-sized guard jogged over to the ck Bear trading party. Everyone around ck Bear, the leader, quickly moved so that the guard could talk to their boss.

    However, the guard did not talk to ck BEar but came to Shao Xuan instead.

    ¡°Brother, are you ming Horn¡¯s Shao Xuan?¡± asked the guard. He sounded polite enough, not the cold and distant tone he usually had.

    ¡°I am,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Master Heng invites you!¡±

    Gasp! Everyone in the ck Bear trading party turned their heads to look at him jealously.

    ck Bear whispered a few words into Maoda¡¯s ear and Maoda nodded hurriedly. Then, ck Bear inserted hisrge knife back into the leather sheath on his back, rubbed his palms. He did not even look at the Linlu tribesmen when he hurried over to Shao Xuan. Although the guard did not talk to him, it was not the time to be timid!

    Once ck Bear left, Maoda called all his men to return. The boss had given them instructions to prepare a gift as an apology to the Gongjia family. They¡¯d just fought at their gates so of course they had to show some gesture of apology so that they could hire the Gongjia family to make swords in the future.

    As for the Linlu tribe, at this moment, who had the time for them? You can fuck off somewhere, we don¡¯t care if you hate us! We¡¯lle kick your ass once this Gongjia matter is settled!

    The ck Bear trading party did not take Linlu tribe seriously at all. Just like that, they left.

    Whispers¡ª-

    The crowd exploded into conversation. They all heard what the guard said.

    Shao Xuan did not listen to what they had to say. Once he entered the residence, most of the sounds were already shut off. He gave the hammer to the guard because it wasn¡¯t going to be convenient bringing a hammer inside.

    They hadn¡¯t met in a while. Gongjia Heng had changed, behaving and positioning himself more like a master.

    ¡°Hehe, so it¡¯s you!¡± Gongjia Heng got up to greet him.

    ¡°Master Heng! Apologies for interrupting your day!¡± Shao Xuan smiled.

    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine!¡± He was still happy to see Shao Xuan. ¡°I heard you beat the Lu family¡¯s Lubi up?¡±

    ¡°He came looking for us, it¡¯s not like we could do nothing.¡± He shrugged.

    ¡°Do you have a ce to stay in King City? You can stay here if you want!¡±

    Gongjia Heng was actually worried that Shao Xuan might have offended some powerful people in King City. He would be safer here.

    Shao Xuan understood his intentions but refused.

    ck Bear did not interrupt since they were deep in conversation. It was only when Shao Xuan mentioned him that he spoke.

    ¡°ck Bear trading party, Beimi. Nice to meet you, Master Heng!¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± He was here with Shao Xuan so Gongjia Heng wasn¡¯t too rude. It wasn¡¯t their fault.

    Gongjia Heng introduced Ji Fang nearby. ¡°The lord¡¯s son, Ji Fang.¡±

    To the tribesmen, the lord¡¯s son was the same as the chief¡¯s son. That was why Shao Xuan was not panicking.

    Shao Xuan was here to visit Heng, give him some Thousand Grain Gold and request for a knife.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s talk in the house.¡± Gongjia Heng brought them to a house near the forging room. This was for meeting guests. Forging rooms were considered secret areas and outsiders must not enter.

    To the Gongjia people, they would rather their house have no bedrooms but it must have a forging room. There were too many secrets inside and it was an important ce. That was why they could not bring random people inside. Even the lord¡¯s son, Ji Fang, had to sit outside even though he was here to ask for a sword.

    Shao Xuan drew a knife Guang Yi had once used on a piece of white cloth. Gongjia Heng also understood what he wanted. He was told that Shao Xuan was staying in the city for a while so it was not urgent. He would forge it when he had time.

    ¡°Alright, I understand. Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll definitely be satisfied with it. I¡¯ll fix it if you don¡¯t like it. Right, how¡¯s your sword? Do you need any repairs?¡± asked Gongjia Heng.

    ¡°Actually, I do.¡± Shao Xuan took out his sword. It was bent from blocking Lubi¡¯s hammer.

    ¡°Put it here too. I¡¯ll fix it.¡± Gongjia Heng offered Shao Xuan to drink with him the next day. When he was promoted to a cksmith, many people had gifted him drinks.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tomorrow. I¡¯ve promised someone else I¡¯d meet him,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Who? Who¡¯s more important than I am?¡± Gongjia Heng said jokingly, though there was a little pride in his eyes. He had the right to say so.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to old Ji Ju¡¯s ce tomorrow¡­¡±

    ¡°... Go then.¡±

    In terms of both age and ranking, he was far from Ji Ju¡¯s rank. Although the Gongjia people were proud, they still had to recognise the achievements of Ji ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ Ju. After eating his golden grains for twenty years, Gongjia Heng was familiar with this person.

    Ji Fang, who had nned to excuse himself, sat down again to listen.

    But Shao Xuan did not speak much. After some small talk, he left a small animal skin pouch for Heng and left.

    When he left, Ji Fang reached to take the pouch in Gongjia Heng¡¯s hand. He suspected it was rted to what Ji Ju had been hiding.

    Too bad Gongjia Heng quickly hid it behind his back. ¡°You want to see? Absolutely not!¡± Shao Xuan had deliberately given him ¡®a look¡¯ before he left. This was not something they could tell other people about.

 Chapter 443 - Gifting Grains

    <h4>Gifting Grains</h4>

    Shao Xuan and Guang Yi¡¯s swords were left at Gongjia Heng¡¯s ce so he could fix it. However, Heng looked at the sword with a slight cringe- after more experience and learning higher-level techniques, he had improved a lotpared to when he first made this sword. He would probably make drastic changes to this one.

    As for Guang Yi¡¯s sword, that was basically a useless weapon to him, Heng did not even look at it.

    When they left, Shao Xuan and Guang Yi brought with them two swords Heng had given them for temporary use. They weren¡¯t very good swords but a lot better than the one Guang Yi was using.

    ck Bear was also thinking of asking Heng to fix hisrge knife but unfortunately, this wasn¡¯t the time. He must wait and have patience. He was already allowed inside and Shao Xuan also helped mentioned that ck Bear passed the sword testing. Now that Heng knew him, the next time he visited, he might get Heng to make him an axe.

    When they left, the potholes left behind from the fight were being filled. There were people from both the ck Bear and Linlu tribe. Both sides helped fill potholes far from each other. They hadn¡¯t actually fought when the tension was at its peak and everyone had already calmed down. While they had their own opinions, none of them really wanted to fight. However, this situation could change at any moment.

    Both sides had already sent gifts to the Gongjia family. The Linlu tribe was nning to send the gifts on the next day but when they saw Maoda and his men return with many gifts, they dared not fall behind either. This was King City and they might need the Gongjia family¡¯s help in the future. Especially that Master Heng that recently became famous¨C even if they hadn¡¯t met him yet, it was not good to offend him.

    ck Bear was not worried though. After seeing how friendly Heng was with Shao Xuan, he was very relieved and grateful. They had helped the ming Horn people because of the incident at Anba City. He hadn¡¯t expected to be so lucky. The ming Horn tribe hadn¡¯t set foot into King City for decades, and when they arrived, they had already known Ji Ju and Master Heng!

    Even if the people here had forgotten the tribe, after today, more people would remember the tribe that provoked multiple incidents here. One must not underestimate how nosey these people were.

    After meeting Heng, Shao Xuan got himself some clothes. He¡¯d sold two sacks of Ji Ju¡¯s grains to the ck Bears so he had some gold leaves with him.

    On the next day, Shao Xuan, Guang Yi and ck Bear went to the Golden Grains fields.

    Previously, they had agreed on allowing Shao Xuan to stay for a period of time in the field so he wouldn¡¯t attract attention going in and out every day. That was why Shao Xuan prepared clothes for about five days so he could learn more about Ji Ju¡¯s nting methods, crops and local customs.

    ck Bear was just there to create an impression for himself and borrow Shao Xuan¡¯s name to get himself some newly harvested grains. He could not stay for long because Ji Ju did not invite him to. He understood that. After the sessful trade with the butler/main housekeeper, ck Bear left happily.

    Ji Ju did not usually care about the trades. If everything required him, what were his butlers for? That was why he only managed the nting parts, all trades were left to the butlers, who were basically managers. Does the outsider want grains? Fine, go look for the butler. Kiss his ass if you need to. That was why a butler was a very powerful position here.

    At the fields, autumn was the season with thergest harvest. Although there were also crops harvested during other seasons, they were rtively lesser. At this point of the year, the fields had already harvested one batch of grains. The unripe grains were ripening now. That was why the ves were very busy harvesting, caring for the nts and prepping the crops for winter.

    ¡°Every ¡®block¡¯ is important to the Thousand Grain Gold. Once they achieve a breakthrough, the growth rate would elerate until the next peak. That¡¯s why you shouldn¡¯t underestimate them right now. After the second block, they¡¯ll grow very quickly. After the third block, they¡¯ll grow grains. It¡¯s a pity you won¡¯t be able to witness that,¡± sighed Ji Ju. He wanted to show off but Shao Xuan must return before winter. This was the custom of the tribe. When the grains ripened, the prayer ceremonies might be over already.

    As he spoke, Ji Ju watched the ves in charge of the Thousand Grain Gold pour the fertilisers. Theponents were separated into different tanks. These were specially formted by Ji Ju before they were brought out here. Then, the second mixing of these fertiliserponents was performed before pouring into the ground.

    Just like how factories made medicine, they would first prepare the individualponentsbelled Liquid A and Liquid B, etc, then when needed, you¡¯d follow the manual to mix them together.

    Ji Ju would never tell anyone the ingredients. Although the ves and butlers knew the ratio of the second mixing, no one knew the original ingredients. So how would they replicate it?

    ¡°As for the kind your tribe has,¡± Ji Ju thought for a moment and suggested, ¡°If you¡¯re nting it again next year, you can try letting some beast meat rot a little. Add some bones, especially fearsome beasts that like to eat grass, shoots and moss. If bones don¡¯t work, try bone marrow.¡±

    ¡°You can do that?¡± Shao Xuan was shocked.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Ji Ju mumbled but did not borate.

    Knowing that this might be rted to some secret, Shao Xuan did not ask further. He memorised all Ji Ju¡¯s suggestions so they could do it next year.

    Ji Ju made another few suggestions while Shao Xuan memorised them.

    Ji Ju felt like Shao Xuan had already told him everything about how he nted the Thousand Grain Gold, if he did not reciprocate, it would be very inappropriate. That was why while Ji Ju did not directly pull out ancestral secrets, other than giving some suggestions, he told Shao Xuan about the nting methods for other grains. Which grains suit what environmental conditions, how to nt them, critical techniques etc.

    The Ji Family imed to be the keeper of a hundred grains but no one was sure if that was true. However, Shao Xuan had already seen about thirty species at Ji Ju¡¯s ce over a few days. Once Shao Xuan described ming Horn¡¯s geographical and climate characteristics, Ji Ju gave him some of his top-grade grains.

    The grains from Ji Ju¡¯s fields were a product that the tribe couldn¡¯t buy even if they had a lot of money. They were just too far away. Therefore, Shao Xuan kept these carefully after thanking him. Although the ming Horn tribe now relied on hunting, no one could predict how they would live many years down the road. If they had the chance to return to the other side across the ocean, he¡¯d bring this back there too. They had vast clearednds of fields.

    When Ji Ju introduced the grains in his fields, he often had his managers bring him the best grains of the harvest. These grains were put into several containers and once Ji Ju chose one, the manager would bring the containers away.

    ¡°What are those grains for?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°They¡¯ll be made into grave goods.¡±

    ¡°Grave goods? For whom?¡±

    ¡°Me, of course.¡± Ji Ju did not think it was awkward to tell him at all. ¡°Our Ji family always had grains buried with them. In the past, when the Ji family was at its lowest point due to consecutive natural disasters and zero harvest, our people were able to alleviate starvation after retrieving grains sealed and stored in the tombs. Ever since I had my own piece ofnd, I¡¯d choose some of the best grains of the harvest to be stored. When I pass on, these sealed containers of grains will be brought to my grave. At least I have something to show my ancestors. In the future, if my descendants are in trouble, I¡¯ll be able to help them.¡±

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡± You¡¯re living so well, yet you¡¯re already preparing for your death.

    However, this was something many Ji people did. They never cremated the bodies. Even the younger generations kept their good grains because this had be a tradition.

    As for why he used y containers and not metal cans¨C that¡¯s because metal might rust over decades unless they had been processed. Since not many had the technology or confidence, the Ji people used y. Metal wares were just one of the grave goods. To other people, exquisite metal wares were important but in reality, to the Ji people, the grains in their graves were the most important. They put additional seals using a secret method so that these grains would be fresh even after centuries. Some containers without a cover would also be in the grave ¡®for them to eat after death¡¯¨C this symbolised prosperity even after death.

    If descendants entered their ancestor¡¯s tomb and see the decayed grains- perhaps even just powder now- they would add new grains as a gesture of respect.

    Some people had been brave enough to think of robbing these graves. Unfortunately, no one knew where the Ji tombs were. People who started searching never returned.

    Due to peak harvest season, to avoid trouble, ve masters blocked off the roads outside. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t see anyone pacing outside the fields anymore.

    When he walked out of the fields, he saw more crops in another field. It looked like an upside-down cob of corn as tall as a human. Each nt only had one cob, simr to some nt he had seen in the wild but this was a domesticated, edible species.

    ¡°Whose plot ofnd is that?¡± Shao Xuan pointed and asked.

    They were standing on highernd so they could see a portion of the other field.

    ¡°That¡¯s the Yi family¡¯s plot. I don¡¯t remember who.¡± Ji Ju did not mind. It was just a small plot ofnd with verymon crops.

 Chapter 444 - The Yi Family

    <h4>The Yi Family</h4>

    The field in front of Ji Ju¡¯s Golden Grain fields was not far away and had fences only as tall as a person. If one did not want to look inside, you would not be able to; but if you stood on your toes or on a rock, or just looked between the wooden blocks, you¡¯d see through the gaps. In summary, the fences were built just to hit its minimum function.

    While both farms were neighbours, most people don¡¯t pay attention to this plot because it was small. The people here were judged by the size of their fields. A small plot ofnd meant they weren¡¯t anyone important so no one bothered to look inside. Also, more importantly, the crops were subpar so anyone who looked inside would just shake their heads and get on with their lives.

    After a while, no one remembered who this plot belonged to. You could see the end of the field standing at one corner, and its crops did not look healthy. These crops would not sell for a high price¨C maybe they were alright for a family to eat without starving to death but they would not sell.

    Ji Ju could no longer remember who this ce belonged to, just that it was owned by the Yi family. However, the field was tiny and based on what he remembered, this ce had switched hands several times. He also remembered there were two wells in this plot ofnd. One was dry, the other could barely water this field. These years had been drier so their crops did not do well. This was one of the reasons why owners were quick to pass this plot to someone else. He wondered which unfortunate person got this ce now.

    ¡°Someone from the Yi family, tsk.¡± Ji Ju shook his head.

    He did not say much but Shao Xuan understood.

    To Ji Ju, the Yi family was not suited for agriculture. They could do readings and predictions at that street but they had no talent for agriculture. Plus mental disorders ran in their family. Some of them were physically weak. He had seen a Yi guy stare at the night sky once, all night. It had been cold so right after that, he fell sick and almost died. How could he withstand the cold with that physique? He was mad! Out of the aristocrats of the great six, the dumbest ones came from the Yi family!

    That guy would sit for a while, his eyes zed and unfocused then suddenlyugh to himself¨C or cry hysterically. It was scary. When Ji Ju recalled this, he only shook his head with a sigh. He didn¡¯t understand them.

    However, they must have their reasons to maintain their position as one of the aristocratic families. They didn¡¯t have muscles but they had the brains. Some of them could predict the weather, some could read your fate. Some had other mystical talents. If the Yi family targeted someone, they did not need to kill you with a knife. This was why they were a feared group of people.

    However, Ji Ju wasn¡¯t afraid. Other than the few who had actual talent, he didn¡¯t care for the rest. They could scare people in the streets but if they put on airs in front of him, he would send his men to beat them up.

    ¡°What, curious about the Yi family?¡± asked Ji Ju. Many tribesmen living far from the city were curious about them.

    ¡°A little. I think they¡¯re quite mysterious.¡±

    ¡°Mysterious? They¡¯re just faking it.¡± Ji Ju was indifferent.

    However, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t curious because this ce belonged to the Yi family. He was curious because of the situation of the farm.

    This was the peak of the harvest season in most farms, including this one. While that plot was quite small, they had a good harvest too.

    In the field, the ves were carrying full sacks to an empty part of the field. There was a wooden table with a person d in dark clothing. Although it was not shy, one could tell he was an educated fellow, different from the busy ves. He was young, didn¡¯t look like a butler. He was now writing on some cloth.

    The ves reported to him as they carried the sacks then left for the warehouse.

    He must be taking inventory.

    This wasn¡¯t much but Shao Xuan was curious about his other hand. On his other hand, his four fingers were lightly curved, the tip of his thumb moved and touched the inner part of the other four joints.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, see what they nted!¡±

    Ji Ju was approaching and could see the crops in the field. He thought it was pathetic, for his standards. Today, he was in the mood to pay them a visit and give a few pointers.

    The person was sighing as he calcted his numbers and recorded them. When he was notified, he dropped everything to greet the visitors.

    ¡°Yi Shi of Yi family at your service. Why are you here, sir?¡± Yi Shi bowed respectfully, then looked at Ji Ju in surprise.

    ¡°What, I can¡¯t visit?¡±

    ¡°No no no, you¡¯re weed to!¡± Yi Shi quickly got someone to bring a chair for Ji Ju.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to, I¡¯m just here for a bit.¡± Ji Ju waved them off and then looked at the crops in the ground and felt his anger rising. ¡°What the hell are you nting?! I can¡¯t even bear to look at your crops!¡±

    ¡®When has any crop been up to your standards?¡¯ thought Yi Shi though he kept a respectful, humble face.

    When Ji Ju started speaking, he couldn¡¯t stop. The nts were too close together, some were too sparse, this part¡¯s too dry, and this soil, IS THIS EVEN SOIL?! This is as hard as rock!

    Yi Shi listened silently, his head hung low.

    When Ji Ju finished, Yi Shi smiled bitterly, ¡°It needs some improvements, yes.¡± However, he was not in charge of the crops. His dad was. He was just here to help with inventory today.

    This plot ofnd wasn¡¯t doing well not just because of the well¨C the soil quality was bad too. They didn¡¯t know what crop made the soil change and they hadn¡¯t been able to fix this problem. They¡¯d had two poor harvests in a row even with the Ji family¡¯s advice. They were just not cut out of this. The harvest was barely enough to keep them alive.

    This was awful!

    Ji Ju grew even more furious seeing the young man give up like that. However, this person wasn¡¯t from the Ji family so he didn¡¯t say much. Thank goodness he wasn¡¯t too, or he would have died from a heart attack.

    Ji Ju huffed but did not speak. He gestured for Yi Shi to continue with his work while Ji Ju walked over to the well nearby.

    Shao Xuan went too. It was not good.

    ¡°The water level fell again,¡± said Ji Ju worriedly. He wondered if it would be drier as the years passed. Even drought-resistant nts needed water!

    ¡°It¡¯ll get better,¡±forted Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand.¡± Ji Ju looked worried. ¡°I keep feeling like something bad is happening. The changes in the skies and thends alwayse with early omens. And¡­¡±

    Ji Ju did not continue. He knew a man from the Yi family- the same guy who stayed up all night freezing and got sick. He remembered that old friend sick on his bed. The sick man had said one sentence: everything united must part, everything parted must unite.

    It was a pity after that incident when Ji Ju asked again, he refused to speak. Instead, he¡¯d give a smile that made Ji Ju want to punch him.

    The Ji family was on high alert after this. Any signs of rebellion were brutally ttened. They had spent so much effort reaching where they were today, how could they let anyone destroy it? They watched the other five major families closely and a few new tribes.

    At this moment, a feminine voice came from the entrance of the field.

    ¡°Little Shi~¡±

    Shao Xuan looked over to see a youngdy d in exquisitely detailed silk. She was curvy but did not look swollen. She walked swaying herrge hips,bing her hair that was billowing in the breeze. She smiled as she quickly walked over. Every step was small although they were quick, her dress flowing like a blooming flower.

    The girl lifted a delicate hand to half-cover her lips, approaching Yi Shi withughter in her eyes. She smiled and was about to say something when she saw Ji Ju nearby and her face froze. She hadn¡¯t expected to see Ji Ju here so she quickly retracted her smile and straightened her posture, nodding politely. Then, she tossed a scroll to Yi Shi and then got a ve to bring a chair over.

    The ves were familiar with thisdy so they were not surprised by her behaviour.

    Shao Xuan looked at the patterns on her clothing and recalled ck Bear telling him about each aristocratic family¡¯s favourite pattern. Based on these patterns, he guessed thedy was from the Mu family of the great six.

    Ji Ju was very displeased by her behaviour but did not say much. To him, as long as his own Ji family wasn¡¯t like this, he could care less. Might as well use this extra time to tend to his Thousand Grain Gold.

    The Mudy¡¯s cloth scroll contained her field¡¯s harvest records. She wanted Yi Shi to help double-check the numbers- she was too impatient to do it herself and it might take days. Since she might not even calcte them right, it was better to get Yi Shi.

    Yi Shi did not say much either. He put down his work and opened the roll of cloth she tossed to him.

    There were twenty pieces of cloth rolled up, each about half a meter long and two palms wide. They were all filled with tiny handwriting.

    Yi Shi flipped the cloth with one hand while the fingers on the other hand moved quickly. His thumb was almost a shadow by now, touching the other four.

    Shao Xuan realised Yi Shi seemed to only sweep his eyes across the numbers one time and took barely half a minute to scan through one piece of cloth. He scanned through twenty pieces of cloth filled with numbers, then wrote down his final result on another piece. All this in fifteen minutes.

    When he was done, with admiration in his eyes, he passed his calction results and the cloth back to thedy. ¡°Congrattions, another bountiful harvest.¡±

    Thedy chuckled, fine lines appearing around her eyes. She was in a great mood from the harvest. However, after she read his number, her expression changed immediately. As if a piece of silk had turned into a metal knife, her eyes were suddenly deadly.

    ¡°Those rotten ves, I can¡¯t believe they misreported the numbers by such arge margin!¡±

    The margin of error was small per page. They looked like mistakes due to them being bad at math. However, the umtion of errors across so many pages caused the final value to be far from the actual number. Thedy did not tell Yi Shi what the number her ves reported was but if this was what Yi Shi got, it must be true. She was furious.

    In the past, if they reported a number smaller than the true value, she was toozy to punish them for it. However, these people must be getting greedy! If she did not raise this issue, they would grow bolder.

    ¡°Tomorrow, I will send my men over with a gift!¡± Without another word, thedy took the results and left, her hips swaying hard and she radiated pure anger. Perhaps blood would be spilt in her field soon.

    Shao Xuan now understood that the Yi guy helped with calctions here. However, what was his brain made of? He was a human calctor!

    <hr>

    alright guys my trantion of thedy really doesn¡¯t do the original writing justice.

    here¡¯s a direct trantion of some of my fav phrases from the Chinese text that i didn¡¯t know how to insert into the text :

    ¨Cbed her hair that looked so carefree and seemed to sway on its on ord in the wind

    ¨C looked up with 30% of a smile in her eyes

    ¨C her hand was soft but no bones

    ¨C she gave a look that was like water

 Chapter 445 - Fewer Birds In The Sky

    <h4>Fewer Birds In The Sky</h4>

    Yi Shi wasn¡¯t usually at the field but visited every year at this time to check the harvest. They weren¡¯t having good harvests- if anyone attempted to cheat the numbers, life would be worse for them. However, he was here for another reason unrted to his family¡ª he took this as an opportunity to earn extra cash during harvest season.

    His fast calctions were not something anyone could do. That was why after ¡®identally¡¯ helping his neighbour once, he became famous amongndowners. During this time,ndowners who couldn¡¯t bother to check their own numbers would get him for help. He was fast, efficient and had almost a hundred percent uracy rate. He just wanted a littlepensation. This saved everyone time and caught any liars who manipted the numbers as soon as possible. It was a win-win!

    The money he earned every year from everyone was simr to the value of his own harvest.

    That Mudy was andowner from nearby, one of his ie streams. Soon after he left, another person came looking for Yi Shi. That was why he had arge table here like he was open for business. He was easy to spot, he could conveniently take jobs like that.

    Ji Ju did not stay long at Yi Shi¡¯s ce. After checking the well, he went to other plots to ask a few questions. It was the same everywhere, the water levels in the wells were dropping yearly. If the current climate maintained, life was going to be difficult.

    Right now, Yi Shi¡¯s small plot ofnd with few wells was suffering but in one or two years, there would be more victims. Some people who thought they could save themselves with drought-resistant crops might not survive too¨C the root cause of the problem was worsening.

    Ji Ju was very quiet on the way back and in a sour mood. The butler did not understand so Shao Xuan exined to him in a low voice.

    The butler thanked him gratefully then quickly sent someone to brew tea for Ji Ju to calm down. At the same time, he wondered how he could advise their boss. Ji Ju was their source of ie, if he worried himself sick, and something happened, how would these butlers live?

    ording to what Shao Xuan knew, there was a river near King City. The city had already built irrigation canals to supply water into the city but this did not solve all the problems. The fields covered a vast area so if there was really a drought, these canals would dry up too. Plus, Shao Xuan felt like Ji Ju wasn¡¯t just worried about this. There must be something else Ji Ju was unwilling to tell him.

    Since Ji Ju wasn¡¯t telling, Shao Xuan did not n to ask either. He and Guang Yi had already stayed many days and watched the Thousand Grain Gold nts grow after passing the second block. They¡¯d learned a lot about crops and received precious seeds. Shao Xuan nned to leave since he would just be disturbing here.

    However, before he left, he had one thing to attend to.

    On the next day, Ji Ju had not left his room in Qingmang Pavilion so Shao Xuan left on his own. The guards at the entrance knew Shao Xuan and after he told them he was just taking a walk, they did not stop him.

    Shoa Xuan went to Yi Shi¡¯s plot ofnd.

    Yi Shi had just finished calcting some figures for a client on a thick roll of cloth. There were five sacks of grains next to him¨C payment for his service.

    Arge man with an oily face left with a darkened face. The results must¡¯ve shown that someone had cheated him of his harvest. Every step was forceful.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, Yi Shi only looked up without friendliness. ¡°What¡¯s up? Mr Golden Grain isn¡¯t here today.¡±

    ¡°No, I have a question for you,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t do anything without payment.¡±

    ¡°If you can solve this, of course you¡¯ll receive payment.¡±

    When he heard this, Yi Shi finally looked directly at Shao Xuan. ¡°Tell me, what do you need me to calcte? Or you need me to check your ounts?¡±

    ¡°Not that.¡± Shao Xuan took out a light-coloured piece of fabric with two circles. There were symbols and horizontal lines on it. It was the diagram he copied from the Gongjia Mountain¡¯s walls- they were left behind by the Yi ancestors. However, he had broken up the diagram into several sections and simplified them. After drawing them unto another piece of cloth, he had brought it to Yi Shi.

    He did not understand the diagram so he couldn¡¯t guess what this diagram was for. He¡¯d seen how talented Yi Shi was in mathematics, and this guy didn¡¯t look very ambitious either. After talking to Ji Ju¡¯s butler, Yi Shi was just a minor figure in the Yi family or he wouldn¡¯t be here watching a small piece of poor-qualitynd with only one usable well. Plus, Yi Shi could not perform readings so he could not set up a business at the readings street in King City. That was why he could only rely on this bit of talent for money.

    Yi Shi was surprised to see only one piece of cloth. Only one? This will be simple.

    However, when Yi Shi unfurled the cloth, his pupils constricted as he looked at the diagram. He leapt up aggressively, ¡°Why do you have the Yi family¡¯s ring diagram?¡±

    So these ring-shaped diagrams were really called ring diagrams.

    ¡°Forget about that. You just have to tell me how to solve this,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Yi Shi stared at Shao Xuan for a few seconds, then sat down, fingers rapping on the tabletop. ¡°What do you want to know? The solution? You would never understand.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not rebut. He merely pointed at the lines and foreign symbols so Yi Shi would exin.

    Yi Shi did not refuse, exining their meanings briefly. They did not touch the core secrets plus he did not tell him how he used diagrams. To them, it did not matter if outsiders knew all these. Many of the Yi family¡¯s knowledge had been leaked but very few could understand the core secrets. The Yi family was as proud and confident in themselves as the Gongjia family.

    However, Shao Xuan just wanted to know what calction forms the symbols and lines represented. That was enough.

    As a confirmation, he substituted some numbers into the diagram and asked Yi Shi for the answer. On the other hand, he took out a thin stick of charcoal and spread a piece of cloth on the empty side of the table.

    Yi shi calcted as he stared at the diagram while Shao Xuan did his calctions on the cloth. He wasn¡¯t as mad as Yi Shi.

    When Shao Xuan finished, Yi Shi was already waiting.

    Yi Shi looked at him in surprise when he put down his pencil. ¡°You¡¯re done?!¡± A regr person should need almost half a day, no? How could he be so fast?

    Shao Xuan was impressed by Yi Shi¡¯s abilities too. Writing his calctions down was still slower than this guy and his finger calctions.

    ¡°Your answer?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Sceptical, Yi Shi showed him his cloth.

    Shao Xuan looked at his answer. It was the same. Although he was slower than Yi Shi, now that he knew how to utilise the diagrams, he should be able to solve theplicated diagrams.

    ¡°You really did it?!¡± Yi Shi was astonished. How could it be? Would this person take business away from him?

    ¡°Yeah. How much as payment?¡±

    Yi Shi thought for a moment and showed him five fingers. ¡°Fifty gold leaves!¡±

    Fifty gold leaves were the same as five sacks of grains.

    ¡°But, if you tell me how you calcted, you don¡¯t have to pay me,¡± said Yi Shi. ¡°You just tell me your general methods, you don¡¯t have to tell me details. ¡°

    Shao Xuan counted fifty gold leaves, put them on the table, kept his cloth and left.

    ¡°Wait!¡± yelled Yi Shi.

    Shao Xuan thought Yi Shi was going to ask about the calctions but he asked, ¡°How many fewer birds are there in the sky?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at him in confusion. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re going to leave the fields soon right? If that¡¯s true, be careful.¡± That¡¯s all Yi Shi said.

    He couldn¡¯t do readings, yet he coulde to this conclusion based on the birds in the sky?

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Shao Xuan left Yi Shi¡¯s plot.

    When Shao Xuan left, Yi Shi took out a piece of cloth and a brush dipped in pigment, then started writing.

    If Shao Xuan was here, he¡¯d realise Yi Shi was writing a few multiplication and division equations simr to his.

    Although Yi Shi had seen him doing it upside down, Yi Shi was quick to write them down. The numbers and symbols were foreign to him, and the lines! However, the vertical calctions he wrote were all identical to Shao Xuan¡¯s.

    When he was done, Yi Shi stared at these symbols in deep thought, making annotations with symbols he was familiar with.

    ¡°Young Master, there¡¯s someone from the An family looking for¡­¡± said a butler.

    Yi Shi kept his cloth and gestured for him to bring the guy in. ¡°After this, close the gates. We¡¯re done for the day.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The butler was still calcting how much he¡¯d get from today¡¯s payments.

    ¡°What about¡­. Tomorrow?¡± asked the butler.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Although it was a pity, the butler obeyed his instructions and hung a sign at the gates so other people could just go back. The Young Master was going to rest for the day but as for when the business would open again, he didn¡¯t mention.

 Chapter 446 - Robbery

    <h4>Robbery</h4>

    Shao Xuan bade Ji Ju farewell then left with Guang Yi, bringing the seeds Ji Ju gave.

    Not sure what Ji Ju was doing in the house, he just popped out once and then went back into hibernation. The butler prepared a bull carriage for Shao Xuan. There were few horses but many bulls here used for transport in the fields.

    This bull was usually used to transport grains.

    ¡°No driver?¡± asked Shao Xuan in surprise.

    There was just a carriage with the bull. There was no driver.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need a driver,¡± said the butler with a smile. ¡°After sending you both, it¡¯lle back on its own.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid someone would bring it away?¡±

    ¡°Who dares do such a thing?¡± The butler was confident. ¡°It has the mark of the Golden Grain fields. Even if it got lost, there will be many people fighting to send it back here. No one would even take the carriage, let alone the bull!

    As if in reply to the butler, the bull let out a ¡®moo¡¯.

    ¡°Alright, thank you.¡±

    After that, Shao Xuan and Guang Yi sat in the carriage and the bull went off. On the dirt road, there was no one so they sped up.

    Even if there was someone, after seeing the mark on the bull, anyone would avoid them.

    Guang Yi was admiring the bull. ¡°It would be great if our tribe could get something like this.¡±

    ¡°We will.¡± Shao Xuan thought about the animals pulling carriages on the other side of the ocean.

    This was not the time to reminisce. Shao Xuan turned to Guang Yi. ¡°Be careful, this journey might not be smooth.¡±

    Guang Yi¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°Didn¡¯t he say no one would dare touch this carriage?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just under normal circumstances, it¡¯s not the absolute truth.¡±

    Since Shao Xuan said so, Guang Yi pulled his sword out and asionally looked out through the gaps of the curtains.

    The bull had been galloping happily but it suddenly slowed down. The rhythm was lost and sounded frustrated.

    After going through many brushes with death hunting in the forest, Guang Yi¡¯s senses were sharp. The moment something was off, he shifted into battle mode and watched outside cautiously.

    There was a bull carriage filled with grains in front. That was a regr bull from other farms and nothing special. However, usually, farms would brand their bull. This bull was not branded. Plus, it did not avoid their carriage¨C instead elerated and was charging directly at them.

    The bull¡¯s gone mad?!

    The other bull was going to hit them now. Shao Xuan¡¯s bull cried in anger and lowered its head. Both its sharp horns pointed directly ahead and its hoove scraped the ground furiously.

    Bang!

    Perhaps because the Golden GRain fields fed their bulls top-grade food, it didn¡¯t matter if the other bull was muchrger- after both pairs of horns collided, the other bull was hit out of the path along with its carriage.

    However, this was not the end.

    Before the carriage flipped over, the carriage driver tossed his whip. ¡°Go!¡±

    Every sack in the carriage tore apart to reveal people with res as deadly as a tiger. They wielded weapons with no signatures or brands, rushing at Sao Xuan.

    At this point, they both realised they were robbers!

    With glinting weapons and swift movements, they shed mercilessly at the carriage. The fabric around the carriage was sliced open, along with sounds of hacking in different parts of the carriage. This robbery went as swift as a storm, decisive and powerful. There was no time to breathe.

    Bang! Snap!

    The carriage could not hold up against so many people, shattering into pieces of rubble on the ground. Only the metal parts of the wheel rolled into a ditch nearby.

    The bull, frightened, cried in fear after knocking their bull into the ditch.

    ¡°Mooo¡ª-¡±

    In other ces, such a noisy bull would be killed immediately. However, here, not a single robber touched the bull. Their target was clear¨C only the people on the carriage.

    The moment the robbers attacked, Shao Xuan and Guang Yi leapt out of the carriage in two directions, the carriage crumbling into pulp under their feet.

    An arc of light formed as he swung his sword, bringing with it the whistle of a beast¡¯s ws and hacked it at the other person¡¯s de.

    ng!

    The other person¡¯s knife snapped, the broken half flying in the air. Although this sword wasn¡¯t as good as the other one, this was still something Gongjia Heng gave him. It was made by the other Gongjia cksmiths and must be better than regr knives. Plus, he was powerful enough to snap the sword.

    The sword on his hand was chipped a little though. He did not stop to look, instead bringing his arm diagonally down to slit the throat of another robber, who¡¯d been nning to ambush from the back. Fresh blood sprayed unto other robbers but they did not hesitate just because of one death. They showed no remorse or grief, no emotion.

    Guang Yi¡¯s face was as solemn as still waters, his attacks also merciless. He did not care who sent these people¨C if you try to rob me, don¡¯t me me for killing you. This was the principle used for leading a troop for trade, plus the robbers were trying to kill them with every move.

    He parried one robber away with one sh. Before the robber could make another move, Guang Yi¡¯s second sh hadnded to cut off his shoulder. He had intended to cut this person in half but there were too many people around and his sh did not achieve the effect he wanted. He did a backflip to kick a person creeping up behind him into the air, privately worried. First, he was worried about Shao Xuan¡¯s safety. Second, the seeds Shao Xuan was carrying. Those were good seeds given by Ji Ju, they were rare. Did these people want the seeds? ! Or did they want the Thousand Grain Gold?!

    Eleven robbers. Just within minutes of their encounter, two were incapacitated, one was dead. Eight now surrounded Shao Xuan and Guang Yi. Out of the four around Guang Yi, one suddenly charged at Shao Xuan.

    A sh passed his waist. If Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t dodged quick enough, the sword would have pierced right through him. However, while Shao Xuan dodged it, the bag he carried was cut.

    Before Shao Xuan caught the bag flying in the air, several silhouettes rushed forward to block him, another used his sword to knock the bag away. Itnded in one of their hands.

    Nearby, there was another bull carriage approaching. It was a carriage heading towards King City with guards escorting it. There were many guards like this now. If they saw that a carriage from the Golden GRain fields was being robbed, they¡¯d definitelye help.

    ¡°Go!!¡±

    Seeing someone approach, these people did not hesitate to leave their fake carriage and the half-dead bull, disappearing like lightning. In a blink, they¡¯d already run off in a distance. When the other carriage arrived, they were gone.

    Guang Yi panicked and chased after the bag but Shao Xuan pulled him back.

    ¡°They can take it. Don¡¯t chase after them.¡±

    ¡°But, inside¡­¡±

    ¡°There are no seeds inside, no Thousand Grain Gold,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the bag you¡¯re always carrying around?¡± asked Guang Yi.

    ¡°Yes but it¡¯s just a bag. I¡¯ve switched out the things inside.¡±

    When he heard this, he finally calmed down. ¡°Then what¡¯s inside?¡±

    ¡°I got some good stuff from the butler before we left.¡±

    At the Golden Grains fields, when it heard the other bull¡¯s cry, Ji Ju¡¯s ¡®Yellow Earth¡¯ wanted to sprint out immediately. Its brother was bullied, as the boss of this area, of course it had toe protect its brother.

    If it wasn¡¯t for Ji Ju, who was out for a meal, standing at the gate, the field¡¯s gates would have been bashed open by the bull.

    Ji Ju did not let Yellow Earn out but let his butler send their men over. This was ridiculous! Who dared rob a carriage owned by the Golden Grain fields?!

    The butler was furious too. He had just guaranteed Shao Xuan¡¯s safety and this happened. This was a p to his face!

    However, when their men arrived, the robbers had already sensed this and left. If it wasn¡¯t for the rubble on the floor and the cries of their bull (who sounded like it was telling on the robbers), they would¡¯ve thought nothing happened.

    There were no clues on the dead robber.

    In an inconspicuous yard within King City, two guards hurried into the house.

    ¡°Young Master, Master Yuan¡­¡±

    Before the guard finished, there were hurried footsteps approaching. The doors burst open with a kick.

    ¡°Ji Yuan, what the hell are you trying to do?!¡± roared Ji Jing, seeing the neer.

    Several people stepped forward to protect Ji Jing.

    Ji Yuan looked at the men around Ji Jing, then red at her. ¡°The roads had already been blocked off, yet you dare send your men to rob Shao Xuan?!¡±

    Panic shed in her eyes but she suppressed her fears. ¡°What nonsense is that? I did not send anyone. ¡°

    ¡°You did not send your men, you borrowed someone else¡¯s authority!¡±

    ¡°Shut up, weren¡¯t you thinking of getting the bag too? Or how would you know what happened¡±

    Both of them argued but another person rushed in, panting.

    Ji Jing¡¯s eyes shone with excitement when she saw the person. Before she spoke, Ji Yuan acted first to snatch the bag hidden in the other person¡¯s clothing.

    ¡°Ji Yuan, you dare take my stuff!¡± Ji Jing snatched the bag over with her guards.

    They fought for the bag. Somehow, someone tugged on a string peeking out of the bag.

    Poof!

    Like a cannon, everything inside exploded.

    The house was notrge. In a second, the pungent smell of organic fertiliser filled the room, powder sttered on every person.

    There was a heavy smell of manure and farm in the house.

    Ji Yuan, holding the bag: ¡°...¡±

    Ji Jing, sttered with manure: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else, face turning green: ¡°...¡±

    Where was the treasure?

 Chapter 447 - Reminder

    <h4>Reminder</h4>

    Emotions wereplicated in the house.

    Ji Yuan stood frozen with the bag. Even an idiot would know he had been yed. He wanted to y the bird watching the mantis catch the cicada¡­ yet even the person who executed the n was yed.

    He threw the bag at Ji Jing, who was frozen in shock, in disgust. Holding his breath, Ji Yuan brought his men away.

    They had their own fields too but had been enjoying the finer things in life since young. That was why they barely went to the fields. Even if they visited, they never did anything, just watched and took inventory in King City. If it wasn¡¯t for Ji Ju¡¯s secret, they would not have visited either. They had not ever experienced anything like this, walking around smelling like poop.

    After Ji Yuan left with his frigid anger, Ji Jing broke everything she could break in the house. After that, she wondered, why should she break stuff in this smelly room? So she went to another clean house and continued to vent. When she was finally done, she had Luzhe brought over to shout at him.

    Luzhe was the person driving Ji Jing¡¯s carriage when she went to visit Ji Ju. At the time, Luzhe was kissing her ass but unfortunately, he¡¯d met Shao Xuan and ck Bear that day.

    This time, after hearing the story of Lubi from their Lu family getting beaten up, Ji Jing passed him this task as the Lu family was nning their revenge. He found some people who were willing to work for money and form a band. They were sworn to secrecy so they would never tell on their client. The Lu family had met these people beforeing to King City. That was why Luzhe went looking for them.

    With Ji Jing here with her generous payments, these people were very willing. Ji Jing only wanted the bag Shao Xuan carried. On the other hand, Luzhe, due to what happened with Lubi, directly gave the order to kill Shao Xuan.

    In a twist of events, they suffered injuries and a death¡ª all to retrieve a poop-filled bag.

    It was no wonder Ji Jing was furious, even Luzhe was suppressing his anger. It was a series of unfortunate events with this bunch!

    After breaking stuff and scolding Luzhe, Ji Jing brought her people back. She had to clean herself thoroughly. Unfortunately, after her bath, the pungent smell still lingered for a while. The fragrance of flowers could not even cover the smell.

    Once Ji Jing left, Luzhe went back to the Linlu tribe¡¯s base in King City.

    ¡°What?¡± Luming, who¡¯d been waiting, asked hurriedly. He¡¯d already known it was a failure from Luzhe¡¯s darkened face. However, he had to know what happened.

    Luzhe told him what he knew. ¡°That lucky bastard!¡±

    This was what Luming expected too. ¡°A bastard who can defeat Lubi, how would he be killed so easily? The chief¡­ the patriarch had to personally visit the Gongjia¡¯s home to get the hammer back after payingpensation.¡± In the past, when they were a tribe, the leader was the chief. Here at King City, they used the term ¡®patriarch¡¯ or head of the family.

    ¡°Do we let the bastard go just like that?¡± Luzhe was unwilling. ¡°He has already left Golden Grain fields, I worry he¡¯ll leave King City soon. Once he leaves, it¡¯ll be difficult to find him again.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Luming with a grin. ¡°He won¡¯t be able to leave.¡±

    Seeing Luzhe¡¯s confusion, Luming exined, ¡°The patriarch will personally attend to this!¡±

    After Lubi was defeated, the Lu family was utterly humiliated in King City. Now, every time someone talked about the Lu family, they¡¯d talk about the Lubi incident. The Lu family would never live with this and did not want to dy this any further. It must be solved immediately. After some thought, the Linlu chief (now known as the patriarch) nned to solve this on his own.

    If the rest of the ming Horn people were still here, they would not make this decision so easily. Based on past experience, the ming Horn people were no easy opponents. Even the great six aristocrats had suffered. Right now, there were only two of them.

    Just two. This was easy.

    The ck Bears? They weren¡¯t difficult. There were so few people in the ck Bear trading party. Now that all the Linlu tribesmen were here, they had the numbers. If only they had¡­.

    When he thought of the incident at the Gongjia¡¯s entrance, Luming seethed with anger. However, this would be solved quickly. He was already nning how to bring up the Lu family¡¯s reputation after this.

    The people of King City loved drama and were very forgetful. They would only remember the final result. While the Lu family lost to Shao Xuan, as long as they win the next battle, their reputation would change.

    As for the term ¡®bullying using numbers¡¯, no one cared. They would never admit to this either. The winner determined how history was written.

    Shao Xuan did not know of these plots. After the robbery incident, the butler sent people with another carriage escorted by guards.

    It was only when Shao Xuan arrived at the city gates when the carriage and guards left.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the ck Bear¡¯s base, ck Bear had just arrived too.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you¡¯re just in time. On the day before, Master Heng sent someone with a message that your knife and sword are ready. You can get them when you¡¯re returning.¡± ck Bear was delighted too because Gongjia Heng also promised to make him an axe. However, it was expensive and he had to wait. ck Bear had noments on this, he was already fortunate enough for Master HEng to make him a weapon. Golden leaves were nothing. He could always earn more money.

    ¡°It¡¯s ready? I was about to get a new one.¡± Shao Xuan was overjoyed. His sword was chipped and he needed a new one.

    He thought about how great it¡¯d be if he had top-grade rock here. He could make more tools and grind this de. Unfortunately, other than the good rocks at the city wall, he didn¡¯t see any good materials.

    ¡°I¡¯ve settled my business so I can apany you. Eh, what happened to your sword? You fought someone at the field?¡± ck Bear turned to look at Guang Yi¡¯s sword. There were marks on it too.

    A sword with marks like that showed that it was no small scuffle. A few more hits and this de would snap.

    Shao Xuan exined what happened to ck Bear.

    Balck Bear was silent, his smile disappeared. ¡°Shao Xuan, I advise you both to leave King City as soon as possible. Recently, the Linlu tribe had already moved almost everyone from their tribe here. Once they settle, I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll attack you. Shao Xuan, you don¡¯t know that when you were at the Golden Grains fields, some of my men betrayed us. If it weren¡¯t for the tight security, your stuff would¡¯ve been stolen already. Especially in the grain store and underground chambers. Your grains are there.¡±

    ¡°All this for the Thousand GRain Gold?!¡± said Guang Yi in a low voice.

    ¡°No, not really. That¡¯s just one of the reasons. More importantly, you both have be targets. A lot more things will happen to you,¡± said ck Bear.

    It was no good targeting ck Bear but there were more opportunities to attack Shao Xuan. He did not have his own territory here and did not have an army.

    ¡°Alright, I understand.¡± He had already thought of this during the robbery. After meeting Gongjia Heng and learning about Thousand Grain Gold, it was time to leave. It was dangerous for him to stay.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you leave tomorrow? Maoda intended to leave in three days but since this happened, it¡¯s best you all leave earlier,¡± said ck Bear.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. Old ck borrowed your name to get Golden Grains and even met Master Heng. You helped a lot.¡± ck Bear let out a guffaw.

    When he went to get the sword, Gongjia Heng was working in the forging room so Shao Xuan did not see him. However, he already instructed his apprentice to bring over the sword, knife and more axes.

    At the ming Horn tribe, Gongjia Heng had heard that the hunters liked axes. That was why he got his apprentices to make some axes for them.

    Shao Xuan took the sword and unwrapped the cloth. The sword was golden, though the colour was darker than the previous. However, Shao Xuan felt like it was a lot sharper. The patterns on the sword were different. Within the golden sword, the silver etchings shone like a white me.

    He tossed a piece of wood the apprentice passed to him and could easily chop it in half.

    ¡°Do you want to try with a rock?¡± asked the apprentice excitedly.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I already know.¡± Shao Xuan kept the sword. After its modifications, it might still be not easy to split middle to top-grade rocks. Even if the sword did not chip, it would still affect the de. And that could lead to future problems like breaking.

    If he had the chance, Shao Xuan wanted to make a sword for himself. However, the tribe¡¯s core seed was on the other side of the ocean and the seeds here were all controlled by the great six. The Gongjia family would never let outsiders benefit from it.

    He sighed, wondering when he could return. Shao Xuan kept his sword and turned to Guang Yi, also testing his de.

    ¡°How is it?¡±

    Guang Yi was glowing. ¡°It¡¯s awesome!¡±

    ¡°Help me thank Master Heng. Tell him that the next time I have something good, I¡¯ll get the ck Bear people to bring it here,¡± said Shao Xuan to the apprentice.

    ck Bear was happy to hear this. He was basically the line connecting ming Horn and Gongjia Heng now, and he was happy to be the messenger. He would benefit greatly from this!

    After taking his stuff and thanking them, Shao Xuan did not stay. They had to leave tomorrow.

    When he left the Gongjia residence, Ji Fang was coincidentally here.

    Shao Xuan greeted him and continued walking. They weren¡¯t close anyway. However, Ji Fang stopped him.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Ji Fang turned around. ¡°If you have no other business, do not stay at King City any longer.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t an insult, it was a reminder. The three people, including Shao Xuan, understood.

 Chapter 448 - Then Fight!

    <h4>Then Fight!</h4>

    If Ji Fang said so, it meant this ce really was unsafe.

    Based on Ji Fang¡¯s reminder, ck Bear told Shao Xuan his guess when they arrived at their base.

    He feared the ?Linlu tribe might really attack now. However, other people would not interfere. They would just watch.

    ¡°In reality, to the great six aristocratic families here, these are small scuffles. Including the incident where you defeated Lubi, it was just after-dinner gossip to them. It doesn¡¯t concern them at all.¡± This matter was not important enough for the aristocrats to care.

    So what if Shao Xuan hit Lubi? What did that prove? Did that mean the ming Horn tribe was more powerful than Linlu? No, it did not. The power of one tribe was not represented by one person. Then again, it didn¡¯t matter if it was Shao Xuan or the prodigy of the Linlu tribe, while other people might take an interest, the more powerful people saw this as child¡¯s y. At this point, none of the aristocrats had shown their faces here.

    As for Shao Xuan¡¯s life or death¨C these people did not care. Instead, they would be happier if he died. Them not taking action did not mean they hoped other people wouldn¡¯t. A ming Horn tribesman suffering was a good thing to them.

    Shao Xuan and Guang Yi listened to ck Bear¡¯s analysis.

    In reality, Shao Xuan had already guessed this would happen. It was different for Guang Yi. When he heard that these people did not really like ming Horn, plus they wanted to see the Elder of his tribe die¡­ What the hell?!

    He was upset!

    Extremely upset!

    But so what if he was upset? Fight them? They were just two people, could they fight the whole city?

    That would be looking for death.

    In the past, the ming Horn people came to King City in groups of one or two hundred. They were powerful. No one would dare provoke them. Now¡­ there were only two of them?!

    He was unwilling! Very unwilling to lose like that1

    The green vein in his forehead throbbed and his fingers fidgeted. Every time he was about to grab his knife, he forced himself to stop. He wanted to tear the ce down.

    ¡°But, you¡¯re leaving tomorrow. You don¡¯t need to overthink this,¡±forted ck Bear.

    Too bad ck Bear¡¯s words did nothing for Guang Yi.

    They were leaving but not on their own ord! They were leaving out of pressure, they were leaving while seething with anger!

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯m worried the Linlu tribe will stop you from leaving tomorrow.¡± ck Bear sounded worried. The roads were already blocked off to the public near Golden Grain Fields so he was sure the robbers were sent by the Linlu tribe! If they were bold enough for this, what would they not do? This time, they might put up a good fight.

    Someone came in for a report. ¡°The people watching the Linlu people said there has been somemotion there.¡±

    ¡°What happened?!¡± ck Bear¡¯s heart clenched.

    The messenger shook his head. ¡°They only know that the Lu family has been in and out of their houses very frequently. They¡¯d suddenly sent gifts to the great six aristocrats, they seemed to be nning something.¡± As for what the n was, they did not know. They could not enter the core base of the great six.

    ¡°Continue watching them! Send more people!¡± instructed ck Bear.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    When the messenger left, ck BEar looked even more worried. ¡°Perhaps they have already deployed their men. Tomorrow, your journey might not be smooth. If tomorrow, when our trading party leaves, and the Linlu people stop us¡­¡±

    ¡°Then fight!¡±

    Guang Yi clenched his teeth. If this were near his tribe, he would have brought his people over for war. The survival of a tribe depended on their decisiveness when it came to war. They could never retreat! Retreating one step meant there would be a second step, third step, until they were cornered. Their ancestors were forced over here when they first arrived. The territory they had now all came from hard battles!

    While Guang Yi was a solemn, calm person at the tribe, when it came to certain matters, he would never stay silent.

    However, this involved Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan had a special status in the tribe and the chief and shamaness ced the utmost importance on him. Plus Shao Xuan was the only person from their sister tribe on the other side. Guang Yi had noints about dying here but Shao Xuan must not die here!

    When he thought of this, Guang Yi as so troubled his facial muscles were all squeezed together.

    ck Bear saw Guang Yi¡¯s reaction and turned to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what do you think?¡± He knew that the decision-maker was still Saho Xuan among the two. Plus this kid had a lot of ideas. Perhaps he had a better idea to avoid the Linlu people?

    Guang Yi turned to look too. He also wished Shao Xuan had a n to avoid them, yet another voice screamed for Shao Xuan to fight like he wanted. He felt so conflicted.

    Shao Xuan shifted his gaze from outside the window to inside. Calmly, he said, ¡°Then fight!¡±

    Same answer as Guang Yi.

    When he heard this, Guang Yi wasn¡¯t sure to feel proud or worried. His mouth opened but he did not say a thing.

    After hearing their answers, ck BEar shook his head with a sigh. ¡°Rest up then. I¡¯ll bring my men to escort you out of the city.¡±

    The two were left in the room after ck BEar left. After a lot of hesitation, Guang Yi decided to advise him. Before he could speak, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Get some sleep so you have the energy to fight tomorrow.¡±

    Guang Yi shut his mouth.

    Early the next morning.

    Maoda brought the group of people who nned to leave the city with him, their goods tied to the bears. Shao Xuan and Guang Yi helped.

    ¡°Did you sleep wellst night?¡± Maoda was worried they might lose sleep over the Linlu tribe. Unexpectedly, both didn¡¯t look like they stayed up all night.

    ¡°Quite well,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°Thank you for letting us stay here.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank us. Boss said we benefited from your visit too,¡± Maoda said with a grin then turned to check on the other goods. Then he turned, his eyes were filled with worry. Thetest reports denoted that the Lu family nned to stop them. However, they were still awaiting the boss¡¯ instructions. They were checking to see if there was another way.

    This time, the Linlu tribe¡¯s target was not the ck Bears but they could not just leave Shao Xuan and Guang Yi alone. They had their principles too. Plus, tossing Shao Xuan aside also looked like they were afraid of the Linlu tribe. For this, they also had to fight.

    Maoda looked at the bear crouching on the ground. It was just the Linlu tribe! What was there to be afraid of? They hadn¡¯t fought enough thest time, so they¡¯ll finish it today!

    At the city gates, the guards yawned as they opened the gates. They were about to chat but realised the silhouettes were familiar.

    ¡°Eh? Is that Young Master Jing from the Ji family?¡± She didn¡¯t usually get up this early.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard?¡± asked one person.

    ¡°Heard what?¡±

    Not just Young Master Jing, many people from the great six families came too.¡± The other guy nudged.

    Looking over, there were several carriages with emblems of aristocrats.

    ¡°What day is it? Why are they all up so early?¡±

    ¡°To watch the show,¡± the guy said mysteriously.

    ¡°Show? What show? Someone¡¯s performing here?¡±

    ¡°Tsk, you¡¯re not updated at all!¡± The other guy said mischievously, ¡°I heard the Lu family had invited them over to watch.¡±

    ¡°The Lu family? The new Lu family of the Linlu tribe?¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s them.¡±

    The guard wasn¡¯t interested.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say Lubi from Lu was beaten up? What¡¯s there to watch.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to say. They could win this time?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡­¡±

    The few guards discussed.

    The young masters had already climbed up the city wall and entered the towers on both sides of the city gates.

    These young masters were the ones who received the gifts sent out by the Lu family yesterday. There was a letter in the present, inviting them here to watch.

    The rest were just here because there was a crowd. Ji Jing, Ji Yuan and the rest had already chosen a good spot in the tower.

    Outside the city gates, Yi Shi was dozing off in his carriage. When they approached the gates, he sensed that something was off!

    There were usually more carriages here since the roads near the fields were no longer blocked. He was rarely up this early too. However, something was off.

    Looking up at the towers next to the gates, he saw many familiar faces. It was too early for this!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Yi Shi told his driver to ask the guards.

    Initially, the guards did not know much but after gossip spread like wildfire, everyone now knew. Since this was someone from the Yi family, they were in a good mood to answer questions.

    The driver returned to tell Yi Shi what the guards said.

    ¡°The Lu family? ming Horn?¡± Yi Shi mulled over his words. He knew the young man who visited his farm with Ji Ju was from ming Horn. And there were only two people from ming horn here!¡±

    ¡°Young Master, should we continue?¡± asked the driver.

    ¡°No, send these things back quickly. I¡¯ll go up and watch with them. Although the Yi family was not involved, as a descendant of the Yi family, he still had the qualifications to go up the tower.

    Since Yi Shi had already made the decision, the driver could only obey.

    When he arrived at the top of the wall, he realised there were many people here. Other than his own Yi family, there were people from the other five families too. The ones who usually slept like pigs were here, yawning.

    Yi Shi could not squeeze into the tower so he could only stand on top of the city wall. It wasn¡¯t actually a bad spot.

 Chapter 449 - Roadblock

    <h4>Roadblock</h4>

    Before Yi Shi was settled on the top of the wall, more people arrived on the wall. They were from the Yi family.

    They were very surprised to see Yi Shi here. Usually, Yi Shi barely showed up and they almost forgot he existed.

    ¡°Ooh, Yi Shi¡¯s here! Why are you here? Not working at the farm?¡± one of them teased.

    The Yi family had the leastndpared to the other great six families. By the Ji family¡¯s standards, they were poor bastards who had nond. Even if they had other resources, nond meant they were poor. However, the Yi people did not think so. They thought only talentless people worked in farms. The smart ones were all sitting at home collecting cash.

    That was why to these few Yi people, Yi Shi was the stupid one.

    Perhaps in the past, these people were not ranked as high as Yi Shi in the family. The situation was different now though. No matter how useless they were, they could still sit at divination street and do readings. Yi Shi did not have this ability and merely relied on his ancestors to get a small piece ofnd.

    That was why Yi Shi was only a minor figure now. These people did not take him seriously, mocking him.

    Yi Shi was not provoked, instead exined, ¡°I just came back from the farm. I heard there¡¯s going to be a show here so I came to watch.¡±

    The rest did not want to continue the conversation. The tower looked quite full and they did not want to stand on the wall like a guard.

    When they left, they noticed the bag Yi Shi carried with him. When they remembered that he had just returned from the farm, that bag must contain money!

    They knew Yi Shi helped people with ounts at the farm and looked at the bag tied to his waist, Yi Shi must have earned a lot this year!

    Their eyes darted around. One guy turned.

    ¡°It¡¯s meaningless to watch the show here like that. What about we do something fun,¡± he offered.

    ¡°Like?¡± Yi Shi looked at him.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we ce a bet. I heard the Lu family will fight that¡­ who? They¡¯ll be fighting.¡± The other person had already forgotten who the other side was.

    ¡°I heard they¡¯re fighting two ming Horn tribesmen. Isn¡¯t this fight¡­ a little¡­ inappropriate?¡± Yi Shi said with a frown.

    ¡°Inappropriate? Hasn¡¯t it always been like this?¡± The other guy did not think much of it. He had already seen too much of this. The strong bullied the weak in this world. If you didn¡¯t have the numbers, why would you go around upsetting people? And if people came attacking, that would be your fault.

    No matter what the cause was, these bystanders did not care. They were just here to kill time.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Lu family lose previously? I think they might not even win this round,¡± said Yi Shi.

    The other person was stunned for a moment then grinned. ¡°So you¡¯re saying the Lu family will lose?¡±

    ¡°I think¡­ so.¡± Yi Shi did not sound sure.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s bet on it!¡±

    ¡°Bet what?¡± someone interjected.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Yi Bing!¡± he said in a tonepletely different from what he used on Yi Shi. As if he was sucking up to Yi Bing.

    Yi Bing was d in a grey-white outer coat. He¡¯d just arrived at the top of the wall and he was interested in a bet too.

    Yi Bing was different from Yi Shi. While he had nond, he had been living well for a while because he was good at divination. More importantly, he had a capable father. He was probably higher-ranked than Yi Shi in the family.

    ¡°We were just talking about the fight. Yi Shi says the Lu family lost once so they¡¯ll lose again.¡± As if Yi Shi¡¯s uncertainty had turned into straight fact.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± Yi Shi was interrupted before he could finish.

    ¡°So I¡¯m going to bet against him,¡± the other person interrupted. ¡°I bet the Lu family will win!¡±

    Yi Bing was initially uninterested in a bet that did not rely on any strategy. However, he saw Yi Shi panic and looked at the money bag on his waist. He changed his mind and pped. ¡°Count me in. If the Lu family wins, that bag of money is ours. If the Lu family loses, I¡¯ll give you five of that bag. Every bag will contain the same about of money you have on you now. What do you think?¡± He didn¡¯t care about the money, he just wanted to bully Yi Shi.

    ¡°But what if they don¡¯t fight today?¡± asked Yi Shi.

    ¡°They definitely will. The ck Bears areing with the two ming Horn tribesmen now. We¡¯ll see them soon,¡± said Yi Bing.

    Yi Shi wanted to say something but the other guy quickly said, ¡°Deal! Come, Yi Shi, hand over your pouch first. We don¡¯t?want you running off.¡±

    Yi Shi untied his money pouch unwillingly. The other guy snatched over and counted the money.

    ¡°Alright, Yi Shi, we¡¯ll keep this bag first. If Lu family loses, we¡¯ll pay you back.¡± Yi Bing called the other guy counting money and they went to the tower. They did not invite Yi Shi.

    When he saw these people enter the tower, Yi Shi¡¯s panic turned into glee. He was going to be rich today! Thank goodness I brought so much money! Five times! I won¡¯t have to watch the farm next year!

    The row of people went up the tower and found good seats. It was a good feeling watching from above.

    Although they knew the Lu family was going to win, out of habit, Yi bing decided to conduct a reading before the ck Bears arrived.

    He took out a pouch made of exquisite silk and leather and poured out a few jade stones he used for readings.

    As the session went on, more and more sweat sprouted from his forehead.

    Thud!

    The jadestones collided with each other. Yi Bing clenched the piece of jade in his hand tightly, his face red and panted.

    ¡°What?!¡± the other people gasped.

    Yi Bing shook his head, his expression unreadable. He couldn¡¯t do it! He could not get any information at all!

    How was this possible?

    Even if the reading failed, he usually would get a little information.

    What happened?!

    Seeing Yi Bing unwilling to speak, the rest did not ask.

    ¡°They¡¯re here! They¡¯re here!¡± someone yelled.

    Everyone stopped talking and looked towards the road.

    Large bears waddledzily towards the gate.

    Just from these bears, everyone knew who these people were.

    ¡°The ck Bears are here!¡±

    ¡°So they did not avoid the battle after all.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t the Lu family say they¡¯ll fight the ming horn people? Why are the ck Bears here?¡± some were confused.

    ¡°The ck Bears and the ming Horn people are together!¡±

    ¡°So that means the Lu family would be fighting the ck Bears?¡±

    ¡°Definitely.¡±

    The two ming Horn people were immediately forgotten. It did not matter if you¡¯ve beaten Lubi, with such numbers, two people were negligible. At least to everyone.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan was walking with the ck Bears towards the gates.

    There were many people on both sides of the path. Some were from the Lu family as if to prevent Shao Xuan from running away. They red coldly and aggressively like they were going to attack at any moment.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe the Linlu tribe decided to bring so many people,¡± sighed Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s still not toote to take another path. I don¡¯t suggest you walk here,¡± said ck Bear solemnly. ¡°The Lu family knows we¡¯re leaving today and already brought many people. They did that to block the gates. You¡¯ll suffer.¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ll continue walking.¡±

    ck Bear sighed. How could this person be so stubborn? He¡¯s forcing himself into a dangerous situation?!

    Although everyone knew what was going to happen, no one stopped. Under the eyes of the crowd, they walked towards the gate.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, two teams rushed from both sides to block the gates. They looked at Shao Xuan like a bug they had just stepped on.

    ¡°You dare block me?!¡± ck Bear took arge step forward and lifted an arm to unsheathe his knife. Shao Xuan grabbed his arm.

    ck Bear looked at Shao Xuan, confused. Shao Xuan gestured towards his back.

    ck Bear turned around to see a crowding over. At the front of the crowd was the chief of the Linlu tribe, also known as the patriarch of the Lu family¡ª Luzong.

    Luzong was not tall but gave off an intimidating aura. Anyone standing next to him would feel a greater pressurepared to standing with Lubi.

    At this moment, the patriarch was with his men. He was not afraid of Shao Xuan running for there were more Lu family members outside the city gates. There were so many people blocking their path, it would not be easy to run. He had let the two ming horn people arrive at the city gates on purpose before appearing with his men. This is to make them feel like they were next to the exit but couldn¡¯t escape!

    He did not n to let them live today!

    Even if the ming Horn tribe knew of this, would they dare fight the entire King City?

    That would be a joke!

    In the past, beforeing into King City, they might worry about the ming horn tribe. Now, it was different, they were at King City, the great six aristocratic territory!

    They were under the great six¡¯s protection. Even if their rtionship with the ming Horn tribe soured, between ming Horn and Lu, the people of King City would still stand on the Lu¡¯s side. All these people here to watch would support them too.

    With so much support, he was not worried about future consequences. He could be reckless now.

    Luzong¡¯s gaze swept from ck BEar to Shao Xuan. In a cold voice, he said, ¡°This matter only involves my Lu n and the ming Horn tribe. Everyone irrelevant to this may leave.¡±

    He just meant the ck Bears should leave. There were only two people from ming Horn involved, yet Luzong made it sound like he was fighting a whole tribe.

    ck Bear grinned and lifted an arm and shouted. ¡°Everyone listen to me! Chop up every person who dares stand in our way! Kill them all! I will reward anyone who kills the most with money, golden grains and a golden knife!¡±

    When he spoke, the Lu family thought he was about to bring his party away. Yet he said such a thing! This was a deliberate provocation!

    The people of the Lu family¡¯s face changed. ck Bear yelled again, ¡°What did our ancestors say?!¡±

    The people of the trading party roared, ¡°We do not yield before our enemies!¡±

    ¡°Roar¡ª-¡± The ck Bears roared as they bared their teeth.

    The people and animals nearby were all terrified by this sudden show of power. So the ck Bears were really going into war? Not like thest time? This was a rare opportunity, they must watch this!

    Luzong¡¯s face grew more solemn, He realised the ck Bears living in King City were here. Privately, he was unwilling to fight the ck Bears here. He hadn¡¯t expected the ck Bears to insist on protecting the two ming Horn people. Since when did they be so close?!

    Luzong was weighing his decision to really fight the ck Bears when Shao Xuan said, ¡°I think, today¡¯s matter should just be settled between us both¨C me and the chief of the Linlu tribe.¡±

 Chapter 450 - One Slap

    <h4>One p</h4>

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words were just what Luzong wanted.

    Although they were prepared to fight the ck Bears, if they could avoid it, they would. They would suffer losses in battle. Fighting one person was so much simpler.

    Now that Shao Xuan volunteered, it saved Luzong many problems. Winning would obviously be great¨C but if Luzong lost, his men would step up to fight Shao Xuan. They had already discussed this beforehand. Luming had agreed to this. This wasn¡¯t being shameless, it was just strategy.

    Lubi also told him that the ming Horn bastard was peculiar. If ming Horn had such an impressive figure, they naturally had to kill him and not let him return.

    Even if Shao Xuan could win Luzong, he would be severely injured in the process too. Then it would be simpler for other people to interfere and kill him off. As long as they could stop ck Bear from intervening.

    The Linlu tribe was prepared in a few moments. Till now, everything was as expected.

    ¡°But I have one condition,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Speak.¡± Since everything was as expected, and it was an efficient path, Luzong was in a good mood.

    ¡°If this area, or the wall is damaged, you¡¯ll incur the costs,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Alright.¡± To solve this problem, even if they cracked a hole in the wall and broke the thick b of stone, which was the entrance, it was not difficult for them to repair it.

    Shao Xuan and Luzong were not speaking softly so everyone could hear, including the people on the tower.

    When they conversed, three fruits flew from the tower. They were hurled at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan moved his head to dodge them.

    The red fruits fell on the ground, sttering some juice around. It was bright against the grey stone.

    The people on the tower had woken up early for a good show. They wanted to watch the Lu family battle the ck Bears- that would be awesome! They didn¡¯t want to watch two people fight, this was boring! Some upset audience members hurled fruits at Shao Xuan, who suggested this.

    However, there were some who were eager to watch too. Shao Xuan had beaten Lubi and the stories said it was an effortless victory. Not sure how he¡¯d do with the Lu family¡¯s patriarch. The ones who were smarter knew that Shao Xuan would never walk out of the city alive. It didn¡¯t matter if he won or not.

    ck Bear knew this too. That was why he didn¡¯t understand why Shao Xuan epted the challenge. Why would he do this?

    ¡°Stay back,¡± said Shao Xuan to ck Bear and Guang Yi.

    ck Bear sighed and did not say anything. Any advice would be useless now. The kid can suffer a bit and he¡¯ll intervene if something went wrong.

    ¡°Further,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What are you thinking?!¡± yelled Back BEar.

    ¡°A little further,¡± said Shao Xuan sincerely.

    ck Bear: ¡°...¡±

    Would they be able to intervene in time?

    Not just ck Bear, Guang Yi was told to stay away too.

    ¡°Make decisions based on what happenster,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Make what fucking decision if we¡¯re so far away?!¡± ck Bear instructed Maoda to bring the party further because the fight might damage their goods. At least the space in front of the gates was wide enough.

    On the tower, Yi Bing did another reading with his jade stones to check who would win. However, none of his readings showed results.

    Luzong gave his men a look, implying for them to watch ck Bear. They must not let him intervene.

    ¡°I am Luzong, patriarch of the Lu n,¡± said Luzong loudly, stepping forward. He did not announce what would happen if he lost or won, just announcing his name so the people of King City would remember him.

    When he saw Guang Yi and the rest had backed away, Shao Xuan turned around. ¡°Shao Xuan, Elder of the ming Horn tribe.¡±

    Elder?!

    Such a young tribe Elder?!

    No wonder he won Lubi, forcing Luzong to personally take action.

    He must not live!

    A gust of strong wind blew.

    Outside the city, the stalks of unharvested grains and weeds were bent in one direction with the breeze.

    Within the city was silence. Tensions ran high.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re younger, you go first,¡± said Luzong as if he was generous. In reality, he was better at defensive tactics to retaliate based on the other person¡¯s weakness.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re older. I¡¯ll let the old man go first.¡± Shao Xuan did not move.

    Luzong wasn¡¯t old, he was about Guang Yi¡¯s age.

    Luzong¡¯s face froze but then smirked like he was mocking Shao Xuan. However, he was privately more cautious now. Why was this kid so confident in himself?!

    Fine, he¡¯ll go first! Was he afraid of a kid? But¡­

    ¡°You¡¯re not taking your sword out?¡± Luzong just felt like Shao Xuan was a very peculiar young man. Didn¡¯t Gongjia Heng make this kid a sword?

    ¡°To defeat you, why would I need my sword?¡± Shao Xuan did not move.

    Not just Luzong, this sentence made ck Bear and Guang Yi frown.

    Everyone else in the crowd wanted to spit on him. Young man, why are you faking your confidence like that?!

    On the other hand, the Lu family muttered to themselves. Shao Xuan looked so confident, there must be something wrong. Were there other ming Horn people around?

    Luzong¡¯s eyes darted at the Lu family members nearby. They nodded. He did not overthink since that implied everything was going ording to n. What was there to question?!

    ¡°Since you¡¯re not using your sword, then I shall not use my knife either!¡± He wasn¡¯t used to his sword anyway.

    Luzong¡¯s eyes glowed and his totemic patterns appeared. The patterns on his face made him look more and more savage, the veins on his neck bulged and each step he took cracked the ground. On his crossed arms, ten fingers contorted unnaturally and made crackling sounds as if every finger was filled with a huge amount of power. The strong breaths he exhaled grew from hoarse to sharp breaths. He resembled a mighty buck.

    Bang!

    With a bang, Luzong leapt in the air with one step on the ground, heading directly at Shao Xuan.

    All ten fingers came with cold violence, like the gigantic antlers of a fearsome buck. His target was locked, and upon impact, the antlers would impale their target!

    At the moment Luzong moved, Shao Xuan focused his totemic power to his peak and in his mind¡¯s eye, thick blue mes roared and tumbled out of the glowing shell into the bone ornament on his chest like surging waves.

    Manic life force exploded and surging power was injected into every muscle, every bone, every vein. His muscles stung like he was stabbed by needles, he felt like his blood was literally boiling while his bones shook. This was the price to pay for such power!

    Fire-like totemic patterns covered Shao Xuan¡¯s body in an instant, aze.

    Shao Xuan stood with his legs wide open, his right hand extended towards Luzong, who was charging at him.

    He was going to face Luzong with brute force!

    ¡°He¡¯s biting off more than he can chew!¡± Everyone agreed on this.

    The Lu family¡¯s strength lied on brute force!

    Ji Yuan and Ji Jing on the tower were panicking now. They were already nning to intervene when Shao Xuan was suffering during the course of the fight. If the bastard agreed to tell them Ji Ju¡¯s secret, they would continue helping him. However, right now, would they have a chance? Shao Xuan would die instantly!

    In the face of such power, anyone with a brain would dodge! This boy chose not to wield a weapon and stood there without moving a muscle. This was absolute stupidity! What the hell was he thinking?!

    However, Luzong, on the other hand, felt the sudden change in Shao Xuan within a second.

    The air around him seemed to solidify, then turn to ice as if he was freezing the world to shatter itter. Luzong¡¯s heart clenched but it was toote to dodge this. He had already leapt mid-air and he was not stable now. He felt like he was going to face a tsunami, which was nning to destroy the world.

    Shao Xuan stood unmoving. After the surge, power filled his bones and flew out into the air around him.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s extended arm erupted in mes that wrapped and engulfed his entire arm.

    Guang Yi, ?who was initially frowning, suddenly had a thought and backed ten meters away. Then he felt like it wasn¡¯t enough so he retreated more.

    Boom¡ª

    Two sources of energy collided and created a deafening boom enough to disperse everyyer of cloud in the sky, shaking thends and everyone¡¯s soul. Not just the humans- even the bears carrying goods stood on their hind limbs in shock and identally tipped over backwards. With the goods on their backs, they fell on their butts.

    Air ripples visible by the naked eye exploded outwards.

    As if the stone bs on the ground melted, they shattered around Shao Xuan¡¯s feet and the crumbling and cracking elerated. The red fruit on the ground became vapour in an instant. As if gravity intensified in one spot, the entire cloud of red vapour hit the ground. It felt like one invisible palm had pped the ground. At the edge of such power, clouds of pebbles and dust flew.

    Strong gusts of wind blew the pieces of rock away.

    The Lu men at the city gates were thrown up in the air due to the invisible force, clearly hearing consecutive cracks across their bodies. Blood spluttered out of their pores.

    Everyone nearby was hurt. The ones further away felt their scalp tightened as chills prated deep into their souls.

    The tall city walls bore the brunt of the force from air currents sweeping in all directions. Wave after wave of energy hit the walls consecutively, like arge beast butting its head at the walls.

    In the towers, tables, stools, teapots and cups were all thrown in the air and shattered heavily on the ground.

    Luzong, who was the closest to the impact, flew the instant he touched Shao Xuan.

    The people of King City looked up and saw Luzong fly above their heads. Their eyes tracked the shadow in the air as he flew further and further away from him.

    In the limited memory of this city¡¯s people, the incident of Shao Xuan hitting Lubi with a hammer was erased and reced with this unforgettable moment.

    When the air currents calmed, there was a dead silence.

    Crack¡ª- crack crack crack¡ª

    Crisp cracks appeared on the tall city walls, creeping across like healthy creeper vines. The cracks branched out and multiplied at great speed.

 Chapter 451 - What Happens Next?

    <h4>What Happens Next?</h4>

    Within the tower, the bunch of people who were pathetically panicking froze when they heard the cracking sounds and look towards its source.

    Everyone in the tower had been brutally affected by the energy waves. Some people were crouching, some standing while leaning against the stone pir. When he heard the sounds, the person leaning against the thick stone pir stopped breathing. His eyes widened as he stared at the stone pir like he had seen something unbelievable.

    A long crack appeared on the pir, extending upwards like an unstoppable snake. It swam under his palm up to the top.

    Feeling the vibrations under his hand, the person leapt and ran immediately.

    ¡°Run! It¡¯s copsing!

    As if the wicker to a bomb had been ignited, everyone exploded in panic. Without caring for their clothes and hair, everyone rushed down the tower.

    Crack¡ª Crack crack¡ª

    Crackle crackle¡ª-

    Pebbles and dust rolled downwards, the more and more fell. Tiny stones becamerge bs and in the end, with a deep rumble, the ancient bs of stone used to build the tower split open and it copsed.

    The deafening crash scared many bystanders but they watched helplessly. All they could do was stand back as they watched the towers on both sides of the city gates crumble before their eyes.

    The guards at the gates had already disappeared.

    With another boom, a giant piece of stone fell on the ground. A cloud of dust curled up and blurred the crowd¡¯s vision.

    Yi Shi stood on the city wall, on a very peculiar spot. One crack in the wall separated him and the rest of the tower, it looked like two different worlds. On this side of the crack, he didn¡¯t feel much of the impact. When he sensed something was about to happen, he squatted to hide behind the stone wall. Compared to the rest who felt the impact of the waves, he was doing fine.

    Yi Shi was privately d that he was far away. However, it was not good for him to stay while everyone panicked. As everyone rushed to leave, he ran with Yi Bing and the rest. He had won the bet, Yi Bing needed to pay him.

    The guards at the city gates were terrified, yes, but the Lu family was utterly traumatised. The initial n was that Luzong killed Shao Xuan. And if Luzong couldn¡¯t, another person would take over the task. While they were ready to take over after Luzong lost, this was a more dramatic ending than they had expected.

    That was just one punch. And the fight was over. They did not see where Luzongnded, no one knew if he was alive.

    Should they continue?

    The people of the Lu family all hung their heads, terrified they¡¯d be named. Their opponent had defeated Luzong so easily, what could they do? They¡¯d also get beaten up, no?

    The city wall was cracked and the towers had fallen. Would they be able to fight him? Everyone knew what would happen so they did not want to sacrifice their own lives.

    On the other side, Maoda finally closed his almost-unhinged jaw, instructing his men tofort the bears. One bear had copsed on the ground in shock and the sacks on its back were scattered on the ground. At least the sacks were tied tightly so the grains did not spill.

    ck Bear looked at Shao Xuan with an unreadable look as if he did not truly know the person standing before him. The first time he met Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan stopped arge cauldron easily. The second time at King City, Shao Xuan had beaten Lubi with his own hammer, now¡­

    No one knew if Luzong was dead or alive, the city gates were destroyed and both towers had copsed. This¡­ this wasn¡¯t human at all?! Was this Shao Xuan¡¯s doing?! Was he human or beast?!

    As he recalled what Shao Xuan said to Luzong, ck Bear suspected that the kid had already anticipated this oue. Now all the damage would bepensated by the Lu family, yet he could just shrug and leave.

    Guang Yi went up to Shao Xuan. ¡°Elder, are you alright?¡±

    At the tribe, the shamaness had designated a t piece of emptynd for him to practice. While other people did not know what this was for, Guang Yi had witnessed it once. He was not near so he couldn¡¯t feel the impact. All he knew was that after every practice session, there would be more craters in the ground. The shamaness said this was the power of the ancestors.

    Now, Guang Yi finally witnessed the measure of this power!

    Shao Xuan slowly retracted his arm and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    His eyes swept around and everyone quickly looked away. They dared not meet his eyes, especially the Linlu people who whimpered when he looked at them, terrified he¡¯d name them for a duel.

    Shao Xuan did not move. They chatted for a bit before he finally moved his feet. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to leave, his legs were numb. If he moved immediately, other people would easily see that Shao Xuan¡¯s unbothered, uninjured look was fake. Every time he borrowed the ornament¡¯s powers, he would be injured to a certain extent. However, this was a lot better than his first time at Gongjia Mountain. Now, he was familiar with controlling this power and could anticipate what would happen after the fight.

    In the past, he had always practised alone. Just now, the battle of power between him and Luzong had caused him internal injuries- though they were minor.

    Maintaining hisposure, Shao Xuan asked Maoda, ¡°Can the trading party leave the city now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± said Maoda worriedly. In the past, he¡¯d joke around with Shao Xuan but after seeing Shao Xuan hit Luzong in the air, Maoda dared not talk nonsense with him.

    ¡°You all should leave soon. As for the city gates, since the Lu family already said they¡¯d bear the costs, we don¡¯t have to worry,¡± said ck Bear.

    If they stayed, they might never leave.

    Shao Xuan thanked ck Bear sincerely then left with Maoda.

    The Lu family did not chase after them, the guards did not stop them. Even the Lu family members hiding in preparation for an ambush outside the city looked at each other awkwardly. None of them dared attack, merely watching as the bears passed by. Especially when Shao Xuan passed, the ones near him shuddered.

    At this moment, in several spots within King City, the ones who did not take the Lu family and Shao Xuan seriously were shocked to hear the news.

    Within the pce, several people rushed in. They had also received news¨C personally, they had also felt a chill just now.

    ¡°ming Horn? ming Horn tribe? Why is it always them?¡± frowned an old aristocrat with white hair.

    ¡°Since when did they get so powerful?¡±

    ¡°I heard it¡¯s the ming Horn¡¯s tribe Elder. Very young.¡±

    Someone recalled the words left behind by a master of the Yi family years ago and panicked. ¡°The huge changes the master mentioned, was it referring to the ming Horn tribe?¡±

    ¡°If you recall, ming Hornes from another ce.¡±

    ¡°This tribe is arge threat, I have been saying this for years.¡±

    In a moment, everyone sitting down was silent. They thought it was possible.

    While the people of King City debated how much of a threat his tribe was, Shao Xuan had already left the city. As he walked on the long dirt road and into the forest, not just the bears- Shao Xuan was a lot more rxed too.

    ¡°Maoda, I¡¯d like to borrow your bear,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Maoda was thinking of forging a closer rtionship with the ming Horn people. Just from today, they could see that the ming Horn¡¯s capabilities far exceeded their expectations. It would benefit them to work with this tribe, plus Shao Xuan knew Master Heng and Ji Ju.

    When he heard Shoa Xuan, his train of thought was interrupted. He asked in confusion, ¡°Borrow my bear? For what?¡± Was it for food? He heard the ming Horn people ate a lot of beast meat after expending a lot of energy.

    ¡°I want to ride one, take a nap,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Maoda¡¯s eyes shed, understanding that Shao Xuan might not be as well as he looked.

    With a shrug, he said, ¡°Take any one of them.¡±

    Shao Xuan chose the nearest one. It was coincidentally the bear that wanted to attack him when they first met.

    When Shao Xuan approached, the bear shuddered and wanted to hide. Too bad Shao Xuan had already sat on his back. After, the bear walked awkwardly and lost all rhythm in its feet, almost tripping itself over.

    In the past, he was cautious of Shao Xuan. Now, he was terrified. However, since Shao Xuan did not do anything after getting on its back, it slowly rxed.

    Shao Xuan had to rest so his injuries would recover. He had faced such a huge force- from his neck to his shoulder, every bone and muscle seemed to groan. He could feel his body getting heavier by the second as every movement became more difficult.

    However, with his rejuvenation abilities, a nap would greatly improve his situation. That was why once they were out of the city and no one was watching, he slept ton the bear¡¯s back.

    Guang Yi didn¡¯t speak, guarding the back of the bear. At the same time, he was thinking. If Shao Xuan was so powerful, would he be able to find a way across the ocean? The shamaness and chief had ced all their hopes on Shao Xuan. In the past, Guang Yi was sceptical. Now, he thought, perhaps Shao Xuan could.

    He was very interested in the other branch of the tribe. At the vige, when his old friends ate together, they¡¯d talk about their brothers in the other tribe. It had been a thousand years but the ming Horn people still did not develop strong feelings for this piece ofnd. The shamaness said this was not where they should be, that was why they did not feel like they belonged.

    If outsiders attacked, Guang Yi would guard the tribe with the rest. However, if they could not defend, and the shamaness and chief decided they had to move, they would not be too emotional about it. Every year, they¡¯d hear about some tribe moving. Some moved from the forest to somewhere with more people. Others were forced to leave their centuries-old homes to hide in the mountains.

    When the fire seed did not root itself in one ce, the humans did not root themselves either. They just floated andnded wherever they could. Some tribes scattered and never reunited again. Other tribes¡¯ values became distorted¨C like the Linlu tribe.

    What would happen to the ming Horn tribe?

    Guang Yi looked at the falling yellowed leaves in the mountain. He hadn¡¯t been this emotional in a while.

 Chapter 452 - Back To The Tribe

    <h4>Back To The Tribe</h4>

    On the way to Anba city, the trading team met many robbers. These robbers knew that it was harvest season and since there were many sacks that looked filled with greed, although they usually avoided the ck Bears, greed still ruled their senses. In the end, many of them died for this risk.

    When facing robbers, the trading party never showed mercy. Letting them go would just mean getting robbed again in the future. These robbers knew who the ck Bears were, yet they still dared to attack. Well, then that was their fault. To avoid future troubles, the trading party was decisive in killing them. However, every year, the number of robbers never decreased. When one batch was killed, another batch woulde.

    Some of the robbers weren¡¯t even forced into this line of work¨C they just thought it was the easier way to earn money.

    Although the giant bears were timid and nervous around Shao Xuan, around the robbers, they were vicious. Shao Xuan had seen them tear a person straight in half. However, they rarely ate human meat.

    If they were hungry, people would help them get food. These bears had arge menu from young shoots, to fruits, to ants and even eggs and fish. Sometimes, they would also eat the prey brought back by people who hunted on the team. If they passed any half-rotten dead animals killed by other beasts, they¡¯d eat it too.

    It was a good thing their journey mainly consisted of a forest. There was a lot of food around so no one starved.

    After two to three days of rest, Shao Xuan was mostly recovered. He would also distribute his prey after hunting to the trading party. The giant bear that carried him for three days received a generous reward too. At this point, this bear had started toe to Shao Xuan often, asking for food.

    The trading party travelled to their base outside Anba City and the giant bears carried the goods up the mountain. The trading party did not immediately enter the city, they would first store their goods here and then send them into Anba City in batches.

    Shao Xuan brought eight sacks of grains from King City, all golden grains from Ji Ju¡¯s farm. Ji Ju had given him ten sacks, and he sold two to the ck Bears. Of course, the most important goods were Ji Ju¡¯s seeds. Those must be guarded well. Also, there were the axes given by Gongjia Heng. There was a lot to bring home.

    ¡°Wait a few days. It¡¯ll be winter soon and the tribes wille to Anba City again to sell their animal hides. We can return with them then,¡± suggested Guang Yi.

    Guang Yi was worried about robbers. It would be difficult for him and Shao Xuan to guard all their goods alone and the ck Bears could not escort them back to their tribe. That was why it was best to wait for the tribe¡¯s trading team to arrive.

    Shao Xuan realised this was true. He hade with the trading team around this time of the yearst year.

    If Duo Kang had led his trading team here, the ck Bears would definitely know. Shao Xuan got Maoda to ask around and he said there was no news of his arrival.

    ¡°We¡¯ll continue waiting.¡± Shao Xuan made the decision.

    The goods were stored at the ck Bear¡¯s base outside Anba City. This was safer than within the city.

    When Maoda left with a batch of goods to Anba, he told Shao Xuan, ¡°You both stay here first. If I see your ming Horn people, I¡¯ll send a messenger over.¡±

    They did not have any business in the city so Shao Xuan and Guang Yi remained at their base. It wasn¡¯t for nothing too. During the day, they went out to hunt and then brought prey back for the ck Bear people.

    Five days passed and yet they did not receive news.

    ¡°Did anything happen?¡± Guang Yi grew worried.

    In the past, although the ming Horn¡¯s trading party did not arrive at exact dates, they would differ a few days, not as many as this time. In the past, they were rarely dyed unless something happened.

    At least they didn¡¯t see the Taihe people either. If they saw the Taihe people but not ming Horn, that would be a major indicator of a severe problem.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait. If we still don¡¯t see them in five days, we¡¯ll go back on our own.¡±

    Four days after Shao Xuan said this, Maoda finally sent a messenger to tell them that the ming horn and Taihe people had arrived. Nothing looked out of the ordinary. Shao Xuan was relieved.

    The messenger brought Shao Xuan to another ce outside Anba City to meet the ming Horn People. Both the ming Horn and Taihe tribes had brought a lot of fur and animal hides and were transporting the goods.

    Seeing everyone safe, Shao Xuan and Guang Yi finally heaved a sigh of relief.

    When he saw them both, Duo Kang was also all smiles. ¡°You¡¯re both finally back!¡± The result of their trip was secondary, most importantly, they were safe.

    ¡°What happened, why was your arrival dyed?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Duo Kang¡¯s smile faded as he shook his head. ¡°We had a minor incident. I¡¯ll tell you when we get back. Right, what are you guys carrying?¡±

    Guang Yi instructed the tribesmen to take the grains and weapons from the ck Bears. When he heard Duo Kang, he couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°All good stuff!¡± Then, he turned to the people carrying the goods, ¡°Be very careful!¡±

    When the trade between them and the ck Bears waspleted, after a short rest, both teams went on their way.

    The trading party was huge so Shao Xuan was not worried about being robbed.

    Although they did meet some robbers, in general, it was a smooth journey. Shao Xuan and Guang Yi told Duo Kang about what happened at King City, except the Thousand Grain Gold part. They were selective about their stories too. Some matters were too sensitive. Other than the ming Horn people, there were also Taihe people nearby.

    ¡°So why did you dy your arrival?¡± asked Guang Yi. He knew Duo Kang did not want outsiders to hear. Now that the ck Bears weren¡¯t here, Duo Kang did not refuse.

    ¡°It¡¯s about the salt,¡± said Duo Kang. ¡°There was an incident at the salt mines, that¡¯s why our tribe and Taihe both had to dy our trading dates.¡±

    Most of the salt at the tribe was mined from a salt mine. The salt there was divided into five parts for five tribes. Other tribes who did not get a share could only trade with these five tribes. Taihe and ming Horn were two out of the five¨C this was the result of the great salt war years ago.

    Other than ming Horn and Taihe, the other three were the Fox, Mountain Wind and Shen Mountain tribes.

    ¡°Is it settled?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Duo Kang shook his head. ¡°Fox and Shen wanted to keep the entire mine for themselves. Mountain Wind already fought one battle with them over it, yet Fox and Shen were both too stubborn. In the end, they even found allies. It¡¯splicated. No matter what, we¡¯ll discuss this when we get back. We¡¯ll see what the chief says. If we have to go into war, then we¡¯ll have to prepare during winter.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Shao Xuan and Guang Yi grew solemn. Dering war was not a small matter, especially if it involved five tribes.

    When he finally saw the mountain, Shao Xuan¡¯s tense muscles rxed. It didn¡¯t matter the location, he had always been on guard. He finallypletely rxed here like he¡¯d shed a weight.

    There were kids feeding the ducks at the river. When they saw the trading party, they squealed and weed them.

    ¡°Elder! Elder Shao Xuan!¡±

    A kid ran over happily, barely being able to stop when he reached Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan picked the child up and put the child on his shoulder. Many people in the tribe often did this including the chief and Duo Kang so Shao Xuan sometimes did this too.

    He knew this kid¨C the kid was the second person to fish duck eggs out of the river. Other people rarely got any and yet he did it in his first attempt. Afterwards, he was very enthusiastic in feeding the ducks too.

    The kid was overjoyed as he sat on Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder, happily digging out an egg from his pocket.

    Duck egg?

    ¡°There are still eggs at this time of the year?¡± Most eggs had already hatched and the tribe did not expect the wild ducks toy more either. They weren¡¯t domesticated so other than the one or two fixed mating seasons, they wouldn¡¯ty more eggs.

    ¡°I got this next to the river!¡± The child¡¯s eyes were shining, he showed Shao Xuan the egg.

    Shao Xuan took the egg and studied it. It wasn¡¯t broken, it didn¡¯t look like it wasid a long time ago either.

    ¡°Bai Guo,¡± Shao Xuan asked the child, ¡°When did you get this?¡±

    ¡°I found it this morning, in the grass next to the river,¡± the kid named Bai Guo pointed.

    There were many ducks in the river, new ducks too. Not sure which duck this egg belonged to.

    ¡°There are still eggs this time of the year?¡± Duo Kang was surprised too. The ducklings had grown a lot too. They didn¡¯t hear anyone finding any more eggs recently. How was this kid so lucky?

    ¡°Bai Guo, we¡¯ll just call you Bai Dan next time. So you can find more eggs,¡± teased Duo Kang.

    [Note: Dan = egg in chinese]

    The kid actually believed him and thought about going home to talk to his family about changing his name.

    ¡°Speaking of eggs, Shao Xuan, go check out that green duckter,¡± said Duo Kang.

    ¡°The fat, green duck?¡± asked Shao Xuan. ¡°What happened?¡±

    If it could bring more females over, it should be doing fine.

    Duo Kang made a ¡®tsk¡¯ sound but did not borate. ¡°Just go check it out and you¡¯ll understand. It¡¯s at the duck house, the one you guys built for it.¡±

    When they crossed the river and entered the vige, Shao Xuan put Bai Guo down but did not hurry up the hill. He walked to the duck house.

    He realised there was another row of duck houses added in the area near the river. There were ducks of various colours waddling around inside.

    He walked towards the house specially built for this green duck. Other than the small door for ducks, the door built for humans had ayer of dust, meaning it hadn¡¯t been touched in a while.

    When he opened the door, Shao Xuan felt a rush of aggressive aura aimed at him. It wasn¡¯t strong but it was obvious enough, like a threat. However, it quickly disappeared.

    Shao Xuan looked over at its nest made of dried grass to see the fat duck squatting with its wings spread open like it was covering something. However, there was too much stuff under its wings so it could not cover them all.

    Based on what he saw, Shao Xuan knew they were duck eggs under its wings.

    The bastard was brooding duck eggs!

 Chapter 453 - Fighting Over Eggs

    <h4>Fighting Over Eggs</h4>

    In the past, only female ducks brooded eggs and this fat male duck would not care if the tribesmen took eggs from their next. When the second generation of ducklings hatched, it wasn¡¯t interested either. While he patrolled the woods, he did not slow down for the ducklings.

    But now, the fat duck was brooding eggs?!

    Where did these eggse from?

    The ducklings were all grown now, where could the eggs be?

    He thought about the egg Bai Guo found, were theseid by the new ducks?

    The duck watched Shao Xuan closely, guarding against him. When Shao Xuan took one step forward, it seemed even more anxious, opening its beak to reveal sharp teeth.

    Other wild ducks did not have sharp teeth or ws like this duck. Other than its general resemnce to a duck, it still had many peculiar characteristics. Perhaps its previous behaviour was not what the tribe thought they were?

    Shao Xuan did not venture further inside. He exited the duck house and talked to the person who cared for the ducks.

    ¡°That duck? It¡¯s an odd one. After you left, it brought back a few eggs. Then, more new ducks arrived at the forest opposite the vige. After a while, the patrol team discovered they hadid eggs. In the beginning, it was the same as before but one day, when one of the patrol personnel wanted to approach a nest in the bushes, he was attacked by the green duck! If he hadn¡¯t dodged, he would¡¯ve had a hole in his arm!¡± said the person in charge of the duck pen.

    ¡°It deliberately attacked a tribesman?¡± asked Shao Xuan. If that was the case, then they had to watch the duck closer. It could not be left alone.

    ¡°Not really, after the guy left the nest, the duck did not attack again. However, the guy on duty said he hid behind the bushes to watch the duck afterwards. He saw the fat duck grab an egg from the nest and then fly away. After this incident, even when it saw ?the patrol team approached the nest, it didn¡¯t react.¡±

    ¡°The fat duck is hiding eggs?!¡± gasped Shao Xuan. Not sure when this duck started hiding them. Perhaps it wasn¡¯t a recent development, perhaps it had been going on for a while, everyone just didn¡¯t notice. But why did it bring the eggs back to the duck house? To brood them?

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t just hide eggs, it robs!¡± The guy exined, ¡°If the mother saw it steal an egg, they¡¯d fight.¡±

    As for who won, it was obvious. The wild ducks were no match for this fat duck.

    Such shameless behaviour.

    ¡°One of the patrol members saved a mother duck that was almost bitten to death once. That green duck just grabbed an egg and left.¡±

    ¡°Only one?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yeah, only one.¡± As if he recalled something, the person said, ¡°That green duck often checks other nests but after visiting once, it would never return to the same nest again. Like¡­ like it¡¯s choosing.¡±

    Yes, it chose eggs. It didn¡¯t matter if the nest was on the tree or in the bushes. If there were eggs, the fat duck would visit the nest. Most of the time, it would just check it out and never returned. Sometimes, it would grab an egg and leave with it.

    ¡°Other than these eggs, does it care about anything else?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Sometimes, if it saw other beasts in the forest it would chase them away¨C but other than the eggs it chose, the rest was secondary.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°The first time you all saw it take an egg from the nest, when was it?¡±

    ¡°Not long after you left, Elder. The patrol team saw it. Then, we started to see it travel to and fro the forest and duck house, carrying eggs.

    Had it hid these eggs since the beginning, only starting to bring them into the duck pen afterwards?

    If it had already started to snatch eggs a long time ago, then¡­ ¡°Did any hatch?¡±

    The guy shook his head. ¡°It doesn¡¯t let me get any closer. I¡¯ve been watching it closely but I didn¡¯t see anything hatch. Not even any movement.¡± He had slipped into the duck house when the duck wasn¡¯t around but did not see anything different.

    Since the eggs wereid by different ducks, they varied in colours and patterns. However, within the nest of eggs, there weren¡¯t any significant differences between them.

    ¡°I¡¯ve only checked once. On the second day, I was threatened by the duck.¡± He recalled how the duck looked like it was ready to kill, it left him slightly traumatised.

    Worried that Shao Xuan would directly ughter the duck, the person remembered to put in a few praises for the duck. ¡°Actually, as long as you don¡¯t go in and touch its eggs, the duck has been quite friendly.¡±

    ¡°Mmm. Thank you for your hard work, caring for the ducks,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s not difficult at all. In the future, with more ducks, we¡¯ll get more eggs. The eggs will be more useful than the ducks.¡±

    The duck eggs had many properties, especially in neutralising poison. They had benefited the tribe greatly. However, the rest of the mother ducks were just normal ducks. Once, the patrol team brought back a mother duck who¡¯d been killed by a beast in the forest. After eating it, they did not find any major benefits and it was the same as eating any other bird. That was why the tribe paid a lot of attention to raising the ducklings.

    When he left the duck house, Shao Xuan thought about the possible reasons why the duck took so many eggs. How were they different?

    Well, it was not a human, it was an animal from nature and they had their own antics. All he could do was wait and see if they hatched.

    He walked up the hill. After a long time away, there was ayer of dust in his house. There were people watching his yard though. The Thousand Grain Gold nts were slowly withering but just in case, Qi Qi and the rest did not touch them and left them for observation.

    Putting down his stuff, Shao Xuan then looked for the chief and shamaness.

    Guang Yi was telling them about what happened at King City. There were other people in the house too, all regr members of important meetings.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, Guang Yi was describing the time when Shao Xuan hit Luzong into the air with one hand. Everyone¡¯s faces twitched, trying to imagine the scenario.

    Chief Zheng Luo invited Shao Xuan inside to sit with a smile.

    Ever since his arrival, there was another seat next to the chief for Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan and the shamaness sat on both the chief¡¯s sides.

    Everyone was enlightened with the grains he brought back, plus the weapons given by Gongjia Heng. Of course, they were most impressed by the story of him defeating the Linlu tribe¡¯s chief. They did not care what other people thought of this. They approved of his actions and it was awesome.

    ¡°Thank the ancestors.¡± Shao Xuan took out the bone ornament. ¡°Without them, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to do it.¡±

    ¡°The ancestors watch over us!¡± The shamaness almost knelt and prayed immediately.

    Everyone else was equally happy to know that the ancestors were guarding them.

    ¡°Right, about the salt mines. What happened?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The joy in the house disappeared.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s smile faded. ¡°Fox and Shen Forest tribe are serious about it.¡±

    Ore Mountain was shared by five tribes, every tribe sent a group of their own men to stand guard there. They would switch members after a set period of time. However, just before the trading team left for Anba city, their guards stationed at Ore Mountain returned with severe injuries. Some of them had been shot with poisoned arrows and on the verge of death. They had been sick in bed for a long time, it was only two days ago they could walk.

    ¡°Our guards were forced out, the Taihe tribe too. Thank goodness for the herbs they brought with them, or our people would have died from the poison!¡± eximed Duo Kang in a rage.

    ¡°The the beginning, they just aimed to chase everyone out so they did not really kill and so many returned alive. However, Mountain Wind tribe was angered and returned to the mountain to fight. Since then, both Fox and Shen tribe became more violent and many Mountain Wind tribesmen who went died,¡± exined Zheng Luo to Shao Xuan. ¡°Yesterday, Mountain Win sent us a letter inviting Taihe and us to visit their tribe and discuss. They want revenge but they can¡¯t fight alone. We want the salt mines too, plus we want to investigate why Fox and Shen did this, therefore we have agreed to meet.¡±

    ¡°The sudden change of attitude between Fox and Shen¡­ Why?¡± Shao Xuan wondered. If it was just to take over the salt mines for themselves, they would not have shown mercy the first time. ¡°Unless¡­ there¡¯s something else in the mines?!¡±

    Zheng Luo nodded. ¡°I think so too but I don¡¯t know what¡¯s inside that¡¯s worth making three tribes as their enemy. If that is true, if it¡¯s something worth betraying three tribes for, it must be very important! And there must be a huge volume of it!¡±

    Zheng Luo¡¯s eyes were aze. The ming Horn tribe must not miss out! If peace did not work, then they shall take it!

    Shao Xuan understood. Perhaps in the beginning, Fox and Shen tribes only discovered the thing and banded together to chase the other three tribes away. Since they didn¡¯t want to offend the other tribes too greatly, they showed restraint in their attacks. That was to give themselves space to turn around. However, perhaps they¡¯d found more of the good stuff and since the Wind Mountain people returned, they chose to kill¨C because the stuff in the mines was worthunching war for!

    ¡°Fox and Shen talked to other tribes and promised that if they helped, the two tribes would gift them a huge volume of salt. That¡¯s why Wind Mountain is looking to ally with us and Taihe to fight.¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Everyone felt safer with Shao Xuan and Guang Yi back. The presence of two powers was reassuring.

    However, before that, Shao Xuan nned to talk to the guards who were at the salt mines to know the details.

    The guards, in order to protect their team when they escaped, had gotten shot by multiple arrows. They almost died, hanging on by a thread when they returned. They must still be quite weak now. An injury taking such a long time to heal was enough to make a buff man turn into a matchstick.

    Shao Xuan was prepared to see a sickly man but when he went with Zheng Luo, what he saw waspletely different from what he imagined. The patient had a rosy glow and had gained weight!

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, the patient pursed his lips. ¡°I ate many eggs.¡±

 Chapter 454 - They Think Theyâ€™re Birds

    Chapter 454

    They Think They¡¯re Birds

    Therge man¡¯s name was Wacha. On the way here, Zheng Luo had already told Shao Xuan about this person. Since Wacha was mostly stationed at the salt mines, he did not spend much time in the vige. He did return for ceremonies and stood near the front so Shao Xuan recognised him.

    And because Shao Xuan remembered how Wacha looked, he was shocked.

    He remembered Wacha being a tanned man. When the day was hot, he would walk around topless and his shoulders shone in the sun like a piece of barbecued meat shining with grease. There were many venomous insects in the salt mines that bit humans and left scars. If the remaining venom was not excreted by the bodypletely, the scar would leave a hole in the skin.

    Wacha, who spent so much time at the mines, had a lot of experience with these insects, evident from his pock-marked face. It was very rough, rougher than orange peel. The tribesmen did not think much of it, some even though he looked more intimidating like that to be able to lead his team. It was true too. With a face like that, when he put on a solemn expression, one look at you would feel like a boulder about to squash you into pulp.

    Right now, Wacha had lost all his ¡®intimidating¡¯ scars, his dark, tanned skin had lightened into a rosy glow. At first nce, Shao Xuan thought it was the wrong man.

    Wacha was embarrassed as Shao Xuan stared. Every person who visited was shocked, Wacha had seen reflections of himself in tubs of water, even borrowing the shamaness¡¯ only mirror to check his face¡­ Utterly terrifying!

    Wacha felt like he could not meet anyone in the tribe anymore. Without the marks on his face, he didn¡¯t feel like the mighty leader of the salt mines team anymore. It was embarrassing!

    Seeing Wacha¡¯s sad face, Zheng Luo scolded, ¡°This is a good thing! It means all the venom residues in your body have been excreted!¡±

    The venom left behind by salt mine insects was stubborn. Even the herbs made by the Taihe tribe weren¡¯tpletely effective. They were limited too, anyone who wanted the herbs had to trade using a lot of other stuff. Since Wacha didn¡¯t want to spend too much, he did not trade for any of these herbs. However, no one had expected this to happen after he ate a few eggs as he nursed his injuries!

    As they spoke, a woman carrying arge container of water walked in. This was Wacha¡¯s wife, Susha. They were both totemic warriors and guarded the salt mines.

    When she saw Zheng Luo and Shao Xuan, Susha quickly put down the water tank and flipped her long hair, braided with animal teeth ornaments, behind her shoulder and smiled. ¡°Chief, Elder, you¡¯re both here!¡±

    Just like Wacha, Susha¡¯s face was a lot smoother and had a healthy glow. She did not look like a salt mine guard at all.

    As she spoke, she took out another egg. ¡°I got this from the shamaness. We¡¯ll share thister.¡±

    Wacha had four people in his family¨C Wacha and his wife, a young son and his mother. Wacha¡¯s father had passed away during a hunt a long time ago, there were only four of them now. Usually, when the couple left the vige for work, the grandmother would care for the child.

    When the grandmother had received news about the incident at the mines, she had been terrified. She immediately went to the shamaness to trade for two duck eggs with the salt in her home when Wacha returned with a severe injury, while Susha also sustained some injuries. The olddy had heard that these eggs had detoxification properties and aided in healing so she immediately made them eat the eggs.

    The effects were very obvious.

    Since Susha¡¯s wounds were not serious, she recovered in a few days. Wacha was severely injured with too much poison in him, plus multiple bone fractures. He hadn¡¯t been able to get off his bed and had been lying down for days. However, today, he was already able to walk and most of the poison had been cleared from his body.

    When he saw the egg, Wacha gave a look of helplessness. ¡°I¡¯m already mostly recovered, I don¡¯t have to eat anymore. You three share the egg.¡±

    ¡°This is thest one, the shamaness doesn¡¯t have many left either. And you¡¯re mostly recovered, so you don¡¯t have to eat any after this.¡± Susha nned to cook this egg.

    All the duck eggs the patrol team found were kept with the shamaness. Not everyone could get the eggs easily. Since Wacha and his wife were injured at work, the tribe took some responsibility too. That was why the first two eggs were given by the shamaness. After that, they traded with her using salt.

    Since they were guards at the salt mines, they naturally received arger share of salt. Shao Xuan saw several ceramic tanks in the house with wide mouths and deep contents. There was also some ceramic wares used for cooking salt.

    There was a smaller ceramic cup with a small bottom. It was used for measurement. During trades between tribes, they would use this cup as a unit of measurement. However, if the tribes were too far away, they¡¯d make more of these cups with salt ced in them. Then they¡¯d trade with the salt still in these cups. On some level, this was basically a type of currency. That was why the tribe was strict in maintaining their hold on the salt mines. Years ago, they had forced themselves in on getting a share of the salt through battle too.

    When Susha left, Wacha asked, ¡°Chief, what would you like to know?¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan wanted to ask about the salt mines.¡± Zheng Luo brought two stools and sat with Shao Xuan.

    ¡°At the salt mines, in the beginning, the Fox and Shen Forest people showed restraint in their attacks right?¡± asked Saho Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± Although he almost died, he still knew that the other party had shown restraint. If they really wanted to kill everyone, there wouldn¡¯t be so many of them returning alive.

    ¡°A few days before the incident, were there any odd movements on the Fox and Shen¡¯s side?¡±

    Wacha shook his head in pity. ¡°I did not notice.¡±

    It was not because Wacha wasn¡¯t observant, they were just too careful. The guards at the salt mines consisted of five tribes, neither tribe trusted each other easily. Since ming Horn and Taihe had trade rtionships, they sometimesmunicated a little. As for the rest, they did not talk much. Plus, every tribe¡¯s guards were stationed in different parts of the mines. Under normal circumstances, they would not set foot into other tribes¡¯ territories.

    Zheng Luo had also asked them for any useful information. ¡°That is why it must be something very important inside. The person who discovered it was afraid more people would find it, that¡¯s why he hid the secret.¡±

    Shao Xuan listened to Wacha¡¯s detailed recount of the incident, then excused himself.

    ¡°Chief, Elder, we must get the salt mines back as soon as possible! We cannot dy this until winter!¡± He was familiar with the Fox tribe and deeply understood how cunning these people could be. The longer they waited, the worse the situation would be. Then they might lose the salt mines forever.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Just rest. I¡¯ll bring my men and Taihe¡¯s men out to meet the Mountain Wind people. We¡¯ll discuss. If we decided to dere war, we¡¯ll still attack even if it is snowing,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    As they left Wacha¡¯s house, Zheng Luo asked Shao Xuan, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°The same as my previous guess. The Fox and Shen people¡¯s actions at the beginning and recent behaviour were incongruent. The second time, they did not show mercy and even recruited many tribes for reinforcements. It is obvious they nned well. The mines must be heavily guarded now,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That was why the Mountain Wind people suffered badly. They were very confused in the beginning and when they returned to the mines to investigate, they realised Fox and Shen had aplete change in attitude. Of fifty people, only ten returned. Mountain Wind is furious this time. In the past, they rarely left their vige during winter but just because of this incident, I believe they¡¯ll dere war even if it means fighting in a snowstorm.¡± Zheng Luo sighed but his eyes were determined. ¡°No matter what, we must take the salt mines back! Shao Xuan, rest up. Come with me tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    When he returned, Shao Xuan slept well. He finallypletely rxed here in his home and all fatigue was slept off.

    The next day, he wrapped the sword Gongjia Heng fixed in leather, then brought with him some necessities.

    Zheng Luo was already waiting. Other than Shao Xuan, there were Duo Kang and forty other warriors. Guang Yi remained behind to guard the vige, reinforcing defences with the patrol team to prevent ambush attacks.

    After leaving the vige, they waited a while. Fifty people from Taihe finally arrived, led by the chief. This time, the meeting of three tribes would be attended by all three chiefs.

    ¡°How are the Mountain Wind people like?¡± Shao Xuan was not familiar with this tribe. Other than this incident, ming Horn did not meet them much and he rarely heard of them.

    ¡°Mountain Wind? They¡¯re a bunch of people who think they¡¯re birds,¡± answered Duo Kang, his description short but his tone mocking.

 Chapter 455 - Cooperation

    <h4>Cooperation</h4>

    Shao Xuan finally understood what Duo Kang meant when he met the Mountain Wind tribe.

    The agreed meeting location was at a valley. There was not much dense vegetation around, trees weren¡¯t very tall.

    The ming Horn and Taihe people found a ce to rest first. Duo Kang instructed his people to bring boulders over that could be used as seats and weapons. This wasn¡¯t something the Taihe people could do.

    ¡®You think you¡¯re so great because you¡¯re strong?!¡¯ thought the Taihe people privately.

    The Mountain Wind tribe did not make them wait long. After Shao Xuan carried a few boulders and sat for a bit, he heard sharp but short cries. They sounded like a bird.

    The ming Horn and Taihe people looked up when they heard this.

    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡± said Zheng Luo.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t understand why everyone looked at the sky until he realised there were several people on the steep mountain walls. The number of silhouettes increased, then they jumped.

    Poof¡ª

    It sounded like an umbre opening.

    Every person who leapt opened their wings¨C not real wings, they were wearing something that looked like wings.

    Shao Xuan watched as they manned their ¡®wings¡¯ with full agility in changing directions. They wereing straight towards the ground, then when they were close, pped their wings forcefully twice andnded gracefully.

    Shao Xuan thought their totem would be a bird with spread wings. However, on their things, he saw that their totemic symbol was a bird with no wings.

    A peculiar tribe.

    When he studied their wings in close range, as an experienced hunter, Shao Xuan could tell that they were made of leather. They were very exquisitely made, a special type of clothing that still allowed for flexibility and agility.

    He wondered how they made these. The leather had been processed so the wings looked like they were made of a flexible membrane. No feathers were used, other than a few who used feathers as decoration.

    When theynded, the Mountain Wind people kept their wings. Now, it just looked like a very weird cape on their backs.

    In the part, Shao Xuan had seen the Feather tribe rearing birds but this was different. The Mountain Wind people FELT like they were birds¨C or more specifically, they imed their ancestors were bird people with no wings. The legends denoted that their ancestors had always searched for wings, therefore did their best in making themselves a pair.

    Duo Kang said the Mountain Wind people had been wearing this since a long, long time ago.

    To be able to make a costume that wasn¡¯t clumsy and very flexible, allowing for graceful movements in the air, was genius!

    Perhaps due to Shao Xuan¡¯s intense stare, the Mountain Wind¡¯s chief furrowed his brows when he saw Shao Xuan. ¡°Where¡¯s Wacha?¡±

    The most interaction Mountain Wind and ming Horn had was through the salt mine guards. However, due to his injuries, Wacha did note.

    ¡°He¡¯s resting back at the tribe.¡± Zheng Luo did not tell him about Wacha¡¯s current health condition.

    Both the Taihe and Mountain Wind people knew that Wacha, leader of the ming Horn salt mine guards, was severely injured. However, they did not know that not only did he live, he was mostly recovered too.

    Out of the people from the three tribes, there were familiar ones who guarded the mines and also foreign faces. But it was not the time for small talk. The Mountain Wind chief only took one look at Shao Xuan then looked away. He thought Shao Xuan was probably Zheng Luo¡¯s nephew or something.

    ¡°I called all of you today for a very important discussion. We, Mountain Wind, have already decided to fight and take back the mines. What are your decisions? Do you intend to work with us?¡± asked the Mountain Wind chief.

    Zheng Luo and the Taihe¡¯s chief gave each other a look. Sitting on the boulder, Zheng Luo said slowly, ¡°About the salt mines... we will take it back, naturally. They took something belonging to the ming Horn tribe and chased out our people. This is a crime that would not go unpunished.¡± Then, his tone changed. ¡°But, you Mountain Wind people have not been telling the whole truth.¡±

    This was what Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo had discussed. If the Mountain Wind people were bold enough to return to the salt mines to investigate, the ones they sent definitely wouldn¡¯t be idiots. If they had lost so many people, it was impossible that they learned nothing from the excursion. Mountain Wind was keeping information from ming Horn and Taihe.

    The Mountain Wind chief¡¯s expression changed slightly but he did not retort, nor did he reply. He was just silent. That implied that Zheng Luo was right. He looked at the Taihe people.

    ¡°We will not give up on the salt mines either. You say you want to work together, we agree too. However, like Zheng Luo, we want to know the whole truth. We do not want you keeping information from us. If we do not know the whole truth, we will not work with you,¡± said the Taihe chief. They had the same opinion as ming Horn. Without Mountain Wind, the other two would still work together to take the salt mines back. Currently, the tribe in most trouble was Mountain Wind because it did not oftenmunicate with other tribes and they couldn¡¯t find any allies in short notice.

    The Mountain Wind Chief did not reply immediately, he just gestured for the people behind him to spread around, guarding the area.

    Zheng Luo and the Taihe chief also gestured for their men to keep watch nearby.

    Everyone brought by the chiefs spread out to keep watch, preventing outsiders from eavesdropping or attacking. Only one or two per tribe were left, excluding the chiefs. The ones who remained were either the chief¡¯s most trusted confidant or a very high-ranked tribe member.

    Even Duo Kang brought his men to stand guard, yet Shao Xuan still sat by Zheng Luo, unmoving.

    The Taihe tribe knew Shao Xuan¡¯s position in ming Horn but Mountain Wind did not. Their chief looked at Shao Xuan in surprise, guessing that he must be Zheng Luo¡¯s son or he would not be trusted enough to remain.

    However, he merely regarded Shao Xuan for a moment and then wrapped up his thoughts. He thought about how he should tell them. Right now, only the core members of the tribe were left. He hadn¡¯t nned to keep all information from ming Horn and Taihe during this meeting either. The Mountain Wind tribe had limited artillery, they would suffer huge losses if they forced themselves into the mines alone.

    ¡°You all know that after the Fox and Shen Forest people forced three of our tribes out, our side sent another batch of men over. I told you fifty, but other than these, there were another ten who slipped into the salt mines. They found a spot within the mines with even tighter security, even when they received reports of an attack outside, none of them left their posts. All of them did not move as if this was where the most important thing was. In the end, our people paid the price to force themselves inside. It is a pity they did not see what was inside, but!¡±

    When he spoke, the Mountain Wind chief¡¯s eyes were filled with passion, ¡°But, the person who made it inside had the sharpest senses in our whole tribe. He can sense things other people cannot. When he came back with severe injuries, he only said one phrase¡ª ¡®fire crystal¡¯!

    Zheng Luo¡¯s heart skipped a beat, his breathing quickened. It was the same for the Taihe chief.

    Shao Xuan was shocked too. They had a fire crystal here too! The difference was, on the other side of the ocean, when the fire crystal was found, it must be brought back to the tribe so that its energy could be ¡®digested and absorbed¡¯ by the fire seed¡¯s powers. Here, it was different. Perhaps because the fire seed was already incorporated into their body systems, when they found the fire crystal, they did not need to bring it back to the tribe. The fire seed had long disappeared anyway. All they needed to do was utilise the fire seed powers within themselves. Although the process of ¡®digestion¡¯ would be slower, it was still doable.

    Shao Xuan had read in the ancestral records here about fire crystals, but they were rare. The people of his tribe here hadn¡¯t seen a fire crystal in so long. If they did, it was either in the tribe¡¯s own treasury or they found it in extremely minute quantities.

    Right now, connecting the fire crystal to the extreme reactions from Fox and Shen tribes, one would guess that there were a lot of fire crystals within the salt mines!

    So that was why the two tribes went mad!

    Perhaps they had already found the fire crystals together and formed allies. However, they discovered very little and nned to investigate after chasing out the other three tribes. They still reserved space to mend times. If it wasn¡¯t much, they would just dig up the fire crystals and then return the mine back to the three tribes. It was not smart to make three other tribes as powerful as themselves their enemy.

    However, they must have found more crystals, enough for them to change their ns. That was why they were decisive against the second batch of Mountain Wind people.

    Not anyone can sense the presence of fire crystals, only people with special senses or some animals can. Since the salt mines were a restricted area, it slowed down the discovery of the fire crystals. No humans or animals had discovered the fire crystals until their mines had reached the spot.

    Now that they knew the truth, Zheng Luo and the Taihe chief had the same thought¡ª Take it!

    If it really was the fire crystal, they must take it!

    Anyone would want to take the fire crystals for themselves. However, settling down, they had to admit that getting the fire crystals also meant working together. Without cooperation, they could forget about getting any salt, much less the fire crystals. The Fox and Shen tribe were already allies and used the salt to attract reinforcements. That meant these three working together would be for the best.

    When the Mountain Wind chief mentioned the fire crystals, he observed the ming Horn and Taihe tribesmen¡¯s response. The anger and shock were obvious, anyone would be unable to keep calm, except¡­

    The Mountain Wind chief regarded Shao Xuan for the third time. The rest of the people looked like they were excited enough to go get it themselves immediately, but the kid? Other than a little shock in the beginning, he just looked like he was spacing. It didn¡¯t matter what he thought, he hadn¡¯t shown the passion other people expressed. There was a little, butpared to them, he was a lot calmer.

    The Mountain Wind chief couldn¡¯t help but wonder: did the kid not understand the importance of the fire crystal, or was he just naturally dumb?

    ¡°If that is the case, we, ming Horn, agree to work with you,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    ¡°We, the Taihe tribe, agree to work with you too,¡± added the Taihe chief.

    Since they agreed to cooperate, there were a lot of details to work out. For example, the distribution of fire crystals if they won the war. After they agreed on the terms, they swore on their totems. This was a very important oath to tribesmen and would never break their oaths lightly, especially since it was rted to the fire crystal.

    The three chiefs discussed for the rest of the day, then through the night. They returned on the next day.

    Shao Xuan watched as the Mountain Win tribesmen leap up the hills, borrowing the upward drag created by their flexible wings. In the blink of an eye, they were up on a cliff and they disappeared.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we have to make preparations!¡± Zheng Luo called everyone back to return to the vige. It was going to snow soon but this winter would not be a quiet one.

 Chapter 456 - Salt Mines

    <h4>Salt Mines</h4>

    After Zheng Luo hurriedly led his men back to the tribe, he summoned all important figures of the tribe for a meeting. He listened to everyone¡¯s opinions then started delegating jobs. They did what they could- arrows, weapons, herbs, food, ropes, leather pouches, clothing etc were all needed. Some of the winter clothing they had were not suitable for fighting in the forest.

    ¡°Also, we have to distribute the weapons I brought back,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Everyone in the room was initially deep in thought, thinking about how they would distribute tasks to their subordinates. When they heard Shao Xuan, everyone looked up with anticipation.

    Since these were brought back by Shao Xuan, he had the most say in this decision. After the meeting with Mountain Wind, Shao Xuan had already talked to Zheng Luo about it.

    ¡°As usual, we will distribute them ording to capability,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The ones in higher positions were, naturally, mostly the ones with better capabilities too. This was undeniable. Everyone was fine with distributing better-quality weapons to them- a weaker fighter might just get his weapon snatched away by his opponent.

    Chief Zheng Luo and Duo Lang, head of the hunting party, were excluded since they had already taken the weapons Gongjia HEng left behind thest time. There were about ten weapons, adding together what was left fromst time and this batch. There were limited weapons and not everyone would get one.

    Ever since Gongjia Heng visitedst time, the tribe¡¯s warriors had been secretly anticipating this and working extra hard. Zheng Luo knew of this too, he remembered everything that happened during hunts, trades, guarding the salt mines etc. He already had a mental list of who he¡¯d give these weapons to.

    Zheng Luo listed the people on his mental list, everyone was there to witness that this was not a corrupted decision.

    The people he mentioned were the ones who had done the most and were capable. The younger ones included Wu Zhe, Tao Zheng, Zhui and the bunch. The older ones included Zheng Luo¡¯s younger brother, Zheng Cheng¨C while some people had opinions on this decision, it was undeniable that he was a powerful fighter. Years ago, when he was up against Zheng Luo for the chief position, he lost because of his temperament.

    Honestly, it was a very fair decision. The shamaness was watching too. Even if Duo Kang wanted to fight for his son, it was useless. Compared to everyone else, Duo Li wasn¡¯t as good.

    That was why Duo Kang privately thought to train Duo Li more in the future. If he didn¡¯t work harder, he wouldn¡¯t get any weapons!

    After the weapon distribution, the meeting adjourned. This was not their first battle so everyone had an idea of what to do. They hurried out of Zheng Luo¡¯s house to their tasks.

    Shao Xuan went to visit the leader of the salt mine guards, Wacha.

    Now that Wacha could get off his bed, he would walk up and down the hill every day. When Shao Xuan arrived at his house, he only saw Susha chopping firewood with arge axe.

    ¡°Wacha? He went down the hill for a walk.¡± Susha turned the axe in her hand at an angle, then swiftly chopped the wooden blocks into smaller pieces. ¡°He wanted to chop wood this morning but I chased him out to take a walk instead. He hasn¡¯t fully recovered, how could he be chopping wood now? I suggested that he go down the hill and feed ducks... Those birds are called ducks, right? At least he gets to see where the duck eggs he ate came from. It¡¯d be great if we can rear more of these in the future.¡±

    Banned from chopping wood, then chased out of the house to watch the ducks? Shao Xuan could imagine how frustrated Wacha must be. He grinned and thanked Susha, walking down the hill to the duck house.

    Most of the people in the vige already knew about the tribe going to take the salt mines back, the general atmosphere was tense and solemn in the tribe. The few families he passed were preparing for war. Some warriors had to sew beast hide clothing and pouches themselves because the people who hadn¡¯t awakened their totemic power could not pierce the sturdy fearsome beast hides with their bone needles. All they could do was sew other pouches using regr leather, braid straw rope etc.

    Shao Xuan saw Wacha at the duck house talking to the person in charge.

    When the keeper saw Shao Xuan, he hurried over to report what happened during the past few days. In general, it was the same as before. However, the ducks were less active during the day now and often stayed inside the duck house. The green duck was the same, most of the time brooding its eggs in its house. Those eggs were taking a long time to hatch too, so far nothing happened.

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± The keeper pped his forehead, almost forgetting something. ¡°Elder, you said to bring all the ducks who are stillying eggs into another pen. I realised there wasn¡¯t just one!¡±

    The keeper said Bai Guo finding an egg wasn¡¯t a one-time incident, for the patrol team found more. Although there were just three, it was good news.

    ¡°These ducksid eggs but did not brood them. The patrol team brought the eggs back with the ducks. Here, the two ducks with grass-dyed necks were the ones whoid the eggs. But we can¡¯t match the eggs to the ducks though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just continue separating them. If we care for them well, they might eveny more eggs during winter. But their eggs might not have the same properties.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± The keeper was a little disappointed. But it was better than no eggs. ¡°When ducklings mature andy eggs, would that work?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡±

    ¡°Heh!¡± The keeper rubbed his palms, excited.

    Since Shao Xuan was looking for Wacha, the keeper left to check on other pens. Shao Xuan and Wacha sat on two wooden blocks and Shao Xuan told him why he was here.

    ¡°Salt mines?¡± Wacha understood when he remembered Shao Xuan had never been to the mines so he told him its history.

    Shao Xuan was not familiar with the salt mines here. In the past, there were salt ponds around his tribe and since ming Horn was in an isted region, no one fought over it. Then, when they moved, they also found a saltke. Although it was a little far away, there were also no tribes there. Other than ming Horn, no tribe was willing to live within a forest filled with dangerous beasts.

    On this side, this was his first time witnessing conflict over salt mines.

    Most of the salt in the tribe had already been processed. The ones he had were already ground and put in little ceramic containers. Due to his special position in the tribe, he never worried about his salt supply.

    However, with the agreement between the three tribes, war was imminent. Before that, he wanted to know more about salt.

    He had been in and out of the tribe, every time leaving for a long time. He hadn¡¯t truly understood life on this side, he didn¡¯t have the time to ask about it either. As he listened to Wacha¡¯s stories, he felt like the saltiness of the salt obtained from the mines came from blood.

 Chapter 457 - The Secret Of The Salt Mines

    <h4>The Secret Of The Salt Mines</h4>

    Why did the tribesmen take salt so seriously?

    Without salt, one still could survive. However, it became a necessity when there was salt.

    It didn¡¯t matter if it was this side or the other side, the tribe believed salt made them stronger. It aided in a healthy body and mind, was a gift from the heavens and life was only worth living with salt.

    Tribes fought over territory, prey and many matters, salt was one of them.

    Wacha said this salt mine was discovered centuries ago. The first people who discovered the mines could not secure it for themselves, and the entire tribe suffered for it. They had to move to the cities in the end. They had no choice. They could not fend off other tribes and to prevent even more attacks, they had to run.

    After that, the salt wars escted. The ming Horn tribe did not want to let this piece of meat go either, and in the end squeezed everyone out, taking a spot for themselves. However, even with their strength, it was impossible to keep it for themselves. They were a small tribe of less than one thousand. Them being able to take a spot as attributed to their own capabilities and Taihe tribe¡¯s help. The ming Horns had always remembered this favour and that was why Taihe and ming Horn maintained trade rtions all these years.

    As the centuries passed, the fight over salt never stopped. However, the five tribes remained in their spots, as if they had united in the frontlines so no outsider could even set foot inside. With such a unanimous decision, it looked to outsiders like the five tribes had some agreement. In reality, there was a secret.

    The number of tribes owning this ce must not increase!

    ¡°That salt mine is a treasure trove!¡± sighed Wacha. This was also why he insisted they must take back the mines.

    ¡°Elder, have you heard of the Chilu people?¡± asked Wacha.

    Chilu? Shao Xuan thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Yes but I only heard someone mention their name in the city. I don¡¯t know much.¡±

    The Chilu tribe was a tribe that believed salt was sacred. They had many legends involving salt. They imed that their people were the first to discover salt- one of their ancestors had seen a peculiar animal, who led him to ake. Then, he encountered a mystical presence. A saltke.

    The totem of this Chilu tribe was that peculiar animal called a ¡®Salt Beast¡¯. Till today, no one had seen such an animal and many used the Chilu people of making up stories. However, the Chilu people strongly believed in its existence.

    No one knew if this was true. However, when the great six tribes rose and built cities, bing aristocratic ve masters, it brought changes to other tribes too.

    Chilu tribe¡¯s saltke was taken and conquered and they were not able to take it back from the great six. The entire tribe scattered. The scattered Chilu people entered the cities, sometimes helping the aristocrats process salt. This became their livelihoods. However, a few years back there was news of the aristocrats finding a salt spring and sending some Chilu people there to build a city. That ce was called Chilu City and a very busy ce too.

    Of course, Wacha mentioned the Chilu people¡¯s history for a reason.

    ¡°The salt-making process of the Chilu people was as important as the Gongjia family¡¯s art of craftsmanship. They are well-known among tribes, even ve masters hired them for salt. The salt they make is expensive and mostly for aristocrats. Other people would have to pay a fortune for it.¡±

    Shao Xuan understood. It was just like Ji Ju¡¯s famous golden grains.

    ¡°However, other than the five tribes, including us, who had taken over the salt mines, no one else knows that the salt from the mines does not even needplicated processing! Our salt is of way better quality than theirs!¡± Wacha¡¯s face beamed with pride, happy that his own tribe had such a precious resource.

    That was why the salt mines were rarely talked about. This was to dilute its presence, so fewer people knew of it. More than half of the tribesmen here did not even know what it looked like. They were all told that they should never trade their salt with outsiders. Outsiders were all directed to the specialised team for salt trading. The tribesmen had always followed this rule.

    Not just ming Horn, the other four tribes, Fox, Shen Forest, Mountain Wind and Taihe all did the same. It was a well-kept secret.

    High-quality salt could be sold at a high price, sometimes the equivalent of a kick at the famous Chilu people. They were able to exchange for more goods at the great six cities. However, this was a dangerous business too.

    If they sold more of it, such a good thing would be targeted by the great six. Based on their past behaviour, they would definitely interfere and take the salt mines for themselves. And the Chilu people would be at the frontlines! That was why the five tribes had to keep it a secret!

    That was why after discovering the true properties of this salt, all five tribes unanimously agreed to never let a new tribe in, and never tell anyone of this.

    As for trades¡­ Well, within one salt mine, there was still a difference in salt quality in different parts.

    ¡°The salt we mined from the cave ceiling are all kept aside. Those are good salt, all left for our own tribe¡¯s use. After mining, we send them back to the tribe in secret. No one knows that it¡¯s different from the rest.¡±

    ¡°The salt from the cave ceilings is the salt we usually eat?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yep. Have you noticed they¡¯re a little red?¡± asked Wacha.

    ¡°Yes, I have.¡± Shao Xuan had noticed the salt he received was different from what he was used to. However, it tasted good and everyone was using the same kind so he did not think much of it. He didn¡¯t know there were many secrets in the salt.

    ¡°The salt we mine has a stronger taste and aids in physical strengthpared to the Chilu salt or the salt from the new saltke. When we roast meat, we only season with salt and yet it¡¯s delicious enough. Your mood would be lifted with a taste! We have noticed that warriors did not eat as much unseasoned meat. We once tasted some salt from Anba City but it still doesn¡¯t taste as good as ours! We sometimes trade to get some lower-quality salt from outsiders as cover.¡± Wacha thought the tribe was smart in not attracting attention and even using a cover.

    To the tribesmen, it wasn¡¯t just meat, it was like eating power! Salt was important.

    ¡°So the salt from the ceiling is for us. What about the rest? For trade?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes. We trade salt mined from other parts of the cave. Although the quality is still fine,pared to the ceiling, it¡¯s not that good. Some parts produce even more mediocre salt. We sell this to other people.¡±

    The tribe would always keep the best for themselves, then sell the lower grade goods to other people.

    The four tribes were the same, especially with the salt mined near the ground. They would not even keep one piece for themselves. All five tribes had the same thought.

    That was why other tribes never knew how good their salt was. These tribes would take the salt they bought here to the city to sell. And other people would not think much of it too. There were more saltkes being discovered anyway. Although most of them were conquered by the great six, some still fell into the hands of other tribes. The great six did not bother to venture deep into the forest just for a salt mine.

    As for this incident, Fox and Shen used salt to attract allies. These salt they offered were the medium-grade ones- they still did not leak the secret.

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve seen how raw salt looks like.¡± As Wacha spoke, he reached his hand to his waist and fished out a small pouch he carried with him. There was a small corked bottle made of beast bone as big as a palm.

    Wacha pulled out the wooden corked and poured a little on his palm.

    When the bottle was opened, Shao Xuan first thought the piece of salt was meat! It looked like marbled meat, perhaps due to a melting effect that gave it a soft look. It looked like a piece of meat!

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ salt?!¡± Shao Xuan peered curiously. Up close, there was a hardness to its structure, like crystal. Fresh salt crystals from the cave would have a harder lookpared to these carried by Wacha.

    Wacha looked at the piece of salt passionately. ¡°This is what we mined from the ceiling of the mines. After cooking, the colour will fade and look like the salt you use. However, us guards usually just use this one. We don¡¯t process it. Two days before the incident, I put a small piece of fresh salt in this bottle. I wanted to use it for boiling soup with my brothers.¡± As he spoke, Wacha¡¯s passion disappeared as he recalled the incident.

    Most warriors carried salt with them, some parrying entire chunks of it. Salt mine guards like Wacha carried chunks. Other than using it in herbal medicine, sometimes, after exerting a lot of energy, they could add a little salt to water and drink it. Not sure what scientific exnation this had, but they did it based on instinct and their body¡¯s needs.

    Hunted prey would be marinated in salt too. The meat would not rot easily and if air-dried, they could be preserved even longer.

    Some tribes that specialise in weaving and dying fabric would purchase low-grade salt on purpose because their dyeing process required salt. The oue was expensive fabric sold to ve masters in the city sold at high prices.

    To the tribes, salt was in every part of their lives. That was why conflict over salt was an age-old issue. Even without the fire crystals, ming Horn would still n to take the salt mines by force.

    ¡°Elder, when you arrive at the salt mines and take it back for the tribe, you¡¯ll see more salt. When we sleep in the salt caves, we often dream about chunks of these.¡± Wacha carefully put the salt chunk back into the bottle and licked his palm. He thought of something and suddenly said, ¡°I dreamt of fire crystalsst night but I¡¯ve forgotten most of it when I woke. I think if we continue digging down from the cave, we¡¯ll see fire crystals.¡±

    First, they dug on the same level as sea level. Then, when all the salt was mined, they dug downwards. The Fox tribe did things differently. Maybe they dug downwards without exhausting the top levels first.

    Shao Xuan thought this was possible. At Bat Mountain, other than the fire crystals he saw at the cave, the rest of it was deep inside the mountain.

    Perhaps the salt in this mine was different because of the fire crystals. There was so much salt. How much fire crystals were there?

    ¡°The chief said to move in three days right?¡± asked Wacha.

    Due to his injuries, Zheng Luo did not want Wacha toe this time. He did not invite Wacha to the meeting and kept the weapon meant for him. Zheng Luo would give it to him when he recovered.

    ¡°Yeah. In three days, we will leave with the Taihe tribe.¡±

    Wacha scratched his head. He did not want to miss this. ¡°I¡¯m going to talk to the chief. I¡¯m mostly recovered, I can definitely go with everyone in three days!¡±

    Wacha hurried up the mountain but Shao Xuan did not follow. He walked to the duck house.

    Pushing the door open, Shao Xuan saw the fat duck covering eggs with its wings. These eggs must be quite hardy or this fat duck would have crushed them already.

    Shao Xuan talked over, ignoring the duck ruffling its feathers aggressively. ¡°Lift your wings. I want to see how many eggs you¡¯ve taken.¡±

    The fat duck did not move, it was hesitant.

    ¡°I¡¯m not taking them, I just want to see how many,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The fat duck retracted its wings begrudgingly.

    ¡°Get up and stand aside. You¡¯re blocking most of the eggs, how can I see?¡± Shao Xuan gestured to the side.

    The fat duck moved unwillingly.

    Shao Xuan counted. Thirty-one eggs. They varied in colours and sizes, all from different nests. However, they were all taking so long to hatch. The rest of the eggs outside were already hatched into ducklings.

    ¡°Work hard and they¡¯ll hatch soon.¡±

    When he stepped out of the duck house, Shao Xuan realised snow was falling lightly.

    Snow came early this year. He hoped there would not be a snowstorm on the day of battle.

 Chapter 458 - Change Of Weather

    <h4>Change Of Weather</h4>

    On the hill, Zheng Luo looked up at the sky.

    ¡°It¡¯s snowing earlier than expected this year.¡±

    In the past, the tribe would still have small hunts at this point of the year. It didn¡¯t snow as much as this.

    Next to him, Duo Kang and the rest were also worried. ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just a little snow but I¡¯m afraid there might be a snowstorm at the mines.¡±

    Launching into battle in bad weather was not good.

    As they spoke, a warrior hurried over. ¡°Chief, the shamaness says she fears this year¡¯s weather might be unpredictable. You must prepare for this.¡±

    Zheng Luo and the rest grew solemn. What they feared might happen. If the shamaness said so, then it was likely. This time, there might be a blizzard- or worse.

    ¡°What else did she say?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    The warrior looked upset, his tone solemn. ¡°The shamaness did not borate. She just wanted us to prepare for the worst.¡±

    The shamaness had been skimming through past records but there was never a year like this. It was snowing too early in the year, she was very unsettled by the change in weather.

    Prepare for the worst¡­

    Other than a blizzard, what else could there be?

    No matter what, even if there was a blizzard, their n would still take ce. They must not dy.

    Three dayster.

    It was still snowing. Although not heavily, and the ground didn¡¯t have much white, it still brought some inconvenience to forest travel.

    Wearing tall boots made of animal hide tied tightly with a band, Shao Xuan went to the gathering point.

    Zheng Luo would personally lead the team of almost a thousand. This was about a quarter of the tribe. Within this team, most of them were middle-ranked totemic warriors and the proportion of low-ranked totemic warriors was small. In general, they could be counted as an experienced team. Based on what Shao Xuan knew, the tribes in the mountains had at most five thousand members. None of them were too big. During ancient times, even the strongest great six did not have many people. They only expanded when they left the forest.

    A team of a thousand was considered arge-scale movement for the tribe.

    When they discussed with Taihe and Mountain Wind, everyone agreed to provide one thousand people. They would head to the salt mines in three separate ways. The priority was to take back their own section of the mines first, then fight the Fox and Shen Forest tribesmen.

    Every tribe was most familiar with their own section of the mine, they had even set their own small traps inside too. Taking back their own spots first was simpler and had a greater chance of sess.

    When the team left the vige, the fat duck peeked out of the pen to check the team out. Then, it shrank back inside to look at its eggs.

    One of the eggs moved. The fat duck froze for a moment, then nudged it gently with its beak. Then, it rolled the eggs closer together and sat on them once again. It was in a good mood. The weather was cold, plus it was snowing- yet it did not have to go out looking for food in this cold. There were humans feeding it daily. All it had to do was focus on these eggs. It was a good ce to live.

    Oblivious to the duck¡¯s thoughts, Shao Xuan travelled in a direction with his team. They had travelled alongside the Taihe people for a bit before separating. The Taihe tribe would arrive using another path. Shao Xuan had never taken the current path the ming Horn team was walking on.

    Tao Zheng said there were many hills in this direction, he, Wu Zhan and Zhui had once gone to guard the mines before. People who had experience guarding the mines were important youths raised to be next-generation elites. They naturally knew more secrets than the rest.

    ¡°It¡¯s snowing, it¡¯ll be more difficult to travel,¡±ined Wu Zhan.

    Everyone hoped the snow would stop. Even past winters never snowed this long in the beginning. This was very different.

    And it was just the beginning.

    The salt mines were not near the vige. Usually, it took four to five days of travel. Due to the weather, it would take longer this time.

    On the fourth day of travel, the snow showed no signs of stopping, instead fell even heavier. The ground was starting to turn white.

    Zheng Luo looked at the sky and exhaled. ¡°Hurry, we¡¯ll rest in the cave.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t arrived at the point they were supposed to reach in three days.

    There was a cave in the mountain range in front where the salt mine guards would rest during travels. However, with so many people, it was a tight squeeze.

    They built fires and boiled water using snow. They put grains inside, including golden grains from King City and the tribe¡¯s purple Thousand Grain Gold. Everyone had dried meat too.

    Without enough bowls, the warriors found some leaves from evergreen nts. Every leaf was wide and thick, asrge as two palms. They rolled it up and folded the bottom to make makeshift bowls.

    The warriors, tired from travels and shivering from the cold, felt instant warmth as they downed the porridge and dried meat. With food, they were at ease.

    The grains were fragrant and more importantly, it created warmth in the body and replenished energy after consumption. Everyone understood that these grains were not the ordinary grains they usually exchanged at Anba City. Just a little bit was enough to make their entire body warm.

    The warriors joked as they squeezed together but Zheng Luo and the other few sitting at the mouth of the cave were worried. As they thought about what the shamaness said, their hearts sank.

    ¡°It¡¯s colder now,¡± sighed Duo Kang.

    In the past, even when they hunted in the winter, they had never experienced such a steep temperature drop before. It had been fine in the morning but now, in the afternoon, everyone was freezing and shivering.

    The ming Horn people were already built to be resistant to the cold, yet they were shivering under their animal hides. One could imagine how peculiar the weather was.

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡± Guang Yi was weirded out too.

    Many people couldn¡¯t help but wonder why things turned out so peculiar.

    With their current situation and the odd weather, it felt more like an omen¡­

    Shao Xuan took out some rope from his pocket and started making knots. Others did not know what this was but Zheng Luo did. Before leaving, the shamaness told Zheng Luo that if odd changes happened, he should listen to Shao Xuan.

    When he finished his knots, Zheng Luo hurried over and asked in a low voice. ¡°How is it?¡± He dared not speak too loud. The warriors were already unsettled with the odd weather. If it was bad news, this would affect morale.

    Shao Xuan paused, looking at the knots. He had barely been able to conduct this reading.

    ¡°It¡¯s best if we leave early tomorrow, and arrive at the mines in two days. If we dy this any further, the situation will worsen,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Arrive at the mines within two days?¡± This was not a problem, Zheng Luo knew this was possible. But why two days? ¡°

    ¡°What happens after two days?¡± he asked.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°Not sure. I only know that it won¡¯t be good. We have to take the mines in the shortest time possible.¡±

    Shao Xuan had a bad feeling. He had always trusted his gut. If he could barely conduct a reading, that was a bad sign.

    Duo Kang hated the Fox and Shen Forest tribes to death at this moment. They should be sitting in their vige in this weird weather, yet they chose this stupid time to cause trouble! If he saw any one of them, he would show no mercy!

    As night fell, the winds blew stronger outside the cave. Snow billowed in the winds and white covered most of the ground. When they arrived, there were many bare rocks outside. Now, they were all covered in ayer of snow.

    The temperature was still falling.

    Zheng Luo instructed some people to carry over a few boulders to block out the wind. However, anyone sitting near the mouth was still suffering.

    Shao Xuan switched ces with a warrior there. Due to the winds, they could not build a fire here and it was much colder. Shao Xuan had experienced such weather before. In the beginning, before they found their base, his tribe suffered through endless snow every winter.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s actions improved everyone¡¯s impression of him. Elder Shao Xuan was too kind.

    Not knowing that he¡¯d yed the ¡®good guy¡¯ card, Shao Xuan mulled over a few matters as he sat at the mouth. Hearing some movement, Zheng Luo, Duo Kang and the rest were here. Tao Zheng, Wu Zhan and the rest had switched over too.

    ¡°Saho Xuan, I heard you¡¯ve experienced weather like this before?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    Shao Xuan smiled. ¡°Before we returned to our main base, our tribe was located in a ce where it was always snowing during winter, straight until winter ended. The amount of snow was enough to drown houses.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you all cold?¡± asked Wu Zhan. They were the same age but lived very different lives from Shao Xuan, not knowing much about his tribe.

    ¡°Yeah but we¡¯re used to it.¡± Shao Xuan recalled how he slept with dried grass and old animal hide at the cave. He wasn¡¯t used to this at all when he first came into this world. After a while, he adapted.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear that? This is just a small obstacle, and y¡¯all are already terrified!¡± DUo Kang red at Tao Zheng and the rest.

    ¡°But, it¡¯s different here. I have never seen such arge change in weather. I¡¯m afraid this battle is going to be difficult,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Everyone fell silent. They knew that the change in weather could mean unimaginable catastrophe. However, they still had to do what was needed. They were just unfortunate.

    The next day, Zheng Luo led his team, rushing to the mines.

    The temperature had risen a littlepared tost night, the snow wasn¡¯t as heavy too. The sky had brightened a lot as if everything was going to be alright. Instead, Shao Xuan felt like it was an omen for arger change toe.

    Pushing themselves, they arrived at a piece of saltnds in the afternoon.

    This was not where the salt mines were. They had to first cross this patch ofnd.

    Various colours reflected off the salt on the ground. The falling snow had yet to cover this piece ofnd yet.

    ¡°These are salt flowers, different from the salt in mines and inkes. The salt flowers here are not edible.¡±

    [Note: in chinese, salt flowers refer to salt crystals with molecr structure resembling blooming flowers.]

 Chapter 459 - Cave

    Chapter 459

    Cave

    This piece of salt t looked like it was covered in snow, most of it was white.

    There were puddles and holes on the ground, those formed after fallen snow melted.

    On the white ground, salt crystals were pushed out of the ground like corals. Every crystal had a different shade of colour, either blue or red. At a nce, this looked like an ethereal dream. However, those who knew of this ce could not wait to leave.

    Although salt was everywhere, this salt was poisonous. Humans and animals who consumed it would die. For a long time, it was a known danger zone. Many people said anyone who entered would die, the Chilu people even said this was where the salt beast died. Anyone who entered would be trespassing its resting ce and would be punished. It was a mystical area.

    It was when someone passed through this ce and discovered the salt mines when the area became busy.

    Crackle crackle crackle¡ª

    Light crackles came from the shallow puddles on the ground.

    Shao Xuan saw a pir of orange crystal protruding out of the water surface. It had the delicate look ofmon crystal, very clear. The crystal pir looked like a shoot sprouting out of soil, growing and branching upwards. Its surface had be more translucent than transparent now, plus had ayer of frost on it. It had stopped growing upon reaching half a human¡¯s height, simr to the other salt flowers in this ce. The only difference was the colour.

    This was one of the ¡®blooming¡¯ salt flowers. In other puddles, there were more salt flowers. There were green, red and some ck.

    Although it was beautiful, rting this ce to the stories only sent chills down their spines.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, you¡¯ll be fine as long as you don¡¯t eat them,¡± said zheng Luo.

    They heard crushing crackles under their feet as they stepped on theyer of salt. It was a lot louder than walking on snow. They left behind crushed salt crystals in pieces, chunks were broken into crumbs, crumbs were ground into powder.

    The team went towards higher ground when they could to avoid the troughs in the ground. Their boots were often wet and formed a saltter when dry. It was also poisonous salt.

    ¡°Footprints!¡± Duo Kang pointed in a direction.

    Footprints were well preserved in this area. Even in hot weather, salt did not melt like snow.

    ¡°About two hundred people, not more than three hundred. Footprints were formed not more than four days ago.¡± Wacha was very familiar with the salt ts and could make estimations based on prints in the salt.

    ¡°Must be a new batch of recruits by the Fox tribe. This doesn¡¯t look like something both the tribes would leave behind,¡± said Susha after looking at the prints.

    The Fox tribe people marched in neat formations while the Shen Forest tribe had troops messier than this. Therefore, these prints were left behind by neither tribe.

    ¡°We will not stop tonight, we¡¯ll proceed with the journey!¡± yelled Zheng Luo.

    In the past, they would want to face their enemies at peak health conditions so they would definitely rest even if they travelled. However, after listening to Shao Xuan, Zheng Luo changed his mind.

    Without hot soup, without warming porridge, everyone only ate dried meat that had hardened in the cold. They could smell salt everywhere they went. Other than the roaring wind, they only heard the crackle of salt under their feet.

    At least the winds were not strong tonight, nor was it snowing. It was a lot quieter than the past few nights.

    This calm seemed to encourage everyone to rx but Zheng Luo kept hurrying them on so everyone was alert at all times. They did notin. All they knew was to listen to the chief. The chief would not harm them.

    ¡­

    At the same time, within the salt mines.

    Several Fox and Shen Forest tribe people were in a discussion within the salt cave, d in thick fur.

    This was the Fox tribe¡¯s cave.

    The salt within this mine was inyers- oneyer of rock, oneyer of salt, oneyer of rock, then oneyer of salt. However, they usually dug to the nextyer before oneyer was done. A while ago, they finally found something. They hadn¡¯t expected it either.

    After thinking for a long time, they chose to ally with the Shen Forest tribe. The Mountain Wind people had odd temperament, the Fox tribe never really liked them; while ming Horn and Taihe were too close. If one knew, the other would eventually know too. That was why, after eliminating the three, Shen tribe was left. Although the Shen people were sometimes arrogant, in rtions to the fire crystal, they were smart enough to retract their arrogance for the moment.

    At this moment, six of the highest-ranked people for each tribe were seated together. There were several pieces of fire crystals as big as one¡¯s eye at the centre.

    ¡°This is what they dug out today. There is a lot more at the bottom but the deeper it is, the more difficult mining is. We might not be able to mine all of it without enough time. We¡¯re afraid ming Horn and Taihe will arrive before we¡¯re done,¡± said a man with a rough face, d in brown fur and his hair billowing around him. He was from the Shen tribe.

    ¡°ording to our sources, Mountain Wind might have allied with ming Horn and Taihe and they are likely toe take the mines. Although we have recruited more people with salt, we still have to up our defences. The ming Horn people are not easy to fight off,¡± said the Fox chief.

    ¡°The weather¡¯s like that, yet they¡¯re stilling?¡± asked the Shen tribesman incredulously.

    ¡°If they reallye in this blizzard, then they must know the secret of the fire crystal!¡± Agony painted the Fox chief¡¯s face. He was already in heartache over having to distribute half of the crystals to Shen. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they needed help fending off three other tribes, they wouldn¡¯t have done this! They absolutely cannot distribute any more of the crystals to anyone else!

    The Shen people had the same opinion.

    Cooo¡ª

    A strange sound echoed from outside the cave, approaching the group.

    One of the Shen tribesmen lifted an arm. A grey sh appeared and rested on his arm.

    It was a bird, possibly a type of fearsome beast but it was notrge.

    The bird ruffled its feathers like it was shivering for a second, then cried at the Shen tribesman.

    COO COO COO COO¡ª

    The Shen tribesman¡¯s face changed. ¡°The Taihe people are approaching the mines and have passed the salt ts. They must know about the fire crystals!¡±

    ¡°If the Taihe people areing, then ming Horn must be close too. Mountain Wind must¡¯ve found out about the fire crystals fromst time and banded them together. Based on my estimations, they will arrive at the mines the day after today,¡± said the Fox chief after some mental calction.

    ¡°The day after?¡± The Shen tribesman said in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m afraid there will be a drastic change in weather in three days. We have to change our ns.¡±

    The Fox tribesmen were frustrated too. They had already made several ns and had all their military strategies set up. However, this was all disrupted by sudden weather changes. The Shen tribe had always been sensitive to the changes in their environment. They could predict changes in the weather based on changes in the flora of the forest. If they said the weather would worsen in three days, it would happen.

    ¡°We might not be able to hold them off by brute force. Especially the bunch of rough ming Horn savages.¡± The Fox chief was estimating the total power of three tribes working together.

    ¡°Then what?¡± the Shen tribe¡¯s tribesman furrowed his brows.

    Ady sitting next to the Fox chief had a twinkle in her thin-shaped eyes. She chuckled demurely, ¡°It¡¯s not a dead end.¡±

    Everyone looked at thedy.

    She was wearing fire-red fur, petting a white fox in her arms. ¡°The skies will surely change but not in three days. Within two days, there will be a drastic change!¡±

    As if in agreement, the fox cried as she finished her sentence.

    ¡°Two days? Are you sure? How did you know?¡± The Shen people were sceptical.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know how I know, but I assure you there will be a change in two days.¡± Her tone was calm, she was confident in her words.

    ¡°So if the weather will change in two days, what is your solution?¡±

    ¡°The solution is simple,¡± she said slowly. ¡°Humans cannot stop the weather from changing. When that happens, we will have to live through it or find a ce to hide. Here at the salt mines, there is only one ce to hide¡ª within the salt caves.¡±

    ¡°You mean¡­¡± Everyone understood. The only caves were the ones where the five tribes mined in. So the only ce to wait out the weather would be the five tribes¡¯ caves.

    ¡°Without the caves, when Mountain Wind, ming Horn and Taihe arrive, where will they hide when disaster strikes?¡±

    ¡°So we destroy their caves!¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes shone with excitement.

    ¡°Taihe will arrive at least the day after next, ming Horn and Mountain Wind would definitely be the same. We shall destroy their caves tomorrow. When they arrive, we just have to guard our own caves. The caves are easy to defend but difficult to prate. They will be blocked outside. Once the weather changes, even if they want to destroy our cave, they won¡¯t have the time,¡± said the Fox chief.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Thedy¡¯s eyes squinted as she smiled, nodding in agreement.

    ¡°But, if we destroy the three tribes¡¯ caves, where will our reinforcements stay?¡± asked the Shen tribesman.

    ¡°Let them stay in the Shen¡¯s cave for the moment. Both our tribes can send guards to watch them. The most important thing is we guard this ce,¡± said thedy.

    It was fine for them to let the recruits stay in their cave temporarily. For the fire crystals, the Shen tribe was willing to let outsiders into their salt cave. ¡°But if the three tribes take over the other cave?¡±

    ¡°So what if they do? If they really take over the cave, they must have suffered a lot of deaths and injuries already. What¡¯s there to be afraid of?¡± said thedy. Five caves, three will be destroyed. They have heavy defences here, even if that cave had fallen, most of the deaths over there would be their recruits, not their own Fox tribesman. It was also a method to shave off the three tribe¡¯s forces. It was a good thing!

    And so the decision was made.

    However, they didn¡¯t know one of the tribes did not operate by regr logic. That tribe was travelling through the night.

 Chapter 460 - Destruction

    Chapter 460

    Destruction

    Under the night sky, a row of people hurried across the salt ts. The ground crackled as if an animal was moving ahead.

    The night was dark but the troop did not light a fire. Zheng Luo initially wanted to use Shao Xuan¡¯s glowing rocks to light the way. Even advanced totemic warriors could not function well in almostplete darkness. However, glowing rocks would be very obvious in this dark night from afar.

    Shao Xuan volunteered to lead. After walking for a while, he understood what sort of grounds should be avoided or were more dangerous. He was clear on which direction they were headed too.

    There was no light but Shao Xuan had his extraordinary vision. He could clearly see the terrain, the puddles and the salt flowers.

    With Shao Xuan leading, the rest were not worried that they might hit a salt flower or step into a shallow pool. If one tripped and identally ingested some salt on the ground, one would die. Then their ns would go south.

    Shao Xuan maintained the speed they had during the day, leading the way in front. After some initial scepticism, Zheng Luo finally rxed and followed closely behind him.

    The troop travelled in a very narrow, long formation. This reminded him of the times in the tribe when the children yed games. The first time he went out hunting, he had travelled like this with his spear too. But he was running for his life then, this was just travelling.

    They stopped to rest for a while. Shao Xuan distributed one purple Thousand Grain per person. They could not start a fire, therefore could not boil porridge. All they could do was chew and swallow the grain dry. In the wild, the warriors had eaten raw grains too so they had done this before.

    It was just one grain, plus it was raw. Chewing it gave a crisp sound. However, the purple grain made the warriors feel a lot betterpared to consuming the golden grains. The fatigue and anxiety from travelling all day, plus the worries they had with the changing weather all smoothened and calmed. They felt like they were immersed in a warm bath.

    The messy surges of totemic power in them became orderly once again.

    No one spoke but the atmosphere lightened. Everyone was a lot more alert, minds no longer foggy from walking through the salt ts.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Shao Xuan gulped some cold water and led the team ahead.

    ¡­

    The sky slowly brightened. The white salt was a sharp contrast from the ground.

    Early morning at the salt mines.

    The Fox and Shen Forest chiefs had sent their people to the ming Horn, Taihe and Mountain Wind salt caves to destroy them.

    The terrain at the salt mines was a hill. It wasn¡¯t very tall but took up arge surface area. After the five tribes took over, they drew borders for each tribe¡¯s territories and started to mine. There were no tall cliffs where they started to mine.

    When they mined, the five tribes were gentle and meticulous to ensure the quality. Even the ming Horn people, a tribe widely known to be rough and violent, became oddly careful when handling the salt.

    Rocks in the mines became harder the deeper they dug, while the rocks at the surface were easily smashed. The firstyer of salt was near the top so the mouth of the salt cave was on the surface. The secondyer of salt was underground and distributed across different tunnels. Wacha and his team usually mined underground because the salt above ground had long been mined already.

    At this moment, at the top of the cave, there was a group of people consisting of the Fox and Shen tribes, plus other reinforcements from other tribes.

    They heldrge hammers and sharp tools like chisels, standing in the cave.

    ¡°Today, what you need to do is copse this cave. Do you understand?¡± yelled a Fox tribesman.

    ¡°Then what happens to the salt inside?¡± one of them showed a face of pity. They had received a lot of salt since their arrival, it was just that the Fox and Shen tribes did not let them into the cave.

    ¡°Salt? Our chief will distribute your portions. We called you here, of course we will make sure you get your share. We have given you a lot of salt these past few days, no? Was there a problem with the salt¡¯s quality?¡± asked a Shen tribesman, annoyed.

    ¡°Well, no.¡± The salt they received was actually better than the kind they usually consumed. However, after some time, they were no longer satisfied. It was in human nature to be greedy.

    The leader, standing at a high ce, observed everyone, privately mocking them for their naivete. He was also annoyed at their greed. However, the chief said that they might not even live after the battle so it was alright to keep them happy for now.

    Regaining hisposure, the person at the top instructed his people to carry a wooden crate over. Inside, there were salt chunks of red and white. They were all ofplicated molecr structures, all these were salt mined close to the ground. Compared to the salt from the ceiling, these were a few grades lower. However, to the outsiders who didn¡¯t know any better, this was enough to make them drool.

    It was a lot of salt!

    ¡°If you can copse this cave by today, this salt will be yours,¡± said themander.

    When they heard this, most of the tribesmen rolled up their sleeves in preparation to work hard. At the same time, they wondered how they could get more salt from the Fox and Shen tribes after the cave copse. Should they risk stealing some?

    To lessen their worries, themander sent his subordinates to distribute half of the salt. If they couldplete the task smoothly, the rest of the salt in the crate was theirs.

    Boom!

    A muscr man¡¯s face reddened as he swung his hammer on a boulder.

    The rest of the people started to focus their totemic power too, stepping hard into the ground or hitting their tools downwards.

    Rumbles echoed across thends.

    The salt mines were within the salt t region but its surroundings were not as t. There were tall and short peculiar boulders around, all of them had a thinyer of salt crystals. While they weren¡¯t poisonous, they were rough in texture and too little to be harvested. The five tribes did not bother to harvest these. Even the recruited tribes did not want it.

    Boom! Boom!

    The caves rumbled continuously. Not just this part, it was the same in the other two caves. Rough grains of salt tumbled down the walls as the walls shook.

    At the mouth of the Fox salt cave, the Fox chief held thedy carrying her fox in his arms with delight in his eyes, ¡°Everything is going smoothly. As long as their caves copse, even if they arrive, they will freeze.¡±

    Thedy was happy too. However, the fox in her arms suddenly shivered, all its fur standing at once. It looked like an expanded furball.

    Wooo! Wooo! Wooo!

    The fox struggled and leapt from her arms, wanting to rush into the cave. Then, it looked hesitant at the skies, unsure if it should move.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter,¡± asked the Fox chief.

    Thedy was curious too. Then she recalled something and quickly looked up at the sky, gasping, ¡°Perhaps, the change ising sooner than expected.¡± That was the only reason why her fox would have such a response.

    The Fox chief was unsettled by the news. He looked up at the skies. The sun was blocked by ayer of clouds. Around him, the breeze was gentle and it was not snowing. The air was warmer than yesterday, all seemed tranquil. Maybe eerily calm. Even the birds brought by the Shen Forest tribe were shivering in their nests built high up in a cave. It was reacting the same as the fox, refusing to go outside.

    ¡°It might not be a bad thing if the weather changes sooner than we thought,¡± said the chief.

    Thedy thought so too. They had started the destruction of the three caves. These people worked hard at the prospect of more salt. Perhaps the caves would copse in half a day. However, they had to thoroughly destroy the ce because a mildly copsed cave would still not be a problem to the tribes, especially to the strong ming Horn people who could clear obstacles quickly. They must not allow this to happen.

    ¡°Tell the people in ming Horn¡¯s cave to work faster, send fifty more people there,¡± said the chief to someone nearby.

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± The people who receive orders went to the Shen¡¯s cave next door to instruct the sleeping recruited tribesmen, sending them to the ming Horn cave.

    At the cave, the parts near the mouth of the cave had already copsed. Everyone was working to destroy more parts.

    ¡°The rocks here are difficult to break,¡± said one man swinging his hammer, stopping to wipe his sweat.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s getting more difficult as we go deeper,¡± said another.

    ¡°Shut up and get to work!¡± roared a Shen tribesman watching the workers.

    The Fox and Shen tribesmen were here to watch these recruits. If they did not guard the ce, they could easily be cheated. That was why the guard monitoring thends scattered with boulders turned around to help watch these workers too.

    It was just at this point, in thends, outside the mines, there was a furious roar.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s face contorted with rage. He had just arrived with his men, and he saw these people destroying his tribe¡¯s salt cave!

    To enter undetected, he had tried to suppress his anger. Now that they were close enough, he could no longer keep down the fire. Not just Zheng Luo, everyone else was pissed too.

 Chapter 461 - Kill!

    Chapter 461

    Kill!

    The ming Horn army was divided into three teams, stealthily heading towards the salt mines. Every team was led by experienced salt mine guards who were familiar with hidden paths. This was so that the people at the mines would not be able to see them.

    Although the ming Horn guards were forced out, the traps they set here had not been taken out. There was evidence of these traps being set off by other people. Their advantage was that they were familiar with the rocky terrain, they could walk here with their eyes closed since it was their part of the mines.

    Now, the three teams were all close to the mines. Their sess was due to their experience and that the people stationed at the mines were focused on people destroying the cave. Third, the birds usually keeping watch in the skies were all unsettled enough to hide in their caves. Of course, the most important reason¨C Fox and Shen Forest tribes had not expected the ming Horn tribe to arrive so soon.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s suppressed anger exploded in a second, heunched the attack first. His pupils dted with his emotion and totemic power surged within his entire being in a second. His muscles rippled as totemic patterns flowed likeva. His furious scowl was menacing.

    He sprung forward with one giant leap, his body charging ahead like a lit cannon. Grains of salt on the ground flew in his trail. His eyes wanted death, shing a tightly gripped wide bronze knife. Such power had only been seen in a forest beast, baring its teeth!

    With a cold glint from the tip of the de, a whistle could be heard as his knife cut through the air. It sounded like how the wind cut through the rough sand formations before a storm.

    The person nearest to Zheng Luo was a guard from Fox tribe. Since the cave was copsing at the mouth, he switched from his post to stand on a boulder outside the mouth. When he heard Zheng Luo, he turned and made a gesture to shield himself but it was toote.

    The de sliced into his waist. There was the faint smell of salt.

    Pfft!

    In the next moment, the de had exited his back. Such a powerful sh did not meet any resistant. The de was now stained with blood. Violence was in the air.

    The person who was cut in half copsed, his eyes still filled with terror and disbelief.

    After his first kill, Zheng Luo did not retract his knife. Surfing on his momentum, he shed horizontally to sh up another person¡¯s torso. The knife did not meet any resistance either, chopping the other guard in half. You could tell how powerful his movements were.

    Blood made the salt pieces on the ground brighter.

    The smell of blood wafted through the air, bringing with it a chilling killing aura.

    The sudden esction of events caused the other tribesmen supervising the workers, and the workers destroying the cave to freeze in shock. Thezy supervisors were filled with shock.

    Didn¡¯t they say the ming Horn and the other two were only arriving tomorrow?!

    Who fucking said so?!

    When they looked up, they were met with a pair of deathly eyes, identical to a ravenous forest predator.

    The people in salt mines, out of terror, screamed. ¡°ming Horn! It¡¯s the ming Horn tribe!!¡±

    Men who were sitting, standing, everyone from the Fox and Shen Forest tribe quickly picked up their weapons to fight.

    Duo Kang, who was rushing towards the salt mines from another direction had an axe in his hand. The axe was filled with its owner¡¯s fury, as if it was crackling with electricity. As they met the closest Shen tribesman, the opponent blocked with his sword, Duo Kang¡¯s wrist jerked, the trajectory of the axe changed its angle and its sharp de crashed into his opponent¡¯s arm. If the guy had not moved, his torso would have been hacked in half.

    Duo Kang deflected the sword away and cut the now one-armed man again. He roared at the top of his voice, ¡°I don¡¯t care which tribe you¡¯re from! You stole our salt mines! Kill! How dare you destroy our caves! Kill! Kill! Kill!¡± He was furious when he saw their copsed mines.

    ¡°Aooooo!¡±

    The ming Horn tribesmen unleashed a peculiar war cry. All the warriors who were hiding quietly no longer had to suppress their anger. They raised their weapons and charged like maniacs!

    You dare steal our mines?!

    Kill!

    You dare destroy our caves?!

    Kill! Kill!

    What? You¡¯re not from the Fox or Shen, you were just recruited to help out?

    Do you take me for an idiot? What¡¯s that red and white block in your hand? Meat? That¡¯s fucking salt! You¡¯d probably taken it from OUR mines!

    What are you doing here? Mining ore? Oh, but you¡¯re destroying the cave at the same time? Even idiots won¡¯t do that, you think I¡¯ll believe you?

    Kill!

    Battles over territory and resources operated by one rule: if you don¡¯t die, I¡¯ll die.

    White and red salt grains scattered all over the ground were now sttered in blood.

    The battle escted to peak violence in the blink of an eye.

    The people breaking the other two caves also heard the battle but hesitated to help. If they went over, what would they do if the Taihe and Mountain Wind tribes arrived? Whatever, there were many people in the Fox and Shen caves, they¡¯ll help.

    The Shen tribe¡¯s chief was surprised. Shouldn¡¯t ming Horn be travelling together with Taihe?

    They rarely sent birds to watch the ming Horn tribe unless the birds could fly very high up. These freakishly powerful ming Horn people would just shoot their birds down. However, the Taihe people were easy to watch so watching them meant also understanding the ming Horn¡¯s movement.

    But what the hell was this?

    They didn¡¯t see Mountain Wind, Taihe was still hurrying across the salt ts. Why was ming Horn here to soon?

    The Shen chief couldn¡¯t help but regret not sending birds to watch them. Or they wouldn¡¯t be so helpless now.

    HE was about to send reinforcements when he froze because he saw that the Fox tribe was not taking action.

    Something was up!

    He looked at the birds cowering in the corner, then looked up at the sky.

    The sky has changed!

    So soon?

    Based on his predictions, he thought it would happen in three days. Yesterday was one day, so the weather should change in two days. However, the Foxdy had said it would happen in two. In the morning, nothing happened so he expected it would change tomorrow. He had arranged for many activities today. Looks like all his ns were ruined.

    The Shen tribe could predict the weather based on the surrounding nts. Yesterday, a batch of Shen warriors arrived to report that the nts in the jungle were disying odd changes. They feared a major disaster was arriving. Or perhaps something they had never seen before. He looked at the birds trying their best to merge into the walls and understood. They did not even want to leave. How much more powerful were humans against the force of nature?

    Since the weather had changed, then there was no need to send his men over. The people in the ming Horn definitely won¡¯t stop the attack. For the sake of the fire crystals, they could only clench their teeth and give up on their own men.

    While there were surprises, their main n was still in action. The Shen Chief brought his people to the Fox tribe¡¯s cave and ventured deeper inside. It was warmer inside too.

    Outside the cave, snow descended.

    No one had noticed the temperature falling. It got colder very quickly, it did not give anyone a chance to adapt.

    Very soon, more snow fell from the skies.

    The wind started to blow, whistling as air currents looped mid-air, picking up fallen snowkes and then tossed them unto the ground again. Shao Xuan could even hear the soft thud of snow thrown at the boulders by the wind.

    Warm blood sttered around froze at great speed, shattering into crumbs as they hit the ground.

    The wind grew stronger asrger pieces of snow floated in the air like thick chiffon curtains. The air currents billowed and twisted hysterically, shielding everything from sight.

    Shao Xuan focused his weight on his ankle, then leapt aside like lightning as he dodged a knife. The knife in his hand was so quick there were after-images mid-air, shing towards the other guy¡¯s neck like an open fan.

    Without stopping, Shao Xuan hopped backwards and the knife in front shed where he stood.

    After killing another person, he quickly looked at the sky in disbelief.

    Something is wrong! Something is very wrong!

    There was an eerie, bone-chilling feeling but not because of the falling temperatures. Something else.

    While the cold weather was worrying, it was not enough to cause this feeling. Something else was happening.

    The snow fell heavier, everyone could barely open their eyes. The gap between heaven and earth seemed to be filled with white dots. On the ground, salt and snow looked the same. It was still getting colder.

    On the vast salt ts, the shallow puddles of water were quickly freezing. However, as if it was spring, the salt flowers grew manically and expended. If Shao Xuan was here, he would have seen how they ¡®blossomed¡¯,

    Within the ming Horn cave, some of the workers from other tribes had already given up. IN the past, for the salt, they would have still fought for their lives. However, with such unprecedented weather changes, they panicked. Distracted, their fighting became wed and in the end, many were killed.

    The Shen and Fox people here did not see reinforcementsing to help them and were panicking too. They could barely keep themselves alive with the sheer number of ming Horn tribesmen.

    ¡°End this battle as fast as you can! Hurry!¡± yelled Shao Xuan.

    Since just now, he felt a numbing sensation in his scalp. There was a terrible feeling in his gut.

 Chapter 462 - Fire Crystals Below

    Chapter 462

    Fire Crystals Below

    When he heard Shao Xuan, Zheng Luo exploded once again, moving quicker.

    They were powerful and cruel. In terms of both aura and physical strength, they were far stronger than their opponents.

    The Fox and Shen tribe did not send more men over here. The initial four hundred people in the cave were quickly dealt with. Some died, some ran. With the weakening morale and panic, this battle would notst long.

    IN reality, only five minutes had passed since Zheng Luo first charged over here.

    Five minutes was not even enough to barbeque meat. Usually, people did not care for five minutes. Yet, here, time seemed to stretch.

    The temperature fell quickly and wind billowed together with snow. The sound of snow hitting the ground could be heard everywhere. The initial gentle falling of snowkes had be this in such a short period of time.

    Blood on the ground froze quickly, then was covered with a newyer of snow.

    The red blood and salt were covered at a speed identifiable by the eye. All colour disappeared instantly.

    Looking far ahead, there was just a patch of white.

    Some warriors wanted to chase after the Fox tribesmen who ran out but they were held back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t chase! Quickly move the rocks in the cave!¡± Shao Xuan yelled after the people who were pumped with adrenaline.

    ¡°Move the rocks!¡± yelled Zheng Luo.

    The warriors, eyes bloodshot, panted. Out of habit, they shook their weapons to shake off the blood. However, they realised the fresh blood had solidified on their axes and knives.

    Ignoring the blood, other than the medics taking care of the injured, the rest were instructed to carry the rocks at the mouth of the cave.

    Thank goodness they were early. Other than the parts near the mouth of the cave, the insides were fine.

    The warriors lifted the pile of rocks and tossed them out. Soon, as more came over to help, all the rocks blocking the mouth of the cave were cleaned out. Other than therge boulder usually used to block the entrance, the rest were removed.

    Zheng Luo first brought a team inside to make sure there were no traps or threats inside. After a check, he let everyone bring the injured and the dead inside. These dead warriors would be brought back to the tribe to be cremated after this. This was their tradition.

    Although there were deaths and injuries, it was a low number. They had the advantage.

    After his people settled, Zheng Luo looked out of the cave.

    The dense snow blocked his view.

    ¡°Duo Kang, you stay here. I¡¯ll check the outside with a few people.¡± Zheng Luo found a few people to go with him.

    With the blizzard outside, they did not know how the Taihe and Mountain Wind people were doing.

    Luckily they listened to Shao Xuan and quickened their pace. They didn¡¯t even rest at night.

    As he thought, Duo Kang surveyed the area and wanted to talk to Shao Xuan. However, he didn¡¯t see him.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Elder?¡± Duo Kang asked the warriors next to him.

    The warrior pointed at the cave. ¡°Inside, I think.¡±

    Shao Xuan helped treat the injured as he carried a lot of herbs and Thousand Grain Gold with him.

    Wacha and the salt mine guards travelled into the deeper parts of the cave, then returned with a ceramic cauldron. They also lit some firewood stored inside, collected clean snow, and cooked a pot of soup with the grains everyone brought.

    Shao Xuan put a small handful of Thousand Grain Gold inside. With people around, he did not need to watch the pot. When Duo Kang arrived, Shoa Xuan was prepared to walk deeper into the cave.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, how long do you think this weather willst?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know this definitely isn¡¯t the end game yet. We have to be mentally prepared for worse.¡±

    Duo Kang nodded. ¡°I know this is only the beginning. If it wasn¡¯t, the Fox and Shen people wouldn¡¯t hide in their caves either. The Shen people are the most sensitive to weather changes.¡±

    Shao Xuan seemed to want to say something, yet hesitated. Duo Kang¡¯s heart clenched. ¡°Unless there¡¯s something else?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, I just have a bad feeling,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Duo Kang dared not let his guard down. Anyone who had experienced multiple brushes with death had the sharpest senses. If Shao Xuan said so, he must¡¯ve had his reasons, even if he wasn¡¯t sure what it was.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get them to check the stores first,¡± said Duo Kang.

    After the Fox and Shen tribe chased out the ming horn¡¯s guards, they had raided the cave and taken most of the food. Only this ceramic cauldron was left behind. There were several here but they were all broken now. The only one left had a missing leg, Wacha was now using it for porridge and propped against a rock.

    When he saw all of this, Duo Kang let out a string of curses, cursing all the Fox and Shen tribesmen, plus the tribes who were recruited to help.

    Soon, Zheng Luo arrived with a solemn face.

    ¡°How was it?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The mouth of the caves have copsed, worse than ours,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    Due to their sudden appearance, the destruction on this side was interrupted. However, it was work as usual for the other two caves. Although it was just five minutes, after hearing the battle, even the supervisors participated in the destruction process. That was why they made more progress there.

    Of course, if the Taihe and Mountain Wind people arrived, they could just shift the copsed rocks out and it would be fine. Due to ming Horn¡¯s arrival and the change in weather, the work at the two caves was also stopped.

    ¡°Forget about the rest for the moment. Send people to watch the situation over there. Report to me immediately if anything happens.¡± Zheng Luo delegated tasks.

    This mission of taking back the mines by force had not been smooth at all. Taking was easy but with such unpredictable weather, it was more difficult than fighting the tribes.

    It was still snowing and travelling will be very difficult in a snowstorm. The Taihe and Mountain Wind tribes might not arrive on time.

    They took turns resting and standing guard. In this weather, it was unwise to attack the Fox and Shen tribes. All they could do was wait in their caves for the weather to improve. They¡¯d decide once Taihe and Mountain Wind arrived.

    Shao Xuan got Wacha to bring him deeper into the cave. He wanted to explore.

    Duo Kang and Zheng Luo tagged along.

    ¡°The ce where Fox and Shen are mining the fire crystals, is it below us? If we continue digging downwards, will we hit the crystals too?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°That¡¯s possible,¡± said Wacha with anticipation. ¡°Since we have nothing going on, why don¡¯t we start digging?¡± If they really found some, it could quickly replenish everyone¡¯s energy and they¡¯d be more powerful for the next battle.

    Without further dy, Zheng Luo got his men to the undergroundyer and picked a spot to start digging. The prospect of fire crystals was attractive.

    ¡°The rocks get harder the deeper we dig, it¡¯ll be more difficult. We won¡¯t know when we¡¯ll encounter the crystals,¡± said Duo Kang.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯ve still got to try.¡± Zheng Luo also started digging with his tools.

    The tools in the cave were taken away but there was still a hidden stash of spares. Wacha went to get them. In the past, this was to prevent the warriors from wasting tools, getting a new one just because their tool had a tiny chip. When he limited the supply of tools, they only came to him for new tools when their tools were damaged beyond repair.

    Now, these hidden tools proved useful.

    ¡°Dig! Dig downwards! If the Fox people can find crystals, we can too!¡± said Duo Kang, waving his pickaxe.

    ¡°There are definitely fire crystals underneath,¡± said Shao Xuan, sensing their presence in the ground.

    The other people had different sensitivities to fire crystals, Shao Xuan was just more sensitive than the rest. Even Zheng Luo could not currently sense the crystals.

    ¡°Really?!¡± Zheng Luo and Duo Kang looked up. ¡°How deep?¡±

    Shao Xuan walked around and then stepped on a spot. ¡°This part¡¯s the nearest but I cannot confirm how deep it¡¯s buried.¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter! As long as it¡¯s there!¡± Zheng Luo quickly gave up on the shallow crater he dug and came over.

    Shao Xuan did not dig not because he was cking off, but there was a frightful gut feeling he couldn¡¯t shake. Like a sense of danger. He knew there must be a reason and kept searching for it. That was why while Zheng Luo and the rest were digging, Saho Xuan sat on a pile of rough salt rocks they had dug up, deep in thought and slowly feeling the area.

    Zheng Luo and the rest paid no mind to his behaviour. There were many people here to help. Zheng Luo and Duo Kang wanted to help¨C they could rest if they wanted.

    The sky darkened early in the day. In the evening, the snow on the ground was as tall as half of the cave mouth.

    ¡°Where do you think the Taihe and Mountain Wind people are? You think they froze to death in the salt ts?¡± said Duo Kang as he ate the porridge.

    Most of the ceramic tools had been destroyed so they had no bowls. They now used bowls made by Shao Xuan from stone. These stones were made from rocks around the cave. The stones were not too hard so it was easy. There was a little salt inside so porridge became a little salty.

    After drinking his porridge, Duo Kang hopped twice, rubbing his palms. This was the coldest winter he¡¯d experienced.

    However, on the second day, he realised he had been naive.

    The second day was colder than the first. When he rose in the morning, the snow outside was already three meters tall.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you said snow could cover entire houses. Was it like this?¡± Duo Kang asked, looking at the patch of white.

    ¡°It¡¯s like that but I¡¯ve never seen it happen overnight.¡± Shao Xuan was also shocked.

    If this continued, what would happen? They also wondered how the vige was doing.

 Chapter 463 - Squeeze

    Chapter 463

    Squeeze

    Taihe and Mountain Wind tribes arrived on the third day after ming Horn¡¯s arrival. At that point, the nket of snow on the ground was already five meters tall.

    The blizzard stopped for a day, but now it started again, more brutal than the first day.

    The cold wind blew and whistled, cutting against their faces like knives. Even the self-proimed hardened ming Horn warriors were unwilling to head out unless it was their turn to stand guard. They rested inside the cave.

    Firewood was running low in the cave. Other than when they cooked porridge, they burned little wood. Zheng Luo brought some men to survey the area around the mines. Other than the other two caves that were already sealed off by thick snow and rocks, the Fox and Shen caves were guarded very heavily. It was going to be difficult to raid it. Not wanting to waste his manpower for nothing, Zheng Luo returned after observing them for a while.

    When Zheng Luo received news that Taihe and Mountain Wind had finally arrived, he was holding the first piece of fire crystal that they mined. He was very emotional.

    Before they mined it, he and the rest had already sensed its presence. It proved that there were crystals underground, just too deep and the salt affected their senses. After much effort, they finally did it. He could not stay calm.

    ¡°Taihe?¡± Once he heard the messenger who had hurried in, he finally looked up from the piece of crystal as big as his fingernail and regained hisposure.

    Unwillingly, he climbed out of the hole they dug and passed it to Duo Kang. ¡°Continue digging, I¡¯ll check them out. I wonder how they¡¯re doing. ¡°

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, chief. I¡¯ll be there!¡± Duo Kang took the crystal and couldn¡¯t help the grin on his face. Their efforts had paid off, all their gloominess was gone now.

    Shao Xuan was deep in thought when Zheng Luo¡¯s sudden arrival snapped him back to reality.

    ¡°Taihe and Mountain Win are here?¡± Shao Xuan stood up from the salt boulder and followed Zheng Luo.

    Zheng Luo looked at Shao Xuan but did not ask questions. Shao Xuan had not been himself these two days. He sat on the rock the entire day. If no one talked to him, he would sit there all day. No one knew what he was thinking about. He once asked but Shao Xuan replied that he was trying to sense something. If he had results, he¡¯d tell everyone.

    At the mouth of the cave, they saw Taihe and the Mountain Wind chief with twenty men. Everyone did not look good, with snow sticking to their bodies.

    When they saw Zheng Luo, Taihe and Mountain Wind¡¯s chiefs rxed and smiled bitterly. ¡°You all are very lucky to arrive earlier. Or you¡¯d been like us.¡±

    The ming Horn guards at the mouth and already told the chiefs that they arrived earlier than nned, on the day that the weather changed. They had just arrived when the blizzard started. On the other side, the weather had changed when they travelled across the salt ts and already had deaths and injuries then.

    Neither the tribesmen nor their ancestors had encountered such weather before. It had caused not just unnecessary death and injuries but also dyed their journey. They were supposed to arrive yesterday morning, yet they had been dyed by one day¨C even after travelling all through the night. After the weather changed, it was tough to trek through the salt ts, especially when snow was thick and it was freezing.

    Zheng Luo did not exin their luck. He asked about the two tribes and was told that although there were deaths and injuries, the number was low. It was just that they were not doing well. Especially the Mountain Wind people who lived in a region much warmer than ming Horn. The mountains often block the cold winds and storms, even if it snowed, it was barely anything. That was why they had more deaths than Taihe and why the chief¡¯s face was very gloomy now.

    ¡°And your caves?¡± asked Zheng Luo. When he brought his men over, although the caves had copsed, he figured they could move the rocks and it should be fine. ¡°If you need help, we can help with the rocks.

    However, Zheng Luo¡¯s words made their faces contort into a deeper rage. He could clearly hear their teeth grinding together.

    ¡°To hell with that! The fucking Fox and Shen bastards, they scattered salt poison in our caves!¡± raged the Mountain Wind chief.

    Salt poison was a type of green-grey salt ore in this area. It cannot be made into table salt. While it was not fatal, they released a pungent smell when cooked. It caused dizziness and was unpleasant. That was why the salt miners would usually bury them far away if they encountered salt poison.

    There were not many salt poison rocks in the area but they had umted some over the years. The Fox people had mined and cooked salt poison in batches. The first three pots of salt were first scattered in the Mountain Wind cave. It was their fault for all of this! If it wasn¡¯t for Mountain Wind sending the second batch of scouts, this wouldn¡¯t happen!

    The next three pots were scattered into the Taihe cave. The Taihe people were good at using herbs and the Fox people never liked them for this.

    Thest was supposed to be for the ming Horn cave. However, the weather had changed earlier than expected. Due to the change of ns, they could not scatter more salt in time. That was why while a lot of stuff was missing in the ming Horn¡¯s caves, they did not have to suffer from the salt.

    The cooked salt was dissolved in water and then cooked until it formed a sticky liquid. This was scattered in the mines, and when it dried, it stuck to the surface of the salt. Unless they mined away the entire topyer of the cave, it would be unpleasant.

    In this blizzard and lowest temperature they¡¯d ever experienced, they finally arrived. While they did not have tounch into war immediately, they also did not have a ce to stay.

    The Taihe and Mountain Wind tribes had arrived almost the same time. They came over to check on ming Horn¡¯s cave but didn¡¯t expect that not only did they arrive early, but they were also living well¨C at least their living conditions were goodpared to theirs. They did not want much, just a ce to hide from the elements and rest. Their men could barely walk in a straight line. If they fought now, most of them would die.

    Zheng Luo pursed his lips, not knowing how lucky ming horn was. The Fox tribe must¡¯ve been the ones who scattered the poison. If it wasn¡¯t for the weather, their cave would have been poisoned too. Then they¡¯d have to face the problem of clearing a copsed cave AND inhaling poisonous fumes.

    Such evil people!

    ¡°You all shoulde in. Although it¡¯s going to be a squeeze, the cave is big enough. Right, do you have any more firewood in your caves? Bring some over,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    Hearing Zheng Luo¡¯s words, the two chiefs heaved a sigh and quickly said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask. We¡¯ll bring over if we find any.¡±

    The poison had already seeped into the salt underground, it was going to take a while to scrape off the topyer. It was best to take shelter there in this weather.

    Zheng Luo made his people give them space. No matter what, they were allies. Helping them was the same as helping themselves.

    Soon, Taihe and Mountain Wind¡¯s chiefs brought their men over. When they looked at the ming Horn tribe¡¯s faces, then looked at their own dishevelled, depressed army, the chiefs were frustrated. The hatred towards Fox and Shen became deeper on this day.

    It was a squeeze for three thousand people in one salt cave. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they had two deepyers in the cave, they would not be able to fit so many. They made way for a walkway leading to the left side of the cave entrance. This made moving around easier and emergencies would be easier to deal with. Just like that, everyone was pressing up against each other in the cave.

    Taihe and Mountain Wind brought over some firewood. They also had hidden stashes that the Fox people did not take. They brought over everything they had.

    However, it still wasn¡¯t much. No one knew how long this weather wouldst. They must be careful. Other than to cook, they could not light fires. Thank goodness ming Horn had glowing rocks so they did not have to sit in the dark.

    There were many people and the cave was deep, hence the air thinned. When they dug the mines, this problem was solved with several air vents. However, in the beginning, the ming Horns had blocked these holes due to cold winds. Now with so many people, breathing had be more difficult. It took some effort to unblock these vents due to the additional snowyer.

    It was still stuffy in the cave but there was one benefit¡ª it was warm.

    However,¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s that smell?¡±

    ¡°Who farted?!¡±

    ¡°Eh, brother? Did you step in some poop?¡±

    ¡­

    Everyone had been travelling in a hurry, no one cleaned much. As a result, there was ayer of filth on them, even after the pelting of snow. Now that they rested in the cave, plus the poor air venttion, the smell of sweat, feet, fart and animal hide mixed together instantly.

    However, it was still better than enduring salt poison. To the Taihe and Mountain Wind people, this was the mostfortable they¡¯d been since the weather changed.

    Since the ming Horn and Taihe people were familiar with each other, they quickly started chatting. Although they usually fought, in general, they had been in a cooperative rtionship. Now that they were in a disaster together, they felt likerades. Someone started to curse the Fox and Shen tribes, then suddenly the entire cave did the same. Even the previously quiet Mountain Wind tribe joined in. The cave erupted in all sorts of curse words unique to each tribe.

    The Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs were led by Zheng Luo inside the cave to see the crystals for themselves. Now that they confirmed the existence of the crystals, the two chiefs were less worried.

    All three chiefs personally started mining crystals themselves. They were all upset but could notunch a war. All they could do was vent their anger on mining crystals.

    More crystals would mean quicker recovery for their people too.

    Outside the cave, theyer of snow was now six meters deep,pared to five this morning. It was still snowing and did not look like it was about to stop soon.

 Chapter 464 - Heartbeat

    Chapter 464

    Heartbeat

    xThe night of Taihe and Mountain Wind¡¯s arrival, the winds picked up speed and snow fell heavily. Even the guards outside could not stand the cold. Zheng Luo had to call them in and guard the mouth of the cave instead. Outside, they¡¯d either freeze to death or get buried in snow.

    Outside, unless they swept away all the snow at the entrance, it seemed like there was a tall wall of snow that blocked their vision. They must stand at a high spot and sweep away some snow to look far.

    Shao Xuan stood on top and looked around. Everything between heaven and earth was white. The rocky terrain was unidentifiable, drowned in a sea of white. Looking across, it seemed like a t piece ofnd.

    Shao Xuan attempted to conduct a knot reading for the weather and his inexplicable bone-chilling sensation. Yet he failed every time.

    He looked around. He did not see any other shadows around. Even the Fox and Shen tribe did not seem to intend toe out.

    When he went back, he pulled the boulder at the entrance back to its original spot.

    Many people looked at him, anticipating good news. It was only because of him they hadn¡¯t suffered like Taihe and Mountain Wind.

    They were crestfallen when Shao Xuan shook his head in silence.

    The cave was getting quieter. In the beginning, there were peopleining and cursing the Fox and Shen tribe. Now, theints had ceased. All they hoped was for this weather to stop.

    Wu Zhan knew several men from the Taihe who were of simr age. These were the elites of the younger generation. When Taihe arrived, all the familiar faces met to exchange stories. Now, no one was speaking to conserve energy. If they couldn¡¯t sleep, they daydreamed.

    When he heard chewing sounds, he kicked to his side. ¡°What are you chewing?¡±

    ¡°Grass.¡±

    ¡°Give me some.¡±

    Fei Ang from Taihe passed half a de of grass over. They usually brought some herbs with them, these were the cheap kinds to chew on when they were bored. It could calm one down.

    When he passed the herb over, Fei Ang said, ¡°Your Elder didn¡¯t look like he had any good news.¡±

    ¡°He will.¡± Wu Zhan did not say much, chewing the herb. It was bitter. He wondered why the Taihe people liked chewing this stuff.

    They will have good news soon. This was something everyone thought. However, the days passed and they grew more depressed.

    Every day, when they woke or went out to urinate, they would be repeatedly shocked by the changes outside. As if there was no limit to these changes.

    It was terrifying.

    If this continued, would the forest they lived in be a frozen wastnd? The younger warriors were already starting to imagine this scenario.

    Fine, many mountains snowed all year long too. However, they¡¯d never seen any ce with such thick snow before. And they were at sea level. While the snow stopped a few times, it didn¡¯t look like it was going to stop for good anytime soon.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    The three chiefs sat together. They were holding fire crystals in their hands but their current situation still rendered them helpless. The initial excitement of obtaining fire crystals had slowly died down.

    As for the Fox and Shen people, a battle was imminent. They had paid a huge price toe here, everyone was suppressing their frustrations toward them. This anger was only suppressed by the weather.

    Silent and sulking, the weight on the three chiefs was heavy. They did not know if their people would be well, they did not know how their own tribes were doing back at the vige.

    ¡°If I knew this, we would not havee here. I would have given up on the salt mines,¡± said Mountain Wind chief in a low voice.

    ¡°Who could¡¯ve predicted such a drastic change? Even the Fox and Shen tribe could have underestimated the weather.¡± The Taihe tribe sighed helplessly. At this moment, who didn¡¯t regret?

    They saw Shao Xuan walk over to ¡®space out¡¯ on his salt boulder silently. All three chiefs could help but feel disappointed.

    At this point, the other two already knew that ming Horn could avoid this weather because of Shao Xuan. They did not have anyone in their tribe who could predict the weather so they ced their hopes on Shao Xuan. Regardless of good or bad news, as long as they had an inkling of what would happen next, they would feel more stable if they could prepare.

    ¡°Sigh!¡± Zheng Luo could not sit still. He would overthink if he sat down doing nothing. Stretching his stiff limbs, he jumped into the pit and continued mining for fire crystals.

    The other two looked at each other, broadening their shoulders and jumped too. Just dig. Sitting in silence would just make them more worried.

    Their progress had slowed significantly as the rocks grew harder the deeper they dug. Many tools were broken. Although they had mined more than ten crystals, they were small pieces and not enough to go around. It was still good for everyone to absorb a little, it raised spirits.

    Shao Xuan sat on the boulder, focused on sensing the changes in his environment.

    Did he hear something?

    He could hear the sound of three chiefs mining in the pit, the sound of everyone¡¯s breaths.

    Further away, there were whispers, some people sleep talking, snoring and he could even feel many people spacing out in the dark, eyes open.

    And the sound of the wind whistling as it passed through their air vents.

    And what?

    He could almost hear his own blood flowing in his veins.

    Ba-thump!

    The first beat was a higher pitch than the second. Shao Xuan cocked an eyebrow.

    A heartbeat?

    It was very soft but there was power in this sound. It seemed to ring and echo across the rocks.

    His own heartbeat?

    No, not his own. Not the people around him, not the people in the cave either!

    Then who?

    Whose heartbeat?

    Shao Xuan wanted to listen to confirm. But he did not hear anything now.

    Shao Xuan felt like he was closer to the answer. He was almost there. Almost.

    Just as he thought he¡¯d never hear it again, he heard it again.

    Ba-thump!

    Same- the first beat high, second beat low. It was a powerful heartbeat. This time, it was a little louder but Shao Xuan still couldn¡¯t confirm if it was real.

    It was a heartbeat, but it didn¡¯t seem human. It seemed far away, yet so near. He could not confirm because it was so faint. It mighte from the rockyyers.

    ¡°Chief, do you all hear something?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Zheng Luo, who was mining hard, stopped. ¡°Sound?¡±

    The other three also stopped and listened closely.

    ¡°No.¡± All three shook their heads.

    ¡°There¡¯s no sound now. It was there a few moments ago,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The rest of them stopped digging and waited with full attention, analysing all the sounds.

    ¡°Heartbeat. Not loud but it sounded powerful. Sounds like ites from the rocks. With an echo,¡± said Shao Xuan in detail.

    They were all puzzled. Why would there be such a sound?

    These people were patient, the kind that came from hunting all their lives. However, after waiting, they did not hear it.

    Zheng Luo wanted to speak but Shao Xuan suddenly said, ¡°There it was again! Did you hear it?¡±

    The three chiefs looked at each other, seeing confused eyes staring back. It was obvious they heard nothing.

    They turned to Duo Kang and the few. Also confused.

    ¡°You really heard something?¡± Zheng Luo asked again.

    ¡°I heard it three times,¡± confirmed Shao Xuan.

    The three chiefs were unsettled now. It wasn¡¯t because they did not believe Shao Xuan, it was just they did not hear a thing. In terms of predicting the weather, the Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs did not darepare themselves to Shao Xuan because he had proven himself right. However, they were confident in their hearing.

    Yet Zheng Luo believed him. Shao Xuan had many extraordinary aspects of him, even the shamaness trusted Shao Xuan. Solemn, Zheng Luo asked, ¡°If there¡¯s such a sound, Shao Xuan, what do you think it is?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. But the source of the sound is what I¡¯ve been wary about.¡± Shao Xuan told them about his thoughts.

    Zheng Luo dropped his tools, climbed out of the pit and told Duo Kang, ¡°Tell the rest. Stay alert.¡±

    Duo Kang ran and they heard him yelling.

    If Zheng Luo said such a thing, although the other two chiefs were sceptical, since ming Horn had taken action, they did the same.

    The silent cave exploded into conversation. No one knew what was happening. Why stay alert? Was there a threat?

    ¡°Shao Xuan, continue listening. Tell us if you find anything.¡± Zheng Luo sat down next to Shao Xuan. He did not care about the fire crystals now, his men were more important.

    The other two chiefs brought one salt boulder each and sat next to Shao Xuan. They also wanted to know what the young Elder heard.

    At this moment, on the other side of the mines, within the Fox tribe¡¯s cave.

    When the Fox chief woke up, he ran to check on the progress of fire crystal mining.

    ¡°How¡¯s the digging going?¡± asked the chief.

    The supervisor standing next to the pit pointed at the basket next to his foot. Only a few pieces. The Fox chief¡¯s brows furrowed.

    This was going too slow! He was very dissatisfied with this efficiency. However, the deeper they dug, the more there would be. He had to wait.

    ¡°Get on with your work! I don¡¯t want to hear anyone cking off!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    At the bottom of the pit, a Fox warrior stuck his shovel into the ground and heard a loud ng. He thought he had hit rock again. At this depth, there was no salt, just soil and rocks. He had already hit rock a few times these past few days. This time, his tool suffered.

    ¡°Shit!¡± He tossed the bent shovel aside, went over to pick a new one and continued digging.

    ¡°I need to see what this rock looks like!¡±

 Chapter 465 - Stop!

    Chapter 465

    Stop!

    ng!

    The second shovel¡¯s head was dented once again. Yet the rock buried in the ground was not even scratched.

    ¡°Heh, I¡¯ll pry you out eventually!¡±

    The man scraped off the soil from the rock using his bent shovel, also pushing some pebbles aside.

    After all the soil was removed, he finally saw the rock clearly.

    There was a small torch on the wall of the pit. From the weak fiery glow, the man saw a block of white. It was shiny like how a piece of ice reflected light.

    Unless¡­Did he find treasure?!

    He was excited, then came another person.

    ¡°What¡¯s that? Let me see.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, what are you here for? I dug this myself!¡± he whined.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± More people came over when they heard the conversation. They saw the block of white but no one knew what it was. They hadn¡¯t seen anything like it before.

    ¡°It looks like ice?¡± said someone.

    ¡°Let me touch¡­ It¡¯s cold but it¡¯s not ice. It¡¯s hard,¡± said another, squatting down to touch it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not ice. I think it¡¯s some kind of crystal,¡± guessed another older guy.

    Crystal?!

    Not just the guy who discovered the rock, everyone else¡¯s eyes brightened.

    It would be awesome if that was crystal. Although they did not know how much it was worth, it could just be used to make ornaments. It would sell well at the market. The ve masters liked stuff like that.

    However, in the salt mines, a ce with fire crystals¡­ it could be some priceless artefact! Well, it already destroyed two shovels!

    ¡°I¡¯ll report to the chief!¡± The one with the fastest response rushed out of the pit to ask for a reward from the chief.

    Everyone else stomped their feet in frustration, they were too slow. ¡°What¡¯s he in a hurry for? To go to hell?!¡±

    The person who found the crystal first did not leave. He stood there, unmoving. So what if someone else went to the chief first? He dug up the stone! His portion of the reward would be huge.

    Everyone else smart enough looked at the block of white, then quickly picked up their tools and dug frantically. The rest started moving too. The fire crystals didn¡¯t exist in just one spot. Perhaps more of this crystal could be found right under their feet?! That guy had only dug deeper than them.

    Indeed, after some time, another ¡®clunk¡¯ could be heard. The sound of metal hitting a hard object.

    ¡°Haha, I found one too!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°I found one here!¡±

    The people in the pit scraped away pebbles and soil to find that everything was white under their feet! Everything! They could not find the edge. Perhaps this crystal wasrger than they imagined! A giant block of crystal!

    ¡°Ugh, this is hard. How do we pry a piece out?¡± Someone attempted several tools but all only left some scratches. They could not crack a piece out.

    ¡°Idiot! You need skill for that!¡± An experienced miner took out a chisel and hammer, delighted.

    The guy squatted and studied the ground. He stopped at a part, pointed his chisel on the ground and then hammered hard.

    Other people noticed that this piece of crystal was notpletely smooth, there were gaps and folded as if they were blocks of hexagons. The edge of the hexagons were gaps and slightly lighter in colour. The man stuck the sharp chisel in the gaps and then hammered heavily.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Since it could not be pried out, he hit faster. The hammering sounds seemed to be consecutive.

    ck!

    The chisel broke. A piece of white broke off and flew. Someone nearby with quick reflexes leapt, springing off the wall of the pit to catch the block smaller than his palm. The hexagoncked one corner now.

    The man who caught the white piece leaned closer to the torch, using its glow to study it. Everyone else leaned over too, the supervisors at the top of the pit looked down.

    ¡°Crystal! It must be some sort of crystal!¡±

    ¡°Look, it has patterns!¡±

    ¡°What patterns? Like frozen snow?¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you mean by frozen snow? This is a crystal structure!¡± Someone wanted to sound smarter.

    ¡°Simr.¡± the person put the piece in his mouth and bit it but it was cold. ¡°It¡¯s cold! Too hard!¡±

    ¡°Quick, let¡¯s pry a few more pieces before the chief arrives!¡±

    Everyone agreed and immediately got to work. People who didn¡¯t get a chisel started fighting. There weren¡¯t just Fox tribesmen here, there were Shen people too. When it came to matters regarding valuables, conflicts urred easily.

    The people who snatched a chisel for themselves started hacking.

    The Fox chief was currently talking to the Shen chief about their harvest. They were working on a n because their scouts had received news about the whereabouts of Taihe and Mountain Wind. Unfortunately, most of them were seen and killed.

    The three tribes seemed angry. With the current hostilities, they did not know if these tribes woulde raid their stores. They had to strengthen defences. They¡¯d prepared long-term stocks in their cave so food and fur were sufficient, and there was a lot of firewood left. They hadn¡¯t known the weather would be so harsh but at least they had enough supplies.

    As they spoke, a miner hurried excitedly to report that they had found a new type of crystal.

    This was good news. The chiefs followed him back to the pit.

    ¡°If it really is a new kind of crystal, I wonder how much it¡¯s worth,¡± said the Shen chief happily.

    ¡°No matter what, it will be good. I¡¯ve been telling you that us making this decision was a good thing.¡± The Fox chief was equally excited.

    ¡°Let me see what crystal it is?¡±

    The Shen tribe¡¯s birds had been ignored by everyone for the past few days. Right now, the fox from the Fox tribe, plus these birds were all crowding themselves into a corner and shaking all over. No one would¡¯ve been able to force these animals out if they¡¯d seen them. The animals all made no sound, frozen on the spot as if they wished they were stone.

    ¡­

    Within the ming Horn cave. Shao Xuan was observing the heartbeat.

    ¡°The time gap between the beats is shortening, the beats are getting louder too.¡± Shao Xuan described the beats to Zheng Luo and the rest.

    Although the three chiefs could not hear it, their heartbeats also quickened as they listened to Shao Xuan¡¯s descriptions. They might not be able to hear it but it still felt unsettling to hear such a description.

    ¡°Wait! Something¡¯s not right!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden remark made all three chiefs shoot up immediately.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quickening, getting louder, it¡¯s changing too quickly!¡± Beads of sweat sprouted out of his forehead. Shao Xuan was very nervous because he did not know what it was.

    The three chiefs¡¯ hearts were hanging at their throats now. They stared at Shao Xuan, waiting for his next words. However, his next words made their heart fall to rock bottom.

    ¡°Chief, I have a guess.¡± Shao Xuan gulped, forcing his fear down. He hadn¡¯t had this feeling in a long time. He remembered having this feeling a long time ago when he lost his way during hunts.

    ¡°Just¡­ say it!¡± Even Zheng Luo stammered.

    ¡°I suspect¡­ there¡¯s a¡­ King Beast underground!¡± Shao Xuan stuttered at every word, but each word shocked the three chiefs to their core.

    ¡°King¡­ King¡­¡±

    The three chief¡¯s mouths were agape and they could not finish their sentence.

    The King Beast only existed in their ancestor¡¯s handwritten records, they¡¯d only heard of it in legends. Even the ancestors who wrote the records might not have witnessed one. They just passed the stories down generations.

    No one wanted to face the king beast, for that was the true king of animals. In the legends, there were many stories of a king beast destroying an entire tribe effortlessly. No one really checked if these stories were true but they knew they would not want to meet a legendary beast like that.

    But now¡­

    They truly hoped that Shao Xuan was just scaring them, or it was just Shao Xuan¡¯s imagination.

    ¡°A long time ago, I once met a king beast. It was the same as the feeling I have right now,¡± said Shao Xuan, forcing himself to remain calm.

    The three chiefs were frozen.

    If they already secretly regretted their decision toe, right now, they¡¯d rather bang their heads on the walls.

    This is the king beast! Not some random animal in the forest!

    How were they going to fight it?

    Even if everyone in the caves could unite and work together, could they really fight against one? If it wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan, they wouldn¡¯t have heard its heartbeat! Even if the three chiefs did their best, they might not be able to keep most of their own tribe alive!

    This is a dream, this must be a dream.

    ¡­

    Within the Fox tribe¡¯s cave.

    The Shen and Fox chiefs were looking down at the workers in the pit, holding a cold piece of crystal the worker had tried so hard to pry out. They did not look happy, instead they had an inexplicable sense of fear. The kind of panic that made them hyperventte.

    ¡°Wait! Stop! Stop prying! I¡¯m telling you, stop!¡± The Fox chief screamed.

    Everyone looked at the chief in confusion, wondering why he was upset. It was silent within the cave.

    Crack crack crack crack

    The subtle sound grew clearer in the silence.

    A gust of freezing wind billowed, the cold prating deep into their bones.

    The supervisor in the pit looked down stiffly at his sword. The sword¡¯s tip, initially touching the ground, suddenly had ayer of frost extending upwards.

    The temperature within the pit fell at rming speeds. The chiefs, responding quickly, had already run upwards. The ones who were slightly slower realised they could no longer move. Their feet had been frozen to the ground. Initially, they thought their feet were numb to the ground but they realised everything was frozen in their legs. Even their blood could not flow.

    The white crystal beneath their feet started to move. Since they could not move, they could only fall heavily towards the walls of the pit as the ground beneath them shook. Unable to escape, right now, chopping off their legs would also be useless because the frost had extended beyond their waist. They had lost all sensation in their lower body.

    Crash! Crash! Crash!

    Consecutive thuds could be heard in the pit. The Fox chief did not need to look down to know that the people freezing in the pit had broken off into pieces.

 Chapter 466 - The Beast

    Chapter 466

    The Beast

    There was a deep rumbling within the salt caves, the sound of boulders rubbing against each other that shook everyone to the bone.

    The ground beneath their feet vibrated with the rumbling as white frost crept from the fire crystal pit outwards like an unstoppable force.

    The Fox and Shen chiefs only focused on getting out, pale with panic. Perhaps they had already sensed what was at the bottom. They regretted this more than the ming Horn¡¯s side¨C they could have just dug the damn crystals, why did they dig so deep for?

    If they knew there was an undefeatable beast underground, they would have been cautious. They would have brought the fire crystals they worked so hard for back to their tribe in this blizzard, leaving everything here behind, never to return!

    However, there was no use crying over spilt milk.

    They had already opened the door to bloodshed.

    ¡°Run! Leave this ce!¡± shouted the Fox tribe, unable to remain calm. He yelled with the kind of hopelessness even he couldn¡¯t believe he was feeling.

    Within the cave, all the Fox and Shen tribesmen did not know what was happening. All they knew was the sudden chill in their bones, a strong sense of fear that appeared in a second. The weaker ones felt their legs giving out under them.

    When they heard the Fox chief, the cave descended into chaos. Some people chose to push the boulder at the mouth of the cave aside, running out; others chose to huddle against the cave walls.

    The ones who were sitting or sleeping in the cave, who could not react in time, were run over by the stampede. Cries of agony could be heard but no one cared. They could not be helped. At this moment, even the slower ones knew something bad had happened. They were forest tribesmen, they had a basic survival instinct.

    The stronger ones shoved the people in front aside, squeezing themselves out. There was already limited space inside. Now, everyone pushed up against each other fighting for the exit.

    The Fox chief sprinted from deep within the cave, stepping on some heads as he leapt towards the exit. When the rest realised they could do this, they started to leap too. Some jumped too high and hit their heads on the ceiling of the cave. Without even wiping away their blood, they rushed ahead. People shoved even harder at the mouth of the cave.

    Everything grew increasingly chaotic.

    Everyone became rougher and more afraid, feeling the impending doom. Didn¡¯t they just see the chief rushing out?

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    Within the lower ground, the white frost was creeping outwards at rming speeds. Some people stuck at the back of the crowd felt the temperatures falling quickly, the water vapour in their breaths freezing instantly. Their skin felt frozen. At least they were further from the pit.

    This didn¡¯t just happen within the Fox¡¯s cave. Within the Shen cave, more than five hundred recruits from other tribes were present. There were more but they were killed by ming Horn. In this cave, there were both Fox and Shen people guarding the deeper parts of the cave. There was still unmined salt here so they had to prevent outsiders from stealing. At the same time, they were here to supervise. Altogether, there were about a thousand people here.

    When the frost started, the supervising warriors on this side had already sensed something wrong. They felt a numbness in their scalps and odd vibrations in the ground. When they heard the rumbles in the rocks, they all ran outwards to escape.

    Simr changes urred in the other three caves. On the ming Horn¡¯s side, the frost had begun.

    When they saw this, Shao Xuan and the three chiefs quickly avoided the frost.

    The changes happened too quickly, too sudden. Ayer of frost appeared on the ground so they had no choice but to stand on the frost.

    At least the changes only happened on the bottom floor of the cave. The upperyer was cold but better.

    Zheng Luo moved his legs stiffly, leading the warriors in the lower ground upwards.

    Chills seemed to extend from the ground into his foot, he felt as if his blood was filled with shaved ice.

    ¡°Should we escape outside?¡± Zheng Luo asked Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan shook his head immediately but then snapped back to reality. ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is but instinct tells me running outside like that isn¡¯t a good idea either.¡±

    ¡°Then we shall remain inside. Duo Kang, tell the warriors to stay quiet, hide their breaths, like when we hide in the forest during hunts. Do not exude any killing aura!¡± said Zheng Luo in a low voice.

    After the initial panic, Zheng Luo was a lot calmer now, though his voice still shook. This was also his first time but if Shao Xuan said so, he would listen.

    The Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs did the same. They dared not question Shao Xun now, for they did not know what to do either. They would just follow what the ming Horn did.

    In the upper floor of the cave, due to the presence of the lower ground people, there was almost no space to walk. The few of them also had to squeeze through the crowd.

    However, with three chiefs present, no one dared fool around. They merely gave way for them to pass.

    At the mouth of the cave, Shao Xuan pushed the boulder covering the entrance slightly. They had to clear the snow near the mouthter. Although the nket of snow had grown thicker, they still had a limited view of things far away.

    ¡°There are people leaving on that side,¡± said Zheng Luo when he heard themotion outside. There were people screaming on the Fox side.

    ¡°Should we go out and check?¡± asked the Taihe chief. Although he was afraid and worried, he was also curious.

    ¡°Wait first!¡± Shao Xuan stopped them. ¡°Listen.¡±

    Grrr¡ª¨C

    The boulders were an efficient medium for sound travel. It sounded like something was moving below.

    It was silent within the cave. Everyone could sense danger, holding their breaths. The rumbles in the cave were very clear, sending goosebumps.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big one! Are we really not going outside? The topyer of the cave isn¡¯t as solid as the bottomyer, what if it copses?¡± asked the Mountain Wind chief.

    Zheng Luo and the rest looked at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was under a lot of pressure. His decision would determine the fate of three thousand people.

    Instinct. He had to trust his instinct.

    ¡°Stay inside,¡± said Shao Xuan again.

    ¡°Then we stay in the cave!¡± Zheng Luo made a gesture to Duo Kang.

    Duo Kang gulped and turned to pass the message. The people who usually didn¡¯t blink in the presence of forest beasts were now shaking.

    The Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs looked at each other, their internal struggle showing in their eyes. The upperyer of the cave was not very solid, especially the part near the mouth. This was why it easily copsed when Fox and Shen destroyed this ce. It cannot withstand a giant beast¡¯s attack, especially not a king beast. One smash and it would copse. Then everyone would be buried inside. However, they might have a chance to live if they run now?

    Who would want to stay? To wait for death? They¡¯d either be buried or frozen to death!

    ¡°We¡­¡±

    The Mountain Wind chief was about to say something when Taihe¡¯s chief turned to his men, ¡°We will do the same as ming Horn. Tell everyone we¡¯ll do whatever ming Horn does!¡±

    Mountain Wind¡¯s chief, Lanmu swallowed his words. He had wanted to tell his people to escape but¡­

    He hesitated!

    ¡°Chief!¡± the people around him were starting to hurry him. Even his men were divided into two sides, one side agreed with ming Horn and Taihe while the rest wanted to leave while they still could.

    ¡°We should¡­¡±

    Before Lanmu finished, the rumbles grew louder and the ground shook more.

    ¡°It¡¯sing out!¡± said Shao Xuan in a low voice.

    It¡¯s out? What now? We wanted to escape! Lanmu was anxious.

    The nket of snow outside the cave was shaken off. The path they cleared was covered in even more snow. They could not see the outside anymore. The cave plunged into darkness.

    Crackle crackle crackle¡ª-

    A long, continuous sound of rough salt grains rubbing against rock grew louder until it was rough, yet sharp, and deafening. It was like nails on a chalkboard, sending goosebumps all over, piercing into their brains as every hair stood on their heads.

    The sounds echoed within the cave. The weaker warriors bled through their ears with a dazed look in their eyes. It took a while before they snapped back and their hearing was temporarily affected. Since they could not hear whispers, they solely relied on lip-reading.

    There was a long whistle like a strong gust of wind was blowing outside, then all the snow outside the mines was suddenly carried into the air.

    The ten-meter tallyer of snow outside the mines seemed to break off into unequal kes, then as if time was reversed, they all flew up into the air. The air currents flung the snow far away.

    In a moment, half of the solid wall of snow at the mouth of the cave disappeared.

    Shao Xuan reached out to push the snow at the gap between the cave mouth and the boulder aside. A gust of cold wind rushed into the cave but he had no time to care. Shao Xuan, the three chiefs, everyone near the entrance all stood tip-toed or climbed on a rock to see the outside through the gaps.

    Theyer of snow outside was now only two-meters thick.

    A giant beast that looked like a white python shot diagonally out of one part of the mines. As it flew in the air, it created a more violent air current, stirring the air once again. Wind and snow flew hysterically. It did not care about the weather, it was no trouble. More specifically, it was very happy to see such weather, so happy it leapt with joy.

 Chapter 467 - Itâ€™s Coming

    Chapter 467

    It¡¯s Coming

    ¡°What¡­ is that?¡± stuttered Zheng Luo, obviously shaken.

    Not just Zheng Luo, anyone who saw the python could not keep calm.

    In the forest, their first thought when they saw a beast was: how will we kill it? How shall we distribute its meat? How to cook? What are its uses? Is its hide valuable?

    However, when they saw this beast, although they could not see much through the falling snow at such a distance, the first thing they wanted to do was run.

    It¡¯s undefeatable! -this was Zheng Luo¡¯s conclusion.

    ¡°It¡¯s a snake?¡±

    ¡°Does a snake sound like that? Do snakese out in this weather?¡±

    The three chiefs discussed in a low voice.

    Outside, the python-like beast burst out of the mines and fell unto the piece ofnd scattered with boulders outside the caves. Due to the thick nket of snow, it almost looked like a t piece ofnd now. However, after itnded, there was a rumble¡ª as if they were random ornaments, the python effortlessly swept the boulders aside with its tail, clearing out arge area.

    What Shao Xuan and the rest saw were pieces of rock flying in the air or tossed out of the way.

    Duo Kang gulped once again. He wanted to speak but could not. This was the first time he felt this way in his life. He had met many ferocious beasts in the forest, yetpared to this one, they were nothing.

    This beast could sweeprge, hard boulders effortlessly. Could they even pierce through its skin with their weapons if it could withstand that?

    The python king beast cleared thend wherever it passed, yet somehow avoided the salt mines. All the odd-shaped rocks were swept to a side, as if it was clearing a path for a reason.

    Shao Xuan even saw shapes of humans swept away together with the rocks but these people did not even look alive. They were tossed around like non-living objects.

    Those were the ones who ran.

    The Fox chief had wanted to run with his men but they did not seed.

    The thickyer of snow and the boulders buried inside had slowed them greatly. Even if they wanted to escape the beast, they still had to make sure they did not fall unto a rock.

    The beast was heading towards the Fox chief fast.

    As she heard the beast approaching, the woman in his arms tugged at him. ¡°Go back.¡± They could not run but they could risk returning into the cave.

    The Fox chief furrowed his brows, unwilling to take the risk. However, the thickyer of snow was difficult to pass through, even breathing would be difficult after a while. After this patch, he would still have to pass the salt ts, which were more dangerous. He did not have food with him.

    Thedy tugged at him again and gave him a look. ¡°We turn towards their side.¡±

    The Fox chief clenched his teeth and turned instantly. They turned but did not return to their own cave. Instead, they ran towards the Shen cave. He swept his sword in front of him like a broom, sweeping the snow aside. When the de hit rock, he went around it.

    Some people saw him and followed.

    They met the Shen chief and other people too, who probably had the same idea.

    There were other people turning back to the Fox cave too.

    Although they had escaped the beast, who was clearing its path, the threat was not over.

    The patch of rock-scatterednd they¡¯d suffered so much to cross vanished.

    The thickyer of snow was gone, the odd-shaped rocks were gone. Everyone fled quickly to prevent themselves from bing a target. They dared not look back, nor did they stop, running frantically.

    That was why the people who escaped from the mines were divided into four groups. One wanted to leave, still running; one was scattered within the boulder forest and lost their way, in danger of getting suffocated by the snow; one portion turned around and went back to their original cave while the fourth group went with the Fox chief back to the Shen cave.

    There were five caves, all in different parts of the mines. The people on Shao Xuan¡¯s side could not see what was happening but so far it looked like staying inside was still the best choice for now. Running for your life in thick snow looked very difficult.

    ¡°What now?¡± As they listened to the rumbles in the background, Lanmu, who was usually an arrogant man, leader of the Mountain Wind tribe, could not control the shaking in his voice. Even as the chief, he was helpless right now. At the same time, he was relieved he did not go out or they¡¯d also suffer.

    Everyone else was silent.

    The weather was already bad, now there was a bigger problem. And this one did not have an easy solution. If a fight urred, there was a chance of everyone dying.

    All three chiefs had not experienced anything like this. They looked at Shao Xuan. So far, Shao Xuan had been right.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, any ideas?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°Send people to the lower floor to check. If it¡¯s not too cold, send a batch of people down.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go,¡± volunteered Duo Kang bravely, though he was just looking for an excuse to do something. He was very ufortable, it was his first time being this frightened.

    The beast continued clearing thend outside, moving around the salt mine area. asionally, it entered Shao Xuan¡¯s field of vision.

    ¡°Do you guys think it noticed us?¡± asked Taihe¡¯s chief.

    Zheng Luo and Lanmu looked at him but did not answer.

    The python-like king beast was not in a hurry, slowly sweeping everything in its path aside.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, do you sense anything?¡± asked Zheng Luo, who would rather ask his own tribe¡¯s Elder than the other two chiefs.

    ¡°Sense?¡± Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°I sense that this guy¡¯s in a good mood.¡±

    The three chiefs were crestfallen. It didn¡¯t matter if it was in a good or bad mood, it was still bad news.

    Duo Kang had already returned and sent some people to the lower floor. The crowd cleared and air flowed better. It was still cold.

    ¡°Looks like the beast radiated frost and cold air. If it approaches us, we have to avoid it,¡± said Duo Kang. After moving, he felt less stiff and could speak better. He had made a decision¨C fine, I¡¯ll die if ites to that. I¡¯ll be with many people, I won¡¯t die alone. But I¡¯ll regret not being able to see Duo Li marrying a wife and have grandchildren.

    As he spoke, Shao Xuan said, ¡°It¡¯sing.¡±

    The beast approached the mines, taking its time to sweep and clear the path.

    As it swept the forest of boulders, ayer of snow fell on the ground once again. Wherever it went, it left behind a long, curved line in the snow.

    The beast was nowing towards Shao Xuan and the rest. Everyone who could see this muttered to themselves in terror- please don¡¯te here, please don¡¯te here, go disturb the Fox tribe instead!

    The beast approached. Shao Xuan could not see its head. While its body looked like a snake, its head had spikes like icicles sticking out of its head.

    As it came closer, the temperature in the cave fell.

    Shao Xuan gestured for everyone to back away.

    Thank goodness some people were sent down or they wouldn¡¯t have been able to back away quickly.

    The beast crawled on top of the mines and passed above the cave. Although there was no light, Shao Xuan could hear frost forming in the cave.

    Screech¡ª

    The giant beast¡¯s scales scratched against the uneven salt mines, the screeches echoing within the cave like an ice brush swept across their heads. Everyone shivered and contracted their necks.

    When the sound grew further and further away, Shao Xuan took out the glowing crystals wrapped tightly in his back to brighten the cave.

    The crowd had already backed away from the regions directly under the beast¡¯s body. At this moment, all that¡¯s left was a trail of frost where it travelled. There was a herb dropped by someone on the ground, now frozen. When someone stepped on it, it shattered.

    ¡°That¡¯s the king beast.¡± Zheng Luo slowly exhaled, for he had been holding his breath.

    ¡°It¡¯s going towards¡­¡± Shao Xuan listened and pointed. ¡°That way?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where the Fox cave is,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Maybe the Fox people dug the beast out when they were mining fire crystals?¡± Duo Kang shivered. He had also dug a pit, thank goodness it was not deep.

    They did not know the truth, only making assumptions. They were not going to leave the cave now.

    At this moment, the Fox chief brought a batch of people into the Shen¡¯s salt cave. When he entered, he realised the forgotten birds and fox were hiding here in a corner.

    On the other side were people huddled together, shaking as they heard the noises outside.

    Frost appeared at the mouth of the cave.

    The people in the cave ran hysterically towards the inside.

    Thud! The boulder blocking the entrance disappeared. It was swept aside. The white head of the beast, as if covered in ice crystals, appeared.

    The cave wasrge to humans, yet it was small for the beast.

    The beast would not be able to enter. They secretly heaved a sigh of relief, hiding deep inside as they peered fearfully at the peculiar beast.

    Its eyes were as cold as eyes, ring sharply at everything in the cave as if it could freeze the air in an instant. It looked inside the cave then suddenly opened its jaws and cried.

    A piercing screech filled the cave, bringing with it a st of frost, travelling straight into the depths of the cave.

 Chapter 468 - Dig!

    Chapter 468

    Dig!

    It was pitch-ck within the salt cave.

    In the deepest part, there were more than ten people in the fire crystal pit attempting to pry out more fire crystals on the ground.

    When the incident happened, the Fox and Shen chief had escaped in a hurry and were not able to bring the fire crystals with them. Along the sides were baskets filled with dug-up fire crystals, which were now scattered on the ground as the baskets were kicked over during the escape. These crystals were now frozen stuck to the ground due to frost.

    At the point, some people had left with the Fox chief but some missed the opportunity. There were also people who intentionally remained in the cave, saying that it was the safest.

    Without the presence of the chiefs, no one cared about the dead and the injured within the cave. They heard from people running back that there was a giant beast outside that they could not fight so they had to return for cover.

    The ones who knew about the fire crystals had the idea to pry the crystals out of the pit. To these totemic warriors, the crystals were still valuable.

    Four people were digging, one person held a fire torch while about twenty stood watch in case anyone came. No one had run deeper into the cave because there was a lot of ice and frost inside, plus the frozen dead. Plus if this ce was safe, the two chiefs would not have run out.

    Even the person holding the fire torch next to the pit could feel the cold air.

    White frost was everywhere. While they did not witness what happened, they could guess.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± said a guard. It was too cold here. It would be better if they could use the fire crystals now.

    ¡°You¡¯re just mining crystals, why are you taking so long?¡±ined another.

    ¡°It sounds easy but do you know how hard this ice is?¡± panted a guy, shing his sword. They did not know why the ice seemed to be harder nearer the pit. The ice here was different from ice outside. It was too hard! They could already see half a chunk of fire crystal, yet prying it out was so difficult. The bronze weapons they had were not the best either, the kind businessmen sold in bulk.

    Ice shavings sttered on their faces, necks and mouths as they hacked away with their knives and swords.

    ¡°It¡¯s salty,¡± said someone.

    ¡°Nonsense, of course ice in a salt cave is salty.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, it¡¯s freezing!¡±

    A shivering warrior standing guard heard a sound. Shivering, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?¡±

    There were sounds of crowds yelling and this left them unsettled.

    They heard a faint shout, ¡°Outside! It¡¯s outside!¡±

    ¡°The beast came in?¡± The guard panicked.

    ¡°No, it can¡¯te in, it can¡¯t.¡± Not sure if he was convincing himself or the rest.

    ¡°But the people in front¡­¡±

    Before they finished, they heard a loud cry.

    The people in the upperyer of the cave felt a strong st of frost and wind in their faces. They could not breathe nor open their eyes, as if they were outside in the middle of a blizzard.

    IN the bottomyer, the warriors held up a hand to block the wind. The wind was not obvious here, for there were many people on the upper floor who blocked most of the current.

    ¡°Ey, people in the front! What the hell happened?!¡± A warrior yelled into the wind.

    No one answered.

    Crack- crack- crack¨C

    They heard cracking around them.

    The ones prying crystals in the pit stopped too. The winds had already extinguished the fire torch.

    Now that their source of warmth was gone, the chill pierced into their bones.

    Based on muscle memory, the warrior holding the torch quickly hid in a hole, turned his back against the wind, took out fire-starting tools and applied a sticky gel on a stick. Then, he started the fire with friction.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The stick lit up once again. It was not hot enough. He wanted to light the torch now since the wind had died.

    However, before he could, the fire on the fire stick went out.

    ¡°Fuck!¡±

    The warrior felt the temperature falling around him. He felt like his lungs were frozen. Whispering to a warrior a few steps away from him, ¡°Do you guys have fire sticks? I used myst one.¡±

    No one answered.

    Around him was a deathly silence.

    The warrior wanted to say something but he realised his consciousness was quickly slipping away. Then he could not feel the cold anymore. His body grew heavier, too stiff to move¡­ then he lost all consciousness.

    If there were light, one would see that this warrior was covered from head to toe in ayer of frost.

    A few steps away, the person mining the fire crystals was frozen in one position, holding his weapon. There was no breath in him. The twenty guards nearby had no heartbeats.

    The crackling noise continued as frost extended throughout two levels of the cave. All life ceased to function.

    On the other side, within the ming Horn cave.

    The three chiefs stood expressionless. At this point, they did not know what expression to put on their faces.

    They heard the sounds and they could sense the killing aura in these cries. The odd thing was that the anger was not strong.

    This was just a feeling.

    ¡°Perhaps it doesn¡¯t even care about us, it just wants to take revenge on the ones who disturbed it?¡± Shao Xuan tried to say something good, though he did not want to lie to them.

    In the past, when he got lost in the king stoneworm¡¯s cave, he knew that the worm must have sensed his presence because he was not far away. The worm must have ignored him. Just like how a human would ignore an ant on the side of a road.

    ¡°Or maybe it¡¯s in a good mood today, that¡¯s why we can¡¯t sense the killing aura?¡± tried Zheng Luo. Shao Xuan had said that it was in a good mood.

    ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s not provoke it.¡± Although the king beast¡¯s temper was worse than the king stoneworm,pared to the fierce beasts in the forest, it was a little better. Ignoring them was a good thing.

    They suddenly heard a rumble, then another, then another¡­ but the sounds grew further away.

    Shao Xuan rushed to the mouth of the cave. The gap had already been blocked by more snow.

    Pushing aside the snow, Shao Xuan looked out.

    He saw a snake¡¯s silhouette among the wind and snow. It leapt around asionally, slithering around for a while and then leaping into the air.

    It was¡­ energetic.

    As the sounds grew farther away, until they fadedpletely, the people in the cave could not help but sigh.

    ¡°Is it gone?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably leaving for the moment. I don¡¯t know when it¡¯d return, this is probably its nest,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°I¡¯ll go out to check.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± Zheng Luo turned to Duo Kang. ¡°Watch everyone, don¡¯t let them wander outside.¡±

    When they left, the other two chiefs followed too. They wanted to see what happened outside. Since the beast wasn¡¯t here, it was a rare opportunity. Maybe they could return alive to record this historical event on an animal skin scroll after all. Then their descendants could know that within this patch of forest, there lived a king beast. And they had mined salt in this magical ce for centuries.¡±

    They also wanted to confirm if they could leave.

    Listening around him, Shao Xuan pushed the boulder aside and walked out. When all three chiefs also exited the cave, he pushed the boulder back.

    There was still a blizzard outside, it was a lot colder than the inside of the cave.

    While the patch of boulder-riddennd had been cleared, a thick nket of snow had reced it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check on the Fox¡¯s cave,¡± suggested Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    All four went over cautiously, following the giant snake tracks to the Fox cave.

    There was a thickyer of ice that sent a spike of chill through your heels when you walked on it. However, when they saw the situation in the Fox cave, they thought shivering in the cold was nothingpared to the unlucky bastards.

    There was a thickyer of white ice around the cave¡¯s mouth, making the entrance a lot smaller, plus a meter-tallyer of ice on the ground of the cave.

    They jumped up onto the ice and entered the cave.

    Zheng Luo was holding a piece of glowing crystal so he could see everything inside.

    There were people frozen under theyer of ice at the entrance. They must have been crushed by the stampede during the escape.

    They continued walking and saw broken pieces.

    Yes, crumbs.

    The frozen tribesmen had shattered and cracked in the cold.

    A deep cold rushed into their spines and every hair on their body stood up. Even the three chiefs could feel their heart clench.

    Shao Xuan trudged deeper. There were people here, all standing. Their bodies were intact but there was ayer of white on all of them.

    Dodging in between these bodies, the four went to the lower floor of the cave.

    They thought it would be better but they were wrong.

    Although they could sense that there was no life in this area, they were terrified. Every person was covered in a whiteyer of frost, their facial expressions faintly visible and their postures indicated what they were doing.

    ¡°Fire crystals?¡± Since they were close, Zheng Luo could feel its presence.

    When they heard this, the two chiefs forgot about their fears.

    Noticing the fire crystals frozen stuck to the ground, all three chiefs grew excited.

    The king beast wasn¡¯t here, there were no other people here, plus there were fire crystals on the ground! What should they do?

    Dig!

 Chapter 469 - Tunnel

    Chapter 469

    Tunnel

    There were fire crystals on the ground. They¡¯d been half-dug out by the Fox tribesmen but froze over once again.

    However, the chiefs had better weapons and were stronger. With the help of the glowing crystal, the three started to dig fast. However, they were also cautious in case other people like Fox or Shen tribesmen came.

    Shao Xuan nned to enter the pit where they mined the fire crystals from. There was ayer of white ice on the pit walls. He tied and let a rope down, then slid down the pit using the rope.

    The pit was deep with smooth walls, using a rope was more convenient.

    When he was inside, he stepped directly on a part where the beast had been.

    Without the beast, there was a long tunnel in its wake. The rock around the tunnel was covered in ayer of white ice. Although thin, it was frozen rock so it was hard.

    The air was cold. Shao Xuan could not even feel the heat from his breath.

    He could sense that there were more crystals around this ¡®tunnel¡¯. Perhaps the long beast stayed here because of the fire crystals, like the bat king years ago.

    However, it¡¯s been centuries and this ¡®snake¡¯ has never made an appearance. Was it hibernating? For centuries? That was a very long nap. Not sure how old this creature was.

    Waving his sword, he scratched away theyer of ice and pried out some fire crystals in the wall. Shao Xuan sensed that some of the energy in the crystal had already been absorbed, though there was some left.

    Did the snake do it?

    He didn¡¯t have time. Shao Xuan waved his sword faster. He did not need the glowing crystal, for he could already see where all the fire crystals were with his special vision.

    ng! ng!

    Within the tunnel, the sound of Shao Xuan mining the crystals echoed together with the sound of Zheng Luo and the rest mining above the pit.

    When they finished picking up all the fire crystals, they also found all the crystals the frozen men had hidden in various parts of their bodies and put the crystals in their pouches. The three leapt into the long ¡®tunnel¡¯.

    ¡°We initially nned toe take the salt mines from Fox, can¡¯t believe we took their fire crystals too,¡± said the Taihe chief with a chuckle.

    No matter what, with the fire crystals, their heavy hearts were somewhatforted.

    The Fox tribe had already mined into thisyer of fire crystals so every piece of crystal wasrger than the ones found in the ming Horn cave.

    The three chiefs rested for a while then got up again. No one knew how long the king beast would be gone for. They wanted to take this opportunity to dig more. When the beast returned, they¡¯d slip away.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for a long time but I¡¯ve never seen so many fire crystals.¡± The Taihe chief¡¯s breathing quickened, not sure from the mining or excitement.

    ¡°I¡¯ve lived for eighty years, yet I have never seen so many,¡± sighed Mountain Wind¡¯s Lanmu.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s digging stopped for a moment. Zheng Luo remained silent.

    Taihe¡¯s chief¡¯s eyes darted at Zheng Luo but he did not speak.

    The three chiefs looked the same age- around forty. However, in reality, they were a lot older than Zheng Luo.

    Perhaps the tribes unfamiliar with ming Horn did not know this, but Taihe, due to close trade rtions, knew that out of all the tribes, the average lifespan of a ming Horn tribesman was the shortest.

    Shao Xuan only knew this recently. On the other side of the ocean, he suspected this too but wasn¡¯t sure. He only knew the truth when he arrived. The ming Horn tribe was different in many ways butpared to an ordinary weaker human, their lifespan was shorter.

    Many of the Taihe tribesmen on this excursion were over a hundred although they looked middle-aged. However, if the ming Horn members ever lived above a hundred, they would not hunt or do heavybour. Towards the end of their lives, they aged and weakened very quickly.

    Because their lives were iplete.

    This was an unexpected consequence from splitting the fire seed.

    Years ago, their ancestors were extremely regretful because of this. Consequently, their handwritten records were filled with self-me and guilt not just because of their inability to return to their homnds but mostly because they felt they were being punished with iplete life cycles.

    The ming Horn people were stronger than others in many aspects but in terms of lifespan, it was as if there was a knife that chopped their path in two before they could finish their life¡¯s journey.

    On the other side, perhaps the shaman knew of this but he did not tell the others. Plus the ming Horn people there were isted from the rest of the world so they did not notice. They lived with no resentment of this. On this side, the tribesmen did not socialise much with the outside world either so most did not notice. Only a portion knew and they kept it to themselves.

    In the past years, their ancestors had allowed inter-tribal marriages perhaps to use another bloodline to solve this problem. Unfortunately, this problem persisted. Their blood was too strong.

    In the beginning, Shao Xuan read mostly notes filled with guilt but they never directly mentioned the reason. It was only after Shao Xuan returned from Gongjia Mountain to practice controlling the bone ornament when the shamaness told him.

    There were many people who knew their lives were shorter than other tribes but they did not know the reason. Some people thought it was nature¡¯s way of bncing their extraordinary strength. They must have been given a magical source of energy, that was why something must offset this power. Most people were satisfied with this exnation.

    The shamans did not tell them because they did not want the tribe to lose hope. It had been a thousand years and yet they still could not return. Somehow, after so many generations, this matter was slowly forgotten and only the highest-ranked members knew. Only Zheng Luo and the shamaness knew the true reason.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival was a ray of hope.

    In this past year, the shamaness had sent several batches of people to the coast where Shao Xuan arrived to wait for an opportunity for the whole tribe to move. However, nothing happened. No one knew when another opportunity woulde.

    How will they return?

    Shao Xuan was deep in thought, distractedly mining the crystals.

    The Mountain Wind chief noticed the odd tension in the atmosphere.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check out the ce.¡± Shao Xuan passed the fire crystals he mined to Zheng Luo and ran along the tunnel.

    As he ran, Shao Xuan identified directions and calcted the distance until he stopped and looked at the top of the ¡®tunnel¡¯. This should be close to the ming Horn¡¯s salt cave. Not directly above but diagonally above him.

    He did not dig immediately. Shao Xuan continued walking along the tunnel until the end. This was where the king beast shot out of the ground but the hole was already sealed with a very thickyer of ice. The nearer he got to the hole, the colder it got.

    Shao Xuan did not walk over. He merely listened. He could not hear the beast. Then, he turned around.

    If the king beast sealed the hole with ice, it must not intend to return soon.

    He called for the rest toe over and told them about his deductions. He nned to dig downwards from the ming Horn cave.

    If they really were going to be trapped here for a few days, they couldn¡¯t keeping over through Fox¡¯s cave, right? The beast had targeted Fox¡¯s cave. They might anger the king beast. If the Fox and Shen people returned, they would not be able to avoid war too. There was no need to start a war in this climate.

    All four agreed.

    Shao Xuan quickly shed his sword like a shovel, breaking the iceyer and dug around the rocks on the wall of the tunnel.

    The other three also helped.

    They weren¡¯t sure of the situation outside so they couldn¡¯t leave immediately. Might as well use the time to mine more crystals. Even if they had to fight the beastter, they would protect a team with their lives so they could bring the fire crystals back. All this couldst the tribes a very long time.

    The area they dug was notrge. In the beginning, the rock was hard but as they dug upwards, it got easier.

    Within the ming Horn cave, the warriors guarding the fire crystal pit panicked and ran to look for Duo Kang.

    Duo Kang sent a portion of the people in the lower floor up in case the same frost incident happened. When that was done, he and a few men cautiously approached the fire crystal pit. If they saw any signs of frost, they would sprint away immediately.

    Other than a king beast, what else lived underground?

    Crush, crush, crush¡ª

    The sounds grew clearer. It did not sound like a king beast, there was no chilling aura. There was no frost either.

    Enemies? Perhaps either the Fox or Shen tribe?

    Duo Kang grew more alert and slowly inched forward. He craned his neck into the pit and gestured for everyone to be on guard.

    They all clutched their weapons, so nervous their faces twitched. They were traumatised by the king beast and definitely did not want to see something else sprout from the ground. They hoped they¡¯d see another human being. It didn¡¯t matter if it was the Shen or Fox tribe, as long as it was human.

    The sounds grew closer.

    All the people around the pit were tense. It did not sound like a beast.

    The ground seemed to loosen.

    Duo Kang lifted a hand.

    Poof! Rumble rumble.

    Some soil and rocks were pushed aside.

    Duo Kang was about to wave and yell ¡®Attack!¡¯ when he saw four dusty faces.

    He squinted.

    Three chiefs and their tribe Elder leapt out of the hole!

    The four of them had finallypleted the arduous task of digging upwards only to see axes, swords and knives pointing at their faces.

 Chapter 470 - Chapter 470 Itâ€™s Gone

    Chapter 470

    It¡¯s Gone

    When he saw the four people, Duo Kang was stunned. He rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

    ¡°Chief, why did youe out of the ground?¡± Duo Kangughed nervously and retracted his axe.

    Everyone else frantically retracted their weapons. Didn¡¯t they leave the cave? Why did they return through the ground?

    Duo Kang got someone to throw in some rope and they climbed out of the pit.

    Zheng Luo briefly exined and then sat on a rock whoseyer of ice had already been hacked off to catch his breath. Although they were strong warriors, the four had not rested since the ¡®tunnel¡¯. They had been afraid of the beast returning too so they were in a tensed state. They could finally rx here.

    Duo Kang¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°You mean, if we don¡¯t leave for the moment, we can jump inside and start mining crystals every day?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Then chief, you all rest here, I¡¯ll bring my men over there and we¡¯ll continue mining!¡± Duo Kang said, rubbing his palms. At this point, the fear of the beast had faded. The fire crystals were an attractive goal.

    ¡°Bring fewer people. Be alert. Run back immediately if anything seems wrong. Don¡¯t be greedy,¡± reminded Zheng Luo. ¡°Clean up the soil and rocks in the tunnel we dug too.¡±

    The tunnel was filled with a lot of rocks and soil due to their digging. If the king beast returned, no one knew if it would rage upon sight of these little piles of soil. They shivered when they thought of what happened in the Fox cave. It was extremely pitiful. Not a single person on both floors of the cave lived.

    ¡°I know!¡± Duo Kang called over a few people, brought their tools and slid down the rope.

    The other tribes did the same. They would not miss this opportunity.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, when can we leave?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Wait.¡± Shao Xuan took out some rope to conduct a reading.

    He wanted to ask about the king beast but the reading failed. After so many times, he had figured out that usually, he was unable to conduct readings targeting a person or beast far more powerful than himself. That was why after a failed attempt, Shao Xuan did a reading for the weather.

    Although there was no clear conclusion, Shao Xuan found out that the weather would worsen.

    ¡°Leave in two days,¡± he said.

    ¡°Two days?¡± Zheng Luo frowned. ¡°Why?¡± He believed Shao Xuan but wanted to know the reason.

    ¡°It¡¯ll temporarily stop snowing in two days. But once it starts again, the weather will be worse than what we witnessed.¡± Shao Xuan told them about his conclusion. The reading did not tell him what would happen but hinted that the best time to leave was two dayster because the snowing would stop.

    The Taihe and Mountain Wind chiefs memorised his words, mulling over their next move.

    In the past, the Mountain Wind people did not have a good impression of ming Horn. To them, ming Horns were strong, vulgar and unreasonable people. Nothing else. However, they were impressed, especially by this Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Then we shall make preparations for it. Tell everyone in the cave that we will leave in two days,¡± said the Taihe chief.

    If they had to leave in two days, then mining the fire crystals became an urgent matter.

    After some rest, the three chiefs went to mine and instructed people to mine more salt. Since they only had two days, they should mine as much as they could.

    In the past, they mined only what they needed, not too much. They did not sell much of the salt they mined here, the portion of salt used for trade was very small. That was why they only mined two floors after centuries. If they continued digging downwards, instead of salt, they¡¯d get the fire crystals and provoke the king beast sooner. Then all the salt mine guards would likely die here too.

    After doing nothing for several days, all the warriors of the three tribes were in a better mood since they finally had something to do. At least they didn¡¯t have to sit and dream all day.

    It did not matter if it was salt from the ceiling or the ground, they brought all they could. This might be theirst chanceing here, no one wanted to act recklessly in a king beast¡¯s territory. If they knew of it earlier, they would have avoided this ce altogether.

    Strictly speaking, this was the ming horn¡¯s cave, the Taihe and Mountain Wind people should not be digging here. However, their caves were not cleaned out and they had no time. Plus Zheng Luo felt like this might be theirst time here. Since everyone was in the same boat, they might as well dig in the same cave. There was not much salt left anyway. If they finished mining in two days, it would be great for everyone. In the future, if they returned, the Mountain Wind and Taihe tribe would help them take one cave for ming Horn.

    Just like that, one group of people mined salt, the other mined for fire crystals. There were two groups of guards on both sides. If the king beast came, they would retreat immediately.

    The king beast appeared nearby on the second afternoon. However, it merely loitered around for a while and then left. It did note to the salt mines.

    The people mining fire crystals had suddenly met some Fox people. Both parties met in the tunnel and almost broke out into war- especially the Mountain Wind people whose eyes were aze and bloodshot. These were now their mortal enemies, they were about to attack when someone above ground warned, ¡°The king beast is here!¡±

    Immediately, both sides turned and ran back towards their own caves. The Fox tribe ran back to their cave, the ming Horns back to theirs. After hiding for a while, they realised the king beast was only taking a stroll and did not approach the mines. Then they returned to the tunnel again. This time, they did not meet the Fox tribe again.

    The Mountain Wind Chief, Lanmu, told his men to ignore the Fox tribesmen first. Yes, revenge must be taken but this matter was more important. They did not have much time left.

    ¡­

    ¡°Chief, what do we do?¡±

    Within the Fox cave, a Fox warrior¡¯s face darkened as he asked the Fox chief, who was silent.

    They were hiding in the Shen tribe¡¯s cave. When they heard the king beast¡¯s cries, they knew their cave would be gone. While they were relieved not to be there, they were also heartbroken for they knew it was going to be horrible news. When the beast left, they hid a little longer and then came over only to see a cave full of frozen people with no signs of life.

    When they came over to the pit, they discovered evidence of mining activities that extended into the tunnel. As they walked, they saw tribesmen from the three other tribes.

    The fire crystals they had worked so hard to mine were stolen by the three other tribes!

    ¡°Why can¡¯t the beast roar into the ming Horn cave?¡±ined the Fox warrior.

    However, they also understood in their hearts that they were the ones who provoked the beast first. Especially the few miners- they didn¡¯t just touch the best, they¡¯d pried out its scales! Although it was a very small piece, it was still an insult to the beast. Not sure if this was the reason why the King Beast specifically targeted and killed everyone in their cave.

    Speaking of regret, the one who regretted this the most was naturally the Fox chief. The fox tribesmen had fought with the Shen people in their cave and almost broke off the partnership. The only reason why the Shen chief swallowed his pride was because they knew they weren¡¯t as smart as the Fox tribe. If they wanted to leave alive, they still had to rely on the Foxes.

    What now?

    No one knew.

    ¡°If we don¡¯t have an idea, why don¡¯t we observe Mountain Wind and the rest,¡± said thedy next to the Fox chief after some thought. ¡°We definitely can¡¯t fight the beast, we know that from the people who froze to death. But what if there¡¯s a bait?¡±

    The fox chief¡¯s eyes shed. ¡°You mean to let those people attract the beast¡¯s attention and then we run off on our own?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°That is a good idea, but I don¡¯t want to leave the fire crystals behind!¡± No one would. All these crystals were so close to them, would they be wasting this opportunity?

    The Fox and Shen tribe discussed once again and decided to mine for the fire crystals first and then look for an opportunity to betray ming Horn and the rest. That would be their cue to run off.

    The n was good but as they mined, the scouts watching the ming Horn cave reported that those people had left the cave.

    ¡°They left?¡± There were so many crystals left, the beast was still strolling outside asionally, why would they leave now?

    ¡°It has stopped snowing, the winds stopped too. Perhaps they decided to take this opportunity to leave.¡± The Shen chief was hesitant. Should they leave too? But there were so many crystals here. Right now, they were makingrger progress than they did before.

    HE could not bear to leave this ce behind.

    ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯ll dig for a few more days?¡± suggested the Fox chief. However, he was thinking fast. They didn¡¯t have ming Horn as bait but there were still other people. After they finished digging, they could just use these as bait.

    That was why as the three tribes left, neither Fox nor Shen followed. They continued mining. The ones Fox recruited with the promise of salt also knew of the fire crystals now. At this point, they would not be willing to leave either.

    Looking at these people, fully focused on the fire crystals, the fox chief and thedy beside him looked at each other, slightly smirking. The ones who¡¯d lost all sense of reason were the easiest to manipte. They were the best bait.

    At this moment, ming Horn, Taihe and Mountain Wind trekked out of the cave towards the white pieces ofnd.

    There was already a seven-meter thickyer of snow where the king beast had cleared. Thisyer of snow was taller than a house.

    It was very difficult to travel across this ce.

    ¡°Will we meet the beast?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­ so?¡± Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure either. He hoped their luck wasn¡¯t too bad.

 Chapter 471 - Standoff

    Chapter 471

    Standoff

    The snow and winds might have stopped but theyer of snow taller than a house was a huge obstacle to the three tribes. Everyone suffered.

    In the end, the three chiefs decided to take a risk¨C travelling along the king beast¡¯s tracks.

    Yesterday, the beast had appeared nearby and the snow had stopped this morning. These tracks did not have much snow and the existingyer of snow had beenpressed. There was a long path shaped like a ¡®U¡¯.

    Walking on this path was a lot easier. Other than the knee-highyer of snow, there had been no obstacles. They just had to be alert of the king beast¡¯s appearance.

    After confirming the direction, they walked on king beast tracks whenever they could. If there were no tracks, they had to brave through the snow. The ming Horns were still fine since they were strong and have high endurance but everyone else suffered.

    ¡°More tracks in front,¡± said Zheng Luo as he stared ahead. ¡°Not recent though, the snowyer is knee-high, it¡¯s been here for some time.¡±

    If there was snow, that meant the king beast hadn¡¯t been here in awhile. This was good news.

    ¡°Hurry up, don¡¯t stop!¡± said Zheng Luo to the crowd behind him. ¡°It would take at least three days to exit this salt t. Too many things could happen within a three-day period.

    In the past, they only travelled for two days plus nightly rest. Right now, they still had to travel at night and it¡¯d take more than 2 days.

    Taking the risk to travel on where the king beast had travelled before had two benefits- one, the snow wasn¡¯t thick, second, there was no poisonous salt.

    The Mountain Wind people finally could be useful. Since the snowyer was too tall, itpletely blocked their vision. They could not see if there was danger in front. The Mountain Wind people had ¡®wings¡¯, so although they could not fly high nor long distances, it was enough for them to check the coast above the snowyer.

    ¡°Safe! Proceed!¡± The Mountain Wind chief, Lanmu, spoke with a lot more confidence and majesty now. Since the beginning, their tribe had struggled to prove themselves useful. They had to rely on ming Horn a lot too. Now, they could finally puff up their chests again.

    After hearing that there was no beast, many heaved a sigh of relief. Footsteps became lighter. They would rather suffer walking through snow than meeting the beast.

    As they hurried along, Shao Xuan felt his heart skip a beat. He stopped walking, cocking his head to listen.

    Shao Xuan waited for a while and finally heard the thumps. They went by 2 consecutive beats, one high and one low-pitched. It sounded so far and faint, yet so near and loud.

    Is it the beast?!

    Didn¡¯t they say the coast was clear?!

    The tracks they walked on had a knee-highyer of snow, it was not fresh. There were no tracks around too.

    ¡°I¡¯m hearing the sound again,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Like a boulder, it fell on the shoulders on all three chiefs. They could suffocate under the pressure now.

    ¡°King¡­Beast?!¡±

    ¡°Where?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, I just flew up to check! I did not see the beast!¡± said the Mountain Wind chief.

    Thump-thump! Thump-thump!

    The beats quickened, like how the beats sounded like when the beast woke up in the mines.

    Shao Xuan looked to the side at the tall wall of white snow.

    Everyone looked too.

    Crack¡ª¡ª Rumble¡ª¨C

    The sound of cracking ice and falling rocks.

    The ground beneath them shook. The tall wall of snow shook and copsed.

    Whoosh!

    The giant, white head of the king beast burst out of the ground, forcing its head through the snow. It shook off the snow on its head, revealing a face covered in icicle-like spikes.

    It¡¯s the beast! It had burrowed underground!

    That¡¯s why they didn¡¯t see it, it was underground!!

    At this moment, should they scatter and run for their lives? Or act dead?

    No one was familiar with its behaviour, no one knew what to do.

    What now?!

    Including the three chiefs, everyone felt hopeless.

    Previously, they had been watching it from afar, the terror they felt was not as strong as right now. Even if the beast had crawled above their heads, it was now like this.

    Most of its torso was still underground. The front part of its body and head lifted, looking at everyone.

    Pffft¡ª-

    White mist shot from its enormous nostrils. The air suddenly grew cold. And it was merely breathing normally. If it decided to rage¡ª-

    The consequences would be unimaginable.

    Its gaze swept from the front of the line to the end. As if the frost had already spread, everyone stood unmoving, as if they had already been frozen. No one breathed.

    They turned their heads stiffly, waiting for the chief¡¯s orders. If he said to run, they¡¯d run for their lives. If he said to fight, they would fight and then let a team carrying the fire crystals and salt leave without them.

    It was a difficult decision for the chiefs. One wrong decision could result in many deaths.

    Run?

    Would it provoke the beast? Many predators loved chasing after moving targets. Maybe it¡¯d ignore them if they didn¡¯t move?

    Don¡¯t run?

    But what if it cries again? Will we all freeze to death?

    At this moment, their gaze fell subconsciously on Shao Xuan once again.

    Not just the three chiefs. After the beast regarded the entire entourage, it looked at Shao Xuan and even leaned nearer.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s limbs were ice cold. It was his first time so close to a king beast. No one knew if the beast would rage and kill them all.

    When the beast leaned closer, everyone retreated back but Shao Xuan stood his ground. To him, retreating was useless plus the beast¡¯s target seemed to be him.

    It looked down, leaning over until it was less than ten meters away from Shao Xuan. The difference in size made Shao Xuan suspect that he might not berge enough to block one of the beast¡¯s nostrils.

    Within its ice eyes, Shao Xuan saw lines like snowke patterns on its eyeball. Its pupils constricted into a dagger-like re like a master thinking over a decision. There was no strong emotion.

    Pfftttt¡ª-

    The beast exhaled again.

    A cloud of white mist sted into his face. Shao Xuan¡¯s face stung from the cold as ayer of ice formed. This was just one breath, yet Shao Xuan looked like he¡¯d been tossed into the freezer.

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    Zheng Luo was rmed and about toe over when he saw zing totemic patterns appearing on his body.

    Shao Xuan focused on his totemic power, weathering the frost with all his might.

    The fight between ice and fire was obvious on his body. Red mes broke off pieces of ice and the totemic patterns seemed to chase away the frost.

    He forced all chills out of his body with totemic power.

    Shao Xuan only hoped the beat would not unleash its cry on them. He could withstand one breath but not a roar. If it were easy, the entire cave of Fox tribesmen would not have died.

    He focused on leveling the energy in his body, radiating a neutral energy to avoid provoking the beast. He stared into its eyes. Although it was cold and seemed emotionless, there were still traces of feelings that would help Shao Xuan decide what to do next.

    Immediately, the beast¡¯s pupils constricted even more. It backed its head away and stood taller, still ring at Shao Xuan.

    The narrow scales on its head perked up slightly as it moved, bristling its icicle-like spikes. It looked as if it was wearing an icicle scarf now. A sign that it was about to attack.

    ¡°RUN!¡± roared Shao Xuan.

    The temperature around them fell quickly, the knee-highyer of snow was as troublesome as mud and threatened to trap them all. It severely limited their movement. Even if they wanted to run for their lives, they could not run out of its range of attack.

    They were slow! Too slow! Barely one-tenth of their normal speed!

    How?!

    As Zheng Luo ran, he saw Shao Xuan still standing there in his peripheral vision. He was about to pull Shao Xuan away but before he could approach, the beast had already opened its jaws.

    A current stronger than a tornado, paired with extreme cold, was sted right at Shao Xuan.

    He¡¯s done for.

    That was what Zheng Luo thought. At this moment, Zheng Luo was filled with regret. If he acted sooner, could he have yanked Shao Xuan out of the way in time?

    No one could stand against this beast in that cave. Images of the frozen bodies in the Fox cave shed across Zheng Luo¡¯s mine. All the frozen bodies, the shattered pieces¡­

    Boom¡ª

    A huge explosion sent Zheng Luo flying backwards. Everyone nearby was also thrown out in a second.

    The two tall walls of snow flew into the air in huge chunks, snow was tossed about everywhere. Some pieces broke into crumbs and fell as snowkes, spreading everywhere.

    On the white, snowy piece ofnd, the icy beast looked down on the tiny humans as if it was the king of all beings on this piece of icynds.

    In front of it, a fireball sted into the air. mes roared and twisted, scattering in the icy winds but were focused back again to form a shape. It faintly resembled a human silhouetted.

    Between the grey skies and the whitends, in this snowy world, a force of fiery red stood before the white beast.

 Chapter 472 - Salt Beast

    Chapter 472

    Salt Beast

    The tranquil, snowynds exploded in an instant. The collision between two forces sent powerful ripples of energy, even the icy ground let out weak squeaks under the brutal impact.

    Shao Xuan held his bone ornament in one hand, the other clenched in a lowered fist. There was a fire crystal inside.

    Based on his capabilities, he was already one of the strongest in his tribe merely as an advanced totemic warrior. However, that was nothing to a king beast. One breath and he¡¯d be dead. No one wanted to face the beast, but whether they met it or not was not up to them. At this point, he could only bite down and face his fate.

    All Shao Xuan could do was borrow power from his ancestors. Only this could keep him alive. And that was not guaranteed. If even this wasn¡¯t enough, forget about Shao Xuan¨C almost three thousand warriors here consisting of three tribes would be annihted.

    His muscles swelled, totemic patterns flowed down them likeva. His entire body was covered now, even his fingertips had totemic patterns. At this point, you couldn¡¯t recognise his face, merely the two eyes ring diagonally upwards.

    The st of frost came directly at his face. Loud booms of impact could be heard.

    The white mist exhaled from the beast¡¯s gaping jaws brought frost and ice,pletely engulfing Shao Xuan. Without the mesing from the bone ornament, Shao Xuan would have been a block of frozen meat, shattering upon touch. Just like the broken pieces of humans in the Fox cave. All their intestines and blood were frozen solid without a single drop of blood. They did not feel pain.

    Here, Shao Xuan could only see a faint, enormous silhouette through the miss. Cold winds roared in his ears like hundreds of thousands of knives whistling past, destroying everything it touched. There was no time to breathe.

    The totemic power and power of inheritance in his body screamed, blue and red energy unleashed from his body. A flood of blue gushed out of the totemic mes, out of the totemic outer shell, then flowed to concentrate within the bone ornament at his chest. There was now a vortex of energy at his chest, sucking the flood of blue within and then passing the energy to all four ornaments.

    The red totemic power flowed through his blood vessels, bones, muscles and every fibre of his being. It stood against the frost, which was trying its best to pierce through the body. Borrowing this source of power, Shao Xuan survived.

    Outside, there was a standoff between two powerful forces. Within his body, fresh, roaring blood surged, fighting its own battle too.

    The king beast had targeted only Shao Xuan. It ignored everyone else. That was why Shao Xuan bore the brunt of the attack. Some residual air current spread out and sted the crowds in the air. Thends seemed to shiver, as if the ground could not withstand this any longer.

    Amidst the icy storm, while the fiery giant might flicker out every now and then, it would quickly merge to face the beast once again. A shower of ice fell on the ground around Shao Xuan, giving off a sharp crackling.

    Shao Xuan was already drenched in sweat.

    He did not know how long he could fight this but the fact that he was still alive was already a lucky thing. Just that this attack was too sudden. He wondered if the rest escaped in time. Anyone within the range of attack might suffer.

    Shao Xuan had no time to care about the rest. All he had to do was block this beast¡¯s attacks. If he couldn¡¯t, the other option was copsing dead.

    Whooosh¡ª¨C

    The blizzard stopped abruptly. The white winds blocking his vision disappeared. The fiery giant, flickering in the wind, suddenly burned clear and bright.

    The king beast closed its jaws slightly, its frosty eyes bright with confusion. Its pupils dted slightly, looking around slowly. It must not have guessed that this person could survive this.

    The thickyer of snow on the ground had disappeared. Shao Xuan panicked when he couldn¡¯t see anyone around him but he could not falter in a critical moment like this. Suppressing his emotions, he red at the beast. Was it going to unleash another st? Or would the beast decide to sweep him away with its tail, settling this once and for all? If that happened, Shao Xuan would be helpless. Although he was a lot more familiar with controlling the bone ornament¡¯s powers, it was not agile enough after bearing such an attack. It would be useless.

    What gave Shao Xuan somefort was that the beast¡¯s previous attacks were not truly in anger. They were out of curiosity, to warn them.

    Compared to the attack at the cave, this time, it was more peaceful.

    Poofff¡ª

    The white beast closed its mouth, exhaling white mist from its nostrils. It lifted its head and leaned back slightly. It extended more of its torso out of the ground. It was a lot taller now.

    The mes around Shao Xuan slowly calmed as the fiery giant vanished. There were embers on the surface of his skin. That move had used up a lot of his energy due to its explosiveness that required a powerful surge in a moment¡¯s notice. He could not maintain it for long. For now, all he could do was observe the beast¡¯s response.

    It stared intently at Shao Xuan. Then, it forced its tail, initially underground, through theyer of ice, to above ground.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart fell. Had the beast decided to fight for real now?

    Thump!

    The tailnded heavily on the ground. Thends shook hard as the deafening thump echoed across the whitends.

    At the Fox¡¯s cave, the Fox chief had been listening outside his car after receiving reports. He had heard the beast attack just now. It was very, very faint but that was definitely a sign of attack. He was delighted. The three tribes had travelled in that direction, this meant they had met the beast!

    They deserved it! I hope the beast eats them all!

    When he heard more sounds, he grew more excited. He turned back into the cave. ¡°Take over ming Horn¡¯s cave. They can¡¯te back. If they do, kick them out. There must be very few of them left after meeting the beast.¡±

    On the other side, Shao Xuan watched as the beast thumped its tail on the ground several times. Then it roared. This time, not so close to Shao Xuan¡¯s face.

    He sessfully survived the second icy st. Shao Xuan was exhausted. He would not survive a third st of the same scale. But what was this beast trying to do?

    The re in its eyes was not murderous, more like a threat.

    Was it chasing them away?

    A warning?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We will leave immediately.¡± After a pause, Shao Xuan said again, ¡°We won¡¯t return again.¡±

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure if the beast understood him but when he finished, the beast stopped thumping its tail.

    Crackle ¡ª

    Faint sounds could be heard around them, some distance from the radius of the beast¡¯s attack. Although ayer of snow had disappeared, there was still a half-meter-thickyer on the ground.

    A red crystal pir broke out of the snow, splitting into several branches like coral.

    The salt flowers were blooming.

    Not sure because of the weather oryer of snow, salt flowers were blooming, branching more and more. They didn¡¯t look like blooming flowers now, more like salt trees growing on the salt ts.

    When the salt flowers burst through the snow, the beast ignored Shao Xuan and crawled towards the salt flowers. It lowered its head to bite on one, pulling it out of the ground, then lifted its head to swallow it whole.

    Crinkles that sounded like both breaking ss and ice sounded. Crunch. Crunch. Crackle. The sound of chewed up ss was very clear.

    Some of the pieces fell on the ground. After the beast swallowed the salt flowers, it ate up the crumbs on the ground too.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened.

    This beast was a herbivore! More specifically, it ate salt. This salt was poisonous to humans, to the beast, it was a delicious meal.

    So that was why this beast was not extremely furious at them taking the salt in the salt caves. To it, the salt mines were not attractive. Shao Xuan had not seen it eating any salt in the mines. However, the deathly salt here was its meal. As for the rest, it probably didn¡¯t care much. It ignored everything else, just like the king stone worm. As long as the beings in its hole did not directly harm it, it would just ignore them all. Just puny beings.

    After chewing up the salt flowers, and then all the crumbs, the beast turned to leave. asionally, it nudged the thickyer of snow with its snout like it was smelling for food.

    Before it left, the beast roared at Shao Xuan once again and thumped its tail several times again. Shao Xuan used thest of his strength to stay alive. He only survived because the beast had roared from far away. If it were any closer, Shao Xuan would have died.

    ¡°We leave immediately!!¡± shouted Shao Xuan.

    When the beast left, he moved his stiff muscles. His bones felt rusty, creaking in his joints. Every movement was difficult.

    White powder flowed from his fist. He had absorbed all the energy from the fire crystal.

    There was no strength in his legs. He wanted to take a step but lost his bnce and fell.

    ¡°Chief! Where are you all?!¡± yelled Shao Xuan. ¡°Is anyone there?!¡±

    He did not hear an answer. After some time, as Shao Xuan struggled to pull himself up, he heard a muffled voice.

    It was Duo Kang.

    Duo Kang scrambled out of the snow, still shaken. He did not shake off the snow on him and looked at Shao Xuan in shock.

    ¡°Shao Xuan?¡± Duo Kang said in disbelief.

    ¡°It¡¯s me.¡± Shao Xuan was still sitting on the cold ground.

    ¡°You¡¯re still alive?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, still alive.¡±

    ¡°The king¡­ beast?¡±

    ¡°Gone.¡±

    ¡°Gone? That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good!¡± Duo Kang trip and fell. He lied on his back on the ground and took several rugged breaths. It was the euphoria of surviving a disaster. He did not ask any more questions. Flipping himself over, he got up to search for other people.

 Chapter 473 - Safe Return

    Chapter 473

    Safe Return

    All the snow around Shao Xuan had been sted away so he was directly sitting on salt. There were lines on the ground, all pointing outwards.

    As for the rest, many were sted into the air like Duo Kang. Some directly hid inside theyer of snow, onlying outter.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s reminder had given them just enough time. While most were sted away and sustained injuries, not many were severely injured.

    Duo Kang and Lu slowly got up. More people walked over from afar. Some were dragged out of the snow. Unconscious warriors were dragged out of the snow, for they could freeze to death if left inside for long.

    Zheng Luo faced thergest impact because he had turned around to get Shao Xuan. However, he was also one of the strongest and most of the force had been blocked by Shao Xuan. Although he had been knocked unconscious after being sted into the air, it was still good news that he was alive. They had to carry him.

    They continued looking for unconscious men, also bringing the dead bodies from the previous battles. Shao Xuan helped them find buried bodies using his special vision to look into the snow.

    The severely injured and unconscious individuals were carried by the ones well enough to walk. They hurried along their journey.

    Shao Xuan told them that the king beast only wanted to chase them out. If it wanted to kill, it would have done so.

    Although Shao Xuan only briefly described what happened, the Taihe and Mountain Wind people did not dare underestimate the young Elder of the ming Horn tribe. They could sense the surge of power that sted them into the air.

    The ming Horns were stronger than they thought.

    ¡°Right, Shao Xuan, you said the king beast ate salt flowers and that reminded me of something. A beast that lives around the salt ts and ate salt flowers, could it be the legendary ¡®salt beast¡¯ that the Chilu people talk about?¡± said Zheng Luo. Duo Kang was carrying him on his back.

    Salt beast?

    Everyone thought about it. They could not remember the Chilu tribe¡¯s totem. They hadn¡¯t met the Chilu people in a while. Since the Chilu¡¯s saltkes were conquered and they assimted into the cities, there were barely any Chilu tribesmen in the forest.

    ¡°I remember their totem is something with spikes, not a snake,¡± said a Mountain Wind warrior.

    ¡°Not spikes, it¡¯s ice growing on its head. Do you remember how the king beast looked before the st?¡± reminded Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Now that I think of it, it seems familiar.¡±

    Due to the immediate corrtion with a snake, they didn¡¯t connect the dots.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the earliest sighting of the Chilu tribe¡¯s salt beast near their saltkes? After that, the Chilu people discovered salt and lived around the saltkes. Now, there isn¡¯t much salt in theirkes anymore so the aristocrats aren¡¯t interested. They started looking for other sources,¡± said the Taihe chief.

    ¡°But the salt beast never appeared at Chilu¡¯s saltke ever again. Instead, top-grade salt rocks were found in the salt mines here. Why did the people who first discovered these mines trek across the salt ts of death then? A ce where so many people had died? They weren¡¯t Chilu people, they couldn¡¯t distinguish salt grades that well. There shouldn¡¯t have been anything attractive for them to run here. Or was the guy on a suicide mission?¡± said Zheng Luo incredulously.

    It didn¡¯t matter what the truth was. Centuries had passed. No one knew the truth and they could not ask the beast.

    ¡°No matter what, we can¡¯t go to the salt mines ever again,¡± sighed the Mountain Wind chief.

    ¡°If we knew there was a king beast there, I wouldn¡¯t have ever gone there!¡± It had been a traumatic experience for the Taihe chief, they¡¯d barely survived this disaster. They would nevere here again, it wasn¡¯t like they couldn¡¯t survive without the salt mines!

    ¡°All in all, it¡¯s great to be alive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great to be alive!¡±

    To have so many survivors was already the most fortunate thing in the world. The fire crystals and salt were secondary. Only one thing was the most important to these tribesmen¡ª survival.

    ¡°I forgot¡­ The Fox and Shen people, are they still at the salt mines?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    The king beast had already warned them once. If it discovered more humans, would it rage?

    Or even if it ¡®warned¡¯ them like what just happened, there was no second Shao Xuan to protect them.

    ¡°After we return, observe the two tribe¡¯s movements. If we find that they have returned, when the weather is better, we go to war!¡± said the Mountain Wind chief.

    Speaking of weather, the relief of surviving the disaster faded.

    Not sure how the tribe was doing in this weather.

    It was an extreme phenomenon no one had seen in centuries, maybe millennia. No one could truly rx.

    On the salt ts, it was still fine as they travelled on the beast¡¯s tracks. Many times, they could not avoid trekking through the snow though. However, their moods were definitely better since they were going home.

    The moment they stepped out of the salt ts, everyone looked up and roared at the skies.

    They had survived the king beast. Now, they were going to leave the ce their tribe had travelled too for the past centuries. For real. Perhaps they would never return in their lifetime. The salt mine guards were nostalgic of this ce. This job was passed down generations, they knew more about the mines than anyone else. Wacha had taken over this job from his father. IT was the path his ancestors took, the job they had done.

    However, when he remembered the beast, he could not do much.

    They vented their emotions through shouts and yells, which shook off snow from tree branches.

    What was once a forest was now covered in snow. However, there wasn¡¯t as much snow here. In the saltnds, snow was ten metres tall. Outside, it was only up till their shoulders. Sometimes, they still disappeared into the snow when they identally stepped into a sunken area.

    ¡°We¡¯ve passed the salt ts, there¡¯s nothing to be afraid of here!¡± Zheng Luo told Duo Kang to put him down, then instructed the warriors to cut down trees to make stretches. This was more convenient for everyone.

    The severely injured members were morefortable on stretchers too.

    The ming Horns were strong, four people could carry ten on a stretcher. As they distributed the injured, Zheng Luo was also ced on a simple stretcher. He stared out into the patch of white in silence.

    It looked as if the forest had been covered in a thick cotton nket. At least there was a lot less snow in here. Perhaps also because the leaves were dense. They just had to be alert of other beasts.

    Some beasts were hibernating. Some were still roaming around, hungry for food.

    Not just humans, even the animals were not used to this weather. As they returned, they saw many carcasses in the snow. There were animals eating the dead too, crunching as they chewed. Even the meat was frozen.

    When they found a ce to rest and cooked porridge, some braver animals wanted to approach because it was warm. However, there were too many people around. Several small squirrel-like animals leapt towards the fire, staying nearby to keep warm.

    The tribesmen didn¡¯t eat such small animals so they were ignored. These animals were very lucky to be able to stay.

    The warriors with minor injuries hunted several wild animals and two fearsome beasts, roasting meat over the fire and distributing it to everyone. Everyone savoured every bite after suffering in the cold for so many days.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, when will the weather change?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning.¡± This was the result of his divination reading. But change to what? He couldn¡¯t tell.

    ¡°We will not rest tonight. We¡¯ll continue travelling,¡± decided Zheng Luo.

    The two chiefs did not object. At this point, all they knew was that staying with the ming Horns was better than making their own decision.

    Hurrying through the night was not easy. There were many dangers in the forest and they had to climb hills too. One wrong step and they could die.

    Shao Xuan had recovered a lot. At this point, the glowing crystals were not very useful either. He walked in front with Wacha and his wife. They had been here many times so they were familiar. asionally, Shao Xuan would ask questions to confirm their direction.

    On the second day, the sky brightened and it started to snow again. The winds were strong enough to blow a person away.

    ¡°At least we¡¯ve passed the most dangerous hill,¡± sighed Wacha.

    After leading for one night, another person took over in clearing the way so Shao Xuan could rest.

    The skies were dark, darker than when they were at the salt mines. The skies resembled a perpetual evening, dark and sombre.

    Two more days passed. They finally arrived in familiar territory. They were not far from the tribes now.

    The Mountain Wind people had left a day before, taking another path.

    ¡°Thank you all so much for this time. If you need any help, just ask us,¡± said the Taihe chief when they separated from the ming Horns.

    Without the ming Horns, he wasn¡¯t even sure if ten out of a thousand of his men would return alive.

    Zheng Luo wrung his hands but did not speak. He was still carried on a stretcher.

    ¡°There¡¯s a path ahead!¡± shouted the warriors in front.

    A path had been cleared in the middle of the thick snow. They didn¡¯t have to do it themselves anymore.

    ¡°It¡¯s made by the tribe! And there¡¯s food!¡± Wacha took down a pouch tied to a wooden pole next to the path. Although the dried meat inside was already frozen hard, it seemed freshly made.

    It¡¯s good to be home.

    This was what everyone thought.

    After walking for some time, they saw the patrol team, each wearing thick fur. Their faces were covered too, only their eyes peeked out of the fabric.

    When they saw the group, the patrol team hollered and cheered excitedly.

    ¡°We send a team here every day to clear the path,¡± said the patrol guard.

    After counting the number of people, the guards were more relieved. This was a lot better than they imagined. They were all mentally prepared for the worst, yet so many returned.

    ¡°Chief, how is the situation at the salt mines?¡± asked the patrol.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about itter.¡±

    The guards did not ask more questions.

    In the middle of a two-meter thickyer of snow, a curved path led them to the river in front of the tribe.

    The river was frozen over so there was no need for a bridge. Everyone could cross on the ice.

    Many people had already received news of their arrival, greeting them at the entrance. There were people serving hot meat soup too.

    When they returned the past events seemed like just a nightmare. They had finally woken.

    ¡°Elder! Elder Shao Xuan!¡± someone squeezed his way through the crowd.

    Shao Xuan blocked his face from the flying snow. It was the duck house keeper.

    ¡°What, did the fat duck cause trouble?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, they hatched! The duck¡¯s eggs hatched!¡±

 Chapter 474 - Ducklings

    Chapter 474

    Ducklings

    They hatched?

    It had been a long time since the fat duck stole eggs. Compared to other eggs, these were veryte.

    They were from the same nest, yet why would an egg taken by the fat duck take so long to hatch? There were too many coincidences to be exined that way. One couldn¡¯t say that the fat duck was just untalented at brooding either, for the difference should not be this huge.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go check it out.¡± Shao Xuan passed the things he was holding to Zheng Luo and the rest, squeezed through the crowd and followed the duck keeper to the duck house.

    ¡°It has been snowing so much, we sweep more than three times every day. We sometimes have to get up at night too.¡± The duck keeper was worried. ¡°Many ducks froze to death too.¡±

    The ducks that refused to approach the tribe, living in the forest outside died from the cold. The older ducklings did not survive too. There were also many more ducks that brought their ducklings into the tribe¡¯s duck house for shelter.

    Shao Xuan observed the duck house as he listened to the keeper.

    It was quiet here. There was an asional quack but it did not sound energetic either.

    He came to the pen where the fat duck lived. The keeper did not enter, merely pointed inside and stood at the entrance. Every time he pushed the door, the duck would attack so he could only listen from the outside.

    There were sounds of ducklings.

    Shao Xuan pushed the door open and felt a burst of murderous aura.

    To prevent cold air from entering, he quickly closed the door behind him and took out his glowing crystal.

    When the duck recognised Shao Xuan, it froze. All its feathers were standing, making it like a puffed up ball. It maintained a defensive stance, unmoving. Its eyes looked at Shao Xuan, as if it didn¡¯t expect Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival. It was still very cautious and scared of this person.

    Shao Xuan looked at its nest. There are several balls of green there. They looked up at the source of light but didn¡¯t seem to see Shao Xuan well. They panicked, sensing a foreign presence but calmed when they sensed the fat duck by their side. Shao Xuan noticed that when one duckling stood up from the dried grass, some of it caught on its foot. The de of grass was sliced in half quickly.

    That meant they had sharp hooks at the ends of their feet too, like the fat duck.

    There were still unhatched eggs next to the duck. All these eggs wereid at different times anyway, so their development stages were different.

    Shao Xuan counted eight green ducklings. Before he left, there were thirty-one eggs. This meant twenty-three were left.

    Not sure if all of them would sessfully hatch.

    Shao Xuan thought it was peculiar too.

    None of the previous ducklings he saw resembled this duck. At the time, he had wondered if the fat duck¡¯s blood was too weak, so its progeny did not resemble it at all. Or were the females cheating on him?

    However, this development meant the duck had it all nned out. It knew how to choose eggs that would hatch ducklings resembling it.

    So that was why it did not care much about the ducklings outside. Perhaps it only cared about offsprings that looked like it. Right now, the way it guarded these eggs day and night was a huge difference from how it treated the rest.

    In the natural world, animals killed anything that didn¡¯t look like them. This duck had the same behaviour. It was only kind to the ducklings that looked like it. Everything else didn¡¯t matter.

    When he left, Shao Xuan saw odd pieces on the ground. He peered closer. They were fish scales!

    Using his special vision, he scanned the entire duck house. In a corner, there was ayer of dried grass. Underneath were small fish, fruits etc.

    This duck was fully prepared.

    He exited the duck house.

    ¡°How many hatched?¡± asked the keeper curiously.

    ¡°Eight hatched, it¡¯s still brooding the rest.¡±

    ¡°What do the ducklings look like?¡±

    ¡°They look like the fat duck.¡±

    The keeper was very curious but it was a pity he couldn¡¯t go in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯lle out after winter,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was called to Zheng Luo¡¯s house for a hot meal, then he went home to sleep. During this period of time, the team had not rested much. Shao Xuan slept through a day. Some people slept through two days and two nights without waking.

    On the third day, although it was snowing heavily, the tribe still conducted a funeral. They built a fence around the fire pit and cremated the dead warriors there.

    Survival meant war, it meant the cycle of life and death. The tribesmen were used to funerals. Although the mood was sombre, it was so much better than what they imagined.

    After the ceremony, Shao Xuan was called for a meeting.

    This was the first meeting after their return.

    Zheng Luo was better after treatment and rest. He could now walk.

    He had already told the higher-ranked members and the shamaness about what happened at the salt mines.

    No one objected to the decision to abandon the salt mines. Even if they didn¡¯t see the king beast, they knew how strong it was. If they could not beat it, the best choice was to avoid it altogether.

    At least they brought back a lot of salt. Most importantly, they had fire crystals too. Everyone was excited. With the fire crystals, the warriors would be a lot more powerful, especially warriors who had teaued or reached a bottleneck. Fire crystals could help them.

    The Taihe people sent over some herbs to help with frostbite, boosting the immune system etc. This was the first time anyone had experienced weather like this. The warriors weren¡¯t used to this, especially the children who were prone to sickness.

    The shamaness told them about the ns for this winter. Leaving the vige was impossible, travelling was difficult in this weather. Plus they did not know if other ces fared better than here. They could only remain and survive the weather.

    The warriors stored some firewood in their houses, lighting fires to stay warm. At least they had a lot of animal hides so clothing was not a problem. The Taihe people reported that some smaller tribes with fewer members werepletely dead. No one knew the specifics.

    After making arrangements within the tribe, the leaders also talked about the Fox and Shen tribe. After winter, they would listen for news and check what happened to the people at the salt mines. Mountain Wind wanted tounch a war against Fox, inviting Zheng Luo and Taihe to join. But Zheng Luo did not agree immediately.

    Not just ming Horn- Taihe and Mountain Wind both wondered how the Fox and Shen people at the mines were doing.

    At this moment, there was a massacre on the salt ts.

    The king beast did not care if these humans were working together. It could do whatever it wanted. To the beast, it owned this piece of whitends. Everything else must show some respect.

    It had nned to roar twice, maybe thump its tail as a warning to this bunch, but it hadn¡¯t expected these puny things to retaliate, even aiming their weapons at it!

    This was a show of disrespect! So, it raged.

    The people carrying sacks full of salt and fire crystals ran for their lives amidst the snow. The ones who couldn¡¯t run were frozen to death. The rest were sted into the air. No one knew where theynded.

    The Fox and Shen people all ran. They didn¡¯t expect to beat the beast, just as they were returning with sacks of salt and crystals.

    The people that Fox used as bait were all frozen into blocks of ice. They shattered in the wind. Without the baits, the number of survivors from the tribes dwindled quickly.

    The Fox chief and his lover sprinted across the snow. He did not care about everyone else. The Fox people were separated into three teams, running in three directions. He didn¡¯t know how they were doing.

    This time, one thousand two hundred people from the Fox tribe came. However, there were probably around three hundred left now. They hadn¡¯t escaped the salt ts yet. Some of the Shen people helped a little.

    The Fox chief was heartbroken by their losses. Forget about their salt and fire crystals, that were already gone, he had enough deaths in the tribe. This was enough for him to be dethroned as the chief. He could not imagine what would happen when he returned.

    ¡°It¡¯s all the ming Horn¡¯s fault!¡± cursed thedy.

    Yep, all their fault.

    If it wasn¡¯t for them, they would have been following their n. The caves would copse, the tribes would freeze. They might fight to their deaths with the Shen tribe while the Fox people over here would just pick up the pieces after war.

    The king beast was an ident.

    However, they had run so far and did not see any bodies left behind by the ming Horns, Taihe or Mountain Wind. Unless¡­ did they escape alive?

    They even chose the direction where ming Horn travelled in, only to see one part with thinner snow. Other than that, there was no evidence of these tribesmen.

    No, they must¡¯ve been eaten by the beast, they must!

    Although they all secretly believed the three tribes survived, the Fox chief refused to admit this.

    The more he thought about it, the angrier he got.

    If he got out of this alive, the Fox chief would never let the ming Horns live. NEVER!

 Chapter 475 - Itâ€™s Sliding Off

    Chapter 475

    It¡¯s Sliding Off

    The blizzard worsened. It was snowing more than before.

    Compared to the salt ts, the blizzard was not as bad at the vige. The warriors who had lived through the storm at the salt mines were a lot calmer.

    Shao Xuan rested for several days. When he waspletely healed, he walked out of his house in the snow to his designated training grounds.

    No one lived here and the soil was not suitable for agriculture. It was just an empty piece ofnd where children hung around sometimes. Previously, it was for the younger once to practice archery and chopping. In winter, even the advanced totemic warriors didn¡¯t want to get out of their houses, let alone the kids. Shao Xuan was alone in this vast piece ofnd.

    Since no one came here, the tribesmen did not clear the snow in this area to conservebour. Theyer of snow here was taller than Shao Xuan and growing.

    Shao Xuan followed the path that had been cleared until the end. He saw the white wall of snow and took a deep breath.

    He focused on the totemic power within, though it did not surge manically like when he had an enemy ahead. He did not need to unleash it with so much explosiveness either, or exceed his own limits.

    He was not in a hurry now.

    Totemic power flowed through his body, the power of inheritance extended from totemic mes and concentrated at the bone ornament on his chest. Just like how he had been borrowing his ancestor¡¯s powers- right now, it was more gradual.

    In the past, he practised to familiarise with the process. Right now, he practised to improve his control. He did not need it to be too strong, just focusing on every detail so everything would go ording to his will.

    WHoosh¡­

    mes rose out of the bone ornament and slowly grew until they engulfed Shao Xuan. Energy poured out of his every pore and came into contact with the wild winds outside. Air currents whistled, then grew more powerful into roars in his ears.

    The thinyer of snow beneath his feet looked like they had been swept away to reveal a circle of soil.

    Half an arm away from Shao Xuan, there was a three-meter thickyer of snow. However, it disappeared at a speed identifiable by the naked eye. It looked like an invisible hand was pushing out a dent in the snow wall right before Shao Xuan.

    As wind and snow billowed around the me-engulfed Shao Xuan, he took one step forward.

    Boom!

    One step sounded like a stomp from the hoof of a giant beast. This action generated a st radius that collided with the thick snow. The dent in the wall deepened quickly, forming a huge semicircle. Pieces of snow flew in the air and were tossed far away.

    One piece of rock was shaken into the air, then shot into the snow like a bullet.

    A moment of pause after the first step. Then, the second step came.

    Just like the first, a boom sounded as he stomped on the ground. The snow was pushed back further, a lot of it flying in the air. The dent in the snow wall grewrger.

    These two steps were nothingpared to when he hit the Linlu chief at King City,pared to the power he wielded against the king beast, probably nothingpared to the two steps he took at Gongjia Mountain. Although this was loud, it was not powerful. The energy surge was a lot calmer and controlled. It was not of an explosive nature like before.

    This was the result of Shao Xuan¡¯s control over it.

    He could control his powers better now, as he familiarised with it. This way, energy would not be wasted when not necessary. He focused his efforts only on a target.

    But this wasn¡¯t enough! This level of control wasn¡¯t enough!

    Third step¡­

    Fourth step¡­

    Step-by-step, he slowly strode forward. The booming noise softened and the ground shook less. Rocks no longer flew. Snow stopped flying off the wall.

    Everything was more stable now.

    Compared to external phenomena, the internal energy surge was more active than ever. He unleashed more and more totemic power so his body could withstand the bone ornament¡¯s strength. His body changed too. Totemic patterns were as red asva, aze as they covered almost his entire body.

    Within the totemic mes, blue mes flooded to concentrate at his chest. At this moment, Shao Xuan did not hear anything from the outside world. His blood roared in his ears, supplemented by the loud thump-thump of his heartbeats.

    The air currents on the surface of his skin looked like rolling steam. Air continued to whistle around him but after a while, this faded away.

    In the past, his muscles would bepletely stiffened when he activated the ornaments. Right now, he could take more than one step, and his movements were more smooth than stiff. Every step became easier too.

    Amongst the vast whitends, he looked like a red fish, swimming happily in the sea of snow.

    Zheng Luo was watching Shao Xuan from the peak of his hill, as if Shao Xuan was some alien. No one understood the power of the ornaments more than him. When Shao Xuan used the ornaments against the king beast, Zheng Luo had been the closest. That was just one encounter and the st was enough to throw him into the air. He could not even walk after that and was mostly carried by Duo Kang. He had just begun to walk for a bit after resting for several days. Running was still difficult.

    Shao Xuan was making huge progress. In the beginning, every step he took created a deafening boom and unleashed a lot of energy. Right now, he had a lot more control. Zheng Luo couldn¡¯t believe this.

    Was it really possible tomand such a powerful force so gracefully? If it were that easy, there must have been more than one Shao Xuan in the past centuries.

    The shamaness, d in thick fur, watched with pride in her eyes. Her face was already numb from the cold. She turned to Zheng Luo. ¡°Have you made the arrangements?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they left this morning.¡± Zheng Luo looked hopeful but worried. ¡°I hope they can arrive sessfully.¡±

    ¡°We can only hope.¡± The shamaness looked at Shao Xuan, then turned to walk down the hill with Zheng Luo. Shao Xuan could walk easily in the snow but here, one was injured and the other very old. They could not withstand such cold.

    After walking a while, Shao Xuan was already sweating. He rested to catch his breath and then continued.

    There was already a three-meter wide path where he passed. All the snow had been pushed aside to reveal the dirt underneath. However, since it was snowing, a thinyer of white soon formed again.

    Poof¡ª

    In front, due to the constant pushing, the snow had been packed solid and arched upwards.

    The more he walked forward, the harder the snow wall waspressed. Every step grew more difficult.

    The snow crunched as they werepared with every step.

    At the foot of the hill, the patrol team carried shovels used for shoveling snow. They rested at a temporary resting area

    This was actually a three-meter wide square. They first dug a narrow walkway by the road, then shoveled away a square.

    All twenty warriors squeezed into this square, leaning against thepact snow walls.

    The wind didn¡¯t reach them as much here, and it was not as cold.

    ¡°When will this weird weather stop?¡±ined one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. After sweeping this part, I¡¯ve gotta go home to shovel my roof or my house is going to copse soon.¡±

    ¡°I heard this is a disaster they hadn¡¯t seen for hundreds and thousands of years. No one knows how the other areas are doing either.¡±

    ¡°Not just thousands, maybe tens of thousands!¡±

    The patrol team debated within their temporary shelter.

    As he spoke, a chunk of snow fell on the warrior sitting against a snow wall.

    ¡°Aargh!¡± He quickly brushed off the snow on his head. It didn¡¯t hurt but it was very, very cold.

    Everyone else looked up at the wall. Why did it fall so suddenly? Was it blown by the wind?

    ¡°Be careful, more of it is falling!¡±

    Little lumps of snow gathered around the walls as if someone was pushing.

    Everyone quickly avoided it.

    ¡°What¡¯s that sound?!¡±

    Poof¡ª- Crunch crunch¡ª

    The sounds grew clearer.

    Everyone forgot about the cold, merely staring in the same direction.

    Rumble!

    The snow wall cracked. They saw snow flowing down the hill.

    ¡°This is bad! Run!¡±

    Some of them had seen avnches when they travelled further to the snowy mountains. They heard that a strong impact or loud noise could trigger this. Did something simr happen at the tribe?

    That¡¯s not supposed to happen. The hill wasn¡¯t that tall, its slope wasn¡¯t too steep. An avnche was not likely.

    No matter what, they had to run.

    All twenty ran along the path they cleared. After a distance away, they turned to look.

    The square they previously rested in was already filled with snow. They saw arge, white worm wriggling down the hill. It squirmed over little by little, there was even a rhythm.

    All of them watched with widened eyes. What was going on? They stood for a while until they sensed Shao Xuan¡¯s presence.

    ¡°E-Elder?!¡±

 Chapter 476 - Path

    <strong>Chapter 476</strong>

    <strong>Path</strong>

    Ever since they knew of what happened after Shao Xuan¡¯s training, the patrol him liked to wait and watch after they swept away snow.

    The corridor they cleared was still there, with the initial resting point converted into a shelter.

    The patrol guards wanted to follow the initial n, creating an open-air resting point. However, they would still be exposed to the cold and winds like that.

    One day, Shao Xuan had an idea to teach them how to make ice bricks using water and grinding tools. The ice on the river was already too thick so they could not harvest from there. They could only melt snow and pour into moulds, then freeze outside. It only took a few moments for the water to freeze outside so this was efficient.

    The tribesmen liked this idea, even warriors not on patrol duty came to help.

    From the top of the hill to the bottom, ice houses were built in an ¡®I¡¯ shape. The foundation of these houses was also made of ice, stacked tall to protrude out of the snowyer. Then, the houses were built at the top.

    When the patrol teams were resting between shovelling snow, they would rest in the ice houses, warming themselves with sips of hot water. They could see very far from here. Even the tribesmen who had been hiding in their homes for a while came to check the houses out curiously.

    Initially, Shao Xuan was worried that they might get snow blindness from staring at the snow all the time. He reminded them to be careful. Until now, no one had shown any symptoms of it.

    ¡°Come watch, Elder¡¯s pushing snow again!¡± said someone, leaning against the window of the ice house.

    ¡°Where? Move away, let me see!¡±

    Everyone fought to watch through three small windows.

    These ice houses were built near the first path Shao Xuan cleared. Every day, Shao Xuan would take a new path.

    From the top, one could see a person wrapped in mes walking slowly among the white snow. From the front, it looked like arge white worm was inching down the hill.

    When the shock faded, these patrol guards now treated it as their daily entertainment. The tribes worshipped the strong. Shao Xuan could withstand such freezing temperatures and strong winds in this weather. Many also tried to push snow but they could not do much. Compact snow was solid and heavy, after pushing for a bit, they would be unable to push further. They were embarrassed to ever think of themselves as physically strong.

    Duo Kang walked over, patting off snow, ¡°How are the stations at the foot of the hill?¡±

    ¡°Tao Zheng and his team said they¡¯d continue working on it today. They said they wanted to build taller structures so they can see further. Then they wouldn¡¯t have to travel far in the cold,¡± replied a warrior.

    ¡°Building the ice watch towers is an important job, don¡¯t ck! I¡¯ll be checking!¡± reminded Duo Kang.

    ¡°We won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Duo Kang grunted and pushed the people at the window aside to look outside. ¡°I want to see how Shao Xuan is doing.¡±

    The warriors at the side frowned. Duo Kang was just looking for an excuse to look out of the windows, why was he here fake-nagging?

    At the foot of the hill, opposite the river, tall watchtowers were constructed. Large bricks of ice were continuously transported towards the construction sites.

    After building several stations, since the warriors had nothing to do, they attempted to connect all the points, building walkways to each tower. At least they wouldn¡¯t have to walk in the snow. Plus, it looked more like a city wall now.

    The warriors grew more excited as they saw their walkwayse to life. These ¡®walkways¡¯ were as awesome as a city wall! It was not like there was no joy in this harsh winter. To the bored ones, it was an experience.

    Very few animals appeared in the forest, the hunters could not go out to hunt either. At least everyone had ample food at home and did not have to starve. If they rationed their food well, they would survive the winter. As long as the winter wasn¡¯t too long.

    Many people of the tribe did not know that there was a team of fifty people leaving the forest, braving the blizzard. These people were sent by the chief and shamaness. Although they might miss the most important ceremony of the year, they were given special permission. To the chief and shamaness, this matter was more important than a ceremony. It involved the future of the tribe.

    The leader of this team was named Xiang Chen, a little younger than Duo Kang and also an advanced totemic warrior. In the past year, he had not spent much time at the tribe.

    Xiang Chen was the first batch of tribesmen to follow Shao Xuan to the coast. He had taken this path twice, this was his third time.

    This time, Xiang Chen and his men risked their lives going to the beach to check the situation there. Other people might wonder, why would they travel in such cold weather?

    But the shamaness and chief wanted exactly this weather!

    In fact, the shamaness and chief hoped this weather would remain for as long as possible, if matters would develop ording to their prediction.

    Xiang Chen¡¯s path was different from the path Shao Xuan took to find this tribe. When Shao Xuan came to the tribe the first time, he was walking in a straight line. That path was a more difficult one so subsequently, everyone took another path.

    The journey through the forest was difficult. When they left the forest and passed Anba City, they realised there was not a single person outside the city. In the past, Anba City was still a busy ce even in winter.

    There were people walking on the towers of the city walls but there was no one else. They initially wanted to find a resting spot in Anba and get some food. It looked like this was not going to happen. The city gates were shut tight, banning all outsiders from entry.

    ¡°We¡¯ll continue walking,¡± said Xiang Chen.

    Compared to the forest, there was lesser snow here. Perhaps to the Anba City people this was a once-a-millennia kind of winter. To them, this was a huge inconvenience and a hindrance to movement. However, Xiang Chen and the rest had just suffered through the forest and did not think so.

    The snow here was only as tall as their waists.

    Every time they met a passerby, they¡¯d hear a conversation like ¡®the snow¡¯s as tall as my hips, how are we going to live like this?!¡±. When they did, Xiang Chen and his men couldn¡¯t help but interrupt, ¡°It¡¯s just up to the hips, and you¡¯re so shocked! If you walked in the forest, I think your eyes would fall out of your head!¡±

    They also met robbers along the way, though very few. Even thieves and robbers were unwilling to work in this weather. These people were the ones forced out due to starvation. Their eyes were filled with violence, willing to risk it all. Unfortunately, Xiang Chen and his men were no kind folk either. If they were too kind, they wouldn¡¯t have survived until today. If these robbers had asked for food politely, perhaps they¡¯d be given a little food. However, since they pulled out knives in the tribesmen¡¯s faces, then they mustn¡¯t me Xiang Chen for being cruel.

    Fresh blood sttered on the snow, freezing immediately. The dead were luckily covered by snow once again. Anyone who wasn¡¯t as lucky would be a target for other starving people.

    Xiang Chen had seen too many of these along the way.

    As they travelled, the snow thinned.

    Xiang Chen¡¯s heart fell. Although he didn¡¯t want this harsh winter, ording to the shamaness and chief, this winter might be a good thing for them. Most importantly, had the sea frozen over? This was what the shamaness wanted most.

    The shamaness said that if there was ayer of ice on the sea¡¯s surface, they should continue walking. If the ice covered a huge area, then this was their chance to return to their homnd from a thousand years ago. Both branches of the tribe would reunite and perhaps their ¡®hidden illness¡¯ would be cured. Who wouldn¡¯t want to live double their current lifespans? They wouldn¡¯t have to think about retiring after just twenty or thirty years of hunting. Hunters from other tribes could be so much older than them and still be energetic enough to hunt.

    They were sad just thinking about it.

    It must be frozen, it must!

    As they left Anba City, they passed a smaller city. It was the same as Anba, its city gates shut tight with a sombre atmosphere. However, the snow was only up to their thighs here.

    As they continued walking, Xiang Chen had a bad feeling.

    When they finally stepped into the semi-desert region, Xiang Chen sighed and looked out into the vast expanse. Here, the snow was only up to their knees.

    They continued walking, crossing what was once an aridnd.

    There were camel beasts looking for ice on the ground. Their fur had grown longer, all huddled together for warmth and eating snow as a source of water.

    When they saw Xiang Chen and his group, the camel beasts ran.

    Xiang Chen did not chase after them. He still had food. And he wasn¡¯t in the mood to hunt. His footsteps became more hurried as he ran towards the coast.

    Tall, pir-like cacti stood in the sand like thorns piercing into their hearts.

    Seawater!

    The sea wasn¡¯t frozen!

    There was some ice near the beach but that was nothingpared to the iceyer on the river outside their tribe. Could humans even walk on that?!

    Plus seawater was still flowing a little further from the coast. The wind lifted the waves and they broke upon hitting the ice.

    The meeting point between the blue sea and snowy beach was beautiful, yet to Xiang Chen and his men, it was a disappointing sight.

    As if they had lost all strength, fatigue washed over them as they knelt on the sand covered in a thinyer of snow, pounding their fists, again and again, to form dents in the sand.

    Their only path was gone.

    They did not know if they would cross this ocean in their lifetime.

    How long could a person live? To people who did the same thing every day, one lifetime could be as short as the blink of an eye. Xiang Chen could see his future self, an old man making rope at home. Yet the people from other tribes were still hunting happily at the same age.

    He could not bear to hold that thought.

    He sighed in disappointment. They all walked back to the tribe. The shamaness might cry herself unconscious by the fire pit if she knew about this.

    When would they return to their homnd? How?

    No one knew.

 Chapter 477 - Flaming Horn Must Fall!

    <strong>Chapter 477</strong>

    <strong>ming Horn Must Fall!</strong>

    King City.

    The people of King City werepletely unprepared for this year¡¯s winter. Even the Yi family had not predicted a disaster of such scale. At most, they predicted the change in weather, that it would snow heavily earlier than usual.

    These people had already announced publicly when it would start snowing.

    However, no one knew that ¡®snowing heavily¡¯ meant a disaster like this one.

    Everyone was gloomy the entire day. Outside the city, in the fields, a huge batch of crops had died. Everyndowner¡¯s mood was as bad as the snow, causing the ves to live in fear every day, afraid of being beaten to death or thrown out of thend with one wrong step. Beaten to death was fine, they¡¯d suffer for a while and die. But if they were tossed out, they¡¯d be tortured by the freezing cold. The snow was half a human tall, how would they survive?

    The mood within the Golden Grain Fields was simr to a stormy day.

    Thendowner, Ji Ju, had already raged several times during the past days. All the staff in both high and low ranks walked with lowered heads, making no sound.

    Ji Ju¡¯s anger wasn¡¯t really directed at his staff. Although he was also yelling at the weather, the ones he was the angriest at was actually the Yi family.

    ¡°A bunch of absolute idiots!¡±

    m!

    An exquisite, colourful teapot was mmed on the ground. It shattered into pieces. Two bronze trays ttered loudly on the ground.

    The several lower-ranked butlers stood outside, legs shaking. They dared not enter so all they could do was watch from outside.

    Within the house, the head butler waited till Ji Ju was done with his tantrum then hurried to clean up the mess. There were no lower-ranked staff here, only the head butler worked here. Unless they were given permission, the rest of the lower-ranked butlers had to stay far away.

    It was still warm inside, there was a fire burning at the firece. Ji Ju sat on a thick fur rug, his legs crossed. He was very upset because another plot of crops died this winter.

    He had already made preparations for winter but still, the crops could not survive this extreme cold. How many times has this happened already?

    Seven times? Eight times?

    In the past, other farms might experience their crops dying during winter but this was rare in Ji Ju¡¯s farm. As long as the farm was prepared for winter, one could prevent his crops from dying. He saw dead crops as mistakes. If you did it right, there would be no mistakes.

    Ji Ju had always thought that his farming techniques were immacte. As for the Thousand Grain Gold, yes he was quite upset that the ming Horns harvested them before him but it was only temporary. Yet now, the eighth mistake happened! For a perfectionist like him, how could he stay calm?!

    Although it was due to the weather, the consequences were real.

    ¡°Useless idiots!¡± yelled Ji Jue again.

    The ¡®idiots¡¯ he referred to were the Yi family members. In the past, these people walked around with their chins sticking out at the skies, and now? They couldn¡¯t even answer him when he asked how long this situation wouldst!

    All trash! All of them!

    Ji Ju wanted to go talk to the most powerful old man of the Yi family. It was a pity that guy hadn¡¯t taken clients for years. Even if Ji Ju personally visited him, he would not show his face, definitely not conduct a reading.

    Ji Ju sipped some hot water to wet his throat. ¡°What¡¯s going on outside?!¡±

    The head butler¡¯s eyes darted at the shivering people outside. Bowing respectfully, he said, ¡°They say they¡¯re here to bring a message.¡±

    ¡°What message?¡± Ji Ju sounded more annoyed.

    The butler bowed even lower, not wanting to see his face. ¡°They say¡­someone wants some grains¡­¡±

    ng!

    Ji Ju flung his metal cup on the floor. ¡°Tell them to get the hell out!¡±

    The head butler paused but did not go. ¡°I heard another tribe came to King City. The lord made other aristocrats distribute some grains each. It would be counted as lending to the tribes.¡±

    ¡°They never wanted toe to us in the past, then now there¡¯s a snowstorm and they¡¯re falling one by one!¡± Ji Ju mocked. ¡°We won¡¯t give them any. Other people offering grains is their business, not mine. Our Golden Grain Fields will not offer any!¡±

    King City¡¯s noble families did want to take this opportunity to take a few tribes under their wing. However, the snowstorm did not look like it was going to stop soon. More and more tribes came seeking help, food was already barely enough to go around. The people at the top were in a tough spot now. Even the nobles did not have enough grains for themselves. They all knew Ji Ju had a good harvest and hoped for some help. They knew that the more tribes relied on them, therger their kingdom would be. Then they would be immune to other tribes.

    Now that Ji Ju had spoken, the head butler did not dare say another word. He only listened to Ji Ju, the rest was none of his business.

    Several lower-ranked butlers were called inside because they defended the other nobles, then yelled at. Ji Ju subsequently fired two butlers. He ignored them when they cried and begged.

    Just as the two butlers felt their hopes dim, someone rushed in. It was a guard from the fields, he was in charge of guarding the Thousand Grain Gold.

    When he saw someone rushing in like that, Ji Ju was about to rage again. However, he suppressed his anger when he recognised the guard. Worried, he asked, ¡°Did something happen there?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ N-no! No!¡± The guard panted, not sure if he was red from the cold or panic.

    ¡°So is it yes or no?!¡± raged Ji Ju.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s ripe!¡± blurted the guard.

    When he heard the word ¡®ripe¡¯, Ji Ju rushed out.

    The butler, who was crying hysterically on the ground, wondered if the boss¡¯ mood would improve if something good happened. Was this his chance to beg for mercy?

    When they thought of this, the two fired butlers rushed out without their furs.

    Ji Ju¡¯s Thousand Grain Gold had ripened in the middle of a snowstorm. This was a lot earlier than anticipated.

    The golden husks were vibrant against the white snow. The guards could smell its delicious fragrance, a faint whiff was enough to make them drool.

    Ji Ju harvested these grains himself, then peeled the husk off one grain.

    After the golden husk was taken off, the grain inside was white.

    Ji Ju¡¯s pupil constricted as he thought about what Shao Xun said.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what colour do you think mine will be?¡±

    ¡°White,¡± blurted Shao Xuan.

    White. That was what Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°It really is white.¡±

    The ripening of the Thousand Grain Gold seemed to be a sign.

    The white Thousand Grain Gold gave a feeling of satiation upon consumption that couldst at least a day. And it was not a hallucination, one would actually be satiated.

    Just as the city needed grains most, the Thousand Grain Gold ripened.

    He looked at the snow outside in silence. After a pause, he told the head butler, ¡°Call them here.¡±

    ¡°Them¡± referred to the lower-ranked butlers.

    Ji Ju decided to open his warehouse. He never liked those people who only came begging for help, yet never talked to him before this. However, he was willing to obey the hints given by this THousand Grain Gold. Even if he analysed this wrong, at least he tried.

    At this moment, there were several special guests visiting the Yi family at King City.

    Since everyone was discussing newly-arrived tribes, these guests were unnoticed. They were from the tribe too.

    The person who came to the Yi family was the Fox tribe¡¯s chief, plus the seductivedy.

    When they escaped the salt ts, only a hundred of his people were left. They could not return to their tribe because they changed directions after the King Beast started chasing after that. The Shen people became the ¡®bait¡¯, that was the only reason why they sessfully escaped.

    After leaving the salt ts, the Fox chief brought his remaining people out of the forest. He did not return to the tribe. He had lost the salt rocks, fire crystals, and so many lives. He would be shunned by his people if he returned, his position as chief would be taken away.

    That was why he wanted to get a solution before returning.

    Thedy with him was actually half a Yi. She did not have many talents in divination so she wasn¡¯t treated very well in the Yi family. That was why she mostly stayed with the Fox tribe. However, both the Fox tribe and Yi family still maintained rtions.

    The Fox chief knew when the weather would change because of the Yi family.

    This time, the Fox chief came to ask for aid.

    He wanted the Yi family to team up with him to fight the ming Horns.

    Perhaps the Yi family would not agree to fight Mountain Wind and Taihe. If they won, they would still suffer major losses. Not worth it. However, they could consider fighting the ming Horns.

    That was because the ming Horns were considered outsiders here. The several families in King City, including Yi, were cautious against them. That was what the Fox chief heard from thedy. She had received news before winter at King City. He could offer a solution to that now.

    Although the Fox chief wanted to destroy all three tribes, to seed, he had to do it one by one. The first one was ming Horn. These days, the more he thought about it, the more he felt like all of this was because of the ming Horns.

    He did his best to provoke the Yi family.

    ¡°The ming Horns seem to know when the weather would change, they are even more urate than your predictions too. When they arrived, they were just in time, when they left, it was the same day as the winds stopped¡­¡± Although they were just guesses that the chief didn¡¯t believe himself, he had to sound confident to provoke the Yi family.

    ¡°Also, I definitely heard the King Beast roaring at them, yet we never saw their bodies! Even if they were eaten, not all of them would be eaten. There wasn¡¯t even blood, and they brought so much salt and fire crystals with them¡­¡±

    Initially, several Yi family members were already upset when someone could make more urate predictions than them. Now that they heard the ming Horns escaped the king beast, they were even warier of the ming Horns. The fire crystals became secondary.

    ¡°What you say¡­ is true?!¡± said the person at the head of the table in a booming voice. He already decided to forget about the matter that the Fox people had been hiding good quality salt from them. That was just salt, the Yi family did not care. But the rest was different.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±

    The Fox chief looked at thedy. She quickly got up and bowed towards the head. ¡°It is true.¡± As her head was lowered, her nted eyes shed with an odd look. While the Fox chief might not believe himself, she knew that it was likely to be true. The ming Horns might have arger secret.

    The Yi family would not trust just two people. However, after they talked to different members separately, they believed it.

    They were good at asking questions and trickery so they didn¡¯t believe that the whole tribe could lie to them. That was why even if not all of the chief¡¯s words were the truth, it was at least a partial truth.

    The several high-ranked members of the Yi family discussed.

    ¡°I¡¯ve said before that we¡¯ve got to watch ming Horn.¡±

    ¡°ming Horn must fall!¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll talk to the lord and the other families,¡± said the person at the head of the table.

    They had to deal with the ming Horns. Perhaps this change in weather was a hint from the heavens?

 Chapter 478 - Instruction

    Chapter 478

    Instruction

    The Yi family would feel threatened by anyone with a little divination talent. Not panic, but enough to irritate.

    It was a very ufortable feeling. To them, who pride themselves on being able to reveal the universe¡¯s secrets, it felt like a knife hanging above their heads.

    This year¡¯s snowstorm was already a p to their faces. Ever since the weather changed, so many people visited with precious items in hopes of getting hints about the future. Yet the Yi family could only offer limited help.

    The Fox chief¡¯s arrival had undeniably given them a ce to vent their frustrations. They felt like they found an exnation for their difort.

    Perhaps they had been feeling threatened because of the ming Horns?

    Didn¡¯t one of the Yi family members have a prophecy? The six noble families had always worried about what it meant. Thest time ming Horn visited King City, the guy had thrown Linlu¡¯s chief in the air with just one move. He destroyed the city gates and that was enough to make the city folk grow wary. At that time, someone suggested that the ming Horns might be a threat ording to their readings but most did not believe it.

    Right now, after listening to the Fox chief, the Yi family started to n. On the next day, they would go to the pce to talk to the lord and other heads of families to discuss,

    To, they should nip a threat when it was still in the cradle, stopping it from growing. They had been increasingly upset since the day their city gates were destroyed.

    ¡°ming Horn can urately predict the weather?!¡±

    ¡°Forget about the weather, did they really survive the king beast?!¡± This scared many people. They thought about the prophecy: ¡®everything united must part, everything parted must unite¡¯. They were very ufortable.

    Air was tense within the pce. Once a cloud of questions formed, it would not dissipate quickly. Especially the ones who had been suspicious for long, they finally found something to cling to.

    If the ming Horn people heard this discussion, they would have a heart attack. Nonsense! If they could survive the king beast, would they abandon so much good quality salt and fire crystals in the mines?!

    But if these people think you¡¯re a threat, it will take a lot to convince them otherwise.

    Even the coldest winter would pass.

    Winter came early in full force. It lingered for long before leaving.

    When the snow finally stopped and the sun finally broke through the thick clouds, everyone roared at the skies.

    It was sunny again. Winter was officially over. Temperatures rose quickly and did not give anyone time to prepare.

    The tribesmen cleared snow, though Shao Xuan had already pushed most of it out. It was only knee-deep in most parts, these were where Shao Xuan practised. The vige was swept often so there was not a suddenrge-scale melting there.

    Water flowed down roofs and houses, everywhere was wet. The patrol team couldn¡¯t bear to watch their ice watch towers melt. However, they still preferred warmer weather. That meant they could hunt again.

    As the snow melted, the river in front of the vige rose quickly. Everyone living at the foot of the hill had to move upwards. There wererge pools of stagnant water in the forest too so it was still difficult to hunt. However, water also forced the animals in hiding out of their homes so the warriors hunted many small animals nearby.

    After a long winter, the ducks burst out of their pens, quacking loudly and leapt into the river despite the cold. Some flew far into the forest.

    The keeper finally got to see the fat duck¡¯s ducklings.

    Little green balls of feathers walked out with the fat duck, cautious of everybody even though they did not attack.

    ¡°Thirty-one, no less,¡± chuckled the keeper. ¡°Hey, what are the ducklings eating?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked. ¡°Probably earth¡­¡±

    He wanted to say earthworms but realised the ducklings ate insects that were as thick as his thumb. He saw a full mouth of sharp teeth.

    ¡°Probably the insects from underground.¡± He didn¡¯t know what these were called but they were probably forced out of the ground because of the water.

    There were many worms and insects that came out of the riverbanks. As the river rose, thend was submerged in water. Many insects moved up the hill, which delighted the ducks.

    The fat duck and its thirty-one ducklings ate insects floating on the river. They ate everything, including insects other ducks didn¡¯t like.

    With these ducks, the tribe did not have to remove pests themselves. The riverbank was filled with happy ducks who fought over food.

    The weather changed very quickly. They were still wearing thick fur yesterday, yet today they could wear their regr hunting clothing. The ones working were already drenched in sweat.

    ¡°This weather is very peculiar indeed,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Not sure what sudden changes like that meant.

    Winter was over. The tribe would hold its annual prayer ceremony to its ancestors soon. However, the shamaness and the chief seemed to be distracted these days.

    Shao Xuan knew they were waiting for news. Even if they couldn¡¯t do it this winter, maybe next winter would be the same? Then they could catch that opportunity.

    But Shao Xuan had a feeling that their idea might not work.

    Two dayster, all the snow was cleaned off in the vige. After three days of sun, the ground was dry and the river dried quickly too.

    This river was connected to another outside the vige. There were filters built to stop dangerous animals from getting into this river, but water still flowed. The river was back to its original water level now.

    That night, the ceremony went on as usual. The scouting team had not returned. It was expected. Travelling required time, and it took longer to travel in the snow.

    This ceremony was more sombre. The shamaness and chief were not active, everyone who knew of it was distracted. However, to pay respects to their ancestors, they had to push aside their emotions. Thinking can wait tillter.

    As the shamaness sang and chanted, the mes roared within the fire pit.

    Any residual cold air that night was chased out by the heat.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s bone ornaments reacted too. Its mes connected with the mes in the fire pond to form a tall me giant.

    The tribe was no longer surprised by the me giant. However, Shao Xuan had a different feeling this time.

    The power of inheritance within him was no longer surging manically. This me giant was activated purely by the power of the bone ornaments, simr to the past few ceremonies. Shao Xuan did not control it.

    As the me giant appeared, everyone knelt in prayer. Even the most arrogant warriors, or the moodiest old people were all kneeling in respect. Especially the warriors who went with Zheng Luo to the salt mines. They prayed sincerely. Without the protection of their ancestors, they would not have survived.

    Shao Xuan looked up at the giant. Last year, the giant had turned slightly to face the direction where Shao Xuan hade from. Today, the me giant turned again to face the same direction. However, the giant then lifted an arm and pointed.

    Many people witnessed this, even the ones with lowered heads looked up when they heard gasps.

    Ancestors, what are you hinting at?

    The shamaness was stunned. She stood by the fire pit in shock, looking at the giant. She only continued initiating the ceremony when the me giant vanished.

    When the ceremony ended, everyone went back and discussed what happened.

    Next to the fire pit.

    Only embers were left.

    The shamaness was still there.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, do you hear it?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Hear what?¡±

    ¡°The voice of the ancestors.¡± She closed her eyes.

    ¡°What did they say?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan looked at her incredulously, confirming that she was serious.

    ¡°You n to migrate?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The ancestors appeared just now to give an instruction,¡± said the shamaness.

    ¡°But how will we return? Don¡¯t we need to wait for Xiang Chen to return with their news?¡±

    ¡°They might not bring good news.¡± She sighed. ¡°But the ancestors are definitely telling us that it¡¯s time to go back.

    This was what the shamaness thought. If the ancestors said to return, then it was time. As for how, they would have to figure it out. She did not think the ancestors would tell them to do something impossible. Perhaps there was already a method, they just didn¡¯t know it.

    Shao Xuan mulled over her words. He looked up to see her staring at him.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡±

    She smiled. ¡°Maybe they¡¯ll tell you the solution someday.¡±

    Then he¡¯ll just have to hope. Shao Xuan smirked sarcastically.

    At the same time, on the other side, in the Forest of Fearsome Beasts, there was also a ceremony in the ming Horn tribe. The old shaman stood at the fire pit, looking at the fire seed and thought about the me giant in the pit just now. The giant had lifted an arm and pointed in a direction.

    What did that mean?

    The old man stood silently in the night breeze, unmoving.

 Chapter 479 - Time To Leave

    Chapter 479

    Time To Leave

    Barely two days after the prayer ceremony. The Mountain Wind chief had personallye to visit. He looked like he was in a hurry.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your chief? I need to talk to him.¡± Mountain Wind¡¯s chief had the patrol team bring him to meet Zheng Luo. ¡°If Zheng Luo isn¡¯t here, I can meet your Elder too.¡±

    Ever since the time at the salt mines, Mountain Wind was cautious around the young ming Horn Elder. They would not underestimate him. Without Shao Xuan, they would not survive.

    ¡°The Elder and chief are both in.¡± The patrol team sent a messenger, then when permission was given, they brought the team from Mountain Wind up the hill.

    Mountain Wind and ming Horn had grown closer since working together at the salt mines.

    The Mountain Wind chief had a solemn expression as if there was something serious. The patrol team did not waste any time hurrying up the hill.

    As per tradition, after winter and the prayer ceremony, the tribe would go out for their first hunt. In the past years, important members of the tribe would meet at the top of the mountain to prepare for the hunt.

    They were meeting today but talked about other matters.

    The shamaness told everyone the instructions she received at the ceremony, then expressed her opinion. However, no one knew how they could move so the meeting was met with a dead end. No one wanted to migrate an entire tribe when there was no solid n. There were too many variables. This was not a joke.

    At this moment, someone reported that the Mountain Wind chief was here, and it seemed urgent.

    Zheng Luo sent everyone back to think about it and they¡¯d continue the meeting tomorrow. There were a lot more meetings after winter.

    When he saw Lanmu, Zheng Luo¡¯s heart sank. He knew Mountain Wind had nned tounch war against Fox after winter. If the Fox tribesmen at the mines did not return safely, that meant the tribe¡¯s strength would be greatly diminished. This would be easy for Mountain Wind. However, Lanmu¡¯s face did not tell any good news. Did the Fox people make it home safely?

    ¡°What happened? Something happened to Fox?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Not just that.¡± Lanmu paused to sit down, then told Zheng Luo about the message he received.

    ¡°During winter, after we returned, due to the snow, we didn¡¯t send any scouts to watch the Fox tribe. A while ago, towards the end of winter, we sent scouts. We didn¡¯t know that the Fox tribe was moving! We had sent too few scouts so we couldn¡¯t just attack and stop them. We didn¡¯t have a chance. After some time, most of their tribesmen had already moved. Only a few bed-ridden patients are left there.¡± Lanmu was furious. He had been suppressing his anger to wait an entire winter, yet this happened.

    ¡°Where did they move to?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    Lanmu eyed Shao Xuan, who was also seated, and said, ¡°King City. They¡¯re going to King City.¡± This was the answer they¡¯d forced out of the sick people left in the vige.

    ¡°King City? They¡¯re seeking protection from King City?!¡± Zheng Luo was surprised. ¡°Looks like not many survived the salt mines. Or they would not have moved their tribe to depend on King City.¡±

    ¡°Yes. ording to our reports, only about twenty Shen tribesmen returned from the salt mines, they were heavily injured too. The Fox tribe should be the same. But¡­¡±

    ¡°Just say it,¡± said Shao Xuan, who hadn¡¯t said a word. What Lanmu knew must be rted to him, or he wouldn¡¯t be eyeing Shao Xuan like that.

    Lanmu paused. ¡°I heard Elder Shao Xuan went to King City before winter?¡±

    ¡°I did,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The great six released a statement at the same time. They are offering rewards to anyone who can catch ming Horn tribesmen. Apparently it¡¯s because of the incident regarding the destruction of the city walls.¡± Lanmu was still in disbelief. The ming Horns were violent enough to break their city walls?!

    The Mountain Wind tribe received news much quicker than the rest. They lived in the outer regions of the forest. Not sure how they could get updates so quickly, perhaps with birds. Mountain Wind was more superior in information transfer. If Lanmu said so, then it was likely to be true.

    ¡°We just broke a wall, and they want to attack us?!¡± raged Zheng Luo. ¡°This excuse is a stretch. Their walls weren¡¯t strong, one touch and it broke! Are they ming us for being too strong?!¡±

    Lanmu¡¯s face twitched. What did he mean by ¡®one touch and it broke¡¯?! This is the King City¡¯s city wall, not your backyard¡¯s fence! Even I am afraid.

    ¡°There are rumours that the change in winter was because of ming Horn, and¡­¡± Lanmu looked at Zheng Luo and Shao Xuan¡¯s increasingly twisted face, then continued, ¡°Plus they said that ming Horn lured the king beast out of the ice, causing natural disasters.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s bullshit!¡± Zheng Luo¡¯s face darkened with rage. So they¡¯re ming everything on ming Horn now? ¡°You believe this?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it. But there must be a reason for this, perhaps it¡¯s rted to Fox, or something else. But it¡¯s true that they are nowunching a war against you. I came soon after I received news.¡± Mountain Wind was there at the salt mines. If ming Horns really nned this, would they have ended up pathetically running with them? But if you said the beast had absolutely nothing to do with them¡­ Lanmu was still sceptical. Everyone had been knocked unconscious after the st. Only one person knew what truly happened after they fainted.

    As he thought about this, Lanmu looked at Shao Xuan doubtfully. He met Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes and his heart shuddered. He quickly averted his eyes. He did not want to provoke this young man.

    Not sure which idiot decided to me ming Horn for the weather either. Did they think one tribe could influence the weather? All these people who believed the rumours, were they all stupid?

    But there were many people who believed the rumours. They treated ming Horn like the gue.

    Lanmu told them what he knew as thanks for their help at the mines. Before he left, he hesitated but finally asked, ¡°You ming Horns, are you really from anothernd?¡±

    Zheng Luo¡¯s eye twitched. Obviously, the most important factor that could unite many forces of power was likely this.

    ming Horn didn¡¯t belong here, that was true. But a thousand years had passed, many people had forgotten. Everyone just thought they were from another side of thisnd. They didn¡¯t know that ming Horn didn¡¯t exist here a thousand years ago.

    Lanmu¡¯s jaw dropped but he shook his head and sighed. ¡°Be careful.¡±

    Shunning outsiders was human nature. That year, ming Horn left densely popted areas to live here because they liked the environment but more importantly so other people would forget where they were from. The ancestral records showed that ming Horn was shunned by the people here when they first arrived, causing a lot of death. Was history going to repeat itself?

    When Lanmu left, Xiang Chen and his men finally arrived with simr news. At Anba City, there was a public announcement that demonised ming horn.

    Xiang Chen also heard rumours about them being very strong while they were in hiding.

    We¡¯re strong, and that¡¯s our fault?!

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure who believed these rumours but he knew that with a reward, plus information on fire crystals and salt mines, more people would be willing to take the challenge.

    These people nned to slowly eat away at ming Horn¡¯s powers, notunch a direct attack.

    The great six did not have to do anything themselves if they wanted to attack ming Horn. They knew ming Horn was a tough enemy. At this moment, it was best to rely on the people who depended on them, and greed. They heard King City had taken in many people and provided so many benefits. It was time for these people to earn their share.

    In the forest, due topetition for resources, the tribes did notmunicate much. The only partner they had was the Taihe tribe next door. Mountain Wind was just here to return a favour, they did not want to be involved. It was understandable.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to leave!¡± The shamaness walked out and stood on the peak of the hill. She looked far across the forest, starting to grow shoots and buds.

    If they stayed, they would have to deal with such nonsense. Might as well leave. Their ancestor¡¯s instructions would not be wrong.

    Zheng Luo sent an emergency meeting. Soon, the entire tribe got into action.

    Since Lanmu had visited ming Horn, naturally he would visit Taihe too. That was why Taihe already knew of this.

    The chief thought Zheng Luo woulde asking for help. They¡¯d been neighbours for so long, he was willing to help. However, he didn¡¯t expect that Zheng Luo was here to bid him farewell.

    Zheng Luo was already very grateful to hear that Taihe was willing to help. They had been neighbours for so long, with scuffles and arguments. Yet in the end, the one willing to lend a hand was still their neighbour. Perhaps that was why their bossy ancestors were willing to be neighbours with Taihe.

    After thanking him, Zheng Luo told him.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to bid you farewell.¡± Zheng Luo looked at his old frenemy, who was a lot older than him.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡± The Taihe chief almost dropped his cup.

    What?

    Were they that afraid of the great six? Were they going to hide somewhere more secluded?

    The ming Horn they knew were not cowards.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that be doing the arrogant nobles a favour? If we build our own city, we can call ourselves nobles too! Why fear them? Just ignore what they say, treat it as garbage talk. At most just stay inside the forest. Here, we have the advantage!¡± said the Taihe chief unhappily.

    ¡°Wee from anothernd,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    ¡°I know, but what has that got to do with this? Unless you don¡¯t want to fight them?¡± The Taihe chief didn¡¯t think anything of it. They had such a good neighbour, they didn¡¯t want them to go. Who would help them carry goods during future trade excursions?

    ¡°No, we¡¯re just going back.¡± Although Zheng Luo didn¡¯t know why the shamaness was so confident, at this point, he just had to trust her.

    Going back? What did that mean?

    The Taihe chief still didn¡¯t understand when Zheng Luo left.

 Chapter 480 - Hint

    Chapter 480

    Hint

    Their ancestors killed their way here to get their own piece of territory. It had been centuries. The houses, fields, every corner of the vige held precious memories passed down generations. Every ce was filled with history.

    When they heard that they had to pack up and leave, the tribesmen were shocked. All they could do was follow instructions and pack mechanically. When they snapped back to reality, they started discussing.

    When they heard that the great six was targeting them, they were all furious. Some warriors yelled that they wanted to attack the cities themselves. When Duo Kang heard this, he smacked the guy.

    ¡°You think we¡¯re scared? Nonsense! Why would us, ming Horn, be afraid of the arrogant ve masters? We¡¯re leaving because we¡¯re going back!¡± said Duo Kang loudly.

    Everyone paused.

    Back?

    Back where?

    What did he mean?

    The warrior who was smacked to the ground said, stunned, ¡°Boss, aren¡¯t we here? Back where?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going back to where our ancestors came from.¡± Duo Kang left to survey the people at the foot of the hill. The entire tribe was antsy. To prevent the scuffles due to restless warriors unable to hunt, he had to control the situation.

    The warrior, crouching on the ground with a bruised face, watched as Duo Kang left. He thought about what he said.

    Where did their ancestorse from?

    Where did they¡­ Shao Xuan! Apparently Shao Xuan was from that ce. Does that mean they¡¯ll be returning to the origin of ming Horn?!

    Xiang Chen and his people, who had just arrived, were initially already depressed due to the sea not freezing over. Then, after hearing the awful rumours, they were all ready to fight to the end against these city folk. This was an unexpected twist.

    The ming Horn people were sick. Xiang Chen¡¯s parents told him a long time ago, no one usually talked about it. If outsiders told them they were sick, he would definitely say, ¡°No YOU¡¯RE sick. You¡¯re ALL sick.¡±

    But this was reality. While he yelled at them, Xiang Chen would also wonder when they¡¯d recover.

    Their opportunity was here. Although he didn¡¯t know what the shamaness nned, since the chief and shamaness both decided to leave, he would leave too.

    ¡°What should we do with the duck house?¡± The keeper couldn¡¯t bear to leave the ducks so he went to ask Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Just leave it there. Leave the duck house for them. They¡¯ll leave if they want to.¡± These ducks were too normal, the tribe would rather hunt a few fearsome beasts out there than ughter these too. Bringing them along would just be inconvenient. They had already paid their rent in eggs.

    ¡°We found a few eggs today, what should we do with them?¡±

    ¡°Cook them and bring it along.¡±

    ¡°The green duck?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the fat duck with a group of green feather balls. Shao Xuan would not be able to see the second generation of eggs. Seeing as their eggs had helped ming Horn, he did not kill them.

    ¡°Just leave it here.¡±

    The bronze cauldron had already been melted into other wares like pots and woks and distributed to tribesmen. No one wanted to throw them away so they brought them with. The raw salt was sessfully cooked and processed, then distributed. The shamaness sent people to guard the remaining salt.

    Shao Xuan had experienced one major migration, this was his second. This was different though. This time, there were many enemies watching. Perhaps it might not be a smooth journey.

    Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo talked about their path. They could not use the path Xiang Chen used either. Other people must have seen them and would have nted attackers there waiting. This path passed several cities for convenience of obtaining supplies. Right now, they had to avoid all cities. That meant Shao Xuan¡¯s initial path was a lot safer because it avoided most densely popted areas. While the forest was dangerous, it was the shortest path. With so many people, they could work together to fight off any beasts.

    ¡°I¡¯ll use this path.¡± zheng Luo pointed at the map Shao Xuan drew. ¡°Send scouts to survey the conditions, then clear a path.¡±

    That night, as most of the tribe had trouble falling asleep, Shao Xuan dreamt. He saw the first shaman of the tribe but couldn¡¯t see the face, only a faint shape. Shao Xuan had a feeling about who this person was. The legendary, most powerful shaman. The original owner of the six bone ornaments.

    In his dream, he saw the shaman walking across a long walkway to a distance.

    It was a familiar walkway.

    It was very dark around. He heard the sound of flowing water.

    There was a huge, dark patch moving slowly next to him. A giant beast that lived in the ocean.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes sprung open, he was still in a daze but he remembered everything in the dream. Other than the faint silhouette, he remembered every detail.

    The sky brightened, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the window.

    He got up and washed himself. Wiping his face, he went to the shamaness after a haphazard breakfast.

    It was early but the shamaness wasn¡¯t in her house. She stood next to the fire pit, spaced out.

    She couldn¡¯t sleep that night. She had been standing by the pit all night. Although she looked calm, there was an obvious shadow beneath her eyes. Under her heavy lids, her eyes were bloodshot.

    Perhaps she was not as calm as she let on. Moving the entire tribe was no small feat. She and the chief were under huge pressure.

    When she saw Shao Xuan, she asked, ¡°Why are you in a hurry?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand something.¡±

    Shao Xuan described his dream. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was a hint from their ancestors or just overthinking.

    After listening to his description, her dull eyes brightened. They squinted slightly, the wrinkles in her face cut deeper.

    ¡°That¡¯s the path! Our ancestors have shown us the way! Perhaps when we arrive, it will be what you saw in your dream. A walkway will form!¡± said the shamaness confidently. She believed their ancestors would not lie.

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a hint from the ancestors!¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Before he finished, she stopped him. ¡°You must trust your ancestors!¡±

    ¡°I do,¡± he said helplessly.

    ¡°Then it is done. All we need to do is bring the tribe there.¡±

    After meeting Shao Xuan, she became a lot more sprightly. She nned to talk to Zheng Luo. He was also very stressed out and hadn¡¯t slept. Early this morning, he was lecturing someone.

    Shao Xuan scratched his head when she hurried off. He didn¡¯t think it would be the same as what he experienced because he heard the sound of flowing water and saw therge shape in his dream. He hadn¡¯t experienced either.

    Two dayster, the tribe assembled.

    The scouts were back. The path was walkable, safe for stagnant patches of water that they had to be careful of.

    On the hill, the fire pit was still there but there were no ming Horn people. The fire pit was now useless.

    The houses were there but they were empty. It was quiet here.

    In the fields, tiny weeds had started to grow. The farmers who nned to start nting crops gave up and decided to store their seeds well.

    In the manmade river, ducks of different colours swam on the surface. The water was warm. These ducks were as active as ever after suffering through a harsh winter.

    ¡°Are we really going to leave them for Taihe?¡± Duo Kang could not bear to leave them but after they left, this would be a ce belonging to no one. Since they were unwilling to let anyone else take it, they gave the ce to Taihe.

    ¡°They really benefited from this!¡±

    ¡°Hope they won¡¯t eat all the ducks,¡± said someone who lived near the duck house.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the rest, I¡¯ll just miss the green ducks,¡± said the duck house keeper, who kept turning around.

    The long line of tribesmen left. The ducks watched them silently, confused but did not follow. When thest person crossed the bridge, they continued swimming with their ducklings.

    When they passed a region near Taihe, there was a group of people waiting. They were mostly hunters, everyone knew them. Plus Quan Bai and the rest who had stayed at ming Horn for a long time when they nted the Thousand Grain Gold. They were here to send ming Horn off.

    This was theirst encounter. Both sides would miss this.

    ¡°Take these with you.¡± The Taihe chief passed them tworge cloth pouches. They were filled with herbs. Taihe had rushed to process these during the past two days.

    ¡°Thank you! All the best!¡± Zheng Luo patted the Taihe chief¡¯s shoulder heavily.

    ¡°Right, about the green ducks. Don¡¯t eat them, just keep them there. It¡¯ll pay off. Shao Xuan must¡¯ve told you this?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, ¡°said the Taihe chief.

    Why did this farewell sound so hesitant?

    A little time was given for both sides to say their goodbyes.

    There were two old people crying, kneeling aside. There were ming Horn people married into Taihe, and vice versa. Although there hadn¡¯t been inter-tribe marriages recently, there were still surviving couples.

    They wanted to leave with ming Horn but they were very old now. They would just be a burden.

    The shamaness patted the old women¡¯s heads gently. ¡°You should stay!¡±

    The tribesmen left once again, leaving the ce they had lived in for centuries.

    Zheng Luo turned around to look at the hill. The tall trees had already blocked his view. Turning around, he took determined steps at the front of the line.

    Their ancestors said that the ming Horns would return to their homnd one day. Perhaps they would live to see that day after all.

 Chapter 481 - Chase Or Donâ€™t Chase

    Chapter 481

    Chase Or Don¡¯t Chase

    ¡°Roar¡ª¡±

    A ferocious roar rang across the forest.

    There was the sound of impact from a metal weapon and the roaring stopped. Rugged breaths slowly faded.

    Shao Xuan ripped off some tree leaves to wipe the blood off his sword.

    The warriors nearby went to clean the fearsome beast, draining its blood into a sk.

    In the past, they would do their best to preserve the entire animal hide after a hunt. Now, they did not need to do this because they were not going to save the hide for trade. They just wanted food and this would be their lunch.

    Eight people cleaned the beast together, removing the internal organs, slicing off the flesh. Bones and skin were left on the ground.

    Duo Kang passed the sk around. ¡°Drink some?¡±

    Shao Xuan waved. ¡°No, I didn¡¯t spend much energy. Let the others have it.¡±

    Duo Kang grinned, took a gulp and passed it to the rest.

    The thick liquid, with a strong smell of copper, flowed down their throats into their stomachs. The energy spent this morning was slowly replenished with warmth.

    Sweat sprouted from his pores. Duo Kang rubbed his hands on some leaves, rubbing off coagted blood.

    ¡°It¡¯s been two days and we haven¡¯t met anyone who tried to kill us.¡± Duo Kang looked at Shao Xuan, waiting for news. He saw Shao Xuan fidgeting with some rope. This was not the time to fumble with the rope out of boredom so he must be conducting his reading. However, Duo Kang had been leading the rest of the guards to protect the tribe so he didn¡¯t have time to ask. Now that he had the chance, he came over to ask.

    ¡°We¡¯ll meet them soon. Not everyone thinks we¡¯ll take the original path, not everyone will choose to hide. Some might attack directly. Perhaps some people can predict our path too,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°They can even predict our path?!¡± Duo Kang was shocked. However, with the Yi family involved, this was possible. Although there were many idiots there, there were still members who had true talent.

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°Just proceed with the journey. Right, did you all do the things I told you to do?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    As they left, Shao Xuan delegated tasks to the warriors who were free. With children and older tribespeople, they would definitely be slower than when they travelled during hunts. Naturally, there would be people with time. Shao Xuan gave them small tasks.

    ¡°They made a lot, all here.¡± Duo Kang pointed at a wicker basket.

    ¡°That¡¯s good. You all leave first, I¡¯ll stay behind to prepare the ce.¡± Shao Xuan opened the basket and was satisfied with the stuff inside.

    Duo Kang thought about what Shao Xuan did for the people sent by Anba City after them when they returned from the trade excursion. He did not ask questions, merely telling the warriors who had cleaned the beast to quickly pack up and leave.

    Xiang Chen saw Shao Xuan staying behind alone and asked Duo Kang, ¡°Elder isn¡¯t going?¡±

    ¡°Our Elder has something to do.¡± Duo Kang gestured for him to return to the line.

    Xiang Chen had many questions for he wasn¡¯t with Duo Knag for the trade. He didn¡¯t know much about the incident, only from some stories.

    Duo Kang picked up his tiny daughter in his arms and then his wife on his back. He also hung things around his neck and hips. Then, he followed Xiang Chen and the rest.

    Very soon, the ce that reeked of animal blood was quiet once again.

    The coppery smell of blood lingered in the humid air. Consecutive animal roars sounded far away. Shao Xuan looked up at the sky. Through the leaves, he saw flying shadows pacing around.

    These scavenger birds were impatient. The first one dove through the leaves straight to the remains of the beast. Shao Xuan shed at it. It flopped twice and died.

    The rest of the scavenger birds flew to a nearby branch for rest after witnessing this. They watched Shao Xuan closely.

    More than twenty of themnded on the tree, staring at him. There were more in the sky.

    Shao Xuan was alone here. Anyone timider would be afraid. Shao Xuan ignored them all. He fussed over the beast¡¯s remains for a while, shing a few birds that attacked to the ground. When he was done, he left and continued setting up the surroundings.

    Shao Xuan nned to set up a consecutive trigger trap. The warriors had helped him make parts of the traps. There must be more people chasing after them behind. While he couldn¡¯t guarantee these traps would stop them all, they would still be a hassle and slow them down.

    When Shao Xuan left the beast¡¯s carcass, the scavenger birds swarmed over, dropping feathers as they fought. All therge beasts had avoided this ce due to the ming Horn tribe. Within a short time, no animal wouldpete with these birds for food.

    The birds pecked at the bloody remains, blinking their white eyes. Bloody strings of flesh hung to their beaks. They were cautious of Shao Xuan, puffing up their feathers and cawing loudly to chase him away from their food. Shao Xuan ignored them.

    A kind of green-grey vine creeper than a thumb was hidden among the bushes. Anyone familiar with the forest would be cautious because this wasn¡¯t found in the forest. It was a creeper usually found in a swamp, thin and flexible.

    Sharp wooden thorns and sharpened stone needles were covered by needles. Within half an hour, an entire basket of little things was hidden in this area.

    When he was done, there was only skin and bones left on the carcass. Most of the flesh was picked clean. A giant beast was now only horns, teeth, bones and skin.

    Shao Xuan stood up, looked around and left.

    Taihe tribe.

    A team of Taihe warriors chased out a bunch of suspicious individuals hiding in the forest, even killing two.

    ¡°How many waves has it been?¡±

    ¡°This is the third wave. Or fourth?¡± said another.

    ¡°At least ming Horn left early or they¡¯d be very irritated.¡±

    These two days, they often saw people loitering in the forest, especially near the ming Horn vige. They¡¯d taken over this territory so naturally, they had to send guards there and chase away all the scouts.

    These people seemed to be part of small groups. They didn¡¯t dare offend Taihe and since they saw the vige was empty, they gave up here. They turned to look for tracks left behind by ming Horn in the forest. Some wanted to threaten Taihe but this was Taihe¡¯s territory, no one could threaten them here. These people became fertiliser for their crops.

    That evening, a team of one hundred hurried along, following the ming Horn¡¯s tracks. It was impossible for the entire tribe to leave no trace. More experienced individuals easily identified them.

    They were the first batch of people. After going to the vige, they did not stop. Instead, they followed the tracks. They must catch the ming Horns before others arrived so they could get something out of this.

    There were only one hundred members. They did not n to attack, merely kidnap a few as hostages. Then, they would threaten the ming Horns for fire crystals and salt. They¡¯d used this method on many people. Compared to fighting and robbing, this was way smarter. They were very confident.

    ¡°Beast carcass! They passed here recently,¡± said one.

    They approached the carcass to assess the capabilities of the person who ughtered this animal, and time of ughter. This would help them estimate ming Horn¡¯s strength and the time needed to catch up.

    The person had a bad feeling when he nudged the bones that were already picked clean.

    Buzz¡ª-

    There was a quick buzzing as if he had just triggered aplex switch. The quiet forest was suddenly violent.

    Stone needles fell like rain over arge area. The ones who shielded themselves identally triggered another trap. Every time they thought they survived, they triggered another trap. The traps were like a giant hand trapping these people. Anyone who was slightly slower would be stabbed by wooden thorns and stone needles.

    When the chaos ended, the uninjured ones did not dare move. They looked around cautiously, every step was nerve-racking. There were people on the ground. They were injured and poisoned. Even if they lived, they would not have the strength to chase after the tribe.

    About twenty lost mobility and eight died. The remaining seventy sustained only minor injuries but they dared not travel at top speed now. If they hadn¡¯t dodged the traps, they would be on the ground too.

    ¡°Boss, should we¡­ proceed?¡± One guy¡¯s features were contorted as he pulled a wooden thorn out of his shoulder. It was just wood, yet it was a huge threat. The poison on the thorn numbed his entire arm. He felt better after applying medicine but he didn¡¯t know if this would be useful. If it was a strong poison, he might just lose an arm.

    Everyone was rmed too. All they knew was that the ming Horn people were ¡®strong¡¯ and ¡®unreasonable¡¯ but they didn¡¯t know they¡¯d suffer like that! So close!

    ¡°Bring the injured ones back, we won¡¯t chase for the moment,¡± said the leader.

    ¡°What if other people get their salt and fire crystals first?¡±

    ¡°Then let them get it! I want to wait and see what ming Horn would do!¡±

    They suffered this time because they weren¡¯t familiar with ming Horn. After this, they should not chase blindly anymore. Falling into their trap again could mean death. Their group was small. They didn¡¯t get anything and yet they were suffering losses.

    He had to let other people be theb rats now.

 Chapter 482 - Team King City

    Chapter 482

    Team King City

    There was a group of people hiding along the path ming Horn usually took, their patience wearing thin. While there were people tracking them in the forest, a third group took another path.

    A group of people d in golden armour marched ahead. The people in front rode on tall stallions. They were specially bred for this and well taken care of. They were energetic, their hooves clicking on the ground. Pebbles on the ground were broken into crumbs under their hooves. The crowd of horses sounded like rumbling thunder.

    The people riding on these tall horses carried long metal spears, their armours glinting in the sun. With their cold faces, everyone felt a gust of cold wind as they passed. Winter had passed and the temperatures had risen. Yet the sight of these people sent chills down their backs.

    Many people used this path so there were fewer weeds and trees blocking their paths. The ground was t and it was good for carriages. Tribal trade teams often used this path. However, this path was narrow. Evenrge trading parties had to rearrange their formations when they passed. Two tribes would not be able to pass at the same time unless one team walked off the path on the grass.

    There was a group of traders from some tribe ahead. The person on the horse urged his horse ahead, waving his spear as they sprinted ahead, his sharp spearhead piercing the wind coldly at anyone in its path.

    ¡°Move, move!¡± everyone shouted, their carriages and animals moving aside. All they could do was avoid these people.

    The traders were scared of this group. Any courage would disappear.

    These people were cold and violent.

    These people were fast, Due to the abrupt turn, a wagon filled with goods was almost tipped over because of a rock on the ground. Some goods fell on the ground but the traders had to leave it behind. A young man wanted to go pick it up but an older member dragged him by his shirt.

    Rumble¡ª

    The horses arrived, their spears charging with a gust of wind. A spear brushed by the young man. Every hair on his stood on end in the face of such violence. These people were ready to sweep everything in their paths. The young man stood frozen as if he was going to shatter any time.

    To these people on horses, everything in their way, including people and objects, were the enemy,

    Kill! Destroy!

    The persin front waved his spear with a twist of his wrist. It growled like an animal about to pounce.

    Whoosh!

    The goods on the ground were swept aside. However, the swipe was too strong so the sack tore and its contents spilt mid-air. Pieces of fabric fluttered.

    However, no one dared say a word or check on their goods. If they approached, they would be impaled with a spear. These people were strong. If they were impaled, they¡¯d either lose a limb or die.

    After the riders rushed past, the ground still shook. Dust flew in the air but the traders did not approach immediately. They rested for a while. When the clouds of dust dissipated, they slowly passed again.

    No one dared walk before they did. Everyone just waited until the riders were definitely gone. They¡¯d just seen one of the riders stab his spear at a guy! That gesture meant ¡®get the hell out of my way¡¯ and ¡®die¡¯!

    This was nature! If you weren¡¯t strong enough, you¡¯d have to make way.

    When they were gone, the trading party slowly got on the path once again.

    ¡°Who were they?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the words on their banner?¡± said an elderly member. ¡°They¡¯re likely from King City.¡±

    ¡°The aristocrats? What are they going to do, all suited up like that?¡± Everyone shuddered. Which unfortunate tribe provoked the city? They rarely saw the aristocrats mobilise troops like that.

    ¡°Who knows.¡± They discussed along the way, wondering who the soldiers were going to attack. They would ask the people in the city.

    On the path, there were several carriages adorned with patterned silk.

    Arge beast resembling a white rhinoceros with multiple horns pulled a carriage. Inside, there were several people dressed in luxurious clothing. In the middle, sitting on a cushion was a young-looking male. However, his hair was silver-white.

    The young man had a square wooden board before him. There were squares and circles drawn on it, seven white jades scattered on them. Every piece of jade was shiny.

    ¡°Yi Zong, how was the reading?¡± asked a young girl in exquisite leather impatiently.

    The person on the cushion pointed in a direction. ¡°There, the ming Horn tribe is still in the forest. They haven¡¯t stopped.¡±

    ¡°What the hell are they nning?!¡± The girl slumped dejectedly, cupping her cheek as she looked in the direction he pointed. Yi Zong was one of the best in divination from the Yi family, no one doubted his readings.

    ¡°Do you think they¡¯re afraid of us? So they panicked and moved. Maybe they are looking for a new ce to settle down. These tribesmen like to hide in the forest though,¡± remarked another young man in the carriage.

    The dense forest had aplicated terrain. Trees were dense and there were all sorts of venomous insects, fearsome beasts, king beasts etc. No one would be stupid enough to attack them inside. That was why they told interested parties about Yi Zong¡¯s divination results. As long as the ming Horn exited the forest, they would kill the tribesmen immediately!

    It¡¯s best if they could corner the ming Horns to a secluded, far ce. Let other people chip away at their manpower, then they¡¯d finish the tribe in the end.

    Fire crystals? Salt? Based on ming Horn¡¯s personality, they would not give them away so easily. They¡¯d definitely keep it close. Maybe robbers would get a little. They would not regret much if robbers got to their salt and crystals first. Their goal was just the people. These people just wanted to improve their reputations through this ming Horn matter!

    Ever since the fire seed vanished, the power of the tribes became less concentrated. Many wanderers appeared. These people from various tribes might band together due to interest or hobbies, forming a new type of power. These people were often professional robbers or assassins. Just like the famous robber group, Qingfeng, or the famous hired assassins- Night Tribe.

    When there was a huge reward present, they became hungry wolves sniffing out their prey.

    ¡°Are the ming Horns that scary?¡±

    ¡°I know about this. When the ming Horn guy mmed the Lu family head into the air, I was sitting in the city gate¡¯s tower. At the time¡­¡±

    He described what happened. ¡°I heard our ancestors had always wanted to destroy ming Horn. They just always hid in the forest and in the end, they were forgotten. This matter would be remembered again every time ming Horn causes trouble in the city.¡±

    ¡°I heard the ming Horn people canmand the king beast? Is it true?¡± asked the girl.

    ¡°You believe that?!¡±

    ¡°Why not? Don¡¯t they all say that? No way, I¡¯ve got to question the Fox chief,¡± said the girl as she pulled apart the curtains and gave an instruction to the people outside. Soon, the Fox chief, who was in the carriage behind, was called over.

    The Fox chief was ufortable as he stepped into the carriage. He used to be a tribe¡¯s chief, he was practically king. However, now that they were taken in by King City, he still felt inferior to these young aristocrats. These were the elites of their generation too.

    ¡°How do you do,¡± greeted the Fox chief, suppressing his nerves.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Fox chief? I heard you all were ughtered by ming Horn?¡± asked the girl.

    The Fox chief¡¯s head throbbed. ughtered?! Didn¡¯t he bring a whole group of Fox tribesmen to the city? Weren¡¯t they people? Also, why did she sound so condescending? Does she look down on us?

    He clenched his fist and sighed, holding back his anger. ¡°ming Horn, is very dangerous.¡±

    As he spoke, he recited his script. The details rting to the king beast were vague, making it sound like the ming Horn tribesmen could reallymand the king beast.

    ¡°Alright, I understand. You may go.¡± The girl waved him away like she was swatting at a fly.

    He took a deep breath and leapt out of the carriage.

    When he left, she frowned. ¡°He¡¯s lying!¡±

    ¡°I told you the ming Horns aren¡¯t as scary as the rumours tell. They¡¯re just exaggerated for the sake of sparking anger against them. As for the incident at the city gate, it must be some secret technique. That Shao Xuan guy shouldn¡¯t be that strong.¡± The young man leaned sideways, crossing his arms. ¡°So what if the Fox chief is lying? As long as we obtain our goals.¡±

    Whoosh!

    The sound of fluttering wings could be heard outside the carriage.

    The people inside perked up and opened the curtains. A striped bird flew in. There was a thin leather scroll on its w.

    They opened the scroll carefully and read it.

    After reading, Yi Zong said, ¡°Qingfeng failed. They¡¯ve given ming Horn¡¯s location to the Night Tribe.¡±

 Chapter 483 - Night Ambush

    Chapter 483

    Night Ambush

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? At this point, Qingfeng should have already caught up to ming Horn. Don¡¯t they usually brag about being the fastest trackers ever?¡± said the girl, displeased.

    ¡°The people of Qingfeng decide to temporarily halt all movement,¡± said Yi Zong. That was what the letter said.

    Were they ¡®halting¡¯ or is it because they couldn¡¯t catch up?

    Was the quality of Qingfeng falling?

    The Qingfeng Group was special in a way that if one of their feelers was chopped off, they would retract all their antennae, then watch quietly from afar.

    ¡°So this means Qingfeng encountered something unexpected?¡± said the young man.

    What would something unexpected be?

    The people in the carriage could not imagine. Yi Zong could not get an exnation from his divination either.

    ¡°Then we can only ask Qingfengter.¡±

    ¡­

    Within the forest.

    As they travelled forward, the tribesmen had long left familiar regions. At least Shao Xuan had an impression of it, and his map drawn from memory was used as a reference.

    Tribesmen rarely came here unless there were special circumstances. When he first arrived, Shao Xuan met the Taihe tribesmen only because they were chasing after the long-wed monkey.

    Shao Xuan used two days toplete this journey but the entire tribe took seven. At least they¡¯d sped up a lot as they got used to the rhythm of travel.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be arriving at the mountain soon. Everyone, remember to prepare enough water. It will get drierter,¡± reminded Shao Xuan.

    When he finished, he took out some rope. These days, he conducted readings daily. There were so many people and this involved their entire tribe. He must take it seriously, even if his readings did not yield any results.

    In the past, so many consecutive readings would leave him exhausted and in a daze. Perhaps after controlling the bone ornaments, or some other reason, readings became much more effortless. However, there were still many matters he could not conduct readings for.

    The tribesmen were used to Shao Xuan¡¯s readings. Every time he took out his rope, Zheng Luo and Duo Kang woulde over and wait aside.

    When hepleted his knots, Zheng Luo asked, ¡°What does it say?¡±

    ¡°We have to be careful tonight,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Will someonee tonight?¡±

    These few days, they had met other people along the way. If it weren¡¯t for Shao Xuan¡¯s many traps, they would have met even more. It was very rare for them toe at night though.

    Zheng Luo got up and paced around. ¡°We have to find a ce to let the tribe settle down. We don¡¯t want to be unprepared.¡±

    The dark night was a difficult environment to battle in. It might result in many injuries.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we speed up. We¡¯ll definitely be able to arrive at the mountain. I remember there¡¯s shelter there,¡± suggested Shao Xuan.

    There were not many mountains here, nor ces to hide.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll do that.¡±

    The entire tribe left again. Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo discussed their n.

    During the evening, the entire tribe arrived at the tall mountain. It felt like crossing a border. On one side of the mountain, it was moist with many rivers. The other side was arid.

    There were no caves in the mountain but there were gaps enough for weaker members like the elderly, children and non-totemic-awakened girls to hide. This would prevent them from being ambushed.

    The sun slowly disappeared. The sky darkened.

    Zheng Luo and his men stood on the mountain, watching the forest below. ¡°They should be here soon.¡±

    ¡°Mm. Have you all distributed the things? You all know what to do?¡± Shao Xuan asked everyone behind.

    ¡°Yes!¡± replied the warriors. Although they didn¡¯t know why Shao Xuan wanted them to do these things, at this point, they only had to follow instructions.

    Zheng Luo rolled his shoulders, waving his arms as he stretched. He looked coldly at the forest. ming Horn rarely bullied anyone, even during battle, they respected the rules of the forest. Around the cities, unless they were provoked, they did not cause trouble. Yet there were always so many people who tested their patience. These people chasing after them, weren¡¯t they tantly going to rob the tribe?

    Ptui!

    You think we can be bullied so easily?

    I¡¯ll kill them all!

    Anyone who fell into Zheng Luo¡¯s hands would be killed instantly.

    Shao Xuan looked up at the darkening skies. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    He ran into the forest first with Zheng Luo and the rest behind.

    The forest at night was pitch-ck. There was no breeze, so quiet they could only hear insects and the asional bird.

    However, there was a point of light. Some insects were attracted to this light source.

    Shao Xuan leaned on a tree, tossing the glowing crystal in the air.

    Then it came to an abrupt stop as Shao Xuan turned to look at a spot not far away.

    ¡°Might as welle out if you¡¯re here already!¡±

    The glowing rock was thrown with force, forming an arc of light in the air.

    Whoosh!

    There was the sound of shaking rope.

    A dense shower of wooden thorns shot out into the forest.

    They¡¯d arrived not long ago so Shao Xuan could only make simple traps. But it was enough.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    There were sounds of wooden thorns hitting hard objects. ck silhouettes rushed out of the dark forest, straight at Shao Xuan.

    These people were all wrapped in ck, revealing only their eyes. In the day, if one looked into their eyes, you¡¯d realise they had the eyes of a nocturnal animal. Pupils dted to the maximum as they rushed out. They were not afraid of the dark because they could still see!

    Shao Xuan unleashed his totemic power to the maximum. His muscles, bones and blood were all filled with totemic power as his power was unleashed like awakening a beast in a deep sleep. It bared its teeth.

    Shao Xuanw as too fast, attacking urately without the help of the glowing crystal. His sword radiating a killing aura, intimidating his enemies.

    ng!

    The first person had a bad feeling, every hair on his head stood on its end. The sword in his hand vibrated upon impact as if he had just hit a boulder. He wanted to parry away this force but he realised that the more he resisted, therger the pressure pressing on his arms. If that was a boulder, after a moment, it felt more like a mountain. Shocking!

    They knew ming Horn was strong, but not like that!

    Just with one collision, the person was thrown back, his arms numb from the vibrations. He had not even used any of his skills yet. A cold de shed as quick as lightning in the silence of the night.

    Pfft!

    The person, who was barely standing, now sprayed blood from deep shes across his neck and waist.

    The moment Shao Xuan attacked, Zheng Luo and the rest also sprung to action.

    When their partner fell, the people in ck were slightly shocked but maintained their confidence. They were the kings of the night, they loved hunting in the dark. Their eyes were well-adapted to darkness, they could still see clearly in pitch-ck environments.

    So what if they were strong? Did ming Horn think they could beat them in the dark? Laughable!

    However, just as they were about to reach the ming Horns, they heard a thud.

    A huge cloud of pungent smoke formed instantly. Forget about their irritated noses, most importantly, the smoke had blocked their vision!

    In the night, the ming Horns had limited vision and movement. All they could do was rely on their hearing and senses. They relied on their hearing when they could not see, hence they were trained in their other senses.

    These robbers had powerful night vision but with one ¡®smoke bomb¡¯ made by Taihe, everyone had a level ying field now. No one could see a thing! It was a free for all!

    Taihe tribe had gifted them these as a parting gift, ced in the same sack as other herbs. The shamaness had found these when she looked through the herbs.

    These smoke bombs were made from a secret form. The Taihe ancestors had learned this technique from wild animals and then did their own research. If they met with an undefeatable beast during hunts, they would throw a smoke bomb to escape. Although it only stunned the animal temporarily, at critical moments, one second could determine life or death.

    In the past, ming Horn had asked for these many times and Taihe never agreed, stating high prices. In the end, ming Horn decided not to buy any out of anger. We¡¯ll hunt using our own skills!

    They didn¡¯t expect Taihe to gift them two hundred smoke bombs upon leaving, they were very generous! These things were hard to make, not every Taihe hunter had one either.

    They hadn¡¯t used any along the way. Now that Shao Xuan predicted a night ambush, they decided to use them. If their opponents chose to attack at night, it was likely they had special night vision. Shao Xuan had heard the ck Bears talk about them. There was a group of people who specialised in night assassinations called the Night Tribe.

    After meeting them here, Shao Xuan could confirm their identities. Even if these weren¡¯t the Night tribe, even if the smoke couldn¡¯t stop them, smoke was definitely a distraction. Plus, the pungent smell would stick on them. Without washing, this smell would linger for a long time. Everyone would be able to sniff out each other¡¯s location.

 Chapter 484 - Climbing Mountains

    <strong>Chapter 484</strong>

    <strong>Climbing Mountains</strong>

    If Taihe knew of this, they would definitely be heartbroken over using a smoke bomb at night. Regr folk would not think of using smoke bombs at night, obviously not these attackers either. That was why as they were delighted with themselves over their superior vision, they were suddenly stunned. Within moments, the entire patch of forest was shrouded in smoke. They did not have time to hesitate because ming Horn was already rushing at them.

    These people with Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo all hunted together seamlessly during the day. Basically, once the other person moved, they would know from the sound that this was not a ming Horn.

    Shao Xuan heard a familiar crack and cocked an eyebrow. It was the sound of Zheng Luo twisting a shoulder. Shao Xuan had experienced this during the past few waves of attackers.

    Both ming Horn and the Night Tribe couldn¡¯t see much in the smoke but to Shao Xuan, he could see everyone.

    ng! Crack!

    Duo Kang¡¯s axe handle fell on an attacker, heavily breaking his metal armour and finally, creating the clear sound of broken bones. It wasn¡¯t the work of a de, it was the heavy force of an axe¡¯s handle!

    This was the Night Tribe¡¯s first encounter with ming Horn, also an unforgettable one. They could sense the power and violence equivalent to fighting a fearsome beast. The Night Tribe felt like they weren¡¯t fighting humans but mountain beasts.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± yelled one.

    If theypared strength, they were definitely weaker. In the face of such powerful strokes, their agile techniques were inferior because their movements require some pause¨C due to the numbness from blocking such strong impact.

    Plus, their advantage was supposed to be night vision. Without vision, they were not suited for blindly fighting wild savages! Plus, the savages were faster than them in these circumstances! Retreat!

    Not entirely but retreating out of this smoky region. The bombs definitely didn¡¯t cover the entire forest, just a small area. Staying here for the battle would be stupid.

    The Night Tribe had just escaped out of the cloud when they were faced with a rain of arrows. The fastest ones could avoid the arrows but slower people were shot andter stabbed by Shao Xuan.

    None of the arrows shot into the smoke because there were many ming Horns there. They followed his n, which was to not chase after the Night Tribe. They must wait for thest arrow to be triggered, then exit upon Shao Xuan¡¯s cue.

    There was also a group of ming Horns hidden in the forest, other than the bunch in the smoke. Shao Xuan had exited the cloud of smoke. Shao Xuan killed the attackers shot by his arrows.

    Somewhere far away, amongst the bushes, there were two pairs of eyes watching Shao Xuan carefully. They drew their arrows, focusing on him. Only these people had the ability to aim at a target in pitch-ck.

    Twang!

    A very faint twang from the bowstring. A metal-tipped arrow flew at high speed towards Shao Xuan¡¯s heart.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eye twitched and with a twist of his wrist, he lifted his sword in front of him.

    ng!

    Everyone shuddered when they heard the loud ng as the arrow hit his sword.

    Shao Xuan looked towards the dense area of trees.

    There were archers!

    Shao Xuan focused on his totemic power, his totemic patterns hidden underneath ayer of mud applied on his skin. He sensed every air current around him, his ears catching every sound. He felt every leaf¡¯s movement. Even if the enemy held their breath, they could not stop their heartbeats. Shao Xuan could feel every presence in a ten-meter radius.

    There was one more person nearby. He smelt a suspicious smell and could hear the other person¡¯s breath. Although this person was extremely stealthy, Shao Xuan could sense his specific location. He did not need his night vision. This was trained from years of hunting.

    The two archers among the trees had an odd feeling as Shao Xuan looked at their direction. It felt as if this person could see them through the darkness and the trees. Like every detail was noticed.

    With this odd feeling, they looked at each other.

    ¡°What now? Change to another spot?¡± implied one archer with a look.

    The other archer looked at Shao Xuan, who was moving towards them. The odd feeling was bing stronger!

    He drew another arrow and in a second, the arrow flew.

    Just as he shot the arrow, Shao Xuan elerated, sprinting in their direction like a panther. He took a powerful leap in the air. As both feet left the ground, his sword hit the arrow.

    ng!

    The arrow was diverted. Shao Xuan grabbed a branch and swung himself, catching the arrow. He threw the arrow.

    Pfft!

    There was a muffled thud.

    One of the archers was pierced by the arrow.

    Blood gushed from the wound. The injured archer was about to leave but felt a sharp pain. He looked down at his chest. He was wearing armour to protect his heart but this arrow did not hit it. More specifically, the arrow didn¡¯t even hit the armour but pierced him near the edge of the armour.

    A coincidence? Or¡­

    The injured archer was filled with confusion and shock, and at the same time felt a sense of hopelessness. He had a thought that scared himself so much he was now drenched in sweat. His body could no longer support his weight. He copsed heavily, groaning in pain. These arrows were coated in poison. This poison spread quickly through the arrow wound. They never thought that these arrows would be turned against them when they coated them in poison.

    The archer, d in ck, looked at Shao Xuan again. Shao Xuan was approaching. He was shaking all over now, not sure from his pain or the shock of his revtion. Before he lost consciousness, he roared.

    ¡°He can see us!¡±

    The other archer was about to run when Shao Xuan shed his sword.

    Other attackers hiding nearby were shocked. They heard what their partner said.

    He can see us?

    How is that possible?

    Isn¡¯t he from ming Horn?

    They had never heard of ming Horns with night vision! If that was the case, it was out of their expectations. How is this possible! How is this possible?!

    Everyone hiding near Shao Xuan was anxious. If their opponent could see them, then they had no more advantage!

    They were about to run when they heard a whistle. It sounded like the breeze blowing through branches. One guy¡¯s heart clenched and turned to swing his sword.

    ng!

    Shao Xuan held his sword up, bringing with it a force of violence as it shed downwards. It was like a beast mercilessly waving its sharp ws.

    The person who blocked felt a sharp pain in his body, as if his entire skeleton would fall apart with this collision. His knees almost gave out under him. His face, initially filled with violence, was now contorted with the pain extending from his wrist, to his shoulders, to his entire body. No one could see his features as they were covered with ck cloth.

    The sound of two des colliding was as cold as ice, sending vibrations to their eardrums. Every hair stood on its end, muscles shivered.

    A de moved in an arc.

    Pfft!

    Blood sprayed.

    Shao Xuan did not look at the copsed person. He put his thumb in his mouth and whistled.

    This was the cue to everyone in the smoke and other ming Horn warriors hidden in other spots that it was time to hunt.

    Even at night, in this foreign patch of forest, they could clearly differentiate all the smells of different living things. They smelled every person hiding in the bushes, behind tree trunks and on the branches.

    Shao Xuan continued searching for hidden archers to prevent sneak arrows.

    The night was still young.

    ¡­

    When the first ray of sunlight shone on the forest, the team on the mountain was ready to leave once again. Other than within the forest, the people on the hill were attacked too, though there were much fewer attackers.

    The dead were cremated using the mes of the fire seed summoned by the shamaness in a makeshift pit. They were here, so was the fire seed. The shamaness once said the souls of the dead would return to the fire seed. There was a saying that ancestors and the dead were all present with the tribe here.

    Since their souls were all still together, there was no need for too much grief.

    As long as they were still in this world, the fire seed would live on.

    They climbed over a mountain and arrived at an arid in.

    Shao Xuan saw horse riders he had encountered before. However, Shao Xuan did not talk much with them and these people looked at ming Horn with guarded stares. Anyone who saw arge group migrating would be guarded.

    When they saw that ming Horn did not intend to stay, these people heaved a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Who are those people?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know but they don¡¯t look like nice people.¡±

    ¡°As long as they don¡¯t n to stay on ournd. But they¡¯re such arge tribe, they don¡¯t look weak either. Why would they want to move?¡±

    This was a secluded area. Information took a very long time to reach this part so they didn¡¯t know about ming Horn. They were just curious why this bunch of people wanted to move. Fertile soil and prey were in theplete opposite direction!

 Chapter 485 - Buffer

    <strong>Chapter 485</strong>

    <strong>Buffer</strong>

    They travelled from the grasnds to an even more barrennd where Shao Xuan once discovered the Thousand Grain Gold. Based on what Ji Ju taught him about recognising herbs, he instructed the tribesmen to collect some.

    Many incidents happened along the way from attackers to dangers within the forest. The medics used up a lot of medicine. Even the sacks given by Taihe were almost empty. They picked herbs and medicine along the way but at this rate, not much was left either. The ones who hadn¡¯t had their totemic power awakened and the elderly became sick as the journey grew longer.

    It had been twenty days since they left the vige. There was still a long way to go. They must prepare more medicine if they want to survive.

    Shao Xuan taught them about regional medicinal herbs so they could pick some.

    He looked up. Shao Xuan noticed a bird flying past. He couldn¡¯t see what it looked like as it flew too high. It was agile too, it would be difficult to shoot it down.

    ¡°What?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°That bird. It¡¯s here again.¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the faint dot in the sky.

    ¡°Again?¡± Zheng Luo grew cautious. ¡°It must be someone¡¯s pet, or it¡¯s tracking us.¡±

    ¡°Chief, why do you think the King City¡¯s people still haven¡¯t appeared yet?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You mean¡­ that bird belongs to King City?¡±

    Zheng Luo fell silent. With his experience, he knew that once the people of King City decided to target someone, they would definitely attack. The people they previously met were just feelers extended by them.

    If other people could find ming horn, then King City must know where they were. If they hadn¡¯t appeared, they might be waiting for the best opportunity,

    ¡°They¡¯re here?¡± asked Zheng Luo. He was half-sure.

    ¡°The people of King City aren¡¯t adapted to the forest. They haven¡¯t attacked, probably because they were waiting for us to leave the forest. They¡¯d attack once we¡¯re in an open area.¡± Shao Xuan thought about the terrain. ¡°After we cross this barren mountain, we¡¯ll arrive on even tternd. There are more people there, the roads are t. We have to cross that part to arrive in the semi-desert area. The people of King City will most likely appear there.¡±

    Zheng Luo was disheartened. Although he usually didn¡¯t like these air-headed King City folk, he had to admit that the great six were powerful. After all, they fought to expand and develop to today¡¯s scale. They were the six most powerful tribes. Right now, there were children, old people and non-totemic-awakened women in his group. They were not suited for battle but he could not give up on them either. He might have to leave behind a portion of his tribe to block the King City¡¯s army so the rest of the tribe can travel ahead.

    The people who remained behind might never catch up forever. And the tribe wouldn¡¯t be able to cremate them either. However, for the tribe, sacrifices were unavoidable. Even Zheng Luo was prepared to remain behind himself.

    ¡°We must prepare a team as a buffer at the back.¡± Zheng Luo looked at the barren mountain range. ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Duo Kang about it.¡±

    As they travelled, Zheng Luo talked to his warriors. Some families relied entirely on one person for their livelihoods. Zheng Luo definitely did not want these to be in the buffer team.

    Zheng Luo did a calction. They needed at least one thousand people to temporarily stop King City¡¯s army or it would be useless.

    Zheng Luo wanted to participate but he was the chief and had to lead the group. Even if he wanted, others would not allow it. How could a tribe travel without their leader? Or would he name a new chief now?

    ¡°I¡¯ll go. Brother, you go ahead with the tribe,¡± said Zheng Cheng, striding over.

    Although Zheng Cheng¡¯s personality was more impulsive and brash than Zheng Luo, the two brothers were equally capable or he would not have qualified topete for the position against Zheng Luo years ago. Both brothers usually bickered a lot, yet Zheng Cheng volunteered himself at a moment like this.

    Zheng Luo looked at his younger brother, welling up. He was about to speak when Zheng Cheng cut him off, ¡°Let¡¯s stop the nonsense. It¡¯s decided. How many do you have? Let me see.¡±

    He snatched the name list from Zheng Luo. ¡°Wow, Duo Kang and Guang Yi are here too? Wacha also¡­ Mm¡­ Not bad. Zhui, brave kid. And Shao¡­ Eh? Brother, why is Shao Xuan here? How could you put him here? You must be very confused!¡±

    Zheng Cheng took the opportunity to bicker once again.

    Zheng Luo was stunned too, snatching the piece of cloth back. He had talked to everyone during their rest and then left this cloth on a rock. Anyone who met the qualifications could volunteer to put their name. There were many people surrounding him so he didn¡¯t notice. When did Shao Xuan put his name?!

    Anyone could stay, even Zheng Luo if absolutely necessary. There were two people that couldn¡¯t¨C the shamaness, because there were many matters that required her presence; another was Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was the tribe¡¯s Elder. He wore the ancestor¡¯s ornaments. Other than the shamaness, if the tribe wanted to return to their homnd, Shao Xuan must be there. Plus Shao Xuan was from the other side, how would they return without him? They would face many obstacles and both sides did not even know each other.

    ¡°Scratch it off, scratch it off! Take Shao Xuan¡¯s name off!¡± Zheng Cheng got some mud and cancelled out Shao Xuan¡¯s name.

    IN the next few days, Zheng Luo continued checking the list to see if these people met his requirements. He would announce the final list when they were about to leave the mountainous region.

    These one thousand people would be the buffer. They had to fight till the end if they met King City¡¯s people. They were the final shield between King City¡¯s spears and the tribe.

    The air was sombre. All instructions and arrangements had been made. These people knew what they had to do and the likely result.

    Zheng Luo announced the final list, gave a short briefing and kept the cloth. He rubbed his reddened eyes. Although they¡¯d seen many deaths along the journey, this time, it was going to be war. Zheng Luo¡¯s heart broke as the chief. However, to return to theirnds, they must make this sacrifice. If needed, he would also take a step forward.

    He rubbed his eyes. A momentter, Shao Xuan appeared before him.

    Knowing what he wanted to say, Zheng Luo let out a dry cough. ¡°Shao Xuan, you know that in our entire tribe, everyone can stay, including me. They can be the buffer if they wanted, only you and the shamaness cannot. Or who would bring the tribe back to the homnd?¡±

    Shao Xuan paused. ¡°I just wanted to try.¡±

    ¡°Try what?¡± Zheng Luo asked, puzzled.

    ¡°If we meet the King City¡¯s people, I want to try stopping them. If I can¡¯t stop them, at least I can make their journey more difficult.¡±

    ¡°You? What are you nning¡­ Wait, you want to borrow the ancestor¡¯s powers?¡± Zheng Luo red.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    ¡°No way, you¡¯re already bringing the tribe back using the ancestor¡¯s powers. You cannot risk it. We took so much effort to reach this ce, you cannot make this gamble!¡± refused Zheng Luo sternly.

    ¡°If our ancestors were here, they wouldn¡¯t want to see so many people dying just to return to our homnd. Chief, you know that if I survived the king beast, I can survive King City too. Plus, I can decrease the burden of our warriors and get us more time.¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Our ancestor agreed.¡±

    ¡°Bull¡­¡±

    ¡°You can ask the bone ornament if you don¡¯t believe me.¡± Shao Xuan took off the ornament and passed it to Zheng Luo.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s face twitched. How the hell could he talk to the ancestors? The shamaness was the one in charge of being the medium!

    Since Shao Xuan was staring at him, he turned his head and waved off the ornament. ¡°Go look for the shamaness! We¡¯ll do what she says!¡±

    Shao Xuan grinned. She would not refuse.

    It was true. The shamaness did not refuse. After hearing Shao Xuan tell her about staying, she stared at him for ten minutes, expressionless. Even Shao Xuan was sweating. Then, she said tly, ¡°Just go.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for the green veins bulging in her hand holding her walking stick, other people would¡¯ve thought she was as calm as she looked.

    At this point, no one could remain calm. The confusion and uncertainty about their future was worrying. However, they had already travelled far. They could not turn back.

    After crossing the barren mountains, thends were t and vast. There was evidence of human activity too. Due to frequent travelling, there were several paths on the ground.

    There were trading parties travelling in the area, though much smaller than groups like the ck Bears. These grounds only had about a hundred members, some only had twenty to thirty members.

    Everyone looked at ming Horn with curiosity. They hadn¡¯t met ming Horn before, wondering who these odd people were. They all looked travel-worn, all of their clothes were dirty, their faces tired yet there was an undeniable force.

    They weren¡¯t people you¡¯d want to provoke. This was everyone¡¯s first impression.

    Hence, everyone looked down and quickly left, worried ming Horn might rob them.

    Shao Xuan looked up at the sky. The bird was gone but that did not mean they weren¡¯t being watched. In contrast, their enemies thought there was no need for surveince because they were here.

 Chapter 486 - Back Off, Let Me Do This First

    Chapter 486

    Back Off, Let Me Do This First

    As if they sensed danger in the air, the little trading parties quickened their pace. Although all was quiet, there was a feeling that made their hearts race.

    Something was about to happen.

    The cattle and horses pulling wagons were scraping their hooves against the ground anxiously, some even wanted to run away. The traders did all they could to hold their animals back.

    An animal that looked like a deer without antlers breathed hard through its nostrils, looking frustrated and ill-tempered. It kept getting up as if it wanted to stand on its hind legs, many people had toe keep it down.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s going mad!¡±

    ¡°Not just ours, look around!¡±

    Everywhere, it didn¡¯t matter if the animals were originally cid or aggressive, all of them were antsy like they wanted to break free and run away.

    Horses neighed, beasts roared. It was chaos.

    ¡°What the hell is happening?!¡± yelled someone.

    ¡°Wait, listen!¡±

    Rumble¡ª

    There was a rumbling from afar.

    The ground shook. Although it was not obvious, there was movement.

    The careful ones held their carriages and horses in ce, watching their surroundings cautiously. Some turned around to look at the suspicious, migrating tribe they had just passed. Was it them?

    No, no. The sound wasing from another direction.

    Soon, the sound grew more obvious. Even people without totemic power could hear it.

    Far away, a cloud of dust between the earth and the skies formed. There wasn¡¯t much dust in this grass ins but it was obvious enough.

    Arge army of thousands appeared.

    Metal armour and weapons glinted in the sun, it looked as if the entire army was covered in light. As rows and rows of people moved, it looked like ripples of light on the surface of ake.

    From far, a rough estimation yielded that this army wasrger than four thousand. However, most tribs only had one to two thousand members. An armed group like this could wipe out a tribe effortlessly!

    Gulp.

    Everyone who saw this gulped audibly. They did not know how to react.

    They¡¯d live here for so long, yet they haven¡¯t seen anything like that before.

    The nobles? Only nobles would have such a well-armed mercenary. But why would theye this far? For what?

    It didn¡¯t matter why. As the army approached, the traders quickly went into hiding. They feared this bunch more than the tribe they just passed. Previously, that tribe also consisted of many elderly, children and women. Here, they were all warriors prepared for battle.

    ¡°Run! Run!¡±

    All the traders urged their animals, avoiding this army as soon as possible.

    Rumble¡­

    It sounded like rolling thunder.

    A giant beast stronger than four men ran across the ins, running on its four powerful limbs. This was just a simple job. Itsrge feet stomped heavily on the ground. des of grass were uprooted, flying in the air.

    In thergest carriage.

    Yi Zong frowned, looking ahead in confusion. He grabbed a fist full of fine golden sand from a ceramic pot next to him and scattered it on a square board.

    The golden sand formed lines on the board. The sand arranged themselves simr to the patterns drawn on the board.

    The golden sand was still moving. Some approached the jadestone, some avoided the jade. However, soon, the changes stopped. There was a light ¡®poof¡¯ and all the golden sand scattered.

    ¡°How did it go, Yi Zong? What did the reading say?¡± Several people leaned over.

    ¡°ming Horn is in front. But I can¡¯t find out anything else.¡± Frustration slowly crept up his calm features. He wanted to know more but there always seemed to be ayer of fog. It was always chaos in his reading, his jade stones didn¡¯t yield much results, everything was a mess. Especially when he did readings about the legendary young Elder of ming Horn. The readings told him nothing.

    In the beginning, it was understanding if his readings failed. However, he was more well-informed now, plus he had many spections. His readings should yield results! Yet, other than the general direction of ming Horn, the readings didn¡¯t tell him anything!

    Yi Zong once heard Yi Bing say that Yi Bing also attempted to conduct a reading on ming Horn in the tower next to the city gates. At the time, his readings failed too. It was the same for Yi Zong now!

    Unbelievable!

    It was no wonder the Yi family was always cautious of ming Horn, this was very unsettling to them. If such a questionable group wasn¡¯t destroyed, the Yi family would never be settled. Yi Bing too. Ever since he returned from the tower, he seemed to meet a bottleneck and made no improvements. In private, the older generation discussed that if Yi Bing was unable to break through his bottleneck, then he would remain there. To the Yi family, this meant that they would stop putting in resources to train this person.

    Yi Zong fidgeted with a jadestone on the square board, in deep thought as he mulled over Yi Bing¡¯s situation.

    The girl in leather next to him wanted to say something but her face suddenly changed. She opened a pouch on her hip and grabbed something that looked like a bee. It was as big as her thumb, its body oval.

    The insect rested on her palm, its head facing in one direction as its wings fluttered.

    Although it had wings,pared to its fat body, its wings were too small. It could not fly. This fluttering only meant it was excited.

    ¡°Fire crystals!¡± said the girl.

    The fat insect only did this when it sensed fire crystals. It was facing the same direction as where they were heading.

    ¡°It must be ming Horn!¡±

    ming Horn must be travelling with their salt and fire crystals.

    Everyone in the carriage perked up.

    ¡°I wonder how much they have.¡±

    Compared to their excitement, Yi Zong was still silent. He wasn¡¯t interested in fire crystals. He cared more about whether ming Horn had stronger divination powers than Yi family and the reason for his failed readings.

    To the Yi family, fire crystals weren¡¯t very useful. Fire crystals were favoured by warring tribes. Even if they had fire crystals, they usually gave it away to people who helped them as reward.

    Schrs were mightier than warriors. This was what the Yi family valued. They used their intelligence and everything else could be done by other people.

    The insect flutttered its wings quickly.

    ¡°Close, ming Horn is close!¡± The girl in leather opened the curtains, ignoring the cloud of dust, and peered outside.

    ¡°ming Horn! ming Horn!¡±

    Everyone also lifted the fabric to look.

    There was a row of people about eight hundred steps away.

    All the traders had already avoided this ce. This row of people stood out.

    Although they couldn¡¯t see these people clearly, they could guess who they were.

    ¡°These must be ming Horns. Why are there so few of them?¡±

    ¡°They must¡¯ve known about us and made preparations. It doesn¡¯t look like ast-minute arrangement.¡±

    Yi Zong looked up. He couldn¡¯t confirm if the ming Horns knew because they guessed or did a reading. No matter what, this hidden threat must be destroyed! He didn¡¯t want to be like Yi Bing! Their obstacles would vanish if ming Horn was wiped off this world.

    The enormous beast slowed down so the other soldiers could charge ahead.

    They weren¡¯t worried about ming Horn setting traps because ording to their n, ming Horn didn¡¯t have that much time!

    One carriage at the back of the group.

    The Fox chief, along with several chiefs from tribes that sought protection from King City during winter, exited the carriage.

    Since they sought protection from King City, then they must disy their sincerity and worth too. Just to fight ming Horn, every tribe brought many members. Out of the army of almost five thousand, two thousand were tribesmen.

    The Fox chief looked at the row of people, seething with hatred. They lost their fire crystals, lost their salt, and then lost whatever he had left as offerings to King City! He was the grand chief of a tribe, now he had to be polite to noble city brats! It was an insult!

    He must recover his losses from ming Horn! He will personally take his salt, fire crystals and everything he lost from them!

    With amand, everyone elerated. The ground shook with thunderous hooves.

    When the first batch of riders charged, other soldiers followed suit.

    As he watched the soldiers, the Fox chief smirked. Today, ming Horn will vanish! No one has ever escaped the hands of King City!

    The tiny trading parties hiding far away could feel the intimidation radiating from the army.

    The ming Horns could feel it too. It felt like the entire world was shaking. If they ran now, they could avoid danger for a while. But could they?

    That would just mean more running and killing.

    They must not avoid this! Even if all of them die today, they must not run!

    Zheng Cheng¡¯s eyebrows, shaped like knives, were raised. This was his first time receiving such a major task. Holding hisrge, heavy sword, his eyes were cold.

    Feeling the vibrations grow, he took a deep breath. He raised his arm holding the knife, about to say something when Shao Xuan said, ¡°You all back away, let me do this first.¡±

    Zheng Cheng, who wanted to unleash his war cry: ¡°¡­¡±

    Zheng Cheng looked at Shao Xuan like he didn¡¯t understand. He was about to ask questions when Duo Kang dragged him backwards.

 Chapter 487 - Shock

    Chapter 487

    Shock

    What¡­ Was going on?!

    The row of people retreated back. The people in the carriage and traders watching from afar were confused. Were there hidden attackers there? Or did this bunch change their minds? Did they decide to retreat?

    Eh, there¡¯s still one person left standing!

    Not just the traders, the riders charging ahead and people in the carriage could not believe their eyes.

    What were the ming Horns nning?! Why did they all retreat? Why did they leave one person there?

    ¡°Shao Xuan of ming Horn!¡± yelled someone who recognised him.

    ¡°He¡¯s Shao Xuan? The guy who threw Luzong in the air with one hand?¡± asked the girl.

    ¡°I heard this kid is close to ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ from the Ji family, aren¡¯t you afraid you might anger ¡®Golden Grain¡¯ Ji Ju if we kill the guy?¡± asked a young person fiddling his sword.

    The girl did not mind. ¡°¡®Golden Grain¡¯ never interferes with politics. The old man only knows how to nt crops, he did not even know King City had mobilised troops. When he knows, it¡¯ll be toote.¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan of ming Horn. Is he really that powerful?¡± asked another.

    The young man with the sword stared ahead, shing his de in an arc. A de of grass, kicked up by the beast, was sliced in half. ¡°On the contrary, I want to see how powerful he is!¡±

    There were many people who saw what happened at the city gates within the army. They admit that Shao Xuan was strong. However, this was a different situation. Did this kid really think he could stop them alone? He had a death wish!

    Shao Xuan slid his sword into the leather sheath on his back and then took out the bone ornament on his neck.

    ¡°Ancestor, it¡¯s up to you now.¡±

    On the day the tribe left the vige, he could hear soundsing from the ornament. Other people did not hear it. It sounded like mes flickering in the wind.

    He felt anger from the four bone ornaments. Did ornaments have emotions? Maybe no, maybe yes. They were manifestations of their ancestors, they represented the wills of the ancestors.

    He took this gamble only because he felt the anger seeping from the ornaments.

    Tall war horses approached. The riders held long spears, glinting coldly in the sun. Shao Xuan could already smell the cloud of dust.

    In the face of an unstoppable force, Shao Xuan, standing alone, looked tiny. Like a praying mantis trying to block a carriage. He was nothing.

    Facing such a force, Shao Xuan stared straight ahead, calcting in his heart.

    They were approaching.

    Coming even closer.

    The riders aimed their spears at Shao Xuan.

    The ornaments grew louder.

    Whoosh¡ª Whoosh.

    Only Shao Xuan could hear it. It sounded like wildfire spreading across a vastnd.

    Now!

    Shao Xuan unleashed his totemic power and power of inheritance to their maximums in one moment. Every muscle shook. If one listened closely, one would hear thumps that sounded like the cry of war drums.

    Within the carriage, Yi Zong had a sudden feeling. His eyes sprung open as he leapt up suddenly. The board in front of him overturned but he didn¡¯t care.

    The riders were about to thrust their spears in the next moment. However, within their cold eyes, their pupils constricted suddenly. Their eyeballs reflected columns of fire.

    The columns of fire looked like flying dragons, dancing and twisting up in the air.

    Unprecedented power exploded from Shao Xuan¡¯s being.

    A wave of heat swept across them, it felt like the air was burnt.

    The riders seemed to be halted by an invisible hand, stopping them from moving any further. Some almost fell from their horses.

    What kind of power was this?! It made them shake in their bones, their scalps were numb from the eerie sensation.

    Whoosh.

    Within the sudden burst of mes, a giant made of mes materialised in thin air, looking down at all of them.

    Everything in this world seemed to be dyed ayer of red, fiery glow.

    Shao Xuan stared ahead and took one step.

    The enormous giant also lifted one leg. Mirroring Shao Xuan¡¯s actions, it took one step forward.

    Boom!

    An extremely powerful st left a huge crater, releasing a deafening boom.

    The surface of the ground was peeled off, shattered into crumbs. Like a huge disy of fireworks.

    The hard rock underneath theyer of soil cracked under pressure, releasing even louder crackles and rumbles.

    A crack that looked like it was about to separate the world in half extended from the crater forward. It looked like a vine, growing at an rming speed and branching out. Pebbles and soil flew in the air with the st.

    The riders, together with their horses, flew into the air together with the cloud of pebbles and dust. No one could hide. People copsed, horses fell, their cries of agony swallowed by the rumbling of thends. It felt like the world would be tipped upside-down.

    As the ground shook, even grass with deep roots looked like they were forcefully pulled out of the soil. With the vibrations, the grass turned to pulp and disappeared.

    Pieces of rock from the st flew towards the King City¡¯s army.

    The army panicked in the face of rocks flying at high speed. The giant beast pulling the carriage roared, its enormous torso shaking. Two of its front limbs almost knelt as the ground shook.

    Thud!

    A piece of rock as big as a human¡¯s head hit the side of the carriage, forming a dent. The carriage almost shattered. If it wasn¡¯t made of metal, it might not have survived this hit.

    The guy holding the sword almost dropped it. HE stared at the me giant. He had been thinking of personally fighting the kid at war, now¡­

    Some fabric wrapping around the carriage was torn off in the shockwaves of the wind, fluttering.

    ¡°That was powerful!¡±

    The people in the carriage leapt out. Under the protection of guards, they quickly retreated as they dodged the rocks. They could hear pebbles whizzing past their ears and thuds of huge rocks falling.

    At the back, the Fox chief shuddered as he clutched the edge of the carriage. His eyes widened as if his eyeballs were going to fall out of his head. He was filled with disbelief.

    Was this how ming Horn escaped from the jaws of the king beast? With this power?!

    So that was why they could leave the salt ts safely. So that was why the king beast couldn¡¯t stop them and why no dead bodies were found.

    On his furious face, the smirk he had contorted. No! He must take what he deserved! But in the face of such power, he did not even have the courage to charge into battle!

    ¡°REtreat!!¡± roared the leader of the troops. They could not attack like that. All they could do was to retreat! No one could move in this situation. If they rushed forward, they would die!

    All the horses lucky enough to still be standing neighed in panic, their riders unable to calm these horses. They clung to the horses¡¯ necks in fear to prevent being thrown off. Just like that, they left the battlefield. Instinctively, all the warhorses galloped away from danger, far away. Some horses tripped over cracks in the ground, some copsed after being hit by flying rocks, others were knocked to the ground by other horses.

    The traders watching from afar all hid far away behind their wagons and carriages. No rocks flew here. However, they could barely open their eyes with all the dust and pebbles. They could not imagine the st over there!

    Everyone was in disbelief as if that was just a dream. Their hearts raced, both legs shaking.

    Shao Xuan felt the totemic power racing in his body. He thought about unleashing his power one more time. He could sustain one more step. However, as he saw the troops retreating quickly, a second step would not create a major effect. That would be a waste of energy. He stopped for a while. He would only react after seeing their response. If they charged again, he would take another step.

    Behind him, the ming Horn warriors who had been to the salt mines were mentally prepared, while the rest could not close their mouths. They had nned to fight to their deaths, yet now? It felt like one Elder was enough to protect them all. It had created arger effect than if all of them charged into battle too. Thend was very crackled, some parts hadrge chunks torn off and they could see half-bodies of worms wriggling in the soil.

    ¡°That¡­ that¡­ that¡­¡±

    Zheng Cheng stuttered for a while but could not say anything. Duo Kang and the rest were the same. They had felt the power facing the king beast before but at the time, they were sted away like these horses, then knocked unconscious. They hadn¡¯t witnessed this with their eyes before.

    If in the past they were sceptical about his abilities to bring them back to the homnd, this time, everyone was confident.

    On the other side, in the King City¡¯s troops, the ones who escaped the rocks were re-forming their ranks after everything stopped.

    The people who used to be seated in thergest carriage were all standing on the ground, looking pathetic. Their exquisite clothing was covered in dust and grass bits. Green grass pulp and wet mud sttered on their clothes.

    It didn¡¯t matter if they were cautious of ming Horn before this. Everyone had fear and sombre concern in their eyes. They previously thought the rumours had demonized ming Horn. Perhaps the rumours underestimate them.

    If they were a little closer to the riders in front, they wouldn¡¯t have escaped unscathed.

    A breeze blew away the dust on the ground.

    The ground was cracked, littered withrge rocks and small pebbles as if the ground had just been chopped with a knife. There were people and horses struggling in the cracks. Some were already unconscious.

    On one side, there was one person. On the other side, arge army. Both sides looked at each other.

    There was an eerie silence.

 Chapter 488

    Chapter 488

    Old News

    ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°Attack again?¡±

    ¡°What if¡­ Wait a bit and then see what happens next?

    King City¡¯s army stood on the cracked ground, rows and rows of soldiers waiting. Although their opponent¡¯s me giant was already gone, Shao Xuan was engulfed in mes. No one was sure if the me giant would appear again.

    Everyone stared at Shao Xuan in horror. That was extremely weird and shocking! It all happened in just a moment¡¯s change, the me giant was extremely overbearing to everyone everywhere. Even the ones far away could feel the intimidation and danger radiating off the fire.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± asked the girl next to Yi Zong.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Although Yi Zong exhausted himself trying to look calm, he was absolutely horrified. He felt as if he was personally hit. Although they were too far away to suffer physically, he felt a huge impact on his mental state! Forget about conducting a reading, he could barely focus his attention on anything.

    Nothing happened for the moment. On the other side, when Shao Xuan realised his opponents did not n to retaliate immediately, he turned around and walked towards Zheng Cheng and the rest.

    The ming Horn tribe had already travelled far. They¡¯d entered the semi-desert region already, this bunch needed to catch up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go first!¡± Shao Xuan called all the people over, who were still stunned. He ran towards where the tribesmen headed.

    ¡°Sigh, Shao Xuan, just now¡­ what the hell was that? Was that the power of our ancestors? Can you do it again?¡± Zheng Cheng looked at him in anticipation. If he could wield power like that, then they did not need to worry about King City¡¯s army anymore.

    Looking at the hopeful eyes around him, Shao Xuan shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±

    That sudden explosion of power was more sessful than he imagined. That was also because he had never unleashed it to this extent before. The stress he endured during that was bigger than ever, all his energy was used up. Although he looked like he could walk now, every muscle hurt. He could do it one more time, maybe. Just once. If he had to do it a third time, he would not be able to walk afterwards.

    ¡°King City¡­ Will they stille after us?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°Yes. They just won¡¯t¡¯ move for the moment, not immediately. We need to take this chance to leave quickly or the consequences could be dire. I¡¯m guessing that King City still has reinforcements,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°They still have reinforcements?!¡± Not just Zheng Cheng and Duo Kang, everyone else didn¡¯t understand. Just for one ming Horn tribe, King City would pour in so much resources to kill them? All of what? None of them believed it was just for their salt and fire crystals because at this point, King City had never mentioned them. All they did was attack the moment they met, the violent and angry kind that meant they wanted everyone dead.

    ¡°All I¡¯m saying is, it¡¯s best we hurry along as fast as we can,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The buffer team maintained a distance between the tribe and themselves to prevent King City froming again. As they entered the semi-desert region, they saw very few people. Threats greatly decreased to. They just had to watch out for King City¡¯s army. The tribesmen ahead had enough manpower to defend themselves against the small tribes ahead.

    Everyone watched as the ming Horn tribesmen left. King City had not given anothermand to chase after them. They remained in the same spot, regaining theirposure.

    ¡°How long till Chaoqiu and Feng City arrive?¡± Yi Zong asked the people around him.

    ¡°Soon. At most, two days. Tomorrow night at best,¡± said a young man, whose clothing had the ¡®chao¡¯ character embroidered on it. ¡°The ming Horns are impressive indeed, definitely a huge threat. Especially that Shao Xuan guy. A person like that must be killed. It¡¯s for the best.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. If we let them leave, I¡¯m worried they¡¯ll be the second thorn,¡± muttered Yi Zong as he watched ming Horn leave.

    The young man from the Chao family¡¯s ear twitched.

    ¡°Second thorn?¡± Chaoqiu City was the furthest from King City. Since King City had personally visited them, he first followed their army over. Their men would arriveter. Perhaps he could receive some benefit from this. To him, salt and fire crystals were valuable. He thought everyone thought the same but the situation was moreplex than he imagined.

    As one of the great six tribes, Chaoqiu tribe¡¯s Chao family did not care much about many matters. Other than some tribesmen who stayed in King City, the rest of the Chaoqiu tribe stayed in Chaoqiu City, guarding their plot ofnd. Sometimes, they¡¯d get some supplies from small tribes nearby. They heard some news about ming Horn too.

    ¡°You mean there¡¯s already the first thorn? Who is it?¡± asked the Chao man.

    The rest, including the girl d in leather from the Ji family, also leaned closer. They had not heard of this before. Who was the ¡®first thorn?

    Yi Zong did not speak. There were secrets he would not tell them. He was one of the most talented members of his family, hence he was also a core member of the inner circle. There were some secrets only this inner circle knew.

    The girl looked around and dragged Yi Zong aside.

    ¡°Hey, Ji Lu, where do you think you¡¯re dragging Yi Zong to?!¡± yelled someone.

    Ji Lu ignored them all. She was the royal family, Ji family¡¯s descendant. Her grandfather was the lord of the city, her father was his eldest son. She could likely take over the throne one day so her rank in this ce was very high. She was qualified to know a lot.

    ¡°You may speak now, it¡¯s just us here. What did you mean by the first and second thorn?¡± asked the girl.

    Yi Zong thought for a moment. ¡°Do you know what happened to King City a thousand years ago?¡±

    ¡°A thousand years ago?¡± Ji Lu obviously didn¡¯t expect Yi Zong to bring up something that happened so long ago. However, to plot against ming Horn, she had heard about many incidents recently. She also read through the ancestral records and knew that the ming horn appeared a thousand years ago.

    ¡°I only know that the ming Horn came from the ocean a thousand years ago. Some people left from this side too,¡± said Ji Lu.

    ¡°Do you know who was among the people who left?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know this. I asked my father but he wouldn¡¯t tell me.¡±

    Yi Zong looked towards where ming Horn left. ¡°That year, the people who left were mostly people who were banished by King City. Two of them were very important figures. One was Mu family¡¯s Muhan, another is from our Yi family, Yi Xiang.

    Muhan? Yi Xiang? These names were foreign to Ji Lu.

    Yi Zong continued. ¡°If that year, Mu Han had sessfully taken the position as patriarch, then the Mu family wouldn¡¯t be consisted of the current people. I heard at the time, Mu Han had been fighting for the patriarch position but failed, hence was banished out of King City.¡±

    ¡°What about Yi Xiang?¡±

    ¡°Yi Xiang¡­ In our Yi family¡¯s ancestral records, he was known as ¡®the unlucky one¡¯. Since birth, our ancestors did a reading for him and found him to be an unlucky person, a person who would bring disaster to the family. However, Yi Xiang seemed to always avoid getting in trouble, always surviving. In contrast, anyone who went against him would meet a terrible fate.

    After that, there was some internal chaos within the city. Yi family wanted to kill off Yi Xiang in secret but he suddenly disappeared.¡± When Yi Zong knew of Yi Xiang¡¯s story, he thought it was a pity that such a prodigy would be called ¡®the unlucky one¡¯. Yi Xiang was a person who mastered all sorts of ancient divination skills. One of them was the lost art of knot divination. After him, no one truly mastered the art of knot divination.

    It was such a pity they lost a prodigy.

    ¡°That year, due to the chaos within the city, many people were executed but many escaped too. I heard those people left together with Muhan. Yi Xiang was very likely to be with him too. When the entire city finally regained stability and people woke up from the chaos, the tunnel in the ocean had already sunken. That was also the point when ming Horn appeared. King City once tried to target them but due to the recent civil war, King City was barely stable. Hence they could not attack ming Horn immediately. They created many rumours to degrade the impression of ming Horn. In the end, ming Horn entered the forest, fading out of view and after many years, they were slowly forgotten by everyone.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± sighed Ji Lu. She had wondered why King City would target ming Horn just because of the Fox tribe and the incident at the city gates. They weren¡¯t the only reasons.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t they attack sooner?¡± asked Ji Lu.

    ¡°One, because they were often in the forest and rarely appeared in King City. Two, the current people in King City are unwilling to attack so easily.¡±

    If these were the nobles from a thousand years ago, they would¡¯ve attacked long ago. However, after hundreds of years, the core members of the six families had changed, their values changed too. No one wanted to cause trouble, all they wanted was to earn and protect their money. If it weren¡¯t for the Yi and Mu family constantly reminding them, these people would have forgotten about this threat under their noses. Every ten years, when ming Horn entered King City, the ones who caused conflict were often the Yi and Mu family.

    Ji Lu thought about the personality of these people in King City. it wasn¡¯t like that at all. ¡°But it¡¯s been so many years. Muhan and your Yi family¡¯s unlucky one should be dead long ago, no? Unless they¡¯re like the king beast.¡±

    ¡°This is what we are worried about too. Perhaps Mu Han¡¯s long dead but who¡¯s to say he didn¡¯t have children? At the time, Muhan had left with deep hatred. He swore to return and take revenge, stating that if he could not do it himself, he would send his children and grandchildren. As for Yi Xiang¡­ Perhaps, he is still alive. He might be staying alive using a secret technique.¡±

    The rest of the people in King City knew about the ¡®everything united must part, everything parted must unite¡¯ prophecy. However, that was just the half of it. Only the Yi family knew this other part.

    The other part was a special reminder for the Yi family: ¡°The Unlucky One¡± is still here.

    On the surface, it looked like King City was attacking ming Horn. However, one could say it was actually the Yi and Mu family targeting them. The main party pushing for this attack was the Yi family. It was a rare opportunity. Hence, they used the city gate incident and the Fox tribe to persuade everyone else. The way they spread rumours was the same as what they did a thousand years ago. It was like borrowing a knife tomit murder*.

    [Idiom- to use someone else to do a dirty job for you]

    Several other young masters in the carriage were all here for fun. However, Yi Zong was here on a mission. He had to confirm whether ming Horn truly had divination powers. If so, what sort of divination powers? Was it rted to Yi Xiang? If that was true, then the Yi family would destroy ming Horn no matter the cost.

    That year, the incident with Muhan, Yi Xiang and the rest was the equivalent of a thorn to the great six. Would ming Horn be the second thorn? If they didn¡¯t pull out the thorn, they wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at night!

    ¡°But what are the ming Horns doing there? That¡¯s not a good ce to settle down.¡± Ji Lu pulled out a simple map in confusion. ¡°If they walked there, they¡¯d arrive at the coast soon. If all of us join forces to surround them, they¡¯d be forced to jump into the sea! Shao Xuan is powerful but I believe he won¡¯t be able to maintain this stance!¡±

    When he heard the phrase ¡®jump into the sea¡¯, Yi Zong¡¯s eyes sprung open. He had a very bad feeling.

 Chapter 489 - Into The Ocean

    Chapter 489

    Into The Ocean

    The carriage had several problems after the shower of rocks. Before Chaoqiu and Feng City arrived, they would repair it before setting off once again.

    ¡°I refuse to believe our people will lose to them!¡±

    Although they had witnessed Shao Xuan¡¯s power, due to Yi Zong and Ji Lu saying that it was impossible for ming Horn to maintain such strength, they believed the opportunity to attack woulde. Plus the desert region was in front. After that was the ocean. Their army wasrge, ming Horn would be forced into a dead end.

    When they thought about it, the army, initially sulking due to their defeat, finally perked up again.

    ming Horn had entered the semi-desert region. They did not directly use the water they carried in their sks. Instead, they drank from cactus sap.

    After a harsh winter, although many cacti died, most survived. When the ice melted, all these cacti absorbed so much water they looked swollen now.

    ming Horn tribesmen rarely encountered such dry weather. They¡¯d always lived in the forest with abundant water. However, they had to bear with this. They must get used to this.

    Shao Xuan and the buffer team followed a distance back. They had sent several people to catch up and report what happened. That was why the tribe was not too worried about them.

    There were several depressions in the ground perhaps due to past stagnant water. The soil was swill moist with weeds. All the tribesmen living here avoided ming Horn as much as they could, staring both cautiously and curiously. They had never seen a situation like that before. Why would such arge tribe move here? WEre they going to settle here? They already had so little resources,petition would be intense!

    Days passed. Along the way, Shao Xuan saw the bird in the sky too, knowing that it was watching the ming Horn tribe. King City¡¯s army must still be behind them. They wouldn¡¯t give up this easily. At most, they would be more cautious.

    Shao Xuan saw Maka tribesmen too but did not know them. He didn¡¯t see Wanfu. These people were very guarded too so Shao Xuan did not greet them.

    The tribe¡¯s path avoided the settlements within this semi-desert region to prevent unnecessary conflict.

    Temperatures rose quickly. It was very dry. When Shao Xuan saw the familiar mist, he got his tribe to quickly collect dew. They were lucky.

    After passing through the mist, Shao Xuan could smell the ocean and heard waves crashing upon the shore.

    ¡°The ocean¡¯s right in front.¡± Xiang Chen had been there several times, he was familiar with the ce. Now that they were at the end, they all could only wait for the shamaness¡¯ instructions. The shamaness said this was where their ancestors came from. But how would they return? Would they swim? Make several ships? There weren¡¯t enough trees here to make ships. Nothing changed with the sea too. Not like how a tunnel formed for Shao Xuan to cross.

    A group of people stared at the ocean in awe. It was their first time seeing the ocean. The ocean was huge, muchrger than what they imagined. But they couldn¡¯t see the other side of it so how would they cross?

    It was also the shamaness¡¯ first time here. She looked out at the ocean that extended to the horizon., then told everyone to rest. She went to look for SHao Xuan.

    Now, Shao Xuan and the buffer team were already with them. When he saw her, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll go underwater to check.¡±

    Putting his leather pouch down, Shao Xuan waded into the water and swam to the deeper parts.

    Underwater, after swimming for a bit, there was a slope. The stone tunnel was down there.

    Diving below, Shao Xuan saw the rock tunnel. Inside were all sorts of seaweeds and many small fish swam above it, eating tiny organisms.

    He understood that this meant there hadn¡¯t been an air pocket in this rock tunnel in a very long time.

    There was a familiar sensation of gravity here. Holding his breath, Shao Xuan sank to the stone tunnel and stood on it.

    A school of fish scattered in panic after Shao Xuannded. Shao Xuan felt the slippery seaweed under his feet but it was not the time for such observations.

    Not much light from the surface reached this depth.

    However, very soon, Shao Xuan noticed a flickering light.

    There was a red lighting from his body.

    On the four bone ornaments, every round bead was glowing red, flickering and asionally bursting into a small me.

    The mes were not extinguished by seawater, flickering like they would onnd. Then, the mes grew suddenly as if a switch had been triggered. In the beginning, they extended around Shao Xuan but soon, the mes grew towards the rock tunnel beneath his feet, then forward.

    Shao Xuan was holding a fire crystal in his fist. When he needed to borrow a lot of ancestral power, he would prepare one or two crystals. Just now, he had used up one crystal against King City. Now, although he wasn¡¯t sure what the hint in his dream was, he brought the crystals along. He couldn¡¯t control the mes extending from his bone ornaments, they grew as if they were sentient.

    A long tube of mes extended within the depths of the ocean, like a fire dragon growing along the long tunnel, filled with seaweeds. It looked like the whole tunnel was on fire. Fish avoided this ce, though they watched curiously from afar.

    After it extended, the mes suddenly exploded upwards.

    The ming Horns, waiting anxiously on the shore, saw the mes extending out of the ocean.

    mesing from within water? How was that possible?!

    But they saw it with their own eyes.

    mes came out of the ocean, evolving into tall columns. Like a knife, they cut the ocean open.

    mes pushed waves of water apart beneath the blue sky.

    The ocean breeze grew stronger, blowing towards the shore and seemed to bring with it flickering embers.

    White foam bubbles on the surface of the blue ocean, now separated and travelling in two separate directions. A stone tunnel was revealed.

    The rock tunnel was covered on all sorts of seaweed. Animals hidden in the weeds wriggled away in panic, diving into the two walls of water.

    Shao Xuan stood on the rock tunnel, staring at the water walls in shock. He knew his ancestors hinted ating here but he didn¡¯t know this would happen.

    There wasn¡¯t a tunnel, so they literally made one!

    All the tribesmen standing on the coast watched the evolving ocean in shock. The narrow corridor within the ocean was more shocking than the me giant.

    The shamaness quickly knelt in prayer, thanking the ancestors for helping them, thanking the ancestors for creating such an opportunity!

    Then, Chief Zheng Luo, leader of the hunting party- Duo Kang, and the rest all knelt.

    The bird in the sky squawked in fear and turned around.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time, let¡¯s go!¡± yelled Zheng Luo. ¡°Everyone, follow me!¡±

    Zheng Luo and the Shamaness walked in the front, into the ocean.

    Over four thousand people followed. If someone else saw this from another angle, they¡¯d think the entire tribe was on a major suicide mission.

    When everyone entered the rock tunnel filled with seaweeds, as thest two people entered, mes shut off the tunnel behind them. The parted ocean merged once again.

    They continued walking along the tunnel, unable to see the end. The wall of water on both sides grew taller and taller. Everyone was anxious. They could see fish swimming in the walls next to them, through the mes. These fish would turn around abruptly as they approached.

    Arge fish swam up from the depths. Everyone saw its faint shape in the water, the closest could see stripes on its body.

    Children stared at the walls of water covered in ayer of mes, clutching to their father¡¯s clothing because the ground was too slippery with seaweed.

    Shao Xuan suppressed his shock and continued walking. Behind him, a long line of people followed. They were slowly moving away from the coast.

    Near the coast, the seawater had returned to its original state, no evidence that it had just been parted.

    Rumble¡­

    King City¡¯s army had arrived along with Chaoqiu and Feng City¡¯s reinforcement troops.

    The closer they got to the coast, the more confused they became.

    Where was ming Horn?

    Weren¡¯t they travelling in this direction? How could they just disappear? Did they be fish?

    ¡°Where did they go? What¡¯s going on in front? Why aren¡¯t you moving?!¡± shouted Ji Lu out of the carriage, opening the curtain.

    ¡°Master, I¡­¡±

    The messenger from the front was stuttering hard, he could barely form a word. Ji Lu waved in irritation, leaping off the carriage.

    Yi Zong¡¯s eyelid twitched. His bad feeling was growing stronger. He also got off and hurried forward.

    They were standing on higher ground, staring out at the ocean. Far from the coast, there was a long walkway where the sea had parted, There were people walking inside, heading away from the coast.

    The person sitting on a beast almost fell from his mount in shock.

    ¡°What¡­ What the hell is that?! Someone tell me, WHAT IS THAT?!¡± roared Ji Lu, pointing at the ocean.

    They¡¯re.. Walking in the ocean? How was that possible? How?!

    Yi Zong closed his eyes, his hand shaking. He regretted telling his men to catch upter. They should have killed the tribe as soon as possible, no matter the cost. However, it was toote now. Toote.

    A thousand years ago, Muhan and the rest left after chaos within King City while ming Horn arrived from the other side. Now, ming Horn crossed the ocean once again. Would the people who lefte back to this side too?

    As Shao Xuan led ming Horn along the stone walkway, on the other side, within the Fearsome Beast Forest:

    The shaman stood at the fire pit. Staring at the sudden burst of mes within, he sent out an order.

    Half a dayter, a troop of one thousand people with seven fearsome beasts walked out of the forest.

 Chapter 490 - Weird Flaming Horn People

    Chapter 490

    Weird ming Horn People

    Other than the time the vige moved, outsiders had never seen these beasts before. This was the first time they came out of the forest after they moved so these animals were very excited. Although they had been living with humans, they were still intimidating, staring at everything with a cold, sharp look.

    Most of this thousand-man troop exiting the Fearsome Beast Forest were middle to advanced totemic warriors. This made other people perplexed.

    The Wanshi tribe, who was situated closest to ming Horn, had always been updated about ming Horn¡¯s movements. They were especially shocked to see the several fearsome beasts within the troop. So that was why the Wanshi beasts they sent out never returned. Perhaps ming Horn didn¡¯t ughter them, the Wanshi beasts were just eaten by their animals.

    Scouts stationed within the forest often heard weird animal growls too. In the past, they would be delighted because they thought the ming Horns had encountered some fierce animal in the forest again. Now, they finally understood that these were merely ming Horn¡¯s pets!

    ¡°Do you guys think ming Horn has more?¡± asked a Wanshi tribesman stationed within the forest for surveince.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, they live inside a forest filled with beasts, no one will know if they rear more animals.¡± It didn¡¯t matter if ming Horn had more pet fearsome beasts. If their chiefmanded them to attack ming Horn, he would definitely hide at the back of the troop. That would be safer.

    ¡° Why did they look like they were in such a hurry? I wonder what happened,¡± remarked another Wanshi tribesman. He had identally exposed his position just now. In the past, the ming Horns would definitely chase him down but after he ran, he realised they had no intention to stop for him at all. They didn¡¯t even take another look at him.

    ¡°That¡¯s very odd. I thought ming Horn wanted to dere war! I was so scared¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink this. Just report it to the chief.¡±

    Wanshi was not the only confused bunch. ming Horns troops were hard to miss. Plus, after they left the forest, as if they were rushing somewhere, other than short rests or stops to exchange food with other tribes, they did not do anything else.

    Even robbers did not dare attack them. Some traders from afar wanted to talk to ming Horn when they rested, maybe get some information, but the party ignored them all.

    Every tribe was cautious when they saw ming Horn but these people ignored everyone else. They only had one goal¨C the desert!

    ¡°What does ming Horn want?¡± The Mang Tribe was also very suspicious.

    Due to Shao Xuan¡¯s disappearance within the desert two years ago, ming Horn barely maintained rtions with other tribes. After that, when several tribes banded together to go to the desert, they did not invite ming Horn. But what did they want now?

    These two years, ming Horn kept a very low profile. Other than asionally sending people to the desert, they didn¡¯t do anything out of the ordinary. This was a drastic change, plus the troop was led by ming Horn¡¯s chief, Ao!

    What were they doing?

    Were they finally going to attack some tribe?

    Every tribe that knew of this started to watch ming Horn. Even if they thought ming Horn was weak, after seeing this party, they all changed their minds. Finally, they received news that ming Horn was headed in one direction¨C towards the desert.

    Was ming Horn going to dere war against the ve masters?!

    Some were concerned, some mocked them, some only wanted to watch the show.

    Chief Ao ignored everyone¡¯s odd stares and continued leading his people towards the desert.

    Many days had passed since they left the forest but Ao was still unsettled .

    That day, the fire seed wasn¡¯t at the fire pit. No one was there, yet the fire pit burst into roaring mes so suddenly. After standing by the fire pit, the shaman sent out an order.

    The shaman told them two things: one, Shao Xuan wasing back; two, he probably wasn¡¯t alone.

    ¡°The iplete fire seed might finally be whole!¡±

    The shaman¡¯s words stirred up a storm in Ao, he was so emotional that even now, he was shaking as he thought about it. It had been so many years, so many generations had wished for this day. During his time as chief, he didn¡¯t know he would encounter so many major events. They¡¯d returned to their homnd, that was enough for any ming Horn tribesman. In the future, he would definitely be able to meet his ancestors with pride.

    As for the other half of the fire seed¡­ Did that kid Ah Xuan go missing because he went looking for the other half of the fire seed? How many people would Ah Xuan bring with him?

    ¡°Pack up, we will enter the desert today!¡± Ao turned and said to the rest, then looked at Caesar, who was lying on the ground. ¡°Can you sense Ah Xuan¡¯s presence?¡±

    Caesar shook its head. Too far. He seemed to be in this direction but it wasn¡¯t sure. But, Caesar sensed an odd presence in the desert.

    Ao left Caesar alone even though it seemed to be staring off in a direction. He got up and talked to Tuo who was more familiar with this area. Then, they went to the Rain Tribe to get some food and water.

    Now, the Rain tribe was practically controlled by one person- Yang Sui. Why? Because he could call for rain! The Rain tribe worshipped him like a treasure, even the chief was not as respected as he was.

    These two years, every time ming Horn¡¯s tribesmen came to the desert, they¡¯d stay at the Rain tribe for two days. That was why Yang Sui also knew of Shao Xuan going missing. When he heard ming Horn wanted to go look for Shao Xuan in the desert, he was delighted and even lent them several rain stones. tT was hot and dry in the desert, these rain stones could concentrate and condensate water, making their lives easier. Those beasts with them did not look like desert beasts, they might not be used to this climate.

    Good quality rain stones were very previous, yet Yang Sui lent ming Horn so many. If ming Horn never returned them, the Rain tribesmen would probably cry. They would have never agreed if it was another person. Unfortunately, this was Yang Sui talking¨C the shaman almost cried as the rain stones were handed over.

    Yang Sui was grateful towards Shao Xuan, knowing that Shao Xuan had a part in calling for rain. Now he could return the favour to ming Horn.

    He also wanted to lend camels to ming Horn but Ao refused. He said camels were slow plus there weren¡¯t many camels in their tribes already. Ao saw how the girl standing next to Yang Sui panicked when Yang Sui offered.

    Plus they were in a hurry. There were about a thousand people, ten camels were not enough. If they met crazy ves in the desert, they might not be able to protect all the camels too.

    After a short rest, Ao brought his troop into the desert. Most of the ming Horns had never been to a ce like that, they took time to get used to the climate. At least they were strong so several dayster, they were used to it. Unfortunately, the few fearsome beasts did not look energetic due to their thick fur.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know the desert was this hot.¡± Mao wiped off his sweat. Lei and Tuo were the ones who had been to the desert, not him. Even Siya (four-fanged) was about to be a roasted pig.

    ¡°At least the Rain shaman gave us these rain stones or we¡¯d suffer.¡± Tuo looked around. He could only determine his direction based on the sun. The sand dunes were always changing, even if he had been here several times, he couldn¡¯t use sand dunes to distinguish his location. ¡°Best to find shelter. We¡¯ll travel when it¡¯s dark.¡±

    Ao thought so too. However, before he spoke, Caesar suddenly perked up and looked around cautiously.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ao asked. The other beasts did not disy any unusual behaviour.

    No matter what, it was better for them to be careful. Ao turned and made a gesture. While everyone was initially in a daze, they grew alert and watched around them. They had met several small groups of people causing a nuisance, even desert fearsome beasts too. However, this was the first time only Caesar noticed something while the rest of the beasts did not react.

    However, soon, all the other beasts also disyed signs of difort.

    At this moment, all they heard was the low, cautious growling of the several beasts.

    Rustle¨C rustle- rustle¨C

    It sounded like flowing sand.

    ck dots surfaced, appearing before the crowd. The number of dots was increasing fast, revealing themselves from beneath the sand.

    ¡°Ahh! It¡¯s a gue!¡±

    ¡°Why would there be a swarm here?!¡±

    ¡°Be careful, everyone!¡± roared Ao, holding his stone knife. He turned only to see Caesar sprinting forward.

    ¡­

    When Ao brought his people into the desert, Shao Xuan and the rest were still walking at the center of the ocean.

    With every step forward, the ocean would open up in front. At the same time, more ocean would close up behind thest person.

    These days, they ate dried meat and grains. Last year¡¯s harvest of Thousand Grain Gold was the most useful because they could satiate the warriors easily. They drank only water they brought and condensed water from Shao Xuan¡¯s rain stone. Sometimes, they caught animals hiding amongst the seaweed for food before they ran away.

    Although the food and water they brought could almost support the entire group, after such a long journey, everyone was weak. The kids¡¯ chubby cheeks had be sunken.

    ¡°Soon. We¡¯ll arrive soon.¡±

 Chapter 491 - Hello, Brother

    Chapter 491

    Hello, Brother

    As they travelled, Shao Xuan could clearly feel the bone ornaments weakening.

    In the beginning, the seawater was a distance away from them. After that, the open-air sections shortened in the front and back so the troop had to shorten their lines and squeeze together.

    It was the first time they left thend they¡¯d lived in for so long, the first time they walked on such a peculiar path. After the awe had worn off, all there was left was anxiety.

    They feared the tall walls of water on both sides, worried that the bone ornaments might not have enough strength to sustain the journey, worried that the walls would copse and drown them all. They felt how small they were in this vast ocean. Their future was uncertain.

    There were many in this tribe who did the same thing every day. They had their daily routines. But now? They didn¡¯t know what would happen. However, if the tribe was here, everyone was here. They were willing to die together.

    Shao Xuan looked ahead. Although he could only see seawater before him, he felt a sense of familiarity.

    His first ve, that blue beetle was there. Other than the beetle, there was one more¡­

    The excitement in his eyes grew.

    ¡°Soon! Don¡¯t worry, there are people there to wee us,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    He sensed Caesar¡¯s presence. Compared to Sapphire the beetle, the connection between Shao Xuan and Caesar was weaker. He only sensed it because he was close by. This meant Caesar was at the end of the path.

    If Caesar was there, then all the other ming Horns must be there. The shaman and Ao would never let Caesar here alone.

    Shao Xuan told the shamaness, Zheng Luo and others about what he sensed. Everyone perked up with this news.

    Why were they so worried? They were worried they might not be epted. Everyone already knew many secrets, they knew that there was another part of the ming Horn tribe, that the two branches were initially one. Now, they will unite as aplete ming Horn tribe.

    As they approached their destination, the walls of seawater changed too. They gradually shortened as the sea became shallower.

    The path was much brighter.

    The bone ornaments¡¯ powers were still weakening. In front, the journey was entirely supported by the bone ornament¡¯s powers. At their breaking point, if no one took over, the path would grow more and more narrow until everyone drowned.

    Shao Xuan knew the ancestors could only help so much. After this, it was up to them.

    Since he brought them into the ocean, he had to bring them out too.

    Taking out a fire crystal, just like how he pushed snow, he pushed the water apart. It was an exhausting task, he would never have been able to survive. He relied on a fire crystal to replenish his energy.

    Just as the people at the back of the line were ready to drown, they realised that the water, which was about to touch their heels, was pushed away once again. The wall of water was now half a step away from him.

    Knowing that Shao Xuan was doing this, the shamaness passed a pouch with fire crystals to Zheng Luo. She was still carried on someone¡¯s back since she wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with their speed. She could not walk so Zheng Luo was tasked with replenishing the fire crystals.

    When Shao Xuan exhausted the powers within one fire crystal, Zheng Luo would pass him another.

    On the other end of the tunnel, on a cliff.

    The ming Horn party had already arrived. The swarm of insects had scared them but they didn¡¯t expect that onerge beetle from the swarm to lead Caesar here. The people all followed them here.

    ¡°This was where Ah Xuan fell?¡± asked Guihe.

    The two high-ranked leaders of the tribe, Guihe and Ta had fought toe on this trip. Since they were both major leaders, one of them had to stay with the tribe. In the end, because Guihe had a bird that could help them survey their surroundings in the air, he was sent with the troop while Ta stayed at the vige.

    Chacha had disappeared for a very long time, no one could find it. Now, Guihe¡¯s snow-white falcon was the only one who could help them scout and survey their surroundings.

    ¡°Must be here.¡± Ao grew more upset as he thought about how Shao Xuan was forced to jump off here. However, at this point, Snow ins City and Fire Mound City no longer existed. There was only the King of the Desert, Yan Ling.

    All the Golden Armours of Snow in City were killed.

    ¡°So we¡¯ll just wait here?¡± asked guihe.

    Ao looked at Caesar, who sat at the edge of the cliff. ¡°We¡¯ll wait here.¡±

    Caesar was staring at the ocean. Would Shao Xuane from the waters?!

    Ao and the rest didn¡¯t understand but all they could do was wait. They could even go down the cliff and spear some fish for food. If they saw giant fish, they wouldn¡¯t swim. They could provoke beasts in the forest but not water because they would be at a disadvantage underwater.

    Days passed but they did not see anyone jump out of the water. Until one day, Caesar started howling, facing the ocean.

    One of the tribesmen, who was scaling a fish, dropped what he was doing and came to the edge of the cliff.

    ¡°Come look at this, what¡¯s that?!¡±

    ¡°Is that fire?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, how could there be a fire in the ocean¡­. Hey, I think it could be fire!¡±

    Everyone came to stand at the edge of the cliff, forming a long line.

    ¡°Why would there be a fire in the sea? Is that Ah Xuan¡¯s doing?¡± Guihe was very puzzled. There were clearly mes on the surface of the blue ocean. They were obviously not reflections of the sun!

    Caesar howled once again, pacing its four legs on the ground impatiently. It wanted to run forward but it was a pity it couldn¡¯t fly. All it could do was wait impatiently here.

    ¡°There, are those people?¡±

    As the fire in the ocean approachednd, they saw something moving among the gaps of the mes. Not just that, every ming Horn tribesman could feel a strong emotion rising, a sense of joy and passion in their mind¡¯s totemic mes. And they weren¡¯t at war. The totemic mes were abnormally active, as if anticipating something great. They could clearly feel like a missing part of themselves would be filled soon.

    Ao thought about what the shaman said before he left, and these sensations. His heart raced, his palms sweaty. He craned his neck, staring straight ahead.

    Ao, Guihe and the rest stared at the approaching mes intently, not sensing something behind them.

    Someone bumped into several warriors. they nudged their elbows back, annoyed.

    ¡°Stop it! You¡¯re going to push me off..¡± just as he spoke, he sensed something odd. Something was blocking the light from behind. When he turned his head, he saw a block.

    The warrior¡¯s face twisted as he moved aside to make way for the giant beetle.

    Everyone in front quickly made way for it too. They weren¡¯t usually afraid of giant beasts of this size, they hunted many fearsome beasts a lotrger than this beetle. However, this was different. This was themander of the swarm of beetles. If they provoked it, perhaps it wouldmand its army of beetles to attack¡­ and that would not be a good thing.

    The giant blue beetle looked straight ahead. Then, out of nowhere, it spread its wings.

    Everyone turned to look at the blue beetle as it fluttered its wings, flying towards the me.

    Everyone stood in stunned silence.

    Aargh! The guy can fly!

    After a thought, Guihe made his falcon follow the beetle.

    Shao Xuan was holding on, using all his might to control the tunnel. He had fire crystals but it was still exhausting. He was almost at his breaking point, every muscle screamed. But thend was close! He could smell the sand and dust in the air.

    Sensing something, he forgot about his sweat and looked up.

    Everyone heard the sound of vibrating wings and looked up.

    Shao Xuan grinned when he saw the familiar block of blue.

    ¡°Sapphire. Long time no see.¡±

    When he heard Shao Xuan, Zheng Luo gestured for everyone to put down their weapons.

    Everyone watched as the enormous beetle lowered itself, following above Shao Xuan¡¯s head.

    There was also a screech in the skies. It wasn¡¯t Chacha but Guihe¡¯s white falcon. If it was here, then Guihe and the rest were here too.

    With this information, Shao Xuan finally rxed. The fire crystal in his fist had already turned into white powder. He gestured for Zheng Luo to pass another fire crystal.

    ¡°We¡¯re here. There¡¯s only thest section left. Hold on! Our brothers are here to greet us!¡± As he spoke, Shao Xuan sent Sapphire to bring the weakest elderly and children up to the coast first.

    Zheng Luo first chose three people- one old person and two children. They were not doing well, severely ill. They had to be carried, for they were already unconscious.

    Receiving Shao Xuan¡¯smand, Sapphire grabbed the three people. Its first reaction was to roll these people up into balls and roll them away. Then after some thought, it realised these were live people. It had never carried live humans before.

    A weight lifted as they watched Sapphire carry the three away. At the same time, they sensed friendliness from this region, like they were meeting their blood once again.

    On the cliff, Ao had already received the three people and then sent his people to care for them.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the rope? Prepare some rope!¡± roared Ao.

    ¡°Chief, there isn¡¯t enough rope. We used some to catch fish.¡±

    After some thought, he looked down at the leather clothes tired around his waist. Since it was hot out, most of them were topless, only putting on clothes at night when it was colder. He took it off. ¡°Use this if we don¡¯t have rope!¡±

    If one shirt wasn¡¯t enough, one thousand shirts would definitely suffice!

    All of them were wearing fearsome beast skin- flexible but strong.

    As they tied the clothes together, Ao rubbed his reddened eyes. He felt like crying.

    The mes were approachingnd, the people on the path could see the people on the cliff.

    We¡¯ve been separated for too many years.

    Hello, brother.

 Chapter 492 - Long Time No See

    <h4>Chapter 492

    Long Time No See</h4>

    Ao and the rest had to admit the way Shao Xuan brought these people back far exceeded their expectations. However, at this point, they didn¡¯t care. All they knew was that these people were part of their own tribe, the sensations they felt in the totemic mes confirmed this.

    When Shao Xuan got closer to the edge of the cliff, Ao and the rest jumped into the sea, not thinking if there might be any marine monsters.

    The mes holding back the sea were not an obstruction to the ming Horns. These people passed into the opened path through the mes. However, at this point, Shao Xuan was almost at his limit.

    ¡°I can¡¯t hold on any longer. You all bring the ones who can¡¯t move anymore up first.¡± Shao Xuan turned to Zheng Luo. ¡°Bring everyone up. Everyone there¡¯s part of our tribe.¡±

    Zheng Luo smiled and nodded. ¡°I know, everyone here¡¯s a ming Horn.¡± He turned to Ao, who was the first to walk over. ¡°Zheng Luo, ming Horn.¡±

    ¡°Ao, ming Horn.¡±

    The chiefs of both branches held their arms open for a passionate hug, then punched each other¡¯s shoulders as a gesture of friendliness.

    Ao looked at all the people behind Shao Xuan, suppressing his emotion. ¡°We will first bring any injured, sick or fatigue people up first. Anyone who still has strength can climb up using the ropes we threw down. There are people above.

    Knowing that these were their own people, the team on the stone path were not guarded or discriminatory, handing over their patients immediately. They quickly grabbed the ropes made of leather clothing and climbed upwards.

    Even the people who were exhausted, the ones who were about to faint from hunger and thirst all tried very hard to stay conscious. They were here! There were people receiving them too. There was nothing to worry about, they just had to climb up.

    Shao Xuan had to best, for he had to maintain the gap. When everyone left, he retracted the powers used to separate the ocean. It had been a long journey, other than exhausted, he was dehydrated and starving, his lips were cracked.

    ¡°Have some water.¡± Ao took out his sk. Shao Xuan drank the little water left in the sk.

    He felt a little better, though his hunger became more apparent. He nned to eat a feast once he made it back.

    Looking up at the cliff, he saw people still climbing up the rock wall. More experienced climbers carried one person on their backs, then another in one arm, climbing up the wall with just two legs and one hand. In the beginning, the people at the top let them climb up the colourful ropes. However, this was too slow. In the end, they connected two ropes at the bottom end to form a circle, then let it down. The people at the bottom just had to grab any part of the rope to be pulled upwards. They didn¡¯t have to climb, all the work was done by the people above.

    This was how they transported goods too. After the first batch of people arrived at the top, they lowered the ropes again for the next batch.

    This was a good idea because the leather clothing was a durable fabric. The fabric did not tear when rubbed against the rock cliff, plus could support the weight of all these people.

    The number of people on the stone path quickly decreased as the gap in the water shrank too. Shao Xuan could conserve some energy this way. When everyone left, he finally retracted his power and grabbed the rope.

    Without the power of the bone ornaments keeping the water apart, both walls of water copsed and merged as one. Huge waves sshed unto Shao Xuan.

    Fortunately, he was hauled up fast so he wasn¡¯t engulfed by the waves.

    When he arrived at the top of the cliff, Shao Xuan looked at the row of people standing on the cliff, plus several familiar animals. He felt like no time had passed at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡±

    Everyone was emotional to see Shao Xuan once again. Many people wanted to give him a huge hug but too bad they were all pushed away by Caesar.

    When he left the Fearsome Beast Forest to go to the desert, he hadn¡¯t brought Caesar. The little guy was very upset about this but he was still very happy to see Shao Xuan today. The wolf nudged its huge head against Shao Xuan, licking him.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you in a while, buddy.¡± Caesar was the one who had been with him the longest, since it was a pup to its current size. It had been more than ten years¡­

    He quickly greeted everyone and asked about the patients. When he heard that they were all in stable conditions, he finally rxed.

    ¡°Chief, why are you all here?¡± he asked Ao.

    ¡°The shaman made use. But after we arrived in the desert, we met this guy.¡± Ao pointed at the enormous beetle, who was kicking its hind legs excitedly.

    Everyone was very nervous when they saw Caesar bounding into the swarm of beetles, thinking that Caesar was going to fight the insects. Even without the beetle, that swarm of beetles was already terrifying. However, what happened was surprising¨C the beetles made way for Caesar, then the wolf and the beetle started running towards this cliff. The tribesmen followed.

    ¡°Nice.¡± Shao Xuan patted the blue beetle, now already two meters tall. Shao Xuan thought about how a little beetle he could squash with a finger coincidentally became his first ve. Thinking about what Ji Ju said, he could clearly sense the beetle¡¯s thoughts and emotions. The more it grew, the more intimate their connection.

    Sapphire¡¯s exoskeleton looked like a metal armour now, very robust and strong. However, he could see shes on its hard shell that seemed to be formed by sharp weapons, and parts that were hit by hammers. The beetle had been through a lot too.

    Now that both sides finally met, they couldn¡¯t return immediately. They had to reform their ranks. After such a long journey, everyone was tired as they hadn¡¯t had a proper rest.

    Ao instructed his warriors to distribute the fish they caught to their brothers. Then, they found more opportunities to catch fish in the sea. These days, they have improved their fishing skills so it was not as difficult as before.

    Perhaps due to them being on the coast, the air was not as dry as the desert. The rain stone could easily condense water too. With sufficient water, everyone started to regain their energy. The more energetic warriors started to chat with their newly-acquainted brothers. Conversation was awkward due to both sides using differentnguages. Although many knew a little of the tribalnguage, they were still not used to it. In the beginning, there were many pauses but gestures were enough to convey general messages and both sides engaged in passionate conversation.

    Tuo and the rest were shocked to see their brothers¡¯ weapons. Metal was rare on this side, they usually only saw metal in the desert. The other tribes only got metal by robbing ve masters. After the core seed was brought back, the materials were left there because nobody really knew how to process ore.

    ¡°This¡­ this¡­ this¡­¡± Tuo and the rest felt their world view change drastically.

    Duo Kang, who had already heard of the situation here, did not find this odd at all, generously giving a small bronze knife to Guihe. Both hunt leaders chatted away happily, patting each other¡¯s shoulders.

    Tuo, Mao, Mo¡¯er and the rest were also speaking excitedly to the ones simr to their age like Tao Zheng and Wuzhan. The former admired that thetter could use metal weapons while thetter admired that they owned such powerful fearsome beasts. Although the beasts were all groggy now, this was temporary. Once they left the desert, they would be killing machines again.

    Since there wasn¡¯t fire, the tribesmen used rocks. During the day, the sun had already heated the rocks. Food sizzled when ced on them. Although they weren¡¯tpletely cooked through, it was still better than raw food. Who knew if raw fish would make them sick?

    This time, the sunshine twins, Yang and Guang, also brought the fearsome beasts they tamed. They would dive into the ocean to personally get their animals food. When Shao Xuan looked over, he saw Guang, Qiao and Mai¡¯s daughter, tossing a giant sea snail at her Phorusrhacos. (dinosaur crane) It cracked the shell easily with its beak.

    After looking around, Shao Xuan turned to ask Ao about the situation here. It had been two years, there must have been major changes.

    ¡°The powers in the desert have changed. The three major cities do not exist anymore, just the Rock Hill desert king. The rest of the smaller cities serve this king. However, Rock Hill¡¯s people are currently exterminating all remaining residual powers of the desert so their focus isn¡¯t on outsiders for the moment. We didn¡¯t meet any Rock Hill City¡¯s people on the way here either,¡± said Ao.

    The desert was vast. While Rock Hill City was now King of the Desert, their influence still did not cover every corner of the desert. Most regions were just yellow sand anyway, they only sent soldiers to exterminate specific targets. Perhaps the tribe was just lucky they didn¡¯t meet Rock Hill, or due to the beetle. The beetle was basically the one who led the group anyway.

    Shao Xuan was already mentally prepared for this oue, especially after understanding some secrets, he understood the ambition of the Shi family. He just didn¡¯t know how they were going to take revenge.

    ¡°What about the tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The tribe is still well, everything is going smoothly. Our crop harvest is great this year, our people are well. As for other tribes, we didn¡¯t hear much either. However, during the war in the desert, I heard several tribes went to the desert to rob some people. They brought a lot of stuff back, I think.¡±

    ¡°The rest?¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Like the weather. How was yourst winter?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The weather? It was a weird one. In the past, it would snow in the forest- but it didn¡¯t snow this year! It just rained. After that, we also asked around and it didn¡¯t snow in other ces either. Such a rare opportunity for a warm winter, we even went out for so many hunts! Haha!¡±

    As he spoke, Aoughed¡­ until he realised Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo had a peculiar expression on their faces.

 Chapter 493 - The 4th Lock

    <strong>Chapter 493</strong>

    <strong>The 4th Lock</strong>

    ¡°What?¡± Ao asked, puzzled.

    Shao Xuan told him about the situation on the other side of the sea. The past winter was very odd, both coasts showed extreme weather on both sides of the spectrum!

    As one side froze, the other side was so hot they didn¡¯t want to wear clothes.

    As he spoke, Ao fell deep in thought. Shao Xuan¡¯s descriptions were worse than the climate they faced at therge river.

    No one was settled knowing that the climate had changed. Although they had many spections, they hadn¡¯t expected it to be this serious.

    ¡°No matter what, it¡¯s fine if everything remains the same after this. If this year¡¯s winter bes hotter, we will have to make preparations ordingly.¡± Even warm weather was not a good thing. nts would loose their original rhythm of life, the habits of forest beasts would be ruined. If they wanted to maintain their harvests and stores, they had to be prepared.

    However, there was about half a year more- there were more pressing matters.

    The whole troop rested and regrouped for three days. They could not stay for long because food and water were constant problems. If this continued, the situation would worsen.

    Several beasts helped carry a portion of the patients. Ao also instructed some people to carry the patients. Even if they were tired, they were still in better condition than the people who just crossed the ocean.

    Even if the situation wasn¡¯t the best, everyone was still in a good mood. Joy was motivation enough.

    Shao Xuan got Sapphire to let its army follow behind them, travelling underground. This was because the beetles would scare other desert beasts away. While in the past they didn¡¯t want to meet the beasts, now they needed food!

    That was why when arge scorpion appeared, everyone¡¯s eyes turned green. When the fierce scorpion suddenly felt a wave of more intense aggression, its waving tail froze and it turned to run.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Tens of people sprinted out. The scorpion didn¡¯t stand a chance.

    Guihe and the rest wanted to show off in front of their brother tribe. ¡°Let us do it, you all back off! We¡¯ll do it ourselves! You rest, we should be the ones serving you!¡±

    While Duo Kang and the rest said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to, really! We can do it! We haven¡¯t hunted in so long, we¡¯re itching to hunt!¡±

    The scorpion was not enough for the whole tribe. Even the several beasts felt like minor characters in their show. Their cool, majestic stance was ruined by that beetle, until now, they hadn¡¯t had a chance to do anything.

    Most of the time, the tribe waited until the sun dimmed before travelling. During the day, they rested.

    It was impossible for such arge group of people to avoid attention.

    When ming Horn entered the desert, Rock Hill had already sent spies to watch them. However, they encountered the insect swarm and couldn¡¯t follow. They sent a report to their leaders and stood guard in several points, preventing tribesmen from robbing them again. If they hadn¡¯t kept their important goods first, the tribesmen would¡¯ve taken more.

    During the desert wars, many tribesmen took the opportunity of the chaos to rob them of metal weapons. These desert folk had a very bad impression of tribesmen. That was why they grew cautious when they saw a thousand tribesmen enter the desert like that. In the past, they had seen tribesmen but not on this scale. They even brought beasts!

    Now, they watched ming Horn again but did not see the insect swarm. Suitable conditions for spying. Too bad there was a very inconvenient white bird so it was difficult to watch from the skies too. They could only follow from the distance. But¡­ Why did their numbers grow so suddenly?! They were even more alert now. Since when did such arge group appear in the desert? Unless they recruited several groups of wanderers in the desert?!

    No way.

    They had to report this immediately.

    ming Horn also knew there were spies but it would be difficult to catch them. They didn¡¯t have the strength to attack either. All they could do was leave as soon as possible. As long as these people did not provoke them, they did not want to waste their energy on battling.

    ¡°Eh? Look!¡± A ming Horn warrior with his clothes covering his head looked at a sand dune nearby.

    There were some organisms walking on the long sand dunes.

    Most of the people wanted to rush forward and ughter them for food but Shao Xuan stopped them.

    If he wasn¡¯t Shao Xuan, they would¡¯ve ignored him. Why would they pass up on food? The chief hadn¡¯t even said no, why would you?

    But this was Shao Xuan. On both sides of the ocean, he had a very special position. Although his rank was below the shamaness and the chief, he was way more influential than both. Especially after they crossed the ocean, among the ming Horn tribe, no one dared object to his words. They would be smacked if they did.

    That was why the ones who ran excitedly with their knives turned and walked back obediently. Shoa Xuan must have his reasons for stopping them.

    Shao Xuan lifted a hand to block out the sun. He saw the long line of camels and grinned. He wondered how this group of camels could live until now, safely as such arge group.

    ¡°Mud! You¡¯re still alive!¡±

    Yep, the leader of the row of camels on the sand dune had a white face, two white, short ears, and dark brown marks on its hump and neck. This was the camel Yang Sui gave Shao Xuan.

    The high temperatures distorted his vision a little. Blocking out the sun, he looked at ¡®Mud¡¯, at the front of the line. It was walking over with its group.

    Aaangggh¡ª

    Mud cried, its tuft of hair on its head fluttering in the breeze as if it was greeting Shao Xuan.

    When Shao Xuan yelled ¡®Mud¡¯, Tuo and Lei recalled the camel¡¯s history and exined to everyone.

    When Shao Xuan left Fallen Leaves City, he let Mud go because he couldn¡¯t bring it along. It only had a leather pouch filled with water hanging around its neck. The pouch was long empty now. It hung open, most of it bitten to bits.

    Without the pouch, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have recognised it.

    Mud came to walk next to therge beetle. Shao Xuan sensed that Sapphire seemed to be familiar with Mud, specting that the reason why this bunch of camels could remain so safe during this warring era was because of Sapphire. With the swarm of beetles, who would still want to hunt the camels?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go?¡± Shao Xuan patted Mud¡¯s neck. Although it was thin, it was still energetic. Mud was very lucky to be alive.

    Aaanggg¡ª-

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know if that was a yes or a no. He let a few warriors sit on the camels but it did not object. These camels had been reared by humans, escaping the ve master¡¯s cities during the war. Wild camels would not be this friendly.

    ¡°Bring the injured and the sick over, let the camels carry them.¡± Shao Xuan fed them some water and felt that they were a lot friendlier now.

    With the camels helping out, it was much easier for everyone.

    Sapphire kept pacing around Shao Xuan, determined to stay close even in the face of Caesar¡¯s gnashing teeth.

    Shao Xuan knew what it wanted. After its third lock was removed, there were still two locks on its body. Every ve wanted to be set free! Plus during two years of war, Sapphire had sustained several injuries. Without its army, it would not have survived. It wondered if humans woulde back to attack it once the situation in the desert stabilised. The swarm of beetles posed a serious problem to the ve masters, especially the Shi family, now in power. Shi Shu knew Sapphire was on Shao Xuan¡¯s side, he would never let a threat remain in the desert.

    Sapphire and the beetle army were used to the desert climate and environment. They liked the sand, they would be ufortable in other ces. To ensure Sapphire¡¯s safety, the best way was to make it more powerful.

    Hence, when they travelled closer to the edge of the desert, Shao Xuan brought Sapphire to the back of a sand dune during their rest time to try unlocking its fourth lock.

    After he left the desert, he didn¡¯t know when he woulde again. If this was sessful, he could further ensure that the beetle would survive.

    He spent a lot of totemic and inheritance power just to unlock the fourth lock. He had recovered some of his energy after leaving the ocean. Since he could urately wield the power of the bone ornaments now, he still seeded in opening its fourth lock even though it was difficult.

    After that, Sapphire burrowed deep into the sand. Shao Xuan could sense that it would fall into a deep sleep for a long time. The fourth lock was more difficult than the third. It was also a ¡®block¡¯. He could only unlock it for the beetle. Sapphire would have to rely on its own strength to survive the unlocking.

    As Sapphire sank into the sand, the rest of the beetles never appeared again. For a very long time, the beetle swarmed never appeared in the desert again.

    On the fourth day after Sapphire¡¯s lock was unlocked, the tribe finally stepped out of the desert.

    The troop nned to rest near the Rain Tribe, then get some food.

    Yang Sui had received reports about arge troop approaching Rain tribe, very worried that it might be a group of attackers form the desert. However, as he looked closer, he realised they weren¡¯t ve masters. He saw familiar faces!

    Yang Sui finally rxed and grinned. When he saw the group of camels next to the troop, he recognised ¡®Mud¡¯ walking at the front and grinned wider. However, his delight slowly turned to surprise, then shock.

    Huh?! They went in with a thousand people, why did theye out with so many?! What the hell happened?!

 Chapter 494 - New Era

    Chapter 494

    New Era

    Yang Sui was happy to see Shao Xuan again. Without Shao Xuan, the Rain Tribe¡¯s shaman would not be where he was today, he would¡¯ve been burned to death long ago.

    Although he didn¡¯t know what Shao Xuan had gone through for the past two years, it was already the best oue for him to walk out of the desert alive.

    Yang Sui¡¯s childhood best friend, Mixu, was happier than Yang Sui. While she was indifferent to the ming Horns, she was happy to see Mud. When shest sent Mud off, she was prepared to not see it again. She didn¡¯t know they¡¯d meet again, plus Mud even brought back more camels!

    Now that these camels were out of the desert, they were likely going to stay at Rain Tribe¡¯s vige now. They did not seem to want to leave either, obediently following Mixu as she pulled them away. Now, Sapphire was underground and they did not have any more protection. It was safer here than in the desert.

    Yang Sui still got his people to prepare food and water although he didn¡¯t understand why the number of ming Horns increased by four times.

    ¡°Thank you for these.¡± Shao Xuan passed the rain stones Ao borrowed back to him. As for the stone Yang Sui personally gave him, Yang Sui did not ask for it.

    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re wee. It¡¯s great you came out alive. I heard the desert has been chaotic these two years.¡± Yang Sui passed the stones to his people.

    When the Rain Tribe saw how every rain stone was returned, they finally rxed and became much less hostile to the ming Horns. They lived in an arid region, rain stones were important to them.

    There were too many people in ming Horn so there weren¡¯t enough houses. Only the weaker patients were allowed to live indoors while everyone else sat on the floor outdoors.

    ¡°There won¡¯t be any sandstorms these few days, you can rest here,¡± said Yang Sui.

    Shao Xuan trusted Yang Sui¡¯s weather predictions. If he said there weren¡¯t going to be any storms, then there won¡¯t be. He was the shaman after all.

    Since they were starving, even hard biscuits were delicious. As they chewed on the dry, hard biscuits and sipped carefully on water, they felt alive once again.

    ¡°These people, they¡¯re also part of ming Horn?¡± Yang Sui looked at all the people squeezed together and asked Shao Xuan. In the beginning, he thought they had brought a batch of ves out of the desert but it didn¡¯t look like it. Theymunicated too well with each other, as if they were part of the same group. Plus the new people had the aura of the fire seed. As the shaman, Yang Sui was very sensitive to these matters.

    ¡°Yes, they¡¯re all part of ming Horn.¡± Shao Xuan sighed. ¡°Right, so much happened in the desert and you all live so close, did they cause you any trouble?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± As he spoke, Yang Sui got angrier. Due to the desert wars, there were often people escaping out of the desert who caused problems to the rain tribe. Some people wanted to rob them, then several Rain tribesmen who left to look for rain stones went missing. They sent a search party several dayster to the ce where they usually searched for rain stones, only to found skeletons without much meat left on them. There was evidence of sharp weapon usage, they weren¡¯t eaten by animals!

    ¡°Now, as long as ves exit the desert, our tribe treats everyone as the enemy. It¡¯s fine if they stay far away but if theye closer, our patrol team will kill them.¡± Yang Sui sighted. ¡°I know living so near those ve masters is dangerous too. Actually, I¡¯ve been thinking how nice it¡¯d be if we could move our tribe further to a ce with more fertile soil.¡± Some things couldn¡¯t be solved with praying for rain. Those people in the desert were too dangerous, who knew what would happen?

    As the Rain tribe¡¯s shaman, Yang Sui carried a very heavy weight on his shoulders. He truly wanted his tribe to live in a better location but moving brought high risks. If it were safe, they would¡¯ve moved a long time ago. No one was willing to take this risk. What if their fire seed extinguished midway? The Rain tribe wasn¡¯t as strong in battle as ming Horn.

    As if thinking of something, Shao Xuan¡¯s expression changed and he gave Yang Sui a look. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it?¡±

    Knowing Shao Xuan wanted to say something secret, Yang Sui nodded and brought him into the Shaman¡¯s house. No one was allowed to enter. Even the chief could not enter without his permission.

    Yang Sui¡¯s current situation was so different from before he became the shaman, thought Shao Xuan as he looked at the decorations in the house.

    ¡°You¡¯re living a good life as the shaman.¡± Shao Xuan sat on a stone stool.

    ¡°It¡¯s not too bad.¡± Yang Sui grinned. ¡°Right, what did you want to say? Something important?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important. I remember, two years ago, you said that your tribe¡¯s fire seed had a problem.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew about the secrets of the fire seed from Yang Sui too.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The Rain tribe¡¯s shaman could pray for rain- the key element for this sess wasn¡¯t the shaman, but the fire seed. Due to the fire seed¡¯s condition, no matter how they prayed, they couldn¡¯t get any rain. Yang Sui told Shao Xuan it felt like the fire seed was asleep, yet the shaman could not wake it no matter what he did. Every year, it woke once during arge prayer ritual but never outside of it. Some years, it didn¡¯t wake at all. This problem worsened over centuries.

    This was why the Rain tribe went crazy when Yang Sui sessfully prayed for rain two years ago.

    ¡°I found the reason,¡± said Shao Xuan, ¡°And I know a solution.¡±

    Yang Sui shuddered and looked at him incredulously. ¡°What solution?!¡± If there was a solution, he was willing to take any risk to do it.

    Shao Xuan told him about the stuff he learned on the other side of the ocean. He didn¡¯t talk about the specific situation, just how the fire seed could be merged into everyone¡¯s body so they didn¡¯t need the fire pit. However, after the fire seed disappeared, the tribe could risk scattering. There were many tribes who disappeared that way. WAnderers formed new groups of power, while tribesmen entered the cities to live a life controlled by ve masters. The power of the tribes would greatly weaken. This was thergest risk.

    Yang Sui fell silent. Shao Xuan¡¯s reasoning made him hesitant. Now that he knew the reason and the solution to stop the fire seed from weakening, such risk still made the decision very difficult.

    The tribes existed because everyone¡¯s strength was united around the fire seed. If the power was no longer concentrated, would Rain tribe still exist?

    ¡°What will your tribe¡¯s choice be?¡± Yang Sui looked into his eyes to confirm if he was telling the truth.

    ¡°Our choice? It¡¯s obvious. Based on your abilities, you should already know the difference between these neers and the previous ming Horns you met, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Yang Sui¡¯s pupils constricted, his fists clenched by his side. ¡°The difference is¡­¡±

    ¡°They ARE the fire seed!¡± Shao Xuan stood up to leave. He had finished what he wanted to say. The decision was for Yang Sui to make.

    ¡°If the tribesmen exist, the fire seed will exist; if the tribesmen¡¯s hearts exist, then the tribe will exist. Think about it. Come look for me at ming Horn once you¡¯ve made your decision. WE¡¯re at Fearsome BEast Forest, you¡¯ve been there.¡± Saho Xuan knew Yang Sui wouldn¡¯t make the decision immediately. This was a major matter involving the entire tribe. He might be the shaman but he couldn¡¯t make this decision alone.

    Once Shao Xuan left, Yang Sui locked himself in his house alone to think for a very long time. He told his guards outside to turn away all disturbance. Once he fell into deep thought, he forgot the entire world. When he stepped out of his house, the ming Horns had already left.

    He spaced out while standing next to the fire pit. Then, he invited several very experienced elderly tribespeople and the current chief into his house for a discussion. The Rain tribesmen didn¡¯t know what these high-ranked people talked about. All they knew was that every person came out in a daze after the meeting. However, all of them kept their lips sealed, refusing to talk about it.

    On the other side, ming Horn was heading towards the Fearsome Beast Forest.

    To the new people, everything here was very new. This was because the tribe here maintained their ancient traditions, including using stones and animal bones for weapons and wares.

    Their metal knives were all wrapped in leather or clothing, all covered. That was why the Rain tribe did not see their metal weapons either. They also wove many baskets along the way to hide their metal wares. Metal was rare here, it would attract attention. Since they were new, they did not want to cause unnecessary trouble.

    ¡°About the fire seed, you talked to the Rain shaman about it?¡± Ao asked Shoa Xuan.

    ¡°I did, the decision is up to him,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Ao nodded. He felt like Yang Sui was trustworthy, plus he helped ming Horn before too. Although Ao was also doing this out of respect for Shao Xuan, after some time, Ao thought Yang Sui was a good person. At least more trustworthy than some people from otherrge tribes.

    Ao himself could barely believe this. When Zheng Luo and the rest arrived, Ao was anticipating their fire seed. In the beginning, they thought the fire from the ocean was because of the fire seed, then they were told that it was the power of their ancestor¡¯s bone ornaments. So what happened to the fire seed?

    After Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation, Ao understood.

    As the chief of a traditional tribe, Ao could not imagine how life would be without the fire seed. However, when he saw that their new brothers seemed much stronger than his own people, he understood that this was the power of the fire seed. Plus, their ancestors had separated just because of this reason. Now that they returned, it proved that those people who left were right. They hadpleted their mission, found the solution to stop the fire seed from weakening further. AS he listened to their life on the other side, he realised they were much better in many aspects.

    The new era had begun. At these crossroads, it was up to them to choose.

    Just as Ao was thinking about this, Shao Xuan thought about how two tribes had to merge as one when they got back. That meant they had two chiefs, two shamans, and three hunt leaders!

    What now?!

 Chapter 495 - Glory Once Again

    Chapter 495

    Glory Once Again

    The ming Horns attracted too much attention. Wherever they went, every person who saw this troop would look at them with a weird look.

    Ao had already chosen a different path from the one they took when they came. However, with such arge number, they were already a bigger group than many tribes. It was the same scale as to how they crossed the river back to their homnd.

    To other people, they thought ming Horn was moving again!

    They couldn¡¯t keep this a secret if they wanted to. When other tribes traded with each other, they talked about ming Horn.

    ¡°Did you know? ming Horn is moving again!¡± said a trader from far away.

    ¡°Moving? I saw them just a while ago, there weren¡¯t that many people. I thought they were going to dere war with someone,¡± said another, confused.

    ¡°Not many? There were so many! I saw old people, women and children myself! They crossed in front of our tribe!¡±

    ¡°Old people and children? I don¡¯t remember these.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true! I counted, there¡¯s definitely five thousand of them, more people than our tribe.¡±

    ¡°What? Five thousand? You must be mistaken!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t make a mistake!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you. You dare swear on your tribe¡¯s totem?¡±

    ¡°Fine, I will¡­¡±

    Simr conversations appeared across thends. However, the ming Horn continued to travel ording to their nned path, not knowing that they had sparked another debate. They wouldn¡¯t care if they did either. They were busy, they had no time for rumours.¡±

    As they approached the Fearsome Beast Forest, Zheng Luo and his people could feel a sense of familiarity, as if this ce was one with their souls. Although this was a foreign environment, there was a safe warmth. The totemic power within them surged, as if impatient to go home. Bright totemic patterns flickered on their skin, reflecting their emotion.

    Although they¡¯d seen Zheng Luo and his people¡¯s totemic patterns several times, Ao and the rest still couldn¡¯t help but stare in awe when they saw it again. Was this the effect of merging with the fire seed? These people without the fire seed in their beings had dark totemic patterns, not as bright as them. Shao Xuan was an exception. Now, Ao and the rest looked at them, admiring not their patterns but the aura they exuded. It felt more powerful.

    Before this, when Ao heard about merging with the fire seed, he was unwilling. Yet, gradually, he was slowly convinced. After merging, the warriors would have greater potential, then the fire seed would not weaken¡­ Who wouldn¡¯t want such power?

    At the same time, outside the Fearsome Beast Forest, the Wanshi tribe had assembled arge crowd.

    The Wanshi tribe had received news when Ao brought his people and several fearsome beasts out of the forest. They wondered if they should take this opportunity to attack the ming Horn now. The ones who left the forest were about half of ming Horn¡¯s warriors. Wanshi felt like they were strong enough to defeat half of the warriors left in the forest.

    After the war in the desert, some people escaped. These people consisted of ve masters who had once worked with the Wanshi tribe before, perhaps they were also the reason why Wanshi tribe could develop to its current state.

    Now, the situation in the desert was still not stable yet but the intelligent ones knew that soon, only Rock Hill, King of the Desert, would remain within. They would not let any threats survive. They couldn¡¯t return to the desert so these people who escaped turned to Wanshi.

    They were very grateful that their ancestors had helped Wanshi before, for they now had a safety. Since the desert was unlivable now, and other tribes did not trust the ve masters- the tribes wanted to rob them instead. They had only one option left.

    Now, Wanshi had support from a portion of the ve masters. Other than Wanshi¡¯s own warriors, they had many ves here. These were going in the frontlines to block enemy fire.

    However, the decision to invade ming Horn had some resistance, especially from the ve masters. They had suffered so much to escape from the desert, hence they didn¡¯t want to go to war for the moment. They¡¯d suffer major losses from battling again.

    Plus , the ming Horns were a forest tribe¨C they were poor, thend was bad, so what if they won? So what if they took thend? They still didn¡¯t want to live in a forest filled with fierce beasts. Even if they wanted to fight, they wanted to collect more ves first. If their ves all turned into ash, who would protect the masters?

    In the past, the tribe only had one decision-maker, the chief. No one could object to his decisions. However, with the ve masters, they diluted his influence. The chief was no longer the ultimate leader, every decision he made required their approval or they wouldn¡¯t providebour and resources.

    The Wanshi chief also thought about betraying the ve masters but these people were too cunning and had many tricks up their sleeves. He dared not take this risk, suppressing his frustrations.

    Now, Wanshi wanted to invade ming Horn but these people objected once again. They said that if ming Horn left with so many people, something major must¡¯ve happened. What if this was a bait? Then their next step could be to turn around, and surround Wanshi on both sides. Then Wanshi would be trapped!

    To hell with their traps!

    The Wanshi chief wanted to punch someone but he had to listen to their opinions.

    As days passed, they felt like the fire seed in their fire pit slowly weakened, as if it was suppressed by a powerful, invisible force. The newly appointed Wanshi shaman sessfully convinced these ve masters.

    The only ones who could directly suppress their fire seed was the only other tribe nearby¡ª ming Horn.

    Finally arriving at a unanimous decision, the ve masters provided some ves. The Wanshi chief assembled with the warriors of his tribes, bringing out the Wanshi beasts they reared too. After several days of preparations, they were finally ready for battle.

    As he stared at the green patch of forest far away, a sh of manic hysteria appeared in the Wanshi chief¡¯s eyes. He remembered what the arrogant ming Horns said.

    ¡°Anyone who enters the forest shall die.¡±

    Well, I¡¯ll ENTER now, what are you going to do? We, Wanshi, aren¡¯t just going to enter, we will step into yournd, take away all your treasures, your women, everything!

    The sun was setting. This time, Wanshi decided to invade at night. ming Horn was familiar with the forest during the day and had the advantage. IT would be different at night, they heard ming Horns did note out much at night.

    Wanshi¡¯s beasts had awesome night vision! Plus Wanshi was familiar with night robberies, they were familiar with this task. They just had to be more careful in the forest.

    ming Horn didn¡¯t have their fearsome beasts with them. Even if they left a few in the forest, they wouldn¡¯t be able to stand against their forty Wanshi beasts!

    Good n!

    ¡°Listen to mymands.¡±

    The Wanshi chief raised his knife, prepared to give an order when he heard a long, shrill call from a bird in the sky.

    ¡°That¡¯s ming Horn¡¯s bird! Didn¡¯t it leave with the,? Unless¡­¡± said someone.

    After the bird called, there was a wolf¡¯s howl and several other animal sounds.

    These didn¡¯te from the forest.

    ¡°T-t-t-that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°ming Horn is back!¡±

    Wanshi¡¯s chief yelled sternly, ¡°Why are you shouting?! I don¡¯t care if they¡¯re back, we fight!¡± It took so much effort to convince the ve masters, how could he give up like that? It¡¯s just a thousand more people, the n goes!

    However, they realised the people returning were more than expected. Two thousand? Three thousand? Maybe more.

    Although they were far away, the Wanshi people felt a strong, intimidating force. Too violent, too powerful. They did not want to face this.

    ¡°No way, we are not going!¡± decided a high-ranked ve immediately. Although they were here with the Wanshi chief, they had private instructions from their masters. If anything seemed wrong, they should return immediately. They didn¡¯t want to die with these Wanshi people. They had finally escaped the desert, hence conservative with their forces. They were already terrified of all the fighting in the desert.

    After that, a few other high-ranked ves expressed simr opinions.

    Wanshi¡¯s chief almost had a heart attack from the sudden betrayal and the change of events.

    His mouth opened several times. He wanted to givemands but then swallowed his words. He almost spat blood as he quickly retracted his surging power. His features contorted painfully, eyes filled with struggle as the veins in his hand gripping his knife buldged.

    Fight?

    The main force of the ming Horn was back. Not just them, they had reinforcements! If they attacked now, it could be bad. Plus his people were getting cold feet, how could they fight now?!

    Don¡¯t fight?

    What about his dignity? All dignity was lost!

    However, reality was cruel. Wanshi¡¯s chief had no choice.

    ¡°Go back.¡± Wanshi tasted blood in his mouth as he suppressed his anger.

    However, since everyone¡¯ attention was on the newly appeared troop, no one heard him. The ones who did weren¡¯t so sure.

    ¡°W-what? Chief, what¡­ did you say?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°I said, go back!¡± roared the Wanshi chief. He couldn¡¯t vent his anger probably, now spitting a mouthful of blood once again as he roared.

    The rest didn¡¯t dare ask questions. Although they were unwilling to miss such a good opportunity, at this point, it was obvious they shouldn¡¯t attack. They still wanted to live.

    That was why Wanshi¡¯s n to attack while ming Horn was at a weak point failed.

    Fearsome beast forest, within the ming Horn tribe.

    Ta had already received reports of movements with the WAnshi tribe. Although the tribe had the fire seed as a line of defence, they couldn¡¯tpletely rely on it either. Its range was limited, they still had to go to war. Previously, when the shaman sent out so many people, they didn¡¯t agree with it but they didn¡¯t express their reservations.

    Ta instructed his people to prepare for battle and went to talk to the shaman. Should they move a batch of people out first? Their main forces were halved, fighting was going to be difficult. No one was sure what would happen.

    However, when he asked, the shaman remained silent as he stood next to the fire pit. ¡°There is no need.¡±

    ¡°But¡­¡±

    Ta wanted to say something but the shaman said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to prepare. While this battle wille sooner orter, today is not the day!¡±

    Ta looked at the shaman in confusion. He didn¡¯t exin, merely staring into the roaring mes.

    The mes within the pit roared, they hadn¡¯t stopped since the time it suddenly exploded. Now, the mes had only grown taller and brighter.

    The shaman stared with tears in his wise eyes. Although he didn¡¯t go with Ao, he knew what was going to happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s been one thousand years,¡± he sighed.

    One thousand years. ming Horn used to be a prosperous tribe, every person on thisnd knew of them. Now, they were forgotten.

    Natural disasters, disputes, the iplete fire seed, change of heart, obstacles¡­ all forced them to cower in a corner of the world. Although they didn¡¯t know how their ancestors felt when they carved the cave painting, they knew that their ancestor, Zhan, and his people were all hopeful from the leather scrolls passed down generations. Every generation of ming Horn hoped ming horn would restore its former glory. The fire of ming Horn shall not die!

    ¡°Glory to ming Horn once again!¡± Tears finally flowed out of the shaman¡¯s eyes, two streams down his wrinkled, weathered face.

    ¡°Haha¡­. Hahahaha!¡± The shaman let out a hoarse guffaw as he stared tearfully into the mes, like he had let go of all sanity, just in pure bliss.

    Ta, standing next to him, was stunned. HAd the sombre old man gone mad?

    mes rolled within the pit. As the breeze blew, the totem of two horns appeared gradually.

    Ta¡¯s totemic patterns on his body appeared too.

    Sensing something, Ta looked in a direction into the forest. He heard birds and animals, all familiar sounds. However, at this moment, what he thought was unrted to the animals. His eyes were locked in a direction, as if waiting for something.

    Not just Ta, everyone had a strange feeling. No matter what they were doing, everyone dropped whatever they had in their hands and looked up.

    The sky was darkening, the sun¡¯s rays slowly disappeared into the night. The glow of the mes slowly became more and more obvious in the night, even the silver moonlight did not weaken them.

    Within the dark forest, as they heard approaching footsteps, dots of light the colour of the fire seed appeared. They grew more and more, emerging densely packed together.

 Chapter 496 - Merging

    Chapter 496

    Merging

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ta walked over unconsciously. Everyone in the tribe also walked forward, standing behind Ta as they stared into the forest.

    Many dots of light danced in the dark forest. In the beginning, they thought someone might be carrying torches. Soon, they realised the glow came from the people themselves.

    The people were glowing?

    There were many people in the forest, they knew this from the footsteps. They would¡¯ve scrambled to get their weapons if they hadn¡¯t sensed the familiar beasts¡¯ footsteps, Ao and their own people¡¯s scents. However, there was still a strong sensation of something foreign yet familiar.

    Until they saw the frontmost person¡¯s face¡­. Ta was shocked. ¡°Ah Xuan?¡±

    At this moment, Shao Xuan and his people had already stepped into the vige. The warriors surrounding them also walked forward. Initially, they were worried they might be Wanshi people but this wasn¡¯t true. These people did not feel threatening.

    The shaman¡¯s hand was shaking as he gripped his walking stick, every step felt as heavy as a thousand kilograms. He was so impatient, yet somewhat scared. He was in a daze.

    And on this very normal day, two parts of a tribe merged as one within the forest after a thousand years.

    It had been two years, Shao Xuan finally saw them again.

    ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Shao Xuan hugged the shaman.

    ¡°Good, good!¡± The shaman¡¯s eyes were watery as he studied Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan looked the same, yet the feeling was different. The bright totemic patterns on his body were different too.

    He regarded Shao Xuan, then looked at everyone behind.

    The shaman had forgotten about Ao and the rest. Everyone was too familiar, plus they didn¡¯t really stand out since everyone¡¯s totemic patterns were glowing.

    As the shaman, he could feel the strong sensation of the fire seed from these people in a dialogue with their own fire pit.

    But he didn¡¯t see the fire seed.

    As if realising something, a thought shed across his mind. But this was not the time to think. These people before him were all ming Horns, the descendants of their own ancestors. Their ancestors had been waiting for them, and they were finally here. Eh, who was the olddy on Caesar¡¯s back?

    Ao walked over and introduced these people to the shaman. He turned to Ta, ¡°Tell everyone to prepare food. We shall wee our brothers with a feast. Right, also, tell everyone to prepare houses for them tonight, and bring out more tools and utensils.¡±

    ¡°Uh, alright.¡± Ta nodded furiously. Although he wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, his instinct told him a little. After looking at the new people, he turned around to make arrangements.

    ¡°There are many injured and sick patients here, we need more medicine,¡± said Shao Xuan to the shaman.

    ¡°Mm, alright.¡±

    It had been a long journey from the other side of the ocean to this piece ofnd. Then, they trekked through the desert and then the forest. Zheng Luo and his people were extremely tired by now, yet still very awake out of excitement. Especially when they saw the tall mes roaring in the fire pit, everyone knelt down sincerely.

    It¡¯s the fire seed! The true fire seed! Not the kind that had merged in their body, this was in their fire pit, they could see it with their own eyes!

    When they saw the fire seed, they felt like they hade home. All anxieties and worries disappeared instantly.

    Ao introduced the new people to the tribe. At this point, the sick and the injured finally received better treatment and rest. The hungry warriors could finally let down their guard, fully rx and eat.

    The tribesmen living here were very warm. Although it was their first encounter, there was a little reservation in the beginning, very soon after several pieces of meat were eaten, everyone talked like old friends.

    On the way, Zheng Luo and the rest had talked a lot to Ao and his people. That was why they were a lot more familiar with their mother tongue. They didn¡¯t need to gesticte to get messages across, now they could have full conversations.

    The women grouped together to chat, the men sat around the fire to brag about their lives while the elderly and young children were given ces to rest.

    There were too many people here. Although there were temporary shelters built, not every person could sleep indoors that night. It was toote to build more houses too.

    However, Zheng Luo and his people were not worried. It was a warm day, unlike winter¡¯s harsh snow nor the desert¡¯s heat. They could sleep on the grass. They were all familiar, plus the fire seed protected them. They felt safe here. After the feast, they were satiated.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. We¡¯ll apany you on the grass!¡± said Mai to a person who was the same age as him.

    Around the outskirts of the vige, at the border where the tribe and the wanderer¡¯s settlements crossed, Yan Zhi and Jiao Wu carried several roasted beast thighs on their shoulders. They also had severalrge leather bags tied to their waist containing fruits andst year¡¯s harvest.

    After knowing who these new people were, Yan Zhi and Jiao Wu were delighted. Their arrival meant ming Horn would be more powerful. Their own tribesmen were obviously better than any tribe they could partner with. They were willing to trust people Shao Xuan brought home.

    In a great mood, the two brothers carried arge portion of their stores out when the chief told them to bring some food for everyone. They could always hunt more food but their new brothers here couldn¡¯t starve. They heard the journey here had been tough, many people were as thin as sticks now.

    The brothers were walking happily when someone called them.

    ¡°Eh! Yan Zhi, Jiao Wu, wait!¡±

    They looked over to see a wanderer they met at the Longboat tribe, He¡¯er.

    Ever since returning to the homnd, Yan Zhi, Jiao Wu and the rest had their totemic powers awakened, hence they lived much better lives. Even the wanderers who once helped them benefited from this.

    He¡¯er had followed them here because he didn¡¯t have a choice. This was a ray of hope for him. However, he didn¡¯t expect to live a good life. Although he was in the middle of the Fearsome BEast forest, he lived under the protection of ming Horn. Plus ming Horn often hired wanderers for help and paid them. To He¡¯er and the ones without totemic power, they were satisfied with this life. He¡¯er even married a fellow wanderer and had a child early this year.

    However, someone in the wanderermunity had told him yesterday that Wanshi was nning to dere war against ming Horn. Half of their forces had already left the forest, it was likely ming Horn might fall.

    After living here for a long time, they too had heard many stories about Wanshi. They knew Wanshi¡¯s style. Hence, the wanderers began to doubt. They had finally gotten two good, stable years. Were they going to move again?

    He¡¯er wanted to talk to Yan Zhi or other more familiar warriors but they couldn¡¯t find most of them. ming Horn seemed to be shrouded in anxiety, the guards refused to tell them anything too.

    The wanderers secretly left and the guards did not stop them. The rest gradually moved out too but He¡¯er did not leave. He declined their offers. He was just unsettled by uncertainty, but did not want to leave.

    After one day, he finally met the brothers.

    ¡°What are you both doing?¡± He¡¯er wanted to ask them about the war but the brothers didn¡¯t look like they were preparing for war, more like celebrating something.

    ¡°New people came, we¡¯re going to meet them,¡± said Jiao Wu happily.

    ¡°New people? From which tribe?¡± asked He¡¯er.

    ¡°ming Horn, of course!¡±

    He¡¯er thought it might be ming Horn wanderers who returned. ¡°How many? You look happy.¡±

    Jiao Wu showed him four fingers.

    ¡°Forty?¡± asked He¡¯er.

    Jiao Wu scoffed.

    ¡°Four hundred?¡± He¡¯er was shocked. Four hundred was a lot.

    Jiao Wu scoffed again.

    ¡°Four¡­ four¡­¡± stuttered He¡¯er. This was impossible.

    ¡°Hahaha, four thousand! We don¡¯t have time to talk, they¡¯re waiting for us.¡±

    ¡°Wait, four thousand wanderers?¡± asked He¡¯er.

    ¡°Huh? These are people like us! I heard they¡¯re awesome too.¡± Jiao Wu was not satisfied with this. INce these people rested, he must spar with them to check out their strengths.

    He¡¯er watched, stunned as the brothers left. He pped his head and then ran home.

    Although he didn¡¯t understand, it seemed like something major happened. And no one looked like they were preparing for war.

    Leave? I would never!

    Of course he had to live under their protection if he could! Who else would treat him to such a good life? As a wanderer, this was a rare opportunity. He¡¯er thought life here was amazing. Those people can leave if they feel ufortable, he¡¯d never leave.

    The mes in the fire pit roared through the night, warriors chatted andughed around the fire.

    Shao Xuan was finally back. Old Ke cooked a huge pot of soup for him. After a feast, Shao Xuan took a shower and slept soundly through the night. He was more tired than the rest, since he had expended more energy wielding the bone ornaments. He had recovered a little but then exhausted himself unlocking Sapphire¡¯s lock. He was exhausted, the journey had been long.

    Shao Xuan slept for two days straight. He didn¡¯t wake once, nor did anyone wake him up.

    On the third day, when he woke there were already many new houses in the tribe. Some were made of bricks, some out of wood. They couldn¡¯t make more bricks in time so a portion of people had to live in wooden houses first.

 Chapter 497 - Changes

    Chapter 497

    Changes

    When Shao Xuan rose, Old Ke told him that the shaman had sent someone looking for him but Shao Xuan was asleep so they let him rest. Shao Xuan had to go see him after he woke up.

    Putting down his bowl, Shao Xuan was nning to help wash some pots but Old Ke chased him out. ¡°Both shamans and chiefs are waiting for you. Don¡¯t waste more time, just go.¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan grinned, patted Caesar, who was chewing on some meat outside his door, then went to the shaman¡¯s ce.

    On the way, he saw warriors from both sides standing together, chatting. Nearby, there were people from both sides helping to construct a brick house.

    Actually, Shao Xuan knew why the shaman so urgently wanted to meet him. The most important issue wasn¡¯t rted to merging the two tribes or the core seed, but the fire seed

    Years ago, the tribe fell apart because of the fire seed. Both sides couldn¡¯t agree so they had a fallout. They couldn¡¯t say which side was wrong, both sides had their own reasons and their intentions were for the good of the tribe. However, both sides were tired of the separation after one thousand years. If they had a conflict here again, perhaps there was a chance to separate once again. Although neither side shunned the other, they required time to truly merge as one. They required a n. If there were conflicts over the fire seed, then there could be more obstacles stopping them from true unity.

    Shao Xuan was the key figure who brought both sides together, he held a very special position. That was why they needed his opinion.

    There were people guarding outside the Shaman¡¯s house. When he approached, they quickly moved aside.

    When he entered, the atmosphere was awkward.

    ¡°No matter what, it was not a good decision to send half of your forces out like that, leaving the homnd vulnerable!¡±

    ¡°How would I know you all would return this way? I thought Shao Xuan would return with the fire seed, if there were too few people, what if we couldn¡¯t protect the fire seed? The desert is very dangerous. It¡¯s a long way from the desert to the forest- not just the ve masters, even other tribesmen might target us! Then what would we do?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s funny. Let¡¯s not talk about the fire seed. Even if we were holding the fire seed when we came, just OUR people would have been able to protect it!¡±

    ¡°You all copsed the moment you reachednd¡­¡±

    Both shamans were in an intense argument while the leaders from both sides were either looking up at the roof or the ground, some fidgeting with their fingers. No one dared interrupt, trying their best to disappear. Gui Ze¡¯s face was red, he had failed in calming his shaman.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, everyone turned to look at him like the hero had arrived.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, you¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you¡¯re awake?¡±

    Both shamans finally stopped arguing when he arrived. Although their expressions weren¡¯t too pleasant,pared to just now, they were much calmer. Both nudged their chins towards a seat at the same time for him to sit.

    Shao Xuan realised that in the past, there were supposed to be two seats in front- one for the chief, one for the shaman. Now, the seats were moved. leaders and chiefs of both sides sat in two rows on both sides while one seat was left at the front.

    Since everyone was looking at him and no one was upset, this must¡¯ve been a prior decision. Shao Xuan went to sit with no objection.

    When he returned, the shaman gave the two remaining bone ornaments to Shao Xuan. Not sure if it was because the bone ornaments were strained during the journey across the ocean, their beads were dull now. It was only until the shaman brought the remaining two to Shao Xuan and all six were strung together when the dullness faded a little.

    Now, Shao Xuan wore six bone ornaments alone. He was the only Elder of both branches, a very special Elder too. When he sat, no one objected, as if this was what it should be. The elders who had watched Shao Xuan grow up had mixed emotions seeing the little kid from the cave grow so much.

    ¡°What were you all discussing?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    He was obviously not talking about the two shaman¡¯s arguments, but the meeting.

    Ao quickly took over the conversation, fearing that the shamans might argue once again. He also didn¡¯t understand why both shamans could start arguing when they all started to talk. These past two days, the two shamans had fought several times.

    ¡°We¡¯re talking about how to deal with the people who left a few days ago,¡± said Ao.

    Due to news that WAnshi was about to attack ming Horn, some people panicked due to the rumours¨C these people consisted of both wanderers and ming Horn¡¯s warriors. These weren¡¯t the original warrior tribesmen, but wanderers who returned to the tribeter. They relied on the tribe for protection yet ran at the sound of danger.

    ming Horn did not want these fence-sitters. After making a namelist, they decided to cklist these people, banishing them from the tribe, never to ept them again.

    When the tribe moved to Fearsome Beast Forest, some people left too. However, soon after, people returned begging for the tribe to give them another chance. Since they all had the ming Horn blood in them, the tribe gave them a chance. Now, they had betrayed the tribe once again. If Wanshi ever deres war again, these people could run and affect morale. Might as well let them go now.

    ¡°And also¡­ the decision regarding the fire seed.¡± Ao stopped talking after this. To them, they were more traditional. Without the fire seed, many people would feel ufortable. They couldn¡¯t imagine life without the fire seed. However, these people in front of them were the product of their ancestor¡¯s decision. Both sides grew under different environments, Ao still couldn¡¯t make the decision.

    Not just Ao, the hunt leaders were very hesitant too. Some were concerned with a future without the fire seed, some were worried the tribe would scatter just like the other side of the ocean. Zheng Luo had told them about this.

    When they spoke of this, the entire house fell silent.

    The old man shaman looked at the olddy who was about to speak, then cut her off. ¡°Ah Xuan, tell us what you think.¡±

    Since he mentioned Shao Xuan, the olddy swallowed her anger and did not speak. She looked at Shao Xuan, waiting for his answer. A person who could borrow their ancestor¡¯s powers must be a person their ancestors trusted. That was why Shao Xuan¡¯s views were important.

    The problem of the fire seed must be solved. Pushing it aside was useless. If they didn¡¯t solve this, then they couldn¡¯t talk about thepletion of the fire seed. The fire seed could be merged into their beings, then it could be removed too. The ancestral records denoted the procedures for removal. After removal, their fire seed would be whole again. However, should they merge it back into everyone¡¯s bodies or keep it in its primitive state.

    Shao Xuan thought about it but did not state his decision. ¡°Rain tribe. I believe most of you know of the,.¡±

    The people who had been nodded. Even the ones who hadn¡¯t, had heard of them. They also nodded.

    Shao Xuan continued. ¡°The Rain tribe lives in an aridnd close to the desert. Without enough water, their lives would be very difficult. The Rain shaman¡¯s ability to pray for rain was the main pir holding the Rain tribe together when they prospered. And the existence of this tribe probably far exceeds manyrge, famous tribes.¡±

    The abilities of the Rain tribe were well-known. However, not many were clear about their long history.

    ¡°The Rain tribe¡¯s shaman can pray for rain because he uses their tribe fire seed¡¯s powers. However, they slowly lost the ability to pray for rain. Suddenly, praying for rain became very difficult, the number of failed attempts increased. In the past hundreds to thousands of years, the act of ¡®praying for rain¡¯ became more of a legend. It was until two years ago when the new shaman finally prayed for rain once. However, it is still extremely difficult now.¡±

    Sensing what Shao Xuan implied, Ao and the rest were shocked.

    The fire seed was born in this world. Like a fire torch, it would extinguish one day too. The way to keep it burning forever was to keep it in their bloodline, and it would be passed down generations.

    If one day, the fire seed weakened and disappeared¡­ the Rain tribe lost their ability to pray for rain; what would ming Horn lose?

    Power!

    If the ming Horns lost their advantage of being physically stronger, how would they survive amongst the tribes, where ¡®survival of the fittest¡¯ was the rule for existence?

    What happened to the Rain tribe was just the beginning!

    While they might not experience the direct effects, in the future, thousands of yearster, would the ming Horn descendants me the,? Would these people here be criminals in history?

    Shao Xuan looked around. ¡°I know what everyone is worried about. In the ancestral records, there lies one sentence left by an ancestor named Chi.¡±

    Shao Xun introduced ¡®Chi¡¯ to everyone. That year, when ming Horn was in trouble, all three generations of shamans were present. The old shaman had retired for the new shaman. The old shaman brought ming Horns ¡®history¡¯ into the forest and sat in a cave. He waited for the day ming Horns returned to bring this precious ¡®history¡¯ out again. This ¡®history¡¯ had long been taken back by Shao Xuan, the people here knew of it.

    During the disaster, the new shaman was already training the next future shaman, Chi. At that point, the new shaman, Chi, and the chief left with the tribe to hide from the natural disasters. However, there were conflicts during the journey. The chief and ¡®Chi¡¯ brought half the tribe away, looking for a new path, while the shaman left with the rest of the people. Thissted until thends separated and arge river isted them from the rest of the world.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s part of the tribe could merge with the fire seed because of Chi. chi was the pioneer.

    As he spoke of Chi, Shao Xuan looked at the two shamans. These were ancestral records, not every person was authorised to know if its secrets. Since they both nodded, Shao Xuan continued talking.

    ¡°In the records, Ancestor Chi said that the fire seed never disappeared. It has always been here, living in the blood of the ming Horns. And it would live forever as long as the ming Horns live.¡± He paused. ¡°Then, there was another sentence. If the tribesmen exist, the fire seed will exist; if the tribesmen¡¯s hearts exist, then the tribe will exist.¡±

    If everyone¡¯s hearts were one, with no distractions, then it didn¡¯t matter if the fire seed could aggregate all their powers. If their souls were not united, not everyone was thinking for the good of the tribe, even if the fire seed existed, what good would it be? The fire seed could control the people but not their hearts. Just like Dao Yu the traitor, the wanderers who gave up on this life, the warriors who ran after hearing rumours of war.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s part of the tribe had already merged with the fire seed a thousand years ago. Although they didn¡¯t have the fire seed¡¯s primitive powers of aggregating everyone together, they remained united. The ming Horns worked hard to lead a prosperous life, plus they did not have to worry about other people targeting their fire seed. Even if someone left the tribe, as long as they truly wanted to return, they could still return after a long time.

    Such was change. No matter the path, they must sacrifice something.

    Outside the Fearsome Beast Forest, within the Wanshi tribe.

    The young Wanshi shaman stood by the fire pit. As he stared into the fire seed, he looked depressed.

    ¡°It is afraid,¡± said the Wanshi shaman.

    ¡°What?¡± asked the Wanshi tribe, who didn¡¯t hear the shaman because he was frustrated with his own thoughts.

    ¡°The fire seed, it is afraid,¡± said the shaman once again. ¡°Something is going to happen.¡±

 Chapter 498 - Breaking Free

    Chapter 498

    Breaking Free

    After that day¡¯s meeting, the leaders from both sides took several days to think. Some stayed at home alone, others sat together in discussion. There had never been a problem that gued them like this.

    In the past, the hunt leaders only had to listen to the chief and the shaman, they didn¡¯t have to think. This time, there was an opportunity for them to voice their opinions, yet it was such a difficult matter.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words had affected them greatly. No matter which path they chose, they had to give up a lot. All they could do was to choose the path that was best for the tribe.

    That was why, after thinking for five days, the final decision was made to merge with the fire seed.

    When the final decision was announced, both sides heaved a side of relief.

    To the people from the homnd, although it was tough to ept this, since the decision had already been made, they felt much lighter. The hunt leaders often talked to Duo Kang and the rest how it felt after merging with the fire seed. What was the difference?

    ¡°Feeling?¡± Duo Kang pursed his lips as so many people surrounded him to listen to his answer. ¡°It isn¡¯t any special feeling. It just feels like there¡¯s a fire burning inside my body when I hunt.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a literal fire burning, it was just the fire seed fuelling their totemic power. However, Duo Kang could not describe much because he didn¡¯t know how it differed from not having the fire seed.

    ¡°Your totemic patterns are so bright,¡± said one of the smaller hunt leaders admiringly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that great either, we use mud to cover these patterns up during hunts. We don¡¯t want to reveal ourselves during hunts, hehe.¡± Although that was what Duo Kang said, everyone could see the proud look on his face. I¡¯m bright and I¡¯m proud.

    The earliest batch of people might have had many revtions and given these people some pointers. It was too bad that as generations passed, everyone was already used to having the fire seed merged inside them since birth. To them, it was normal. Nothing special. Just like they would never know how it would be like for the people who did not have the fire seed. The tribesmen from the homnd would only know after the merging.

    Many people started to look forward to this day. Some people wondered if the colour of their totemic patterns would change after the merging.

    Merging with the fire seed was rted to the future of the tribe, it was not a decision to be taken lightly. Although the two shamans often bickered due to different opinions, for this matter, both put aside their differences to study their ancestral records. Other people were not allowed to read these scrolls, hence this matter relied on these two¡¯s research. No, there was one more.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, what do you think this sentence means?¡± The shaman asked as he pointed at a sentence on an animal skin scroll. He couldn¡¯t figure it out but didn¡¯t want to ask the old shamaness, so he decided to ask Shoa Xuan first.

    In Ancestor Chi¡¯s notes, he recorded the procedures for merging with the fire seed in detail. A lot of this information was received from the Taihe¡¯s shaman, thoughter, the next generations of shamans discovered new techniques and hypotheses for better merging.

    However, these were just hypotheses. No one confirmed them. They just had to memorise these and chooseter.

    During the next two days, Shao Xuan and the two shamans thought only about the fire seed.

    Old Ke saw Shao Xuan returning exhausted every day and wanted to cook something for him. In the morning, he asked Shao Xuan, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±

    Shao Xuan was chewing on a piece of meat when he answered distractedly, ¡°Fire seed.¡±

    When Old Ke heard him, he was stunned for a moment.

    When they finally confirmed a set of procedures, Shao Xuan temporarily came out of his daze.

    ¡°Seven dayster, there shall be a prayer ceremony within the tribe. It is very important, every ming Horn warrior must be present. Patrol guards, ill and injured patients, newborns all must be present.¡±

    No one dared disobey the two shamans¡¯ instructions.

    At this point, all the warriors who went out for hunts had already returned. No one left over the past few days. The trading party hadn¡¯t left in a long time too. Other than the ones cklisted, everyone of the ming Horn blood, regardless of whether their totemic powers were awakened, had to be present at the ceremony.

    The tribe was arge one now. Their previous management had several holes, plus there could be several ill-intentioned individuals within. That was why no one was told about this other than the key decision makers and people that were absolutely trustworthy.

    However, everyone could feel that something was about to happen. Some said ming Horn was preparing for war, others spected.

    Chief Ao noted all these people who liked spreading rumours and kept an eye on them. If these people were truly ill-intentioned in the future, Ao would not show mercy.

    Everyone was told about the prayer ceremony. The shaman said they didn¡¯t have to wear the animal skin prayer clothing. They just had to be clean, neat and had taken a shower. There would be warriors present to check, anyone who did not fit these requirements would be sent home for a shower.

    It was a very meaningful ceremony, for it was the first time the ming Horn wasplete in a thousand years.

    As the day approached, the atmosphere within the vige grew tense. Even Zheng Luo and the rest could not stay calm.

    Duo Li asked his father privately, ¡°What happens if the fire seed fails to merge?¡±

    In the end, Duo Kang did not say a word. He just smacked his son. He was asking for it, why would Duo Li ask him something so awful at a critical moment like that?

    Seven days quickly passed. ording to the tribe¡¯s tradition, the ceremony would be held in the evening, beginning after sun set. It was the same this time.

    Theoretically, the moon should be very bright at this time. However, there was a thickyer of cloud tonight. Since evening, the clouds seemed to grow thicker,pletely blocking out any moonlight.

    It was a dark night within the forest without the moon.

    Fires burned in various parts of the vige.

    Both shamans stood before the fire pit, their faces solemn.

    The olddy had never experienced the primitive method of activating the fire seed. It was also not the time for her to speak so she just followed the n.

    This time, there were four thousand more people participating in the ceremony. Ao allocated morend for them. They stood ording to ranks with the chief and the hunt leaders in front, then the advanced totemic warriors in a descending order. The junior ranked and non-awakened once were at the back. Of course, anyone who had maderge contributions to the tribe were also in front. It was the same as usual.

    Other than the two shamans, Shao Xuan stood closest to the fire pit. There were six bone ornaments around his neck. Compared to the dullness a few days ago, they were all much brighter now.

    As the shaman chanted, the mes roared in the pit, rising brighter and stronger than past ceremonies. However, after witnessing several odd events, everyone did not fret when they saw this.

    As the tall mes curled, they lit up the surroundings. There was no music, no ritual dancers, all they heard was the loud chanting of the shaman. Then, the double-horned totem emerged.

    Every totemic warrior¡¯s totemic patterns appeared too. A portion of them had dark patterns while the rest had brighter patterns.

    The mes within the pit rose higher, flickering although there was no wind. The people furthest from the fire could hear the mes whistling as they swayed.

    Shao Xuan felt the mes in his mind activate along with the fire pit, expanding until it lit up the ¡®outer shell¡¯, which was also glowing in the dark.

    With a ¡®poof¡¯, the round beads in the ornaments burst into mes which then extended to merge with the mes in the fire pit. This time, the me giant did not appear. Shao Xuan had a feeling that the mes forming the me giant were already inside the pit.

    He felt his blood surge, as if it was already boiling. IN the blink of an eye, totemic power flooded throughout his body.

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    Crisp sounds like crackling firewood could be heard, though they also sounded like exploded rocks after being exposed to mes for too long.

    Six fiery rivers ofva appeared beneath the surface of the ground, extending outwards from the fire pit and thickening by the second, as if it was going to split the earth apart.

    This was different from the previous ceremonies. This time, the fire source on the ground looked like growing tree roots, thickest near the fire pit. It looked like they were standing onva rivers.

    As the fire sources thickened near the fire pit, the distance between the six sources extending from the pit shortened.

    The fire sources and the mes within the pit unleashed a brightness no one had seen before.

    Crack¡­

    It sounded like something was going to bust out of the ground.

    With loud cracks, the fire sources burst out of the ground, as if fire dragons swam up onto the surface.

    At this moment, the rocks within the pit were all glowing bright red.

    Crack crack crack!

    The rocks stacked in the pit sounded like they were falling apart. Red mes burst out of the ground, then blue mes! The blue parts were like the sepals found at the bottom of the flowers, supporting the tall mes. All the mes within the pit leaned towards the centre and rose into the skies. Six fire dragons danced mid-air, now swimming towards the heart of the pit and finally merging into the mes.

    The roots of the fire seed had always been buried deep underground, beneath the old haunt¡¯s fire pit. Now, the roots had broken free of the pit!

 Chapter 499 - Merging The Fire Seed

    Chapter 499

    Merging The Fire Seed

    Shao Xuan heard that the old haunt had the ¡®roots¡¯ of ming Horn. These roots referred to the fire source. The fire seed and the fire sources were not connected, nor did theyplete each other.

    Today, the fire seed broke free from the fire pit through the fire source. Some mes had blue parts underneath, like a blooming flower.

    ording to the n, the first phase was for the fire seed to break free from the pit. This meant that the first phase was sessfullypleted.

    The shaman and Ao¡¯s expressions wereplex as they looked at the fire seed floating above the fire pit. From today on, everything was about to change. IN the future, they would never see the fire seed in the fire pit again. The ¡®root¡¯ of the old haunt would cease to exist.

    But this was not the time to think. The two shamans looked at each other, lifted their arms and reached towards the mes in the pit.

    The second phase was about to begin.

    After the fire seed had broken free, they had to extract the fire seed out of Zheng Luo and the rest.

    Both shamans chanted at the same time, their shamanic powers inducing blue mes to curl and rise.

    The mes in the pit whistled in the wind as they flickered, as if they were summoning something.

    Totemic patterns that looked like flowingva appeared on Zheng Luo and his people, growing brighter by the second. When it was at its brightest, it looked as if there was a source of light from within their beings, shining through these patterns.

    At the peak of this phenomenon, sparks flew from their patterns, then the sparks became mes, burning along the patterns. In the end, the mes slowly broke free and aggregated between their brows. It was simr to the changes of the fire source on the ground.

    The changes started from their limbs. As the mes left their skin, the totemic patterns dimmed, colours darkened.

    Palm, elbow, arm, shoulder¡­

    Heel, knee, thigh¡­

    When all the mes were concentrated between their brows, the patterns on their face turned dark too. There was only one spot of light on their face, like a miniature sun. In the end, this bit of light broke free from their bodies and floated towards the fire pit.

    Thousands of floating lights looked like a swarm of fireflies, flying towards the fire pit.

    The core of the fire pit shone brighter as thousands of lights merged as one, lighting up the ce as if it was daytime.

    When thest dot of light merged, the mes shot up with a ¡®whoosh¡¯, as if it was satisfied, dancing excitedly and celebrating with joy. The double horned totem was bright amongst the mes, looking like the sharp horns of a beast that couldn¡¯t wait to burst out of the mes in a show of power.

    The fire seed came from this world. As it changed, the people of the homnd could feel a mighty sense of power between the skies and the earth.

    The second phase wasplete!

    When the two shamans saw this, they were slightly calmer. But it was not the time to rest. Thest step required the utmost focus!

    If the tribe decided to keep the fire seed in its primitive state, then the ceremony would end here. Although they had been separated for a thousand years, now, the fire seed wasplete and whole. Two halves of the fire seed had merged with the fire source. This was the true fire seed! Finally!

    The ancestors could finally rest in peace. The guilt festering within Zheng Luo¡¯s people finally dissipated.

    The old shaman heaved a long sigh. Since the decision had already been made, then they must walk down the path with no hesitation nor distractions.

    Thest step was also the most important once. They had to merge theplete fire seed with every warrior.

    The shaman¡¯s voice grew louder while the mes shot up into the sky like a knife piercing into the skies. It looked like a mighty warrior¡¯s sword aiming to cut open the endless night.

    The mes pierced through theyer of clouds and lit them all up. In a second, it looked as if even the clouds were on fire. Energy radiated outwards from the core of the mes.

    The thickyer of clouds slowly turned a fiery red.

    Under the skies, the pitch-ck forest, the long mountain range, the long river¡­. They were all painted with ayer of red.

    In this peculiar phenomenon, within the forest, birds flew in flocks, screaming in fear. All of them flew up into the skies and towards the ming Horn tribe, beating their wings with all their might. The dense flock of birds suddenly looked like a cloud that was alive.

    Even the fearsome beasts that had already been asleep, and the nocturnal predators, were startled alike. Fearful roars echoed across the forest

    Within the Wanshi tribe, the fire seed within their fire pit had already shrunk into the size of a bean, it looked like it was going to be extinguished any moment.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?! What the hell is going on? Tell me!¡± The Wanshi chief, Fei Ji, screamed as he grabbed his shaman¡¯s clothes, his eyes filled with fear he couldn¡¯t hide.

    They had never seen anything like that before, even during thest time ming Horn came here to set the fire seed alight. Such force ignited a fear within them.

    Why was this happening?

    They looked up at the sky. The fiery red clouds were slowly extending towards their vige now. Turning towards the forest, they saw that the sky was already red there, as if the entire sky had been set aze.

    Was that the power of the fire seed?

    Why did their fire seed have such power?

    Even other major tribes did not have this!

    The young Wanshi shaman, shaken by his chief, didn¡¯t answer. He too was startled. Previously, he had been unsettled because he had an inexplicable feeling.. Yet he did not expect something of this scale! He couldn¡¯t help but think of a legend. He had heard of a story in the desert, one rted to the fire seed, rted to the ancestors of the ve masters¡­

    How was this possible?

    He had once used many methods to extract an answer out of the ve masters, yet he never seeded, only feeling around the edges. Then how did ming Horn know? Where did they get the answer?!

    The shaman¡¯s heart turned cold.

    They were too close to the ming Horns, hence they felt a huge suppression by ming Horn¡¯s fire seed. Even their own warriors were mentally unwell. The surge of energy sent shivers down their spines, every pore felt like it was going to explode soon. They felt like they were standing next to ming Horn¡¯s pit, they could feel the hostility of this power in their bones.

    Inparison, the ve masters were faring better. Although they were also ufortable, it was still bearablepared to the Wanshi people. They too knew that something had happened in the forest. The only people who could cause such a phenomenon was the ming Horns.

    The ve masters couldn¡¯t help but sigh in regret. They should have agreed to invade ming Horn when half their forces were out of the forest! Even if they couldn¡¯t attack, they still could have caused trouble. Then perhaps the changes today wouldn¡¯t be at such a gigantic scale.

    The fire seeds across thend also changed on a different scale.

    Within the Mang tribe.

    On Zhu Bamboo Mountain, the Mang shaman looked in the direction of the Fearsome Beast Forest, confused.

    ¡°Shaman, what happened? I feel¡­ unwell.¡± The Mang chief felt unsettled and anxious, yet did not know why.

    Not just the chief, everyone else felt the same. The more sensitive people, i.e. the advanced totemic warriors, felt it more. They couldn¡¯t sleep.

    The Mang shaman studied the energy in the air. ¡°This surge of energyes from the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed.¡±

    ¡°ming Horn tribe? What happened now?¡± asked the chief, surprised. He had heard about ming Horn going to the desert, then bringing back many people. No one knew who these neers were or what they wanted to do. He also guessed that ming Horn had rounded up many ves from the desert but ording to reports, they didn¡¯t look like ves. Till today, they couldn¡¯t figure out the answer.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, but ming Horn¡¯s fire seed is undergoing massive changes. I have never heard or seen anything like that before,¡± said the shaman in a sombre voice. Any unprecedented changes made him worried.

    The ming Horns were no idiots, they would not take the fire seed lightly. ming Horn had been keeping a low profile for two years now, and he thought their tribe would continue keeping their heads down and live in the forest in peace. A thousand years had passed since the glory days of their tribe, they no longer enjoyed such prosperity. Even if they made several public appearances, everyone¡¯s impression of their tribe would not change.

    ming Horn had disappeared for a thousand years, rumours told that they did not even know how to make ceramic wares. They were a backwards tribe. Privately, major tribes like them did not ever take ming Horn seriously. They were just a tool used to control Wanshi.

    In the past, they pitied ming Horn. It was a sad thing to see a glorious tribe fall. However, they were more relieved that ming Horn was no longer powerful. These people were violent and arrogant, one lesspetitor was a good thing for everyone.

    But now¡­

    The Mang shaman¡¯s eye was twitching. Something unfathomable was happening, they didn¡¯t know what.

    Simr urrences happened in other tribes. Warriors and shamans all had odd feelings. These shamans were sensitive to changes in the fire seed, yet they didn¡¯t know what it was.

    Even within the Rain tribe, far from Fearsome BEast Forest, Yang Sui also felt the changes. He was far away, so it was very faint but with his abilities, he could still sense its source. It was the same thing he felt at the ming Horn¡¯s old haunt.

    ¡°Has it started?¡±

    Yang Sui walked to the Rain tribe¡¯s fire pit and looked at the flickering mes within.

    The change has begun.

 Chapter 500 - Shock

    Chapter 500

    Shock

    Fearsome Beast Forest.

    ming Horn¡¯s old haunt.

    Changes were still urring.

    They were not interested in what the other tribes thought, nor did they have time to wonder. At this moment, everyone was staring intently at the fire seed. There was only one voice in their mind- the cry of the fire seed.

    Both shamans controlled the power ording to the ancestral records. Although there were two of them, after a while, they were already weak.

    Theter records after Ancestor Chi denoted the possible oues of merging the fire seed and solutions to any problems. However, both shamans were still hesitant now. Although they had their solutions, they were still worried because they did not expect merging the fire seed to take up so much energy. Their solutions would also take up too much energy.

    That year, Ancestor Chi had used up almost all his energy merging the fire seed. He died soon after. Both shamans were already prepared for this oue too, they had written their wills andst towards before this.

    Just as both shamans made the decision to sacrifice their own lives inpleting thest step, they suddenly felt a weight lifted off their shoulders. The gap in energy was suddenly filled.

    Both looked over in surprise only to see Shao Xuan standing by the fire pit. Although he was about a step further from the fire pit, the power from his hands was stronger than both of them!

    The bright blue mes also had a red glow around them, a flow of energy extending from Shao Xuan¡¯s hands to the pit.

    Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t expected this either, his actions weren¡¯t voluntary. Before he realised it, his hands were already extended.

    Ancestral powers?

    Shao Xuan looked down at the six ornaments on his chest. The mes in the beads were still bright.

    Within his mind, bright rays of white light burst out of the totemic mes. It had never been this bright before.

    At the same time, the knife of mes above the fire pit, initially cutting between the earth and the heavens finally retracted. The thickyer of clouds maintained ayer of fiery red glow.

    The ¡®giant knife¡¯ retracted until they were just mes floating in the air. If they had been in the pit, they would have overflowed. The pit was notrge enough to contain the size of these mes.

    Very soon, these mes contracted more, as if they were all concentrated into a small volume. The smaller it was, the brighter it became. In the end, the mes were a fireball as big as a football, yet extended sharp rays of bright light. Then, countless sparks shot out from within. One might think they were random but upon a closer look, they¡¯d realise that each spark was aimed at each person.

    Shao Xuan was the first to feel these changes. He felt the light merging into his being, into the totemic mes in his mind. The mes in his mind roared and expanded, brightening.

    Power flooded across his body, swimming in his veins, screaming. It felt like firewood was tossed into his mind¡¯s totemic mes. Like someone had just poured a bucket of oil.

    His mind was in a state of excitement. If his totemic power previously felt like gushing floodwaters, it was now the vast ocean. It wasn¡¯t a simple change, he felt changes in its volume and qualities!

    Mighty power bubbled, every pore open as if to release steam. Air currents swirled around him, invisible des extended from his body. On this windless night, his clothes pped and shook. Everyone could hear sounds of fabric torn. That was why they weren¡¯t asked to wear their ceremonial clothes. The shamans had expected certain changes in the air around them.

    They all nted their feet into the ground. Air currents gushed like ocean waves, breaking the weeds on the ground. Dust and bits of rock flew in the air.

    Shao Xuan could hear his blood flowing in his ears, he could hear his heartbeat. The power of the fire seed seeped under his skin, into his tendons and bones, flowing into his blood. When he focused on his totemic power, it was more solid, it felt thicker. The energy surges finally calmed gradually, until he could control its movements.

    A friendly warmth hung in the air. Shao Xuan used his special vision to see countless little mes dancing around them. Like a hungry man seeing food, he felt like he wanted to absorb all these mes into himself.

    The fire seed had already distributed a me into every person. Every tribesman absorbed the fire seed¡¯s powers through this me. Fires burned within their beings. Shao Xuan could feel these changes, like how everyone absorbed the mes during the Flying me phase of the Three mes.

    However, the absorption of these mes was unrted to how far they stood from the pit. Some people at the back absorbed more than the ones in front. These differences were probably due to their capabilities and bodies.

    Everyone¡¯s fire seed was the same but their future capabilities might not be the same. It depended on their efforts and talents to produce different oues.

    It was up to the person to develop their skills so their fire seed would burn brighter within.

    In the past, they thought the strength of the person depended on a powerful fire seed.

    However, after the true merging of the fire seed, Shao Xuan realised this might not be true.

    The person must be strong, then the fire seed would be stronger.

    Changes would still ur in the future.

    Where did the scattered powers of the fire seed go? If it was still in this world, then they could collect all of it back.

    Perhaps this could result in the growth of the fire seed.

    At the same time, Shao Xuan noticed an obvious change.

    The totemic patterns on his body thickened and extended across arger surface area. Its colour changed too.

    The people of the old haunt had darker patterns while Zheng Luo and the rest with fire seed within initially had totemic patterns the colour of molten rock. Shao Xuan too, but brighter. However, everyone¡¯s patterns were changing now.

    The patterns were now brighter than the former, yet still darker than thetter¡¯s. It was purple-ck, yet didn¡¯t seem to be made of one colour. Upon a closer look, these patterns looked as if they were mes covered with ayer of skin, dulling the light within.

    After the merging of aplete fire seed, these people exuded power and danger. These patterns were more suited for the forest because when they appeared, they served as a camouge!

    Just like stripes on an animal, just like the adaptation of an animal to its habitat!

    The fiery glow lighting up the forest gradually dimmed. The floating mes disappeared. Within the fire pit, there would never be the constant me of a fire seed again.

    Many people felt hopeless when they saw their fire pit like that but soon, they perked up as they felt the changes within. They were stronger and they would live longer.

    Zheng Luo and his people felt a deep change, their eyes aze. No one would call them ¡®diseased¡¯ now, they wouldn¡¯t be short-lived idiots again! They would fight longer in the forest, and they would fight for more!

    The glow among the clouds faded. Thends returned to darkness once again.

    The shaman knelt before the fire pit, no longer burning. Everyone else knelt in prayer too. It was the highest gesture of respect, a gesture of farewell to their fire seed.

    From this moment onwards, they weed a brand new era.

    It was an important day in ming Horns history. This day would forever be a memorial day for their fire seed. Every year, on this day, they would hold a prayer ceremony to remember the change in their fire seed. Other than the other ancestral prayer ceremony, this would be another important date for ming Horn.

    ¡°The ming Horns will be glorious once again!¡±

    They must take back the glory that was once theirs!

    As for the ming Horn wanderers who left, the moment they abandoned the ming Horn tribe was the moment they lost the chance to merge with the fire sed.

    Naturally, every shaman from other tribes sensed changes within the ming Horn tribe too.

    ¡°How could this be?!¡± the Mang shaman was shaken, losing hisposure instantly.

    ¡°What? What happened to ming Horn?¡± asked the Mang chief hurriedly. He sensed something but not like the shaman.

    ¡°The ming Horn¡¯s fire seed, it¡¯s gone!¡± the Mang shaman¡¯s voice was shaking.

    ¡°Gone?! How is that possible?!¡± the Mang chief almost jumped in surprise.

    Yeah, how is that possible?

    Even if they were very weak, they still wouldn¡¯t let anyone extinguish their fire seed, would they? Plus, what just happened didn¡¯t feel like they were defeated by someone.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not gone. It¡¯s still here, it just exists in a different state.¡± The Mang shamans¡¯s voice trailed off as he fell into deep thought.

    Not just this shaman, every shaman from other tribes were also rmed.

    A simr conversation urred within the developing Rock Hill City in the desert.

    ¡°Did you feel that?¡±

    ¡°Something is happening to the fire seed!¡±

    ¡°Not bad. They¡¯ve found it. They¡¯d found the method to merge with the fire seed!¡±

    If they were initially skeptical about reports, they were now very sure the rumours were true!

    ¡°The ming Horns are a peculiar bunch.¡± Shi Shy looked towards the direction of the ming Horn vige, then turned to look towards the ocean.

    ¡°Change is the only constant. All there is to do is get the most we can out of this world,¡± said a voice.

 Chapter 501 - Grand Elder

    Chapter 501

    Grand Elder

    Time was needed for everyone to get used to the merging of the fire seed, absorbing the residual energy. That was why during the next two days, the tribe became much quieter. Other than warriors on patrol, everyone rested at home.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure how major the changes were but he could see the changes in himself and Old Ke.

    These two days, Old Ke seemed restless, as if he had too much energy inside him. He made stonewares through the night, then the next day continued boiling his meat soup.

    In the past, he needed a walking stick and had to rest on Caesar after a distance. Now, Old Ke tossed his cane away and even skipped around the house happily.

    Shao Xuan was a little worried about the old man jumping around but Old Ke seemed fine.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing better than ever. Don¡¯t believe me? I¡¯ll jump every day to prove to you!¡±

    ¡°You look more energetic now, you¡¯re glowing!¡± smiled Shao Xuan.

    It was true. In the past, Old Ke¡¯s hair was mostly white. Now, his hair had mostly turned ck. If he maintained good health, perhaps he¡¯d have an entire head of ck again.

    Old Ke grinned. The changes within him were drastic after the merging. In the past, he hadn¡¯t been well. He¡¯d lost a leg to a hunt and ended up making stonewares for a living. He hadn¡¯t had a very good life, with his illness ring up asionally. Although Shao Xuan¡¯s herbs had helped him a lot, he felt the most change from the fire seed. Other people might not show a change as drastic as his.

    No matter what, everyone was happy with positive change.

    After breakfast, Shoa Xuan met Duo Kang and the rest when he left his house.

    Duo Kang was talking to Guang Yi about the totemic patterns.

    ¡°I have so much coloured mud left. Can¡¯t believe we don¡¯t need it anymore after merging with theplete fire seed. We don¡¯t need to cover ourselves with coloured mud for hunts next time.¡± Although it was one less thing to worry about, Duo Kang was still not used to it. He was packing for a hunt in two days, constantly feeling like he had left something out. They had to get used to this somehow. Although their patterns weren¡¯t as bright as before, they knew this pattern was still the most suitable for hunts out of the three kinds they¡¯d seen so far.

    Before Guang Yi spoke, Duo Kang spoke again, ¡°Actually, it¡¯s great here. I heard this entire forest is ours. We won¡¯t have to worry about walking into another tribe¡¯s territory now. We can hunt whatever we want now, hahaha!¡±

    Guang Yi shook his head, ignoring the overly excited Duo Kang. With his hands behind his back, nning to spar with someone. He hadn¡¯t done much in two days, he was restless. He had to wait until the day after for their hunt too.

    Shao Xuan walked around, checking if everyone was well.

    Without the fire seed, the people of the old haunt were still unsettled. They often stared at the fire pit far away, now without mes. Their gazes were empty, as if without the fire seed, they had lost their roots.

    However, for the future of their tribe, it was necessary. The tribesmen were the core of the tribe. With the tribesmen, and their hearts, they could live anywhere.

    Shao Xuan walked towards the fields.

    They had brought back many seeds from the other side of the ocean, good seeds that Ji Ju had given him too.

    In the past, Shao Xuan always thought they only ate regr crops on this side of the ocean. He heard afterwards that major tribes did have precious crops but shrouded them in secrecy, fearing that other tribes would know of it. They never announced that they had crops, rarely bringing it out for trade. The trading parties would only bring back normal seeds. Only the people whose totemic powers weren¡¯t awakened would eat these crops.

    Now, these seeds were different.

    The people in charge were naturally Qi Qi and her team. They were familiar with these seeds, the farmers on this side had to learn from them. They must expand their fields someday so they had to learn too, so they could help out.

    When they saw Shao Xuan, Qi Qi, who was briefing her people, hurried forward and bowed in respect. She had the utmost respect for Shao Xuan. Without him, they wouldn¡¯t be here.

    ¡°Grand Elder!¡±

    ¡°Grand Elder!¡±

    Everyone hurried over too.

    Since he was the only Elder for both branches, he was the Grand Elder of the tribe.

    Although he was the only Elder now, after a while, there would be more Elders in this tribe.

    The two shamans had already discussed that once Gui Ze was trained, they would both retire. Having two shamans always resulted in disagreements- at this point, they were even in an argument about how they should be greeted.

    [¡®Î×/Wu¡¯ is both a gender neutral term for shaman or a female witch, hence the confusion. There is a separate male version called êê/Xi]

    Sometimes, someone would yell ¡°Shaman (Wu)!¡± and both shamans would reply. It was very confusing. The olddy wanted the old man to change his greeting to ¡®Xi¡¯ because on her side, male shamans had a separate term but the old man would not do so.

    Why would he change? His ancestors were all shamans, why would he use a name the ve masters used? This old man is not changing!

    The olddy almost fought him with her walking stick.

    Other than these little disagreements, both thought that they were already very lucky people because their lifespans were extended now by the fire seed. It was high time they retired anyway. It was time for the young ones to carry this weight. Both old shamans would now be Elders.

    Ever since they merged with the fire seed, not sure if it was due to years of training or his natural talent, Gui Ze had the power of inheritance now. It was a rare thing that both shamans had the same opinion- they approved of this sessor. However, since they still fought often, Gui Ze would learn from both of them on alternate days.

    New people were in charge of the medicine store. Shao Xuan sometimes went over to teach the new apprentices. The snapping turtle had grown, the only thing it did was eat and sleep. Although it only ate herbal nt waste, it was growing well. Shao Xuan even considered taking its shell to make a piece of armour.

    AS for the chiefs, both chiefs would not step down for the moment. They agreed that they would step down when there was a new chief. Like the shamans, they would be Elders of the tribe, participating in major discussions only.

    The new chief would be one of the three hunt leaders. That was why Duo Kang, Gui He and Ta were all so eager to disy their talents. Duo Kang was eager to go hunt to show off his capabilities.

    Although there were going to be four more Elders soon, Shao Xuan¡¯s special position was still irreceable. That was why the term ¡®Grand Elder¡¯ was coined. He was the Elder who wielded all six bone ornaments, while the rest did not have any.

    Even if he wanted to distribute the ornaments, the rest wouldn¡¯t want it either. They were not able to activate the ornaments, they didn¡¯t think they were qualified.

    That was why Shao Xuan was now the Grand Elder.

    Shao Xuan looked at the soil. ¡°How much have you nted/¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve nted a little of everything suitable for this season.¡± Qi Qi brought him around the fields, telling him about their progress.

    Qi Qi had gotten these seeds from the shaman. The job distribution was as such: the shaman was in charge of the seeds, the shamaness in charge of the salt. They had brought a lot over from the other side. When Gui Ze was named the shaman, both would be controlled by him.

    Actually, the shaman thought Shao Xuan should keep the seeds since he was the one who received them. However, Shoa Xuan would be participating in hunts. Even if he wasn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t be in his house all day either. People who came looking for seeds would not get any if they couldn¡¯t find Shao Xuan.

    Other than the fields, there were many people at the animal pens too. Both sides often talked about their experiences. When he arrived, the duck house keeper was talking about how it was a pity the green ducks weren¡¯t here.

    Just as he thought about the wild piglets, Shao Xuan heard someone call him. He turned to see two chiefs and three hunt leaders. What were these five people talking about?

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± asked Shao Xuan, walking over.

    Ao did not speak, merely nudging his head in one direction. Shao Xuan understood. It was where they stored the core seed.

    The core seed was the tribe¡¯s secret. Even if they had brought back metal weapons, most of it was put away. Duo Kang had too much fun ying with stone axes these days. Initially, he thought stone was useless for actual hunts. However, his impression of stone changed after meeting Shao Xuan and his tools. When he arrived, he too learned much more about stone.

    Shao Xuan sent Tuo and Lei back with the core seed not to leave it here.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ao led all of them over.

    Since the core seed was dangerous, they stored it a little far from the tribe. They had to first travel a distance.

    On the way, Ao thought for a moment and said, ¡°Ah Xuan, do you feel like the fire seed merges faster after eating the Thousand Grain Gold?¡±

    Ao ate the Thousand Grain Gold muchter than the rest so he could clearly feel this.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t notice this. Perhaps his body was just different? The shaman once said that his totemic patterns and his body were different. Perhaps he couldn¡¯t feel some things other people did.

    Zheng Luo, Duo Kang, Ta all agreed.

    Shao Xuan thought about what Ji Ju said. ¡°You¡¯re probably right. The ¡®Golden Grain¡¯, Ji Ju, said that Thousand Grain Gold would grow in a way that suits us most. Perhaps it grew to be like this because we needed it. The seeds came from the same nt, yet our crops differ greatly from his. Because it is growing on ming Hornnd.¡±

    ¡°Thousand Grain Gold is peculiar indeed,¡± sighed Ao. They didn¡¯t have to stare longingly at other tribe¡¯s crops now, for they had better things like Thousand Grain Gold. They would never share this with anyone, even if they offered fortunes for it!

 Chapter 502 - The Cave With The Core Seed

    Chapter 502

    The Cave With The Core Seed

    After leaving the vige, Shao Xuan saw the few mountains Chacha usually rested on. There were still eagle w marks on the walls.

    When he first returned to the old haunt, Chacha preferred tall ces without too many people. It didn¡¯t really interact with ming Horn tribesmen anyway, it was different from the several other fearsome beasts. It lived around the mountains near the tribe.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t see it when he returned. Ao and the rest told him that soon after Chacha sent Tuo and Lei back, it flew to the desert, then went to the Hui tribe and left with several of their eagles.

    However, the Hui tribe exined that the great mountain eagles might be heading to Eagle Mountain together. That was why Ao and the rest weren¡¯t too worried. They weren¡¯t very familiar with great mountain eagles but Chacha had been there before. Though they didn¡¯t know what route it was using, they should be safe in a group.

    After this year¡¯s winter, an excursion team from the Hui tribe exiting the grasnds came to the Fearsome Beast Forest with news. They said their few eagles had returned to their tribe but they did not see Chacha. They didn¡¯t say much, as if there was something on their minds that they didn¡¯t dare ask. Since Ao was thinking about the fire seed¡¯s abnormal behaviour at the time, he did not question this.

    They¡¯d gone to Eagle Mountain but Chacha didn¡¯t return with them. Did Chacha not leave the mountain? Or had Chacha left, just to somewhere else? Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know.

    When Shao Xuan asked about it, Ao felt very bad. Indeed, everyone had forgotten about the eagle and didn¡¯t ask about it. The Hui tribesmen did not stay long, leaving soon after passing the message. If he wanted to know more, Shao Xuan had to go to the grasnds and talk to them. Hui tribesmen often interacted with the great mountain eagles. If they could understand that the great mountain eagles had banded together to head to Eagle Mountain, then they must know more too. They must know something about Chacha.

    Shao Xuan did not me Ao and the rest. It was a special circumstance, plus Chacha didn¡¯t have the best tempter. Within the tribe, other than Old Ke and the shaman (it would only very unwillingly listen to them sometimes), it ignored everything else.

    When everything was done here, Shao Xuan nned to visit the grasnds.

    In half an hour, Shao Xuan could sense some changes.

    ¡°When you sent Tuo and Lei back with the core seed, we knew it was something very dangerous but we didn¡¯t know it was so destructive,¡± said Ao as he pointed as the trees around them thinned.

    Due to the soil and rocks on this hill, it had lesser vegetation, especially at higher altitudes. That was why Ao decided to store the core seed here. However, this part looked as if the forest had a bald patch, it was dramatic.

    There weren¡¯t many nts here so few animals came here. Ao had been many times, yet only saw one or two wild chickens passing at the foot of the hill. They didn¡¯t look like they lived on the hill either.

    ¡°The core seed is on the hill. There was already a cave inside but we expanded itter. ording to what you said, we put a lot of top-grade rocks inside,¡± said Ao, exining what happened.

    Zheng Luo and Duo Kang were listening but their faces were red. They looked as if they wanted to rush inside immediately.

    On the other side, the core seeds were all controlled by the great ve masters. All the bronze wares they had were bought from the ve masters or traded with businessmen. Yet they had never seen a core seed. They were quite foreign to the core seed. They didn¡¯t know the old haunt would have a core seed for ore!

    ¡°With the core seed, can we make more wares?!¡± asked Duo Kang, rubbing his palms.

    ¡°Theoretically, yes. But no one in the tribe has done this before, we don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work. We¡¯ll just have to try,¡± said Shao Xuan. On the other side, the cksmiths mostly mended wares or melted them to modify it. Gongjia Heng had given some pointers but he did not teach them about processing ore.

    All they had were Shao Xuan¡¯s ¡®theories¡¯.

    Shao Xuanpiled all the main points of processing ore, a mixture of procedures obtained from the ve master¡¯s historical records and the discussions he copied at Gongjia Mountain.

    When he was in the desert, Shoa Xuan had entered the Snow ins City and read about ore processing in the scroll room. They wrote of where ore was from, and that better rocks required a shorter time to create more metal.

    Shao Xuan recorded all the examples of sess and failures. The words from Gongjia Mountain were useful too, for example the metal ratios, tools, observing steam and the ring diagram left behind by the Yi family.

    Everyone didn¡¯t really understand the Yi family¡¯s ring diagram but as for the procedures written in other scripts, the two chiefs and three hunt leaders were very impressed.

    ¡°I heard from a Gongija person that there is a type of beast with a green face and sharp teeth. Its blood is useful for forging weapons, the swords can easily cut open a rock,¡± said Shoa Xuan.

    ¡°Really?!¡± gasped the rest.

    ¡°I just heard. I¡¯ve never seen it.¡±

    ¡°Do you have a general idea of what it looks like? We¡¯ll definitely catch it if we see one during our hunts,¡± said Zheng Luo excitedly.

    The metal wares they used weren¡¯t the best. Some metal wares were even worse than the store wares made by the people here. However, both kinds had their pros and cons. If they could produce better metal weapons, then hunting would be easier and more satisfying.

    ¡°ording to Gongjia Heng, the green-faced fanged beast isn¡¯trge. It has a green face, thick skin, has hooves but no horns and two long, sharp fangs. It hops between mountains and looks very fierce. It has a fierce temperament too, often attacking other animals. But it¡¯s a herbivorous fearsome beast.¡±

    As he spoke, the other five started looking for animal hide or cloth to write on. Duo Kang took out a piece of cloth but he did not have any pigment. Scratching his head, he said to Zheng Luo, ¡°Boss, I¡¯ll copy your notester.¡±

    Zheng Luo squinted at him, not speaking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not urgent, I¡¯ll just exin again when we get back,¡± said Shoa Xuan as he continued walking up the hill.

    There were too few nts here. There were several kinds of unnamed grasses here, though they were not eye-catching. If there were other nts here, they would have been forgotten. Yet they were stubbornly alive when all other nts died.

    Shao Xuan plucked some so he could study itter. These nts that could survive such a harsh environment must be some rare medicine. Perhaps they were useful against the effects of the core seed.

    ¡°Here!¡± Ao pointed in front. There was a boulder blocking the mouth of the cave.

    There were no guards around the cave because the guards were all at the foot of the mountain to avoid the effects of the core seed. Although it was only a minor effect, one could still get seriously injured over a long time.

    Plus there were no other tribes nearby. Other than fearsome beasts, there were no outsiders. There was no need for tight security.

    The nearer they got to the cave, the tenser the air got. They felt ufortable all over, as if their bodies were screaming. Zheng Luo and Duo Kang were not used to this at all, since it was their first time. Yet they could not suppress their excitement.

    It was the core seed! The core seed!

    Ao walked over and pushed the boulder aside. They couldn¡¯t enter yet. He opened hisrge leather bag.

    ¡°Put this on.¡±

    Shao Xuan received a simple grey-white long robe. It was made of wormskin.

    Shao Xuan had brought back three rolls of wormskin from Eagle Mountain years ago. Two rolls were kept at the vige. After Tuo brought the core seed back, he found the wormskin and made protective gear ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions. The warriors bringing the stone into the cave were wearing these robes.

    The six of them put on the wormskin robes and walked inside.

    Inside, there were glowing water moonstones put along the long corridor. They didn¡¯t need fire to light up the ce.

    As they walked, they arrived at arge circr space. Ao and the rest of the warriors had put in a lot of effort digging this ce.

    The core seed was in the middle. Something as big as their fist was enough to drive a person mad, at the same time endangering their lives.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the legendary core seed?¡± Zheng Luo gulped. He wanted to touch but knew it was dangerous. As he approached this ce, any skin not covered by wormskin started to sting as if his skin was being burnt off.

    Rocks were ced around the core seed. They had spent a lot of effort looking for rocks in the forest. Most of them were sent in here instead of used to make stonewares.

    Shao Xuan looked around. Based on the results calcted from the forme in the ring diagram, he walked over and studied the rocks.

    In this spot, all the rocks that were the same distance away from the core seed had irregr patches of metallic substance on their surfaces. This was where the core seed¡¯s influence was most concentrated. They would get their copper from here!

    It was magical.

    They shifted some metal ore outside, along with several boulders to be brought back to the vige.

 Chapter 503 - Attempt

    Chapter 503

    Attempt

    When the six people returned, it was already night time. They deliberately waited until the tribesmen slept before carrying the rocks back. Processing the ore was still in the experimental stage, no one knew if it would work. That was why they were going to keep it a secret for the moment.

    On the next day, several of Zheng Luo¡¯s cksmiths came to follow the procedures written by the ve masters. They were just ordinary craftsmen but to the tribesmen, they were already masters, hence everyone called them ¡®Master xx¡¯. They blushed whenever people called them that, often wringing their hands and saying they were not fit for the name. Ever since they met Gongjia Heng, they would never dare call themselves ¡®Master¡¯, the experience had humbled them.

    This time, Shao Xuan invited them over to talk about processing the ore. These people had already read the notes.

    A room for melting ore was set up in a section of the tribe. The rocks brought back by the six of them were ced here.

    There were many guards outside. Other than the chief, hunt leaders and Shao Xuan, the rest were banned from entry. The few cksmiths were brought over so the guards would recognise them. These people weren¡¯t really familiar with Zheng Luo¡¯s people.

    ¡°In the future, these five will be our craftsmen, they can go in and out of the forging room as they wish,¡± said Shao Xun to the guards.

    After memorising their faces, voices and other characteristics, the guards nodded. It was an important job, the guards took this very seriously.

    They wanted to have metal wares.

    In the forger, there was charcoal, rocks that served as catalysts, etc. Everything was prepared. It had taken them several days to prepare the materials needed, that was why when Duo Kang and his people left for the hunt, he still hadn¡¯t seen the cksmiths working.

    Shao Xuan also wanted to smelt some iron. Although he could not recognise any ore from sight, he could use the ring diagram to calcte the ore¡¯s position in the cave. However, iron was more difficult to obtain than bronze. There were too few records about this too. Shao Xuan did not dare experiment too much. No one knew what could happen with products of the core seed.

    They must do this slowly. Bronze was still a very good material. They¡¯d make bronze wares first.

    Shao Xuan and the five cksmiths melted ore in the forging room ording to the Gongjia ancestor¡¯s instructions. Then, they calcted the best metal alloy ratio to make one bronze sword.

    Theoretically, this was simple but reality was much moreplicated. There were too many factors. If anyone could make a good weapon, then the Gongjia family wouldn¡¯t be revered like they were now.

    One day, when Shao Xuan and the cksmiths were conducting another attempt, someone reported visitors from the Lu tribe. The shaman said Shao Xun should go if he was avable.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s presence was not needed for their work. After several days, the cksmiths were experienced enough and more efficient than Shao Xuan too. They were cksmiths anyway, picking up this skill very quickly. Shao Xuan did not mind leaving this to them.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll go immediately.¡± Shao Xuan sent the messenger back, gave a few instructions to the cksmiths, washed his face and left.

    The Lu tribe had always maintained trade rtions with ming Horn. Every year, the Lu tribe would visit two to three times. Sometimes, they would bring over several young calves, sometimes they came for advice, then they would also return the favour. Both tribes were on very good terms.

    This time, the visitor was Yan Jiu. Shao Xuan recognised him.

    After so long, Yan Jiu had thought that something bad must¡¯ve happened to Shao Xuan. After receiving news that Shao Xuan was back, he came to talk to visit. The trade rtions between both tribes were built by Shao Xuan anyway.

    ¡°Haha! Shao Xuan, long time no see!¡± Yan Jiu let out a guffaw when he saw Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It has been a long time indeed. How is your tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°We¡¯re alright, just that we¡¯ve been robbed several times.¡± Yan Jiu¡¯s smile faded.

    ¡°Wanshi¡¯s people?¡± asked Shao Xuan .

    ¡°Yeah, but other than Wanshi, there were also ves sent by the ve masters. They only came once.¡± Yan Jiu was frustrated. In the past, there was one Wanshi tribe. Ever since the war began, the ve masters escaped and became one more problem for them.

    At least these ve masters were somewhat civil people. They did not make enemies lightly and cause trouble often. These people were worried the major tribes might target them and take away thest of their goods too.

    Due to this, Yan Jiu and his people still dared not walk around this area. It was a difficult journey this time too. The Lu tribe did not bring much to trade during their recent visits, ming Horn had stopped trading grown animals with them.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t see Wanshi this time, did something happen to them?¡± asked Yan Jiu. In the past, when they were here, they¡¯d see scattered groups of Wanshi people. They hadn¡¯t seen any today.

    ¡°No one knows what they¡¯re doing,¡± said Shao Xuan, shaking his head.

    ¡°Right, I heard your tribe expanded?¡± Yan Jiu asked his first key question.

    ¡°Yeah. Just some people we lost contact with. They came back.¡±

    Which tribe could lose contact with four thousand people? Yan Jiu assumed Shao Xuan did not want to talk about it so he asked another question. ¡°What happened to your tribe a while ago? Why do I sense¡­ your tribe¡¯s fire seed¡­ seems to have¡­¡±

    Yan Jiu was too embarrassed to say ¡®disappear¡¯, for it was taboo, like a curse to a tribe. It was impolite to say it.

    ¡°Some changes happened to our fire seed, you sensed it?¡± Shao Xuan was surprised. Lu tribe was quite far away.

    ¡°Of course we did! Not just us, the other tribes also know something happened to you all.¡± Many people had visited the Lu tribe, knowing they were close with ming Horn, to ask about it.

    Shao Xuan guessed that people would being to their doorstep soon. In the past, the tribes weren¡¯t on good terms with ming Horn but just for the fire seed, he feared that these people would insist oning with their thick skins.

    If they came to talk about the fire seed, what should they do?

    Yan Jiu and Shao Xuan talked for hours before he left. They were also very annoyed by other tribes asking them. With their curiosity, they decided to visit. Yan Jiu knew he would not be told any of their secrets but he could sense a change. It felt as if their fire seed had disappeared, yet still existed. Just that its presence was faint.

    The ming Horns were a weird bunch.

    At least the Lu people were not too curious. They did not want to overthink this, just minding their own business. They did not like causing trouble. As long as this matter did not hurt them, they did not mind.

    When Yan Jiu and his people left, Shao Xuan went to talk to both shamans about the fire seed. They had to talk about what they should say if these people came to their doorstep. While ming Horn could definitely shut themselves in and not entertain any visitors, these people would not give up that easily. He knew they would y all kinds of tricks. While he wasn¡¯t afraid, he needed the tribe to be prepared. They did not want the tribe to be chaotic if this happened. Now that their tribe wasrger, these matters should be announced beforehand.

    However, Wanshi and the gang of ve masters who escaped from the desert were also a threat. These people lived close by and did not have good intentions.

    ¡®This nail should be pulled out as soon as possible,¡¯ thought Shao Xuan as he clutched the knife in his hand.

    Not just Shao Xuan, the two chiefs had already talked about it many times. It was just that Zheng Luo¡¯s people were still not used to this ce yet. Plus, after the merging of the fire seed, they weren¡¯t in the best state for battle. They needed time.

    After one or two hunts and training, they would all feel better. At that point, theplete ming Horn, the new ming Horn would have a ce to test their new power¡ª Wanshi tribe and the gang of ve masters!

    Dayster, the first group of hunters after the merging returned.

    They seemed to be doing well. They brought back lots of prey, it was a good hunt.

    Duo Kang did not pay much attention. While he waspeting against Gui He and Ta, he did not pay attention to the number of prey but looked out for the green-faced fanged beast that Shao Xuan mentioned.

    When Shao Xuan looked at all the prey, his face twitched.

    There was a huge pile of odd-looking goats, deer and cows¡­ but nonepletely matched the beast¡¯s characteristics.

    To the other people, they thought the three hunt leaders probably had¡­ odd interests.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, are these the one you¡¯re looking for?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°None of them match the descriptions,¡± said Shao Xuan helplessly.

    The three hunt leaders looked disappointed.

    Duo Kang thought about it. ¡°Must it be green-faced? Can¡¯t it be red-faced? Or white-faced?¡±

    ¡°Actually, other fearsome beasts will work but that requires a Gongjia family¡¯s secret technique, I have not seen anything about it. Plus the results might not be as good. But there is one animal that would be better than the green-faced fanged beast. I have seen that one before.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± The three craned their necks like a chicken about to be ughtered.

    ¡°Stoneworm.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Ta grinned.

    ¡°Must be fearsome beast level or above,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Ta did not speak.

    Most had not seen stoneworms of the fearsome beast level. If there was one, it would never break out of the ground¡¯s surface either. It was impossible for them to keep digging just to look for one, was it? The worm would¡¯ve probably left before they reached it. It was going to be very difficult.

    The king beast ones were even worse. After meeting one king beast, Zheng Luo and the rest did not dare risk it. It was a suicide mission!

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s just continue searching for the green-faced beast. I refuse to believe that the forest does not contain one green-faced beast!¡± Duo Kang hurried off to the forging room, paying the prey no mind.

    Gui He and Ta hurried over too. They were equally impatient for metal.

    Shao Xuan mulled over this matter as they left. They didn¡¯t have the green-faced beast, nor did they have fearsome-beast-level stoneworms. Were there other suitable animals? The Gongjia ancestors can¡¯t have experimented with every type of animal in the world, right?

 Chapter 504 - Visitors From Three Tribes

    Chapter 504

    Visitors From Three Tribes

    Shao Xuan chose several kinds of fearsome beast blood carefully to be used for forging.

    To him, it was counter-intuitive to use beast blood to process ore but at this point, there were too many things that didn¡¯t make sense in this world.

    ording to the Gongjia ancestors, they must first remove impurities within the ore, then carefully control the mes while observing the steam emitted from the melting ore. It would turn from ck to yellow-white, then green as the temperature within the melting pot increased, then finally green-white. When all the ore had melted and only green steam was left, beast blood was added along with the shaping process.

    Shao Xuan experimented with many different types of beast blood. He made a very small mould for this purpose so casting would use very little metal. These were just experiments- they still had little metal so he could not be too wasteful.

    It was too bad that the results were abysmal. The Gongjia ancestors added beast blood to strengthen the metal, yet Shao Xuan¡¯s products ended up more brittle and chipped.

    The hunt party had brought back many types of fearsome beasts but none of them gave the wanted effect not even a little. Either the method was wrong or the blood source was still wrong.

    Years ago, the process for the Gongjia family to discover this secret must have been extremely difficult. Either that or they were just too lucky.

    ¡°So it¡¯s true, we can¡¯t use any blood.¡±

    When he showed the chiefs and leaders his results, they were also disappointed. However, they did not expect overly significant results. They had to take it step-by-step. It would already be extremely good news if they sessfully create weapons.

    Just as Shao Xuan talked to them about his experiments, several unwee visitors arrived.

    There were fifteen people, consisting of people from the Mang, Eight Limbs and Feather tribe. These three tribes were considered major tribes in the central region.

    When people talked about the eight major tribes, other than Mang, Eight Limbs and Feather, they also included Thousand Masks, Longboat (both from the central region), Hui and Tianshan (both from the grasnds). These made seven.

    Although Wanshi was considered one of the eight major tribes, there was a caveat- if it weren¡¯t for the ve masters supporting them, they would never have developed this much. They would have been destroyed by the other tribes teaming up together. There were small and medium tribes who feared Wanshi too, they were notorious for not being good people.

    Everyone was just grateful that Wanshi was not in the central region where the soil was most fertile and poption densest.

    After that, when ming Horn arrived, many people thought they were in for a good show. They thought both sides would go into war soon but didn¡¯t expect a stalemate tost this long. Many people would talk about this in trading areas. Why wasn¡¯t Wanshi doing anything? Was it because they didn¡¯t want to, or they couldn¡¯t do anything?

    ming Horn did not know about these discussions, nor were they interested.

    Shao Xuan recognised the three leaders from the three tribes- Huang Ye from Mang, Qiu Gu from Eight Limbs, Gu Zhi from Feather tribe.

    These three must be here because they had been to this ce and could lead the way.

    Just as Shao Xuan expected, these three had been to the Lu tribe first to ask about ming Horn. After the Lu tribe¡¯s Yan Jiu and his men returned, to attain satisfactory answers, these three had to shamelessly visit ming Horn because they did not want to go back empty-handed.

    When they decided to cross the desert, they were merely visiting out of curiosity. When they arrived at the desert, they did not think this was important at all. However, they didn¡¯t know such major changes would happen, nor did they see Shao Xuan there. Huang Ye left a letter behind and left the desert with the rest.

    Afterwards, ming Horn basically stopped contact with the seven major tribes. Other than the Hui tribeing to update them about Chacha, other tribes did not set foot in this ce.

    They had no choice this time.

    When they neared the Fearsome Beast Forest, they felt the changes.

    Other than Yan Jiu telling them that the Wanshi tribesmen weren¡¯t around, they also felt something had changed.

    Thest time they were here, they could strongly feel the repulsion exuded from ming Horn¡¯s fire seed. However, they were used to repulsion because they often travelled between the major viges. After a while, they didn¡¯t think much of it. This time, it was different. While the repulsion effect was very faint now, they still felt very ufortable!

    It was worse than before!

    ¡°Is this really because of the fire seed?¡± Huang Ye thought about what their shaman said. Was the ming Horn fire seed really gone?

    Qiu Gu from Eight Limbs¡¯ face was solemn, unlike his usual state. He squinted, deep in thought. ¡°Looks like ming Horn has many secrets of their own.¡±

    ¡°We just don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll reveal any of them,¡± sighed Gu Zhi from Feather tribe.

    After their previous experience, they did not let their birds out. All fifteen people arrived on the Feather tribe¡¯s birds but they seemed unsettled after arriving here. The Feather tribesmen did their best to calm these birds down, without them, the birds would have flown away. The birds were not adapted to the local environment. Most importantly, the tribe hiding in the forest did not want visitors. The birds could sense hostility.

    The patrol team had received instructions on what to do. They unwillingly brought these visitors into the vige.

    In the past, they wanted to meet most people, especially when ming Horn first arrived at the old haunt. They were curious, everything seemed new and they wanted to get to know these tribes. Unfortunately, this bunch was not friendly. After the desert war, the warriors were no longer weing, only guarded.

    The fifteen people entering the ming Horn tribe were not given as much freedom as before. As they walked, many people watched them. They were led directly to the stone guesthouse.

    Although they were not able to look around, Huang Ye and the rest realised there were many more houses built closer together. Plus the houses were not scattered either, it looked like this ce was nned before construction.

    The tribe did not look like a major disaster had just hit them, most tribesmen looked like they were in a good mood. That was why the spection about a major disaster hitting ming Horn was dismissed.

    Of course, these were second to the most important discovery¡ª the feeling these warriors gave them.

    Something felt wrong, yet they didn¡¯t know what. These three were not shamans, they weren¡¯t as sensitive to the fire seed.

    Other than the two shamans, the two chiefs and three hunt leaders were all present to meet the visitors. Shao Xuan also temporarily dropped his work to be here.

    Thest time both parties met, Ta and Gui He were standing. However, this time, they sat like Duo Kang. Why should they be so polite?

    Huang Ye and the other two looked at the people sitting on the opposite side of the stone table. They had good memories, yet they had no impression of three people at the table.

    ¡°We¡¯re here¡­ because we have some questions.¡± Huang Ye did not n to beat around the bush. They never liked doing that. Plus he knew ming Horn did not like such a method ofmunication either. ¡°Recently, we sensed certain changesing from your tribe, that¡¯s why we decided to visit. Could you all please tell us the reason?¡±

    ¡°Apologies, we can¡¯t,¡± said the shaman dryly.

    No one spoke. The air in the house froze.

    One party wanted to listen and wait for more, the other was toozy to speak.

    Huang Ye¡¯s eyes swept across the room, then finally on Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan sighed softly. While Huang Ye was not the most pleasant person,pared to other people in the desert, he was already quite alright.

    ¡°Everything is well here. As for the rest, that is our own business, you do not have to worry about us.¡±

    This tranted into ¨C please don¡¯t ask anymore questions, you won¡¯t get any answers.

    Qiu Gu¡¯s eyes were slightly nted as he squinted, he looked like a kind, elderly man.

    ¡°I know¡­ because of what happened in the desert, you all must be angry. That was definitely our fault, I was not careful enough,¡± said Qiu Gu.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s your fault, yet it took you so long toe? Where have you been during the past two years? Have you been robbing the desert?¡± Duo Kang crossed his legs, staring down at the three with his chin up. He did not give them any dignity at all.

    Perhaps the people of the old haunt were not good with words. They used to be isted from the rest of the world, mostlymunicating with only their own tribesmen. They all had boundaries they couldn¡¯t cross if they fought among themselves or the shaman would be upset. After arriving at the old haunt, they started to meet more people during trades. However, they were still the same because they mostly stayed in the forest.

    Duo Kang and the rest were different. They used to often fight with their neighbour, Taihe tribe, probably as often as once every three days. During hunts, they would be even more vicious, directly insulting each other if they got mad. They were even more casual talking to other tribes, saying whatever they wanted.

    Duo Kang and the rest were already told about what happened, so he couldn¡¯t help but mock them when he heard what Qiu Gu said.

    He did not like how these people faked politeness. In the past, after seeing Taihe tribesmen so often, they thought Taihe people were annoying. Now they kinda missed Taihe. No matter what, Taihe was better than these people, right?

    Duo Kang looked up and stared out of the window, then spaced out.

    Huang Ye and the other two furrowed their brows when they heard Duo Kang.

    The matter of the bronze wares was no longer a secret. Since the ve masters had escaped out of the desert, naturally some information had spread too. Especially trading points where traders from all ces gathered, both real and false information spread like wildfire. No matter what, everyone had already known about the seven major tribes taking the ve masters in.

    Of course, to the tribes, it did not matter. On the contrary, it proved that the seven tribes were strong enough to trap the ve masters, especially the ones who were usually arrogant. The other tribes still respected the seven tribes for doing it.

    Huang Ye and the rest thought the same, yet Duo Kang¡¯s words did not sit well with them. It sounded too much like he was insulting them. Was this person jealous?

 Chapter 505 - You Do It

    Chapter 505

    You Do It

    Huang Ye and his people had robbed many ve masters in the desert, hence they had many metal wares in their inventory. Before entering the forest, they had already prepared gifts if needed, bringing along a lot of metal wares.

    Their impression of the ming Horns was that they rarely left the forest and must not have seen much. That was why they brought second-tier goods, mostly bottles and cans and very few weapons.

    However, at this point, Huang Ye and the other two did not feel like they had the upper hand at all. They had deliberately put arge wooden crate in the empty space nearby, yet the crate wasrgely ignored. There was a ¡®chip¡¯ in the corner of the box to reveal the golden-coloured wares inside so the goods looked very shiny in the sunlight streaming from the windows.

    The ming Horns did not look at the box at all. Even if they saw it, they merely gave it one look and nothing more. Especially the man who mocked them, he had taken a look of contempt at the box. As his eyes swept towards them, the condescension did not fade.

    All three men were furious. They had never been treated like this when they visited other tribes! Only ming Horns would do this.

    The ming Horns implied one thing- they were a stubborn bunch, if I don¡¯t want to tell you anything, you can¡¯t force me to.

    But the secret of the fire seed was like a cat¡¯s paw, scratching within their hearts.

    Unsure if this method would work, Qiu Gu from Eight Limbs lifted a hand, gesturing for the people standing behind to open the crate and take the things out.

    Perhaps the angle was wrong, that¡¯s why the ming Horns couldn¡¯t see its contents clearly? Or they only saw a small part, that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t know what was inside?

    Well, time to show them the world!

    When the crate was open, golden light reflected off the wares throughout the room. Delicate containers were ced on the table, including wine bottles, wine pots, small bowls, etc. There were even patterns and images of animals on them, they looked good.

    When Qiu Gu and the rest first took these, they had stared at the wares for a long time, admiring them. They almost couldn¡¯t bear to part with these. However, they had to sacrifice something for information.

    Other tribes often went crazy if they showed wares like these, craning their necks to look close. They asionally gifted some to other smaller tribes to make themselves likeable.

    Qiu Gu was delighted to show them his wares. You ming Horn people hide all day in this damn forest, you wouldn¡¯t have seen anything like this. Let me show you something good!

    However, very soon, Qiu Gu realised this wasn¡¯t happening as he imagined.

    All eight ming Horns on the opposite side of the table stared at Qiu Gu like they were staring like an idiot. His smile froze.

    Duo Kang exhaled hard through his nostrils. ¡°Pfft!¡± He snorted, snickering as his eyes gave Qiu Gu an even more condescending look.

    These were all useless crap, why is he so smug with himself?

    It wasn¡¯t that Duo Kang looked down on them because he knew that metal was hard toe by in this ce, especially from amongst tribesmen. He would not look down on them because of the wares. He was just angry that these people thought these useless crap would be enough to make ming Horn spill their secrets!

    Over two years in the desert, these people must have gotten lots of useful things like knives, swords, spears, axes and armour. And what were they offering? Containers for food and drink! Even If they were in the city, they would not trade their goods for these containers. They weren¡¯t practical! The ve masters might like to lead luxurious lives, but to the tribesmen, these were useless ornaments. What¡¯s the use of these if they couldn¡¯t kill an animal with it?

    This bunch must have kept all the good weapons for themselves. Who were they fooling with such useless gifts?! Do you really think the ming Horns are that gullible?!

    Gu Zhi of the Feather tribe had been sitting quietly, observing the ming Horns¡¯ expressions. When he saw their faces, his pupils constricted.

    These ming Horns didn¡¯t look like strangers to metal wares!

    Sensing that something was wrong, all three started to think about the reason. There was one possibility.

    Rumours told that the bunch of ming Horns who recently left the desert had been stationed within the desert a long time ago, what if that was true? They were merely waiting for the war to begin, then started robbing the ve masters!

    These savages were cunning foxes!

    They underestimated the ming Horns!

    Huang Ye and the other two men¡¯s minds raced like a camel broken free from its rope, running around in a sandstorm.

    They wondered how much the ming Horns managed to get out of the desert.

    No, that wasn¡¯t the point!

    What the hell happened to their fire seed then?

    It felt as if the number of secrets was increasing.

    At this point, all three leaders from the tribes regretted their past behaviour. If they had taken the time to visit this tribe every once in a while, perhaps they would¡¯ve built a good rtionship. Too bad their sights were always on the desert.

    It was a wrong move!

    So the room was silent once again.

    However, they would not give up just like that. If metal wares didn¡¯t work, then time for something else.

    ¡°Ah, we were short-sighted, I can¡¯t believe we didn¡¯t know that ming Horn was busy too. I¡¯ve made a fool out of myself.¡± Qiu Guughed, as if mocking himself. He did not tell his people to keep the shiny wares. If they were out, he had no ns to put them away again. Although these wares were precious, they came from a major tribe and they must with generosity fit for a major tribe. They shouldn¡¯t focus on the small stuff. They¡¯ll treat these as an apology.

    ¡°ording to what we know, many ve masters escaped out of the desert. These people all seemed to be in one ce.¡± Qiu Gu pointed in the direction of Wanshi¡¯s vige. ¡°I know you all have been wanting to solve this problem, you just never got the chance to make a move due to certain reasons.¡±

    Qiu Gu did not know what the ¡®certain reasons¡¯ were, though he guessed it was because ming Horn did not have enough firepower to win, hence they could not dere war. However, it would just embarrass ming Horn if he said it out loud, hence he did it in an indirect manner.

    ¡°Actually, we never liked Wanshi either. We weren¡¯t able to do anything to them because the ve masters support Wanshi. Now, the general political situation has almost stabilised within the desert. All the people supporting Wanshi have nowe out. There aren¡¯t enough of them to cause rm.¡± Qiu Gu¡¯s eyes widened slightly, trying his best to look sincere. ¡°What if¡­we work together? What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Gu Zhi, ¡°Count Feather in.¡±

    They too wanted to destroy Wanshi with the ve masters they were harbouring, they just never had the time. Now, they could solve this problem by borrowing the ming Horn¡¯s power. It was also a good opportunity to build good rtions.

    ¡°Count Mang in too,¡± said Huang Ye.

    They seemed excited, but there was only silence from the ming Horns.

    When they finished, Ao finally said, ¡°We thank you for your kind intentions. As for the Wanshi tribe¡­ it¡¯ll be better for us to deal with the problem on our own.¡±

    Qiu Gu and the rest did not understand why ming Horn would refuse. It was a win-win! Why couldn¡¯t they figure out these people? Wanshi was not an easy opponent. All the ve masters were out of their desert but they still had power, especially their ves who did not seem to fear death. They had learned this lesson many times in the desert. ming Horn should know this too, why were they so arrogant? Short-sighted, stupid idiots!

    Just as Ao finished talking, Zheng Luo spoke up. ¡°If you all also want to deal with Wanshi, what about¡­ you all make your move first? I heard the few major tribes of the central region have close ties, if you all work together to invade Wanshi, it should not be difficult.

    What Zheng Luo meant: If you think you can, do it. If you can¡¯t, stop this bullshit and we¡¯ll do it ourselves. What¡¯s there to talk about?

    Although the ming Horns knew that teaming up would save them a lot of trouble, what would happen after? These people woulde hounding them for favours. Plus they hadn¡¯t even agreed on anything and these people had proven to be untrustworthy. Why would they want to work with people like that? There was not an ounce of sincerity. Such bullshit! So much worse than Taihe.

    Zheng Luo started to space out as he reminisced about their good neighbour, Taihe.

    All three fell silent once more. They thought about this too, though none nned to act immediately. The two years they camped in the desert had benefited them greatly but they also had wounded men. Time was needed for recuperation. If it wasn¡¯t for the fire seed, they would not offer to team up against Wanshi. They would not be too insistent on wiping out Wanshi either. In reality, Wanshi helped curb ming Horn. At least ming Horn couldn¡¯t call themselves king here. If ming Horn prospered, they would be a threat.

    Shao Xuan also came to the same conclusion. However, he knew the ming Horns well. This time, ming Horn nned to go through with it. Wanshi would be theb rat for their newfound power.

    In this ce, one would only get power and influence through working hard and fighting for it. It was the most primitivew. Shao Xuan would bet that if ming Horn agreed to work with them today, even if Wanshi was obliterated, other people would say ming Horn only seeded because there were other tribes involved. Their shaman would vomit blood if he heard this.

    To the ming Horns, they believed in fighting for their dignity on their own, getting help did not count as sess. They insisted on it.

    If ming Horn wanted to return to its prior glory, then the Wanshi tribe was a good stepping stone. Only one could stand on this stepping stone, and that was ming Horn!

    ¡°About Wanshi¡­ Our tribe will arrange for it ordingly, don¡¯t worry about us,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Qiu Gu and the other two did not give up. They continued talking only to receive stubbornness in return.

    When they were told to leave the forest, Qiu Gu and the rest were frustrated. How stubborn could the ming Horns be?

    ¡°Do you think ming Horn will actually dere war against Wanshi?¡± asked Qiu Gu.

    ¡°Not sure. Although they look as if they are easy to read, who knows what they¡¯re really thinking?¡± At this point, Gu Zhi had branded ming Horn as a ¡®cunning¡¯ bunch.

    ¡°We¡¯ll wait and see. If they really think so, then war wille soon,¡± said Huang Ye in a low voice. The ming Horns had always been stubborn.

 Chapter 506 - Before The War

    <strong>Chapter 506</strong>

    <strong>Before The War</strong>

    To the visitors from the three tribes, the ming Horn¡¯s answer could be shortened into one sentence: ¡°Mind your own business.¡±

    ming Horn¡¯s fire seed¡¯s having odd changes? That¡¯s our problem, what¡¯s that got to do with you?

    Should we invade Wanshi? That¡¯s also our problem, what¡¯s that got to do with you?

    The people from the three tribes were frustrated with the ming Horns¡¯ attitude towards them. They felt helpless, not knowing what to do next. Metal wares? The tribesmen did not even take a second look at them. Fire seed? Their lips were sealed. Conflict with Wanshi? They did not intend to ept any help!

    Huang Ye and the rest could only report this frustrating news to their own tribes, then examine other better ways to open ming Horn¡¯s mouth.

    While these people were thinking about how to get the stubborn tribesmen to spill their secrets, there was also a discussion within ming Horn.

    ¡°Everyone has adapted well,¡± said Ao. They were indeed more powerful after the fire seed merging. Everyone was more energetic, they were much calmer and used to it now. The warriors anticipated the day they could show off their new power.

    When Zheng Luo and the rest arrived, they had seen the Wanshi tribesmen. They knew that if they were just half a dayte, perhaps the results would have been different. Many would have died. They could not forget about this just because the battle did not happen.

    Additionally, the Wanshi tribe had also destroyed their old haunt before they arrived. To this day, many warriors remembered the anger they felt when their homnd was vandalised, when they saw stone pirs in pieces, obvious that they had been tampered with very recently. Their fire pit was dug into a messy hole too. The fire pit was the most sacred spot of the entire vige!

    To the tribesmen, vandalising another tribe¡¯s fire pit was the equivalent of forging blood enmity, it was the deration of war. If the chief hadn¡¯t stopped them, everyone would have invaded Wanshi a long time ago.

    It had been a long time since then but everyone remembered. They hadn¡¯t known much about this ¡®new world¡¯ when they first arrived, that was why the chief stopped them from acting on impulse. Now, the time was right. ming Horn was whole again, it was time to take revenge.

    The warriors were adapted to life after merging with the fire seed. Weapons were prepared. Wares made of metal, bones and horns were all ready. It was time for war.

    However, they still had to be prepared. The elderly, children and women whose totemic power had not awakened had to retreat into the forest, somewhere safe. This was to prevent outsiders from invading their vige. There were also guards stationed at the wanderer¡¯s settlement to prevent wanderers from conducting any suspicious business. They also had to stop false rumours from spreading.

    As for how they should deal with the ve masters hiding within Wanshi¡­

    ¡°The giant wed bear and the bone beast will be together. What will you do?¡± Shao Xuan asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°Kill them all together!¡± Duo Kang did not think much into it, making chopping motions with both his hands. He turned to see several people staring at him with tant disapproval on their faces.

    ¡°If you only have a few people with you, don¡¯t you think it¡¯ll be difficult to fight two fearsome beasts at the same time?¡± asked Shao Xuan again.

    A giant wed bear didn¡¯t just have an enormous body, it was muscr and had thick skin, aggressive and powerful. It was one of the most aggressive type of giant bear. Then the bone beast would be even more difficult to deal with than the bear.

    Duo Kang¡¯s mind raced. He pped his thigh. ¡°Wait! We should lead the bone beast away, then focus our efforts on dealing with the bear first. Then, we will chase after the bone beast. We need to set up traps beforehand so it will fall right into it!¡±

    When Shao Xuan was on the other side of the ocean, he had used a trap to catch a bone beast. Many people¡¯s jaws dropped at that feat. Duo Kang could clearly remember the shock he felt when he saw them dragging a whole bone beast.

    Although Shao Xuan¡¯s situation was different from the current one, Duo Kang and the rest had an idea of what to do.

    When Zheng Luo¡¯s people arrived with Shao Xuan, they encountered the Wanshi people with ve masters and their ves outside the forest. From that day, they understood that the rtionship between Wanshi and the ve masters weren¡¯t great either, they often had conflicts.

    ming Horn wasn¡¯t afraid of these people but if there was a solution to keep the number of deaths low, why wouldn¡¯t they take it? Why should they force anything? Not epting help from other tribes did not mean they would force their way in.

    On a cloudy day, at noon, just as argeyer of cloud blocked out the sun, a long spear dipped in blood flew out from the Fearsome Beast Forest. Like a bright sh of light, it flew high in the air, in a red arc towards the Wanshi tribe.

    Thud!

    The long spearnded near the gates of the vige walls, one-third of the spear was lodged deep in the ground.

    The guards were startled by the sudden spear. There had been odd activities in the forest recently, all of them were nervous but the chief banned all chatter about this matter. He said they would fight the moment ming Horn came, if that happened. That was why while these tribesmen were very curious about what was happening within the forest, they kept it to themselves. However, stopping these tribesmen from talking about it only backfired. It caused the guards to be constantly distracted by their thoughts on duty.

    To shift everyone¡¯s attention, the chief nned to send a team to rob a small tribe. If he could bring a few women over, perhaps these people would stop thinking about the forest.

    That was why when the spearnded, the guard was thinking about the women and the wares they would bring back, he did not see the spear flying in the air. When it approached, he suddenly felt his scalp freeze and his hair standing on its end. It was instinct. He finally heaved a sigh of relief when he heard somethingnd on the ground a few steps away from him. He looked over to see a long spear.

    He would have forgotten about it, if it was just an ordinary spear. But this spear was coated in ayer of beast blood, he could smell it. The blood wasn¡¯t dry either, some of it stained his fingers.

    An animal skin scroll was tied to the end of the spear¡¯s handle. The guard walked cautiously over to take it off. When he opened it, he was hit with the coppery smell of blood. It was a note written with blood!

    After reading it, the guard hurried to bring it to the chief.

    Soon, Fei Ji, chief of Wanshi, walked out of the vige in huge strides, his face so dark it looked like a storm was brewing.

    The blood-coated spear was diagonally standing in the ground. Fei Ji grabbed the handle and pulled it out. It didn¡¯t take much effort but he realised its stone spearhead was gone. When they dug it out, he saw that the spearhead had shattered into crumbs, hence separated from the body.

    How powerful was the person who threw the spear, to shatter a stone spearhead like that?

    Fei Ji suddenly felt the wooden spear handle in his hand grow heavy.

    What did ming Horn mean by this? A protest? Deration of war?

    After reading the scroll, Fei Ji thought it was thetter. ming Horn had just dered war.

    The ve masters soon received news about it too.

    After noticing peculiar activities within the forest, Wanshi had already sent reinforcements to stand guard outside, preventing sudden attacks. The ve masters did not n topletely rely on Wanshi¡¯s messengers, they trusted their own more so they also sent their own guards. That was why they knew about the spear soon after itnded.

    Before Fei Ji destroyed the scroll, several ve masters and their ves came demanding to know about the scroll.

    He knew that the more secrets he hid from them, the more suspicious they would be. That was why after several questions, he finally took out the scroll he had nned to destroy.

    ¡°The ming Horns wrote this. In human blood,¡± said Fei Ji, looking at the ve master who was reading the note with furrowed brows.

    After so much experience with killing, they could differentiate between human and animal blood. The blood on the spear was animal blood but the note was written in human blood!

    ¡°ming Horn has dered war against us! We have to prepare,¡± said Fei Ji.

    The person holding the note did not acknowledge Fei Ji¡¯s words. He did not even return the note to Fei Ji, he turned around and left.

    Fei Ji¡¯s expression worsened when he saw them leave.

    The ve master was secretlyughing to himself. The ming Horns wrote about the enmity between them and Wanshi, they were obviously targeting only Wanshi tribesmen. It was none of the ve masters¡¯ business! However, if the Wanshi people lost, then where would they go? It was a good ce to stay, giving all of this up would be a pity. However, the Wanshi people had also be more and more disobedient, they had forgotten who was the reason they were so sessful. Perhaps they should help raise another tribe to glory? He wasn¡¯t sure so he nned to talk to the rest.

    At the border of the forest, Duo Kang swung his arms, looking at Ta and Gui He with glee. ¡°What do you think? That throw was amazing, right?¡±

    Ta ignored him, Gui He shrugged. ¡°I can throw a spear too. We can only trulypare our capabilities when the war begins.¡±

    These three werepeting for the chief¡¯s position. The battle would be the time to prove themselves.

    Ta looked away from Wanshi and turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°What do we do if the ve masters won¡¯t leave?¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll fight them the same,¡± said Shao Xuan.

 Chapter 507 - Countless Slaves

    Chapter 507

    Countless ves

    Shao Xuan and the rest only wanted to observe the ve masters in Wanshi. If the ve masters would squabble among themselves, or they disagreed with Wanshi, these were all good news to ming Horn. As long as they weren¡¯t getting along among themselves, it was a good thing.

    The ve masters within Wanshi did not consist of only one group. ording to reports, other than White Stone City ve masters, who had the closest ties with Wanshi, there were also people from other cities. When one thought about forcing this mixed group together, then about the ve masters¡¯ personalities, one could imagine that working together would be difficult.

    ¡°The Wanshi chief must be having a hard time now,¡± said Duo Kang.

    ¡°No matter what they do, no matter how they react, we will fight this war without question!¡± said Ta, ring at the tribe.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Just like what Ah Xuan said, at most, we¡¯ll just fight them all the said,¡± said Gui HE.

    Just as Gui He nned to ask him something, he realised Shao Xuan was looking in a direction. HE didn¡¯t speak, stopping to observe.

    Duo Kang and Ta also fell silent. With their capabilities, they too noticed something was approaching among the bushes.

    However, from the movement, they decided that it was not something threatening so they didn¡¯t care.

    To their left, the dense grass shook. The sound approached until they saw grass in front shaking. Through the grass, although they only saw a bit of fur, they knew what it was.

    It was amon wild rat, fast and small. It was not a fearsome beast, nor did it have much meat. It was at the bottom of the food chain, the tribesmen did not hunt these unless times were difficult. The traps around the fields were only to prevent the rats from destroying their crops. There were many rats in this area.

    There were many rats in this area, Duo Kang and the rest did not care about thismon rat. Just as they turned away, they saw Shao Xuan pull out a spearhead from his waist pouch then throw it at lightning speed.

    The stone spearhead glinted mid-air, violently flying at the rat.

    Poof!

    There was the sound of stone piercing through meat, then stone lodged in the ground. They smelled blood.

    Shao Xuan looked over and held up a grey-brown rat smaller than his fist.

    The rat was not dead yet. Shao Xuan studied the struggling rat.

    A fierce re shot across its eyes, then faded until there seemed to be a veil of grey. The rat stopped moving.

    ¡°You¡¯re interested in the small ones?¡± smiled Duo Kang, ¡°they don¡¯t taste good.¡±

    But when he saw Shao Xuan staring at the rate with furrowed brows, Duo Kang¡¯s smile faded. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Gui He and Ta also knew Shao Xuan would not kill amon rat because he was bored. They hurried forward to study the rat, though they didn¡¯t find anything odd.

    ¡°The feeling it gives is very familiar,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    He had not seen this rat before but he had a feeling a human had been watching him. An ordinary rat was not like this.

    ¡°Have you seen it before?¡± asked Duo Kang. He didn¡¯t have facial blindness like Guang Yi but all the rats looked the same to him. Did Shao Xuan recognise the rat? Could he distinguish scents like beasts?

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°No, but it feels like a type of desert ant I saw at Beast Battle City in the desert.¡±

    When he mentioned ¡®Beast Battle City¡¯, the three hunt leaders fell solemn.

    ¡°ve masters?¡± asked Gui HE.

    They were cautious against the ve masters. Especially after they heard about the progress on the other side of the ocean, they believed that the ve masters were more powerful than they imagined. While they did not like ve masters, they had to admit that the ve masters had admirable qualities. These people were powerful and influential because of their own capabilities. This was why they had to be careful when dealing with the ve masters, they could be stronger than Wanshi.

    ¡°It might be the ve masters who escaped from the desert, but it could also be Wanshi.¡± Shao Xuan told them about the incident at BEast Battle City. When Shao Xuan, Lei and Tuo went to Beast Battle City with the people of Fallen Leaves City, he once saw several desert ants in his room. Sapphire had chopped them up into pieces and rolled them into its dung ball. Shao Xuan did not look into this matter, merely thought it was odd. Since he hadn¡¯t found the reason, he didn¡¯t think about it.

    Now, he realised the rat gave him the same feeling as those desert ants. Something was not right.

    ¡°Everyone must be cautious these days.¡± After some thought, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Get the few animals in our tribe to work too.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not know how many of these rats were out there, nor did he know if there were other animals like them. Being cautious during such critical times was always a good thing. If humans cannot distinguish the odd feeling, then their fearsome beasts would.

    The three leaders nodded. They had not encountered anything like this before. Without Shao Xuan¡¯s reminder, perhaps Wanshi would have heard any secrets they spoke about.

    ¡­

    The moment the rat was killed, within a stone house at the center of the Wanshi tribe.

    The person sitting on the animal skin with his legs crossed coughed up a mouthful of blood. Blood dripped down his mouth, then unto the skull bone ornaments around his neck. His face was pale, his muscles twitching, his eyes manic with fury. His features were contorted with rage.

    ¡°What?!¡± asked the Wanshi chief, Fei Ji impatiently.

    ¡°One was killed!¡± The young Wanshi shaman panted heavily. Controlling animals like that did not feel good.

    He thought about what happened in the desert. To get into the White Stone young master¡¯s good books, he had taken out his precious desert ants for a mission. And not even one returned alive! Not only did he fail to fulfil the young master¡¯s request, but he also suffered major losses himself!

    He had not recovered emotionally from that, yet this happened again!

    Before he lost connection with his ants, he had a vision of a ball of mes. Although it was faint, there was a horn in the mes. At the time, he did not know what it was. Though he had his guesses, he wasn¡¯t sure. Now, he could confirm what that was.

    ming Horn!

    This time, before the rat¡¯s consciousness faded, he ¡®saw¡¯ the ball of me once again. This time, it was much clearer than before. He even saw double horns in the fire- ming Horn¡¯s totem! The person who killed his rat was a ming Horn tribesman!

    It¡¯s always ming Horn!

    ming Horn was a bad omen!

    When Chief Feiji heard this, he exploded into a string of curses. Of course, he didn¡¯t me the shaman, he was cursing the ming Horns. Privately, he called the shaman a ¡®useless idiot; in his heart.

    Two years ago, this young shaman had been extremely arrogant when he returned from the desert. He always thought he was a powerful shaman, not taking the chief seriously. After that, the war happened. Since Fei Ji was in charge here, he humbled a little.

    Just as the shaman panted and Fei Ji cursed, everyone in the room was standing with their heads lowered. These were fierce warriors, yet now they looked like children, deeply afraid of attracting Fei Ji¡¯s attention.

    When he finished, they looked up slightly to talk about the battle. They were all minor hunt leaders and above, usually participating in battles. If they were robbing a small tribe, they would allpete to snatch battle spoils, any slower and they would get nothing. Yet this time, they had no confidence in the battle at all. They never thought that ming Horn would dere war in their lifetime! It was a headache.

    There was one lesson learned ¡ª the ones who take must also give back.

    ¡°What about the ve masters?¡± Fei Ji looked at the shaman.

    After a while, he had finally caught his breath. The shaman thought for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going well.¡±

    Fei Ji mmed a wooden table violently into the ground. It broke.

    ¡°That bunch of¡­¡± Fei Ji was about to curse but decided against it. What if there were spies working for the ve masters listening?

    Fei Ji breathedboriously as he grew angrier.

    ¡°Are we¡­ really going to fight? I heard¡­ the ming Horns are quite strong¡­¡± stuttered a minor leader. He had been promoted after one of their raidsst year. He was greenpared to the other more experienced leaders. He didn¡¯t know there were some things he shouldn¡¯t say.

    Just as he finished speaking, his vision blurred as a force of fury shot towards him.

    Not even giving him a chance to beg for forgiveness, Fei Ji¡¯s shadow appeared in front of the minor leader. He lifted his arms, muscles swelling with hidden power, and his fist flew like a cannonball. Like an attacking cobra, it was a fatal hit.

    The fist smashed heavily into the minor leader¡¯s chest. The shear force and impact of the fist caused his back to explode open, flesh and blood sprayed out of his back.

    When he retracted his fist, Fei Ji was holding a fistful of pulp. It was a heart.

    The minor leader did not live to see the hole in his chest. He copsed, the look of fear frozen on his face.

    Everyone in the room had already expected this, not taking a second look. They just shuddered and looked down silently.

    The air was even more tense now, filled with the heavy smell of blood.

    Fei Ji wrung off the pulp and blood in his hand. Not even looking at the body, in a low voice, he said, ¡°Do you think we, Wanshi, are afraid of ming Horn?! They¡¯re nothing to us! If we can destroy their fire pit once, we can destroy it a second time!¡± This was meant for both his people and himself to hear.

    The shaman sat on the thick animal skin wordlessly. When he looked down, disapproval shed in his eyes. In the past, he had not taken ming Horn seriously. Now, there was a growing fear in him, especially after the odd phenomena within the forest, that had worried him. However, he did not think there was anything to fear in terms of life and death. The fire seed in their fire pit had brightened and the mes wererger.

    At least the fire seed was here. Then he was safe.

    On the other side of the vige, the stone houses were built in a different stylepared to the rest of the structures without any Wanshi decorations either.

    This was where the ve masters lived. When they arrived, they had drawn out a plot for themselves. As for whether the chief agreed¡­ how could he not? Would Wanshi be as strong as they were without the ve masters?

    At this moment, several ve masters were in a discussion within a stone house.

    An unfurled animal skin scroll wasid before them. The scroll from the spear.

    ¡°So, have you all made your decision?¡± asked an older ve master.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to think about? This is obviously not a good time to force a fight,¡± said a young ve master, lyingzily on a chair. Although he did not look old, there was a hint of power in his voice. This meant that he was ranked high in the desert. There was the Sky Wheel City¡¯s sigil on his clothing.

    A chubbier ve master next to him was holding a female ve in his arms. He quickly added, ¡°Yes, yes, it¡¯s not a good time for war. If Wanshi wants to fight, they can do whatever they want. We don¡¯t have to lift a finger. Plus, ming Horns hate only Wanshi. The scroll implies that ming Horn doesn¡¯t actually want to fight us either.¡±

    There was a flurry of facial expressions in the room as nces were exchanged to probe each other¡¯s thoughts. No one wanted to reveal their own. The young master of White Stone City swept his gaze across the room. He seemed to be thinking about something, frowning, but then his face brightened, then he secretly cursed. The longer this discussion dragged, the worse his situation would be. He was one of the very few who actually supported Wanshi. It was too bad he could not persuade them. Just from what the young master of Sky Wheel said, he knew they were deeply divided.

    Some people felt that if Wanshi lost, it would be bad news for the ve masters too. Hence, supporting Wanshi was the same as supporting themselves.

    However, some people thought Wanshi was slowly getting out of control. Why not let ming Horn humble them? Then they¡¯d be easier to control. Some people even secretly hoped that ming Horn would extinguish their fire seed. Then they would be able to take in Wanshi warriors as their ves. Or perhaps they could take in ming Horn ves?

    To these ve masters, tribesmen were ves. Countless ves. They represented the hope to return to their glory days.

    Fight! Fight all you want, it would be best if both suffered losses. Then they could destroy both tribe¡¯s fire seeds and take in everyone as their ves!

    They were quite excited for this.

    Their minds raced as ns were made¡­

 Chapter 508 - Your Target

    Chapter 508

    Your Target

    The ming Horns did not know the ve masters were now thinking of taking advantage of them. Even if they did, they would snicker and say, ¡®A bunch of idiots!¡±

    If the whole fire seed was still in the fire pit, perhaps the ve masters still had a chance to regain their former glory. It was the tribe¡¯s source of power after all.

    Unfortunately, the fire seed had now been merged into the ming Horn¡¯s bodies. Even if Wanshi and the ve masters could sense its changes, they would not think of this. BEcause merging had never happened before!

    Not every ve master knew all the secrets. The ones hiding in Wanshi were not very familiar with the fire seed, hence they had the wrong impression of it. They thought that the destruction of the fire seed would be the time they could rebuild their kingdom. Many people were thinking of returning to the desert to take revenge on Rock Hill City.

    While they strategized, Wanshi was preparing for battle. Within the Fearsome Beast Forest, ming Horn had already regrouped on arge scale.

    Every person not involved in the battle was safe in a set shelter. The terrain there was tough for battle, if any sudden changes urred, it would still keep them safe for a while. The wanderers had another shelter.

    When Shao Xuan returned to the tribe from the edge of the forest, he saw a group of warriors chatting. They had justpleted training. They stood proudly, filled with vibrancy.

    ¡°This time, we must chase Wanshi out of here, not even one bit ofnd will be left for them! All of thend outside the forest will be used for our crops!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! They destroyed our fire pit once, now¡¯s our chance to dig up theirs!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Dig! Dig! Dig!¡±

    These were the ones who witnessed the pathetic state of their old haunt when they arrived. All of them were passionately shouting to kill.

    The tribe had its boundaries. Anyone who crossed it would have a waring for them. This war had been dyed for a while, it was finally the day.

    Beasts are chased out by hitting them, not by reason. To the ming Horns, Wanshi was an evil fearsome beast circling by their homes, always ready to pounce on them. They must unite to ughter this beast with all their might, either this or they must chase it out.

    Who the fuck could tolerate such a thing? No more of this bullshit! Not everyone could live peacefully with their neighbours like ming Horn and Taihe.

    Lei and Tuo were in the crowd, the lines on their faces showed anticipation and determination.

    Tuo held a stone knife, the kind he was used to. Although there were metal knives, they didn¡¯t have the time to make the kind he was used to. There was a huge difference between stone and metal. Since they were going to battle, he did not want the enemy to gain an edge because he wasn¡¯t used to his knife.

    Shao Xuan noticed wooden splinters on the de. He was fresh out of training, he must have been chopping wood for practice.

    ¡°How are the preparations?¡± Shao Xuan, Duo Kang and the rest asked Tuo.

    ¡°Great,¡± smiled Tuo, ¡°Excited for revenge.¡±

    Tuo and Lei¡¯s hatred against Wanshi and the ve masters ran deeper. When they left with Shao Xuan for the desert, they were kidnapped and tossed into the fighting arena. Without Shao Xuan, they would¡¯ve died there.

    The people who hurt Lei and Tuo were Wanshi¡¯s new shaman and the people of White Stone City. They must take revenge!

    Excitement and anger shed within Lei¡¯s eyes. He could finally take revenge now!

    War was an importantponent of human activity. Large and small conflicts often urred between ve masters¡¯ cities, tribes etc. Warring was the most direct way of resolving conflict. The ultimate goal was survival.

    Duo Kang and the rest were no stranger to war. They had gotten theirnd, resources, salt mines etc through war. To the other half, this was their firstrge-scale battle in one thousand years.

    Shao Xuan was thinking when he heard someone call him.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, the shaman wants to talk to you,¡± said Mai, hurrying over.

    It must be something important. Immediately, Shao Xuan left Duo Kang and the rest behind and ran.

    The two shamans¡¯ houses were not far away. When he arrived, Shao Xuan saw Ao and Zheng Luo at the old man¡¯s door.

    When he saw Shao Xuan, Ao nudged towards the house with his chin, gesturing for him to hurry.

    Hurrying inside, Shao Xuan realised the old shamaness was also present.

    They were both sitting on thick animal hide, apparently waiting for Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan sat on the huge piece of animal hide on the ground before them. ¡°Do you have something to tell me?¡±

    The old man looked up. ¡°Do you know what to do for the battle with Wanshi?¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll be leading the troops with the three hunt leaders.¡±

    The battle strategy had been set but Wanshi had been on guard for a long time. An ambush might not work, they had to invade directly. Since it was war, then the highest-ranked warriors must naturally be in front.

    This time, the two chiefs would not be charging into battle, instead at the back to control the big picture. Duo Kang and the rest, the three hunt leaders, would be at the front. The chiefs would take this opportunity to test their abilities.

    As the Grand Elder of the tribe, Shao Xuan must also be in front- or who would trust him in the future? He couldn¡¯t just rely on their ancestors and his past achievements. These things fade with time.

    Shao Xuan was mentally prepared. It was not his first battle but it was thergest battle he had seen. He was under a lot of pressure too.

    Although he knew that charging in front was a very dangerous thing, it was also a ce that favoured the powerful warriors. They had to attack where they could! Plus this was ming Horn¡¯s firstrge-scale battle, they must lead their troops.

    The higher their rank, therger their burden.

    Both shamans nodded. It was rare that both were on the same page. In the past, they would have objected to him from going anywhere dangerous. However, the tribe was nowplete and had returned to its prior glory. The tribe would have to survive through many more events. If Shao Xuan wanted to stabilise his position, he must have positive results from battle to gain trust.

    ¡°This time, your mission will be different from Gui He and the rest,¡± said the shaman. ¡°Their targets are the Wanshi tribesmen- the Wanshi hunt leader and chief. Your target is Wanshi¡¯s fire seed!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°Wanshi¡¯s fire seed?¡±

    ¡°Yes! If you can, destroy their fire seed, don¡¯t give them a chance to take the fire seed with them. Tuo and the rest will help. Of course, they will definitely have very strong defences around their fire seed. If you can¡¯t find an opportunity to do it, it¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll wait till after the battle. If you do have a chance¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°If I did have the chance, what do I do to destroy it?¡±

    ¡°About that¡­¡± The old man touched his beard. ¡°ording to our ancestral records, you should use your power of inheritance. It will guide you.¡±

    The two shamans did not have experience destroying a fire seed but they heard it required the shaman¡¯s power of inheritance forplete decimation. Most tribes would wait till after the war when they cleaned the battlefield, then they would send their shamans to destroy the fire seed.

    However, they never experienced this before so they could only describe what they knew.

    ¡°Don¡¯t force this, your life is more important. At most, we can just wait until after the battle. When most of Wanshi¡¯s people are gone, both of us will go there personally,¡± said the shaman.

    ¡°Mm, I understand. Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Shao Xuan solemnly.

    Both of the shamans¡¯ hearts suddenly skipped a beat and grew more anxious. They suddenly regretted telling Shao Xuan this. Before he left, they reminded him again, ¡°Do not force it, don¡¯t bite off more than you can chew.¡±

    The tribesmen were mostly moved out now. When Shao Xuan left, Caesar was carrying arge bundle, helping Old Ke and several families carry their things. The most eye-catching one was Old Ke¡¯s huge box of stone tools.

    Old Ke had already made a lot of weapons to be distributed to the people in hiding. Although they were mostly the elderly, the weak and the sickly, they could still move. With weapons, they could fend for themselves with weapons.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about us, you take care.¡± Old Ke patted his shoulder hard. He knew Shao Xuan would be in the frontlines with the hunt leaders. The people in front would bear a risk many timesrger than going for a hunt. Old Ke was worried. If this was another person, Old Ke would¡¯ve said it was only right for a young, high-ranked warrior to be in front. He wasn¡¯t the shaman, nor was he old, hiding would be shameful. However, this was Shao Xuan.

    Double standards for the ones you loved. It was human nature.

    ¡°The shaman used the white wormskin for skin tight armour.¡± Shao Xuan showed Old Ke the white clothes he wore underneath. ¡°It¡¯ll protect me.¡±

    Old Ke sighed, not speaking.

    No material could give absolute protection. Wormskin was durable, but it was only a defense against cuts. But would it do anything against a direct hit from an axe?

    Two dayster.

    Non-warriors were already moved to the shelter, both shamans had left too.

    Before dawn, it was still dark out.

    Shao Xuan sat next to what used to be the fire pit, looking at the assembly of troops.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Shao Xuan stood up, patted Caesar next to him, then led the troops out of the tribe.

 Chapter 509 - Invasion

    Chapter 509

    Invasion

    The skies had not brightened. At this point, the guards had not switched shifts yet. The ones who had been on duty all night were tired. The next shift probably hadn¡¯t woken yet. The ve masters¡¯ birds that usually circled the skies were not up either.

    When Shao Xuan and the rest arrived by the forest borders, the night was slowly fading into morning. The birds in the forest were slowly starting to chirp again.

    Ao looked at Zheng Luo. When Zheng Luo nodded, Ao raised an arm and the people within the forest sprinted out like lightning, though treading lightly so there was only the sound of shaking grass and pping clothes.

    The troops sprinted towards Wanshi at high speeds. The Wanshi guards weren¡¯t useless either. Ever since the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed showed abnormalities, they had been on alert. While they were tired, it was impossible for them to not notice the troops.

    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±

    One shout plunged the quiet vige into chaos.

    The sound of shrill bone whistles pierced the silence of the morning, filling the air with danger.

    The ming Horns were still a distance away from the tribe but once Wanshi started moving, the ming Horns made their next move.

    Within the Wanshi tribe, many torches were being lit. Although it was dawn and the sky would brighten very soon, it was still dim out. They were at war, everything was chaotic and not being able to see clearly would cause mistakes.

    Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Whistles rang through the skies, as if sharp arrows were flying at them.

    The fast ones quickly held bone shields up. The sounds came from above. The ming Horns weren¡¯t close, arrows from the front weren¡¯t likely.

    However, they realised something was wrong. The whistling sounds seemed to be nearer. Someone looked up cautiously, only to see a dense shower of arrows in the dim light of dawn. But¡­ The arrows¡­ were a little toorge to be arrows?

    Thud! Thud! Thud! Crack!

    Sounds of rain falling rang across the area.

    Everyone with shields felt their arm go numb from the powerful impact. Their eyes widened when they saw the arrows on the ground.

    They weren¡¯t arrows, they were spears!

    Like before, they had wooden handles and sharp stone spearheads. Most of the spearheads shattered upon hitting their shields due to therge impact, leaving behind a wooden handle.

    The Wanshi people were horrified. If there were only about a hundred, it was fine. Yet what they saw was a shower of spears, probably thousands!

    The Wanshi people had never seen any tribe shoot spears like arrows!

    Perhaps to the ming Horns did not think much of it. They were strong people after all.

    Very soon, the second shower came. This time, everyone either held up their shields or hid behind the stone walls surrounding the vige. Others looked for objects to hide under.

    When they hurled their spears, the ming Horns did not stop running. After the second wave of spears, they quickly charged ahead.

    Wanshi¡¯s stone wall was in sight.

    The moment the second wave of spears were hurled, Shao Xuan knew it was time.

    ¡°Charge!¡±

    Shao Xuan took severalrge strides then ran like the wind, finally leaping up into the air andnding on Tuo¡¯s horizontal de.

    Tuo¡¯s powerful arm held the knife¡¯s de steady, then waved it upwards so Shao Xuan flew ahead with its momentum.

    Three other people did the same as Shao Xuan- Duo Kang, Gui He and Ta.

    Four shadows shot out from the troops like four eagles soaring into the skies.

    As they shot out, an explosion of war cries erupted.

    Shao Xuan felt the cold morning breeze in his face, as well as the humidity and the smell of soil. He felt the killing aura radiating from his troops that crept into every corner.

    Teams worked together like they were on a hunt, though exuding a much stronger aura. They often had to control the life force they exuded during hunts but now was the time to unleash their powers.

    Shao Xuan had never felt so much killing intent radiating from his tribesmen. An undeniable sense of aggression was in the air, as if leaking out of every pore. Every person was no longer just a hunter in the forest, at this moment, every ounce of energy erupted likeva from a volcano. It was like a tsunami crashing into the Wanshi tribe.

    The totemic power in his body seemed to sense every bit of information around him. In a second, dark purple totemic patterns flooded across his body, making it more difficult to see him in the dim light.

    As they approached the tribe, Shao Xuan flew above the walls, unsheathed his sword and deflected an arrow flying at him. He crashed into a warrior¡¯s shield.

    Crack!

    There was the sound of bones breaking. Before the person could cry, they copsed.

    The people with their shields up probably never imagined someone couldnd on their shields and literally stomp them to death.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden appearance shocked all the Wanshi people around.

    There were more than ten people hiding from the shower of spears here. They did not imagine a person would fall from the sky like this. It was insane.

    However, they quickly regrouped and charged at him with their weapons.

    Like a drawn bowstring, his spine shot up straight as he and his sword dove forward. Shao Xuan brought with him the ferocity of the ming Horns, as if he was about to sh a mountain and a river in half.

    Everyone with a knife stopped momentarily in the presence of such power.

    ng!

    The person who blocked Shao Xuan¡¯s sh realised his weapon had flown out of his hands, then he was thrown backwards in the air.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes did not linger as he focused on killing his way through the crowd. In that moment, he was the embodiment of a windstorm, his sword glinted like shes of lightning, his legs like a gust of wind. Whistles could be heard as he shed his sword, every hit seemed to bring with it a thousand pounds of force. Every person in his way copsed, every time he kicked, someone flew outwards. The sound of metal against metal, metal against stone, fist against flesh rang across the area, every sound sending a shudder to their hearts.

    Shao Xuan had no time to count how many opponents he had, he did not have the time. This was not the time for distractions, all his focus was on the battle.

    Amongst the rain of knives, swords, fists and feet, Shao Xuan rose to a heightened state of mind. His senses sharpened, he could even feel how des moved next to him, predicting their next moves from the look in their eyes.

    Shao Xuan felt like he was holding up the ocean walls again. At the time, he was mostly borrowing his ancestor¡¯s powers. Now, his ancestors couldn¡¯t help him. He fought with his own abilities.

    Survival was as such. It was a dog eat dog world.

    Behind the veil of peace, there was the price of blood and killing. It was the most primitive rule.

    After being in the tribe for so long, Shao Xuan had gradually assimted into thisrge organisation. He was one with ming Horn. He was not alone, he had many people behind him. He wasn¡¯t fighting for himself, he was fighting for the people hiding in the shelters right now. And also for the lost glory of the ming Horns.

    I am a ming Horn tribesman.

    I fight for my tribe!

    His blood surged with excitement, and within his mind, totemic me roared and rolled. The totemic patterns on his skin crept like vines. Beneath the purple patterns, a dim purple glow flowed within.

    The Wanshi warriors watched him in horror. He was attacked by arge group of people, yet he was not at the disadvantage at all. It was a one-man show, every hit was packed with so much power. Yet this person was like a fish, dodging the endless des and fistsing at him without fear.

    After Shao Xuan, the ming Horns also arrived, They were sent over the walls in the same method, participating in the battle.

    The walls were tall, they could block out many problems. Perhaps Wanshi never considered the ming Horns could hurl their own tribesmen over the walls.

    Blood stained the morning red, the morning breeze was filled with bone-chilling killing intent.

    All the living organisms nearby ran for their lives.

    When ming Horn arrived, Wanshi¡¯s chief and hunt leaders also appeared.

    They had already known ming Horn was going to invade so Fei Ji wasn¡¯t exactly surprised. However, he couldn¡¯t help but rage when he saw what happened. During his reign as chief, Wanshi only attacked other people, never the other way round!

    Chief Fei Ji stood high above, ring at the battle with widened eyes. A cold glint in his eyes, he gave a deafening cry, ¡°KILL THEM ALL!¡±

    Before his cry ended, Fei Ji¡¯s men leapt forward and sprinted towards the battlegrounds. The roaring winds resembled war drums.

    Behind Fei Ji, more people charged into battle.

    Two tribes, two different energies, neither willing to step aside for their other. Like two swift currents, they crashed into each other and formed countless eddies and swirls. Even the wind seemed to lose its direction.

 Chapter 510 - â€˜Wanshiâ€™

    Chapter 510

    ¡®Wanshi¡¯

    As the most powerful group of Wanshi warriors entered the battle, the rest retreated further from the core of the battle with pained expressions.

    Wanshi could see who the ming Hornn leaders were from this battle. The people in the frontlines were not for the average warriors, these were left for the stronger fighters. Soldier against soldier, general against general.

    To block Shao Xuan, the group surrounding Shao Xuan were either shed or kicked into the air, the ones who bore the brunt of his attacks were injured. Their breaths smelled like blood, as if they could sputter out blood at any moment now. Just as they got distracted for a moment, they¡¯d be kicked high up in the air.

    Everyone cursed the kid with such terrifying strength. Even if they were just blocking one move, they felt their arm go numb and thighs sore. If this continued, they would not even have the strength to hold their weapons.

    In reality, this was not easy for Shao Xuan either. The intense fight hadsted for a while and his breaths quickened, breathing was not as effortless as before. At this moment, every second seemed to drag on, though it had just been some twenty seconds.

    At least he was strong enough to deal with these people, also borrowing the sense of intimidation from his troops. It was good that the troops quickly arrived to share his burden.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    A man holding a shiny spiked mace strode over inrge steps, ring daggers. He radiated a strong killing intent, sending shivers.

    He was one of the hunt leaders of the Wanshi tribe, arriving with Fei Ji. However, Fei Ji had gone over to the other side while he came over here with his men.

    The leader was furious that one group of tribesmen could not take down one bastard. His nostrils erged, spitting out steam as he red cold.

    Everyone around Shao Xuan quickly turned around to leave. They did not want to be involved with the hunt leaders, they might just suffer as coteral damage.

    When the hunt leader charged, Shao Xuan could clearly feel the oppression in the air that came with him. The spiked mace was probably made from materials provided by the ve masters, it looked like a modified spear. At the end of the handle was a sharp tip like a spearhead, then there were many spikes behind, attached to a thicker section of the long handle.

    He waved his mace as he charged, the spikes flying threateningly like it could give a fatal blow any time.

    Shao Xuan struck the two Wanshi warriors in front so they flew back. Without stopping, he shot forwards in the Wanshi hunt leader¡¯s direction.

    When both parties changed at each other, in the blink of an eye, the distance between them disappeared.

    Shao Xuan shed the air in front of him with his sword, air currents swirling, bringing with it the sound of wind and thunder.

    The Wanshi hunt leader nted both feet into the ground and waved his mace, crashing right into Shao Xuan¡¯s sword.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sword was custom-made by Gongjia Heng. He knew ming Horns were strong so this was maderger and broader than a regr city folk¡¯s sword. Not sure what he added inside though, it was a lot heavier than regr swords too. However, this difference in weight was nothing to Shao Xuan, he even wished Gongjia Heng had made it heavier.

    The sword made an arc of light in the air, shing down with a force like heavy clouds before the storm.

    In the moment of collision, the Wanshi hunt leader felt pain shoot up his arms, like he was just hit by a group of men. His ferocity almost faded instantly with this one strike. The flesh between his index finger and thumb tore and blood dripped down his wrists.

    Although he knew ming Horns were strong, this was his first time fighting against one. They were stronger than he anticipated! Every bone and muscle seemed to be shaking from one strike, his joints cracking and body screaming. It had lost its inner bnce. His heart beatboriously as if it was going to jump out of his chest. He felt the blood vessels in his arms about to burst.

    In one second, he knew he had underestimated this kid from ming Horn. All he knew was fear. If all the young people of ming Horn were like this guy, would Wanshi be able to live?

    Perhaps the chief was wrong, they should leave.

    People used to say that ming Horn was a prospering tribe a thousand years ago. Even the current major tribes were cautious of ming Horn then. No one believed that after a thousand years, ming Horn would sessfully regain its glory.

    Boom!

    As if a bomb exploded on the spot, the ground beneath where they stood sank suddenly. Pebbles and soil flew in the air, a cloud of dust lingered.

    Everyone nearby felt the ground shake, the weaker ones almost lost their bnce. It felt like someone had shaken their brains. It wasn¡¯t due to the ground shaking violently, but rather due to the explosion of energy from the collision that affected the warrior¡¯s minds and sense of bnce.

    This was not the end.

    Two shadows charged out of the cloud of dust. Before other people could avoid them, the deafening sound of metal against metal rang once more, now there were consecutive ngs that sent explosion after explosion. In the next moment, it looked like there was arge worm squirming across the ground in the trail of where they stood.

    The Wanshi warriors in their path felt a strong st, like they had been hit by a flying boulder in the chest. People flew in the air like sandbags.

    The rest could not help much. The Wanshi hunt leader was worried now, not daring to hit Shao Xuan again. When he retreated, he made a few odd cries. He could not continue fighting against this kid, he was already at his limit. If this went on, he would end up worse than the people flying in the air. His head might be sliced off by this kid!

    Two shadows leapt out from a fight nearby towards them. Shao Xuan knew the other party was calling for help. He nned to finish this man, who was at his limit like a bowstring drawn to its maximum, but suddenly paused.

    The two reinforcements were blocked.

    The hunt leader, panting hard, noticed something was wrong. HE was about to retreat when someone grabbed his armour and lifted him up in the air. He was dragged across the ground in a direction and before he could react, he was tossed towards a house with one swift motion. A huge thud could be heard when he hit the wall.

    He had been a hunt leader for many years, he had led many battles and was one of the most important people standing with the leader. When had he been tossed like that before? Even Chief Fei Ji had never done such a thing.

    He was lifted like a small animal, it was humiliating.

    However, he had suffered from internal injuries. Even if he was furious, he could not get up to fight the person who tossed him after the fall. He could not participate in battle at all. Perhaps only against junior totemic warriors. He could not fight against their hunt leaders, that would be a death wish.

    After blocking the two people who came, Gui He used his other arm to lift the hunt leader and toss him aside. He quickly gestured to Shao Xuan, implying that he could take over and Shao Xuan could do his thing.

    Now that Gui He was here and other warriors too, Shao Xuan did not hesitate. He rushed out of the circle of people and ran in a direction.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s main target was the fire pit. Gui He, Duo Kang and Ta knew about this. That was why when they watched for the Wanshi chief and his leaders, they too had to help Shao Xuan.

    Tuo and the rest were approaching too. The shaman had briefed them. They would go to the fire pit with Shao Xuan.

    These people with Tuo were hunters, some used to be under Gui He, some used to work with Ta. In the past, both groups often squabbled but now, they put down their differences to work together.

    A tribe¡¯s fire pit would usually be at the center of the tribe. It was not an easy ce to attack, there would be many people stopping them. There were many ves there too.

    Due to the hot desert sun, the ves were mostly darker and easy to distinguish. Among these ves, a majority of them were from the White Stone City, distinguishable from the patterns on their bodies.

    Tuo and Lei¡¯s eyes were aze with fury when they saw White Stone City¡¯s ves.

    They hated White Stone City the most! Not only were they close with Wanshi, they also harboured a ming Horn traitor!

    Both let out a long cry, shing their des and charging into the crowd of White Stone ves.

    The closer he got, the more Shao Xuan could feel the repulsion from the fire seed. He believed other ming Horn tribesmen could feel it too. However, he also felt another feeling.

    The Wanshi hunt leader who was tossed aside by Gui He was now sitting up against the wall, hiding in a corner. He watched Shao Xuan and the rest travel in the direction of the fire pit as he panted, though a sneer slowly crept up his face. He did not chase after them, nor did he send anyone. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t care about it. As a tribe¡¯s hunt leader, of course he cared about the fire pit. It represented the life and death of the tribe.

    However, the shaman was by the fire pit. The ming Horns would not be able to touch it, perhaps even bing a spirit trapped beneath their fire pit after they died.

    Did they think they could touch Wanshi¡¯s fire pit that easily? Even the cunning ve masters did not dare touch their fire seed, for it was the strongest ce out of their entire tribe! Or why would they be called ¡®Wanshi¡¯?

    [Note: Wanshi trantes into ¡®ten thousand rocks¡¯]

 Chapter 511 - Itâ€™s Him!

    Chapter 511

    It¡¯s Him!

    Shao Xuan led his people towards the fire pit.

    The odd thing was, the nearer he got to the fire pit, the more ves he encountered. There were very few Wanshi people around. Weren¡¯t the Wanshi tribesmen worried the ve masters would destroy their fire seed, stationing these people so close to the fire pit?

    Were they that generous? Or they weren¡¯t worried about that at all?

    This was unexpected, Shao Xuan had to be more careful.

    He gestured for everyone to be more careful, the sword in his hand never stopped waving.

    His sword wasrger than most, much heavier too. That was why his movements weren¡¯t the airy, agile strokes but broad ones without ir. Just like during hunts, he used the most efficient and direct strokes paired with the ferocity of ming Horn.

    His techniques came from battles and hunts.

    ng!

    Shao Xuan shed down on a high-level ve in front of him.

    This ve was higher-ranked, hence received better treatment. They didn¡¯t wear regr leather or bone armour, instead wearing metal armour that protected both the front and back of their torso. Their limbs also had protective gear.

    Shao Xuan was aiming at his neck but the ve did his best to dodge by letting the sword hit his armour instead.

    However, even the armour that resembled a tortoiseshell was invincible.

    The armour blocked Shao Xuan¡¯s sh but other than the ¡®ng¡¯ that sounded the moment his sword collided with the armour, there was another dull thud.

    A clear dent formed on the armour, though it was not fatal. Under the armour, the ve¡¯s chest formed a depression, as if something heavy fell on him. There was the sound of bone crunching.

    Even metal armour could not withstand a blow like this.

    There was no time to look at the ve, who had copsed after coughing up blood. Shao Xuan turned to face the other people.

    The ground did not have much grass, perhaps due to frequent human activities. There was arge patch of emptynd, the soil on the ground was visible. Due to vigorous fighting, shing, kicking and leaping, bits of soil flew in the air.

    Everyone had entered the battle, Shao Xuan could hear everyone¡¯s heavy and ragged breathing, the rise and fall of chests with the low growl of an animal. Weapons flew like the wind, whistling as they broke the air, sending shudders. Sharp des swept left and right, bringing with them a cold killing intent. Power and ferocity charged forward, the pungent smell of blood lingered.

    The ground had already been dyed red with blood.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s extraordinary vision pierced through the ves. He recognised one man, though it had been two years.

    It was the White Stone City¡¯s young master. Shao Xuan had seen him at the battle arena¡¯s viewing box.

    When the young master¡¯s eyes met his, the young master was stunned for a moment. Although he thought Shao Xuan seemed familiar, it had been two eventful years since then. The young master could not recall where they¡¯d met.

    The young master¡¯s mind raced, searching for the memory.

    Shao Xuan and his men killed their way forward. The young master retreated backwards.

    Not far away, there were the Wanshi beast¡¯s cries and roars. The Wanshi tribe¡¯s Wanshi beasts were battling ming Horn¡¯s fearsome beasts. These were killing machines raised by the Wanshi tribe. Before the ming Horns arrived, Wanshi had already picked out their best animals to fight forest beasts.

    These animals had been chosen over generations, they did not know fear. They lived to kill, they would die because they were killed.

    The Wanshi animals always made the ve masters think of the beast battle arenas. They also used many methods to raise fierce battle beasts. The Wanshi tribe had gotten this idea from the ve masters.

    After escaping from the desert, the ve masters often recalled life in the desert, reminiscing Beast Battle City. As he listened to the beast roars, the young master couldn¡¯t help but think about the beast battles. Then, he shuddered. He remembered.

    It¡¯s him!

    He¡¯s that bastard!

    The young master of White Stone City red at Shao Xuan.

    HE remembered! He was the guy who once appeared in Beast Battle City!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s performance in the arena had left an impression on many ve masters. However, Shao Xuan had been wearing a hood then, his face was not clearly shown. Other people might not recognise him but after the incident, Dao Yu had told him about him, describing who this person was.

    The young master might not have a deep impression if he were anyone else. But Shao Xuan had arrived with the people of Fallen Leaves City. To these ve masters who escaped, Fallen Leaves was considered a traitor. All the cities were destroyed, yet Fallen Leaves somehow survived. Not only were they fine, but their territory had also expanded.

    The people who destroyed White Stone City mainly came from Fallen Leaves! Fallen Leaves was the Rock Hill Shi family¡¯s dog!

    White Stone City¡¯s hatred toward Fallen Leaves was now directed towards Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan was once seen with the third master of Fallen Leaves, Su Gu. Plus White Stone City¡¯s luck had worsened since the day at the battle arena. Not only had their lord died, the entire city hadn¡¯t lived for long either. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the young master had already made prior preparations, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to escape.

    His re intensified as hemanded a ve next to him to pass him a bow and arrow. Locked on Shao Xuan, all his fury concentrated within his beady eyes. He took the bow made of a rare desert beast, then drew it until it was almost a circle. All his anger since escaping the desert was fused into the bow.

    He might not have talent in other areas but he was confident in his archery skills.

    At this moment, he ignored everything other than his target, he did not care if he could identally shoot his own people. All he saw was his mortal enemy, Shao Xuan!

    Whoosh!

    The bow shook, the arrow flew at high speed, whistling shrilly in the air. The metal arrow tip broke through the air like a shooting star heading for Shao Xuan!

    Both the ves and ming Horn warriors felt their eardrums sting, as if it had been pricked.

    Shao Xuan had already been guarded since the young master looked at him. He could approximately predict the other person¡¯s actions, plus the killing intent radiating off him was undeniably clear.

    Blocking off a ve attacking from the side, he faintly saw the young master draw his bow. He did not dodge it. With both feet nted into the ground like an old tree¡¯s roots, totemic power surged within his body, his breaths hot and fiery. With a flick of his wrist, his sword flew up vertically to block the arrow filled with the ferocity of an asteroid.

    ng!

    Two powerful forces collided, releasing a crisp, piercing nging that rang through the noisy battlefield.

    The arrow that hit his sword was deflected sideways while a light scratch was left on his sword.

    The young master of the White Stone City finally noticed Shao Xuan¡¯s sword. He had seen all kinds of metal swords, they could varyrgely in terms of style and material.

    In terms of the art of cksmithing, White Stone City¡¯s talent was nothingpared to the three major cities of the desert. White Stone City had little metal wares of their own, though they managed to rob some for themselves during the chaos of the war. However, Shao Xuan¡¯s sword was no average sword. This was shocking to the young master.

    It must have been given to him by Rock HIll¡¯s Shi family! HE could not think of another exnation.

    So ming Horn was one of Shi family¡¯s dogs too!

    Absolutely ridiculous!

    ¡°Kill them all!¡± roared the young master angrily, sending his ves to fight the ming Horns while he retreated further to avoid the fighting. He had a group of ves protecting him.

    The ve masters wanted to tell them to snatch Shao Xuan¡¯s sword but before he could speak, Shao Xuan seemed to speed up. There was a sh of blood-stained metal and Shao Xuan was charging towards him. Other than sounds of a sword shing unto metal armour, he could hear consecutive sounds of breaking bones, then a sharp de flying along with severed limbs. A ve flew horizontally across after one swift kick.

    The young master did not care if this was his mortal enemy. His heart raced as he saw Shao Xuan charging towards him. His scalp grew numb and decided to run. The best skill he had was to run. If he left the battlefield, he would not need to be afraid of the bastard. The threat would be much smaller. Right now, they were just helping Wanshi. There was really no need to risk his life for this battle. He did not forget to tell his ves to protect him, preventing any arrows he couldn¡¯t see.

    Shao Xuan wanted to kill that annoying ve master hiding behind a group of ves. Perhaps the other ves wouldn¡¯t really want to fight anymore if the master was dead. However, the ve master was running too quickly. He wanted to shoot an arrow but there were just too many ves around him. He might not hit the master.

    Shao Xuan could only give this target up, proceeding to bring his people closer to Wanshi¡¯s fire pit.

    Perhaps due to the master¡¯s absence, the ves seemed to be less focused, giving ming Horn a chance to charge forward.

    Other than the White Stone City¡¯s ves, there were other ves too. These people seemed to just be fillers, they weren¡¯t too difficult to deal with. This bunch of ve masters definitely did not have their hearts in the battle, they weren¡¯t intending to actually help Wanshi at all.

    The closer he got, Shao Xuan felt the repulsion effects of the Wanshi¡¯s fire seed. Totemic power flooded his entire body, as if the fire seed in his body had met its match and could not wait to fight.

    While tribesmen fought, fire seeds did not tolerate each other either. There was a sense of ¡®if there¡¯s you, there¡¯s no me¡¯.

 Chapter 512 - The Fire of Wanshi

    Chapter 512

    The Fire of Wanshi

    The shaman of the Wanshi tribe stood by the fire pit with a taunting look on his face. He listened carefully to the sound of battle nearby, unmoving.

    There was not a single Wanshi tribesman by his side. The nearest warrior was fifty meters away.

    With the Wanshi fire pit at the center, there was a circr patch of empty ground. The Wanshi shaman was the only one present within the fifty-meter radius.

    A fiery glow with a tinge of grey danced within the fire pit. It was Wanshi¡¯s colour.

    The shaman was once worried when their mes had died down into only a small fireball. However, soon after ming Horn¡¯s fire seed disappeared, their fire seed seemed to be rejuvenated after losing one more opponent. It returned to its original vibrancy before the arrival of the ming Horns.

    This reassured the shaman. Though he did not know why ming Horn¡¯s fire seed disappeared or how their warriors retained their initial strength, he knew that without the suppression of the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed, their own fire seed could unleash its true powers!

    Why should they fear the ming Horns? ming Horn did not have a fire seed but Wanshi did!

    Wanshi was not afraid of a small tribe who might not even survive1

    The fire seed¡¯s power was ultimate, the shaman could not imagine anyone destroying it. Even the ve masters couldn¡¯t! Yet these people thought they could?

    The ming Horns were dumb!

    It had been one thousand years since their fall from glory, they must¡¯ve be simple-minded.

    If the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed was still present, he would be cautious. Yet the stupid ming Horns lost their own fire seed! Hahaha!

    The shaman wanted tough out loud.

    Wars betweenrge tribes depended on the fire seeds, how could you not understand this? You don¡¯t have a fire seed, what makes you think you can fight me?

    As he thought about it, the look of contempt on his face grew. He raised an arm as he listened to the sounds of battle. Tall mes shot up and out of the fire pit. It flickered, though there was no wind, crackling. He did not hear the usual howling winds, instead the sounds of stones colliding into each other.

    When Shao Xuan finally arrived, he noticed something eerie.

    The defenses around the fire pit were very different from the tight security he imagined. There were less than three hundred warriors in this area. Wanshi imed to have more than ten thousand warriors but in reality, they didn¡¯t have that many people. Even if they added the ones who did not fight, at most, they should have about eight thousand members. However, the numbers were true if they included the ve masters and their ves. Plus the war prisoners they caught were probably in the hundreds.

    With a poption of more than ten thousand, this was considered a major tribe. If they hadn¡¯t lost so many lives to invading smaller tribes, they would have more.

    This time, five thousand ming Horns came to invade Wanshi. On Wanshi¡¯s side, adding up both the ves and Wanshi¡¯s warriors, their army wasrger than ming Horn. However, at this point, if one looked closer, the number of deaths and injuries on ming Horn¡¯s side was significantly smaller.

    Shao Xuan could clearly feel the fire seed as he killed his way here. That was why he was shocked to see only three hundred people guarding the fire pit.

    And these people weren¡¯t near the fire pit at all, there was arge piece of emptynd in the center.

    There were a hundred ming Horn warriors with Shao Xuan here. There were one hundred more arriving soon. It was going to be easy fighting these three hundred people, they were all at most minor leaders, the chief or hunt leaders weren¡¯t here.

    Shao Xuan had an eerie feeling.

    The rest could feel the strong repulsion and peculiar feeling emitted from the Wanshi fire seed.

    Shao Xuan did not immediately charge towards the fire pit. The ming Horns only battled against the three hundred people in the peripheral regions. He stopped any warrior charging at the fire pit too.

    These three hundred Wanshi warriors didn¡¯t seem like they nned to fight much either. asionally, they would retreat towards the fire pit. While one could exin that they wanted to use the fire pit¡¯s powers, Shao Xuan thought it looked more like they were luring the ming Horns over.

    Would anyone lure outsiders towards their own fire pit?!

    There must be something wrong with the empty piece ofnd.

    Shao Xuan did not have to say a word, for the rest also guessed it. They only fought outside the fifty-meter radius but did not go forward.

    The Wanshi shaman grew impatient when he saw the ming Horn numbers increase but none approached the fire pit.

    With a creepy smile, he lifted his arms and unleashed a long roar at the skies. He chanted in anguage Shao Xuan did not understand. It could sound like some meaningless tune but at this point, Shao Xuan felt arge threat.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± shouted Shao Xuan.

    Tuo and the rest heard him. There was a momentary pause, then everyone backed away from the fire pit.

    ¡°More! Further!¡± Shao Xuan continued yelling.

    The ming Horns were retreating from the fire pit, though more and more of their own arrived. Wanshi tribesmen arrived. There was now a very peculiar phenomenon- the ming Horns wanted to stay away but the Wanshi people kept blocking them from retreat.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    Hurried, consecutive thuds exploded from the fire pit.

    The roaring greyish mes filled the entire pit, then a column of fiery light shot up into the sky. Like a volcanic eruption, fireballs spewed out of the pit.

    Fireballs seemed to roll and hang in the air, as if they were about to cover the patch of sky above. With the sound of a tsunami, the nket of fireballs fell from the skies like the apocalypse.

    The ming Horns witnessing such a scene broke out in cold sweat. They were the first batch of ming Horns who arrived here, they were nearest to the pit too. To the warriors of the old haunt, this was their first time attacking another tribe. To the warriors from the other side of the ocean, this was their first time attacking a tribe with primitive fire seed. Neither side had seen such a thing before.

    The fire seed was too powerful. It felt like they were standing in the face of a king beast- no, this was worse!

    Staying here would only mean death. Even the chiefs, Ao and Zheng Luo would tell them to run above everything else.

    The Wanshi shaman by the pit sneered, his chants now longer and higher-pitched.

    Fifty meters?

    How could it just be fifty meters?

    That was just an act! Just from how its power exploded, the fire seed¡¯s range was definitely not just fifty meters long!

    Boom! Boom! Boom!

    The ground exploded as fireballs hit the ground, like the roars of an angry beast as it echoed across thends.

    They were supposed to be just fireballs, yet when the mesnded, as if heavy boulders had hit the ground, the earth shook.

    The fireballs startednding further and further from the fire pit. Fireballs that hit the ground turned to grey mes. They could see the shaman¡¯s faint silhouette through these grey fireballs.

    The ground around the fire pit was already filled with grey mes. The second ring was quickly forming. These mes seemed to be growing upwards to form a tall mountain!

    The fireballs werending quickly. With the Wanshi people blocking them, the first batch of ming Horn warriors could not run out of range in time.

    These warriors felt an invisible force pressing on them, a freezing current pressing up on them so every hair stood on their bodies. They did not look up to check the skies but they could feel the force of a mountain on them, as if even the ground would copse on itself.

    The effects of another tribe¡¯s fire seed limited their mobility, even running was much more difficult. Their breaths ragged, faces pale¡­ but they could still feel the growing weight on their bodies. Even moving their feet was too difficult now.

    The shadow of death loomed over the warriors¡¯ heads. Behind them, countless grey fireballs getting closer and closer to them. Every fireball fell with the power of rolling thunder, as if mming into the ground with the force of a mountain.Death hung around as the grey fire spread at rming speeds.

    The sky was covered in ayer of grey fire, blocking out the morning sun. A sense of danger lingered.

    The flowing air currents brought bone-piercing cold.

    This was thest defense of the Wanshi tribe! Also the strongest!

    So that was why the hunt leader trusted the fire seed¡¯s power so much.

    To the tribesmen, the fire seed was the most sacred, most powerful object. The fire seed held the power of the skies and the earth!

    The Wanshi people believed that no one could break their defenses unless there was a more powerful fire seed. However, with the concept of ¡®the fire seed growing roots in their fire pit¡¯ as the source of power, which tribe would dare bring their fire seed out of their tribe?

    They dared build their vige outside the Fearsome Beast Forest only because they believed that all beasts would avoid their tribe because of their fire seed!

    While the Wanshi fire seed might not be as powerful as the ancient, major tribes, here, they were kings! They were the gods of this world!

    The ve masters chose to lean on the Wanshi tribe not out of convenience, they had their reasons.

    The ve masters made this decision because they saw potential for Wanshi to grow into a powerful major tribe!

 Chapter 513 - Mountain of Rocks

    Chapter 513

    Mountain of Rocks

    Wanshi meant ¡®ten thousand rocks¡¯ because their fire seed originated from rocks!

    The Wanshi fire seed was born within ten thousand boulders stacked up into a mountain!

    Amongst the grey mes, the Wanshi tribe was only faintly visible. Due to the air currents and flickering mes, his silhouette was distorted and stretched, making him look eerie.

    Although they could not see him clearly, Shao Xuan heard a manic guffawing from the fire pit.

    ¡°Hahaha! Whose fault is it that the ming Horns have no more fire seed? Let¡¯s see how you will fight me without a fire seed!¡±

    Boom! Boom!

    Grey fireballs crashed into the ground like asteroids. There was no time to breathe. There was already a third ring of mes around the fire pit.

    The ming Horns carrying the wounded could feel their bodies weakening very quickly, muscles twitching at their temples andrge beads of sweat rolled down their bodies. They had only run barely a hundred meters, this was nothing. Yet they felt like they were running against floodwaters, every step was difficult.

    The warriors protecting the rest also felt the same, warding off people fiercely. However, they felt their strength wearing out, their muscles weakening. ming Horns were a strong group so they could still resist for a while. Other people would have died under the Wanshi¡¯s attacks already.

    ¡°Careful!¡±

    Arge ball of grey mes was headed towards the group of people.

    The grey patch of fireballs in the sky was rapidly expanding, covering a huge area. They would not be able to escape in time. Dodging one fireball did not mean they could dodge the next. The ten warriors in the group could only face the fireball head-on. As they stared at the fireball heading towards them, they raised their weapons and braced for impact.

    The grey mes prated their knives, spears and axes, then their bodies. There was a loud boom as the mesnded. The ground shook for what seemed like a long time.

    Although the mes pierced through their bodies, it did not cause any surface physical damage. Yet the ming Horns within fle like they were crushed by a huge boulder, trapped underneath with a strong force pressing from all directions. They felt their blood vessels tten, a terrifying force rushing towards their heads.

    Even the ve masters hiding outside the battlefield shuddered. Although they weren¡¯t there, the power of the fire seed terrified them. They could easily control a ve without a fire seed but it was very difficult to control a warrior with awakened totemic power. This was the power of the fire seed.

    The ve masters were the descendants of tribesmen who merged with the fire seed. After a very, very long time, they turned into ve masters also with the fire seed within. The war between fire seeds, like war between humans, had never stopped.

    The ve masters who had once mulled over the idea of betraying Wanshi were relieved that they didn¡¯t go through with their ns. If Wanshi was forced to unleash their fire seed, they would meet the same fate as the ming Horns.

    ¡°Thank goodness we didn¡¯t act then!¡±

    ¡°Looks like ming Horn is going to suffer. Let¡¯s hope Wanshi will take this chance to destroy ming Horn.¡± The ve masters who never liked the Wanshi tribe started to change their minds.

    One ve master¡¯s eyes darted around. With a low voice, he said, ¡°What if we take this opportunity to help Wanshi?¡±

    This idea came from the young master of Sky Wheel City, the one who previously looked down on Wanshi. Now that Wanshi was at an advantage, he changed his mind.

    ¡°You make sense. Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    There were other people who agreed with the young master. They led their ves towards the battlefield.

    Shao Xuan was also within range of the Wanshi tribe¡¯s grey range. He could clearly feel his powers being suppressed, though his movements were still more agile than the rest.

    When he saw more and more ming Horns falling within range, his heart clenched and he shouted, ¡°Everyone, group together! Come closer! Don¡¯t scatter too far! The more of us, the better! ¡®If the tribesmen exist, the fire seed will exist¡¯! Do not fear!¡±

    Did the Wanshi shaman really think their fire seed was gone? How could he?!

    ¡®If the tribesmen exist, the fire seed will exist¡¯, it just wasn¡¯t in its primitive state.

    Shao Xuan started pulling the ming Horn warriors closer together. He dodged a de and kicked a Wanshi tribesmen¡¯s chest, then continued heading towards a group of ming Horns.

    These were the people who first came with him. They could not escape the range of the fire seed now. After hearing him, the warriors who had been scattered during the fight started heading closer together. Running would not help now.

    This was their first time facing such a powerful fire seed, they had no experience, hence it was chaotic. Shao Xuan¡¯s words were like a ray of light. Without thinking if it would work, their first response was to obey his instructions.

    After grouping together, the ming Horns felt a weight lifted. Their totemic patterns had been slowly fading, now they were bright once again. The power of the fire seed within them seemed to break through its icy cage and was awakened again.

    It worked!

    It was true. When they merged with the fire seed, the shaman mentioned that the fire seed will exist as long as the tribesmen did. They thought it was more like a religious faith in the fire seed. Now, they truly understood what it meant.

    The fire seed was in them, burning! It had never died! One person¡¯s strength was limited, the fire seed was tiny. However, when more people grouped together, it was like sparks merging into a fireball. Fireballs merged together could be a roaring fire.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions were passed to everyone. Duo Kang, Gui He and Ta called everyone over so the scattered warriors returned. Ao and Zheng Luo at the back also helped regroup the warriors.

    If the warriors were initially like scattered beads, they slowly regrouped to form a chain once again. Although they couldn¡¯t get an exact line or group into a circle, it now resembled a battle front. Under the immense pressure of the fire seed¡¯s power, this front line was like a red hot ughter knife, slicing through the pressure.

    The effects of the Wanshi fire seed grew smaller and smaller. Although the mes had piled on them at a terrifying rate, at this moment, ming Horn had lost its fear. On the contrary, the power of the fire seed within slowly activated, their determination to fight grew as the seconds passed.

    The Wanshi shaman was right. It was still extremely difficult topletely annihte another tribe even in a war of this scale. They must hold on, and it will be a battle between fire seeds now.

    Tribes didn¡¯t usually use their fire seeds for battle. The absence of the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed used to be the reason for Wanshi¡¯s confidence, but their opponent¡¯s behaviour baffled them.

    Why?

    Why did they sense the presence of ming Horn¡¯s fire seed now?!

    Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be gone? They didn¡¯t sense anything before this?!

    Were the ming Horns insane, bringing their fire seed along while invading another tribe?

    Where was it? Where the hell was their fire seed then?!

    The shaman studied the fire seed energetic patterns across thends only to realise the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed seemed to be everywhere at once. While each point was faint, they all strung together into a powerful line that could crack a mountain.

    Two sources of power were colliding!

    It didn¡¯t matter if they were ming Horns, Wanshi tribesmen or ve masters, everyone could sense the changes.

    The ve masters who nned to enter the war and help Wanshi suddenly realised the tables had turned. They hesitated and slowed down their actions, waiting for the next move. They watched from afar. If Wanshi could continue to take the upperhand, then they would help.

    Next to the fire pit, the Wanshi shaman¡¯s eyes were filled with disbelief. ¡°Why¡­ why is this happening?!¡±

    What have you all done?!

    Shao Xuan picked up an injured ming Horn warrior copsed on the ground, then put him on his shoulder. While the injury was not serious, he was too weak against the Wanshi fire seed¡¯s pressure. He had been too far from everyone else so when they retreated, this warrior wasn¡¯t with them.

    The Wanshi shaman snapped back into reality when he saw Shao Xuan running back and forth while everyone was already huddled together. He red at Shao Xuan fiercely, grey totemic patterns on his twisted features made him look savage.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what you do, you will all die here today! You will be bones under Wanshi¡¯s mountain of fire!¡±

    A column of fire erupted from the fire pit, condensed into a ball and then fell directly where Shao Xuan was.

    Shao Xuan sensed arge wad of energy above his head, as if the sky was falling. Without much thought, he tossed the people on his shoulder towards the group of ming Horns with all his might.

    On the next moment, arge force fell, nketing the earth and the skies like an avnche. He felt his muscles and bones squeezed downwards, as if he was now bearing the weight of a mountain.

    The greyness enveloped him, blocking out all light as if night had fallen

 Chapter 514 - I Shall Rise Upon Your Death

    Chapter 514

    I Shall Rise Upon Your Death

    ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    ¡°Ah Xuan, are you alright?!¡±

    There were frantic shouts from the troops.

    Due to the intense grey mes, their view was blocked. Especially around Shao Xuan, there was where the shaman focused all his energy.

    Shao Xuan knew the fireball was an attack targeted at him. Even through the dark grey fireball, he could feel the venomous re from the shaman on the other side.

    Shao Xuan had headed the ming Horn¡¯s invasion, why wouldn¡¯t the shaman hate him? Plus the Wanshi shaman had met Shao Xuan before too. In The desert, while he was still with the White Stone City¡¯s young master, he had seen Shao Xuan, Lei and Tuo. He was the one who helped n to kidnap Tuo and Lei, yet the incident had escted out of his control. Since then, Shao Xuan had been on his list of people to be guarded against. If he ever met Shao Xuan again, he was not to underestimate this person.

    Since it was difficult to kill everyone, he had to squash thisrgest threat first!

    Above, the fireballs had already piled up into a mountain, growing every second. The pile of grey fireballs pressing on Shao Xuan was growing faster than the pile on the ming Horns.

    Previously, Shao Xuan could still run to pick up the wounded. Now, all he felt was the mountain on his head. He felt weak all over, he couldn¡¯t walk or run.

    Whoosh!

    An arrow shot through andnded two steps away from Shao Xuan. However, due to the mes, the other person probably couldn¡¯t see his target clearly, hence the missed arrow.

    Someone wanted to take the opportunity to kill Shao Xuan.

    Under the influence of the fire seed, within such a powerful field, any outsider would also have to spend a lot of energy to aim at a target.

    Shao Xuan felt Wanshi people approaching. They probably realised the ming Horn armies would be difficult to fight against, therefore directing their attention here. There were too many ming Horns grouped together. The power of the fire seed generated from the crowd also repelled Wanshi people.

    While they could not see the area around Shao Xuan clearly, they could sense that the person within was not from Wanshi. Why wouldn¡¯t they attack?

    Sensing the movements, Shao Xuan knew there was no time. He swung his arms with all his might to shake the ¡®frozen¡¯ feeling off. Other than the extreme pressure from above, he felt the same feeling as when he met the king stoneworm. It felt as if his entire body had turned to stone and his muscles were out of his control.

    Not breaking free would mean death!

    Shao Xuan sensed that the ming Horns were slowly approaching too. If the numbers were too few, they would not be able to resist the fire seed¡¯s weight to approach and save Shao Xuan. They had to move in arge group but with the Wanshi people stopping them, their movement was slow. Shao Xuan could not wait for them.

    Reality was the same as his guesses. Tuo and the rest were frantically trying to help Shao Xuan but once they left the group, they would feel a crushing sensation. Forget about saving Shao Xuan, they might not even be able to make it. The nearer they got to Shao Xuan, the more obstacles to ovee. The fire seed¡¯s attack was stronger on Shao Xuanpared to anywhere else! They had to inch towards him slowly as a group, or wait for more people to arrive.

    But time stopped for no one.

    Shao Xuan breathedboriously, every nerve felt like it was crushed, frantically wanting to break free from its bonds.

    The totemic power within him had reached its limit. His joints seemed to creak, like a rusty gear finally turning again. Within his mind, the totemic me rolled and roared. But this wasn¡¯t enough, it was far from enough!

    An outer shell of white light covered the ball of totemic mes in his mind. The outer was so bright it outshone the totemic mes. Shao Xuan could not see the mes inside, he couldn¡¯t identify the red totemic mes nor the blue power of inheritance.

    Shao Xuan almost had the feeling that his totemic me was being smothered.

    Within the egg-shaped shell, fine white elines extended outwards, channeling totemic and inheritance power, surging across his entire being.

    The flood of power seemed to melt his frozen muscles, bringing his blood to its boiling point. His strength slowly grew until all his muscles shook. After much creaking, he could finally raise the arm holding his sword again.

    Red sparks leapt from his body. This time, they didn¡¯te from his bone ornaments. They had apparently gone into deep sleep after crossing the ocean anyway. He hadn¡¯t been able to use its powers for a long time. Today, these sparks came from the surface of his skin, they were not rted to the bone ornaments. These sparks were a contrast to the dark greyyer of mes enveloping Shao Xuan.

    As the number of sparks grew, the grey mes grew too, swallowing Shao Xuan whole.

    Pressure came from all directions like hard stone pressing against him.

    IN the beginning, he felt small ripples but soon, the ripples intensified. The pressure on him grew immense but mes erupted on his skin and grew brighter and brighter.

    Faster! Faster!

    Shao Xuan felt a gust of willpower unleashed from every pore, pushing away every obstacle.

    Break! Break! Break!

    Crack¡­.

    It was the sound of cracking stone.

    Crack¡­ Crack¡­ Crack¡­

    The sound grew more frequent around him.

    The obstacle was slowly pushed away, the weight on him slowly lifted and the fatigue he felt was fading.

    Beneath his feet, the ground cracked. When the mes first crashed on him, he had not left any marks on the ground. Yet, now when the pressure weakened, deep footprints appeared on the ground. They came from the eruption of power within.

    His slowing heartbeat quickened. Shao Xuan took a deep, powerful breath as if he was about to release all this stress, then let out a long roar.

    With a mighty cry, the mes on Shao Xuan¡¯s skin shot up into the sky, piercing through theyer of grey mes like a fire dragon breaking through its restraints.

    Without turning around, Shao Xuan moved his arms. His de, reflecting the fiery glow, shed horizontally before him. The three Wanshi tribesmen were two palms away from the tip of his de yet the force that came with the sword was as sharp as the de itself, slicing through their throats effortlessly.

    The shaman wanted to wait until Shao Xuan was squashed by the fire seed¡¯s power, then focus his energy on dealing with the rest. However, as he waited, he realised something was wrong.

    A bead of sweat slid down his forehead.

    The Wanshi shaman red at where Shao Xuan was. At this moment, Shao Xuan coincidentally looked over. The shaman thought he saw Shao Xuan¡¯s glowing eyes.

    ¡°Stop him! Stop him!!¡± The shaman¡¯s frantic screams echoed, loud and shrill as it cracked.

    At this moment, no one thought about his voice. They just wondered what could make the shaman panic like this.

    Did something happen to the fire pit?!

    The scattered Wanshi tribesmen started to head towards the shaman¡¯s voice.

    Shao Xuan took one step forward, and every footstep gave out a boom equivalent to a falling fireball.

    His fatigue was gone. He felt a sense of unlimited energy like every step increased his energy tenfold.

    The footsteps quickened and lightened as the sound faded. Every footprint became fainter until no footprints were left behind, just the rustles of grass moving.

    A sword was thrust outwards, through theyer of grey mes and into a Wanshi tribesmen¡¯s chest. The tribesman was about to load his bow.

    Shao Xuan was approaching the fire pit. He was elerating too.

    The Wanshi tribesmen hurrying over were no match for him. When they approached, they felt a strong repulsion like they were fighting against another tribe¡¯s fie seed.

    The shaman felt like he was up against a manic, ming beast. Why could Shao Xuan break free? Why could he still move so easily under the weight of the fire seed? There was no time to think. The shaman had one thought that upied his mind. And the thought made his heart sink.

    AT this moment, he regretted his decisions. Why didn¡¯t he arrange for more guards around the fire pit? Then he was appalled that he started to doubt his own tribe¡¯s abilities.

    Could his fire seed stop his person?

    This time, all his confidence was gone.

    Even the guards could not stop Shao Xuan, for he was too quick. His vision was notpromised by the grey mes.

    At this moment, all the greyness seemed to fade away in his vision, making everything clear up. There seemed to be a voice telling him what to do.

    The Wanshi shaman watched as Shao Xuan charged at him, thinking that he was the target. However, just as he was waiting for death, he realised Shao Xuan sprung from the ground ten feet away from him, over his head and now falling towards the fire pit.

    The shaman¡¯s eyeballs nearly fell out of his head, his heart a tumultuous wave. He was in disbelief. This person¡¯s target was his fire seed! He thinks he can destroy a fire seed alone?!

    A madman!

    An absolute madman!

    If the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed was present, perhaps he had a chance. But he was alone, did he think he could represent his tribe¡¯s fire seed alone?! The Wanshi shaman had never heard of anyone fighting directly against a major tribe¡¯s fire seed alone! Jumping into the mes would be suicide!

    However, very soon, the shaman felt a force pressing down on him, so strong that he was ttened on the ground, unable to move.

    Shao Xuan had leapt into the air, his palm extending towards the Wanshi pit¡¯s mes. As his palm extended past the grey mes, he felt like his hand was brushed against cold stone.

    His palm seemed to have magnified in size, as if his palm could squash the entire Wanshi fire pit. One palm seemed to cover the earth, electricity crackled beneath his palm, as if he harnessed the energies from the endless skies.

    As he pressed his palm down, the piling mountain of grey mes shattered bit by bit.

    These broken fireballs exploded along with consecutive sounds of rolling thunder. Air currents blew manically around them.

    The tall mountain of mes weakened as parts of it broke off in an avnche. Every Wanshi tribesman could feel this appalling change. At this moment, everyone fighting stopped what they were doing to nervously feel the changes within.

    Within Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, the white shell brightened until an invincible force exploded. He pressed his palm down once again, this motion was filled with enough power to crush the heavens and the earth.

    The wars between tribes and fire seeds only resulted in life and death.

    I shall rise upon your death.

    ming Horn shall restore its former glory!

    ¡°Die¡­..!¡±

    Rumble rumble!

    An avnche that sounded as if the skies were cracking open.

    The rumbles were deafening, the air seemed on the edge of explosion. Strong winds billowed recklessly, about to kill all living beings.

    The Wanshi people suddenly realised the strongest, most reliable, most powerful mountain of mes was about the crumble, like their determination.

    Rumbles filled the skies like waves, echoing across thends. Even the people hiding in the forest could hear it.

    Within the lush forest, flocks of birds flew away in fear while beasts roared and ran further.

    When the rumbles finally died down, the grey mountain of mes faded like evaporating mist. Everything grew clearer.

    The afternoon sun was ring, shining warmly on thends.

    However, thends that used to be teeming with life suddenly looked like they had been frozen in time.

    There was only silence!

 Chapter 515 - Who Are You

    Chapter 515

    Who Are You

    Everyone was stunned by the sudden changes.

    What just¡­ happened?

    They knew the answer but refused to believe it.

    One injured ming Horn clutched his weapon, ready to fight to his death but he felt like his opponent had vanished.

    Well, not physically, but the person in front looked like a puppet who lost its soul. His face was pale, his eyes empty and in a daze. He stood like a rock in the same position when he listened to the rumbles. Other than the twitches in his cheek, they would¡¯ve thought he was stone.

    These people were no longer a threat so the ming Horns did not n to fight any longer. Just like during a hunt. They had been fighting a very strong fearsome beast but after a while, the fearsome beast had suddenly turned into a tiny cub with no teeth that could be killed easily. It was a very odd feeling so no one really wanted to fight anymore.

    The pressing feeling disappeared along with the sound of the avnche. The repulsion from the fire seed vanished too. The ming Horns did not feel the presence of another fire seed.

    Everything had happened too quickly, the changes too sudden like a person who was mmed from heaven down into hell. They were caught off guard.

    ¡°What just happened?¡± Duo Kang gulped and looked around. He was already used to life without fire seed so he wasn¡¯t as sensitive to fire seeds as the people here. After observing his surroundings, he had a guess. But he dared not speak for it was unbelievable.

    ¡°I think¡­ Wanshi¡¯s fire seed is¡­ gone?¡± probed Tao Zheng. He was in disbelief too.

    Gone? That was a physical fire seed! Apparently the most powerful thing a tribe could have!

    Little tribes might have weaker fire seeds but Wanshi was a huge tribe. They experienced the immense power crushing on them moments ago. Even fire seeds had different power levels.

    After experiencing such a force, the several hunt leaders were already nning to forget about the fire pit and kill all the Wanshi tribesmen first. They would then focus their entire tribe¡¯s strength to fight the fire seed. If that didn¡¯t work, they thought of inviting the shamans over after the war.

    They had already prepared for this, yet everything changed in a second.

    How could anyone smother such a mighty source of power?

    At this moment, everyone wondered, ¡®Who destroyed it?¡¯

    On Wanshi¡¯s side, everyone walked like dead bodies without souls. This sudden psychological impact had shattered them mentally.

    They did not want to believe that this was possible, yet they could clearly feel the absence of totemic power within. Exhaustion filled their body in its absence. Their weapons became much heavier and both feet seemed to be tied to rocks. Every step was difficult. The soreness in their muscles and stinging wounds became more obvious. Totemic patterns on their bodies slowly faded just like a match at its end, slowly reducing into ashes.

    They turned their heads mechanically in the direction of the fire pit.

    The grey mes had vanished. They saw it.

    There was no longer a me in their fire pit. The source of power guarding their tribe was gone.

    They knew what this represented. They had destroyed other tribes before too. When they thought about the tribes they had destroyed, the wanderers that led difficult lives, the ves that could be ughtered anytime by anyone¡­

    Everyone understood the harshness of this world. The strong ate the weak. However, in the past, they were always the butcher. Today, they became the meat under the butcher¡¯s knife.

    They were birds without protection flying amidst the storm.

    It was a bright and sunny day but beneath the sky, the Wanshi people felt an unprecedented coldness in their bodies. This psychological frost prated into their bones, colder than a bucket of ice on a winter day. But they had no choice but to shiver in the face of such reality.

    By the fire pit.

    The Wanshi shaman¡¯s lips moved, like he was about to say something but he could not make out a sound. Not even a word was uttered, as if someone had grabbed him by his throat.

    How was this possible?

    How was this possible?!

    This line echoed in his heart.

    There was a person squatting by the fire pit. A ming Horn tribesman. At this moment, his palm was right on the ground at where the fire seed used to burn.

    The shaman stared at the hand, as if his vision could pierce through matter, checking to see if grey mes would shoot out from under the palm.

    Grr¨C

    A pebble rolled away, letting out a faint sound.

    Shao Xuan slowly got up and lifted the palm within the fire pit. He looked at the pit.

    This pit was dead. From This moment on, it would never burn again.

    A shadow rushed over but Shao Xuan did not stop it. He watched as the Wanshi shaman ran hysterically, out of bnce, then finally fell on his hands and knees. He dug the pit with his fingers like a madman, as if he could dig something out of the ground.

    Pebbles were thrown out of the pit but these were just ordinary pebbles and soil. That was it.

    ¡°That¡¯s not possible! That¡¯s not possible!¡±

    The Wanshi shaman dug until his hands bled, his voice cracking as he screamed with all his might. His eyes suddenly darted at Shao Xuan, filled with mania and hatred but also a tinge of fear. In the end, as if he had made a decision, he pulled out a metal dagger, leapt and stabbed it towards Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan stared at him calmly, then pinched the dagger by its de with two fingers.

    A simple motion enough to hit the shaman back to reality.

    His strength was gone. If he still had his strength, he wouldn¡¯t be as weak as this even if he wasn¡¯t one of the best warriors. His opponent stopped his de with two fingers!

    ¡°Aaaaah!¡±

    The shaman did not let go on his dagger, instead using all his might to drive the dagger forward. The dagger did not move, as if it was up against a hard wall. He looked up into Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes only to see a peculiar glow.

    Although the Wanshi¡¯s fire seed was gone, he still had residual psychic senses. HE felt a sense of power from Shao Xuan¡¯s being that wasn¡¯t from Wanshi or ming Horn. In fact, this source of power wasn¡¯t from any tribe. Was this really the power from a fire seed?

    The scene of Shao Xuan¡¯s palm smothering the mes and crushing their hopes kept reying in the shaman¡¯s mind. This person was not an ordinary tribesman!

    ¡°Who¡­ are you?¡± muttered the shaman.

    Shao Xuan did not answer.

    ¡°Who the hell are you?! Who?!¡±

    Ignoring the shaman¡¯s hysterical screaming, Shao Xuan flicked a finger and the shaman was pushed away along with his dagger. ¡°You¡¯re asking me? How would I know?¡±

    Shao Xuan knew what the shaman meant but in truth, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have the answer either.

    The shaman once said that to destroy a tribe¡¯s fire seed, one had to follow the protocol or use totemic or inheritance power. However, that power within him hadn¡¯te from the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed at all.

    Ever since he came into this world, Shao Xuan had never been able to find out what that power was. Why was he brought here? However, many things told him that his power came from the fire seed. Not just ming horn¡¯s fire seed but other tribes too.

    While he looked like any child from the tribe, he was different from other people after his powers were awakened.

    Shao Xuan once brought back the stone given to him by their crocodiles after returning from the Drumming tribe, yet could turn it into a water moonstone. This was something people say only their tribe could do.

    He once went to the Rain tribe, then their prayer ceremony that had been ineffective for a thousand years suddenly seeded in summoning rain.

    ¡­

    Everything was rted to the force that brought him here.

    What force was it? Even Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know.

    Turning around, he walked towards his troops.

    There was no need to continue fighting.

    The Wanshi tribesmen slowly snapped back to reality. They had lost all willpower to fight.

    When the ming Horns took one step forward, they all treated far away.

    Someone screamed in terror, running far away. This became a cue so in the battlefield where two armies collided, suddenly one side was running far away.

    The ve masters were shocked that Wanshi fell so quickly but this was still a very good oue for them.

    They now wanted to take in the warriors who had lost their fire seed. Because they once had power, they would thirst for it now. It was the best time for the ve masters to step in now.

    Time for recruitment!

    The ve masters, initially cowering in fear, were now beasts who smelled blood, extending their ws.

    The ming Horns suddenly realised things were going in the wrong direction. If the ve masters weren¡¯t here, they wouldn¡¯t be interested in ughtering the weak. However, the ve masters¡¯ presence meant the Wanshi people would likely regain their power. Then they would return for revenge.

    How could they let this happen?!

    ¡°Kill them all! Don¡¯t let them slip away with the ve masters! Kill the ves and their masters, just kill everyone!¡± shouted Zhang Luo. Although the ve masters here were not too strong, he was still cautious of them.

    The three hunt leaders and their warriors continued killing while the two chiefs and the remaining people cleaned up the battlefield, treated the injured and counted the dead.

    When Shao Xuan returned, he saw Caesar crouched on the ground, licking its wounds. During the invasion, Caesar and the other animals were in charge of blocking the Wanshi beasts so it wasn¡¯t with Shao Xuan.

    There were lots of teeth marks and Caesar was bleeding all over. There was a bloody hole on its back like it was stabbed by a spear.

    When it heard Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps, Caesar¡¯s ear swivelled around. It stopped licking its wounds and turned to look at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps stopped.

    One of Caesar¡¯s eyes was gone.

 Chapter 516 - Mixed Feelings

    Chapter 516

    Mixed Feelings

    The warrior rushed forward to tend to the injured Caesar. The medics followed behind the front line during the attacks and were currently rushing around healing troops.

    Caesar recognised the warrior as his own team so he didn¡¯t reject the treatment.

    The ground was filled with carcasses, many of which were missing limbs. The bite marks were obvious on them. Sounds of sticky footsteps were heard as the men stepped on the half-dried blood. The smell of blood was pungent enough to induce vomit.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s nerves calmed down, the pulling force he felt was getting stronger as his energy drained out of his body. He walked to Caesar and wiped the blood flowing from its eye. The bite mark from the beast was obvious.

    After taking a look at Caesar¡¯s injuries, Shao Xuan patted it and said, ¡°Lucky you¡¯re still alive.¡±

    He ignored everything on the floor and sat down right there to look at the battlefield.

    The medics were trying their best to save the injured. The totemic warriors of the tribe have strong recovering powers, as long as they can bear through this moment, they can live past this.

    Not too far from here, the phorusrhacos fell to the floor, belly facing the sky. It¡¯s two legs were wrapped in herbs and animal skin, it wasn¡¯t sure whether the injury was serious but there was still a lot of blood flowing from the many cuts on its body. A medic was tending to it.

    From what Shao Xuan could tell, the beasts had varying degrees of injuries and not necessarily in a better state than Caesar. Their opponents were ruthless, there was no way they coulde out of this battle smoothly.

    Luckily, the beasts had recovering powersparable to the totemic warriors. Caesar could recover in a few days but that eye of his was a lost cause.

    Shao Xuan patted Caesar¡¯s blood-stained fur again. ¡°You did well.¡±

    Caesar bopped his nose against Shao Xuan and rested on the ground.

    As Shao Xuan was observing the battle, the warrior tending to Caesar nced at him from time to time.

    The warrior was curious.

    He heard that the fire seed of Wanshi was extinguished by the Grand Elder¡¯s fire seed!

    How did the Grand Elder extinguish it? It was a pity that they were too far away from the fire pond to see what happened. The me being grey in colour didn¡¯t help. They could only feel the me slowly dying out.

    Dusk was soon arriving, the three hunt leaders brought their man back. They pursued long and far but they couldn¡¯t catch up with the ve masters so they headed back.

    In the Washi tribe, other than the people of ming Horn, there were some other prisoners of war brought back by the Washi tribe. Other than that, there were no living Wanshi people.

    With the demise of Wanshi, some prisoners of war had no idea what to do next. Those that wanted to leave had left. Those that wanted to stay could do so with the other travellers from the ming Horn tribe. Of course, it was in exchange for theirbour. It was a known fact between them that any wavering loyalties would not be tolerated by the ming Horn tribe.

    The children and women of Washi had left a long time ago, before the battle started.

    ¡°We spotted an underground cave during our pursuit. The children and women of Washi were probably kept there for safety but when we found it there were no living people there anymore. There were dead bodies of some old people. They were probably killed. No women and children. Oh, there were also some dead ves. The rest was probably taken away by those ve masters,¡± said Gui He to the two heads.

    The members of a defeated tribe are prisoners of war. In the hands of those ve masters, they were definitely going to be ves. As soon as they were, it would be hard for them to escape.

    There were no Wanshi people with totemic powers on the battlefield. Only a few managed to escape the attacks from the ming Horn tribe. The ve masters didn¡¯t grab as much, the smart ones already wiped out the elders from the tribe earlier on.

    The Wanshi tribe was now history.

    Fei Ji, the leader of the tribe, killed himself with a sword to his neck when the fire seed was extinguished.

    The Wanshi Shaman fell into the pond and puked blood as Shao Xuan turned to leave. Using the power of the fire seed had exhausted him. He had a chance of living if the fire seed was still in existence but with it gone, he was like a gasmp that ran out of gas, useless and dead.

    Chief Zheng Luo quietly listened to the three hunt leaders¡¯ reports and thought to himself. Today the Wanshi fire seed is no more. Those that escaped the hands of ming Horn would only be travellers with no home or ves. If that happened to ming Horn¡­ How could ming Horn reach that point anyway?!

    ¡°Maybe, it is a good thing that the original fire seed disappeared,¡± sighed the chief.

    This was the first time they experienced a battle like this, the first time they saw the impact of a destroyed fire seed to a tribe. With the evolution of the fire seeds, there were now ways to prevent something like this happening to the fundamentally weak fire seed.

    Humans generally lean towards advantageous improvements.

    Maybe, one day, the tribes here would change too. The original fire seed, just like the other side of the sea, may be history.

    In the forest, the shaman and the others were headed back to the tribe. They hadn¡¯t processed that everything that just happened was real.

    How long has it been?

    They were prepared to stay in the cave for a few days but they are now headed back as soon as they got here?

    The battle was over?

    Not just the tribesmen of ming Horn, the travellers with the tribe were also shocked. That arrogant Wanshi tribe was no more? Many of them even had a n to flee if they thought the situation got worse but they got the news that it was a done deal. In a few days, they would move to the area to start building houses and nting crops. Wanshi¡¯snd was now ming Tribe¡¯s.

    Burying the dead, healing the injured, taking over thend, resettling the travellers, nning the forestnd, the tribe was busy. ming Horn also took over all Wanshi¡¯s treasures. After so many years of looting, Wanshi umted quite a collection but now it was all ming Horn¡¯s.

    Without the threat of Wanshi, the ming Horn tribe naturally expanded theirnd. The forests wererge but it wasn¡¯t suitable for agricultural use. There were many wild beasts too so toorge of and would be hard to protect too.

    While they were hard at work, the news of Wanshi¡¯s demise spread to the other tribes.

    The leader of the Mang tribe couldn¡¯t believe it when he first heard the news. He was told that the ve masters were chased out of Wanshi and were headed towards other ces, someone went to the Wanshi tribe to take a look and confirmed that it was upied by ming Horn tribesmen now.

    There wasn¡¯t a reason to not believe now.

    ¡°Is it really extinct now?¡±

    Huang Ye couldn¡¯t believe it. How long has it been since ming Horn came back? They really said ¡°If you can do it, we will do it¡±, and they really did it!

    This was unimaginable!

    If they lost but their fire seed survived, they could always revive their tribe! Ten years, a hundred years, a thousand years¡­ As long as the fire seed was there, there would always be hope!

    But this defeat was different. Not only did Wanshi lose the battle, but they also lost their fire seed too. This was the worst kind of defeat, there was no way to make aeback!

    With that in mind, the head of the Mang tribe and the shamen felt a chill down their spine.

    The ming Horn Tribe just achieved that.

    ¡°How long did it take for ming Horn to defeat Wanshi? Why didn¡¯t we receive news about it?¡± asked the tribe leader. As soon the ming Horn fire seed was acting weird, they sent people over as lookout. They were to inform the tribe when ming Horn started a battle.

    In a soft voice, with much pain, the man said, ¡°Ha-half a day¡­¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Everyone on sight jumped from their seats.

    ¡°Half a day?!¡± The tribe leader couldn¡¯t believe his ears.

    ¡°Yes, that was what the lookout said,¡± the informant nodded his head.

    Half a day, Wanshi tribe¡­ A tribe that survived for hundreds of years, was gone?!

    Cold sweat was forming on the tribe¡¯s forehead, after much thought, he said to Huang Ye, ¡°Go to ming Horn and see how they are doing. Verify the news!¡±

    Huang Ye had mixed feelings, he just came back from the ming Horn tribe and he had to go again?

    Other than the Mang tribe, the other tribes, even those in the grasnds received the news. Ever since the fire seed of ming Horn was acting up, they already got the attention of the other tribes so the news of the victory in battle travelled fast.

    Hence, as Huang Ye packed his things and headed to the ming Horn tribe again, he met Gu Zhi and Qiu Gu who were on their way to the ming Horn Tribe again like him. The three sighed as they saw each other.

 Chapter 517

    Chapter 517

    Busy

    After the battle that ended with shocking speed, the tribespeople of the ming Horn tribe still kept busy.

    People were seen walking in and out of the forests near the Wanshi tribe every day. Sounds of swinging axes and grunts were heard too.

    The ming Horn tribe nned to connect the tribes in the forest and the Wanshi tribe¡¯s vige. This was to make travel much easier.

    There were many challenges in travelling before this so a road would make it much more convenient.

    They got rid of the dangerous nts and beasts in the forest and cut down the trees ording to their ns. They used the wood to build houses in the new vige. They ttened out a path for the benefits of the wheels of their carts.

    Anyone that walked past this path could see the mighty ming Horn warriors whacking the ground with arge hammer. Each hit that struck the ground had enough force to vibrate the whole area.

    ¡°This, pluck this out, I can¡¯t hammer well with it!¡± said a sweaty warrior wielding arge hammer to his friend. He was pointed at the roots of a tree that got cut down.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s arge rock here, I¡¯ll dig this out first.¡±

    The first warrior ced his hammer down and sat on the grass. He looked at the results of theirbour for the past few days. He couldn¡¯t help but feel proud of what they achieved. The previous lurking dangers of the forests were no longer felt. He suddenly thought of something and said to his friends, ¡°The chief wants to exchange with the Mang tribe for some cart-pulling beasts. Do you think horses or cattle are better?¡±

    ¡°Horses! Horses are much faster!¡±

    ¡°Cattle! What¡¯s so good about those horses? Cattle can be fast too and I heard they can plough the fields too! They also have cool horns.¡±

    ¡°Horses and cattle are cool but the birds from Lu tribe are not bad,¡±

    ¡°Pfft, those birds are only a little bigger than others, they don¡¯t have anything special. I¡¯m telling you, back at the other side of the ocean the tribe reared ducks. It was brought over by the Grand Elder. There were duck eggs, those eggs could cure poison! Sadly, none of those ducks made it over here with us.¡±

    ¡°Right, about the Grand Elder, he and I came from the same cave.¡± Ku thought about the past, when they haven¡¯t found their tribe, when they didn¡¯t realise their totemic powers. Their life at the cave at the bottom of the hill.

    That got the attention of the others. They looked to their left and right to check whether anyone was near them. When the coast was clear, they asked in a low voice, ¡°Eh, brother, how was the Grand Elder during those days. Was he very cool then?¡±

    ¡°In those days¡­¡±

    Ku remembered the skinny boy he knew. Nobody would believe back then that this person would grow to where he was now.

    At that moment, the Grand Elder they were talking about was frowning while biting the end of his pen.

    ¡°How? How can I write this?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the empty animal skin scroll. His pen had obvious bite marks on them now.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have this habit before this but the task the shamen gave him forced this habit out of him.

    Destroying Wanshi tribe¡¯s fire seed in half a day was a huge aplishment that made the shaman extremely happy. It was something that needed to be recorded for the generations toe. This was a shining point in the history of the ming Horn tribe.

    The extinguishing of the fire seed was an important part of the story but the shaman wouldn¡¯t be able to write that part so Shao Xuan had to do it himself.

    That¡¯s where the problem is, Shao Xuan had no idea how to do it.

    The way he aplished it was a natural body reaction to him, it was like a dream. He only came to his senses when it was extinguished. His memories of the event were murky.

    At that time, no matter how hard Shao Xuan tried to think, he couldn¡¯t remember any of the important moments.

    That was the first point.

    Secondly, he was writing this for the future generations of the ming Horn tribe, he needed to have a tone befitting for a Grand Elder. Their ancestors wrote the most important events in animal skin with clear descriptions. The main points were highlighted with special words they used. This was deemed the most serious way of writing which Shao Xuan had to follow.

    Only, there was a significant difference with the vocabry Shao Xuan used and the vocabry the others used.

    With a long sigh, Shao Xuan turned to Gui Ze that was seated across the table. As the next shamaness in line, Gui Ze had many tasks too. She was already done with three animal scrolls.

    As she noticed his gaze on her, Gui Ze lifted her head and looked at Shao Xuan in confusion.

    ¡°Um, Gui Ze can you pass me your scroll to co- ¡­ for reference,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gui Ze didn¡¯t expect Shao Xuan to ask this question. Normally, shamans don¡¯t share their scrolls with people because they have many tribe secrets written in them that many don¡¯t know.

    However, Shao Xuan was the Grand Elder, he had the right to look at them but he already knew everything written in the scroll. Gui Ze hesitated as she passed the scrolls to him. She couldn¡¯t understand why he wanted it.

    Shao Xuan wanted to use her writing as reference for thenguage he needed to use. In his draft, he used ¡°following his instinct¡± and ¡°signals from the me¡± in every moment he wasn¡¯t sure about what happened. Well, it wasn¡¯t wrong and he could add in the detailster on.

    Shao Xuan looked at the bright sky as he walked out from the shaman¡¯s hut. It was sunny nearly every day which was in favour of the tribespeople. It seemed that the road heading into the forest would be done in two more days.

    Caesar was lying outside Shao Xuan¡¯s house biting a bone when Shao Xuan reached home. In the battle, it has lost an eye but it has strong recovering powers. As a marked beast, it has totemic powers but it can¡¯t blend into the me. With totemic powers, it could recover much faster than others without.

    During the battle, out of all the beasts from ming Horn, Ceaser bit the most beasts from Wanshi to death. Although it got more damage than other beasts, it¡¯s recovering powers were stronger than the other beasts from the tribe.

    By the time Caesar could go into the forest to hunt, the two from Sunshine house were still recovering. The phorusrhacos still had its two feet up in the air because of its injured leg. Ah Guang was the one that had to carry it back from Wanshi.

    ording to the secret engraving techniques, the offsprings of the beasts in the tribe would be normal beasts. The engravings will onlyst for the current generation. The tribespeople could select the best beasts from the new generation to engrave again.

    Shao Xuan made an eye patch for Caesar¡¯s injury to prevent any dust from entering its eye and infection from its time in the forest.

    At first, Caesar was not used to it and tried to tear it off but it was doing much better now. Sometimes, Caesar would still tear it off while hunting but Old Ke would put on a backup eyepatch for it.

    The wound was nearlypletely head but it¡¯s right eye was no more so it could only see with one eye. This took a toll on its hunting skills, it was much slower than before.

    ¡°Old buddy, it¡¯s ok if you can¡¯t catch them, I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    After checking all of Caesar¡¯s wounds for infections and making sure there were none, Shao Xuan entered his house.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, people form the Lu tribe are looking for you,¡± said Old Ke who was polishing some equipment.

    ¡°Lu tribe? Yan Jiu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, him.¡±

    After finding out about Wanshi, the Lu tribe cheered out loud. That threat was no longer there!

    Now the people of the Lu tribe were more attentive towards ming Horn. The Wanshi tribe was rebuilt from the ground. The houses, animal pens, even the farnds. The tribespeople from the Lu tribe also willingly gave free instructions to them on how to efficiently build their houses and grow their crops.

    Shao Xuan guessed that Yan Jiu wanted to discuss rearing cubs in their tribe.

    With a lot morend in their tribe and all the new beasts enclosures, their needs naturally increased. Some people from the Lu tribe mentioned that Yan Jiu would be more than happy to trade with the ming Horn tribe.

    With the news of Wanshi¡¯s defeat spreading out, somerger tribes in the central region had thoughts of taking precautions but they were afraid of ruining their rtionship with ming Horn. They were unsure of what to do so many sent their people over to the tribe to take a look.

    Shao Xuan searched around but couldn¡¯t spot Yan Jiu or his men. He heard from someone that he may have gone to the forest to instruct the construction going on there and would onlye backter on. Shao Xuan was in no rush so he headed to the travellers¡¯ district.

    The travellers stayed around the edge of the forest for nearly two years. As they weren¡¯t ming Horn tribespeople, they didn¡¯t have that signature strength so they still feared the forest. Even with guards surrounding the area, they still preferred to be as far from the forest as possible so when they knew the ming Horn tribe was expanding, they rushed to move there.

    At the travellers¡¯ district, the people were busy and some went to build their houses. They had to follow the strict guidelines for their houses, nothing out of n was epted.

    The rest that stayed in the area were mostly injured, the elderly or the children. The children ran around but only in the ming Horn tribe¡¯s traveller¡¯s area. This was a privilege they had here, in other tribes, the children barely dared to step out of their houses in the traveller¡¯s area.

    As the travellers were busier these few days, the chief sent over some men to keep an eye on things in this area.

    When Shao Xuan reached there, he saw a group of ming Horn warriors gathered together, chatting happily.

 Chapter 518 - Intruder

    <strong>Chapter 518</strong>

    <strong>Intruder</strong>

    As soon as they saw Shao Xuan, the men immediately stood straight. Even though Shao Xuan was around their age, or maybe even younger than them, they had their utmost respect for this Grand Elder, especially after the battle with Wanshi. Shao Xuan may even exceed the ranks of the two chiefs for them.

    The jobs the guards had was to stop any fights between the travellers, other than that they had nothing else to do so they spent their time chatting with each other. They didn¡¯t expect to meet Shao Xuan then, they felt like students in school who noticed their principal was standing behind them.

    Although they weren¡¯t required to do much, they were still too rxed for the job so they did feel a sense of guilt and fear when they saw Shao Xuan approaching.

    At first, Shao Xuan nned to check in on the fields and animal enclosures but when he passed by the travellers¡¯ district he thought why not check in on that too.

    He¡¯sing! He¡¯sing!

    The warriors guarding the area felt nervous. They kept their eyes on the front only stealing a few nces at each other from time to time.

    The Grand Elder¡¯s looks angry?! What to do!? Are we in trouble?

    As they heard Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps get louder each second, their hearts beating out of control. When Shao Xuan stopped a few steps away from them, they raised their heads and greeted, ¡°Hello, Gr-Grand Elder.¡±

    ¡°Are you here keeping guard?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, always, I mean, we were free since the morning. Nothing happened in the travellers¡¯ area,¡± said the leader of the guards.

    ¡°What about before this? Was it always your team?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It was always us and another team in rotation. There¡¯s another team patrolling at night,¡± said the team leader nervously. Did the Grand Elder notice something off? We were here all the time, we didn¡¯t notice anything wrong.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t continue asking but headed toward a house not too far from where he was standing.

    The warriors looked at each other in confusion then looked at the team leader for guidance. The team leader decided to follow Shao Xuan just in case he noticed anything odd, they would be able to help him.

    Shao Xuan headed towards the house and looked at its exterior and building materials. It was a standard house in the travellers¡¯ area but it was located slightly further from the other houses. In this plot ofnd, there was only one house, as if it was ostracised.

    There was a visibleyer of dust around the doors and windows, the soil around the doorstep was hardened too. It seemed that it has been a long time since anyone stopped by.

    This was the house where Shao Xuan found the longevity leaf that had the enchantments for the enving process. It seemed that no one had gone in since hest entered. A rumour spread that the house was ced far from others because it was for ouws to stay in. Hence, the travellers all tried to keep their houses as far away from the house to prevent misunderstandings from happening.

    Now, with the house isted as if the gue happened there, it looked extra lonely.

    Shao Xuan walked around the house and stopped at the window. There were some light scratch marks on it, one could miss it if they weren¡¯t paying attention. The marks seemed new, and with closer inspection, Shao Xuan noticed the dust around the marks were much thinner than the rest of the window.

    ¡°Has anyone entered this ce?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No. At least when we are standing guard, we haven¡¯t seen anyone enter,¡± asked the leader nervously. They knew this ce was important so they paid extra attention to the house whenever they passed by. The guards themselves didn¡¯t enter the house too to avoid suspicion.

    ¡°Should I ask the other team?¡± asked the team leader.

    ¡°No need for now.¡±

    Shao Xuan pulled the door open and entered. The guards didn¡¯t enter as they weren¡¯t allowed to unless they got permission.

    The house was like what Shao Xuan remembered it to be. The wooden table that was destroyed in Gui He¡¯s fit of rage was long cleared away. The twenty square foot house could be seen at a nce and was empty. The spot where Shao Xuan dug up the longevity leaf had signs that the dirt was touched recently. The person that did it was very careful but the colour of the dirt gave it away, maybe after some time the colour difference wouldn¡¯t be that obvious. For now, it looked fresh, as if it was done within the past three days.

    ¡°Someone has been here,¡± said Shao Xuan as he quickly stepped out of the house.

    Looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s expression, the guards knew something happened and were prepared to follow him but he suddenly stopped.

    ¡°What a quick response!¡± Shao Xuan starred in a direction. He felt an aura that didn¡¯t belong to anyone from the ming Horn tribe. After the battle of Wanshi, his fire seed detecting senses had be sharper. The person was standing close to them just now but they were very careful and ran away as they felt Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze on them.

    The guard asked, ¡°Grand Elder, do you mean there¡¯s an outsider?!¡±

    The outsider he meant wasn¡¯t the travellers, he meant an intruder.

    ¡°Yes. Be careful these few days, try using your fire seed to detect them,¡± said Shao Xuan. With the fire seed in everyone¡¯s body, even if they cannot detect the intruder immediately, at least they could detect them when they walked past the guards.

    Merging the fire seed brought a new advantage to the tribespeople that the other tribe hadn¡¯t found out yet. Now the people of ming Horn could clearly detect their own people instead of just having some sense of familiarity like before.

    ¡°Yes!¡± The guards quickly guaranteed. They didn¡¯t doubt Shao Xuan¡¯s word, anything the Grand Elder said was true to them. An intruder in the tribe was a threat to everyone, they can¡¯t rx now. They were annoyed that they didn¡¯t notice an intruder earlier on! This wouldn¡¯t make them lose their jobs but the threat that this careless mistake may have brought was very real.

    Shao Xuan instructed them to inform the other guards and tighten the security. If they noticed anything, they were to head to the fields.

    Duo Kang and the other two chiefs were called over. All of the patrolling teams and guards were informed about the intruder.

    ¡°Who do you think it is? Could it be those otherrge tribes?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°No,¡± said Gui He with a solemn expression. He continued, ¡°It could be that ¡®robber¡¯!¡± He heard from others that the intruder entered the house Shao Xuan went in long ago. He immediately thought of the intruder that appeared thest time Shao Xuan entered the house.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t sure that this intruder is connected to the ¡®robber¡¯ long ago. The twost time had no intention of harming anyone but we aren¡¯t sure about the intentions of this new one,¡± Shao Xuan was alerted now. He continued, ¡°And, this intruder was very cautious and very fast. It would be hard to catch them. No matter what we need to tighten security. No only we need to know their faces, we need to know them from their roots.¡±

    ¡°Increase security in the travellers¡¯ district. They won¡¯t be able to hide in the warrior¡¯s houses or else they could be easily detected!¡± Shao Xuan predicted out loud.

    The three chiefs nodded, fire seed detection would be the most urate.

    This intruder pulled the warriors of ming Horn that were in cloud nine after the battle of Wanshi back to reality. They only defeated one tribe, there were many more stronger opponents in the world and the intruder could be one of them.

    The ¡®robber¡¯ was very secretive which made it hard for anyone to catch them. The ¡®robber¡¯ even paid a visit to the other tribes before.

    Shao Xuan was curious about the person that originally hidden the longevity leaf in the house. How did they find the leaf? He knew the enchantments were from the Yi tribe, this was confirmed when he was at the sea. He was sure that the Yi tribespeople brought the longevity leaf over but how did the ¡®robber¡¯ get the leaf from them?

 Chapter 519 - Entry Without Exit

    <strong>Chapter 519</strong>

    <strong>Entry Without Exit</strong>

    With the news of the intruder, tensions were rising in the ming Horn tribe. The excitement from the victory faded.

    They defeated Wanshi and were famous now. They got the attention of others so they shouldn¡¯t rx, especially now.

    ¡°The road isplete, someone went over with their cart and said it was fine.¡±

    ¡°Ten beast enclosures done outside, should we continue?¡±

    ¡°The field is done, we gave some to the travellers as nned and the rest is ours to use¡­¡±

    In a stone house, two shamans, two chiefs, three hunt leaders and many team leaders were gathered here to discuss the progress of things. Of course, the Grand Elder wasn¡¯t excluded.

    As they spoke, Ao noticed Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t paying much attention and said, ¡°Ah Xuan, about the things we discussed earlier, what do you think of it?¡±

    ¡°Well, continue on as we nned. Even if we can¡¯t nt much this year, we should work on the soil to make it more nutritional. The instructions on how to do that were given out already, I¡¯ll go over and check in two days. No need to continue building beasts enclosures. Wait for the Lu tribe to send over the cubs. We shouldn¡¯t have too many of them at once,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Ao didn¡¯t expect Shao Xuan to be that attentive to the conversation.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s follow what you said, about the gold weapons¡­ I discussed with Zheng Luo, we should build arger casting room when the nomads in the forest move away.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t oppose the idea because after knowing the secrets of the core seed, the tribespeople were very sensitive towards the smelting and casting of ores. Maybe they heard stories about the ve masters near the sea or the potential of the gold weapons.

    ¡°Right, other than the tribespeople from Lu were there any other visitors?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of any.¡±

    ¡°None.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t¡¯ seen any.¡±

    The rest replied.

    ¡°However, there was some suspicious activity nearby, maybe there were from therger tribes,¡± said Duo Kang. He saw some movement when he was patrolling the outskirts but the person ran as soon as they spotted him.

    ¡°Why, are you waiting for someone?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    Shao Xuan shook his head, ¡°I just think, during these times, they may send over some people to inspect us. If they haven¡¯t appeared, maybe they have other ns or maybe they are waiting.¡±

    ¡°Waiting for what?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Maybe they are waiting toe together,¡± guessed Shao Xuan.

    A few people in the house smirked. If they could make those tribes fear them like this, this meant that the tribe¡¯s position in their minds increased a lot. This satisfied them but the thoughts of the prevailing danger killed the smugness. They were willing to ept any challenges thrown in their direction anyway.

    ¡°If anyone from the Hui tribees, tell me,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Sure, I sent someone to you when that happened,¡± Ao knew the reason Shao Xuan wanted to know if the people from the Hui tribe were here so he immediately replied.

    Two dayster, just as Shao Xuan predicted, a few people from different tribes arrived in a group. The team leaders from Mang tribe, Eight Limbs tribe and Feather tribe were the same from before but this time they were apanied by the Thousand Masks tribe, Tianshan tribe and Longboat tribe. The team from the Hui tribe didn¡¯t arrive with them but arrived slightlyter.

    In this area where news didn¡¯t travel fast, the fact that they could gather like this meant that they probably had a special way ofmunicating.

    When the seven tribes reached ming Horn, Shao Xuan was in the casting room with a few smiths discussing how to improve their bronze weapons. They knew how things worked in theory but it was hard to replicate it in reality. The weapons were faulty and few barely passed the test.

    ¡°Already here?¡± Shao Xuan put down a bronze axe and followed the warrior that informed him of the news.

    ¡°Yes, the shamans and chiefs are talking to them but the shaman said if you¡¯re busy you can choose to not head over,¡± said the warrior.

    ¡°How many from the Hui tribe came? How did they travel?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The warrior recalled and said, ¡°Around ten of them. I think they took their eagles. I saw three of those. They were probablyrger than Chacha!¡±

    ¡°Who was their leader?¡±

    ¡°Someone called He She.¡±

    He She, that was a name Shao Xuan remembered. Back when he was in the desert, he met He She at Hui tribe. As the leader of a team, He She helped Shao Xuan multiple times, which was much better than the others from different tribes.

    With that in mind, Shao Xuan went to meet the tribesmen.

    The rtionship between the tribes and ming Horn was never quite good. The tribes teamed up together to gain leverage on ming Horn but they stillid their ego low. ming Horn defeated Wanshi but their achievement with the fire seed was something else. This was the reason that made them humble themselves.

    Compared to the others, the tribe people from Hui tribe had a better rtionship with ming Horn so they didn¡¯t feel as pressured as the other tribes.

    Shao Xuan finished his discussions with the smiths before heading to meet the people from the seven tribes that were in the newly built houses far from the forest.

    Shao Xuan let someone bring him to where the Hui tribespeople were resting. When he got there, he saw an eagle pecking at its feathers.

    The size of the bird wasrger than Cha Cha but something about it felt familiar to Shao Xuan.

    The eagle noticed Shao Xuan getting closer to it. With a turn of a head, it was obvious it still remembered Shao Xuan. Its first reaction was to fluff its feathers up to intimidate him. Its neck looked significantlyrger and it even screeched threateningly at him.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, the loser,¡± said Shao Xuan calmly.

    That sentence had the eagle even madder. It¡¯s re at Shao Xuan intensified and it made a few deep scars on the floor with its mighty ws.

    ¡°Why? The truth is the truth, isn¡¯t it Shan Dao?¡± continued Shao Xuan.

    This was the eagle that Shao Xuan met when he was fighting with the Di Shan tribe in the grasnds. It was severely beaten by Cha Cha.

    Hence, Shao Xuan was not wrong when he called it a loser.

    At that time the great mountain eagle wasn¡¯t this big, it was around the same size as Cha Cha. This significant change wasn¡¯t natural, it probably went to Eagle Mountain to undergo this change.

    The tribespeople in the house quickly walked out as soon as they heard the sounds outside. Some recognized Shao Xuan, like Shan Dao¡¯s caretaker.

    ¡°So it is the Grand Elder Shao Xuan,¡± said Gu La with a smile. From his conversations with the members of ming Horn, he found out that Shao Xuan had be the Grand Elder of the tribe. From their respectful tone, he knew this wasn¡¯t a case of nepotism.

    ¡°So it is Hunter Leader Gu La.¡± Shao Xuan recognized the leader of this expedition.

    ¡°Grand Elder Shao Xuan, anything we can help you with?¡± Gu La was excited to see a familiar face. He wanted to chat more but he felt anxious when he remembered something.

    ¡°I heard that when Cha Cha went to the Hui tribe two years ago it left with a few of your eagles?¡± Shao Xuan skipped the small talk and asked.

    Gu La¡¯s worry was gone in a sh and said, ¡°That¡¯s true, they went to Eagle Mountain together. Some great mountain eagles in ournd also went there but¡­¡±

    He felt Shao Xuan¡¯s store on him. He stopped and continued, ¡°The one from your tribe entered but never made it out.¡±

    ¡°Entered the mountain and never made it out?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Gu La nodded, ¡°That was what Dao Shan told us.¡±

    ording to great mountain eagle tradition, only those that seed transforming can leave the mountain, those that fail fall from it. Shao Xuan heard about this before and that was why the people from the Hui tribe couldn¡¯t speak about itfortably.

    Those that went, excluding Cha Cha all came back safe, how could the tribespeople of ming Horn not have anything to say about it?

    Shao Xuan was silent for a while and asked Dao Shan a few questions with Du La helping with the trantion. Shao Xuan could understand Cha Cha but had no idea what the great mountain eagle was trying to convey.

    Shao Xuan wanted to find out more about the trip to Eagle Mountain but it seemed to touch on a lot of the great mountain eagle¡¯s secrets. Dao Shan avoided a lot of questions which even Gu La didn¡¯t have the answers to. It didn¡¯t answer anything about how to reach the mountain, what happened on the way there, what it saw.

    With no answers to his questions, he could only change his strategy.

    ¡°How was Cha Cha¡¯s spirit when it left the mountain?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°¡­ Very good,¡± said Gu La. Good enough to grab a stone and use it to smash other eagles.

    ¡°Was it injured?¡±

    ¡°Yes but not severe. The others were injured too.¡±

    ¡°Did it rush into the mountain itself?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡­

    After those questions, Shao Xuan was in even more confusion. How long has it been since Cha Cha went to the mountain before it went back again? Some mature great mountain eagles don¡¯t go back for twenty or thirty years after their first trip. They may not get results and the risk was huge. What was that bird thinking? Did it want to kill itself at Eagle Mountain?

    That would be very out of character for the eagle.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t understand why Cha Cha went to Eagle Mountain and he couldn¡¯t go there himself to search for it because he forgot the road to the mountain aftering here.

    After thanking Gu La, Shao Xuan headed towards the newly done fields while in deep thought.

    He stopped to a sudden jolt. He felt two familiar auras that were nearby. It wasn¡¯t someone from ming Horn or the tribes that came by.

 Chapter 520 - After Them!

    Chapter 520

    After Them!

    When Shao Xuan went to visit the visitors from the Hui tribe, the other tribes watched the exchange. They weren¡¯t too far from where he was so they could feel any movement.

    As they looked at the direction where Shao Xuan was walking to, the crowd let out a deep sigh.

    The Eight Limbs tribe did it again!

    Young men normally couldn¡¯t resist pretty youngdies. It looked like this Grand Elder of ming Horn wasn¡¯t an exception.

    He was walking towards the Eight Limbs tribe¡¯s house. Right outside of it was seated Xu on top of a white spider as shebed its fur with ab made of fish bones. Xu was a skilled warrior in the Eight Limbs tribe. Beautiful and dangerous, her courters weren¡¯t limited to the young men in her tribe.

    The Eight Limbs tribe were pleased to see that happening.

    It would be nice if that young man was interested in Xu too, maybe we can get to know more about ming Horn through him.

    As she saw Shao Xuan walking her way, her hand movements stopped, her grip on theb tightened. Her gaze slowly moved upwards. Before she could even say anything, Shao Xuan walked past her just like the wind.

    ¡°¡­¡± Her emotions got a hold of her and Xu identally wed out arge chunk of the spider¡¯s fur.

    The crowd watching was also confused, what was this Grand Elder up to?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care much about what others were thinking, he was focused on the two auras. It was different from the ones he felt before, there were two this time. It should be the people that blended in and hid the longevity leaf.

    These two were nearly impossible to find, Shao Xuan could not give up this opportunity!

    Maybe they felt Shao Xuan approaching, the two ran away really quickly.

    You think you can run?!

    Shao Xuan bent his knees and just like a spring, he propelled himself forward with insane speed. The rest were only left with his fading figure.

    The people from the seven tribes looked on Shao Xuan¡¯s bizarre action.

    ¡°He¡­ what just happened?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°Who knows, maybe he went off to eat? I heard those from ming Horn love meat. ¡°

    ¡°They love meat but they aren¡¯tcking it. They are arge tribe now, even if he really wanted food, does he have to rush like this?¡±

    ¡°Who knows, they¡¯re from the ming Horn tribe anyway.¡± With all the changes going on, ming Horn¡¯s signature rough and rude attitudes never left their minds.

    ¡°He is quite a fast runner, I don¡¯t think I can keep up with him,¡± said someone. They were just discussing following a ming Horn tribesman with a higher position to get some information about the tribe. After seeing how fast Shao Xuan was, they were having second thoughts.

    They couldn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan was doing and that only fueled their curiosity as Shao Xuan was running out from the tribe. His posture made it seem like he was chasing after someone.

    The tribespeople that were originally in their houses scheming came out and jumped to the roofs to get a better look. It was ming Horn¡¯snd so they can¡¯t move about freely.

    ¡°There¡¯s someone running in front!¡± shouted someone standing atop a roof.

    In front of Shao Xuan, there were two figures running so fast that there was no way to see any of their facial features. It seemed that those two were Shao Xuan¡¯s target.

    ¡°Their guards are catching up! Something surely happened! Did someonee into the tribe too other than us?¡±

    Without much deliberation, the Feather tribe, Tianshan tribe and Hui tribe called upon their respective birds. The sky had a much better view than the roofs. If they couldn¡¯t run around on the ground, whose to care if they were in the air? The ming Horn tribe only had small birds, thatrge eagle was long gone, they had nothing to worry about.

    ¡°Let mee too!¡±

    The Longboat tribe ran towards the Feather tribe.

    ¡°Go away, go to Tianshan or Hui tribe, their eagles are bigger.¡±

    The Feather tribe mostly had smaller birds so their riding capacity was limited. In the battlefield in the sky, the two grasnd tribes had the advantage but the two tribes would never let an outsider ride on their eagles.

    A few birds rose to the sky and flew in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    The guards of ming Horn didn¡¯t notice the two intruders at first. However, once the intruders started running, their totemic energy red up which made it easier for others to detect.

    It was obvious the energy didn¡¯t belong to someone from their tribe and it wasn¡¯t from the seven tribes that came today. It had to be the target they were looking for these past few days!

    After them!!

    Even though the guards were fast, no one could catch up with Shao Xuan.

    When the guards reached the edge of the tribe, there was already a long distance between then and the three in front. The distance increased by every passing second. Although they were far behind, they still continue pursuing, who knows they could help the Grand Elder.

    Within the guards, those that were not as fast stopped chasing after the three. Instead, they went to notify the chiefs and prepare if they were any other intruders.

    On the ground, Shao Xuan set his target on those two. His legs were moving so quick that one couldn¡¯t see them clearly. His movements were light too, it was as if only a gush of wind had passed the grass.

    You outran me the first time, there won¡¯t be a second time!

    I swear I¡¯ll catch you today!

    Shao Xuan elerated. He cut through the wind, forming a hum as he did.

    The guards behind him couldn¡¯t see him clearly anymore. They could only guess his whereabouts through feeling his fire seed energy.

    ¡°After him!¡± shouted the head of the guards. There was no point turning back now.

    The Feather tribe, Tianshan tribe and Hui tribe that were in the sky were dumbfounded. They knew Shao Xuan was fast but they didn¡¯t know he would be this fast. They were having trouble catching up too.

    The two intruders were in agony. How could that young man catch up to them? He wasn¡¯t this fast thest time!

    Those in the sky and the guards were ignored by the two. They knew that group of people posed no threat to them, it was Shao Xuan who was dangerous.

    It was lucky that there was only one Shao Xuan and two of them.

    The two of them separated, running off into different directions.

    As long as Shao Xuan slowed down or hesitated by just a second or two, they would be able to increase their distance between them and him which could be their way out of this mess.

    However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even hesitate, he immediately pursued one of the intruders without changing his speed!

    Aargh! Why is this young man not stopping!

    The person Shao Xuan chose to pursue cursed at him many times but he knew it wasn¡¯t time to be distracted. He had to think of another n.

    The person observed thend and knew it was far from the ming Horn tribe and thend the Wanshi tribe once imed. The forest was getting thicker, right in front was a dense forest.

    That¡¯s it!

    The person was happy, he was very good at hiding in forests.

    Do you really think I can¡¯t find you if you hide in the forest?

 Chapter 521 - The Robbersâ€™ Secret

    Chapter 521

    The Robbers¡¯ Secret

    Even though the forest in front was a dense one, it still differed from Fearsome Beast Forest.

    There were many trees here but they were not huge ancient ones. There were few trees that exceeded a hundred years old. There also wasn¡¯t much human activity here. At most, it was the asional traders passing through the forest.

    There were no beasts here, only some smaller wild animals were active in this area.

    As the person rushed into the forest, he started searching for the perfect hiding spot. His running route became irregr and unpredictable, weaving around the forest.

    With his vision blocked by the leaves, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see the figure of the person he was pursuing. He could only rely on the sounds of wind passing through leaves and tree branches cracking.

    Shao Xuan soon realised the intruder was definitely a master from the way they moved. He could step around the forest with minimal sound, it started to seem apparent that he was purposely making sounds to throw him off.

    Shao Xuan tried to sense the intruder¡¯s fire seed but as he pursued the fire seed seemed to disappear.

    Odd.

    Shao Xuan slowed down and slowly moved forward.

    There were a few small animals hugging tree branches that looked at Shao Xuan curiously while cooing softly. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t pay attention to them.

    There was a slope in front of them. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t be sure of what he saw because of the dense leaves blocking his view but he guessed that there was a river from the sounds of flowing water.

    Halfway down the slope, there was an animal skin shirt which was worn by the intruder. Even lower down the slope, there were a pair of pants and shoes.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t go down to check but stood at the edge of the slope and looked at his surroundings.

    The trees wererger here. Maybe because fewer people passed through here, the trees were older than the others out front.

    The trees weren¡¯t very tall though, Shao Xuan could see most of the terrain as he stood with a straight back.

    After scanning the ground level, Shao Xuan walked around some old trees, sometimes looking up to a random branch. At times, he stopped to listen to the surroundings to check if anyone was nearby. It was near silence in the forest other than Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps and the asional bird cooing from a far ce.

    After circling around a few more times, Shao Xuan left.

    With Shao Xuan gone, the area was quiet again save the few insignificant bird calls.

    After some time, on a tree near the slope, there was a soft rustle.

    Twenty meters of the ground, on a tree bark, right in the middle two branches, a pair of eyes were seen. The pupils sweep around the surroundings.

    At a nce, it looked as if the eyes were part of the tree but with closer inspection, one could see the human skin on the tree bark, followed by light breathing movements.

    This person was Shao Xuan¡¯s target!

    After looking around, the person jumped down the tree and prepared to leave. After two steps, his gut told him that it was dangerous here.

    Run!

    His legs outstretched, he prepared for the second round of fleeing. Before he got to run, he heard a hum followed by something circling his leg. Branches and leaves that fell from trees gathered and connected together to form thick vines.

    In a sh, his two ankles were tied so tightly together as if the vines were about to slice off his legs.

    He wanted to grab his knife but there was no time for that because as he reached for his knife, the vines had restrained his legs preventing it from moving anymore.

    Not far away, a set of footsteps was approaching in a controlled manner.

    As he heard the footsteps, the restrained person could only sigh in defeat.

    ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t run.¡± The person raised his hands and shed a smile to the approaching Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan returned the smile and with one swift movement, a sharp de rested next to the person¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! I don¡¯t have any evil intentions. I was just curious. I heard that you destroyed the Wanshi tribe and wanted to look for myself.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t waste his breath on him and said, ¡°Come out.¡±

    The person¡¯s eyebrows raised but he didn¡¯t say anything.

    The forest was very quiet except for the few insect and bird sounds.

    ¡°If you don¡¯te out, you¡¯ll have to take care of this corpse!¡± Shao Xuan was prepared to sh the sword.

    ¡°Wait!!¡±

    A female voice of unknown age was heard from behind some trees.

    The person looked young but gave off an aura of maturity. With a in and rather forgettable face, she was dressed to look like a ming Horn tribeswoman. She wore an animal skin shirt with ming Horn style fire patterns and had bone jewellery. She could blend in ming Horn without getting caught.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk like civilised human beings, there¡¯s no need to kill anyone,¡± Thedy continued calmly, ¡°Seeing that you haven¡¯t killed us yet, you must be interested in finding out more from us.¡±

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Shao Xuan kept his de but kept the vines on the person.

    The woman looked at the restrained person as he shook his head. She knew then that those vines were nothing of the normal sort, she had to find another way to get him free.

    Shao Xuan ignored the two looks exchanged with each other and asked, ¡°Who are you? Why are you in the ming Horn tribe? I don¡¯t think you were just curious. Cut the bullshit or you¡¯ll lose your legs.¡±

    Although he delivered his sentences calmly, the two knew he wasn¡¯t kidding.

    Knowing there was no other way, the man said, ¡°Robber Eleven.¡±

    ¡°Robber Twelve,¡± said the woman.

    The man continued, ¡°We¡¯re not lying. I think you know we¡¯re the ¡®Robbers¡¯. We get our names from our ranks.¡±

    It was a half-truth. Their ranks were how they were referred to each other but it was just a code name. None of them would easily say their actual names. Even within the ¡®Robbers¡¯ they might not know each other¡¯s real names.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t reply. Instead, he stared. He noticed something weird about them.

    He thought that these ¡®Robbers¡¯ had a different aura but now it could confirm that it was true.

    He knew long ago that ¡®Robbers¡¯ were a special tribe. Their members were fairly independent unlike the other tribes that stayed together most of the time. No one knew their exact location.

    Many hated them to their core and spent enormous effort to search for them, especially those that lost something precious. They called for the extermination of the ¡®Robbers¡¯ fire seed, to remove them from the surface of the world.

    However, no one came close to seeding all these while.

    Of course, they wouldn¡¯t seed, the ¡®Robbers¡¯ original fire seed was long gone!

    Shao Xuan had thought the ming Horn tribe was the first tribe to merge the fire seed but it looked like that was not the case!

    This exined why the ¡®Robbers¡¯ were so secretive. No one knew that they had no need to gather around their original fire seed as they had already merged with their fire seed. They only gathered when necessary which was just another way of organisation.

    No wonder no one could find their tribe.

    ¡°What did you steal from ming Horn?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Nothing! We hadn¡¯t done anything when we got caught,¡± said Robber Eleven. He was telling the truth and did feel bummed out that he was noticed so quickly.

    ¡°Other than you two are there any other intruders?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. We don¡¯t know about each other¡¯s ns. We do our own thing.¡± said Robber Eleven.

    ¡°Do you really not know? He went to the house where you buried something,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve facial expressions immediately changed. How did he find out they buried something? Did the ming Horn tribe discover the thing already?

    ¡°It¡¯s Robber Seven.¡± The two felt no need to hide. They only told Robber Seven about the hiding spot. It was most likely Robber Seven that went there.

    Seven? Their rank was higher than these two then. No wonder their reactions were so quick.

    ¡°Where did you steal the thing you buried from?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The two didn¡¯t speak but exchanged some nces.

    ¡°If you are honest, I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The two looked at Shao Xuan, trying to see the truth in his words.

    ¡°Really.¡±

 Chapter 522 - People In The Cave

    Chapter 522

    People In The Cave

    Shao Xuan followed the two closely through the forest.

    Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve said that a piece of treasure was found when they were hiding something in an underground cave not too far from the ming Horn tribe.

    They were following a group of ming Horn warriors heading back home from the Drumming tribe. They nned to steal a little more from the group but as they had the Water Moon Gemstone and other stolen goods on them, it was hard to move around sneakily. Hence, they nned to hide their items then continue following the group, maybe blend in with them.

    As always they would find an inconspicuous ce to hide their things. When that was settled, they would head back to retrieve the items and run. It was then when they found the underground cave.

    Many tribes would dig underground caves as it was quite useful. Some used it to store food, some used it as a safe ce to hide during attacks. The cave seemed to be left behind by a small tribe that either moved away or no longer existed.

    The cave was well hidden in the dense forest. No apparent human activity can be seen at a nce, the cave had been abandoned for quite some time. If the Robbers didn¡¯t n to dig a hole then, they wouldn¡¯t even notice the cave.

    Shao Xuan only wanted to know the location of the cave and promised to let the two go if they brought him there.

    This was the first time Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve got caught. They were noticed by others before but they were fast runners, people never caught up to them. Hence, when Shao Xuan gave them the option to bring him to the cave or get killed, they chose thetter.

    The two were husband and wife, if one got caught, the other won¡¯t run away unless they had no choice. Robber Twelve wouldn¡¯t leave her husband nor could she try to free him. She wasn¡¯t confident enough to deal with Shao Xuan before he snapped off Robber Eleven¡¯s legs or killed him.

    ¡°We¡¯re close. I remember it¡¯s around here,¡± said Robber Eleven as he moved his ankle.

    He could only free himself if he used a sword to cut the vines. Its grip tightened around him the more he struggled, he already lost feeling in his leg at that point. If he became crippled, he may even lose his codename. There was no chance of him getting to number ten, his peak would forever be Eleven. The thought of it made him unhappy. If he could make it into the top ten, he would get to know even more secrets, get even more attractive rewards and his status in the tribe would be greatly elevated.

    He wasn¡¯t willing to lose a leg over this so he dly cooperated with Shao Xuan, hoping that Shao Xuan would keep his promise. Robber Eleven recalled the first time they met Shao Xuan, he wasn¡¯t that strong then. How did he change so much in two years?

    ¡°Ok.¡± Shao Xuan absorbed his surroundings, knowing there wouldn¡¯t be a guide the next time he visits here. He coulde over here to fill up the unfinished map too.

    The guards got Shao Xuan¡¯s message about the current situation and headed back. Tribe members of Feather tribe, Tianshan tribe and Hui tribe that were up in the air lost sight of the trio after they headed into the forest. Whether they continued searching or headed back to the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t interested in knowing.

    At present, no one was following them.

    The situation would seem to y an advantage to Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve. However, at that moment, they didn¡¯t feel that. Instead, they were ever more cautious.

    Shao Xuan had the guts to face them head-on alone, it was either that he was overconfident in his abilities or that he wasn¡¯t afraid of the two at all.

    For the sake of his leg, Robber Eleven decided to be honest and extra careful when deciding his escape n. It didn¡¯t seem like a wise choice to anger this young man.

    ¡°Right there!¡±

    Robber Eleven pointed out the cave to Shao Xuan while carefully observing his expression. He searched for anything that could hint at Shao Xuan wanting to kill them.

    Shao Xuan saw a normal grass patch wedged between two small hills.

    Robber Twelve got a cue from Robber Eleven before hesitating as she walked over with a sword in hand.

    The two had a habit of making small symbols that no one else understood except the two of them at ces where they hid things. Hence, Robber Twelve could easily find the spot.

    She lifted the topyer of soil which exposed a rectangr stone b that was nearly a meter long.

    The stone b was heavy. Robber Twelve had a difficult time lifting it on her own. They were fast runners but they didn¡¯t have much strength.

    Robber Eleven wanted to help her but Shao Xuan had already used his arm that wasn¡¯t holding on to the vine to lift the stone b and theyer of dirt on top of it.

    That left quite the impression on the two about the strength of ming Horn tribespeople.

    ¡°Right underneath here.¡±

    After making eye contact, Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve jumped in first.

    The cave was quite deep but it wasn¡¯t long. There were around seventy or eighty square meters to store things but it was very sturdy as they were stone pirs to hold it up.

    Hence, just a few steps in, Shao Xuan could see the entirety of the cave.

    Robber Twelve used a water moon stone to light up the cave and pointed to three skeletons leaning against the wall of the cave.

    ¡°We got the item from them.¡±

    They didn¡¯t call the longevity leaf by its name in case Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t figured out what it was. They used words like item or treasure to be vague about it. They were sincerely regretting hiding the item in the ming Horn tribe. They could have used it to get into the top ten.

    Would those barbarians from ming Horn know the true value of the longevity leaf? It would be best if they didn¡¯t. If there was a chance, they should sneak back into ming Horn to steal it back. Unfortunately, they could not figure out what Shao Xuan¡¯s intentions were.

    Shao Xuan walked towards the skeletons and noticed their clothes were rotted beyond recognition. There was nothing on their bodies to signify their status but from their strong skeletons, these people were strong warriors back in the day.

    Shao Xuan still remembered the faded wooden tube he found the longevity leaf in. The colour had changed but the wood didn¡¯t rot at all, it may have even stayed in that state for a thousand years as it was a very high-quality wood. The longevity leaf inside looked as fresh as a leaf just plucked from a leaf.

    The enchantments for knot divination written on the leaf were made by the Yi tribe a long time ago. That was confirmed during Shao Xuan¡¯s trip to King City. Since it appeared on this side of the sea, it should have been brought over by the people from a thousand years ago.

    Looking at the position the skeletons were left in, Shao Xuan asked the two robbers, ¡°Did you touch them when you came over?¡±

    The two that were exchanging nces were shocked by Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden question.

    ¡°No! We flipped them over to check for things but we put back them to their original position.¡± Although they were here to steal, they still treated these bodies that were preserved for many years with somewhat respect.

    The three skeletons were left facing in the same direction as if they were looking at something.

    Shao Xuan followed the empty eye sockets and found the answer on a stone pir.

    There were many words and patterns engraved on it. It could have been left by the small tribe that originally lived here. The patterns looked like a mixture of words and drawings which made no sense to them, which was the reason why Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve didn¡¯t pay attention to it. Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve didn¡¯t investigate much about this small tribe that left no trace in any written history so the engraving on the pir was left untouched.

    The patterns looked like a certain type of nt which was shocking to Shao Xuan that had seen this exact pattern before.

    This was the tribe pattern of King city¡¯s Ji family! This was the totem tattoo of the early Ji tribe!

    While the Ji family and Yi family were among the first people that arrived at the other side of the sea, the Mu family was there too. However, the Mu family has since changed their name to Shi and took over the deserts while the Ji family died off. Between the people that arrived there, there were many internal fights. What were the three Ji family members here nning to do after stealing the leaf from the Yi family?

    A thousand years had passed, Shao Xuan had no way of figuring it out.

    Shao Xuan looked around some more but couldn¡¯t find any hints. The patterns were the clues about the three skeletons.

    As they walked out of the cave, Shao Xuan ignored all of the questions that Robber Eleven asked him. He only released them as he promised.

    When they got their freedom, Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve didn¡¯t bother asking more questions and slipped away.

    Shao Xuan saw the two figures running away and headed back into the cave.

    The Ji family had another tradition. They would ce grains in their graves. Looking at the three skeletons, it seemed that they were prepared for their deaths. Would they have followed their tribe¡¯s tradition? Maybe they still had strong ties for their tribe seeing that they had the tribe¡¯s patterns engraved.

    Shao Xuan checked the rest of the cave but couldn¡¯t find any millets. Maybe they had long turned into dust or maybe they were eaten by some animal but Shao Xuan felt that those weren¡¯t the case. ording to Ji family tradition, the grains would be ced nearby in a vase or any sort of container but nothing was there.

    If they knew that they were dying- which meant that they were never returning back to their tribe, what would they do if they had any sort of grains on them?

 Chapter 523 - Veins of the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 523 Veins of the Sky</h4>

    If it wasn¡¯t in the cave, could it be scattered somewhere on the ground?

    Filled with curiosity, Shao Xuan went around the area to search. He only found some grain-like nts but it didn¡¯t seem like something the Ji family would nt. The nts seemed like it was native to thend, he had seen nts like this here before. He remembered someone telling him that the earlier tribes would nt the grains they brought here but switched them out to different species which had higher yields which left the original grains to be forgotten by people.

    If he could spot any nts that were moremon a thousand years back it would only be because of the small tribe that lived here once. With a cave here that was used to store the grains, there should be some that were dropped in the ground and lived.

    However, nothing around the area looked special enough for the Ji family to bring over a thousand years ago.

    After searching for some time, Shao Xuan hasn¡¯t found anything that fit the requirements.

    Could it be that the three from the Ji family didn¡¯t bring any seeds with them? Or their seeds really rotted to dust?

    Or did someonee by here and dug everything away?

    No, that isn¡¯t it. Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve were here two or three years ago. If someone was here before this, the longevity leaf wouldn¡¯t be theirs to im.

    Perhaps I thought wrong?

    Shao Xuan stood at the mouth of the cave and looked at his surroundings.

    There were a lot of weeds, different types of nts he didn¡¯t know the name of. There weren¡¯t many trees, only a few weak saplings and sad looking shrubs. The area lookedparatively empty.

    On this piece ofnd, there were much fewer trees than the other areas. The weeds seemed to be growing well but that was only because of the abundance of them. If one were to look closely, they weren¡¯t growing well too.

    Shao Xuan remembered that in ces where the Thousand Grain Gold were nted, they sucked all the nutrients from the soil. Even though it didn¡¯t seem obvious that the grain was nted here before but there were hints showing that it did.

    Yes! There must be something here!

    Shao Xuan scanned the area once again but this time he didn¡¯t focus on the grain-like nts, he looked at the area as a whole. It was then his gaze stopped at a nt no taller than his knee.

    He didn¡¯t notice this nt before when he was looking for grains but at a second look, this nt seemed familiar.

    Shao Xuan walked through the forests a lot so he was familiar with different sorts of the nt but this nt didn¡¯t seem like something he would see in a forest. After thinking about it, the nt looked like a crop he saw at the Ji family¡¯s field.

    During his visit to the Ji household, the family members brought him to their fields and he got to know manymon nt species they had there. Many were crops to feed themselves while some were special nts.

    One of them was called ¡°Veins of the Sky¡±. In the Golden Grain fields, there was arge, heavily guarded plot ofnd for that specific nt. The ves were not allowed in the area and the nt was tended by the owners themselves. When Shao Xuan passed by the area, the members of the Ji n didn¡¯t say much and brought him away.

    The Golden Grain fields were famous for their grains, so the owners mostly introduced their different types of grains. Shao Xuan would have forgotten the look of Veins of the Sky if he hadn¡¯t seen it then in the forest.

    The nt he was looking at now looked very simr to the Veins of the Sky that the Ji family nted. Inparison, the nts in their fields had more leaves and looked healthier whereas the ones here looked sickly. If one didn¡¯t pay attention, they might not even connect those two nts together.

    There was another reason Shao Xuan didn¡¯t notice it at first. He had only seen the upper half of the nt before. He knew the most valuable part of the nt was at its roots that looked like human veins, that was why it was called Veins of the Sky.

    Was it really that special nt?

    Was this the nt that those three members of the Ji family brought over?

    After looking around once more, Shao Xuan noticed a few more nts but they were all far from looking as healthy as those in Golden Grain fields.

    Shao Xuan stabbed his sword into the ground and took out a dagger to dig out one of those nts. Two-step forward and Shao Xuan felt that something was wrong. He tilted his head to look at a bush ten meters away from him. At first, he thought it looked like a normal bush but he now felt that something was off with it.

    He walked towards the bush and noticed it wasn¡¯t a bush, rather a nt with many branches. The leaves were not that big, wait, the leaves were exactly the same as the Veins of the Sky!

    The only difference was that this nt had a wooden stem while the others he saw before didn¡¯t have it, including the ones he saw in Golden Grain fields.

    This Vein of the Sky could be the healthiest one he had seen here so far. Although it was only half the height of an average person, this still was thergest Vein of the Sky in the area!

    If this Vein of the Sky had evolved from a grass stem to a wooden stem which allowed for endless growth, could this nt be the original one that the Ji family nted?

    But was this the only change for the nt this past thousand years?

    No matter what, this was a huge discovery!

    The fire in Shao Xuan¡¯s heart burned up. He was excited to see the roots of this nt but he was scared that he would identally damage it.

    Hence, he grabbed the dagger and slowly dug the small nt out.

    With small bits of dirt slowly scraped away, this nt that barely reached Shao Xuan¡¯s waist was showing it full self.

    There were many roots tied together in this dense underground web. At first, Shao Xuan thought he could dig it out himself but this proved to be moreplicated than digging out ginseng.

    Shao Xuan became even more careful, trying to take this Vein of the Sky out in one piece.

    The more he dug, the more shocked he got. When he saw the whole nt, chills were spreading throughout his body.

    It looks so simr!

    Way too simr!

    When the Ji family was introducing the nt to Shao Xuan, they mentioned that the roots of the nt looked like human veins. Now that he was holding one, he could see exactly how simr they really were.

    The root system that wasn¡¯trger than a palm was filled with roots that were near carbon copies of each human vein. The thickness, the length, even the pattern was simr!

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure about the uses of the nt, the Ji family only said it had medicinal properties. If he were to take a guess, it probably had something to do with human blood vessels.

    Shao Xuan looked around for more Vein of the Skies. On closer inspection, there were quite a few of them in this small area, nearly twenty nts! They did seem a little weak, maybe thergest one took all the nutrients away from them.

    Shao Xuan nned to dig some out and move them back. It would be best if he could transnt it because if the Ji n could spare such arge field and so many guards for this nt, this nt is something special.

    After chasing the two robbers and spending some time here, the sky was already getting dark. Shao Xuan decided to stay here for the night and keep watch of the area.

    He hunted a wild boar and picked some fruits for his dinner. During his hunt, he saw a flying squirrel that was targetted by a predator. This was amon sight in the forest, usually Shao Xuan would ignore it but that day, Shao Xuan decided to save it.

    It wasn¡¯t because Shao Xuan suddenly felt kind, he wanted to try out the effects of the Vein of the Sky on the flying squirrel.

    Shao Xuan used a straw rope to tie down the frightened animal. No matter how much it struggled, it couldn¡¯t break free from the rope.

    Shao Xuan had his dinner before starting his experiment. He identally put his finger too close to the small rodent and it bit him. After he shook off the pain, Shao Xuan held the tied up flying squirrel in one hand and the Vein in the Sky he dug up earlier in the other with the roots facing the squirrel.

    The flying squirrel tried its best to avoid the roots but Shao Xuan continued to shove the roots into its mouth. It bit down on the root and immediately froze.

    Well, for just a second. Soon, the flying squirrel was chomping down on the roots crazily. The sound of it reminded Shao Xuan of a chef cutting vegetables on a chopping board.

    When Shao Xuan took the nt away, the squirrel fought to get the root back into its mouth. However, it was too small to do anything and could only sulk.

    Shao Xuan then carefully observed any changes in the animal.

    Many animals had a good instinct towards medicinal herbs, they knew what was good for them. If the flying squirrel was so desperate to eat it, this Vein of the Sky should have some huge benefits.

 Chapter 524 - Inheritance

    Chapter 524

    Inheritance

    Before the roots of the nt were bitten off, it had no particr smell. The flying squirrel wasn¡¯t even willing to get close to it.

    However, after it bit of some of the roots, there was a faint bitter smell.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare taste the nt, he knew that randomly consuming things in the forest may lead to death. Even a warrior with the strongest digestive system would avoid doing that. Not too long ago, some tribesmen spotted a nt that looked like a crop they grew in the tribe. They ate some and had diarrhoea for two days. At the end of it, they felt that their intestines had shrivelled up.

    Hence, Shao Xuan wanted to y it safe and test with the flying squirrel.

    When Shao Xuan took the Vein of the Sky away, the tiny animal struggled hard to get away but soon its movements slowed down to rest. Itid peaceful as if it was sleeping. Only its slow, deep breaths showed that it was still alive.

    The many cuts on it had stopped bleeding too. A cut that was deep enough to see the animal¡¯s bone had been covered up with a scab and small changes were seen in the muscles surrounding the area.

    If Shao Xuan had left the flying squirrel in its original state, it may not even survive the night from losing too much blood. It seemed that it was healing itself now.

    The fire pit had slowly died out, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t add any more wood to it after his meal. To get a better look at the squirrel, he took out his Water Moon stone.

    There was some beast in the area, Shao Xuan could see pairs of green eyes moving around him. They didn¡¯t dare to attack as Shao Xuan had a really strong aura. The beasts mostly considered for a moment then left.

    Shao Xuan stared at the flying squirrel¡¯s body without paying attention to the predators around him. He didn¡¯t hide his aura which came useful as saved him a lot of trouble from the beasts.

    Seated on the floor with the flying squirrel tied on tree bark, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t sleep that night. He spent the whole night looking at the tiny rodent.

    When the sun started to peek out, the flying squirrel stirred from its sleep.

    After waking up, it remembered that it was tied up and immediately struggled to get out. Its struggles only intensified as it saw Shao Xuan. Even though Shao Xuan was the one that fed it the Vein of the Sky and saved it, it still didn¡¯t leave its guard down around him. Wild animals just highly protective of themselves against humans.

    Shao Xuan looked at the scabs on its body. Some of them had fallen off when the squirrel was squirming about and revealed a new patch of skin.

    Even the deep cut on its leg which still was slightly sunken in was much better than before. It may even fully recover in a few days. Seeing the force of its struggle, Shao Xuan knew it was highly energetic which isn¡¯t normal for something that was injured so severely just the day before.

    Shao Xuan was filled with excitement and not a hint of tiredness could be found on him even though he had pulled an all nigher.

    I guess this chase did lead to some benefits. I still don¡¯t know much about where the leaf came from but I found this nt!

    Vein of the Sky really is an amazing medicinal herb!

    No wonder the Ji family used such a big plot ofnd to nt it.

    Shao Xuan had wrapped the rest of the roots in some soil and leaves to prevent its scent from leaking out. He wasn¡¯t sure if the scent would attract any animals but he wasn¡¯t willing to risk that.

    Looking at the still wriggling flying squirrel and therge Vein of the Sky, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes filled with passion.

    A worthwhile trip!

    Shao Xuan circled the area and roughly estimated that there were no less than fifty Veins of the Sky here. It wasn¡¯t as many nts at the Ji family field but he was satisfied. As long as there were nts here, there was still a possibility of getting the seeds which they could use to nt.

    Shao Xuan also guessed that after so many years, the reason fifty nts could survive was mostly because of thergest nt there. Just like the Thousand Grain Gold, in the battle for nutrients, only the winner gets to live, the losers only be nutrients for the winner.

    Thousand of years had passed, with countless seeds that fell on the ground and countless that germinated, only these fifty survived.

    These were thest victors of the ce. When the soil quality gets poorer and poorer some would die out. Shao Xuan was lucky to have found these remaining few. If possible, Shao Xuan hoped to bring all of them back to the tribe.

    If the tribe could provide sufficient nutrients and space for them to grow, would these Veins of the Sku start a new round of madness?

    Nobody has managed to inherit the items those three Ji family members left after a thousand years. The longevity leaf doesn¡¯t count as it was actually from the Yi family, the true treasure that they left was those Veins of the Sky that were growing nearby no one noticed.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn¡¯t know why they brought something the Yi family owned here or how they were as people but he wanted to thank them for what they had left here.

    After looking around, Shao Xuan walked up the small hill.

    This was the tallest hill in the area.

    He wanted to take a good look at his surroundings from an elevated point, in case he left out something.

    The view from the top showed the barrennd where he found the Veins of the Sky. There weren¡¯t many nts around them, the ones were all looked sickly or weak.

    The scanned the area bit by bit. He looked further ahead after he was done with the area near the cave. In that area, there were many kinds of nts fighting for nutrient, engaging in silent warfare.

    It was a normal forestnd without any invasive species with the Vein of the Sky. Shao Xuan was about to leave to dig more Veins of the Sky out when he notices something familiar.

    That was¡­

    He looked closer and his eyes nearly popped out.

    Ca¡­Cabbage*?!

 Chapter 525 - The Cabbage

    <strong>Chapter 525</strong>

    <strong>The Cabbage</strong>

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t believe what he was looking at. He looked at it for a while. After he was sure that he wasn¡¯t hallucinating, he went down the hill towards that familiar-looking vegetable.

    Shao Xuan had a good reason to not notice the cabbage even though he walked around the area a few times, it was way too big!

    The forest was home to all sorts of weird and unique nts, he also has seen his fair share of nts that had simr leaves so he didn¡¯t pay much attention to the flora as he walked.

    However, when he stood on the hill, it became hard to ignore, especially when he could see the thing as a whole.

    Although the leaves of the nt had some differences with a normal cabbage, it was almost identical to one. However, this cabbage, in particr, was taller than Shao Xuan!

    Shao Xuan stood before the odd vegetable and took a closer look at it.

    Shao Xuan heard a soft buzzing sound.

    He turned his head to find a worm as thick as his arms biting off bits from the outer leaf of the cabbage. It may have sensed Shao Xuan¡¯s presence because it stopped chomping and lifted half of its body up in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    If Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t prepared himself and knew it was a herbivorous worm, he would definitely think the creature before him was a snake.

    The worm had intricate patterns and spots that mimicked the look of a poisonous green snake found in the forest. Even the outline of the scales was clear from afar. The two ¡°eyes¡± on the worm¡¯s head really made it seem like a snake was staring at you.

    Shao Xuan had seen this type of worm too many times to be afraid. Instead, he observed it excitedly nearby.

    The worm sensed that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t a threat and continued his mission of demolishing the leaf.

    The worms in this forest needed years to transform into butterflies or a moth. This worm was near its transforming stage.

    Shao Xuan pulled away from his gaze from the worm to look at the huge vegetable before him.

    He used his dagger to slice off a piece and took a big whiff. It didn¡¯t have any weird smell but he didn¡¯t think it was wise to taste it. What was safe for the worm to eat may not be safe for him. He took the sliced piece and ced it before the flying squirrel. It didn¡¯t seem to show any interest for the leaf. Only after some agitation, it took a bite but immediately spat it out.

    Shao Xuan tried that a few more times only to find no changes when the flying squirrel bit and swallowed the leaf angrily.

    Fine, no more torturing the rodent.

    Shao Xuan walked around the surrounding forestnd near the cave. The nts around it didn¡¯t grow well because of the Vein of the Sky. That nt that he found just now was further away from the cave but it proved to be quite a strong species since it managed to squeeze a plot ofnd for itself in this crowded forest.

    After circling around the area, Shao Xuan found about thirty of those cabbages but only the first one he found thatrge.

    There were still many that didn¡¯t manage to grow to a significant size, some had obvious animal tracks on them, some were bitten by insects, leaving their leaves withrge holes. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t count those in as they most likely wouldn¡¯t survive, either killed by the animals orck of nutrients.

    Done with his counting, Shao Xuan headed towards the cave. He spent thest night observing the flying squirrel and the whole morning running around. He needed to recharge so he sat on the grass to rest and had some leftover meat from yesterday to ease his hunger.

    Shao Xuan thought about the origins of those cabbages.

    Are they native to thisnd?

    People nted vegetables simr to this nt too but theirs had thicker stem and roots. The tribespeople mostly ate the stems and the leaves were more of an afterthought. The cabbage here were slimmer looking with their stems thinner and longer. Thergest cabbages the tribe grew to Shao Xuan¡¯s waist but it was nothingpared to the cabbage he found here.

    Did it evolve?

    Shao Xuan was reminded of the vegetables by the sea.

    Shao Xuan had seen cabbage-looking crops at the Ji residence. However, those cabbages there hadrge leaves like the one here but their leaves aren¡¯t tightly coiled like this one and they were very short. Most of them reached Shao Xuan¡¯s knee. Many tribes didn¡¯t nt it as a crop as the yield was very small for that nt and it wasn¡¯t filling enough yet the ve masters loved it.

    Only the ve masters in King City liked the vegetable so much to use arge plot of theirnd to nt it. Hence, they were the only ones that had the seeds of that nt on that side of the sea.

    These cabbages didn¡¯t seem like the same kind the tribes here had, it also was quite different from the ones the ve masters had although they were simr. Up until now, Shao Xuan had never seen anywhere that had this type ofrge cabbage.

    The small tribe that lived here had some agriculture going on in this rather t terrain. It¡¯s rather likely they left some crops here.

    Could the three Ji family members have spread the seeds around the area before they left this world?

    Did the two simr nts breed together and form a superior gene?

    Was this the truth or was Shao Xuan overthinking?

    It would take forever to get a satisfactory result from artificial cultivation, even the crops they had in the tribe now had to be carefully selected to breed for a few generations.

    Right then, Shao Xuan was looking at the perfect mixture of two species from two different sides of the sea. It has the best characteristics from both sides, the ultimate strain with the best adaptability.

    This cabbage didn¡¯t spread upwards as the traditional ones do, its leaves curled like a ball instead.

    This cabbage had all its leaves curled into an oval other than the fewrger side leaves.

    Whether it was a mixed breed or it evolved into its current form, Shao Xuan was very satisfied with his discovery.

    But was it edible?

    Shao Xuan decided it take one back just to test around,

    Shao Xuan swung his sword at the originalrge cabbage he saw. The few outer leaves looked too old and caused the otherwise perfect oval to be inconvenient to pack so Shao Xuan cut those off too.

    Therge ball of vegetable that was taller than him was quite heavy, which meant the leaves were packed tightly together. Shao Xuan was happy to know that if this nt was edible, it could be a good crop for the tribe.

    He moved the cabbage back to the cave on this shoulder. He suddenly remembered he left something and went back for the flying squirrel.

    Shao Xuan was only greeted with a thoroughly bitten rope. It probably got away when Shao Xuan was looking for the cabbages. The flying squirrel must have healed quite a bit to have the energy to escape.

    The Veins of the Sky nearby didn¡¯t have any bite marks which meant the flying squirrel didn¡¯t notice them. Well, without looking at the roots the Veins of the Sky looked like any other nt there.

    Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve would have never thought the real treasure was the boring nt next to the cave. After all, who would randomly throw their ¡°treasures¡± to the ground?

    Shao Xuan covered up his trees and ced the neatly wrapped Vein of the Sky in his animal skin bag. After getting some morerge leaves and straw rope to tie the cabbage, he left.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t n to do much to the area then as was the only one there. He needed a lot more help to move therge Vein of the Sky if he wanted to nt it in the tribe.

    Other Veins of the Sky and cabbages were precious too, so Shao Xuan would order some tribespeople to take all of them back to the tribe.

    The guards were on high alert in the tribe after the chase yesterday.

    They saw a suspicious figure carrying a huge ball on their shoulders. They were ready to attack but immediately dropped their weapons to greet the figure when they knew it was Shao Xuan.

    They had no idea what he was carrying but it must be something special for him to personally carry it back.

    The guards weren¡¯t the only ones curious about that unidentified object, anyone that saw Shao Xuan was curious too. The ball wasrge so it was hard to ignore.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t exin anything to them. He just carried that ball of vegetable and rushed into the tribe quickly.

 Chapter 526 - Dig!

    <strong>Chapter 526</strong>

    <strong>Dig!</strong>

    As soon as Shao Xuan reached the tribe, he called for the shamans, chiefs and hunt leaders to gather.

    Promptly, the two shamans, two chiefs and three hunt leaders rushed into the house.

    The messengers quickly delivered Shao Xuan¡¯s message to them. Knowing that Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t gather them for a small matter like this, they dropped what they were doing and headed over.

    They were relieved to know that Shao Xuan made it back safely after chasing the two robbers but what was making him rush back so urgently?

    The few saw therge object as soon as they stepped into the house.

    ¡°What is this?¡± asked the shaman.

    Shao Xuan peeled the rope and therge leaves back to reveal the emerald green cabbage.

    They were in the house that they used for meetings which had a wide stone door so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have to squeeze the vegetable in. He was also careful when transporting it. Hence, the cabbage kept its original shape.

    ¡°I found something that may be very useful,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    As he was speaking, someone walked into the house. It was Guang Yi.

    Shao Xuan met Guang Yi in the Fearsome Beast Forest when he was heading back to the tribe. He asked Guang Yi to get two birds for him and bring it to the meeting house.

    Guang Yi was holding two cubs as he entered the house. They were Dumb Birds from the Lu tribe.

    ¡°Dumb Birds¡± were a type ofrge birds that Shao Xuan seen before in the Lu tribe. Their upper limbs evolved to be degenerated so they could not fly, not that theirrge bodies allowed it in the first ce. They had thick legs and were meaty. The Lu tribe reared them for food. Maybe they were tamed by the Lu tribe for too long, they almost lost all of their survival instinct. These birds were much dumber than any animal in the forest so they got the name ¡®Dumb Bird¡¯.

    In their expansion, the ming Horn tribe did cultivate a lot more farnd and built more animal pens to meet their increased demands for food. They already bought some animal younglings to breed.

    The Dumb Birds were the first batch to arrive. Although they were still babies, they were muchrger than adult ducks.

    Guang Yi brought another adult bird too but it was left on the wagon outside because it wasrger.

    ¡°What are the birds for?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°To test if this is edible.¡± Shao Xuan plucked two leaves from the cabbage and ced one in front of the two young birds and the other into the adult¡¯s mouth.

    Even though the flying squirrel was fine after it ate it, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    Shao Xuan was even thinking about mashing the leaves into a paste if the birds didn¡¯t want to eat the leaves but they all dug into it happily.

    The lifeless bird on the wagon became energetic after a few bites. It bit on the leaf at a much faster pace than the young birds.

    The people in the house soon understood Shao Xuan¡¯s intentions as they looked at the birds feasting happily.

    ¡°This¡­ is edible?!¡± said Zheng Luo excitedly.

    The tribe members always felt a sense of aplishment when they found a new edible nt. They were a family of edible beasts from their years of hunting but they had limited knowledge of edible nts.

    They were excited about the new addition to their diets. The few nts they brought over from the other side of the sea hadn¡¯t borne any fruits or matured so they had a limited selection of fruits and grains to repeat every day.

    They didn¡¯t have a shortage of food. Even with just hunting and gathering in the forest, they had plenty of food to pass around. Being able to nt a new species was more of a status symbol.

    Even the visiting tribes knew that having something others don¡¯t is a sign of how well your tribe is doing. They brought along speciality produce from their tribes as a gift to ming Horn.

    The times were different now, any tribe that arger variety of crops were better than others.

    Duo Kang thought to himself, ¡¯nting this as a bluff would be great too. This will surely shock the other tribes.¡¯

    A vegetable ball grown exclusively in the ming Horn Tribe?

    Doesn¡¯t sound bad. Who said ming Horn couldn¡¯t produce novelty vegetables. Not anyone can grow such a big nt!

    Everyone in the house stared at the huge vegetable ball, lost in their thoughts. Shao Xuan had no idea what their actual thoughts were. He just continued observing the two birds.

    Ten minutes passed.

    One of the younglings pooped and looked slightly tired but it was overall still fine. The adult one outside was even more energetic than before and was fussing to have another piece.

    Seeing as the birds didn¡¯t face any problems, Duo Kang volunteered to try it, ¡°Why not I have a taste?¡±

    ¡°Wait, no need to rush.¡± Shao Xuan stopped him from tearing a leaf.

    ¡°Why not? If it really is edible, we should hurry to nt it. We can¡¯t let the other tribes get this!¡± Duo Kang really wanted to show it off to the other tribes.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the most important thing.¡± Shao Xuan reached into his bag to get the Vein of the Sky.

    He carefully removed the dirt from the nt and lifted the Vein of the Sky that was missing a small part of its root.

    ¡°This¡­ is it¡­¡± Gui He couldn¡¯t quite name the familiar-looking nt.

    Ta looked at the roots and said, ¡°I think I¡¯ve seen this before but not really.¡±

    Ta was contradicting himself but everyone there understood what he meant. It felt familiar but they were sure they had never seen a nt like this before.

    Shao Xuan could rte to them. They all had a basic understanding of anatomy from their hunting experiences but they never saw the full circtory system of a human before. Furthermore, when they activate their totemic energy, they can feel the energy slowly spreading through their bodies following the paths of their blood vessels so in a way, they can ¡°see¡± the vessels.

    That was why Gui He and the rest said it felt familiar.

    ¡°It looks like our veins so it¡¯s called Vein of the Sky!¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Vein of the Sky?!!¡± Zheng Luo and the old shamaness shouted at the same time.

    When they were at the sea, they heard about this nt before but never saw it. Thest time they even heard about it was from the people of The tribe which was years ago.

    ¡°Vein of the Sky? The nt that can connect broken blood vessels?!¡± The old shamaness¡¯s voice was shaking from excitement.

    Duo Kang and Zheng Luo had their faces red with anticipation too.

    ¡°So that is what the Vein of the Sky looks like!¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan where did you find it?!¡±

    Eight pairs were looking at Shao Xuan attentively now.

    Shao Xuan told them a quick recap of how he found the two nts.

    As they listened to Shao Xuan¡¯s descriptions, they usually calm andposed elders had heavy breaths thinking about the possibility of a thousand-year-old Vein of the Sky.

    ¡°Dig it out!!¡± The two shamans said.

    The chiefs and hunt leaders rubbed their fists and palms, ready to get everything on the piece ofnd.

    ¡°For the cabbages¡­¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That too!¡±

    ¡°Dig them. Dig them all!¡±

    Even a dumbass would know how valuable the Vein of the Sky is and the people of ming Horn would not let go of this opportunity. The cabbages had untapped potential. They were edible and wererge. Maybe they grew fast too or more importantly they had strong adaptability!

    They had nothing to lose.

    If the yield was bad, they still have something to harvest. Theirrge scale farming just started so everything was still in the testing phase, nothing was out of the discussion.

    If they managed to sessfully nt these two nts, this wouldn¡¯t be a small feat and could greatly boost the tribes people¡¯s confidence.

    In the ancestral records, during their golden ages, ming Horn tribe were not only one of the best in battles but also in farming, crafting and other skills. Currently, ming Horn was waking up from their slumber to restore their ce as the best in the world.

    The leaders discussed the house a little longer before checking in on the birds. The birds were all fine.

    That proved it, the nt was edible.

    Now, they were determined.

    There wasn¡¯t much time to experiment around. They were afraid the other tribes would notice the nts so they had to act quickly and move all the nts to the tribe before continuing their experiments,

    Hence, Shao Xuan led arge group of people into the forest, including one chief, two hunt leaders and many team leaders. It would be hard to ignore such arge movement in the tribe, maybe one or two from the visiting tribes had followed them but they didn¡¯t care. It was theirs, they won¡¯t show any mercy for those who tried to challenge them!

 Chapter 527 - There Are Many Thieves These Days

    Chapter 527

    There Are Many Thieves These Days

    Zheng Luo, Duo Kang and Gui He were among those that followed Shao Xuan. They were neighbours to the green-thumbed Taihe tribe and had experience in digging things so the shamans weren¡¯t that worried about them.

    The reason why Gui He went instead of Ta was that Ta was the owner of the white falcon in charge of air patrol after Chacha went missing.

    Even though they knew they couldn¡¯t hide from everyone, precautions were still necessary.

    Ta was upset at this arrangement. He missed his chance when the brothers came from the sea and this chance. The visitors that were out talking to ming Horn tribespeople could see this long face.

    Shao Xuan exhaled in relief when he saw the surroundings of the cave in the same state as he left it.

    ¡°This is it.¡± Shao Xuan pointed out the Veins of the Sky to everyone.

    The crowd got excited at the thought of their tribe owning such a precious nt.

    ¡°Eh, is that the cabbage you mentioned?¡± Zheng Luo pointed at an oval nt.

    ¡°Yes, it is. I only brought back the middle part.¡±

    Zheng Luo nodded in satisfaction at therge vegetable. Without wasting time, he delegated work to everyone in the team.

    The normally gruff men of the tribe were extra cautious here knowing that this area was filled with treasure. Each step was carefully calcted, afraid they would identally kill a nt.

    Theck of roughness when handling the treasures were apparent.

    Which was new for the people of the ming Horn tribe.

    Shao Xuan knew they weren¡¯t familiar with Veins of the Sky so he marked out each nt in the area for them to work more efficiently.

    These warriors, who usually used a stone club thicker than a human to whack beasts, were now nervously using a shovel norger than their palms to delicately dig the nt out.

    A few digs in he asked, ¡°Grand Elder, am I doing this right?¡±

    A few more digs in, he asked, ¡°Chief, do I continue?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Dig! Hurry up! At this rate, we¡¯ll be here forever!¡±

    Zheng Luo couldn¡¯t stand waiting around anymore and took a small shovel himself. He sat down with great force but as soon as his shovel hit the ground, it was as if he pulled the breaks on his strength. The shovel was only a nail deep into the ground.

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    These strong brutes could kill beasts without breaking a sweat but they were all sweating buckets now from digging a few holes.

    They were all too nervous from their first time doing something like this.

    Shao Xuan was in charge of thergest nt. Zheng Luo didn¡¯t want to miss out on this as chief and headed over after a few digs at his original nt.

    Zheng Luo, Duo Kang and even theparatively calmer Gui He were all shaking from nervousness before they started digging. They shivered at every move Shao Xuan made, afraid that the Grand Elder might damage the nt. In the end, they knew this wasn¡¯t helping anyone and followed Shao Xuan¡¯s lead to dig.

    Their goal was to nt these Veins of the Sky in the tribe so they had to keep the roots intact for it to survive.

    They didn¡¯t need to shake off all the soil from the roots so they all started arge circle around the nt before going into detail.

    Sometimes he used the shovel, other times he used the brush, Shao Xuan was having fun in this mission to bring back the nts.

    Even though the roots looked thin, they were all quite strong, especially for the seemingly thousand-year-old nt. Duo Kang identally hit one of the roots while digging. As he nervously went to check on that part, he dered it to be mostly fine except for a tiny dent. Its skin was not even scratched.

    As the tribesmen got used to the motions and their nerves rxed, the productivity was greatly increasing.

    The white hawk in the sky had a few warming cries. If it spotted anything suspicious headed their way, the people had to move.

    Caesar was dragged out by Shao Xuan too to guard the area with the warriors. Wolves had sharper senses than humans and could catch something the guards missed.

    By the time the sun was setting, thergest Vein of the Sky was out from the ground. From far, the roots looked like a circtory system of a ten-meter giant.

    Shao Xuan used arge cloth and some dirt to cover the roots.

    It wasn¡¯t advisable to stay in this area for long so they took their treasures and headed back to the tribe.

    ¡°Is everyone done?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Most of them. All the Veins of the Sky are done but some smaller cabbages are still in the ground,¡± said Zheng Luo.

    ¡°Never mind those, wrap those that are done and leave the rest. We cane backter. You all pack up, I¡¯ll head to the cave for a while.¡±

    Shao Xuan brought a y pot and lifted the stone b. Then, he jumped down.

    The three skeletons were still in that same position. Maybe they were stuck in the same position for the past thousand years.

    Shao Xuan ced the small pot beside them and put some grains in it.

    Finders keepers. It was themon rule for the tribes. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t feel remorse for taking everything here. The ming Horn tribe had grudges against many of those from the Ji family in King City anyway. Those King City people even tried to kill them before.

    Although he didn¡¯t know the identity of these three, nor what happened here long ago, Shao Xuan still came back here. This was only because Ji Ju said that if he was ever found in a situation like this, he hoped a kind stranger would ce a pot of grains for him, nothing fancy just a pot of grains.

    Ji Ju was one of the few Ji family members that treated ming Horn tribespeople well. The seeds they had and the techniques to nt them were all from Ji Ju so Shao Xuan kept his words to heart.

    Shao Xuan emerged from the cave and looked to the sky. He then joined the group and carried the freshly dug nts back to the tribe before it got dark.

    As the sky got darker, it got harder to see things clearly. Those that followed the group there could only see the figures of warriors carrying things back from afar.

    Some went to try to locate the cave after the warriors left but it was impossible to find any clue to where it was. The tribesmen did a very good job of hiding it by moving all the surrounding soil around.

    The followers could only guess that the tribesmen dug something here but they didn¡¯t know what.

    The people of ming Horn didn¡¯t try to hide everything, people knew that Shao Xuan had found a new type of food and brought people there to dig it out. However, even people in the inner circle weren¡¯t informed about the Vein of the Sky.

    The visitors went to bed with a head full of confusion only to find out the next day something big had happened in the tribe.

    In one of the newly cultivated areas, the tribespeople had barricaded thend with tall wooden nks without leaving a single hole to peep into. There were also several guards stopping people from getting too close.

    The tribespeople from Tianshan tribe couldn¡¯t resist being in the dark and went towards their eagles but just as they ascended, the guards forcefully stopped them.

    The guards were strict with the visitors. It was theirnd if you didn¡¯t want to follow the rules you can leave! No need to deal with theworking bullshit. They¡¯ll shoot you down the next time!

    The upset Tianshan people didn¡¯tin for once but they were still very curious. What were the ming Horn people guarding so tightly?

    The other tribes were also advised to stay back for the guards to exin the situation.

    Except when they heard their exnation, the excitement immediately dissipated.

    A new vegetable? That¡¯s it? Every tribe there had enough food, even the Tianshan tribe and Hui tribe that didn¡¯t rely on agriculture.

    There was nothing exciting about a new type of food for the tribes.

    Why were they guarding it so tightly for something so small?

    These ming Horn people are really petty and ignorant for making that such a big deal!

    At the same time, all the Veins of the Sky were nted in the fields in the forests. After a few days, the nts were showing a stronger sense of vitality with fewerpetitors in the area for nutrients.

    Gratified smiles hung from the faces of the two shamans as they looked at the Veins of the Sky. Therge cabbages got everyone¡¯s attention so these Veins of the Sky were more low-key.

    ¡°We need extra hands here.¡±

    ¡°For sure.¡±

    ¡°Do not loosen the security for the cabbages.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    As the shaman and chiefs chatted on, Shao Xuan looked in a direction.

    ¡°What is it, Shao Xuan?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°There are many thieves these days.¡±

 Chapter 528 - Guess

    <strong>Chapter 528</strong>

    <strong>Guess</strong>

    The rest of the faces paled when they heard Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Another one came?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°But they¡¯re gone now.¡±

    After some thought, Shao Xuan said, ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like the one from before.¡±

    Shao Xuan was referring to the aura he felt at the wander¡¯s district not long ago. It felt familiar to that one but was still different.

    Zheng Luo and Ao couldn¡¯t feel the presence of that aura but they weren¡¯t going to doubt Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I did what you told me to dost time. I think there¡¯s more than one that¡¯s hiding here,¡± said Ao.

    When Shao Xuan caught Robber Eleven and limited Robber twelve¡¯s movements, Shao Xuan sent the guards back with a message to Zheng Luo and Ao.

    As Shao Xuan released Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve, he spread something on their bodies.

    The people of the ming Horn Tribe would smear a type of powder on beasts that had special medicinal properties or had valuable body parts during their first encounter while hunting. They did this too to beasts that had the tendency to run away.

    Most of the powders had a strong smell to them like the one they used on the thieves at the beach. The scent made it impossible for the thieves to hide from them.

    The powder used for tracking had a faint scent that only some beasts could smell. Most people wouldn¡¯t smell a thing.

    Shao Xuan had smeared thetter on the two robbers.

    The message told the two chiefs were to use some beasts with a sensitive nose to patrol the area.

    Shao Xuan hoped to use the two robbers as a medium to pass on the scent to people around them, especially Robber Seven that was harder to catch.

    ording to Ao, Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve had been back to the tribe after they were released but they only stayed in the outskirts.

    Ao was sure that there were some others that were lurking around in the area. Within those was that better and strong robber that Shao Xuan mentioned.

    ¡°There should be other robbers other than eleven, twelve and seven but they may not be here as a team.¡± Zheng Luo found it to be troublesome for the tribe to be the target of anyone that good at staying hidden, especially if they were the famous robbers.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually wondering how did they get here so quickly? As soon as the battle ended a few of robbers appeared.¡± Shao Xuan said his thoughts aloud. News in his area travelled slow, the few tribes could gather this quickly because they were already spying on them but how did the robbers that were spread across the world and weren¡¯t spying on the tribe get here? These robbers were high ranking ones too.

    What attracted them to ming Horn?

    Their victory against Wanshi wouldn¡¯t attract so many masters over. The Robbers were here to rob not like the others that were here to check out the situation.

    The shaman agreed, ¡°Right, these robbers should be after something in our tribe.¡±

    ¡°Are they after our fire seed? Or our core seed?!¡± said the old shamaness.

    The few in discussion couldn¡¯te to a conclusion but they all knew they should be vignt. They weren¡¯t worried about the fire seed but they need to take extra care of the core seed.

    Shao Xuan thought about the chase just now. The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the two weren¡¯t just here to the longevity leaf. They had two years to retrieve it why did they wait until now to move?

    Then if the intruder in the wanderer district really was Robber Seven as Robber Eleven said then the robbers arrived here much earlier than the other tribes.

    They may have even arrived here before the Battle of Wanshi!

    ¡°Something must have happened without us knowing,¡± said Shao Xuan with a sigh. Although he had some straw rope with him now, he had no way of finding out what happened but his gut was telling him that they weren¡¯t here because of Wanshi!

    ¡°Do you think those visitors at the edge of our tribe is hiding something from us?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Possible. Wouldn¡¯t be the first or second time they did that.¡± Ao¡¯s tone was filled with resentment.

    They were even spurring bullshit about cooperating and teamwork!

    Ao had the impulse to hack at people while looking at his axe. He disliked everything about them! If he didn¡¯t know it would be bad timing for them to pick a fight with the other tribes, he would have done it.

    As they spoke, someone from the Hui tribe came to meet Shao Xuan.

    Not the two chiefs or the shaman but just Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Who is calling for me?¡± Shao Xuan asked the messenger.

    ¡°Gu La from the Hui tribe.¡±

    ¡°Just him?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    The shaman said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Go and check out what he has to say.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Shao Xuan got someone to bring Gu La to his house.

    With the fire seed from ming Horn now gone, anyone that passed by the fire pond wouldn¡¯t feel the intense pressure from the fire seed. Hence, when Gu La walked over he didn¡¯t feel any external pressure.

    That made him suspicious that something happened to the fire seed in ming Horn tribe but he had no idea what the changes might be. He knew it wasn¡¯t his ce to ask more about any tribe¡¯s fire seed. He was here to talk about a different matter anyway.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s house, Old Ke was polishing stone tools in another room with Caeser was standing guard outside so no one would be spying on them.

    ¡°Why did you want to meet me?¡± Shao Xuan passed a cup of tea to Gu La.

    Gu La absent-mindedly sipped the tea but frowned at its bitterness. After he swallowed he ced the cup down and thought for a while before saying, ¡°Did you notice suspicious people in your tribe?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean the two I chased the other day?¡± asked Shao Xuan, looking directly into Gu La¡¯s eyes.

    Gu La had a calm expression on his face but his eyes gave him away. His fingers were tapping nervously on his knee as if he was thinking about making a hard decision.

    In a grave tone, ¡°No, not them. There may be more.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He has insider information?!

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Gu La didn¡¯t answer directly but said, ¡°You know, we few tribes focused on the desert for the past two years. We know everything that happens there.¡± With an awkward smile, he continued, ¡°But we didn¡¯t notice the ming Horn tribe.¡±

    Gu La was referring to the time the ming Horn tribe brought so many people out from the desert. They never found an exnation for that.

    After looking at Shao Xuan he noticed that the Grand Elder didn¡¯t want to exin anything so he continued after a cough, ¡°Actually after you left the desert, another group of people left soon after. The people from Rock Hill City. We thought the Desert King sent out people to hunt the ve masters that ran away because they were headed in this direction.¡±

    ¡°But, up until now, I haven¡¯t seen anyone from Rock Hill City,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Of course you haven¡¯t. They went in from the other side of the Fearsome Beast Forest, not from your tribe.¡±

    The Fearsome Beast Forest covered arge area. ming Horn tribe was only a small part of its border. It would be possible for people to enter the forest without the ming Horn tribespeople noticing. Ever since they returned to the out haunt, they had only been on one long-distance hunting expedition. They spent most of their time in nearby areas,

    If they didn¡¯t go into the forest, they naturally wouldn¡¯t know what happened in the forest.

    ¡°You mean the Rock Hill people were aiming for the forest?¡± asked Shao Xuan. They weren¡¯t after Wanshi or ming Horn but the forest?

    ¡°It seemed that they were looking for something, We don¡¯t know what that thing is. When you brought back a new discovery, some thought that you found one fo their secrets,¡± said Gu La with a bitter smile. In the end, they were disappointed by the news of the new vegetable.

    Shao Xuan thought hard, what would make the Shi family send out people to this far away forest?

    Gu La¡¯s words hinted at many things but most importantly, these people¡¯s targets may not be ming Horn but something in the forest.

    At the same time, Gu La conveyed that Hui tribe was willing to work with ming Horn tribe.

    Gu La left soon after he said what he needed to.

    Shao Xuan passed on Gu La¡¯s words to the chiefs and shamans for them to prepare for what¡¯sing.

 Chapter 529 - The Cabbage Thief

    Chapter 529

    The Cabbage Thief

    It was nearing the end of the year, they should be entering autumn with the temperature decreasing slightly each day. Instead, the temperature was rising with the Fearsome Beast Forest was even more active than before.

    ¡°It was the same situationst year.¡± The old shaman sat atop a boulder and sighed as she looked at the faraway forest, ¡°No, this year is hotter thanst year.¡±

    The more unpredictable the weather was, the more anxious they people were.

    However, their experience fromst year assured the people and with the two tribes merging, they feltfort in knowing they were in this together.

    After experiencing the freezing winters on the other side of the sea, Zheng Luo and the rest weren¡¯t used to this summer-like weather. The warmth should be better than the cold right?

    The warmth also brought along its fair share of problems. The animals that were supposed to settle for the cold were now all oddly energetic. The flying insects were one of them, they annoyed the hunters whenever they entered the forest. Animals that were supposed to hibernate such as poisonous snakes were all energetic which were troublesome for the hunters.

    ¡°What is happening there?¡± The old shamaness noticed a group of warriors rushing out from the forest.

    ¡°Young man, what happened over there?¡± The old shamaness stopped Ke Ke that was running towards that direction.

    After hearing the shamaness call for him Ke Ke immediately went to exin, ¡°Shamaness, we were told the bugs were eating the cabbages and the chief wanted us there to help with the situation.¡±

    ¡°Bugs?¡± The two shamans were shocked. They immediately thought of the Veins of the Sky in the forest and rushed to thends to check on them.

    Luckily, not a single flying bug was in sight near the Veins of the Sky. Not many bugs were there in general. It seemed that the nts were naturally pest repellent. Of course, this was limited to unbroken Veins fo the Sky.

    The two shamans felt great relief and went on to help with the insect infestation. They had nted many seeds with some not even germinating. They were afraid the cabbages were in trouble too.

    ¡°These insects weren¡¯t this active in the past years.¡± The shaman had worry seeping out of her eyes,

    Except forst year, the current situation was out of character for the area. They never had a problem with insects until the odd weather kicked in and caused the insects to skip their hibernation period.

    In addition to that, the fields were close to the forest so many insects were attracted to it.

    They would face the asional wave of attacks from flying insects but it was nothing more than the farmers could handle. They never needed help from warriors like this.

    Shao Xuan arrived to a mess in the fields.

    Swords, knives, batons and hammers were flung around.

    Shao Xuan swatted an insect to inspect it. It was nearly twenty centimetres long.

    It was light yellowish-green in colour, with tworge protruding eyes, a wide torso matched with a thin abdomen. Two neatly transparent wings with web patterns sprouted on its back. Five pairs of thin feet that had ws. The frontmost pair was used to hold items like when they grabbed leaves.

    This bug had a mouth that was capable of chewing things, it was especially great at chewing leaves.

    These were the bugs that were troubling those mightly warriors that had no trouble fighting huge beasts. When therge swarm came at once, they were flustered because there wasn¡¯t a way to deal with these flying critters. Shooting arrows at them didn¡¯t seem suitable.

    They didn¡¯t exactly soar in the sky but the warriors had no way of flying so the bugs still had the height advantage.

    Even if they could jump quite hight, it was still tedious to kill the insects. It was quite a frequent urrence for two warriors to bump into each other mid-air without killing any bugs.

    Someone had the idea to catch them withs but the farnds were toorge for it to work efficiently. Unless they were usings with extremely small holes, the bugs could also fly through the holes.

    After much effort and thisrge team of warriors, the bugs were finally exterminated.

    ¡°Someone went to cover thends with thes but this won¡¯t solve the problem,¡± said Mai as he looked at the holes on the leaves.

    Shao Xuan was thinking about the problem too.

    Thes they were currently using to cover them had very tiny holes which blocked the sunlight going through. It could block some bugs but this solution can only be used temporarily.

    What about pesticides?

    For one, they haven¡¯t discovered one safe for consumption yet. What they needed was highly specific and the tribe didn¡¯t have the resources for that kind of research.

    ¡°Just use us for now,¡± said the exhausted Ke Ke. He was sweating buckets. Not only did the warriors need to eliminate the bugs, but they also had to be careful to not step on the crops too. It was a tough job.

    Some tried to whack the insects with nks of wood but they had various degrees of sess.

    ¡°Make some small holes on the nts then make the lower part of the nts thinner to make it into a handle, it¡¯ll be easier to hold,¡± sais Shao Xuan.

    The warriors holding the nks faces immediately brightened up, they then went to chisel the nks.

    Some started to gather the carcasses topost. The Dumb Birds didn¡¯t eat this kind of bugs, the other beasts they had were mostly herbivores too.

    Shao Xuan looked around his surroundings and headed towards the casting room.

    The cabbages in the field weren¡¯t a secret anymore so the security in the area was slightly looser now. After the big fight during the day, the guards were tired when night came.

    A figure snuck in, moving as if it was floating. Hended on the ground without making a sound.

    The figure listened to the surroundings and made sure no one noticed them. He ¡°floated¡± once again. Just like a butterflynding on a flower, hended on one of the cabbages.

    No one had yet to noticed him.

    He hid behind a cabbage taller than a human and took a whiff of the leaf he sliced off. The took a leaf closer to the centre of the vegetable, he heard from the ming Horn tribesmen that the more central the leaf was, the tastier and crunchier it was. He had observed the nts for a few days and he finally got the chance to taste it.

    He always liked vegetables over meat. The leaf tasted fresh and crunchy.

    Staying hidden for so long paid off.

    Thend wasn¡¯t brightly lit from the two moons that night. It was rather cloudly, causing the guards to not notice the man hidden behind thatrge vegetable.

    After he finished his little tester, the man scanned the area. He remembered there was arger cabbage here. With a little jump, he spotted it.

    Imagine the shock when they find theirrgest cabbage missing tomorrow. He got rather excited from thinking about their reactions.

 Chapter 530 - Flying Thieves

    Chapter 530

    Flying Thieves

    Initially, he came not for the ming Horn tribe. He only knew that a tribe came to this inessible mountain forest, but after he arrived, he heard that the ming Horn even destroyed the Wanshi tribe, and even forced the ve masters who had escaped from the desert to leave. Now he was suddenly interested.

    The final goal was not important for the time being, because it could not be easily found any time soon. Let others scout first. He would stay and enjoy his time in ming Horn for a few days. Unexpectedly, the ming Horn tribe was an even more difficult target than what the rumours said. He¡¯d been found several times, but he won in speed and his instincts were sharp. He could escape before the other party caught up to him every time. This was the main reason he continued to stay in ming Horn.

    As long as he could escape, so what if they found him?

    The ming Horn people couldn¡¯t catch him anyway.

    It was just that the ming Horn¡¯s site defence in the forest was too tight. He waited for so long but still couldn¡¯t sneak in. Especiallyst time, he¡¯d remained in the wanderer¡¯s settlement area for a long time, and almost found the chance to take a step forward, but people saw him.

    As he thought about robbers eleven and twelve who were once caught, he chuckled softly. They were merely robbers who didn¡¯t even make it into the top ten. How could theypare with him? The people of the ming Horn really thought that because they could catch one or two, they could catch even more ¡°robbers¡±?

    How naive!

    He devised a n to cut off thergest cabbage in the ming Horn¡¯s tightly guarded ground to teach them a lesson. The more he thought about it, the more satisfied he was.

    The fact that ming Horn guarded this piece ofnd so tightly showed that this was a very important property to them. If the vegetables in the field were stolen, more guards would definitely be mobilized. When the ming Horn shifted theirplete focus onto the cabbage field, it would be his chance to sneak into the forest.

    ¡®I¡¯m so clever!¡¯ he thought.

    In the nighttime, a ck shadow walked silently among the tall cabbage. It was more nimble and agile than the grass snakes that normally slithered in the dark night.

    Even then, no guards noticed him.

    As he focused on the biggest cabbage that he was getting closer to, he raised his brow slightly and bent his knees. His whole figure was like grass blown by the breeze, flying lightly, with a ck thin de in his hand. He was like a beast who had his eyes on prey. He revealed his ws and went straight for the cabbage ball in the middle of the cabbage.

    But just as he was ready to put his hands on the cabbage ball, his scalp suddenly went numb. He sensed danger. In the dark night, a pair of eyes suddenly appeared!

    No, it wasn¡¯t only one pair, but two!!

    Two people found him!

    A spear flew swiftly, whistling as it split the air. It was like a viper waiting in the dark that finally revealed its fangs.

    The spear came very quickly, and very suddenly. There was no time to prepare at all, and the shadow that was being ambushed had already jumped into the air. Theoretically, people who were mid-air had limited mobility.

    However, before the spear arrived, the ck figure leapt like a thin leaf suddenly pushed by another airflow. He flipped swiftly, smoothly dodging the spear, and retreated unharmed.

    Ao never expected this person to change the direction of his flip in midair without the aid of any external forces. He even managed to dodge the spear attack.

    Ever since he knew that ¡°robbers¡± were extremely difficult to deal with, Ao thought of many ways and finally decided to stay in one ce. Before he found the target, he hid his breath and didn¡¯t use any totemic power. He even weakened his breathing and heartbeat as much as possible so he seemed just like everyone else. He did not focus all his attention on the person who sneaked into the cabbage field. Shao Xuan had told him before that the other party had an extremely keen insight. It could only work if he didn¡¯t purposely put his attention on the robber. With just a stare, he would detect your presence and escape immediately.

    Therefore, Ao only shot when Shao Xuan gave him a signal. Before that, Ao only pretended he didn¡¯t notice the robber.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think of running!¡± Ao¡¯s eyebrows were fiercely arched as he flipped into the vegetable field, took a huge stride, and jumped. He waved the stone axe in his hand while a majestic force rose instantly within him like an angry wave, powerful and ready to drown the people in front of him. His domineering presence and energy spread out and enveloped the entire cabbage field.

    As a leader, Ao¡¯s strength was never doubted.

    If other fighters were threatened by Ao¡¯s violent momentum, even if they made no mistakes, their actions would be slowed down. However, the shadow that escaped was not so.

    Strange energy started to rise quickly, and it was different from the me of the ming Horn, like a strong gust of wind that suddenly rose in the moonless night. It was as if everything around was blocked, giving people a hazy sense of perplexity.

    The ck shadow, like a sharp cold air rising in the dark, stirred in the night, disturbing Ao¡¯s oppressive energy that enveloped the field.

    All of this happened in the split of a second, with only a face-to-face encounter, the other party not only avoided the attack but also gained in momentum!

    In order to hide better from the cunning thief, Ao did not discuss with those who guarded the vegetable field. However, after hearing their movement, the people around the vegetable plot became rmed and wanted to stop the figure who was trying to escape.

    Soldiers with various weapons jumped up and stood on the surrounding wooden fence, like a long wall made of people, sealing off the other party¡¯s escape route. Outside, people started to surround the area.

    Ao was very confident. There was no way the thief could escape. The clouds in the sky moved and revealed one of the two moons behind it.

    Even as he was faced with the ming Horn¡¯s tight defence and the pursuit of people led by Ao in the back, the thief was not at all worried. He munched on a piece of cabbage leaf left on the side of his mouth and there was not even a hint of tension in his eyes as he fled. His pupils were like stubborn stones lying in the dark night. Sly delight shed across them.

    Whoosh! It sounded like the howling of arrows shot into the air. Swoosh swoosh swoosh! The sounds continued one after another as if someone had suddenly shot ten million sharp arrows.

    However, this was merely the sound made by the thief. Totemic power suddenly erupted and reached its climax. Under the ignition of the firepower, the airflow released from the inneryer of his skin were like tiny hurricanes rushing out of his pores.

    As the man bent downwards and squatted slightly, he suddenly shot upwards, like a sky cannon set off by a burning fuse. With the whizzing noise, he flew out at a rapid speed and created a huge gap between him and Ao, who was chasing after him.

    The opponent did not have any other ways to escape. He ran directly towards the wooden fence on the edge of the vegetable field. The path was the shortest route of escape from the vegetable field. Although there was a wall of ming Horn warriors blocking his way, he seemed like he didn¡¯t care about them at all.

    He chose not to detour, but to hit them directly?!

    Faced with the figure rushing towards them, the ming Horn warriors were a little terrified, but they held their weapons tightly and prepared to stop him. However, they heard a short howl that was even sharper than before, like someone blew a whistle.

    The ck shadow that had rushed to the wooden fence suddenly flipped in the air, pulled upwards, and then rushed to escape from the vegetable field again. He broke away from this encirclement that was not easily formed.

    He suddenly pulled high,pletely beyond the expectations of the ming Horn warriors. Even if they tried jumping now it would be toote. They could only watch the other party fly over from above.

    The chief himself was leading this expedition, and there were so many of them¨C yet they couldn¡¯t stop a mere vegetable thief!

    Ao looked at the figure who was drifting farther away, and his heart was full of anger and depression. He recalled Shao Xuan saying that ¡°robbers¡± were difficult to catch, but now he really experienced it.

    Uncanny behaviour, unpredictable, and unexpected techniques emerging one after another, is this ¡°robbery¡±?

    Under the moonlight, the one who escaped from the cabbage field had a growing smile on the corners of his mouth.

    Think you can catch me? Do you really think I¡¯m as useless as robbers Eleven and Twelve, the ones who couldn¡¯t even make it to the top ten?

    So what if you hide? So what if you all see me? All you can do is watch me escape!

    Hah!

    ming Horns, what a joke!!

    Just as he thought about this, his eyelids twitched. It was as if a stream of cold breeze entered his head through the ends of his hair, leaving them standing upright in fear.

    Who was that?!

    He heard whistles like a huge sweeping palm was approaching. It was so fast he couldn¡¯t change his direction in time.

    His pupils dted as he tried to see what wasing at him.

    What was that?!

    A?

    No, not a!

    Whatever it was, I must escape!

    However, the-like thing followed the shadow. There was the sound of friction as it whipped at the shadow in the air quickly.

    Bang!

    There was a loud explosion in the dark. Everyone heard the shuddering rumbles as it travelled far across thends.

    Everyone who heard this wondered whether the victim¡¯s skeleton was still intact. Had it dismantled from the vibrations?

    The ck figure flew out as the huge ¡± swept across. The whizzing airflow from his body stopped. Like a chicken suddenly caught by its neck, he stopped moving.

    There was an arc drawn mid-air as the shadow finally fell to the ground, rolled a few times, and stopped moving.

    Ao, who jumped out of the vegetable field, looked at the unidentifiable lump on the ground in the distance. He signalled the others to hurry and tie the person up, whether he was dead or alive.

    After giving instructions, Ao looked at Shao Xuan who was standing there.

    Shao Xuan stood calmly with a strangely shaped object in his hand. The lower end of the thing was like the handle of an erged spear, while the upper end looked like a square that was the length of two people. If you looked closely, you would find that the was fixed and hard, not as soft as the typical straw-wovens, and connected with a long handle.

    Ao had been puzzled when he saw Shao Xuan made this thing in the casting room.

    When he noticed Ao and the others staring, Shao Xuan turned the long handle. The above turned too.

    ¡°Just something designed to catch flying insects. Can¡¯t believe the first one it caught was a flying thief,¡± Shao Xuan said with augh.

 Chapter 531 - Looking for Stuff

    <strong>Chapter 531</strong>

    <strong>Looking for Stuff</strong>

    Regarding the incident in the cabbage field in the ming Horn tribe, many heard the noise but didn¡¯t know what happened. It was not until the next day when they heard that the patrolling team caught a vegetable thief.

    Were thieves stealing vegetables now? At this time of the year?

    The wanderers didn¡¯t get it. Why steal from the tightly guarded cabbage garden when there are loosely guarded grains enough to fill your stomach?

    What a strange thief.

    However, several figures lurking amongst the wanderers were suspicious and wanted to learn more about the incident. But unfortunately, during the time of the theft, it was night time, and generally after dark, everyone except the soldiers on patrol would be resting in their houses. Even if they heard the noise, without the notice of the patrolling soldiers, they would not rush out to watch. With their weak physique, any wrong move would cost their lives, so being too curious might end up getting them killed.

    Therefore, after the few figures asked around and received no relevant information, they could only return with their doubts unresolved.

    A few scattered figures gathered once again where the guards on patrol and wanderers didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°Who do you guys think was caughtst night?¡± a slightly deep voice inquired.

    ¡°Judging from the noisest night, would it have been Robber Seven? As far as I know, he seems to have had a great interest in that vegetable field for a long time.¡± remarked another with a hoarse voice. It seemed as if his throat had been seriously hurting, and listening to his voice made people feel ufortable.

    ¡°Robber Seven? Impossible, It can¡¯t be!¡± If Shao Xuan was here, he could definitely recognize the owner of this voice. This person who spoke was the thief who was previously caught by Shao Xuan, Robber Eleven.

    ¡°Out of us all, Robber Seven is most skilled in escaping. He is the best. Even if he was found, he could still escape from the ming Horns. It¡¯s probably not him,¡± Robber Twelve conceded.

    The first inquirer was silent for a moment. He stood up and looked around. ¡°But Robber Seven hasn¡¯t appeared yet. Even though he doesn¡¯t like to be part of the group, he wouldn¡¯t reject our invitation and choose not to show up. And even if he didn¡¯t want to show up, he would have at least expressed something instead of doing nothing.¡±

    Hearing the words, the others were silent.

    They really didn¡¯t believe it and didn¡¯t want to believe that the culprit was Robber Seven.

    If indeed it was Robber Seven who had been caught, then how would they even stand a chance?

    This was bad!

    About half an hour passed, and they still didn¡¯t see Robber Seven.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably him,¡± the hoarse voice said slowly, his voice resembling a de scratched on a rock. Just listening to him brought the goosebumps.

    Their facial expressions were full of mixed feelings, each in their own dispositions.

    ¡°We can¡¯t stay in ming Horn for any longer, let¡¯s leave and look for something else in the forest,¡± the first low voice said carefully.

    None of them had the slightest intention of saving Robber Seven for the moment.

    Comradery?

    What a joke! Robbers only looked out for themselves, when had there ever been such a thing?

    Getting caught just meant one was not skilled enough. He was out of luck and probably deserved it! Within the group, the happiest one was probably Robber Eleven. With Robber Seven removed, he would be stepping into the top ten.

    Hahaha, if you thought about it that way, it was actually a nice thing.

    The other two didn¡¯t even want to pay any attention to Robber Seven. Robbers Eleven and Twelve definitely didn¡¯t want to care. They were lucky enoughst time to have escaped from the hands of the ming Horn. That was when Shao Xuan assigned them with a task and made a promise that he kept.

    But if they were caught again, it would be very hard to escape.

    There was hardly any hesitation. After they separated, they left the ming Horn grounds, and entered the Fearsome Beast Forest from another ce outside of ming Horn¡¯s territory.

    Meanwhile, the ming Horn were in a stone house in their forest territory.

    The person who was tied into a spread-eagle ¡°´ó¡± shape finally moved.

    When Robber Seven woke up, he felt all his bones crackling and squeaking. Every movement was painful, as if his bones had been crushed to pieces. His mouth still had a bloody taste, and his face was a little swollen. He was feeling a little dizzy, and his vision was blurred. He couldn¡¯t see his surroundings clearly.

    In addition to the taste of blood in his mouth, there was a bitter taste of medicinal herbs. He knew what the herb was, and he could guess that the ming Horns didn¡¯t want him to die right away. They wanted to get something more out of him, so they reluctantly fed him some medicine to prevent him from being hurt so much to the point that he couldn¡¯t speak.

    Robber Seven quickly analyzed his surroundings and thought about a way to safely escape. He also knew that his other robberrades would note rescue him. So if he wanted to stay alive, he could only depend on himself.

    What did he have to trade in the face of the ming Horns? What could he say to trick them?

    He had indeed miscalcted. He was too confident. He never thought that the ming Horns could knock him down with a strange thing like that. More so, the person who used that strange thing moved too fast. He didn¡¯t even have time to react or change his direction, so he suffered a hit.

    Hiss¡ª¡ª

    His face hurt even from a slight movement.

    He had taken a direct hit on this half of his body, including this half of his face. He was fast, but his physical strength could notpare to ming Horns. He was as light as a bird, but if he suffered an attack, it would cost him quite some suffering.

    Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be just stealing a vegetable?! Can¡¯t believe I ended up like this. The thief sighed for himself.

    He scanned around the stone house. There were a few others in the house. Even if Robber Seven could not see them, he could make urate assumptions just by their breaths. As a person who often stole in the dark, he could urately identify people from their breaths, even if they had just a moment of contact.

    Among the few people in the stone house, one was the person who threw a spear at him the previous night, and the other was the person who suddenly appeared and gave him an intense sense of danger before he was knocked out.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± A very strange voice that Robber Seven couldn¡¯t recognize spoke, breaking the silence in the stone room.

    Zheng Luo walked to the person who didn¡¯t seem to be fully awake. He looked at the thief who had a half swollen face. Even his original appearance was ruined.

    ¡°You are Robber Seven?¡± Zheng Luo asked.

    The thief was stunned for a while. He did not expect the enemy to be able to determine his identity so quickly. If you think about it carefully, the only ones who knew about his identity were his own people. Among those who infiltrated the ming Horns, only two useless bastards were caught! Robbers Eleven and Twelve.

    Robber Seven took note of the two other robbers who probably sold him out, and thought hard about how he should deal with his tough situation.

    Rumours told that ming Horns were very unreasonable creatures. Did they eat raw human flesh? Would they cook him directly? He might be cooked in the same pot with some cabbage leaves¡­

    Wait, now is not the time to think about the cabbage!

    ¡°My robber number is indeed ¡®Seven¡¯.¡± The thief did not deny it.

    In fact, in many situations, they were proud to let others know their ¡°robber number¡±, but they would take pride only after sessful theft. When people mentioned their names, they would grind their teeth and fake an innocent expression. But this was a different situation. He was almost beaten to death before he even seeded.

    Robber Seven¡¯s gaze moved from Zheng Luo to the people behind him, and finally rested on Shao Xuan.

    So this was the bastard that knocked me out?!

    Robber Seven made a mental note again.

    ¡°What is your purpose in infiltrating our territory?¡± Zheng Luo interrogated.

    ¡°Purpose?¡± Robber Seven wanted to say ¡®steal vegetables¡¯, but he also knew that these people might not believe him, and it wouldn¡¯t help him escape.

    Robber Seven rolled his eyes and said, ¡°My purpose is the same as those who still remain in your tribe, who still rely on you.¡±

    Zheng Luo and Ao took a quick nce at Shao Xuan. This answer was simr to the news they got from the Hui tribe.

    Zheng Luo waved the knife in his hand, pressed it against Robber Seven¡¯s neck, and asked, ¡°What exactly are you looking for?¡±

    The ice-cold de made the thief shiver, but he quickly calmed down and said hastily, ¡°Don¡¯t make any wrong moves. I won¡¯t say anything even if you threaten me, and don¡¯t think you can get an answer from those who are still in your tribe. They don¡¯t even know the answer themselves.¡±

    ¡°What is Rock Hill City looking for?¡± Shao Xuan suddenly asked.

    Robber Seven gave Shao Xuan a surprised look. He originally nned to tell them part of the truth to entice the ming Horns and arouse their curiosity. The more curious they were, the easier it was for him to negotiate with them. But he did not expect such a specific question. Although he was curious how Shao Xuan could so surely mention ¡°Rock Hill City¡±, it became obvious as he thought about the tribesmen outside. This brat probably heard it from those people.

    They did what they did merely because of something the people from Rock Hill City said.

    ¡°If I tell you, will you let me go?¡± Robber Seven asked.

    Zheng Luo frowned. Why do you even bother to negotiate under such conditions? But he nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°You promised too quickly, I don¡¯t believe you.¡± As the thief shifted his gaze onto Shao Xuan, he felt that this brat was not reliable, so he continued to move until his gazended on two old shamans, and his eyes went back and forth between the two.

    ¡°Yes,¡± the old shaman nodded.

    ¡°Shaman!¡± Ao disagreed. He felt that a thief of this kind should be killed right away, instead of letting him escape. After they leave, they would still steal a second time.

    The shaman raised his hand to stop Ao¡¯s words, and then looked at the olddy who was sitting still next to him, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± The olddy agreed.

    Although they all knew that letting him go meant he would steal from them again, butpared to what they wanted to know, both shamans thought it was worth the deal. They also wanted to know what the Desert King, Rock Hill City, wanted to do. Did he intend on going after the Fearsome Beast Forest after taking over the desert?

    When he heard the word ¡°shaman¡±, Robber Seven¡¯s eyes lit up.

    Whatever other people said could be taken back, but if a shaman agreed, then the chance of them going back on their word wasparably lower.

    Seeing the opportunity, Robber Seven perked up. He cleared his throat and said, ¡°The people in Rock Hill City are looking for something, and this ¡®thing¡¯ is most likely in the Fearsome Beast Forest.¡±

    ¡°What is this ¡®thing¡¯?¡± Zheng Luo asked.

    ¡°The green-faced fanged beast!¡±

 Chapter 532 - Disbelief

    Chapter 532

    Disbelief

    Upon hearing the name, even the two shamans couldn¡¯t stay calm, needless to mention Zheng Luo, who was standing right in front of Robber Seven.

    When Robber Seven mentioned it, Zheng Luo couldn¡¯t even hide the shock and excitement from his eyes.

    Meanwhile, the one who was talking was no less surprised.

    Robber Seven expected them to have a confused expression rather than a surprised look. But it seemed as if they already knew about this.

    Didn¡¯t they say that besides the people in Rock Hill City, no one else knew about this?

    Even those ve masters who had been arrogant for many years didn¡¯t know about it. Besides the Shi Family from Rock Hill City, nobody else did. Not even the tribes outside the desert.

    How did the ming Horns find out about this?

    Robber Seven was a little worried.

    Shao Xuan did not expect Robber Seven to give them such an answer either.

    If it were not for the trust he had for the ming Horns, he would¡¯ve thought there was a spy amongst them.

    Shao Xuan learned about the green-faced fanged beast from Gongjia Heng. Where did the Shi Family of Rock Hill City hear about this?

    If they¡¯d known about this for so long, why didn¡¯t they send people over to look for it sooner?

    ¡°The Shi family hasn¡¯t found the green-faced fanged beast yet?¡±

    Robber Seven had also just recovered from the shock. In his thoughts, he realized that he didn¡¯t hide anything from them and couldn¡¯t get in an advantageous position. The ming Horns knew more than what he expected. Now, the only thing he could do was use more information to negotiate.

    ¡°Actually, the Shi Family had been sending people over to search for it, but they haven¡¯t found it. Out of all the desert cities, Rock Hill City was the one that sent out the most ves. But because there were others in the desert, Rock Hill City didn¡¯t want it to seem like a big deal.¡± Robber Seven said.

    Shao Xuan suddenly remembered. A long time ago, when he just met Shi Shu, it was at a ve gathering point. But Rock Hill City must¡¯ve had more ve gathering points. He used to think that they kept their ves in many locations merely to spread out their team. But they might¡¯ve been searching for the green-faced fanged beast all along.

    In the past, before the ming Horns came to Fearsome Beast Forest, there were fewer people here. No one would¡¯ve noticed whether people went into the forest or not. But when the ming Horns came, it happened to be when Rock Hill City nned to conquer the entire desert, so they had no time to care about this forest. Besides, the forest was so big that even if the ming Horns wanted to go for a hunt, they couldn¡¯t cover the entire area, much less notice other people¡¯s tracks.

    Unlike back then, the situation was clear now. They could no longer act as recklessly as before.

    But Shao Xuan felt that Rock Hill City might¡¯ve been a little too anxious this time.

    ¡°What does the green-faced fanged beast look like?¡± Zheng Luo and Ao were breathing shallow, fast breaths at this point. Since they heard that they could forge high-quality weapons from this beast, they had kept this beast stuck in their mind. But unfortunately, they never found it. If they could find out more details about this beast, perhaps it could make their search much easier.

    Robber Seven kept aposed expression, but he was already making calctions in his mind.

    It turns out that the ming Horns didn¡¯t know what the beast looked like.

    ¡°Instead of working so hard to find it myself, why not just tell them and let them think hard about it. I¡¯ll wait till they find it and then steal it from them!¡± Robber Seven thought.

    It was said that people forgot about pain as soon as their scars healed. He was now tied up, yet he already started thinking about his next theft.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a picture and I still remember it, but my hands are tied. How can I draw it for you in this condition?¡± Robber Seven moved his chin downwards, gesturing for his ropes to be untied. The rope was so tough that the more he struggled, the tighter it became. With his movements restricted, he felt extremely ufortable.

    Zheng Luo looked over at the two shamans, who both nodded, and he proceeded to loosen the ropes that were tied around Robber Seven.

    Shao Xuan took out a leaf that was half an arm¡¯s-width and handed it over with animal fir brushes and paint. All these were prepared in advance. He had already nned to get some useful information out of Robber Seven, but he never expected this robber to reveal such information to them so easily. He didn¡¯t even think about hiding anything from them, and even brought them a surprise.

    As they loosened his hands, Robber Seven also gestured for Zheng Luo to loosen the ropes on his legs.

    He couldn¡¯t draw well in an ufortable posture.

    After some thought, Zheng Luo redid the ropes on both his legs, except now in a ´ó shape, but he was not tied to a wooden pole. He let him sit on the ground.

    ¡°Draw attentively!¡± Ao¡¯s patience was already reaching its limits. He felt that robbers were too cunning and couldn¡¯t be trusted. If it weren¡¯t for the shaman¡¯s promise to spare his life, he would¡¯ve ended his life with his axe. As their captive, how dare he still speak so stubbornly!

    Robber Sevenpletely ignored the murderous Ao because he knew that the two elders had more authority in the house. But he couldn¡¯t understand why the ming Horns had two shamans. Regardless, since the two shamans promised to release him, he knew that as long as the information he gave them was beneficial, the two elders would do as they promised, so he didn¡¯t need to worry about it.

    Rotating his wrists, Robber Seven grimaced in reaction to the pain. He could still hear his bones creaking from the injury he suffered the previous night. It was too heavy a hit.

    With a fractured bone in one arm, he could only try his best to draw with his other.

    Enduring the pain, Robber Seven held up the brush, dipped it in paint, and recalled the painting he had seen before. He then began to draw seriously, trying his best to recreate an exact copy of the original. In order for him to escape and for the ming Horns to help him search for what he needed, he had no intention to trick them. He was still hoping for the ming Horns to find it first so that he could steal it from them and bring it back to Rock Hill City to exchange for better things.

    However, with each stroke, the facial expressions of the two chiefs on the side grew sterner with dissatisfaction.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m done!¡± Robber Seven looked at his masterpiece, nodded in satisfaction, and was ready to negotiate with them. But as soon as he lifted his head, he saw the hardened expressions of the two who were standing beside him.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The two chiefs moved almost simultaneously, one with an axe and the other with a de, and both were ready to attack.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Robber Seven shouted quickly. He was heavily wounded, and couldn¡¯t escape their attack, but still, he couldn¡¯t understand why these two reacted in such a way.

    The tip of the knife and the axe leaned against both sides of Robber Seven¡¯s neck, as if ready to behead him the next moment. Even the calmest robber would not be able to calm down under such a murderous threat. ¡°You ming Horns aren¡¯t keeping your promises! How will you even face your totems if you break your promises?!¡±

    ¡°You say we don¡¯t keep our promises? Why don¡¯t you take a look at what you scribbled! How dare you try to fool us!¡± Ao red his nostrils, breathing noisily and exhaling hot breaths like a mad bull.

    ¡°When did I do that?¡± Robber Seven was also getting angry. He painted exactly as he had remembered.

    ¡°The painting I saw was like this. I swear it by the name of ¡°Robber¡±!¡±

    Robber Seven stiffened his neck and expressed his dissatisfaction with their treatment. I drew so well, and yet they used me of fooling them! They don¡¯t even know how to appreciate it! No wonder people said that the ming Horns were vulgar and uncivilized like the small tribes who lived along the borders.

    The two chiefs on the side were red with fury as they looked at each other. The shaman on the side coughed awkwardly, as if hinting the two chiefs to put down their weapons. He then looked at the painting Shao Xuan brought over.

    It seemed like Ao still had something to say, but after he caught the shaman¡¯s serious nce, he calmed down and understood the situation. He blinked his eyes rapidly as he calmed himself down.

    Shao Xuan still knew enough about Ao to know that he would only blink rapidly when he knew he did something wrong.

    Shao Xuan also knew what the shaman meant. Indeed, when Robber Seven said that he didn¡¯t have any intent to trick them, Shao Xuan believed him. Even though the drawing he painted wasposed with only a few simple lines, he knew that it was the best he could do. It was because most of them were not skilled artists, so what¡¯s more to say of a drawing that was passed down from thousands of years ago?

    There could only be one way for Rock Hill City to know about the green-faced fanged beast. This information had been passed down from generation to generation from those who knew about it thousands of years ago. Therefore, those who could draw out this picture were people from thousands of years ago. With this, it was enough to prove that Robber Seven was trustworthy.

    Both Ao and Zheng Luo understood it at this point. Years ago, if they were put in the same situation as Robber Seven, they probably would¡¯ve drawn a simr drawing, or even worse. It was because Shao Xuan taught them all types of drawing skillster on that helped them improve. But because they had improved, they looked down on other paintings.

    When they were suddenly presented with such a simple drawing, they couldn¡¯t take it and had high expectations. That¡¯s why they were so disappointed when they saw Robber Seven¡¯s final drawing.

    As they calmed down and took a closer look at Robber Seven¡¯s drawing, they noticed that the creature looked like a deer or maybe a goat. So this was the green-faced fanged beast.

    Ao dismissively took a nce at the painting and said to Robber Seven, ¡°Tell us more about what you know. Your painting is not telling us much.¡±

    The robber¡¯s face was already swollen, but now his eyes red angrily from his overwhelming anger.

    How dare you insult my drawing!

    However, he had to keep his head down because he was still being held captive, and he still hoped for them to fulfill their promise and release him. All he could do now was to take a deep breath, calm down his emotions, and tell them whatever he knew.

    However, Shao Xuan and the others already knew about everything Robber Seven told them. The green-faced fanged beast was small in size, with a green face and thick skin. It had hooves but no horns, and its sharp fangs grew upward. It had an aggressive nature, and was herbivorous. There was nothing more to know about it.

    ¡°That¡¯s all you know?¡± Ao looked in the robber¡¯s direction.

    ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± Sensing the murderous vibe rising in the air, he knew they were unsatisfied and quickly added, ¡°The people who told us about it really only said this much, but they told us one more thing. If you really encountered the green-faced fanged beast, you would naturally be sure.¡±

    ¡°Was it the Shi family of Rock Hill City who showed you this drawing?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°No.¡± It was clear that Robber Seven didn¡¯t want to talk about this issue. This was a secret amongst the robbers. Even a timid thief had his principles. Some things could be revealed but some things had to be kept secret even under death threats.

    ¡°What has Rock Hill City promised you?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°As long as we found the green-faced fanged beast, we could bring it back to them in exchange for anything we want.¡± This information could still be told.

    ¡°It seems, you robbers have kept a close connection with Rock Hill City, otherwise it would be impossible to dispatch so many of you at once.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Robber Seven was silent again.

    After another round of questioning, the few people from the ming Horn tribe reluctantly believed his words, and let him go as they had promised. They covered his eyes, and released him when they were outside the forest.

    They thought that he couldn¡¯t walk anymore after such injuries, but as soon as hended, he escaped at the speed of a bird and disappeared in front of them.

    ¡°I told you he was faking it!¡± Ao remarked angrily. ¡°Shao Xuan!¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Next time we see him, we beat him to death!¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

 Chapter 533 - Searching for the Green-Faced Fanged Beast

    <strong>Chapter 533</strong>

    <strong>Searching for the Green-Faced Fanged Beast</strong>

    When they found out that the Rock Hill City was looking for the green-faced fanged beast, Ao and Zheng Luo couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    To them, the green-faced fanged beast was equivalent to a weapon of higher rank. With this higher ranking weapon, the power of their tribe would be improved immensely. Who wouldn¡¯t want a weapon like that?

    Since the Shi family of Rock Hill City sent people to look for the green-faced fanged beast in the Fearsome Beast Forest, did it really imply that the beast was here?

    Not necessarily. But if there was a ce on thisnd suitable for such a beast to exist, it was none other than Fearsome Beast Forest, because there weren¡¯t many otherrge habitats suitable for it to live in.

    Finding green-faced fanged beasts was certainly not easy. If it was, the Shi family of Rock Hill City probably wouldn¡¯t have sent so many people, not to mention the fact that they hired several skilled thieves to do the job.

    ¡°Do green-faced fanged beasts really exist in Fearsome Beast Forest? Then why hasn¡¯t anyone from Rock Hill City found it after all these years?¡± Ta said.

    ¡°It might not be the case. Even if they found one, as long as they kept it to themselves, no one would know.¡± Ao expressed his opinion. ¡°But if they didn¡¯t, why would they keep their eyes on Fearsome Beast Forest? Rock Hill City has existed for almost a thousand years anyways.¡±

    Several generations of rulers in Rock Hill City sent people to look for it. This meant that they had never given up on this forest. If it really wasn¡¯t here, why would they be so persistent? Rock Hill City had too many secrets. If it were not for the battles that happened in the past two years, who would know what conspiracy they were up to? No one would even know about their real strength. Perhaps they still had more, maybe cards they hadn¡¯t revealed.

    ¡°That¡¯s true too. Then what are we waiting for? Let¡¯s go look for it! I¡¯ll be the first to join!¡± Duo Kang was excited.

    ¡°We¡¯re not in a hurry,¡± Shao Xuan looked at the direction of the tribes that have previously settled outside the forest. ¡°Those people aren¡¯t done yet.¡±

    Since the people from the Hui tribe expressed their intention to cooperate, the ming Horns would dly do so too. No matter how arrogant they were, they shouldn¡¯t think that they had the power to challenge several other tribes at the same time. So an alliance was good for them.

    ¡°Go tell Gu La to get ready. We will enter the forest,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°What if people from other tribes want to follow?¡± Gui He asked.

    ¡°Then let them show their sincerity!¡±

    Among the people who came to ming Horn, there were actually two factions. One group supported the idea of abandoning the other tribes and joining forces with the ming Horn tribe. Another group believed that the ming Horn tribe was not worth their cooperation, because they had nothing other than their physical strength. Perhaps they may have some schemes, but they were still far behind the other tribes.

    Nheless, they still chose to join forces with the ming Horns at the end. Their first reason for joining forces was because they wanted to unite with the other tribes, though their rtionship with them was not the best. Many times they had to find out about news through their own means and they didn¡¯t really receive any benefits. Secondly, they could no longer stand the overly cautious and hesitant behaviour of those people.

    In recent years, the Hui tribe felt that something big might happen, and the Hui shaman also made a prediction during the sacrifice. He predicted that there might be a huge changeing. Although it was not certain when it woulde, it was certainly not far away. This made it impossible for the Hui tribe who had just returned and were living fairly peacefully to calm down. If this change was so big that it could affect them, they definitely shouldn¡¯t underestimate it. Unfortunately, their progress had brought nothing but disappointment. They couldn¡¯t wait any longer.

    On this day, a few people from the Hui tribe were arguing over their alliance with the ming Horns. Since the day Gu La went to look for Shao Xuan, the ming Horns had not given them a satisfactory answer. So many days have passed and yet there was no news. Some of them began to worry. Haven¡¯t you seen people from other tribes joking about them? They didn¡¯t even want to leave their houses. They were afraid that once they went out, they would be surrounded by a circle of mocking faces.

    Right when they wereining, Gui He came over to look for them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s clean up, we¡¯ll be going into the forest soon.¡±

    ¡°Into the forest?!¡± Gu La burst into joy. When Gui He said going into the forest, he knew it wasn¡¯t for hunting. They were looking for something!

    ¡°Do you guys already know what we are looking for?¡± He She asked uncertainly.

    Gui He did not give them a direct answer but gave a broad smile that

    As soon as Gui He left, the surrounding men from different tribes rushed back to the Hui tribe¡¯s living headquarters and heard from them that they desired to follow the ming Horns into the forest. Hearing this, they could not sit still so they went to look for the chiefs of the ming Horns.

    They did not believe that the ming Horns knew what Rock Hill City was looking for. All they wanted was for the ming Horns to lead the way so they could follow along. They have lived outside for a long time, and would surely experience difort if they enter the forest. They also knew that Fearsome Beast Forest wouldn¡¯t give them time to adapt, so rushing in without a n would only cost them their lives. As for the ¡°sincerity¡± that the ming Horns mentioned, they also knew what the ming Horns wanted. They wanted to collect a fee for leading the way. At least this was negotiable.

    Thus, after listening to their people¡¯s opinions, the three leaders went to meet Shao Xuan.

    ¡°A huge boat from the Longboat tribe, half a carload of jade from the Mang tribe, and a strong bow from the Eight Limbs tribe¡­¡±

    After they finished speaking, Shao Xuan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Make them double this amount.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    The three leaders were shocked. Even the two chiefs who had been listening next to them felt that Shao Xuan¡¯s requirements were too high.

    ¡°Those people may not agree,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    ¡°They won¡¯t agree? Then tell them to leave. I¡¯ll give them two days. Tell them to hand these to me in two days or they leave on their own ord.¡± Shao Xuan said calmly.

    After thinking for a while, Ao nodded, ¡°Alright.¡± Those people had already been relying on them for too long. Did they really think that the ming Horns would keep tolerating them? How funny of them to think that the ming Horns could be taken for granted.

    Two dayster.

    The three leaders came again with the results of their discussion.

    ¡°Most of the other tribes have agreed, only the Tianshan tribe refused. They have already left, and it seems like they n to enter the forest themselves.¡± As he thought about the tribe leaders¡¯ dark faces, Duo Kang felt refreshed. Did they really think they could live off of us ming Horns for free? They were only being charged now.

    ¡°Oh, and by the way, the people from the Hui tribe said they would send over a group of fine horses on the grasnd after this incident.¡± ¡°That¡¯s very sincere of them,¡± Gui He remarked with a smile.

    The rest of the tribes had already sent messengers back to tell their people to get prepared. Those who wished to enter the forest with the ming Horns had a group of people stay behind to pay their promised ¡°sincerity¡±.

    ¡°When are we leaving?¡± the shaman asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Two dayster.¡±

    ¡°The weather has been acting weirdtely,¡± Shao Xuan remarked as he looked at a flowering tree not far away.

    The berries of that kind of tree were used by everyone to make paint, so when the tribes were building their houses, these trees were kept for future use. But this kind of tree usually bloomed when it was getting close to summer, and bore fruit on the hot summer days.

    ording to regr time, it was almost winter.

    But here, although it was winter, the weather was more like summer.

    Because of this, the forest may be more dangerous than ever, and the beasts whose lives were disturbed may be more irritable, so they had to stay cautious. This time, they might be faced with dangers they had never encountered in previous years.

    They were only searching in the forest, so they had to walk farther in. It wasn¡¯t like hunting. They didn¡¯t need that many people, so Shao Xuan only wanted to bring along five people, but the other tribes wanted to follow along, so now they had more.

    On the cabbage field outside the forest,

    New leaves were growing, and many small cabbages that had been transnted were also beginning to grow round-shaped leaves. The leaves wrapped around each other, but it wasn¡¯t clear whether it was thergend size or the abundance in fertilizer that made cabbages grow so fast that it had a different appearance every day.

    Due to the strange weather conditions and the incidence from the previous year, they began to nt crops that weren¡¯t usually sown in winter.

    The people who were patrolling the field were also using Shao Xuan¡¯s fly swatter. Because metal was so rare, there was only one made. Others used simr swatters, but they were made of wood instead of metal. The ming Horns had so much strength in them that they could easily break the swatters. Therefore, every time a swarm came, the guards of the field would be fighting over the metal swatter. When they used that swatter to hit insects, just a wave in the direction of the insects swiftly killed a bunch. To them, it was very satisfying.

    In the tribe, everyone lived at the same pace as before. But many times, people felt ufortable due to the weather. Spring had just passed into summer, and just a slight movement made people sweat.

    Shao Xuan packed up the things he previously prepared, including medicine and other things. This time, he was going into the forest with four other people: Duo Kang, Tuo, Mai and Xiang Chen.

    They were only going to look for the green-faced fanged beast, but perhaps they might end up finding some ves¡¯ traces, and maybe they could get more information from those ves.

    Compared to the ming Horns, who were calmer, the people from the other tribes had never really entered the forest, so they already felt uneasy.

    All kinds of animal sounds and noises filled the woods, and even the wind brought a feeling of danger. It was the unpredictable danger that made them shiver in fear.

    However, in order to understand exactly what Rock Hill City, the ruler of the desert, valued, they had to take a risk.

    It was not only the Hui tribe but the other tribes too, who foresaw a huge change happening in the near future. The problem was, none of them could tell exactly what it was, so they could only try their best to resolve their doubts and discover more ways to protect themselves. This is why they were willing to give more than they were asked in exchange for thepany. Between giving and taking, they knew which was more important.

    With the sun shining from high above, and tall trees without withering leaves gathering together down below, nature seemed to have lost its seasonal patterns. It was near winter, but the trees were still growing abundantly, with a rapid speed, and there wasn¡¯t even a hint of depression (the symbol of autumn).

    A variety of flying insects flew between the leaves, and pairs of watchful bloodthirsty eyes watched from behind.

    Qu Ce, along with seven others from the Mang tribes, stayed close to Huang Ye. They followed behind the ming Horns who led the way. The watchful eyes staring from behind them had strong res that were hard to ignore, but the ming Horns told them not to pay any attention to them. As long as they paid no attention, they would not actively attack.

    It¡¯s just that the ming Horns had already been ustomed to this practice for a long time, but it was not the same case for the others. Qu Ce couldn¡¯t help but look up at a tree that was ten times wider than him in diameter.

    There was a figureying on the branch, but it was impossible to see exactly what it was. Its skin colour was too simr to the bark it was on, and if it was not for Qu Ce¡¯s sharp vision, he couldn¡¯t have noticed that figure. It red at them with an intent to kill. Baring its fangs, it was ready to pounce at the next moment.

    Qu Ce quickly withdrew his gaze and stopped looking at those eyes on the tree. As he stopped looking, it seemed like the creature¡¯s intent to kill also faded. Sure enough, the ming Horns were experienced in dealing with these creatures. No wonder the elders of the tribe were in favour of letting the ming Horns lead the way, instead of entering the forest by themselves. It saved a lot of unnecessary trouble.

 Chapter 534 - The Ferocious Flaming Horn

    Chapter 534

    The Ferocious ming Horn

    Rumour had it that long ago, most tribes lived in the forest. Butter, these tribes left the forest in search of a more peaceful ce to settle. Although some did not migrate from the forest, they deforested the area around their living habitat. As hundreds and thousands of years passed, they grew to be separate from the forest, and where they lived no longer resembled what it originally was.

    This time, the tribes who had decided to enter the forest with the ming Horns were descendants of both groups who lived thousands of years ago. Some, like the Longboat tribe, had ancestors who chose to leave the forest, and others like the Feather tribe, were descendants of those who deforested the area.

    No matter whose descendants they were, all of them had been isted from their original habitat for too long. It had been too long since they lived amongst ancient trees, wild grass, fierce beasts, and poisonous insects. It was like returning to the most primitive barbaric state.

    They wore clothes made of finely woven sackcloth and silk, and walking there made them extremely ufortable. For tribesmen who had always wanted to break away from their original barbaric origin, this was indeed a very special experience.

    As they observed the five ming Horns in front of them, they noticed that even though they looked the same as before, something had changed. Although some had clothes made of linen, most of them wore clothes made from animal skin. You wouldn¡¯t think these clothes were any special, but as they entered the forest, it was clear that these outfits made them be one with the forest, blending in with the surroundings as if they naturally belonged there. These were skilled hunters who lived within the forest, though they resembled humanoid beasts more with their ease in movements.

    Yes, the people from the other tribes had begun to sense the ferocious beast-like vibe radiating off the ming Horns. Especially after they saw Duo Kang tear apart a fierce beast that fell from a tree with his bare hands. The shock they had after seeing such a bloody sight left an even deeper impression on them.

    It was the most primitive, ferocious, and untamed nature.

    This was the true nature of the ming Horns.

    Whoosh!

    A spear flew through a small gap between several people in their team. It passed right between them, but it was so close that it rubbed against their clothing, creating a swishing sound.

    The spear travelled so fast that the temperature around them increased, making the fine hairs on their faces stand on end.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Ptui!

    It was the sound of a weapon piercing through flesh, and almost simultaneously, they heard a muffled sound of an arrow being nailed into a tree.

    The person who was almost shot thought he was going to be prated by a spear stiffened. He turned back slowly, and looked towards where the sound came from.

    There, a weird-looking animal was swinging its bamboo-like limbs, twisting its body, as if trying to break free. But on its neck, a spear prated right through and nailed it directly onto the tree trunk.

    A dark stream of blood flowed from its wound, and the grey-skinned animal that looked like a skinny leopard struggled. Eventually, its movements slowed down and stopped.

    As they looked at the animal¡¯s ws, it was as sharp as nails. The people in the group swallowed their saliva slowly in fear. How did it move with such sharp ws? They didn¡¯t even hear a sound just now when it was approaching them. When they heard the sound and were ready to defend themselves, a spear had already pierced through it.

    ¡°What is this¡­creature?¡± asked a member of the Feather tribe.

    ¡°A typical beast in the forest,¡± Shao Xuan said as he walked over. He pulled out the spear that nailed the animal to the trunk, and said, ¡°Don¡¯t get scratched by them. They¡¯re poisonous, and we usually don¡¯t eat them.¡±

    Nobody asked if they could eat them, but seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s calm reaction, many of them felt teased. They already lost their appetite when they saw this beast. Why would they even think about eating it?

    In fact, many of them had been to the desert, and there were also many beasts there. Since they experienced the desert, they should already be mentally prepared for this. But forests were not the same as deserts, and killing people was also different from killing beasts.

    The desert where the ve masters lived had too many deaths. Sometimes they looked over and saw not even a single living creature. But as long as they were cautious, they could avoid most of the dangers.

    But it was different here. There was a sign of life everywhere, and all these living creatures were ready to kill. It was hard to defend themselves against them, and if they really had to defend ording to the different types of creatures, they would be exhausted.

    This was the home of ferocious beasts.

    Screech¡ª

    Several hawks cried out from the sky above.

    The faces of people from the Hui tribe changed suddenly. They could feel the anxiety from the hawk¡¯s cry, and they wanted to climb a tree to see what had happened. The trees were lush and the branches were too leafy. It blocked out the entire sky from above, and only small beams of sunlight shone through the narrow gaps.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to look. Your hawks probably got lost and entered the territory of other beasts.¡± Shao Xuan guessed without looking.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them fly around. We need to follow our original n and stay on it. Don¡¯t try to fight those beasts. It won¡¯t be good if more birdse our way.¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    Gu La nodded, climbed onto a tree, and facing the sky, he blew a whistle. As the giant hawks descended, he gave them some instructions and then returned to the rest of the team.

    Screech¡ª-

    ¡°In the forest, there are many ces where you need to pay attention to. Some ces are territories marked by some beasts, and we shouldn¡¯t barge in carelessly. We need to judge and see whether they are enemies we could handle. If you barge into the territory of a beast you can¡¯t beat and hunt their prey, or you will be out of luck.¡± Shao Xuan exined to those who were unfamiliar with the forest as he led the way so that they could gain a deeper understanding and cause less trouble.

    ¡°But how do we know which area belongs to a beast, and which beasts we can beat?¡± someone in the team asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why we¡¯re here?¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°We haven¡¯t entered the heart of the Fearsome Beast Forest yet, so we¡¯re still pretty familiar with this area. As long as you follow our instructions, then we can avoid most troubles.¡±

    Did this mean that they had to follow the ming Horn¡¯s instructions and go wherever they were instructed to go?

    The people who heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words were a little unhappy, but after all, they had no experience living in the forest, so they could only follow the ming Horn¡¯s instructions and do what they¡¯re told.

    ¡°I just hope that you guys can do your best in leading the way,¡± said Huang Ye of the Mang tribe.

    ¡°We will. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    As soon as Shao Xuan finished his sentence, a snapping sound came from not far away, the sound of branches and vines snapping, and it was inching closer towards them.

    A huge head of a beast suddenly emerged between the interlocking vines and branches, the lines on its skin were like cracks in the bark of an ancient tree. Its nostrils were so huge that it could suck a person right in, and its low growling was like the sound of a thunderstorm.

    Such a huge beast was so close to them and hid so well that they couldn¡¯t even sense its breath.

    Everyone in the team red at Shao Xuan. Didn¡¯t he just tell them not to worry? Now, what is this supposed to be?

    How could you tell us to calm down?! Some of us were scared to the point that we almost peed our pants!

    As if he knew what the people in the team were about to say, Shao Xuan raised his chin and tilted his head in the direction of the beast, ¡°Don¡¯t just watch, attack! This is our dinner tonight!¡±

    The others were lost for words.

    Disregarding the others¡¯ reactions, the five people from the ming Horn tribe picked up their respective weapons and raced toward the beast.

    ¡°Urghhh¨C¡± The beast roared provocatively.

    On their side, Shao Xuan¡¯s team of five simultaneously released the most powerful totemic force, its energy and momentum oppressing the beast from a distance away.

    Both human and beast did not give way, and the overbearing energy from both sides collided in the enclosed area.

    On the intricately intertwined vines around them, leaves suddenly began to fall, as if someone forcefully pulled them off from the vines.

    Lush bushes growing densely with branches and leaves swayed violently, rattling with the sound of trees under a thunderstorm.

    Under the impact of the two energies colliding, the people around them felt the bones in their own bodies creaking. They felt like lonely boats, uncontrobly swayed by the force of strong ocean waves.

    Once they entered the hunting state, the ming Horns could not be distracted. This was one of their favourite things to do and what they were best at.

    When they faced people, they had to make too many considerations. Sometimes, being stronger than your enemy didn¡¯t mean you would end up with the results you wanted.

    The hearts of humans were tooplicated and it wasn¡¯t easy to understand. The ming Horns learned about this after they came into contact with the other tribes.

    Because of this, many people in the ming Horn tribe preferred hunting in the forest. To them, hunting was a dangerous and thrilling exercise that stirred their blood.

    Sometimes they might encounter beasts that were more cunning and would surprise them with their unique moves, but most beasts were not like that. Usually, beasts relied solely on their natural advantage in their battle for survival.

    As a hunter, being stronger than the prey was more than enough. The weak became the food for the strong. It was as simple as that.

    The beast roared. Sharp and blunt weapons shed. The turbulent energy that filled the air frightened and scared away all the animals around them.

    Meanwhile, the people from the other tribes watched from the side. They were stunned as they observed the five ming Horns hunt in the most direct, brutal style.

    The ming Horns were ferocious indeed.

 Chapter 535 - I Told You We Were Right

    <strong>Chapter 535</strong>

    <strong>I Told You We Were Right</strong>

    The reason why Shao Xuan and his tribesmen chose to attack in such a direct fashion, was actually to leave the rest of the team in awe.

    Didn¡¯t these people think that us ming Horns were uncivilized and violent? Then we¡¯ll show them what they want to see, and let them know that they should just listen to our instructions and not doubt us while we¡¯re in the forest.

    It was the fifth day since they entered the forest.

    A line of more than sixty people walked together. They had already grown ustomed to what they weren¡¯t used to before. Now, these tribesmen that came from the ins were already starting to understand more about the basic survival skills needed in the forest.

    Above a made from interlocking vines, a huge face that was two meters wide in width suddenly appeared. Its two abysmal eyes looked in their direction. Its face was twisted strangely, and stripes of coloured light on its face made it look even scarier.

    When they first saw this face, most of the team members were frightened, and almost made a move. Luckily Shao Xuan and his people stopped them, or else they would have suffered a loss.

    Now, even if they encountered such a face, they would only be slightly disturbed and would mostly be calm. The ming Horns were right. Sometimes, things might not be as scary as they seemed. Indeed, most of these creatures should be ssified as creatures that could be ignored.

    As the team passed through the area, the face that appeared above gradually faded in colour, like a piece of canvas that had just been washed and folded from both sides.

    After a short while, a weirdly spotted butterfly flew from the webbed vines and headed towards a thicker web of vines that was farther away from sunshine and engulfed by darkness.

    This butterfly was amon creature in Fearsome Beast Forest and normally enjoyed resting on natural webs made by intertwining vines. When they rested, their wings usually lifted in a vertical manner unless it sensed danger or threats. If it did, it would open its wing andy it out tly, disying its strange patterns to scare away any humans or beasts nearby.

    If someone attacked it, it would shake its wings and shed off some powder that would make its enemy sneeze. Even if arger beast breathed in this powder, it would make it sneeze for an hour without stopping in the same ce.

    After they walked for a while, they decided to find a ce to rest.

    Along the way, they had already learned a lot and gained plenty of experience. The dissatisfaction they had regarding the ¡°sincerity¡± that the ming Horns requested also fadedpletely. They knew they were lucky to have made the right decision and paid the ¡°sincerity¡± instead of entering the forest by themselves like the Tianshan tribe.

    They wondered how the Tianshan tribe was doing at the moment. They probably weren¡¯t doing any better.

    A few tiny insects flew around them in circles. The ming Horns had told them not to worry or care about these insects, so naturally, they let down their guard and devoted most of their energy into observing their surroundings.

    Over the past few days, no matter what clothes they wore, whether the fabric was silk or sackcloth, all were stained with sweat, blood, and mud. They had no time to wash it. With the high temperature in the forest, their body odour filled the air.

    Even so, they had no choice because there were too many beasts in the forest that were highly sensitive to the unfamiliar and fishy smell of blood and sweat. Although they smelled weird now, the smell helped them blend in and be one with their surroundings when they encountered beasts they didn¡¯t want to fight.

    There were many sesame-sized flying insects that flew around them. They probably came because of the smell of their body odour and stayed for a long time. These insects had not dispersed but grew more and more in number.

    ¡°Is this where you guys usually hunt?¡± Qu Ce asked as he waved away the flying insects.

    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± Shao Xuan was chewing on the leftover meat that was cooked yesterday as he answered simply.

    It was somewhat easier for the Hui tribe. As for the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs, it was more difficult for them to understand the behaviour of the ming Horns. Especially how they always wanted to take risks and hunt in the more dangerous parts of the forest. Plus, every time they went hunting, they went so deep into the forest. They had already been walking for days, but they were still on the ming Horn¡¯s hunting grounds.

    After the ming Horns returned to their homnd, they avoided two hunting trails. This was one of them.

    After he finished his meat, Shao Xuan stood up and looked afar.

    The altitude there was not too high, and luckily there weren¡¯t many tightly grown trees so it was easier for them to get a wide and far view.

    There was a stream not far away from them, and they took their water from there. To the ming Horns, it was okay to drink unboiled water. They had already grown ustomed to it and their bodies could take it. For the other tribesmen, drinking the water without boiling could lead to difort and diarrhoea. So Shao Xuan let them boil their water before drinking.

    Shao Xuan was about to discuss their next steps with Duo Kand and Mai, but suddenly, his ears slightly twitched and a light shed in his eyes. He moved his right foot half a step backwards and punched his right arm forward.

    Chuck!

    Qu Ce and others were looking from not far away, but all they saw was an arm shing past. When they looked again, Shao Xuan already had something grasped tightly in his hands.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± A few people who nearby came over to look.

    It was their first timeing to a ce like this, and there was still a lot they had to learn from the ming Horns. Although they weren¡¯t used to the ming Horn¡¯s ways, they had to admit the ming Horns had way more experience living in Fearsome Beast Forest. Therefore, even when they weren¡¯t sure of something, they weren¡¯t ashamed to ask. They wanted to get a clear understanding so they could avoid all the unneeded troubles and dangers.

    ¡°Mosquitos. This is the kind that sucks your blood,¡± Shao Xuan frowned as he unclenched his fist. He slowly extended his thumb and index finger.

    The creature was still struggling in Shao Xuan¡¯s palm. It had a ¡°fine needle¡± that was longer than Shao Xuan¡¯s thumb. The needle moved from side to side as the creature struggled.

    Shao Xuan pressed urately on the mosquito¡¯s ¡°fine needle¡± and pressed hard.

    Only a slight crisp sound ¡°crack¡± was heard as if something brittle was broken into two.

    With the disturbance caused by the noise of birds calling from afar in the forest, even though the sound was not loud, the few of them who were present had sharp senses and heard it.

    Seeing this, the muscles on Qu Ce and the others¡¯ faces twitched hard.

    What was that ¡°crack¡± sound? Was that the mosquito¡¯s mouth? Howe it sounded like a hard needle?

    This thing can suck their blood?

    He must be kidding! What would a mosquito sting feel like?

    Shao Xuan opened his fists and handed the dead mosquito over to Qu Ce and the others so they could study it. With one snap, he broke the mosquito¡¯s wavering syringe-like ¡°fine needle¡±, its finest weapon used for sucking blooding.

    After Shao Xuan broke its needle and squeezed it tightly in his palm, the mosquito had lost its ability to move and couldn¡¯t live any longer. Shao Xuan then handed its corpse over to Qu Ce and others, so they could stay cautious and be careful of these smaller yet extremely dangerous creatures.

    Qu Ce eyed the mosquito corpse carefully. Although the mosquitos were also very dangerous where they came from and could suck the blood of a whole adult, it was not as dangerous whenpared to this one.

    Ignoring those people who were studying the mosquito, Shao Xuan told Mai and the others, ¡°Something feels wrong.¡±

    Although the others were busy studying the mosquito, their ears perked up when they heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words. They quickly asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t appear at this time of the year,¡± Shao Xuan wiped the sweat on his forehead.

    ¡°Do you really think this weather feels like winter?¡±

    Even if he said it felt like summer, no one would have disagreed.

    Such a strange urrence! It was even worse thanst year, and this made all of them feel uneasy. Especially when they had been warned previously by their shamans about the change that was about toe. They were extremely worried.

    ¡°In this weather, these mosquitoes usuallye in swarms,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°In swarms?!¡±

    Looking at the dead mosquito, the group couldn¡¯t help but shiver at the thought of a scourge of these mosquitoes.

    ¡°Can swarms of mosquitoes appear during the day?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the mosquito, and then scanned the dark forest that revealed no sunlight.

    ¡°Then what can we do?¡± someone said anxiously.

    ¡°There¡¯s definitely a way. We just need to apply some ointment. Although it would feel a little ufortable, just bear with it. After applying this ointment the mosquitoes will naturally stay away from you. Trust me.¡± Shao Xuan said as he looked at Tuo.

    Tuo nodded, then left with Mai. When they appeared again, they carried some dark mud covered in big leaves that gave out a strange smell.

    Looking at the ck mud the ming Horns handed them, the other tribesmen¡¯s expressions turned gloomy.

    Which pit did they dig this out from?

    ¡°What the heck is this? Where did you guys get it? Do we really need to put this on?¡± Huang Ye¡¯s voice was hard as steel. You¡¯re not fooling us, right?

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. We¡¯re just here to lead the way.¡± Shao Xuan said emotionlessly.

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you guys need it?¡± someone argued.

    Shao Xuan and the other five rolled up their sleeves to reveal the lines painted on their arms that extended all the way from their shoulders to their fingers. ¡°We put it on before we even came out. This is made with a mixture of herbs and paint. It¡¯s one of our habits in the ming Horn tribe. We just didn¡¯t expect scourges of mosquitos to appear, so we didn¡¯t bring extra medicine. The best you guys can do is cover yourselves in this mud mixture.¡±

    Huang Ye and the others became more gloomy. For safety¡¯s sake, they could only remain patient and use broken branches to smear the ck mud onto their skin. The smell that came from it was so strong that it made them tear up.

    However, at dusk, they knew that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t lying, so their resentment subsided.

    From the woods in front of them came loud buzzing sounds. Even though they didn¡¯t reach there yet, they already knew what was there.

    They couldn¡¯t even discern the number of mosquitoes from the noise.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep walking, there¡¯s still a distance to travel before we reach our next stop.¡± The ming Horns who were leading the way didn¡¯t even take a break, so the others in the back could only follow along.

    More buzzing sounds came from beside them. They could hear clearly the buzzing sounds caused by the pping of mosquitoes¡¯ wings, and it stimted their eardrums.

    Their scalps tightened in fear. Although it was dark and the light was dim, they could still discern the sharp needle-like mouths of the mosquitoes.

    There were too many of them.

    ¡°The scourges of mosquitoes in front scattered all across the forest. From the lowest grounds to the tall branches up above, it was all covered with mosquitoes. Theypletely blocked their vision.

    However, every time a mosquito flew over, it would avoid them and not fly over to bite them.

    The worry in their hearts slowly dissipated as they noticed this, and they could finally breathe again as they became relieved.

    ¡°I told you we were right.¡± Shao Xuan said as he was leading the way.

 Chapter 536 - The Slavesâ€™ Traces

    <h4>The ves¡¯ Traces</h4>

    The team originally nned to stay in a cave that night. They found this cave before when they went for a hunt, but the cave was too small and couldn¡¯t be used for storingrger prey. After makingparisons between the different caves, the ming Horn hunting team chose another location as their resting point for the night and reserved this one for other purposes.

    Shao Xuan and his team definitely wouldn¡¯t take these people to their private resting points, so they could onlye here. They could choose to set up their camps here. Only fools would bring outsiders to their own private bases. Shao Xuan did not trust these people.

    They prepared some firewood, boiled some water in a pot they just made, cooked a pot of soup, and roasted some meat.

    In the woods outside the cave, there were some creaky sounds echoing from a distance. They weren¡¯t sure what creature was calling out, but it sure made their hairs stand on end.

    The mud they pasted on the body had dried and became solid pieces on their bodies. They didn¡¯t know whether they would encounter another scourge of mosquitoes again, so they didn¡¯t dare peel off the mud crumbs. The good thing was that the smell of the mud after it dried wasn¡¯t as bad so it was easier for them to bear.

    As the saying went, people could grow used to anything as time went by. They were already ustomed to it.

    At first, some people worried that Shao Xuan was trying to y a trick on them by telling them to apply some poop mixture onto their own skin. Later, they found out that this mud mixture actually came from a pit near the stream. Inside the pit lived a beast that preyed on mosquitoes. Mosquitoes were scared of this beast, so as soon as they sensed this smell, they would think that the beast was near and would avoid getting close to it.

    After they found out about this, they became calmer and settled.

    What they didn¡¯t know was, many animals that walked to the stream to drink would also poop into the pit. Although the ming Horns lookedposed on the outside, they wereughing their heads off inside.

    ¡°What is that?¡± Qu Ce pointed below them.

    Shao Xuan looked down the mountain. In the dark night, curved lights glowing brightly and stretching into the distance.

    There was a small river, and those glowing things were actually small creatures living beside the river. They would usually float atop the river at night and gather near the river bank and release light to attract some beasts to walk towards them. If any beast came into contact with those creatures, they would stick on like strong glue, and the beast would not be able to break free. Helplessly, the beast would then be dragged into the bottom of the river and be devoured by these small creatures.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go there. Those creatures eat people,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Not every ce that glowed had jewels and gems. Some ces were highly dangerous, especially in a forest like this.

    On the fifteenth day after they entered the forest, the team had already passed the hunting area of the ming Horns. As they entered the heart of the forest, they knew that they had to be more cautious than before because even the ming Horns had no clue now whaty ahead of them.

    Their pace slowed down.

    Shao Xuan, Duo Kang, and Mai, and the other two seemed to be discussing but in reality, the other four were actually just helping Shao Xuan cover-up.

    This situation where the five grouped together was already amon sight for them, so the others had already grown used to it. The people from the other six tribes didn¡¯t pay too much attention to them and just gathered to discuss in their own groups.

    Where the others couldn¡¯t see, Shao Xuan was tying knots on a grass rope rapidly.

    After Shao Xuan opened his eyes, he looked at the grass rope that waspletely knotted, he interpreted the hints given by the knots. He pointed towards a direction and said, ¡°There.¡±

    Right when the ming Horns decided on the direction, they heard a slightly arrogant voice saying, ¡°I looked at the sky and spected that there will be rain tomorrow. It would arrivetest by the day after tomorrow. This rain will not be light, and will probablyst for two to three days. What are your ns?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the person who was speaking. He was an elder from the Longboat tribe named Mu You. Along the way, he had been telling them about his spections and his observations of the sky. A few days ago he was talking about it too. He mentioned that there wouldn¡¯t be rain for the next three days.

    In fact, there had not really been any rain since they entered the forest. Even if there was, it was only a few drops. Most of the time it was sunny, and the temperature was rising.

    Looking at the people from the other tribes, it seemed like they had a lot of trust in Mu You¡¯s words.

    The four people from the ming Horn tribe nced at the old man who was sitting there pretending to look deeply at the sky, and then looked towards Shao Xuan. They didn¡¯t believe anyone other than Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan shook his head.

    Mu You¡¯s expression grew even more arrogant than before. He felt that he was superior in observing celestial phenomena and no one knew more than he did. Perhaps the shamans of the ming Horn tribe had simr abilities, but it was definitely not the same as his. Shamans used magic. What he used waspletely based on his own rich experience. Plus, there was no shaman with them anyways.

    The Longboat tribe spent most of their year on a boat, following the flow of the river. Thus they had more experience than the others. Observing the celestial phenomena was also one of the necessary skills of a boatman. It could help them make forecasts about the weather and make early preparations so they wouldn¡¯t suffer huge losses.

    When they finally had the chance to show off their skills, the Longboat tribe felt a strong sense of pride and happiness. No matter how skilled the ming Horns were in their forest techniques, they probably couldn¡¯t forecast the weather like the Longboats. At least the Longboats never heard about forecasting from the ming Horns for the past few days. Maybe the most they could manage to do was predict the next day¡¯s weather ording to the celestial phenomena from the previous evening.

    They also thought that what Shao Xuan meant when he shook his head, was that he couldn¡¯t forecast the weather.

    The other tribes were discussing about a hiding ce from the rain in advance, and making preparations for the next two or three days. They did not want to continue travelling in the rain.

    The four people of the ming Horn tribe knew that what Shao Xuan meant when he shook his head was, ¡°Don¡¯t listen to this idiot. He has no idea what he¡¯s talking about. There¡¯s no rain and we need to hurry in the direction the knots were leading us to.¡±

    This was the first them they had a huge disagreement since they entered the forest.

    The ming Horns decided to continue in the direction the knots were leading them to, while the other six tribes were more inclined to follow the words of the Longboat tribe, which was to look for a ce to hide from the rain.

    ¡°Well,¡± Shao Xuan was not mad, but said calmly and respectfully, ¡°Since this area is already beyond what we¡¯re familiar with, our responsibility for leading the way has alsoe to an end. If you guys have different ns for what we should do next, we will not object. But for us, we will continue to stick to our n.¡±

    ¡°Wait, we¡¯ll go with you.¡± Gu La said hurriedly. Since the Hui tribe had decided to cooperate with the ming Horns, they did not want to go back on their decisions. Plus, Gu La himself felt that it was better to follow the ming Horns. So what if it was a little rain? They¡¯ll just get a little wet. He only felt bad for their eagles who were flying with them. They did not like the rain.

    The people of the Mang tribe looked at each other and Qu Ce said, ¡°We¡¯ll walk with you too. Our tribe does not have much experience in the forest. We hope our brothers from the ming Horns can help us.¡±

    Only Huang Ye of the Mang tribe remained silent. He only agreed with it because his tribesmen already made the decision. Although he agreed with Mu You, he knew from the experiences he had for the past ten plus days that the ming Horns were a special kind. Their beastlike instincts were unique and there was a lot they could learn from them. As Qu Ce had said, in this forest, it was better for them to learn how to act from the ming Horns.

    Everyone in the Eight Limbs tribe looked at each other. Seeing their friends from the Mang tribe standing with the ming Horns, it wouldn¡¯t do them much good to follow the Longboat tribe. Regarding connections and cooperation, they preferred to work with the Mang tribe.

    The people of the Thousand Masks tribe did not say a word and just walked over to the ming Horns¡¯ side. Seeing this, Mu You¡¯s eyebrows trembled uncontrobly.

    When the Feather tribe saw this, they doubted their initial decision to stay beside the Longboat tribe. This can¡¯t work. Most of them are with the ming Horns now. With so few people on our side, we would definitely suffer a loss. ?Thus, Gu Zhi, who was leading the Feather tribe, gave out a sigh, smiled at Mu You, and walked towards the ming Horns.

    The people of Longboat tribe were speechless. They didn¡¯t even have a choice now. They just knew they didn¡¯t want to travel alone.

    Thus, Mu You¡¯s face gloomed with dissatisfaction as he walked towards the ming Horns with the rest of his tribe.

    ¡°But why choose this direction?¡± Huang Ye asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Because I think we can find the ves of Rock Hill City if we walk this way,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Mu You snorted in the back. It wasn¡¯t loud but most of them heard it.

    Shao Xuan face remainedposed as if he didn¡¯t hear the sound of mockery. He continued to lead the way.

    The next day, the sky remained blue. White clouds drifted across the blue sky beside the scorching sun. There was not the slightest bit of rain.

    Mu You felt ufortable.

    The third day.

    The sun continued to shine brightly, scorching the great earth.

    Mu You grew even more ufortable. He kept his head down and didn¡¯t dare to look at anyone. The people from the Longboat tribe stayed silent and pretended to be mute.

    On the fourth day, there was still no sign of rain. But still, no one made fun of Mu You and his forecast. After they entered the heart of the forest, there was no time for jokes or mockery. They sensed greater danger and did not want to be distracted.

    What Shao Xuan did not exin to them was that the weather in Fearsome Beast Forest was changing so fast that the closer they got to the heart of the forest, the harder it was for them to make predictions based on the usual signs. Unless Yang Sui of the Rain tribe was here. Perhaps he could¡¯ve made more urate predictions. The people from the Longboat? Just forget it. Their experience was umted under normal conditions and can¡¯t really be applied here.

    Plus, Shao Xuan felt that the ever-increasing temperature was already defying the usualws of nature and it was hard to predict. Even if Shao Xuan learned how to observe the sky, without the help of his rope and his fortune-telling, he wouldn¡¯t be able to urately forecast the weather.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t bother to exin this to them because if he did, they wouldn¡¯t even give Mu You a chance. Who told him to be so arrogant?

    Meanwhile, bugs hiding in the leaves were actively making noises.

    ¡°Xuan!¡± Mai who was atop a tree pointed in one direction. His facial expression was serious.

    Shao Xuan jumped up onto the tree and looked in the direction Mai pointed at.

    Not far in front of them, between the green bushes, some grey figures were flying.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go and find out¡±

    Those grey figures were scavenger birds.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, the ground was almost covered with a greyyer.

    As they sensed the people¡¯s presence, the grey figure called out loudly and flew in flocks into the sky. The greyyer that originally covered the ground was also revealed.

    There were bones that belonged to a beast, and some belonged to humans.

    Whether it was human or beast was no longer important. Their original appearance could no longer be recognized. There was less than one-fifth of their original corpse left on the ground.

    On one of the beast¡¯s bones, stuck a broken end of a spear. It was made of gold instead of the usual stone.

    ¡°Are these the ves?!!¡±

    When they saw this, people from the different tribes expressed their joy.

    The ming Horns were right indeed! They walked in this direction and found the group of ves sent by Rock Hill City, as predicted.

 Chapter 537 - The Lush Green Grounds

    <strong>Chapter 537</strong>

    <strong>The Lush Green Grounds</strong>

    There were many broken branches around, and as the birds broke through the trees from above, more leaves and branches fell . Up above, a patch of blue sky was revealed, and the sun shone directly onto the ground.

    Under the hot weather and scorching sun, the smell of carrion dispersed, attracting many scavenging animals. However, they weren¡¯t sure whether a huge beast got mad at that location a few moments before they arrived. Besides the grey feathers, the scavenger birds, and some flying insects, norger creatures were able to be seen.

    After they searched the area for more tracks, the team set off once again

    Now that they found the traces of the ves of Rock Hill City, as long as they followed those tracks, they would easilyplete their search. After all, they were a huge group.

    Rumours told that Rock Hill City had dispatched about five hundred people, and whenpared to the whole tribe or the whole Rock Hill City, this was not a lot. But the fact that they suddenly dispatched five hundred people from the desert and sent them to this forest meant that this was a huge investment. Shao Xuan¡¯s group only had around fifty to sixty people.

    When they found the ves¡¯ traces, the others no longer doubted the ming Horns. In fact, they felt very fortunate that they chose to follow them. If they were to look for the group of five hundred ves by themselves, it would take them more than a hundred days and still, they probably wouldn¡¯t be able to find them. There were many traces, but they were already starting to fade. The forest was recovering way faster than expected, and the corpses that they saw before that were nothing other than bones would probably disappear the next day. Not even a single bone would be left.

    Because their team entered the forest muchter than the group of ves, the traces left by the ves have been mostly covered by the self-recovery of the forest. So they couldn¡¯t determine right away which direction the ves were heading.

    Now that they thought about it, the other tribes felt that the ¡°sincerity¡± they paid to the ming Horns were actually quite worth it.

    As they advanced beyond the familiar range of the ming Horns, it was much harder for them to find a ce to rest. There were way more hidden and unpredictable dangers that were hard for them to guard against.

    After they followed the tracks left behind by the group of ves for four days, they had already lost five members from their initial total of sixty-three. They died on the way due to various reasons.

    This morning, a member of the Longboat tribe died from snake venom. The rescue team came toote, and the person was bitten on his neck, so before the others could even check his injury, his neck had already turned ck in an instant, as if tainted by ink. His skin rotted away and soon, he stopped breathing. He was already an intermediate totem warrior with strong resistance to toxicity. Yet he didn¡¯tst long from the bite, and couldn¡¯t even say hisst words before he passed.

    The snake that bit him hid in a tree and stayed there silently as if it was a lifeless object attached to the tree. It became one with the tree and only ambushed when people passed by.

    People in the Longboat tribe used to think thatrge snakes were generally not venomous unless it was a fearsome beast. But that was not the case here. There were many kinds ofrge venomous snakes that were deadly. Just like the one that bit theirrade before, it was wider in diameter than a human and extremely venomous. After its head was cut off it still had the ability to bite another person. If it wasn¡¯t for the ming Horns who moved fast enough, Longboat would have lost two people at once.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that these things die right after you sever their heads. They can still attack, so be careful, or else you wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to weep,¡± Shao Xuan said to those people.

    Since the ming Horns had been to simr forests that were full of hidden dangers before they returned to their homnd, most of the territory walked by the hunting team was simr to this. Especially for the leading team in front. They had to face more difficulties. Therefore, even though it was Mai and Tuo¡¯s first time at this part of the forest, they could still adapt quickly.

    It was their first time here, so they weren¡¯t familiar with the grounds and couldn¡¯t quickly find a cave to rest in. So many times they had to spend the night in the open air or camp out. For the past two days, they spent their nights camping on top of a mountain in the open air. Without a cave, they could only rest in a leeward ce near the mountainside.

    The traces left here probably belonged to the ve team that passed by before they arrived. They probably took a rest here as well.

    There were some carved pictures on the wall of the mountain.

    Based on Shao Xuan¡¯s understanding of rocks, some of these carvings on the mountain walls had been made a long time ago. This was enough to prove that there had been other ve teams dispatched to the same area before.

    The ves¡¯ traces once again confirmed Shao Xuan¡¯s guesses. Rock Hill City had definitely caught a green-faced fanged beast before.

    From time to time, they would encounter a ve¡¯s corpse. Some had been bitten to the point that their faces couldn¡¯t be recognized. Some had iplete body parts. At such a ce in the forest, humans were the prey.

    At noon, two people from the Eight Limbs tribe went to the river to get some water. They knew enough not to get too close to the river. A few days ago, a member of their tribe was dragged into the river because he went too close to it. No one saw what dragged him in.

    The weather was getting hotter, and it was getting more physically challenging for them to travel fast. They were all sweating. Even though the branches and leaves covered them from the scorching sun above, they could still feel the ever-rising temperature. Their need for water grew as they walked farther.

    A thin string was tied to a coconut-like hard shell. There was a hole the size of a fist dug into the round shell. A stone was tied onto the shell, and together, it was thrown into the river twenty meters away.

    With a blurp sound, the stone sank and travelled downwards. The water from the river seeped into the hole made in the shell. When the two warriors from the Eight Limbs tribe felt it was almost full, they pulled on the string that was attached to the shell and tried to retrieve their full water bottle.

    As the round shell full of water surfaced and was pulled up into the air, a figure that was almost two meters tall flew upwards from behind and bit onto the shell, and brought it back into the river. Water sshed upwards as the figure disappeared into the water.

    The two warriors who went to fetch the water could hear the cracking sound of the shell as the creature swallowed it.

    However, this was already amon sight for them. After a slight shock, they tried to use the same kind of shell to get water again, and this time, they seeded. The creature did not bite on.

    ¡°Next time you can try to use a stronger wire. We could even fish,¡± Shao Xuan said as he looked at the ripples on the river¡¯s surface. The figure that leapt upwards just now looked like a lizard without limbs. It might¡¯ve been a type of fish in the river.

    The warrior from the Eight Limbs tribe thought about it. Shao Xuan had a point. If it was a stronger wire, they could pull out the creature if it bit onto their bait, and that would¡¯ve been their dinner for the night. If he couldn¡¯t drag out the creature by himself, he could ask the ming Horns to help him. They were much stronger anyways.

    The Eight Limbs tribe was rich in spider silk. They produced all types of silk and wires. After some processing, some of these silks and wires could be used to make clothing, while the stronger ones could be used to weaves for catching prey.

    To the younger members of the team, this was a rare experience, and it was even more unforgettable than their previous experience in the desert.

    Not only did they have to follow the trail of the ves, but they also had to look for food and water. Sometimes they even had to fight a bear so they could sleep in a cave at night. It was much safer inside a cave than in the forest at night.

    When they were looking for a ce to rest overnight, they encountered a bear who tried to fight them. They didn¡¯t win because the giant bear was too cunning, and didn¡¯t even want toe out of the cave. No matter what they did, it stayed inside the cave and didn¡¯t move an inch.

    If the giant bear was led out of the hole, then they could win just by their number. They could even turn the bear into their dinner. But if the bear didn¡¯te out, they couldn¡¯t really do much. The people couldn¡¯t enter, and the bear took full advantage of the hole to protect itself. Even if they worked together, they couldn¡¯t have led the bear out of the cave.

    Once, the giant bear had even roared at Qu Ce and a few others. At the time, the bear had probably eaten some fish, because its roar carried with it a disgusting fishy smell. When Qu Ce and the others came back, they carried that smell with them.

    However, they weren¡¯t sure whether it was the bear¡¯s saliva or the smell, but whenever they were ambushed by beasts, Qu Ce and the others who were stained with the saliva were not attacked. Maybe that was a special kind of luck for them.

    Another half-day had passed, and when the team crossed another mountain, they decided to take a rest.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Duo Kang and several others asked when they saw Shao Xuan looking afar on top of a rock.

    Shao Xuan pointed to the front, ¡°Do you notice any difference?¡±

    ¡°Differences?¡±

    Duo Kang and the others looked in that direction, ¡°There are many mountains.¡±

    ¡°Not only that. The leaves in front of us are very different,¡± Shao Xuan said contemtively.

    ¡°Now that you mention it, I also see that those leaves look¡­wet and well-watered!¡± Duo Kang touched his chin, then reached out and pulled off a leaf from a nearby bush. He observed it carefully.

    Perhaps it was because the weather was dry and there had been many days without rain. Most of these nts were wilted and dry. The leaves on the farther ends of branches seemed withered.

    However, in that direction, even though it was only a distance away, it was clear that the nts there were obviously greener and more alive. Although they couldn¡¯t tell what nts were there, it caught their eye. Even with the sun shining at them from an angle, they still remained bright. On an especially hot day like this, seeing the green tenderness on that side of the mountain made people feel refreshed. It was as if they could easily be hydrated from it.

    ¡°Hey, look, there¡¯s smoke over there!¡± Mai said.

    Mai¡¯s voice brought other people in the team together and they looked forward in the same direction.

    Amidst the mountains, within the lush greenness, some grey smoke rose from the forest. But because the wind was blowing, the smoke was blown away as soon as it rose.

    ¡°It¡¯s the group of ves! It has to be!¡±

    ¡°We finally caught up!¡± The people in the team eximed.

    Shao Xuan looked at the mountain over there and said, ¡°Perhaps, what they are looking for is in the forest in front of them.¡±

    The team was suddenly quiet, and more than fifty pairs of eyes looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Elder Shao Xuan means that ¡®it¡¯ is here?¡± Huang Ye asked.

    On the way, he¡¯d seen enough and gained enough respect for the ming Horns. His attitude towards them had definitely changed. Especially towards Shao Xuan. When Huang Ye spoke to them, he would use the title ¡°Elder¡± to show his respect for them.

    However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care about those things. He didn¡¯t care whether others approved of him.

    At this instant, Shao Xuan looked at the forest in front of them and thought about what they knew about the green-faced fanged beast.

    There were more mountains in front and probably more water too. At first nce, it gave people a sense of tranquillity. It was a special part of the Fearsome Beast Forest and there was a huge chance that the green-faced fanged beast was really there.

 Chapter 538 - The Hidden Village in the Mountain

    Chapter 538

    The Hidden Vige in the Mountain

    In a ce surrounded by mountains, the sounds of human activity came from newly built wooden houses.

    These wooden houses were only built recently, and the cuts in the wood were still fairly fresh. With lines of wooden houses arranged in such a ce, it seemed like a mountain vige hidden in an inessible location.

    Thick wooden posts over ten meters tall have been erected on the periphery of the vige and acted as a wall to block out some small beasts. On the high tower, there were three tanned ves, who were standing there and looking in three different directions.

    In the open space, a pile of bones that used to belong to a giant beast was thrown there, and the white fleshless animal bone that had been dissected was no longer recognizable. Only the holes where the eyes and nostrils belonged remained, marking this as the head of a giant beast.

    Beast bones, horns, and teeth that were suitable for forging weapons had been dismantled, and the sound of bones being ground and sharpened could be heard everywhere. Although these ves brought mostly bronze weapons, they had used up most of their supply. Under such limited conditions, they could only manage to repair some bronze weapons that were not heavily damaged, If it was beyond repair, they could only throw it away. Without weapons, it was impossible to survive in a ce full of fierce beasts and dangers. Beast bones, horns, and teeth were more convenient than weapons made from stone. The ves who were in charge of polishing and grinding the bones paced around with various tools and they seemed very busy.

    In contrast to these movements, there was an open area surrounded by wooden houses. No one dared to run around or talk loudly there.

    There was a fire pile burning in the open area, and roasted beast meat attached to bones were burning atop the fire. The fat from the meat dripped into the fire, causing a sizzling sound.

    A rtively fair-skinned middle-aged man was sitting next to the fire. The other ves were either wearing tattered sackcloth or covered with blood-stained animal skin, but this middle-aged man was wearing very clean clothes. It was also linen, but it was weaved in a much more intricate manner, and its quality was obviously more superior. Besides the scratches that were barely noticeable on the corners of his shirt, his clothes had no holes at all.

    The middle-aged man was frowning, his furrowed brows growing tighter as he looked at a picture drawn on parchment made of animal skin.

    There were some simple drawings on the parchment. The dark green triangles represented mountains and the shapeless green figures were other areas of the forest. Amongst these greens, a yellow sandy line stretched across and ended up at one location.

    This was a simple map. The line on the map was their course of travel. At one end of the line was where they entered the forest, and the other end was where they were now.

    Determined that he did not go in the wrong direction, the creases between the middle-aged man¡¯s eyebrows squeezed even more tightly than before, its folds growing deeper.

    Several senior ves who stood next to him hung their heads. They only dared to pay attention by looking at the man sitting on the stone indirectly from the corner of their eyes. They knew that he was in a bad mood and they did not dare to say anything. They were afraid that the wrong words might make his anger explode.

    ¡°It has to be here! There¡¯s no mistake!¡± the middle-aged man sitting on the stone murmured. The weeds that were growing below him suffered and sank downwards as the man¡¯s foot continuously stepped into the ground, driven by his fluctuating emotions.

    The ves standing next to him lowered their heads even more.

    The smell of meat pervaded this vige. The ves who were guarding or busying everywhere sniffed their noses. The smell of meat captivated them and stimted the secretion of saliva, but no matter how much they wanted to look in that direction, they had to turn their heads reluctantly and focus on their work at hand. They didn¡¯t dare to look elsewhere.

    Meanwhile, a group of around twenty people came back from outside, each carrying or dragging small prey that they hunted.

    The middle-aged man staring at the map suddenly looked up and red at the team that had just returned. The members of the team who saw him looking quickly looked away. They didn¡¯t dare to look him in the eye.

    The middle-aged man with the parchment in his hand was full of expectations. Seeing that they didn¡¯t have what he wanted, the light that shed from excitement dimmed, and what followed after was his rapidly rising anger.

    ¡°You still can¡¯t find it?! How is this possible?! Why can¡¯t we find it?!¡±

    The middle-aged man¡¯s eyes turned red due to anger.

    He moved his arms and was ready to throw the parchment down to the ground, but before he did, he stopped. Instead, he kicked the ground harshly.

    The parchment mustn¡¯t be thrown away. It was their only sense of direction and guide. Even if he was mad and unhappy, he could only kick the grass below him.

    The weeds that grew above their knees were crushed one after another by his steps.

    ¡°Why vent your anger on the grass when you can¡¯t find the green-faced fanged beast?¡± azy voice said.

    The middle-aged man who was holding the parchment heard this voice and red from the corner of his eye. He didn¡¯t even bother to turn his head, and turned to the ve who was standing next to him and shouted, ¡°Keep on searching until you find it! If we can¡¯t find it, none of you are going back!¡±

    When they heard that they couldn¡¯t go back, the ves grieved in their hearts but didn¡¯t dare to disobey. Those who just came back hurriedly ate something and set off to hunt again. The ves who were polishing the horns and bones worked faster.

    To many people, the desert was a deadly ce. In the dry and windy weather, it was rare for them to see even a spot of green. The deste desert made people want to run away just from hearing it.

    But for this group of ves, even though the desert had less food than these forests that were full of trees and beasts, they were already used to life in the desert. Many of the people in the team belonged to a family that had been ves for generations, and their very nature had been carved deep into their bones. They didn¡¯t know what else to do besides being a ve. In their hearts, the desert of Rock Hill City was their home, their master, and their religion. Not being able to return was equivalent to killing them.

    Now that Rock Hill City became the king of the desert, the ves felt an even stronger sense of pride and became more loyal than before. These ves who were dispatched were all willing to die for Rock Hill City, so their loyalty was never doubted.

    The five hundred people who had been dispatched encountered many dangers in the forest, and along the way, their total casualties were already beyond a hundred, dead and wounded included. Fortunately, they already found their final destination marked on the map. The problem was they had been searching for their target for days and yet they still couldn¡¯t find it.

    The middle-aged man returned and sat on the rock beside the fire again. He was sulking from unhappiness. He was embarrassed to go back without finding the green-faced fanged beast, yet he had no choice. There was no way he could turn the mountains upside-down to look for it.

    After taking a few deep breaths, the middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Robber Four, how¡¯s the situation on your side?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t find it.¡± Those lightly expressed words were simr to this person¡¯s attitude. He waspletely indifferent and without hurry. He looked sofortable like he was ying a game. He seemed to be enjoying his time here.

    ¡°Then why aren¡¯t you looking for it?!¡± It was like the middle-aged man said through gritted teeth. He really didn¡¯t understand why Shi Shu asked the robbers to help them. What else could these people do besides stealing? Eat?

    Robber Four walked slowly to the fire and sat down. He picked up the cooked ribs that were resting atop the fire and began to eat in spite of the heat. While chewing, he said unclearly, ¡°If it was that easy to find, Rock Hill City wouldn¡¯t have only found three for the past few hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Shi Shi.¡± Robber Four suddenly recalled something. He then said, ¡°There are tribesmen following us.¡±

    To Robber Four, their robber identity set them apart from the others. They were neither ves nor tribesmen and he was very satisfied with his Robber status. He saw himself as a bit higher in rank than the average tribes, so whenever he spoke of tribes, he usually meant other tribes rather than other robbers.

    ¡°Tribal people? So soon?!¡± Shi Shi didn¡¯t expect the tribal people to catch up so quickly. They¡¯re here for the green-faced fanged beast too?!

    Even as he sensed a murderous vibe from Shi Shi, Robber Four continued to speak in a slow manner, ¡°Actually, you don¡¯t have to worry about them. Perhaps they could even help us find the green-faced fanged beast.¡±

    Hearing this, Shi Shi¡¯s eyes shed but he remained silent. He agreed with the robber. They had no progress even after so many days. Maybe those tribal people could end up finding some new clues.

    After eating the beast meat, the robber didn¡¯t stay much longer. He walked out of the vige into the dense forest, and the guards could only pretend they didn¡¯t see him leave.

    In the forest, the heat from the hot weather was reced by the humidity in the air. Under the branches that blocked away from the sun, a gentle breeze swept across the forest, bringing with it a refreshing coolness.

    Robber Four walked into the woods. Most of the weeds on the ground reached his waist, and he looked as if he was engulfed by a green ocean.

    Here there were no ves around.

    ¡°So?¡± Robber Four asked.

    Five steps away from him, on the trunk of arge tree, an indistinct outline of a figure slowly became visible.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything,¡± the person on the tree said with a doubtful voice. ¡°The ves only knew that they wereing to look for something, and nothing more. But one thing was for sure. Shi Shi was growing anxious. What could he do with the green-faced fanged beast?

    ¡°We won¡¯t know if Shi Shi doesn¡¯t tell us. But for now, we don¡¯t need to take any action. As long as the group of ves or the tribesmen find the green-faced fanged beast, it will be good for us either way.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    With that said, the man leapt from the tree trunk and departed. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared out of sight.

    A centipede with dark green skin suddenly stood erect amidst the thick grassy field. Its sharp plier-like teeth stretched in an unnatural angle. It rushed in ambush towards the robber, but in the next moment, the robber who used to be there disappeared into thin air.

    The centipede that was in the middle of an attack came crashing, missing its targeted prey.

    The two rod-shaped antennae on its head turned rapidly from left to right, sensing for its prey. After a while, it could not detect anything and eventually gave up on its previous prey. It bent down into the ground and disappeared into the thick grassy field.

    From afar, the breeze blowing on the grassy field created waves atop the grass and leaves. The waves flowed in one direction, sweeping through the field and eventually left as it hade. It looked like ripples on the surface of ake. The waves grew weaker and soon became settled.

    The forest returned to its original quiet state.

 Chapter 539 - The Search

    Chapter 539

    The Search

    A strange tree without leaves and branches stood alone like a bare wooden pile. The only special thing was that it had hundreds of fist-sized holes.

    Chop!

    The waved axe brought with it a sharp air current. The strange tree was chopped down.

    ¡°This is thest one.¡± Qu Ce wiped the sweat on his forehead, and then a few chops, he cut the tree into sections. With each chop, strange things that looked like flower buds grew out from those holes on the tree. It looked like two leaves that were folded together and it was opening up like it was ready to bite.

    It was this species. Earlier today, a nt like this one bit off a piece of flesh from a warrior who belonged to the Mang tribe. The bite was poisonous and the phytotoxin prevented blood from clotting. If the wound was left untreated, blood would have flowed continuously without stopping.

    After they cut the tree into smaller pieces, therge flower buds on the tree seemed to have lost their energy and dropped down weakly. Qu Ce had just picked up the pieces of wood that they cut up from the tree and threw them into the woven. He wanted to keep it as firewood. As long as the ¡°buds¡± were plucked, wood from this type of tree would be highly mmable. It was the perfect material for starting fires.

    They followed Shao Xuan and the other ming Horns into a hilly ce and then took a rest on another mountain near the people from Rock Hill City.

    At a lower altitude, there was an underground stone cave and they were now resting there. From where they stood, they could catch a clear view of the other mountain clearly. If the people from Rock Hill City started a fire, they could see the smoke rising up above.

    Qu Ce dragged a full of chopped firewood back to their resting ce. There was a wide hole under a t boulder that led into the cave. When Qu Ce went in, he even had to bend his knees and lower his head to enter.

    It looked very narrow on the outside, but it was much more spacious after entering.

    It amodated more than fifty people, and there was still some space for roasted meat and fresh fruits. They did not feel at all crowded when they were inside.

    However, because it was an underground cave, there wasn¡¯t much lighting in from the vent holes inside the cave. Their only reliable light source inside the cave was the Water Moon Stone.

    ¡°It¡¯s so hot in here! I¡¯m beat!¡± Qu Ce flung the bag full of firewood to one side andid down on the ground to rest.

    Qu Ce let out a rxed long sigh as heid down on the stone-cold floor inside the cave. He had been busy all morning and the refreshing coolness was reallyfortable.

    In contrast to the ever-rising temperature outside, it was much cooler inside the cave. In this kind of weather, it was easy for people to forget that it was actually supposed to be winter at this time of the year.

    The people in the cave sat around Shao Xuan and paid no attention to Qu Ce. Their eyes watched closely as Shao Xuan¡¯s hands moved. The younger ones in the team who were in the lower ranks couldn¡¯t even squeeze in or get close to Shao Xuan at all. They could only try their best to hear what they were saying and piece together the rest. As they heard the people in the innermost circle talking, their ears itched with curiosity, but all they could do was wait idly on the side.

    ¡°Not finished yet?¡± Qu Ce asked the people who were pushed to the side. He was a young warrior of the Eight Limbs tribe.

    ¡°It should be done pretty soon,¡± the person said.

    When Qu Ce went out to get firewood, someone brought back one of the trapsid by the ves from Rock Hill City. Although it had been taken down, the trap still remained mostly intact. The only trouble they faced now were someplicated knots and structures. Many people wanted to separate the trap into parts and study it carefully, but they didn¡¯t know where to start. Finally, Shao Xuan stood up and took over this matter.

    At first nce, the trap was one that belonged in a thick grassy area. It had a bait and asso for catching. Some instruments attached were made of gold and looked like it was specifically designed to catch a certain prey.

    What were the people in Rock Hill City trying to catch? The green-faced fanged beast!

    Shao Xuan had already told everyone that Rock Hill City was looking for the green-faced fanged beast, but there were too many strange animals in the forest and it was hard for them to be sure which one it was. They hadn¡¯te across any animal that had a green face or fangs.

    They had already been here for two days and yet they hadn¡¯t met any ves from Rock Hill City. They hadn¡¯t evene across any beast that looked simr to the green-faced fanged beast. If they didn¡¯t see the people from Rock Hill City settle down in the vige, the other tribes naturally wouldn¡¯t believe what Shao Xuan said. From what they saw, it even seemed like Rock Hill City was nning to stay for a long time.

    Shao Xuan was telling the others about the green-faced fanged beast, but he only revealed the information they heard from the robber.

    The other tribes knew for a fact that the ming Horns caught a robber.

    The other tribes all knew about this. Therefore, they still believed part of what Shao Xuan said. However, he did not tell them what Rock Hill City could do with the beast if they had found one. The other four ming Horn members were also tight-lipped about that.

    No matter what the truth was, if they wanted to know the objective of the ve masters in Rock Hill City, they had to figure out what they could do with the green-faced fanged beast. These tribesmen regarded the desert ve owners as their most threatening opponents, and Rock Hill City¡¯s every move affected a nerve in their body.

    So now, when Shao Xuan was dismantling the trap, several tribes gathered around. They knew that the ming Horns had more knowledge about trapping fierce beasts, so they were willing to wait for Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation.

    Shao Xuan looked at the trap that had just beenpletely dismantled and breathed out slowly, ¡°Done!¡±

    ¡°How is it?¡± The people were eager for an answer.

    Shao Xuan picked up a handful of green grass that waspletely fixed into the trap, ¡°This should be the favourite food of the green-faced fanged beast. That¡¯s why Rock Hill City used this as a bait, and judging from the size of this trap, the beast is probably notrge in size.¡±

    After Shao Xuan got up, he said, ¡°Its height is probably about this tall,¡± he made a gesture with his hands, roughly estimating the size of the beast.

    ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s predictions, the green-faced fanged beast¡¯s height probably was lower than their chest level. But of course, it could be taller. This was merely a guess they made ording to the trap.

    ¡°It probably has horns around this spot.¡± Shao Xuan picked up a burnt branch and started to draw on the ground.

    The drawing drawn by Robber Seven was too abstract and ambiguous. Even if it was exactly the same as the original, there was no way for them to figure out how the green-faced fanged beast looked from that drawing. Shao Xuan only gathered everything he knew about the beast and tried his best to draw ording to what he knew.

    The people who stood around Shao Xuan stretched their necks one by one as they stared with huge eyespletely focused on the drawing on the ground. It was like they were trying to make a copy of the drawing in their minds.

    ¡°Is it even urate for us to make a guess purely based on a trap? Should we go take down another one of their traps to study?¡± Huang Ye suggested.

    ¡°Another one? That can¡¯t work. The people from Rock Hill City will notice,¡± someone said hesitantly.

    ¡°Do you really think they don¡¯t know we¡¯re here?¡± Shao Xuan threw away the branch in his hand and looked at the trap that had just been dismantled. ¡°They might have purposely left this trap behind.¡±

    ¡°Purposely? Why would they do that? Did they change the trap just to fool us?¡± Huang Ye asked.

    ¡°Not at all. Instead, I think they would want us to find the beast.¡±

    ¡°Why do you reckon so?¡±

    ¡°Because they can¡¯t find it!¡±

    The words ¡°can¡¯t find it¡± were deliberately ented by Shao Xuan.

    The green-faced fanged beasts were indeed not easy to find, otherwise, the hunting team from the ming Horns would have found something already. The dispatched ves were probably carefully chosen by Rock Hill City for this purpose. They even had robbers follow along. Even if the ves did not notice them, the robbers must¡¯ve sensed this bunch¡¯s presence.

    But even after they noticed Shao Xuan and the rest, they pretended not to see them. The two parties had not evene into contact, and yet a trap was set this close to them. If they said they had no other intentions, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t even have believed them.

    ¡°So, the people from Rock Hill City didn¡¯te this way because they knew we¡¯re here?¡± Gu Zhi murmured as he walked in circles. ¡°That¡¯s good too, everyone can mind their own business.¡±

    ¡°So, we should start looking for the green-faced fanged beast based on Elder Shao Xuan¡¯s drawing,¡± Huang Ye said as he looked at Shao Xuan, ¡°Does Elder Shao Xuan have anything to say to us?¡±

    ¡°Nothing much. Just make sure all of you are mentally prepared.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°What preparations?¡± The people in the cave looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°ording to the situation Gu La had seen from the sky, the people from Rock Hill City had built houses and walls, and it looked like they had been preparing to stay for a long time.¡±

    They prepared to stay for a long time?¡±

    There was a moment of silence in the cave.

    The ves from Rock Hill City could live in wooden houses, and yet, all they got was a cave?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we build some houses too?¡± Huang Ye suggested.

    The people of the Feather tribe had something to say, given the rare opportunity to express their opinion, ¡°If we build the houses on the ground, it would be too obvious. Why don¡¯t we build it on top of trees in the forest and disguise it so it wouldn¡¯t be easily seen?¡±

    ¡°Then you guys build a house, we¡¯ll go search for the beast first. We¡¯ll see where we can find this kind of grass.¡± Huang Yee distributed the patch of grass that Shao Xuan handed over to him to everyone. Since the green-faced fanged beast liked eating this grass, then they just needed to find a ce where this grass grew in abundance. Then the animal would definitely be there!

    They split up and started working. Everyone in the cave left at once, leaving only a few injured people behind to guard the cave. If something went wrong, all they needed to do was sound a whistle.

    Shao Xuan and his team of five walked together. Without the other tribes following, Duo Kang could finally speakfortably.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, do we not have to worry about the others catching all the green-faced fanged beasts?¡± Duo Kang didn¡¯t like working with the other tribes and he didn¡¯t trust them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can even find one first.¡± Only five members from the ming Horn tribe came, and since the others were all searching for the green-faced fanged beast, there was no need for them to hide anything because the most important thing at the moment was to make sure whether the beast really was here. If the green-faced fanged beast was really here, then the ming Horns would have more opportunities to find one in the future. This was their home anyways.

    Duokang gave it some thought and said no more.

    At first nce, the grass taken from the trap didn¡¯t look any special, but when they took a closer look, they noticed a clear differencepared to the normal grass in the forest. The biggest difference was that it had a light fragrance that made it easier to tell apart from the other grass.

    But the difficulty lied in the fact that there were too many simr types of grass growing in the forest, and it wouldn¡¯t make any sense if they went to smell the fragrance of every bit of grass, right? What if some had poison?¡±

    As experienced hunters, the five ming Horn members had great eyesight. Their eyesight was sharper than the others, but even after a day, they went back to the cave with only five des of this grass. In that region of the forest, they searched for a day and could only find five. This type of grass was so rare that it was clear the probability of a green-faced fanged beast appearing here was very low.

    ¡°No hurry. We¡¯ll just continue tomorrow,¡± Shao Xuanforted them.

    Outside, the people of the Feather tribe were working with good efficiency. They had already built small huts on the trees, each about ten square meters, covered with vines and branches. It was well disguised and not easily noticed.

    However,pared to those huts, the five ming Horn members still preferred to live inside the stone cave.

    Tonight, half of them were outside and half of them remained in the cave.

    Compared to the others who suffered from insomnia, Shao Xuan slept very well that night and even had a dream.

 Chapter 540 - Back to the Dream

    <strong>Chapter 540</strong>

    <strong>Back to the Dream</strong>

    Under normal circumstances, Shao Xuan rarely dreamed. Every time he dreamed, there would¡¯ve been a reason, and sometimes the reason was rted to something that might actually happen in real life.

    When he thought about all the dreams he had before, he realized that all of them carried strong hints or warnings.

    Sometimes, Shao Xuan wished he had more of these dreams, but it was beyond his control. He could only ept what came to him. It couldn¡¯t be forced.

    But this night, after he fell asleep, Shao Xuan entered a dream state he hadn¡¯t attained before.

    Shao Xuan knew that in the dream, he was in the forest, and he could hear the sound of the breeze blowing gently across the grassy field. The sound of grass and leaves rustling sounded like waves that rose and fell.

    As he looked up, the moons had already begun to wane and were getting smaller and smaller. They were approaching the end of the year, so as the edges of the moons moved farther apart from each other. They were already bing thin curves and were unable to provide enough light.

    There were no stars and it was dark everywhere.

    Shao Xuan wanted to scan the area around him with his special vision, but there was no use. Even after he switched to his special vision, all he could see was a thickyer of mist, and it was actually worse than his ordinary vision.

    Besides his limited vision, Shao Xuan also felt very clear-headed and awake in the dream. His senses were sharp and he could sense all the tiniest movements around him. He somewhat knew that he was in a dream, but it felt so real.

    Although his surroundings were very dark, Shao Xuan could still see the rough outlines of the surrounding trees, rocks, and mountains, but he could not see the details.

    Shhhhh¡ª Shhhhh¡ª

    A gentle breeze swept across the grassy fields. Amongst the sounds of grass and trees waving to the rhythm of the breeze, there was another sound that wasn¡¯t obvious to the normal human ear. It was difficult to tell it apart from the other sounds. If you didn¡¯t have such sensitive ears, you wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it at all.

    Within the thick grass, something was moving rapidly and started running. It was not far away from Shao Xuan. He only saw a blurry shadow that ran into the distance as fast as the wind. He could even feel the air being disturbed as the figure speeded into the distance.

    Without much thought, Shao Xuan quickly followed the sound and wanted to catch up to it. His instincts told him that it was the target he had been searching for.

    The figure ran very fast. In the thick woods and grass, it moved lightly with ease, without any restrictions in its movement.

    As it ran out of the thick grass, it came across a rocky field. It passed through the stream and entered the forest. The trees at this part of the forest were very strange. They were twisted and crooked, like willows reshaped by the force of a strong wind. A little more force and they would have fallen.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see it clearly because all around him, it was too dark.

    As Shao Xuan chased after the sound, he suddenly heard a rough ¡°shhh¡± sound in front of him. It sounded like a creature was chewing something really fast. asionally there were sounds of grass and leaves being torn off.

    Shao Xuan wanted to take a closer look, but the figure quickly escaped again and ran as fast as it could into the woods nearby. It took a rest from time to time, and as it rested, Shao Xuan could hear it chewing again.

    Suddenly, Shaoxuan¡¯s muscles tensed up as he sensed danger. In front of him where the chewing sound came from, a pair of green bright eyes looked directly at him..

    He couldn¡¯t determine how those eyes looked, but he sensed its murderous intention. Before Shao Xuan could think, the pair of eyes in the dark looked down, but the killing intent grew more intense

    Shao Xuan realised he couldn¡¯t move a muscle when he saw the figure charge in his direction.

    Amidst the dark night, it felt as if something like a sharp sword was flying rapidly in his direction. It was as if he would be stabbed in the next moment.

    Whoosh!

    Shao Xuan sat up with his eyes open wide. He almost felt the pain of being stabbed by the sharp de. The dream was still fresh in his mind, and it made his muscles stiff with tension.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Shao Xuan?¡± Mai, Duo Kang and others next to him asked as they heard his movements.

    During the day, the assumptions Shao Xuan made after analyzing the trap made most of them unable to fall asleep. They were thinking of all sorts of things. Even the four other members from the ming Horn tribe couldn¡¯t sleep. Even if they slept, they couldn¡¯t sleep well.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s movements were too sudden, and everyone who was almost dozing off suddenly became rmed. They thought they were being ambushed.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Shao Xuan raised his hand and wiped away the cold sweat on his forehead. He was panting a little anxiously.

    ¡°It didn¡¯t seem like it was nothing,¡± someone inside the cave said. It was a man from the Thousand Masks tribe.

    Shao Xuan ignored him and said to Duo Kang, ¡°It was just a dream.¡±

    Other people in the cave heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words and thought that Shao Xuan had probably thought too much in the day. Overthinking causes one to have dreams at night. He probably had a nightmare. They never knew Shao Xuan was such a coward.

    Seeing Shao Xuan lying down again like he was going back to sleep, the others didn¡¯t ask anymore. It was just a nightmare. Who never had one before? Especially after they entered Fearsome Beast Forest. Many of them dreamed about being eaten by a beast and swallowed by weird nts, but those dreams onlysted for a while. After some time, they got used to the forest and had fewer dreams. After all, all those who came were the stronger members of each tribe. Their mental strength was strong enough.

    Knowing that Shao Xuan could be scared awake by nightmares, the other young warriors felt more at ease. Even Shao Xuan had these times, they thought happily.

    However, the four others from the ming Horns were extremely worried.

    They had been through enough to know that Shao Xuan¡¯s dreams were not just any ordinary dreams.

    That year when they followed the leading team on a hunt, Shao Xuan dreamt of the green thief. When they were at sea, Shao Xuan dreamt of his ancestors. He dreamt of where they could cross the sea. All those details in his dreams guided them and gave them many hints throughout their adventures together.

    Now, when they heard Shao Xuan say that it was a dream, the four members from the ming Horn tribe wanted to ask about it, but they realised there were others in the cave, so they didn¡¯t ask.

    Because Shao Xuan did this, the four ming Horn members stayed wide awake that night. The others in the cave could sense that the ming Horns were feeling uneasy.

    Under the earth in the cave, an unknown creature started moving. The sound passed through the rocks under the cave and came to their ears. Those creatures did note close to them and weren¡¯t a threat at all, yet they were perturbed.

    In the forest outside the cave, a beast roared in the night. In the middle of the night, there were still creatures out preying and killing.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes and stared into the darkness of the cave. The woods at night were slightly cool, and the warmth that came from the stone ground inside the cave calmed him down. As he recalled every single detail in his dream and reyed it in his mind, he took a mental note.

    The green-faced fanged beast? Was that creature in his dream the green-faced fanged beast?

    It was just a pity that in the dream, not only could he not see clearly, but there was also ayer of mist surrounding him, so no matter what type of vision he used, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see the details clearly. All he could see were the outlines of figures and his surroundings.

    This ce was clearly different from any other ce he¡¯d been to.

    For the rest of the night, Shao Xuan kept recalling the details he saw in his dream. He also remembered the clear murderous intent that he sensed.

    If it was really a green-faced fanged beast in his dream, then it was clear why they were so hard to catch. They moved way too fast and had powerful attacks. They were also extremely cautious. No wonder why they were so hard to catch.

    Shao Xuan had already searched for this entire mountain where they were resting. Judging by memory, the ce in his dream was not here.

    If it wasn¡¯t here, where was it?

    The next day, after a simple breakfast, the tribes split up and started working again.

    The five members of the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t talk much and just followed Shao Xuan. They knew that Shao Xuan must have discovered something.

 Chapter 541

    Chapter 541

    Traces

    After Shao Xuan descended the mountain, he began to search.

    He didn¡¯t know which mountain was the one he saw in the dream. From a high altitude, he had a wider field of vision. Shao Xuan even borrowed a great mountain eagle from the Hui tribe to try to get a higher view.

    It was a pity that they couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the mountains from above. As they looked down, all the mountains looked the same.

    These great mountain eagles had always been vignt and discriminating against people who didn¡¯t belong to the Hui tribe. They never trusted others more than they trusted the Hui tribe. The eagle ¡°Dao Shan¡± carried Shao Xuan on its back and flew in a circle around the forest. After one circle, it already grew impatient and urged Shao Xuan to hurry up so it could descend and rest.

    Gu La tried petting ¡°Dao Shan¡± a few times, but unfortunately, the mountain eagle had such a huge temper that this was the most it could tolerate after they came to apromise. This ce already made the eagles feel very ufortable, but with a person they didn¡¯t trust riding on their backs, it just made them feel worse.

    Shao Xuan marked down all the ces that were simr to his dream on a parchment made from animal skin. Trees, streams, rock, and mountains. As long as they were simr, he marked them down.

    When Shao Xuan almost finished marking on his map, he descended from the back of the eagles. Those mountain eagles from the Hui tribe had beenining along the way, and Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t make them cooperate. He also knew that the eagles didn¡¯t feel veryfortable about flying here, and it wasn¡¯t because they sensed danger. They just didn¡¯t like it here.

    After he had finished marking the locations, Shao Xuan did not force them to help anymore. He thanked Gu La and departed for the marked locations with the other four ming Hornrades.

    Unable to determine the exact location, they could only search the entire mountain.

    Initially, a few others wanted to follow Shao Xuan¡¯s team, but when they saw Shao Xuan and the others searching aimlessly, they lost patience and stopped following them.

    The five men quickly shuttled through the forest. Shao Xuan ran in the front and scanned their surroundings. If they arrived at a marked location, they would stop and search around. If they didn¡¯t find anything, they would move on to the next location.

    After searching in three mountains, the team of five stopped for a rest.

    The forest is quieter than other ces they had been before. The ce they rested was even quieter than before. All they could hear were the sounds of birds and insects, and sometimes the faint roar of a beast from far away. The most obvious sound in the forest was still the sound of the five people breathing heavily after they ran continuously.

    For their physique, they usually wouldn¡¯t get tired even after running on a hunt for several days, unless they got in a fight with a beast. But this time, they were very tired.

    Along the way, they had not encountered many fierce beasts, not even any giant beasts. As long as they were cautious about dangerous nts and animals that were hiding in the dark, they were safe. They had already been ustomed to hunting in the forest, and these nts and animals weren¡¯t a huge threat to them. But yet, they felt unusually tired.

    Very tired!

    ¡°It¡¯s so hot today!¡± Duo Kang sighed.

    Last winter, they were almost buried in the snow, but this winter, when they came to other side of the sea, it was unbearably hot. These were two opposite extremes.

    Shao Xuan stood up from the stone and scanned the surrounding forest. There were some hidden eyes watching them in the forest but those were just predators that were hiding. These were the smarter types. They were judging how strong these five people were and whether they should attack. If they felt that they could attack, they would make a move. But now, they were hesitating because the auraing from these five people were too powerful. They didn¡¯t dare make a wrong move.

    They did not pay too much attention to the shadows hidden in the dark. They focused more on their surroundings.

    ¡°Are we really this tired because of the weather?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    When they first arrived at this part of the forest, they already noticed something different. nts were more nourished and moist.

    At first, the air seemed very fresh, and every breath felt refreshing. However, that was just in the beginning. As they moved around more in the forest, they felt more dispirited. Even when they breathed hard, they felt tired.

    When they heard Shao Xuan say this, the other four also felt weird.

    ¡°I have a stronger feeling that the green-faced fanged beasts are really here,¡± Mai said withughter. In his view, the more special a beast was, the stranger its living habitat.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s keep looking,¡± Duo Kang moved his sore muscles as his interest started to grow. To him, finding the green-faced fanged beast was the most important matter at hand. He preferred bronze weapons over stone weapons because he liked how the bronze weapons sounded when they nged, but after he started using bronze weapons forged by Gongjia Heng, he no longer felt like using other weapons of lower grade. He would rather use high-grade stone weapons than low-grade gold weapons now. He just wasn¡¯t used to it anymore.

    Soon! As long as they found the green-faced fanged beast, they could forge better weapons and make up for the gap in skills.

    Duo Kang¡¯s passion was rising, so he didn¡¯t care about the fatigue. But it wasn¡¯t just him. Everyone else felt the same way. So what if they knew something was weird with the forest? They still had to keep looking!

    The five people continued to search in the next location. It was not until the eighth mountain when Shao Xuan suddenly felt a sense of familiarity. Why did it feel so familiar? There was only one reason¡ªthis was the ce he saw in his dream!

    The ce he saw in the dream was very blurry. The woods here were not much different from the other ces they had searched before. The types of species, the density of the woods, the height of the grass, etc. were all not much different. But now, Shao Xuan was standing in the middle of these woods and his sense of familiarity only grew stronger.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±

    When Shao Xuan said those words, the other four were excited.

    As he walked, Shao Xuan slowlypared everything he was seeing now with what he saw in the dream. The dimmed and darker memories in the dream grew brighter. The dark silhouettes and uneven shades of green in his dream and his current reality matched perfectly.

    This was the ce he heard the fast rustling.

    As Shao Xuan moved forward, he suddenly stopped. He searched around, uncovered a patch of grass, and found the same grass that was left in the trap. It had the same light fragrance.

    The grass was notpletely grown, and if Shao Xuan did not search deliberately, he would not have noticed them. They were just emerging from the ground and seemed like they were recently bitten off.

    ¡°Is this¡­ Was this bitten by the green-faced fanged beast?¡± Duo Kang shivered with excitement as he stared at Shao Xuan, waiting for an answer.

    ¡°It should be,¡± Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t be too sure, but he was already seventy-percent sure.

    He didn¡¯t give a definite answer, but it was enough to make Duo Kang and the others happy.

    Sure enough, Shao Xuan¡¯s dream did not go to waste.

    Although they wanted to find the target as quickly as they could, they couldn¡¯t rush under such circumstances. Duo Kang followed on Shao Xuan¡¯s side and guarded him against the threats that emerged from the grass so he could feel at ease and focus on the search.

    Walking out of the woods, Shao Xuan saw the shallow stream. In his ear, he could still hear the sound of flowing water he heard in his dreams.

    As Shao Xuan stepped into the water, he felt something was wrong. The sound was not the same. In his dream, the sound of the ssh was lighter. Could it be that he stepped on rocks in his dream?

    No, it couldn¡¯t be. There were no rocks exposed in the middle of the stream for him to step on, but Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t find a reasonable exnation, so he ignored this difference.

    After crossing the stream, he saw the same crooked trees. He no longer had any doubts. From above, he couldn¡¯t see the form of these trees. All he could see were the dense branches and leaves, so it was hard to notice this part of the forest. Observing the forest on ground level was different. From this angle, he could see the bends in the trees clearly.

    This was the ce, yes!

    A rotten smell travelled through the air. They heard the sound of birds and fierce beasts threatening each other with their chirps and roars.

    The five of them looked at each other and walked lightly towards that direction.

    They were getting closer to the ce Shao Xuan was attacked in the dream.

    The rotten smell was getting stronger.

    The scavengers were pecking at each other, fighting for the food. Some smaller beasts were roaring to scare away the birds. Their instinctive greed for food once again caused them to fight. Around them,rger flying insects were circling the air.

    There was a beast carcass about two metres high lying there. In this part of the forest, this beast was already consideredrge. It was skinny and had a long body, and if it stood upright it would¡¯ve been around seven to eight metres tall. Only a quarter of the beast¡¯s body was left on the ground, and it was impossible for them to discern what it looked like when it was alive.

    Birds, beasts and insects all surrounded the dead body and were fighting over the food. Shao Xuan did not walk over to take a closer look. He knew that it was certainly not wise to walk over while the scavengers were preying because he would be attacked. Beasts would go crazy trying to protect their food.

    When they were almost done with their food, the birds slowly flew away, and beasts with their tummies filled also left one after another. The insects on the ground began to disperse. Around this time, Shao Xuan started to walk over for a closer look.

    With the weapon in his hand, Shao Xuan waved away the flying insects and looked at the leftover bones of the beast.

    This was where he was attacked. No, to be precise, perhaps it was not Shao Xuan who was attacked. In fact, it was this dead beast that was being attacked in his dream.

    This beast had a bone te in front of his chest, which yed a protective role, but there was a round hole pierced right through it.

    The protective bone te was prated with such ease. They could tell that whatever made this hole must¡¯ve been sharp, and the speed and force of the attack must¡¯ve been deadly.

    No wonder Shao Xuan felt the impact caused by the sharpness of the de in his dream. This was probably it.

    ¡°There are only fresh bite marks on the bone, which were probably left by the scavengers that just left. I don¡¯t see any other wounds besides that.¡± Mai analyzed the beast after looking.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a fight happened here before,¡± Tuo was doubtful as he scanned the woods that surrounded them.

    ¡°It was a fatal blow,¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the round hole. ¡°If it was really the green-faced fanged beast that did this, we have to be more careful.¡±

    Green-faced fanged beasts were not carnivorous, so they left right away after killing the beast. The carcass of the animal was left for the scavengers to finish.

    ¡°You know,rge beasts are rare around here. Do you guys think it¡¯s because they were all ughtered?¡±

    As they thought about this, they all shuddered in fear.

 Chapter 542 - What Is It

    <strong>Chapter 542</strong>

    <strong>What Is It</strong>

    They could not find any other clues, and this was where Shao Xuan¡¯s dream ended.

    However, these traces were already huge progress for them. It was far more reliable than searching aimlessly in the forest.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group of five searched around and found a few spots with the grass that the green-faced fanged beasts. They were all chewed to the point that only tiny torn leaves were left close to the surface.

    After he marked the location on his map, Shao Xuan took off the prated bone te from the carcass of the beast, and then walked back where they came from with Duo Kang and the others.

    On their way back to where they rested, Shao Xuan felt the presence of someone watching them from not far away, and the person left quickly after he noticed Shao Xuan looking. His speed was not at all slower than Robber Seven. In fact, his observation skills were much keener. He felt Shao Xuan watching and left at full speed before Shao Xuan even finished turning his head.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction, Duo Kang already guessed that someone was nearby and kept his guard up, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°It probably one of the robbers. He¡¯s not weaker than Robber Seven. He might even be at a higher rank than him.¡± Shao Xuan said as he continued to walk away with the bone te in his hands. He didn¡¯t bother to chase after the opponent.

    After Shao Xuan¡¯s group of five left, the person who escaped came back and retraced the footsteps they left behind. He searched wherever they searched and noticed the remains of the beast that was left there. He didn¡¯t notice what Shao Xuan and the others did here. When he arrived, he only saw the group of five leave with a bone te in their hands. He was surprised to see the ming Horns here.

    He looked closely at the carcass and searched all around. The grass that had been stepped on was rising back to their original height, but there were still tracks where the ming Horns walked. He followed those traces and found the short grass that the beast chewed on. It was the grass that was bitten to the surface of the ground.

    Seeing that, the man¡¯s inteced his fingers into the shape of a conch and sounded the horn.

    A series of sounds that sounded like a beast snoring sounded, but it wasn¡¯t sharp. In fact, it was a very low signal that travelled very far.

    A whileter, two figures came over. They were like intelligent monkeys that hopped around freely in the woods.

    ¡°Found it?¡± asked the person who had just arrived.

    ¡°No, but I discovered something,¡± The person who just sent the signal told the others about what he just saw.

    ¡°That should be it! The ming Horns are indeed good at searching!¡±

    ¡°Should we tell Shi Shi about this?¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell him for the time being. I¡¯m worried that he will bring people over and search the area, and that will affect the other tribes. Let¡¯s wait till the tribesmen find it.¡± Compared to the group of ves, they felt that the tribesmen would find it first.

    ¡°It¡¯s better for the tribesmen to find the green-faced fanged beast first. Then we will steal it from them.¡± one of them said mischievously. They liked to find treasures, but they enjoyed stealing treasures from other people even more. That would just make them happier.

    While these people were discussing their ns, Shao Xuan¡¯s group of five already arrived at their resting ce.

    It was already dark outside, and the other people who went out to search for it all returned early, but they didn¡¯t see the five members of the ming Horn tribe. Gu La was worried, so he flew out to search for them on the back of his eagle, and he saw those five figures walking back.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Gu La asked when he saw the prated bone te in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°This is something we discovered today. I suspect that the hole was pierced by the green-faced fanged beast.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t say anything about his dream. He only mentioned the results of their search.

    Even though the others were not hunters before they entered the forest, they knew enough about the hardness of beast bones, not to mention all the experiences they gained after they entered the forest. They killed enough beasts and could give an urate exnation for this.

    The bone te was hard enough and its quality was good enough to be made into a shield. If someone wanted to drill a hole through it, it wouldn¡¯t have been an easy task. But even so, there weren¡¯t any marks showing a halt during the attack. It was prated with a simple ¡®swish¡¯ and didn¡¯t even leave a crack or other small holes in the bone te.

    ¡°There is only one hole? It¡¯s definitely not the horns of the green-faced fanged beast. The green-faced fangs had hooves and no horns.

    If it was the green-faced fanged beast that made this hole, it must¡¯ve been its teeth.¡± Huang Ye analyzed.

    ¡°But even if it was the green-faced fanged beast, there was only one hole. Didn¡¯t Shao Xuan say that the green-faced fanged beast had two upward fangs?¡± Qu Ce asked.

    ¡°Maybe it only has one fang,¡± Huang Ye guessed. To them, the purpose of this search was to understand what the ve masters wanted to do with this beast. Now, all they wanted was to catch one of these beasts and take it back to study.

    Regardless of what the truth was, and regardless of whether it was really the green-faced fanged beast, they had to be vignt. Any creature that could pierce a hole right through a bone te could easily pierce through any human.

    At night, it was the same as before. Some of them slept on the trees outside the cave while the rest stayed inside. A few people took turns to keep watch around the area.

    As the night grewte, the forest began to quiet down, and even the insects shut their mouth. It was extremely quiet.

    Shhhh Shhhh¡ª- Shhhh Shhh¡ª

    It sounded like a breeze blowing across the waves of grass, bringing with it a consistent rhythm. In the dark night, there was a strange sense of serenity. Such nights made everyone sleepy.

    Swaying grass and colliding branches made their sounds, but in the meantime, a subtle sound was approaching them.

    The warrior who was keeping watch looked over but didn¡¯t see anything. Only the thick grass swayed in the wind. He stared in that direction for a few seconds before he turned away and left.

    Just after he turned around, a pair of bright eyes lit up amidst the grass.

    The soldier who had just taken two steps away felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. The feeling of being targeted by a predator was like being in an ice cer. He took a courageous turn and threw a spear in that direction.

    The spear pierced and stuck into the grass. The warrior who was keeping watch could only see a figure sh through. It disappeared in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°What was it?!¡± one of them asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, could it be the green-faced fanged beast?¡± another soldier asked apprehensively.

    ¡°No way? The green-faced fanged beast came to us?¡± found it by themselves?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t see it clearly. It might¡¯ve just been somemon beast in the forest.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s set up a fence tomorrow,¡± someone suggested.

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡­

    The warriors who were keeping watch at the time were whispering softly. The figure that had just left shuttled through the forest and went to another mountain. It stopped and raised its head slightly as if sniffing something in the air.

    It smelled a scent that it liked, and then shuttled through the woods like the wind until it arrived at where the smell came.

    There was a trap there, simr to the one that was taken down by the tribes the other day, but this time it was crafted with much more detail. Inside the trap, there was a small handful of grass. This was where the smell came from.

    The figure paused here for a while before it slowly walked towards that side.

    The next day.

    The ves from Rock Hill City routinely inspected the traps and found that among the traps set here, the grass that was tied onto them were gone. All the traps were triggered, but the prey escaped each time.

    The people from Rock Hill City reported to Shi Shi, and he was very happy. Even though they didn¡¯t catch anything, there was news. He immediatelymanded them to increase the number of traps and the area their traps covered. He also told them to check the traps to see why they had failed to catch the green-faced fanged beast. He wanted to see if there were any problems. If it didn¡¯t work, then they had to change the material they used to make the trap.

 Chapter 543 - This is it!

    Chapter 543

    This is it!

    The tribesmen had always been aware of the ves¡¯ movements. Both sides were in a tacit acknowledgement. They knew the other side existed, yet they did not attack, and rarely trespassed into the other¡¯s territory. But when something happened, both sides would know about it. They were secretly observing each other.

    ¡°Did the green-faced fanged beasts go therest night?¡±

    ¡°Probably, but we¡¯re not sure if they caught one. Judging by their movements, they are setting up more traps.¡±

    A few elders from the tribes were in a discussion.

    In fact, after they studied the traps set by the ves from Rock Hill City, the Longboat tribe and Thousand Masks tribe made a trap with more grass in it. When they heard that the green-faced fanged beast appeared on the other side, they excitedly rushed over to their own traps, but all the bait in the traps were missing, and the traps didn¡¯t even get triggered. After all, this was just an imitation of the real trap. There was still some difference between their trap and the real trap.

    Although they didn¡¯t catch it, they were sure that the green-faced fanged beast hade by. When they knew about this, excitement red in their hearts. No matter what the green-faced fanged beast could be used for, all they cared about now was catching it and bringing it back. Or their restless hearts wouldn¡¯t calm down.

    The people of Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe saw the situation over at the ves¡¯ territory and started setting up more traps of their own. However, the grass that was used as bait had almost been used up at the mountain they rested in, and there were too many traces left by humans, so if they set it up here it wouldn¡¯t have a great effect. So they set up their traps in another mountain.

    The people of the Feather tribe used three days to sessfully train the birds that were living nearby. When they decided to set up traps with the Longboat Tribe, they were also training some birds to keep watch in the night and let these birds monitor the grounds because this was their innate skill.

    The five people from the ming Horn tribe travelled together on their eagle to the ce they found the bone te the day before.

    The leftover bones now no longer looked like they belonged to a beast. More than half of the bones disappeared like they had been eaten by some unknown creature.

    No longer observing the beast bones, Shao Xuan scanned their surroundings and then took out a straw rope.

    The people from the Hui tribe were flying in the sky so they couldn¡¯t see the situation here. Only the five from the ming Horn tribe were in the forest. If they sensed any movements, they would notify those in the sky.

    Telling the fortune through the rope was not a cure-all, and many times it was not able to tell unknown things. However, with the increased knowledge they gained from the clues they found, especially the movements at the traps over at Rock Hill City¡¯s territory, all of these confirmed Shao Xuan¡¯s guesses.

    This time, they should be able to tell some things with the rope.

    After Shao Xuan entered his ¡®fortune-telling¡¯ state, the rope started moving around his fingers.

    After a while, he analyzed the knots formed on the rope and walked forward. He blew his wooden whistle to signal the people in the air to follow along.

    If people stepped on grass, it would definitely leave some traces. The grass wouldn¡¯t recover in a short period of time, and they could find out clues about the near past just by judging the traces. This was simr to what the robbers did.

    However, the green-faced fangs left no traces where it walked, except for footprints near the bitten grass around the area. In other areas, it was hard to see any traces of past activity.

    Shao Xuan walked in the direction suggested by the rope while he thought about why it was leading them there.

    Besides the ancestors of the ve masters from Rock Hill City, none had seen the green-faced fanged beast before, and the deductions they could make based on the traps were very limited. The traps set by the people from Rock Hill City were not even perfect traps, or else how did the beast manage to escape?

    Yes. Before they came here, Shao Xuan lurked around the ves who were setting up the traps, and eavesdropped some of their conversations. Although they didn¡¯t say it clearly in a direct manner, Shao Xuan could already guess the general situation.

    What was so special about the green-faced fanged beast that made the Gongjia people so interested in them? Why was blood from other beasts not usable? Why only this beast?

    As they thought about these questions, they descended the mountain, went around a few mountains through the valleys, and came to inspect another mountain that didn¡¯t look at all special.

    The trees, flowers, birds, grass, birds, and flying insects were not much different from those in other mountains. The only difference was right there in front of them!

    Not long after Shao Xuan ascended the mountain, he saw a field of thick grass that grew up to their shoulders.

    There were trees around, but not many ancient trees. The thickest trees were four to five shoulders wide in diameter, and this was not wide at all in Fearsome Beast Forest.

    Although it was not thick or old, it grew very tall. There were many intersecting branches in the tree with thin branches and tightly grown leaves. Their crowns covered most of the sky above.

    This was the same grass that preferred growing in the shade, but it seemed to be growing even denser than other ces. It seemed like the grass had an advantage over the trees. When Shao Xuan and the others entered the grass under the shade of this tree, you could only see their heads above the grass.

    There were no insects chirping around, and no other birds flying above except for the eagles from the Hui tribe. It seemed like they were all avoiding this area.

    Duo Kang was about to ask a question, but Shao Xuan raised his hand and stopped him.

    As they listened carefully, the mountain breeze swept across the field of grass, causing them to rub against each other and make a ¡®shhh¡¯ sound. Among these frictional sounds made by the grass and leaves, there was yet another sound. It sounded like a whining sound made by water vapour escaping the slits of a kettle. It was neither loud nor obvious, yet people with good ears could notice it if they listened carefully.

    Shao Xuan pointed in a direction, and his eyes delivered a message to the other four. Without any verbalmunication, the four others ran in two different directions, leaving Shao Xuan rushing in a single direction.

    They did not run directly through the grass field because their movements inside the field would be too obvious. Plus, the grass grew too tall and blocked their sightpletely. They couldn¡¯t tell what they were running after if they ran in the field. Shao Xuan¡¯s group of five chased after their prey from above, stepping on the branches and tree trunks.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group of five wanted to quietly approach their prey who was hiding amidst the grass and slowly creep towards it in a siege-like manner. However, right when they started to move, a figure jumped out from the grass, turned away from the others, and dashed away like it was flying.

    Shao Xuan once approximated the size of the green-faced fanged beast based on the size of the traps made by those from Rock Hill City. If it was indeed a green-faced fanged beast, it should¡¯ve beenpletely buried by the grass. After all, the height of the beast approximated by Shao Xuan was not even up to their chest level, but even Shao Xuan and the other four could only manage to reveal their heads amidst the tall grass, so the beast must¡¯ve been buried amidst the tall grass.

    However, the figure that suddenly jumped out was actually much taller than the grass.

    Was it not the green-faced fanged beast?

    Did they get it wrong?

    At the moment when they saw the figure, Duo Kang and the others hesitated for a moment, but Shao Xuan did not stop.

    ¡°That¡¯s it! Hurry!¡± Shao Xuan shouted.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±

    The figure in front that was so much taller than the grass?

    No, it can¡¯t be!

    It wasn¡¯t its height that made it taller than the grass. It was running above the grass!

    It was literally flying!

    The sunlight shining through the thick branches formed split beams of light, casting spots all over the forest.

    A figure that was covered with green-blue stripes dashed through the field of grass at the speed of the breeze.

 Chapter 544 - Attack

    Chapter 544

    Attack

    Shao Xuan¡¯s group of five chased after it. When Duo Kang and the other three saw the green-faced fanged beast, they had hesitated for a moment, and because of the slight hesitation, they had fallen far behind.

    The prey ahead was speeding up and it ignored the trees and the grass. The thick grass and the trees around did not slow it down at all. On one hand, it seemed to be able to run above the grass. On the other, it seemed as if it was very familiar with the area. No matter how or where it ran, it was already clear where it was going, like fish in water.

    Shao Xuan who was behind it couldn¡¯t see its hooves clearly because they were moving too fast. He could only see the wave-like grass below it being disturbed as it passed by. Every time the grass moved, it looked like waves sent from the ocean, giving the beast the speed it needed to rapidly escape.

    In the sky, Gu La and the others from the Hui tribe followed the figure tightly after they heard Shao Xuan¡¯s signal.

    Although the forest was covered with branches that blocked out the view from above, there were still some gaps through which Gu La could still see the running figure. Even if Gu La couldn¡¯t see it, the great mountain eagle¡¯s eyes were so sharp that they were locked onto the escaping target.

    However, the prey seemed to have sensed the presence of those in the sky. It started to run towards denser parts of the forest instead of open grounds.

    Shao Xuan and the other four could not stop it, and the people in the sky could only try their best to keep up. They couldn¡¯t catch it right away, so they could only watch it run towards taller and denser woods.

    ¡°Screech¡ª¡±

    The mountain eagle in the sky suddenly called out unhappily. After the prey rushed into denser woods, it could no longer hunt after it.

    As it lost its target in its field of vision, the eagle circled in the sky and didn¡¯t know where to go.

    Gu La cursed slightly and signalled the giant mountain eagle to descend. He hopped down from its back and entered the forest with the other four ming Horns who had just caught up. There were three people from the Hui tribe still keeping watch from above. If they saw anything, they would send a signal to those below.

    The only person who was missing was Shao Xuan because he was the only one who caught up to the prey.

    Although he also hopped on top of the branches, Shao Xuan still managed to keep up, but the distance between him and the others grew farther and farther apart. They had lost their target. None of them was in a good mood.

    ¡°Was that the green-faced fanged beast just now?¡± G asked.

    ¡°If Shao Xuan said it was, then it must¡¯ve been. But I never thought it could run on top of grass?!¡± Duo Kang was panting. This was almost as difficult as catching the robbers. They had been distracted even for a second, and they¡¯d lost their chance. It was just that slight moment! They shouldn¡¯t have hesitated!

    ¡°Run on the top of grass?!¡± Gu La was observing from above, so he couldn¡¯t tell clearly what was happening below. When he descended, the figure had already escaped into the distance. When he heard Duo Kang¡¯s words, he was extremely shocked. He had only seen winged creatures that had the ability to fly above the grass. How did the green-faced fanged beast have such an ability?

    Duo Kang and the others didn¡¯t know too much either. All they saw was a vague blurry figure. They couldn¡¯t see clearly what it actually looked like. They only knew a bit more than Gu La.

    But now was not the time to talk.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split up!¡±

    It was such arge forest, and there were no traces. There was no way they could search after it, so they could only split up to find it.

    ¡®Let¡¯s hope Shao Xuan caught up with the green-faced fanged beast,¡¯ the four people thought.

    Shao Xuan was able to catch up with the robbersst time. This time, hopefully, he was able to catch up with the green-faced fanged beast.

    Shao Xuan did keep up, but this was not the same grounds the ming Horns were familiar with. The green-faced fanged beast had an advantage because it was more familiar with the geography here. All he could do now was keep up before he could find an opportunity to signal the others.

    While he was catching up, Shao Xuan had no time to leave markings on the trees for the others to catch up. The figure in front was too tricky. If he was not careful, he might¡¯ve run into a tree.

    In the dense forest, the two figures sped in tandem. Sometimes the change of direction was very sudden but Shao Xuan still managed to leave a footprint or break a branch. But it didn¡¯t happen too often, so there were not many chances for him to leave traces behind for the others to keep up.

    There was a worm beast sleeping amidst the grass below. When Shao Xuan jumped down from the branches, he stepped on the beast, causing its segmented body to lurch up in fright.

    The angry beast looked around after it recovered but Shao Xuan had already disappeared.

    They ran out of a mountain, passed through a valley, and came to another mountain. Then they ran out of another mountain again.

    The figure in front still seemed to be running tirelessly and showed no signs of slowing down.

    Right when Shao Xuan thought it would be a much longer hunt, the figure in front suddenly stopped as if it stepped on brakes.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare approach it immediately when it suddenly stopped. He didn¡¯t know enough about the beast yet to be able to predict its movements, and he didn¡¯t know how they attacked. He kept a safe distance and stayed cautious after knowing that his opponent could easily kill a beast that was muchrger than itself.

    Previously, all he cared about was catching up with the beast, and nothing else, but as he stopped, he realized that this beast seemed a little fat. No, it wasn¡¯t fat. It seemed like it ate too much.

    It had four short and wide hooves, a round belly, and its body was covered in green stripes. The colour of the stripes were slightly different, and there was no pattern in the stripes. Its face looked like a cow or a goat, but there was an obvious difference. Its jaw was slightly wider with fangs that grew diagonally upward from both sides. One fang was long and sharp, while the other was cut short like it was broken off before.

    There was only one fang, so the beast that was killed the other day was probably killed by this beast.

    It looked fiercely into Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, without any fear at all. It didn¡¯t roar and only red with a gloomy silence.

    Huff¡ª

    It was the sound of air being blown out. Its breath was like a heated thick fog. From not far away, the green-faced fanged beast red its huge nostrils as it exhaled in anger. In its wide mouth, there were no sharp teeth at all. These were the teeth of a herbivore, not a carnivore.

    Shao Xuan recalled what Gongjia Heng once described to him, ¡°It had a green face and very thick skin. It moved around in the mountains and was very fierce in nature. It liked to attack other beasts and ate only grass.¡±

    Although he hunted many prey on his hunts with the hunting team, there were many beasts that looked simr to this one, but when Shao Xuan first saw them, he knew they weren¡¯t it. However, when he first saw this beast, he knew right away that this was it!

    This green-faced fanged beast probably knew that he had thrown off the others and there were no eagles flying in the sky nearby. There was only Shao Xuan. It felt like it was no longer in danger. So now it decided to face Shao Xuan and fight. Its two eyes lit up in a fierce deadly re. It lowered its head and aimed its fang at its target, ready to attack.

    There was no other superfluous action, it just kicked its thick and short hooves backwards and plunged forward. Its bulky body jumped up easily and rushed in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. It was the same offensive nature Shao Xuan saw in his dream.

    Facing the fangs that had easily pierced a hole in the bone te of a giant beast, Shao Xuan knew he had to be careful. He had already sounded the wooden whistle. It was like a bird¡¯s chirp. He wasn¡¯t sure when Duo Kang and the others could rush over, but before they came, he had to deal with it all by himself.

 Chapter 545 - Stuck

    Chapter 545

    Stuck

    The body of the green-faced fanged beast gave out a sound simr to the whispering breeze, and like a bright green light, it rushed towards Shao Xuan. Its body looked round and heavy, but it seemed very light and floating.

    Shao Xuan did not retreat. He shifted his abdomen backwards, twisted his entire upper body to one side while moving his knee backwards. As he avoided this fierce blow, he turned his wrist and readjusted his grip on his sword handle. His de glinted as Shao Xuan struck the green-faced fanged beast. He was ready to chop off the head of this strange beast.

    However, this beast was unusually agile and reacted right away. Right when Shao Xuan was about to chop off its head, it flipped up into the air, twisted its head, and used its fangs to block the de.

    ng!

    The beast fang collided with the de, but it did not shatter. It only left a small scar that wasn¡¯t deep.

    After he missed, he was pushed away by its force. The green-faced fanged beast probably also did not expect Shao Xuan¡¯s weapon to pose such a threat to it. After being pushed back by the force of the sh, it bounced up like a ball again. It quickly swung its hooves and distanced away from its enemy. When it was about twenty steps away from Shao Xuan, it stopped and red at him fiercely.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know if it was his own illusion, or that the green colour on its face darkened. The murderous ring eyes and the wrinkles on its strangely disproportionate face made it look even more fierce and untamed.

    In fact, Shao Xuan knew that if he wanted to get the blood from the green-faced fanged beast, he must catch it alive. The people from Rock Hill City also set traps to catch them alive, not to kill. Under circumstances where the beast was extremely aggressive and offensively murderous, Shao Xuan was not sure if he could manage to catch it alive easily.

    Sneer¡ª

    The green-faced fangs once again exhaled hot breath from his enormous nostrils and sprayed two hot air from the tworge nostrils and stepped on its hooves.

    It was clear that it did not intend to let Shao Xuan go. In the blink of an eye, its sharp fangs appeared in front of Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare deal with it carelessly. As he thought about the carcass of the beast, he had an uneasy feeling. If he was stabbed by its fangs, it didn¡¯t matter if he was human or beast, a totem warrior of lower or higher-ranking, and it didn¡¯t matter if his internal organs were damaged. He would definitely die. He had no evidence to prove it, but his intuition told him so.

    A strong gust of wind hit him as the beast came at him with all its strength. It was just wind, but Shao Xuan felt like he was hit by a wooden board.

    The beast still did not retreat. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even avoid it this time but blocked the attack with the fuller de of his sword. The friction and the collision caused bright sparks to appear.

    The fangs were like a sharp steel nail gnashing on the surface of the sword, and the friction made a sharp sound. As the fang slid down the fuller of the sword, it made a ¡°zzz¡± sound.

    Shao Xuan gritted his teeth and supported the sword with all his strength. Veins appeared on his arms.

    This beast¡¯s attack was strong, not because it had a lot of strength, but it attacked at a high speed. Under the impact of its velocity, each attack was like a shell shot out of a cannon aimed at Shao Xuan. Even without its fangs, normal humans could not bear the impact of its speed. Not to mention the fact that its fang was sharp as a nail. The sword specially forged by Gongjia Heng could barely make a small cut on its fang. It could not leave a deep cut.

    Missing his target, the green-faced fanged beast tried to escape and did not intend to continue fighting.

    Seeing this, an idea suddenly shed in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind. It was merely a guess. He wasn¡¯t sure if it could work.

    ¡°ng!¡±

    ¡°ng!¡±

    The third attack, the fourth attack¡­

    The idea in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind grew stronger and stronger.

    After he blocked four of its attacks, Shao Xuan felt that the green-faced fanged beast was much lighter than it appeared. It did not like short-rangebat and preferred long-range attacks. It liked to use deadly blows on its enemy with its speed and fang. This is why it would usually retreat if its blow did not kill the first time.

    But this was just a guess. To be sure, he had to feel it with his own hands.

    The green-faced fanged beast failed to hit on its fourth attack and started to be frustrated. Its nostrils that were muchrger than the size of Shao Xuan¡¯s fists were ring and snorting madly, exhaling hot air that seemed like the water vapour rising from boiling water. It was madly snorting. After it snorted, it lifted its hooves again, ready tounch its fifth attack.

    After he experienced the previous four attacks, Shao Xuan calmly blocked this attack and didn¡¯t give it a chance to escape.

    He pressed hard down on the soles of his feet and pushed the beast towards its retreating direction. The muscles on his free hand were suddenly pulsing with energy as his totemic strength climbed. His wrist twisted and he grabbed onto the beast¡¯s fang. He used all his force and tried to grab the beast and throw it down to the ground. To catch it back alive, he had to make it unconscious first.

    Light!

    This was Shao Xuan¡¯s first thought.

    Slippery!

    This was Shao Xuan¡¯s second thought.

    The green-faced fanged beast was not as heavy as it seemed, but Shao Xuan was already mentally prepared. He already guessed that it wasn¡¯t heavy so he wasn¡¯t that surprised. How else was it able to run on top of the grass? It did not have any wings like the other flying creatures.

    In addition, when he felt how slippery the fang was, Shao Xuan was caught off guard. The fang did not look slippery at all and had a lot of scratches left by Shao Xuan¡¯s sword and other past attacks. It shouldn¡¯t have been that slippery.

    However, the fang in his hand that he thought he had control of slipped out of his grip like a slippery loach. It slipped out of his grip as the beast struggled to break free. When he felt something was wrong, Shao Xuan quickly retrieved his hand.

    If Shao Xuan didn¡¯t retrieve his hand fast enough, it would have suffered a deep cut or even worse damage.

    The green-faced fanged beast once again broke free from Shao Xuan¡¯s grip, but this time, it retreated farther away. Shao Xuan¡¯s behaviour just now probably scared it.

    Its luminous murderous eyes red at Shao Xuan. Its dark pupils rapidly contracted and dted. The wrinkles in his skin increased. It madly snorted two short breaths. Right when Shao Xuan thought it was ready for a sixth attack, the green-faced fanged beast took a quick 180-degree turn and ran away.

    If it couldn¡¯t win, it would escape. This was the habit of the vast majority of beasts and humans.

    It was also the most correct choice for survival.

    Duo Kang and the others did not reach yet, but Shao Xuan blew on the wooden whistle once again and made a mark on a branch. Then he continued to chase after the beast.

    It was not easy for him toe into contact with a green-faced fanged beast. He can¡¯t just let it escape this easily.

    However, when it really started running, the green-faced fanged beast with the round belly was really hard to catch. It always ran into denser woods and its hooves seemed to be carried by the wind. As it stepped on top of the tall and thick grass, it fled left and right. This was the first time Shao Xuan encountered a beast that was so difficult to catch. It had no fixed running route and direction, and it ran at such a high speed. Even if Shao Xuan wanted to throw a dart at it, he couldn¡¯t.

    However, was there really a need for the beast to run aimlessly? ording to what Shao Xuan knows, many beasts that lived in the forest had their own hiding ce to hide away from dangers. When they encounter undefeatable threats, they would run towards their hiding ce, whether it was a hole, a cave, a river, a tall tree, etc.

    So, where was this green-faced fanged beast headed?

    This area surrounded by verdant mountains was muchrger than what Shao Xuan expected. During his chase, Shao Xuan paid close attention to the geography and topography so in case he got lost, he could still find his way back. Throughout the chase, he saw many strange nts. Perhaps it was because of the unique environment. There were many flowers and trees that Shao Xuan had never seen before. This was understandable. The only weird thing was there were no giant beasts here.

    On the way, Shao Xuan had seen some other bigger beasts, but he had not seen any giant ones. This was very simr to the part of the forest where they first entered.

    If it was really because of the green-faced fanged beast, then how many green-faced fanged beasts were there that made it so hard for him to even see a giant beast?

    Was this beast in front trying to return to its nest?

    If that was the case, Shao Xuan should really keep up.

    Normal warriors would probably have slowed down after running for so long after a prey. There was no way for them to stay at a full speed the entire way. Even Shao Xuan became tired when he reached this part of the forest. It was clear and obvious. But the beast still kept dashing at a very fast speed, except its snorting sound grew louder.

    When would it stop?

    Shao Xuan looked at the green-faced fanged beast as he thought.

    There was a mountain wall in the woods in front of them, and yet the beast did not at all slow down. It did not even turn. Although it was still running aimlessly, its general direction was towards the mountain wall in front of them.

    Could there be anything on top of the mountain wall?

    Shao Xuan chased after the figure in front and rushed out of the woods. He quickly nced at the mountain wall in front. There was nothing different about it. It looked just the same as the other mountain walls.

    No, that can¡¯t be right!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes swept across the mountain wall and he saw a ce close to the ground.

    There was a hole there, and the green-faced fanged beast was rushing towards that hole.

    Was this its hiding ce?!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how deep the hole in the mountain wall was, or whether there were other entrances and exits. If he really let the beast rush in, he didn¡¯t know if there was a chance to catch it again.

    Although Shao Xuan really wanted to stop the green-faced fanged beast in front of him, he was still one step behind. He could only watch it get closer and closer to the hole in the mountain wall, like a handsome horse galloping across the sky. The long hair on its head swayed in the wind as it drifted away. Its upper body was angled slightly downwards, and it tilted its head so its fang was facing downward. The beast bent its front hooves inwards and shot towards the cave.

    Observing the series of movements, Shao Xuan already knew that this was not the first time this beast did this. It was already very skilled.

    Huh?

    Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps slowed down. He stopped and stood there as he watched the striped green figure rush towards the hole in the mountain wall.

    Boom!

    It sounded like the muffled sound of a hand hitting an empty bottle.

    Shao Xuan looked at the hole, the muscles on his face twitching, and then lifted his foot and walked over.

    At the hole in the mountain wall, the striped green figure waspletely stuck in the hole. Half of it was still outside. Its round belly was stuck at the entrance of the cave. Its folded hooves faced outward, and it was stuck there too. It was struggling to get in. Its back legs that were stuck outside the cave kicked fiercely, but its hooves were too short. Its belly that was stuck in the cave limited its body movements so when its hooves kicked, there was a slight distance between its feet and the ground outside the cave, so it was unable to kick off the mountain. It kicked in the air with its short wiggly tail turning in pointless circles. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell if the beast was nervous.

 Chapter 546 - Drag It Back

    Chapter 546

    Drag It Back

    Shao Xuan walked to the mouth of the cave to look at the mess of a beast. He thought the hole was quite small and this beast, in particr, was so fat. No wonder it got stuck. If only it was slightly slimmer or flexible, it could free itself.

    With the force it had when it mmed into the hole, the only way it could get out was through someone pulling it out or if it lost weight from hunger.

    The green-faced fanged beast was said to have thick skin. Shao Xuan also noticed that it had quite short fur in random shades of green throughout its body. It looked like a mess at a nce but this made it nearly impossible to spot in the forest. With its speed and force, one could safely say it was at the top of the food chain here or at least had very fewpetitors.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if this beast hade across the traps set by the tribesmen or people from Rock Hill City, the only thing he was sure of was that this was the beast he met in his dreams, this was it

    The beast kicked its hooves and shook as hard as it could but it was no use. It was stuck there. Its tail waved urgently showing that it was getting anxious.

    ¡°If I knew it was going toe to this I wouldn¡¯t have spent so much effort,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    He has spent the past week studying the traps made by the people from Rock Hill City with the intention to replicate something like that. Who knew that the beast jamming itself into a cave would work too.

    Shao Xuan looked around for some vines to tie up the beast. He was not going to let go of this great opportunity.

    After taking two steps, Shao Xuan turned back to the cave and took out the silkworm thread he had. He was nning to use it for the trap but he changed his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure a normal vine could hold the beast, he felt more at ease using the silkworm thread.

    With its front hooves stuck in the cave, Shao Xuan could only tie the back hooves to prevent it from escaping after it was freed. It was way too fast to catch it again.

    Incapable of running and being as strong as Shao Xuan, it wouldn¡¯t be able to run no matter how much it moved its front hooves. Shao Xuan used the silkworm thread to circle its hooves until they were stuck together.

    After he was done, Shao Xuan poked the beast to test the thickness of its skin. He confirmed that the skin was thick but something was off. He felt it when he was tying the hooves too.

    He reached out once again to press it.

    He continued to exert force, his finger slowly sinking in.

    He had already used his special vision to find out there was nothing wrong with its bones nor was it pregnant. Seeing that it ran towards here with such assurance, it probably was very familiar with this area. If it couldn¡¯t fit into this cave before his, it wouldn¡¯t have run so fast.

    The only exnation for this was that it gained weight between thest time it was here and now.

    In his years of hunting, Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t seen many animals that would gain so much in size from overeating. This case was even odder because it was soft, unlike the others. It was as if its stomach was filled with air.

    The beast that was poked a few times struggled even harder but that didn¡¯t help free it at all.

    Shao Xuan heard a sound reminiscent of strong wind gushing. It was probably the beast¡¯s roar.

    Without wasting another second, Shao Xuan reached out to the beast and used his arms like a pair of pliers.

    Pop!

    The beast was free. Its first instinct was to turn and charge at Shao Xuan.

    However, it mmed face-first to the ground because of its tied up hooves.

    Shao Xuan immediately grabbed its neck with one hand and promptly tied up its front hooves and mouth with the other hand.

    It was nowpletely tied up and bound to the ground. It rolled around and exhaled loudly in frustration. It had a gloomy expression on its face.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they here yet?¡± Shao Xuan blew his whistle but didn¡¯t see any sight of the tribesmen in the sky.

    They haven¡¯t caught up yet?

    Or did something happen?

    As Duo Kang and the rest weren¡¯t here, Shao Xuan could only bring this beast back himself.

    After looking at the sky, Shao Xuan lifted the beast with its face facing outwards to prevent it from biting him.

    He wanted to backtrack his steps to the tribe but before he entered the forest he suddenly stopped.

    In the gloomy forest, there were only sounds of leaves brushing against each other in the breeze. Other than that, nothing else was heard. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t walk into it; instead, he rapidly retreated.

    Right as he left, three bone arrows as thick as fingers shot out from a tree. Onended right where Shao Xuan was standing while the other two barely missed him and hit the wall of the cave. They dropped to the floor with two clean crisp clinks.

    Two spreadhead-like bone darts appeared at the same time as two figures. Shao Xuan avoided the bone darts but the two figures got closer to him.

    Although the two could not exactly fly like the green-faced fanged beast, they had very light movements. They barely made any sound as they stepped and jumped from branch to branch.

    Shao Xuan grabbed the tied up beast with one hand and pulled out his sword with the other. The action of pulling out his sword was so strong that it was as if it sent waves in the air.

    When he faced the green-faced fanged beast, he was holding back a little but that was not the attitude he had when facing his two.

    The duo split up with one jumping into the air and the other tightly following Shao Xuan and avoiding his sword.

    ng!

    The sharp sound of metal pierced their ears. Shao Xuan¡¯s sword was perfectly ced in the sunlight to make it seem that a thousand rays were shooting out of it.

    The person attacking him had heard of Shao Xuan¡¯s skills before but they could only clearly know the extent of it now. With just one swing, the person could feel the brute force against their de forcing the de out of their hands.

    The person was quick enough to step back as soon as they deflected the attack.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even look at his opponent before grabbing the beast¡¯s tail as if he had nned this beforehand. He threw the beast towards the attacker with its head facing upwards and its tail facing downwards.

    The one that was jumping through the sky realised they were the target of this throw and quickly retreated.

 Chapter 547 - Odd

    Chapter 547

    Odd

    After dragging his prey closer to him, Shao Xuan hurled it towards the person.

    Its long and magnificent fangs were directly headed towards his opponent. Shao Xuan had used them as a weapon.

    Seeing Shao Xuan dragging the beast closer, the person knew they were in danger. With their amazing agility, they curved in their chest and waist into a perfect crescent as if they had no bones in their body.

    The beast¡¯s fangs seemed to touch the enemy¡¯s chest as it flew across. However, his arm was not spared, suffering a gash in the process.

    The scratch seemed minor inparison to taking a direct stab in the chest.

    But it seemed that the pain from the arm was so unbearable that it caused the person to drop to the ground.

    No!

    With their experience, they should be able to guess the severance of their wounds without even looking at it. That cut seemed tiny but why were they acting like the wound was sted open?

    Before Shao Xuan could inspect closer, the person had already retreated. Their target was the beast and they needed it alive. That was the request from the Shi family in Rock Hill City. They could be as ruthless as they wanted to be with Shao Xuan but they had to be careful when dealing with the green-faced fanged beast.

    Shao Xuan could see their concerns and continued to use the beast as a weapon.

    The two couldn¡¯t help but curse at Shao Xuan in their hearts.

    If Shao Xuan knew what they were thinking, he would have steam huffing out of his nose, how dare these thieves evenin about him when they were the ones stealing, no, robbing him!

    I worked so hard to find this one beast and you want to snatch it from me?!

    Shao Xuan was basically using the beast as a hammer! It sounded as if he was whipping up a storm as he swung the beast around.

    Thud!

    One of them didn¡¯t manage to dodge an attack and was impaled in the shoulder. Although he tried his best to avoid it, the cut was still half a finger deep.

    He actually did manage to avoid most of the attack but from the small scratch he got, his shoulder seemed to explode from the inside.

    Red blood sttered all around the green forest, painting a tragic yet beautiful picture of life and death.

    How could this be!

    The scratch-made no sense, that light touch shouldn¡¯t feel like this, he shouldn¡¯t feel this pain!

    The two retreated back, no thoughts to attack anytime soon. They wanted to figure out what was happening first. Finishing their mission was important but it wasn¡¯t worth killing themselves over it.

    Seeing that the two had retreated, Shao Xuan found no point in continuing the fight. He had the beast with him, it would be hard to kill them both and he wasn¡¯t sure what was the situation with Duo Kang and the rest. Running would be the best choice.

    Shao Xuan lifted the beast and left.

    Only when they were sure Shao Xuan had left, the two finally looked at their wounds.

    The one with a cut on their arm noticed that the cut was now two fingers wide and much deeper than he imagined. Those fangs of that beast were so odd!

    If they hadn¡¯t avoided the attack on the chest¡­ They would surely be lying on the ground now.

    The other one that got the cut on the shoulder couldn¡¯t believe what they were looking at! They had never seen an injury like this from all their experiences!

    Their cut nearly went through their whole shoulder, blood was pouring out of it but none of their bones was damaged. More than anything, they could feel a chill, a freezing numbness spreading from their shoulder down their arm. Their bones were trembling at that point.

    On the other side of things, Shao Xuan had found a ce to rest. Since there were people after him, he couldn¡¯t use the same route to head back. He had memorised a general map of the area while he was chasing the beast and he used that knowledge to guess the location of the cave the camp was.

    Now that things were calmer, Shao Xuan had time to take a closer look at the green-faced fanged beast.

    After being used as a meteor hammer for a while, the beast¡¯s eyes were still bright and clear but there was an anger in those eyes too. Hot air was constantly exhaled through its nose, water vapour as hot as steam wilted the grass directly beneath it.

    When Shao Xuan was carrying it over, he noticed its rather high body temperature. Was this a trait of the green-faced fanged beast?

    After closer inspection, Shao Xuan noticed the round stomach it had was slightly smaller now.

    With a few tugs at the thread tying the beast, Shao Xuan confirmed that the beast was indeed ¡°skinnier¡± now. It had only been an hour since it was freed from the cave, how did such a big change happen? If it had been this size when it rushed into the cave, it probably wouldn¡¯t be stuck there.

    It felt that the thread was slightly looser now and struggled harder to free itself so Shao Xuan hurriedly went to tighten the knots.

    Other than that, there was a cut on its face. It probably was made by the two robbers but it was norger than his finger and not a lot of blood wasing out from it.

    A drop of green blood dripped out from the beast¡¯s struggle.

    The droplet slowly fell to the ground as if it was a feather. It didn¡¯t seem to behave like a water droplet or blood.

    Shao Xuan walked over to some grass that had blood on them. On the des of grass, each droplet had tiny gas bubbles forming around the droplets. As soon as the gas bubbles formed, the blood seemed to evaporate vigorously, leaving no trace of it behind. Therger the gas bubbles, the quicker the blood evaporated.

    Shao Xuan flipped over the leaf. If he hadn¡¯t seen the blood drip onto the leaf, he wouldn¡¯t have believed it was once there.

    Shao Xuan wondered before that why only the blood of certain species was used to construct weapons. Why didn¡¯t the others use it?

    He even tested with some beasts they hunted back but it seemed that there were specific traits of the blood that made them favourable to the weapon-making process.

    The beast was rather light but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t expect its blood to be this light too. Within a few breaths, all the blood evaporated.

    The beast was still panting heavily, the nts all around it smothered by the hot steaming out from its nose. Its body was ever decreasing in size, the round shape it had was no longer there. The cut on its face had a scab on it now. It seemed to heal pretty quickly.

    Shao Xuan stood guard at the side, tightening the thread from time to time.

    He was careful to avoid the fangs of the beast the whole time. He saw what it could do to human flesh and it was much worse than he thought. He had cold sweat thinking out how reckless he was when he grabbed it before. He couldn¡¯t imagine what kind of injury he would have if it impaled him.

    That exined the state of the carcass he saw a few days back. Those fangs the beast had was definitely its most powerful weapon, before even taking its frightening speed and highly flexible body into consideration.

    This beast was surely the most dangerous thing in the forest. Shao Xuan was really lucky for it to get stuck in a cave. That was the only reason he could have caught it.

    When the beast was half of its original size, Shao Xuan once again tightened the thread and carried it back.

    After walking for a while, Shao Xuan noticed some people from the Hui tribe.

    There was an eagle soaring in the sky as if it was searching for something.

    Shao Xuan whistled to catch its attention.

    The people looked relieved to see Shao Xuan. Mai and Luo rushed towards him when they heard the whistle.

    They encountered some conflict with the Rock Hill City people and one of the tribesmen and an eagle got injured so they headed back. The rest continued to search for Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Xiang Chen got injured so Duo Kang sent him to the cave,¡± Mai reported the situation they faced to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Is he alright?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Nothing to worry about. He should be fine after two days of rest, and this is..?¡± Mai pointed to the green-faced fanged beast with anticipation in his eyes.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. That is the beast.¡±

 Chapter 548 - Drums Out

    Chapter 548

    Drums Out

    Mai and Luo were ecstatic when they found that Shao Xuan had caught the green-faced fanged beast. They couldn¡¯t wait to bring it back and study it. However, they knew the other tribes wouldn¡¯t let them off so easily since they hadn¡¯t got anything yet.

    Mai wanted the Hui tribesmen to bring Shao Xuan back. They would face fewer troubles in the skies but the eagle was unwilling to cooperate. It screeched and ran whenever Shao Xuan got closer with the green-faced fanged beast.

    The great mountain eagles all disliked the area. They would even fly further out to rest instead of staying here. Now, they were rejecting the beast even more intensely.

    In the end, Shao Xuan walked back with Mai and the rest. They met some people from Rock Hill City but the group had no intention of picking a fight with the ves. They went around them knowing that the team from Rock Hill wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up with them.

    Shao Xuan wrapped the beast in leaves and vines, only exposing its nose and fangs. The ves were suspicious of them but didn¡¯t do anything since they were unsure. Up until now, the Rock Hill City people and the tribesmen hadn¡¯t had a proper fight because they were conserving their energy for the search for the beast.

    When Shao Xuan¡¯s group headed towards the cave, the group of ves searching for their target also headed back.

    When the ves got back, they were greeted by a gloomy Shi Shi. They didn¡¯t dare make excuses for anything, they just honestly reported whatever happened that day and waited for their punishment. This was bing a regr urrence.

    ¡°Did you get anything?¡± A vein was near its bursting point at the edge of Shi Shi¡¯s forehead. His voice was heavy like a boulder waiting to crush them.

    The ves, who were already hanging their heads low, hung their heads even lower.

    Shi Shi¡¯s gaze was sharp like a de, he was taking his time to pick out his victim.

    On this hot day, buckets of sweat were dripping down the ves¡¯ tan faces.

    ¡°Master, we saw the tribesmen on our way back.¡± The leader of the pack, a high-level ve gathered up his courage to speak, ¡°There were some from the Hui tribe, the others had totemic tattoos, they should be from ming Horn.¡±

    The two beside Shi Shi lifted their eyebrows at the mention of ming Horn. One of them was Robber Four that Shi Shi met a few days ago and the other was Robber Seven who got here recently.

    Shi Shi stared at the ve for two second before slowly saying, ¡°Continue.¡±

    Even though Shi Shi remained rather expressionless, they could tell from past experiences that if the story didn¡¯t meet his expectations, they can expect a punishmenting soon.

    The ve stuttered as he spoke, he also told his master his predictions. He took a quick nce at Shi Shi¡¯s expression and saw that Shi Shi¡¯s eyes were glimmering. He knew that he had done the right thing. He could even expect a reward.

    Sure enough, Shi Shi thought that the thing the tribesmen from ming Horn was carrying was the green-faced fanged beast. He called for his men. He ordered the ves to head to ming Horn to confirm his suspicion.

    ¡°So, I wasn¡¯t wrong right? Those ming Horn tribesmen were the ones who found the green-faced fanged beast first.¡± Robber Seven jumped then sat atop a wooden bench. He swung his legs as he spoke.

    Robber four nced at him and said, ¡°You told them everything?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If I didn¡¯t tell them that much, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find it. The fact they got it so quickly is all my effort.¡± Robber Seven didn¡¯t think there was anything wrong in telling ming Horn about the beast, he even thought it was a good decision. It made sense to him to let others catch a target as hard as the beast and then steal itter.

    Robber Four was about to say something but then until his face immediately fell. Even the delighted Robber Seven¡¯s face turned cold. They both rushed out of the mountains of Rock Hill city. They heard the calls from the other Robbers.

    The ones that sent out the all were the two that wanted to steal the beast from Shao Xuan before this. The two went back and warned the other robbers about what happened to them. Although the Robbers usually worked alone, this was a rare urrence where it was necessary to work together to catch the beast.

    At that moment, a crowd of people gathered at the cave to look at the green-faced fanged beast. Their eyes filled with admiration but they couldn¡¯t help but think- what do the people from Rock Hill City want this beast for?

    There were some that thought of stealing the beast for themselves but after considering the fighting skills of ming Horn tribespeople and the forest they have to use to escape, they killed those thoughts.

    It wasn¡¯t possible that there was only one green-faced fanged beast in thatrge forest so some people asked Shao Xuan about his route and went off themselves to look for another one.

    Of course, they would need to be extremely careful when facing the beast. Shao Xuan warned them about it, whether they chose to listen to his advice was solely up to them.

    Shao Xuan knew that the people from Rock Hill City probably guessed that they caught the beast already. His n was a temporary solution for their situation then, he knew that they wouldn¡¯t be able to lie their way through. There should be some n in motion on their side now.

    ¡°Would those Rock hillbilliese over and snatch the beast? I¡¯ll go add a few more traps in the mountains,¡± said Mai.

    However, out of everyone¡¯s expectations, the people from Rock Hill City didn¡¯t head to the ming Horn tribe, they headed to the area where Shao Xuan caught the beast.

    They did soon find another beast lurking in the area but it was too fast. When it ran into a cave, Shi Shi sent people in to look for it. Not long after they went in, horrifying screams were heard, some blood came gushing out too. Then, it wasplete silence.

    Shi Shi decided to throw in some burning grass that produced a pungent smell to force the beast out but it had no response. Maybe there was another hole on the other side.

    With no other choice, Shi Shi and his men went around this hill and the other hills to set traps.

    Shao Xuan went over to check up what they were doing and it seemed that they nned to catch every beast there. That was the reason why they weren¡¯t going after the one in the ming Horn tribe.

    Thump! Thump! Thump!

    The sounds echoed throughout the mountain. Shi Shi nned to use the sound to force about all the green-faced fanged beasts in the mountain.

    Shi Shi was cornered into this, he had no other solution. The ancestral notes stated that the beast was hard to catch but not hard to find. That was the reason why he set up camp in the mountains, he wanted to catch more. However, it was hard to even spot one. At this rate, when would he be able to go home?

    It has been nearly two hundred years since thest green-faced fang beast was caught. By this logic, there should be more of them. Why wasn¡¯t there one to be seen anywhere?

 Chapter 549 - Catch Them All

    <h4>Catch Them All</h4>

    The drumming continued deep into the night.

    Shao Xuan and the other tribesmen that were camping far away from where they were whacking the mountain could clearly hear it.

    ¡°It¡¯s already sote. What are they up to?¡± said a tribesman from Yu tribe.

    The members of the Feather tribe stayed atop the trees outside the cave. They had an impressive sense of hearing, any slight sound would make them stir from their sleep, not to mention the constant drumming.

    Compared to the people outside the cave, the people sleeping in the cave were deep in slumber. They felt that the cave was extra quiet today. Even the bugs that made noises were gone. They couldn¡¯t hear the noises from the outside world as clearly as the people from the Feather tribe.

    Therefore, when people from the Feather tribe wereining, snores wereing out from the cave. After a few days of searching, they found nothing and everyone had exhausted their bodies. A quiet night like this was hard toe by so many slept very quickly.

    The green-faced fanged beast that Shao Xuan caught was quiet too after struggling for so long but Shao Xuan knew from its breathing patterns that it wasn¡¯t really asleep. It was just lying there quietly, maybe deep in thought.

    Lying on the cold stone floor of the cave, Shao Xuan was wide awake. The noise from outside wasn¡¯t the reason preventing him from sleeping. He just felt uneasy.

    Whenever the situation was tranquil, Shao Xuan would feel that something bad would happen.

    He gave up on falling asleep and got up to walk out of the cave.

    The wind was blowing outside the cave, leaves and grass swayed in it. This rustling sound was not a stranger to them but the wind today brought a cold bite with it. Even Shao Xuan had goosebumps on his arms when the wind blew in his direction.

    Did the temperature drop these few days?

    It couldn¡¯t be. Compared to three days ago, the temperature was even higher. Once they stepped out of this lush forest and entered another region, it would be even hotter.

    Even though the nights in the mountains were cooler, to the totemic warriors, it felt like a usual summer night. Nothing to the extent where goosebumps would form when the wind was blowing.

    Another gush of wind came again.

    Whoosh¨C Whoosh¨C

    The sounds of leaves rustling were heard again. Shao Xuan felt the goosebumps on his arms and looked around his surroundings. This was odd, why was this happening?

    They had ced many traps at the bottom of the mountain. If an intruder came by, something would have gone off but they heard nothing.

    Two Thousand Masks tribesmen that were standing guard looked at Shao Xuan in confusion. Why was this guy from ming Horn not sleeping at this ungodly hour?

    ¡°Were there any noises from the bottom of the mountain?¡± asked Shao Xuan to the guards.

    ¡°No.¡±

    The one that spoke was a warrior whose name was Fei You. Shao Xuan had met this person before in his expedition team. They interacted briefly then.

    Fei You considered for a moment and asked, ¡°Grand Elder Shao Xuan, did you sense anything?¡± He knew that ming Horn tribespeople were sensitive to the changes in the forest.

    Fei You knew he wasn¡¯t someone that could stand against the man speaking to him, though they were of the same age. They ignored the people of ming Horn during their desert trip but now, nobody could ignore this tribe.

    ¡°Currently, no. Be careful tonight and listen for sounds thate from the foot of the mountain,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The two guards felt a chill down their spine when they heard the sentence. They knew ming Horn tribesmen wouldn¡¯t tell them this if they had no reason to.

    The sounds of drums had not stopped.

    Everyone could feel that the people from Rock Hill City seemed desperate from their actions. But why?

    Rock Hill City was the king of the desert. Tribesmen were no big threat to them, they could still safelymand the desert so why were they in such a hurry? To secure their ce? Or were they just preparing? But preparing for what?

    Maybe, it wasn¡¯t just the tribesmen that felt this mysterious sense of doom, maybe the people of Rock Hill City felt it too.

    What did this odd weather mean?

    As Shao Xuan looked at his surroundings, his gaze stopped on a faraway hill.

    Red spots of fire filled the hill with the clear white light from water moonstones peeking out in some ces.

    Shi Shi brought two-thirds of his people over. He let the ves continuously beat the drums.

    In the ancestral notes, it was stated that the green-faced fanged beast liked to sleep on grass but usually resided in caves. Most of the time, many green-faced gang beasts could be found in the same cave.

    That was why they went to the captured beast¡¯s hideout. He wanted to use the noise to scare the beasts out.

    Traps wereid around the drums so no matter which direction the beast ran, they would surely fall into a trap or run into a guard.

    Thump thump!

    As the drums beat on, a flying stone disk came shooting out of the cave.

    ¡°Master! There¡¯s sounding from that area!¡± a ve shouted.

    Shi Shi was resting at that moment but as soon as he heard the news, a smile appeared on his originally gloomy face. Just as he expected! A beast hiding there wasing out!

    Shi Shi ordered the ves to stop drumming. They all listened carefully for any noises.

    Then, a huff was hearding from the covered cave entrance. The cave¡¯s mouth was covered from the gravel that fell from the ves¡¯ smashing.

    If the beasts were the source of the sound, it meant that they couldn¡¯t take it anymore and woulde out. For this nocturnal animal, trapping them inside and surrounding them with deafening noises would definitely anger them!

    Shi Shi had a stupid grin on his face as he signalled the ves to prepare.

    Within a blink of an eye, the huffing sound went from distant to very close. The ves guarding at the cave¡¯s mouth were already holding onto vines.

    These tough vines had been treated before to be much stronger. The people from Rock Hill City used them to make webs for hunting. Most of the traps theyid out then were made from this kind of vine too. This vine making technique had stood up against the test of time, Shi Shi was confident that it could hold the beast.

    With a loud boom, the gravel all flew in every direction, with a figure running out from the cave.

    The figure was too fast for the ves to see it but they could all feel it. It was as if its whole body was gushing out gas, bringing out noises of explosions in the surrounding air.

    The beast was trapped by the vines. It used its sharp fangs to cut through them but some vines were ced too far from where its two fangs could reach.

    The ves were quick to tie the beast up with avoiding its fangs. They knew that the fangs were the most lethal part of the animal. Shi Shi knew this as well, even though it was his first time seeing the beast in person.

    The heaviness in his heart lifted.

    Just as he was about to say something, he heard an exim with such hatred directed at him. Without much thought, he jumped up and ran away.

    A figure darted out from the surrounding forest. To be exact, it actually came from the ground. The grass in that area was so thick to the extent that it hid a cave there. The cave seemed to have been hit by something that made it copse. Soil and gravel hid its entrance so well that the people of Rock Hill city didn¡¯t find it.

    This figure that seemingly appeared out of nowhere left Shi Shi flustered.

    The figure vibrated as it ran, pushing the wind in a way that made sounds like a beast howling. The vibrations also brought up gushes of wind that made the grass move in waves towards a certain direction.

    Shi Shi was lucky enough to dodge the attack but the ve standing next to him didn¡¯t have the same luck. The ve brought up his own weapon, thinking to block this violent attack.

    Thud!

    Blood came pouring out from each pore on the ve¡¯s sword-wielding arm. Under his muscles, his blood vessels were obvious, as if they were about to jump out from his skin. He felt numbness crawling up from his arm, spreading throughout his body. As the feeling spread, his muscles were all pulled to the back, exposing the only bone in the front.

    ¡°Ca- catch it!¡± Shi Shi didn¡¯t care about the ve that was attacked. He only saw the other beast that came out from the cave and was ted that his ves caught it.

    ¡°Ah!¡±

    A painful cry was heard.

    It came from where Shi Shi had located a group of people not far from where he was then.

    No way... There¡¯s one there too?

    Shi Shi was excited. That was good for him. The ancestors only brought back two or three from each hunt but that was not enough, far from enough!

    ¡°Amazing! Catch them all!¡±

    How things progressed was way out of his expectations.

    On the mountain, sounds from all four parts where his men were hiding could be heard, that meant that the beasts had shown up there. In addition to that, the people at the foot of the mountain were also blowing their whistles, even the people on the other mountain were blowing theirs too.

    What was happening?

    Did all of the beasts decide to appear at once?

    Were they all hibernating before this? That¡¯s crazy, it¡¯s too hot to hibernate now!

 Chapter 550 - Sounds of the Wind

    <strong>Chapter 550</strong>

    <strong>Sounds of the Wind</strong>

    It was true. It was what Shi Shi had guessed.

    The green-faced fanged beasts had an acute sense of time. They hunted at night and slept during the day. They were disciplined for each season of the year.

    During the winter season, the forests were covered in snow. The green-faced fanged beasts were not fans of the snow so they would hibernate just like bears. To ensure they were kept warm, they would hibernate together in the same cave. They would only appear once again in the spring of the next year.

    With the extreme changes in the weather these two years, there was no snow to be seen during the winter season. Instead, it was hotter than before. Many animals in the forest gave up on the idea of hibernating but the green-faced fanged beasts stuck to their yearly schedule. They all fell into that deep sleep together, only to wake up if they were unbearably hungry to hunt.

    That was the reason why it was hard to find any green-faced fanged beasts then, they were all hibernating.

    Only a few of them woke up from the hunger and went out to hunt. After they filled their stomachs, they headed back to the cave.

    The one that was caught by Shao Xuan was out hunting for food. Knowing that it would need a lot of energy to hibernate, it ate more than it usually would. If it hadn¡¯t been caught by Shao Xuan, it would have stayed out for two more days to eat and to let its body absorb all the food. Only with its body returned to its original shape, it would return to the cave.

    Shi Shi¡¯s drums not only awakened all the beasts in the cave, it also woke up many other green-faced fanged beasts in the area. To a certain extent, he had got the results he wanted with the drums. However, it was way too effective. Too many beasts came out at once. More than he could handle.

    The green-faced fanged beasts were extra temperamental when they were woken up. The first attack they made is usually one filled with most anger and the most violent.

    They had the huntings but there were too many beasts around.

    Cries of pain came one after another. Each stating that it was an unsessful catch. Each highlighting the fact that Shi Shi grossly underestimated them.

    Huff!

    A figure jumped out, the ve casting the web couldn¡¯t help but grab his weapon.

    Crack!

    The sound of crushing bones was particrly ear-piercing. The ve was able to avoid the beast¡¯s fangs but he tripped. His ribs all broke on impact. Blood gushed out of his mouth in a gruesome scene.

    A mix of fangs and metals shing with each other, bones cracking and horrifying screams filled the air. It was a mess.

    A beast that came out from the cave aimed at its target and rushed towards them. Its light body shoots out like a missile from the bare ground, kicking so much dust into the air which blinded everyone.

    ng!

    A sharp pair of fangs knocked against the Shi Shi sword.

    Shi Shi felt it from his wrist to forearm. The numbness, the expanding pain, his exposed forearm with blooding out from its pores came all at once.

    A strong gust of wind knocked Shi Shi off bnce. He took a few steps back to stabilize himself only to fall onto the ground leaving a fresh set of footprints imprinted on where he stood.

    Shi Shi started sweating bullets as he looked at the beasting at him again.

    His back was now covered in sweat, not sure if it was from the hot weather or from his nervousness.

    He looked around anxiously, mind travelling at a million kilometres an hour trying to think of a way to get out.

    His wish of getting a more green-faced fang beast backed fired on him. It wasn¡¯t a win to get more beasts, it was a curse.

    He couldn¡¯t fight it. What to do?

    Run!

    If he couldn¡¯t run? Fighting these temperamental beasts with his teeth wasn¡¯t an option either!

    ¡°Run! Retreat!!¡± shouted Shi Shi while holding a special whistle, blowing it with a certain rhythm. Each ve who heard the whistle would know what to do.

    Shi Shi grabbed the tied up green-faced fang beast and let the ves cover for him. He ran towards the mountain, not forgetting to shout, ¡°For every beast you bring back, you will be rewarded! You can even raise your rank!¡±

    When they heard about the reward, the ves were now willing to risk it all to upgrade their level.

    Who wouldn¡¯t be willing to do it? What was the difference between a rock in a desert and the life of a ve who wasn¡¯t able to raise their ranks?

    This was the top tier brainwashing that the ve masters of Rock Hill City used. They gave the ves just enough hope to continue living, bait them with prizes like this so that they were willing to pay the price for it.

    Other than the ones who had appeared, some from the well-hidden caves in the mountains came out too.

    The thick huffs indicated that they were furious.

    In the pitch-ck night, the shadows and sky were one.

    Figures emerged from the forests and grasnds, bringing along that heat they radiated out. They ran onto the grass, with no intention of hiding themselves.

    The one that Shao Xuan met before was quiet in its movements, essentially making no sound as it jumped around. These beasts were different. They showed up with fury, stirring up a storm as they ran towards the mountain.

    All the figures gathered around the valley then headed in the same direction. The direction where Shi Shi was running towards.

    The green-faced fanged beasts¡¯ roars were even more violent gushes of wind. One could easily mistake it for a typhoon.

    The grumpy beasts were looking for a ce to vent their anger. They jumped at anything they saw. Shi Shi saw the beasts attacking any animal in their way too.

    Hide in the grass? No!

    Climb up a tree? No!

    Nothing would escape the beasts!!

    The leaves in the forests were acting like water in a pond that had arge boulder thrown in. It vibrated in seemingly never-ending waves.

    The forest turned into nightmare fuel with its violent gushes of wind breaking its silence.

    The tribesmen rested atop the mountain.

    Shao Xuan felt the goosebumps all over his body.

    ¡°Did you hear anything?¡± Shao Xuan asked the two guards.

    ¡°I think so. Are those the screams of the Rock Hill people?¡± asked one of them.

    ¡°No, it should be ...wind? That doesn¡¯t sound right... but it does sound a lot like wind.¡±

    ¡°Wind?¡±

    Shao Xuan was even more confused by listening to their conversation.

    Was there a problem with the wind sounds?

    Huff¨C

    The sound of wind blowing came from the cave.

    The three instinctively looked at the cave.

    ¡°It sounds like that?¡± asked the tribesmen as he pointed at the mouth of the cave.

    Shao Xuan paid closer attention to the sound. There was a difference between that sound and the sound of a gush of wind. What he was hearing was a green-faced fanged beast but the source was too far away for him to differentiate.

    He looked at the endless mountains connected to one another. He listened again and urgently grabbed his whistle.

    The piercing sound of a whistle broke the silence of the night. It didn¡¯t matter if the person was in or out of the cave, they were all awakened by the whistle.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Who blew the whistle?!¡±

    Everyone rushed to gather at the source of the sound.

    Duo Kang noticed the person holding the whistle and asked, ¡°Shao Xuan, what happened?¡±

    ¡°Right, what¡¯s so urgent that you used the whistle,¡± asked someone while yawning.

    Shao Xuan looked at the forest and said, ¡°If I¡¯m not wrong, your prey ising.¡±

    Everyone snapped to their senses.

    ¡°The prey is here? Do you mean the beast?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing!¡±

    ¡°How many of them?¡±

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath. ¡°... Many!¡±

 Chapter 551 - To Each Their Own

    <strong>Chapter 551</strong>

    <strong>To Each Their Own</strong>

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words sent the tribespeople into a frenzy. They had travelled far to this dangerousnd just to catch the green-face fang beast.

    They were jealous when they saw the ming Horn tribespeople catching one yesterday. Now, they had the chance to get one themselves.

    The crowd carefully listened. They could hear shouts and the asional roar which wasn¡¯t out of the norm here. Nothing indicated that the beasts wereing.

    ¡°The sounds of the wind, that violent-sounding wind. That is the roar of the beast,¡± exined Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No wonder. I was wondering why the wind was so loud but the trees weren¡¯t moving,¡± said someone from the Mang tribe.

    ¡°If there are many, we don¡¯t need to focus in just one direction,¡± Gu Su from the Eight Limbs tribe.

    ¡°Not bad of an idea. Each tribe to their own,¡± agreed Mu You from the Longboat tribe.

    Arguments may arrive from all the tribes working together so it would be the best if each tribe caught their own beasts with their own skills.

    With each tribe havingmented on the situation, the people of ming Horn looked to Shao Xuan for the next n of action.

    Shao Xuan gestured for them to calm down then said with a smile, ¡°There are many beasts but that may not be a good thing. I also have to remind everyone that the beasts aren¡¯t easy to catch. I already told you all which parts of the beast to be cautious of. Don¡¯teining when you¡¯re severely injured.¡±

    ¡°Rx, we won¡¯tin. Instead, we want to thank you for your reminder. Or else we won¡¯t even know the beasts are approaching,¡± said Gu Zhi from the Feather tribe.

    The tribespeople had their heads filled with ideas on how to catch the beasts already. They did listen to Shao Xuan¡¯s advice but they still haven¡¯t caught on to how scary the situation was. After entering the forest, they had seen all sorts of beasts. They don¡¯t think the beasts are as scary as Shao Xuan made out to be seeing that the ming Horn tribespeople were able to catch one.

    Shao Xuan did his part in warning everyone. It was their choice if they didn¡¯t listen.

    Each tribe was busy preparing even though it was deep into the night. The tension was thick in the air. Everyone held a water moon stone and tree vines. The Eight Limb tribe also started cing their cobwebs.

    The sound of the wind got louder.

    Shao Xuan could clearly hear the shouts of the Rock Hill people.

    ¡°Hurry down the mountain!¡± shouted Shao Xuan.

    The rest were now able to differentiate the roars of the green-faced fanged beasts from normal sounds of the wind. They got their weapons ready and rushed down the mountain.

    Within three breaths, there were only five ming Horn tribesmen and a few Hui tribesmen left in front of the cave.

    The great mountain eagles were not skilled night hunters so the Hui tribe didn¡¯t n to call them over. Since there were so many beasts, they were in no rush to catch them. It wouldn¡¯t be toote to call them over in the morning. The people from ming Horn were also in no rush which probably meant they didn¡¯t need to be that anxious too.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, what do you n to do?¡± asked Mai who had his ready.

    ¡°There are too many beasts chasing after the Rock Hill people. Our base camp is closer than theirs so there will be some beastsing up there. We should try chasing the few stray ones and not go after therge group.¡±

    After checking the trapsid around the camp, Shao Xuan made a few adjustments then nned the next course of action.

    It was hard to find the type of grass the beasts liked. They had no beasts to help them with this too so they had to use another way.

    If they couldn¡¯t use the grass as bait, they would use humans as bait!

    Using bait to lure the prey as standard practice for the hunters. Shao Xuan described his experience of catching the beasts to the others.

    Therge group of beasts were chasing after the people of Rock Hill with no intention to stop. However, there were some beasts that chose to notice the motions they sense in the other directions.

    The tribesmen that went downhill were extra careful with their actions as Shao Xuan had told them the green face gang beasts are highly sensitive to any motion. The tribesmen nned to wait until the majority of the beasts were gone and target the beasts that strayed from the group.

    Although they knew there were a lot of beasts, seeing it for themselves was another experience.

    It was hard to see the beasts running in the darkness. They could only hear the huffing passing by like the wind, reminiscent of a continuous gale. The rustles of leaves hid the sound the tribesmen made as they hid between the grass and branches. They quietly paid attention to what was happening around them.

    Sure enough, a few beasts seemed to notice something and headed towards the tribesmen.

    A nearby warrior from the Eight Limbs tribe cursed in his mind, he thought he was exposed but he was safe for now as the beast was chasing after a mouse.

    However, that relief came too soon. With a loud crack, the tree he was hiding in had fallen from the impact of something hitting it.

    A lot of the beasts noticed the fallen tree but it did not intrigue them enough to go closer to check it out. Hence, they followed therge ground and charged forward.

    The man that was hiding in the tree did not follow the tree to the ground. Instead, he seemed to be suspended mid-air. His foot was tied up to a vine that kept him from falling.

    Whoosh¨C

    Soft noises were covered by the rustling leaves.

    Arge was formed by the five hidden Eight Limb tribe members. The was currently flying towards the green face fang beast that left therge group in silence.

    Six nocturnal birds came while cawing and rested on a tree nearby. The running beast did not pay attention to them.

    Except the caws didn¡¯te from the birds, it came from somewhere not far from them.

    As soon as the bird heard the noise, they got into formation. Each bird held a vine from in their ws, throwing and catching the vines among each other. They were forming a!

    ¡°Caw caw!¡±

    An instruction was sent out. The six birds moved as a unit towards the green-faced fanged beast.

    These six birds weren¡¯tpletely domesticated. They were used to help members of the Feather tribe through this secret technique that gave them instructions telling them exactly what to do.

    Other than the Eight Limb tribe and Feather tribe, the other tribes were busy catching the beasts using their own techniques.

    Therge group of beasts passed Shao Xuan and his team. Shao Xuan led the rest to join the group up the mountain while the rest led a few beasts to where the traps were with the help from Gu La and some other members of the Hui tribe.

    It was much easier to handle the beast one by one. They could observe its personality and tailor a n specifically for it. It was much harder to do this with a few beasts at the same time.

    A green-faced fanged beast fell into a trap. It struggled hard to get rid of the vines around it. Shao Xuan and Gu La rushed towards it to tie the nearly free beast.

    The air exhaled out of the tied up beast had vibrated the air around it with an odd frequency. It howled. Steaming out from its nostrils had a higher temperature than boiling water. Although Shao Xuan and Gu La had backed off, they could still feel the heating from it.

    After tying it up, Shao Xuan took out some needles filled with poison. He got the poison from a tree in the forest. He used one of the needles to inject it into the beast.

    The poison could cause somerger animals to faint and even cause death for some less poison-resilient animals. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure whether the poison would work on the green face fang beast, he didn¡¯t try it on the previous beast they got.

    After three injections, the struggling from the beast had significantly subdued. Its breathing rate was much slower too.

    ¡°Three to five injections, no more,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Soon after, Shao Xuan caught another one that dropped into a trap they hadid out. The beasts were much easier to catch when they were in the traps. Their speed was no use then and the tribespeople could easily tie them up and inject the poison.

 Chapter 552 - Escape!

    <strong>Chapter 552</strong>

    <strong>Escape!</strong>

    In this dark night, every tribe was fighting their own battles.

    Sometimes a painful cry was heard, other times a loud thud or crash.

    Shao Xuan had sessfully caught his third green-faced fanged beast for the night. After injecting the poison in the beast, he blew the whistle.

    Soon, Duo Kang, Mai and the other tribesmen from the ming Horn and Hui tribe were there.

    ¡°How was it? Is anyone hurt?¡± Shao Xuan smelled iron in the air, the blood of the beasts didn¡¯t smell like this so it could only be from human blood.

    ¡°No worries, just a small injury.¡± Duo Kang lifted his arm. There was a cut as long as a finger and an inch wide. It was already treated with a bandage on it. The fang from a green face fang beast had lightly brushed past his arm. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t that serious.

    Each of the tribe members had minor injuries here and there. The more serious one was on the Hui tribesmen. If Duo Kang didn¡¯t manage to pull him away from the beast in time, that wound would instead be arge hole gushing out endless amounts of blood.

    He She was very grateful towards the ming Horn tribe. He made a mental note to send them gifts when they got back. He hoped to continue working with them becausepared to the other tribes, ming Horn was the one most likely to keep their word.

    ¡°We all caught one each, Duo Kang caught two,¡± said Mai.

    The four of them collectively caught five beasts while Shao Xuan caught three. In addition to the one in the cave, in total, ming Horn had caught nine beasts.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, should we continue?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°No, let¡¯s prepare to leave,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This early?¡± Duo Kang wasn¡¯t willing to go yet.

    ¡°We have to leave now since the beasts have their focus on the people of Rock Hill. Once they change their targets, it will be hard for us to get away. We shouldn¡¯t be greedy.¡± Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t wipe away the sense of danger he felt. Those city folk may run in their direction to lead the beasts here.

    Duo Kang thought about it for a while. There really was no hurry since their tribe was just north of the Fearsome Beast Forest. Compared to the other tribes, they were located quite close to this ce.

    ¡°Sure. Then let¡¯s hurry, those ve masters are the cunning kind.¡± Once Duo Kang got Shao Xuan¡¯s perspective, he couldn¡¯t wait to get back with those beasts and try out wielding new weapons. He was wary of the ve masters. The ve masters on the other side of the sea were huge figures not to be messed with. Although the ve masters here only really controlled the desert, they were still ve masters. They had skills that they should be cautious of.

    Gu La blew his whistle to inform the other tribes. Then, Shao Xuan headed to the cave to bring the first green face fang beast out and gave it three doses of poison. He wasn¡¯t willing to take the risk of bringing it back conscious.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t theying back?¡± Shao Xuan went downhill and noticed the members of the other tribes weren¡¯t here. There was nothing important left in the cave, everyone was able to leave with their weapons. Gu La had given the signal for them to leave, did they not hear it or were they just unwilling to leave?

    ¡°I¡¯ll try again.¡± Gu La said with a sour expression. The tribes had worked together for years, everyone knew what the signal meant. What was the reason that everyone here wasn¡¯t reacting to it?

    At that moment, bird caws came from a corner of the mountain.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Feather tribe, they don¡¯t n to leave yet. Let¡¯s wait for the others then.¡± Gu La said with a frown.¡±

    ¡°Tell them, either we all leave together or they stay here and we leave,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gu La did as he was told. The reply he got was that the others didn¡¯t want to leave yet.

    ¡°Up to them, let¡¯s go,¡± said Shao Xuan as he let Gu La send onest reply.

    Soon, a short whistle was heard.

    ¡°They agreed.¡± Gu La didn¡¯t understand their logic. Were they really willing to stay here just for the green face fang beast? Were they really that greedy?

    Shao Xuan thought this was out of character for them. Unless they knew something about the beast and how important it was.

    The people didn¡¯t know the secret, why were they so enthusiastic?

    A thought made Shao Xuan skip a beat. Rock Hill City!!

    The ve masters could have told them the secret! To make the tribespoeple stay, to divert the attention of the beasts!!

    ¡°Maybe they already know about the secret,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What secret?¡± asked the tribesmen from the Hui tribe.

    ¡°What use does the green face fang beast have?¡± This was the question they didn¡¯t have the answer to. However, the people from the ming Horn tribe weren¡¯t willing to spill their secret just yet.

    ¡°Metal.¡±

    Shao Xuan only said two words. Gazes were thrown around with many emotions in them.

    ¡°Metal?! So that¡¯s why!¡± Shi Shi felt his blood nearly boiling with excitement.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t the time to speak about it. Tell the others that Rock Hill City only wants them there to divert the attention of the beasts onto them.¡± Shao Xuan said to Gu La.

    ¡°Huh? Oh.¡± Gu La hasn¡¯te to his senses. With shaky hands, he hesitantly sent out the signals. Luckily, the message was conveyed.

    ¡°Are we really not going to catch more?¡± He She had a bitter tone in his voice, he knew the answer to the question. No wonder the others weren¡¯t willing to leave.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t reply. Mai and Luo just grunted. The tribes didn¡¯t have good enough rtionships for them to be sharing secrets. Nobody really wanted to share information. Even the tribes with better rtionships were also wary of each other.

    Now, due to the possible threat of Rock Hill City, Shao Xuan had told them their secret. Yet this bunch of people STILL wanted to convince him to stay? Did they want to die?

    ¡°If you want to stay you can, we¡¯re leaving.¡±

    The five from ming Horn took their beasts and headed back.

    The members of the Hui tribe kept quiet and followed the ming Horn tribesmen.

    Just to avoid the people from Rock Hill City, the group went around two mountains and took the long route back.

    Soon after Shao Xuan¡¯s groups left, the beasts did change their target and split into three groups, headed to three different directions. Each direction had tribespeople in the area.

    That was what Shi Shi made the ves do so that he could bring his game away peacefully. As he was leaving, he noticed that although he caught eleven beasts, there were only eight with him now!

    ¡°Robber Four!!¡±

    Shi Shi didn¡¯t expect that robber to steal his prey! He was so careful about the tribespeople that he didn¡¯t notice three of his beasts were taken away!

    Shi Shi was so angry he could have exploded but wasn¡¯t able to lose his chill. He brought a portion of his ves and the remaining eight beasts and rushed down the mountain.

    The sky was still dark. There was the scent of blood in the air, sounds of objects tumbling over each other and the sizzle of the blood flowing out from the dead green-faced fanged beasts. The blood burned through the beast¡¯s muscle leaving only its bones and fangs. Those fearsome weapons were left useless on this limp carcass.

    However, the number of deaths for the beasts were way less than the number of ves lost to them. Shi Shi brought nearly four hundred people with him and now the number was just slightly above a hundred.

    More than two hundred people had lost their lives to the beasts. They could still hear their cries in agony.

    Shi Shi didn¡¯t care. The beasts were more important. If he knew this was the oue, he would have brought a thousand of them here.

    Shi Shi still was upset over his three stolen beasts but still felt joy from leading the tribespeople to their misery. It was their fault for going after his prize.

 Chapter 553 - Not Again

    Chapter 553

    Not Again

    Shao Xuan led his team out of the area surrounded by mountains, they only slowed down when they had left that area.

    ¡°Let me go up and take a look.¡± Shao Xuan passed the unconscious beasts to Duo Kang and climbed up a tree.

    This area had more ancient trees in it. There were more birds resting on the trees too. Shao Xuan could hear some displeased chirps at him as he climbed up. One could hear the endless distant noises from the nocturnal animal¡¯s activities.

    This truly was the real, normal Fearsome Beast Forest.

    The green-faced fanged beasts wouldn¡¯t leave behind their precious territory. The background noise of other beasts fighting and interacting with each other was actually quite calming for the tribespeople. If the animals were interacting with each other, it meant this was no longer thend of green-faced fanged beasts.

    When he reached the top of the tree, Shao Xuan looked out to the great forest. He couldn¡¯t see those odd green shades the beasts had but he could hear those misleading sounds of the wind.

    The birds on the tree seemed unsettled by those sounds. They murmured with a deep tone.

    When Shao Xuan got down from the tree, the members from the Hui tribe were still lurking about not catching more beasts but it was toote for them to head back now.

    ming Horn had nine green-faced fanged beasts in total, they would give two of them to the Hui tribe. This wasn¡¯t them being unfair because during the hunting process ming Horn tribe was the one doing most of the work, whil the Hui tribe mostly assisted. The three great mountain eagles they brought were no use too. One was injured, the other seemed out of its mind, thest one just rejected the area too much to even get close to it. That was why two beasts was a fair trade for their efforts.

    The members of the Hui tribe understood this, hence they did not oppose the deal. Who knew those vicious beasts in the forest would help in the weapon-making process?

    However, since they knew where the beasts were now and they were the first tribe to work with ming Horn, they were sure that there would be opportunities for them to head back and hunt for more beasts.

    With such a mindset, the Hui tribespeople was d that they made the right choice of working with the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, why don¡¯t we wait here?¡± said He She, his tone careful and hesitant. It was too dark out, he wouldn¡¯t be able to see Shao Xuan¡¯s expression, he could only guess his reaction from his breathing and movements.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t n to walk back to the tribe on the same day anyway. It was dangerous to travel at night in the Fearsome Beast Forest. The others also had difficulty seeing in the dark so unless it was absolutely necessary, it was not rmended to rush back in the dark.

    They didn¡¯t dare use their water moon stones. They were afraid of attracting insects and beasts nearby. They found a ce to hide and silently waited.

    They heard voices but it didn¡¯t belong to the tribespeople. It should be Shi Shi¡¯s group and they were walking in another direction. That meant they wouldn¡¯t be meeting them anytime soon.

    They waited a little more but there were no other voices. He She blew his whistle again but there was no response.

    The sky was getting lighter, the day wasing.

    Whoosh!

    Leaves from shrubs rustled against each other as if something had run past them.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± shouted Mai.

    Everyone shot up, alert.

    Shoosh¨C

    A figure swiftly ran past them. The motion was forceful enough to make a flower taller than a person sway from side to side.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± Duo Kang lifted his axe and moved in the direction the figure went.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Shao Xuan blocked Duo Kang, ¡°Don¡¯t go there, look after our beasts.¡±

    As soon as they heard Shao Xuan, they knew what he meant. It probably wasn¡¯t some kind of beast hidden in the darkness, it could be someone after their prize!

    Someone from Rock Hill City?

    Behind Shao Xuan, the remaining four from ming Horn formed an arc around the nine beasts. The members of the Hui tribepleted the circle.

    Whoosh!

    The figure hidden between the trees suddenly rushed out. Like a snake coldly looking at its prey, the figure ran towards Shao Xuan and the rest, zooming around like a lightning bolt with steps so light it made them seem like they were floating!

    A Robber?!

    It didn¡¯t seem like someone from Rock Hill City, the ves had no special powers like this. The next suspect would be the Robbers.

    The tribespeople tightly held onto their weapons. They increased their totemic energy, muscles throughout their bodies were taut, as hard as stone. Their bones couldn¡¯t help but crackle from the insane rush of energy.

    What did the tribesmen hate the most? When other people came after their prey.

    Just as everyone focused on the figure before them, another figure appeared and ran in a different direction.

    Unlike the figure that appeared before themselves, thetter had a stealthy vibe to them instead of the cold murderous vibe of the former figure.

    If the first figure was floating, this figure was leaping. They maintained a light stance too, like a mayfly in water. One moment the figure was here, the other moment the figure was at another ce.

    That was why everyone had their gaze on the first figure,pletely oblivious to the second figure¡¯s presence. As soon as the second figure got closer to the circle, Gu La immediately reacted and swung his sword around. The other members of the Hui tribe followed suit. The figure was able to find a gap in the mess and made it to the centre where all the unconscious beasts were!

    As soon as the figure reached out for the closest green-faced fanged beast to him, three spearheads came flying in his direction.

    With one palm on the floor, he flipped through the air, avoiding all three spearheads. As soon as he reached out again, Shao Xuan had already swung his sword in the figure¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Die, Robber Seven!¡± shouted Shao Xuan.

    That was Robber Seven?!

    The Robber they captured then released?!

    How dare he steal from ming Horn!!

    Duo Kang and the rest were absolutely furious, they should have killed him!

    The Robber Seven that was exposed seemed to feel no sense of guilt.

    So what if I am exposed? I need to steal your stuff!

    However, because of Shao Xuan¡¯s block, the rest of his people had time to react too. At this point, Robber Seven had lost his chance to steal the beasts.

    If this isn¡¯t the time, we¡¯ll juste back another time!

    Robber Seven and hispanion thought the same thought. They were masters of theft not fights. They were not kind to fight with their victims.

    Even though he felt unwilling to leave the circle, Robber Seven knew it was the best for him to retreat now.

    But Shao Xuan had other thoughts.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them leave!¡±

    These Robbers would drive them mad from paranoia. They have enough stress from protecting themselves in this forest full of beasts, the Robbers didn¡¯t need to add on to it. Even if there were other Robbers out to get their game, they cannot let Robber Seven, who had the audacity to target them twice, get away!

 Chapter 554 - Letâ€™s See Where You Can Hide!

    Chapter 554

    Let¡¯s See Where You Can Hide!

    Totemic power surged through every inch of Shao Xuan¡¯s body.

    He stomped forcefully, sending shock waves to the ground equivalent to arge dinosaur¡¯s.

    Shao Xuan leapt forward, pursuing the figures that had left the circle of guards. He ran with such power that it produced a sound not unlike a cloth being ripped.

    He swung forcefully in Robber Seven¡¯s direction.

    Robber Seven only felt as if the air was filled with ice-cold water that chilled him to his core. He only could think of one exnation for this.

    Aargh!

    Oh no! It¡¯s the same boy!

    The memory of the cabbage patch shed through Robber Seven¡¯s mind. He jumped up, flipping mid-air like a fish twisting its flexible tail. Just as he was about to use the rotational airflow to help his jump, a de swung before him, consuming everything in its path.

    This again!

    He used thisst time and he¡¯s using this now!

    This felt like theirst encounter¨C no, Shao Xuan was even stronger now. His murderous aura sent shivers up Robber Seven¡¯s spine. He tried his best to dodge the attack but something in his mind told him he wouldn¡¯t be able to. Even if he did, he would still lose a limb.

    If he didn¡¯t want to lose a limb, he would have to strike back.

    ng!

    It wasn¡¯t the sound of a limb getting chopped up but the piercing sound of metals shing against one another.

    With that explosion of sound, Robber flew like a baseball to a nearby tree with a trunk thicker than an elephant.

    Crack!

    The clean sound of something breaking was very clear in the night. It scared away many wild birds.

    The tree had fallen from the impact of Robber Seven hitting it. Sawdust and leaves flew everywhere.

    The person who hit the tree vomited out a mouthful of blood.

    ¡°Robber Six!¡±

    Robber Seven knew he was out of luck, he could only cry for help.

    Robber Six, who was just about to leave, cursed. Like an agile snake, he ran past Duo Kang¡¯s axe and towards Robber Seven.

    Robber Six managed to grab Robber Seven before Shao Xuan could swing his sword at him. Robber Seven ran through the thick forest, not leaving a trace. He took each step with such uracy and speed, even Shao Xuan may not be able to catch up to him.

    This was Robber Six¡¯s speciality. He could sneak around like a mouse escaping its predator.

    That was the reason Robber Six even dared to steal here. He knew if all else went wrong, he would have the terrain to his advantage. No tribesmen would be able to catch up to him!

    Even though he wasn¡¯t as fast as he could be because he was carrying Robber Seven, he didn¡¯t care. I¡¯m amazing. Even while carrying this lump of extra burden, I can escape those stupid tribesmen!

    This was a curse each Robber had. That endless confidence. Arrogance that made them conceited beyondparison.

    Knowing the situation was disadvantageous to him, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t pursue the Robber and thought of another way.

    Shao Xuan ced his sword in his animal skin bag. He held the arm not holding the sword into a fist, ced his knee onto the ground. He sprung up with his entire body elerating by the moment, his first leading the way. His target wasn¡¯t the two figures but the fallen tree hit by Robber Seven!

    With rocket-like speed, the fist plunged into the tree bark. The impact didn¡¯t split the bark. Instead, Shao Xuan¡¯s arm seemed to just sink into that solid tree bark.

    Not wasting a moment, Shao Xuan leapt into the air, at the time lifting three barks as thick as an elephant as if it weighed nothing.

    Although the Hui tribe couldn¡¯t see everything clearly. The near dawn sky was bright enough for them to see the humongous trunk being moved by a single man.

    They knew people from the ming Horn tribe were strong. They thought they had understood them from the few days they spent together but it seemed that they had underestimated them yet again.

    This tree with countless number of branches and that was so tall one could barely see its top from the ground was swung downwards.

    Robber Six and Seven lifted their heads up.

    Above their heads were tightly packed branches and flowers with a densework of vines that blocked their vision. At that moment, they could feel something falling down on them.

    ¡°Lo... Look out!¡± Robber Seven said as blood poured out of his mouth. They nearly crashed into a shrub while looking at the sky.

    Robber Seven had all sorts of scratches and cuts from branches around them. His hair was a mess and nearly all the bones in his body were broken. He felt like crap.

    ¡°I know! I don¡¯t need you to...¡±

    Before Robber Six could finish his sentence,

    Thud!

    The ancient tree smashed into the ground. The other trees stood no chance against it, also falling under the pressure from the ancient one.

    Everything ahead of the two had fallen, leaving them exposed in this area of fallen trees.

    Where are they going to hide now?!

 Chapter 555 - Too Late for Regrets

    Chapter 555

    Too Late for Regrets

    The sound of the ancient tree falling thundered, echoing across the forest.

    Two beasts fighting each other were shocked by the sound. They immediately dropped the prey they were fighting over. Their eyes swept the area in fear, ears perked up. Then, they tucked in their tails and ran away.

    There were fewer beasts in this area since it was still not far from green-faced fanged beasts territory. Normally in these territory borders, fewer predators lurked around. It was mostly popted bymon beasts or animals.

    Therefore, Shao Xuan¡¯s action didn¡¯t attract any behemoths. It only scared away other wild creatures.

    Little creatures hidden in the forest were all scramming to escape. The already crowded coppice had its empty spaces be more narrow, damp and hot. The animals would even crash into each other from theck of space. How could the two Robbers even escape now?

    Robber Six decided to find a hiding spot first. It was hard to avoid the tree that came crashing down, he even had to fight for space with all these little critters. A mountain cat even bared him its fangs in annoyance. If it were normal circumstances, he would have shed the mountain cat already but he didn¡¯t have time for that now.

    Only when most of the branches had fallen from the tree, Robber Six started to move again. Before he even got to move, another ¡°crack¡± very simr to the sound produced when a Robber Seven broke the tree trunk was heard. He felt that same pressureing from above him.

    Again!

    ¡°Hurry! That kid is at it again!¡± said Robber Seven.

    ¡°Shut it!¡± Robber Six didn¡¯t expect the ming Horn tribe to treat him like this. He knew they were strong but now he couldn¡¯t y the terrain to his advantage. Was that guy a man or a monster to be able to move that tree trunk?

    Thud!

    The sound thundered the forest. Branches fell everywhere,pletely ruining Robber Six¡¯s escape n. The ground was now littered with all sorts of branches.

    Half of the branches above them were gone. If it was the day, they would be directly exposed to the sunlight now.

    Luckily, it was still the night. Robber Six gathered his courage and leapt forward. He had no choice but to step on the broken branches.

    However, soon enough, another tree came crashing down. Robber Six wasn¡¯t even able to escape in time as each tree covered toorge of an area. He could only guess where a branch was about to fall by listening then react to it.

    The trees carried with them such force and uracy! No matter where he ran, a tree woulde soon after.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say tribesmen were blind at night?!¡± Robber Six tried hard to avoid the branches but bird poop still managed to find its way to his hair.

    ¡°That kid!¡± Robber Seven was aching all over. He could barely speak those few words.

    ¡°Out of all the people to provoke, you provoked HIM?!¡± roared Robber Six. Just like the others, he left when it felt that things were turning sour at the green-faced fanged beast territory. He didn¡¯t expect to meet the members of the ming Horn tribe and Hui tribe carrying a few green-faced fanged beasts with them on his way back.

    Robber Six couldn¡¯t let go of this great opportunity. It would be a shame to just go empty-handed but it was too dangerous for him to act alone.

    At that moment, Robber Seven appeared and proposed for them to work together. After some thought, Robber Six agreed. The surroundings were advantageous to him and he had someone to share the risk with, what could go wrong?

    Well, everything went wrong. If he knew this was going to happen, he would have been patient and stole from the other tribes.

    ¡°Robber Seven, never ask me to steal from ming Horn with you again!¡± In his many years of stealing, this was the first time he had to run away like this!

    Robber Seven wanted to speak but that would risk him choking on his own blood. I won¡¯t even approach them anymore. This crap is scary!

    In addition to the dangers above, Robber Six had to avoid the branches poking out while running. He identally cut his forehead causing his blood to drip around the shrubs.

    This won¡¯t do!

    This burden was dragging him down too much, he had to get rid of it.

    Robber Six let go of Robber Seven¡¯s hand with every intention to leave him behind.

    Robber Seven seemed to notice it and quickly wrapped his entire body around Robber Six.

    Just as the two were running away in their embarrassing state, a hundred meters away, three figures were hidden on a tree, watching all the action going on.

    ¡°Is that ming Horn? Are they even human?¡± said someone.

    ¡°Do you think Robber Six and Seven are still alive?¡±

    ¡°How pitiful. Why not you two go and help?¡± said the first person.

    ¡°I won¡¯t go even if you beat me to death! I¡¯ll only go if those ming Horn tribesmen leave. What if they target us?¡± said thest one. ¡°Also, Robber Six and Seven didn¡¯t ask for our help anyway!¡±

    ¡°If Robber Six and Seven died, don¡¯t we all go up two ranks?¡± said one of them. The voice was so indifferent that one would wonder if they were speaking about people that were from the same tribe as them.

    Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced through the night.

    The three immediately had their expressions changed.

    ¡°They really are forced into a corner!¡± one of them murmured.

    Even though they all wish the two would die, they didn¡¯t believe they would sumb to this level of helplessness. The two ranked in front of all three of them after all.

    The Robbers had their rules and liked to move about so they rarely met up. Naturally, they weren¡¯t close to each other. It wasmon to not help each other when one was in need of help. They won¡¯t simply ask for help either, especially the top ten. They had more resources than anyone and better skills too. If they were caught stealing, that would be an utter embarrassment for them. Hence, even if they were caught, they would find a way to escape alone. They only called for help asst resort.

    That whistle for help meant they thoroughly failed, they would drop ranks. Hence, this meant that Robber Six and Seven would need to switch their code names soon.

    Robber Six in a moment of carelessness got knocked off bnce by a falling branch from above. He fell to the ground with Robber Seven.

    Sensing that Shao Xuan was close, they both sent out the whistle. The two were bitter, this was the first time for both of them to call for help. Robber Six saw Robber Seven¡¯s bloodshot eyes that looked like he was about to kill him.

    Just as Shao Xuan stood upon the fallen tree, right where Robber Six and Seven were, two figures zoomed in with lightning speed and reached the fallen two on the floor. They quickly weaved through the branches and each grabbed one of the robbers. They went as soon as they came.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t do anything. The people who saved Robber Six and Robber Seven probably ranked higher than them.

    Compared to chasing after those Robbers, he thought it was more important to guard his beasts. There are probably other Robbers around too.

    For Robber Six and Seven, they still had their chance to steal but first, they had to recover.

    Shao Xuan headed back with regret. He joined the circle to protect their game. However, the people from the Hui tribe had rather stiff expressions. They looked at Shao Xuan as if he was a monster.

 Chapter 556 - Return

    <strong>Chapter 556</strong>

    <strong>Return</strong>

    ¡°Where are the two Robbers?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°They got saved by other Robbers,¡± replied Shao Xuan.

    The four from ming Horn sighed. They didn¡¯t manage to kill them both in one go, what a pity!

    However, they learned a lot from that scuffle. They knew they shouldn¡¯t fight the Robbers using their speed, they should use other tactics against them. If the Robbers hadn¡¯t gotten help from others, they might really just die from those trees. However, they couldn¡¯tpletely ignore the speed factor. The Robbers might run away before they even lifted a tree.

    Robbers were agile and fast, ming Horn tribespeople were much superior in the strength department! They had to face them with their strength.

    The members of the Hui tribe were even more spooked when they saw the other four¡¯s expressions. They looked like they couldn¡¯t wait to lift a few trees themselves.

    ¡°Be careful, there are still other Robbers around,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Everyone knew this wasn¡¯t the time to be distracted.

    ¡°Any news from the others?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No.¡± Gu La shook his head.

    The Hui tribesmen sighed.

    Even the Robbers and people from Rock Hill City were here, why aren¡¯t they out yet? Are they in trouble?

    The sun was starting to peek out in the sky. The three eagles came flying towards them with Gu La¡¯s whistle. One of them wasn¡¯t flying as naturally as the other two, that was the one that was injured. The other two seemed much happier to be flying out of the green-faced fanged beast territory.

    The Hui tribesmen decided to take the two eagles to check on them.

    The eagles were unwilling to go. They just escaped that hell and now they were heading back?

    With the tribesmen¡¯s insistence they relented.

    When Gu La spoke to Shan Dao, the eagle, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think about Cha Cha. He wondered what that eagle was doing now.

    After two hours, the sun was already out and about. The forest was much warmer now. That was when the two great mountain eagles appeared again. This time, they brought along many people with them.

    They were the warriors from other tribes that were severely injured. There were some that had lost their limbs, some had wounds that seemed to be sted open with blood still flowing out of it.

    Knowing that the Hui tribe wouldn¡¯t be able to handle all of them at once, Shao Xuan went over with his medicine and started to tend to the injured.

    ¡°The others will arriveter.¡± Gu La¡¯s face was filled with worry but he was thankful he left with the ming Horn tribesmen yesterday or he would have faced the same fate.

    Another hour passed, the sun was roasting thends. Shao Xuan and the rest were resting under the shade when they heard the others.

    Everyone had colour drained from their faces. Well, it would be odd if they were happy. More than half of them were either injured or dead.

    This wasn¡¯t even the worst-case scenario. Shao Xuan had taught them techniques to deal with the green-faced fanged beasts. However, they couldn¡¯t use them much when they came all at once.

    The beasts in the horde were furious and insane. They didn¡¯t care about anything, their minds only focused on attacking. They came like locusts attacking everything they saw, especially living things.

    The tribespeople regretted not leaving when they heard the first whistle. They were overly excited by the new information they received, messing up their priorities.

    Who was to me for this oue?

    Everyone had doubts about each other. The trust levels between the tribes were too low. It wouldn¡¯t be out of the ordinary for the tribes to not tell each other routes to a ce.

    Duo Kang didn¡¯t budge as he held his axe. He rolled his eyes at the iers and continued to guard the tribe¡¯s beast.

    Shao Xuan noticed the returning tribes had two or three beasts. Eight Limbs tribes had the most with three beasts. The rest had two beasts.

    All the beasts were unconscious. Every tribe had their way to knock the beasts out.

    ¡°Hey, Mu You, didn¡¯t you have three? Why are there two now? Also, Gu Su didn¡¯t you have four?¡± asked He She.

    He She¡¯s confusion made the people around frown more.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. We met some Robbers on our way here. If we didn¡¯t work together, we would have lost even more!¡±

    They finally escaped the nightmarish beasts to face those pesky Robbers soon after.

    ¡°You met the Robbers too?!¡± Gu La was in shock.

    ¡°Too? Did you all face them too?¡± Qu Ce caught on to what Gu La implied.

    The other tribesmen looked around and saw the nine unconscious green-faced fanged beasts lying there.

    Nine! There were only two tribes here!

    Why didn¡¯t the Robbers take more from them?

    He She ignored the gazes from the crowd and briefly exined what happened.

    The tribesmen listened on while their faces twitched from time to time.

    ¡°No wonder it was so quiet here,¡± said Qu Ce.

    All the birds and beasts were chased away, making it a perfect ce to rest.

    It didn¡¯t matter if they were satisfied or filled with regret. The past was the past. For now, no one would head back to the green-faced fanged beast territory in a long time.

    After resting for a day, everyone gained back some of their strength. Some thick faced members from other tribes asked the gang endless questions about the uses of the beast¡¯s blood to which they only replied one-worded answers.

    The next day, they took off again on their journey home. Except everyone had a different mood when heading back. It was obvious the happiest ones were tribesmen from the ming Horn tribe.

 Chapter 557 - Blood Collection

    Chapter 557

    Blood Collection

    The journey back was rather peaceful. The tribespeople didn¡¯t encounter any more beasts or dangerous animals and nts. The only bad thing was that it was an unbearably hot day. The moss on the ground had started to dry up. Animals fought over water by the river, sometimes water collected by the tribesmen would be stained red.

    The heat was enough to kill lifted spirits. Even the ming Horn tribesmen, the happiest of the bunch, were bummed out then. Duo Kang, in particr, was having a rough time. The winter he experiencedst year was the pr opposite of the weather now. If this year was much worse thanst year, could the other side of the sea be flooded by melted ice?

    When they reached the tribe, Shao Xuan only knew they had it easy in the forest. The stream that was the main water source for the tribe had dried up. Not a single drop of water was seen in the nearest three streams to the tribe. Luckily, the strong ming Horn tribespeople were still able to send out a team of warriors to carry backrge jars of water for their animal enclosures and farnds.

    The other tribes had it worse.

    The troubled people held rituals every day to pray for rainfall but nothing good hade out of it. The weather got even hotter.

    With no rainfall, not only the beasts in the forests were killing each other, humans too.

    Apparently, during these odd winter seasons, more tribes went to war with each other, mostly over water. When the water supply was scarce, with each tribe trying to survive, battles were unavoidable.

    After they exited the forest, the other tribes didn¡¯t hang around the ming Horn Tribe for long. Not only because of the beasts, but they were also worried about the drought.

    It was lucky that only a portion of the tribespeople went hunting in the forest. The other half were well-rested and could help protect the green-faced fanged beast from thieves during the transportation process. When life was getting tougher, crime was more likely to happen.

    When the rest of the tribespeople left, the members of the ming Horn tribe got busy.

    The long-awaited green-faced fanged beasts were here, it was time for the next step.

    They were eager to slice its skin for blood but it¡¯d evaporate before it was used. And if they rushed the weapon-making process, there would be a lot of mistakes.It was better to collect and store some blood beforehand.

    Shao Xuan made a syringe using bamboo. It was half a metre long with its insides thoroughly cleaned to avoid contaminating the blood. The piston was made of sap from a type of tree in the forest.

    The needle head was made from bird bones. The bones were hollow in the middle and carefully selected so they weren¡¯t not too fine nor too thick. This was to make sure they wouldn¡¯t break that easily.

    After testing it with water and making sure it didn¡¯t leak, the syringe was done.

    The crowd was excited to see the new invention put to use. They caught on to its functions as soon as they saw Shao Xuan testing it.

    The seven green-faced fanged beasts were still unconscious. On their way back, as soon as Shao Xuan noticed the beasts regaining consciousness, he would inject more poison in them. The odd thing about the beasts was that other than the time they ate, their mouths were all tightly shut, even when they slept. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t even feed them medicine.

    ¡°Will this work?¡± asked Ao and Zheng Luo, standing behind Shao Xuan.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure either. Who knew if the blood would react with the bamboo or tree sap?

    ¡°Get one here.¡± Shao Xuan instructed Duo Kang.

    Duo Kang scanned the beasts and took the fattest one there. It was the first one Shao Xuan had caught.

    It didn¡¯t have a round stomach anymore, it was much ¡°skinnier¡± now. However, it was still much thicker than the other beasts.

    ¡®If this works, we could spare the lives of the beasts. We still don¡¯t know how much blood we need to use so it¡¯s better to keep them alive. Seven may seem like a lot but what happens if we failed all the way? Do we have to return to the mountains to catch more?¡¯ thought Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan squatted and looked at the bone structure of the beast. He guessed the cement of each organ. Then, he got a dagger and made a cut right at the beast¡¯s breast while avoiding all the organs.

    The cut wasn¡¯t deep but just enough to break through some of the skin. Not much blood flowed out. He had to first slice through the toughest part of the skin so that the needle head wouldn¡¯t snap.

    Green blood flowed out and soon followed the sizzling sound of boiling water.

    This was the first time Ao and the rest saw this special property of the blood.

    Knowing that the beast had strong recovering abilities, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t waste a second to stick the syringe in.

    He stuck it in from a tilted angle with one hand and pulled the piston rod with the other. Although he couldn¡¯t see the insides of the bamboo, if this invention worked properly, he would be able to feel the blood being sucked up.

    When he felt the suction power, Shao Xuan felt relieved.

    It was just a test so he only filled a third of the tube and took it out.

    The cut was starting to heal as soon as Shao Xuan pulled the needle out. It took a lot of effort to pull the needle out, he almost broke it too.

    When Shao Xuan pushed the piston, green drops of blood came out. It evaporated as soon as it appeared. The tube still had liquid in it so it meant the blood inside was still there.

    Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. This was the way they would use to collect and store the blood for the welding process.

 Chapter 558 - Green Bronze!

    Chapter 558

    Green Bronze!

    The blood was extracted, and the bronze casting was about to begin.

    They did not know how long the blood supply in the bamboo tube couldst, nor were they sure that the blood quality would stay fresh, so they had to make preparations as fast as possible.

    In the casting room, irrelevant people were forced to stay out, and even if they wanted to look, they could only wait outside. Besides the two chiefs and the other three leaders, all the other minor leaders could only walk in circles outside waiting for them to finish. They couldn¡¯t see anything even if they stretched their necks.

    They used the ve owners¡¯ method of mud casting where they poured molten alloys into the cavity of the mould.

    Most of the moulds used were made of mud. However, it was different this time. Everyone had to be more cautious throughout the entire process.

    This was an attempt to use the blood of a green-faced fanged beast and it was an important turning point. If they seed, the weapons used by the tribe would be more powerful, and stone tools would gradually be reced. After all, if the new bronze was hard and sharp enough, and could break rocks as Gongjia Heng said, then many people would prefer bronze weapons over stone ones.

    The moulds made of mud had been dried for a long time and went through a process where they were repeatedly hammered. They had been put to a temperature test, and the bronze weapons previously made also proved their usefulness. These moulds were not too wet and had no signs of air seeping through. It was suitable for casting bronze weapons.

    This time, the mud used for casting went through an even more stringent process which included sieving, rinsing, washing and other processes.

    The process of ore smelting was still the same as before. Thick, ck gas rose first, then yellow-white gas, blue-white gas, and finally when only green gas was left, the copper alloy would bepletely melted. Then could they begin the casting. But this time was different. Before the casting, the blood of the green-faced fanged beast would be added.

    The words that Shao Xuan saw carved on the mountain walls of Gongjia Valley instructed clearly when to add the beast blood but it didn¡¯t exin in detail, so Shao Xuan could only depend on his own intuition.

    He pulled out the needle on the ¡°syringe¡±, and the green blood flowed out of the bamboo tube where the needle was connected, making a snorting noise.

    ¡°You¡¯re... you¡¯re just going to drip it inside?¡± The craftsman next to him stuttered nervously.

    How else?

    It was impossible now for Shao Xuan to ask someone from the Gongjia family for advice. They could only try pouring it in.

    Shao Xuan erected the bamboo tube, allowing the animal blood in the tube to drip from the small hole of the connecting needle into the molten copper alloy liquid.

    Everyone was extremely anxious. It was like their hearts were being seared on a hot stone te. It was tormenting to watch.

    Tension, anxiety, and stiffness took over their bodies. No one dared to move or make the slightest noise. They were afraid they might disturb the process.

    The blood dripping into the copper alloy liquid made a sizzling sound but suddenly came to an abrupt halt. It did not evaporate as Shao Xuan and the others thought, but like a blooming beauty, it spread out in the alloy liquid.

    As the blood gradually dripped, a green me suddenly ignited from the alloy liquid. The me did not burn high. It burned on the surface of the alloy and reached not over a pinky finger¡¯s length.

    The fire in the stove burned as before, and the alloy was still melting.

    The blood in the bamboo tube dripped faster, and the surface of the alloy liquid was covered with a green me. Simultaneously, the alloy liquid wasing to a boil, but yet no bubbles appeared. There was only a consistently burning green me.

    The colour of the alloy liquid was changing, bing darker and no longer golden. The colour became more uniform as the alloy liquid flowed and settled.

    As soon as the beast blood ran out and no blood dripped into the alloy liquid, the green me would gradually disappear. That would be the time to pour the alloy into the mould.

    Outside the forge, minor leaders like Mai, Tuo, and Xiang Chen who knew about the secret of the weapon were all waiting outside. Initially, they wanted to listen to what was happening inside to satisfy their curiosity, but up till now, there was nothing inside they wanted to know about.

    The two leaders were too calm. Even a cry of exmation would be better than staying quiet like this.

    After a long time.

    A forging sound came from the room.

    Forging, chiselling, annealing, grinding...

    Although everyone was very nervous, all the work was carried out in an orderly fashion.

    Except for exining the task and giving instructions, no one asked more and no one said more. The two leaders faded into the background and stared nervously with all their attention at the broad bronze knife that was almostplete.

    Now, although the knife looked slightly rough and wasn¡¯t appealing, in the eyes of the people who were in the house, it was a peerless beauty.

    It was different from all the weapons made before. Even though it had not beenpleted, it felt like a whole new state, a different level of existence!

    ...

    In the sky outside the house, the setting sun moved from the top to the bottom.

    At dusk, the afterglow of the setting sun scattered everywhere, stretching the shadows of those who were waiting outside.

    Inside the house, Shao Xuan took the newly cast bronze sword and wiped it with animal skin.

    The biggest and most obvious difference that distinguished this sword from the rest was its colour.

    It was not golden yellow, nor was it silver-white, silver-grey or even a reddish colour of other different-coloured bronzes, but green!

    The domineering wide fuller of the sword shined with a dark green tint. It was restrained, yet fierce.

    Shao Xuan stared at the length of the de as the winter light reflected from its surface. Tossing the animal skin to the side, his fingers traced along the edge of the de. He then flicked it lightly.

    With the sound of a wind¡¯s whistle, the sharp de trembled as if the de was being charged by the energy of the blood within it.

    Green bronze!

    Most of the bronzes turn green after they oxidised, but now, this newly cast copper knife was already showing a dark green colour. A muted and intimidating green.

    Did they seed?

    This was what everyone wanted to know.

    The leaders and bosses knew nothing. Only Shao Xuan and the craftsmen who were responsible for hammering and chiselling just now knew that this de was far stronger than the other bronzes!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes moved away from the knife and he looked toward Ao and Zheng Luo who had been standing silently beside him.

    It wasn¡¯t because the two leaders were not in a hurry but rather because they were too nervous and expectant they forgot to react. Now, seeing Shao Xuan looking over, Ao quickly took out a fist-sized stone and threw it. This was one of the stones used for testing des in the forge. This was a medium grade stone. To test ordinary bronze, they only had to use medium to low-grade stones. After all, ordinary bronze was not as sharp and as hard as this one.

    Because he was too nervous, Ao¡¯s stone-throwing movement seemed very stiff. But no one cared about Ao¡¯s stone-throwing movement now. He stared at the thrown stone and looked at the sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. His eyes swept quickly, afraid of missing the slightest detail. At that moment, they all forgot to breathe.

    Shao Xuan held the big bronze sword with both hands, took a step forward, lifted it, then brought it towards the stone thrown into the air!

    ng!

    The de cut harshly on the stone and the fist-sized stone broke in half. It was simple, neat, and smooth!

    On the de, there was not even a scratch.

    In terms of both sharpness and hardness, it was really much stronger than the previous bronzes!

 Chapter 559 - A Sustainable Development Strategy

    Chapter 559

    A Sustainable Development Strategy

    The first test stone was medium-sized. Even if the previous bronzes could withstand the stone, they could not slice it in half so swiftly and smoothly with one strike.

    The breath of the people in the room suddenly grew heavy as they stared with growing curiosity at the green bronze sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try again.¡±

    Shao Xuan motioned Zheng Luo to bring over the test stone that was on the furthermost corner of the shelf. These stones were at least medium-to-high grade stones. There were still some stone scraps left that were used previously for grinding. They were now used as test stones.

    When they heard that Shao Xuan wanted to use a medium-to-high-quality stone to test the sword, the two leaders felt quite distressed. What if the sword bent? What can they do if there was a crack in the de?

    However, after Shao Xuan tested the sword, they became speechless.

    Because he was worried about the sword, Zheng Luo only threw a piece of upper-middle-grade stone, which was not the hardest stone, but the bronze sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand still easily left a hole on it, although it did not cut it in half like it did the other stone. This result already satisfied the people who were in the house.

    ¡°This sword is close enough to the one Gongjia Heng cast before, right?¡± Zheng Luo took the sword Shao Xuan handed over and carefully touched the point on the sword that sliced the stone. He did not see any cracks.

    When he was still at sea, Gongjiaheng came back from Gongjia Valley and visited the ming Horn tribe. The stone used for the sword test was also of upper-middle stone grade, and it also caused simr damage to the stone. Thus, when Zheng Luo witnessed what just happened, he recalled some memories from that time. That sword was made by a craftsman from the Gongjia family! This sword is no worse than that made by the craftsman.

    Zheng Luo suddenly felt a huge sense of pride and confidence. He wanted to shout out and tell the world so everyone would know about this sword.

    Look, this is the weapon created by us, the ming Horn tribe! It can be matched with those created by the Gongjia family!

    In terms of casting skills, the ming Horns were naturally not as talented as the Gongjia family who had a long family history of casting. Their techniques were insufficient, and there were also other methods to close the gap between them and the Gongjia family. See, didn¡¯t they just seed?

    Of course, if the Gongjia family had blood from the green-faced fanged beast, they could surely cast better weapons, but they didn¡¯t have them.

    Zheng Luo and Duo Kang couldn¡¯t help but celebrate the sess in their hearts, but people from the Taihe tribe were also here. They could only guess how shocked they would be. After all, the Taihe tribe had always been ahead of the ming Horn tribe in terms of nting, breeding and casting. They really wanted to see their expressions.

    What a pity......

    They couldn¡¯t see it.

    Zheng Luo reluctantly handed the sword over to Ao. He had already seen it, and others were still waiting to see the first new green bronze knife that belonged to the ming Horn tribe.

    As he opened the door and stepped out of the stone house, Zheng Luo held an ambiguous smile on his face. Only his steps were slightly brisk and trembling, causing the minor leaders outside to nce over at him. But shortly after, the minor leaders shifted their focus back onto the stone house.

    Zhengluo had alreadye out, and the door opened, right? Does that mean that it isplete? Seeing their chief Zheng Luo like this, does it mean that they had seeded?

    So, after Zheng Luo left, the people who were anxiously guarding outside also crowded in.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay in there anymore. He had to look at the few green-faced fanged beasts and follow the n they had discussed. After this, they would cast a bronze weapon every day, which meant they had to extract a bamboo tube full of beast blood every day for at least six days.

    For now, the tribe decided not to kill all of the beasts. Instead, they were nning to keep them alive and use their blood for sustainable development.

    When Shao Xuan came back, he also brought back some grass that the green-faced fanged beasts liked to eat. They already started nting these in the tribe, although they grew at a very slow rate. Even if the grass could grow, only a few patches could make it. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to satisfy the bellies of the seven green-faced fanged beasts. They just weren¡¯t sure what the beasts like to eat other than this type of grass.

    If these guys were too picky, the ming Horns would not be able to implement their sustainable development strategy, and could only eat them as food after extracting their blood. Otherwise, the beasts would starve to death.

    Speaking of which, they still didn¡¯t know whether the meat of green-faced fanged beasts was edible.

    Shao Xuan remembered that in Fearsome Beast Forest, the corpses of green-faced fanged beasts were iplete and most of them evaporated along with their blood.

    Forget it, they could decide thister. Let¡¯s first see if these beasts eat other things.

    When Shao Xuan thought about how to better implement the sustainable development strategy, a new excitement was spreading within the tribe.

    The sessful casting of new bronzes was indeed inspiring. Its creation was an extremely important matter for the entire tribe. Everyone in the tribe knew that this was a turning point for them. This would mark the start of tool innovation in their tribe.

    The news of the sess was not disclosed, and only leaders of the tribe and the people who participated in the tasks knew about it. Most people were unaware of this fact. They could only notice a sudden change in their leaders¡¯ facial expressions today. The hazy weather caused their expressions to appear unhappy, but today they were smiling with unusual happiness.

    After the first sword was cast sessfully, Shao Xuan would continue to use the same method to extract blood from the beasts. This way, not only could they get the blood they needed, but also ensure the beasts stayed alive and uninjured.

    With the experience gained from the previous day, Shao Xuan extracted a little less blood than the first day, because he noticed that the beast blood would be saturated after it was added to the molten alloy liquid. The green me would only keep burning while the alloy liquid would stop flowing and smoothing out if the animal blood was added only after the alloy liquid had entered a saturated state.

    Later, the new green bronze weapons cast all proved Shao Xuan¡¯s guess. It also gave everyone a clear understanding of how they should use beast blood. They could estimate how much beast blood was needed for the amount of alloy liquid used.

    For seven days, Shao Xuan extracted seven tubes of animal blood from the seven green-faced fanged beasts while the seven beasts still remained unconscious.

    Including the big sword that was tested on the first day, a total of seven weapons were cast in seven days. Most of them were swords and axes, but they were allrge. They were at least twice asrge as those used by other tribes. The weapons used by ordinary people were too light for them.

    The shape of the sword and axe were cast ording to each warrior¡¯s request. These preferences were shaped by their living habits. Only they themselves knew which weapons suited them most.

    However, seven weapons were not enough. The major leaders all had weapons, but the minor leaders and other soldiers who made great contributions to the tribe still didn¡¯t have theirs.

    When everyone was ready to start the second round of casting, the seven green-faced fanged beasts finally woke up.

    After they woke up, although their mental state was not the best, their temper was still irritable and they wanted to pierce whatever they saw with their fangs.

    The extraction of blood still had some effects on them. It was fine for the first beast because it woke up in the middle of hibernation to look for food, but the case was not the same for the other six. They were woken up in the middle of hibernation, caught without having eaten any food, and their excessive movements in the forest also took a lot of energy. They were very hungry, and their green fierce eyes scanned around for food.

 Chapter 560 - Once Again, the Enslavement Magic

    Chapter 560

    Once Again, the Envement Magic

    After the seven green-faced fanged beasts woke up, they seemed to be in a poor state of mind and their res were still fierce. It was probably because they were hungry and had their blood stolen from them. They gritted their teeth and continued to make a piercing sound in the air. They seemed to be in a violent and unstable state.

    ¡°What can we do?¡±

    Duo Kang threw a handful of grass on the ground, grabbed his hair irritably, and asked Shao Xuan.

    Not to mention feeding the seven green-faced fanged beasts, it was difficult for them to even get close to the beasts. If they took a step closer, the seven beasts would tense up and move their fangs violently, ready to pierce their enemy.

    These seven beasts were now tightly bound, so even if they shook their heads, their movements were limited, and they could not even hurt anyone. However, they still were not cooperative at all.

    The handful of grass that Duo Kang threw in front of them was still the freshest grass he had picked early in the morning when he entered the mountains. The beasts in the animal pens outside the forest liked to eat this. It was a pity that these seven beasts didn¡¯t appreciate it at all. They didn¡¯t even nce over at the grass, and only wanted to bite Duo Kang.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see much difference between this grass and the one they¡¯re used to eating. Why aren¡¯t they eating it?¡± Duokang sat cross-legged on the ground, staring at the seven fierce beasts.

    ¡°Should I go pick out that type of grass?¡± Mai asked.

    ¡°They¡¯ve just nted them in the soil. Plus, even if they wanted to eat that type of grass, do you think that¡¯s enough to feed them all?¡± Duo Kang shook his head. He knew that wasn¡¯t a good idea.

    If these seven green-faced fangs were to continue to behave wildly like this with murderous intent, not let anyone approach them, and are even picky with their food, then they had no choice but to cook them in a pot. If their meat was not edible, they could also use their teeth and bones to make bone weapons.

    Shao Xuan looked at the seven green-faced fanged beasts constantly struggling and breathing hard so he decided to give it a try.

    For the past few days, he had been thinking about how to deal with these seven beasts. The tribe had arge demand for new bronze, and it was not a good idea to go hunt for more green-faced fanged beasts now. The weather was getting hotter and there was a drought. Beasts of all sizes were all bing more irritable and fierce due to the fight for the scarce water supply and the forest had be more dangerous. It was not a good time to enter the forest.

    If they could raise these seven beasts, extract blood from them every seven days, and let them continue to live, then the tribesmen could all achieve what they wanted.

    If they must keep the beasts alive for a long time, keeping them tied up was not the best idea for the long term. It would be best if they were tamed.

    And if they wanted to tame them and make them more obedient, domestication was impossible. Their temper had already be part of their nature. Shao Xuan thought about it for a long time, but there was only one way¨C envement!

    Ji Ju once said that the first ve would be the most loyal amongst all the other ves. It would also be the one that was most closely connected to the ve master¡¯s consciousness. No matter how good the rest of the ves were, they were always a little worse than the first ve. This was just how envement worked. Thus before the envement, one must be cautious in selecting the first ve. Shao Xuan already had his first ve, and it was indeed very loyal. Besides that first ve, Shao Xuan had not enved any other individual.

    Ji Ju had also once warned Shao Xuan that without the presence of the first ve, the loyalty of the other ves would be limited, and they could even try to betray the ve master. Plus, recklessly enving ves would also cause one¡¯s characteristic and strength to be dispersed because the connection between the consciousnesses was not strong enough. They had to make serious considerations before choosing.

    Shao Xuan had not nned to enve any others for the time being but he wanted to try it on these seven green-faced fanged beasts. Seven was not too many. Compared to the hundreds of people the ve masters in the desert enved, this was a much easier task. Even if the connection between their consciousnesses was not strong enough, it was fine. Shao Xuan had no intention to use them in work or battle. He was just not sure whether they would be obedient after they were enved.

    But he had to try it.

    Shao Xuan informed the leaders and chiefs about his n. Although the tribesmen did not like the ve masters, their dislike was aimed towards those at the desert and at the sea, not Shao Xuan.

    The tribesmen discriminated against the ve masters because of their xenophobic thinking. Subconsciously, the tribesmen never regarded Shao Xuan as a ve master. Shao Xuan was part of the ming Horn tribe.

    Even if he could enve others, he was a ming Horn member. How could he be regarded as a ve master? No matter what others say, they would not admit it.

    This was entirely their own divisive thinking. It wasn¡¯t just Shao Xuan. Even if others in the tribe (the shamans, the chiefs, other leaders and warriors) were able to enve, they would still not be regarded as ve masters. No matter what others said, they would not admit it. They were clearly their own people, a part of the ming Horn Tribe! No matter what others said, they would only pretend they didn¡¯t hear anything. The ming Horns were just so stubborn. It was just a part of their inflexible nature.

    When they knew Shao Xuan had the power to enve, Duo Kang and the others also wanted to learn from him, but unfortunately, they couldn¡¯t master it, so they gave up at the end. Besides Shao Xuan, the only people who had the ability to enve were the people who inherited the power after the fusion of fire seed. These included the two shamans, Gui Ze, and a few other warriors. But their sess rate was not high, and most importantly, none of them was as reliable as Shao Xuan.

    Rather than letting the others enve those green-faced fanged beasts, they were more willing to let Shao Xuan give it a try.

    Where the few beasts were bound, no one was there except Shao Xuan and a few chiefs. Soldiers were keeping guard outside and kept unrted people away.

    Shao Xuan nced at the few green-faced fanged beasts and walked to the one with a broken fang.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, the beast immediately recognized him and was struggling hard to break free so he could attack Shao Xuan. The eyes red at Shao Xuan, burning with an intention to kill. If it was not tied at this moment, it would probably rush towards Shao Xuan and battle him without any regard for its own safety.

    Sadly, the beast was tied up and it was not at its best mental well being. Struggling to escape made it weak and hungry. In its current state, it was in no position to attack Shao Xuan at all.

    Staring at the green-faced fangs in front of him, Shao Xuan held out his hand. It had been too long since he summoned the power of envement. Shao Xuan walked through his memories and slowly recalled and reactivated the power of his inheritance.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s energy suddenly changed in an instant. In his mind, the totem me flickered violently, and the outer shell of the totem me zed brightly with five stripes of blue mes protruding from its core. The momentum was as powerful as a dragon, rushing down the veins in Shao Xuan¡¯s arm, arriving at his fingertips.

    Poof¡ª

    A solid blue me appeared on Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    The beast that was struggling to escape was now breathing nervously but it was suddenly like a me blown out. It did not happen to just this beast, but the other six as well. They seemed like a settling g, a resting drumroll. Their struggling movements suddenly stopped and all their eyes were fixed on Shao Xuan.

    The blue me wrapped around the palm of his hand and he extended his hand towards the beast in front of him.

    Whoosh¡ª

    There was a sudden gust of wind in the house, and it was as if the air hadyers rippling from the source of energy.

    The soldiers who were keeping guard outside were a little uncertain when they heard the sound. The grass and trees outside were calm and settled, but howe they could hear the wind?

    The sound of the wind was growing louder and louder, and the soldiers could no longer ignore it.

    A turbulent airflow gushed out between the small gaps in the doors and windows of the house and made a sharp howling sound.

 Chapter 561 - New Slaves

    <h4>New ves</h4>

    When the wind finally stopped billowing outside, the envement of the seven green-faced fanged beasts was finallyplete.

    However, the seven green-faced fanged beasts entered aa right away, so they had to wait for them to wake up before knowing whether they had seeded.

    Shao Xuan could feel the new connection formed between the seven beasts¡¯ and his own consciousness. The connection was obviously not as strong as the one he had with his first ve, Sapphire the beetle, but he understood more about them through this connection.

    The envement was sessful but the beasts may not be as obedient as everyone expected. Fortunately, these beasts had a strong vitality and could hold for two days without eating. Shao Xuan was sure about this.

    The next day, Shao Xuan received a report and came back to the ce where the beasts were held captive.

    The seven green-faced fanged beasts had already woken up. Duo Kang and the others remained at a safe distance. Looking at the green-faced fanged beasts, they waited for Shao Xuan¡¯s confirmation.

    They were all nervous about how obedient these beasts had be. It would be best if they became as obedient as Sapphire the beetle. After all, green-faced fanged beasts were too aggressive, and their fangs were very dangerous. It would not be good if they injured other tribesmen.

    These seven beasts were obviously different from yesterday. Their eyes were not as fierce anymore. Especially after Shao Xuan appeared. They became much more tamed.

    Their nostrils red at a slower ratepared to before, and when Shao Xuan approached them, they didn¡¯t even struggle. This was a good sign.

    Shao Xuan walked over and once again picked out the one with the broken fang.

    As Shao Xuan drew closer, the green-faced fanged beast just wobbled, and it seemed as if it wanted to avoid him, but in the end, it did not move.

    Shao Xuan reached out for the vine rope that was tied to the green-faced fanged beast. It just looked at him without any intention to attack.

    Seeing that everyone else in the house was ready to defend, Shao Xuan untied the vine rope on the beast. As he did so, he also paid close attention to the consciousness of the beast. Indeed, there was not a single sign of aggression.

    p.

    The vine rope that bound the beast from head to hoof fell to the ground. It seemed like the beast wanted to run, but was held back by Shao Xuan. Before, it definitely would have turned around and used its fang to attack Shao Xuan, but now it only struggled a little and stayed in the position Shao Xuan had forced it to be in. The fierceness in its eyes was reced by a doubtful expression as if it didn¡¯t understand why Shao Xuan wanted to hold it back here and not let it move.

    When they saw how tame the beasts became, the two chiefs and the other leaders were relieved and became happy. Regardless of the final result, they were now very satisfied with the envement. Compared with how they used to bare their teeth fiercely and snort heavily, they were much more obedient today.

    Seeing the sess and how obedient they were, Shao Xuan decided to untie the vine rope that tied up its hind hooves.

    The green-faced fanged beast that had been tied for too long propped its hooves on the ground. It stood up ufortably.

    The chiefs and leaders on the side held the weapons in their hands tightly, their eyes fixed on the beast that had just stood up, ready to defend themselves just in case the beast attacked.

    Shao Xuan was also cautious. Although he sensed no intention to attack in the beast¡¯s consciousness, it was still good to be cautious.

    The green-faced fanged beast finally stood up on its hooves. It was unclear whether it was too hungry or its movement was restrained for too long, but its movements were stiff. It walked a few steps unnaturally and then ran away with a swish sound.

    Shao Xuan put down his sword because he did not detect any intention to attack in the beast¡¯s consciousness. The chiefs and leaders also noticed that the beast only wanted to run around and stretch out its muscles, not to attack.

    Shao Xuan gave the enved beasts amand- ¡°Do not attack anyone from the ming Horn tribe.¡± The beast followed as instructed. It ran around the house like wind, and then went back beside Shao Xuan and looked directly at him.

    ¡°What does it want to do?¡± Zheng Luo asked because he couldn¡¯t understand the beast¡¯s behaviour.

    ¡°It¡¯s hungry,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°It is saying, ¡®I¡¯m very hungry right now.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Then what should we do?¡± Duo Kang scratched at his head anxiously.

    ¡°They don¡¯t even eat the grass we feed them. They didn¡¯t even bother to sniff the grass.¡±

    There was still some grass on the ground that Duo Kang cut early that morning, but the beast ran directly over that pile of grass.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not care about this one just yet. Ah Xuan, let¡¯s untie the rest of them and see how they fare,¡± Mai said. They hadn¡¯t even solved the first problem. How could they move onto the next one right away? They had to first be sure that the envement was sessful. If any single one of them still attacked others like before, then they had no choice but to ughter it. Today¡¯s blood supply had not been extracted and the casting room was still waiting for it.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Shao Xuan nodded, thinking the same way.

    Just like the previous one, Shao Xuan decided to untie the vine ropes tied to its front hooves first, and then untie the one behind. Although it was much safer to untie the hind hooves first, it wasn¡¯t the best way to test the sess of the envement. Untying the ropes in front would immediately impel the beasts to express their initial intention. When the head and neck of the beast was freed, the beast would immediately attack if it had the slightest intention to. This was a more urate way to gauge their sess. Even if the beast wanted to attack, with its hind hooves still tied up, its movements would be greatly restricted.

    Fortunately, the other six didn¡¯t show any intention to attack, at least not now.

    Shao Xuan picked up the vine ropes on the ground, tied a rope around their necks one after the other, and then held the other end of the ropes.

    ¡°Okay, the first problem is solved. Now it¡¯s time to think about what to feed them.¡± Zheng Luo sighed.

    In order to keep these beasts alive, they had to feed them, but with what?

    ¡°The problem now is not what we want to feed them, but what they want to eat.¡± Shao Xuan pulled on a vine rope, instructing the green-faced fanged beasts not to move. ¡°Their temper grew worse because they were starving.¡±

    Besides the type of grass from the forest, what else could they use to feed the beasts? This was a tough problem, and everyone in the house suddenly became silent, thinking hard about nts they had seen in the forest and which ones the green-faced fanged beasts might want to eat.

    The grains that grew around the tribe was a no.

    Freshly cut grass was a no.

    The fruits picked in the mountains was also a no.

    What do they eat?!

    ¡°Since we can¡¯t guess what they want to eat, we can only let them go look for food themselves.¡± Shao Xuan stood up and looked at the chiefs and leaders. ¡°First, let¡¯s bring them over to the grounds.¡±

    In order for these beasts to want to search for food on their farnds, they had to first dismiss some irrelevant people who were there, especially those who had no totemic power. They were weaker and must be kept far away from these beasts or else they might identally get into trouble. These people were not strong enough to take any strikes from these beasts.

 Chapter 562 - What To Eat

    <strong>Chapter 562</strong>

    <strong>What To Eat</strong>

    On this day, everyone was informed to stay at home and not go outside for the time being. Whether they lived in the forest or outside the forest, they all stayed indoors.

    Many people in the tribe panicked, worried that something big had happened.

    The wanderers who went to work on the farm every day also panicked. Farming was the only way for them to exchange food with the ming Horn tribe. When the ming Horn tribe sent out such news, they couldn¡¯t help but think about what had happened. Could it possibly be another robber?

    No, it shouldn¡¯t be. They didn¡¯t need to take such precautions for robbers. Was there something dangerous out there? Even if there were thieves, were they that dangerous?

    No matter how curious they were and what they thought in their hearts, they had to follow orders passed by the ming Horn tribe.

    All of a sudden, the mountains and forests became much quieter.

    In order to prevent the green-faced fanged beast from getting angry, the tribesmen moved Caesar and the other beasts away and made sure the beasts did not see each other.

    The patrolling soldiers kept guard everywhere, with their shields ands ready to subdue the beasts just in case they suddenly decided to cause trouble.

    Each of the beasts were as tall as Shao Xuan¡¯s waist and abdomen. Thergest one reached Shao Xuan¡¯s chest level. The vine rope attached to the beasts was thicker than the arm of an adult. They were the toughest vines in the tribe usually used to tie up beasts. Shao Xuan could not hold onto seven vine ropes at once. It was too inconvenient. He only needed to take control of the knot holding all the seven ropes together.

    The seven green-faced fanged beasts that were finally released seemed extremely excited and were ready to dash off anytime. Unfortunately, their necks were tied, and Shao Xuan firmly held the other end of the rope. They were unable to escape. After the sessful envement, the ves¡¯ fear of their master kept them from using their fangs to pierce the rope. Rather, they all slowed down because they were not allowed to ¡°fly.¡± Thus, when Shao Xuan led the seven beasts out into the grounds, this was what the tribesmen saw:

    Seven figures with green faces, droopy eyes, long fangs, and fierce expressions. They swung their stubby limbs quickly, kicking the grass on the ground and causing it to fly up into the air. Their huge nostrils snorted out hot air.

    The rope was pulled tight, and it was making a squeaky sound. Fortunately, the rope was strong enough so it didn¡¯t break.

    ¡°Are all of you ready?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Duo Kang who ran back from outside the forest.

    ¡°Yes. Besides those patrolling soldiers and warriors, everyone else is safe inside.¡± Duo Kang rubbed his hands while he stared at the seven green-faced fanged beasts with eager eyes. He kept thinking in his heart, ¡°Just pick something to eat. Don¡¯t be so picky! How can we raise you if you¡¯re so picky about food?¡±

    Shao Xuan continued to move forward after he received a clear answer from the beasts.

    Where the seven green-faced fanged beasts stood became four pits dug by the rapid movements of their stubby limbs. Now as Shao Xuan moved, the beasts became more active and were ready to dash. Luckily Shao Xuan was pulling on them, or else they would have run away.

    Shao Xuan initially thought that green-faced fanged beasts would sniff everywhere to look for food, but it was not the case now. Besides stopping for a while after their release, they never stopped trying to rush in the direction of the forest. Shao Xuan thought that the beasts would all try to escape in different directions, but to his surprise, the seven beasts all moved in a uniform motion.

    Shao Xuan followed them from behind, and because they ran on an open path, there were no trees obstructing their path. So far the journey was smooth. The beasts wanted to run in a straight line, but if they went straight ahead, they would enter the forest where the seven ropes tying them together might be entangled due to the intertwining trees. What Shao Xuan did was he led them back onto the open road before they ran out of the safe route.

    Others from the tribe may not be able to handle the pulling force of seven green-faced fanged beasts alone.

    After the patrolling soldiers saw this, they were discussing among themselves.

    ¡°I heard that those beasts can fly on the grass. Is it true?¡±

    ¡°But they look heavy. I don¡¯t see them flying yet.¡±

    ¡°The strange thing is, why are the chiefs and leaders following behind? They seem very nervous.¡±

    When they were finally out of the forest, no trees surrounded them. Shao Xuan no longer forced them to follow the open path. Instead, he followed their directions.

    There was a lot of cultivatednd outside the forest, which was turned into farnd after the Wanshi tribe had been exterminated.

    Where the beasts were heading, sowing didn¡¯t happen as early as it did in other ces. Most of the seeds nted there were given by Ji Ju, and they were nted there because the tribesmen felt that winter wasn¡¯t as cold as it usually was so they were testing to see whether the seeds would grow. They did not nt many seeds and did not upy arge area.

    The plotted farnd was guarded by soldiers. In the past, tribal people would be busy working here in the day, but they were all forced to stay home today.

    Shao Xuan knew what type of nt was nted in eachnd, and he had already prepared a sheet of animal skin with plots of farnd mapped onto it.

    As the green-faced fangs walked along the road between the farnd, two of the beasts stopped right next to a field and wanted to rush onto the field. The other five beasts did not want to stop.

    Shao Xuan marked the corresponding location down on his map, and then asked the soldiers who were guarding there to cut some leaves.

    These nts in the field were sown toote, so the seedlings did not grow high and the leaves were notrge either.

    Shao Xuan handed the two narrow leaves with long des to the two green-faced fanged beasts that wanted to stop. It was rare to see the two beasts suddenly calm down and smell the leaves. They then opened their mouths a little and started chewing on the leaves. It seemed a little reluctant.

    As for the other five, they refused to eat those leaves. They simply sniffed and did not even open their mouths. Struggling against the ropes that held them back, they wanted to continue running forward.

    Well, at least two of them managed to eat something. The chiefs and leaders who followed behind breathed a sigh of relief with slight smiles on their faces.

    Shao Xuan continued to move forward. Whenever the green-faced fanged beasts stopped, he would do the same test, and based on the reaction of seven beasts, he made a mark on his map. He kept note of which nt the green-faced fanged beasts liked and which ones amongst the beasts liked it, etc.

    The seven green-faced fanged beasts seemed to have different preferences for crops. It was just like how different people preferred their food differently. Some like it salty while others like it sweet. Apart from the grass that grew deep in the forest that all of them liked, they seemed to have no other simr interests.

    The chiefs and leaders who were following behind felt that these seven were too troublesome to raise. Even their food was all different. Some were even picky for expensive crops, like those nts that grew from the seeds they took from the Ji family when they were close to the sea.

    Under such a weird climate, when people from small tribes had to eat tree bark and soil to survive, they still had to use those precious crops to feed the beasts? How costly it was to raise them! Looking at them with reluctant expressions, Duo Kang and the others felt the urge to chop their heads off.

    Plus, how does it feel to have beasts with a more expensive diet than yours? They had never thought about that before!

    If someone had told Duo Kang this before, Duo Kang would have thought that whoever did this had a hole in his brain. But now, they were willing to do this for the beasts.

    The people from the ming Horn tribe had a mixed feeling about this.

    However, for the new bronze, they had to bear it!

    Eating well and being picky was at least better than not eating anything.

    Now everyone in the ming Horn tribe wouldn¡¯t dare sacrifice the seven beasts. They had no choice. The blood of these beasts was precious and the casting of the new bronze weapons depended on their blood.

    When everyone hadplex expressions and were deep in thought, the seven green-faced fanged beasts held by Shao Xuan stopped at the same time.

    Everyone looked in front of them. It was a fence made by a pile of tall wooden posts. The ce where Shao Xuan hit Robber Seven with his and made him unconscious.

 Chapter 563 - Keeping Them as Pets

    <strong>Chapter 563</strong>

    <strong>Keeping Them as Pets</strong>

    ¡°That¡¯s....¡±

    Looking at the ground surrounded by the tall wooden piles in front of them, the leaders and chiefs looked at each other. They were ted.

    It was rare to encounter food that the green-faced fanged beasts loved. Before all this, they had already made cumbersome preparations for feeding and keeping the beasts. How could they not be happy to see the beasts finally satisfied with what they found?

    If the seven green-faced fanged beasts were indeed all looking at the big white cabbage nted inside, it was indeed worthy of celebration. After all, they transnted a lot ofrge and small cabbages because it was a significantly unique nt. It was different from other crops and the people from the ming Horn tribe were intending tobel the nt with their mark. They took good care of these nts from day to day and even sent specific people to guard over them.

    When these cabbages were first transnted, their leaves were iplete and they grew slower than usual. After a period of time, they adapted to the environment and became totally different. Initially, when they were first transnted, these cabbages only grew to their knee level, but now it was half their height. As long as there were sufficient water and nutrients, they could ensure that the cabbage would grow steadily.

    The two shamans originally nned to wait until the end of winter to use these cabbages to prepare for thememoration meal after the sacrifice, but if these cabbages were indeed what the green-faced fanged beasts were interested in, the original n had to be changed.

    In any case, they had to first make sure if the seven beasts were actually looking at the cabbages.

    Shao Xuan signalled the soldiers standing around the cabbage field to pluck out a few pieces of cabbage leaves, and told them specifically to ¡°first pluck the old leaves that were growing on the outside, and then pluck the leaves on the outeryer of the cabbage.¡±

    Besides the ball-shaped cabbage that grew in the middle, there were leaves that extended outward from the sides. Shao Xuan was referring to these leaves.

    When the green leaves arrived in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, the beasts all turned to look at the leaves on his hand, but they still turned over to nce at the vegetable field from time to time.

    When they saw the cabbage leaves on Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, the seven green-faced fanged beasts indeed opened their mouths and chewed on it. They seemed to like it. Although it was probably not their favourite, for these picky eaters all ept the same type of nt was enough to make those from the ming Horn tribe happy.

    After they finished eating the old leaves that were not part of the ball-shaped cabbage, Shao Xuan handed out a leaf plucked from the ball-shaped cabbage. This leaf was much fresher and tenderpared to the previous ones. Obviously, the seven green-faced fanged beasts prefer thetter. It wasn¡¯t just them. The people from the tribe also preferred thetter, but the thought of feeding the leaves from the ball-shaped cabbage to these beasts and eating the old leaves that grew on the outside themselves made them feel uneasy.

    ¡°Let them finish the old leaves before giving them the ball-shaped cabbage.¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The other chiefs and leaders also shared the same thought. ording to what they already knew, this was the first time they encountered a situation where beasts ate better food than them. There were still many members of the tribe who couldn¡¯t afford to eat this.

    Plus, the old leaves could not be picked recklessly. The cabbage still had to grow. They depended on these broad green old leaves that grew on the sides to survive.

    Fortunately, they had achieved their goal of the day. After they walked around the farnd and did some calctions, the food that could satisfy the beasts were only the cabbage and a few other crops. For the other crops, each of the beasts had their own preferences, but it didn¡¯t matter. If theycked cabbage, they could still use other crops to make up for it since Shao Xuan had already recorded each beast¡¯s preferences. He even used paint to mark the seven beasts, so people who fed themter could tell which was which.

    Everyone was finally at ease after they had solved the food problem. It was because the green-faced fanged beasts had a bad temper. Therefore, the tribe decided to raise them in another ce. There were many mountains near the tribe with caves of various sizes. One of the caves was excavated by the tribes and divided into several small rooms. The end of each cell was blocked by a stone pir with the other end opened.

    Green-faced fanged beasts preferred living alone if they were not hibernating, so they dug out seven small rooms to allow each of them to have their own territory and to prevent fights. This time of the year was still their hibernation season, so if they wanted to continue hibernating, they would prefer to sleep together.

    The other end of the seven cells would lead to the same empty room.

    They didn¡¯t know what the inside of the caves looked like. After the excavation, they put in some hay and made the appearance simr to that of the animal pen. Of course,pared to the hay in the tribe¡¯s animal pen, the grass was much better where the green-faced fanged beasts were raised and were carefully selected for the purpose.

    ording to the tribal people¡¯s thoughts, they could eat a little worse, but their weapons must be better. Therefore, the grass used in the animal pen was lower in grade. For the sake of casting bronze weapons, they had to make sure the seven beasts were living infort because their precious blood had to be used for casting. If they became sick, the animal blood might affect the casting process.

    The seven green-faced fangs were now ced in a new location, but they were still not used to it. In their minds, they didn¡¯t care too much about the cave problem. They cared more about their bellies!

    So, when the leaves and grains were put in their troughs, they didn¡¯t care about anything else and went straight to eat.

    The first time Shao Xuan saw the green-faced fanged beasts eat, he noticed that they didn¡¯t look pleasing when they ate. They ate way too fast. What amazed him even more, was how their bellies inted as they ate. The amount of food they ate was not a lot, but there was something special that would never have happened to any other beasts or humans. The way they ate made it seem like they ate way more than the actual amount that was there.

    This reminded Shao Xuan of the one with the broken fang. Back then the reason it was stuck in the entrance of the cave was its round belly. Shao Xuan initially thought it was because it ate too much. But now it seemed to him that their food intake was less than he thought.

    Fortunately, after the seven beasts had their meal, although they grew fatter, their bellies were not yet round like a ball. Without food, the seven beasts became angry for a while. They even pushed over the stone trough and pierced a few holes in it.

    After they vented their anger, the seven beasts ran to the innermost room covered with hay, squeezed together, and started sleeping.

    Shao Xuan went in there to check on them. After about half a day, their bellies shrunk. It was simr to the situation he saw in the forest before.

    After sleeping for a day, the seven beasts got up and ate again. This time Shao Xuan fed them nearly one-third more food thanst time, and after they ate, they slept even longer. After all, this was still their hibernation season.

    Fearing that it would be difficult to keep these beasts alive, Shao Xuan did not extract more blood from them and decided to dy his sustainable development n. For such a n to seed, patience was necessary. As the saying goes, ¡°Sharpening the axe does not slow down the process of chopping wood.¡± It was a better decision to keep them alive and healthy before all else.

 Chapter 564 - A Sign

    Chapter 564

    A Sign

    The seven green-faced fanged beasts were already receiving the best treatment from the ming Horn tribe. It was rare for the ming Horn tribe to pay so much attention and care to beasts.

    Recently, Shao Xuan had also extracted some blood, but then one day, after the beasts had finished their meals, they continued to remain in hibernation so Shao Xuan stopped extracting blood and let them enter hibernation mode. He could feel that it would take a long time until the next time these beasts wake up.

    The second batch of green bronzes was finally created. Naturally, the chiefs and leaders with higher status and merit received these weapons first. The minor chiefs and leaders had about twenty people and there weren¡¯t enough weapons for all of them, so the chiefs and leaders who received their weapons passed down their previous weapons to the rest of them so they could use them first.

    Among these weapons, many were forged by Gongjia Heng. Although they were not as good as Shaoxuan¡¯s sword, they were better than most of the bronzes. The minor chiefs were alright with using these weapons, knowing that there wasn¡¯t enough green bronze at the moment. It was already nice enough that they had weapons. The soldiers outside were all staring with admiration.

    They had already resolved the two problems at hand: the casting of bronzes and the breeding of green-faced fanged beasts. But now there is another very serious problem-the weather!

    Yes, there was no snow piling higher than houses, and people could not freeze when they got out. Instead, they were facing the other extreme.

    The weather now was even hotterpared to the time when Shao Xuan and his group came back from the forest. As soon as a bird¡¯s egg fell to the ground and cracked, the egg could be cooked directly. And that was on dry, grassy ground!

    The grass was still green in the early winter could nb longer bear the drought. Each patch of grass slowly withered and died away. The tribesmen cut and tied them up in bundles they could use as fuel for fires.

    However, in this dry weather, fires must be avoided. This was the forest. One spark in this weather could result in great losses for the tribe. Thus, Shao Xuan made a suggestion to strengthen their fire prevention management, especially for those who were living within the forest. All of them had been warned.

    ording to the soldiers who went out, the battle outside had grown even more intense. Previously, only some small tribes were fighting. Now, even somerge and medium-sized tribes had joined the fight. It was a rule in the forest. The strong would have more resources while the weak could only stand by and watch, praying that the strong would spare them some spoils.

    The Lu tribe sent some people over a few days ago and sought to trade with the ming Horn tribe. They were willing to trade more than thirty Dumb Birds for water and some other supplies.

    Because the weather was too hot, the beasts raised by the Lu tribe were not in the best condition. However, the chiefs of the Lu tribe made very wise decisions this year. At the very beginning of the year, they already sold many of theirrger beasts and kept only the rtively younger ones. Nearly half of the beasts were sold to and eaten by the ming Horn tribe, and the other half was split between some of the medium-sized tribes. Therefore, even though the weather became hotter each day after winter began, the Lu tribe could still maintain a normal life. What¡¯s more, they had their own water source, a pool of fresh groundwater that wouldn¡¯t dry out.

    The people of the Lu tribe were always prudent and had their own ways to deal with disasters. The leaders were also very smart, acting decisively and not wasting any time on their hands, so even if they encountered any natural disasters, they could smoothly deal with it. Most of therger tribes knew about this.

    However, the Lu tribe did not anticipate the weather this year to be as bad as this. They thought that even if it was hot, it wouldn¡¯t get as hot as it did the previous year, but this was unfortunately not the case. These people were all too naive.

    The hot sun scorched the earth every day, causing many nts that could not adapt to the heat to die. They had all died from the drought, and a whole batch had already been eliminated the previous year. This year, even more were eliminated. Only those nts and animals that could adapt and tolerate the hot temperature remained.

    ¡°Dangerous indeed!¡±

    The person who transported the birds was Yan Jiu, whom Shao Xuan was familiar with. After he reached the ming Horn tribe, he immediately gulped down mouthfuls of water.

    He hadn¡¯t gotten to guzzle water like this for a few days already.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys have a pool of groundwater? How are you stillcking water?¡± Duo Kang asked from the side.

    If people from other tribes asked this question, Yan Jiu might not have told the truth,

    But the ming Horns were different. After numerous encounters, Yan Jiu already knew enough about the ming Horn tribe to know that they were merely curious. They had no intention to find out any secrets about the tribes.

    ¡°It¡¯s drying out.¡± Yan Jiu sighed depressingly.

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Shao Xuan was surprised, but if you thought about it, many small rivers and streams in the forest had also dried up. Even some water sources underground dried up. It made sense that this happened to the Lu tribe.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t just you. Even our leader never thought that things would turn out like this.¡± Yan Jiu¡¯s eyes were filled with worry. When the level of water in the pool fell sharply, their leader made a decision to sell the beasts they bred. Even though selling beasts could not get them much of what they needed, it was their only choice.

    Just like before, Yan Jiu was still in charge of trading with the ming Horn tribe. He knew that other tribes would probably hesitate at the deal, but the ming Horns would definitely be willing to take what they could offer. They could even exchange for water and other resources from the ming Horn tribe. Plus, the ming Horns resided in Fearsome Beast Forest! How could there possibly be a shortage of water? At least Yan

    Jiu didn¡¯t think so.

    However, after hearing Shao Xuan talk about the current situation in the mountains and forests, everyone from the Lu tribe remained silent. The situation was more serious than they had expected. It was no wonder that their chief would make a decision to sell the animals at a low price. There would not even be enough water to feed the humans. How could they still afford to feed the beasts? Thus, the leader of the Lu tribe decided to keep the cubs and sell out the rest, reducing their consumption while keeping some younger beasts. This would ensure the recovery of their breeding grounds.

    ¡°By the way, I noticed your guards had doubled from thest time you came. Have there been more robberies recently?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Speaking of this, Yan Jiu became even more upset. ¡°Don¡¯t even mention it. We encountered several waves of them. Even mere wanderers- who were not afraid of death- tried to rob us!¡±

    Although they were forced by the troubles of life, if anything threatened their own interests, no one was willing to give up their own share for the benefit of others who were suffering. After all, the world had always been cruel. Besides your own tribesmen, everyone else was an outsider.

    If they couldn¡¯t even guarantee the lives of their own people, how could they care about the problems of other tribes? Or those who tried to rob them? Even if the Lu tribe was patient, they had no time to be entangled in this issue.

    Afterining, Yan Jiu looked at Shao Xuan seriously, ¡°You guys should also be careful. Many people are heading this way.¡±

    Fearsome Beast Forest had plenty of water sources. At least this was what most people thought. In their imagination, the forest was mull of wet moss, flowing streams, rivers, sulent nts, and fruits. If everyone thought this way, then it must be the truth.

    When forced to a certain degree, the threat of beasts in the mountains and forests became less significant in their minds. Some people even deliberately forced themselves to not think about the dangerous factors in the forests.

    The ming Horn tribe had already strengthened their defenses and patrol, but after hearing Yan Jiu¡¯s words, the ming Horn tribe decided to increase their defenses once more.

    Amongst the tribes, people had never been convinced by virtue. Survival had always brought along blood and killing. It was obvious to them what was about to happen in the following months in Fearsome Beast Forest.

    However, Shao Xuan was not thinking about those who would trespass into the forest in search of water. Fearsome Beast Forest was sorge, and it didn¡¯tpletely belong to the ming Horn tribe. If they could find water by themselves, then naturally the ming Horn tribe would not interfere with their actions. As long as they had no intention to steal or take what belonged to the ming Horns, the ming Horns would naturally ignore them. What¡¯s more, the ming Horns were too powerful inbat.

    What Shao Xuan was most worried about was what all the tribes had been worried about but couldn¡¯t really predict.

    The change in climate was definitely a sign.

    The more drastic a sign was, the bigger the changes in the future. It might even reach such a point where people could no longer make predictions.

    Shao Xuan took out a straw rope braided with dry grass and tried to use his fortune-telling skills, but halfway through, the straw rope suddenly broke in two.

    It was not tangled up in knots. It broke! The rope had turned to crumbs where it broke off.

    This was the first time Shaoxuan encountered such a situation after he mastered his fortune-telling skill.

    Shao Xuan was frightened and worried upon seeing this.

    It was alright if the rope couldn¡¯t predict the future, but this change had made it impossible for Shao Xuan to stay calm for a long time.

    A big change was about toe, and it was approaching. Perhaps, it would arrive soon, after this climate change ended.

 Chapter 565 - Passed?

    Chapter 565

    Passed?

    When the Lu tribes went back, Shao Xuan escorted them with a team of ming Horn warriors. They too wanted to see what the situation was like outside.

    They encountered several robberies on the road. Indeed, as Yan Jiu said, those people had lost their sanity. They didn¡¯t even bother to judge the strength of their opponents beforebat. All they thought about was killing and taking over their resources.

    Those who hijacked them on the road came from different backgrounds. Some were soldiers from unknown tribes. Others were wanderers who were not skilled in battle. For them to survive and reach where they were was already an extremely difficult task, but as they lost their sanity and became crazy, they did unimaginable things that they usually wouldn¡¯t do under normal circumstances. Under normal circumstances, they would not even dare fight against the tribal warriors.

    Along the way, Shao Xuan also saw some corpses but he couldn¡¯t tell how long they had been dead. Insects gathered densely on the corpse, covering it entirely. Even when scavenger birds flew over, it was difficult to drive them away.

    Humans, animals, and insects were all driven to their extremes under the conditions of this weather. They had grown too ustomed to the weather in the past, so much so that they could not adapt to the changes in these two years.

    After going for a walk outside, Shao Xuan returned to the tribe, only to see the soldiers patrolling outside under the shade of a tree, his eyes scanning the grounds like an eagle. They appeared tenser than when he left the tribe.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Shao Xuan asked a soldier who was patrolling on the borders.

    ¡°Someone had attacked, and the hunt leaders sent people over to keep guard everywhere.¡± The man pointed in a direction, ¡°The fight happened over there.¡±

    Shao Xuan walked to where the soldier pointed and slowly came to where the wanderers attacked the ming Horns. This was where they attacked, except the warrior who was keeping guard there killed them right on the spot where the border was drawn.

    There was still the lingering smell of blood. Some flying insects and scavengers wandered nearby, and there were some broken weapons on the ground made from stone, bones, and horns.

    Under these circumstances, it was impossible for the ming Horn tribe to let those people escape alive. Shao Xuan did not inquire about anything else. He only asked what they were deciding to do with the corpses. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to leave the corpses lying there under the hot weather. What¡¯s more, they didn¡¯t know if those people were sick before they died. The people from the Lu tribe told them that some tribes had sick people and also told them how sick they were. The people of the Lu tribe did not know how dangerous it could be, but they knew that they had to prepare for the worst.

    When Shao Xuan went over there, Ao was giving out instructions to people, telling them to drag the corpses of those trespassers into the forest and feed them to the beasts. After Shao Xuan came and gave his suggestion, they dragged the bodies of these trespassers out of the forest, set them up on firewood, and burned them to ashes.

    There were many who actively attacked the ming Horn tribe. One after another, these cases were solved. Among these attackers, there were some wanderers. These wanderers came from outside the forest.

    A wanderer went out and never came back. When their family went out to search, they only found a corpse. These wanderers had arrived here together with the ming Horn tribe years ago, but some left when they were in the middle of their journey and went to rely on other tribes instead.

    Now, since the climate became abnormal and it was hard to survive, one guy who left found his way back to the forest. When he arrived, the guards were told not to let any outsiders enter, so this person could only use his whistle to call out to his old friends.

    A wanderer who lived on ming Horn grounds heard the whistle and went out because he recognized his friend from the past. He let down his guard and came out unarmed. Not only was his jug of water stolen, but he was also stabbed a few times and died immediately.

    The two chiefs did not hide this matter from the rest of the ming Horn tribe. They wanted to warn those reckless wanderers who wanted to go out so that they would stay indoors. If they didn¡¯t want to follow orders, they could leave right away.

    Because of what happened to the attackers and wanderers, those who wanted to betray the ming Horn tribe temporarily ceased to have such thoughts, whether it be wanderers or some ming Horn soldiers.

    When the hunting team entered the forest to hunt, they also saw some human bones. They belonged to people who entered the forest from other ces. Unfortunately, they either failed or escaped. There might¡¯ve been a few who managed to obtain food and water, but the hunting team had not met such people yet.

    Days passed, yet the weather was hot as ever.

    Humans and beasts alike were all maddened by heat.

    Shao Xuan made some copper scissors for cutting hair and animal fur. He cast this scissor using the mostmon casting method. For the purpose of cutting hair and fur, scissors worked way better than knives.

    Because the weather was too hot, sweat and dirt stuck onto their messy hair. Most of the soldiers were toozy to care about their hair, so they simply tied it up with a straw rope and covered it with a hat made from leaves.

    Water was a scarce resource so even if they were in the forest and could find water, they could not shower every single day, so after days had passed, their hair became entangled and it was difficult to evenb. They returned to their most primitive look. Over the years, they had developed a habit ofbing their hair. Recently, they slowly let go of this habit.

    The scissors made by Shao Xuan helped them a lot. One after the next, they came in line and got their haircuts. At this time, they did not even think about the idea of how ¡°our bodies, hair, and skin were given to us by our parents,¡± and cut their hair ording to their own preferences. They were happy with whatever feltfortable.

    [Note: In ancient China, the practice of filial piety included not injuring oneself, and this principle meant one should not damage one¡¯s own body, skin, and hair.]

    Usually, they would not even be willing to cut all their hair. After all, they still had to wear ornaments made from animal teeth and bones in their hair. But now they were too hot and weren¡¯t allowed to take showers, so it was better to cut away all of their hair. As a result, a lot of people in the tribe began to have bald haircuts.

    Besides the warriors, Caesar and the other beasts were also about to get their thick fur trimmed, except Shao Xuan found it almost impossible to trim their fur with normal scissors. After several tries, he finally gave up and lent his scissors to those who were in charge of the animal circle. There were some animals with thick fur on the side. They should have been ughtered back in the wintertime and their fur was supposed to be kept as clothing material. Their entire bodies were covered with thick fur and it was obvious that those beasts felt extremely hot. It was clear now why it had been so hard to breed these animals recently. They seemed like they even lost their passion for living. Even if they were hydrated, they didn¡¯t feel much better.

    The hot climate slowly passed as it received many prayers and curses from the tribes. In the dark sky, when two crescent shapes began to appear, the entire ming Horn tribe, no, it should be almost all the tribes, most people and beasts, took a sigh of relief. Some even wept with joy.

    The appearance of the two crescent moons meant winter had just passed.

    For the people on thisnd, almost every minute and second of this winter was suffering. They had never experienced a winter like this one ever in their lives.

    Did the end of winter imply that such weather wasing to an end and everything was going back to normal?

    After the appearance of the two crescent moons, on the second day of their sacrificial festival, the temperature indeed began to drop. Even the winds grew stronger. The coolness of the gusty winds caused people who experienced the torturous winter to roar with joy. In the mountains and forests, the beasts also roared, weing the pleasing changes in weather.

    But were all the nightmares really gone yet?

 Chapter 566 - No Water

    Chapter 566

    No Water

    After the strong winds, a heavy rainstorm arrived. After the scorching sun tortured them for an entire winter, it was finally covered by thick rainclouds. For many people who lived on thend, they had never felt so happy seeing rain clouds.

    The raindrops rained down quickly as if someone poured it down from the sky in scoops.

    The parched earth greedily absorbed the rain, and a muddy smell spread everywhere.

    The wanderers were so excited they carried out jars to collect water from the sky. In the past winter, they had workedboriously for the ming Horn tribe in exchange for food and water. However, they had not received much food and water, and some of themined. It was not until they heard about the situation outside that they stoppedining. They were afraid of being driven away. After all, although the water was scarce, it was sufficient for keeping them alive until now.

    The heavy rain seemed to calm the fierce beasts down. After being maddened by the heat for an entire season, they were all calmed by the rain. You could tell from their roars of joy.

    Each of the tribesmen had their own responsibilities. Some took charge of keeping guard, some took care of the farnd, some managed the animal pens, some made pottery, some made textiles... They were all ready to start working. It was too hot before for them to work, and most of them didn¡¯t even want to move more, so they all put their duties aside. Now, they could finally start working again.

    The sprouting seedlings in the ground were also growing with an unusual liveliness, and the forests turned greener than before.

    Although the extreme weather had passed, the guards and defences had not been decreased. The two chiefs took turns to supervise them every day. Even when the rainstorm came, they didn¡¯t retreat.

    ¡°It¡¯s best to be vignt at all times.¡±

    This was what the two shamans said after the sacrifice.

    Although the two of them could not predict exactly what would happen, they sensed that a huge crisis was about to arrive, and it was not targeting any specific tribe. It was just an indescribable sense they had.

    If the two shamans had different opinions, they might have to go through a dispute, but both of them had the same interpretation. The ming Horn tribe knew that whatever was going to happen, they must not be sloppy and let their guard down.

    On a sunny day after the rain, the hunting team set off to hunt in the mountains.

    Shao Xuan entered the mountain forest with the team. The green-faced fanged beasts had already been fed and had their blood extracted. People were naturally keeping watch over them, so he didn¡¯t really need to be there.

    They finally entered the forest again. Everyone in the team found that many trees in the forest that turned brown and died. Some of the dead trees had already been drilled through by various insects and were dotted with countless holes. If they were to be chopped down, a lot of tiny bugs would crawl out from within.

    Carrying his prey, Shao Xuan and his team came to rest in a cave nearby.

    ¡°There used to be a stream there,¡± Shao Xuan said as he pointed to a ce on the mountain.

    ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t see it anymore. It probably dried out from the hot weather,¡± Mai said next to him. He didn¡¯t understand how streams formed. He only knew that even if rivers and streams dried out in the autumn and winter seasons, they would flow once again in the springtime when the snow starts melting or when the sky starts pouring. But now the stream that used to be in front of the mountain was gone, and he didn¡¯t know why. Oh well. If it¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone.

    Mai carried his prey into the cave. The others looked over but didn¡¯t know what Mai was talking about. They followed him into the cave. Only Shao Xuan remained standing outside, looking at the location where the stream originally was.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to check out some other ces.¡± Shao Xuan said to those who were resting in the cave.

    Mai and the other soldiers were full of curiosity so they followed Shao Xuan and wanted to see what he had discovered.

    Shao Xuan remembered that there was a river nearby, not a big one, but river beasts often hid there, ready to ambush.

    The stream had stopped flowing. It was probably because there was no snow on the mountaintops that year, and the unusually hot winter melted all the snow that used to cover the mountains all year round. However, the river over there did not originate from just melted snow alone, but also from other groundwater sources. It rained so much a few days ago. Even if it wasn¡¯t enough for a stream, the muddy puddles on the riverbed would have certainly risen, no? It was such heavy rain.

    However, when Shao Xuan passed by, there were only a few fish swimming weakly in the river, andrger river beasts were not seen. The reason was that the water level was too low!

    The river was too shallow and the river beasts did not like to stay in shallow ces.

    As a result, they did not appear here.

    Mai and others were also surprised to see the falling water levels but the shock was only for a while. They thought that it might be because the forest was too ¡°thirsty¡±. After the rain fell, the forest ¡°drank¡± the rainwater, so there was not much rainwater left for the river.

    But even if the forest could absorb a lot of rainwater, what about the groundwater?

    Why couldn¡¯t such heavy rain thatsted a few days raise the water level in the river? Even if the rise was not obvious, it didn¡¯t make sense for the water level to drop so low.

    In the past, the water was often yellow with mud because the river beasts liked to stir up the sediments at the bottom of the river, but now, the river didn¡¯t only be more shallow, but it also became clearer. Which meant not even a single river beast hade by recently.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the next location. I remember there was a cave here.¡±

    Shao Xuan had discovered a karst cave with a puddle before when he was out hunting with the hunting team but now the water there was red and some small creatures swam in the water. The water wouldn¡¯t be drinkable even after boiling so Shao Xuan did not return to that location anymore.

    As soon as he entered the cave, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes shifted around. It was not just him. Even the other warriors who had sharper senses felt something wrong.

    In the past, when they came, they could feel the cool winds bringing in humid air, as well as the light and sweet smell from the shade-loving nts in the cave. But now, all those smells were no longer there.

    Shao Xuan walked further into the hole. Before, they could see shallow streams on the ground after a few steps in but now they had walked for more than ten meters into the cave and yet the surrounding rocky walls still remained dry.

    Mai took out the Water Moon Stone and illuminated their surroundings.

    There was no water!

    Still, there was no water!

    The further they went, the more the ground curved downward until only a few underground caves remained.

    ¡°Even this cave is dry!¡± The ming Horn warriors who had just experienced a strange winter suddenly felt dryness in their throats.

    Why was there no water? !

    Right then, they already understood what Shao Xuan wanted to check, and everyone became alert.

    They thought the worst had already passed, but they didn¡¯t expect it to still exist.

    As they took a closer look at the ground, on the uneven surface of the stone cave, there was some unknown dry red substance that could be scraped off with a knife.

    ¡°These are...¡± Mai pinched the red substance that he scraped off the ground and crushed it between his fingers, turning them into powder.

    ¡°These used to live inside the puddle but now they¡¯re all dead.¡± Shao Xuan frowned as he walked out.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Mai and others felt their throats getting drier. They were afraid they might die of thirst without water.

    In the next few days of their hunt, Shao Xuan went once again in search of more water sources.

    The weather looked normal, except that the water source in many ces was still declining, especially those produced by groundwater. There was no longer a ce that resembled its previous appearance. Most of them were either dried out or on the verge of drying out. It was only a matter of time before it would dry outpletely.

    Meanwhile, within the Lu tribe.

    They thought the dark times had already passed, but now they realized that their lives did not get much better. Even the water in theke that belonged to them was decreasing. The levels did not even rise after the rainstorms a few days ago. Even though they witnessed how rainwater flooded into theke, the water levels in the continued to decrease.

    Why?

 Chapter 567 - Leaving?

    Chapter 567

    Leaving?

    After the hunting team returned, Shao Xuan told the shamans and chiefs about what they saw and reminded everyone to make preparations in advance.

    Everything seemed fine now. The weather had no abnormalities. It wasn¡¯t too hot or too cold. It was as if nature returned to its original order, but for the ming Horns and other tribes onnd, this drought after the scorching winter troubled them.

    There were many streams, water pools, small and medium-sizedkes formed by groundwater on this continent. As winter passed, rain arrived, and the weather was slowly bing normal, but the water levels remained low, making the situation even worse than before.

    There were not many water sources avable, andpetition for resources once again broke out.

    Spring was a season of blooming and liveliness, but this year, it filled thend with an inexplicable panic.

    Dry brown bloodstains smeared the grass beside the river, filling the air with residual murderous rancidity. It told passengers who passed by the tragic stories that had happened here.

    As they received the news brought back by the team that had juste back from afar, Shao Xuan and the other leaders of the tribe were silent.

    After a while, the shaman finally spoke.

    ¡°These are all signs. We need to prepare ourselves in advance.¡± The shaman sighed as he slowly walked towards the window. He looked up at the blue sky and white clouds outside. ¡°It might even be worse than what our ancestors encountered thousands of years ago.¡±

    Everyone was surprised upon hearing the shaman¡¯s words. They could no longer sit still, and each one jumped up nervously as if a needle had poked them.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°Shaman, did you mean...¡±

    ¡°Do you think we will encounter the same things our ancestors encountered that year?¡±

    Neither the chiefs nor hunt leaders could calm down now. They only thought about the hardships they suffered in the past winter and didn¡¯t foresee anything else. Still, as the chiefs and leaders listened to the shaman¡¯s words, they thought, ¡®We¡¯re going to face what our ancestors encountered thousands of years ago? Doesn¡¯t that mean the degree of destruction would be..?!¡¯

    Zheng Luo and Duo Kang looked at the shaman who was sighing in front of the window. They turned to look at the shamaness who had not yet spoken, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    The olddy sitting there lifted her eyelids and nced at Zheng Luo and Duo Kang helplessly. They had spent so much time together that Zheng Luo and Duo Kang could guess what she felt by just a nce.

    The olddy¡¯s reaction clearly showed that she agreed with the shaman. In other words, she had the same feeling.

    They were shocked. Fear and panic struck them all at once. After all the emotions swam through their heads, only a mere nkness remained.

    They were all familiar with history. Although the tribesmen had not experienced the disasters that happened thousands of years ago, they learned enough from the records left behind by their ancestors. If their powerful ancestors couldn¡¯t avoid it, what could they do?

    Thousands of years ago, a natural disaster hit the ming Horn tribe hard and dethroned them from their previous glory. Following that, conflicting ideas caused the tribe to divide into two. Once brilliant and glorious, the ming Horn tribe fell into the dust and faded out of sight.

    It was the decision made by heaven and earth. Even their ancestors could do nothing about it. What could they do?

    So what if they knew in advance? Didn¡¯t their ancestors also anticipate the disaster? Even if they could not predict specific things, they probably sensed something wasing. But in the end, the result was still the same.

    If it were other things, perhaps the ming Horn tribe could stand firm against it. But if it was the same natural disaster as it was thousands of years ago, they were terrified.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Ao¡¯s fists clenched beside him as he shivered slightly.

    What could they do? This was something every one of them wanted to know.

    The house was once again silent like the night, surrounded by an unknown pressure that sent chills. Even when the warm winds blew in from the windows, it did not improve the fear-induced cold. The worries in everyone¡¯s minds started spreading in all directions. The more they thought about it, the more panic-stricken they became. The more they thought about it, the colder they felt from the fear.

    It had only been less than four years since they returned to their homnd.

    They thought they could start anew, but now, as they heard the news, all of their hopes went out like a blown candle.

    If this disaster was humanmade, it could be stopped. But this was the decision of the heavens. It could not be helped. At least this was what every tribesman thought.

    They forgot how much time had passed, but suddenly, all their eyes nced over at Shao Xuan, who was deep in thought. As he sensed their nces, he looked up and saw everyone staring at him.

    ¡°What?¡± Shao Xuan wondered.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell the fortune with your ropes?¡± Zheng Luo asked.

    Shao Xuan could use the knotting technique to tell the fortune, and everyone knew it.

    ¡°I tried it several times already. I¡¯ve had no sess.¡± Shao Xuan shook his head.

    The other people seemed depressed and hopeless. They looked down gloomily on the ground with colors of disappointment. They thought that if the shamans could not do anything about it, perhaps Shao Xuan could use his fortune-telling skills to figure it out. But now it seemed like they could no longer rely on that.

    Duo Kang scratched his head, ¡°Can¡¯t we call upon the power of our ancestors?¡±

    ¡°The power of the ancestors?¡± They were all puzzled, and then they looked at Shao Xuan with eyes shining of expectation.

    That¡¯s right! Why didn¡¯t they think of their ancestors¡¯ powers?

    Didn¡¯t they rely on their ancestors¡¯ powers when they crossed the sea?

    Their ancestors¡¯ energy was so powerful that not everyone could use it. Even their ancestors from a thousand years ago couldn¡¯t summon as much power as Shao Xuan could.

    Shao Xuan took out the bone ne that he had been wearing, took a deep breath, and then sighed, ¡°The ancestor bones may not be usable. We already used too much of its power when we crossed the sea. Even if we can use it now, it probably can¡¯t help us much.¡±

    The six bone ornaments on the ne were still dim, but it was already brighter than after they used it to cross the sea. It was like a tired man who hadn¡¯t gotten enough rest to recover. Its energy was not at its maximum. If they were to use it for this situation, not only could it not reach its full potential, they might even lose its power entirely.

    They could not put their hopes entirely on those bones. They had to think of other ways.

    ¡°If we can¡¯t use this or that, what can we do? Do we really need to leave our homnd?¡± Duo Kang muttered.

    As soon as he said those words, they all nced over fiercely. What a thing to say! This was their homnd! How could they leave it behind?!

    But... the situation now was indeed different from what it was a thousand years ago.

    There was no longer any fire seed here.

    Even if the entire tribe wanted to migrate, it was possible in theory.

    But the fact was, nobody wanted to leave even if there was no longer any fire seed left. They felt a sense of belonging to the ce. But wasn¡¯t this a special case? They could leave their homnd first and return after the disaster had passed.

    If you thought about it this way, it made sense.

 Chapter 568 - Close

    Chapter 568

    Close

    There was still a possibility that they would have to leave in order to hide from the disaster, but it was theirst resort, and no one in the tribe wanted this.

    If they were really forced to leave, how drastic would the changes be?

    Unimaginable.

    Plus, it had been more than three years since they moved back here. The construction, field nning, and other ns were already set on track. It was the perfect time for them to develop rapidly and catch up to their previous glory. They could only say that they were unlucky.

    This was fate!

    No matter what would happen in the future, it had not arrived yet, so they still had the chance to prepare for the big changes. This could prevent them from panicking and fussing over what was to be done when the disaster actually hit.

    The people who took care of the farnds came over and asked Shao Xuan about whether they should start sowing the Thousand Grain Gold. The unusual weather patternst year was unpredictable, so they only nted other seeds. They did not want to risk wasting any of those seeds. They were even more precious than the ones given to them by Ji Ju. Therefore, they did not nt even a single Thousand Grain Gold in theirndsst year.

    The weather had returned to normal, so the person in charge of thend thought of sowing some new seeds. After he consulted with Qi Qi and the others, he came to ask Shao Xuan directly. After all, the decisionid in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t nt any more new seeds for now.¡± Shao Xuan said. Seeing Qi Qi¡¯s hesitation, he continued, ¡°I don¡¯t mean just the thousand grain gold, but temporarily stop nting all the other crops too. If there are any mature nts, collect them and save them up. Especially the millet ntedst year.¡±

    Some crops in the fields had already matured. ording to their original n, after their harvest, the crops would be distributed ording to how much each of them worked, and a portion would be given to everyone, but at that time, they did not foresee this disaster. Now they needed to change the n and adapt to the current circumstances.

    Beast meat could not be stored for long, but crops like millet could be stored for a long time. If the time came and there were no longer any prey to hunt, they still had grains stored in the warehouse, ready for use in crucial situations.

    Although Qi Qi did not understand why Shao Xuan made this decision, since Shao Xuan said so, he would just follow.

    ¡°But as a result, there will be a lot more arablend wasted,¡± Qi Qi said. Thends were never left unused even in the past winter. The people who took care of the farms had their ways of taking care of the arablend, making it rich in nutrients and ready for sowing. But now, Shao Xuan suddenly told them to stop nting. Qi Qi did notin or resent, but it was just a pity to her.

    What Shao Xuan meant was not to stop ntingpletely. He only meant for them to stop nting those nts that needed longer growth cycles, but they could still nt those that had shorter growth cycles. The time between nting and harvest must be rtively short, so they were already ready for harvest before the disaster happened. At least they would have more in their storage and not waste the arable condition that the workers worked so hard in keeping.

    After he realized what Shao Xuan meant, Qi Qi nodded and left solemnly. Although Shao Xuan did not tell him exactly what would happen, the shaman had already told everyone during the annual sacrifice that year to be extra careful.

    Everything was for the ming Horn tribe. Qi Qi believed in their decisions. With some thoughts on his mind, he went and passed down the orders to the rest of the workers.

    Besides the ming Horns, other big tribes like the Mang tribe had also foreseen the disaster. Shamans were not there for nothing after all. They had a hunch before, but it was just not as strong at that time. Now, perhaps because the disaster was getting closer, their intuition was also bing sharper.

    Every tribe was making preparations, and they were all moving farther away from the Fearsome Beast Forest, far from where all the big tribes were. They moved to the borders of the maind, near the boundless river.

    The Drumming tribe¡¯s trading team had just returned from the Pu tribe. On their way back they were standing on the backs ofrge crocodiles, each carrying bamboo baskets full of various utensils and rough linen, just like before.

    The crocodiles in the river swished their powerful tails, and only part of their bodies appeared above the water. Their cold, emotionless pupils scanned their surroundings.

    In the past winter, tribes in other parts of thend had encountered big problems. Some people even died of thirst. But for tribes who lived near the river, although the high temperature was barely tolerable, they could still bear it. At least they had no worries about water.

    The small river they passed by almost dried up during the wintertime. Even the riverbeds of the parts with higher elevation had reached the surface. The mud on the bottom of the river had already dried and formed cracks. The crocodiles had already escaped into the big river. The people of the tribe only dared to go fetch water from the river because these crocodiles protected them. They protected them from other dangerous river beasts in the river.

    Under such a high temperature, not only were people growing more restless, even some fish in the river became murderous.

    After winter had passed, a few days of heavy rain made these small rivers rise again. But it was only those few days. During this time, the water level had dropped significantly, and the crocodiles became even more irritable as they swam in the river.

    ¡°Will the river dry out again?¡± asked a warrior from the tribe.

    ¡°Who knows, but even if it dries, we still have a big river next to it. This is already plenty for us. We won¡¯t die of thirst,¡± Another soldier standing on the back of the crocodile said, indifferent.

    People deeper ind were facing a severe shortage of water, but they were not. They were not the type to care about the life and death of others. They only cared about their own tribe.

    The closer they were to the Drumming tribe, the stranger the warriors became after their trade.

    ¡°Howe it seems like there are more fish today than usual?¡±

    ¡°I saw it too, I thought they wanted to greet us, but it seemed more like they...¡±

    More like what, the soldier did not continue. He just frowned¡ªother people carried the same expression.

    They were familiar with these crocodiles. The crocodiles were the totem of the tribe. They could tell right away if the crocodiles were not in a good mood.

    In this small river, not many crocodiles remained. As they returned, they noticed there were more crocodiles now than before. There were three times more!

    If the number doubled, it would already feel abnormal to them. They would look for the cause. After all, this was three times more than before. Seeing this made them panic.

    As the warrior said just now, the crocodiles did note to pick them up. It was more like they were avoiding something.

    Even if the crocodiles did not panic, this situation was making the Drumming tribe panic.

    The shaman continued to seek the reason. He was not as powerful as the shamans from therger tribes, but he could sense something was wrong. He continued to look for solutions and tried to understand the behaviour of the crocodiles.

    Days passed, and they still hadn¡¯t figured out the reason. It¡¯s just that there were more and more crocodiles lurking in the internal ponds of the tribe. They either stayed ashore or swam in the small river, but there were fewer crocodiles in the big river.

    Without crocodiles in the big river, the dangerous fish and river beasts were a huge threat for them. For a time, the people dared not enter the big river and only went into the small streams that had many crocodiles.

    One day, the tribal warriors who were patrolling on the banks of the river heard a grunting sound. They thought it was a river beast in the river, so they became alert immediately.

    They stared at the river for a while, but only saw some bubbles surfacing. They saw no river beast.

    Fish with long fangs jumped out of the water from time to time and fell back into the water. They danced around restlessly in the waters.

 Chapter 569 - Changes of the Rainy Season

    Chapter 569

    Changes of the Rainy Season

    The changes in the boundless river had made the people of the Drumming tribe worried.

    The changes in the big riversted for several days, but it took longer for them to see the bigger changes. To them, it was as if a huge boulder was thrown at them, but they could not see any stones fall on the ground. The shaman and leader of the Drumming tribe could not sleep for several nights thinking about this.

    After the abnormal situation happened at the big river, the crocodiles collectively moved their nests away from the bank. Now their range of activity was far from the bank. Even if they had to crawl a longer distance every day, they were willing to do so. This made the people of the Drumming tribe even more puzzled and worried than before. What happened to the crocodiles?

    Until one seemingly peaceful day, the ground suddenly shook, and the crocodiles swimming in the water scrambled up to the shore in panic and continued to dash away from the riverbank toward their newly dug hole.

    The people who stood on the crocodiles¡¯ backs fell off. No matter how many times they called them, they did not look and continued to crawl toward their new holes.

    After the earth shook, there was an ufortable silence.

    It was not until the warriors of the tribe were checking around that they found many dead fish in the river. A few days ago, the fish were still fiercely biting each other and jumping restlessly in the river. Now all of their bellies were overturned and they floated without movement atop the surface of the river.

    ¡°What is this... what¡¯s going on?¡±

    The patrolling soldiers hurried back to report the matter to the shaman and the leader.

    In the following days, every ten days or so, there would be a sudden movement in the ground, and the interval between each quake grew shorter each time. The earthquakes were also bing more intense with each following one.

    The tribesmen followed the orders of the shaman and their leader. They followed the crocodiles and moved their houses away from the riverbank.

    At the time, most parts of the maind had been depleted of water.

    The good thing was that the weather hadn¡¯t changed much. It was still the same as the weather in previous years. Every time it rained, the people of the tribe, as well as the wanderers who depend on the tribes for survival, would all rush to move their y pots out under the rain to collect water.

    Tribes that were good at pottery made a lot of money under these weird circumstances. Before,rge pots were hard to sell but now they were the best-selling item on the market.

    Making pottery was simple, but making good pots was not an easy task. The pots made by most people were not of good quality. They were fragile and broke easily. Sometimes water could even seep out from the sides. They were not durable and efficient, so most people chose to buy pots at the trading markets.

    The same was true for the ming Horn tribe. People would be willing to tradebour for pots.

    After a shower of rain, people inside and outside the tribe all kept busy shifting pots of water into their houses.

    Now, because of the unique circumstances, if the shaman felt it was going to rain, he would inform everyone in the tribe in advance. As soon as they saw the sky change, everyone would hurriedly move their water-receiving pots and line them up outside their houses until there was not even enough space for them to walk. When it rained, few people remained outside. They were all busy collecting water.

    The movements in the ground were not only felt on the edges of the maind but also happened in other ces, especially in the mountainous forests where the ming Horn tribe settled. Here, it was even more intense, and every time the ground shook, there would be chaos in the woods. Animals would start roaring, and birds would fly around chaotically.

    What shocked Shao Xuan most was when he went out for a hunt, he saw a volcano in the mountain forest. The volcano had not erupted for a long time, but a pool ofva was forming atop the depressions of the mountain. Shao Xuan had been there with the hunting team.

    It hadn¡¯t erupted for thousands of years, and there were many nts and living animals there, so Shao Xuan paid no attention to the area.

    But this time, when he went out with the hunting team, as they were walking to their resting cave, he looked over at the mountain. It looked exactly like before, but Shao Xuan felt an inexplicable sense of danger.

    Shao Xuan talked to the rest of the hunting team. They looked at the volcano but felt nothing special.

    Only Shao Xuan had an uneasy feeling about this. To him, the volcano was like a terrifying monster, slowly waking up. It looked tranquil, but it might not remain so.

    He didn¡¯t mean that giant beasts actually lived there. Shao Xuan just felt uneasy when he saw this volcano. It was an instinctive reaction, his sixth sense. He knew it wasn¡¯t for no reason.

    After the sessive earthquakes happened, Shao Xuan suddenly had a strong feeling that something was about to happen. If it was indeed about to happen...

    He took a deep breath and asked the farmers whether they sensed any abnormalities in the ground.

    Some of the newly nted crops with shorter growth cycles were close to maturity. They were sidedishes that some warriors did not like, but non-totem warriors liked them. They were good for their bodies, so seeing as there were unusednds, the workers who took care of the farm decided to nt these seeds.

    The harvested millet and crops that could be stored for a long time were processed and ced in the warehouse. They continued to forge weapons. To ease everyone¡¯s hearts, they had been making necessary preparations.

    As they faced sessive earthquakes, the rainy season arrived.

    ording to the situation in previous years, the rainy season here was not as noticeable as when they crossed the river. The only apparent difference was it rained a lot more. It didn¡¯t just rain more, but it was heavy rain too. Everyone no longer took out their containers to receive the rain as often as before. This did not reduce the panic in people¡¯s hearts.

    Boom¨C

    The ground shook once again, and many y pots ced in the rain were overturned, and some even broke.

    Some people were caught off-bnce during the earthquake. All kinds of utensils nged and banged together. Children cried from the houses.

    The situation now was already considered tolerable. After all, the earthquakes happened so often that everyone already became mentally prepared. It was not as scary as the first time it happened. Everyone had panicked like headless chickens the first time, fearing the unknown.

    Only five days had passed since thest earthquake. The interval between each earthquake was getting shorter.

    St, St¡ª-

    The rain was falling more rapidly. If this happened in the past, people living near the rivers would be worried about flooding. Such strong rains usually caused their farms to be flooded.

    However, no one was thinking about the flooding now because the water level of the river was still very low.

    The Lu tribe.

    The leader of the Lu tribe, with a stonelike expressionless face, stood in front of the water body upied by their tribe. It had already be a dry abyss.

    Since the end of the winter, water had stoppeding out of this pool. Even as the rain fell hard during this rainstorm, there was no water to be seen in the pool although water levels were rising everywhere else.

    This rainy season was unusual and not many people had experienced this. The rains were heavy and turbulent, but the water level in the river still remained low.

    The Drumming tribe who lived on the edges of the maind felt this more strongly.

    The patrolling soldiers stood on the bank of the big river, and as they looked into the distance, huge fearful river beasts jumped out of the water and gave out long roars.

    Having lived here for so long, they knew that at this time of the year, the overlords of the river would be roaring and patrolling the area with their troops. But this was the first time they heard such unusual roars from the river. Their calls were much sharper and hurried, and this made the people even more rmed.

    Every year, all kinds of river beasts would be leaving the river during the rainy season, but this year, they left even earlier, before the rainy season even arrived!

    This year, the crocodiles of the tribe had not taken their leave, but they rarely appeared. It was even rarer to see them enter the river. Most of the time, they stayed far away from the shorelines.

    During this year¡¯s rainy season, the water levels of the boundless river declined very early. The levels fell significantly even before the rainy season had ended.

    No matter how heavy it rained, there was no way they could save the falling water level in the river.

    ¡°What do you guys reckon will happen?¡± a warrior of the tribe asked as he wiped rain off his face.

    He didn¡¯t hear the other people¡¯s response. When he looked at them, hispanions were staring at the river, their eyes widening in fear as they saw something terrifying.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Why...¡±

    Without another word, the soldier saw the situation at the river.

    They couldn¡¯t see it too clearly. After all, In fact, they were far away, and thick misty curtains blurred their view. But merely the shadow of the figure was enough to scare these soldiers. Frightened, they were out of breath, almost suffocating.

    Within the low waters in the river, they saw a massive river beast appear on the surface. It was not just any beast. It was the river overlord, who used to make its enemies frighten in fear. It suddenly exploded.

    Yes, they were not mistaken. The beast exploded directly.

    Like soft y that was squished hard, it exploded.

    Far in the distance, there was blood everywhere. The beast¡¯s horrifying cry came to an abrupt halt. No other river beasts appeared, and the river suddenly became quiet once again. Maybe there were sounds when the incident happened, but the river bank was too far away, and the rain muffled all the sounds from afar, so the warriors of the tribe didn¡¯t hear any other sounds.

    In the distance, the river was shrouded in bloody mist, and everything else could not be seen.

    The heavy rain fell on the people and entered their eyes. It flowed past the narrow pupils of those from the Drumming tribe. They could tolerate the water entering their eyes, but the hurried rain fell too quickly, and as it dripped into their eyes, it caused a slight difort. But now, the soldiers did not feel it at all.

    After a moment of silence, the warriors of this tribe responded, and together, they all took a deep breath under the cool freshness of the rain.

    The rainwater poured into their trachea through their nasal cavities, and several soldiers choked, coughing through their lungs. In fact, the choke was not as serious. After all, they had just recovered from the shock. This was a natural post-traumatic behaviour.

    That was the river overlord! Everyone was terrified of it, and it asserted its dominance in the river. It was turned into a cloud of blood-fog in an instant!

    What force could be so powerful?!

 Chapter 570 - Preparing to Leave

    Chapter 570

    Preparing to Leave

    The bloody mist filled the air above the river and quickly dispersed as the bloody waters flowed downstream. It became thinner and finally disappeared.

    In the end, the people from the Drumming tribe did not know what actually happened at the river. After they saw what happened there, the entire tribe migrated further ind, away from the river.

    Although they no longer approached the big river, the people of the Drumming tribe could still guess the situation there from observing changes in the smaller streams. Before they moved back, the water in the big river had already started to decline, and some connecting streams also followed. It was simr to what happened after the rainy seasons in previous years, but this time, all the changes happened earlier than usual. This year, the water level in the smaller rivers had exceeded the typical minimum.

    The rain continued to fall, and itsted longer than in previous years. The water level in the nearby rivers had not risen and all the crocodiles in the tribe were scared and hid in their nests. They didn¡¯t dare to leave. At most, they went to the river to hunt for food. Some grumpy crocodiles even began to fight.

    The crocodiles were anxious and worried, but it wasn¡¯t just them. The Drumming tribe, along with all the other tribes living on the continent, felt the same way. They were all panicking.

    Especially the shamans of the bigger tribes. They always felt worried. It was like a beast was lurking behind them, ready to bare its fangs.

    In the Fearsome Beast Forest, within the ming Horn tribe,

    The cksmith was hitting on his metal scraps without any sense of rhythm. This was very unlike him from before. Now, his mind was no longer focused on the work at hand. His eyes did not even look at the tools he was working on. He continued to stare into space, without any focus at all.

    Shao Xuan looked at the rainless sky and said nothing. Suddenly, the sky changed. The rainy sky was reced with ink-ck darkness, and lightning struck the entire sky. It was like the sky was suddenly stained entirely with ink and was spreading fast.

    After the tremendous pressure caused by panic, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but stop and take a deep breath. His hair suddenly stood up on its ends.

    However, as soon as Shao Xuan calmed down and looked at the sky again, he noticed it had not changed at all. The rainclouds permeated the sky, and rain was showering down. Where did the lightning and darknesse from?

    ¡°No, that can¡¯t be right!¡±

    Shao Xuan walked around in circles within the house.

    This kind of feeling was too familiar to him. He didn¡¯t always get clues from his dreams. Sometimes, he would receive visions that no one else could see. It started happening very long ago, but it did not happen often.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden irritated movements caught the cksmith¡¯s attention. He stopped what he was doing and walked toward the door of the forge with a cane. He looked over at Shao Xuan and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s violently beating heart had not yet eased. Hearing the cksmith¡¯s question, he didn¡¯t bother to exin much. He turned towards him and said, ¡°Would you mind making a hat? The hard kind with a wide brim.¡±

    After speaking, Shao Xuan hurried into the rain, leaving the cksmith standing there in wonder. He didn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan wanted him to do. The style of hat that Shao Xuan mentioned was madest year for the sake of people who were working on the farms. They used it to block out the sunlight. After the prototype had been made, everyone started making it with vines and followed the style. The cksmith naturally knew what he was talking about, but Shao Xuan said to make a hard one, so he could no longer use ordinary vines.

    Although he did not understand why Shao Xuan said to make it that way, the cksmith still followed his instructions and started thinking about what materials to use.

    Shao Xuan hurriedly went to the shamans. When he arrived, the two shamans were negotiating about something, but as they saw Shao Xuan rushing over, they stopped their discussion and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    If it was just a general thing, Shao Xuan would not be so anxious.

    Shao Xuan nodded and told the two shamans what he had just seen.

    As they heard his words, the two shamans were shocked. Their eyes grew darker with worry. ¡°What do you think this sign means?¡±

    The two shamans didn¡¯t know what the situation was like,

    But Shao Xuan had a guess. After taking a deep breath, he tried to speak with a calmer tone. He tried to make his expression as clear as possible, ¡°I think the volcano in the forest may be erupting very soon!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± The two old shamans gasped in horror and shot up from their animal skin cushions.

    When Shao Xuan went out with the hunting teamst time, he told the shamans what he saw after visiting the volcano, but there was no sign at that time and no one was sure what would happen. Now, Shao Xuan knew that the possibility was higher than sixty per cent.

    The two shamans did not know what kind of impact the volcanic eruption would have, but they had learned simr things from the notes left by their ancestors.

    ¡°How soon?¡± the shaman¡¯s voice croaked with age. He shut his eyelids tightly. His loose eyelids quivered, then sprang open abruptly. He called in the two warriors who stood outside, and instructed sternly, ¡°Notify the hunt leaders and chiefs toe here immediately!¡±

    Perhaps some old warriors would be reluctant to leave, but now, the shamans had to assert their authority.

    For this action to be carried out, the leaders must be informed, as long as the leaders could take the lead, the soldiers who served them would certainly follow.

    In the past few years, some people had be braver. Usually, the shamans would pretend they didn¡¯t see anything, but now, they would not allow anyone to have objections!

    Both shamans had the same thought, not because they were arbitrarily making decisions, but because they were afraid.

    The disaster that Shao Xuan mentioned was not the main factor that was bothering them. They were more worried about the tribe splitting up into smaller groups. Would it happen again, as it did a thousand years ago? If they thought differently this time, would they suffer the same consequences? After all, this situation might be simr to the one that happened a thousand years ago.

    Two shamans, three major hunt leaders and twenty minor hunt leaders hurried over in the rain and arrived immediately.

    The shaman repeated what Shao Xuan said to the rest of the group, and then said briefly, ¡°What I mean is our tribe should get ready to leave!¡±

    Although they were all mentally prepared for a long time, they still felt reluctant to hear this decision.

    ¡°Then...when are we leaving?¡± Ao¡¯s voice was hoarse and dry, marked with apparent weariness. Dark circles surrounded his eyes. It was clear he hadn¡¯t slept well these days.

    To this question, the two shamans looked at Shao Xuan for an answer.

    Shao Xuan paused and said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave when the rain stops. Everyone should start preparing for the uing days. We can rebuild what we lose but if we lose our lives, there will be no future left for us.¡±

    The rain continued for several days, until one day, it suddenly cleared and the sun was shining brilliantly.

    However, the mood of the people from the ming Horn tribe was not as brilliant. They were ready to leave this ce, a ce they had called home for the past three years.

 Chapter 571 - The Bright Night

    Chapter 571

    The Bright Night

    As they left the ce they spent four years painstakingly rebuilding, the ming Horn tribe wept in their hearts. They were unsure whaty ahead of them and what dangers they might face. Emotions ran high.

    After all, this was their ce of origin, their home. This ce was their root, and although there was no longer any fire seed left there, it was still their home. No matter what, it was different from other ces.

    After they left, everyone felt anxious and confused. They walked with heavy steps and carried mixed feelings.

    This was different from the previousrge-scale migration. Last time, the ming Horn tribe migrated with a heart full of hope and longing. Before, their longing for a return to their homnd gave them such a powerful driving force and kept them moving forward. They wished to return to their roots, their home. But this time it was different. They suddenly empathised with their ancestors from a thousand years ago.

    Although they were depressed and knew that they were only leaving for the moment, they weren¡¯t sure whether they could return in the future. Would this ce still be the same when they return?

    They had already harvested all the crops in the fields. Even those that were not mature were uprooted and brought along.

    The beasts that they reared in the animal circle were all ughtered in advance and made into meat jerky, all except for the younger ones. Also, they made many wagons for the animals that they were bringing along. They had horses and cows to pull the wagons, and even some fearsome beasts could draw them. They had the experience from before and knew how to do so.

    This time, they made a lot of cars. The forest was full of natural resources, and they even had gold tools. Sometimes when the stone tools couldn¡¯t be used, they used the metal tools instead. With these tools, their wagons were much more durable and sturdy.

    Compared to their migration thousands of years ago, it was a little different this time. Their tribe had way more people and wagons. Amongst the wagons, there were some giant boxed-shaped ones that people were not allowed to approach. Besides a few people in the tribe, others who approached these cars would receive severe punishment.

    Inside those wagons were the Veins of the Sky, once again dug out from the ground. The wagons acted as flower pots for the thousand-year-old nt. If the weather got any better, the soldiers who were guarding over it would remove the wooden board that covered the top and let the nt absorb some sunlight. The good thing was, the Veins of the Sky did not grow as big as the white cabbages. Only its roots became damaged on the way. After all, the most extended parts in these nts were their veinlike structured roots.

    In the core of their party, there were dozens of massive wagons full of food surrounded by many guards. The people in the group did not bring much food. Most of the food was transported together in the wagons. The ming Horn tribe did not care too much about the wanderers. If they decided to leave with the ming Horns, they could follow in the team. If they did not wish to follow, they were free to go wherever they wanted.

    Some wanderers felt the ming Horns were reacting too dramatically. It wasn¡¯t even that big of a problem. At least to them. They did not wish to leave and wanted to move into the forest as soon as the ming Horn tribe left. They could finally live in their houses! They had already thought about moving into those sturdy houses for a very long time. Now that the ming Horn tribe was leaving, no one was there to stop them. If they were lucky, they might even get to live in the shaman¡¯s or the leader¡¯s homes and enjoy their time there!

    Some wanderers still decided to follow the ming Horn tribe because they learned from their experience dealing with the previous changes. They knew it was the right thing to do, but not many of them followed along. This minority that followed knew the truth; they knew that they could either choose to stay or leave with the ming Horn tribe. If they chose neither of those options and decided to go to other ces, it would definitely be more difficult for them to survive.

    The entire ming Horn tribe had more than ten thousand people. It was a pronounced migration, and they couldn¡¯t hide from the sight of other tribes.

    It had only been four years, and now the ming Horns were moving once again!

    Unbelievable!

    All the tribes who learned about this incident felt that the ming Horn tribe was crazy. Are they treating migration like a game? How long has it only been since theirst migration? Why are they still migrating? Do they think the fire seed is a joke?

    Wait, speaking of which, where had they hid their fire seed? They could not sense its presence at all!

    However, during this time, the ground shook more frequently and the fight for water continued. Although many talked about the ming Horn tribe¡¯s migration at the beginning, they stopped paying attention shortly after. After all, they still had to fight for the water, and there was still a lot to do. Of course, there were still some people trying to guess the ming Horn tribe¡¯s intentions.

    Shao Xuan had already sent someone to inform the Lu tribe.

    The Hui tribe was too far from them. Gui He could only send his snow falcon to inform them. After all, they were allies. They should be informed about the migration. They needed to know about this so they could be cautious. The reason their horses were so obedient was that the Hui tribe trained them. They were more reliable than those bought from other tribes, and they were calmer when it came to dangerous situations.

    Along the way, many attempted to rob the ming Horn tribe, but all of them were killed ruthlessly. Even gangs of robbers who originated from the same tribe dared to attack them. Because they could not win the fight for water, they decided to start a new way of living: robbery!

    Robbing as a gang was better and more efficient because they could have strategies, and their sess rate was higher. Due to their previous sesses, they gradually shifted to bigger targets, and this time, their target was the ming Horn tribe. It was partly because theirrge wagons full of food caught the robbers¡¯ attention. The robbers could already smell its scent from afar even though it was covered with cloth. They were not willing to give up such a rare opportunity.

    But when dealing with robbers, the ming Horn tribe never hesitated to kill.

    Every single robber who dared to attack would be ughtered.

    This year¡¯s rainy seasonsted longer, so after it ended, the time for the two moons to merge was slowly approaching. Today was finally the day.

    The two moons mergedpletely. Their light was as bright as daylight and illuminated the night.

    Ever since they came here, the ming Horns had not felt the terror from seeing the merging of the two moons. Fear once again enveloped their hearts.

    Shao Xuan felt his eyelids twitch. His felt a wave of anxiety suddenly flood over him, and his entire body was covered in cold sweat. It was like someone poured a bucket of water over him. He was suddenly frozen and stopped dead in his tracks.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Zheng Luo asked from his side. It wasn¡¯t because he was suspicious. He knew something was wrong.

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s words came out of his mouth without any prior thinking. It was an instinctive reaction.

    Zheng Luo wanted to ask again, but the fierce beasts in the team that had been resting suddenly stood up in fright. Then, the cattle, horses, and other animals that were pulling the carts also became anxious.

    Boom!

    The ground trembled without warning. It shook violently from underneath and woke many who were sleeping. Many of them lost their bnce and fell directly to the ground.

    Crack! Crack!

    The sound of cracks forming in the ground shook the peace in their hearts.

    They trembled with uncontroble fear. Even if they had been told about what they might encounter and made mental preparations, they had never experienced anything like this. It was nothing like what they experienced before.

    Under the bright night, a gush of air rushed out from the cracks in the ground, filling the air with terror. The people were unable to resist or react rationally.

    This was not the power of a fierce beast. Even the king beasts, regarded as undefeatable by people, did not possess such destructive power. This was the power of heaven and earth!

    This time, it was not like the sudden and short earthquakes from before.

    Following the cracks, they suddenly heard a loud explosion that was almost deafening. People who were in line in the team stared nkly at the path they had taken when they took a rest. Over there, they could see the endless rock wall suddenly emerge from the ground. It was as if a pair of hands split the earth in half.

    The trembling ground caused the people to lose their rationality, and at that moment, their minds suddenly went nk.

    They didn¡¯t know how destructive this strength was until they confronted it now.

    Before, they could not understand why their powerful ancestors were forced to leave their homnd. Now, they finally felt it. But this was just the beginning.

    The night turned into day, and everyone watched in horror.

 Chapter 572 - The Dark Morning

    Chapter 572

    The Dark Morning

    The night passed slowly. When the sun finally reced the double moons, the trembling ground had not stilled.

    The Fearsome Beast Forest.

    The chaos started long before the trembling started. Beasts that sensed something wrong had made the first move, the others soon followed suit. Beasts that normally fought every day over resources didn¡¯t bat an eye at each other, they were all running for their lives.

    Maybe these beasts were more evolved than the rest, they just knew that what was happening was inevitable. They could do nothing about it so they only had one thing on their mind. A straightforward solution that hadn¡¯t failed them or their ancestors...

    Flee!

    Flee the danger zone!

    Hence, the beasts ran in all directions. The peaceful forest was in chaos.

    When the booming sound came, the ground started to shake. The forest seemingly lost its bnce, its insides jumbling around involuntarily.

    Cracks appeared down thend, the verynd that millions of lives lived on. Some unlucky beasts even fell into the holes, releasing out horrifying screams as they descended. Many weren¡¯t able to stop in time and went plunging down the hole. Even those that did were pushed down by the ones behind them. The whole scene looked like a sick sacrificial ritual.

    A beast leapt with its mighty legs over a crack but in a moment of misfortune, the gap grew wider.

    Sounds of the ground cracking mixed with the screechings of the beast made the perfect background music for a nightmare.

    Even the most ferocious beasts didn¡¯t stand a chance against this immense power of nature.

    There was an indent at the top of the volcano that Shao Xuan saw before. The pond was no longer there. Instead, the warriors that went to check were greeted with some molten rocks in the indent.

    Now, just as the sun rose, following arge ¡°boom¡±, ash andva shot violently into the sky. The sky darkened at shocking speed and darkness spread further as time passed.

    As theva spewed out, the surrounding mountains crumbled.

    The clouds seemed bruised from the eruption. Plumes of ck, yellow and white from the ash andva lifted into the sky.

    The volcano that had remained silent for nearly a thousand years had exploded with such abrupt anger. Lava surged down the mountain, burning through the forest.

    Lightning shed in the dark clouds, thunder pping a pair of gigantic hands. The lightning bolts scribbled within the clouds with no sense of pattern. Anything could be its next target!

    ck ash came spewing out at a terrifying speed. It painted the sky in ck like ink on paper.

    The beasts in the forest ran for their life. They bumped into trees with such force that the trees came crashing down. Smaller animals smacked into the trees with so much force that they died.

    The bodies of those poor animals wouldn¡¯t stay intact for too long too. In a second, another beast woulde running onto it, smushing it into the dirt.

    The animals lost any intelligence they had in this chaos, solely relying on their instinct to fight through this mess to get out alive.

    Some of the wanderers in the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t follow the group leaving from the area. They stayed there and rather enjoyed their first few days. They had therger houses to themselves now, even the shamans and chief¡¯s houses.

    They searched the houses for items the ming Horn tribespeople left behind. There were some metal tools and food.

    They nned to search through all the houses, then move on. They were not dumb, they knew they couldn¡¯t stay for long too. They just waited for the tribespeople to leave first then check the area for whatever valuables they left behind.

    However, everything came too fast. Before they were done with their search, nature had already struck.

    The ground shook violently. Two-thirds of the houses immediately fell, many of them stone houses too. Seemingly sturdy houses could not stand against the forces of nature.

    However, most of the wanderers stayed in the centre of the tribe, where all the chiefs and shamans lived. The houses there were even stronger than the others. That night, many of them did survive but the houses wouldn¡¯t survive any longer.

    Things were different today.

    It started with a loud explosion. The wanderers stayed in their homes for protection as they looked at the endless stream of beasts run out from the forest.

    The moonlit night before had many beasts running out but it was nothingpared to this!

    The wanderers in the houses were drained of colour from their faces. Big drops of sweat flowed down their shivering bodies. The footsteps had no intention of stopping, they even got tighter as time passed. Many houses copsed from the beasts crashing into it, even the sturdier houses fell after shaking from the vibrations on the ground.

    A traveller gulped. He stood atop a table to peek out a window. All the windows were covered, that small window on top was the only one uncovered.

    With a deep breath, he looked out into the sky.

    The shaman¡¯s house was located where there weren¡¯t many things obstructing its view of the sky.

    With just a look outside, the fear in the traveller¡¯s eyes reached its maximum. At that moment, he had given up on living.

    The red clouds from the sunset were rapidly darkening to pitch ck.

    Huge flocks of birds flew desperately, trying to get out of this hell hole but they were soon swallowed by the darkness.

    Rocks shot out like cannonballs, firing into the distance. Areas outside the forest were not safe from the rocks too.

    The stone pir that Shao Xuan built next to the fire pond wasn¡¯t able to meet the same fate as its predecessor. It came crashing down that day, unlike the old stone pir that was able to withstand a thousand years.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The rocks rained down,nding onto roofs, the stone pir, shards scattering everywhere.

    The mixture of roars, explosions, rocks crashing would send chills down any person¡¯s spine.

    Thest ray of light disappeared, enveloping everything in darkness. Yet the beasts continued to run for their lives.

    The ash continued to spread further with no signs of stopping.

 Chapter 573 - Changes in the Darkness

    Chapter 573

    Changes in the Darkness

    Shao Xuan and the rest could still clearly hear the sounds of the volcano explosion from where they were resting.

    Not just them, the other tribes could hear the explosions too. They had no idea what had happened.

    Their original n was to continue their journey after a rest. After many discussions, they decided to follow the simple map their ancestors left and pick a ce where the tectonic tes weren¡¯t so active. Shao Xuan thought that anywhere else from the earthquake belt would be a safer option.

    While making the route, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t follow the one their ancestors made that went to where the current Drumming tribe was located. The route Shao Xuan took was mainly ind. With such vigorous tectonic activity, he wasn¡¯t sure how safe the edge would be.

    Currently, they only had half of the route drawn out. It hadn¡¯t reached the ind and was quite far from therge tribes.

    The snow falcon that was sent to the Hui tribe to deliver a message came back shaking. Itnded on Gui He¡¯s shoulder and waspletely unwilling to fly again.

    ¡°Are we continuing not?¡± Ao stabilized himself and asked Shao Xuan.

    The ground was still shaking with pulses of stronger vibrationsing from time to time. It was hard to even stand when the vibrations were strong.

    ¡°No.¡± Shao Xuan shook his head and looked at the sky. ¡°We will rest here, I don¡¯t think we can travel for a few days.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not moving? What does this mean?¡± Was a stronger waveing?!

    This was the conclusion Shao Xuan got when he used knot divination before the sun came out and the vibrations were weaker.

    ¡°We will need to rest for at least five days. Tell everyone to get ready and stay away from the cracks. Don¡¯t stray away from the group. Oh, and take your hats out,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Although the two chiefs had no idea why Shao Xuan ordered them to do so, they still followed the orders.

    The group that was slightly spread out from the ground moving was gathered again. Food and water were passed out and everyone got their hats out.

    Soon enough, a shout came from a warrior.

    Everyone looked in that direction.

    The ckness was spreading over quickly in the sky.

    ¡°That...¡± Ao¡¯s voice was shaky.

    The sky was ck and it was spreading. It came from the direction of the Fearsome Beast Forest.

    The darkness caused a sizable panic in the camp.

    ¡°What is that?!¡±

    ¡°What is happening?!¡±

    The rowdy beasts and animals were held down firmly. Shao Xuanforted Caesar who was beside him and told Old Ke, ¡°Wear your hat.¡±

    The ck sky soon was over the group¡¯s heads. Ash and small stones rained down, hitting onto the hats made of different materials.

    They were quite a distance away from the forest, therge rocks didn¡¯t fall here. It was mostly just ash and fine rocks so as long as the tribespeople wore their hats, they were safe.

    An old warrior used a piece of bup to cover his face. With arge leather cloak, he took the young child in his family into his embrace and wrapped themselves up, only leaving a small hole. He pulled on the strings, tightened the cloak and looked towards where the chiefs were standing. It was dark but just enough light was there to see some human figures.

    As long as the Grand Elder, chiefs, shamans and hunt leaders were there, they should be fine.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s actions actually did calm the people down. They felt assured knowing that the leaders predicted this happening and made ns.

    Actually, Shao Xuan was facing some problems with his knot divination. He hadn¡¯t seeded in using it to find out where they should go, maybe he didn¡¯t have enough energy or maybe it wasn¡¯t time yet. He had to push through anyway.

    If he could go through this rough patch, he could find out more.

    With the ck smoke blocking the clouds, the temperature everywhere dropped. From Shao Xuan¡¯s most recent reading, he knew this wouldst for at least five days. Five days of no sunlight. Shao Xuan also understood that even after things settled down, they wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to the forest and farm like they usually did.

    Hunting? It would be tough. With such drastic changes, how many beasts would survive?

    Would ming Horn even survive if they went back?

    Shao Xuan stared at the ck sky, deep in thought.

    At that moment, on a beach far from them, there was another explosion that emitted more dark dense smoke. It eventually covered the whole area in ck smoke as well.

    The volcano in the Fearsome Beat forest was shaved down by a few hundred metres. Following its still on-going explosions, the changes would continue to happen.

    A wave a few hundred metres tall rushed onward with another higher wave tightly following at the back. The waves went one after another, attacking thend as they crashed.

    In the desert, the darkness was spreading. A few confused ves that were wandering around shouted in fear. Soon enough, their shouts ended when the waves swallowed them whole. The poor ves who thought they were able to run away from Rock Hill City had their dreams and lives taken away like that.

    The people from Rock Hill City rarely went to the seaside to attack the resistance forming there. Even if the resistance was getting stronger, the people would ignore it.

    Now people were questioning whether the people from Rock Hill City knew this would happen all along.

    It was just a suspicion, they would never be able to get an answer.

    The series of tsunamis had swallowed a third of the desert. No, to be precise, arge chunk of the desert disappeared following the strong tremors.

    Even in the area that wasn¡¯t attacked by the waves weren¡¯t safe.

    The culprits were the sand storms or the suddenly sinking sandpits that swallowed humans and beasts. The only safe ce in sight was Rock Hill City.

    Rock Hill City seemed to be perfectly fine other than the few weak tremors felt there. No sand storms were present there, any impact the tsunami might have had was weakened by the distance between Rock Hill City and the sea.

    A long time ago, someone asked the Rock Hill City¡¯s lord: why did he build a city here? With Rock Hill City¡¯s power, they would be able to get a much better ce.

    The lord just smiled without a reply.

    Every lord knew the reason but they never told anyone, even the descendants of the Shi family had no idea. Only people in line for the throne would find out.

    As the darkness continued, between the shaking mountains, many changes happened without anyone¡¯s knowledge.

 Chapter 574 - The Way Out

    Chapter 574

    The Way Out

    There was seemingly nowhere that was peaceful in the maind.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t able to know how people in other ces fared but in this state, he knew it was useless to hope for someone toe save them.

    The shaking continued but the darkness hadn¡¯t passed. It had already been two days since theyst saw any sunlight.

    The ash umted into a thickyer on the ground. If anyoneid down on the first day without moving, they would bepletely buried by the second day.

    In the darkness, the tribe had set up arge tent. This was prepared by Shao Xuan before they left. The tent was made with animal skin, it was much sturdier than bup and supported with metal poles. Three warriors stood guard outside to move any stones holding the tent down and were shaken out of ce by the ground movement.

    In the tent were the women and children that didn¡¯t have totemic powers, the elderly and some injured warriors.

    During this period, many people sustained major injuries that would require them to amputate their limbs but with the Veins of the Sky, they were able to keep their limbs and recover.

    Shao Xuan walked around the campsite without a Water Moon stone. He was able to see clearly without it although the other warriors required it. He could easily spot any injured warriors like this.

    When they spot an injured person, Shao Xuan would gather some people and move the patient into the tent where Gui Ze would bring a tray of medicine to treat them.

    ¡°How¡¯s the situation?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It is fine for now. There aren¡¯t that many severely injured,¡± Gui He passed a small animal skin sack to Shao Xuan. ¡°There¡¯s some new medicine in it, pass it to the other warriors, they¡¯ll feel better.¡±

    Shao Xuan opened up the sack to find pills in it. The pills are smaller in size than they usually were but they had to be smart with their supplies now. Who knew when they could get more again. If it wasn¡¯t a serious injury, they had to use less medicine.

    Back when Shao Xuan was learning medicine in the tribe, he experimented forming pills. Later on, everyone found the pills to be much more convenient to use so that slowly became the norm.

    These few days, many started to feel unwell because of the particles in the air, especially those without totemic powers. The warriors didn¡¯t show any signs of difort but the others would feel short of breath or even sustain lung damage.

    The pills Gui He passed out were specifically for the warriors. They didn¡¯t rest in the camp like the others. They had to go out and protect the area and search for injured people. Although they did not show any symptoms, they were still at risk. The pills were more of a preventative measure than anything.

    When Shao Xuan was passing out the pills, he met Duo Kang, who was violently coughing. Duo Kang had removed his bup mask earlier because he thought they were inconvenient. He breathed in some ash and was now on the floor coughing his lungs out.

    ¡°Eat this,¡± Shao Xuan passed a pill, ¡°The mask might be ufortable but it is better than what you¡¯re facing now.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to say much, Duo Kang already regretted his actions. He stuffed the tablet into his mouth and washed it down with some water. He immediately felt relieved. His breathing was back to normal too.

    When he settled down, Duo Kang sat down on the floor and asked Shao Xuan, ¡°What are we going to do after this?¡±

    Shao Xuan knew they were starting to get nervous. Not just Duo Kang- the others, the chiefs, the shamans, the hunt leaders and other warriors. They hadn¡¯t voiced it out but their eyes carried worry in them. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t me them, no one had experienced something like the past two days before.

    Shao Xuan thought for a while then called Tuo over and passed the pouch containing the pills to him. He asked him to pass out the rest of the pills to the warriors who haven¡¯t had them. Then, Shao Xuan sat down on the ground, dusted off his hat and took out some rope from his pocket.

    Duo Kang immediately recognised what he was doing and brought a water moon stone to light up the area for a better look.

    These past two days, he tried the divination and knew that it was temporarily safe here. The three areas that were hit the hardest were the Fearsome Beast Forest, somewhere in the desert and beside the river on ancestor¡¯s path. Although thest one wasn¡¯t as bad as the former two.

    They are currently far away from the three areas so they are safe for now.

    Shao Xuan immersed himself in the divination once again. Maybe because he had done it enough times and was better at it, Shao Xuan was able to see more things through the divinations. Therefore, he was doing divination every two days to try to see more. The more he knew, the higher the chances of them surviving.

    Shao Xuan did the knot divination twice every day to see where they should head next.

    He could use the fire seed to help with his guesses but they had no fire seed now. Even the shamans were helpless in this factor. They could only act on instinct now.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s mind was telling him to use the path their ancestors used but he couldn¡¯t confirm the safety of the whole tribe like that so he was hesitant in doing so.

    When the divination ended, Shao Xuan looked at the results and felt relieved.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ao, who was standing not too far behind, immediately ran up. He went away for a moment to check up on the injured, he knew better than to disturb Shao Xuan when he was doing a reading. Now that Shao Xuan had seeded, he was excited to hear the results.

    ¡°When the ground stops shaking and the skies clear up, we head that way.¡± Shao Xuan pointed in a direction.

    ¡°That way? The path our ancestors used?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 575 - Farewell

    Chapter 575

    Farewell

    Honestly, it was veryforting to have a concrete n.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s conclusion was an antidote for the people¡¯s worry but it was still faced with mixed reactions. That wasn¡¯t the direction of their homnd.

    Would they be able to even return to their homnd?

    Four years!

    Four years of farming and building was all gone now!

    The great ming Horn homnd abandoned like this...

    Many of them did make mental preparations for this. Maybe one day their descendants would return to their homnd...

    At the same time, they also remembered why they chose that plot ofnd to be their homnd in the first ce. It was because of the fire seed!

    The fire source was located at the homnd, they wanted to go there toplete the fire seed.

    However, now that the fire seed waspleted and integrated into the ming Horn tribes people¡¯s bodies, there was no reason they had to live at the old haunt. The fire seed could be passed down to the next generations just like that.

    In the darkness, the ground shook around as it had a mind of its own. The tiny humans could do nothing about it.

    Three dayster, after onest explosion andrge tremor, the shaking slowed down and didn¡¯t ur as frequently.

    In thatst blow, many more were injured, some were even killed. Luckily there was enough medicine so the death count remained low.

    The dark and dense clouds of smoke were dissipating too. It didn¡¯t happen really quickly but the change was obvious. Soon enough, the tribespeople didn¡¯t need the help of the water moon stone to see clearly.

    The situation was seemingly getting better.

    The tribespeople regrouped. Counting the number of people left, many did survive the disaster. Even most of the travellers that followed the tribespeople survived.

    Shao Xuan, the shamans, the chiefs and hunt leaders were all gathered in a small tent, nning their next move.

    Up until now, Shao Xuan¡¯s predictions were mostly urate so they decided to follow his decision without much deliberation. However, there were some that felt it was a pity to leave their homnd that they worked so hard to build up.

    ¡°Why not when the ground settles down, we send a small team back to the homnd to check and see whether we can continue our lives there. At least we can get closure on this matter,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The shaman agreed, ¡°I think this is a good solution.¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t for his weak body, the shaman would have wanted to go back and take a look too. He knew they were right on time, he couldn¡¯t hold back the team by making them wait for an old man to catch up.

    The next day, the sky was still grey but it was considered much brighter than the past few days. At least they could tell the day from the night now.

    Once things settled down, Shao Xuan and his team headed out to the old haunt.

    ¡®This may raise even more questions than answers,¡¯ thought Shao Xuan.

    There was a high chance not everyone would return from the trip so only twenty people were selected to go over.

    Most people from Ao¡¯s camp were selected. They were much more attached to the homnd and the people from Zheng Luo¡¯s camp needed to guard the remaining ming Horn tribespeople.

    The team of twenty ran towards the homnd, leaving their traces in the thickyer of ash.

    The ash wasn¡¯tpletely clear, the sky was still murky. Sunlight peeked through shyly, just enough for the warriors to see the area clearly.

    Luckily, the sun was still visible, or else it would be hard for them to find the right direction. The terrain waspletely changed. Low-lying areas became hills and the hills that were previously there were gone now. Nothing was visible under the thickyer of ash. Maybe bones and smaller life forms (if still alive somehow) were hidden underneath.

    The odd bird would fly through the sky looking lost.

    Shao Xuan and the rest didn¡¯t see anyone on their way back to the old haunt.

    ¡°This is it.¡± Shao Xuan stopped and looked to the front.

    ¡°Here? You¡¯re saying this is our old haunt?! How is this possible!?¡±

    Ao was utterly shocked. His eyes were filled with fear as he scanned the area.

    In front of them was a rather t piece ofnd covered in ash. It resembled a desert. This was their homnd?!

    Ao started to tremble.

    Shao Xuan stepped forward and pierced his sword into the deepyer of ash to flick it up.

    There was unidentifiable gravel in the ground with some brown from dried blood. It could havee from the beasts that fled the forest or the wanderers who stayed in the homnd.

    Shao Xuan looked through theyer of ash to see the situation below.

    Most of the areas that bulged up were just stones from buildings, some were corpses of dead animals.

    The beasts that ruled the forests were all defenceless against nature here.

    Maybe there were still some beasts that survived the disaster but the ming Horn warriors were too preupied with looking at their homnd. There could be a ce in the forest for them to call home but their homnd wasn¡¯t one of those ces.

    There was a pungent smelling from the ground. Shao Xuan grabbed a stone pir and looked at it. If it wasn¡¯t the pattern on the pir, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t even have recognised it.

    It was the pir he personally carved. It had fallen and smashed into a thousand pieces.

    This was worse than what their ancestors had faced!

    When their ancestors left, there were changes in the area but most of their items were still there. However, in this case, nothing was intact, everything was ruined!

    The whole area was gone!

    Four years of hard work, gone.

    The dense forest and tall mountains, gone.

    It was just a pile of dirt left.

    Ao who was calm this whole time couldn¡¯t help but weep. Some warriors cried too.

    Pitter-patter! Pitter-patter!

    The rain came pouring down in an instant.

    The raindrops fell onto the ground, flicking up dust as they did.

    The rain washed away the grey smog in the sky. Some grey dropletsnded on Shao Xuan leaving a trail as it continued its journey downwards.

    The twenty people stood in the rain for nearly an hour. Then, they prayed to the ground, bidding this ce farewell. Perhaps they wouldn¡¯t be able to return to this ce in their lifetime but maybe one day their descendants would revive this ce once more.

    The rain got heavier as time went on, the ground became mud. The line of people praying on the ground was covered in mud but they didn¡¯t care.

    As they got up, they looked at the area with grief but a hint of determination was still there. After that, they went back to the campsite. Their people were waiting.

 Chapter 576 - Where Now

    <strong>Where Now</strong>

    When the team rejoined the rest of the tribespeople, the sky had cleared up. After a few days of darkness and murky skies, a rainbow had appeared but nobody bothered to look up. They were too worried about their future.

    The rest of the tribespeople had sent out teams to scout the area in different directions while Shao Xuan and his team were out. Knowing more about the area would benefit them in the long run.

    Soon after Shao Xuan returned, the scouts returned too.

    ording to what they said, no ce was untouched by the disaster. Some tribes were affected badly with their terrain turned upside down and cracks in the ground. On the other hand, some tribes, which were mostly therger tribes, had it better.

    Some small and medium tribes met different levels of blows to their area butparatively therger tribes like theEight Limbs tribe, Longboat tribe and others didn¡¯t suffer significant losses.

    ¡°Their areas didn¡¯t have tremors as strong as the forest. They probably experienced the same level of tremors as us,¡± said the warriors that returned.

    ¡°Apparently, two thousand years ago, many tribes were in different locations. Eight Limbs tribe and Mang tribe were quite far apart, they only moved closerter on,¡± said Ao. He heard a lot of stories from the long-distance hunting teams in the past four years.

    ¡°Looks like they didn¡¯t move that far from their original spot. I think they just moved to a more stable area to avoid damages from disasters like this,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Every tribe would have their reasons for moving to an area. For example, the ming Horn tribe moved to the Fearsome Beast forest to be able to hunt. However, for tribes that don¡¯t rely on hunting for food anymore, anywhere with fertile soil and constant water supply would be a good area to live in.

    ¡°No wonder we didn¡¯t notice anymotion from them, they were already prepared,¡± sighed the shaman. The ancestors of these few tribes had already snatched up the more stable areas years ago. That was how they could grow their civilization without any disturbances.

    ¡°So, location is very important!¡± sighed the two shamans.

    But how would they find such a ce?

    It was because ming Horn was located in the Fearsome Beast Forest that they weren¡¯t able to snatch a more stable plot ofnd as they were further from these regions.

    Where would they go this time?

    When Shao Xuan pointed out the direction they were heading to, the shaman and Ao thought they might be headed back to the ce they once called home but as time went on they dismissed the thought. There was still a huge river to cross. How would they be able to get there? Would they need to wait a year to even cross it?

    When everyone returned, the tribespeople continued their journey towards the area Shao Xuan pointed out.

    With their homnd destroyed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to head back anytime soon. They had to find a new ce to live. Although everything was gone, they still gained a lot in the four years. Their pottery, metal tools, textiles, farming knowledge and others were all greatly improved. Being separated from the rest of the world, the people of ming Horn were like sponges, absorbing knowledge wherever they went.

    There were so many changes in the four years, especially for the fire seed.

    Without the fire seed¡¯s presence to unite them, would the tribe be scattered all around? This was a question that weighed on the shamans and chiefs.

    There was no point in thinking too much, they had to deal with this step by step. They¡¯ll find a new ce then think about this.

    Shao Xuan took out the ropes again. He wanted to confirm the direction.

    ¡°What now?¡± asked the two chiefs nervously.

    ¡°No changes to the original n, we continue in this direction.¡± Shao Xuan held the ropes tightly in his fists. With a flick of his wrist, the straw rope turned to shreds. Shao Xuan had entertained the thought of going to the old homnd. The rope divination seemed to be pointing to that direction. It was indeed a good location but he knew they wouldn¡¯t be able to live there for a thousand years. The river was another problem too.

    The long line marched forward. Many of the carts they made were destroyed so they weren¡¯t able to transport people. The injured would sometimes get a lift from their farm animals.

    The tribesmen met a few robbers on their journey. The robbers were from smaller tribes where these changes were disastrous for them. They were left stranded without food or manpower so they resorted to robbing for their essentials. However, there were too many ming Horn tribespeople so their attempts failed.

    The route looked different from the time they travelled here. After all, they mostly used boats then and were travelling on foot now.

    Some dried up rivers had a steady flow of water in them now. They weren¡¯t sure of the reason but this was a good sign.

    More and more people knew about ming Horn moving tribes as they travelled on. Some people from Longboat tribes came over to help them in exchange for goods.

    They all had their eyes on the seven green-faced fanged beasts within the ming Horn tribe. Before they started their journey, the tribesmen fed the beasts medicine to knock them out so they slept through all the tremors. Shao Xuan also enved them so they didn¡¯t have as much attacking power.

    The Longboat tribe tried to make weapons with the beast they captured but failed. They were more experienced now but theycked the materials to try again. They were hoping to use this opportunity for a trade.

    ming Horn declined their offers.

    The boats in the Longboat tribe were mostly damaged. Repairs were going to cost time as most of the trees here were damaged too. If they needed to makerge scale repairs, they wouldn¡¯t have enough materials.

    The people of ming Horn didn¡¯t want to trade for boats from the tribe either. They could make their own boats if they wanted to and they didn¡¯t want to share the secrets of their new bronze weapons.

    Other than the Longboat tribe, the other tribes came forward and had the intention to go up to them too. However, they too were faced with their own problems after the disaster.

    Many days passed when the ming Horn tribespeople finally reached the Drumming tribe. The people there were busy rebuilding their houses when a guard blew the whistle signalling an intruder. They didn¡¯t expect it to be ming Horn tribespeople they hadn¡¯t seen in years!

 Chapter 577 - This is it

    Chapter 577

    This is it

    The ming Horn people were still fresh in the memories of the people in the Drumming tribe. They didn¡¯te into contact with other tribes often and the ming Horn tribe had helped them once.

    However, the tribe they met then was much smaller.

    The people of the Drumming tribe were rather happy to see Shao Xuan and some other familiar faces after four years but they couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Are you ... moving?¡±

    They just moved here four years ago, are they moving away so soon?

    They were moving way too frequently. Even though it was because of a natural disaster, their moving frequency was still very high.

    Fu Shi didn¡¯t have any ill intention behind his words but it still stung the ming Horns. If they weren¡¯t forced to do so, why would they give up on the homnd they worked so hard on for four years?

    In the group, Ao, Gui He and the others felt a sense of familiarity. The thought popped up in their heads again. Were they really heading back to where they came from?

    The thought of it made them excited. Compared to a new ce, they would much rather go back to the forest they once called home. Although it wasn¡¯t perfect, they were still sentimental to the ce.

    Before Fu Shi spoke again, Ao said, ¡°Would there be any changes to that river? Did the river beastse back? Can we use the boats further upstream?¡±

    With Ao¡¯s rapid volley of questions, Fu Shi had a weird expression on his face. The warriors of the Drumming tribe had the same expression too.

    Shao Xuan then asked, ¡°Why? Did the river change?¡±

    ¡°Change? Of course!¡± Fu Shi pointed towards the river and said, ¡°Did you notice the sounds of the river had changed?¡±

    The sounds of the river?

    The people of ming Horn didn¡¯t conduct many activities on water, soparatively, the people of the Drumming tribe were more knowledgeable than them in this sector.

    ¡°I don¡¯t hear it,¡± said Ao honestly.

    Fu Shi didn¡¯t judge him for it but his eyes carried mixed emotions. ¡°The sounds of therge river aren¡¯t there. Thatrge river isn¡¯t there anymore.¡±

    Fu Shi sighed. When the earthquake happened, his people were nearly thrown around by it. They tied themselves and their family members to the trees or went to hilly areas. There are many hills and mountains here, not many nds so even if they wanted to hide, they would just be hiding from hill to hill.

    When everything settled down, Fu Shi tried to go back to the river banks only to find that the vige was destroyed. The houses were all gone but even more shocking, the river too!

    The people of ming Horn, who had mentally prepared to stay around for a year, were shocked to hear Fu Shi¡¯s words. Shao Xuan was not excluded. He was thinking about how to build the ships while waiting for the rainy season to stop.

    Everyone was left speechless.

    How did such arge river disappear?

    Additionally, ording to the Drumming tribespeople, the changes happened within five days. If they hadn¡¯t escaped in time, maybe they would have lost many more members in the disaster zone.

    ¡°Let me bring you there.¡± Fu Shi sighed as he started walking.

    Shao Xuan and the two chiefs followed his lead.

    There were adult and small crocodiles in the area. A brown-eyed one quickly ran towards Shao Xuan. It was the crocodile from many years before. It was much bigger now so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t recognise it until Fu Shi pointed it out.

    Shao Xuan was still preupied with thinking about the river so he only patted its head before he hurriedly followed Fu Shi again.

    The reason for the destruction of the homes in Drumming tribe wasn¡¯t because of the shaking ground but because of the rain that brought down andslide of mud.

    ¡°There it is, see for yourself.¡± Fu Shi pointed in a direction.

    In front of them was only a raised stone mound, they couldn¡¯t see beyond it.

    When they walked onto the stone mound then only Shao Xuan could clearly see the area.

    ¡°So... it¡¯s true...¡±

    ¡°There... That... There it is!¡± Ta was too agitated to speak full sentences. The others couldn¡¯t understand him but the ming Horn people knew.

    Across the tiny stream, it was the ce they once lived!

    The mountain seemed to have gotten taller, the nds were now hills. The houses they built had all toppled.

    The heavy breathing and red faces of the ming Horn people confused Fu Shi.

    ¡°There was where we lived!¡± Ao said after a deep breath.

    They lived in the homnd for four years but that ce across the river was their home for more than a decade!

    How could they not be agitated?

    When they first left, they had thought ofing back here to live. The shaman had also said that if things didn¡¯t go well in the new area, they coulde back. As time went on, the new tribe thrived so they didn¡¯t have a reason to go back. They would have the asional dream of the mysterious forest, those familiar hunting routes...

    ¡°Who would have thought... Hahaha!¡± Ao took another deep breath. He seemed to exhale out all his frustrations.

    ¡°Is this it? Ah Xuan?¡± Ao stared at the other side of the river.

    Yes.¡± Shao Xuan was sure that the knot divination was pointing in that direction.

    A thousand years ago, their ancestors fled thend because of a crack in the ground which formed the great river, forbidding them from returning. Now, a thousand yearster, thends were connected once again.

    The great river that existed for a thousand years was no more. The only thing left of it was a small stream.

    At least this gave the ming Horns somefort.

 Chapter 578 - An Old Friend

    <h4>An Old Friend</h4>

    When they crossed the river, many children of the tribespeople were still young. Four years have passed, some of them were now totemic warriors.

    Knowing they were headed towards the other side of the river, the sadness in the hearts of the ming Horn tribespeople who once lived there disappeared.

    The whole time they walked with heavy hearts, worried about their future. Their homnd was no more, where could they go?

    But now, they could finally rx.

    If they couldn¡¯t go back to their homnd, they could go back to their other homnd!

    For the whole ming Horn tribe, the location in Fearsome Beast Forest was their homnd but for some of them, the location right across the river was the homnd in their hearts.

    Even with so many changes, with the banks nearly unrecognisable, they could still identify the ces they were so familiar with.

    That was it, the true homnd for some of them!

    Ao, Da, Gui He and the others were getting excited at the thought of heading back.

    ¡°Chief! Are we... are we heading back?¡± someone asked

    At the sound of the words ¡®heading back¡¯, some of them couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    Ao also couldn¡¯t help himself. With a smile, he said, ¡°Yes, we¡¯re heading back.¡±

    ¡°Ughya!¡± Someone made a weird sound.

    ¡°Haha! Let¡¯s go back!!¡±

    Some young warriors jumped excitedly. They thought they were moving to a foreign ce. When they left, they were still kids but now they had already been on hunting trips for two years.

    Looking at their excitement, Zheng Luo and the rest were much calmer. They never lived there before so anything they knew about the ce was through the other¡¯s stories.

    ¡°Is that where you all lived before?¡± Asked Zheng Luo. ¡°Who knew that things would end up like this!¡±

    The forest there wasn¡¯t part of Fearsome Beast Forest. It still had king beasts roaming and many other unique species around. Zheng Luo and the others didn¡¯t feel scared, instead they looked at it in anticipation.

    ¡°What a great ce!¡± Duo Kangmented after scanning the area once. Although he hadn¡¯t quite seen the full area, he knew with his years of hunting experience that this would be a great hunting area! The area across the river had a sense of danger to it, it was exhrating!

    ¡°There are beasts there!¡± Duo Kang was itching to get there.

    For these hunters, hunting was like breathing to them. Once they had to stop for a while, they would be itching to get back at it.

    After he heard what Duo Kang said, Fu Shi smiled and asked him, ¡°You can smell the beasts all the way from here?¡±

    ¡°Of course! It¡¯s simr to the Fearsome Beast Forest!¡± Said Duo Kang with pride.

    Fu Shi smiled and didn¡¯t say anything. He looked to Shao Xuan, ¡°Can you smell it?¡±

    Shao Xuan stared at the river bank, his gaze heavy, ¡°Yes, I can feel the beasts.¡± He paused for a while and added, ¡°The smell is familiar.¡±

    Shao Xuan dropped his voice as he spoke. Caesar looked across the river and whined.

    Caesar¡¯s whined awakened the tribe members that were deep in their fantasies.

    ¡°Even Caesar remembers this ce.¡±

    ¡°Of course, that was where he grew up.¡± Mai couldn¡¯t hide his smile. He remembered that some of the enved animals stayed here too so they were probably also happy to be back to their old home.

    However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think that way though. Before he said anything, Ao asked Fu Shi another question.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you go over to take a look?¡±

    After all, the two banks were now closer to each other without the great river there. Shao Xuan also saw the crocodiles peacefully resting on one side so that meant there weren¡¯t any other dangerous beasts around.

    Fu Shi smiled at the questions. ¡°When such big changes happened, we made ns to go over. We knew there was a tribe on the other side so the tribe wanted to go over and introduce ourselves, maybe offer some help too.¡±

    There were obvious signs of human activity there. Structures that were clearly manmade. After the disaster passed, no human was in sight so the Drumming tribe tried to go over and see what was up.

    Hence, they sent over a team. They rode on crocodiles because they weren¡¯t sure if there was anything dangerous to humans in the river. It may be something crocodiles aren¡¯t afraid of but might be dangerous to humans.

    ¡°After that, just as we got onto the shore, we spoke to them, but then we were chased away,¡± sighed Fu Shi.

    ¡°Chased away?!¡± Ao raised his voice. His two eyebrows were lifted up, ¡°There was someone there?!¡±

    The few hunt leaders thought, ¡®Was there someone faster than us? Did they snatch ournd?¡¯

    They could negotiate if it was some other ce but this was the homnd for half of the ming Horn tribespeople!

    No matter what, they would fight for it, if that didn¡¯t work they would kill!

    This wasn¡¯t any other fight fornd, this one was personal!

    Seeing that the ming Horn warriors were gearing up for a fight, Fu Shi quickly said. ¡°No, we weren¡¯t chased out by people, it was the beasts.¡±

    ¡°Beasts?¡±

    Without the protection of the fire seed, the beasts had started to roam around the area. The ming Horn people didn¡¯t back down. They weren¡¯t going to share theirnd with beasts!

    ¡°What were they like?¡± asked Ao.

    Some warriors grabbed their swords until Fu Shi said, ¡°It¡¯s just one. Arge eagle. It was a fierce one. Ites by every day to guard the ce.¡±

    ¡°Eagle?¡± Ao was silent. Flying animals weren¡¯t easy to kill.

    ¡°Look. It¡¯s back!¡± A Drumming warrior shouted.

    ¡°Ah, why is it flying here?¡± Fu Shi eximed. Wasn¡¯t it just guarding the other side? Why is iting over here? Why is it getting faster?!

    The warriors from both sides grabbed with weapons.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t attack. It¡¯s an old friend!¡± Shao Xuan quickly stopped them.

    ¡°Old friend?¡± Ao hadn¡¯te around yet.

    Caesar looked up and howled happily up at the sky. As the figure in the sky got closer, Caesar¡¯s howl changed in tone.

    Huh? Upon closer inspection, it was muchrger than anticipated.

 Chapter 579 - The Return

    <h4>The Return</h4>

    The figure in the sky was very fast. A moment ago it was just a small ck dot but now it was already across the river.

    As the eagle got closer, everyone¡¯s gaze was filled with even more confusion, as if in disbelief. They looked over towards Shao Xuan, who was smiling. They thought, ¡®Is he really not going to do anything?¡¯

    Ao thought that the eagle was the Chacha that Shao Xuan mentioned before. But Chacha wasn¡¯t that big in size. If it was Chacha, why didn¡¯t the Drumming tribe recognise it?

    Even with their own suspicion, Ao didn¡¯t let anyone attack it. He just pointed his chin towards Shao Xuan, as an instruction for them to wait for Shao Xuan¡¯s next words.

    ¡°Caw¨C¡±

    A bright call came from above. It was so loud that some of them covered their ears.

    Caesar opened his jaws wide but was unsure so he did not reply.

    Therge bird came speeding towards them, bringing so much force with its wings that everyone¡¯s hair was immediately messed up. A few smaller tribespeople were nearly blown backwards too. Ao lifted his hands to cover his eyes, it was hard for him to keep his eyes open.

    Thud!

    As the giant eaglended, it crushed the stones beneath, causing chips and mud to fly up and hit people¡¯s arms.

    Shao Xuan greeted his old friend with open arms and a warm smile.

    Only then Ao brought his arms down to look at them.

    The eagle before him was double the size of the eagle in his memory. Its pattern was not like the one he knew. He only cast away his doubts when he saw the eagle warmly greeting Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Long time no see, Chacha.¡± Shao Xuan patted Chacha¡¯s lowered head.

    [TL¡¯s Note: I¡¯ve been told the previous TL used ¡®he/him¡¯ pronouns for Chacha so I¡¯m correcting most parts.]

    Chacha was humongous now, was it because of his trip to Eagle Mountain? His feathers had patterns of mountains on it now.

    Back when they were in the Drumming tribe, Chacha was rarely on the ground. He rarely interacted with the tribespeople so it was not unusual that the tribespeople didn¡¯t recognise him with the new changes.

    Chacha was very excited. If Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t this strong, he would have knocked him over already.

    Chacha saw Caesar standing at the side and moved over to interact with him until he saw Caesar¡¯s injured eye.

    Chacha was shocked. He hadn¡¯t been gone for long, when did this friend be a cyclops?

    ¡°Hey! Ah Xuan, is this Chacha?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s him.¡± Shao Xuan exined a bit more, ¡°I think he went to Eagle Mountain again, that¡¯s why he became so big.¡±

    Ao nodded. Eagle Mountain was their own secret. Back when they were on the other side of the river, Chacha went to the mountain before and then went another time. He thought Chacha was faced with trouble when they got information from the Hui tribe so he didn¡¯t expect to see him here.

    Ao smiled and praised, ¡°This fe was protecting our home!¡±

    ¡°... Hehe.¡± Shao Xuanughed. He knew Chacha well, Chacha probably wasn¡¯t here because of the tribe. If the homnd was under attack, he wouldn¡¯t do anything.

    To Chacha, this was his actual homnd. He was born and raised here so his ties to thisnd was much stronger. When the Drumming tribe came forward, it felt like they were attacking his territory.

    They were lucky Chacha remembered ming Horn¡¯s friendship with the Drumming tribe. He only chased them away without attacking them.

    Chacha wasn¡¯t the friendliest animal, he was rather temperamental. He put up with the ming Horn tribespeople only because of Shao Xuan.

    After meeting Shao Xuan and Caesar, Chacha went to look for Old Ke. When he was young, Old Ke was the other one looking after him so he was much friendly towards him too. He was in a good mood today so afternding, he went around to look for familiar faces.

    But, why were there so many strangers?

    The eagle scanned the group and realised he didn¡¯t recognise half of them!

    He cocked his head in confusion. Chacha noticed the seven green-faced fanged beasts and moved his ws.

    He usually killed dangerous beasts without even a thought.

    Looking at Chacha, Shao Xuan knew what he intended and quickly stopped the eagle, ¡°Don¡¯t fight them, they are important and useful.¡±

    ¡°Chief, Grand Elder, should we go there?¡± Mai asked since there was no danger there now.

    Afterforting the temperamental Chacha, Shao Xuan asked Fu Shi, ¡°Can we swim across the river?¡±

    Fu Shi shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ve never done that. We normally get help from treasure fish.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then let¡¯s go there in batches,¡± replied Shao Xuan.

    With Chacha back and much bigger in size now, he could transport more people over.

    ¡°We can get a few treasure fish over for you too.¡± Knowing that their neighbours were going to be the ming Horn tribe, Fu Shi was much relieved.

    The Drumming tribe also got some crocodiles to help out. Shao Xuan modified carts for Chacha to be able to grab onto them and lift them over.

    They weren¡¯t able to transport many people over at once but they weren¡¯t in a hurry. They sent some people over to make some boats because there was much more wood there.

    All this made Shao Xuan very happy.

 Chapter 580 - A New Beginning

    Chapter 580

    A New Beginning

    Shao Xuan was brought over by Cha Cha. Many houses on the mountain had copsed but the cave that he lived in when he was brought to this world still seemed fine on the outside.

    When Shao Xuan walked into the cave, there was some bird poop and signs of animals that stayed in it. They probably ran away when the disaster happened and after Chacha arrived, they wouldn¡¯t have dared toe back.

    He didn¡¯t stay for long. Soon, he went to join the other warriors cutting down trees near the river. Many trees had fallen but most were still fine. They didn¡¯t have time to go deeper into the forest for bigger trees so they stayed around a nearby hill to get their wood.

    It didn¡¯t take long for them to make a few rafts.

    Shao Xuan calcted the width of the river. Although the water was still rising, for now, the two closest points were about two hundred meters apart. It may seem long but it wasn¡¯t as far as one might expect. With twenty-something rafts tied together to form a floating bridge, it was possible for people to walk over.

    A line was formed for people to cross over. As for the beasts, except for the snapping turtles, the others were lifted over by Chacha in batches.

    The seven green-faced fanged beasts were dragged across the river. They were very repulsed by Chacha, this was amon urrence for beasts. Luckily Shao Xuan was able to control them through the envement. A simple wooden cage would be nothing against those beasts.

    As thest batch of people crossed over the floating bridge, Shao Xuan looked towards the wanderers. These people had ced all their bets on the ming Horn tribe. Theypletely trusted them with their lives. After this whole ordeal, most of them survived- nearly three hundred of them.

    Shao Xuan had told the chiefs and shamans before that the tribe should ept these wanderers, especially when they were assisting with rebuilding the tribe now. Although the wanderers were weaker than warriors, they still had skills.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shao Xuan looked at those few hundred pairs of eyes looking at him.

    The few hundred worried pairs of eyes suddenly filled with hope. A few rushed over to thank Shao Xuan then called for their family and friends to cross the river.

    There were a few crocodiles floating near the bridge, their cold eyes staring at the humans. The bridge wasn¡¯tpletely stable so some of the wanderers were worried too. They focused on the mountains which helped them calm their nerves. As long as they got across, they could start a new life. Although the ming Horn tribespeople looked unweing, the wanderers were still able to exchange theirbour for their living essentials.

    The further they walked, the steadier they got.

    When thest wanderer made it to the other side, Shao Xuan thanked Fu Shi.

    ¡°Thank you so much for today, pleasee over when you¡¯re free.¡±

    Fu Shiughed heartily and patted Shao Xuan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Sure!¡±

    The rest of the Drumming tribe was in a good mood too. Having the ming Horn tribe as their neighbours was a good thing. One of the ming Horn warriors even told them they could trade animal meat and skin for the moonstones.

    Hehe, with the ming Horn tribe around, they wouldn¡¯t need to go to the Pu tribe.

    Moreover, from the clothes they wore to the things they brought over, everything was better quality than theirs. They haven¡¯t even seen most of the items before.

    One of the Drumming tribe warriors looked at the other bank and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring more moon stone lights over and trade with them. Their things are so much better than Pu tribe¡¯s.¡±

    The others agreed. They always knew that the Pu tribe was cutting corners with their trades but the Drumming tribe wasn¡¯t willing to travel further to trade. They had an excess of water moon stones so it didn¡¯t really matter anyway. However, they now had a much better alternative, who wouldn¡¯t choose that instead?

    ¡°What should be done about the floating bridge?¡± Fu Shi asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Keep it here for now,¡± replied Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Sure thing, let me tie it again.¡± Fu Shi went around to tighten the loose logs on the bridge.

    Shao Xuan bade them farewell and crossed the river.

    It was already dark out, toote for them to be constructing their new homes. Luckily, the weather had been nice recently so to the people of the ming Horn tribe who had been through so much hardship, this was a piece of cake.

    Some of the children had alreadyid out their sleeping bags on the ground. They knew this ce very well, the sense of familiarity allowed them to sleep well that night.

    The shamans called Shao Xuan over to discuss the cements for the wanderers. In the end, they decided to give them the nearby hill. There wasn¡¯t much vegetation on the hill but there were a lot of caves which were like small houses. The warriors used them to rest when they trained on the hillst time.

    The wanderers were grateful for thend, they were exhausted so they didn¡¯t have any strength to build houses. The ming Horn tribe warriors still had to assign tasks to search the area for beasts.

    After walking around the area, Shao Xuan decided to rest for the day. The house he and Old Ke used to live in had fallen in. Caesarid at what remained of the door as Old Ke yawned immediately after resting his back on Caesar. Chacha was off to somewhere no one knew.

    Shao Xuanid out his animal skin and closed his eyes. This was one of the rare chances he actually got a good night¡¯s rest.

    The next day, Shao Xuan skipped breakfast to check on the floating bridge right after he woke up.

    The bridge had sunk in a little. After flipping over some logs, Shao Xuan saw some weird bugs with long antennae attached to the logs that were causing it to sink.

    They were close to dying. Their bodiescked sticity and they just seemed lifeless.

    With therge river gone, the ecosystem had been severely disrupted. Those that could leave had left, the rest that remained were just waiting for death.

    Maybe after some time, there wouldn¡¯t be any bugs to eat logs in the river anymore.

    Many of the usual river beasts were nowhere to be found. This was good news to the humans though, they had one less problem to worry about.

    The people of the ming Horn tribe had once again returned to theirnd, but they would operate differently now. They would no longer live in seclusion. This time, they wanted to go out to trade, to connect with people- all that was just a river log-bridge away.

 Chapter 581 - Someones Here for You

    <h4>Someone¡¯s Here for You</h4>

    Early in the morning, loud thuds were heard throughout the tribe.

    The ce that was quiet for four years was once again noisy.

    Stone and thick logs were constantly moved towards the hill the tribe was located on.

    Even the potters were busy. Everything about thisnd was great, except the soil here wasn¡¯t suitable for pottery. Hence, the potters scouted around the area to find suitable mud. In the end, they located three areas. Any untrained eye wouldn¡¯t be able to notice it. They weren¡¯t sure if they hadn¡¯t noticed these areas before or the mud appeared recently because of the changes.

    The three spots were some distance away from the tribe but the people here were strong so it wasn¡¯t a tough task for them to move the mud back.

    After the mud was transported back, with Xing as the leader, they found a new type of y that was of higher quality. He treasured the old pots the ancestors left, safely tucking it away. After he was exposed to more pots and gained some skills, he was obsessed with pottery. Currently, he was in charge of all things pottery.

    After the fusion with the fire seed, Xing and some other elders were much healthier than before as if their age was cut in half.

    Xing said he would get started on making tiles for the tribespeople but everyone couldn¡¯t just wait around. Hence, many of the houses were still made from wood, they could always just upgrade to tilester on.

    The farmers in the tribe went around looking for new farnds. They had a man-madeke here before they left. Theke was still there but the trail irrigating theke from therge river was cut off.

    Later on, the tribespeople would connect theke to the river again by digging a new channel. Crops that needed more water would be nted near theke while the others would be nted on the hills.

    Duo Kang had already led a team of people to dig for stones.

    The warriors had swept the area clean, clearing out any dangerous beasts or nts. They cooked the ones that were edible and burned the others. Ta and Gui He had already brought some people out to hunt for food. There wasn¡¯t enough food left in the tribe and people needed more energy to rebuild the tribe.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s side wasn¡¯t familiar with the area so they left with the others to familiarize themselves.

    Shao Xuan had a deer Chacha brought back for breakfast. Caesar sent off into the forest with the other beasts in the tribe to hunt. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t particrly worried about them.

    As Shao Xuan repaired his home without rest, he saw Lang Ga drag a over.

    ¡°I caught this in the river, look.¡± Lang Ga opened the to release some fish.

    Shao Xuan met Lang Ga while he was walking back from the river. He told him toe by his house when he was done. Shao Xuan wanted to know what kind of fish were in the river.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many fish but Drumming tribe¡¯s crocodiles were there. I didn¡¯t dare swim to the middle of the river, I stuck to the sides,¡± exined Lang Ga.

    When the great river was still there, thes were always destroyed by the river beasts. They had to use fish fences instead but they always caught all sorts of aquatic animals. Now, they were able to uses but the fishes they caught were rather in.

    There were only two to three piranha fish. They seemed healthy which was a pity because they would only end up as food for the crocodiles. Shao Xuan even saw a crocodile eating one of the fishes as he passed by just now.

    As long as the Drumming tribe was here, the crocodiles would not leave.

    ¡°I think the river is much safer now,¡± said Lang Ga.

    The river water had risen quite a lot since yesterday. The tribespeople added some logs to the bridge in the morning. The river water rose slower as time passed, this seemed to be the water level the river would have for now unless anotherrge tectonic activity changed it again.

    ¡°Right, when I was fishing, I met some people from the Drumming tribe here to borrow some logs. I talked to them for a while.¡± Lang Ga detailed his morning to Shao Xuan.

    The forest near Drumming tribe was severely damaged, a few hills had even disappeared. There wasn¡¯t enough wood for them to repair their houses, the only trees left were some young ones, unless they went further out to look for some.

    If the ming Horn tribe wasn¡¯t around they would have to use the thin trees first. Luckily the ming Horn tribe came back and they were able to get them some thick and sturdy wood. Most of their water moon stones went missing after the disaster, the small portion that was left was taken by a team heading out to trade for food.

    Ao and Zheng Luo knew about this so they didn¡¯t mind sharing their resources, it was only wood. This brought the two tribes much closer. The people from the Drumming tribe woulde over to the ming Horn tribe to chat from time to time too.

    Lang Ga found out about all these through the workers from the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°Do you remember the Luo tribe?¡± ask Lang Ga

    Shao Xuan thought for a while and said, ¡°Yes, the tribe good at making fishings.¡±

    The Luo tribe was near a river and the mountains, they frequently traded with the Pu tribe. Shao Xuan traded with them before. He got some fish skin shirts and some fishings. Thes they made were very strong, even those river beasts that could bite through rattan couldn¡¯t bite through them.

    ¡°What is up with the Luo tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That tribe is gone,¡± said Lang Ga with a face full of pity. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if anyone escaped but most of them... even their fire seed is gone.¡±

    The people of the Luo tribe didn¡¯t have the warnings from crocodiles like the Drumming tribe. They didn¡¯t have any time to escape the area so they disappeared with the river.

    The Drumming tribe people spoke with much sadness. A tribe they once knew had disappeared just like that.

    ¡°Not just the Luo tribe, from what the scouts from the Drumming tribe said, a few other smaller river tribes are gone too.¡±

    Lang Ga sighed. When he headed someone calling from him, he answered and left

    Soon after Lang Luo went away, he came back and said, ¡°Ah Xuan, someone¡¯s looking for you there!¡±

    ¡°Who is it?¡± Shao Xuan thought someone from the Drumming tribe was looking for him.

    ¡°I think the person is called Yang Sui.¡±

 Chapter 582 - We Have to Move

    Chapter 582

    We Have to Move

    Yang Sui? The shaman from the Rain tribe? Why was he here?

    Shao Xuan was intrigued. He dropped what he was doing and walked over with Lang Ga to the river bank.

    ¡°Did hee alone?¡± asked Zhao Xuan.

    ¡°No, there are a few of them. I didn¡¯t take a close look but they were all quite anxious,¡± said Lang Ga.

    Anxious?

    Were they here because of their tribe or was it some other reason?

    When Shao Xuan reached the riverside, Yang Sui and his crew were already guided to the river bank.

    Because of the disaster, some mountains were elevated causing the side facing the river to be very steep. The new stairs and road were not yetpleted by the warriors so the guests had to climb up the mountain. By the time they arrived, they were covered in mud and exhausted.

    That being said, it was quite a distance from the Rain tribe. Seeing that they weren¡¯t the strongest people, if the ming Horn tribe warriors didn¡¯t help them get up, some of them may not even make it up here.

    When he saw Shao Xuan, Yang Sui¡¯s face lit up. Then, he sat on the floor in exhaustion.

    ¡°Let me catch my breath. Yang Sui looked like he couldn¡¯t wait to lie down. He was a shaman, he wasn¡¯t exactly known for being a strong warrior.

    Shao Xuan got some people to bring food over. Looking at their tired faces, he thought they would be hungry too. Water wouldn¡¯t be enough for them.

    ¡°What is the purpose of your visit?¡± asked Zhao Xuan.

    ¡°We were headed towards the Fearsome Beast Forest but we heard you moved so we¡¯ve been asking around for your new location.¡± Yang Sui looked at the calm ming Horn warriors. He expected the tribe to be in a worse state, seeing that they were forced to flee but they all seemed to be doing well.

    Yang Sui didn¡¯t state his purpose but Shao Xuan knew something was up for them toe all the way here. There were twenty or so Rain tribe tribespeople, all looking more worried than the ming Horn tribespeople, who had just migrated their entire tribe. They seemed to be holding their tongues for something urgent.

    Did the Raining tribe get destroyed too?

    After a short rest, Shao Xuan passed a message to the shamans and chiefs to inform them about the Rain tribe¡¯s arrival. As the roof of his house waspleted, he brought them to his home but some had to stand outside because the house wasn¡¯t big enough for everyone.

    The ce to entertain guests in the tribe has not started construction so they could only wait outside. However, the Rain tribe didn¡¯t mind.

    Old Ke prepared a pot of meat soup for them then sat on the stone outside and chatted with the other tribespeople. He rarely met anyone from other tribes because it was inconvenient for him to move around so he was rather excited to talk to them.

    With no one else in the house, Yang Sui¡¯s calm facade came crumbling down. He grabbed his hair and said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that we have to move our tribe this time!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± asked Shao Xuan. He thought that Yang Sui was here because of the disaster or to ask about the fire seed. It seems that there was something else.

    ¡°Actually, the disaster that just passed didn¡¯t affect us much. The effects were nowhere near those other tribes,¡± said Yang Sui.

    Buildings fell and some people flew from the ground butparatively, the Rain tribe didn¡¯t face anyrge problems. They were able to resume their daily lives rather quickly. Regarding the hot and dry winter that passed, the Rain tribe was already used to it. They were already experiencing very little rainfall each year. Even as Yang Sui was only able to gather rain clouds once every ten times, it was enough to sustain them, especially since they had rain stones. The thing theycked the most was food but they had arge supply of grains to help them through their toughest periods.

    ¡°Why do you want to move?¡± Shao Xuan paused then continued, ¡°The desert?¡±

    With a bitter smile, Yang Sui replied, ¡°What else?¡±

    Yang Sui continued, ¡°We thought things would be better when Rock Hill City chased away the other ve masters. However, soon after the disaster, the ves fled. Some of them came to our tribe to steal. We caught one and questioned him.¡±

    Then, Yang Sui had a weird expression as if he found the next part to be unbelievable. ¡°They were ves who ran away from their master who themselves were chased out by Rock Hill City. The ves ran away into the desert, some of them grouped together to increase their chances of survival. When the earthquake struck, a lot of the desert were majorly affected. Some people were swallowed whole by the sand but that isn¡¯t what I¡¯m afraid of.¡±

    Yang Sui took a deep breath, ¡°We caught two ves who used to live near the sea. One of them said most of the people that lived by the sea were dead. They were sandwiched between the desert and the sea. A lot of areas disappeared suddenly but when they went to check, newnd emerged from the ocean.¡±

    Yang Sui looked at Shao Xuan, seeing that Shao Xuan had no intention of replying, he continued, ¡°With the desert destroyed and newnds emerging from the sea, Rock Hill City changed their target. They stopped going after the people in the desert, they are going after those by the sea. They want to clear the whole region and take the coastal area so all the people at the coast ran into the desert... I remember some of the ming Horn tribesmening out from the desert. You didn¡¯t actuallye from the desert, right? You came from the sea.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Shao Xuan did not deny it.

    Yang Sui suddenly jolted upright, he couldn¡¯t help but stand and ask, ¡°What is other side of the sea like? Why are the Rock Hill City people acting like that?¡± The changes in the ocean wasn¡¯t the reason for Yang Sui¡¯s worries, the Rock Hill City people were.

    ¡°If the ves really saw the distance between both shores closing, then, it is a phenomenon that isn¡¯t unheard of.¡± Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t believe that something like this was happening, especially within a year they left.

    ¡°There are tribes, ve masters and many ves on the other side. As for whether Rock Hill City has any connection to the ce...From what I know, the Shi family has an unresolved grudge with the other side.¡±

    ¡°So that is the case!¡± Yang Sui pressed his forehead against his hands. The Rain tribe was located near the desert so they had a greater understanding of the ve masters. They had many records of them dating all the way back to thousands of years ago. In one of the records, it mentioned that the ve masters in the desert came from the sea.

    Yang Sui always knew that at the edge of the desert, the part near the sea, there were people there. Although it was quite far away, nobody had any news on them for the past thousand years. Even when Rock Hill City took over the desert nobody thought of them until Shao Xuan mentioned that the ming Horns came from the desert. That triggered Yang Sui to check all the records and contact Shao Xuan regarding the fire seed.

    Now, with more changes in the desert, Yang Sui was even more worried about Rock Hill City¡¯s actions. He felt that it wasn¡¯t safe for them to continue living there. He even had a dream where the fire seed was extinguished. He had lost a lot of weight that year.

    After the disaster, Yang Sui decided to visit Shao Xuan to ask about the fire seed and learn more about the coastal area. He was serious about moving the tribe. The ve masters in Rock Hill City were too dangerous, they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance against them. There used to be enough ve masters in the desert to keep Rock Hill City in check but now, they were gone.

    Now that Shao Xuan said the Rock Hill City people hated the tribes on the other side, would they point their swords towards the tribes near the desert when they run out of ves during war? As long as they extinguished the fire seed, tribespeople could easily be their ves.

    Yang Sui didn¡¯t care about the other tribes, he just wanted to save the Rain tribe.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s your decision?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Yang Sui.

    Yang Sui grit his teeth, ¡°Move! We have to move!¡±

 Chapter 583 - We Know It All

    Chapter 583

    We Know It All

    However, Yang Sui was worried again now because of his decision to move the tribe.

    He actually had the idea to move the tribe since he heard about Shao Xuan moving his tribe out from the desert but he didn¡¯t know what to do with the fire seed.

    Moving the tribe¡¯s location was something rted to everyone in the tribe, he couldn¡¯t make the decision himself. Although he had a high ranking in the tribe, he still had to discuss this with the other leaders.

    After a year of negotiations, he managed to persuade arge group of people so they decided to move. However, the new location of the tribe brought on another round of arguments. Someone proposed that they moved to the middle of the maind where there was water supply, the weather was nice and the soil was fertile.

    That proposal was met with harsh rejection.

    Everyone knew how their battle abilities stood against the other tribes, especially in the middle of the maind where all the big yers were located. They wouldn¡¯t be able to fight against them.

    Yang Sui felt sad at the mention of their powers. A long time ago, the Rain tribe was quite powerful but now that they would beughed at if they mentioned it. The Rain tribe had since been in a steady decline. Even middle-tier tribes would be able to defeat them now.

    Yang Sui had also thought about seeking shelter from the ming Horn tribe. When they were discussing the moving ns, ming Horn had already defeated Wanshi. The Rain tribe could move near the Fearsome Beast Forest where the ming Horn tribe was. At least there were fewer tribes there.

    This was the reason for his visit to the Fearsome Beast Forest. Who would have imagined that the ming Horn tribe had moved again!

    Yang Sui recalled the pathway he took to the new location of the ming Horn tribe, it seemed to be safer.

    ¡°Are you going to live here now?¡± asked Yang Sui.

    ¡°Yes, we can¡¯t stay in the Fearsome Beast Forest anymore.¡± Shao Xuan noticed Yang Sui¡¯s eyes darting around, ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡±

    ¡°Yes, actually.¡± After a pause, ¡°What do you think if the Rain tribe moved here?¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± Shao Xuan pointed towards the ground and drew out a river.

    ¡°No, no, no! I don¡¯t mean the river!¡± said Yang Sui. He heard from the Drumming tribe that behind the ming Horn tribe was a forest that was simr to the Fearsome Beast Forest, if not more dangerous.

    The Rain tribe didn¡¯t n to fight the beasts fornd like the ming Horn tribe. They just knew that lesspetition would be around if there was a dangerous forest.

    ¡°I hear some tribes disappeared there.¡± Yang Sui pointed at the river, where the Drumming tribe was.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Shao Xuan understood Yang Sui¡¯s intention. The Rain tribe wanted to get those plots ofnd while there was nopetition around.

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Yang Sui knew this was a good ce to be. Although the Drumming tribe seemed scary, they were a bunch that didn¡¯t have big goals and were easy to get along with. They would also be under ming Horn¡¯s protection here. The ming Horn tribe wasn¡¯t interested in small tribes like them and their fire seed was gone so they wouldn¡¯t feel the suppression from it.

    After reading and thinking for a long time, Yang Sui decided that the easiest way for them to survive was through getting help from another tribe. The mid-tier tribes were not suitable because too many people were relying on them already. ming Horn, on the other hand, was different and they knew them already.

    ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for quite some time, haha.¡± Yang Sui smiled.

    ¡°That area isn¡¯t ournd so you make your own decision but let me remind you, even if there¡¯s nopetition fornd, something might happen if you anger other people.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I understand.¡±

    After speaking to Shao Xuan for a while, Yang Sui went on to talk to the two shamans and chiefs then moved to the Drumming tribe to talk to them.

    The Drumming tribe didn¡¯t mind them moving here, as long as they weren¡¯t greedy, they had no problems with it.

    Another plus for the Rain tribe to move here was the water moon stones the Drumming tribe had.

    Do you Drumming tribe people eat grains?

    We have it and we nt a lot!

    What, you prefer meat over grains?

    We have them too. We keep a lot of animals. Which one do you like? We¡¯ll sell them to you at a cheap price!

    Pots? Linen?

    We know how to make them! We know everything! If we don¡¯t, we¡¯ll learn it!

    Hence, while Shao Xuan was discussing with the chiefs and shamans, a warrior told them that the Drumming tribe and Rain tribe were already getting along well.

    ¡°Looks like it¡¯s very likely for them to move here,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The shaman remembered something and said with a smile, ¡°The Rain tribe has a long history, we should pay attention to their progress. They know a lot of things, it was just that their location limited their growth.¡±

    The Rain tribe wasn¡¯t lying when they said they knew how to farm, rare animals, make pots etc. Their ancestors were masters of these trades except they slowly lost touch of them when they had no need for the skills. But now, they must revive those skills for their survival.

 Chapter 584 - Loan Provider

    <h4>Loan Provider</h4>

    New life emerged from destruction.

    There didn¡¯t used to be a river here, then the ground cracked and formed an impossibly wide river which isted the ancient ming Horn tribe from the rest of the tribes. Their ancestors could not return anymore.

    Now, with nature¡¯s magical forcers, therge river had be a small river. One side of the river sloping down, the other side elevated. The ming Horn tribe was located at the elevated side.

    They were so far up they could see white mist surrounding the mountains. A nket of white mist covered the old fire pond.

    The Drumming tribe was on the other sloping side of the river. That was why, on this side, many tribes met their sad fates. Even the strongest fire seed wouldn¡¯t be able to continue burning if no one was there to add fuel to the fire.

    Yang Sui could feel that the nearby fire seeds had been extinguished. They weren¡¯t strong fire seeds anyway so they went out fast. The Luo tribe was already buried deep beneath the ground.

    If the Rain tribe moved here, they wouldn¡¯t sh with any other fire seeds.

    The thing was that tribes like the Luo tribe liked being close to the river but the Rain tribe was different. They wanted to nt crops so they would like nds for that. They could be further away from the river. Considering their past trauma, they weren¡¯t exactly bold enough to be that close to a river too. They knew they would just allocate morend to themselves by adding the river bank to their territory too since they needed a water source to irrigate their crops.

    As Yang Sui decided on the area, he gave two bags of seashells to the Drumming tribe to ask them for their help in protecting thend until they got here again.

    The Rain tribe had left a good impression on the Drumming tribe. The two tribes liked water and got along well with each other. The Rain tribe¡¯s totem was like ¡®rain¡¯. They worshipped water on a level way beyond the ming Horn people could imagine. That was why Yang Sui, who was able to call upon rain, had such a high position in the tribe.

    After settling on thend, Yang Sui promptly brought his men back. They needed to quickly move their tribe here to get ready for winter.

    It was much moreplicated for the Rain tribe to movepared to the ming Horn tribe. The ming Horn tribe already merged with their fire seed but the Rain tribe had to be very careful while transporting it. There were many dangers to moving their fire seed.

    Yang Sui wanted to merge the fire seed with the people before moving but the n came too suddenly for people to ept it.

    On their way back, Yang Shi could only sigh. He had to solve the moving problem first then settle with the peopleter!

    In the ming Horn tribe, the new buildings were gettingpleted. They were much grander than their old counterparts, many of them originating from Shao Xuan¡¯s designs.

    Compared to thest time when the river was still huge, they had to take more preventative measures for any activity across the river. Although they seemingly had no enemies nearby, it was better to be safe than sorry.

    The tribespeople haven¡¯t started nting the Thousand Grain Golds yet. It wasn¡¯t the perfect time to nt it and the grains were precious. The tribespeople didn¡¯t want to waste them. They just prepared thend for nting it next year.

    On the other side of the farnds, they had already started nting crops. They had seeds from the cabbages they got from the Fearsome Beast Forest so they nted those.

    The mountains weren¡¯t suitable to nt the Veins of the Sky so they fenced out another area just to nt them. As usual, the area was heavily guarded.

    The normal crops and special crops were nted in different areas. The normal crops were moremon vegetations seen on the maind, the wanderers worked in those fields too. The special crops farnd mostly had crops from Ji Ju. The Veins of the Sky would be nted here, as well as the Thousand Grain Gold. These crops had tribespeople specially selected by the leaders of the tribe to look after them.

    As the tribespeople slowly got into routine, the hunting team set up their hunting schedule too. The tribespeople were happy to be back in this area.

    The disaster caused the animals and beasts in the forest to change their resting ces but this was no problem for the hunters.

    Every time they had excess game, they would trade with the Drumming tribe. However, the Drumming tribe was rtively poor now as they didn¡¯t have any water moon stones but the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t mind. They fully trusted them to pay them back when they could.

    That day, after Shao Xuan got some blood and fed the green-faced fanged beasts, he heard a signaling from the river while he was going to the casting room.

    From the guard¡¯s report, the Rain tribe wasn¡¯t in good condition after their long journey. They had many injured tribespeople with them and the others looked haggard.

    However, when they reached, the whole Rain tribe still shouted in joy. They were happy to start their new lives.

    Soon after Shao Xuan heard the news, Yang Sui hade to borrow some food.

    It was some time since theyst met, Yang Sui looked much skinnier now, he was even carried here by someone. The trip must have been very taxing for him. As the shaman, it was his job to look after the fire seed. He had to build the fire pondter on too, which would require a lot of shamanic energy.

    The tough journey left this once rich tribe penniless. It was hard for them to produce another shell, they were either injured or hungry or both so they could only borrow from ming Horn.

    ¡°Within a year, next year, we will be able to pay you back. No, half a year!¡± Although Yang Sui wasn¡¯t in his best condition, he still carried a lot of hope for the future.

    Hence, ming Horn quickly became a loan provider soon after moving here.

 Chapter 585 - Its Not the Same

    <h4>It¡¯s Not the Same</h4>

    After their meal, Yang Sui sent people back to deliver food to the rest of the tribe. He stayed in the ming Horn tribe for a while.

    With a few pieces of meat and a bowl of soup, the nearly dead Yang Sui was revived.

    Knowing what Shao Xuan actually wanted to know, Yang Sui cut to the chase.

    ¡°When we left the ce, the situation in the desert was not good.¡± Yang Sui paused for a slight moment when he said ¡®the ce¡¯. His people had lived there for thousands of years at that point, it was only of the main reasons people didn¡¯t want to leave.

    Tribespeople held their roots close to their heart. As long as it was their homnd, the ce their ancestors lived, they would be willing to put up with the harshest conditions. The only reason the Rain tribe moved was because of the ve masters, who were a growing threat.

    Obviously, the situation was only ¡®bad¡¯ to wanderers, some ves and ve masters, and the surrounding tribesmen. Rock Hill City was doing well.

    ¡°You need to know this. Only half of the vast desert remains now!¡± said Yang Gui emotionally.

    Although he was prepared for this news, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but feel shocked. How could only half of the desert remain?

    Shao Xuan worried for the ve that was deep in sleep because of him. He could still feel that Sapphire was still alive but he didn¡¯t know how its condition.

    Yang Sui looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s expression and asked, ¡°You want to go there and take a look?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve thought about it.¡±

    ¡°I advise you to not go, the desert is half its size now. This makes it easier for Rock Hill City to control it, and they are still ¡®purging¡¯ it. You¡¯ll get attacked.¡±

    Half the size of the original desert was still very big for a human but what Yang Sui said was true.

    If the information Yang Sui got from the ves was true, then the Rock Hill City people could have known for a while. Connecting their actions these past few years and their move to look for the green-faced fanged beast, then their sudden exit saying there was nothing in the forest, Shao Xuan did not trust them.

    If Rock Hill City had already known, plus were sitting on a thousand-year-old grudge, did they really have that many people? Or to be exact, did they really have that many ves to go against other ve masters?

    They wouldn¡¯t have attacked if they knew they were going to lose so that meant they had enough people and prepared early.

    Where were the peopleing from?

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t able to know but he knew the city had a trick up their sleeve!

    Even though Shao Xuan wanted to go to the desert to take a look, he knew this wasn¡¯t the time for that. For one, Rock Hill City posed a serious threat to his safety. In addition to that, the tribe had just settled into their new home so he was needed here.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan decided to focus on his tribe first. As long as his tribe was strong, everything else would be easier.

    Once Yang Sui left, Shao Xuan went to look for Zheng Luo, he wanted to join them on a hunting trip in a few days¡¯ time.

    As soon as he got out of the door, Shao Xuan bumped into Old Ke who wasing back from a cave.

    The tribe didn¡¯t need many stone tools since y and metal tools came around. Old Ke just liked making stone tools during his free time. He was teaching a ss for children at the foot of the mountain.

    The orphans were still kept in that small cave. As the tribe progressed, they started to focus on children¡¯s education.

    When they were here the first time, Shao Xuan did have some small sses for the kids. When they went back to the homnd, they built some simple huts for learning activities. Not too long ago, the leaders of the tribe came up with a more defined curriculum for their youth. They even built three brick houses halfway through a mountain to form a small school.

    For those orphans, other than school, they would ask some not so busy adults to teach them new skills. Old Ke was one of them.

    Although the need for stone tools was low now, it didn¡¯t mean that the skill wasn¡¯t important. In some situations, making stone tools is essential to one¡¯s survival in the mountain. Hence, Old Ke happily thought the children the skill. He didn¡¯t need them all to be interested in it but as long as someone wanted to learn, he was happy.

    Although the tribe was progressing well, the children who lost their families still yearned for the old days.

    Old Ke always encouraged the kids by saying, ¡°Your Grand Elder, Shao Xuan, came out from this cave too!¡±

    Although the cave didn¡¯t look like how it did when Shao Xuan lived in it, its spirit was still the same. It looked much better now too.

    The water moon stone lit the cave up at night. The children didn¡¯t need to worry about their meals at all. This was already much better than what Shao Xuan had to deal with then.

    The ce was cleaned up thoroughly. Other than the room with the wall painting, the others were turned into bedrooms.

    The beds were designed and made by Shao Xuan and the carpenters. The bedding was made using animal skin or bup. If the children wanted to get more things than the essential supplies, they could work for it. The tribe didn¡¯t want to raise entitled kids.

    When Shao Xuan went to take a look the day before, the children were near the mouth of the cave, holding sticks to write and count in the sandpits. As for the crooked words on the wall that were written using burnt sticks, they were words of encouragement written by the previous tenants of the cave.

    Everything was going smoothly. Shao Xuan stood at the mountainside and looked out. He was once able to see small low huts, and a surging river, but the view was much different now.

 Chapter 586 - The Flocks

    <strong>Chapter 586</strong>

    <strong>The Flocks</strong>

    On the third day the Rain tribe arrived, Shao Xuan followed the hunting team out to hunt.

    The team that was supposed to go in advance hadn¡¯t hunted yet. With the changes caused by the disasters, and also because they had been away for four years already, they wanted to refresh their memory and refamiliarise themselves with the hunting trails.

    This time, Shao Xuan did not follow a familiar path. Instead, he followed the group that was opening up a sixth hunting trail.

    Compared to the other five hunting trails, the sixth trail took the least time, and the route was much shorter too.

    When they first opened up this trail, it was when Shao Xuan was about to leave the tribe, setting off for the other side of the river. Before the entire trail wasplete, their whole tribe had migrated.

    A hunting trail that brought satisfaction was not one that was done overnight. Even one to two years would not be enough. Shao Xuan, together with other warriors of the tribe, continued to open up this trail and advance.

    Now that the tribe had more people, they split up into two groups and took turns opening up the trail. The number of people on every trail was a lot morepared to before, especially Duo Kang¡¯s group of people who came from the other side of the sea. They were full of curiosity, ready to discover.

    But this ce was even trickier than Fearsome Beast Forest.

    Whoosh-

    It was the sound of a spear piercing through the air. It brought forth a sharp whistling sound, and they could hear blood stter out from the hunted prey that had just been shot.

    Roar-

    The maddened beast roared, causing the leaves on the surrounding trees to tremble. However, people who were familiar with forest beasts could tell that even though this roar sounded strong and fierce, there was an underlying sense of fear.

    They could not see the shadow of the giant figure that leapt in front of them. It disappeared as it passed by an ancient tree that reached high up into the sky. They could still hear the movements in the branches and from there pinpoint its location. The beast was frantically escaping. They could hear the rustling of the snapping branches as the creature tried to escape.

    More than ten people followed tightly behind. They moved swiftly between the woods, slowly but surely catching up to their prey.

    Whoosh-

    More spears were thrown towards the beast. They were like released cannons rushing to attack their target.

    Even though the figure was massive, it was slow. Now, it was frightened and hopeless. But it was familiar with these grounds, so it ran again into the woods in front, full of thick bushes.

    These bushes grew as tall as humans, and their branches were lush but thin. Every branch here carried thorns. If they looked down from atop, these woods would seem like a giant brush, its thorns capable of brushing offyers of human flesh.

    However, to a beast with thick fur, and strong, sturdy legs, these thorny bushes were nothing. It continued to escape in the same direction. This time, the people could no longer follow it.

    If any beasts escaped to this part of the forest, it would be too troublesome for the hunting team.

    The people who followed tightly from behind were dodging the branches that had been snapped off. No matter how strong they were, they could not withstand the strength of the beast¡¯s blow on the trees. As they saw the creature approach these bushes, these people all hurled their spears and arrows and tried tounch their final deadly attack. The beast was already severely injured. As it ran, it carried a bloody smell, and the ends of spears stuck out from its body.

    Right when the beast was about to enter those bushes, two figures suddenly appeared from both sides.

    A strong force driven by the strength of the totem power became even more powerful. The figures that had appeared grasped their weapons tightly and swiftly brought their weapons down. The weapons gave out a whoosh sound, and the trees that were closest to them looked as if they were blown over by a loud gush of wind.

    Whoosh-

    Whoosh! Whoosh!

    Their sharp des pierced through the thick fur of the beast and blood sshed out from its wound.

    The massive beast gave out a cry of defeat, but it was already severely injured, so it fell hard on the ground.

    The people who came after stabbed it once more, and when they were sure that the beast was dead, they slowly approached it.

    Shao Xuan took out a water bottle from his side with his free hand. There was only a little water left in it.

    As he stabbed his sword into the ground, he snatched a few palm-sized leaves and washed them with whatever¡¯s left in his water bottle. Then he rolled up the leaves and made them into a funnel. He put the funnel close to where the beast was bleeding unceasingly.

    The fresh blood flowed into the funnel and went straight into his water bottle.

    The blood of this fearsome beast could be stored for a longer periodpared to those from ordinary beasts. If they had other anticoagnt herbs, it could be stored for even longer. When they were hunting in the forests, sometimes it was not appropriate for them to roast their meat. At least the blood could help them replenish their energy for the time being.

    As he took a sip of the blood, he felt the coppery and raw smell of the blood fill his nostrils. For those who did not like the smell of blood, they might have to spit it out right away, but Shao Xuan was already ustomed to this smell. Blood from different beasts tasted different, and Shao Xuan was used to the taste of beast blood. He could even smile and joke with the other warriors regarding which blood tasted better, like a bunch of wine collectors talking about their preferred taste.

    As he wiped off the bloodstains from the side of his mouth, Shao Xuan looked up at the sky.

    The sun was already setting. They should hurry and bring their prey back to their fortified grounds.

    People who were following behind had slowly arrived, one after another. Seeing that Shao Xuan had already ughtered the beast, they said no more and went to store the blood into their respective water bottles.

    Shao Xuan took out a parchment made from animal skin and marked down the location where they hunted down the beast. He made a note of what he saw for the past two days. This was a simple map of the sixth hunting trail. Now that parts of this trail were slowly being opened up, the route would also have more markings over time.

    Besides using this to hunt for beasts, Shao Xuan also had another purpose.

    In the cave on their grounds, besides the sounds of the resting warriors, they could hear another sound. It was like the sound of wind blowing, but sometimes they could hear the nging of metal.

    Shao Xuan brought out a green-faced fanged beast. It was the one with the broken fang. The tribe no longer had enough food for them, but they still wanted them to continue growing and staying healthy to replenish their blood supply, so Shao Xuan took one of the beasts out to let it search for its own food.

    The beast that had been enved was notpletely obedient, but it was most of the time. Just in case, they were still tied up. Shao Xuan knew that regr ropes could not hold them back, so he forged a long chain with the new green bronze made from their blood.

    Green faced fanged beast could easily break apart beast bones and rocks, but it couldn¡¯t break away from the green bronze made from its own blood.

    Now that they were tied up with these new chains, Shao Xuan had more free time to hunt, and when he was sure there were no dangerous beasts nearby, he would lead them out to find their own food.

    Luckily Shao Xuan could catch up to the speed of the green-faced fanged beasts. If someone else was assigned to this job, they might not be able to handle it. Other people would be dragged along by the beast instead of holding on firmly to the chains.

    It was already the eighth day since they entered the forest. Shao Xuan already found some nts that the green-faced fanged beasts were willing to eat. He made a record on his way and cut some nts to feed the rest of the beasts. If there were food for the green-faced fanged beasts in the forest, then they no longer had to feed them the white cabbage in the grounds. Next time, they could just tell the hunting team to bring some of these nts back from their hunt.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, do you reckon the winter this year would be hot or cold?¡± Duo Kang asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. We have to wait a few more days and see,¡± Shao Xuan looked outside the cave.

    Time passed by fast. Almost in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

    Although he could not be sure whether the winter this year would be the same as the previous two years, Shao Xuan was not too worried. He knew that even if there were abnormalities in the weather, it would not be too significant.

    As he said those words, the people who were keeping guard outside rushed in and said, ¡°Hunt Leaders! Elder! You muste out and see this! There are so many birds in the sky!¡±

 Chapter 587 - Why Exactly

    Chapter 587

    Why Exactly

    Shao Xuan rolled up the map and rushed out hurriedly from inside the cave.

    Why were there suddenly flocks of birds at this time of the year? They did not hear any movements from the forest. What made the birds behave this way?

    And he knew that if it were only a small flock, the soldiers keeping guard outside wouldn¡¯t make such a huge fuss about it.

    So Shao Xuan knew immediately that it was no small flock, and he was shocked to see that the numbers way exceeded his expectations.

    The sky was clouded with tight, giant masses of birds. They were like rain clouds covering the entire sky. Even what was left of the setting sun was covered by the birds.

    ¡°Why are there so many birds?!¡±

    ¡°Where did they alle from?!¡±

    Even those who first opened up this hunting trail had never encountered such a situation.

    ¡°Before, when we first started opening up this trail, nothing of such scale happened!¡±

    ¡°What type of birds are those?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell. They¡¯re flying way too high!¡±

    ¡°It seems like they¡¯re not small, and they¡¯re fast too.¡±

    ¡°Even if they¡¯re giant and fly fast, there are so many of them! Are they migrating?¡±

    These were just words muttered by those who were observing the situation, but they suddenly gave Shao Xuan a clue.

    If they were calcting ording to the time in their tribe, autumn was arriving soon. The colder ces were the earlier ones to warm up.

    Unless they¡¯re trying to migrate to a warmer ce?

    They had no clue where those birds came from and where they were going, so the hunting team continued their work.

    ¡°We should all be more cautious,¡± Duo Kang told the others with a stern expression and then walked back into the cave.

    When Shao Xuan walked into the cave, Duo Kang hurried over. His face was no longer the stern look he carried when he talked to the others outside the cave. It was now reced with a look of nervousness.

    Duo Kang lowered his voice. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know if he was too excited because when he first started speaking, his voice was a little shaky. ¡°Shao Xuan, what do you think about those birds? Why are they suddenly flocking in the sky? Is it... Can it be... anything abnormal?¡±

    Shao Xuan was stunned, but he suddenly understood Duo Kang¡¯s concern. He was worried that another disaster was about to happen.

    Shao Xuan could understand why he was so worried and terrified. After experiencing the disaster from before, they started seeing every part of nature as their enemy. Any simr urrences would arouse suspicion. When they left their homnd, nature was changing. That time, birds also flew out from Fearsome Beast Forest.

    Shao Xuan thought hard. He didn¡¯t sense anything simr to the feeling of fear and anxiety he felt during thest disaster. He then looked over at the green-faced fanged beasts that were sound asleep in the cave. They had just finished their meals. He then said, ¡°Probably not.¡±

    Duo Kang didn¡¯t dare to rx and continued to look at Shao Xuan, ¡°Can you try telling the fortune with your ropes?¡±

    What he meant was that he wanted Shao Xuan to do a reading and confirm that his suspicions were not correct.

    ¡°Sure.¡± They had already finished hunting for the day. Using a little energy from what he had left wouldn¡¯t affect him much.

    Shao Xuan was about to look for his rope, but Duo Kang had already brought some over.

    Shao Xuan looked at the twine, and then looked over at Duo Kang. Usually, he didn¡¯t use such a thin rope.

    ¡°Umm, this is because when we were making the ropes, there was extra material, so we made this thin rope for future use,¡± Duo Kang said. He didn¡¯t use such thin ropes too, but after he knew Shao Xian¡¯s ability, he made it a habit to keep some thin ropes that could easily be knotted around him so that when Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have any ropes around him, he could provide some.¡±

    It was not just Duo Kang, though. Even Zheng Luo, Ta, and Gui He had the same habit. They just hadn¡¯t had the chance to provide Shao Xuan with their supply.

    Shao Xuan calmed his breathing and picked up the rope. Shutting his eyes, he began to work on the rope.

    He only wanted to know more about the flocks of birds in the sky. Where did theye from, and where were they going?

    After a while, Shao Xuan opened his eyes and saw the finished knots in his hands. He read the signs and frowned.

    ¡°What.. what¡¯s wrong?!¡± Duo Kang felt his teeth shaking from the nervousness. Was it bad news?

    Shao Cuan shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s no big disaster.¡±

    Duo Kang rxed, letting out a long deep sigh of relief.

    ¡°But...¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Duo Kang was just about to rx but was suddenly annoyed by Shao Xuan. He red at him unhappily.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit weird,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°How is it weird?¡± Duo Kang was still worried.

    Shao Xuan pointed in one direction. ¡°Telling the fortune with these ropes may not give us the most urate information. I can only tell that these birds came from over there.¡±

    ¡°Over there?¡± Duo Kang went over the map of the grounds in his mind.

    In Fearsome Beast Forest, besides the six hunting trails, there was a ce that had been ignored by them, a ce only roughly sketched on the map. Shao Xuan had been wondering what it was.

    But this forest was toorge. Even if the ming Horn tribe settled here before for almost a thousand years, they were not familiar with the entire forest. This map was only of a small part of the woods. They only saw the tip of the iceberg.

    With this information, Duo Kang could not guess anything.

    Shao Xuan also couldn¡¯t guess what was in that direction, so he let go of these thoughts for the time being.

    What surprised them was, after some time, they continued to see flocks of birds flying across the sky, and every time, they were of a different species.

    Plus, these birds were all flying in the same direction. Even after Shao Xuan returned to their tribe with the hunting team, he did not see any of those birds fly back.

    Seeing this, everyone was suspicious. What was happening?

    When the hunting teams from the other five trails gathered and met with them, they started talking about this situation that they all witnessed. They had all seen the same thing, but there was just a slight difference in the time they saw the birds. After all, the trails were all quite far from each other.

    The ming Horn tribe had just settled down. This shared doubt made them all worried once again.

    The two shamans were also worried. They had not sensed any danger or change in weather. Why was this happening?

    The beasts in the forests and the birds in the sky were always the first ones to react to the changes in nature. Because they knew this, everyone in the ming Horn tribe was worried.

    Why was this happening?

    A cloud of anxiety hung over their heads. Some warriors had begun to sharpen their weapons. There was a shortage of bronze weapons, so they had to prepare more stone weapons for future use.

    The cksmiths in the forge were once again put under pressure. Every day, their working hours increased. Be it natural disaster or war; they still had to be ready.

    Recently, they still saw flocks of birds flying from time to time. Even if the birds did not fly directly above their tribe, the people who stood high up on the watching towers or mountains could still observe the activities in the sky.

    After their observation, Shao Xuan noticed that the birds in the sky were giant. They were strong and flew fast. The birds that lived amongst fierce beasts were usually smaller in size and weaker.

    It was not until one day when Shao Xuan stood on the tower on the mountainside when he suddenly saw a green figure fly by.

 Chapter 588 - Those Green Ducks

    <h4>Those Green Ducks</h4>

    When Shao Xuan saw those birds fly over their tribe, although he couldn¡¯t see clearly due to the distance, and Chacha was not there to help him, he went up to the watchtower to take a closer look.

    Many flocks of birds had passed their area. Even though not all birds passed by here, the number of birds that passed by above the tribe was enough to startle and worry the people of the tribe.

    Because they didn¡¯t sense any other abnormalities, the tribal people could only keep a record of the birds each day and keep a close watch over the sky.

    But when this flock passed by, Shao Xuan sensed something unusual. When the green figure was blended into the flock, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell it apart, but when it left the flock, it became apparent.

    The green figure departed from the rest of the flock and flew towards the tribe. As soon as it did that, many from the flock also followed it and changed their directions, and then even more followed.

    Some were as big as their leader, while others were slightly smaller in size and flew weakly. These ducklings were less experienced and stable as the one in front.

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that there were other whistle towers in the tribe, and they probably noticed these birds approaching. Right away, Shao Xuan took out his wooden whistle and warned the others not to attack those birds.

    When the green figure slowly descended, the people from the other watch towers also recognised them.

    ¡°Oh, look! Isn¡¯t that our duck?!¡± One of the ming Horn warriors who came from the seaside eximed.

    ¡°What duck? Do you mean that duck flying over here?¡± Those soldiers who had never seen the ducks before were confused.

    ¡°It is! I recognise them!¡± Another person shouted.

    Shao Xuan looked at those flying figures and whistled a familiar tune on his wooden whistle. When he was living on the other side of the sea, he had also blown the same whistle tune. As he blew the tune, he wondered whether the birds still remembered it.

    The fatter ducks were at first hesitant, but after observing their surroundings vigntly, they flew in circles in the sky, as if wondering where they shouldnd. When they saw Shao Xuan, they immediately flew towards him.

    Although Chacha was not there when these birds arrived, Gui He¡¯s snow falcon was ready to attack those birds as they approached. Luckily Shao Xuan blew a whistle to warn the falcon before it attacked.

    Shao Xuan had already confirmed that the one who led the flock was the same duck he caught when he returned from Gongjia Mountain. But when they were living on the other side, the duck was still quite fat. Now, it had be scrawny.

    That was why some warriors from the other side couldn¡¯t recognise them. Before, these ducks were so fat. One duck weighed as much as two normal ducks, but now not only were they skinny, they also became scrawny.

    As the birds approached the tower, the green ducks continued to observe the warriors that they were unfamiliar with vigntly.

    This was an instinctive behaviour. The ducks were protecting themselves against strangers, and they even took a few steps back from the warriors who stood with Shao Xuan when he was at the top of the tower.

    After some hesitation, the green duck pped its wings andnded on the handrail. It called out to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Quack.¡±

    Although these birds sounded strangepared to other ducks, you could tell they were expressing their joy.

    Quack Quack Quack

    The other ducks followed tightly from behind and imitated their leader. They slowlynded on the handrail one after another.

    When the rest of the tribe looked up at the tower, they saw a circle of green ducks on the handrail at the highest level of the tower.

    Some of them recognised the ducks and eximed happily, ¡°Have our ducks returned?!¡±

    Some people who heard this sentence figured out the history of those ducks. When the two groups of the tribe united, they had also shared about the ducks they had raised, especially the green duck.

    Even the workers at the animal pens hurried over excitedly. That year when the caretaker of the duck circle left the tribe, he had lost all hope and longed to stay. He thought he would never be able to see those ducks again. Now, he couldn¡¯t believe his eyes! They were right there in front of him!

    Shao Xuan counted the number of ducks on the handrail. When they left, the green duck had not brought along its second generation. It was still happily ying in the waters. Back then, there were only about thirty ducklings. Now, there were more than fifty of them standing in front of Shao Xuan.

    Their sizes varied. Some of them were the same size as the fat duck. Other young ducklings were only about half their height.

    There were about twenty-fiverge ducks. They were probably the second generation hatched that were missing that year. Perhaps they had lost their way or something else happened.

    The flock regarded the first duck as their leader. Although some remained vignt, others had already begun to preen their feathers.

    ¡°Quack!¡±

    The green duck looked at Shao Xuan but noticed he did not respond. Then it called out once more, louder than thest as if it was pleading Shao Xuan to look at it.

    Shao Xuan drew his gaze away from the ducks. Whether they were migrating or escaping from a disaster, he knew that the ducks must be tired. Even if the two tectonic tes had drawn closer to each other from the earthquakes, it was still a long journey. The ducks were exhausted from the trip. Two of the smaller ducklings couldn¡¯t even stand firmly on the handrail when theynded.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Shao Xuan grabbed onto a rope hanging from the top of the tower, then slid down to the ground from the highest floor. The tribesmen weren¡¯t patient enough to take the spiral staircase in the tower, preferring this direct method of travel. To the totemic warriors, it was a simple action.

    As Shao Xuan slid down, the leader of the ducks flew down, following behind him.

    Because there were many unfamiliar faces in the tribe, the ducks kept a vignt gaze and stayed cautious.

    Shao Xuan saw the keeper from the animal pene over, and the green duck had seen him too. Although it didn¡¯t fly to him, it called out loudly in recognition.

    When the keeper saw this, he was d all the effort put into taking care and raising the duck before this wasn¡¯t wasted.

    Shao Xuan followed the keeper, and they walked together to the animal pen. Shao Xuan knew that these ducks were different from the beasts. The animal pen was too far, and although there was a river in front of them, crocodiles of the Drumming tribe had already marked that as their territory. The crocodiles would not be friendly to these ducks. If they let the ducks live there, they would fly away in terror immediately.

    Shao Xuan thought about it for a while. He changed his direction. He no longer walked in the direction of the animal circle. Instead, he was walking toward the human-madeke.

    Last time, to make the boats, they had to create a giant man-madeke. It was a decent ce for the ducks to settle in.

    ¡°Elder, are the ducks staying with us?¡± The warrior who took care of the beasts asked worriedly. He heard that these green ducks departed from their flock in the middle of their journey. Wouldn¡¯t they leave again? Should they cage them up?

    ¡°Let¡¯s build a shed for them and see whether they would like to stay,¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    The ducks seemed like pushovers, but Shao Xuan knew that these ducks were not weak like other ducks. They weren¡¯t mild-tempered animals either. If they locked them up forcefully, it wouldn¡¯t do much good.

    If the ducks were not living happily, they shouldn¡¯t even expect them toy eggs. Besides, Shao Xuan had noticed from his previous observation that nearly half of the ducks were female.

 Chapter 589 - News From Taihe

    Chapter 589 News From Taihe

    Since the green ducksnded in the tribe, many who had seen them before were ted, their eyes gleaming with excitement¡ªespecially those who used to live on the other side of the sea. Bai Guo, who used to pick the eggs from the duck¡¯s shed, looked curiously at the green ducks flying above.

    ¡°Let¡¯s build it here, a duck shed.... No, let¡¯s build two. If these ducks are here, maybe some other wild ducks would be attracted toe here as well,¡± Shao Xuan told the people who took care of the animal pens.

    The worker nodded his head furiously, ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ll build the ones simr tost time?¡±

    Although this was a duck shed, the conditions were better than many of the houses the tribesmen lived in.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s build it like before, just in case. They¡¯ll get used to it faster,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    To make these ducks stay, the people of the ming Horn tribe came up with many ns and put in much effort.

    The ducks that had followed Shao Xuan to the man-madeke were satisfied with the ce. As soon as Shao Xuan stopped walking, the green duck flew right onto theke, rxed its wings, and started gulping down water. It then moved its head as if it was stretching.

    ¡°There¡¯s not many fish in theke. Let me prepare some food for them,¡± The worker who used to take care of the duck shed left cheerfully.

    These green ducks loved fish. Unlike normal ducks, they could eat arge variety of food. Their mouths were full of sharp teeth.

    Fish were living in theke, and they came from the time they guided the big river¡¯s water ind. Some small fish entered theke at the time and remained here ever since. Perhaps some fish-eating birds came and devoured most of the fish while the ming Horn left for four years. When they came back, Shao Xuan saw a lot of bird faeces and feathers near theke.

    Now that they knew how to guide the river water from the river into theke, they could do so, but except the fact that piranhas lived in the river, most of the river beasts had left the ce. If they wanted to keep fish that were edible and not aggressive, they had to look elsewhere.

    After some thinking, Shao Xuan jotted these things down in his notes. He kept a reminder for himself so that the next time they went hunting, they should catch some fish too, and see whether they could get some suitable fish back to theke.

    The workers who raised the animals had a lot of experience. Whether they came from the other side or the maind, they had already mastered many techniques of animal breeding. Even though this was the first time many of them saw the green ducks, they learned quickly after conversing briefly with the other workers.

    They had to change whatever recipe they used to feed the ducks from before. Because theycked the same food, they followed another method and modified the recipe so although most of the ingredients were different from before, the flock of green ducks would still eat it.

    Perhaps they were tired from the journey, or they were starving. The group of fifty-something ducks gorged themselves with food around the animal feeder. Some of them were still hesitating, but after seeing the others eat, they also followed.

    Shao Xuan looked at the green duck that appeared hungriest. Many factors had caused it to be scrawny, but once it settled down, it would return to its original fatness and regain much of its weight.

    When the ducks started eating, Shao Xuan noticed a cloth string tied onto one of the duckling¡¯s legs. Seeing the dirt on the string, he knew it had been a long time since it was tied. The knots were very professional and familiar too.

    Whenever people from the Taihe tribe were injured, after they put some medicine on, they would use some linen cloth or other string to tie onto their wound.

    A member of the Taihe tribe clearly knotted the string tied onto the leg of the green duckling.

    Shao Xuan did not grab it right away when it was eating. He waited till the duckling had finished eating and grabbed it with his hands.

    He had experience dealing with fat ducks, so it wasn¡¯t hard for Shao Xuan to catch the duckling. He untied the knots on its leg and took a close look at the wound underneath.

    There was a scar from long ago, and it had already recovered. The injury wasn¡¯t too visible, and feathers had already begun to grow in its ce. If he didn¡¯t look closely, he wouldn¡¯t have noticed the disappearing scar amidst the feathers.

    There was also some noticeable powder on the scar with a colour different from the bird¡¯s feathers. It was the medicine for the injury. Because the knots were done so well, the medicine did notpletely get washed away over time.

    The medicine rubbed off along with the string.

    When the people from the seaside departed, the Taihe tribe had said that they would take care of the ducks. From this, he knew that they had kept their promise.

    He released the duckling into the flock. It ran and hid beside a fatter duck. The duckling eyed Shao Xuan cautiously.

    But the fatter duck only looked at him for a while. After some time, it continued to eat. When Shao Xuan grabbed the duckling, the fatter duck twisted its head to look, but that was it. It did not take any actions and continued to eat. Even when the other ducks had finished with their food, it was still eating.

    Shao Xuan left the rest of the matter to the workers who took care of the ducks. He also told the patrolling soldiers to keep watch over them. If they were a threat to any member of the tribe, the tribe would not let them live. After all, these green ducks were not normal. It was better to remain observant. Especially those ducklings. They were unfamiliar with the men from the ming Horn tribe.

    After he left theke, Shao Xuan ascended the mountain and told the shamans and hunt leaders about the cloth string he found on the duckling¡¯s leg.

    Speaking of the Taihe tribe, Zheng Luo and Duo Kang suddenly became reminiscent of the past. ¡®When should we get some of our friends from Taihe over?¡¯ wondered Duo Kang.

    People from the Taihe tribe liked strange herbs. Amid the mountains and forest, where they used to send advance teams to survey the grounds, there were many precious herbs. If people from the Taihe tribe were here, they would have loved it.

    Shao Xuan also told them that if it were as the Rain tribe had said, that the twonds had gotten closer from the earthquake, then there might be a war. If the ruler of the desert and other ve masters wanted to take revenge, there was a chance that war might break out. After all, Rock Hill City had made so many preparations. They didn¡¯t do all that for nothing.

    If that was the case, the people who were living on the other side were probably not safe.

    The Taihe tribe would not be at peace living there, and if they decided to move over here, they could continue to be neighbours. Taihe was a lot more reliable than the other tribes. Having ties with them was good for the ming Horn tribe.

    Right, they had bronze weapons too! If the Taihe tribe came over, the ming Horns would show off their new bronze weapons to them!

    Now that the recipe green-bronze weapons was recorded, the warriors could decide if they wanted to use it. They were even allowed to put down an order for their preferred weapons, and warriors who made more significant contributions would have their weapons forged earlier.

    Duo Kang had a name list in his hands. ording to the warriors¡¯ levels of contribution, they would be called upon by Duo Kang one after the next, and he would arrange for them to meet with the cksmiths to tell them what type of weapons they preferred so the weapons could be specifically forged in their favour.

    They would already have a lot of green-bronze weapons when they meet with the Taihe tribe.

    Zheng Luo and Duo Kang were thinking the same thing. They were excited to see how the Taihe tribe would react to their new weapons.

 Chapter 590 - Putting Up Signs for Flaming River

    Chapter 590

    Putting Up Signs for ming River

    After the arrival of the green ducks, Shao Xuan finally figured out where precisely the knots from his previous reading were pointing.

    In that direction, it wasn¡¯t just another part of this forest. Instead, it was farther away, on another continent.

    The majority of the flocks that flew by theirnd probably came from the other continent. Judging by this fact, it might have been arge-scale migration.

    In the past two winters, this continent was unusually hot, but on the other continent, the weather was on the other extreme. It was probably unusually cold. If this was true, perhaps the birds felt the warmth from another ce, so they decided to migrate.

    When they looked at the green ducks swimming happily in theke, it seemed like the ducks were not troubled by anything at all. Nor did they sense any danger. So the probability of a disaster was lower than they had expected.

    When they knew this result, the worried people in the tribe all calmed down.

    The fact was, after their settlement, Shao Xuan had been thinking about the future of their tribe.

    Before, the river that used to be in front of the tribe acted as a barrier that was hard to cross. It separated them from the rest of the world, and because of it, they rarely saw anyone from other tribes. But now, the river had disappeared, and the inexplicable phenomena in the sky that brought terror to their tribe had also vanished. Chacha flew back every day without encountering any more problems in the sky.

    After they came over, Shao Xuan knew the reason why Chacha didn¡¯t return to the Hui tribe, and the rest of the giant mountain eagles from observing his movements and cries.

    Usually, great mountain eagles would only return to their mountain when they finished developing. After young eagles break out from their eggshells, they would not return until they had grown to be a mature giant eagle. Most giant eagles that hadn¡¯t returned to their mountain yet were all younger ones.

    Another group of eagles that returned to their mountain was the ones slowly approaching old age. If they did not return, they would continue to age and die. But once they returned to their mountain and came out again, they would go through something simr to resurrection and enter their next stage of growth. In theory, great mountain eagles were immortal creatures. No one told them this, but they knew by instinct, just like how humans ate in hunger and drank in thirst. Once they entered such a stage, they would receive a signal in their bodies that would tell them what they should do when they reached such a stage in life.

    But Chacha was unlike the two types mentioned above. He wasn¡¯t a young eagle, nor was he approaching old age. If he indeed returned to the mountain, he would have to suffer a much higher risk and had to stay there longer than other eagles. The eagles that returned to the mountain with him saw him as a reckless eagle that wasn¡¯t afraid of death at all.

    So, when Chacha finally could leave Eagle Mountain, the other eagles had already left him.

    But when Chacha wanted to return to Fearsome Beast Forest, he sensed disaster approaching from all directions. Underwater, above ground, or up in the sky, it came from all directions. Seeing these changes, Chacha did not dare to fly recklessly, so he followed the trail that he was familiar with when he flew along with Shao Xuan and the rest of the tribe before. He reached the hunting area and flew towards where the ming Horn tribe used to live.

    Chacha shooed away all the other birds and beasts that used to live here and waited for the disaster to end.

    The truth was, Chacha was too worried about the river that was missing, or else he would have flown over. Even if the river had ceased to flow, Chacha was still afraid. He thought about the days when he used to travel on the same boat with Shao Xuan when they left the ce, so even after the disaster had ended, he hesitated for a while before deciding to fly toward Fearsome Beast Forest. But when he decided to do so, the ming Horn tribe arrived.

    The obstructions in the river and sky all disappeared, so the people from both sides would start to socialise more. The bridge was still there, the tribe could no longer live in istion. They had to deal with more people. Every tribe had their skill and uniqueness, and they were all worth learning. Before, the ming Horn tribe was forced to live apart from the rest of the world because of natural barriers. They could notmunicate with other tribes. But now the situation was different. The natural barriers were gone, and hence,munication increased. This was their opportunity to learn from others.

    Plus, they also needed to keep themselves updated from news especially from the desert and the other side.

    Winter was approaching. The people in the tribe were thinking about bringing their fur to the market to trade for other things.

    The bridge could not handle too much weight, and it was not stable. The river had flooded, and water levels had been rising ever since they came. When they first returned, the river was only two to three hundred meters high. Now it was six to seven meters high. Although the levels had stopped rising when winter ended, the mountain ice caps of mountains upstream were still melting. The river¡¯s water levels might still experience another change. Besides, there was also the monsoon season. The people from both sides of the river were prepared for any changes.

    The Drumming tribe decided to settle closer to the river, but now that the water levels had risen, they decided to move further ind to prevent any casualties. As for the ming Horns, they did not have to worry about their living environment. All they were concerned about was their farnd because it was at a lower elevation.

    The tribe did not have high hopes for the bridge made from thin wooden scraps. Now, the tribe had already begun to build boats so that in the future, when the tribe needed to cross the river to trade, they could follow what the Longboat tribe usually did. With boats, they could cross the river and even enter the smaller streams into the maind. There were many smaller streams ind that connected to the river, and their boats could depart from there.

    For the past few days, Shao Xuan had been thinking. If the tribe had already decided to settle here permanently, and the river was no longer something that they had to avoid, then more people would being from the other side of the river. Up till now, there had been no name for it. If other teams that came from farther ces came to trade and asked them where the ming Horn tribe was located, how should they reply?

    Should they say, ¡°We live on the other side of the river?¡±

    There are so many rivers! How would they know which one we are referring to?

    However, the ming Horn tribe seem to have had their fates tied to this river since a thousand years ago. Why not give it a name rted to the ming Horn tribe?

    Nowadays, there was no such thing as naming an entire river, stream,ke, or pond. Most tribes just imed their territory and called the part of their river ¡°their portion.¡± Unless it were a stream within the tribe¡¯snd, like the Drumming tribe¡¯s stream, then they would give it a name. If it wasn¡¯t part of their territory, most tribes would not care to name it. Even the part of the river where the Longboat tribe¡¯s famous story of ¡°the boat that floated down the burning river¡± happened did not receive a name.

    The ming Horn tribe can take the lead and name it first!

    A giant river... The river in front of the ming Horn tribe...

    The ming Horn River?

    Maybe not. That¡¯s not such a good name. It just makes it sound like the entire river belongs to the ming Horn tribe. The river was too long, even if the ming Horn tribe wanted to expand, they could not cover the territory from one end of the river to the other.

    The ming River?

    After he thought about a few different names, Shao Xuan went to the mountaintop and looked for the other hunt leaders and shamans. He told them his ideas and his final decision.

    Shao Xuan voiced his ideas, and all of their eyes sparkled with excitement.

    It was a great idea!

    The shaman was also thinking of a way to establish the presence of their tribe in the area, but this was not a time of conquest. The Wanshi battle had already helped them increase their fame, but that was not enough.

    As long as it was an opportunity to increase their fame, the shaman would not hesitate to take it on. Shao Xuan¡¯s suggestion hit right on the spot! It was precisely what the shaman wanted!

    Of course, they wanted to name it the ming Horn River, but they knew the other tribes would object and then call parts of the river by their respective tribe¡¯s names. Then it would be a fight between all the tribes. So this name was not the best option.

    ¡°Then I think we should follow what Shao Xuan suggested and call it the ming River,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    The shaman thought about it and nodded.

    The others had no objections, so the name was decided. ming River it was.

    The river had already been named, but nobody knew this name. Even if they knew there was a ming River, they would not know where it was located.

    ¡°We can put up a sign,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    In many ces, a stone sign or other significant markings would tell outsiders the name of the site or object.

    ¡°Yeah! We can put up a sign! We can even carve a totem sign for our tribe on the sign, so people know that we were the ones who named the river!¡± Duo Kang rubbed his hands with excitement as he thought about the idea.

    With this decision made, the people in the tribe began to work.

    Shao Xuan used some bone tes he collected from previous hunts and carved the words ¡°ming River¡± onto them, and also added the words ¡°established by the ming Horn tribe¡± with ming Horn totem signs beside them.

    Although they did not name it ming Horn River, it wasn¡¯t much different, just slightly more implicit.

    Besides this part of the river, the ming Horn tribe had also sent other warriors out to the other side of the river to put up more signs at different parts of the river.

    The other tribes that lived nearby also saw these people carrying giant stone tes carved with the same words.

    ming River? Why the ming River? Some people were doubtful, and others were unhappy.

    The people from the ming Horn tribe suddenly smiled confidently and stabbed the stone sign into the ground.

    We¡¯re calling it the ming River!

    What? You¡¯ve got a problem with that?

    Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s no big deal! Tell us your opinions, and we shall talk about it.

 Chapter 591 - Why Dont You Fly Anymore?

    <h4>Why Don¡¯t You Fly Anymore?</h4>

    The disaster had brought massive destruction to all the tribes. Some were exterminated entirely, though many others continued to live on the shores beside the river. So, when the ming Horn tribe set up signs marking the river as ¡°ming River,¡± many people saw it.

    When they first saw this happening, there had been cases where other tribes had started naming their parts of the river.

    Perhaps some were unhappy about the ming Horn¡¯s impulsive decision, but the ming Horn tribe was not afraid. If they found out about anyone who tried to change the name of the river again, they would undoubtedly have a friendly little discussion with them.

    Exnations? No. They did not even need to provide any exnations. At this point, whoever with more power had the authority to speak. If they were weak, they shouldn¡¯t even bother voicing out their opinion. Besides, in this area, no one wanted to risk starting a war with the ming Horn tribe.

    When the shamans found out that the name of the ming River was starting to spread like across both shorelines, they smiled cheerfully, deep wrinkles visible on their faces. They even became addicted to giving names to different things, like the man-madeke, the mountains, the boats. Because of their disagreements, the two shamans often had arguments about naming different things.

    But the others did not care too much about these names. The group that came from the other side of the ocean still kept the same habit as in previous years, piling up stocks at the end of the year for trading at the markets. After they had settled in this ce, their piled share of animal fur was more than what they needed, so they also wanted to let the trading team bring it to the markets.

    Although there were no cities nearby, many tribes had their unique skill and craft, and most were too hard to learn or copy. They required unique talents to master.

    The making of boats wasing to apletion. With the aid of new green-bronze weapons, tasks that couldn¡¯t be done before with stone or horn weapons were now effortlesslypleted. It was easy for them to get the materials they needed from the forest nearby, and with their prior experience in building boats back in Fearsome Beast Forest, this was a rather easy task for them. Plus, back in Fearsome Beast Forest, the Longboat tribe had given them some boats as gifts, but all of them were destroyed in the disaster. Regardless, the workers had learned enough boat-making skills to make their boats.

    Even if their technique did not allow them to make boats better than the Longboat tribe, their material was better. They had high-quality wood and green-bronze weapons. Sometimes, they had Shao Xuan¡¯s creative ideas, so the boat they made were even better than the ones they used to depart from this ce years ago.

    They had already finished digging the canal connecting the man-madeke and the ming River. All that was left to do was to open the sluice gates once the boats were all built.

    At the human-madeke, the green ducks continued to swim peacefully with their ducklings, and even though the noise from the boat construction was loud, they were never afraid. Some of them were even curious and came over to look.

    In just a few days, the green ducks had already grown much fatterpared to when they first migrated here. They had almost reached the fatness Shao Xuan had first seen in their species. It was not just the first generation of ducks, but the ducklings as well. They became much more active and friendly towards the ming Horn tribe. Sometimes when they saw the worker who fed them approaching, the ducks would even hop cheerfully on their fat legs over to beg for food.

    Yes, beg for food!

    The second generation of ducks had the same mischievous and shameless behaviour as their parents. The living conditions here were perfect for them. Someone was protecting them, feeding them, they had a ce to live, they did not have to starve or fly in the rain, there were no natural predators nearby, so it was perfect. They decided to stay here with their parents and no longer had any inclination to leave. Three days ago, when another flock of birds flew by, the ducks only looked up for a while but showed no intention to follow.

    Shao Xuan carried a giant tree trunk over to the ce beside theke. This tree trunk was cut down by the team that was specifically assigned to the task. He was just there to help them move the tree trunks.

    ¡°So how¡¯s everything going? How many days do we still need?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the finished boats and asked the craftsmen nearby.

    ¡°We can finish in two days. We¡¯ll set the finished ones afloat in the river tomorrow,¡± one of the craftsmen replied.

    After he asked about their progress, he asked no more. He set down the tree trunk and walked towards the river. As he passed, he saw the worker who was taking care of the duck shed. Those ducks that were curious about the boat construction stood in a line watching the workers, but when they saw the worker arrive with the food, all of them dashed toward him, fighting to get to the worker first. Some even began to fight.

    Since they began feeding these ducks, the ducks had bezier andzier. Besides fighting for food, it was rare to see them fly. They wondered whether they could still fly once they became fatter.

    Shao Xuan went over to the worker and asked about the ducks.

    ¡°They¡¯re doing quite decently! They are behaving even better than thest time we bred them. Now, all I need to do is take care of the leading duck. All the other ducks follow and regard him as their leader,¡± the worker who was feeding the ducks said happily, ¡°But we haven¡¯t seen any eggs yet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still too early for them toy eggs.¡±

    Shao Xuan went to the grounds and took a look at the ducks who had finished their food. The fat duck walked in circles, waddling from side to side. It seemed very rxed andzy.

    When it saw Shao Xuan walk over, the fat duck nced over at him and then went to look for a ce to sit. Shao Xuan looked in the food tank. There was still some food left, and ording to the worker who fed them, those leftovers were herb scraps from crushed herbs that he knew were beneficial for the ducks. When the ducks were sick, they would instinctively eat those herbs, so the worker knew it was good for them. Since then, he had been adding it to their food tank.

    In the first few days after they arrived, they were not picky at all. They ate everything they were given. As days slowly passed by, the ducks became pickier and started finishing the food they liked first and left the food they didn¡¯t like much forter when they became hungry again.

    Shao Xuan looked at the duck that was dawdling sleepily, looking for a ce to rest, ¡°Tsk! Enjoying yourself, aren¡¯t you? Why don¡¯t you fly anymore?¡±

    But after Shao Xuan spoke, the fat duck started flying.

    It wasn¡¯t just that one fat duck, the other ducklings also followed. Not only the ones that were swimming in theke but all the ducks beside theke and amidst the grass began to p their wings and fly.

    ... So did the ducks really decide to fly that instant?

    Or had they decided to leave?

    But very soon, Shao Xuan realised that they did not intend to leave. As soon as they ascended, they stopped and rested on a tree and looked up at the sky.

    The sky?

    What was there?

    Shao Xuan also looked over, and as soon as he did that, he heard whistlesing from the watchtowers.

    ¡°Something strange is flying in the sky!¡±

    Shao Xuan scanned his surroundings and jumped up onto a branch of a tall tree.

    Far away, there was a group of ck figures approaching.

    ¡°It¡¯s a flock of birds!¡±

    It was already a familiar sight for them. Seeing these flocks of birds, everyone was no longer afraid.

    But this time was different. When the flock of birds passed by the tribe¡¯snds, the green ducks and their ducklings all flew up to the tree. Right when Shao Xuan thought they wanted to leave, the ducks called out wildly to the flock from below.

    Then, besides the calls from the approaching flock, they also heard a different call made by the green ducks.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes wide and looked closely at the flock. Some birds departed from the flock and started flying towards them.

    They¡¯re wild ducks!

    ¡°Oh my goodness!¡±

    These green ducks were quite skilled in seduction. They could even attract wild ducks!

 Chapter 592 - An Idea

    Chapter 592

    An Idea

    Every time a flock of birds flew by their tribe, Shao Xuan would observe and see what kind of birds they were. Even though he couldn¡¯t see them too clearly, he could tell what species they belonged to, their body shape, and their speed. These were simple judgements he could make.

    The first flock that flew over wererge-sized birds. Most of them were beasts that travelled fast and had strong stamina. After these birds left, other ordinary birds came.

    The green ducks were one of thest flocks to fly by their tribe. Maybe they were a special case. If the green duck flew here by himself, he would¡¯ve been one of the first birds to arrive, but because he was bringing along his family members- a group of ducklings- it dyed his travel, so they were one of thest flocks to arrive.

    After the green ducks arrived, the birds that came after were even more ordinary than before. The birds that departed from their flock and flew down because they heard the green ducks¡¯ calls belonged to those regr types. They were even moremon than those Shao Xuan had seen before when they were living beside the sea.

    These ducks had different colours of feathers and behaved differently. But because they looked simr, Shao Xuan categorised them all as wild ducks.

    Back then, when they were living on the other side, the green duck had also attracted many wild ducks into the tribe. Now, the same situation was happening again- except this time, it wasn¡¯t just the green duck calling out to the other birds. His ducklings also followed what he did and quacked to the birds from afar.

    The wild ducks that were flying over caught the attention of many tribal workers who were busy working on their task. The people who had seen this phenomenon before were delighted. With so many ducks in their tribe, they knew more eggs would beid.

    The guards did not stop the wild ducks from getting close, so right after the wild ducks departed from their flock, they followed the green ducks and flew down to theke.

    Theke that was usually serene and quiet was suddenly full of excitement. The wild ducks thatnded took up more than one-third of theke¡¯s surface. But this was only the beginning. Many other wild ducks were still descending into theke.

    Not all the birds that flew by the tribe descended, and the tribesmen knew there were many more ducks from these flocks. These ducks just didn¡¯t know about this ce because they hadn¡¯t heard the green ducks¡¯ quacks.

    ¡°We underestimated them!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked toward the fat duck on theke. He shouted, ¡°Hey! Duck!¡±

    The fat duck, swimming peacefully in the man-madeke, slowly turned its head in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Please... don¡¯t fly up into the sky anymore.¡±

    The fat duck turned its head, and without giving any response or acknowledgement, it kept swimming in the same direction.

    But afterwards, when Shao Xuan observed them, the ducks no longer flew into the sky again. Shao Xuan calmed down and breathed out a sigh of relief.

    The people who worked on theke once again dug out and expanded its area. Judging by theke¡¯s current size, the space was insufficient for all these wild ducks.

    The keeper who took care of the duck shed also renovated the shed, so they didn¡¯t have to worry about the sudden increase in the number of ducks. The green ducks were picky, but the wild ducks weren¡¯t. Their food was easy to make, and it wouldn¡¯t be too much trouble for the keepers because they already had experience taking care of them.

    Two dayster, five boats had already been constructed, and they were ready for testing. On each boat, there were fifty to a hundred people, and this time, the number of people who were going out to trade was around three hundred. Their name list had already confirmed this number.

    The five boats with ming Horn totem signs marked with paint departed from the man-madeke into the canal.

    Vroom¡ª

    When the sail was hoisted, there was a totem sign drawn on it signifying the ming Horn tribe. It was the best time to establish a stronger presence in themunity. The symbol on the sail was drawn by the two shamans. When the winds blew, the curvature of the sails made the signs look like they were alight with mes.

    ¡°We can probably leave now. There seems to be no problem,¡± Zheng Luo said to the five boats entering the river.

    On this trip, the captain was Ta, one of the major hunt leaders. Duo Kang came along because he wanted to have some fun. He knew the group did not need two major hunt leaders on this trip, and this wasn¡¯t the only time they would go out for a trade, but he wanted to go anyway.

    The Drumming tribe had finished rebuilding their tribe and saw the five boats carrying ming Horn totem signs. They stared enviously but regarded these boats as extravagant possessions. They felt that there was no need for such vehicles. If they wanted to cross any type of waters, they could just ride on the back of their crocodiles.

    The reason the people from the Drumming tribe was envious was that they would¡¯ve been able to trade in farther areas if the disaster hadn¡¯t happen- they would¡¯ve had a huge supply of Water Moon Stones left, and perhaps they could use them to negotiate with the ming Horn tribe, asking them to bring them along to farther ces to trade. Many people in the Drumming tribe had never travelled to faraway ces. The farthest most of the warriors of the Drumming tribe had been to was where the Pu tribe lived.

    Before, they didn¡¯t like the idea of socialising with strangers of other tribes. But now, they thought differently. Seeing the ming Horns with their boats, the Drumming tribe suddenly had many thoughts and ideas.

    ¡°Maybe next year, when we have a greater supply of Water Moon Stones. Then we can pay back the debt fromst time and maybe even travel along on the boats from the ming Horn tribe,¡± one of the warriors from the Drumming tribe said.

    ¡°I have decided not to go trade with the Pu tribe tomorrow. I want to save up my Water Moon Stones so that when the opportunityes, I can ask the ming Horn tribe to take us to farther ces to make even better trades with other tribes. ming Horn is a better option than the Pu tribe,¡± another warrior said.

    It was not just them. Other people from the Drumming tribe also had simr ideas. Some of them made a silent decision in their hearts and prayed for an increase in the production of Water Moon Stones. Then, they could pay up their debt and stop worrying about working all the time.

    When they were testing the sails, Shao Xuan took the boat down a section of the ming River to check on the Rain tribe. He wanted to see the progress of their reconstruction.

    The Drumming tribe was working on the foundations of the ruins left behind, but the Rain tribe was starting anew. It was moreplicated and required more work. Like most tribes with primitive fire seeds, when they arrived, the first thing they did was build a fire pit. Then, they built the necessary houses for the leaders in the tribe and then for the rest of the people.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, the Rain tribe¡¯s houses had already been built. They were already preparing to cultivate thends and making animal pens. They did not have many resources, so they depended on hunting birds that flew by or beasts that lived beside the ming River. Besides hunting, they also plucked fruits. They had the seeds, except it wasn¡¯t possible for them to start sowing this year.

    The Rain tribe had already begun to use many of the new pots they made. There were also many spinning wheels and other tools used to make the pottery set in front of their houses. The Rain tribe had picked up their old skills again and started a new way of living. They were thinking up new ns for making a living.

    ording to the Rain tribe, there were more tribes living nearby this area- some wanted to move away from here because they thought this ce was too dangerous. They saw the forest by the river as dangerous territory. It was too close forfort, so they were scared and wanted to leave. Of course, many of the tribes that survived the disaster chose to stay. They did not dare take any risks migrating again.

    All in all, many tribes were living along the river bank. After all, this was a significant water source. Even if they did not live by the river, they wouldn¡¯t stray too far away.

    ¡°More tribes are living here than I thought,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan had an idea in his mind. Before when they talked about trading, some people mentioned that the trading markets were too far away. This was a problem they all faced.

    Indeed, if they wanted to make better trades, they had to travel farther to ces where people had better talents and unique crafts, or maybe to somerge marketce. But those ces were too far. If they were closer, it would be a lot better for all of them. It would save them all the time and trouble.

    He knew it was impossible to move another market here. But what if they were to build a new market in this ce?

    The ming River was no longer a river that people feared. It was providing water for the people who lived nearby, all therge and small tribes. If they were to build a trading point here, what would people think?

 Chapter 593 - The Flaming River Trading Point

    <h4>The ming River Trading Point</h4>

    The ming Horn tribe decided to construct boats not just because they wanted to trade in farther ces. Shao Xuan also had other ns. When their navigation skills improve, he would like to use these boats to explore other parts upstream and downstream. Before, their travel was limited, so they were not familiar with many other ces nearby.

    And regarding the new trading point.

    There indeed wasn¡¯t a trading site nearby. After all, this was a remote area, and the ming River used to be very dangerous. Most tribes living on the continent were not willing to travel in this direction, so it was rare for them to meet new people. Most who came by were middle-to-small-sized tribes, like the Drumming tribe and Pu tribe. If they wished to trade, they would go directly to the other tribe¡¯s vige instead of any location specified for trading. Their options were minimal.

    The Drumming tribe had been cheated by the Pu tribe for too many times. The Drumming tribe knew that they had been mistreated, but they didn¡¯t have many other options. They did not have many members, and every year, there were still many people whose eyes were fixed on their Water Moon Stones. Their warriors didn¡¯t travel afar because they were afraid bad things might happen. So the Pu tribe who lived nearby was their best choice. Back in the old days, maybe the Luo tribe was a potential trading partner, but the Luo tribe no longer existed.

    For the ming Horns, it was indeed problematic not to have a good trading partner. When they lived by the sea, the trading team would bring their supply of animal fur to trade with the ve masters in their controlled trading point in the city. There were many people there, and every city had a decent trading point, so they had more options and could strike better deals.

    But this was a remote area.....

    After much thought, Shao Xuan went to discuss his idea with the hunt leaders and shamans.

    It was all fine before Shao Xuan mentioned his idea. After he told them his thoughts, all of them were excited and could not wait any longer. Back in the times when they lived in Fearsome Beast Forest, they knew that manyrge tribes also had trading points nearby. They did not think about setting one up back then. Before, there were still people from the Lu tribe who came over once a while to trade with them, so they didn¡¯t need it. But after the ming Horn tribe migrated, the environment was different. If they wanted to trade for something better, their only choice was to travel afar.

    The distance between their current residence area and the nearestrge trading point was farther than their travel from Fearsome Beast Forest to their nearest trading point back then. If they did not take any action, then if they wanted to make any satisfactory trades, they could only travel to farther ces.

    ¡°Shao Xuan¡¯s idea is not bad,¡± the shaman with his eyes closed was deep in contemtion.

    ¡°But the question is, how do we set up a trading point, and where?¡± Ao asked.

    ¡°Not where we are living now,¡± After a while, Shao Xuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll go look for a ce on the other side of the river.¡±

    If there was a suitable ce, it was ideal for them to expand their territory. They definitely would not be able to grow as fast as those tribes that lived in the central areas with a long history of havingrge trading points. But if they started step by step, they would seed one day.

    They did not wait any longer. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t travelling with a team this time, so he had time to explore the ce.

    Now that he thought about it, before when they first migrated here, he only thought about settling down in these areas, so he didn¡¯t check out other ces. Now that he had a chance, he wanted to see how much the banks beside the river had changed after the disaster.

    He called over Chacha, who usually flew around freely every day, and instructed the eagle to carry him over to the other side of the river. They flew above the shorelines of the other side of the river.

    This was a more forested area. Thousands of years ago, when the ground first cracked during the river¡¯s formation, the two shores were still connected. The side the ming Horn tribe resided in was all forested, so the other side must have been the same. This was like a second Fearsome Beast Forest, except it was too far from the central trading points, and it was dangerous.

    Most tribes that settled here were medium-to-small sized. They were unable to conquer and that was rich and fertile, so they could only settle in these remote areas.

    But some parts of thend here were fertile too. It was just dangerous because it was close to the river. Before the river was formed, it was even more dangerous. With both shores connected, it was one big forest. Middle-to-small sized tribes were not strong in battle, so they could only survive if they hid well.

    Shao Xuan looked down at the mountains below. They were not tall, and the forests were not dense, probably because people lived there. He did not see any thick ancient trees.

    The disaster had swallowed most of thend on this side of the river. It was very different from what Shao Xuan remembered.

    After he looked around, Shao Xuan was not too satisfied with those ces so he instructed Chacha to fly above the course of another stream.

    This stream was not far away from the Drumming tribe and flowed from the center of the continent to the big river. The ming Horn trading boats took this route and traveled from the ming River into this stream, which brought them further ind.

    After he analyzed the topography, Shao Xuan suddenly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go down and take a look.¡±

    Chacha called out in agreement and descended.

    As Chacha slowly approached the ground, Shao Xuan leapt off andnded in a small forested area.

    Shao Xuan had this ce in mind because of its topography and environment. It was very simr to a ce he had seen before.

    Back then, when Shao Xuan flew over with Chacha to this side of the river, they followed the Pu tribe¡¯s team to the center of the maind. They rested awhile on the way. There were many wanderers, ve masters, and ves who lived there back when they rested. It was also the same ce Shao Xuan met Shi Shu. Back in those days, there was still Yan Shuo, who was still a wanderer.

    That ce was the trading point beside the river, and often, many trading teams from faraway ces would stop by there to trade.

    And this location Shao Xuannded in was very simr to that ce.

    ¡°This territory probably doesn¡¯t belong to any tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan got on Chacha¡¯s back and flew in circles around the area to make sure this did not belong to any other tribes. Although there were tracks left by people, it had been too long since those tracks were made.

    Shao Xuan made a marking on his map. He marked this location as ¡°1¡± and continued to look for other suitable ces.

    For three days in a row, Shao Xuan explored the area. The trading point should not be too far from the ming Horn tribe, so in these three days, he studied the areas close by. He found four suitable locations, but in the end, he still preferred location 1.

    Once they made the decision, the ming Horn tribe started to work.

    Other tribesmen who went out to hunt suddenly saw the ming Horn tribe members carrying their giant stone tes once again to mark a new location. But this time, it was not merely naming an area. They were marking out their territory!

    The stone tes with carved words told the others who walked by the following message, ¡°From now on, thisnd belongs to the ming Horn tribe!¡±

    What? Do you not agree?

    Thisnd did not belong to any other tribe. What¡¯s wrong with iming an unimed property?

    Who said territories had to be connected? We love having two territories that are not connected!

    Do you still have other opinions?

    It¡¯s okay. You can share your opinions. We can have a friendly little discussion about it...

 Chapter 594 - The Best Animal Hide

    <h4>The Best Animal Hide</h4>

    This location Shao Xuan decided on was located exactly on the intersection of two streams leading to the river. This was ideal for boats or ships to pass by, so when Shao Xuan drew his map, he made sure to mark out a location for building a pier.

    People who weren¡¯t assigned to tasks, didn¡¯t have any shifts, or didn¡¯t go on hunts were dispatched to this location to start construction.

    In the hearts of these tribesmen, marking their territory was the most important task at hand. By drawing out their territory, they were telling outsiders that thisnd belonged to them.

    So recently, people who lived nearby often saw ming Horn warriors carrying stone tes of different shapes and sizes on tough ropes to their newly marked territory.

    The stone tes were cut at a nearby mountain. There were many mountains surrounding the area, but none of them belonged to any tribe, but sometimes some vignt individuals from other tribes could be seen hiding amidst the trees and bushes, staring intently at the ming Horn tribesmen who came back and forth.

    These individuals from outer tribes did not dare make a move on the ming Horn tribe. They knew that they had to be careful of anyone capable of moving such heavy stones so effortlessly. Every time they saw the ming Horn tribesmen walk by, they usually travelled in a group, so they had to be careful not to make any wrong move.

    There were definitely people who were curious about what they were doing. Some tribesmen from smaller tribes hid in random corners. Although their viges were not obvious, they had their own way of living, or else they couldn¡¯t have survived. Shao Xuan never looked down on these smaller tribes.

    After he found out that these people were hiding behind trees and bushes watching them, Shao Xuan instructed some people to prepare a wooden sign, and with some nt-based ink, wrote some words on the board.

    This sign told foragers and hunters in the area the following: First, this territory has been imed by the ming Horn tribe. Second, the ming Horn tribe is nning to set up a trading point in this location, named the ming River Trading Point. This trading point will officially open when winter starts, so whoever wants to trade cane over and take a look. Thirdly, the ming Horn tribe has an ample supply of high-quality animal hide from both wild and fearsome beasts.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan added at the end, ¡°Trade Fairly, Deal Honestly.¡±

    After he finished writing, Shao Xuan handed the wooden sign over to the warrior in charge of moving the stones, ¡°Find a suitable ce and put up this sign.¡±

    The warrior looked at the sign and understood what Shao Xuan meant. He did not say anything more and walked away rapidly with the wooden board. They still had other stones to move.

    Members of the ming Horn tribe were strong and fast in moving stones, so it only took two days to mark out their territory with stone tes. By this time, the outer wall was already half-finished. Shao Xuan said that the trading point could be open before winter, and this was true. He had already made the calctions.

    Shao Xuan had also sent messengers to the Drumming tribe, Rain tribe, Pu tribe, and other tribes who lived nearby to inform them about the ming River Trading Point.

    The Rain tribe had begun to prepare for trade. They had been keeping stock and nned to trade with the ming Horns in the wintertime, but as soon as they found out about the trading point, they became more excited. The ming Horn tribe and Rain tribe had different preferences. If they only traded with the ming Horn tribe, they might not be able to get what they want, but with the ming River Trading Point, they had more options, so they started working even harder to produce more goods for the trade.

    Some craftsmen who had nothing to do after constructing the boats also came over to help. Even the stonemason Old Ke came to help. He was old and stiff and had trouble walking, but his skills in crafting wooden or stone materials were still decent, so he could help with building the houses. If Caesar was here, he would carry the old man over and cross the ming River along with the other warriors. If Caesar went out for a hunt, Chacha would carry the old man across the river. He didn¡¯t even need to go on a boat.

    The craftsmen who worked on the boats voluntarily asked to help out at this new location. They didn¡¯t even rest after their previous construction and came over immediately. They loved to make new things, and because the ming Horn Trading Point was a good thing for them, they worked willingly and cheerfully on their new project.

    The expedition team had already left. Before they left, Shao Xuan had already confirmed the location of the new trading point, so he had told them in advance so they could inform others further ind about their new trading point. He told them to tell the other tribes that the best animal hide was at the ming River Trading Point.

    What? Was he wrong? It was the truth!

    Definitely the truth!

    The reason why the ming Horn tribe was able to boast about having the best animal hide was that it was the truth. They did have the best animal hide.

    At the same time, Shao Xuan also instructed the expedition team to tell the other tribes¡¯ expedition teams that if they wanted to trade the same amount of goods for more animal hide, they had toe over to the ming River Trading Point during the other seasons.

    In the past two years, the winters were unusually hot, so they didn¡¯t need animal hide as much, but now that the disaster had passed, the weather was bing normal. Perhaps there might be other changes, but the weather would definitely not return to the disastrous state it was in immediately.

    It would definitely snow in the wintertime this year in many ces. It might even be colder than before, or else the birds would not just be migrating to this area and not other ces. The demand for animal hide would surely increase this year, and thest disaster had already caused many tribes to suffer huge losses, so they might not even have enough animal hide to keep out the cold. Even if they did, how could animal hide harvested from bred beasts bepared with those of fearsome beasts?

    Some people even used beast fur, feathers, and grass to stuff their linen jackets, but none of those materials couldpare with fur from fearsome beasts. It was more convenient and sturdy and many people liked it.

    The animal hide brought out by the expedition team would definitely be sold out. However, they could not be sure whether the people from the other tribes woulde over to the ming River Trading Point to trade for more.

    Shao Xuan did not intend to tell everyone about the ming River Trading Point and make it well known to everyone in the area. This was not an easy task to perform in a short period of time.

    But with the birth of this new trading point, it would definitely attract customers from both upstream and downstream. This would allow the ming Horn tribe to receive new information from other ces without having to travel anywhere else.

    Only with people could there bemunication, and only withmunication could information circte. The ming Horn tribe was not merely providing amunication hub.

    Of course, if people with bad intentionse by to rob or steal, the ming Horn had only one way to deal with them: Kill!

    Even if they were allies, the ming Horn tribe would not go easy on anyone who came to steal or rob their wealth.

    Shao Xuan told the craftsmen about his n for the construction and pointed the details out on his map. When they understood his n, he went to the next location.

    Meanwhile, the team in charge of moving stones had already brought Shao Xuan¡¯s wooden sign to where they chiselled the mountain to get their stone tes.

    As they walked through the woods carrying stones for two days in a row, the path they travelled had already be an obvious trail. The trees along the trail were chopped off, and the obstructions on the way had also been removed. The grass that used to be on the trail had be mixed with the soil due to high traffic.

    ¡°Let¡¯s put the sign here,¡± Lang Ga drilled the sign into the ground beside the trail and scanned his surroundings. After a while, they left the area.

    As soon as they left, a few figures walked over cautiously. They had messy hair and their faces were stained with dirt. Patches of strewn grass and vines covered their bodies. They took a few steps forward to listen, and when they were sure no one was around, they approached the sign.

    They stood in front of the wooden sign, and their leader looked at the words with a frown. He seemed to have a hard time understanding the meaning of those words written on the sign.

    Although there were sharednguages between the tribes on the continent, not all tribes were educated and knew how to read these characters.

    After a while, their leader finished struggling through the words on the sign and told the others what the sign said. They gathered in a circle and discussed what they were about to do next. One of them stood and watched their surroundings as the others discussed.

    After their discussion, their leader walked up to the wooden board and with all his might, pulled up the wooden sign.

    After he pulled it out, they ran away quickly as if a beast was chasing them.

    When Lang Ga and the others came back after carrying their stones, only a hole was left where the wooden sign used to be.

 Chapter 595 - Movement from Every Direction

    Chapter 595

    Movement from Every Direction

    The group of people who stole the wooden sign sprinted rapidly in the woods, like wild monkeys moving swiftly in the forest. As they travelled, only the sounds of leaves rattling and branches swaying in the wind could be heard.

    Thick vine ropes were attached to their feet, and their toes were exposed. Compared to the other tribes, these people had longer toes and bigger feet. Their toes were twice as longpared to those of the other tribes.

    When they dashed rapidly in the forest, they were like animals who travelled on all fours. Their toes were strong and flexible, like another pair of hands. As they wrapped their hands on a branch above and swung forward, their feet had already caught on to the next branch and continued the next propulsion.

    These people belonged to a tribe nearby, and this group was assigned to hunt for food. They killed any beasts they saw and plucked all types of fruits that grew on trees. On the first day the ming Horn tribe started working on their trading point, these people had already sensed their presence, but they knew they were not strong enough to fight them. They were not even strong enough to fight the Pu and Drumming tribes. The only tribe they could manage to fight was the Luo tribe which was pretty much wiped out from the previous disaster.

    Their chief had told them about ming Horn. Back in the days when the ming Horn tribe left on their boats, many warriors from this tribe had seen them.

    The tribes recognised each other by their totem signs. Thus, when they saw stone tes with ming Horn totem signs erected in the area, they already knew who was there. They did not dare to get a closer look so they couldn¡¯t figure out what the ming Horn tribe was trying to do there.

    After two days of continuous observation, they still didn¡¯t get any information about what the ming Horn tribe was doing, so when they went over to look today, they saw a ming Horn tribe member putting up a wooden sign. Out of curiosity, they went to take a look.

    In this group, not many knew how to read. None of them could understand all the words of thisnguage. Their daily routine did not require any understanding of their writtennguage, so they didn¡¯t care. The leader of this group knew the most words, so after he figured out the general meaning behind those words, he was shocked by the news.

    They always thought that tribes were built around their fire seed, regardless of their size. Most tribes had the fire seed as their centre, and the only difference was the size of their territory. When they saw the ming Horn tribe marking this new territory as their own, they thought to themselves, ¡®Is something big about to happen? What is this ming River Trading Point for?¡¯

    They couldn¡¯t understand the ming Horn tribe¡¯s intention, so they went to consult their chief and shaman.

    But the thing was, they did not know how to write nor had excellent memories, so they removed the wooden sign from the ground and brought it back with them. They did not think about the consequence of their actions and whether it would infuriate the ming Horn tribe. After all, no one in their tribe had done this before.

    With the wooden sign in hand, they travelled past mountains and reached what seemed like a small space between two mountains. There was a narrow trail between the mountains that became visible as they came closer.

    The path led them to a small space made in the depression of the mountains. Mountains surrounded this territory and many trees grew in thisnd. Between these trees, houses made from vines and branches stood in rows, with huge branches or thick leaves as roofs. Some of these houses even had dried leaves and branches as their roofs.

    Many things wereid on the ground outside the houses, but most were made from stone or wood. Pottery was rare in this area. Tools made from horns and bones of animals were their hunting equipment. The bones and horn tools were weirdly shaped, but most of the wooden tools looked sophisticated. These people mostly relied on wooden tools made from bamboo and vines.

    Vigers who were busy with their work looked over curiously when they saw the hunting team rushing back. Weren¡¯t these people sent out to find food? Why did they bring back a wooden board? Was it firewood?

    The people who carried the wooden board didn¡¯t care about the others who were talking about them. Instead, they ran towards their chief¡¯s house and set down the wooden board beside the chief who was busy weaving a rattan basket.

    Snap!

    As they dropped the wooden board on the ground, the chief¡¯s hand jerked in shock, causing the rattan vine in his hand to snap in half.

    The chief¡¯s eyebrows arched upwards, signifying his growing rage.

    The warrior who brought back the wooden board scratched his head nervously.

    He didn¡¯t know how to exin, so he pointed at the wooden board.

    The chief, still angry at those men who just came back, calmed down and looked at the wooden board on the ground. His eyes shed with curiosity, and suddenly, his look of anger disappeared. He kicked the rattan basket away and looked closely at the words on the wooden board.

    As the chief, he was capable of reading the words on the board. He quickly recognised the words on the board and understood what was happening.

    Seeing others still staring at him from the side, he waved at them, signalling them to leave him alone. He sat there by himself in deep contemtion, and after he made a decision, he went to the shaman to discuss the wooden board.

    Meanwhile, people were talking about the ming River Trading Point in the Pu tribe.

    The first reaction the people in the Pu tribe had when they heard about the trading point was, ¡°Crap! They¡¯re stealing our business?!¡±

    Some of them wanted to fight with the ming Horn tribe and show them their strength, but after they realised the power of their opponent, they no longer had such thoughts. They knew that if it had been some smaller tribes, they would immediately approach them and hold a ¡°discussion¡± with them, but the ming Horn tribe was powerful, so they could only quietly watch and do nothing.

    But as the famous merchant of the time, the Pu tribe started to think about ways to reap benefits from this Trading Point.

    The Pu tribe did not suffer huge losses during the previous disaster. They were lucky enough to survive and praised their ancestors for picking such a safe location for their tribe, or else they would¡¯ve ended up like the Luo tribe, destroyed and wiped out from the face of the earth.

    After thinking about how lucky they were, they became frustrated again.

    The disaster had wiped out some of the tribes that used to trade with them. Even if some of these tribes didn¡¯t get wiped out, they suffered huge losses and could no longer join forces with the Pu tribe. Every year when the Pu tribe went out on travels, none of these tribes joined them. Their tribes were already low on members, so if they sent people out on these travels, who was left to guard over theirnd?

    So the Pu tribe no longer went out to trade. They had plenty of supply in their hands, ready to trade with the other tribes. The only problem they faced was not being able to travel afar to trade.

    Now that the ming Horn tribe built a new trading point, it was an excellent opportunity for them.

    Thus, afterining about their misfortunes, the Pu tribe started preparing for the uing trade at the ming River Trading Point.

 Chapter 596 - Opening Up

    <h4>Opening Up</h4>

    <h4></h4>

    Not many people paid too much attention to the naming of the ming River. After some time had passed, most people had already forgotten about it. After all, it was just a river. Who cared if it had a name or not.

    But now, this river was connected with the Trading Point. Perhaps many people still didn¡¯t know which river was the ming River, but the ming River Trading Point caught their attention.

    It¡¯s a Trading Point!

    A ce where they could trade goods.

    Shao Xuan had already sent out the news and set up more wooden signs around the area. Hopefully, the news about the ming River Trading Point had reached many different tribes.

    ¡°How¡¯s progress? Is it almost done?¡± Duo Kang came over with a team to deliver food for these hard-working men. They were also here to rece them for the next shift, so they could take turns resting.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty much done. If we¡¯re not striving for perfection, this will work just fine for the time being,¡± Shao Xuan rolled up the animal skin scroll in his hands and looked over at the buildings around him.

    The exterior wall was made with stones stacked on top of each other. This wall was thick and stood seven to ten metres tall. There were three entry points to the trading point¡ªtwo near the piers and one near the forest. A trail had already been established in front of the entrances.

    After Duo Kang instructed his people to their assigned tasks, he walked over to Shao Xuan and said, ¡°By the way, if we¡¯re to open up the trading market before winter, how are you nning to treat those who areing? Like the Rain tribe and the Pu tribe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared a spot for them,¡± Shao Xuan handed his scroll over to Duo Kang. On the map two locations had been marked out clearly, ¡°Here, facing the Pu tribe, because they will most likely arrive by the river. This will be where the Rain tribe...¡±

    Shao Xuan showed his drawing and divisions to Duo Kang, and also exined why he made the arrangements in this way.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Duo Kang had no opinions about the divisions, but he had another question, ¡°Are we not going to collect anything from them before their entry?¡±

    Duo Kang thought that Shao Xuan would use the methods the ve masters used in the city to treat their guests. When they lived on the other side, they had to pay an ¡°entry fee¡± to enter the city, and the divisions would be made based on the decency of the goods. However, Duo Kang and the others traded in the free trading zone, so there was no set location for them. They looked for a vacant spot and set up their booths for trade. It was unlike the standard trading markets with organised ces for each booth.

    But now that they were on theirnd, Duo Kang was not willing to just let others set up their booths without having to pay.

    ¡°This is just the beginning. We have to let everyone know what this ce is like and show them the benefits of trading here. We are not charging them yet, but when people are familiar with this ce, then we will collect goods from them ordingly,¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    ¡°I see,¡± Duo Kang understood immediately. He nodded, ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    Other tribes wouldn¡¯t decide to trade if they didn¡¯t see any benefits. If they wanted to attract more tribes toe trade in the area, they had to provide some incentives. If they started collecting entry fees even before everyone recognised their trading point, then many tribes would retreat upon hearing that they had to pay.

    ¡°I wonder how many tribes wille when the market opens,¡± Duo Kang muttered silently as he walked away.

    Shao Xuan also had no clue. The only tribes that had confirmed their attendance were the Rain tribe, Drumming tribe, and Pu tribe.

    More people came over in the past few days to ask about the trading point. Shao Xuan did not know their decision, and could only wait until the day the trading point opened to find out.

    Shao Xuan once again looked at the scroll in his hands. The houses constructed were marked out clearly on this map. Some were connected as a group of buildings with a yard and warehouses. Others were smaller and made mostly out of wood. These houses were simply designed, and the construction was notplicated. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t take long to finish.

    This was where the tribes would gather and trade. There wouldn¡¯t be any cases of individuals trading with each other happening in the area. The trade was specifically between tribes, so there could be no single person or a few people having their building. If the tribe that came had many people, Shao Xuan would direct them to arger space. If they had fewer people, he would give them a smaller space.

    The centre of the trading point belonged to the ming Horn tribe.

    Here, the buildings were not made of wood. They were stone houses that were two stories high.

    As the day of opening approached, the ming Horn tribe had already moved a portion of their stock over to the trading point. Besides the stock that the expedition team had brought on their travel, the tribe still had many things to trade. Although these were cheaper things, they still had beast hides that they had collected recently.

    Pottery, horn and bone tools were not umon here. Their main supply was on beast hide and beast meat. The ming Horn tribe was not on a shortage of food so they could trade their excess food supply for many other goods.

    Now that this trading point was about to open, the ming Horn tribe would also benefit greatly and have more options.

    Many tribes that resided nearby suffered casualties from the previous disaster, and none of them recovered as quickly as the ming Horn tribe. Perhaps they would trade what they had left for some other goods that were urgently needed.

    Very soon, the people from the Rain tribe also brought their stock over to the trading point. They hadn¡¯t paid back all the debt from before, but they workedboriously in exchange for food tost the winter. It had not been long since they migrated to this area, and they did not have much stock in their hands. They just wanted to try and see whether they could trade at the trading point.

    Many people from the Drumming tribe also came, but mostly to watch the excitement. They had no stock to trade, so they could only try their best to survive. Even if they wanted to trade, they could only watch. But recently when they started rebuilding their tribe, they found some scraps of Water Moon Stones in the ground. Some of their crocodiles also found more in the river. They wanted to use these stones to trade for some food.

    The Pu tribe had also sent people over to take a look, and when they sensed that it was safe enough, they sent people back to inform the others. A whileter, the Pu tribe¡¯s team also arrived.

    Because not many people had arrived yet, Shao Xuan made arrangements so that all of them were gathered in the centre of the market, and not spread out in the area.

    Amongst all the members of the Pu tribe who came, Shao Xuan was still familiar with their leaders, including the hunt leader of their expedition team, Fan Ning, and Yu, who had bright colours painted around both his eyes.

    Shao Xuan and Yu were having conversations about old times, but they were suddenly interrupted by a sharp whistle. They were instructed to direct the Pu tribe to their designated location, and Shao Xuan looked towards the entrance.

    They looked out at the entrance of the trading market. Beyond the barriers, a man with pigtails appeared at the entrance. There were pigtails on both the top and sides of his head, and it resembled the ws of a chicken. He was even wearing beast horns. Wearing beast horns as essories were not just a habit in the ming Horn tribe. It was alsomon in other tribes.

    He was very vignt. After the guards at the entrance approached them, they slowly came out of the shadows.

    This group of people wore rattan armours and had simr hairstyles. The weapons they had were mostly made of stone or wood, and they carried rattan baskets on their backs. Shao Xuan also noticed that these people hadrge feet and very long toes.

    Lang Ga walked over to Shao Xuan, carrying a strange expression. He said in a low voice, ¡°These were the people who were observing our trading point before.¡±

    Shao Xuan remembered a few of them, but in his memory, most of them had messy hair when they were observing from behind the woods. Now, it seemed like these people even ¡°dressed up¡± before they came.

 Chapter 597 - Zhi Tribe

    Chapter 597

    Zhi Tribe

    Seeing the group of people move so slowly towards them, the guards at the gate grew impatient.

    Even before these people crossed the mountain, the guards had already noticed them. The eagles who were keeping watch from above were the ones who spotted them first and told the guards about them. These guards thought, ¡°The Rain tribe, Drumming tribe, Pu tribe have all arrived. Who¡¯s next?¡±

    Chacha, who was keeping watch from above, informed the guards that not many people wereing. Thus, the guards reckoned that this was one of the smaller tribes settling by the ming River.

    These guards looked forward to meeting them.

    They waited for a whole half an hour and still didn¡¯t see anyone yet!

    After an entire hour, even the Pu tribe had entered the market. However, these people were nowhere to be seen!

    Kun Tu, who was in charge of keeping guard outside the trading point, thought to himself, ¡°Could it be that the totem sign of this tribe is a tortoise?¡±

    When they finally saw those people arrive, the guards finally found out why they were so slow.

    These people were too cautious! They could be scared away by a simple poke.

    They stopped after every step and looked around after every three steps.

    They had nearly eighty people. Besides the one leading them, the others were all dressed the same way.

    When they finally got near to the gate, Kun Tu blew on the wooden whistle, signalling Shao Xuan that a tribe was approaching.

    Those people stood at the entrance and did not enter. They kept their guards up against the armed soldiers who were guarding the entrance. They were still extremely vignt.

    ¡°Juste in! We won¡¯t eat you up. Trust me. In the ming Horn Trading Point, it¡¯s perfectly safe to trade. You can rely on us, the ming Horn tribe,¡± Kun Tu said.

    Their leader looked Kun Tu up and down and questioned whether his words could be trusted.

    After a while, that person nodded and stretched out his neck to look around. Kun Tu thought that he would walk into the trading pointfortably, but to his surprise, the leader of this group walked in like a thief, slowly inching forward and stretching his neck out to look out for the dangers ahead. After he was sure they were safe, he took baby steps into the market. He scanned his surroundings and looked extremely nervous. It was as if a small breeze or grass movement could startle him.

    Shao Xuan looked at this strange tribe and asked loudly, ¡°Which tribe do you belong to?¡±

    Shao Xuan had already tried his best to sound friendly, but these people still seemed startled and took a few steps back in retreat.

    The leader of the group somewhat realised that his behaviour might not be appropriate, and felt like he did something wrong. He forced himself to calm down and cleared his voice, ¡°Umm, (cough), we¡¯re from the Zhi tribe. I¡¯m the chief, Abuli.¡±

    Zhi Tribe?

    Abuli? A chief?

    How can there be such a timid chief?

    Shao Xuan noticed their vignce and was curious. Despite what he thought in his mind, he knew that they had no intention to rob or steal, so he walked over with a cheerful smile on his face, ¡°I¡¯m an Elder of the ming Horn Tribe, Shao Xuan.¡±

    Elder?!

    The chief straightened his back but felt weakened again.

    ¡°(cough). Oh.¡±

    The chief, Abuli, seemed awkward and didn¡¯t know what to say. His smile seemed forced, and he couldn¡¯t force any words out of his mouth.

    These people were probably not used to socialising with other tribes. ¡®Perhaps this was the first time they ever participated in a trade,¡¯ Shao Xuan thought.

    ¡°I wonder what the Zhi tribe brought over to trade? What would you like to get from our market?¡± Shao Xuan took the initiative and asked first.

    Lang Ga and other soldiers who stood behind Shao Xuan nced over at those people who just came, especially a few members of the team. When they were moving rocks to the trading point, they had seen these few a couple of times. Even if these people changed their looks and armour, Lang Ga could still recognise them. It was just like how he could remember beasts on his hunts.

    However, what could these people possibly have to trade?

    Judging by their looks, the Zhi tribe seemed like a tribe that had lived apart from the rest of the world, like the old ming Horn tribe. But back then, even if the ming Horn tribe had nothing to trade, they had beast hide. These people lived in this area, so they probably didn¡¯t have any better beast hides. What could they offer to trade?

    Lang Ga did not look down on the people from the Zhi tribe. He was just curious about what these people had to offer. The rattan baskets they carried on their backs were so tightly knit together that they couldn¡¯t tell what was inside.

    There weren¡¯t even gaps in the basket that they could see through. The baskets were covered tightly from above, so Lang Ga could only hear the slight collision and rubbing of hard objects in the rattan basket from when one member of the tribe staggered a while ago. Besides that, he couldn¡¯t discern anything else. The Zhi tribe walked too steadily and quickly. Their strangely giant feet were so stable that even if they seemed like they would trip the next moment, they stood firm and walked just as firmly as before.

    Surely, no matter how small a tribe was, they should not look down on them.

    Chief Abuli did not directly answer Shao Xuan¡¯s question. His eyes quickly scanned his surroundings as if he was looking out for danger.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to trade for some food, uhh, and some beast hide. The thicker ones with better quality!¡± Abuli¡¯s words were fast and nervous, unlike his slow pace when they were approaching the trading point. After he spoke, his eyes continued to move back and forth, scanning for dangers.

    ¡°The ming Horn tribe has both food and beast hide, but would you prefer to trade with us directly or look around before you decide? The Rain tribe, Drumming tribe, and Pu tribe are all here.¡±

    ¡°Not the Pu tribe!¡± Abuli quickly refused. He did not know who the Rain tribe was, but he knew about the Drumming tribe and Pu tribe. The Drumming tribe seemed too fierce, so they didn¡¯t dare to talk with them. The Pu tribe, on the other hand, was not dependable. They had terrible character and were too cunning.

    ¡°We¡¯d only like to trade with the ming Horn tribe. We saw your wooden board. It said, ¡®Fair Trade. No trickery!¡¯¡± Abuli¡¯s eyes were big. He no longer looked around and focused on Shao Xuan. He wanted to get a firm answer from Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, indeed, you are correct,¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    After he received a firm answer, Abuli breathed out a sigh of relief. He rxed, but he did notpletely let down his guard and vignce.

    Shao Xuan brought them over to the trading centre, and as they walked by, they saw many empty houses on the way. There weren¡¯t many people in therge trading area, so many houses remained empty.

    But the Zhi tribe¡¯s member¡¯s eyes were filled with admiration as they looked around the trading point. Their eyes brightened up even more when they saw the beast hides the ming Horn people wore. As for their weapons, the Zhi tribe was merely curious. They did not pay too much attention to it. All they cared about at the moment was food and animal hide that could provide them warmth. This winter was going to be slightly colder, so they had to be ready.

    Even though the trading market looked dull, and not many people were present, the Zhi tribe already felt like they were in a whole new world.

    The young warriors from the Zhi tribe couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the beast meat and hideid out in front of them. They grew even more excited when they saw the young cubs in the breeding pen and went over to touch and pet them.

    Lang Ga was happy to see that although these people drooled over the things that they saw, they had no intention to rob or steal. They only followed their chief Abuli and walked on.

    The people from the Zhi tribe wanted beast meat and beast hide, so Shao Xuan brought them to see the booths where these goods wereid out. The more goods they saw, the more tense and anxious Abuli got. The ming Horn tribe¡¯s beast hide was much better than he had expected. He didn¡¯t know how much goods he could trade for, and he wondered whether what they had brought could be traded for his expected quantity.

    After he brought them to look at the goods, Shao Xuan brought them into arge warehouse. All eighty members of the Zhi tribe could fit in that space.

    ¡°You all have already seen the beast hide and beast meat. It should satisfy your needs. Now it¡¯s your turn to show us something that we might like.¡±

 Chapter 598

    Chapter 598

    Trade

    Abuli¡¯s facial expression grew tense. ¡°Okay,¡± he said as he took down the rattan basket from his back.

    Shao Xuan realised Abuli did not mean to look arrogant and haughty. His facial expression just looked stern because he was too nervous, his motions were stiff even when he removed the straps to the rattan basket from his shoulders.

    The warriors of the Zhi tribe stood behind their chief Abuli, and each of them carried simr baskets on their backs. They had all taken down their baskets, but they did not want to open it yet. They clutched their baskets with nervous expressions. Their chief Abuli was already the calmest of the group.

    The ming Horn warriors who stood around them also looked at Abuli¡¯s basket. They were curious what the strange people from the Zhi tribe had brought over to trade. If it was not what the ming Horn tribe wanted, would they still decide to trade with them?

    The rattan baskets were knit so tightly that even when he uncovered the lid, it made a scratching frictional sound, clear and crisp in the silent warehouse.

    When Abuli opened up the lid of the basket, Shao Xuan saw a glimpse of light. The reflected light from the basket made his heart race.

    ¡°These... are what we brought.¡± Abuli set the rattan basket on the table in front of him and pushed it over to Shao Xuan, who was on the other side. The muscles on his arms were so stiff it seemed like they were frozen. His movements were not at all smooth and both of his eyes stared attentively at Shao Xuan as if seeking an answer.

    Would the ming Horn tribe want what they brought over? If they didn¡¯t want these goods, should they just carry them back? What should they do?

    Feeling the nce from Abuli and dozens of people staring from behind him, Shao Xuan calmly moved the rattan basket over and looked inside.

    Sure enough!

    Inside Abuli¡¯s rattan basket, there were many white transparent objects, each cut into unique shapes. These objects were clustered, and some smaller pieces of the crystal pirs seemed like they were chipped off by a strong external force.

    Shao Xuan took out a broken piece from the basket. He held the white transparent chip in one hand. The bottom, where it was chipped off, was white. The other end of the crystal was almost colourless and transparent.

    ¡°Crystal?!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the spar of crystal that was as big as his forearm. Although he had seen crystals in other trading markets, to most tribes, these were nonessential goods. Unlike the jade produced by the Mang tribe, these crystals did not have any effect on their totem power. They could not glow like the Drumming tribe¡¯s Water Moon Stones, and neither could theypare to those medicinal shells that could be used as currency in the markets. So, even if people purchased these crystals, they could only be used as fashion essories. Thus, these were considered luxurious goods that only people who did notck any food or clothing and were equipped with their daily necessities. Most tribes that were in short supply of daily needs would not even bother to trade for these crystals.

    But these crystals that the Zhi tribe brought over were not onlyrge but clustered. The pir of crystal that he had brought out from the basket was about the size of his forearm. Crystals the size of one¡¯s palm could only be considered smallpared to other ones in the basket.

    Seeing how Shao Xuan was only slightly surprised at first, the people from the Zhi tribe became even more nervous.

    Shao Xuan handed the pir of crystal over to Lang Ga.

    For the ming Horn tribe, goods that could only be used as essories were not worth trading. Only the people who used to live on the other side of the ocean looked over at Shao Xuan, as if wanting to express their opinions, but out of respect, they did not speak.

    Lang Ga picked up the crystal in his hands and then took out a short knife. With a swift and fierce movement, he chipped at the crystal with his de.

    Crack!

    Crushed stone powder sputtered out where Lang Ga¡¯s de created an impact.

    The people from the Zhi tribe were startled by Lang Ga¡¯s sudden action, and all of them took a step back in retreat at the same time.

    Seeing the medium-sized cut on the crystal and the damage the crystal made on the short de, Lang Ga said, ¡°This is a medium-upper grade stone.¡±

    After he tested the stone, Lang Ga set the crystal back on the table with a stern expression. Besides the fact that the stone looked special, there was nothing about it that surprised him. What¡¯s the use if it merely looked good? Isn¡¯t this simr to the polished stone tools used for hunting?

    It¡¯s okay to trade for a few but if they wanted to trade for more things from the ming Horn tribe, Lang Ga would not be willing to trade. The ming Horn tribe did notck any stone tools. Plus, most of them were already using bronze tools. What¡¯s the use of these crystals?

    To people from the ming Horn tribe, the best fashion essories were not beautiful stones, but rather horns, fangs, and ws of ferocious beasts. Those were ornaments that could truly show off their strength.

    Well, there¡¯s something in this world called ¡°difference in aesthetic taste¡±.

    One of the ming Horn warriors who stood beside Lang Ga could no longer hold back and wanted to express his opinions, but Shao Xuan made a gesture at him, and he was immediately silent again. He moved behind everyone, trying to keep a straight face, and no longer looked as anxious as before.

    ¡°So this is all that you¡¯ve brought over?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Abuli nodded, ¡°Yes, this is everything we brought over.¡±

    Seeing the calm reaction of the ming Horn warriors, the warriors of the Zhi tribe behind Abuli felt that these stones were perhaps not as valuable as they thought they were. They were suddenly discouraged and did not even try to hide their emotions. It was as if a frost had struck them.

    In fact, Abuli was already mentally prepared. He once secretly went out to trade with people from the Pu tribe and didn¡¯t receive much. Although he had high hopes for this trade with the ming Horn tribe, he had already prepared for the worst. He had even thought about the worst-case scenario, which was bringing the crystals back home after being rejected by the ming Horn tribe.

    The most stressful time had passed. Now, Abuli was acting more natural than before. He clutched the rattan basket, looked at therge clusters of crystals inside and said, ¡°This is called a crystal? In our tribe, it has a special meaning. These stones are bright and sturdy, so they are very precious in the Zhi tribe.¡±

    In the Zhi tribe, these crystals were made into jewellery and worn in front of the chest. Sometimes they were also made into weapons. These were traditions established by the ancestors of the Zhi tribe, but even though the crystals were crafted into weapons and jewellery, it was seldom disyed outside. If they ever wore it, they would keep it under their clothing or close to them. Many times, although they held wooden weapons in their hands, they kept crystalline weapons inside their clothing.

    People from the Zhi tribe believed that precious things should be kept hidden from others. Even though it was not considered valuable to other people, as long as it was precious to them, they would keep it hidden from the sight of others. That¡¯s why even when Lang Ga saw them before in the woods, he had never noticed any crystalline jewellery or weapons because they were hidden and could not be seen.

    After Abuli calmed down, he gradually rxed and spoke calmly, ¡°These are all that we have. I know that we can¡¯t exchange these goods for much, but these are already the best we can offer.¡± He knew that the ming Horn tribe did notck stone tools, but their face was not that important to them anymore. He wanted to face the situation calmly and find out how much goods he could exchange with the ming Horn tribe and whether they were willing to trade with them.

    Shao Xuan listened to him speak and nodded. He pointed at the crystal on the table. ¡°We can trade. A crystal this size can be exchanged for a piece of beast meat. You have already seen the size of the beast meat just now.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Abuli was shocked.

    Not just Abuli, but all the warriors from the Zhi tribe who stood behind him were shocked. Their eyes widened in shock. They couldn¡¯t believe what they just heard.

    ¡°A stone for a piece of meat?¡± Abuli gulped.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct.¡±

    ¡°This big?¡± Abuli gestured with his hands and recalled the size of the meat he saw before. It was about two palms long and one palm wide.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Aha!¡± Abuli jumped up from his chair.

    Thispletely exceeded his expectations. He initially thought that a basket of crystals could only be exchanged for two to three pieces of beast meat. After all, these crystals were all in tight clusters and weren¡¯t the best for making weapons.

    All the warriors from the Zhi tribe were no longer timid. They were so excited that they wanted to run around outside.

    ¡°We can trade!¡±

    ¡°We can trade for meat!¡±

    ¡°I want to eat the meat of the beast with the sharp ears. I saw it outside!¡±

    ¡°That one doesn¡¯t look too delicious. I want the one with the longhorn!¡±

    ¡°No, no! What the heck? Of course you should pick the fatter ones instead!¡±

    The warriors, each with a basket of crystals in their hands, were so happy that their eyes could no longer be seen. They jumped around cheerfully as if their baskets were full of meat. If they could fly, they would have done so.

    Meat! A basket of meat!

    Abuli now felt that the ming Horn tribe was much more pleasing and friendly. They were much better than the Pu tribe. Back then, they had been tricked so miserably by Pu tribesmen.

    Just the memory itself made them feel distressed!

    ¡°Right, why haven¡¯t we seen any of the beasts you guys have hanging outside?¡± Abuli asked. He wanted to know about the names of these beasts so even if he couldn¡¯t hunt these beasts, he could finally boast about his knowledge of their names. He wanted to be the smart and well-educated chief of his tribe.

    ¡°Of course! These fearsome beasts live by the woods beside the ming River. They couldn¡¯te here before, and the possibility of theming here in the future is unlikely too,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Bang! Bang!

    Behind them, they heard continuous sounds of people copsing on the ground.

    Lang Ga thought it was strange. Even the ground was ttened by their giant feet. How could these people even trip over themselves like that?

    Abuli, who hurried and got up on his feet, didn¡¯t care about Lang Ga¡¯s curious stare. He walked over to Shao Xuan, and asked in a stutter, ¡°Fear... fearsome beasts? You mean your beast meat is the meat of fearsome beasts?!¡± Abuli¡¯s voice trembled at the end of the sentence. He only heard the two words in Shao Xuan¡¯s sentence.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Oh... Oh.¡±

    Abuli nodded, but his expression remained stern. His face was red, and he suddenly hopped around excitedly on the ground three times, kicking dust up in the air.

    Not just Abuli, but all the other people from the Zhi tribe also did the same thing.

    The members of the ming Horn tribe in the warehouse stared at the Zhi tribesmen in confusion. They did not know what these people were doing. Were they dering war? It didn¡¯t seem like it.

    They didn¡¯t know that this was how the Zhi tribe behaved when they were over-excited. This was their unique way of expressing themselves.

 Chapter 599 - Bigger Ones

    <h4>Bigger Ones</h4>

    The beast meat and hide were traded ording to the number of crystals the Zhi tribe brought.

    Some of the beast meat was recently ughtered. The meat did not give out any unpleasant odour because the meat of fearsome beasts had a longer preservation time and the temperature at the time was not too high. Some of the beast meat that were not as fresh were brought over from a cave the ming Horn tribe used to store their food at their headquarters. When this meat was cut, it was hard and stiff.

    Besides these meat, there were other marinated animal meat and jerky avable, but they were more expensive because they were preserved with salt.

    The people from the Zhi tribe mostly preferred fresh beast meat. They had disputes when they were choosing which meat to get, mostly because each of them thought a different type of meat ¡°looked delicious¡±.

    Most people from the Zhi tribe had never eaten the meat of any fearsome beasts. Even as the chief, Abuli had never even encountered any fearsome beasts, let alone eat their meat.

    Therefore, when they heard that they could trade their crystals for fearsome beast meat, they were all so surprised they fell over. After that, they were all excited, and after all the excitement, they began to quarrel.

    Shao Xuan asked the workers to cut some fresh beast meat for them to try. Even though it was raw meat, it was not umon to consume raw meat here. The people from the Zhi tribe took over the raw meat without any hesitation. Of course, only Abuli tasted the meat. After all, he was the chief who made the final decision.

    After he saw all the beast meat, Abuli did not directly trade outside where the meat was but instead returned to the warehouse, where he told Shao Xuan about the types of meat he preferred. Then, he asked Shao Xuan to move the meat from the market into the warehouse and not outside.

    Shao Xuan understood that the people from the Zhi tribe were very careful. Outside, there were many people from the Drumming tribe, Rain tribe, and Pu tribe. The people from the Zhi tribe were worried that other people might see what they got from their trade.

    After the beast meat and animal hide were exchanged, Abuli used the leaves that the ming Horn tribe gave to wrap up the meat and ced them in their baskets. Even the beast hides were all carefully rolled up and packed neatly inside. After their rattan baskets were covered, they even tied up the baskets with straw ropes and made sure that the lids could not be opened even when they ran.

    ¡°Can we alsoe here to trade in the future?¡± Abuli asked expectantly after he packed up all the traded goods.

    ¡°Of course! The trading point is still not perfect at the moment. This is only a trial opening and we¡¯ll keep trading here until it snows in the winter. We¡¯ll definitely open up the market once again after winter. Whenever you want to trade, feel free toe over,¡± Shao Xuan paused, and then said, ¡°As for the crystals you brought over, it would be nicer if there were bigger ones. Then you can exchange for more things.¡±

    Abuli didn¡¯t say a word. Instead, he dug his toes to the ground and looked as if he was thinking about something. The eyes of the warriors from the Zhi tribe brightened up when they heard that bigger crystals could be traded for more goods.

    They did not dy their departure. The Zhi tribe left immediately after the transaction was made. When they came over to trade, they moved in small baby steps. Back then, the ming Horn guards grew anxious by just looking at them. But as soon as they finished trading, the Zhi tribe left with a swish, as if a wind carried them away.

    These people left very earlypared to the other tribes in the trading point. After all, in the trading point, the ming Horn had already guaranteed that there would be no stealing or robbing. A team of eighty people disappeared in the blink of an eye, and Kun Tu and others who were guarding the gate of the trading zone were dumbfounded.

    ¡°It¡¯s good to run fast. It¡¯s much safer that way,¡± Shao Xuan smiled as he looked at the sh of figures sprinting off into the distant mountains and forests.

    There would be no stealing or robbing in the trading point because the ming Horn tribe was there. But in the forest outside the trading area, there were many people who waited with bad intentions. They did not have any goods to trade in the trading point, so they wanted to wait for others to finish trading to intercept them and rob their goods.

    However, although the people of the Zhi tribe were not good at many things, they were capable of running.The people from the ming Horn tribe could only admire such speed. Their big feet actually served their purpose.

    Not only were they fast, but they were also very agile and moved swiftly in the woods. The figures never stopped to rest.

    Those who were hiding in the forest waiting to rob them could only watch as the Zhi tribesmen ran off into the distance with precious goods in their baskets.

    After the trade, Abuli and others from the Zhi tribe celebrated excitedly as they ran back home. This trade had far exceeded their expectations, and when they were returning, they even made a few flips in the air to celebrate.

    In the past, the Zhi tribe rarely interacted with other tribes. Most of the time, they stayed in the mountains by themselves. When they saw the words written on the wooden board, Abuli hesitated at first but finally decided to try once. He didn¡¯t expect such sess!

    At that time, there were still many people in their tribe who opposed the idea of a trading point, saying that it was a conspiracy the ming Horn tribe plotted. Hmph! Once they see the stuff in our rattan baskets, who would object?! The more Abuli thought about it, the prouder he was as the leader of the tribe!

    When the group of people finally returned to the tribe, many others were waiting expectantly behind the entrance between the mountain gaps. They craned their necks and looked from behind.

    The first person who noticed Abuli and the others called out loudly, and very quickly, another group rushed out from the other side. They were all excited to hear the news from Abuli.

    The chief had brought many others out to trade and this was a huge matter in the tribe, so many of them wanted to know the results.

    ¡°So?¡± the shaman of the Zhi tribe walked over on a purple cane crafted from crystals.

    Abuli raised his chin and put on airs. He said, ¡°No rush, let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    Upon seeing Abuli¡¯s expression, people who knew him knew that it was a sess, but when he entered the vige, they realized that the trade was even more sessful than they had expected.

    Those warriors who went along to trade could no longer hold back their tongues. They began telling others about their long journey. After all, they were the first batch of people who officially went out to trade. How could they not show off to the others?

    Abuli didn¡¯t care much about the beast meat. Instead, he took out the animal hide he had obtained and wrapped one around himself. Turning around in full view, he said, ¡°How does this look? Beast hide! Fearsome beast hide! Haven¡¯t seen one before, have you?¡±

    Someone went over and touched the beast hide from top to bottom. Abuli waved him away with a stick.

    ¡°You can actually trade for these?!¡±

    Those who did not follow along were now regretful. They thought that the trip would be extremely dangerous and yield no results. They did not expect...

    The onlookers hesitated for a moment, and then, as if they had thought of something, they suddenly turned and ran towards their houses. There were many people who had crystals at home.

    It¡¯s just that most people had crystals that were about the same size as those Abuli and the others took out to trade. Some were even smaller. After everyone watched Abuli show off their newly traded goods and left for their respective homes, Abuli walked to a cave where treasures were kept collected by generations of chiefs from the Zhi tribe.

    There, not only were thererger pirs and clusters, but some even glowed.

 Chapter 600 - Uses

    Chapter 600

    Uses

    Soon after the Zhi tribe left, quite a few smaller tribes came by. Their presence wasn¡¯t strong before this as they stayed far from other tribes. Many never even heard of them before. It was highly possible that Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t be able to find them even if he went around on his eagle.

    Now, with the news of this trading point spreading across the world, many came here out of curiosity.

    For example, a tribe Shao Xuan never heard of before sent a team of fifteen people over. They carried a few baskets of fruit over. They heard about this area from the Zhi tribe. Just like the Zhi tribe, they were a small tribe so they wouldn¡¯t hold up against a fight with other tribes. They hid in the shadows for the whole year, thinking that that was the only way they can stay safe, which worked for them until now.

    As the disaster had ced them in a bad situation, they gathered up courage to go to the trading point they heard about from the Zhi tribe, in hopes of bringing back food and animal skin to their tribe. Although they didn¡¯t get a lot, they were still pleased with the trade they made. For one, they didn¡¯t bring any of the crystals in their tribe and they hadn¡¯t had that many fruits to trade so the amount of food they received was reasonable. The looks on the ming Horn tribespeople seem to show that they liked the things they brought. They no longer had to rely only on mere fruit this whole winter anymore and they had animal hide covers now! Most of the skin was fearsome beast hide too. This whole journey was worth it!

    They were right. The ming Horn tribespeople really liked the fruits they brought over. The fruits were some high-quality food. They weren¡¯t sure where that tribe got it from. They probably wouldn¡¯t tell them either. The ming Horn warriors had never seen anything like this before but it didn¡¯t matter much. If they couldn¡¯t find this species, they could always just find other fruits in the forest.

    This trade was especially joyful because the children in ming Horn loved the fruits. Compared to the meat they usually had, the fruits provided them with a milder type of energy. Even the children that hadn¡¯t activated their totemic powers could consume them.

    As the ming River Trading Point became more well known, Shao Xuan¡¯s initial goal was reached. Not only the ming Horn tribespeople received more exotic items, but the traders also left with satisfactory smiles on their faces too. When winter passes and the next yeares, they will be back again.

    The people from the Drumming tribe had nothing to exchange, they could only look at items while the Rain tribe came here to trade everything they had for goods to survive the winter.

    Excluding the ming Horn tribe, the Pu tribe was probably the ones that benefitted the most from the trading point.

    The Drumming tribe didn¡¯t have a lot of water moon stones but the Pu tribe had plenty of them. Their trade with the Drumming tribe went way back and in addition to them not going for long-distance travels, they umted quite a collection of the stones. Unlike the Drumming tribe, their stores weren¡¯t damaged either.

    The people from the Pu tribe, especially the expedition teams, traded off the items on them for animal skin and meat from the ming Horn tribespeople to be made into jerky. They nned to keep it for the winter and maybe sell itter on when they travel.

    The traders from the Pu tribe were quite shrewd. They were able to see the huge business opportunities from one trip to the trading point.

    The animal skin from the ming Horn tribe was better than any they had seen before. After they umted more, they nned to sell it for a high price when they were on their travels so that they could trade for more exotic items.

    Although the traders were mostly satisfied, doubt was still on their minds. Why would the ming Horn tribe im thisnd here? Why didn¡¯t they put their fire seed here?

    The tribespeople still thought that to imnd, a tribe had to ce their fire seed there. However, they couldn¡¯t feel the ming Horn fire seed at the ming River Trading Point.

    Any traders that came to the area felt great as they didn¡¯t feel the repelling force from the tribe¡¯s fire seed. Before this, whenever they wanted to trade, they had to go to the Pu tribe. Forget about the Pu tribesmen¡¯s pettiness- the repelling force was enough to make travellers feel unweed there. Hence, many who visited the area once never returned again.

    However, the ming River Trading Point didn¡¯t even have a fire seed! That was the thing that amazed the other tribespeople. Some hypothesised that the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t nt their fire seed here on purpose to attract people to the trading point. Without the presence of the fire seed, the travellers would feel at ease, then only people would be willing to visit the trading point. At the same time, they were surprised at such boldness. They didn¡¯t enclose their area, in addition to that, they even let outsiders in so easily! This wasn¡¯t allowed in most of the other tribes.

    There were some famous trading points in the central region. They were either built on the edges of arge tribe or they just didn¡¯t belong to any tribe. This ming River Trading Point really was one of a kind. Not only did they allowed outsiders directly into their tribe, they didn¡¯t even have their fire seed there. They didn¡¯t seem worried about this either.

    To be fair, when Shao Xuan proposed to build this trading point, many tribespeople did not agree to it. That old mindset of not allowing people into the tribe had been there for thousands of years, it wasn¡¯t that easy to change their minds about it so quickly.

    However, iming an area outside of the tribe was different, it was still theirnd but it wasn¡¯t exactly their home!

    That day, temperatures showed an obvious drop. Winter wasing. The leaves on the trees were no longer green. When the wind blew, the leaves rustled and drifted down the mountain.

    As winter approached, the trading point was closing soon.

    The pitiful Drumming tribesmen had long left the area. The Rain tribe and Pu tribes had packed their things too and left the day before.

    Shao Xuan was polishing something when he heard someone report that someone from the Zhi tribe was here again.

    Shao Xuan raised his eyebrows. He wasn¡¯t shocked, he knew that before winter came they would be back once. Abuli¡¯s reactions told him this much.

    He ced the nearlypleted piece of transparent, circr object into his animal skin bag and left.

    This time, Abuli was here for Shao Xuan too. Since he already knew Shao Xuan, he didn¡¯t want to change business partners, in case he¡¯d get cheated again.

    This time, he didn¡¯t carry a rattan basket. He came with a few others, carrying something as thick as a human. They didn¡¯t have the strength of the ming Horn tribespeople so they needed three people to lift the object to make sure they could arrive on time. Or else one person would have taken forever to get here.

    When Shao Xuan entered the warehouse, Abuli was still catching his breath but his hands were tightly hugging onto the pir as tall as a human.

    As he saw Shao Xuan, Abuli immediately stood up without leaving the pir and said, ¡°You said, therger the crystal, the more things we can trade!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    Abuli took a deep breath and untied the knots and leaves wrapped around to unveil therge crystal pir.

    Duo Kang had put down whatever he was doing when he heard the news of their arrival. He¡¯d run over to take a look. His jaw nearly dropped the ground when he saw it. ¡°Come,e, just tell me what you want! I¡¯ll bring you to it. A new batch of beasts just arrived, some have long fangs too, do you want them?¡±

    Abuli looked tense, it was because he didn¡¯t know Duo Kang so he had his guard up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that is our hunt leader, Duo Kang. The meat and skin you gotst time was mostly caught by his team,¡± exined Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, yes, tell me what beasts you want, I know them all! Come, let me bring you there.¡± Duo Kang had a friendly smile on his face.

    Abuli slightly let down his guard after hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation. Knowing that Duo Kang was the hunt leader and knew a lot about beasts, he was also excited now. He wanted to learn more about the beasts so that he could show off about his goods when he went back to his tribe.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t lie to them, they would be able to trade a lot more with thisrge column of crystal they brought over.

    When Abuli left, Shao Xuan gave them a bird¡¯s egg too. The Dumb Birds they were raising were all mature now andying eggs.

    Abuli quietly asked Shao Xuan again- if he brought arger column, would he be able to trade even more goods? When he got his answer, his face could barely fit his beaming smile.

    As the group left, Duo Kang admired the crystal pir gleefully.

    Over here, the crystal would be able to get quite a few things but in the eyes of many, this was just some rock made of special material. However, Duo Kang knew that those ¡®weird¡¯ ve masters on the other side of the ocean with ¡®holes for brains¡¯ and ¡®odd taste¡¯ loved these sparkling crystals.

    The two shores were quite close now, who knew when they would be able to cross over. Maybe one day they would be able to go to the cities to trade with the ve masters.

    But for now, the most important thing was about earning money off those ve masters. Other than giving some to Shao Xuan, who needed some bits of the crystal for personal use, the rest of it was sent to the cave with the core seed. Shao Xuan wanted to see what would happen to the crystal under the influence of the core seed.

 Chapter 601 - News from the Expedition

    <h4>News from the Expedition</h4>

    When the Zhi tribe left, the trading point officially closed for the year. Although the warriors would still be standing guard in the area, the trading point wouldn¡¯t be open for the winter in preparation for therger crowd during the warmer seasons.

    The snow started to fall from the sky. It was different from the violent storms they experienced previously, the weather now was rather normal. Maybe the weather changed too with the environment after the disaster.

    The normal winter was weed by the people on the maind after the two bizarre winters.

    It could be warmer in some areas further in the forests, where the birds migrated to, but the people were happy enough with this normal winter.

    After he finished nning for the trading point, Shao Xuan brought some items back to the tribe and started polishing the lens.

    Shao Xuan nned to construct a telescope from the lenses he polished. He made something like this in the other world but it had been many years since hest attempted something like this so his memory of it was quite hazy. Though he knew he would be able to get it right after a few tries.

    The optical tube had threeponents, the front tube, centre tube and end tube and they were made from bamboo of different sizes. However, the most troublesome part was making the lens. Since it was made manually, there were quite a lot of defects and an inexperienced hand may even identally ruin the lens. Luckily, there were quite a few of them here that knew how to polish lenses here.

    Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t know the focal points of the lenses so he had to roughly guess it by the focused light. Once all theponents were done, he assembled all of them together to get a telescope.

    After some tweaks, he was able to see the other side of the river clearly using the telescope. Many of the ming Tribe warriors were able to see that already but with the help of the telescope, they would be able to see clearer.

    Shao Xuan was able to get multiple versions of telescopes with the same set of lenses he had as long as he adjusted the length of the centre tube.

    However, for the telescope to be even more powerful, Shao Xuan had to test around some more. He might even attempt a telescope with arger diameterter on.

    During this time, Old Ke was highly interested in what Shao Xuan was doing. He practised the polishing method on some stones then moved onto actual crystals. Shao Xuan told him about the simple mechanics of how the telescope worked but Old Ke couldn¡¯t understand most of it anyway. He just knew what were the important factors for making a good telescope and that was enough.

    Old Ke was much more meticulous than Shao Xuan in making lenses.

    As both of them were discussing lenses, the outbound team had just reached the tribe.

    The team didn¡¯t rush their journey back because of the cold weather. Although it had started snowing, it still wasn¡¯t too cold. Other than some area near the banks of the river, the river was still mostly flowing and one could see the asional fish jump up from the water.

    Other than their main mission of trading, they were out to spread the word about the ming River Trading Point.

    They were also out to look into any activity on the maind. This time, they brought back some special news.

    Soon after they reached back home, someone came over to invite Shao Xuan up the mountain for a meeting.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, Ta from the outbound team was already seated and talking to Ao.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, we were all waiting for you... What are you holding?¡± asked the shaman.

    Shao Xuan passed the telescope to the shaman, ¡°A new toy.¡±

    Ta couldn¡¯t help but look over when he heard Shao Xuan.

    The shaman took the simple telescope and inspected it, ¡°What is its function?¡±

    ¡°You can look at far away objects but this is my first prototype so it¡¯s notplete,¡± exined Shao Xuan as he taught the shaman how to use the telescope.

    As soon as Shao Xuan was done speaking, the shaman excitedly went to the window to look outside.

    The hall was located on top of a mountain. After the disaster, the mountain increased in height so they were able to see things in far away ces. The shaman could see the opposite side of the river then.

    ¡°Huh?! This is amazing!¡± eximed the shaman.

    The others got up from the seats to have a go with the telescope.

    However, the shaman stopped them and kept the telescope, ¡°There¡¯s no rush, let¡¯s proceed with the meeting first.¡± The shaman put down the animal skin curtains and sat back down. As he sat, the olddy beside him took the telescope from him.

    Thedy didn¡¯t move from her seat. Instead, she just examined the telescope sitting down. Then, she held it in her hand, resting on top of herp.

    The others focused on the object in her hands, trying to suppress their curiosity as they began their discussion.

    The meeting was mainly about Ta sharing the gains from his expedition. The team did as Zhao Xuan instructed and told everyone they could about the trading point.

    The most shocking discovery from the trip was the state of the desert! Just as Shao Xuan mentioned, the two mainds were now closer to each other and the desert was the closest point!

    Shao Xuan had always wondered why the ve masters decided to settle in the desert. Maybe today he would finally get his answer.

    ¡°This is something I heard in the other trading zones. I¡¯m sure you remember the ve masters and ves that appeared when we started the war with Wanshi.¡± Ta had a solemn expression. His eyes carried some surprise in it too.

    Other than the king of the desert, Rock Hill City, the desert was upied by the banished ve masters and ves. The masters brought their ves to wander around and from what Shao Xuan heard, things weren¡¯t good for them.

    With their power, they could only bully the smaller tribes. The mid-tier tribes rarely interfered with battles between tribes but as soon as an outsider came into the picture, they got involved immediately. As for the ve masters that survived, they didn¡¯t have much of a life to live for anyway.

    Currently, as the twonds are closer, the suffering ve masters wanted to head back to the desert. They held onto the hope that life on the other side would be better than what they had now.

    With that goal in mind, the wandering ve masters brought their ves back to the desert quietly. Soon after, a few heavily wounded people came from the desert, each with a full face of terror. They shouted nonsense, it was obvious they experienced something traumatic.

    The expedition team got some information from them as they passed by the desert.

    ¡°Someone said that there were some monsters in the desert! Human-like monsters!¡± said Ta.

    ¡°Human-like monsters?¡± Shao Xuan was confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The few that escaped died soon after. Out of all the ve masters and ves that went into the desert, none of them survived. Nobody knows what really happened there.¡± Ta told them about his experience in the desert.

    ¡°These human-like... monsters. Where were they spotted outside of the desert?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Ta shook his head, ¡°Haven¡¯t heard so.¡±

    The house quieted down, thinking about the authenticity of the story they just heard.

    ¡°Then should we prepare? What if these... monsterse out?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°Could it be the doings of Rock Hill City?¡± guessed Ao.

    ¡°There could be a chance. If the monsters really exist, there¡¯s a high chance Rock Hill City is involved. But their main focus is the people on the shore, not us so we still have some time,¡± Shao Xuan continued, ¡°Instead of worrying, we should take this opportunity to change the ming River region!¡±

 Chapter 602 - Shaman From The Drumming Tribe

    <h4>Shaman From The Drumming Tribe</h4>

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Zheng Luo nodded, ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about things happening in the desert. We are the firstrge tribe in the ming River region, we shouldn¡¯t mess around with their problems. We stay in ourne.¡±

    The two shamans agreed.

    ¡°Another thing,¡± the shaman continued, ¡°After this winter season, we need to make some changes.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew what the shaman meant by ¡°changes¡±.

    After Wanshi was destroyed, the tribe had been trying to find an opportunity to implement some changes. For the tribe to develop well, they couldn¡¯t continue on with two chiefs and two shamans. With the leadership split into two sides, the tribespeople did feel divided. It wasn¡¯t easy to make any decision under this system too.

    For now, the disasters had passed and they decided to settle down here. It was time for a new chief and shaman.

    Naturally, Gui Ze was the new shaman. She was already involved in many of the high-level meetings and in these past two years, the two shamans had passed on most of the things they knew to her. They wanted her to experience thest few things by herself.

    The new chief was Gui He, this was settled quite early on too.

    The two hunt leaders, shamans and chiefs would step back from their positions and be Elders but Shao Xuan would remain as the Grand Elder.

    As they were all prepared for this, no one was surprised when the shaman spoke.

    ¡°When winter ends and the trading point is open again, I will invite the tribes in the ming River region here for them to get to know our new leaders,¡± said Ao.

    This was discussed beforehand too. At the end of the season, they would throw a big banquet and invite representatives from a few tribes. To quote Ao, ¡°let them experience our greatness¡±.

    As the days got colder, the ducks stoppeding out from their sheds. The farms and beasts enclosures were protected and the green-faced fanged beasts once again went into hibernation.

    Time flew past them and soon it was the coldest day of the season. It was still snowing.

    This was a rather mild winter for the ming Horn tribespeople, even the children could step out of their houses without worrying too much about the cold.

    In most parts of the river, ayer of ice had formed. The snow piled up on the ice making it seem like the whole maind was covered in the same white snow.

    On the upstream, some distance away from the ming Horn tribe, arge beast walked through the snow. It shook its fur, letting the snow on its body fall to the ground and lifted its head up to look forward.

    Although it was quite far, the beast could smell food.

    Its red tongue licked its fangs.

    It moved forward again.

    Large prints marked the white ground. The beast let out a huff of white air that blended perfectly into the background. Other than the sounds of the beast stepping through the snow, the only thing that could be heard was its low breathing.

    Close.

    Closer.

    There¡¯s a lot of food in front.

    It could even hear the word ¡°food¡±.

    Just as it was about to rush forward, it stopped suddenly. There was a noiseing from below its feet.

    Its fur stood up in surprise. Moving forward wasn¡¯t its n anymore, it turned and ran.

    However, it was too slow. As it turned it used too much power in its legs, which cracked the thin ice it was on. The cracks spread rapidly as the thinyer of ice copsed, the beast into the river with it.

    Ssh.

    Water sshed into the sky, the beast¡¯s struggles only made the ice crack even faster.

    Under the water, a school of hungry piranhas went over to look at themotion and started biting anything that moved.

    Therge beast let out a furious roar which could be heard on the other side of the river.

    Although the river had frozen over, the weather still wasn¡¯t cold enough to freeze ayer of ice thick enough for a human to safely pass through. A huge beast like that certainly didn¡¯t have much chance of getting through in the first ce, especially since it was walking in the centre of the river.

    The beast struggled, wing up in the air to no avail as it watched the man-eating fish bite away. This was quite amon scene in the winter. Therge river was no more but the thin ice still preventedrge beasts from crossing over to the Rain tribe and Drumming tribe.

    However, there were still some areas further upstream or downstream that were much lower in temperature. The tribespeople wasn¡¯t sure if the ice there was thick enough to supportrge beasts.

    The ming Horn tribe rarely hunted during the winter. At most, they would send a team to check on the trading point. With the river frozen, the ships couldn¡¯t be used so they let Chacha send their goods over. Since the two banks weren¡¯t that far apart, he could easily send over the goods within a few rounds.

    Shao Xuan had thought about making some tools for air shipments such as hot air balloons or gliders but the strong winds during winter didn¡¯t permit that. Chacha was still the safest option.

    That day just as Shao Xuan was polishing, someone came to report something to him.

    ¡°The shaman from the Drumming tribe is here.¡±

    Shao Xuan ced down the thing he was holding and went up to the messenger, ¡°Did you inform the chief and shaman?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but the shaman is here for you,¡± said the messenger.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure what the shaman wanted so he went down the hill to find out.

    Other than the hall up the hill, there was another one at the foot of the hill. Most of the time, it was used to carry out discussions or trades with people from other tribes.

    Right before he entered that stone building, Shao Xuan sensed something and looked up.

    The shaman came here on a crocodile as there was too much ice on the river for boats to flow through.

    Shao Xuan had thought all the crocodiles had found a ce to hibernate. He hadn¡¯t spotted them during this period of time, most crawling animals didn¡¯t like cold weather. He was surprised to see a crocodile¡¯srge head peeking out through some ice in the river.

    The crocodile opened its closed eyes as it felt Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze on it. Although there was some distance, Shao Xuan could see its reddish-brown irises.

    Shao Xuan averted his gaze and went into the stone building.

    There was the shaman from the Drumming tribe seated beside the fire, holding a glowing gemstone. It wasn¡¯t a water moon stone but something simr to it that Shao Xuan once collected on the other side of the sea.

 Chapter 603 - A Different Path

    Chapter 603

    A Different Path

    Looking at the stone the shaman held, Shao Xuan knew why he was here.

    On the other side of the ocean, Shao Xuan noticed traces of crocodiles in the forest, he also found many stones left by the crocodiles. He was able to produce the water sun stone from it. The water sun stones needed to be ced under the sun to be functional, unlike the water moon stones that could glow for a long time.

    The tribe brought over some stones from the other side but they soon realised the water moon stones were much more convenient and inexpensive. Hence, the water moon stones reced the water sun stones.

    The Drumming tribe people probably found out about it after noticing some ming Horn warriors using the water sun stones.

    As Shao Xuan walked in, the Drumming tribe shaman shifted his focus from the stone in his hands to him. The shaman was agitated.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for bothering you but Grand Elder Shao Xuan, how did you get this stone?¡±

    Shao Xuan thought and replied, ¡°These are from the other side of the sea.¡±

    The shaman nodded, this he had already known. ¡°Can you tell me more about the stones, Grand Elder?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Shao Xuan told the shaman about how he found the stones but vaguely mentioned how he made them, ¡°I was just tinkering with the stones, I didn¡¯t expect it to work.¡±

    The shaman had curiosity written all over his face. He knew that there were crocodiles in many ces so Shao Xuan was able to find the stones but how did a ming Horn tribesman like him make something like this from the stone?

    Wasn¡¯t this the Drumming tribe¡¯s speciality?!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t spill any of his secrets. This was all he said.

    Hence, after staring at the stone in his hands and thinking hard, he said, ¡°Do you still have any more of these stones?¡± After a slight pause, he added, ¡°The ones from young treasure fish?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can we borrow... cough.¡± The shaman suddenly remembered his tribe had arge debt that was hanging over their heads. How could he borrow even more now?

    ¡°Yes, please wait.¡±

    Shao Xuan brought back some stones with him. When they first left to cross the sea, he took some stones with him. He didn¡¯t find any problem with giving one to the shaman.

    Upon closer inspection, the shaman felt that although they looked very simr, these stones were not from the crocodiles in their tribe. There was a sense of unfamiliarity to him. The tribe was very close to their crocodiles so they could feel their auras but this stone had none of that.

    ¡°This... can I borrow it for a few days?¡± asked the shaman carefully. He had to be polite in front of his creditor.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t mind much.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± thanked the Drumming tribe shaman. He carefully ced the stone into his animal skin bag. As if he suddenly remembered something, he looked towards Shao Xuan and said, ¡°Grand Elder Shao Xuan, did you say you changed the stone yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Without help from the fire seed? I mean with your own powers?¡±

    ¡°That is the case.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± The shaman was utterly confused.

    The Drumming tribe could only produce the water moon stones on the day of the full moon with the help of the fire seed. How could Shao Xuan do it himself?

    If they hadn¡¯t seen the stone themselves, the people from the Drumming tribe would have never believed it.

    Before he left, the shaman asked onest question, even if he didn¡¯t get his answer, he just had to get it off his mind.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t feel the presence of your fire seed, did something happen to it?¡±

    Ever since the ming Horn tribes moved here, the Drumming tribe tribespeople hadn¡¯t felt any sense of pressure or repulsion. They didn¡¯t notice it at first, the disaster took up much of their thoughts then. When things started to settle down, they soon noticed. They didn¡¯t feel the presence of a fire seed!

    In addition to that, these ming Horn tribespeople seemed to have undergone some changes. They didn¡¯t feel like the people they first met.

    Tribes without a fire seed would cause their people to be wanderers. This was acknowledged throughout thends. However, not only did the ming Horn people not lose their powers, they seemed to have gotten stronger. The choices they made were much bolder too, such as imingnd apart from their tribe.

    ¡°We are fine,¡± said Shao Xuan, ¡°As for the fire seed, it is true that it isn¡¯t in the fire pond anymore.¡±

    The shaman¡¯s eyes were filled with confusion, ¡°Not in the fire pond?¡± He couldn¡¯t understand, ¡°If the fire seed isn¡¯t in the fire pond, where could it be?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the shaman with a gazed that hid so many secrets behind it. He pointed at his eyebrow and said, ¡°Here, and...¡± He pointed to his heart, ¡°Here.¡±

    The shaman narrowed his eyes as if he thought of something. He wasn¡¯t sure what he thought of exactly, his mind was travelling at the speed of light, everything was mixed together.

    After nking out for a while, the shaman finally snapped back to reality. Shao Xuan had already left, he was seated alone. He wasn¡¯t sure how long he had been there. His cup of tea had been refilled but the tea was cold now. The firewood was replenished too, he hadn¡¯t noticed all these when he was deep in his thoughts.

    He stood up to loosen his stiff body. He patted the stone in his pouch and left for the river.

    The ming Horn guards at the river greeted the shaman.

    The shaman smiled as a reply and stepped onto the frozen river.

    The footprints he left when he came weren¡¯t very visible anymore. He walked on theyer of ice, each step making a creaking noise. He wasn¡¯t worried the ice would break, it was quite thick here near the banks.

    He walked towards the crocodile and turned to see the ming Horn tribe once again.

    As a shaman, he was more sensitive towards the fire seed energies. He could detect things others couldn¡¯t.

    The ming Horn fire seed was indeed not there anymore but that was the surface-level understanding. It wasn¡¯t anywhere a person could see. He could now feel the scorching hot aura of the ming Horn fire seed. It was on that mountain, everywhere on that mountain!

    He thought back to the time in the stone building, what Shao Xuan said to him. He took a deep breath and stepped onto the crocodile.

    The ten-meter long crocodile floated on the water, its moving tail sending waves down the river. Beneath the surface, piranhas circled but didn¡¯t get close.

    The shaman looked at the direction his tribe was located at and thought, ¡®These ming Horn tribespeople seemed to have picked a different path for themselves. What about the Drumming tribe? What should we do?¡¯

 Chapter 604 - The Drumming Tribes Decision

    <h4>The Drumming Tribe¡¯s Decision</h4>

    Shao Xuan knew that based on what he revealed, the Drumming tribe shaman would know something had happened to their fire seed. He didn¡¯t know what the shaman would choose to do, not every tribe had the guts or determination to change their fire seed since it was directly linked to the survival of their tribe.

    Compared to other ces, ming Horn was the most active in their region.

    Other than asionally visiting the chiefs and shamans to discuss matters after the winter, he spent his time dealing with matters of the trading point. If he had extra time, he would usually be found polishing lenses.

    Inparison to Shao Xuan¡¯s calm lifestyle, the shaman from the Drumming tribe hadn¡¯t had a good night¡¯s sleep for seven nights since he returned from the ming Horn tribe.

    The shaman was not old but he had simrities to the shaman in the ming Horn tribe. He looked fine but he had many thoughts running around his mind at any given moment. Every time he closed his eyes he would think about many things, things that happened or things that hadn¡¯t happened. Many times he would scare himself into a puddle of sweat.

    The shaman called for the chief toe talk about matters of their fire seed and business deals.

    After a few days, the people lived like hibernating crocodiles, the tribe was quiet and everyone huddled in the warmth of their own homes.

    Creak¨C

    The shaman, the chief and a few elders of the Drumming tribe came out from the house together. They each carried a face of solemnity. The rare sunshine felt cooler at that moment.

    ¡°Since we have made a decision, Fan Mu and I will go visit ming Horn again!¡± The shaman looked at the other side of the river. He let out a long sigh, the worried look in his eyes turned into determination.

    For thousands of years, the Drumming tribe lived in rtive peace but they had many hidden worries. The shaman and the chief knew well that the biggest one started two hundred years ago. The shaman then already had the idea of changing things but he had no idea how to do so. Now, under their leadership, they had the chance!

    Hence, on the fifteenth day the shaman had left the ming Horn tribe, the shaman and the chief, Fan Mu, was spotted once again on the other side of the river.

    Shao Xuan had given it much thought too. He wondered what the Drumming tribe would decide to do but no matter what choice they made, they would need time to think about it. He didn¡¯t expect them to be back within fifteen days!

    Ever since Yang Sui of the Rain tribe found out about the fire seed, he had been thinking about it until now. He still had no conclusion or course of action nned out.

    After sitting down, the shaman from the Drumming tribe started to speak. ¡°About the matter of the fire seed, could the Grand Elder tell us about it in more detail?¡±

    Shao Xuan stared at the two for two seconds, the Drumming tribe people always preferred getting straight to the point which was quite simr to the ming Horn tribe. However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t directly tell them about the changes in the fire seed. He gave them a little context and stated some things that the two would sooner orter need to know.

    ¡°On the other side of the sea, there are some ve masters- no, there are many ve masters. I believe you already heard this from the ming Horn warriors.¡±

    The two nodded. Ever since the arrival of ming Horn, the two tribes interacted quite a bit. It was hard to keep secrets like that since not everyone was as tight-lipped about matters. In addition to that, the Rain tribe was also here. Quite a few from the Drumming tribe already knew about how some of the ming Horn tribe came from the other side of the sea.

    ¡°There are a lot of tribes there but the tribes there are different. They don¡¯t have fire seeds!¡± Shao Xuan could feel the eyes of the duo seating in front of him light up.

    ¡°A long time ago, the tribes there had fire seeds too. They called it the ancient fire seed, after that, they decided to fuse with the fire seed which is what we had done now.¡± After a pause, he continued, ¡°I can mostly guess what you have decided to do but I have to remind you, the Rain tribe had known about the fire seed for a long time. They still haven¡¯t decided on anything because there are many things to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Tribepeople like us gather together because of the fire seed. The fire seed is everything to us. If there is a fire seed, there is a tribe. But if the fire seed is gone, the tribe is gone. If the fire seed is extinguished, all the energy gathered from the tribespeople will disappear. On the other side of the sea, some tribes havepletely disappeared. They be like our wanderers here, dispersed with no means to gather again. Even by knowing this, is your decision still the same?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Fan Mu furrowed his brows, he couldn¡¯t control his emotions as well as the shaman. It was obvious he had mixed feelings but the determination he had just now hadn¡¯t dissipated.

    The shaman said, ¡°I have thought about this but I believe we Drumming tribe people are not easily swayed! We won¡¯t disperse. No matter the state of the fire seed, we will stick together!¡±

    Shao Xuan thought about it and agreed in his heart. Wasn¡¯t it true? The Drumming tribe didn¡¯t hesitate like the Rain tribe did. They were much more united and they had a strong sense ofmunity. Under their tough exterior was a loyal heart to their tribe. The chances of people dispersing were much higher in the Rain tribe than the Drumming tribe.

    They knew the Drumming tribe for quite some time now. Although the meaningful interactions were few, they were still able to deduce some things. From Shao Xuan¡¯s observations, if the tribe was not short on food, the people wouldn¡¯t travel anywhere. They would much rather choose to stay at their homes and were totally content with that life. They had no urge to go out into the world to explore even if they had an excess of water moon stones that were valuable for trade.

    There probably were more hidden problems in the tribe that Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know of but for them to make such arge decision within a matter of fifteen days really shocked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Are you... really sure?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Fan Mu pped the table as if to cheer for himself and gather courage. He stood up and bowed to Shao Xuan in line with the Drumming tribe¡¯s customs, ¡°We also hope you can help us!¡±

    As he spoke, Fan Mu took out an animal skin scroll from his sack. It was a pledge. Any request would have a price, everything listed on the scroll was decided by the leadership in the Drumming tribe after their discussion.

    Shao Xuan quickly read the scroll and put it away, ¡°I have to discuss with the ming Horn shaman and chief, I will soon tell you the decision we make.¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± The shaman and the chief earnestly bowed to Shao Xuan. Their customs didn¡¯t have the re of ass-kissing and nonsense that the ve masters loved, theirs were much more direct, earnest and serious.

 Chapter 605 - The First One

    Chapter 605

    The First One

    The ming Horn tribe had a good impression of the Drumming tribe. They didn¡¯t say it outright but Shao Xuan knew that the Drumming tribe held a special ce in the hearts of the ming Horn tribe. They were the first tribe they met after crossing the river after all.

    Hence, when the ming Horn shaman and chief read the animal scroll Fan Mu brought over, they immediately agreed. The Drumming tribe pledged to support the ming Horn tribe. If the twonds didn¡¯t have any changes and still had thatrge distance between them, the tribes could continue with the current lifestyle but now, they weren¡¯t sure of what would happen. One side had no problems but the other side had their hands and feet tied because of the ancient fire seed so it was obvious how things would y out.

    Helping the Drumming tribe was also helping themselves and they could even get some backup from them.

    ¡°But...¡± Zheng Luo was worried, ¡°Didn¡¯t you mention that the water moon stones were from the Water Moon canal? Isn¡¯t the Drumming Water Moon Canal formed because of their fire seed? If their fire seed is gone then are the water moon stones from their tribe gone too?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked them,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°The shaman and Fan Mu looked quite confident about it.¡±

    To put it simply, the shaman and Fan Mu had thought about this problem and that this wasn¡¯t that big of a deal. If Shao Xuan, an outsider, was able to make the water sun stone without powers, who¡¯s to say the Drumming tribe with years of experience of making water moon stones couldn¡¯t do the same?

    With Shao Xuan as living proof, the Drumming tribe thought that they wouldn¡¯t possibly fail. If this were the Rain tribe, they would have taken at least half a year to make a decision. From their perspective, for the Drumming tribe to make such a huge decision in such a short time was a foolish and hasty decision.

    However, Shao Xuan could tell from his conversation with them that they were serious. It could be possible that they had been waiting for this day for quite some time. Of course, each tribe had their own ways of doing things, which was how things lead to the current situation.

    Since they had already decided to tell the Drumming tribe about the fire seed, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dy any longer. He called in the Drumming tribe shaman, the two shamans from ming Horn and Gui Zhe for a meeting. The two ming Horn shamans told them about their experience and highlighted the important parts from the ancestors¡¯ notes. Fusing the fire seed wasn¡¯t easy, there were many details to consider.

    The Drumming tribe shaman stayed in the ming Horn tribe for three days. He didn¡¯t have a wink of sleep for three days and nights to finish up his ns. Then, he went back with a nervous but excited heart.

    The crocodile sending the shaman back was the same one as before. It was different from the others, it was obvious when the other crocodiles were active but now this crocodile was particrly eye-catching.

    Every ten years, a crocodile like this would appear in the Drumming tribe. It wasn¡¯t the leader of the group of crocodiles but it would follow the shaman around until the next special crocodile appeared.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t pay much attention to the special crocodile. He was curious for a while but dismissed it to focus on the fusion of the fire seed.

    There weren¡¯t any enemies this winter so they didn¡¯t have to worry about anyone attacking them, it was a good opportunity.

    The two shamans of ming Horn had told the Drumming tribe shaman that fusing the fire seed after winter would be safer since many tribes would be busy with their rituals then and the fire seed would be more active then.

    However, the suggestion was rejected and ming Horn didn¡¯t insist on it.

    Hence on a cold winter day, when the sun appeared then hid for the rest of the time, the Drumming tribe held a very important ritual amidst the heavy snowing.

    For a small tribe like this, nobody paid much attention to them for their rituals but this time was different.

    In the snow, a white me stood out. An image of a brown crocodile appeared in the sky. It was just an image of the totem for the Drumming tribe.

    The white me wrapped the brown crocodile, adding ayer of coldness to the image.

    Even with a river between them, Shao Xuan could hear the low growls of the crocodiles that were supposed to be hibernating.

    The ritual wasn¡¯t as borate as the one ming Horn tribe had but it still caused quite themotion. The nearby tribes could feel the changes happening to the fire seed. Anyone alive could feel the fire seed when it was as active as this.

    ¡°What is happening?!¡±

    Yang Sui, who was drinking his hot soup, identally dropped it on the floor as he rushed to the door.

    The Rain tribespeople looked out their windows in confusion. Yang Sui was in such a rush that he didn¡¯t notice he hadn¡¯t worn his shoes as he stepped on the snow.

    He looked in a direction and kept blinking with his mouth wide. He stared at it with his mouth agape, unable to form any words.

    Many momentster, he could only mutter two words.

    ¡°Crazy b*stards!¡±

    As the shaman, Yang Sui could feel the changes very clearly. The scene that had been ying in his mind endlessly was ying out now right in front of him but instead of his tribe, it was the Drumming tribe!

    He hadn¡¯t expected them to make the decision first!

    The Rain tribe was the first one to reach out to the ming Horn tribe, the first one to have the thoughts of fusing their fire seed but now these crocodiles that were supposed to be hibernating were fusing their fire seed!

    How long has it been?

    Aren¡¯t they crazy for making a decision that quick?!

    Yang Sui was greeted with the chilling wind. His feet were covered with snow now but he didn¡¯t seem cold. He just stared at the direction of the Drumming tribe, looking at what seemed like white mes dancing in the sky.

    After quite some time, the white mes disappeared and the aura of the fire seed subdued. He called over the chief and the few that kept rejecting his idea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what they¡¯re doing, call them over now!¡±

    Yang Sui wanted to head back home but instead he copsed straight on the ground. His two legs were numb from the cold so someone had to carry him back. He couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°How could we let the Drumming tribe do it first?!¡±

 Chapter 606 - To Dream of A Banquet

    <h4>To Dream of A Banquet</h4>

    The actions of the Drumming tribe shook Yang Sui to the core. Although he didn¡¯t know that they would have made the decision so quickly but as soon as he felt the movements of their fire seed he knew that it was worth a try.

    After dragging on for so long, Yang Sui had no more patience to drag it on any longer. Just as everyone was resting for the winter, it was time to solve this problem.

    As the leader of the Rain tribe gathered to discuss matters, the other nearby tribes felt the change too but had no idea what was going on. Some timid ones abandoned their ns for going out and hid in their houses. Too much had happened these two years, they didn¡¯t want to take any chances.

    ¡°They probably seeded,¡±mented Shao Xuan who stood on the mountain looking at the Drumming tribe.

    ¡°Yes.¡± The shaman felt relieved, they were friendly with the Drumming tribe as they were the best neighbours they ever had. They also produced water moon stones so he didn¡¯t want anything to happen to them.

    Two dayster, Shao Xuan and the shaman went to visit the Drumming tribe.

    Within two days, theplicated feelings the tribespeople felt from fusing their fire seed had subdued but Shao Xuan could still feel agitation from the Drumming tribespeople.

    With the fire seed gone, the fire pond wasn¡¯t up in mes like it was usually. There was no more protection given by the fire seed, all the energy was now inside the tribespeople, they were on their own now. All their customs in the tribe were built around the ancient fire seed so most of them were not used to this change. Only the children were much more epting of this new normal.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Shao Xuan asked Fu Shi who was cutting wood.

    They had enough firewood for the season. They were stacked high behind the house.

    ¡°... Fine.¡± After a long thought, Fu Shi could only mutter a word and continue cutting wood. He spoke as he swung his axe, ¡°I feel so right and so wrong at the same time!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s normal, we were like that too,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°You have to get used to it.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Fu Shi didn¡¯t know how to verbalize his thoughts so he chose not to say anything.

    Many in the Drumming tribe were in the same state, they feelfortable yet ufortable in their own body because of the fusion.

    ¡°Wait for the fusion to beplete and it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    For the Drumming tribe, while the fire seed was important to them, the water moon stone was equally important too. Without the fire seed, they needed another ce to get energy for the Water Moon Canal. They had tried to make water moon stones but hadn¡¯t seeded at all.

    The shaman in the Drumming tribe was in no hurry; he knew that the fusion had to bepleted for the two problems to be solved. The water moon stones were made when the moon was at its brightest so they should try to borrow energy from moonlight too.

    Although most of them hadn¡¯t adapted to their new life, so far nothing bad has happened. Shao Xuan and the rest were quite relieved at that, they could only confirm to see whether they could make the water moon stones when the moon was out. Even if they couldn¡¯t make any more water moon stones, the Drumming tribe shaman still had no regrets about this.

    After the fusion was done, it was still winter. The snow didn¡¯t stop curious minds going to the tribe to check out on what happened but the Drumming tribespeople chased them away. The tribespeople themselves did whatever they wanted, hoping that the fusion would beplete by the time spring rolled around, for they had many things to do.

    As for the ming Horn tribe, the people were worried.

    They nned to reopen the trading point when the weather warmed and invite the nearby tribe¡¯s leaders to join- but no matter how they thought about it, their n was not good enough!

    In other words, they think their n didn¡¯t showcase ming Horn¡¯s strength properly.

    The tribespeople had their own set of rules and etiquette that was different from the ve masters. Maybe it was hard for them to understand but it was the way things were here. Hence, to start a non-violent war was very hard.

    During the discussions, Shao Xuan rarely gave input. Although he was ustomed to the lifestyle here, his thinking and values were wildly different from the tribespeople here.

    The days passed quickly and the time for nning was ending soon. If winter ended early this year, the moon would be out in a few days, they had to finish everything they nned for the winter. It would be toote to make a decision after the winter was over.

    ¡°What should we do?¡±

    Some wanted to invite tribes further out, one suggested a performance to show off their strengths but everything was faced with mixed reactions.

    Seeing the people in the building argue, Shao Xuan thought of something and said to the shaman beside him, ¡°Should we hold a banquet ?¡±

    Although they hadn¡¯t announced the new leaders, they have already started sitting ording to their new ranks. The elders sat together with the shaman beside Shao Xuan.

    The building was silent and everyone arguing looked at Shao Xuan.

    Although his voice wasn¡¯t loud, everyone looked towards him with their ears perked. He didn¡¯t expect all of them to notice him when they were so preupied with the debate.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if it was his imagination but he felt everyone¡¯s heart beat a little louder and faster.

    Everyone was looking at him. He didn¡¯t say anything but looked at the shaman than the other elders.

    ¡°I think Ah Xuan has a point.¡± Ao was touching his sword¡¯s hilt as he spoke. His eyes were gleaming and he couldn¡¯t help but tap the de with his fingernails. ¡°A banquet is a good idea. A thousand years has passed and we never had one before.¡±

    Ao looked at Zheng Luo. He knew about the situation here but not on the other side so his eyes turned to Zheng Luo.

    Zheng Luo let out a bitter smile and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s the same for us.¡±

    There were records of a banquet in the ancestral notes and there were some stories here and there but they were all just fiction to them. Now, they could turn it into reality.

    It could be said that each tribe would have the dream of being capable of throwing a banquet.

    Up until now, no one in the ming Horn tribe had been capable of doing so!

    ¡°R-really?¡± Duo Kang asked quietly. It was much softer than his usual voice was. It wasn¡¯t because he was tired or had a different opinion but he was too emotional. From the tears in his eyes, everyone knew that he fully agreed with what Shao Xuan said.

    Everyone in the room, the elders and the current leaders all had that spark of excitement in their eyes.

    A banquet...

    If Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t mentioned it, everyone would have forgotten about that word. Right now their blood was pumping through their bodies with their excitement through the roof.

    Was it finally the time for one?

    Can ming Horn really hold a banquet?

    It wasn¡¯t one person, it was the whole tribe doing it together! No one for just the tribe but one for the whole region to witness!

    Before this, Shao Xuan thought banquets were too crazy, arrogant!

    But now, he could feel what the other tribes felt then. To garner support from other tribes, they don¡¯t necessarily need to use their force to push them to the ground literally. They would get their support by using ¡®soft power¡¯. Holding a banquet was exactly that. After seeing their tribe, it was sure that the other tribes would support them!

    On this winter day, their blood didn¡¯t seem to want to slow down. It coursed through them, making them feel alive.

    What was the point of inviting others to the trading point? It was to spread the name of the ming Horn tribe! It was to gain the respect of all the tribes around them!

    No, this would solidify ming Horn¡¯s status as a powerhouse.

    In many people¡¯s twisted values, during these turbulent times, people that had the power to control other people were the true rulers of the world.

    Shao Xuan remembered that night in the cave, Lang Ga and the others sat around the fire pit and said to him, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±

    Then, he wanted to p the brains out of those idiots but now he was doing the exact same thing. Not only that but he was leading the other tribespeople to do the same!

    ¡°What do you think of Grand Elder¡¯s suggestion?¡± The olddy saw that nobody was speaking and made the first move. She stomped her cane on the ground as she spoke.

    The thud snapped everyone back to reality.

    What did they think about the suggestion?

    It was the best thing ever! Duo Kang jumped up from his seat out of joy.

    ¡°Is there anyone that disagrees?¡± said Gui He.

    Everyone that was about to reply the olddy immediately zipped their mouths.

    Only heavy breathing could be heard in the room.

    Seeing that no one reacted, the shaman let out a small smile and nodded at Gui He.

    Gui He looked around the room to make non-verbal confirmations with everyone. After seeing Shao Xuan nod, Gui He and Gui Ze softly discussed between themselves and said, ¡°If that is the case, we will follow the Grand Elder¡¯s suggestion. Since it is currently the winter and not the best time for hunting, we will start preparation work as soon as winter ends.¡±

    No one rejected the decision.

    Winter was ending soon anyways, they just needed to wait a bit and hunting could begin. Duo Kang couldn¡¯t wait to hunt the fiercest beasts he could find to show off his skills.

    When the meeting ended, everyone rushed back to gather their own people. They all had ns in their minds already.

    It was once a dream to not go to bed hungry.

    Now, it was reality.

    It was once a dream for the tribe to be strong and have things others didn¡¯t.

    Now, it was reality.

    Once it was a dream to hold this huge banquet they only heard stories about.

    Now, it would be a reality.

 Chapter 607 - Itâ€™s Starting

    <strong>Chapter 607</strong>

    <strong>It¡¯s Starting</strong>

    It was still winter but there was a warmth flowing through the tribe. Every ming Horn tribesperson had a smile on their faces they couldn¡¯t wipe off.

    With news of the banquet spreading, everyone was preparing to get to work as soon as winter ended. No one thought this was wasteful behaviour, they were all excited for it especially since it wasn¡¯t held by one person but the whole tribe. Many didn¡¯t get a single good night¡¯s sleep for a while from too much excitement.

    The chief and shaman said this was the time for them to shine.

    The new bronze tools were limited so although everyone already had one, it wasn¡¯t enough since one wouldn¡¯t be sufficient to hunt. The rest had to use stone tools so sounds of stone grinding could be heard from the top to the bottom of the mountain. Even deep into the night, light and noises escaped from some houses as they worked hard- but not too hard to be a nuisance to their neighbours.

    The bats that once appeared at night disappeared for some time.No one had spotted them recently. Some spected that they moved away with the migratory birds, some said Chacha scared them away but no matter what the true reason was, this was safer for the tribe without the protection from the fire seed. Even if they came back, the tribespeople would just get rid of their nests.

    From Shao Xuan¡¯s rough estimations, the banquet would be held around a hundred days after winter ended. They would have to dy the reopening of the trading point but it was fine as they needed to prioritise the preparation work. Opening it after the invitations were out wasn¡¯t toote anyway.

    Yang Sui was the first to know about the banquet because he went to the tribe to discuss the fire seed with Shao Xuan. He didn¡¯t expect to hear such shocking news.

    It was a banquet!

    Held by a whole tribe!

    That was crazy!

    The actions of the ming Horn tribe were shocking to some, and heartfelt to others.

    ¡°Have you decided?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Yang Sui drew his attention back to Shao Xuan from the busy ming Horn tribespeople working in the snow. The actions of the Drumming tribe made him more determined and convenience a lot more Rain tribespeople. There were some that still rejected the idea but the majority supported Yang Sui now. ¡°For our tribe... it isn¡¯t the best time to merge with the fire seed yet but I¡¯ll make necessary preparations first.¡±

    Shao Xuan told him exactly what he told the shaman from the Drumming tribe. He believed that after this, Yang Sui would head to the Drumming tribe for their advice too.

    Yang Sui was still in a trance as he went back to his tribe. When he finally came to his senses, he was seated at the shaman¡¯s house surrounded by a group of people. Most of them had a look of disapproval on their faces as if Yang Sui hadmitted some evil crime. They only held back because of Yang Sui¡¯s influence in the tribe and they had already agreed to fuse the fire seed. They had no smiles for Yang Sui as he returned home from the ming Horn tribe, only nk expressions.

    ¡°I know how to fuse the fire seed now. I went to the Drumming tribe to ask too but let me think about the details first before Ie up with the n,¡± said Yang Sui.

    Many only took a nce at Yang Sui before settling their eyes to the ground to prevent him seeing the anger and disapproval in their eyes.

    Even if Yang Sui didn¡¯t see them, he knew what they were all thinking about but he didn¡¯t say anything except for a heavy sigh.

    ¡°I¡¯ve got some news from the ming Horn tribe.¡±

    Some eyes perked up. They were curious about the mixed emotions that sigh carried.

    One of his supporters asked, ¡°What did you hear, shaman?¡±

    ¡°The ming Horn tribe is holding a banquet.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Those that seemed disinterested immediately looked at Yang Sui, ¡°Is it a true banquet? Not just some gathering?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Yang Sui looked very serious, he emphasised each word he said, ¡°It¡¯s on the day the ming River Trading Point opens!¡±

    Everyone took a sharp inhale.

    They were now carefully calcting and rationing their food so they had enough for the winter but the ming Horn tribe was already nning a banquet.

    How wealthy were they to be able to do that?

    After the initial shock, the house exploded. They had only heard about banquets and never experienced one themselves. Even if therger tribes had had them before, they were too far from the central region to attend one. Now, Yang Sui was telling them they get to do that!

    Everyone started discussing but Yang Sui ignored that and said, ¡°When ming Horn tells me the exact date, I will bring some of you to attend it.¡±

    The discussion stopped for a moment.

    ¡°Some of you¡± was too vague.

    ¡°Then... Can I go?¡± A person asked Yang Sui.

    ¡°What about me?¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    Yang Sui didn¡¯t give a direct answer but said, ¡°I¡¯ll decide then, I don¡¯t know how many people I can bring over.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to a banquet? What does that mean? There¡¯s not even that many of us,¡±ined one of the elders.

    ¡°This can¡¯t be helped, they are inviting a lot of other tribes too so they have to limit the number of people that each tribe can bring. The Grand Elder was kind enough to inform me a little earlier.¡±

    ¡°You have to bring me! Shaman, I always supported you!¡±

    ¡°Me too! Me too!¡±

    ¡°Shaman, I think fusing the fire seed is not bad at all. They did it quite early on and they can hold banquets now!¡±

    Yang Sui looked at the people before him. Just a few days ago, they were all strongly rejecting the idea of the fusion. Who knew they would change their mind just because of a banquet? Even those that were still opposed to it knew they wouldn¡¯t stand a chance anymore so they took their chances by pledging their loyalty to the shaman.

    To be honest, banquets were just events for leaders of each tribe to show off their skills. When therger tribes had banquets, they would only invite the influential people in each tribe. The ming Horn banquet would probably do the same.

    How could they miss this opportunity?!

    Yang Sui smiled, this was the reason he mentioned the banquet in the first ce. He could increase his supporters by using the banquet invitation as leverage. With the ming Horn tribe as a sessful example of the fusion, people would also think twice about their initial opposition.

    The impact of the banquet on the tribespeople was muchrger than Shao Xuan expected.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t aware of Yang Sui using the banquet to attract people to agree with him, he was busy preparing for the hunts. There was also the sacrifice going on.

    As soon as winter ended, the yearly sacrifice ritual would begin. Their numbers were much bigger now so the mountain top would be quite crowded.

    When the snow stopped and the cold wind was gone, the pitch dark sky was greeted with the thin lines of the moons. A warrior standing guard sent out a signal when he saw the moons.

    The whistle rang through the quiet night to each corner of the tribe. Even some part of the Drumming tribe could hear the sound.

    The ming Horn warriors rushed out from the houses to look at the moons and let out weird animal-like howls. They were not able to control their warrior instinct then.

    Soon they would enter the forest to hunt as part of the steps to fulfil the dream they held on for so long.

    Duo Kang roared, ¡°Are you all ready?!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°We can leave anytime!¡±

    ¡°My sword is ready!¡±

    Replies were shouted throughout the mountain.

    Duo Kang let out a heartyugh as he walked out his house, he was too agitated to sleep now. He went to the hut beside his home to carve stone weapons.

    Across the river, the Drumming tribe heard the noises from the ming Horn tribe. They were envious of the banquet that the other tribe was holding but that also calmed many of the tribespeople. Seeing that the first tribe to fuse their fire seed was so sessful lessened their worries a lot.

    Fu Shi looked across the river, he couldn¡¯t see what they were doing with the trees blocking but he could guess what they were cheering about.

    ¡°We will be even better next time!¡±

    In the Drumming tribe, those that were awakened only listen to the sound but didn¡¯t walk out. In the centre of the tribe a few walked to the shaman with nervous expressions.

    Fan Mu went into the shaman¡¯s house and saw a few people were already standing there surrounding the owner.

    The shaman had a water moon stone in his hands.

    The rock didn¡¯t glow and was still very rough. It looked like a normal rock found in the river, an untrained eye could easily mistake it for one.

    Everyone in the house had their eyes on the small stone in the shaman¡¯s hand.

    After the fusion, they couldn¡¯t produce any water moon stones but they med theck of moons in the sky for it. Now, the moons were out, it should be able to happen. They were only crescents now but they could already feel the difference.

    The shaman took a deep breath and opened the door to go to the empty field. Without the trees blocking, he could see the two dim moons.

    With a deep breath, the shaman focused his totemic energy flowing through every inch of his body. The energy went from his neck to his arms then flowed into the stone in his palms.

    The shaman could feel that this attempt was different from the ones in the winter. He could feel the stone bing alive.

    The sound of tiny beads dropping to the ground echoed through the room. This was a sound every tribe member here was familiar with.

    They would hear it at the river every full moon. Although it was much slower than what they were used to, this was already a win for them.

    They were already confident about seeding but doubts still hovered over their minds. They prepared for the worst in case they wouldn¡¯t be able to make the water moon stones anymore but now they were all pleased.

    The faint glow from the stone wasn¡¯t enough to light up the room but this already caused the tribespeople to dance around the room in joy.

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°We did it!¡±

    ¡°That Grand Elder was right! We can make our own water moon stones!¡±

    The Drumming tribe erupted inughter, adding to the excitement from the ming Horn tribe.

    Figures emerged into the darkness from the caves.

    A crocodile lifted its head to look at the sky and let out a low growl. Winter was over, the ice had melted and the hunting would soon begin.

 Chapter 608 - Invitation

    <h4>Invitation</h4>

    After the sacrifice ritual and another thirty more days, Shao Xuan came back from his hunting trip in the forest.

    The team headed back together and followed the usual rules of sorting out the game at the bottom of the mountain. When everything was done, Gui Ze told Shao Xuan that while they were out hunting, the shaman from the Drumming tribe hade by three times but it didn¡¯t seem urgent. It wasn¡¯t like anything very serious had happened.

    ¡°The shaman from the Drumming tribe?¡± Shao Xuan knew that if the shaman was so insistent, it would only be two things- the fire seed or the water moon stones.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t look for anyone else?¡± asked Shao Xuan. If it was about the fire seed, the shaman would have looked for the two previous shamans.

    ¡°No, every time he came by he only looked for you then left.¡±

    ¡°I think I know why.¡± Shao Xuan passed the game he was holding to a warrior and pointed to the two fangs on the beast and said, ¡°I want the fangs but sort out the rest of it with the others.¡±

    The warrior in charge nervously nodded. They had way too much game this time and usually the experienced hunters would prepare them together then chill the meat or ferment the other items while the others went back to rest. However, everyone was worked to the bone this time because of the banquet.

    They gathered quite a bit of game this time. Maybe it was because of the merged fire seeds in everyone with the help of the bronze tools and the thrill of preparing for the banquet, the warriors worked like machines to bring a pile home.

    This time, a portion of the team went to the part of the forest that was mostly filled with nts.

    It was much more dangerous there and Shao Xuan didn¡¯t bring Caesar along with him. Although he was as active as before, despite losing one of his eyes, it was still much too dangerous to bring him to a ce like that. Hence, Shao Xuan only brought Chacha.

    Shao Xuan actually found Chacha in that area. Then, Chacha was only an egg that was stolen by some other birds. He had almost cooked the egg for food.

    During this expedition, Chacha had fought with a few birds in the area but since they weren¡¯t natives and they outnumbered him, Chacha lost to them. Chacha was very dejected long after they returned to the tribe.

    After Shao Xuan went back, he nned to take a nap before going to meet people again.

    Shao Xuan barely got any shut-eye before the shaman from the Drumming tribe came by.

    It wasn¡¯t shocking that the shaman knew they were back, the warriors were rather loud when they returned.

    This was the first time the shaman saw the warriorsing back from a hunt. Now it made sense that the other tribespeople told him that he would notice them when they were back!

    Shao Xuan yawned as he looked at a water moon stone asrge as a chicken egg peeking out from the shaman¡¯s leather bag.

    However,pared to the previous water moon stones they used before, this one was much dimmer.

    The previous stones were smooth like an eggshell and had a cooling feel to them but this stone didn¡¯t have any of those. It was dim and rough.

    ¡°This is a water moon stone?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The shaman smiled, ¡°This water moon stone was made entirely by me! It took me eight days to make it!¡±

    During those eight days, other than taking breaks for food when he was too hungry, the shaman spent all his energy creating this water moon stone.

    When Shao Xuan made his first water sunstone, he had already felt faint. It was even more painful for the shaman, he wasn¡¯t able to finish it in one go so he had to take nearly ten attempts toplete it. That was one of the reasons why it wasn¡¯t smooth. The surface had scars of when the shaman took a break.

    In addition to that, the moon had just appeared so it wasn¡¯t as bright. That made the process much harder and the stone did not glow as much.

    However, this still proved that they were able to make the water moon stones without the fire seed! Now, each of them had a tiny version of the fire seed inside of them so this meant that each of the tribesmen would be able to do this!

    ¡°Take it easy, I think you¡¯ll perfect it after a few more tries.¡± Shao Xuan passed the stone back to the shaman while thinking of ways tofort the shaman but he actually didn¡¯t look defeated at all.

    ¡°I think so too.¡±

    The shaman had just wanted to share his experience in making the water moon stones with Shao Xuan since he was the only one in ming Horn that had this special ability.

    After a short chat, the shaman rushed back to make the second water moon stone, he was already halfway through. It would take him another two days toplete it. It was an improvement from the first one since it would take him one less day to finish it. He wasn¡¯t sure how much of a factor the brightness of the moon yed in this process, he might even be able to speed up the process since the moons were getting brighter.

    Now, the other tribespeople were working on this technique too. This would be a shortcut to their survival, it always had been.

    They had all collected the original stones from the rivers but this year they didn¡¯t need to wait for the full moon to start the process.

    The Drumming tribe members¡¯ anxieties were finally calmed down by the water moon stones. Just as they settled down, the Rain tribe who had just started their fusion grew more anxious.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t learn more about the situation there, he still had other tasks.

    Although they said they would only invite the neighbouring tribes to the banquet, they still had to invite the other tribes that were closer to them. They would also inform the otherrger tribes. Hence, Shao Xuan brought along invitations handwritten by the shaman and headed towards the fields on Chacha.

    Some others headed out along with Shao Xuan but they were all going in different directions. Shao Xuan went to the grass fields, also visiting the Tianshan tribe along the way while others visited therge tribes. The ming Horn tribe members didn¡¯t care much if therge tribes attended but they still had to tell them about the banquet to show off their abilities.

    Shao Xuan followed the path he took when he first led the team to the fields.

    Although the disaster impacted the mainds,paratively the grass fields didn¡¯t have that big of a difference. It was still simr to Shao Xuan¡¯s memory of it.

    The Hui tribe had a map of the grass fields but Shao Xuan took the shortest route a few years back.

    The fields were painted green with the grass waves adding texture to the painting.

    On a hill far away, a group of patrolling warriors on horses passed by.

    Not only did they need to beware of people trying to steal their livestock, they had to look out for beasts in the sky. When they said Chacha, they were on high alert.

    ¡°It¡¯s an eagle!¡± shouted someone.

    ¡°Careful! Archers!!¡±

    ¡°Shoot when it gets lower!¡±

    The patrolling officer, Yi Bei, signalled for the people to shoot at the eagle. Even if they couldn¡¯t kill it, it would be enough to scare it away.

    However, the eagle was too high up and whenever they looked up the sun shined directly into their eyes. They weren¡¯t able to see anything clearly.

    ¡°It¡¯s headed towards our tribe!¡± someone shouted.

    They were patrolling the border of the Feng tribe. If they walked a bit more there would be herds of cows and sheep and the herdsmen. They might not make it in time to stop the predator in the sky.

    ¡°Send the signal!¡± Yi Bei ordered his people to warn the tribe about the intruder.

    However, just as they took their whistle out, a sound came from the sky.

    ¡°Is that... a wooden whistle?¡± Yi Bei stopped the person about to send the signal. He looked up into the sky with his hand blocking the sun. The figure wasnding itself. This wasn¡¯t any eagle that lived in the forest, it belonged to a tribe.

    After observing for a while, Yi Bei said, ¡°Keep the bows.¡±

    Although he wasn¡¯t sure who was in the sky, the person didn¡¯t seem to have any ns to attack or hide.

    If that was the case, aiming arrows at them wouldn¡¯t be too good. Yi Bei didn¡¯t want to offend anyone he hadn¡¯t met. The tribes in the grasnds frequently came in contact with expedition teams so they had better foreign policies than other tribes.

    Of course, they were still on high alert, without the bows, the warriors were still holding on to their swords.

    As the eagle descended, Yi Bei got even more shocked.

    ¡°That... big? It¡¯s gigantic!¡±

    They didn¡¯t notice it when it was far but now they could clearly see the size of the eagle. This was muchrger than the ones they saw before.

    He knew that the Hui tribe and the Tianshan tribe at the edge of the fields had eagles but he didn¡¯t know much about them so he wasn¡¯t sure which tribe this one belonged to.

    As the eagle zoomed past them, a figure jumped off its back andnded in front of them perfectly bnced.

    Yi Bei looked over with the hands hovering over their swords, carefully eyeing the young man that carried a sack.

    ¡°Long time to see.¡± Shao Xuan greeted them with a smile.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Yi Bei felt that the man before him was quite familiar but he wasn¡¯t sure who it was.

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s you, Shao Xuan!¡±

    A few of the warriors jumped off their horses and ran towards Shao Xuan. Gua Er was the only that reached him first. When Old He was still a wanderer, he was the one that took care of the sheep at Gua Er¡¯s house. Shao Xuan even saved Gua Er¡¯s life before.

    Gua Er was a child when it happened and now he was a young man. The children he met then were all grown too. They were all warriors now.

    Yi Bei suddenly remembered who Shao Xuan was with Gua Er¡¯s help, his defenses dropped into a friendly smile. The ming Horn tribe was muchrger than their tribe- they were much friendlier to people more powerful than them, and they knew Shao Xuan. Yi Bei didn¡¯t know they had such arge eagle, the eagle they sawst time was much smaller. Did they get another one?

    ¡°Are you here on business?¡± asked Yi Bei.

    ¡°I need to go to the Hui tribe.¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t hide it.

    ¡°The Hui tribe?¡±

    ¡°To invite the tribesmen to the banquet my tribe is having at the ming River Trading Point.¡±

    A banquet?!

    Non-powerful tribes were never able to hold a banquet, especially one that invited other tribes.

    ¡°Ah, right, this is for you.¡± Shao Xuan took out something from his sack and tossed tworge fangs to them.

    One was caught by Yi Bei but he started shaking as he grabbed the fang. He had never seen such arge fang before.

 Chapter 609 - Two Fangs

    Chapter 609

    Two Fangs

    Shao Xuan had already nned to drop by the Feng tribe to check upon them. The tribe also met many travellers so he hoped that they could help him spread the word about the trading point.

    Even though there wasn¡¯t a formal invitation, Shao Xuan still told Yi Bei that they should visit the trading point someday and if they made it in time for the banquet it would be great but if not, they could still buy some animal skin.

    Not every tribe could afford to send out an expedition team and Feng tribe was one of them. They usually just stayed around the grass fields. They were shocked to hear what Shao Xuan had to say.

    Building a trading point wasn¡¯t something new, there were ces like that already but what Shao Xuan said left them all speechless.

    Not just a trading point but a banquet? It wasn¡¯t an easy task to hold one. Their food stocks were just enough to feed everyone in the tribe so they were envious to hear that another tribe had enough food to spare to hold a banquet.

    Holding a banquet was the sign of a sessful tribe.

    Yi Bei took a deep breath. Shao Xuan was not in front of him anymore and the eagle in the sky was going further away from them by the moment. It was barely a dot now.

    ¡°Sir, that person. Was everything he said true?¡± A warrior asked as he wasn¡¯t too familiar with Shao Xuan.

    Yi Bei wanted to reply ¡°how would I know¡± but he bit his tongue back as he looked at the huge fang he was holding.

    Yi Bei had to hold onto the fang in case the fang fell off the horse. Such a huge fang would cause the horse to be not able to walk properly if he directly hung it onto the horse as it weighed so much.

    With a fang that huge, he wondered how big the actual beast was. He hadn¡¯t seen a beast like this in his years of experience.

    There were still some blood stains on the fang which meant it hadn¡¯t been too long since it was extracted. When he caught the fang, his horse almost fell over. If he had been riding any other horse than this one, it would have run away already.

    He thought back to how casually Shao Xuan stood and threw the fangs to them... There were many people like him in the ming Horn tribe. It would make sense for them to be able to hold a banquet.

    In the eyes of the Feng tribe, the ming Horn tribe was still the new kids on the block. They had their time to shine such as when they destroyed the Wanshi tribe but they were still far from therger tribes. However, it seemed that they needed to reevaluate now.

    Maybe they really had greatly underestimated that tribe.

    Out of the two fangs, Yi Bei caught one fang while the other dropped to the ground. The horses immediately stepped back when they could smell the fangs, it was their natural instinct.

    ¡°Si-sir, what should we do with that?¡±

    After Shao Xuan left, the rest quickly got off their horses to touch the fang and closely feel the aura radiating from it.

    ¡°Bring it back,¡± said Yi Bei.

    The two fangs from Shao Xuan were considered a gift from one tribe to another. ¡°A figt from Shao Xuan of ming Horn to the Feng tribe¡± was carved on it, plus the ming horn totem too. The fang was rock solid so it was hard to even carve anything on it, the characters were carved out wlessly.

    Yi Bei wasn¡¯t sure how Shao Xuan carved it but he wasn¡¯t too concerned about that. He ran his hand across the smooth and shiny fang. It showed that these two fangs were in actual use and not decorative. It belonged to a true beast.

    ¡°ming Horn tribe... ming River Trading Point?¡±

    Yi Bei wanted someone to bring the two fangs back to the tribe.

    Since it was a gift, they wouldn¡¯t be able to sell it out for a high price. Yi Bei and the warriors were not willing to do so anyway.

    When they brought the fangs back, the chief could guess Shao Xuan¡¯s motive. This was beneficial to the both of them. At the same time, he liked the fangs so much that he ced the pair at the door of his house. One on the left, one on the right.

    The chief even personally polished the fangs everyday. The fangs gleamed and were sharp enough to be used by the beast at any given moment.

    The two fangs brought a wave of excitement to the tribe. Every expedition team that passed by were attracted to the fangs but always felt disappointed when they found out the Feng tribe didn¡¯t n to sell them.

    A beast of such stature was hard to find in most of the maind. One had to go to the Fearsome Beast Forest to get one but people rarely did as it was very dangerous.

    The words on the fangs made people more aware of the ming Horn tribe. As long as someone mentioned the ming Horn tribe, travellers would link it to the huge fangs at the Feng tribe.

    As word of the ming Horn tribe spread, news of the ming River Trading Point did too. Shao Xuan carved out a simple map from the fields to the ming River Trading Point on the other fang.

    Many expedition teams copied the map down, some brave ones even headed towards it.

    This was all nned out by Shao Xuan. When the Feng tribe and expedition teams talked about the tribe and the trading point, Shao Xuan had already reached the Hui tribe.

    The Hui tribe had arge grass field and endless connections of mountains within their territory.

    When he was near the border of the Hui tribe, Shao Xuan had noticed some eagles flying around guarding the area. An eagle screeched at Chacha without recognising him. They knew each other from the trip to the eagle mountain but Chacha had changed so much that the eagle hadn¡¯t recognised him.

    Chacha ignored the warning and replied with a loud and sharp cry.

    However, Shao Xuan knew this wasn¡¯t a ce where he could just fly in, so he took out a stone badge to show to the guard. He got it as a gift from a Hui tribe eagle when he went to the eagle mountain.

    ¡°Please help inform them that Shao Xuan from the ming Horn tribe is here for a visit,¡± shouted Shao Xuan.

    The warrior standing guard was rather young. He thought that Shao Xuan was an enemy but upon seeing the stone badge, he was confused. If Shao Xuan had walked or rode any other kind of animal here, the guard wouldn¡¯t have believed the badge was real.

    ¡°ming Horn tribe?¡±

    The guard knew that his tribe had worked together with ming Horn before but he always thought that thetter tribe was unqualified to work with them. However, seeing this huge eagle before him made him question himself. That eagle was muchrger than ¡°Shan Dao¡±, who went to the eagle mountain once.

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± The warrior didn¡¯t reach for a whistle but shook his head twice and a white bone whistle appeared in his mouth.

    The produced a sound not unlike an eagle¡¯s screech with a certain rhythm to it.

    The previous screech by the eagle had attracted some other guards in the area but they couldn¡¯t make any decisions because they couldn¡¯t verify Shao Xuan¡¯s identity.

    As they waited for orders, the rift between the guards and Shao Xuan was obvious as they hovered in the sky.

    ¡°You¡¯re Shao Xuan?¡± asked a Hui tribe warrior.

    Shao Xuan was a well known name in the Hui tribe. Many expedition teams brought back a story and the most frequently mentioned name was Shao Xuan from the ming Horn tribe.

    The eagles flew back to increase the distance between them and the other eagle as if they didn¡¯t feel safe around Chacha.

    This wasn¡¯t amon sight for the eagles here. Great mountain eagles got into fights easily when they were in a good mood but even more when they were in a bad mood. The eagle before them didn¡¯t seem to be having a good time.

    No wonder the eagles kept their distance. The few here hadn¡¯t been to the eagle mountain and it was obvious the one in front of them was out of their league. Even though they had the advantage in numbers, the one eagle might still beat them all.

    Luckily, the eagle didn¡¯t seem interested in picking a fight. It was just in a bad mood.

    The warriors didn¡¯t know that the reason why Chacha hadn¡¯t picked a fight was because Shao Xuan had tapped Chacha with his feet to tell him that this wasn¡¯t the time to pick a fight, especially since the eagles here were rather young.

    An eagle¡¯s caw came from afar, followed by a few moreing from different directions.

    They were people from other areas that heard themotion and came to check it out. Two of the eagles didn¡¯t have people riding them, they probably heard the screech and came without being told.

    The first caw was from Shan Dao and the person on top was Gu La.

    ¡°Haha, Shao Xuan, I didn¡¯t expect it to be you!¡±

    Gu La didn¡¯t recognise Chacha at first, he only knew that the person riding it was Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to pass you an invitation.¡± Shao Xuan let Chacha fly closer and passed the scroll to Gu La.

    Gu La dragged his attention to the scroll instead of Chacha and quickly skimmed through it. The smile on his face stiffened as if he didn¡¯t understand. He re-read it a few times to make sure he didn¡¯t get it wrong.

    Didn¡¯t the ming Horn tribe move away because of the disaster?

    Shouldn¡¯t a tribe that was chased away from theirnd be having a hard time now? How did they build a trading point and n to hold a banquet? If this didn¡¯t mean that they were doing good, what else could it mean?

    It didn¡¯t matter how things ended up like this, now wasn¡¯t the time to get into details.

    ¡°You must be tired from your journey, do you want to take a rest first?¡± asked Gu La.

    ¡°Yes please,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gu La patted Shan Dao, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    Chacha followed suit.

 Chapter 610 - Top Tier Eagle

    <strong>Chapter 610</strong>

    <strong>Top Tier Eagle</strong>

    The totem of the Hui tribe was an abstract whirlwind. The tribe itself was located on the hignds.

    Horses ran freely across the hignds. Shao Xuan could spot them from the sky and even without close inspection knew that the horses here were stronger than those of the Feng tribe.

    Gu La didn¡¯t slow down, instead, he flew up the mountain.

    The majority of Hui tribe lived up the mountain and just like their totem, was surrounded by clouds.

    The part that was Hui tribe¡¯s territory had the highest altitude in the whole mountain range. The mountain that was the main site of the tribe was the tallest one of them all. The top snowed all year round and clouds surrounded the body of the mountain which was where the Hui tribespeople lived.

    There were eagles flying around the mountains but they were mostly the younglings. Some flew towards them out of curiosity but quickly retreated when they saw that Chacha was in a bad mood.

    Gu La brought Shao Xuan to the middle part of the mountain which had many stone houses erected there. He saw that some of the people lived in the natural caves too. The tribespeople here were highly skilled climbers, he could see some children practising with adult supervision. Eagles hovered around them.

    As soon as an eagle saw a child slip, the eagle would catch them and ce them back on the stone tform. The tform was purposely ced there for children to rest while they were practising their climbing.

    Shao Xuan could feel Chacha was slightly confused as the rhythm of his flying was disrupted just now.

    Nothing odd happened in the surroundings. Some eagles flew by but they were the eagles from before so Chacha didn¡¯t have any reaction towards them.

    Shao Xuan looked up to see the higher parts of the mountains. He noticed that to the top of the main mountain, close to where the snow cap started, there was something faint. Its white body blended into the background well. If it hadn¡¯t moved, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have noticed it.

    Was that... an eagle?

    It looked different from the rest, it looked more like a ball than anything.

    The mountain¡¯s surfaces weren¡¯t t and the slopes were dangerous. It was rare for something so huge to be able to cling on top like that.

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡±

    Gu La stopped Shan Dao on a path made by the Hui tribe. This was the only way one could walk up the mountain or else they had to climb.

    The road wasn¡¯t exactly t but it was wide enough for Chacha to rest on.

    ¡°This is it.¡± Gu La pointed at a cave not far from where they were.

    The cave entrance was huge. It had a height of ten meters and the width of eight meters. The word ¡°Hui (»Ø)¡± was carved on the wall in a spiral-looking font which resembled their totem.

    ¡°Our shaman and chief are here,¡± said Gu La.

    That cave was only used by the shaman and chief of the Hui tribe. Only the leaders of the tribe had the right to live in it.

    The people inside probably had known about his arrival. At the entrance, Shao Xuan was greeted by the elder, He She that he recognised.

    ¡°Wee to our tribe, the shaman and chief are inside.¡± He She smiled.

    Shao Xuan turned back to say to Chacha, ¡°Go on and y now, go make friends with the other eagles.¡±

    ¡°This is...?¡± He She looked at the eagle behind Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s Chacha.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s him?! He¡¯s back?!¡± He She and Gu La were very shocked but that cleared some things up for them. Surviving eagle mountain again exined how he got so big and he would still continue to grow.

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± He She said with admiration. The eagles rarely went back to the eagle mountain willingly like Chacha, even fewer came out alive.

    The whole time the tribespeople were looking at Chacha, he didn¡¯t spare them a look at all. He looked at the top of the mountain as if he was guarding something.

    Shao Xuan followed his gaze.

    Small stones and pebbles fell from the cave ceiling with light crackles. It sounded like it came from an eagle younger than Chacha but not to the point it wasn¡¯t a fully grown eagle yet.

    Everyone immediately moved away.

    A ck figure dropped from above along with stones and pebbles.

    Chacha and Dao Shan used their wings to protect them from the falling gravel.

    He She and Gu La plucked away the fluff in front of them and turned to look in that direction. Their faces turned pale.

    ¡°Shao Xuan! Shao Xuan are you okay?!¡± Gu La ran over.

    The figure from the mountain top hadnded right where Shao Xuan was standing. The people surrounding the area had horrified looks on their faces.

    He She rushed over nervously.

    There didn¡¯t seem to be any smell of blood, he isn¡¯t dead right?

    The shaman and the chief were able to catch the incident happening before their eyes. It shocked the shaman so much that he dropped his cane. If Shao Xuan died here, how would they be able to break the news to the ming Horn tribe?

    Luckily, they soon heard Shao Xuan¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Damn, he¡¯s heavy!¡±

    Following the sound, the fallen gravel all were lifted up.

    Shao Xuan looked at what he was grabbing onto, it was ws. This pair of ws belong to some bird, a beast bird.

    With closer look the fluff that was flying around probably had fallen from some young bird.

    Young bird?

    Shao Xuan thought of the thing he saw on the mountain when he came here, he lifted it up to measure its weight.

    It really was quite heavy!

    How could it fly like this?

    Also, why was the young bird so big?

    The Hui tribespeople around him looked shocked.

    He lifted it up! He even did it twice!

    Are all ming Horn tribesmen like this?

    For people who didn¡¯t go out on expeditions, this was the memory connected to a ming Horn tribesperson that would stick with them for the rest of their lives.

    They were really strong! Very, very strong!

    Nobody else in the tribe was hit. Once an eagle asrge as Dao Shan broke his bone and couldn¡¯t fly for a long time because of this so from that moment on the eagles moved away as soon as they heard movement.

    Nobody could imagine that the ming Horn tribesman who was smashed to the ground came out unscratched and even lifted the fellow up twice!

    The young eagle felt that something was not right and turned to look but it was too round so it just rolled off.

    The young eagle was around the same size as Chacha, Dao Shan looked skinny beside it.

    Its eyes seemed to be drawn over with ink, it was surrounded by a circle of ck feathers which was different from Chacha.

    It rolled a full circle before it could stand up again and look at Shao Xuan. It didn¡¯t notice the re from Chacha and ignored everyone else that looked at it. Its big eyes looked at the cave walls then walked towards it step by step.

    It was still a youngling but it hadn¡¯t learned how to fly yet. It couldn¡¯t hunt on its own but had a pair of sharp ws.

    Right at the cave walls, it jumped up and pped its wings while scratching the walls. Down came all the stones with its movements.

    ¡°What is it doing?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Practicing.¡± He She looked at it with warmth and respect.

    ¡°The younglings of great mountain eagles start practising soon after they¡¯re born. They practice climbing, flying and using their wings, beak and ws. Every bird goes through thousands of tries. The unskilled or timid will perish, life is cruel for them but that¡¯s how the great mountain eagles are.¡±

    He She told Shao Xuan that the young birds may break their wings while practising but the tribespeople know better than to interfere.

    It wasn¡¯t because they were cold-hearted but this was for the betterment of the great mountain eagle. If they wanted to be a qualified adult, they had to put in the effort or when they faced their first threat, they might die.

    This journey of blood, sweat and tears make them the great birds they were.

    ¡°Their life is full of challenges.¡±

    No matter how many times they fail, they must get up again!

    This was why the Hui tribe greatly admired the eagles.

    That ball of a bird looked as if it would fall at any given moment but it held onto the cave wall and slowly climbed up.

    Small stones would fall from time to time but the Hui people were already used to it. They had people that were in charge of clearing away the stones on the road.

    Every Hui tribesperson looked at the bird with admiration, despite its oblivion.

    ¡°I have a question,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been long since it was born right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The shaman walked over and continued, ¡°It broke through the shell on the coldest day of winter.

    ¡°No wonder, its feathers were so thick,¡± thought Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It is still a baby now so I assume it wasrge when it came out of the shell?¡±

    ¡°Yes, huge.¡± The shaman said with pride.

    ¡°Then how big was the bird thatid this egg?¡±

    ¡°The parent?¡± The shaman looked at Shao Xuan with a smile. ¡°Haven¡¯t you met it already?¡±

    ¡°I did?¡± Shao Xuan reached for the stone badge, ¡°It¡¯s this one?!¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Wow!

    How big was Chacha when he was born? He wasn¡¯t much bigger than a chicken egg.

    This one could easily tten a cow to death.

    Shao Xuan remembered what Gu La had told him before.

    The better the great mountain eagle, the bigger it was during birth.

    No wonder Chacha was upset, he was like a poor child meeting a kid with a trust fund.

 Chapter 611 - Monster

    <h4>Monster</h4>

    The Hui tribe was probably the ce closest to the great mountain eagles. Nowhere else in the world, one could find so many of them in a ce.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s knowledge of the eagles was just limited to what he had heard from others and his experience raising Chacha but Chacha had a different childhood from them. Over here, he would be able to understand them a bit more.

    Shao Xuan followed the shaman and chief back into the cave.

    The cave was lit up by glowing gemstones and water moon stones, there was no need for torches.

    Gu La exined why Shao Xuan was here and the two had the same reaction as him. They thought Shao Xuan was here to seek help, they didn¡¯t expect him to be passing out invitations.

    ¡°Before the winter season, our expedition team heard about the ming Horn boat and the trading point,¡± recalled the chief.

    They didn¡¯t think that the ming Horn tribe were doing well then, setting up a trading point was a rather easy task. Now they have reason to believe that this trading point was different from what they expected.

    During that time, the Hui people had thought about visiting the ming Horn tribe to send some resources. They had just moved so the winter would be tough for them. However, their messenger met the boat from the ming Horn tribe which rejected their offer and even invited them to the trading point saying they were doing well and didn¡¯t need their help. They even gave the messenger a map.

    As winter approached, the Hui tribe didn¡¯t head back.

    ¡°We were talking about ming Horn this morning. We wanted to send a team to follow the map you gave, who knew you woulde here,¡± said the shaman.

    Shao Xuan scanned the room, other than the shaman and the chief, he knew a few others here but there were some he had never seen before. From the way they spoke and acted, they were probably highly ranked leaders here.

    There was no way they expected his arrival here yet all of them were gathered in this meeting room here.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The shaman didn¡¯t expect Shao Xuan to catch on so quickly. He turned to look at He She.

    He She nodded and stayed behind to stop people from entering.

    ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The shaman brought Shao Xuan deep into the cave. There were smaller rooms throughout the ce. Some were storage areas, others were meeting rooms. Many of the doors were wooden here unlike the stone door back in his tribe. Would normal people be able to push the stone doors open?

    They stopped at one of the doors. The shaman untied the knot and pushed open the door.

    Before the chief even opened the door, Shao Xuan had a weird feeling. There wasn¡¯t anyone inside but there was something like the fire seed. It felt foreign as if it was different from normal fire seeds. The fused fire seeds of the Drumming and Rain tribe didn¡¯t feel like this too.

    The ¡°Robbers¡± and the people from the other side of the sea had this aura.

    Different tribes had different fire seeds, which radiated different auras. Some had a burning sensation like the ming Horn one while others gave a cooling sensation like the Rain or Drumming tribe fire seeds.

    But this aura inside was different, it wasn¡¯t burning hot like ming Horn or as cool as the Rain tribe¡¯s. It felt darker and gloomier.

    With a fire seed aura like that, Shao Xuan was sure he hadn¡¯t met any tribesmen like that. It was so cold and dark.

    The door was pushed open. Without the thick wooden door, the aura felt even stronger. Other than the weird feeling it gave, there was an unpleasant odour to it too.

    Shao Xuan could see the insides of the room now.

    On the floor, there was a wooden nk that was about three meters long and two meters wide. On top of it was a person lying down.

    No, to be urate it was the shape of a human. There were some obvious differences between a human and whatever that was there and Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t hear its breathing.

    A dead body?

    Shao Xuan walked up to the nk to get a closer look.

    The ¡°person¡± looked shrivelled up, like a raisin.

    Its face was deformed from theck of water. The features were less defined now with the eyes taken out.

    ¡°This is...?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the Hui tribe members.

    ¡°This is something we brought back from the desert,¡± exined the chief.

    They had eagles all year round so it was convenient for them to go to a lot of ces. They heard that something was happening in the desertst year so they sent some people there and found these peculiar ¡°people¡±.

    ¡°We lost many of our own men and could only bring back this one.¡± The chief¡¯s chest tightened when he thought about how difficult it was to capture this one.

    ¡°They don¡¯t feel pain or fear. We don¡¯t know if they are dead or alive. And they are very violent,¡± said the chief.

    Shao Xuan remembered what Yang Sui said about the desert. Maybe this was what he was referring to.

    ¡°It was like this when you brought it back?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°There were some changes but it was mostly like this. It started rotting when we brought it back. Putting it in the freezer didn¡¯t help, now it¡¯s decaying faster and faster,¡± said the chief.

    If any other ming Horn warrior came instead of Shao Xuan, they probably wouldn¡¯t have said so much.

    ¡°We tried everything but we still can¡¯t stop it.¡± Every tribe had their ways to preserve meat but it was no use. The ¡°person¡± continued to rot at an even faster speed. At this rate, soon enough, it would just be a pile of rotten meat.

    The reason why Shao Xuan thought this person¡¯s features were blurry was because it had started to rot.

    The shaman sighed, ¡°Not only that, but I also keep feeling a weird fire seed aura. It¡¯s quite faint but it is there. It has gotten even fainter since it came here.¡±

    ¡°Are they created by the Rock Hill City people?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Should be, I can¡¯t think of anyone else that would make this.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hope that they made this without the intention of using it on tribespeople,¡± said the shaman. The tribespeople always treated the ve masters as enemies. However, the ve masters had or owned many things the tribespeople wanted such as golden weapons and skills.

    ¡°Maybe they had the tribes on the other side of the sea in mind,¡± said Shao Xuan, ¡°Rock Hill City and them have a grudge against each other. I think the Rock Hill City people prepared for the disaster that struck us. Everything they did was to prepare for the disaster.¡±

    Since the Hui tribe didn¡¯t hide anything from Shao Xuan, he was also willing to share information with them. Half of the ming Horn poption came from the other side of the sea, so they had aplicated rtionship with the ve masters. Shao Xuan told them everything he knew and added in his guesses.

    There were a lot more ve masters on the other side. With the twonds closer to each other now, their first instinct was to be alert of them. Shao Xuan had heard before that the ve masters on both sides hated each other. That would be the best for the tribespeople, they wouldn¡¯t need to participate in this war.

    With such a thought, the Hui tribe people feltforted.

    Shao Xuan stayed in the Hui tribe for two days before moving on to the Tianshan tribe. He didn¡¯t face such a warm wee as he did in the Hui tribe but it was fine, he was only there to pass the invitation to them.

    After his tasks in the grass fields were done, Shao Xuan headed back home. He met some of those that wereing back from the bigger tribes on his way back.

    As Shao Xuan thought about the weird monsters in the desert and the uing banquet, the invitations that were sent out into the world.

    Many tribes heard about the banquet the ming Horn tribe was holding. To get an actual seat they would need to receive an invitation from them. Without an invitation, they would technically still be able to attend the banquet but they would be too embarrassing so the tribes spent the past few days hoping that they¡¯ll get invited by the tribe.

    In the ming River region, in a small gap between the trees on a rather in mountain, someone poked their head out from time to time to look at the sky.

    That was where the Zhi tribe was located.

    Other than the warriors standing guard and some that headed to search for food, most of the tribe members stayed in the tribe. They were a small tribe with not even a hundred members so they had to be careful. The number of times they showed themselves to the world was far lesser than the number of times they washed their faces.

    Previously, they would have skipped every event possible but now they were looking forward to an invitation.

    The trade before winter gave them a taste of how great life could be and they wanted more.

    The chief, Abuli, went on the twentieth circle around his house for the day. He sat impatiently at the door and split open a dried fruit as long as half of his arm. As it was dry, it split open rather easily. There was a dry white cotton-like thing inside.

    He took the white fluff out and rolled them together then he rubbed it on the crystal.

    Some rough edges on the crystal became smooth after some rubbing.

    This was a technique found by the ancestors of the Zhi tribe. Only the Zhi tribe knew about this technique.

    As he rubbed, Abuli heard something.

    ¡°Aiyahhahyo¡ª¡±

    The surrounding mountains made it hard to differentiate where the sound wasing from.

    Yodeling made it easier to listen through the echoes of the mountains.

    Abuli stopped rubbing the crystal and went towards the source, so did a few other tribe members too.

    Soon enough, Abuli came back smiling with an animal skin scroll in this hand. ¡°This is it! It¡¯s animal skin! Real animal skin!¡± He took a whiff of the scroll and said, ¡°Yes, this part must be near its rear.¡±

 Chapter 612 - Forward

    <h4>Forward</h4>

    Other than being very good at finding crystals, the people of the Zhi tribe were really good at knowing which part of the animal the processed animal skin was from by smelling it.

    Other people had to use other skills but they could just take a sniff and guess what was usually right seventy percent of the time.

    Abuli didn¡¯t use this method at the trading point because the skin wasrge enough to see where it was from.

    Most tribespeople liked the skin from the back of the animal as it had more sticity. The one near the animal rear was a bit tougher. Tribes that hunted a lot could differentiate the skin but tugging on it to check its sticity.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if the ming Horn people purposely picked this,¡± muttered Abuli.

    If the ming Horn craftsmen knew about it, they would just say that they cut all the skin up into equallyrge pieces without much thought.

    Although it was the skin of the animal¡¯s rear, Abuli still rolled the scroll carefully. This was the pass to head towards the ming Horn Trading Point for the big banquet. They wouldn¡¯t be able to join without this.

    Abuli swatted away the hands that reached for the scroll, yearning to take a better look. He knew that they were definitely not the only tribe that was invited. In this case, they would need to bring a gift, that was what he read in the ancestral records. When Abuli came back from the trading point, he had deliberately studied all of them.

    What gift would he bring? He had made his decision. He thought of gifting the glowing crystal in the former chief¡¯s cave.

    Soon after, Abuli brought some men over to the cave to extract the glowing column of a crystal that was as tall as a human.

    Of course, he kept the most beautiful things within his collection for themselves. He already felt the pain of giving away that crystal for free when it could have been traded for so many things.

    Although it pained him, he knew this was for the best. Their tribe was small and they interacted with a limited set of people but they still knew how they needed to act in a public setting.

    They could embarrass themselves but they shouldn¡¯t embarrass the tribe.

    With the invitation and gift ready to go, there was still one more thing left.

    ¡°Ok, so who wants to go with me?¡± Abuli looked to his surroundings.

    The crowd erupted with volunteers.

    ¡°Me!¡±

    ¡°Me, me! Look at me chief!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°My foot is the biggest! I¡¯ll go!¡±

    ¡°Bullshit, the chief¡¯s feet are the biggest! He¡¯s trying to challenge you, beat him up chief!¡±

    ¡°When did I say that? I just said my feet are the biggest excluding the chiefs¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Chief, he wants to challenge you!¡±

    The Zhi tribe were much bigger than the other tribespeople. Their feet were highly dexterous as if they were their second pair of hands. Those with bigger feet were generally much faster in climbing than those with smaller feet so they liked topare feet sizes since they were young.

    They didn¡¯t like to fight but they liked topare foot sizes. They were now showing off their foot size to get the chief¡¯s attention.

    These people don¡¯t like interacting with strangers or leaving the mountain but now they were highly interested in going to the banquet as there was a lot of food to eat there! They could eat until their stomachs split open!

    Why wouldn¡¯t they not want to go?!

    Abuli was ced in a tough position now. He thought he should bring some people other than those he usually brought along on trading expeditions.

    Abuli states on the half polished crystal and ruffles his hair, ¡°What about this!¡±

    Everyone suddenly quieted down to listen to him.

    ¡°You all, fight each other. The one who wins cane with me,¡± said Abuli as he circled them with his finger.

    The warriors that were too weak would be embarrassing for the tribe so he had to bring the strongest ones that could eat a lot. That would be how they would make the trip worth it.

    ¡°Why kind of selection method is that?!¡± Someoneined as he kicked the person next to him a momentter.

    Abuli squatted beside the crystal and observed them solemnly.

    As the Zhi tribe prepared to go to the banquet, the other tribes in the region received their invitations too.

    All the tribes that visited the trading point before winter got an invitation. Rain tribe, Drumming tribe, Pu tribe had all long gotten their invites and some other tribes that hid too well needed some extra time to be found.

    The days passed them as Shao Xuan went to further ces to send out the invites. Back at the tribe, Shao Xuan had mentioned the desert monster to the other leaders of the tribe but they decided that the most important thing they had to focus on now was the banquet that they were going to organise.

    The alcohol was already brewed but it wasn¡¯t quite up to Shao Xuan¡¯s standard. It couldn¡¯t be helped since it was made in arge batch. It was not bad for what it was, quite many ming Horn tribespeople enjoyed it.

    They had stockpiled on meat too. Since they couldn¡¯t keep meat for long, they just hung them together as they did on the other side of the sea. They kept the smaller animals alive until it was time for them to cook.

    ¡°Are we ready?¡± Shao Xuan asked Zheng Luo.

    When he was gone, the two retired chiefs, Zheng Luo and Ao, were in charge of managing the preparations. The four elders basically lived at the trading point now to save time from travelling back and forth.

    They found the golden dishes they found after they destroyed the Wanshi tribe. They had nned to melt these ¡°useless toys¡± before this but that n was dyed after the banquet.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t very useful, it still had its use for showing off.

    Gold was still very rare over here because there wasn¡¯t a core seed here. Before the desert wars, most of the people on this side of the sea hadn¡¯t seen a gold tool before. Their first exposure of it was from the ve masters that brought it along while they were fleeing the area.

    For many tribes that liked to keep themselves, this would be their first time seeing these metal items.

    Other than the rare, shiny fancy items, the whole banquet was filled with ming Horn¡¯s character.

    Shao Xuan that had made the mental preparation wasn¡¯t shocked when he walked in the trading point.

    The banquet would be held at the middle of the trading point. The trading point was shaped like a ¡°u¡± so two tall stone buildings surrounded the square.

    Tworge fangs hung on the wall, bones from beasts were boiled clean and polished but most of the beasts were kept in their original state. The bloodstains were still on each of them. If the boiling process cleaned them of the blood they would paint back on. The blood painted on was so natural looking at one wouldn¡¯t be able to tell that it was painted on. In one look, it looked as if beasts were trying to bite you in the middle of a battle.

    Other hanging decorations included their recent game. They proceeded and their fur was kept but their eyeballs were reced with one made of rubber that was made by the Rain tribe. The Rain tribe had recently picked up a lot of their ancestral skills out of necessity.

    The fur on disy here was sturdier than the usual kind because they were boiled by Ao beforehand. This was to preserve the fur so that the head of the beast would be used as a decoration.

    After sorting out the beast¡¯s head, the warrior in charge mentioned that he identally pierced himself with a whisker he ced back onto the head. If the ming Horn skin wasn¡¯t as thick, he would have bled.

    Skeletons were also up for disy on the walls. They were all personally arranged by Zheng Luo as the beasts were in by him too.

    The skeleton structures all gave off a chilling vibe that showed how great the hunters of the ming Horn tribe were.

    The beast¡¯s aura was still in the bones so one could still feel the lingering aura from them.

    If someone from the current era stepped into the square, they would be scared shitless.

    Shao Xuan helped with the remaining decorating details. As the ming Horn tribe prepared, each tribe that was invited also got a team ready to head towards the ming Horn Trading Point using the simple yet useful map they were given.

    ¡°Chief, how capable are the ming Horns? They just experienced a disaster not too long ago but they started a trading point already? Why haven¡¯t we heard of it?¡± asked Qu Ce has he held the invitation scroll.

    The leader of the Mang tribe spared him a nce but didn¡¯t say anything. He was curious as to how ming Horn settled down so quickly.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably nothing? Definitely not as grand as our trading point,¡± said someone from the Eight Limbs tribe.

    The Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe were travelling together after receiving the invitation.

    ming River Trading Point? ming River? Where was that?

 Chapter 613 - They Are Bitter When Flaming Horn Is Doing Well

    <h4>They Are Bitter When ming Horn Is Doing Well</h4>

    Other than the Mang and Eight Limbs tribe, the other tribes on the maind had departed on their journey too.

    The experienced tribes knew that banquets existed just topare and show off with other tribes. No conversation withoutpetition didn¡¯t exist. Physical strength wasn¡¯t the only topic- their clothes, essories and tools were all items ofparison.

    Each tribe had its own distinguishing feature. So animal skins and soft silks weren¡¯t the only types of cloth there, for example, the Mang tribe preferred clothes made from nts that had a simr colour to bamboo. Their essories were either made from bamboo or jade that distinguished their social status.

    Seeing that the Mang warriors all had jade pendants at their waists meant that all of them here were high or mid-tier totemic warriors.

    The Mang tribe was famous for producing a lot of jade. Outsiders liked to make essories with intricate patterns on their jade but the Mang tribespeople kept it simple. The jade they wore had stripes like bamboo and were very clear. This kind of jade was called Mang Jade as it was something only owned by the people of the Mang tribe. Even if someone from another tribe got the jade somehow, they wouldn¡¯t dare wear it out as the Mang tribe would never allow it.

    The Eight Limbs tribe wore their famous silk. For this asion specifically, they took out the clothes they usually kept for special events so they looked extra dashing.

    The Mang travelled on horses but they had some weirder beasts travelling with them that had fully brown, ck or white coats of fur. If Shao Xuan had seen them, he would be shocked to see the few leaders of the Mang tribes travelling on something like a panda!

    The Eight Limbs tribe mostly rode on spiders. They came in all shapes and sizes. Some had long fur, some short, some had thick legs some had thinner ones, even the number of eyes on each spider was different.

    These two tribes were already eye-catching by themselves but as they travelled together they got the attention of everyone they passed by. Everyone was curious as to where they were headed. They don¡¯t seem like they¡¯re about to join a fight, so where are they going?

    Some couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity and tailed them to find some answers. They kept their distance as they were afraid of getting caught by the two tribes.

    It was quite a journey from the central region to the ming River. More and more people got curious about the team so more people started to follow them.

    The two tribes were well aware of that but they didn¡¯t want to waste their energy on them. They also wanted more people to go take a look at the ming Horn tribe as it would help them spread the word if the tribe really wasn¡¯t up to their expectations.

    In most people¡¯s opinion, the central region was the most morous one. The trading points there were the busiest with the most goods. Many travelled thousands of kilometres to trade there.

    If they could prove that the ming River Trading Point was nothing but a scrappy marketce, no matter how hard they marketed itter on, nobody would want to go there.

    The two tribes met the Longboat tribe on their way there. However, they were travelling on their boats so the two teams only travelled together for a short while.

    ¡°Can the ming Horn Trading Point be essed by boat?¡± Someone from the Mang tribe asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it called ming River Trading Point? It would be weird if they didn¡¯t allow boats,¡± said Huang Ye with a raised eyebrow.

    He didn¡¯t believe that the ming Horn tribespeople were able to pick themselves up so quickly. Even if they had a trading point, it would not be anywhere near the trading points they had in the central region.

    ¡°Could they have emptied their houses for this?¡± mocked someone.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to bother about that. That¡¯s their problem, we just need to eat, drink and enjoy,¡± replied someone.

    As they walked further from the central region, the fewer people they saw. Thend here was infertile as they were far from the river so it wasn¡¯t ideal to farm here. It was even hard toe by a tree that was thick and strong. That was probably why no tribes were located here.

    Deste!

    This was the word echoing in everyone¡¯s minds as they walked through the area.

    At that moment, the Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe were so d their ancestors were able to snatch up the bestnd in the region.

    However, soon enough, the terrain didn¡¯t have much difference but thendform did. The forest started to get denser. Even with some distance from the river, the trees here looked green and luscious.

    There were some traces of human activities here that probably belong to some small tribe that hid in the mountains.

    ¡°This area actually doesn¡¯t seem that bad?¡± Qu Ce plucked a leaf from the tree and saw that it was moist.

    The soil here may not be fertile but it was much better than the soil they saw before. They could nt crops here.

    The others didn¡¯t agree. In their eyes, this was far from the farnds in their tribes.

    ¡°Chief, there are people up the mountain. They¡¯ve followed us for some time already, should I check them out?¡± Huang Ye asked the chief of the Mang tribe.

    ¡°No need for that.¡± The chiefzily lifted his arm. He didn¡¯t care about the smaller tribes here, they posed no threat to them.

    In the same forest, Abuli and his team were shocked to see the team crossing through the valley.

    ¡°Wh- who are THEY?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°How would I know?!¡± Abuli crankily tugged his animal skin shirt and wiped the sweat of this forehead.

    Abuli had spent two days picking clothes to wear for the asion. In the end, he picked the beast skin he had traded with the ming Horn tribespeople and asked his wife to make it into clothes for him. This was the best material they had in the Zhi tribe.

    The sewing process was rather tough so his wife had asked some friends to help with the task. The group from the Zhi tribe consisted of Abuli and his wife, the shaman and three others who also wore beast skin clothes.

    However, he was wearing beast fur, instead of just shiny or short-haired leather. This made it very hot in the current weather but Abuli thought this was the only attire appropriate for the asion.

    At first, Abuli wanted to wear beast skin to the banquet as he was sure many tribes had never seen fearsome beast hide before.

    Who would have guessed that they would meet that expensive-looking team of warriors headed in the same direction? Their aura and equipment were in a different leaguepared to the Zhi tribe.

    Were these the legendary people from powerful tribes within the central region?

    The Zhi tribe really hadn¡¯t seen much of the world.

    After feeling somewhat defeated, Abuli took out some crystal nes and wore it all around his neck. He¡¯d prepared these as gifts but right now, he needed to look like a rich man.

    ¡°Ah, this is much better.¡± Abuli felt a confidence boost with the nes.

    The Mang tribe and Eight Limb tribe had their suspicions grow towards the people following them as time passed.

    As night fell, the group found a ce to rest.

    Beside the fire, the chief of the Mang tribe drew out the map again and drew the shape of the two moons. Hepared the two moons he drew to the two up in the sky.

    It was nearly the same.

    ¡°We should make it on time.¡± That was the conclusion he made.

    ¡°Yes, we should arrive tomorrow,¡± said Huang Ye.

    The ce terrain they were at showed that they were very close to the trading point.

    ¡°What food do you think they prepared? Did they just prepare a bunch of meat? ¡° Qu Ce looked at the meat roasting on the fire and was feeling hungry.

    ¡°Who knows?¡± An Eight Limb warrior yawned. He was starting to regreting here. The journey was long and who knows what kind of weird food those savages would serve.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think so much, you¡¯ll find out tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense.¡±

    Soon, the only sounds heard were the fire crackling and the snores of the beasts.

    The next day, just as they predicted they reached a road with a sign that said ¡°ming River Trading Point¡± on it by noon.

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re here,¡± said Qu Ce.

    ¡°Continue forward,¡± The chief pointed in a direction.

    The people around the area were probably ming Horn tribespeople.

    The road here was made well, it was stable even when the beasts walked on it.

    Suddenly one of the warriors shouted.

    ¡°Look, what is that?!¡±

    The group looked at where he was pointing. There stood a tall stone building that exceeded the height of the forest.

    Soon they saw therge wall surrounding the area.

    They saw a fair share of great walls but this one was filled with paintings which surprised the group.

    It wasn¡¯t because the paintings were horrific, the art style was just visually stimting.

    It was an explosion of colours in the middle of the green forest.

    The wall here was smooth unlike the other walls in other parts of the world, making it the perfect canvas for paintings.

    The painting depicted many people, preserving the values of the people living here. Most of the tribes had a simr characteristic, drawing humans in an abstract manner. This was very prominent here.

    As people ofrger tribes withrger world views, the Mang and Eight Limb tribes weren¡¯t easily impressed by artwork yet this painting surprised them..

    The people held all sorts of tools, many they could recognise but some they had never seen before.

    The patterns added a certain vour to the painting which made the t paintinge to life. The lines had obvious differences in their thickness which added character to every single detail. There were a lot of gold essories in the painting and the nts were painted in gold and purple.

    The roughness of the painting may not be up to the taste of some tribes but here it showcased the wild character of the people in the tribe. There was wildness and beauty in the dots, lines and colours.

    There were quite a few paintings there. A few showed the fire seed undergoing some sort of transformation.

    There were paintings of the beasts too. Many of which the two tribes didn¡¯t recognise. This had a different art style as the ming Horn tribespeople used their ancient way of drawing for this painting.

    These paintings were mostly done by Shao Xuan. Of course, Shao Xuan could have done more to each of the paintings but the deadline didn¡¯t allow it. The people here liked the ancient way of drawing here so he mostly stuck to that way and added some of his ir to the paintings. Anything more would be too much of a difference for the people to appreciate.

    Just as Shao Xuan expected, the ming Horn tribespeople were very pleased with his drawing.

    The tribes that arrived these few days all stopped to look at the paintings when they passed by. This included the Mang and Eight Limbs tribe.

    ¡°What tree is that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°What about this one?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen it before.¡±

    ¡°That one... Wait, I know that one. They found that crop, what is it called?¡±

    ¡°Cabbage?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s it, cabbage! We saw ming Horn nting them when we went into the forestst winter!¡±

    The group pointed and discussed the painting.

    As the group moved forward, they were greeted with the huge stone buildings which left them with mixed feelings.

    This is the newnd ming Horn found to live on?

    This is the ¡°ming River Trading Point¡±?

    This was... way out of their expectations.

    What was that saying again?

    ¡®I¡¯m most at ease when you¡¯re struggling.¡¯

    By the same logic, they were bitter when ming Horn was doing well.

    If they could build something like this, how bad could their life be?

 Chapter 614 - Flaming River Castle

    <h4>ming River Castle</h4>

    Inside the ming River Trading Point, the ming Horn warriors who were assigned to the task of weing the other tribes checked their invitation cards first before leading them to their assigned spots where they would first rest.

    Shao Xuan had already told them about the location each tribe was assigned to in the trading point. Even if they could not remember it, they were at least able to tell roughly which direction each tribe should go. When they reached the location, the tribes would see a sign that would lead them to their assigned location.

    Today was Kun Tu¡¯s turn to perform this task. When the Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe arrived, Kun Tu made a rough estimate on how many people there were and led them into the trading area.

    Recently, due to the increase in the number of tribes that came, the number of guards also increased. If people who weren¡¯t invited or led into the trading area tried to barge in, they would immediately be attacked by the guards in the area. The ming Horn tribe would not show mercy under such circumstances.

    Even before the people from the Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe entered the trading area, they could clearly hear the sounds made by the people inside and smell the food that they were cooking inside. Before this group arrived, many others who were invited had already arrived.

    If they walked further in from the gate of the trading point, they could see two stone trays on the side of the road full of roasted food.

    When the people from the Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe passed by here, there were people moving food onto the stone trays. The freshly roasted food was steaming hot and the smell drifted towards the teams that came by.

    ¡°Anything served on trays in the trading point is free to be enjoyed, you can take as much as you like,¡± Kun Tu introduced them.

    The people from the Mang and Eight Limbs tribe hesitated. After they spent so much time rushing here, they didn¡¯t get to enjoy any meals on the way. Now that they smelled the delicious food, they were hungry. The food they had in the morning before they had departed was already long digested. They could even hear their stomachs growling with hunger.

    If the food on the trays were something different, they would have eaten it. But now, the food that was disyed on the trays were all insects!

    This was not because they never ate these, but rather, they had considered themselves broken away from their primitive barbaric state. Unless they were on long-distance expeditions or under circumstances where they had no other choice, they were very particr about their food, so they rarely encountered bugs on their dining table, especially those in higher ranks. Their food would always go through a lot of processing before it arrived at their te. They couldn¡¯t believe the first thing they saw here was arge te of grilled insects.

    Even though they were mentally prepared before they arrived, when they actually encountered such a situation, they felt extremely disturbed.

    If this was really the main dish of the feast, then they would only say ¡°Haha¡± to the ming Horn tribespeople and leave right away, not even staying for another moment because it was not worth their time.

    We didn¡¯te here from miles away to just eat bugs with you!

    Those bugs were grilled to a toasty-red colour. Some mysterious fragrant substance was sprinkled on top of those bugs. Those were bugs too! They were even longer than half an arms-length!

    Qu Ce looked at the pile of grilled insects on the tray and thought that he should grab one to taste if he passed by. After all, they came all the way here to the ming Horn tribe. They should try something new or else it would be a waste to havee all the way here.

    A few young men who followed Qu Ce also grabbed a few insects from the tray. Only the person who was leading their team hesitated and didn¡¯t touch it at all. His face was stern and he seemed unmoved by the food in front of him.

    Not long after the Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe arrived, the people from the Zhi tribe came over slowly. Although they remained as vignt as before, they appeared much calmer.

    The guard at the gate also recognised Abuli and the others, but he still checked his invitation card before leading him into the trading area.

    The sparkling crystal nes disyed on Abuli¡¯s neck were indeed very eye-catching. People who saw it looked over a couple more times.

    Feeling the gaze from all around him, Abuli moved his neck unnaturally and straightened his back. So this is what it feels like to be the centre of everyone¡¯s attention. It feels pretty cool.

    As they passed by the tworge trays, the people from the Zhi tribe who were still restrained

    Looked over as if their eyes were glued onto the trays.

    What more should they care about if there was stuff to eat? Food was the most important matter.

    To them, having food to eat was a good thing. It didn¡¯t matter whether the food was of a different type or taste. Those came after. For people who were hungry most of the year, how could they care more about these particrs?

    They belonged to a tribe that alwayscked food, and hunger was already a norm in their tribe. The people from the Zhi tribe didn¡¯t feel at all disturbed by the insects. In their tribe, it wasmon for them to eat insects raw, of course they¡¯d be fine with eating these roasted ones.

    Time to eat!

    Abuli was the first to grab a handful of those insects from the tray. Those who followed behind him also rushed over and their hands all reached for the tray.

    In addition to their food craving, the Zhi tribe was also very curious about those roasted insects on therge tray. They had never seen those insects, not even one. The one that Abuli was holding in his hands was as long as his arm, with spiky limbs and a hideous face. Although its sharp open jaws were burnt, it did not appear any less terrifying as when it was alive.

    But this did not affect Abuli¡¯s appetite. After the insect¡¯s strong hindlegs were pulled apart, its juicy flesh could be sucked out.

    Abuli was not sure whether he was overthinking, but he felt that the meat from these insects tasted a lot better than any insects they caught in the mountains and forests before. A wave of warmth flowed within him, relieving all the tiredness he felt. This was better than what they usually had but still could notpare to the meat of fearsome beasts.

    ¡°Delicious!¡± It even smelled good.

    After their first bite, the people from the Zhi tribe went over for seconds. After filling both their hands with these insects, they filled more into the spaces between their elbows.

    Abuli continued to chew on the insects as the ming Horn warrior led the way. In his heart, he calcted how much insects he could trade for with the ming Horn tribe after the feast was over. Insects were cheaper than fierce beasts. He could probably trade a crystal the same size for a lot of insects.

    The ming Horn tribespeople were not stingy with these insects. They were all over their farms so the insects were swatted down by the guards with giant fly swatters. The warm spring and blooming flowers was a symbol of nature¡¯s recovery, and the growing crops in the farms attracted more flying insects than before. Especially recently because the better the crops grew, the more flies they attracted. Every day, the insects swatted by the warriors were arranged into piles, the green ducks had also grown fatter because of them. Recently the ducks had even begun toy eggs.

    The ming Horn tribespeople had also eaten these insects, and they felt that these insects could be easily obtained, so having arge supply of these insects wouldn¡¯t make them lose any face. This was how these insects came to be here. Shao Xuan also joked about it, saying, ¡°This can also be considered a seasonal dish.¡±

    After he finished eating an insect, Abuli looked around and noticed that there was a huge difference in the trading pointpared to thest time he came. Most of the wooden architecture had been reced with stone ones. They looked sturdier and taller, and many houses were even painted with colour. The stone te beside the road was even carved into the shape of a ferocious beast. Just by being there, it added a little more fierceness to the entire ce.

    The spot the Zhi tribe was assigned to was close to other smaller tribes in the ming River region. They were farther away from the centre of the trading point. Even if they were assigned to a spot closer to the centre of the trading point, they wouldn¡¯t be willing to go there. All the tribes there were powerful andrge. Just sitting there would make them feel ufortable. The aura there would make them feel suppressed, as if by the power of a fire seed. It would make them unable to sit peacefully. The ming Horn tribe¡¯s arrangement was just what they wanted.

    ¡°Umm, when can we start the feast..no...when does the banquet start? It¡¯s already time,¡± Abuli pointed at the two crescents drawn on his invitation card and asked the ming Horn warrior who led them to where they were.

    ¡°Either tomorrow or the day after because some teams from other tribes are not here yet. Our shaman and the chief said to wait. We will notify everyone when the timees,¡± the ming Horn warrior said.

    ¡°That¡¯s a long time more,¡± Abuli resented those tribes that were not punctual, but after realising that he did not need to worry about food here, his unhappiness disappeared. After he thought for a while, he pointed around him and asked, ¡°Is this where the banquet is going to be held?¡±

    ¡°Of course not,¡± the ming Horn warrior smirked and pointed to the centre of the trading point. ¡°The banquet is going to be held at the ming River Castle.¡±

    Abu Li looked over where the warrior pointed from the depths of the window. The tall stone building they saw outside the trading point should be the so-called ¡°ming River Castle.¡± Last winter, the building was still under construction, but now, it stood there in itsplete form.

    After estimating the size of the ming River Castle, Abuli noticed that it was about the size of the entire Zhi tribe¡¯s grounds! He was too nervous thest time they came so he didn¡¯t bother to take a closer look. He only realised now after he looked closer.

    On the highest floor of the ming River Castle, a giant g with the totem sign of two fiery horns waved in the wind.

 Chapter 615 - Beast Fang Gate

    Chapter 615

    Beast Fang Gate

    The banquet did not keep its guests waiting for too long. Because they could notmunicate with those who were invited but still absent, there was no way they could know if those people were reluctant toe or if something had happened to them on their way here.

    The banquet would not be dyed because of these issues. It wasn¡¯t because the ming Horn tribe cared about other people¡¯sints, but they were also not willing to take all the me. So many people came for this asion, and in order to organize a sessful banquet, a lot of food in the trading point was made free. Thus, the amount of food consumed each day was huge.

    The ming Horns wanted to hold a banquet simr to a grand feast just to show off their wealth. They weren¡¯t like those overconfident people who didn¡¯t even have the wealth but still desperately wanted to hold a grand feast. Those people would only end up impoverished.

    Therefore, they notified everyone about the specific time and location for the banquet the next day.

    The boat team from the Longboat tribe finally arrived on the day before the banquet. They had encountered some problems on their way. There were some obstructions in the river so they arrivedter than expected. The good thing was they made it in time.

    The five major tribes from the central region as well as the Lu tribe that had a decent rtionship with them before were all here.

    Because the Longboat tribe arrivedte at night, they could not see many things in the trading point clearly. It was not until the next day when they walked out of the houses the ming Horn tribe had prepared for them that they saw their surroundings and took a deep breath.

    ¡°This... this is a trading point?!¡±

    Aren¡¯t trading points just set in designated ces where people could just disy what they wanted to trade? Why were there so many buildings? And this was not even the ming Horn headquarters?

    The people from the Longboat tribe had already seen the ming River Castle the previous night. It was the one building that was located in the centre of the trading point, towering over all the other buildings. They just didn¡¯t see the castle in its entirety because they didn¡¯t get close enough the night before.

    When they thought about the things their tribe did to the ming Horn tribe during the migration from the previous disaster, some of them felt regretful. Back then, they should have taken the initiative to help the ming Horn tribe instead of taking advantage of the situation and urging for negotiations. They never thought that the ming Horn tribe could develop so fast after enduring such a disaster and migration.

    It hadn¡¯t even been long since that time!

    ¡°Stop looking, let¡¯s get ready to leave,¡± a member of the Longboat tribe called the others who were standing outside back into the house. The banquet the ming Horn tribe was holding was today. They should be getting ready to leave.

    In the custom of most tribes, banquets were usually held in broad daylight and not at night. There were too many uncertain factors they had to consider at night, so they would prefer to avoid the night time. The ming Horn tribe¡¯s banquet this time also took into consideration the customs of most tribes, so it began in the morning.

    When they received a signal from the ming Horn tribe telling them it was okay to move forward, they packed their things and headed for the ming River Castle in the center of the trading point.

    Many people came from each tribe, but not all of them would enter the ming River Castle. Even if the ming Horn tribe wanted it to be arranged that way, the other tribes might not necessarily agree. After all, they didn¡¯t fully trust the ming Horn tribe. It was always safer to keep their guards up.

    They sent a group of people in, and kept another group outside to keep watch. Actually, there were also people outside the trading area waiting for signals. If there were any changes outside the trading area, they would send out a signal.

    Teams came out from their houses one after another. Even if they met any familiar faces on the way, or anyone who had bad history with them, no one cared enough to talk at this time. Rather, all of them looked thoughtfully at the direction of the ming River Castle, wondering what might happen next.

    There were a few entrances into the trading point, but only one gate into the ming River Castle.

    All the tribes that were invited had to enter through the same gate into the Castle.

    The gate of the ming River Castle was arge rectangr space that was wider horizontally and about twenty meters high. Even Chacha could easily enter from this gate.

    Above the entrance was a giant stone carving of two horns simr to the totem of the ming Horn tribe.

    At each of the four corners of the entrance was a giant cone-shaped fang, far bigger than the ones Shao Xuan had gifted the Feng tribe. If all the fangs were aligned, their lengthsbined would far exceed the height of the gate.

    The pair of fangs at the bottom slightly protruded outwards, so the fangs from the top and bottom didn¡¯te into contact. This solved the problem of the beast fang being too long, andbined it made the design more three-dimensional than before. This entrance was like the mouth of a giant beast, waiting for the guests to walk in.

    As the sunlight shone down on this entrance, the dazzling reflection from these four sharp fangs struck terror to the hearts of those who saw it. It made them feel as if the four fangs would snap shut anytime, biting and crushing down on them.

    Although a few of the people who belonged to the major tribes were shocked, they had seen enough of the world and encountered giant beasts. Even though the beasts they had seen before could notpare at all to the four fangsid in front of them, their past experience enabled them to maintain theirposure, so they seemed calm at least on the surface.

    But those people from smaller tribes who had never even encountered giant beasts trembled and gave out cowering cries.

    ¡°Goodness! Are those fangs? Real fangs?¡±

    ¡°...Yes they¡¯re real, I just went over to touch it. I swear on my totem, that is definitely real,¡± the person who spoke mumbled on, his body shivering from the peculiar chill around him. It was as if the murderous intent from the beast fang was still stuck on his hands and couldn¡¯t be shaken off.

    ¡°How did they get such a huge fang?¡±

    ¡°If I came across such a giant beast, I would¡¯ve run away instantly.¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll have to see if you could even run. You might already be crushed or scared to death by the beast before you tried running.¡±

    ¡°.......¡±

    When Abuli walked in with his tribespeople and saw these fangs, his craving for food suddenly disappeared and his two giant feet bumped into each other. He almost fell over, but luckily he covered quickly and didn¡¯t lose his dignity here.

    The tribes who lived by the ming River region had probably seen those giant river beasts from the past, but they were far away so they couldn¡¯t be seen clearly and these tribes didn¡¯t have a deep impression of these beasts. Plus, those beasts had never interfered with their lives. However, these beasts that the ming Horn tribe took out were real behemoths that lived onnd! They stalked the mountains and forests for real prey!

    If these giant beasts indeed existed here, what should they do? Well, luckily they had the ming Horn tribe. If they were able to get these four fangs, they could probably defeat those giant beasts, right?

    At this moment, those who disliked the ming Horn tribe¡¯s existence rejoiced and felt fortunate for their existence. They could not stop the river from disappearing. They could not change anything about the river bank encroachment, and the fierce beasts from the forest opposite of them could attack anytime. They were afraid but they had no intention to wage war. But with the ming Horn tribe here, perhaps they were safer?

    The ming Horn tribe¡¯s headquarters was even located on the other side of the river, closely in contact with the forest where the fierce beasts resided. As the saying went: if the sky falls, there is a taller person holding it up. If the fierce beasts were to cross the river and charge at them, with the ming Horn tribe here, why should they still worry?

    Although in shock, they let out a long sigh of relief. Small tribes who lived in the cracks of the world could always find a reason tofort themselves.

    The ming Horn warriors who guarded the gate of the ming River Castle observed every person who walked by and saw their reactions. Even the people from the major tribes, no matter how hard they tried to act strong, the guards could feel their unstable emotions even if it was just an instant. As they thought about these, the corners of their mouth arched upward uncontrobly. But they still had to keep guard, so they had to maintain their stern posture, or else they would haveughed out loud.

    These fourrge fangs were the sess of the ming Horn tribe¡¯s hunting team. There was no way one or two people or even a few could hunt down such a giant beast. In order to find these fangs to decorate their facade, even Shao Xuan, Ao, and Zheng Luo who had already stepped down from their leadership position, joined the hunt.

    And now it seemed, it made quite an impression. It was worth all the time and effort they spent waiting,ying traps, surrounding the beast, and finally hunting it down.

    In the ming River Castle, besides the most attractive fangs at the giant beast fang gate, some people also noticed the surrounding walls.

    Here, the giant stones used to build these gates and walls all underwent an intricate process of carving and polishing. Even if other tribes wanted to make these, they would need to spend a lot more timepared to the ming Horns. How they wished to have the ming Horn¡¯s strength! Too bad it wasn¡¯t the case.

    In fact, in many people¡¯s eyes, the impression they had about the ming Horn tribe was that they were strong wild barbarians, but now, after observing theyout and architecture of the trading point, they realized that perhaps the ming Horn tribe were not just strong. They couldn¡¯t have achieved this with mere strength.

    The beast fang gate had already left a deep first impression in those who came. In the future, if these people ever encountered any other fierce beasts, they would probably not consider their fangs huge anymore because they had seen these fangs.

    After these people entered the gate, they were shocked once again even before the shock from the beast fangs from before had dissipated.

    After they entered the huge gate, a straight path led them to the meeting ce where the banquet was held. And atop the walls that lined both sides of the path were rows ofplete skeletons of giant beasts!

    Above the whitish-grey stone walls, the forms of giant beasts were reconstructed from individual bones. Even without their skin, the beasts¡¯ bones could still maintain their original structure with an unyielding strength. Theplete skeletons perfectly portrayed the giant beasts as they were when they were alive in the forest. The life force that was still lingering onto the bones of the beasts gave out a murderous intent that chilled those who passed by.

    Abuli felt his legs trembling uncontrobly again. Although he was wearing a thick fur coat on a warm day like this and was sweating a lot from his head, he suddenly felt that no matter how thick the fur, it could not protect him from the dead-cold energy of the beast bones. Even his hairs stood on their ends when he saw them.

    Many of these people heard about the dangers of the ferocious giant beasts on the other side of the river, but had nevere across one themselves. Now, the decorations in the ming River Castle was their first encounter with these beasts and gave them an initial understanding.

    The beast meat and hides that they traded before had all been chopped and cut up. They were not good representations of the beasts¡¯ original magnificence. Now, they finally had a first-hand experience walking amongst the giant beasts.

    The remains of an animal, like the teeth, bones, and horns weremon things tribes woulde into contact with. Animals provided the tribal people with food, while the remains of their body were made into tools or decorations. Then, they would be sold, traded for other goods, and used to maximise the utility of resources.

    But now, as theypared the meat they had and the horns, fangs, and bones left over from the animals they hunted before to what wasid out in front of them now, these seemed to belong to two different worlds. They had never seen a tribe with such huge and fierce decorations!

    Although they were both horns, one belonged to a typical wild cow, and the other belonged to a giant forest beast a few times bigger than normal humans. How could these two bepared?

    Many tribes in the ming River region that were invited initially didn¡¯t care much about these decorations and wanted to leave as soon as the banquet was over, but now they couldn¡¯t help but stay vignt because if a tribe like this were to go crazy, they couldn¡¯t be sure they wouldn¡¯t be used as practice targets. In the future, they¡¯d better not provoke the ming Horn tribe.

    Although the grey architecture, white beast bones, dark beast horns, and the beast fang gate and wallscked the exquisite elegance of the ve masters on the other side of the sea, it expressed an open wildness unique to the tribal people of this continent.

 Chapter 616 - Let The Banquet Begin!

    <h4>Let The Banquet Begin!</h4>

    The straight path led the crowd to a wide open-air venue.

    There were twenty-four tribes that came that day, and each tribe brought around fifty to a hundred people. The total number of people was around a thousand and eight. Including the people from the ming Horn tribe, there were over two thousand people in the arena. There would still be many seats left empty even after everyone had taken their seat, and even if the entire ming Horn tribe were toe over, they would still have space to move freely.

    A circle of tall stone houses were built around the venue, and above the walls of those houses were the same skeletal structures they had seen outside disying the forms of various beasts. These structures¡¯ intimidating aura filled the entire atmosphere.

    The structure that was directly facing the direction of the Beast Gate of the ming River Castle was the highest building in the entire castle, the ming River Tower.

    Seven massive chairs made from beast bones wereid out on the emptynd in front of the ming River Tower. The bones that were used to make these chairs came from the same beast that provided the fangs for the gate. The white beast bones underwent a carving process that transformed it into chairs with stylistic lines. Thickyers of beast hides acted as cushions for the chairs. V-shaped lines were marked on the beast hide, and the people who sat on the chairs would fit perfectly in the center of the V-shape.

    These seats belonged to the chiefs, shamans, and elders of the ming Horn tribe.

    The seven chairs were lined up in a row, and the centre-most seat belonged to the current chief, Gui He. As the Grand Elder, Shao Xuan¡¯s seat was ced right beside Gui He, and on Gui He¡¯s other side was Gui Ze.

    It was the first time such a grand feast was held, and it was inevitable for Gui Ze to feel a little nervous in front of so many other tribespeople, but in order to keep his dignity, Gui Ze maintained a calm expression with a slight smile and looked as lighthearted as the clouds in the wind. Hisposure was simr to the shaman back in the old days. No matter what he was on his mind, he had to act as strong as he could so others wouldn¡¯t notice his ws. He had to be more careful especially in front of all the other tribes.

    When all the people arrived and entered the arena, Gui He stood up and took two steps forward. His sturdy muscr arms were exposed and he took a few firm steps. With each step he took, he disyed an apparent fierceness. As the current chief of the ming Horn tribe, he had to show the necessary attributes of a leader.

    ¡°Today is the first grand banquet hosted in the ming River Trading Point by us, the ming Horn tribe, and it is the mark of a new beginning! After today, the ming River Trading Point will officially open, so all tribes in the ming River region, as well as the expedition teams from other tribes, are weed to trade here. Our trading point has the best beast hide, the best fearsome beast meat, and sometimes we might even have some precious herbs. If any of you would like toe here and trade for the long term, feel free to talk with us after the banquet. Elder Zheng Luo will be the one in charge of the trading point.¡±

    Zheng Luo, who was sitting on his elder¡¯s seat, stood up and his eyes scanned through the crowd as he spoke, ¡°My name is Zheng Luo, and I¡¯m the one in charge of any matters rted to the ming River Trading Point.¡±

    Those who frequently came into contact with the ming Horn tribe wondered, ¡°When did the ming Horn tribe appoint a new chief?¡± And those people from smaller tribes who lived in the ming River region only looked briefly at Zheng Luo, and continued to look around them again, wondering when the banquet would start. They had already noticed the delicious smell of food.

    Zheng Luo didn¡¯t mind their attitude. He knew that not all matters could be achieved merely by talking alone. He had to take action. Even if they did not care now, he knew that they would rush over to look for him after. After he showed his face to the crowd, Zheng Luo returned to his seat. The impression he wanted to leave in those people¡¯s hearts was still yet toe.

    Gui He didn¡¯t say much. He knew that these people came just to watch the excitement. Some came merely to enjoy the food and drinks. They cared none about what he said. But it was okay because there were definitely times when they actually paid attention.

    Gui He continued with a few more words introducing the ming River Trading Point, and when he received a nce from Shao Xuan, he raised his hands and pped.

    ¡°The ming River Grand Feast begins now!¡±

    Boom! Boom boom! Boom boom!

    The drums were sounded with thunderous rhythms, and the sound waves attacked the crowds, making them feel like their brains were about to explode.

    Some weaker ones disyed ufortable expressions. Their eardrums were hurting, and the stone cupsid out on the table vibrated to the sound of the drums. The friction between the cups and the stone tables gave out screeching sounds.

    Pop!

    Two exquisitely painted cups on Gui He¡¯s table shattered into several pieces.

    The cups and bowls on the tables of other people were all made from stone. None of them was pottery. They had already noticed the instant they walked in, and some even thought the ming Horn tribe were cheap. Some people believed that besides some specific cases, exquisite pottery was far more valuable than stone utensils. They could show off the tribe¡¯s talents in arts. Some even thought, ¡°How stingy! Can¡¯t believe the ming Horn tribe is this cheap!¡±

    But now, when they saw the cup on Gui He¡¯s table break, they realized why the ming Horns decided to use stone utensils rather than pottery. Pottery was too fragile and couldn¡¯t stand the vibrations made by the drums.

    Now that they thought about it, the crowd realised that it was not because the ming Horn tribe couldn¡¯t afford pottery. Rather, stone utensils were much sturdier. And if they looked closer, they could notice that the material used to make the wine vessels belonged to a middle-upper grade. Of course it didn¡¯t crack easily.

    Those with experience dealing with stone wine vessels could tell right away what grade the stones were. It was reasonable if they used stones like these to make wine cups, but the ming Horn tribe were using such a high-grade stone to make wine jugs! Besides the major tribes that everyone acknowledged, other tribes probably couldn¡¯t afford to show off like this, right?

    Gui He looked as if he didn¡¯t care at all when he waved his hands and swept away the broken pieces of the pottery. With his other hand, he set down another golden wine vessel on the table. Under the bright sunlight, the entire wine vessel gleamed as if surrounded by a golden halo.

    The material used to make these wine vessels came from the desert ve masters, but after remolding, it gained a new appearance. There was even a hideous head of a beast printed on it.

    The crowd¡¯s eyes had not yet moved away from the golden wine vessel on Gui He¡¯s table, but another aroma already floated through the air and made most of them stop caring about anything else. Eating was their priority.

    To them, if survival was summarized into one word, that was ¡°eat¡±!

    Dance? They couldn¡¯t appreciate it.

    Talk about life? They had no interest.

    If the ming Horn tribe were to hold other shows before serving their main dish, the crowd would probably hold a deep grudge. The good thing was that the ming Horn tribe was direct and straightforward!

    Abuli and others from the Zhi tribe rubbed their fists and said, ¡°It¡¯sing it¡¯sing!¡±

    Cauldrons that were over three meters tall were carried one after another into the arena. Each cauldron was carried by three ming Horn warriors, each at one foot of the cauldron. The cauldron was not empty. There was a lot of soup inside. The aroma that floated through the air came directly from the soup.

    Even though the cauldron was full of soup and was heavy, they were carried steadily and not even a drop was spilt.

    There were twenty-four tribes, and in each section of the arena where a tribe was located, a cauldron was carried over and set atop firewood. To the ve masters on the other side of the sea, cauldrons had a special symbolic meaning, but to the ming Horn tribe, they chose to use cauldrons because it was more convenient and looked nicer.

    Not long after, the already hot soup began to boil inside the cauldron, giving out bubbling sounds. The soup¡¯s aroma spread faster than before and never stopped arousing the desires of those who smelled it. It was as if they could already taste it already just by smelling.

    But no one in the twenty-four tribes touched the soup in front of them. Even though some were already staring to the point that their eyes almost dropped out and some were continuously gulping down saliva, none of them moved. They were waiting for their respective leaders to speak for their tribe on their behalf. To be able toe here representing their tribe, the people who were present were all considered elites. They wouldn¡¯t act inconsiderately even if they wanted to.

    Until a few ming Horn warriors brought outrge spoons with long handles and poured a portion into a bowl.

    Abuli gulped down his saliva and his eyes stared unmovingly at the ming Horn warrior who was holding the bowl. The other person lifted up the bowl to his mouth and drank a few sips, smacked his lips, and smiled at the group, ¡°The vour is great, perfect! You can enjoy it now.¡±

    Abuli didn¡¯t even need to say anything. The other members of the Zhi tribe had already rushed over to the cauldron and fetched the spoon from the warrior¡¯s hands. They quickly served two bowls of soup to Abuli and his wife. After all, if their chief didn¡¯t eat, none of them would dare to taste it.

    Although it seemed like the ming Horn warriors were tasting the vour, they were also proving to the other people that there was no poison in the soup and they could drink it without any worries.

    The soup in the stone cauldron was cooked with beast meat, and there was even ayer of oil on the surface. They didn¡¯t know what the ming Horn warriors put in the soup, but not only did it smell good, it was delicious! But...

    Abuli didn¡¯t care about the heat. After he finished a bowl, he came to his senses. There was no meat in the soup!

    With the spoon in hand, he looked desperately in the cauldron for a piece of meat, but there wasn¡¯t even one!

    ¡°Where¡¯s the meat?¡±

    They didn¡¯te here to drink soup! Even if the insects tasted good, it could not satisfy their desire for fierce beast meat!

    Abuli looked doubtfully towards the ming Horn tribe. The long toes on his giant feet tapped furiously on the ground. Where was the meat? He wanted to eat meat!

    At that moment, Ao, the previous chief and the hunt leader, Ta walked out from their seats in the ming Horn tribe¡¯s higher level seating area. Ao moved his arms, and said to Ta, ¡°It¡¯s time to serve the meat.¡±

 Chapter 617 - Cutting Up Meat With A Green Blade

    <h4>Cutting Up Meat With A Green de</h4>

    The floating oil bubbles on the surface of the boiling soup drifted as air bubbles rose to the surface. The captivating aroma of the meat soup no longer caught the attention of all these people.

    On purpose, Ao did not lower his voice when he said, ¡°It¡¯s time to serve the meat.¡± Who here wasn¡¯t powerful? With their hearing ability, they could naturally hear every word Ao said just now.

    As long as there¡¯s meat, everything will be fine. Those people who were mad at the ming Horn tribe for serving the soup without meat immediately sat back down and waited while they excitedly rubbed their hands. Abuli even told the others to sit farther apart from him and his wife. There was so much space here! Why sit so close?

    With more space around them, it was much more convenient for them to enjoy the meat in whatever posture they liked. When they were full, perhaps they could even try to stand up and eat more to ensure they had eaten to their full capacity!

    An even more concentrated smell of meat spread across the arena as Ao and Ta returned.

    The ming Horn warriors who walked in each were carrying a giant stone te, and on each te was an entire cooked beast. These fearsome beasts were taller than humans even if theyid t on their bellies. Now that they were cooked and set on these tes, they still looked like a giant lump of meat.

    To those tribespeople who were already used to eating cooked food, the smell of raw meat did not attract them at all. It only had a raw bloody smell and a slightly salty taste. As for those who were familiar with metal weapons, they would notice another smell. That was the smell of metal. Don¡¯t ask how they knew. Who wouldn¡¯t be overly curious when they first held a metal weapon?

    Their keen sense of smell was nowpletely focused on the cooked meat. The meat that was now served really made people hungry. That was the meat of fearsome beasts! And they could eat however much they wanted!

    But these tes of fearsome beast meat were not directly served to each tribe¡¯s seating area, but instead followed behind Ao.

    At this moment, Mao came in with a stone te two metres wide in diameter on his head. On the clean te was a spear with a green spearhead. Tonight Mao was only an errand runner. Even his father was merely a side character. The lead who was performing tonight was his grandfather, the previous chief, the current elder Ao.

    Ao spun the spear in his hands and moved it around, and then he set the spearhead on top of the burning firewood located at the head of the ming Horn VIP seating area.

    Tribespeople hadmonly acknowledged fire to have the ability to dispel diseases. This knowledge could be traced to the ancient days when their ancestors first mastered the art of starting a fire. Since then, this knowledge was passed from one generation to the next.

    Many times, unless they were using their bare hands to handle food, they would heat up the de they used to cut their food on fire.

    After he heated the de, Ao gently held the shaft and swung it in a wide circle. The spear suddenly stopped and faced upwards.

    Ao held the long spear and walked towards the left side of the ming Horn seating area. He stopped right in front of where the Longboat tribe sat, which was all the way in front.

    The seating of these major tribes were actually randomly drawn by the leaders of each team. The chief of the Longboat tribe, Mu Fa, was lucky enough to pick a seat all the way in front.

    At the time the Longboat tribe was also quite satisfied with their seat, and upon seeing that other tribes were sitting behind them, they even said proudly, ¡°So what if you guys came earlier? All of you still had to squeeze behind us!¡±

    And so, at the moment, the Longboat tribe was Ao¡¯s first target.

    When Ao was standing in front of the Loagboat tribe¡¯s seating area, the chief of the Longboat tribe Mu Fa who sat in the frontmost row looked over at him. One was the ex-chief of the ming Horn tribe. The other was the current chief of the Longboat tribe. And the two tribes also had a little bad history to begin with. With just an instant look, the two finished exchanging nces of confrontation. It was like invisible lightning. Those who sat closer to them could even hear the terrifying sound of air splitting.

    Mu Fa considered himself superior and would not act as barbaric and violent as the ming Horn tribe. So, on the surface, although he continued to smile indifferently, it was clear that he didn¡¯t want to dispute with the rude ming Horn warriors at all.

    But Ao also kept quiet. His hand waved, and the people who were carrying the tes all came over to him.

    Whoosh! Ao¡¯s hand that was holding the spear jerked. The spear in his hand was ready to attack.

    His murderous energy flushed out and spread out around him like a cold winter frost. It was not aimed directly at anyone in the arena, but those who had keen senses could feel it clearly and immediately. Especially Mu Fa, who was sitting closest to Ao.

    Trying to scare me?!

    Hmph!

    Mu Fa was shocked at that instant, but he quickly calmed down and was no longer in fright.

    He was sitting as still as a mountain, and at that moment, it seemed as if everything in front of him were merely floating clouds.

    The ming Horn tribe definitely did not intend to host this banquet to kill. So Mu Fa believed that Ao¡¯s intention was merely to scare them. Ao probably wanted to see how much of a scaredy cat they could be under the eyes of so many tribes.

    How cunning!

    Actually, Mu Fa had seriously misunderstood Ao. Ao only intended to show off his might. He was not picking on the Longboat tribe. The murderous intent that flowed out from within him just now was merely habitual. He couldn¡¯t possibly hold back his excitement at a time like that.

    Ta knew that his father was already in the zone. He only held on to the stone te on his head, tilting it from time to time to adjust its inclination, and this simple action synergised perfectly with his father¡¯s performance.

    As an ex-chief, Ao¡¯s aura was undoubtedly far more powerful than most people.

    His spear was like the sharp ws of a hunting beast. The sharpened spearhead carried a sharp whistling sound as if it was ready to break apart any other force that stood in its way. It attacked directly at the cooked beast on the stone te!

    Whoosh!

    The impact gave out a gentle sound, too gentle! It did not sound at all like a spear piercing through thick beast meat. Following this sound, Ao lifted his foot and took a big step forward. His hands held the shaft with much control and swept to the side!

    A chunk of meat the size of a grinding disk flew out from the stone te. The oily piece of meat gave out a glimmer of golden light as sunlight reflected off from it. It thennded on another te that was ced earlier on the other side.

    Poof! Poof! Poof!

    The unresting spear continued to pierce in and out of the meat, and it continued to move faster than before. Ao¡¯s figure had also be more subtle. He was there in one moment, but there was only a shadow left in the next.

    As the spear continued to pierce into the meat, chunks of unevenly sized meat fell from the original te andnded on the new stone te. The meat chunks piled up neatly on the new te.

    Seeing this scene, the people who were present all took in a deep breath, wondering if they were hallucinating. They felt like he was not even cutting the meat at all. All they saw was a hunter attacking his prey with a spear.

    It was merely cutting meat, was it even necessary to unleash such a strong murderous energy? The good thing was, this murderous energy waspletely focused on the cooked meat on the stone tes.

    And it was also lucky that the ming Horn tribe chose to cut up a cooked beast instead of killing one alive on the spot. Although some people enjoyed seeing the beast ughtered on the spot, not all tribes preferred it.

    In fact, when the ming Horn tribe was discussing this matter, they had also considered ughtering the animal on the spot, butter they thought, ¡°Why reveal our killing technique to everyone? We just need to show off our skills. It was unnecessary for us to reveal our secrets.¡±

    Yes indeed. The ming Horn tribe were merely showing off their skills. This was not the technique they used to hunt. They would only reveal all their hunting techniques if they were out of their minds. There were many tribes present who were also skilled. If they end up learning all of their techniques, it would be toote even if they wanted to cry. All of those techniques were umted from generations of experience. They mastered their techniques through uncountable hunts and real battles with fierce beasts. Why show it to other people?

    Tribespeople were extremely sensitive to protecting the secrets to their techniques.

    If the beast in front of them was still alive, they would definitely not be able to kill it without using their usual techniques. But cooked meat was different. They didn¡¯t need to show their true techniques. All they needed to do was show off fancy moves. These were merely games they had yed before, and this time was just another round of the same game.

    In front of the Longboat tribe seating area, Ao¡¯s skillful performance continued to grow fancier, his movements swifter, and his momentum grew much stronger than before.

    Even those who were farther away felt his murderous intent, not to mention the people of the Longboat tribe who were sitting that close.

    The faces of the Longboat tribesmen couldn¡¯t stop twitching. Even if Ao¡¯s murderous energy was not targeted at them, the momentuming from him could not prevent any murderous energy from spreading. They felt shivers go down their spine, and goosebumps began to spread across their skin.

    Some people wanted to avert their attention and not be affected by Ao¡¯s movements, but when they set their eyes on the other te, they realised that the chunks of meat that were sliced out from the other te were allplete chunks of muscle!

    Broad andplete muscles of the animal were sliced out one after another. Even the tightest type of muscles and the circr types of muscles that were the hardest to cut out were sliced out clean off the bones. He ensured that each muscle was cut out as aplete piece.

    Seeing this, the people¡¯s faces twitched even more severely than before.

    It was true that the ming Horn tribe were showing off their skills, but they were not just cutting meat. They were making sure not even a single piece of flesh stayed on the bones!

    Cutting the exterior of the meat was a simple task, but making sure it was clean off the bones was not easy.

    If he didn¡¯t have any knowledge about the fierce beast, how could he perfectly cut it up?

    When everyone¡¯s attention was focused on the meat that was perfectly cut clean off the bones, a thought came into Mu Fa¡¯s mind. The chief of the Longboat tribe was closest to Ao at the time.

    There¡¯s something strange about the spearhead!

    ......

    Pieces of meat continued to fall incessantly on the stone te, creating a sound simr to rainfall. It finally came to a halt.

    At this moment, the dead beast that was on the te before was now only a clean skeleton, and the chopped pieces of meat were piled onto the other stone te. Every muscle of the beast was cut up perfectly.

    Ta and others who were holding their tes set their tes on beside where the Longboat tribe sat. That space was purposely left unupied for the stone tes.

    It was finally over.

    They could hear the sound of the entire group¡¯s exhale in relief.

    Bro, you¡¯re just cutting meat! Did you have to make it so scary? I¡¯ve got freaking goosebumps now!

    You think I don¡¯t know you¡¯re enjoying yourself underneath that poker face!

    This group of ming Horn people are just trying to show off, right?! They¡¯re just trying to brag about how familiar they were with each piece of meat right? Or were they just showing off their spearing skills?

    Alright. While the guests were upset, they were still quite shocked. Especially the momentum they felt from Ao when he was piercing the meat. Some of them even held their breath. It was like an enactment of a hunt. The precision and mastery in cutting! If they didn¡¯t eat beast meat often, how could they have done such a proficient job?

    They even eat fearsome beast meat often?! Wish we had that too! Perhaps this was the right way to enjoy the meat of fearsome beasts?

    Ao looked over at the people from the Longboat tribe whose facial expressions were changing by the second. He waved his hand behind him and said, ¡°Next!¡±

    Ao was quite proud that he could perform at a feast of this scale. His stern face began to rx and the sides of his mouth curved upwards irresistibly. To show off during the ming River Banquet was Ao¡¯s idea.

    Didn¡¯t they need to provide meat on the banquet? Well, I¡¯ll give you meat, and I¡¯ll be generous too. This was a banquet to show off our wealth and social status. Stinginess could only make us lose face. We have to be generous! Though Ao could¡¯ve been a little too violent with his performance.

    And as to how Ao learned a skill like this.... Well who didn¡¯t have a little story?

    Back in the years when Ao was still a kid, the ming Horn tribe were still stuck on this side of the great river. They lived apart from the rest of the world and because there wasn¡¯t much entertainment in the tribe, he would either practice basic hunting techniques, learn how to polish and create stone tools, or chit-chat with a group of younger boys.

    Ao had no interest in these matters. Every day, the activity he looked forward to doing was cutting up therge pieces of cooked beast meat into smaller pieces after it was taken out of the meat soup. If the prey was a smaller one, they would just put the entire thing in and he would be in charge of dissecting the meat.

    After Ao awakened his totemic power, he participated in more of these activities. This was because he became stronger after his awakening and this task became much easier than before. Whenever he felt tired, he would increase the difficulty of his task and he would start practicing different cutting styles. These ranged from cutting it into thin slices, small chunks, andter toplete pieces of muscles. Skills were trained in the most boring of times when people were looking for something fun to do.

    Fearsome beasts that were active in the forest often didn¡¯t have too much fat. Especially the ones that were fast and fierce. Their muscles were so tight that after their meat was cooked, their flesh could be pulled off one after another. Ao loved to carve pieces in theirplete form, and the only tool he needed to make that was a normal spear.

    This was Ao¡¯s personal entertainment. He also liked to show off his skill in front of other people. In the ming Horn tribe, even if there were others with the same hobby, no one could win him in slicing up meat. This was why every time when many people had meat together, Ao would show off his skill. And it was no different today, on the ming River Grand Feast.

    He loved it most when people really wanted him to stop but still had to watch him perform till the end with a forced expression. Ha! He could even show off twenty-three times! How exciting!

    Those people from smaller tribes who were seated all the way in the back began to worry. Seeing Ao¡¯s movements, they wondered what it would feel like when Ao came over to cut the meat in front of them. How would they feel? Would they be frightened?

    When they thought about it, even their appetite was lost.

    They knew that they had to pay a price to eat the ming Horn tribe¡¯s meat.

    But,pared to those medium-small tribes that had their eyes on Ao¡¯s cutting technique, the chiefs of the few major tribes all focused their attention on the spear in Ao¡¯s hands.

    A green spearhead?

    Was it metal?

    Why were there metal weapons with such an unusual colour?

    They had also taken a lot of different metal weapons from the hands of the ve masters who escaped from the desert. They found dark golden ones, light golden ones, white ones, red ones, but none were green!

    Wasn¡¯t gold the most typical colour out of all for metal weapons?

    Because metal had always been regarded as a treasure, they took great care of it and ensured there were no rust, and they had nevere across any metal weapons that were painted, so when they saw the green spearhead on Ao¡¯s spear, many of them in the crowd began to have different thoughts.

    Especially the one who was closest to Ao at the time, the chief of the Longboat tribe, Mu Fa. Even though Ao had already left with Ta, but in his ear he could still remember clearly the sound made by the spear when Ao swung it across the air. The spearhead cut through the air with a clear and crisp sound. It was shocking and brought fear to people¡¯s hearts.

    It was the sound of metal, yet it was different from the metal weapons they had.

    Were the ming Horns really just showing off their strength in hunting fierce beasts?

 Chapter 618 - Remember This!

    <h4>Remember This!</h4>

    Ao walked in a circle. This was the first round of meat.

    But this time, not all of the tribes present ate without any worry or contemtion in their minds.

    The bigger their tribe, the more they contemted. As for those whose eyes werepletely affixed on the food, they snapped out from their state of shock right away, then grabbed pieces of oily meat and took huge bites out of them. Some who ate too fast choked and immediately served themselves another bowl of soup and gulped it down. When they finished the soup, they continued to eat again.

    So this was the entire picture: some people were eating but their minds were absent. No one knew what was on their minds, they were stabbing at the meat served to them with their stone forks. Another group of people had already returned to their eating mode. They werepletely focused on the task of eating. Eating was the main reason they came here and it was also a major desire in life.

    Compared to normal wild beast meat, fearsome beast meat had a more chewy texture, but to those who had not awakened their totem power, it was too difficult to chew. As for the stronger totemic warriors, it was the perfect texture. They even felt that normal wild beast meat was too soft to eat and didn¡¯t feel as chewy.

    Of course, the reason why everyone loved fearsome beast meat was that it could provide them with more energy and it could replenish their drained energy faster. It helped them recover faster and their bodies could regte itself to its peak performance sooner. To the tribes who have never even tried fierce beast meat for the past thousands or hundreds of years, this was undoubtedly a delicacy!

    The first round of meat obviously could not fill these people up. All who were present were true totemic warriors and they ate a lot more than normal people.

    After Ao walked back to his seat cheerfully, Zheng Luo stood up.

    Moving his arms and rotating his neck, he lifted his arm and gestured at the people who were already waiting on the side. ¡°It¡¯s time for the second round of meat!¡±

    Zheng Luo¡¯s words made the people who were hesitating about whether they should begin to eat suddenly lose their appetite.

    Again?!

    A team of ming Horn warriors carried tes of meat into the arena, but these were unlike the ones from before. These were cut up nicely and not at all simr to the ones Ao had cut. The fierce beasts that were served before were not even consideredrge. If they were too big they could not be cooked in a pot, and if they were cut before cooking it wouldn¡¯t be convenient for Ao to show off his skills, so the beasts were selected ording to size before they were cooked.

    And now, the second round of meat was roasted meat. This was the mostmon preparation method every tribe used to prepare their meat. Because these beasts wererger in size, they were cut up before roasting.

    Coarse salt was sprinkled on the meat before roasting. After the surface of the meat was cooked, and the salt had dissolved and seeped through theyers, the person who was in charge of the roasting process would pat away the excessive salt particles on the surface of the meat and put it aside to be usedter. The finished product would then be served immediately in the banquet hall.

    They didn¡¯t use any spices or other seasonings at all. All they used was salt. The roasted meat appeared fresh and rough. Infused with the vours of the ancient forest trees, its pure aroma brought out its most original taste. Meat was usually prepared this way in the ming Horn tribe.

    Because it came fresh from the fire rack, it was still sizzling when it was brought into the hall.

    The fragrance of roasted meat drifted in the hall. Many people couldn¡¯t help but take in deep breaths. Smells so good!

    Zheng Luo took out a giant de, and in front of all the people, he washed it with water, wiped it clean, and washed it again. Next, he disinfected it on fire for a while. He was trying to prove to everyone that they washed the de and disinfected it with fire before using it to cut up the meat.

    With the giant de in his hand, Zheng Luo led a team of people who were holding stone skewers used to hold the pieces of meat together and walked to the left side of the ming Horn seating area. He stopped in front of the Longboat tribe, who were sitting in the first row, and gave them a ¡°friendly¡± smile.

    All the members of the Longboat tribe thought, ¡°Why do they always do it in front of us?!¡±

    The banquet had just begun, they were not sure how many more rounds of meat they were going to serve.

    The chief of the Longboat tribe turned his head and looked toward the chief of the Mang tribe who was sitting on the row behind them, ¡°Should we switch ces?¡±

    The chief of the Mang tribe looked up at the sky and thought to himself. The moon seems pretty nice today.

    Mu Fa looked once again to the opposite side of the room, to the Hui tribe who was sitting on the right of the ming Horn seating area.

    The people of the Hui tribe lowered their heads and served the meat to each other.

    They looked fully focused on their task and did not look at Mu Fa at all.

    How unlucky!

    What kind of bad luck is this!

    They initially were happy about being able to sit in the first row, but they never anticipated such a situation. The people of the Longboat tribe were all unhappy.

    Two warriors carrying giant skewers with pieces of meat in between followed tightly behind Zheng Luo.

    Seeing the skewers with meat and another person with a de, the people of the Longboat tribe somewhat understood what was about to happen.

    ¡°Wait...¡± Mu Fa was just about to speak, but Zheng Luo had already begun.

    A green light reflected off the de as it sliced through the air. Its momentum suddenly changed and the de transformed into a number of phantom shadows. It was like a pack of wolves hunting after a prey. The de¡¯s fierce pressuring force attacked the meat on the skewers from all directions.

    The seemingly powerful force of the sword stopped in time when it cut through the meat. They did not hear the sound of the deing into contact with the skewer or the bones.

    And as the swift phantoms of the de sliced across the meat, individual slices of meat flew onto the stone te in front of the Longboat tribe and piled up neatly.

    The same stone te that held the meat that Ao had cut up was now empty. The meat from the first round had already been distributed and the te was ready to receive a second round of meat.

    The perfectly sized slices of meat with their natural marble patterns lined up tightly on the te.

    The green de in Zheng Luo¡¯s hand even drew out patterns on the meat! If they did not agree on being humble before this all began, Duo Kang who was sitting on the side would have already stood up to cheer and apuded with his followers.

    The details about when to cut straight, when to cut at an angle, and when to cut in a horizontal fashion, where to cut, where to slice, and where to chop the meat off, Zheng Luo clearly thought everything through. Although he was not better than Ao at cutting the meat off cleanly from the bones, back in the days when they were still on the other side of the sea, if he said he was second in slicing meat, no one would have dared to im the first ce.

    Before Zheng Luo was even a chief, he was already in charge of distributing the meat in the hunting team. With a wave of his broad knife, slices of meat continuously piled onto the tes. HIs evenly sized slices of shredded meat seemed exactly the same in both thickness and length. The neatly arranged slices of meat on the stone tes even looked aesthetic.

    The wind currents created by the swinging of the de rushed in all directions, causing the hairs of the Longboat tribespeople who were seated closest to fly up.

    They had braids on the sides of their head! Braids! They were not even individual strands of hair! But even braids were flying up so high!

    The air current even brought along the chills of the sharp de, causing the tiny hairs on their faces to stand up on ends. They couldn¡¯t even help but imagine what would happen if the de was to cut on their bodies instead.

    Just the thought made them shiver.

    They wanted to shout out at Zheng Luo: ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this! Just let us cut the meat ourselves!¡±

    But they had to save face, so they held their tongues! In these times, if they spoke first, then the ming Horn tribe would have gotten what they wanted and they would be theughingstock of the other tribes.

    I¡¯ll hold my tongue!

    Zheng Luo, who was still brandishing his giant de, had no intention to stop at all. Excitement burned within him.

    Didn¡¯t you all have a hard time remembering us? Didn¡¯t you all miss the meat? Sure! I¡¯ll give you your meat, and at the same time, I¡¯ll make sure you never forget about us!

    I¡¯ll make sure you remember who cut your meat, how it was cut, and what the entire situation was like!

    The people who were there couldn¡¯t help but think to themselves, ¡®To eat the ming Horn tribe¡¯s meat, you really have to pay a price first.¡¯

 Chapter 619 - Poison!

    <h4>Poison!</h4>

    Inside the ming River Trading Point, there were many others who were observing from the outside who didn¡¯t follow the people into the castle to attend the feast. Although they also had food given to them, it was obvious that the food they ate were definitely different from the food the people were having on the inside, and the difference was clearly not a small one.

    Here, the meat was all raw and they had to roast it by themselves.

    And amongst these people, some were roasting the meat while others observed what was happening on the inside.

    After observing for such a long time, they began to hear thunder-like soundsing from within the ming River Castle. Besides that, they heard no other suspicious sounds from the inside. They also didn¡¯t hear the whistles from their chiefs, so there was clearly nothing unusual happening inside.

    ¡°Say, what do you guys reckon is happening inside the castle? What are they eating in there?¡± the person on patrol who was bored asked hispanion.

    ¡°Who knows, we¡¯re so unlucky to be left out here, I would¡¯ve followed them in if I could! Did you smell the food from there? It¡¯s clearly not the same as what we¡¯re having.¡± The person who spoke gulped and looked in the direction of the ming River Castle with envious eyes.

    ¡°Hmm, hey, look! The ming Horn tribe is sending food in again.¡±

    The people who were patrolling from different ces all looked toward the only wide path in the trading point that led to the ming River Castle.

    Carts pulled by fierce beasts were sent in one after another, but this time, they did not smell any meat from the carts. It waspletely covered so they couldn¡¯t tell what was inside. Only when the carts shook that they heard the gentle nging sounds from the objects inside. It sounded like pottery.

    The fearsome beasts of the ming Horn tribe were all given a task today. Each was in charge of pulling a cart and transporting the goods to the back door of the ming River Castle for a final process. Even Chacha was assigned a task, to transport things by air. It seemed like the entire ming Horn tribe was busy working today.

    Meanwhile, inside the ming River Castle.

    Zheng Luo had already arrived at the seating area of thest tribe. Brandishing the giant green de in his hand, he chopped up the thick meat into thicker pieces and cut the tender parts into thinner slices.

    After cleaning the meat off the bones, only a te of beast bones were left. On the other hand, the other te that was ced beside this one was already stacked neatly with pieces of beast meat in all different sizes.

    Whoosh!

    The giant green de cut through the air onest time, like a rewinded yback of fireworks, and returned to its sheath.

    The de returned to its scabbard and they walked away.

    Zheng Luo returned to his seat and just like Ao from before, he had a cheerful and proud smile on his face, full of satisfaction from his performance.

    They had two ex-chiefs of the ming Horn tribe serve them meat. Wasn¡¯t this a splendid show of hospitality?

    If the others knew what the two ex-chiefs of the ming Horn tribe were thinking at the moment, they would¡¯ve screamed, ¡°This is too much! We can¡¯t ept it!¡±

    The newly appointed chief Gui He looked over at Zheng Luo who just returned to his seat, and then turned his head to nce over at Ao. He moved his fingers. His hands itched with the same urge to show off. He also had skills to show. Ao could cut the meat clean off the bones, Zheng Luo could slice up the meat, and as for him, he could break apart every joint on those beasts that they so often ate! With just one swing of the sword! At most, he needed three swings!

    Seeing his father¡¯s urge to perform, Gui Ze who was sitting on the side coughed softly, reminding his own dad to be cautious about his image. He was the chief now. In front of all the other tribes, his every movement represented the entire ming Horn tribe.

    But in truth, who didn¡¯t feel the urge to show off in the ming Horn seating area? Gui He was not the only one who felt that way.

    As for the others in the hall, seeing the people of the ming Horn tribe shifting in their seats, they began to worry again and their facial expressions changed. Don¡¯t tell me they¡¯re going to do another round?

    Can¡¯t you just let us enjoy our food for once?!

    This was just a distraction right? Right?

    It didn¡¯t matter. The ming Horn tribe had already achieved what they wanted.

    They knew that they could not have too many shocking performances like these. Once or twice was enough to leave an impression. If they overdid it, the effect wouldn¡¯t be as strong anymore. It wouldn¡¯t be as surprising as the impact of the first performance. This the ming Horn tribe understood.

    So, after Ao and Zheng Luo showed off their skills, the hall finally returned to a normal state.

    By normal, they meant that the people had to cut up the meat by themselves. Giant uncut roasted beasts would be served and no one would cut it up for them. No one would be there to cut it into chunks, pieces, or shreds.

    This also satisfied the wishes the people had when the first two rounds of meat were served.

    Didn¡¯t you want to cut the meat yourself? Sure, go ahead!

    Needless to say, when the people in the hall started to cut the meat, they realised how difficult it was.

    Even if it was already roasted, cutting fierce beast meat was not easy. If they did not understand the inner structure of the fierce beast, they would end up striking on its rigid bones. There would be no damage made to the meat, but they cared a lot about their des. The bones of fierce beasts were a few times harder than the bones of normal wild beasts. Some beasts with tougher outer bones could even make a crack in the medium-upper grade stone des.

    Not everyone was that rich and willing to damage their own de. They would certainly feel distressed if their des were damaged.

    The people who cared a lot about their des were extremely careful while cutting the meat. They cut it up piece by piece. The experience was not at all fancy and cool like the performances put on by Ao and Zheng Luo before.

    Many people couldn¡¯t help but think in their minds, ¡°If I knew this was going to happen, I would¡¯ve let the ming Horns continue doing their thing... Oh well, I¡¯ll just cut it myself.¡± When they thought about how Ao and Zheng Luo cut up the meat from before, the feeling of intensity that made their hearts skip a beat, they decided to cut it their own way, slowly and steadily.

    The three rounds of meat had already been served, and the people who were hungry were now all feeling refreshed. After all, the portion of meat from every round was quite a lot. Plus, fearsome beast meat filled people up much more efficiently than wild beast meat. Sometimes, the meat of an entire wild beast was not even close to what a handful of fearsome beast meat could provide.

    Right when everyone was thinking about the fourth round of meat, a team of warriors marched in with the fourth round of meat in their hands.

    At a nce, they noticed that the meat had already been sliced up and was not much different from the third round of meat. But if they took a closer look, besides the fact that the fourth round of meat was not an entire roasted beast and was sliced up, it was done slightly rarer than the previous rounds. Beast blood still flowed where cuts were made.

    And beside the meat, there were also three stone bowls full of different coloured powders.

    What is this?

    They could recognise what was in the first bowl. It was salt. But they could not determine what was in the second and third bowl. They had not seen these before.

    A person smelled the powder and suddenly sneezed

    It was a little spiced and made their noses itch when they got closer.

    ¡°What is this?¡± someone asked with suspicion.

    ¡°The ming Horns made it. It¡¯s probably edible.¡±

    ¡°Who cares, just eat!¡±

    A chief of a tribe that was sitting on the far end immediately used a knife that he carried and cut out a piece of roasted meat. Scanning the bowls, he dipped the meat into the bowl with the red powder and put it in his mouth.

    Gui He who was seated in the ming Horn seating area didn¡¯t even speak yet, but the ignorant man had already acted before instructions were given.

    And everyone present also saw the person who went ahead and ate it first. It was perfect because they also didn¡¯t want to eat before others ate. They wanted to see how others reacted before deciding to eat. Very soon, the person who ate first suddenly stopped chewing. His face twitched uncontrobly and his expression was twisted. He turned his head and spit out the meat from his mouth. He hopped up from his seat, ran around in the space beside him, and didn¡¯t know what to do. He opened his mouth wide and let out his tongue. He fanned his giant hands at his mouth, and his rough face had already turned bright red. His nostrils red wildly, like a furious bull about to explode. Strange sounds came from within his throat, and even tears came out of his bloodshot eyes. He couldn¡¯t stop his nose from running.

    Everyone present looked over and focusedpletely on the person. They only saw the chief rolling on the ground with wet eyes and a runny nose. His face was furious. He pointed at the ming Horn seating area and shouted, ¡°There¡¯s poison!¡±

    Even the people from the Zhi tribe who was sitting next to them dropped the meat in their hands when they heard it.

    There¡¯s poison?

    The people in the hall were at first shocked, and all of them looked over to the ming Horn seating area. So the ming Horns finally made a move? Did they call all of them over so they could destroy them all at once?

    Suddenly, everyone¡¯s minds were like wild sacred beasts unleashed into the boundless desert. No force could pull them back now.

    Hearing the sudden exmation, even Shao Xuan almost spit out the wine from his mouth.

    Shao Xuan looked toward Gui He, hinting at him to exin the situation.

    Gui He had also intended to do so. He wanted to speak before they started eating, but he didn¡¯t expect the person to be that excited for the food. Seeing an unknown substance, it was clear that something smelled strange, yet this person ate it right away without hesitation. Just look at the other tribes. They were all vignt and just watched before taking any action.

    When he noticed that everyone from the twenty-four tribes were looking at him, Gui He did not rush to exin. Words meant nothing now, he had to take action.

    Gui He calmly grabbed a pinch of the red powder and sprinkled it over the meat on the te. He forked the meat with a finger-sized skewer and put it in his mouth. After chewing, he swallowed it down. From his eyes, they could tell he was enjoying the food.

    After finishing, Gui He said, ¡°Actually, this is a condiment that we use to vour our food. It¡¯s not poison. This one is called the ming Horn Chili Powder.¡±

    These were made from a few spicy nts and some other nts withplementary vours. They were first heated up in pots until they were dry and then they were ground into powder and stored.

    Not all members of the ming Horn tribe liked this vour. Some disliked the taste and refused it whenever they could, but Gui He loved its vour. After he got used to it, eating it even felt refreshing!

    This chili powder was actually something Shao Xuan concocted.

    A long time ago, when Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even have a high status in the tribe, he had been looking for nts with this type of vour. Back then, he didn¡¯t have many people¡¯s support. Instead, many people thought that Shao Xuan was up to no good because he didn¡¯t do proper work like the rest of them did. But now, with his superiority in the tribe, even if he was picking some leaves because he was bored, people would think that he had a specific purpose in mind. Not only would they not prevent him, they would even take the initiative to help him.

    This was the difference.

    With helpers, it was much easier to search for nts because they were a huge group with amon goal. The spices served on the banquet, besides the salt and chili powder, was another vouring element that was only made after they came here and found a nt.

    There were many goods to be discovered in this forest.

    Although these spices and condiments were not poisonous, animals rarely went to eat them, so it was very easy to find. Now, the ming Horn tribe had already collected enough stock tost them a year even after the banquet was over.

    After Gui He exined the way to eat the meat, everyone in the hall calmed down from their previous tension.

    Even the chief of the ming Horn tribe had eaten it, so they reckoned this was probably the truth.

 Chapter 620 - The Three Flaming River Delicacies

    <h4>The Three ming River Delicacies</h4>

    The misunderstanding had already been cleared. The person who jumped out was thick-skinned enough to respond with an ¡°Oh¡±, then calmly returned to his seat to continue eating.

    He did not think his behaviour before was shameful. Although his actions were a little reckless and rude, he knew the importance of being alert more than anyone else.

    To be a chief who led his tribe to survive up till now, could he really be that stupid?

    The only reason he ate so much chili powder so thoughtlessly was merely because he was too focused on eating. It was rare for him to encounter a chance to eat as much as he wanted, so he didn¡¯t stop eating. He did not at all hesitate and think whether the powder in the three bowls were poison. In his opinion, the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t need to do anything like that here.

    But he never expected the chili powder to have such a strong taste. It was so pungent that he couldn¡¯t help jumping around with tears in his eyes and a runny nose. It was like his mouth was on fire and even after downing a bowl of soup, he could not remove the spiciness in his mouth. But the truth was, he put way too much chili powder on his meat.

    When he found out that the spice was not poisonous and relieved the burning sensation in his mouth with more soup, although there was still some spicy vour left in his mouth, it no longer felt as bad as before. Instead, he felt... a sense of craving?

    After trying out the chili powder, he went to try another condiment. This time he was careful not to put too much.

    This one wasn¡¯t spicy at all. It wasn¡¯t clear whether he was excited by the chili powder or what, but the chief turned once again toward the chili powder. He hissed and gasped and irresistibly took deep breaths. His face was burning red with sweat. After he got used to the vour, it was actually quite intense! He was already addicted to the taste. He was so deeply focused on the vours that even if a bunch of hot girls came by, he wouldn¡¯t notice them at all.

    Someone even wanted to warn him from the side, ¡°Chief, stop eating the chilli already. You¡¯ve got to look after your reputation!¡±

    ¡°No no no! Don¡¯t hold me back! I want more!¡±

    In the hall, many people also tried the other condiments besides the salt. Some preferred the spicy one and others preferred the one that was not as spicy.

    The served meat was not fully done and it was up to the individual to decide how cooked they preferred their meat done. They could cut out whatever piece they liked from the giant chunk, sprinkle some of the seasoning powder, and continue roasting it if they liked.

    All the effort the ming Horn tribe put into the food, besides showing off, was also to promote their goods. They wanted to tell these people that if they had any interest in these condiments, they coulde by often to trade in the ming River Trading Point in the future.

    But the ming Horns didn¡¯t need to tell them that. Those who were smart were already thinking ahead. For example, the Pu tribe, who was a lot more sensitive to these goods, had already caught on with excitement in their eyes. After they tasted it carefully, some of them had even gathered together to discuss their future trades.

    They still needed some time to roast the rest of the meat that wasn¡¯t done, so it would still take some time before they finished.

    And during this time, another dish entered the hall.

    It was no longer meat, but a cleanly washed giant white cabbage! The emerald green cabbage leaves were wrapped tightly around the core, and the leaves below the cabbage were lush and rich with hydration.

    A single cabbage ball was set in front of each tribe, and even though it was just one, it was gigantic. Standing, it could be taller than a man. That was why everyone would be able to eat at least half a leaf, maybe even one whole leaf for himself.

    These white cabbages could be eaten raw or cooked. If they preferred it cooked, they could set it inside the soup for a while.

    ¡°This is the new crop that you guys discovered from before?¡± the Hui chief asked the people of the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± The group of ming Horns were quite proud about it.

    The banquet was held to show off. This was a unique crop that their tribe had discovered and cultivated. No other tribes had this giant white cabbage, so of course it had to be served on a banquet like this. The giant white cabbage was also a huge asset and wealth that the ming Horn tribe could show off.

    The refreshing taste of the cabbage cleared up the greasy aftertaste of the meat. After four rounds of meat, the cabbage came at the perfect time. Even those who didn¡¯t like vegetables had to admit that it came right on time.

    Some people admired the ming Horn tribe for having their own unique crop, but to the few tribes that sat in the front rows, this was nothing. Each of them had more than one unique crop that belonged to their tribe. Even if other tribes wanted to trade with them, they could only get the ripened and harvested ones that were either seedless or could not be nted again. This prevented them from losing their specialty product.

    Therefore, they didn¡¯t really care much about the ming Horn¡¯s white cabbage.

    ¡®Are these all they have to show us?¡¯ some people wondered in their minds.

    But the next item that was served once again surprised those who had just calmed down.

    After the white cabbage was served, what came next were tall thin y vases with small openings that were half the height of a normal human. Each tribe had one vase set in front of them.

    As soon as the beast hide was taken off the top of the vase and the cork was removed, a sweet and rich smell spread throughout the room.

    ¡°This is....¡± some people suspected.

    ¡°This is some wine we made.¡± Gui He smiled as he poured the liquor from the vase into his golden cup.

    The wine containers were all repackaged before they were served. They were not the original vessels the wine was made in.

    The liquor did not seem clear enough, but the taste was perfect and the smell was thick and rich. The wine tasted sweet and mellow, and constantly stimted the salivary nds in their mouths and their stomachs. With just one sip, they regained their appetite and felt like they could eat more meat again.

    Although the wine still had many shorings, they were already very fortunate to have this wine here. Even though it could not bepared to the wine made by those tribes with thousands of years of experience in wine-making, it was enough to make a good impression.

    The tribes that lived in the ming River region had never even tried alcohol before. To them, this was indeed an eye-opening and unforgettable experience. Even if they knew alcohol existed, it was too expensive and they did not have enough goods to trade for it. But now, the ming Horn tribe even served wine!

    Drink!

    Drink it all!

    They made the right decision bying to the ming Horn¡¯s grand feast. Some people had chosen not toe because they thought that the ming Horn tribe had other intentions, but if they knew what was happening now, they would have regretted so much that they would bang their heads on trees. What a nice chance it was to drink and eat for free! Why didn¡¯t theye?

    A bunch of fools! A bunch of losers who don¡¯t even know when to take advantage!

    The ming Horn tribe could even make their own wine? This shocked many people. The keen business-minded people of the Pu tribe had already begun to talk about their trades again.

    The chief of the Pu tribe, Guang Hou, who looked like a bullfrog, had an unusual glimmer in his eyes today. His mouth was already big, but because he was feeling especially happy that day, the sides of his mouth curved upwards even more, so his mouth seemed even bigger than usual. He ate a piece of meat that had just been roasted and took a sip of wine. Heughed happily and eximed, ¡°Nice!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t clear whether he was praising the dishes or the alcohol or if he was just too happy. Perhaps it was both.

    The people were all immersed in their thoughts, but the next dish was already being served.

    And this time, huge pots of porridge came one after the next.

    Actually, not many tribes ate porridge because they didn¡¯t have their own crops, so usually, they would just put all the wild vegetables and fruits in the same pot and cooked it until it was ready to eat. The Zhi tribe was like this.

    As for those who grew their own crops, the porridge served in front of them was very different from what they usually would have. Often, their porridge would be made by one single crop, and asionally they would mix up a few different types, but they never used too many types. However, the porridge that was served to them from the pots had many different colours and sizes. From that they could tell that there was a variety of different grains in the porridge.

    ¡°And this is....¡± the crowd looked in the direction where the ming Horn tribe sat and waited for them to introduce the dish.

    ¡°This is...¡± Gui He shifted his body and looked toward Shao Xuan. He already forgot what this thing was called.

    ¡°Eight Treasures Porridge,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Yes! This is called the Eight Treasures Porridge. It is made from eight types of precious grains. Everyone should give it a try. You won¡¯t be able to find it anywhere outside the ming River Trading Point,¡± Gui He said with a clear and loud voice.

    Mu Fa, the chief of the Longboat tribe, picked at his eyebrows. His subordinate had already poured him a bowl. Slowly, he brought a spoonful of the porridge in his bowl up to his mouth and tasted it.

    The porridge had the mixed aroma of the different grains, but although they were all different in texture and taste, they did not taste weird at all together. Rather, it had a unique vour and gave people a sense of peace. Some of the grains were soft, some were sticky, and some were rather chewy. After every bite, there were still some left to chew even after they swallowed twice.

    With just one sip, Mu Fa could determine many things.

    Before, a few of the major tribes would exchange gifts, and asionally some tribes would bring their unique crops as gifts. They had tasted the different types of unique grains from the other tribes more than a few times, but they had never tasted any of the ones in the ¡°Eight Treasures Porridge¡± in front of them!

    Not one, not two, but all eight!

    Where did the ming Horns get these eight types of grains?

    Tribespeople had always valued grains. Grains were wealth. But this surprise in front of them made them all confused.

    The white cabbage, self-made wine, and now the Eight Treasures Porridge? How much are the ming Horns hiding?

    Seeing the suspicious looks from all corners of the room, the ming Hornsughed without a word and continued to drink their porridge silently.

    The eight types of grains in the porridge were all brought over from the other side of the sea. The people who were skilled in agriculture in the ming Horn tribe put in a lot of effort into cultivating these. Not only were these the ones they produced the most, these eight grains also had the highest adaptability. There was an ample supply of these grains so even after saving some for their tribe, they had enough to show off at the ming River Grand Feast. The other crops that were rarer were more precious, so of course they kept it for their own consumption.

    If Ji Ju picked it, it was definitely better than normal grains. The Ji family had focused on agriculture for many generations and were specialised in this. Not to mention the newly discovered fine grains, even those that they had nted for thousands of years in their farms and underwent many modifications were still fine products. If it wasn¡¯t for the special asion, the ming Horns would never bring out these things, unless there were special guests.

    ¡°A showing-off feast¡± to let them brag about their wealth. This term can be understood as both derogatory orplementary, but different tribes understood it differently.

    Some people didn¡¯t even consider their own ability before they went to show off, so they amassed piles of debt. Showing off once cost them three years of debt. Many of them even faced big problems, so they actually had to pay the consequences for being pretentious.

    But some others actually had the ability and wealth to show off. They were actually using all their extra wealth and surpluses to show off.

    The reason the ming Horn tribe dared to bring out all these was that they were not afraid of other people¡¯s envy. If they didn¡¯t even have the courage to show off and stayed vignt and careful all the time, how could they prepare a showing-off feast?

    That was why the ming Horn tribe set up such a banquet. Their attitude was, ¡°If we have the money to do this and the ability to host such a grand showing-off feast, we naturally should not be afraid of othersing to rob us. If we take thousands of steps back to look at our situation, even if we were to lose our territory, we would still be able to reconquer it.¡± The ming Horns had no fire seed. They were not afraid of people extinguishing them. If people dared to attack, they had to be ready for the ming Horn tribe¡¯s wild revenge.

 Chapter 621 - You Guys Leave First, We Have A Sacrifice

    <h4>You Guys Leave First, We Have A Sacrifice</h4>

    They had to admit that they were indeed surprised when the ming Horns brought out all these goods. They thought that the ming Horn tribe would still be living a tough life after being driven away from their home by the disaster, but they never thought that it was actually quite the contrary. Not only were they living a good life in their new environment, but they could also even host such a grand ¡°show-off¡± feast!

    They were curious. How much were the ming Horns actually hiding?

    As a matter of fact, the ming Horn tribe was indeed hiding a lot.

    These grains that they brought out were harvested in the Fearsome Beast Forest, even before the previous disaster. Now, besides the fact that they had arger piece ofnd cultivating a new variety of seeds that had stronger adaptability, and besides these eight types of grains in the Eight Treasures Porridge, there were also other newly nted grains with high adaptability, but they were not yet ripe, so they could not be harvested and served to these people.

    And as for the Thousand Grain Gold?

    You wish! Those were specially kept for the ming Horn tribe! Those grains were even more precious than the grain seeds Ji Ju had gifted them! They didn¡¯t even have enough of this for their own tribe, how could they serve it to these food-craving bastards?

    Even if they were still hiding more things, the ming Horn tribe had already brought out enough to give them the confidence they needed. It did not make them lose any face. Besides the fierce beast hide and meat that everyone already knew about, the vegetables and porridge served today told everyone that they had their own agriculture and seeds. With seeds, they could nt many good crops. The ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t need to say much about the quality of their crops. As long as these people were not idiots, they could tell. They didn¡¯t need to prove it.

    They also had seasoning powder and their self-made wine. Now, these people could no longer say that the ming Horn tribe knew nothing, and the ming River Trading Point will have plenty of these goods in the future. Since the ming River Trading Point could provide so many goods, and if the ming Horn tribe could guarantee their safety inside the trading point, it was not impossible for this ce to be more crowded in the future.

    Especially those tribes that lived in the ming River region. These tribes were constantly living in hunger and didn¡¯t always have enough to eat. The existence of the trading point could ensure that they could get the most out of every future trade.

    Many of them wanted to learn more about the trading point, especially the people from the Zhi tribe. They had already enjoyed enough of the service provided here. Now, seeing this situation, they saw a lot of potential in their future partnership together.

    At least the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯tck meat. As long as the ming Horn tribe still had a rich supply of meat, they could continue to trade for more food from them.

    Those grains that they just had were also not bad, but they would still choose the fierce beast meat over these grains. A crystal the same size could probably be exchanged for more meat than grains. The ming Horns didn¡¯t say it directly, but judging by how Gui Hebelled these grains as ¡°precious¡±, they could tell.

    Eight Treasures Porridge! ¡°Eight¡± treasures! These were eight precious grains! They must¡¯ve been extremely difficult to nt. The people of the Zhi tribe had no experience in agriculture. Once, they wanted to transnt a fruit tree with a strong vitality back from the mountains, but they couldn¡¯t even manage to keep it alive after bringing it back, so this was why they always considered agriculture to be a lot harder than hunting.

    Because it was so difficult and challenging to grow, it was obviously more expensive. They understood this fact from this reasoning. These grains were even more expensive than fierce beast meat. Tribes who were still striving to live a rtively morefortable life and had always been living in poverty would only trade for normal grains, not these.

    After the white cabbage and Eight Treasures Porridge soothed their insides, more meat and vegetables were served.

    A te full of giant roasted beast paws and ws were set in front of each tribe. The sharp ws were still connected to the beast¡¯s phnges. They had to tear the ws apart and hold the paws while they ate.

    Following this, a te of dumb bird eggs was served to each tribe. Many tribes that came from the central region were all familiar with this dish. Even the tribes that lived by the edge might have tried it when they went on expedition trips to other trading points. After all, the Lu tribe was known for their bred beasts and dumb bird eggs. The Lu tribe themselves, who were also present, were the most familiar with this dish.

    But usually, these dumb bird eggs were either boiled or just eaten raw. Rarely did they use any seasoning to cook it. Especially for those people who often went on expedition trips. They would already be grateful if they had something to eat outside. How would they have the time to arrange for such bothersome things?

    However, the dumb bird egg that was served on this feast was cooked. They removed the eggshell and cooked it with spices and seasoning, so it carried a light-brownish red colour.

    On the steaming stone te,

    The brownish-red dumb bird egg was cut into eight small petal-like slices and arranged on the stone te. Layers of egg broth were poured on top.

    The cooking method was rmended by Shao Xuan. Back when they were preparing for the feast, the dish was prepared under strict supervision throughout the entire making process.

    In the middle of the dish, there was even an eye-catching bright yellow flower set on the brownish-red egg, and in the centre of the four petals of the flower was yet another bud carrying sharp thorns.

    Shao Xuan said nothing.

    This he did not rmend. He wondered who came up with the genius idea and even knew how to te a dish. Although the flower smelled sweet, it was actually a wild carnivorous nt that could swallow an entire adult man.

    Speaking of which, even though more than ten years had passed since he came to this world, he still had memories from before that he didn¡¯t forget. Shao Xuan could still give them more instructions to make the ting even more exquisite, but regardless of the taste, the ting itself was enough to surprise their audience.

    However!

    The tribespeople had their habits. Even if they were the few major tribes from the central region, they did not know how to appreciate exquisitely prepared dishes and professionally sliced meat, so if the ming Horn tribe overdid the ting, it might even have a rather negative effect. No matter what they did, they should always do it in moderation and have interchanging phases of excitement and rxation. This dish that the ming Horn tribe brought out today was perfect. It did not require any more fancy decorations.

    And as to why they only had dumb bird eggs and not green duck eggs.... This was the same reason why they didn¡¯t bring out the thousand-grain gold. The more precious something was, the more they had to keep it to themselves. Although the purpose of this ¡°showing-off¡± feast was to brag about their wealth, they should never show everything they had to the other tribes. The ming Horns were actually hiding a lot more. Even the Veins of the Sky was a secret. They never wanted to make it public. The egg, wine, meat, cabbage, and grains, a mixture of both vegetables and meat. These were more than enough to fill their tummies.

    Rounds of dishes were served one after the next. The people who were hungry before the feast were now struggling to stand up. They were so tired from eating that even another bite wasborious. They wanted to change their posture and continue eating again after resting for a while.

    The tribes that were sitting in the front rows did notck food in their tribes. Compared to the other tribes, they did not eat as much. Food was merely an eye-opening experience for them. Their main purpose here was not to eat. Instead, they wanted to know the ming Horn¡¯s true strength. But after they came here, they had been surprised and shocked by the ming Horn tribe¡¯s actions that they lost their appetite.

    But for those who came here merely to eat, they had already begun to roll their eyes.

    The standard of sess for a grand feast was the amount of food leftover after the end of the feast. This was a rule acknowledged by all on this continent. Now, although the people present were all reaching their limit in food intake, the dishes continued to be served.

    Abuli, the chief of the Zhi tribe stood up and took a deep breath. He walked around for a few steps, switched different postures, and looked for a posture that could allow him to maximise his food intake. The stone te in front of him was constantly being refilled with newly roasted meat, and it smelled delicious. Because of the variety of fierce beasts, the meat now looked even more fine and smooth than the ones before. It even had striped marks made by the roasting process, but he could no longer eat any more.

    Now, he had already passed his safety limit for food intake. This safety limit determined his capability to escape and react to dangerous situations, but now he had already passed it.

    When he reached the line of limit in his body, he had already thought about it, but his desire and craving for food and the rare opportunity was on the upper hand, so he continued to eat. Now, he was panting as he walked.

    ¡°Ch¡ªchief, what should we do?¡± a warrior who followed Abuli to attend this feast looked at him with a saddened expression, ¡°There¡¯s still so much meat. What can we do?¡±

    They could see it, but they couldn¡¯t finish it.

    This used to be something that had made them smile even in their dreams, but now, although their dreams hade true, they felt a sudden sense of helplessness. There was still so much meat, but they couldn¡¯t finish it. If they were to leave it here, what a waste it would be. Just looking at the unfinished food made their hearts ache.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we take these leftovers away?¡± someone asked.

    Abuli also wanted to bring the leftovers back, but this was the ming Horn¡¯s territory. They had to follow the ming Horn¡¯s instructions. A small tribe like them did not have much say under these situations.

    ¡°Why not go ask them about itter?¡± Abuli¡¯s wife suggested.

    ¡°Ah? Oh, alright.¡± Abuli felt weak and didn¡¯t have much confidence, but seeing the te of meat in front of him, he decided that he would give it a shot! If the ming Horn tribe did not agree, he would try his best to negotiate with them.

    It was not untilter when they noticed that there was still plenty of meat leftover on all the tes in front of all twenty-four tribes. At this moment, a few people from the ming Horn tribe nced over at Gui He and nodded.

    ¡°Fellow friends!¡± Gui He addressed them with a loud and clear voice, ¡°The ming River Grand Feast is about to approach its end, how is everyone feeling so far?¡±

    ¡°Great! Amazing!¡±

    ¡°Very nice.¡±

    The people from the Hui tribe and Lu tribe loudly replied. Other people continued to praise the banquet from their seats, and even the Longboat tribe and the Tianshan tribe who disliked the ming Horn tribe had to admit that this ¡°showing-off¡± feast was very well done.

    Besides the amount of leftover food, other things also surprised them, like the golden wine cup, for instance. There was one ced in the seating area of each tribe. This was a sign of great wealth.

    ¡°Since it is so, before the end of our feast, I, Gui He, as the chief of the ming Horn tribe, would like to inform everyone here that the ming River Trading Point will officially open up from today on! Elder Zheng Luo will be in charge of reading out the rules of trade in the trading point.¡± Gui He raised his hand and gestured at Zheng Luo to speak.

    Zheng Luo had already prepared a beast hide scroll. After unrolling it, he read out the words written on it.

    The things listed on the scroll were all rules in the ming River Trading Point, and many of these rules were borrowed from the ones the ve masters used in their cities. Shao Xuan had already pointed out some of the rules¡¯ shorings and made some changes to it. After improving it, they came up with the first edition of the Rules and Regtions in the ming River Trading Point. If they had new rules to add to the list or some they needed to amend, they would thene up with a new edition.

    All in all, besides the rules regarding the set trading locations for each tribe, the rental fees of their houses, and the ones about the storage of goods, the most important point was that there should be no robbery or stealing in the ming River Trading Point.

    When they reached this point, the tribes that lived in the ming River region felt suddenly at peace.

    What were they most afraid of during a trade? The other party tricking them and using means of extortion!

    But if the ming Horn tribe, such a powerful tribe, was here to protect them and enforce these rules, it would make trading a lot safer.

    After Zheng Luo read out and exined the rules on the beast hide scroll in detail, he also ordered warriors to give a copy of the same rules to the chief of each tribe. There was still more details on the written document, so if they still weren¡¯t clear about it, they could ask the person in charge of the ming River Trading Point.

    After they finished discussing the trading point, they had aplished their main purpose, and since this matter had already been rified, this feast should be ending soon.

    But right when everyone thought that the grand feast was about to end, the people of the ming Horn tribe said another two things.

    First, every tribe was allowed to take away the unfinished food from the ming River Castle and let those who didn¡¯t get the chance to join them also enjoy the same food. Of course, if they didn¡¯t want to, the ming Horns would not force them.

    This made Abuli and his people so excited that they almost jumped up. We can pack it all up! It won¡¯t be wasted! Even if they couldn¡¯t finish these today, they could continue to eat tomorrow! They would finish all the food before leaving the trading point. They were so relieved to hear this!

    This did not surprise many people who were present, because the tribes that had also hosted ¡°showing-off¡± feasts before had also said simr things. So they weren¡¯t at all surprised when they heard this first point.

    As for the second point, many people were confused and had doubts.

    After addressing the problem about the leftover food, Gui He continued with the second point, ¡°This marks the end of the ming River Grand Feast. All of you may choose to leave first. If you have matters to discuss with us, please wait in the resting area because we still need to hold a sacrifice. Of course, if you¡¯d like to stay and watch, you may also do so, but I don¡¯t rmend it.¡±

    Just because the people of the ming Horn tribe said it like this, it made the others even more curious.

    Sacrifice?

    Here?

    When they heard this, everyone in the crowd stretched their necks and looked around the area.

    They didn¡¯t see a fire pond! They had already been here for an entire day, but they saw no fire pond.

    How could they hold a sacrifice without a fire pond and a fire seed? Were they going to start their own fire?

 Chapter 622 - Sounding Horns At Sunset

    <h4>Sounding Horns At Sunset</h4>

    Everyone here knew that an event as important as a sacrifice was usually held beside the fire pond, but the thing that yed a decisive role here was actually not the fire pond, but rather, the fire seed within it. Wherever the fire seed was, the tribespeople would gather around it. The size and location of the fire pond didn¡¯t matter. The tribespeople only recognised the fire seed.

    But it was at this time, after sessfully holding a banquet, that the ming Horn tribe announced that they were going to hold a sacrifice? This was not even their headquarters.

    It was really hard for them to understand.

    Gui He¡¯s sentence seemed like a warning.... In their opinion, the ming Horn tribe was trying to hide something from them. There were obviously secrets here, but they didn¡¯t want other tribes to see it?

    Some people felt that they were going to find out the secrets here and suddenly changed their minds. Their eyes lit up with curiosity.

    Initially, they were already devising ways to find out more about the ming Horn¡¯s secrets, especially those rted to their fire seed. The Mang tribe and other well-known tribes of the central region already heard a thing or two about the ming Horn tribe, especially what they sensed from the Drumming tribe¡¯s fire seed. They also heard about the Rain tribe that had recently migrated to the area after the end ofst winter and their fire seed. All these made them extremely doubtful and they desperately wanted to find out the secrets hidden here.

    It just happened that both the chiefs and shamans of the Rain tribe and Drum tribe were all going to be present this time at this ming River Grand Banquet. Many of them initially wanted to approach these two tribes and discuss with their leaders. Small tribes like them probably wouldn¡¯t reject talking to them, the major tribes. But to know the core of these secrets, the best solution was to ask the ming Horns directly. After all, the ming Horn tribe never really had a good temper or a good rtionship with their tribes, so besides not being able to get any secrets out of them, they might even arouse ridicule.

    They never thought, they were suddenly given such an opportunity!

    An event like a sacrifice was definitely rted to the fire seed. This was their perfect chance! How could they bear to miss it?

    They had to see it for themselves and get a direct answer from the ming Horn tribe! It was definitely the right thing to do!

    Leave? Of course not! The ming Horns want them to leave, but instead of leaving, they chose to stay and watch them. They wanted to see what the people of the ming Horn tribe were about to do.

    So, the people who were already walking towards the beast fang gate turned around and stopped. They stayed there and did not return to their original seating area.

    Since they were standing near the gate, if something happened, it was also convenient for them to leave.

    Scanning around, it was obvious everyone was thinking the same way and stood close to the beast fang gate.

    The Zhi tribe and other tribes that were less superior had already walked out of the beast fang gate. They couldn¡¯t find a ce to stay and watch in the castle. They were timid but curious, so they watched from afar outside the gate.

    The Drum tribe and Rain tribe looked at each other and left without a second thought. They definitely did not want to stay. But they were still slightly curious, so after they walked out the door, they kept a distance and stopped to find a ce to sit. They ate too much so they felt tired from merely standing up.

    When Gui He saw the reactions of the other tribes in the hall, he was not surprised at all. He had already expected this scenario. He took a few nces at them, and then looked toward the elders. The first person he asked was Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Should we start now?¡± Gui He asked.

    ¡°We may begin,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The other elders also nodded one after another.

    The ming Horn tribespeople stood up. They moved the tables, chairs, and the dining utensils out of the way. On the emptynd in front of the ming River Tower, they stood in two rows on each side of the building.

    The elders stood in front, and following them were the major hunt leaders, then the minor hunt leaders. After these came warriors who were more skilled and made great contributions to the tribe, or other elderly men with prestige.

    Besides these two rows of people, there were three people.

    The current chief and shamaness did not stand in the same two rows as the others. Instead, they stood in front of the ming River Tower and faced the grey stone walls that had no carvings at all.

    And in front of the current chief and shamaness, stood the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan.

    There was still some leftover food on the tables where the other twenty-four tribes sat. There was still spilt soup and chewed bones left on the ground, and the firewood that was still burning continued to make a crackling sound. The leftover soup continued to boil with bubbling sounds inside the stone pots and cauldrons.

    The ming Horns had not even cleaned up all these. Actually, this was an acknowledged habit amongst the tribes, to not clean up the mess on the day of the ming River Grand Banquet. Let it be and show it off to everyone. This was a symbol of sess, a ¡°medal¡± after the sess of the ¡°showing-off¡± feast they wanted to show to everyone. They wanted to wait till the second day, when everything had already gone cold and all the steam had dispersed, to clean up this mess.

    So, the only clean area was where the ming Horns were standing.

    When everyone was ready, Gui He lifted his head and looked up at the highest building in the area.

    On top of the tower, a person stood waiting beside a ming Horn totem g. He was looking down in the same instant, as if he had been waiting all along. This was Mao, who acted in concert with Ao in his previous performance.

    At this time, Mao was already standing on the highest point in the ming River Tower. Beside him were Tuo and Tao Zheng.

    Mao, who looked down and received Gui He¡¯s signal, brought out a giant horn around his own height that had clear striped lines circling around it. This horn came from a giant fierce beast in the forest. He didn¡¯t go down but blew the horn where he stood. Blowing the horn was an honourable duty, one he had fought over from Lei Jing.

    Mao moved his arms and did some chest stretches. He took a deep breath and breathed out slowly. Finally, he raised the horn and sucked in more breath.

    Blow!

    Wooooooo¡ª¡ª

    The low-sounding resonance of the horn sounded like a low-roaring thunder from the sky. It carried a vigorous strength as if it was travelling across space and time, and the sound spread out to even farther ces.

    The earth was also vibrating as if an ancient giant beast took a heavy step.

    Following this sound, the ming Horn tribespeople who were busy with their work sped up their pace and rushed to finish the job at hand. If they couldn¡¯t finish their job in the shortest amount of time, they set it aside and arranged their clothing. They washed away the dirt on their faces and changed into new and clean outfits.

    Meanwhile, the team that were delivering goods also heard the sound of this low-sounding horn and the leader quickly looked for a ce to rest and prepare his team. The few beasts that were pulling the carts of goods also followed the leader¡¯s orders obediently.

    As for Chacha, as soon as he heard the sound of the horn, he dropped everything, turned around, pped his wings, and left immediately. The ming Horn¡¯s sacrifice was none of his business. The sound of the horn passed through the entire forest in the ming River region. Even the Drum tribe¡¯s crocodiles lifted their heads and looked in the direction of the trading point. Their cold irises were lit with curiosity.

    On the other side of the ming River, the sound of the horn was also clearly heard. Although the sound had already weakened due to the distance, they could still hear it clearly.

    The person who was walking over to feed the ducks threw away the duck food in his hands and ran back to his home. The people who were busy working in the fields and farms also rushed back to their wooden houses beside the fields. After washing up, they changed into new and clean outfits.

    The guards were already prepared and did not need to change their clothing. But their expressions grew sterner, and when they saw people who still didn¡¯t know what they had to do, they supervised them and made sure they knew what to do.

    After the first horn was sounded, the onlookers inside the ming River Castle thought that the ming Horns were gathering their people, but after they looked left and right, no one was walking towards the area!

    What was happening?

    Everyone in the crowd was confused.

    Above the ming River Tower, after Mao sounded the first horn, he waited for about half an hour. Tao Zheng looked over at the hourss that Shao Xuan had made from crystals. As he waited for the sand to fall through from the top to bottom, he did a few warm-up exercises and then flipped it over again. Now, he brought out another fierce beast horn.

    Compared to the one Mao blew just now, this one was a lot thinner and longer. It was lighter in colour and the stripes were not circr on this one. These horns came from two different fierce beasts.

    After he took out the horn, Tao Zheng inhaled deeply like Mao did before, and blew into the second horn.

    Wooooooooooooo¡ª

    The second horn did not sound as deep and vigorous as the first. This time, it sounded a bit calmer, like the sound of normal horns they heard every day. The sound was loud and travelled far.

    The stretching sound wave was like an invisible giant hand, smoothing out all the messy vibrations in the area.

    At this moment, it was like all the ming Horn tribespeople were ready and cleaned up all of their things. They waited for it to begin.

    In the ming River Trading Point, the members of the other tribes who were still unsure what was happening when they heard the sound of the horn saw the ming Horn tribespeople leave their homes after they tidied up and stood still facing the direction of the ming River Castle.

    All the patrolling warriors also stood where they were in lines after they heard the sound of the second horn. They were all facing the direction of the ming River Castle.

    The team of warriors who were travelling from the headquarters to the trading point all stood up and held stern expressions. They stood up straight and faced the direction of the trading point. Even the beasts that were resting on the ground straightened up and held a firm stance.

    Everyone in the ming Horn headquarters, no matter where they were, on the mountain or below the mountain, all of them came out from their houses and faced the direction the sound came from.

    After Tao Zheng sounded the horn for a second time, the amount of time between the two horns were slightly shorter. Only half the amount of sand in the hourss spilled to the bottom, but Tuo who was waiting on the side had already brought out a third horn.

    This horn was also the thinnest and longest amongst all the three horns.

    Taking a deep breath, Tuo blew into the third horn.

    Wooooooooooo¡ª

    This time, the horn did not sound as low in pitch as the first, but it wasn¡¯t as calm as the second horn either. This horn was rather sonorous and loud, and it was as if it had the ability to arouse their emotions and bring it to the extreme.

    In the hall, all the dining utensils on the stone tables began to tremble and made loud scratchy sounds. The pots and vessels that originally had the Eight Treasures Porridge or the wine, and other pottery all cracked in that instant, under the force of a strong vibration. A small line started to appear up the bottle and the crack finally split the bottle into two.

    The sound of the horn did not drag on. It was like a decisive sound of a whistle hinting that the sacrifice was officially starting!

    Seeing the newly appointed shamaness of the ming Horn tribe take a step forward like she was ready to begin the sacrifice, the onlookers¡¯ facial expressions were all astonished.

    Were they really starting their sacrifice?

    Wait, they¡¯re not going to gather their people?

    Not even everyone was present, but they¡¯re holding a sacrifice?

 Chapter 623 - Blood & Fire From The Same Source

    <h4>Blood & Fire From The Same Source</h4>

    They didn¡¯t gather their tribespeople and there wasn¡¯t a fire pond or a fire seed. How were they going to hold a sacrifice?

    Everyone who was either still in the hall or watching from the fierce beast gate thought.

    Are the ming Horns joking?

    It doesn¡¯t seem like it.

    Judging from the mood and the ming Horn¡¯s formation, it didn¡¯t look like a joke. They were serious.

    Gui Ze, the new shamaness of the tribe, took a step forward. She was singing the sacrificial mantras today.

    Gui Ze¡¯s voice was not loud, but the iprehensible mantra was like an undying rhythm that spread from inside the ming River Castle to everywhere around it.

    As Gui Ze sang the mantra, a me suddenly grew from the wall in front of them that had no carvings.

    It was like an invisible pen drawing on the wall, with mes as its ink.

    The ming River Grand Feast started in the morning and continued to the afternoon. At that time the sun was already at an incline, but after the ming Horns prepared for the sacrificial ceremony, around another hour passed again. Now, in some parts of the sky, the clouds were tinted with a bright red colour, like burning me, but in other parts, the cyan colour of twilight had already appeared.

    The afterglow of the setting sun shone into the ming River Castle, passing over all the giant skeletons disyed on the surrounding walls, all the stone tables, the ground, the glimmering golden bronze tools, stone tools of different colours, as well as the broken pottery that couldn¡¯t withstand the vibrations caused by the sounding horn.

    The wall of the ming River Tower was receiving thest bit of sunlight of that day.

    As the sun slowly set, the shadows began to stretch. The mes that appeared on the wall reced the disappearing sunlight, and where the sunlight disappeared, the darkness began to spread.

    The mes gradually formed into a shape. It became clearer, moreplete. The mes were forming a shape with a connected bottom foundation curving upward. Two horns, one facing inward and one facing out. shing mes wrapped around the two horns.

    The ming Horn totem sign!

    The two ex-shamans, each on a cane, looked with teary eyes on the thousand year old ancient totem sign that wasing into shape on the stone wall.

    Two horns, one facing inward, one outward, came from the same body. One was a symbol of a strong appearance, the other a strong heart. An unyielding life and an unchanging faith.

    These two old men had aplished yet another wish!

    The ming Horns was a tribe with a long history.

    The kept records and stories passed down by generations of ming Horn people couldn¡¯t help them understand what the ming Horn tribe was like before. It had been too long since they existed and they could no longer see their previous glory. But they were recreating it in the present and the future.

    An ancestor of the ming Horn tribe once wrote, ¡°If a tribe could hold a public showing-off feast without any worries or reluctance, it is a symbol of the tribe¡¯s advancement.¡±

    Why was the Wanshi tribe always excluded from the bigger tribes? Even though they had the power to oppress other smaller tribes and often attacked and robbed the other tribes, besides showing others that they existed, why had they never gained the approval and recognition of the world? The fire seed and their history were not the main reasons.

    People wouldn¡¯t always look at a tribe the same way just because it had a glorious past. The way people look at things are always changing.

    Strength had always been apanied by the term ¡°wealth¡±. Power and resources.

    If a tribe only had the power to battle other tribes but didn¡¯t have enough resources,

    And depended on the food they obtained from every robbery to sustain their life, this tribe would always be despised by other tribes. Wanshi did not have the wealth to hold a grand feast, and they had never even thought about the idea.

    The ming Horns destroyed the Wanshi tribe. This not only increased their fame, but also helped them gain the recognition of others. Their strange power especially left a deep impression on people who came into contact with them. But even so, people had never reallypared them with the other major tribes.

    It was just like the way people saw the Wanshi tribe before. They would think, ¡°So what if you know how to fight? Are you rich? Do you have an ample supply of food?¡±

    People are all realistic, and in their traditional way of thinking, an ample food supply was the standard for a powerful tribe. It didn¡¯t matter if they obtained their food by other means or by hunting. These were all indicators used in determining whether a tribe could be considered ¡°big¡±.

    A powerful tribe did not necessarily have enough food, but to have enough food to even show off their wealth, they must be a big tribe. This was what most tribespeople thought on this continent. They had been thinking this way for tens of thousands of years.

    The Zhi tribe wouldn¡¯te over and tter them just because the ming Horns were so powerful. It was because they knew the ming Horn tribe had enough food to eat, so they came over even without any invitation.

    There were still many more who were thinking the same way, and this was also the reason why the ming Horn tribe valued this ¡°showing-off¡± grand feast so much.

    This sacrifice was not merely held for giving their ancestors a satisfactory response, but was also an importantmemoration for the ming Horn tribe.

    The setting sun drifted down the mountains far away, but in their ears, they could still hear the sounds of the horns from before although it had long disappeared.

    Inside the ming River Castle, therge arena was already covered in the shadows, and because of this, the totem fire seemed even brighter.

    ¡°That.... That¡¯s.......¡±

    ¡°Totem!¡±

    ¡°I can feel it, it¡¯sing from the ming Horn fire seed!¡±

    ¡°How? How is this possible?¡±

    The people who were determined to stay in the arena were shocked to see this. It was the first time they saw the ming Horn tribe perform such a strange sacrificial rite with their own eyes. There was no fire pond! A sacrifice with an invisible fire seed!

    It was really hard to believe!

    The ming Horn tribe actually started a sacrifice even without a fire pond and their fire seed was nowhere to be seen! And they even seeded!

    So this was the secret the ming Horns had kept all along?

    But even if they saw it with their own eyes, they still could notprehend how the change happened?

    Right when all these people were troubled by their doubts, changes took ce once again inside the arena.

    Before, the energy of the fire seed was wavering and it wasn¡¯t clear whether it was really there, but suddenly, it became clear and was burning even faster!

    On the walls inside the arena, the fierce energy that used to linger on the beast bones was suppressed so much that it disappearedpletely. Not even one bit was left behind. Even those violent energies inside the blood that Zheng Luo and the others purposely spilled to decorate the skeletons had disappearedpletely!

    This was the same arena from before, but in the blink of an eye, it was like an entirely new ce.

    To those who did not belong to the ming Horn tribe, the fire seed¡¯s energy was making them feel extremely ufortable.

    This sudden surge of energy from another tribe¡¯s fire seed was not directed specifically at them, but it was flooding the entire ce. No, it wasn¡¯t just in this arena. Even beyond, outside the ming River Castle, in the trading area. This energy was everywhere!

    This made their hairs stand on ends, and their hair seemed like they were blown up. It was like a cold electric current was spreading and touched them on their skin. It made many of them shiver.

    When the ming Horn tribe¡¯s fire seed¡¯s energy suddenly surged, Abuli, who was hiding and looking from behind the beast fang gate, felt all the totem markings on his body surface, and his fingernails suddenly grew wildly from his fingers. On his feet, long toenails that were sharp as a knife grew out suddenly from his toes. The tightly-grown hairs on his face grew thicker, and Abuli¡¯s entire figure hunched, his feet spread apart in a wild fashion, and one of his arms was in front, the other behind, creating an awkward and strange posture.

    He had no control over this. It was all a natural reaction to the fire seed¡¯s energy. This sudden change in posture was not readying him for battle. Instead, it was preparing him for a fast escape anytime.

    It wasn¡¯t just Abuli. Even the people from the other tribes behaved simrly. Under the suppression from another tribe¡¯s fire seed energy, the totem power in their bodies could only mobilize to resist it.

    At that instant, all sorts of totem markings and transformations took ce, all types of changes in appearance caused by totem powers surfaced to their skin. All of them lookedpletely different from before.

    But in contrast, the people of the ming Horn tribe were all feeling especially good.

    Blood coursed through their veins, emotions ran high! Their hearts were suddenly filled with infinite emotions, ready to rush out of their chests, but no one spoke. Rather, following the appearance of the totem lines, small mes started to appear from inside their bodies.

    The number of mes slowly increased and spread out wider, as if it was engulfing their entire body.

    If the ming Horn¡¯s sess in making the totem sign appear through their sacrifice shocked the people around them, the situation now probably shattered their entire world view.

    ¡°Burn... They¡¯re actually burning!¡± someone said with widened eyes.

    There was no fire pond, no fire seed, not enough people. How did they perform the sacrifice?

    But the ming Horns seeded!

    The beast hides, beast meat, seasoning powder, grains... All of these were nothingpared to this!

    To them, the most meaningful action the ming Horns made that day was performing the sacrificial ceremony at the end of the ming River Grand Feast!

    At this moment, all of these people who were present had doubts simr to those they had back when the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed disappeared, but back then they never thought much about it. They even felt like they were watching a show, but now this doubt really made them feel uneasy.

    What did the final form of the fire seed look like?

    Maybe, the ming Horns had another purpose when they invited them here. It wasn¡¯t just to publicise their trading area or to show off. Maybe they had another purpose!

    ¡°Blood and fire from the same source!¡±

    The chief of the Mang tribe couldn¡¯t help but think of this saying. Back when the shaman of the Mang tribe was analysing what actually happened to the ming Horn tribe¡¯s fire seed, he made this hypothesis.

    Beyond the beast fang gate, Abuli looked toward the ming Horn tribesmen in mes, and turned his head in another direction to look at the other ming Horns outside the castle.

    They¡¯re all burning!

    ¡°Wait, that! Look at that guy! He¡¯s burning!¡± Abuli¡¯s wife eximed.

    ¡°Nonsense! I know they¡¯re burning, all the ming Horns are burning!¡± Abuli snapped back into reality. He closed his gaping mouth. His jaw was sore.

    ¡°Not them, look over here!¡± Abuli¡¯s wife held his face with both hands and turned it towards the inside of the ming River Castle.

    Abuli¡¯s eyes almost fell out of ce. His jaws suddenly dropped down again.

    ¡°Uhhhhhhh.....¡±

    Abuli shifted his head slowly. He was looking forward from his eye level, and he slowly lifted his chin and looked upward. Atst, he stretched his neck upward and looked into the sky. Only two words came out of his mouth, ¡°Oh God!¡±

 Chapter 624 - Wait, Grand Elder, What Are you Trying To Do?!

    <h4>Wait, Grand Elder, What Are you Trying To Do?!</h4>

    Inside the ming River Castle, in front of the ming River Tower. Amongst the three individuals who stood looking at the totem mes on the wall, one of them looked clearly different from the rest.

    Although all of the ming Horns were burning and the mes from their bodies were not the same height, there wasn¡¯t too much of a difference.

    However, the mes from the person who stood in the centre between the current chief and shaman of the ming Horn tribe suddenly burst upward and scared many of them.

    Those who were still shocked at the burning bodies of the ming Horn tribesmen suddenly shifted all their attention to Shao Xuan.

    The burning human figure suddenly burst upward and was as tall as the ming River Tower. It continued to extend upward until it could see everything in the nearby region.

    This was the reason why Abuli tilted his head upward to look. He looked over the moment Shao Xuan¡¯s mes burst upward.

    When the burning figure stopped extending upwards, it started expanding in all directions. The fire pir grew thicker and more mes flew out from it.

    Although the people of the ming Horn tribe were shocked at first, their eyes were gleaming with joy after they calmed down.

    Shao Xuan was able to hold the title Grand Elder because he had all six bone ornaments that only an elder was qualified to wear, and no oneined.

    Not just anyone could wield them.

    These six bone ornaments carried the wills of their ancestors, only when Shao Xuan wore the bone ornaments could the burning giant appear.

    The reason they held a sacrifice after the grand feast was to inform their ancestors about their achievement, and now, the bone ornaments were responding. The mes were not as solid as before, but everyone could tell that it was a burning giant! It was the first ancestor¡¯s burning giant!

    Their ancestor¡¯s will has appeared!

    This made all the ming Horns so excited that they were on the verge of crying, but they maintained theirposure.

    At this moment, what they felt was simr to what a very hardworking student would feel after he had tried his best in answering on a test. Now, a teacher who was going to correct their papers and give them a good grade had appeared. This was someone they had waited to meet all along, someone they respected. Of course they would be excited.

    The fact that the first shaman of the ming Horn tribe left them these six bone ornaments really was a big deal to them. Without these six bone ornaments, they had no ancestral power and it would not be possible for them to merge so quickly and smoothly. Regardless of whether it was the time when they were chased by the murderous ve masters on the other side of the sea or when they parted the sea to return, they used the power from these ancestral bone ornaments.

    But after the bone ornaments were used to part the sea, it lost too much energy and entered into a resting state. After that, not much really happened.

    Back when they were nning this sacrifice, they didn¡¯t expect the bone ornaments to suddenly power up. This was a joyful surprise.

    They were not sure whether it was because the bone ornaments had notpletely recovered, but when the burning giant came into shape, the mes were wavering and the figure wasn¡¯t as firmly held together. But even so, the ming Horn tribespeople were already really satisfied. They couldn¡¯t wait to bow down to it a couple more times.

    In the forest outside the ming River Trading Point.

    The teams that came to attend the feast left a few people outside to wait and observe what was happening on the inside. Not only did they have to check what was happening on the inside, but they also had to be careful of everything suspicious outside.

    Besides these people, others who followed the teams that came to attend the feast who were not invited were also hiding in the forest. They came because they were curious.

    When the grand feast started inside the trading area, they could smell the food from outside. It made their mouths water and their tummies growl. But all they could do was drink some unclean water and chew on some stiff jerky.

    When the me suddenly burst upward inside the trading area, it naturally caught their attention.

    ¡°The ming River Trading Point...is burning?! What happened?!¡± someone eximed.

    Just now, they only sensed energying from inside the trading area that made them feel ufortable. They understood that this was the ming Horn¡¯s territory. It was normal to feel this way in other people¡¯s territory.

    Before they were even not used to not having this type of energy around. But what was the violent me all about?

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me... that the ming Horn tribe actually made a move?¡± the person who spoke gestured with his hands, demonstrating a chopping action with his hands as des.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make sense. How could the ming Horn tribe be that stupid? And don¡¯t forget, amongst the tribes that went in, besides the smaller tribes, there was the Mang tribe, Thousand Masks tribe, Eight Limbs tribe, and others. You think they could get rid of them all in one go? There are even eagles from the Hui tribe and Tianshan tribe watching from all around. They didn¡¯t even fly in yet.¡±

    Indeed, there were eagles from the Hui tribe and Tianshan tribe watching from all around, but they were not flying around and keeping watch in the sky now. Rather, they were farther away from the trading area, either resting on a tree, a mountain, or a rock, watching the movements inside the ming River Trading Area.

    They didn¡¯t hear any whistles signalling them toe down. Of all the tribes that went in, none blew on their whistles.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see!¡±

    The people who were hiding inside the forest spected on the movements inside the trading point anxiously. They were tensing up and ready to rush in that direction anytime.

    Meanwhile, the people who saw this inside the trading area were also shocked.

    Especially the people who were closest inside the ming River Castle. They felt extremely confused. If the fact that the ming Horns could summon the energy of the fire seed shocked them, then seeing the ming Horns burning up shocked them even more. Now, Shao Xuan¡¯s transformation looked like a pot of oil was sshed onto a zing fire, its sizzling sounds burned on everyone¡¯s nerves.

    They could notprehend or imagine the scene in front of them. This was not at all simr to the world they were familiar with. Their views that they firmly held onto must be changed now.

    Blood and fire from the same source.....

    This was the only hypothesis that could justify the fact that the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t have a fire seed and could still cause such a scene. Even if it was just a guess, when they encountered this, they couldn¡¯t stay calm. The theory that blood and fire wereing from the same source couldn¡¯t really exin what they were seeing now. This was probably a unique skill possessed only by ming Horns that was passed down by their ancestors. Other tribes didn¡¯t have this.

    They could only stand on the side and watch, and see what this grand elder of the ming Horn tribe was about to do.

    Shao Xuan also never expected the bone ornaments to suddenly awaken and activate its power.

    The power of totem, transmission, and other special powers inside his body was all being pulled away at that instant. The six bone ornaments were spinning wildly like a whirlwind, sucking in all the energy Shao Xuan was providing.

    This was different from previous times.

    Before, these six bone ornaments were activated purely by their own power and did not require too much of Shao Xuan¡¯s power. Shao Xuan could not even choose when they were going to appear.

    So Shao Xuan could use his own power to activate the bone ornaments, just like back then when he used it to part the sea and return. When the bone ornaments could no longer provide enough energy to support its function, Shao Xuan would use his own energy to support it.

    But now, Shao Xuan did not even use his own energy to activate the bone ornament¡¯s power. It activated automatically but it still relied on Shao Xuan¡¯s energy for support.

    The bone ornaments had notpletely recovered. Shao Xuan suddenly figured out the reason.

    Maybe their ancestors left a remnant of their consciousness inside the bone ornaments, and because they saw such a grand feast, they got too excited and jumped out by themselves?

    This sudden energy that was welling out of the bone ornaments might be caused by the remaining consciousness of their ancestors. Shao Xuan¡¯s emotions were also slightly stirred by it, making him feel like howling with all his might.

    Sure enough, the ancestors were probably very happy.

    After being stirred by all these emotions, Shao Xuan moved.

    All the people in the ming Horn tribe: ¡°.......¡±

    Their eyes looked up at the ming giant up above, and then fixed onto Shao Xuan. From their eyes, it was clear that their feelings were at first filled with utmost reverence, then shock, then terror.

    Wait! Grand Elder! What are you trying to do?

    Don¡¯t lift your leg! Please show some mercy!

    We are still standing beside you, grand elder! Look at us!

    Don¡¯t lift your foot! Don¡¯t step on us!

    The people of the ming Horn tribe, whether they had seen Shao Xuan use the ancestral powers before, or heard about it after, all thought the same way when they saw Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden movements.

    Everyone in the ming Horn tribe, from the ex-chiefs to the current chiefs and shamans, and other hunt leaders like Duo Kang, all of them were terrified. But the mes that were surrounding them covered them so it was not obvious.

    If Shao Xuan was to lift his foot and step down, everything they had worked so hard to establish, the entire grand feast, would all go to waste. Not only would it ruin the ming Horn tribe¡¯s powerful image, they would even beughed at by others.

    If they were to suffer a step from this giant, and if they didn¡¯t die, they would be severely injured, right?

    Especially Zheng Luo, Duo Kang, and others who had seen the might of this me giant before. Their hands were all trembling. That year when they migrated from the other side of the sea and encountered the teams that the ve masters sent out to capture them, they had seen Shao Xuan summon the power of the ancestral bones to step on the ground. In an instant, the ground split apart as if an earthquake happened and shocked the team that was hunting for them. It stopped those people from following them so tightly.

    If it could split the ground, fight the king of beasts, and part the sea, could people like them bear this kind of power?

    Thinking about the earth splitting apart back then, they recalled seeing giant boulders being thrown up. Then they imagined, if that situation was to happen again here and now, how would it look like?

    They recalled the time when they went to the salt mine and encountered the King Beast. Before they even got to see how Shao Xuan summoned the ancestral power, they already flew towards the snow, so all of them were shaking with fear.

    The more they thought about it, the paler their faces became.

    Grand Elder, please don¡¯t do anything stupid!

    But, judging from Shao Xuan¡¯s looks, it didn¡¯t seem like he was doing it on purpose. It was like, maybe, perhaps, what their ancestors wanted to do?

    They really wanted to stop Shao Xuan from doing what he was about to do, but they didn¡¯t want to disrespect their ancestors so they didn¡¯t act recklessly. But right when they hesitated, Shao Xuan moved again.

    This time, Shao Xuan did not move his foot. Instead, he moved his hand.

    It looked as if Shao Xuan¡¯s arms were carelessly raised from his side. The blurry burning figure also followed suit and raised its arms.

    Seeing this, everyone in the ming Horn tribe breathed out a sigh of relief. Thank goodness it did not lift its feet. It scared them so much that cold sweat covered their foreheads. Before, during their previous sacrifices, the ming giant that represented their ancestors also lifted its arms, like it was cheering, so they finally stopped worrying.

    Turns out our ancestors are just cheering?! Gosh, that was close! Wait!

    Huh?

    Huh!

    Huh!!!

 Chapter 625 - The Flaming Torrent

    <h4>The ming Torrent</h4>

    The me giant was blurry and it was hard to see it clearly. Instead of watching the movements of the giant up above, why not just observe Shao Xuan? After all, Shao Xuan was the one acting on behalf of the ancestral ming giant.

    The me giant¡¯s movements were all matching with Shao Xuan¡¯s.

    So when the people of the ming Horn tribe could not tell clearly what the me giant was about to do, they would look at Shao Xuan.

    What a strange sight! Even the mood of the entire ce had changed.

    Although they couldn¡¯t see the ming Horn people¡¯s expressions clearly and felt that there was something wrong with them, the other tribes thought that they had very subtle expressions. From their perspective, they could not really see their expressions clearly, but they could still make out some of their expressions from the side. Because of this, they got even more confused. What were the ming Horns thinking?

    Sudden anxiety spread throughout the entire ce.

    Those who were either looking at the ming Horns or the giant me figure in the sky all felt their muscles tense up. The totem power inside their bodies reached a climax and prepared them for anything that could happen.

    Could it be that when Gui He warned everyone to leave and told them ¡°he wouldn¡¯t rmend them staying here¡± because something dangerous was really going to happen?

    If Gui He knew what they were thinking at that moment, he would definitely speak out for his innocence because as the current chief of the ming Horn tribe, he did not expect such a thing to happen either! Andpared to these onlookers, the ming Horns were even more anxious!

    At this moment, Abuli, who was hiding behind the beast fang gate of the ming River Castle had an ominous premonition.

    He was anxious, and they were even more vignt and careful than all the other tribes. Simply put, they had been timid from the start. Even on normal days when they went out to hunt for food, a mere breeze blowing on grass could scare them away.

    Even though their tribe was notrge and didn¡¯t have much power to fight the other tribes for resources, they knew to depend on their vignce, instinct, and ability to escape, so that was how they managed to stay alive in the forest till now.

    Since they felt that something unpleasant was about to happen, they stopped hesitating. Curiosity was not as important as their lives.

    Abuli held onto his wife and started running. He screamed, ¡°Hide!¡±

    The other members of the Zhi tribe were already waiting for this moment. When they heard his orders, they followed behind him.

    Outside the ming River Castle were houses that looked like courtyards. Back when they designed the ce, Shao Xuan had already designed it to resemble a courtyard.

    After Abuli ran out of the beast fang gate, he jumped through the window of a house and hid inside.

    These houses were not assigned to any tribe, and the ming Horns who were inside all walked out, so no one else was inside these houses.

    Abuli chose this house and went to hide inside because he noticed this. The doors here were all shut, but the windows were open. There was nothing inside the house too. It was empty.

    The person who jumped inst through the window pulled on the wooden window blinds with his long arms and extended fingernails. Shutting them tightly, he pressed hard against the window panel.

    But some of the warriors of the Zhi tribe got stuck while they flipped through the window. It wasn¡¯t because they were fat, but because they brought too many things. Those were all the food they didn¡¯t finish eating from the feast. There was too much food and the window was too small. He couldn¡¯t move all these food into the house, so he unwillingly set them down outside and shut the windows.

    It didn¡¯t even take them a few blinks. Abuli and around a hundred of his people all hid inside thergest house in this courtyard.

    Even though this was already thergest house in this courtyard and all of these people could fit inside even after eating and drinking so much, it was still a little packed. The doors and windows were all tightly shut. The house was suddenly dark and light only came through from between the cracks in the tiles and the spaces between the window blinds.

    The darkness made them anxious.

    Poof¡ª¨C

    It was a long, soft sound.

    Abuli sniffed the air. His face turned green, ¡°Who farted!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, ate too much, couldn¡¯t hold it in,¡± an apologetic voice spoke from a ce not far from Abuli.

    At a time like this, they couldn¡¯t even open the window and leave so they had to hold it in.

    Meanwhile, inside the arena of the ming River Castle, right after Abuli and his group hid into the house, something huge happened.

    Shao Xuan lifted both his arms, but this time, it was different from the cheering posture from before. Instead, after he lifted them up, he opened his arms wide and spread them in opposite directions. Then, like a person standing in the wind, he shook his sleeves.

    At the same time, the me giant opened his arms wide and did exactly what Shao Xuan did. He shook his sleeves, and in the next instant, it was like a strong wind blew past them, stretching the body of the me giant. On the side of his arms, two broad fire sleeves, like the ones on a normal human shirt, was blown up by the wind.

    But this was just the beginning.

    The ¡°sleeve¡± continued to stretch, and the me giant¡¯s entire body was stretched too. It looked like a me blown by the wind, and the tails of the me stretched out. However, it was different from a normal torch in the sense that the figure of the me giant was still there. It had not faded or shortened. On the contrary, countless mes flew out from the figure, forming torrents of fire that rushed into the distance.

    The me giant was already taller than all the buildings in the trading point. The me torrents gushing from it effortlessly passed above the buildings inside the ming River Castle. They could not block the ming torrents and it immediately shot out beyond the castle into the trading point. It spread far and wide, like the gush of a waterfall, and it was ready to flush away everything inside the ming River Trading Point.

    But the strange thing was, the flooding torrent of mes went around the people of the ming Horn tribe, but Gui He and Gui Ze who were standing beside Shao Xuan could still feel an obvious flowing torrent of fire flow past them. It looked like a raging torrent of mes, but they did not sense the slightest wind or wave.

    It wasn¡¯t just them though. All the architecture and tools inside the trading point remained untouched and intact, without any bumps or cracks. It was like everything never happened.

    However, those people from the other tribes who remained inside the trading point all suffered. Especially those who stood closest inside the arena of the ming River Castle, those onlookers. They suffered the most.

    At this time, it was as if they were in the middle of a thunderstorm, struggling to fight the natural forces, the wind and waves.

    The energy from another tribe¡¯s fire seed was growing stronger and it was getting even harder for them to bear. It was like a person who liked salty food and disliked sweet food suddenly getting covered up with a shower of sugar, and not just a little bit of sugar, but a whole mountain of sugar.

    How could this make them feel good?

    Everyone was holding it in and resisting it. They were the ones who chose to stay and even stood so close. They made this decision, so they had to grit their teeth and persevere!

    Inparison, the people from the Zhi tribe who already hid inside were actually a lot safer. They kept a distance from the ming River Castle, and they were hiding inside a house, so the flooding energy of the mes did not directlye into contact with them, but the house suddenly felt suppressed from all corners and made many of them scared to the point that their teeth began to chatter. Inside the house, they could clearly hear the clucking sounds made from them trembling.

    Abuli¡¯s jaw twitched. He wanted to control and stop his teeth from chattering, but his heart was going wild.

    What was happening?

    What are the ming Horns doing? My legs are giving out!

 Chapter 626 - End Of The Banquet

    Chapter 626

    End Of The Banquet

    Within a few breaths, the entire ming River Trading Point was flooded by the me torrent. All the architecture seemed blurry inside the trading point.

    All those people from the other tribes who still remained inside the trading point were all frightened. The sudden pressure made them tremble with fear. At this moment, their leaders who were still inside the ming River Castle were all suddenly caught off guard and lost their backbones. They didn¡¯t know what to do, so they could only huddle with their team, like little chicks gathering together in the strong winds, gritting their teeth while trying to fight off the cold.

    They were all worried about what happened inside the castle and worried what might have happened to their leader, but even now, they did not hear any whistles!

    They did not dare to act recklessly on their own will without hearing any whistle cues. Their chief had emphasized this more than a few times. They were not to act recklessly. Now, something unexpected had happened, so even if they heard the whistle from another tribe, they would also rush over immediately because their own chief might also be facing the same trouble. Maybe an ident happened and their chief couldn¡¯t blow the whistle.

    But now, out of all the major tribes that came here, they didn¡¯t hear a single whistle!

    The people who were observing from outside the trading point were all shocked when they saw the entire trading point bathed in bright fire. If they didn¡¯t sense that this unusual light came from something simr to a fire seed, and knew that it wouldn¡¯t injure anyone or anything, they would have rushed in right away.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening in there?!¡± someone yelled.

    Even if it wasn¡¯t an unusual fire seed and wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone or anything, it still had a repelling force towards all the other tribes. This made them feel very ufortable. It wasn¡¯t there before, why did it suddenly appear?

    ¡°What should we do? Should we go over and look?¡±

    ¡°Wait! We can¡¯t go in yet!¡± another person tried his best to speak through gritted teeth.

    They didn¡¯t hear any whistles, and there was no way the chiefs of those few tribes were all destroyed. Even if they didn¡¯t believe anything else, they still had faith in their own chief and hunt leaders. How could their own leaders be so useless?!

    Wait!

    We can only wait!

    Wait for the sound of the whistle, or wait for the situation over there to calm down first.

    About another half an hour had passed. The bright light from the mes slowly dimmed and disappeared.

    Inside the ming River Castle, the enormous me giant also slowly faded away and disappeared.

    The energy from the ming Horn fire seed that filled the entire atmosphere also disappeared. Seeing this, the people from other tribes who chose to stay behind were finally able to rx.

    Is it finally..... over?

    They were not sure, but they had been shocked. Who knows what was going to happen next?

    Some people who stood on the roads belonged to the ming Horn tribe. After the light from the fire had disappeared, they felt refreshed and full of energy. There was still unfading excitement in their eyes, and they looked like believers who had just been bathed in holy light. This waspletely opposite to the tense faces of the people from the other tribes.

    The people from the Zhi tribe who were still hiding inside the house also peeked out from behind the blinds. Although they noticed that the situation outside had calmed down, they still didn¡¯t dare toe out. They were timid and cautious, and they had to be sure that there was no longer any threat outside. Then they woulde out.

    The people who were left outside the ming River Castle also rushed toward the beast fang gate. They wanted to make sure that their chiefs were alive and well.

    When they saw the peoplee out from the inside, they finally rxed. Although they did not appear to be very happy, they were not hurt. That was enough for them.

    They found their spines, so they were no longer worried. Now they were just waiting for their chiefs¡¯ orders.

    The ming Horns inside the castle were all cleaning up after the sacrifice, but the people from the other tribes no longer had the mood to stay any longer. They led their teams out with stern expressions. They greeted the people outside the beast fang gate and headed back to the courtyard that the ming Horns had prepared for them.

    The people of the Mang tribe returned to their courtyard. After hearing the reports from his subordinates, he waved his hands and gestured for the others to leave. Only Huang Ye was allowed to stay behind.

    ¡°Did you feel it just now?¡± Fu Gui asked.

    Huang Ye was startled. He did not understand what the chief meant.

    ¡°ording to the people who came to report, regardless of whether the ming Horn tribespeople were inside the trading point or outside, they experienced the same changes,¡± Fu Gui said.

    ¡°So what you mean is.....¡± Huang Ye made a burning gesture with his hands.

    Fu Gui nodded. ¡°Not just them. I even heard from the people who were observing the ming Horn headquarters that the people there also experienced the same changes.¡±

    Huang Ye¡¯s eyes widened, ¡°They¡¯re so far though! It¡¯s on the other side of the river. Even them?!¡±

    ¡°This is also what I care about,¡± Fu Gui¡¯s eyes expressed their deep contemtion. He was bing more and more curious about the fire seed¡¯s other form.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. We will not follow our original n. I n to stay here for a little longer,¡± Fu Gui said.

    Initially, they only wanted to see what the ming River Trading Point looked like and also find out the ming Horn tribe¡¯s true strength. They wanted to see whether they could really host such a grand feast. In their n, they did not want to stay here for too long. They were not familiar with the ming River area, and rarely did they send any expedition teams here. This ce had always been a far ce marked with poverty. If they could not obtain enough information about a ce, they naturally did not stay for too long.

    But now, Fu Gui suddenly had a change of ns. He no longer cared about the food they had in the ming River Grand Feast. Now, the only things he cared about were: first, the green weapons in the ming Horn¡¯s hands. Second, and also the most important, what he cared about the most, the fire seed¡¯s alternative form!

    Fu Gui had a feeling that he would regret if he didn¡¯t clear up his doubts and questions about this.

    ¡°Maybe, our tribe might end up making the same decision the ming Horns made,¡± Fu Gui sighed.

    Huang Ye understood what Fu Gui meant by ¡°the same decision¡±. He couldn¡¯t help but worry, ¡°But, the fire seed is a matter concerning the entire tribe. We should think more about it before making the decision.¡±

    ¡°Of course. But I have a feeling that at the end, we will still decide to take the path the ming Horns took,¡± Fu Gui was disappointed, but seeing how Huang Ye¡¯s face was still full of disagreement, he said, ¡°Why do you think the ming Horn tribe publicised this secret?¡±

    It had been so long. They didn¡¯t even say it back when they were still in the Fearsome Beast Forest. Why did they suddenly decide to publicise it?

    ¡°The ming Horns want to show off? Or, they want to use this matter to get something from the major tribes?¡± Huang Ye tried to guess the answer.

    Fu Gui couldn¡¯t help but smile, ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡±

    With those words, Fu Gui lifted his hands and pointed in one direction. That was where the desert was located.

    ¡°Rock Hill City?¡± Huang Ye asked.

    ¡°More than that!¡±

    Fu Gui¡¯s expression was very unusual. Huang Ye had never seen him like this before. He looked like he was anticipating something, but he also looked worried. But more anticipation than worry.

    ¡°The other side of the sea!¡±

    The Mang tribe was different from the other stronger tribes. Every single one of their chiefs had always been carefully selected. They were probably not the strongest tribe and might not even make it to the top three in strength, but one thing was for sure, they were smart and farsighted.

    They did not know when this began, but it had always been the method they used to select a chief in the Mang tribe.

    If Shao Xuan knew about this, he would definitely express his admiration. No wonder they were one of the most powerful tribes in the central region. Not every tribe could achieve this kind of understanding, and it was clear now how the Mang tribe had been able to develop so steadily.

    Even though the chief of the Mang tribe might not be able to do everything perfectly, they were not at all limited in their thinking. Sometimes, they had to admit that their leader, be it the chief of the shaman, had a very keen ¡°sense of smell¡±.

    He continued to speak even before Huang Ye could figure out what ¡°on the other side of the sea¡± meant. ¡°The tribes in the ming River region will definitely stand beside the ming Horns and plead to be their ally after today¡¯s incident. Others did not matter, but all those tribes that came over today are definitely on the ming Horn¡¯s side.¡±

    Huang Yepletely agreed with Fu Gui¡¯s words.

    Perhaps some people were thinking how unbelievable it was that the ming Horn tribe were able to attract all those people by a simple meal. But to them who had once also hosted a ¡°showing-off¡± feast, they knew clearly that the poorer a tribe was, the easier it was for them to be attracted by a simple meal. This was why many tribes that had power chose to host grand feasts rather than battles. A simple meal could help them achieve their goals. How easy was that? But these small tribes were not stupid. They could tell immediately whether a tribe was really powerful.

    The ming Horn¡¯s grand feast made them all satisfied, and especially after experiencing today¡¯s giant ¡°fire¡±, although those people were afraid back when it was happening, their desire to side with the ming Horns would only grow stronger. The stronger the ming Horns were, the safer they felt.

    Many of the other tribespeople didn¡¯t think too much. They only believed in what they had seen or experienced, and if they wanted to persuade them to fight the ming Horn tribe, it was not very likely in a short period of time. This was the weird characteristic of many tribesmen. Sometimes they were just so stubborn and ¡°stupid¡± that there was nothing to be done.

    ¡°If the ming Horn tribe could gather and unite all the tribes in this area, it would also be a massive threat,¡± this Huang Ye understood.

    ¡°We both know the ming Horn¡¯s power. They are not any weaker than us, but if they unite all of these tribes, they no longer have to fear any other tribes. But! They still chose to publicise this secret about the fire seed! Because they are afraid!¡± Fu Gui looked toward Huang Ye, ¡°What do you think, where did those ming Horns that walked out from the deserte from?¡±

    ¡°Of course from the des¨C.....¡± Huang Ye suddenly stopped, his eyes widened in shock, ¡°You mean, they came from the other side of the sea?¡±

    Fu Gui did not reply, but his expression already gave away an affirmative answer.

    Fu Gui¡¯s guess was not wrong.

    Actually, the ming Horn tribe also decided to publicise this secret after many discussions. Before, they wanted to keep it a secret from all the other tribes and only tell it to their allies. They even thought about getting more benefits from other tribes through this secret, but at the end, they still decided to use this method.

    The two continents were already getting closer to each other. It was only a matter of time before they would find out. Conflict would break out sooner orter. By then, it would be too difficult if the ming Horns were to face it alone. There were still too few people in the ming Horn tribe, and they couldn¡¯t even bepared with an ordinary city over there.

    And on the other side of the sea, the six aristocrats united as one rope. Every aristocrat in the cities also brought in some tribes, but the tribes over there were quite different from the tribes here. It was impossible for them to give up on the aristocrats and support the people here.

    And the tribes here, ording to what Shao Xuan knew about them, although there was a lot of friction between them in the past, once ve owners were involved, they would definitely stand on the same side even if they were the Longboat tribe and Tianshan tribe. No matter how much they despised seeing the ming Horns, between the ve masters and them, they would still choose the ming Horns.

    Tonight, the people from the major tribes that were still staying inside the trading area did not sleep well. They all had their own guesses, and were getting even closer to the truth.

    The matter about the fire seed made them frustrated.

    The ancient fire seed had disappeared, but the fire seed still existed. But it just took another form, one in which blood and fire came from the same source. This the ming Horn tribe already proved to them.

    Innovation was always apanied by fear. Choosing this meant that they had to give up other things that they had long been ustomed to. This was a great challenge for the tribesmen.

    They worried and thought deeply. They were not sure if the new change was good or bad for their tribe. It might be a perfect option for other tribes, but it might not suit them well.

    The ancient fire seed protected the entire tribe but also limited them. Many things they did were limited because of it. But one day if it was possible for the fire seed to not be limited to one ce, and if everyone in the tribe did not need to gather in the same ce throughout the entire year, if they could enjoy such freedom, what would the future be like?

    The ming Horns had chosen such a revolutionary path, and even the Drumming tribe and Rain tribe followed in their steps. Who¡¯s next?

 Chapter 627 - Making A Name

    <h4>Making A Name</h4>

    After the ming River Grand Banquet ended, the ming River Trading Point was officially open.

    In front of the few entrances were giant stone tes carved with the new rules of the trading point. Every new face that came by were gestured by the ming Horn guards to read the rules first, or else they wouldn¡¯t even know the reason if they were killed inside the trading point.

    Once their lives were involved, those who didn¡¯t care at first immediately went back to take a closer read.

    These new faces were people who followed the few major tribes when they came to attend the grand feast. Before, they couldn¡¯t even enter, but when they heard that the ming River Trading Point was officially opened, they thought about it for an entire night before they finally made the bold decision to go in.

    If they already made it this far and were ustomed to expeditions, they had a heart for adventure and were full of curiosity, or else they wouldn¡¯t have followed them until now.

    When they were hiding in the distance and observing the ming River trading point, their curiosity made them want to know more, but because they couldn¡¯t, they had to hold back the urge.

    Now, they could finally see everything inside the ming River trading point.

    None of the twenty-four tribes that came left. All of them nned to stay here and trade. Some wanted to leaveter while others were waiting for the perfect time to go.

    Like the Zhi tribe, they didn¡¯t leave yesterday because they over-ate and couldn¡¯t run fast. There were also all sorts of dangers outside.

    Now that night had passed, they had finished digesting most of the food, and they also finished up all the leftovers they took from inside the ming River Castle. Now, they were only waiting for those people outside toe into the trading point. Then they would leave. If they left earlier, those people outside who had bad intentions might stop them on the way, so the best way was to wait for those curious people to enter first and then leave. That was the safest option.

    Some other smaller tribes thought the same way too. They were not good at most things, but they knew how to determine the best time to escape.

    The people who just entered the ming River Trading Point were already attracted to all sorts of ¡°sturdy¡± goods.

    ¡°Whoa, look over there! What a giant piece of meat!¡±

    ¡°Judging by the colour, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve tried this before. Is this what they call fearsome beast meat?¡±

    ¡°Fearsome beast meat?!¡±

    These three words were indeed a great shock to them, even if they often went on expedition trips. They rarely saw any fearsome beasts, unless they went to the Fearsome Beast Forest or the desert. But how many of them were bold enough to enter the Fearsome Beast Forest? Even back then the Wanshi tribe rarely ventured there. So if they were not stupid or out of their minds, they would stay away from that fiercend. As for the desert, even fewer people went there.

    ¡°What is this meat?¡± someone with widened eyes asked. He went closer to smell the bloody meat as he asked. His face expressed his fascination, ¡°This must be delicious!¡±

    ¡°Giant Bear,¡± the ming Horn tribesman who was selling it said slowly.

    ¡°Giant Bear? How giant is it?¡± someone asked curiously.

    ¡°What is this other meat?¡± Before they even got an answer from the seller, another person asked again.

    ¡°That¡¯s the meat of a giant w beast,¡± the person in charge of that stall replied calmly.

    ¡°Giant w? How big is giant?¡±

    ¡°Um, like that one over there,¡± the person who was selling pointed to the stall opposite from his. It was full of beast fangs and beast ws. ¡°It¡¯s that third giant beast w if you count from this side.¡±

    ¡°Oh ~~~¡± another group of people rushed over together.

    ¡°So this is the w of the giant w beast?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± the uncle who was selling the beast fangs and ws smiled at them with his dazzling teeth. He took the giant w down from where it was and let these people who had never seen the ¡°real world¡± take a closer look.

    The people who rushed over touched the beast w from top to bottom. Then their hands went from bottom to top again. Their eyes stared with awe at the giant beast w that was twice as tall as them.

    ¡°What beast does this w belong to?¡± another person asked from the side.

    ¡°That¡¯s a beast fang.¡±

    ¡°This beast fang is so huge!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s not THAT big,¡± the man who was selling the beast fang grinned at them with his white teeth, ¡°Would you like to buy this?¡±

    The people who were growing excited suddenly felt like they were sshed with a bucket of ice.

    Their expressions were all frozen, dumbfounded.

    They were too rushed when they came, so to ease their travel when they were tailing the major tribes, they didn¡¯t bring enough ¡°money¡±. They felt around their pockets and only found a few glittering gems, stones, or shells. There was some jade, but they were not of decent quality. They really couldn¡¯t get much out of their pockets. At first, they wanted to trick the ming Horns about how valuable their goods were, but seeing how the ming Horns were capable of hosting a ¡°showing-off¡± feast, how was it possible for them to not have seen these? As they recalled everything they had seen since they entered the ming River Trading Point, they didn¡¯t dare to trick the ming Horns.

    They thought about the rules that were carved on the stone te when they entered the trading point, and then thought again about how carefree the uncle who was selling the beast fangs and beasts horns was, how effortlessly he moved the giant w over for them to see.....

    You¡¯ll get killed, alright?!

    But, if they came all the way here without bringing anything back to show off, they felt sorry for themselves.

    But to rob?

    Some of them looked around with fierce res and nced around them. They were searching for those people from the smaller tribes who came over to attend the feast. Some were tribes that even had trouble filling their own stomachs. If they wanted to rob anyone, it would be them. Indeed it made no sense to rob those powerful tribes. Even idiots wouldn¡¯t do it!

    But when they began their search for these people, the Zhi tribe and other smaller tribes had already left. If they wanted to chase after them, it would be too difficult!

    Some people did not want to stop there. They gathered their people and left the ming River Trading Point. Due to the rules and regtions inside, they didn¡¯t dare make a move, so they could only search outside.

    Meanwhile, as these people went to search, the chiefs of the major tribes, the Mang tribe, the Eight Limbs tribe, the Longboat tribe, the Thousand Masks tribe, the Feather tribe, the Tianshan tribe, and the Hui tribe all walked into the ming River Castle. But this time, they did not meet in the open-air venue they used before. Instead, they were led into a special meeting room inside the ming River Castle. Only a few of the chiefs entered, and on the ming Horn¡¯s side, only Gui He and Shao Xuan went in.

    Shao Xuan stood up and stretched. After such a busy day yesterday, he even had to deal with some things that came after the event. He didn¡¯t get enough sleep, and the ancestor¡¯s me giant also consumed a lot of his energy, so he was feeling exhausted now.

    When Shao Xuan stretched his arms, the people in the meeting room all looked at him.

    When he felt those stares, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just stretching.¡±

    They didn¡¯t care. Only when Shao Xuan finished stretching and yawning did they emotionlessly withdraw their stares.

    They had no choice. Yesterday¡¯s event terrified them. They didn¡¯t know what happened to the me giant, but they knew that Shao Xuan was the one who created it. With a simple pull of the sleeves, he flooded the entire trading point with a me torrent. That left a deep negative impression on them. When Shao Xuan stretched his arms, they couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.

    Gui He understood this feeling, but he knew that the ancestral me giant rarely appeared unless they were holding a sacrifice. When he noticed their reactions, he wanted tough, but he couldn¡¯t. When the ancestral me giant appeared yesterday, he was standing beside Shao Xuan. At that time, he was so shocked that his entire back was covered in a cold sweat.

    After gathering his emotions, Gui He looked at Shao Xuan, and seeing Shao Xuan nod in response, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡±

    The stone door of the meeting room mmed shut with a ¡°boom¡± and shut out all the sounds from within.

    It was only until nighttime when the stone door was opened again.

    The few chiefs had perplexed looks on their faces. It wasn¡¯t clear whether they were happy or mad. They left with their people on the fifth day after the ming River trading point officially opened.

    And the curious travellers who followed them here also left one after another.

    With their help in spreading the news, the ming River Trading Point¡¯s name would soon spread far and wide across the continent.

    To the people who lived on this continent, news about the destruction of a tribe by another onlysted for a short time. Most tribespeople only talked about other tribes whom they were not familiar with or lived too far away when they were bored. If there were any other exciting news, they would immediately turn their attention towards it. But when it came to eating, they could discuss it for a very long time.

    Some people even counted with their fingers and tried to recall how many tribes hosted ¡°showing-off¡± feasts in the past few years.

    Especially those expedition teams that belonged to different trading points. When they had spare time, they would gather together and discuss these matters.

    ¡°I wonder what they ate at the ming River Grand Banquet.¡±

    ¡°I heard even some major tribes praised the dishes.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that means the ming River Trading Point is very powerful.¡±

    ¡°Not the ming River Trading Point. The ming Horn tribe is powerful!¡±

    ¡°That means the same thing. Have you guys been there?¡±

    ¡°No. We know people from another tribe who went before.¡±

    ¡°So those rumours are all true? A beast fang this big? A beast w this size?! Those are all real?¡± someone stood up and tried to show how big it was.

    ¡°Pfft, not that small. It¡¯s way bigger than what you think! Too bad they didn¡¯t bring enough goods to trade, they couldn¡¯t bring a giant beast w back. Those ws, heh, they don¡¯t even need to be polished. They could be used directly as weapons! I heard it could even split rocks in an instant....¡±

    It was rare for that person to catch the attention of so many, so he was delighted. He cleared his throat and continued to tell them all about what he heard.

    Gradually, more and more people gathered to listen, and some even made strange sounds like ¡°Ssssss¡±, ¡°Ahhhh¡±, ¡°Huh¡±, ¡°Yaaaaa¡±, ¡°Oh¡±.

    ¡°Umm, those people who went there didn¡¯t have any goods to exchange, but they didn¡¯t even try robbing?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯d rob the ming Horns?¡± the crowd looked instantly at the person who asked the stupid question. In their minds, the ming Horn tribe was already at a new height. Their rank was not any lower than the few major tribes from the central region.

    ¡°Pfft! When did I say I would rob the ming Horns? Am I that stupid?¡± the person who asked tried to exin, ¡°What I meant was to rob those smaller tribes!¡±

    ¡°No way, the tribes who lived in that region were too familiar with the geography there. I heard that when they tried to chase after some of them, they couldn¡¯t even catch up and lost them,¡± the person in the centre immediately caught on to the topic and continued to bber on.

    ¡°Why not, we find time to go on an expedition trip there?¡± a leader of some tribe¡¯s expedition team said as he listened.

    ¡°I had the same thought, let¡¯s go together.¡± the leader of another expedition team said.

    ¡°Haha, we can gather more people. It¡¯s not easy to rob those smaller tribes. They¡¯re very tricky and clever!¡±

    The person who spoke only repeated what he heard once, but when that person told him about the smaller tribes and said how ¡°tricky and clever¡± they were, he was speaking through gritted teeth.

    That person said that whenever they were chasing those people in the forest, they were so close, but those people always seeded and escaped. They even almost fell into an abyss.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why, when we go to the ming River Trading Point in the future, we should bring more people. If people fell into the abyss, at least there would be others there to save them. And there would still be enough people to chase after the smaller tribes,¡± someone came over said with a professional tone.

    Their ns were excellent. However, it was still unknown who would suffer when the time came.

 Chapter 628 - New Expedition Plans

    Chapter 628

    New Expedition ns

    News of the ming River Trading Point spread across the continent. It didn¡¯t matter if it was the few major trading points in the central region, or the trading point at the grasnds, people were talking about it. This was arranged by the major tribe, also something they promised ming Horn.

    As it became more famous, more people visited. In the first three days, very few people came but soon after, people came in groups.

    These expedition teams from far away all came with their own objectives hence they brought many goods with them. They would never return empty-handed. These tribes traded for a lot of beast hides and fearsome beast meat, even beast ws and fangs were popr items.

    Now, ming Horn did not have to store and umte their extra beast hides, merely sending all their extra stock to be stored at the ming River Trading Point. They didn¡¯t have to bring their goods across a long journey for trade now. All they had to do was guard the ming Horn main vige and the trading area, then enter the forest when it was their shift to hunt. Overall, ming Horn saved a lot of time and physicalbour.

    ¡°This is even more convenient than the time we were on the other side of the sea.¡± Duo Kang had just returned from a hunt. He left some of the game at the vige, then extras were processed so that beast hide, flesh, horns, bones and teeth were all separated and then brought to the trading point for the people in charge of the stalls to disy them.

    ¡°The party that arrived two days ago hasn¡¯t left yet, they were waiting for this batch of beast meat. Two more groups arrived today, saying they¡¯re reserving Giant w Beast ws for themselves first.¡± Duo Li shrugged, unsuppressed glee painted on his face. ¡°Our goods are superior. These people are all willing to wait a few days here just for our stuff.¡±

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s because we¡¯re ming Horn! Would we ever provide sub-par goods?¡± Duo Kang smiled so hard his eyes squinted. He turned to Duo Li. ¡°Do you think Taihe would envy us if they heard about our lives now?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯d be jealous to death!¡±

    The two older men sat on the upper floors of ming River Castle, looking far away into the scenery and sighed at the same time. ¡°I wonder when we¡¯ll get to meet them again.¡±

    Suddenly, Duo Kang saw a flock of birds fluttering out of a point in the forest, far away. It was a distance away from the trading point and the vegetation was dense there. ¡°

    ¡°Is someoneing?¡± Duo Li also saw the movement.

    ¡°Do you think it¡¯s a trading party from far away or one of the tribes around ming River?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    Duo Li thought for a moment. ¡°More likely to be a trading party from far away.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Duo Kang pped his thigh rhythmically, humming a hunting song. He was very rxed.

    Once the number of people at the trading point increased, they grew more vignt in watching the surrounding forest too. If they saw someone but they weren¡¯t targeting the trading point, ming Horn would not initiate anything. But if anyone was bold enough to touch the trading point, they would be killed.

    At least these expedition parties knew they could not possibly overpower ming Horns so they set their eyes on the smaller tribes in the area. They tried to get some stuff from these smaller parties but it was too bad that anyone who could survive in this area for so long already evolved to have their own survival tactics.

    The Drumming Tribe that arrived a thousand years ago after the major geographical change didn¡¯t count, nor did the newly arrived Rain tribe. The tribesmen who had been here a lot earlier than that had ancestors that truly fought countless fearsome beasts. At the time, the ming River did not exist, there was no crack in the ground, both sides of the river were one. Being so close to the forest and beasts, how would it be possible to survive without their own survival tactics?

    That was why when ming Horn told them that there would be many strangers visiting the area, the tribesmen from smaller tribes did not really panic as others expected them too. They looked well-prepared.

    One should not underestimate the small Zhi tribe either. They had smaller numbers, and on the surface looked poor and unassuming. However, the Zhi tribe couldfortably offer something to be traded for food at the trading point every single time. Then, they sessfully returned to their tribe safely afterwards- even robbing an expedition party (who¡¯d nned to rob the Zhi tribesmen) in retaliation once.

    ¡°Right!¡± Duo Li teasingly leaned over to Duo Kang. ¡°Dad, I heard Grand Elder¡¯s nning for an expedition?¡±

    Duo Kang raised an eyebrow. ¡°What, you want to go?¡±

    ¡°I know you can¡¯t make it so if I get to go, I¡¯ll tell you the stories of what I did on the expedition.¡± Duo Li had his argument ready.

    Since the trading point was still new, even though Zheng Luo was here, he still needed more help. Zheng Luo and Ao, the two former chiefs, were assigned the trading point and main vige respectively. The two major hunt leaders, Ta and Duo Kang, had to take turns leading hunt parties or patrol teams and sometimes visiting the trading point to help out. That was why they definitely couldn¡¯t leave with Shao Xuan.

    Now that Duo Kang couldn¡¯t make it, Duo Li was itching to get his father to talk to Shao Xuan so he could join the expedition team. A limited number of people could go with and he was worried he wasn¡¯t among the candidates. Now that both sides of the tribe had integrated,petition was intense. In just the younger generation, there were too many people stronger than him. He couldn¡¯t even beat Mao, Mo¡¯er, Yang and Guang etc.

    Duo Kang was angered the moment he saw Duo Li¡¯s hopeful face, pping his cheek hard. ¡°Go fight for your spot on your own! That¡¯s none of my business!¡±

    A long journey like that was dangerous. If he wasn¡¯t strong enough, how could he still think of joining the party? Forget about slowing the team down- worse case scenario, he could die on the trip.

    Duo Li, who had just taken a p from his father, pursed his lips. He had expected this answer anyway. He hung his head and sighed, then straightened up. Did they want to fight? Well, he refused to believe that it would be impossible!

    At this moment, Shao Xuan had just exited the medicine store of the ming Horn vige. He had nned to make arge telescope but due to some minor imperfections, it did not work. That was why he made the polished convex lens into a magnifying ss about two palms big and gave it to Gui Ze instead.

    Although she had already gotten the power of inheritance as a shamaness, in the past she hadn¡¯t awakened her totemic power yet. Now that the fire seed had been merged, she was still weaker than other people. For example, Shao Xun could see the tiny strands of a grass rope but Gui Ze could not unless she strained hard.

    However, Gui Ze was talented in concocting herbal medicine. Before inheriting the shaman¡¯s position, she was the one who concocted a majority of medicine in the tribe. She even invented new medicine that were more effective, all sessfully made into convenient, portable pills with longer shelf lives. In terms of this, she was even more capable than the former shaman. The old man was proud of her because of this.

    Sometimes, Gui Ze needed to study minor structures on various herbs and it was exhausting. Shao Xuan¡¯s magnifying ss solved this problem effectively.

    Gui Ze also provided a lot of medicine for this expedition. Although making medicine for expedition teams was one of the shaman¡¯s jobs, because she was close with him and he¡¯d helped her before, she stuffed three extra y bottles into his hand. There were five hundred pills per bottle, all made in thest twenty days.

    These were venom and poison antidotes, especially snake venom.

    Temperatures were rising at this time of the year so there would be many venomous animals and insects in the forest.

    ¡°New pills, definitely good for neutralising venom. I¡¯m just not sure how strong it is.¡± Gui Ze wasn¡¯t sure because these hadn¡¯t been in use yet. She¡¯d consumed some before so she knew of its antidote properties, just not sure of its magnitude.

    ¡°No problem, I¡¯ll test it and tell you the results when I return.¡± Shao Xuan carefully put the three bottles of medicine into his beast hide pouch and descended the mountain to the crop fields.

    The Thousand Grain Gold seemed to be doing well. The fertilisers had been prepared beforehand ording to Ji Ju¡¯s previous suggestions. Fermented fearsome beast meat and bones, especially beasts that liked to eat grass, moss and shoots. Some bone marrow was also extracted to be added inside. In addition to the previous experience of Qi Qi and the rest, the sess rate of Thousand Grain Gold was very high. However, the next part of the story was the most important part.

    Ji Ju once said that every ¡®road block¡¯ of the Thousand Grain Gold¡¯s development were key moments. As long as they survived, they would have growth spurts.

    The ones in the fields had passed the first roadblock now so they were taller than Shao Xuan¡¯s waist. At this rate, they would hit the second block soon. Afterwards, they¡¯d grow even faster.

    Shao Xuan nned to observe the progress of the Thousand Grain Gold, only leaving after the second block. If their trip was short, they might even be able to make it back by the third block and see the grains on the nts.

    As he looked out into the patch of green, Shao Xuan thought, ¡®Even if only one tenth of this survives in the end, it¡¯s already a cause for celebration.¡¯

    His n for the expedition was to travel downstream along the ming River and explore the area. They would be staying here for a long time. In the past, they did not have the resources to travel far. Now, they must explore further to get an idea of the region.

    There were not many tribes upstream of the ming River. It was better to travel downstream because they knew that the number of tribes would increase downstream.

    After looking at the empty spot on his animal skin scroll, he rolled it back up. They did not n to travel too far, just to spend a little time looking around. In the event of an invasion, it was important to know where the enemy came from.

 Chapter 629 - Another Use For The Water Moon Stone

    <h4>Another Use For The Water Moon Stone</h4>

    After visiting the crop fields, Shao Xuan headed somewhere else. Since he was going to be away for a while, and they hadn¡¯t set the date of return, he must ensure that any loose ends were settled first.

    When he was heading to the beast pens, he met Ao, who was coincidentally looking for him.

    Ao was holding a bulging beast skin bag filled to the brim.

    ¡°The Drumming Tribe brought this over, as debt repayment. See how many regr water moon stones it¡¯s worth.¡± Ao handed the bag over.

    Shao Xuan took a look inside the bag but couldn¡¯t see much because of the bright sunlight. He headed into a wooden hut nearby with Ao. It was a temporary shelter for the animal keepers and patrol teams who passed by.

    Seeing Shao Xuan and Ao approaching, everyone resting inside quickly left and took initiative to guard the area, not letting anyone approach. They knew that Ao and Shao Xuan must have something to discuss. It didn¡¯t matter if it was secret, without permission, they would do their best to stay away and prevent other people from eavesdropping.

    After entering the hut, Shao Xuan closed the windows and only left one open for venttion.

    Now that it was dark, the water moon stones inside were a lot more obvious.

    ¡°Not bright enough, inconsistent transparency and quality.¡± One look was enough for Shao Xuan to determine the quality of the water moon stones within the bag.

    Good quality water moon stones were as bright as light bulbs plus they looked clean and clear. This was why they could be used as trading currency.

    However, some of these in the bag were very dull, not bright enough for practical usage. Not just a light bulb, they were dimmer than fire torches. Some barely met the brightness requirements but they were murky. Only barely a tenth of the stones truly met their standards.

    ¡°The Drumming tribesmen must¡¯ve chosen these from their stocks to pay us. I think these must be the best stones they have, though this is all they could afford,¡± said Ao.

    After merging with the fire seed, the Drumming tribe slowly dissociated their mindsets from the primitive fire seed to its powers already inside them to generate water moon stones. Unfortunately, within such a short time period, the water moon stones made still did not meet previous standards. This was understandable to Ao.

    ¡°What are you all going to do about it?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°We¡¯ll ept it. Since the quality of these aren¡¯t up to standard, we can¡¯t price it like before. But when we built ming River Castle, the Drumming Tribe helped us many times and did not ept any gifts from ming Horn. I was thinking about valuing them at one third,¡± said Ao.

    He meant to value these water moon stones at one third the price of regr stones.

    If he did not do this and only epted functional stones, then only one tenth of the bag Drumming Tribe paid had value. The truth was that the dull water moon stones were basically worthless and unusable.

    Actually, Ao was satisfied with the Drumming Tribe as their neighbours. Inparison to the Wanshi Tribe, he was definitely happier with the Drumming Tribe. Plus they¡¯d helped ming Horns many times. Now that Drumming Tribe had just rebuilt their houses and undergone major changes, they weren¡¯t living their best lives now either. That was why Ao did not want to trouble them too much.

    But that was just his opinion, he still wanted to listen to Shao Xuan¡¯s opinion. Gui He had no problem with it but if Shao Xuan disagreed, it was still a no.

    ¡°Sure, just carry on as you nned.¡± Shao Xuan handed the water moon stones back to Ao. ¡°Keep the duller ones separately.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Ao did not n to use the dimmer stones anyway. They couldn¡¯t even be used for reading anything one palm¡¯s distance away, let alone light up one¡¯s path.

    ¡°Bring the dimmer stones to the crop fieldster, leave them there and see if any insects are attracted,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    With more crops in the fields, there were more insects too. Although there were people in charge of killing pests and even the green ducks eating the insects in the fields, those were just during the day. They had a pest problem for nocturnal insects. Some people used fire torches to chase them away, which was effective because most living things feared fire. However, it was impossible to keep this up for an entire night.

    Perhaps due to high human activity in the ming Horn tribe, most birds did not approach the vige, especially not at night. This caused the nocturnal bug problem to proliferate. The warm weather, moist river banks andrge crop fields were paradise for bugs. The ones flown over from the Fearsome Beast Forest area were especially annoying.

    Coincidentally, these nearly useless water moon stones could be used. They couldn¡¯t be used practically but they were still glowing at a brightness equivalent to a phone screen. Perhaps they would attract some nocturnal bugs.

    There were all sorts of insects, many were attracted to light but they weren¡¯t as dumb as the flying ones that would kill themselves in fire. They were clever enough to avoid the hot source of light- fire torches. That was why Shao Xuan thought it was worth an attempt with these stones.

    When Shao Xuan mentioned it, Ao understood. He was the chief after all.

    ¡°You mean those nocturnal insects might like the glowing water moon stones?¡±

    Ao had once walked outside holding a water moon stone. He had met many insects flying near him too, though he thought it was because of him, not the stone. Now that Shao Xuan mentioned it, could it be the glow of the stone?

    ¡°Many bugs thate out at night like the moon but the moon is too far away. But I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll be attracted to the stones,¡± exined Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I see.¡± Ao was impressed, thinking, ¡®No wonder he¡¯s the Grand Elder, he knows so much.¡¯

    ¡°We¡¯ll know once we try it.¡± Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure either. There were definitely bugs that were attracted to light, he just wasn¡¯t sure if these glowing stones were bright enough.

    ¡°The Drumming Tribe surely knows about this, right?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Not necessarily. The Drumming Tribe used to be protected by their primitive fire seeds, most pests might not approach. And the river was still there so insects from the forest might not be able to fly over. The insects originally from that side shouldn¡¯t be enough to cause problems. Now that both sides are closer to each other, and more insects might be flying over, they¡¯re still very conservative with the usage of their water moon stones. It¡¯s more likely they don¡¯t know of this but we can ask,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You have a point.¡± Ao almost forgot how intimidating the aura of a primitive fire seed was to other living things. The Drumming tribe¡¯s residential area wasn¡¯t as scattered as ming Horn too so the fire seed¡¯s effects must have been strong.

    Ao went to the house by the river with the animal skin bag. The Drumming chief, Fan Mu, was waiting there. He looked anxious. They were well aware that the quality of these moon stones weren¡¯t as good as before but this was already the best batch they had in a while.

    The Drumming tribesmen inside all looked up expectantly when Ao approached.

    ¡°What did Grand Elder Shao Xuan say?¡± asked Fan Mu.

    ¡°We¡¯ll value it at one third of the previous price,¡± said Ao.

    They were all surprised. To them, they would¡¯ve felt guilty even if it was just one-tenth.

    After his surprise, Fan Mu said solemnly, ¡°Thank you!¡± They knew that this was ming Horn doing them a favour. If they brought these stones somewhere else, they would¡¯ve been worth less than one-tenth of the initial price. They were grateful for this.

    The ming Horns were good people!

    ¡°The next batch of water moon stones we bring over will definitely be better!¡± promised Fan Mu. They were getting better at making water moon stones. The moon was growing brighter these nights too so the production process was easier. Their quality would definitely improve, for even they were embarrassed to give the ming Horns poor quality stones as debt repayment.

    ¡°Right, what does your tribe do with the sub-par water moon stones?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Cough, we keep them and use it ourselves,¡± replied an embarrassed Fan Mu. The stones that could not fulfil minimum brightness were almost useless. If they did not hide it in their own houses, what was the other option? To sell them? Wouldn¡¯t that just be shameless?

    ¡°The stones... If you can¡¯t use them, don¡¯t throw them away,¡± said Ao hesitantly. He wasn¡¯t sure if Shao Xuan¡¯s night ns would seed. If they did, they obviously would need more dim stones. These stones were worth almost nothing, they could be counted as recycling trash.

    ¡°Eh?¡± The Drumming tribesmen looked at him, puzzled.

    ¡°Our... Grand Elder might need some stones like that.¡± Ao wanted to tell them about the n but held his tongue and used Shao Xuan¡¯s name instead. The Drumming tribe might really not know if the stones could attract insects.

    ¡°But we¡¯re not sure if it¡¯ll work so he has to test it first. We¡¯ll let you knowter,¡± added Ao.

    ¡°Sure, sure, sure!¡± said Fan Mu quickly.

    After returning to the Drumming tribe, Fan Mu told the shaman this.

    Upon hearing that the stones were valued at a third the original price, the shaman was very grateful to ming Horn. The news about the dimmer stones was a surprise too.

    ¡°Although we don¡¯t know what ming Horn¡¯s Grand Elder Shao Xuan wants to do, I hope he seeds,¡± said the shaman. ¡°If they still need more, we can give them what we have.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think so too,¡± said Fan Mu.

    The failed water moon stones from their practice sessions were useless anyway. If ming Horn needed them, they would give all of it to ming Horn as a gesture of thanks.

    That night.

    The two moons in the sky weren¡¯t crescents anymore and much brighter. However, they were still far from full moon.

    If there were two full moons, the dim water moon stones wouldn¡¯t be able to outshine the moons and their effects would greatly decrease. So it was also a good thing that it was a cloudy night!¡±

    Most of the night, both moons were covered by clouds so it made Shao Xuan¡¯s n easier.

    Shao Xuan looked up at the clouds then headed over to the crop fields with a bag of water moon stones.

 Chapter 630 - Supper

    <h4>Supper</h4>

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the crop fields, Ao and tonight¡¯s guards in charge of the fields were already waiting.

    They were all holding tools in their hands. Other than their own axes, knives or other hunting weapons, they carried specialised tools for farming like vine woven into arge,s attached to long poles etc. They usually only used these during the day but rarely at night.

    ¡°All ready?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yep, we were just waiting for you,¡± said Ao.

    The guards who were called over were confused, not knowing why Ao wanted to see them. However, they would still obey their two elders¡¯ instructions.

    Shao Xuan surveyed the fields and asked one of the guards. ¡°Which part usually has the most bugs at night?¡±

    ¡°Which part?¡± The guard thought for a moment and pointed. ¡°There.¡±

    That area was where their more valuable crops were nted, mostly given by Ji Ju. Even the Thousand Grain Gold were nted nearby.

    ¡°We¡¯ll test that area then.¡± Shao Xuan went over with his water moon stones.

    The two moons in the sky had just appeared but then were quickly covered by clouds once again. Thend darkened with theck of moonlight.

    The chirping insects were silenced momentarily by the sudden disappearance of the moons but continued chirping.

    It was dark but since everyone was very familiar with the farms, they did not need to worry about identally falling into any of the drainage trenches. In addition, although it was dark, there was a small fire built on the ground which was enough to help them see.

    Shao Xuan did not start right on the edge of the fields but instead only stopped a distance away from the crop fields. He took out the ¡®subpar products¡¯ from his bag, then arranged them together in a circle.

    ¡°Put out the fire, and everyone back away,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Everyone obeyed his instructions, even putting out the fire torches they held.

    Due to the banquet, many of the patrol guards became very frugal and used few water moon stones for illumination. While they didn¡¯t believe one banquet was enough to bankrupt their tribe, they privately felt like they should be frugal now anyways. That was why, everyone seemed to suddenly be more frugal in lifestyle since they started preparations for the banquet. Within the tribe, they would not use water moon stones if fire torches were avable. Even after the feast ended, they still did not change their habits immediately.

    That was why when Ao asked them about it, even they didn¡¯t know if water moon stones could attract insects because they had been using fire torches.

    The entire area darkened without a single fire lit. Against the darkness, the water moon stones became very obvious.

    While they were all dim, when concentrated together, their total brightness had obviously increased many folds. Though they couldn¡¯t bepared to good quality stones, their numbers contributed greatly.

    After backing away, Shao Xuan suppressed his aura to erase his existence as much as possible.

    Everyone else had been briefed by Ao so they knew what to do. When Shao Xuan and Ao dimmed their auras, they followed suit but also stared curiously at the water moon stones.

    What were the dim water moon stones for? Were they baiting the insects?

    It was very quiet. They heard faint sounds from the tribe on the hill, as well as insects from the forest but they did not pay attention to these sounds.

    Shao Xuan focused on distinguishing the various sounds around.

    Within the fields, water was flowing across the irrigation canals dug by the tribesmen.

    The night breeze blew, causing friction between the crop leaves and producing a rustiling.

    Hmm?

    Shao Xuan cocked his head, listening to a sound from a particr direction.

    It came from the field.

    Suo¡ª¨C Suo¡ª¨C

    Tiny, abrupt leaping sounds could be heard heading in his direction.

    In the sky, sounds of insect wings beating fast could be heard approaching. These were the nocturnal flying insects.

    A slender figure appeared at the water moon stone pile, the ck silhouette obvious against the glowing stones.

    It works!

    Shao Xuan was delighted.

    When they saw the figure, the warriors in charge of guarding the fields all raised their eyebrows.

    Although it couldn¡¯t be seen fully, they still recognised it based on its shape. This was one of the most annoying insects in the field. They stayed underground during the day and only came out at night. It was too difficult to guard the crops against these insects unless they could add underground barriers around them too.

    Plus, these bugs weren¡¯t afraid of the herbs they burnt meant as insect repellent, nor could they be smoked out. Everyone gritted their teeth whenever they saw the tiny holes bitten by these bugs in the mornings.

    They couldn¡¯t believe that the dully glowing water moon stones could attract the irritating insects!

    A few nocturnal flying insects arrived the moment this one arrived, and their numbers were increasing.

    Very soon, probably because they realised there were no threats around, all the other insects hiding in the trees, among the grass and in the fields also flew over as if something was attracting them over.

    More and more silhouettes could be seen against the water moon stones. Big, small, long, short, winged, wingless, jumping, flying insects all started to congregate around. Some even started to fight among themselves for a spot in the light.

    When the water moon stone pile was almostpletely covered by bugs, and the sky was filled with the sound of pping insect wings, Shao Xuanmanded in a low voice, ¡°Now!¡±

    In a moment, the people with thes pounced to catch the concentrated swarm of insects in theirs, then mming it into the ground.

    m!

    The insects in thes were ttened on the ground.

    The bugs on the ground were consecutively hit with the giant fly swatter. At this moment, the nearer an insect was to the stone pile, the harder it was for it to escape the swats.

    When everything ended, Shao Xuan used a wooden stick to prod all the various insects under the water moon stone light. Some of the insects on the ground weren¡¯t ttened but had lost their mobility.

    Shao Xuan was about to embark on an expedition along the ming River downstream so they were likely going to meet the same kinds of insects. He wanted to check out the types of insects he might encounter.

    Shao Xuan picked some of the bugs out and put them in a cloth bag. He chose only the ones with intact bodies. A portion of these insects were rarely seen, some looked aggressive with venomous stingers or pincers, plus they camouged well with their surroundings. If they didn¡¯t catch these insects now, they might not even notice these insects during the day.

    He had to show his expedition team these specimens so they would be mentally prepared.

    Ao instructed the rest to clean up the area and sweep up the dead insects into a pile. They¡¯d ask the farmers if these could be turned into fertiliser when they arrived.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Ao looked delighted when he came over to talk to Shao Xuan.

    How could he not be happy? Now he knew that these basically useless water moon stones could be used to attract insects. Although it did notpletely solve his problem, at least he could alleviate it. Any help was good.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright but the effects are limited. The bugs we caught might not be the ones eating the crops,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°Plus, the stones might not work well on cloudless nights. The good-quality moonstones would still be better.¡±

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m aware of that but a majority of the bugs we caught were crop-eating pests. As for the moonlight... based on the weather, these few nights should be cloudy. Even if the clouds only cover the moon for a while, it¡¯ll be enough.¡± Ao was prepared for this. He did not have high expectations for its effectiveness. At least they were effective. It was better than wasting the water moon stones.

    ¡°Then should we get more of these stones from the Drumming tribe tomorrow?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    This could be counted as a night-time insect trap.

    On the next day, they crossed the river to meet the Drumming chief.

    When he knew that ming Horn wanted their ¡®rejects¡¯, the Drumming chief dragged out several sacks without a word. When Ao wanted to pay them, Fan Mu stubbornly declined any payment. To the Drumming tribe, these were useless. It was a waste to leave them in the store anyway, and they wouldn¡¯t be able to sell them for much money. Might as well give them all to Ao.

    However, Ao did not take them all. He took two-thirds away and left one-third for the Drumming tribe. With Shao Xuan¡¯s consent, he also told the Drumming tribe aboutst night¡¯s incident.

    The Drumming tribe was currently facing a food shortage. Although they didn¡¯t really like insects, there were still several kinds of insects from the forest around the river banks that tasted decent. Plus these insects had already started to cross the river. It was just that the Drumming tribe lived in close proximity to their fire seed, hence the insects never flew close.

    ¡°That¡¯s very interesting!¡± Fan Mu found this idea to be very unique. They had possessed water moon stones for such a long time, yet never noticed this phenomenon.

    ¡°You all can experiment with a few stones too, you might even catch some bugs,¡± suggested Ao.

    ¡°Thank you for telling us!¡±

    The Drumming tribe was very grateful that ming Horn was actually willing to share knowledge and experience with them. That night, their patrol team tested this theory and indeed caught some. The patrol team roasted these insects for supper.

    On ming Horn¡¯s side, the initially deemed useless water moon stones were distributed. At night, when the moons were covered by clouds, they soon heard the sound of pping wings.

    ¡°Hey, be gentle! I don¡¯t want everything to be fertilizer, we might be able to eat any bigger or intact bugs!¡± yelled one of the people waving thes.

    ¡°I know!¡± answered the guy with the giant fly swatter.

    After a round of swatting, they cleaned the ground and picked out bigger and intact insects. They ate the edible ones, everything else was left aside to be made into fertiliser. As for insects they didn¡¯t recognise, they were more cautious. The matter of eating insects was nothing to the ming Horns.

    This happened at a few spots around the field that night.

    That was why for a long time after this night, there was one more thing for crop field guards to do during their night shift¡ª getting their supper from the water moon stones.

 Chapter 631 - New Changes

    <h4>New Changes</h4>

    The crop field guards would pick some of the caught insects and put them aside for Shao Xuan to study when he was free. When he saw any new, foreign insects, he would pick them out.

    After a life of living in the forest, they could guess which of these insects were potentially threatening to humans based on their physical characteristics. It was good preparation to know more insects before their trip.

    They prepared insect-repelling herbs and mud too. When they leave, it would be after the monsoon when temperatures would soar. They would be wearing sleeveless clothing then, some of them topless. They¡¯d need the coloured mud and insect repellent then. It would help with camouge and repelling insects.

    The monsoon season would arrive at full moon. Judging by the moons in the sky, the monsoon was near.

    Before the monsoon arrived, the Longboat tribe arrived again. This time, they weren¡¯t heading for the trading point but were here to give the ming Horns boats.

    Before they left the ming River Trading Point, both tribes had negotiated once and the Longboat tribe had agreed to gift them two boats.

    Due to the change in weatherst year, many of the Longboat tribe¡¯s boats had been destroyed. They did not have enough for themselves, and could build a limited number this year. They could only afford to gift ming Horn two for now. They would have to wait if they wanted more because it took time to build boats.

    The Longboat tribesmen were strict in their craft so they spent a lot of time and effort on each boat.

    The boats they gifted ming Horn were about the same as their own fleet, though there were masts added. But that was not the only difference.

    There had been a lot of advancement in their craft this year.

    There were troughs added inside the boats. Shao Xuan had seen them. The rooms inside the boats were leak-proof so in the event of hull damage, the boat would still be able to operate despite water seeping into one or two cabins. The boats were now more sink-resistant. This was why Shao Xuan was so impressed by the Longboat tribe. They truly were masters of boat building.

    Perhaps the disaster had encouraged the Longboat tribesmen to innovate and build leak-resistant cabins. Or perhaps they already had this idea for a long time. No one knew.

    Even without this, their boats were always sturdier even if other people were given the same materials to build the same boat. Shao Xuan could not determine how many secrets were hidden in this craft. The Longboat tribe truly lived up to their names, for their mastery of the art far exceeded other tribes.

    This time, the Longboat tribe¡¯s gifts were given with utmost sincerity. It was a lot better than the boats they gave ming Horn due to the incident with the green-faced fanged beasts at Fearsome Beast Forest. Those boats might¡¯ve looked almost the same, if one were to actually put them to use, it was iparable to these current boats. If both boats collided, the previous batch would definitely be destroyed first.

    When they saw that the ming Horns were satisfied with the boats, the people who brought the boats over secretly heaved a sigh of relief. For some reason, although they were always arrogant when interacting with other tribes, they became much more timid around the ming Horns. Especially when they met Shao Xuan. They were always worried he might shoot fire if he got upset.

    After ming Horn inspected and epted the boats, the Longboat tribesmen went to trade at the trading point once more. To them, there were many coveted items at the trading points, other than beast flesh and hide, fish skin glue and wood were also attractive goods. The wood that ming Horn helped them procure previously were all kept in the storage. They nned to take some back. They had been hungry for sturdy, ancient wood from the Fearsome Beast Forest for a long time.

    Two days after they delivered the boats, monsoon began. Consecutive days of rain caused activity at the trading point to quiet down. The busy folk finally had time to rest.

    Zheng Luo passed all the information he collected at the trading point to Shao Xuan. They had discovered three more tribes in the ming River area, though they were further away from ming Horn. They only know of the approximate location, just not the exact points.

    ¡°I¡¯ve mentioned one of the tribes to you before, that one is almost the same as the Luo tribe, which already disappeared after the disaster. They brought a lot of fishings, so they must be a tribe that catches fish for a living. But they were way luckier than the Luo tribe to be able to survive the disaster unscathed. And the other tribe...¡±

    Zheng Luo told everything he knew to Shao Xuan, who recorded them on an animal skin scroll. He would confirm these notes during his expedition down the river.

    After receiving the information, Shao Xuan returned to the main vige and ascended the hill to talk to Gui He about the finalised candidates. They had mostly confirmed the two hundred names, it just required some finalisation.

    On top of the hill, Shao Xuan saw that the two former shamans- who were now elders of the tribe- seemed to be arguing about something.

    Ever since Gui Ze took over as the new shamaness, the two elders did not need to live in the shaman¡¯s quarters anymore. They built two more houses here for convenience whenever they had to discuss matters. Unfortunately, their conversations often ended in argument.

    When Shao Xuan went over, the two elders were in such a heated argument they almost fought each other with their walking canes.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, it¡¯s great you¡¯re here. Come take a look at what I drew.¡± The old man dragged Shao Xuan into his house.

    Shao Xuan looked at what the old man pointed to. There was a thin stone b. On the stone b was a mess of colour pigments.

    What was he supposed to be looking at?

    Sensing Shao Xuan¡¯s confusion, the old man realised the problem. ¡°Oh, not that. That¡¯s something I drewst time. Look at this one.¡±

    The old man pointed at a wide leaf on the table. There was a much clearer drawing on the leaf drawn with bright red pigment.

    Shao Xuan was stunned to see the drawing. The old man often drew observational drawings, i.e. of people he recently met or things he saw, or an important event etc. Shao Xuan thought he¡¯d draw something with a story. The drawing on the leaf was a scene from the grand banquet at the ming River Trading Point.

    Although it was a simple drawing, Shao Xuan could recognise it based on the outlines. That was because many people had talked to him about it and drawn it for him before this.

    ¡°This is... the ancestor¡¯s me giant?¡± Shao Xuan was puzzled, not understanding what the old man meant. They were both in such a heated argument over the ancestor¡¯s me giant?

    ¡°Yep!¡± The old man was very emotional. He picked the leaf up carefully and pointed at the drawing. ¡°What do you think of it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a simple and clear drawing, captures the sanctity of the ancestors,¡± said shao Xuan.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking your opinion on the drawing! I¡¯m asking you, what do you think after seeing the ancestors in this form?¡± asked the old man.

    What did he think?

    He only knew that his ancestors took the form of a blurry me giant. What opinions could he have about it?

    Shao Xuan did not catch his point.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think our ancestors look exceptionally great in this form?¡± asked the old man hopefully.

    Exceptionally great? Which part? Shao Xuan was still confused. It was rare to hear a ming Hornpliment something to look ¡®exceptionally great¡¯.

    In the end, the olddy standing next to them had to exin. ¡°He wants to design new ceremony clothing based on the ancestor¡¯s me giant form.¡±

    ¡°New ceremony clothing?¡± Shao Xuan was shocked and looked at the drawing once again. With fresh eyes, he did feel a wind-swept, breezy pride from the drawing.

    But didn¡¯t the ming Horns despise clothing styles like that? Didn¡¯t they all think that clothing like that was useless during a hunt, hence it was ugly as hell?

    After spending so many years here, Shao Xuan¡¯s sense of aesthetic had been affected too.

    But after understanding the old man¡¯s intentions, Shao Xuan did think that it was beautiful. He also thought it was a hint from the ancestors that it was time to change their ceremony attire.

    It wasn¡¯t going to be a big problem though. To the ming Horns, their ancestors were always good. Even if they didn¡¯t like this style before, if it was created by their ancestors, they would attempt to embrace it.

    The old man wanted to change the ming Horn ceremony attire but the olddy disagreed not because she didn¡¯t like the ancestors¡¯ style. Simrly, she thought it looked good. However, she didn¡¯t think everyone should wear this attire. Their founder was the first shaman so this clothing style should be reserved for the shamans.

    Shao Xuan thought about this style involving billowing fabric, then thought about the usual tribesmen attire involving horns and fangs worn around the neck, a green, wide de in hand, white beast w shoes and colourful snakeskin belts.

    It was a jarringparison...

    ¡°You two, carry on with your discussion.¡±

    Many changes here were not due to Shao Xuan¡¯s deliberate nning. In this world, changes urred after various events.

 Chapter 632 - Downstream Travels

    Chapter 632

    Downstream Travels

    This year¡¯s monsoon did notst long, ending after just barely twenty days.

    When the skies cleared, temperatures rose rapidly. It was now the hottest time of the year.

    At this time, the two moons had gradually grown into full moons. Fire torches were no longer needed at night for a clear view.

    After watching the Thousand Grain Gold passing their second blocks, he finally brought his party on the boats to embark on their expedition.

    The ming River¡¯s water levels rose a little after the monsoon. Due to mud and silt, the river was a murky yellow now.

    Taking a look at the flowing river, Shao Xuan bade his tribesmen farewell and set off with the two hundred people he chose.

    There were two boats, one hundred people on each. Shao Xuan¡¯s boat travelled in front.

    In fact, the Longboat tribe¡¯s gift boats were gigantic and were definitely enough for two hundred people. Forget about two hundred, even five hundred would be fine. However, they brought with them stocks that took up some space. Plus, if there was some ident to one boat, they could return on the other.

    Two boats bearing the ming Horn totem left the tribe with billowing sails bringing them downstream.

    They definitely weren¡¯t going to bring any fearsome beasts on this trip, though Chacha was an exception. Too bad it could fly, plus it wouldn¡¯t stay at ming Horn without Shao Xuan there. That was why he made Chacha follow him on this expedition. Chacha could help with surveince from afar, since their field of vision was limited on the boat.

    Half a dayter, Shao Xuan kept monocrs to instruct his crew to approach the banks and nt their signs.

    After the ming River was named, they only nted signs bearing the name ¡®ming River¡¯ within a limited radius. The ones in charge of nting signs were operating within a limited distance anyway. They mostly relied on word of mouth by the tribes around ming River to spread the word.

    Now, since their team was travelling further downstream, they took the opportunity to nt sighs. From here on, Shao Xuan instructed his crew to nt signs at every interval.

    When the people in charge of the signs were busy on the bank, there would also be guards to prevent ambushes. This was not a region they were familiar with so they must remain vignt.

    Shao Xuan got Chacha to bring him up in the air and circle the area. After theynded, he took out a scroll, dipped an animal fur brush in colour pigment then drew. He was updating his maps. Since his tribe will be living here for a long time, they must be familiar with both sides of the river.

    It was simple on the side with the Fearsome Beast Forest. The topography was generally the same, nor were there people living there. If there were others, the ming Horn ancestors who were blocked off from the world by the river would¡¯ve discovered them already. They wouldn¡¯t have missed another tribe for one thousand years.

    Shao Xuan mainly focused on studying the other side.

    Afterst year¡¯s disaster, both sides of the river underwent different changes. One side sunk while the other protruded upwards. This caused one side to be elevated than the other. Shao Xuan and the rest could only study the less elevated side when they were on their boats.

    The lower regions were coincidentally the site they most needed to observe anyway. Farther away from the Fearsome Beast forest, most of the tribes were located on this side. Their boats also tended to travel this way.

    After nting the signs, everyone rested for a while and set off again.

    Every day, the routine was simr. Sometimes, they would encounter beasts drinking water on the river banks but they couldn¡¯t swim so all they did was roar irritably at Shao Xuan and the rest.

    ¡°In the future, would more fearsome beasts that know how to swim cross over to the other side?¡± said Duo Li.

    ¡°Probably not.¡± Tuo did not think so. ¡°The forest fearsome beasts know what habitats suit themselves most. They might cross over due to an ident but in the end still return to their original habitat in the forest.¡± Tuo deduced based on his vast hunting experience and knowledge of animal habits.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I haven¡¯t seen any fearsome beasts cross the river.¡± Duo Li nodded.

    ¡°There are other reasons.¡± Shao Xuan kept his animal skin scroll and said, ¡°In the memory of many fearsome beasts, this side is dangerous. Plus this side must¡¯ve been hit hard afterst year¡¯s disasters. The beasts that lived near the river all ran far away. Just like the nocturnal swallows that used to live around our tribe, they¡¯ve disappeared. They left to escape the disaster and then found a new ce to live. That is why, there shouldn¡¯t be too many fearsome beasts crossing this river in the near future.¡±

    After a pause, Shao Xuan continued, ¡°Then again, there are tribes on the other side of the river. Although they are not very closed to each other, their presence will still affect the beasts. It¡¯s because of the fire seeds in the tribes.¡±

    When Shao xuan mentioned the fire seed, Duo Li, Tuo and the rest remembered. The ming Horns often forgot to take fire seeds into ount because theirs no longer existed in the primitive form. But to most of the tribes here, the primitive fire seed still existed. Even the fire seeds of small tribes had massive effects on forest beasts.

    Nothing new happened the next few days, the topography of both sides of the river was simr.

    Shao Xuan continued updating his maps. He could sense if there were tribes in the area. Due to the distance from the river banks, he could not sense the human auras but he could sense the fire seeds. They were very faint, plus some tribes even deliberately hid their fire seed¡¯s auras. The shamans of many tribes might not even be able to identify these fire seed auras but Shao Xuan could.

    Due to time constraints, it was impossible for him to scout out each tribe. However, as long as he sensed the fire seed, he could gauge their general characteristics. This was a newfound ability he discovered he had.

    A few years ago, when he wanted to know what a tribe¡¯s fire seed was like, he must be close to their tribe. It was just like how he only sensed the Drumming fire seed when he just crossed the river years ago. Now, he could sense them without going too close. Sometimes, he could only sense a faint trace if the tribe was too far away.

    Ten dayster, Shao Xuan had already made seven dots on the map. Four dots had totems drawn next to them, while the other three did not. The dots represented a tribe living in the area. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the locations of the dots with totems were closer to the river banks. The rest without totems were farther away.

    It was also impossible for Shao Xuan to pinpoint their exact location. He just had a general sense of where they were. This map would just be a rough reference. At least the ming Horns had an estimate of the number of tribes in the area around ming River.

    In the future, when the number of people at ming River Trading Point increased, they¡¯d receive more information and get to update their maps. They had to take baby steps first.

    ¡°If we travel further, we should meet that Gu tribe, right?¡± asked Duo Li.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s based on what Zheng Luo told me.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the notes on what Zheng Luo told him about the Gu tribe. It was the furthest from ming Horn, so Shao Xuan remembered it.

    The Gu tribe was the one Zheng Luo mentioned, the tribe that traded fishings at the ming River Trading Point. Apparently they also lived by the ming River and were luckier than the Luo tribe that disappeared after the disaster. They did not suffer major losses. Therefore, he deduced that they weren¡¯t very close to the river banks.

    Shao Xuan straightened himself. If he couldn¡¯t focus his mind, he might not be able to sense a tribe farther from the banks.

    If the Gu tribe specialised in making fishings, they must catch fish often. However, before the disaster, this river wasn¡¯t a good ce to fish. They might have been fishing in another river farther from this one.

    Shao Xuan instructed Chacha in the air to take note of other ind streams in the area, and to alert him if he saw any human activity.

    Another day passed but Shao Xuan still hadn¡¯t sensed the presence of another tribe¡¯s fire seed.

    Chacha, who had been given a massive responsibility, also did not see any signs of human activity. Worse, other than the ming River, he didn¡¯t see any other rivers! There were nokes either, just narrow mountain spring brooks at most.

    Perhaps due to theck of rivers, regions far from the ming River did not have dense vegetations. The rolling hills were simply in. Both sides of the river had great differences. On one side was thend of beasts and lush vegetations. When one looked out from an elevated ce, this entire area was green and ancient skyscraper trees could be seen. On this side, the grasses merely resembled short fur.

    Without a water source, thends in this area might not be suitable for agriculture either. And without dense trees, there might not be many beasts. Then the possibility of finding a tribe here would be low.

    ¡°Is that Gu tribe really here? Could they have lied to us?¡± asked Duo Li.

    Not just Duo Li, other people thought so too. Not every person who went to the trading point always told the truth. Some of them only mentioned general locations, one might not be able to find them when visiting the actual ce. Just like the Zhi tribe- everyone knew which piece ofnd they were on but very few could find their nest.

    Some tribes toldplete lies, even pointing in the wrong direction.

    ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ve passed the Gu tribe already,¡± said Tuo.

    Shao Xuan looked at the map. He hadn¡¯t been able to sense the totem characteristics of three tribes. Perhaps the Gu tribe was one of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s possible too.¡± Shao Xuan nodded in agreement of Tuo¡¯s deduction but thought for a while and took out the fishings the Gu tribe had brought to the trading point.

    The Gu tribe had brought theses out for trade. They¡¯d been kept by Zheng Luo, and afterwards Shao Xuan brought two Gus out for his expedition. If they couldn¡¯t hunt any beasts, they would be able to catch fish.

    The Gu tribe¡¯s was different from the Luo tribe. The Luo tribe¡¯s had finer mesh while the Gu tribe had both kinds ofs. Their weaving patterns were very different from Luo, and there could be different weaving patterns on just one.

    After looking at thes, Shao Xuan turned to Duo Li, who was fishing using a fishing rod, and said, ¡°Get Kun Tu here, I need to ask him something.¡±

    Duo Li grunted, kept his fishing rod and rushed into the cabin looking for Kun Tu.

    Shao Xuan had picked almost a hundred guards from the trading point toe with him on this trip. They took up half the expedition team. The guards who were often on duty at the trading point would have met many tribes and had some impression of foreign tribespeople. Kun Tu was the guard stationed at the trading point¡¯s entrance, one of the people who had direct contact with the Gu tribe.

 Chapter 633 - A Different Net

    <h4>A Different Net</h4>

    Kun Tu, who was resting in the cabin, arrived quickly.

    ¡°Grand Elder, you were looking for me?¡± asked Kun Tu.

    Different from people who had grown up with Shao Xuan like Tuo and Ah Guang, he was one of the people who had returned to the tribe with the ming Horn wanderers on the grasnds. Due to his outstanding performance and great improvement in his capabilities, he was now actively involved in the tribe. Before joining this expedition team, Kun Tu often guarded the ming River Trading Point¡¯s entrance and came into contact with many foreign tribes.

    Kun Tu had always been respectful of Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan was one of the people who greeted them at the grasnds. Without that, even if ming Horn¡¯s fire seed was relit at the old haunt, they still wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave the ins. After various incidents and Shao Xuan¡¯s current status in the tribe, Kun Tu would not address him as casually as others. That was why he still called Shao Xuan ¡®Grand Elder¡¯.

    Shao Xuan beckoned him over. ¡°Come take a look at this. These are thes the Gu tribesmen brought to the trading point right?¡±

    Kun Tu went over, then squatted to study thes next to Shao Xuan. More than one tribe traded fishings at the trading point and many fishings looked simr so he had to study them carefully despite already recognising that it was the Gu tribe¡¯s with one look. He did not want to lose face in front of the Grand Elder.

    After thorough examination of boths, Kun Tun nodded in confirmation. ¡°Yes, both are from the Gu tribe. Theirs are different from other tribes and theting patterns are different too. There are many parts of thes I don¡¯t understand but the Gu tribesmen didn¡¯t borate at the time.¡±

    It was true that the Gu¡¯ss were quite different from others. There were even parts that made you feel like they¡¯d made a mistake in the weaving.

    ¡°They didn¡¯t exin?¡± Shao Xuan asked, looking at a few ces that looked like redundant, repetitive weaving.

    ¡°Yeah. I was curious too and asked them about it. They didn¡¯t exin, merely saying that they made theirs like that. But...¡± Kun Tu hesitated but continued, ¡°I think there are other secrets behind this. The few from the Gu tribe did not give me friendly looks.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Duo Li and Tuo were curious.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I got it right but they looked at me as if I was the uncultured one unable to identify a good thing in front of me.¡± Kun Tu scratched his head.

    He was a wanderer who lived in the ins without the protection of any tribe. With a life of relying on other tribes, they learned how to read people well. Kun Tu was one of the more talented leaders from the ming Horn wanderers and had sharper senses in many areas. That was also why Shao Xuan called him over. While the Gu tribesmen did not disy any obvious emotion and restrained themselves quickly, he still caught the ¡®you uncultured swine¡¯, derogatory look.

    Very few people would give hostile looks to ming Horns at the trading point. While they were not used to each other, it was rare for anyone to act hostile.

    ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Shao Xuan was interested now. It took studying many details to paint the big picture, subsequently getting to know a tribe. Studying the way they used their tools was one of the methods.

    During that period of time, most of the visitors to the trading point were smaller tribes around the ming River region. That was also why most of them were ufortable and worried with the ming Horn¡¯s disy of power. However, Zheng Luo¡¯sments and Kun Tu¡¯s observations showed that the Gu tribesmen did not feel this way at all.

    Although the Gu tribesmen at the trading point were also curious and surprised at the goods disyed there,pared to the other tribes, they had an undertone of pride too.

    Shao Xuan was no stranger to this trait. Tribesmen like that usually came from areas with geographical features to the tribe¡¯s advantage. They were no underdogs.

    ¡°This means the Gu tribe definitely isn¡¯t a small group like the Zhi tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan picked the up, then got Duo Li, Tuo and Kun Tu to open the. Shao Xuan lifted a wooden log over. It had been left to dry in the sun on the deck, meant to be chopped for firewood.

    Shao Xuan lifted the tree as thick as a human effortlessly with one hand.

    He looked at the ten-metre-long that took three people to spread. If it were to be spreadpletely, it should be almost thirty meters long.

    Zheng Luo had received these twos recently before Shao Xuan left. Zheng Luo hadn¡¯t had time to study it due to his work so Shao Xuan decided to test it today.

    He scanned the whole, then the log he held. He carved a few holes at the head of the log using a knife, then plugged a few tree branches inside like deer antlers.

    Then, Shao Xuan grabbed the log with ¡®antlers¡¯ and approached the.

    When he approached, he couldn¡¯t see much but once the log touched the and was dragged forward, the regr-looking made a ¡®ssss¡¯ sound.

    As if a switch had been activated, changes urred on thes.

    All three people who helped lift the and several other people around all stared at the intently.

    This that initially looked like one piece suddenly acted like two pieces. One maintained its original shape to stop the ¡®prey¡¯ while another started to contract in the direction of the part where the ¡®prey¡¯ hit.

    Since Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t moving fast and prodded the very slowly, everyone could clearly observe the entire process.

    ¡°This!¡±

    ¡°There are twos?!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this a to catch fish? What is this?¡±

    Everyone was shocked.

    When Shao Xuan continued pushing the log into the, the secondtingyer finally finished its contraction. The second was already tied tightly on the log.

    The firstyer acted like a drawstring pouch, trapping the prey inside. This second had a ¡®drawing¡¯ mechanism so it trapped the prey in the ¡®drawstring pouch¡¯.

    ¡°A like that and pseudo-poles on the side, hidden along a path where the prey will pass through. Once the prey hits the, or was chased into it by the hunters, it would be trapped inside. If it were a deer with long antlers, its antlers would be knotted tightly inside. Its neck would probably be trapped too so the tightens as it struggles, finally strangling it to death,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Due to some research on knots, Shao Xuan understood theting system better than the rest. The tribesmen understood this too so they did not doubt his words.

    ¡°This is used to catch prey with physiques like deers and goats!¡± Shao Xuan concluded. They didn¡¯t know what nt was used to make this but it had been delicately processed so they¡¯d be extra sturdy. It was more than enough to catch regr beasts.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s not a fishing!¡± Duo Li was shocked.

    ¡°This means that the Gu tribe might not be living near the ming River. It might not even be near the river, they could be further ind?¡± wondered Tuo aloud.

    ¡°No, they must be in the area. They won¡¯t be too far from the ming River,¡± said Shao Xuan confidently.

    As he spoke, Shao Xuan picked the other up. This was different from the first, using a different weaving style and straw rope.

    The first was woven from straw rope braided using tight threads. It was very sturdy, no spaces could be found between the threads. Even a thorn would not be able to pierce through the role unless a lot of force was applied.

    However, the second was woven from a different rope. It was just a thin thread-like ntbined but not braided together.

    After instructing Duo Li and the rest to lift the second up, Shao Xuan did not use the log. Instead, he went to the ce where they threw food scraps. There were some piranha bones from when they fished and roasted before.

    The piranha¡¯s skeleones and rows of sharp teeth were easily recognised.

    Shao Xuan took one of the skeletal heads. The opened jaw revealed many sharp teeth.

    He mped the jaw full of teeth on the, then moved it as if it was trying to bite the,

    This fish would¡¯ve definitely left teeth marks on regr fishings, less sturdy ones would quickly break. However, even after tens of bites, the remained almost perfect!

    The threads woven into the would split when the piranha bit down, causing the threads to slip in between the teeth. That was why every bite would just pass through the rope, then when the fish released it, the threads would shrink back together into a rope.

    ¡°This is...¡±

    ¡°This is a specifically for catching piranhas?!¡± Duo Li lifted the curiously to study it, even testing it out with a piranha skeleton.

    ¡°It works!¡±

    Most ind rivers also had fish with sharp teeth, though not as many as this river and were of different species. They would not weave a specialised like that to catch these fish. If they made a like that, it was likely to catch piranhas from ming River as piranhas lived inrge schools here.

    ¡°The Gu tribe is definitely awesome at makings.¡± Although he hadn¡¯t met them, Tuo had to admit this fact. And if Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t pointed it out, they wouldn¡¯t have noticed so soon.

    ¡°And if this is wet, the threads would be even more slippery. The fish teeth would pass through easily and the won¡¯t be broken in a short period of time.¡± Shao Xuan touched the wet part of the, passing it to everyone.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± Kun Tu scratched his head again. So that was why the few Gu tribe members looked at him that way. He really wasn¡¯t knowledgeable enough to recognize the wonders of this.

    ¡°With-weaving skills like that, the Gu tribesmen definitely won¡¯t go hungry. On the contrary, they must be quite rich,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°But there is no Gu tribe here. We¡¯ve travelled along the river but did not see them. Or you would¡¯ve known already.¡± Kun Tu still couldn¡¯t understand why.

    ¡°If we haven¡¯t seen them, then the Gu tribe must be farther than we thought.¡± Shao Xuan stared out ahead.

    The Gu tribe knew about the trading point despite the fact that they were located so far away. They must have had very efficient information sources.

 Chapter 634 - Net-Patterned Pottery

    <h4>Net-Patterned Pottery</h4>

    The crew grew more alert after the revtion about the Gu tribe.

    If the Gu tribe wasn¡¯t a very powerful and aggressive tribe, it would be fine. Minor squabbles wouldn¡¯t affect ming Horn either. However, if they were very aggressive people, then ming Horn must stay guarded.

    Of course, Shao Xun didn¡¯t think the Gu tribe was a group of people who liked to invade and rob other tribes for a living. If they were specialised in robbery, why would they spend so much time perfecting their craft? Also, that would mean they kept a high profile- though why hadn¡¯t any of the tribes in the area heard of them?

    Even when ming Horn¡¯s expedition team visited the major trading points in different parts of the maind, they still hadn¡¯t heard of this tribe¡¯s name. Various expedition teams never mentioned them, even the Pu tribe didn¡¯t know of the Gu tribe¡¯s existence.

    This meant that the Gu tribe¡¯s most likely situation was: far from everyone, in a secluded ce, somewhere lowkey around the ming River region.

    This analysis calmed Shao Xuan down.

    Vegetation along the banks grew denser down the river. It was difficult to determine if any tribes lived in this area.

    After flying in the air with Chacha for a while, he returned to his boat to update the map. There wasn¡¯t anything important. Only the river and hills were particrly noteworthy but the number of hills was falling. Yet, he encountered more water bodies here.

    In the air, he sawkes and rivers, as well as more animals in the forest. They could hear a cacophony of animal sounds far and near, shrill and deep, within the forest.

    Shao Xuan was updating his map in his cabin when he heardmotion outside. Duo Li and the rest must¡¯ve caught some fish again, some fish they hadn¡¯t seen before or it wouldn¡¯t have causedmotion like that. This happened more frequently- the further they travelled downstream, the more diverse the aquatic animals were.

    When Shao Xuan went out to take a look, he saw Ah Guang holding a long, peculiar fish as thick as his arm. This weird fish was covered in mud yellow and ck pattern. If it rested along the banks, it would be difficult to spot. It had a sucker-like mouth and a very slippery body. Ah Guang could only pin it under his arm at the portion behind its head, causing it to struggle and twist vigorously. There were countless hook-like teeth in its sucker-like mouth that were lined in a ring-like shape. However, they did not touch Ah Guang. They were only useful at a certain angle of ny degrees.

    Duo Li stuck a wooden stick into its round mouth, only to hear gnawing sounds and then realise that the stick had turned into wooden chips.

    The weird fish also had two pectoral fins like huge fansrge enough to cover a human face. When Ah Guang pinned them down under his arm, the fish looked longer and more slender than it usually did.

    After ying a bit with the fish, they then cleaned it and thought about roasting it for food.

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s got a hook in its stomach!¡± Tuo, who was in charge of cleaning the fish, took out the hook from its stomach. After washing the blood away, the shape of the hook became more obvious.

    Tuo passed it to Shao Xuan. ¡°It¡¯s man-made.¡±

    It was a stone fishing hook as long as the little finger, with a hook at the end. It had been sanded so it was very sharp.

    The fish could chew wood up to pieces but not sturdy rock. That was why the hook was unscathed in its stomach.

    ¡°Maybe there are tribes nearby? Or it swam here from somewhere else?¡± deduced Tuo, looking at the forest on both sides of the river.

    The crew thought the former was more likely so both boats grew more alert.

    Shao Xuan did not sense any fire seed auras. Even if there was a tribe here, they weren¡¯t close.

    Half a day passed. When they stopped by the banks to nt a sign and rest, the ones who entered the forest to hunt discovered a broken y jar half-buried in soil.

    The jar was small but its craftsmanship was exquisite. It was coloured too but Shao Xuan cared more about the patterns.

    There was an extremely delicate, deep-colouredting pattern etched on the surface of this jar as big as a palm.

    The artist who made this must have been very dedicated to his work. While ating pattern wasn¡¯tplicated, it was difficult to draw it urately on the curved surface of the jar. One mistake would ruin the whole pattern, hence it wasn¡¯t simple.

    Hundreds of lines were drawn very close to each other on the outer surface of this y jar, all equal and smooth. It seemed as if a ruler had been used during the drawing process so the space between these lines were all equal and unbroken. The artist must have been very experienced.

    Other than the thin, crossing lines, there were also thicker curved lines near the bottle¡¯s mouth and underneath the bottle. Two-thirds down the bottle, there were also thick curved lines. Underneath was the tightly-drawn pattern. This formed an obvious contrast between the thick and thin lines, creating an impressive visual effect.

    Making pottery required passion too. The person in charge of pottery at ming Horn was Xing. He gained more wisdom the more he worked on his pottery. The old man once said that pottery made from passion will always be different from one made without.

    Although the jar was broken, after washing off theyer of mud, the delicate hand-drawn lines were still obvious. This was enough to create a striking impact, or the ming Horns who were looking for food wouldn¡¯t have discovered it.

    There was even grass around, plus it had been half-buried in the soil. Only part of it peeked out from among the grass but they still saw it in an instant.

    It was obvious that this jar was not made out of a whim. Its creator had injected enough passion and patience into its making this jar as big as a palm. Its previous contents must¡¯ve been very important.

    ¡°Any totems on it?¡± asked Tuo.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°Not sure. Perhaps it¡¯s on here but we can¡¯t see it or the broken part was the part with the totem. Or they didn¡¯t draw their totem on. The second and third deductions are more likely.¡±

    If the person who made it was so detail-oriented, he would be even more careful in pouring his passion into drawing the totem. If there was a totem, even if Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t seen it before, he would¡¯ve definitely found it already.

    ¡°I wonder which tribe made this. Could it be the Gu tribe?¡± asked Duo Li.

    Shao Xuan mulled over the thought as he stared at the jar in his hand.

    He had the same idea as Duo Li. Different tribes preferred different patterns due to varying lifestyles, i.e. some liked cloud patterns, some liked animal print.

    The pattern on this jar was in the-pattern category, it was obvious that the tribe liked-like patterns.

    It was likely to be the Gu tribe!

    They did not throw the jar away. Instead, Shao Xuan brought it on the boat and told them to search around the area to see if they found anything else.

    More clues would lead to a better understanding of the jar¡¯s origins.

 Chapter 635 - Strange Fish

    <h4>Strange Fish</h4>

    After they found theting-patterned jar, they continued to travel downstream. Shao Xuan could sense another tribe around, but they were slightly farther away from the ming River so he couldn¡¯t distinguish what kind of tribe it was. The only thing he could confirm was that these tribes were not strong, or the aura from their fire seed would¡¯ve been easily sensed.

    When they were nting the signs, they also noticed some traces of human activities. They deduced that people rarely came by the river because although there were traces, they were not new. They also noticed that other than the-patterned pots and tools they found earlier, there were also others with different designs.

    After sensing the fire seed, Shao Xuan marked out its approximate location on his map.

    ¡°Should we go take a look over there?¡± Duo Li asked Shao Xuan. If they could travel upstream and locate the position of the fire seed, then they would be able to identify the characteristics of that tribe.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need.¡± Shao Xuan rolled up his map. ¡°We don¡¯t need to care too much about that. Heading in that direction would waste a lot of time. The ming River is long, and we¡¯re not even sure if we can finish exploring the area within the scheduled time. Let¡¯s not pay too much attention to the smaller tribes for now.¡±

    Looking ahead at the ming River, Shao Xuan said, ¡°I feel like there¡¯s going to be a slightly bigger tribe in front.¡±

    It was rare to hear Shao Xuan say ¡°slightly bigger¡±. Most tribes along the ming River were smaller tribes with fewer people. Some of these tribes did not even have more than a few hundred in total. These were tragically low numbers, Duo Li and the others couldn¡¯t understand how they even survived.

    When they heard Shao Xuan say ¡°a slightly bigger tribe¡±, all of them looked surprised. Finally, arger tribe?

    If the tribes around the ming River region consisted of only tribes with a few hundred people each, they wouldn¡¯t bring much trouble to the ming Horns. Even if they joined forces against them, they would still be too weak to fight the small group of ming Horns from the central region.

    ¡°Did you all notice the river widening the more we travel downstream?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    They wouldn¡¯t have noticed if Shao Xuan didn¡¯t mention it, but the two shorelines did seem farther apart. They had been travelling along the side of the river opposite the territory of the fierce beasts. Now, when they looked at the forests on the other side, everything appeared smaller. It was just like Shao Xuan said. The river widened as they travelled downstream.

    Shao Xuan roughly estimated that the distance between the two shorelines was already more than a thousand metres at their current location. The variety of fish also became more diverse as they travelled. There were not only piranhas like before, but also other types of fish.

    But the good thing was that the boats continued to travel normally in the river. There were no wood-eating bugs or giant beasts in the river.

    No, to be more specific, there were no longer river beasts that lived in the river like before when the great river still existed. However, whether there were fierce beasts that entered the river, they were not sure. A wider river meant arger habitat. Perhaps a few fierce beasts that liked water had alreadye out from the forest and entered the river.

    ¡°Stay alert. Keep a close watch on everything happening in the waters. We¡¯ll continue to travel along the shore,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Usually, there were fewer aquatic beasts near the river shores. They usually settled in the middle of the river where the water was deeper. Shao Xuan and the others still could not tell whether there were any beasts in the river. It was always good to stay more vignt. The closer they were to the shore, the easier it was for them to escape if anything happened.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Chacha?¡± Shao Xuan looked around in the sky. He did not see Chacha¡¯s figure.

    ¡°Probably went hunting for food?¡± Tuo said.

    Shao Xuan did not care. He had been like this for a while now. Every time after he brought Shao Xuan up into the skies to scan the grounds below, Chacha would fly far away to y or look for clues farther ahead. Sometimes he even went to the territory of the fearsome beasts to search for prey.

    ............

    Somewhere downstream from where Shao Xuan and the others were.

    In the centre of the river, a wooden raft was shaking violently.

    Atop the wooden raft, a frightened young man held onto it tightly. He still had some hope if he stayed on the raft, but if he fell into the river, that would be the end for him.

    The reason why the raft was shaking so violently was that something was shaking it from underneath, in the river.

    On the shorelines, a few young men shouted. Even if they wanted to help, they could not do anything. If they jumped into the waters now, they would die. If the fish swallowed them in the river, they would also lose their lives.

    Shoot arrows?

    There¡¯s no use. That fish was too cunning and wouldn¡¯t give them a chance to shoot. It either hid in the waters or behind the raft. If they shot arrows, they might even end up hurting the person on the raft. So they had to be careful if they fired.

    ¡°Hang on, big brother! We¡¯re already calling people over!¡± a child about the age of ten shouted from the shores.

    ¡°Use the oar! Use the oar to hit it!¡±

    ¡°No! Don¡¯t listen to him. You¡¯ll just anger it if you hit it with the oar. Bo Luo, hold on tight to the raft and try to buy yourself time!¡± another slightly older young man called out hurriedly.

    These people were all so nervous that their faces and ears were red. Large sweat droplets rolled down, but they didn¡¯t even have time to wipe it off. No matter what they did -throwing rocks or hitting the water- they couldn¡¯t divert the fish¡¯s attention.

    Their initial target was not the strange fish, but another type of fish that was about the length of two humans. Thes they weaved was specifically designed to catch those fish, but they never thought that a strange fish would suddenly appear and kill their target fish. Not only that, it almost ate all of them too. If Bo Luo did not go out to divert its attention, they would not have made it to the shore safely. Now, although they were all safe, Bo Luo was stuck. He was dragged along with the wooden raft to the centre of the river.

    What¡¯s worse, the strange fish did not even try to attack with all its strength. It yed with the wooden raft and swam in circles around it. asionally it would bump into the raft on purpose and cause the raft to shake violently.

    The strange fish had probably lost its interest ying with its prey. It finally emerged from the river and revealed its body.

    Brown orange tips covered its skin like a thick armour of scales. It glinted in the sunlight, sending chills down their spines. More than half of its triangr head was visible.

    Half of its body was already above the surface. It had no fear at all and did not worry about the threats anyone could bring. Its jaws were wide open. Then, it bit fiercely onto the wooden raft.

    Crack!

    The wooden raft was as thick as a human, but the beast bit off a huge chunk effortlessly.

    Crack!

    Another bite.

    The wooden raft shook violently with every bite.

    The person on the wooden raft screamed in terror and tried to edge away from the strange fish.

    ¡°Shoot! Hurry!¡± someone screamed from the shore.

    ¡°We¡¯ve run out of arrows!¡±

    ¡°Throw rocks! Keep throwing rocks!¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no use!¡±

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t daddy here yet?¡± a girl couldn¡¯t help but cry out. Not just her, the rest were feeling the same way.

    Who would¡¯ve thought that such a powerful fish would appear?

    No wonder the elders in the tribe didn¡¯t let them get close to the water. All they wanted was to catch a giant fish to prove their strength. If they knew such a terrifying monster existed, they would¡¯ve nevere here knowing their own capabilities.

    This was literally suicide.

    There was no way theirs could stop that strange fish.

    Some people wanted to jump into the river to help but were all held back. Whoever jumped in would die. That strange fish no longer felt like ying and would never give them a chance to escape.

    In the centre of the river, the strange fish had already chewed away half of the wooden raft. It was ready to bite again. Two more bites and it would get to its prey, but after it opened its mouth, it suddenly halted, dropped the raft, and went under.

 Chapter 636 - The Beast Caught Big Brother

    <h4>The Beast Caught Big Brother</h4>

    [T/L Note: just a reminder that beast = ordinary animal, fearsome beast = a type of beast that is more ferocious and its blood has invigorating properties if consumed]

    Even though the fish reacted fast, it was still a moment toote.

    A gust of wind swept past.

    The surface of the river was split apart like a piece of cloth ripped into two perfect halves. The strange fish that tried to escape was caught and brought into the air. Following a sharp slicing sound, the pungent, coppery smell of blood spread through the air.

    Bo Luo, who initially wanted to take a chance and jump into the river, felt a sudden shove from the wave. If he did not catch on to the raft, he would¡¯ve been hit and sent into the air by the sudden impact.

    River water sshed into his eyes. The ferrous smell spread through the air, but he smelled something else too. When he opened his eyes, he saw something fall from the sky into the river. The water sshed upwards, causing his raft to shake even more.

    The strange fish was torn into two halves. When it fell into the river, the tail-half sank while the other half with the head floated to the surface. That half did not sink, so Bo Luo could still see the three lips of the fish¡¯s mouth open and close. It no longer had the same arrogance from before and clung onto itsst breath.

    Everyone, on the shores or the person on the raft, all were shocked by the sudden scene.

    What...... What was that?

    ¡°Watch out, Bo Luo!¡±

    ¡°Run!¡±

    ¡°Jump into the water! Hurry!¡±

    The people on the shores screamed in terror.

    The person on the raft also felt like he was targeted by something. When he lifted his head, a giant figure swept past him, so fast he couldn¡¯t even react and jump into the water. It lifted both him and the raft into the air.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¨C¡±

    Bo Luo looked down as he was lifted quickly off the surface of the river. His terror could be heard through his cry of despair. He had just escaped the mouth of the strange fish, but ended up in the ws of another bird.

    The reinforcements had just arrived, but even now, nothing could be done. They didn¡¯t even have time to fire their arrows.

    With such fast speed and massive size, it was no ordinary bird.

    ¡°That¡¯s a fearsome beast!¡± the person who rushed over shouted.

    The people along the shorelines could only watch helplessly as the bird flew farther away and soared upward. It slowly disappeared from their field of vision.

    Seeing the figures disappearing in the distance, a kid who tried to run after it was forcefully pulled back by the others on the shore. When the child snapped back into reality and noticed what had happened, she cried, ¡°The beast took my big brother away!¡±

    The people who were looking at the bird withdrew their nces and turned over to look at the child. Panting, they were already running as fast as they could, but they were still a step toote.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t we warn you guys to stay away from here?! Are you all deaf? You could¡¯ve died!¡± The leader of the group that had just arrived was so mad that even his beard straightened. He went over and pped all of them. He did not touch the kid that was crying. After all, she had just lost her big brother.

    ¡°Bo Luo.... he¡¯s gone? Just like that?¡± someone asked with a trembling voice.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± The leading middle aged man seemed irritated when he pulled on the hunting that hung from his body. ¡°You think he can survive after being captured by a beast?!¡± As he said this, he turned to look out to the surface of the river.

    The wind was blowing towards the other side of the river. The remains of the dead fish was drifting to their side, and seeing the movements around its body, the piranhas had already begun to nibble on the dead fish. Would it reach the banks before the piranhas finished it up? This was also why they rarely went into the water. It was too dangerous. They usually readied theirs on the rafts and only withdrew thes as they approached the shores.

    If they left the shores, they had no advantage in the river. No matter how powerful theirs were, nothing could save them.

    It was getting closer to evening. The remnants of the fish finally reached their shore. It was barely recognisable, but they brought it back to their tribe. The team were all feeling sullen as they walked, and they could hear the child sobbing.

    They had also searched upstream, where the bird flew past. They held onto the ¡°hope¡± that maybe they could find him and searched that part of the forest, but they found no trace.

    People who came into contact with wild beasts all knew what would happen to a child carried away by a beast. It was clear that anyone caught by a fierce beast would only be its meal.

    Depressed, the team returned to their tribe.

    At the entrance of the tribe was a giant woven with thick ropes. The pattern was denser near the centre of the. If seen from far away,a clear picture could be identified.

    It was a totem sign with criss-cross patterns and looked just like a.

    ¡ª¡ª

    When Bo Luo woke up, he felt like he had been grabbed by a beast¡¯s ws. No, he actually was grabbed by a beast¡¯s ws!

    As he slowly regained his consciousness, he started to remember what had happened before he cked out. He was not the type who didn¡¯t understand anything. If the bird was so massive and could tear the strange fish into two halves, how could it be an ordinary beast?

    If he was indeed caught by a beast, it was likely that he would be eaten. He finally realised how unlucky he was....

    No, that¡¯s not right!

    Bo Luo moved his body and opened his eyes. The sunlight almost blinded him. After he calmed down and used his hands to block it out, he opened his eyes again. Even moving his hands made his body ache.

    Alive!

    He was alive!

    When he noticed this, he suddenly felt excited. But what actually happened?

    Before making sure what the situation was like, he did not dare to move recklessly. Sometimes when he encountered wild beasts, he even had to fake his death. What if that beast was still waiting nearby?

    He slowly turned his head and noticed some strange buildings and people.

    Bo Luo pushed himself up and sat upright. There were a few people around him, either standing or sitting. All of them looked at him with curious eyes.

    Was this someone¡¯s home?

    He could hear and smell the river. Even though he didn¡¯t see it, he was sure about this. Plus, the house was slightly shaking and felt just like when he was on the raft.

    They¡¯re floating on water?

    Which tribe¡¯s houses floated on water? Bo Luo couldn¡¯t think of anything at the moment.

    ¡°Yo, you¡¯re awake?¡± a person who was fiddling with a fishing rod grinned at him.

    ¡°You....you...guys saved me?¡± Bo Luo asked. He had never seen these people before. They did not seem like any tribe he knew. He could tell right away.

    These people were all strong and muscr. Even another girl about the same age as his own sister who was lifting a giant seashell single handedly looked just as if she was ying with a tiny rock.

    These people did not look mad or evil. When they stared at him, he felt like a fierce beast in the forest being targeted by hunters. This gave him shivers.

    ¡°Well, guess you could say that,¡± a young man who was sitting on a short wooden stump said.

    What did he mean by ¡°you could say that¡±?

    His excitement after finding out that he was still alive had slowly dissipated. He mainly thought about these people who were in front of him now. How did they save him? Did they battle the beast? Or did the beast abandon him halfway and leave?

    ¡°Uh, how did you all find me? Did you guys see an unusuallyrge bird? A fearsome beast, it was definitely a fearsome beast,¡± Bo Luo asked. After he asked that question, he noticed that something wasn¡¯t right. These people all smiled at him together.

    He knew something was wrong. Bo Luo scratched the goosebumps that had appeared on his arm.

    As if he sensed something, Bo Luo turned his head and looked behind him, and then slowly looked up.

    A bird four times his height was standing right there, looking right at him.

    A moment of silence ensued.

    ¡°Ahhhh¡ª¡ª-¡±

 Chapter 637 - You Guys Are The Flaming Horns?

    <h4>You Guys Are The ming Horns?</h4>

    Bo Luo was suddenly shocked. Initially, he thought that they were the ones who rescued him. Who knew the beast that captured him was part of their gang?!

    Human and beast in one team?

    It was so hard to imagine!

    Bo Luo had always considered himself a bold person, but after the fishing incident and what he saw now, each new incident shocked him more than the previous one.

    He looked around the room at the people who were all calm andposed. He then looked again at the giant bird behind him. He wanted to shout again, but he forced down his shocked emotions and breathed in deeply. After he calmed down, he thought about what he should do next.

    ¡°You guys.....¡± Bo Luo pointed at the bird behind, then looked at the people around him. He didn¡¯t know what to ask.

    Seeing how shocked the person was, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t try to beat around the bush. Instead, he said, ¡°Although we didn¡¯t know what happened, I think that to be exact, he was the one who saved you.¡±

    ¡°Saved me?¡±

    He almost ate me! Bo Luo wanted to refute, but after he thought about it, they were probably right. If this bird did not appear in time, he would¡¯ve been eaten by the strange fish in the river. But why did the bird bring him here after it killed the strange fish?

    ¡°Where is this? Who are you guys?¡± Bo Luo stood up and looked around.

    It was exactly what he thought. They were still on the same river.

    ¡°We are the expedition team from the ming Horn tribe.¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure where we are, but we¡¯re just going downstream on this river.¡±

    ¡°The ming Horn tribe?!¡± Bo Luo was still thinking of a way to get back, but after hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s answer, he looked at the row of people with surprise. ¡°You guys are ming Horns?¡±

    Seeing Bo Luo¡¯s reaction, Duo Li and the others were curious. ¡°How did you know about our tribe?¡±

    ¡°H-heard about it,¡± Bo Luo eyed the people in front of him up and down but didn¡¯t say any more. The defensive look in his eyes had not yet faded, but he was a little more curious.

    ¡°I heard that you guys hosted a showing-off feast? Is that true?¡± Bo Luo couldn¡¯t help but ask. He really couldn¡¯t imagine. There was a tribe capable of hosting feasts! He didn¡¯t know what a feast was before, but he understood as soon as his dad exined it to him. After he realised what a grand event it was, he was even more marvelled. Could a tribe be that rich?

    ¡°Of course, but that feast ended before the monsoon season. Back then, only twenty-four tribes went to attend. After the feast, more tribes came to the trading point because it was officially open to the public. Didn¡¯t your tribe go over to look?¡± Duo Li asked with a cheerful tone as he walked over.

    ¡°It already ended?! Where¡¯s the ming River Trading Point? Did many tribes visit? Our tribe lives too far away, so we didn¡¯t attend.¡± Disappointment shed across Bo Luo¡¯s eyes. He also wanted to experience what it was like. But too bad...

    ¡°Which tribe do you belong to? If it¡¯s along the way, we can send you back,¡± Duo Li asked.

    After he hesitated, Bo Luo said, ¡°I¡¯m from the Gu tribe. My name is Bo Luo.¡±

    Gu tribe?

    They really were the Gu tribe!

    Before Bo Luo even woke up, Shao Xuan had already guessed his identity. He said that it was very likely that he belonged to the Gu tribe.

    ¡°You¡¯re from the Gu tribe?¡± Duo Li pointed to the twos set on the side. ¡°Someone from your tribe did visit the ming River Trading Point.¡±

    Seeing those twos, Bo Luo¡¯s eyes brightened. He said excitedly, ¡°My dad brought it there!¡±

    After he said this, Bo Luo suddenly felt like he said too much. His dad told him that before he knew more about the ming Horn¡¯s character, he should always stay vignt. Even though these ming Horns saved his life, it was still better to remain cautious. The ming Horn tribe seemed a lot stronger than his.

    Duo Li seemed to have not noticed the defensive look in Bo Luo¡¯s eyes. He continued, ¡°Then why didn¡¯t youe over with your dad to look? Our trading point is always full of excitement. There¡¯s fearsome beast meat, beast hides, and horns. These are all very famous.¡±

    Hearing Duo Li¡¯s words, Bo Luo put aside his previous thoughts, ¡°It¡¯s too far, and the roads are too dangerous. We were not allowed to follow. But your tribe even sells fearsome beasts?! That¡¯s crazy!¡±

    ¡°Heh, of course!¡± Duo Li was full of pride.

    He walked over and put his arms over Bo Luo¡¯s shoulder in a warm-hearted gesture. He started talking and also introduced a few of them to him, mostly their names. Then he also made a few jokes. As for their position and strengths, he did not mention even a word.

    Bo Luo told them about how he brought a few people to fish but encountered some dangers. He also mentioned how he tried to distract the strange fish, so the others had time to escape. From this Duo Li could guess that Bo Luo was no ordinary person in the Gu tribe.

    If he could bring people along on a hunt -fishing probably counts as hunting- he was a leader. A leader definitely had a strong influence and fame in the tribe. If it wasn¡¯t his strength, then it must¡¯ve been the influence of other elders.

    In a tribe, higher ranking meant greater responsibilities. If they encountered any dangers, they also had more pressure than others. There was no such thing as ¡°soldiers dying for the sake of their general¡± in the tribes. Whenever there was danger, they always stood in front to protect the others. If they couldn¡¯t hold back the threat and could only resort to falling back, they had to do what was most dangerous.

    Bo Luo was prepared to do such a thing, so Duo Li wanted to talk more with Bo Luo. Perhaps he might even be able to obtain more information.

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± Shao Xuan said suddenly.

    ¡°What?¡± Bo Luo couldn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan meant.

    Duo Li and a few others all looked at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan stood up. ¡°The Gu tribe is nearby.¡±

    ¡°Really?!¡± Bo Luo was suddenly excited. Nothing couldpare to the happiness he felt upon returning to his tribe alive.

    Duo Li jumped up onto the mast. Standing far up, he took out Shao Xuan¡¯s monocrs and looked far ind.

    The forest was too dense with trees so he couldn¡¯t see anything, but since Shao Xuan said they were almost here, then it must be true.

    Bo Luo was excited, but he suddenly thought, ¡®Have these people even been to the Gu tribe? How did they know they were reaching soon?¡¯

    He was just about to ask, but as he turned around, he saw Shao Xuan walk towards the fierce bird and hopped onto its back.

    The boat suddenly shook. Bo Luo almost lost his bnce.

    With a whoosh, a gust of wind blew past them. Bo Luo looked up to the sky, and the giant bird was already up in the air and flying rapidly into the distance.

    They really could tame fearsome beasts!

    And they even flew on the giant bird¡¯s back!

    Bo Luo widened his eyes and looked at the giant bird fly away.

    After a while, Chacha flew back again, except this time, he did notnd on the boat. Instead, he swooped back into the air as soon as Shao Xuan leapt off. He did not leave them but continued to tail the two boats.

    ¡°Um, *Pineapple?¡± Shao Xuan looked over at the person who stood idly on the same spot after he drew what he needed to on his map.

    [A mispronunciation of Bo Luo¡¯s name in Chinese sounds like ¡®Pineapple¡¯]

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Bo Luo looked confused. ¡°Are you calling me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m talking to you, Pineapple. Can you contact your tribespeople directly? Like with a whistle or something?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°My name is Bo Luo, not pineapple.¡± Bo Luo corrected him. As he thought about what Shao Xuan said, he nodded, ¡°Yes! Do I blow now?¡±

    ¡°Wait first. We¡¯re not there yet. If you blow now, they might not be able to hear it. I¡¯ll tell you when we get there.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Bo Luo was excited that he could return, but he was still fixated on whether he had made the right decision by bringing the ming Horns to his tribe.

    Shao Xuan stood at the ship¡¯s bow and looked in one direction. In his sea of consciousness, on the very edge of the totem fire¡¯s light, a small cluster was bing more apparent.

    That was a totem sign covered in mud-yellow mes. The pattern consisted of crisscrossed lines and looked just like a.

 Chapter 638 - The Gu Tribe

    <h4>The Gu Tribe</h4>

    Stilt-style architectures were everywhere. The buildings were very simr to the ones of the Drumming tribe, with wooden stilts as the bottom foundation, but the stilts here were taller and thicker. The houses were all six to seven metres above the ground. There were taller buildings more than ten metres above ground level too.

    These houses were not rectangr but round with a pointed top. The roofs were thatched with palm leaves. The diameter of therger houses was over twenty metres, and the smaller ones less than four metres.

    Under the houses, there were manys entangled around the bottom stilts. Theses were divided into differentyers, and there were itemsid on eachyer. Some were food, while others were clothing.

    Some of thes had confusing patterns and looked messy.

    People were resting inside the on the bottommostyer. The ropes could be used as a hammock, but could also be used to set items out to dry.

    Meanwhile, in the centremost location within the Gu tribe, inside thergest house, the mood was sullen.

    ¡°Bo Luo¡¯s gone?¡±

    The person who spoke had sparse hair. The clothing he wore was tattered as if branches had cut it. There were even blood markings and unpleasant odour on his body. His tired eyes were bloodshot and hazy. From the twitching muscles on his face and arms, it was clear that this person was not too stable emotionally at the moment. He felt horrible, and he was ready to explode at any moment.

    The person who sat beside the door answered, ¡°......Yes, when I got there, I saw the beast take him away.¡±

    It was silent inside the house again. It was as if time froze for a split second.

    ¡°Actually, Bo Luo might still be alive.¡±

    Amidst the silence, a voice spoke calmly, slicing through the tense atmosphere.

    The person who was speaking now was a skinny middle-aged man sitting in the corner of the house. Although he didn¡¯t look old, he had white hair. There were patches of white and dark brown hair on his head. It looked like the tightly packed patterns seen on checkerboards, and his hair grew past his shoulders.

    ¡°I have not fully recovered, so I can¡¯t confirm his exact location, but I can feel that he is still alive,¡± that person said.

    ¡°But he was taken away by a fierce beast. Where can we find him?¡± another person who was sitting close to the door appeared frustrated. As he spoke, he looked at the others who were all sullen and depressed. ¡°Bo Gu, what¡¯s your decision?¡±

    Bo Gu rubbed his reddened eyes. He had just rushed back and was already exhausted. He never expected to hear news of his own son captured by a fierce beast. His heart was now full of mixed emotions- anger, sorrow, and all sorts of emotions. But now there were too many things at hand.

    What can he do?

    He did not know.

    Even if he was still alive now, a person captured by a fierce beast probably didn¡¯t have much time left.

    Heaving a deep sigh, Bo Gu was about to say something, but the person with brown and white hair who was sitting in the corner of the room suddenly made a ¡°hmm¡± sound.

    This sound was not a reaction to anyone in the room. Instead, he sensed something else.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, shaman?¡± The people inside the house all looked over.

    The person with brown and white hair had not spoken but turned his head in one direction. Even though the house was in the way and he couldn¡¯t see anything, everyone inside the house knew immediately that there was something strange happening in that direction.

    As soon as their suspicion hit, they heard a continuous ¡®woolooloolooloo¡¯ sound. It was like a sound made by some aquatic birds. It came from afar. Anyone with weaker capabilities wouldn¡¯t be able to hear but everyone inside the house could hear it.

    When the people inside the house heard it, their eyebrows jerked and their eyes brightened. Without a word, they rushed out of the house immediately.

    Bo Gu ran out out the ten-metre high house. With a simple hook of his hand, he held on to the rope attached to the bottommostyer ofting below the stilts. It eased the impact of his descent, and with a ¡°zzzz¡± sound caused by the friction of the rope, Bo Gu slid down like a rock falling rapidly. All of a sudden, it was as if he turned into a leaf and floated down smoothly. The sound of hisnding was as light as the sound of a small rock falling on the grass. It was so subtle and hard to notice.

    After hended, Bo Gu and others who came out of the house ran towards where the sound came from. In the blink of an eye, their figures were gone.

    After they left, the person who was sitting cross-legged with brown and white hair walked out slowly.

    His eyes were full of suspicion as he looked in the river¡¯s direction, ¡°A foreign tribe?¡±

    Which tribe would being at this time of the year? He could feel that these people were not tribes that lived nearby, and they were not any of the tribes he was familiar with. He had nevere into contact with them, but these neers gave him a special feeling. They were very different from the tribes he had seen before, but he couldn¡¯t tell what exactly was different about them.

    Not long after, someone rushed back from far away. As he ran, he shouted, ¡°Bo Luo is back! The brat Bo Luo is back!¡±

    Hearing themotion, everyone came out of their houses to look.

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t Bo Luo get captured by a fearsome beast?!¡±

    ¡°Bo Luo¡¯s still alive?¡±

    ¡°Where is he? Did the beast bite him? Is he injured?¡±

    ¡°I want to see him!¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t run around. I will beat you if I see you running around again. You¡¯d better stay in your homes!¡±

    The person who rushed back ran straight to thergest house. From the bottom, he hopped up to the house on thes covering the wooden stilts, as if they were mere steps. With a whoosh, he was up.

    ¡°Shaman, someone brought Bo Luo back,¡± the person reported.

    ¡°Who?¡± the shaman of the Gu tribe arched his eyebrows.

    ¡°Bo Gu said they were the ming Horn tribe.¡±

    ¡°The ming Horns? That fast?¡± the shaman of the Gu tribe was surprised. Bo Gu had just returned from the trading point.

    ......

    When Shao Xuan sensed that the Gu tribe was close, he told Bo Luo to send the signal.

    Actually, Bo Luo was already familiar with everything on the riverbank. He came here before on a hunt, but he knew that they were not close to their tribe¡¯s territory yet, so he didn¡¯t blow on the whistle. Now, his uneasy feelings were slowly dissipating.

    When Shao Xuan let Bo Luo blow the whistle, Bo Luo immediately blew a tune that only the people of the Gu tribe knew. This sound was made by two thumbs pressing against each other. Anyone who was not familiar with the technique would find it challenging to master. Even if they seeded, they could not blow the tune with the same rhythm as the Gu tribesmen, much less send a message using this technique.

    Now, when Bo Luo saw his tribesmen, his anxiety finally calmed. When he noticed his dad on the shore, he was so excited that he wanted to jump onto the shore right away. However, there was still a distance between their ships and the shore, so although they were travelling close to the banks, it was unsafe to stay too close. Shallow waters were dangerous for ships.

    It was the first time many of them from the Gu tribe saw a ¡°floating house¡±. They appeared to be quite astonished. Bo Gu had seen ships before at the ming River Trading Point. Not only the ming Horn ships, but also the ones from other tribes that came by ship to trade at the trading point.

    So when Bo Gu saw the two ming Horn ships, he wasn¡¯t too surprised. He was only shocked by the fact that the ming Horns had ships travelling downstream, and also how fast they arrived. They definitely wouldn¡¯t start travelling during the monsoon seasons, so they probably departed after the monsoons. That¡¯s about the same time they left the ming River Trading Point.

    They were already rushing back at their maximum speed, and sometimes they didn¡¯t even stop at night to rest. More than half of their team were exhausted after returning. Most of them were probably still sound asleep. If Bo Luo did not go missing, he would probably be resting at home by now.

    But these ming Horns seemed very energetic!

    Was it because of their ship?

    Bo Gu was still contemting, but hearing the ming Horn ships approaching, he looked over.

    Bo Luo couldn¡¯t wait any longer. Before the ship even came to a halt, he already jumped down and waved his arms while he ran towards them. He had just escaped a life-and-death situation, and seeing his own father back home, how could he not be excited?

    But he did not expect his father to wee him with his fists.

    ¡°You never listen! Who told you to mess around!¡± Bo Gu waved his fists at his son, who was rushing over excitedly.

    While Bo Gu reprimanded his son, Shao Xuan and the others came down from the boat.

    The people from the Gu tribe who walked over to the banks looked curiously at Shao Xuan¡¯s group. Some nces were clearly defensive and vignt.

    At this time, the shaman of the Gu tribe had already reached the banks.

    ¡°Wee to the Gu tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the shaman of the Gu tribe who was smiling at them. Somehow his tone didn¡¯t sound too weing.

 Chapter 639 - We Donâ€™t Really Want You Here

    Chapter 639

    We Don¡¯t Really Want You Here

    Shao Xuan¡¯s feelings were correct. The people of the Gu tribe were indeed a little defensive towards them, but they did not show it directly. They probably tried to conceal their defensive feelings because they were afraid of the ming Horn tribe.

    Although Shao Xuan and the others saved Bo Luo-even if Chacha captured the person after saving him- it still counted as saving his life, but the Gu tribespeople were acting strange. It was as if they desperately wanted Shao Xuan and the others to leave.

    Shao Xuan could understand if it was their discrimination towards foreign tribes, especially tribes that were stronger than them. It would make them raise their guards, but Shao Xuan felt that there was something else besides all these reasons.

    Even so, the people of the Gu tribe also weed Shao Xuan¡¯s group to their living headquarters. After all, they were the guests and even saved one of them. They didn¡¯t need to draw such clear boundaries so soon. The Gu tribe didn¡¯t want to fall out with the ming Horn tribe.

    The people of the Gu tribe were extremely cautious with Shao Xuan¡¯s group. Bo Gu knew more about the ming Horn tribe because he had been to the trading point, so he was a little nervous when he saw Shao Xuan.

    Most of the Gu tribespeople wore linen clothing, and they were done quite fashionably. Some even had intricate designs. They probably made these clothes themselves, and they were as good as the Rain tribe. But on their linen clothing, there were also other tightly knitted tassel-like linen fibres attached. All of the Gu tribespeople were used to this fashion and didn¡¯t feel at all troubled by the extra tassels on their clothing.

    When Bo Luo was brought onto their ship, his clothing was already tattered, so the linen fibres were not obvious, but seeing so many people of the Gu tribe now, they could finally see the overall characteristics of their tribe.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s curiosity in the linen tassels, Bo Gu exined, ¡°The Gu tribe is skilled in makings, so we bring outs with us wherever we go. Sometimes when thes break during a hunt, we can use these to repair them.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± With Bo Gu¡¯s exnation, Shao Xuan finally understood.

    Differents were made from ropes with different thicknesses, so the Gu tribespeople always brought along the original materials to fix thes with the same types of fibre right away. No wonder all of them had different kinds of fibre tassels. It¡¯s probably because the materials used to make thes were not all the same. These tassels could be seen as a fashion essory but were also very useful.

    Shao Xuan and the others didn¡¯t feel that anything was wrong, but some people in the Gu tribe looked at them with strange nces.

    By rights, Shao Xuan¡¯s group saved Bo Gu¡¯s son. It was reasonable that Bo Gu¡¯s attitude towards them was decent, but those people in the Gu tribe who knew him were still surprised because he was too polite.

    Who was Bo Gu?

    The current chief of the Gu tribe!

    Even though the chief could not bepared to the shaman in the Gu tribe, he was still chief. Bo Gu rarely initiated any social interactions with any foreign tribes, much less tried to exin anything. Before, Bo Gu had always been rude to other foreign tribes, but he was different today. Something was strange about his behaviour.

    When they led Shao Xuan¡¯s group into their tribe, the people who came back with Bo Gu from the trading point had just been woken up by all themotion. When they went out to look and saw Shao Xuan¡¯s group, they were at first astonished and rubbed their eyes, thinking they were still not awake. After they confirmed that it was real, they also hurried over and looked at Shao Xuan from time to time with great interest.

    ¡°Do you guys know me?¡± Shao Xuan asked suddenly.

    Bo Gu, who was thinking about how he should wee the ming Horn people, looked over and saw what was going on. He didn¡¯t try to hide anything. ¡°We just came back from the trading point and we saw you there, ming Horn Grand Elder.¡±

    The Gu shaman, who was squeezed in the middle of the group, looked fiercely at Shao Xuan. Other Gu people seemed not to have understood anything. They looked at Shao Xuan, then at Bo Gu, then back at Shao Xuan.

    Grand Elder?

    This brat?

    Bo Gu, you¡¯re not mistaken, right?

    Bo Luo, who had just been hit by his father, also suddenly forgot about his injuries. ¡°What? He¡¯s the Grand Elder?¡±

    The Gu tribe also had their elders, and they were the same in ranking as the elders in other tribes.

    This position was either taken by previous chiefs or shamans who had stepped down. Sometimes this title would be given to an elder who had significant influence and contributions, but Shao Xuan was so young! He¡¯s already an elder? No, a Grand Elder?! The ming Horn Grand Elder?

    It was too much for them to take.

    No wonder Bo Gu treated him so politely! It was probably because he knew.

    The others were all making spections, but the people who went with Bo Gu to the ming River Trading Point knew that the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe was an exceptional position. The ming Horns were all very respectful towards him, and when Bo Gu was at the trading point, he even heard that even people of other tribes, not just their tribe, feared this Grand Elder. When they mentioned the Grand Elder, it was as if they were talking about some scary beast.

    Shao Xuan brought a hundred of them into the Gu tribe, while the other hundred guarded beside the ships.

    The total headcount in the Gu tribe was slightly more than three thousand, and they were already considered big within medium-small tribes, but it was still a small numberpared to the twenty-thousand poption of the ming Horn tribe.

    The Gu tribe indeed did not suffer from any food shortage. The fresh beast meat was enough to fill their bellies.

    To express their gratitude for saving Bo Luo and also to wee Shao Xuan¡¯s group to their tribe, the Gu tribe set up a feast that afternoon on a vast grasnd. It was not a ¡°showing-off¡± level type of feast, just the ordinary type of weing dinner. They roasted meat on the fire piles and cooked soup in pots.

    During this time, the Gu shaman also had a small chat with Shao Xuan¡¯s group, but he mainly asked about their purpose foring here this time.

    When he found out that Shao Xuan and the others were only travelling along the ming River, the Gu shaman felt relieved. Although he didn¡¯t express it, Shao Xuan could feel it.

    The people of the Gu tribe were indeed polite, but they gave them a feeling of ¡°please leave as soon as you can¡±. The Gu shaman also shared some valuable information about the tribes that lived downstream from them, and even mentioned a tribe downstream that produced beautiful pearls.

    This made the group of ming Horns excited, especially Duo Li. His eyes lit up as soon as he heard this.

    ¡°What kind of pearls?¡± Duo Li asked.

    The Gu shaman took out a thumbnail-sized pearl from his inner pocket.

    A Cat Eye Stone?

    Shao Xuan seemed surprised. He took the pearl over for a closer look. It didn¡¯t look like it was polished by humans. It was more likely a natural product. However, these pearls were slightly opaque, and the ¡°eye¡± line in the middle of the stone was a little faint.

    But these were enough to please Duo Li and the others who came from the other side of the sea. Back when they lived there, stones that couldn¡¯t be made into weapons were often more expensive than grains and beast hides because the ve masters loved all sorts of beautiful gemstones.

    Seeing the ming Horn¡¯s interest in the pearl, the Gu shaman¡¯s eyes brightened with happiness.

    After their meal in thete afternoon, the sky had already darkened. The people of the Gu tribe were all heading to their respective homes, but Shao Xuan and the others did not reside in the cabins provided by the Gu tribe. Instead, they returned to their ships. Although the house was morefortable, the Gu tribe¡¯s fire seed would make it lessfortable there. So it was better for them to return and rest on their ships.

    However, when Shao Xuan and the others departed for the river, the Gu shaman said, ¡°Be careful of the water at night.¡±

 Chapter 640 - Movement In The River

    <h4>Movement In The River</h4>

    The ming Horns became more alert after hearing the Gu shaman¡¯s words.

    The people of the Gu tribe told them that the river was dangerous. There might be strange fish or other creatures. A few warriors from the Gu tribe had already disappeared during their patrolling shifts, and the number of beasts in the forest had also increased.

    Sometimes Shao Xuan¡¯s group would rest beside the banks at night, but they would also encounter some troubles, but these were just small problems. Compared to the forest full of murderous bandits, this ce was a lot safer but this time, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t want to take the risk. The people of the Gu tribe didn¡¯t even find the reason behind their casualties. They did not want to die so meaninglessly.

    ¡°Guards who are keeping watch tonight, stay alert,¡± Shao Xuan told them after they returned to the ships.

    In the Gu tribe, after Shao Xuan¡¯s group left, they no longer added more firewood to the pile. They only waited for the fire to finish burning and slowly die out.

    Breezes blew past the fire piles, causing the fire¡¯s light to flicker and crackle.

    Inside the Gu shaman¡¯s house, besides the shaman, ten other people came. These were all people who had authority in making decisions, and they included Bo Gu and other elders of the Gu tribe. A water moon stone glowed inside the house. For tribes like them who lived in houses above ground, glowing gemstones were always their option for a light source and not fire piles. Fire and torches could easily burn their houses. Besides the water moon stone, they also had other gemstones, but they mostly used water moon stones. They obtained these stones from other people.

    ¡°Shaman, do you think the ming Horns sensed anything?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°It would be even better if they sensed it. Then perhaps they will leave even sooner.¡± The Gu shaman looked down. No one could see his expression.

    ¡°But what if they don¡¯t leave and stay here for a few more days?¡± that person asked again.

    ¡°Then we have no other choice.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the ming Horns were strong and could hunt fearsome beasts? If we receive help from them......¡±

    ¡°How do you know they would help us? If they took this opportunity to rob us, what will we do?¡± an elder said distressfully.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so,¡± Bo Gu said, ¡°When we went over to the ming River trading point, I saw many things that I never even dared to imagine before. I don¡¯t think the ming Horn tribe will rob us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s only what you think. Who knows if they would suddenly rob or secretly attack us? Even though they only have two hundred people, we should know that these people are not easy targets. Plus, even the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe came.¡± The elder grew even more worried.

    ¡°The Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe is.......a little strange.¡± The Gu shaman thought they sounded a little weird when they mentioned the ¡°Grand Elder¡±. Somehow he felt that this Grand Elder was different from the rest of them. No, all of them, all the people in the ming Horn tribe, and all the various tribesmen he had encountered before. The Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe was the only one who was different.

    ¡°Regardless of whether the ming Horns will leave, what we need to do first is to prevent more fearsome beasts from attacking our tribe!¡± As he said this, the shaman of the Gu tribe summoned a fierce murderous aura that surrounded him. This energy was like a full of sharp des, and his piercing eyes stared out into the night beyond the house, as if he wanted to see through the darkness and find the hidden figures within.

    The night grew darker.

    Even though the sliver of moon in the sky coated the night with a silver light, it was still darker inside the forest.

    The forest was very dense, and many branches of the trees near the Gu tribe¡¯s living headquarters extended above their houses. The branches blocked out the moonlight and covered the round roofs with its shade.

    The people in the tribe gradually fell asleep. Some of them were already sound asleep, but some of them were still wide awake and listening to the movements outside.

    In the forest, the guards concealed themselves and blended into the darkness. Even their breaths were in sync with the night breeze.

    On the ships by the river, the people who were keeping guard observed the surface of the river while the others rested in the cabins on the ships.

    The night wind blew across the surface of the ming River, causing waves to form and roll to the shores. Sshes could be heard as waves crashed into the rocks.

    The ships rocked subtly on the river and creaked softly.

    Shao Xuan was getting ready to close his eyes and sleep.

    He suddenly opened his eyes, rolled down from his bed, and walked out of the cabin.

    The people who were keeping guard tonight saw hime out suddenly, so they rushed over and asked, ¡°Grand Elder, did you notice anything?¡±

    ¡°Did you guys notice anything?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The people who were keeping guard looked at each other and thought, and then one of them said, ¡°We just feel like something¡¯s not right. We heard a sound from the forest. It might¡¯vee from the Gu tribe. Maybe a beast fell into one of their traps, and they had a small fight, but I¡¯m guessing that the beast escaped, so we didn¡¯t hear anything after that. As for the river.... Something is also strange, but we¡¯re not sure exactly what.¡±

    The people Shao Xuan brought out this time were all experienced hunters. They had keen senses, and even if they weren¡¯t too urate, they could be sure of what was going on generally.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tuo walked out from the cabin and looked around. ¡°The river seems peaceful.¡±

    Just now, the guard said that something was strange about the river, but Tuo said that it was peaceful. These two statements did not contradict. It was strange because it was so quiet.

    Before, even if it were nighttime, fish would swim on the surface from time to time, and they could hear the tails of fish moving across the water. Some of the fish would even jump up and then drop down with a ssh, and other fish that preyed on insects would also hide in the shallow areas and wait for the perfect moment to attack.

    However, they did not hear any fish preying on insects by the shore, nor did they hear any fish swimming or jumping up. Besides the sound of the waves caused by the night wind, nothing else could be heard.

    Something else remained hidden under the peaceful surface.

    Shao Xuan scanned the river¡¯s surface and looked at a specific location upstream. ¡°You guys stay here. I¡¯ll go take a look over there.¡±

    As he said this, Shao Xuan jumped down from the ship and tiptoed after the sounds upstream in the forest.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too.¡± Tuo followed behind Shao Xuan, and sensing no objection from Shao Xuan, he continued to follow. It was too dangerous for Shao Xuan to go alone. If he followed, perhaps he could be of some help.

    If it werepletely dark, Tuo¡¯s movements would be very limited, but the moon was bing brighter, so Tuo¡¯s eyesight was not as limited as time passed. This was also why Shao Xuan allowed him to follow.

    There was still a distance from the Gu tribe¡¯s living headquarters, so the energy of their fire seed was not that strong here.

    Shao Xuan was passing through the forest beside the shore. He ran and stopped. As the wind blew across the forest and caused the leaves and trees to rattle, Shao Xuan slowly approached a specific area upstream. Seeing Shao Xuan suddenly stop, Tuo also stopped and asked Shao Xuan with his hand gestures, ¡®Is there a problem?¡¯

    Shao Xuan gestured at him to calm down. ¡®Wait for a while.¡¯

    Tuo controlled his breath and focused his full attention. He listened to everything around him closely. Suddenly, he felt an itch on his head as if the night wind was reaching freezing point. The sudden cold rushed up to his spine and continued to move upwards, causing him to shiver uncontrobly. The blood in his body screamed: Danger!

    Not far away, they could hear movements in the water, as if something wasing out from the river!

    However, when Tuo was thinking about how he should respond, the feeling suddenly disappeared.

    The danger that made him break out in a cold sweat gradually diminished. Tuo carefully breathed once again.

    When his sense of dangerpletely disappeared, he heard rustling soundsing from the shore, like something was walking across the grassy fields.

    Tuo wiped away his cold sweat and looked at Shao Xuan.Should we make a move?

    He didn¡¯t feel a strong sense of danger, so the sound he heard just now was probably made by some other nocturnal beast. Tuo did not need to worry about that.

    But Shao Xuan waved his hand and gestured for Tuo to wait.

    The rustling sounds moved farther away, and once again, the shore was peaceful.

    Shao Xuan walked closer to the shore, and finding a suitable ce, he hid on a tree and let the branches cover his figure. Breaking off some hollow branches, he looked through them at the location where he just heard something move in the water.

 Chapter 641 - The Beast in the Water

    <h4>The Beast in the Water</h4>

    Shao Xuan and Tuo stared with their full attention at the riverbank.

    Compared to Shao Xuan, Tuo stayed a little farther away from the riverbank. He knew his safety limits. If he got any closer than that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to hide when the ¡°thing¡± appeared, so he didn¡¯t want to take any risks. After so many years of hunting, he already knew his safety limits when faced with a fierce beast of a certain level, and he didn¡¯t want to risk his life.

    A sound came from the Gu tribe¡¯s location again. Perhaps the patrolling soldiers of the Gu tribe came across another beast, but Shao Xuan paid no attention to the noise. He concentrated entirely on the movements in the riverbank.

    After about another hour, insects that had started chirping quieted down once again.

    It¡¯s here!

    Shao Xuan and Tuo tensed up in the trees where they hid. They forced all of their pores shut and did not reveal a trace of their aura and breath. In case when the wind blew, their scents wouldn¡¯t be detected. They knew the level of the beast they were facing, so they stayed vignt.

    When ripples formed in the water, it seemed like something was moving towards the riverbank from inside the river. Water trickled down the figure that rose from underwater, and moonlight reflected off its wet figure.

    Under the moonlight, a strange creature came out from the river. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell what it was for a while. He only knew that this was a giant beast because the trickle paths on the creature¡¯s back was unusually long. Perhaps the water was flowing down from the creature¡¯s back and spine. The part of the creature above water was around ten metres tall, but Shao Xuan still couldn¡¯t tell how tall or wide the creature was underwater. He didn¡¯t dare to keep looking in the beast¡¯s direction because intelligent beasts were usually sensitive to being watched.

    Shao Xuan rxed and looked over with a different vision. Now, Shao Xuan was really shocked.

    The river, leaves, and trees all disappeared. Only the rocks and branches appeared as different shades of grey. It was as if the world¡¯s skin had been stripped off, and only light outlines and structures were left. There, a massive beast skeleton was approaching them.

    How big was it?

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t be sure, but judging by its skeletal structure, it was about twenty metres long if it crawled on the ground.

    The skeleton of the creature looked like a long lizard, but its neck was a lot longer than a lizard¡¯s. Long enough so only its head protruded from the river, and its body remained underwater. Its thick hind limbs were close to each other and it looked like an alligator waddling in the water. Its front limbs were thinner and would paddle once or twice as it swam forward. As for the head...

    Shao Xuan looked closer. In his special vision, he could see there was not only a giant beast¡¯s head, but also another skeleton of a smaller beast. The beast was biting on a smaller beast in its mouth.

    When the giant beast almost reached the shore, Shao Xuan looked away and no longer stared in its direction.

    Suddenly, it was as if a sharp vision beam scanned across the region. Even though the vision was formless, Shao Xuan felt as if an invisible cold de scraped across his body.

    That was the beast scanning the area before it approached the shore. Shao Xuan looked away because he didn¡¯t want toe into eye contact with the giant beast. If their eyes met, no matter how hard Shao Xuan tried to hide, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape the beast¡¯s eyes. This was his spection. He was sure that beast had this ability.

    After so many years of hunting, Shao Xuan rarely felt this way. It was a fearsome beast. There was no doubt about it. It came from the forest on the other side of the river, butpared to the beasts that the ming Horn hunting team usually hunted, Shao Xuan felt that this beast would be trickier to tackle.

    It wasn¡¯t because they¡¯ve never hunted any beasts that wererger than this one. The one that they used as a skeleton and the one they used to decorate the beast fang gate during the ming River Grand Feast were all giant beasts, but Shao Xuan felt that this one was going to be more troublesome. If they were not careful, they might even lose their lives.

    The two of them hid in the trees and held their breaths. It was like they became two solid rocks.

    The beast scanned the area and didn¡¯t notice any strange movements, so it came onto the shore.

    Shao Xuan looked over. The giant beast was still in the water, but it set down the remains of the smaller beast that it held in its mouth on the bank.

    Shao Xuan did not need to use his special vision at all to see the beast in its entirety because there was no way it could hide its giant body in the shallow waters near the riverbanks.

    Stripes coated his entire body and resembled the marine nts in the river. The colour of its back and front differed, and even though its torso was notpletely revealed, Shao Xuan could tell make out patterns on its neck.

    Its dark coloured back with subtle stripes contrasted with its paler ventral side and created a camouge effect. This allowed the beast to swim in the river without being easily noticed.

    Its skin wasn¡¯t smooth, and the bulges in its body were still dripping wet, reflecting the silver light of the moon. They carried the deathly-cold energy of metallic weapons. Its head was not significantpared to its body and looked like a nted shield. On its head was a segment of long bonelike structures that looked like horns but not as clearly differentiated as horns.

    Even though Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see the entire beast clearly, judging by the part he could see and its entire skeletal structure, it was a powerful pursue-and-attack type of beast!

    What was such a powerful fierce beast creeping here near the shore? What was it worried about? Did it have other intentions?

    Even though it had a mouth full of sharp de-like teeth, it didn¡¯t use any force when it was biting the smaller beast. Shao Xuan could tell that it was trying to avoid hurting the smaller beast.

    If it were this simple, most people would¡¯ve guessed that it was a mother beast carrying its cub. But this was not the truth.

    Shao Xuan did not know whether the giant beast was male or female, but he was sure that the smaller beast was a different species. That beast was not a cub. It was just a smaller beast, and it was already at a mature age. Shao Xuan hade across beasts like these before. Their bodies were over three metres long, and they were violent carnivores. They were not at all cid creatures. These beasts were brutal and bloodthirsty!

    The smaller beast did not move at all after it was set down. Its limbs were frozen as if it were already dead.

    After the giant beast set the smaller beast on the shore, it looked in a direction onnd.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. That was where the Gu tribe was located!

    Did it hold a grudge against the Gu tribe?

    It had not even been a year since the great river disappeared. How did the Gu tribe provoke such a fierce beast?

    The giant beast stared at the direction for a long time, and then its eyes swept and scanned in all directions. Its murderous energy was a few times more violent than the vision scan from before! Even the night wind was disrupted, blowing up more leaves in the forest.

    Dead silence.

    Rustle¨C

    It was a subtle sound, but it stood out in the dead silence. People with sharp ears could hear it right away.

    The giant beast withdrew his gaze and turned his head to look at the smaller beast, who was shaking its leg. The rustling, frictional sound was made by this beast when it shook its leg and rubbed against the grass.

    Whoosh¨C

    Without another look at the shore, the giant beast dived into the water again and left. The ssh wasn¡¯t loud. It wasn¡¯t as loud as the sound of the windswept waves hitting on the shore.

    As it left, because the beast no longer chewed on anything, its entire body went underwater, and the long ripple patterns grew faint and disappeared.

    The oppressive tension was gone. Amidst the grass, the insects began to chirp again, except this time, they did so discontinuously, testing to see if it was safe to do so. The riverbanks returned to its original peace. The smaller beast that therger beast was chewing on got up on its feet and ran like the wind into the forest. It was afraid that it might have to die if it was too slow.

 Chapter 642 - The Underground People

    <h4>The Underground People</h4>

    Shao Xuan and Luo carried the small beast therge beast was dangling from its mouth. It thought it had escaped from danger to only get killed by Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Brother Xuan, you went out again tonight to hunt?¡±

    Ah Guang and the other were still awake. For some reason they couldn¡¯t fall asleep, the anxiousness just didn¡¯t leave them. Hence, after they heard Shao Xuan and Luo went out they just stayed out of the ship waiting for them.

    ¡°Is this for us to eat? That¡¯s great, I was hungry, hehe...¡±

    Halfway through his snickering, as if something got stuck in his throat, he stopped. He stared nkly at the beast Shao Xuan threw over.

    The people on night watch also leaned in to look. They immediately saw the bite marks on the beast.

    Although therge beast didn¡¯t directly bite the smaller one, as it threw it over, it still left a sizable bite mark on it. This bunch of tribesmen were familiar with all sorts of beasts but they were no experts on bite marks so they could only guess.

    Kun Tu reached out to check the marks, ¡°It¡¯s a huge one. I wonder why this little guy didn¡¯t get injured much.¡±

    ¡°I wonder too.¡± Tuo let out a long sigh that seemed to squeeze out all his nervousness from his body.

    Kun Tu looked to Tuo and pointed to his own lip and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Tuo lifted his hand to rub his bloody lip, ¡°Was surprised.¡±

    Right before the beast left, Tuo gritted his teeth to maintain a calm appearance but he did it so hard that blood came gushing out from his gums. It didn¡¯t show because his mouth was shut but as soon as he rxed, it came flowing out.

    As soon as the beast left, all the pores in his skin opened following the muscles in his body rcing. Just in a few breaths, Tuo¡¯s whole body was drenched in sweat.

    ¡°That shocked the life out of me,¡± Tuo exined what he saw to the others. His view wasn¡¯t as clear as Shao Xuan¡¯s but it was still good enough to know the gist of what happened.

    ¡°Brother Xuan, what should we do with this?¡± Ah Guang poked the small beast with his sword.

    ¡°Are we eating it?¡±

    ¡°No, leave it for now. I¡¯ll bring it along for the discussion at Gu tribe tomorrow,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What are you going to discuss? Don¡¯t they want us to leave as soon as possible?¡± Duo Li was intrigued by the beautiful pearls the shaman had mentioned but he could still read between the lines to know that the Gu tribe didn¡¯t want them there.

    ¡°I also want to know how they got into such a big mess.¡± Shao Xuan was still in confusion and the Gu tribe didn¡¯t seem to want their help. Maybe they didn¡¯t want others to find out.

    A peculiar aura haunted the riverside for the night. Although Shao Xuan and Tuo had left the area, they knew therge beast didn¡¯t rest and continued moving things. It was only until dawn came when the atmosphere loosened up a little. Some fish started swimming around in the river too.

    The beast Shao Xuan killed didn¡¯t know how to swim but it was obvious that there was a reason therger beast had moved them here and the Gu tribe had the answer to that question.

    The next day, Shao Xuan brought ten people to the Gu tribe while holding the beast he killedst night.

    ¡°Is the chief in? I¡¯m looking for him.¡± Shao Xuan saw the guard at the outskirts of the tribe.

    They didn¡¯t expect the ming Horn people to show up again but they also didn¡¯t want to cause dys so the guards quickly sent a message and brought the guests to Bo Gu¡¯s house.

    The beast Shao Xuan carried caught the attention of many. Although it was just a small beast to the ming Tribe members, the people here rarely saw any kind of beasts. In addition to that, Shao Xuan was carrying that three-metre long beast as if he was carrying a shirt.

    It seemed that the rumour that the ming Horn tribe members are super strong was true!

    As Bo Gu noticed the beast Shao Xuan was carrying, he frowned and asked, ¡°I assume you had a good night¡¯s rest? Where did you get this?¡±

    ¡°We just hunted it yesterday.¡± Shao Xuan said as he threw the beast down right in front of Bo Gu.

    The few closer to Bo Gu rushed to the floor to take a closer look at the beast. Their eyes were nk but a frown hung on their faces. It felt that they had something to say to Shao Xuan but weren¡¯t sure how to.

    Bo Gu closed his eyes to think of a reply then shifted his gaze to Shao Xuan, ¡°It seems that there are more beasts here now, it is best for you to leave soon.¡±

    ¡°We hunt more than we farm,¡± Shao Xuan looked at the Gu tribe members and saw that they didn¡¯t have anything to say. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll go soon, since you said so. This is for you.¡±

    Shao Xuan instructed the others to leave the tribe. As they were leaving, Duo Li looked at the Gu people and said to Shao Xuan, ¡°If they wanted to hunt, they could just ask us for help. We have so much experience, this is a great opportunity for them.¡±

    Duo Li asked again, ¡°Are we leaving now?¡±

    ¡°Why? What are you thinking about?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just curious how they would solve this.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought for a while and said, ¡°Maybe they already have a n, a huge one too.¡±

    ¡°Really? Why not we stay for a few more days and see how they solve this. I really don¡¯t know how the other tribes hunt.¡± Duo Li¡¯s eyes were gleaming brighter than gemstones at this point.

    The other tribe members were curious too. It would be a great learning experience to observe how other tribes hunt. They were interested in knowing how the Gu tribe would hunt without the super strength the ming Horn members had.

    As the ming Horn people were still deciding whether to stay on to see how things y out, Bo Gu had already dismissed his tribe members while looking somberly at the beast on the ground. He then walked to the wooden frame at the bottom of his house.

    The frame was surrounded by tightly coileds for privacy. Bo Gu walked to the centre of the frame and stomped three times. With every step, it felt that a wave was sent out in a circle, moving the grass as they passed.

    After three steps, Bo Gu stood still. As he felt a push from the ground, he took a step back.

    A thick wooden cover emerged on the spot he was originally standing at. It was covered by a thickyer of soil with some grass on top.

    It was an entrance to a cave!

    The entrance opened and someone appeared. His face was filthy. His nose poked out from the ground and before he fully came out of the hole, heid beside the cave. With a yawn, he asked Bo Gu, ¡°What now?¡±

    ¡°Is it safe down there now?¡± asked Bo Gu.

    Impatiently, the man replied, ¡°Of course, why else would I be able to sleep here? It gets noisy at night, you all are too loud.¡±

    The man spoke quickly, in a squeaky voice. It would be hard for people that weren¡¯t familiar with him to understand what he was saying. However, Bo Gu seemed to have caught every word he said.

    Bo Gu didn¡¯t seem to care about hisints too and only said, ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s safe.¡± Then, he turned to leave.

    The person prepared to head back into the cave to sleep but suddenly remembered something and asked, ¡°Were the ming Horn tribespeople here?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Bo Gu had a nk expression, he didn¡¯t seem to want to continue speaking.

    ¡°I never met them before, I heard they looked like beasts, is it true? With fangs, ws and tails?¡±

    ¡°No, there was nothing special about them.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, are they still here? I want to take a peek.¡±

    ¡°No, they left.¡±

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you asking for their help? I heard they were skilled hunters. If you had their help your life would be easier.¡±

    ¡°This is a matter of the Gu tribe, we don¡¯t need them interfering,¡± said Bo Gu nkly.

    ¡°Oh, since it is a matter of the Gu tribe, then our tribe won¡¯t interfere either.¡± The person saw that Bo Gu had no reaction to his statement and closed the entrance to the cave. The ground was back to its original state.

    Bo Gu took a deep breath and stopped himself from stomping around the entrance. Let¡¯s see if he can sleep then!

    With another deep breath, he headed to the shaman¡¯s house.

 Chapter 643 - The Shaman from Gu Tribe

    <h4>The Shaman from Gu Tribe</h4>

    Shao Xuan and his group didn¡¯t hang around the Gu tribe for long. They knew the other tribe was wary of them.

    ¡°Grand Elder, are we really going to leave?¡± Kun Tu asked as they got onto the ship. He really wanted to stay to see how the Gu tribe would deal with things.

    ¡°There¡¯s no point staying any longer. Also, they would dy their ns even longer if we stick around.¡± Shao Xuan waved his arm to signal the people on the ship to start moving. ¡°I think they are preparing for something big.¡±

    ¡°Something big? What could it be?¡± Some people started discussing while crowding closer to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°How would I know?¡± Shao Xuan spat the sentence and continued finishing the map.

    The sail was raised. The two boats creaked as it drifted further away from the shore, starting this journey down the river back to ming Horn.

    Although the boat had left, the people on it were still distracted. They looked back to the Gu tribe from time to time.

    They didn¡¯t know much about the Gu tribe. They also knew that they had a lot left that they hadn¡¯t seen, especially after Shao Xuan said the tribe was preparing for something big. Their bodies were itching to stay there and observe more.

    ¡°Ugh!¡± Duo Li scratched his head as he headed into the lower deck for a nap. It was his turn to guard the shipter that night.

    When the two ships left, the few figures at the shore headed back too.

    ¡°Are they gone?¡± Bo Gu asked the people that returned.

    ¡°Yes. I saw them leave with my own eyes,¡± said a tribe member.

    ¡°If that is the case, we should move now.¡± Since they decided to not receive any help from the ming Horn tribespeople, they shouldn¡¯t regret it now.

    ¡°Tell everyone to get ready.¡± Bo Gu headed to the shaman¡¯s house after finishing his sentence to convey the news to the shaman.

    The shaman was the only person in the house at that time. He had closed the area after Bo Gu told him about the ming Horn tribe.

    The Gu tribe¡¯s fire seed was very near here. One could see the me burning away in the fire pond.

    Facing the fire point, the shaman sat crossed-legged and closed his eyes. He reached out and dipped his right thumb into a sticky dye that was sitting in a wooden bowl. He then rubbed it across the piece of linen in front of him.

    The cloth wasn¡¯t big, it was around half a meter square. After the initial stain, the shaman went to work and drew a simple abstract drawing.

    It became more obvious what he was drawing as he got closer to finishing the painting. He had drawn a person standing upright. One arm was lifted up while the other was pointing to the ground as if he had just thrown something. Beside the man was a cast open.

    Afterpleting the drawing, the shaman kept his thumb between the drawn man and, his eyes still closed.

    After a moment, the shaman lifted his thumb and opened his eyes. He stared at the fire pond for a long while before getting up to walk into a room in the house. It was the room where they kept the ancestral records.

    The Gu tribe preferred to keep their records on cloth, unlike many other tribes that used leather. However, the cloth they used was unique. They did something different in every aspect of the cloth-making process to make a cloth with such a texture that it remained soft for thousands of years.

    The shaman went straight towards a short table in the room. There was a scroll ced on top of it. This scroll was taken out and ced here during the time Bo Gu left the tribe, the shaman woulde were every day to look at it.

    He pulled it open and sighed when he saw the drawing on it.

    It was an abstract piece with a beast and some people attempting to hunt it with a.

    For it to be recorded like this meant that this was something significant. The person that drew did know that this wasn¡¯t a normal hunting trip.

    If Shao Xuan was here, he would recognise the beast on the scroll as the beast he saw yesterday. Their appearance was very simr with just some differences maybe because of the art style but it was definitely it.

    This Gu tribe scroll, in particr, was over a thousand years old!

    A thousand years ago, before disaster struck, before therge river was formed, this piece ofnd and thend of beasts were connected together!

    The shaman left out a long sigh and closed the scroll. The moment it was shut, all of the worries he felt all converted into something else. A strong urge to kill, full of determination.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a thousand years, this must end!¡±

    Shao Xuan was very confused when he saw the beast then, he had no idea how the Gu tribe had angered such a beast. Last year when the disaster caused the river to disappear, the ming Hron tribe weren¡¯t able to stop all the beasts but they didn¡¯t attract such a powerful enemy that was hidden deep in the forest in such a small time.

    The beast was quite peculiar too. It started to move smaller beasts to the other side of the river to test the tribespeople. This meant that it was rather cunning but it was being overly careful.

    The truth was that this grudge had started a thousand years ago.

    A thousand years ago, when both sides were still connected, the tribes by the river always encountered beasts. The painting on the scroll depicted a hunt a thousand years ago.

    Then, the Gu tribe ancestors already had their eyes on the beast. They were ready to kill it but the beast had escaped.

    Soon after, disaster struck and arge gap appeared in the river. Dangerous currents and even more dangerous beasts appeared in the river, dividing the two banks even more. That was why the tribes had lived a thousand years without beasts. The beasts from the other side of the river were killed every time they crossed over so they stoppeding too.

    Now, with the physical gap gone, the beast was back for vengeance.

    A thousand years had passed, the hunting ancestors of the Gu tribe were long gone but the beast was nowrger and smarter. It was the kind of immortal beast that would continue growing as long as it was alive.

    It hadn¡¯t forgotten about the time their ancestors cut off its w. It was here to make the tribe members pay.

    Why was it extra careful this time?

    Although the beast was much stronger now, it still couldn¡¯t help but feel fear whenever it was near the Gu tribe fire seed. Getting half of its w chopped off and almost thrown into a pot for cooking was something it still remembered well!

    Not many knew about this secret and it had been a long time since they dealt with this beast. To prevent the whole tribe descending into panic, the shaman decided to wait for Bo Gu to return before doing anything.

    Naturally, Bo Gu didn¡¯t know what had happened on his way back from the ming Horn Trading Point, or he wouldn¡¯t have dared to go to the river to fish. If he was in the tribe and he knew the truth, he wouldn¡¯t have told the whole truth to his son. Instead, he would drop hints and stop him from going to the river.

    After Bo Gu returned, some of the core members of the tribe knew the truth but from that day on, the shaman decided to tell every member of the tribe what had happened.

    The shaman felt that this was purely a Gu tribe problem so they shouldn¡¯t ask for help from other tribes. Their ancestors left them an unfinished task and they had to be the ones thatpleted it.

    The shaman then wrote a sentence on the drawing too, ¡°If seen, kill immediately!¡±

    The shaman then probably knew the dangers that beast brought to their tribe. However, the disaster then stopped them from thoroughly solving the problem.

    Knocks on the door stopped the shaman¡¯s train of thought.

    Through the rhythm and the force of the knocking, the shaman knew who it was standing outside the door. Even without listening to the knocks, he would still know. He could sense everyone in the tribe, there was a reason why he was the shaman.

    ¡°Enter.¡± The powerful gaze he had while looking on the scroll immediately disappeared. His expression went back to a neutral state as he left the room.

    It was Bo Gu. Bo Gu knew that the shaman should be the one that decided one thing. Every time before they went on a hunt, the shaman would conduct divination readings to check whether it was the optimal time for hunting. Bo Gu was here just for that.

    ¡°How is it, shaman?¡± asked Bo Gu.

    ¡°Three dayster,¡± said the shaman.

    ¡°Understood. I will send away those who cannot fight within these two days.¡±

 Chapter 644 - The Ritual

    <h4>The Ritual</h4>

    The Gu tribe was preparing for something big. They were going to fight a battle that had been dyed for a thousand years. To protect the weaker members of the tribe, Bo Gu made arrangements immediately after leaving the shaman¡¯s house.

    The main area of battle was where the tribe was located itself. They were one of the few tribes that would choose to battle at their home ground and to protect those that aren¡¯t participating in the battle, they had to clear out the whole tribe.

    Bo Gu¡¯s n was to bring those members of the tribe away through the Ya tribe¡¯s cave and then find a ce for them to hide. The Ya people were not strong fighters but they were good at hiding.

    The person who emerged from the ground at Bo Gu¡¯s house was from the Ya tribe. They wouldn¡¯t fight with them but they would help send the Gu people away.

    Hence, on the next two days, the elderly, women and children all carried small sacks and crawled into the cave. From there, the Ya people directed them to where they needed to go.

    More beasts showed up too within the two days. The people patrolling at night could clearly hear the sounds of the water sshing about. The beasts were no longer hiding themselves. The guards stopped walking around the river banks as a safety measure.

    On the third day, the Gu tribe was very quiet. No one was out and about anymore.

    As the sun hung brightly in the sky, the shaman walked out of the house and went towards the fire pond.

    The members of the tribe followed suit.

    Before the hunt, they had an important ritual to conduct.

    For them, this was a tool and their belief.

    Although others may not see the usefulness of a, this was something the Gu tribe did before and after hunting. Just like how the ming Horn members would wash their des, the Gu tribe had a simr ritual.

    The more important the ritual, the moreplicated it was.

    For many tribes, hunts only needed warriors, tools and strength but the Gu tribe believed that there was something else more important ¡ª rituals!

    If they didn¡¯t proceed with their ritual, they would feel that no matter how much strength or what tools you had, it wouldn¡¯t be a satisfactory hunt.

    The ritual would give power to their huntings which would bring them the luck they need. They wouldn¡¯t miss their prey and catch an abundance of game.

    The shaman was the main character for all rituals, this one included. Without the shaman, the ritual wouldn¡¯t be able to happen.

    In the eyes of the Gu people, hunting was a shamanic activity. The shaman decides when to hunt, how to hunt and every other aspect. They mainly useds to hunt and the shaman would tell them how to use it which was why the shaman¡¯s position in this tribe was so important. They could do without a chief but they couldn¡¯t do without a shaman.

    When the shaman reached the fire pond, the rest had arrived. Nets filled the whole pond!

    The hill ofs had covered up the me from their sight but it didn¡¯t extinguish it.

    If one looked closely, thes here were different from the ones they usually used. This beast was different from anything they faced before so they had to use the bests they had. These were made from the best material that they collected throughout the years. A that was much stronger than the average straw.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± The shaman looked at the people around him.

    ¡°Ready.¡± Bo Gu scanned the faces there. A total of a thousand three hundred of their members were here. The junior totemic warriors would be ced in the outskirts of the tribe while the more experienced warriors would stay in the centre.

    ¡°If that is the case, let¡¯s begin!¡± the shaman dered solemnly.

    The crowd moved into a line, this wasn¡¯t their first time doing the ritual so they didn¡¯t need instructions.

    Bo Gu stepped to the front of the fire pond and stopped. He then extended his palm.

    The shaman took out a long and narrow leaf. The dried leaf was thin and looked as if it would crumble as soon as someone touched it.

    The shaman held the leaf with three fingers and flicked it like a sword. He then used it to cut Bo Gu¡¯s palm.

    The blood followed the leaf¡¯s path, dripping down in a straight line from Bo Gu¡¯s palm into the fire pond. The whole process didn¡¯t take longer than a breath.

    Bo Gu moved away to let the second person step forward. He did the same movements as Bo Gu.

    Every tribesperson that would join the battle sacrificed a drop of blood into the fire pond.

    Although there were a thousand people, it didn¡¯t take too long. When thest person was down, it had only been half an hour.

    The shaman took the leaf from thest person and stuck it into the mountain ofs.

    What did the represent?

    To conquer!

    To vanquish!

    Their presence radiated out of the ceremonial area.

    The burning passion of the Gu tribe warriors could be felt from even the outskirts of the tribe. The birds and insects that lived here were long gone.

    The Gu people didn¡¯t want the ming Horn tribe people here also because once thes were activated, the ming Horns would not have a chance to act! Plus, they might even interfere with operations.

    Beneath the tranquil ming River surface, something stirred. Somethingrge was about to break the surface soon.

 Chapter 645 - Lure And Chase!

    <h4>Lure And Chase!</h4>

    When the ritual waspleted, the sun was already high up in the sky, its scorching rays burning up the ground.

    The Gu people had their backs drenched in sweat but there was not even time to wipe their sweat. They quietly formed into the groups they were assigned to and went off to the ces they needed to go.

    Everyone got into formations, the archers got their bows, the frontline was ready to run, the warriors had theirs ready. They were all nervous, this was the first time they had to fight a beast that powerful in a thousand years.

    With everyone else in position, the shaman stood alone by the fire pond. He held a disk made from fibrous hemp tightly coiled together, its diameter as long as a palm and nearly an inch thick. It was connected to a handle which was where the shaman held it.

    He lifted his arm to let the disk face the ming River. He moved slowly until he reached a certain spot where he suddenly stopped. He focused on that area with a gaze as sharp as a knife as if his eyes cut through the forest straight at the river.

    The shaman maintained his pose. The mountain ofs had been removed already. All that was left in the pond was the lone me that looked like the only flower blooming in a garden.

    Whoosh¨C

    The me flickered violently.

    Loud sounds of waves crashing came from the direction of the river.

    It¡¯s here!

    The shaman gripped the handle a little tighter. He was nervous but as the shaman, he couldn¡¯t show it. He had to maintain his calmness for the sake of the others.

    He decided to attack today because his divination told him now was the best chance they had. The weather was good, no rain would disturb them. It wasn¡¯t too humid or dry which was ideal for the warriors. Most importantly, they had the highest chance of seeding today.

    The beast wouldn¡¯t attack in the morning. Even if it was tired of waiting, it would strike during the night but the night was too disadvantageous for the tribespeople. Hence, the shaman had to attract it here with a ¡°bait¡±.

    He used a simple trick that was passed down in the Gu tribe, he deepened the beast¡¯s hatred for the tribe. As soon as the hatred wasrge enough to consume its emotions, it wouldn¡¯t be able to think logically.

    The sshes got louder but the trees blocked the tribesmen¡¯s view. However, the shaman could guess what was going on from the sounds.

    The ¡°bait¡± was a sess!

    The shaman left out a tiny breath of relief, he still was on his toes staring at the direction of the river. The disk shook in his hands, he couldn¡¯t help it. Stopping it would require energy and attention he cannot afford to waste.

    Thud!

    The ground shook.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    It got louder and louder, each thud more urgent than thest.

    It hase up the bank!

    Although the forest here was dense, it was nothingpared to the ancient forest on the other side. The tribes here had to use a lot of resources to survive so there weren¡¯t that many ancient trees here. This was a problem for therge beast, it couldn¡¯t walk through the tiny gaps.

    Therge beast just smashed through the area like a tank, knocking down everything in its path to its feet.

    After a deep breath, the shaman said, ¡°Go!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t loud, in normal situations, anyone slightly further away wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it but for the hidden Gu warriors, they immediately heard the order.

    Bo Gu looked at therge beast that had finally shown itself. A drop of sweat dripped down from his cheek, his heart beating out of his chest.

    This was his first time encountering such arge beast. He had seen the bones of such beasts in the ming Horn Trading Point but they were just bones. Now, he was looking at a live one.

    Don¡¯t panic! Stay calm, calm!

    Bo Gu¡¯s shaking hand calmed with his emotions. Then, he pulled up his arrow as confident as ever.

    The other hidden warriors moved as soon as they heard Bo Gu. Some would lose their uracy from the shock but it was fine, now was only the beginning.

    They had to push on no matter what!

    Therge beast kept using smaller beasts to test them but the warriors did end up improving from the attacks.

    They were nowhere near the level of their ancestors since theycked the experience. If it wasn¡¯t for the disasterst year, they would have continued a life separated from beasts but now they had to adapt to this new environment.

    Gritting through their teeth, the warriors pushed their totemic powers to the max, letting it flow throughout their body.

    Tens of figures weaved around the forest like shooting stars but the arrows proved to be useless against the shield-like skin the beast had.

    ng! ng! ng!

    The arrows hit onto the beast¡¯s body and let out a sound that resembled metals banging on each other.

    The beast¡¯s long neck seemed to be a weak point but it was still covered with scales which acted like armour for the beast.

    The stone arrowheads had no impact on the beast other than leaving small scars. It didn¡¯t help that they broke on impact too.

    The beast shook its head to avoid the arrows aimed for its eyes. It¡¯s gaze was sharp as it looked around with anger.

    After being ¡®baited¡¯ by the shaman, it looked even scarier. A malicious aura radiated out from its scales. Jaws agape, its sharp teeth crunched through branches effortlessly.

    The Gu tribe knew that there was too big of a difference between the power levels of the beast and them. If they continued using their traditional hunting methods, it would be a lost cause for them.

    It wouldn¡¯t be easy to win!

 Chapter 646 - Trap And Catch!

    <h4>Trap And Catch!</h4>

    A piercing roar that sounded like two stones grinding onto each other asserted a pressure onto the forest as if a hand was pushing down on it.

    The sounds of the arrows hitting the beast never stopped. In reaction to that, the beast lifted up one w and smashed everything blocking its way to vent its anger.

    Bo Gu realised that there was something weird about the beast¡¯s w. It was not whole, distorted like a part had been chopped off by someone.

    He was right, that was THE w. A thousand years ago, when their ancestors were hunting this beast, it managed to escape but not fully, running away with only this half of its w. Now, the wound was fully healed and some of it had grown back but it didn¡¯t look like a w so it looked off. This version of the w was much weaker and less agile than the other ws it had.

    The beast seemed to remember the reason its w was deformed in the first ce so it let out another loud roar and went after the people shooting the arrows.

    The archers continued their volley of arrows and tried to lure the beast into their tribe.

    If it was any other species, they would drive it out from the back but this one was special. They had to lure it from the front, the beast had the upper hand in this fight.

    Trees tumbled down as a new ¡®path¡¯ was created. Wood chips and leaves flew everywhere with the trunks itself getting pushed down too. The only thing left was some tree roots and pathetic-looking stumps.

    This beast was not as big a thousand years ago, it was probably the same size as the smaller beasts they encountered a few days ago. Naturally, the hunting methods they used and their ancestors used were different.

    Hence, the beast was not familiar with the Gu tribe¡¯s way of hunting. It could not remember the traditional methods too as a thousand years was quite a long time ago. After testing the tribe members, it decided that they weren¡¯t that much of a threat. It still had a fear of them from the trauma a thousand years ago but all that fear had turned into anger.

    Kill! That was the only thing it was thinking of.

    It could see the Gu houses ahead.

    ¡°Trap!¡±

    A sound rang in the tribe people¡¯s minds.

    That was the next step.

    Swoosh!

    Ropes shout out from the top, bottom, left, right, all around the beast!

    At the same time, right below its legs, a sprung up. The soil and leaves covering it flew up with it. The moment it lifted its hind leg, the closed, immediately binding its w.

    The beast stopped in its tracks for a moment. With a powerful swing, it dragged up the whole patch of forest around it. The had been attached to these trees.

    The hidden warriors were all exposed now, they quickly ran to set up the next.

    That was only one of the first hiddens, there were still many more toe.

    One wouldn¡¯t be able to do much, they needed many. The beast was already in their zone, they had to continuously trap it here through one after another.

    If Shao Xuan was here, he would recognise that the system here they were using was very simr to his consecutive trigger system but moreplicated

    If the system he used involved simple to mid-tier traps, the system here required mid-tier to advanced traps.

    To connect a to another one and ensure its efficacy, one had to master the technique and have enough time and energy toplete it. It wasn¡¯t too hard of a task. Currently, the people in charge of thes in the Gu tribe were working like well-oiled machines without themands of a leader to set up that huge. Even people that usually didn¡¯t get along had set aside their differences for the mission.

    Other than that, the itself didn¡¯t receive much damage. The trees around it had broken but the was still intact. The rope wasn¡¯t that thick but it was very strong, there was some red peeking out at the beast¡¯s foot where it was tied.

    That was the that went through the ritual. This kind of was usually used on tricky opponents. A thousand years ago, it was amon for the Gu tribe but as they encountered fewer beasts throughout the years, they had no use for it.

    Now, a thousand yearster, this was back in use.

    More and mores circled around the beast¡¯s legs. More and more ropes went around its body. They all seemed insignificantpared to the beast¡¯s size but the number of ropes ands increased with every step the beast took.

    Thes and ropes reminded the beast of several nasty experiences, causing it to get even crankier, its eyes getting wilder.

    The shaman looked at the beast stepping into the tribe and once again shouted, ¡°Go!¡±

    Bo Gu jumped onto the beast¡¯s back, his totemic powers surging through both of his arms. With one huge swing, he stabbed right into the beast¡¯s neck with full force!

    If this was a normal beast, it would have dropped dead to the ground.

    This beast would surely at least get injured right?

    The moment the de hit the beast, a sharp ng could heard and Bo Gu¡¯s arm immediately felt numb from its vibration. There was only a small scratch on the beast¡¯s neck, there was no blood to be seen anywhere.

    With such a hit, the skin had still not cracked!

    Bo Gu looked at the sword in his hand, it had cracked and was useless now.

    Panic and fear struck into the Gu people¡¯s minds. All of them were using stone tools, what were they going to do now?

    Even after knowing that their tools didn¡¯t have much effect on the beast, they must continue their n.

    Right at that moment, the two ships that were supposed to head downstream were heading back up.

 Chapter 647 - Burn

    <h4>Burn</h4>

    Within the Gu tribe. When the beast walked into the vige, it was already covered ins. However, these ropes weren¡¯t strong enough to stop it from walking. There was no way they would be able to catch it with just thes!

    Just to put on mores, the Gu tribe had to pay a hefty price, tens of their people had died. Currently, if they continue to hold on like this, the death toll would only increase.

    Sustaining major injuries would be considered the best-case scenario when facing a beast like this.

    The shaman watched as the beast got closer and closer, his calm eyes suddenly showing more and more worry.

    Not enough!

    It really wasn¡¯t enough!

    This really wasn¡¯t enoughs to get the results he wanted! Even with preparations, the shaman had underestimated the beast.

    The people working thes were trying their best, the shaman couldn¡¯t tell them to do anything else. The root cause of this was their inexperience, they had missed too many opportunities to act.

    The shaman looked at the beast carefully.

    Is that it?

    No, there¡¯s still a gap! If we can fill it, we can make it.

    Two warriors struck from above, each carrying a rope.

    Although they were quick, the beast was quicker. When the two noticed the sound of the wind whooshing, they tried to avoid the w aiming at them but sadly they failed.

    The two fell from the sky like shooting stars, heading head down into the forest, leaving a path of red in the sky.

    It was toote!

    The people holding thes were at their limits.

    The shaman looked at the approaching beast and took a step back.

    They didn¡¯t have any better weapons, they didn¡¯t have strength like the ming Horn warriors, theirs couldn¡¯t tame this wild beast but they still had onest trick up their sleeve.

    ¡°Burn!¡±

    Whoosh¨C

    All thes were lit on fire.

    Its head, neck, body and limbs that were wrapped bys were set aze.

    The fire seemed toe from thes itself. Thes didn¡¯t seem to burn away like wood did, they kept their shape with only the colour turning slightly redder.

    To lure, chase, trap, capture and burn were the basic steps of the Gu tribe way of hunting. They rarely used thest step as it really was just a preventative measure. Even their ancestors rarely used thest step during their hunts.

    Unfortunately, after a thousand yearster, they were forced to use this step. Most of the warriors had no experience with this move. For many of them, this was their first time in battle.

    The aura of the fire seed immediately was felt by everyone there, especially by the beast. The area was currently the ce where the aura was strongest other than the fire pond.

    The ancient fire seed was meant to protect the people and this naturally would scare any beasts.

    The moment the ropes burst into mes, loud howls from all over the ce suddenly stopped, the only one that was heard came from the beast that was very close to the fire pond now.

    The tough scales that stone tools weren¡¯t able to break open were darkening at beneath the mes.

    This was the power of the ancient fire seed!

    The beast stopped in its tracks from the pain it felt from the fire. It let out a chain of painful roars.

    The strong current in the air caused the roof of the house to go flying up.

    Did it work?

    Did we seed?

    Bo Gu and the rest felt joy and relief. The stone that was weighing them down was gone.

    But as soon as they let out that breath, the situation changed again.

    Beast¡¯s eyes shot open with intense hatred and bloodlust. With a long cry, its entire body of scales bristled. There was a subtle change that came with the long, sharp cry that ended within a moment.

    The people holding thes felt a strong vibrationing from thes.

    Danger!

    Then the next moment after that thought shed through the warrior¡¯s mind, sounds of bones breaking were heard. Fresh blood gushed out from their hands, the gap between their index fingers and thumbs split open revealing white bones.

    Snap!

    The first part of the rope broke. The damage was too much for the shaman to repair it.

    Like a chain reaction, the rest of the rope started doing the same.

    Snap! Snap! Snap!

    The continuous snaps sounded like fireworks going off.

    Thes fell off the beast, dropping or exploding in all directions, bringing along some warriors with it.

    ¡°How... How is this happening?!¡±

    Bo Gu couldn¡¯t believe what he was seeing.

    The ¡°burn¡± move was known as the killer move of the Gu tribe. Nothing was supposed to be able to escape from it.

    The chilly eyes of the beast swept the room, stopping at the figure at the fire pond.

    Thud!

    The stomp on the ground split opened the ground, sending stones and dirt flying everywhere.

    Another long whistle was let loose, the huge beast stomped a foot onto the ground. It radiated an aura that could only be described as murderous.

    Swoosh!

    With a sound as if the sky cracked open, the beast¡¯s head was knocked to the side causing it to lose the aura it had been building up.

    A green spear sliced through the beast¡¯s face from its eyelid to its lip. It nearly got its eye.

    The handle of the spear was as thick as a person¡¯s arm made from some unknown wood. The spearhead had an odd green to it that had it seem extra cold in the hot sun.

    Dark red blood came gushing out.

    The stone tools that the Gu tribe had used didn¡¯t manage to cut open the skin but this spear did it.

    The huge beast turned its focus to this spear. It seemed that it didn¡¯t expect to get injured by humans either.

 Chapter 648 - You Cant Help Us

    <h4>You Can¡¯t Help Us</h4>

    With such a blow to its head, the beast stopped looking at the shaman at the fire pond and turned to the direction the spear was thrown.

    Up in the sky, there was an eagle.

    The beast let out an angry roar.

    The eagle shrieked back teasingly. It did not approach but did not leave either.

    The beast growled. Perhaps it wanted to get rid of the eagle immediately but couldn¡¯t reach that high into the sky.

    The sudden appearance of the spear shocked the Gu people. They had no such weapon in their tribe, they had only seen the ming Horn people wield something like that. They saw the green weapons on them a few days ago.

    They looked at the eagle. The ming Horns who visited a few days ago had an eagle too.

    Is it them? The ming Horn tribe?

    Didn¡¯t they leave? Why are they here again?

    The others were guessing but the shaman knew it was them. He could feel the ming Horn fire seed auraing from the hidden tribe people in the forest.

    Swoosh!

    Another spear came flying towards the beast except this time the beast moved to dodge it. The spear was aimed at its eyes but itnded on its forehead which was the strongest part on its head. The skin cracked but no blood flowed.

    The skin cracked, it really cracked!

    This was the first time it bled since its appearance.

    The people near the beast had no time to move. With all its attention directed upwards, it moved backwards without thought.

    Bo Gu¡¯s arm was injured because he stood too close to the beasts. The bones in his legs were cracked from the vibrations of the beast stomping around. He wanted to move out of the way but he fell instead.

    Just as he was about to touch the ground, a hand swiftly grabbed him by his shirt. He was then dragged and tossed far away by a strong force.

    Bo Gu was speechless.

    Such roughness probably meant that it wasn¡¯t someone from the Gu tribe.

    Bo Gu turned to see the figure that stood behind him. His eyes widened in shock.

    The Grand Elder of ming Horn?

    The person that threw Bo Gu was indeed Shao Xuan but he aimed Bo Gu towards the direction where other Gu tribe members were standing so they could catch him.

    Boom!

    Another step from the huge beast caused the gap in the ground to widen.

    Shao Xuan had already jumped up before the beast took another step. He grabbed onto a rope from the Gu tribe and spun himself mid-air to change his direction. He had to keep moving, it was dangerous to stay in one ce for too long.

    The first spear was thrown by him, he couldn¡¯t go and retrieve it, it was too risky. The beast has its guard up now, it wouldn¡¯t let him near it. Shao Xuan had no confidence in facing a beast with such power currently and he was in no rush to get his spear back.

    They didn¡¯t have any more spears to strike now but the distraction gave the Gu tribe members enough him to catch their breath.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± someone that was carrying Bo Gu asked a nearby ming Horn tribesperson.

    Luo didn¡¯t look away from the beast while replying, ¡°Our Grand Elder said that you may need our help so we¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°Why would he think that?¡±

    ¡°Because he is the Grand Elder.¡±

    This answer made it hard for Bo Gu to continue asking questions. He couldn¡¯t tell what their intentions were but he was still grateful towards them.

    The truth was that most of the ming Horn tribe members wanted to stay anyway but after Shao Xuan did some knot divination, he immediately ordered the ships to change their course and head back.

    The shaman looked at Shao Xuan. Before he could convey his gratefulness, he made a decision.

    ¡°More!¡±

    The Gu people that had just caught their breaths got up once again, the battle hasn¡¯t ended.

    The beast had broken a lot of thes but many were still on its body. However, thoses didn¡¯t have much effect on it alone so they had to add on or repair thes so that it worked efficiently.

    Bo Gu¡¯s position has already been reced by someone else. He didn¡¯t have any ability to fight now so he could only watch from afar.

    ¡°Do you need any more help?¡± asked Tuo.

    ¡°No, thank you so much, we can do the rest,¡± said Bo Gu.

    The ming Horn tribe appeared at the correct moment to give the Gu tribe the time they needed. What they had to do now was just follow the shaman¡¯s orders to add on thes. Would they really seed just like that?

    Bo Gu felt uneasy. Although they gained experience after the first wave of attacks, many of them were injured now so their movements were restricted.

    The beast was getting too close to the centre of the tribe. This didn¡¯t leave much time for the others.

    ¡°Do you really not need help?¡± Tuo asked again. They really wanted to do more. Although they weren¡¯t sure they could kill it, they were willing to try. They did the same for simr beasts they found in the forest.

    Bo Gu shook his head and said, ¡°No, you really can¡¯t help us.¡±

    This made Tuo unhappy but they had to admit it was true. It wasn¡¯t that beneficial for the ming Horn tribe people to move now. For starters, the Gu tribe fire seed aura was too strong for them in the centre. This would affect their strength greatly.

    They would need their full powers when facing a beast like this. Their years of hunting experience told them that any slight mistake here would cost them their lives. It wouldn¡¯t be worth it for them to lose their life over a battle that wasn¡¯t theirs.

    Secondly, the Gu tribe was working as one unit despite the number of people. The ming Horn people would mess up their coordination if they joined.

    Knowing that, Tuo and the others didn¡¯t move forwards but only helped the asionally injured warrior out. No one could bad mouth the ming Horns for this. This was considered a very kind gesturepared to how other tribes would have acted.

    For now, they could really only just watch and wait.

    No, something¡¯s not right. Tuo realised something. Their Grand Elder wasn¡¯t back yet!

 Chapter 649 - Net Attack

    <h4>Net Attack</h4>

    Shao Xuan stayed on the battlefield.

    It wasn¡¯t because he was nosy. He really had just nned to give some time to the Gu tribe people to catch their breaths. Among all the ming Horn tribe members, he was probably the one that was least affected by the fire seed of the tribe, that was why he could venture so deep into the battlefield.

    As he saw the tribe people getting ready to fight again, Shao Xuan started to move out of the way until he heard a voice.

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    There was no one beside him. The voice wasn¡¯t loud but it was clear as if someone was talking beside him.

    It was the shaman. He was using a special technique to tell Shao Xuan and the rest to stay and help them.

    Maybe because the shaman saw that Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t affected by the fire seed or maybe he saw the effectiveness of the two spears, the shaman knew that only the ming Horn tribespeople would be able to do any damage to the beast.

    The shaman knew that the tribe would be indebted to the ming Horn tribe after this but now wasn¡¯t the time to discuss how they would repay them.

    Shao Xuan agreed.

    He would listen to the shaman¡¯s orders for now.

    ¡°Front w!¡±

    Shao Xuan crouched as he ran, then slid towards the beast¡¯s front w.

    The beast was looking in another direction so Shao Xuan used this opportunity to cut its w.

    Shing!

    The deafening sound of metals colliding rung in everyone¡¯s ears. The shiny scales that covered the beast¡¯s w flew everywhere.

    Shao Xuan felt a numbness from his wrist to his shoulder on his sword-wielding hand.

    Tough!

    That was Shao Xuan¡¯s first thought.

    He didn¡¯t feel the reaction force when he threw the spear but now he was feeling the full effect of it. No matter how strong or how sharp a sword was, it would be nothingpared to the scales on that beast.

    With such strong defences, even if two hundred ming Horn warriors attacked it at once, it would take some time to wear it down.

    This beast...

    Shao Xuan suddenly thought of something.

    He felt that this beast was different from the beasts they encountered. Even therge beast they showed off in the banquet was smallpared to it.

    This reminded Shao Xuan of the Bat King he saw many years ago. It was so quick that the warriors couldn¡¯t catch it. The beast before him wasn¡¯t built for speed nor was it agile. It couldn¡¯t even fly so on paper it was nothingpared to the beasts he faced before. However, this was much stronger and tougher to fight than anything he hunted before.

    This was nearly as powerful as the Bat King he faced a few years back and that was scary enough.

    Its defence was way too strong!

    Usually, long necks are the weak points of beasts but this beast had its neck covered in those imprable scales.

    No wonder it could live for a thousand years.

    The shaman didn¡¯t know what Shao Xuan was thinking about. He was fully focused on adding on thes on the beast. He spared a nce to see the damage Shao Xuan had done on the beast.

    What a sharp weapon!

    What material was that? How did they get it? The two spears and the sword he was holding was much different from stone weapons.

    That was impressive!

    However, it was a pity that the ming Horn tribe wouldn¡¯t be able to take down the beast. The Gu tribe still had to rely on themselves, the ming Horn tribe was the only backup.

    The skin on the beast¡¯s w was very thick, much thicker than the skin on its face. Even with such a strike from Shao Xuan, no blood was seen at its w. It probably didn¡¯t feel much pain from the cut too.

    However, it was still enough to distract it.

    After the sh, Shao Xuan immediately moved away from the beast to avoid its retaliation. The stomp from the beast crushed all the stones nearby into dust, cracking open the ground once again, sendingrge gaps to the ground everywhere.

    The ce the Gu tribe once called home was now unrecognisable.

    Outside the battlefield, Ah Guang held a bow as tall as herself ready to shoot at the beast. She was being extra careful as the other archers as they soon realised that the Gu tribe members were everywhere so it was very easy to identally shoot them.

    ¡°The Grand Elder told us to not attack for now, just help out any wounded warriors you see.¡± Ku Tu looked worriedly at the battlefield. He didn¡¯t care for the Gu tribe, he was worried about Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Brother Xuan isn¡¯t someone impulsive, he knows what he is doing. We should stay at the side so that he can call us over whenever he needs us.¡± Ah Guang let her bow down but she didn¡¯t ce the arrow back into the quiver.

    In the battlefield, Shoa Xuan went straight for a strike at the beast¡¯s hind legs. He left a mark and this time it bled a little but it was nothing impactful.

    Shao Xuan wanted to sh a few more times at the same spot to thoroughly cut through its skin but there was no opportunity to do so. The beast seemed to be aware of every cut it got too. It would purposely hide it away to let it heal. Shao Xuan¡¯s wish to cut at the same spot was also much harder because he had to cooperate with the Gu tribe too, he couldn¡¯t do whatever he wanted.

    Giving up on that thought, Shao Xuan observed the Gu tribe members while waiting for his next order.

    Anyone that didn¡¯t have an understanding of hows or traps worked would have no idea what they were doing.

    Hundreds of figures surrounded the beast with ropes streaming around like odd coloured snakes. The ropes criss-crossed and were tied to each other, then tightly coiled over the beast. The warriors worked very quickly to repair all thes.

    The originally damaged was soon returning to its original form. Then, it was once again lit on fire, causing a new round of burn marks to appear on the beast.

    Why did Shao Xuan risk his life to help them?

    Well, he definitely had his own reasons.

    This was his first time being able to see such aplex being built up close. Hearing stories and seeing thepleted thing was one thing and seeing the process was another.

    Random ropes became a and the was connected into arger one that was used to repair the huge one.

    Although their bronze weapons were able to cut through the skin, they wouldn¡¯t be able to bring such damage to the beast in such a short time. The was the thing that was able to hold the beast back. It wrapped around it forming a seal of sorts which made it hard for the beast to move.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t see how the beast came ashore but he could guess that it was much more quick and agile than now. The fire seemed to have made its muscles more tense and rigid.

    Everywhere the fires touched was now charred ck. The scales that were so hard to poke through with sharp tools were sumbing under the mes.

    This was still a rather damaged, one could only imagine how powerful a full would be.

    A long time ago, Shao Xuan had learned about some trap making from Old Ke. Old Ke had taught him some tips that were very effective during hunting leading him to think he knew everything there was to know but now he realised how wrong he was.

    This was what hecked, this more detailed,plicated and stronger power move!

    But he needed a thisrge to actually do it!

    The beast stood on its hind legs and used its ws to grab at thes around its neck while letting out a frustrated roar.

    The warriors holding that part of the were sent flying off with their arms bleeding.

    As the broken pieces of the fell, it still carried mes on it.

    A small piece flew towards Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan grabbed rope, which was still glowing red from heat and sizzling.

    Shao Xuan identally burnt his hand from grabbing the piece. He felt pain from the fire and the repulsion from the other tribe¡¯s fire seed immediately but they soon subdued. The rope continued to glow.

    However, the burning sensation stopped just like the repulsion.

    Within his sea of consciousness, Shao Xuan¡¯s totemic mes had be very active since he touched the rope. It was a natural reaction due to repulsion against foreign totemic power. Then, the outer shell in his mind¡¯s totemic fire glowed. Both the ming Horn fire seed within Shao Xuan and the Gu fire seed¡¯s powers in the rope seemed to gradually quieten down.

    Shao Xuan observed the rope in his arms that was still glowing from the fire. The redness was much duller now, the me much weaker too.

    The red on the rope was blood.

    Blood and fire came from the same source. The blood was the bait and the rope was the medium. They were using their fire seed to fight against the beast!

 Chapter 650 - Repairman

    <h4>Repairman</h4>

    Just as the was nearlypleted, the beast ripped open a new hole. Although the beast had been injured and was weaker now, this was still a big loss to the Gu tribe.

    There wasn¡¯t much time left.

    The could slow down the beast but the beast was still moving forward.

    The shaman didn¡¯t show any signs of panic in a nce but if one looked closely, they could notice the fear in his eyes. As the leader of the Gu tribe, he cannot panic, he had to ground himself.

    Come on! Come on! Come on!

    The shaman chanted in his heart.

    Boom!

    The beast took another step forward. The act of ripping off the on its neck brought more damage to the beast than Shao Xuan did with a sword. Ripping off the twice took quite a toll on the beast.

    In a battle of endurance, the Gu tribe would lose against the beast. Its biggest weapon was its incredible defence. In addition to that, the beast was already winning this fight.

    If they couldn¡¯t repair the web before the beast reached the fire pond, the Gu tribe would be doomed. Even if it didn¡¯t extinguish their fire seed, if it just injured or killed the shaman, the Gu tribe would be done for.

    The ws dug deep into the ground. Every attack it got, it would take a step forward.

    Its only goal was to charge forward!

    Maybe it knew that it couldn¡¯t take a third round of thes so it really just had to focus on moving forward! That was its goal for a thousand years. Head straight to the fire seed and kill all that surrounded the fire seed!

    The shaman¡¯s calm facade came crumbling down.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t enough! There isn¡¯t enough time!¡± thought the shaman.

    He used his deduction skills to predict what would happen if this continued.

    Big drops of sweat fell from the shaman¡¯s face, his eyes bloodshot now. His facial muscles cramping up from biting his teeth too hard.

    What now?

    What now?!

    As the shaman was deep in thought, he heard a voice.

    ¡°Do you just need to repair that hole?¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have powers like the shaman so he could only shout.

    Between the loud stomping from the beast, the shaman could clearly hear Shao Xuan. He wasn¡¯t sure what Shao Xuan was asking exactly but he just answered anyway.

    ¡°...Yes!¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what way I use it?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    The shaman wanted to roar out. If they could fully repair the, they would seed! If they failed, well it wouldn¡¯t be pretty.

    The shaman¡¯s mind was only filled with thoughts of repairing the, that was why he replied Shao Xuan that quickly.

    Shao Xuan whistled and shouted to Tuo, ¡°Throw my bag here!¡±

    The ming Horn people were all feeling the burning sensation from both the beast¡¯s aura and the Gu tribe¡¯s fire seed.

    They didn¡¯t think much and justplied with what Shao Xuan told them to do.

    The beast and the Gu people didn¡¯t notice what Shao Xuan was doing.

    He quickly opened it and took something out.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, what are you doing?¡±

    Wei and Tuo looked over at him. They were shocked to see his injured arm.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not reckless.¡± Shao Xuan quickened his movements.

    Wei knew exactly what those kinds of sentences usually meant.

    ¡°Grand Elder!¡± roared Wei. This was just the Gu tribe, they really didn¡¯t need to risk their lives!

    ¡°I calcted it, I¡¯m not diving in blind. I want to prove something also... Don¡¯te close!¡±

    As soon as he was done speaking, he rushed towards the beast.

    Repair the, but where?

    The biggest hole was right at the beast¡¯s neck.

    Looking at the beast get closer and closer, Shao Xuan let out a strong exhale, energy exploding out of his fingertips. Each move was carefully calcted.

    Two boomerangs with a thin string tied to it were shot out, making a perfect arching flight path that circled around the beast¡¯s neck. It was lucky that the beast didn¡¯t pay much attention to the string like that.

    Shao Xuan jumped up to catch the boomerangs. He changed the angle and directions and threw it out once again.

    He was repairing the!

    The Gu people who were able to tell what Shao Xuan was doing were grateful but...

    Was this even useful?!

    A wire that broke in the middle can conduct electricity if it was repaired but not if it was repaired with an instor.

    Right now, the Gu tribe was seriously doubting that the strings Shao Xuan was using could be used to make a.

    To do what they did, they must use rope that had undergone the ritual they conducted. Only those kinds ofs were able to catch fire.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t someone give some of our rope to that ming Horn man?!¡± someined in their hearts.

    The shaman suddenly got what Shao Xuan was doing but it was toote.

    ¡®Unless he can ignite it too?¡¯ The shaman held out hope for Shao Xuan.

    No, no way! The shaman dismissed the idea, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t channel the power of the Gu fire seed, how would he light it on fire?

    After some quick thinking, the shaman made a decision.

    ¡°Retreat!¡±

    It was toote, he had to use all his powers and borrow the energy from the fire seed to wound the beast. He had to try to at least injure it if he couldn¡¯t kill it. If it was injured, the Gu people would at least have some time to run away. Since the beast wouldn¡¯t be able to extinguish their fire seed, as long as it¡¯s there, they still had a chance to be reborn. They could always train another shaman, as long as there¡¯s a chance to survive, the shaman would take it.

    Hearing the shaman¡¯s words, the Gu people knew what he was going to do. They stopped fighting the beast, they knew it wasn¡¯t necessary to make another sacrifice that didn¡¯t change anything.

    The shaman twisted the disk¡¯s handle so the disk would face downwards. The disk was still pointed in the beast¡¯s direction. He muttered something under his breath, preparing for this onest attack.

    A sharp noise like metal being cut through rang throughout the forest. It was so piercing that people felt their eardrums about to puncture. It stopped the shaman¡¯s chanting.

    The Gu people covered their eyes while twisting their bodies to see what was happening.

    The strings around the beast¡¯s neck were rapidly tying knots around it to form a.

    The string let out a blood-red glow under the sunlight. Shao Xuan held one end in his hand while the other was already in a knot. He pulled it forcefully. With every tug, the knot on the other end got closer to the beast, tightening around its neck. The sharp sound came from the friction between the tightening string and the beast¡¯s neck.

    Everyone¡¯s heart was beating out of their hearts.

    What was this ming Horn man trying to do?!

    Trying to repair the was hopeless, the shaman gave up on that too. Why was he so stubborn?

    Although they thought that Shao Xuan was just wasting his energy, the Gu tribespeople still felt moved from his actions.

    The beast shifted its gaze to the person standing in front of a me not too far away.

    Kill! Kill!

    The beast didn¡¯t stop heading towards the fire pond but it swayed its neck to throw off the person holding the string.

    Although therge force did jerk Shao Xuan up, he was still holding onto his end of the string. He flew up like a kite in the sky.

    The onlookers watched nervously, not knowing what to do.

    Shao Xuan who was up in the sky was much calmer than those below. A voice in his mind told him that he could do it.

    The totemic me in his mind roared up emitting a brilliant light. It mixed into the energy from the fire seed in his blood, lighting up the blood.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Shau Xuan was now engulfed in mes.

    The brilliant me followed the path of the string down. Just like a lightning strike, it headed straight towards the beast¡¯s neck.

 Chapter 651 - End Of The Battle

    <h4>End Of The Battle</h4>

    The beast, who was about to roar and charge right at the fire pond, suddenly felt a rush of chills. It felt every scale on its neck stand on its ends.

    The next moment, scorching mes came rushing down. Without any preparation, the beast¡¯s whole neck was set aze.

    The string around its neck was like a pair of hands on fire strangling it. Its loud cries soon became hoarse.

    Soon after the rough roars, the beast spat out a mouthful of blood.

    The shaman was shocked by the blood.

    He stood there speechless.

    Something was not right...

    This outsider that was standing in his tribe, used a foreign fire seed to burn their target.

    How was this possible!?

    But it just happened and he saw it himself.

    That moment, the beast¡¯s neck was wrapped in red mes with the rest of the body covered in the yellower mes of the Gu tribe.

    Two different mes appeared on the same target!

    Although the two mes had a clear distinction between them, they didn¡¯t repulse each other.

    What..... What?!

    With the burning up, it gave people the sense ofpletion for the, which initially felt iplete. The was still a, yes, but after thergest hole was repaired, it looked moreplete. The aura radiating from aplete was very different.

    All the pieces of the merged into one gigantic to capture one target.

    The beast¡¯s body stiffened. It was hard to even lift its w now.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision, he could see a blue me that others couldn¡¯t see, it belonged to the shaman. He noticed it first when he first caught the stray piece of rope.

    The Gu tribespeople couldn¡¯t see the blue me that was actually guiding the other mes. It covered the other mes on the. Right at the middle of the was the fire pond which was the source of the blue me.

    The blue me invisible to the naked eye was a key factor in lighting up the.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s body also emitted a lot of mes that weren¡¯t visible to other people. They weren¡¯t the red totemic mes or the blue mes like the shaman¡¯s but it was white!

    The white me was the one that triggered the fire seed energy in the blood that was on the string. It was very simr to a fire seed¡¯s me.

    Shao Xuan could feel the mes pulsing through his string and the beast¡¯s neck. It was in sync with his heartbeat.

    With every movement the beast did, arge cracking noise was heard. Under the scales, the beast¡¯s injuries were getting worse.

    The beast let out a low growl for every breath it took as if something was hammering at its heart.

    It wasn¡¯t enough!

    The beast was trying to free itself!

    Shao Xuan forced out more energy causing the white invisible light to expand its range. The mes around the beast¡¯s neck burned even brighter.

    ¡°Stop staring! Add more power!¡± Shouted Shao Xuan.

    The shaman that was staring nkly at the scene suddenly snapped out of his trance. He focused the fire seed¡¯s energy for the attack just as he nned to. However, with Shao Xuan¡¯s help; he didn¡¯t need to risk his life.

    As the mes became more violent, the beast struggled even more. It let out cries of pain, trying as hard as it could to shrug the off but its movements were as stiff as a rusted machine now.

    It wanted to use its ws to tear the off but it failed.

    It left out more frustrated roars while throwing its upper body down to the ground.

    This move caused the whole ground to shake as if a giant ground dragon was turning in the soil. More gaps in the ground appeared dust flew everywhere, even the mountains were shaking!

    Everything in the area, stone, wooden foundations of the houses, roots of trees were all uprooted!

    Nobody could have imagined that the beast would be able to exert such a force while literally on fire. A gush of wind came so strongly as if it wanted to lift everyone up into the sky.

    The vibrations shook everyone to their core, even if it didn¡¯t the shock itself would have done the trick. When the wind came, everyone¡¯s soul seemed to have left their body.

    Shao Xuan who was tightly holding on to the string was thrown up once again before evennding.

    The beast¡¯s body was expanding, sounds that were reminiscent of thunder came from within its body. Hot gas gushed out of its scales.

    It was trying to break free from the!

    Shao Xuan could feel the blood pumping through his veins. The blood rushed through with the force of a great river especially for the blood vessel on his arm he was holding the string with. His bones whined from the stress as if they would explode any second.

    Whoever couldst longer would be the winner of this battle.

    Finally, with onest cry of pain, the beast lifted its head and fell.

    It¡¯s expanded body shrunk as air seemed to leak out of it.

    After who knew how long, the beast drew itsst breath and stopped moving.

 Chapter 652 - Cooked

    <h4>Cooked</h4>

    After the shockwaves weakened, Shao Xuan, who kept being thrown up into the air, finallynded on the beast¡¯s back.

    Just as a preventative measure, as soon as hended, he got as far away from the beast as possible.

    He didn¡¯t dare to let go of the still glowing string in his hand.

    The beast was fully burnt now with none of its stripes visible anymore. So scales were flipped over to let out hot air that was trapped inside and ... the smell of deliciously cooked meat.

    Was this it?

    The shaman let down his guard first. From the first strike up until now, he had used way too much of his energy. Even if he hadn¡¯t died, a good half of his remaining life was gone. He looked much older and the peppered hair he had was all white now.

    Shao Xuan soon followed suit.

    When Shao Xuan let go of the string, it was still burning. It only stopped when Shao Xuan fully retracted all the powers he let out.

    ¡°Shaman, are you alright?!¡±

    Every Gu tribe member that was able to walk rushed forward to check on the shaman.

    The ming Horn tribespeople did that same to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Are you alright, Grand Elder?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Xuan sat on the ground, catching his breath. He pointed to the beast and said, ¡°Go and check.¡±

    Ah Guang carried the bow that was nearly as tall as she was and shot an arrow there.

    The green arrowhead pierced its skin but it didn¡¯t make it far.

    The beast had no reaction.

    Wei threw his stone weapon at the beast. It wrapped around the spear that was still attached to the body. He pulled the spear out forcefully. There was no reaction from the beast but blood started flowing out.

    During the expansion, the second spear had dropped out from the body while the first one was still attached but it was much looser now.

    ¡°It¡¯s not thoroughly cooked yet,¡± said Duo Li.

    The skin of the beast was really burnt to crisps but there were some ces where the flesh of the beast was still raw.

    ¡°Let it bleed,¡± said Tuo.

    There were no objections.

    Many beasts would fake their deaths in the forest, they had seen their fair share of those. The beasts would sacrifice a part of their body and when it was safer, they ran for their escape.

    This beast didn¡¯t seem like the kind that would fake its death but there was no harm in being careful.

    However, this beast wasn¡¯t the ming Horn tribe¡¯s game. It was a coborative effort between the two tribes so they had to ask the other tribe on how they wanted to deal with it.

    The Gu people agreed, they didn¡¯t have much experience in this factor anyway.

    ¡°Do... Do you need help?¡± the person carrying Bo Gu on his back asked. He couldn¡¯t move but the other Gu warriors could.

    ¡°No.¡± Wei shook his hand and took out his de as he walked towards the beast.

    The scales on the neck were turned more outwards than other parts of the body, especially the ones that had direct contact with the.

    The made from the white worm silk had broken into smaller pieces due to the fire. With a little more force they would crumble into dust.

    Not just Shao Xuan¡¯s string. The ones made by the Gu tribe all changed into grass pulp as soon as the fire was extinguished. They had done what they were meant to do.

    Wei lifted up more scales at the part of its neck where the string was.

    He cut along the burn wounds left by the string on the beast¡¯s neck. With one sh, the scales pointed outwards to reveal flesh underneath. It made slicing much easier.

    The sh was half his knife¡¯s width deep. Deep red flesh could be seen when the wound split open.

    ¡°No blood?¡± Ask Bo Gu.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you see it¡¯s cooked? Of course, there¡¯s no blood.¡± Duo Li wanted to take a piece of meat to try but he knew now wasn¡¯t the time to do it so he waited at the side.

    ¡°It¡¯s just the surface.¡± Wei looked at Tuo. After looking at Tuo nodding, he cut the beast again at the same spot.

    Two cuts in, the wound was much deeper now. One could see the cross-section of the blood vessels that were sliced open.

    ¡°Still no blood?¡±

    ¡°Another cut!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still nothing?!¡±

    ¡°Again!¡±

    ......

    Bo Gu looked at the ming Horn tribespeople. They were much more familiar with beasts than his own tribe. Remembering how the Gu tribe had treated the ming Horns, it was an awkward situation. Should he apologize or should he thank them? But it seemed that the ming Horn people were much more interested in the beast at the moment.

    They were hunters, they would naturally be attracted to beasts, especially rare and special ones like the one before them.

    Wei¡¯s back was drenched in sweat at this point. He had cut through to the centre of the neck to not find a single drop of blood because the beast had been fully cooked on the inside.

    It would be weird if the beast was still breathing when it was cooked like this.

    Bo Gu was dumbfounded.

    The damage to the neck area was fully done by the ming Horn people. The strings that they thought were useless actually did more damage than their.

    The neck was the only part that was thoroughly cooked, the other ces were only cooked at the surface level.

    Although it could be argued that the neck had a smaller diameter than the other parts of the body, the burnt marks were the worst on the neck.

    This didn¡¯t make sense at all.

    How did this happen?

    The shaman was looking at the cut open neck. He wanted to shout out in joy when he saw the beast fall but looking it got stuck in his throat.

    He was silent for a moment and said, ¡°It really is cooked through.¡±

    This beast that nearly destroyed their tribe was... cooked through just like that?

    His heart was still beating fast, the anxiety from before hadn¡¯t clearedpletely. Looking at therge beast before him only made him more confused.

    If they didn¡¯t get help from the ming Horn tribe, would they have lost?

    ¡®We¡¯re too inexperienced. If we had made more preparations for the traps, had better fighting skills, the system would have seeded,¡¯ thought the shaman.

    If they had all that, the ming Horn people wouldn¡¯t need to do anything and the Gu tribe would still be able to seed. But life did not wait for what ifs.

    One thousand years of inexperience took its toll.

    The shaman walked towards Shao Xuan with the help of others to bow before him.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    They were all sincerely grateful for the help. No matter what their intentions were, they wouldn¡¯t forget this.

    Those that sustained minor injuries were helping those who were injured badly. The shaman took a quick rest before he started going around treating people.

    They had to set up the medic camp a little further from where they were because of the fallen trees and smashed rocks.

    The ming Horn people cleared out the area. They lifted rocks and trees with no problem.

    Wei chopped off some of the beast meat to share with the tribespeople. They needed it to boost their energy. He then passed some to Shao Xuan and sat beside him, ¡°We need to be more careful next time.¡±

    ¡°Careful about what?¡±

    ¡°When beasts take revenge,¡± said Wei.

    These beasts were quite petty, they held onto grudges for a long time.

    ¡°When we hunt, let¡¯s deal with them in one shot. Don¡¯t wait and finish beastster. We don¡¯t know how they might turn out to be.¡±

    Thew of the jungle meant that the stronger beasts were at the top of the food chain but who knows whether the weaker animals might change their fate and sit atop one day.

    Shao Xuan continued to talk to Wei then suddenly looked back.

    He didn¡¯t see anyone but he saw a flurry of dust.

    They were in the middle of the battlefield. The beast¡¯s stomps did cause some parts of the ground to raise upwards but the lumps weren¡¯t tall enough to hide a person.

    Shao Xuan was sure someone had been here. Wei was about to head over until Shao Xuan stopped him.

    ¡°Come out!¡± yelled Shao Xuan.

    Nothing happened.

    ¡°Either youe out yourself or you die right there,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The ming Horns did not like when people spied on them behind their backs. There were many beasts in the forest that ambushed prey in this matter.

    ¡°No no no! I¡¯ming out!¡±

    These words were uttered so quickly, if Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have better hearing, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch any words.

    Shao Xuan stared at the same spot and saw soil being pushed upwards. A human head slowly peeked out where the ground opened.

    It was a man with a full face of hair. He looked extremely dishevelled with hair sticking out at odd ces. With so much soil crumbs stuck to his beard, they could not make out his face at all.

 Chapter 653:

    <h4>Chapter 653: </h4>

    Nice to Meet You, Excavator

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Wei asked with an annoyed face.

    The other person who just protruded his head retreated. Trembling with fear, he replied, ¡°I¨CI¡¯m from the Ya tribe!¡± He still spoke fast.

    ¡°Ya tribe?¡±

    Shao Xuan also heard the people of the Gu tribe mention it once before. Bo Gu said that the people from the Ya tribe brought all the elders and children in their tribe to safety. Nearby, he only sensed the Gu tribe¡¯s fire seed, so the Ya tribe was probably quite far away, but seeing that the Gu tribe could entrust their elders and children to them, these two tribes probably had a close connection.

    Shao Xuan gestured at Wei to set down the de in his hand, and then he said to the person who stood not far from them, ¡°Are you here to look for the Gu tribe? Why are you creeping up on us?¡±

    ¡°I... I came to.... see the ming Horns......¡± the other person stuttered as he spoke. He then hunched his head and narrowed his eyes to look at Shao Xuan and Wei.

    Shao Xuan was speechless when he heard this. It sounded like he wasing to a zoo to see some chimpanzees.

    It was at this moment when Bo Gu was carried over on another person¡¯s back.

    ¡°Wa Ji, why are you here?¡±

    Bo Gu¡¯s wounds were treated, but he did not rest like the others in the area that had been cleaned and arranged for people to rest. Instead he ordered people to carry him over because he wanted to ask the ming Horns a few questions about hunting fearsome beasts. He never anticipated meeting Wa Ji from the Ya tribe here.

    ¡°How are they?¡± Bo Gu asked hurriedly, worried that the others who were sent away encountered an ident.

    ¡°They¡¯re alright, very fine.¡± Wa Ji calmed down because Bo Gu appeared. It was clear that his tense feelings faded away, and although he still spoke fast, he no longer stuttered. ¡°I came over to look after I noticed the sounds faded.¡±

    Hearing that his people who escaped were safe, Bo Gu also loosened up and introduced the person who just appeared to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This is Wa Ji, a member of the Ya tribe. Although the Ya tribe lives quite far away from us, they stop by our tribe quite often.¡± Bo Gu hesitated, but then continued, ¡°The people of the Ya tribe live underground and have many tunnels. Their tunnels are wide and cover a wide range, so sometimes they help us deliver things. Before when we encountered giant beasts, they were the ones who helped bring our elders and children to safety.¡±

    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that he can creep up behind us like that. I almost went at him with my de,¡± Wei expressed his dissatisfaction. ¡°Even if he was curious about us ming Horns, can¡¯t he look from farther away? Did he have to creep up this close?¡±

    ¡°(Cough), you must have misunderstood,¡± Bo Gu exined on Wa Ji¡¯s behalf. ¡°The people of the Ya tribe have bad eyesight.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the other person¡¯s narrow eyes and nodded. Before he felt that Wa Ji looked strange, as if he wanted to smile but didn¡¯t look like it. So it was an eyesight problem.

    ¡°Shao Xuan of the ming Horn tribe.¡± Shao Xuan introduced himself, and then looked at Wa Ji. ¡°Nice to meet you, excavator(the chinese characters sound like his name Wa Ji).¡±

    ¡°...... Wa Ji, I¡¯m Wa Ji,¡± Wa Ji corrected him.

    ¡°Wa Ji, have your people ever thought abouting over to the ming River Trading Point to trade?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°ming River Trading Point? I¡¯ve heard about it, and Bo Gu told me about it too.¡± Wa Ji¡¯s fingernails were long and his hands continued to dig at the ground restlessly. ¡°I wanted to go before, but I didn¡¯t dare to.¡±

    ¡°Why not? You know how to dig tunnels. Isn¡¯t it much safer to go there underground?¡± Shao Xuan questioned.

    Wa Ji lifted his head and looked quickly at Shao Xuan, and then lowered his gaze immediately, ¡°I heard that the ming Horns are giant creatures with sharp fangs and ws and even eat humans!¡±

    Wa Ji spoke rapidly and straightforwardly, and his words came rolling out of his mouth.

    Bo Gu couldn¡¯t even stop him in time even if he wanted to.

    Shao Xuan and Wei were speechless. ¡®What the heck?!¡¯

    Giants with sharp fangs and ws, that didn¡¯t matter. People would know right away what was not true when they saw them, but ¡°eating humans?¡± This the ming Horns could not ept.

    ¡°Nonsense! Who said we ate humans?!¡± Wei¡¯s eyes red at him furiously.

    Wa Ji continued to shrink downwards, ¡°I hear-d it! I didn¡¯t make it up!¡±

    ¡°(cough), um,¡± Bo Gu had to exin this time, ¡°The people of the Ya tribe hear a lot of rumours from many ces, facts and false onesbined.¡±

    The people of the Ya tribe liked to dig tunnels and also enjoyed socialising. When their tunnels opened up at a tribe, they chatted with them, and another group whose tunnels opened up at other tribes also chatted with other tribes, so when all of them grouped together, they would sometimes mutter nonsense and brag, mixing facts and false rumours, making it harder for people to discern which was the truth.

    Wa Ji also noticed afterwards that it wasn¡¯t appropriate to say these things in front of the ming Horns. He scratched his head with his long nails awkwardly and reached his other hand inside his shirt to look for something. He jumped out from the ground, revealing his short chubby figure. Before, Shao Xuan thought that Wa Ji¡¯s neck was short because he was timid and had a shrinking stature, but now he noticed that his neck was already short in the first ce. When he shrunk his neck even more, his head seemed directly connected to his shoulders.

    Coming up from the ground, Wa Ji handed the thing in his hand over to Shao Xuan. ¡°Would you like to have some?¡±

    Sharing food was a friendly gesture among tribes. Wa Ji was trying to befriend Shao Xuan and Wei. If he could establish a good connection with the ming Horns, he could go back and brag about it to his other friends underground.

    But......

    Shao Xuan looked at what Wa Ji brought out. It was dried food made from a segmented insect. ¡°No thanks, you can eat it yourself.¡±

    Wa Ji asked Shao Xuan more questions about the ming River Trading Point. He walked over and looked at the giant beast. He had extreme nearsightedness, so when he looked at the beast, his nose was almost touching it.

    After he finished chatting and observing, Wa Ji finally left. Spending a long time under the sun made him ufortable. Not only did the sun not make him feel safe, it made him feel worse if he was exposed to it for too long. The people of the Ya tribe preferred dark ces underground. They felt safest like that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll head back underground and bring your people back.¡± Wa Ji said to Bo Gu and drilled once again into the ground. The soil sshed upwards under his rapid digging. Very soon Wa Ji was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°There must be other tunnels nearby. If it was under our feet, the tunnels would have copsed.¡± Bo Gu told Shao Xuan after Wa Ji left, ¡°The people of the Ya tribe are just more curious than others. They don¡¯t have much courage but they¡¯re not bad people.¡±

    Simply put, the people of the Ya tribe were just timid creatures who like to gossip. They didn¡¯t have high ambitions or the ability to plot any conspiracies.

    After making arrangements for those who were injured, the Gu shaman came over to look for Shao Xuan.

    ¡°You suffered huge casualties this time. Not even a house remains,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, we¡¯ll just rebuildter.¡± This was already a satisfactory result for their current stage. At least many of their people were still alive.

    The Gu shaman held up a wooden case and handed it over to Shao Xuan. ¡°This time, I really want to thank all of you from the ming Horn tribe!¡±

    Opening the wooden case, they saw many round gemstones of all shapes and sizes. These stones were the same ones the Gu shaman showed them from before, the ones that looked like the cat eye stone, butpared to the one he showed them before, these ones in the wooden case were even brighter and had narrower and clearer ¡°eye lines¡±. When they spinned, they looked like a few eyes opening and closing.

    But the gemstones on top are not the ones the Gu shaman treasured the most.

    The Gu shaman lifted the top section off the wooden case and uncovered what was underneath.

    The loweryer of the wooden case was encased with ayer of soft wool, and there were even special wooden squares made to fit small pearls the size of quail eggs. There were a total of nine squares with a pearl in each one.

    At a nce, these nine pearls looked simr to the ones on the upperyer except they were brighter, but upon closer inspection, it was not actually the case.

    ¡°Look again,¡± the Gu shaman said.

    Shao Xuan stared at the pearls, and then his eyes widened in shock, ¡°This is...!¡±

    Each of the nine pearls had a clear ¡°eye line¡±, but different from the bright lines on the pearls on the upperyer, the ones on the loweryer had a thinner and darker line, and at the ends of these thin lines, thinner and subtler threads extended from the single line, causing the single dark line in the centre of the pearl to look like the widened pupil of a beast, slowly widening.

    It wasn¡¯t a usual effect that stones had under exposure to light. It looked exactly like a fierce beast¡¯s widened pupil!

    When the ¡°eye line¡± opened like a beast¡¯s pupil, Shao Xuan even sensed the same horrified cold feeling he felt whenever he looked at a beast¡¯s eye. It was too simr! People who didn¡¯t know would¡¯ve mistaken it for a wild beast¡¯s eye!

    Not just Shao Xuan, when Wei and others saw this, they all scratched their arms. The goosebumps formed on their arms and made them feel tingly all over.

    The good thing was many of them had even eaten a beast¡¯s eye, so they recovered immediately from the sudden shock.

    However, their calm emotions were suddenly reced with surprise when the Gu shaman spoke again.

    ¡°This is actually called a ¡°ground eye¡±. All of these stones on the upper and loweryer can all be referred to as ¡°ground eye stones¡±, but the nine stones on the bottom are not normal ¡°ground eye stones¡±. They¡¯re ¡°Universal Pupils¡±!¡±

    ¡°Universal Pupils?¡± Shao Xuan did not understand the meaning behind this name.

    The Gu shaman did not exin right away. Instead, he moved the wooden case back and forth from left to right, and then covered them with his hand from above.

    ¡°Can you tell yet?¡± the Gu shaman asked.

    ¡°They¡¯re.... Facing the sun!¡± Shao Xuan was shocked. It wasn¡¯t obvious when the Gu shaman was moving the case, but when he covered them with his hands, the ¡°eye lines¡± in the pearls in the upperyer was not obvious due to theck of light, but the nine pearls on the loweryer were still facing the sun¡¯s direction and opening their ¡°eyes¡±!

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Universal pupils will always open their eyes in the sun¡¯s direction no matter where you are, where you¡¯re facing, how you turn it. Even if it¡¯s covered, as long as it is not underplete darkness, it will continue to open its ¡°eyes¡±. Not just in the daytime, but at night they also open their eyes, except during that time, they won¡¯t be facing the sun, but the moon. Legend has it that there is only one universal pupil in ten thousand ground eye stones.¡±

    If it were just some beautiful gemstones, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t be shocked, but these gemstones that were urate in telling the directions were very useful.

    Tribal people all had their ways of telling the direction. Some relied on gemstones on a cloudy day to locate the sun, or fortune telling, while others relied on their natural beast-like instincts. Some people could even tell the direction by relying on their tamed beasts, such as birds or other insects.

    However, these ¡°Universal Pupils¡± that the Gu shaman brought out were the most urate and convenient gemstones. They were less restricted and were even better thanpasses!

 Chapter 654 - Do You Have Any Extra Eyes?

    <h4>Do You Have Any Extra Eyes?</h4>

    These were true treasures that the Gu shaman possessed. The ones he showed to them back then were just normal goods he took out to attract them.

    It was probably because of this that the Gu shaman appeared to be slightly awkward, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t notice.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a stone like this before.¡± Shao Xuan picked up one of the Universal Pupils and studied its ability to look towards the sun.

    ¡°These were gifted to me by the Jing tribe. They give me one every year. I¡¯ve held the shaman¡¯s position for nine years, and these are all that I have,¡± the Gu shaman exined. The previous shamans didn¡¯t receive as many as he did, so the pearls his predecessors possessed could be counted with five fingers. Their connection with the Jing tribe only improved after he took over the shaman¡¯s position, that was why he received one each year. Previous shamans of the Gu tribe weren¡¯t as lucky as him.

    ¡°The Jing tribe? This was the one you mentioned before that lived downstream? They¡¯re the ones who produced these ground eye stones?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. In fact, the Jing tribe rarely bring these stones out to trade. Sometimes they might trade normal ground eye stones, but they rarely bring Universal Pupils to trade.¡±

    Normal ground eye stones were only good for decorating and could not serve any meaningful purposes. They were not essential for tribes that were struggling to survive and could not even fill their bellies with enough food. It was simr to the crystals of the Zhi tribe. It couldn¡¯t be traded for a lot of goods.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s interest in the Universal Pupils, the Gu shaman also wanted to use this opportunity to change their previous impression about them. After all, they were overconfident when they dealt with the giant beast and acted too defensively towards the ming Horns. Every word they said before sounded clearly like they wanted the ming Horns to leave as soon as possible, but after the ming Horns helped them, they noticed that the ming Horns had no intention to rob them, so the Gu shaman wanted to establish stronger ties between the two tribes.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure how the Universal Pupils are produced, but I know that they came from the Jing tribe. I¡¯ve never heard of any other tribes having such a stone. We have a decent connection with the Jing tribe and we helped them quite a few times. We provide them withs they use to fish and hunt. This was exactly why they gifted us with the ground eye stones and universal pupils,¡± the Gu shaman said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ept this gift of yours then.¡± After Shao Xuan studied the Universal Pupils, he passed it to Duo Li and the others who waited by his side.

    They were all curious about this ¡°Universal Pupil¡±. When they hunted in the forest, not all days were sunny. Sometimes the sky would be so cloudy that they couldn¡¯t tell the right direction and time in the forest. Under those circumstances, even if they used the sun stone to look at the sky, they could not urately tell the sun¡¯s location, but with the Universal Pupil, they didn¡¯t need to worry anymore. They could even tell the sun¡¯s position during a thunderstorm.

    They never thought they would encounter such a treasure on their exploration trip downstream. No wonder the Gu shaman kept all of these hidden.

    ¡°It looks a lot like a real beast eye!¡± Duo Li eximed.

    ¡°Indeed. Grand Elder, we can use these to decorate the beast bones in the ming River Castle.

    There was a skeleton of a fearsome beast disyed inside the ming River Castle, but the skeleton was nothing but bones. There was only a hollow dent where the eye of the beast used to be. If they put the Universal Pupils there and coat the skeleton with ayer of fur, then it would look like a real beast.

    ¡°But these are too small. If there are bigger ones, they would be perfect.¡±

    While the ming Horns were all discussing, the Gu shaman told Shao Xuan whatever he had on his mind. ¡°Actually, the Jing tribe has another gemstone that is a lot more precious than this one. It is even harder to get those than Universal Pupils, but no one else besides the people of the Jing tribe has seen this stone. Foreign tribes have never seen this stone before. Even though I¡¯m a close friend of the Jing shaman, I¡¯ve never seen that stone. When I saw the Jing shaman, he already had another eye here, even more realistic than these Universal Pupils. No, I should say, that is already an eye.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. He straightened up and asked, ¡°An eye? A stone like that? He can attach it onto his body and it¡¯ll be an extra eye?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not sure what the Jing people call that type of ground eye stone, but I know that every shaman of the Jing tribe has a special eye. They receive the eye the moment they take over the position as shaman.¡± The Gu shaman pointed between his own eyebrows, ¡°So, the Jing shaman has one more eye that others don¡¯t and it allows them to see things ordinary people can¡¯t see.¡±

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s interest in that type of eye, the Gu shaman told him whatever he knew. Of course, he wasn¡¯t trying to bring any harm to his old friend from the Jing tribe. He only felt that the ming Horns wouldn¡¯t go around and abuse their power and rob people, not to mention they were already wealthy. They had ample supplies of food and sturdy tools. If the Jing tribe could befriend the ming Horns, they could also benefit from their connection. They might even be able to use these ground eye stones to trade for food and tools with the ming Horns.

    ¡°The Jing people are not much different from ordinary people. Only their shaman is different. Of course, before the shaman took over the position, he only had two eyes, but in order to qualify to be the next shaman, he had to sessfully merge with another eye. Only those who seed can be the next shaman. So every shaman from the past till now had three eyes. If no one seeded in merging the third eye in that generation, there would be no shaman for that time. They¡¯d rather leave the position of shaman empty than have any individual with two eyes take over.¡±

    All in all, ordinary people could not be the shaman in the Jing tribe. Only people with three eyes qualified.

    ¡°The eye that you mentioned. What are the qualifications for the merging process? Can people from foreign tribes use it? Besides humans, can it be used on fearsome beasts?¡± Shao Xuan asked a few questions continuously.

    ¡°This...... I¡¯m not sure.¡± the Gu shaman was honest. ¡°Even though I have a good connection with the Jing shaman, I¡¯ve never been able to ask about his third eye. He rarely talks about it. It¡¯s a secret in their tribe.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right!¡± the Gu shaman thought about the handwritten records his ancestors left behind. ¡°ording to the ancestors, people who are not part of the Jing tribe cannot use that type of ¡®eye¡¯.¡±

    Different tribes had different blood types and faiths, and there¡¯s also a clear difference in their totemic strength. If it was rted to the fire seed, it was clear that different fire seeds repelled one another and could not coexist, so this was the same case too.

    ¡°I see.¡± Shao Xuan was very disappointed. There were many people in his tribe who lost both their eyes either during a battle or a hunt. If they could regain their eyesight or even just one eye, it would mean giving them a new life.

    ¡°You think we don¡¯t want to try?¡± the Gu shaman also sighed. His ancestor¡¯s records also mentioned that some people from earlier years also tried to search for eyes to rece the ones their families and friends lost, but were all rejected by the Jing tribe. The only reason they gave was: People who are not part of the Jing tribe cannot use that type of eye.

    Shao Xuan thought for a while, and then asked again, ¡°If it can¡¯t be used on humans, what about fearsome beasts?¡±

    Fearsome beasts?

    The Gu shaman never expected Shao Xuan to ask such a question. He knew more about humans than beasts. In the past thousand years, the Gu tribe rarely came across any fearsome beasts, so there wasn¡¯t much he had to say about the Jing tribe¡¯s eye¡¯s connection with beasts.

    ¡°I really have no clue about this. The ancestor¡¯s records never mentioned it either.¡± the Gu shaman shook his head.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t get an answer from the Gu shaman, so he decided to approach the Jing tribe and ask.

    ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, are you trying to find a recement eye for a fearsome beast?¡± the Gu shaman was very curious about this.

    ¡°Yes. I have a fearsome beast. It¡¯s a wolf that lost an eye during a battle with another tribe. Since humans cannot use this eye, I was wondering if fearsome beasts could. I¡¯m not sure if the Jing tribe has any extra eyes,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    He had heard rumours of the ming Horns taming fearsome beasts, but to hear Shao Xuan mention it, the Gu shaman was envious. However, after the past battle, the Gu tribe also gained some experience. There were also many fearsome beasts on the other side of the river. They could take baby steps first. Hunt, then tame. Perhaps they could even revive the previous glory and experience of their ancestors and relive the lives their ancestors once lived.

    The Gu shaman thought about the strong physique of the ming Horns. Did they be so strong from eating fearsome beast meat?

    ¡°Right, I have a question for you, Elder Shao Xuan,¡± the Gu shaman asked after a moment of hesitation.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Howe you could ignite the just now?¡±

    If it was that easy to ignite, a lot of people would have already done so. The Gu tribe was special because of how hard andplicated it was. Plus, even if he knew how to ignite, he was on the Gu tribe¡¯s territory and very close to the Gu tribe¡¯s fire pond. Howe he wasn¡¯t affected by the fire seed¡¯s energy at all?

    The Gu shaman still couldn¡¯t understand it. Even if Shao Xuan was an elder of the ming Horn tribe, he wasn¡¯t the shaman. How did he gain such an ability?

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t found the answer to this.¡± Shao Xuan recalled the moment it happened. It was so strange, like a sound was telling him that he would seed if he did that, but now that he thought about it, he was really too impulsive at that time, but he wanted to test if it could actually work. Maybe this was why the rope divination told him to return.

    Shao Xuan also nned to find a time to study it carefully.

    ¡°It might be our ancestors¡¯ protection,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The Gu shaman was left speechless. ¡®Are you kidding? Why would your ancestor be doing here on our territory beside our fire seed?¡¯

    Seeing the Gu shaman¡¯s stunned expression, Shao Xuanughed. ¡°Do you know why I could be the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe?¡±

    The Gu shaman shook his head.

    ¡°Because the ancestors picked me.¡±

    The Gu shaman looked at him for a while, and realised that he was not bluffing, so he became even more puzzled.

    Leaving the Gu shaman there to think, Shao Xuan walked over and instructed some people to go take care of the giant beast. He could not tell anyone his biggest secret.

    Shao Xuan had already discussed with the shaman about how to split the spoils of their battle.

    The ming Horns were given half of the giant beast¡¯s scales and meat. Since they helped during such a crucial moment, and even Shao Xuan helped, no one in the Gu tribe objected to this. Speaking of effort, the Gu tribe obviously did more, but without the ming Horn¡¯s help, who knows what would¡¯ve happened to them. So this was a reasonable arrangement.

    The ming Horns only took the scales and beast meat. The scales were to be used to make armours. The giant beast¡¯s scales were indeed high quality material. Even though it was singed on the edges , it could still be hammered t in the forge. The beast meat was an essential food they could use on the ships. Fearsome beat meat of this grade could keep them full for quite a long time. They left the bones and ws to the Gu tribe because they couldn¡¯t bring all of it on their ship.

    After knowing that Shao Xuan wanted to look for the Jing tribe, the Gu shaman even wrote on a long linen scroll for him to bring along to pass to the Jing shaman so he could save a lot of trouble from the Jing people being too defensive and unyielding about their secrets.

 Chapter 655 - The Jing People

    <h4>The Jing People</h4>

    Initially, the Gu shaman wanted to dispatch a few Gu tribesmen whom the Jing tribe was familiar with to apany Shao Xuan¡¯s group to the Jing tribe. Still, due to the destruction caused by the previous battle, many of the buildings in the tribe had already copsed, so they had to rebuild their buildings. They had already suffered huge losses, and many of them were either injured or killed, so all he could do was write a message on a linen scroll for Shao Xuan to pass to the Jing tribe.

    After Shao Xuan¡¯s group left the Gu tribe, the shaman contemted for a while and sent a few members of the Ya tribe to bring a letter over to the Jing tribe. The people of the Ya tribe travelled faster through their underground route, and they wouldn¡¯t have to face any fearsome beasts on the way, so perhaps they could arrive at the Jing tribe before Shao Xuan¡¯s group did.

    With the Ya tribe there, maybe the Jing tribe would behave more amicably towards the ming Horns.

    However, the Gu shaman never expected Shao Xuan¡¯s ships to travel so fast, arriving even earlier than the Ya tribesmen.

    Although the Ya tribespeople didn¡¯t need to go around mountains or natural barriers to get to the Jing tribe, not everywhere was suitable for digging, especially ces near the river. Sometimes they even had to go around an obstacle or rest on the way if they¡¯re tired.

    In contrast, Shao Xuan¡¯s group never stopped to rest besides stopping once in a while to put up wooden signs on the riverbank. They travelled nonstop day and night.

    After the giant beast was ughtered, the part of the river near the Gu tribe became more peaceful. Smaller fishes began to swim in the area actively, and not manyrger offensive beasts appeared here. Therge fish that attacked Bo Luo from before might have been driven to the site by the giant beast.

    Travelling downstream, there weren¡¯t any significant geographical changes onnd. The riverbanks resembled the parts where the Gu tribe resided, but the woods were denserpared to the Drumming tribe¡¯s territory.

    Shao Xuan sat inside the cabin on the ship and sat with his legs crossed. He set the sword on his feet, and there were still bloodstains left on it. This was Shao Xuan¡¯s blood. He was thinking about how he sessfully ignited the back in the Gu tribe. He wanted to test if he could use his own blood to ignite the fire, but he never seeded. He felt like something was missing, but he didn¡¯t know what.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s there!¡± the people outside shouted.

    Shao Xuan also sensed the Jing fire seed nearby, so he set down his sword and walked out from the cabin.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    The Jing tribe also lived beside the ming River. They didn¡¯t live too close to the river, but they weren¡¯t too far either, just slightly closer to the banks than the Gu tribe.

    The Gu shaman once told Shao Xuan that the Jing tribe only migrated here afterwards. He didn¡¯t know where they were before, but they had been here since the disaster from a thousand years ago.

    People were staring in their direction from the forest, and there were even sharp sounds of birds chirping, but Shao Xuan¡¯s group knew that those weren¡¯t birds. They were people hiding inside the forest, sending out signals.

    As the two ships got close to the shore, the people inside the forest also retreated, but continued to hide in the woods. They observed the two ships with vignce.

    They had never seen ships, so they were more defensive towards foreign tribes.

    It was clear that others had settled thend where the ships anchored. There were no tall giant trees there. Besides some smaller wooden stakes, the rest of thend was grass. Even the grass was shorterpared to the ones in the forest.

    These little wooden stakes were probably used to tie a raft to the shore. There were rope marks left on the stakes, and there were clear footprints in the dents on the grounds. That was the only reason the grass tilted from their original upright position.

    Walking up the riverbank, Shao Xuan lifted his head and looked toward the forest in front of him.

    There was a road leading from the riverbanks into the woods. It was only two to three metres wide, but on this dense and grassy field, this road was very conspicuous.

    The Gu shaman said that the Jing tribesmen used theirs for fishing in the river. So this was the road they used to go there.

    Shao Xuan approached the woods with his people. They didn¡¯t go far into the forest but stood still before it.

    ¡°Is this the Jing tribe? We are from the ming Horn tribe. We have matters to discuss with you. Please inform the Jing shaman.¡±

    There were definitely other traps in the forest, but Shao Xuan was not afraid of those. He just didn¡¯t want to cause any unnecessary trouble, not to mention he also needed to search for the ¡°eye¡± from the Jing tribe. It was better to leave an excellent first impression.

    After Shao Xuan shouted his message, the forest became quieter, but afterwards, there were a few more bird-chirping sounds. Whooshing sounds came from afar. It was clear that the people went back to deliver his message.

    Shao Xuan was not in a rush. He sat on a rock beside the forest and waited while the others looked around. They were checking the difference in the nt species in this areapared to thend upstream.

    After about twenty minutes, sounds of footsteps came from a distant ce. They even heard low voices of people speaking.

    Quite a lot of people came, no fewer than two hundred. It was about the same number as the people on their ships.

    The crowd walked closer to them. The road was too narrow, so some people travelled in the forest. They could hear clear sounds of branches snapping under their feet.

    Very soon, figures appeared in the forest. The sunlight shone through the woods, and the branches from above cast a shadow down on a section of the road. It was darker in the forest on both sides of the road, so the people who were on the road were the clearest in their view.

    Three strong and outstanding warriors stood in front. Perhaps they were always exposed to the sun, so they appeared darker-skinned. The Gu people were already quite brown-skinned, but the Jing people were even darker. Although they were darker, they painted their bodies with refreshing and bright colours such as white, red, blue, yellow, green, etc.

    Each of the three Jing warriors in front held a bone or horn weapon in one hand, and a round shield in another, which they ced in front of their chest. Their entire torso was covered, and only their feet and parts above their noses were revealed.

    Their ck irises contrasted with the white of their eyes could not conceal their anxiety. Maybe they knew that the ming Horns were not easy to defeat. Facing such a powerful foreign tribe, it would be strange if they were not defensively prepared.

    Their shields were either made from wood or rattan. The Jing people did not have the strength that the ming Horns were equipped with, so although shields made from stones, horns, and bones were much sturdier, they were too heavy for them. For tribes that were not as strong, not only could these shields not be utilised to their full potential, they would also be a huge burden for them in battle.

    Just by seeing their equipment and gear, Shao Xuan had a basic idea about their strength. He then looked at the people behind the three warriors.

    There was a slim, middle-aged man standing there with eyes looking daggers towards Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. When he looked over, his gaze felt as realistic as a sharp de, and its deadliness caught them with surprise. Besides this, this middle aged man walked with a majestic pride and carried the characteristics of a leader. He was obviously different from the rest of the group.

    The Jing shaman?

    Shao Xuan thought about the Gu shaman¡¯s words and looked towards the area in that man¡¯s forehead, between his brows.

    He didn¡¯t see any third eye that the Gu shaman mentioned, but only a straight line there.

    ¡®That should be him,¡¯ Shao Xuan thought.

    The three people who walked in front stayed close to the middle-aged man and stopped about twenty metres away from Shao Xuan¡¯s group. Not just them, all the Jing people who followed them here appeared anxious, defensive, and uneasy.

    That middle aged man gently patted the three warriors in front of him. After a slight hesitation, the three warriors tilted their bodies and let him pass by. Their gaze continued to follow Shao Xuan¡¯s movements, just in case if Shao Xuan¡¯s group was to make a move, they would rush over immediately to protect the middle-aged man.

    This weather was already extremely hot, but it felt hotter downstream than upstream. That was probably why Shao Xuan saw some people wearing less on their way here downstream. Most of them didn¡¯t wear much and exposed most of their skin to the sunlight. The Gu tribe even wore some linen cloth and ornaments with designs, but the Jing people were not thatplicated. Most of them who came over were basically half-naked. They only covered their cloth and their feet for protection.

    It wouldn¡¯t matter much if they drew anything else on their bodies, but what the Jing people drew on themselves were eyes!

    The Hui tribe liked cloud tattoos and the Gu tribe liked tattoos. As for the Jing tribe, they liked ¡°eye¡± tattoos. Their totem looked exactly like three vertically oriented eyes. Most of the Jing totemic warriors drew eyes as their tattoos. They were quite skilled at drawing. The different shades of colour gave the drawing a faded look. It looked like their bodies were covered with countless eyes, the bright colours contrasted with their dark skin highlighted the eyes even more.

    People who had trypophobia would probably feel disgusted and anxious if they saw these people. They wouldn¡¯t be able to look at them directly.

    They didn¡¯t wear much, but they had plenty of ornaments on their bodies.

    They had ornaments hanging from their ears, their necks, their wrists, waists, and even their feet! These were all made from ground eye stones, andbined with the eyes drawn on their bodies, looking at them would fill you with the terror of being stared at by countless eyes.

    ¡°You are the ming Horns?¡± the middle-aged man who walked out asked them.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Shao Xuan could tell they already knew who they were. He just didn¡¯t know which rumour they heard. Seeing their anxious looks and their connection with the Gu tribe, the Jing tribe¡¯s perception of them was probably based on false rumours. Perhaps their perception was influenced by the Ya tribe¡¯s gossip.

    ¡°What business do you have here?¡± the person asked.

    ¡°We just came from the Gu tribe and we have a few things to ask.¡± Shao Xuan took out the linen scroll that the Gu shaman wrote for him and tossed it over.

    The man caught the scroll and looked suspiciously at Shao Xuan. His eyes stared at the scroll for two seconds before he unrolled it. He was probably checking if there was something bad on it, maybe something like poison.

    However, after seeing what was written on the scroll, his tightened expression became rxed. ¡°Zhen wrote this?¡±

    The Gu shaman¡¯s name was Zhen. Shao Xuan nodded after hearing the Jing shaman say this name.

    The Gu shaman had already written most of the relevant information that he needed to know on the scroll. After the man looked at the scroll, he waved his hand at the people behind him to rx, telling them there was no need to be anxious. Then, he turned towards Shao Xuan. ¡°Please follow me.¡±

    This meant he agreed to wee Shao Xuan into their tribe for a friendly discussion.

    Shao Xuan only brought half his people in while leaving the rest of them outside.

 Chapter 656 - Shelf Life

    <h4>Shelf Life</h4>

    The Jing tribe wasn¡¯t a huge tribe. They had a poption of less than a thousand, not even half the Gu tribe¡¯s poption, and they¡¯re not even a battle-style tribe. However, one should never look down on any tribes that managed to survive no matter how small they were.

    After Shao Xuan entered the Jing tribe, he noticed that besides wild fruits and vegetables, the rest of their food were fish and smaller wild beasts. After all, non-battle-style tribes were limited in their attacks so they couldn¡¯t hunt different types of prey, so all those beasts were probably hunted with the Gu tribe¡¯ss.

    However, this tribe with less than a thousand people had an evenrger territory than the Gu tribe!

    No doubt, in a remote ce like this with few people and lots of unimednd, they got to set their own boundaries. In theory, they could im as big a piece ofnd as they wished, but there were many factors they had to consider. If they set toorge a boundary, they would not have enough manpower to guard the entire ce. If there were too many entries and gaps along the boundary without enough guards, they would only be setting a trap for themselves.

    So every tribe would draw the boundaries of their territories ording to their own ability.

    The Jing tribe was not dumb either. If they could survive up till now, how could they be stupid? How would they not know about this?

    But still, they imed such a huge piece ofnd!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s doubt was resolved only after he entered deeper into the Jing tribe. That was when he found the answer.

    Although the Jing tribe had such a huge piece ofnd, more than half of it was a quagmire!

    If you looked down from above, all the quagmires in the Jing tribe resembled an eye, simr to the eye drawing on the Jing tribe¡¯s totem sign. The outer quagmire encircling the area acted as a barrier, preventing any external dangers from getting close, but within the Jing tribe, there was yet another round quagmire in the exact centre of the tribe.

    The Jing tribe¡¯s houses were also stilt houses, but they were not asplicated as the ones in the Gu tribe. Most of their houses were built directly on the ground. Only the shaman¡¯s house was different. It was located above the quagmire in the centre of the tribe.

    From the shape of the quagmire, it was obvious that the Jing tribe made these themselves, or else how could it be shaped like an eye?

    The Jing shaman brought them into the tribe. They didn¡¯t have a houserge enough to serve all the ming Horns, so the Jing shaman received them outside. However, for private discussions, the Jing shaman brought Shao Xuan into the house above the quagmire in the centre of their tribe.

    Before this, the Jing shaman asked Shao Xuan if he preferred to discuss in other houses in the tribe or to go to the one in the centre of the quagmire. Shao Xuan chose thetter.

    Hearing this decision, the Jing people also heaved a sigh of relief. Although they were not as defensive towards them because of the Gu tribe¡¯s introduction, they still tried to stay vignt. The centremost quagmire was closest to the fire pond, so ording to traditional tribal thinking, the closer they were to their fire pond, the safer.

    The Jing shaman was also quite surprised by Shao Xuan¡¯s decision, but only for a while. He did not ask Shao Xuan about his reason.

    After telling the others to wait outside the quagmire, Shao Xuan walked along the wooden bridge built above the quagmire and followed the Jing shaman into thergest and most special house.

    The Jing tribe was simr to the Gu tribe. The shaman had an unchallenged authority. There was not really a need for a leader in their tribe and they could have one or not have one, but in the Jing tribe¡¯s history, they often had times when no one assumed the position as the leader in their tribe. The shaman had many responsibilities and they had a powerful say in all their tribe¡¯s decisions. Basically whatever the shaman said would remain undisputed. Within the tribe, no one would dare object the shaman.

    After the Jing shaman opened the door into the wooden house and brought Shao Xuan inside. He looked quickly at Shao Xuan¡¯s face. He was surprised when he saw no changes in Shao Xuan¡¯s face in response to their fire seed¡¯s presence.

    Shao Xuan studied this house on top of the quagmire. Within the Jing tribe, this was already considered a mansion. It covered arge area, so they obviously had to think carefully before building. They put a lot of effort into choosing the materials and designing the ce. Most of these buildings were made from wood and looked sturdy. They didn¡¯t look tattered at all.

    After they entered the house, Shao Xuan noticed some decorations in a corner of the room made from ground eye stones. One of these decorations had a bottom pyramid-shaped base.

    On top of this base was a green ¡°Universal Eye¡±.

    This one was twice asrgepared to the nine universal eyes the Gu shaman gifted to Shao Xuan. The colourless parts of the stone were almost transparent, and its green parts looked refreshed with a crystal ze. It looked like a real beast eye, but its dead-cold stare didn¡¯t make people feel ufortable. Instead, it gave people an urge to keep staring at it.

    It was truly a shaman¡¯s living space. Even his rocks were bigger and prettier than others¡¯.

    Seeing how Shao Xuan was staring at the Universal Eye with mere surprise and curiosity in his stare, without any greedy intentions, the Jing shaman rxed. He smiled cheerfully and proudly and exined to Shao Xuan, ¡°This has been passed down to me by my ancestors. If you count its age, it¡¯s probably around eight hundred years old. It¡¯s quite old.¡±

    ¡°Old?¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t understand why the Jing shaman used this word to describe it. Isn¡¯t this just a rock?

    As if he knew what Shao Xuan was thinking, the Jing shaman continued, ¡°Of course it ages. It will die too. Ground eye stones have a lifespan too.¡±

    ¡°Universal Eyes can live up to a few hundred or even a thousand years, but normal ground eye stones can¡¯t. They can only live up to around a hundred years. Many of these stones could onlyst a few decades before they closed their eyes forever.¡±

    Putting it this way made it sound creepy, but Shao Xuan understood what he meant.

    ¡°Where do theye from?¡± Shao Xuan asked again. Ground eye stones were products of nature. They were not polished by humans, so where did theye from?

    ¡°Where?¡± the Jing shaman stroked his beard slowly. ¡°It came from within the ¡°ground eye¡±. They were extracted from within the ground eye¡¯s body.

    ¡°And the ground eye is?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a beast that lives underground.¡±

    This stone actually came from within an animal!

    Hearing the shaman¡¯s exnation, Shao Xuan thought of the reason.

    Just like how pearls had a shelf life, these ground eye stones that originated from the insides of a beast also had a shelf life. The better the quality the longer the shelf life. That also meant that after their shelf life, these ground eye stones would die and never open up their eyes again.

    After he exined how the ground eye stones were formed, he didn¡¯t mention anything more about the Universal Eye and the ¡°eye¡±. The shaman was extremely cautious when they talked about these and was not willing to talk about it.

    ¡°You said that you have matters to discuss with me? What is it?¡± the shaman asked. Although the Gu shaman mentioned some things on the linen scroll, he only mentioned the ming Horn¡¯s interest in the ground eye stones. He also wrote that they could use these stones to trade for goods with the ming Horns. Besides these, there was nothing else.

    ¡°I think you already know about our strong interest in your ground eye stones, including your normal stones, the Universal Eye, and the ¡®eye¡¯.¡± At the end of his sentence, Shao Xuan lifted a finger and pointed at the part of his forehead between his brows. His eyes were still looking at the shaman, but his meaning could not be any clearer.

    The shaman was just getting friendlier, but hearing this, his expression changed immediately and a harsh defensiveness shed across his eyes. ¡°So that¡¯s what you want?!¡±

    Shao Xuan remained calm and continued speaking at a well-paced speed. ¡°We have all sorts of beautiful stones, and also other methods and tools used to tell the direction, but this time we are here for the ¡°Eye¡±. We don¡¯t know what you call it but we would like to get one from you.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± the Jing shaman stood up and stared straight at Shao Xuan. ¡°I know you ming Horns are strong, but even if you have it you can¡¯t use it. Without our blood, you can never merge with it, regardless of how strong you are!¡±

    The ground eye stones probably had a strong connection with the Jing fire seed. People with different blood and fire seed energies would probably repel its energy, so they could never seed.

    ¡°I know,¡± Shao Xuan continued. ¡°I just want to know if this thing can be used on fearsome beasts?¡±

    The Jing shaman wanted to reject even before Shao Xuan finished his sentence, but after hearing him speak, he was stunned. Looking at Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, he seemed like a madman.

    The Jing shaman¡¯s eyes already had a straight answer, but Shao Xuan still looked at him with determined eyes, waiting for his answer.

    ¡°You want to give it to a fearsome beast?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have a fearsome beast that lost an eye.¡±

    The Jing shaman inhaled deeply and breathed out intermittently. His eyes arched upward and the line in the middle of his forehead was wrinkled on both sides.

    After a while, the Jing shaman finally spoke.

    ¡°We have never tried it before.¡±

    Perhaps their ancestors had tried it, but there were no written records left behind. Plus, the Jing tribe migrated here a thousand years ago and followed the river here. They chose this location because it was close to the river, and this river was also flowing in the dry seasons. A thousand years ago, the Jing ancestors chose this river formed after the disaster from before, which had also experienced the second disaster, after which it became known as the ming River.

    Compared to other tribes, the Jing tribe migrated quite frequently during their years of existence. Because of this, there were quite a lot of ancient written records lost during their migration.

    The remaining records that the Jing tribe still preserved were left from thest migration, but ever since they came here, besides the first two years in which they encountered some weaker fearsome beasts that lived in the border regions, they never encountered any more beasts, up till now.

    That was why the Jing shaman couldn¡¯t answer Shao Xuan¡¯s question.

    ¡°Then do you have any extra eyes?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The Jing shaman was just about to immediately reject, but he suddenly thought about something and held his tongue. He was silent for a while.

    Seeing the shaman¡¯s reaction, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyebrows jerked upward.

    He initially thought the shaman would reject him immediately, and Shao Xuan even prepared other means just in case. The ming Horns could provide them with many things. He thought that maybe the shaman would change his mind if they gave him some more things, but now, this person wasn¡¯t reacting normally.

    Something¡¯s weird.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t press on but waited for the other party to consider.

    After around two minutes, the Jing shaman asked, ¡°I heard the ming Horns are very strong and have many things that most people don¡¯t have?¡±

    ¡°What are you referring to?¡± Shao Xuan asked. Weapons? Food? Or what?

    ¡°Can you guys treat diseases or injuries?¡± The Jing shaman¡¯s eyes no longer looked as harsh as before but were reced with one of high expectation.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat. His face revealed no answer, but he asked, ¡°It depends on what type of injury.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very severe case. He¡¯s injured to the point that he can no longer walk.¡± The Jing shaman¡¯s face was gloomy, as if he thought about something bad.

    ¡°I need to see him before I know if we can treat him. Without knowing how severe his sickness is, I cannot give you a firm answer,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Alright! If you can cure him, I¡¯ll give you an ¡®eye¡¯!¡±

 Chapter 657 - It Can Be Cured!

    <h4>It Can Be Cured!</h4>

    xIf the Jing shaman was so concerned with this patient, then they must have an unusual connection.

    The Jing shaman¡¯s house was very big although it was in the centre of the quagmire. Even though it was only one story tall, rooms of different sizes inside his house totalled up to more than twenty.

    Shao Xuan followed the Jing shaman to a room in the corner of the house. It was arge room. When Shao Xuan went there, a woman walked out from inside, carrying a sullen expression.

    Seeing the Jing shaman with Shao Xuan, she was surprised. Something popped up in her mind, and her eyes were suddenly lit with excitement. She wanted to ask the Jing shaman questions, but the shaman lifted his hand to stop her.

    The door of the room opened and Shao Xuan looked inside.

    The only wooden bed in the house was covered with a beast hide, and a person wasying there with a linen nket over him. Seeing thoseplicatedting patterns on the nket, it probably came from the Gu tribe.

    When Shao Xuan went in, the person was looking out the window, but he turned his head around to look.

    He was probably a young man, but he didn¡¯t look too well. He was skinny and had no energy. Even a small turn of the head seemed difficult for him. He was like a rusty machine with scraps stuffed in its mechanisms, and every movement seemed like he was trying hard to break free from something.

    Shao Xuan even noticed green veins surfacing on the person¡¯s face, neck, and arms as he turned his neck. These veins looked like worms squirming on his skin, but besides this, these veins were unnaturally dark in colour. He was different from all the Jing people Shao Xuan had seen on his way here.

    When that person looked over, his eyes were zed and unfocused, as if he couldn¡¯t see anyone there.

    So this was the patient the Jing shaman told him about?

    ¡°Dad?¡± the person on the bed called out.

    His voice was weak, and he looked like he only opened his mouth slightly. If it wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan¡¯s extraordinary hearing ability, he couldn¡¯t have discerned what the person had said.

    He was the Jing shaman¡¯s son. No wonder the shaman was so emotional when he mentioned him.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, dad is just here to see you. Just rest well.¡± The Jing shaman walked over and carefully fixed the slightly messier hair on the patient¡¯s head. Then, he adjusted the linen clothing the patient was wearing so it covered him properly. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. Don¡¯t catch a cold.¡±

    In this season, the temperature was still high even in the nighttime, so many tribespeople slept naked, but not only was this patient sleeping on a furry beast hide, he was also covered in a thin nket.

    It was quite severe.

    Shao Xuan changed his vision and looked again at the person. Through the linen cloth and clothing, he saw the other person¡¯s bones. Now, Shao Xuan could even see the person¡¯s meridians, but it was a lot lighter in colour than bones. Normally Shao Xuan only focused on the bones.

    But this time, Shao Xuan noticed that this person¡¯s bones were actually not the big problem. There were faint traces of fractures but they were all past their recovery period. They just weren¡¯t all fully grown. Even so, these injuries were not the main cause for such a serious sickness.

    Something was wrong with this person¡¯s orderless meridians.

    Inside the human body, qi and blood flowed through the meridians. They prated deep into the organs and out to the skin. When a totem warrior summons his totemic energy, most of this energy relied on the meridians to circte inside the body.

    With a faulty meridian, he could no longer summon his totemic power, and without totemic power, he was no different from others who had not awakened. But this person was different. Not only could he not use totemic power, he couldn¡¯t even maintain a normal lifestyle.

    When the Jing shaman walked out from inside the house, his eyes were still red. He only expressed such emotions in front of his own son.

    When he left the house and walked for a while, he turned back to question his wife who wanted to speak but held her tongue, ¡°How is his condition today?¡±

    The woman spoke with downcast eyes, ¡°He only had some water.¡±

    Last year when the disaster hit them, the Jing tribe also suffered severe casualties. It was back then when the Jing shaman¡¯s son Miu was injured. He got hurt while trying to save a few kids in their tribe. Because of this, the Jing shaman had not met with any of those children¡¯s parents. He didn¡¯t even speak a single word to them.

    Miu¡¯s injury was caused by overexerting his totemic power. Just like how overloaded trucks travelling on a road would cause damage to the road¡¯s surface, and evenpletely destroy some parts of the road.

    The parts that were not destroyed could still be used like before. He could walk and eat just fine, but very soon, as Miu¡¯s injuries grew worse, to the point that he even lost the ability to walk.

    Under such conditions, he couldn¡¯t recover at all, so his condition only worsened.

    At first he lost his ability to walk. Then his internal organs became faulty. His food intake continued to decrease. Even if he tried to force down more food, he would only end up vomiting. Once he even almost choked to death. Not long after, both his arms lost their ability to move.

    ¡°Now, he could only manage to move his head a little. He has been eating less these days. Ten days ago he could still drink some fish soup, but now he can¡¯t even have soup. He can only drink water,¡± the woman spoke through sobs.

    Although the Jing shaman wasn¡¯t as emotional as the woman, he was also utterly depressed. It was obvious how much he cared for his son.

    The Jing shaman knew that the Gu shaman wished for them to have more food and tools through their trade with the ming Horns, but those goods were not the most important thing on his mind now. The only thing he truly cared about was his son who was still lying on his bed. His bright future was ruined by a disaster. Now he could onlyy on his bed every day. He¡¯d rather sacrifice other people in his tribe than let his own son suffer such a severe injury. The Jing shaman was never generous in his love for others. He was selfish and only cared for those closer to him, and he never tried to conceal his character.

    Under normal conditions, the Jing tribe would never give away any True Eyes to other tribes, but for the sake of his son¡¯s recovery, the Jing shaman didn¡¯t care about what others thought, and no one in the tribe dared to object to his decision. Even if his ancestors were to appear in front of him to stop him, he would still follow what he nned to do. His decision was final.

    ¡°Elder Shao Xuan, is there any way you can help?¡± The Jing shaman suppressed the sorrow in his heart and stared straight at Shao Xuan. He was not willing to let go of the subtlest emotion on Shao Xuan¡¯s face.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t speak but lowered his eyes and kept thinking.

    If this was caused by a pandemic or poison, he could try curing it with the medicine Gui Ze gave him but Miu¡¯s condition was caused by damage in his meridians and vessels. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to promise anything, but he could guarantee that the injuries done to his meridians could be cured.

    There were many amongst the ming Horns who severely damaged their meridians during the previous disaster. For these cases, most tribes would dismember the limbs that were severely injured. In severe cases, it could even be a threat to their lives, but ever since they had the Veins of the Sky, it was much different. Not only could it help them preserve their limbs, it could also protect their lives.

    However, since the Veins of the Sky was transnted twice after the disaster, they had been taking good care of it. When it was first transnted, the nt wasn¡¯t doing very well, so they all agreed to not touch the nts for the next two years and wait for the transnted Veins of the Sky to grow firm roots and adapt to the new environment before they touched it.

    Last year the people who were injured were cured by this, and the nt used to cure them was actually the first one Shao Xuan did an experiment on. Since his experiment, a part of this nt was consumed by the tribespeople and another part was kept for the shaman and Gui Ze to experiment on. After all, the shelf life of a Veins of the Sky after harvesting wasn¡¯t long, and they were trying to preserve the medicinal properties of the nt.

    Inthe end, they only made five pills. The current chief and shaman each had one. The two hunt leaders also had one each. Thest one was with Shao Xuan, and he brought it along with him this time.

    But there was only one.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s look, the Jing shaman¡¯s eyes gleamed with hope. ¡°If you can cure him, I¡¯ll help you search for the Eye!¡±

    Shao Xuan lifted his head and looked at the shaman. ¡°You can really find it?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± the Jing shaman stood up excitedly. He guaranteed, ¡°If you can cure Miu, I¡¯ll help you search for it!¡±

    ¡°How many can you find?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°...... one.¡± Afraid that Shao Xuan might misunderstand, the Jing shaman quickly exined, ¡°The True Eye is really hard to find. We would be lucky if we even found one each year. It is impossible for two of these to appear at the same time.¡±

    So that¡¯s what it was called. ¡°True Eye¡±.

    Shao Xuan asked again, ¡°Since it¡¯s so hard to find one every year, how can you be so sure that you will find it this year?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t started my search for the True Eye this year, but I can try. The day of the full moon is almost here. That¡¯s most likely when it would appear!¡± the Jing shaman exined.

    ¡°I see.¡± Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°I have a type of medicine that might help Miu with his injuries, but we only have one in our entire team.¡±

    ¡°I understand!¡± the Jing shaman interrupted. ¡°If you want the True Eye, I¡¯ll help you search for it. If I can¡¯t find one this year, I¡¯ll keep looking for it next year. I vow by the name of the Jing shaman: If you can cure my son¡¯s sickness, I will definitely help you search for the True Eye!¡±

    ¡°......I¡¯m not sure if I can use it on your son¡¯s injuries.¡±

    ¡°You can give it a try! Don¡¯t worry, Elder Shao Xuan. Even if you can¡¯t help Miu fully recover, if he can walk like a normal human again and continue to live, I¡¯ll also help you search for the Eye!¡± the Jing shaman said seriously.

    Shao Xuan contemted for a moment, and then said, ¡°The medicine is not with me now. I¡¯ll go get it first.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± the Jing shaman was full of enthusiasm. ¡°Do you need me to send people over?¡±

    ¡°No need. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±

    The Jing shaman hurriedly led the way and guided Shao Xuan out of the room and escorted him for a while. A person walked over and reported to the shaman, saying there were people from the Ya tribe here for a visit. If it wasn¡¯t for this report, the shaman would have followed Shao Xuan all the way to the river to get his medicine.

    ¡°The Ya people? What do they want?¡± The Jing shaman watched Shao Xuan walk to the other side near the riverbank, and then turned around and walked in the other direction unhappily.

    The Ya tribe also had a hole that opened up here. They were all old friends.

    The two Ya members who came today were brothers, known as Di Pi and Di Pa.

    When the Jing shaman went there, the two of them were surprised and had incredulous expressions. ¡°The ming Horns arrived before we did?!¡±

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± the Jing shaman said.

    ¡°We¡¯re scared that you might fight the ming Horn tribe.¡± Di Pi tossed a linen scroll over. ¡°This is from Zhen.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he write one already?¡± the Jing shaman caught the linen scroll and looked at it. His mouth curved upwards. ¡°What¡¯s the use of this now?¡±

    It turned out that the Gu shaman recalled not having mentioned anything about the ¡°True Eye¡± in the previous linen scroll he wrote for the ming Horns, hence he was worried that the Jing shaman might lose his temper if he heard the ming Horns mention it. After all, the Jing shaman¡¯s temper had grown worse after Miu¡¯s condition. He had never been in a good mood for the past year. If he heard this, he might¡¯ve even exploded on the spot.

    That was why the Gu shaman sent the two Ya members here to deliver a second message, but unfortunately they came a littleter than the ming Horns.

    ¡°Alright, I got it. I have already discussed this with the ming Horn Grand Elder.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe you guys didn¡¯t fight,¡± Di Pa muttered. He sounded a little sad it didn¡¯t happen. The Jing shaman took it as a joke, so he didn¡¯t care at all.

    ¡°Wow, you let the ming Horns into your tribe this easily even before we brought the letter over? What if it was a trick? I heard the ming Horns are very powerful. You guys are no match for them,¡± Di Pi asked.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid?¡± The Jing shaman nced at them scornfully. His words carried an underlying message, ¡®I have eyes. I can see.¡¯

    ¡°We have eyes too!¡± the two brothers said simultaneously.

    The Jing shaman smiled. ¡°Let me tell you guys a joke: the Ya people¡¯s eyes.¡±

    Di Pi and Di Pa were lost for words.

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so much better because you have good eyesight? You think you¡¯re better because you have three eyes?!¡± After an unhappy ¡°Hmph¡±, the two brothers left and dove into their holes. The underground world was a more suitable ce for them. They didn¡¯t need to see clearly under the sun. As long as they had sharp senses in the dark underground, that was enough.

 Chapter 658 - Whatâ€™s Behind Me?

    <h4>What¡¯s Behind Me?</h4>

    The pill made from the roots of the Veins of the sky was only as small as a segment of the little finger. Although the Veins of the Sky was the active ingredient in this pill, it only took up ten percent in the pill. The other ny percent of the ingredients were all supplementary, acting as a buffer and reducing the side effects caused by the strong medicine. Some of these ingredients could also prevent people with poor physique from rejecting the strong medicine, while others served to extend the shelf life of the Veins of the Sky.

    As for the bottle, it wasn¡¯t bronze, pottery, or stone. Instead, it was jade. Gui Ze said that jade was the best for preserving its shelf life.

    Although the Jing shaman had never seen jade before, he could tell that it was very valuable. He couldn¡¯t give any reasons. He could tell just by looking at it.

    Shao Xuan took the pill out of the bottle. ¡°Let¡¯s give him half of it first and see what happens.¡±

    Miu couldn¡¯t swallow the medicine, so they ground up half of the pill and dissolved it in water. Then they fed him slowly in small sips.

    The Jing shaman and his wife were careful during the entire process. After all, Miu¡¯s injuries were very serious. Besides water, he basically vomited anything else, so the Jing shaman and his wife could only try feeding him a little at a time. The small wooden spoon they used to feed him was even smaller than Shao Xuan¡¯s pinky fingernail.

    After a few spoons, the Jing shaman noticed that Miu didn¡¯t spit out the medicine but swallowed it. He was ted. It¡¯s a good sign!

    After the Jing shaman finished feeding him the medicine, he took Shao Xuan out on a walk and showed him around his tribe while he told him how the True Eye was obtained.

    ¡°Normal Ground Eye stones and Universal Eyes can be found in the external quagmire, but the True Eye can only be found here!¡± the Jing shaman pointed under his feet.

    ¡°You¡¯ve probably guessed,¡± the Jing shaman spoke more than before because he was feeling better. ¡°The better the Eye, the closer it is to our fire pond.¡±

    Although the Jing fire pond is in the centre point of the centre quagmire, Shao Xuan could see a speck of muddy yellow light from inside the house. It wasn¡¯t bright, but it clearly visible. Even though the fire seed was just a speck of light, it could be sensed immediately.

    In fact, the Jing fire seed wasn¡¯t strong. It was unique merely because it could attract Ground Eyes. The Ground Eyes lived underground and no one knew how deep down they lived. Rarely did anyone manage to dig them out from the ground. Even the Ya tribe who lived underground all year long never managed to dig out any Ground Eyes.

    But strangely, these strange creatures naturally existed under the Jing tribe. The quagmires were actually plotted there to let the Ground Eyes swim in them. Sometimes if they were seen swimming, the Jing people would catch them and eat their meat. The Ground Eye stones inside of them would then be extracted and preserved.

    So it could be said that the Jing people often hunted, but they just didn¡¯t hunt any fearsome beasts. Instead they hunted those Ground Eyes in the quagmire.

    ¡°So you actually hunt inside the quagmire.¡± Shao Xuan recalled seeing some Jing children kneeling beside the quagmire with a wooden stick. They seemed to be stirring the muddy water. Back then, he thought they were trying to look for earthworms, but now he learned that they were actually practicing hunting Ground Eyes.

    That day, the Jing tribe served them bowls of Ground Eye soup.

    Ground Eyes are spindle-shaped creatures with rings of hard shells. They usually moved underground by spinning. That was why there were obvious spiral patterns on their shells.

    After their hard shells were broken, the meat inside the shell could be cooked after the Ground Eye stones were extracted and preserved. Ground Eye meat was a delicacy in the Jing tribe. If they weren¡¯t any important guests, the Jing tribe would never bring these out.

    By weing them with a feast of Ground Eye meat, the Jing shaman wanted to give them the warmest wee and serve them with the grandest hospitality.

    The Jing tribe mainly hunted for Ground Eyes in the external quagmire. They would scoop it up from the muddy waters. Although this process looked simple, it was rare for them to find any Ground Eyes. Out of ten tries throwing out thes into the water, they could only find one Ground Eye. Those with good eyes probably had a higher sess rate, but those with bad eyesight wouldn¡¯t have any chances.

    The water was so muddy that people couldn¡¯t see what was underneath. Perhaps only people with enough experience could urately aim thes. The Jing shaman only brought Shao Xuan to the centre quagmire because the True Eye could only be found here.

    To judge whether there were any True Eyes here, the Jing shaman only needed to ¡°look¡±. He opened up the third eye between his eyebrows. This eye had a brown iris and wasn¡¯t much different from his other two eyes, only its colour was slightly darker. The only thing different was that this eye was vertically oriented and at a ny degree angle from his other eyes. When he blinked this third eye, it opened and closed from the sides.

    That was a special eye that had the ability to unusually see through things. If you stand directly facing this eye, you would feel how it could see through things that normal eyes couldn¡¯t see.

    The Jing shaman opened that eye and looked around the centre quagmire. Then he shook his head disappointedly. ¡°I don¡¯t see any Ground Eyes with the true eye. I¡¯lle back to look again tomorrow. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll definitely find one for you!¡±

    Afraid that Shao Xuan might stop providing him with more medicine, the Jing shaman tried his best to show how optimistic he was about searching for the true eye, but sometimes, there were things that the shaman had to say even if he hesitated at the beginning.

    ¡°I promise to help you search for the True Eye. If I can¡¯t find it in one year, I¡¯ll use two. If I can¡¯t find it in two years, I¡¯ll use ten, but I can¡¯t guarantee that it can be sessfully used on a fearsome beast. Even if the Jing people tried to help, the chances are very slim.¡± He was afraid that Shao Xuan was just using the fearsome beast as an excuse, so the Jing shaman emphasized once more, ¡°I only know that it is impossible to use it on any humans from foreign tribes.¡±

    ¡°I know. I won¡¯t use it on humans. I just want to give my fearsome beast a try. I don¡¯t know if it will work, but I have to give it a try.¡±

    The Jing shaman nodded and didn¡¯t say any more. He already reminded Shao Xuan what he needed to know. It was up to him to choose if he wanted to listen. His only responsibility was to search for the True Eye.

    After walking around the tribe, the Jing shaman suggested to Shao Xuan. ¡°Searching for the True Eye is not something that can be done in a day or two. Elder Shao Xuan, if I find a True Eye, I¡¯ll bring it over to the ming Horn tribe. Or would you like to stay a few more days? As you already know, the day of the full moon is in three days. That¡¯s most likely when the true eyes will appear.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good too.¡±

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s answer, joy shed across the Jing shaman¡¯s face. The only reason he said this was he wanted Shao Xuan to stay here for a little longer, at least after his son recovered from his injury. As for when he can find the true eye, he wasn¡¯t sure of it himself. He only said what was likely to happen. If they were out of luck, they could only wait, but if Shao Xuan wanted to leave then, the Jing shaman wouldn¡¯t plead for him to stay.

    Because Shao Xuan decided to stay here for a few more days, the ming Horn group started to hunt. There were many fierce beasts here that the Jing people didn¡¯t dare provoke, so the ming Horns wanted to go solve these problems. The Jing people were also happy that they decided to do so. They didn¡¯t feel at all like their prey had been stolen.

    Most of these beasts they hunted were wild beasts. Although they were not satisfactory prey for the ming Horn tribe, they attracted the Jing people¡¯s attention. Duo Li and others traded their hunted prey for some normal Ground Eye stones and Ground Eye meat from the Jing tribe. However, although the Jing people had universal eyes, they didn¡¯t have a lot of it, so they had to ask the shaman before they could trade. If the Jing shaman forbade them to trade the Universal Eyes, they would not take it out to trade.

    However, after the Jing shaman was informed, he waved his hand after thinking for a while. It¡¯s approved!

    Thus, some of them still preserved some universal eyes from their previous hunts, and those who were willing to trade went to confer with the ming Horns. Not only could they exchange for fearsome beast meat, they could also trade for goods such as beast hide and tools made from beast bones, horns, and fangs.

    Initially, Duo Li and the others thought that the Jing people would enthusiasticallye trade with them, but that was not the case. Only a handful of people were willing to trade their universal eyes.

    Out of all the normal Ground Eye stones taken out to trade, there were rarely any of high quality. Duo Li and the others didn¡¯t want any low quality stones. Thus, even after the Jing shaman agreed to trade, Duo Li and the others still didn¡¯t gain much profits.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand! What¡¯s the point in hiding these stones? Why keep it to themselves?¡± Duo Li looked at the two universal eyes in his hand. He was still confused. These were the only stones he received from two days of trading. Only two!

    The wooden case on the side only had more than a hundred normal Ground Eye stones. These could already be considered high quality among the normal stones, butpared to the goods that were still in the Jing people¡¯s hands, they weren¡¯t even a twentieth of their stones!

    ¡°They can¡¯t use their Universal Eyes since they don¡¯t go on expedition trips, yet they¡¯re not even willing to trade some of the slightly better stones. What¡¯s the point in keeping it? It can¡¯t even be eaten.¡± Tuo and the others were perplexed. They couldn¡¯t understand what the Jing people were thinking.

    Shao Xuan found the answer to this when he talked to the Jing shaman.

    To the Jing people, Ground Eye stones were their wealth, food for their spirit. The more precious Ground Eye stones they had, the more satisfied they were. In the Jing tribe¡¯s history, some people were even willing to starve to death with a case of Ground Eye stones in their arms than trade it for food with other tribes.

    The ming Horn people would never act this way. They could not understand the Jing tribe¡¯s values. They were just too different.

    ¡°No wonder we¡¯ve never seen Ground Eye stones anywhere else,¡± Shao Xuan sighed.

    Perhaps there were other tribes who once possessed Ground Eye stones, but since the Jing tribe migrated here a thousand years ago and never really traded or established any connections with any other tribes, the Ground Eye stones had all passed their expiration date and started to die. Gradually, Ground Eye stones stopped appearing in the outside world.

    ¡°But if you like it, Elder Shao Xuan, I can give you another case, but that would be my personal collection,¡± the Jing shaman said through a smile.

    Seeing his son¡¯s condition improve, the Jing shaman was a lot happier and behaved morefortably. His smile was slowly growing wider.

    That day, Shao Xuan gave thest bit of his medicine to the Jing shaman.

    Now, Miu could already consume liquid diets. He looked a lot better, unlike the other day. That day, he looked like he was dying, and his eyes had also lost their luster, but now, his eyes were energetic and there was a clear focal length when he looked at people.

    ¡°How are you feeling?¡± the Jing shaman asked nervously,

    ¡°I can see things now.¡± Miu¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was better than the other day when he could barely move his mouth.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s amazing!¡± The Jing shaman was ted. He thought to himself for a while and then introduced Shao Xuan to Miu. ¡°This is the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe. He was the one who provided the medicine that cured you.¡±

    Hearing this, Miu looked at Shao Xuan. Actually, Miu was aware every time the Jing shaman brought Shao Xuan over, but because of the blindness caused by his long term illness, this was the first time he saw how Shao Xuan looked.

    However, just when he was about to thank Shao Xuan, he saw the look in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes and the smile of his face suddenly tightened.

    After a few blinks, Miu looked again at Shao Xuan. He tried his best to pull a tense smile, and said through stutters, ¡°Thank You Elder Shao Xuan!¡±

    Then Miu said again, ¡°I just regained my ability to see. It still strains me to look at things and it¡¯s not too clear either.¡±

    This was the exnation he gave for his tightened expression.

    Shao Xuan looked again at Miu, but Miu didn¡¯t dare look at him.

    Shao Xuan looked at the Jing shaman. The shaman only looked at him with an apologetic smile, and then turned to his wife, ¡°Show Elder Shao Xuan to the ¡°thank you¡± gift I prepared for him.¡± The gift was the case of Ground Eye stones that he mentioned before.

    As Shao Xuan followed the woman out of the room, he turned around to look at the Jing shaman and his son once more before he left.

    After Shao Xuan left, the Jing shaman shut the wooden door and walked to his son¡¯s bedside.

    Miu¡¯s hands were tense with anxiety under the linen nket. He only rxed after Shao Xuan left. His hands were all sweaty.

    ¡°Dad, behind......behind him......¡±

    ¡°Shhhh, just keep it to yourself. Don¡¯t say it.¡±

    After Shao Xuan followed the Jing shaman¡¯s wife out to take out a box of Ground Eye stones, he didn¡¯t stay there. Instead, he went to find the other ming Horns.

    Duo Li and the others were watching how the Jing people were teaching their kids how to scoop Ground Eyes. Seeing Shao Xuan walking over, they wanted to tell him about what they saw, but before they even spoke, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Is there something strange on my body?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Duo Li thought it was an odd question. He didn¡¯t know why Shao Xuan suddenly asked him this.

    ¡°What about behind me?¡± Shao Xuan turned around and turned his head to look at Duo Li and the others. Seeing all of them shake their heads, it didn¡¯t seem like they saw anything strange.

    That¡¯s weird then.

    What did the Jing shaman and his son see?

    Shao Xuan was sure that from the way Miu looked at him, he could see something. He wasn¡¯t looking at him, but at what was behind him. His vision was not affixed on Shao Xuan, but around him.

    His eyesight recovered? He couldn¡¯t even see clearly yet. Who¡¯s he trying to trick?!

 Chapter 659 - Searching For The Eye Under The Full Moon

    <h4>Searching For The Eye Under The Full Moon</h4>

    Shao Xuan knew the Jing shaman and his son definitely saw something. They just didn¡¯t want to tell him about it.

    Very soon it was full moon again, and there was barely any difference between day and night. Even during the nighttime, it would still be as bright as day due to the moonlight.

    The switch between day and night, sun and moon, anything that was rted to the sun and moon experienced a change on this day. Just like how the Drumming tribe would harvest their water moon stones on this day, the Jing people were also unusually busy today, because the ground eyes would be especially active today. Some might even float to the surface of the quagmires.

    The Jing people were already waiting beside the quagmire with their tightly knitteds. Some were holding water scoops made from beast horn or bones.

    At first they just guarded beside the quagmire with their long stick tools. If they noticed any ground eyes appear, they would make a move. The people who were fast enough could instantly scoop up a ground eye that appeared on the surface. Today was the only day they could catch ground eyes so swiftly.

    Shao Xuan saw a Jing warrior shout in excitement after scooping up a ground eye. He set the thing inside his scoop to a ce farther away from the quagmire. A spindle-shaped object fell from his scoop along with the muddy water. The muddy water sshed all around as the object spun, revealing its true colour, a dark grey shell. It was a ground eye.

    Seeing the creature trying to drill into the ground, the Jing warrior who scooped it up stabbed it with a bone knife and set it aside. Then he smashed it with a rock.

    Their attacks were all on point. The rock hit the ground eye on its corner, not the middle. If they didn¡¯t use the right amount of force, the ground eye might fly away under the impact, but if they used the right amount of force, then the spinning creature would be smashed to death immediately, and it would also stop spinning. Then only could they be sure that the ground eye had lost its ability to move, and only after could they set it aside first or open it up.

    Shao Xuan observed the person as he opened up the ground eye that he hunted. Although its shell was grey and covered with mud on the outside, the meat inside was white.

    Peeling away the meat, the round object in the middle of its body was revealed. The ground eye stone.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see the quality of the ground eye stone inside that ground eye the person just opened up because too many people were crowding there, but he could tell from hearing the crowd chatter that it was a ground eye stone of decent quality.

    Every year on this day, the people who were able to catch the ground eyes with the most supreme quality would be listed in the historical records of the Jing tribe. The shaman of that time would keep it in handwritten records and pass it down to the next generation.

    This kind of honour was what every Jing person desired. To the Jing people, this was a remarkable victory. Not only could their names be written in the historical records, their ranking in the tribe would also be promoted. No wonder the Jing people were so excited.

    The others couldn¡¯t wait to start hunting after they saw the person who first caught a ground eye. All around the external quagmire, many Jing people ran about. Children who didn¡¯t yet have the ability to catch the ground eyes stood around to watch the excitement. They would run over to a ce whenever they heard someone catch a ground eye, and discuss who was going to win first ce this year.

    Inside the Jing shaman¡¯s house, the shaman was discussing capturing ground eyes on the night of the full moon with his son.

    Miu could already walk under the assistance of another person, but he still couldn¡¯t walk far or very long. An adequate amount of exercise could alleviate the pain he suffered as a consequence of his sickness the past year, but he couldn¡¯t overdo it. If he rushed his recovery, he could easily cause damage to his body again. Then, not only would he recover slower, he might even increase the burden that his body had to take even before he recovered.

    After the Jing shaman helped Miu walk around the house for a few rounds, they sat down to rest.

    ¡°If you didn¡¯t get injuredst year, you¡¯ll probably get first ce by now,¡± the Jing shaman remarked remorsefully.

    Miu didn¡¯t think it was anything worth regretting. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I can get it next year. It¡¯ll only be a yearter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. You being able to recover is already the luckiest thing that happened.¡±

    ¡°Right, dad, are you really nning to help the ming Horn person find the True Eye tonight?¡± Miu asked.

    ¡°Of course. It would be best if I can find it tonight. If not I reckon I have to wait another year. The chances are low if we search for it any other time of the year. Don¡¯t worry, if we can¡¯t find it this year, he won¡¯t me me,¡± the Jing shamanforted him.

    Miu¡¯s eyebrows did not rx at all after hearing his dad¡¯s words. ¡°Dad, who was behind that person? Was it the ming Horn¡¯s ancestor?¡±

    ¡°...... might be.¡±

    ¡°People who had the protection of their ancestors were always especially lucky. Who knows? We might actually find the True Eye this year. Speaking of which, when I saw that, I was so shocked that my eye almost opened.¡± Miu was still a little fearful recalling the incident. ¡°My eye stung, it hadn¡¯t recoveredpletely yet.¡±

    Hearing this, the Jing shaman was suddenly anxious. ¡°Your eye is hurt? Let me see!¡±

    Totem marks appeared across Miu¡¯s body. He had not fully recovered, so when he summoned his totemic energy, he was careful in controlling it so that it was only circting through his body above his torso. Dark green veins surfaced on his skin, intertwined with his totemic marks, and it looked horrifying. At the same time, a slit appeared in between Miu¡¯s eyebrows. It was just like when the Jing shaman opened his eye to help Shao Xuan search for the True Eye. The eye between Miu¡¯s brows also opened.

    Besides the Jing shaman, no one else in the Jing tribe knew that Miu had the third eye. His third eye only appeared the year when he awakened his totemic energy. Back then, the shaman was also shocked, but after investigating him, he analysed that Miu probably grew a third eye because he ate a ground eye without any ground eye stones in it before he awakened to his totemic power.

    Miu caught the ground eye by himself with a, although it was just a small one. It was also on the day of the full moon, and after Miu caught this ground eye, he also caught many people¡¯s attention. Everyone assumed that a Universal Eye was inside that ground eye, but when they opened it up, there was nothing inside it at all, not even the most normal type of ground eye stone.

    Not long after, when Miu awakened to his totemic energy, a third eye appeared in the middle of this forehead.

    The Jing shaman guessed that perhaps the one that Miu ate actually had a ground eye stone in it, but it was more special. It was hidden and couldn¡¯t be touched or seen. Just like the third eye on Miu¡¯s body. There wouldn¡¯t even be a trace left on his forehead if he didn¡¯t voluntarily open this eye. So he usually looked the same as everyone else in the Jing tribe.

    The Jing shaman already had ns for Miu to take over his position when he grew older. He wanted to let Miu catch a True Eye to put up a show for everyone, and then let everyone know that he had the third eye then. Who would¡¯ve expected a disaster to hit the previous year! Miu almost died in that disaster, and the Jing shaman thought he had lost all hope back then.

    Luckily......

    ¡°Let¡¯s put in more effort this year and catch some ground eyes. Even if we can¡¯t find any True Eyes, at least catch a few more Universal Eyes and give it to them as ¡°thank you¡± gifts.¡± The Jing shaman intended to build asting friendship with Shao Xuan, not because of the ming Horn tribe, but because of the blurry figure who stood behind Shao Xuan.

    The Jing shaman looked at Miu¡¯s third eye closely and didn¡¯t notice anything odd.

    ¡°Try rotating your eyeball or look at something outside. Can you see anything?¡± the Jing shaman asked.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Miu could see through the wooden house and look below the wooden boards underground. He could see blurry figures inside the quagmire. Those were all ground eyes. He could even see far beyond the house, in the external quagmire. People in the Jing tribe were busy working, while the ming Horns stood beside to watch them.

    Shao Xuan was just watching someone cut open a ground eye, but he turned his head and looked in Miu¡¯s direction.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Tuo asked from his side.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Shao Xuan withdrew his gaze. He turned his head back to watch the person cut open the ground eye. It was another ground eye stone of decent quality.

    Meanwhile, inside the Jing shaman¡¯s house, Miu shut both his eyes tightly and covered his third eye with both hands. He was terrified. ¡°He saw me!¡±

    ¡°You saw Shao Xuan? Didn¡¯t I warn you not to test him?¡± Although the Jing shaman sounded like he was reprimanding him, he was also worried. He hurriedly looked again at Miu¡¯s eye. He only calmed down after confirming that it was only slightly hurting without any other conditions.

    That night, the sun had disappeared but the sky was still bright as day. The silver moonlight shone down on Mother Earth, making it as bright as day. High up in the sky, a giant round moon hung distantly.

    As the two moons merged, the Jing people who were guarding on the side started walking into the quagmire.

    The external quagmire was not deep. Most of the adult Jing people walked in, and their necks were still above the quagmire, so they could still breathe. They had already nned all this before digging the quagmire.

    There were more active ground eyes now. Shao Xuan even heard a Jing person say that ground eyes wereing from other ces and entering their quagmire. Only after the full moon had passed would they finally leave the quagmire. So that was why they had to seize this opportunity and catch more groundeyes.

    The that they threw out came from the Gu tribe. It was sturdier and was customised to hunt ground eyes. Its gaps were smaller and this type of had smallers within it. The more the prey stuck to it, the tighter it would get. Only a powerful force could break free from this, or else they would be stuck on the.

    They needed a lot of strength to pull thes out from the quagmire. Sometimes a five metre wide needed more than ten people to pull it out. The ming Horns also became nervous and excited when they saw this, so even though the Jing people rejected their help, they went in to catch the ground eyes themselves.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay to watch the excitement in the external quagmire. Instead, he went over to teh centre quagmire.

    Ripples continued to appear on the surface. Something was actively moving underneath.

    Shao Xuan heard some noises, like someone was rapidly blowing bubbles into a cup of water through a thin straw.

    ¡°These sounds are made by Universal Eyes. This is the only day they would make this noise.¡±

    Knowing that there were Universal Eyes under the quagmire, the Jing shaman could finally be at ease. Now, even if they couldn¡¯t find any True Eyes, at least they could catch some Universal Eyes.

    The Jing shaman removed his jacket and tied a few knots around his had with the grass rope. Then he walked into the quagmire.

    The centre quagmire was a lot deeper than the external quagmire. A person who walked in would literally sink in, but luckily they built a stone staircase underneath, so just in case if the person couldn¡¯t breathe and needed to take a breath of air, he could return to the surface under the guidance of these stone stairs. Ordinary people couldn¡¯t see where the stairs were underneath, and they could only estimate its location, but after entering the quagmire, they would be in total darkness and lose their sense of direction, so it was a lot harder if they wanted to look for the stairs then.

    In the Jing tribe, the only person who could urately find the stone staircase was the shaman. Shamans were the only ones with eyes that could see through muddy water.

 Chapter 660 - Let Me Try

    Chapter 660

    Let Me Try

    Shao Xuan watched the Jing shaman enter the quagmire. His figure disappeared as soon as he entered the deep mud.

    The centre quagmire did not smell unpleasant at all. Even the external quagmire had a rotten smell caused by the mud, but besides the basic stench of mud, there were no other smells.

    Even if seeds fell here and could adapt to the muddy environment, the muddy centre quagmire had never seen any green nts sprouting nearby. No nts grew here, but oddly, many strange creatures lived underneath.

    The fire seed was a natural repellent for beasts and insects, but there were special cases. For example, the crocodiles of the Drum tribe and the ground eyes of the Jing tribe. These creatures were not afraid of the fire seed¡¯s energy and would gather near the area.

    Everyone around didn¡¯t fret for the shaman when he walked into the quagmire. They trusted their shaman¡¯s ability. The only thing they were worried about was whether the shaman could catch a Universal Eye. Up till now, no one in the external quagmire caught any Universal Eyes. As for the centre quagmire, only the shaman, who had the highest authority in their tribe, and ten Jing warriors who proved their results from the previous year could enter.

    However, since the disaster happened, they could not hold any contestsst year. As for this year, anyone who wanted to enter the centre quagmire had to first receive the shaman¡¯s permission, but they had to wait until the shaman was finished with his business. Now all they could do was wait patiently from the side.

    Shao Xuan lifted his head to look at the shaman¡¯s house. It was not far away. Miu had note out, but he was sure that Miu definitely had the ability to see what was happening here. The vision that he sensed from before was Miu¡¯s. Shao Xuan was sure about this.

    What a strange pair! Shao Xuan knew that the Jing shaman and his son were hiding something from him, but these were matters of the Jing tribe. It was best if he didn¡¯t ask too many questions. He should only focus on finding the True Eyes.

    The strange sounds in the quagmire were constantly changing, sometimes loud and sometimes quieter, but the sound never came from the same location. It was travelling fast. The better the quality of these ground eye stones, the harder it was to catch.

    After the Jing shaman entered the quagmire, he didn¡¯t go after the Universal Eye immediately, but instead went to check if the True Eye was there.

    The True Eye was a lot harder to find than the Universal Eyes, and even harder to catch, so the shaman had to focus all of his attention to search for it.

    Shao Xuan changed his vision and looked through the muddy water. He could see the Jing shaman moving underneath, and also small illuminant objects travelling at a high speed, but there were not many of them. One of the brighter ones was the one that made that noise.

    Judging by the brightness of the object, Shao Xuan could tell that it was the Universal Eye. The illuminant objects were all ground eye stones, and two of the brighter ones were Universal Eyes. One of these didn¡¯t make any sound while the other one was travelling at a high speed while making a strange noise.

    Shao Xuan suddenly thought about something as he was watching the quagmire. He turned to look at the Jing shaman¡¯s house. That patient was being mischievous again.

    Miu who was secretly observing them from inside the house had been warned by his father twice, but his curiosity got the better of him. Even though he knew that Shao Xuan would notice him and what consequences he would have, he couldn¡¯t help but look at Shao Xuan. It was the first time he saw someone who had a figure following behind him. It was like a spirit was behind him. He was too curious and his dad didn¡¯t let him ask too much.

    As he looked at Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan also looked over. He thought that it would be the same as before, but very soon, he noticed that he was wrong. Terribly wrong.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were like two bright lights, obviously different from before. When he looked over, Miu was forced to shut his eyes due to the brightness. Even after he closed them, his eyes were still burning, as if a fire scorched them. It hurt even more than thest two times he looked. He almost screeched in pain, but he was worried that others might hear him, so he held it in through gritted teeth. He had to hold back the pain and suffer the consequences of his actions.

    Even though he dodged Shao Xuan¡¯s vision, Miu could still feel the two bright lightsing from his eyes. They were like two burning fire pirs ready to fall anytime.

    Miu¡¯s body only rxed after Shao Xuan averted his eyes. His tense muscles gradually rxed.

    Sweat poured down his entire back.

    ¡°That was too scary!¡± Miu whispered while he panted. Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were not like that before. Howe they changed so suddenly?

    The ming Horns had no third eye and other people didn¡¯t appear to be special at all. So Shao Xuan was the only one that was different.

    ¡°What eyes were those?¡±

    While Miu was trying to figure out what those two eyes were, the Jing shaman had already finished his first rounds around the quagmire. During his round, he came up from the stairs a couple times to catch a breath, and walked a full circle around the quagmire. Then he came out with mud all over his body.

    He epted the clean linen cloth that others offered him and wiped his eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t see it yet. I¡¯ll go down againter after a light rest,¡± the shaman told Shao Xuan with a depressing tone.

    Without any results, the Jing shaman did not permit anyone else to enter the quagmire. He was worried that they would scare away the ground eyes that wereing over.

    Other people naturally had to obey the shaman¡¯s orders. They had no other matters here, so they went back to the external quagmire to hunt for more ground eye stones.

    ¡°Can I give it a try?¡± Shao Xuan asked suddenly.

    The Jing shaman was wiping away the mud from his body. Hearing this, he almost dropped the cloth in his hands.

    ¡°What?¡± the Jing shaman asked again. He wasn¡¯t sure if he heard him clearly.

    Shao Xuan pointed at the quagmire and asked again, ¡°Can I give it a try?¡±

    The Jing people who were watching around them looked at Shao Xuan with strange eyes. In their minds, Shao Xuan seemed like an idiot who was looking for death.

    ¡°You? You want to enter the quagmire?¡± the Jing shaman asked in disbelief.

    ¡°Yes. Can I?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the shaman.

    In the Jing tribe, people could only enter with the shaman¡¯s permission, but they never mentioned anything about whether people from foreign tribes could enter. Usually, people from foreign tribes would never want to enter the quagmire because first, it was close to the fire seed. Second, the quagmire was so dark that people could easily lose their sense of direction. The quagmire was like a smallke. If they really went in and discovered that it was different from what they imagined, it would not be any different from putting themselves in a giantke.

    Even the Jing people who were skilled in telling the direction lost their way under the quagmire. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn¡¯t tell where they were going, so what¡¯s to say for anyone from foreign tribes.

    The Jing shaman didn¡¯t mean to object. He was just worried that the ming Horns would try to get revenge if anything happened to Shao Xuan under the quagmire.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If it¡¯s just a problem with the direction, I can deal with it,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    If other people requested, the Jing shaman would definitely reject without a second thought, but Shao Xuan was the person asking. Besides the fact that Shao Xuan saved his son, he was also a special person, so the Jing shaman intended to maintain their friendship.

    He thought of what Miu said. People who were protected by their ancestors were especially lucky. After he thought for a while, he nodded in approval.

    The other Jing members were shocked when they saw the shaman nod in approval. It was as if their shaman did something crazy, but when the shaman looked over at them, all of them looked away. They dared to look at Shao Xuan with disrespectful eyes, but they didn¡¯t dare to look at the shaman like that.

    ¡°You can enter the quagmire if you wish, although I have no clue what means you have to determine the direction, but just in case, hold on to this rope.¡± the Jing shaman suggested.

    Even the Jing people didn¡¯t dare recklessly enter the centre quagmire. If they weren¡¯t the shaman, they had to stay connected to the surface by tying themselves to a rope, so in case they were lost, they could follow the rope back to where they came from. The people on top could pull the rope to let the people underneath know which direction they were, and they could also pull the person up in the case of an emergency.

    ¡°Just tie it to yourself. If you can¡¯t tell the direction when you¡¯re down there, I¡¯ll pull the rope to remind you,¡± Wei said.

    Tuo and the others all nodded in agreement.

    After they experienced the case at the Gu tribe, they noticed that Shao Xuan was especially good at repelling the force from a foreign tribe¡¯s fire seed. At the Gu tribe, his movements were natural and not restricted at all. The Jing tribe¡¯s fire seed was even weaker, so it wouldn¡¯t affect himl. Thus, they didn¡¯t care much about the fire seed¡¯s repulsion, but this was a quagmire. The risks were still quite high.

    Although Shao Xuan thought this was unnecessary, he followed their suggestions and tied a rope to his body. He was careful not to make any mistakes. Shao Xuan entered the quagmire where the Jing shaman pointed him to. There was a nted hill there that led to the bottom of the quagmire, and people who went in the first time would usually enter from there. It was easier for them to adapt to the gradual decline in elevation by travelling down the nted hill. After all, the quagmire was different from ordinary pools. Adapting to it first would make it a lot easier for him to move aroundter.

    As Shao Xuan walked down, he noticed that the further down he went, the greater the pressure. The quagmire was more diluted on the surface. The bottomyer of the quagmire was a lot muddier, and mud sunk downwards. The only thing that was different was this quagmire was more evenpared to other quagmires. There was no clear line separating water from mud. The middleyer was consisted of sticky mud that could not float to the surface. This mud forcefully pulled people to the bottom.

    Going deeper, Shao Xuan was entirely submerged in the mud. Walking further ahead, he reached the bottom of the quagmire, and the force that was pulling him down also stopped.

    He heard sounds around him of creatures swimming. Some were small. Some wererger.

    A ground eye swam by not far away from Shao Xuan. They were fast despite the pressure of the mud from above. No wonder they were so hard to catch. Shao Xuan felt the air gaps created in the mud when the ground eye shed by.

    Above the quagmire, the Jing shaman looked at the ming Horns nervously. He asked, ¡°Are you sure your Grand Elder is really okay?¡±

    The ming Horns thought, ¡®You make it sound like there¡¯s something wrong with our Grand Elder¡¯s brain.¡±

    ¡°Of course, he¡¯s definitely okay,¡± Wei said with a sullen expression.

    ¡°That ce is close to the fire seed.¡± The Jing shaman could see Shao Xuan walking under the quagmire with his third eye.

    Wei turned his head to look at the Jing shaman. Carelessly, he said, ¡°Your fire seed isn¡¯t even that strong.¡±

    The Jing shaman was lost for words. Such sensitive remarks were better not said than said.

    He could finally feel what the two brothers, Di Pi and Di Pa felt when he joked about their eyes. What a bad feeling it was!

    Wait, that¡¯s not right! The Jing shaman suddenly thought that this was not the thing he should be worried about! He should be most worried about the guy who went down into the quagmire. What if he decided to make a move on their fire seed?!

    How could he be so careless!

    The Jing shaman felt like he had done something terribly stupid.

 Chapter 661 - Its Moving

    <h4>It¡¯s Moving</h4>

    Even though Shao Xuan was a special person and saved his son, as the shaman of the Jing tribe, he shouldn¡¯t have been so careless! How could he let down his guard?!

    Even if he knew Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t that type of person, this matter was rted to the fire seed, so he shouldn¡¯t act on his personal opinion.

    The Jing shaman was suddenly silent. Although his facial expression was subtle, he was already growing anxious inside. His eyes closely followed the person under the quagmire. If he dared to make any wrong move, the shaman would immediately take action.

    Miu had just recovered from the previous shock. Even though his eyes were still a little blurry when he looked at things, it wasn¡¯t a huge bother. He didn¡¯t want to suffer the same fate, but he couldn¡¯t hold back his ever-increasing curiosity. If Shao Xuan didn¡¯t enter the quagmire, he wouldn¡¯t look at him again, but now that Shao Xuan was under the quagmire, Miu wanted to find out what an outsider like him could do underneath their quagmire. Hopefully Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t need anyone to rescue him if he was lost under the quagmire.

    Luckily, Shao Xuan did not look over this time. Miu breathed out a sigh of relief. Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were too scary.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan had poured all of his attention to his surroundings. The shaman¡¯s third eye was the only eye that could remain open under the quagmire and not be affected by the muddy water.

    But Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t. The Jing shaman¡¯s third eye was special. There was no way he couldpare. The muddy water might damage his eyes, so Shao Xuan kept his eyes shut after the force dragged him to the bottom of the quagmire.

    Luckily, Shao Xuan could still see through his special vision even with his eyes closed. He could see through his eyelids. No one else knew about this.

    After he sank to the bottom of the quagmire, Shao Xuan did not start to walk right away. Instead, he stood where he was and observed everything around him.

    Under the quagmire, the pressure from the mud all around him was twice as strongpared to normal water bodies such as rivers orkes. This was the pressure he experienced under the still unmoving mud. If he lifted his legs to walk, it would greatly exhaust his physical energy. This was why the Jing shaman had to rest on the shore after he walked his first round under the quagmire.

    The ground eyes around Shao Xuan appeared as small luminous spots in his special vision. Some were bright while some were dimmer. They were all ground eyes. These luminous spots were actually the ground eye stones within the creature¡¯s body. Normal ground eye stones were greyish and dim in his special vision, while higher quality ground eye stones and Universal Eyes appeared brighter, especially the Universal Eyes. They were bright and striking to the eye. Just now when the Universal Eye passed by in front of Shao Xuan, his eyes saw a trail of faded light behind it.

    Judging by this principle, Shao Xuan only needed to look for the brightest light.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know what the True Eye looked like, but he already knew how bright the Universal Eyes were. Now all he needed to do was look for a light that was even brighter than the two Universal Eyes and then catch it.

    Even though he wasn¡¯t sure if the True Eye could be used on Caesar, Shao Xuan had to give it a try. Caesar was still following the hunting team out to hunt like before, but he was a lot more restricted in his movements, especially when the forest was full of dangers and other fierce beasts. His reaction was a lot slower when it came to these situations. Seeing Caesar¡¯s injuries, Old Ke wanted to let Caesar take on other tasks, such as pulling carts in the ming River Trading Point, but Caesar was not willing to change his job. To him, pulling carts was only a side job. He preferred to hunt more. Now, even if he was hungry, he would go out and hunt for himself. He would even bring some food back for Old Ke.

    If Shao Xuan could help that poor guy get a new eye, even if he couldn¡¯t fully recover and return to his full potential, he would be a lot better off than he was now. Then this trip would be worth it.

    Beside the quagmire, after Shao Xuan went into the quagmire, everyone noticed that he had stopped moving and the rope that was attached to his body also stayed on the same spot.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he got stuck in the mud under the quagmire and couldn¡¯t move...¡± someone said with a low voice.

    ¡°Nonsense, how strong could the pressure be under the quagmire? There¡¯s no way it can possibly stop us! We¡¯re the ming Horns! Our Grand Elder is merely going down there for a walk. Howplicated could that be?¡± Duo Li rebuked immediately.

    But even they were not sure why Shao Xuan stopped moving after he went under.

    ¡°Oh! It¡¯s moving! It¡¯s moving!¡± someone suddenly shouted.

    The crowd looked over when they heard the exmation. The rope that was attached to Shao Xuan¡¯s body had indeed started to move. That meant that Shao Xuan started to walk under the quagmire, and also proved that Duo Li¡¯s word¡¯s were true.

    Although the Jing people didn¡¯t say anything more, they still didn¡¯t believe what Duo Li said.

    Merely going down to the quagmire for a walk? Was it that simple? If it was indeed so simple, there wouldn¡¯t even be so many strict rules around the centre quagmire. Other people weren¡¯t sure, but many elders in the Jing tribe knew that when they first dug the centre quagmire, they nned for this to be a second barrier. In the case of an emergency, the Jing people would all retreat to the centre quagmire. Many beasts had been swallowed by this quagmire, and all of these beasts had been engulfed by the quagmire. Not even their bones were left behind.

    Shao Xuan also noticed that his initially sharp senses became blurred after he reached the bottom. If it were not for his special vision, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to see through everything under the quagmire. He might actually get lost without it.

    He had been standing under the quagmire for a while now and also got used to the pressure of the mud. He had a general understanding of the environment, but now he needed fresh air, so he started walking towards the stone stairs not far away from him.

    There were stone stairs built under the quagmire. It would guide people on the bottom up to the surface.

    The Jing shaman was just about to ask the other ming Horns to pull the rope to remind Shao Xuan about the direction to return, but he saw the rope that was attached to Shao Xuan suddenly drift toward the stairs even without anyone pulling on the rope.

    Seeing this, the Jing shaman immediately opened his three eyes widely and looked underneath. Shao Xuan was walking towards the stone stairs without any hesitation. His steps were steady, like he firmly believed there was a staircase there.

    How could this be possible?!

    The Jing shaman couldn¡¯tprehend. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even have the third eye. How was he able to find the staircase under the quagmire? Even though he had pointed the stairs out for Shao Xuan before he entered the quagmire, everyone in the Jing tribe knew that being able to tell the direction from above didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t tell the direction when he was underneath. For most people, after they entered the quagmire, their memory would be messed up and they wouldn¡¯t be able to find the right direction.

    Seeing Shao Xuan emerge from under the quagmire, the other ming Horns all rxed. Wei didn¡¯t smile but kept a tightened expression, while Duo Li looked excitedly at all the Jing people around him. His eyes were telling them, ¡®See? Did I lie?¡¯

    Shao Xuan wiped away the mud on his face and said to Wei and the others, ¡°Throw me a rope. I want to tie it on my hands.¡±

    The Jing shaman looked at Shao Xuan with surprise, ¡°You want to catch it yourself?!¡±

    ¡°Yup. I suspected a Universal Eye passing right by me, the one you said made that noise. If I really can¡¯t find the True Eye, I¡¯ll just catch a Universal Eye first.¡± Shao Xuan caught the rope that the others threw over. This was the type the Jing people often used to tie around their hands. With this rope around their hands, even if the ground eye was spinning at a high speed when they were catching it, it wouldn¡¯t directly hurt their hands. So this rope was acting as a glove.

    The Jing shaman opened his mouth to speak. He wasn¡¯t sad because Shao Xuan was about to catch these Universal Eyes. He promised to let Shao Xuan down. He didn¡¯t value the Universal Eyes too much. He was just shocked that Shao Xuan didn¡¯t lose his sense of direction under the quagmire. Not only was he walking with ease, he even nned to catch a Universal Eye.

    ¡°Alright then. Be careful.¡± The Jing shaman spoke no more. He thought that Shao Xuan only noticed the Universal Eye from hearing its sound. If that was the case, he could continue watching him on the shore. If Shao Xuan caught a Universal Eye, even if he couldn¡¯t find any True Eyes, he wouldn¡¯t be mad. Having results was better than having nothing. If Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t catch the Universal Eye, then the shaman would have to catch it by himself after his break and gift it to them afterwards.

    The Jing shaman thought that this wasn¡¯t such a bad idea, so he sat on the side and watched. Shao Xuan inhaled deeply before entering the quagmire once again. The Jing shaman felt that it was impossible for Shao Xuan to catch the True Eye. No, he might not even be able to notice it if it was beside him. The True Eye would never make such a sound, so he was the only one who could catch it!

    After making sure that Shao Xuan was fine by himself under the quagmire, the other ming Horns started to joke around, and even chatted with the Jing tribe regarding who would get first ce this year. As they chatted, they also took the opportunity to promote the ming River Trading Point. They told the Jing people that if they needed any goods such as food or beast hide, they could go there and trade using their ground eye stones.

    Shao Xuan was already copying the shaman¡¯s movements under the quagmire. Shao Xuan knew that the shaman of the Jing tribe had a lot of experience, so it was safer to follow his trail under the quagmire. This route was definitely the best for searching ground eyes.

    The pressure of the mud under the quagmire made Shao Xuan feel like he was walking against a strong wind. The only thing that was different was that even if he stopped walking, he wouldn¡¯t be blown away. If he was tired, he could also rest. He only couldn¡¯t breathe in any fresh air so he felt a little stuffy. Once in a while, he had to look for the staircase to catch his breath.

    The round moon was in the centre of the sky. As Shao Xuan walked in the quagmire, he noticed that more ground eyes started appearing in the centre quagmire. Some of these ground eyes drilled in from the exterior of the quagmire, while others came out from underneath. Everywhere, the ground eyes wereing and gathering here. On this day, the Jing fire seed had an unusually strong attraction. The ground eyes were like moths attracted to fire. All of them wereing into this quagmire.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s special Vision, the luminous spots were increasing, and there was another universal eye now. The night was still long, so more universal eyes might appear. The Jing shaman already said that all the ground eyes would be especially active that night, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he could find a True Eye.

    The Jing shaman opened his third eye and saw Shao Xuan walk past a Universal Eye that was right beside him. He couldn¡¯t help butugh. Sure enough, Shao Xuan was merely judging by the noise.

    However, he was surprised to see a few rapidly spinning Universal Eyes pass by Shao Xuan multiple times, but Shao Xuan stayed still as before. The Jing shaman was confused. It was normal if he didn¡¯t react for the first few times, but even on the third, fourth, and fifth time? What was the brat thinking?

 Chapter 662 - Canâ€™t See Anything

    <h4>Can¡¯t See Anything</h4>

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t walk too fast under the quagmire. He was walking at the same pace as the shaman from before. Even their tracks were in sync. He was actually nning to catch something. Even if he couldn¡¯t find any True Eyes, he wanted to catch a Universal Eye at the very least, or else it would¡¯ve been a waste of his time.

    However, as he walked under the quagmire, he felt like something was watching him in the dark. It was like a person who was observing him under the quagmire. This gaze did note from Miu or the shaman. Shao Xuan could tell which vision was theirs. He could even feel Miu and the shaman watching him distantly, but this third person wasn¡¯t looking from above. It was under the quagmire!

    Shao Xuan looked around him through his eyelids.

    There were more luminous spots. In the area around him, there were more than twenty ground eyes!

    However, all of these were not as bright as Shao Xuan wanted. At best, these ground eyes only possessed stones of normal quality. They weren¡¯t even Universal Eyes.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see everything under the quagmire. The centre quagmire wasn¡¯t big or small. Compared to a naturalke, it was small, butpared to man-madekes, this was near twice the size of the human-madeke in the ming Horn headquarters!

    This was why the Jing tribe had a giant property but not a lot ofnd. Most of their property was the quagmires.

    The lights were blurrier the farther they were from Shao Xuan. Simply put, even if it was a brighter object, if it was far away from Shao Xuan, he wouldn¡¯t be able to tell what type of ground eye stone it was. It was just likete-night stargazing. If a star wasn¡¯t bright, it wasn¡¯t actually not bright. It was only farther away.

    The ground eyes were not slow at all under the quagmire. The better the ground eye, the faster it travelled.

    Ground eyes were special creatures that could sense a human¡¯s presence. Even as Shao Xuan walked, many of these ground eyes noticed Shao Xuan. Some hurriedly dodged while others pretended not to have seen him, but their gaze was not strong at all. They weren¡¯t stronger than the one that was observing him in the dark.

    Without any murderous intent or aggression, it didn¡¯t seem to have any emotion. In the Jing tribe¡¯s quagmire, besides the ground eyes, there were no other dangerous creatures.

    Shao Xuan was guessing, if this gaze indeed came from a ground eye, what level had it reached?

    He had already sensed a Universal Eye before, but this gaze was even stronger than the Universal Eye......

    Was it the true eye?

    If it was indeed the true eye, howe the shaman didn¡¯t say anything about it?

    Could it be that even the Jing shaman couldn¡¯t tell its exact location?

    As he thought about this, Shao Xuan walked toward the object that was observing him.

    The ¡°thing¡± that was observing him moved away as Shao Xuan tried to get close. It maintained a distance from Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell what it looked like from that distance and many times when he chased after it, even though he had locked onto his target, he couldn¡¯t tell how bright it was due to the distance. He could only tell byparing it to other ground eyes. It was at least the level of a Universal Eye, but because the lights in the quagmire were increasing, it was not obvious.

    Shao Xuan continued to chase after this light. When he lost his way, he followed his intuition and tried to judge where the gaze wasing from.

    After walking around the quagmire once, Shao Xuan walked up the stairs to catch a breath.

    After the stuffy feeling in his chest was relieved, Shao Xuan told Wei and the others who were holding onto the rope and following him, ¡°Later I¡¯ll be running a little faster, so just loosen my rope.¡±

    Even though they didn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan said and couldn¡¯t tell how much faster he would be running, Wei and the others loosened the rope. Usually, when the Jing people went into the quagmire, one end of the rope would be tied onto the person while the other end would be tied onto a wooden stake. The wooden stakes were deeply pinned to the ground beside the quagmire, and only about six metres of the stake was above ground. A third of the length up the wooden stake, there was a basket with a long bundle of grass rope.

    There were ten simr wooden stakes in total around the quagmire.

    They were located in ten different directions. When people went under, they would only move in their own space and not pass their allocated ground. If they walked past their allocated distance and there were many people under the quagmire at the same time, their ropes could easily get tangled. After all, in the Jing tribe, besides people who had three eyes, other people had to tie a rope to themselves if they decided to go down. It would cause them a lot of trouble if the ropes were tangled at the bottom.

    However, Shao Xuan was the only one going down right now. The only reason he could move so easily under the quagmire was that the rope that was tied to him was not fixed to the stakes. Wei and the others were holding onto his rope as he walked under the quagmire. They just ran and followed as he moved.

    Now, Shao Xuan told them to stop holding onto the rope. He also untied the rope that was attached to him. He was nning to run around the quagmire, and he knew he might get tangled by the rope. The centre of the quagmire was solid ground. It was like an ind in the middle of ake. Stones were piled up in that location and the fire pond was there too. This was the ce the Jing people would go and hide if there were any undefeatable threats. So, if he was tied to a rope, Shao Xuan¡¯s movements might be hindered during his chase.

    Since they had already confirmed that Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have any problems walking under the quagmire, the ming Horns weren¡¯t worried when he told them to let go of the rope. They were even guessing whether Shao Xuan could actually catch a Universal Eye.

    The Jing shaman who was watching the excitement from the side finally stood up. He was only watching from the same spot just now, so he didn¡¯t see all of Shao Xuan¡¯s movements clearly, but he felt that Shao Xuan discovered something. No, he already had a clear target.

    Was it the Universal Eye? No, it wasn¡¯t. Whatever Shao Xuan was chasing was too far away from the Universal Eye that was moving rapidly. His direction wasn¡¯t even correct. It was definitely not the Universal Eye.

    Then did Shao Xuan find another Universal Eye?

    That wouldn¡¯t be right. From what he observed, Shao Xuan also missed a few other Universal Eyes.

    Then what was Shao Xuan chasing?

    The Jing shaman couldn¡¯t sit any longer because he couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. He wanted to follow him and see.

    Seeing the Jing shaman on his feet, and hearing how the ming Horn who was going under was nning to catch ground eyes, the Jing people were suddenly excited.

    Following the shaman, they wanted to see whether this ming Horn would seed.

    After Shao Xuan took a few deep breaths, he went down into the quagmire once again.

    This time, without the rope¡¯s hindrance, he didn¡¯t have to worry about going around the centre of the quagmire, so his speed was a lot faster.

    The night was growing darker. Above the quagmire, the moon cast a bright light down on the earth, making the night as bright as day. Everything on earth was clearly visible.

    More ground eyes appeared in the quagmire. The bright moon hung high in the sky, and they seemed excited. The people who stood around the quagmire also noticed some ground eyes flying out from the surface. As they flew upward, their rapid spinning sttered the mud onto the people who were standing by the quagmire.

    ¡°How nice would it be to have a with a long handle,¡± Duo Li remarked.

    ¡°We have a lot ofs, but without the shaman¡¯s permission, no one in the Jing tribe dared to touch them,¡± Tuo said after the Jing people told him about it.

    Duo Li looked over. There were indeed many Jing people waiting to give it a try, but without the shaman¡¯s permission, they didn¡¯t dare to make a move.

    ¡°Even if you haves with long handles, you can¡¯t catch those. They¡¯re too fast,¡± Wei tried to exin in objection. Those ground eyes that jumped out from the quagmires didn¡¯t jump very high, and they were too fast. All of them came up and went back down in a sh. Only traces of sshed mud was left behind.

    Duo Li and the others were just about to say something, but Wei suddenly said, ¡°Stop talking, follow them!¡±

    The Jing shaman had started running. Obviously, the person under the quagmire had started to move. They couldn¡¯t tell what was going on underneath. After Shao Xuan went under, they couldn¡¯t even sense his energy. Above the quagmire, they could only guess what was going on by looking at where the shaman was going.

    Thus, the people who couldn¡¯t see what was going on under the quagmire followed the shaman tightly as he walked around the quagmire. Very soon, obvious ripples appeared on the surface. This was because the person who was under the quagmire was running at a rapid pace, dragging the mud along as he ran.

    Running under the quagmire was very inconvenientpared to running onnd. Sometimes you would feel a sense of helplessness because you couldn¡¯t run as fast as you could onnd. However, after running ap under the quagmire, Shao Xuan got the gist of it and increased his speed on his secondp.

    Above the quagmire, the ming Horns and the Jing people followed the Jing shaman and ran ap around the quagmire, then another, then another......

    The Jing shaman¡¯s third eye was wide open as if he was focusing all his attention on something. The veins on his forehead were bulging from overexertion. His expression became more perplexed and confused.

    After the fourthp, some people couldn¡¯t stand it any more, especially the ming Horns. They all red furiously at the Jing shaman.

    Say something, Three Eyes?!

    Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on down there? Why can¡¯t you say something? Stop frowning with a deep expression!

    If the Jing shaman knew what the others were thinking, he would definitely protest his innocence because even he couldn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan was chasing!

    He could only tell that Shao Xuan was chasing something, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. There were many other ground eyes where Shao Xuan was heading, but those only had normal ground eye stones. Many times when the shaman expected Shao Xuan to catch the Universal Eyes that were close to him, Shao Xuan changed his direction and ran elsewhere. Hepletely ignored the loud Universal Eyes.

    What was it? What was he chasing?

    ¡®Was it something that my third eye can¡¯t see?¡¯ the Jing shaman was curious.

    No way!

    The Jing shaman was confused and couldn¡¯t understand what was going on. Meanwhile, inside the Jing shaman¡¯s house, Miu also tried to observe what was going on under the quagmire with his third eye. He couldn¡¯t go out to run with the others, so he couldn¡¯t see what was going on clearly.

    At first, Miu also couldn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan was chasing. Only after Shao Xuan ran the secondp, then the thirdp, Miu¡¯s expression became even more perplexed. He could see what Shao Xuan was chasing after, but he wasn¡¯t sure what it was.

 Chapter 663 - A Violent Capture

    Chapter 663

    A Violent Capture

    DOGE¡¯s Note: Wishing everyone a happy chinese new year! may your 2021 be filled with prosperity & fortune <3

    Under the quagmire, Shao Xuan was fully focused on that bright spot. His totemic energy flowed wildly through his body. The muscles on both his legs bulged up suddenly and his body bent forward as his legs dropped into a squat. Following this motion, he burst forward rapidly, like a loach sting through the mud, flying towards its target.

    The mud under the quagmire trembled and then surged upward. The people who were standing beside the quagmire only saw bubbles constantlying to the surface, as if the mud was boiling with bubbling sounds.

    Through his third eye, the Jing shaman could see Shao Xuan¡¯s movements under the quagmire. Seeing this, his facial expression twitched. He had never seen anyone run like that under the quagmire.

    The quagmire was unlike normal ground. Underneath, there was a natural force pulling the person down to the bottom. People couldn¡¯t move as conveniently as they usually did on ground, and sometimes they would even feel dragged by the pressure under the mud. This was an unchangeable factor.

    Shao Xuan knew this fact, so when he was chasing after his target under the quagmire, he didn¡¯t run. Instead, he used a jumping and sprinting method to chase after it. Every time he leaped forward, his foot thatnded first would bend down and push forward, propelling the next movement. Thus, with every leap, he burst ten metres forward, and after Shao Xuan got used to this method, he became even faster.

    Ten metres, fifteen, twenty......

    With every leap, the gap between thest would increase under the mud, and following Shao Xuan¡¯s movements, the bubbles boiled even faster on the surface.

    The Jing shaman was still chasing after him and his forehead was already covered in sweat.

    He couldn¡¯t understand how the brat could travel so fast under the quagmire. He was just like a fish in water. If he merely observed Shao Xuan¡¯s movements, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell that he was moving under a quagmire. He was even so close to a foreign tribe¡¯s fire seed, but his movements were not at all hindered by its energy.

    How incredible!

    The Jing shaman never expected such an urrence when he promised to let Shao Xuan go under the quagmire. At first he only thought that the brat was curious and wanted to take a short walk under the quagmire, but this situation was far beyond what he had expected. Seeing the way Shao Xuan was chasing after his target, it was toote now even if he wanted to call him back to the shore.

    But that didn¡¯t matter. The Jing shaman wiped away the sweat on his forehead quickly and continued to chase after him. Even though chasing after him like this was tiring, he was even more confused.

    What was this brat chasing after?

    He couldn¡¯t tell. He still couldn¡¯t tell!

    Now, every leap Shao Xuan took caused a tremble under the quagmire. The thick mud was trembling so much that many of the ground eyes stopped gathering under the quagmire but instead swam up to the surface.

    The people who were standing around the quagmire also noticed this.

    More and more ground eyes floated to the surface.

    Bang!

    A loud noise! It seemed as if someone was stirring up the quagmire from underneath, mixing the mud together, making the muddy water on the surface even muddier and stickier than before.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    A series of muffled sounds could be heard. Each of these sounds were caused by Shao Xuan¡¯s steps. They were caused his feet¡¯s impact on the bottom of the quagmire.

    In the external quagmire in the Jing tribe, Di Pi and Di Pa, the two Ya brothers, had juste over to watch the Jing people catch the ground eyes. Suddenly, they heard themotioning through the ground from the centre quagmire.

    Di Pi and Di Pa turned away from the people who were busy catching the ground eyes and their ears followed the series of trembling sounds. They could pinpoint the exact location this sound came from and what exactly caused it.

    Did it note from the ground?

    Who was it? It did not sound at all like any member of the Jing tribe. No one here had such a powerful strength.

    The two of them were suspicious, so they walked toward the centre quagmire.

    The Jing people did not stop the two brothers from approaching the centre quagmire because they were already familiar with them.

    However, these two brothers didn¡¯t stay close to the quagmire. The Jing fire seed¡¯s repulsive energy made them feel ufortable. They felt worse if they stood closer, so they kept a distance from the quagmire and stopped there. They narrowed their eyes and tried their best to judge what was going on there, but their eyesight was too bad, so they could only judge by the sounds.

    ¡°The ming Horns are there!¡±

    ¡°What are they doing there?¡±

    They could feel the presence of a group of ming Horns and a group of Jing people. They were running crazily around the quagmire, and he couldn¡¯t tell what they were up to. Something strong was happening under the quagmire too.

    ¡°What¡¯s underneath?¡±

    Di Pi and Di Pa, the two brothers, leaned their ears to the ground and tried to read the message the earth was trying to send them.

    With every tremble in the ground, their ears shook. The beard and hair on their faces were like probe needles opening outwards. They could sense the smallest vibrations in the air and ground.

    Shao Xuan walked up the stairs to catch a breath of fresh air.

    This time the Jing shaman seized the opportunity and asked him, ¡°What did you see?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s this ground eye. I can feel it looking at me. You said it yourself, the True Eye is like a pair of real eyes and felt different from all the other ground eyes......¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t even get to finish his sentence, but the Jing shaman interrupted, ¡°That¡¯s impossible!¡±

    If it was indeed the True Eye, he would¡¯ve noticed it. It was impossible that he missed out on such a fact. ¡®You think I¡¯m really blind? I can¡¯t even see the True Eye? Do you think I¡¯m a Ya person?¡¯

    The Jing shaman didn¡¯t believe what Shao Xuan said. If the True Eye actually appeared, there was no way it could escape his third eye!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care. He continued, ¡°You even said that, the higher the grade of the stone, the faster it moved under the quagmire. That ground eye was way faster than the Universal Eyes.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± The Jing shaman objected once again. He didn¡¯t see any ground eyes moving that fast under the quagmire. Besides the Universal Eye, he didn¡¯t even see any normal ground eye stones moving that fast. There were so many ground eyes under the quagmire. If there was indeed a ground eye that was moving so fast, how could he have missed it?!

    The Jing shaman was just about to say something else, but he suddenly heard a cough from inside the house.

    They were not far away from the house, and the shaman recalled that Miu was still inside the house. Miu had probably also seen what happened just now, but why did he cough? Miu had stopped coughing ever since his condition improved. Perhaps he was trying to tell the shaman that he noticed something?

    After hearing Miu¡¯s low cough, the Jing shaman rearranged his thoughts and swallowed them down. Instead, he said, ¡°If it really is the True Eye, there is no way you can catch it. I¡¯m the only one who can catch the True Eye.¡±

    The Jing shaman pointed to his third eye. ¡°Catching the True Eye is also a contest between eyes. In the history of our tribe, we have always been able to catch it under the help of a shaman. You can¡¯t do it. Even if you have a, you can¡¯t catch it. There¡¯s no point trying to catch up to it. How about this, wait for me to finish resting. I¡¯ll go down and catch it with you.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought about this proposal, and then nodded. ¡°You can go rest first. I¡¯ll give it another shot. If I can¡¯t seed, then we¡¯ll discuss what to do next.¡±

    At first, the Jing shaman wanted to go back to the house and ask Miu what he discovered, but Shao Xuan had once again returned to the bottom of the quagmire. The shaman could only return and watch again. He really wanted to confirm whether there was in fact a ground eye moving rapidly under the quagmire.

    After Shao Xuannded at the bottom, the ¡°thing¡± was still quietly observing him from afar, but the Jing shaman couldn¡¯t see it.

    As he recalled thest few times he chased after it, Shao Xuan secretly cried out for help. To these ground eyes, the mud under the quagmire was not at all hindering their movement. On the contrary, it was actually more convenient for them because they travelled by spinning. Every time he got close to it, the ground eye would draw a distance between them once again. After all, the ground eyes lived underground in the mud and didn¡¯t need to get any fresh air from the surface, but Shao Xuan needed fresh air. Even if totemic warriors could hold their breaths longer under water than ordinary people, burning up so much energy would shorten the time they could spend under the quagmire.

    The Jing shaman couldn¡¯t see it, but Shao Xuan was already quite sure after he chased it for so long. The Jing shaman said that the True Eyes rarely existed. If he missed it, he might have to wait even longer, so Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t willing to let this chance go that easily. Even if it wasn¡¯t the True Eye, Shao Xuan had to give it a try. It was better to get it wrong than regrettingter.

    Nets wouldn¡¯t work, neither did speed. So what method should he use next?

    The Jing shaman observed Shao Xuan as he used the same method to pursue his target. His eyes opened widely as he stared at Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. His body instinctively stood up and followed Shao Xuan as he moved. As he widened his eyes to search for the target, the Jing shaman was grumbling about how they had to reenact everything again. Even if it truly was the True Eye, this was not the way to catch it. It would only be a waste of energy.

    Loud muffled sounds came from under the quagmire again. The mud was starting to boil like before, and everyone who was watching anticipated the same results as before, but very soon, they realised that they were wrong.

    Shao Xuan was indeed using the same leaping method to chase after his target, but just as he was getting close to the bright spot, he also needed to catch a breath. So even though he was closest to his target at this moment, he rushed towards the stairs that were closest to him.

    His feet kicked on the bottom of the quagmire with full force, creating a loud noise. His body propelled forward, and as his footnded on the stairs, the Jing shaman thought that he would walk upwards to catch a breath. However, Shao Xuan did not stop there. Instead, he stepped on the stairs violently.

    Bang!

    Another muffled sound, even lower than the previous ones. It was like a heavy hammer mming down. The people who heard this felt their hearts tremble with the rhythm.

    Under the quagmire, the stone staircase that suffered Shao Xuan¡¯s step sank downward, andrge amounts of mud rolled upwards as a result of the impact.

    Shao Xuan dashed forward to his target like a battle sword splitting the mud into two halves. He was so fast that his body cut air bubbles through the mud, making popping bubbling sounds. However, Shao Xuan did not use the same method to chase after his target this time. Even though he was still travelling in the same direction, his body was nted upwards. At the same time, he lifted his arms, held his fists tightly, and moved his arms back and forth.

    As he lifted his head from under the mud, his arm also came up, bringing the mud in the quagmire with it. He looked like a fierce shark revealing its murderous dorsal fins on the surface of the sea.

    The Jing shaman¡¯s eyelids jerked. He felt like something bad was about to happen.

    Bang!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s lifted arm instantly turned into a hammer as he brought it down on the surface of the quagmire.

    A shocking wave was sent out across the surface of the quagmire. Where his handnded, the impact caused the water to split and waves to form, pushing away all the mud around him. The waves rippled in all directions, forming a widening trap in the centre of the quagmire. It looked like a ck lotus blooming in the mud. It was boiling and ready to explode.

    The mud under the quagmire sshed upwards above the surface. Many ground eyes that were swimming near the surface were also propelled from the mud. The wet mud sttered everywhere as the ground eyes spun in the air. Mud rained on the shore.

 Chapter 664

    Chapter 664

    The True Eye

    The sudden loud noise surprised everyone who was watching beside the quagmire. Even the two brothers, Di Pi and Di Pa, who were leaning on the surface and hearing the movements, were so shocked that they jumped up. Their short chubby bodies stumbled backwards and flipped a couple times before they stopped rolling. After they stopped moving, their first reaction was to dig a hole and hide underground.

    So scary!

    That was too scary!

    They only wanted to watch the excitement. Who would¡¯ve expected something as scary as this?!

    The Ya brothers were frightened by the trembling sounds and quakes that travelled across the ground and air. Although they didn¡¯t know what happened, these sounds were enough to scare them, so they decided to dig a hole and bury themselves under. It was safer underground for them.

    Beside the quagmire, the waves of ck mud sttered on the people who were stunned by the sudden event. It rained down harshly on them, and the mud even entered through their open mouths.

    The Jing people saw their quagmire be a pothole. It was as if the entire quagmire had been scooped by a giant spoon.

    Violent!

    Too violent!

    Even though the mud from around the pothole filled the hole quickly after the impact, it left a deep impression in all the Jing people¡¯s minds. After this event, the impression that the Jing people had about the ming Horns might most likely be this memory of the ming Horns hammering a hole in their centre quagmire.

    The active ground eyes in the quagmire flew upwards from the impact, and then dropped back down into the quagmire again.

    Only one of these didn¡¯t fall back into the quagmire. A hand reached out and caught it before it fell.

    The ground eye was still spinning rapidly when the hand caught it, but the rope that was tied around the hand uncovered the mud around the creature, and the friction even caused sparks to appear. The creature was about to burn, but the hand that caught it quickly dipped it back into the quagmire again so the frictional sparks disappeared.

    The mud had stopped sttering, and the mud rain gradually fell back to the ground. The ground eyes that were initially actively moving suddenly calmed down. Were they shocked by what happened or knocked out by the sudden force?

    Under the silver te that hung from the sky, everything was clear and illuminated by the moonlight. After everything had stopped, the mud no longer churned.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    The confused crowd was looking at the Jing shaman, but the shaman was only looking at one direction. That was where Shao Xuan entered the quagmire. The nted hill. Shao Xuan walked down from there when he entered the quagmire.

    Bloop bloop¡ª

    Watery sounds came from underneath the quagmire and ripples appeared on the settled surface of the quagmire. Someone was approaching from underneath.

    A head emerged from under the quagmire. The person¡¯s entire body was covered in mud.

    ¡°The ming Horn guy ising out!¡±

    ¡°What did he do?¡±

    ¡°Look at his hand!¡±

    As Shao Xuan walked up the nted hill, the upper half of his figure was revealed. His fists were clenched, but there was a spindle shaped creature in one of his hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s a ground eye!¡±

    ¡°What type of ground eye is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite massive, but I can¡¯t tell what type that is.¡±

    Even people who were experienced in the Jing tribe couldn¡¯t confirm what type it was. They stared closely at the ground eye in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand and then looked at the Jing shaman, waiting for his evaluation.

    The Jing shaman¡¯s face was stiff.

    His heart was still beating violently from when Shao Xuan hammered a hole in the quagmire, and he hadn¡¯t calmed down from the shock yet. He almost thought Shao Xuan had smashed their fire seed and before he even had the chance to shout ¡°stop¡±, the quagmire had already returned to its peaceful state.

    Shao Xuan looked like he was finished with his ¡°short walk¡±, and it seemed as if he had no other ns after this. The Jing shaman finally heaved a sigh of relief. He was holding on to this breath as Shao Xuan was walking up.

    The Jing shaman¡¯s third eye was affixed on the ground eye in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. To be frank, that ground eye wasn¡¯t that special. He had seen many special ground eyes during his time as shaman, but the only reason he had such a huge reaction was entirely because his third eye didn¡¯t sense it at all before it came up to the surface!

    The Jing shaman could see Shao Xuan moving underneath, but he couldn¡¯t see what Shao Xuan was holding. He only saw it after Shao Xuan brought it to the surface.

    He was in shock. He couldn¡¯t believe it. The Jing shaman even questioned whether there was a problem with his third eye.

    Howe he couldn¡¯t see it?

    As he thought of what Shao Xuan said, he recalled him saying that there was a ground eye that was even faster than the Universal Eye. So this was the one.

    Was he really blind? He must¡¯ve been infected with the Ya people¡¯s disease.

    The Jing shaman started doubting himself. Up till now, he couldn¡¯t tell the difference between this ground eye and the others.

    It so happened that Miu was carried out by someone from the house at the same time. He also wanted to see if the ground eye that Shao Xuan caught was actually the True Eye.

    ¡°Grand Elder, what kind of ground eye is this?¡± Kun Tu and the others surrounded him.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s at least a Universal Eye!¡± Tuo said.

    ¡°Brother Xuan, hurry and open it up! We want to see it!¡± Ah Guang and Duo Li urged from the side.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have the experience. He walked towards the Jing shaman. ¡°Can you please help me open it and see whether it¡¯s actually it?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh!¡±

    The Jing shaman snapped back into reality from his self-doubt and went to gather the equipment from inside the house. He also ordered another person to bring out a basin of water.

    He carefully held onto the ground eye that Shao Xuan passed to him, and as he caught it, the ground eye suddenly started to spin again. Luckily the Jing shaman was experienced. He held it tightly with the grass rope that was tied around his hand and didn¡¯t give it any chance to escape.

    That torque, it¡¯s even stronger than the Universal Eye¡¯s!

    The Jing shaman felt the strength of the force in his hands. He was already changing his mind and started to believe in Shao Xuan¡¯s spection.

    The knife that was used to cut open ground eyes was made from polished animal horn. It was definitely not as sharp as the weapons Shao Xuan¡¯s group possessed, but the Jing people were already ustomed to using their own tools, so it was more convenient for them, not to mention that these knives were specially designed with a curve made to perform such a task. It could cut smoothly along the curved lines on the creature¡¯s conch shaped shell. That was why the Jing shaman didn¡¯t ept the dagger Shao Xuan handed him.

    The spinning motion of the ground eye slowed down a lot after the shaman washed it in clear water and removed the mud that was covering it.

    The Jing shaman caught the ground eye in one hand, and a de in the other. He eyed the measurements and then stabbed into the shell near the centre of the ground eye.

    The Jing shaman¡¯s force was strong and his movement was swift. With a single stab, a slit was formed in the centre of the shell. With the second stab, they could already see the white meat on the inside.

    Contrasted with the grey outer shell, the meat inside the ground eye was unbelievably white. Under the moonlight, it carried a crystalline luster.

    After the second stab, the Jing shaman took a deep breath. The people all around him also tensed up. The third stab would reveal its true colours. They would finally find out now whether it was a Universal Eye, a normal ground eye, or the True Eye that Shao Xuan deeply desired.

    Shao Xuan was staring unblinkingly at the knife in the shaman¡¯s hands. With the third stab, the white meat was split open, revealing the creature¡¯s centre.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The Jing shaman¡¯s hands stopped moving.

    Shao Xuan looked closer. Under the meat, he did not see any round pearls. Regardless of the type of ground eye stone, it was definitely not the same colour as the meat.

    However, even though they didn¡¯t see any ground eye stones, they saw a tiny round ball in the middle of the ground eye meat.

    The meat surrounding this ball was already hardened, so it didn¡¯t open up under the Jing shaman¡¯s third stab.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    The Jing shaman had never seen such a case before. He frowned and looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°Should I continue?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Break it open and see what¡¯s inside,¡± Shao Xuan said. When he was under the quagmire, he knew that the light came from the round object covered inside the hardened flesh.

    The Jing shaman was even more careful this time. He cut the hardened meat open slowly, until a thin ck line was revealed.

    ¡°It¡¯s the True Eye!¡± the Jing shaman almost shouted. He could finally see it! It was as if this hardenedyer of meat blocked his third eye¡¯s vision from seeing its true identity.

    After the Jing shaman¡¯s promation, everyone who was watching from all around cheered in excitement.

    ¡°It¡¯s the True Eye!¡±

    ¡°The shaman said it was the True Eye!¡±

    ¡°He actually caught it!¡±

    When the people in the external quagmire heard the loud noises made by the people here, they stopped whatever they were doing and came over immediately. They rarely heard of anyone who caught the True Eye. Sometimes no one could catch it for years, so of course they had to take a good look.

    More and more people gathered around to look. The Jing shaman grew impatient and waved his hands at people to move away. After he thought about something, he called out ten names. ¡°This year it¡¯s your turn to catch the ground eyes under the centre quagmire.¡±

    The ten individuals who were called were ted and hurried to prepare their tools for entering the quagmire. They no longer rushed over to look at the True Eye. Perhaps they might catch something nice too?

    The Jing shaman brought Shao Xuan over to his house to speak. It was too noisy here.

    As he walked over, the shaman was still thinking about how such an urrence could happen, but after he recalled what happened to Miu, the Jing shaman immediately calmed down. This was not the time to worry about the problems with his own eye. There were too many types of True Eyes. Perhaps he had only encountered a few types.

    After he entered the house, the Jing shaman continued to cut the ground eye open. The True Eye looked like a pure ck pearl. It didn¡¯t have any gaze simr to the pupils of the other ground eyes. It also couldn¡¯t tell the direction like the Universal Eye. It just looked like a typical ck stone.

    ¡°This is the True Eye?¡± Shao Xuan asked. It looked too ordinary and small. The Universal Eyes and ground eye stones were at least the size of a quail egg, but this one in front of him was not even a third of those stones¡¯ sizes.

    ¡°Yup. Why? You don¡¯t think it looks like one? Just wait till the merging ends. Then you¡¯ll know.¡± The Jing shaman checked the ground eye that he dissected again, and then put it back into the hardened meat case. Then he shut the outer shell of the ground eye and tied it tightly with a rope, preventing the meat froming out. After he finished tying it, the shaman put it inside arge bamboo tube.

    ¡°You can preserve it even longer if you put it in here, but I still have to warn you to use it as soon as possible. If you wait too long, it might affect the merging process,¡± the Jing shaman said.

    Shao Xuan also thought the same way. He could stille back another time, but if he missed out this chance to get Caesar his new eye, he wouldn¡¯t know when he would get the chance again. After all, the Jing shaman mentioned that it was rare to encounter True Eyes. Usually, if the ground eyes were not active, it was even hard to find a Universal Eye.

    He was intending to preserve the ground eye with the Jing shaman¡¯s proposed method. The temperature was rising, and he didn¡¯t know how long it could be preserved under such a hot day, so it was better to hurry back.

    Shao Xuan asked the Jing shaman about other important details he should note, like whether he needed any medicinal assistance during the merging process for humans or beasts.

    ¡°There¡¯s not much you need to know. Just feed the meat of this ground eye to the beast. It might help with the merging process. Speaking of which, for my case, a slit opened on my forehead back then, and all I needed to do was put the True Eye there. It merged right away.¡± The Jing shaman was quite proud of himself as he said this. He was one out of many who seeded in merging the eye. He was already considered gifted in his tribe.

    ¡°However, if the person¡¯s reaction is too severe, try to do your best to help. If that person...... that wolf is experiencing too severe a reaction, or if he bleeds too much, you must stop the merging process right away. Even if you inserted the True Eye already, you have to remove it right away.¡± The Jing shaman looked strictly at Shao Xuan. He then warned him again, ¡°Some things cannot be forced.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Shao Xuan replied with a serious tone.

 Chapter 665 - Letâ€™s Give It A Try

    <h4>Let¡¯s Give It A Try</h4>

    Shao Xuan wrote down everything the shaman told him to take note of on his animal skin scroll. Merging an eye could not bepared to any other task. He had to take note of every detail.

    The Jing shaman was also very patient. He told him whatever he needed to know. If something was rted to any of the Jing tribe¡¯s secrets, he tried to be as implicit as he could.

    Shao Xuan knew long ago that the Jing shaman was different from the others in the Jing tribe. He did not think as traditionally as the other Jing people. His intentions were purely for the sake of the Jing tribe. He could use this information to trade for more things from Shao Xuan.

    Looking out the window, it was unusually exciting around the centre quagmire. Many people surrounded and watched the people hunt the ground eyes. Even though there were only ten people who went down, many others helped from the side. There were also others who were cheering and watching the excitement. About more than half of their tribe was gathered here. Some Ya people even came to watch, not to mention Duo Li and the others, who were also watching from the side.

    Tonight the people who went under the quagmire gained a lot of ground eyes. They didn¡¯t have the shaman¡¯s third eye, or Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision, so they could only uses or follow their intuition. Even without the third eye, they could still feel some things under the quagmire.

    ¡°Wow, it¡¯s a Universal Eye!¡± a person shouted amidst the crowd.

    ¡°Who? Who caught the Universal Eye?¡± the people who were crowding in other ces rushed over to look.

    Not too long after, someone else shouted from another side of the quagmire, ¡°Another one!¡±

    ¡°What?! Who caught it this time?¡± The crowd rushed over again.

    ¡°There are already thirty of them. Haha, let¡¯s see who can beat my record today!¡± a Jing warrior who came up to catch a breathughed as he spoke. It hadn¡¯t even been that long, but he already caught so many. How many would he have by the end of the night? As he thought about this, he couldn¡¯t stop giggling.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the ground eyes in the quagmire are so easy to catch today. Many of them aren¡¯t even moving,¡± someone said.

    Hearing this, the Jing shaman¡¯s face instinctively jerked upwards. Many of these ground eyes couldn¡¯t move. They were probably shocked by the event that had happened. Shao Xuan¡¯s smashing of the quagmire shocked many of the ground eyes. Even if they didn¡¯t die from the shock, some of them were left unconscious. They probably wouldn¡¯t be able to recover tonight.

    The people who went under the quagmire should be thanking Shao Xuan for what he did. They were so lucky and caught so many ground eyes because of him.

    The Jing shaman shook his head helplessly as he smiled. This bunch of kids probably hadn¡¯t had such a lucky event happen to them for way too long. All of them were so happy.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t want to trade your ground eye stones?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    The Jing tribe had a lot of stock in their hands. Even though they didn¡¯t gain much every year, they saved a lot from previous generations. The amount they had was enough to shock a lot of people, but they still want to keep treasuring it?

    ¡°I have to see what the others think.¡± The Jing shaman decided not to express his opinion. Even though his values were different from others, he didn¡¯t want to ignore other people¡¯s values, but if one day his people were willing to take their savings out to trade, he wouldn¡¯t stop them.

    Shao Xuan rolled up the beast hide scroll with the important notes. After some thought, he asked again. ¡°I have another question.¡±

    ¡°Please ask.¡± The Jing shaman thought Shao Xuan had another question about the merging of the True Eye.

    Shao Xuan looked at the Jing shaman. ¡°What did you see on me?¡±

    The Jing shaman stopped fiddling with the ground eye stone in his hands. He never expected Shao Xuan to ask this question. So he found out after all.

    After some thought, the Jing shaman answered, ¡°A figure. I saw a figure behind you.¡±

    The Jing shaman didn¡¯t n on telling Shao Xuan this. The Jing tribe¡¯s ancestors had once warned them to not tell others what they couldn¡¯t see. It could cause a lot of trouble. Legend had it that a long time ago, the Jing tribe¡¯s shaman had been through some tough problems after telling someone something they couldn¡¯t see. That was why the Jing shaman stopped Miu when he noticed the strange figure behind Shao Xuan. He was afraid of the trouble he might cause.

    However, Shao Xuan was voluntarily asking, so even if he didn¡¯t want to tell him, he couldn¡¯t lie. The Jing shaman was also sure that Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t cause any problems after knowing this.

    Even if Shao Xuan was mentally prepared, he was still stunned by this answer. ¡°What does he look like?¡±

    The Jing shaman shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I only see a blurry figure. I don¡¯t know what he looks like, but I reckon he¡¯s one of your ancestors.¡±

    Was it really a ming Horn ancestor? Shao Xuan was shocked. He had given this excuse to the Gu shaman, but he was only using his ancestor¡¯s name to evade the question, but after he heard what the Jing shaman said, had he actually gotten it right?

    But what was his ancestor doing behind him? Who was it? There were too many ancestors in the ming Horn history. As he thought about the bone ornament ne he was wearing, he spected it to be the first shaman.

    After a moment of silence, Shao Xuan shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to guess anymore. He wanted to wait longer for other clues.

    Shao Xuan gave the Jing shaman a palm-sized token made from green bronze. A ming Horn totem was carved into it. On the other side was a single character, ¡°Xuan¡±.

    In the ming Horn tribe, besides the current chief and shaman, only Shao Xuan, the Grand Elder, possessed a token like this.

    If the Jing people decided to go trade in the future, they could bring this token to the ming River Trading Point. With this token, they would receive better hospitality and there would be people protecting them.

    It was almost sunrise when they finished discussing.

    A lot of mud sshed onto the ground beside the quagmire when Shao Xuan hammered on the quagmire. With the Jing people pulling theirs across from here to there, more mud was dragged onto the surface.

    As Shao Xuan walked away from the Jing shaman¡¯s living headquarters, more mud tracks appeared across the Jing tribe. Not the ones that were close to the quagmire, but the tracks left by people who were running around. Some of the Jing people were rolling on the ground. They heard that they wouldn¡¯t be bitten by insects if they did so.

    Not a lot of wild grass grew inside the Jing tribe¡¯s territory. This was probably because of the mud that was brought ashore. The ground eyes loved this mud, but strangely, it had always suppressed the growth of nts.

    The Jing tribe was a very special tribe. They were not strong, but they could live peacefully and fulfill their needs inside their small world. Even though they were given the chance to trade for more resources, they still preferred to hold on to their precious ground eye stones.

    Even though the giant river had disappeared, both shores were quite far apart from each other in this part of the ming River region. Compared to the Gu tribe¡¯s territory, this part of the river was obviously wider. Perhaps the river would continue to widen the further they went downstream, and the wider it was, the harder it was for fearsome beasts to travel across from a shore to the other, but that didn¡¯t mean that it waspletely safe. There were still fearsome beasts that could swim and those that could fly, so they still had to be careful.

    When Shao Xuan left, he also reminded the Jing shaman about these problems, but the Jing shaman already had ns to widen their quagmires and expand their territory after this full moon. Not only did they want to widen it, but they also wanted to make it deeper. They would also ask the Ya people toe help them dig a few escape holes that went underground.

    The shaman¡¯s third eye didn¡¯t only see what ordinary people couldn¡¯t see, but it could also see the future. If there was indeed a disaster, he would make preparations beforehand.

    Just as Shao Xuan said before, smaller tribes with weak battling strength had their ways to survive.

    As the sun reced the moon and shone upon the ground, Shao Xuan was also prepared to return with his team. He learned more about what was downstream by talking with Di Pi and Di Pa, the two brothers. Although they didn¡¯t know much, they still knew what tribes were living downstream.

    Shao Xuan gifted them some beast hide and horn and bone tools. These were in exchange for the information.

    ¡°If you ever need to know anything in the future, just look for us, the Ya tribe. We travel to many ces,¡± Di Pi emerged from the ground and said to Shao Xuan¡¯s group after he transported Shao Xuan¡¯s gifts underground.

    The Ya people dug underground tunnels whenever they were bored. Through these tunnels they could travel to different tribes and gossip about different topics. Although what they said usually had parts that were exaggerated or imagined, some of the information was still useful. At least it helped Shao Xuanplete quite a few parts of his map of the ming River region.

    Before he left, Shao Xuan also gifted the shaman some beast hide to express his gratitude for the final question he answered.

    When they left, the Jing shaman brought his people to send them off at the shore. They put up a stone te of the ¡°ming River¡± on the shore. From now on, the Jing people also knew what this river was called. They even knew that if they went upstream on this river, they could find the ming Horn tribe.

    What kind of tribe was the ming Horns? The Jing people¡¯s impression was: they had ships that were much bigger than houses, sharp weapons, thick beast hides, and powerful strength. They were not at all fierce, not at all simr to what the Ya people¡¯s rumours said, even though sometimes they can be quite scary.

    Bading goodbye to the Jing tribe, Shao Xuan broguht the map that he finished and went back upstream.

    His journey downstream was shorter than he had expected, but he gained quite a lot. The most important thing he gained was the True Eye. He was ready to give Caesar a new eye.

    The time they spent travelling upstream was a lot faster than when they travelled downstream. They didn¡¯t need to stop by once in a while to put up signs, and the river was flowing in a different direction after the full moon. Even though the great river had disappeared, the same urences were still happening. For example, the river flowed faster downstream before the full moon. Even though the water level didn¡¯t decrease by a lot, upon closer inspection, it was clear that there was a change.

    After the full moon, the river changed its direction of flow, so it was more convenient for their travel back to their tribe.

    On the way they even went out to look at the Gu tribe. They had already rebuilt their buildings. They recovered quite well.

    Before Shao Xuan¡¯s group reached their tribe, they even met the crocodiles of the Drumming tribe that were preparing to leave as a group before the monsoons came. Even without the great river, they were still used to their old habits, except they were travelling a little slower on their way back.

    ¡°The Drumming tribe has a lot of new water moon stones,¡± Shao Xuan said as he watched the crocodiles swim upstream in the river. He even saw the familiar crocodile, ¡°Mute¡±, and he threw some freshly hunted beast meat to them.

    Even if many of the crocodiles were not fearsome beasts, there were a lot of them, so they were considered quite powerful amongst the wild beasts. They probably wouldn¡¯t experience any major problems if they swam as a group like this.

    The group of crocodiles travelled faster than their ships. They arrived at the Drumming tribe three days before Shao Xuan¡¯s group reached.

    Nothing much happened in their tribe during the time Shao Xuan¡¯s group left. The ming River Trading Point was the same too. At least this was what it looked like.

    After he returned, he went up the mountain. The first thing he had to do was help Caesar merge with his new eye.

    He had not seen him for a while, and more injuries appeared on his body. Everyone was already used to this by now.

    Shao Xuan brought out the bamboo case that the Jing shaman used to encase the true eye. He shook the case in front of Caesar. ¡°Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

 Chapter 666 - The Rebirth of the Right Eye

    <h4>The Rebirth of the Right Eye</h4>

    Initially, Caesar was just an ordinary wolf that Lang Ga brought back for Shao Xuan as food, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t eat him and raised him instead.

    Speaking of which, Caesar didn¡¯t have special blood flowing through his veins like Cha Cha did. He was a fearsome beast because Shao Xuan helped transform him into one.

    Now, Caesar had lost an eye. Shao Xuan was about to give him a new eye, but he was not sure whether the merge would seed. Regardless, he had to give it a try.

    Shao Xuan broguht Caesar to a mountain far off from the rest of the tribe. The ground here was not suitable for agriculture, and the quality of the rocks here were not decent either. The rocks here were not suitable for making weapons, and no wanderers lived here. Usually, only a few patrolling soldiers would stop by here to rest.

    When Shao Xuan came, there was a group of patrolling soldiers resting here. Seeing Shao Xuan, those people immediately greeted him, and after learning that Shao Xuan had business here, they descended the mountain immediately without asking any questions. However, they didn¡¯t walk far and guarded nearby to prevent people froming over to disturb them.

    Caesar was still doubtful. Even though he could understand theirnguage quite well, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t tell him much, so he was still confused about what was going on. There was a hunting team dispatched today, but he didn¡¯t get to follow.

    Shao Xuan brought out the scroll that had all the important notes written on it, and reread it once more. Even though he had read it a couple times on his way back on the ship, he made sure to read everything over again before he started. In his mind, he pictured the steps of the merging process that was about to begin.

    ¡°Alright,e here andy down,¡± Shao Xuan called out to Caesar.

    Caesar was already a massive beast. As heid on the ground, his back was still as tall as most ordinary people, so it was needless to say how tall he was if he stood up. Shao Xuan was going to help him merge with his new eye, so he had to stay low.

    Although he didn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan was about to do, Caesar followed obediently. Heid t on the ground and set his head low between his paws.

    Shao Xuan removed the blindfold that was covering his right eye. There was no eyeball inside its socket. The eyelid there was slightly folded inwards, and his upper eyelid had remained shut for a long time. His injuries from the previous year had already recovered, and the injuries on his body now were all new. They were from recent hunts, but his right eye had always been blindfolded, so it didn¡¯t get any new injuries.

    ¡°Caesar, this is a True Eye I got from the Jing tribe. The Jing people use this to grow a new eye,¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the bamboo tube in his hands.

    Hearing about the ¡°Eye¡±, Caesar¡¯s ears moved as he looked expectantly at the bamboo tube.

    ¡°However, I¡¯m not sure if it will work. People from foreign tribes can¡¯t use it, but you¡¯re a beast, not a human so this might not affect you. However, you¡¯ve been marked with the ming Horn fire seed¡¯s energy, so this might be a little risky, but we still have to give it a try. If it doesn¡¯t work, then we¡¯ll have to give up.¡±

    Shao Xuan personally marked Caesar back then and imprinted him with the energy of the ming Horn totem. Caesar had been living in their tribe for so many years and participated in many of the sacrifices, so he naturally absorbed some of the fire seed¡¯s energy. This was the only thing Shao Xuan was concerned about now. If the fire seed¡¯s energy within him was too strong, then the repulsion would be more obvious, and the sess rate would also be lower.

    But he still had to give it a try.

    Heaving a sigh, Shao Xuan opened up the bamboo case and took out the ground eye that was sealed with mud from within.

    It was just as the Jing shaman had said. The ground eye meat could be preserved longer with the mud seal. Shao Xuan washed away the mud and untied the rope that was tightly bound around it. As he opened the shell, he noticed that the meat inside the ground eye was still as fresh as before. Nothing changed. He took out the ground eye meat and opened it. He then took out the True Eye from within.

    After he washed the meat, Shao Xuan cut some of it and passed it to Caesar. ¡°Eat this first.¡±

    Caesar smelled its scent curiously and ate it right away.

    Shao Xuan observed him for a while. Seeing no reaction, he fed Caesar thest bits of the meat.

    After Caesar finished eating the rest of the meat, Shao Xuan slowly opened Caesar¡¯s right eyelid. There was no eyeball inside, only some red flesh in his eye socket.

    Caesar wasn¡¯t inserting a third eye into the middle of his forehead like the Jing shaman, so he didn¡¯t need to cut a slit open anywhere. With one hand, Shao Xuan kept Caesar¡¯s right eye socket open. With the ck True Eye in the other hand, he carefully inserted it into his eye socket and slowly pushed inwards.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare push it too far in.

    If the True Eye caused too severe a reaction, then he had to extract it, as the Jing shaman had said.

    After Shao Xuan inserted the True Eye into Caesar¡¯s right eye socket and took two breaths of air, change started to take ce around the ck True Eye.

    Inside Caesar¡¯s right eye, all the flesh started to surround the ck True Eye, and thin blood vessles grew around more than half of the eye. Besides the part that was still facing outward, the other sides around the True Eye were all blood vessels. Very soon, a whiteyer of membrane started to form where the blood vessels were, and started bulging.

    ¡°Roar¡ª¡±

    Caesar shook his head ufortably. Shao Xuan let go of him and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    The True Eye had already started changing. Was it working?

    Caesar was just not used to the feeling. He wanted to use his paws to scratch his eye, but Shao Xuan held them down.

    Then, Shao Xuan noticed that Caesar¡¯s right eye was starting to bulge under his closed eyelids.

    Caesar wanted to bang his head on the ground, but Shao Xuan stopped him again.

    If these were the only reactions, then it was fine. The Jing shaman had mentioned the severe reactions after a failed merge. Caesar¡¯s case didn¡¯t look like he was experiencing a severe rejection.

    This was a good sign.

    Caesar probably also knew that something was changing within his right eye, and even though he felt ufortable, he held the pain in. When he couldn¡¯t hold it in, he struggled for a while, but Shao Xuan was still holding him down.

    A muddy fluid flowed out from Caesar¡¯s right eye. Shao Xuan frowned, but he still saw no severe reactions, so he didn¡¯t take any action yet. If Caesar couldn¡¯t help struggling and was suffering too much from the pain, then he would consider forcefully extracting the True Eye.

    The Jing shaman had also mentioned the muddy fluid that would flow out from his eyes. It happened to all the Jing people during their merging process, so it wasn¡¯t abnormal.

    The muddy substance dripped to the ground and was gradually absorbed into the earth. With the naked eye, people could observe how the grass that was growing there was suddenly dying and bending downwards. Very soon, the entire patch of grass wilted to the ground.

    Seeing this, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyebrows arched even higher. These were not normal tears. The Jing shaman had not mentioned this, but he also recalled not seeing much grass on the Jing property, so he could understand this even if the Jing shaman didn¡¯t mention anything about it.

    The muddy fluid continued to flow from Caesar¡¯s eyes, but its colour was lightening. Soon, it was as transparent as normal tears, and these tears that had be diluted also stopped having such a strong effect on the grass. Shao Xuan breathed out a sigh of relief.

    Everything seems to be going well so far?

    Even so, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to take any risks. Just like the shaman had said, he had never heard of anyone putting a True Eye on a fearsome beast, much less a beast that had been marked with another tribe¡¯s sign. He had to be careful throughout the entire process.

    The tearlike substance stopped flowing from Caesar¡¯s right eye. The initially bulging tissue under his eyelids also shrunk gradually. It wasn¡¯t as swollen as before.

    Checking Caesar¡¯s perfect left eye, and thenparing it to his right, both sides seemed quite bnced now. There were no dents or bulges.

    Shao Xuan wanted to try opening up Caesar¡¯s eyelids on his right eye to check the progress, but the merging process was still ongoing, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare to take any risks. If he disturbed it in the middle of the process, he might waste all his previous effort.

    Another half an hour passed. Caesar jerked suddenly and struggled in deep pain on the ground.

    ¡°Has the repulsion started?¡± Shao Xuan observed Caesar¡¯s reactions closely. If it was indeed rejecting his body and causing him to react severely, then Shao Xuan would pull out the True Eye from his socket right away. Even though it might hurt Caesar, he knew that it might endanger Caesar¡¯s life if he let it drag on any longer. The Jing shaman had reminded him about this.

    But just as Shao Xuan reached his hand out, Caesar stopped struggling. His right eye moved slowly under his closed eyelids, as if he was trying to open his eyes.

    After he lost his right eye, Caesar couldn¡¯t even move his eyelids, not to mention open his eyes, but now he was trying to open his eyes, so this was a huge improvement. After his eyes struggled many times to open, his eyelids finally opened slowly.

    In Caesar¡¯s right eye socket, there was a white eyeball with a small ck dot in the centre. The ck dot was exactly the same size as the True Eye. Compared to the entire eyeball, the ck dot in the centre was too small.

    But very soon, the ck dot in the centre sent out radial extensions of thickly intertwined threadlike fibres. A greyish colour extending from the ck dot.

    The grey fibres that were extending from the ck dot widened, and simultaneously, the ck dot was also erged at the pace of Caesar¡¯s heartrate.

    Shao Xuan had once thought, ¡®How could such a small Eye change to fit Caesar¡¯srge eyes?¡¯

    The Jing shaman told him that the True Eye had the ability to evolve to merge with the owner. What he was seeing now matched with what the shaman had told him.

    Caesar¡¯s right eye was gradually bingplete. It became simr to his left eye, and as the pupil of his right eye widened, it was slowly matching with his left.

    It was sessful!

    Seeing how Caesar¡¯s right eye was slowly resembling his left, Shao Xuan could finally rx. He punched his fists with might. This was better than he had expected. Even though there was a reaction during the merging process, it was not severe, and he also seeded.

    Caesar was not used to his new right eye. He had been blind on the right for so long, and suddenly his field of vision expanded. He was a little confused at first, butter he became excited. He hopped cheerfully on the same spot and then lifted his head and howled in celebration.

    ¡°Awooo¡ª-¡±

    Under the mountain, the people who were patrolling looked up suspiciously when they heard the roar.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t Caesar sound a little... excited?¡± someone asked in the team.

    ¡°Caesar¡¯s a good wolf, but it¡¯s too bad that he lost an eye,¡± another personmented.

    ¡°So what if he lost an eye? He can still hunt like before. That¡¯s still quite impressive,¡± a younger warrior remarked.

    ¡°But he was a lot better when he had both eyes. It¡¯s too bad.¡±

    Some people still had things to say, but they stopped when they saw Shao Xuaning over with Caesar.

    Caesar was unusually excited today. He even purposely bumped into the patrolling soldiers as he passed by, but he didn¡¯t use too much force. To the ming Horn warriors, it was just a friendly gesture.

    The patrolling warriors yed bumping with Caesar for a while before he left with Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong,leader?¡± the person who was ying bumping with Caesar asking his team leader cheerfully.

    He noticed his leader staring at the wolf that was walking away.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you guys notice?¡± their leader asked as he looked at the wolf.

    ¡°Notice what?¡±

    ¡°Caesar¡¯s eyes!¡±

    ¡°Why do you keep looking at his eyes? Stop focusing on how he had lost his eye. Even if he¡¯s just a wolf, he wouldn¡¯t be happy if he heard it. Look at Caesar just now. His eyes......¡±

    The person who was speaking suddenly halted.

    Everyone else in the team was lost for words. They didn¡¯t know what to say.

    Damn!

 Chapter 667 - A Delayed Repulsion

    <h4>A Dyed Repulsion</h4>

    Caesar skipped cheerfully the entire way.

    The wanderers who were working hard in the fields saw a giant creature hopping like a rabbit from far away. As Caesar hopped, he stopped to see if there were any familiar faces nearby. If he saw any familiar faces, he growled lightly to greet them.

    At first, everyone thought that Caesar was happy because Shao Xuan had returned, but very soon, more and more people noticed that his empty eye socket that was initially covered with a blindfold was reced with an entirely new eye. It looked just like any normal eye and didn¡¯t seem fake at all.

    ¡°How is this possible?!¡±

    The people in the fields were stunned as they watched Caesar hop away. They snapped back into reality with unbelievable expressions on their faces. One of them asked his friends hurriedly, ¡°Did I see it wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, you saw it right. I saw it too!¡±

    ¡°Could it be that fearsome beasts can grow new eyes?¡± someone suspected. There were fearsome beasts that had regenerative abilities, but they never heard about any wolves with such an ability. Plus, if he had this ability, why did he wait until now to regenerate a new eye? How much time had passed since then? Caesar¡¯s case became the new discussion topic for the tribespeople.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t publicly announce it to everyone because he didn¡¯t know it would seed, but since it was a sess, Shao Xuan exined to everyone when he went up the mountain for a meeting.

    ¡°The Jing tribe¡¯s True Eye?¡± Xing paid no attention to his favourite pottery today. He came over to ask Shao Xuan about Caesar¡¯s eye.

    Everyone else came for the same reason. Even Zheng Luo and Duo Kang who were guarding the post at the ming River Trading Point came over. After all, some warriors in their tribe had lost their eye too. They were all curious if they could regenerate new eyes like Caesar, so everyone was looking forward to his answer.

    However, after they heard Shao Xuan repeat the Jing shaman¡¯s message, their enthusiasm faded.

    Blood affinities, fire seed. These were unchangeable factors. They could cause strong repulsive reactions. If they had to risk losing their lives for an eye, it was not worth it. Some things could not be forced.

    They decided to set the topic of the True Eye aside. They were more curious about the Universal Eyes that Shao Xuan brought back. Although the ground eye stones were pretty, to most of the people in the ming Horn tribe, especially those who had already been living here from the start, the ground eye stone was not even worth more than a piece of beast meat. The people from the other side of the sea, however, were more interested in the ground eye stones. They were smarter and more sensitive when it came to trades, so they were the main force stationed at the ming River Trading Point.

    However, the Universal Eyes did not merely attract those from the other side of the sea. Even the locals fancied it. Sometimes when they were not familiar with a new region during a hunt, or when they encountered rainy weather, they did not have any tools to tell the direction, so they had to wait for the sun toe out again to check. Now that they had the Universal Eye, they no longer had to stay and wait for the sky to clear out.

    ¡°This is even better than the sun stone.¡± Zheng Luo picked up a Universal Eye. He held in tightly and observed it in his hands to check if it was pointing in the right direction.

    ¡°It can tell apart sunlight and moonlight. It¡¯s good stuff.¡± Ao was also excited.

    They had a total of eighteen Universal Eyes umted from all their encounters downstream. The Gu shaman gifted them some, then they traded some with the Jing tribe, and then the Jing shaman also gave them some more. After they divided the stones up, Shao Xuan and four other elders, along with Gui Ze and Gui He, the current chief and shaman, each of them had one Universal Eye. Ta and Duo Kang, the two hunt leaders, also received one each. The nine extra Universal Eyes were left in Gui He¡¯s keeping. If anyone needed to go on expedition trips, they could ask him for more in the future.

    In their tribe, they were all part of the same team, so naturally, their goods would also be distributed evenly. Shao Xuan had no intention to keep it all for himself, but they were also rewarded by their effort, so since Shao Xuan was the one who helped them obtain most of the ground eye stones, he had more authority in making the decisions.

    ¡°Right, today the Hui tribe sent over a beast hide scroll.¡± Zheng Luo brought out a beast hide scroll that they had received at the headquarters and passed it to Gui He.

    After Gui He looked over the scroll, he did not look too happy. ¡°People areing from the other side of the sea.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re finallying?¡±

    ¡°No, there were some movements, but they are still not sure who wasing over. Something strange happened near the desert. Maybe there were some conflicts, but we¡¯re still not sure what exactly happened,¡± Gui He said.

    ¡°As long as the people of Rock Hill City are keeping guard, even if people areing over, there wouldn¡¯t be many of them,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Indeed, there are not many of them, but it¡¯s still better to be careful. We¡¯ll start expanding the patrolling grounds today, especially the area near the ming River Trading Point.¡±

    No one objected to Gui He¡¯s decision.

    ¡°Is anyone going over there from here?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Gui He passed the beast hide scroll to Shao Xuan. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about other tribes, but they mentioned that the ¡®robbers¡¯ are quite active recently.¡±

    Every time they mentioned the ¡®robbers¡¯, they couldn¡¯t hold back the disgust they felt towards them. They even almost vomited their dinner from the day before. These people stole other people¡¯s treasures so openly and proudly, and they were not at all embarrassed by their actions. Instead, they were proud. This was why all the tribes guarded against the ¡®robbers¡¯.

    However, as the two continents drew closer to each other, there were more goods on the other side of the sea, so it was not at all strange that the ¡®robbers¡¯ were attracted to the other side.

    The robbers were probably targeting the rich ve masters over there. As the ming Horns thought about this, many of them were feeling quite happy.

    Let the ¡®robbers¡¯ go to the ve masters!

    ¡°It¡¯s good for us that the robbers are attracted by the people there.¡± Zheng Luo smiled as he thought about the bad things that were going to happen.

    It was apparent that everyone was thinking the same way.

    Regardless, since there had been movements there and it had already been a year since the disaster, they knew that whatever wasing was unavoidable. Even though it wouldn¡¯t affect the ming Horns too much during this time, they still had to make necessary precautions.

    After the meeting, Shao Xuan descended the mountain. Caesar ran up and down the hill wildly, as if he wanted to let everyone know the change that had happened to him. He even went to show off to a few other fearsome beasts in their tribe before he went home.

    Seeing Caesar¡¯s change, Old Ke was also quite satisfied. He smiled cheerfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that you got your eye back.¡± As Old Ke thought of something, he asked Shao Xuan again, ¡°Caesar¡¯s eye probably wouldn¡¯t have any problems in the future, right?¡±

    ¡°Judging by the look of it now, it¡¯ll be fine. The repulsion wasn¡¯t severe during the merging process. Just follow the Jing shaman¡¯s instructions, and there shouldn¡¯t be any other problems after the merge,¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°How incredible! It is exactly the same as before. His vision is the same too, right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to judge from his performance during future hunts.¡± If he performed the same as before, then it was definitely not a problem.

    Even though they followed the Jing shaman¡¯s instructions and knew that there wouldn¡¯t be any problems afterwards, Caesar¡¯s case was still different, so they still had to observe him for a few more days.

    With his right eye regenerated, the amount of food Caesar brought back from his hunts was a lot more than when he only had one eye. Before, he could only catch those slower fearsome beasts that were not good at hiding. Now, all of the prey he brought back were ones that were usually hard to catch. He also didn¡¯t have as many new injuries as before. From this, they learned how much Caesar¡¯s movements were limited without both eyes.

    As soon as people thought there were no problems with Caesar¡¯s newly grown eye, something happened to him.

    He was cheerful for the first two days, but he was slowly growing impatient. He no longer ran up or down the mountain. He onlyid in front of his house and sometimes scratched his eye with his paws. After all, he wasn¡¯t human, so his paws were not as flexible. Every time he reached out to scratch his eyes, he had to tilt his head at a weird angle.

    After Shao Xuan checked him, he noticed that there were no unusual symptoms with his right eye. It was the same as when it first merged, and Caesar was not only scratching his right eye but his left one too.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with him?¡± Old Ke asked anxiously.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Shao Xuan was also frustrated when he saw Caesar like this. The merging process was so sessful, but why was this happening now? Was it a dyed repulsion?

    As an Elder, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to patrol the grounds, and he also didn¡¯t need to go to the ming River Trading Point. All he needed to do was stay at home, watch over Caesar, and check in case something happened to his eye.

    On the fifth day after the merge, Caesar became even more impatient than before. He rubbed his eyes more frequently and sometimes even roared in a low voice. He seemed very frustrated, probably because his paws were not as flexible and couldn¡¯t reach the part he wanted to scratch, so he rubbed his face against the ground instead.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t identify the cause behind this. He spected that it was ate repulsion, a side effect after the merge but it affected both of the wolf¡¯s eyes. However, every time he checked Caesar¡¯s eyes, he noticed that nothing was abnormal about them, but Caesar was growing more irritated. At first, he was only pounding on the ground furiously, but now he was banging his head on the ground. Sometimes he even purposely ran into a tree.

    However, besides these strange behaviours, nothing much changed on Caesar¡¯s body. There were no signs of any repulsive reactions the Jing shaman mentioned. The wolf¡¯s eyes were both normal. It only looked a little fierce sometimes because he was so frustrated. Sometimes when some tribespeople came to visit him, they would also be startled by his re.

    Days passed by slowly, and Caesar continued to run into the tree, but it happened even more frequently. Later, as if running into a tree was not enough, he even ran directly into a mountain. Blood spilt from his head. Even if fearsome beasts recovered fast, his body couldn¡¯t tolerate such actions. He was running into objects on purpose every day.

    His self-torture made a lot of people in the tribe worried. They realised that the Jing tribe¡¯s True Eye didn¡¯t work as efficiently as they had expected.

    Shao Xuan went to Gui Ze for some medicine. Gui Ze had been personally trained to be the next shamaness, so she knew enough about medicines and illnesses, but even she had never seen a case like Caesar¡¯s before. Without any knowledge of the sickness, she could only prepare some medication to help alleviate the pain or strengthen his immunity. However, Caesar¡¯s condition did not improve even after taking these medicines.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Gui Ze passed all the medicine she prepared for Caesar¡¯s self-induced injuries to Shao Xuan. She went through all the written records that the ancestors left behind about different types of sicknesses. None of them matched with Caesar¡¯s case. After all, their ancestors¡¯ notes were mostly about humans, and rarely about curing fearsome beasts.

    ¡°I want to bring him to the Jing tribe and see whether the Jing shaman can help him.¡±

    Shao Xuan had just finished speaking. Lang Ga hurriedly rushed up the mountain to look for Shao Xuan. ¡°Caesar ran away!¡±

    ¡°He ran into the mountain again?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°No, he ran away from the tribe, into the forest. He didn¡¯t seem very well when he left!¡± Lang Ga was in charge of patrolling today. He even followed Caesar as he passed by their patrolling team. As soon as he noticed something wrong, he ran over to inform Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s expression suddenly changed. He set down the medicinal bag in his hands and followed Lang Ga down the mountain, towards the direction Caesar departed.

 Chapter 668 - Third Eye

    <h4>Third Eye</h4>

    Caesar had already escaped beyond the tribal grounds when Lang Ga found Shao Xuan.

    A part of the patrolling team went after Caesar, but because Caesar was so fast, the distance between them slowly grew until they lost him. They weren¡¯t going on a hunt and they didn¡¯t have enough equipment on them, so it wasn¡¯t wise to follow behind Caesar like this. So should they follow or not?

    This group of people hesitated for some time.

    Luckily, Lang Ga and Shao Xuan caught up to them. They asked Shao Xuan, ¡°How about we prepare some equipment before we go after him?¡± They could only follow him persistently if they had enough equipment. Without the equipment, they couldn¡¯t even protect their own lives in the forest, much less track Caesar.

    ¡°No, you guys head back to patrolling. I¡¯ll just follow him alone,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°How can you do this alone?¡± Lang Ga disagreed.

    The others were also not in favour of his decision.

    Shao Xuan pointed up. When Lang Ga and the others looked up, an eagle was there.

    Seeing Cha Cha, Lang Ga and the others finally felt at ease. Tracking was easier done in the sky, and it was much faster and safer too.

    Without any more discussions, Lang Ga and the others went back to their patrolling duty while Shao Xuan departed on Cha Cha¡¯s back. They flew and searched for any tracks Caesar left behind.

    Some trees in the forest were either bumped, nted, or fell to the ground. These were all tracks Caesar left behind. Following these clues, they could definitely find him. ording to what Lang Ga and the others had said, Caesar was already not sane when he ran out. Usually, when he went out to hunt, he would greet the soldiers who were on patrol and y a simple bumping game. Even when he was a little frustrated and tortured himself during the past few days, he also stopped by for a while whenever he saw any soldiers on patrol. Then he would go bump into trees in ces where there were no people. However, this time it seemed as if he dashed forward and disregarded everything around him.

    Caesar¡¯s condition was indeed not great today, and Shao Xuan was also quite worried about this. If it was indeed the repulsive reaction caused by the True Eye¡¯ste rejection, this side effect was indeed very severe. It was literally making the wolf go crazy.

    But then, even if he found Caesar, what should he do?

    Extract the right eye that was already perfectly in ce?

    That would hurt even morepared to when he lost his right eye, butpared to losing his life, this pain was not as significant. However, Shao Xuan was more worried that both of his eyes were affected. After all, Caesar was not merely scratching his right eye, but both his eyes.

    Did he have to take out both of his eyes?

    As he thought about this, Shao Xuan regretted what he had done.

    These reactions were already beyond what the Jing shaman had mentioned about the repulsive reactions, and Shao Xuan had never anticipated any of this.

    After a long sigh, the veins on his arms bulged as he clenched his fists tightly. Shao Xuan looked below in the forest. No matter what, he had to make sure Caesar was living normally again, even if he had to remove both of Caesar¡¯s eyes. It didn¡¯t matter if he couldn¡¯t hunt anymore. Shao Xuan could hunt more to feed him. He could still afford to pet a wolf.

    As he went further into the woods, the trees became denser, and there were also more towering ancient trees. From above, Caesar¡¯s tracks were no longer as obvious as before. Cha Cha could no longer discern where Caesar went, so it was harder to track his route.

    Luckily, Shao Xuan was the one who marked Caesar when he was younger. Although this connection wasn¡¯t as strong as the one he had with Sapphire the beetle, as long as they weren¡¯t too far away from each other, Shao Xuan could still sense where he was.

    ¡°Head in that direction,¡± Shao Xuan pointed in one direction and gestured for Cha Cha to fly there.

    Even though Caesar grew manic and might¡¯ve even lost his ability to think properly, he still chose a familiar route. It wasn¡¯t the route the hunting team took, but the one he used whenever he went out to hunt alone. Shao Xuan had followed him a couple of times, so he still had some impression, and Cha Cha also followed Caesar out to hunt quite frequently, so he was even more familiar with this route. Shao Xuan was pointing exactly at Caesar¡¯s personal hunting route.

    Cha Cha called out, indicating that he understood where Caesar went.

    The sun was slowly setting as the day faded into night.

    It was close to sunset. As the night approached, it would be harder for them to track Caesar¡¯s traces. After all, Cha Cha¡¯s senses were not as sharppared to daytime.

    They still hadn¡¯t seen Caesar, but Shao Xuan felt that he was getting close. Caesar was still running, so they couldn¡¯t catch up to him.

    It was nighttime. It hadn¡¯t been too long since the full moon, so the moon was still quiterge. The moonlight was enough to illuminate the night. The bugs pped their wings in the dark and spiralled up towards the light source.

    Even from above, Shao Xuan could see what was happening down below in the forest. Even if it was pitch ck, Shao Xuan could still see clearly with his special vision. However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to use these other methods. He could sense where Caesar was.

    ¡°Keep flying in that direction. We¡¯re getting close.¡±

    Cha Cha slowed down a lot after the night descended upon them. He was used to travelling in the daytime. He was clear which fierce beasts appeared in the daytime, but he wasn;t so sure about the nighttime, so he tried to be as careful as he could. He could not afford to be careless, or else Shao Xuan and he might both suffer a setback.

    ¡°Awoo¡ª¡±

    The sound of a wolf¡¯s cry came from far away. It wasn¡¯t a roar of excitement like the way Caesar usually roared. It was more like a meaningless cry, as if he was trying to suppress something. After this roar, the forest suddenly became silent.

    After they flew for a while, Shao Xuan jumped down from the eagle¡¯s back. He could feel that Caesar was nearby, but he couldn¡¯t locate his exact position from the sky. The towering ancient trees were too dense, so he could only descend to search for him.

    Cha Cha continued to keep watch in the sky. He would alert Shao Xuan if he saw a threating. However, many of the nocturnal beasts that were hiding in the dark couldn¡¯t be seen from above, so Shao Xuan had to stay alert.

    In the forest, Shao Xuan smelled a bloody stench, and from the smell of the blood, he could tell that it was still fresh. He followed the scent to its origin and heard some chewing sounds nearby. Shao Xuan¡¯s heart skipped a beat as he sped up.

    The branches above him had covered most of the moonlight, but the light that came through the interconnected branches was enough to reveal the situation there.

    There was a carcass on the ground, but judging by the beast¡¯s exterior, it wasn¡¯t Caesar. Shao Xuan heaved out a sigh of relief. The fearsome beast that had died was notrge. It was a predator that hunted in the night. It was skilled in persistent hunting, and it was very fast too.

    Around the dead beast, there were other nocturnal beasts that were chewing its meat. Carcasses like these would be skeletons very soon in the forest. Within thirty days, there wouldn¡¯t even be bones left.

    Shao Xuan wanted to check the beast¡¯s injuries to see if it was killed by Caesar. He found tracks of a wolf paws nearby, and there were only three fearsome beasts eating its meat, but there were other nocturnal beasts that had smelled the blood and wereing. Now, Shao Xuan¡¯s main goal was to look for Caesar. He didn¡¯t want to cause any conflicts with these nocturnal beasts.

    Thus, Shao Xuan left quietly and went around that ce. He continued to follow his intuition and walked in one direction.

    The bloody stench was still in the air, but it was getting lighter. Shao Xuan no longer saw any trees that were bumped.

    He was getting close.

    Very close.

    Shao Cuan carefully approached him. He didn¡¯t know whether Caesar was clear-headed right now. If he had indeed gone crazy, he might even attack him, so Shao Xuan had to stay vignt. He even brought some poisonous needles dripping with sedatives just in case Caesar actually went crazy and couldn¡¯t control himself. He would then put Caear to sleep and bring him back. He couldn¡¯t leave him here. A fearsome beast that was not clear-headed could not survive long in the forest. There were too many smart predators in the forest, and Caesar might identally get in their way. Shao Xuan did not want to bring back a wolf¡¯s skeleton.

    A low roar came from nearby. It wasn¡¯t loud and sounded like the creature was struggling in pain.

    This sound belonged to Caesar. Shao Xuan could tell.

    At least he¡¯s still alive.

    Shao Xuan kept walking closer. As he went closer, the stench of blood became clearer. Even though it was not strong, Shao Xuan could smell it. Some nocturnal beasts were already attracted to this smell. They were just slowly creeping in on him. They didn¡¯t dare to ambush right away. It was as if they were hesitant and watchful.

    Shao Xuan observed from up close. The figure that was lying in front of him, whose back was facing him, was Caesar.

    He wanted to call out to him, but seeing the tension around them, Shao Xuan simply lifted a finger to his mouth and blew out a tune.

    The sound of the whistle blended in with the sounds of the birds and bugs chirping. It wasn¡¯t obvious and wouldn¡¯t catch the attention of any nocturnal beasts. It was a tune Shao Xuan blew often, and so Caesar was familiar with the sound.

    After Shao Xuan blew the tune, the figure that was lying on the ground perked up. He slowly stood on all fours and turned around to look in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    Shao Xuan was standing on an ancient tree nearby. Caesar looked up after he turned around.

    The moonlight shone down on Caesar and the ghostly green colour reflected through his eyes. He couldn¡¯t tell what his eyes were saying, but Shao Xuan could sense that Caesar was still breathing fine. Even though he ran for so long and so far, and even fought with other fearsome beasts, he had quite a lot of injuries on his body. He was even growling, but there was not at all any signs of irritation.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure if Caesar was fully recovered and conscious, so he blew his tune again. His tune was mixed with somemands that he taught Caesar when he trained him a long time ago. It meant e here¡¯.

    Caesar took two steps towards Shao Xuan, and then halted. He lowered his head and lifted a paw. At first, he thought that Caesar wanted to scratch his eyes with his paw, but he hesitated for a while and then set it back down. He then turned his head to look at Shao Xuan.

    Two green, glowing eyes could be seen amidst the darkness.

    Shao Xuan had already prepared three needles injected with anaesthetic herbal extracts and held it in his hand behind his back. Caesar was still not in perfect condition. He was nning on knocking him out and bringing him back.

    However, right when Shao Xuan was prepared to take action, he stopped.

    Shao Xuan was shocked when he looked at Caesar.

    In the dark, above the two ghostly green eyes, there was another green luminous spot.

    What was that...

    Shao Xuan looked surprisingly at Caesar. As Caesar lifted his foot to approach Shao Xuan, he could see it even clearer.

    Caesar¡¯s head was bleeding and some flesh was revealed because he bumped his head recklessly into different things. His forehead was bleeding and there wasn¡¯t a single piece of perfect skin on his forehead. However, between the blood and flesh, there was a clear vertically oriented eye!

    A third eye!

    How was this possible?!

 Chapter 669 - The Three-Eyed Wolf

    <h4>The Three-Eyed Wolf</h4>

    At first, they spected that it was a dyed rejection of the True Eye but they never expected such a thing to happen.

    So the third eye was the reason behind all of Caesar¡¯s strange actions.

    Shao Xuan just couldn¡¯t understand why this was happening. He thought that the True Eye could only regenerate one eye. The Jing shaman and the others only grew a third eye because both of their eyes were normal, but howe Caesar grew another eye even after his right eye was regenerated? When he inserted the eye into Caesar¡¯s eye socket, he only put it inside his right eye socket.

    How was this third eye different from his other two eyes?

    Too bad Caesar didn¡¯t know how to speak. He couldn¡¯t express his feelings to Shao Xuan even if he wanted to.

    Shao Xuan no longer wanted to bring him back immediately. Caesar was not irritated at all and was emotionally stable. He was not hitting his head on the ground anymore.

    He was a little uncertain.

    Shao Xuan was a little uncertain too.

    After Shao Xuan blew the whistle, Caesar probably understood his orders, because he saw how Caesar was walking towards him. He only stopped because his third eye opened.

    After Shao Xuan understood the reason behind all of Caesar¡¯s strange actions, he was finally able to rx. It wasn¡¯t ate rejection, and both of his other eyes were perfectly fine too.

    As Shao Xuan was thinking, Caesar suddenly tilted his head. All three of his eyes looked toward the bushes on the side. He growled at the bushes.

    There was a nocturnal beast hiding behind the bushes, waiting to ambush. It thought that it hid well, and was ready to pounce on Caesar. He never thought that Caesar noticed him so soon. To the beast hiding behind the bushes, his growl meant: ¡®I noticed you, leave when you can!¡¯

    Actually, when Shao Xuan first saw the third eye on Caesar¡¯s forehead, he felt a familiar feeling. It was simr to the feeling he felt when the Jing shaman and Miu looked at him. Even though the green glow in his eyes made it harder to see his eyes clearly, it was very simr to the gaze he felt before, but it was notpletely the same, probably because the owner was different and had different emotions. Was this why it made people feel different?

    Caesar¡¯s third eye made people feel like even if they hid behind bushes or trees, they could still be sensed. Perhaps this was why the nocturnal beasts that came over didn¡¯t dare approach him. Those beasts liked to sneak up to their prey. If they were noticed, then they wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to pounce on their prey. They enjoyed killing with a single move, so if they were unsure they wouldn¡¯t act brashly.

    That was why the beasts around them didn¡¯t attack them right away after Caesar growled. Even though they had not left, they continued to wait for the right moment to attack.

    The nocturnal beasts around them wouldn¡¯t make a move right now. Shao Xuan looked at Caesar. He blew out the same tune three times, the same tune as before.

    Caesar finally walked over to Shao Xuan. He was a little hesitant and didn¡¯t seem like he was willing to approach him. Shao Xuan even felt a doubtful gazeing from his eyes.

    Why was he doubtful?

    Did he see something?

    Shao Xuan recalled the Jing shaman telling him about the ¡°figure¡± behind him. Caesar¡¯s third eye was simr to the Jing shaman¡¯s. Did this mean that Caesar could see the figure behind him as well? Was this why he hesitated when he heard the tune?

    However, even if Caesar saw something that he couldn¡¯t see before, he still followed Shao Xuan¡¯s orders and walked over, but as he walked over, he cried out doubtfully.

    When Shao Xuan heard this, he was sure that Caesar was already clearheaded and well. He had some injuries and this was not a suitable ce for him, so Shao Xuan looked for a ce to tend to his wounds.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Shao Xuan turned around and walked in the direction he came from.

    At first, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t walk fast. After he heard something move behind him, he sped up, and he also blew a whistle at the sky, signalling Cha Cha, who was following them from above, to also speed up.

    It was already nighttime, and Caesar was injured. He also ran for so long, so he was probably tired. But he was not the only one who was tired. Cha Cha also needed to rest. Nighttime was not the best time for Cha Cha to fly, so Shao Xuan found a ce for them to rest and tended to Caesar¡¯s wounds.

    He didn¡¯t bring any medicinal bags, and he didn¡¯t have a lot of medicine on him, so he could only utilise what he had. Luckily, even though Caesar¡¯s injuries looked quite scary, they weren¡¯t serious. Most of his injuries had already scabbed, and most of the severe injuries were on his back and his head. The injuries on his back were from when he fought with other fearsome beasts. The ones on his head were self-induced.

    As they rested, Shao Xuan took the chance to get a closer look at Caesar¡¯s third eye. Caesar seemed unable to control the new eye on his forehead. He was only able to shut it after a whole day had passed. It was like a rusted machine and wasn¡¯t flexible at all, and it couldn¡¯t match his other eyes¡¯ movements. The flesh around his new eye was also hardened. Shao Xuan only noticed this when he was applying medicine on Caesar¡¯s head. It reminded him of the time when he first caught the True Eye. When they first opened up the True Eye, there was also ayer of hardened meat surrounding it.

    He wasn¡¯t sure if that was the reason behind Caesar¡¯s hardened skin that was surrounding his eye. He had to check with the Jing shaman in the future to make sure.

    When Cha Cha saw Caesar, he was even more shockedpared to back then when he saw Caesar lose his right eye. It hadn¡¯t even been long since hest saw him, but Caesar had evolved from a wolf with a single eye to a wolf with three eyes!

    Fearsome beasts recovered much faster than wild beasts. Within a single night, Caesar¡¯s injuries had all scabbed and the bloody stench on his body had also faded.

    Caesar felt a lot better when he woke up the next day. He was more clearheaded than before. He was just still not used to his third eye and would still try to scratch it with his paws sometimes.

    Shao Xuan thought that Caesar was scratching his head the past few days because there were problems with his two eyes. Now, it was clear that he wanted to scratch the part where the third eye grew. That was why he kept running into trees and bumped his head into the ground and mountain. He wanted to hit that spot. Now that the third eye finished growing, he was getting used to it, so he no longer went around wildly to bump into different things.

    Perhaps he would get used to his third eye after some more time had passed.

    Caesar wasted quite a lot of energy because of his third eye. He was ready to hunt for food again when he was feeling better. Now, he didn¡¯t take as long to huntpared to before, but sometimes he still gazed at Shao Xuan doubtfully. No, to be specific, he was looking at the figure behind Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Is there someone behind me?¡± Shao Xuan said to Caesar as he took a bite from a wild fruit.

    Caesar only cried out twice and looked fearfully behind Shao Xuan. He was not that worried because he was familiar with Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Just ignore him. I¡¯ll try to figure out who he is soon.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked up at the sky. Cha Cha had already finished hunting for his food. He removed the traces he left on the ground and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡±

    There were people guarding on the post along the borders of their tribe. It was Lang Ga¡¯s group. They were probably worried about Shao Xuan, so they were keeping guard there. All of them even had luggage on their backs. Their entire team was ready to leave if any idents happened to him.

    Lang Ga¡¯s team was excited when they saw an eagle in the sky. However, Shao Xuan was not on its back. Instead, he ran alongside Caesar. Caesar was injured, and because his third eye had not fully recovered, Shao Xuan had to watch over him.

    ¡°The Grand Elder is back!¡± someone said as he looked forward.

    ¡°Caesar is back too!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good that all of them are back safe.¡±

    Lang Ga was so happy that he ran forward to wee them. He was the one who brought Caesar back to the tribe back then, so he had a close connection with the beast. He was also worried when Caesar felt unwell and went over to visit him quite a few times. Seeing how Caesar was running back with Shao Xuan and was no longer as crazy as the day before, he ran over immediately to wee them. However, when he saw Caesar, he felt like something wasn¡¯t right.

    As Caesar approached him, Caesar¡¯s initial smile faded and his expression grew tense. He even rubbed his eyes and looked again.

    The other people were no different from him.

    They heard that Caesar¡¯s sickness was caused by his newly regenerated right eye. Some people were even discussing how they could cure Caesar, and they even came up with ns like removing his newly grown eye, so when Caesar came back, all of them were focused on his right eye.

    They noticed that his right eye was perfectly fine.

    They then turned to look on his left eye. It was fine too. Both of his eyes were fine, but something was strange. All the hairs on their backs stood up on their ends. They took a closer look. Damn! What the heck!

    Caesar couldn¡¯t control his third eye yet, so it was still wide open when he came back to the tribe, and it was vertically oriented too. His normal fearsome beast eyes were already as intelligent as a human gaz. Thisbination made him look even more terrifying. When his eye looked at them, even his gaze felt different from his normal eyes. This was why they were so shocked when they saw Caesar¡¯s third eye.

    But not just Lang Ga¡¯s team. Everyone who saw Caesar after Shao Xuan brought him back looked confused.

    A lot of people had alreadye by to watch when his right eye was regenerated, but now, there were more people. After all, they had seen quite a lot of wolves with two eyes. Even if he regenerated a right eye, Caesar was still a normal wolf. However, they had never seen any three-eyed wolves.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡±

    ¡°I thought only humans could grow three eyes. Can¡¯t believe wolves can do it too!¡±

    Duo Li also wanted to take a close look, but Caesar didn¡¯t let anyone touch his third eye.

    A few days after his third eye appeared, Caesar was back to normal again. He was no longer showing any signs of irritation or scratched his eyes. At first, his third eye couldn¡¯t shut so it remained wide open, but very soon, it started bing more flexible, so Caesar could finally control its blinking now.

    However, Caesar never opened his third eye in the tribe because he noticed that everyone seemed to dislike it. He even noticed how they were all anxious around him when they felt his gaze.

    So as he learned to control his third eye¡¯s movements, he kept it shut while he was in the tribe. He only opened it if he went out to hunt or patrolled with Shao Xuan. When his third eye was closed, there was not even a trace left on his forehead, and no one would be able to tell if there was an eye there.

    If Miu was here, he would definitely tell Shao Xuan how this eye was so simr to his own third eye.

 Chapter 670 - Check For The Dog Before Hitting The Owner

    <h4>Check For The Dog Before Hitting The Owner</h4>

    Once Caesar¡¯s condition stabilised, Shao Xuan went to the trading point every day to check for the arrival of any new information. Since the banquet, all the major tribes remained in contact and exchanged information.

    After receiving news of movement at the desert and the sea, ming Horn also increased the intensity of their patrol duties. Tribesmen arrived at the trading point every day, some of them young tribesmen leaving the tribe to explore as they were very curious about the famous trading point; others were there for business. Business was thriving at the trading point, Shao Xuan heard that the trading parties who bought animal hide here could sell them for double the price at other trading points.

    Production of the Drumming Tribe¡¯s water moon stones was high during the moon¡¯s brightest nights. These stones required moonlight and the fuller the moon, the more efficient the production process was, resulting in better quality stones. That was why the tribe had already started to work overtime days before the full moon arrived. They had not rested since. Everyone lived upside-down schedules in order to work through the night.

    Most of the stones they produced were used to repay their debts to the ming Horns. That was why even thieves would not get much if they tried toe steal the harvest.

    By the time the debts were cleared, the Drumming tribesmen were very experienced in making the water moon stones and tasted the benefits of merging with the fire seed. At least they would not have to worry about ambushes during full moon every year. Their harvest was notpletely tied to the supermoon. They did not have to guard the Water Moon Canal as tightly either, and naturally could divert more resources to guard other ces.

    The Rain tribe¡¯s lives had slowly stabilised too. A portion of the tribesmen entered the ming River Trading Point and rented amodations along with fixed stalls. All they had to do was spread out their tribe¡¯s goods like cloth and pottery, then wait for customers toe to the trading point. They did not have to worry about robberies anymore. At the tribe, they had clearednd for crop fields not far away from the river. They did not worry about irrigation problems either because the ming River wasrge enough to amodate for their needs. Even if the other streams dried up, the ming River would not. Their standards of living improved when they no longer had to worry about food and water.

    Compared to the beginning, more and more tribes frequented the ming River Trading Point. They did not have to go visit other tribes anymore. All they had to do was to meet at this point of congregation. It was thergest trading point along the ming River and one of thergest points in the region excluding the one in the central ins.

    Of course, every trading party that arrived found the architecture more memorable than the hide and meat sold here.

    Although this ce had stricter regtions than other trading points, every trading party wanted to visit a second time after their first.

    Even Zheng Luo was very proud to watch the trading point grow and prosper.

    Before, Zheng Luo had wanted to name this ce as ming River City because that was how the ve masters on the other side of the river named their cities. However, he did not like following the costumes of the ve masters, hence was very hesitant to follow suit. Even if it was just a name, he refused to imitate them. This was how much the tribesmen resented the ve masters.

    ¡°Town,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°You can call it ¡®ming River Town¡¯. A town can also be a ce of trade. And this ce will not just be for trading as it will expand more in the future.¡±

    ¡°Alright! Then this ce will have another name in the future, it will be ¡®ming River Town¡¯! Mm, I¡¯ll tell everyone at the meetingter.¡± Zheng Luo was very satisfied with this name.

    Since then, the ming River Trading Point was also called ming River Town and news of this name soon spread among many different visitors.

    Shao Xuan stood on the highest floor of the ming River Castle, looking over the entire trading point. ¡°It is a small trading point now but in the future, it will definitely be muchrger.¡±

    ...

    A trading party travelled along a narrow path. Last year, this had been a patch of forest but since the establishment of the trading point, the guests who attended the banquet had cleared a path during their visit to allow for carriages to pass.

    Soon after, more and more people came to the trading point and no nts could grow amidst the heavy traffic. Somerger tribes had tamed animals pulling their carriages too. Therefore there were no pebbles along the path either for their convenience. This path was much tter and smoother than other parts of the forest.

    As traffic increased, the road became more famous. Although it was a convenient path, it was risky too because robbers would hide in the area to ambush travellers.

    Timid travellers rarely took this path. Only people who were confident in their own abilities against the robbers passed through.

    At this moment, the trading party along the path was from a medium-sized tribe in the central ins. While it was not as powerful as thergest tribes in the area, it was still stronger than most tribes.

    These people were tall and muscr, their exposed chests revealing hard muscles, skin tanned from constant year-long travelling. They held stone clubs in their arms, which were all defined and muscr. These people radiated power.

    It was still warm during this time of the year. It was noon and the sun was up in the sky. Their simple linen clothes were drenched in sweat and many just took their tops off to wipe themselves, then draping their shirts over a shoulder. They discussed in their coarse-soundingnguage as they talked about the ming River Trading Point.

    They had just left the trading point and bought a lot of animal hide. Now, they were on the way towards their own tribe.

    ¡°I¡¯m impressed, the animal hides from the trading point were indeed of great quality!¡±

    ¡°Of course! Those are fearsome beast hides!¡±

    ¡°I heard you can wear these hides even during this time of the year? And it¡¯s a cooling material?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s expensive. Going to the trading point to exchange for these hides at this point of the year is a good choice. Haha, our children won¡¯t even feel the cold this winter!¡±

    The groupughed heartily, not the least bit worried that they would be heard. While they looked nonchnt, they asionally watched their surroundings out of their peripheral visions. Some of them walking on the outer ring of the group were in charge of standing guard while they had also sent scouts beforehand. These scouts had not found anything unusual. However, they were still vignt.

    Experienced travellers were used to robberies. Since they left the trading point, they had already killed three waves of robbers.

    The group consisted of approximately three hundred people. In the middle was a wooden wagon withrge wooden crates tied to it. Those were the goods they received at the trading point, including fearsome beast hide, dried fearsome beast meat, fearsome beast horns and bone weapons etc. This was why they were willing to travel so far to the trading point.

    Their tribe was situated in a ce with cold winters. The instion properties of regr animal fur were limited. Totemic warriors could make do even with thin fur but their children could not. The young often fell sick during winter. While the adults in the tribe, both men and women, were all muscr and fit, their children were still very weak. Child mortality spiked during their cold winters and even the shaman could not do anything other than saying it was a test for the children.

    After some time, they found that fearsome beast hide was effective in keeping out the cold and therefore started to collect it. However, most of the fearsome beasts were found in the mountainous Fearsome Beast Forest region. The central ins barely had any, and other ces had even fewer unless the tribes reared their own.

    Yet how could they risk going to the Fearsome Beast Forest? First, it was far away. Second, it was risky. The chief did not agree to let them take such risks.

    When the ming Horns were at the forest, they did not bring a lot of hides out to trade. Situated far from everyone else, no one knew much about them until the establishment of the trading point. As more and more fearsome beast hides were traded by the tribesmen within the central ins, news of the ce spread. However, the prices were high so they only came during warmer seasons as they heard that the hides would be cheaper.

    They were extremely satisfied with their haul from today, discussing their return next year. Although they wanted to visit more often, they were too far away and it took too long toe. There were also more robbers these days and they had to risk injuries every visit.

    As they spoke, the person in front suddenly halted. Everyone stopped talking and grew alert.

    Only the sound of birds chirping could be heard.

    The winds blowing from the front brought with it a hint of blood. The people at the back looked in front to see that about a hundred metres ahead of the group was a person sitting on a boulder by the road.

    This person was alone but they could sense that this was a dangerous person. He wasrger than two of them. If he stood up, his height would be enough to intimidate anyone.

    Not just that, they saw strange totemic patterns all over his greenish-grey skin. His clenched fish wasrger than their faces and there was dried blood on it. At his feet were about ten dead bodies strewn on the ground. They were all dead but not from a sharp weapon. All he used was his fist.

    Before they approached, they could sense the killing intent radiating from his body. The person looked up with a re as fierce and sharp as an axe, as if he was about to kill someone in the next second. Many in the group clenched their muscles.

    Even the vultures attracted by the corpses rested in the trees nearby and did not approach.

    The group did not stop or change direction because of this. They sent a portion of people to test the waters but the man remained silent, not even looking at them.

    They were not upset by this, instead heaving a small sigh of relief. They met all kinds of people when they travelled. There were many friendly-looking chatty people who were actually snakes- they would rather meet this sort of silent, ¡®I-don¡¯t-want-to-talk-to-you¡¯ person. This sort of person would not do anything as long as you did not provoke them first.

    They were arge group and confident enough to defeat him. However, a conflict would definitely result in unnecessary injuries and deaths. They must avoid this whenever possible.

    Based on their experience, the corpses looked like the kind of robbers who ambushed their victims.

    Sigh, didn¡¯t they know how to read the room? To know what sort of people they mustn¡¯t touch? If you don¡¯t even know that, why did you be a robber? That¡¯s just looking for death. Therefore they got what they deserved.

    The leader of the group retracted his gaze and gestured for everyone to hurry along the path. While they remained vignt, until they travelled far away, the other guy did not even look at them. After everyone passed, the man crushed a body¡¯s head with his foot.

    The trading party hurried on.

    When the group disappeared from view and no sound could be heard from them, the murderous re suddenly turned from a sharp axe to its soft wooden handle.

    The person got up from the rock. His back bent, he looked into the forest and said respectfully, ¡°Master, they¡¯re gone!¡±

    There was a rustling and a person stepped out from the bushes. This person was d in grey clothing. He was of average stature and did not look very strong. He elegantly patted away the bits of grass on his clothing. Compared to the muscle next to him, he looked like a child.

    After he left the forest, he bent four fingers as his thumb touched the inner joints of each finger, as if counting. ¡°We¡¯ll arrive in five days.¡±

    When he was about to leave, his eyes darted at the bodies. If he hade alone, he would have died a long time ago. Thank goodness he had his ve!

    The aristocrats had a saying: check for the dog before hitting the owner!

    If you can¡¯t beat the dog, are you sure you want to provoke the owner?

 Chapter 671 - Half-Beast

    Chapter 671

    Half-Beast

    There were three entrances to the ming River Point. With the current hot weather, it was not a good time for travelling. Even the major trading areas in the central ins were experiencing the lowest traffic this time of the year, excluding the coldest winter months. Most trading parties avoided the coldest winters and hottest winters. The weather had been warming up before the full moon and temperatures were still rising. However, the ming River Point was currently bustling with far-travelling trading parties here to purchase beast hides because it was the cheapest during this time. And they were from fearsome beasts.

    The ming Horns increased the number of patrol guards and guards at the entrances. There were many people in the area and there were some who wanted to take advantage of this. However, the strengthening of the area¡¯s defences made them give up their ns. A few days ago, there were people making forced trades in the trading area and were found out by the patrol team and kicked out. At least these people were smart enough not to pull out their knives. Pointing your knife within ming Horn turf was just a death wish.

    In front of such immense power, any disgruntlement towards the rules was silenced. At least most of the travellers quite liked this ce. After a few disys of rule enforcement, everyone felt safer there.

    ming Horn had not provided an exnation for everyone¡¯s misunderstanding either.

    At thergest entrance of the trading area, Kun Tu was the guard on duty today. After returning from the trip down the ming River with Shao Xuan, he rose through the guard¡¯s ranks. Anyone who was brought out by the Grand Elder would always be admired.

    Kun Tu asionally talked to his team about the expedition during their rest times, though he knew what not to say. If he said too much this time, he would never be able to follow anyone anywhere next time.

    No matter how much fun they had during their breaks, they must pay full attention while on duty. Kun Tu was initially thinking about Caesar¡¯s three-eye situation. Today, Caesar had followed Shao Xuan to the trading area but he did not see Caesar¡¯s third eye. But this was not the time to think about that. He suppressed his curiosity and remained on guard.

    A whistle came from deep in the forest. Kun Tu and the rest of the guards¡¯ expressions changed as they heightened their alertness and looked in the direction of the whistle.

    With the strengthening of the patrol team, the ming Horns had also increased their patrolling area. Anyone who wanted to rob traders outside the area had had no choice but to retreat further.

    The whistle was a warning to the guards to heighten defences as someone dangerous wasing. If they had met ordinary thieves, they would not blow their whistles.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xiang Chen, who was guarding on the other side of the trading area, rushed over after hearing the whistle.

    ¡°Someone potentially dangerous.¡±

    Kun Tu fixed his gaze on the path through the forest. There were no obstacles there so everyone on the path would be visible to them.

    Soon, they heard the sounds of human activity.

    Kun Tu and the rest spected that the warning call must be about a gigantic trading party with many people. They did not expect only two strangers to walk down the path, along with the guards on patrol.

    When they saw these two strangers, everyone including Xiang Chen and Kun Tu¡¯s eye twitched. Aftering into contact with all kinds of people, they could differentiate between people who had merged with their fire seed and those who hadn¡¯t. At this point, other than the Rain and Drumming tribe, they did not know of anyone else who had merged with their fire seeds.

    But these two strangers had merged with the fire seed! Especially one of them who looked quite dangerous. It was no wonder the patrol team blew the whistle. This person was more than three metres tall, muscr and fierce-looking. He radiated an aura more aggressive than a fearsome beast. Anyone who saw him would be vignt.

    Xiang Chen watched the two strangers brought over by the patrol team suspiciously. Other people might not know this but he had just attended a meeting with Zheng Luo a few days ago and knew something the rest did not.

    Zheng Luo had told them that there were already people crossing over to the maind here from the other side of the ocean. Were these two from the other side of the ocean?

    Why would theye to ming Horn?

    No matter what, before they knew these people well, they must remain vignt. The people from the other side were cunning. And if they could survive their journey here, they must be powerful.

    Xiang Chen¡¯s gaze fell on the other person d in fabric clothing who did not look threatening at all. Although this person¡¯s clothes were tattered in ces, he did not look dishevelled. He had a gentle smile on his face. This made Xiang Chen even more vignt. That musclehead must be protecting this man. Xiang Chen was all too familiar with this dynamic, he had seen this in the cities on the other side of the ocean. A ve and a ve master!

    The word ve master was enough to make the hair on his arms stand up. He was about to enter battle mode in the next second.

    The patrol team¡¯s expressions were cautious yet slightly puzzled. When the guard saw Xiang Chen, he exined, ¡°They¡¯re looking for Grand Elder.¡± After a pause, he lowered his voice, ¡°His name is Yi Si.¡±

    ¡°As in the Yi family? One of the great six?!¡± Xiang Chen¡¯s brows furrowed tightly as he looked at the man with the friendly smile.

    Yi Si did not reply, merely stood in front.

    Xiang Chen stared at him for a few seconds, then his gaze swept past the person next to Yi Si. ¡°Coincidentally, Grand Elder is here today. Follow me.¡±

    He led Yi Si and the musclehead into the town towards ming River Castle.

    After they were far away, the guards at the entrance asked the patrol team, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it. We heard many screams during patrol, then went over to see that musclehead...¡± The guard gesticted with both arms, ¡°...ripping a human in two with his bare hands. Those were probably thieves, don¡¯t think they expected to encounter such a tough one today.¡±

    Within the ming River Castle, Shao Xuan was reading the animal skin scrolls that had been delivered today. That was when he received a message that two peculiar visitors were here and they specifically wanted to meet him.

    Shao Xuan had been wondering who these people could be. When he saw Yi Si, he was very shocked. ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡±

    He could understand if the Yi family sent other people but wasn¡¯t this guy in charge of the ounts at their small crop field?

    When Yi Si saw Shao Xuan, he said, ¡°Long time no see.¡±

    Then, his next sentence was: ¡°You got any food?¡±

    Shao Xuan sent someone to bring food over.

    ¡°Bring more. Grasshopper has been starving for a long time. He might eat quite a lot,¡± added Yi Si.

    How shameless can a guy be?

    Zheng Luo sat on the side, observing them both. The musclehead was just a ve. Although he was strong, he was still a ve. He wondered why a Yi family member woulde so far. Their tribe was not close with the Yi family, nor did they have a particrly good rtionship either. The Yi family had been one of the forces contributing to the mob chasing down the ming Horns.

    Shao Xuan looked at the musclehead standing quietly. After Yi Si spoke, his eyes brightened and gulped. He must be starving. This was obviously the ¡®Grasshopper¡¯ that Yi Si referred to.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a great ve.¡± He must be very strong to be able to send his master here in one piece, alive.

    Yi Si sighed. Sensing the cautious stares from Zheng Luo and Xiang Chen, he did not beat around the bush. ¡°We¡¯re here to seek refuge.¡±

    Zheng Luo and Xiang Chen did not believe this at all. This was the Yi family of the Great Six, one of the aristocratic families. Why would theye so far to seek refuge from the ming Horns?

    Do you think I¡¯m stupid?

    After his initial shock, Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Has there been changes in the powers over there?¡±

    ¡°The crop field under my name has been confiscated and I have no divination powers. I can¡¯t live there anymore, all I can do is find another way out.¡±

    So your ¡®other way out¡¯ was toe all the way here?

    Zheng Luo and Xiang Chen still refused to believe him. The ve masters were too cunning, especially the ones from the Yi family.

    At this moment, someone brought over roasted beast meat.

    Grasshopper¡¯s eyes shone as he drooled. He did not eat immediately, instead turning to Yi Si.

    ¡°You may eat,¡± said Yi Si.

    Grasshopper grinned excitedly, grabbed a beast thigh and started gnawing it.

    This grin was more terrifying than a Drumming tribesman¡¯s grin- this was what everyone thought in unison. This grin bared four sharp canines, exactly like how a predator grinned before tearing their prey to pieces.

    However, this person did not have any killing intent this moment, even quite gentle and happy. If one could not see Grasshopper and merely felt his aura, they would categorise him as harmless. More sensitive ming Horns could sense this.

    ¡°Grasshopper has fearsome beast blood in him,¡± said Yi Si as he slowly ate a small piece of meat. ¡°The stories tell that Grasshopper¡¯s ancestors were from some tribe. After they merged with the fire seed, the tribe eventually dispersed. I don¡¯t know what tribe specifically since that was a long time ago but I know that most of the people from that tribe had fearsome beast blood in them. They are physically very strong and have shocking regenerative abilities Too bad they¡¯re not smart.¡±

    They were basically natural fighting machines, yet they were not intelligent. This was Yi Si¡¯smentary of Grasshopper and his kind.

    ¡°If you leave them alone in a forest, they¡¯ll die very soon because they cannot tell direction and fall into traps easily. Even physical strength cannot cover for theck of intelligence. However, they¡¯re great as ves,¡± said Yi Si.

    Their aura was more simr to a wild fearsome beast than a cunning human.

    So Grasshopper was basically a half-beast? No wonder he seemed like a fearsome beast they encountered in the forest.

    His ancestors must have had quite strong tastes...

 Chapter 672 - Mummy?

    <h4>Mummy?</h4>

    Grasshopper had been basically silent most of the time. Zheng Luo and the rest thought Grasshopper was a quiet person but he was actually just a simple-minded ve. Yi Si exined that while their tribe was not a very intelligent bunch, he was quiet because he was not familiar with thenguage here.

    When Yi Si conversed with Shao Xuan and the rest, he was using the tribalnguage of this area. It was anguage he learned recently, an unbelievable feat since he was already quite fluent within just twenty to thirty days.

    ¡°I take that the other side didn¡¯t fare too well fromst year¡¯s extreme climate changes?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s a mild way to put it. It was absolutely disastrous.¡± Yi Si¡¯s heart broke when he thought about his field¡¯s harvest.

    ¡°Actually, the year you ming Horns caused themotion was the year with the extreme winter blizzards. It was much colder than the previous year. King City¡¯s winter came early and there were often snowstorms. My field¡¯s harvest was awful. If we didn¡¯t have the batch of grains collected before winter, we might not have had grains to eat for the rest of the winter. Golden Grain Fields did not fare well either. He might have known about the disaster beforehand but he still could not avoid suffering losses during the actual disaster.¡±

    Yi Siughed mockingly. ¡°Although the weather has improved now, I don¡¯t have much hopes for the field. Ever since ming Horn caused themotion, King City has been in a state of unrest. Many Yi family members cannot sleep well these days. Ever sincest year¡¯s change in climate, the people have be bolder. I believe you know why.¡±

    ¡°Rock Hill City from the desert?¡± asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°You can say that but to be honest, the Yi family is not interested in Mu Han¡¯s descendants. Oh wait, I mean Rock Hill¡¯s Shi descendants. Mu Han had already abandoned his tribal surname. The Yi family of King City does not care what bes of the Rock Hill Shi family. All they care about is ¡®The Unlucky One¡¯!¡±

    ¡°The Unlucky One?¡± Zheng Luo did not understand.

    But Shao Xuan had heard of this person. ¡°Yi Xiang of the Yi family? The guy who came over together with Mu Han of the Mu family years ago?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Yi Si grew more and more excited. ¡°At the time, Mu Han and Yi Xiang were extremely talented. The oue from the Yi ancestor¡¯s divination reading has alreadye true.¡±

    ¡°Look at you, you look like you¡¯re excited for war,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Yi Si did not deny this. ¡°I am also a person that the Yi family forced out, though my situation isn¡¯t as bad as Yi Xiang, and I don¡¯t have his talent. The Great Six families of King City have already started recruiting tribesmen like the Linlu tribe. And the assets held by descendants without bright futures, like me, were all confiscated to be used as bribes.¡±

    Shao Xuan had seen Yi Si¡¯s situation when he visited his field a while back. While it made sense, he did not believe itpletely. ¡°Just tell me, what are your true intentions?¡±

    Yi Si¡¯s smile vanished. ¡°I want to see what ¡®The Unlucky One¡¯ has done during this past millennium. You might not know it but after the disaster, the guards stationed by King City at the edge of the sea were sent to cross the ocean to scout the area. In the end, other than two people who were deliberately sent back, the rest died.

    After ming Horn crossed the ocean, King City sent a batch of guards to be stationed there. All the misceneous small tribes in the area were forced to move. Due to the Yi family¡¯s divination readings, these guards all survived the disaster. However, they all died after crossing the oceanter.

    Shao Xuan only knew about suspicious movements in the desert. Perhaps this was one of them.

    ¡°The two people released back to the city talked about the appearance of monsters. Apparently there were huge numbers of them, looking like humans but not entirely human. This must be Yi Xiang¡¯s doing. I am very curious about it but it¡¯s too bad I have no authority in my family. I cannot ess such information, plus due to the pressures of my livelihood, I had toe here. But you know that the Yi¡¯s have never been fighters, hence I brought my own ve with me.¡±

    Yi Si studied everyone¡¯s expressions, then continued, ¡°After I arrived, I knew that I was unfamiliar with this ce and have limited capabilities. Once I heard about the ming Horn Trading Point, I came over to seek refuge.¡±

    ¡°How did youe here?¡± Zheng Luo looked at him sharply. Crossing a desert and the sea were no easy feats. You can¡¯t trick us this easily!

    Yi Si did not lie either. ¡°On a long-winged bird.¡±

    Long-winged birds had extensive wingspans suitable for long-distance flight. They were one of the best long-distance flight birds, their wingspans ranging from half a metre to a few metres to even ten metres. They also dove into water for food.

    ¡°I know a person who has a long-winged bird as a ve. I borrowed his bird for a while, that used up all my savings.¡± Yi Si turned to Shao Xuan, ¡°Have you seen the human-like monsters in the desert?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Zheng Luo¡¯s expression was unkind.

    ¡°What about this- take me in, and if you catch one of those monsters you can let me study it. It¡¯s something a Yi family member made so perhaps I¡¯ll be able to answer your questions. What do you think?¡± Zheng Luo was about to speak when Yi Si added, ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t just stay here without working. I can help you with your ounts. Your Grand Elder, Shao Xuan, knows of my capabilities. Although I cannot do readings like the other Yi family members, at least I am confident in my calctions. Plus, my ve, Grasshopper, can also help you with manualbour. He¡¯s as strong as you guys.¡±

    Zheng Luo did not speak. He looked at Shao Xuan, who nodded, then took out an animal skin scroll. He looked at the town blueprint and finally picked a house close to the ming River Castle. While Yi Si currently did not have any form of assets on him, they still would not let him stay there for free. This was considered a loan to him.

    After sending someone to bring Yi Si and Grasshopper, who had finished his meal, to the assigned house, Zheng Luo turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°How much of that do you think can be trusted?¡±

    ¡°Half. Keep him close, and keep an eye on him,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Zheng Luo thought so too. Although he did not like people from the Great Six, he had to admit that the Yi family were talented people. He must not be underestimated even if he did not have divination skills. They must observe him first. It would be great if he could help the ming Horns but one suspicious move and they¡¯ll kill him.

    An eagle¡¯s screech echoed from the skies.

    Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo¡¯s face changed.

    It was Cha Cha. Two days ago, Shao Xuan received an animal skin scroll sent over by an eagle from the tribe. They said that they would send the ¡®monster¡¯ they caught over but were not sure when.

    Shao Xuan told Cha Cha to observe the area, since eagles were more perceptive. He would definitely notice an eagle approaching. This screech meant that the ¡®goods¡¯ were here.

    Both of them rushed up the top of the castle. A giant mountain eaglended with a long wooden box in its talon. It was an eagle from the Hui tribe, there was even a rider on its back.

    When Yi Si asked if they had seen the ¡®monsters¡¯ from the desert, Zheng Luo said no and it was the truth. Shao Xuan was the only one to have seen one here, when he was invited to the Hui tribe.

    ¡°This is it?¡± Zheng Luo approached curiously.

    ¡°Yep. But it is best you open it indoors, avoid sunlight. We sealed it with some herbs that will lose effect in light,¡± said the Hui tribesman.

    Zheng Luo carried the coffin-like long box inside, carefully moving it into a secret chamber.

    There was no one there, only the Hui tribesman, Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo. After dragging the stone door close, there was no light inside.

    Shao Xuan took out a water moon stone for light.

    The rectangr wooden box was built like a coffin, lying silently in the middle of the dark chamber. Everyone felt a chill despite it still being closed.

    Zheng Luo felt an inexplicable shiver.

    ¡°Open it.¡± Shao Xuan gestured to the Hui tribesman.

    The Hui tribesman nodded, took the dagger Shao Xuan gave to him, his eyes lingered on the green metallic de, then cut the ropes tied around the box.

    The box was tied tightly but the sharp de cut through them effortlessly.

    He secretly stared at the dagger longingly when he passed it back to Shao Xuan. He admired the ming Horns for having such good quality weapons.

    The ropes were untied and the box was opened.

    The wooden box was cracked open. When Shao Xuan looked inside, his first thought was: Mummy?

    Within the box, the Hui tribesmen had wrapped their ¡®goods¡¯ tightly with animal skin. Thick fur helped decrease friction and movement during transport. A faint silhouette of a human body could be seen through the dark green wrapping.

    A peculiar smell wafted through the air, mixed with the smell of decay.

    Zheng Luo gulped. ¡°This is it?¡± This was the monster that everyone, including King City¡¯s aristocrats, feared?

    ¡°These fabric strips have been soaked in herbs so the body will decay slower. If you want to see it, you can take the strips out but we won¡¯t be able to stop the decay,¡± said the Hui tribesman. ¡°Our shaman says that it¡¯s best you all leave it here and not bring it into your tribe.¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded. He had received a scroll about not bringing the body into the vige. The Hui shaman said the monster was too peculiar so it was best kept away from the tribe. Also, he noticed the body decayed faster the nearer it was ced to a fire seed. Although the ming Horns no longer had a primitive fire seed, there was a huge poption at the main vige so the fire seed aura would be strong. In the end, Shao Xuan decided that the Hui tribesmen could send it to the trading point.

    He took out a scroll he previously prepared. ¡°This is what your chief and shaman want.¡±

    The Hui tribesman took the scroll and kept it carefully. He did not have any reason to linger so he excused himself. There were people waiting for him near the trading area. He would not transport something so important, of course. He only came alone to prevent attracting too much attention.

    Shao Xuan had given the Hui tribe a scroll containing notes of his tribe, Rain and Drumming tribe¡¯s experiences of merging with the fire seed. Although more people knew about the change in the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed after the banquet, and Shao Xuan had already spoken to the people of the major tribes, these people were still hesitant. Now, the Hui tribe¡¯s request signified that they had made the decision to merge.

    As a thank you gift, the Hui tribe sent over the ¡®monster¡¯ that Shao Xuan had requested. They did not make any progress leaving the body in their tribe anyway. Plus the monster was decaying even quicker now so the chief did not see the use of keeping it. When Shao Xuan made the request, he agreed without much thought.

    When the Hui tribesman left, Zheng Luo looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°Should we open it now? Or wait for the rest toe?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at it first.¡±

    Shao Xuan put on a pair of gloves made from fish skin. He did not want to touch the herbal preservatives on the body.

    The fabric was wrapped from the monster¡¯s feet to its head, hence unwrapping was in the opposite direction.

    Zheng Luo watched on the side as Shao Xuan unwrapped the fabric strips at its head with his green-grey fish skin gloves.

    The monster¡¯s head was revealed as the fabric was unwinded off its head.

    Zheng Luo¡¯s face twitched when he saw the monster¡¯s decayed face.

    ¡°This... this.... Is this human?¡± Zheng Luo was already prepared after knowing that the body would decay after reading the scroll. He had seen both dead humans and beasts. However, he felt a chill when he saw this grotesque face.

    The body decayed in an unusual manner. This ¡®monster¡¯ had oxidised, so when Shao Xuan unravelled the fabric, it creaked. There were even pieces of ck dried flesh stuck to the cloth as if it had been dyed beforehand. The bone underneath was revealed in ces where the flesh had been torn off.

    The Hui tribe had mentioned that the body was so decayed it was almost a heap of bones. They were right.

    ¡°You mean ¡®people¡¯ like this one are moving around the desert? Why are they there? Which tribe are they from?¡± Zheng Luo had many questions. Which tribe had such unique morphological characteristics? They were probably notpletely human, like Yi Si¡¯s ve.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°The body did not look like this thest time I was at the Hui tribe. It has just dried up and hardened.¡±

    Zheng Luo heaved a sigh of relief. He thought it was a particrly odd-looking tribe.

    He sighed too early.

    As Shao Xuan unwrapped the cloth, more of its body was revealed.

    The head was passable as a human but its body revealed a huge secret.

    This monster did not have organs. The dried torso was sunken. Even dried bodies did not shrivel up like this, it was so sunken Zheng Luo was sure there were no organs underneath its abdominal skin!

    Zheng Luo¡¯s first response was, ¡°The Hui tribe dissected it?¡±

    ¡°No, not the Hui tribe. They don¡¯t do that.¡± The Hui tribe would never dissect humans or animals unless it was prey they were about to consume.

    ¡°Then... then why...¡± Zheng Luo stuttered, not sure how to ask his question. He had a guess but refused to believe it. How could it be?

    ¡°The monsters they referred to are ¡®people¡¯ who do not have organs, blood or pulse,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Zheng Luo was shocked. ¡°B-b-but can anyone live without organs and blood?¡±

    ¡°Who said they¡¯re alive?¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re not alive, why is everyone so afraid?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Rock Hill City that. I haven¡¯t seen these ¡®people¡¯ move before.¡±

    ¡°Unless this is the thing the Yi ancestor created? The one Yi Si mentioned?¡±

    Zheng Luo felt a chill down his spine, his clothes were already drenched in sweat as his scalp turned numb. These were dead bodies, yet ¡®alive¡¯ enough to move and kill.

    ¡°Not sure how Rock Hill City turned ¡®people¡¯ into this. Maybe they somehow transformed dead ves into this?¡± muttered Zheng Luo.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eye twitched.

    ¡°There were many people in the desert but these monsters were present inrge numbers. They do not have enough live ves, especially after the desert war. However, if you count in the dead, then that¡¯s an unimaginable number. And we don¡¯t know how long Rock Hill City has been preparing for this.¡±

    Dead...

    Shao Xuan thought about the time he took the core seed from the underground chamber in the desert. At the time, he fought Dao Yu in the chamber, and met a Rock Hill person after killing Dao Yu.

    If Rock Hill City could transform the dead into monsters like that, then could they have modified the dead Dao Yue too?

    Zheng Luo rubbed the goosebumps on his arm as Shao Xuan stared at the monster with furrowed brows. ¡°Rock Hill City is definitely scary. At least their target is on the people on the other side of the ocean.¡±

    Shao Xuan closed the wooden box, then shifted it to another underground secret chamber beneath ming River Castle. He must study this body carefully. At least he would be better prepared if they ever encountered one.

 Chapter 673 - Who Stole The Thousand Grain Gold

    <h4>Who Stole The Thousand Grain Gold</h4>

    Underground secret chambers had been built beneath ming River Castle. Only the core leaders of the ming Horn tribe could enter them. Other than Zheng Luo, who was the Elder in charge of this trading area, Shao Xuan also had his own secret chamber.

    After Shao Xuan shifted the ¡®monster¡¯ into the underground chamber, the few other leaders of the tribe came over to check out the legendary desert monster, though they still could not identify it. However, at least they learned a little about it.

    So the monster looks like that.

    So it does not breathe, has no organs and no pulse. Apparently, it was like a dried salted fish before it decayed.

    Apparently, this monster had shocking strength and was unfazed when their limbs were chopped off. They could even rip out a rib if an arm was lost, ording to someone who travelled in the desert.

    Essentially, the desert became a ce where no trading party would cross. On the other hand, more and more people liked to frequent ming River Trading Point and so they received more information.

    There were guest houses within the trading point but no caves. Anyone who preferred caves would have to look for one outside the trading area but no one would take that risk. Although it was not absolutely safe within the trading area, at least they were guarded by the ming Horns. No one would daremit crimes in public. And that was enough. They were charged amodation fees but any tribe with the capability of travelling to this ce did not mind this extra cost.

    The travellers from far away ces all sat together to chat.

    To the ming Horns, this was good news.

    Have fun and talk! You can brag too, there is usually partial truth in bragging. That was how they got more information.

    Tribesmen were always secretive about their own matters but often got excited in information regarding other tribes. They¡¯d dig and dig! Although their gossip was usually at the expense of another party, at least they were talking.

    Yi Si, who had just arrived, loved to listen to travellers gossiping along with Grasshopper. He did not know much about the tribes here so listening to gossip helped him gain more information.

    Zheng Luo had also received all kinds of information. For example, people from the other side of the ocean had begun to appear in the central ns. Although the travellers were not familiar with the situation, Zheng Luo spected that it was almost like what he guessed.

    However, Shao Xuan paid them no heed. Ever since the Hui tribe delivered the ¡®monster¡¯, he spent most of his time studying it. He felt like if he could find out even a small secret about the monster, perhaps his questions would be answered.

    One day, Gui Ze finished concocting pills made of Veins of the Sky and nned to give a bottle to Shao Xuan. She heard that Shao Xuan¡¯s previous stores had been used up on Caesar for his new eye. However, she looked everywhere and could not find him so she asked Duo Kang who frequented the vige and the trading point. ¡°Where¡¯s Shao Xuan?¡±

    ¡°The Grand Elder is in the underground chamber at the trading point,¡± said Duo Kang.

    A few dayster.

    Ta nned to lead a party out for a hunt and wanted to invite Shao Xuan. He was nowhere to be found in the tribe or trading area.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Grand Elder?¡±

    ¡°In the underground chamber at the trading point.¡±

    A few more dayster.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Grand Elder?¡±

    ¡°Studying the monster in the underground chamber at the trading point.¡±

    Zheng Luo and the rest now knew that if they needed Shao Xuan, they would have to go to the underground chamber beneath the ming River.

    Zheng Luo did not understand what coulde of Shao Xuan studying the monster. However, perhaps he could find out some useful information. If he really could not find anything, he could get the Yi guy over. It was something his ancestor made, he might know something.

    However, before Shao Xuan came out, they did not want to disturb him unless it was something urgent.

    On this day, Shao Xuanw as in the underground chamber as usual. He had figured out some information these days. He remembered the peculiar, dark and chilling fire seed aura he felt when he opened the door the day he visited the Hui tribe to give them the invitation letter. Right now, the aura still remained on the body, though it had faded.

    He had not had a good look at the Hui tribe but now, he realised that the peculiar fire seed aura did note from the flesh, but its bones!

    However, how did the creator of this monster merge the fire seed with its bones? How did the creator turn dead bodies into monsters?

    Bones...

    What do bones contain?

    Bone marrow!

    Shao Xuan picked up a knife, preparing to cut one open.

    At this moment, there was a knock on the stone door.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Shao Xuan opened the door, surprised to see Ao. Usually, Ao would be guarding the vige, while Zheng Luo would guard this ce. Why would Ao be here? And he looked anxious.

    Ao saw the knife in his hand but it was not the time for questions.

    ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the Thousand Grain Gold,¡± said Ao.

    When he heard that it was the Thousand Grain Gold, Shao Xuan left his work at the underground chamber and rushed back to the vige with Ao.

    There were special guards assigned to guard the ce where they nted Thousand Grain Gold. The Thousand Grain Gold wouldpete for resources with other crops, hence they were only nted within a specific area with no other nts nearby. Even a weed could not be seen. The guards were stationed right next to the field. Any suspicious character would be seen immediately

    The patch of field with the Thousand Grain Gold was also surrounded by tall wooden poles so they could not be seen from the outside.

    The nts were making huge progress, neat rows of grains could be seen growing on the stalls. To prevent insects, animals and ill-intentioned people from ruining the crops, the tribe added fifty more guards to the area to kill insects. It was the most tightly-guarded crop field in the tribe.

    The Thousand Grain Gold was important to the ming Horns. When they merged with the fire seed, it helpedplete the process better. And it had other helpful properties too. It was the tribe¡¯s favourite crop and Ao ced much emphasis on it.

    This year¡¯s harvest was much more than in the past. Ao was initially ecstatic but he recently observed something that made him furious.

    ¡°We¡¯re nearing harvest period, I check on the crops every day. The day before, I found that a row of grains was missing from one of the nts. I did not know why and I talked to the guards. They said it wasn¡¯t them and I believe it. I told them to guard the ce tighter and they did not find anything. But!¡± Ao¡¯s face darkened. ¡°Yesterday, when I came over, I found another nt with grains missing. I had watched the farmers personally, and tightened security during the night. Yet it happened again. Come and take a look at this, Ah Xuan.¡±

    Shao Xuan went over to see heavy grains hanging off the nts. They were still green as they were not ripe yet.

    Ao pointed to a nt. Since these nts were taller than humans, he looked up at the nts to check on their grains. Anyone less familiar with the crops would not have noticed that a portion of the grains had been sliced off.

    They were not ripped off but obviously sliced off using a sharp object.

    ¡°Is it the ¡®Robbers¡¯ again?¡± Ao was frustrated, not sure who could do this right under their noses. The ¡®Robbers¡¯ had a bad history with them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell for the moment. Maybe yes, maybe no.¡± Even Shao Xuan did not know.

    ¡°Unless it¡¯s someone from the other side of the ocean?¡± guessed Ao.

    ¡°They might not be as skilful as the ¡®Robbers¡¯ but it¡¯s possible. There are also many gangs there,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Since fire seeds had not existed on the other side of the ocean for a long time, the way tribes were organised had changed greatly. Some people maintained their tribal organisations, others grouped together to form special organisations based on shared interests. These organisations consisted of people from different tribes, perhaps they aimed to rob or steal. Of course, there were also organisations that specialised in trade or other types of businesses. There were many groups like that of thieves and robbers so this was a possibility.

    Ao¡¯s brows remained tightly furrowed, extremely worried. The grains were not even ripe yet, and it was being stolen. They had no clues at all. If the grains ripened, would the situation worsen? He was not afraid of confrontation, but he was frustrated at theck of targets. Who would he vent his anger at?

    ¡°You were here during the day yesterday?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, I personally watched Qi Qi and the rest applying fertilisers. There were no suspicious people, nor did I notice the cut grains after that.¡± Ao did not suspect his own tribesman. He was just watching to prevent outsiders from slipping in. Some people could imitate another tribesman¡¯s looks and even aura. Anyone weaker or less observant might not notice. Hence Ao had to personally be there.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll guard the area tonight with Caesar,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be here tonight too, I want to see who has been stealing the grains without leaving any traces!¡± Ao¡¯s knuckles crackled as he clenched his fist and gritted his teeth. ¡°I¡¯ll kill them when I catch the culprit!¡±

 Chapter 674 - He Cant Kill This Thief

    <h4>He Can¡¯t Kill This Thief</h4>

    Hey guys are you aware that we have a discord server here? Come talk to fellow readers (and me) here!! ¨CDOGE

    As the most important crop of the ming Horn tribe, the number of guards guarding the Thousand Grain Gold was no fewer than one hundred. After this incident, Ao doubled the number to two hundred. Now that Ao and Shao Xuan decided to personally guard the area, they must catch the thief stealing the grains.

    There were many questions regarding the incident. For example, why did they steal the grains when they weren¡¯t ripe yet? Unripe grains could not be used as seeds nor food. And why did they steal so little every time? They would have toe again and again as if it was a game. With such an ability to avoid detection from the guards, why did they not wait until the ming Horns harvested the grains, then steal them?

    No matter what the reason was, Shao Xuan must find the thief.

    Ever since Caesar¡¯s right eye regenerated and mastered his third eye, his vision was much more powerful. With two elders, one three-eyed wolf and two hundred guards, they would definitely notice something even if they could not catch the thief, right?

    Since they did not notice anything unusual during the day, it was likely the thief came at night. After sunset and the two moons were high in the sky, the guards on duty focused all their attention on guarding the area. They stood around the plot of the field, so close two people could even chat. It was impossible for anyone to slip past them unless the thieves were extremely skilful.

    Shao Xuan, Ao and Caesar were all in the field. The past three thefts did not happen on the same nt but on three different stalks located in different parts of the field. That meant the thief did not target just one spot. It was possible for them to appear anywhere in the field, targeting any nt.

    Tonight¡¯s moons were dimmer than the nights before. As the two moons slowly separated farther from each other, both turning from full moons into crescents, they also dimmed. However, although the moonlight wascking, anyone with decent vision still could see clearly at night.

    ¡°It¡¯s too quiet.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the stalks of Thousand Grain Gold around him as tall as small trees, then looked up at the sky.

    Ever since he returned from the expedition downstream, he had visited this ce fewer than five times. In the beginning, it was because of Caesar¡¯s eye he did not have time for anything else; then he was busy writing notes and procedures in merging the fire seed for the Hui tribe, and recently he had been busy with the ¡®monster¡¯ andpletely forgot about these crops.

    ¡°It¡¯s been like these for the past three days.¡± Ao never found the reason. ¡°The guards said that there used to be many insects after the Thousand Grain Gold at night that they had to kill but since three nights ago, the number of insects decreased drastically.¡±

    There were a few insects flying in the air but this was nothingpared to past nights. They did not even hear insect sounds. There were so many guards in the area to, number one, guard against thieves, and number two, guard against pests. There were many crop pestsing from the forest, and high-quality crops like these attracted insects. Birds would sometimese too. This silence was definitely unusual.

    As the night darkened, the sounds of human activity faded. All they heard was the asional bird caw far away and faint beast roars from even farther away.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s heart suddenly skipped a beat, sensing something that was making him shudder.

    Caesar, who was lying aside, leapt up and opened his third eye to survey the area. He obviously sensed danger but could not identify where the threat was.

    When Ao saw both their reactions, he knew that something was off. He too felt the change in atmosphere but could not figure out the cause.

    In the sky, the few insects that were flying in the area, as well as insect chirps, all disappeared.

    Shao Xuan waited silently, slowing his breath down to hide his presence.

    This feeling reminded him of the time he met the fearsome beast at the river by the Gu tribe during his expedition downstream. But this feeling was much stronger than before.

    Was this a beast? Or a human?

    Shao Xuan could not find the answer nor heard anything else. At the Gu tribe, he could still hear the sound of sshes but here, he heard nothing. The feeling was there. This meant something was already watching the area even if they were not close yet.

    Suddenly, there was a faint sound resembling a gust of wind. Anyone farther away might not have been able to hear it.

    It came from above the field.

    Shao Xuan looked instinctively in one direction. Caesar looked the same way but let out a low growl. Every hair stood on its end. Caesar did not rush forward, instead he looked like he was avoidant of this new threat.

    Ao only felt like something was approaching, and had a faint feeling of the direction. His instinct told him that this was a powerful enemy. He clutched his spear tight, his gaze fixed in a direction.

    The guards around the field had not noticed. Only Shao Xuan, Ao and the wolf were in the field.

    However, the feeling quickly vanished. There was the faint sound again. Ao could not confirm the direction of the sound. He only knew that it came from the sky.

    Ao turned to Shao Xuan, about to ask for confirmation. Should they go check immediately or stand their ground? It was not a good time to speak so he nned to gesture. However, Shao Xuan was not looking at him.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s body was all tensed up. He slowly turned his head to look behind him.

    Puzzled, Ao, who was near Shao Xuan, also turned.

    There was a Thousand Grain Gold nt with slender outward-extending leaves behind him. At this moment, on a palm-wide leaf, there was an object hanging from it.

    Ao could still distinguish what it was in the darkness.

    That was the reason why he almost drew in a sharp breath. However, fear had paralysed him so he did not dare inhale. He held his breath although every muscle screamed danger, his blood almost flowing backwards at this point. It felt as if he had been tossed into a freezer.

    It was a bat hanging off the Thousand Grain Gold¡¯s leaf.

    In its w was a grain it had just cut off the nt.

    During the day, Ao said he¡¯d kill whoever was stealing his grains. However, he realised he might not be able to kill this one.

 Chapter 675 - The King Beastâ€™s Peculiar Movements

    Chapter 675

    The King Beast¡¯s Peculiar Movements

    Shao Xuan had only met one bat that could appear behind them undetected. It was a bat no one in ming Horn would ever want to provoke, one they met while mining for fire crystals.

    This was the bat leader they encountered years ago.

    Although it was not technically a king beast, with its abilities, it might as well be one. Theirst encounter had left the ming Horn tribesmen traumatised, even changing their hunting routes to avoid it.

    How could he kill this thief so easily?

    Obviously not.

    Ao did not know what to do either. He stood in the same spot, unmoving.

    The cuts made on the Thousand Grain Gold nt were very smooth, whatever cut it must be very sharp and shed very quickly. They thought it was a de used by the ¡®Robbers¡¯, now they realised it was this bat.

    Who would¡¯ve guessed?

    The question was, wasn¡¯t the bat leader supposed to be leading the bats in the mountain?

    The cave they had found the fire crystals long ago had been filled with bats. However, after the appearance of this bat leader, they went to conquer another new spot, which was a tall mountain with its peak high up in the clouds. It was a huge territory and far away from this ce. While it could fly fast, why would this bat fly to their field every night, even slicing off only one nt at a time?

    Was it curious?

    But theoretically, unripe grains should not be interesting enough to attract it from its home deep in the forest.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s mind raced, thinking over his next move. Although his capabilities had improved since hest met the bat, while Ao and the rest were also stronger from merging with the fire seed, it was still not beneficial to them to fight the bat leader.

    Under the moonlight, the terrifying animal quietly hung upside-down on a nt two steps away from them, unmoving. It looked at Shao Xuan and Ao, though its eyes lingered on Shao Xuan.

    Just as Shao Xuan was thinking, the bat¡¯s wings moved soundlessly, like fluttering shadows. In a moment, it disappeared.

    The tense atmosphere dispersed as if it did not happen.

    Caesar¡¯s fur was still on end, he opened his third eye cautiously to look around.

    Phew...

    Shao Xuan heaved a sigh of relief.

    He would never have expected it to be this bastard.

    ¡°It¡¯s... gone?¡± Ao asked in a low voice.

    ¡°Yeah, it left.¡±

    Ao fell on his butt on the ground, ignoring the manure in the soil.

    He wiped the dripping sweat from his forehead and turned to Shao Xuan, ¡°It¡¯s the one, right?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡±

    Shao Xuan walked over to the spot where they first noticed the peculiar aura. There, they found the fourth cut stalk. Only one row of grains was cut off. It was a fresh cut with green sap dripping out.

    The cut looked the same as the other three cuts.

    Now that they had found the ¡®thief¡¯, they still did not know what to do. How would they deal with this thief that visited them every day?

    Fight? There would be a price to pay.

    Don¡¯t fight? But the bat would likely visit every day. It no longer lived deep in the forest. Shao Xuan had a feeling that it was currently living near the ming Horn vige and not the previous mountain.

    ¡°Go ask the hunters if they found anything odd when they went out hunting,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Since there was not enough reason here to attract the bat leader, then something must have happened to the bat mountain.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Ao¡¯s face was solemn, extremely worried.

    If this was a ¡®Robber¡¯, he would have the confidence to fight. But he was not confident up against this opponent.

    When Shao Xuan and Ao left the field, the guards outside were puzzled. ¡°Grand Elder, Elder Ao, you¡¯re leaving?¡±

    Ao was looking down, deep in thought. He did not respond at all.

    Shao Xuan did not borate either, for it would just cause panic. ¡°Be careful. If you face a situation you cannot handle, retreat first.¡±

    Before the guards understood his words, Shao Xuan and Ao had already left.

    The bat leader had already left with its grains so it should not return tonight. It had noticed Shao Xuan and Ao but since it did not react, it should not return to retaliate either. They expect this incident to be as soundless and traceless as before.

    Shao Xuan and Ao rushed back to the vige in the middle of the night, waking the few hunt leaders who were sound asleep.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Mai yawned. After entering the room, he realised Shao Xuan, Ao, Gui He, Ta and the rest were all here. The few major hunt leaders were also gradually arriving.

    Very soon, other than Duo Kang, Zheng Luo and the rest at the trading area, everyone of hunt leader position and above were called over.

    They were in a meeting room built on the mountain specially built for meetings like this. They drew the animal hide curtains close, blocking any light and sound from leaving the room.

    The Elder and Chief¡¯s faces were solemn, causing the atmosphere to turn tense. They would not have called a meeting if it were not urgent.

    Anyone still sleepy was wide awake now, mildly ufortable as they eyed Shao Xuan and Ao¡¯s expressions. They wondered what could have happened to make Grand Elder, who had been holed up at the trading area, toe over.

    When all the leaders in the vige arrived, they waited for the hosts to speak.

    Ao looked at Shao Xuan, implying for him to speak.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath and looked around the room. Everyone became more anxious.

    ¡°This afternoon, Ao told me someone had been slicing off our Thousand Grain Gold.¡± Shao Xuan briefly exined the situation.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes became aze with anger. They all wanted to punch the thief.

    However, what Shao Xuan said next was like a bucket of cold water. Not only did the mes disappear, they were shivering.

    Everyone who had gone to mine fire crystals all remembered what happened.

    ¡°How can it be the same bat again?!¡± Mai clenched his fist, let go, then clenched it again.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it living on the other side of the forest?¡± Cheng was also panicking.

    ¡°Cheng and Mai, you should be able to see that mountain along your hunting routes. Did you notice anything unusual?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    After the incident at bat mountain, Cheng¡¯s hunt party changed their hunt routes to avoid the bat mountain. They could see the peak from far away but never got any closer to avoid trouble. He had warned their brothers from the other side of the ocean not to get any closer too.

    ¡°We never approached the ce but from afar, nothing looked amiss.¡± Cheng scratched his sideburns, frustrated. If this was another tribesman, he would not be afraid. However, he did not have a good impression of that bat, shuddering at the memory of the incident.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been either,¡± said Mai. Then, he suddenly recalled something. ¡°I don¡¯t know about bat mountain but we noticed changes along our hunt route.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Shao Xuan straightened up and asked Mai, ¡°Tell us anything unusual you noticed. Any changes in the mountain, trees, rivers, animals... anything.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the mountain, the one you all say with the king beast,¡± said Mai.

    ¡°The one with the king stoneworm?¡± Shao Xuan rarely travelled there, usually going towards the ins. Therefore he really did not notice anything about the mountain.

    ¡°Exactly!¡± Mai paused. ¡°Anyone who has used that path before knows that when you leave a mark in the tunnels within the mountain, you won¡¯t be able to see the mark again.¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded. He remembered that there was indeed a king stoneworm beneath that mountain. It was not a rumour at all. It was due to the worm¡¯s ¡®activities¡¯ that any markings left on the tunnel¡¯s walls would disappear the next time they visited. Sometimes, even ropes they left behind would disappear.

    The cave was like a long intestine, anything left untouched inside would be ¡®absorbed¡¯ without a trace. The further underground, the more obvious this phenomenon was, the faster the markings disappeared.

    That was why anyone who used that route relied on their own experience and memory, passing on this knowledge to the next generation. No one would ever rely on markings.

    ¡°In the beginning, I didn¡¯t notice but after a few times, I found a bit of straw rope I previously tossed inside!¡± Now that he recalled this, Mai regretted not paying more attention. He thought the king stoneworm must be resting or had gone somewhere else. Maybe the mountain would return to normal if it returned.

    ¡°The king stoneworm...¡± Shao Xuan wondered aloud, ¡°What could have happened to even affect the king stoneworm?¡±

    ¡°Mai, when was the first time you noticed the markings were no longer disappearing?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Mai looked ashamed. ¡°The first time I realised this was actually beforest winter. It¡¯s just I did not have time to think about it. There were many threats in the cave at the time, even beasts we had never seen before inside. We spent most of our efforts guarding against them.¡±

    ¡°This means the changes within the mountain started before winter. Perhaps it¡¯s due to the natural disaster,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°But the bat leader only came recently. It must have been a recent event.¡±

    There was a tense silence in the house.

    There was a huge threat looming over the tribe and they found no exnations for it. No one would be able to rest well. They no longer had the fire seed, powerful fearsome beasts like this one could fly over their vige undetected anytime.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Mai looked at Shao Xuan, then around the room. No one spoke, for no one had a solution.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave tomorrow to check on the bat mountain. And we¡¯ll also visit the king stoneworm¡¯s mountain. Perhaps we¡¯ll find the reason,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s the only solution we have. But the tribe must be guarded well. Don¡¯t tell anyone else about this. We¡¯ll only announce one we have found the reason or we¡¯ll cause panic. And outsiders could ambush us while we¡¯re vulnerable,¡± said Gui He.

    After making arrangements for the expedition, everyone returned to their homes. However, no one would be able to fall asleep again.

    On the next day, after the sky lightened, Shao Xuan had Cha Cha bring him, Ao and two other leaders over. Ta, Mai and the rest set off together with Caesar.

    In the past, bat mountain did not contain any bats. However, a leader appeared in the colony and they abandoned their short hill to conquer a taller mountain. They even chased out all the fearsome beasts living inside. After that, the ming Horn tribe called it ¡®bat mountain¡¯.

    Shao Xuan looked at the mountain so tall it extended into the clouds. Compared to the other mountains, it felt darker and eerier. This feeling became clearer as they approached.

    Due to the colony of bats in the mountain, all the beasts had been driven away. Any fearsome beasts that remained behind became bat food. Any smart animal would not stay or their blood would get sucked by the bats.

    Since there were no fearsome beasts or smaller animals, it was unusually silent and dead.

    It was daytime so they did not see any bats flying out.

    Shao Xuan did not enter the cave, merely circling the area.

    ¡°The colony is still here, they haven¡¯t left. There are fresh signs of activity, even bat feces at the cave mouth,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°So you mean only the leader left?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ao did not understand.

    Why would the bat leader abandon its subjects to go steal grains at their field?

    Shao Xuan could not think of a reason either.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check out the king stoneworm.¡± Shao Xuan called Cha Cha over, who brought them to the mountain they hadn¡¯t visited in a long time.

    That year, Shao Xuan had exited the ce carrying his ancestor¡¯s remains. If it were not for the ancestral bone ornaments and the remains, he would have been swallowed by the mountain.

    When he arrived at the mouth of the cave, he looked at the writings at the entrance and bowed ording to tradition. Then, he entered the cave.

 Chapter 676 - The Disappearance of the King Stoneworm

    Chapter 676

    The Disappearance of the King Stoneworm

    Shao Xuan remembered that the animals living in the area were usually weaker species. The king beast would never allow any other fearsome beasts on its turf in the mountain. Anything weaker was beneath the king stoneworm and not worth its attention.

    Just like how lions would ignore ants but never a wolf in its territory.

    The ming Horns had lived in the area for a thousand years. Generations of hunters had passed through here to get to hunting grounds on the other side of the mountain, rarely meeting any beasts they could not handle. asionally, when new, younger warriors joined, they just might be targeted by the animals in the cave, just like what happened to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan had not been here in a long time but had a rough expectation of what animals he would encounter. However, when he entered the cave, he sensed many auras that should not appear here.

    ¡°Something is indeed off.¡±

    Shao Xuan still remembered the paths in the mountain and did not need Mai to lead the way. He travelled ahead from memory.

    They were ambushed several times by fearsome beasts hiding in the darkness along the way, though they were all dealt with by Shao Xuan. They were not particrly strong, or Mai would have brought attention to the situation here already.

    All the stronger fearsome beasts should know there was a king stoneworm inside, therefore avoiding this ce. Even if the king stoneworm seemed to be missing, they would still avoid this ce temporarily.

    The tip of his sword pierced a six-legged bug towards the cave wall, creating a dent.

    Near the dent were scratches made by other weapons. They were marks from Mai¡¯s previous hunts. They had not disappeared yet.

    Within the cave, Shao Xuan expanded his senses to check if the king stoneworm was still here.

    Shao Xuan could sense the fire seed in everyone within range. Even people who had not merged with the fire seed would carry a little of its aura. He could sense fire seeds of other tribes during the expedition downstream using the same ability.

    It was a sensing ability stemming from his ancestral power. Compared to totemic power, it was more of spiritual intuition. The stronger one¡¯s ancestral power was, the more powerful their sensing ability would be. Shao Xuan could sense fire seeds far away due to the strengthening of his internal ancestral powers.

    At the Thousand Grain Gold field, he had been able to sense the bat leader¡¯s location. He had the same ability while they were digging for fire crystals but at the time, his abilities were still sketchy. That night, his senses were much sharper. The bat leader had hidden itself extremely well. Any other fearsome beast of the same level should have been discovered by Ao and the rest already. However, Ao¡¯s ancestral power was not as strong as his totemic power so he was not as sensitive as Shao Xuan.

    There was one thing Shao Xuan did not tell them. When he sensed the bat leader, within his spiritual mind, he ¡®saw¡¯ a dot of light that looked like a fire seed. The bright dot was the bat.

    Why would a beast have an aura resembling a fire seed?

    What shocked Shao Xuan more was that the fire-seed-like energy on the bat was simr to the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed. Just a little, approximately ten percent simr to the tribe¡¯s fire seed. Another ten percent was simr to the other kind of energy that Shao Xuan had in his body.

    Within his spiritual mind, there was not just the ming Horn totemic mes but also the light shell around the mes. The bat¡¯s energy was simr to the energy from the shell.

    Perhaps that was why the bat leader did not kill the ming Horns during theirst encounter. Maybe it saw the ming Horns as its kind.

    Shao Xuan believed that the bat leader saw the ming Horns as its little brothers.

    But just the small simrity was shocking. The only thing connecting both the bat and the ming Horns was that before it stood out as the leader of the bats, it had absorbed energy from the fire crystals.

    Shao Xuan had ¡®burned¡¯ the fire crystals himself.

    He could not figure out the reason but this was not the time to think. He used his sensing abilities to search beneath the mountain for the elusive king stoneworm.

    When he had the close encounter with the king stoneworm, he had not seen it with his own eyes. But he definitely could distinguish it by its aura. Shao Xuan could clearly remember the sensation of almost being turned to stone.

    Ao and the rest walked behind Shao Xuan. When he slowed down, they did not hurry him but remained guarded.

    ¡®If only Shao Xuan can find out the reason from his knot divination,¡¯ thought Ao.

    Shao Xuan searched in every direction. Since he was surrounded by rock, his abilities were greatly limitedpared to sensing for tribe fire seeds over arge area. However, he shrank his search area based on where he remembered the king stoneworm had appeared before. As long as the worm was still here, he should be able to feel it.

    Nothing.

    Still nothing!

    Shao Xuan continued to walk forward, sensing the area.

    He carried on until he exited the tunnel on the other side of the mountain and still did not find the king stoneworm.

    ¡°Indeed, the king stoneworm is no longer here,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    This was not good news to the ming Horns.

    They did not care for changes in fearsome beast territories but this was a king beast. King beasts did not change their territories easily. For example, on the other side of the ocean, the salt beast guarded its salt cave faithfully and had no intentions to leave although it was disturbed.

    The king stoneworm that had not moved territories in a thousand years had left its home.

    In reality, the king stoneworm¡¯s territory was not small. The salt beast¡¯s territory was horizontal, and could be calcted like a piece of tnd. However, the king stoneworm¡¯s influence extended throughout thisrge mountain with a base area of unimaginable size, its peak reaching the clouds. Even few birds would fly over this mountain.

    No one understood why it would abandon a territory like this.

    Shao Xuan found the cave where he carried the ancestral remains out, then entered it. He found animals that previously did not dare approach the ce inside, even bones of small animals. For a mountain that could swallow anything inside, small bones like this should not be able tost long. Yet now, leftovers left behind by another animal were here.

    ¡°The king stoneworm has been gone for a while,¡± Shao Xuan told Ao and the rest. ¡°Maybe it left duringst year¡¯s disaster.¡±

    If the king stoneworm left for somewhere else like deeper into the forest, it did not concern the ming Horns. However, what if it was headed towards ming Horn?

    The bat leader¡¯s behaviour was too sudden and inexplicable, causing a great deal of difort. As for this king beast, if nothing had happened recently, everyone guessed it must have found a new nest deeper into the forest. For a beast of that level, finding a new home was easy since it could defeat any other animal as long as it was not a fellow king beast.

    ¡°What should we do next?¡± Ao felt as if a boulder was pressing on his chest as he thought about the bat leader visiting their crop field every night. Even breathing felt difficult, for one mistake could result in a disaster.

    ¡°As long as we do not attack it, the bat will not attack us.¡± This might be due to the simrities in the fire seed. If it wanted to, the bat should have attacked a long time ago. However, there had been no recent reports of missing persons.

    ¡°Tell the wanderers to stay put. The bat might not attack ming Horns but I am not sure about them,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Although Ao did not understand why, he nodded. He too felt like the bat would not attack ming Horns for the moment. It had many opportunities to kill them but it had not.

    ¡°But we still cannot let this continue.¡± Even if the bat did not attack them, they still could not sleep well with this looming threat.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°You all wait for Mai and the rest here, I¡¯ll go to bat mountain again.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Shao Xuan had Cha Cha bring him towards bat mountain. He had previously roughly circled around the mountain but this time, he nned to search the area. He had a few guesses about the bat leader¡¯s behaviour. One was that the king stoneworm¡¯s movements might have affected it. A powerful beast like the bat leader should not be easily affected by the activity of any weaker animal.

    Shao Xuan had to look for other clues around the mountain to check for reasons that forced the bat to abandon its mountain.

    The reason wasn¡¯t that it liked ming Horn¡¯s vige. If that was the case, why would it wait until now to visit?

    Shao Xuan looked down across the forest as he rode on the eagle¡¯s back.

    Cha Cha flew at a medium height so they could see objects beneath them while still avoiding the ancient trees and potential threats in them. Cha Cha had been attacked before due to flying too low.

    Mai¡¯s hunting routes did not pass through the areas around the mountain. Shao Xuan also rarely came here hence he was unfamiliar with this ce.

    Cha Cha¡¯s flight path was an outward spiral from the mountain.

    There were huge temperature differences between different regions of the forest. Sometimes, this part of the mountain was cold as autumn while the other was humid as a hot summer. However, in general, at this time of the year, the ce was mainly green.

    The ancient trees determined the colour palette of the forest. Their onlypetitor was the mountains.

    Vegetation became sparser up the mountain, the green quickly fading at high altitudes into green-grey boulders, until the white snow on the peaks. The peaks stood out clearly against the blue sky and its green surroundings.

    Shao Xuan was used to these colours but as they flew, he noticed something unusual.

    There was a hill a distance from the mountain. Regr hills had grass even if there were no trees. However, there were just grey-white rocks on it.

    The closer they flew, the clearer he saw that the hill was barren.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go down to check it out.¡±

    When Cha Cha descended, Shao Xuan leapt off andnded near the hill.

    Crack-crack-crack¡ª

    When Shao Xuan stepped on the grassy ground, the sound did not resemble a footstep on soft grass.

    He looked down. Some of the green grass had turned grey-white.

    Some of the trees around him had also turned into the colour of stone.

    The changes grew more obvious when he approached the hill. Around the hill were rocks that looked like tree trunks.

    Those used to be trunks, though their upper halves had broken off to leave a stump. Even the lines on the tree bark could be clearly discerned.

    They¡¯ve turned to stone!

    Shao Xuan had his guesses now.

    The only beast that could do this was the king stoneworm!

    Why wasn¡¯t it at its home? Why was it here?

    Shao Xuan walked up the hill. He could sense that the king stoneworm was not close by so he was not worried that he might be turned to stone.

    The hill waspletely bare. The rocks looked new. The stoneworm was only recently here.

    As he walked up to the top of the short hill, he saw a round hole two-metres wide, He squatted at its edge and looked down. Based on its inner curvature, the worm must have emerged out of the ground from here. However, it had not exitedpletely, merely poking its head out and then going back underground.

    The hill was actually a mound caused by the king stoneworm¡¯s movements. Even the nts nearby were all turned to stone. The hole became narrower, deeper down as the king stoneworm retreated back inside. Once it waspletely hardened, the hole maintained this current shape.

    In the past, the ming Horns felt like the king stoneworm must be about the size of the tunnels in the mountain. However, Shao Xuan had a feeling it must berger than those tunnels because they might have contracted after the worm left before hardening.

    However, they were just spections because he had not seen the king stoneworm with his eyes.

    Standing on the hill, he looked towards bat mountain. They were not too close or they would have noticed this ce the first time they came here. However, they were still not too far away. Perhaps near enough for the bat leader to sense the king stoneworm¡¯s movements.

    Did the bat leader really abandon the mountain and escape to ming Horn because of the king stoneworm? Well, to the bat leader, the ming Horns were its little brothers.

    Unable to confirm this, Shao Xuan had Cha Cha bring him up into the sky to continue searching for other mounds like this one, especially in the direction of the ming Horn tribe. If he found anything in that direction, then they had another headacheing.

    No one wanted to fight a king beast even though they knew the king stoneworm had a more cid temperament. If it were not for its non-aggressiveness, they would not have a hunting route near it. It had never attacked them for a thousand years.

    However, they could not be sure in the event of an actual fight.

    At least Shao Xuan did not find any more hills like this one in the direction of the tribe. However, he was still notpletely convinced.

    ¡°Where did it go?¡±

    Shao Xuan returned to the hill. After Shao Xuan told Ao and the rest about it, they too came over.

    ¡°Perhaps I should go down and check,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The king stoneworm left behind a tunnel everywhere it went. They would know where it went by following the tunnels.

 Chapter 677 - The King Stoneworm Is Here

    <h4>The King Stoneworm Is Here</h4>

    Following the tunnels underground was the best way to figure out where the king stoneworm went but also the most dangerous.

    After some discussion, only Shao Xuan, Ao and Ta would go underground. Not too many together or it would be difficult to move.

    A rope was lowered into the hole in the short hill. The rope slid downwards. It was not very long, instead was pieces of short straw rope tied together. It only touched the ground after almost a hundred metres. That meant the king stoneworm moved upwards, peek its head out, retreated back down this tunnel, then changed direction.

    ¡°Which direction should we head towards£¿¡° Ao looked at the two tunnels, unable to make a decision. One was the tunnel made by the king stoneworm travelling towards this direction, the other was made when it left.

    Shao Xuan studied the patterns on the stone walls and touched it. He pointed in one direction. ¡°It travelled this way but let¡¯s take the other path.¡±

    He wanted to check if the king stoneworm hade from its mountain or it had passed through bat mountain first. If it did, then there was a reasonable exnation to the bat leader¡¯s sudden appearance.

    Understanding his thought process, Ao and Ta did not object, walking down the tunnel made by the worming towards them.

    Although they were underground, Shao Xuan had memorised the entrance and carried a universal eye in his hand.

    ¡°It can still pinpoint directions without the sun or moon?¡± Ta was surprised.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Shao Xuan. When he spoke to the Ya tribe, they said they used it underground too. However, only leaders of the tribe had a universal eye. It was rare and the Jing tribe rarely gave them out as gifts.

    As if to prove his words, under the glow of the water moon stone, the universal eye opened a slit like the eye of a beast. As the slit grew, the direction it pointed at grew clearer.

    Ao and Ta had a strong sense of direction. As long as they knew the rough direction of the sun and had an estimate of the time, they could confirm the direction of bat mountain.

    They continued ahead.

    ¡°It came from that way!¡± confirmed Ta.

    They grew more sure as they travelled. This tunnel extended from bat mountain.

    They elerated and soon arrived at bat mountain.

    How did they know they were at bat mountain?

    Other than based on their own estimates, there was a tunnel extending upwards. However, the tunnel did not break through the surface, merely extending twenty metres up.

    ¡°Do you think the king stoneworm noticed the bat leader¡¯s presence when it came here? Hence it decided to head upwards? But then the bat leader reacted so quickly that it ran the moment the king stoneworm approached. Do you think it¡¯s possible?¡± Ao told them his guesses.

    ¡°That is indeed possible,¡± agreed Ta.

    ¡°Bat mountain should be above us, even if we are not directly underneath the mountain. We are very close though. But why did the king stoneworm leave its nest? Even if it¡¯s because of the natural disaster, after leaving its nest, it should return after the disaster subsided,¡± wondered Shao Xuan aloud.

    ¡°Maybe the king stoneworm wants to change its nest location?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out.¡±

    The three of them travelled towards where the king stoneworm came from in a tunnel a hundred metres deep underground.

    The air was thin here as they travelled farther from the short hill. Since they were not close to the king stoneworm¡¯s nest, there were not enough tunnels for venttion. At least all three were more resistant towards thinning air. Any low or middle-ranked totemic warriors might not be able to bear it for long.

    Ao and Ta also wanted to know why the king stoneworm left the nest. However, they quickly found the reason why the king stoneworm never returned.

    There was a dead end not far from bat mountain.

    The tunnel had been cut off here. Then, there were signs of the king stoneworm changing direction.

    ¡°This must have happened some time ago. The natural disaster is the only event that can cause such a major change underground,¡± said Ao.

    ¡°So this means that the king stoneworm was startledst year during the natural disaster and left its nest, heading in this direction amidst the chaos. But then due to the underground movements, it could not find the tunnel it came from so...¡± Ta was not sure whether tough or not. ¡°Even if the king stoneworm can¡¯t trace its original path, it can always take another route. Why would it continue to stay away from its nest?¡±

    ¡°What if... it can¡¯t sense directions?¡± offered Shao Xuan.

    Ao and Ta fell silent. A king beast with no sense of direction? Weren¡¯t high-level beasts all very smart?

    ¡°I guess... that¡¯s a possibility.¡± That was all Ao could say.

    Shao Xuan sensed the area. ¡°The stone walls here are much thicker than other ces. Maybe the king stoneworm stopped here for a long time.¡±

    The longer the worm stopped in a ce, the thicker the solidification of its surroundings. Shao Xuan could sense that the tunnels were made of the special rock caused by the king stoneworm and were not the naturally-uring kind.

    ¡°Maybe the king stoneworm left its nest and ran here to escape the natural disaster. It stopped for a long time, maybe it fell asleep. When it woke up, its original path had been cut off due to the ground movements, so it decided to continue moving somewhere else?¡±

    Shao Xuan did not want to make the king stoneworm seem so stupid either but this might be the most likely exnation.

    If that was true, all three of them had one thought: its intelligence was just...

    ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s continue searching the area?¡±

    Since this path had been cut off, then they had to travel along the path where the king stoneworm left.

    They prayed it was not travelling towards the ming Horn tribe.

    They returned to the short hill and told the rest what they found. After some rest and a meal, all three went underground again.

    A hundred metres below ground, three people ran along the tunnels.

    In the middle, the three of them found another short hill simr to the previous one, proving that the king stoneworm had broken through the surface here.

    ¡°This happened during these past two days.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the trees in the area, whose roots had turned to rock but crowns remained bright green. The branches had not shrivelled up yet. This meant the stoneworm had been here not more than two days ago.

    ¡°Let¡¯s carry on.¡± Ao had be increasingly anxious. Although they were not heading directly to ming Horn, they were not too far off.

    ¡®Please, not ming Horn! Not ming Horn!¡¯ Ao chanted in his heart.

    However, the mood grew solemn the more they walked.

    Shao Xuan looked at the universal eye to confirm their location.

    ¡°We¡¯re at... ming River?¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± gasped Ao and Ta in unison.

    They were already at ming River?

    But how is that possible?

    Shouldn¡¯t there be water?

    But that¡¯s not right either. The river might have been more than a hundred metres deep before the natural disaster but it had turned shallower afterwards, at most tens of metres. Of course, some parts of the river might be deeper but it was not the time to think.

    Ao pointed upwards and asked Shao Xuan. ¡°Are you sure ming River is above us?¡±

    ¡°Mostly sure. There are no hard rocks above us, I think it¡¯s mud. And there is water flowing further up.¡± Shao Xuan could not give specific distances but could feel that above him was mud and water. Compared to rocks, they did not limit his senses as much.

    Additionally, based on the direction they were travelling in, they must be close to the ming River now, upstream of the ming Horn tribe. Shao Xuan had scouted that area before.

    ¡°So this means the king stoneworm has crossed the river already?¡± asked Ta.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    If the king stoneworm crossed the river, then it was not heading towards the tribe. They rxed slightly. However, the ming River Trading Point was also there and any damage caused to that area would also result in major losses to the tribe.

    ¡°Let¡¯s carry on!¡± Ta was so frustrated he wanted to pull his hair out. The tribe had been on guard against people from the other side of the ocean (who hadn¡¯t even arrived yet), then against the ¡®Robbers¡¯ who had been giving them headaches... Then the bat leader... He could not believe that there was now an evenrger threat. If they did not have the mental strength, they would have been panicking already.

    The three of them must continue looking, no matter where it went.

    ¡°Any signs of danger and we¡¯ll run back immediately,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    While tracking the worm was crucial, their lives were more important. They must not die here, that¡¯s a king beast!

    Plus they were now a hundred metres underground, which was advantageous towards the king stoneworm. In the event of a fight, all three would be killed.

    ...

    Meanwhile, at a patch of forest outside ming River Trading Point.

    This location was a little far from the trading area. After ming Horn decided to expand their patrolling area, anyone who wanted to steal or rob was forced to retreat their ¡®hunting grounds¡¯ back. They wanted to rob the visitors but did not want to face the ming Horns.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t the ming Horns mind their own business? Us robbing the other people doesn¡¯t even concern them!¡± said a person fiddling with a dagger made from beast bone as he sat on a tree.

    ¡°Who knows? I don¡¯t like them at all and I¡¯ll never enter the trading area,¡± replied a man with hair so dishevelled his features could not be seen. He was covered in bulging muscles and his face in sideburns.

    A voice came from the thick bushes nearby. ¡°Thest time I went there, the guards at the entrance stared at me so hard they almost bore holes into my brain. Tsk, you think I want the stuff inside you¡¯re selling? I¡¯ll never step foot in there even if they send me an invitation!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll never go there! We¡¯ll rob the rest outside instead! Haha, then we won¡¯t have to face the stupid ming Horns, haha!¡±ughed the guy on the tree, pping his thigh.

    They were a group of thieves outside the ming River Trading Area. More than twenty people were hiding here. They had about fifty members but all scattered in different areas, only sending a message if they found ¡®prey¡¯.

    They only chose to take advantage of travelling parties with fewer and weaker people, never taking risks to rob anyone who looked intimidating. They must be smart about this or they would get killed.

    The guy who had been targeted by the ming Horn guards had previously bumped into a few patrol guards outside the trading area. The guards had even killed a few of their members, though he ran fast enough.

    They were new to the area at the time, thinking of entering the trading point to identify the people with great hauls. Then they would attack these people once they left the trading point.

    The ming Horn guards at the entrance thought they seemed familiar, therefore kept staring at them. They grew so nervous they almost ran off. Since that day, they did not set foot into the trading area in fear of being caught. They hated the ming Horns who interfered with their robbing activities deeply.

    They were heavily insulting the ming Horns when someone suddenly squinted. ¡°What was that?!¡±

    The air suddenly grew tense but he could not determine where the feeling came from. He looked around, unable to see anyone else. The ming Horn patrol guards would note here either.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?!¡± Everyone stopped talking and grew alert.

    The forest was eerily quiet.

    They suddenly had a feeling that something terrifying had happened to the area. They could previously hear a lot of bird calls but they weren¡¯t paying attention to their surroundings so they did not notice the abrupt silence.

    The first person who noticed the eeriness had sweat dripping down his temples.

    He still could not find the source of the terrifying aura. He felt like it came from every direction!

    The feeling was growing more intense. Even the slowest member of the group felt a chill so cold his scalp was about to explode, the hand holding a knife trembling uncontrobly.

    Usually, they would hide quietly in the face of a threat to observe. However, they could not keep their calm this time.

    Where?!

    Where are you?!

    Everyone held their breaths to observe the area. Every insect would be noticed.

    Nothing!

    Still nothing!

    Where is the terrifying auraing from?!

    There was not a single person around, not even a bird. Even the insects seemed to have disappeared. Even the air was frozen.

    Crack crack crack crack¡ª

    Fraint crackling sounds triggered their nerves.

    It came from beneath their feet.

    When they finally looked down, everyone felt their souls leave their bodies.

 Chapter 678 - Youâ€™re Stupid If You Donâ€™t Run

    Chapter 678

    You¡¯re Stupid If You Don¡¯t Run

    The green grass on the ground turned grey-white from the bottom to top, losing their suppleness and turning into rock. They stood motionless, no longer trembling in the breeze.

    No, not just the grass. Every nt and the soil all had simr changes.

    The brown tree bark, green leaves, yellow soil all turned the same colour and hardened.

    What is going on?

    What could cause something so terrifying?

    Was It human?

    No, they did not know anyone who could cause such arge-scale change.

    No matter what, this horrifying scene was beyond their imagination.

    As they watched the scenery change, a chilling cold pierced their soles and then throughout their bodies as if they were encased in ice. The cold stung their nerves.

    We can¡¯t stay!

    Run!

    The faster ones sprinted as fast as they could. There was no need to hide anymore, and their totemic energies were released to its maximum. However, the bit of aura radiating from their bodies was like a wisp of smoke in the face of a storm- it disappeared before anyone could sense them.

    They were so tiny, so insignificant!

    The ones who were initially hiding in the trees started swinging from tree to tree like monkeys, running for their lives. They screamed in terror, fear consuming their minds.

    In their peripheral vision, they saw thend turning from a forest teeming with life to a grey-white piece of barrennd!

    No nt, no insect hiding among the leaves were spared!

    They felt changes urring to their bodies but forcefully subdued the effects with stubborn totemic energy. However, the oppressive energy was eventually too much for them to handle.

    The trees around them had turned grey like an invisible hand was smearing grey paint across thend. That hand was currently moving towards them.

    Quick!

    Hurry!

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    A scream of agony rang. Everyone¡¯s hearts leapt to their throats, feeling even chillier.

    The more focused ones did not hesitate even for a moment, letting out a roar as they ran even faster. This person did not dare look back, worried he might lose the bit of courage he had left to run, he mightpletely break down if he turned around.

    But some people did turn around.

    They turned around towards the person who screamed. They knew who it was. Before the incident, this person had been hiding among the bushes. When they turned, they saw a man copsing to the ground, his legs grey-white. The two hands he used to support himself off the ground were quickly turning grey too, as well as parts of his torso. The grey quickly spread across his entire body.

    The ones who could no longer run looked up towards their partners, eyes filled with pain, terror and hopelessness. Then, death. And finally ayer of grey until their entire body turned grey like a human stone sculpture.

    A tree that had turned grey snapped in half, its crown falling on the ¡®human sculpture¡¯.

    Thud!

    The ¡®human sculpture¡¯ broke in half, the crack extending from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist.

    Within the cross section was a little bit of red in the centre. It looked like blood but the drop never got to touch the ground. Even the drop of blood eventually turned grey.

    Everything happened within seconds.

    The ones who witnessed this felt as if their head had exploded, the wind knocked out of their chests. They forgot how to breathe, then their knees gave out as their totemic energy went haywire.

    Amongst the chaos, they forgot about the tree branches in front of them. Two people stumbled and fell off the tree.

    The ones on trees had a small chance to escape but after touching the ground, chances were too slim.

    It felt like they were falling onto solid rock instead of what was supposed to be grass!

    If they had not turned to look, would they have fallen?

    Ignoring the pain, they sprinted like mad. There was no time for regrets. They would nevere to ming River Trading Point again!

    However, they felt strength quickly draining from their thighs, bing heavier and eventually losing their senses and control.

    m!

    They copsed on the ground, unable to carry on.

    ¡°No¡ª¡±

    ¡°Save me!¡±

    They felt the same feelings as their friend who had turned into stone.

    But no one slowed down.

    The frontmost person had already disappeared from sight. Anyone slower met the same fate as them.

    Very soon, this patch of forest descended into eerie silence. All that was left was an expanding patch of grey-white.

    ...

    Meanwhile, Zheng Luo at the ming River Trading Point was deep in thought. He had already received a message about Shao Xuan and the rest finding the bat leader and the king stoneworm. His greatest concerns were not the ill-intentioned intruders but the unpredictable beast.

    They had put in a lot of effort building this trading area with great potential. One king beast was enough to destroy everything they built.

    ¡°Boss, some of the people you mentioned went looking for Yi Si,¡± informed Duo Kang.

    Zheng Luo had noticed some people he suspected were from the other side of the ocean infiltrating the trading area. He¡¯d instructed Duo Kang to keep an eye on them and only assigned stronger warriors to this task. These people¡¯s disguises had fooled many weaker warriors already but Zheng Luo and Duo Kang were experienced enough to spot them. However, before finding out their true intentions, they did not want to expose these people. They already had many things to worry about, might as well avoid this trouble while they still could.

    When he heard Duo Kang, he rubbed his face, frustrated. ¡°What did they do?¡±

    ¡°They don¡¯t seem to be doing anything, just sitting around to talk. This one guy seems to know I¡¯m watching him but did not intentionally avoid me.¡± Duo Kang wasn¡¯t sure what they were here for either.

    ¡°Leave them be. Stay on guard, watch our surroundings.¡±

    ¡°Boss, the king stoneworm won¡¯te over here right?¡± Duo Kang was worried too.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, we¡¯ll have to wait for their news. Shao Xuan and the rest have already gone to track it down. The forest is huge, don¡¯t think it wille here.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Duo Kang scratched his ear, feeling antsy. He had faced a king beast before and that had been a nightmare. He did not want to do it again.

    After sitting for a while, Duo Kang left. Might as well spend his time watching those suspicious people.

    The person targeted by Duo Kang and Zheng Luo was currently sitting in Yi Si¡¯s house.

    This visitor wore a furless, sleeveless leather top with coarse bup trousers. A colourful snakeskin belt was cinched around his waist with a few pouches hanging from it. Bone ornaments hung around his neck, and patterns were drawn on his exposed shoulders using dark green pigment. His dishevelled but coarse hair was casually tied up with some straw rope but since it was short, after tying it, his pony tail pointed upwards. He looked like a tribesman from any other tribe that frequented the trading area.

    This person surveyed Yi Si¡¯s house with a look of contempt. He pursed his lips, making a judgement. ¡°This ce is better than your house on the other side.¡±

    ¡°Of course, why do you think I came here?¡± Yi Si poured some water into a cup and handed it to him. He had made the ceramic cup himself and drew the patterns on it. It was the same as the kind he had on the other side of the ocean. He preferred using something that looked more familiar.

    The guest chugged the cup of water. ¡°One more cup! I was out all morning, I¡¯m parched. But this ming Horn¡¯s trading area indeed should not be underestimated. This ce suits my taste!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to take this ce from the ming Horns?¡± asked Yi Si.

    ¡°How is that possible? This is arge ce, it¡¯ll take too much effort. But I do want to cause a bit of trouble, I want to see how much they can stand.¡±

    ¡°You guys really like to entertain yourselves, huh. But the ming Horns are short-tempered. If you anger them, you¡¯ll be in deep trouble,¡± said Yi Si.

    The other person pursed his lips, ignoring Yi Si. ¡°Do you think us ¡®Changle¡¯ people are scared of angry ming Horns? It¡¯s only fun when they¡¯re angry anyway.¡±

    ¡°Wu He, since you lent me your long-winged bird, I feel obligated to warn you,¡± advised Yi Si patiently.

    ¡°Speak.¡± The other person shook his foot wrapped in a broken shoe, looking nonchnt.

    ¡°Don¡¯t provoke the ming Horns. If you really want to challenge them, now is not the time.¡±

    ¡°Yo~ I thought you couldn¡¯t do the Yi family¡¯s divination readings? How would you know that?¡± Wu He ignored him.

    He was a member of ¡®Changle¡¯. This name might not be known here but it was a famous name on the other side.

    ¡°Changle¡± was not a tribe, they were a unique organisation formed by people of different backgrounds. The members loved taking risks and were a curious bunch. To them, everything else was boring and all they wanted was to rely on their sharp eyes to get themselves an opportunity for entertainment.

    In simpler terms: they were a bunch of very curious adventurers, also the first batch of people from the other side of the ocean.

    As for why they had not appeared much- that was because most had not mastered thenguage here. If they could not even speak thenguage, how would they seek entertainment? They could not even ask for directions.

    If people on this side unanimously hated the ¡®Robbers¡¯, then on the other side, both ve masters and tribesmen found ¡®Changle¡¯ people revolting. This bunch of madmen would go around provoking other people when they were bored, finding joy in causing others pain.

    After knowing that the ¡®Changle¡¯ people had crossed the ocean, people on the other side heaved a sigh of relief, as if the fly buzzing annoyingly in their ears had disappeared.

    No one knew that the Changle¡¯s first target was the ming Horn tribe. They were currently regrouping in a secret spot, waiting for the rest of their members to arrive and learning the localnguage to receive intel. Trickery required skills too.

    Wu He was one of the first of them to master the localnguage.

    Yi Si was not upset at the mocking tone. ¡°It¡¯s up to you to listen. You lent me two long-winged birds so I¡¯ll return you the favour by warning you once again. It¡¯s best you leave here as soon as possible. Something huge is happening.¡±

    ¡°A-ha, something huge? That¡¯s even better! More the reason for me to stay!¡±

    Wu He had just finished speaking when he paused and turned.

    Yi Si looked at the sky outside the window and at Grasshopper who had been cowering in a corner. ¡°It¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°What is here? What do you mean?¡± Wu He looked at Grasshopper.

    Due to the beast blood inside Grasshopper, his control over his totemic energy was not as sophisticated and could notpletely retract his totemic patterns. However, the totemic patterns on him were clear as ever now, like animal stripes. His coarse hair stood up like needles.

    Huff¡ª

    Short cone-shaped pricks appeared on his back as his sunken eyes were filled with terror. Grasshopper kept retreating into the corner. This was a huge muscleman who could touch the roof of the house if he jumped, yet now he was trying hard to make himself disappear.

    ¡°What¡¯s making him so scared?¡± Wu He raised an eyebrow and looked outside where the unusual aura wasing from.

    Since he was far away, the feeling was faint. However, it was enough to make him uneasy.

    Not just them, even Zheng Luo and the rest inside the ming River Castle and anyone more sensitive in the trading area sensed it.

    What was happening?

    At the entrance of the trading area, Kun Tu and the rest of the guys watched every person cautiously. Zheng Luo mentioned there had been suspicious people in the area but they were not able to pinpoint who. This meant the disguises were impressive.

    Suddenly, a shrill and urgent whistle could be heard from the patrol team.

    It was a warning call.

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing!¡±

    Kun Tu¡¯s eyes were locked ahead.

    Very soon, they saw seven people scrambling out of the forest.

    These seven people looked usually with different portions of their body covered in grey-whiteyer. It looked like colour pigment but upon closer inspection it looked more like rock.

    They looked hysterically, as if they had just witnessed something terrifying, continuously letting out hoarse screams as they sprinted.

    When they saw Kun Tu and the rest, their eyes lit up and they screamed, ¡°Help!¡±

    They had just been talking about how they would never set foot into the trading area yet during the escape, they had divided into two groups. One group ran off to another direction but these seven felt like a ce with more people was safer. And there were more people to share the burden with.

    The only ce with more people was ming Horn. Hence why they ran over here.

    Kun Tu obviously would not let them into the area just like that. He tied them all up, though they kept struggling and screamed their heads off, ¡°It¡¯sing! Behind! Behind!¡±

    Kun Tu did not know what they were talking about. He initially wanted to knock them out but thought that while they were hysterical, perhaps they had some information so he sent them to Zheng Luo.

    When they struggled, the grey rock-like parts of their body seemed to chip off together with some flesh as they wriggled and tugged. Yet these seven people ignored their bleeding wounds and continued to scream.

    ¡°Boss, what did they see?¡± Duo Kang¡¯s voice shook.

    Kun Tu might not know what was going on but Duo Kang had his guesses. He refused to believe it.

    How could this be?

    How could they be so unlucky?

    No, it¡¯s not what he thinks.

    Duo Kang brainwashed himself.

    Zheng Luo dashed his hopes in the next moment.

    Clutching his knife so tight his fingers turned white, he said in a strained voice, ¡°Inform everyone there¡¯s a king beast nearby!¡±

    Thud!

    Kun Tu¡¯s hand slipped and the tied-up person copsed on the ground.

    ¡°King... king beast?¡± Kun Tu felt a chill rushing down his body.

    The person struggled even harder after hearing Zheng Luo, his throat extremely hoarse, ¡°Let me go! I want to leave! I want to leave!¡±

    Duo Kang ignored them. He walked up to the top of the tower, took a deep breath, then let out a huge roar.

    ¡°There¡¯s a king beast nearby! Be careful everyone!¡±

    With his advanced-level totemic power, his scream could be heard by everyone in the vicinity.

    The bustling trading area fell silent as everyone digested this piece of information.

    Very soon, the simmering pot boiled over.

    A king beast is here!

    Like a bomb tossed into water, it raised sky-high waves.

    A king beast is here! What do we do?

    Run, of course!

    The other option was to die here!

    Wu He, who was drinking water in Yi Si¡¯s house, spat out his water with a ¡®pfffft¡¯, tossed his cup aside and leapt out of the window.

    ¡°Why are you running? Didn¡¯t you want to stay and watch? To entertain yourself?¡± yelled Yi Si at the running Wu He.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for entertainment, not death! You can stay there on your own!¡±

    No wonder I felt the chills! It¡¯s a king beast! Wu He sprinted out of the trading area immediately.

    To the people who rarely met regr fearsome beasts, king beasts were legendary figures. This did not prevent them from fearing its name. From the stories passed down by their ancestors, they knew that king beasts were indomitable. High casualties were certain during every encounter with one.

    Of course, there were some odd ones out.

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ve waited for years, it¡¯s finally here! I¡¯m not running, I want to see the king beast!¡± someone yelled with two fists high in the air, his face red.

    Everyone looked at him like he was insane.

    ¡°You¡¯ll die if you don¡¯t run!¡± his friend advised.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if I die! I just want to see what a king beast looks like! I¡¯m staying! No one can stop me!¡±

    He can¡¯t be saved!

    Everyone gave up on the stubborn man. There was no time to hesitate. They packed up and ran immediately. Any stupid idiots who wanted to stay could suit themselves.

 Chapter 679 - True Warriors

    <h4>True Warriors</h4>

    With Duo Kang¡¯s shout, all the traders within ming River Trading Point and its resident sellers packed up their stalls and left.

    They closed the windows and doors, then the crowd flooded out of the three exits bringing everything with them.

    Some people did not have a clear sense of what a king beast was but sensed the urgency on everyone¡¯s terrified faces.

    The ming Horn patrol and entrance guards were all called to the square within ming River Castle for Zheng Luo to give instructions.

    Even with Zheng Luo and Duo Kang in charge here, everyone was terrified.

    ¡°Boss, what do we do now?¡± Duo Kang asked Zheng Luo urgently.

    Zheng Luo could not make a decision in time either. Who knew this would happen?

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we receive any news from the tribe.¡± Zheng Luo had already sent someone to send a message to the tribe. They would send people over immediately. ¡°No matter what, panicking now is useless. We must guard the ce to prevent anyone from taking advantage of us.¡±

    Duo Kang directed his men to clear the trading area. Most people would definitely leave. The ones who stayed must know what to expect. The ming Horns couldn¡¯t let them run around unsupervised during critical moments either, hence they were restricted to an area.

    Very soon, Gui He arrived with his men. He almost flipped his table when he heard the news. The thing they were most worried about had happened.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Shao Xuan and the rest?¡± Duo Kang had been waiting for him. The year they encountered the salt beast at the salt mines, Shao Xuan was the one who helped them survive. The most trustworthy person was not the current chief, Gui He, nor the former chief, Zheng Luo. Grand Elder Shao Xuan was who they needed.

    Everyone with the same experience also looked at Gui He for news of Shao Xuan¡¯s whereabouts.

    ¡°They¡¯re... not back yet.¡± Gui He did not have any experience against a king beast and he could not make reckless decisions now. ¡°We¡¯re now facing the king stoneworm. The only person in the entire ming Horn tribe who has truly faced the king stoneworm in close proximity is actually Ah Xuan alone.¡±

    ¡°What do we do now? They¡¯re still in the forest and aren¡¯t back yet. If the king stoneworm heads towards the trading area, should we fight? Or avoid it?¡± Duo Kang was frustrated.

    They knew the consequences of fighting a king beast. Casualties would be high. If they dodged it, then they must give up on this trading area.

    They had put in too much effort into this trading area, no one wanted to abandon it just like that.

    ¡°Prepare for both,¡± said Gui He. ¡°We¡¯ll have to stop it if we have to. And if we can¡¯t defend anymore, we¡¯ll give it up.¡±

    They could not sacrifice too many lives just for this trading point.

    ¡°I hope the king stoneworm is just passing by and will leave quickly. Please don¡¯t head in our direction,¡± muttered Guang Yi.

    At this moment, someone said, ¡°If only we have the fire seed...¡±

    He did not finish the sentence but everyone understood.

    A fire seed was still intimidating to king beasts. It would still be effective, plus the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed was stronger than many small and medium-sized tribes.

    However, the primitive fire seed was gone. This was the price they paid, there was no perfect oue to this. They had made the decision to merge.

    ¡°But didn¡¯t the Grand Elder say that the fire seed exists wherever we are? The fire seed aura can be strong if many of us group together. Maybe that will be useful?¡± offered Kun Tu, who was standing nearby.

    ¡°You make sense.¡± Zheng Luo looked in the direction of where the king beast appeared. The aura was not heading in its direction but it was not leaving either. Its presence was getting stronger. Even less sensitive people could feel their stomachs churning.

    Whoosh¡ª

    There was a shrill call. Gui He pointed in the sky. ¡°There!¡±

    A white sh flew past them. It was Gui He¡¯s snow falcon.

    Without Cha Cha, they had to send this falcon up. It was safer for it to keep watch from the air and observe the king stoneworm¡¯s movements.

    As they discussed, the crowd running out of the trading area ran in the opposite direction from where the king beast appeared. Of course, there were also people who took advantage of this to start robbing traders. Everyone was carrying more stuff with them and it was very tempting.

    ¡°Can¡¯t believe they¡¯re still robbing people at a moment like this.¡± In the air, Wu He watched the panicked crowds while riding his long-winged bird.

    However, anyone who could make it here was not weak either. They could even fight fearsome beasts in a rage. When someone tried to rob them, they showed no mercy. Are you trying to take my stuff? Hmmph, I¡¯m going to rip your arm off!

    Wu He patted the long-winged bird and gestured for it to fly towards the king beast. Although he was not bold enough to stay in the ming River Trading Point, he wanted to check the king beast out from the sky.

    ¡°Coo¡ª¡±

    The bird cooed unwillingly. It did not want to fly there. No animal wanted to get closer to a king beast. They could barely run in time, why would they head towards it? You¡¯d die!

    ¡°Not so near, we¡¯ll just watch from afar. I¡¯m sure you want to see what this king beast looks like, right?¡± On the other side, Wu He used to trek deep into the forest with other ¡®Changle¡¯ people when he was young. He had felt the aura of one king beast before. Although he never saw it, he remembered the feeling felt, as if his soul was about to jump out of his body.

    He remembered how the old man with him warned to stay as far as possible from king beasts unless he wanted to die. Regardless, anyone who would head towards a king beast was a true warrior!

    That was nopliment. A ¡®true warrior¡¯ had the same meaning as ¡®brainless idiot¡¯.

    Now, Wu He encountered one more after just arriving on this side. He sighed at this luck. He did not want to die nor did he want to be a ¡®true warrior¡¯ so he left the trading area, unlike Yi Si, on his bird.

    Wu He, like all other ¡®Changle¡¯ people, was a very curious person, yet at the same time timid. That was why he would not approach danger but peek at it from afar to satisfy his curiosity, then go brag about it to the other ¡®Changle¡¯ people next time.

    ¡°Eh, ming Horn has a bird too!¡± Wu He saw the sh of white flying from the ming River castle towards where the king beast appeared.

    Wu He patted the long-winged bird¡¯s neck and looked down. ¡°Did you see that? That small bird isn¡¯t even afraid, so what are you afraid of?¡±

    ¡°Coo¨C¡± The long-winged bird cooed resentfully.

    Other people might not understand but Wu He knew what it meant.

    The long-winged bird was trying to say that the bird from ming River Castle might be small but it was much quicker than them.

    Although the long-winged bird was unwilling, it had to obey its master so it pped its wings to head towards the king beast.

    They could see a cleared path passing through the forest. There was not a single person in sight, not even a bird or animal. The king beast was indeed the top of the food chain. Every animal had run in the opposite direction.

    ¡°What kind of king beast is it?¡± Wu He looked down curiously until he saw a patch of grey forest.

    Yep, it was grey-white!

    The long-winged bird was already shivering. Even if it was not going to encounter the king beast from high up in the air, it felt suffocated by the king beast¡¯s aura.

    It did not dare approach, instead circling the area.

    Everything in front waspletely grey-white.

    ¡°They¡¯ve... turned to rock?¡± Wu He was shocked.

    Thisrge patch of forest had turned to rock!

    As they flew around the rock forest, Wu He finally saw the king beast who had caused all thismotion.

    This king beast looked like a giant wriggling worm. It was not grey-white like the forest but instead resembled molten rock.

    Wu He had been to a volcano before. That volcanic mouth had molten rock flowing out all year-long, not the bright-redva seen during an eruption but a kind of molten grey. That was what the worm¡¯s colour resembled.

    This ce was not as scorching as the volcanic mouth though. While the weather was supposed to be warm, he felt an eerie chill as he approached the area giving him goosebumps.

    Wu He did not approach, merely watching from afar. As the king beast wriggled across the ground, there was a huge rumbling. All the solidified objects, including trees and soils, were ttened into a smooth stone trail. There were even ridges on the path left behind by the wriggling movement.

    It seemed to move without hindrance at all. It went wherever it wanted.

    Could the ming Horns really stop it if it wanted to head towards ming River Trading Point?

    But Wu He was just here for fun. He just wanted to watch the show. He was even looking forward to the action if they fought.

    But the king beast did not seem like it was going to head towards the trading point. It wriggled around in circles, sometimes lifting half its body off the ground and spewing out stone powder. It had already ttened a huge area of the forest by now. The grey-white area expanded as it continued to move around. The forest was turning to stone at a rate fast enough to be detected by the naked eye.

    Wu He shuddered while the bird¡¯s pping rhythm turned irregr.

    ¡°What is it even doing?¡± Wu He could not discern the king beast¡¯s intentions.

    The long-winged bird cooed worriedly- though softly as if it was afraid of being heard. It wanted to leave as soon as possible.

    ¡°Wait a little longer, I want to watch.¡± Wu He was even more curious. There must be a reason for this king beast¡¯s sudden appearance, right? Was it looking for food? Or something else?

    Wu He scanned the area around the ttened forest and saw a short hill jutting out of the ground with arge hope on top. The beast must havee out from there.

    ¡°It came from under the ground?! So that¡¯s why it appeared so suddenly.¡±

    Wu He was muttering to himself when he suddenly saw three people running out of the ck hole at the top of the mound.

    Yep, those are definitely people!

    Even though he was far away and could not see their faces, he was sure they were human!

    Who would be reckless enough to do this?

    He did not even dare get any closer, yet these people just came out of the tunnels. He came to a conclusion: ¡°They¡¯re definitely true warriors!¡±

    This was his first time meeting anyone this bold.

    However, these people ran off as soon as they arrived, not even looking once at the king beast.

    The leader running in front paused for a moment when the wriggling king beast turned its head at the three people.

    But that was it. The king beast continued to wriggle around and the deafening rumbling continued.

    Changes happened to the three people as they ran off. He could not identify them by their clothing either because all three were covered in ayer of white stone dust.

    Was that what happened to anyone close to the king beast?

    ¡°True warriors indeed!¡± he reiterated. Any slower, or if the king beast was closer to the hole, these three would not have escaped. The hardening of their bodies would have severely restricted their movement.

    ¡°Follow them!¡± Wu He patted his long-winged bird.

    ¡°Coo¡ª¡± It sounded happy. We¡¯re finally leaving!

    Wu He watched as the three of them ran like the wind for a distance. Then, they turned around and ran in a different direction towards the trading point.

    The leader looked up at the sky. Wu He knew that he had been found out but did not feel guilty at all, even grinning at him. He was not sure if the leader saw him but so what if they saw him? He was up in the sky.

    He felt so pleased with himself to be up in the sky looking down at them... They could not touch him...

    It felt good!

    Wu He had his bird fly lower. He wanted to speak to the three dusty people.

    Before he spoke, the leader put a curved finger in his mouth and whistled.

    Wu He raised an eyebrow. What was this about?

    Reinforcement?

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of you...¡±

    Before he finished, the long-winged bird cried loudly and turned around.

    ¡°Eh, what are you doing? Bad bird! You¡¯re flying in the wrong direction!¡±

    Wu He wanted the bird to continue following them but had a bad feeling and turned around.

    An eagle double his long-winged bird¡¯s size was flying higher up in the sky in their direction.

    Aaaaah!

    ¡°Run, run!!¡± urged Qu He.

    Wu He looked at the eagleing after them and thought about the information he had previously received. Was this the ming Horn¡¯s giant mountain eagle?

 Chapter 680 - King Beast Fire Seed

    <h4>King Beast Fire Seed</h4>

    When Shao Xuan, Ao and Ta arrived at the ming River Trading Point, the ce was already empty.

    The patrol team clearing the crowd almost attacked them, mistaking them for opportunistic thieves.

    ¡°Grand Elder and the rest are back!¡± yelled Kun Tu excitedly as he ran towards the ming River Castle.

    Duo Kang heaved a sigh of relief, now that Shao Xuan had returned. No matter what happened, he felt more at peace with Shao Xuan around. Duo Kang, Zheng Luo and the rest were shocked to see the three men¡¯s states.

    ¡°What happened to you all?¡± asked Zheng Luo hurriedly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it. It¡¯s all because of that king stoneworm.¡± Ta copsed into a chair, chugging down water handed to him.

    This was his first time in such close proximity to a king beast. The worst fearsome beasts he met in the forest were far from this king beast.

    All three had ayer of dust on them. There were even patches of grey-white skin, and their clothes had turned grey too. These parts had all turned to stone.

    Everyone¡¯s chests tightened when they saw Ta shaking off ayer of stone from his arm.

    A patch of skin on his arm had turned to stone. At least it was not arge patch and had not extended into his flesh. The wound was not serious but they were deeply ufortable watching blood flow from the ces he shook off stone chips. If their hunt leader was injured, how long could they stand?

    Ta had the most severe injuries out of the rest.

    While Ta applied herbal medicine, Ao exined everything they learned and the conclusions they came to.

    They had sensed the king stoneworm¡¯s location not long after reaching ming River. That tunnel had directly broken through the surface but they were faced with a dilemma: with the king stoneworm right outside the hole, should they retreat back or exit the hole?

    Ta and Ao wanted to rush out but Shao Xuan stopped them.

    ¡°Thank goodness Ah Xuan stopped us. If we had rushed out then, we might not have returned in one piece,¡± sighed Ao.

    They were not familiar with the king stoneworm, hence they did not have a grasp of its abilities. While they knew that it was powerful, Ao and Ta were confident in their abilities to escape. Plus the king stoneworm was not directly outside the hole. If it did not notice them, they would be able to leave quickly.

    After Shao Xuan stopped them, they found another opportunity to escape. That was when they realised how naive they were.

    Even if the king stoneworm did not notice them, it could still turn them into stone.

    ¡°You mean we can¡¯t even get close to the king stoneworm?¡± Zheng Luo furrowed his brows.

    If they could not even approach the worm, how could they fight it?

    Would they all turn to stone, like the trees in the forest?

    ¡°Let¡¯s not do anything first. I¡¯ll rest for a while and then head over to check again,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    No one objected. Gui He told him their initial n.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, you mentioned we have the fire seed aura with us. We have quite many ming Horns in the trading area. If we all group together, we must produce a reasonable fire seed aura already. Do you think it¡¯ll at least intimidate the king stoneworm?¡± asked Gui He.

    ¡°Please don¡¯t!¡± cried Shao Xuan immediately without even drinking his water.

    ¡°What?¡± Gui He did not understand.

    They all looked at him quizzically. Gui He made sense. Wouldn¡¯t the fire seed intimidate the king beast?

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°There is something like a fire seed on the king stoneworm.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± The crowd gasped.

    The king beast was a beast. How could it have a fire seed? Then why hadn¡¯t they sensed it?

    ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s different from a tribe fire seed. More like animals have another kind of fire seed. I sensed it on the bat leader too. But the fire seed aura on the bat leader was definitely not as powerful as the king stoneworm,¡± exined Shao Xuan.

    He had already noticed this during their encounter with the bat leader at the Thousand Grain Gold field. He finally understood what it was when he met the king beast.

    The unique fire seed aura on the animals was different from a tribe¡¯s fire seed. The fire seed belonged to themselves and it was not in its primitive form, rather merged into their blood.

    Based on his analysis of the bat leader and king stoneworm, Shao Xuan guessed that the unique fire seed aura was shaped by the animal themselves!

    Did the ability of concentrating a fire seed¡¯s energy the reason for the formation of a king beast?

    Why were king beasts so much more powerful than other fearsome beasts?

    Who said fire seeds could not live within animals? That it was only restricted to humans?

    No one had known about it. Even past Shao Xuan had been in close contact with the bat leader, the king stoneworm and even fought the salt beast. However, he had not been able to tell the difference.

    After bringing Zheng Luo and the rest across the ocean and merging with the fire seed, his abilities improved a lot- especially the shell of light around the totemic mes in his mind. He was more experienced in wielding the other special power in his body.

    Shao Xuan also knew that he could withstand strong repulsion from other tribal fire seeds and sense things other people could not likely due to this special power. He did not know what it was but it was real.

    There was indeed a fire seed within the king stoneworm. It was the king belonging to animals. This fire seed could disperse and concentrate. Any fearsome beast who could concentrate this power became ¡®kings¡¯. The bat leader did not have an obvious fire seed aura, rather a faint simr kind. That was why it was counted only as a half-king, ranked above fearsome beasts but beneath a king beast. If it could truly solidify the fire seed energy within it one day, that would be the day it became ¡®king¡¯.

    Although Ao and the rest did not understand why Shao Xuan would say that, he did not look like he was joking. And he would not speak recklessly on this subject either.

    ¡°If there really is a ¡®fire seed¡¯ within the king stoneworm, then with us radiating our own fire seed aura, will it provoke the king stoneworm?¡± asked Duo Kang,

    Most fire seeds repelled each other. If this could anger the king stoneworm, then it was not a good idea.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this after I go check the ce again.¡± Shao Xuan had regained his breath. He did not shake off theyer of stone powder on his skin, leaving just like that towards the king stoneworm again.

    Zheng Luo and Gui He followed a distance away from Shao Xuan so they could save him if needed, another was to see how the king stoneworm looked like.

    He approached the king stoneworm. In truth, he had not told them everything. When he sensed the king stoneworm¡¯s fire seed aura, he could also read its feelings.

    Just like the totemic mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, it changed ording to the warrior¡¯s own emotions. The king stoneworm did not have totemic mes but the fluctuations in its aura were in ordance with its emotions.

    Other people might be able to sense its fire seed but not return in one piece due to the repulsion between both fire seeds. However, Shao Xuan had a different type of energy within him. When he escaped out of the hill with Ta and Ao, he had paused because he sensed the change in the king stoneworm¡¯s aura. Their fire seeds had not repelled each other.

    The three of them had done their best to hide and repress their totemic energies and ming Horn auras while escaping from the king stoneworm. Although this affected their speed, it was safer.

    At the time, the king stoneworm had lifted half its body off the ground. It might not have sensed the three people, instead it could have sensed the other kind of power in Shao Xuan because Shao Xuan did not feel any repulsion due to the fire seeds. Instead, its emotions seemed to have fluctuated- like the happy kind of excitement. However, after Shao Xuanpletely suppressed his energy, the king stoneworm paid them no attention.

    To confirm this guess, Shao Xuan had Zheng Luo and Gui He stay far away before he approached the king stoneworm.

    He hid at a spot not in the direction of the trading point. That way, if the king stoneworm was triggered and he had to run, the king stoneworm would not chase him in the direction of the trading point.

    Standing behind a still-green tree, Shao Xuan looked towards the spot where the rumbling sound came from. The king stoneworm was wriggling around aimlessly. The grey area had expanded substantially since the three of them left.

    When its back was towards Shao Xuan, he repressed his totemic powers to minimise any aura from his ming Horn fire seed. At the same time, he tried to activate the other kind of energy within him.

    This was a skill he learned while practising to wield the ancestral bone ornaments. The two kinds of energies within him did not repel each other. Instead, this special energy even supported the totemic energy in his bloodstream. His unique totemic power awakening process, the sessful carving, the ability to wield the ancestral bone ornaments, the ability to absorb fire crystals before merging with the fire seed were all due to this special energy.

    Being able to control this power had greatly improved his abilities.

    Calming his mind, he slowly activated this other power.

    Within his consciousness, the totemic mes did not change but the outer light shell started to brighten. It shed, and with every blink, it brightened.

    Gui He and Zheng Luo did not know what Shao Xuan was doing. All they saw was Shao Xuan standing behind a tree, unmoving and with his eyes closed. Why was he closing his eyes at a moment like this instead of watching the king stoneworm?

    Very soon, the deafening rumbling stopped abruptly. The wriggling worm raised half its body in the air.

    The king stoneworm was gigantic and had no legs, its body in segmented rings. It had no hard armour or scary spines, looking absolutely harmless. However, this beast could send chills down your spine and make you lose all courage to fight.

    Then it turned towards them, Gui He and Zheng Luo did not see any eyes on its head.

    It had only lifted half its body slightly but its head was already above the tallest tree in this part of the forest.

    In the sky, the long-winged bird that had finally shaken Cha Cha off stopped. Wu He looked over. He was too far for a clear view but could still see the shape of the worm.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Why did the king stoneworm stop? And it looked like it was looking around.

    Wu He could not stand it any longer.

    He looked around, then upon confirming that the eagle was not there, he patted the long-winged bird. ¡°Go there.¡±

    ¡°Coo¡ª¡± The bird cooed softly, obviously unwilling. We just escaped and now we¡¯re going back? That eagle is still nearby, it¡¯lle kill us!

    ¡°Just go! Be careful though! Something must have happened!¡± His intuition told him that something had happened.

    Was the king beast actually going towards the ming Horns?

    Wu He did not want to miss this show!

    No matter how unwilling the bird was, it still obeyed its master and carefully flew towards it.

    At the stone forest, the king stoneworm slowly circled its head around, scanning its surroundings and finally confirming where Shao Xuan was.

    Rumble...

    The gigantic body moved once again, now with more urgency and much faster.

    When Zheng Luo and Gui He, who were in hiding, saw that it was heading towards Shao Xuan, they panicked and whistled a few times to remind him.

    Shao Xuan did not open his eyes but gestured at them, implying he knew that the king stoneworm wasing.

    The grey-white area expanded in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. As it approached him, Shao Xuan moved in the direction opposite to the trading area. If anything happened, it would not disturb the trading area.

    As Shao Xuan moved, the king stoneworm followed, this time even faster. Although it was gigantic and was surrounded by boulders and forests, nothing could stop it. Even Shao Xuan had to avoid obstacles as he ran, while this worm merely travelled in a straight line.

    ¡°What is he doing?!¡± Wu He was very confused as he watched the situation unfold.

    He naturally recognised the person running in front of the king stoneworm- that was the person who called the eagle over, he was a ming Horn. However, this person had escaped so why did he return? And why is the king stoneworm following him?

 Chapter 681 - Petrified Water

    <h4>Petrified Water</h4>

    If they could not defeat the king stoneworm, directing it away was a good solution. However, they must lead it far enough away.

    One person was baiting it away while the rest weren¡¯t moving. Were the ming Horns sacrificing one guy to protect the rest?

    Wu He spected as he watched from above.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan twisted and turned in the forest, his full focus on the king stoneworm behind.

    It followed him wherever he went. However, it merely followed Shao Xuan¡¯s location in a straight line- even if there was a mountain in front, it would have rammed right through it!

    The king stoneworm left behind a ridged stone trail wherever it went while surrounding trees turned grey. It left a pencil-straight tunnel when passing through mountains like the tunnels in its old nest. Moving around here was as easy as a beast walking through a meadow. The rumbling became softer when it wriggled through an entire mountainpared to moving on the ground.

    Shao Xuan observed the fire seed aura from the king stoneworm and its fluctuations to guess its emotions. He realised that the fluctuations were not huge and could be described as simple. Other than joy and a little excitement, he did not sense anything else.

    Shao Xuan was not sure if it was due to his own limitations or this king stoneworm just did not experienceplex emotions. He believed it was thetter.

    Not havingplex emotions was not good news either. Shao Xuan had no way of guessing what it wanted to do, what it desired and what its goals were. All he could do was experiment and guess.

    At least the king stoneworm had not shown signs of negative emotion yet. There was even a hint of friendliness there in its excitement.

    This did not mean the king stoneworm would not attack Shao Xuan, it just meant it might treat Shao Xuan as someone of the same species. Just like how the bat leader treated Shao Xuan as ¡®one of its own¡¯.

    The difference was that while the bat leader did not attack Shao Xuan, this worm could not control its powers. If they got closer to each other, Shao Xuan would be turned to stone.

    Zheng Luo and Gui He guessed that Shao Xuan was leading the worm away. But how far did he have to lead it to consider it a safe distance? And how would he shake the king stoneworm off afterwards.

    ¡°Cha Cha¡¯s here too.¡± Gui He looked up and was more at peace to see Cha Cha following them.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Zheng Luo was less stressed too. They just had to lure the king stoneworm away, then Cha Cha could bring Shao Xuan back. The worm could not fly, what could it do?

    After that, Gui He took out a strip of cloth and a stick of pigment to write a note. Then, he called his snow falcon over and had it bring the note back to the trading point.

    The white bird flew off towards the trading point, ignoring the long-winged bird in the sky.

    Duo Kang and the rest were waiting anxiously at the trading point. It had been a long time since Shao Xuan left and the king beast did not seem to be close by. All they could do was pace around, unable to sit.

    s, they saw the snow falcon flying over. Ao, who was resting on the floor, leapt to take the note tied to its leg.

    ¡°What does it say?¡± Duo Kang and Ta rushed over.

    ¡°It¡¯s Gui He. He says that Ah Xuan has lured the king beast away.¡± Ao read the note aloud.

    ¡°Lured the king beast away?¡± Duo Kang was confused. Can you lure a king beast away just like that? If it is that easy, why is everyone so afraid?

    At the salt mines, the salt beast actedpletely ording to its own whims and ignored everything else. The king stoneworm should not be lured away this easily.

    However, this was Shao Xuan. It was possible.

    ¡°Luring it away is a good thing,¡± said Ta. After the encounter with the king stoneworm, he did not want to fight it. Fighting a king beast would require huge effort and the oue might not even be good.

    Very soon, new of their Grand Elder luring the king beast away spread across the trading area. There were not many people anyway, so it was reasonable.

    ¡°Lured it away?!¡±

    The ming Horn tribesmen cheered.

    The other people who stayed looked disappointed. They were prepared to die gloriously, even promising the ming Horns that they would help fight the beast when it arrived. But now it wasn¡¯ting anymore?

    What was the point of staying behind then?

    The future was dark!

    ¡°No way, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Someone suddenly broke out of the crowd.

    The patrol team had just started to rx upon receiving news. Although the three gates were closed, the fences were not useful against a person good at climbing. This person was agile enough to climb over. Since it was unreasonable for the patrol team to chase after one person in this situation, they let him be.

    A few more people escaped too. The rest thought about leaving too,ining that they wanted to see the king beast. They were beaten up by the guards. The ming Horns did not want a riot just because of a few people.

    Duo Kang furrowed his brows, worried these people who escaped might disturb Shao Xuan. He then chased after them with a group of guards. If he found them interfering with Shao Xuan¡¯s work, he would kill them immediately.

    ¡°Master, is the king beast really gone?¡± asked Grasshopper carefully, looking in a direction anxiously.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you feel it if it truly was lured far away? So, not yet.¡± Yi Si looked at the row of spines on Grasshopper¡¯s back.

    When he was afraid, the spines on his back would stand up. Most of it had already retracted but the row of spines along his backbone were still standing.

    Grasshopper might not be bright but he had beast blood in him so he had sharp senses. Even if his brain could not process the situation, he had an animal-like instinct.

    Grasshopper touched the spines on his back, then dumbly grunted. He was extremely afraid of this king beastpared to the rest, almost wetting himself.

    Meanwhile on the other side, Shao Xuan was indeed intending to lure the king stoneworm away. Since the worm was following him, his guesses were also confirmed. But where should he lead it to?

    Upstream?

    Downstream?

    Or towards the central ins?

    If he led it there, ming Horn would make too many enemies. Many people knew about this incident and they would not be able to cover this up. It was not a good choice.

    Theoretically, leading it somewhere with fewer people was the best. There were fewer people upstream. Rain tribe was a little upstream from ming Horn so he must lure it away from the few small tribes in the area.

    Shao Xuan saw a river ahead, which was a stream leading to the ming River. It was notrge and two green boulders on the riverbed could be seen during the driest seasons. These two boulders were currently submerged.

    Shao Xuan wanted to travel along this river but thought about it and gave up. He snapped a tree as thick as three people in half, then tossed the trunk into the river.

    He bent his knees and sprang outwards,nding on the floating tree trunks. He then leapt again andnded on the other side of the river.

    This river was only about ten metres wide. With his abilities and the tree trunk, he crossed it easily.

    However, the king stoneworm would not be able to replicate this. Shao Xuan knew if could pass through physical obstacles. What about a river?

    Would it swim through or dig underground to cross the river?

    Shao Xuan ran a distance forward and then turned around.

    The king stoneworm had stopped by the river. It looked at the water, then at Shao Xuan, thinking of a way to cross.

    Shao Xuan did not feel arge fluctuation in its emotion. Perhaps this minor inconvenience was nothing.

    Just as he made a guess about how it would cross, the king stoneworm started to move. It did not go underground, instead travelling forward as if the river did not exist.

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    Cracks that sounded like water turning into ice sounded.

    Shao Xuan watched as the river water turned as solid around the king stoneworm, expanding outwards. But it was not ice, rather a grey-white colour like the rest of the forest!

    The water was turning to stone!

    The king stoneworm wriggled ahead as usual but beneath it was a stone trail like continuous tracksid out for this insistent train. All it had to do was charge forward.

    Taking a deep breath, Shao Xuan turned to run when it was about to cross the river. This time, he turned in the shape of a ¡®U¡¯ and then returned to the same river. Using the same method with the tree trunk, he crossed it.

    The king stoneworm crossed the river like before, leaving behind a stone trail.

    Shao Xuan had an idea.

    The group of people following behind, mouring to catch a glimpse of the king beast, were shocked to see Shao Xuan leading the king beast back!

 Chapter 682 - The Flaming Horn Tribes Intentions

    <h4>The ming Horn Tribe¡¯s Intentions</h4>

    DOGE note: Daily chapters from today onwards!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s he turning back?!¡±

    ¡°What are they doing?!¡±

    The people who rushed over to see the king beast finally caught a glimpse and felt like running away was best. No one dared get any closer. Although they were not in the danger zone, they could feel the terrifying, oppressive aura.

    They had been shaken to the core seeing the petrified forests along the way. One glimpse was enough. All they wanted was to keep a safe distance. When they saw the king beast that was supposed to be lured away heading towards them, they ran instantly.

    When Shao Xuan was running back, he called Gui He over for a few quick words, then brought the king beast in a circle to buy Gui He time to inform the people at the ming River Castle.

    No one knew what they spoke about as they were too far away. They did not know what was going to happen. Shao Xuan continued leading the king beast around while Gui He quickly headed towards the ming River Castle.

    Shao Xuan wanted Gui He to tell the people at the castle that he would be bringing the king beast towards ming River and might get close to the ming River Castle. He wanted them to prepare themselves and suppress their fire seed auras to avoid detection. In the event of identally triggering the king beast, if it headed towards the castle, everyone must retreat. They could always rebuild the castle- fighting a king beast was not ideal. Plus Shao Xuan now understood the king stoneworm a little more after leading it around. Although it was just a surface-level understanding, he was sure this king stoneworm was as strong as the salt beast. Perhaps the salt beast might even lose to it if they met each other.

    Luring this king beast away was merely a temporary solution. No one knew when it would return. The only long-term solution was to bring it back to its nest.

    Perhaps it could not find its way back, that was Shao Xuan¡¯s guess. But what if he was wrong? And the king stoneworm had no intentions to return to its nest? Then luring it to the forest filled with fearsome beasts might be a solution. Better than leaving it near the ming River. There were many tribes here and none had the confidence to kill it.

    Could they hope for all the tribes to work together to defeat the king stoneworm? This was likely to backfire, ending with everyone ming ming Horn for the oue.

    If the king stoneworm did not fear water, why not lead it to the ce it should be?

    That was Shao Xuan¡¯s conclusion.

    Gui He sent his message to the trading area, even getting the snow falcon to bring a note to the main vige so both sides were on guard just in case. They must be absolutely prepared in the face of a king beast.

    After running in a few circles, Shao Xuan looked up to see Gui He¡¯s snow falcon pass by and understood that they were prepared. He turned and no longer turned, instead heading to ming River.

    The king stoneworm seemed dumb enough too. Shao Xuan was obviously bringing it in circles and it had followed him consistently without much emotional fluctuation. The salt beast would have raged already.

    It looked like not every king beast had the same intelligence. Nature was all about bnce. If this animal could be a king beast, yet it was not intelligence, then it must be very naturally talented. Just like the beastman ve Yi Si had. Grasshopper was not intelligent but still a terrifying figure just from his strength.

    Admittedly, this worm was extremely powerful. Letting it loose here would just wreak havoc.

    Within the ming River Castle, the ming Horns were briefed by their leaders about their next n.

    Sensing the change in the ming Horn¡¯s mood, Yi Si was puzzled. Even though he could calcte the probability of something happening based on detailed observation, he had too little information here. He saw that the ming Horns must have a solution but did not know what it was.

    Then, he heard a chattering sound. He turned to see Grasshopper curled in a ball, his teeth chattering. All the spines previously retracted were now standing straight on his back.

    This meant the king beast was approaching.

    Didn¡¯t they lure it away just now? Why would it be approaching?

    Very soon, not just Grasshopper sensed the king beast. Everyone in the castle could sense its location.

    ¡°What is it? Is the king beast here?!¡± The people who were blocked from leaving craned their necks excitedly. When the houses in front were blocking their view, they leapt to the roof of the tallest house to look beyond the walls around the trading point.

    However, their view was still blocked by the forest outside so they focused their attention on the two towers by one of the gates.

    All the ming Horns wanted was for this rowdy bunch to quiet down but they were curious too. Ta, who was well-rested, brought a group up the tower by the gates for a better view.

    The trading point had three gates but Shao Xuan was only going to pass by one.

    Rumble¡ª-

    Ta¡¯s face changed. ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±

    That was the sound made by the wriggling king stoneworm. Although the sound was faint, his muscles tensed up involuntarily and sweat sprouted from his forehead. He remembered the helplessness when the beast was nearby, the feeling of turning into stone- how could he calm down?

    Everyone grew anxious when they saw Ta¡¯s state. The outsidersining about seeing the king beast quietened down, their eyes locked in one direction, unblinking. They clenched their sweaty palms. They heard the rumbling too. They might want to see the beast but they were also afraid. The brazen courage from before was reced with uncontroble fear.

    The smell of stone dust lingered in the air.

    The forest was dead silent, as if every living thing had been strangled.

    The rumbling sound grew closer. The people on the tower by the gate and on the castle could see a grey line approaching from far in the forest, towards the ming River.

    ¡°That¡¯s... the king beast?¡± whispered someone. They did not need to be reminded to keep quiet. Although the king beast was far away, they instinctively lowered their voices.

    ¡°That¡¯s where the king stoneworm is. Everything around it turns to stone, including trees and even people. Everything turns to stone!¡± Ta¡¯s tone was t but they saw the fear and caution in his eyes as he looked out at the king stoneworm.

    Everyone drew in a sharp breath. Even if they were far away, the ming Horns had painted them a good picture.

    Someone gulped and stuttered, ¡°T-t-that¡¯s... impressive!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, it¡¯s t-t-the k-king beast... how could it not be?¡± Another guy forced himself to look calm but his stuttering exposed his anxiety.

    These people rarely met regr fearsome beasts, their terror was unimaginable in the face of a king beast.

    Very soon, their attention turned from the king beast to the ming Horns.

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it lured away already? Why are you luring it back?¡± asked Yi Si. He was the calmest non-ming Horn now.

    Ta eyed him. ¡°We have our reasons.¡± He did not borate. In reality, he was not confident in this n either. Shao Xuan¡¯s n was insane, he would not have done it if it were up to him. But after a lot of thought, he realised this might be the best n.

    ¡°Just wait and see,¡± said Ta drily. Who was in the mood for conversation now?!

    Although the king beast was not heading directly towards them, its route passed through a forest not far away. Everyone could see the green trees turning to grey stone.

    The ones who previously could not clearly imagine the king beasts felt their knees give out, their backs drenched in sweat, their lips moving but no words came out. All they could do was stare with widened eyes, their faces twitching pathetically.

    Rumble¡ª

    The deafening rumbling shook them to their core. Everyone seemed to hold their breaths.

    They could not see Shao Xuan or the king stoneworm, for it was all a blur amongst the grey stone forest but they would never forget therge, expanding patch of grey in front of them.

    So this was a king beast!

    Those whoined about wanting to see the beast felt like they had been too naive! But no one would mock them now.

    All eyes fixated on the expanding grey patch until the rumbling slowly faded. They only snapped back to reality when the king stoneworm had passed by and headed towards ming River.

    ¡°You all stay here, I¡¯ll go check.¡± Ta ran down the tower and ran towards the river.

    Now that the trading area was temporarily safe, he had to go check the other side.

 Chapter 683 - The Bridge Connecting Two Lands

    <h4>The Bridge Connecting Two Lands</h4>

    At this moment, other than the people at the ming River Trading Point, a portion of the travellers who were supposed to leave was also keeping an eye on the king beast¡¯s movements.

    How many of these people who left first truly nned to leave anyway? How many nned to hide and then rob the trading area and it was vulnerable?

    The ming Horns had a lot of good stuff and they were jealous. Usually, they did not dare steal anything in fear of the ming Horns. Wasn¡¯t this a great opportunity? They must take advantage of this situation, or how would they ever live with themselves?

    Although it was risky, this risk was necessary for great reward. However, the situation did not go as imagined and they still could not attack.

    The travel groups who truly left the trading point also sent scouts to keep an eye on the surroundings. Although there was a dy in the information chain, they still knew the general situation at the trading point.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan had no time to care about everyone¡¯s feelings. His focus was on the king stoneworm behind, confirming that it was still following him.

    After passing through the forest, ming River was just ahead.

    Perhaps sensing the king beast¡¯s presence, the usually active piranhas in the river had disappeared far away.

    Still running, Shao Xuan took a deep breath and whistled.

    Cha Cha, who had been following them in the air, dove immediately.

    Shao Xuan grabbed one talon and was brought away from the riverbank across the river.

    This was the most important part of the n. The king stoneworm¡¯s next move determined the sess of this n!

    Within the forest, Gui He and the rest of the people watched anxiously, not daring to breathe as they prayed silently. May the ancestors protect us.

    This was not the small stream from before. The ming River was hundreds of metres wide, almost a thousand. How was the king stoneworm going to cross this gigantic river?

    Actually, Shao Xuan also had other ns if this did not work. They could take another route.

    It was not a must to follow this route. However, it was best if the stoneworm could cross the river. It did not matter how the king stoneworm crossed the river.

    Would it cross directly on the surface or dig underground? Or...

    Shao Xuan looked at the king stoneworm that stopped by the river bank, one arm grabbing Cha Cha¡¯s talon.

    Come!

    Come quick!

    This way!

    Shao Xuan screamed in his heart. Within his consciousness, the light shell around the ming Horn¡¯s totemic mes shone brighter.

    The king stoneworm lifted the front half of its body, as if wanting to survey the situation in front of it.

    The people hiding in the forest only had a partial view. They only saw its gigantic head that was already far taller than the tallest tree here. No one could miss it.

    To the king stoneworm, in the face of such foreign surroundings, it naturally wanted to follow this energy simr to its own fire seed aura. However, the riverbank caused it to halt for a moment.

    Just a moment. Soon, the river surface around it turned grey and it lowered its head, wriggling ahead once more.

    All the water where it touched turned to stone with clear lines that resemble flowing water, maintaining the ripples on the surface formed from the gentle breeze blowing.

    However, as the king stoneworm wriggled along, the ripples were ttened and reced with the iconic ridges.

    Crack-crack-crack¡ª

    Stone extended across the river surface, with the king stoneworm as the origin point.

    However,pared to therge-scale petrification at the forest, the petrification was more concentrated to the space on both sides of the king stoneworm.

    Its entire body was now on the river surface.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath, happy with this oue. His n was going smoothly!

    The king stoneworm did not sink, nor did it burrow underground! It was crossing mightily across the river!

    Nothing could stop it, nothing! Even a thousand-metre wide river could not!

    Something humans could never achieve was done so effortlessly by a worm.

    This was the power of a king beast!

    It lived up to its name indeed, ¡®king¡¯!

    As it ambled forward, Shao Xuan had Cha Cha bring him to the other side of the river. They controlled their speed and direction, never straying away from the route and maintaining a fixed distance. This was the only beginning.

    A pencil-straight bridge materialised right before everyone¡¯s eyes as the gigantic worm inched forward.

    In the air, Wu He was still watching. He almost fell off his long-winged bird when he watched the worm cross the river.

    ¡°H-h-he...¡±

    Indeed!

    So that¡¯s what he¡¯s trying to do!

    They¡¯re making a king beast do their dirty work for them!

    How did he evene up with this idea!

    A bunch of madmen!

    Not just Wu He¡¯s jaw dropped, other outsiders and ming Horns, including Duo Kang, were stunned as they rubbed their eyes and pped their heads. They had to make sure they were not hallucinating from fatigue.

    Although they knew of Shao Xuan¡¯s ns, they did not expect this!

    A stone bridge was slowly forming across the ming River!

    It could even turn water to stone!

    At the same time, they wondered how this heavy king beast could travel across the surface. Even if it could petrify water, the rockyer might not be able to support its weight.

    Unless the stoneyer had already reached the riverbed, forming a stone bridge cutting the river in half?

    That¡¯s not possible! The ming River is very deep, how could it be cut off that easily? And the currents did not look like they had been cut off either.

    So is the bridge floating then?

    But how was it supporting such arge beast?

    But how can stone float?

    Everything was against logic, driving everyone insane.

    This is unbelievable!

    They thought the ming Horns would lure the king beast away but now it was back and crossing the river. They finally understood why.

    These ming Horns were cunning!

    If the ming Horns knew what they thought, they would say it was all the Grand Elder¡¯s idea. They were just following instructions. They were as shocked as everyone else!

    At the top of ming River Tower, Ao and a group of ming horns watched the king stoneworm. However, as Shao Xuan flew further, they faded from view.

    Ao held a telescope, watching the ming River with the asionalment. ¡°How?¡± ¡°How is that possible?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe this.¡± ¡°So Ah Xuan was nning to do this...¡±

    Everyone scratched their heads, fixing their gaze on Ao as they thought to themselves, ¡®Elder Ao, can you describe the situation or something? Or at least pass the telescope around!¡±

    If their former chief was this shocked, then the situation must have exceeded his expectation. Everyone could not wait to run to the river on their own but they must guard this ce, especially the castle. They must not let anyone steal from them during this critical time.

    Unfortunately, Ao was too distracted and did not realise how everyone felt. He did not intend to share the telescope at all.

    The rock forming on both sides of the king stoneworm was at least seven to eight metres. Adding the worm¡¯s own width, the stone bridge was on average at least twenty metres wide.

    If they wanted to build this bridge across the river, even if they had technology more advanced than what they had right now, it still would not be an easy task. This bridge did not have any piers. It looked very stable too. The king stoneworm continued to wriggle forward at a constant speed.

    Very good! The risk was worth it!

    Shao Xuan watched the grey bridge form with excitement. He could not wait to go check its sturdiness.

    He let out a long exhale. There was time. He could check after everything was settled.

    Shao Xuan had made preparations but everything was going perfectly along the best route.

    He had underestimated the king stoneworm.

    Although it was a little dumb, its mighty abilities were undeniable.

    One fifth...

    One third...

    Half...

    Two thirds...

    The miraculous bridge was almost finished.

    Everyone stared at the surface of the river, not daring to blink so they would not miss anything important. They were grateful foring, to be able to witness such a miracle.

    A strong gust of wind blew. Waves crashed into the long stone bridge behind the king stoneworm.

    Crash!

    The waves turned into sshes.

    Despite the waves, the stone bridge above the surface of the water did not move, as if proving to the world its sturdiness.

 Chapter 684 - The King Wormâ€™s Return to His Mountain

    Chapter 684

    The King Worm¡¯s Return to His Mountain

    The people at the ming Horn headquarters were also aware of the situation there, and many soldiers on patrol also hid around the area as they waited for Gui He¡¯s orders. They stayed a safe distance away from where the king stoneworm was returning. If they were too close, they would risk turning into stone. Everyone kept their breaths shallow and tried their best to stay as nonexistent as they could. All they needed to do now was to stay alert and not make any careless moves or reveal themselves earlier than they were told.

    On the other side, Cha Cha had already brought Shao Xuan down onto the riverbank. After they descended, they noticed that the king stoneworm was still following tightly behind them, so they didn¡¯t stay there. They lifted off once again and set off for the forest.

    The king stoneworm finally hesitated for a moment after it reached the other side, but not long after, it continued to chase after Shao Xuan. The long stone bridge that extended across the ming River and continued to lengthen as the king worm moved. A road of stone trailed behind as it moved.

    Along the riverbank, trees, flowers, and grass in the area all turned into a greyish-white colour. After itnded on the shore, the stone worm king worm moved the same way as before, the way it was ustomed to travel onnd.

    The rumbling noises continued, but it didn¡¯t turn around even once to nce at the long bridge behind it. It did not care at all about the terrifying damage it had done to its surroundings. Perhaps this was insignificant to it. It was merely following Shao Xuan¡¯s tracks.

    The patrolling soldiers who were hiding in the forest at the ming Horn headquarters also saw the worm leave. They only heaved a sigh of relief after he had left. They were all terrified when they saw what happened to the surface of the river.

    ¡°They left?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It already left with our Grand Elder. It probably won¡¯t turn back.¡±

    ¡°What was that on the river¡¯s surface, the thing that the stone worm king worm made?¡±

    ¡°That.... It¡¯s probably a bridge? I heard the Grand Elder and other people mention it, but the Grand Elder said our ability was limited, so we never built one,¡± someone said.

    ¡°So we have a bridge now? That one?¡± another person pointed on the greyish-white bridge on the surface of the ming River.

    ¡°Probably. Should we try walking across it?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s not. We should wait till the Grand Elder and chief are back,¡± Wei tried to stop the people who were trying to go there.

    ¡°Hey, leader, look over there! Someone¡¯sing!¡± the person behind Wei shouted while pointing at the other shore.

    Wei looked over. There were indeed people who stepped onto the long greyish-white bridge.

    ¡°It looks like hunt leader Duo Kang. Oh! Hunt leader Ta is there too! Elder Zheng Luo and the chief are all there!¡±

    Filled with curiosity, Duo Kang had brought a few other people across the new bridge on the ming River. They followed tightly behind Gui He and Zheng Luo, and also Ta, who had just arrived from the trading point.

    The king stoneworm hesitated at a location while it was crossing the river, so where it hesitated, the stone bridge was slightly wider.

    Gui He stepped on the hardened grass beneath him. The petrified grass here was a little harder than the ones in the forest. He could still hear a crisp cracking sound when he stepped on the ones in the forest, but here, the stones were harder to crush and it required more strength to break apart even a single tuft.

    ¡°Should we go take a look?¡± Zheng Luo suggested.

    ¡°We can try?¡± Ta was a little expectant as well.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Gui He was the current chief, so he walked in front and led the team across the stone bridge.

    Even the king stoneworm could travel steadily across this bridge. Theirbined weight was lighter than the king stoneworm, so they reckoned there wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    Gui He, Zheng Luo, Duo Kang, and Ta stepped onto the newly formed bridge. Behind them, Duo Kang also led a team of ming Horn warriors across. To them, this was an entirely new experience.

    After Gui He stepped on the bridge, he tried to put some more pressure on his toes to test the quality of the bridge. It was much harder than he anticipated.

    It was hard and very sturdy. If it could hold the weight of a king stoneworm, it wouldn¡¯t easily be trampled broken.

    After the first step, the second and third step felt much easier. At first, they were all nervous and doubtful, but after they walked for about ten metres, they became much more rxed.

    It works!

    They could actually walk on water!

    The people who were on the stone bridge felt the sturdy stone bridge underneath them, and also the waves that werepping from both sides. They inhaled deeply. Water sttered onto them as the waves came into contact with the bridge from both sides. The waves washed away ayer of powdered stone that trailed behind the stone worm.

    The stone powder was the dust that the king stoneworm dragged along as it squirmed across the river. Its body was not at all suffering from petrification. Thus, as the waves sshed, the powder mixed in with the stones.

    The faces of the people who were walking across were sshed with greyish-white mud brightened. They just wiped away the mud and letughter take over them.

    To the ming Horns, this bridge made their lives more convenient. After all, there were still problems ships could not solve, and they didn¡¯t have enough giant mountain eagles to carry things across. Even if they did, it wouldn¡¯t be as convenient. Now that they had a long bridge that extended across the river, then all their work would be so much easier. They could transport items across the river any time they wished between the trading point and their headquarters. They no longer had to care about anything that stood in their way.

    With both sides of the ming River connected, people who couldn¡¯t embark on ships across the ming River could now easilye across from the other side.

    This bridge connected both shores of the ming River.

    Less than thirty ming Horns crossed this bridge, yet they caught the attention of more than a hundred pairs of eyes.

    Wu He, who was still in the sky, the people from other tribes who were still hiding in the forest behind them, as well as the patrolling soldiers at the ming Horn headquarters, were all observing them from where they were. They watched with amazement as these people walked across the bridge from one end to the other.

    ¡°They...... crossed it!¡± someone from another tribe¡¯s expedition team said as he saw the situation. His tone was filled with surprise as he watched the team of ming Horns walk across the stone bridge.

    ¡°I want to walk across it too, but that¡¯s the ming Horn¡¯s territory,¡± another person stared unblinkingly at Gui He¡¯s group from behind a tree.

    Some bolder people walked out from the forest and approached the stone bridge, but they still didn¡¯t dare step on it.

    In their view, this was made by the ming Horns, so it definitely belonged to them. If they didn¡¯t have the ming Horn¡¯s approval and stepped onto the bridge, it would be considered as trespassing and provocation.

    They were also scared after the king beast¡¯s incident. It was better to stay cautious.

    However, they couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity when they saw the bridge so close to them. Some people ran over quickly and stepped on the bridge, and then dashed away to hide in the woods. At least their curiosity was sated.

    The others also saw those people who quickly disappeared into the woods, and looked over again at the bridge near them. Gritting their teeth, they also took a few steps forward and stepped on the bridge. They hurried and ran away as soon as theynded a step on the bridge.

    In the sky, Wu He, who was sitting on the back of the long winged bird, looked at the group of ming Horns as they sessfully walked from one end of the bridge to the other. He knew that if he came across any other Chang Le¡¯s in the future, he would certainly brag about it to them. It was not easy for him to witness a miracle like this. He made the bold decision to stay at a crucial moment. If he had decided to leave back then and heard itter from another¡¯s mouth, he would certainly regret his decision.

    Regardless of what everyone else was thinking, Shao Xuan kept luring the king stoneworm, leading him back into the forest.

    The king stoneworm never bothered to rest while it chased after Shao Xuan. As long as it was still following him, he could not stop. He had to keep heading towards the king worm¡¯s cave.

    However, the king stoneworm slowed down quite a lot after it reached this side of the river. It probably used up too much energy from crossing the river. To the worm, squirming on the ground was much harderpared to underground.

    Stoneworms ate stones, but Shao Xuan was not sure what the king stoneworm ate. Regardless whether it was stone or earth, or even some stone that no one knew about deep underground, they were all underground. It was used to moving underground, so that was why it didn¡¯t feel asfortable travelling above ground.

    That was why the king worm drilled into the ground as soon as it reached the other shore. Of course, it was still following Shao Xuan, so it didn¡¯t drill down too deep. It still stayed close to the surface as it followed Shao Xuan. This allowed the worm to detect Shao Xuan¡¯s presence.

    After the king worm drilled into the ground, not all of the grass and wood became petrified. If they shovelled away ayer of grass on the surface, then they could see the petrified soil. This was probably because the king worm used up most of its energy when it crossed the river and also when it travelled across the entire area. Its petrification power had weakened greatly.

    Shao Xuan could sense where the king worm was, so he didn¡¯t stop to rest. He led the king worm into the forest, and his n was working as expected, so this was a good sign.

    Even though the king worm no longer petrified everything onnd, its energy was enough to scare away all types of beasts nearby. All of the fearsome beasts hurriedly left the area when they sensed that the king beast was approaching, and this also made Shao Xuan¡¯s travel a lot more convenient.

    Without any fearsome beasts in his way, Shao Xuan could smoothly head toward his destination. This was not a short route, and it was already close to sunset when they crossed the river.

    Even as the sun set and the night descended on them, Shao Xuan was still quite far from the king worm¡¯s nest. He had to continue his travel in the nighttime. Luckily, he still had his special vision so he could travel at the same speed even during the night time.

    Usually when a hunting team is in the forest, they would consider their members¡¯ ability and the fearsome beasts that were in the area and decide whether they should go around a ce or keep going straight. However, Shao Xuan was the only one here and there was also a king beast behind him, so no other fearsome beasts dared to attack Shao Xuan. That was why Shao Xuan boldly chose the shortest route.

    Shao Xuan could finally see the high mountain when the daylight dawned upon them.

    The king worm suddenly increased its speed and appeared to be overly excited because it was familiar with the scent all around it. It couldn¡¯t hold back its energy and as it moved, everything onnd around it turned into stone and the area widened.

    The king stoneworm was still travelling underground. It didn¡¯t emerge but drilled down even deeper. Shao Xuan could feel the king worm drifting away from him.

    The grey area on ground no longer widened, so Shao Xuan also retrieved his energy. He was already finished with his duty.

    Roar¡ª

    Roar¡ª-

    Chirp¡ª-

    In the high mountain, all types of fierce beasts roared continuously.

    All the beasts that had moved into the king worm¡¯s nest during the time it had left suddenly felt terrified by the beast¡¯s return. All of them were trying to escape the cave.

    The king of the mountain had returned. How could they still have the guts to stay in the mountain?

 Chapter 685 - The Giant Bridge of the Flaming River

    <h4>The Giant Bridge of the ming River</h4>

    After Shao Xuan rested beside the king stoneworm¡¯s nest for about an hour, he hunted a fearsome beast and shared the food with Cha Cha.

    Most of the other fearsome beasts had departed because the king worm returned. For now, most of them wouldn¡¯t stay close to the area, so Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t encounter any problems here.

    Not long after the king worm returned to his cave, the worst had passed. Everything returned to its initial peaceful state. No one saw the king worm leave its cave again.

    Shao Xuan could feel the king worm¡¯s presence under the mountain. He could also tell that it was feeling quite well. Its emotions were still the same as before, free from unpredictable fluctuations, but Shao Xuan could guess that he was quite excited to be back.

    Was he really lost?

    A fool with no sense of direction. It couldn¡¯t even tell the direction and didn¡¯t know how to return to its cave, so it could only follow its gut feeling. Who would¡¯ve thought that he would run so far away! How foolish! Even though this worm was so stupid, its mere strength was enough to scare away countless humans and beasts. If Shao Xuan didn¡¯t lead it back to its cave, it would¡¯ve caused quite a big trouble in the area. It didn¡¯t care which area would suffer from its petrification. It only stayed wherever it felt like staying. With its IQ, it wouldn¡¯t consider too many factors and it didn¡¯t have manyplicated thoughts.

    It was purely because of this that people could not predict what this worm would do if it decided to act recklessly.

    But the good thing was, everything was over.

    The leader bat that was staying at the ming Horn headquarters probably also returned to his cave.

    Shao Xuan suddenly felt a burning curiosity as he recalled the newly built bridge across the ming River.

    A bridge! One that was over hundreds of metres long!

    He wondered if the bridge met the standards of his expectations.

    As he thought about this, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. His body recovered after he finished eating the fearsome beast meat. Watching the colourful clouds appear in the sky, Shao Xuan stood up and put out the pile of fire. He cleaned up his traces and prepared to return.

    On his way back, he met Duo Kang and the others who followed him over.

    After the bridge was built, Duo Kang brought a group of people and followed Shao Xuan¡¯s tracks. They thought Shao Xuan needed help, so they went to help, but Shao Xuan was already finished with the business.

    ¡°The king stoneworm already returned?¡± Duo Kang asked.

    ¡°He returned to his cave. He probably won¡¯te out anymore unless there is another disaster,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Good to hear! Good to hear!¡± Duo Kang expressed his feelings of approval. They didn¡¯t want to face any king beasts. The king stoneworm seemed even stronger than the salt beast they had encountered before. It was so powerful that it could even turn water into stone. They wouldn¡¯t even stand a chance if they had to battle it.

    Everyone finally felt at ease when they found out that the king beast was no longer a threat to their tribe in the meantime.

    Duo Kang told Shao Xuan about how they crossed the bridge.

    ¡°It actually works! We all walked across that, erm... bridge, yes. We walked across that bridge. It didn¡¯t sink downward at all and was as sturdy asnd!¡± Duo Kang spoke enthusiastically. The bridges he knew were all made from giant pieces of wood. Back when they were on the other side of the sea, there was also a bridge made from a giant tree trunk on the human-made river in the outer region of their tribe.

    But now, seeing this bridge, he finally understood that a ¡°bridge¡± could mean something even bigger!

    So, a bridge could actually look like this!

    It turns out a bridge could actually be built across such a long distance!

    This was a breakthrough in their thinking. Back in the days of the disaster, when the tribes came over here on wooden rafts, Shao Xuan had also mentioned about building a bridge, but not everyone agreed to his idea. They thought that it was unnecessary and impossible, but now it actually became a reality. They just didn¡¯t use any manpower to build it. Instead, they leveraged the strength of the king stoneworm.

    Duo Kang couldn¡¯t help feeling proud of their achievement. This bridge belonged to the ming Horn tribe!

    Duo Kang thought the same way as the other foreign tribe members. The bridge belonged to the ming Horn tribe because Shao Xuan was the reason behind the formation of this bridge. So if anyone dared to take over their property, they would fight to protect it.

    Does the central region have such a long bridge? Do the proud ve masters on the other side of the sea have such a long bridge?

    No! None of them!

    Only the ming Horns!

    Up till now, this was the longest bridge that existed!

    ¡°Did you see those people¡¯s reactions? Their eyes were so wide and they¡¯re still surrounding the bridge. They don¡¯t even want to leave. All of them want to walk across it,¡± Duo Kang spoke a smile that reached his ears.

    Shao Xuan was also happy when he heard this. Indeed, many people would think of building ships when they saw a river. Rarely would they ever think of building a bridge across the river, not to mention how wide the ming River was?

    But this time they seeded!

    However, they shouldn¡¯t be excited so soon. They were still unsure how sturdy this bridge was and whether it could still stand strong against the strong currents of the ming River. They still needed time to make sure.

    After Shao Xuan returned to the tribe, he also brought back news of the king stoneworm returning to his cave. This also marked the end of this crisis.

    Everyone was excited at the ming River Trading Point. The people who were guarding the trading point were waiting for people to take over for the next shift. They couldn¡¯t wait to see the ¡°bridge¡± that the king beast created.

    ¡°Miracle! What a miracle!¡± Yi Si eximed as he observed the miraculous stone bridge in front of him.

    Grasshopper was still feeling tense. The sharp spikes on his back were all still erect. Even though the king beast had left, some of the beast¡¯s energy was still left on the bridge, so even if it didn¡¯t affect most of the other people, it affected Grasshopper severely because fearsome beast blood flowed through his veins. Even the slightest bit of the king beast¡¯s energy would make him nervous.

    More and more people crowded around the stone bridge. They only stoppeding over to satisfy their curiosity after Gui He sent soldiers here to surround the area.

    However, even if they couldn¡¯t walk across the bridge, the people who were watching gained a general understanding of the bridge just by watching the ming Horns walk on it.

    There were still many unsafe factors in the ming River. The expedition teams from other tribes had felt it themselves. There were still countless fierce beasts and violent fishes in the river, and that was why the ming Horns still crossed the river on their ships.

    The ming Horns already put away the wooden rafts they used to return here. After the disaster, a lot more fearsome beasts and fishes became active in the area, so they could no longer travel by their rafts. They would be at a disadvantage if they fought standing on a raft against river beasts. Now, with a long and wide bridge like this, most of these problems were solved.

    Very soon, the bridge was named the Giant Bridge of the ming River, and stone tes bearing its name were erected on both ends of the bridge. The ming Horn totem sign and the four characters bearing the bridge¡¯s name were carved into the stone tes and were painted in red. They appeared extremely striking in contrast to the colour of the grey stone te.

    There were many people from foreign tribes who were observing the ming Horns as they put up the signs around the bridge. Even though these people were forced to stay away from the bridge, it didn¡¯t at all stop them from being curious.

    ¡°The Giant Bridge of the ming River?¡± someone read out the words on the stone te. ¡°Giant bridge? Well, this name suits the bridge quite well. It is really big.¡±

    This was a bridge that extended across the ming River, and it could even withstand the weight of a king beast as it moved across. It remained unmoved even as the ming Horns carried their giant stone tes across. If this was not giant, what was?

    But someone else also thought, ¡®Is giant merely referring to its size? Could it just be a name?¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s going to be a second bridge, a third bridge?¡± someone asked in a whisper.

    No one gave him a direct answer, but many people thought about it too. The king beast was still here, so who could be so sure?

    Shao Xuan also came by to look at the bridge. He also asked some people from the Drumming tribe toe help and check the situation underwater. The Drumming tribespeople could use their intuition to feel the situation underwater, so with their help, they could find out more about the situation underneath.

    The part of the bridge that was underwater was triangr-shaped, and the longest part reached down over twenty metres.

    This bridge had no piers and extended across from one shore to the other. If it didn¡¯t connect tond on both sides of the river, it would literally be floating!

    Was a bridge like this sturdy enough?

    They could only wait and see.

    After he checked the stone bridge, Shao Xuan also recalled parts of a smaller stream that the stone worm king worm petrified when it crossed it. Even though the river was not flowing fast in that area, it stopped flowing where it was turned into stone. Another part was also split when Shao Xuan led the stone worm back from the other side of the river, so there were two bridges here in the small stream stopping it from flowing.

    Not many dangerous fishes lived in the small river. At most, there were some piranhas living near the parts around the ming River region, but because of the two bridges made by the king worm, there wouldn¡¯t be many fishes living near that area in the meantime.

    Shao Xuan instructed some people to pull a across the river around the two bridges, so no fish swam here from downstream.

    After they set up thes, some ming Horn and Drumming warriors went underwater to drill holes in the bridges.

    They were reluctant when it came to the giant bridge, but they were fine with drilling holes in the two smaller bridges.

    ng!

    A hammer on the stone bridge merely left a small dent on its surface.

    ¡°It¡¯s so hard!¡±

    ¡°Really? Let me try!¡±

    ng!

    ¡°Damn, this is probably better than upper-grade stones! Wasn¡¯t this bridge made from water? How can it be so hard?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand the strength of a king beast. Quick, let¡¯s dig a giant hole here, and use the stone to make weapons!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s finish this quickly!¡±

    The people who were digging dug even faster because they were curious about the stone¡¯s quality. The chisels they used were made from the new green bronze, so it wasn¡¯t that hard to chisel.

    If they merely wanted to let the river flow smoothly, they didn¡¯t need to dig holes under it. They could just dig another waterway around the bridges. The reason they drilled holes under the bridge was that they wanted to study the quality of the stones.

    It took some time to drill holes in the bridge. Some people even eximed when they dug out a stone the size of a watermelon, ¡°Wow, this is so light!¡±

    The expedition teams from other tribes who were observing them thought to themselves, ¡®You think we can believe this?!¡¯

    One of the ming Horn¡¯s lies: The stones are very light.

    What nonsense!

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay there the whole time to watch them drill holes in the bridge. Duo Kang was there, so he didn¡¯t need to be there. Shao Xuan was called away by Ao to keep watch that night over the thousand-grain gold.

    Since the stone worm king worm had already left, they probably wouldn¡¯t see the bat leader anymore, right?

    However, as the night descended upon them, the bat still returned.

    Shao Xuan was silent as he stared at the bat leader that had appeared once again.

    Why are you still here?!

    Your brothers are waiting for you on the mountain!

 Chapter 686 - The Flaming Horns Are Famous Again

    <h4>Chapter 686 The ming Horns Are Famous Again</h4>

    The king stoneworm had already left, but the trouble that was not much worse than the stone worm still remained on the ming Horn farms.

    This beast didn¡¯t break anything within the ming Horn tribe, and it also didn¡¯te out to scare anyone. It only creeped out at the same time every night to peel away a single grain from the thousand-grain gold ntation. It would hang upside down from the narrow leaves above and quietly observe the guards who were guarding the traps. No one knew how the beast hung so gently and firmly from the leaf with its heavy weight. The leaf didn¡¯t even move much when the beast hung onto it.

    After the bat leader left, Ao wiped away the sweat on his forehead and questioned Shao Xuan helplessly. Even though he had already encountered the bat leader a few times, he still couldn¡¯t stay calm. He perspired heavily after every encounter and was always anxious.

    Shao Xuan could sense where the bat leader was heading. Even though Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t confirm where the bat leadernded, he could sense that it wasn¡¯t far away from the ming Horn tribe. It did not return to the mountains and forest far away.

    A few more days passed. The thousand grain gold in the ntations were slowly ripening, and they weren¡¯t as green as before. They weren¡¯t sure which factors affected the nts, but they ripened earlier than back then when they were on the other side of the sea. Was it the weather this year or the improved fertilisation? Perhaps these nts preferred the soil here more than the other side.

    Judging by the current situation, the thousand grain gold would probably ripen in around ten days.

    After he heard Ao¡¯s question, Shao Xuan thought about it and said, ¡°As long as it doesn¡¯t trouble us, it would not be a big problem. You probably also noticed that less pests appeared after it came here.¡±

    A lot of grains were ripening around this season, and this was usually the time they suffered from widespread infestation. A lot of strange insects would fly in from the forests, the ground, or ces farther away. These insects ate leaves and fruits, so the people who were looking after the farms had to kill many of these insects everyday. Most of the edible insects were transported to the trading point, and the people at the headquarters were already tired of eating the same grilled insects everyday. The green ducks also couldn¡¯t eat too much, so they couldn¡¯t finish eating all the insects. The insects that were not edible were used to make fertiliser.

    At least it was better in the daytime. They could at least see what was happening and it would be much more convenient to clean. At night, there were many problems to consider. Since the grains in the farm were ripening, many of the insects were attracted to the food. Their desire for the food was much stronger than their natural instinctive attraction to light, so it was a lot harder to catch them with the water moon stone traps.

    However, since the bat leader appeared, almost no flying insects appeared during the night time, and it was a lot quieter than before. Many farnds around the thousand grain gold ntation also experienced this issue, so it saved them from a lot of problems.

    No one was sure whether the bat leader¡¯s sudden appearance was a disaster or a blessing in disguise.

    Of course, the bat leader didn¡¯te here to help the ming Horns scare away the insects. Shao Xuan felt like it was probably waiting for the thousand-grain gold to fully ripen.

    Many beasts didn¡¯t need anyone to teach them to know what was beneficial to them. The bat leader probably felt that the thousand-grain gold was beneficial to it.

    On the ming Horn¡¯s special farnd, besides the thousand-grain gold, there were also other seeds they got from Ji Ju¡¯s ce. Some of these grains were also high quality grains, but the bat leader didn¡¯t get close to any of those nts. Its eyes were focused on the thousand-grain gold.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what happens when the thousand-grain gold ripens,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Ao nodded. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing we can do for now.¡± As long as the bat leader didn¡¯t cause any trouble or cause the ming Horns to suffer a huge loss, they could afford to lose a small portion of their harvest. They considered it as payment for the bat leader¡¯s service.

    As they predicted the ripening time of the thousand-grain gold, the tribe had already begun their n for the harvest. Back when they were on the other side of the sea, every harvest of the thousand-grain gold bustled with excitement. They nted a lot more crops herepared to their previous harvests, so they had to n for arger scale and consider everything carefully. Even though the harvest on the other ntations weren¡¯t as impressive as the thousand-grain gold, they still had to n carefully.

    The problems about the harvest and the issue at the Great Bridge kept Shao Xuan so busy that he didn¡¯t even have the time to keep studying the strange creature in the underground basement of the ming River Castle.

    The ming River Trading Point didn¡¯t get any quieter after the king stoneworm crisis. Instead, more people came and the trading point was filled with excitement.

    The duration of the entire crisis didn¡¯t evenst long, or at least the time when it affected the trading point. The teams that left in a hurry didn¡¯t even go far. Although some of them already walked far, they were merely waiting for news at a resting ce.

    They were all waiting for news of the ming River Trading Point¡¯s destruction. Who would¡¯ve thought that a miracle would happen on the river?

    ¡°Back then when the king beast emerged from the ground, all around, the forest turned into stone. So many people died! All of them turned into stone! The king beast was heading straight for the trading point. All of the ming Horn leaders were there. With their soldiers, they went right at the king beast.¡± h h h. The person continued to bber on about how he saw everything with his own eyes.

    Those who went to inquire about the situation came back and told stories with such vivid descriptions that left everyone in the team with surprised and stunned expressions.

    The person who told the story stood on a giant rock. Droplets of saliva flew in the air as he spoke. A de was attached to his side, and one of his hands pointed to the sky as he said, ¡°I only heard the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe shout at the king beast. He said, ¡®Follow me!¡¯¡±

    ¡°And then? What happened next?¡± the others asked curiously.

    ¡°What? The king beast followed him, of course.¡±

    The team was suddenly booed. They didn¡¯t believe it. That was a king beast. There was no way it listened to a human¡¯s orders and followed him. They just couldn¡¯t believe it.

    The person on the rock looked around him. Seeing how no one believed in his words, he was nervous. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, just go look for yourselves. Wherever the king beast walked, everything was turned into stone. The forest outside the ming River Trading Point was all turned into stone. The marks were still on the ground. You can see the stone trail left by the king beast. It extended from the forest to the ming River and even went across the river to the other side.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Why would I lie to you? Come, let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll bring you guys there to look. The king beast already left anyway. There¡¯s no threat there. I¡¯m guessing that it was all nned by the ming Horns. It¡¯s all been nned!¡±

    When these expedition teams arrived near the ming River Trading Point and saw all the petrified forests and stone trails, they finally believed what the person said. Even though some parts were exaggerated, some of it was true.

    Many of these expedition team members beat their chests and stomped their feet. Why didn¡¯t they stay a little longer at the ming River Trading Point back then?

    As members of the expedition team, especially those with lots of experience, they were very curious about many things, especially terrifying facts. Too bad they missed this opportunity.

    However, even though they missed the opportunity to see the king beast, they still saw the trails the beast left behind, so they didn¡¯t feel as regretful.

    That was why many expedition teams stopped by to look at the area where the King Stoneworm passed by, whether it be where the ming Horns put up their signs, or the giant bridge that extended across the ming River.

    The people who left also spread this news across the entire continent.

    The ming Horns were famous once again! Not just famous, they were even more famouspared to the time the trading point was first built. The terms ¡°ming Horn¡±, ¡°ming River Trading Point¡±, and the ¡°Giant Bridge of the ming River¡± were all spread across the continent.

    Now, everyone in the other trading points, as long as there were ces for expedition teams to rest, people were talking about how the ming Horns used a king beast to build the ¡°Giant Bridge¡±.

    Trading Points existed in many ces, so not many people were really interested in the ming Horn¡¯s trading point. However, they were all curious about how a king beast created a long stone bridge that extended across a giant river, so all of them set up their teams and prepared to set off for the ming River.

    Many teams rushed to the ming River Trading Point as soon as they heard the news of the ming Horn tribe using a king beast to their advantage. They were all curious about the miraculous bridge that the king beast built, so more people gathered around to witness the incident.

    People were all influenced by herd mentality. Even though some of the smaller tribes were worried when they heard about the king beast, when they saw people crowding around the ce, they also went to join the excitement. Before when there was no trading point beside the ming River, they would only stay within their own tribe or the forests nearby the area. However, since they heard about the trading point, they fell in love with the excitement and gossip, not to mention all the goods that were avable there.

    This was also the main reason behind all the excitement these few days.

    Seven long winged birds flew above the forest nearby the ming River Trading Point. There was a person riding on each bird, and they were all observing the long grey stone bridge in front of them. Everyone¡¯s face was shocked, except Wu He.

    ¡°Too bad you guys weren¡¯t here to watch it happen. What a pity!¡± Wu He looked pitifully at his friends who had just arrived at the ming River Trading Point. He almost said, ¡°How could you guys be called Chang Le¡¯s?¡±

    One of them lifted his eyebrow, as if he wanted to say something ironic. They were indeed quite unhappy that they couldn¡¯t see the king beast build such a majestic bridge. This was really something they regretted. It was rare for them to encounter such an interesting event.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about this anymore, Wu He. What are your ns?¡± The other person was already tired of Wu He¡¯s despicable character and how he liked to show off. They had just arrived, so there were still many things they didn¡¯t know about. Seeing how Wu He was the first among them to arrive, he must know some things that they didn¡¯t, and they desperately needed another topic to distract them from their current regret.

    ¡°My target is not the trading point. Let¡¯s go to the ming Horn headquarters. Their farms should have quite some treasures by now,¡± Wu He smiled as he rubbed his hands together. His eyes were full of hope.

    Recently, Wu He discovered that while many people¡¯s attention was focused on the ming River Trading Point, the Giant Bridge, and the new area that the ming Horns imed, something else was happening at the ming Horn headquarters. With his sharp intuition, he could tell that the ming Horns were nning something else, and it was not rted to the other issues at the trading point or the giant bridge. He finally came to the conclusion that there were some treasures growing in the farms at the headquarters!

    ¡°Some treasures?¡± The eyes of the other few all brightened. After all, this was the season of harvest.

    ¡°Splendid! We finally have something to do!¡± Regardless of whether there was actually a treasure there, they had to go take a look and see for themselves. They didn¡¯t want to just sit around.

    ¡°So we¡¯re going there now?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go look around for now,¡± Wu He patted the bird he was riding on and pointed at the farms in the ming Horn headquarters. ¡°Go!¡± They didn¡¯t dare to barge right into the central region of the ming Horn headquarters, but they could still approach the farms from the side. The farms at the ming Horn headquarters were massive. Even if the ming Horns noticed them, not many of the ming Horns could actually chase them away.

    But......

    After he gave his order, he waited for a while. The bird he was riding on didn¡¯t move a single inch. It stayed at the same spot. It wasn¡¯t just Wu He¡¯s bird, but all six other birds behaved the same way.

    ¡°Go! Are you disobeying me?¡± Wu He continued to press on, and even pped the bird on its back.

    After a loud cry, the bird flew a short distance slowly and pped its wings forcefully. It looked like it was not at all willing to fly there, and behaved even more scared than when it approached the king beast.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°Coo!¡±

    The long winged bird that Wu He was riding on cried out loud. This made Wu He even more perplexed. He frowned until his eyebrows were tightly arched.

    ¡°There¡¯s something there that this bird is afraid of.¡± Wu He looked at the direction he nned to travel with a serious expression.

    After he encountered the king beast¡¯s incident, anything strange made him feel uneasy. Even though they wanted to find something fun to do, they still had to be cautious.

    ¡°Is it the giant eagle you mentioned before? The one the ming Horns tamed?¡± one of them spected.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not him,¡± Wu He shook his head firmly, ¡°Even though this bird is afraid of that eagle, there¡¯s no reason for it to be THIS scared.¡±

    Wu He patted the bird¡¯s neck. The bird¡¯s feathers were already on their ends, an expression of anxiety. He looked over at the other birds. They were all acting the same way.

    ¡°Have you discovered any of the ming Horn¡¯s secrets during your time here?¡± someone beside Wu He asked.

    Wu He moved his mouth, ¡°The headquarters are too strict. It¡¯s very different over therepared to the trading point. I haven¡¯t even been here that long. How much can I know?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s another king beast?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°Not very likely,¡± Wu He shook his head.

    They were silent for a moment. Someoneughed, ¡°Then we should really go and take a look.¡±

    Everyone elseughed when they heard this.

    This was the Chang Le people¡¯s character. The more they didn¡¯t know about something, the more curious they were. They wouldn¡¯t rest if they didn¡¯t find an answer to their doubts. The long winged birds¡¯ reactions didn¡¯t even make them forfeit their n. Instead, it made them even more curious and excited. They thought to themselves, ¡®If they didn¡¯t see any king beasts, would it mean that something even more interesting was about to happen? Was it a secret the ming Horns kept?¡¯ They could sell these information to other tribes for a high price.

    As they thought about these, all they felt was pure joy. Hehehe......

 Chapter 687 - Prepare to Harvest

    Chapter 687

    Prepare to Harvest

    It was getting close to the time of harvest, one of the busiest times, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t go to the ming River Trading Point. Instead, he stayed at the headquarters and didn¡¯t leave the house by the farnd even once. He ate and slept there.

    Shao Xuan was aware of those people who were secretly observing them from the sky. The ming Horns had always been tight about their air defenses, but their air force was still a little weak. They only had two birds that were capable of aerial surveince. One of them was Gui He¡¯s falcon, the other bird was Cha Cha. Cha Cha was not at the headquarters because the bat leader was still nearby. He went to the trading point, and only the snow falcon was here, but he stayed at the centre of the headquarters, atop the mountain where everyone lived.

    In the ming Horn tribe, besides these two birds, there were also other birds that could fly, like the green ducks, but they wouldn¡¯t even listen tomands or go to battle. Even if they did listen and went to battle, their strength was...not good. They were already growing fat from eating the insects in the farm. They were not at all scrawny like they were when they first migrated here. Now, their movements were not as nimble as before.

    They didn¡¯t have as many giant mountain eagles as the Hui tribe, nor did they have as many tamed birds as the Feather tribe. They couldn¡¯t let the birds attack anyone who looked suspicious.

    Shao Xuan ordered the soldiers on the whistle tower to observe the people in the sky with his binocrs. If they made any sudden moves or flew toward the ming Horn tribe, they were to be immediately shot at with arrows.

    If they had proper business, they could just walk in from the Giant Bridge of the ming River. Why fly in from the skies so furtively? With just a simple nce anyone could tell that they were up to no good. They were no different from the robbers.

    In the ming Horn tribe, everyone was anxious. There was not at all any happiness like the usual harvests.

    ¡°How is everything?¡± Shao Xuan asked Ao as he ran over with his forehead covered in sweat.

    ¡°Everything is going ording to n. The wanderers had already informed everyone to stay inside their homes for the next two days. They were told not toe out, and even Qi Qi¡¯s group who took care of the farms no longer needed toe. We already set strict rules on this entire farm.¡± Ao took out the water bottle that hung from his side and took huge gulps. He had been busy the whole day, so his throat was feeling dry.

    As the thousand-grain gold ripened, the ming Horns had their full attention on that ntation, but during the past two days, they noticed that other crops were also ripening in the other ntations.

    These were all crops that were brought over from the other side of the sea. This was the first time they nted these, and they didn¡¯t know if the quality of the crop would be affected if they didn¡¯t pick it in time. Some crops had to be harvested at a certain time, and if that time passed, the quality would degrade immensely.

    The ming Horns didn¡¯t have enough people on both of their territories. The Trading Point needed manpower and they needed it here too. It was getting close to the peak harvest time, so they would be a lot busier.

    This year was special too. They didn¡¯t dare to let the younger and weaker warriors harvest the nts, so these warriors were all dispatched to the farms around their boundary lines.

    They hired a few hundred people from the Drumming tribe toe help with the harvest. Although they looked fierce, their character wasn¡¯t bad, so they could still be trusted. They didn¡¯t need to worry about anyone stealing from them during the busy harvest.

    Many people of the Drumming tribe didn¡¯t have much to do during the day anyway. Since the ming Horns needed manpower, and they would also get paid, of course they were happy. Shao Xuan had told them about all these before. There were definitely risks they had to consider during the harvest, and they might encounter dangers, so they knew to be prepared and not fret if anything went wrong.

    The Drumming tribesmen were not afraid of the dangers. Every year during their harvest of the water moon stones, they would also encounter dangers, so these people weren¡¯t worried at all. Fan Mu was leading this team, so if anything happened, they could deal with it calmly.

    Of course, the ming Horns were still focused on the thousand-grain gold ntation. That was still their main focus.

    ¡°Is it here?¡± Ao asked Shao Xuan in a low voice. They didn¡¯t tell everyone about the bat leader. Ao only told a few of the guards around the thousand-grain gold ntation. The soldiers who were dispatched here could be trusted. They wouldn¡¯t talk too much.

    Shao Xuan knew what Ao was referring to when he said ¡°it¡±. ¡°It¡¯s here in our territory, over there in the mountains,¡± Shao Xuan pointed with his finger as he said this.

    Ao looked over. That was the stone mountain where the warriors trained. There were not many nts there so it looked nd, but there was a natural cave there.

    The bat leader was probably waiting in the cave. Recently, the warriors were all upied with their tasks, so they didn¡¯t have time to practice hitting the rocks on that mountain. As a result, the scent of humans faded in that area, so sometimes even birds flew there to build their nests. Now, even the bat leader was there.

    The bat leader didn¡¯t stay far since the thousand-grain gold was ripening. It remained on that mountain and would still fly around the ntation at the same time every night.

    ¡°No wonder the patrolling soldiers said there weren¡¯t as many flying squirrels as before. That¡¯s why,¡± Ao remarked.

    It wasn¡¯t just the squirrels though. All around the ming Horn¡¯s headquarters, there were fewer wild beasts than before. Even though there were not many wild beasts where people lived, the ming Horn¡¯s territory covered a wide area and there were a few mountains here, so there were definitely some smaller beasts and flying stone squirrels nearby the small hill where the wanderers resided. These beasts would steal stuff from them and sometimes even try to outsmart the wanderers. However, they rarely appear these days.

    Even if the bat leader wasn¡¯t their natural predator, it was a beast of a higher rank, so it would definitely affect them. The bat leader even affected the beasts that had been marked by the ming Horns. They all departed for the giant mountain where they lived and dared not approach the farms.

    The wanderers had been warned to stay at home for two days, so they wondered whether the ming Horns were being defensive towards them or worried that they might steal the grains. Some of themined, but very soon, they noticed that it wasn¡¯t just them, but all the people who usually cared for the ntations. All of them were sent away. Besides a few of the ming Horn warriors who looked fierce with murderous intent, not many others were seen on the fields.

    ¡°I saw some of the ming Horns on patrol pass by just now. They all looked so stern, like they¡¯re about to head to battle,¡± someone who went out to urinate came back and told a few others, ¡°Something must¡¯ve happened.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it because of the grains?¡± an old man asked confusedly.

    ¡°Of course not! Have you ever seen a tribe harvesting with such a stern expression? They looked cold as stone,¡± the young man replied.

    After some thought, they noticed that the ming Horns were indeed a little stern these days. They didn¡¯t even smile as often as before.

    ¡°Could it be the king beast?!¡± the woman who was tanning the beast hide was so shocked that her hands trembled.

    ¡°It can¡¯t be...can it?¡± Now everyone was worried sick.

    After all, this ce was simr to the Fearsome Beast Forest. It was even more dangerous herepared to the forest. At least they didn¡¯t encounter any king beasts at the Fearsome Beast Forest. Who said that they wouldn¡¯t encounter another king beast just because one came recently?

    ¡°Probably not. If it was, the ming Horns would¡¯ve told all the children in the tribe to hide. ording to what I know, the ming Horns didn¡¯t do anything of the sort. They just increased the guards around the ntation,¡± a middle aged man who was calmer than most of them said as he tapped his fingers.

    As he said this, they heard footsteps outside. The people in the cave were immediately silent.

    ¡°Lieutenant Er, what¡¯s the rush?¡± the calm middle aged man hurriedly weed the person who returned.

    It was He¡¯er. He¡¯er was close friends with Jiao Wu and a few other ming Horns. After they were told toe here, three people were put in charge of the group. He¡¯er was the second inmand, so everyone was calling him ¡°Lieutenant Er¡±.

    He¡¯er didn¡¯t waste any time. He was serious and didn¡¯t smile at all when he gave out the order. ¡°I just received news from the ming Horns. They told us to keep a lookout for any warnings. If you hear two sharp whistles, immediately shut the cave entrance.¡±

    The middle aged man handed a bowl of warm soup to He¡¯er, and asked him in a low voice, ¡°Lieutenant Er, is something wrong? We¡¯re all quite worried, and as you know, the king worm¡¯s crisis had just passed not long ago...¡±

    He¡¯er epted the kind gesture. He gulped down the bowl of soup in giant gulps. He was already exhausted after informing all the households. After he drank the soup, he also became more rxed. After some thought, he said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure what happened, but it¡¯s definitely not the king beast. As for the previous notice, it came from the Grand Elder Shao Xuan.¡±

    As soon as they heard that it was Shao Xuan, everyone¡¯s expression changed. Shao Xuan was the one and only Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe. His rank in the tribe was higher than their chief and shaman. He was the founder of the ming River Trading Point and also the one who manipted the king beast to build the Giant Bridge. Could his words be false?

    The people who were resenting andining no longerined. They followed as they were told. They knew that the Grand Elder couldn¡¯t be wrong.

    ¡°Right, when you guys hear the whistle, make sure to shut the windows tightly too. Just leave a small hole for fresh air. Don¡¯t unblock the entrance no matter what unless you hear the whistle again,¡± He¡¯er instructed them once more before he left.

    ¡°Alright, we got it!¡± the middle aged person answered immediately.

    He¡¯er continued going from one household to the next, informing the others about the news. There were many wanderers and many caves here, he had to deliver the news as quickly as possible.

    Even though the people in the cave didn¡¯t know what exactly was happening, they did as they were told.

    The ming Horn tribespeople were also busy preparing on the mountain they resided. There were many traps set in front of Old Ke¡¯s house. ¡°I heard a lot of birds areing. Let¡¯s make sure they don¡¯t leave!¡±

    Caesar was also helping on the side. asionally he looked over where the bat leader was with watchful eyes.

    Two days went by.

    Early that morning, Shao Xuan already told Ao and the others, ¡°Get ready. The thousand-grain gold is ripening today. Around this afternoon.¡±

    The atmosphere in the ming Horn tribe was growing tense.

    Shao Xuan stood beside the thousand-grain gold ntation. He looked at the golden grains. They were even taller than back when they were on the other side of the sea. There were more grains now too. The grains swayed heavily in the wind, shining golden in the sun.

    The shadow of the wooden stick that stood erect on the ground shortened gradually.

    Far away, some birds were already flying over from the forest.

    It was close to the thousand-grain gold¡¯s ripening hour. There were fewer insects because their natural predator was here. Some birds were omnivores. They ate both insects and grains, so since they were here, the insects had to leave.

    The insects didn¡¯t have to fret if it was only two or three birds, but what if it was a flock?

    Shao Xuan blew the whistle. Two sharp and loud sounds rang into the distance.

    The people who heard the signal immediately reacted.

    The wanderers who were told to stay quietly at home heard the noises of wings pping outside. Some of them looked out their doors. Birds of different sizes were all waiting at their door, and judging by the sounds, more birds wereing.

    Some of them wanted to catch a bird, but after they heard the whistle, they immediately shut the door tightly and locked it. They also shut all of their windows and left only small openings to see what was going on outside. More birds were descending. The birds were even fighting outside their door.

    High up in the air, Wu He and the other six all observed from afar. They rode on the backs of their long-winged birds.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Why is this happening?¡±

    ¡°So...so many of them!¡±

    It was exactly because they were flying high in the sky that they saw a clearer and wider picture.

    They saw that flocks of birds were flying to the ming Horn tribe from the forest. To be exact, they were all heading for the ming Horn¡¯s farms. Perhaps their target was the golden glittering patch ofnd that the ming Horns were guarding tightly.

    The long-winged birds that they enved were all carnivores and didn¡¯t eat any vegetables. They never ate any grains, so they weren¡¯t interested in the grains in the ming Horn farms. Perhaps they also figured that these grains were special, but they didn¡¯t react as wildly as the birds that were flying over.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely something valuable there!¡± someone eximed passionately. His eyes were burning with desire.

    ¡°I heard that the ming Horns went to the Golden Grains Field once, and Ji Ju also gifted them some presents,¡± Wu He said.

    Wu He went there once personally to inquire, and he even found some shocking news, or else why would the ming Horns be his first target after he came here?

    The eyes of the other six gleamed with curiosity as they heard this.

    ¡°Could it be that those are grown from the seeds that came from the Golden Grains field?¡±

    ¡°It might really be those secretly grown grains in the Golden Grains field!¡±

    ¡°Nice! Luckily we came this time!¡±

    The seven Chang Le people couldn¡¯t let such an opportunity slip away from their hands.

    What was the status of the Golden Grains field? That was thend that belonged to the famous Ji Ju! All of the crops that came from there mattered greatly to the aristocrats. All the guards there were carefully chosen. They could not bepared to the normal guards in the King City. Those fields outside the King City were the hardest to enter. If anyone dared to sneak in or barge in, they would not be able to make it out. Not even a carcass would be left behind. What was left of them would be made into fertiliser.

    However, it was different here. This was the ming Horn tribe, not at all strict as the Golden Grains field.

    What a chance!

    ¡°Hahaha, can¡¯t believe we found something like this!¡±

    ¡°Do you see those birds?¡± Wu He pointed at the flock that was approaching the ming Horn tribe. ¡°Let¡¯s make a move when these birds are giving them trouble!¡±

    ¡°Does that even need to be said?¡±

    If they flew in with this flock, they wouldn¡¯t be easily noticed, and they could even grab some of the grains if they get the chance.

    In stark contrast to the excited Chang Le¡¯s, the seven long-winged birds that they were riding on were all anxious. They were even looking pitifully at the birds that were flying to the ming Horn tribe.

    On the thousand-grain gold ntation, Shao Xuan was fully focused on the glitteringnd in front of him. All around the farm, warriors held swords and tools for harvesting as they waited for Shao Xuan¡¯smand.

 Chapter 688 - The Flock of Birds Exploded (2 in 1 Chapter)

    Chapter 688

    The Flock of Birds Exploded (2 in 1 Chapter)

    DOGE note: release rate is currently 1 chapter every day!! ?? also, subsequent chapters will get longer and longer + the author seems to be writing more 2 in 1 chapters that are much longer than regr chaps- i won¡¯t be splitting them into part 1/2, retaining the original 2 in 1 structure for your enjoyment! hope you enjoy them!

    Talk to me on Discord here

    Come support me on Patreon here to read chapters in advance!

    The wind carried with it a scent of mixed herbs. People with keen senses were sure to notice how the scent was growing richer as time slowly passed.

    More birds flew in from all around, and some had already started to dine in the farms nearby, but quickly they were killed by the guards that were there.

    The soldiers who came from the other side of the sea who once enjoyed reaping the harvest were already mentally prepared, but the others weren¡¯t. Even though they had already been informed a few days ago, they never expected it to be this intense.

    Especially the Drumming tribespeople who came to help. Before they were still feeling bored. It was only some crops in a field. How could it possibly cause anything? Now, they were all stunned by the massive flock of birds that were flying in from all directions.

    ¡®Luckily we didn¡¯t nt any crops!¡¯ the Drumming tribespeople all thought.

    The wanderers in the caves and the ming Horns on the hill at the headquarters all saw the birds flying in and crashing into their houses. Although most of them weren¡¯t fearsome beasts, the number itself was enough to terrify them. They were everywhere.

    Old Ke heard the trap he set in front of his house click with loud noises that followed with birds¡¯ cries. Caesar and the other beasts were all busy working in other ces. Soon their mouths would be full of bird feathers.

    However, the strange thing was, the birds were merely flocking around the farm, and never got close to the thousand-grain gold ntation in the centre. This was very obvious if seen from above.

    ¡°Guys, why aren¡¯t the birds flying there?¡± Wu He asked his partners as he observed the situation below.

    ¡°They know that that ce is the most dangerous. After all, the ming Horns who are guarding that piece ofnd are the strongest. I even heard that the ming Horns hunt fearsome beasts frequently, so they¡¯re probably full of murderous energy. Perhaps the birds also noticed it,¡± one of them guessed.

    ¡°No. I think there might be something there that the birds are afraid of,¡± someone else voiced his opinion.

    ¡°Something dangerous?¡± the person who spoke previouslyughed. ¡°You mean the king beast? If there was indeed a king beast, there wouldn¡¯t be that many ming Horns. It¡¯s definitely not the king beast!¡±

    Wu He agreed. He was there when the king beast appeared. He also knew that the truth wasn¡¯t as exaggerated as the rumours. The ming Horns wouldn¡¯t dispatch this many people if there was indeed a king beast.

    ¡°Then, what¡¯s the reason?¡± They were all confused.

    ¡°Perhaps the ming Horns have some repellents that are keeping the birds away?¡± someone suggested.

    The others all hesitated. This might really be true.

    ¡°Speaking of which, none of the fearsome beasts that the ming Horns tamed are here.¡± Wu He said after he scanned the area. He already discovered that the giant mountain eagle that chased after him from before was flying to and from the forest and the trading point. At most, it only flew to the mountain where the ming Horns resided. It never once approached the farms.

    ¡°That must be it!¡± Now that they thought about it, all of them felt that this was closest to the truth. They knew that the ve masters also used some repellents to drive some birds and insects away from their farms, but this repellent was never revealed to the public. It had always been kept in the hands of very few amongst the ve masters. They thought that since the ming Horns could get the seeds from Ji Ju, perhaps they also received some repellent?

    ¡°No wonder the long-winged birds are staying away from there,¡± Wu He nodded in agreement.

    Luckily these long-winged birds were their ves. Even if they didn¡¯t want to, they had to follow as they were told if they forcefully wished for them to do it. They just had to be careful when they got there. The repellents were targeting insects and birds. It probably didn¡¯t have much effect on humans.

    ¡°Here, take this medicine first.¡± Someone took out a small wooden bottle and shared the pills with the others.

    This pill was not specifically made to counter any repellents, but it can alleviate the symptoms, so even if they were poisoned and didn¡¯t get treatment in time, it wouldn¡¯t be a big problem. They were just going to steal some grains. They weren¡¯t going to eat the poison, so there wouldn¡¯t be much problems.

    ¡°Hurry! Get ready! I feel like the ming Horns are making a move soon!¡± Wu He said.

    The others also stopped thinking about other matters and focused on the situation below them.

    On the thousand-grain gold ntation, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes nced quickly to his left. It seemed peaceful there, but no one dared to approach the area, not even an insect.

    But there was a giant bat there.

    It was still resting on the mountain two days ago, but sincest night, the bat leader already set foot on the ground. Even if it was broad daylight, a time it despised, it didn¡¯t leave thisnd. However, it was no longer hanging upside down from the leaves up above. Instead, it was clinging onto the leaves closest to the grains!

    Since every grain wasrge and the leaves opened upwards, with their long shape, they covered most of the sunlight and provided it with shade.

    The bat leader was hiding under this shade. If they didn¡¯t look in that direction, they wouldn¡¯t notice it at all. At least the guards outside the thousand-grain gold ntation didn¡¯t notice it yet.

    Blop, Blop.

    On the heavy grains, every seed the size of grapes shook and bumped into each other. On the surface, nothing much had changed in its external appearance, but the grains were slowly ripening on the inside.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes shed and immediately he sounded his wooden whistle.

    The sound of the whistle was long but it wasn¡¯t loud or sharp. It was a calm tune. After this whistle, tension spread through the air. Everyone was getting nervous.

    This was to inform the others to get ready.

    ¡°Beeep!¡±

    A sharp and quick whistle followed the first. It was like a gunshot, and everyone from all around dashed at the speed of an arrow to their assigned posts on the farm.

    This was very simr to a battle, one in which every minute was precious.

    The sharp des made from polished beast bones easily sliced away the tall thousand-grain gold. The people who followed tightly behind the des quickly collected the harvest with their giant beast hide bags.

    There were too many grains this year, so the sess of this harvest was a lot higher than the first time they nted it. Plus, they didn¡¯t have the time to individually pick out each of the seeds this time, so they cut out the grains by the strand. They nned to pick the seeds outter at a certain location to prevent the birds from eating them now.

    All of their assigned regions had been nned out beforehand so none of their assigned routes ovepped. They would not bump into each other during the harvest, and the same route wouldn¡¯t be taken twice. All of this was nned to save time.

    Except for one ce.

    Shao Xuan did not let anyone near the area where the bat leader was. They could not guarantee what would happen if people went there, and they must not provoke the beast. They still had to sessfully harvest the crops. If someone identally went over and caused a huge trouble, it would be more problematic than the flock of birds attacking them all at the same time.

    Meanwhile, the birds that initially didn¡¯t dare approach suddenly went berserk and flocked towards the farm.

    From above, they could see a wide circle of birds that were encircling the area heading towards the ntation that was most tightly guarded.

    ¡°Now¡¯s the chance!¡± Wu He and his gang of seven were suddenly excited. Boiling blood surged through their veins.

    The long-winged birds flew down forcefully under their masters¡¯mand. They cried out unwillingly but still flew down slowly.

    As the flock of birds approached, the bat leader that was hiding in the shade under the thousand-grain gold also opened its bloodshot eyes.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Its wings that initially covered its body opened gently. There was too muchmotion around so the sound of its wings opening couldn¡¯t really be heard by anyone.

    However, at the instant it unfolded its wings, all of the birds that were flying over paused, as if someone pressed a pause button, freezing time in its ce.

    A strong murderous intent spread through the air from the thousand-grain gold ntation, especially in the sky. This murderous vibe was specifically targeting the birds that were approaching the area.

    The ming Horn warriors who were busy harvesting the thousand-grain gold almost dropped their des when they felt this sudden change in the atmosphere.

    Fearsome Beast!

    They had been on enough hunts to be able to tell whether their opponent was human or beast.

    No, this was no ordinary fearsome beast! This was way stronger than all the ones they had felt before!

    They felt like they smelled blood even though they didn¡¯t see a single drop of blood anywhere. Nor did their noses actually pick up the smell of blood.

    At that instant, all sorts of sounds¡ª bird cries, roars, and ngs from all types of weapons, all ceased in that instant.

    Sssss¡ª-

    It sounded like a rapidly flowing air current. It wasn¡¯t loud, but everyone on the ntation could hear it.

    This sound made all of their hairs stand on ends. It was like a beast was moving its bloody fangs, waiting to kill.

    It was a bright afternoon, but the ntation had been deprived of its sunlight. It was not at all warm. Rather, an unusual coldness spread through the air, making everyone shiver helplessly.

    Even though Wu He and his group of seven were quite far away, they all felt the strange energy.

    Wu He shivered and almost fell from his long-winged bird.

    It wasn¡¯t just the seven of them. All seven of their birds, along with the flock of birds, all stopped flying. If their masters didn¡¯t force them to fly in, they would¡¯ve already escaped. Their wings pped without any rhythm, shaking from side to side. The people who were riding on their backs almost lost their bnce and fell.

    ¡°Wha¨Cwha¨CWhat was that?¡± someone said stutteringly. Even if they couldn¡¯t discern energies as well as the ming Horns, they experienced enough to know that something dangerous was nearby, but they didn¡¯t know if it was human or beast.

    ¡°Why do I feel like...... something bad¡¯s about to happen?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°What, what is it? Human or beast?¡±

    ¡°Could it really be the king beast?¡±

    ¡°No way!¡± Wu He immediately disagreed, but continued with a tone of uncertainty, ¡°Probably not. At least not the one that appeared before!¡±

    If it wasn¡¯t the king beast, what was that strong energy?

    What secret were the ming Horns hiding?

    ¡°The ming Horns are indeed very cunning!¡± someone said through gritted teeth.

    The others all felt the same way. The ming Horns really had a lot of secrets, but they didn¡¯t dare to investigate right now.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± The other six looked at Wu He. Even though they didn¡¯t like Wu He¡¯s despicable and arrogant character, they still had to ask and confirm. At a time like this, they trusted Wu He¡¯s decision.

    Wu He looked seriously below him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see. These birds won¡¯t give up that easily. If those birds are still here, that means whatever the ming Horns are hiding can¡¯t be a king beast!¡±

    Even if there were delicious temptations, most wild beasts and fearsome beasts wouldn¡¯t get close to a ce with a king beast. However, the flock of birds continued to move in a second wave after hesitating for a moment. They were getting ready for a second shot.

    ¡°Right! It can¡¯t be a king beast!¡± the person beside Wu He smiled.

    To them, as long as it wasn¡¯t the king beast, it was worth the risk. If it was the king beast, they would immediately escape without any questions. Who cares what the ming Horns were hiding? Who cares what treasures are nted in theirnd? We don¡¯t want any of it. Leave immediately! It was simr to how Wu He dropped his cup and ran away immediately when the king stoneworm first appeared at the trading point. They were making the same decision.

    But this was not any king beast. How risky could this be? There was a saying that the Chang Le people took more risks than the number of grains they ate!

    The seven of them observed the situation below them as they stopped worrying. They were observing the flock of birds and waiting for the next chance to make a move.

    In the thousand-grain gold ntation, the warriors who hesitated when they sensed the sudden change in atmosphere, but very soon, they continued their task after Shao Xuan called them back into reality. No matter how dangerous it was, there definitely wouldn¡¯t be any problems with the Grand Elder here.

    After the crisis of the king beast, the ming Horns hadplete trust in Shao Xuan. Even if something went wrong, they wouldn¡¯t resent or me him. They all knew that Shao Xuan was thinking for the sake of their tribe.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, the birds are flying over again!¡± Ao aimed his bow and arrow at the sky. There were too many birds in the sky. Even a skilled archer could not face such a huge flock calmly.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t shoot at them first. Look over there,¡± Shao Xuan jutted his chin towards the bat leader¡¯s direction. The bat leader was growing mad, but that was just a warning. After all, this was broad daylight. It didn¡¯t like to go out in broad daylight.

    Beasts that flew in the sky never liked arrows. It was fine if they shot at them on the other ntations, but they definitely shouldn¡¯t make any careless moves on the thousand-grain gold ntation. After all, the bat leader could fly out any time. And if someone identally shot at it and provoked it, the tribe wouldn¡¯t be able to sessfully finish collecting their harvest in time.

    After some thought, Ao set down his bow and paid close attention to where the bat leader was. Both him and Shao Xuan did not participate in the harvest. They were both looking at the bat leader. No one knew what the bat leader was nning. If something happened, they would be the first ones to take action. In a time of danger, they were the ones expected to face it. They were stronger after all.

    A bloody stench spread through the air and was growing thicker. If they weren¡¯t surrounded by grains, the people there might even think that they¡¯re on a battlefield.

    Some warriors trembled in fear as they cut with their des. It wasn¡¯t because they were timid. It was a natural reaction of anxiety to the strong energy. They were already quite impressive. They could even continue harvesting normally under such a threatening vibe.

    The birds slowed down as they approached thend. Some of the birds retreated while others hesitated. Some bolder birds dared to get closer and flew straight into thend of golden grains.

    Even though the birds were already so close to the thousand-grain gold ntations, they didn¡¯t fly down immediately. However, they were such a huge flock that they covered the entire sky, blocking out the sunlight.

    As the birds in the centre finally decided to fly down, the birds all around also widened their wings and prepared to fly in.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A ck shadow flew out from within the shadows. It brushed across the golden grains and flew upwards. As it soared upward, it released a silent and invisible wave of energy.

    Bang! Bang! Bang!

    The birds that were closest to it exploded into a bloody shower. They didn¡¯t even have the time to give onest cry.

    As the figure flew towards the most concentrated part of the flock, a bloody mist rained from the sky as sounds of explosions went off.

    The flock of birds that initially blocked out the sun was reced with ayer of bloody mist that was slowly spreading. It rained down on the ntation under it.

    If the strong energy from before was enough to terrify people with an imaginary bloody stench, it was actuallying true now. The stench of blood was everywhere.

    Everyone present, including the people who were harvesting, the people on the thousand-grain gold ntation or other farms nearby, the Drumming tribe members who came to help, and the warriors on the whistle tower, all of them witnessed the terrifying scene.

    The bat leader¡¯s attack was targeted at those birds, but everyone who was harvesting also felt the impact. They had to stop whatever they were doing and cover their ears. It was like their brains were tortured by a thousand needles. The people who were farther away were luckier. Those closest to the thousand-grain gold ntation were the ones who suffered the most, but they were also the strongest amongst all of them. As long as the bat leader¡¯s attack was not targeted at them, they could still withstand it. It just didn¡¯t feel too good, that¡¯s all.

    Ao held his bow tightly in his hands and looked up. He didn¡¯t care about the bloody mist that was raining down. Instead, he was directly watching the battle in the sky. No, it wasn¡¯t a battle. It was a one-sided murder. Between a flock of birds that came here tempted by the food and a half-king beast that was provoked, it was clear who was stronger.

    There were some heavy grains above Shao Xuan¡¯s head. The bloody mist that was falling from the sky covered all the grains with a red coating.

    Shao Xuan picked out a seed from the grain. He wiped away the blood from the seed. The golden colour of the husk covering the seed. The golden husk of the thousand-grain gold glittered with a brilliance that was brighter than before.

    Shao Xuan thought about back all the fertiliser needed to nt and nourish the thousand-grain gold nts and looked again at the golden seed in his hand.

    Perhaps this was just the way it was. Maybe the thousand-grain gold always had a bloody stench as it ripened. This was the birth of a golden light amidst the bloody stench.

    The loud explosions finally silenced in the sky, but the bat leader didn¡¯t stop chasing after the birds. It continued to kill them, but now it was using its ws and fangs.

    After the bloody mist fell, scraps of dead birds also fell from the sky. Some of these carcasses were so dry that not even a drop of blood came out. Some of these birds died with an iplete corpse, so it was obvious how brutal the killing was in the sky.

    The flock of birds were all shocked. They screamed as they departed from all directions.

    Of course, there were still other birds that were out of their minds and recklessly bold. They went after the thousand-gold grains as the bat leader went to kill the other birds. They thought they could get to their target, but too bad the ming Horns were already guarding there.

    They continued to harvest. Everyone was busy, both in the sky and on the ground. Meanwhile, Wu He and his group who went into hiding when they saw the bat leader¡¯s attack also saw the opportunity. The ming Horns and the scary bat weren¡¯t looking at them!

    ¡°Now!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Hurry! There are still some grains left, let¡¯s go get some!¡±

 Chapter 689 - Success!

    <h4>Sess!</h4>

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    Everyone on the ming Horn ntations were busy and anxious, but the other side of the ming River was not affected at all.

    Even though people at the ming River couldn¡¯t see what was going on at the ming Horn ntations, they could see what was happening in the sky. The flock of birds were indeed too eye-catching.

    Some of the people who came to see the Giant Bridge were arguing with the soldiers that were guarding at the bridge post. They came here all the way to walk on the bridge, but the ming Horns weren¡¯t letting them get close at all. If they weren¡¯t even allowed to get on the bridge, what was the point ining all the way here?

    Wei had clearly instructed the team of ming Horn warriors there. No matter what they said or did. They already made a firm decision. No one other than the ming Horns were allowed to take a single step on or towards the bridge!

    Even though they were not participating in the harvest at the headquarters, they knew that no one was allowed to go over there and cause a disturbance. These people said they wereing to look at the bridge. How could they be sure that they wouldn¡¯t head over to the headquarters right away? Their chief had already passed an order earlier. No one besides the ming Horns were allowed to pass!

    More people from foreign tribes were crowding here. The person who was leading the expedition team toe join the excitement looked over again at the ming Horns who were guarding at the bridge post. Their numbers exceeded those of the guards. Why not just barge in?

    Once in a while people in the crowd murmured, intensifying the already tense atmosphere.

    ¡°You think you can stop us?! Just because you¡¯re not letting me see it, I want to see it even more!¡±

    The crowd pushed forward and forced the people in front to move two steps forward. The ming Horn guards who were guarding there immediately took out their swords and spears and aimed at them. Most of these expedition team members were not nice people. They were already growing impatient because the ming Horns refused to let them go on the bridge. They did not believe in such exaggerated rumours. Besidesing here to confirm the rumours, they were also testing the ming Horn¡¯s patience.

    There was just one more step, and everything would beplete. The push from the crowd behind them was the trigger of the outbreak.

    They were almost about to witness an outbreak, but they suddenly heard noisesing from the sky above the headquarters. When they looked up, they saw bloody explosions in the sky.

    The bloody scene extinguished all the fury in their hearts and they immediately stopped whatever they were doing. Even the guards on the bridge turned their heads to look. They didn¡¯t know what happened, but judging by the looks, it was probably good news. After all, the creatures that exploded into a bloody mist were the flock of birds that came to steal the grains.

    ¡°What was that?!¡± someone asked with a trembling voice.

    ¡°Not sure. I heard that¡¯s the ming Horn¡¯s territory?¡±

    ¡°Something happened in the ming Horn tribe again?¡±

    ¡°Somehow I feel like something terrifying is over there.¡±

    The person who spoke even shuddered.

    It wasn¡¯t just him though. Everyone else felt the same way. After all, if they had the ability to join the expedition team ande all the way here, none of them were that weak.

    The crowd no longerined about not being able to walk on the bridge. It seemed extremely dangerous on the other side. It was better to wait and observe the situation first.

    The guards at the bridge looked at their headquarters with worried nces. They could only see the mountain at the headquarters from here and all the forest around it. They couldn¡¯t see what was happening down at the ntation, but they couldn¡¯t walk away from their post, so they could only pray in their hearts and hope that everything was going well there.

    Behind the crowd, a few individuals looked at each other. Seeing how they were all thinking the same thing, they all changed their ns suddenly. They were simr to the Chang Le¡¯s and came from the other side of the sea. They were just not as fast as the Chang Le¡¯s. Initially they wanted to follow this curious crowd and barge into the ming Horn tribe, but it didn¡¯t seem too safe over there.

    ¡°I heard that the Chang Le¡¯s already sent someone here,¡± someone said in a low voice.

    The others exchanged nces. Everyone knew what was going on. The Chang Le¡¯s were known for their interest in adventure and causing trouble. They loved to take advantage of people in their hardest moments.

    With the Chang Le¡¯s here, the ming Horns wouldn¡¯t be able to have peace. It was better for them to stay and wait here while observing the situation there. They did not wish to meet any of the Chang Le¡¯s.

    On the other side of the bridge, Ta was personally guarding at the post. If the people on the other side couldn¡¯t hold the crowd back, at least he was still here to stop them. They must not let those peoplee over. More people came these days because of the Giant Bridge of the ming River, and they were daring too. They even had the courage to test the ming Horn¡¯s patience. This was a problem.

    Their mission here was crucial. Ta was also worried about the situation over at the ntation. Maybe the others didn¡¯t know enough about it, but he was one of the two hunt leaders in the ming Horn tribe. He also knew about the king bat. That was why he was worried.

    Around this time, the bloody mist was already fading. Everywhere, exploded parts of birds including feathers and bones fell from the sky. Some of these birds were shot down, some were ughtered brutally, and others even had the juices sucked out of their bodies before they were thrown down to the ground.

    The ming Horns were busy watching the birds that were stealing the grains, while the bat king killed the flocks in the sky. While all this was happening, two figures were heading towards the ming Horn ntation. They were going for the thousand-grain gold.

    ¡°Watch out!¡±

    ¡°Be careful!¡±

    The people who were shooting at the birds shouted as they noticed the trespassers.

    The ming Horns shot arrows in their direction, but the figures that flew over spun giant ck oblong shields and blocked their attacks.

    The Chang Le¡¯s usually made their shields with rubber. Compared to metal and stone, this was a lighter material. Usually they would separate their shield into parts and only assemble it before they needed to use it.

    The people behind the shields transformed. Totemic lines appeared on their arms and faces. Their arms were more obvious. Their muscles flexed and green veins surged to the surface of their skin, marking distinct lines on their arms as they held onto the two shields tightly.

    The person with the shield had an inexpressible excitement in his heart. They felt this way on every mission. This feeling of anxiety and intensity. It made them so excited that they wanted to roar.

    ng ng ng!

    Arrows that were shot at the two people were all blocked by the ck shields. The arrowheads stuck into the shields but didn¡¯t go through. It was just stuck there.

    For the sake of saving arrowheads, the ming Horns usually only used wooden arrowheads. They only used stone arrowheads againstrger birds. They would only use metal arrowheads against birds of the fearsome beast category.

    The Chang Le people came too suddenly. The archers were not even prepared to change their arrowheads. The first set of arrows were all wooden, so they were all stuck in the two giant rubber shields.

    Some of them were using stone arrowheads, those that were specifically designed to killrger birds. They also shot at the Chang Les at that instant, but even these arrows couldn¡¯t break through the strange ck shields. They were also stuck in the shield. None of them were deflected or seeded in piercing through the shields.

    It was just a single encounter, but the two figures sessfully avoided all of the arrows the ming Horns shot at then. In an instant, their shields looked like porcupines, but the people and the birds behind the shields were not at all harmed by the attacks.

    Ao also wanted to make a move, but he saw another figureing in from another direction farther away. The bat king was sucking the blood of a flying fearsome bird. If he made a single move, not only would he miss his target, he might even identally hit the king bat. If he provoked the king bat, it might turn around and attack the people on his side.

    However, because he hesitated, Ao lost the opportunity to shoot at his target. It was too challenging for him to shoot them now. Opportunities were often like this, easily missed.

    Just as the two figures behind the giant ck shields celebrated their sess in dodging the previous attack, a long green spear suddenly shot through the air at one of the figures.

    As the green spearhead came into contact with the shield, it¡¯s sharp de pierced through the shield. The impact caused the crack to widen as the entire shield cracked into two parts. Besides the arrowheads that were still stuck in the shield, the body and tail of the arrows exploded into shreds. They all fell to the ground after the impact.

    Even after it pierced through the shield, the spear did not stop advancing. Its powerful momentum drove it forward even more, breaking through the shield¡¯s body.

    At that instant, the person behind the shield felt as if time had frozen. His pupils shrunk suddenly from fright. He could even hear the screeching sounds made by the frictional impact between the spear and his shield body. The shield looked as if it had been scorched. If the shield was of a different colour, they might even be able to see a burn mark around where the shield was pierced. He even smelled a burnt smelling from his shield.

    The person behind the shield looked as the sharp green spearhead slowly pierced through his shield. It was getting closer to him, and he couldn¡¯t do anything in time to dodge it.

    It¡¯s toote!

    I never thought...

    Luckily, the spearhead only cut through from above his forehead.

    At this instant, both of his hands that were initially holding onto his ck shield felt as they were attacked by a beast¡¯s sharp ws. It tore away the skin on his hands, and this cut extended up to his arms from his wrists. Fresh blood spurted from his wounds as he fell backward to the ground, off the long-winged bird¡¯s back.

    His hands also let go of the two round shields. The long-winged bird also lost its bnce and tumbled backwards. After stumbling, it left frantically in escape. It didn¡¯t even stop after its butt suffered a shot from an arrow.

    At the next instant, the person who fell from the bird¡¯s back was immediately caught by hispanion who carried him onto the back of the bird he was riding.

    The person who was saved looked shockingly at his arm, and then looked again at the spear that fell along with his shields. He couldn¡¯t help gulping down his saliva. His arms almost broke away from the impact when he held on against the force of the spear.

    What terrifying strength!

    Just because he wanted to save hispanion, the person who had nned to distract the ming Horns also came out earlier than expected.

    ¡°There¡¯s another person here!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re part of the same gang!¡±

    However, as everyone shifted their attention to the two newly appeared individuals, two other figures dashed into the ntation. They didn¡¯t go into the centre of the field right away, but stayed near the boundary. They passed by the guards there swiftly.

    As they flew by, the hands of the person riding on the long-winged bird trembled. His normal sized arms shrunk in an instant and became as small as a child¡¯s. The wind blew across his sleeves, revealing the outline of his arms.

    He shook both of his arms gently. As the long-winged bird flew by rapidly, his five fingers transformed into the shape of a long hook and extended downwards. With a twist of his hand, his arms hooked away a bag full of thousand gold grains from one of the ming Horn warriors. The part of the bag the Warrior was holding on was also cut off and only a piece of the bag was left in his hands. The entire bag was stolen.

    After they got what they wanted, the extended hand pulled upwards, and the warrior didn¡¯t even have the time to react. He could only watch as the figure flew away with an open bag of golden grains. Some grains were still falling from the opening of the bag.

    Something else happened on the other side of the ntation. The trespasser also took away another bag full of thousand grain gold. This bag was full and was already tied up. They just didn¡¯t move it into the warehouse in time. Now it was stolen.

    The two individuals smirked after they got what they wanted. If the ming Horns¡¯ defenses were weaker, they could steal even more, but they didn¡¯t have any more chances, so they could only leave for now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Coo¡ª¡ª-¡°

    A bird¡¯s cry rang through the sky, warning all of these figures to escape. As they left, they were still screeching loudly like wild beasts celebrating a victory.

    All of these happened in between a few breaths.

    Ao¡¯s expression changed after all this happened. He still looked fierce even after it ended.

    He could tell these people had great teamwork and utilised each of their skills and covered each others¡¯ weaknesses. They were moving smoothly, and if it were not for the fact that they were still on the ming Horn grounds, they would¡¯ve parted ways and flew in different directions.

    Once they left the ming Horn¡¯s territory, even if Shao Xuan was to chase after them with Cha Cha, he wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up. After all, there were seven of them! Seven birds too!

    Seeing how Ao wanted to chase after them, Shao Xuan shouted, ¡°You stay here! I¡¯ll go after them!¡±

    Between Ao and Shao Xuan, one of them had to stay behind. After all, the harvest was not yetplete, and some factors were still undetermined, so someone had to stay behind to ensure everything goes right.

    Hearing what Shao Xuan said, Ao could only stop and stay unwillingly. After all, he couldn¡¯t do anything even if he went. At least Shao Xuan has Cha Cha with him.

    After he said this Shao Xuan chased after the figures that flew away.

    Wu He looked at the two bags they attained. His face was full of pride.

    ¡°How intense! Haha! Did you see the ming Horn¡¯s faces?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see it, but they probably wouldn¡¯t look that well. Hahaha!¡±

    ¡°I almost lost my arms, but at least we got what we wanted. I didn¡¯t see their faces, but I think their expressions wouldn¡¯t be much different if bird poopnded on their faces. Hehehe...¡±

    ¡°Gosh, don¡¯t get so excited just yet. Someone¡¯s chasing us from below,¡± someone beside Wu He interrupted theirughter.

    Wu He looked down. There weren¡¯t many trees here, so he could still see the person who was passing through the forest. Seeing how he was running so fast in the forest and how he was getting closer to them, Wu He looked surprised, but his smile had not faded. He continued to speak with a sudden interest, ¡°That¡¯s the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe.¡±

    ¡° What? That¡¯s the brat? Isn¡¯t the Grand Elder an old guy?¡± someone asked in confusion. All the elders they had seen before were all middle aged or elderly people.

    ¡°Just ignore him. The brat can¡¯t even fly,¡± Wu He said carelessly.

 Chapter 690 - Can You Even Fly?

    <h4>Chapter 690 Can You Even Fly?</h4>

    After Shao Xuan went after the people who had left, the mood in the ntation became heavier.

    They were too careless!

    If they had been more careful, perhaps all of that would never have happened. At least those people wouldn¡¯t have been able to leave so easily.

    Ao was regretting it a lot now too.

    Even though Shao Xuan had reminded them about how there were also others who were closely watching them and they were all cautious, they never thought those people would dare toe close after witnessing the bat leader¡¯s attack. Who would¡¯ve thought! These people were so daring! They were literally out of their minds! What if the bat leader changed its target and focused on them instead? Wasn¡¯t the exploded flock of birds enough for a warning?

    But what happened had already happened. This was extreme humiliation to them. Everyone saw the two bags of thousand grain gold get stolen. This was a p across the ming Horn¡¯s faces, a cruel p. All of the ming Horns present were stunned by what happened.

    Even though the two bags of thousand-grain gold were not even a tenth of their total harvest, this was a different case. If someone stole your prey, it was clearly a failure on your part, not to mention how important this thousand-grain gold was to them!

    Perhaps the ming Horns were too arrogant after everything that happened- the ming River Trading Point, the king beast incident, and the Giant Bridge. They should¡¯ve maintained their guard and vignce.

    How careless!

    Even Ao had to admit that he was indeed not in the zone, especially just now when he hesitated in throwing out a spear at the trespasser. If he released his spear when Shao Xuan released it, perhaps the robbery would never have happened. At least they could¡¯ve caught one or two of them.

    He looked again at the sky. The bat leader was bing even more brutal than before. It probably noticed what happened below, but it didn¡¯t chase after those people. If it did chase after them, it had to abandon this important piece ofnd, so it chose to stay here.

    It was not a tamed beast and unlike Cha Cha, it didn¡¯t listen to anyone¡¯smands. This bat had a different goal in mind. It would get mad if someone stole his things under his watch, but it wouldn¡¯t go after the people who stole the grains. It knew about tradeoffs, so he stayed here. This ce was more important.

    They relied on other forces too much. This wouldn¡¯t work. Ao regretted as he sighed.

    These people nned their timing too well. If they came a little earlier orter, they would¡¯ve failed. Perhaps they also considered the bat leader¡¯s mentality. Those people were also too crazy...

    He initially thought that only the ¡°Robbers¡± could do something like this. He never expected there to be others. The Robbers liked toe out in the night time, but these people were executing their mission at noon, under broad daylight, a time when everyone could see them.

    Ao felt thatpared to the robber¡¯s incident from before, the incident that had just happened was a harder p across their faces.

    Of course, he knew that this was not the time to me himself. It wasn¡¯t the time to reflect either.

    ¡°Keep your spirits high! It¡¯s not over yet!¡± Ao yelled.

    So what if they were unhappy? They still had other matters to settle.

    They¡¯ll just take this as a lesson.

    Ao didn¡¯t think Shao Xuan could stop those people. Judging by how in sync those people were and how they behaved, he knew that they were experienced. With just Cha Cha, it wouldn¡¯t be easy to stop all of them.

    On the side of the Giant Bridge, Ta turned around and looked up into the sky. The seven figures flew above the forest not far away from them. They probably knew that people were keeping guard here, so they didn¡¯t get close. Instead, they flew above the forest beside the ming River and continued upstream.

    Even though they were quite far away, Ta could see what they were carrying with his sharp vision. He saw the familiar beast hide bags and the grains that fell from it asionally. Anger welled up within him.

    They stole the thousand-grain gold!

    Ta also noticed Shao Xuan following those people. He was chasing after them.

    He shifted his feet. He wanted to chase after those people personally, but then he looked again at those people on the other side of the bridge. He hesitated and waved his hands as he signalled the others beside him, ¡°You guys, follow them!¡±

    The people who came from other tribes on the other side couldn¡¯t see clearly what was happening because they were far away. They were still discussing what had happened, but very soon, they saw what was happening.

    People were riding on birds and travelling upstream on the other side where the ming Horn¡¯s headquarters was. It looked like they were trying to cross the river.

    The few individuals who stood in the back of the crowd thought, ¡®Aren¡¯t those the Chang Le¡¯s? Judging by their looks, did they get something?¡¯

    The Chang Le¡¯s were indeed impressive if they could steal something from the ming Horn¡¯s headquarters. The ming Horns had to admit to this fact.

    In the sky, after Wu He¡¯s group of seven sessfully stole the two giant bags of grains, they couldn¡¯t fly up high because two of their birds suffered severe injuries and even had arrows stuck in their bodies. Two other birds couldn¡¯t fly high because of how heavy the grains were. Flying high required greater energy. There was also another person among them who was severely injured. The bird who was carrying two people was even more tired than the others. Even though their entire mission didn¡¯t take long, it burned up a lot of their energy.

    Especially the seven long-winged birds. They were under immense stress. Even if the bat leader wasn¡¯t a king beast, it was a bigger threatpared to the king stoneworm. The bat leader could fly. They finally aplished their mission under such a huge mental burden. Now that they could finally rx, they felt extremely tired.

    To conserve their energy and to ensure they could work well as a team, the seven birds didn¡¯t fly too high. Of course, they wereparing the height to how high they usually flew. Even if they weren¡¯t flying high, the fierce beasts onnd could not reach them. They were flying above the forest, but they still kept a distance above the trees. This could save their energy and avoid all the threats on the trees. This was the level many experienced birds liked. Cha Cha also flew at this height often. As long as they flew faster, the people on the ground wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot them, unless their skills were highly polished.

    The reason they chose to fly upstream towards the ming River was there were fewer people there!

    They definitely wouldn¡¯t head in the ming River¡¯s direction. Whatid ahead there was a forest full of fearsome beasts, but they still had to cross the river. Different tribes were spread across thend on the other side of the river. At least this was the information Wu He discovered during his time here. He even knew that there were more tribes downstream who were familiar with the ming Horns. If they fly in that direction, they would be targeted by many people, but it was different upstream. If they cross the river and travel upstream, there would be less tribes so they wouldn¡¯t be targeted as much. This was the best way for them to escape.

    ¡°We¡¯re already out of the ming Horn¡¯s territory. If we go further we will arrive at the forest full of fearsome beasts. Let¡¯s cross the river!¡± Wu He said.

    The others did not object. They gestured their long-winged birds to change direction and prepared to cross the river.

    ¡°After we cross the river, let¡¯s part ways...¡± Wu He¡¯s eyelids jerked quickly and uncontrobly as he said this.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± the others saw his reaction and looked around anxiously.

    They didn¡¯t see any other strange flying creatures around them, nor did they see the bat leader. At first, they expected to see the giant mountain eagle, but it wasn¡¯t here either.

    The brat was still tightly following them from below.

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Wu He asked.

    ¡°Besides that brat who¡¯s still following us, I don¡¯t sense any other threat,¡± the others replied in confirmation after scanning the area once more.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good then.¡±

    Wu He felt that he was thinking too much due to the anxiety. He didn¡¯t underestimate Shao Xuan because he knew that someone who could take on the position of the Grand Elder in the ming Horn tribe who can bait the king beast must have his unique skill. However, the only reason Wu He put him into consideration was that Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t fly.

    Even the king beast that was causing trouble outside the trading point couldn¡¯t do anything to them now! They were too far up in the sky.

    Without the help of that great mountain eagle, what can this Grand Elder do? He was not a threat at all.

    Wu He looked down at the person under them. He was not nning to give up. He looked over at the ming River that was getting close and his smile grew wider. He was almost there, and there wasn¡¯t a bridge there. Without the eagle¡¯s help, what could he do? There were a lot of fierce giant fishes in the river.

    How can you follow us now?

    They were getting closer to the river. The seven long winged birds no longer focused on what was below. Among the seven people, Wu He was the only one who was still watching the person running after them.

    Just as the seven birds flew above the river, the person who passed through the woods also jumped out and propelled himself from a tree.

    Seeing this scene, Wu He couldn¡¯t help butugh.

    You think you can fly just because you jump high? Can you even reach the sky?!

    However, not long after, Wu He stopped smiling. This was no longer funny.

    Whoosh-

    The sound of a breeze swept across them.

    A fiery energy was released from Shao Xuan¡¯s body. The energy surged upward within his body and with the wind¡¯s assistance, he dashed into the air.

    A me body stretched out instantly and transformed into the shape of a giant. The strong suppressive energy welled from its body and repelled everything around it. The strong air current that was swirling around gave the mes a human shape. This strange look made the giant even scarier than it already was. The mes were like the fur of a fierce beast fluttering in the wind.

    The seven Chang Le¡¯s were closest to the giant, so they could feel its strong energy clearly. They had never felt a force as suppressive as this. This powerful strength could crush anyone easily.

    They were flying at the me Giant¡¯s eye level, but they couldn¡¯t see its eye. There was a vague outline, and even though it had no eyes, Wu He¡¯s group of seven felt like the giant was looking straight at them!

    Wu He felt the bones creaking in his body. The facial expressions of the other six were all changing. Fear, terror, panic, helplessness. Their hands were trembling and they felt like they would die the next moment. The seven long-winged birds suddenly forgot to p their wings. Everything was beyond their control. This obstacle was unexpected.

    During that moment of hesitation, the me Giant moved. He lifted his hands and pped it down like a fly swatter.

    The fiery air current was so powerful that they didn¡¯t even have the chance to react. They could only watch helplessly as the giant hand pped down on them.

    The people who were watching from the other side of the bridge all inhaled deeply when they saw this. Their eyes and mouths opened wide in shock as their jaws dropped.

    What the heck is that?!!

    All of a sudden, a me giant appeared out of nowhere and pped the people in the air down with his bare hands.

    They were pped to the ground, just like that...

 Chapter 691 - Chapter 691 Prisoners of War

    Chapter 691

    Prisoners of War

    The single p pped down five of the long-winged birds in the air. The other two didn¡¯t suffer a direct attack, but the giant¡¯s murderous energy made them stumble through the air. They only regained their bnce before they almost crashed into a tree.

    Those two birds were lucky, but the other five suffered a different fate.

    Even though it was just mes, the force that it brought was undoubtedly powerful.

    As the me Giant¡¯s hands pped down on them, it passed right through their bodies. The burning energy burned through them, and they felt like they were burning from the inside, a wave of burning pain.

    Those were not real mes, but mes originating from the totemic me of the fire seed. Just like how some people¡¯s skin was covered with ayer of mes as they activated their totemic power. This was simr to it, except no one had been able to summon such a huge giant like Shao Xuan. They could notprehend this at all. Only those who came for the ming River Grand Feast wouldn¡¯t be surprised by this.

    Most tribespeople were apprehensive towards foreign powers that were extremely powerful. They were all knocked out of their conscious minds for a while. They only recovered and felt the shivers from the fright after the mes slowly disappeared.

    The ming Horns who were guarding at the bridge post looked away from the scene. The others didn¡¯t know what that was, but they knew it clearly. They proudly expressed in their hearts, ¡®Nice one, Grand Elder!¡¯

    Seeing how trouble was stillid out in front of them, the ming Horn guards over here became stern and looked at the crowd of foreign tribal members who gathered here. The Grand Elder¡¯s actions already gave them the mental support they needed. They didn¡¯t need to overthink. As long as they did what they needed to do, even if they couldn¡¯t hold these people back, the Grand Elder would be here to deal with these people.

    Seeing how the ming Horn guards at the bridge were looking at them with stern expressions, the person who wasining the most suddenly stopped. He forced a smile and turned around to leave after a short ¡°Haha¡±.

    They must be kidding. No one would want to suffer a blow from such a massive me giant. They no longer thought about barging right across the bridge. What if the person who came by saw them?

    Seeing the change in the situation, they no longer thought about forcefully crossing the bridge. Even though the ming Horns were not exactly the same as they were described in the rumours, they were quite scary. They didn¡¯t want to start a conflict with the ming Horns. As for how they wanted to test the ming Horn¡¯s patience...

    Whoever had the courage could try. They no longer wished to test their patience anymore.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We can go check if there are any goods worth trading at the trading point. We shouldn¡¯t go back empty handed.¡±

    ¡°But leader, aren¡¯t we going for a walk on the Giant Bridge?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°We can wait until the ming Horns finish with their matters. We cane back next time.¡± The Giant Bridge of the ming River was no longer their main focus.

    The most important thing was, they no longer viewed the ming Horns the same way as before. The ming Horns¡¯ ratings would definitely soar once again.

    Since those people who were causing a ruckus already left, the other people were also afraid and wouldn¡¯t stay here any longer. The people at the back of the crowd looked again where the me Giant appeared. Since the Chang Le¡¯s were already defeated, the ming Horns would definitely not let them escape. They might even kill them right away. The ming Horns definitely wouldn¡¯t let them live after they stole their goods.

    Luckily they didn¡¯t make any reckless moves. These individuals looked at each other and rejoiced. At least it wasn¡¯t them. For now, it was best to observe and wait a little longer. Change of ns: They no longer wanted to go to the ming Horn headquarters.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan was running towards the five individuals who had been pped down from the sky. Two others were escaping in the air. He did not chase after them. He also didn¡¯t summon the me Giant from the elder¡¯s bones anymore.

    All of them, human or bird, felt terrible after they suffered a blow from the Giant¡¯s p, especially the bird and human who were already injured. Even if the person who was severely injured was protected by the long-winged bird¡¯s cushion, he also passed out and died immediately after suffering the strong blow.

    They finally fell to the ground after struggling through the branches. The Chang Le member was groaning in pain. He was so out of breath that his face turned red. He seemed ready to cough, but somehow he just couldn¡¯t cough. He tried his best to breathe in heavily. The muscles on his face were sore and twitching.

    Wu He helped hispanions up from the ground and observed Shao Xuan carefully as he approached them. His eyes were focused on the giant green sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

    The de carried heavy murderous energy. Even if it hadn¡¯t killed any humans, it must have killed a lot of fearsome beasts. Now, this sharp de was aimed directly at them.

    Some of them had broken bones in their legs and some immediately fainted after they suffered the p. They couldn¡¯t escape together even if they wanted to.

    Whoosh-

    People were approaching from within the forest.

    ¡°Grand Elder!¡±

    The people Ta sent over arrived. Seeing the five strangers, anger shed across their eyes. They carried a fierce murderous vide as they walked over, but they didn¡¯t make a move right away. Instead, they looked at Shao Xuan and waited for him to speak.

    ¡°Tie them up,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± The people who came already prepared axes in their hands and were ready to execute. They were stunned by what Shao Xuan said. They didn¡¯t understand what he meant, so they asked again, ¡°Kill them and then tie them up?¡±

    ¡°No, we need them alive.¡±

    Wu He and hispanions heaved a sigh of relief after hearing what Shao Xuan said. They were already injured when they went to steal the grains, but the force from the p was an injury on their previous injury. Even Wu He, who wasn¡¯t severely injured, couldn¡¯t summon even half of the energy he usually was able to summon. But it was a different case for the ming Horns. Shao Xuan had pped them down from the sky, but they weren¡¯t sure what he was about to do next. More ming Horn warriors came to reinforce too, so it was too difficult for them to fight back even if they wanted to. This was the ming Horn¡¯s territory after all.

    Wu He and hispanions initially nned to fight to their death, but after hearing what Shao Xuan said, they were delighted. They no longer wanted to fight with all their strength. As long as they could stay alive, the two others who had escaped would definitely send reinforcements to rescue them.

    ¡°Why?¡± The ming Horn warriors who came to help couldn¡¯t understand why the Grand Elder wanted to keep these thieves alive. Before they would¡¯ve killed them immediately. They were no different from those robbers! They all deserved to die! Plus, these people weren¡¯t just stealing any grains. They stole the thousand-grain gold! This was unforgivable! They should be killed and used to make fertiliser!

    If other people said this, they would¡¯veined, but Shao Xuan was the one who said this, so even if they had other thoughts, they would still obey his orders. They wouldn¡¯t resent him at all. They believed that the Grand Elder must have had his reasons for such a decision.

    After knowing how Shao Xuan was not intending to kill them, Wu He and hispanions also gave up on fighting back. They were worried that the ming Horns might get mad and change their decision if they fought back. If they died now, they wouldn¡¯t have any other chances. The most important matter now was to stay alive. This was the only way to escape.

    Very soon, Ta had also arrived with some people. He was also worried about the situation here, and after seeing the crowd dispersed and left on the other side, he came over with a group of people and left only a few of them there at the post.

    Ta also couldn¡¯t understand why Shao Xuan wanted to keep them alive. This was not the way Shao Xuan usually acted. They had never done this before during their previous encounters with other robbers, but this was not the time to ask questions. He ordered some people to tie the five strangers up with grass ropes. They even tied up the person who fell unconscious and the five long-winged birds.

    They picked up most of the thousand-grain gold that had fallen. A small portion had been eaten by some birds and beasts in the forest. This maddened Ta even more. He wanted to twist the necks of the five people immediately and end their lives right there and then.

    When Shao Xuan returned, the matters at the ntation were already settled.

    Seeing how Shao Xuan brought back most of the grains that were stolen and even captured the five robbers, Ao was suddenly happier, but he couldn¡¯t understand why Shao Xuan brought them back alive. If it was him, he would¡¯ve killed them immediately. He even heard that two of them escaped. Ao was a little worried and wanted to discuss future security nning afterwards. These people worked too well together and their timing was too well-nned. They even came from the other side of the sea and had morepanions. He had to increase security.

    ¡°We can keep them. People will pay for them to be ransomed,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°What could they use to pay for the ransom?¡± Ao asked carelessly.

    Money? The ming Horns didn¡¯tck this at all.

    Food? They didn¡¯tck this either.

    Metal? Unless they brought nuclear weapons. They wouldn¡¯t care for typical metal weapons. Their green bronze was better than most of the metal on the other side of the sea.

    Ao couldn¡¯t think of anything that could appease them. If it was just some money, why not just kill these people? This would help them release their anger and give them the excitement they needed.

    ¡°I need their help with something,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Even though Wu He was far away from them, he could tell what these people said from observing their lip movements. He could figure out what Shao Xuan and Ao were discussing purely by looking. He didn¡¯t even need to listen.

    He already knew that Shao Xuan was nning to use them by keeping them alive. He thought that Shao Xuan only wanted to exchange for some goods, but he never thought that Shao Xuan was going after something else, not money. This guy had other intentions. He probably had his target set on the entire Chang Le, not just the five of them!

    After he thought carefully about what happened, Wu He¡¯s heart skipped a beat.

    Shao Xuan purposely pped them down from the sky back then!

    He wanted to use them to show off his strength!

    With Shao Xuan¡¯s speed, he could¡¯ve used the same method to p them down from the sky anytime, but he only made a move when they were beside the river. At that time, there were many people watching from the other side. Initially, they wanted to let more people see how cunning they were and how they stole from the ming Horns, but they never thought it would end up like this. Those people who had witnessed this probably wouldn¡¯t dare to attempt anything of the like anytime soon.

    However, Wu He had no clue about what Shao Xuan wanted them to do.

    ¡°Lock them up first,¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the five of them. ¡°Don¡¯t use the grass ropes. Use metal chains. It¡¯s too easy to escape from grass ropes.¡±

    The people who were thinking about ways to break free from the grass ropes could only give up. The ming Horns even made tough metal chains with locks!

    After they let a few soldiers carry the five people away, the matters at the ntations were finally settled for the time being. Now, the higher-ups in the ming Horn tribe were ready to start a meeting to discuss this matter. Wu He had already told their history. Zheng Luo and the others had also heard about the ¡°Chang Le¡¯s¡±.

    ¡°What else can the Chang Le¡¯s do besides causing trouble?¡± Zheng Luo looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Let them bring a letter to the other side of the sea. After all, we don¡¯t have enough people.¡±

    Zheng Luo didn¡¯t get it at first, but very quickly, his eyes shed with sudden interest as his clenched fists mmed down on the stone table beside him. ¡°Indeed, we don¡¯t have enough people!¡±

 Chapter 692 - A Letter to an Old Neighbour

    Chapter 692

    A Letter to an Old Neighbour

    Zheng Luo¡¯s and Shao Xuan¡¯s conversation was so implicit that Ao and the others couldn¡¯t understand what they meant. Only Duo Kang¡¯s expression changed after he heard what Zheng Luo said. ¡°So you guys mean we should let the Chang Le bring a letter to the Taihe tribe? Are we persuading them toe over?¡± Duo Kang asked happily.

    The others also understood after what Duo Kang said. Even though Ao¡¯s group had never seen the Taihe tribe, they knew about them. Their brothers who came from the other side of the sea often mentioned them. Ao¡¯s deepest impression was that the Taihe tribe was a good neighbour.

    The others also understood what Shao Xuan meant when he said they didn¡¯t have enough people. As more people arrived at the ming River Trading Point, the ming Horn tribe felt that they couldn¡¯t manage everything at hand. They searched for the cause and realised that it was because they didn¡¯t have enough manpower. There weren¡¯t enough helpers they could trust. Once more people from expedition teams came and sparked a conflict, it would turn into a fierce battle.

    Luckily Shao Xuan had shown them the might of the ming Horns during the king beast¡¯s incident and the Chang Le¡¯s incident. These incidents made the people who had bad intentions hesitate, but the impacts wouldn¡¯tst too long.

    It was impossible to train a kid who had just learned to walk to be a warrior skilled in battle and hunting within a single year. Increasing their poption wasn¡¯t a task that could be done in the short term, and as for helpers that they could trust, the only tribe the ming Horns could really trust was the Drumming tribe. Out of all the tribes in the ming River region, they could not even trust the Rain tribe.

    However, the Drumming tribe didn¡¯t have arge poption either. After they calcted, they stillcked people.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s sudden suggestion caught the interest of everyone in the house.

    ¡°Even though the Taihe people aren¡¯t that amiable at times, they can still be trusted. We had been neighbours with them on the other side for so many years, and it was our ancestors who picked them as our neighbours from the very beginning,¡± Zheng Luo said. They indeed quarreled with the Taihe people frequently, but those were just minor squabbles. If something big happened, they would still stick together, like the case with the salt mine.

    The salt mine had be deserted because of the salt beast. The salt beast was in the mine, so no one dared to go there. Without the ming Horns, the Taihe people were probably not doing too well now. Back then, they were livingfortably because the ming Horns were there. An alliance between their tribes was enough to prevent other tribes from making a move on them, but after the ming Horns left, they were all alone, so they weren¡¯t as powerful as before.

    ¡°That¡¯a a good idea, but what if they don¡¯t want toe here?¡± Ao asked.

    ¡°We need to tell them clearly about our situation here. They¡¯ll probablye. Of course, that¡¯s their decision to make.¡± Zheng Luo felt that the chances were high. The Taihe tribe had migrated a few times before, so they wouldn¡¯t feel too deeply about leaving their territory behind. They would certainly benefit if they moved here.

    Actually, after the disaster, when they noticed that the continents had drifted closer to each other, Zheng Luo had once thought about going back to visit the Taihe people. He wanted to convince them to migrate here so they could keep being neighbours like before, but he also knew that the ve masters were tightly watching out for the ming Horns on the other side.

    The situation in the desert was also highly unpredictable, so they could only give up. After the construction of the ming River Trading Point, everyone was extremely busy. They had no time for expedition trips. Zheng Luo saw hope when he heard Shao Xuan¡¯s suggestion.

    The Chang Le¡¯s were their best option for delivering a letter. The people on the other side of the sea alreadybeled the ming Horns as their main target. If the ming Horns went over, they would definitely capture them right away, but what if it was the Chang Le¡¯s?

    These people were despised wherever they went. The people on the other side of the sea would probably stay as far away from them as they could.

    But......

    ¡°What if the Chang Le¡¯s don¡¯t want to do it?¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure that they wouldn¡¯t try to do anything else?¡±

    They couldn¡¯t help worrying about this notorious group of people.

    ¡°Even though the Chang Le¡¯s are as despicable as the robbers, they¡¯re a little different. They value their team,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°The robbers often go on missions alone, but the Chang Le¡¯s aren¡¯t like that. They work very well as a team. Plus, when they appeared at the ntations, some of them were even willing to expose themselves when their teammate was injured. One of them even caught another member who fell from his bird. This is enough to show how much they cared for each other.¡±

    ¡°Also, when I pped down five of them, one of them was unconscious and severely injured. Another¡¯s legs were injured and he couldn¡¯t move at all. Among the other three, only one had a fractured arm and the other two only had slight injuries. They could¡¯ve escaped, and I was the only one there at the time. If they decided to part ways and leave separately, they would have seeded, but they didn¡¯t. They stayed with theirpanions who couldn¡¯t leave, so I think the Chang Le¡¯s would definitely send people over regardless whether they are dead or alive. If we keep them alive, we can try to negotiate ande to terms with the Chang Le¡¯s.¡±

    All of them nodded after hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation. It was true indeed.

    Ao was initially defensive towards the Chang Le¡¯s, but now he only wished for them to return as soon as possible so they could proceed with Shao Xuan¡¯s n.

    ¡°Then everyone can prepare a letter for the Taihe tribe,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The others all knew that regardless of whether they were close to the Taihe tribe, they had to write with the best attitude so the Taihe people could see their sincerity. If only Zheng Luo and Duo Kang signed the letter, the Taihe people wouldn¡¯t believe thempletely. After all, Zheng Luo was no longer the chief, and Duo Kang was only a hunt leader.

    After the meeting, Ao called Shao Xuan back, ¡°The bat already left, but it took away a bag of grains. The bag wasn¡¯t big though. It was just a small one.¡±

    After the harvest of the thousand-grain gold, people immediately pulled out the seeds from the grains and stored them in other bags.

    The bags used to store the golden grains were all giant bags, but Shao Xuan also let them use a few smaller bags. However, when Ao went back that night to clean up, he noticed that one of the small bags was missing. The bag was the size of a person¡¯s brain.

    A window was left open in the warehouse, but there were many guards stationed outside. The bat leader was the only suspect capable of creeping inside and stealing the grains without anyone noticing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see the bat here tonight. Is it still nearby?¡± Ao asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not here anymore.¡± Shao Xuan did not sense the bat leader¡¯s presence nearby. It probably carried the bag of grains back to the bat cave in the forest.

    ¡°Could it be that the bat came to help us? It didn¡¯t take away a lot of grains,¡± Ao suspected.

    Shao Xuan nced over at him, ¡°You¡¯re probably thinking too much. The bat thinks that these belong to him, and we¡¯re just his little brothers who are helping him search for food. Why would it protect our thousand grain gold ntation? It saw the thousand-grain gold as one of its favourite foods, so it didn¡¯t let any other bird or beast get close. This ismon animal behaviour. As for why it only took away one small bag, I reckon it¡¯s because it¡¯s more convenient. It wouldn¡¯t be able to fly as naturally with a big bag. After all, the bat mountain is quite far away from here.¡±

    ¡°Do you think it woulde back for the other bags?¡± Ao asked.

    ¡°That I¡¯m not sure, we¡¯ll have to check.¡±

    ¡°Will it get mad if we eat the thousand-grain gold?¡± Ao was still worried. What a pity. They had to ask for permission to eat what they nted for themselves.

    ¡°Probably not. If it doesn¡¯t want us to get close to the thousand-grain gold, it would threaten us.¡± Fierce beasts protect their food. They¡¯d rather let their food rot than let other people or beasts take it from them. At least for now, it didn¡¯t seem like the bat leader regarded them as ¡°other people¡±.

    ¡°Then I don¡¯t need to worry anymore.¡±

    After he asked all his questions and got his doubts resolved, Ao could finally rx and prepare for the uing event. They had no clue when the Chang Le¡¯s would arrive.

    Wu He and hispanions were locked inside a cave and weren¡¯t living too well. Their soup was cold and their meat was either burnt or cold. It tasted disgusting too. Besides dried grass, there was nothing on the ground, so they had no cushions whatsoever. Luckily it wasn¡¯t extremely cold, but it was a lot colder at night. They couldn¡¯t sleep well or eat well here. They were indeed being treated like prisoners of war.

    At least they still had something to eat. Wu He¡¯s group did not expect the ming Horns to treat them nicely at all. They were just waiting for people toe pay the ransom.

    Wu He looked at the ming Horns nearby across the stone pirs that separated them. Those people were keeping guard here and watching them, but at the moment, they were cooking meat soup. The thick and rich aromas drifted to their cave.

    Wu He inhaled deeply. He was feeling hungry. He looked away from the pot of soup and searched for something else to focus on.

    Those ming Horns were discussing something, but Wu He couldn¡¯t hear it clearly. He could only judge what they were saying by watching their lip movements.

    ¡°Heh, did you see their faces when the Grand Elder¡¯s me giant pped them down from the sky? It looked like bird poop fell on their faces! Hahaha!¡± a ming Horn warrior was saying.

    Wu He read their lips. He was speechless. This sentence sounded very familiar.

    Wu He noticed that the ming Horn guards also mentioned the ¡°Robbers¡±. It sounded like a tribe¡¯s name.

    ¡°I feel like the Chang Le¡¯s are like the Robbers. They¡¯re so despicable people want to kill them right away. If the Grand Elder didn¡¯t stop us, we would¡¯ve killed them. But then, I feel like the robbers are harder to catch. Up till now, we only caught one robber, but we already caught five Chang Le¡¯s in just one try...¡± another ming Horn warrior told hispanion. This made Wu He very unhappy.

    ¡°Robber?¡±

    What kind of joke is that? How can they even bepared to us Chang Le¡¯s? Howe the ming Horns made them sound even more powerful than the Chang Le¡¯s?

    Could it possibly be theirpetitors?

    As Wu He waited for the other Chang Le¡¯s toe rescue him, he tried to find out more about the ¡°robbers¡± from the guards who were talking outside.

    On the fifth day the five of them were captured, someone finally came from the Chang Le¡¯s. However, they didn¡¯te to the headquarters. Instead, they went to the ming River Trading Point. The ming Horns wouldn¡¯t let any Chang Le¡¯s into their headquarters.

    Shao Xuan ced a beast hide scroll full of written messages inside a bamboo tube after rolling it up. He then covered it up tightly. This was a letter they wrote after everyone organised their thoughts. It was a letter addressed to their old neighbour, the Taihe tribe.

    It was nighttime, and Shao Xuan was heading to the ming River Trading Point. Wu He, whose hands and legs were chained, also followed along. He had to prove that they were still alive, so they had to bring one of them over. Amongst these prisoners, Wu He was the leader of the team and he was also mentally stable, so he was the best person to bring.

    Even though they brought shame to their gang after their failed mission, Wu He was still excited when he heard that someone came to rescue them. As he thought about how he was leaving the dungeon soon, he swept away his lingering negative emotions and went along expectantly.

 Chapter 693 - I Wonâ€™t Tell Even If I Starve!

    Chapter 693

    I Won¡¯t Tell Even If I Starve!

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the ming River Castle, the trading point was already very quiet. They only saw lighting from a few houses that had water moon stones and other gemstones.

    When the guard outside the beast fang gate saw Shao Xuan, he made a hand gesture and told Shao Xuan how many Chang Le¡¯s were inside to get him mentally prepared.

    Shao Xuan nodded his head slightly and brought Wu He in.

    There were two strangers outside the guest house. They were probably the Chang Le¡¯s. They giggled after seeing Wu He. Their eyes were full of condescendence and ridicule. Not only did he fail in his mission, he was even caught. How embarrassing!

    Wu He was perturbed. He was not afraid of the two individuals at the door. It wasn¡¯t even a big deal. He couldugh back at them in the future if they got into simr trouble. It wasn¡¯t the first day theyughed at each other. The members of the Chang Le often ranked themselves ording to their performance, and Wu He had always performed better than those two who were nowughing at him. He couldn¡¯t care less about those two. What worried him was who was in the house. Who came over this time?

    Shao Xuan opened the door after he knocked twice.

    Besides Zheng Luo and Duo Kang, there were five other strangers. These were probably the Chang Le¡¯s who came over after hearing the news.

    Zheng Luo had already discussed once with them before Shao Xuan arrived. It was very quiet in the house when he entered. Zheng Luo and Duo Kang were thinking about something, and the five strangers didn¡¯t seem like they had anything to say. They were all waiting quietly. Everyone on the inside looked at the entrance when Shao Xuan pulled the door open.

    At first, all five of the Chang Le¡¯s had their eyes on Wu He. Then their eyes moved and looked at Shao Xuan with great interest.

    Amongst the five people, the first one Shao Xuan noticed was the only one who was sitting. He didn¡¯t seem strong, and wore what most of the people in the ming River region wore. He didn¡¯t look special either. Behind him stood a strong bulky figure. The man had a bronze hammer in his hands and looked like a wall that blocked everything behind him. He didn¡¯t hide his fierce aura so of course he was the most noticeable in the group. However, the most dangerous person here was the one who was sitting. He was skinny, but he looked like a de that was still in its sheath.

    When Shao Xuan walked in, that person opened his closed eyes slowly. As he turned his head over and looked at him, his gaze felt like sharp daggers unsheathed.

    Shao Xuan was suddenly vignt. This person probably held a very high position in the Chang Le¡¯s gang.

    Shao Xuan had just thought about it, but Wu He was already on all fours and howled when he saw him. He hurried over and knelt in front of that person, ¡°Leader, why are you here? Did youe to rescue us? When can we leave?¡±

    That person nced at Wu He, and then looked away expressionlessly. It was as if he didn¡¯t see him at all. He said to Zheng Luo, ¡°I have given you my word. Where is the thing?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at Zheng Luo.

    Zheng Luo nodded and took out the bamboo tube.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promised not to look, so I won¡¯t look. Before it arrives at its destination, I won¡¯t show it to anyone else,¡± that person said.

    He took the person and left immediately after he spoke. He did not like to speak too much. The more he spoke, the more he had to reveal. He didn¡¯t even look at Wu He once when he left.

    The two Chang Le¡¯s who were guarding outsideughed again at Wu He before they left. Their smiles were full of schadenfreude.

    Seven long-winged birds flew up from the ming River Castle and left the ming River Trading Point. Very soon they disappeared into the night.

    ¡°Leader, we¡¯re just going to leave like this? Are we leaving Wu He and the others behind?¡± one of the Chang Le¡¯s asked their leader in a careful tone after observing his expression. If they stayed at the ming Horn tribe, they definitely wouldn¡¯t be treated well.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see how energetic he was when he greeted me? It¡¯s clearly not a big problem. The others are probably doing fine too. Just let this be their punishment for failing their mission.¡±

    If the ming Horns killed Wu He¡¯s group, he would immediately try to take revenge, but they didn¡¯t. Instead, they gave a strange condition. How unexpected!

    Actually, delivering a letter was not a difficult task at all. They just needed some time to get there.

    They couldn¡¯t help questioning the ming Horn¡¯s intention when they thought about the destination addressed in the letter.

    ¡°The ming Horns really have great ambition,¡± that person remarked.

    ¡°What do you mean ambition? I don¡¯t see them dering a battle with anyone,¡± another Chang Le member was in doubt.

    ¡°Some things can be attained without a battle.¡±

    Wu He stared idly as the other Chang Le members left. Then they brought him back to the cave and locked him back up.

    ¡°Oh no. Did our leader give up on us?¡± another prisoner asked sadly.

    ¡°Of course not! Our leader came to an agreement with the ming Horns. They¡¯ll definitelye back for us once the deal is finished,¡± Wu He said. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t understand it. He just didn¡¯t want to stay locked up here. They had to fight with mosquitoes everyday, not to mention those rough grains. The ming Horns nted so many grains, and yet they fed them these!

    Wu Heined about it once, but the ming Horns only said, ¡°A prisoner of war should look like a prisoner of war.¡±

    You stole from us and you¡¯re still bold enough toin? Is there bird poop in your brain?

    ¡°I want meat! Hot, freshly roasted, fearsome beast meat. Oh, also meat soup...¡± Wu He shouted while nobody cared. He never expected the ming Horns to really treat them with hospitality. He shouted merely to vent.

    He heard footsteps approaching. Someone had entered the cave. Wu He and the other four prisoners heard the guards address that person ¡°Grand Elder¡±.

    The footsteps were getting closer. As he approached, there was also a smell of roasted meat. It smelled absolutely delicious! They knew immediately from the smell that they definitely put seasonings on the meat. They had a taste of this seasoned meat once in the trading point. It was also because of this that they salivated faster than usual.

    Wu He wiped away the saliva on the corner of his lips and looked at the person who came.

    ¡°It¡¯s not impossible, you know, if you want to eat fresh hot fearsome beast meat.¡± Shao Xuan was holding a bowl of meat. He uncovered the bowl before he entered the cave. The wind was blowing into the cave, carrying with it the aroma of the delicious meat.

    Wu He breathed in heavily twice. After he heard what Shao Xuan said, he crawled up and both of his eyes brightened. He looked like a wolf that had been starving, ¡°What are the conditions?¡±

    He wasn¡¯t stupid. The ming Horns would never give these to them without asking for anything in return.

    Shao Xuan took out a ck object and threw it to Wu He, ¡°How did you guys make this?¡±

    Wu He could tell what it was as soon as he saw it. That was the ck giant shield they carried when they stole the grains in the ming Horn ntations. Shao Xuan was only holding a small piece in his hand.

    What were Chang Le¡¯s most afraid of?

    Temptation!

    Their excessive curiosity made them vulnerable to temptations, regardless of whether these temptations were food or something else.

    But now, even if these delicacies were tempting, they didn¡¯t dare say another word about it.

    That was Chang Le¡¯s secret. They would never tell anyone, even if it meant they would starve to death.

 Chapter 694 - Draw a Picture

    <h4>Chapter 694 Draw a Picture</h4>

    Shao Xuan knew that the material they used to make the giant ck shields was somewhat simr to rubber, but it wasn¡¯t exactly the same. The ming Horns were quite familiar with rubber. They had been living in the forest for so many years. They knew from studying different nts that some types of tree sap could be used to make waterproof clothing and shoes so they wouldn¡¯t get wet in the rain, but the ming Horns had always felt that those were too troublesome and weren¡¯tfortable. It even hindered their movements, so they rarely used this material. After all, they didn¡¯t have the proper skills to craft it back then and they had limited materials.

    Shao Xuan had also thought about giving these materials a try, but he set those ideas aside after he noticed how the other ming Horns were not too interested and rarely used it during their hunts. However, when the Chang Le¡¯s used this shield during their mission in the thousand-grain gold fields, the giant ck shield caught Shao Xuan¡¯s interest.

    It was not ordinary rubber. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t figure out the processing it went through. This rubber was lighter than the type Shao Xuan usually used, but it could block most of the arrows. It even stood strong against the long spear that he threw. It didn¡¯t pratepletely. A part of the spear¡¯s handle was still stuck on the shield.

    Wu He and the other four prisoners remained unswerved and didn¡¯t answer Shao Xuan¡¯s question. Their eyes were affixed on the bowl of meat, but they did not say a single word.

    Some of their faces reddened as they fought the temptation. They tried to hide their tempted expressions.

    Shao Xuan looked at the five of them seriously, and then said, ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to talk about this. Let¡¯s change the conditions.¡±

    ¡°...What is it!¡± Wu He red at Shao Xuan. How could they answer such a difficult question? Even if Shao Xuan changed the conditions, Wu He bet the question wouldn¡¯t be much easier. Still, he remained hopeful. As long as he didn¡¯t need to reveal any of Chang Le¡¯s secrets, he could tell him anything, even some of the ve masters¡¯ secrets.

    ¡°You guys probably go to many ces right?¡± Shao Xuan asked while he observed the five prisoners across the bars.

    The Chang Le¡¯s were always proud to speak when people asked them about the ces they¡¯ve been. Even the ve masters didn¡¯t go to as many ces as they did. Wu He¡¯s group of five smiled as they heard the question.

    ¡°Then draw a picture,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You mean you want us to draw out the ces we know about?¡± Wu He¡¯s fingers scratched at his ear. He emphasized every word to make sure he didn¡¯t hear it wrong. ¡°We¡¯ve been to too many ces. How can we draw it all out?!¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t even draw a map? Too bad then,¡± Shao Xuan turned around and prepared to leave with the bowl of meat in his hands.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Wu He reached out from behind the stone pirs. ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I never said I couldn¡¯t draw! Why didn¡¯t you say it was just a map earlier?¡±

    Shao Xuan stood still and didn¡¯t move at all.

    ¡°You can draw it?¡±

    ¡°Gosh, of course I can! Come back,e back, that......¡± Wu He pointed at the bowl in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. ¡°Put that bowl down. We can discuss this nicely.¡±

    They¡¯d never reveal the secret behind the giant ck shields even if they starved to death, but if he only wanted a map, they could still draw it for him. Besides all the hideout spots the Chang Le¡¯s didn¡¯t want anyone else to know about, they were very willing to draw anything else, even the ve masters¡¯ cities.

    ¡°After we draw it, will you feed us such high-quality meat everyday? I want this kind that you¡¯re holding right now. Please stop feeding us meat that tastes like burnt wood. Oh yeah, the grains too. We want the newly harvested grains, those golden ones...... Hey! Don¡¯t leave! Wait! We can talk more about it!¡±

    Wu He was anxious when he saw Shao Xuan walk out. The four others in the cave desperately wished to beat him up. They were all worried about the food. It was such a rare opportunity for them to improve their living conditions, but Wu He almost ruined all of it.

    They were prisoners of war. Their demands were not as high as Wu He¡¯s. They¡¯d be satisfied even with the slightest improvements. At least cover the ground with a thin cushion or ayer of dried grass? The ground here was not t at all. Their fractured bones had just reconnected, but a night¡¯s sleep here almost broke them apart again.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll do as you wish. Where should we draw this map? I¡¯ll draw it real quick so we can eat as soon as possible. Gosh I¡¯m starving,¡± Wu He sat on the ground as he pleaded.

    After Wu He finished speaking, he was kicked to the side. A skinny tall brat was looking at Shao Xuan with a wide ttering smile. He was totally different from the time he stole the grains.

    ¡°He¡¯s been starving, so he¡¯s a little out of his mind now. Just ignore him, Grand Elder. Okay, let¡¯s talk about this. What do you want us to draw? Where do you want to know about? How detailed do you want this drawing to be?¡± The tall skinny brat asked so many questions in a row that his mouth was bubbling up with saliva.

    ¡°Just draw a simple one for now. Try to draw a general map of the other continent,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The five prisoners thought, ¡®You call this simple?!¡¯

    Wu He was just about to speak, but one of the prisoners covered his mouth and dragged him to the corner of the dungeon, far away from the entrance. The tall skinny prisoner was the only one left negotiating with Shao Xuan. ¡°We¡¯ll... do our best!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good then. I¡¯ll let some people bring in a drawing board and some drawing tools for you. As for the better hospitality that you wanted, I¡¯ll have to see how well you draw first.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s final sentence was a warning for them. ¡®Don¡¯t fabricate anything. If I notice something strange, get ready to be abused!¡±

    ¡°Alright, don¡¯t worry!¡± the tall skinny person rubbed his hands as he eyed the bowl of meat.

    Shao Xuan passed the bowl to him. The tall skinny brat held it gratefully. They were afraid that Shao Xuan might change his mind, so all of them fought for the meat. Even Wu He, who was still resentful towards him, rushed over to seize the food.

    The Chang Le¡¯s were fond of enjoyment and never treated themselves badly. Even after they came to this new continent, they still kept the same mindset. All they thought about was how they could adventure, what there was to eat, where they could explore, and what they could do when they were bored, and so on. They didn¡¯t care much about anything else. Simply put, their mindset was: As long as you can provide enough for me to eat well and y well, I can give you whatever you want, without any objections.

    In the other Chang Le¡¯s eyes, the five of them would suffer the fate of prisoners in the ming Horn tribe since the ming Horns promised to keep them alive. Their deal was still ongoing after all. They were put in a dirty ce and fed rotten grains. Everyday, they were stuck in the same tiny ce. These might be normal for some people, and maybe most people wouldn¡¯t care, but to the Chang Le¡¯s, this was torture. Life was meant to be enjoyed, not to be suffered. Taking away their enjoyment and freedom was driving them crazy.

    That was why the Chang Le¡¯s who left the ming River Castle felt that letting the five prisoners stay here in the ming Horn tribe was already the worst punishment they could receive. There was nothing left to be discussed. However, those people never knew that these five prisoners, whom they expected to be suffering, were trying to negotiate for a better treatment by helping the ming Horns draw a picture.

    Not long after Shao Xuan left the cave, some people carried in a stone drawing board that was almost as tall as a human.

    Wu He and hispanions looked at the polished stone board. The muscles on their faces jerked twice, ¡°This drawing board is way too big!¡±

    The Chang Le¡¯s definitely wouldn¡¯t reveal the secret behind the giant ck shield. Shao Xuan already knew this was going to happen, but his main objective wasn¡¯t to discover the secret behind the shield. His map of the other continent was notplete, so if he could get the general picture of the continent, it would make his future work more convenient.

    That continent on the other side of the sea was different from here. There were people everywhere-caravans, adventurers, migrating tribes, and so on. They were constantly exploring the continent. As a result, more unknown ces were being explored. On the other hand, most people on this continent rarely migrated because of their primitive fire seeds. They never strayed too far apart from each other. Even expedition teams only travelled on the same routes throughout a year. They never went to explore new territories.

    Now, those tribes in the central region had begun to take action. Perhaps in the future, this continent would also develop in the same fashion as the other continent, but this wasn¡¯t something that could be done in a year or two. The Chang Le¡¯s could provide a shortcut for them to understand the other continent.

    Shao Xuan would check on their mapmaking progress every day. If he was satisfied, he would bring in some dried grass cushions and improve their food quality. However, Chang Le¡¯s expectations were still very high, so Wu He and hispanions worked harder on their drawing. They believed that if they worked harder, the ming Horns would change their grass cushions to beast hides and also improve their food quality. Life was still beautiful. At least they could still enjoy their lives as prisoners of war.

    Besides checking on the prisoner¡¯s progress, Shao Xuan spent the rest of his time studying the mummy-looking monster in the secret underground room under the ming River Castle.

    Amidst the dense forest on the other side of the sea, it was the season of harvest once again.

    The Taihe tribespeople were getting ready to harvest their medicinal herbs. They had to sundry the herbs that had to be sundried while the day was still clear. After all of these herbs underwent the necessary procedures, the expedition teams departed once again.

    Every time after an expedition team departed, they would take a short break. Even though they already knew that there wouldn¡¯t be a team of soldiers carrying giant bags of beast hides, they would still look in the same direction they hade before. The leader of their expedition team never asked them to look over there. Every one of them did it naturally without being asked.

    The two teams had such a strong connection with each other, one that was established for over ten years. This habit wasn¡¯t an easy one to change.

    After the ming Horns left, they epted the piece ofnd from them, but no one lived there. The first reason was the Taihe tribe never had arge poption to begin with. They could guard over their own territory, but they couldn¡¯t do it if they had to watch over two territories. The ming Horn¡¯snd was not that fertile either. It could be used to cultivate normal grains, but it didn¡¯t meet the requirements for growing medicinal herbs. Even if they could be grown, the quality of the herbs wouldn¡¯t be that great. After all, the Taihe tribe¡¯s farms had been enriched by generations of cultivators.

    After the ming Horn tribe left, the ducks had also left. The situation here was constantly changing. Some tribes came while others left. There had been more than ten battles fought here, but it was still rtively safe and was suitable for living. It wasn¡¯t too far away from the city either, so this was very limited. Back when the ming Horns were still here, the ming Horns and the Taihe tribe were allies, so people never dared to offend them, but after the ming Horns left, the other tribes in the forest no longer treated the Taihe tribe as they used to.

    The Taihe tribe also wanted to look for a new ally, but they couldn¡¯t find any as reliable and trustable as the ming Horn tribe. Even the Mountain Wind tribe, whom they worked with before, couldn¡¯t be their ally. They had a conflict not long ago and it didn¡¯t end well.

    Usually even when there was nobody to argue with, the hunt leader of the Taihe tribe had a bad temper, so besides going on expedition trips, they never socialised with anyone from foreign tribes. Their shaman said that this was probably what they call loneliness.

 Chapter 695 - Well Make Sure You Do Fine Here

    <h4>We¡¯ll Make Sure You Do Fine Here</h4>

    After the Taihe tribe¡¯s expedition departed, the shaman and the chief began to discuss their future ns. Recently they noticed other tribal people entering the forest. If they were all tribes that were migrating, then the Taihe tribe wouldn¡¯t need to be so stressed. The problem was, all these people came from different tribes, not a single tribe, and they seemed to be looking for something.

    ¡°The expedition team will probably hear quite some news this time,¡± the Taihe shaman said.

    This was not a good sign. Ever since the disaster, the ve masters had been acting weirdly. It was like they were preparing for a huge movement, but it didn¡¯t matter to the Taihe tribe if it didn¡¯t affect them. However, the changes happening in the forest were obviously rted to the ve masters! Tribes like them who were located deep in the forest were always behind on news. They couldn¡¯t tell what was happening, so they could only guess by observing the changes in the forest.

    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going to change next.¡± The Taihe tribe¡¯s chief was also worried. They weren¡¯t at their best at the moment, and ever since they grew ustomed to working with the ming Horns, they felt extremely stressed now that they had left. They could feel many greedy eyes watching them from within the forest. Fortunately they were still strong enough, or else their medicinal herbs would¡¯ve been robbed; notpletely, but there was still a possibility that a third of their harvest could be robbed.

    This was also why their expedition teams departed immediately after their harvest this year. They would be too worried if all of those herbs were kept here. It was better to trade it for other goods first.

    ¡°I wish the ming Horns were still here,¡± the Taihe chief sighed. He had lost count of how many times he wished they were here. His partnership with Zheng Luosted for decades, and if they count from their ancestors¡¯ time, it had been a few hundred years since both of their tribes became allies.

    The Taihe shaman also sighed helplessly. No matter how stressed they were, they had to fight and live on. They couldn¡¯t look on and hope for others to help them. The Taihe tribe were not weak people.

    The Taihe tribe¡¯s shaman and chief had been discussing their ns for a few days now. The more news they received from the people who entered the forest, the more worried they got. It hadn¡¯t even been ten days, the number of people who entered the forest had already doubled. Most of these people were strangers. What shocked the Taihe¡¯s chief the most was that even the ck Bear Trading Party was here. Although they know their leader, the Taihe tribe was not familiar with this group. They had onlye into contact with them a few times.

    However, the Taihe tribe¡¯s connection with the ck Bear Party could not at all bepared to the ming Horn¡¯s connection with them. Caravans like these always put their own benefit first. The Taihe tribe might not necessarily be able to provide them with what the ming Horns can.

    As the leader of this tribe, the Taihe chief had been rolling in his bed while pondering this problem. He had a feeling something big was about to happen. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t even figure out what was about to happen after thinking about it overnight.

    The Taihe chief was growing impatient, but suddenly the soldiers on patrol ran over hurriedly and looked for him, ¡°Chief, someone¡¯s here!¡±

    When he heard this, the Taihe chief¡¯s first reaction was, ¡®Finally!¡±

    At first he thought that these were neers to the forest, so he asked, ¡°Which tribe are they from?¡±

    The patrolling soldier looked at him with a weird expression.

    He said hesitantly, ¡°He said he¡¯s from the Chang Le¡¯s¡±

    ¡°Who?!¡± The Taihe chief thought he heard it wrong. He thought of many people, but he never thought about this name.

    ¡°Cha-chang Le,¡± the warrior repeated.

    ¡°Bring him in. No, never mind, I¡¯ll go out.¡± The Taihe chief did not want a Chang Le in the central region of his tribe. The Chang Le¡¯s were notorious for what they did. If they didn¡¯te looking for them, no one in the Taihe tribe would want to approach any Chang Le¡¯s.

    The person who came was a young man. He was the only one there. They didn¡¯t see any other Chang Le¡¯s, but the Taihe chief did not let his guard down. He knew that the Chang Le¡¯s rarely travelled alone. Seeing how this person was alone, he could only wonder how many others were hiding in the dark around them?

    After the person arrived at the Taihe tribe, he had been constantly observing their tribe. Even though the Taihe tribe was known for nting medicinal herbs, nothing here really caught his interest. His eyes scanned the entire ce, looking for something that might interest him. As he grew impatient, he noticed someone walking towards him.

    ¡°You¡¯re the chief of the Taihe tribe?¡± the young man looked at the person who was leading the team.

    ¡°Indeed I am.¡± The Taihe chief frowned. He was wondering why a Chang Le would appear here and wanted to inquire, but the young man suddenly threw a bamboo tube at him.

    The Chang Le¡¯s were a notorious group that many guarded against. Anyone would¡¯ve dodged if they saw a Chang Le throwing something at them.

    The Taihe chief was no different. However, he hesitated for an instant and didn¡¯t dodge it. Instead, he stood where he was and grabbed the bamboo tube.

    Seeing how cautious they were, the young man pouted and looked like he wasn¡¯t too satisfied with their reaction. After a while he said, ¡°This letter is from your old friend. Reply as soon as you finish reading. I don¡¯t want to wait too long.¡±

    An old friend?

    The Taihe chief hesitated. There were only a few who could be considered their old friends, but his eyes jerked when he saw the ming totem sign on the seal. He told the patrolling soldier beside him, ¡°Hurry, take this gentleman to rest.¡±

    The patrolling soldier was shocked by suddenmand from his chief, but the Taihe chief already left with the bamboo tube in his hand. He looked a little impatient.

    After knowing that the ming Horns sent them a letter, the Taihe shaman also went to look for the chief.

    ¡°Could it be that they decided to return? Also, why would the ming Horns let the Chang Le¡¯s deliver their letter?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s see what they wrote first.¡±

    The bamboo tube was sealed with tree sap. If anyone opened it on the way, the tree sap would¡¯ve definitely snapped apart. Seeing how it was still perfectly sealed, the Chang Le¡¯s had never opened it to look.

    He hurriedly opened the bamboo tube and carefully took out the beast hide scroll from the inside. After reading what was written on it, the Taihe chief was left deep in thought.

    They had never expected the ming Horns to develop so well after they left, but that was not the most important message. The most important thing written on the scroll was to ask the Taihe tribe if they had ns to migrate over there.

    If the whole letter was summarised with one sentence, it would be: We already reservednd for you and made suggestions for your future ns. Juste over and we¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll do fine here!

    For now, this was very appealing to the Taihe tribe.

    Migration?

    It wasn¡¯t impossible, but how? How risky would the entire trip be? How much trouble would they face?

    These still had to be considered.

    It was no longer peaceful here in the forest. Soon, more people would enter the forest.

    The Taihe chief and shaman thought about it for three days. The expedition team had arrived before their expected arrival time during these three days, and they also brought back some news.

    Ths ve masters were indeed nning something big, but they still had no clue what it was, but everywhere from the king cities to the other cities, posters of wanted animals and nts were put up. If anyone found these, the six major aristocrat families would grant them huge rewards.

    These nts and animals were rare and couldn¡¯t be found in typical ces. Some were even almost unheard of, but the bounty the ve masters put on them was so tempting that many people came to look for them in the forest. That was why so many people entered the forest recently. They were all looking for these.

    ¡°Oh, I also heard that the ve masters would also send people into this forest in the future. What should we do?¡± The hunt leader of the expedition team was worried. If that was really going to happen, they could no longer wish for peace here. If they met any of those people during a hunt, a fight couldn¡¯t be avoided, so they had to be mentally prepared. They were not tempted or attracted by the bounties the ve masters were offering. All they wanted was a peaceful life and stable living conditions.

    After hearing this news, the chief and shaman of the Taihe tribe looked at each other. They both wanted to migrate. The message on the beast hide scroll was too tempting, and their sincerity was clear and trustable. Compared to the troubles they were facing here and worries, they preferred to take a chance and migrate. Here, they couldn¡¯t even hunt in peace and they had to deal with unnecessary fights that never happened before.

    However, an entire tribe¡¯s migration was no small matter. They still had to write in reply.

    After a while, the Taihe chief wrote a letter informing the ming Horns that they were interested in their suggestion and also wrote about the situation here and the troubles they might have to deal with during their migration.

    After the Chang Le man left with the letter, the Taihe chief gathered everyone in the tribe. ¡°The ming Horns mentioned anothernguage before. The people who know thisnguage should teach those who don¡¯t. Learn it well. We need to use it in the future!¡±

    ......

    When the Taihe tribe¡¯s letter reached the ming Horns, Wu He¡¯s group was already finished with their drawing. The ming Horns even negotiated with them and came up with another n. Shao Xuan wrote another letter in reply, and this time, he put a single Universal Eye within the bamboo tube.

    ¡°Here¡¯s another letter.¡±

    Another one?!

    Are you kidding me?!

    The leader of the Chang Le¡¯s was unhappy. ¡°Just forget about Wu He and those four. You can just kill them.¡±

    Of course, these were all said out of anger. The leader of the Chang Le¡¯s wouldn¡¯t just leave these five people behind. He had already delivered the letter once, so the deal was already half-done. He wouldn¡¯t want to give up in the middle. However, he no longer delivered it personally. Last time he also let his subordinates deliver it, so he decided to entrust the entire task of delivery to them.

    The Chang Le¡¯s leader still had other ns. He did not want to waste any of his time on this case.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care whether the person who delivered the letter was their leader. His only concern was that the letter was delivered safely and the person who delivered it could keep this as a secret.

    While the Taihe tribe wrote their letter in reply, quite a few events happened on this continent. The biggest change was the Hui tribe¡¯s merging of their fire seed. Shao Xuan felt the change in their fire seed when it happened. Perhaps no one else sensed it, but Shao Xuan, Gui Ze, and the two ex-shamans all felt it.

    This was only a start. Not long after the Hui tribe merged their fire seed, a few tribes in the central region also started to merge their seeds. They had been looking forward to the Hui tribe¡¯s sess, and this was also what reinforced their determination.

    Even though the ancient fire seed had its benefits, it was too restricting, and as more people travelled to this continent from the other side, many of them became worried and even sent people to ask Shao Xuan about the detailed exnations of the merging process. Although they already asked about it before, they didn¡¯t want any minor mistakes to happen. This matter was rted to their fire seed, so they had to be cautious. They¡¯d rather ask a few more times than have any mistakes happen during the merging process.

    Shao Xuan believed that the smaller tribes would also make the same decision after they saw these tribes sessfully merge their fire seeds, especially a few of the smaller tribes that relied on thoserger tribes. They would definitely choose what was most beneficial to them. This continent would soon undergo a change on a scale never before seen.

    If an ancient fire seed was destroyed, even if everyone in that tribe was still alive, they were no different from dead people. They all knew how wanderers lived. However, if it was a merged fire seed, even if an entire tribe was destroyed and only one of them survived, they still had a chance of returning to their previous glory. Even a small spark could keep the fire burning, so as long as a drop of their blood was still preserved, the tribe would never disappear.

 Chapter 696 - Planning The Journey

    <h4>Chapter 696 nning The Journey</h4>

    After they felt the change in the Longboat tribe¡¯s fire seed, Shao Xuan told Duo Kang to start preparing.

    They had already finished nning during the time theymunicated with the Taihe tribe through their letters. Even though the map Wu He¡¯s group drew wasn¡¯tplete and didn¡¯t look decent, they hadbeled most of the regions and districts on the map. Even though this group worked together this time to steal the grains from the ming Horn tribe, they rarely worked together while they were on the other side and often went to different ces. Some of them were more familiar with a specific location, so whenever one of them made a mistake, the others would correct him. After all, Shao Xuan had mentioned that if they made a mistake, they wouldn¡¯t be able to receive any special treatment.

    The Taihe tribe¡¯s letter also had a map of some parts of the forest. The Taihe chief was not sure which route was safest, so they sent out a map they treasured and rarely took out. Zheng Luo¡¯s group never knew about this map before.

    The Taihe tribe¡¯s ancestors often went on trips to search for medicinal herbs, and every trip took about a year, sometimes even longer. They drew a map for the ces they went and passed this map down from each generation to the next, so the map was constantly being updated and perfected. That was why the Taihe tribe had such a detailed map. Even though this map was mainly used as a reference to search for medicinal herbs, it was still an important source of information. With this map, they could avoid all the unnecessary troubles and stay away from danger.

    Shao Xuanpared the map that Wu He drew and the one from the Taihe tribe. Then, he considered the regional structures of this continent and the location of each tribe. After some discussions, he decided to take a different route.

    On the other continent, there was a V-shaped bulge that was closer to this continent. This was the exact location Shao Xuan brought the others over from the other side. It was right under the V-shaped bulge. This was the closest point between the two continents. However, the ve masters¡¯ army took over the area and stationed themselves along the coastlines. Getting there wasn¡¯t easy, because the ve masters would not easily let any tribes cross the sea, not to mention a tribe that had such a strong connection with the ming Horn tribe.

    The Taihe chief probably thought about this too, or else he wouldn¡¯t have taken out such a precious map. If the ming Horns did not entrust the Chang Le¡¯s to deliver the letter, they would never take such a risk because they did not trust the Chang Le¡¯s at all. They only trusted the ming Horns.

    So, their final decision was the sea route.

    Shao Xuan already knew from back then that the Taihe tribe could walk deeper into the woods and see a wide river from where they lived. This river could take them out of the forest and possibly into the sea. However, that route was too far and none of the ming Horns had seen this before. They only heard about it from the other tribespeople who came from the other side. This map that the Taihe tribe sent them also had routes simr to this one.

    This river indeed flowed towards the sea.

    The Taihe chief wrote most of his thoughts and ideas in his response letter. He was indeed nning to travel beside the river but not on it. He didn¡¯t want to get close to the river because there were too many crocodiles there. No one wished to provoke the scary fierce beasts, especially the terrifying giant crocodiles in the big river.

    But then, what should they do after arriving at the sea? Make their own ships? Their crafting skills were no good, and even though they had a clear sense of direction in the forest, would they get lost on the sea? They didn¡¯t even have the slightest confidence.

    However, Shao Xuan¡¯s n was to send people over to take them across!

    But where would they get the ships?

    The Longboat tribe would definitely make the ships if the ming Horns asked them. They had intentions of exploring the sea since long ago. The ming Horns could tell just by observing their newly designed ships. They did not need such designs if they were only navigating the river. Before, they could not leave their tribe for too long because of the ancient fire seed, but now, they had greater ambitions. It could be said that besides the Hui tribe, the Longboat tribe was the only tribe amongst all the major tribes that looked forward to merging their fire seed the most!

    This time, they could finally partner with the Longboat tribe. Before when the Longboat tribe was merging their fire seed, they had also sent people over to ask Shao Xuan about the specifics regarding the merge. Shao Xuan had also asked them about ces they could enter rivers and the sea on this continent. The Longboat tribe had never been to this part where the ming Horns lived, so they weren¡¯t sure, but they were familiar with the central region and the grassy ins. They knew enough about the geography there, but they never shared their information with anyone else. This time, they were here to ask about the fire seed, and only revealed what they knew because Shao Xuan asked them.

    On the grassy ins, there was a river that extended from to the ends of the ins. There were many high mountains there. Even though there were fearsome beasts residing in the area, there weren¡¯t as manypared to the Fearsome Beast Forest and the forest behind the ming Horn¡¯s current living area. The soil there was not suitable for cultivation, and there weren¡¯t any ancient forests there either, so there weren¡¯t many different species living there. At most, there were only eagles. The eagles of the Tianshan tribe and the Hui tribe¡¯s mountain eagles all resided in that area. The river in that region passed through the mountains and flowed towards the sea.

    This was the Longboat tribe¡¯s ancestor¡¯s discovery. They knew even more about the grassy ins than the Hui tribe and Tianshan tribe even though they were the ones who were actually living there. To the Longboat tribe, rivers were like blood vessels that carried the blood. Ships were the blood. These were both very important to them.

    Perhaps this route was a little longer than the one Shao Xuan¡¯s group took before, but this was a much safer route. The only thing they had to worry about was when they reached the sea. However, even though the Taihe tribe was willing to risk travelling on sea, they did not wish to meet any ve masters on the way. After all, their entire tribe was migrating. They even had elders, children, and others who had not awakened their totemic powers. As long as they didn¡¯t go to any ce too far away from the shorelines, they could still survive. At least they wouldn¡¯t all be killed.

    ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Shao Xuan was discussing with a few people in the house. He was also tagging along this time. At first he was nning to let Zheng Luo and Duo Kang bring some people over. The Taihe tribe was most familiar with them, after all, but Zheng Luo wanted Shao Xuan to go with Duo Kang. He wanted to guard the post at the ming River Trading Point.

    It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to go. Zheng Luo also missed his old friends, and he also hoped that they coulde assist them here, but he also knew that the Longboat tribe mainly feared Shao Xuan. The Longboat tribe was not afraid of any other ming Horns. He would feel more relieved if Shao Xuan was there.

    Shao Xuan and Duo Kang were about to leave for the Longboat tribe. This time, they were going along with the people from the Longboat tribe, navigating by ship on this river across the grassy ins. The Longboat tribe was very familiar with this route.

    If they could travel as nned and enter the sea from this route, then they could avoid all the fights along the shorelines and immediately head for the continent on the other side, to where they promised to meet the Taihe tribe.

    After he cut down the number of people who wereing on this trip, Shao Xuan packed all the gear he prepared previously and embarked the ship with Duo Kang. Together they set off to the Longboat tribe.

    By the time this group of people returned, it would already be next year. They had to hurry and get to the sea before winter. This was the only way to avoid the frozen river.

 Chapter 697 - Manpower

    <h4>Chapter 697 Manpower</h4>

    This time Shao Xuan and Duo Kang brought along two hundred people. They couldn¡¯t bring along any more.

    There was also a Drumming tribe member in their group, Qing Yi. Back then, he was just a totemic warrior of middle ranking, but now he was already an advanced totemic warrior. Qing Yi had been leading teams out to trade, and he was very experiencedpared to everyone else in the Drumming tribe. Plus, Qing Yi¡¯s eyes were brown in colour. In the Drumming tribe, people with brown eyes wereparatively calmer and wouldn¡¯t get irritated or act reckless so easily.

    This time, Qing Yi was the one who took the initiative to ask Shao Xuan if he could follow. He had led many teams to the Pu tribe to trade, but those couldn¡¯t be considered expedition trips. That distance was a joke ifpared to the distance required to travel to the other tribes. That was why Qing Yi requested to follow along on this trip with the ming Horns. He wanted to gain some experience.

    If nothing unexpected happens, Qing Yi would be the next chief of the Drumming tribe. When Fan Mu steps down, Qing Yi would take on his position as chief. A to-be-chief had to gain enough experience to lead the tribe. The Drumming tribe rarely travelled to other ces, and they only learned more after going to the ming River Trading Point. However, these were often just based on rumours. That was why Qing Yi wanted to take this opportunity to go take a look for himself and see what an expedition trip was really like.

    Who would¡¯ve thought, the ming Horn¡¯s expedition trip was travelling a lot fartherpared to other tribes¡¯ expedition trips. Regardless, Qing Yi did not give up. Instead, he became more expectant. The ming Horn tribe had a type of stone known as the Water Sun Stone which they obtained from the other side of the sea. Qing Yi also wanted to see what other things were there if he had a chance.

    Shao Xuan did not reject him because he knew that Qing Yi could control his temper and wouldn¡¯t act recklessly. He wouldn¡¯t spill on anything that should be kept secret.

    When Shao Xuan¡¯s group arrived at the Longboat tribe, a long segment of the river had been sealed. Expedition teams rarely travelled in that direction anyways. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t see any ships there either.

    When Mu Fa, the chief of the Longboat tribe, received news of the ming Horns arriving, he quickly walked out from his tribe.

    ¡°You guys finally arrived!¡± He received the ming Horn¡¯s letter very early, and had already made the necessary preparations. He even sealed away the upstream segment to protect their ships.

    They had promised the ming Horns before they merged their fire seed. Since the ming Horns wanted to go out by sea this time, the Longboat tribe were also happy to help.

    They had been waiting for this day for a very long time.

    All the preparations were done and they had already waited several days. Now, the ming Horn¡¯s ships were finally here.

    ¡°You guys are too slow!¡± Mu Fained. ¡°When are we departing? We can leave anytime!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the river. Back then when he came to the Longboat tribe, there were still many ships on dock. Now, most of the ships had disappeared. Only fifteen remained.

    Tenrge ships and five smaller ships. Of course, the five smaller ships were the same size as the two ships the Longboat tribe gifted the ming Horns. They were probably made around the same time.

    Shao Xuan already had doubts back then when the Longboat tribe gifted them these ships. He felt that the Longboat tribe probably had greater ambition. They were probably nning something even bigger that no one knew about. Now, he finally saw it.

    These ten ships were at least twice as big as the ones they were on. Judging by the looks, they were built quite recently and had never been used.

    After the Longboat tribe merged their fireseed, their ambition seemed to have grown too, like the me within them.

    If the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t mention going out to sea, the Longboat tribe probably wouldn¡¯t have revealed these ten ships this early.

    ¡°What, are you shocked?¡± Mu Fa saw a row of ming Horn warriors look at the ships with impressed and shocked looks. He was overjoyed. ¡°How many ships did you think we were nning to use?¡±

    ¡°What? You think we would bring small ships? You kidding? You sure we¡¯re going on an expedition trip, not to adventure? You think we would only prepare ten ships? What? Are you looking down on the Longboat tribe? When have we ever traveled with just ten ships?!¡±

    As Mu Fa chatted with Duo Kang and the others, Shao Xuan boarded the ship to take a look around. The inner structures of these ships were simr to the ones the Longboat tribe gifted them. All of these ships used watertightpartments and their mast and sails were also improved. These could endure the impact of the stronger winds and waves at sea.

    No one would¡¯ve thought a tribe that was so far ind had been nning to set out to sea.

    They were all excited to set out into the sea, so this time, their chief, Mu Fa, was personally leading the team.

    Without the ancient fire seed, they could leave their tribe for a longer time. They didn¡¯t need to worry if their strength was weakened. This time, there were around three hundred Longboat tribespeople who were following on this trip. On an average, each ship only needed around twenty people. With a mere twenty, they could already control the ship well.

    Were they using manpower to row the ships? If they needed more people, weren¡¯t the ming Horns here too?

    The cabins on the ships were already stocked with supplies enough to keep them alive on sea for a very long time. The Longboat tribe didn¡¯t have as much fearsome beast meat jerky, but they had other alternatives like some special grains that they never traded with outsiders. They had kept these grains to themselves all this time and only brought some out on expedition trips. This time, because they didn¡¯t have enough time to prepare, they also bought some other food with longer shelf lives from other tribes.

    The Longboat tribe¡¯s members couldn¡¯t wait any longer, and the ming Horns also didn¡¯t want to dy. So, after the Longboat tribe did some final touch-ups that night, their team set off very early the next morning.

    The Longboat tribe¡¯s ships travelled in front. They were more familiar with the route so they led the way.

    Shao Xuan also noticed a few familiar faces in their team, like Mu You. Usually, the Longboat tribe would spend most of their time on their ships during their expedition trip. They would travel on the stream and go to different ces, so they were equipped with all the necessary knowledge. Observing signs in the sky was a skill many crewmen needed to learn. If they could tell the weather early on and prepare for it, they would be able to reduce the losses. Mu You was an elder in the Longboat tribe and was very skilled in telling the weather, but he didn¡¯t dare to look Shao Xuan straight in the eye due to a previous incident. It was back then when they were searching for the green-faced fanged beast in the Fearsome Beast Forest, when he was humiliated by Shao Xuan.

    Now, since the two tribes are working together and shared the benefits from their partnership, Mu You wouldn¡¯t lose hisposure anymore. It was just slightly awkward, so he tried to avoid any contact with Shao Xuan. Mu You would think about the time he was humiliated whenever he saw Shao Xuan. Back then, he actually miscalcted and made a false interpretation of the weather! What¡¯s worse was that most of the people there chose to believe Shao Xuan and not him! Luckily not many people knew about this.

    Shao Xuan asked the Longboat tribe for another ship. Although they didn¡¯t have enoughrge ships, they still had many smaller ships to offer.

    Mu Fa didn¡¯t hesitate to ept his request because he was also rushing to leave. He even dispatched two more used ships over that were still in perfect condition. The Longboat tribe still tried their best to keep their ships in good condition.

    Here, ships were rarely seen. A fleet of twenty ships was not a small group, especially the ten ships leading the fleet. They were very eye-catching.

    Many people stopped by to look when their ships passed by. They only looked away after the twenty ships were out of their sight. The Longboat tribe were indeed talented in building ships, or else their ships would¡¯ve sunk long ago. There were many secrets rted to their design, so even if people tried to make exact copies of their ships and made something that looked exactly the same, the quality wouldn¡¯t be the same.

    This time, the Longboat tribe even used green bronze to build these new ships. They bought it from the ming Horn tribe at a high price because they could not obtain it themselves and the ming Horn tribe wouldn¡¯t easily reveal the secret of the new green bronze. The ming Horns also needed their ships anyways, so it was a fair trade.

    The people of the Longboat tribe would rather use their own stones than cut down the cost on making the ships. Thus, Shao Xuan could trust the quality of these twenty ships. If there had to be a tribe who could make the most well constructed ships, it had to be the Longboat tribe.

    Of course, no outsiders knew about this trade.

    The people who were watching from the shores thought that it was only a major movement in the Longboat tribe, but the people who watched closer noticed that it wasn¡¯t the case. There were ming Horn members in the group.

    Why do they know the ming Horns? After the establishment of the trading point and the king beast¡¯s case, the ming Horn tribe suddenly became famous. Now, many people were already familiar with the ming totemic sign of the ming Horn tribe.

    Following the Longboat tribe¡¯s ships, the entire fleet arrived at the grassy in. The grassy in was massive. If it were not for their guidance, Shao Xuan would¡¯ve never found a stream like this. This was a route they had never taken before.

    As they moved forward, Shao Xuan made more markings on his map.

    The more they advanced, the more doubtful Shao Xuan grew.

    On both shores of this river lived some tribespeople who seemed ustomed to seeing the Longboat tribe. They were not at all shocked by their actions. At most they were just impressed by their craftsmanship. They only had rafts and canoes, but the Longboat tribe already had ships that were a lotrger than the biggest tent in their tribe.

    Besides having to row harder sometimes against the current, they didn¡¯t meet any major obstructions on the way. The first reason was probably that there were less giant beasts that could threaten them in the river. The second reason was that the tribes that were living here were already familiar with the Longboat tribe and they didn¡¯t want to provoke them.

    When they reached the end of the grassy ins, Shao Xuan saw the people of the Hui tribe.

    When Shao Xuan departed from his tribe, he let Cha Cha deliver a letter to the Hui tribe. Now, Cha Cha was waiting there with the rest of the Hui tribe. A few members of the Longboat would follow them to prevent any troubles rted to giant mountain eagles. With the people of the Hui tribe here, it was much safer. They could avoid being attacked by giant mountain eagles.

    The river flowed and curved between the mountains. Shao Xuan asked Mu Fa, ¡°This river flowed from the Longboat tribe to the grassy ins then through the mountains. Had this route been here this whole time?¡±

    Mu Fa hesitated and looked at the river in front of him. It was as if he passed through space and time, ¡°Of course it wasn¡¯t here before. It could pass through these ces because we are the ones who dug it!¡±

    How else would the entire journey have been so smooth?

    ¡°What do you think we do every year when our fleet sets out?¡± Mu Fa asked, hinting a deeper meaning.

    Many rivers had no connections. They connected solely because the Longboat tribe connected them.

    They connected the most suitable streams and figured the best route of travel. The Longboat tribe had everything nned!

    Manpower was what made this journey to the sea possible!

 Chapter 698 - We Share Nothing In Common

    Chapter 698

    We Share Nothing In Common

    No matter how much they disliked the Longboat tribe before, Shao Xuan had to admit that there were some things about the Longboat tribe that won their respect.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe your ancestors had ns to move since such a long time ago. It¡¯s too bad we never noticed!¡± a member of the Hui tribe eximed in shock.

    Regardless of how shocked and stunned they were, all of their emotions changed when their ships entered the sea from the small stream.

    While the others didn¡¯t feel any different, the Longboat tribesmen were all excited. Something else seemed to have awakened from within them.

    ¡°So this is what the sea feels like!¡± Mu Fa looked toward the endless sea in front of him. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply as he felt the waves hitting on their ships. Slowly, he opened his eyes again and looked towards where the sky met the sea.

    At this moment, every Longboat tribe member felt the same emotions Mu Fa felt. Pride and excitement filled their hearts.

    The sea! They¡¯re actually out at sea!

    They had seen it once when they went to the desert, but they had never been out at sea on a ship.

    Before, whenever they saw the sea, it was as if they could sense a voice calling out to them from the deep blue ocean. Although the water here was not pure blue, they knew that they would definitely reach that deep ocean blue if they kept advancing.

    In their hearts, they yearned for a brighter future and held great expectations. These emotions gave them courage and boosted their fighting spirit.

    Although the Longboat tribe was once a major tribe, most people had only associated them with ¡°ships, rivers, mes, and streams.¡± They had never been acknowledged for any of their major achievements. It seemed to most people that they were just a tribe that travelled on their ships who sailed without any final destination in mind, and most people would just feel like they were either showing off their ship-crafting skills or going out for a trade. Some people would think that they were looking for a target to attack, but no one knew what their true intentions were. Besides trading and going back and forth in rivers on their ships, it seemed like they had nothing else to do.

    One generation after another, for no one knew exactly for how long, the Longboat tribe¡¯s ancestors had been working hard to open up this water route. They were limited by their primitive fire seed before and couldn¡¯t travel too far, so they couldn¡¯t travel too far away to other ces in the world. Now, without the restrictions from the fire seed, it was finally their chance to shine!

    They were no longer travelling down winding streams. Now, it was the vast sea! To them, the open sea held too many unknown factors. It was so marvellous and extraordinary that they couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of ambition and pride in their hearts!

    The power of the fire seed charged up within them and rose long with their rising emotions. The merging process was still not yetplete, but the power of the fire seed was already flowing rapidly through their veins and spread throughout their body!

    Whoosh!

    Totemic mes suddenly burned on the bodies of the Longboat tribesmen as the totemic lines appeared on their skin.

    Their blood was boiling. Every cell within their body celebrated with joy. This was what every generation of the Longboat tribe had been waiting for. Now this dream was finally fulfilled!

    The passion and ambition that stemmed from the glory of their line of descent gave them strength. Now, even if they were facing an endless sea with giant strong waves, they wouldn¡¯t retreat at all.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡± Mu Fa stood on the bow of the first ship and roared out loud, ¡°We, the Longboat tribe, will charge on ahead! Nothing can stop us!¡±

    ¡°We, the Longboat tribe, will charge on ahead! Nothing can stop us!¡±

    ¡°Nothing can stop us!¡±

    ¡°Nothing can stop us!¡±

    All the Longboat tribesmen roared from the fifteen ships. It was as if they wanted to let out all the emotion that had been suppressed deep within their hearts.

    They were the first team to ever enter into the great sea. They were about to be the first group of Longboat tribesmen to step onto the other continent since thest ten thousand years!

    They were paddling against the current and needed manpower to row the ships. That was why every ship in front had a few ming Horn members. Their strength was needed on every ship.

    On one of these ships, Guang Yi was watching the Longboat tribesmen as they roared in excitement. He asked Duo Kang, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, they¡¯re a little cuckoo,¡± Duo Kang replied.

    Guang Yi, ¡°....Oh.¡±

    A Longboat tribesmen who was standing not far away from them turned around and looked at Duo Kang and Guang Yi. They were still calm and unmoved. He asked them curiously, ¡°Don¡¯t you guys feel a strong excitement in your hearts?¡±

    Duo Kang shook his head, ¡°....not really.¡±

    That person choked and asked again, unsatisfied with the previous answer, ¡°You don¡¯t feel excited at all? Doesn¡¯t this feeling make you want to cry out loud?!¡±

    Duo Kang looked at him with the same stern expression, ¡°No, I don¡¯t feel it.¡±

    That person looked at Duo Kang as if he were mad. His expression said, ¡®I don¡¯t think we share anything inmon with you simple folk!¡¯

    Duo Kang slightly pursed his lips. What¡¯s so exciting about crossing the sea on ships? We literally walked across from the other continent back then when the Grand Elder split the sea into two! I didn¡¯t say it because I don¡¯t want you to be shocked!

    The two of them red at each other.

    After they sailed on the sea for a while, the Longboat tribesmen gradually calmed down, but once in a while they would go crazy again.

    Compared to the rivers, there were too many unpredictable factors at sea. When the waves were calm, the sea would be still and peaceful. The ming Horns and Longboat tribesmen could even go out to fish and watch the sunset while they chatted. However, whenever there was a change in weather, there was no shore for them to stop by and no shelter for them to hide. They could only stand strong and resist the forces of nature. The ships looked miserably smallpared to the vast sea. Their fleet was lonely and helpless. Their ships swayed against the forces of the winds and waves.

    Under the pressure from the weather and strong waves, the Longboat tribesmen were still enthusiastic and kept control of their ships. They didn¡¯t let the waves turn and sink their ships. As they fought against the pressure, they still roared loudly, ¡°Advance! Attack!¡±

    Shao Xuan suddenly felt that the Longboat tribesmen were no longer the same calm people from before. Rather, he suspected that they were a little like... bandits?

    Storm or calm, the fleet continued to advance to their destination.

    As they travelled at sea, they often sensed giant sea beasts swimming beneath their ships. Once, a fish that was as long as five small ships emerged from the surface of the water. In the next moment, a giant mouth with sharp fangs opened and snapped shut on that fish, leaving only a tail dangling behind. The giant beast submerged back into the deep sea after it ate its prey.

    When the giant beast came up to feed, the waves from its movement almost flipped their ships, and this didn¡¯t happen just once. asionally, something would attack their ships and the tribesment had to retaliate and kill the beast.

    The weather was getting cooler and snow had begun to fall, but it wasn¡¯t too heavy yet.

    Shao Xuan picked up his binocrs and looked through them, ¡°I seend!¡±

    When Mu Fa heard this, he snatched the binocrs from Shao Xuan¡¯s hands and took a closer look. He smiled happily and said, ¡°We¡¯re here! We¡¯re here! Finally!¡±

    There was indeednd in front of them, and from the looks of it, it was probably a forested area.

    They relied on the Universal Eyes for direction, so they could only roughly guess where they were. What they needed to do now was follow thend and find a giant river that flowed into the sea. They had promised to meet with the Taihe tribe there, at the estuary. However, the problem they faced was they weren¡¯t sure where they were exactly and which direction they should go. After all, no one knew where that river was, and if they picked the wrong route it would only waste more time.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Mu Fa looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Wait,¡± Shao Xuan left for a quiet spot and used his rope to perform a knot divination reading. This might help them determine the direction.

    The divination was sessful, so after Shao Xuan studied the knots, he pointed in a direction and told Mu Fa to turn the fleet to that direction.

    Mu Fa eyed Shao Xuan up and down and then looked at the other ming Horns. Seeing how they had no objections, he ordered the fleet to head in that direction. After all, they had arrived at their destination. They had already fulfilled their ancestors¡¯ wishes by crossing the sea to this continent. As for the people they were supposed to meet? Well that¡¯s the ming Horns¡¯ problem, not theirs.

    However, before they set off, they had to stop by the shore to replenish their stock of fresh food and water. It would be best if they could find some juicy fruits.

    Although the types of nts in this forest were a little differentpared to the other continent, there were still some nts that they were familiar with. Duo Kang and Guang Yi could recognize them. They did not see any of these nts on the other side, but as they saw all of these fruits that were local to the area, Duo Kang felt a little emotional.

    ¡°I never thought I would be back so soon!¡±

    Mu Fa didn¡¯t even wait for the ship to stop moving and was the first one to hop onto the shore. He wanted to be the first Longboat tribesman to step on this continent!

    Shao Xuan ignored all the Longboat tribesmen who wereughing like crazy and ordered people to hurry and look for food and water first. This was just a short stop. They still had to depart.

    After they rested by the shore for a night, the fleet departed once again, toward the direction Shao Xuan pointed them to. They stayed close to the shore and continued to search for that meeting ce.

    Two dayster, they finally saw the wide estuary.

 Chapter 699 - Take All These Away

    Chapter 699

    Take All These Away

    ¡°It should be this ce, right?¡± Duo Kang asked Shao Xuan as they slowly approached the coast.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably here. Let¡¯s go onshore,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, Duo Kang shouted so the other ming Horns heard it too, ¡°Prepare to go on shore!¡±

    The ship in front of the fleet was about to reachnd but Mu Fa suddenly shouted, ¡°Everybody stop!¡±

    The others all halted when they heard Mu Fa shout. Mu Fa jumped into the water. He swam in the cold seawater andughed. His face was red with excitement. He looked up to the other Longboat tribesmen and said, ¡°Come down, all of you!¡±

    Seeing this, Duo Kang was a little irritated. Was he doing this just to be the first tond? Mu Fa had been like this for the past few days. Just because he was the chief, he wanted to be the first to do everything so that in the future, he could be remembered as the first person in the Longboat tribe to lead a team into the sea, the first chief to sessfully bring a fleet across the sea to the other continent, and the first......many things.

    ¡°What is this ce called?¡± Mu Fa suddenly thought. How could he put his glorious name in history for his descendants to see if he didn¡¯t know what this ce was called? Hundreds and thousands of years would pass by and no one would remember where he went.

    ¡°Crocodile river,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Duo Kang and Guang Yi looked at Shao Xuan simultaneously. They seemed confused. When was this river named? Howe they didn¡¯t know this river was called ¡°Crocodile River¡±?

    ¡°I just named it,¡± Shao Xuan said calmly after seeing Duo Kang and Guang Yi¡¯s expressions. Then, he ordered some people to prepare wooden boards to put up the signs for the river¡¯s name, just like the way they did with the ming River.

    Mu Fa thought it was a shame. He was thinking if the river didn¡¯t have a name, he would name one just like how the ming Horns named the ming River. He wanted to call it the Longboat river, Boat River, or even the Long Raft River, but before he even had the chance to say it, Shao Xuan already named the river.

    Mu Fa didn¡¯t want to get into a fight with Shao Xuan. He was a stepte after all. There was no point in fighting over such a small matter. However, if he finds any new ce or unnamed river, he would do exactly what the ming Horns did and give it a name too. Then, he would put up a stone sign marked with the Longboat tribe¡¯s totem!

    Shao Xuan looked at the river in front of him. This was about the same size as the ming River. ¡°If this is indeed the main river that passes through the forest, then there should be quite many crocodiles in this river. But it¡¯s winter right now, so the crocodiles are probably all in hiding. They might be at a warmer section of the river.¡±

    Mu Fa nodded. He had been to the ming River Trading Point and he had also seen how the Drumming tribesmen rode their crocodiles to the trading point. That¡¯s why he knew what Shao Xuan meant when he mentioned the crocodiles.

    ¡°Everyone be careful. Even though the crocodiles are probably not here now, we must remain alert! There are fearsome beasts in this forest!¡± Mu Fa hit the shoulders of some Longboat warriors. The Longboat tribe rarely came to ces like these, so they wouldn¡¯t adapt as fast as the others. Some people might make seemingly minor mistakes here and there- if he didn¡¯t give them some pressure now, they wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to regretter on.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen a giant crocodile in this river. That¡¯s the biggest threat. If we see it, immediately escape and head towards the estuary. Don¡¯t go on the ships. The ships can¡¯t match up to its speed.¡±

    ¡°Could that be a king beast?¡± Qing Yi asked curiously. As a member of the Drumming tribe, he couldn¡¯t help feeling a strong interest in the crocodile that Shao Xuan mentioned.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a king beast, but it¡¯s very close to one.¡±

    Qing Yi contemted, and then said to Shao Xuan, ¡°There aren¡¯t any crocodiles nearby, but I sense something I need in this river. I want to go take a look.¡±

    The Drumming tribesmen loved water, but Qing Yi didn¡¯t jump into the water at the estuary. He waited until they were further upstream when everyone was either chopping trees for wood to make wooden houses to rest in or hunting for food. He only jumped in then because he knew the others were close enough and could save him in time if any idents happened.

    After he confirmed which section of the river this was, Qing Yi took a deep breath and jumped into the water.

    The Drumming tribe didn¡¯t really like winter, and they also didn¡¯t like to swim in cold water, but because he needed to search for something he desired, Qing Yi didn¡¯t care too much about these things.

    After charging up the totemic energy within his body, his skin thickened as totemic lines appeared on his skin. This made him less sensitive to the icy cold water. After they merged their fire seed, he gained much better control over his new power. Under the influence of the fire seed, the totemic energy became more concentrated within his body. He also improved in making the water moon stones. He could control the amount of energy he needed to exert for the tasks at hand so he actually had control over how much energy he spent each time. This helped him save a lot of energy.

    Shao Xuan was discussing with Duo Kang about how they should set up their tents here. They didn¡¯t know when the Taihe tribe would arrive, but just in case, it was better to prepare for the worst. They shouldn¡¯t sleep on the ships every night.

    It was winter time, and they weren¡¯t sure if the estuary was going to freeze. Before the Taihe tribe arrived, they still had to learn the skills from the Longboat tribe to keep their ships in good condition. They also needed to constantly check and repair their ships, or else how could they return to the other continent if their ships couldn¡¯t be used by the end of winter?

    When they set up their tents, Shao Xuan also picked some nts that didn¡¯t exist on the other side of the sea. Some of these nts were medicinal herbs. He dug up some medicinal herbs that were evergreen. If they had wilted, he would collect their seeds. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t take any nts that were too big because it wasn¡¯t convenient. He would use other methods to transnt them, methods like grafting, meristems, and cuttage. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t the best time to do this, but Shao Xuan had no other choice. They couldn¡¯t stay here for too long.

    The Longboat tribesmen also noticed how the ming Horns were collecting nt specimens or capturing beasts that could be tamed.

    Shao Xuan saw how Mu Fa was trying to busy himself. He was bringing people here and there, telling them, ¡°This, this, this, that, that, yes, that too! Dig them all up and bring them back...... What¡¯s that? It¡¯s so ugly. Doesn¡¯t matter, bring it back too! You! Where did you get that snake? Did you find it when you were digging up the grass? I¡¯ve never seen such patterns! Bring it back too! What? The ming Horns said it¡¯s very poisonous? Never mind. Just kill and eat it!¡±

    Besides the time they spent setting up their tents, Mu Fa also followed the ming Horns out to dig up medicinal herbs and capture wild beasts. He didn¡¯t feel tired at all. Instead, he felt exhrated.

    After their tents were set up, they also fenced the area with tall branches to prevent small animals froming into their camp.

    After the ming Horns discussed with the Longboat tribe, they decided to use the trees here to build new ships. They had this n before they even set off from the other continent, so Shao Xuan brought enough new green bronze for this purpose. They were specifically designed for the purpose of building ships.

    The Longboat tribe was constantly trying to perfect their ship crafting techniques. After they experienced the ocean, they had greater expectations for their new designs. Their ambition and desire for improvement could only be satisfied if they improved to adapt to new conditions.

    Before, the wood they used to build the ships were carefully selected. Some smaller tribes that were under the Longboat tribe¡¯s protection were even ordered by them to nt trees used for shipbuilding. Back then, they selected the best wood for these ships, but even those wood couldn¡¯tpare to the ones the ming Horn tribe chopped from the forest. This time, they were mainly using the wood the ming Horns provided.

    Usually, they had to use plenty of resources to trade for high-quality wood, but here, all of these high-quality wood belonged to no one. They could chop down whichever tree they wanted, as long as they didn¡¯t provoke any of the fearsome beasts in hibernation.

    Ever since the Longboat tribe gained such high-quality wood from here and knew about the new green bronze the ming Horns produced, Mu Fa had been thinking a lot more about their future.

    This was a new era for the Longboat tribe. They had to take this step into this new era to fulfill the wishes of their ancestors and constantly improve and innovate on their ship crafting skills.

    They had even designed ships with buildings on them, but they couldn¡¯t build these now due to the limited material. These were mainly designed as battleships ormand ships. Besides these ns, Mu Fa had even nned on marking a navigation route that was suitable for them to build ports on the shores. These ns had to be considered in order to match with their growing fleet.

    They were a tribe that lived deep within the continent and travelled on rivers. If they wanted to be a strong ocean fleet, their techniques had to be constantly improved and all of their equipment, including their anchors, sails, docks, had to be improved.

    Mu Fa also thought about how to innovate and improve on their foundations in his free time. This time at sea, he learned a lot and also gathered a group of talented Longboat tribesmen together to discuss his ideas. Shao Xuan had even seen a blueprint that Mu Fa drew before. It looked simple, but there were many markings that Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t understand. Mu Fa probably showed it to him in the first ce because he knew Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t understand these markings.

    It wasn¡¯t just these though. Shao Xuan knew that the Longboat tribe was talented in ship crafting. He also knew that the Longboat tribe would be a lot better than they were now after this trip at sea. They could very possibly design ships that could better adapt to this world, this era, and the ocean and rivers here.

    Actually, many civilizations that focused on agriculture were calmer in nature. They never pursued new directions or tried different things and were usually more peaceful and conservative. They valued inheritance and the passing of knowledge from one generation to the next. As long as they could settle down peacefully and live a stable life, it was good enough for them. If they weren¡¯t provoked by any external parties, they would rarely initiate an attack.

    At some point in history, the ming Horns were also more inclined towards agriculture. Even though they mainly hunted and had battles throughout their history, they rarely initiated any attacks.

    However, the Longboat tribe was different. Even though they also cultivated crops, they preferred navigating, especially after they opened up the water route to the sea. This would lead them to a new direction.

    Factors such as the weather and environment were harder to predict out at seapared to the continent. It was just like what Mu Fa said. They had to continue innovating and improving their ships and tools to ensure their survival out at the powerful sea that was ever-changing. As they evolved to adapt to these new conditions, their nature would also change. They wouldn¡¯t stay as conservative as before. They would be more willing to ept new ideas.

    During this time, Shao Xuan also noticed that the Longboat tribe had begun to show their aggressiveness. Of course, this wasn¡¯t directed towards the ming Horn tribe. Instead, they were aggressive towards the unpredictable factors and the newnd that they were so curious about.

    ¡°Grand Elder Shao Xuan, are these the water sun stones that you mentioned before?¡± Qing Yi held a gemstone up to Shao Xuan. During this time, he found many ancient stones simr to their water moon stones. Other people might not be able to distinguish these stones, but it was easy for skilled Drumming tribe members to tell them apart.

    Shao Xuan caught the stone and covered it with his hands. He examined them closely and nodded, ¡°Yes, it is.¡±

    He handed the water sun stone back to Qing Yi. Shao Xuan said after some thought, ¡°There are quite a lot of valuable metals here, at least there are more metals herepared to beautiful gemstones. That¡¯s why the people here value some of the gemstones that we find rather useless. Those rich people who don¡¯t have to worry about food or have a high quality of life usually prefer wearing precious gemstones. These are enough to set them apart from the others and highlight their uniqueness and superiority. Especially the ve masters. The rarer the gemstone, the more they love it. It can set them apart from the others and show how superior they are.¡±

    After he heard how the water sun stones could be sold for a high price here, Qing Yi was suddenly excited, but very soon, he was disappointed again. ¡°Sadly the Drumming tribe is too far away from the coast. We can¡¯te here often.¡±

    However, the Drumming tribe wasn¡¯t too ambitious so Qing Yi was only disappointed for a short while. He didn¡¯t care too much afterwards. Mu Fa, however, was suddenly interested in this subject. He had overheard Qing Yi and Shao Xuan¡¯s conversation. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stop him from eavesdropping because it wasn¡¯t a secret.

    Now, Qing Yi moved on and no longer discussed this matter, but Mu Fa suddenly said, ¡°Actually, you can trade with us, the Longboat tribe.¡±

    There were plenty of water moon stones on the continent they came from. There were also many gemstones that were simr to water moon stones, but since the Drumming tribe was specialised in making these water moon stones, Mu Fa wouldn¡¯t let this chance slip through his fingers.

    The Longboat tribe would still travel between the two continents frequently in the future. He even nned to open up the first marine trading route. Perhaps this would make them a primary hostile target to the ve masters, but the Longboat tribesmen didn¡¯t care. This wouldn¡¯t make them afraid or retreat. Instead, they would keep fighting and stand strong and fearless against their enemy.

    This was the first marine trading route! Just the thought of it made Mu Fa so excited that he wanted to jump up and down.

    About the same time their camping ground was set up, they also finished building their first ship. The ming Horns were in charge of cutting down the trees and the Longboat tribe was in charge of building the ships. The ming Horns also had a share in the ships that were newly built, so Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t afraid of the Longboat tribe ying tricks on their ships.

    The Longboat tribesmen couldn¡¯t survive by themselves in this environment full of uncertainties. They still needed the ming Horn¡¯s help. If they encountered any troubles they would still discuss with the ming Horns. After all, they had to constantly exchange benefits to maintain a win-win situation.

    Qing Yi asked if he could be of any help, but he wasn¡¯t as strong as the ming Horns physically, and he wasn¡¯t skilled enough at ship craftingpared to the Longboat tribe. At best he could only make wooden rafts or bamboo rafts.

    When he volunteered to help, everyone from the Longboat tribe and ming Horn tribe justughed and told him, ¡°Just go y over there.¡±

    Thus, Qing Yi just focused on finding ancient water sun stones in the river.

    After they waited here for about fifteen days, Cha Cha finally brought some good news back.

    Shao Xuan heard the sound of the eagle¡¯s cry and said, ¡°The Taihe tribe is here!¡±

    ¡°What? Finally?!¡± Duo Kang threw the wood he was lifting to the side and ran towards where Shao Xuan was pointing.

    They hadn¡¯t met for so long. He wondered how their old neighbours were doing.

 Chapter 700 - Long Time No See

    <h4>Chapter 700 Long Time No See</h4>

    When Shao Xuan saw the Taihe tribe, Zheng Luo and Guang Yi had already started chatting excitedly with their old neighbours.

    Judging by their looks, Shao Xuan noticed that they were in a much difficult situationpared to when the ming Horns left them to migrate to the other side of the sea. Their clothes were all tattered and most of these holes were made by branches that hooked onto their clothing or beasts that bit them. Even if some of them were wearing thick beast hides, the wounds in their openings were stained with dried blood and there were marks left by ferocious beasts.

    The migration of an entire tribe wasn¡¯t easy. Often they had to make hard decisions and make sacrifices for the sake of the entire tribe¡¯s survival. Most tribes had to go through this, no matter how weak or strong they were.

    Luckily, even though all of the Taihe tribesmen were in a bad condition, most of them survived and made it here alive.

    ¡°I was...worried that we might have gone the wrong way....I never thought....we actually...... made it!¡± The Taihe tribe¡¯s Fei Ang was friends with Tao Zheng. After they met, he didn¡¯t even stop to take a breath and walked over with a big smile as he panted.

    Duo Kang was talking with the chief of the Taihe tribe, Yu You. After he understood their current situation, he also introduced a few new faces from the ming Horn tribe and the people from the Longboat tribe.

    Guang Yi also started to talk with his old friends.

    They had walked for so long through so many obstacles. As they thought about the countless uncertainties thaty ahead of them and finally saw their old friends, the people of the Taihe tribe were so emotional that they cried. Even some of the elders who were usually stern-faced became teary.

    Guang Yi looked at his old friends and weed them with a warm smile, ¡°I haven¡¯t seen you guys for so long! Come here!¡±

    The people from the Taihe tribe who were filled with mixed emotions held their tears back and hid their faces with their arms. One of them pointed to his side and said to Guang Yi, ¡°Zhi Feng is over there. I¡¯m Hui Ji.¡±

    Guang Yi hesitated for a moment, and then enthusiastically smiled at him, ¡°Long time no see, Hui Ji.¡±

    He was still the same after all. ¡®Guang Yi still has the same goldfish memory,¡¯ Hui Ji thought.

    They arranged for the people who were injured to rest. They needed to be cared for, especially those who hadn¡¯t awakened their totemic power and the younger children with a weaker immunity. They weren¡¯t like the others. Even if they weren¡¯t facing any dangerous threats, they still had to be careful. If they weren¡¯t careful they could still lose their lives.

    After inquiring about their injuries, Duo Kang told Shao Xuan the Taihe tribe¡¯s current problems.

    The Taihe tribe had around four thousand people, but only three thousand five hundred survived. The five hundred who lost their lives on the way were either killed by fearsome beasts, external circumstances, or other people.

    After he found out that the ve masters were giving out rewards for people who found precious animals or herbs in the forest, the first thing Duo Kang thought about was the green faced fanged beast. Shao Xuan knew about the green faced fanged beast because of Gongjia Heng. How could the ve masters not know about it if the Xia people knew?

    Perhaps they already knew about it, but they just didn¡¯t care whether they found it or not. They had the Gongjia family¡¯s weapons. It was already so much better than normal weapons. They were already satisfied with those. Now that the two continents were slowly getting close to each other, there were more threats they had to face. Perhaps the Rock Hill City made them suffer enough. That was why they were desperate for a quick solution.

    ¡°Luckily it¡¯s winter right now. Many fearsome beasts have gone into hibernation, or else they would have suffered greater losses.¡± Duo Kang eximed. They had also experienced what migration felt like and knew that it wasn¡¯t just physically tiring, but also mentally stressful. Those who couldn¡¯t take the stress might even copse. ¡°Luckily they had enough medicine, or else the people who were either poisoned or severely injured couldn¡¯t have survived.¡±

    ¡°Take good care of them. We hunted enough game to feed all of them. Feed them well so they can recover quickly. They can¡¯t cross the sea if their bodies are weak,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Duo Kang understood this fact. Life at sea wasn¡¯t that much better either. Without a strong physique, they would only suffer during this journey. If they got sick and ran out of medicine, they could only wait for death.

    The Taihe tribe probably saw hope. The stress that was on their minds and the thoughts of uncertainty all faded away. After the Taihe people rested for a night, they felt a lot better mentally. Some people slept even longer. After all, they had not rested in a very long time. Now that they could finally rx, some of them slept for several days in a row. After they woke up they would be as energetic as dragons and tigers once again.

    Most of the people who recovered had already begun their search for medicinal herbs. They couldn¡¯t lift heavy wooden logs or build ships, so the most they could do was search for some medicinal herbs. If they noticed any medicinal herbs that the ming Horns missed, they would uproot it and take it with them.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving on these... ships?¡± the chief of the Taihe tribe, You Yu, asked Duo Kang after seeing the fleet of ships in front of them.

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s right! You¡¯ve never seen these before, right? Hehehe!¡±

    Here, even if there were ships, they couldn¡¯tpare to these in size. Perhaps the six aristocratic families of the King City were powerful in other aspects, but they couldn¡¯t at allpare to the Longboat tribe when it came to ship crafting. Many ces had suffered from drought during the past few years, so fewer people used ships.

    Many Taihe tribesmen were shocked when they saw these. They thought that the other continent was less developedpared to them, and they even heard that many tribes were still using the ancient fire seed. ording to some rumours, they were still using stone weapons. Now they knew those rumours were not at all true.

    ¡°This......¡± You Yu gestured at the green axe in Duo Kang¡¯s hands, ¡°Is this metal?¡±

    Duo Kang was excited. He had been waiting for this moment to show off in front of his old neighbours. He turned the axe in his hands and held onto the handle tightly as he mmed it down onto a rock beside them.

    Bang!

    With a loud shing sound, a deep gash remained on the giant stone.

    You Yu¡¯s mouth gaped as he looked at the axe in Duo Kang¡¯s hands and then to the stone that had been hacked. He took a fewrge strides over and tested the hardness of the stone. He smashed his own axe down on the same rock a few times and cursed. He looked at Duo Kang and his eyes widened in disbelief. ¡°This was the weapon you guys mentioned in the letter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct!¡± Duo Kang said proudly. ¡°We call it the new green bronze. The Grand Elder Shao Xuan named it.¡±

    They didn¡¯t want to talk too much about it in the letter, so they only briefly mentioned it. They told them not to worry about weapons because the ming Horn tribe had high-quality metal weapons that surpassed the other metals.

    Before this, the Taihe tribe had doubts about what they read in the letter. After all, the ming Horn tribe wasn¡¯t too talented in forging and agriculture. Their techniques were limited, but who would¡¯ve thought! They were all true!

    ¡°Haha. there¡¯s so much more that will leave you impressed. Once we get there, you¡¯ll see what I¡¯m talking about,¡± Duo Kang was excited to see how the Taihe tribe would react if they saw them now.

    The ming Horn tribe was not at all the same as before. The Taihe tribe never imagined that they would be like this.

    ¡°Right, you guys actually built your own city?¡± You Yu was very interested in this.

    ¡°Something like that. Zheng Luo also suggested that we call it a city like the ve masters. We call it the ming River City!¡±

    ¡°ming River? Really? Nice! Nice! Nice!¡± the Taihe tribe¡¯s chief, You Yu said ¡°nice¡± three times in a row.

    Duo Kang was stunned. ¡°Why are you so excited?¡±

    We named the river after ourselves and then named the trading point after the river. Why is this guy so excited?!

    ¡°ming River, ming River. There¡¯s a ¡®River¡¯ in this name! Sounds very cordial! Nice!¡± You Yu tapped on Duo Kang a few times as a friendly gesture.

    He seemed to be thinking, ¡®How considerate of you, brother! You even named the ce after us!¡¯

    [Note: The character for river in chinese is ºÓ (He), which is the same character for the He in Taihe (Ì©ºÓ ) tribe]

    Duo Kang, ¡°...You¡¯re overthinking it. It¡¯s an actual river.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t snowing too heavily on this side of the sea. Only a section of the water near the coast was covered with a thinyer of ice.

    Even though the snow wasn¡¯t strong, the winds were, and they weren¡¯t just blowing from one direction.

    Days passed by one after another. Most of the people in the Taihe tribe had recovered and were all helping with the work every day. This was also for their own benefit.

    They prepared food, medicine, new ships, and all they had to do now was wait for a good time to depart.

 Chapter 701 - Dont You Even Think About It!

    <h4>Chapter 701 Don¡¯t You Even Think About It!</h4>

    The grass rope in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands quickly knotted together.

    Duo Kang and Guang Yi looked nervously at Shao Xuan, waiting for an answer.

    Shao Xuan interpreted the ropes and rxed. ¡°Two dayster should be a good day to leave.¡±

    Shao Xuan interpreted the knots formed from his rope divination. Two dayster was a good day to leave.

    Winter wasing to an end. They couldn¡¯t wait till winter was over to leave. If they did, many of the beasts in hibernation would have woken up. These beasts were a lot faster than them, so it was better for them to leave earlier.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go inform the Longboat and Taihe tribe,¡± Duo Kang jumped up excitedly from the beast hide he wasying on and rushed out the house. He went to look for the chief of the Longboat tribe, Mu Fa. After all, he had to convince them if they wanted to leave.

    The Longboat tribe was skilled in telling the signs in the sky. Before, they were usually the ones who made the final decision on these matters, but now, all the ming Horns were more inclined towards Shao Xuan¡¯s suggestion, and even Mu You, who was skilled in telling the signs amongst the Longboat tribesmen, didn¡¯tin after he heard Shao Xuan¡¯s decision, so they decided to follow as Shao Xuan proposed.

    ¡°Then it¡¯s set! We¡¯ll leave in two days. Spread the word so everyone knows!¡± Mu Fa was also eager to leave.

    After Duo Kang informed Mu Fa, he went over to tell the Taihe tribe about their decision.

    Suddenly, the camping ground was full of excitement. It was like a herd of animals waking up from hibernation, ready to move.

    On the day of departure, the sky was initially dark and cloudy but it suddenly became sunny. Even though they couldn¡¯t see the moon at night and winter wasn¡¯t officially over, it wasing to an end. The weather was rarely so nice, so it made people feel as if winter had left early.

    ¡°Get the ships ready, we¡¯re departing!¡±

    They broke theyer of ice on the coast so their ships wouldn¡¯t be hindered by the ice. Even if the ice was thick, the section farther away from the coast or near the crocodile river was not frozen, so it wasn¡¯t that big of a problem for them.

    There were twenty-five ships, and each of these ships carried about a hundred Taihe tribesmen. Some ships had more people while others had fewer. There were five more ships, so they didn¡¯t have to squeeze. Besides the Taihe tribesmen, there were also other resources stored on the ships.

    Amongst the twenty-five ships, these five looked very differentpared to the other twenty. They were test-ships designed by Mu Fa and a few talented and skilled individuals from the Longboat tribe. These ships looked a lot sturdier and fancier than the others. They even had projection windows designed to station archers and spear throwers.

    Mu Fa didn¡¯t spend too much time designing these five ships because they were merely made for testing. The wood used to make these ships didn¡¯t go through all of the processing and due to the time limitation, they couldn¡¯t do a perfect job on these ships.

    Usually, they would sun-dry the wood or use a kiln to dry the wood before it was used, but there were no kilns here, so Mu Fa decided to use the smoke from firewood to dry it. This was a much simpler method, but because they were not familiar with the foreign wood in the beginning, they wasted quite a lot of wood. After they gained some experience however, this no longer happened. At most, the wood would appear darker. This was why these five ships seemed darkerpared to the other twenty ships.

    They didn¡¯t look nice, but they served their purpose.

    Of course, even if they smoke-dried these wood, the conditions here didn¡¯t allow them to reach Mu Fa¡¯s expectations. Their case was different now too. There was too much wood and they were rushing to leave, so they didn¡¯t have too much time to focus on drying the wood. These ships couldn¡¯tst for too long, but it could at least bring them back to the other continent.

    In the future if they went out to sea again with a greater fleet, they would find a suitable ce to build a giant camping ground withrge kilns to dry the wood used to build ships.

    Mu Fa was enthusiastic and wanted to return as soon as possible. He wanted to tell the people in his tribe that they were the first team who went out to explore. This time, fewer people camepared to the usual number that went on expedition trips. After this trip, everything would be different. They would begin to shift their focus as a tribe and fight less with the other tribes ind. They didn¡¯t have time for such things anymore.

    The future of marine trade was up to them, the Longboat tribe!

    The Taihe tribe took onest nce at the continent their ancestors had settled on since the establishment of their tribe. They felt strong emotions but it onlysted for a while. Their tribe had a merged fire seed, so it wasmon for them to migrate frequently. They would be reluctant to leave a ce at first, but their emotions wouldn¡¯t linger for too long. As long as they knew they would live a better life by leaving, their emotions would fade away quickly.

    They had more people on the ships now, so they couldn¡¯t survive by relying merely on the stock they had on the ships. Whenever they had time, the people would catch smaller fish in the sea. Sometimes they useds and other times they used fishing rods.

    They prepared enough medicine beforehand just in case anyone got sick on the ships. Shao Xuan had reminded Mu Fa about this before they departed, so Mu Fa was quite grateful towards Shao Xuan for this. After all, the Longboat tribe had enough experience on the rivers ind but not out at sea.

    It was just like when they came. When they returned, they encountered bad weather, and many of the Taihe tribe felt unwell. They could only depend on medicines after a few days of seasickness.

    Qing Yi would sometimes go underwater. Even though the seawater was cold, he was already used to the temperature. Before they departed, he had swum in the frozen rivers and sea, so this wasn¡¯t hard at all for him. The only things he had to watch out for were the dangerous creatures in the sea.

    Today was another sunny day.

    The sea was still considerably calm, just a few gentle breezes now and then.

    ¡°Kwit-kwit-kwit ¡ª¡±

    An eagle¡¯s cry came from the sky and shocked Shao Xuan, who was looking at his map. He took his binocrs and climbed up the mast to take a look at what was ahead.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Mu Fa asked.

    There was only one pair of binocrs. Even if Mu Fa had good eyesight, he couldn¡¯t see as far as the great mountain eagle or the binocrs.

    Shao Xuan looked far away through the binocrs. He didn¡¯t see any dangerous sea beasts, but he noticed a lot of crushed pieces of...... ice!

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ice up ahead, watch out!¡±

    There were no icebergs nearby, and no one knew exactly where those pieces of ice came from. They were of all sizes and there were a lot of them, but most of them had already begun to melt. Since they were melting, they wouldn¡¯t be much of a threat to their ships.

    Mu Fa ordered for them to slow down. As they approached the ice, he noticed creatures inside!

    He took a and scooped up the ice from the sea. He examined it closely and noticed that they were just beetle-like insects. He didn¡¯t know what kind of insects they were. He had never seen insects like these before.

    In the past, Mu Fa wouldn¡¯t show any interest in these beetles, but it was different this time. These insects were in the sea!

    Who knew if they actually belonged in the sea?

    They don¡¯t look like it?

    How would they know if these didn¡¯te from the sea?

    ¡°Scoop them up, scoop them all up! Bring it back so our tribesmen can take a close look at what we found!¡± Mu Fa hesitated, as if he thought of something, and then yelled over at Shao Xuan, ¡°It¡¯s all mine! Don¡¯t you even think about it!¡±

    The ming Horns were initially not interested, but seeing Mu Fa¡¯s reaction, their interest was suddenly sparked.

    Duo Kang pointed at what seemed like frozen creatures preserved in ice and yelled at some other ming Horns, ¡°Scoop some up too! I want to see what they are!¡±

 Chapter 702 - From Ancient Times

    <h4>Chapter 702 From Ancient Times</h4>

    Seeing how the ming Horns had begun to scoop, the people of the Longboat tribe scooped even faster.

    The people of the Taihe tribe heard themotion, so they also came out to watch the excitement. Although they were exhausted, they still came out to help.

    The Longboat tribe had plenty of ships, but the Taihe tribe was definitely on the ming Horn¡¯s side. Mu Fa was furious when he saw so many Taihe tribesmening out to help the ming Horns. Their ships were the reason the Taihe tribe could cross the sea!

    How ungrateful!

    No matter how he felt, this was the reality. The Taihe tribesmen were all on the ming Horns¡¯ side.

    Small ice cubes and chunks with unknown objects frozen within were scooped up one after another. Some of the ice had frozen insects inside, while others had small beasts or fish-like creatures.

    ¡°What are these, actually?! What¡¯s inside the ice?¡± Duo Kang was very curious. Through the ice, he couldn¡¯t tell what was inside clearly. Even though he had experience in the forest and saw many different beasts, he could not recognize a single creature stuck in the ice. At least he had never seen these during his hunts in the forest.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen these before either.¡± Even though Guang Yi couldn¡¯t tell faces apart, he could still distinguish animals and beasts. He couldn¡¯t recall seeing these insects or beasts.

    The chief of the Taihe tribe, You Yu, also shook his head. None of them had ever seen these before.

    ¡°Huh, have you guys seen these before, Longboats?¡± Duo Kang looked towards a member of the Longboat tribe.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve never seen these, but they¡¯re definitely from the sea!¡± The Longboat warrior was confident and believed in his chief¡¯s words. They definitely came from the sea! Who would have the time to freeze all of these insects and beasts and throw them into the sea? Some of these animals were the size of their palm.

    To the people of the Longboat tribe, all of these creatures in the sea were treasures! They were precious, fresh, and new! This was an area that required further exploration.

    ¡°How could these havee from the sea? They¡¯re obviously creatures that lived on grass or in the woods,¡± Duo Kang said in disagreement as he looked at the pieces of ice. He wasn¡¯t sure about some, but judging by their appearance and his experience in hunts, he could guess the living habitat of those creatures. Their appearance was closely connected to their living habitat. Something that looked like a stone worm couldn¡¯t possibly fly.

    ¡°But the thing is, where did they actuallye from? Where was their home?¡± You Yu was also confused.

    It wouldn¡¯t matter too much to them if there was only one species they hadn¡¯t seen before. However, everyone from the Longboat tribe, Taihe tribe, and Longboat tribe had never seen any single one of these beasts and insects frozen in the ice.

    Shao Xuan looked toward the direction these ice drifted from.

    The wind brought them here. When they departed, the wind at sea at that time was blowing from a different direction. Even if the wind had fluctuations now and then, it was still blowing in one direction. These ice pieces were probably blown in this direction because winter wasing to an end.

    There was probably more ice simr to these where these pieces drifted from. But this was not the time to go search for these ice. Their priority was to return safely to the other side.

    Their fleet¡¯s direction did not change, however. They only slowed down to scoop up those pieces of floating ice.

    Some of these creatures stuck in the ice were revealed as the ice was melting. The fish in the sea chewed up the parts that were no longer covered by ice. These parts were iplete and rotten. However, the parts that were still frozen and perfect in shape created a stark contrast. Fish would eat the parts that had melted and those parts would start to rot, but the parts that were still frozen would still look the same.

    They only scooped up the ones that were stillpletely frozen. As for the ones that had already begun to rot and had teeth marks, they would only scoop them up to take a look at them and then throw them back into the sea.

    ¡°I heard rumours that the ce where these ice came from, is the coldest ce on earth,¡± You Yu suddenly said.

    ¡°The coldest ce on earth?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°We read about it in the handwritten records passed down by the Taihe tribe¡¯s ancestors. I never thought about it before, but seeing how you¡¯ve been looking in that direction, I suddenly thought about this,¡± You Yu said. ¡°As for what that ce actually looked like, we can¡¯t be sure, because we¡¯ve never been there either. Our ancestors also heard it from others, so there wasn¡¯t much recorded information. However, since it¡¯s the coldest ce on earth, it¡¯s probably a ce with very few people. That¡¯s why almost no one talks about it.¡±

    A ce with extreme weather wasn¡¯t suitable for settlement, so gradually fewer people went there. That was why information regarding that ce slowly decreased until no one even mentioned it.

    You Yu saw it when he was organizing his ancestor¡¯s notes for writing the response letter to the ming Horns. He had identallye across it, but he didn¡¯t pay too much attention. The world was too big and there was no way they could travel to every ce in the world, so he only focused on what mattered most to them and their tribe. He just never expected to encounter something like this.

    Shao Xuan already had his guesses when he heard You Yu mention the coldest ce on earth.

    It didn¡¯t matter if this ce existed, but if what You Yu said was true, and the rumours their ancestors heard were also true, then there were probably icebergs over there. These small ice pieces probably broke off from the giant icebergs.

    However, Shao Xuan spected that it was probably thest disaster that caused the iceberg to break apart and float across the sea. If the iceberg was indeed huge and the temperature was low enough, it could maintain its shape for a very long time.

    These pieces probably broke off from one of these icebergs, but as to how an iceberg could break into so many small pieces, there were too many possible causes, so they couldn¡¯t be too sure.

    ¡°Qing Yi, you swam in the sea once. Have you seen these before? These probably belong to the sea,¡± Duo Kang pointed at a few creatures with scales.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen these, not even in the river.¡± Qing Yi knelt on the side, observing the odd-looking creatures.

    Duo Kang noticed Shao Xuan thinking about the same issue on the side, so he asked him, ¡°Shao Xuan, what are your guesses?¡±

    Qing Yi, Guang Yi, and You Yu all looked toward Shao Xuan and waited for him to respond.

    ¡°These...¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the creatures that looked like insects and beasts inside the ice and said, ¡°There¡¯s no way these creatures belong to this era.¡±

    ¡°You mean?¡± Mu Fa walked over too.

    ¡°They probably lived a very long time ago,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°How long ago do you mean?¡± Mu Fa asked.

    ¡°Could be tens of thousands of years, or even millions. No, maybe longer.¡±

    Mu Fa, Duo Kang, and a few others inhaled deeply when they heard what Shao Xuan said. They had many thoughts, but none of them were even close to what Shao Xuan had said.

    Ten thousand years was already a very long time for them. Many tribes had only begun to keep records during that time. That¡¯s why they were all shocked when they heard the numbers ¡°tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, and millions¡±.

    If other people said this, Mu Fa and Duo Kang would¡¯ve thought those people were bluffing, but Shao Xuan was the person who said it.

    Shao Xuan had always been urate whenever it came to guessing.

    ¡°Tha-th-that long?¡± Duo Kang¡¯s voice was still trembling when he finished his sentence.

    These things lived even before their ancestors?

    ¡°They¡¯re probably... all dead, right? Mu Fa said as he pointed at the frozen creatures on the ground.

    ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spouting? How could they still live after being frozen for so long?¡± Duo Kang scanned the ground and ordered some people to pick up one of these creatures. They lit up some torches to speed up the melting process.

    As the ice melted, the hairy creature that was even smaller than the average hand of an adult warrior waspletely revealed. Without the ice, they could finally see this strange creature clearly.

    ¡°Have these really existed for that long? It doesn¡¯t seem like much has changed,¡± Duo Kang said.

    ¡°They¡¯re dead,¡± Guang Yi said in confirmation.

    ¡°I see injuries. It looks like they were pierced all the way through,¡± Duo Kang noted as he examined the strange creatures.

    They also scooped up one of the creatures that was bitten in half by some fishes. After they melted these with the torch, they noticed that most of these had simr wounds. The beetles with shells were pierced right through at the neck. The ones that resembled fish and shrimp were also wounded the same way. A hole pierced right through them.

    Duo Kang dissected the first beast that they melted and noticed that there was still undigested food within its stomach. You Yu said it was some type of grass.

    ¡°What killed them?¡± Duo Kang asked.

    ¡°Who knows? They were definitely killed by their predators. Some wild beasts, perhaps. But now is not the time to think about these,¡± Mu Fa said. He ordered the other Longboat tribesmen to put all the frozen creatures together and scoop up more ice to keep them frozen.

    Meat could be preserved for a longer time if stored within a cold cave. These unknown frozen ancient creatures probably need to stay frozen in order to be preserved for a longer time.

    Duo Kang also followed what Mu Fa did. He wanted to bring some back as a souvenir, so he also ordered the other ming Horns to keep scooping.

    Shao Xuan took a nce at the ice that they scooped up and then looked back into the sea.

    There was still a lot of ice and most of these ice had creatures frozen within them. Some were just ice, but most of the creatures were simr to the ones they scooped up.

    Seeing these pieces of ice floating on the sea, Shao Xuan pointed to a single piece and told the person beside him who was scooping, ¡°Scoop that one up.¡±

    ¡°Which one do you mean, Grand Elder?¡± the person who was scooping didn¡¯t know which one Shao Xuan was referring to.

    ¡°Here, I¡¯ll do it,¡± Shao Xuan took the and scooped it up himself.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Duo Kang couldn¡¯t tell what it was. The ice was opaque, so they could only see what seemed like dried mud.

    They couldn¡¯t scoop up all the ice because there was limited storage on the ships, so they became more selective.

    They would first scoop up the ice that was transparent so they could tell what was inside, or else their efforts would be wasted. They didn¡¯t want to go back and find out that all that was inside the ice was a mass of soil. That was why the one Shao Xuan pointed to was constantly ignored by the others who were scooping. They already had a collection of all the different types so it wouldn¡¯t make sense for them to scoop up more of the same kind. He just wanted to find out what it was, so he decided to scoop it up on a whim to bring it back as a souvenir.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what that is either,¡± Shao Xuan observed the piece of ice in front of him. After a few nces, he passed it to the person in charge of storing these ice on the ships. ¡°Put this one with the other pieces.¡±

    Since Shao Xuan scooped this one up personally, the person in charge of the storage didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. Even if this was just a chunk of soil, they would treat it with high caution and care.

 Chapter 703 - Wings and Claws

    <h4>Chapter 703 Wings and ws</h4>

    During the few days on the ship, Shao Xuan would take a look at the ice in the storage once every few days, as well as those creatures that had been frozen for who knows how long.

    The one that Shao Xuan picked the other day was the mostplete out of all the frozen creatures. Its bones were the most well preservedpared to the others.

    Before they departed from their side of the sea, Shao Xuan had been studying the strange mummified monster the Hui tribe got from the desert. He also figured out some of the secrets behind that monster, but he didn¡¯t have enough time to test it. That was why he wanted to bring these frozen ancient creatures back, to test whether his guess was true.

    The main reason the people from Rock Hill City could transform dead people into those weird creatures was their bones! Those monsters were dead, but they could still move around. The only thing that was still supporting them was their bones!

    Shao Xuan could see the bones within that piece of ice. The other ones had wild beasts inside, but they were either boneless or their bones weren¡¯t as visible. That piece was the only one that shone in Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision, which meant that either its bones weren¡¯t as damaged as the others, or that its bones wereparatively more active than the others.

    The more *active these bones were, the higher Shao Xuan¡¯s sess rate.

    [TL Note: I think the author is referring to how biologically active (»îÐÔ£©the bones are, but I¡¯m not sure]

    He couldn¡¯t tell what was in the ice from the appearance, but the creature was curled up into a ball, so Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell what it was.

    But it didn¡¯t matter. Those ice that they scooped up could keep these pieces frozen until they reached thend. As long as they reachednd, he could just get more ice from the mountaintop to rece the ones that had already melted.

    ¡°How much longer till we get there?¡± Duo Kang asked Shao Xuan.

    Winter was ending and the moon had appeared in the sky. They definitely couldn¡¯t make it in time for their tribe¡¯s sacrificial rite.

    Shao Xuan looked at the direction the Universal Eye was pointing at and calcted the local time at sea. He said, ¡°Soon. Judging by our speed now, perhaps we¡¯ll be able to seend in ten days.¡±

    ¡°Nice!¡± Life on sea was too boring, and Duo Kang¡¯s bones were already itching to move. He needed exercise. He preferred the forest more than the sea. The Taihe people also couldn¡¯t adapt to life at sea, so morale was low.

    The Longboat tribesmen were the only ones who were still enthusiastic.

    Ten dayster.

    Everyone was rmed as they heard an eagle screech from the sky.

    ¡°We¡¯re here?!¡±

    Duo Kang was sleeping, but hearing the noise, he immediately climbed up the mast and looked through his binocrs.

    ¡°Haha! We arrived! I can seend!¡± Duo Kangughed as he looked down at them.

    The dejected Taihe tribesmen also came out to look. They still couldn¡¯t seend from where they were, but since Duo Kang said it, they were all excited. To them, this was the beginning of their new life.

    ¡°How¡¯s everyone¡¯s studies? Has everyone mastered the newnguage?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re doing fine. We can have basic day-to-day conversations now, but we¡¯ll get better at it.¡±

    It was rare to see Taihe tribesmen joking around with the ming Horn warriors.

    Shao Xuan went to check on the frozen pieces that were stored in the wooden dividers. These were initially pieces of ice, but up to ny percent had already melted. There was only some ice left floating on the water. Underneath the water were all sorts of different insects and wild beasts.

    If they don¡¯t reachnd anytime soon, these would begin to rot and smell in two days. Some of them had already begun to smell.

    There were no children or unawakened people on this ship. Only about three to five people were allowed onto this ship. They were all strong individuals with a strong immune system.

    He had ordered people to cover the wooden dividers with lids. After they reachnd, these wooden boxes would be carried up to mountaintops that still had snow.

    They also heard cries from other eagles in the sky. They were also great mountain eagles, but these cries did note from Cha Cha.

    ¡°The Hui tribesmen are here,¡± Shao Xuan said after he heard the cry.

    He was familiar with this sound. One of the Hui tribesmen, Gu La, had a pet eagle called Dao Shan. This was that eagle.

    Thend was slowly bing visible as they advanced. They could see the high mountains onnd, and also the eagles that were flying in the sky.

    Shao Xuan got on Cha Cha¡¯s back and flew over first.

    ¡°You guys are finally back!¡± Gu La was on Dao Shan¡¯s back. He shouted when he saw them flying over.

    ¡°When did you guyse here?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Our chief was worried that you guys couldn¡¯t find anyone here after arriving, so ever since you guys left, people woulde over everyday to check. People still came over despite the winter, sometimes with eagles, sometimes without. Now that winter passed, we also came, but we never thought we could actually meet you guys today!¡±

    Gu La examined the fleet of ships on sea. ¡°I see more ships.¡±

    ¡°Yup, we made five new ships. One of these ships had some problems on the way, so only twenty-four are left now,¡± Shao Xuan exined. On the way back, they encountered a sea beast that was hunting for food. It crashed into the ship, destroying almost half of it. It didn¡¯t sink right away, but they could no longer use that ship.

    After they transferred the people over to the other ships, the twenty-four ships continued to advance. These were the ships that Gu La saw.

    ¡°You guys got the people?¡± Gu La asked.

    ¡°Yup, we got them. They haven¡¯t adapted to life at sea so they¡¯re not doing very well now. We need to rest for a few days before we depart again.¡±

    ¡°We found a perfect resting spot nearby. It¡¯s a cave. Not everyone can fit inside, but it can still hold around five hundred people.¡±

    ¡°Five hundred? That¡¯s enough,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Those people who are feeling most unwell would rest in the cave while the others would continue staying on the ships or find a ce to rest near the cave. The totemic warriors could withstand the cold.

    Many of the Taihe tribesmen who were feeling sick finally recovered when they stepped on solid ground. Out of curiosity, many of them even had conversations with the people of the Hui tribe. They were still not familiar with thenguage here, so they spoke slower than the locals.

    Since the people of the Taihe tribe were allies with the ming Horns and the Hui tribe were also allies with them, an ally¡¯s ally was naturally a friend. That was why Gu La and the others from the Hui tribe embraced them with warmth and passion. They even went to hunt for fresh wild beast meat to serve them.

    Shao Xuan let Cha Cha deliver the wooden boxes full of ice up to the snowy mountaintops. There were many high mountains nearby. He wasn¡¯t sure whether it was because the temperature had not risen, but the distance halfway up the mountains was still snowy white.

    Atop the cold mountaintops, the melted water froze into ice once again. The insects and wild beasts inside also froze with the ice.

    Shao Xuan wore a beast hide glove and used his hands to wipe away the mud that covered the unknown creature within the ice.

    It didn¡¯t look like it but the creature was acutally covered in dense mud.

    After wiping the mud away, he could finally see what the creature looked like.

    Wings?

    Shao Xuan looked at what seemed like wings that were covering the creature. There were still short thin hairs on the wings.

    He tried to pull the wings but he couldn¡¯t move it at all. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t n on forcefully spreading them apart. He stopped once he noticed he couldn¡¯t pull it anymore. Instead, he examined the sharp ws that were revealed.

    It was simr to a bat¡¯s wings. The ws were attached to the creature¡¯s wings.

    He recalled all the wounds on the frozen insects and wild beasts. He looked at these ws again. Perhaps these ws caused those injuries.

    After Shao Xuan looked at them for a while, he put the creature back into the wooden box and closed the lid. Tomorrow, these would all be frozen again.

 Chapter 704 - Pterosaur

    Chapter 704

    Pterosaur

    Besides scooping up these insects and animals, the fleet also scooped up some extra ice to preserve them. After they finally reachednd, even though they were still far from their tribe, they no longer felt the sense of imbnce they constantly felt at sea.

    After a few days of rest, their fleet set off once again.

    In the sky, the Hui tribe escorted them on the backs of a few giant mountain eagles to prevent any curious giant eagles from attacking their fleet. Those curious eagles could be very aggressive, so the people from the Hui tribe decided to escort them to prevent situations like these.

    ¡°Did Cha Cha and the other eagles go to Eagle Mountain from here?¡± Shao Xuan asked Gu La.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. When the great mountain eagles depart for Eagle Mountain, we¡¯re not allowed to follow, but I¡¯m pretty sure this is the direction they travelled,¡± Gu La said.

    Perhaps it wasn¡¯t at this estuary but it was highly possible that the mountain eagles flew over the mountains to the other side. The disaster had not happened back then, so the dangerous great river still existed. Cha Cha and the other eagles would never go near that river.

    The Hui tribesmen always thought that Eagle Mountain was deep within the heart of the mountains. They never thought that it could be farther away. Eagle Mountain was not here. It was where the ming Horn tribe was. The ce was full of fearsome beasts.

    After their fleet passed the mountainous region, the Hui tribesmen no longer needed to escort them. They had already passed where the giant mountain eagles resided. After they bid their goodbyes, the fleet continued to travel down the river that led to the grassy ins. They followed the trail back to where they came from.

    After they rested at their first stop, the Taihe tribesmen became more energetic. This was no longer the sea, so they became more rxed. Their eyes filled with curiosity as they observed the tribespeople who lived on the grassy ins.

    Those people who were more sensitive could sense the presence of ancient fire seeds.

    ¡°So that¡¯s the ancient fire seed? How peculiar,¡± You Yu said.

    The Taihe tribe merged their fire seed long ago. They had not used the ancient fire seed since a very long time ago. They never thought they could sense the presence of a fire seed on this continent.

    ¡°Such powerful energy.¡±

    Even if it was just a fire seed from a small tribe, the energy within an ancient fire seed could not be ignored.

    ¡°We can still sense the presence of primitive fire seeds now, but after a few more years, they¡¯ll be very rare,¡± Duo Kang exined the changes that were urring on this continent to You Yu.

    ording to what they heard from the Hui people, after the major tribes on this continent merged their fire seeds, many of the middle-sized tribes had also begun to merge their fire seeds. Perhaps, in about five to ten years, all of the smaller tribes would also follow in their footsteps.

    After discussing this matter, Duo Kang told the Taihe tribespeople about their trading point. Since they were back, they no longer needed to worry too much.

    Life on the ships was very dull. They returned safely and didn¡¯t encounter any major problems on the way. Now, all the problems that they would face wouldn¡¯t be too significant. When the people on the shores saw the Longboat fleet on the river, they also breathed out a sigh in relief.

    Why did they heave out a sigh of relief?

    Last year they watched the Longboat tribe depart from here, but they never saw them return. Winter had arrived, but they still hadn¡¯t returned. They thought that something had happened to the Longboat tribe, but this thought did not originate out of their worry for them. Rather, they were ustomed to seeing the fleet return from their travel every time. Last year, they only saw their fleet leave. They waited for a whole season, and yet they still had not returned. Something just felt iplete within them, but now, they finally feltplete.

    Some people also felt that it was a little unfortunate. If the Longboat tribe indeed got into an ident on their trip, it would make fantastic news. After all, the Longboat tribe was recognised by all as the strongest tribe on the river. It was rare to see anything happen to them.

    As Duo Kang exined the situation at the ming River to You Yu and the others, Shao Xuan checked on the ice that was slowly freezing up inside the storage cabins.

    He didn¡¯t care about other matters. Duo Kang just felt a sudden interest in these creatures so he wanted to bring these things back to show to his tribesmen at home. It was just another new discovery they made at sea. These were things from very long ago after all. After he showed these to his people, there was no way for them to continue preserving them like this. They still didn¡¯t have enough resources to keep these things the way they were and preserve them, and the ming Horn tribe definitely wouldn¡¯t waste their resources on something that had no practical use. So he figured that after his people had seen them, he would throw these insects and beasts into marshes or pits or use them as fertiliser.

    However, the only thing Shao Xuan really cared about was the creature he scooped up.

    After it was frozen again, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t notice much of a change when he moved the wooden box, but now that he took a closer look at it, he noticed that there were some changes in the creature¡¯s bones.

    No, not its bones exactly. Some of its other parts had also changed. Shao Xuan could feel a weak breath of life within the creature. It was very subtle. If the ice melted and the creature was taken out of the ice, perhaps it would lose its veryst breath and die.

    He realised that this creature, whatever it was, was very close to dying, so it wasn¡¯t too different from dead.

    Shao Xuan wanted to test his hypothesis right away, but this wasn¡¯t the right ce. This was a ship. If he wasn¡¯t careful, the ship might suffer severe casualties. That would be a huge problem that might hinder their travel back home.

    The time wille for this, so he didn¡¯t need to rush it. All Shao Xuan wanted to do was test whether his guess was true, so he would wait until they reached the ming River Trading Point. The conditions there were more suitable for him to experiment with these things.

    Shao Xuan sighed as he looked at the frozen block. He covered the lid of the wooden case and took out a piece of grey linen cloth. Then, he started drawing on it with a carbon rod.

    He drew out the skeletal structures he could identify. These bones formed the structure of the creature, and he remembered it clearly in his special vision. He drew it on the cloth and separated parts of theplete picture into different parts.

    After he separated these, he felt like the drawing wasn¡¯t realistic enough, so he found a piece of wood and sharpened it into small sticks. He then cut the small sticks into what seemed like small bones that resembled the original bones.

    Some of the smaller bones might be missing, but what he needed was a full skeletal figure. He would make a copy of every single bone on the beast with the wooden sticks until he could assemble aplete skeleton.

    After it was finallyplete, Shao Xuan started assembling the wooden bones.

    He started with the head. This was the most obvious part of the creature. He would slowly work his way from there. When he couldn¡¯t determine which bone was which, he started working from the tail part, because it was very unique too. Then, he worked his way up the tail until he was stuck again. Finally, he started from its ws.

    Once Shao Xuan put his full concentration on something, he could forget about time. He would rarely walk away from something if he wasn¡¯t done with it.

    After Duo Kang finished his conversation with You Yu and the others, he looked around and noticed Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t there. He asked around and found out that Shao Xuan went to the cabins that stored the frozen creatures. He went over there to look.

    The door was shut. Duo Kang stood outside the door and asked in a low voice, ¡°Shao Xuan? Grand Elder?¡±

    No one answered.

    After a moment of hesitation, Duo Kang gently knocked a couple times on the door. ¡°Shao Xuan, are you inside?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Shao Xuan finally came back to his senses. He was too focused examining the final product he had assembled. He didn¡¯t hear him at all the first time Duo Kang called his name.

    After Duo Kang entered the cabin, the first thing he saw was the skeleton on the wooden box. This skeleton was strange. At first sight, it seemed like a bat, but very soon he realized that it wasn¡¯t. This figure appeared more aggressive than a bat¡¯s.

    Duo Kang gained enough experience on his hunts that allowed him to roughly guess what the creature was by simply analysing its skeleton.

    ¡°What is this?¡±

    Shao Xuan rubbed his sore eyes and then said, ¡°A pterosaur!¡±

 Chapter 705 - Arrival At The Tribe

    <h4>Chapter 705 Arrival At The Tribe</h4>

    ¡°A pterosaur?¡± Duo Kang was lost for words. It was clear this was the first time he ever heard this name.

    ¡°What¡¯s a Pterosaur? A bird?¡± Duo Kang asked curiously after he looked at the skeleton that didn¡¯t seem thin at all. His frown grew deeper as he examined the figure, ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like an ordinary bird. If this creature wasrger, it could be very dangerous.¡±

    This was just a rough model of the skeleton. The bones¡¯s actual structures and the muscle lining of the creature would also affect their judgement of a fierce beast. Duo Kang could only roughly guess from analysing this model.

    ¡°They¡¯re different from birds. They existed before most tribes were even formed,¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know when tribes were formed here, so he was just making a guess.

    Shao Xuan thought about this before too. Before the tribes existed and humans became the main predator at the top of the food chain, did other creatures exist?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t search for deeper answers because there were no other records of this fact. After all, the present and the future were what was most important right now.

    Now, what they found in the floating pieces of ice kept reminding Shao Xuan of how there were other things that humans didn¡¯t know about that happened way before their existence. Perhaps the civilization back then wasn¡¯t as developed so they couldn¡¯t record these facts.

    The frozen ice pieces they found at sea weren¡¯t the only ones that existed. They didn¡¯t just appear this year either. Maybe they appeared often, but no one ever scooped them up and studied them. People just let these ice pieces melt and get devoured by other fish and beasts in the sea.

    These were just found by their fleet, who just happened to pass by them.

    The other insects and beasts stuck in the ice all existed at the same time as this pterosaur.

    Then, could it be that there were more ancient creatures preserved by ice at the coldest ce on earth?

    If Shao Xuan had the chance, he would really love to go take a look.

    Dinosaurs!

    Of course, this was not the time to think too far about these matters.

    Since he already guessed what was inside the ice by reconstructing its skeleton, Shao Xuan began to set future ns. He had to test it out on this beast once he returned.

    ¡°Is there anything you wanted to tell me?¡± Shao Xuan asked Duo Kang.

    Duo Kang came back to his conscience as he looked away from the wooden skeletal structure. He said, ¡°It¡¯s the Taihe tribe. I showed them the topographical map of the ming River Trading Point and the Headquarters. I also asked them where they preferred to settle.¡±

    ¡°They intend to settle somewhere simr to us. They will find a ce in the forest and set that as their main residential headquarters, and a group of them will enter the trading point. After all, they would have enough to trade all year long.¡±

    The Taihe tribe were skilled in searching and cultivating medicinal herbs. Before, they would go on expedition trips twice or thrice every year because the market was too far away. They could only exchange for more resources in the city, so every year, they would umte and store their stock until it was enough, and then head out to the trading centres to sell all their goods.

    Now they no longer needed to do such things. The ming Horns owned a trading point and the Taihe tribe had goods to trade with them all year long. They could bring their goods to the trading point any time to trade, so it was much more convenient for them.

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s it?¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think these matters were important enough for Duo Kang to personallye look for him.

    Back then when they were trying to convince the Taihe tribe to migrate, they had already predicted which part the Taihe tribe would choose to settle in. These were all aligned with what they had predicted.

    ¡°Heh! There¡¯s something else.¡± Duo Kang giggled as he rubbed his hands excitedly. ¡°You said that we¡¯re going to expand our territory at the trading point?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    ¡°If the Taihe tribe joins us, can we start the construction soon?¡± Duo Kang¡¯s eyes were full of hope.

    ¡°That will have to depend on whether the trading point could actually function stably. Expanding the territory is definitely something we¡¯ll do, but we don¡¯t need to rush it. We already put up signs to mark our territory where the King Stoneworm passed. Those markings were enough to establish the foundation of our territory. There¡¯s no need to waste all that.¡±

    Indeed, the King Stoneworm¡¯s trail covered arge area, and if they built houses on the trail, they would definitely be stable enough. They could even make stone roads out of those trails.

    Of course, ns were always beautiful, but they had to take a step at a time. They had to function well enough and ensure that everything was stable before they expanded, or else other people might take advantage of them if they weren¡¯t careful.

    Duo Kang understood why Shao Xuan was worried. He just wanted to confirm how long it would take for them to start working as nned.

    After the fleet arrived at the Longboat tribe, they rested for a few days there. They still needed their ships, so these ships would continue to travel down the river.

    Mu Fa¡¯s fleet brought back a lot of different nts and wild beasts from the other continent for their people at home. Even though they didn¡¯t really like the vour of some fruits and the texture of the wild beasts¡¯ meat, they treated these goods as treasures just because they came from the other continent.

    There were some shocking differences between the Longboat tribesmen who went on the trip on sea and those who stayed behind. The ones who went appeared a lot prouder, fiercer, and more dangerous. When they made jokes, the look in their eyes was one of great ambition. The voyage changed them. Not long in the future, as more and more Longboats depart to the sea on expedition trips, every single one of them would experience the same changes. Soon, the Longboat tribe would no longer be the same people they knew before.

    Mu Fa¡¯s group no longer followed the fleet. Instead, another group of Longboats followed them back. Before the fleet set off again, Mu Fa even reminded the other Longboats to bring back more wood from the ming Horn¡¯s ce.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry chief! We¡¯ll never forget about something this important!¡± the leader of this team said affirmatively. They also wanted to travel on sea. More ships had to be built in order for them to achieve this dream. That was why they wouldn¡¯t forget about the wood they needed to build these ships.

    After they left the Longboat tribe, the fleet continued to drift down the river in the direction of the ming River. During the time they left, there were a few middle-sized tribes that had sessfully merged their fire seeds. However, one of these tribes failed. Failure only meant one thing: extermination.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure why exactly they failed, but ording to what the Longboats said, something bad happened during the merging process. The shaman of that tribe was killed at a crucial moment. They didn¡¯t even have the chance to pick another sessor for their shaman to continue the merging process.

    ¡°Our shaman said that it was probably the people from the desert who did it,¡± the Longboat warrior who was leading this team said.

    Most people would probably guess that it was the people from the other side of the sea who did it, but if they thought carefully, the chances of it being the people from Rock Hill City wasn¡¯t small either. After all, they needed ves. A tribe without a fireseed would be wanderers, and wanderers would make the best ves.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t be sure who actually did it, but he guessed that it was probably one of the two. The Longboat shaman had his reason for guessing it was the people from the desert who did it, but the Longboat shaman didn¡¯t know one thing. Totemic warriors could still be made into monsters after they died, so turning these people into wanderers wasn¡¯t really necessary.

    When they finally reached the ming Horn tribe, the weather was already a lot warmer.

    As a weing gesture, the ming Horns hosted a feast at the trading point for their old friend. This time, they didn¡¯t invite any of the other major tribes. The people who attended were mainly people from the Taihe and ming Horn tribe.

    Wu He and his group of five were finally released from prison. Since the Taihe tribe was here, ording to their promise, they would also achieve their freedom.

    The five prisoners were overjoyed when they finally regained their freedom. Even though the ming Horns had improved their living conditions and gave them a better environment to live in, it was justparatively better.

    Even though they were cold during the winter, the beast hides the ming Horns gave them were quite decent, so they didn¡¯t catch a cold. Even though these hides kept them warm, it couldn¡¯t alleviate their boredom.

    To any Chang Le¡¯s, being stuck inside a narrow cave was the worst torture.

 Chapter 706 - Itâ€™s Alive!

    <h4>Chapter 706 It¡¯s Alive!</h4>

    The ming Horns thought that the five Chang Le¡¯s would leave immediately after they were released. However, they decided to stay on the ming Horn¡¯s territory for a longer time. They stayed away from the ming Horn headquarters because they didn¡¯t want to stay near where they were locked up for so long. They remained in the ming River Trading Point and chatted with the Taihe tribesmen. They all came from the other side of the sea after all.

    The ming Horns kept a close watch over these Chang Le¡¯s. If they tried to steal again, the ming Horns wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill them right away.

    After the Taihe tribe picked the ce for their settlement, they started building houses. The ming Horns also lent them a hand. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to be there to watch over them, and he also knew that building houses wasn¡¯t at all difficult for the ming Horns, so he left. The ming Horns couldn¡¯t help them if they started cultivating thend for growing medicinal herbs, but they could still help with building houses.

    After safely bringing the Taihe tribesmen across, Shao Xuan no longer had any important work to do, so he headed to the secret chamber in the basement of the ming River Castle.

    The frozen creature, what Shao Xuan called the Pterosaur, was in the secret room. That was the same one Shao Xuan scooped up from the sea. Besides this creature, there were also two *Gomphos the size of rabbits. One had just died recently. The other one was half rotten.

    [TL Note: <i>Gomphos </i>is a genus name of an ancient rabbit-like creature that looks like that]

    The monster the Hui tribe brought over was put to a corner of the room. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to study it anymore. After this, he could burn the monster immediately because it was no longer needed. The Hui tribesmen didn¡¯t want it anyway, so it was better to burn it than leave it here to rot. There could possibly be some hidden dangers in the monster, so the earlier they burned it, the earlier they could eliminate the dangers.

    If the Hui tribesmen were here now, they would also notice what had changed about the monster. Even though this monster seemed dead the time they brought it back, he could feel something special within its body back then. Now, this monster was really dead. Even the special energy within its body had disappeared.

    Shao Xuan had discovered some of the secrets hidden in this body before he departed to the sea, but he didn¡¯t have time to prove whether his guesses were correct. On the ship, there were too many factors restricting him, and he also didn¡¯t want to take any risks. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he might even bring problems to the entire fleet. That was why he waited all the way till now. He could finally put all of his focus on this subject and not worry about sting a giant hole in the ship.

    During his study, Shao Xuan also noticed that there were secrets hidden in the monster¡¯s bones. It was dead merely because all of his internal organs had been removed. It wasn¡¯t supposed to be possible for it to move but this monster could still move, run, chase and kill other people. The source of energy that allowed them to move was hidden within their bones.

    The bone marrow can produce more blood cells. Even if these bones no longer made blood, if it needed to, it could still produce blood. An animal¡¯s corpse still had enough potential to make blood. Shao Xuan called this potential ¡°active potential¡±. As long as there was still active potential in the bone marrow, it could still be endowed with power that could allow it to move. Even though the corpse no longer had consciousness and was no longer the same person or animal as before, the power that could drive them was the hidden active potential in their bones.

    They were like puppets without self-consciousness.

    Usually, the active potential inside a creature¡¯s bones would weaken after its death, and the longer they waited, the lower the rate of sess. If he wanted to sessfully recreate a monster, he had to do it fast.

    Amongst the two <i>Gomphos </i>, the one that had died had much stronger active potential within its bonespared to the half-rotten one. Even if Shao Xuan was able to make the half-rotten one stand on its feet again, it would be no different from a rusty machinery. It wouldn¡¯t be able to move naturally.

    Of course, these were all Shao Xuan¡¯s guesses. They were all based on his theory, but this theory had not been proven.

    Shao Xuan never anticipated meeting those ancient creatures preserved in ice on his trip out at sea.

    Why did Shao Xuan choose this Pterosaur and not the others? The active potential in the other creatures¡¯ bones were all too weak. He would rather pick out some dead animals that had died for a long time in the forest, like the half-rotten Gomphos, than pick up any of those frozen animals. There was no difference in the active potential of their bones.

    The pterosaur, however, was different. Shao Xuan was confident he could reactivate the potential within that creature¡¯s bones. It was only after they arrived safely at this continent, when the ice melted, when he noticed a change in the creature¡¯s body. The weak life force within the creature had slightly reactivated the activeponents in the creature¡¯s bones.

    The main difference that distinguished this pterosaur from the other frozen creatures was that it was alive before it was frozen. The other frozen ancient creatures had all been killed before they were frozen.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t experiment on the Gomphos in front of him that had died not long ago. Instead, he looked at the frozen creature in front of him and brought a torch closer and started melting away the ice.

    As the ice melted, the creature that looked like a pterosaur was once again revealed in front of Shao Xuan.

    It was still rolled up in a ball. Its wings covered its body and its head was also hiding within.He couldn¡¯t see what it looked like exactly. Below, two hind ws were slightly revealed.

    Shao Xuan tried to pull the creature¡¯s wings to the side but he couldn¡¯t move it, so stopped. He didn¡¯t forcefully pull them apart.

    In order to activate the potential within the creature¡¯s bones, the first thing he needed to do was endow it with power, the power of the fire seed!

    The fire seed¡¯s energy could be merged with the bodies of the tribesmen, and its power could flow through the blood in their veins. This power could be passed from one generation to the next, so of course it was also within their bone marrow. Even if their blood could no longer be used and their bone marrow no longer produced blood, it could still carry the power of the fire seed!

    He wiped away the water on the stone table and observed the still creature. It was still alive, but its breath wasn¡¯t stable. Its energy was constantly fluctuating, sometimes strong, sometimes weak. It was fighting to survive. If it won this battle, its breath would grow stronger and perhaps this ancient creature could bring itself back to life, but if it lost, it would fall silent and die, just like the other ancient creatures that had died in the ice. It would then rot away.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t make a move right away. Instead, he watched and observed whether this ancient creature could survive.

    The creature¡¯s breath was constantly changing. It was changing from slow to fast, but then started to slow down again, and then it started to weaken.

    It lost.

    Perhaps it was because it was frozen in the ice for too long. It wasn¡¯t strong enough to win this battle of life and death.

    Shao Xuan only lifted his hand when the creature¡¯s energy had weakened and almost disappeared. The sess rate of his test would be higher if the host of the body wasn¡¯t rejecting his power. Now, the creature¡¯s life force was almost nonexistent, so it naturally couldn¡¯t fight back. This was the reason Shao Xuan waited.

    Shao Xuan summoned the fire seed¡¯s energy from within his body. This was simr to the time he marked Caesar. However, he used totemic power back then. Even though the totemic power originated from the fire seed, it was still a little differentpared to the fire seed.

    Now, Shao Xuan was directly using the power of the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed that was merged with his body. He did notpletely suppress the other energy in his body though. He let the energy of the fire seed influence that energy, so that energy was also charging up.

    Sometimes, this special power within him was even more useful than the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed. If the fire seed¡¯s energy couldn¡¯t make this work, perhaps he would consider trying that energy. Maybe the sess rate would be higher.

    The totemic lines surfaced to his skin. A me appeared on Shao Xuan¡¯s hand.

    He ced his hand directly on top of the creature. He was slowly testing the creature with the mes. Soon, the entire creature was engulfed in the mes.

    The mes burned through its skin and reached its muscles and entered every single bone.

    The high active potential within the bones allowed this creature to rapidly absorb the energy of the mes.

    Shao Xuan examined the creature with his special vision. The bones on this creature were indeed experiencing a change. The bones were slowly changing colours, and were burning bright red. The energy was seeping through.

    At first, only those bones that still had bone marrow experienced the change, but very soon, Shao Xuan noticed that it didn¡¯t stop there.

    The frozen blood within the creature was melting, and Shao Xuan could feel the blood starting flowing within the creature. From what he observed, a few red lines started appearing. Those were the creature¡¯s blood vessels. The red colour was the power of the fire seed. To some extent, this was actually another type of fire seed merging process, except their target and purpose were different.

    Thump! Thump!

    It was the sound of a heart pumping.

    Shao Xuan was stunned when he heard this sound.

    Logically, this should not be happening. This was a dead body. It was no different from the monster. The monster could still stand up and move around without its heart and other organs. This meant that the monster didn¡¯t really need a heart.

    However, the heart within this creature under his palm had actually started beating.

    Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

    At first it was very weak, but gradually, it grew stronger until more red thin lines appeared, especially in the area near the creature¡¯s heart. Its heart was beating faster. A few moments ago, its heart was only beating twice every minute, but now, it was beating to a rhythm simr to breathing. The life force of this creature was growing stronger, as if it was breaking through the ice. All of these facts could only prove that this creature was waking up!

    Shao Xuan did not stop there though. The pterosaur was not rejecting Shao Xuan¡¯s actions. It did not reject the power of the fire seed.

    Perhaps the creature knew that this was the only way for it to wake up.

    Its frozen body was starting to warm up.

    The wings that were wrapped tightly around it also started to move, making gentle creaking sounds.

    Its hind ws also unraveled and slowly extended outwards.

    Shao Xuan noticed that its hindlegs were thickerpared to a bat¡¯s, and looked a lot stronger too.

    Click! Click! Click!

    The wings moved once again and slowly opened towards the side. Its head also protruded from under its wings.

    Shao Xuan looked at the ancient creature that was slowly unravelling. It was no doubt a pterosaur.

    However, this was a lot smaller in sizepared to most of the pterosaurs Shao Xuan knew about.

 Chapter 707 - A Different Kind of Slave

    Chapter 707

    A Different Kind of ve

    The pterosaur was so small! Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t be sure if this pterosaur was still a hatchling, but was it possible that an adult pterosaur was this size?

    After its body finally warmed up and its blood started flowing, its heart was also beating at a steady rate. After it opened up its wings, the creature¡¯s eyes finally opened.

    As a reptile, its re was sharp with murderous intent, but it didn¡¯t feel as cold as a snake¡¯s or crocodile¡¯s stare.

    The pterosaur was still a little confused when it opened its eyes. It couldn¡¯t adapt right away to what it was seeing.

    Well, it had been frozen for ages. It made sense if the creature¡¯s brain was not functioning properly right away.

    After a while, the pterosaur stretched its neck and moved its head from side to side. It twisted its head and looked at itself, and as if it was shocked, it tried to move back, but struggled and fell backwards.

    Even though it could move around after the frozen parts of its body started to melt, it didn¡¯t yet have the ability to move freely.

    Noticing that it couldn¡¯t move, the creature opened its mouth loudly and screeched in protest. Its mouth was lined with sharp teeth. Some pterosaurs had teeth, while others didn¡¯t. This one did and it looked very aggressive.

    Shao Xuan observed the changes in the creature¡¯s body. As the temperature started to rise within the pterosaur¡¯s body, it was bing slightly different from other reptiles. It was more like a bird now. When its body reached a certain temperature, it maintained at the same level and no longer rose with the temperature around it.

    Its organs had also begun to move. It was vignt and also knew how to threaten others. The creature¡¯s brain also regained a sense of self-consciousness. Now, it had finally awakened from its long frozen state.

    This was different from Shao Xuan¡¯s expectations. Initially, he only wanted to test his guesses on this creature¡¯s bones, but he never thought something like this would happen.

    But this wasn¡¯t too bad either. This was a very ancient creature after all. Shao Xuan was very curious about this creature and the era it lived in. Since this one survived, could it be possible that there were more ancient giant beasts residing somewhere in the world no one knew about?

    There were only some small holes in the secret room that served as venttors. They weren¡¯trge enough for the creature to escape, so Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t worried about it escaping, not to mention it had just recovered. Most parts of its body were still trying to return to their normal states. It was even hard for the creature to crawl now, so he really wasn¡¯t worried.

    Shao Xuan walked to the other table and left the creature there to fight its struggles. He walked over to examine the Gomphos that had been ughtered not too long ago.

    Afterparing it with the other half-rotten one, Shao Xuan decided to try it on this one.

    Just when he was about to start, Shao Xuan felt a strong gaze watching him from his side. He turned his head over to look. It was the pterosaur. The creature was trying to get to its feet, and was watching him closely. No, to be exact, it was watching the Gomphos under his hands.

    ¡°Hungry?¡±

    After being sealed in the ice for so long, hunger was inevitable. Eating was indeed a great way to help it recover. Eating was also a wild beast¡¯s intrinsic nature.

    He sliced off a piece of meat from the Gomphos¡¯ body and brought it over to the pterosaur, who was still struggling to get up on the table.

    When Shao Xuan got close, the pterosaur retreated in fright. It almost lost its bnce again. Its front limb was growing weak, and its wings and ws had also lost their flexibility and agility.

    However, the hunger within the creature left it no choice but to ept the food that was served to it. The pterosaur quickly bit onto the meat in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands and gulped it down after closing its mouth on the meat. The next moment, it reached out to bite on Shao Xuan¡¯s hand. This was getting serious.

    However, right when it almost bit down on Shao Xuan¡¯s finger, it stopped.

    It wasn¡¯t because it wanted to stop. It had no choice. It had no control over its own body.

    ¡°Get down.¡±

    Following Shao Xuan¡¯s order, the pterosaur dropped down to its fours and stayed down low. Its wings were widely spread and its hind legs were also sprawled. Its bodyid t on the table.

    ¡°Roar-¡±

    The sharp cry was so loud it filled the room.

    This was the scream made by the pterosaur as it was forced to go down on all fours. No one would be able to rx if they lost control over their own bodies, not to mention a creature that came from ancient times.

    Shao Xuan nced at the pterosaur once more before he looked away.

    This was actually a special envement style. Compared to the other envement methods, this method was more suitable for humans or creatures that no longer had a self-consciousness because it would give the ve masterplete control over the ve¡¯s body. The ve would lose control over its body¡¯s movements, and only its master could control it.

    This was why envement would work better on ves without self-consciousness. The sess rates would be higher too, and after envement, the ve master would gainplete control over the ve.

    The normal envement method did not allow the ve master to haveplete control over his ve. It was just like the case of Sapphire the beetle. Shao Xuan could sense where exactly it was and the conditions within its body. He could influence the energy within the beetle. After all, he was the one who gave it power during the envement. This pterosaur was different though. Even though it also relied on Shao Xuan¡¯s power to regain its energy to be able to stand on its feet again, the energy seeped through every single bone in its body. This allowed Shao Xuan to control every single bone on the creature¡¯s body. This was also why Shao Xuan didn¡¯t tie it up and let it move around freely.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care what the pterosaur was thinking since he could stop its actions anytime. He could even pull apart every single one of its bones without even touching it.

    However,pared to normal ves, this special method required a more refined energy.

    The pterosaur screeched out loud for a while, but very soon, its eyes were averted by the Gomphos that was freshly ughtered. The smell of blood was still strong, so the pterosaur looked at it attentively, and then looked over again at Shao Xuan with a vignt re. Very quickly, it turned back to look at the Gomphos again.

    Shao Xuan ignored the creature. He continued what he was doing and used the same envement method on the Gomphos that had lost its self-consciousness.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t remove its internal organs. He was just performing a test and he wasn¡¯t nning on using it afterwards, so he didn¡¯t do any extra work.

    The Gomphos didn¡¯t die too long ago, so the active potential within its bones was still very high. It had also lost its self-consciousness, so everything was still going smoothly.

    A moment ago, the pterosaur was still thinking about how it should eat the Gomphos, but suddenly, mes appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands and the pterosaur shrieked with a noise even louder than before. It was a noise filled with fear and terror, and this scream was even louder than when Shao Xuan forced it toy down t on the ground.

    Shao Xuan frowned but he didn¡¯t stop what he was doing. Hepletely ignored the pterosaur¡¯s cries.

    The Gomphos that was slowly losing its life force was changing at a rapid speed. This change wasn¡¯t happening on the outside but within the creature.

    Whoosh!

    The Gomphos was obviously dead but its stiff body parts suddenly regained a new life force. The creature got up on its feet effortlessly and when it moved, Shao Xuan could hear the sound of its dead muscles being forcefully pulled into action by the creaking of its bones.

 Chapter 708 - Awakening Of The Ancient Fearsome Beast

    <h4>Chapter 708 Awakening Of The Ancient Fearsome Beast</h4>

    During this unique envement process, Shao Xuan put the Gomphos next to the pterosaur andpared the two creatures.

    He didn¡¯t use as much energy to enve the Gomphos. It required less energy and was a lot simpler. This might be due to the fact that the Gomphos no longer had self-consciousness, but the main underlying cause was the creature¡¯s inherent characteristics.

    Even though the Gomphos¡¯s bones had a higher active potential, its quality wasn¡¯t good enough. Simply put, its bones couldn¡¯t hold too much of the fire seed¡¯s energy. This was just a typical wild beast in the forest after all. It was in the lower levels of the food chain, so it couldn¡¯t hold as much energy within its bones.

    The pterosaur wasn¡¯trge either. It was even smaller than the Gomphos but Shao Xuan noticed that the pterosaur¡¯s bones could store more of the fire seed¡¯s energy than the Gomphos.

    The size of the animal¡¯s bones was not at all corrted with the amount of energy it could store.

    Then, could it be that the more advanced the species, or the stronger the person, the more energy it can store?

    Shao Xuan decided he would have to test on a fearsome beast freshly ughtered at the market.

    He was just nning to leave but suddenly thought about the pterosaur that was still t on the table. He turned around to look at it. The creature also twisted its neck rigidly to look at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan turned his head and walked out the door of the secret room. He pulled the thick and heavy stone door behind him and shut it tightly as he left.

    The same moment Shao Xuan shut the door, he freed the pterosaur from telepathic control. He didn¡¯t walk far though. He stayed and waited beside the door.

    Shao Xuan could sense the pterosaur¡¯s movements within the room. It was as if the picture was projected within his mind. It was crystal clear. However, it wasn¡¯t a picture of the creature¡¯s entire body. He could only see its skeletal structure. This was because its bones were filled with the fire seed¡¯s energy, so even when the creature swung its tail from side to side, he could see those movements clearly.

    After Shao Xuan left, the pterosaur regained its freedom. After it got on its feet, it scanned the room cautiously and cried out once to make sure no one was around. After waiting patiently for a while, it finally turned and crawled towards the Gomphos on the other table.

    The pterosaur¡¯s wings were a lot more flexible nowpared to when the ice in its body first melted. It was also crawling a lot faster now.

    The stench of blooding from the Gomphos¡¯ dead body aroused the hunger within the pterosaur and it was crawling even faster now. As soon as it reached the Gomphos, the pterosaur extended its neck and bit down deep into the Gomphos. The small slice Shao Xuan fed it was clearly not enough to sate its hunger.

    The creature wasn¡¯t strong, so it was only tearing small slices of meat with its sharp teeth from the Gomphos¡¯ body. It didn¡¯t tear outrge pieces each time, but it was eating very quickly.

    Shao Xuan left after he watched from outside the door for a while.

    There wasn¡¯t anything important in the room, so Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t worried. No matter how much damage the pterosaur did, there was no way it could barrel through the thick stone walls of the secret chamber, right?

    At the same time, Shao Xuan also wanted to know the distance in which he could maintain a stable control over the pterosaur.

    The more time he spent learning about it, the more secrets he discovered about this envement method. It allowed him to understand more about the person who invented envement too.

    Up till now, no one knew who or which group was the mastermind behind all the monsters. Yi Si said that the Yi family was involved but he wasn¡¯t sure exactly how many. Then there was the person who had left the Yi family a thousand years ago. What exactly was his role in this matter?

    Shao Xuan shook his head and continued to walk out the castle. At the same time, he was watching the projected image in his mind. As long as he was within the control radius, he could see the pterosaur¡¯s movements.

    Shao Xuan could still see a clear picture in his mind of the room all the way until he walked out the ming River Castle. The pterosaur was still eating.

    Shao Xuan went to a stall that sold fearsome beast meat and picked a beast that was recently ughtered. He carried it all the way back to the secret room. The pterosaur was still tearing at the Gomphos¡¯ meat but it suddenly stopped eating and retreated into one corner when it heard Shao Xuan¡¯s footsteps.

    Shao Xuan ignored it. Instead, he set the fearsome beast he carried down on the stone table. The beast had already been cleaned and its internal organs removed. All of its blood had been let out and he even rubbed it to see if there was still blood in the creature. Only a few drops of blood dripped on the table.

    When the pterosaur smelled the fresh blood from the beast, its head protruded from behind the Gomphos and looked in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction. It was testing whether Shao Xuan would force it to get down on all fours as he did before. It looked at the fearsome beast again. The pterosaur looked like it wanted to advance, but didn¡¯t dare to. It was clear the pterosaur was interested in the fearsome beast. Fearsome beast meat was different from wild beast meat after all. This kind of meat would attract different kinds of predators.

    From the pterosaur¡¯s actions, Shao Xuan could tell that it preferred fearsome beast meat more than wild beast meat. The only thing that was holding it back was its fear of Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan used the same method and performed the same kind of envement on this beast.

    It was exactly what he had expected. Fearsome beast bones could be merged with more energy from the fire seed and it could absorb more energy than the wild beast. Even so, it couldn¡¯t bepared to how much a human can absorb. When Shao Xuan was experimenting with the monster, even though he didn¡¯t get to finish his experiment, he could already guess what the results were. After a few rounds of testing, Shao Xuan finally deduced that humans could absorb more energy from the fire seed than fearsome beasts. This was probably why the people from Rock Hill City chose to use humans as subjects for envement instead of fierce desert beasts.

    After he finished testing, Shao Xuan was about to carry the fearsome beast out. The only thing he did with this meat was he used it to test the special envement method. It could still be eaten after testing. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t put it out for sale at the stalls. He would just give it to the other ming Horns. The bones of this fearsome beast were fused with the energy of their fire seed. It was different from other meat.

    The pterosaur was still looking at Shao Xuan before he carried it away. He picked up a knife and sliced out a piece of meat and left it on the stone table. Then, he carried the fearsome beast and walked away.

    After he left the secret room, Shao Xuan handed this beast to the soldiers who were just about to head out for lunch.

    ¡°Take out the bones and cook soup with it. Don¡¯t waste any of the bone marrow. These bones have merged with our fire seed,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The warrior held the fearsome beast Shao Xuan handed him. He looked at the fearsome beast in his arms. He still couldn¡¯t understand what had happened, but he didn¡¯t care too much. He knew he just had to follow whatever the Grand Elder said. He walked a few steps forward and then pped his head. All the Grand Elder said was ¡°eat¡±! This he knew!

    When Shao Xuan went back to the secret room, he noticed that only two-thirds of the fearsome beast meat on the table was left. The piece of meat Shao Xuan left behind was about the same size as the pterosaur. Seeing how it was still eating aggressively and had no intention to stop, he could only wonder how much the creature would end up eating at the end.

    The pterosaur probably got bolder after noticing how Shao Xuan didn¡¯t attack him anymore. It was probably because of the food too. It was bolder in front of its prey, but it still did not dare approach Shao Xuan. The creature¡¯s eyes were filled with fear and terror whenever it looked at Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t look in that direction anymore after he caught a glimpse of what was happening. He was nning on testing it out on the half-rotten Gomphos. He already brought it all the way here. It would be a waste if he didn¡¯t use it.

    When Shao Xuan was starting the envement, he stayed cautious and observed the pterosaur¡¯s reaction. Just now, when he was enving the fearsome beast, he noticed how terrified the pterosaur was. Even though it didn¡¯t scream, it hid behind the Gomphos. In Shao Xuan¡¯s mind, he could still see it shivering in fright.

    Now, when Shao Xuan summoned mes to his hands, the pterosaur dropped its food and immediately looked for a ce to hide. Panicking, it hid under the stone table right away. If it didn¡¯t open up its wings, it would most likely have fallen. The creature had just woken up from ice so it was still fairly weak.

    The half-rotten Gomphos didn¡¯t waste too much of Shao Xuan¡¯s time. Shao Xuan took the least time enving this one. However, under Shao Xuan¡¯s control, the Gomphos¡¯ bones fell apart after it stood up and took a few steps. It was just like a broken machine. He could not control it well.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t work if the active potential is too low.¡±

    So it was the active potential in the bones after all! No wonder the people from Rock Hill City didn¡¯t use any rotten bodies when they made the monsters. All of the bodies they had selected seemed carefully processed before they were enved. They seemed to value the quality of the monsters¡¯ bodies.

    After Shao Xuan learned about the secret behind the secret desert monster, he told everyone at a meeting of senior ming Horn members.

    However, not everyone could use this method to enve any recently dead fierce beasts. None of the others seeded, not even Zheng Luo, Duo Kang, or the two retired shamans. Gui Ze had not given it a try because she was studying a new herb. Now, in the ming Horn tribe, amongst all the people who knew about this secret, the only person who could sessfully perform this type of envement was Shao Xuan.

    Everyone was curious when they heard that the ancient creature came back to life.

    Most of the insects that had been extracted from the ice had been made into fertiliser. Only a few unique ones that were moreplete and undamaged were kept. The two retired shamans found a cave atop a high hill to store them. They wanted to keep these so their descendants could study them. After all, these creatures came from very very long ago. They could very possibly be older than all their ancestors.

    Now, when these two old shamans heard that one of these creatures actually survived, they all couldn¡¯t wait to see this strange creature. Duo Kang also mentioned that this creature was simr but different from a bird.

    Shao Xuan had been training the pterosaur for the past few days inside the secret underground room. This was an ancient fierce beast after all. Even though it was smaller in size, he still had to be careful. Shao Xuan already noticed how aggressive it could get in the past few days as it slowly recovered. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he let it out and it attacked his own people.

    That was why the first thing they smelled when the group of people followed Shao Xuan to the secret room was the stench of blood.

    Shao Xuan also felt that the smell in the room was too strong, but this was the best he could do for now because the beast had not been tamed or trained.

    There was a piece of meat on the stone table that had been chewed halfway. Most of it had been torn off.

    The water moon stone on the wall was still glowing. There was a rattan birdcage in one corner of the room. It was empty, but there were faeces at the bottom of the cage.

    If they merely relied on their hearing, they wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell where the pterosaur was hiding, but through sensing the fire seed¡¯s energy that coursed within its body, they could tell where it was.

    A figure hid under the table in a dark corner. It looked like a bat and was hanging upside down from the side of the table. The people standing at the door couldn¡¯t see it clearly due to their angle and the lighting in the room.

 Chapter 709 - How Did The Dinosaurs Disappear?

    Chapter 709

    How Did The Dinosaurs Disappear?

    This pterosaur was cautious and studied its surroundings with watchful eyes. Even though it had developed a closer connection with Shao Xuan during the past few days he fed it, it was still very afraid of Shao Xuan.

    The pterosaur was already fully recovered and it was pretty much no different from the state it was in before it was frozen. It had a much faster reaction speed now and much sharper senses too. When the door of the secret room opened, it could sense the other strangers who hade with Shao Xuan. That was why it hid away so fast.

    It didn¡¯t learn this hiding method from bats though. Back then when it lived in the forest, whenever it sensed danger, it would hide behind thick bushes or giant leaves. Since it was so small, it couldn¡¯t fly fearlessly in the sky like the other giant pterosaurs.

    During this time, Shao Xuan noticed that this pterosaur belonged to a smaller species of the pterosaur family. He probably wouldn¡¯t get to see any pterosaurs that he imagined in his mind, the ones asrge as Chacha.

    The others surrounded the table and waited as Shao Xuan carried the pterosaur out from underneath the table. All of them watched the ancient creature with eager eyes.

    ¡°This is the ...pterosaur you told us about?¡± Zheng Luo examined the pterosaur that was hanging from the table. ¡°It looks weird indeed. It¡¯s neither a bird nor a bat.¡±

    ¡°Did it reallye from that long ago?¡± Ao wanted to touch its wings, but the creature shrank away.

    It could sense the fire seed¡¯s energy within these strangers¡¯ bodies. Even though they looked different, their energies were simr.

    Friends?

    This was the creature¡¯s first thought.

    Even though the pterosaur couldn¡¯t understand why these people looked so different from itself, it still knew what it should be doing. Shao Xuan had trained it not to attack anyone with simr energies. He punished it whenever it attacked people with the fire seed¡¯s energy, so it no longer dared to attack. The creature only watched them cautiously and dodged whenever they tried to touch it.

    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable! It survived for so long inside the ice? It¡¯s such a small creature,¡± Duo Kang held his hand up to measure its size. It was even smaller than the two gomphos he gave Shao Xuan, but it had a surprisingly strong life force.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, since you found one, what do you think happened to the other beasts of that time?¡± the retired shaman stroked his beard thoughtfully. ¡°Judging by the looks of the dead insects and beasts and this pterosaur now, it seems like the beasts from that time were very different from the beasts now.¡±

    ¡°Yes, the beasts at that time were indeed different from the beasts now, but I don¡¯t know what made them disappear. I was thinking about this too, and I came up with a few theories these few days,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The other ming Horns didn¡¯t ask Shao Xuan how he knew all of these.

    They didn¡¯t think it was important. Even if they asked and Shao Xuan told them that the ancestors told him about these, they would¡¯ve believed him. What mattered most to them was what Shao Xuan said, not where he got all this information from.

    The two retired shamans¡¯ eyes suddenly lit up with interest when they heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words. The others also looked at Shao Xuan and waited for him to continue. When they heard Shao Xuan say that these creatures existed even before their ancestors, they were all shocked. They couldn¡¯t imagine what that era was like. What was the status of humans back in those days?

    ¡°Why do you think they disappeared?¡±

    ¡°It might¡¯ve been the fire seed,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°The fire seed?¡± The others were all doubtful. What did the fire seed have to do with this?

    ¡°I noticed that this pterosaur is afraid of the fire seed¡¯s mes. While it¡¯s also wary of regr fire, it had a much stronger reaction towards the mes of the fire seed.¡± Shao Xuan noticed this phenomenon when he was trying out the special envement method, so he tested it again the next few days. The creature reacted the same every time.

    ¡°It¡¯s scared of the fire seed¡¯s energy? It wouldn¡¯t matter if this happened to any other beasts, but didn¡¯t you say that it relied on the power of the fire seed¡¯s energy to recover? How can it be scared of the fire seed?¡± Everyone was confused about this. Other tribes would feel repulsive energy from their fire seed but creatures that had energy from the same fire seed shouldn¡¯t react like this. The other beasts that had been marked by the tribe¡¯s fire seed also weren¡¯t repulsed by their fire seed.

    ¡°I think it does know that the mes I make can¡¯t harm it. It looks more like it was acting out of a natural instinct to hide from fire seed mes. Could it be that it saw something simr to the fire seed before it was frozen?¡± It probably developed an innate fear of anything simr to a fire seed. That¡¯s why it was so avoidant.

    ¡°Wait! Wait!¡± Both shamans took out their pens and beast hide scrolls and started writing it down. After they scribbled, they looked up at Shao Xuan, ¡°You were saying?¡±

    It was their duty after all. Even though both of them had retired, these elders were still highly interested in anything rted to history. Even if what Shao Xuan said was just a guess, they would write it down. So what if they couldn¡¯t prove it? Their descendants might be able to find an answer.

    After reading what the two elders wrote, Shao Xuan continued with his story.

    ¡°If, I mean if the pterosaur saw a fire seed shortly before it was frozen, then it would exin its reaction to our fire seed¡¯s energy. It would most likely forget about things that happened a long time ago, but if it saw our fire seed not long before it froze up in ice, then its reaction could be justified. Back in those days, the fire seeds were probably still inside fire ponds. It was so long ago, so there probably weren¡¯t any merged fire seeds.¡±

    All of them nodded in approval. They understood what Shao Xuan said. Even on the other side of the sea, the merging of the fire seed only began not too long ago. Even at the very most, it wouldn¡¯t be longer than ten thousand or a hundred thousand years, much less a million years. If the fire seed existed at that time, it would¡¯ve still been in its ancient form.

    ¡°Even though I have no clue what actually happened back then, I¡¯m guessing this had something to do with the ancient fire seed, or else the creature wouldn¡¯t be this afraid. Judging by how the creature looked at the fire seed¡¯s mes, it¡¯s clear that this is not its first encounter. It¡¯s as if it¡¯s looking at something terrifying and familiar.¡± Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t read what the pterosaur was thinking because this envement method wasn¡¯t the same as the style he used on Sapphire the beetle. This envement was targeted at the creature¡¯s bones and not its consciousness, so Shao Xuan could not know what the creature was thinking. He could only make spections based on his observations.

    Everyone epted Shao Xuan¡¯s guess. In their hearts, the fire seed was the most powerful thing in the world. If something could make all the fierce beasts from that time disappear, it could only be the fire seed. They couldn¡¯t bring themselves to ept other reasons. Could there be anything more powerful than the fire seed? They didn¡¯t believe such a thing existed.

    ¡°However, it¡¯s just a theory. There are still many uncertain factors, and no one else knows what actually happened back then, besides him,¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the alert pterosaur that was standing on the stone table.

    Since he had already used this envement method on this creature, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think it was possible to use the method he used on Sapphire the beetle again. These two methods were too different. If he wasn¡¯t careful, the pterosaur might explode and die. Then not even his bones would be left behind. Plus, these were issues that had happened so long ago. There was no real reason for them to investigate further. They weren¡¯t archaeologists anyways. They could put their efforts elsewhere, like building roads near the ming River and new houses.

    The other ming Horns were only curious for a while. They didn¡¯t intend on investigating further.

    ¡°We must take good care of it! Ah Xuan, if you can¡¯t do a good job, you can leave it to us. This creature had seen the ancient fire seed from a very long time ago. It existed even before our ancestors, and it¡¯s alive too!¡± The two retired shamans wanted to stay longer in the secret room, so when they left, they still looked back at the creature on the table with longing eyes. Amongst all the people in the group that came, the two elders probably had the most interest in the pterosaur.

    He knew that the two shamans probably meant for him to treat this pterosaur as their tribe¡¯s mascot but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think the same way. This creature wasn¡¯t big, and it¡¯s also very fierce and untamed. A mascot? Ha! He would be d if it didn¡¯t hurt anyone.

    After the others left, Shao Xuan watched as the pterosaur hopped down from the stone table and glided down to the ground to look for food. Judging by its performance today, he could probably let it out after a few more days.

    Five dayster, Shao Xuan left the secret underground room with a newly made green-bronze cage in his hands.

    He covered the cage with a thin cloth. The cloth had holes in it, so even though the people around him couldn¡¯t see what was inside, they saw a pair of curious eyes staring from within through the holes.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t open up the cage in the ming River Castle though. He held it with one hand and carried it all the way to the trading point. He walked through the trading point, went across the bridge, and headed for the ming Horn headquarters.

    Beside the ming River, a group of people was digging canals from the river. Other groups who joined came from the Taihe tribe,

    They needed manpower to dig the canals, and they couldn¡¯t solely depend on the people from the ming Horn and Taihe tribe. They had other matters to deal with in their tribe. The Taihe tribe was constructing new buildings for themselves so they couldn¡¯t dispatch too many of their people, only some of them came. If any other strong men wanted toe help, they worked in exchange for some goods from the ming Horn tribe. The ming Horn tribe even provided two meals a day for these workers.

    There were others from expedition teams who wanted to join, but they came a step toote. They already had enough people for the work and everyone had already started working.

    The stone bridge on the ming River intercepted the river so it wasn¡¯t convenient for ships to travel up and down the stream. That was why they decided to dig a canal that would curve around the stone bridge and connect to the lower segment of the stream. This was a huge project, and required a lot of work but they weren¡¯t in a rush so it was okay.

    The ming Horns had dug a human-madeke before so they had some experience in digging. It wasn¡¯t at all problematic to them.

    When Shao Xuan walked by, they were still digging hard.

    Shao Xuan brought a fearsome beast from the trading point for them as extra food for their lunch. He also stopped by to ask about the work progress and whether they experienced any problems. When he heard the person in charge say everything was going smoothly, he didn¡¯t stay much longer. He walked toward the Giant Bridge of the ming River and left, holding the cage in his hand.

    ¡°What was Grand Elder carrying in that cage?¡± a ming Horn warrior asked another warrior beside him as he saw Shao Xuan walk away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I sense something with our fire seed¡¯s energy. That¡¯s odd! Could it be that the Grand Elder marked another fearsome beast?¡±

    ¡°How big was the cage? It¡¯s not even that big, so how big could it fit a fearsome beast?

    ¡°What else could it be if it¡¯s not a fearsome beast? You think our Grand Elder would hunt a normal wild animal?¡±

    ¡°Uh...never mind, we¡¯ll know what it is when he releases it.¡±

 Chapter 710 - Definitely A Fearsome Beast!

    <h4>Chapter 710 Definitely A Fearsome Beast!</h4>

    Shao Xuan carried the cage all the way back to headquarters. When he reached a ce with no one else around, he opened up the cage.

    The pterosaur couldn¡¯t wait any longer. When Shao Xuan lifted the cloth that was covering the cage, the pterosaur strained immediately. The pterosaur could see what was outside through the small holes on the cloth. The scent of the forest was familiar. Although slightly different from what it remembered, as long it was in the forest, it was ted.

    The pterosaur had been locked in the secret underground room for too long and every day, it could only look at the same water moon stones and stone walls that surrounded it. Seeing the new environment, it was so excited that it flew up into the sky right away. However, it didn¡¯t dare to move when it was still inside the cage. Shao Xuan forcefully suppressed its movements whenever it didn¡¯t behave so it learned to behave inside the cage. Before Shao Xuan unlocked the cage, the pterosaur didn¡¯t dare hop or move around.

    After itnded on the green grass, the pterosaur lowered its head and smelled the familiar scent of grass before it took a bite. Then, with a p of its wings, the pterosaur lifted off the ground.

    Shao Xuan wondered if this pterosaur was unique or whether all pterosaurs were like that. It was very obvious how the creature couldn¡¯t fly as naturally as those birds that flew on a daily basis. This pterosaur wasn¡¯t as flexible and agile.

    After itnded on a tree, it stayed high up and observed all the trees and grass below it. It could also see a clear view of the river that was not too far away. It pped its wings, as if ready to fly, but hesitated and looked at Shao Xuan again. It didn¡¯t dare to fly because it wasn¡¯t sure if it would die if Shao Xuan took control over its body in the middle of its flight.

    That was why the pterosaur stopped asionally to look at Shao Xuan, checking if he was angry or said anything before it continued to fly again.

    The pterosaur was small so it didn¡¯t have any trouble flying through the dense forest. Thebination of colours on its body was a mix of the forest¡¯s green and the grey of branches, it camouged well as it flew through the woods.

    Shao Xuan even noticed that the creature had learned how to hide its breath. It wasn¡¯t hiding its own breath however. Hiding one¡¯s own breath was a skill all hunters needed to learn and it had mastered it long before. Now, it was learning how to hide the breath of the ming Horn fire seed¡¯s energy within its bone marrow.

    Perhaps in their future hunts, it would master control over its breath faster. Once it could finally control its breath and hide it, no one would be able to find it easily besides Shao Xuan.

    Sometimes, animals with a small physique shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. They could very possibly be more dangerous than therger beasts.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t bring it to the residential area of the tribe. He only brought it out to move around in the forest near the boundaries of their territory.

    There was a whistle tower here. Soldiers on patrol would rest there whenever they finished their rounds.

    Shao Xuan noticed that the pterosaur was quite well-behaved, so he brought it to that area.

    Now, it could already understand the simple orders given by Shao Xuan. The pterosaur was hunting for some insects that were hiding behind a leaf, but when Shao Xuan hinted for it to follow, it left its prey immediately and followed Shao Xuan into the woods without question.

    ¡°Grand Elder!¡±

    The team that was resting in the woods stood up. They had just finished patrolling, and were resting here

    After the patrolling soldiers greeted Shao Xuan, their eyes shifted to the other figure beside him.

    Shao Xuan pointed at the pterosaur that was resting on the tree beside him. He said, ¡°He¡¯s going to be quite active around this area these few days. Just be careful not to shoot it down. He¡¯s not a bird and he¡¯s very fierce.¡±

    The soldiers on patrol looked over. The ¡°bird¡± that was resting on the tree also looked at them. The creature¡¯s vertical pupil was oval shaped and seemed to carry a sharp vision. People with enough experience in hunting could tell what type of beast an animal was by judging their eyes. Some herbivores that were usually targeted by predators had horizontal pupils, whereas the predators usually had vertical pupils. There were also others with other pupil shapes, like round pupils. This way of determining an animal¡¯s species was highly restrictive and wasn¡¯t too urate, but it was still a skill experienced hunters loved to share with newbies.

    Regardless of whether this ¡°bird¡± was really fierce, at least no one treated it as a harmless herbivore.

    After he informed the soldiers on patrol, he then went up to the whistle tower and informed the soldiers stationed there too.

    The pterosaur waited on the branch for a while and only pped its wings and flew to Shao Xuan when it saw Shao Xuan appear on the whistle tower. It flew up to the tower and rested on the rooftop.

    Shao Xuan was just talking to the soldiers on the whistle tower when Duo Kang came over to look for him.

    ¡°I saw you heading in this direction. Come with me, I¡¯ll bring you to Taihe¡¯s ce and take a look. I heard they would be pretty much finished with the houses and the farms by today. We could discuss our ns for future hunts with them today too.¡±

    The Taihe tribe also needed to hunt here and there were definitely ces for hunting. After all, this was such a huge forest. The six hunting trails the ming Horns marked didn¡¯t cover that muchnd, and they hadn¡¯t even prated deep within the forest. Some deeper parts of the woods had not even been explored.

    However, the Taihe tribe wanted to establish a new hunting trail, and this wasn¡¯t something that could be done in a day or two. That was why the Taihe tribesmen had been following the ming Horns out to the forest to decide on where they would set their trail. This was still not confirmed.

    When Shao Xuan heard about this, he decided to follow Duo Kang because he didn¡¯t have much to do at the moment, but he didn¡¯t n on bringing the pterosaur. He was nning on letting it roam the area in the meantime.

    Even if Shao Xuan left to the Taihe tribe, he could still sense where it was and could still control it. Shao Xuan had determined his radius of control and knew how far away he could be from it and still control it. The Taihe tribe¡¯s property was still within this distance.

    After Shao Xuan and Duo Kang left, the warriors on the whistle tower couldn¡¯t hold back their curiosity. They stuck their heads out the window and looked at the creature on the rooftop.

    They hadn¡¯t seen a single bird in their tribetely. The ducks and the tamed beasts didn¡¯t count.

    After they came back from the sea, Cha Cha had been going out for hunts in the forest. It was probably because the food it hunted out at sea was too nd, and since it came back, it had been going out for adventures. Sometimes they wouldn¡¯t see him for a few days. As for Gui He¡¯s snow falcon, it flew too fast and only stayed near the residential area so they rarely saw it.

    The warriors on the whistle tower examined this strange bird. Yes, indeed. Most of the ming Horns considered creatures with wings to be birds. This one was just a little different from the other birds they had seen before, so they were all curious.

    ¡°Did you hear? The Grand Elder brought this bird back from the sea,¡± someone said.

    ¡°A bird from the sea? No wonder it looks so weird.¡±

    The pterosaur was resting on the roof of the whistle tower. It probably didn¡¯t like how people were watching it, so it flew down from the rooftop.

    The whistle tower was close to the ming River. Atop the whistle tower, the pterosaur eyes could scan past the woods and see what was on the river. As it lifted off from the roof of the tower, it glided in the air and flew down to the river.

    ¡°No, it flew away!¡±

    ¡°It probably wouldn¡¯t go too far, right?¡±

    ¡°Look, over there! It¡¯s heading for the river!¡±

    The pterosaur pped its wings twice and dived aggressively into the river.

    ¡°It¡¯s a duck? How can it swim?¡± The warriors on the whistle tower were all shocked. The ducks in their tribe didn¡¯t look like that.

    ¡°....I think something¡¯s wrong. Look there! What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Hurry, let¡¯s go! Fast!¡±

    When the patrolling soldiers heard themotion of the others on the whistle tower, they panicked too. All of them went to the ming River together.

    The people who were initially on the whistle tower saw water sshing wildly in the river. It seemed like something was battling underwater. They were only worried about the strange bird that dived into the river. The river was full of piranhas after all. It was the Grand Elder who brought it here. If something happened to it, they would owe him an exnation. Everything happened under their watch, and it all happened too quickly. When they rushed over, they were already a step toote. The river had already turned bloody.

    Shao Xuan was walking with Duo Kang to the Taihe¡¯s residential area, but he suddenly stopped.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Duo Kang asked.

    ¡°Wait, I have to go back. Something happened back there.¡±

    ¡°What happened? I¡¯ll follow you,¡± Duo Kang knew that whatever made Shao Xuan return was no small matter.

    When the two of them finally arrived at the ming River, they saw the crowd of people there. It was those same warriors from the whistle tower and those who were patrolling.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Duo Kang took a step forward and asked them.

    The people who were crowded there moved aside and let them pass. On the ground, there was a lump of bloody meat on the ground.

    This wasn¡¯t the pterosaur that dived into the river. It was a piranha that was half the length of a human¡¯s height. The piranha no longer looked like what it was when it was alive. Meat clumps dangled from the creature¡¯s dead body and all of the gills and scales had been forcefully torn off from it. Half a tail dangled from its body, and no eyeballs remained in its sockets.

    These wounds were not inflicted by other piranhas. Although some of these wounds were worsened by some other piranhas, they were not the ones who injured it so severely. Duo Kang had seen animals being torn apart by piranhas. It was different from the injuries on this piranha.

    ¡°This......What happened?¡± Duo Kang asked everyone who was there.

    The people from the whistle tower and the others who were patrolling all looked simultaneously at a tree not too far away. On that tree, the strange ¡°bird¡± was shaking off the water from its wings.

    Duo Kang looked at the pterosaur on the tree and then at the piranha that had been brutally killed. He then turned and looked at the other warriors around him. His eyes were filled with astonishment, ¡°It killed it?¡±

    Everyone there nodded. It¡¯s true! They saw it with their own eyes! When they pulled the fish out from the river, the strange bird was still tearing at the piranha¡¯s meat.

    The bird that they were worried about wasn¡¯t in trouble at all. The warriors who pulled the fish out from the river red at the strange bird on the tree and wondered why the pterosaur flew up to the tree and stopped eating the fish. Did it sense Shao Xuaning?

    Duo Kang opened his mouth. His lips trembled uncontrobly.

    Fearsome beast! It had to be a fearsome beast!

    How could it not be one if it was so fierce?

    During all his years of hunting, Duo Kang had never seen a fearsome beast so small.

    Perhaps there were also others that existed in the forest, but usually they would go forrger fearsome beasts. The smaller ones would be harder to find because they could hide.

    The rank of a fearsome beast isn¡¯t determined by whether a beast is fierce or brutal enough. Rather, what matters is whether it has the strength. All this time, Duo Kang had been treating this pterosaur as if it was one of their ducks. He never thought....

    Duo Kang nced at the bloody piranha on the ground that no longer resembled one. He gulped down the saliva in his mouth and said to Shao Xuan, ¡°I think I finally know why it survived the ice.¡±

 Chapter 711 - Replenishing Birds

    <h4>Chapter 711 Replenishing Birds</h4>

    After they found out how brutal and fierce this pterosaur was, everyone made sure to keep a close watch over this beast.

    For the next few days, Shao Xuan would let it roam around freely in the area and hunt for food. The pterosaur ate all sorts of animals, including flying beetles, stone flying squirrels, and even bugs underground. Whenever it couldn¡¯t finish its food, it would hide it. That exined why they found so many dead insects and small beasts within the ice. The pterosaur probably hid them all after it hunted them. Some ident probably happened back then and froze all of them up.

    Of course, the pterosaur¡¯s training process didn¡¯t exactly go too smoothly. Sometimes the pterosaur would revert back to its wild nature, and it would be quite challenging to tame. It even tried to fly away when Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t paying attention. This creature could only be tamed by punishment and not by reward. It wouldn¡¯t remember if Shao Xuan treated it nicely, so every time it rebelled, Shao Xuan just forcefully suppressed its power.

    After a few times, it behaved a lot better.

    However, one of the reasons it didn¡¯t dare fly around recklessly was because it knew that the world was different now. This was not the same world it used to live in, and it was very dangerous.

    The pterosaurs no longer ruled the sky.

    Compared to flying around alone and exploring a new environment, wasn¡¯t it much better to stay with its own? At least whenever it encountered any dangers or birds that attacked it, it could fly back, and the ming Horns on patrol would protect it from them. The pterosaur wasn¡¯t afraid of one or two birds, but if there was an entire flock, it had no choice but to depend on the ming Horns.

    Shao Xuan was only curious why the pterosaur would fight Gui He¡¯s snow falcon whenever they met. It couldn¡¯t fly as fast as the falcon, but it snapped quickly, so it would bite the falcon whenever it caught up. The pterosaur even bit off some of the falcon¡¯s feathers, but this wasn¡¯t a one-sided match. The pterosaur also suffered some blows from the falcon, and since it didn¡¯t have as many feathers like other birds, it was apparent whenever it got hurt, but it recovered very fast too.

    After noticing how they frequently fought with each other, Gui He had to let the snow falcon live on the mountain in the residential area. As for this pterosaur, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t bring it up to the residential area because it was still untamed. Who could be sure what would happen if it went up? What if it hurt some of the children in the tribe?

    However, the pterosaur got along quite well with Cha Cha and never tried to provoke him. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure if it was because the pterosaur knew it was no match for Cha Cha, but it just never did anything to offend him. Often it would even fly over andnd beside Cha Cha, especially when it encountered dangers, but every time, Cha Cha would kick the pterosaur to the side. If Shao Xuan had not warned Cha Cha not to attack it, he would have stepped on and killed the pterosaur. By this time, Cha Cha was already quite annoyed by the pterosaur.

    Shao Xuan thought Cha Cha and the pterosaur wouldn¡¯t get along well but they suddenly agreed to live together peacefully. Afterwards, Shao Xuan discovered the reason behind their truce. The pterosaur had been helping Cha Cha get rid of the parasites on his body.

    Parasites didn¡¯t just grow on furry beasts in the forest. It also grew on many birds, although most birds would solve this problem on their own. Some would use ants to clear off the parasites on their bodies.

    Others would rub themselves against some anti-parasitic nts.

    Sometimes Cha Cha would rub himself against trees or bushes, and Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help him with this problem. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how to concoct anti-parasitic medicinals for Cha Cha. He couldn¡¯t get rid of these parasites, and the feathers on Cha Cha¡¯s body had already be infected. Shao Xuan knew that birds had their ways to deal with these matters, so he didn¡¯t intervene.

    But now, the pterosaur had helped Cha Cha solve this problem, and it seemed to be quite skilled at this.

    Could it be that their species had been doing this since a long time ago?

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t figure out the answer to this question, but he was happy to see that the two creatures could now live in peace together.

    Later, Cha Cha even shared the prey he hunted with the pterosaur. It was as if they established a brotherly connection. Both of them were willingly helping each other out.

    Shao Xuan went to help out in the canal project whenever he had time. In their n, this canal had to curve around all the ces the King Stoneworm had passed, so it was quite a huge project.

    Even though everyone was still paying attention to what was happening in the desert, they just couldn¡¯t care too much about it at the moment. They figured the reason the people from Rock Hill City hadn¡¯te was probably that there was a restricted control radius in which they could control the monsters. The puppet-like monsters couldn¡¯t leave the desert unless the people who controlled them left the desert.

    This meant that as long as the people from Rock Hill City set their target on the other side of the sea, the ming Horns wouldn¡¯t need to worry about the monsters attacking people in other ces.

    Shao Xuan was just discussing with Zheng Luo about the underground tunnel dug by the King Stoneworm today. During their discussion, someone came and told them that people from the Feather tribe were visiting, and they had matters to discuss. The messenger said that the chief also asked for Shao Xuan to be present at this discussion.

    ¡°How rare is it for them toe at this time of the year,¡± Shao Xuan said as he rolled up the design blueprint in his hands.

    All this time, they sealed off the tunnel made by the King stone worm and didn¡¯t let anyone who was curious approach this petrified forest. That was why not many people knew about this tunnel¡¯s existence. There was a tunnel that allowed them to go from this side to the other side of the ming River.

    ¡°You can just go, I¡¯ll keep watch here,¡± Zheng Luo said as he took the beast hide scroll from Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the Feather tribe and had no interest in their matters, so he didn¡¯t need to go.

    ¡°Sure, just look for me if you have any problems.¡± Shao Xuan followed the warrior who came from the headquarters. He also asked the warrior how many people came from the Feather tribe as well as the purpose of their visit.

    Shao Xuan initially thought that the leader of this team would be Gu Zhi, whom he knew, but the warrior who escorted him told him that the chief of the Feather tribe came personally this time, or else the chief wouldn¡¯t have asked Shao Xuan to be there.

    ¡°Did something serious happen?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. Those people didn¡¯t look too anxious, but...¡± the warrior hesitated and then continued, ¡°I heard them say that they wanted toe to hunt for birds in the forest, to replenish their bird supply.¡±

    ¡°Replenish their bird supply?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I think the chief intends to do as they say. Grand Elder, you know it too. We don¡¯t have a lot of birds in our tribe.¡± Especially after Wu He¡¯s incident, the ming Horns had been thinking about reinforcing their aerial defences. They needed at least a few more birds to alert them if anything happened.

    Someone had mentioned this before. They even wanted to ask for a giant mountain eagle¡¯s egg from the Hui tribe and hatch it themselves, but many people disagreed. Not everyone here was capable of riding or taming a giant mountain eagle. The Hui tribe had generations of experience and could live in harmony with all the giant mountain eagles. Other people probably wouldn¡¯t be able to manage this. Just look at Cha Cha. Besides Shao Xuan, the bird didn¡¯t listen to any other people, not even Old Ke.

    These birds were too hard to tame and control, so they gave up and decided to look for easier targets.

    This time, since the people from the Feather tribe came, the ming Horns suddenly had an idea. The Feather tribe were experts in taming birds, and they knew which birds were suitable for which purposes.

    The major tribes in the central region were all busy these days. The Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe had been having meetings and seemed to be nning something. The Feather tribe couldn¡¯t do anything about this, and the Hui tribe and Tianshan tribe had been busy in the grassy ins. They were too far away from these other tribes. The Thousand Masks tribe had been gathering new followers since they merged their fire seed. They had been protecting the smaller to middle-sized tribes that had also merged their fire seeds. Some of them had failed, but the Thousand Masks tribe made these smaller to middle-sized tribes feel more secure.

    After the Feather tribe merged their fire seed, they had been nning to do something they always had in mind but never aplished.

    How much time had passed since theyst replenished their bird stock?

    Shao Xuan was still on his way to the headquarters. Meanwhile, at the bottom of the mountain at the headquarters, a few young men from the Feather tribe were discussing which birds they wanted to hunt after they entered the forest.

    During their discussion, one of them widened his eyes and elbowed the person beside him, gesturing him to look in the same direction. ¡°Look, what bird is that?¡±

    The others all looked in the same direction. On a tree not too far away from them, an odd-looking bird was watching them as it rested on the branches.

 Chapter 712 - Donâ€™t Worry, We Know What Weâ€™re Doing

    Chapter 712

    Don¡¯t Worry, We Know What We¡¯re Doing

    ¡°Is that bird tamed by the ming Horns?¡± someone asked curiously.

    ¡°It probably is, but I¡¯ve never seen a bird like this. Perhaps the ming Horns caught it in the forest?¡± suggested a girl with vibrantly coloured feathers in her hair.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not a tamed bird,¡± Hong Xi said affirmatively as he looked at the peculiar bird resting on the branches.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± a young man who looked slightly older than Hong Xi said from beside him. ¡°That bird¡¯s aura is too wild. It¡¯spletely different from the other tamed birds.¡±

    ¡°That bird...looks dangerous,¡± Hong Xi¡¯s eyebrows knitted as he studied the bird not far away from them.

    The people from the Feather tribe could tell so much about a bird by just one nce. Even though they had never seen a bird like this, they could make an initial judgement based on the bird¡¯s appearance, contour, and subtle movements.

    ¡°Should we go test it out?¡± a young man was eager to find out.

    Their team came to the ming Horn tribe to catch more birds in the dangerous forest to replenish their bird stocks. The number of species in their tribe were too limited, and they hadn¡¯t had any new species for a long time. They weren¡¯t satisfied with some of the new bird species they produced, and since there hadn¡¯t been a change for so long, the Feather tribesmen felt these weren¡¯t good signs.

    They had recently merged their fire seed, so the fire seed no longer restricted their movements. Under their chief¡¯smand, they began to search for new bird species. To the Feather tribesmen, replenishment was essential. They had also replenished their bird source before but they only had one new species for the past few years. That was why the chief came personally this time. They were nning arge scale project and wanted to capture more new species for their tribe.

    This time, they even brought along a group of young men who had high potential. They felt like this was a good chance for them to train. After all, their tribe¡¯s future depended on these young men, so they had to be involved in these ns.

    The chief of the Feather tribe had high expectations for these young men. These young men were alsopetent, or else they wouldn¡¯t have been selected out of so many others in the tribe.

    The young man who said he wanted to give it a test was more skilled in taming and training birdspared to the others present. He already knew how to tame birds even before his totemic power was awakened. Judging by the feathers in his hair, they could tell what bird species he tamed before.

    The colourful feathers in his hair were enough to prove his strength. That was also why he was so confident. Even though this was the first time he saw a bird like this, he knew that he could tame it. No matter how reckless and wild a bird was, he believed that he could tame them. Besides, this wasn¡¯t simr to the giant mountain eagles. Those eagles were special. This bird just looked a little peculiar. He was hopeful that he would seed.

    After he said this, the others were all excited and looked forward to the show.

    Hong Xi nced at the peculiar bird on the tree. He didn¡¯t try to stop him. He also wanted to give it a try, but as a safeguard, he didn¡¯t suggest the idea. Luckily someone else wanted to test it. Regardless, Hong Xi still felt that the bird was very unusual. Not just its looks. Everything about it was weird and unpredictable.

    He was careful because he had experienced getting the short end of the stick before when he dealt with the ming Horns. Just in case, Hong Xi warned again as the young man walked towards the peculiar bird, ¡°Be careful, Ming Lu.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I know,¡± Ming Lu, said. Even though this was his response, he didn¡¯t care about the warning. He had tamed enough birds to be so self-assured. These birds were of all types of species, so he thought there was no way he couldn¡¯t handle such a small creature. Plus, he wasn¡¯t nning on taming it right away. He just wanted to approach it and have some fun with it.

    This was the ming Horn¡¯s territory after all, and this bird probably belonged to them too. They were just taming a bird, and they didn¡¯t want to have a conflict with the ming Horns.

    The young man took careful steps towards the tree. The ming Horns nted this tree after they migrated here. They nted it to reduce soil erosion and also to provide a resting shade for the ming Horn warriors. The sun could be scorching at times, and they didn¡¯t have a resting ce. Even though they had houses, they preferred to rest in the shades of trees. This allowed them to be more aware of their surroundings.

    The pterosaur was resting on one of these trees. It had been appearing here for the past two days. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t let it up the mountain so it could onlye here and fly around beside the river. The warriors who were stationed beside the river already knew about this ¡°strange bird¡±. Shao Xuan called it a pterosaur, so everyone also called it by that name. They thought it was just a name Shao Xuan gave it.

    The guards who were stationed at the river noticed the Feather tribesmen approaching the pterosaur. They hurried over and asked them, ¡°What are you guys nning to do?¡±

    One of the ming Horn warriors wanted to stop the person who was approaching the tree, but Hong Xi held them back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, ¡°Our younger brother is just going there to say hi to that bird. As you all already know, the Feather tribe canmunicate with birds.¡±

    ¡°But...¡±

    The ming Horn warrior didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence, but the Feather tribesmen were already growing impatient. Wasn¡¯t it just a bird? That bird didn¡¯t even have any fancy feathers. In fact, it looked like it didn¡¯t have any feathers. That seemed very weird too. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that they had never seen this bird before, they wouldn¡¯t have even bothered to look.

    ¡°Just let him be. Hong Xi already said that we are just going to say hi to the bird. Are you going to stop us from saying hi? Hmph! As long as it¡¯s a bird, we are confident that we canmunicate with it!¡± the young Feather tribe warrior demanded arrogantly. They weren¡¯t as confident in any of their other skills, but on taming birds, they would feel disdained if anyone doubted their ability.

    The ming Horn warriors who came looked helplessly at each other. They knew that the Feather tribe warriors wouldn¡¯t dare do anything to offend them. After all, they needed their help to enter the forest to capture more birds. They weren¡¯t afraid of them doing anything to the pterosaur. It was quite the contrary. They were worried about what the pterosaur might do to them.

    ¡°But...¡± the ming Horn warrior said again, but seeing the row of people with shing anger in their eyes, he stopped speaking. Stopping them frommunicating with the bird was like an insult to their tribe.

    The ming Horn warrior beside the other warrior pulled at his sleeve and gestured for him not to warn them anymore.

    That warrior sighed, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t say anything then.¡± He just felt unhappy because he didn¡¯t get to finish his sentence.

    The Feather tribesmen were happy that the ming Horns finally shut up. They gestured at the young man who stopped midway, ¡°Quick, Ming Lu! Don¡¯t let it fly away. It¡¯s already pping its wings!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I got this!¡± Ming Lu waved his hands at them in annoyance. He continued to approach the pterosaur. The closer he got, the slower he walked. The aura around his body also grew calmer as he approached it. His totemic energy also powered up at a steady pace. It wasn¡¯t too sudden, and everything seemed to be happening very naturally.

    The Feather tribesmen could give out an energy that birds liked if they wanted to. That was why the ming Horns didn¡¯t notice any aggressiveness when totemic lines appeared on the young man¡¯s body. It was like a silentmunication was happening between them.

    The fancy totemic lines on his body were also used formunicating with birds. It was just like how birdsmunicate through their bodynguage instead of using sounds. They would use their behaviour or feathers for courtship and defence. Sometimes they would even use their bodynguage for demonstrations ormunication. These were all different ways birdsmunicate silently.

    The ming Horns were all surprised when they saw this. This was the first time they saw the Feather tribesmen behave this way, and it was very different from how they behaved in battle. Their totemic power was already tuned up to this stage, but they weren¡¯t using it for battle. ¡®How peculiar,¡¯ they thought.

    The totemic lines on Ming Lu¡¯s body were different from other tribes¡¯ totemic lines. It was constantly moving in wavelike patterns. This was because Ming Lu was still too young. He didn¡¯t have enough power, so after their tribe merged their fire seed, it hadn¡¯t wholly merged within his body. That was why he couldn¡¯t maximise the potential of the fire seed¡¯s power. If Hong Xi could fully summon the fire seed¡¯s energy, mes might even appear on his skin.

    However, everyone else in the Feather tribe who was present felt that this was enough for this purpose. He had sessfully attracted the bird¡¯s attention. This was already a sess. As long as he could attract the bird, he had higher hopes in taming it. If he couldn¡¯t even attract it, he shouldn¡¯t even be thinking about everything that would happen after.

    Ten steps, eight steps, six,......

    Ming Lu was getting closer and closer to the tree. At the same time, besides the changes that were happening on his body, his throat was also vibrating. The ming Horns could hear a muffled sound. They couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to do, but it seemed like he was trying tomunicate with the bird.

    The ming Horns looked at each other in surprise. Have they started talking? Could this be real? Could theymunicate with the strange bird? But didn¡¯t the Grand Elder say that it wasn¡¯t a bird and wanted everyone to treat it like other fearsome beasts?

    The ming Horns were all thinking hard. Ming Lu was only three steps away from the tree.

    Now, every step he took was slow and steady. Even though he was arrogant and haughty, he had to be careful at a time like this. He didn¡¯t want to make any mistakes. At least he should be prepared for anything that could possibly happen. He should take it slow and not rush things. There were also others from the ming Horn tribe who were watching him. He musn¡¯t fail this time.

    However, the closer he got to the bird, the nudging feeling grew stronger. Even though the strange bird was focused entirely on his body, it didn¡¯t run away. Instead, he noticed that the bird wasn¡¯t behaving the way he expected it to behave. It didn¡¯t fly away, and it also didn¡¯t show any signs of curiosity in him. It just remained in the same position and watched him carefully.

    The vertical pupils watched him with the same gaze, and there was no change at all in its stare. It was as if everything he did before was useless.

    How could this be?

    This shouldn¡¯t be happening!

    Ming Lu was growing doubtful. Due to his arrogance, he didn¡¯t suspect anything else. The only thing in his mind now was, ¡®Is this bird a little stupid?¡¯

    If this was indeed a bird, it should be reacting to him after he did so much, right? Regardless of their mental connection...

    ¡®Do I need to dance?¡¯ Ming Lu wondered.

    In the Feather tribe, it was not umon to dance along with birds. This was also a way to connect with the birds. Of course, in others¡¯ eyes, it would just look like a dance, but it was a dance used to mimic a bird¡¯s bodynguage.

    Just as Ming Lu wondered whether he should jump forward, Hong Xi, who was staring closely at the peculiar bird, suddenly shouted, ¡°Ming Lu, watch out!¡±

    ¡°Ahhhhh¡ª¡±

    A cry of terror came from the valley below the ming Horn¡¯s residential area.

    Many people on the mountain looked in the direction the sound came from. It didn¡¯t sound like someone from their tribe.

    However, the other Feather tribesmen inside the ming Horn tribe stood up immediately when they heard the cry. They initially thought the ming Horns made a move on their people. Even the chief of the Feather tribe who was chatting with Gui He before the cry stood up immediately from his wooden chair when he heard the scream. He could tell just from hearing that it came from the valley. Everyone in the Feather tribe could tell that Ming Lu had been injured, or else he wouldn¡¯t have made such a loud cry.

    The only people who could have possibly hurt any Feather tribe in the ming Horn¡¯s territory could only be ming Horns.

    Suddenly, all the Feather tribesmen¡¯s expressions changed as they headed down the mountain.

    Gui He and the others didn¡¯t know what happened. If it was indeed a ming Horn who hurt him, what would they do? they would protect their own people, of course!

    So what if they were wrong in the first ce? If they wanted to reprimand him, they would wait for a time when no other tribes were around. If it wasn¡¯t a major case, they would take responsibility and protect their people in front of other tribes. This was just the way most tribes handled matters like these.

    When Shao Xuan went back, he ran into a group of people who were running in that direction. He also heard the terrible cry from that direction, but he knew clearly what had happened there, so he wasn¡¯t rushing.

    At the base of the mountain, beside the ming River.

    Many Feather tribesmen with colourful feathers in their hair had crowded there inquiring about what had happened. Judging by the looks of it, it was as if they were ready for a fight if they could prove that it was the ming Horns who made a move on them.

    However, Hong Xi and the other Feather tribesmen were all blushing with embarrassment and guilt. They were awkwardly silent. Instead, it was the few ming Horn warriors who were stationed there who told Gui He and others about what had happened.

    After hearing this exnation, Gui He acted as if he didn¡¯t see the Feather tribesmen¡¯s reactions. Instead, he asked the ming Horn warrior, ¡°You guys didn¡¯t warn them?¡±

    ¡°I warned them, but they didn¡¯t listen. I didn¡¯t even finish my sentence when they interrupted me,¡± the ming Horn warrior who tried to stop them exined, exasperated.

    They felt wronged. He had been holding it in all this time. Did they think this was easy for him?

    ¡°The Feather tribesmen said that they were just going to say hi to the bird and didn¡¯t let us intervene. But the Grand Elder clearly said that that peculiar bird wasn¡¯t a bird!¡±

    The Feather tribesmen were speechless.

    Ming Lu, whose hand was bitten by the bird, was also speechless. Why didn¡¯t you say it wasn¡¯t a bird?!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s mouth twitched when he arrived at the scene.

    If you want to spread your tail like a peacock, spread it in front of other peacocks. Why would you spread your tail feathers in front of a lizard? It would think you¡¯re provoking it. Wouldn¡¯t that be a death wish??

 Chapter 713 - The Birds We Need

    <h4>Chapter 713 The Birds We Need</h4>

    At first, they thought that it was the ming Horns who were mistreating them, but when they realised that it was their tribesmen who were behaving too recklessly, the chief of the Feather tribe was slightly embarrassed. He knew that this wasn¡¯t the ming Horn¡¯s fault, and he knew it was the truth after seeing the reactions the young men had when they heard the ming Horn¡¯s words. The ming Horn warrior wasn¡¯t at all exaggerating anything.

    Why didn¡¯t he finish his sentence back then?!

    After some thought, the Feather tribesmen felt that the ming Horns had intended for this to happen. Perhaps they were waiting for this moment to make a joke out of them.

    The injury on Ming Lu¡¯s arm wasn¡¯t too severe. It was just a little shocking. If it wasn¡¯t because Ming Lu reacted in time back then and the bird flew over a little slow, Ming Lu might have lost a huge part of his arm.

    Since it wasn¡¯t a huge matter, the chief of the Feather tribe calmed himself down and maintained hisposure. Forcing a smile on his face, he said to Gui He, ¡°Let¡¯s continue our discussion, shall we? I notice Shao Xuan is here now too. Let¡¯s talk about what¡¯s going to happen in the forest.¡±

    ¡°You guys head up first. I¡¯ll catch up soon,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The pterosaur escaped to the river as soon as it bit Ming Lu. It didn¡¯t dive into the river. Instead, it swam on the surface like the other ducks. The only different thing was that its wings were extended in the same fashion as it crawled. It was gliding on the surface of the river, and its wings were like two sails erected on its side. With the help of the wind, it propelled itself across the river.

    The pterosaur didn¡¯t swim too far from the shore, though. It knew that there weren¡¯t any fish that were a match for it near the shore, but if it swam any further, it might get dangerous. If anything happened, the ming Horns could still help it.

    Shao Xuan blew a whistle, and the pterosaur that was swimming on the river instantly flew to his direction.

    Seeing this, everyone in the Feather tribe was shocked. Was that not a bird? It looked just like one, but their tricks didn¡¯t work on it at all. Shao Xuan only had to whistle to summon it over. Judging by how the creature pped its wings, it seemed afraid that something might happen if it reacted any slower.

    The Feather tribesmen were correct. If the pterosaur reacted any slower it might be suppressed by Shao Xuan, so that was why it obeyed him immediately.

    Shao Xuan touched the creature¡¯s wings and checked to see if the pterosaur was injured. Seeing no injuries on it, he let go and told the pterosaur, ¡°You can go y but don¡¯t go too far.¡±

    The pterosaur gave out a cry, pped its wings, and flew back onto the river. It dived into the river and took out its anger on the fish.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay at the base of the mountain for too long either. People were waiting for him on the hill.

    The few young men from the Feather tribe finally rxed when Shao Xuan left. They wanted to ask Shao Xuan about the strange bird but didn¡¯t dare to. After all, they embarrassed themselves not too long ago, and Shao Xuan was rushing to ascend the mountain. They didn¡¯t have the chance.

    ¡°Look over there, quick!¡± someone pointed to somewhere in the ming River.

    There was blood on the surface of the river, and something was moving rapidly underneath.

    ¡°That looks like where the strange bird dived in.¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t there dangerous fishes in the river? Wouldn¡¯t something happen to the bird?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably fine. Didn¡¯t you see? The ming Horns aren¡¯t even worried.¡±

    All of them looked over. The ming Horns who were stationed there simply took a nce of the situation and no longer bothered to look a second time. They were unbelievably calm and seemed like they were already used to this situation.

    Not longter, the strange bird flew out of the river, and there was half a fish dangling from the side of its mouth. The fish was already in shreds, but the half that was in the bird¡¯s mouth was even bigger than the bird! However, it was flying effortlessly with the giant fish in its mouth. The fangs in its mouth seemed like hooks. If those fangs bit down on any of them, it wouldn¡¯t feel good at all.

    The strange bird flew up to a tree and continued to eat the fish. Seeing this, Hong Xi was d he didn¡¯t make a move before. If he did, the one who was injured wouldn¡¯t be Ming Lu. It would be him.

    Hong Xi didn¡¯t know that if he indeed made a move, he might not get hurt. Hong Xi¡¯s control of the fire seed¡¯s energy was much higherpared to Ming Lu. mes would probably appear if he summoned his totemic power. The pterosaur was very afraid of those mes. It wouldn¡¯t even attack. The first reaction it would have was to run.

    But they didn¡¯t dwell on this topic for too long. The young men started toin about why they couldn¡¯t use feathers as a currency in the ming River Trading Point. They didn¡¯t ept feathers.

    Why couldn¡¯t they ept feathers as a currency? Those were beautiful and rare feathers! Weren¡¯t they precious? Why didn¡¯t they like it?

    The Feather tribesmen had been unhappy about this. At least in their tribe, using feathers to exchange for other goods was not umon. However, this method wasn¡¯t epted in different tribes. It was clear not everyone adored birds as they did.

    In the Feather tribe, promotions, weddings, and other essential asions all involved feathers. They could be used as ornaments and also as currency. One other reason why they tamed birds was that they needed their feathers. The Feather tribesmen all wanted beautiful feathers. Not only could the birds in their tribe perform particr tasks, but most of them also had beautiful feathers. The beautiful feathers were enough to make all of them happy.

    Unfortunately, other tribes weren¡¯t interested in this at all. No matter what the Feather tribesmen did, no matter how hard they tried to promote their feathers, they never seeded.

    However, if Shao Xuan were here, he would rmend using this method on the ve masters on the other side of the sea, especially those people who called themselves aristocrats. Those people loved these beautiful and rare goods. Even though they couldn¡¯t seed here, they still had a chance to seed on the other side of the sea.

    On the mountain, Gui He, Shao Xuan and the Feather tribesmen were discussing their n in the forest.

    This time, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to go with them. Ta was just about to lead a group out for a hunt, so he was left in charge. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t bring the Feather tribesmen onto all of their hunting trails. They would just choose a path with the most birds and bring them there.

    The more beautiful the birds, the less interested the ming Horns were. Being small and without much meat, they would never take a second nce at these birds. However, these birds attracted the people from the Feather tribe, and they wanted to capture a lot of them back to tame and replenish their livestock.

    At the same time, the Feather tribe also promised to find some bird species that weren¡¯t too big or fierce for the ming Horns. If these birds fought in their tribe, could they still live in peace?

    They also didn¡¯t need any birds like Cha Cha. The ming Horns could not handle another giant mountain eagle. The snow falcon, on the other hand, was something that they desired but they also couldn¡¯t have too many of them.

    The bird species they needed were ones that were vignt, strong and smart. If they were too weak, too slow, or too hyperactive, the ming Horns wouldn¡¯t want them.

    The Feather tribe usually danced with their birds every day. Ta heard about this, and he knew they didn¡¯t need birds like these. Who would have the time to dance with birds?

    The ming Horns didn¡¯t care about the bird¡¯s appearance or chirping sounds. As long as they met their qualifications, even if they looked like a frog, the ming Horns would still keep them.

    The ming Horns had quite a lot of requests, but since the Feather tribesmen promised to help them look for their bird species, they would keep their promise, unless they really couldn¡¯t find any that qualified.

    After they finished discussing, Ta led the hunting team and the Feather tribesmen into the forest.

    Twenty dayster.

    Shao Xuan was extracting blood from the green-faced fanged beasts. These beasts had fattened from eating and seemed to have adapted to their life of eating and sleeping. They even appeared unhappy when they were let out to y.

    A ming Horn warrior rushed over.

    ¡°Grand Elder, the chief sent for you. Hunt Leader Ta and the others are back!¡±

    They are?

    Shao Xuan extracted blood from the rest of the beasts and delivered the blood to the forge. Then, he headed to the residential area.

    He wondered what sort of birds they brought back.

 Chapter 714 - Withered Leaf Bird

    <h4>Chapter 714 Withered Leaf Bird</h4>

    When Shao Xuan arrived, he saw a group of people crowding at the base of the mountain. They didn¡¯t ascend the mountain. There was a wide area at the bottom and they still had to finish dealing with the birds. If they brought them all up the mountain, it would be too noisy.

    Shao Xuan could already hear all sorts of birds chirping from afar. He also noticed the iconic feathers of the Feather tribesmen from afar.

    The Feather tribesmen held birdcages of all sizes in their hands. Some were made from rattan, and others were made from straw. They used different cages for different species, and the shapes of the cages were different too.

    This was the ming Horns¡¯ first time seeing so many different types of birdcages.

    They had to admit that the Feather tribesmen valued appearance a lot. They even decorated their cages before they came. How fancy!

    ¡°Everyone¡¯s back?¡± Shao Xuan asked a warrior who was craning his neck to look past the crowd.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, the person immediately answered, ¡°Yes, Hunt Leader Ta and the others are back, but Ta only brought back eggs. The Feather tribesmen brought back both eggs and birds.¡±

    They even brought eggs back? Were they nning on hatching them?

    Seeing Shao Xuan arrive, the people who were crowding there made way for him to pass.

    Shao Xuan noticed how the Feather tribesmen were disying the birds they caught. Some were even let out of their cages. They had probably been tamed, but most of the other birds were still in their cages. They were all put out for disy.

    Most of the birds the Feather tribesmen caught had pretty feathers. They either had a fancy tail, a peculiar crown, or colourful body parts.

    Shao Xuan was worried that the people from the Feather tribe didn¡¯t bring back any birds that were of any value. Even though they already emphasised before that they didn¡¯t care about the birds¡¯ appearance and only cared about their usefulness, he couldn¡¯t be too sure if they got what the ming Horns wanted. Before seeing the results, no one could be sure.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t look at the Feather tribesmen¡¯s birds for too long. He walked directly in Ta¡¯s direction.

    Gui He and the others had all arrived. They were all listening to Ta speak.

    ¡°The feather tribesmen said that the Withered Leaf Bird is active both day and night, especially around sunrise and sunset. They are more active at night than in the day. I think our most pressing concern is nighttime security and since it still isn¡¯t tight enough, I think we can give these birds a try.¡±

    Ta had a beast hide scroll in his hands. Shao Xuan went over and took a look at the scroll. It was a drawing, most likely drawn by someone from the Feather tribe. Although it looked abstract, most of the bird¡¯s features were drawn out clearly. One could tell just by skimming through.

    Ta handed Shao Xuan the scroll right away so he could take a good look at it. After all, Shao Xuan was one of the people who was going to decide whether they should keep these withered leaf bird eggs.

    ¡°Why is it called a withered leaf bird?¡± Shao Xuan asked. The Feather tribe definitely gave this name.

    ¡°They said this bird looks like a pile of withered leaves. Their mother would cover the eggs in dead leaves and let them hatch inside.¡± Ta repeated what the Feather tribesmen told him. He only roughly said what he could remember.

    Even though it wasn¡¯t aplete exnation, Shao Xuan understood the general idea.

    In summary, the colour of the withered leaf bird¡¯s feathers and the way their mothers hatched them was what gave them this name.

    Compared to other birds, this was a rare hatching method. This was more simr to the hatching methods of reptiles who usually hid their eggs in a pile of dirt mixed with dried leaves. When those leaves ferment in the dirt, heat would be generated from the reaction. The withered leaf birds were utilising the heat from the fermentation to hatch their eggs.

    Most of these birds sessfully hatched from this method, proving that this bird species was not stupid at all. This made the ming Horns satisfied with the bird they found. At least they weren¡¯t stupid. Even if they didn¡¯t have a nice appearance, the ming Horns didn¡¯t mind.

    Shao Xuan looked again at the drawing on the beast hide scroll. There were a few concentric circr patterns around the bird¡¯s eye, simr to a radar¡¯s. ¡°What is that thing on its head?¡± Shao Xuan asked. There was something simr to an antenna on the bird¡¯s head.

    There was a long thin hair that grew from the bird¡¯s head in the drawing. This hair was about half the bird¡¯s height.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the crown feather of the withered leaf bird. The Feather tribesmen couldn¡¯t appreciate this crown, so their ancestors stopped taming these birds a few hundred years ago. But they said that these birds are very alert and sensitive to danger. The crown feather on their head would stand erect whenever there¡¯s danger. They have many different chirping sounds too, and they would chirp with a different sound for each situation. This makes it easier for us to know what it sensed. This type of bird isn¡¯t suitable for expedition trips and can¡¯t fly too far. They usually just stay active in one area, so we don¡¯t have to worry about them flying away. That¡¯s why I think we can try taming these birds as per the Feather tribe¡¯s rmendation.¡±

    Ta repeated what the Feather tribesmen had told him and exined it to Shao Xuan. He wasn¡¯t someone who could be easily swayed by the Feather tribesmen but he agreed with the reasons why the Feather tribesmen rmended this bird species.

    ¡°But why don¡¯t the Feather tribesmen tame them too? Is it really just because they don¡¯t look attractive?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± Ta continued, ¡°The Feather tribesmen said that the withered leaf birds are quite noisy. It¡¯s not that they¡¯re noisy all the time, but they don¡¯t get along with other birds. So once they start fighting with the other birds, the Feather tribe would be stuck in the middle of a chaotic bundle of bird fights.¡±

    The Feather tribe kept so many birds. They couldn¡¯t imagine how noisy it would be if all those birds cawed and chriped and cried at the same time......

    ¡°But we don¡¯t have any other flocks in our tribe, right? We only have Gui He¡¯s falcon and Cha Cha. They definitely won¡¯t fight with them. As for those ducks, they probably won¡¯t leave theke anytime soon, so I think it¡¯s fine if we decide to tame these withered leaf birds.¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. We can give these a go. Right, how big can these birds get?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Not big, just this big.¡± Ta estimated the size of the birds and made an approximation with his hands. They could only get asrge as the length of two palms so they were no match for the ducks.

    However, they also heard that most withered leaf birds formed flocks. Ta brought back forty to fifty eggs. Even if only half of these sessfully hatched, it would be enough for their needs.

    These birds were notrge so obviously they couldn¡¯t carry people on their backs. This was a little unfortunate but if the withered leaf birds were indeed what the Feather tribe said they would be, then it would be enough to satisfy all of them. They wanted to use them for a meaningful purpose before the number of people here increased.

    ¡°I¡¯ve discussed with the Feather tribesmen and they promised to let a few of their people stay behind to help hatch the eggs. They have the experience, after all. I even heard that after we cover the eggs with dirt, we have to watch over it every day. So it¡¯s better if we just leave it up to them.¡±

    They found these eggs inside some dried twigs and dirt. They dug it up during their search, but these eggs didn¡¯t alle from the same dirtpile. They only found five to ten eggs in each pile. Without the Feather tribe¡¯s expertise, no one was sure if even one egg would hatch.

    ¡°They said that these eggs would hatch within ten days.¡±

    The Feather tribesmen still needed to watch over the hatching process, and they also wanted to see if the birds they caught recently could adapt to their new situation so they decided to stay longer.

    The Feather tribesmen would leave as soon as forty of the withered leaf birds hatched sessfully from the eggs.

    Withered leaf fledgelings mature at an early age. As soon as they break out from their shells, they are able to go hunt for food. This would save a lot of trouble for the ming Horns, so this was another reason why Ta chose this species.

    He picked an experienced keeper from the animal pen to take care of these young withered leaf bird fledgelings. Since these birds saw this keeper as soon as they broke out of their shells and he was also the one who fed them, they felt reliant on him. Sometimes, when the keeper walked around, they would line up and follow behind him.

    When Shao Xuan walked over, the forty-two grey-coloured puffy fledgelings were following the worker to the food tank. They just hatched not long ago, so even though they could already walk, they couldn¡¯t fly well.

    ¡°Howe they look so weak?¡± Shao Xuan asked. The fledgelings¡¯ eyes were half open as they walked, and they were shuffling slowly as if they weren¡¯t fully awake.

    The keeperughed and exined to him, ¡°No, they¡¯re like that all the time. They¡¯ll be more energetic when they see food.¡±

    Indeed, when they reached the food tank, those fledgelings that were initially sleepy started fighting over the food.

    The keeper was quite proud of himself when he saw how these birds grew so energetic after the first few days. The Feather tribesmen taught him this bird food recipe, and it seemed like these birds were growing quite well.

    But this keeper was only happy for the first two days. Very soon, these birds left him.

    They left him because of the pterosaur. The pterosaur was too bored, so whenever it had nothing to do, it would throw half a fish into their pen. At first, the keeper thought that these birds wouldn¡¯t get used to eating fish, but he never thought these birds would adapt so fast. This wasn¡¯t the only case, though. Later the pterosaur even threw some smaller wild beast into their pen, and after it threw the meat there, it would just watch them from above.

    Since then, the fledgelings developed a closer connection with the pterosaur and no longer followed the keeper.

    No one in the tribe cared too much after they noticed that the withered leaf birds were still healthy after eating what the pterosaur fed them. They even got more active afterwards. Thus, some of the ming Horns thought that it would be nice if the withered leaf birds could learn to obey some of the pterosaur¡¯smands. After all, the Feather tribesmen wouldn¡¯t teach them how to tame these birds so they had to think of a way themselves. Too bad these birds were not suitable for seals.

    Thus, the ming Horns thought they should give them some time. Perhaps they would be able to obey somemands in the future.

    However, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t help but think that the pterosaur had other intentions.

    Recently, the pterosaur had been bold enough to push limits because Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have the time to look after it. They were finishing up their project at the ming River Trading Point, and the man-made waterway project was almost done too. They already built the necessary bridges, and recently, Zheng Luo had been discussing with him about the construction of the sluices at the waterway.

    They would construct two sluices at the locations their waterway connected with the ming river. The purpose of these sluices was mainly to prevent some dangerous fish or river beast from entering.

    Thepletion of the human-made waterway meant that people who were travelling upstream or downstream wouldn¡¯t be hindered by the giant bridge anymore. They could just go around through the human-made canal. However, they could no longer avoid the ming Horns. The ming Horns had full control of this waterway.

 Chapter 715 - I Come From The Sea

    <h4>Chapter 715 I Come From The Sea</h4>

    Shao Xuan had been supervising the waterway project for the past few days and it was almostplete. He had to be there to tell them which ces still had to be fixed and ensure they finished the touch-up work in time. Or it would be too hard to fix once the waterway opens.

    As for the pterosaur, as long as it did not fly up to the residential area and attack any ming Horns, Shao Xuan paid it no mind since he did not have the time.

    No one paid attention to the withered leaf birds during these few days but something strange happened to them as days passed by. They no longer behaved the same way they did before. Their nature was changing in a peculiar direction.

    However, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know about this. He only knew about the pterosaur¡¯s movements. As for the withered leaf birds, Shao Xuan thought other ming Horns were looking after them, so he thought nothing significant would happen.

    Two days before thepletion date, Shao Xuan was drawing the blueprints for some tools they needed to use for defence when someone ran over to look for him.

    At first, Shao Xuan thought something happened to the pterosaur but the person who came over told him, ¡°Grand Elder, a few strangers arrived. The chief said that if you are interested, you cane over to take a look.¡±

    ¡°Strangers?¡± ¡®Stranger¡¯ either meant other tribes they didn¡¯t know about or people who came from the sea. However, since Gui He sent a messenger here to inform him, he knew that it was something unusual.

    Shao Xuan set down the matters he was dealing with and headed for the headquarters. When he passed the stone bridge, he noticed some rafts stopped beside the bridge. Shao Xuan had never seen any rafts made from this material here. It didn¡¯t seem local. There were even some things that looked like sails on the rafts, but they were not fabric. They were made from leaves patched together.

    There were some decorations on the raft, and Shao Xuan hesitated when he saw one of these decorations. After he took a closer look, he could already guess why Gui He was looking for him.

    There was a small spiral conch shell on the raft. Judging by the colours and stripes on the shell, it didn¡¯t seem like something that could be found in the river. It was more like something from the sea.

    These people came from the sea?

    Looking at where the raft, Shao Xuan asked the person beside him, ¡°Did theye from downstream?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s also what I heard from the people stationed at the stone bridge,¡± the warrior said as he looked around. Seeing no one around, he added in a whisper, ¡°It seems like those people brought quite a lot of things. They even have cowries.¡±

    Cowries?

    Cowries were used as a currency in many ces, and they were unique because they had medicinal properties and were extremely rare.

    Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t be surprised if those people came from the desert area. Most of the cowries ind mostly came from there. Back then, the Rain tribe had so many cowries because they profited from being the broker.

    However, after the disaster, cowries became rarer ind. Hence, some people who came on expedition trips to the trading point once wondered whether the tribes that lived by the sea were exterminated or migrated. At least they never heard of anyone who saw the people at the sea when they went there. No new cowries came from there either.

    However, the sea didn¡¯t just exist in that direction. Shao Xuan had clearly said before that if they travelled down the ming River, they would definitely see the ocean but he didn¡¯t reach the seast time because they were rushing back to rece Caesar¡¯s eye. That was why they didn¡¯t continue travelling downstream.

    Now, tribes wereing from the sea downstream.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t tell the others about his thoughts right away. People who came from the sea, who brought cowries. This information would trigger the curiosities of other people who were visiting on expedition trips.

    ¡°How many of them came? And where are they now?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°About fifty. Their rafts only stopped when they reached the stone bridge. Our people brought them up to the shore. However, when they came up, about more than half of them had already fainted. Now they¡¯re bringing them up to the residential area to rest.¡±

    Only fifty of them?

    Perhaps the others didn¡¯t make it alive due to idents on the way.

    When Shao Xuan went up to the residential area, he even heard some people in the tribe discussing this matter. Whenever a new tribe came by, people would begin discussing. Everyone had different beliefs and cultures. The way they dressed was different too. There were too many differences, so this was what they were discussing.

    ¡°I heard those people even have horns on their head!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean horns? Those are just fake horns they¡¯re wearing!¡±

    ¡°Those horns aren¡¯t real? Howe I¡¯ve never seen them before? They don¡¯t look like horns at all......¡±

    Shao Xuan had his doubts as he listened to the other ming Horns.

    Horns?

    Gui He arranged for these people to live in the house they used to host their guests in the residential area. It was bigger, and there were rooms with beds and cushions. This was the same ce the Feather tribesmen lived when they visited.

    When Shao Xuan entered the house, he noticed Gui He and Gui Ze were both present. The two retired shamans were there too. Gui He was chatting with a person who was lying on a bed. That person was talking passionately although he seemed to be quite tired already. He was just forcing himself to stay awake. He was dark-skinned and skinny. There were many injuries on his body, and he spoke with a strong foreign ent. It was probably because the seaside was too far from the central region and there weren¡¯t many people to socialise with over there, so they naturally developed their own speaking style. Gui He was having a hard time conversing with him too and this person was already speaking slower than usual.

    There were some horn-like things on the table. This was probably the ¡°horns¡± the others in the tribe were discussing. However, those weren¡¯t actual beast horns. They were unique spiral shells from marine snails.

    Seeing Shao Xuan enter, Gui He told the injured man to rest and walked out of the room. He gestured for Shao Xuan to follow him.

    Those people took up six rooms. There were many rooms here. Gui He brought Shao Xuan to a room that was farthest away from the others.

    ¡°Which tribe did theye from?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Gui He¡¯s appeared confused. He looked at Shao Xuan and said helplessly, ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s doubtful look, Gui He exined, ¡°I couldn¡¯t understand much of what they said.¡±

    He could only try his best to guess what they were trying to say from some of the words they could discern, but Gui He couldn¡¯t understand what they were trying to say at all when they suddenly spoke fast when they were excited.

    ¡°However, there are probably others in their tribe who can speak better. It¡¯s only because about half of them had fainted. The rest of them who are awake are either hesitant to speak or forcefully staying awake. However, after Gui Ze gave them some medicine, it was clear their attitude improved but there are still some things they¡¯re hesitant to tell. Their emotions are a littleplicated. You can say they¡¯re full of excitement and passion, but they¡¯re still hiding something. Of course, I know these aremon behaviours, but Ah Xuan, you don¡¯t know. The way they look at us. The looks in their eyes. It¡¯s very unusual. Other tribes have never looked at us like this.¡±

    As he suddenly thought of something, Gui He took out a shell, ¡°They brought a lot of things. There are beautiful stones and these rare cowries. No, these are different from the cowries we¡¯ve seen before. They haven¡¯t been polished, and some even have rotten meat on them.¡±

    Shao Xuan took a close look at these cowries. He learned how to discern the value of the cowries by their appearance from Yang Sui. Some shells were pretty but didn¡¯t look valuable. They also didn¡¯t have any medicinal value. Some of these shells weren¡¯t cowries and couldn¡¯t trick anyone who was an expert in this field. Some of the shells that looked moremon, however, could be used to trade for more goods from people who knew their actual value.

    Now, the shells that Gui He showed him had attractive and beautiful spiral patterns and also had medicinal properties.

    ¡°These can be considered cowries. They¡¯re even better than the ones from before,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Indeed. But the strange thing is, these people act like they don¡¯t value these at all. You know it too. If they wanted to use these as currency for trade, they would¡¯ve protected them and made sure they were in the best condition, but these people weren¡¯t like that at all. The only thing they cared most about was a giant shell.¡±

    ¡°A giant shell?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I already sent people to carry the giant shell into a room. Some of those people who haven¡¯t fainted are still guarding the giant shell. I can sense something inside it. A human!¡±

 Chapter 716 - A Human Face with Fish Patterns

    <h4>Chapter 716 A Human Face with Fish Patterns</h4>

    They hade from so far downstream, near the ocean. Travelling on such simple rafts, they had to pay a huge price. When they finally arrived at the ming Horn tribe, it seemed as if their initial destination had been the ming Horn tribe.

    Even though Gui He couldn¡¯tpletely fathom what these people were trying to say, he could make some conclusions from what he understood.

    Those people didn¡¯t know who they had to look for. They were only following the ming River upstream. When they couldn¡¯t travel anymore, the ce they stopped would be their final destination.

    And the reason they couldn¡¯t travel anymore was that the stone bridge blocked the ming River. The only way for them to keep going upstream was if they carried their rafts and went around to the other side of the bridge, or else they would only be stuck here. The man-made waterway the ming Horns built had not opened, so these were the only methods they could use now.

    However, these people thought they had arrived at their destination.

    ¡°I just can¡¯t figure out why they came here.¡± Gui He couldn¡¯t understand their intention at all.

    Even though those people were still hesitant to tell them everything, they didn¡¯t appear to have any bad intentions, and ording to the warrior who brought them here, they were even cheering when they arrived. He could tell how happy they were when they reached. They could finally heave out a sigh of relief and fall asleep.

    ¡°They are very courteous and even bowed when they saw us,¡± Gui He was shocked back then too. Even though the ming Horn tribe became famous in this area, and some of the smaller tribes would try to get on their good side, Gui He could tell that these people had a different attitude. If he had to tell the truth, these people¡¯s eyes carried an undeniable sincerity.

    Since they did not express any intention to steal or attack, Gui He ordered some people to help them settle down. If they noticed anything strange about themter, Gui He would then feed these strangers to the fishes in the ming River.

    ¡°The reason probably lies within that giant shell,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Yup, but we need to wait until those people wake up, or else they wouldn¡¯t open the giant shell. The person inside the shell is definitely someone very important to them.¡±

    ¡°Make sure we know their intentions. They came from the seaside, so we can ask them about what it¡¯s like downstream too. We still know nothing about what¡¯s downstream in the sections close to the sea,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Gui He responded with a smile, ¡°Indeed.¡±

    The ming Horns could forcefully open up the giant shell to find out what was inside if they wanted to. They could even kill them and take away all of their treasures, but they just felt like there was no need to take such measures.

    This amount of gems and shells wasn¡¯t up to their standards.

    The ming Horns were never too enthusiastic about gems and shells. At first, when Zheng Luo and the others came from the other side of the sea, they were a little attracted by these but now they were already used to it. They wouldn¡¯t care too much about these small benefits that were in front of them. How could they live on in the future if they did?

    Two dayster.

    The people who rested in the house finally woke up. Those who were initially unconscious stayed wide awake for two days in a row. After some of them woke up, those who were initially forcing themselves to stay awake finally lied down to rest. There were always at least ten people guarding beside the giant shell, not letting any others approach.

    However, during these two days, the chief of these people finally came forward.

    He was severely injured and fainted for a whole day. After he woke up, he immediately went to search for the local chief and shaman.

    Now, that person was talking extremely fast. Perhaps he didn¡¯t know how to express himself, or maybe he was in a rush, his words were iprehensible.

    However,pared to the person who spoke to them on the first day, this person¡¯s words were much clearer. At least they could understand what he was trying to say.

    His name was He Bian, and he was the chief of the Di Mountain tribe. Their tribe was facing some problem, and ording to what their shaman said, he had to bring his people upstream in search of help.

    ¡°We were told to travel upstream until we can no longer go any further. Then we would arrive at our destination. This was what our shaman told us. Are you guys the only tribe in this area?¡± He Bian asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re not the only tribes here, but we, the ming Horns, are thergest tribe in the area¡± Gui He said. ¡°Our tribe built that stone bridge that you guys saw on your way here.¡±

    Even though it was the King Stoneworm who made the bridge and the ming Horns weren¡¯t the ones who directly built the bridge, it was better to say that they did. This wasn¡¯t wholly false and Gui He didn¡¯t feel at all pressured saying it.

    When He Bian heard this, his eyes brightened in respect. Even though he was unconscious for a say, he could still remember what he saw before he fainted. He saw all the houses on the mountain. It was apletely different scenerypared to their tribe.

    Especially that stone bridge. It was so reliable and extended across the river. He couldn¡¯t imagine how they built it, that was why the respect he had for the ming Horns suddenly increased tenfold. To him, the stronger the ming Horns were, the more excited he was because it increased the possibility that his tribe could be saved by them.

    ¡°Please save our tribe! We will give you whatever we can, even if it means our lives! Please, save us!¡± Following his words, He Bian bowed down to Gui He.

    Gui He was also shocked. This was the first time he encountered a chief who treated him with so much respect. Plus, this person only told them to save their tribe, but how? He Bian already said so much, but he still didn¡¯t know what was troubling them. The only sure thing was that it wasn¡¯t an enemy.

    Gui He maintained a stern expression and looked at the person who continuously pleaded for his help. He turned his head to look at Shao Xuan and said, ¡°I need your help.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the person who was at the verge of tears and said, ¡°Get up, we can have a chat about this.¡±

    He Bian looked up and noticed that Gui He had already stepped aside. The person who was closer to him was another younger fellow. He couldn¡¯t understand what the ming Horns meant by this.

    ¡°You are...?¡± He Bian asked.

    ¡°The Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan.¡±

    He Bian looked at Shao Xuan with a confused expression. ¡°What¡¯s a grand elder?¡±

    ¡°A Grand Elder is a person with the same ranking in our tribe as the chief and shaman. In the ming Horn tribe, the Grand Elder¡¯s position is even more special,¡± Gui He exined. He never expected a tribe not to know what a ¡°Grand Elder¡± was. It was just like back then when they were isted from the rest of the world. However, the Di Mountain tribe was not isted. They just didn¡¯t want tomunicate with the rest of the world.

    He Bian quickly reacted and started bowing again. Seeing this, Shao Xuan immediately asked, ¡°Can you draw the totem of the Di Mountain tribe for me?¡±

    The first step to understanding a tribe was seeing their totemic sign. It was okay for a tribesman not to know how to draw other tribes¡¯ totemic signs, but they must know what their totemic sign looked like. Plus, totems were not secrets. It was something public that could be made known to others. A tribe asrge as the ming Horns would be pleased if more people knew about their totemic sign.

    That was why He Bian didn¡¯t appear unwilling when Shao Xuan requested for him to draw. Shao Xuan brought a brush, some colours and cloth for him and He Bian started drawing.

    He Bian was not used to drawing with brushes and cloth, but he was very familiar with their totemic sign so it only took him a moment to draw out the totemic sign of the Di Mountain tribe. The lines drawn on the linen were rough and uneven because he wasn¡¯t used to drawing with brushes, but it was clear enough for Shao Xuan to understand what their totemic sign looked like.

    When He Bian started moving the brush, Shao Xuan thought he was drawing a weird, sad face with sses on, but very soon, He Bian continued to draw some fish-like patterns and scales around the ¡°face¡±. There was even a fishtail on the side.

    It was apparent the tribes close to rivers or seas liked using totemic patterns in their art too.

    It was something rted to fish. He couldn¡¯t discern anything else at the moment.

    After he finished drawing the totemic sign, He Bian turned towards Shao Xuan and waited expectantly for Shao Xuan¡¯s reply.

    ¡°The person you brought here inside the shell is probably sealed inside by your shaman. Can we see who¡¯s inside?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Shao Xuan had seen the giant shell. He wasn¡¯t close, but he could feel the shaman¡¯s energy on the giant shell. This was probably a matter of great importance since the shaman had to seal it personally.

    He Bian didn¡¯t nod right away. He frowned and thought for a moment, and after eyeing Shao Xuan up and down a few more times, he finally agreed.

    There were people guarding the giant shell in the next room. Seeing He Bian arrive, the guards stepped aside, although they all seemed nervous and worried. Somehow, they also appeared a little sad and emotional.

    How strange.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes quickly scanned the room and observed these people¡¯s faces, and then turned toward the giant shell.

    He Bian inhaled deeply and walked toward the giant shell that was tightly shut. He knocked gently and carefully on the shell, ¡°Dian Dian, Dian Dian, are you awake?¡±

    In the next moment, a dark blue totem appeared on the giant shell. This was the same totemic sign He Bian drew, but the only difference was while He Bian¡¯s drawing was a little funny, whereas this one had an unusually cold and powerful energy.

    This energy was not targeted at Shao Xuan, however. It merely radiated from the totem.

    The Di Mountain tribe was not as weak as they seemed.

 Chapter 717 - Fish Burial

    <h4>Chapter 717 Fish Burial</h4>

    After the totemic sign appeared on the giant shell, the seal broke and the shell snapped open into two separate shells.

    An unusual fishy smell came from within. It was a smell simr to fish hunted by the pterosaur.

    This smell came from a seashell after all. It was probably because it was sealed for too long. The thing that was within the shell was rotten, so it gave out an unpleasant smell. When Shao Xuan and Gui He looked over, they noticed that besides some fish skin that appeared smooth and unrotten, there was also a person.

    Even though this was a person, it did not look like one anymore.

    Judging by her size, she was a child. She was around ten years old but her skin festered so severely that there wasn¡¯t a single part that was clean and normal so they couldn¡¯t tell what she truly looked like.

    And it was this child¡¯s body from which this unpleasant fishy smell originated.

    However, even though they couldn¡¯t see her face clearly, her eyes were still sparkling and beautiful. It didn¡¯t appear lustreless or affected by the symptoms on her skin. When she was called awake, she was slightly confused at first, but very soon, as she returned to her senses, she looked doubtfully at Shao Xuan and the others in the room.

    He Bian lowered his voice. He was afraid his tone would scare the child. ¡°Dian Dian, this is the ming Horn tribe. This is probably the ce the shaman told us about.¡±

    After He Bian finished, he introduced Dian Dian to Shao Xuan, ¡°She is... a child from our tribe. The shaman ordered us to bring her here to seek help because she¡¯s sick.¡±

    Now, Gui He finally understood what He Bian meant when he pleaded for them to ¡°save their tribe¡±.

    This probably wasn¡¯t the only child in the Di Mountain tribe with this strange disease. They only brought one of them here. If most of their children were sick like this and couldn¡¯t be cured, there was no future for their tribe. This was no different from extinction. No wonder He Bian was so worried and emotional just now. Gui He couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure when he saw her either. If this happened to their tribe, he might even be more emotional than He Bian.

    Their tribe could cure typical illnesses but this was an unusual disease, and they might not be able to treat it. He had never seen anything like this before, and the cause of this disease might very possibly be linked to their living conditions. How could the ming Horns understand their situation?

    They couldn¡¯t help them even if they wanted to.

    Gui He looked at Shao Xuan and waited for his decision. He couldn¡¯t decide on this matter. He had to send people to look for Gui Ze in the medicine house.

    When Gui Ze saw the child in the shell, he drew a sharp breath but very soon he hid away the shock he had and said, ¡°She doesn¡¯t look too well.¡±

    What do you mean?

    She¡¯s literally at the brink of death!

    He Bian and the others were all saddened. They had some things to say, but didn¡¯t want to say it yet. They were only watching the people in the ming Horn tribe patiently, waiting for a hopeful response. The shaman had told them that many tribes here loved shells.

    They didn¡¯t have many other things, but they had a lot of shells. Even if they didn¡¯t have enough, they were willing to go back and get some more from the sea. Regardless of what they requested, whether it be glowing stones or pearls, no matter how big or small, if that were what the ming Horns wanted, they would try their best to look for it as long as the ming Horns could cure their illness. He Bian made this very clear. He waited for the ming Horn¡¯s response.

    Suddenly, the entire house was silent.

    The atmosphere was a little heavy.

    The Di Mountain people all looked at Gui Ze for an answer. After all, there was only one shamaness in this tribe. They weren¡¯t looking for a chief or a Grand Elder. The person they were looking for was the shaman!

    Gui Ze was just about to say something, but Shao Xuan immediately said, ¡°How about this. You guys can rest here for a bit and tell us if you need any food. You¡¯ll have the energy you need after a meal. As for what you requested, we can see that it¡¯s no simple matter. We need to discuss this amongst ourselves first.¡±

    He Bian opened his mouth to speak. He was worried sick but he knew that worrying wouldn¡¯t help them at all so he forced himself to suppress his frustration.

    After Shao Xuan and the other ming Horns left the house, they came to the medicine house to discuss.

    The Di Mountain tribesmen needed some medicine to treat their injuries, so Gui Ze sent people to deliver these medicines. They were all just typical decoctions made frommon medicinal herbs, so it wouldn¡¯t hurt to give them more.

    When Shao Xuan, Gui Ze, Gui He, and the other two retired shamans were the only ones left in the room, Gui Ze finally said, ¡°That child is very strange. There are two totemic energies within her body.¡±

    Gui He and the others couldn¡¯t tell, but Gui Ze was a shamaness and was sensitive to totemic and fire seed energies so she identified this immediately. When she saw the child in the shell, Gui Ze¡¯s reaction had such a strong response because, despite the severe illness, there was something else within the child. It was these two totemic energies.

    Shao Xuan noticed this too, so he too thought it was strange.

    ¡°Two totemic energies?!¡± This was the first time Gui He heard about this.

    Totemic energies came from a tribe¡¯s totem. Two totemic powers pointed to a possibility of them having two totems.

    How could a tribe have two totems?

    Did that mean that the Di Mountain tribe had two different fire seeds?

    But how could these two different fire seeds coexist?

    ¡°Could this be the reason for her illness?¡± Gui He suddenly asked. His mind was blown by this new fact. Sure enough, all sorts of unusual things existed.

    ¡°The reason why the situation became so severe was that a conflict happened between the two totemic powers within her body. Even though she¡¯s a child who hasn¡¯t awakened to her totemic power, it doesn¡¯t mean these totemic powers don¡¯t exist within her. This conflict exists as long as those totemic powers are there,¡± Gui Ze exined.

    They had a cure if it was any other illness, such as external injuries or poisoning, but they didn¡¯t know how to help or cure this disease. This problem was tied to their fire seed and totem. How could they solve it for them? Those people weren¡¯t ming Horns.

    ¡°There¡¯s something you probably didn¡¯t notice,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Gui He was doubtful.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just that kid. All of them from the Di Mountain tribe have this problem. They just aren¡¯t as affected by itpared to the kid.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°How is this possible?!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t just Gui Ze and Gui He. Even the two elders who were silent on the side eximed in shock.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, what you mean is, their entire tribe probably had this problem?¡± the elder asked.

    Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°Very likely.¡±

    ¡°No wonder. At first, I thought only some of their children would have this sickness, but I never thought this was their entire tribe¡¯s problem!¡±

    ¡°Then does the Di Mountain tribe really have two totems? They have two fire seeds burning in their tribe?¡± the old ex-shamaness shook her head. ¡°No, it cannot be. Or the Di Mountain tribe would have gone extinct long ago.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that they¡¯re trying to merge with another tribe¡¯s fire seed?¡± Gui He guessed.

    This was reasonable spection. A long time ago, when a tribe won in a battle, they would try to merge the defeated tribe¡¯s fire seed with their own but all of them failed. That was why no one thought about this anymore after a battle. They would rather destroy the other tribe¡¯s fire seed. At least this had been recorded by their ancestors in their notes. They had even warned their descendants not to mess around with this matter, or unpredictable things may happen.

    ¡°Instead of us guessing, why not just ask them about it? They need our help, so I don¡¯t think they would try to hide any secrets,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Yup, if they don¡¯t tell the truth, we can¡¯t help them anymore,¡± Gui He agreed.

    After their discussion, Shao Xuan went to have a chat with He Bian. Gui Ze went to look for the child in the shell.

    Shao Xuan brought He Bian to a room to speak privately to him. He Bian was obviously anxious, but he tried his best to suppress his emotions.

    As soon as he saw Shao Xuan, He Bian immediately asked, ¡°Grand Elder, do you have a cure?¡± He only remembered this person was the Grand Elder. He wasn¡¯t paying attention when he said his name, so he forgot Shao Xuan¡¯s name.

    Shao Xuan handed him a cup of herbal tea. ¡°Currently, no. We need to understand more about the situation in your tribe. There are some questions we need answers to before we can find a solution.¡±

    ¡°Just ask!¡± He Bian didn¡¯t mind telling them. He gulped down a huge sip of herbal tea in the warm cup and waited for Shao Xuan to ask. The slightly bitter taste in the tea soothed the tension in his body and made him feel more rxed. His anxiety was also calmed, so when he spoke, it was clearer than before.

    ¡°Is there only one totem in your tribe?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± He Bian thought this was a dumb question. A totem was something sacred. Of course, they only had one! How could there be two?

    ¡°And you only have one fire seed?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°Of course!¡± He Bian was even more bewildered now. Are the ming Horns stupid? How could they ask such dumb questions?

    ¡°Have you ever thought about merging another fire seed?¡± Shao Xuan acted as if he didn¡¯t notice He Bian¡¯s reaction at all.

    ¡°Why would we do something so stupid?!¡± He Bian almost dropped his cup. Their tribe didn¡¯t like tomunicate with other tribes, but that didn¡¯t mean that they didn¡¯t know such basic concepts!

    Shao Xuan thought to himself, ¡®Perhaps everyone else in the Di Mountain tribe had no clue what¡¯s going on. Many probably don¡¯t know the root cause but that doesn¡¯t mean that no one else does. They just haven¡¯t told He Bian. They didn¡¯t even tell their chief, so it¡¯s apparent the chief¡¯s status in the Di Mountain tribe isn¡¯t very high.¡¯

    He Bian initially thought that if this Grand Elder were going to ask another stupid question, he would burst out in anger, but the next moment, Shao Xuan asked a question that seemed more normal than the ones he asked before.

    ¡°Tell me about the traditions in your tribe,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Traditions? This is rted to the disease?

    He Bian gave a suspicious nce but remained hopeful. He decided to calm down and tell Shao Xuan about it.

    ¡°There are many differences between our tribe, the Di Mountain tribe, and other tribes, but the most special one is probably the Di Fish,¡± He Bian said.

    ¡°Di Fish?¡±

    ¡°Yup. There is a mountain by the sea called Di Mountain. This fish lives in the mountain, and it is called the Di Fish. They have been living there for generations, and every generation of our tribe has lived in harmony with them. Our ancestors received their help before and arrived safely at Di Mountain, establishing the Di Mountain tribe. That¡¯s why the Di Fish is also part of our totem!¡±

    Shao Xuan recalled the picture of their tribe¡¯s totem. The fish-like patterns on the human face were probably what He Bian was talking about. However, he couldn¡¯t tell what a Di Fish looked like just by looking at the totem.

    ¡°The Di Fish are an essential part of our tribe. During our sacrificial rites, the Di Fish would alsoe to join us. Plus, in our tribe, whenever people pass away, we perform a fish burial instead of a cremation, as you guys would.¡±

    The fish burial that He Bian was talking about was not burying a fish. It meant throwing the dead body into the waters and feeding them to the Di Fish. They were buried in the fish¡¯s stomach.

    And the executor of this fish burial method was the Di Fish!

    Di Fish... What a nightmare.

    If it was exactly like what He Bian had said, then the Di Mountain tribe was not too different from the Drumming tribe. The Drumming tribe had their crocodiles for generations. The only thing that was different about them was this, the fish burial.

    The Drumming tribesmen knew how to bury fish, but they never had anything simr to a fish burial.

 Chapter 718 - Toys

    Chapter 718

    Toys

    From what He Bian told him, Shao Xuan could tell that these were some of the main traditions in the Di tribe. He Bian was still vignt and didn¡¯t tell him any secrets but what he said was already enough for Shao Xuan to gain a simple understanding of their tribe.

    In summary, the Di tribe was a tribe that would rather live with fish than get along with other tribes. Their food source was mainly wild fruits in the forest and the fish in the sea. They preferred the vast ocean more thannd and rivers. They were more familiar with the fish and beasts in the sea than the creatures onnd.

    They rarely useds or forged anyplicated stone weapons. They preferred to use tridents made from horn stones or other bones and shells of marine creatures as their weapons. Hornstones were the ornaments worn by the Di tribesmen that resembled horns. These were marine creatures used by the Di tribe as weapons. Their shape and texture made them the perfect weapons, so the Di tribesmen would often look for these hornstones whenever they went out to sea to fish. Some of these hornstones were even longer than a human¡¯s height.

    One unique characteristic to note is that the Di tribesmen were skilled in diving. It was probably because of their physique and how they lived by the sea. They loved swimming and diving and could dive deeper into the ocean than most other tribesmen. Even the Drumming tribesmen couldn¡¯tpare to them.

    The sea was the main hunting ground for the Di people. When Shao Xuan heard He Bian describing the hunts they had at sea, he also felt that the sea was more suitable for their tribe.

    Shao Xuan was curious about the Di Fish, so He Bian attempted to draw a picture for him. However, the drawing didn¡¯t look like a fish at all. It wasn¡¯t even close to the totem he drew before, so Shao Xuan gave up trying to find out what the Di Fish looked like from He Bian¡¯s drawing. However, He Bian appeared confused the second time he mentioned the Di Fish, though he didn¡¯t tell Shao Xuan why.

    After He Bian left, Shao Xuan chatted with a few other injured tribesmen from the Di tribe. Some of them also mentioned the Di Fish, but these people were different from He Bian. Their feelings toward the Di Fish were not asplicated. They even saw Di Fish as theirpanion. This was a belief passed down to them from their ancestors, and they were brainwashed at a young age.

    However, there was definitely another secret rted to Di Fish.

    Gui Ze finished speaking with the child in the shell. The child said that her symptoms alleviated if she was ced in water, so Gui Ze sent people out to prepare a giant stone fish tank. Since they started using pottery, they rarely used stone tools so Gui Ze asked some people to help look for a stone fish tank that they no longer used and fill it up with water. Then, He Bian and the others carried the child into the stone fish tank.

    ¡°Seawater and river water are different, but at least there¡¯s some water. This should work better than the shell,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The child in the shell didn¡¯t express any other opinions but it was evident that she was holding in her pain. There was no way she could ignore the festers on her body. He Bian and the others even said that back when they were in their tribe, all they did was dig a giant hole and set their sick children inside the hole.

    Every day, they would refill the hole with fresh seawater. However, the shaman of their tribe suddenly thought about putting Dian Dian inside the seashell, so they filled the seashell up with seawater. The seawater only started disappearing on their way here.

    The Di people were taking care of the situation here now, so the ming Horns didn¡¯t need to be here. Even though some of them were frustrated, they were still well-behaved.

    ¡°How¡¯s everything on your side?¡± Shao Xuan asked Gui Ze. He had obtained some new information from talking to He Bian, but he felt like Gui Ze would get more information out of the child.

    ¡°That child...¡± It was as if there was a problem Gui Ze couldn¡¯t solve. ¡°She¡¯s the next shamaness of the Di tribe if she survives.¡±

    The child didn¡¯t hide this secret. Shao Xuan realised there were many things that He Bian didn¡¯t know about, he probably noticed it too but there was no way for him to learn more. They came all the way here to search for a cure, so there was no way these people were keptpletely in the dark. At least one person among them should know the truth.

    He Bian was the chief and leader of this trip, but this person was not him. Who else had a higher rank than He Bian?

    Now he knew.

    No wonder He Bian and the others were all so worried about this child. She was the next shamaness after all. Gui Ze could rte to this.

    ¡°That child was very knowledgable about her situation and didn¡¯t try to hide anything. She told me directly what happened. It¡¯s just like we have guessed. The cause of her sickness is the conflict between the two totemic powers,¡± Gui Ze exined.

    ¡°What¡¯s her attitude towards Di Fish?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°This is the strange part. Ah Xuan, you said that He Bian¡¯s attitude towards the Di Fish was confusing but the other Di people all seem very close to the Di Fish. However, when that child talked about Di Fish, she seemed cautious.¡± Gui Ze couldn¡¯t understand why. The ming Horns were more familiar with the Drumming tribe, and at first, she thought that they were simr to them. The Drumming tribe couldn¡¯t live without their crocodiles, and she thought they were the same too. However, there had never been any Drumming tribesmen who had another attitude towards their crocodiles.

    ¡°There are many things she still didn¡¯t tell you,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°When I talked to her, she told everyone to leave the room. It¡¯s clear that there are things she doesn¡¯t want anyone else to know about, He Bian included.¡±

    After some thought, Shao Xuan said, ¡°She¡¯s testing the waters and seeing whether we can actually solve this problem. If we don¡¯t even intend to help her, she wouldn¡¯t tell us any more.¡±

    Gui Ze nodded. ¡°She asked whether we can help her extract one of the totemic powers inside her body but I don¡¯t have a solution for that at the moment. After all, we¡¯ve never encountered anyone with two totemic powers within their bodies.¡±

    ¡°Extract one?¡± Shao Xuan also had no clue about this. His case was special too. Besides the power of the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed and the totemic power, there was yet another force within him. However, the only difference between his case and theirs is that the two energies within his body are not at conflict with each other. In stark contrast, many times, the power from the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed and the totemic power would be stronger and more active under the influence of this power.

    ¡°Next time, when you go visit the child, I¡¯lle along. I have some questions for her.¡± Shao Xuan could tell that the child opened up to Gui Ze probably because she was a shamaness too. She felt closer to Gui Ze. The child didn¡¯t wish to speak with anyone else other than her. At first, Shao Xuan wanted Gui Ze to help him deliver a message, but after some thought, he felt that it was better if he went and asked himself.

    They could ignore this problem the Di tribe was facing, but Shao Xuan was very curious about the cause of this illness. It wasn¡¯t just him, though. Gui Ze and the other two retired shamans all felt the same way. They all wanted to know the cause and solution to this problem. Shamans were all interested in matters rted to the fire seed.

    On this day, Shao Xuan arrived at the house the Di tribesmen were living in.

    The Di people were much friendlier to Gui Ze than Shao Xuan because, in the Di tribe, the shaman was their ultimate leader. A chief was just a secondary figure. This wasmon in many tribes, so Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t surprised.

    When he arrived, he heardughter inside the house.

    The stone fish tank was set in the middle of the room, and the giant shell was still unmoved. The shell was open, and the watermarks had already disappeared inside the shell. The stench in the room had dissipated. It wasn¡¯t as strong as the first day, probably because the child was now soaked in fresh water.

    The child was still wearing clothes made from the skin of a special type of fish in the sea. It was the same outfit she wore the other day. There were also other fishes inside the fish tank. The Di people caught these fishes in the ming River and said they were going to let the child y with them. However, what species was most abundant in the ming River?

    Piranhas!

    Yes, exactly. The toy the Di people caught for the child to y with was the famous piranha of the ming River, those that were still active and full of sharp teeth.

    The three fishes weren¡¯t too big, just the size of an adult¡¯s palm. If they were too big, they wouldn¡¯t fit inside the stone fish tank due to the limited space.

    If any other people were in the same fish tank as these three piranhas, they would be attacked by them. Regardless of their size, these fishes were known for their brutal and fierce nature. However, those piranhas that were proudly swimming in the ming River were now like small chicks being chased. They were swimming around wildly in the fish tank, jumping here and there trying to avoid the human child¡¯s ps, even though the child¡¯s hands were smaller than them.

    Theughter that Shao Xuan heard when he first entered the room came from the child who was pping the piranhas. It seemed like she was having fun.

    If the Drumming tribesmen went underwater without their crocodiles¡¯ protection, this might not have happened. However, this young kid sessfully scared these piranhas. The only thing Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t figure out was whether the fish were afraid of the kid¡¯s illness or if all Di people could do this.

    Seeing Shao Xuan and Gui Ze enter the room, the kid who was called Dian Dian stopped pping the fish. The water in the stone fish tank finally stopped rippling and sshing. The three piranhas appeared exhausted, swimming away from the child. They were literally sticking to the sides of the fish tank. If there were a crack in the fish tank, they would very possibly have tried to slip out from there.

 Chapter 719

    <h4>Chapter 719 Swallowing The Fire Seed</h4>

    The child in the stone fish tank smiled when she saw Gui Ze enter the room. However, due to her festering skin, she looked scarier than most Drumming tribesmen when they smiled. Only her eyes shined brightly through her festered skin. They were like sunlight reflecting off a wavy sparkling ocean.

    In her eyes, Shao Xuan had faded into the background. Dian Dian only nced at him once and never looked at him again. It was the same way she viewed every other person.

    ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± Gui Ze went to inspect Dian Dian¡¯s condition in the stone fish tank.

    ¡°I feel a lot better!¡±

    Although she was sick, her illness did not affect her voice. If people merely heard her speak, they wouldn¡¯t have thought such a severe illness had happened to her.

    He Bian and the others guarding on the side looked at Gui Ze nervously. When the child lowered her head to look at the fish in the fish tank, Gui Ze shook her head at them.

    He Bian and the others initially watched them with hopeful eyes, but suddenly, they were full of misery and despair. Their shaman told them to look for the solution here, but if the people here couldn¡¯t treat this illness, where could they find their answer? Could it be that this wasn¡¯t the ce their shaman told them about? Did they have to travel further upstream?

    They heard that the stone bridge was built after the ming Horns settled here and didn¡¯t exist initially. If this bridge didn¡¯t stop them, they wouldn¡¯t have stopped, and this wouldn¡¯t have been their final destination.

    For the past two days, the Di people discussed whether they should continue travelling upstream or stay here. They still hadn¡¯te to a conclusion. Some people were sure that this wasn¡¯t the ce the shaman told them about and didn¡¯t want to waste any time here. Another group felt that this was the ce because the ming Horns already said it themselves. There were fewer tribes upstream, and the ming Horns were the strongest tribe in this region.

    He Bian was frustrated and couldn¡¯t decide. After all, no matter what he chose, there was no going back if he picked the wrong choice. They could very possibly suffer extermination.

    Or should he ask Dian Dian for her opinion?

    He Bian looked over at the stone fish tank. Dian Dian was still chatting with Gui Ze while ying with the three fishes in the fish tank.

    Even though Dian Dian said her condition improved, he knew that it was onlyparatively better than when she was stuck inside the shell on their way here. She could move around freely in the stone fish tank, so of course, it was better than when she was in the shell. However, upon closer inspection, he would notice that the festering condition had worsened since she came out of the shell.

    Shao Xuan knelt and looked at the child at her eye-level. ¡°I have a few questions to ask you.¡±

    After he said this, Shao Xuan looked at He Bian and the others standing by the door.

    Those people were all looking at them with watchful eyes. They were looking closely at Shao Xuan. They allowed the shamaness, Gui Ze, to chat with Dian Dian privately, but they wouldn¡¯t allow anyone else. Plus, Shao Xuan was a man. Who could be sure what would happen?

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t in a rush. He waited for the person in the fish tank to decide. He knew that this child knew everything.

    Dian Dian slowed her movements and lowered her head, as if in deep contemtion. After a while, he looked up and said to He Bian and the others, ¡°He Bian can stay. The others get out.¡±

    She called He Bian by his name. She didn¡¯t have the respect most tribesmen had towards their chief. It was apparent that Di tribesmen felt that this was okay. From this, they could already determine how highly ranked this child was in their tribe. Even if she was the next shamaness, her sickness did not at all affect her ranking.

    He Bian wanted to advise her, but after she made the decision, it was toote to change it. So, he waved his hands and gestured for the others to leave. Don¡¯t even think about eavesdropping.

    When there were finally only four people left in the room, He Bian pulled the doors and windows shut. When the ming Horns built these houses, the wood they used was considerably soundproof. During their construction, theypared a lot of different materials and finally decided on this wood. Now, this wood was the material the ming Horns used mostmonly for building houses.

    The noises outside slowly faded as those people left, and the room was suddenly quiet.

    ¡°Dian Dian, the two totemic powers inside your body are the reasons for your illness. This means that your tribe, the Di tribe, had two fire seeds.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words were like thunder storming through the room, breaking the silence. He Bian was stunned when Shao Xuan suddenly spoke.

    When he returned to his senses, He Bian couldn¡¯t fight the urge to object, ¡°How could there be two fire seeds?! Nonsense!¡±

    When Shao Xuan talked to him privately, he also asked the same question but He Bian thought it was because he didn¡¯t havemon sense and was speaking nonsense, now...

    After He Bian grumbled, he noticed that Dian Dian was silent. She did not object.

    His eyes went back and forth from the person who was in the fish tank to Shao Xuan and Gui Ze. His mouth opened more, and from his facial expression, it was clear how shocked he was.

    Shao Xuan continued to speak after noticing how the person in the fish tank was quiet. ¡°That other fire seed. It¡¯s the Di Fish, am I right?¡±

    He Bian was already stunned by what he just heard. After he listened to this question, he no longer grumbled. Instead, he immediately looked to the person inside the stone fish tank.

    Now, the person in the stone fish tank finally lifted her head to look at Shao Xuan. There was a sign of surprise in her eyes. She never thought Shao Xuan would know this.

    She was silent and didn¡¯t object to any of these questions.

    ¡°It-i-i-it¡¯s true?!¡± He Bian¡¯s lips trembled as he spoke. His sun-tanned face paled. Even though he knew some things in their tribe that no one else knew about and had questions about the Di Fish, he never thought this was the case.

    Did the Di Fish have a fire seed?!

    Why haven¡¯t they noticed before?

    Where was their fire seed?!

    This was unbelievable! This information was beyond everything they had known before.

    Shao Xuan told Gui Ze about this spection before they came and Gui Ze was also shocked for a long time. Dian Dian¡¯s reaction proved that Shao Xuan¡¯s hypothesis was indeed correct.

    Dian Dian looked at the water in the stone fish tank. Her hands reached for the fish in the fish tank. ¡°A long, long time ago, after our ancestors received the help of the Di Fish, they came to Di Mountain and established our tribe, the Di tribe. At the same time, Di Fish became a sacred creature in our tribe, and all the descendants were told to treat it with the same respect. If any Di tribesman passed away, our ancestors would hand those bodies to the Di Fish. Our ancestors said that Di Fish would bring us to a better ce.¡±

    This was the story passed down by previous generations of Di tribesmen. He Bian was also brainwashed by this story from a very young age. They never had doubts about it because Di Fish would help them. Whenever they had insufficient food, the Di Fish would throw some fishes onto the shore to feed them, and if any Di tribesmen encountered any troubles at sea, the Di Fish would alsoe to their aid. The Di people would also try their best to help Di Fish if they encountered any troubles.

    Their rtionship seemed to be based on mutual benefit.

    However, after He Bian became the chief, he gained a different way of thinking from the previous chief¡¯s handwritten notes. Most of these were around a few hundred years old and had differing views. In summary, they warned him to be on his guard against the Di Fish, or else their tribe would suffer from extermination.

    People also had illnesses simr to this one very long ago. Perhaps it was back then when the Di ancestors noticed the problem, but the key person who knew about this could only be the shaman. He Bian didn¡¯t understand why the shaman had been keeping it a secret. It was probably because he was still doubtful or worried that this was a very disrespectful thought because of their ancestor¡¯s respect for the Di Fish, but it could also be other reasons.

    The chief wasn¡¯t the shaman after all. In the Di tribe, the things that He Bian could know were limited so he couldn¡¯t know the truth behind this illness.

    More and more people were getting sick, but most Di people never made the connection between their sickness and the Di Fish. However, what did this Grand Elder just say?

    Di Fish was the reason behind their tribe¡¯s strange illness?!

    The person in the stone fish tank never took a single nce at the other three in the room. She continued to mutter as she yed with the three fishes in the water, ¡°Seven hundred years ago was the first time someone got sick. There was no cure, so he jumped into the ocean where the Di fish lived, but the Di fish saved him. Our ancestors¡¯ records showed that the Di fish surrounded the person and pushed him to the shore. They stayed near the shore and didn¡¯t leave him. Soon after, that person passed away. Only then did the Di fish bring him to the bottom of the sea.¡±

    He Bian¡¯s eyes twitched suddenly. He heard these stories before, but when the elders mentioned this story, they emphasised how the Di fish had protected them and how grateful they were. They could even tell that the person was sick and didn¡¯t want to bring them under the sea. This was enough to show how much the Di fish cared for the Di people.

    Now, hearing the story from Dian Dian¡¯s mouth sent shivers down his spine. He Bian had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°After that, every few decades, this kind of sickness would spread in our tribe again, and it would grow on children who just awakened their totemic power not long ago. Still, there was no medicine. These children wouldn¡¯t be able to live long. At most, they could manage to live up to two years, but soon, this illness happened more frequently, and more people became sick. Now, it has infected more children than ever. Our shaman even said that the Di fish had begun to take action. Their fire seed was already strong enough...¡±

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t we killed them?! We already know that they¡¯re the cause! Kill them!¡± He Bian was growing furious, and the muscles on his face trembled, tearing up emotionally. He was so mad that even his expression looked hideous.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote. It¡¯s already too difficult to separate the two fire seeds. Even if we take action, it could very possibly madden the Di fish, causing them to attack. The Di fish cane ashore, so if we fight them, our fire seed will be damaged too. The shaman already told me before we came that we don¡¯t have much time left. Either we win this fight, or we die. But the shaman still hoped that we could find other solutions.¡± Dian Dian lowered her head and observed the fishes in the tank.

    He Bian thought about the ancestors of the Di tribe. They had been epting the stories as they passed down as the ultimate truth. Even if the shaman had other opinions, not every shaman felt the same way. Even if they noticed something was wrong, they would hesitate to take any action and waste too much time. When they finally decided to take action, it would already be toote.

    ¡°For the past few hundred years, the Di shamans have been searching for a solution, but they found nothing. This time, the shaman said he finally found the solution. It was to follow this river upstream until we can¡¯t travel upstream anymore.¡±

    As she said this, Dian Dian looked at He Bian, ¡°Do you know how our tribe¡¯s totemic sign was created?¡±

    He Bian shook his head. His expression looked as if his world was falling apart on the inside.

    Dian Dian looked at Shao Xuan and Gui Ze and said, ¡°Let me borrow a brush.¡±

    Shao Xuan took out a brush and nk linen cloth. The tip of the brush was already stained with ink. Shao Xuan made this brush himself. There was ink in the brush, so it could be used immediately after it was uncapped.

    Dian Dian looked at the brush in her hands and then bent over the side of the stone fish tank. He Bian was holding onto the linen cloth next to her.

    ¡°When the Di tribe was first established, our totem looked like this.¡± A strange-looking human face was drawn near where He Bian¡¯s left hand was on the linen. This was a little different from the drawing of the face with spectacles He Bian drew before.

    As Dian Dian continued to draw, Shao Xuan also noticed many differences in the new picture. Fish scales and fishtail were growing around the face, but it wasn¡¯t as extreme as the first one He Bian drew.

    After she finished drawing, Dian Dian continued to draw beside He Bian¡¯s right hand. ¡°Now, the Di tribe¡¯s totem looks like this.¡±

    The second drawing was simr to the one He Bian drew before, and the one Shao Xuan saw on the shell when it opened. The human¡¯s face was smaller, and there were some new lines. It looked very unusual. The fish scales and fishtail took up more spacepared to before. On the other side of the face, there were also more lines.

    If they didn¡¯t have the first drawing topare to, it was hard to notice what was wrong about the second one. Every Di tribesmen could recognise their totem, but most of them only saw it during their sacrificial rite inside their fire pond. They would mark that down as what they needed to remember, and if they remembered wrongly, they would make corrections.

    Dian Dian did not stop there, however. She pulled on the linen and continued to draw on the ck spaces beside the second drawing. ¡°If this continues, our totem will look like this in the future.¡±

    As the brush strokes painted out the third picture, He Bian¡¯s hands trembled even harder.

    On this new drawing, the face was about the same size as the second one, but on the other side of the face where Shao Xuan saw a few extra lines were finallyplete.

    It was a fish mouth.

    On one side of the human¡¯s face, there was a fishtail. On the other side, there was a fish mouth. It looked like the human¡¯s face was swallowed by the fish.

    ¡°The Di tribe¡¯s totem had transformed from a bination¡¯ form to a ¡®swallowed¡¯ form!¡±

    He Bian, who was holding on to the fabric, appeared even more perplexed and worried. Sweat dripped from his forehead as words tumbled out of this mouth, ¡°They¡¯re...swallowing our fire seed!¡±

 Chapter 720 - Battle, Or Die

    Chapter 720

    Battle, Or Die

    Could fearsome beasts have fire seeds?

    Of course!

    The King Stoneworm and the Bat Leader¡¯s existence proved this fact. Shao Xuan knew from those two creatures that fearsome beasts could also have fire seeds. He even told the other ming Horns about this. That was why Gui Ze and the others weren¡¯t shocked when they heard about this. However, this was the first time they ever heard about a fearsome beast swallowing a human tribe¡¯s fire seed.

    Even if Gui He and the others weren¡¯t too interested in this matter, they wanted to find out what was going on. They wanted to know how the Di Mountain people could solve this problem and counterattack under these circumstances.

    Should they approach the fish and battle it or use other methods?

    He Bian was frustrated. He had been guarding against the Di Fish, but the Di Mountain people¡¯s belief hadsted for tens of thousands of years. The traditional thinking that was formed across generations was crumbling in front of him. Of course, this was not easy to take in. At least He Bian strong enough mentally, or he wouldn¡¯t be able to stay calm after knowing this.

    Most tribesmen rarely questioned things such as faith and inheritance. These were things handed down to them by their ancestors. They wouldn¡¯t even dare to doubt it, much less disagree or remove it. This was why the Di Mountain tribesmen did not dare specte despite having observed unusual urrences. In the world of tribesmen, it was too hard a choice to make.

    Even the ming Horns knew this wasn¡¯t something they could do right away. Shao Xuan had once joked about it. If the ming Horn ancestors said there was one moon in the sky, the ming Horns would all believe it too.

    What about the things they saw with their own eyes?

    Many times, seeing the truth with their own eyes might not work against their ancestors¡¯ authority. This was just the way tribes worked. Even if it was the truth, the process of eptance had to take time.

    The Di Mountain tribe had to face this dilemma today because they encountered too many problems throughout this entire process.

    ¡°How could a ce have two rulers at the same time?¡± the child¡¯s voice carried unmistakable sarcasm.

    The Di Mountain tribe¡¯s ancestors probably had ns to coexist with the Di Fish, but time could only prove that this was too naive an idea. Even if those were just fish, they were fish with the fire seed¡¯s power. Fearsome beasts were not necessarily stupid. They could very possibly be more cunning than most people. They could even be smart and have great ambition, thinking way further than most tribesmen. Now, they were trying to engulf the Di Mountain¡¯s fire seed.

    They had to pay a huge price if they wanted to merge two different fire seeds. They had to sacrifice the time and effort of generations of tribesmen. This was a price most tribes weren¡¯t willing to pay. If they had the energy, they¡¯d instead expand their territory and fight for more resources. However, those fishes did it. They were slowly devouring this fire seed that did not belong to them and making its power their own.

    ¡°Then... What should we do?¡± He Bian¡¯s mouth trembled as he spoke.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was hatred or fear. He was disgusted that the Di Fish actually did this to them, but at the same time, he was also afraid that their tribe might disappear from this world.

    Most tribes thought that their tribe wouldn¡¯t exist if their fire seed were taken away from them.

    ¡°Dian Dian, what should we do? If we can¡¯t find the solution here in the ming Horn tribe, should we keep travelling upstream?¡± He Bian asked nervously.

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to go upstream,¡± Dian Dian continued to speak in a calm voice as she yed with the fish in the stone fish tank. ¡°If we can¡¯t find the solution here, we¡¯re heading back.¡±

    ¡°Hea¨Chead back?! Then what about you?! Your situation is...¡± He Bian looked at the person in the stone fish tank. He couldn¡¯t finish his sentence.

    The person in the stone fish tank turned her head and looked in He Bian¡¯s direction. Her gaze did not carry any signs of worry. She was unexpectedly calm and unemotional.

    ¡°We head back, and I will carve some things on a seashell. You guys can bring it back and show it to the rest of our tribe. Tell them that between us the Di Mountain tribe and the Di Fish, there is only one solution. Battle, or die!¡±

    Even the shaman would have a hard time convincing everyone in the Di Mountain tribe.

    ¡°Dian Dian... You and the shaman...¡± He Bian was startled by the child in the stone fish tank. He was not slow like the others, being brighter than the rest.

    He Bian¡¯s strength was not the most outstanding in the Di Mountain tribe, and he was mischievous during his childhood years, but in the end, he was appointed chief by the shaman. The only reason was that his mind wasn¡¯t as inflexible as the others, and he knew how to contemte and make judgements on right and wrong. Maybe he couldn¡¯t meet the shaman¡¯s expectations, but at least he was the best amongst the rest of their tribe.

    Perhaps the shaman already anticipated this day to arrive when he chose He Bian as the chief.

    ¡°The shaman said that we could find a solution to this problem if we head up the ming River. Is this...true?¡± He Bian¡¯s voice trembled even more as he spoke.

    Dian Dian smiled. The sores on her face were already so festered that her smile could hardly be noticed, but from her eyes, they could tell that she was smiling. Dian Dian thought to herself, ¡®The shaman made the right decision indeed. It was already very fortunate that they were able to get to this stage.¡¯

    He Bian couldn¡¯t control the trembles in his voice when he noticed Dian Dian¡¯s reaction. His entire body was shaking. If there never was a solution to this problem.....

    ¡°The shaman mentioned a solution. At least this much is true, but we can¡¯t be sure now, so this leaves us with one final choice.¡±

    The first part of Dian Dian¡¯s sentence sounded rxed, but the second part sounded like a death sentence.

    He Bian could already guess what she meant by ¡°one final choice¡±.

    Perhaps Dian Dian was never hopeful about going back alive this time. That was probably why she was so calm all this time.

    This was a matter that concerned their entire tribe. They couldn¡¯t put all of their hope in one solution. If this solution couldn¡¯t work, they had to have at least a second option prepared.

    The only choice they had besides the other solutions was battle. This was the final and most hopeless choice.

    But if they were to battle, the school of Di Fish would not go easy on them. They had been feeding on the Di Mountain tribesmen¡¯s bodies. Even if most of the people they ate before were dead, they were still Di Mountain people.

    What should the Di Mountain tribe do under the menace of the Di Fish?

    Their fire seed was already trapped and bound to the Di Fish¡¯s fire seed. There was no way they could migrate, and if they were to go to battle with most of the other Di Mountain tribesmen hesitating to fight, would they even have a chance to win?

    Many times, what they needed most was a twist in thought, time, and bloodshed. Bloodshed had the most significant effect and could trigger many people, especially when this matter concerned something deeply engraved in every Di Mountain tribesmen¡¯s heart. If they didn¡¯t pay the price in blood, the others might not be able to wake from this false reality.

    All of the people who came with Dian Dian this time were specially picked by the shaman, so they were trustworthy. If there was truly no cure, Dian Dian would not live much longer. If they head back now, she would only be a useless carcass. He Bian and the others would bring Dian Dian¡¯s dead body back with her carvings on the shell, announcing to the other tribesmen that this was the solution to this problem.

    Perhaps this could wake them up from their stubborn beliefs and shake their faith. At least those people wouldn¡¯t be a drag on them if they decided to fight.

    Dian Dian had a high ranking in the Di Mountain tribe. She was considered by most to be second to the shaman. If she gave up her life for this cause, it would definitely trigger some of these people and shake their firm beliefs.

    This was just the way shamans typically did things. They liked to solve problems with their mind, knowledge, and faith.

    He Bian was already choking with tears. He didn¡¯t know what to say. His ent thickened with emotion so Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t understand what he was trying to say.

    The atmosphere suddenly grew tense.

    Shao Xuan suddenly coughed and broke the silence. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to extract the other totemic energy because they are already tightly bound to each other. You might be able to sense it within you too. This is extremely hard to do, and if you try to force it, you might even endanger your own lives. However, have you guys tried engulfing the Di Fish¡¯s fire seed instead?¡±

 Chapter 721 - The Dominant Flame

    Chapter 721

    The Dominant me

    After Shao Xuan finished speaking, He Bian looked over at him as if he was aplete idiot.

    Of course, they had thought about swallowing a fire seed whole before, but the Di Fish had been the dominant one and had been swallowing their fire seed slowly. So many years had passed since then, and they still couldn¡¯t wholly devour their fire seed. Now he was suggesting for the Di Mountain tribe to swallow the Di Fish¡¯s fire seed? How long would that take?

    ¡°What I¡¯m suggesting is not exactly like what you might be thinking,¡± Shao Xuan exined. ¡°Of course I know that engulfing a fire seed whole takes a long time, but what I mean is you guys can take the part of the fire seed that belongs to you, put it inside your bodies, and use it to battle the Di Fish¡¯s fire seed slowly.¡±

    ¡°Put it inside our bodies?¡± He Bian couldn¡¯t understand what Shao Xuan was saying.

    Even Dian Dian, who was ying with the fish, looked curiously at Shao Xuan.

    Gui Ze understood what Shao Xuan meant. ¡°That¡¯s right. There¡¯s a way, but it¡¯s notpletely safe, though a lot more effective than the idea you guys mentioned.¡±

    ¡°ording to what I heard from you guys, there are two fire seeds in the fire pond in your tribe. These two fire seeds are bound and mixed, and many Di Mountain people cannot tell them apart. Seeing how the Di Fish¡¯s fire seed could get to this form today, they only seeded by gaining extra energy from swallowing the Di Mountain tribe¡¯s fire seed. Their part of the fire seed already has the Di Mountain fire seed¡¯s energy. Even if you can¡¯t sense it, I¡¯m sure understand what I¡¯m saying. However, even though it¡¯s hard to notice, these are still two different fire seeds. You guys can still utilise the part that the Di Fish didn¡¯t swallow, or choose to let the Di Fish swallow it whole.¡±

    When Shao Xuan noticed that He Bian and Dian Dian were both listening carefully, he continued, ¡°The reason these two fire seeds could mix and mingle was the fire pond. If you guys want to migrate, you guys can¡¯t make the decision alone. Both the Di Mountain tribe and the Di Fish have to agree before you guys are allowed to migrate. The Di Fish definitely won¡¯t agree to this, so this means there was no way for you guys to move your fire seed. Instead of battling them, why not merge the part of the fire seed that belongs to your tribe with your bodies? That way, the Di Fish can no longer take it away from you. Plus, even if the fire seed was weak and iplete, totemic warriors with merged fire seeds are much stronger than those without.¡±

    ¡°Merge the fire seed with our bodies?¡±

    This concept was too new to He Bian and Dian Dian. They would never have thought about this.

    ¡°You guys can probably sense that the ming Horn tribe doesn¡¯t have an ancient fire seed,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    He Bian had only just noticed this fact. For the past few days, he had been worrying about their tribe and Dian Dian and didn¡¯t have the time to mind anything else. It was also partially because their tribe rarely interacted with any other tribes, doing their best to avoid people on their way up the ming River. Naturally, they forgot what the repulsion from other fire seeds felt like.

    As for Dian Dian, even though she had been trained as the next shamaness, shecked experience and never experienced any strong repulsion from other tribes¡¯ fire seeds.

    Her knowledge was limited to the theories that the shaman taught her. Now that Shao Xuan mentioned it, she recalled learning about this before.

    ¡°Ancient fire seed?¡± Dian Dian caught onto this phrase. This was the first time she heard this phrase.

    ¡°Yes, the fire seed in your fire pond at the Di Mountain tribe is an ancient fire seed. Now, in the ming Horn tribe, we don¡¯t have this ancient fire seed.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± He Bian¡¯s world-view was refreshed once again. In just one day, his perception had changed several times.

    ¡°Nothing is impossible. Blood and firee from the same origin, and many tribes on this continent have already merged their ancient fire seed. All therger tribes have already merged with their fire seed, and the middle to smaller sized tribes are also following in our footsteps. You guys don¡¯t talk to any other tribes and live so far away, so you naturally won¡¯t know about this. But this is already old news. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try asking the people at the ming River Trading Point. It¡¯s just on the other side of the stone bridge. It¡¯s arge trading market we built and many people from all over the continente here on expedition trips to trade,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    He Bian¡¯s jaw dropped. He was speechless and didn¡¯t know how to react, but he knew that this Grand Elder wasn¡¯t lying.

    The Di tribe never liked socialising and lived in a remote area, so most people in their area probably didn¡¯t know about the merged fire seeds too.

    It was rare for Dian Dian to show any signs of excitement, but now, she was suddenly curious. ¡°Are you sure it can be merged?¡±

    If they couldn¡¯t remove their part from the fire seed, why not just merge the part that still belonged to them with their bodies? Now that they thought about it, it wasn¡¯t impossible.

    Perhaps the solution the shaman told them about really exists?

    After some contemtion, Dian Dian pushed herself up from the side of the stone fish tank. He Bian pushed her down. Pleading was his job. She didn¡¯t have to do it.

    Without waiting for Shao Xuan to respond, He Bian fell to his knees and bowed to Shao Xuan. ¡°Please help our tribe, Grand Elder!¡±

    Before this, He Bian had already told Gui He that if they needed anything from the Di Mountain tribe, they would try their best to give it to them, even if it meant diving into the sea to search for rare pearls and jewels.

    ¡°Get up, let me finish my sentence,¡± Shao Xuan said helplessly.

    ¡°Oh.¡± He Bian stayed on his knees and knelt beside the stone fish tank. He waited expectantly for Shao Xuan to finish his sentence. He was waiting to plead again after Shao Xuan finished what he was going to say. If the ming Horns could help them, who cared about the embarrassment? So what if they would lose face? These were all small matters to him.

    ¡°What I wanted to say was, your tribe is an exceptional case. Something unpredictable might happen during the merging process, and even if your tribe was like other tribes, the act of merging fire seeds itself was risky enough,¡± Shao Xuan went on and told them about the tribes that had failed to merge their fire seeds.

    He Bian was suddenly doubtful after hearing such risks but Dian Dian was very excited. Her eyes were gleaming with hope. ¡°We¡¯ll take it! This is the solution! I believe that this is the best solution!¡±

    He Bian opened his mouth but remained silent. He couldn¡¯t change what Dian Dian had decided on.

    ¡°Can you teach us how to merge our fire seed?¡± Dian Dian asked hopefully.

    ¡°I can only tell you some things you need to watch out for during the usual merging process. It is slightly different for every tribe, so you have to figure out the rest on your own,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Dian Dian struggled to her feet and bowed respectfully to Shao Xuan. She said solemnly, ¡°Thank you so much!¡±

    He Bian hurriedly held onto Dian Dian as it was very exhausting for Dian Dian to stand up. For the past few days, she had been lying in the stone fish tank. Only the symptoms on her hand had alleviated.

    Shao Xuan looked over at Dian Dian and asked again, ¡°Can I check the totemic energy in your body?¡±

    Shao Xuan pointed a finger to his forehead as he said this, hinting the totemic energy in her sea of consciousness.

    ¡°No way!¡± He Bian objected immediately. It wasn¡¯t the gender issue. Different tribe¡¯s energies repelled each other. Their fire seeds and totemic energies are different, so if Shao Xuan suddenly entered Dian Dian¡¯s sea of consciousness, she might suffer a strong repulsion. What was more, Dian Dian¡¯s body was also in critical condition. If they tried this, wouldn¡¯t it end her life?

    ¡°Okay.¡± Dian Dian did not object. She felt that since Shao Xuan was willing to help them and teach them how to merge their fire seed, this was a reasonable request. Perhaps he could give some valuable advice and opinion after observing the situation in her consciousness. This was enough. She never nned on going back to her tribe alive. If she could gain some valuable information to help her tribe before her death, this was already more than enough for her.

    He Bian was mad and started to talk to her in their dialect again, but Dian Dian shut him up with one sentence. Dian Dian gave a wry expression and looked nervously at Shao Xuan as she waited for his instructions.

    Shao Xuan walked over and asked, ¡°Are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Dian Dian was very calm.

    Gui Ze unknowingly took a few steps backwards. She tried to stay away from them because she had the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed¡¯s energy. She was worried that being too close might affect the process.

    He Bian also moved back when he saw Gui Ze move backwards. He retreated to the door and kept guard outside as he watched.

    Gui Ze wanted to tell He Bian that Shao Xuan was a unique person in their tribe who wasn¡¯t afraid of repulsion. Other fire seeds wouldn¡¯t react to his energy, but she had to step back because her fire seed was different. She wanted to tell He Bian that he didn¡¯t have to stay far away because his energy was the same as Dian Dian¡¯s, but seeing how he nervously guarded the door, she kept quiet.

    He Bian leaned against the door with both fists clenched. His eyes stared unblinkingly in their direction as Shao Xuan lifted a finger and pointed to the space between Dian Dian¡¯s eyebrows.

    Dian Dian was also paying close attention to what was happening in her consciousness. Inside, the Di tribe¡¯s totemic sign was simr to the second drawing she drew. Some new lines had appeared on the other side of the face, and a blurry outline of a fish¡¯s mouth wasing topletion.

    The mes around the totemic sign didn¡¯t look strange at all. It was all blue. However, she knew that this was a mixture of two mes, but mostly the Di fish¡¯s mes. The Di fish¡¯s mes surrounded the Di tribe¡¯s mes and were almost ready to engulf it. That was why she was so ill.

    However, a part of the Di tribe¡¯s fire seed was also constantly fighting back, but it was stuck in the centre, surrounded by the Di fish¡¯s fire, so it wasn¡¯t obvious.

    Suddenly, a white me appeared in Dian Dian¡¯s consciousness. When this me appeared, the other two mes in her consciousness suddenly calmed down.

    It was just like how two enemies in a battle suddenly stopped fighting when they saw a stronger opponent. They were caught by surprise.

    Dian Dian¡¯s illness was getting severe because the two mes were battling each other. Now that this battle suddenly stopped, Dian Dian also felt more rxed. The pain caused by the sores were still there, but it was a lot weaker than before.

    He Bian finally calmed down when he saw that Dian Dian wasn¡¯t in pain anymore.

    Shao Xuan saw the situation in Dian Dian¡¯s sea of consciousness. From his perspective, the Di tribe¡¯s totemic mes were blue, rolling like waves across an ocean of fire.

    The totem was clear, and seeing how the fish¡¯s mouth was slowlying into shape, he knew that what Dian Dian told them before was indeed the truth. The totemic mes seemed only to have one colour, but Shao Xuan could tell clearly which part belonged to the Di tribe and which part belonged to the Di fish. Even though they were simr and both blue, they appeared as different as ck and white in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

    The situation was indeed critical. The Di fish¡¯s mes were surrounding the Di people¡¯s mes, and on the surface, it seemed like only a small fraction of the Di people¡¯s mes were still struggling to fight.

    At this moment, Shao Xuan felt that he could perhaps lend them a hand?

    The white mes gushed toward the totemic mes, yet Dian Dian did not feel any repulsion. This was strange. It was entirely different from what the shaman had taught her.

    The white mes tested the fires and tried to dive into the blue. It was like a sword splitting apart eternal darkness.

    As this happened, the Di tribe¡¯s mes took this chance and gushed upward as they tried to escape!

 Chapter 722 - Revenge

    Chapter 722

    Revenge

    Initially, Dian Dian was being attacked in her consciousness, and the Di fish¡¯s mes were surrounding her. When her own mes suddenly surged upward, the gap grew wider until the Di tribe¡¯s mes broke free from the siege.

    The battle continued, even more, intense than before.

    Dian Dian had only felt slightly better, but suddenly, an unbearable pain shot through all the sores on her body. She endured the pain through gritted teeth.

    Did the fire seed¡¯s repulsion cause it?

    No, that wasn¡¯t the repulsion. The new me in her consciousness was not the reason behind this sudden pain. Instead, it was because the two totemic powers in her body had started to fight again!

    The only difference between those who were sick and weren¡¯t suffering in the Di tribe- no, to be precise, those who had a severe illness and those that were less ill- was that the two totemic energies in the former could not coexist, so they were fighting to survive. Dian Dian belonged to the former group. Thetter, on the other hand, was still not in a critical condition. The energies within their bodies were not fighting. He Bian belonged to thetter group.

    Now, as these two totemic powers battled each other, the Di tribe¡¯s totemic energy was fighting back vigorously. Dian Dian was getting farther away from her predestined death. She was fighting to survive!

    He Bian wanted to get close when he saw Dian Dian in pain, but Gui Ze held him back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not a bad sign.¡±

    He Bian couldn¡¯t feel anything, but as the shamaness, Gui Ze could feel the energy of the Di tribe¡¯s totemic mes strengthening.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a bad sign? But Dian Dian doesn¡¯t seem like she¡¯s fine!¡± He Bian was anxious. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that they were trying to merge their fire seed, he would have attacked Shao Xuan by now.

    ¡°Wait there!¡± Dian Dian suddenly shouted. Her voice sounded constrained as if those words were forcefully summoned under immense pain but it was enough to show her determination. She would not allow He Bian to intervene.

    Thus, He Bian could only stand there and wait nervously. His eyes were affixed on Dian Dian, and he was worried that an ident might happen. There was no cure for Dian Dian¡¯s sickness, and she was already on the brink of death. She probably only had ten days left to live, but every day was precious. It would be priceless if she could even live one more day. Couldn¡¯t she stay alive for ten more days?

    However, no matter how worried He Bian was, he could not object to Dian Dian¡¯s decision.

    After Dian Dian shouted for him to wait there, she no longer paid any attention to He Bian. The two totemic mes in Dian Dian¡¯s consciousness fought even more intensely than before, but what¡¯s strange was that the Di tribe¡¯s totemic energy was strengthening greatly too.

    Besides the time when she had just woken up, she had never felt such active totemic energy!

    The totemic energy within her body had been weak because she was sick for so long. It was retreating and giving in to the Di fish¡¯s attacks. However, even though she was so ill, she suddenly felt like her energy peaked! The longer she fought, the stronger she became!

    It was unbelievable!

    Another unbelievable fact was that the white me merely stayed on the side in her sea of consciousness. The two mes fought each other but never bothered even to pay any attention to that white me. No matter how hard they fought, they didn¡¯t make a single move on that me.

    Usually, if any foreign tribe¡¯s energy came within her body, there would be a strong repulsive reaction. Now, the white mes in her consciousness were foreign, but there was no repulsive reaction at all. Instead, Dian Dian felt that her totemic mes in her consciousness grew more robust in this white me¡¯s presence.

    But this was not the time to pay attention to that white me anymore. Instead, she should be focusing all her attention on fighting back.

    In her consciousness, the Di tribe¡¯s mes were inseparable from her. They were one and the same. Dian Dian¡¯s thoughts and intentions could influence the me¡¯s behaviour.

    Ever since Dian Dian became sick, she felt immense pain whenever she tried to activate her totemic power. But now, Dian Dian couldn¡¯t care anymore. It was either fight or die, so why not give it her all?!

    As her totemic energy peaked, the totemic lines surfaced under her festered skin. Even though she could hardly feel it due to the sores on her body, dark coloured blood flowed out from her festered wounds.

    This was not the first time this happened. Whenever her condition worsened, this would happen, but the blood flowed a lot faster than before.

    The clear water suddenly turned murky and dark in the stone fish tank as blood flowed from her wounds. Small delicate parts of her skin shed off into the water.

    When the blood seeped into the stone fish tank, the three piranhas jumped wildly like mad flies and mmed themselves against the wall of the stone fish tank, making loud nging sounds. Very soon, these nging sounds weakened and faded until they no longer mmed themselves against the wall.

    He Bian craned his neck to look. The three piranhas were dead, and their overturned bodies floated to the surface of the murky water. Their eyes were bloodshot, and their tiny sharp fangs could be seen through their open mouths.

    Are they dead?

    Shao Xuan could feel the energies in Dian Dian¡¯s body. He wanted to leave the battlefield, but whenever he tried to pull away from the white me, the Di tribe¡¯s mes would weaken. The closer his white mes were to the other mes, the stronger the Di tribe¡¯s mes became.

    After he tested this several times, he noticed that it was simr to what happened before. That white me could influence other totemic mes to be stronger and more active.

    Those white mes originated from another energy within Shao Xuan¡¯s body. It was the bright light that covered his totemic mes. Its power was simr to that of the fire seed, but it would never cause any foreign fire seed¡¯s to repel. This happened with the Drumming tribe, the Rain tribe, and other tribes. Dian Dian¡¯s case once again confirmed this fact.

    The energy of totemic mes came from the fire seed. Even the fire seed wouldn¡¯t repel this energy, so needless to say, totemic energies wouldn¡¯t repel it either. In contrast, whenever he summoned this energy, all sorts of totemic energies, including the ming Horns and other tribes¡¯, would be more active. Shao Xuan had been doubtful back then as to how the rain fell in the Rain tribe.

    How did the Drumming tribe¡¯s water moon ancient stones transform into water moon stones in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands? How did the water sun ancient stone be the water sun stone? These were all connected to that power in his body. Up till now, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t figure out what this energy was.

    Once again, Shao Xuan drew the white me closer to the Di tribe¡¯s totem. The closer he was, the stronger the Di tribe¡¯s totemic mes became. In contrast, the Di fish¡¯s totemic mes would weaken whenever his mes got close.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dare dive into the mes immediately. This would get out of control, so he slowly tested his power. This white me was like a giant hand that influenced the battle. With one push from these mes, the Di tribe¡¯s mes grew stronger as it fought back.

    The Di tribe¡¯s totemic mes were changing as Shao Xuan drew the white mes closer.

    ¡°Pull it out!¡± Dian Dian suddenly gasped.

    She didn¡¯t mean for Shao Xuan to remove the white me from her consciousness. Instead, she tried to tell Shao Xuan to pull it away from where the Di tribe¡¯s totemic mes were. She tried to use the Di tribe¡¯s mes to do exactly what the Di fish did to them!

    No, to be specific, this was Dian Dian¡¯s n. The Di fish was nning on swallowing her fire seed whole, but under Shao Xuan¡¯s intervention, everything had changed. Dian Dian wanted to take this chance to take her revenge, and use the same method on the Di fish¡¯s totemic mes!

    Shao Xuan could feel the murderous energy and hatreding from the Di tribe¡¯s mes in Dian Dian¡¯s sea of consciousness.

    Now, the Di tribe¡¯s mes were already surrounding the Di fish¡¯s mes.

    Swallow it whole!

    The Di fish wanted to fight back, but now, the Di tribe¡¯s mes were too strong. When the Di tribe¡¯s mes surrounded them, the Di fish¡¯s mes didn¡¯t even have any space to fight back. They were surrounded. It was like a predator had swallowed them whole.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t leave immediately. He waited patiently on the side for the Di tribe¡¯s mes to grow stronger, until it was a confirmed win.

    Meanwhile, Shao Xuan also noticed that the totem had begun to change in Dian Dian¡¯s sea of consciousness.

    The Di tribe and the Di fish had been sharing the same totem, so the totem would naturally move closer to the dominant me.

    Now, the lines representing two eyes on the totem¡¯s face were thickening, as if a pair of eyes were finally opening!

    The human face was growing wider in all directions. The scales of the fish and the fishtail were all moving!

    Amidst the rolling mes, the face that was initially covered by fish lines returned to its initial look. The human face was bing more apparent, and the fish scales were shrinking and slowly disappearing. The fish mouth that was slowly forming also faded in the mes.

    The swallowing process usually took a long time, but now, it was happening at a speed observable by the naked eye!

    The swallowing process sped up even more as the Di tribe regained the energy it had lost before.

 Chapter 723 - Mermaid?

    Chapter 723

    Mermaid?

    Shao Xuan withdrew his white mes from Dian Dian¡¯s sea of consciousness after the Di tribe¡¯s mespletely swallowed the Di fish¡¯s mes.

    He looked around after moving his finger away from Dian Dian¡¯s forehead. The water moon stones in the room gave out a lunar-white incandescent that lit the room. There was no longer any lighting from the cracks in the windows.

    ¡°It¡¯s nighttime already?¡± Shao Xuan was shocked.

    ¡°Yes. The sun just set not too long ago,¡± Gui Ze handed Shao Xuan a jade bottle filled with medicinal pills.

    Even though Gui Ze had no clue what happened, she was shocked that it took an entire day. This process had no doubt drained their energy. The Taihe tribe newly decocted these medicinal pills, and they could help with replenishing totemic energy. Even though this could notpare to the fire crystals, it was better than not doing anything.

    ¡°Grand Elder, how is Dian Dian?¡± He Bian walked over in light steps and asked Shao Xuan in a low voice.

    The person in the stone fish tank seemed to be asleep. Her calm breathing showed that she was still alive. He didn¡¯t dare disturb Dian Dian, so he could only ask Shao Xuan.

    ¡°She¡¯s fine now,¡± Shao Xuan popped a pill into his mouth. Although he was just watching from the side, maintaining the white me drained a lot of his energy.

    ¡°F-fine? What does that mean?¡± He Bian asked confusedly.

    ¡°If everything was sessful, she will probably recover.¡± Since Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure what would happen in the future, he could only tell him what he knew at the moment. This change only happened for Dian Dian, after all. Even if she fully recovered, if their tribe¡¯s fire seed lost the battle against the Di fish, she wouldn¡¯t have a good ending either.

    ¡°Recover?! You mean Dian Dian won¡¯t die anymore? She¡¯ll be fine?¡± He Bian was so shocked he forgot to lower his volume, so he immediately asked again in a low voice, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yup. Just check on her again tonight. Gui Ze will give you guys some medicine to feed her.¡± Shao Xuan went to check on the situation in Dian Dian¡¯s consciousness once again to make sure. Nothing changed. It was still the same as before. She needed some time to adapt after engulfinf the Di fish¡¯s fire seed. It was just like a giant python that had just swallowed its prey. It required some time to digest its food. As for this, Shao Xuan could not help her anymore even if he wanted to.

    After he left this house, Shao Xuan went to exin Dian Dian¡¯s condition to Gui Ze.

    Gui Ze was shocked when he heard that Shao Xuan had an extraordinary power other ming Horns didn¡¯t know about. After some thought, she said, ¡°She should be fine now since the totem has returned to how it initially looked. However, since Dian Dian is the only one who changed and the other Di people are still the same, are they going to continue with the merging of their fire seed?¡±

    ¡°Probably. There¡¯s no other way to solve this problem.¡±

    After Gui Ze and Shao Xuan left, He Bian looked for two soldiers he trusted most to take turns looking after the stone fish tank. The others were told to keep guard outside.

    Inside the room, the light from the water moons stone allowed He Bian to see the stone fish tank¡¯s situation.

    Dian Dian was no longer bleeding. A lot of rotten skin had shed from her body. Now, the colour of the water had changed, and it had also be turbid.

    Di people liked water, but they didn¡¯t like murky water. That was why He Bian scooped the murky water out of the stone fish tank. He scooped out the three dead fish out of the water because they would rot and begin to smell if he didn¡¯t. Then, he added some new water into the tank while careful not to make any noises. He was worried that it would affect Dian Dian¡¯s recovery.

    After he finished changing the water, He Bian and another warrior called Du Lan carried the murky water out of the room. After they left the room, Du Lan finally asked He Bian, ¡°Chief, can Dian Dian recover?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The ming Horn Grand Elder said so. Perhaps the solution our shaman told us about really exists!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great! Our tribe can be saved!¡±

    Seeing how excited Bo Lan was, He Bian had some things to tell him but he held his tongue. He was afraid of saying something he shouldn¡¯t so he thought he should wait until Dian Dian woke up before deciding what to tell the others. After all, some of these topics were too sensitive.

    Time passed by quickly as He Bian worried about the future.

    He Bian did not sleep that night, nor did any other Di tribesmen. They agreed to take turns keeping watch, but no one could fall asleep.

    The two moons had disappeared, and the sun shone on the great earth once again.

    They gently pulled apart the curtains and let the natural light into the room. They no longer needed water moon stones.

    He Bian walked over to the stone fish tank to look after picking up all the water moon stones.

    More than half of Dian Dian¡¯s body was submerged in water. Only her nostrils remained above water as she breathed. Her breath was light and long. It was stable and didn¡¯t seem like a sick person¡¯s breath at all. He Bian could even feel Dian Dian¡¯s life force growing stronger. It was a lot betterpared to when they first arrived.

    He Bian had been stressed about this, but he was suddenly feeling happier. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the sunlight or that Dian Dian was getting better though.

    Even though they changed the water inside the stone fish tank the night before, it had be murky again after a night¡¯s time. Rotten skin continued to shed from Dian Dian¡¯s body. He Bian wasn¡¯t sure if Dian Dian was in good condition, but judging by the part of her head above water, she seemed to have gotten better. At least the sores on her face improved. Even though they still couldn¡¯t see how she looked like before, they could tell that her condition was getting better.

    He Bian nudged the other soldiers beside him and said in a low voice, ¡°Get some water.¡±

    It was evident that the water needed to be changed again. The Di people prioritized hygiene. They only looked dirty when they came because the conditions on their way here didn¡¯t allow them to be clean, but they could bear it. They just couldn¡¯t stand seeing Dian Dian in pain. She was the next shamaness of their tribe, the core of the Di people.

    He Bian was just about to move some water when he heard the sound of watering from the stone fish tank. He immediately looked over.

    The person who was initially asleep finally opened her eyes wide. There was even a flicker of surprise in her eyes.

    She was familiar with her own body and could feel that most of the pain had faded. Her body was now more rxed, and her totemic energy felt recharged since she finally finished digesting the Di fish¡¯s energy.

    After waking up, Dian Dian could feel the totemic energy welling up within her once again.

    This was indeed worthy of celebration, but very soon, Dian Dian noticed that something was wrong.

    He Bian and the others were just about to walk over and ask her what was wrong. From her eyes they could tell that she was at first ted, then doubtful, then dumbfounded.

    A scream came from the room. Water sshed as Dian Dian panicked and screamed. He Bian rushed out of the room and went to search for Shao Xuan. He didn¡¯t know where he lived, so he could only ask the ming Horns who were there. When he asked them, he spoke fast with a strong ent. The ming Horns tried their best to understand him, and after listening a few times, they finally caught the words ¡°Grand Elder¡±.

    Shao Xuan had just walked out of his door when he heard a person calling his name. When he looked over, a person running at the speed of wind ran up to him and knelt in front of him.

    ¡°It¡¯s so early in the morning. There¡¯s no need for such gestures of respect,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°No... No!¡±

    He Bian was just too exhausted from running. He was so shocked and worried that he already fell twice on his way here. On one of his falls, he even tumbled a distance before getting up on his feet again. Some ming Horns who saw this scene wondered whether the Di tribesmen had a hard time walking.

    He was shocked and nervous, so the harder he tried to exin, the harder it got. Finally, he had no choice but to run to where Shao Xuan lived.

    When Shao Xuan saw He Bian, he knew that something had probably happened to Dian Dian. He sent people to inform Gui Ze and Gui He before following He Bian to the scene. He wouldn¡¯t understand the situation by listening to He Bian¡¯s exnation. He had to see it for himself.

    When he arrived at the house, Shao Xuan saw more than twenty Di warriors waiting outside. All of them looked anxious or confused as if they were shocked by something.

    One of them was trying to drink some water to calm himself down, but his hands shook so much that the water spilt even before the cup reached his mouth. However, that person waspletely unaware of it, so his hands still brought the empty cup to his mouth.

    As he reached the corridor near the room where the stone fish tank was, Shao Xuan saw ten other Di people with terrified looks. He couldn¡¯t help but frown at such a sight.

    What happened? Why were these people so scared?

    Dian Dian was not dying this time. If she was dying, He Bian and the others would look sad. There was no sadness in their eyes at all.

    Sound of water being pped around could be heard inside the room. It was a lot louder than the ngs made by the fish yesterday. This did not sound like a p that came from a child¡¯s bare hands. There was noughter today and the atmosphere was weird.

    The pping sounds stopped as Shao Xuan arrived at the scene.

    He was finally standing in front of the door. Some Di people beside the door were soaked, but Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care too much about them. He walked quickly into the room to see what was going on.

    ¡°What happened?! OH!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s feet stopped where they were, and his expression was stunned too. For a while, he maintained a shocked look.

    What! The! Heck!

    He lifted a finger and pointed to the stone fish tank¡¯s direction. No words came out of his mouth.

    Gui He, Gui Ze, and the two retired shamans also arrived behind Shao Xuan after hearing the news. Gui Ze nned to check on Dian Dian¡¯s situation after she received Shao Xuan¡¯s help, but the other three came due to pure curiosity.

    However, when the four of them arrived at the door and saw what was inside, even Gui He, who was usually calm and steady, jumped in surprise.

    Dian Dian was lying in the stone fish tank inside the room. Her upper body was still the same. She was wearing the same clothes made from marine fish skin. However, the lower half of her body had... A fishtail!

    Gui He wanted to ask, ¡®Is that a human or animal?!¡¯ He was too shocked when he saw this, but didn¡¯t say anything since he wasn¡¯t clear about the situation. The question looped in his mind.

    Initially, he thought that the half-breed ve Yi Si brought over was unique enough, but they never thought such a huge surprise awaited them here.

    Shao Xuan finally returned to his senses. He breathed in deeply and tried his best to calm down. ¡°A mermaid?¡±

    Dian Dian was fearless even at the brink of death, but now, she was shocked as any child would be. Her eyes were bloodshot, and she almost cried. She had only swallowed the part of the energy that belonged to the Di fish. Why was this happening? Now she¡¯s neither human nor fish!

 Chapter 724 - Testing The Waters

    Chapter 724

    Testing The Waters

    Shao Xuan never expected to see anything like this.

    ¡°Is this what happens when a Di person activates their totemic energy?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°No! Definitely not!!¡± He Bian was shaking his head wildly.

    This had never happened in the history of the Di tribe. It had never been recorded in any of their ancestors¡¯ handbooks. At least it wasn¡¯t in the ones that were passed down to them, or they wouldn¡¯t have been so shocked by this sight.

    They were used to living with fish, but they never thought they would actually be a fish one day!

    ¡°That¡¯s weird.¡±

    After Shao Xuan calmed down, he walked over to the stone fish tank to look closer.

    Dian Dian was already in a mental breakdown and didn¡¯t know what to say. She could only helplessly flick the tail that she believed shouldn¡¯t have appeared and tried to convince herself that this was just a dream.

    Shao Xuan heard the nging sounds before he walked in and it was exactly the sound Dian Dian was making now with her tail. It was the sound of her tail moving. The water in the stone fish tank was also disced when she flicked her tail. The water sshed everywhere, and the floor was all wet with water stains. Everyone on guard was also soaked.

    However, no one cared to wipe away the water during this time. They could only stand there idly and think about what they could do.

    ¡°Let me check your totem,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Dian Dian didn¡¯t object. She looked at Shao Xuan with expectant eyes, hoping he could find an answer.

    Shao Xuan ced his hand close to the space between Dian Dian¡¯s eyebrows and the white me once again entered her sea of consciousness.

    The Di tribe¡¯s totem was already stable. There were no sudden changes and looked exactly like the way Shao Xuan saw it when he left. The human face took up most of the space, and there were no fish mouths. Even the fish scales had shrunk. When Shao Xuan looked at it, he noticed the most apparent features were the human face and the body of a fish.

    Most of the lines on the human face had already disappeared, and the ¡°eyes¡± were slightly open. The fishtail shook as the totemic mes in her body activated.

    Judging by her totem, he could tell that the totemic energy inside Dian Dian¡¯s body was powerful.

    ¡°Can you stop this using your totemic energy?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t control it.¡± Dian Dian was also frustrated. Since she swallowed the Di fish¡¯s fire seed yesterday, the totemic power had been very active inside of her, so she hadn¡¯t been able to gain control over this energy.

    Now Shao Xuan was confused too.

    The Di tribe¡¯s situation was unique so he couldn¡¯tpare it to other situations.

    If he purely judged the situation by the totem and mes in Dian Dian¡¯s consciousness, it was clear that this was beneficial for Dian Dian. At least her condition was stable now.

    After noticing that nothing was wrong, he drew his finger away and asked again, ¡°How do you feel now?¡±

    ¡°Not too well,¡± Dian Dian wagged her fishtail against the wall of the stone fish tank, causing loud nging sounds.

    No one would be able to cope with a tail if they had been human for all their life, and they wouldn¡¯t feel good too.

    ¡°I¡¯m not asking about that. What I mean is, are you still ill? Do you still feel weak?¡±

    Her fishtail gradually stopped mming against the stone fish tank. Due to the shock she had early this morning, Dian Dian never tried to calm down and investigate. She just knew that she seeded in swallowing the Di fish¡¯s energy. However, after hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s question, she checked her body to see any changes. There was no one else who understood her situation more than herself.

    The illness caused by the conflicting energies had disappeared. Now, Dian Dian only had the Di tribe¡¯s totemic energy, and the swallowed fire seed had not wholly merged, and it wouldn¡¯t merge anytime soon, but at least they solved the problem at its core.

    The illness was cured, but now they had a new problem.

    She felt energetic, just like she was when she woke up. She felt like if she jumped into the sea and dove deep right now, she could return entirely unharmed.

    If she ignored the changes in her physical appearance, she would be excited.

    ¡°I feel great, and I want to swim in the ocean,¡± Dian Dian said.

    Hearing this, He Bian and the others could finally be at ease. No matter how frightening she looked now, at least she wasn¡¯t ill like before and wasn¡¯t dying anymore.

    ¡°You can give it a try,¡± Shao Xuan said, ¡°You can only know if this change is good or bad if you try to move around in this new form. We don¡¯t have an ocean here, but we have a man-madeke in our tribe. You can swim there.¡± No matter how big the stone fish tank was, it wasn¡¯t spacious enough for her to move aroundfortably.

    Dian Dian agreed with this idea. As long as she could move around freely, she could find out what changed about her body.

    However...

    ¡°I want to swim, but not in theke. I want to swim in that big river!¡± Dian Dian¡¯s eyes shone with excitement as she spoke. She was a little confused and shocked so she hadn¡¯t noticed how lucky she was, but, as long as she could stay alive, it was already the greatest blessing that could ever have happened to her. So what if she looked scary? As long as this didn¡¯t hinder her movements and could solve the Di tribe¡¯s problems, who cares if she looked like this?

    ¡°The river? You mean you want to swim in the ming River?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Dian Dian was determined.

    ¡°But the ming River is dangerous! There are many piranhas there! Giant piranhas!¡± Gui He thought this child was being reckless. Being able to y with small piranhas didn¡¯t mean she shouldn¡¯t worry about therger ones. Plus, there weren¡¯t just piranhas in the river. There were other threats.

    ¡°The ming River it is!¡± Dian Dian said affirmatively. ¡°He Bian, carry me there.¡±

    He Bian wanted to advise against it but seeing Dian Dian¡¯s determination, he didn¡¯t try. He also wanted to see how Dian Dian would swim underwater in her current form. At most, they could arrange for more guards by the bank.

    He Bian called three others and nned to carry that stone fish tank out to the river.

    I¡¯ll do it,¡± Shao Xuan said as he walked over.

    Shao Xuan saw how challenging it was for them to carry the heavy stone fish tank so he decided to help. It would be okay if they were moving it across t ground, but it would be hard for them to carry it down the hill. If anyone was careless and tripped, the stone fish tank might flip, so it was better if Shao Xuan carried it.

    At first, He Bian wanted to object. He thought they didn¡¯t need the ming Horn¡¯s help for these simple matters, but after he saw how effortlessly Shao Xuan put the giant stone fish tank on his shoulders and walked out, he shut his mouth and followed silently behind.

    Gui Ze and the others followed behind. They also wanted to see what happened to her. Could the Di people still swim with a tail? The Di people were great swimmers to begin with.

    When Shao Xuan carried the giant stone fish tank down the hill, he attracted many ming Horns¡¯ attention. Many of them wondered why the Grand Elder had such a giant fish tank and where he was going. Many people followed behind too, including the chief and shaman. Even the elders and others from the Di tribe went with.

    What were they nning to do?

    Some of them wanted to follow to watch the show, but Gui He red at them, and they walked away.

    The sun was dazzling bright, and the rippling surface on the ming River was giving out waves of reflected sunlight.

    The people stationed beside the ming River had just finished roasting their meat and were ready to eat when they saw the Grand Elder arrive with a giant fish tank on his shoulders. Then, it was as if he was pouring something, water maybe, out of the fish tank. Was that a human? He threw a human!

    Following Shao Xuan¡¯s motion, a figure flew out to the air and dived into the ming River.

    Ssh!

    The ming Horn soldier who was chewing on the roasted meat suddenly dropped his meat. He didn¡¯t even bother to pick it up. Instead, he continued to stare at the river.

    Were they mistaken?

 Chapter 725 - This Is Shocking

    Chapter 725

    This Is Shocking

    Shao Xuan and the others all stood and watched Dian Dian beside the ming River. He Bian and the other Di people stayed close so they could jump down to rescue any time.

    Dian Dian had already started swimming, and everyone on the shore could sense her movements already. Dian Dian¡¯s totemic energy was still strong, so even if she couldn¡¯t see what was under the river, she could feel her way through by using her special senses.

    ¡°She¡¯s swimming,¡± Gui He said.

    Indeed, the people on the shore could see that Dian Dian had started swimming in the river. This proved that her fishtail could be controlled and she could still swim.

    Now, Dian Dian was like a baby learning to walk her first steps. At first, she wasn¡¯t familiar with the tail and swam very slowly. She even came up to the surface a few times, but she didn¡¯t seem to be in any danger. At the same time, this meant that she had not encountered any troubles in the river. Those piranhas did not attack her. In stark contrast, they were actually avoiding her. Wherever she was, the people on the shore could see piranhas swimming away near the surface of the river. They seemed like they were trying to run away from her.

    Gradually, as Dian Dian mastered this skill, she swam faster and slowly increased her swimming speed.

    Dian Dian¡¯s clothes were made from the skin of special marine fish. The Di people¡¯s clothing allowed them to dive into the water anytime, specially designed so that they could movefortably underwater. However, Dian Dian was wearing a slightly oversized shirt due to her sickness, but this fabric clung to her body tightly, so it didn¡¯t affect her swimming speed too much.

    As Dian Dian swam, she experienced sudden changes in her movements.

    Faster!

    Even faster!

    And she was still elerating!

    When the piranhas noticed her swimming so fast and catching up to them, they hurriedly dodged to both sides to avoid crashing into her. If any other beasts or human dived into the river, they would¡¯ve rushed over immediately and started biting wildly at their prey. But now, they chose to run away from her!

    Shao Xuan remembered a time when the Drumming tribe¡¯s crocodiles came. This situation was very much like that time. However, Dian Dian was just a child shorter than most adults, but the piranhas reacted no differently.

    Her fishtail flicked vigorously and sted the water in the middle of the river to both sides. White trails of air bubbles formed where she swam and disappeared as fast as they appeared.

    The people who could sense the movement of the person who was swimming were all so shocked that their jaws dropped.

    Dian Dian swam even faster now. Before, she couldn¡¯t swim anywhere near this speed in her human form, but now, she was already swimming past her previous limit. No matter how fast any other Di people swam, none of them could match her current speed.

    If He Bian and the others went into the water now, they would instantly be pushed to the side by Dian Dian¡¯s speed.

    ¡°H-how can she swim so fast?!¡± He Bian could feel how fast Dian Dian was moving, and his eyes followed her as she swam past the river.

    Dian Dian was like a swift arrow flying through the water. Even as she swam against the current or came up to the surface, her speed did not slow down. Wherever she swam, white traces on the water formed by air bubbles outlined her trail.

    m!

    Water sshed to the shore, a fish as long as half a human was thrown out onnd. Its mouth was still shut tightly as if it was biting onto something, but the next moment, a person mmed the side of his de down onto the fish and knocked it unconscious.

    He Bian threw the fish to the side and decided toter tend to it after Dian Dian came ashore.

    Dian Dian only came up to catch her breath briefly. Every time she came up, water would ssh upward, and they would be able to catch a glimpse of her tail before she dived in again. The scales of her tail reflected the sunlight.

    Suddenly, sharp muffled sounds came from under the sea.

    When He Bian and the others heard this sound, their expressions changed.

    ¡°What was that? Did Dian Dian make that noise?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Yes. We can¡¯t speak underwater, so our tribesmen would use other sounds tomunicate. It¡¯s just like how you guys would blow different tunes on a whistle to deliver a message. From what we heard, Dian Dian said that she¡¯s feeling great. She feels amazing.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    He Bian thought Shao Xuan only understood that Dian Dian could make those sounds underwater, but actually, Shao Xuan also discovered why the Di people had such a unique ent.

    Whenever Di people got excited, they would naturally have an ent that was sharp and muffled. They were already used to using thismunication method in the water that they naturally spoke this way in their daily lives. After speaking like this for so long, they finally formed this special ent unique to their tribe. If they were to hear this ent in the future, they would know that it was a Di person. Their pronunciation was special, and most people wouldn¡¯t be able to imitate them.

    Dian Dian was still swimming fast in the river.

    He Bian initially thought that she would swim slower due to her new form as a mermaid, but it seemed like this change allowed her to swim even faster. He Bian wouldn¡¯t even be able to catch up to her speed now in his best condition.

    This was truly shocking!

    Plus, when he saw Dian Dian¡¯s change, He Bian noticed that her lower body resembled the Di fish. Other people might not have noticed, but this swimming style belonged to the Di fish!

    If they merely saw the lower half of her body, He Bian and the others would¡¯ve thought that it was a Di fish.

    It was too simr!

    Dian Dian was swimming upstream, and in her path was the stone bridge that stopped their rafts.

    The ming Horn warriors who were stationed at the bridge heard Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle from the headquarters and suddenly became alert.

    Something was approaching them at high speed. Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle warned them not to attack. That was why those people on the bridge only watched the river without making any moves.

    It was getting close.

    Closer!

    The water bubbled twenty to thirty meters away from them, and suddenly, a figure surged upward. It jumped up with the waves and dived into the river on the other side of the bridge.

    The water that the figure sshed upward reflected the sunlight to their eyes. Some of this water fell on the bridge, creating a loud sshing sound.

    ¡°What was that?!¡±

    ¡°Was that a human? I saw a human head!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s a fish! I saw a fishtail!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a human! I even saw her hair!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fish! Definitely a fish! You saw it wrong! You probably saw the fish¡¯s whiskers!¡±

    The ming Horn soldiers were still discussing this while the person who dived into the river swam back to the other side from underneath the stone bridge.

    Dian Dian was very excited. Even though swimming in the ocean was better than the river, she felt a lot happier now. She hadn¡¯t swum so freely ever since she became ill.

    She didn¡¯t want to return to shore so instead of swimming back, she dived deeper into the ming River. She wanted to y longer.

    He Bian and the others were also much happier and rxed now. So what if Dian Dian looks weird? As long as she can live and swim quickly in the water, they could ept this change.

    This was the first time He Bian smiled since he left the Di tribe but when he thought about the problems that awaited him at home, he was suddenly stressed again. He turned around and asked Shao Xuan about the merging process.

    Shao Xuan exined briefly, and he knew that there were some specific terms that He Bian wouldn¡¯t understand, but he would tell Dian Dian about the specificster because the shaman was involved in that process.

    ¡°However, there¡¯s something I must remind you,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He Bian asked.

    ¡°Are you guys nning on merging your tribe¡¯s fire seed or slowly using up the Di fish¡¯s energy first?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Since they took away a huge portion of our fire seed¡¯s power, we would, of course, want to take it back!¡± He Bian, who already knew the truth, responded through gritted teeth. The look in his eyes was full of hate.

    ¡°If your n seeds and you sessfully reim what was initially yours, then you guys would face a simr situation Dian Dian is now facing,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The two totemic energies in Dian Dian¡¯s body had merged as one. If all the Di tribesmen did what she did and reimed what the Di fish took away from them, those two energies would merge too. Then, they would encounter a simr situation as Dian Dian.

    After He Bian gave this some thought, his eyes widened. ¡°You mean, we will be half-fish like Dian Dian?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying it¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. I think we¡¯ll really be mermaids!¡± He Bian couldn¡¯t maintain hisposure the more he thought about it. It was very likely that this was going to happen to them.

    Even though Dian Dian could swim much faster and could dive for a longer time in her current form, it would be too shocking if everyone in the Di tribe became mermaids. That would be too frightening a scene. He Bian didn¡¯t dare imagine it. However, he did not have a say in the tribe¡¯s final decision. He had to listen to Dian Dian and the shaman to decide.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s expression suddenly changed as he looked out at the river.

    The others could also feel the energy that was approaching. However, besides Dian Dian, there was another....

    Ssh¡ª

    The waves sshed upward, and a figure the size of an average human was thrown up to the shore.

    Shao Xuan watched in terror as the figure flew up to the air andnded on the ground.

    The figure had two giant pincers and a spotted, rigid shell. It looked simr to a shrimp.

    As that figurended on the ground, Dian Dian came up to the shore. It was inconvenient for her to walk in her current form, so He Bian carried her back to the stone fish tank.

    ¡°Dian Dian, what¡¯s that in your hand?¡± He Bian asked.

    ¡°It belongs to that guy.¡± Dian Dian yed with a long and thick tentacle with one hand as her other hand pointed to the figure thatnded on the shore. ¡°I found him at the bottom of the river. When I pulled him up, I identally broke off one of his whiskers.¡±

 Chapter 726 - Reason For The Changes

    Chapter 726

    Reason For The Changes

    When Dian Dian arrived safely onnd, He Bian and the rest enquired about her physical condition, to which she answered, ¡°I feel great!¡±

    He Bian told her about the concern Shao Xuan had, causing the excited Dian Dian to fall silent suddenly. He Bian did not bother her for he knew that she was weighing the pros and cons in her mind.

    After waiting for a while, until the other ming Horns asked when they were leaving, he crouched over and whispered, ¡°Dian Dian, why don¡¯t we go home?¡±

    There was no answer.

    He Bian asked again but there was no reply.

    Shao Xuan walked over to tell him, ¡°She¡¯s asleep.¡±

    Asleep?

    Dian Dian¡¯s head had been lowered all this time so he could not see her face. Upon closer inspection, he realised that her eyes were closed and breathing slowed.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably very tired.¡± Shao Xuan lifted the stone tub and walked up the hill.

    Dian Dian had just recovered and merged two types of energies in her body. Since the merging was notplete, it was still difficult for her to control them. Swimming excitedly in the river also used up a lot of energy. She had fallen asleep from exhaustion, though initially mulling over her problems.

    They had no choice but to wait for her to wake before making ns for the future.

    She slept till the next morning.

    She was still in the stone tub. The weather was not cold this time of the year and Di Mountain tribesmen were also built to withstand the cold anyway. They even added water into the tub.

    He Bian did not know if she needed water but Di fish probably fared better with water around. That was why He Bian poured in some clean water after Shao Xuan carried the tub up the hill and she slept soundly through the night.

    After one night, the water in the tub was just a little murky, though much better than before. The rotten parts of her body had recovered tremendously, almost fully healed.

    When Dian Dian woke, He Bian and the rest were resting nearby. Now that her life was no longer in danger, they could finally rx and eventually fell asleep.

    She felt refreshed, like a weight had been lifted. That was also why she could swim well in the river yesterday.

    Thinking about the changes in her body, she nned to check out the lower part of her body. But something was off once again.

    Shao Xuan was walking down the hill, nning to check on the pterosaur when he was stopped by He Bian. Dian Dian was sitting on his shoulder.

    The difference from yesterday was that Dian Dian looked exactly like a regr human instead of being in a half-human-half-fish state.

    ¡°Grand Elder! Grand Elder! Something happened again!¡±

    He huffed and puffed as he ran over, gesticting wildly. ¡°Grand Elder, look! She changed again!¡±

    They had already made the mental preparation to ept Dian Dian in her half-fish state but who would¡¯ve known she¡¯d wake up as a full human once again?!

    At this point, the Di tribesmen never looked for the chief or shaman, always just ¡®Grand Elder¡¯. He Bian could not remember Shao Xuan¡¯s name but knew that he must look for the ming Horn Grand Elder if he ever had a problem. He had rushed to Shao Xuan¡¯s house but was told that Shao Xuan was going down the hill so he sprinted over.

    The pterosaur had to wait. Shao Xuan followed them back to where the Di people stayed.

    He checked her conscious mind. All normal. Simr to the day before but the totemic power in her body had gradually been retracted.

    ¡°Try activating your totemic power again,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Worried that she would turn back into a half-fish, she wore a fish skin skirt, revealing two feet at the end.

    Upon his suggestion, totemic power surged across her body as fish scale-like patterns appeared once more. Though she was in a long skirt, her bent knees were still obvious. The bend where her knees were turned rounder while fish scale patterns appeared at her heel and green-gray lines appeared on the top of her feet, slowly darkening. Her two feet that were ced together changed in shape until they were the two fins at the end of a fishtail.

    ¡°Uh...¡± He Bian was shocked once again.

    They had thought this half-fish state would be permanent but looks like it¡¯s not?

    They must not re-evaluate the situationpletely. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t a bad thing to the tribe after all?

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Same as yesterday, energetic as ever. I want to go swim.¡± She pped her tail, yearning to go swim in a wide body of water.

    ¡°Can you retract your totemic power again?¡±

    ¡°Eh? That will be... difficult. Butpared to yesterday, I can control it a little bit now. But it¡¯ll be very slow,¡± said Dian Dian.

    To confirm that the changes in her body were caused by totemic power, Dian Dian swam in the ming River until she was tired, then returned tond.

    Shao Xuan did not need to bring a tub over now. He switched over to a vine-woven basket so they could carry Dian Dian on their back up the mountain.

    She exhausted herself and slept through the night. On the next day, she was a full human once again. This happened a few days in a row until they understood the process.

    Activating her totemic power was easy but retracting was difficult- however, her transformation was confirmed to be caused by totemic power. If she could master her totemic power like regr tribesmen, she might be able to switch between two states easily.

    He Bian knew this too. He started thinking about the pros and cons of this to the tribe.

    These days, the ming Horns often saw a shadow within the ming River shooting left and right like an underwater arrow. asionally, it would even bring a peculiar river beast from the bottom onnd as a gift to the ming Horns. Grand Elder told them they were edible and they found them delicious. The beasts¡¯ scales were used to make other goods.

    About ten dayster, Dian Dian had healedpletely and could slowly control her powers. Although she had not mastered it fully, it was only a matter of time.

    During this time, Shao Xuan also exined the dangers of having a merged fire seed to her.

    After her recovery and finding a solution to their tribe¡¯s problem, Dian Dian and He Bian did not n to stay. They must leave as soon as possible because there had been schools of Di Fish eyeing the tribesmen maliciously near their tribe. It was not safe to stay outside their tribe for long.

    The Di Mountain tribe did not like outsiders interfering with their battles so Shao Xuan did not offer to follow. He merely mentioned that he would bring his fleet downstream if he had the chance and wished to visit them hear the river mouth.

    ¡°If we seed, we will travel up the ming River with handsome gifts for the ming Horn Tribe.¡± Dian Dian thanked Shao Xuan and the rest sincerely as she stood on the wooden raft. All the gemstones and shells they brought were left with ming Horn too. And if they won, they would bring more marine treasures.

    If they truly solved their problem with the Di Fish, and the tribesmen changed like Dian Dian, they would likely arrive at ming Horn tribe very soon too. Based on Dian Dian¡¯s swiftness in the waters, this was very likely.

 Chapter 727 - Extinction Or Transformation

    <strong>Chapter 727</strong>

    <strong>Extinction Or Transformation</strong>

    The arrival of the Di Tribe had not affected the people at ming River Trading Point. Most people did not know about this group of people who came from the coast anyway, the Di Tribe did not like ces with many changes so they did not visit the trading point.

    After a few days of discussion, the ming Horns gradually turned their attention to other matters too. However, Shao Xuan remained pensive about the matter, thinking hard even a few days after their departure.

    Was there a root cause to their transformations or did it only stem from their fire seed? Shao Xuan always thought the fire seed was rted to a person¡¯s strength but this incident made him realise it was way more mysterious than he thought.

    The changes in the fire seed influenced totemic powers, physical strength and now- a person¡¯s entire physical form!

    Even if this was an anomaly, he was sure the fire seed had something to do with this.

    If the fire seed could change a person¡¯s form, what about an animal?

    The pterosaur was swimming on the river surface, lifting its wings to catch the wind and steer like sails. Withered leaf birds that could fly perched on a tree branch by the river, standing in a row as they waited for the pterosaur to bring them fish when it was done ying.

    If it was not sealed in ice, the pterosaur would not have survived to this day. There were no dinosaurs in the forest and pterosaurs no longer ruled the skies. There were animals bearing characteristics of their ancient ancestors like crocodiles or other nts but these were only a small portion of organisms.

    At least, on the surface.

    What if the gigantic beasts that once lived did not gopletely extinct, instead they had switched their physical forms into another animal?

    If a human could turn into a half-fish, then a beast could also turn into another beast.

    The pterosaur was afraid of the fire seed maybe because it had a fire-seed rted trauma from before. Had a fire seed causedrge scale changes during its time? Was this why the pterosaur was terrified?

    Too much time had passed since then, these were just Shao Xuan¡¯s guesses.This living pterosaur could not speak and might not know much even if it could.

    A fire seed was a peculiar thing. There was also the other type of energy within Shao Xuan. The white ball of mes that brought him to the weird rock in this world. Where was it from?

    Shao Xuan sighed. It was a deep question indeed. He decided to stop thinking about it.

    Before the Di Tribe left, Shao Xuan enquired about their route from the coast to ming Horn. While He Bian could not remember many details, the entire group of tribesmen contributed a little information each. Although theirbined information still was not much, it was enough to fill up the nk space on Shao Xuan¡¯s map about stream locations and other threats. With this approximate description, at least the ming Horns would not be as vulnerable if they ventured downstream again.

    Dian Dian left with the giant shell because it might be of use during the journey. If she suddenly turned into half-fish again and could not change back, she could stay inside. It would also be a space for her to rest in if she was tired from swimming. It wasmon to sleep in shells within their tribe and He Bian did not want her sleeping directly on the wooden raft. It would be too ufortable!

    Before leaving, Dian Dian gave twenty pearls asrge as a fist kept in the shell to Shao Xuan. These pearls had been stored at the lowestpartment of the shell and covered in ayer of fish skin so they were not seen when the shell was opened.

    These pearls were specifically chosen for their healing properties towardsmon ailments. They had previously hoped these pearls would soothe her symptoms but sadly it did not work.

    Dian Dian was already recovered so she no longer needed these pearls. That was why all twenty pearls carefully chosen by their shaman were given as a thank you gift to Shao Xuan.

    Each pearl was a different colour, iridescent and colorful. They were beautiful but Shao Xuan had no use for them so he gave them to Gui Ze. Girls would like pretty things like that, he thought.

    On this day, Shao Xuan went up the mountain in search of Gui Ze with his second updated map in hand. She was busy in the medicine pantry with a shell bowl on the table. There was some white powder in the bowl but Shao Xuan could distinguish therger pieces.

    When he stepped into the house, he saw her ce a ck pearl into a stone mortar on the ground. This mortar was made of a rare hard stone that was used by generations of shamans to grind medicine since it did not affect the herb¡¯s properties.

    Gui Ze put the iridescent ck pearl inside.

    The pearl was crushed with a bright crunch so only powder remained.

    Shao Xuan was speechless.

    She even cried excitedly when she saw him, ¡°These pearls are much better medicine than the shells!¡±

    ¡°...That¡¯s great.¡± Shao Xuan put the map in his hand on the table filled with animal scrolls. She was going to sort the scrollster.

    Since she was busy concocting medicine, he did not stay for long. He saw Duo Kang outside who had just returned from hunting and preparing to head to the trading point.

    ¡°I heard the Longboat Tribe is preparing to go out to sea again. No, the information I received from Zheng Luo was from a few days ago. I think they might have left already,¡± said Duo Kang.

    ¡°They n to pioneer a marine trade route.¡± Shao Xuan looked far away in the direction of the Longboat Tribe leaving for the sea.

    Tribes became less restricted in movement since the merging of fire seeds, their previously suppressed curiosity now allowed to be free. After theirst voyage, the Longboat tribe had fully embraced their ambitions so Shao Xuan was not surprised. The Longboats had already started to study the other side¡¯snguage and writing on thest voyage.

    Not just the Longboat tribe. Other major tribes had started to leak across to the other side too.

    The desert war has escted, you say?

    Even better that they¡¯re fighting, it¡¯s good news for us. They won¡¯t notice us if they¡¯re busy fighting. Plus we¡¯re not going to pass through them anyway.

    This time, the Longboat tribe left with jade stones and silk from the Mang and Eight Limbs tribe. Their destination was not the forest but anywhere with more people like a city.

    The Mang tribe¡¯s jade stones were of good quality and beneficial to human health. The ve masters would definitely like those. The spider silk clothes from Eight Limbs Tribe were also very rare and the ve masters loved rare things. Rare things were a status symbol there.

    The Longboat, Mang, Eight Limbs tribes and the rest all hoped to receive more metal wares in return.

    The core seeds were only found on the other side but not here. The metal wares were not in sufficient supply here so they needed to trade for more.

    Speaking of metal wares...

    Shao Xuan did not head to the trading point with Duo Kang, instead arriving at a mountain far from the residential area.

    There were few animals here, they all avoided this spot on purpose.

    There were people keeping guard on the mountain- more than the guards around the Thousand Grain Gold. Traps were set within the surrounding forest.

    When they recognised Shao Xuan, their suspicious nces faded.

    ¡°Is everything going smoothly?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Thirty days ago, a batch of rocks was taken out by people from the forging ce but stones were replenished on the next day. No one entered the ce this past thirty days,¡± exined the guard.

    There was a man-made cave on the mountain with a core seed inside. The ore used to forge metal wares were transported out from this ce but not often. Only one trip was made every thirty to fifty days, transporting ore out of the cave and then replenishing the cave with new rock.

    Shao Xuan came over because he remembered the crystals he ced inside. They had received a lot of crystals from the Zhi tribe so he instructed his tribesmen to carry them inside. The crystals seemed to turn to ore a lot slower than regr rock so Shao Xuan had not instructed anyone to bring them back out yet.

    Based on his estimation, they should be ready now.

 Chapter 728 - Crystal Heart

    <strong>Chapter 728</strong>

    <strong>Crystal Heart</strong>

    After the ming Horns moved here, they held discussions and determined that this cave was the best ce to store the core seed.

    This ce was not too close to the residential area to affect quality of life but not too far away to trouble the guards and transporters.

    The core seed affected both biotic and abiotic substances, especially people with weaker bodies like anyone without awakened totems. Even stronger warriors must keep a certain distance away. The guards consumed herbs that strengthened their immune system every day but still could notpletely withstand its effects at close proximity.

    That was why the guards were all stationed a distance from the cave. The space between them and the cave wasced with many traps. Only people familiar with this area could cross safely.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the entrance, he did not ask the guards to follow him inside. They did not want to either, unless absolutely necessary because even standing at the entrance gave them an eerie, chilly feeling that made their bodies scream in rm. This was intensely ufortable for sensitive ming Horn hunters so if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that the core seed was an important source of material to make weapons, they would have stayed far away.

    The guard passed Shao Xuan wormskin clothing. Once he had put it on, he pushed the boulder at the entrance aside, walked in, then closed the entrance again. Light was instantly cut off while a faint breeze blew faintly through hidden venttion gaps.

    He took out a water moon stone, instantly brightening the cave. It was brighter than usual- Shao Xuan learned at the desert that this was an effect the core seed had on the stone.

    There was the smell of death in this ce, as if warning every life form to stay away. This was why most animals stayed far away.

    Opening up this cave required a lot ofbour. The tunnel had to be wide and tall enough for them to transport rocks. Other tribes might need vehicles and way more people but to the ming Horns, if the rocks weren¡¯t toorge, they often carried one rock each.

    One tunnel led to the ce where they stored the rocks. It was a round, empty space inside dug by the ming Horns.

    Carefully chosen pieces of rock were all arranged neatly in rings circling the core seed at the centre.

    The better its quality, the quicker the rock transformed, the better the final product after forging. ming Horns were already great at evaluating rock quality anyway. Even without metals and the core seed, they still had to choose rocks to be made into weapons and tools. Now, this skill was put to use to be transported here and then making better weapons. Humans must make progress like this to survive in thispetitive world after all.

    There were walkways between the rings for convenience. People woulde to check on them periodically, inspecting them to see if they were ready to be moved to the forging room.

    With Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision, he could inspect these rocks without the help of the water moon stone.

    In the past, the quality of the rocks would show as different brightness within his special vision. However, the rocks here had already changed so there were various patches on its surface. Only these special patches were the metal material they would extract to make green bronze products. Other ores could be present, perhaps even valuable, but the ming Horns did not need them. Perhaps the ming Horns would turn their attention to these other ores if their technology advanced enough in the future.

    Shao Xuan immediately walked over to the spot where the crystals were ced. They had sectioned off a part of the ce to store the crystals given by the Zhi tribe. This section stood out greatly against the rest of the stones.

    This was a sudden idea Shao Xuan had anyway. Initially, Zheng Luo wanted to keep these with the rest of their crystals to be traded with the ve masters on the other side of the oceanter. Those people liked rare, beautiful rocks anyway. Shao Xuan was the one who requested for some of therger pieces to be moved here while the smaller pieces kept as Zheng Luo and Duo Kang said for trade or sanded into lenses. The lenses he made were given to Gui Ze for studying her herbs, a few made into telescopes for expeditions and watchposts.

    The bright parts of the crystals in his special vision had transformed. While they looked the same from the outside, they had changed on the inside.

    The core had be as bright as the moon within his special field of vision, much brighter than the other stones that were now as faint as stars. This was also why no one objected when he requested for more crystals subsequently given by the Zhi tribe at trades.

    The crystals had undergone extraordinary changes in the presence of the core seed.

    Not every type of rock was suitable to be ced here, for example, jade stones changed too slowly to be practical. A piece of jade changed very little even after several years, and the better the jade, the slower it changed so they were no longer used.

    Shao Xuan had also picked crystals traded with other people to be ced here. Most of them looked simr to the Zhi tribe¡¯s crystals but after some time, they realised only the Zhi tribe¡¯s crystals changed this much, this fast.

    Perhaps the Zhi tribe¡¯s crystals were not as ordinary as Shao Xuan thought. They must have their own quirks for the Zhi tribe to value them so much.

    It wasmon for stones to look simr but have drastically different qualities. Even Shao Xuan might not be able to detect differences with his special vision. Plus characteristics concerning the core seed required time to show.

    Since rocks suitable to be put in the core seed¡¯s cave were hard toe by, the tribe did not object to Shao Xuan¡¯s decision. Compared to trading the crystals with ve masters, they would rather make something useful for themselves.

    The ming Horns had received evenrger crystal boulders from the Zhi tribe but since they still were not sure if these changed crystals were truly useful, they had not brought everything over. They would rather use the space to put more rocks for the moment, in case the changed crystals turned out to be useless.

    However, if they find that the object inside the crystal was valuable, more valuable than all these rocks, they will soon bring their entire crystal store here.

    Shao Xuan turned off his special vision and studied the crystals with the glow of the water moon stone.

    The Zhi tribe had mostly brought over colourless crystals but there was now obviously something at the core.

    The centre of these transparent colourless crystals was now filled with colourful patches, some yellow, red, grey, brown etc. These irregr shapes filled the inside of the crystal, obscuring the object at the centre from view.

    The heart of the crystal was initially tiny but it grew with time. Shao Xuan hade because he spected that it should have ¡®grown¡¯ more by now. He wanted the object at the centre and not the colourful patches of crystal surrounding the heart. This heart was the bright spot shown in his special vision.

    In his experience, the brighter the object in his field of special vision, the more valuable it would be.

    Since he was not sure what it was, he chose the smallest crystal b.

    After picking it up, his arm sank with the unexpected weight.

    It¡¯s heavy!

    A lot heavier than before!

    It was not a small difference but a drastic mass change. Heavy enough to be noticed.

    Anyone transporting materials would never touch these crystals without Shao Xuan¡¯s permission despite their curiosity, only reporting what they saw to him. This was why no one noticed how heavy they had be!

    Shao Xuan was more curious about them than ever. Putting the crystal b in an animal skin sack, he left the cave, handed his wormskin clothing to the guard and brought this crystal to the forging room at the tribe.

    There were people busy forging weapons in the room. Everyone hoped that there would be a green bronze for each ming Horn warrior but unfortunately they had limited blood since they wanted to ensure the health of their Green Face Fanged Beasts. They didn¡¯t know if there was an eighth beast in the wild. After the mass destruction during the disaster, no one knew how the extent of wild animal deaths nor did they know if this species lived on this side of the forest.

    Everyone knew that this matter required patience.

    During their free time, the people in the forging room would discuss new discoveries and experiences. The ming Horns had always been slower to progress in terms of forging technology so they had to work on improving themselves. They would be too ashamed to talk to other tribes otherwise, or even worse, reced by other tribes.

    ¡°Eh, Grand Elder! Why are you here?¡± A person chatting quickly came up to greet Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I brought something for you all.¡± Shao Xuan took the crystal out of his sack.

 Chapter 729 - Flying Stone

    Chapter 729

    Flying Stone

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    Everyone in the forging room crowded around immediately. Based on their experience, Shao Xuan would not show them an ordinary rock.

    ¡°This is from that ce, isn¡¯t it?¡± An older man pointed at the cave with the core seed.

    Everyone understood immediately.

    ¡°I heard there were changes but I didn¡¯t know it changed this much!¡± They rubbed their palms. They were not afraid of change, just very curious about all kinds of peculiar phenomena.

    ¡°Hold it first.¡± Shao Xuan gave the b of crystal to the older man.

    ¡°It¡¯s heavy!¡± The man¡¯s expression changed, his brows knitted with thought.

    Impatient, everyone quickly passed the crystal around before he could react.

    ¡°It IS heavy!¡±

    ¡°Grand Elder, why is it so heavy?¡±

    ¡°Regr rocks would change too but never this much. This crystal is indeed very strange,¡±mented another.

    Everyone in the room made simrments, though the older man turned to Shao Xuan to ask, ¡°Grand Elder, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Crack it open, let¡¯s look at its core.¡± Shao Xuan was very direct.

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Everyone perked up and brought over the required tools. Ever since they made green bronze, even their tools had been modernized.

    The outeryer of almost transparent crystal was neither thick nor too hard so it was quickly hacked off using their bronze tools.

    ¡°Eh? What¡¯s this?¡± They studied the crystal core curiously.

    The heart of the crystal still had colourful pieces of crystal stuck to it, which were the patches Shao Xuan previously saw and much harder than the transparentyer.

    ¡°These colourful pieces are pretty. Let¡¯s knock those off and store them.¡± Many of them came from the other side of the ocean and were aware that these were valuable. After hacking these pieces off carefully from the crystal heart, they were kept in a box.

    After another half hour, the crystal heart about half an arm long and one palm wide remained. Most of the outeryers had been hacked off and most of the heart was already exposed.

    ¡°It¡¯s ck?¡± Shao Xuan wondered what this ck substance with a metallic shine was.

    ¡°Grand Elder, there¡¯s still a lot of crystal stuck to it that we can¡¯t knock off. Do you think we should just melt it?¡± Usually, ore would be melted to remove impurities so the metal remained.

    ¡°Alright, do that.¡± This chunk was meant to be experimented on anyway, they could do whatever they wanted.

    Someone came looking for Shao Xuan so he left first. Gui He had sent a messenger who heard from another person that Shao Xuan was here. Since it was not urgent, he told Shao Xuan to only go up the mountain when he was done.

    By the time Shao Xuan returned to the forging room, they had already ced the ck crystal heart in the cauldron. He looked around and asked, ¡°Is this the set of tools you usually use?¡±

    This set was used to melt ore during weapon-making. Now they were melting an unknown substance!

    Everyone suddenly realised it after his question. They had put the crystal heart into the cauldron out of habit but had not thought about the consequences of putting an unknown substance inside.

    It should be fine... right?

    The thought came right before Shao Xuan yelled, ¡°MOVE AWAY!¡±

    Shao Xuan had felt a chill before he yelled for them to move. There was no time to save the crystal heart in the cauldron.

    An explosion ensued, the roof torn off by the shockwaves and all the tools in the room sted into a mess. Stone chips and dust flew.

    rmed, everyone guarding outside the room quickly ran over after the explosion. They did not know what had happened but everyone inside was in charge of making weapons and important to the tribe. Plus the Grand Elder was inside too!

    asionally, little idents would happen in the forging room as they continued to improve their forging techniques plus the cksmiths would experiment every now and then. However, the roof had just fallen in! This was no small ident!

    And they saw something flying out of the room...

    Regardless, they rushed into the forging room to check on everyone inside.

    ¡°Grand Elder! Grand Elder, are you alright?¡± someone yelled from outside.

    ¡®I¡¯m fine!¡± Shao Xuan pushed a few bricks off himself and got up to pat the dust off himself. Then, he helped drag the rest of the cksmiths from the ruins.

    Thank goodness for his warning, and him pulling a few nearby away from the cauldron or it could have been disastrous.

    The lucky ones were only scratched but the flying tools had hit a few people, resulting in broken bones and bruises. Shao Xuan scanned the room to find that none were fatal though. People with severe injuries were carried away on stretchers for Gui Ze to check for internal injuries.

    People in other parts of the tribes also heard themotion and whistled to ask for more information.

    The people in charge of the area looked at Shao Xuan, who waved, implying not to spread the news.

    Understanding his implication, the guards whistled back. The rest of the tribe rxed after receiving the reply and went on with their work.

    After the injured were carried away, he looked at the destroyed forging room and dug through the ruins. Unable to find the crystal core, he asked around.

    ¡°When you heard the explosion, did you see anything else? Something ck, this big.¡± Shao Xuan gestured.

    They all shook their heads because they were focused on the people inside.

    A warrior said with a small voice, ¡°I think I saw something flying out of the room.¡±

    ¡°Flying?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes, it flew out through the roof. I don¡¯t know where it went though, it was fast and I thought I¡¯d made a mistake.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew it could be the ck crystal heart but they might not be able to find it easily.

    ¡°Tell me if you see it anywhere.¡± Shao Xuan then left to brief other patrol teams and guards to remain alert of anything suspicious falling from the sky.

    Shao Xuan looked over and saw the pterosaur crouched on a branch, looking worriedly at a point in the sky.

    Following its gaze, Shao Xuan saw something flying in the sky. It was tiny and hard to be seen even with light.

    That¡¯s...

    Shao Xuan headed towards the object.

    It was falling quickly from the sky too. Activating his special vision, it looked like a bright star.

    That¡¯s it!

    Shao Xuan blew his wooden whistle.

    The object was projected to fall not in the tribe but opposite the river, likely the trading point!

    After blowing the whistle, he ran across the stone bridge, hoping the ming Horns in the trading point were prepared so it would not be taken by someone else first.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle message was passed by the guards at the bridge. Due to themotion at the trading point, they might not hear Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle but will understand from these guards¡¯ whistles.

    After hearing the whistle, Duo Kang and Zheng Luo came out to look up at the sky. The whistle could contain limited information after all, Shao Xuan merely told them to watch the sky.

    At this point, the object had fallen a lot so people on the ground also saw the fiery light falling from the sky.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± gasped someone in the trading point.

    ¡°Is that fire?¡±

    ¡°Can fire do that?¡±

    ¡°Must be something good, the ming Horns are rushing over!¡±

    Duo Kang had personally led a few people towards where the object wouldnd, this reaction was picked up by the crowd. While outsiders could not understand the whistles, some still looked up and soon, the news spread like wildfire so more and more people looked up.

    Curious onlookers followed them but only to watch. This was after all ming Horn territory and they might not be able to beat the ming Horns to it.

    Yi Si, Wu He and many others started to privately specte. A falling ball of fire sparked imaginations.

    Especially Wu He who forgot about his injuries and disappeared in a sh to steal the object. Something falling from the sky must be valuable!

    The fireball approached the ground like a meteor, finally crashing in a spot near the trading point with a deafening boom. The bustling trading point fell silent immediately.

    ¡°What... what happened?¡±

    ¡°The thing in the sky fell?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s scary! Absolutely terrifying! I wonder what it is.¡±

    ¡°Why do strange things always happen with the ming Horns around?¡±

    Many did not have the guts leave the trading point to check, instead huddling together in discussion. Some wanted to take the opportunity to steal the object but arrived to see that ming Horns had already surrounded it. Sensing their murderous auras and realising that a few thieves had already been killed, these people woke from their impulsive intentions upon smelling blood and stayed away.

    Wu He and the rest in the air saw the crash site. The ming Horns had surrounded a crater with hot smoke billowing out of it.

    ¡°Such a pity! Why must itnd in ming Horn territory?¡± If this were somewhere else, Wu He and the rest would have taken it but after experiencing the wrath of the ming Horns, they did not have the guts to act recklessly here.

 Chapter 730 - That Would Be The Best!

    Chapter 730

    That Would Be The Best!

    When Shao Xuan arrived, many people were already there. The ones who did not leave the trading point stood on building roofs craning their necks for a look, asionally looking down probably to give their friends a live update. After all, an object falling from the sky was a mysterious phenomenon that sparked imaginations.

    ¡°Grand Elder is here!¡± yelled the ming Horns.

    Wu He and the rest hesitated to snatch the object only because they saw Shao Xuan approaching, finally making the decision to stay put after thinking about their past experience. When Shao Xuan arrived, he even looked up at Wu He, sending chills down their spines.

    Cha Cha was off having fun in the forest so there were currently no threats in the sky. Without Shao Xuan, they could have pushed it but they still remember how Shao Xuan hit them. They all simultaneously flew higher to put a distance between themselves and him, even backing away from the crater.

    The guards who surrounded the crater tightly opened up to allow Shao Xuan in.

    He saw a couple of Taihe tribesmen too, the ones who stayed at the trading point and were familiar with the area. They hade over to help block onlookers during the emergency. While they couldn¡¯t see the object either and were very curious, it was best to help their old friends at a moment like this.

    The soil where the crystalnded waspacted, a crater had formed after the flying soil and pebbles settled. Surrounding grass had turned a charred ck as if there was a fire, covered with ayer of soil.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what was that?¡± Duo Kang studied the crater.

    ¡°It fell from the sky, it¡¯s obviously something valuable,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    While he did not speak loudly, most with better hearing heard him because he did not lower his voice on purpose. Many outsiders strained their ears to hear his answer to Duo Kang¡¯s questions while Shao Xuan¡¯s answer made them fall deep in thought.

    Shao Xuan scanned the area without a word. He hadn¡¯t brought any tools over since he was in a hurry so he borrowed a dagger.

    The soil was not soft so the crystal core hadn¡¯t been buried too deep. He soon dug it out.

    Perhaps due to the explosion and impact, its shape was different from when they first mined it out from the crystal b. It was not as long and now more irregrly shaped.

    Other than its shape, it looked different too. The messy bits of crystals stuck to its surface were gone. A clear pattern on its ck surface could now be seen reflecting a metallic sheen.

    Since it wasn¡¯trge, once it cooled, Shao Xuan requested for a leather bag and ced this strange crystal core inside. Instead of bringing it back to the ming Horn headquarters, Shao Xuan walked to the ming River Castle within the trading area under the watchful eyes of the crowd. There was no point in hiding with so many witnesses here, sneaking around would only attract more attention.

    Once he entered the castle, outsiders could no longer watch him. They erupted into conversation since they were not allowed inside.

    ¡°I think it must be something very rare! Didn¡¯t you see the ming Horn¡¯s Grand Elder personallying to collect it?¡± The older residents of the trading point all felt they were familiar enough with the ce to make urate guesses.

    ¡°Nonsense, anything that falls from the sky is rare! It¡¯s too bad I¡¯ve never seen anything fall from the sky in my life other than bird poop.¡± Many traders sighed at their apparent misfortune. Theymented the fact that despite being well-travelled, they had never seen such treasure before. All they¡¯d ever encountered were troubles! ¡°Why are the ming Horns so lucky? Unless they moved here because they knew this would be a good ce to be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in anything other than what something from the sky looks like and what it can be used for.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, we¡¯ll have to listen for more information. Someone saw it I think, it¡¯s apparently a piece of rock!¡±

    There were all kinds of spection in the trading point, some willing to trade with the ming Horns for the thing that fell from the sky, offering higher prices but it was a pity the ming Horns did notck anything.

    What about robbing them? There were too many guards and they were on ming Horn turf. More and more tribes had recently started to side with ming Horn too, looking for opportunities to disy their loyalty towards the ming Horns. If anyone decided to make a move, these people would heroically volunteer themselves even before the ming Horns react. There was a new tribe called Taihe tribe that recently moved here too who made it much more difficult for thieves.

    ¡°Yi Si, what do you think?¡± asked Wu He when he returned sulkily.

    Although Yi Si had no divination abilities, his guesses seemed quite urate. If Wu He had listened to him thest time, he would not have suffered this much.

    ¡°I only know of two things that came from the sky, the fire seed- which is ording to the legends and of questionable truth- the other is the core seed but those are controlled by the King City folk,¡± Wu He continued, ¡°But the thing that the ming Horns took isn¡¯t a core seed or fire seed. That¡¯s strange indeed.¡±

    Yi Si was still deep in thought. He only made urate predictions about things he was familiar with. Since he had not encountered anything from the sky, his only solid confirmations were what Wu He said- it was not a fire seed or core seed.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough of thinking, I have a lot of bookkeeping to do.¡± Since there were many people bad at math in the trading point, Yi Si found a way of making a living here given these people were faced with the problems that came with their expanding businesses. However, he did not think the stone from the sky was as mysterious as people thought.

    Seeing that Yi Si wasn¡¯t talking, Wu He left to gossip with another person.

    Within the ming River Castle, Duo Kang and Zheng Luo surrounded the ck rock, fussing over it. This was the first time they saw something like that. Was it some treasure?

    Duo Kang picked it up, studying it.

    ¡°It¡¯s heavy.¡± Duo Kang was surprised at its weight. While he could still pick it up (a rock of this size could not be heavy enough to exceed his limit), it was rtively heavy.

    Tossing it around, hemented, ¡°Anything from the sky is definitely different!¡±

    ¡°What can this be used for?¡± Zheng Luo looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I want to see if it can be made into tools and what characteristics they have,¡± he said.

    ¡°With this much?¡± Zheng Luo agreed but this was a small chunk, was this enough? He knew that the process of forging tools was not simple either. They would have to experiment to find the best conditions.

    Experimentation meant they needed much more. What could they do with this bit?

    ¡°Who said this is the only piece?¡±ughed Shao Xuan.

    Duo Kang¡¯s eyes brightened. ¡°You mean more stones fell from the sky today?¡±

    ¡°You really think this is a divine rock from the sky?¡± Shao Xuan then exined what the crystal core was and told them about the forging incident.

    After a moment of stunned silence, Zheng Luo and Duo Kangughed heartily. So that¡¯s what it was! If Shao Xuan had not exined, they would have thought it came from the sky!

    The tribesmen always revered anything from the sky. So this was the truth, the people outside would never expect that the rock from the sky was actually a misunderstanding.

    However, they did not n to exin themselves. Zheng Luo had the same thought as Shao Xuan, which was to let them think the ming Horns had a rock from outer space. It would aptly cover its true origin. They did not want people knowing about their core seed anyway.

    ¡°That would be the best!¡±

    The forging process would still have to begin eventually. When the crowd saw Shao Xuan carrying the rock into the castle and exiting empty-handed, they knew it was left inside.

    Two dayster.

    Everyone who passed the ming River Castle heard ¡®ding ding dang dang¡¯ sounds from inside. Those were not sounds made by hitting a rock.

    Metal?

    Metal was no longer a rare material here now, any well-travelled person would know of it.

    Curious ones leaned closer to listen. Were the ming Horns making weapons out of the rock from the sky? Those who felt like they knew the ming Horns well started to spread their spections.

    In reality, that was just a distraction. The true heart of the matter was still in the forging room at ming Horn headquarters.

    The forging room had been rebuilt after the explosion and more crystal hearts hacked from changed crystals. They all operated carefully now after the explosive ident.

 Chapter 731 - New Metal Wares

    <h4>Chapter 731 New Metal Wares</h4>

    There were no new green bronze tools in the newly built forging room, just regr bronze wares.

    Since the previous incident, Shao Xuan and the rest of the cksmiths investigated the reason for the explosion to find that the crystal heart had such a huge reaction due to the new green bronze.

    Both materials did not react under regr conditions but tools that contained the green-faced fanged beast blood would cause a huge explosion. The key ingredient was the blood in the green bronze and since these tools were scattered everywhere in the room, the reaction made sense.

    Since they could not add beast blood into the weapon when forged using crystal core, the ming Horns were worried that the final product would not be as good. To them, green-faced fanged beast blood was essential.

    Shao Xuan did not think so. Perhaps it would not be as good but the difference would not be huge.

    The discovery of a new material was always exciting news. Although it was disappointing that they could not add the blood in, they were still eager to see the new material.

    Most of the workers who were not severely injured from the ident recovered in a few days. Being totemic warriors, they had fast regenerative abilities and could return to the forging room to study the crystal core with Shao Xuan, making tools out of it.

    They tried manipting the size of the fire, changed different types of charcoal etc during their experiments. Although it was troublesome, everyone grew more curious about this material. The crystal core even glowed extraordinarily brightly during the forging process, something they had never encountered before.

    ng! ng! ng!

    The sound of forging tools could constantly be heard.

    These were the only sounds heard outside the forging room. While the guards were not sure what went on inside, they knew that this new thing was quite different. The ngs from the hammering differed from the usual andsted longer.

    Every time the material was hammered, the ngs echoed in the medium-sized room, sparks flying in all directions like fireworks in the night sky.

    Hot air burned their lungs with every breath but the cksmiths were already used to conditions like these. Even bystanders would find their clothes drenched in sweat, let alone the cksmith.

    At the moment, the person hammering was Shao Xuan. The crystal core piece was so red it might burst into mes in a second. It changed with every hammer, now much smaller than when they first began.

    The hammer was also made from the crystal core, now used to hammer this glowing red material.

    Metal tongs held the crystal core to prevent it from flying off during the hammering. It would definitely cook anything itnded on.

    Everyone watched with twitching faces as the hammer fell, sparks flying incessantly as if the piece would shatter and explode again. Their hearts shuddered with every ng from the metal.

    Hammering was a delicate job, one had to consider the hammering strength, angle and position every time. It was not just blind hitting.

    Shao Xuan stared at it.

    How long had he been hammering?

    Every day felt like a hundred years to him.

    He had hammered this piece countless times. While it did not look like much, it did feel sharp.

    That was just a feeling but to these experienced cksmiths, they had an instinct like old hunters in a forest.

    Hammering, melting, grinding...

    Thirty dayster.

    The sounds within the forging room stopped.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s tightly wound nerves finally rxed, fatigue flooding over him and threatened to make him copse in exhaustion.

    Ignoring everything on the ground, his knees gave out and he sat on the ground, panting heavily. He looked at the de in his hand proudly.

    This thing was the result of many long days. Was it good enough?

    It was a knife about four fingers wide, a little narrower than their usual des because ming Horns preferred broader and heavier weapons. This knife was heavy enough despite being narrower. Other tribesmen might find it inconvenient because it was heavy but it was perfect for ming Horns. Arger version of this knife would be even better for hunting.

    After a moment of rest, Shao Xuan opened the door, knife in hand.

    Sunlight streamed into the room, a blinding ray reflecting off the de. Everyone closed their eyes instinctively, getting goosebumps. The excitement they felt was like finally taking a cold shower on a hot day.

    Perhaps it would turn out to be a good knife after all.

    Shao Xuan took a deep breath. It was cooler outside, rxing his messy thoughts and clearing his head.

    The de could clearly be seen under natural lighting.

    It was a darker colour with patterns resembling flowing water on its surface originating from the material instead of the forging process.

    Shao Xuan gestured for someone to toss him a rock as per the usual knife testing process.

    The sh of the moving de was blinding under the hot sun.

    With a crisp sound, the rock split cleanly into two.

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    Everyone in the forging room cheered. This was a new material they could use for making weapons. If they ever needed a recement for green bronze, this was a viable option.

    ¡°Another one.¡± Shao Xuan looked at the de, which was unscratched and undented.

    The first rock was of medium grade, the first step for knife testing.

    The next rock was of medium-top grade, also split cleanly in two.

    The third rock was of top grade. Although the split was not as clean, the de was considered almost as good as the new green bronze.

    ¡°Amazing!!¡±

    The following cheers were even louder. They initially treated this as just a mediocre recement for green bronze but it looked to be almost as good. While the forging time was long, that was only due to experiments. They would be much faster with experience.

    However, new green bronze was still their primary material for now.

    The cksmiths huddled together in discussion while Shao Xuan studied the de. It felt different from green bronze- purer, without any impurities mixed inside.

    Green bronze felt like it contained a hidden explosive potential, like people fighting in a house. This de felt like a calm entity existing without conflict.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s mind raced but his train of thought was interrupted.

    ¡°Grand Elder!¡±

    ¡°Grand Elder, can we... take a look at it?¡±

    The cksmiths surrounded and looked at the de in his hand eagerly.

    Since he was already interrupted, Shao Xuan handed them the de.

    ¡°It¡¯s heavy!¡± The person holding the de looked surprised. They liked weapons with weight and since it was smaller than a green bronze de of the same weight, this was more agile in action. It all depended on the preference of the user.

    ¡°I want to see! Give it to me!¡±

    ¡°Me first! I contributed more than you!¡±

    ¡°Hey! Look! You cut me!¡±

    The person who received the de from Shao Xuan got cut amidst the scuffle for it.

    Fresh blood on the de flowed down to the tip. The person quickly wiped the blood away.

    ¡°Be careful, you almost cut my arm off!¡±

    ¡°You were too slow! It¡¯s because you haven¡¯t been working these few days.¡±

    These people used the de to cut grass and chop wood instead of chopping rocks because they could not bear to risk damaging it.

    They did not notice Shao Xuan staring intently at the drop of blood on the ground, then at the de they swung around, then at the drop of blood again.

    When everyone had had their fun, they gave it unwillingly back to Shao Xuan. It was his knife since he took on a majority of the forging process. He had the final say in who owned the knife.

    They nned to ask him a few questions but Shao Xuan sliced his finger on the de after receiving it, then dropped some blood on the knife. Before the blood drop rolled off, he smeared it up and down the knife with a thumb.

 Chapter 732 - Burning Blood

    <h4>Chapter 732 Burning Blood</h4>

    Power rippled around Shao Xuan. While the cksmiths could feel it, they did not understand what he intended to do. It was not totemic power either.

    Even though they were utterly confused, they did not look away. What was the Grand Elder doing with the knife? What was the blood for?

    As he brushed his thumb down the de, it created a long stain. While the colour was not dark, they grew even more confused.

    That¡¯s not supposed to happen!

    Based on the strength used to rub the blood in, it should not stain like this!

    For example, when the guy was cut by the knife during the previous scuffle, if he had used his finger instead of shirt to wipe the blood off, he should easily clean it without stains.

    It was as if the spot where Shao Xuan¡¯s thumb rubbed across was a sticky substance- like cooked grain- that was not the blood they knew.

    But that was indeed blood!

    Strange!

    What followed was even more shocking.

    Shao Xuan pped the end of the bloodstain with his palm.

    Whoosh¡ª

    mes erupted from his palm, burning across the blood streak.

    It¡¯s... burning!

    Burning!

    Everyone had their jaws on the floor.

    The fire was burning without wood or charcoal!

    No, that¡¯s no normal fire.

    The cksmiths were sensitive to fire- even totemic warriors could easily distinguish the types of fire, let alone them.

    This fire was different from the fire seed. It seemed to have its own aura and power.

    But how did Grand Elder burn a knife?

    ¡°I see!¡± muttered Shao Xuan as he looked at the knife.

    He had an idea when he saw the Gu tribe fighting the fearsome beasts while they were downstream. They first trapped the beast with and then set the aze. After that, he even tried it and realised he seemed to be immersed in a different state of mind- like he instinctively knew what to do next.

    The threat tied around the beast also burned the same way then, but Shao Xuan could never replicate it again after the incident. It was because he was not familiar with the technique and it was a different environment. The Gu tribe¡¯s fire seed had created a special battlefield that allowed the tribesmen to easily set things on fire through different oveying forces. Replicating this action outside of this energy field would be difficult.

    Secondly, also the most important reason was that he had been experimenting on new green bronze weapons!

    When he tried setting them aze, he kept feeling as if his power would not focus and there were many entities repelling his energy. He then realised there was a difference between this knife and the other green bronze weapons.

    Even the sword made by Gongjia Heng was made of various materials, therefore it was less pure than this knife. Only this knife was pure enough!

    Perhaps there would be a day Shao Xuan would master this ability well enough to set them aze but up till now, other than white silk, this was the first object he set aze.

    Understanding the reason, he started tough. He retracted the energy from the mes, who died along the blood streak until the knife returned to its original state as if nothing had happened. The smear had lightened greatly.

    Shao Xuan touched the de, then chopped a few pieces of wood, finally rxing when he found that it had not changed in quality.

    It could also be due to the small quantity of blood, short burning time or sturdiness of the knife itself... Basically, he could not see any obvious changes for now. The at Gu Tribe had turned to ash after burning so Shao Xuan had many reasons to worry.

    He must be careful with every experiment in case it affected the knife.

    Satisfied, Shao Xuan left the room, leaving everyone inside in a daze.

    Now that the knife proved that crystal core could produce weapons as good as green bronze, everyone rejoiced despite Shao Xuan¡¯s puzzling behaviour.

    Shao Xuan brought an animal skin scroll over to the trading point, looking for Yi Si.

    Since they rarely met, Yi Si was very surprised but temporarily shut his operations when he read Shao Xuan¡¯s scroll.

    ¡°You wrote these?¡± Yi Si recognised the circles and symbols on the scroll being Yi mathematical forme.

    Yi Si was the only person from his family on this side of the ocean. However, he already had his suspicions that Shao Xuan was good at mathematics so he quickly calmed after the initial surprise.

    ¡°You want me to solve these?¡± asked Yi Si.

    ¡°Yep. As forpensation- just tell me.¡± These were parts that Shao Xuan could not solve as they utilised ancient Yi family equations, that was why he needed Yi Si.

    ¡°Compensation?¡± Yi Si thought for a moment. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, I haven¡¯t thought of anything yet. I¡¯ll get back to you on that.¡±

    ¡°If you want anything that is out of my abilities, I won¡¯t be able to pay you for this.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know that. A strength of mine is the ability to read the room.¡± Yi Si was not in the mood to talk. He had a lot of bookkeeping to do and had to drop his tasks for Shao Xuan.

    Yi Si fell into deep focus as he started his calctions, one hand holding a pen and the other hand¡¯s fingers tapping incessantly. Although this scroll was not long and looked much simpler than Yi Si¡¯s many-paged ounting tasks, these wereplicated ancient forme.

    It took him half a day of non-stop calctions to solve it. When he was done, the sun was already setting.

    ¡°Here you go!¡± Yi Si wrote the answer on the animal skin scroll and tossed them to Shao Xuan. Rubbing his eyes, he said, ¡°Remember thepensation you promised!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I keep my promises. ¡°

    Shao Xuan brought the scroll away. It was only the first step. There were many more for him to solve.

 Chapter 733 - Do You Want Them?

    <h4>Chapter 733 Do You Want Them?</h4>

    Within the ming River Castle, the hammering sounds meant as disguise had ceased. No one knew what the result of the hammering was, ming Horn did not bring anything out either.

    Everything slowly returned to normal but asionally, someone would bring up the ¡®rock from the sky¡¯. Some spected that the ming Horns fashioned an incredible weapon out of it but must hide it from thieves while others thought the ming Horns must have gotten nothing out of it, maybe even ruining the rock in the process. They were just keeping quiet out of embarrassment.

    No matter what people said, ming Horn maintained their silence. Some ming Horn warriors were also curious but none of their leaders seemed to want to talk. If they asked, the leaders would just stare at them with an odd expression until they stopped asking.

    At this moment, Zheng Luo, who was in charge of the trading point, was in the ming River Castle with Duo Kang who had just delivered a batch of fearsome beast meat. Both of them were studying the newly made knife, Zheng Luo even tested it on a bronze container.

    When the knife split the container in half, Zheng Luo gasped in surprise. This was a new material that could substitute bronze!

    ¡°What is this called? Shao Xuan said the previous one was called bronze, what about this?¡± asked Duo Kang.

    Zheng Luo shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. To think of it, has Shao Xuan locked himself in the secret chamber again?¡±

    ¡°He seems to be thinking about something.¡±

    Meanwhile, within the underground secret room beneath ming River Castle.

    Shao Xuan stared at the results of his calctions and circled one of the symbols. It was also once marked on the Yi family ring forme diagram.

    Heaving a long sigh, he rolled up the scrolls on the table, then tied up all the other cloths he had used for rough calction work. Those would be burnedter, all he needed was the final result.

    Although he had obtained his conclusion, it was built on several hypotheses. If those were true, then the crystal core from the centre of the crystals were mainlyposed of iron.

    Although Shao Xuan had already recognised it as a type of alloy, he had not been able to confirm it. Now he could.

    ¡°Iron wares...¡°

    Shao Xuan sat by the stone table, tapping with his fingers, deep in thought.

    Iron forging technology was limited here, or bronze would not be so popr here. Even the poprly talented Gongjia family worked on copper. From this, it could be understood that melting iron was not easy. Shao Xuan could not do much either because he was no expert on iron. Plus there were many special conditions in this world, for example the existence of a core seed.

    The ming Horns were not very talented in this field either- they werete in utilising metal, not very mentally flexible, shaky foundations in forging... There were too many factors against him. Training new talent required time.

    Shao Xuan was still thinking when Duo Kang came looking for him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± asked Shao Xuan, pushing the stone door open.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s looking for you?¡± Duo Kang looked solemn.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Someone from Changle.¡±

    Changle?

    Again?

    Haven¡¯t Wu He and the rest been released already? ording to the agreement? And they were much more well-behaved now too so the ming Horns did not capture them again.

    No matter what, this was odd. The fact that they specifically named Shao Xuan was even stranger.

    When Shao Xuan entered the room, he saw a person radiating intense anger. He did not look very muscr, even slightly thin, but his gaze was as sharp as a de. It felt like a de swinging past when he turned to look at Shao Xuan.

    There was no murderous intent but this person might as well have the word ¡®impatient¡¯ written across his face. He must be in a very bad mood to behave like this here.

    After a short pause from catching the person¡¯s gaze, Shao Xuan dragged a chair over and took a seat. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the chief of Changle to be here again.¡±

    This was Chief Su Li of the Changle people, Wu He had told Shao Xuan their chief¡¯s name a while ago. Su Li had visited the ming Horns thest time to negotiate the release of his people but Shao Xuan did not expect him to be here again. If he was here to rob the ming Horns, he would never act in such a high-profile manner, even asking for Shao Xuan personally.

    When he heard Shao Xuan, Su Li exhaled hard from his nostrils. ¡°HMMPH! You think I WANT to be here?!¡±

    Since they had previously met, Su Li did not confirm Shao Xuan¡¯s statement on his identity. He fished inside his clothing and brought out a cylindrical copper tube, tossing it at Shao Xuan. ¡°It¡¯s for you!¡±

    Duo Kang and Zheng Luo wanted to warn him. Changle people were not trustworthy and this could be a trick.

    Seeing both their reactions, Su Li snickered but did not speak.

    Shao Xuan caught the container and looked at it. To his surprise, there was a cloud pattern at the mouth.

    ¡°Looks like you do know who this belongs to.¡± Su Li got up. ¡°Well, I have brought the letter. I¡¯m leaving!¡±

    The Changle people were free, easy-going people. Since when had they be mail carriers?!

    The ming Horns started it first!

    This must not carry on any longer!

    However, he had been unable to refute every person who had given him something to send, and it had been very frustrating. Thest time was because of a few idiots- Wu He and a few others ¨C this time was because he owed Gongjia Heng a favour. Gongjia Heng had once made him a good tool but did not need any mary payment at the time of the transaction. All he wanted was a favour. Su Li couldn¡¯t believe he would need to deliver another letter!

    As the chief of the Changle people, although he had done his share of despicable matters, he was still a man of his word. That was why he brought Gongjia Heng¡¯s letter over anyway.

    Seething with anger, Su Li was rude to everyone since he arrived and wanted to leave as soon as possible, afraid the ming Horns would ask him to send another letter he could not refuse.

    Before Shao Xuan spoke, the chief slipped out of the window like a gust of wind. Duo Kang leaned out to see a long-winged bird speeding away.

    ¡°What is that? Who asked him to send it over?¡± Zheng Luo stepped forward to study the cylinder.

    ¡°Gongjia Heng.¡± Shao Xuan showed him the rolling cloud pattern.

    It was no random pattern. It was a code used by the Gongjia family and difficult to replicate. The Changle chief would never take so much effort to fake this pattern and deliver it over such a long distance. The cylinder was also very delicately made, fit as a product from the Gongjia family.

    Twisting the can open, he found a scroll inside. It was made of exquisite fabric simr to the ones used in the royal city.

    After reading its contents, Shao Xuan knew what he needed.

    Gongjia Heng had briefly exined the power dynamics around King City: the situation wasplicated around the desert because the lord¡¯s second son, Ji Fang, was nning to usurp the throne and was currently exterminating potential threats. While Gongjia Heng did not go into detail, what he meant was that he wanted to help some people that Ji Fang targeted.

    Since Gongjia Heng had helped Ji Fang before, Ji Fang promised to release these people into exile. However, with the current chaos of war, Gongjia Heng was worried that these people would face danger in exile so he wanted them to cross the ocean and start a new life over here with their forging skills.

    In short: These people are cksmiths, not politicians, scheming isn¡¯t one of their strengths. However, all these rare talents are getting kicked out because of politics in King City and might die. Do you want them?

    Nonsense! Of course we do! We want them!

    Shao Xuan coincidentally required experts on iron and if Gongjia Heng personally used his name to protect these people, they must be very talented too. Gongjia Heng was never close with family but he appreciated talent so if he protected them, they wouldn¡¯t be too schemeful either.

    Gongjia Heng mentioned that these people were passing through the desert, avoiding battlefields but it was unknown if they would pass through unscathed. If Shao Xuan intended to take them in, he hoped the ming Horns would meet them there.

    There was an oval copper ball inside the cylinder half the size of a fist.

    He opened the ball and found a flying insect curled up inside. It looked like a bee but different, having longer wings that were flexible enough to wrap around its body while it was curled up.

    Gongjia Heng exined that this insect had a keen sense of smell simr to the silknose because they were trained for tracking people. When resources were scarce, they would enter a hibernating state until conditions were more favourable. However, they could only remain in this state for a year maximum, though this duration could differ depending on its body condition.

    Very soon, the hibernating insect started to move its limbs and Shao Xuan hurriedly closed the ball again. They weren¡¯t ready yet, he mustn¡¯t let it out. They were too far from the desert too, it would be useless here. What if it goes missing? Shao Xuan did not know what it ate either. Gongjia Heng probably forgot to mention that.

    He should only let it out in the desert.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, what do you think?¡± To be honest, after reading the scroll, Zheng Luo was convinced too. They would not have a chance like this again if it wasn¡¯t for the current situation. However, they had heard about the dangers of the desert. Was it worth the trip?

    Shao Xuan put the scroll and ball back into the tube and capped it.

    ¡°We¡¯re going, of course. The ming Hornsck cksmiths, it¡¯ll be difficult for us to rely just on ourselves especially when we have just discovered a new metal. We still need professionals for this, it will be more efficient. I was nning to go to the desert anyway.¡±

    His decision wasn¡¯t because of Gongjia Heng¡¯s letter or the legendary desert monsters- he had felt something with Sapphire the beetle.

 Chapter 734 - Return To The Desert

    Chapter 734

    Return To The Desert

    DOGE¡¯s Note: the finale of Chronicles of Primordial Wars will be out somewhere around mid-May for the 90 advanced chapters tier! Can¡¯t wait? Come subscribe next month (May) to read the end of the novel before everyone else!

    Shao Xuan had already decided to return to the desert but the tribe would never let him go alone, especially when they were going to meet the Gongjia people.

    They might not care this much about other people but these were Gongjia family members. The ming Horns from the other side of the ocean reacted as if they heard a mountain of treasure wasing, their eyes shining bright as they clung on to this opportunity. The tribe needed these experts to help with the new metal they discovered.

    After tasting the glory of green bronze, the ming Horns ced more importance on good tools and weapons.

    ording to Gongjia Heng¡¯s letter, there would be about ten peopleing over. Maybe only one or two were the most important while the rest were just disciples but the ming Horns did not mind. They were still Gongjia disciples, likely more experienced than the actual cksmiths in the ming Horn tribe.

    Gui He, Ao and the rest all had the same response: We¡¯ll take them! All of them!

    As for whether they were trustworthy... Bring them here first! We¡¯ll deal with them if they prove to be unworthy of our trust.

    They could not bring too many people to the desert as they would be an obvious target. Good hiding spots were hard toe by in the desert. They were there to greet some people and not participate in the war so they must keep the party small.

    In the end, Shao Xuan decided to bring a hundred people over. These people were handpicked for the expedition and while Duo Kang and Ta both wanted to go, ording to tradition, one of the hunt leaders must stay with the tribe. Previously, Duo Kang got to follow Shao Xuan across the ocean because they were going to meet the Taihe tribe and Ta did not know them. That was why Ta made noment. However, this time, no one knew the Gongjia people so Ta had the right to raise his interest.

    In the end, Duo Kang remained behind while Ta went to the desert.

    This was no easy expedition either. First, there were the rumoured monsters in the desert. While Rock Hill City mainly targeted the coast, no one knew if they were also eying the desert. Second, Shao Xuan knew there were still unknown threats other than Rock Hill City.

    Why?

    If Gongjia Heng could get Su Li to send a letter, why didn¡¯t he ask Su Li to bring the entire troop over instead? The Changle people had their long-winged birds suited for long-distance travel and they probably knew of safe flight routes. The Changle people could help solve many problems.

    Yet Gongjia Heng did not do this. Or perhaps Gongjia Heng had such intentions but was refused by the Changle people. Shao Xuan guessed that this might be the case based on the way the letter was written.

    The Changle people were not willing to bring this group over because they wanted to avoid trouble. Other groups might be targeting these Gongjia people too. If the ming Horns were so willing to take them in, who¡¯s to say there were no others with simr intentions? Furthermore, the people on the other side of the ocean knew of the Gongjia talents better than him. Maybe there were also people sent to kill them. Although the new lord had promised to release them into exile, there was no guarantee he did not order secret assassinations, was there?

    A messenger would not be targeted but someone smuggling an entire group of people would be a huge target. The Changle people did not want such trouble.

    The ming Horns set off from the tribe to the desert, the stench of death intensifying as they approached. While the desert used to be known as ¡®deadnd¡¯, there would still be signs of human activity around the fringes, e.g. small tribes like the Rain tribe. However, the Rain tribe had moved and likely the other tribes too, maybe even disappeared. Before they entered the desert, they could already feel how empty the ce was.

    ¡°The climate here is still harsh as ever,¡± said Tuo.

    Years ago when Shao Xuan, Tuo and Lei first came here, they also experienced sandstorms while resting at the Rain tribe. The climate seemed harsher today.

    ¡°If this continues, the desertification will worsen. The desert might expand,¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the ground at his feet, ¡°This didn¡¯t use to look like that. Although it wasn¡¯t a forest, at least we would see some grass. Now there¡¯s only sand and pebbles.¡±

    ¡°The ce where the Rain tribe used to be is now just sand,¡± Lei remembered what the ce used to look like. ¡°The Rain tribe made the right decision to move.¡±

    After they left, the weather became drier. Without the Rain tribe, rainfall decreased drastically.

    After the natural disaster, most of the desert had disappeared. If this continued, while the desert would not be able to return to its original state even in a thousand years, it would still be a lotrger than the current size.

    Shao Xuan allowed fifty people to stay outside while he led the remaining fifty into the desert. They had four Rain stones with them. Although the Rain tribe no longer needed the stones to collect water, they would never trade these out because they were symbolic. These stones were much harder toe by after the migration so they became much more precious to the tribe.

    One of the rocks was given to Shao Xuan by Yang Sui while the other three were borrowed from the Rain tribe. ming Horn had even paid them some goods as a rental fee. This was already doing the ming Horns a huge favour, seeing as the Rain tribe currently also needed them for protection. The Rain tribe would never lend these rocks to anyone else, especially not three!

    One was left with the fifty people outside the desert. Since the air was more humid there, the stones were more efficient in collecting water droplets too. Shao Xuan brought three into the desert because they could not function as quickly amidst the dry desert air. He kept one for himself, then gave two to Ta and Xiang Chen. They divided themselves into three teams so if they separated, each leader was responsible for their team¡¯s water supply.

    Hot desert wind and sand grains blew on their faces. It made the tribesmen used to humid forest weather miserable.

    They all covered their mouths and noses with cloths, trekking across the sands.

    The weather was not kind today. The wind brought a lot of sand up in the air and not long after, Shao Xuan found a ce to take shelter from the sandy winds. When the currents died down, he finally opened the cylinder, took out the oval ball inside and twisted it open.

    The insect as big as a thumb was curled up inside, though slowly moving its legs soon after the ball was opened. Then, it extended its wings, stretched, flipped over and wiggled its antennae.

    Not sure if it was still groggy from hibernation, or unused to the desert air but after it flipped over, it rested in the ball for a while before fiddling at the inner wall of the ball with its mandibles.

    ¡°So that¡¯s its food.¡± Shao Xuan picked the half-oval and realised there was a wax-like substance stuck to the inner wall. Gongjia Heng had obviously thought of this situation when he trapped the insect inside.

    After its meal, the insect rubbed its long antennae with its front limbs, then fluttered its wings and took off.

    ¡°Follow it!¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The insect did not linger in the same spot. Instead, it flew directly in one direction, meaning it had already located its target.

 Chapter 735 - Thats A Huge Bug

    <h4>Chapter 735 That¡¯s A Huge Bug</h4>

    All one could see was sand drifting along rolling sand dunes.

    Yellow sand was everywhere. There was no green, not even a single desert nt, the kind that could withstand even the harshest of climates.

    A dishevelled man struggled to climb up a sand dune. He was a tall, young man with broad shoulders and a muscr body, his rippling biceps tightening as he dragged a simple stone hammer. This hammer had been haphazardly thrown together with whatever avable, it bore zero patterns or shape, literally just a stone and a stone handle tied together with a sturdy vine from the desert and some fabric.

    His exposed arms were crisscrossed with scabbed wounds, sand and dust mixed with clotted blood. Pain shot through his body with every step but he was already used to it and had gradually begun to ignore it.

    Not far behind were a few equally dishevelled people with dirty faces. Their clothes were so dirty their original colours were indistinguishable, their lips pale from dehydration, eyes zed as they followed him robotically. If they had a choice, they would choose not to breathe because the air was both too hot and too dry, bringing with it death and hopelessness.

    ¡°Ren, do you see anything in front?¡± asked an older man, his voice slow and hoarse. He struggled to force every word out.

    The man who had reached the top of the dune supported himself with his stone hammer, leaning heavily as he looked far into the horizon. He used to carry a sword, the best weapon he had made in his life because cksmiths loved carrying their best work as a proof of their ability. Unfortunately, his best work would attract danger so now all he could carry was a stone hammer that no one would look twice at.

    After hearing the question, Gongjia Ren shook his head and continued walking, dragging his hammer behind.

    The older man¡¯s eyes went from hopeful to hopelessness.

    They had been walking for seventeen days now. Had he ever suffered like this in his long life? They had never endured hardship like that before. In King City, people would rush to bring them gifts with a mere mention of their names, and they were served daily by ves. All they had to think about was cksmithing work and nothing else. Now all that was left was regret.

    They regretted not learning more life skills, not supporting the right people and not picking a different life path. Would their lives be better if they had done all that differently?

    Ten people had left together but one had been killed by an arrow that came from nowhere. Thank goodness Gongjia Ren was alert enough to lead everyone to shelter or there would have been more casualties.

    However, they realised the path ahead would be even more arduous after stepping into the desert. They had avoided the people who wanted to kill them, avoided Rock Hill City but the desert itself was dangerous. Two of the nine people were dragged away by desert beasts as food, one betrayed them and took Gongjia Heng¡¯s sword. That person was probably going to seek protection from the desert robbers using his sword as proof.

    There were still small groups scattered across the desert, some made of ves, others of ve masters. Distracted, Rock Hill City ignored them, giving these sparse groups a chance to catch their breath. While they would never provoke Rock Hill City, they targeted others in the desert.

    During the seventeen days, they had seen many bodies buried in the sand. No one knew who these dead people were or which side of the ocean they were from. Halfway during their journey, they even had to bury themselves to hide from a gang of robbers.

    Only six of them remained now.

    ¡°If only we can find a source of water.¡± A person a little younger than Gongjia Ren licked his cracked lips. When he saw that morale was low, he took a deep breath and forced a smile,forting them, ¡°Everything will get better soon, at least we¡¯re still alive.¡±

    ¡°Aaah¡ª¡± One of them let out an agonising groan, tossing the rock he had been using as a weapon aside. Due to starvation, dehydration and the various obstacles, even though he wanted to let out a scream to vent his frustration, all he could get out was a groan that sounded like a tired sigh. ¡°If we have to walk in this ce any longer, I¡¯d rather die! Die!¡±

    He had just spoken when something felt off in the ground. The hairs on his neck stood up. Although they were inexperienced in this environment, they had gotten more cautious of their surroundings after so many days.

    ¡°Careful!¡± yelled Gongjia Ren.

    The other person stepped back instinctively but a sand lizard shot out of the sand, biting his leg and dragging him into the sand.

    The rest had no time for surprise, hurriedly grabbing the upper half of his body. One of their two mates who had been eaten was also dragged into the ground like that.

    Although the sand lizard had no teeth, its jaws were powerful. The more the victim struggled and kicked, the tighter it bit, tugging backwards to snatch its prey.

    ¡°Aaaah!¡±

    The victim screamed in pain, this time not like the previous tired sigh but in agony because he felt like he was going to be torn into two!

    Thud!

    A hammer struck the sand lizard¡¯s head that was above the sand. It sounded like a collision between two hard objects.

    A scale the size of a palm on the lizard¡¯s head fell from the impact, blood gushed out and it let go in shock.

    The man ignored the pain on his calf and scrambled back, looking for the rock he tossed away. They had no weapons so they had been using beast bones, human bones and rocks for self defense.

    Everyone else threw rocks at the lizard¡¯s head or stabbed it with sharpened bones. When the sand lizard realised the threat and changed its mind, a ¡®whoosh¡¯ came and it was struck by the hammer again in the eye.

    The sand lizard let out a cry that sounded like grinding rocks, its head falling sideways. Everyone rushed forward to strike and stab the weak points in its head.

    After the initial threat, they had realised that this was food. Food was hard toe by here!

    Bloodlust shone in their eyes.

    The group dragged the sand lizard out of the sand by force while attacking it. It then died when half its body was finally out of the sand.

    Gongjia Ren copsed sitting on the ground, panting heavily. He had struck it with his hammer three times then spent almost all his strength dragging it out.

    Not just him, everyone else copsed,cking the strength even to stand.

    However, a recently dead sand lizard would attract other animals if not dealt with immediately. They had no time for rest.

    Gongjia Ren crawled over and drank a mouthful of blood flowing from its wound. He didn¡¯t know if it was poisonous but he had no choice.

    The blood was thick and smelled pungent, mixed with grains of sand. Ignoring that, everyone crawled to the dead lizard and licked its flesh like desert animals. All for survival.

    Shhhh¡ª-

    The sound of rolling sand.

    They all looked around cautiously. Then, their pupils constricted and faces turned white.

    One, two, three, four... Five! Five sand lizards dug out of the sand, surrounding them.

    They had used up all their strength fighting one and while they had drunk a bit of blood, there had been no time for recovery. And there were five here!

    I¡¯m done for!

    That was their only thought.

    ¡°Wh-wh-what... what now?¡± shuddered one of them. His face was smeared with blood and the wind brought with it sand grains that stuck to his face. His features were no longer distinguishable, all that was left was a pair of terrified eyes.

    What else could they do? Either await death or fight to their death. Those were the only two options.

    Run? Did they have the strength to outrun sand lizards?

    Gongjia Ren closed his eyes, clutching to his stone hammer. There was no escape. Then again, they already had no escape at King City, Gongjia Heng was the one who showed them a path to survival here. Unfortunately, all Gongjia Heng¡¯s efforts would go down the drain because they wouldn¡¯t get out of the desert alive.

    Might as well fight now!

    His eyes sprung open, staring at the approaching lizards. He stood up, dragging the hammer behind him, and wiped the bloodstains around his eyes to focus his vision.

    ¡°Ren...¡±

    The people sprawled around the dead sand lizard also wiped their faces when they saw him, picking up bones and rocks. Although they knew these were useless against so many lizards, they had no choice. It was better than nothing and could kill themselves if there was no hope left.

    When the lizards approached, Gongjia Ren charged in front, his gaze firm with resolution as he let out a hoarse roar.

    The lizard turned and ran away.

    Gongjia Ren, who had just raised his hammer: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else: ¡°...¡±

    The lizards, who had previously surrounded them, were running for their lives.

    Poof!

    Sand sted out of a spot in the ground, throwing one of the lizards into the air, finally tumbling a few times on the ground.

    Something burst out of the sand, glittering blue under the hot sun.

    ¡°That¡¯s... that¡¯s a huge bug!¡±

 Chapter 736 - Taken Away By The Bug

    Chapter 736

    Taken Away By The Bug

    DOGE¡¯s Note: the finale of Chronicles of Primordial Wars will be out somewhere around mid-May for the 90 advanced chapters tier! Can¡¯t wait? Come subscribe next month (May) to read the end of the novel before everyone else!

    Gongjia Ren¡¯s eye twitched in the face of the monster much taller than himself, a chill rushing down his spine.

    A vast crater had formed where the sand had been sted away, flying sand blurring his vision and falling like a storm. This thing had appeared too quickly and he had no time to hide, neither did he dare move now. All he wished was that this giant beetle would pay attention to the sand lizards. Once it looks away, he will immediately bury himself and y dead!

    Although he knew ying dead would be useless, he had no choice because he was too exhausted to run. The sand lizard was sted away the first second it met the beetle and the five others were running like they had seen their natural predator. These few humans would never stand a chance.

    The rest initially thought the five sand lizards were scared away by Gongjia Heng¡¯s intimidating roar; they would¡¯ve never expected another worse threat to pop out like this. Their expressions faltered, restricting their breaths in case the beetle turned its attention on them. Not daring to rub their eyes, they tried hard to blink sand out of their eyes, minds racing to think of their next move as they observed the beetle.

    There were five sand lizards just now, so about one person to each lizard but that still wasn¡¯t enough because the sand lizards would go after the rest after defeating the person it fought. With the beetle here, while it looked impressive, there were six of them. Did they stand a chance? Did they have the strength to run?

    Everyone looked around. They understood what each other meant.

    When the beetle ran after one of the sand lizards, they copsed and wriggled under the sand, burying themselves.

    This idea was only useful against some desert beasts. While they did not know if it would work here, they could not do anything else. If it wasn¡¯t, then they epted their fate to die here today.

    Consecutive booms sounded like wooden logs striking the ground, an oppressive aura radiating across space. They took every breath carefully.

    After a whoosh, a boom sounded across the ground, sand flying and falling like rain. They did not dare look, they could only judge based on the sounds.

    The beetle was hunting the lizards and there had been four booms, each at a different location. Did that mean four of the lizards had been killed?

    More sand fell on them from the impact, putting more weight on their chests and making breathing difficult.

    The ground was still vibrating but the impacts were farther away, though not far enough for them to be safe. Sand grains scratched their throats with every breath while their backs cooked in the burning sand but they could only suffer in silence.

    They counted the strikes, hoping the beetle would leave until they realised themotion was now approaching themselves!

    Their hearts rose to their throats once again.

    Especially Gongjia Ren, who could feel the sounds nearing him. There were two sources, the one in front must be the lizard while the one behind must be the beetle.

    Why is it heading this way now?!

    Gongjia Ren cursed silently at the lizard but it never changed directions.

    Boom!

    Another st of sand came, along with a strong gust of wind and a desert beast¡¯s roar. Gongjia Ren could not avoid the pelting of sand, feeling as if someone had punched him in the back. With a groan, he felt himself thrown in the air and thennding, though the thud was covered by the sounds of the beetle hunting the lizard. No one knew what happened to Gongjia Ren.

    He felt his stomach twist, the bit of lizard blood and flesh threatened to resurface. His body felt worse, even standing up felt difficult now. He wanted to quickly dig himself deeper but every movement was difficult for his arms felt too heavy and his joints creaked.

    Amidst his blurry vision, he saw a blue silhouette and two giant sickle-like mandibles piercing through a sand lizard, the sound of a de cutting through tough scales and flesh clear as ever.

    Then, nothing.

    The flying sand ceased and their surroundings returned to silence. The air seemed to freeze.

    Quiet scuttling from the beetle walking across the sand.

    Crisis still not averted, the people remained invisible.

    Gongjia Ren was in a dilemma. He saw the beetle approaching, a sand lizard impaled in one of its front limbs.

    Was this how he was going to die?

    Gongjia Ren¡¯s consciousness started to fade but he was calm. Probably because he knew he would never be able to escape, he had given up. He awaited death calmly, thought about many things, then closed his eyes.

    The rest of the people listened. After some odd unidentifiable sounds, everything fell quiet again. They finally lifted their heads and shook off the sand.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally gone!¡±

    ¡°I almost suffocated!¡±

    ¡°It burns! I¡¯m starving!¡±

    ¡°All here? All alive?¡±

    ¡°Eh, Ren?¡±

    ¡°Ren! Where are you?¡±

    They yelled and yelled, then panicked and ran to where Gongjia Ren used to be. They dug and dug but all they found was his roughly made hammer. He was nowhere to be found.

    Not just Gongjia Ren. Even the five sand lizards had disappeared, leaving behind bloodstains and scales.

    ¡°Did the giant beetle take the lizards and Ren away?!¡±

 Chapter 737 - Sapphires Welcome Gift

    <h4>Chapter 737 Sapphire¡¯s Wee Gift</h4>

    Shao Xuan and his entourage ran across the desert, following the flying insect.

    It was a hardy one, only resting at night, licking the wax-like substance in the oval ball whenever hungry. Shao Xuan also fed it some water. Being an insect, it did not consume much anyway.

    Shao Xuan also sensed Sapphire¡¯s presence while following the insect. He nned to look for the people first as it was the most pressing task. Then he would look for Sapphire. Their consciousness were connected anyway, Sapphire being his first ve. Knowing that Sapphire had awakened, Shao Xuan let it be for the moment. It woulde if it wished.

    Right now, Shao Xuan could feel Sapphire approaching and coincidentally will pass through their route. If they continued to travel in the same direction, they should meet eventually.

    They rested in a spot with boulders, drank some water, refreshed themselves and then continued on their journey.

    ¡°We still haven¡¯t met the monsters.¡± Tuo scanned their surroundings. Their vision was distorted from the hot desert air.

    They did not sense anyone or any dangerous beasts around. Opening a sk and downing some water, he noticed something beneath his foot and pushed some sand aside, revealing white bones.

    This was toomon, they often tripped over white bones along the way, some human while others animal. Must have been recent deaths or their bones would not remain.

    The scratches on the bones meant it was killed by something sharp. Not beast ws or teeth, more like human weapons.

    ¡°Other than the monsters from Rock Hill City, there are also sand robbers here. Keep vignt,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, do you think those Gongjia people are still alive?¡± asked Lei. Conditions were harsh here. Would all ten people survive their journey across the desert?

    ¡°They¡¯re definitely alive. If they had been eaten or killed, their bodies would never be left behind in a ce like this. And the insect would stop flying.¡± Gongjia Heng had written about this in the scroll. If the flying insect stopped or started to pace around without travelling forward, they should stop searching because it meant they were out of luck.

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s great, the people we¡¯re looking for are still alive,¡± smiled Lei. He did not want this trip to be a waste. All he had seen so far were bones.

    As they spoke, they noticed Shao Xuan looking in a direction. Tuo asked, ¡°Ah Xuan, you sense something?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°Just Sapphire. It¡¯s travelling in our direction right now, we should meet it soon.¡±

    ¡°Sapphire? It¡¯s here?!¡± Tuo and Lei looked around. They still remembered the beetle Shao Xuan reared, it was tiny when they first saw it, small enough to be squashed by a finger. The next time Shao Xuan brought Zheng Luo and the rest over, Sapphire was already taller than a man.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, I wonder if it grew any more,¡± said Lei.

    ¡°It must have grown a little.¡± Based on past experience, Sapphire grewrger every time a lock was unlocked. The fourth lock had been opened now, so Shao Xuan knew it must berger.

    Some of them had never seen Sapphire and only heard stories. All they remembered was that this beetle could trigger a sea of insects and it was as terrifying as a sandstorm.

    They looked forward to seeing a sea of insects.

    The group continued to hurry along their journey. On the second afternoon, Shao Xuan stopped abruptly and stared ahead.

    Ta and the rest shielded their eyes from the sun and looked ahead.

    Something was approaching.

    It wasn¡¯t human, it was an animal.

    Ta was about to warn them when Shao Xuan waved a hand. ¡°It¡¯s Sapphire.¡±

    Sapphire?

    Tuo looked in front and finally saw arge ball appearing on a sand dune in front.

    Yep, a ball made of sand. There was also something inside.

    After the peak of the dune, the ball rolled down the slope.

    ¡°Move!¡± Everyone made way for the ball to roll past them.

    Everyone could feel its mass from the breeze that came with the rolling ten-metre-tall ball.

    Their eyes did not linger on the ball for long because a blue silhouette was approaching quickly behind it.

    Lei¡¯s jaw dropped, pointing at the approaching beetle. ¡°Sapph... THAT¡¯S the beetle?!¡±

    ¡°Yep,¡± nodded Shao Xuan.

    ¡°This is what you meant by ¡®a little¡¯?!¡± Lei looked at the giant beetlerger than his house, now ten strides away from himself. ¡°How could this be?! What has it been eating?!¡±

    The beetle was previously already taller than a man, now it was twice his height!

    The ming Horn warriors who were seeing Sapphire for the first time stared in shock, whispering softly, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it was as tall as a man?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t this gigantic thest time I saw it!¡± gasped another.

    Sapphire was ecstatic to see Shao Xuan, circling him several times but since there were other people with him, they were included in its circles.

    Despite knowing that the beetle would not harm them, many were still terrified. Having a beetle of this size so close to them was incredibly stressful.

    After circling them a few times, Sapphire hurriedly ran off after the sand ball that had rolled far away, then stood upside-down and rolled the ball over with its hind legs, stopping in front of Shao Xuan.

    This was a ve¡¯s present for its master, a wee gift. Sapphire had gathered a lot of food to be rolled into this ball. Rolling stuff it found into a ball was its hobby anyway.

    When the ball was in front of Shao Xuan, Sapphire stood next to it, waiting quietly like a ve waiting for its master toment on it, slightly nervous.

    Everyone finally saw what it was.

    Although it was mainly a sand ball, beast ws and scales peeked out.

    ¡°There are desert beasts wrapped inside?¡± Lei leaned over closely. ¡°How did it make this ball? It¡¯s sopact, can¡¯t believe it doesn¡¯t fall apart.¡±

    Shao Xuan did not reply. Seeing the flying insect pacing above the ball, he had a very bad feeling. Then, he looked at the ball and saw some skeletons. His face froze.

    There was a glint from his de and the sand ball split open. A man rolled out.

    ¡°Hahahaha who is this? He¡¯s very unlucky to be rolled into Sapphire¡¯s ball!¡± Lei and the restughed. Who was this? Someone from Rock Hill City? A desert robber? Probably thetter since there were rarely normal people around since Rock Hill City released the monsters. The desert robbers were a nuisance anyway, their deaths were none of the ming Horns¡¯ business.

    Very soon, they saw the flying insect fly in a circle and finallynded on the sand-covered, unrecognisable man.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else: ¡°...¡± No one wasughing now.

    OH NO! IT CAN¡¯T BE?!

    This insect was bred to be a tracker. For uracy purposes, Gongjia Heng said this insect only tracked one person. It would never make a mistake.

    So this tracking insect had currentlynded on this person, who appeared to be dead.

    When they snapped to their senses, they all rushed forward. Ta hurriedly checked if this unconscious person was breathing. If he wasn¡¯t, then this trip was a waste of time.

    Soon after, Ta heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°A weak pulse but at least he¡¯s still alive. He¡¯s not doing well though.¡±

    ¡°Let him drink this.¡± Shao Xuan dissolved a pill in his sk and passed it to Ta.

    ¡°This person... is the Gongjia person we¡¯re looking for?¡± asked Tuo.

    ¡°Based on the flying insect, yeah.¡±

    Shao Xuan turned to Sapphire.

    Probably aware that it had made a mistake, Sapphire scratched at the sand nervously. It had wanted to please its master but instead almost killed the guy Shao Xuan was looking for.

    Gongjia Ren was just coteral damage when it was rolling the sand lizard up. If Sapphire¡¯s target were the humans, the other people hiding in the sand would be here too.

    ¡°I¡¯ve fed him the medicine. We¡¯ll have to observe him now.¡± Ta got up.

    Now that they had found their target, they did not need to travel anymore. They found a ce to rest during sunset and cared for the injured Gongjia Ren.

    A tent was set up once they found a suitable spot, its poles made of new green bronze. Every pole could be used as a weapon. When assembled together, all they needed was to cover it with fabric and a temporary tent was ready.

    Fifty people could squeeze inside but if there were no sandstorms, they would rest outside.

    This tent was currently set up for Gongjia Ren. They would never let him die after spending so much effort searching for him.

    Thank goodness Gongjia Ren¡¯s condition stabilised after consuming medicine. His weak pulse gradually strengthened and he was no longer at the brink of death.

 Chapter 738 - Youre Shao Xuan?

    <h4>Chapter 738 You¡¯re Shao Xuan?</h4>

    It was midnight when Gongjia Ren woke.

    He thought he would be desert beast poop, being alive was an unexpected oue. Still in a daze, it took a while before he realised he was not dreaming and this was not the afterlife.

    He was still alive!

    He remembered arge beetle lifting up its front limbs before going unconscious, how could he still be alive? Why wasn¡¯t he impaled?

    There were other people here.

    Was he rescued?

    It was dark. He heard fabric pping in the breeze.

    He was inside a tarp tent and could smell sand from the ground. He was very familiar with this smell after being on the run for so long.

    He was still in the desert.

    He heard the sound of four people breathing, slow and steady. Must be asleep.

    Gongjia Ren sat up carefully, almost groaning aloud from the broken bones but he suppressed it. He did not dare make a sound before knowing where he was.

    Someone had fed him medicine and treated his wounds. He could feel that his body had recovered a lot, much better than the condition he was in while running in the desert.

    He turned over and rubbed his feet gently on the ground.

    While it was dark around, there was a single light source where the entrance of the tent was. A light flickered in the tent when the breeze blew on the pping piece of fabric.

    It was moonlight.

    Gongjia Heng shuffled gingerly over, lifting the tarp to peer outside. While it wasn¡¯t a full moon, the light was enough to study his surroundings nearby.

    He wanted to see how many people were outside, and who they were, to understand his situation. He had just lifted the tarp when he froze.

    Not far from his entrance was a giant beetle twice a man¡¯s height sitting quietly. When he peeked out of the tarp, the beetle turned its head to look at him.

    Gongjia Ren was speechless, suddenly at a loss for what was going on.

    There were people around, yet a giant beetle was also sitting there. Its carapace glittered blue so he knew this was the same beetle he saw before fainting. The image of this beetle impaling a sand lizard was seared into his mind.

    Before he knew how to react, he heard a voice.

    ¡°You¡¯d just barely survived, where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    Gongjia Ren leapt in fright, putting down the tarp as he turned to the voice behind.

    The tent brightened when Shao Xuan took a water moon stone out of a pouch.

    With light, Gongjia Ren finally saw his surroundings. Other than this young man, there were three more people. They were not asleep, just looking at him whileying on their backs.

    ¡°You all rescued me?¡± he asked.

    ¡°What do you think?¡± Shao Xuan put the stone on the ground.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Gongjia Ren, eyeing them cautiously. Although they saved him, he did not know of their intentions. He couldn¡¯t believe the beetle was theirs, this made him very suspicious. This person was also speaking thenguage from this side of the ocean- none of the people in the desert was people he trusted.

    Seeing as Gongjia Ren was still vignt, Shao Xuan did not defend himself, instead fishing out an oval ball and twisting it open.

    Gongjia Ren was shocked to see the ball. He obviously knew what it was because it belonged to him! When he saw the flying insect inside, he turned towards Shao Xuan suddenly, ¡°Who the heck are you all?!¡±

    ¡°ming Horns.¡± Shao Xuan tossed Gongjia Heng¡¯s scroll over. ¡°Take a look for yourself.¡±

    ming Horns?!

    Gongjia Heng had suggested Gongjia Ren and the rest to look for the ming Horns, saying he would send a letter to the ming Horn tribe. They actually came?

    He finally let his guard down after reading the scroll. That was Gongjia Heng¡¯s writing and the Gongjia secret cloud message was etched on the tube. No one could fake this.

    ¡°You¡¯re... Shao Xuan?¡± Gongjia Ren looked at the person who tossed the scroll at him.

    ¡°I am. You¡¯re Gongjia Ren? What about your mates?¡± Shao Xuan rolled the scroll up and kept it away.

    About that...

    Gongjia Ren looked outside then briefly exined what happened.

    Although Shao Xuan had already guessed that all of this was identally caused by Sapphire, after Gongjia Ren¡¯s exnation, he couldn¡¯t help but think: ¡®thank goodness Sapphire hadn¡¯t called his little brothers out because it¡¯d just awoken from a deep slumber. Or none of them would have lived.¡¯

    Shao Xuan thought the Gongjia family members would be simr to Gongjia Heng but after Gongjia Ren¡¯s exnation, he realised not all of them had survival skills to live in the wild. Most of them had been cksmiths since young, following a designated master until they were grown. Then, they would follow their master¡¯s path, take in disciples and continue cksmithing. No one dared to go search for Gongjia Mountain because they dared not take the first step. They did not know when they would return.

    Gongjia Ren was taken in by a famous cksmith when he was very young. He had nned to go look for Gongjia Mountain so he wanted to go talk to his master about it but the master was often nowhere to be found so he went to meet Gongjia Heng instead. When his master found out, Ren was reprimanded and his materials confiscated. Yet Ren never gave up and still went to Heng to ask about Gongjia Mountain. When he prepared to head to Gongjia Mountain, political instability ensued in King City, his master supported the wrong team and was assassinated along with some of his siblings.

    Gongjia Heng begged the new lord for mercy so the new lord changed their death sentences to exile. The rest of his siblings either chose to seek protection from other parties or left. Gongjia Ren went to ask Gongjia Heng, who sent them off, where he should go.

    Being a well-travelled person, Gongjia Heng was more qualified to give advice and Gongjia Ren trusted his suggestions. In the end, they followed his advice to cross the sea. They were ambushed along the way and had crossed the sea only to realise the desert was even more dangerous. They had never suffered like this before.

    To the ming Horns, Gongjia Ren and the rest were quite useless as humans. While all their talents were poured into smithery, they severelycked skills for other aspects of life. They didn¡¯t even know how to kill an animal in the most efficient manner!

    Gongjia Heng was an exception because he was forced to pick up survival skills from living in the forest. The difference was that Gongjia Heng could still make traps using materials from the forest to capture beasts. There were too few usable materials in the desert, even rocks were rare sometimes.

    Now knowing that Gongjia Ren had five more mates and he refused to give up on them, Shao Xuan and the rest nned to continue their search. These were all talents from the Gongjia family, might as well take them all in to make this trip worth it.

    Seeing that Gongjia Ren had started to pant after the conversation, Shao Xuan said, ¡°You¡¯re still severely injured. Rest well, we¡¯ll leave tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 739 - Return Of The Beetle Swarm

    <h4>Chapter 739 Return Of The Beetle Swarm</h4>

    Gongjia Heng felt nauseous.

    He was currently lying face-down on the back of the giant beetle that almost killed him. Due to his severe condition, he still needed time to recover even after consuming medicine. He could walk but will not be able to keep up. Since they were in a hurry, someone or the beetle must carry him.

    Before Gongjia Ren made a decision, Shao Xuan lifted and tossed him on the giant beetle¡¯s back.

    They initially nned to leave next morning but Shao Xuan did a knot reading to find that daytime was not suitable because a sandstorm was forecasted to cross their route. They rested during the day, leaving only at night.

    They preferred travelling at night anyway. It was chilly and nocturnal desert beasts could be captured for food. They previously travelled during the day because the tracker insect was diurnal, so they could only follow it during the day. Now that Gongjia Ren was found, they no longer needed to rely on the flying insect.

    Although Gongjia Ren did not remember the way, Sapphire did. They only needed to follow the giant beetle, lying on its back if they were tired. They took turns resting this way.

    Admittedly, having a giant beetle saved a lot of effort and time.

    The few sand lizards rolled in the dirtball had already been eaten by Sapphire. They were meant to be gifts for Shao Xuan but he tossed them to the beetle anyway. Sapphire did not need much water either because it had adapted to the desert and did not lose water easily.

    Gongjia Ren realised that Gongjia Heng¡¯s suggestion was not bad at all. The ming Horns did not look week. Although he wasn¡¯t present, he heard that a ming Horn had hit the Lu family patriarch so hard he flew backwards years ago. That was the reason why he agreed with Gongjia Heng¡¯s suggestion. Having a strong protector was important for survival.

    He was already feeling the benefits now.

    The beetle¡¯s carapace was as cool as steel at night. Since he was still weak and recovering, he asked for a piece of animal hide. He wondered, how were his mates doing without him? The giant beetle had taken only the five sand lizards that appearedter. The dead lizard they killed together was still there. Should be enough for them to not starve to death.

    However, when they arrived at where Gongjia Ren was taken away, they found no one.

    ¡°They left?¡± asked Tuo.

    Two days had passed and these people would not stop in the same spot.

    ¡°No, they should be somewhere here. They would not be able to drag the sand lizard away but they would not want a rare game to be wasted like that. They must have found a ce to hide, eat the lizard, rest and then continue on their journey,¡± said Gongjia Ren, specting based on their personalities.

    ¡°But there isn¡¯t anyone here,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Ren¡¯s eyebrows knitted, worried that the five of them had encountered trouble in his absence.

    Shao Xuan looked around, then walked towards a spot and dug with his knife.

    Gongjia Ren¡¯s eyes lingered on Shao Xuan¡¯s knife. He had seen it when he first woke up. Although it was roughly made, he had to admit it was a good knife. He had not seen this material before though.

    If they were not looking for his mates, he would have inquired about the knife. Even now, he couldn¡¯t help but stare a few more seconds.

    Averting his gaze, Gongjia Ren looked at the sand. There was a skeleton- the sand lizard they killed together.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s still here!¡± Gongjia Ren grew more worried.

    They would never abandon the sand lizard if they had not encountered trouble. Something must have stopped them from even hiding this sand lizard because other wild animals had feasted on it.

    Moving desert sands easily covered any tracks and traces. It had been two days, even the crater created by Sapphire killing the sand lizard had already been filled. They could not follow any more clues.

    ¡°What now?¡± Ta looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°As always, guess we¡¯ll have to let Sapphire find them then.¡± Insects are more sensitive and could pick up faraway scents that humans could not smell. While Sapphire was not as good as the specially-bred tracker insect, it was better than nothing.

    Gongjia Ren was about to say something when he felt a vibration underneath. Sapphire was stomping the ground with its front limbs.

    Poof! Poof! Poof!

    It was not like the violent smashing when it killed the sand lizard, more like a rhythmic signal. Its limbs were angled so no sand flew.

    ¡°What is it doing?¡± Did beetles search for targets like this? He¡¯d never seen anything like it.

    ¡°It¡¯s just happy,¡± said Shao Xuan looking at Sapphire¡¯s hind legs scratching in the sand.

    Sapphire liked to move its hind legs when it was happy, as if about to roll a dung ball. Shao Xuan knew it well.

    ¡°Happy? Why is it happy?¡±

    Everyone else was as confused as Gongjia Ren.

    Shao Xuan did not offer an exnation. He pointed at the ground. ¡°Look at the ground.¡±

    The ground?

    What?

    Everyone looked down.

    Just sand.

    ¡°No!¡± gasped Ta.

    A strange sense of danger lingered in the air like a gust of cold wind, raising goosebumps across his body.

    Experienced hunters with sharp instincts all felt the same.

    The desert was silent. Other than the sound of rustling sand, it was as if all living things had stayed away from this area.

    Gongjia Ren on the beetle¡¯s back shivered for no reason. Although the sun was shining high and the beetle¡¯s back burned, he felt a chill that came from his bones. While he did not have instinct like the ming Horns, he had been surviving in the desert for many days.

    They stared at the sandy ground, wondering what was underneath.

    Shhhhh¡ª-

    Tiny sounds could be heard from beneath the ground, as if many tiny objects were about to burst out.

    Shhhh¡ª-

    They¡¯re getting closer.

    A ck dot emerged from the yellow sand.

    Two ck dots. Three, four.... ten... one hundred... one thousand ck dots...

    Densely packed ck dots covered the yellow ground.

    Gongjia Ren took a deep breath as he watched, his voice shaking, ¡°T-t-t-that...¡±

    A beetle swarm!

    It is considered one of the legendary desert disasters!

    More and more ck beetles emerged from the sand, there was no stopping!

    No yellow could be seen around them. Far away, ck dots slowly engulfed the yellow sands.

    More and more beetles gathered around the giant beetle.

    The person with the strongest reaction was obviously Gongjia Ren, who was lying on Sapphire¡¯s back. He felt too weak to even sit up as sweat dripped down his forehead.

    Most of the ming Horns had witnessed this before when they hade to the desert thest time. They knew that as long as Sapphire was here, the swarm was not a threat. They knew that this unconfirmable feeling was just an instinctive reaction. However, beetles were even more difficult to deal withpared to fearsome beasts. They could see that they had be deadlier since thest time.

    Gongjia Ren looked around nervously, realising that other than a few people, most ming Horns looked calm. There was no panic in their eyes, some of them even looked excited.

    When he thought about it, Gongjia Ren understood everything. He was currently lying on the back of a giant beetle! These tiny beetles must be on the same side as the giant, or maybe they will even listen to itsmands!

    All that panic for nothing. He heaved a long sigh of relief but had a sudden thought mid-sigh: this beetle swarm couldn¡¯t have eaten his mates, could they?

    After they appeared, the tiny beetles burrowed back into the sand once again. They did not like travelling on the surface, especially not when the sun was out.

    When the beetles had all burrowed back underground, Gongjia Ren asked, ¡°Do you think my mates encountered the beetle swarm?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± confirmed Shao Xuan.

    It was true that if Gongjia Ren¡¯s mates had encountered the swarm, they would not be able to escape and will be beetle food. However, they had not seen any human skeletons so far. If these beetles had also eaten their bones, it would not make sense to also leave the sand lizard¡¯s skeleton untouched.

    That meant that the five people had not encountered the insect swarm.

    That meant they had left due to certain reasons.

    Shao Xuan instructed Sapphire to follow their scent.

    After the giant beetle walked a few circles, it started heading in one direction.

    ¡°Follow it.¡± Shao Xuan waved for everyone to catch up.

    After a while, Shao Xuan checked his Universal Eye. ¡°That direction isn¡¯t towards Rock Hill City. I think we¡¯ll encounter desert robbers that way.¡±

    ¡°They would never head towards the desert robbers unless they had no choice.¡± Gongjia Ren¡¯s heart sank. This was not good news.

    Did they seek protection from the desert robbers?

    Searching for support out of desperation was not impossible. Some of the people in their group had done so after a few days in the desert. However, Gongjia Ren believed they must have been forcefully taken. They would never go willingly.

    No matter what, they would find the answer soon.

    Initially, Gongjia Ren was worried that the ming Horns would choose to abandon the n so as to not provoke the desert robbers. However, he swallowed his words when he heard the ming Horns discussing a n to rob the robbers.

    He thought about the giant beetle, then the beetle swarm probably following them underground. Suddenly, Gongjia Ren was no longer afraid.

 Chapter 740 - Desert Robbers

    <h4>Chapter 740 Desert Robbers</h4>

    There were many groups of desert robbers,rge and small, scattered around the desert fringes. They did not dare approach the central regions in fear of Rock Hill City and the rumoured undead monsters.

    Shao Xuan and his group followed Sapphire in a direction. They had walked far and still towards a region with more robbers. They had confirmed that the five people were already with the robbers, just unsure if it was voluntary or by force.

    If they continued walking there, they would encounter desert robbers but travelling beyond them would also mean leaving the desert. Withkes and tall mountains, the robbers still never expanded into these lush territories due to ferocious beasts in the area. Desert beasts would also travel over for water andpetition intensified during breeding seasons. Only animals at the top of the food chain survived and the robbers did not have the ability to move there for the moment.

    Shao Xuan knew this because over the mountain range were the grassy ins close to where the Gui tribe was. The Hui tribe was able to capture and bring back a monster only because they were now closer to the desert. Under usual circumstances, they would not cross through the mountains but instead walk around the mountains to get to the desert for a safer option despite the distance.

    Shao Xuan recalled all the information he knew about this ce. Currently, the desert robbers had been forced back to the desert borders and had their backs to the wall. Any further and they would have topete against wild beasts. However, anyone who survived Rock Hill City¡¯s mass extermination was not to be underestimated.

    Although many said the desert robbers thrived only because of ve masters, in a rtive sense, the groups consisting of mainly ves were an evenrger threat.

    ves who were capable of forming functional organisations that thrived amidst the desert chaos, especially those in leadership positions, had likely already broken free of their past bonds!

    Anyone who could break free of the ve-master bond must be extremely talented and determined. They were a more formidable threat than ve masters, Shao Xuan even prophesied that the scattered groups would disappear during the next few decades, merging until the final surviving powers consisted of more ves than ve masters.

    However, under the current circumstances, the ves and ve masters were still not powerful enough.

    There was a tiny city built with sandstone on the edge of the desert about one-tenth of thergest city in the desert. It was only suitable as a shelter from the elements.

    The people of this tiny city had brown tattoos on their bodies to look like snakes wrapped around themselves. They were known as ¡®Vipers¡¯.

    The Vipers were one of the more well-known groups amongst the desert robbers, led by a person called ck Sand. ck Sand used to be a ve but escaped with a portion of the ves during chaos of war, broke free of his ve-master bond and founded the ¡®Vipers¡¯.

    A group of one hundred people were approaching their city. After arriving before the city gates, they left their camels outside and a few keepers while the leader led the rest into the city.

    They did not belong to the city or ¡®Vipers¡¯, they were from another desert robber group¡ª ¡°Blue Beetles¡±.

    ¡°Blue Beetle¡± was a unique group, one of the earliest amongst the other powers. When people were still escaping for their lives, they found a spot with a water well. When people were still using rocks as weapons, they already owned metal weapons. Rumours told that the ¡®Blue Beetles¡¯ had support from a ve master but after many years, anyone who studied them knew that there were no ve masters. Even their leader was a ve who broke free from his bonds, named Yiken.

    Probably because they were established earlier than the rest, when the rest finally thrived, the Blue Beetles had already spread out their roots and recruited many people. Today, they were also very famous and as powerful as the Vipers.

    Unfortunately, their name ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ was just not as intimidating as other groups that used ¡®Snake¡¯, ¡®Scorpion¡¯ or ¡®Eagle¡¯ in their names. Even their symbol was amusing.

    They were no longer tribesmen but a meaningful symbol was still crucial to building one¡¯s own ¡®tribe¡¯. These symbols were the roots of faith, something to rely on during hard times and represented new beginnings. That was why they usually used powerful animals to represent their groups- just like the Viper, represented by a venomous desert snake that could kill with just one strike.

    And the ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯? Their symbol was a blue bug.

    They were probably the only group to ever use an insect as a symbol. Many people privately snickered at this, not understanding why they would ever choose a beetle. The leader must have had dung for a brain to make this decision.

    Other than the leader, the rest were still enved. Not everyone could achieve total freedom, such determined and capable people were rare. These rare individuals had since founded their own organisations.

    After being a ve for so long, ideas of rebellion started to grow after seeing some hope. They did not want to be ves anymore, to be walked over all the time. They wanted to control their own lives.

    This time, the person walking in front of the Blue Beetle troop was their leader, Yiken. He was here to negotiate with ck Sand.

    Yiken was dark-skinned, simr to many ves in the desert. He did not look very strong, being on the thinner side. On the other hand, the Viper leader ck Sand was a muscr, dark-skinned man who stood like a stoic tower. He was half-naked, exposing the viper tattoo wrapping around his upper body. ck Sand was terrifying indeed.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Yiken.¡± ck Sand strode over, his eyes filled with darkness despite a smile on his face. He was not in a good mood.

    As if he did not see ck Sand¡¯s face, Yiken maintained his walk, his tone calm and detached. ¡°It¡¯s been a while, ck Sand.¡±

    Both of them pped their palms together, cautious eyes locking.

    On Yiken was an image of an upside-down beetle with a ball on top.

 Chapter 741 - Magic Sword

    <h4>Chapter 741 ¡°Magic Sword¡±</h4>

    The ¡®Blue Beetles¡¯ were here due to an important matter regarding their resources.

    Recently, Blue Beetle and Viper both targeted the same spot, which was a base belonging to another desert robber group. An obscure underground spring flowed there and while there was nothing on the surface, they received information that there was an underground chamber secretly built by a ve master there.

    Many ve masters loved building underground chambers because there were limited ces to build structures on the surface. After this ve master built his underground structure, he realised the ce started to leak¨C and found an underground spring!

    The underground spring was notrge but already a precious resource in this ce that severelycked water. Not every underground chamber had such luck.

    This was no doubt great news but the ve master kept it a secret, killing all the ves that found this spring so he was the only one who knew. He even sealed the underground chamber to keep it for himself. Later, due to the desert wars, he brought his ves into the underground chamber nning for it to be his temporary base to regroup. Unfortunately, his ves rebelled. One of them broke free of the bonds and could no longer be controlled.

    The ve master was killed and the underground chamber was taken over by this ve. After recruiting more escaped ves, it developed into a desert robber stronghold¡ª Heavenly Waters.

    ¡®Heavenly Waters¡¯ was another name for rain in the desert so many did not think much of this name. People of the desert yearned for rain more than anything else so when it became the name of a robber group, it did not attract suspicion.

    However, most did not know that they wanted to call it Earthly Spring¡¯ because the underground spring was their source of life. Unfortunately, that was too straightforward, anyone would know what they were hiding. They were not dumb enough to do this, so in the end, the character ¡®Heavenly¡¯ was chosen as it was opposite to ¡®Earthly¡¯.

    ¡®Heavenly Waters¡¯ developed very quickly but their secret could not be kept for long. Their recruits were not united enough. Even if it was initially a secret among the leaders, there was a leak and everyone knew. Gradually, even other organisations knew of the spring after using various methods.

    ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ and ¡®Viper¡¯ were not the only ones who had their eyes on the spring. ck Sand had contacted Yiken recently to negotiate working together to take over the Heavenly Waters underground chamber. Working alone would not be sustainable as they would not be able to hold the fortress for long. Battles between desert groups were filled with casualties so it would not be worth it. Other people would just take advantage of them.

    After some thought, Yiken decided to try their luck. Their previous living quarters were no longer suitable because their spring was shrinking and might disappear soon. Since Blue Beetle was currently growing strong, as the leader, Yiken must think of the future. He had many ambitions.

    Yiken brought people over to negotiate with ck Sand this time. Trust was notmon in this ce so teamwork also meant early discussions on profit distribution. If those negotiations did not go well, then they would not even work together.

    Both leaders walked into a sandstone house located in the city centre, also the most ¡®luxurious¡¯ house in this tiny city. Most houses were built with sand and mud because sandstone was not verymon. However, this house was mainly built with sandstone and looked sturdier and taller than other buildings. Only the leader of the group, ck Sand, was fit to live here.

    Although this was far cry from a ve master¡¯s quarters, ck Sand was satisfied to have a ¡®mansion¡¯ to himself. He also believed that he would one day have a more luxurious pce like the ve masters used to.

    ck Sand led Yiken into the house. This was a discussion between them, no one else was allowed inside as it involved secrets they did not want getting out. ¡®Heavenly Waters¡¯ was a good example that even people of the same group could not be trusted entirely. Therefore, ck Sand suggested for both of them to speak alone while the rest waited outside.

    Yiken did not object.

    However, to his surprise, ck Sand did not immediately talk about the partnership when they entered the room.

    ¡°A few days ago, someone new joined us Vipers,¡± said ck Sand.

    Yiken looked at him, waiting for ck Sand to borate. Recruitment was amon thing but he must have his reasons for bringing this up.

    ¡°He¡¯s from that side.¡± ck Sand pointed in a direction, Yiken understood. From the ocean.

    The desert robbers liked to rob people from the ocean because the other tribes would never step into the desert, only people from the other side did. Secondly, they always had exotic goods like metal wares and exquisite clothing. They loved robbing these people.

    ¡°The new recruit gave me this as a gesture of sincerity in exchange for protection.¡± ck Sand took out a golden sword with carvings on top. While they could not understand the characters, they still could appreciate the patterns on it. It looked mysterious and valuable.

    ck Sand twirled the sword handle, his eyes darting at Yiken, then shed it down hard.

    The de broke the air with a whoosh, then fell hard on a rock.

    With a sharp ng, the rock as big as a human head was split in half.

    Yiken¡¯s pupils constricted, his body tensing up. He knew ck Sand was both showing off and intimidating him.

    A good weapon was a good supplement to one¡¯s abilities. Both former ves who broke free of their bonds, they were equally capable to be able to lead prospering organisations. However, their usual weapons were far from this.

    While there was initially a power bnce, due to this sword, the scales were slowly tipping to one side.

    However, after showing off, ck Sand sheathed it behind his chair. He had already met his goal so the negotiation would be easier on him. He did not n to attack Blue Beetle directly, nor was hepletely confident in killing Yiken even with this ¡®Magic Sword¡¯. Furthermore, taking over ¡®Heavenly Waters¡¯ required partnership with Blue Beetle. The intimidating act was all to gain some advantage from the negotiation.

    While the leaders of two major robber groups negotiated in secret, meanwhile, in the ce where prisoners were kept.

    Several people were locked in a short room built with mud. They were either captured during battle or robbed, separated into a few categories. The first was people with important identities. They were temporarily locked here until the leader made his decision, for example, the five who were caught yesterday.

    The other kind was people who could not offer any benefits. These people would not get any food, only muddy water at most to ensure they did not die immediately. However, they would not be here for long because they would be led out and turned into food.

    Food was scarce in the desert, even humans became food. To the ves, anyone who wasn¡¯t on their side was no different from an animal. They ate human flesh to fill their stomachs without guilt, even taking it as what it should be. Cannibalism was toomon for the robbers.

    A Viper guard sat at a cool spot away from the scorching sun, yawning and asionally looking around to listen for sounds within the house.

    After another yawn, he felt something move beneath his feet.

    Small animals often burrowed under the sand in the desert, they were used to them. This person calmly moved his foot and pulled out his dagger, nning to check what it was. Let¡¯s hope it¡¯s food.

    The animal approached quickly. The guard raised his dagger, ready to strike.

    However, the thing underground seemed to sense danger, changing direction when it was about toe out of the sand.

    Not wanting to give up on food, the guard ran after it. There were other guards here anyway, leaving his post for a while would not matter.

    When the person left, the sand lifted and ten ck beetles the size of a palm crawled out. Behind them, Shao Xuan parted the sand and wriggled out of the ground.

 Chapter 742 - Rescue

    <h4>Chapter 742 Rescue</h4>

    Shao Xuan had enved Sapphire so their auras were simr since its powers came from Shao Xuan. The beetle swarm was also attracted to Sapphire¡¯s aura so while humans might not be able to differentiate both, the beetles could. They would never hurt Shao Xuan and he could even get Sapphire to issue themmands to perform tasks.

    Theserge beetles led the swarm to search for food while Sapphire hibernated so not only were theyrger than average beetles, they were stronger and smarter.

    However, they were only as smart as average wild animals. Even Sapphire could not make them perform veryplicated tasks. However, simplemands were still possible, e.g. luring a guard away like just now; or burrowing tunnels through sand.

    Shao Xuan and the rest had followed Sapphire to this small city. Arge area around it was t without hiding spots, and this was a rescue mission- not a deration of war. Even if they battled, they must fight after the rescue.

    That was why they made another n.

    Sapphire first led Shao Xuan underground. Since Sapphire was too gigantic and attracted attention, Sapphire only led Shao Xuan for a while before passing the task to the other beetles.

    With experience walking submerged in mud, Shao Xuan found walking in sand more difficult but not impossible. He had the beetles¡¯ help underground anyway, there were many more beetles invisible to the surface.

    Sapphire could confirm the approximate location of the five Gongjia people while Shao Xuan found their specific spots. He then sent a beetle to lure a guard away beforeing out of the ground. There was one guard for each of the 4 directions of the small house so this face was left unguarded.

    It was no wonder the beetles preferred being underground because it was indeed cooler than the surface without the sun.

    There was a yard of sorts with bones scattered in the corner by the yard wall. Based on their shapes, Shao Xuan recognised them as adult human and children bones.

    The house and yard were rtively short. If Shao Xuan walked outside, the people inside would see half his head. Simrly, if he stood in the yard, people would spot him from the outside.

    There were about ten more people sitting leaned against the wall in one shaded spot outside the yard.

    Shao Xuan did notpletely exit the sand, only exposing the top half of his body to sense his surroundings and locate every guard and target. The Gongjia people had different auras from the ves so he could confirm their specific ces.

    Unfortunately, they were not on this side. No worries.

    The beetles that popped out of the surface congregated once again and burrowed into the sand. Shao Xuan took a deep breath and sank back underground.

    Soon after he disappeared, the guard who left returned, cursing as he took his seat for failing to catch his prey. He fell back into his nap.

    In a mud hut on the other side. The five Gongjia people were tied up tightly using sturdy desert vines. They might look dried and thin but they were hardy. These five were injured, dehydrated and starving, making them too weak to struggle. Theyy on the ground, eyes opened or closed with only mud walls and sand around them. They weren¡¯t asleep, just thinking.

    Days ago when they lost Gongjia Ren, they met a group of robbers, one of the robbers being their former mate. Their mate led the robbers to capture them, then gave them only a little water so they would not die immediately.

    The Vipers wanted them to make weapons but they refused and were locked up here. Yesterday, they had just witnessed the desert robbers eating human flesh- although they knew it was deliberate for show, they also knew cannibalism was real here. They had long heard of tribesmen eating humans and that they were barbaric. However, it was still very traumatic to witness it first-hand.

    If they agreed to make weapons for the robbers, they would live- but like ves. Based on the Vipers¡¯ behaviour, they did not look like people who would treat them kindly. If they refused, they would be food.

    What now?

    Live or die?

    ¡°I want to kill myself,¡± muttered a younger man leaning against the wall, his head lowered.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea... but I wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with that!¡± sighed the older man looking up at the hole in the roof.

    Yes, they had thought about dying but they still had a glimmer of hope somewhere. Perhaps they would have a twist of fate?

    In the end, they were just not satisfied with giving up.

    They hadn¡¯t forged a famous weapon yet, no one would be willing to just die like that in the desert. Without this hope, how could they have struggled so long to live?

    ¡°If only we didn¡¯t choose toe here...¡± Someone spoke up, then trailed off with a bitter smile.

    There was no such thing as ¡®if only¡¯. They picked this path, now they must bear the consequences.

    Previously, they wanted to burrow underground only to realise it was too difficult. With their current strength, digging a tunnel was impossible, especially when their hands and feet were tied together. The desert robbers knew of their conditions too, hence they were merely tossed here.

    Rustle¡ª-

    The sound of rolling sand.

    ¡°Little Ye! Stop ying with sand, it annoys me!¡±ined another, resting his eyes in a corner.

    The young man against the wall looked up, confused. ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything.¡± He looked to the source of the sound to see the sand move, then out popped a ck beetle.

    ¡°A bug!¡± gasped Gongjia Ye audibly.

    The guard outside heard him but continued with his nap. There were many bugs in the desert, even scorpions and lizards weremon so what was a bug?!

    Within the room, ten bugs the size of a palm crawled out of the sand. The beetles did not approach the people, instead moved aside and waited.

    A hand reached out of the sand.

    All five people caught their breath, almost screaming. They watched as a human slowly wriggled out of the sand where the beetles came out from.

    Stunned, they studied the stranger who appeared so suddenly. When they snapped to their senses, their first thought was: will he save us?

    Shao Xuan looked at the five people, privately satisfied. These people weren¡¯t stupid, they didn¡¯t make a sound.

    Someone asked in a low voice. ¡°Who are you? Are you here to save us?¡±

    Shao Xuan did not answer, instead asking, ¡°Gongjia Ye, Shi, Rong, Shen, Kan?¡± Gongjia Ren had told him their five names.

    When he spoke, five pairs of eyes lit up, about to speak when Shao Xuan gestured with his palm facing downwards, implying to stay quiet.

    Five of them nodded hurriedly, eyes bright.

    Shao Xuan took out a piece of cloth and unfurled it at a brighter spot. There was Gongjia Ren¡¯s writing on it, telling them that Shao Xuan was here to save them and they could trust Shao Xuan.

    The five of them could read the note clearly from the light above, almost crying from emotion.

    If this person came out from underground, was he going to bring them out through the say method?

    They suddenly felt this stranger was trustable and waited for his next action. There was not much time for conversation so the longer they spoke, the greater the chances of getting caught. They only had to trust Shao Xuan. With Gongjia Ren¡¯s note, they did not need to be suspicious.

    Shao Xuan walked over to the nearest person to cut his vines off, then waved for everyone to inch over.

    They were ecstatic but soon realised things were going in an unexpected direction¡ª Wait, I know you¡¯re helping us but why did you cut our ropes and then tie us up again?!

    Yep. After Shao Xuan untied them, he tied them up together once again. Not just that, he even added reinforcements with his own rope so no one would fall out.

    They looked at him with questions, unsure what next.

    Shao Xuan really wanted the beetles to transport these five out but while they would not eat Shao Xuan, he was not sure about the rest. Sapphire had been asleep for too long and only met its swarm recently. He was not sure if Sapphire could control them well. That was why when there was another option avable, he did not take this risk. He did not want them to be skeletons by the time they were dragged out.

    After tying them up, Shao Xuan gave amand to Sapphire, who was underground outside the city, to proceed with the next step.

    An avnche of sand burst from underground a hundred metres away from the city. A pir of sand sprayed like water high in the air, thennded again.

    It was a signal.

    Shao xuan looked at the sky from the gaps in the roof. After seeing a shadow high in the sky, he sank into the sand once more, leaving the five tied-up people looking at each other.

    Soon, a shriek came from far away . Figuring that something had happened, the guards all rushed to follow the sound.

    Shao Xuan appeared in the house once more, lifted the five people tied together, then shed the thorned vine tying the door shut. For convenience of bringing people in at out, the desert robbers built their door wide so this door was wide enough for Shao Xuan to drag five people out.

    The guards had been lured away, even the guards outside the yard were distracted by themotion. No guards were present on this side of the house.

    The five of them still did not understand what Shao Xuan nned to do until Shao Xuan lifted them up, then tossed them like a ball high up and out of the yard...

    Seeing the ground leave themselves, and the little prison yard shrinking quickly below them, they felt their hearts stop as their minds went nk.

    Even higher up, a shadow swooped across and brought the five people away from thepound.

 Chapter 743 - WatChapter Your Words

    <h4>Chapter 743 Watch Your Words</h4>

    The guards quickly ran over as soon as a scream was heard, only to find another fellow desert robber buried in the sand from the neck down. He hurriedly rushed over to check on him, but it was that split second that trouble had arrived.

    The guards roared and sprinted to where the captives were held. The hut that imprisoned the five captives was empty.

    ¡°The captives have escaped!¡±

    ¡°Someone is here to snatch them away!¡±

    ¡°Chase them!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re too fast! I can¡¯t catch up!¡±

    ¡°The five people we captured yesterday have been taken! Hurry, report this to the leader!¡±

    Shao Xuan was quick enough to sink into the sand before they came over. He hadn¡¯t left yet, making the choice to stay put and observe. He had heard the guards outside talking about a discussion between the ¡®Viper¡¯ and ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ leaders as soon as he infiltrated this ce. Shao Xuan was curious to see what these desert robbers were up to. In the meantime, he¡¯d attempt to locate the traitor who had betrayed Gongjia Ren and the others.

    Before Shao Xuan had arrived at this ce, Gongjia Ren had told him to y the traitor as soon as they were found. Gongjia Ren would owe him a favour in return.

    As for the sword, Gongjia Ren wasn¡¯t persistent at all. The man intended to start anew and he was confident that a better sword could be welded in the future. Since the previous sword had been taken away by someone else, Gongjia Ren had no hopes to get it back so it could be considered a farewell to the past.

    The ming Horn tribe failed to understand Gongjia Ren¡¯s thinking. If they had lost an excellent sword, they would¡¯ve tried everything to get it back. Emotions, ponderings along with the concept of new beginnings and old beginnings were non-existent. But since Gongjia Ren did not bring up any specific requests, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t pay much attention to it.

    On the other end, the atmosphere of the two leader¡¯s discussion turned sour as soon as the news reached their ears. ck Sand¡¯s dark expression morphed into something ugly. He red at Yiken. ¡°You¡¯re toying with us!¡±

    ck Sand¡¯s eyes were bloodshot as if dyed red with blood. After he had broken free of his envement, this phenomenon would happen every time he used his powers.

    ¡°Oh no¡±- was the first thing Yiken had muttered in his heart after receiving the news. Now that ck Sand was like this, it was obvious that this discussion could not go on.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t us!¡± Yiken quickly distanced away from ck Sand, still doing his best to exin himself. He was not an idiot, offending ck Sand now meant trouble. Plus, Yiken had no idea who ck Sand had captured and the man seemed to value this person. No matter what, Yiken refused to take responsibility for this.

    Sadly, ck Sand refused to listen and believe him. Other than the ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯, there was no one else who had stepped foot into this ce. Besides, the man had been guarding against people from the ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ all along. As soon as he heard the news, ck Sand had suspected that Yiken had sent someone out to rob away those who could create better weapons since the start and was now merely feigning innocence in front of him!

    Uneptable! How dare he fool him!

    ¡°You all must want to die!¡±

    ck Sand threw out his muscr arm and a terrifyingly sharp polished bone spur flew out. It went directly towards Yiken.

    Prepared, Yiken¡¯s sword was already in his grip. With a speedy sweep, the assaulting bone spur was blocked away. He shouted back aggressively, ¡°I said it wasn¡¯t us!¡±

    Meeting ck Sand¡¯s ruby eyes, Yiken¡¯s heart sank. This was probably a residual effect of breaking a master-ve bond. The after effects would differ between people and in ck Sand¡¯s case, he was prone to irritability. The most obvious indication was his bloodshot eyes.

    ck Sand had already gone berserk. Words were ineffective for he would not listen anymore. The shaky rtionship between both parties had made things worse. The displeasure stemming from the discussion earlier serves to further stimte ck Sand¡¯s wrath.

    Without another word, Yiken flipped with a jump and rushed past the animal skin and scale armour shielding the window. As soon as he was outside, Yiken let out a howl akin to a ferocious wolf towards the sky. It was a message to his men- the negotiation has gone south, be careful!

    The Blue Beetle desert robbers waiting outside gathered towards Yiken and brandished their weapons in defence against the swarming Viper robbers.

    Bam!

    The precious and rare wooden door on the desert was destroyed with a stomp. Like a tall tower, ck Sand walked out step by step. With every step came an audible crunch, almost as if the man willed to crush the sand further. The dangerous murderous intent he bore swept through everywhere, even the Vipers couldn¡¯t help but take a few steps back.

    ¡°How dare you lie to me!¡± The four words were squeezed out through clenched teeth. ck Sand heaved through his ring nostrils like an enraged bull.

    ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t us, idiot! Use your brain!¡± It was after his words fell that Yiken was reminded that there was no point telling ck Sand these.

    The fact that ck Sand was able to lead the Vipers till this day meant that he was no brute. Perhaps the man understood that the Blue Beetles weren¡¯t the ones that snatched the captives away but he was intent on venting his frustrations on them. Perhaps this was his attempt to threaten Yiken with violence and force an agreement out for the earlier discussion.

    Just as the situation was growing tense, no one noticed that a shadow had entered ck Sand¡¯s ¡®luxurious mansion¡¯ and had even taken a seat on the window side to watch everything unfold.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s interest was piqued by the ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ desert robbers. The totemic pattern on their bodies turned out to be a beetle pushing a dung ball. How did they even think of using this as their brand?

    ¡°Blue Beetle?¡±

    Dung beetles were mostly ck in the desert. Even if they were fond of dung beetles, it would make more sense to use ¡®ck Beetle¡¯. Why were they using ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ instead?

    Could it be that they¡¯ve seen Sapphire before?

    Regardless of the truth, the Blue Beetles were not in a good ce now.

    Emerging out of the house, every strand of ck Sand¡¯s muscles were rippling and his bones were positively crackling. It wasn¡¯t a sign of breaking but that every bone in his body was gearing up for the iing battle.

    Clenching his sword, ck Sand strode over continuously towards Yiken. He lifted his arm high. With a violent twist of his wrist, the golden rays reflected off his de shone and came down on Yiken like lightning.

    With a resonating metallic sh, the sword in Yiken¡¯s grip broke.

    Those who reside near the coast had always loved using swords but after the mass robberies, the better weapons used by the desert robbers were all swords. Particrly for leaders like Yiken, most parts of their weaponry had consisted of swords. The sword in his grip was regarded as the best and it was a shock that it was broken so easily!

    Before Yiken could spare another nce at his de, his body was tensed up like a string drawn on a full bow and his ankles twisted around on the sand. With the momentum, he took three steps back in an instant, taking more than two metres of distance with each step. He avoided ck Sand¡¯s second assault while reaching his arm behind to draw out a spearhead. This was a weapon from his earlier days, before the spear¡¯s handle was broken and he had to rece it with a new weapon. After that, he polished the spearhead and carried it around as a dagger. The elders in the team said that it would bless him with safe returns each time.

    But at this point, Yiken wasn¡¯t sure if he could make it back alive. Things were spiralling out of control and the sword his opponent wielded brought him fear.

    Missing his target on the second attack, ck Sand was no longer in a rush to continue the fight. He studied the half de on the ground and then ced his gaze on the seemingly regr spearhead Yiken brandished. The man let out a burst of maniacalughter, red eyes filled with mockery and mirth as he turned his de around to let the reflected sunlight fall on Yiken and his people.

    Though it was just reflected light, the expressions of the Blue Beetles shifted. They had seen how that sword had broken their leader¡¯s weapon first-hand. The light bouncing off the de piled on more stress to their hearts. It felt almost as if the de was slicing through their bodies, their anxiety reaching its peak with mmy palms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a choice.¡± ck Sand drawlednguidly but with indisputable power. His bloodshot eyes were trained intently on Yiken and his men. ¡°I will have authority over the Heavenly Waters!¡±

    ¡°And if I refuse?¡± Yiken asked.

    ¡°Then death awaits! There is no one else who can help you now!¡± ck Sand raised his sword and tapped on the Yiken and the other¡¯s totemic pattern with the tip. The grin on his face was increasingly malicious with each nce and there was no mistake with the sarcasm in his eyes. ¡°Or perhaps you can summon those insects drawn on your bodies. But let me tell you this! These bugs... If one appears, I¡¯ll stomp them to death! If there¡¯s two, I¡¯ll kill a pair! I¡¯ll kill however many bugs that appear!¡±

    At this point, Shao Xuan who had been spectating the development muttered under his breath, ¡°You should really watch your words.¡±

    With the golden shining sword in his grip, ck Sand felt like he was on thedders to divinity. He was growing stronger and could now stomp over all those unpleasant enemies of his past!

    Yiken furrowed his brows as he weighed all the possible best strategies. Sadly, he feared that ck Sand was not about to spare him more time for thought.

    Rustle rustle rustle¡ª¡ª¨C

    The sound of sand shifting in such an intense situation felt exceptionally clear.

    Uncanny feelings surged in all of sudden.

    ck Sand watched a spot behind Yiken and his party with wide eyes. His expression fell little by little as his hands trembled. It was rare to see him in this state.

    Everyone around too sucked in their breaths as if they¡¯ve seen something horrifying and unbelievable. Their jaws were on the ground.

    Yiken, who hadn¡¯t taken a nce back as he was on guard against ck Sand, quickly snapped his head around.

    Not far behind them, a gigantic blue beetle had emerged out of the sand.

 Chapter 744 - It Actually Appeared! (2 in 1 chapter)

    Chapter 744

    It Actually Appeared! (2 in 1 chapter)

    Somewhere outside the little town, behind a not-so-tall sand dune, was one of the closest dunes to the Viper¡¯s stronghold. There would be no hiding spot if they moved forward.

    Here, Ta and the others waited as they watched the little town for activity.

    Earlier, they had noticed a flood of sand just outside the town. It was through that they realized that Shao Xuan had already found the targets and was ready to transport them out. That was the signal they had agreed on earlier.

    The flood of sand was produced by Sapphire, who was waiting with them over there. Hovering above in the sky far away, Chacha began moving towards the small town as soon as it noticed the sand flow.

    If Chacha was too close to the team, they¡¯d risk being exposed. Hence, Chacha had been moving freely ever since they entered the desert. It kept its distance away from the formation, but not too far away so that Shao Xuan could find it in time.

    After the five Gongjia family members were tossed out by Shao Xuan, they were quickly brought away by a swooping Chacha. As they exited the town, Chacha did not bring them towards Gongjia Ren and the others were. Instead, he flew towards another direction. It was after they lost the Vipers that Chacha would revert back to the original path and reunite them with Gongjia Ren.

    Gongjia Ren exined the ming Horn tribe situation to the five people. Though his fiverades¡¯ mental conditions weren¡¯t the best, at least they were still alive with all limbs intact. With sufficient rest and sustenance, the fiverades would definitely be able to recover well. Gongjia Ren felt relieved. The ming Horn tribe was more powerful than he anticipated and there was no fault in their choice. If they could leave safely this time, Gongjia Ren would help the ming Horn tribe weld weapons to repay their assistance in the rescue.

    Now that the captives were rescued, their worries were gone. Even if they were met with the desert robbers again, the people of the ming Horn tribe had nothing to fear now. So, they waited for Shao Xuan¡¯s return.

    However, after a moment¡¯s worth of waiting, there was alreadymotion at the small city. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t out yet nor had he sent out a distress signal.

    ¡°What do we do?¡± Tuo looked at Ta. ¡°Do we head over?¡± Though there were beetles over there. After all, the Vipers were a crowd and Shao Xuan alone might not be able to defend himself if he was surrounded. Everything was prone to mishaps.

    ¡°No, we should continue waiting.¡± Ta raised an arm to stop him. They hadn¡¯t received any distress signal from Shao Xuan and something seemed to be wrong over there in the small town. Shao Xuan had made it clear that he¡¯d send out signals if anything had changed. Since Shao Xuan didn¡¯t do anything, they would continue to wait over there. After all these years, Ta was also aware that Shao Xuan was no longer the confused kid that followed the team at its tail. Shao Xuan had ns for appropriate actions and there wasn¡¯t much for them to do. All they needed to do was to stick to the n.

    ¡°Keep an eye on your surroundings.¡± Ta reminded everyone. They were in an area where the desert robbers thrive, there was a dire need to be cautious at all times.

    On the other end, inside the small Viper city.

    In front of everyone¡¯s eyes, a gigantic blue beetle emerged from under the sand. The yellow sand slipped off its blue carapace with a hissing noise.

    Though Sapphire¡¯s height could only be considered medium-sized among the many desert beasts, its overall shape was a slightly ttened oval that looked like a huge inverted spoon. There was just not enough open space to amodate its body.

    Following the emergence of this gigantic beetle, the low sand houses on the ground began to copse noisily. The woven doors made out of desert vines let out a fragile creak with every strand broken throughout the process.

    It took no time for the surrounding crowd to disperse away from the giant beetle that came out of nowhere. Something just felt so wrong about it.

    Typically, the appearance of desert beasts in the area was rare. After all, there were more and more desert robber settlements here. There would be fewer desert beasts in a ce with more people unless the beast were more powerful. Sapphire¡¯s surprising emergence had been ssified as thetter kind of beast in everyone¡¯s mind.

    Initially, Yiken had ns to spare a quick nce behind before returning his attention on ck Sand. He wanted to attack ck Sand when the man was distracted, best if he could snatch the sword in his grip over. However, Yiken definitely wasn¡¯t expecting to see such a sight as soon as he whipped a head around. He was so shocked that he forgot about his n to assault ck Sand altogether.

    Regardless of the Vipers or the Blue Beetles, everyone had their eyes glued on the totemic patterns drawn on thetter. They studied the beetle drawn and then reverted their gaze on the newly-appeared beetle. Everyone was astonished.

    The Vipers eximed, ¡°The totem is real!¡±

    The Blue Beetles cried, ¡°The totem is real?¡±

    Though every desert robber team would have their own pattern, it was merely just a wish or a kind of branding. No one had ever taken it as something real. There was no concept of religion so how were they going to simply ce their beliefs in a pattern?

    Just like the Vipers- If they ever met that kind of snake in the desert, the first thing that would cross their mind would be to kill the venomous snake. If a gigantic venomous viper were to appear before their eyes, they certainly would¡¯ve soiled their garments.

    That was the present mood of the Blue Beetles.

    The earliest bunch of Blue Beetles who had experienced everything when they fled knew exactly why Yiken and the elders of the desert robber team had decided to take such a name. When the situation with Rock Hill City broke out back then, they fled. If it wasn¡¯t for the blue beetle that scared away the pursuing soldiers, they would¡¯ve been hacked to death long ago. Plus, the blue beetle had even brought them many wonderful things. That was the dawn of the rise of the ¡®Blue Beetle¡¯ desert robbers.

    Those who had joined them,ter on, had actually heard about it from the other members. Only a handful were willing to believe it. Some felt like it was either a made-up story or pure luck. But now... If those who had retold the story of the blue beetle were here, they would¡¯ve been screaming at the top of their lungs- ¡°You lied to us! Didn¡¯t you say that the beetle was only about the height of a human? What the heck is this?!¡±

    Thinking back to ck Sand¡¯s provocation, everyone from the Blue Beetle felt that Yiken had summoned this out for help. They ignored the absurdity of the situation, gazed at Yiken with overflowing respect as they regained their spirits. Turns out the leader still had one more trick up his sleeve. Not only did he summon a gigantic blue beetle, but it was also bigger than the one in the legend!

    On the other hand, the Vipers were horrified. No one had expected the Blue Beetles to be prepared! Even ck Sand too thought the same.

    Yiken, who was equally surprised, could mutter nothing. ¡°...¡±

    Of course, Yiken would¡¯ve noticed the way everyone else was looking at him. He was shocked to the core and terrified. He wasn¡¯t the one who summoned this! Though he had encountered a big blue beetle in the past, it was nowhere as huge as this! He didn¡¯t dare think that if this was just a coincidental appearance. If the giant beetle attacked everyone, would the Blue Beetles have to change their totem soon?

    The appearance of the blue beetle brought great turbulence to the initial tension. The stiff icy atmosphere felt almost as if it was dropped into boiling water and began to crack. The sudden turn of events brought the same emotions to everyone as well.

    In the midst of emotional turmoil, the giant blue beetle¡¯s body was finally fully exposed. Its shovel-like head turned slightly as it swept its surroundings, gaze pausing on Yiken for a few seconds.

    Yiken¡¯s heart clenched. He was clearer about the truth than anyone else, the man geared that the giant beetle would attack them.

    But soon, Yiken noticed that the beetle turned away to stare at ck Sand, who was still brandishing his sword.

    Other than the rustling of sand, it was utter silence. Everyone was waiting for the giant beetle¡¯s response. Despite linking the simrities between the Blue Beetle desert robbers¡¯ pattern and the giant beetle, everyone still held a hint of suspicion.

    Next, the giant blue beetle began to move.

    It raised its forelimbs that resembled long-handled sickles and mmed it down hard on the sand with a posture different from when it was hunting for sand lizards. This time, its forelimbs were stretched out wider and struck the sand like a bolt of violent ck lightning.

    The burst of air was like an invisible flying arrow. From the ce of impact, it shot forward unidirectionally. Where it passed, the sand would be pushed to both sides.

    Yiken stood still with the knowledge that he wasn¡¯t the receiving end of this attack. He turned around to look at where ck Sand stood, understanding that the man was the true target of this gigantic blue beetle.

    It was this strike that allowed Yiken to exhale in relief.

    Thank goodness the giant beetle wasn¡¯t going to attack him.

    When the giant beetle appeared, ck Sand was already tensed up in anticipation of an assault. The moment it lifted its w, the man was already ready to dodge the arrow-like air current.

    The air current hit the stone house behind ck Sand with a loud bang. The house shook and sand, rock chips and rocks began whizzing down. Fortunately, ck Sand had put in a lot of effort in the construction of this house. It was able to withstand the blow but if more were toe, there was no guarantee.

    ck Sand still loved his mansion very much. He did not wish to continue the fight here. The man gritted his teeth and stepped towards the other side quickly.

    Sapphire too shared the intention. After all, Shao Xuan was still in the house. It regretted its blow as soon as it was tossed out. No one paid mind to how its antennae shook several times.

    It hadmitted a mistake in the past, almost devouring Shao Xuan¡¯s target. This was why Sapphire willed to contribute something for redemption. Hence, it would now work harder and focus solely on the target. Anyone else would be ignored.

    With vehement force, it moved its six long legs and began to chase after ck Sand. The sand lifted up by the process hit everyone¡¯s skin painfully.

    Yiken didn¡¯t bother to chase after ck Sand at this point. He let everyone from the Blue Beetle clear out a path and noticed that some smaller beetles were crawling out from the sand. He quickly called, ¡°Don¡¯t attack the beetles on the ground! Avoid them! Avoid them all!¡±

    The Blue Beetles were obedient. One of the Vipers drove their stone spear into a beetle and soon two, three... tens and even more beetles swarmed over to him.

    The man panicked. He screamed as he clenched the spear tighter, continuing to stab the beetles around him. Weirdly, the more he stabbed, the more beetles appeared. All the surrounding beetles began to gather around him and soon, just like a small mountain, it lifted the man. The man was buried by insects to the point where one could not see his head and eyes. In the beginning, his spear waving motions could still be seen and his piercing screams could still be heard. Soon, following an increase of beetles, nothing else could be seen and his screams were getting softer and softer.

    The ck beetles came like a tide, wrapping the man in its wave. When the ck wave gradually receded, only a skeleton with tattered garments remained.

    Even those with suspicions were broken by this sight. No one was sure who started it but one of the Vipers began to scream, ¡°Insect swarm!¡±

    Like a scoop of water thrown into a ming pot filled with oil, it exploded instantly.

    ¡°Insect swarm!¡±

    ¡°The swarm ising!¡±

    ¡°RUN!¡±

    The Vipers couldn¡¯t be bothered with the Blue Beetles now. All the insect swarms they had encountered in the desert would most often avoid them from a distance or even right away. No one had ever imagined that they¡¯d meet an insect swarm here in their stronghold. No, it was brought here by the Blue Beetles!

    The Blue Beetles were actually capable of triggering insect tides?!

    This knowledge was more than enough to instil more fear in the Vipers.

    ¡°Make them leave!¡± The Vipers began shouting at Yiken.

    Unfortunately, the leader of the Vipers was busy running away from the giant beetle and everyone here was no match for Yiken. Should they surround him and attack? But... there was still so many beetles around them and all were capable of devouring humans!

    To run or not to run?

    They watched Yiken shed every single Viper around and how the killedrades were quickly swallowed by the beetles on the ground.

    Some of the Blue Beetles were bitten too but without needing a word from Yiken, they had begun gathering around Yiken. Everyone, including the support waiting outside the small town and people who had rushed over after hearing themotion, too mirrored their actions and went near Yiken.

    Yiken stared at the dense mass of ck beetles on the ground, heart seized with panic. He wasn¡¯t one of those elders. The elders believed in the signs and had faith that the beetle would bring them a chance to live again. However, Yiken had always been sceptical about it. The man merely took the elder¡¯s advice during the discussion for a name and pattern when the team needed some kind of spiritual pir. Yiken really had no clue about these bugs at all.

    Noticing everyoneing closer, Yiken had no choice but to take charge.

    ¡°Everyone, do not attack the beetles on the ground!¡± Yiken reminded again.

    One of them who felt a bite on the calf had to diminish his urge to sh the beetle. Hearing the warning, he could only gingerly shake away the beetle on his leg.

    Inexplicably, after the beetles had taken a few steps towards them, it began to dash away. The beetles did not continueing towards them.

    Ah, this was useful!

    One of the Blue Beetle members turned around to look at Yiken. ¡°Sir... Were you the one who summoned them?¡±

    A legendary desert disaster actually making peace with them and helping them out?

    This must be a miracle!

    They decided that they must reflect when they return. Otherwise, what would they do if they got devoured by the insect tide in the future?

    Yiken shared the sentiment but the doubt persisted. They used to be ves. They had seen many and experienced many. He refused to believe everything unfolding before them just like that.

    Not far away, a loud noise came ringing. The giant blue beetle was fighting ck Sand but no one knew what the situation was.

    ¡°Wait for me here. I¡¯m going to go check on the situation over there,¡± said Yiken, ready to jump onto the roof of the sandstone house behind. Before his feet could even leave the ground, someone grabbed onto him.

    ¡°No, no, no! Sir, I¡¯ming with you!¡± The person grabbing onto Yiken¡¯s arm was frantic.

    ¡°Yeah, Sir. We¡¯reing with you!¡± The others in their proximity quickly joined in.

    ¡°No need for that. I can do this alone. Wait for me here...¡±

    Before Yiken could finish, the others began to howl desperately. They held onto Yiken tight. ¡°No! Sir, you can¡¯t leave us here!¡± They continued to scream and shout, almost as if Yiken stepping away would result in the whole bunch getting eaten.

    Indeed, that was the reality. As soon as Yiken distanced away, those maniacal beetles lost in blood lust would begin attacking everyone. Yiken was the only exception safe from their attacks.

    Yiken leapt onto the roof. Following that, the little beetles pacing around shrank their radius and began closing in.

    Noticing that, the people below waved at Yiken frantically. ¡°Sir! Save us!¡± Some quickly leapt onto the roof as well.

    Yiken jumped off the roof and the approaching beetles began to disperse outwards.

    The Blue Beetles weren¡¯t the only witness to the scene, it did not go unnoticed by arge part of the Vipers as well.

    Those beetles refused to eat Yiken and even seemed like they were purposefully avoiding him. Realizing that, some of the Vipers began to weigh their choices. Survival was the most important thing after all.

    One of the Viper dashed towards Yiken. He ran and shouted, ¡°I¡¯ll join you! I¡¯ll join the Blue Beetle!¡±

    That was the first and then came the second, third...

    Though they worried that betrayal would anger ck Sand, survival still held the highest priority. Those who belonged to the Blue Beetle would be safe from the insect tide. Plus, no one knew if ck Sand woulde out of this unscathed. The gigantic beetle was evidently not an easy opponent.

    Seeing more and more Vipers expressing their desire to join the Blue Beetle, the Blue Beetle members themselves glued their attention on Yiken. They were anticipating his decision. They were aware that the Vipers were forced by the insect swarm into doing this. However, this wasn¡¯t entirely detrimental to the Blue Beetle, at least it was beneficial to their current situation. Loyalty wasn¡¯t important, it had always been apetition of numbers among the desert robbers.

    Circled by everyone in a protective umbre, Yiken was hit with a sense of deja vu.

    Yiken was more surprised than everyone else.

    So this was it!

    The protection the elders had always talked... Could it be real?!

    As if noticing something, Yiken whipped around violently to look at the sandstone houses. He swept his gaze across a few windows, failing to find anyone inside. The only thing he saw was countless ck beetles flooding into the houses through the windows, which discouraged anyone with the thought of hiding inside.

    ¡°Sir, what are you looking at?¡± One of the Blue Beetles asked Yiken.

    Yiken shook his head. ¡°Nothing.¡± He felt like they were being watched but found nothing in his earlier inspection.

    Shao Xuan, who was inside the sandstone house, was already moving towards Sapphire.

    Bam!

    The sand particles flew up like a geyser. ck Sand held onto his sword tightly and sliced through the rushing sand burst.

    The friction between the sand particles and the de created a piercing noise that felt like sharp shards grazing through his heart. The sound hurt his eardrums.

    The meridians in ck Sand¡¯s body swelled. Ever since he broke free from envement, his capabilities would increase with every usage of his power in addition to bing stronger. This was just like how totem warriors would mobilize the power of a totem. However, unlike the totem warriors, though he had seized the power for his own use, it wasn¡¯t absorbedpletely. Every usage of those powers was followed with maniacal emotions. Fortunately, ck Sand was always able to control himself without losing his mind.

    Despite the residual effects, the increase in capabilities was evident. ck Sand dodged the giant beetle¡¯s long ws and his arm muscles swelled again. His strength continued to rise. ck Sand¡¯s eyes had turnedpletely blood red and were bulging outwards. It looked like it was about to start bleeding soon. He looked at the gigantic blue mass not far away.

    His fists were tightened around the handle and his feet shook the ground. Legs bent and centre of gravity lowered, his bulging vertebrae could be seen on his arched spine. His joints were undting continuously apanied by constant crackling sounds. In the next moment, his whole being lunged forward towards the giant beetle like a cannonball. In a symphony of bone and muscle strength along with the power in his body, his sword was swung out with the cry of the wind.

    The forelimbs of the giant beetle were raised in an attempt to block his sword with the sand burst. Right at the moment before its sickle-like ws could make contact with the ground, ck Sand¡¯s feet turned abruptly. The motion shovelled up some sand and the twisting force allowed his body to be folded in an instant, shing past the burst of sand in the nick of time. ck Sand himself was now right beside the giant beetle. He lunged forward with full murderous intent.

    ck Sand was fully aware that his own strength was no match against the giant beetle. Yet, he did not wish to give up his territory and run away. He wished to use his sword to y the giant beetle but every time he attempted to rush forward, the giant beetle¡¯s sand burst would block the man. Hence, he decided to change his strategy.

    The giant beetle must be doing this out of fear of his sword!

    ck Sand was even more confident now. His current target would be the beetle¡¯s head! Without a head, how would the giant beetle survive? It wasn¡¯t a monster created by Rock Hill!

    ng!

    Hard strengths met with a crisp metallic sound. The force of the movement vibrated along the bone of the hands gripping the sword and ck Sand¡¯s arms bounced apart as a result of the barbaric counter-shock force.

    ck Sand¡¯s pupils shrank.

    His blow did not go through!

    He had targeted the beetle¡¯s head but as the blow was made, it seemed that the beetle too was prepared for this. Using its other two pairs of legs, it spun its body like a top. The head that was originally facing the sword¡¯s tip was switched to its carapace, which was the toughest part of the beetle!

    The tip of ck Sand¡¯s de was only able to leave behind a shallow trace on its carapace!

    Blocked away by the counter-shock force, ck Sand was spared no time to do anything before the beetle mmed its carapace into him.

    Bam!

    ck Sand was sent flying away. The power within his body was unstable, to begin with. And with this impact, his blood surged. He spurted out a mouthful of blood and a trickle of blood began to seep out of his eyes.

    His sneak attack had failed. Added with the insignificant mark on the beetle¡¯s carapace, ck Sand¡¯s confidence wavered.

    Sapphire, who had knocked away a person, began stomping its two hind legs. Like an armoured car, it moved its heavy body forward quickly in the desert and pulled up one of its forelimbs like a whip.

    ck Sand was still in the air and had yet to make anding. He had no wings, rendering him unable to avoid the iing attack. Other than raising his sword in defence, the man was truly left with no other choice.

    Bam!

    The jagged forelimbs swept over like a heavy axe, shaking away the air¡¯s barrier and to m onto the sword vehemently.

    The violent force followed along with the fist ck Sand held around the sword¡¯s handle and seized his arm.

    Crack!

    After ck Sand¡¯s phnges were broken, his arm bones let out a crisp noise. Soon, his spine began to crackle loudly as if they could no longer support his body.

    And with that assault, ck Sand was mmed into the sandy floor. The rippling sand spread out like water waves.

 Chapter 745 - Worship (2 in 1 Chapter)

    <h4>Chapter 745 Worship (2 in 1 Chapter)</h4>

    ck Sand¡¯s body gradually lost strength. His grip cked around the sword¡¯s handle, forcing him to switch hands. He had flipped over and the giant beetle was already right in front of him with its forelimbs raised! No time was spared for ck Sand!

    ck Sand¡¯s scalp went numb from the oppression he felt from the giant beetle.Every single muscle of his being was trembling. There was no way he could dodge it in time. All he could do was to raise his sword horizontally and block off its assault.

    Bam!

    His whole body was almost mmed right into the sand. His grip around the sword was faltering. If it was someone else and ck Sand hadn¡¯t grown stronger, the man would¡¯ve been long dead by the impact! Even now ck Sand was merely holding on by a thin thread, he barely had time to think.

    He could already smell the scent of death. Here he thought he¡¯d never feel this surge of emotion after escaping his envement but the feeling was back. Fear shed through his bleeding bloodshot eyes.

    He didn¡¯t wish to die. He still had ns to unite thisnd of scattered desert robbers. He too had fantasized about conquering all of Rock Hill City¡¯s territory and controlling the whole desert.

    But now, he could only helplessly ept the brutal impacts filled with murderous intent.

    Sapphire¡¯s attack was actually very simple, except for the beginning when it wasn¡¯t sure of how strong ck Sand¡¯s weapon was. It executed several probing actions, but once it determined ck Sand and his weapon¡¯s capabilities, it had a clear idea of its approach. Now that ck Sand was vulnerable, Sapphire wasn¡¯t about to ck off. No mercy would be spared for the man.

    Without unnecessary movements, Sapphire mmed and mmed and mmed. Its attack was simple and direct. After it had knocked ck Sand into the sand, it¡¯d extract the man from the sand and repeat its assault! If one m wasn¡¯t enough to kill him, it¡¯d hit a few more times. Simr to when it chased after those sand lizards- If its target tried to hide beneath the surface, Sapphire would pull it out and then attack it. Unless its target was directly killed by its w, it would not stop. Death had to be confirmed because oftentimes when prey were considered to be weakened during hunts, Sapphire had encountered a few escapes once it let its guard down while trying to roll it into a ball.

    To avoid repeating its mistake, Sapphire¡¯s forelimb showed no sign of stopping.

    Louds thuds and thumps were heard from the sandy surface, causing sand particles to sieve and spread open like flowers. Resultant indents would be ttened and created repeatedly.

    ck Sand could hear the crisp fracture of his bones, consciousness gradually slipping away. At this point, he could no longer feel the pain inflicted on his body. Truthfully, he was regretful now. He shouldn¡¯t have forced the Blue Beetle members to a corner, or else they wouldn¡¯t have summoned this giant beetle. Perhaps he should¡¯ve run away as soon as he spotted the giant beetle. In that case, even if he had lost his territory and subordinates, he would be able to form another desert robber group soon with his capabilities and the sword in his grip...

    ck Sand still thought that the giant blue beetle was summoned by Yiken, even till his end.

    Sapphire¡¯s assault finally came to an end. It moved its shovel-like head slightly, perhaps wondering what to do with this man. Its two paddle-shaped antennae twitched, it decided to roll its prey into a ball but this prey was just too small. It could only make a very small ball.

    Just as Sapphire was stuck in a dilemma, Shao Xuan gave it further instructions.

    In the end, Sapphire didn¡¯t get to turn ck Sand into a ball. All it did was extend its forelimbs to dig the brutally ttened man out of the sand and left.

    After Sapphire left, a mass of ck beetles emerged from the sand. They swarmed over to the unrecognizable body left behind on the sand.

    ck Sand had eaten many people in the past. He had even preyed on his blood-rted rtives during his earlier escape back then. Men, women, the elderly and children... He devoured them all. But the man certainly had never imagined himself to be eaten someday by a bunch of insects.

    Hidden in one of the low sandstone houses, a Viper member spied the situation through the gap of a mostly covered vent. He shrank into a corner of the house. The man dared not step out. If ck Sand could be eaten by insects, he certainly wouldn¡¯t be spared.

    Meanwhile, Yiken was circled by more than three hundred people. Those that were further away from Yiken faced asional bites from the beetles. Yet, they didn¡¯t dare do anything to the insects. They were afraid that retaliation would only result in harder bites or that the Blue Beetle members would kick them away and have them fend for themselves. The Blue Beetle members swallowed theirints even if they were bitten.

    Some were even fighting for a spot closer to Yiken. Yiken had never thought that he¡¯d be so likeable even with his own subordinates. His authority was maintained due to fear of his capabilities. Now, that fear had respect thrown into the mix. Yiken was fully aware of their thoughts but he wasn¡¯t the one who summoned the giant beetle nor had he done anything else.

    ¡°It¡¯s gone! The insect swarm is gone!¡± Someone on the outer edge screamed.

    ¡°It really is gone! It¡¯s gone!!¡± More rejoiced.

    The first thing that crossed the Vipers mind was their leader, ck Sand. Now that the insect swarm had dissipated, how was ck Sand? Had he won or lost against the giant beetle?

    The initial ck beetles that lingered around either crawled into the sand or left directly. The ck dense mass of insects before them was now only left with the original sandy ground. There were copsed sand houses nearby along with unfortunate victims that were gnawed down to their bones.

    Some of the Vipers took a few hesitant steps away- There were no ck beetles in sight.

    ¡°Sir! If the insect swarm is over, does that mean the giant beetle has left too?¡± One of the Blue Beetle members asked Yiken.

    Yiken pushed the crowd away and exited the circle.

    Everyone else followed behind him closely. Though the beetles were nowhere to be seen, they were still worried. To keep close to Yiken would be their safest bet.

    Yiken paused momentarily, then began to walk forward. He jumped onto the roof and peered into the distance.

    ¡°Nope. It¡¯s still here!¡±

    Just as Yiken¡¯s sentence fell, everyone scrambled to gather around him again. The Vipers refused to budge even if the Blue Beetles were threatening them with des.

    ¡°The insect swarm isn¡¯tpletely gone yet. It has left this area but for some reason, it seems to be waiting at a distance away.¡± Yiken reported as he jumped off the roof.

    Those beetles weren¡¯t gone yet, this meant that the giant blue beetle was still around.

    The giant blue beetle had left to chase after ck Sand but nothing could be heard from their fight. Had ck Sand fled or was he already killed by the giant blue beetle?

    Regardless, both possible oues were beneficial to Yiken. The man grew anxious. With a roll of his Adam¡¯s Apple and the sweat mixed with sand sliding off his spine, his eyes were focused. He concentrated, hoping to detect sounds from his surroundings.

    Rustle rustle rustle-

    Something was approaching them.

    The sound wasing from under their feet.

    Everyone went silent, hearts trembling from fear.

    The sound was getting close. The other part had no intention to hide their tracks, it seems.

    In the middle of the desert, a blue carapace emerged.

    Everyone held their breath. Some desired to run flee but after what had transpired earlier, they hesitated just as they raised their limb. After a dilemma, they retracted their extended leg and returned to their spot. All they could do was shiver in fear.

    Other than the scratches on its carapace, the reappeared giant blue beetle had no other visible injuries. In fact, it seemed rtively unscathed. It held something in its jaw, which attracted everyone¡¯s attention.

    It was a sword, the one ck Sand wielded.

    If his sword was here, was ck Sand dead? The crowd had their assumptions but admittedly, those that remained here felt relieved.

    The Blue Beetles felt that the Vipers were no longer a threat and the Vipers were relieved that their betrayal would not garner ck Sand¡¯s wrath. Without this sword, ck Sand was no match for Yiken.

    Unsure of why the giant blue beetle had appeared before him once again, Yiken did not dare to move. The man stood stiffly. He wasn¡¯t the one who summoned the beetle. He wasn¡¯t sure if the giant beetle would attack him after killing ck Sand off.

    With the sword secured in its mouth, the giant blue beetle lifted its legs and paced over to Yiken.

    The people around Yiken quickly backed away. Some of the Blue Beetles shielded Yiken protectively but the man patted their backs and motioned them to move aside. The man would face the approaching giant beetle himself.

    Yiken felt extremely pressured to face a living being like that alone. He had no choice but to stand still. He watched the beetlee close to him, mind fixated on a possibility. He stared at the sword in its mouth hard, pulse involuntarily picking up pace. His palms began to sweat.

    The giant beetle brought the sword to Yiken. As if trying to differentiate something, its paddle-like antennae moved. It gave Yiken a fear that he¡¯d be ttened by it in the next second.

    The others found it difficult to breathe.

    After a moment, the giant blue beetle ckened its mandibles. The sword fell onto the ground, just right at the side of Yiken¡¯s foot.

    Leaving behind the sword, the giant blue beetle turned and left.

    Yiken stared at the sword beside his foot. He bent down and gripped the sword¡¯s handle with trembling palms. There were some marks on the de but it wasn¡¯t deep. The de wasn¡¯t damaged too.

    Yiken swiped his palm over the sword, brushing away the sand and dust on its surface. There was still a sheen to the de that felt divine. Despite the ring sun above their heads, the de was still cool to the touch. Its temperature was akin to the sand beneath the ground.

    Lifting his head to watch the giant blue beetle leave, the sunlight reflected off its carapace had a faint hue of blue. Yiken released the hilt and supported the de up with both hands.

    He raised the golden sword with engravings high and knelt on the burning sandy ground roasted by the sun. And with that, he bowed to the leaving blue figure.

    The other Blue Beetles mirrored him. Everyone knelt and bowed to the blue figure.

    It was this moment that they seemed to experience a feeling that they had only heard about and never felt before- Faith.

    Many of their ancestors were ves. Anything regarding tribes was heard from the mouths of their elders when they were alone. This was why they could not resonate with how the tribesmen would worship totems. But now, this moment seemed to have triggered something.

    The totem on their arms, chests, spine and others felt hot. It was now imprinted into their hearts. The totem they had found ridiculous in the past was now holy, just like how they were worshipping a giant blue figure.

    Perhaps a little faith could support their stubborn survival in the midst of this merciless desert.

    While the Blue Beetles knelt, the Vipers locked gazes in hesitation.

    Should they kneel too?

    If they don¡¯t kneel, would they be devoured?

    Ah, it was better to kneel. Since they¡¯ve chosen to join the Blue Beetle, how could they still be standing when the leader himself was kneeling? If they don¡¯t disy their loyalty now when else would be the right time?

    Following the Blue Beetles, the Vipers who had chosen to join them kneeled as well.

    Under the worship of more than hundreds of humans, the giant blue beetle disappeared into the desert.

    The smaller beetles that were waiting nearby left as well. They disappeared into the sand and soon, they were all out of sight. This time, the insect swarm was gonepletely.

    Waiting till none of the beetles had remained, Yiken held onto the sword and stood. He stared into the distance with a deep and unreadable expression. This felt like a new chance at life. He could finally understand the elders¡¯ words better now.

    After instructing his subordinates to count their new members, Yiken entered the sandstone house. This morning, this ¡®luxurious mansion¡¯ still belonged to ck Sand. Now, it had a new owner who had imed it. Yiken, however, wasn¡¯t all that serious about this area.

    Walking towards a stone table, he found a finished animal skin manuscript written by ck Sand. It was the terms of their cooperation. Though it was meant to be cooperation, everything written had intentions of enving the Blue Beetles. This was the main reason behind Yiken¡¯s reluctance.

    Before the giant blue beetle appeared, under ck Sand¡¯s pressure and the other¡¯s anticipation for his decision, perhaps he had thought of agreeing to it ande up with a new solution after getting past this obstacle. But Yiken was fully aware that agreeing now would allow ck Sand to bring out hispleted terms and have the Blue Beetles return to being ves again. Even if the giant blue beetle hadn¡¯t appeared, Yiken would not agree to it either. The man had even braced himself to die in battle but unexpectedly...

    A faint pain throbbed on his palm. With furrowed brows, Yiken wiped his blood on to the animal skin and shed it with the sword.

    He exited the sandstone house. Yiken raised his head and looked into a direction, where the Heavenly Waters¡¯ desert robber group¡¯s underground pce was located. They had been in despair and experienced so many difficulties. In the future, they too would experience glorious days.

    A massive storm was about to happen in this ce the desert robbers called home.

    Shao Xuan felt no need to find out what the desert robbers n to do next. Their existence would definitely be a threat to the Rock Hill City members, even if the current leaders were still not very experienced. They hadn¡¯t even truly improved their capabilities yet. But as long as there was time, they woulde to threaten all the other powers in the desert in the foreseeable future. It¡¯d be best if they could hamper Rock Hill.

    Sapphire, who had been worshipped like a holy relic by Yiken and the others, had been in fact summoned there by Shao Xuan.

    Of course, the conflict between the two desert robber groups wasn¡¯t the only motivation behind this. Shao Xuan had deliberately allowed Sapphire to engage ck Sand in a fight to have the man be the beetle¡¯s whetstone.

    After unlocking Sapphire¡¯s fourth lock, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have a clear idea of its current abilities. Thus, it required a real battle to gauge it. Plus, Sapphire was native to the desert. The advancements and changes brought by the fourth lock were most certainly geared towards the desert environment. It could live well here and there would be more beetles around it. There was no way Sapphire could follow Shao Xuan to the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s headquarters.

    If Shao Xuan brought Sapphire out of the desert, the beetle wouldn¡¯t be able to utilize its advantages elsewhere. This was why Shao Xuan had no ns to bring it elsewhere. The desert was most suited for Sapphire.

    Despite that, there were people from Rock Hill City and many scattered desert robber groups in the desert. While the current desert robbers had yet to show remarkable development and the leaders hadn¡¯t had enough time to improve themselves, humans wereplicated and cunning. To survive in the desert, Sapphire would need to learn more about this. These could beprehended through fighting ck Sand.

    Though ck Sand had broken away from his master-ve bond, which was equivalent to using the powers his former owner bestowed for himself, the power in his body wasn¡¯t stable enough to achieve well-rounded development. This was simr to the tribesmen who had just learnt how to merge with their fire seeds. They weren¡¯t able to absorb the fire seed¡¯s powerpletely yet. ck Sand was just at the beginning and with his current abilities, could not secure his advantages against Sapphire. This was also another reason why Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t too worried about sending Sapphire after the man.

    However, ck Sand¡¯s sword was able to cause certain damage to Sapphire. Though it was nothing like the swords made by Gongjia Heng, it was still a weapon forged by the Gongjia members that could serve a personal signature. It wasn¡¯t easy for a weapon to leave behind such scratches on Sapphire¡¯s carapace.

    Shao Xuan wished for Sapphire to understand that seemingly vulnerable beings could still utilize certain strategies to defend themselves. Sometimes, it may even y tricks and Sapphire would have toe up with corresponding approaches in response. When strength wasn¡¯t absolute, one must be smart. The insect swarm was attention-grabbing and Shao Xuan hoped that Sapphire had learnt plenty from this experience. This was his first ve, he didn¡¯t want it to be reduced to cannon fodder in the desert.

    Thankfully, Sapphire was a smart one. The sand st it had conjured in the beginning may look like a defence and attack mechanism but it was actually just to probe ck Sand and the sword.

    The resulting sound from the friction of sand against the de was enough for Sapphire to gain an understanding of the overall situation, allowing it to decide whether to attack with its carapace. As soon as it determined that the sword could inflict no real damage, it seized the opportunity. Escape wasn¡¯t an option for ck Sand.

    Finding food in the desert was never easy, so all beasts would treasure each opportunity well. Even if ck Sand had thought of running away, it would only be wishful thinking.

    The reason behind Yiken¡¯s immunity against the smaller beetles¡¯ attack was Sapphire instruction. Sapphire had made it clear that the smaller beetles were not allowed to go near the man.

    There were limitations to the smaller beetles¡¯ execution. They weren¡¯t able to distinguish between too many people nor execute overlyplex instructions. Hence, it was impossible for Shao Xuan to have them stay away from the Blue Beetle desert robbers. The next best thing would be to have them avoid Yiken.

    The Blue Beetle desert robbers had piqued Shao Xuan¡¯s interest. However, Sapphire could no longer remember them and Shao Xuan failed toprehend the real picture. If Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t around, the insect swarm would definitely attack every single person. Worse, Yiken would¡¯ve suffered the same fate as ck Sand.

    After this incident, Shao Xuan had told Sapphire to remember Yiken¡¯s scent. If it everes across his subordinates in the future, as long as they did not harm it, it shall not attack them with the insect swarm. After all, their totem was a blue beetle rolling a dung ball.

    Now that the Blue Beetles regards Sapphire as a figure of worship, the misunderstanding would be best continued.

    Outside the Viper¡¯s small city, some skeletons could be found asionally. Those were the unfortunate souls who failed to escape the insect swarm in time after noticing its emergence.

    Shao Xuan returned to where the ming Horn tribe was waiting.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Ta and the others quickly came over to ask.

    They¡¯ve heard themotion at the small city and saw the insect swarm happening. Ta had insisted that they stay put until Shao Xuan¡¯s signal was received. But soon after, the insect swarm appeared. They did not dare to step foot into the areas gued by the insect swarm, they weren¡¯t Shao Xuan. They would definitely be attacked as well.

    Many of the Vipers had fled the city towards different directions. Those that had escaped towards the ming Horn Tribe would be ughtered upon encounter. It was a need to avoid exposing their presence.

    The bodies scattered across the floor was cleaned up by the beetles under Shao Xuan¡¯s order. Masking everything with sand, no evidence could be found.

    This was no ce to extend their stay. Perhaps the Blue Beetles would soon rush over to ept thest remains of the Viper¡¯s influence. There weren¡¯t many who knew about Shao Xuan¡¯s rtion to the insect swarm, at least the desert robbers werepletely clueless. Perhaps they would find out in the future but it was best to not tell them now.

    The Viper¡¯s small city wasn¡¯t a good ce to rest. Returning to that spot would have the five person held captive anxious. They rather sleep on the desert ground than step foot into the small city again.

    Coincidentally, the ming Horn Tribesmen too didn¡¯t wish to stay with the desert robbers. They began to leave, making their way out of the desert. Gongjia Ren and the other five people were carried on Sapphire¡¯s carapace. With food, water and their injuries tended to, their mental conditions had improved significantly after some rest.

    ¡°Uh... Elder Shao Xuan...¡± Among the rescued bunch, the eldest Gongjia Kan voiced carefully.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Shao Xuan looked at him.

    ¡°That traitor...¡± Gongjia Kan was referring to the traitor that had betrayed the Gongjia family.

    ¡°He was eaten,¡± said Shao Xuan. He was the one who watched him drown in the insect swarm.

    Hearing that the traitor was eaten by insects, the six Gongjia members exhaled in relief. At least the traitor had received the punishment he deserved. But following that, they sighed. They were both implicated and forced to step up. Everyone was helpless but it was unexpected that the other party had the nerve to betray them. The traitor had even led the desert robbers to capture them. Yet, this oue was as such.

    ¡°Huh? You feel bad for him?¡± Lei continued, ¡°If someone from the ming Horn Tribe decided to betray everyone, they¡¯d be hunted down. No matter how far they¡¯ve escaped, we¡¯d do anything to kill them upon meeting. Just like... Who was it? The one who betrayed his tribe and sought refuge with a ve master?¡±

    ¡°Dao Yu,¡± Tuo helpfully supplied.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Him. Dao Yu. Even though he sought refuge in a ve master and lived well in the desert, wasn¡¯t he killed by Ah Xuan in the end?¡±

    Lei¡¯s mention of Dao Yu triggered Shao Xuan¡¯s memories of that time. If his assumptions were correct, Dao Yu hadn¡¯tpletely disappeared though he was dead. The man was probably ¡®living¡¯ in another form.

    On a random corner of the desert, a two hundred member convoy trekked the sands.

    Different from the desert robbers, the array of this convoy was rather unique. The most attention-grabbing of them all had to be the gigantic armoured beast walking in the middle.

    The shape of the giant beast looked rather oval. It wasn¡¯t as t as Sapphire and it was slightly longer than the beetle. When it moved, its carapace was stretched in rings almost as if it was formed by several sections. The seemingly heavy carapace had armed most of its body. Its numerous long legs were extended out from its ventral, supporting all physical movement of the beast.

    On the back of this giant beast was a metal frame covered with canvas that functioned to block out sunlight. Like a small house, the wide chair insideid a person.

    ¡°Have you found him yet?¡± Anguid voice questioned from within.

    A short and stout man quickly caught up to the giant beast, wiping off some sweat in the process. He replied respectfully, ¡°Not yet, third young master.¡±

    Above him, the canvas was lifted and a hard fist-sized fruit pit was thrown against the man¡¯s skull. A stern cold voice rang, ¡°Then hurry up!¡±

 Chapter 746 - You Guys Are Enemies? (2 in 1 Chapter)

    Chapter 746

    You Guys Are Enemies? (2 in 1 Chapter)

    After the ming Horn tribesmen received all six of the Gongjia members, they did not prolong their stay. They quickly moved to exit the desert. While no obstacles were met in the beginning, it did not mean that a smooth journey was waiting for them. It was best to leave as soon as possible.

    Just like the past, most nights were spent trekking while the day was reserved for rest. Sometimes they¡¯d have to give up a few hours of sleep to rush through the journey. When hunting in the mountains, staying up all night was nothing new to the ming Horn tribe warriors. However, they were not used to the desert environment. Though their speed was hindered, their stamina was still ever-present.

    On their journey home, the ming Horn tribesmen told the Gongjia members about the current living condition in their tribe.

    The Gongjia members had initially prepared themselves to live with a hunting tribe in the depths of the mountains. They¡¯d live in simple houses made out of wood and rocks and they¡¯d pick up the outdated metal wares again. The members would allow old, coarse, linen clothes to d their bodies as they begin their new life with a group of barbaric tribesmen.

    But as they listened on, why did something feel wrong?

    The ming Horns didn¡¯t live deep in the forest?

    The ming Horns did not all live in simple houses made of sticks and rocks?

    Other than hunting, the ming Horns also knew how to cultivate crops. The area of their ntations was surprisinglyrge and they too were rearing domesticated animals!

    What? The ming Horn tribe had their own trading area? And it was built like the trading areas in cities?

    The most shocking thing was definitely the new bronze tools possessed by the ming Horn tribe along with Shao Xuan¡¯s de of unknown material. In terms of toughness, it was something that even the best of them all, Gongjia Ren, wasn¡¯t confident to put his own creation up forparison.

    This was unbelievable!

    Why was it so different from what they imagined?!

    While conversing with the Gongjia members, it was only then that the ming Horn tribesmen realized that their impression of tribes was incredibly outdated!

    That was uneptable!

    Though their tribes were indeed outdated in the past, the current ming Horn tribe wasrgely different. The ming Horn tribesmen took the Gongjia members¡¯ opinion on tribes personally.

    Shocked by the imagery of tribes painted by the ming Horn tribesmen, the six Gongjia members quickly realized that the mood of the tribesmen had soured greatly. It didn¡¯t take long for them to figure that they had offended them, hence the Gongjia members began exining themselves.

    ¡°Sorry. We¡¯ve been living in King City all our lives. We don¡¯t know much about how tribesmen live.¡± Gongjia Ren looked sheepish. Everything he had heard about tribesmen was as such.

    Other than cities built by ve masters, the six Gongjia members were familiar with themunities by the coast that no longer lived tribal lifestyles.However, all they knew about the real forest tribes that preserved their tribal lifestyles were from hearsay. They found that what they heard was truly different from the ming Horn tribesmen¡¯s descriptions.

    Perhaps the ming Horn tribe wasn¡¯t too bad of a ce. Just like what Gongjia Heng said, maybe their new lives wouldn¡¯t be too far off from their original lives.

    The Gongjia members always thought that the tribesmen were constantlycking metal wares and they would face supply shortage when the moment of need came. However, Ta said that they actually possess a huge store of metal wares and had even gained some in the form of war spoils. From the Gongjia member¡¯s perspective, it might not be much but since they were just a small group, the supply should be still sufficient for their smithing works.

    Though they were aware that their new home was not shabby, the most important thing was actually opportunities to utilize their expertise and have their own workshop. Having those would be more than enough to them.

    Feeling more excited about their new life, the six Gongjia members¡¯ mood lightened up gradually. More conversations were exchanged with the ming Horn tribesmen.

    ¡°You should pick up ournguage soon if you wish to live well there. Language is the most important thing, not every tribe can understand ournguage,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The only reason behind their smooth interaction was due to the ming Horn tribesmen¡¯s fluency in the coastal regionnguages. This wasrgely resultant of the merging of Zheng Luo¡¯s part of the tribe and mutual influenceter on. Plus, those Shao Xuan had brought with them were well-versed with the coastal regionnguages- so at least the Gongjia members¡¯ screams for help would not go unheard. But now that they were stepping out of the desert and into the tribesmen region, it was time for the Gongjia members to adapt.

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Gongjia Ren nodded. It was true that they needed to learn thenguage.

    Since they were rushing through a journey and had nothing better to do, the six Gongjia members began learning tribesmennguages and characters from the ming Horn members. Sometimes when they stopped to rest, they¡¯d practise writing on the sandy ground.

    The ming Horn tribesmen had used the best herbs on the Gongjia members. The six Gongjia members were already able to walk and jog but since they were still recovering, their speed could not match the ming Horn members. So they spent most of the journey on Sapphire¡¯s back.

    ¡°I think we¡¯ll be able to leave the desert within five or six days,¡± said Ta.

    Five to six days wasn¡¯t long. Gongjia Ren and the others had stayed in the desert for longer. Those were difficult times, andpared to the present, this was sufficiently rxing. Another five to six days spent in this manner was nothing.

    ¡°Be careful for the time being,¡± said Shao Xuan out of the blue.

    Ta and the others, who were drinking water, asked, ¡°Is there trouble ahead?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Shao Xuan crushed the straw rope between his fingers. Then he tossed it into the sand and buried it in with his toes. It was difficult to tell apart straw debris and dry sand at a quick nce.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way around it?¡± questioned Ta.

    ¡°It would be difficult. They might have been searching for us.¡± Shao Xuan thought of the Silknose encountered long ago. ve masters who had lived in the desert for centuries would definitely have an army of beasts skilful at tracking. They might even have other tricks up their sleeves. It wouldn¡¯t be easy to lose them.

    Hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s words, everyone turned serious.

    ¡°Are they from Rock Hill City?¡± asked Tuo.

    ¡°Probably. Anyhow, please be vignt.¡±

    Gongjia Ren and the others wondered why Shao Xuan was able to predict the future. But seeing the trust ced in the man by the ming Horn members and the tense atmosphere of the group, they dismissed the urge to question. After all, the ming Horn members were in the desert for the few of them.

    Following that, the group fell silent. The six Gongjia members no longer asked questions. All of the ming Horn members¡¯ attention was ced on observing their surroundings, they really couldn¡¯t afford to entertain them at such a time.

    ¡°I heard that Rock Hill City created a monster that can¡¯t be killed. Have you encountered that before?¡± Lei asked Gongjia Ren.

    Gongjia Ren shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve only seen it once from a great distance away. I don¡¯t know if it can¡¯t be killed but after the monsters were shed into halves, their upper bodies could still move about. There was no bleeding and their bodies were ck.¡±

    When they crossed the sea, a conflict was going on. They had seen it from a distance while taking the long route on their boat. The scene was eerie, causing the few Gongjia members to break into a cold sweat. No wonder King City received word that the battle was going south. Regardless, anyone who needed to face such a monster would certainly shiver in fear.

    As soon as they heard that the monster wouldn¡¯t die even when in halves and was still able to walk around with their arms like weapons that couldn¡¯t perceive pain, the ming Horn members braced themselves for the worst-case scenario. They could feel goosebumps forming along the length of their arm.

    ¡°Will chopping their heads off work?¡± Tuo asked.

    ¡°Not sure.¡± The Gongjia members really had no idea. All their strategies had prioritized avoiding battlefields and chasers. There really wasn¡¯t the luxury to ce more attention on the monsters. They barely escaped alive. How could they be bothered to observe if decapitation could kill those monsters?

    ¡°It¡¯ll work,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The ming Horn tribesmen and the Gongjia members turned to look at Shao Xuan. Other than Ta, who knew a little part of the reason, the others truly had no clue.

    ¡°Those monsters have no organs. They have no heart and the head isn¡¯t the most important part of their body. Decapitation will affect them to an extent but they¡¯d still be able to move around.¡± Shao Xuan continued, ¡°So if you ever encounter one, you can sh their heads off first then dismember them. However, they wouldn¡¯t be ¡®dead¡¯ from that. You must not let your guard down. It¡¯s possible that they¡¯d ambush you with their broken arm or something...¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words made their hairs stand. Gongjia Ren couldn¡¯t help but touch his neck. At the mention of dismembering, the man rubbed his arm. It felt creepy. After all, the Gongjia members were brought up differently from the ming Horn tribesmen. Those words were more impactful on them.

    Though the ming Horn tribesmen felt fear, they seriously imprinted Shao Xuan¡¯s words in their memories.

    ¡°Remember, they¡¯re merely reanimated corpses controlled by people. They have no soul and cannot bleed. They feel no pain and bear no sentience. Other than a strong body, it is no different from dried pieces of log. The main key is the people controlling them. If there is a chance, I¡¯d finish off the puppeteer first,¡± continued Shao Xuan.

    The ming Horn members nodded in unison, showing that they had remembered his words. Since the monsters were not human and more like logs, they too would apply the same treatment to those ¡®dead¡¯ moving ¡®humans¡¯ just as how they would do to logs.

    High on alert, the group continued their path for two days.

    It was this day that Shao Xuan heard an eagle screech faraway.

    It was Chacha.

    ¡°They¡¯re near!¡± Shao Xuan looked into that direction.

    ¡°They¡¯re fast!¡± Not long after, Ta could feel a rapidly approaching presence. Their speed was way faster than theirs. No wonder Shao Xuan mentioned that it¡¯d be hard to avoid them.

    The ming Horn tribesmen took their ces.

    In the faraway horizon where the desert meets the sky, clouds of dust were rolling. There was a particrly eye-catching figure that reflected off golden rays. It was humongous.

    It was a long oval-shaped giant beast. The reflection itself had told them that its whole body was d in tough armour. There were people atop its spine but their identity remained hidden by the canvas canopy around them.

    The giant golden beast was surrounded by people in golden armour. They looked simr to the Golden Armours Shao Xuan had encountered in the past.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze swept through the crowd closest to the beast. Though they were fully protected by armour, and even gave off the same feeling as the earlier Golden Armours, Shao Xuan was more bothered by the figures running in the outer radius.

    They were covered with thick fabric garments. They looked unassuming, heads covered by the same fabric as well. But if this were normal humans, they¡¯d certainly be sweating buckets if they ran under the hot desert sun dressed like this. The golden armoured bunch near the beast looked rtively normal, their exhaustion was evident. Inparison, the odd ones on the outer radius seemed like they felt no exhaustion. They probably couldn¡¯t feel anything.

    It was them!

    Those were the legendary monsters!

    Only those without sentience, unable to experience pain and exhaustion and changing temperatures, could function like a machine. Their steps were eerily matched too!

    If that was all, they¡¯d look more like well-trained soldiers. But in reality, they were nothing but puppets.

    They were getting close. The sand and dust limited their vision but as soon as wind broke through it, the general situation could be gauged.

    They were a convoy of about two hundred people.

    In between these two hundred people, half were armoured men and the other half were monsters.

    Noticing the presence of another giant beast, the six Gongjia members got off Sapphire¡¯s carapace. Sapphire would evidently be required in this battle, it could no longer carry them. Plus, the Gongjia members were well enough to walk and run. With the new bronze weapons given by the ming Horn tribesmen, the Gongjia members stood with them, in the middle surrounded by the tribesmen.

    The convoy was getting closer and closer. They began to slow down one hundred metres away, took a few steps forward and then paused.

    It was then that the ming Horn members noticed the one hundred people nearest to the beast. Their pause was followed by unmistakeable panting. Even with armour, the rise and fall of their chests were evident. The beast too looked like it was panting. With its head lowered, each exhale stirred the sand on the ground.

    However, those on the outer radius weren¡¯t panting at all. Heck, they didn¡¯t even seem like they were breathing! After the convoy stopped, those people stood there stiffly. They really were like hard logs. Covered entirely by thick linen cloth, no one could make out what they looked like.

    Despite that, the ming Horn members already had their assumptions. Those people were most probably the monsters everyone had talked about.

    At the sight of the giant beast, Sapphire moved beside Shao Xuan. It raised its two long forelimbs and red ahead threateningly.

    Giant beasts rarely got along well.

    ¡°Hand the Gongjia people over.¡± A cold voice rang from atop the golden armoured beast¡¯s spine. Though the canvas had hidden his identity, thick arrogance and disdain rolled off his tongue.

    The person did not wait for an answer. He continued right away, ¡°Which is Gongjia Ren? Come forward.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s brows twitched. Ta and the other¡¯s expressions shifted. Why was the man asking specifically for Gongjia Ren? Without gazing over to Gongjia Ren, Shao Xuan gestured behind his back- a signal for the Gongjia members to ignore the question.

    The man waited for a moment but no answer came. Lowering his voice to another octave, this time his words bore obvious venom. ¡°Who is Gongjia Ren?! If you refuse to answer, all of you will die!¡±

    Shao Xuan tried to recognize his voice. It sounded familiar but it had been far too long, he couldn¡¯t match a face to the voice.

    ¡°And who are you?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Shut it! You haven¡¯t answered the young master¡¯s question!¡± One of the armoured personnel strode two steps forwards and pointed at Shao Xuan.

    Then, a slightly demure voice was heard from behind the canvas canopy. ¡°Second Young Master, there is no need to waste more time talking. Kill off a few and they¡¯ll start talking naturally.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± The first voice responded, but it was now devoided of the initial pomposity. He seemed to fear the other person.

    ¡°Second Young Master? Second Young Master Su Le of the Fallen Leaves City?¡± Shao Xuan was suddenly reminded of him.

    Back then when they first entered the desert, they had visited the Fallen Leaves City. The Fallen Leaves King, Su Lun, had three sons- The eldest young master, Su Ka; The Second Young Master, Su Le; and the Third Young Master, Su Gu. They were brothers born of different mothers. Though they shared the same father, their dynamics were like fire and water.

    Plus, it was Shao Xuan that allowed Su Gu to rob the ce that should¡¯ve been Su Le¡¯s and went to the Beast Battle City.

    As soon as Shao Xuan spoke, the person on the giant golden armoured beast peeled the canvas curtains away. Peering down like a bird, his eyes narrowed as a cold glint shed through it. ¡°Shao Xuan from the ming Horn tribe?!¡± Almost every word was squeezed out through clenched teeth. The pure hatred was so strong that even the Gongjia members could feel it.

    The ming Horn members turned to look at Shao Xuan, asking with their expressions: You guys are enemies?

    Even Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t expecting Su Le to remember him. It was so long ago but the noble still remembered him clearly.

    How could Su Le forget? If it wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan, Su Gu wouldn¡¯t be the one apanying his father to the Beast Battle City and he wouldn¡¯t gain the right to be involved in important affairs. Things wouldn¡¯t have developed to the point of conflict between them!

    Su Le was a vengeful person. Even if it had been a long time ago, anyone who had offended him would be kept in mind. Of course he would remember Shao Xuan.

    As the confrontation between Su Le and Shao Xuan went on, a convoy of simr staffing as Su Le was marching towards that direction a distance away. Even the giant beasts they had were of the same type.

    A short and stout figure shot up. He carefully ran over to the side of the giant golden armoured beast and shouted upwards, ¡°Third Young Master! We received updates!¡±

    ¡°Oh? What is it? Did the other bunch find them already?¡± The person sitting atop the beast¡¯s spine brought a fruit to his lips and munched on it hard, as if to vent his frustrations. Jeez, the other party got there before them again!

    Su Gu¡¯s bad mood was obvious. The stout man could only brace himself. ¡°Yes, the Second Young Master has found them. But it seems like they¡¯ve got protection too and it seems to be from the ming Horn tribesmen. This is odd, why are the ming Horn tribesmen here...?¡±

    ¡°Ptui!¡± Su Gu spat out a mouthful of fruit and threw most of the crispy fruit out. He shouted back, ¡°Come up and talk!¡±

    The short man flinched in surprise but was quick to respond. He began climbing the beast. While his actions looked cumbersome, he was actually quite agile. Before long, the man had made it to the front of the canvas canopy on top of the giant beast¡¯s spine. He bowed. ¡°We just received word that the ming Horn tribe was the one who brought the Gongjia members away. Currently, the Second Young Master is trying to snatch the Gongjia members away. Third Young Master, shall we make haste? If we slow down, the Gongjia people will be all snatched away!¡±

    Letting his sentence die, the short stout man waited for a response. However, Su Gu did not reply. Feeling odd, the man prompted, ¡°Young Master, would you...¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not going there.¡± His voice rang from inside the canopy.

    ¡°Yes! Right away- W... What?!¡± The short man thought his ears were going bad. Wasn¡¯t the Third Young Master and the Second Young Master always at each other¡¯s throats? They literally fought about everything. After all, the Fallen Leaves Lord Su Lun had mentioned that there would only be one inheritor to his current assets. The Second Young Master, Su Le and the Third Young Master, Su Gu were now the only children alive.

    In the past, many would¡¯ve expected the fight for the throne would be between the eldest young master, Su Ka and the Second Young Master, Su Le. **But after the shift in the desert, the head of Fallen Leaves City no longer called himself king. He was now demoted to merely the lord. Whenparing the current Fallen Leaves City with its past, it was at least one foldrger than before. In regards to being king or not, since they could never challenge Rock Hill City, titles and designations were no longer important.

    [**TL Note: the previous trantor tranted ¡®Íõ¡® (King) as Lord and we have so far tranted the leader of each city as ¡®lords¡¯ where it should have been ¡®kings¡¯. But here, the author mentions that now, the Kings cannot call themselves that, and they are demoted into lords of each city. We will keep calling these people ¡®lords¡¯ since I can¡¯t find another word for it, but this is just a short exnation! xx]

    The expansion meant an increase in resources and wealth. Plus, they were assigned important affairs by Rock Hill City, the current ruler of the desert. The temptation was real.

    Su Lun¡¯s decision was still the same as ever- There would only be one heir to almost all of the resources and wealth. So it was only natural for the public to assume the conflict would be between the Eldest and Second Young Master. However, no one expected that the Eldest Young Master would perish in an ident while out on a task. After he was killed by the people of the coastal region, the only ones left behind were the Second and Third Young Masters.

    Under those circumstances, many assumed that since the Eldest Young Master had passed, the throne would definitely be given to the Second Young Master. In a turn of surprising events, the Third Young Master, Su Gu, began to thrive! Till this day, the two lords were evenly matched. Hence, theypeted fiercely for everything.

    In the past, as soon as a mission was epted and Su Le had gotten there first, Su Gu would be on the edge of his seat. He had the urge to pick up pace but this time, he had reacted very differently.

    ¡°I said we¡¯re not going! Do you hear?!¡± Pausing for a moment, Su Gu continued from inside the canopy, ¡°Slow down. There¡¯s no need to hurry.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡± The short and stout man wiped away the sweat dotting his forehead. He thought to himself: This young master sure is difficult to please. First he says he¡¯s not going, next he says he wants us to slow down. Is he going to regret this?

    Regardless, the convoy had adhered to Su Gu¡¯s request and began slowing down. The initially rushing convoy now looked like they were taking a leisurely stroll. Their movements werenguid and each step was rxed.

    ¡°Why would the ming Horn tribe be here?¡± Su Gu pondered hard. If people from the ming Horn tribe were here, their leader would most probably be Shao Xuan. Truthfully, Su Gu was rather intimidated by Shao Xuan. This was a fear he had harboured since their time in the Fallen Leaves City. The following events too increased Shao Xuan¡¯s intimidation. But the young master wasn¡¯t willing to give up just yet. Thus, he made the convoy slow down. It would be best if they arrived at a time where both the ming Horn tribe and Su Le¡¯s group were worn down and battle-tattered. That way, Su Gu could be spared from lots of trouble.

 Chapter 747 - The Strong Bullies the Weak

    Chapter 747

    The Strong Bullies the Weak

    Under the strong sunlight in the midst of rolling yellow sand, two lines of people faced each other rigidly.

    Su Le¡¯s gaze on Shao Xuan was obviously heavy with murderous intent. If it was possible, he¡¯d very much like to sh Shao Xuan up personally and feed him to his ves. However, Su Le treasured his life. He knew Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t easy to handle. Though he did not experience it first-hand, he had definitely heard about the beast battle incident from back then.

    Su Le refused to risk it. If he was dead, the sessor of the Fallen Leaves City would be none other than that idiot, Su Gu!

    Despite that, with Su Le¡¯s current authority, he need not venture over personally. He was a ve master and he owned ves. Since the change of scenery in the desert, he too began training ves to create elite talents. Battles could be fully entrusted to those trained ves and he¡¯d just observe it from afar.

    Plus...

    Su Le lifted his chin slightly to look at someone behind from the peripheral of his eye. This person was dressed the same way as the non-breathing ¡®humans¡¯ on the outer radius. Their whole body was d in a greyish-white linen cloth but the difference was while the ¡®humans¡¯ had their heads covered as well, this person was merely wearing a hood. The lower half of their pale face was visible but in scarce lighting, any emotions would go unnoticed.

    In the desert, many would have slightly tan skin as a result of the sun rays. But this person seemed as if they hadn¡¯t been in the sun for a very long time. One may even say they looked sickly pale.

    There were plenty of people of simr fashion in Rock Hill City. Some were involved in the coastal war while some followed their ve masters around. Su Le¡¯s brother, Su Gu, too had someone like this. This was the puppeteer that controlled the monsters.

    Though the presence of a puppeteer brought Su Le difort, it was a form of protection from another perspective. With them around, Su Le felt relieved as it would not strain the number of his ves.

    He took a nce at the person behind, immediately feeling more confident. On Su Le¡¯s end, he had one hundred ves and one hundred monsters. He took another look at the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s side, they were definitely outnumbered. The ming Horn Tribe¡¯s line-up consisted of not more than fifty people. And then hepared their beasts. Su Le¡¯s beast was obviouslyrger than Shao Xuan¡¯s beetle. The beetle didn¡¯t seem all too mighty either.

    Theparison brought ease to Su Le.

    Because of that, Su Le made his ruthlessness clear in his eyes. If this were someone else, he would probably grant them mercy after they hand over the Gongjia members as demanded. After all, battles would burn through human resources and he wasn¡¯t too keen on letting his ves perish. The ve training wasn¡¯t easy at all.

    But the ming Horn Tribe? He was adamant to not leave behind a single life! He could even bring their corpses back and get rewarded!

    Su Le tugged on a metal bell on the side. Soon, ves appeared.

    Eight golden-armoured ves unloaded the canvas canopy and lifted it like a sedan-chair. They gingerly carried it, afraid to anger the person within with a single tremble.

    The fluidity of their actions suggested that they had done this many times.

    ¡°Be careful, they¡¯reing!¡± warned Shao Xuan.

    The little canopy was brought off the beast¡¯s spine to let the giant golden armoured beast participate in the battle without affecting the person inside. With that, Su Le was brought to the very end of the convoy. The golden-armoured members surrounded him while the unbreathing ¡®humans¡¯ stood at the very front of the outer wings.

    Without reservations, the two plier-like fangs of the giant golden armoured beast moved. It let out a whistle that sounded like violent winds. He lifted its upper body and folded dozens of its feet. Its ventral abdomen that was mostly stuck to the ground was disyed. Though its abdomen wasn¡¯t protected with thick armour like its nks and back, it still was protected by a shell of a lighter shade.

    Then, the giant golden beast hammered its body down hard like a mace!

    The sandy grounds shook violently as if receiving impact from the fall of a giant boulder. It almost felt like a mountain could be split open. Their ears were tormented by the thundering sound. Those that were close to the beast would feel their heads hurt while their chest bubbled with air and blood.

    The six Gongjia members were very depressed. They had never encountered a giant beast like this during their escape. Even if they did, they would¡¯ve seen it from a safe distance away. If they had met such a beast, they would¡¯ve been long dead by now.

    After the booming thud resonated away, waves of sand rippled and spread towards the ming Horn Tribe party.

    The waves seized the ming Horn Tribesmen¡¯s feet and even those that stood a few hundreds of metres away could feel the instability. It felt like they were standing on a rocking boat atop a turbulent sea during a storm.

    The sand storm triggered sharp piercing noises from the friction birthed by the sand particles that brushed through the tough golden armoured body. It sounded like the sand was polished by rigid strong metal.

    Strong wind brought sand over to their end. Gongjia Ren lifted his sleeve to cover his nose and mouth. His eyes were narrowed into slits to avoid sand from getting into his eyes. His slightly oversized sleeve pped wildly under the assault of the wind. The man¡¯s hair was blown to a point where it was almost parallel to the ground!

    This giant beast was bound to be difficult!

    What would the ming Horn Tribesmen do? Gongjia Ren looked around.

    Out of Gongjia Ren¡¯s expectation, the ming Horn members showed no fear or anxiety to the disy of threat earlier. It was almost as if the giant golden armoured beast¡¯s performance had triggered nothing but a normal breeze.

    But that was in fact, the truth. They weren¡¯t faking their calmness. The ming Horn Tribesmen weren¡¯t all too bothered by the giant golden armoured beast.

    What was the point of showing off?

    They had encountered the stone worms and king worms. Though this beast would bring great stress to Gongjia Ren and the others, it dealt little effect to the ming Horn members¡¯ spirit. After all, giant beasts weren¡¯t new to them and they regrly hunt for fearsome beasts. They had even seen a few king beasts.

    The min Horn members merely spared the giant golden beast an eye before returning their focus on those masked, unbreathing ¡®humans¡¯. They were more bothered by the presence of these monsters.

    However, the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s silence led Su Le to believe that they were intimidated.

    ¡°We have clearly outnumbered you. Nevermind that. As long as you surrender Gongjia Ren and the rest of the Gongjia members, I¡¯ll allow you a grace period to leave,¡± offered Su Lenguidly, making it sound like a rare blessing.

    Shao Xuan smirked. He lifted his chin to look at the direction of the wind that blew against the canvas curtains. ¡°So you think outnumbering us will automatically give you an advantage? Is this not called ¡®bullying¡¯?¡±

    ¡°So what?¡± Su Le felt like the concept of bullying the weak was merelymon sense. It was the safest approach and his favourite. Doing things the other way round was not normal.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± With that, Shao Xuan raised his right forefoot and stepped on the ground.

    Instantly, there was a slight tremor beneath their feet. While it was rather underwhelmingpared to the giant golden armoured beast¡¯s roar, the sensation spread far and wide. The surrounding air seemed to have shifted with this step. There seemed to be muffled noisesing from a distance but at the same time, it felt like it wasing from underground. Ayer of sand on the surface began spreading outwards in a circle rapidly. Soon, it had gone past Su Le¡¯s position.

    The armoured personnel around Su Le felt their feet getting lightly grazed by moving sand. But it gave them a fake impression that an icy hand had gripped their heels. All of a sudden, they felt cold.

    The temperature was high and they had been rushing through the journey earlier. It was normal for them to feel extremely hot but the earlier sensation triggered involuntary shivers. Something just felt fundamentally astray.

    ¡°Young master, something is wrong...¡±

    Su Le too felt odd. The man peeled the canvas away and peered outwards. He jolted in shock.

    ¡°Beetles!¡±

    He watched as small ck beetles began emerging out from the surface. Though a lonely beetle seemed easy to kill, a bad feeling surged as more and more beetles continued to flood out.

    He took another look at the giant blue beetle beside Shao Xuan. Su Le inhaled vehemently as his fingers began to tremble. He released his grip on the canvas curtain, swallowed his spit and shouted with a voice filled with shock and fear.

    ¡°Insect swarm!¡±

    Since when did everyone learn about the fears of an insect swarm? When was the news spread?

    In Su Le¡¯s memory, though there were past incidents that involved beetles devouring battle beast corpses, the fear hadn¡¯t begun there. The pure terror the insect swarm brought them had actually stemmed from an incident years ago.

    Back then, the Lord of Snow ins City had sent out two hundred soldiers after Shao Xuan. None of the Golden Armours had survived the mission. It was said that those who went to look for the Golden Armours found their bodies scattered on a spot in the desert. What was left were merely pale bones and tattered fabrics. Their proud golden armours were half-buried in sand, everything felt dead.

    Though he hadn¡¯t seen it with his own eyes, merely hearing it from other people, it wasn¡¯t difficult to imagine an eerie scene like that. Though rumours were often exaggerated and those two hundred Golden Armours had not necessarily perished in an insect swarm, it was highly possible that theirplete wipeout was tied to the insect swarm!

    That was the beginning. Since then, insect swarms have be another disastrous tragedy in the desert.

    Su Le¡¯s ves were indeed armed like the famous Golden Armours of the Snow ins City. He and Su Gu had done the same- The armour dding their personnel were made in the same batch andter given to them through Su Lun. This could be considered a fair allocation of resources by the Lord of the Fallen Leaves City before an heir was selected.

    If the famous merciless and bloody Golden Armours of the Snow ins could not escape the insect swarm¡¯s assault, what would happen to his ves?

    Indeed, Su Le was proud to own a team of ves armed with gold armour. However, he knew that these ves were still far off from the Golden Armours of the Snow ins.

    The thoughts that crossed Su Le¡¯s mind sent chills down his spine. His teeth began to tter. So this was what Shao Xuan was referring to earlier!

    The ck beetles that emerged to the surface had formed an insect swarm. All they could see now was a sea of ck insects.

    The ck beetles rushed towards Su Le like a wave. The armoured ves screamed as they tried to swat away the beetles clinging onto their bodies. But more beetles continued to squeeze through the gaps between their armour and clothes.

    The mounts they rode stamped their hooves and threw off its rider on their back. The originally neat formation was now a mess.

    However, there were exceptions.

    Shao Xuan studied the situation over there with a heavy expression. ¡°They¡¯re avoiding the monsters!¡±

    The beetles were not picky at all. Fresh meat or rotten meat, they¡¯d leave behind nothing. But when faced with the monsters, the beetles seemed to be very repulsive. The insects were actively avoiding them.

    Compared to the frantic golden-armoured ves, the linen-wrapped monsters on the outer wing really seemed like a log of wood, unresponsive to the things happening around them.

 Chapter 748 - Invincible Monsters

    <strong>Chapter 748</strong>

    <strong>Invincible Monsters</strong>

    DOGE Note: The finale chapter 844 + Epilogue 1&2 will be released on the 17th of May for the Mr Good Boi Universe patrons! Come support me and get these advanced chapters <3 can¡¯t wait for you all to read it.

    On the vast yellow desert filled with undtions and wrinkles, screams and beast roars had never once stopped.

    The first to suffer were the armoured ves. The ck beetle that emerged from under the sand had seized them like roaring waves. Instantly, the ves standing in the front were enveloped in a nket of ck. The little beetles were like starving fierce wolves as they pounced on the unfortunate souls.

    Due to the overwhelming number, even if the ves shook them away, beetles would continue to crowd over. As soon as an opening was detected, the beetles would utilize it and squeeze themselves under the armour to begin a biting fest.

    One of the golden-armoured ves screamed hysterically. Soon, he lost strength and tripped over onto the ground. The impact chased away a wave of beetles and the man was finally allowed to wheeze with his freed torso. However, the crowd of beetles returned once again in the next moment. His face was already bitten into a bloody mess. The scent of blood stimted the beetles, making the insects behave crazier than ever.

    There were just too many of them. At this point, the ves were all slipping into a mental breakdown.

    Weirdly, other than the monsters on the outer radius, the beetles too actively avoided the canvas canopy. This caused the ves that were tormented by the insect swarm to rush over. At that moment, it felt like deja vu to Shao Xuan. This was just like what Yiken had experienced. The only difference, however, was that Yiken was spared from the beetle attacks because of Shao Xuan and Sapphire. The current situation was a different circumstance, just like how the beetles stayed away from the monsters.

    Noticing that the insect swarm hadn¡¯te into his proximity, Su Le felt slightly relieved. His biggest fear was solved as long as he was alright. While the death of his ves left him upset, the young master wasn¡¯t genuinely sad about it. The bond between ve and master would be forcefully broken at the ve¡¯s death. The stronger the bond, the stronger the vemaster would feel when it breaks.

    Su Le had ced a lot of effort into training the golden-armoured ves. As soon as the insect swarm devoured a ve, the young master would feel a hammering pain in his skull that threatened to split his head open and restlessness. Thankfully, based on the current situation, the insect swarm wasn¡¯t invincible. At least the beetles could do nothing to the monsters.

    Rage filled Su Le¡¯s eyes. He roared, ¡°Kill them!¡±

    The giant golden armour beast was already dashing over towards them. It was a giant beast enved by Su Le. Before the shift of power in the desert, a giant beast like that would be brought into the beast battle arena. However, the arenas hadn¡¯t been operating for a very long time and these beasts were incorporated into war affairs. The beasts now too served as Su Le¡¯s transport every time he was out on a mission.

    ¡°Go.¡± Shao Xuan said to Sapphire.

    While Sapphire wasn¡¯t as huge as the giant golden armour beast, and its weight ss was at least one level below, Shao Xuan remained confident in Sapphire.

    The beasts met with a loud impact. As if it had created a sandstorm, the flying sand particles had blurred out everything on the surface.

    The initially silent and unresponsive monsters began to move at this moment.

    upied with the insect swarm, the ves were forced to cower away from attacking. Su Le too wasn¡¯t keen on sending his carefully trained ves to the afterlife, hence his only choice was to sacrifice the monsters instead. Those monsters alone could defeat the ming Horn Tribesmen, right? After all, they still had the advantage of numbers.

    ¡°Protect them!¡± Ta shouted at the warriors circling the six Gongjia members.

    The ming Horn Tribe members unsheathed their swords, daggers and axes from its leather cover. They had brought two types of weapons to the desert. One was made of the new bronze material and the other was just regr bronze ware. Before this, they mostly used the regr weapon unless faced with ferocious beasts in the desert. The new bronze weapon stayed mostly in its sheath. After all, such a weapon was just too unique, so they decided to hide it. Now that they were about to head into an intense battle, they certainly had no ns to be reserved. There was no longer the need to mask it.

    The totemic power in their bodies surged. Within the blink of an eye, all totemic patterns of the ming Horn members were fully disyed. There were no screams and battle cries, they lunged forward into battle silently. When hunting in the jungle, they would mostly keep silent, unless the hunt hade to an end or due to special urrences; like herd hunting strategies that required their roars to drive away a group of beasts.

    They too kept the same practice in the current battle.

    Swinging their huge axe over mercilessly, it shed with the monster¡¯s weapons heavily. The ruthless impact forced the monster backwards. The axe-wielding ming Horn Tribe member shook his shoulders to suppress the anti-shock force and swung his axe again!

    A warrior brandishing his spear had already reced the spearhead with a green one. With a slight tremor from its long handle, a hole was broken through the field of flying sand. The spearhead was like a fang focused on its prey. It pounced straight on the monster, whose head waspletely covered with linen.

    Piercing noises rang from every corner. Everyone from the ming Horn Tribe party was adhering to Shao Xuan¡¯s earlier advice- To attack the monster¡¯s skull first!

    The long spear went through the monster¡¯s oesophagus clean, leaving behind a hole. If this was a regr human being, this attack would have triggered a squirting fountain of warm blood. However, there was no visible bleeding on the monster even after such a lethal attack. Their movements werergely unaffected too. Some were even using their heads as a weapon, they seemed ready to fight till death!

    Shao Xuan could only sigh internally. It was indeed as expected. These were long deceased people, they were nothing more than controlled puppets now. They felt no pain and bore no sentience.

    Even the strongest fearsome beast would defend themselves in a fight. For example, when their vitals were threatened, they¡¯d begin dodging or blocking attacks. But these monsters seemed absolutely clueless. Their main goal was tond an attack, hence each assault was packed with heavy murderous intent. They couldn¡¯t be considered humans anymore, they were more like tools to murder!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s right foot stomped the floor and jumped. In an instant, the man backed off two steps to avoid the monster¡¯s assaulting skull. The monster knew no pain and did not hold back their attacks. Their emotions were immune to swings. Even if they were hurt, the monsters would remain unfazed. However, Shao Xuan could not offer to ignore his wellbeing.

    With a twist of his ankle, Shao Xuan stopped backing away abruptly. The sword in his grip struck like a bolt of lightning, as he shed the air with minor sizzles, almost as if the de was rubbing against sand particles. With a cold glint of the de, the monster opposite him was decapitated.

    The other ming Horn members a distance away could see the head wrapped tightly in linen fall off. There was no blood at the wound, all they could see were some dark shrivelled flesh and skin.

    The beheaded monster paused slightly. But soon, it continued its attacks. Decapitation felt almost like a mere hair fall to it. However, one would notice that those beheaded monsters were moving more clumsily than before upon closer inspection.

    Experienced in hunting, this detail did not go unnoticed to the ming Horn tribesmen. They felt much confident with Shao Xuan¡¯s suggestion. Indeed, that approach was effective.

    Though the idea had worked to a certain extent, the beheaded monsters were still standing. Its movements werergely unhindered and it was still able to fight with weapons. The crowd couldn¡¯t help but feel uncanny about it.

    Su Le, who had been observing the battle, naturally noticed that the ming Horn members seemed to have a n. But rtively, Su Le cared more about the weapons in their grips.

    When he saw the ming Horn member¡¯s green weapon earlier, Su Le¡¯s brows shot up and his jaw was cked with shock. He couldn¡¯t believe his eyes. He lifted the curtains higher and widened his eyes. He stared at the particr weapon in the ming Horn Tribe member¡¯s grip.

    ¡°That¡¯s...!¡±

    Su Le had encountered a simr green weapon in the past but they weren¡¯t allowed to use it. Other than the few core members involved in the coastal region wars, the others did not possess it. His father, Su Lun, too had one. From what he heard, the weapon was said to have excellent structural integrity.

    Green weapons like these were rare. Even young lords like them could hardly own one, they¡¯d have to earn it through credits. So why would the ming Horn members possess something like this?

    How was it possible?

    Was its appearance merely simr?

    To understand the situation, Su Le continued to observe them. Now, his priority was ced on those weapons. As to the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s n, he couldn¡¯t be bothered. From his perspective, those monsters were meant to be invincible. Even if it was torn into pieces, it would still be able to continue fighting. He hadn¡¯t thought of possible failures.

    Failure? Impossible!

    Even the silent person sitting behind Su Le had noticed the green weapons wielded by the ming Horn members. They couldn¡¯t help but stare ahead instead of sitting still with their eyes glued to the ground. But still,pared to the visibly agitated Su Le, the person¡¯s expression was indifferent. Their grey eyes felt like a lifeless desert.

    The harsh collision of metal created a deafening screech. Su Le watched the monster¡¯s weapon sustain damage with every sh, heart palpitating crazily.

    Yes! It really was it!

    Frankly, the monsters were already wieldingparatively high-quality weapons, at least much better than those brandished by the desert robbers. However, in the face of the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s green weapons, it was vulnerable.

    Su Le¡¯s breathing picked up. The initial n was just to bring the Gongjia members back home, finish the mission and perhaps exploit the credit for some benefit. The man really wasn¡¯t expecting toe across great things!

    Su Le couldn¡¯t be bothered with how the ming Horn Tribe got ahold of these weapons. All he wished to do now was to rob their green tools away!

    There were plenty of them. Perhaps if he submitted a portion upon return, Su Le was confident that he¡¯d still be able to leave some for himself. Even if he couldn¡¯t reserve much for his own use, bringing these home could be considered a great deed!

    ¡°Charge! Kill them all!¡± Su Le roared.

    As long as all these ming Horn members were killed, all their weapons would naturally fall into his possession.

    The person behind Su Le shared the thought. There was a glint in their otherwise dull eyes. The tightly-wrapped monsters began attacking with more ferocity. Theirck of reservations earlier had upgraded to suicidal attacks. Thankfully, the ming Horn Tribesmen had already beheaded quite a lot of monsters earlier. The situation was less dire but even so, it still brought the ming Horn Tribe members plenty of stress.

    Thud!

    One of the monsters¡¯ bodies was shed into halves. Its upper body fell to the ground but its lower body was still moving. Losing its legs, its upper body quickly utilized an arm to move about while the other arm resumed attacking the ming Horn member with its weapon.

    There was no blood. What was supposed to be a cruel scene was diluted by theck of bleeding. Despite that, it was instead filled with terrifying murderous intent.

    The six Gongjia members watched the battle, expressions heavy with shock and horror. They tried their hardest to keep their turbulent emotions in check.

    This was unbelievable!

    When they had escaped through the sea, they were observers from a far distance away. Even so, the distance did nothing to save them from the numbing horror. Now, everything was happening near them. The imagery was clearer and it felt like a heavy hammer that mmed onto the Gongjia members¡¯ hearts. Even their hair follicles seemed to be shivering from fear.

    The halved monster continued to fight. Without a head, its body was still able to fight. The dismembered arms, on the other hand, were shockingly still able to grasp a sword and sh at the ming Horn Tribe member¡¯s legs... These monsters were just as described in the legends. These monsters were invincible!

    They knew no exhaustion, knew no pain, expressed no fear and did not breathe... Could they possibly defeat a bunch of monsters like this?

    ¡°Ah Xuan, this isn¡¯t going to work at this point!¡± Ta eximed.

    The monsters were originally at an advantage due to their sheer number. In terms ofpetence, the ming Horn Tribesmen were obviously much stronger than these monsters. However, if these monsters couldn¡¯t be stopped, the ming Horn members would soon find themselves out of ideas. They had tried dismembering the monster¡¯s arms and legs, they even tried decapitation. Yet, every attempt had never failed to generate more trouble. There was even an arm that tried to execute a sneak attack from behind.

    Did they really need to crush the monsters¡¯ bones? That¡¯s too much hassle!

    Their main focus was to charge into Su Le¡¯s proximity but the monsters were relentless. They just couldn¡¯t get any closer!

    ¡°Cover me!¡± said Shao Xuan as he kicked a lunging monster away. He could even hear the crisp bone crackling noise emitted off the enemy. Losing its structural support, the whole monster was deformed. It fell heavily at a distance away but got up the next second. It ran in the same direction again.

    This was just the beginning. If this went on, it would be detrimental to the ming Horn Tribe members.

    Picking up Shao Xuan¡¯s request, Tuo, Ta and the others closest to the man quickly circled Shao Xuan to form a protection circle.

    Shao Xuan inhaled sharply andid his sword t on his palms. He raised it to his front and smoothed a palm over the de, letting his thumb graze along the sharp edge. Immediately, it opened a wound and blood began pouring out.

    ¡°What is he trying to do?¡± Gongjia Ren was perplexed.

    While the other ming Horn Tribe members too were equally clueless, they stuck to Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions firmly. The elder would certainly have his own rationale behind the action.

 Chapter 749 - Flaming Knife (2 in 1 Chapter)

    <h4>Chapter 749 ming Knife (2 in 1 Chapter)<i></i></h4>

    The ming Horn tribe possessed powerful healing abilities, and Shao Xuan was even stronger. This time, however, he controlled his body to not heal the wound on his thumb too soon.

    He pressed his thumb against the sharp edge, letting more blood escape the slit.

    The red droplets did not hit the ground as Shao Xuan¡¯s wounded thumb dragged the blood all over the de towards the tip, not once lifting it off the knife.

    Sizzle sizzle¡ª¨C

    As Shao Xuan¡¯s thumb moved along the edge, the de began letting out weird noises that didn¡¯t quite sound like something to be expected from the action. It sounded more like something was sizzling atop a burning metal.

    Something was amiss. What exactly was going on? Gongjia Ren was confused, but the weirdest was this- Eyes following Shao Xuan¡¯s finger, he noticed that there was a trail of blood stuck onto the surface. The de surface was considerably smooth. The trail of red actually seemed deliberate but there was no way blood could adhere so tightly to metal. But it indeed was blood, blood that had oozed out of Shao Xuan¡¯s finger!

    Gongjia Ren just couldn¡¯t understand.

    Shao Xuan paid no mind to Gongjia Ren¡¯s internal turmoil. After the blood trail neared the tip, he lifted his palm off and opened it wide.

    The totemic pattern in his body grew stronger. At the same time, another surge of energy followed. It felt like a switch was flipped. The energy moved around like a white thread in the totemic pattern. It travelled along the length of his arm towards his opened palm.

    Shao Xuan felt something hot throbbing violently in his arms. The sensation gathered at his palm.

    Poof!

    mes appeared on Shao Xuan¡¯s raised palm. This sight made the staring Gongjia members jolt in surprise.

    What?! Why was his palm burning?!

    Su Le, who had been staring at Shao Xuan all along, felt his heart sink. What on earth was this ming Horn trying to pull?! Also, what was that metalware in Shao Xuan¡¯s grip? Why hadn¡¯t he seen it before? Though it wasn¡¯t green, it certainly wasn¡¯t any regr metalware!

    The shock of the hooded figure behind Su Le went unnoticed by the young master. The hooded figure was jolted at the surprising sight of mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s palm, almost as if they had seen something far from their expectations.

    Under the crowd¡¯s attention, Shao Xuan raised his ming palm and pped on the tip where the blood trail had stopped.

    At contact, the blood trail along the de acted as a fuse. Immediately, the knife was ignited by the mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand!

    The roaring ze spread across the de, mes almost covering up the entirety of the knife. It looked almost like the knife had just burst into mes out of the blue.

    At the moment the mes spread along the red trail to envelop the de, an invisible heatwave felt present as it wed towards its surroundings to reveal a majestic aura that could shake hearts! The widespread sandstorm created by the battle between giant beasts seemed to be chased away by an invisible ball.

    Beneath their soles was a sandy ground scorched by the hot sun. At this hour, the sun¡¯s heat was at its peak. If this were the past, Shao Xuan and the others would¡¯ve found a spot to rest first. However, they were under the burning sun while stepping on hot sand. The heat was so excruciating that it could be felt through their straw shoes.

    However, the temperature of this heatwave seemed to be much higher than the desert sun rays and scalding sand!

    Despite that, not only was the ming Horn tribe members not irritated by the heatwave but it also helped calm their frustrations.

    The aura of a fire seed!

    It was subtle but the ming Horn tribe members could tell that it was different.

    Was Shao Xuan using the power of the fire seed?

    But even fire seeds were unable to set metalwares aze!

    The ming Horn tribe members weren¡¯t the only ones affected by the heatwave. Even the linen-wrapped monsters too had paused momentarily under the onught of heat.

    The hooded figure behind Su Le began to incline their body forward, eager to find out more about the situation. However, their reaction remained unknown to Su Le once again. The young master stared at the knife in Shao Xuan¡¯s grip with a dark expression. The Second Young Master scoffed coldly, ¡°Though I don¡¯t understand what he¡¯s trying to do, his efforts will still be futile. Does he really think that a zing knife will take care of those monsters?¡±

    Following that, Su Le tilted his chin upwards. He lowered his voice. ¡°Kill him and bring that knife to me.¡±

    A dangerous glint shed through the hooded figure¡¯s eyes. They made the monsters move towards Shao Xuan, ignoring the other ming Horn tribesmen in the process. However, this wasn¡¯t done out of obedience. The hooded figure hadn¡¯t even registered Su Le¡¯s words. Eyes trained on Shao Xuan, the only thought that crossed their mind was to kill Shao Xuan!

    The monsters that were in the middle of a fierce fight gave up on their opponents and began dashing towards Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Move aside!¡± Shao Xuan shouted at hisrades ahead.

    Like a sound of giant beasts stomping, sand geysers were thundered high. Those without context would expect the emergence of a giant beast. In reality, Sapphire and Su Le¡¯s giant golden beast had moved their battle underground. The beasts were nowhere to be seen.

    Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t at his earlier spot either. The only thing left behind there was a giant crater.

    The sand geysers settled, adding to the height of the crater¡¯s edge. It made therge hole more obvious.

    Rushing out from within, Shao Xuan was like a vigorous beast. His aura was explosive, filled with the tyranny associated with the ming Horn tribe. His blood felt like it was burning, and his muscles and bones were thundering under the stimtion from the totemic power. His being was headed in a straight line for Su Le.

    Though Shao Xuan was still far away, Su Le¡¯s chest felt suffocated, almost as if his nose and mouth were muffled by someone. This was a kind of aura suppression. Su Le¡¯s spot was already locked on by Shao Xuan. The rushing man did not feel human at all to Su Le, he felt more like a fierce beast, like an unexpected tsunami!

    Shao Xuan aimed to break past the current situation. He willed to solve the threat brought by the monsters. To achieve that, he¡¯d first need to take care of the puppeteer involved. Following that, the solution would be an approach that was the fruition of Shao Xuan¡¯s experimentation on the reanimated corpse¡¯s maniption methods.

    The power used to control the monsters were simr to the fire seeds. The power was stored inside the monsters¡¯ bones and this was the exact reason why the monsters were still able to move despite having no organs or head.

    As long as the power within the monster¡¯s bones were affected, the maniption would be disrupted or better yet, cut off.

    When a monster rushed up in front, Shao Xuan¡¯s speed did not falter. He mmed his weight onto the monster to block off its attack. The man did not hesitate to m directly into the enemy¡¯s arm. It was a brutal charge like the fearsome beasts in the forest!

    In terms of physical strength, the monsters were no match for the totemic warriors of the ming Horn tribe, let alone a high-grade totemic warrior like Shao Xuan.

    Under the collision, the monster¡¯s bones fractured crisply like exploding beans. The other monsters that tried to drown him were immediately knocked away by Shao Xuan. Regr humans would have released their weapons from the pain and impact, however, these monsters were different. It almost felt like their weapons were glued to their palm. Even with a deformed arm, their grip remained tight around their metalware. They felt no pain and they were controlled by someone else. Just like a program deeply engraved in their being, it urged them to keep their fingers on their weapons at all times. Even if the arm was chopped off, the monsters would continue to hold onto the metalware.

    The shadow of a zing knife shed by, shing a headless monster at its waist. Its upper body was sent flying in the air while its lower body slid against the sand for a distance beforeing to a halt.

    Gongjia Ren stared at that particr monster¡¯s upper body. Different from the other monsters shed by the ming Horns, there were mes where it got shed. It looked as if the mes were burning something. Though it wasn¡¯t intense and the burning had onlysted for a short while, the fire was indeed existent!

    What was even more mind-boggling to Gongjia Ren was that the halved monster spasmed and then its raised arm slumped. It did move again like anticipated.

    The knife was effective against the monsters?!

    Gongjia Ren¡¯s eyes went wide.

    Behind Su Le, the hooded figure had gone lifelessly pale. All of their facial muscles were twitching.

    They felt as if a scorching fire was raging in every inch of their being. It felt like someone had released a hoard of maddened fearsome beasts that collided mercilessly with every meridian, pulse, bone and blood in their system without an ounce of reservation. Everything was screaming in pain.

    ¡°Stop him! Stop him!¡± Su Le began to panic. The young master screamed at the top of his lungs.

    The ves were busy dealing with the ck beetles. On the other end, the ck beetles had already cleared out a path for Shao Xuan. The ves could barely catch a breath, there was no way they could stop Shao Xuan in time. Their only hope was the monsters.

    Ta and the others too wished to help Shao Xuan out but the man was too fast. They... They couldn¡¯t catch up!

    Ignoring the ming Horn tribesmen, even the monsters that were swarming over had failed to catch up. The monsters could not provide aid to Su Le and the hooded figure.

    Monsters that were attacked with the ming knife acted as if they had fallen ill. They toppled over and spasmed uncontrobly like faulty machines. Even if they remained standing, they were trembling all over as if they were cold.

    The scene was awfully unsettling. Weren¡¯t the monsters supposed to be unfazed by anything? Why did they look like they were sick?

    The hooded figure was the only one with answers. They could no longer control the puppet ves precisely. The opening created by the ming knife on the monsters¡¯ body had allowed a surge of energy to spread through their cavity. It disrupted their maniption and even directly affected the other monsters around!

    This was the power of the fire seed! The power of the ming Horn tribe¡¯s fire seed! It was impossible for the power they channelled into the reanimated corpses to curb it! How did the ming Horns attain such power?!

    ¡°How... How is this possible? Aren¡¯t these monsters supposed to be invincible?!¡± To Su Le¡¯s horror, Shao Xuan was getting closer and closer. The young master¡¯s voice wavered greatly.

    The hooded figure could no longer control the tremors in their body. At this point, it was impossible to hide it from Su Le.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you?!¡± Su Le asked anxiously. This person was his protective barrier. If something were to happen to the hooded figure, Su Le and his ves were no match for the ming Horns at all. Worse, the ming Horns were associated with the insect swarm too.

    ¡°That person... Who exactly is he?!¡± The hooded figure¡¯s voice shook, almost like they were trying their best to suppress a great deal of pain. Their otherwise emotionless face was twitching wildly, beads of sweat were sliding off their forehead.

    Their state shocked Su Le. Something was going wrong with this person and it was a gigantic issue at that too!

    As to who Shao Xuan was...

    ¡°He¡¯s from the ming Horn tribe, the ming Horn headquarters¡¯...¡± Su Le stammered.

    The hooded figure was obviously not asking for that. Of course they knew Shao Xuan was a ming Horn but what status did this man hold in the tribe? Why did he possess such power? The hooded figure could feel disruptions in their bond with the puppet ves. In between disruptions, the bonds were broken off. With every broken bond came an excruciatingly painful sensation akin to someone disconnecting all of their meridians.

    The bond between the hooded figure and their puppet ves were much tighter than that of Su Le and his ves. After all, they had absolute control over each of the reanimated corpses¡¯ movements. When tight bonds like this were broken, the bacsh received would be more severe.

    ¡°Why... Why is this happening?! Who is he?!¡± The hooded figure mumbled under their breath, pale grey eyes staring ahead at the approaching figure and his vague rapid mes with visible fear.

    ¡°Go!¡± The hooded figure groaned lowly.

    ¡°Wh... What?¡± Su Le looked at the hooded figure in disbelief. Go? Was this considered a failure? Why was the puppeteer telling him to retreat?

    ¡°Quick! Leave!¡± The hooded figure raised their volume, using almost all of its strength to get the message across.

    Seeing that the armed Shao Xuan was close, Su Le tightened his jaw and blew a whistle. He reached over and scooped the hooded figure up. He did not dare to leave this person behind and escape alone. Doing that would garner punishments from Su Lun.

    With the hooded figure in his grip, Su Le dashed out of the canvas canopy and retreated.

    The ves and monsters that were left behind were, of course, regarded as lost causes. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for the two of them to escape to safety, there was no way they could afford to bring more people with them. Though Su Le felt regretful over leaving his ves behind, his life was way precious. Abandonment in this scenario was a given. Plus, he¡¯d still need them to stop the ming Horn¡¯s pursuit to buy them more time to escape.

    Behind Su Le, a st rang out amidst the sandy grounds. The giant golden beast emerged from under the sand. It raised its front body and contracted ten of its spread legs to form a tight space for protection. It gathered Su Le and the hooded figure inside and curled its whole body inward. It wrapped its head and the two in the very inside to form a gigantic ball. The only thing exposed outside was the hardest part of its body- the armour.

    Attacks weren¡¯t the forte of its kind. The giant golden beast was best at defence. The reason behind Su Gu and Su Le¡¯s united decision on this giant beast species was its powerful defensive abilities. In the face of danger, it could transform into a tough protective form and shield its master inside. Even the fearsome desert beasts notorious for their sharp fangs and ws would find it difficult to tear the giant golden beast¡¯s armour apart. This was guaranteed to save their lives.

    The sphere formed by its curled body was tightly connected with hard-shelled rings. Only a handful of small gaps were exposed in some areas. The gaps were so small that smaller beetles would fail to get it. The gaps were to facilitate breathing of the people inside.

    The giant golden ball began to roll on the desert grounds. The sand was brought up rapidly like muddy water brought up by car tyres driving through a mudt.

    Shao Xuan dodged the projectile sand bursts and shed the golden ball harshly. The ming silhouette came in contact with the giant ball!

    Screech¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    The piercing sound of metallic friction was elicited, followed by sparks of fire. A long ck mark that looked like a scorch mark had been drawn along the giant golden beast¡¯s body. The canal created was at least as deep as a palm. Following its rolling motion, the ck mark expanded further across half of its length. If this were to be repeated twice, the giant golden beast¡¯s armour would be cut open.

    Though the attack did not break through its defences, it certainly brought immense fear to the beast. It increased its speed, frantic to pull a distance away from its assant.

    Shao Xuan fell to the ground. His arms around the knife¡¯s hilt were numbed from the vibrations of the earlier attack. His purlicue was split. There was the burning urge to chase after the giant golden armoured beast and end it once and for all. Yet, the beast¡¯s defences were just too strong. If he really wished to exterminate it, more time would be needed. However, there were still many monsters back there to take care of and Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t about to abandon the other ming Horns just like that. After all, the other ming Horns did not possess the ming knife. Not everyone possessed the same special abilities as Shao Xuan.

    Bam!

    A blue figure burst out from the sand.

    Sapphire¡¯s fight with the giant golden armoured beast had reached its climax earlier. However, the giant golden beast left the battle for the surface in all of a sudden. Sapphire scanned its surroundings as soon as it emerged onto the surface. Immediately, its paddle-like antennae swung slightly and its six legs broke out into a chase.

    Watching Sapphire leave, Shao Xuan went back to take care of the monsters for the time being. Even if the monsters¡¯ puppeteer had left, it hadn¡¯t gotten out of its effective radius. The monster¡¯s existence was still a threat, their movements would only be more cumbersome with the distance.

 Chapter 750 - Trophies

    <h4>Chapter 750Trophies</h4>

    On the vast desert, a convoy of two hundred members inched slowly along the sandy grounds. Their pace was rxed as if taking a leisurely stroll.

    However, that was not the case for the atmosphere between them.

    The short and stout man¡¯s worry was pronounced. His eyes darted often to the top of the giant golden-armoured beast¡¯s back, anticipating some response from the young master. Filtering out the footsteps around him, the man waited for the young master behind the canvas curtains to say something.

    Sadly, the silence had gone on for quite some time now. The short man wasn¡¯t allowed a chance to rx. He wiped away the sweat dotting his forehead and brought out a waterskin made out of the skin of ocean fishes. He gulped down two mouthfuls of water.

    The water stored in the waterskin was heated by the scalding sun. Swallowing it, his organs too began to feel hot. The feeling wasrgely resultant of cebo. With his capabilities, the water of this temperature was nothing. But the man was restless, a little puff of hot air would be more than enough to agitate him.

    The man was Tu Xu, he used to be a ve master of mediocre status in White Stone City. He had trained a handful of flying desert insects in the past. The technique, however, was learned from a tribe. Back then, the Wanshi tribe had already possessed such technique. Tu Xuter merged other relevant techniques he picked up from other tribes and created a unique technique to control insect beasts. The man was capable of peering into happenings at unreachable ces through insect eyes.

    It was this technique that allowed Tu Xu to find out that Su Le¡¯s party had encountered people from the ming Horn tribe. However, he had to perceive matters through sound alone. He could not get a clear ¡®sight¡¯ of it.

    But sound alone was already sufficiently convenient to Su Gu, the young master was able to grasp the overall situation through that. This was the main reason why Su Gu spared Tu Xu in the desert conflicts back then. Though Tu Xu¡¯s fighting capabilities were close to zero, Su Gu had cared more about this person¡¯s insect maniption abilities.

    The events on Su Le¡¯s end were conveyed to Su Gu through Tu Xu. Though he knew nothing of any further detail, it was true that Su Le had lost the battle pitifully.

    Initially, Tu Xu was confused as to why Su Gu demanded that the (already slow) convoy to slow down further after learning that there were ming Horn tribesmen there that were possibly led by some guy named Shao Xuan. The convoy had slowed down greatly and had even gotten the luxury of taking multiple breaks. But now, Tu Xu was impressed. If Su Gu hadn¡¯t demanded everyone to cken their pace, they definitely would be facing Shao Xuan now. Perhaps Su Le might even involve them in the battle.

    Tu Xu felt extremely restless. After receiving the news, he was gued with fear. He feared that the convoy would encounter the ming Horns soon. After all, the staffing of Su Gu¡¯s convoy was very simr to Su Le¡¯s line-up. If Su Le had retreated from the fight, Su Gu couldn¡¯t be any stronger than his brother.

    There too was another worry. Though Su Gu was now aware of the situation, he did not ask the convoy to turn around. The young master resumed with their initial route. Even with a slowed pace, they were still moving forward. Would they meet the ming Horns soon? Tu Xu felt unease.

    ¡°What is that?!¡± The frontmost ve eximed in shock.

    ¡°Young master, there seems to be... something ahead. It looks like-¡± Tu Xu paused, not finishing his own sentence. The man stared ahead with widened eyes.

    At the junction where sand meets the sky, something golden was shing. Something was approaching at a high speed, one could see the intense cloud of sand created by the movement. This scene was nothing new to Tu Xu as Su Gu had done something simr in the past.

    ¡°A golden-armoured beast! Young Master, it¡¯s the golden-armoured beast!¡± Tu Xu reported with urgency. His initial unrest after learning of the situation had formted an assumption at the sight of the approaching beast.

    Though there were golden-armoured beasts that roamed the deserts freely, instances where it escapes in its curled-up form was extremely rare. Since Tu Xu was already aware that Su Le was on the run, the current one ahead was most likely Su Le¡¯s beast.

    Su Gu could no longer sit still. He lifted the curtains and observed the giant rolling golden ball.

    As it came closer, Su Gu was confident that this was indeed Su Le¡¯s golden-armoured beast!

    It was surprising to find an impressive amount of scratches along the giant golden ball¡¯s body. They were fully aware of the toughness of the golden beast¡¯s armour. The presence of so many scars meant a tough opponent. The one mark that stood out most was one that looked like a charred mark. For a golden-armoured beast to be forced into this was very much telling of the battle situation earlier. No wonder Su Le chose to abandon his carefully-trained ves.

    As the distance between the golden-armoured beast and Su Gu¡¯s convoy decreased, the beast began to slow down.

    Though Su Le and Su Gu were in the middle of fiercepetition, they could not bear to see the other die and leave behind one to seed the Fallen Leaves City. But the current situation was rather dire. If Su Le were to ask for help, Su Gu wouldply. There was another person with Su Le that Su Gu did not dare to harm.

    Nevermind. The fact that Su Le had failed miserably would not change. The Second Young Master would be punished upon return and more resources would be allocated for Su Gu.

    Just Su Gu racked his brain for a solution, the giant golden ball had rolled to the front of their convoy. Just as the golden beast was about to unfurl, it quickly tightened its curl and rolled aside. The golden-armoured beast beneath Su Gu began to feel restless.

    Bam!

    With great force, sand rushed for the skies. The ves at the front hurriedly avoided it.

    A giant blue beetle made its presence known, blocking the intended path of the rolling golden-armoured beast in time. With its two legs, it stomped the giant golden-armoured beast to a height of at least one human in the air. The giant golden ball¡¯s rolling was not only hindered but also forced to roll in the opposite direction.

    Su Gu gaped, speechless at the sight. What the heck?! What was with this giant blue beetle that appeared out of the blue!

    ¡°Young Master! The giant beetle is with the ming Horns! Perhaps the insect swarms are triggered by it!¡± Tu Xu urgently shouted at Su Gu. Tu Xu was in so much shock that his entire back was moist with sweat.

    At the mention of insect swarms, Su Gu¡¯s ves began to tremble. They did not wish to remain here and end up as insect feed.

    Su Gu was even more reluctant about that. He initially nned to take it slow. The Young Master was thinking of inspecting the site after the ming Horns had left. However, this seemed impossible now.

    ¡°Retreat! We need to leave this ce immediately!¡±

    Su Gu screamed and studied the hooded figure behind him. Dressed simrly like the one beside Su Le, the hooded figure was typically dispassionate. When Su Gu called for a retreat, the person did not oppose. While he too wished to check on the puppet ves there, it was best for them to leave now.

    ¡°Are the ming Hornsing too?¡± Su Gu anxiously asked Tu Xu.

    Just as Tu Xu was about to answer him, his eyes were assaulted by abrupt darkness. His brain felt like it got covered by a brass bell jar and someone was knocking on it relentlessly. It was torture.

    Tu Xu was aware of what this feeling was. The bond between his two dispatched flying insects were broken. Those insects were equivalent to his ves and there would only be one reason behind a broken bond- The insects were dead!

    On the other end, a group of ck beetles spread their wings and took flight. They headed towards an unassuming flying insect with the intention of surrounding it. While the flying insect could travel faster than the beetles, it had already lost its chance to hide. As more and more beetles taunted it, its wings finally fell victim to its mandibles.

    Soon, a second beetle, then a third beetle, andter more beetles surrounded the flying insect and shared a meal.

    On the ground, the dense ck insect swarm had already devoured all golden-armoured ves left behind. Any ve with the intention to escape would be shed by the ming Horns and fed to the insect swarm.

    The ming Horn tribesmen had done their best to contain the monsters to let Shao Xuan deliver the final blow. Doing this was more efficient and they wouldn¡¯t be near the monsters. Every single bone on the monsters could be turned literally into lethal weapons. The most they could do was to shatter the monster bones and cken its movements.

    As Su Le and the puppeteer were further away, these monsters were evidently not as agile as before. To be honest, the increased distance between the puppeteer and their ves did not necessarily provide visible results. But the hooded figure had suffered greatly from the bacsh of broken bonds, which weakened their control over the monsters plenty.

    The ming knife was stabbed through a monster¡¯s chest. The spasming monster was pinned to the ground as the crackling sound of burning wood were produced. Not long after, the monsters would slump over and remain motionless.

    This was when the monsters were really ¡®dead¡¯.

    The sh of two powers had brought changes to the monsters¡¯ bones. If the bones were dissected, one would notice that the only thing left in the bones was a greyish-white powder. It looked akin to the ashes of burnt foliage. This destruction was irreversible, hence this meant that the corpses could not be reanimated again. The bodies would decay at an rming rate like real dead people.

    After all the monsters were taken care of, Shao Xuan carefully investigated their remains. Confirming that danger was eradicated, the ming Horns could finally exhale in relief.

    After instructing the others to tend to casualties, Shao Xuan paced over to Su Le¡¯s abandoned canopy.

    The perimeter of the canopy was fully surrounded by ck beetles. The other ming Horns dare not go near, Shao Xuan was the only one that would be spared from the beetle attacks. The beetles would even clear a path for the man.

    Su Le¡¯s rushed escape did not permit him much time to bring away his other items. This canvas canopy had housed tworge lounge chairs, a low table with bottles and cans filled with water and food. There were two wide-mouthed jars that held fruits that looked fresh and plump.

    In such weather and a long journey in the desert, it was almost impossible for fruits to remain fresh. Unless there was something special that kept it that way.

    Shao Xuan found a few yellowish-brown rocks of irregr shapes in the jars that contained fruits and food items. It was about the size of an egg and rather fragile. By exerting slight force, Shao Xuan was able to crush them.

    The rocks were found in every food holding container. Evidently, these rocks were capable of prolonging freshness.

 Chapter 751 - The Fifth Lock

    <h4>Chapter 751 The Fifth Lock</h4>

    Shao Xuan did not spend more time studying the rocks. He flipped Su Le¡¯s lounge chair over and found a secretpartment at the bottom of the furniture. However, there were only a handful of lovely gemstones found inside. Perhaps Su Le had brought away more important items.

    Shao Xuan strode over the furniture and came to the other lounge chair behind. This was where the corpse reanimator had sat earlier. The furniture too had a simr hiddenpartment but there were no gemstones inside. Instead, there were a few bottles. Shao Xuan sniffed its contents. There were eight bottles, four of which were most probably used for healing or something else. These were probably not poisonous. Shao Xuan, however, felt iffy about the remaining four bottles. Maybe it was poisonous, maybe it could be something else.

    Judging from the marks in thepartment, there were supposed to be ten bottles inside. Someone had taken away two bottles, probably during their escape.

    Shao Xuan dismantled the wholepartment and ced it aside. He walked around the canopy for a change of perspective. Then, he rummaged through every corner of the space. There were no more hiddenpartments left. But this canopy seemed to have anotheryer beneath. From what Shao Xuan could see, there was someone underneath. He could see their frame but had no idea what the person looked like. Despite that, Shao Xuan was high on alert after noticing their presence.

    The human skeleton was very bright in Shao Xuan¡¯s vision. The difference between people with stronger or weaker capabilities was typically highlighted in theposition of their bones. However, this information was presented differently in Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision. Stronger bones were brighter and this skeleton below was even brighter than Ao and Zheng Luo¡¯s skeletons! Shao Xuan had never encountered a skeleton this bright.

    The ming knife that had been extinguished moments ago burned again. Shao Xuan could not afford to be careless. He did not feel the aura of a living person from it and felt no other activity of energies. He thought that the reanimated corpses here were all taken care of, who on earth was the person beneath?

    Shao Xuan exited the canopy. With a lift of his arms, a swing was delivered with his sword. An opening was created on the ground near the side of the canopy. From there, he could see the insides.

    There was a wooden rectangr box that looked like a coffin. The person was contained inside.

    There still was no movement detected.

    Despite the opening created, the smaller ck beetles refused to crawl inside. It was almost as if insecticides were scattered across the canopy, causing the beetles to stay away from its proximity.

    Shao Xuan stared at the wooden box for a moment. Then, he walked over and dragged the coffin out with his other free hand.

    Weirdly, the smaller beetles too avoided the coffin like a gue. The insects absolutely refused to go near it. After the coffin was ced on the ground, the beetles around had cleared away.

    Were insecticidesthered over the coffin too?

    ¡°Ah Xuan, what is that?¡±

    Ta and the others dared not go close due to the insect swarm so they could only watch from afar. Noticing that Shao Xuan had dragged out something from beneath the canopy, the others couldn¡¯t help their curiosity.

    ¡°Not sure.¡± Shao Xuan muttered as he pried it open using the sword¡¯s tip.

    A shrivelled personid inside. Their skin was tinted a dark murky green and they were dressed in a rather odd outfit. It was simple and very tattered. Their essories looked like it had been there forever, its structure wore down by time to fragility. There was no way to tell its original appearance.

    Judging just from the clothes and essories, this person had been dead for a very long time. Though this corpse looked the same as the other reanimated monsters- shrivelled body, obvious outlines of each rib and a sunken stomach- traces that suggested incision were absent.

    The other monsters had their organs removed, so they bore incision marks. This one, on the other hand, had none. Did the Rock Hill City folks run out of time to do it or was it done on purpose? Were there other reasons behind this?

    An eagle screech was heard. Shao Xuan ripped his attention away from the corpse and covered the coffin again. Direct sunlight exposure was not good for these monsters, or else the puppeteers wouldn¡¯t have bothered to wrap them in thick linen. The fabric wrappings were mainly to block sunlight away.

    Cha Cha did not participate in the ground battle. It had been observing the fight from above as a precaution to avoid ambushes from other parties. Now, Cha Cha had signalled not an ambush but the return of Sapphire.

    Even without Cha Cha¡¯s reminder, Shao Xuan too could feel the blue beetle¡¯s approaching presence. But Sapphire¡¯s condition wasn¡¯t the best. Its forelimbs and hindlimbs had sustained severe injuries. One of its front legs was missing a section and the other was nowhere better with multiple damages. The hindlegs were simrly damaged. Its carapace was filled with impact indents, its initial smooth arc looked like it had been smashed.

    Sapphire didn¡¯t look this bad when it had emerged from the sand before chasing after the giant golden-armoured beast. These damages were obviously sustained from theter pursuit.

    Rolling a sand ball over, Sapphire was back. Rolling its trophies into a ball was Sapphire¡¯s favourite thing to do.

    When Sapphire was rolling the ball upside down, the size of the ball was a tad bit taller than its body. On the desert floor, two pieces of shiny gold armour glimmered under the sun.

    Those were two armoured ring sections that were taken off the giant golden-armoured beast. There was even still some skin and flesh attached to it. It was evidently torn off the beast with vehement force.

    Shao Xuan averted his gaze from the sand ball to look at Sapphire, who was already in front of him.

    Upon closer inspection, Shao Xuan noticed that Sapphire¡¯s shovel-like head was a little skewered. Its two paddle-like antennae, on the other hand, hung low like a folded antenna.

    When Sapphire began its chase, Shao Xuan did not demand it to fight till death. To see this fe return in such a state was certainly out of expectation.

    Sapphire looked like it was trying to exin itself desperately. Their consciousnesses were linked. Because of that, Shao Xuan was able to understand why it wasn¡¯t able to bring Su Le and the copse reanimator back. Su Le had support, which was why Sapphire had ended up in this awful state.

    Seeing Sapphire like this brought out a small smile from Shao Xuan. He shed the sand ball open and dug out the shining ring-shaped armour from within. There was no human being inside but the man had found two bottles instead. This had probably belonged with the eight bottles Shao Xuan found in the canopy earlier. Perhaps these were dropped by someone during Sapphire¡¯s chase.

    The bottles were sealed tight. Shao Xuan studied it, noting that there were no cracks on it. The medicine inside had a refreshing scent that could lift spirits. It was probably some kind of healing medicine.

    Aside from that, Shao Xuan too found a green metal te inside. The number ¡®22¡¯ was engraved on it.

    Ignoring the possible meaning of the number, the green metal te in Shao Xuan¡¯s grip was very simr to the ming Horn tribe¡¯s new green bronze. The Rock Hill City people probably created it with the blood of the green-faced fanged beast they caught. However, its quality was a tad bit better and much refined than the ming Horn¡¯s green bronze.

    He stared at the anxious-looking giant blue beetle in front and asked, ¡°Do you want to unlock thest lock?¡±

    Sapphire¡¯s antennae twitched. Its folded antenna was raised slightly and its iplete hind leg stomped the ground. It looked excited.

    Shao Xuan honestly wasn¡¯t nning on unlocking its fifth lock so soon. For one, Sapphire¡¯s fourth lock had merely been unlocked not too long ago. Unlocking the fifth lock so soon would have its risks.

    The second reason was something Shao Xuan had thought the most about. The more locks unlocked by the ves, the stronger their bodies would be. Many ves that had broken envement had done it after unlocking the second and third locks through sheer talent and willpower. Most ves only had three locks while Sapphire was a special case. When Shao Xuan had enved it, he had ced five locks on the blue beetle. And out of the five, four were already unlocked.

    Shao Xuan had no idea what events would follow after unlocking the fifth lock. Would he lose control over this giant beetle? Or would it break its envement bonds directly? After Shao Xuan leaves the desert this time, he had no idea when he would return. Would the injured Sapphire be targeted by Rock Hill City after Shao Xuan was gone? Shao Xuan could not conjure predictions.

    Though Su Le¡¯s bunch were not captured this time, with Su Le¡¯s vengefulness, the young master would certainly do all he can to avenge himself. The ming Horn headquarters were too far away from the desert and chances of Su Le leaving the desert was low. Sapphire would be the only tool to satiate his lust for revenge. Insect swarms were obvious and it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for Su Le to locate Sapphire. The man might evene up with traps to lure the insect swarm in.

    There were too many factors to consider. One wrong move might turn his own sword against him. However, Sapphire¡¯s current performance had sufficiently convinced Shao Xuan to unlock its fifth lock.

    Ji Ju had mentioned that the loyalty of one¡¯s first ve would always be deeper than the other ves. With that in mind, Shao Xuan was willing to bet. Even if he were to truly lose control over Sapphire, the beetle would not turn against him.

    Aside from Sapphire, Shao Xuan had noticed during this desert venture that the blue beetle had influenced the other beetles. There was a change in the insect colony. It now consisted of rtivelyrger beetles too. When Sapphire was dormant, those beetles would lead the smaller beetles on a desert raid. And when beetles die in the activity, new beetles would join. The insect swarm had grownrger than before. Despite that, based on the current condition, the number of insects in the colony could only remain within a certain range. If there were too many of them, food resources would be limited and the beetles would not be able to live normally.

    Regardless of the beetle colony¡¯s future, they still had to depend on Sapphire. A beast colony with no leader figure and one with a leader werepletely different. Those with a leader would know how to cooperate in battle while those without would be scattered. Beasts could not survive long without a leader.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll be after unlocking all your locks,¡± mumbled Shao Xuan under his breath in front of the excited giant beetle who was avidly stomping its foot.

    The insect swarm had receded, allowing the ming Horns to remove the tough armour off the ves, which were reduced to pale skeletons pitifully. In the words of Gongjia Ren, these would make great materials for forging.

    The two golden armour pieces Sapphire had brought back too were taken by the ming Horns. Shao Xuan carried the coffin-like box on his back. He nned to study it better back home.

    Just as they reached the edge of the desert, Shao Xuan unlocked Sapphire¡¯s fifth lock.

    Perhaps without the restraints, Sapphire too could be like the other beasts. It could now strive to be a king beast.

 Chapter 752 - Welcome To The Flaming Horn Tribe

    <h4>Chapter 752 Wee To The ming Horn Tribe</h4>

    After the fifth lock was unlocked, Sapphire dug into the depths of the desert ground and slipped into a deep slumber. Shao Xuan had no clue how long it¡¯d take to get past this stage. If the process was sessful, Sapphire would grow stronger and recover fully from its injuries. After emerging from each slumber following an unlock, Sapphire would experience changes like so. If it wasn¡¯t sessful, not only would the injuries not heal but it would also suffer from negative effects. The ming Horn Tribe headquarters were a considerable distance away from the desert. Even if a problem were to arise, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back in time. Sapphire would have to fend for itself.

    Not many Rock Hill City members were encountered during their journey home. Most were smaller groups, probably patrolling teams. They did not initiate attack even at the sight of the ming Horn convoy.

    Those teams had consisted of regr ves and not monsters. The current location was a long distance away from Rock Hill City territories, so the monsters had be a rare sight. Maybe they were all dispatched to the coastal battles.

    Hence, after the whole ordeal with Su Le, Shao Xuan and his men were not met with too much trouble. They trekked in the cooler night and rested in the warmer day. Before unlocking its lock, Sapphire was the one transporting the golden armours that were stripped off Su Le¡¯s ves by the ming Horns. Now, the ming Horns had to carry it themselves. The weight of the armours was no big deal to them. They were even able to carry those armours along to hunt down desert beasts.

    Though the armours were indeed useful, it had limited movements when donner. It was hard to get used to. Hence, the ming Horns had decided that the best solution was to melt the armours down to forge new weapons. Perhaps a few excellent weapons could be made.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally out of this forsaken ce!¡± Ta stared ahead and eximed.

    Cha Cha was already one step ahead. It had flown out of the desert to search for the ming Horns that were waiting for their arrival nearby. They would being over to get them.

    The wind stirred the sand and created a visual obstacle. Though their vision was blurry, they could still feel the presence of approaching ming Horns.

    ¡°Hunt Leader! Grand Elder!¡± Someone ran towards them.

    ¡°Were you sessful? Oh? You raided someone¡¯s party?¡± The weing party quickly helped them with the armours. From the looks of it, these did not look like it would be used by desert ves.

    ¡°We met some trouble halfway. We looted these after we solved the issue.¡± Ta offered a simple exnation.

    Noticing a few unfamiliar faces in the convoy, someone asked, ¡°Are they from the Gongjia family?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s them.¡± After leaving the desert, Ta¡¯s mood began to rx. He introduced the six Gongjia members to the other ming Horns. In consideration of thenguage barrier, Ta made an effort to use some coastalnguages. Though he was far from fluent, Gongjia Ren and the others could understand him sufficiently.

    The weing bunch looked at the coffin-like item on Shao Xuan¡¯s back. They offered their assistance, only to be rejected by Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was still unsure if this item was harmless. It would be better if he was the one carrying it. If the person inside the coffin was reanimated all of sudden, at least Shao Xuan could detect the activity right away. There was no one else capable of this.

    The other person did not press questions. After the desert group was received, they intended to leave the desert as soon as possible. The mission waspleted and they needed to head back soon. This ce really wasn¡¯t suitable for an extended stay. They were merely waiting for them outside the desert and they had already felt ufortable. It went without saying that those who entered the desert were definitely suffering.

    ¡°Move, move! Let¡¯s go home!¡± Ta and others did not wish to stay another second longer in this ce. Though they were exhausted from the rushed journey, they were adamant on reaching home fast.

    Soon, shrubs were seen among the sandy grounds and they were no longer surrounded by a vast sea of yellow sand. The greenery brought life to their surroundings. Gongjia Ren and the others felt like they were bestowed a new life, even the ming Horns shared the same feeling. Their time in the desert was like a prolonged nightmare and they had almost fallen into an inescapable hell. Thank goodness everything was over.

    Entering a new ce, everything was fresh to the six Gongjia members. Even the air felt different.

    The tribal zones were very different from their home. At the coast, there was traffic everywhere. The coastal cities were very lively. One could find many paths that lead to the city. However, this ce felt a little more deste. Forests were plenty and ces with barren soil werepletely voided. Only wild birds could be found in those ces.

    There were not many caravans that passed through here. They asionally sighted small-scale long-distance teams that held stone tools and horn tools in their hands. Their clothes were not as exquisite and there were no gemstones to be seen. They had different values, hence their essories were naturally different.

    At the sight of the ming Horns, some of the groups looked nervous. Noticing the golden armour over their shoulder, some people had even tried to snatch it over. However, they failed miserably and had sustained injuries inflicted by the ming Horns¡¯ weapons.

    Following that, the ming Horns weaved baskets with some vines and ced the golden armour inside to avoid unnecessary trouble. With that, the golden armour would be out of sight. Though they weren¡¯t exactly afraid of potential robbers, they merely didn¡¯t wish to waste more time on these matters.

    The six Gongjia members continued forward with the team, their hearts more grounded by the minute. Looks like the tribal lifestyle here wasn¡¯t too far off from what they¡¯ve envisioned, this could be particrly seen in the more remote tribes. They were dressed in garments made of nt fibre and their hairs were unkempt. Soiled presumably during their forage in the forest, they stared at the passing ming Horns alertly. If the ming Horns hadn¡¯t told Gongjia Ren that these were people from a smaller tribe, he would¡¯ve thought these were ves.

    ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate the smaller tribes. If they could survive till this day, surely there is a good reason behind it.¡± Shao Xuan warned the six Gongjia members. Though the smaller tribes were materialistically far behind, they wouldn¡¯t lose in terms of survival abilities. If these tribesmen were thrown into the desert with the Gongjia members, the former would definitely outlive thetter.

    Truthfully, the ming Horn tribe wasn¡¯t much better from smaller tribes in the past. Since when has the tribe begun to change?

    Ta entertained the thought carefully. Perhaps it had begun when Shao Xuan led them across the river. After that, the changes faced by the tribe were irreversible.

    Taking in the scenery along their journey, Gongjia Ren and the others couldn¡¯t help but wonder how the ming Horn tribe would look like? Were the descriptions told by the ming Horns untrue?

    As the surrounding foliage grew denser, more traffic was encountered. The people were dressed well; their garments and tools wereparatively moreplex than what the Gongjia members had seen earlier. When a cleared path appeared in the middle of the forest, the six Gongjia members were told that they were getting close to the ming River Trading Point.

    Recognition clicked in Gongjia Ren¡¯s heart. There were simr paths near city centres back home in the coastal region too.

    Upon seeing the ming Horns, a travelling team quickly moved to the side and evacuated a path for the tribesmen. Though the road was quite wide and had enough room for two traffic flows, they were in an area under the ming Horn tribe¡¯s influence. The strong were respected. Hence, the travelling team were willing to move aside to show submission.

    Stepping onto the rock path, the six Gongjia members stared at the rocky floors in wonder.

    There were no traces of splicing at all. The floor looked to be a uniform body and there were even petrified flowers and trees lining its sides. Even the thin thorns on the nts were visible.

    ¡°Is this... Is this the rock path created by the king beast?!¡± Gongjia Ren questioned.

    ¡°Yes, this is it. Other than the king beast, what else could be capable of creating this?¡± Came Ta¡¯s answer.

    Gongjia Ren was absolutely bewildered by the answer.

    How did the ming Horns find the courage to continue living here?

    If this had happened at the coast, many would¡¯ve moved away once the appearance of a king beast was made known. They wouldn¡¯t be as brave as the ming Horns to even think of staying here!

    ¡°That... What is that?!¡± Gongjia Heng, who was beside Gongjia Ren, was looking into a certain distance with his chin tilted. Through the branches, he saw the tall building on the other side. There was a g banner at its very top that bore the ming Horn¡¯s totem.

    ¡°That is the ming River Tower, the highest point of our trading point. Our trading point is right over there.¡± The ming Horns spoke of this with great pride.

    ¡°So it really is like a city?!¡± Gongjia Ren stared at the building with unmasked surprise.

    As they continued to move forward, the trading point was finally presented to everyone.

    ¡°Everyone, wee to the ming Horn tribe.¡±

 Chapter 753 - Youâ€™ll be Sleeping Here Tonight

    Chapter 753

    You¡¯ll be Sleeping Here Tonight

    The six Gongjia members were shown around along the trading area¡¯s streets to familiarize themselves with the atmosphere here.

    Though the scale here could not bepared to the famous cities lining the coast, it was still much bigger than the newer cities. It was obvious that the ming Horn tribe had ced in a lot of effort in the trading point¡¯s construction.

    However, this was not all to the trading point¡¯s size. ording to the other ming Horns, the expansion woulde in due time and the location had already been pinpointed. It would be difficult to tell howrge the ming River Trading Point would grow to be when that happens.

    Despite its simrities to the cities elsewhere, the feeling it gave off was very different from the coastal region. The shops here were simple and there wasn¡¯t much variety in their items, drenched heavily in their tribal lifestyle. Aside from the rest inns, shops that sold fearsome beast flesh, horns, fangs and bones had received the most traffic. ces outside these establishments were filled with a very rustic breath of the wild.

    ¡°This is amazing. I can¡¯t believe this ce actually looks like this.¡± The eldest out of the six Gongjia members, Gongjia Kan,mented.

    Though the ming Horns that came to receive them at the edge of the desert had already supplied them more information on the ming River Trading Point, seeing really was believing. Everything hade as a pleasant surprise to them.

    It really was different from all the stories!

    ¡°Looks like we made the right choice,¡± uttered Gongjia Ren.

    The other Gongjia members nodded in unison. This ce was indeed much better than expected. They were all very willing to start anew in a wonderful ce like this.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they don¡¯t have a uniform currency here. But I guess it does make sense. Metal wares are scarce here and the barter system would be a better fit for their lifestyle.¡± Gongjia Kan studied his surroundings carefully.

    One of the ming Horn warriors who were showing them around couldn¡¯t help but respond, ¡°Actually, the Grand Elder did think of introducing a uniform currency. However, the idea couldn¡¯t be realized due to certain reasons.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Gongjia Ren¡¯s interest was piqued. He pressed, ¡°Did your Grand Elder mention what kind of material it¡¯ll be? Will it shells? Or bones? Or maybe even fangs?¡±

    The ming Horn warrior went silent. Before the Grand Elder¡¯s official announcement, they wouldn¡¯t provide too much insight.

    Noticing that he had no way of prying more answers, Gongjia Ren could only give up on the thought. The ming Horn warrior was stubborn. If they didn¡¯t wish to say more, it would be absolutely difficult to extract more answers. Gongjia Ren could only swallow his questions back down.

    While the Gongjia members strolled around the trading point, Shao Xuan brought the coffin-like wooden box into the underground basement.

    He refused to bring something with unknown danger to the headquarters. Hence, he could only store it here.

    ¡°This looks like the monsters we encountered in the desert,¡± said Zheng Luo after taking a good look into the opened box.

    It was simr but it was still very much different. Zheng Luo could remember the monster that was brought back to the tribe¡¯s headquarters back then. While the corpse had looked simr to those shrivelled monsters, there were many contrasts.

    ¡°Are theyplete?¡± Zheng Luo asked.

    While the bodyid inside was shrivelled up, there was no scar on its body. Its stomach had sunken down deeply but it was not left with just ayer of skin over bones as seen in the monsters. There was clearly something left within, presumably dried organs. As shrivelled as its skin could be, its organs were probably in a simr fashion too.

    ¡°Has it not been reanimated? Could there be other reasons tied to this?¡± Zheng Luo was perplexed. ¡°ording to what you¡¯ve said, there must be a good reason why the desert ve master had brought it along.¡±

    ¡°I think the corpse¡¯s reanimator might not be able to control this particr body.¡± Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t bring this body into the ming River Trading Point if he hadn¡¯t conducted a few probes on the way over.

    ¡°This person was probably really strong when alive. He wouldn¡¯t be any weaker than you and Ao. His bones are really strong. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of this. Among totemic warriors, the stronger you are, the tougher your bones will be.¡±

    Zheng Luo was of course well aware of that. If a beginner-level totemic warrior and a high-level totemic warrior were to hit a rock of same toughness respectively, the former could be injured. Thetter, however, might be able to smash it directly. The advancement of capabilities was equivalent to an overall strengthening of the body. Bone enhancements were naturally involved.

    This person¡¯s bones were very tough. Even if he hadn¡¯t been prominent in other aspects, the great integrity of his skeletal structure was very telling of his capabilities.

    ¡°This person has probably been dead for a very long time.¡± Shao Xuan held the decaying essory around the corpse¡¯s neck. With slight force, crackling could be heard from it.

    ¡°These essories were probably very tough when they were first made. Just like the fearsome beast bones and fangs we used, it could¡¯ve been decayed by time and other external factors. Even so, these are still stronger than regr beast bones,¡± exined Shao Xuan.

    Zheng Luo could pick up Shao Xuan¡¯s underlying message. These essories were most probably made with fearsome beast bones. It used to be very tough and this indicated that this particr person was able to hunt them down. Fearsome beasts with skeletons this strong were most possibly difficult to handle. With that, how weak could this person be when alive?

    Indeed, different fearsome beasts would possess bones of different integrity. While beasts that were not strong inbat could have tougher bones, Zheng Luo and Shoa Xuan were convinced that their assumptions were correct. The ming Horn tribe had much of its focus on hunting and they understood the perspective of a tribesman. They would be more inclined to take on exceptionally dangerous and aggressive fearsome beasts as a clear demonstration of strength and status.

    ¡°The Rock Hill City bunch favours using strongte totemic warriors or ves as their reanimated corpses. This corpse here might¡¯ve been one of their targets. However, this one was different from the others.¡± Shao Xuan pointed at the motionless body. ¡°There is faint power left inside his bones, one that is simr to the ones the desert monsters possessed. However, its quantity was just too scarce. It¡¯s insufficient to even control a single small bone, let alone a whole skeletal frame. The remnants of these powers were probably left by the Rock Hill City¡¯s reanimation attempts. They found no sess so they left it aside till now.¡±

    Since leaving the desert till this moment, Shao Xuan hadn¡¯t detected a single sign of life from within the wooden box. From the looks of it, the person was most definitely dead but how did a lifeless corpse remain in this state with no further decay without being frozen, processed by chemicals or even the help of external power?

    The pterosaur had been preserved in ice.What about this? How did this obviously long-dead body remain undecayed? The corpse didn¡¯t seem to be wearing the bone essories typically found on the ming Horn ancestors.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, have you tried controlling it?¡± asked Zheng Luo. He knew Shao Xuan was able to imitate Rock Hill City¡¯s approach to reanimate a corpse.

    Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°I did try once on the way home but failed. But again, we were rushing to get back and time was limited. I couldn¡¯t afford to pour in too much effort. I¡¯ll try again soon after settling the few Gongjia members down.¡±

    Zheng Luo too hoped that Shao Xuan could reanimate this shrivelled monster. If they were sessful, they would earn a helping hand.

    ¡°Do we need to station someone here for the night?¡± Zheng Luo asked again.

    Shao Xuan needed to bring the six Gongjia members to the headquarters. The man could not remain here for long. If he was going to leave, someone should be stationed here as a precaution.

    ¡°Shall I do it instead?¡± Zheng Luo offered.

    ¡°No, no need. I have a better candidate for this.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s t out rejection of his offer made Zheng Luo curious. Who could be more fitted for this job?

    Shao Xuan exited the basement and waited for a moment. Not long after, someone approached him. It was the sentry guard stationed on the ming River Tower. Perched atop the man¡¯s shoulder was the pterosaur.

    ¡°My, my. You¡¯ve gained weight.¡± The pterosaur looked different from before Shao Xuan¡¯s departure. It seems like the pterosaur had enjoyed itself when he was away.

    Despite being here, Shao Xuan was able to control the pterosaur that was left in the headquarters. Though his control wasn¡¯t as precise as in close proximity, it was sufficient to have it fly itself over obediently.

    Regardless of how arrogant the pterosaur was in front of the rest of the ming Horns, it was very docile in the face of Shao Xuan. It lifted its head to spare him a nce before lowering his gaze, looking a little reluctant to go near.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s absence, theck of control had allowed it to run wild. It had influenced a bunch of waterhens astray. Every day, the pterosaur would march the waterhens around to steal food from the patrolling warriors. It had often thrown fish bones at passersby too. Despite this, everyone knew that it belonged to Shao Xuan and the two retired Shamans were very particr about it. Hence, even if they were greatly irritated, they did not dare to attack it. Everyone could only scold it verbally. It worked, in the beginning. But after that, the verbal reprimands no longer worked on the pterosaur, even the waterhens hadrgely ignored it.

    These, Shao Xuan had learned through the words of the rotating poption in the trading zone.

    ¡°So this is the better candidate?¡± Zheng Luo studied the pudgy pterosaur sceptically. What could this little guy do?

    ¡°It is much more suitable than anyone else.¡± Shao Xuan walked over and picked it up by its wings. It brought the reluctant pterosaur into the basement and pointed to the cage in the corner that hadn¡¯t been used in ages. ¡°You¡¯ll be sleeping here tonight.¡±

 Chapter 754

    <h4>Chapter 754 A Fake Corpse? (2 in 1 Chapter)</h4>

    The pterosaur had been enjoying life back in its natural habitat, and had thought it was finally free when Shao Xuan decided to throw it back into the silent underground room again.

    The pterosaur did not have a good impression of this room. This was where it woke up after being frozen for so long. More precisely, this was where it regained its life. At the same time, this was also where Shao Xuan gained control over its body and took away its freedom. The pterosaur could still clearly recall the time when it suddenly lost control over all the bones in its body. It was so terrifying!

    The pterosaur knew it could not fight back, so it had no choice but to ept its fate. It screamed in protest a few times, but when Shao Xuan looked over, it immediately became silent.

    Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo left some food and water in the secret room and shut the door tight behind them as they left.

    ¡°It¡¯s very smart,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    That was true. Even those warriors who were patrolling had to admit this fact. This pterosaur looked like a bird, but it was smarter than most animals. It was adept in learning and knew to stay away from danger. It knew how to judge a situation, and even if it didn¡¯t enjoy being locked inside this secret underground room, it did not rebel or fight back. It just stayed inside obediently and waited patiently.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I decided to lock it up inside. It didn¡¯t behave well when I left the tribe recently, so I have to punish it. Now it won¡¯t be able to go out for the next few days,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Shao Xuan had his ns, so Zheng Luo decided to stay quiet. He also hoped that Shao Xuan could sessfully control the corpse. Even though Zheng Luo had never been to the desert, he heard enough about the monster¡¯s power from those who came back. It was indeed frightening. If Shao Xuan didn¡¯t go to the desert with the others, they might not have been able to make it out alive.

    ¡°Do you have any arrangements set for the people from the Gongjia family?¡± Zheng Luo asked as they walked up from the ming River Castle.

    ¡°They already told me on the way here that as long as we take them in, they are willing to help us forge weapons. Gongjia Ren also mentioned that casting had always been an inseparable part of their lives, and they might be unhappy if they were suddenly told to stop casting weapons. So this was mutually beneficial for both of us. However, they also said that their casting skills are secret so they won¡¯t teach it to any outsiders, not even us.¡±

    Zheng Luo was a little disappointed when he heard this, but he understood why. At least they were willing to cast weapons for the ming Horn tribe. That was enough for Zheng Luo.

    Zheng Luo pointed at the de in Shao Xuan¡¯s hand and asked, ¡°Can we produce more of these weapons?¡±

    ¡°With the materials we have now, we can only make around a hundred weapons,¡± Shao Xuan said. ¡°They¡¯ve begun replenishing the supply of crystal core in the forge, but we still need more time to make more weapons.¡±

    Zheng Luo nodded.

    A hundred was already plenty. It was more than he had imagined. If this new material was better than the other metals, the new green bronze mightpletely be reced.

    However, it would take a long time for these new weapons topletely rece the previous green bronze and it was still too early to think about this.

    The material used to forge Shao Xuan¡¯s de was made from crystal core so it was different from the other des. They called this ¡°crystal metal.¡± However, not many people knew about this gem metal¡¯s existence because this news had not been made public. Even the senior members of the tribe didn¡¯t know about it.

    The six Gongjia men had finished their tour around the trading point, so after they left the ming River Castle, Shao Xuan brought them to their headquarters.

    The six of them were appalled at the sight of the Giant Bridge. They even thought, ¡®If such a bridge connected the two continents, they might have been able to go around the battlefield. Travel between the two continents would also be much more convenient.¡¯ However, after a while, they were grateful for the fact that there wasn¡¯t a bridge. At least they already escaped from the other side. They might not even be able to return if they wanted to, so there was no point for them to keep thinking about the other side.

    ¡°A new life...¡± Gongjia Ren looked toward the hill at the ming Horn¡¯s headquarters. They could see the people on the mountains and the houses there.

    The six Gongjia men kept a low profile as they entered the ming Horn¡¯s headquarters. They didn¡¯t want to catch anyone¡¯s attention because they were on the run. This had already be their habit.

    Since the Gongjia men felt this way, Shao Xuan respected their decision and brought them to the ce they most wanted to see¡ªthe forge.

    Thest time the ming Horns used this forge was when they had to cast the de that Shao Xuan was currently using. They also built a new forge to cast new crystal metal weapons. However, even with the introduction of this new metal, the green bronze was still mostmonly used in the ming Horn tribe, so they had to build new forges for the green bronze too.

    Shao Xuan did not notice this forge when he left, but when he came back, he noticed a new forge that was roughly the same size as the old one.

    The six Gongjia men discussed with Shao Xuan and asked if the ming Horns could make a forge for each of them. Back in their hometown, the only time they would gather to cast was if their teachers were teaching them a new skill or if they had to work together on a task. Most of the time, they preferred to cast weapons in their own space.

    When they first started learning how to cast, they spent more time in the forges than in their own bedrooms, so they did not ask for much here at the ming Horn tribe. The only thing they requested was for the ming Horns to build six separate forges for them. There was no need for houses. They only needed a small room each beside their forges to sleep in. They didn¡¯t care much about other facilities except for the forge. They had been living this way for too long, so it was hard for them to change their habit in such a short time.

    This was not at all difficult for the ming Horns. They had plenty of space anyways. Shao Xuan arranged for people to help them build their forges under their supervision. After making the necessary arrangements, Shao Xuan no longer had to stay, so he left to tend to other matters.

    He returned to the hilltop and had a brief meeting with the other senior members and gave them a short summary of their trip. He also mentioned that he brought the ancient corpse back.

    The others and Zheng Luo were all thinking the same thing. They all hoped that Shao Xuan could sessfully control the monster.

    That night, Shao Xuan remained at headquarters and didn¡¯t go to the ming River Trading Point.

    It was midnight. In the secret underground room under the ming River Castle,

    The pterosaur had finished the beast meat Shao Xuan left in the room. Out of boredom, it scratched the ground with its sharp ws and then looked over at the long wooden coffin on the stone table.

    It pped its wings andnded gently on the stone table. The wooden coffin was slightly damaged on the way here, so there were some cracks on the cover.

    After encircling the wooden coffin a couple times, the pterosaur squeezed its head into a tiny crack on the side. If it was as scrawny in size as it was back then when it first woke up. it might be able to manage to squeeze into the coffin, but now, it had grown so fat that it would be hard for it to squeeze in. Now, the pterosaur¡¯s head was still stuck in the crack.

    Using its ws and mouth, the creature widened up the crack and finally managed to squeeze in.

    It didn¡¯t like the smell inside. There was no trace of life in the coffin. If this was a carcass of a beast that had died not long ago, the pterosaur might think about eating it, but this thing had been dead for way too long. The pterosaur had no appetite for this. Plus, it had been spoiled by the ming Horns with so much good food that this did not at all interest it.

    The pterosaur walked back and forth on the corpse and explored the dead body out of pure curiosity. It pecked at the stones and beast bones in the coffin. After crushing an ancient ornament, it continued to step on the corpse¡¯s chest and walked up to its face. The dried face of the corpse was no longer recognisable. The cheekbones were the most obvious features on its face. Where the eyes should be were sunken and hollow eye sockets. All of the corpse¡¯s hair had fallen too.

    The pterosaur walked on the corpse¡¯s face for a while and continued to search within the coffin. It finally came out after noticing that there was nothing interesting inside.

    At first, the pterosaur thought that Shao Xuan would punish it, but it suddenly realized that there were no other creatures besides itself within this room, so there was nothing to worry about. After pacing the room for a while, it finally decided to go to sleep in its cage. It was only active during the daytime, and at night, it would just rest.

    The next day, Shao Xuan came to the trading point from headquarters. When he opened the door to the secret room, the pterosaur was still sleeping in its cage, and only woke up when it heard the noise. Its eyes widened when it saw the food in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands. With a gentle p of its wings, it glided down from its cage andnded in front of Shao Xuan.

    After scanning the room, Shao Xuan noticed that besides some faeces on the ground, there was no other mess in the room. He threw the meat to the pterosaur.

    There were scratches and peck marks on the wooden coffin. After uncovering the coffin, Shao Xuan noticed the broken ornament and some footprints on the ancient corpse. Shao Xuan could sense these movements telepathicallyst night and knew what the pterosaur was up to. Shao Xuan only brought food over today because he knew that it didn¡¯t destroy the ancient corpse.

    As the pterosaur fed on the meat, Shao Xuan decided to try controlling this ancient corpse.

    Back then, although the pterosaur was weak, it was still alive. Shao Xuan did not start the envement immediately, but waited until it finally died to start because that would increase the sess rate of the envement. However, the case now was different. Shao Xuan did not need to wait because the corpse was already dead. Envement of the dead was a lot easier.

    However, he failed once on their way back, so he was more careful and cautious this time. He no longer had to worry about bandits or anyone ambushing from the side, so he could fully concentrate on this task.

    As he lifted his hand, Shao Xuan summoned the power of the ming Horn fire seed. This was no different from the time he enved the pterosaur. He used the ming Horn fire seed¡¯s power but did notpletely suppress the other energy within his body. He knew that summoning both energies at the same time would increase his sess rate.

    As totemic lines surfaced to his skin, mes appeared on his hands. He extended his hand and ced it above the ancient corpse and gradually pushed downward.

    No one knew how long the ancient corpse had been preserved, but the potential in the corpse¡¯s bones were very active. This was probably why the people from Rock Hill City brought it along. A corpse with no active potential was of no use to them, so they wouldn¡¯t have kept it. However, since the people from Rock Hill City valued it and set it aside carefully, it meant that this corpse was valuable to them.

    That was why Shao Xuan decided to give it a few more tries.

    However, very soon, Shao Xuan noticed the same thing again. It was exactly the same feeling he felt before. The energy of the fire seed could not prate or seep into the corpse. He did not feel any repulsion when he enved the pterosaur. Back then, the fire seed¡¯s energy seeped in through the creature¡¯s skin and muscles into every single bone of its body without any repulsion. Now, Shao Xuan felt a repulsion.

    Shao Xuan failed in enving it once on their way back home because of this same repulsive energy. Back then, he had to worry about the dangers and threats around them, so he could not continue the envement process.

    However, Shao Xuan did not stop now. Instead, he summoned more of the special energy in his body, causing the mes to burn stronger.

    When mes appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, the pterosaur dropped its food immediately and hid in a corner of the room. Now, it was hiding under its wings, in a defensive crouch simr to when it was still frozen.

    Shao Xuan increased his energy. As the mes seeped through the skin of the dead body, he could feel a strong repulsion, and it felt like he was swimming against a strong current, but that was not the worst part. When his energy reached the bones, it was as if he encountered an imprable shield and the repulsion was much stronger. He increased his energy after sensing that the repulsion had increased, but the repulsion only grew stronger.

    After Shao Xuan increased his power, it became clear to him.

    He could not be wrong. This strong repulsive force made it impossible for Shao Xuan to continue. No wonder the people from Rock Hill City never seeded.

    Dead creatures could not fight back. They had no consciousness and could no longer control their bodies. However, this ancient corpse was fighting the ming Horn fire seed¡¯s energy!

    How could this be?!

    This was all really happening! Unless...... this ancient corpse is alive!

    But he did not detect any life force in the dead body.

    Shao Xuan was shocked because there was no way to exin this.

    Shao Xuan moved his hand away and thought for a while.

    After a while, Shao Xuan lifted his hand and ced it over the corpse again. Now, he was summoning a different power. He did not use any power from the ming Horn fire seed this time.

    The unique thing about this ancient corpse was that despite being clearly dead, its bones were reacting the way a living person¡¯s would. This envement method was not suitable for living people because they would reject the envement. The enved wanderers were an exception, but the fire seed¡¯s energy in most tribesmen¡¯s bodies would fight a foreign energy if it tried to enter their body. Even people who hadn¡¯t merged their fire seed would have totemic powers, and since totemic powers originated from the fire seed¡¯s power, it would also repel the envement.

    Fire seeds were highly repulsive towards other fire seeds, and that was the only thing that was stopping Shao Xuan from enving.

    That was why Shao Xuan decided to stop using the ming Horn fire seed¡¯s power and tried again with his other power. This special power was what protected Shao Xuan from other tribe¡¯s fire seeds.

    This time, the mes that appeared on his hands were white and he brought his hand down to the corpse¡¯s body again.

    As his palm approached the corpse, the white mes began to flow downward and seeped through the dry green-grey coloured skin of the corpse.

    Shockingly, the repulsive energy disappeared!

    Shao Xuan was sure now that he made the right decision this time.

    The mes continued to seep into the body and through the ancient corpse¡¯s bones. There was no longer any strong repulsion from the bones. It was as if the shield had been removed.

    The entire process went smoothly!

    The high active potential in the ancient corpse¡¯s bones quickly absorbed the energy from the mes.

    Shao Xuan used his special vision to scan the corpse. It was simr to the pterosaur. A white me flowed through all the bones in its body.

    However, there was no blood in the corpse, so the white mes only stayed within the bones and did not enter any blood vessels or meridians. This was the only thing that was different from the pterosaur.

    Well, it made sense. An ancient corpse wouldn¡¯t behave the same way as the pterosaur. It was not alive, so naturally there was no blood in its body. All of the blood vessels and meridians had lost their functions over time. The monsters that the people from the Rock Hill City controlled were all like that.

    Did he seed?

    Shao Xuan moved his hand away. The mes on his hands disappeared and he tried to control the corpse with his conscious mind.

    The corpse on the stone table had no reaction.

    Shao Xuan frowned. This can¡¯t be, he thought. Didn¡¯t he seed? Howe he couldn¡¯t control it?

    He tried the same thing a few more times, and still, nothing happened.

    He could influence the energy that was within the corpse¡¯s bones, but he couldn¡¯t control it the way he controlled the pterosaur.

    Shao Xuan also experimented with other dead creatures back then, and he managed to control the pterosaur¡¯s movements. Now, ording to previous experiences, this was clearly a sess, but somehow he couldn¡¯t control it!

    It took him so much effort to finally seep his energy through the bones of the corpse, but he couldn¡¯t control the corpse at all. Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t find the reason behind this. He was stuck.

    Just as Shao Xuan became pensive about the reason behind his failure, Zheng Luo called for him. He said that Gongjia Ren was here and wanted to ask about the forging process of the gem metal.

    Gongjia Ren had only worked with bronze and rarely worked with any other materials. They knew other metals existed, but they had nevere across or worked on anything new, so they were very excited about this new metal. Their forge was still under construction, but they could not wait to discuss the casting process with the ming Horn craftsmen. The Gongjia people came up with many questions to ask them, but the craftsmen could not answer these questions. Gongjia Ren grew impatient with their doubtful expressions, so seeing Duo Kang and the others heading to the trading point with their new game, he decided to follow along.

    Shao Xuan thought he should clear up the Gongjia people¡¯s confusion, so he decided to go exin it to them. He knew that he needed more time to experiment with this ancient corpse, so to avoid having Gongjia Rene again to ask more questions, he decided to tell him all about it at once to clear up his doubts.

    He told a ming Horn warrior to guard outside the door just in case something happened. Then he left to look for Gongjia Ren.

    As the stone door shut tightly, the pterosaur and the ancient corpse were the only ones left inside the room.

    The pterosaur finally got up to its feet and walked cautiously towards the stone table. It was shocked by the mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s hands, but right after Shao Xuan left, its boldness grew. It flew over onto the stone table to take a look at the strange figure in the coffin.

    Besides the fact that there was a simr energy in the ancient corpse¡¯s bones, nothing much was different about it from the night before.

    The pterosaur glided down from the table and returned to its unfinished food after losing interest in the corpse.

    As it bit on the meat, the pterosaur suddenly felt a chill down its back. It stood unmoving and hesitated for a moment. Then, it quickly threw the food to one side and hid in a corner of the room under its arms again and peeked over at the stone table.

    On the dried body of the ancient corpse, thin red vessels started to appear and inteced like branches on a tree across the dead body. It gradually grew and spread to all parts of the corpse¡¯s body. The vessels grew thicker and slowly enveloped the corpse. Those vessels were where blood vessels and meridians should¡¯ve been. They were both channels where energy passed through. Now, a situation Shao Xuan had never anticipated was happening.

    Gentle crackling sounds came from the shrivelled and stiff body of the corpse. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that changes were taking ce in the dried parts of the corpse. These changes were not obvious, but they were happening.

    Under the corpse¡¯s sunken eye lids, within their sockets, something began to roll.

    The corpse¡¯s arms started to tremble and its fingers started to shake. At first, only two fingers trembled. Very soon, the shivers spread to the other fingers until both its wrists began to turn.

    Whoosh!

    The ancient corpse suddenly sat upright. When this happened, the pterosaur trembled in fright in the corner of the room.

    If Shao Xuan was here, he would be surprised too. This ancient corpse was already shocking enough, but what¡¯s more surprising was that this figure had no heartbeat!

 Chapter 755 - Ancient Man (2 in 1 Chapter)

    Chapter 755

    Ancient Man (2 in 1 Chapter)

    On the stone table, the person in the coffin sat up and twisted his neck, making cracking sounds. The dried hard skin on his neck made the corpse¡¯s movements stiff and unnatural. Like a rusty machinery, the corpse began to move with stiff rigid movements.

    A water moon stone illuminated the secret underground room. The corpse turned his neck and looked toward the water moon stone in the corner. His eyelids moved slowly and opened up little by little, like a stuck sliding window rolling up.

    He was like a fierce beast that had been asleep for too long. When his eyes opened, a pungent stench of blood and evil poured out from within. His bloodshot eyeballs stared straight ahead.

    The pterosaur shrank in a corner of the room and did not dare to say a word. It tried to stay as invisible as it could and desperately wished to leave this ce. However, besides the small venttion holes in the room, there was no other way out, and it obviously couldn¡¯t fit through those small venttion holes.

    The corpse turned toward the water moon stone¡¯s direction and rolled his bloodshot eyeballs. After twisting his rigid neck, he looked around him expressionlessly. No emotions could be noticed through his dried skin, and if anyone was present, they would definitely feel unnerved.

    Crack, crack, crack.

    The corpse twisted his body, making strange cracking sounds, and got off the stone table. He seemed a little ufortable at first, as if not used to standing on the ground when he stood on both his feet. His movements were very slow, and he even hesitated a while after firmly nting his feet on the ground.

    He observed his own body and looked around the room. His eyes scanned and stopped on some objects in the room, including water bottles, metal tools, and the pterosaur¡¯s cage. Finally, he looked down on what he was wearing, and his hands held onto an ornament-like object on his body.

    The beast bones and stones had lost their former glory. A lot had changed. Some parts of the ne were no longer there and some had cracks in them. His stiff fingers pinched an irregrly shaped ornament on the ne and his fingers pressed hard. Poof. With a gentle clicking sound, the stone ornament was crushed to debris, and the crumbs fell to the ground.

    The person looked at the debris in his hands. No one knew what he was thinking. He appeared somewhat dazed. After a while, he lifted his head to scan his surroundings once again.

    The soldier outside had no clue what was happening inside the secret room.

    He did not feel or sense anything wrong. He only felt a cold shiver down his spine a moment ago, but ignored it.

    The strange figure could see much clearer after standing up. It saw every corner of the room clearly, and after a brief scan, his eyes finally fixed on the pterosaur that was hiding in the corner.

    The pupils of his bloodshot eyes dted as he focused on the pterosaur.

    The pterosaur was trembling uncontrobly. It knew that danger was about to befall it, and it wanted to escape too, but when those eyes looked at it, it felt like a giant mountain suddenly pressed down on it, and it could not move its body at all. It was even hard for it to move its wings.

    As this monster approached, this invisible pressure increased, and the pterosaur felt like the pressure that was pressing down and stopping its movements also grew. A while ago, it could still move its wings, but as this corpse approached, the pterosaur was frozen like ice, and could only tremble helplessly as it awaited its fate.

    The corpse stopped in front of the pterosaur and bent down. His hands extended and reached for the creature.

    No matter how hard the pterosaur trembled, it could not move away from these dead hands. The giant hands sped onto it and the small creature was lifted off the ground.

    It tried to struggle, but there was no use. The grip from those hands were so tight the pterosaur could not loosen it one bit. The corpse¡¯s shrivelled fingers had dried skin clung onto it. The pterosaur was being squeezed so tightly that all of the food it just ate almost came out through vomit. Suddenly, it felt the threat of death in those hands.

    In a desperate fight for survival, the pterosaur struggled and tried to break free from the pressure. It decided to fight back. Immediately, it bit down on the corpse¡¯s hands.

    The pterosaur could shred the piranhas in the ming River with its sharp fangs effortlessly, but there was not a slight mark on this corpse where it bit down. There was a slight change in the hard skin of the corpse¡¯s hands, but it was barely noticeable. Normal people would have been injured severely by this bite, but there were no scars and no blood on the corpse, only tooth marks. It was as if the pterosaur didn¡¯t bite down on a human hand, but a piece of unusually solid hardwood.

    The pterosaur was frantic. The skin of this corpse was too hard. Even though it could bite down, it felt as if it was biting on a strong metal weapon. It could not bite in.

    As death approached, the pterosaur hurriedly took a few more bites. Suddenly, a loud noise came from within the secret room. It was the noise of its fangs scratching against the bones of the corpse¡¯s hands.

    The corpse seemed to have not felt anything at all. He brought the pterosaur up to his eye level and was ready to deliver it into his mouth.

    The pterosaur knew that it was about to be eaten, so it finally screeched.

    It was very loud.

    The corpse¡¯s eyebrows squeezed together. If it was a normal human, this expression would appear as a deep frown.

    He lifted his other hand and prepared to first twist the neck of the creature in front of him.

    Creak-

    The stone door of the secret room mmed open.

    The monster stopped moving when it heard soundsing from the door. His mouth did not bite down on the pterosaur and he looked toward the door.

    Shao Xuan was standing at the door. Behind him was Zheng Luo and another soldier that was guarding there.

    Shao Xuan was discussing with Gongjia Ren when he sensed that something was wrong inside the secret room. Immediately, he left and rushed back. Zheng Luo also followed behind after figuring that something must¡¯ve happened to the corpse.

    As the door to the secret room opened, Zheng Luo inhaled deeply at the sight.

    They thought the corpse had been dead for very long, but he was standing there now, ready to devour the pterosaur, and judging by the stare in the corpse¡¯s eyes, those bloodshot eyes reminded Zheng Luo of the fiercest beasts in the forest. It was as if the air all around them was tainted with the scent of blood and death.

    The ming Horn warrior who was guarding at the door swallowed his saliva. He was about to open the stone door to take a look when he heard themotion. Luckily the Grand Elder came, or else he had to face such a difficult opponent alone. This......was a human, right?

    Zheng Luo wanted to ask Shao Xuan whether this was the same monster they saw in the desert, but very soon, he realised that this one was slightly different from those. Even though he had never seen those monsters in the desert, he had heard about them from those who were present. Those monsters did not have any consciousness and werepletely under the control of others. However, the one in front of them clearly had his own consciousness and could still function and move without anyone¡¯s control. He could even hunt for food!

    The pterosaur¡¯s eyes lit up with hope as it saw Shao Xuan. Its screams became louder and wilder as it called out for help.

    Shao Xuan took a nce at the pterosaur and then observed the monster with green-grey dried skin.

    This monster had no breath or heartbeat, but it was moving just like any normal human. Shao Xuan could feel a strong energy within the monster¡¯s body, and this energy was exactly the same energy Shao Xuan seeped into the monster¡¯s bones when he tried to enve him.

    He had followed the same procedures as before, using the same steps in the envement, but the only difference was that he used a different type of energy. However, the results were strikingly different, and the reason behind this probably lied within the monster¡¯s body.

    Something was weird about this person.

    Zheng Luo took a step forward, and the monster became more alert and murderous. The redness in his eyes grew even darker as if the monster was about to kill in the next moment.

    Zheng Luo asked Shao Xuan with his eyes whether he should make a move, and Shao Xuan shook his head in reply. He gesticted with his fists and motioned for him to test the situation.

    Shao Xuan could not control the monster like he could the pterosaur. They were still uncertain of this monster¡¯s strength and temper, so no one knew what would happen if they made a wrong move and provoked it. What if the monster decided to squeeze even tighter on the pterosaur¡¯s neck? Shao Xuan still needed that creature.

    ¡°Let it go,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    When the monster saw Shao Xuan, he became calmer and less alert, even though he seemed to not have understood what Shao Xuan meant. From his eyes, they could tell that he was doubtful. If it wasn¡¯t for the dried skin on his face, he would have such rich expressions.

    Shao Xuan nced at the pterosaur and his eyes looked up and met with the corpse¡¯s. He lifted his hands and gestured for the corpse to loosen his grip and let the creature go. He tried his best not to look offensive at all. He could no longer treat this monster the same way he treated the other puppets. He had tomunicate with him like he would with other tribesmen. If politely negotiating could not work, he could only resort to force. Uncontroble threats should not be allowed to exist within their tribe.

    The monster understood what Shao Xuan meant, and slowly loosened his grip on the pterosaur.

    As soon as it broke free, the pterosaur immediately rolled and crawled weakly towards Shao Xuan. It was so nervous that it could not fly at all. After it hid behind Shao Xuan, it observed the monster with a watchful gaze.

    ¡°Ka......Ha......¡±

    Some weird sounds came from the monster¡¯s mouth. No one knew whether it was due to the damage in his vocal cords that his voice was just unfathomable. These sounds seemed like meaningless tunes to them.

    They did not sense any murderous intent in this person¡¯s eyes. On the contrary, he looked slightly eager when he saw Shao Xuan. When he looked at Zheng Luo and the other warrior, his eyes were still full of vignce and oppressiveness.

    ¡°Is he hungry?¡± Zheng Luo asked.

    When Shao Xuan pulled the stone door open, the monster was just about to bring the pterosaur to his mouth. Plus, they knew that if beasts had not eaten for a long time, the first thing they would do after waking up was feed.

    That was what Shao Xuan thought too. Back then, when the pterosaur first woke up, it also ate a lot. Now, even though they could not determine if this monster was dead or alive, they were sure that he could eat other beast meat since he was ready to eat the pterosaur.

    Shao Xuan turned his head to the side and spoke to the warrior beside him. Hearing the orders, the warrior left hurriedly with a nod.

    The monster was still trying his best to speak to Shao Xuan, with sounds like ¡°Ka Ka Ah Ah¡±, and Shao Xuan had no clue what he was trying to say. It seemed very difficult for him to speak. The more he tried to speak, the harder it was. He took a few steps towards the door, and as he did so, Zheng Luo tensed up and his hands reached for the de at his waist.

    Shao Xuan was also ready to defend himself, although he didn¡¯t sense any murderous energy from the other party. That was the only reason he didn¡¯t attack. The corpse probably had such stiff movements because it had been lying down for too long.

    The warrior who had left came back very quickly. In his arms, there was a freshly cut beast limb. Blood was still flowing from the cut, and when he carried it over, the blood dripped across the halls. Besides this beast limb, the warrior also brought some freshly roasted meat.

    Duo Kang brought this beast limb back from the forest. This was a beast he had hunted in the forest recently, and it was a giant beast. When the warrior brought the beast limb over, the beast limb almost got stuck in the entrance of the stairway. He had no other choice. When he arrived at the butchery, this was the first thing he saw, and since he had no time to think about what to pick, he carried it over immediately. The Grand Elder asked for it, so why not just carry arge one over?

    When Shao Xuan saw the giant beast limb, he noticed that his message wasn¡¯t clear enough. There was no need for such a huge beast limb, but since he had already carried it here, there was nothing to be said.

    Shao Xuan looked the warrior in the eye as he grabbed the two things from him. The warrior nodded, and Shao Xuan knew that the warrior had already done what he told him to do.

    Bringing these things here were just one of the things he assigned him. He also told him to tell Duo Kang about the situation underground and made sure Duo Kang and some others were guarding upstairs. They were told not toe down immediately. If they did, it would only make the situation worse and provoke the monster. They guarded the stairway and were ready to help if anything happened. They were also ready to kill.

    However, it didn¡¯t seem like the monster was nning to escape, but when he saw the fearsome beast meat, his eyes became affixed on it. Not on the roasted meat, but on the fresh meat with dripping blood.

    Shao Xuan handed the te of roasted meat back to that warrior, and walked toward the monster with the beast limb on one arm. His other arm was at his waist, near the handle of his de.

    The monster did not notice any of Shao Xuan¡¯s movements. His eyes werepletely focused on the beast limb in Shao Xuan¡¯s arms. He walked over slowly and stretched out his hand to take the limb from Shao Xuan. His facial muscles moved as he looked at Shao Xuan, and his expression was somewhat simr to a smile, although it was very scary. The skin on his face was so stiff that when he moved these muscles, cracks formed on his dry skin.

    When this monster held onto the beast limb, all of their hearts skipped a beat.

    The monster had rming strength. The meat and bones of this beast limb was much heavier than normal wild beasts, and the ming Horns were usually the only ones who could carry the beast limb so effortlessly. However, the monster was carrying the beast limb without much effort and his arms were stable and rxed. His body was not at all shaking from weakness. Instead, it was as if the monster was studying the beast, turning it up and down in his hands as it observed it.

    After thoroughly investigating the meat, the monster opened his mouth and took a huge bite. He was just like a fierce beast in the forest. When he bit down, the meat was effortlessly torn off the bones and blood spilled to the ground. The monster didn¡¯t care. He continued to eat brutally and after several bites, he swallowed the limb whole.

    The ming Horns would also eat raw meat if they were in the forest or if it was inconvenient for them to burn fires, but this person was different. He was a lot wilder and more savage.

    Suddenly, the room was so quiet that only the sound of the monster chewing the meat was audible. The monster would take a few nces at Zheng Luo and the other ming Horn warrior from time to time, and from the look in his eyes, they could tell that it was the same look beasts would have in the forest when they were worried of other beasts stealing their food. If Zheng Luo took a single step forward right now, he would be weing an immediate battle.

    Blood streamed down the monster¡¯s dried face, and Zheng Luo¡¯s hairs stood on end as he observed the monster¡¯s face.

    Ka...Ba....Ka...Ba...

    The strange noise sounded once again, and now, it seemed as if this sound wasing from the monster¡¯s entire body.

    Like it was physically absorbing fluid, The flesh under the monster¡¯s skin and flesh began to swell. His chewing motions slowly became more natural and smoother.

    Suddenly, the monster stopped biting on the beast limb. One of his hands continued to grasp tightly onto the beast limb, while his other hand moved to his belly, as if he felt something weird.

    Just as the three of them began to wonder what was going on, the monster lowered his head and vomited.

    What surprised them was that the monster vomited out white dried beast meat. It was pale, and it looked as if most of the fluid and blood in the meat had been sucked out, and these were the remains of the food that couldn¡¯t be absorbed. The fresh and bloody meat entered the monster¡¯s system and came out as dried white meat.

    The swelling on the monster¡¯s body had alleviated, but judging by the volume of the vomit, it seemed as if the monster had spit out everything else besides the blood and nutrients.

    Shao Xuan wondered how long this strange person had been in this mummified state. It seemed as if his organs had changed but were still usable. They were just different from a normal human¡¯s. His heart was still there within his body, and it was very possibly still being used, but it was just not beating.

    How strange.

    Shao Xuan had never heard of such a tribe. Where did the people from Rock Hill City find them?

    After vomiting, the monster stood there and continued to stare nkly at his vomit. No one knew what he was thinking. After a while, he began to chew on the meat again.

    Just like that, the monster ate and vomited. Two-thirds, one-half, one-third..... Very soon, only bones remained on the beast limb.

    The three humans were speechless.

    Damn, this was the first time they saw someone with a stronger appetite than the ming Horns!

    The monster looked at the bones left in his hands, and then tightly grasped onto both sides of the beast limb. The bones were so thick that his hands couldn¡¯t grip around it entirely, but even so, he still held it with a strong grip.

    With a crack, the thick fearsome beast bone was snapped in half. It broke.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyelids jerked. This man broke the beast bone like it was sugar cane!

    The bones of this fearsome beast were not hardpared to the bones of many other beasts, but it was already much harder than the bones of most ordinary beasts. Although the ming Horns could also break bones, they could not do it as effortlessly as this monster.

    Zheng Luo and the other soldier were not much calmer than Shao Xuan. Their eyeballs almost fell out of their sockets.

    What......

    Other tribes called them barbaric and rude, but this monster was way more barbaric than they could ever be!

    After he broke the beast bones, the monster began to suck on the bone marrow. If there was a crack he wasn¡¯t satisfied with, he would break it once more or knock two segments of the beast bone together to make them even.

    The series of movements the monster used to break the bones and knock them on each other seemed so instinctive that it felt like the monster was already experienced at the task.

    Shao Xuan had his guesses when he observed the monster¡¯s initial appearance and the essories on his body. This was an ancient man who lived very long ago.

 Chapter 756 - How The Desert Came About (2 in 1 Chapter)

    Chapter 756

    How The Desert Came About (2 in 1 Chapter)

    They watched with stunned expressions as the monster scraped off all the meat on the bones and sucked out all of the bone marrow.

    This monster¡¯s appearance had changed, and he was very differentpared to the first time Shao Xuan moved him here. The most obvious difference was that the monster no longer looked dry anymore. His skin resembled a normal human¡¯s, and although he did not have any bulging muscles or looked strong, none of them dared to doubt his strength after seeing how effortlessly he broke the beast bones in half.

    His skin was no longer green-grey in colour. It was greenish-white now, and it was still pale, resembling the dead. However, he was a little different from Yi Si¡¯s half-beast ve. At least the ve looked like that since the beginning, but this monster gave them an unnerving feeling, as if he was seriously ill, but still quite dangerous.

    After eating, the skin on the monster¡¯s face became much softer in texture. Besides some dried traces and weird bluish-white faint marks on his face, he seemed almost like an ordinary person. At least he didn¡¯t look like a corpse anymore. His movements were no longer rigid and stiff, and if he was breathing normally like other humans and had a heartbeat, he wouldn¡¯t be much different from other humans.

    After he ate, the monster looked with eyes full of gratitude at Shao Xuan, and became less vignt towards Zheng Luo and the other ming Horn warrior.

    ¡°Where...am...I?¡±

    Perhaps it was because his body had begun to recover. His voice was no longer as scratchy as before, but it still didn¡¯t sound smooth. His tone was still strange, but at least they could guess what he was saying now.

    ¡°This is the ming Horn tribe,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°ming Horn...tribe?¡± the monster looked doubtful, as if this phrase brought back some long-forgotten memories. He looked like he was trying to remember but couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°Who are you? Which tribe do you belong to?¡± Shao Xuan asked. Shao Xuan enunciated every word to ensure that this monster understood what he said.

    ¡°Who am...I?¡± the monster looked even more dazed now. He didn¡¯t know what to say for a long while. He lowered his head and began to think hard.

    ¡°Then do you remember your tribe¡¯s totemic sign? Totem, can you try drawing it?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Totem...Totem...¡± The monster repeated this phrase continuously. The more he said it, the clearer his pronunciation became. He lifted his head suddenly as a bright light shed across his bloodshot eyes. ¡°Totem!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. Totem. Do you remember?¡± Shao Xuan walked into the secret room and took out the paint from a wooden cab on the side. He added water to the paint and stirred. Stretching out a finger, he dipped it inside the paint and started to draw on a piece of linen fabric on the side. After a few strokes, a ck marking appeared on the greyish-yellow linen.

    At first, Shao Xuan thought about using a brush, but after he judged the monster, he thought this was probably more convenient for him.

    The monster looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s movements and he seemed to have understood what he meant. He extended his right thumb and dipped it into the paint. Many tribesmen liked to paint with their thumbs. This was an ancient habit that many of them had. This monster was no different. However, since he could not control his strength, he almost tipped over the small paint container. Luckily Shao Xuan was holding onto it from the other side.

    After observing the dark liquid on his finger, the monster walked up to the stone table and scratched a few markings on the linen cloth. Somehow he felt like drawing on the linen cloth was too bothersome, so he began to draw directly on the stone table.

    When he started to move his fingers, he moved it slightly and paused for a while, as if trying to recall a memory. Gradually, he began to draw with much smoother movements and at the end, he did not even hesitate when he finished his final stroke. It was finallyplete.

    Zheng Luo was so curious that he took a few steps forward and craned his neck to look. He didn¡¯t dare to get too close because the monster still seemed a little vignt towards him.

    ¡°This is...?¡± Zheng Luo asked as he looked at the drawing on the stone table.

    The monster looked at Zheng Luo and made a sound. His tone was a little unclear and strange, so Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t catch what he said.

    The drawing on the table looked like a human with both his arms raised. The human was looking upwards, and right above that human was a circle. Judging by the way it was drawn, this circle was most likely a symbol of the sun.

    This was the monster¡¯s totemic sign. Even if a tribesman could not remember his tribe¡¯s name, he could never forget his totemic sign, especially if they belonged to a tribe that still had a primitive fire seed.

    It seemed as if this man could not remember anything else, but hepleted this drawing of the totemic sign. After he finished drawing, he continued to stare nkly at his work.

    Shao Xuan was positive he had never seen this totemic sign before, so he could not determine this person¡¯s identity.

    He turned around to look at Zheng Luo. He had the same puzzled expression. He had never seen such a sign too, but if this person drew it out even when he had forgotten his own name, it was very likely that this totemic sign really existed.

    However, it wasmon for tribes to exist and go extinct. Perhaps this monster belonged to one of these extinct tribes.

    ¡°Was your tribe in the desert before?¡± Shao Xuan asked again.

    ¡°Desert?¡± the monster was not familiar with the word. He could not understand what Shao Xuan said at all.

    Realizing this, Shao Xuan tried to describe what a desert looked like. ¡°It almost never rains there, and there¡¯s not much wood or nts. It¡¯s all yellow sand.¡±

    After he heard this, the monster nodded continuously, ¡°Yes! It¡¯s there!¡±

    The monster knew that Shao Xuan belonged to a different tribe, but since Shao Xuan¡¯s energy was somewhat simr to his own, he almost took Shao Xuan to be his own tribesmen. After he finished an entire beast limb, his body had recovered and his senses became keener. Now he could tell that Shao Xuan belonged to a different tribe, but he did not act at all defensive towards him.

    The monster realised that Shao Xuan was rted to his own waking up so he hurriedly asked, ¡°I...tribe...go back...¡±

    Shao Xuan only understood a few words in the monster¡¯s sentence. ¡°You want to go back?¡±

    The monster nodded.

    ¡°But there are no more tribes in the desert,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    The monster was taken aback. He shook his head and denied, ¡°No! That¡¯s impo...impossible!¡± But suddenly, it was as if he thought of something, but couldn¡¯t recall the memory clearly. His face revealed a twisted expression as he knelt down suddenly with his head in his arms. He looked as if he was in deep pain. Blue veins surfaced to his greenish-white skin as he roared loudly like a fierce beast in the forest. This sound also resembled the noise they would hear in a cave whenever a breeze blew in. How umon!

    Small bits of stone scraps and dust fell to the ground. The y pot filled with water in one corner of the room cracked. Not much water was left inside, but most of the pottery exploded and clinked against the walls of the room.

    The roar echoed in the hallways outside. Duo Kang and the others who were guarding at the stairway felt the chills go down their spines.

    The instion of the building was pretty well done, but even so, this sound could be heard from anywhere in the ming River Castle. Even some people outside who were close to the ming River Castle heard the muffled roar. They shivered unconsciously at the sound. It was as if a cold gust of wind blew right across their backs.

    Where Yi Si lived, the spikes on the half-beast¡¯s back also erected when he heard the roar. He nced nervously in the ming River Castle¡¯s direction.

    Yi Si felt it too. ¡°What happened over there?¡±

    Within the ming River Castle, the people who heard the sound rushed over and saw Duo Kang and the others guarding there.

    ¡°Hunt Leader, who made that sound? Was that a human?¡± someone asked Duo Kang.

    ¡°How would I know?!¡± Duo Kang was anxious too. What was going on down there?! It¡¯s making them all anxious!

    Underground in the secret room, Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo¡¯s heart rate suddenly sped up as their hands reached for the hilts of their des. If this monster suddenly went wild, they could only kill him right away. No matter how curious they were about this man, their safety was priority.

    However, this monster only squatted on the ground with his head in his arms. He howled in pain for a while, and his voice gradually weakened and finally stopped.

    Shao Xuan waited. The person was no longer moving.

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    He didn¡¯t wait for a reply, and repeated his question again. Still, there was no response.

    He could sense the irritation calming and subsiding within the monster. If they didn¡¯t notice him squatting there, they wouldn¡¯t have sensed a person there at all. He had no breath or heartbeat. Besides the slight breath of air that was present in his roar, it seemed as if he had no need for air. If he was locked in a sealed space without air, perhaps he could still stay alive on the inside.

    Shao Xuan walked over with a de in his hand. His other hand extended and patted on the shoulder of the person who squatted there.

    The person immediately fell backwards. He remained in the same position as he fell, like a stone statue. His hands and legs seemed frozen and did not move one bit.

    Zheng Luo wanted to ask if the person was dead, but thinking how this person was different from most others, he asked, ¡°What happened to him?¡±

    Shao Xuan shook his head. Judging by the pattern energy flowed within his body and all around him, it seemed like he was asleep.

    ¡°Maybe......he fell asleep?¡± Shao Xuan guessed.

    Fell asleep?

    Zheng Luo looked at the person in a squatting posture. He was holding his head in his arms and was ready to fit inside an egg. He thought, ¡®He¡¯s so different! Even his sleeping posture is different!¡¯

    Shao Xuan looked at the drawing the monster drew on the stone table and he turned around. His eyes caught Zheng Luo¡¯s, and as if in acquiescence, both of them walked out of the room gently.

    ¡°He looks like an ordinary person when he¡¯s asleep. It seems like he won¡¯t wake up anytime soon. You stay here with Duo Kang and the others. I need to go to the Rain tribe,¡± Shao Xuan whispered.

    ¡°The Rain tribe? To ask them about this monster?¡± Zheng Luo also knew that the Rain tribe lived on the edges of the desert before. He understood what Shao Xuan was nning.

    ¡°Well, I want to understand more about this person and where he came from. The people from Rock Hill City must have a reason or purpose for keeping them. This person said that their tribe is in the desert, but we know that since the ve masters arrived at the desert, there were no longer any tribes there. The Rain tribe lived so close to the desert, so perhaps there are some things that they know that we don¡¯t.¡±

    Zheng Luo nodded. ¡°Okay, hurry ande back quickly. If this person wakes up, he won¡¯t be polite to us at all. If we have no choice, we will have to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Shao Xuan knew that this person only had a different attitude towards himself. That was because he was brought back to life by Shao Xuan¡¯s special energy. No, maybe this person was not even dead in the beginning. He was just preserved in another state. Shao Xuan¡¯s energy was just a trigger that woke him up from that state.

    Without saying more, Shao Xuan immediately left the ming River Castle and headed to the Rain tribe.

    When Shao Xuan arrived at the Rain tribe, Yang Sui was smiling as he looked at a piece of linen in his hands. On the linen cloth was a written record of the nts they nted this year, as well as the handicrafts and information regarding the trading situation within the ming River trading point. They were already living under stable conditions and no longer had to worry about going hungry. The ming River Trading Point gave them hope and more choices. They could trade all sorts of goods there, including fabric, pottery, knitting tools, and much more. Even if the harvest was not bountiful that year, they wouldn¡¯t go hungry. Sometimes if the ming Horns needed more people to help withbour, they would immediately send people over to help. Labour could be exchanged for food in the ming Horn tribe, and that piqued their interest.

    As he read the information on his linen cloth, someone came to inform him that the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan, came to visit. Hearing this, he immediately set down the things in his hands and told them to invite him in. They did not dare to show off in front of their guest. They had to rely on the ming Horn tribe to survive, and with their strength, they were still no match for many other tribes and beasts around them.

    ¡°Grand Elder! How can we help you?¡± Yang Sui smiled.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t beat around the bush. He handed him a beast hide, ¡°Do you recognise this?¡±

    It was the totemic sign the monster drew. Shao Xuan drew a copy of the drawing on this beast hide.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Yang Sui asked as he unrolled the beast hide. His expression changed immediately. His smile was reced with a serious look, and his eyes were sharp as daggers as he looked at Shao Xuan. He asked him in a deep voice, ¡°How did you know about this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen this before?¡± Shao Xuan told him briefly about the monster and how he came back to life, but he did not mention how he brought him back to life.

    Yang Sui¡¯s fingers stiffened as he gripped tightly on the beast hide. His hands trembled and hisplexion turned pale.

    ¡°They¡¯re back? Are they really back?!¡± Yang Sui murmured. His eyes were filled with terror and panic. It was as if he fell into a cold icy dungeon and his blood froze in his veins.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± Shao Xuan asked again. Yang Sui looked as if his soul had left his body. ¡°He doesn¡¯t remember anything at the moment. The only thing he can remember is this totem. Most of them should be under the control of the people of Rock Hill City, and they¡¯re being put aside like unused puppets.¡±

    Yang Sui felt temporarily relieved when he heard this, but his fingers were still trembling and his face was still pale.

    ¡°The Han tribe! It¡¯s the Han tribe!¡±

    Han tribe?

    Shao Xuan had never heard of this tribe.

    ¡°Did they live in the desert before?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Yang Sui twitched the corners of his mouth, as if forcing a smile, ¡°No, they don¡¯t live in the desert, but wherever they are, they bring the desert with them!¡±

    Shao Xuan was stunned. ¡°You mean, the desert exists because of the Han tribe?¡±

    ¡°You can say that,¡± Yang Sui took a deep breath and tried to suppress the mixed emotions in his heart.

    ¡°That monster is very strong, and I have no doubt that tribe was probably quite strong back then too, but why did they disappear?¡± Shao Xuan was doubtful. A tribe that was not powerful wouldn¡¯t be targeted by the people of Rock Hill City.

    Yang Suiughed bitterly, ¡°You only know that the Han tribe was strong, but did you know? The Rain tribe was a major tribe before too!¡±

    Yang Sui told everyone in the house to leave and made sure no one else was around. After he came back, he filled a bowl with water and gulped it down slowly. After he calmed down, he continued, ¡°I only found out about some of these things from my ancestor¡¯s notes after bing the shaman. There were some notes that all the previous chiefs and shamans knew about, but some of these handwritten notes were kept secret and only the shaman of the Rain tribe was allowed to read it. However, not every shaman can read it. Only those who have the strength and capability can open it and read what¡¯s inside, and I¡¯ve been very doubtful ever since I read it.¡±

    Shao Xuan once told Yang Sui that fire seeds in their primitive form would only weaken. Even though they couldn¡¯t notice a clear difference, if theypared it with the fire seed they had thousands of years ago, they would immediately notice the difference.

    However, not many people could live that long. They were different from the beasts with unlimited lifespans. People with different strengths had different lifespans. At most, advanced totemic warriors could only live up to two to three hundred years.

    Yang Sui could ept the fact that the Rain tribe¡¯s fire seed was weakening. That was why they couldn¡¯t seed in praying for rain. However, something he still couldn¡¯t figure out was why their fire seed weakened so quickly. The Rain tribe was not the only tribe with a long history. The ming Horns were not much different from them. The ming Horn tribe was also an ancient tribe, but they weren¡¯t as weak as the Rain tribe was.

    After analysing, the final reason lied within their fire seed.

    If a fire seed was strong, the tribe was strong. A weak fire seed would mean a weak tribe.

    The Rain tribe had survived for who knew how long beside the desert. They had long left the major to middle-sized tribes category. In the eyes of many people, they were a tribe that was destined to disappear from the surface of the earth.

    ¡°Fire seed!¡± Yang Sui raised his head and sighed. ¡°Our fire seed is so much weaker than other fire seeds now because of the Han tribe!¡±

    ¡°You guys fought against the Han tribe before?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°A very long time ago, we did. However, we lost at the very end.¡±

    Yang Sui told Shao Xuan about what was recorded in the secret handwritten notes.

    The desert was not like that in the past. It wasn¡¯t much different from other ces on the maind. Although it didn¡¯t rain there often and some parts were arid all year round, the desert was never asrge as it was today.

    The Han tribe settled in dry ces all year round. In contrast, the Rain tribe lived in ces with fertile soil, and there, their ancestors discovered special nts. After crushing the harvested fruits of this nt and mixing it with water, they would bake it into hard biscuits, which was convenient to store and could help them withstand hunger. At that time, the Rain tribe valued that piece ofnd very much and even thought about expanding their territory.

    In order to make their crops grow better, they prayed for more rain and it rained more frequently. Naturally, the rain fell on a wider range and covered a bigger area than the farnd they owned.

    The Han people did not like rain. They hated water, and since they could live longer in an arid environment, they preferred drought. They were like cacti in the desert. Their bodies were natural reservoirs and couldst for more than a hundred days without a sip of water.

    The Han tribesmen also wanted to expand their territory and make more aridnd. Both of these tribes lived close to each other, but due to their expansion, they began to have conflicts with each other.

    Very soon, the conflict intensified and the two tribes went to war. Tribesmen could fight to death for the sake of their territory. These two tribes hadpletely different preferences, so both of them were ready to either exterminate the other or drive them away from the territory.

    This fightsted for a long time. Yang Sui had no clue how long thissted and there were no records in his ancestor¡¯s notes about this. It only mentioned that at the very end, the shamans of both tribes met and fought using the power of their fire seeds.

    ording to the ancient records, the war between the two shamans changed the weather immensely. With a flick of their wrists, the winds and rains went against the course of nature, and a single stomp on the ground caused ten miles of ground to be covered with yellow desert sand.

    In the end, the Rain tribe was defeated. The shaman of the Rain tribe took the remnants of their fire seed and the tribesmen who managed to survive and departed for a new home, which was where they were now, on the edge of the desert.

    Because of that battle, the Rain tribe¡¯s fire seed was severely damaged, and this was seemingly irreversible. Back then, the shaman of the Rain tribe burned himself in the fire pond due to self-reproach and regret. Since then, the Rain tribe¡¯s fire seed had begun to weaken, like the ancient fire seeds of other tribes, but since their fire seed was damaged by the fight back then, they weakened at a faster pace than many others.

    Yang Sui was also bitter when he learned the truth, but back then, he had not heard of any Han tribesmen who were still alive. Even though the desert had expanded to thend wherein they lived, the Han tribe seemed to have disappeared from the world. Perhaps it was due to some natural disasters or other reasons, but the Han tribe no longer appeared ever since the ve masters upied the desert. No one knew where the Han tribe went.

    Yang Sui thought their tribe finally managed to survive and the other party had disappeared. To them, survival was a kind of victory. The Rain tribe¡¯s ancestors did not want anyone to know about their defeat and the cruel history back then, so Yang Sui also kept it secret too. Now, no one else in the Rain tribe knew about this part of their history.

    Shao Xuan was amazed by the story Yang Sui narrated. It was indeed eye-opening.

    So this desert resulted from the battle between these two tribes.

    They were two strong ancient tribes, but after one of them was defeated, they retreated to a farther ce. The damage done to their fire seeds made them a lot weaker than other tribes that had also begun to weaken at the same time. Now, they were so weak that they couldn¡¯t even evoke a response from their prayers and sessfully pray for rain.

    The other tribe disappeared and no one knew what had happened to them. Shao Xuan only knew that that monster looked like an ancient corpse, and he had been in that state for a very long time. He just didn¡¯t know if their disappearance was rted to the ve masters.

    Yang Sui didn¡¯t know anything about that. If Shao Xuan wanted to know the reason, he could only ask that monster, and that¡¯s on the premise that the monster could remember.

 Chapter 757 - This Must Be It!

    <h4>Chapter 757 This Must Be It!</h4>

    After Shao Xuan returned to the ming Horn tribe, he told the other senior members about what Yang Sui had told him. Yang Sui requested for Shao Xuan to not spread the information to others and expose their tribe¡¯s embarrassing history, so Shao Xuan only told those whose ranking was hunt leader or above.

    As for the monster, everyone agreed to wait and observe first before deciding on whether they should kill him. They wanted to know more about the monster¡¯s tribe, and the two retired shamans were especially curious about this. Back then when the pterosaur was revived, they were already curious about what happened to the fire seed at the time the pterosaur lived. Too bad the pterosaur couldn¡¯t speak, but at least it was smarter than most birds or beasts. It was not as smart as humans though. It wasn¡¯t even smarter than Caesar and Cha Cha, so the two retired shamans felt destined not to get the information they desperately wanted to find out.

    But this time was different.

    No one knew when this Han tribe existed and there were no relevant records in the ming Horn ancestors¡¯ notes. Perhaps it was because the Han tribe existed too long ago. Even if this information was recorded, it was probably lost during some major events or catastrophes. The disaster that happened a thousand years ago had destroyed most of their historical records, and even though most of it had been recovered, it was still notplete. It would be great if they could find out more about that era from this monster. Memories could be recalled after all. Humans can speak, so this case was obviously different from the pterosaur¡¯s. Of course, this was still built on the premise that the monster posed no threat to the ming Horns. If he did, they had no choice but to kill him.

    After the monster fell asleep with his head in his arms in a squat position, he had not woken up since.

    Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t stay there all day long. The six members of the Gongjia family were still waiting for him and Zheng Luo didn¡¯t want to dy the casting of the new metal weapons. Duo Kang led the hunting team out not too long ago, and they didn¡¯t need to go out to hunt for the time being so Zheng Luo and Duo Kang took turns guarding outside the secret chamber while he was gone. These two had to personally guard the room. They could not entrust this duty to anyone else.

    Only after five days did the monster in the secret room finally open his eyes.

    Zheng Luo felt very strange guarding over such a silent and breathless person. This was the first time he found out about such creatures.

    Zheng Luo peeked into the room carefully when he heard the movements. There was a newly built wooden box on the ground ced beside the original coffin. Due to the damage done to the coffin, Shao Xuan made one that was simr to it and ced the sleeping monster inside this new coffin.

    Zheng Luo didn¡¯t know how Shao Xuan thought of such an idea. In fact, when Shao Xuan looked at the monster, the only thing that came to his mind was a zombie.

    When Zheng Luo looked inside that big wooden box, the crouched person¡¯s hands and feet were already rxed, no longer in the same stiff posture as before. When he moved, the muscles and bones in his body still made creaking sounds.

    This time, the monster was unexpectedly quiet.

    He probably knew that someone was outside, but hepletely ignored it. After he sat up, he remained silent and no one knew what he was on his mind.

    When Shao Xuan received the news, the monster was still sitting in the same position, as if he had just woken up not long ago.

    ¡°How is he?¡± Shao Xuan asked Zheng Luo.

    ¡°He¡¯s been in that position for very long. He hasn¡¯t moved a single bit.¡± Normal people would make slight movements once in a while, and they would blink too. However, this person had not moved at all. Even his eyelids were still, as if his whole body was frozen. His chest did not rise or fall and his heart was not beating either. Even his pulse could not be noticed.

    Shao Xuan was confused too. How could this person be so quiet?

    Shao Xuan was holding a thin-neck y bottle. Zheng Luo smelled a bloody scent from the bottle and knew immediately what it was for.

    When Shao Xuan entered the room, the monster finally turned his head and looked up at Shao Xuan. They didn¡¯t know if it was the scent of blood or Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival that triggered him to move.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake? Would you like a drink?¡± Shao Xuan handed the earthenware bottle to the monster. This was filled with fresh beast blood he obtained from the butchery.

    Even if this person seemed to not have any intention to attack, Shao Xuan remained vignt.

    The monster nced at Shao Xuan with an unchanged expression. He raised his hand and took the bottle from Shao Xuan. He studied the bottle with stern eyes. He wasn¡¯t aware of the strength he was exerting on the bottle, and identally punctured a hole in the bottle. The crack expanded as blood flowed out. The monster hurriedly blocked it with one hand and rxed his grip on the bottle. He probably didn¡¯t expect this bottle to be so fragile.

    After a while, he pulled out the cork with his mouth and smelled the scent of the liquid with his nose. Only under such circumstances did he express a need for breath.

    Without hesitation, the man tilted the bottle upwards and started pouring the liquid into his mouth.

    The sound of the monster gulping down blood filled the room.

    People who were not strong enough could not bear to have too much fearsome beast blood in their system. Back then, when Shao Xuan was just a junior totemic warrior, a small cup of this blood was enough to rece a whole meal. This person finished eating the beast limb a few days ago, and maybe that was why he slept for so many days. Now, he wasn¡¯t as hungry as before and drank the blood slowly. He drank around four litres of beast blood.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Although his voice was a bit strange, Shao Xuan understood what he said and raised his eyebrows in surprise. He noticed how swift the monster¡¯s movements became when he unplugged the cork of the bottle without even making a sound. He seemed to be very familiar with this action.

    ¡°Can you remember anything now?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°A lot,¡± the man paused and continued, ¡°My name is Gan Qie and I belong to the Han tribe.¡±

    The man calmly told Shao Xuan about the Han Tribe. His description was very simr to what Yang Sui had told him before, except it was more detailed.

    The Han tribesmen preferred drought, and likewise, they also liked the scorching sun, so that was why they had a circle in their totem, representing the sun. They could survive in extreme arid conditions. On the contrary, they would be very ufortable and might even get sick in ces that rained often.

    It sounded ridiculous indeed that they would get sick in a humid environment with their strong physique, but this was the truth.

    The central region of their tribe was most arid. The soil there was all desertified, especially near the fire pond of the Han tribe. The tribe was built on yellow sand, the same sand in the desert today.

    Because the trees were sparse in arid areas, even if the Han tribe mastered the wood scraping methods to start fires, they rarely felt a need for fires. This was why the monster was used to eating his food raw, just like what Shao Xuan and the others had witnessed.

    Gan Qie only became emotional when he mentioned the battle between them and the Rain tribe. Blood seemed to flow within his bloodshot eyes.

    Back then, there were not as many Han and Rain tribesmen. There were only around seven to eight hundred, no more than a thousand, but the two tribes were much stronger back then. Gan Qie was only a junior totemic warrior at the time, but even so, their strength was equivalent to the strength of two present junior totemic warriorsbined, or maybe more. The tribes¡¯ strength depended not on their poption, but their overall strength. Of course, generally speaking, most powerful tribes hadrger poptions, and back then, a tribe with a poption of seven to eight hundred could already be considered a major tribe. The numbers back then were drastically different from the present.

    At the time of the war, it seemed as if the Han tribe had the upper hand because the desert area expanded and the Rain tribesmen were forced to leave, but the people of the Rain tribe never knew that the Han tribe actually paid a heavy price after the victory. Something happened to their fire seed, and the tribesmen fell one after another because of that. The fire seed was slowly falling apart, and even the shaman at the time could do nothing about it. That was why the desert expanded. As the desert expanded, their fire seed also weakened.

    In the end, the shaman of the Han tribe made a final decision. If this continued, not only would their fire seed disappear from the world. Even the Han people would disappear and be exterminated. That was why the shaman decided to sacrifice eleven people, himself included, to save their fire seed. They burned their bodies as sacrifice to prevent the fire seed from weakening.

    ¡°Unfortunately, they failed at the end, and our fire seed disappeared!¡± Gan Qie looked sad, but luckily, he didn¡¯t lose control of his emotions.

    Perhaps it is because the saddest moment had already passed, Shao Xuan guessed. He continued to listen to Gan Qie¡¯s narration.

    After that, the shaman of the Han tribe became seriously injured. The eleven of them dug a tunnel underground and buried all the dead tribesmen inside. After a few years (Gan Qie could not remember how long), the Han tribe¡¯s shaman had be delirious and could no longer support the fire seed. The ten others, Gan Qie included, wanted to continue living, but their fire seed had been destroyed, so they were good as dead. What was the point in living without a fire seed? They followed the shaman into the underground cave and decided to bury themselves alive with the shaman. They thought that maybe if they died, they could see their tribesmen again in the afterlife.

    Although Gan Qie¡¯s pronunciation was a little strange, he was fluent and spoke slowly, so Shao Xuan could understand what he was saying.

    Gan Qie looked down at his hands. If he could wake up, that meant that they were not really dead after all.

    ¡°I have a question,¡± seeing how Gan Qie had recovered his sanity, Shao Xuan continued, ¡°I found the power of the fire seed within your bones, which means that your fire seed had not really disappeared. Instead, it merged into your bodies. All eleven of you.¡±

    Gan Qie raised his head and looked at Shao Xuan. He asked surprisedly, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Have you not noticed? This is the ming Horn tribe¡¯s territory, but do you feel any fire seeds here?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°No...no fire seed...how can there be no fire seed?¡± Gan Qie could no longer remainposed.

    ¡°Nowadays, more and more tribes have chosen to merge their fire seeds with their own bodies because the primitive fire seed weakens over time. If the fire seed is merged into our blood, then not only will it ensure that the fire will not continue to weaken, the energy of the fire seed would also be passed down from generation to generation through their blood. In this form, blood and fire have the same origin.¡± Shao Xuan briefly exined the situation on this side of the sea and on the other side to Gan Qie, and exined why most tribes chose this path.

    ¡°So......so...our fire seed is not gone? It¡¯s...it¡¯s......¡± Gan Qie was upset, but he didn¡¯t cry. He was not as emotional as Shao Xuan expected him to be.

    ¡°So, does that mean that our tribe can continue to exist?¡± A light of hope shed across Gan Qie¡¯s eyes, but the next moment, Shao Xuan poured cold water on this hopeful thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid you don¡¯t understand the current situation in the desert. Do you know how you got there?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    Gan Qie looked expectantly at Shao Xuan, waiting for him to borate. Ever since he woke up, he trusted Shao Xuan for no apparent reason. He just found him trustworthy, and he couldn¡¯t understand why he felt this way. He just did. Perhaps it was because Shao Xuan¡¯s energy influenced him to wake up in the first ce.

    Shao Xuan told him briefly about their trip to the desert.

    The Rain and Han tribe were mortal enemies. The battle back then left them both damaged. A once powerful tribe became an unknown tribe and barely managed to survive. The other seemed to have won, but actually suffered greater losses. It was as if their entire tribe had to pay for the consequences. Now, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t want to see them fighting anymore, so he could only direct their hatred towards the desert.

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing the other nine are not in a very good condition.¡± This was not an unfounded guess either.

    ¡°The people from Rock Hill City could enve the dead and use them as puppets. Now, it seems like they already dug out the Han tribesmen¡¯s bodies and distributed them to every ve master. The only problem they¡¯re facing is that the Han tribesmen¡¯s bodies are not easy to control due to their special physique, and I¡¯m not sure how many of these people from the Han tribe have been made into reanimated corpses.¡±

    Every word Shao Xuan said seemed to infuriate Gan Qie, and the more he told him, the stronger his murderous energy grew. Now, the air seemed to be tainted with viscous blood, which made Zheng Luo shiver outside the secret room. This kept him on his guard, ready to take action if the person insideunched a sudden attack.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I can prove it to you. I just don¡¯t know how high the sess rate is, and I don¡¯t know for sure if it will really happen.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Gan Qie asked. If it needed too long, he would immediately leave to investigate in the desert.

    ¡°Very soon, it might happen these few days,¡±Shao Xuan said.

    Gan Qie decided to wait. He stayed in this secret room and followed Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions. He would wait here until what Shao Xuan said happened.

    Seeing Shao Xuane out of the secret room, Zheng Luo hurriedly walked up to him and asked, ¡°So he actually remembers?¡±

    ¡°It seems like it.¡±

    ¡°Could it be that his head hadn¡¯t recovered when he first woke up, and now he¡¯s recovering after his nap?¡± Zheng Luo guessed. He thought about the event Shao Xuan warned about, and asked, ¡°How should we make arrangements? Do we need to strengthen our security?¡±

    ¡°No, just do what we did before. If we make it seem too deliberate, it might not be good.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Then what¡¯s he going to eat?¡± Zheng Luo asked.

    ¡°Tell someone to send in a bottle of blood. He has regained his senses and rationality. Before understanding his current situation, he won¡¯t attack us. But just in case, if I have time, I¡¯ll personallye and bring him the blood.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, keep your focus over there,¡± Zheng Luo pointed in the direction of their headquarters. He also wanted to get a crystal metal weapon as soon as possible. ¡°I¡¯m here, just leave it up to me. If something strange happens, I¡¯ll go look for you.¡±

    Shao Xuan talked with Zheng Luo and Duo Kang about the arrangements before heading to headquarters. They had already begun casting the crystal metal. Gongjia Ren and the others were still unfamiliar with the procedure, so Shao Xuan had to check on them.

    Two dayster.

    At night, a dark shadow ran past the side of the empty trading point, like a ghost in the night. He was skilled in hiding his presence. When he ran, his motions were synced with the sound of the wind. He was so skilled in hiding himself that no one noticed in every room he passed by.

    This ck shadow approached the ming River Castle, and as soon as a guard left his post, he climbed up the stone wall like a gecko.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing there?¡± several ming Horn warriors held the water moon stone up and asked the person who was squatting on the ground beside the wall of the fortress.

    ¡°My stomach hurts, so I didn¡¯t follow them out to patrol,¡± the person stood up and answered. He had a simr outfit and ornaments as the other guards on patrol, and he was indeed a guard who was stationed there, or at least he looked like him.

    ¡°Is it serious?¡± someone asked caringly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not serious. I just need to rest for a while.¡±

    Not far away, a few ming Horn warriorsughed, ¡°You stole something to eat, didn¡¯t you. Or is that just an excuse to bezy? Don¡¯t get caught by Elder Zheng Luo.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I know, I know!¡± the person standing by the wall waved at them. ¡°You guys should get back to patrolling too. Don¡¯t bezy.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling us to not bezy now?¡± Ha!¡± Those ming Horn warriorsughed as they left.

    After those few ming Horn warriors left, the person who was leaning against the wallughed and his face twitched. He started tough derisively.

    ming Horn guards? What a joke!

    He sneaked into the ming River Castle and hid in a dark corner. No one patrolling outside could spot him now since no one would pass by at this time.

    He took out a round wooden box and turned the lid. Inside, there was a brown-yellow worm as long as a fingernail.

    The man observed the worm as it wriggled against one corner of the round box. The worm stopped at one point and bumped its head against the side of the box.

    After seeing this, the man closed the lid and sneaked towards the direction the worm pointed to. In the middle of the night, he had to avoid the ming Horns, so he took careful steps towards that direction, until he found the entrance that led him to the secret underground room.

    There were people around, and that person waited for a while until they passed. His hands reached behind his back and gently shook, and a thin object simr to a cicada wing fell to his palms. It was simr to crushed ws of a beast.

    He was about to kill the two ming Horn soldiers who guarded there, but when he heard footsteps approach, he decided to wait a little longer.

    ¡°Hey, you two! The leader called for you,¡± the person who came to the aisle called out to the two soldiers at the entrance.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± The two soldiers were puzzled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The leader has something to tell you. It should be about that monster, so hurry ande back quickly.¡±

    The three soldiers left the scene. After the sound of footsteps slowly faded, the person finally came out of the shadows. With his experience, he easily found the location of the entrance.

    He carefully pulled open the stone b that was keeping the door shut. In his heart, he cursed the ming Horns for cing such a heavy stone b there.

    After sneaking into the underground room, there were no water moon stones and no light source at all. He didn¡¯t take out any incandescent gemstones and kept advancing into the room.

    After making sure that no one else was in the room, he took out a small bead and brought out the same wooden box with the worm inside to check which secret room it was.

    He finally walked up to a door and forcefully pulled the stone door open. Again, he cursed the ming Horns for using such heavy stones for their doors.

    The door opened, but there was no one in the room. He tried his best to sense every movement and sound in the room. There was no breath, no heartbeat, not even a pulse, but his target was here.

    Looking inside the room, he found a longrge wooden box on the ground. The lid of the box was covered and it was exactly as his employer had described.

    This must be it!

 Chapter 758 - Lock Him Inside And Beat Him Up!

    <h4>Chapter 758 Lock Him Inside And Beat Him Up!</h4>

    Although his night vision was not the best amongst all the members of his organization, it wasn¡¯t bad. He could see better in the light, but since no one was around, there was no need for him to strain his eyes. However, just to be alert, he took a closer look inside the wooden box to see whether this was really what his employer wanted him to find.

    The fluorescent round beads weren¡¯t as bright as the water moon stones. There was only a dim ray of light that illuminated objects in the short distance, and the light would appear different from different angles. Now, the brightest part of the light was aimed onto therge wooden box.

    After opening the lid of the wooden box, he looked inside and frowned.

    This was not the same thing his employer told him about. His employer had mentioned that the ming Horns stole a puppet-like monster simr to those in the desert. He had seen those puppets before, so of course he knew what his target should look like. However, this figure seemed not much different from normal humans. He looked strange and not at all simr to those puppets in the desert. It was as if the ming Horns had put one of their dead bodies here.

    Not this one? Did he make a mistake?

    How could this be?

    Doubtful, he opened his round wooden case and looked at the direction the worm was pointing. Still, the worm pointed to this direction.

    Could it be that there was another secret room in this same direction?

    He lowered his head and thought for a while. Suddenly, he sensed a cold murderous energy and chills went down his spine. Goosebumps appeared all across his body.

    In his previous missions, whenever he had such a feeling, he knew that the first thing he needed to do was run!

    He quickly put away the small wooden box and was about to look away. Suddenly, he noticed that the person within the wooden box that he had been regarding as dead opened his eyes. That man looked at him with bloodshot eyes and his expressionless face began to twitch.

    Not good!

    Seeing this, the first thing he thought about was that there was a ming Horn lying here pretending to be a corpse, waiting to ambush him. In his mind he cursed the ming Horns again. How cunning!

    He was ready to leave, but the person in the box grabbed his hands with a strong grip. His grip felt no different from the sharp ws of a fierce beast.

    Instantly, he shook his arm and tried to break free from the grip.

    Click, click, click¡ª¡ª

    The sound of bones cracking. There was no doubt about it. His arm had been twisted and his bones were dislocated.

    Gan Qie did not cause this though. It was this person¡¯s transformation. His arm became thinner and more flexible as he slipped out of Gan Qie¡¯s grip like a slippery loach.

    Even though he broke free from the person¡¯s grip and his arm instantly grew back into its original shape, he had to pay a huge price. Immense pain shot up his arms and the impulses arrived at his brain. It was as if his nerves were being uprooted. He gasped at the pain. He didn¡¯t dare to shout because he didn¡¯t want to attract more ming Horn warriors to the scene.

    There was no time for him to wonder how this man was able to fool him by pretending to be dead. He did not have the time to consider how the ming Horns knew about this or reckon if this was another secret the ming Horns had been hiding. The only thing on his mind now was to escape! ns could be made after.

    Gan Qie was already sitting upright and seemed like he was ready to chase after the person. As soon as Gan Qie stood up, the person bent at his waist and swept his legs and tried to get Gan Qie on the ground. If Gan Qie fell, he could buy more time for his escape.

    However, Gan Qie lifted his arms and blocked the person¡¯s attack without much effort.

    Bang!

    Their arm and leg collided. The impact caused Gan Qie to move slightly, but a sharp pain shot up the other person¡¯s shin. It did not feel like he kicked an arm. Instead, it felt like metal! Hard metal!

    The intruder felt worse now. He was definitely not weak since he made it all the way here. The opponents he faced before were easily swept off bnce by his kick. He even managed to cause fractures in his opponents legs with his kick, but now, not only did this person not fall, his own legs almost fractured from the impact.

    Unbelievable!

    Escape!

    Facing such a strong opponent, he no longer wished to fight. It would be very stupid if he stayed after knowing how strong his opponent was.

    He rushed towards the stone door of the secret room like a gust of wind. In the blink of an eye, he arrived at the door, but just as he was about to escape, the two stone doors that were wide open were drawn shut tightly with a bang!

    The intruder was running too fast and couldn¡¯t stop in time. He ran into the stone door and mmed into it so hard that dust fell from the ceiling.

    Damn you ming Horns!

    If he still didn¡¯t know who the mastermind behind this setup was, he would be very stupid indeed.

    Before he saw the person lying inside the wooden box, he already suspected that the ming Horns had been preparing for this. Now he was fully convinced!

    He pulled on the dent of the stone door, but it couldn¡¯t be moved.

    He yelled and shrieked, but he could already hear the footsteps approaching behind him. He didn¡¯t care about the door anymore. Turning around, he bent his arms andnded strong repetitive punches on the person behind him.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

    It was as if he hit a hard rock instead of a human body.

    Gan Qie looked at the person in front of him nkly as if he felt nothing. The punches only managed to move him two steps back, but after that his feet were nted firmly in the ground. He lifted his leg and kicked directly towards this person.

    The strength of this kick was a lot stronger than the kick the personnded on his arm before. The powerful force struck the person¡¯s abdomen, and he was sent flying to the stone doors. Hended heavily, and there was a crisp sound of bones breaking when the foot kicked him.

    The personnded hard on the door and fell to the ground. He curled up on the ground as wailed in pain.

    Outside, Shao Xuan stood by and pressed his arms against the stone door, preventing the person inside from opening it. He was the one who shut the door a while ago.

    Duo Kang and Zheng Luo rushed over when they heard the bangs inside the room and patted off the dust that fell on them.

    ¡°Is that Han man really okay? Because I think this intruder is most likely a robber,¡± Zheng Luo was a little worried about Gan Qie. He had just been resurrected. What if the robber killed Gan Qie and escaped?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If they¡¯re stuck inside, Gan Qie has an advantage over him.¡± Most robbers were characterised by their fast speed and keenness, but if they¡¯re trapped in a small space, they couldn¡¯t use their escaping skills. It was a battle of stamina. If he couldn¡¯t stay standing at the end, he had to suffer a beating.

    ¡°Besides, Gan Qie probably needs someone to vent his anger on,¡± Shao Xuan added.

    No one knew how many years he stayed unconscious like a corpse. He finally managed to wake up with the help of an external force and realised that everything he knew back then before he died was all wrong. Even if he wanted to rescue his people, it might already be toote. His tribe was gone, and he had be an inhuman and ghostly figure. All of his digestive organs had changed and there were many things he couldn¡¯t eat. The only food he had now was blood. Who could take it if they suddenly became like this? He was a normal human before, but now, nothing about him was normal. He had nowhere to vent his anger and release his stress. Perhaps this robber could help him vent out all this anger.

    Zheng Luo and Duo Kang also thought it was a good idea. After all, this was a robber anyways. Seeing any robber suffer would bring delight to their hearts, so why not?

    After understanding the situation, Zheng Luo and Duo Kang no longer worried. They sat and waited outside. They leaned their ears on the door and listened to the movements inside to guess what was going on.

    Within the secret room,

    Gan Qie walked toward the person with gentle steps. He walked with a constant pace towards the intruder.

    Tap. Tap. Tap.

    Every step brought terror to the intruder¡¯s heart. He felt as if the temperature in the room suddenly dropped and it was getting unusually cold. This was because the person who was walking up to him was not panting at all! His heart was not beating and... he was not breathing!

    If this was a normal person, even if he pretended to be a corpse before, there was no way for this robber to not have noticed. In his previous fights, he could notice the pants and changes in his opponent¡¯s heart rate and blood flow. He was already very familiar with these signs and would often use these to judge his opponent¡¯s emotions. After all, a person¡¯s expression can be misleading and their actions can be tricky, but these signs in their body wouldn¡¯t lie.

    However, he could not find any of these signs at all!

    This person was really like a corpse!

    If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that his appearance was too different from the other puppets, the intruder would have thought this was his target.

    No, perhaps......

    The intruder was shocked when he thought about this. This might really be it.

    By this time, Gan Qie had slowly walked up to the crouched person. The man who was curled up on the ground struggled and tried to crawl away from between the stone door and Gan Qie. Suddenly, his ankles jerked wildly and his body spun upwards. His hands were initially holding onto his abdomen, but now, they were extended outwards as dozens of sharp polished shuttle-shaped des flew out in different trajectories towards his opponent. The air was split by these sharp des as they whistled through the air and made their way across to their target. The sharp weaponsnded with a thud on all parts of Gan Qie¡¯s body.

    Suddenly, Gan Qie¡¯s entire body was covered with these sharp weapons. Itnded on his chest, back, shoulders, legs, and even his head and neck.

    After throwing out these des, the intruder¡¯s heart sank.

    It didn¡¯t sound right!

    These weapons could pierce through animal skin and wooden boards, but now, it seemed as if theynded on solid rock. They could not cut any deeper and only a small part of the des managed to pierce through.

    That was fine, but even if they couldn¡¯t pierce in deeply, they surely caused some damage. However, it seemed like this person was unaware of all these injuries. His face was expressionless and he didn¡¯t even blink or wince.

    Also, blood would always flow out from his opponent¡¯s wounds. He didn¡¯t smell any blood this time. It was like this person had no blood inside his body.

    How was this possible?!

    The intruder was caught off guard. At this moment, Gan Qie was as vigorous and swift as a monkey in the forest. His slow pace was reced with a quick speed as he chased after the person who was trying to escape.

    The intruder indeed had an advantage in speed, but since he was already injured now, hecked the energy to move. After he held on for a while, his movements became slower and he could not manage dodging all the attacks anymore. Now, an arm that was much thinner than the ming Horn¡¯s arms smashed down on his back.

    The punch was so strong that it threw the person forward. His body mmed into the wall with a bang. His nose was broken and two of his teeth were knocked out. His mouth was now full of blood.

    Duo Kang listened to the sound of the crashes on the wall as he shook his head, ¡°Why are the robbers so bold? They never seem to learn their lesson.¡±

    Didn¡¯t Robber Eleven, Twelve, Six, and Seven suffer in the hands of the ming Horns? Howe they were still bold enough toe again?

    ¡°What if this is not a robber?¡± Duo Kang asked.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s most likely a robber,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    ¡°No matter who it is, we¡¯ll find outter,¡± Shao Xuan said as he listened to the movements inside the room. This fight wouldn¡¯tst long, and they would find out the answer very soon.

    ¡°What if Gan Qie killed him?¡± Duo Kang asked.

    ¡°He probably won¡¯t, because he¡¯s the one who wants to know the truth the most,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    In the secret room, the person who was getting beaten felt an immense pain in his body. He was shocked. He couldn¡¯t believe that this was real, but he was indeed the one getting beaten.

    His opponent had no heartbeat and no breath. He seemed to have no need for panting or resting at all. In this respect he was very simr to those puppets in the desert.

    Could this be a puppet the ming Horns controlled?

    He knew about the puppets in the desert. If you want to stop them from moving, you have to break their bones bit by bit. This monster was probably no different, but his bones were too hard and it would be too difficult to break.

    He knew he was no match for such a powerful puppet. If he continued to fight, he would only end up dead. He had to leave, but the stone door was shut so tightly that he couldn¡¯t open it. He couldn¡¯t fight his opponent inside the room, so the only thing he could do now was to dodge his attacks. This was the best way to buy some time for himself to think of other methods to escape. Or could he negotiate with the ming Horns?

    He was desperately thinking of an escape n, but a hand pressed down on his head and forced him down to the ground. He could not move anymore.

    He knelt on the ground on both knees, and his bones banged against the ground. Bang!

    The intruder screamed in pain. His fingers gripped tightly on a crescent-moon shaped weapon and shed at the w-like hands that were tightly gripping his head and holding him down.

    Poof Poof Poof!

    When the weaponnded on Gan Qie¡¯s arm, the sound was a little strange. It didn¡¯t sound like itnded on a normal person¡¯s arm. It didn¡¯t feel right either!

    When the intruder shed at Gan Qie¡¯s arm, he even deliberately aimed for a few important blood vessels on his arm, but just like before, there were no sounds of blood spilling out. He couldn¡¯t even smell any blood in the air!

    When his de cut through his opponent¡¯s skin and bones, he noticed that there was a hard metallic substance that was blocking his de. He could not cut any deeper.

    The more he thought about it, the colder he felt. The arms that were gripping tightly around his head had not moved one inch!

    In the dark, he could discern the silhouette of a person pressing down on his head, and he also noticed that this person¡¯s eyes were different from ordinary people. These eyes had an emotionless cold stare and those hands that were on his head felt cold and deprived of body heat!

    The shivers creeped down his skull and reached every bone in his body, and he trembled with fear upon this realisation. He couldn¡¯t handle it anymore, especially when the strength of the grip on those hands began to tighten on his skull. He was afraid that if he were a step toote, his brain would suffer an irreversible damage.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kill me! I didn¡¯t want toe here! Someone sent me here! It¡¯s Su Le! The second young master of the Fallen Leaves City!¡± In the face of death, he tried to bear the pain caused by the tight grip that was distorting his face and made sure to shout loudly so that other ming Horns outside the secret room could hear him too. He was trying to fight the pain and exhausted all his energy to yell out loud.

    Now, he no longer cared about the benefits Su Le promised him. Although he was still a little regretful that he could no longer enjoy those benefits, he had no other choice. He couldn¡¯t wait to kill all the ming Horns who had arranged for this to happen, but now, he was the loser, and he had to admit this fact. At a time like this, he had to betray Su Le to save his own life.

    After he yelled, he felt the power of the grip rx. He thought, ¡®Sure enough, it was the right choice to betray others to save my own life.¡¯ Perhaps he should give more details so that he could negotiate with the ming Horns and save his own life. As for Su Le and the ming Horns, who cares?! Just let them fight each other to death! Even better, let them battle each other so that both parties suffer major losses!

    That man lowered his head slightly and gasped for breath. An immense pain shot through his body with each breath. His eyes shed in anger as he hoped for movements at the stone door.

    In the next moment, the person who had just sighed a breath of relief suddenly froze again.

    Someone spoke indeed, but this voice did note from the door. Instead, it came from above him.

    ¡°Who are you? And who is Su Le?¡±

    The voice was a little weird, and his pronunciation was also weird, but the robber still managed to understand the other party¡¯s words. He raised his head in astonishment, but the hand pressed down on him so he could only lift it a tiny bit. His eyes squinted upward and the other person looked him in the eyes.

    ¡°Wh...what?¡± The intruder managed to squeeze out a few words from his mouth.

    ¡°Who are you? And Su Le, who is this person?¡± Gan Qie thought this person couldn¡¯t understand him, so he spoke a little slower this time.

    Gan Qie didn¡¯t know that the person actually understood him. The intruder understood what was said. He was just so shocked that he couldn¡¯t believe it.

    Wasn¡¯t this just another kind of puppet the ming Horns controlled? Wasn¡¯t he already dead? Could it be that this is not a corpse?!

    No, that can¡¯t be!

    Dead puppets shouldn¡¯t be able to speak at all! What was this creature? Could he be a helper the ming Horns hired to help them?

    Seeing how this person did not speak, Gan Qie pressed his fingers down even harder on the other person¡¯s head.

    Feeling the pain in his head, the person finally reacted. Now was not the time to be stunned or shocked. Those doubts could be solvedter!

    ¡°Alright, alright! Don¡¯t kill me! I¡¯ll tell you everything!¡±

    Feeling those fingers loosening on his skull, the man¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled as he swallowed the blood in his mouth. He tried to calm himself down and did his best to analyse the current situation. Perhaps he could think of someone who could take the me for him.

    ¡°Su Le was the person who hired me. He told me that he lost a very important item and it was stolen by the ming Horns, so he asked me to help him find it. It¡¯s true! He even gave me an insect box to help identify the thing that was stolen.¡± As he said this, he took out the insect box he carried with him.

    Although the insect box was made of wood, the wood was very strong. Even when the man was beaten, the insect box was only slightly damaged. There were small dents on it, but nothing much changed on the inside.

    Gan Qie looked inside the open insect box. The worm squirmed in his direction, and its head was hitting on the wall of the box.

    Clearly, Gan Qie noticed it too. His expression changed as he turned the wooden box in another direction. As he did so, the worm began to squirm towards him again. The worm did not change its direction and continued to squirm in his direction even after he turned the box a few times.

    The man shook the wooden box with both his hands.

    This worm had proven his identity!

    This was the ¡°thing¡± Su Le had lost! This was his target for this trip!

    After he understood this, the intruder was even more regretful and hateful.

    Damn you Su Le! You lied to me!

    Didn¡¯t you say that the ming Horns stole a puppet that was simr to those in the desert? Didn¡¯t you say that this thing was a dead ancient corpse that could not be resurrected?!

    Then who was this person who was beating him so cruelly and almost crushed his skull?

    How was this person at all simr to those dried corpses in the desert?!

    Oh, this monster can even speak! Besides the fact that he has no pulse or heartbeat and no breath, how is this person simr to an ancient corpse?!

    And I even thought this was a fake corpse?!

    I refuse to believe it!

 Chapter 759 - Strange Person (2 in 1 Chapter)

    <h4>Chapter 759 Strange Person (2 in 1 Chapter)</h4>

    I was tricked!

    This was the only thing in his mind right now. He was furious at Su Le.

    If Su Le had told him the truth, he definitely would not have promised to take on this task. Although he desperately wanted to improve his own ranking, he was not ready to put his own life at risk.

    However, the murderous energy in Gan Qie¡¯s body increased when he heard Su Le¡¯s name.

    Before this, Shao Xuan had already told him that if he really wanted to know if there was really a Rock Hill City and if they really took the Han tribe¡¯s corpses to make puppets, he only had to wait a few more days.

    Shao Xuan knew that Su Le wouldn¡¯t sit aside and do nothing. If they really valued the Han people¡¯s bodies that much, they would definitely find a way to take them back.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know if the other Han tribesmen¡¯s bodies were like Gan Qie¡¯s, but he knew that if Gan Qie was made into a puppet, he would definitely be a very strong one. Su Le would definitely find a way to get him back.

    If no one came even after a few days, it would only prove that Gan Qie wasn¡¯t that important to Su Le. Then, Shao Xuan would let Gan Qie go to the desert and find out the truth for himself. Now, it was clear that Gan Qie was indeed very important to Su Le.

    ¡°Why did Su Le tell you toe here?¡± Gan Qie asked. He wanted to know why he was so important to Su Le.

    The intruder wanted to stay alive, so he didn¡¯t beat around the bush. He immediately told Gan Qie everything he knew about Su Le and tried to direct all of his hatred in that direction. Luckily he asked a lot of questions before he took on this task.

    ¡°Su Le said that this thing was very important to him because a very important person in Rock Hill City gave it to him as a gift. He has to pass it to another person very soon, so he must find it in time, or else he will be punished.¡±

    The intruder spoke very loudly. No matter how soundproof the room was, Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo heard what he said very clearly. Plus, Shao Xuan had already pulled the door open slightly so he could hear through the gap.

    After listening to this, Shao Xuan thought about the person from the Yi family. That person contributed significantly to the establishment of Rock Hill City. Some people even suspected that he foresaw the disaster and chose to build the city in that location. This person was Yi Xiang of the Yi family.

    ording to some rumours, he was also involved in the case of the desert monsters. Even Yi Si thought so. It was very likely that the Han people¡¯s bodies were discovered by Yi Xiang. Tribesmen¡¯s tombs were not easy to find, so those who could find it were definitely not ordinary people.

    ¡°Are there others like me in their hands?¡± Gan Qie asked. This was what he cared about the most.

    ¡°Yes, yes!¡± The eyeballs of the person whose head was pressed on the ground moved. He was surprised when he discovered eagerness in this person¡¯s tone. After a quick thought, he decided to change his mind and continued, ¡°Yes, yes, but I heard them say that besides you, the others had be puppets......Ouch! Ouch! Don¡¯t kill me! I still have a lot to say!¡±

    Gan Qie was still a little pleased when he heard the first sentence, but when he heard that they all became puppets, he was furious. He pressed down so hard on his opponent¡¯s head and he almost lost control of his own strength.

    ¡°Is what you said really true?¡± Gan Qie asked.

    The intruder only caught the most important phrase in the sentence and replied hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s true! Everything I said is true! I swear! This is exactly why you are such a hurdle for them! Everyone else became puppets and you¡¯re the only one left. If any of them can turn you into a puppet, they can improve their status and be Su Le¡¯s left hand man. However, if they can¡¯t turn you into a puppet in time, they can only pass your body to the next ve master.¡±

    That meant that besides Gan Qie, everyone else in the Han tribe had been turned into puppets. Gan Qie was merely a tough question other ve masters had to solve. Whoever could solve this question would be promoted.

    To them, Gan Qie was just a test subject. Every person who participated had limited time to solve this question, and only one person could sessfully solve it. No wonder Su Le and the others were frantic when Gan Qie was stolen. This was their test subject. If any others found out about this, especially those with higher ranks, would Su Le still be able to keep living in the desert?

    How could the ambitious second young master Su Lepete with the third young master Su Gu if he lost this important test subject?

    Gan Qie¡¯s energy was unstable, and Shao Xuan felt it too. When his emotions were disturbed, he almost crushed that person to death. He knocked on the stone door and pulled it open slightly.

    Gan Qie and the intruder both looked toward the stone door.

    Shao Xuan looked at the intruder and asked, ¡°Your Robber number?¡±

    A Robber number was an identification number the Robbers had amongst theirmunity. Shao Xuan heard this from other Robbers before.

    ¡°Robber Eleven,¡± the intruder replied immediately when he noticed that a ming Horn had finally appeared at the scene.

    Shao Xuan shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re not Robber Eleven. I¡¯ve seen him before.¡±

    ¡°The person you saw before was probably the previous Robber Eleven. I¡¯m the current Robber Eleven,¡± that person replied quickly.

    ¡°The rankings changed again?¡± Shao Xuan asked, ¡°Is Robber Seven still alive?¡±

    The current Robber Eleven was shocked. Did the ming Horns hold a grudge against the Robbers? In his heart, he cursed Robber Seven countless times for making such a stupid mistake.

    ¡°No, if you are talking about the Robber Seven from years ago, he didn¡¯t die. He¡¯s still Robber Seven right now, and back then when he failed on a mission with Robber Six, both of their rankings were reduced. You guys probably don¡¯t know that we have a rule. If we fail on a mission and blow on the whistle to request for others toe to our rescue, our ranking will be reduced even more, especially if we are ranked in the top ten. Robber Six and Seven¡¯s rankings were reduced back then, but some others with higher rankings died, so they returned to their initial ranks. Lucky them!¡±

    Robber Eleven did not tell them everything though. More than one person died in the top ten ranking. Robber Two and Robber Nine died, so people who were numbers Eleven and Twelve made it into top ten. He was Robber Thirteen, but since two Robbers died, he became Robber Eleven. He was just one step away from the top ten. He didn¡¯t dare to go to the other side of the sea and gang up with Robber Six because Robber Nine died there. He didn¡¯t want to die like the others, so he was just nning on waiting for others to take risks while he continued to work on the simple tasks to maintain his ranking.

    But it just so happened that Su Le came up to him this time, and Robber Eleven was tempted by the opportunity. It wasn¡¯t merely because of the benefits Su Le promised him. The ming Horns were famous and rich too. If he could steal some things from here, his results would be quite significant. He might even be able to squeeze past a few people in the top ten and move them down the ranks.

    The ming Horn tribe was a much stronger tribe. They had so many people after all. After he confirmed the location of the target with the insect box, he waited around the ming River Castle and observed for a few days before he finally took action. There weren¡¯t many guards here, and there were also many people from foreign tribes. He likeding to ces with a lot of different people because he could hide easily and just blend in with the crowd.

    However, Robber Eleven never thought that the ming Horns were already expecting him and even set up a trap for him!

    ¡°Robber Six and Seven? You said they blew a whistle?¡± Shao Xuan recalled a memory of when they were searching for the green-faced fanged beast in the forest. Back then, the person who helped Robber Seven was Robber Six, and they were rescued by others after they blew a whistle.

    Seeing how Robber Eleven was still mumbling on about the case andining about Robber Six and Seven, Shao Xuan interrupted, ¡°Do you know what made Robber Six and Seven fail their mission?¡±

    Robber Eleven was getting carried away by his narration. He was stunned by the sudden question. He looked doubtfully at Shao Xuan. In his mind, he felt that something wasn¡¯t right.

    ¡°Back then Robber Six and Seven attempted to steal from the ming Horns and I was chasing after them. They had no choice but to blow on the whistle. If they didn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve killed them.¡± Shao Xuan pulled the door shut behind him.

    People despised the Robbers way more than the Chang Le¡¯s. Not only would they be proud after stealing from others, they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to do anything to get what they wanted. Back then when Shao Xuan entered the forest with other tribesmen, many others were also killed by those Robbers. Tonight, if he didn¡¯t make such perfect arrangements, perhaps a few ming Horns would¡¯ve already lost their lives. For example, those two guards who were guarding near the door to the secret room.

    Robber Eleven was stupefied by what Shao Xuan said.

    He wasn¡¯t ranked in the top ten, so naturally he didn¡¯t know much about what the others were up to, especially those with higher rankings. So that exined why he didn¡¯t know about Robber Six and Seven¡¯s case and how their rankings were lowered. If he knew about how those two were almost killed by the ming Horns back then, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have chosen toe.

    Damn you Su Le! How dare you trick me!

    Robber Eleven was thinking, if he could survive this and manage to get out, he would definitely kill Su Le and all those around him. Too bad Gan Qie wasn¡¯t nning on letting him go.

    Gan Qie already heard from Shao Xuan that the puppets in the desert were all dead creatures without consciousness. After hearing that everyone else in his tribe had been turned into puppets, that meant that he was the only one who could really be considered alive.

    But technically he wasn¡¯t able to keep the Han tribe alive. He was no longer a normal person, and if it wasn¡¯t for Shao Xuan¡¯s help, he already knew what would have happened. Regardless of why Shao Xuan woke him up, Shao Xuan was the person who resurrected him. This was the truth. He hated the Rain tribe, but this hate was nothingpared to the hate he had for those in Rock Hill City who transformed all his tribesmen into puppets. Those were his worst enemies!

    Blinded by mixed emotions and anger, he looked down on Robber Eleven. This person was sent by the people from Rock Hill City to bring him back. As he thought about this, anger welled up inside him. How despicable!

    This time, however, Shao Xuan did not intervene. The surging madness within his body was getting out of control. A brutal murderous energy shed across his bloodshot eyes. Blood was boiling in his veins, and his energy was so strong now that he could st apart the wall in front of him.

    This indignant and furious energy gushed out from his body and flooded the room.

    The air was whistling loudly. It felt like a hurricane was inside the secret room.

    Robber Eleven felt the most pressure. He was right in front of Gan Qie, and the energy that came from Gan Qie¡¯s body made his whole body tremble uncontrobly. He was so shocked that his mind went nk.

    This was not a sound normal humans could make with their throats. The whistling sound came from the hot breath in Gan Qie¡¯s nostrils. Combined with Gan Qie¡¯s loud roar, it sounded like the roar of a nocturnal beast in the woods.

    The whole secret room was shaking. Not just the secret room, the whole ming River Castle was shaking!

    The first wave passed and it was silent for a moment. Instantly, the second howl came, even louder than the first.

    Gan Qie was ready to kill. The murderous energy flushed out from his body and filled all the space in the room around him.

    The second roar was even louder and clearer than the first. As energy levels soared within Gan Qie¡¯s body, this energy was released as roars that shook the whole floor and ceiling. Everywhere around them, dust was falling, and it was drifting through the air like a dust storm.

    The sounds were carried from the ming River Castle to other ces nearby. The roars only sounded spookier and muffled due to the soundproof walls of the building, but those who heard it felt the chills go down their spines.

    Many woke from their sleep.

    Even some people on expedition trips became rmed when they heard the sound. They sat upright in fear on their beast hide cushions, and their hands gripped tightly on their weapons as they prepared to defend themselves.

    Nothing else was outside except for people who went out to see what had happened.

    ¡°What happened? Did a fearsome beaste?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear any rms from the ming Horns. Last time when a fearsome beast came they sounded an rm.¡±

    ¡°Did they forget about it? Or perhaps they didn¡¯t sound the rm on purpose?¡± People began to specte and guess, each trying their best to figure out what really happened.

    The birds nearby chirped loudly as they flew into the distance. They disregarded their sense of direction in the night and flew aimlessly.

    This disturbed these people even more.

    The roars continued and it was heard three times. Each was scarier than the previous, and some people spected that the ming Horns had been secretly raising a fearsome beast to guard the ming River Castle. No one knew what this creature was. Did someone sneak into the ming River Castle?

    Some people even thought about sneaking into the ming River Castle before, but they ceased to have such thoughts upon hearing these roars. However, some others became even more curious when they heard this. The Chang Le¡¯s were such people.

    They left the ming River Castle not long ago to explore the ces nearby, and observed different tribal traditions and cultures. They even went to watch some tribes merge their fire seeds. To them, these tribes were too poor, so they didn¡¯t even think about making a move on them. At the end, they returned to the ming River Trading Point. It had only been a few days since they returned, and initially they nned on leaving soon, but the roars that night made them reconsider about staying.

    ¡°I really want to go in there and find out what¡¯s going on,¡± Wu He said.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of getting caught by the ming Horns again?¡± the person beside Wu He did not agree. He did not want to suffer the same fate as before.

    Amongst this group, some agreed while others objected. At the end, Wu He went to find Yi Si to inquire about this incident. He had been treated unfairly before. This time, he wanted to hear what Yi Si felt about this issue.

    Yi Si had been woken from his sleep by the three loud roars from the ming River Castle. The roars had ceased, and he had just fallen asleep before Wu He¡¯s shouts woke him up again. He was yawning when he walked out, and when he heard what Wu He said, he stopped in the middle of his yawn and scowled, ¡°If you want to die, go ahead! Don¡¯t tell them you know me. I don¡¯t want to be involved in this!¡±

    Wu He was anxious when he heard this, ¡°What? You mean if we go, we won¡¯t return alive?¡±

    ¡°With your strength now, you definitely won¡¯t return alive,¡± Yi Si said affirmatively.

    Seeing the unbelievable expression on Wu He¡¯s face, Yi Si pointed at Grasshopper, whose spikes were still erect on his back. ¡°See?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s that scared? Is that thing in the ming River Castle a beast or human?¡± Wu He was still curious. This was just the Chang Le¡¯s nature. They were just naturally curious and nothing could be done about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care, but I just know that if you go in there, you will die a very miserable death, so if you still want to go, go ahead,¡± Yi Si didn¡¯t want to bother talking with them. He ordered Grasshopper to drive them away. He muttered to himself as he looked in the Castle¡¯s direction, ¡°These ming Horns are making us more confused each day. What exactly are they nning?¡±

    After the noise had subsided, Zheng Luo called for the main guards and severely reprimanded them. It was only now that these guards knew someone had sneaked into the ming River Castle.

    Before this incident, he didn¡¯t tell many people what was going to happen because this would allow them to sessfully lure the Robber into the trap they had set for him. After this Robber was caught, some of these people were growing haughty due to their new sess in catching a Robber, so he wanted to use this chance to let them understand how serious this case was.

    Many ming Horns nowadays seemed more like mobsters than warriors who belonged to a powerful ancient tribe. Their ancestors were proud people, but they never behaved like the present generation. Their mindset wasn¡¯t right, but they could still be corrected now. All they needed was some more time. They should not rx or let their guard down. If he didn¡¯t scold them, they would just loosen up and be even more careless.

    Underground, poisonous gas and weapons filled the entire secret room. Robber Eleven tried to fight back with all his might, but at the end, he failed to escape from Gan Qie¡¯s hands.

    When Shao Xuan went into the room the next day, Gan Qie was still standing there nkly. There was still blood on his hands and his eyes stared nkly into the distance. It was as if his whole body was frozen. Shao Xuan was not at all surprised. This was not the first time he had seen him like this. He looked down at Robber Eleven¡¯s corpse. It was still in one piece.

    Last night, Gan Qie¡¯s emotions were turbulent, but they were not as intense as Shao Xuan had expected. How strange.

    If anyone knew what Shao Xuan was thinking, they would definitely object. This person roared like a fearsome beast the previous night, and even people outside the castle could hear it, and people from the trading point were all woken up by the roars. And this was not intense?

    But if anyone experienced what Gan Qie experienced, they would have reacted even more wildly than he did. Shao Xuan did not stop him yesterday because his emotions were a little unusual.

    Inside the secret room, the person who stood silent with a nk expression looked rather serene. He waspletely different from the person who roared wildlyst night. He was shockingly calm.

    ¡°How strange,¡± Gan Qie remarked.

    ¡°What¡¯s strange?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel much anger or sadness.¡±

    Gan Qie¡¯s speech was not clear, but Shao Xuan caught the main words in his sentence. Gan Qie could feel that his emotions were not as intense as it should¡¯ve been. He was angry and sad, but these emotions weren¡¯t strong. This was not normal. His roar was fierce, but it starkly contrasted with the expected hysteria. He calmed down way too quickly.

    Shao Xuan thought Gan Qie was a cold-hearted person to begin with, but he actually wasn¡¯t.

    Shao Xuan did not respond. He knew that Gan Qie wasn¡¯t stupid. After he woke up, his thinking and rationale returned to normal. He was after all an elite member chosen by the Han shaman. Shamans only picked those who were strong and intelligent. At least most shamans would look for the most elite members.

    Gan Qie probably knew enough about his own condition already, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t need to tell him much.

    ¡°You stayed awake the entire night?¡± Shao Xuan asked. His eyes remained open as he stared nkly for an entire night. Did he sleep standing up? Was he really a zombie?

    ¡°Sleep? No, I don¡¯t need to sleep anymore,¡± Gan Qie enunciated every word. Then he continued in a much slower tone, ¡°I¡¯ve had enough sleep.¡±

    Actually he didn¡¯t have enough sleep. Gan Qie really didn¡¯t have to rest like normal people anymore. Sleep was just a cyclical means of regting homeostasis. He had no need for this. His body was no longer normal, so it didn¡¯t need such regtions. Back then, when he squeezed Robber Eleven to death, he did not need to breathe at all, and he didn¡¯t feel tired either, because it was nowhere close to his exhaustion limit.

    ¡°What are your ns now? Do you n on going to the desert?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°No,¡± Gan Qie said. ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡±

    Judging by what Robber Eleven had said, Gan Qie knew that he was no match for the rulers of the desert. If those people could turn all his people into puppets, they were most likely strong people.

    If he was a normal Han person, perhaps he would have rushed to the desert under anger. Gan Qie was not normal though. He calmly analysed the pros and cons and made the best choice.

    There was also another reason behind this decision. Hecked an understanding of the current world. Too many years had passed and it seemed like too much had changed. He needed some time to adapt.

    No one could remember a tribe called Han. If he hadn¡¯t woken up, perhaps their totemic sign would have disappeared.

    ¡°I want to stay here,¡± Gan Qie said.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t tell him too many rules. With Gan Qie¡¯s current rationality, he probably knew what he had to do if he wanted to stay here.

    ¡°Where do you want to live?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Just here.¡±

    Gan Qie looked around this secret room and his eyes stopped at therge coffin-like wooden case that had cracked. He pointed in that direction and asked, ¡°Do you have more of those?¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll tell them to make a new one for you.¡±

    ¡°Use dry wood.¡±

    ¡°You want to use dried wood? Sure, we have lots of dried wood used to make ships. They¡¯re sturdy enough.¡±

    ¡°I want to take a look outside,¡± Gan Qie was still using the least number of words to express his meaning.

    Shao Xuan looked at the weapons stabbed into Gan Qie¡¯s skin, ¡°You don¡¯t want to remove them first?¡±

    ¡°No need.¡± He wanted to go out now.

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll bring you out.¡±

    Shao Xuan led Gan Qie out the secret room and walked up the underground passage.

    Even though everyone in the castle had been told of such a monster¡¯s existence, they were still quite shocked when they first saw him. The green skin didn¡¯t bother them as much. Sharp des were pierced into his skin and flesh were turned inside out on some parts of his body. Some of his injuries were so deep that his bones became visible. If this was an ordinary person, he would have died long ago. However, this person did not spill a drop of blood and he was walking with a stern face behind Shao Xuan as if these injuries and weapons did not exist at all.

    Shao Xuan did not bring him outside. He only brought him to the ming River Tower.

    ¡°If we head up we will arrive at the rooftop of the ming River Tower, but I think it¡¯s better if we stay here,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Gan Qie could see the entire trading point as well as the mountains and forests from where he stood.

    Everything had changed. These houses, the people and the way they dressed, everything was a little different from what he remembered. This was like a new world.

    It seemed like a long time had passed since he was alive.

    The sun was high in the sky and its rays shone in from the windows.

    Gan Qie reached his hand out to feel the sun, but he pulled back instantly. It was a little scorching and much hotter than his body temperature. It felt like his skin was being burned.

    ¡°Sure enough, I don¡¯t like it,¡± Gan Qie muttered.

    Their tribe¡¯s totem even had a symbol representing the sun! How could he not like the sun?

    Perhaps it¡¯s because everything had changed, and maybe his preferences also changed too.

 Chapter 760 - The Di Mountain Tribesmen Are Here

    <h4>Chapter 760 The Di Mountain Tribesmen Are Here</h4>

    Gan Qie decided to temporarily settle in the ming River Castle, inside Shao Xuan¡¯s original secret underground chamber. Meanwhile, Shao Xuan arranged another secret room for his own use.

    Perhaps it was due to the changes in his body. Gan Qie no longer wanted to eat beast meat. Now, he preferred beast blood over meat. Thus, fresh beast blood would be collected daily at the ughterhouse and sent to the secret chamber.

    To some people, if they were unable to eat such delicacies, they would definitely feel that it was a pity, but to Gan Qie, these did not matter. He could work with whatever was most convenient and as long as it could keep him alive, anything else did not matter.

    Gan Qie did not like the sun and preferred the shadows or ces like the underground chamber. He only lied down inside the wooden coffin and he basically had no need for sleep. If he lied down, he would only silently contemte inside the coffin.

    Gan Qie woulde out every night to listen to the ming Horn soldier¡¯s conversations. Shao Xuan and Zheng Luo both agreed to let him listen to these soldier¡¯s chats. Sometimes they would talk about the maind and he would just listen to them talk. He was like an artifact and hisnguage could barely be understood by most. He didn¡¯t even know what pottery was.

    Perhaps he had been buried for too long and had slept for ages. He could notmunicate smoothly and sometimes had a strange ent. Listening to others speak might help him improve his speaking.

    On the other hand, the ming Horn soldiers had notpletely trusted Gan Qie. He belonged to another tribe after all and he was too dangerous. Most of them weren¡¯t in the best mental states at night, so they thought it was best for Gan Qie to be somewhere visible instead of the shadows. This would make them feel safer.

    The guards were initially nervous in front of Gan Qie because they all heard the roars from the other night. They never thought this roar came from another human, but gradually they got used to his presence. Gan Qie was actually quite amiable and rarely spoke. Even if he did speak, he would only say a few words. If the ming Horns ever needed any help, he would also go and lend them a hand. He even helped catch a few people who were trying to sneak into the castle at night. His senses were much keener than those guards after all.

    Shao Xuan already told Gan Qie about the Rain tribe and their current situation.

    They were the bitterest enemies and Gan Qie did not like them at all, but after he found out about their current situation, he thought about his shaman¡¯s regretful and scornful look and wondered, ¡®perhaps they wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this if they never went to war.¡¯

    Now, Gan Qie¡¯s hatred was mainly directed towards the desert and Rock Hill City. His emotions weren¡¯t as strong as before, and since the Rain tribe were on good terms with the ming Horn tribe, he wouldn¡¯t do anything to harm them since he was relying on the ming Horns.

    On the other hand,what Shao Xuan told him about the maind had a stronger impact on him.

    Some tribes would disappear after they merge their fire seed?

    And disbanded tribesmen could form new gangs?

    Gan Qie couldn¡¯t believe this. Itpletely contradicted everything he knew. As someone whose thoughts still belonged to an ancient time, Gan Qie was quite curious about this. He couldn¡¯t understand those who left their own tribes and decided to gang up with others who weren¡¯t from the same tribe. How would they feel?

    It was rare that something could distract him so much. Shao Xuan thought about it and asked him, ¡°If you¡¯re really interested in what¡¯s happening on the other side, we can go ask someone about it.¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Gan Qie was doubtful. He really had too much he wanted to learn about. This was a whole new world for him. All the different handicrafts from pottery to metal weapons, and even evolved forms of the fire seed! These changed everything he knew about the world.

    He had learned a lot from listening to the ming Horn warriors¡¯ conversations.

    There was actuallynd on the other side of the sea! These two continents had drifted closer due to a previous disaster, and people were travelling between the two continents.

    ¡°There are people in the trading point who came from the other side. I can introduce you to them.¡± Shao Xuan looked out and checked the sun. It was noon. The sun was shining brightly. Even though Gan Qie did not like to move around in the day, he knew that most people slept at night.

    Gan Qie no longer enjoyed walking under the sun, but if he could find out more about this, he could bear the heat for a while.

    He wrapped a cloak around him and hid under its cover. Following Shao Xuan, they left for the trading point.

    He wore a cloak and his whole body was covered so tightly that he caught the attention of many. At the trading point, he seemed very spooky, but the people here had seen even stranger figures. The only reason why he caught so much attention was because Shao Xuan was the one who brought him here. Everyone in the trading point knew who Shao Xuan was, so when they noticed that he brought a strange person in a mysterious outfit, they couldn¡¯t help but wonder who it was.

    Yi Si was busy with some paperwork where he lived. He had two ount books in his hand and those belonged to the ming Horns. One was a calction of the things foreign tribes brought over to trade in the past thirty days while the other was a summary of the rental payments. Some smaller tribes that lived nearby were wise enough to already have rented their own shops here, so every thirty days, they would have to pay rent.

    Beside Yi Si, the half-beast Grasshopper was sleeping soundly on a stone bench.

    Suddenly, Grasshopper tensed up and jumped to his feet. The spikes on his back erected as he nervously observed his surroundings. His eyes finally stopped and fixed in one direction.

    Yi Si set his papers down when he noticed Grasshopper¡¯s movements. He frowned. Something must¡¯ve happened again.

    Not too long after, Shao Xuan brought the mysterious hooded figure into his house.

    ¡°Are you busy?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Nope, these are quite simple tasks,¡± Yi Si studied the hooded person beside Shao Xuan. His eyes sparked with curiosity because Grasshopper was already on his guard. If it wasn¡¯t because Yi Si was still here, he would¡¯ve run away immediately. This was his first decision in the face of danger.

    ¡°This is...?¡± Yi Si inquired.

    Gan Qie lifted his hood and revealed his face. His green-skinned face and bloodshot eyes turned and looked at Yi Si. ¡°I¡¯m Gan Qie from the Han tribe.¡±

    Han tribe?

    Yi Si had never heard this name before. He studied a lot about many different tribes and even learned about some tribes that were so small and lived in remote ces. He would remember anything he heard immediately, but in his memory, he could not recall a Han tribe. Judging by Grasshopper¡¯s reaction, this person was no doubt very strong, so obviously his tribe would be too, but he had never heard of anyone talking about the Han tribe before.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since Gan Qie left his tribe. He wants to find out more about the situation on the other side, so I brought him here. You¡¯re more familiar with the things on that side,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Even though Zheng Luo and some ming Horns also came from the other side, they lived in very remote ces within the forest, so there were many things they didn¡¯t know about. Compared to what they knew, Yi Si¡¯s information was moreplete.

    Yi Si didn¡¯t find this to be a bother at all. He was curious about this person named Gan Qie. This person felt very strange and since he walked in, he hadn¡¯t even taken a single breath of air! If Gan Qie stood still and didn¡¯t move, he could¡¯ve been mistaken as a stone statue.

    Yi Si was ready to respond, but suddenly, a noise came from the windows.

    ¡°Yi Si, I¡¯m still not satisfied with your answer. You said that the ming River Castle...¡±

    Wu He was flipping in from the window, but after scanning the room, his face became pale as he froze, scared toe any closer.

    ¡°Sorry, I must¡¯ve entered the wrong room,¡± Wu He was ready to jump out, but Shao Xuan grabbed him by his shirt and he hung in the air, like a chick that had failed to escape its cage.

    The other Chang Le¡¯s behind Wu He noticed what had happened, and frantically darted away. They no longer cared about Wu He. They had to first ensure their own safety before looking for a chance to rescue him. If it were any other ming Horns, perhaps they would¡¯ve stood a chance and maybe they would rush to his rescue. However, the person who caught Wu He was Shao Xuan, and they panicked at the memory of therge me hand that Shao Xuan used to p them down from the sky.

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t steal anything this time,¡± Wu He hurriedly exined. He knew that he was no match for Shao Xuan and couldn¡¯t escape his grip, so he didn¡¯t struggle. He tried to seem as sincere as he could, ¡°I really didn¡¯t steal!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t ask you this. Why are you so guilty?¡± Shao Xuan dragged Wu He into the house.

    ¡°I¡¯m not...feeling guilty! Definitely not!¡± Wu He denied.

    ¡°Then what did you mean when you mentioned the Castle? Were you nning on sneaking in?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°No! Definitely not! I swear! It¡¯s true!¡± Wu He refused to admit it although he indeed had such ns. He had been thinking about this for the past few days after the incident. He was so curious that after discussing with hispanions, he decided to visit Yi Si again to ask for his opinion. Who would¡¯ve expected Shao Xuan to be here? But he would never admit to it. Shao Xuan¡¯s tone sounded calm, but who could guess his actions in the next moment? He could very possibly p him to death in this house.

    Hearing this response, Shao Xuan only muttered two words, ¡°Ha Ha.¡±

    Wu He was anxious when he heard this. Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were centered on him. Would he be locked in a cave again?

    ¡°You guys seem quite free these days,¡± Shao Xuan said slowly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not free. We were nning to leave today.¡±

    Wu He was about to promise to leave the trading point as soon as possible when Shao Xuan said, ¡°I¡¯m afraid you have to stay.¡±

    Wu He¡¯s heart skipped a beat. ¡°What... do you mean?¡±

    Shao Xuan patted him on his shoulder, ¡°I have a task for you.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s pat made him so nervous that he almost fell to his knees. He was so afraid that Shao Xuan might p him to death, but hearing these words, he was suddenly alert, ¡°What?¡±

    Shao Xuan pointed to the person beside him, ¡°Clear up his doubts.¡±

    Huh?

    Wu He turned his head and looked at the stone-like figure beside Shao Xuan. He was being defensive towards Shao Xuan and he didn¡¯t notice this person at all.

    Who¡¯s this bald guy?

    He seemed like someone who was hard tomunicate with. It was better to stay away from people like this.

    Wu He categorised Gan Qie as a person he must stay away from. The Chang Le¡¯s were quite observant when it came to these issues. However, judging by Shao Xuan¡¯s looks, if he refused to help, he might not be able to leave by today.

    ¡°...Sure. My dear friend, what would you like to ask about?¡± Wu He took a few steps back from where they were and asked with a careful tone.

    ¡°Tell him about the other side. For example, how some gangs came to be, or maybe you can talk about the Chang Le¡¯s too,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about the Chang Le¡¯s. Can I talk about others?¡±

    ¡°Sure. Gan Qie will ask you if he has any questions.¡±

    ¡°And I can leave after I tell him about these?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy then. Here, I¡¯ll tell you about...¡± Wu He¡¯s hands gesticted as he began to articte on some of their enemies (other gangs) on the other side. Everything he said was derisive and insulting.

    However, Gan Qie didn¡¯t care about these matters. He just wanted to know how these gangs were formed and how these people felt to be in the gangs.

    ¡°He¡¯s the best person to talk about this,¡± Yi Si chuckled, although he didn¡¯t at all find this funny. He asked Shao Xuan, ¡°You guys brought him back from the desert?¡±

    Yi Si had been curious about the events in the desert, but he had no means of attaining such information.

    Shao Xuan was also about to ask about Yi Xiang of the Yi family and what he did back then, but their conversations were interrupted by a sharp whistle that came from afar.

    It wasn¡¯t the sharp whistling sound of an rm. It was a sound that meant someone had arrived at the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°We can discuss more about this next time. I have to go take a look,¡± He turned to Gan Qie, ¡°You can stay here.¡±

    Gan Qie nodded.

    After Shao Xuan left, Wu He also couldn¡¯t stay put any more. He got to his feet and was ready to leave to check what was going on outside. Since Shao Xuan, his biggest threat, was not here, his boldness grew again.

    Too bad Gan Qie clutched his arm tightly and he was forcefully yanked back.

    ¡°Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Be gentle! If you have something to ask, we can discuss peacefully.¡± Wu He retreated back to where he was. He was just about toin when Gan Qie¡¯s bloodshot eyes caught his. Suddenly, he felt a chill down his spine.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan had arrived at the ming River Castle. Zheng Luo and Duo Kang were both on the rooftop, gazing afar through their binocrs.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see it clearly, but it seems like someone¡¯s here.¡± Zheng Luo looked up into the sky as a white sh flew down, fast as lightning.

    It was Gui He¡¯s snow falcon.

    There was a linen cloth carrying a message on his ws.

    Shao Xuan opened it and said to Zheng Luo, ¡°I have to go back to headquarters. Help me keep watch over Gan Qie while I¡¯m gone.¡±

    ¡°Alright, hurry,¡± Zheng Luo also saw the message on the cloth.

    The Di Mountain tribesmen are here.

 Chapter 761 - Thank You Gifts

    <h4>Chapter 761 Thank You Gifts</h4>

    The Drumming Tribe lived close to the river. Today, the crocodilesy t on their bellies as they enjoyed the warmth of the sun. Suddenly, as if they had sensed something, the crocodiles panicked and either hurried to the shore or dived deep into the river. Those that came up to the shore fixed their emotionless eyes on the river.

    The ming River was the widest river on this continent. Now, a long bamboo raft was floating down the river, and only two people were on it. All the extra space on the raft was used to put a variety ofrge shells. The people who lived in this area had never seen such shells. Nor had they ever seen such beautiful markings. Even the Drumming tribesmen, who frequently travelled by water, had never seen these before.

    ¡°Who are those people?¡± a Drumming woman who was washing herundry by the river asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. Maybe they came from downstream? They¡¯re heading for the ming Horn tribe,¡± another person responded as he patted the bewildered crocodile beside him. He gazed watchfully at the river.

    ¡°Those people are not normal.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s people in the river too!¡±

    The Drumming tribesmen could tell that there were many people underwater. They were all swimming beside the bamboo raft and the raft was closer to the other shore, so they couldn¡¯t see the Drumming tribesmen couldn¡¯t see them clearly.

    Very soon, they noticed the ming Horn guards approaching them. Suddenly, a few figures burst up from underwater. White waves sshed up and trailed behind them.

    ¡°Oh my ancestors!¡± a person shouted in terror, ¡°What was that?!¡±

    ¡°Was that... fish? No, it can¡¯t be! Those are humans!¡±

    The Drumming tribesmen inhaled deeply as they observed the situation on the other side of the river. They no longer cared to pat the frantic crocodiles. They rubbed their eyes and looked at each other.

    ¡°Did you guys see that just now? Those figures that burst up from the waters looked like fish, but when I looked again, they became humans and stood on the shore.¡±

    ¡°Me too! That¡¯s exactly what I saw!¡±

    The figures that shot up from underwater indeed seemed like fish, but they couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. They clearly saw fishtails, but when those people reached the shore, they became normal humans. This made them very perplexed.

    Meanwhile, on the other side of the river, the ming Horns were shocked at the sight of the Di Mountain tribesmen¡¯s transformations. They had seen the Di Mountain child who looked like a mermaid before, so they weren¡¯t as surprised as the others.

    Dian Dian did note over this time, but He Bian was still the leader of this team. There were also a few other familiar faces. The rest were all new faces.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, the Di Mountain tribesmen had already been invited up to the hill. They carriedrge shells into the houses.

    He Bian was talking with Gui He when Shao Xuan came, and as soon as he saw him, he immediately turned and greeted him with a grateful smile, ¡°Grand Elder Shao Xuan!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked surprised. He studied He Bian and the other Di Mountain tribesmen. Their energies were clearly different from thest time they came. They seemed more energetic and much stronger.

    During thest time He Bian brought a very sick Dian Dian over, He Bian and the rest were actually also sick too. Their conditions were just not obvious. Now, they were all cured. The reason for their illness was their fire seed being engulfed and this recovery meant that they seeded in defending their fire seed.

    ¡°Congrattions,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to you, Grand Elder,¡± He Bian replied. He also motioned for the other Di Mountain tribesmen toe express their thanks to Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes swept the scene and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Dian Dian?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s already the Di Mountain tribe¡¯s shamaness. The bloody battle had just ended, so there are still some matters for her to settle in the tribe.¡±

    He Bian told Shao Xuan a detailed narration of what happened since they went back. Gui He pursed his lips. When He Bian talked to him, he didn¡¯t even bother to mention these details, and he also appeared a little uninterested. But now, he was telling Shao Xuan everything! He even told him about the changes that had happened to their fire seed.

    Didn¡¯t he say that he mustn¡¯t borate on matters rted to the fire seed due to privacy issues? Was that all a joke?!

    But Gui He understood their background and why they thought this way. These people respected and valued the shamans much more than chiefs. In their eyes, Shao Xuan was no different from the shaman, and chiefs and whatnots were all lower in ranking. The Di Mountain tribe was after all a tribe that functioned under the authority of the shaman, and plus, Shao Xuan really helped them a lot in their case. They said they were delivering gifts for the ming Horn tribe, but more specifically, these gifts were meant for Shao Xuan.

    Regardless, the Di Mountain tribe¡¯s transformation was really shocking. After they received advice from Shao Xuan and understood how to merge their fire seed, they immediately went home and swallowed the part of the fire seed that belonged to the Di fish. Of course, there were moreplications in this matter, and it was much more brutal than it sounded. This challenged a belief that all Di Mountain tribesmen believed in and revolutionized their way of thinking. Of course it wasn¡¯t easy. Amidst their battle for life and death, many were probably influenced by the mood of the majority and went to war with mixed emotions. After the war had ended, some of these people began to have doubts again, so that was why Dian Dian was busy. As the shamaness, she had to stay with the tribesmen to calm them down and resolve their doubts.

    Shao Xuan observed the Di Mountain tribesmen around him as he listened to He Bian¡¯s narration of their brutal fight with the Di fish.

    Whenever He Bian mentioned Dian Dian¡¯s name, these people were all respectful at the sound of the name. Apparently the previous shaman could not withstand the battle and the matter about the fire seed was only solved after Dian Dian became the shamaness.

    ¡°Are your situations simr to Dian Dian¡¯s? Can each of you transform into half-fish mermen now?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°This is actually no different from summoning the totemic power. If we can activate our totemic power, we can transform into mermen. These two powers are linked,¡± He Bian exined.

    Shao Xuan understood what he meant because the Di Mountain tribe hadpletely swallowed the Di fish¡¯s fire seed. Now, the two fire seeds were one. When they activate their totemic power, it would summon the energies from both fire seeds at the same time.

    ¡°How was the merging process?¡± Shao Xuan inquired.

    ¡°Although it was very difficult, we seeded at the very end. We thought it wouldst for a long time, and Dian Dian had already prepared for a long battle, but she never thought it could be solved in such a short time,¡± as he said this, He Bian nced over at Shao Xuan. Back then, Dian Dian¡¯s transformation onlysted a night, and the swallowing process of the fire seed was very simr to the changes within Dian Dian¡¯s body. After the fire seed¡¯s problem had been solved, Dian Dian even mentioned that she was able to swallow the Di fish¡¯s fire seed so fast because Shao Xuan was there.

    As he recalled what Dian Dian said, He Bian¡¯s eyes prickled with an even greater respect.

    ¡°Actually, different people experience different transformations. The stronger you are, the more fishy you be,¡± as he said this, He Bian began to transform.

    After his transformation, his entire body was wrapped with a thickyer of fish scales. His arms bulged and web appeared between his fingers. Sharp ws appeared where his nails were, and his feet were now a tail. His whole figure suddenly became a lot wider and longer than his human form.

    He Bian was wearing a different outfitpared tost time. It was much simpler and his lower half was covered by a fish-skin skirt. The material of this skirt was different from the type they usedst time. The scales were so huge and some of them were dark-green in colour. This time, it seemed like all of the Di Mountain tribesmen were wearing this material.

    ¡°This fish skin is?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°The Di fish.¡±

    They even skinned these fish. This was enough to show how much they hated the Di fish.

    However, the Di fish¡¯s scales suited them better. It was more flexible andfortable to swim in.

    He Bian told Shao Xuan about the gifts they brought this time. He had said before that if they seeded in merging their fire seed, they would immediatelye upstream to visit again with thank you gifts.

    The Di Mountain tribe rarely used wooden boxes. They preferred using natural materials that were slightly processed, such as the giant shells used to store these gifts this time.

    There were ten giant shells in total. Three of them had pearls and precious jewelry, three carried all sorts of sea shells, and four other ones carried food.

    ¡°Salted fish?¡± Shao XUan looked at the dried fish inside the seashell. He picked one up to take a closer look.

    ¡°These are all small fish and we eat these often. These are some of the more delicious ones,¡± He Bian scratched his head, ¡°Initially we wanted to bring some bigger sea beasts, but the journey was too long and it was not as convenient. However, if you guys evere to the Di Mountain tribe, just let us know how much you can eat, and we¡¯ll catch them for you!¡±

    Ocean fish was good too. Most people here ate freshwater fish and not many had tried ocean fish.

    ¡°Oh right, there¡¯s something else I need to tell you,¡± He Bian said sternly. ¡°When we came over, some strange people approached us and wanted to rob us. We couldn¡¯t understand what they said, so we just killed them.¡±

    He Bian took out a golden tablet that had carvings on it. He couldn¡¯t recognize these words.

    Shao Xuan took the golden tablet and studied it. He Bian couldn¡¯t understand these words, but he did. These belonged to the other side of the sea.

    Looks like more people have arrived in the ming River region.

 Chapter 762 - Twenty Fish

    <h4>Chapter 762 Twenty Fish</h4>

    Last time when He Bian brought Dian Dian upstream to look for cures, they suffered some losses due tock of experience. This time, he was smarter and more prepared. On the way here, they remained vignt towards all the people and things they saw. If anything or anyone dared to approach them, regardless of who it was, they would kill without hesitation!

    Don¡¯t be fooled by He Bian and the other Di Mountain tribesmen¡¯s amiability and friendly smiles. People with keen senses could notice their murderous energy right away. It was not directed at the ming Horns, but this was an energy they couldn¡¯tpletely hide.

    Look again at theirrge wooden rafts that carried giant shells. There were many blood stains that hadn¡¯t been washed away by the river. Some of this blood was theirs, while others belonged to some people and beasts that came in their way. The Di Mountain tribe had just returned from a brutal war and they were at the peak of their fierceness. Whoever dared to approach them would be killed right away.

    He Bian told Shao Xuan about all the suspicious people he saw as they travelled upstream. He did not hide anything from Shao Xuan. After all, the Di Mountain tribe lived far away and rarely did anyone evere by. The ming Horn tribe was different. If these people indeed came from the other side, they would really be a huge threat for the ming Horns, so it was better to be alert.

    ¡°Oh! I almost forgot!¡± He Bian walked up to the three giant shells with smaller seashells in them and searched for his target. He opened up one of these shells and picked up a shell that was as slightly wider than a human arm.

    This shell looked like two hands sped together with their fingers intertwined. The cracks were sealed by something and water was seeping out.

    He Bian carried the shell out and gently knocked on the sides of the shell with a sharp hornstone. With slight effort, the shell was opened.

    Inside, there were a few fishes with their bellies facing up.

    Shao Xuan pointed at what seemed like small dead fish and looked toward He Bian. The look in his eyes showed his doubt.

    ¡°Dead fish?¡±

    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t dead. They had been fed with some medicine, so they look like they¡¯re dead,¡± He Bian said.

    They would go out and fish often, but sometimes when they caught too many, they couldn¡¯t kill all of them at once because some people didn¡¯t like eating dried fish. That was why the Di Mountain people found a medicine that could put the fishes to sleep so they could stay fresh in the water. Whenever they felt like eating the fish, they would take it out of the medicated water and put them back into normal water again so these fish would wake up and return to normal.

    He Bian ordered a few people to carry a bucket full of water from the river. He ced the twenty fishes into the new bucket. The liquid in the shell was medicated, so once these fishes were removed from the shell, they would wake up from their deep sleep.

    ¡°If they don¡¯t wake up after three days, then they probably won¡¯t wake up again, but judging by their looks, I¡¯m sure they will wake up in three days.¡± He Bian said.

    If these fishes were really poisoned to death by the medicated water, they wouldn¡¯t continue staying like this. The Di Mountain tribesmen frequently came into contact with fish, so they would know immediately whether a fish was normal or not.

    ¡°This is a gift from our shamaness. Last time when we came over, she noticed that you guys rear fishes too, so we caught some fresh fishes and oh! We brought some dried fish too! It¡¯s in that shell.¡± He Bian poured the twenty small fishes into the bucket and shook the bucket slightly to make sure there were no problems.

    ¡°What fish are these?¡± Shao Xuan studied them carefully. They were as long as a human palm and had fusiform bodies. Their head and sides were both greenish-ck in colour and they were darker than most fishes. He couldn¡¯t tell much by their physical features. The ming River probably had simr fish.

    ¡°They are armour fishes. When they get bigger, their scales will be as hard as an armour.

    Don¡¯t be fooled by their size now. Many fishes start out small. Some of them are smaller than my fingernail, but they can grow so big that... they¡¯ll be even bigger than your houses. The armour fishes are like that. Plus, they are the Di fish¡¯s biggest enemies. If they ever encounter any Di fish, they would fight them to death. We helped the Di fish fight them off before, and we used to catch their babies in the river and eat them. The adults usually go upstream toy their eggs and then return to the sea. These small fishes would hatch and grow bigger in the river, so I¡¯m sure they can survive here too.¡±

    He Bian told Shao Xuan all he knew about these fishes. Actually, they didn¡¯t know much about these fishes and their preferences. They had only battled them before because they were enemies with the Di fish. The Di Mountain tribesmen usually just observed them and didn¡¯t learn too much about them.

    ¡°What do they eat?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°They eat...¡±

    He Bian didn¡¯t know the answer. They knew that the ming Horns reared some fish and other beasts, but they had no experience in this. They would fish whenever they were hungry, so they never really felt a need for rearing animals.

    ¡°Um...umm...They¡¯ll live if you put them in water... I guess?¡±

    Judging by his looks, Shao Xuan knew he couldn¡¯t get the answer he wanted from He Bian.

    ¡°Well, they will find stuff to eat in the water, and when they grow up, you guys can eat them. They grow very fast,¡± He Bian thought about how smart Dian Dian was by gifting them with these small fishes. They didn¡¯t send anyrge sea beasts over, but these small fishes could grow asrge as giant sea beasts. The ming Horns also knew how to take care of animals. What a perfect n!

    Shao Xuan was speechless. He was dumbfounded by He Bian¡¯s confidence. If petting animals was that easy, it wouldn¡¯t be a technique valued by most tribesmen.

    He Bian and the other Di Mountain tribesmen followed Shao Xuan on a tour around the ming River Castle after delivering all of these gifts. The next day, the Di Mountain tribesmen returned home. They were worried that something might¡¯ve happened while they were gone, and since the battle had ended not too long ago, their hearts were still with their tribe. Although they were very curious about the ming River Castle, they preferred ces that were more quiet with fewer strangers.

    ¡°The Di fish did not disappear. After they lost their fire seed, many of them fled. Now, our tribesmen would kill any Di fish if they ever appear in our line of sight,¡± He Bian told Shao Xuan. Their return this time would mark a new beginning for their lives. They had no clue what was going to happen in the future.

    Under He Bian¡¯smand, more than fifty people dived into the river together. When they surfaced again, totemic stripes had already covered their faces. They waved at the Shao Xuan and the others on shore with their scaly bulged arms and left for their home.

    Underneath the river¡¯s surface, more than fifty underwater arrows shot forward, faster than the speed of ships. No wonder they didn¡¯t spend much time travelling upstream this time. The bamboo rafts were pulled by manpower. They felt that the wooden raft travelled too slow and since they no longer had to carry anything back on their rafts, they no longer had to pull the raft, so they travelled even faster than the time they came.

    Shao Xuan returned to the hill and brought the pearls and seashells to Gui Ze. As for the four giant shells filled with salted fish, Shao Xuan carried them to Gui He¡¯s ce and let him take charge of distributing the food. These were products from the sea and not many in their tribe had tried them. Regardless of whether they liked the taste, they could give these new delicacies a try.

    As for the armour fishes that He Bian carried over, Shao Xuan decided to dump them all into the new canal they recently dug around the trading point.

    The Giant Bridge extended all the way across the ming River and it blocked the path for many ships that were travelling downstream and upstream. Under Shao Xuan¡¯s rmendation, the ming Horns dug a circr canal that surrounded the ming River Castle. Sluices were ced on both sides of this canal so the ming Horns could monitor whatever came in and out. Piranhas and other dangerous creatures were not allowed in the canal.

    Now, there were no longer any river creatures in the canal that posed a threat to these small fishes. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know how to pet these armour fishes, so he did as He Bian proposed and dumped them into the water.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t dump them into the manmadeke because it was the green ducks¡¯ territory and he was worried that the fishes might be eaten by the green ducks before they grew bigger. Even if the green ducks didn¡¯t eat them, he was worried that they might be a threat for other fishes in theke. They were the Di fish¡¯s deadliest enemies after all, and surely this meant they were not simple to deal with.

    The twenty fishes woke up the day after the Di Mountain tribesmen left. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure if it was due to the medicinal water but they looked lethargic.

    Shao Xuan waited for another day. Seeing how they were swimming more energetically than the previous day, he carried the bucket and headed for the canal.

    The pterosaur flew beside Shao Xuan, but those withered lead birds didn¡¯t cross the bridge. They would only roam in the headquarters and they would be afraid if they went anywhere else. There were too many strange energies and creatures on the other side of the river. They only followed for a short while before they headed back to headquarters and chirped loudly on the branches.

    The pterosaur ignored their cries and followed Shao Xuan across the bridge.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare eat these fishes. If I find out that you ate a few of them, I¡¯ll feed you to Caesar,¡± Shao Xuan warned.

    He didn¡¯t know whether the pterosaur understood what he said, but the creature looked within the bucket and cawed loudly and continued to follow Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan ignored it and continued to head for the manmade canal.

    The soldiers who were guarding at the post on the bridge were also curious when they saw their Grand Elder carrying a bucket to the canal. They watched Shao Xuan as he approached the canal and dumped whatever was in the bucket into the canal.

    ¡°Grand Elder, what are you dumping into the water?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°Fish. Pay close attention and make sure no one fishes here,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Those warriors noddedpliantly. They would definitely keep watch and make sure no one fished in the river.

    The twenty armour fishes quickly disappeared after they were dumped into the canal. Their swimming speed in the canal was much fasterpared to when they were inside the bucket.

    The sluice might not be able to stop them from swimming out into the river. They could very possibly find some cracks and slip out into the river. They were still very small after all. However, Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t care too much about them. He wasn¡¯t concerned at all about whether these fish would grow bigger.

    He recalled leaving Wu He and Gan Qie at Yi Si¡¯s ce the previous day and returned to the trading point with the empty bucket in hand.

    After Shao Xuan left, the pterosaur finally stretched out its wings on a branch nearby and flew down andnded beside the canal. It observed the water for a while and then gave out a strange cry. This was clearly different from his usual cries. Usually, his cries were continuous and hisst cry would be longer than the others.

    After a while, it didn¡¯t capture the attention of anything in the canal, but the guards by the bridge came over when they heard the noise.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat the fish here! The Grand Elder will get mad if he finds out!¡± the warrior that came over waved the spear in his hand and tried to scare the pterosaur away.

    The pterosaur was on the other side of the canal when it noticed other peopleing over. It pped its wings and flew to a tree nearby and continued to caw loudly at the canal.

    A greenish-ck figure emerged from the river and swam across the surface before it dove under again.

    Seeing this, the pterosaur immediately lifted off and left the scene.

    The soldiers thought they had finally scared the pterosaur away, so they went back to their post at the bridge.

    Not long after, the pterosaur flew back, now with a fish in its mouth. It went to fish in the ming River.

    The soldiers watched as the pterosaur ripped the fish apart and threw the pieces into the river. Once in a while, it would give out the same sharp cries.

    ¡°What¡¯s it doing?¡± the warrior at the post asked hispanion.

    ¡°Feeding the fishes with fish?¡± the other person guessed.

    ¡°Should we stop it?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s not eating the fish in the river. We just have to tell the Grand Elder the next time hees by and let him decide what to do about this.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    As long as the pterosaur didn¡¯t eat the fishes in the canal, they wouldn¡¯t shoo it away.

    Meanwhile, in the canal, one of these fishes swam excitedly to the surface. Soon, a second, third, and more fishes came up. Suddenly, more than ten fishes were swimming excitedly in the canal as they fed on the torn pieces of fish.

    After the fish was torn to shreds and only the bones were left, the pterosaur threw the remains of the fish into the river too. It didn¡¯t care anymore and departed for the headquarters.

    There were too many strange energies nearby. It felt safer back at the headquarters.

    Inside the trading point.

    Shao Xuan had arrived at Yi Si¡¯s ce. Yi Si was writing something and didn¡¯t stop writing even when he noticed Shao Xuan. He only took a quick nce before returning to work.

    Grasshopper was still tense beside Yi Si. Although there were fewer spikes on his back now, they didn¡¯tpletely disappear. It was clear that he was still very nervous.

    Wu He and Gan Qie were still at the same ce. After Shao Xuan left the scene the day before, they didn¡¯t move or change ces at all. Wu He was standing the day before, but now, he was sitting on a wooden stool and mumbling without much strength in his tone. Gan Qie remained where he was and hadn¡¯t moved since yesterday.

    Wu He¡¯s eyes brightened as Shao Xuan walked in. He said to Shao Xuan, ¡°Hurry and take him with you. I need to leave soon, for real! I won¡¯te back to the ming Horn tribe ever again!¡±

    Yesterday, Shao Xuan told Wu He that he could leave as soon as he finished answering Gan Qie¡¯s questions, but he never expected this person to ask him so many questions one after the other. He didn¡¯t even let him leave after an entire night.

    This strange man did not even sleep!

    Wu He was fine with not sleeping for one night, but he didn¡¯t want to see this expressionless face anymore. He had to answer all of these questions, and if he didn¡¯t, this person would threaten him with his strength until he answered. His arms felt like they were about to break.

    ¡°How was the chat?¡± Shao Xuan asked Gan Qie.

    Gan Qie loosened his grip on Wu He¡¯s hands and shook his head gently. He was not satisfied with the answers. The answers were fine at first, but towards the end, all he heard was a series of lies and utter nonsense.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the ming River Castle. What are your ns?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Going back.¡± Gan Qie stood up and flipped the hood over his head. He followed Shao Xuan out the door. Before he left, he nced over at Grasshopper, and this shocked the half-beast so much that the spikes on his body shrunk and erthe spikes erected again.

    Gan Qie was actually just curious. Wu He already told him that Grasshopper was a ve and he was a mixed species with human and beast blood. How interesting, a half beast. ve master and ve... This was totally different from the rtionships thatmonly existed between tribesmen.

    Gan Qie already gained much information from Wu He. After returning to the ming River Castle, he immediately lied down in his coffin to contemte his life. Shao Xuan, on the other hand, went to look for Zheng Luo.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± Shao Xuan asked, seeing the perplexed look on Zheng Luo and Duo Kang¡¯s faces.

    Zheng Luo handed the beast hide scroll to Shao Xuan. ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see it.¡±

    Shao Xuan took a look at the beast hide scroll. The first thing he saw was the totemic sign. From this he knew immediately who sent the scroll.

    ¡°The Lu tribe?¡±

 Chapter 763 - Stupid! So Stupid!

    Chapter 763

    Stupid! So Stupid!

    The ming Horns hadn¡¯t stayed in contact with the Lu tribe for a long time. They lived too far from each other and it wasn¡¯t convenient for them to stay in contact, and there was really no need for it either. Secondly, the ming Horn tribe was already satisfied with the number of beasts they had in their animal pens. They no longer felt a need to trade beasts with the Lu tribe, and the Lu tribe never looked for them either.

    Shao Xuan knew since long ago that the Lu tribe avoided fights whenever they could and never wanted to be the bad guy. The major tribes in the central region kept the Lu tribe under their wing before and were probably nning on sacrificing them in a time of need to save their own lives. Back then after the disaster, the Lu tribe gave them plenty of food.

    Even though the Lu tribe rarely contacted them, Shao Xuan heard from the Longboat and Feather tribesmen that the Lu tribe resented the ming Horns. They evenined about them to these other tribesmen.

    Why?

    Because of their fire seed.

    The Lu tribe was probably the only middle sized tribe that refused to merge their fire seed. Their way of life was based on herding and they rarely had conflicts with other tribes. Back in the old days, they were the Wanshi tribe¡¯s target and endured all sorts of challenges. They never even fought back once. Simply put, they were pushovers and this was just the way they lived. They knew how best to survive and live a stable life.

    However, the ming Horns changed everything. They were the ones who introduced the concept of a merged fire seed to everyone, and since then, all the major tribes had merged their fire seeds. Even those in the central region merged their fire seed either willingly or under the threat of other tribes. So much had changed since then that even when the Lu tribe faced challenges, no one was willing to lend them a hand because of their primitive fire seed.

    The Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe were partners with the Longboat tribe. Recently the Longboat tribe had been going out to sea with some of their people and the rest of them would stay behind to help watch over the Longboat tribe¡¯s possessions, just in case people came to rob them while they were out at sea.

    The Longboat tribe had not finished migrating. In the future, they would definitely move closer to the sea since their hearts were out there already. They didn¡¯t want to be trapped ind and the ocean was their target.

    As for the Lu tribe? They never cared about these things and if the Longboats asked for their help, they would just provide the most minimal help and wouldn¡¯t bother too much.

    The Feather tribe were busy setting up new enclosures for their birds. They had recently gathered in new bird stock so they were very busy. Where they were, it was easy to guard and difficult for others to attack, so even if some foreigners wanted to trouble them, they would have a hard time because they weren¡¯t familiar with the geography there. Now, the Feather tribesmen only cared about their own territory and improving their facilities. They didn¡¯t want to care about anything else, so the help they could provide was very minimal.

    The Thousand Masks tribe were militarising and preparing to defend themselves from external threats. They heard that the ming Horns were building cities, so they were preparing to fend off people with bad intentions. They were also very busy and didn¡¯t have the time to care about the Lu tribe¡¯s critical situation.

    The tribes on the grassy ins would care even less for the Lu tribe. They never reallymunicated with them anyways.

    After some thought, the Lu tribe had no choice but to reach out to the ming Horns for help.

    ¡°The Lu tribe¡¯s situation is probably much worse than what¡¯s written here,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    The beast hide scroll only said that the Lu tribe¡¯s animals had been stolen by others, but just by the fact that they had to reach out to the ming Horns who lived so far away from them, the Lu tribe was for sure in a critical situation.

    ¡°It even says in the back that they are nning on migrating,¡± Zheng Luo emphasised this point to Shao Xuan.

    ording to what was written, the Lu tribe had not decided on migration. They just thought about it.

    ¡°They are such simple-minded people,¡± Duo Kang was disappointed.

    He was willing to let the Lu tribee over.

    The Lu tribesmen were skilled in herding after all. Perhaps they could help the ming Horns tame even more beasts. The ming Horns didn¡¯t mind having more beasts. Their only concern was that the Lu tribe still had their primitive fire seed, and there was no way he was going to let them bring that over.

    The ming Horns wouldn¡¯t want something like that near them.

    This was not their own fire seed after all. They had to keep a distance because its energy would greatly influence their totemic warriors. All the tribes around the ming Horns had already merged their fire seeds.

    The Rain tribe, Drumming tribe, Taihe tribe, who amongst them hadn¡¯t merged their fire seed? If the Lu tribe wished toe over and live under the ming Horn tribe¡¯s protection, the ming Horns were fine with it, on the premise that they got rid of their primitive fire seed. Or else if they came over with it, not only would it be repulsive for the ming Horns, it would also disturb other tribesmen in the area.

    ¡°Even now, they still refuse to merge their fire seed. I already heard some news that amongst all the major to middle-sized tribes, they are the only people left with a primitive fire seed,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    Shao Xuan had finished reading what was written on the beast hide scroll. ¡°Right now, the Lu tribe is no different from a free lunch for any robber. Luckily they still have their fire seed, or else all their beasts would¡¯ve been stolen and all of their people killed.¡±

    ¡°What are your ns?¡± Zheng Luo asked Shao Xuan. ¡°Regardless of whether they migrate, the Lu tribe already listed out what they will give us in return if we go and help them. If we go, all of those things will belong to us.¡±

    After considering the number of tamed beasts they were willing to offer the ming Horns, Duo Kang said, ¡°They¡¯re willing to give so much away.¡±

    The number of beasts the Lu tribe promised them was already two-thirds the number the ming Horns had in their own animal pens.

    ¡°Perhaps the Lu tribe wants to use this opportunity to get rid of their extra beasts. This will be more convenient for their migration,¡± Zheng Luo spected.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring some people with me to check the situation over there. I¡¯m not going for these rewards though. I want to check on a few people.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning on using this opportunity to show off?¡± Zheng Luo suddenly thought about this. ¡°I heard that more and more people hade from the other side to the ming River region. We can actually use this case to show off our might and scare them away.¡±

    ¡°Not just people from the other side. There are, but they are not the majority. Besides those people, some tribes there are beginning to change and also have their eyes set on the Lu tribe,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Tribesmen?¡±

    ¡°Yup. After they merge their fire seed, their ambition would increase and they are no longer satisfied with what they have. They will begin to set their eyes on new targets,¡± Shao Xuan continued, ¡°The majority of people who settled here are after all tribesmen.¡±

    ¡°You mean, besides scaring away those outsiders, we can also put on a show for those tribesmen whose ambitions are growing?¡± Zheng Luo was already clear about this.

    ¡°Sometimes being fierce and showing off our strength isn¡¯t a bad thing, you know. Back in the old days, our ancestors made sure to let everyone know our fierceness and it was a wise choice,¡± Shao Xuan recalled other tribes¡¯ impressions of the ming Horns. Now, even though the ming Horns were very well known, they weren¡¯t fierce enough.

    They lived in such a vast space. Fierceness was a usefulbel that could scare away those who were mischievous. At least these people wouldn¡¯t dare to make any move on the ming Horns.

    ¡°When are you leaving, Shao Xuan? I¡¯ming with you!¡± Duo Kang rubbed his hands eagerly. He was already growing impatient.

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave,¡± Shao Xuan was determined.

    ¡°What? Why not? Last time you brought Ta with you and this time it should be my turn! I want to go kill... umm go save them too,¡± Duo Kang was clear about this point as well. Between Ta and him, one of them had to stay behind.

    ¡°You have to help Zheng Luo watch the trading point. More foreign tribes are appearing in this region and many of them snuck in with the expedition teams. They¡¯re probably trying to find out more about our trading point,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Duo Kang no longerined after hearing this. Compared to helping the Lu tribe, protecting the trading point was a much more important task.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, why not bring the guy in the underground room with you too?¡± Duo Kang suggested.

    ¡±I will. I¡¯ll be worried if he stays here,¡± Shao Xuan said. Gan Qie was too unpredictable. If he suddenly went out of control, he might create chaos in the ming River Castle. It was better if he brought him along on this trip.

    Duo Kang thought so too. Shao Xuan was the only one who could manage to ¡°kill¡± those desert puppets. Even though Gan Qie was a little different from those puppets, they would feel more at ease if Shao Xuan was around because he was the one who resurrected him in the first ce. If anything happened to Gan Qie, Shao Xuan might be able to identify a solution.

    ¡°That¡¯s good then. But Shao Xuan, have you noticed that he¡¯s be more slow-witted?¡± Duo Kang said in a low voice.

    Gan Qie¡¯s emotions had been pretty stable so far. He could maintain the same expression for a whole day, and this made Duo Kang very curious. How could someone maintain the same expression and not feel ufortable?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay in the Castle for too long. Since he decided to bring some people to the Lu tribe, he had to tell the people at headquarters before he selected a final group to follow him on this trip.

    After leaving the trading point, Shao Xuan did not walk across the bridge immediately. He walked farther away to the man made canal. There was a suspension bridge above this canal. Shao Xuan walked across that suspension bridge until he reached a ce where nobody could see him. No others were around. After searching for something on the ground, he tapped his feet twice.

    Not long after, the ground opened up where he had tapped his feet and a bearded dwarf-like figure appeared. He was probably sleeping before this. His eyes were squinting as he yawned. This was a Ya tribesman.

    Seeing Shao Xuan, the person immediately became attentive. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Grand Elder?¡±

    ¡°Tell the others to watch out for foreigners,¡± Shao Xuan left this message for him.

    The Ya tribesman nodded at the message. He would spread this message as fast as he could to his tribesmen. What Shao Xuan meant by this was that some dangerous individuals from far away were here. The people in the ming River region should stay alert, and this included the Ya tribesmen.

    Shao Xuan walked away after warning the Ya tribesman about this. He could sense that the pterosaur was roaming the ce he dumped the fishes. When he walked by that ce, the pterosaur was tearing a piranha to shreds and throwing the shreds into the canal. The pterosaur paused and shrieked after throwing the shreds into the canal.

    The guards at the stone bridge had already told Shao Xuan about this. The pterosaur did this once before. This was the second time.

    Shao Xuan even saw more than ten fishes swimming in the water, fighting over the food. These were the fishes the pterosaur threw into the canal.

    ¡°Grand Elder, should we let it continue?¡± the guards asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it. Just keep a close watch over it.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know what the pterosaur was nning, but at least he didn¡¯t need to worry about the fishes starving now.

    After Shao Xuan returned to headquarters and had a discussion with the senior members of the tribe, he headed off with five hundred people the very next day. Gan Qie also left with them, hooded and cloaked. Just like Shao Xuan suggested, he could take a good look at the changes that had happened to the world and get to meet more people from the other side. He finally had more people to interrogate now.

    After Shao Xuan left with his entourage, some people also trailed behind them. Amongst these people were Wu He and the other Chang Le¡¯s.

    Initially Wu He nned on going on an adventure, but when they saw Shao Xuan leave with more than five hundred people, they knew that something was definitely going to happen.

    This piqued their curiosity. They decided to follow Shao Xuan¡¯s team on their birds and watch the excitement from above.

    Meanwhile, in the Lu tribe.

    Ever since the ming Horn tribe migrated, it became a lot quieter in the Lu tribe. Strictly speaking, the Lu tribe could not be considered part of the central region. They lived closer to the edges because they needed morend to herd their beasts. The central region fought too frequently and the situation there was never stable, so it wasn¡¯t suitable for herding.

    The Lu tribe had been living here for a very long time. As traditional tribesmen, they would never choose to leave if they had the choice, but since the situation had already be so critical and they were being targeted by so many in the region, they didn¡¯t have many other choices.

    In the second year after the disaster struck, they were already losing many animals in their animal pens. At first, only those on the edges were being stolen, but very soon, more beasts were stolen and even guards were injured and killed. The situation had worsened so much, but luckily they still had their fire seed. The repulsive energy scared some of these thieves away.

    Some people even began to worry. What if those robbers and thieves joined forces and attacked the Lu tribe at the same time? What should they do? Their fire seed was still in its primitive form. If they lost it, their tribe would disappear too.

    They had three choices. The first option was to go to the grassy ins. Many tribes there herded animals and there was a rich source of water and grass there. Unfortunately, many good locations there were already imed by other tribes. If they went there, they might have to fight the others fornd. The Lu tribe was not willing to fight because they had already suffered huge losses from the ambushes. Battles would only do more harm to their people and they were not willing to take this risk.

    Their second option was the Thousand Masks tribe. The Thousand Masks tribe already knew about the Lu tribe¡¯s current situation, but they did not offer a helping hand and only observed quietly for a long time before finally offering some help. However, the Lu tribe had to agree with their conditions before they would send any help. The Thousand Masks tribe was willing to take the Lu tribe in on the premise that they merge their fire seed first. There were other requirements too, like how they should organize their animal pens, but the Lu tribe found it hard to ept any of these requests.

    Their third and final option was the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°I agree that we should reach out to the ming Horns,¡± Yan Jiu nced around at the others. He knew the ming Horns better than most other Lu tribesmen and he trusted the ming Horns more than the Thousand Masks tribe.

    ¡°If we have to merge our fire seed either way, of course the ming Horns are a better choice,¡± Yan Jiu said affirmatively.

    ¡°But if the ming Horns let us bring our fire seed over, we can actually consider going with them,¡± an elder suggested. However, the others disagreed, Yan Jiu included.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it. The ming Horns definitely won¡¯t allow it. Don¡¯t you know why all the major tribes in the central region merged their fire seeds? It¡¯s all because of the ming Horns!¡± Yan Jiu sneered. They were facing too many problems now that he no longer even cared about his manners. Regardless of whether the other party was an elder, he had to speak this way in order to wake them up from their naive thoughts.

    These people still couldn¡¯t see it clearly and were still bbering about this even now. Their tribe was already in such a critical situation. Even if they wanted to merge their fire seed, they wouldn¡¯t feel safe because there were too many people observing them. Who knew if the others decided to backstab them at a crucial moment?

    The majority of their tribe disagreed with Yan Jiu, but he stood strong with his opinion and requested the new chief to write a letter to the ming Horns.

    Yes, the Lu tribe¡¯s previous chief was killed in an unexpected ambush, and recently a new chief had been appointed. His name was Bai Xing. This person was the strongest amongst all Lu tribesmen, and that was why he was chosen at a time like this. He was strong, but he was not as farsighted as the previous chief. Luckily he was still willing to listen to Yan Jiu¡¯s advice and wrote a letter to the ming Horns to request for help.

    The others were all silently contemting. Yan Jiu scowled at them. He couldn¡¯t stand watching them like this anymore. As he stormed away, he said, ¡°You guys can keep discussing! Let me know when you make a final decision!¡±

    Yan Jiu looked at the others outside the chief¡¯s house as he walked away. Every single one of them appeared trancelike and sunken.

    ¡°Stay alert!¡± Yan Jiu yelled at them.

    These people were shocked by Yan Jiu¡¯s exmation. They looked around anxiously and after noticing that everything was normal, they heaved a sigh in relief. They weren¡¯t this timid before, but a series of events, especially the incident that took their chief¡¯s life, their confidence was greatly damaged.

    Yan Jiu looked at those people and inhaled deeply. He opened his mouth as if to reprimand, but only a long sigh came out, and he walked away.

    Back then when they were faced against the Wanshi tribe, they felt confident because a few other tribes in the central region had their backs. That was why the Wanshi tribe didn¡¯t dare to make a move on them, but the situation was different now. It was not the time to evade problems. These attackers were foreigners and perhaps some were ready to exploit the benefits by attacking them at a critical time. In Yan Jiu¡¯s eyes, these people were the predators and the Lu tribesmen were dumb birds who still thought they could continue to live peacefully under their threat.

    No wonder the ming Horns called the birds they tamed ¡°dumb birds.¡± These birds were fleshy and useless. They couldn¡¯t be strong even if they wanted to and had no brains to use. Who was there to me for this?

    The rule of survival in the forest was to feed on those who were stupid and weak.

    ¡°Leader!¡± a young warrior hurriedly ran over from the animal pens, panting. He appeared slightly infuriated, ¡°Leader, we lost a dumb bird again!¡±

    They even learned from the ming Horns and called their own birds stupid! This was pathetic. They were indeed very stupid that it was driving him nuts!

    ¡°Stolen again?¡± Yan Jiu felt hopeless.

    There were many beasts in their animal pens and it was a giant piece ofnd. Even though many guards were there, there were always gaps they couldn¡¯t cover, and these thieves would sneak in through those gaps, break the animal pens, and use food as bait to lead these animals out of the pens. Amongst these animals that were baited, the dumb birds consisted of the majority.

    ¡°ording to the footprints left next to the animal pens, yes,¡± the young man who replied unhappily and helplessly.

    ¡°How can they be so stupid! So stupid! Stupid!¡± Yan Jiu felt an urge to open up those birds¡¯ brains to see what was wrong. Even a single fruit could bait them away.

    Their ancestors tamed and trained these birds until they lost their wild nature and became suitable for rearing. They were indeed suitable for rearing now, and Yan Jiu felt so too, but after seeing how many of these birds were stolen, he only felt a twinge of helplessness rise within him.

    If these birds could be a little smarter, just a little, maybe they wouldn¡¯t have lost so many this fast. But matters in this world were just like that. If they chose to tame and train a stupid species, they shouldn¡¯tin now that they could be easily tricked.

    Yan Jiu asked again, ¡°Is anyone hurt?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. As for those birds... if we lost them, too bad. Just forget about them.¡±

    Meanwhile, within the forest a distance away from the Lu tribe, twenty individuals gathered around a fire as they roasted the dumb bird they stole from the Lu tribe not too long ago.

    These people wereughing loudly. Thenguage they spoke did not belong to this region.

 Chapter 764 - You Guys Are Finally Here!

    Chapter 764

    You Guys Are Finally Here!

    Yan Jiu took a walk to the animal pens. The guards didn¡¯t look too well. Some of them were idle while others seemed too anxious and tensed up even when there were no threats around. Luckily no one was hurt when this stupid bird was stolen. Before, when they noticed the thieves, the guards would start fighting with them, and whenever this happened, injuries and deaths were inevitable.

    Of course, in order to prevent their beasts from being stolen, they had to fight, but many people were too concerned about this. They didn¡¯t know how long their current situation wouldst, and people grow tired after some time. They were in the light, and the thieves were in the dark. This was not at all beneficial to them.

    Yan Jiu was thinking hard about this. They had already sent out the letter to seek help, but they weren¡¯t sure if the ming Horns woulde. As he thought hard about this, someone came rushing.

    ¡°Leader! Someone¡¯s here!¡±

    Yan Jiu was suddenly delighted. He bounced on the balls of his feet as he asked excitedly, ¡°Is it the ming Horns?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s the Thousand Masks tribe.¡±

    Yan Jiu¡¯s excitement immediately faded when he heard this message. He scratched his head as his expression tightened.

    ¡°Leader, are you not nning to go? The chief and the others are all there already,¡± that person asked.

    ¡°Why do I need to go? They won¡¯t even listen... No, it¡¯s better if I go there. I have to make sure they don¡¯t get tricked by those Thousand Masks,¡± Yan Jiu left the animal pens hurriedly.

    Bai Xing, the current chief of the Lu tribe, had already been chatting with the Thousand Masks tribesmen for a while. However, it seemed like the atmosphere wasn¡¯t great.

    The leader of the Thousand Masks team this time was Dian Fa. Yan Jiu knew this person well enough. Don¡¯t be fooled by his usual friendly smile. He might seem like a person who was easy to talk to, but if you said anything that he didn¡¯t agree with, his face would change immediately. The current Lu tribesmen were all afraid of him. Ever since the Thousand Masks merged their fire seed, they were no longer the same as before. No, to be exact, all of the tribes had changed ever since they merged their fire seed.

    Yan Jiu sighed as he walked in. As he entered the room, Dian Fa was saying how the Thousand Masks tribe were willing to take them in if the Lu tribe agreed to their conditions. They would draw out a piece ofnd for the Lu tribe to settle in but the Lu tribe had to pay up a sum. They didn¡¯t expect the Lu tribe to provide them with a certain number of reared beasts per year. They only asked for half of all the beasts they owned.

    Many of the Lu tribesmen were initially silent, but hearing this, their ears perked up with interest. As long as they could survive this critical situation, it didn¡¯t matter if they had to give up a third, a half, or two-thirds of their property. They were confident that they could gain these back very quickly, but if they had to give half of their beasts away every year, it would be very difficult for them.

    ¡°But this wasn¡¯t what you guys saidst time!¡± an elder yelled. He was so emotional that his voice cracked and made an ear-piercing noise.

    Dian Fa told themst time that the Lu tribe only had to give up a third of their reared beasts, but back then the Lu tribesmen didn¡¯t agree. Now they demanded for even more.

    Dian Faughed derisively and his eyes caught the elder¡¯s. The elder shrunk away in fear immediately.

    ¡°Last time, our chief gave this offer because our tribes were allies before. We didn¡¯t even ask for that much, but who would¡¯ve thought you guys would disagree! Our chief was so mad when he received the news, so he decided to increase the numbers,¡± Dian Fa said calmly.

    ¡°Bu...but you guys are asking too much!¡±

    ¡°Is this too much? Why didn¡¯t you agreest time? The situation has changed, and you guys clearly know that you can¡¯t deal with us the same way you did before. Either you guys stay independent, or rely on a strong tribe. Or else, don¡¯t even think about preserving your fire seed!¡±

    Dian Fa knew the Lu tribe¡¯s current situation very well. He knew what kind of people stayed around the area and he wasn¡¯t trying to scare them with what he said, but if the Lu tribe continued to stay this way, they might really lose their fire seed at one point. With their character, they would never be able to protect their fire seed.

    The Thousand Masks tribe were already taking care of many middle-sized to small tribes. They were rebuilding their cities and they stillcked food. If it were not for the beasts that the Lu tribe could provide, they wouldn¡¯t even have bothered taking them in! Dian Fa sneered at the thought.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that I didn¡¯t warn you. If you continue to wait, you guys will be the only ones at a disadvantage. Plus, our chief might change his mind any moment.¡±

    Dian Fa took a few final bites of the green fruit in his hands and carelessly threw the core to the ground. He got up and prepared to leave.

    Bai Xing and the others were still thinking about what they should reply when this person suddenly transformed. Dian Fa¡¯s energy surged as something began to move under his back muscles. This ¡°thing¡± spread throughout his body through his meridians and reached his neck and face. With quick cracking sounds, white bones suddenly appeared on his face. His entire face changed. HIs pupils were dting and his brow ridge was bing more prominent. All of his eyebrows suddenly sank under these bones.

    In just the blink of an eye, Dian Fa had already turned around and stomped furiously on the ground, crashing the core of the fruit he just threw. The impact left arge footprint on the ground and brought dust to the air.

    Across the dusty air, they could tell that Dian Fa¡¯s usual friendly smile had disappeared. The white bones hadpletely covered his face and he looked extremely fierce.

    Never judge a Thousand Masks by his usual behaviour. Their true faces appear when they summon their totemic power.

    Dian Fa¡¯s true face was covered with special bone structures and he seemed as fierce as any infuriated fearsome beast. His energy was so appalling that all of the Lu tribesmen suddenly felt pressured.

    Bai Xing was furious when he saw this. You want to fight? Sure, we¡¯ll fight then! He was about to make a move when a few elders beside him pulled him back.

    Dian Fa looked condescendingly at Bai Xing. He already told his chief that they shouldn¡¯t treat these Lu tribesmen so nicely. These people would only keep dragging on until their situation was no longer critical. Dian Fa did not want this to happen. They would naturally give in if they saw their strength. Look! Wasn¡¯t this just as he had predicted? What a bunch of losers!

    ¡°We need some time to think,¡± an elder said finally.

    ¡°The time we gave youst time wasn¡¯t enough? How much longer do you need?¡± Dian Fa¡¯s voice rang across the gloomy room. His tone was obviously impatient.

    Seeing the Lu tribesmen¡¯s perplexed expressions, Dian Fa raised his hands and gestured like he was shooing a fly, ¡°I¡¯ll give you guys three more days. In three days, I¡¯ll leave with my people.¡±

    This meant that if the Lu tribesmen agreed to migrate to the Thousand Masks tribe in three days, Dian Fa would bring them back to their territory. If they didn¡¯t agree, he would no longer interfere. If any foreigner came to assault them again, they would just stand by and do nothing. Since the Lu tribe didn¡¯t want toe under their wing, why bother to care about their business?

    Dian Fa didn¡¯t even give them a chance to interrupt. After saying what he wanted to say, he brought the five hundred Thousand Masks warriors to the ce the Lu tribe arranged for them and enjoyed all the food and drinks the Lu tribesmen offered them.

    Yan Jiu remained silent this entire time. He was just depressed and unhappy because of the elder¡¯s expressions. He knew that the elders were worried too but he didn¡¯t know what to say. Forget the Thousand Masks and just go with the ming Horns? The ming Horns hadn¡¯t even appeared and they didn¡¯t even know what ns the ming Horns had.

    Three days was indeed too short for the Lu tribesmen. Their entire tribe was under constant pressure and the atmosphere was tense, and this pressure was ever-increasing.

    The senior members of the Lu tribe gathered to discuss and never stopped to rest for these three days. After arguing for three days, their throats were so dry that they lost their voice, but still they hadn¡¯te to a conclusion.

    Yan Jiu already knew that this would happen, but he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Even though his ranking was equivalent to a hunt leader¡¯s in their tribe, there were still many who ranked above him, and not all of them agreed with him. He was close to Bai Xing, the current chief, but even he was pessimistic in this situation.

    Dawn was breaking on the final day. Everyone in the Lu tribe grew even more frustrated.

    Their deadline was approaching and they had to give Dian Fa a final answer.

    Dian Fa¡¯s eyelid had been jerking since early that morning. He felt like something big was about to happen, and this feeling didn¡¯t feel good at all.

    After some thought, Dian Fa called his subordinates over and decided to force the Lu tribesmen to make a final decision.

    ¡°What if they don¡¯t agree? Do we just leave right away?¡± A Thousand Masks soldier asked.

    Dian Fa was a little dazed and didn¡¯t reply right away. However, the person beside Dian Fa said, ¡°Of course we won¡¯t just leave. We have to bring something back home. Since they can¡¯t protect their own things and people are already stealing from them, isn¡¯t it better if we took them instead?¡±

    ¡°Ah! You mean rob them? What a great idea! Make sure to take as much as we can. Don¡¯t let the foreigners take it all.¡±

    These people were all bbering and discussing but Dian Fa didn¡¯t reply to anything they said. This was exactly what he had in mind too. Since the Lu tribe was about to be robbed by the foreigners, why should they leave empty-handed?

    Everyone in the Lu chief¡¯s residence tensed up as Dian Fa and his warriors arrived.

    ¡°What¡¯s the conclusion? I don¡¯t want to wait forever,¡± Dian Fa sat down on a thick beast hide cushion his subordinates brought over and urged them impatiently.

    ¡°It...it¡¯s not the deadline yet...¡± an elder said in a whisper.

    Strictly speaking, the afternoon that day was the deadline.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care! I want a conclusion now!¡± Dian Fa didn¡¯t want to give them any more time. He didn¡¯t want this to drag on. His eyelids jerked even more wildly now. He pressed down on his eyes and made a firm decision. Just in case something happened, it was better to get this business finished as soon as possible.

    Bai Xing, the current Lu chief, clenched his fists tightly. He was about to explode in rage. If the elders beside him didn¡¯t force him down, he would¡¯ve exploded. He was growing furious. As the chief, he still had to face such rude attitudes from other tribesmen. He¡¯d rather die in battle like their precious chief than be disrespected like this.

    Bai Xing held back his anger and remained silent. He looked toward their shaman.

    The shaman heaved a long sigh and said to Dian Fa, ¡°Now is not the best time to merge our fire seed.¡±

    Dian Fa frowned. This was an excuse, but it was also the truth. If they merged their fire seed now and some intruders disturbed the procedure and caused them to fail, then they would really be useless people. What need would they have for a useless tribe?

    ¡°Sure, you can merge your fire seed there. Merge after we get there. I don¡¯t care when, but it must be merged!¡± Dian Fa emphasised.

    The Lu shaman nced over at Bai Xing after hearing this. Judging by their current situation, this was the only way out.

    Under the pressure of some elders around him, Bai Xing managed to inhale deeply and was about to say something when his facial expression suddenly changed.

    The others¡¯ faces changed too. Yan Jiu got to his feet and rushed outside. Something happened within their animal pens. The Lu tribesmen might be a little slow when it came to other matters, but if something happened to their beasts, they could sense it right away. The beasts that were stolen left the animal pens voluntarily after they were attracted by the bait so they couldn¡¯t sense anything unusual when those beasts left. Even the guards couldn¡¯t sense anything.

    However, even though the Thousand Masks tribesmen didn¡¯t feel anything significant, it was apletely different case for the Lu tribesmen.

    ¡°What happened? Are those foreigners here again?¡± Yan Jiu asked.

    ¡°I...I don¡¯t know,¡± the person who was asked was still dumbfounded.

    ¡°Why are you still looking? Hurry and check to see what¡¯s wrong over there!¡± Yan Jiu glowered at him. He was so furious that his veins felt like they were about to pop.

    Is this even the time to be dumbfounded?!

    As he said this, Yan Jiu rushed and departed to the animal pens. He trusted himself more than these cowards. They were under too much pressure. They might not even be able to tell anything apart if they went.

    He had only taken two steps out of the house when he saw one of his tribesmen leading a giant ck cow towards his direction.

    This cow was usually assigned to pulling carts. It was different from other animals they reared and was more alert and sensitive to dangers. It had been trained very well.

    Now, that ck cow was stomping the ground with its hooves nervously.

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong!¡± Yan Jiu¡¯s eyebrows knitted. He suddenly thought, could it be the ming Horns?

    If it wasn¡¯t the ming Horns, could it be those foreigners again?

    Yan Jiu looked with mixed emotions at the person who pulled the ck cow here. He didn¡¯t know if he should feel happy or worried.

    The ck cow suddenly turned and looked in one direction.

    Yan Jiu¡¯s eyes followed.

    Dawn had just broken, but the ground was already so bright that they could see everything clearly.

    Yan Jiu rushed over to the edges of their territory. The person who brought the cow over also followed him.

    After scanning the woods, he seemed to have not noticed anything. Yan Jiu turned toward the cow. It was now looking up into the sky. He immediately looked up.

    In the sky, there was a silhouette of a bird.

    Very soon, the bird¡¯s shadow grewrger as it descended. Like a gust of wind, the birdnded and a figure jumped off from its back.

    Dian Fa and the other Lu tribesmen also rushed over and saw everything.

    Bam!

    It sounded like a meteorite had crashed. The moment this figurended, they heard a loud sound and cracks began to widen from where hended, spreading across the ground in a weblike pattern. Dried soil flew up from the ground and instantly turned to dust. The dust flew up into the sky, like a thick mist covering the figure.

    The ground¡¯s quakes sent tremors through their feet.

    Dian Fa blocked the dust with his arms and squinted his eyes to look at the figure that had justnded. There was too much dust and he couldn¡¯t tell who this person was. He could only hear footsteps approaching them.

    Thud. Thud. Thud.

    As the footsteps approached, the dust also cleared.

    Dian Fa was feeling gloomy, but when he realised who it was, he felt the chills down his spine. Through gritted teeth he managed to say, ¡°Shao Xuan of the ming Horns?!¡± He spoke hesitantly and every word seemed to carry some weight.

    After saying this, he turned his head to look at Bai Xing and the other Lu tribesmen. His eyes were daggers as he nced at them. He managed to force these words out of his gritted teeth,

    ¡°You guys approached the ming Horns?!¡±

    The senior members of the Lu tribe were very secretive about their discussions and Dian Fa only heard that there was such a possibility, but he never thought that the ming Horns would actuallye to help these losers!

    Since Shao Xuan of the ming Horn tribe was already here, the other ming Horns were probably not far away and would probably arrive soon. Damn these ming Horns! They ruined all of the Thousand Masks tribe¡¯s ns!

    Dian Fa¡¯s face was still jerking as he observed the dent formed in the ground where Shao Xuannded as well as thelike quakes that formed in the ground due to the impact. He looked again at Shao Xuan who was walking towards them. He had to admit even if he didn¡¯t like it that the ming Horns had a stronger physique and they were no match for them.

    He wasn¡¯t afraid of starting a fight with the Lu tribesmen, but he didn¡¯t dare to provoke the ming Horns, especially their Grand Elder.

    No wonder his eyelids began to jerk early this morning. He had an ominous premonition about this. Dian Fa cursed the Lu tribe¡¯s ancestors for this.

    ¡°Aha!¡± the clouded feelings in Yan Jiu¡¯s heart finally dispersed when he saw Shao Xuan. Seeing Shao Xuane personally meant that the ming Horns chose to help them.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, you¡¯re finally here!¡± Sensing the scornful stares from the Thousand Masks tribesmen, Yan Jiu forced a smile and tried to suppress the excitement in his eyes. He looked at Shao Xuan and asked, ¡°You came alone?¡±

    ¡°The others are still on the way. For now, only two of us are here,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°Huh? Where¡¯s the other person?¡±

    Yan Jiu had just finished his sentence when he heard a terrifying cry from the woods. Not long after, they heard something being forcefully dragged across the ground.

    A cloaked figure was holding a man at the neck and dragging him across the ground. Regardless of how hard the person struggled and wed with his fingers, this cloaked figure did not at all loosen his grip.

    Fresh blood dripped from this person¡¯s free hand. Apparently there was no obvious injury on this person and the blood was clearly not his own.

    Of course, these were insignificant injuries. Everyone¡¯s eyes widened as they fixed their eyes on the sword that had pierced right through this cloaked figure. Not a single drop of blood dripped from this injury.

    Under the strong winds, the linen cloak clung tightly onto the figure. It couldn¡¯t be mistaken. That the sword had indeed pierced right through him.

    However, that person was not bleeding. He could even walk over like it didn¡¯t at all affect him.

    ¡°They got you?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal,¡± said an emotionless voice.

    Yan Jiu and the others dropped their jaws. How could this be no big deal? He was pierced all the way through!

    Suddenly, the cloaked figure grasped the hilt of the sword with his bloody hand and pulled it out of his body. After he pulled it out, he studied it and continued to drag the person along.

    Yan Jiu was speechless.

    The Thousand Masks crowd were all speechless.

    Even the person who was struggling to break free gave up.

    Dead silence pervaded and the atmosphere suddenly became cold as ice, making everyone feel uneasy. Everyone who saw this shivered.

    Now, the trembles had spread to both of Dian Fa¡¯s eyes and he couldn¡¯t control it.

    What...who...is this monster?

 Chapter 765 - Theyre All Here!

    <h4>Chapter 765 They¡¯re All Here!</h4>

    When Gan Qie approached them, everyone, Thousand Masks or Lu, moved aside and let him pass. They stayed more than ten steps away from him.

    That scene was too uncanny. They couldn¡¯t understand how it was possible. They were still thinking hard about it but their bodies moved aside instinctively to avoid the seemingly dangerous figure.

    Shao Xuan looked at the sword Gan Qie held. The markings were clearly from the other side of the sea. These patterns were different from the type tribesmen used, but the forging skills were no match for the Gongjia family¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t tell which group this sword belonged to.

    ¡°How did they get you?¡± Shao Xuan asked. With his speed, Gan Qie wouldn¡¯t have been stabbed so easily.

    ¡°I was about to ask them something but they suddenly attacked,¡± Gan Qie¡¯s voice was calm.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t ask who stabbed him. He knew that person didn¡¯t end well when he saw the blood on Gan Qie¡¯s hand. However, Gan Qie probably knew better now. These strangers weren¡¯t as friendly as the ming Horns and they wouldn¡¯t hesitate to kill him if they were not happy with what he said.

    Shao Xuan scanned and noticed who was around and turned to ask Yan Jiu, whom he was most familiar with, ¡°Is there a ce we can rest? This ce is not suitable for talking.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Jiu nodded and replied hurriedly. After notifying Bai Xing, he brought Shao Xuan to a house nearby.

    ¡°Um, Shao Xuan, should we tend to your friend¡¯s injuries?¡± Yan Jiu asked after taking a quick nce at Gan Qie.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that. This minor injury is insignificant to him,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Bai Xing and the others who stood a distance away heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words and were all shocked beyond words.

    ¡°Minor injury?¡± He was impaled by a sword, and this was a minor injury?

    Dian Fa¡¯s face continued to jerk but he didn¡¯t say a single word. He didn¡¯t know what to say. The Lu tribesmen reached out to the ming Horns for help. What could they do? Fight the ming Horns?

    Dian Fa had no such ns. He couldn¡¯t think of the best solution so he continued to re furiously at the Lu tribesmen. Only after Shao Xuan walked far away did he finally ask, ¡°Are you guys nning to seek refuge with the ming Horns?¡±

    A few of the Lu elders avoided his eyes and didn¡¯t answer his question. They were still hesitant on making a final decision. The ming Horns definitely had their requests too. If their requests were even more than what the Thousand Masks asked for, what should they do?

    Maybe just depend on the ming Horns until the worst passed?

    Some of the Lu elders indeed had such thoughts. To them, migrating and merging their fire seed were two important matters that might cause their tribe to suffer major losses. How could they be hasty in making such important decisions? They had to think longer. Simply put, they would dy and push the limits until the worst was over before making the final decision.

    Dian Fa was still thinking about whether they should remain in the Lu tribe and wait for their answer, but Yan Jiu had already told Shao Xuan everything that had happened. It was just as Shao Xuan had expected. The Lu tribe¡¯s situation was much more critical than what they depicted in the letter. However, Shao Xuan was confused. They were already in such a critical situation. Why were they still hesitant in making a final decision?

    ¡°What are your chief and shaman even thinking? We won¡¯t let you guys over unless your fire seed is merged,¡± Shao Xuan told him about their requests. Merging their fire seed was a must. The rest cameter.

    Of course, if the Lu tribe decided not to merge their fire seed, they would clean up the troubles in the forest around them and then leave after the job was done. They wouldn¡¯t get involved in anything afterwards.

    Yan Jiu was stressing over this too. He agreed with merging their fire seed. Even though they wouldn¡¯t get used to it in a short time, it didn¡¯t seem to have affected the other tribes. Quite the contrary, the primitive fire seed was actually their weakness. The only problem they faced now was that the elders were too conservative and obstinate.

    ¡°If that is the case, you can go discuss with your chief and shaman. Also, tell those elders what they want to know about our requests,¡± Shao Xuan didn¡¯t think that the Lu tribe had toe with them, but it would definitely be better for them if they went with the ming Horns. However, if they chose not to, the ming Horns had nothing to lose. After all, they had everything they needed.

    Yan Jiu let Shao Xuan rest and went back to persuade the others in his tribe. The only thing he didn¡¯t tell Shao Xuan was that the Lu tribe was definitely migrating because they could no longer live peacefully where they were. Besides the troubles around them, something else had happened within theirmunity. Herding was their main way of life. Their ancestors decided to settle here because there was a waterhole here that could provide them with the water they needed to survive and rear their animals. This water hole dried out in thest disaster and the previous chief had suggested for them to migrate, but the elders strongly disagreed. Now, there was a new issue regarding their fire seed, so it hadn¡¯t been addressed up till now.

    Yan Jiu¡¯s head began to hurt at the thought of those elders¡¯ condescending expressions and objections.

    Yan Jiu told the others what Shao Xuan told him. Some people agreed with merging their fire seed and going with the ming Horns. Some people disagreed because they didn¡¯t want to merge their fire seed. Some others were neutral, and they couldn¡¯t decide again.

    Bai Xing was quiet at the chief¡¯s seat. His eyes were staring nkly into space and he let the others argue while he contemted silently.

    After a while, Bai Xing said suddenly, ¡°When are the other ming Horns arriving?¡±

    Yan Jiu was also waiting idly and staring nkly into space when someone elbowed him. He came back to his senses and responded, ¡°In about half a day. They¡¯ll arrivetest by tonight.¡±

    Bai Xing only responded with an ¡°Okay¡± and stopped questioning. He continued to contemte.

    After Bai Xing¡¯s sudden interruption, the elders stopped arguing. Someone even asked Bai Xing a question but waspletely ignored. His meditative face only said, ¡®I¡¯m thinking. Don¡¯t disturb me.¡¯

    Knowing how this new chief of theirs had a bad temper, the elders were also distressed. Suddenly, silence pervaded the entire room.

    The sun was beginning to set. Shao Xuan looked over at Gan Qie. The person who was dragged here by Gan Qie looked like he had given up on living.

    Initially this person thought that he would be forced to tell some secrets about his group and he had firmly decided to not say a word. At most, he would make something up to trick these tribesmen, but he never thought he would be asked such unanswerable questions.

    ¡°Which tribe did your ancestor belong to?¡±

    ¡°When did your tribe merge their fire seed?¡±

    ¡°What does it feel like after merging your fire seed? Why would you choose to abandon your tribe to join new organizations?¡±

    ¡°How can tribes fall apart? How can people live without tribes?¡±

    ......

    These were some of the questions. This person really didn¡¯t know how to answer. As long as he was happy, that was enough. Why would there be a need for reason? He felt that Gan Qie was both insane and narrowminded.

    Why do humans need to live in a tribe?

    These tribesmen are so stupid!

    At the end, this person lost his patience. He even cursed Gan Qie¡¯s ancestors.

    Gan Qie was not satisfied with this answer, so this person¡¯s neck was twisted.

    ¡°I¡¯m heading out,¡± Gan Qie said.

    ¡°For what?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I need to find someone else to interrogate,¡± Gan Qie flipped his hood over his head and walked out.

    There were many people in the woods around the Lu tribe. He wanted to take this chance to interrogate these people. When the other ming Horns arrive, most of these people would leave. He wanted to ask all sorts of people, not just those from the other side. He even wanted to interrogate the tribesmen who had merged their fire seed, especially those who recently merged their fire seed. He wanted to know how these people felt and thought.

    This was an important matter to Gan Qie, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Just watch out for your head.¡±

    Gan Qie wasn¡¯t a puppet after all. Puppets could still move after their heads were chopped off but Gan Qie didn¡¯t know if he could still function without a head.

    Shao Xuan heard an eagle¡¯s cry not long after Gan Qie left the Lu tribe.

    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±

    Across the distance in the woods, a team was rushing over in their direction.

    They took a break on the way so their arrival was dyed.

    Five hundred people arriving was definitely different from two people arriving. All the people who were hiding in the forest noticed the new team that had just arrived.

    ¡°It¡¯s the ming Horns!¡± some of these people could tell by judging the totemic markings on their bodies.

    ¡°Are the ming Horns strong?¡± asked those who were unfamiliar with them.

    ¡°Who cares if they¡¯re the ming Horns! Ourmon target is the Lu tribe!¡± This was a person who came from the other side.

    Some of these people were already panicking. They began to retreat but didn¡¯t leave immediately. Some who were greedy stayed and waited to exploit the benefits.

    Others drew closer to watch what was happening.

    Arge bird the size of a dumb bird walked in front of the ming Horn team. This bird did not haverge wings and wasn¡¯t as fat as a dumb bird. It¡¯s head was even bigger.

    ¡°What bird is that?¡± someone asked in a whisper.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell, but we can probably roast it and eat it like the birds in the Lu tribe.¡±

    These people were the same people who stole a dumb bird from the Lu tribe that morning. They were still holding some drumsticks leftover from that morning.

    They observed the team that had just arrived as they chewed on the drumsticks.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s here,¡± said Ah Guang, who was riding on the Phorusrhacos.

    ¡°I smell it too,¡± another person said from the side.

    Those people were not even trying to hide. If they did, the ming Horns wouldn¡¯t have been able to smell the roast meat.

    ¡°What arrogant fools.¡±

    Ah Guang scanned the forest. He reached for an arrow in his quiver and nocked it on his bow. When he pulled on the bowstring, it gave out a sharp disturbing noise.

    Thud.

    The mere sound of the bowstring was enough to make the nerves in their bodies tremble in fright.

    The arrow travelled through the intertwining branches and pierced through the leaves in its way. The parts of trees that came in contact with the arrow were split in half at the impact.

    The derisiveughter of these people had not even faded and they were suddenly interrupted by the sound of the flying arrow.

    Thump!

    The arrownded in a tree five wingspans in diameter. The arrow pierced all the way through and the person who leaned on the other side of the tree looked down with widened eyes at his chest. The roasted meat in his hands fell to the ground.

    A hole was punctured right through his chest and all he saw was a green arrowhead with blood stains. The blood continued to drip down and sttered on the ground.

    The others around him shrieked in terror. They were furious and frightened when they heard the sound of footsteps approaching. They were still dumbfounded and stunned. They didn¡¯t even have the time to care about their dyingrade. They threw the roasted meat on the ground and dashed away as fast as they could.

    Sensing the murderous energy brought by the flying arrow, the birds around them cried wildly as they flew into the distance.

    Dian Fa was standing at the boundaries of the Lu tribe. He was a little confused as he stared at the wild flock of birds.

    Very soon, a team of warriors came out of the forest. Two beasts led the team. One was a bird and the other was a peculiar creature that resembled a tiger or a wolf. The strange thing about this creature was that it had hooves and it clicked loudly as the creature walked.

    Bai Xing and the others were still discussing in the chief¡¯s house but rushed out immediately when they heard this noise.

    ¡°They¡¯re finally here!¡±

    Shao Xuan walked out and nced over at theted bags the team carried.

    Inside thoseted bags were dead bodies that were either killed by weapons or shot by arrows. One of them even had a hole punctured right through his chest and blood was still freshly flowing from the wound.

    ¡°These are?¡± Bai Xing looked toward the corpses in theted bags.

    ¡°We hunted them in the forest on our way here,¡± the person who dragged the bag answered.

    ¡°Right, Grand Elder. We saw Gan Qie on our way here. He said we don¡¯t have to worry about him. He¡¯s going to spend the night in the forest,¡± a ming Horn warrior said.

    ¡°Alright. You guys must be tired. Take a rest first before we talk,¡± Shao Xuan turned to look at Yan Jiu.

    Yan Jiu had already made the necessary preparations before they arrived. When Shao Xuan looked over, he answered immediately, ¡°Okay! Everyone follow me! You guys must be tired. Here¡¯s some meat soup for you.¡±

    ¡°Brother Xuan, what about him?¡± Ah Guang asked as he pointed to the Phorusrhacos on the side.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan said to Yan Jiu, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that people keep stealing your dumb birds? Let Little Jing stay with them. There¡¯s a nest there, right? He can protect your birds.¡±

    Yan Jiu wanted to say ¡°But your bird is a carnivore¡± but no words came out. After hesitating for a moment, he continued, ¡°Alright, bring him to the animal pen.¡±

    Shao Xuan patted the bird¡¯s head with the cheek of his de, ¡°Keep a close eye on them.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Brother Xuan. I already discussed with him on our way here,¡± Ah Guang giggled as he whacked the bird with a whip.

    Yan Jiu was confused. What did they tell the bird? He suddenly had a change of mind. Was it really safe to put this bird with those stupid vegetarian birds?

    Ah Guang led the Phorusrhacos and followed Yan Jiu to their animal pens.

    The animal pen used to rear the dumb birds took up a huge space. There were many nests too, but due to the thefts that happened recently, many of these nests were empty.

    When Ah Guang led the Phorusrhacos into the animal pen, a flock of dumb birds hurriedly ran away and even those that were crouching in their nests ran off. More nests were emptied.

    ¡°Pick one to sleep in,¡± Ah Guang said as he patted the Phorusrhacos.

    Yan Jiu was worried that the giant fearsome beast might stomp and destroy the nest, but the creature looked around and picked thergest nest. After a few gentle steps, it settled in the nest.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Ah Guang didn¡¯t look back anymore. He turned and left immediately.

    ¡°Is this... really okay?¡± Yan Jiu was still worried.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely okay.¡±

    Won¡¯t he... eat those...¡±

    ¡°Just let us know if you lose any birds. We¡¯ll make sure to pay you back.¡±

    Yan Jiu was silent. These people were so nice and even offered to help guard their animal pens. Should he really care about whether they would pay them back?

    The ming Horns had just arrived, and this meant that the Lu tribe had to make a decision soon. Dian Fa was still here waiting for them to make their answer.

    Shao Xuan had a lot of time on his hands. Regardless of what choice they made, the ming Horns would take a good rest tonight and then clean up the forest the next day. The main purpose of their trip after all was not merely to help the Lu tribe migrate.

    Meanwhile, in some corners of the forest, many were beginning to grow anxious.

    Should they stay and wait for an opportunity to steal or leave immediately? The ming Horns didn¡¯t seem like people they wanted to mess with.

 Chapter 766 - Bird Thieves

    <strong>Chapter 766</strong>

    <strong>Bird Thieves</strong>

    That night, amidst the forest, a few people were waiting for the perfect chance to steal. Before, the Lu tribesmen could hear many birds chirping at night, but since there were fewer birds in the forest now, they rarely heard bird cries from the forest. The night became more serene because of this.

    This night was the most silent night.

    Before, they would asionally hear some strange shrieks orughter from the forest, but all of these sounds had disappeared. The Lu tribesmen knew that it was either because these people had all left or hid because the ming Horns were here. They were silently observing from a distance. There was no way they would give up on robbing an easy target.

    Amidst the woods, a few people hid behind trees as they looked in the Lu tribe¡¯s direction.

    ¡°What do you guys think? Should we go and get another one of those birds from the animal pen? I¡¯m a little hungry,¡± someone said in a whisper.

    During their previous travels, they didn¡¯t have many choices and ate whatever they could find, as long as they didn¡¯t starve to death. They didn¡¯t care much about food because treasures and other goods were what mattered most to them. However, since they arrived in this region, their appetite had grown and the usual food wasn¡¯t enough to satisfy their desires.

    The others all pictured the delicious roasted fleshy meat of the Lu tribe¡¯s birds in their minds when they heard this question. Their mouths were salivating and suddenly the night breeze became tainted with an imaginary smell of roasted meat.

    ¡°Well, should we go take a look?¡±

    The others turned to look at the Lu tribe¡¯s animal pen. Suddenly, they froze and their brows tensed as they looked to one direction.

    They weren¡¯t wearing much either. Most of their limbs were exposed, and the hairs on their skin stood upright in the night. This wasn¡¯t because they were afraid. Rather, these people had a special ability and could sense other people around them with their hairs. These hairs were like feelers that allowed them to detect any unusual activity in the air and anyone who was approaching.

    Now, they could sense someone nearby.

    He¡¯sing!

    Not long after, they heard the sounds of gentle footsteps approach. This person did not belong to their team. These footsteps were not familiar, and every step was so perfectly paced that it seemed abnormal and inhuman.

    How could this person be so carefree and walk like this in the night? Even if they had better night vision than ordinary people, they were still vignt at night, but this person seemed like he didn¡¯t care much and walkedfortably in a well-paced manner.

    What was his motive for suddenly appearing here?

    Very soon, they saw a figure walk out slowly from the forest. Besides the frictional sound made by his feet¡¯s contact with the ground, there were no other sounds. They couldn¡¯t even hear a single breath from this person. It was as if he wasn¡¯t alive at all.

    This person didn¡¯t wear much either, and he was bald. They didn¡¯t know who he was.

    Whoosh!

    A branch was shot out from behind a tree like an arrow andnded right at this person¡¯s foot. This was a signal to tell him not to go any further.

    Gan Qie looked down at the branch. He lifted his head and scanned the trees around him. He couldn¡¯t see anyone, but he knew that there were people hiding behind those trees.

    ¡°I have a question,¡± Gan Qie asked in a calm and unhurried voice.

    There were no sounds nearby. He could only hear the sound of a bug crawling on a tree nearby.

    Gan Qie continued, ¡°Are you guys a newly formed group of people who left your original tribe?¡± He could sense that the blood that was flowing in their veins were simr.

    The people who were hiding initially thought that this was another person who was targeting the Lu tribe and wanted to join forces with them. They were stunned by such an unusual question. ¡®Is this person dumb?¡¯ they thought.

    As Gan Qie waited for an answer, a figure suddenly jumped out from behind a tree closest to him. This person had an extremely curved sabre that resembled a half circle and the de was polished with a ck coating that made it opaque to light. He was so skilled in using this de and moved with such rapid motions that most people would find it hard to predict where he was aiming. The de whistled through the air as the personunched an attack.

    Gan Qie knew that this person was aiming at his neck and was ready to sh downwards.

    Many people would aim for vital areas of the body like the heart and the carotid artery because regardless of how strong their enemy was, these injuries were fatal and most would die immediately after the blow.

    Gan Qie was at first toozy to dodge the attack because he knew that nothing would happen even if his artery was cut. There was no blood flowing through his body, so he wasn¡¯t afraid, but he recalled Shao Xuan telling him to watch out for his head and suddenly hesitated. He looked down at the de that was approaching his neck. What if this person was strong enough and cut his head off?

    Everything happened in an instant. To his opponent, Gan Qie had only hesitated for a split second.

    Gan Qie swiftly dodged the de and didn¡¯t even show any fear as the de rubbed across his neck. He jerked his shoulder and bumped right into his opponent.

    Gan Qie¡¯s body was a lot tougher than the ming Horns and his bones were even harder than the ming Horn¡¯s senior totemic warriors. The person who attacked him didn¡¯t seem weak either. If Gan Qie and this person were to stand side by side, this person might even seem bulkier than Gan Qie, but when Gan Qie bumped into him, bones cracked and this person immediately flew backwards, crashing right into a tree. The tree trembled and leaves fell.

    It was a shortbat. The de did not hurt Gan Qie, but there was already one attacker down.

    All the others who were hiding behind the trees were shocked. They immediately jumped down and surrounded Gan Qie with their weapons.

    They could tell that Gan Qie was strong and knew they had to work together to defeat him. They never considered the possibility of failure because most totemic warriors could not win against a group attack.

    Sharp w-like structures clicked and sharp metallic weapons appeared on their hands. Their fingers suddenly became sharp spinning des as theyunched their attacks at Gan Qie. The air hissed as they approached their enemy and it sounded like a deadly snake was hunting in the dark.

    Some of them held odd-looking des.

    There were five of them, and each attacked Gan Qie with the weapon each was most familiar with.

    Suddenly, the sounds of punches and kicks filled the night as metallic weapons clinked. Bones were broken and a cry of terror spread through the forest. All of these horrifying sounds mixed together sounded like ghosts crying or wolves howling. That part of the forest was all shaking.

    This sound reached the Lu tribe, and all of the beasts in the animal pens began to grow restless.

    ¡°What happened?¡± a Lu tribe¡¯s guard looked nervously in the direction the sound came from.

    ¡°No one went out tonight, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope, we don¡¯t usually go out at night. The ming Horns probably didn¡¯t go out either.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Let¡¯s head back to our posts and stay alert,¡± the leader of this group said.

    Even though this was what they decided on, the soldiers still looked over in that direction from time to time. They couldn¡¯t help but think about what had happened over there. Did some people have a fight in the forest? Or did some new foreigners just arrive?

    Ever since these thefts began to ur, the Lu tribesmen constantly felt pressured by everything around them. Any small movements nearby would worry them for a long time.

    As those guards wondered about what happened, three figures dashed out from the shadows and headed for the animal pens where the dumb birds were. The clouds drifted in the sky and covered the moon, hiding the three figures in the shadows.

    Even though these people were also curious about what happened on the other side of the forest, they saw a perfect opportunity to take action.

    Since the noise on the other side distracted these guards, it was the perfect moment for them to invade the dumb birds¡¯ animal pens.

    These people had been stealing from the Lu tribe every day for a long while now. They took turnsing out to steal. On this very night, these three were in charge of this duty. Even if the ming Horns were here today and they knew clearly that security would be much tighter than usual, they still couldn¡¯t suppress their greed for the food.

    They were living the best lives, and they really didn¡¯t care whether the Lu tribe¡¯s fire seed disappeared. They were just used to stealing from the Lu tribe¡¯s animal pens whenever they became hungry. All they needed to do was bait the birds with fruits, hunt them, and then eat their delicious roasted meat.

    Initially, these thieves were more vignt. Back then, they even made sure no one saw them and tried to be as discreet as they could when they stole. At first, they even avoided any Lu tribesmen who came out to chase after them, but after noticing that more people were targeting the Lu tribe, they lowered their guard. The Lu tribe no longer chased after them. They would only remain in their tribe and watch over their animal pens becauseing out to chase them would mean risking their own lives.

    That was why they got braver and began to push the boundaries. Sometimes they even dared tough loudly in the forest during their meal and throw the bones and remains of the dumb birds back into the Lu tribe¡¯s grounds after they finished eating. After throwing their garbage, they would even mock them. This made the Lu tribesmen very pissed.

    Since the Lu tribesmen were not bold enough to even step out of their own territory, these thieves had no reason to fear them.

    As for this day, even though more guards hade to help, they didn¡¯t care and still came over to steal. They were too hungry.

    They were just testing the waters. It¡¯ll probably be okay, they thought.

    They entered the animal pen when the guards looked away. They looked around before finally taking the route they were most familiar with into the fencednd.

    ¡°I knew it. They were just trying to scare us. Nothing changed.¡±

    One of themughed silently as he caught an aromatic fruit hispanion threw to him. He tied the fruit with a rope and made a few cuts on it to let the scent of the fruit spread far and wide.

    The wind carried this scent to a bird nest nearby. They could see this nest from the tree on which they hid. There was only one bird in that nest, and the other birds stayed far away from this one.

    They were very cautious. They knew that they couldn¡¯t attract too many dumb birds at once or else the guards would notice. The Lu tribesmen caught them a couple times before because too many birds were attracted by their fruit. When the guards noticed them, they ran as fast as they could and barely managed to escape.

    Since then, they became cleverer and went for the birds that were closer to the edges. They made sure to target birds that were alone in their own nests.

    The person with the fruit slowly approached the fence and skillfully threw the fruit towards the figure in the dark.

    The fruit flew across the air with a curve,nded ten meters away and rolled near the bird nest. It wasn¡¯t loud because the ground was all grass and the fruit was rather soft.

    Even though dumb birds were dumb, they had a keen sense of smell. These thieves were already skilled and experienced enough to know how far the fruit had tond. With a single throw, the fruitnded perfectly on the spot they intended for it tond.

    Tap, tap, tap.

    This was the sound of the bird getting to its feet.

    The thieves waited excitedly.

    It¡¯sing!

    Many times when they stole, they tried to stay away from flocks because the smell of the fruit would attract more than three birds and they had to put in more effort to catch all of them. However, only one bird was attracted by the smell this time and no other birds noticed the fruit. Nice! It saved them from all that trouble.

    Judging by the sound, this seemed like arge bird. These thieves waited with excitement.

    He waited behind the fence and judged the bird by the sounds because he couldn¡¯t see clearly what was inside.

    There was no one else around. The guards had not noticed and the bird had already stopped in front of the fruit they threw.

    The person who was holding the rope felt a jerk on the rope. He knew that the bird was already eating it. He immediately began to pull on the rope. This skill might seem simple, but it required a lot of practice. Pulling too fast or too slow wouldn¡¯t work. If he pulled too fast, the bird couldn¡¯t catch up to the fruit. If he pulled too slow, the bird might finish eating the fruit and all of their efforts would then be wasted. After thinking about all these, this person felt a little proud of himself.

    One of them focused all his attention on pulling the rope and judging the bird¡¯s actions by the tension in the rope and the sounds. The other person started breaking the fence while the third person waited to blow the whistle just in case any Lu guards came.

    ¡°Hurry!¡± the person behind them pressed on.

    The two figures beside the fence were also anxious. The Lu guards were already walking in their direction.

    He pulled even faster, but stopped once in a while to make sure there was still tension in the rope. The other person had sessfully made a hole in the fence. This fence was always broken and the Lu tribe couldn¡¯t fix all of these broken parts in time. Now, most of the wood they used to fix the fence wasn¡¯t the best quality, so the gaps became wider. This made it more convenient for these thieves to break. All they needed to do was cut the ropes that were tying the wooden fence together and pull the wood out of the ground. If they couldn¡¯t pull it out, they would saw it. They just had to wipe a special ointment on the saw to muffle the frictional sound.

    The tapping sound was getting closer.

    ¡°I can tell from the sound that this is a big bird. Hehe,¡± the person who was sawing the wood smiled and said in a low voice. Actually, wouldn¡¯t it be easier if they had the strength to carry a bird out from within? Well, too bad they didn¡¯t have the strength. It would take too much effort.

    The person who pulled the rope didn¡¯tugh. Somehow he felt that this bird was a little unusual and different from the previous birds.

    He craned his neck to look through a hole in the fence. It was indeed a bird. Even though this one was a little different and wasn¡¯t as fat, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem. At least that¡¯s what he thought.

    They hadn¡¯t seen any other ming Horn teams arrive that day. They only caught a nce of a few members who were walking in the back, so they couldn¡¯t make the connection.

    ¡°Quickly!¡± hispanions in the forest continued to press on.

    ¡°Okay...It¡¯s almost ready! Prepare the rope...¡±

    The person who was pulling the rope didn¡¯t even get to finish his sentence. Suddenly, a strong force pulled on the rope from the other side and he was pulled forward. His face shed into a part of the fence that hadn¡¯t been broken. Bang!

    ¡°What happened?!¡± the person who had just finished sawing the wood asked. As soon as he said this, a figure suddenly dashed out as fast as the wind and stepped down on him with its giant feet.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    A terrifying cry spread across the fields. All of the dumb birds in the animal pens rushed to the centre and gathered in fright.

    After Chacha stepped on this person, he didn¡¯t give the other party time to get up. He had an advantage and he would not let his opponent get back at him. This was the way he hunted in the forest too, or else how did he manage to defeat and kill beasts that were stronger than him?

    The night clouds drifted across the sky and the moon was suddenly revealed.

    The person who was pulled back by the rope bumped into the fence. As he turned his head, he watched as the bird jumped wildly on hisrade. Under the bright moon, he finally saw a clear view of this bird. A sudden shiver went up his spine.

    This was not the same dumb bird they stole before!

    This bird was about the same size as the dumb birds, but its ws were much sharper and it was stronger than the dumb birds. Its ws were like sharp hooks and easily wed off their skin.

    ¡°Quick, over here! Someone came to steal the dumb bird again!¡± the Lu guards rushed over when they heard themotion.

    The people in the forest immediately rushed to rescue hisrades. However, as soon as he ran out of the woods, the giant bird jumped out and kicked one of hisrades into the air. His otherrade was still struggling to get up.

    Seeing this, the person who wanted to rescue hisrades immediately halted and turned to escape. The Lu tribesmen were already here. Hisrades were already severely injured, so if he brought them along with him, he definitely couldn¡¯t escape from the Lu tribesmen. It¡¯s better if he escaped alone.

 Chapter 767 - Clearing The Grounds Using Violence

    <h4>Chapter 767 Clearing The Grounds Using Violence</h4>

    DOGE¡¯s Note: Hey guys, thank you for reading! This novel is ending soon, would you like to show some support on Patreon? As a university student, I appreciate every dor so much. Even if you don¡¯t want to pledge but would like to support, you could consider turning off your adblock so I can get that ad money hehehe. Thank youuuu!!

    When the soldiers on patrol hurried over, they only saw two severely injured men on the ground. One of them passed out after the bird pecked him. They didn¡¯t know if he was still alive.

    After fixing the broken fence, the Lu tribesmen turned back to take a few more nces at the bird. The ming Horn¡¯s bird was already back in his nest. Initially they thought this bird might mistreat their dumb birds, but now they knew. This bird was not hostile to their birds at all and even protected them. See? Didn¡¯t he just catch two bird thieves?

    No one in the forest dared to make a move again that night, probably because the two thieves were caught.

    The next day, the well-rested ming Horns walked out of the Lu tribe. The Lu tribesmen provided them with food, but they also brought some fearsome beast jerky of their own. Fearsome beast jerky could give them more energy. After replenishing their energy, they didn¡¯t get to work right away. Shao Xuan told them his n already. There would be enough time for them to rest and recharge while digesting the food. This resting period was for them to power up the energy within their bodies and make sure they were in their best conditionster.

    The Lu chief Bai Xing was already up early that morning. He was curious how the ming Horns were going to deal with those people in the forest.

    Dian Fa and the other Thousand Masks were still in the Lu tribe and had not left. One reason was that they were waiting for the Lu tribe¡¯s final decision. Secondly, they also wanted to watch the ming Horns¡¯ next move.

    Shao Xuan stretched his arms and looked up into the sky. Cha Cha had already finished hunting and was already flying in circles in the sky. Shao Xuan blew a whistle and he flew down immediately.

    Hopping onto the eagle¡¯s back, they lifted off the ground. As they ascended, Shao Xuan¡¯s vision grew wider and he could see far into the woods.

    After inhaling deeply, Shao Xuan shouted loudly, ¡°Listen up, all of you in the forest. By noon, only ming Horns are allowed to remain in the forest. Everyone else must leave by then. If you don¡¯t, we¡¯ll kill all of you!¡±

    His voice thundered across the forest like the roar of a fearsome beast.

    Shao Xuan made sure to shout the same message again in thenguage used on the other side to make sure these people understood what he said.

    Gan Qie was already a part of the ming Horn tribe, so this statement was technically correct.

    His voice reached far and wide and the echoes slowly faded as it reached the mountains.

    In the forest, many began to grumble and all of them reacted differently to this message.

    ¡°Hmph! How arrogant!¡±

    ¡°What tribe is the ming Horn tribe again?¡±

    ¡°When¡¯s noon?¡±

    ¡°Or else they¡¯ll kill all of us? Can they even kill us? Hahaha!¡±

    Meanwhile.

    In the forest, Wu He and some others were chatting with some old friends who came from the other side. When they heard this message, they immediately dropped the food in their hands and ran away.

    ¡°My Chang Le brothers, why are you guys running?¡± the person who was boasting to Wu He and the others asked when he saw their reactions.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll really die!¡± Wu He blew a sharp whistle and waited for his long-winged birds to arrive. As soon as their birds arrived, they would immediately escape from the forest. No matter how much they wanted to watch themotion, they had to stay far away and make sure they were not involved, or else they would be in big trouble if the ming Horns got the wrong idea.

    They weren¡¯t afraid of any other ming Horns, only Shao Xuan, and he was the person who shouted this message. Hearing this, they suddenly recalled the painful sensation they felt back then when they were pped down by the giant hand in the sky.

    Those friends of theirs were surprised when they saw the Chang Le¡¯s reactions. It was as if they saw their deadliest enemies.

    ¡°When did the Chang Le¡¯s be such cowards?¡± someone asked doubtfully. Didn¡¯t they used to enjoy watching drama?

    ¡°Leader, what should we do?¡± someone turned around and asked his leader. This was the person who was talking with Wu He just now.

    Their leader thought deeply for a moment and then said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see for now. If something doesn¡¯t seem rightter, we will leave immediately.¡± Even though the Chang Le¡¯s were known for their love for drama, they were also very alert and sensitive to dangers. It didn¡¯t seem at all like Wu He and the others were putting on an act.

    As he thought about this, his brows knitted with concern. It hadn¡¯t been long since they arrived on this continent, so they weren¡¯t familiar with the ming Horn tribe. However, since this concerned their lives, they were going to take it seriously. They came here to exploit the benefits, not to lose their lives.

    After Shao Xuan shouted his message, he looked for a spot to rest. The Lu tribesmen all looked at him with widened eyes.

    ¡°Is it really okay to yell it out to them so directly?¡± a Lu elder whispered. It was clear he didn¡¯t agree with what Shao Xuan did. There are many other methods to get rid of these people in the forest. They could¡¯ve been less direct with their message. The ming Horns were too uncivilised and barbaric.

    Dian Fa also felt that these ming Horns were out of their minds. Did they really think this was their territory? It was clear that those people in the forest came here long enough and knew everything about the forest. The ming Horns had just arrived the day before and weren¡¯t even that familiar with the forest. Obviously the ming Horns were at a disadvantage.

    Yan Jiu wanted to ask Shao Xuan what his n was and wondered if the ming Horns thought about changing their minds. However, seeing how Shao Xuan was resting on the side and how the other ming Horns seemed to have no objections, he could only sigh while he waited. He was still very concerned about this n.

    The sun was slowly rising above their heads and their shadows shortened as the sun rose.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes and looked up at the sun. He got up to his feet and motioned for the others to rise.

    ¡°It¡¯s time!¡±

    The ming Horns were all prepared and energetic. On Shao Xuan¡¯smand, they all headed out of the Lu tribe together.

    At the boundary, some Lu tribesmen were already pulling the gates open for the ming Horns to exit. They watched the ming Horns curiously. Were these people really nning to head straight into the forest like this?

    As soon as he stepped out of the boundary line, Shao Xuan summoned the totemic energy in his body. This energy was like boiled water within his body, immediately bubbling to the surface. Totemic lines surfaced and red mes covered his body.

    Suddenly, everyone behind Shao Xuan began to transform in the same way.

    Two, three, five, ten, hundred,...

    From far away, these simr totemic lines and mes made them seem connected as a group.

    It was as if someone lit a match and threw it into a pot of hot boiling oil. Instantly this pot erupted like a volcano. Their fighting spirit was ignited and this strong energy was constantly rising and spreading across thend.

    ¡°The fire... fire seed¡¯s senergy!¡± the Lu shaman was shocked at the sight. He was invited to the ming Horn Grand Feast back then and something simr happened back then too. Even though this was not his first time seeing this, he was still taken aback.

    This was the power of the fire seed!

    Even if the ming Horns no longer had a primitive fire seed, their fire seed¡¯s energy and its innate powers lived on within their bodies. This energy was like a spark within them, ready to start a destructive fire any time.

    ¡°For ming Horn! Kill!¡±

    At the word ¡°kill¡±, Shao Xuan stomped his feet on the ground violently.

    There was a loud bam. The ground did not split open but a strong energy was sent downwards. This energy travelled so far that even the two stones at the Lu tribe¡¯s gates were shaking. The Lu tribesmen and Thousand Masks tribesmen all trembled as the tremors numbed their feet.

    The loud stomp was like a thunderous drum, announcing the start of a battle.

    ¡°For ming Horn! Kill!¡±

    All five hundred warriors repeated this message in a loud roar. The sound waves were so strong that everyone around them felt its pressure. This energy was so strong that even the sun became hotter under their influence. Everyone around felt like their hairs were about to explode.

    This was the power of the ming Horn fire seed. Its energy immediately engulfed the area all around them and even the Lu tribesmen felt the repulsion.

    They were shocked by the fact that these were the same people who wereughing and talking so casually with them the day before. Now, they suddenly became beastlike, with their fangs bared, ready to pounce on their prey!

    Bai Xing looked at the ming Horns all around him. It all felt like an illusion to him. There were just five hundred totemic warriors here, but it felt like there were a thousand or even more, like the entire ming Horn tribe was gathered here. Their roars were so loud!

    ¡°This...¡± the Lu shaman¡¯s eyes widened and his pupils began to dte. He gasped nervously, ¡°This fire seed¡¯s energy is so strong!¡± Even their fire seed in their fire pond was feeling a slight repulsion.

    Even if they were in battle-mode, their energy shouldn¡¯t be this strong!

    A few elders gasped for breath besides the Lu shaman. ¡°Is this the power of a merged fire seed? Don¡¯t they only have five hundred people? Howe this energy is so strong?¡±

    Shao Xuan raised his hand and the team immediately split into two. Like tigers and wolves, these warriors dashed towards different directions.

    They already knew their advantage. They were not familiar with these grounds, but this was not a forest full of fearsome beasts. They only had to pay attention to those people who were hiding in the dark.

    Since they were the ones in the light, why not force them all toe into the light?

    Weren¡¯t these people familiar with the grounds? Weren¡¯t they skilled in hiding? Great! We¡¯ll force all of them out of the dark!

    The two teams were like two sharp spinning des cutting across the entire forest.

    Each member was like a fearsome beast dashing across the forest, sending trembles down into the ground. They were not trying to hide their strength at all.

    As the people in the forest felt the trembles in the ground, they felt like they were hearing the rumbles of a thunderstorm. They began to feel afraid. Some of the people who chose to stay began to regret their decision. Should they leave now, or stay longer? They might be able to make it out alive if the ming Horns don¡¯t notice them in this first search.

    Many people who thought this way would find out very soon that they didn¡¯t know the ming Horns well enough.

    Boom! Crack!

    A branch five wingspans wide broke in half when a ming Horn warrior hopped onto it. Half of the tree flew up into the air at a ming Horn¡¯s kick.

    Even the trees are falling, let¡¯s see where you guys can hide!

    To another tree?

    Go ahead! Let¡¯s see if you can run faster than us!

    The bits of sunlight passing through the branches were reflected in their axes. Their sharp des whistled through the air as this reflected light travelling rapidly across the forest grounds.

    ¡°These damned ming Horns!¡±

    Before the heavy branches fell to the ground, countless figures were forced toe into the light.

    Waves of arrows were shot across the forest, splitting the air as they flew to their targets.

    The warriors immediately chased after these people with their des, axes, spears, and hammers.

    Amidst the chaos, the team of ming Horns worked efficiently, each knowing their duty. Some were in charge of chasing and scaring these people out of the dark. This group of warriors was like a pack of wolves chasing after deer. Another group was in charge ofunching attacks in the wide open field while a third group hid and waited for the perfect chance tounch secret attacks.

    Imitation is an innate skill in humans. Their ancestors learned how to hunt in the forest from observing predators and imitating their actions. These predators hunted using different methods and the tribesmen also learned these same methods from them. After learning these skills, they improved the techniques and perfected it for their own use.

    The ming Horn tribe could actually live a well-off life by feeding off the taxed goods in the trading point and the nts and animals they owned. They had more than enough to feed their entire tribe, but they never stopped hunting. That was why they were able to stay in shape and were ready for battle anytime.

    Thud! Thud! Thud!

    The sound of a bowstring rang across the distance.

    Every arrow pierced through the air andnded on the targets that were forced out of the shadows. Some of these arrows were used to force their enemies into the light while others prevented them from taking any steps in a direction they pursued. The final kind of arrow was the type that intended death.

    These arrowsnded rapidly across the forest and puffed up all the grass and dust from the ground.

    A person who was forced toe to the light ran as tears flowed from his eyes. The ground was shaking, but he still managed to hold the hilt of his sword tightly. He was about to turn and cut at his enemy when his sword shed with another. The person behind this sword was so strong that he felt like he was about to be sted away the next moment, but with a sudden clink, his de snapped.

    There was not enough time for him to react. The sword that came in contact with his own split his de in half and was not affected by the collision. It didn¡¯t stop and shed at the person¡¯s throat. The person tried to dodge the de, but there was no use. It was too fast.

    Poof!

    Blood sprayed out from the person¡¯s neck. He took two shaky steps forward and fell to his knees, the broken sword still in his hands. His face was full of terror and regret.

    Shao Xuan never turned back to look at this person. He continued to advance, and the other ming Horn warriors also followed tightly behind him. They ran so fast that the air current forced the people who were in front of them to fall backwards.

    The people who fell to the ground looked up helplessly at those murderous figures as they hopped above their dying bodies. They felt a deep regret for not leaving after hearing the warning that morning. If they had left back then, they wouldn¡¯t have died like this. Their visions slowly dimmed. It was already toote. They knew that those who were still hiding in the woods would face the same fate they did. If they were able to go back in time, they would have stayed far away as soon as they heard the words ¡°ming Horn¡±. All of these temptations meant nothingpared to their own lives.

    The ming Horn warriors didn¡¯t turn back to look at those who were dying. They didn¡¯t care at all what these people thought at the brink of their deaths. The only thing these warriors had in their minds were to kill those who were still in the forest.

    The bloody stench in the forest grew thicker and the wind carried this smell farther into the distance.

    Those who stayed behind waited nervously as these warriors approached them. Even their bones were trembling now. Could they make it out alive if they escaped now?

    Far away, some scavenger birds smelled the blood and were flying over.

    In the Lu tribe, those who were watching by the wooden fence observed the massacre as their faces twitched. In the woods, an uprooted tree would fly up into the sky once in a while.

    Back in the days when the ming Horn tribe still lived in Fearsome Beast Forest, Yan Jiu was often assigned to the task of delivering young beasts to the ming Horn tribe, but he had never seen them in battle mode even once. To be exact, he had never seen them hunt before. This was too brutal!

    The current Lu chief Bai Xing watched with a bewildered expression as the ming Horns ughtered the masses.

    Smelling the scent of blood in the air, the Lu shaman suddenly recalled something written in their ancestor¡¯s handwritten notes about the ming Horns. That was a thousand years ago, but even now, after a thousand years, the ming Horns could still be characterized by the same description.

    Efficient. Violent.

 Chapter 768 - The Most Dangerous Person

    <h4>Chapter 768 The Most Dangerous Person</h4>

    The des sliced across the forest, their lights reflecting the massacre. Weapons shing, branches snapping, arrows flying, and the sound of human cries filled the bloody scene.

    Shao Xuan wiped the blood marks off his face and continued to advance. Suddenly, he halted. The entire team slowed down too.

    Shao Xuan noticed Gan Qie standing beside a tree nearby. They already noticed many dead bodies on the ground on their way here, and they knew from the wounds who had attacked them. These corpses were all ughtered in the same fashion and seemed to have been killed by bare hands. There were even strips of linen cloth on the ground beside the corpses.

    Gan Qie was severely injured. If he was a normal human, he would¡¯ve died multiple deaths, but he was still walking like a normal human now, with the same expressionless face. He even waved and greeted Shao Xuan¡¯s group calmly when he saw them.

    He must¡¯ve gained a lot of new information from the previous night, Shao Xuan thought.

    The ming Horns did not stop there. Shao Xuan gestured for the others to follow him and they continued to sweep across the forest in the same fashion, two teams slicing whatevery in their paths like sharp spinning des cutting through the forest. They sliced whatever they saw in the forest beside the Lu tribe. Gan Qie did not participate in this, however. He had other matters to tend to, and joining them required teamwork. He could not adapt to their team and he had no ns on joining them. Judging by his looks, Shao Xuan could tell that he had a clear target in mind and he was heading for that target, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t bother calling him.

    After Shao Xuan¡¯s group advanced, Gan Qie lifted his head and nced up at the sun. It was not shining as brightly as noon now and it was getting closer to sunset.

    Gan Qie¡¯s cloak was already ruined and tattered. What remained of his cloak hung loosely on his body and he didn¡¯t care one bit about its condition. He sniffed the air around him as he managed to trace a faint bloody smell. This was the scent of his current target.

    Gan Qie didn¡¯t know how he was able to discern different smells in the air. Perhaps his organs had changed and made him more sensitive to smell. However, the scent he was smelling now was different from the usual smells. This smell was not carried here by the wind. It was a smell that belonged to people whose bodies had merged with fire seeds. It was different from the smell of ordinary beasts. Even if those people stood in the wind and their scents were carried to a different direction, Gan Qie could still sense it clearly.

    After he had woken up from his long sleep, his senses became keener to smell and taste as his body slowly recovered.

    There were no blood stains on the ground. It was clear that the other party did a good job in concealing their deed and even considered which direction the wind was blowing, but even with such effort, they failed to escape Gan Qie¡¯s nose. They might not know that another smell tainted their bodies, a smell that differed from the usual smell in their blood. This smell could not be blown by the wind.

    Behind a tree that was as tall as an average adult, a man was holding onto his belly tightly.

    He breathed carefully and nced around with watchful eyes. He was terrified and his body was already exhausted. Luckily he was far away from the Lu tribe. The ming Horn team probably wouldn¡¯te here either.

    His group had been active in this area for a long time so they were familiar with the grounds. That was why they escaped so much fasterpared to those others behind them.

    Did he sessfully escape? He was worried and full of regret. He never thought that the five of them would be defeated by that one man. What a miserable fight it was!

    As he recalled that person, he shivered uncontrobly. That was definitely not a human. Or else, how could they not kill him even after beating him so many times?

    Luckily he escaped in time, or else he would¡¯ve lost his life like his fourpanions.

    As he thought about this, he suddenly heard something rustling through the forest. It sounded like someone was running.

    Who is it?

    He didn¡¯t want to run. He felt that this hiding spot was already good enough for the moment and all he had to do was keep hiding here. That was why he only turned his head slightly and looked through the gap in the tree to see who it was.

    A green figure shed across his vision, scaring him so badly that he stopped breathing for a moment. His entire body froze in fear.

    How did this person manage to catch up?!

    Run!

    This was his first thought, but his body moved a step toote.

    An arm shot out in his direction like a spear and a punchnded on his jaw the very next moment. His entire body was sted upwards and his face was instantly distorted by the blow.

    After hended on the ground, he wanted to say something. He wanted to answer the question they ignored previously and wished to beg this person to let him go, but his jaw was fractured so it was hard for him to even open his mouth, much less speak a clear sentence.

    As he watched his opponent approach, his arms pushed against the ground forcefully as he tried to get up. He wanted to escape but it was already toote.

    A hand gripped his head tightly and pressed him down to the ground.

    Bam!

    His head mmed down hard into the ground. Grass and dirt flew up into the air.

    He had already suffered a heavy blow. Now, an attack like this meant nothing but death. As his head smashed into the ground, he lost consciousness.

    Crack!

    Following the crack in his skull, the person on the ground died.

    Gan Qie lifted his hand from the person¡¯s brains. As he rose, his expression was still one of confusion.

    Why did these people look down on tribesmen? This was not a matter of power or strength. These people weren¡¯t strong themselves, so Gan Qie couldn¡¯t understand why they felt superior to tribesmen after leaving their tribal lives behind.

    Even though they did not answer Gan Qie¡¯s questions directly, he sensed an unmistakable condescendence in their tone and actions. It wasn¡¯t just these five though. The others were all like that.

    Gan Qie was unhappy when he heard these people from the other side talk about tribesmen. Once they made him unhappy, he didn¡¯t go lightly on them.

    Weren¡¯t they tribesmen once too? Even if they chose to live a different life, there was no need for such condescendence. Was it their fire seed that changed, or them? Gan Qie was immersed in deep contemtion.

    No. Their fire seed was still the same. They were the ones who changed. Just like he did.

    Gan Qie moved his fingers and felt the warmth of the blood in his hands. This was much warmer than his body temperature, since his body was not warm at all.

    He did not look back at the corpse. Gan Qie stood up and scanned the woods nearby. He sensed something and decided to walk over, but after turning to look at the sky, he decided to turn around and head back to the Lu tribe. He was hungry.

    The sight of fresh blood aroused his hunger and he even thought about drinking the blood from the corpse, but this was merely a thought. He did not take any actions. He had no interest in drinking human blood.

    After Gan Qie left, the figures that were hiding in the direction he looked at walked out from behind the trees. They were all pale and frightened.

    These people came from a middle-sized tribe in the central region. After they merged their fire seed, the people in their tribe suddenly felt like wild horses freed from their reins. All kinds of thoughts surfaced to their minds as they broke free from their previous ties. They wanted to take advantage of the situation after they heard about the Lu tribe¡¯s critical condition, but not only did they gain nothing, they almost lost their lives.

    They did not leave immediately after hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s warning that morning, but after hearing the ming Horns slicing across the forest at such a rapid pace, they decided to escape. At first they thought they were already outside the zone of warning. Upon hearing themotion, they wanted to check what was going on but they never expected to meet such a frightening person here!

    They swore that this person had noticed them. He just turned and walked away for some unknown reason.

    This bunch felt like they were the luckiest people alive.

    It was already sunset when the two groups of ming Horns walked out from the forest, tainted with fresh blood.

    They didn¡¯t stop for a single moment during their massacre and had been killing for a whole day. Their energies were drained and they were tense throughout the whole process. They were in their hunting mode and their bodies burned with vigor as they sliced across the forest. Although they hade back from the hunt, they were still feeling energetic. Despite feeling emotionally excited, they were all tired. No matter how strong they were, there was no way for them to not feel tired after what they did that day. They weren¡¯t like Gan Qie, who was restless, and they were all at their limits.

    But even if they were tired, the murderous energy and bloody scent still radiated from their bodies. Every pore of their skin was sending out killing intent and made them seem as fierce as fearsome beasts. Whoever saw them now felt chills go down their spines. Even those who didn¡¯t mind seeing blood moved aside and kept their distance when they saw them.

    The Lu tribesmen who had been waiting for their arrival moved aside as soon as they saw them arrive. They opened up a way for them to pass through. Even if they were five steps away, the ming Horn soldiers made them anxious.

    The ming Horn members felt much relieved aftering out of the forest. Some were even smiling and putting their arms around each other like they hade back from a hunt in the forest. The injured were carried into the Lu tribe and they brought their own medicine since the Lu tribe¡¯s medicine couldn¡¯tpare to their own.

    Bai Xing wanted to have a chat with Shao Xuan. As he approached him, his eyes scanned past the ming Horn team andnded on someone behind them, ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    Shao Xuan turned to look, and replied with augh, ¡°He¡¯s Gan Qie, the person who wore the cloak before this.¡±

    The Lu tribesmen were shocked when they heard this. This was the person who was perfectly fine after being stabbed by a sword?

    Yesterday Gan Qie was hooded and cloaked so they couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, and since he was out in the forest the whole night, none of them knew what he looked like. Now that he was unhooded, they could see his face clearly. They were even more shocked now that they saw his face.

    Gan Qie didn¡¯t seem any differentpared to ordinary humans. The only thing that was slightly different was his skin colour. It was faintly greener than the normal skin tone, but the thing that shocked them was not his face, but rather his injuries when he walked out from the forest.

    Gan Qie did not look strong, and if theypared him to the ming Horns, he seemed skinnier and weaker. His cloak was torn and tattered, so it could not hide his injuries. Countless scars crossed his body, covering his chest, back, and even his limbs and neck. There were even some on his face, but all of these wounds had closed up and began to heal. New and old scars crossed his face and it was all very frightening.

    Some of them were highly impressed. With these injuries, he was definitely a strong warrior, but they could also tell how dangerous the forest was just by judging his wounds. Besides these, some of the Lu tribesmen also noticed something else on Gan Qie, and this shocked them even more. They were impressed by the look in Gan Qie¡¯s eyes, but more than that, they were scared of him.

    More than half of the injuries on his body meant death for ordinary humans. Those who could survive these blows had to be very lucky. Some of these wounds were impossible to survive from, and the most obvious ones lied in areas such as his heart, his neck, and a few other ces. They could tell how deep the cut was from looking at the wounds and it was clear that normal humans would¡¯ve died several times from these injuries, but surprisingly, Gan Qie behaved no differently from the day before. His face was calm and he walked normally, as if the injuries had not affected him at all.

    Dian Fa looked at Gan Qie with doubtful eyes. This person was much more dangerous than the ming Horns. Where did the ming Horns find such a person?

    And why did he decide to side with the ming Horns?

    ¡°Grand Elder Shao Xuan, the people in the forest...¡± Bai Xing inquired.

    ¡°The situation should be okay now, unless there are still others hiding somewhere in the forest we didn¡¯t notice,¡± Shao Xuan scanned the forest around him. Flocks of scavenger birds were already digging in on the freshly massacred corpses.

    ¡°Thank you so much!¡± Bai Xing said solemnly. ¡°We will deliver the promised rewards tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± He had to ept what was promised in the deal. Shao Xuan continued, ¡°We¡¯ll leave once the reared beasts are ready.¡±

    Hearing this, Bai Xing suddenly stopped in ce and stayed silent for a moment.

    ¡°We already did what we came to do so we won¡¯t stay here any longer. We won¡¯t intervene with your decisions, but if you decide to migrate, these two days are the best days to merge your fire seed.¡±

    They had already cleared the threats in the forest and those who escaped wouldn¡¯t return anytime soon, so this was clearly their best opportunity to merge their fire seed. If they missed this chance, they wouldn¡¯t know when the next opportunity woulde. It was best to not have too many threats or disturbances near them during the merge.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Bai Xing made a firm decision in his heart and replied through gritted teeth.

    Seeing Bai Xing walk away with heavy steps, Guang Yi asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Will the Lu tribe really merge their fire seed?¡±

    ¡°They will, but I¡¯m not sure where they¡¯ll go if they choose to migrate. I just know for sure that they won¡¯t stay here anymore.¡± This was Shao Xuan¡¯s conclusion after eavesdropping on some Lu tribesmen¡¯s conversations.

    The Thousand Masks were still waiting for the Lu tribesmen to give them a final answer.

    ¡°That is not good,¡± Guang Yi furrowed his brows. He did not like what the Lu tribe was doing and he was not hopeful about the Lu tribe moving to the ming River region.

    ¡°We can only see what they decide to do now.¡± If the Lu tribe still can¡¯t figure out the problem after all this, they might be able to withstand the threats this time, but it¡¯s not likely for them to survive the next. Even if they merged their fire seed, they wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the threats.

    Shao Xuan went to check on the injured soldiers and arranged for their night shifts and duties. He told Ah Guang to bring the Phorusrhacos to the animal pens again to keep guard. Even though they had already cleared away a huge group from the forest, there might still be people who were bold enough toe steal the birds.

    That night, the ming Horns slept soundly while the Thousand Masks and Lu tribesmen all suffered from insomnia.

 Chapter 769 - The Lu Tribes Migration

    <h4>Chapter 769 The Lu Tribe¡¯s Migration</h4>

    The next day, Bai Xing went to look for Shao Xuan. The Lu tribesmen had not selected the reared beasts that they were giving the ming Horns from their animal pens.

    ¡°We decided to merge our fire seed and will head to the ming River region after that. Please help us on the way, Grand Elder.¡± Bai Xing had not slept the previous night. He looked unwell but his eyes still gleamed. He was rather rxed as he spoke. They had finally made a decision after so long.

    Shao Xuan studied this new Lu chief closely. He didn¡¯t mind when they were getting their reared livestock. If the Lu tribe decided to migrate to the ming River region, there was no need to hurry. He wouldn¡¯t mind even if they gave the reared beasts they promised to the ming Horn tribe after they migrated. It was better that way. However, Shao Xuan still had a doubt.

    ¡°Where will you guys go? The ming River region is quiterge,¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve actually decided on the location a long time ago,¡± Bai Xingughed. ¡°Back then when we went to attend the Grand Feast at the trading point, our chief already brought us there.¡±

    Bai Xing was talking about the previous chief who had passed away. That chief was not the strongest member in their tribe, but he was prudent and far-sighted. When he was invited to the ming River trading point, he brought a few warriors over with him to survey the grounds and even drew a map to mark out the area they wanted to migrate to.

    The Lu tribe¡¯s water source was drying up and there was no way for them to keep living here. Water insufficiency would affect their reared beasts greatly. The previous chief had such thoughts about settling in that area, but he also found a few other locations nearby so he had more than a few options. Now, Bai Xing decided to settle in the location near the ming River trading point.

    Shao Xuan studied the map Bai Xing took out. There were a few simple strokes on the area near the trading point. On the map, the trading point was clearly marked as well as the estimated locations of the Rain tribe and the Drumming tribe. The Lu tribe had their eyes set on a location upstream from where the Rain tribe was. That location wasn¡¯t too close to the ming River, but it wasn¡¯t too far either. What¡¯s most important to them was that there was a small stream in that area that flowed into the ming River.

    Shao Xuan knew about that stream. He had been to that location upstream and he guessed that stream probably appeared after the disaster since it wasn¡¯t there before. This stream was about ten meters wide and twenty meters long. The water there was more than enough for the Lu tribe. Plus, this stream flowed into the ming River, so it wouldn¡¯t dry up easily. Even if it dried up one day, they could still walk down to the ming River to get water. Simply put, if something big happened again, they could immediately migrate to a better location because they didn¡¯t have to worry about their fire seed anymore.

    ¡°When will the merge begin?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°Tomorrow, buttest on the day after,¡± Bai Xing said.

    The Lu shaman had already consulted Shao Xuan about the merging process .

    Even though they acquired much experience from understanding the merging process of different tribes, they still had to be careful since they were changing their fire seed.

    The Lu tribe decided to merge their fire seed the afternoon three days after the forest massacre. They didn¡¯t dare to do it at night because their reared livestock would panic. These animals were bolder in the daytime so it was a better choice to do it in the day.

    Dian Fa had already left with the other Thousand Masks the day before. No one knew what their next move was. Perhaps they would follow in the ve masters¡¯ footsteps and take in more middle to small sized tribes and establish an empire of their own with their government system. Regardless of what they choseter on, bloodshed was inevitable because the situation here was different from the ming River region. These middle to small sized tribes were once powerful tribes in the central region. If the Thousand Masks were not careful, they might be backstabbed by these tribes.

    There was bloodshed back in the days when the Ji family in King City fought for power too.

    That was the Thousand Masks¡¯ business, so Shao Xuan didn¡¯t want to think about it. He stood with the other ming Horns along the boundaries of the Lu tribe as they began the merge. The energy from the Lu fire seed would greatly affect the ming Horns during the merging process, and they would feel a strong repulsive energy from it. This was the Lu tribe¡¯s territory after all. The energy of the fire seed would bepletely activated during the merging process. None of the ming Horns wished to risk their lives by staying near it.

    As the Lu fire seed¡¯s energy grew stronger, the people outside the fence all felt the repulsive energy from the foreign fire seed. Gan Qie also felt it too. He felt lucky as he kept a curious gaze at the Lu tribe.

    ¡°This is the fire seed¡¯s merging process?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a part of the process. They have to fully activate the energy in the fire pond at first, but the energy will gradually increase,¡± Shao Xuan exined.

    Gan Qie felt a sense of familiarity to the entire process. It wasn¡¯t the Lu tribe¡¯s fire seed, but rather what he was feeling from the Lu fire seed that was familiar. It was simr to a memory in his mind.

    Back then, their tribe encountered a simr situation, but too bad only eleven of them were allowed to be there when the fire seed was activated. Those eleven had the entire Han tribe¡¯s fire seed merged in their bodies. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that their fire seed was already damaged in the previous battle, the eleven of them would¡¯ve died during the merge.

    The Han tribe¡¯s shaman never expected anything like that to happen. When he finally noticed what he did was irreversible and out of his control, he had no way to fix the situation. He could only watch as their destiny unfolded. Even if anyone tried to reenact what happened to the Han tribe, they wouldn¡¯t seed because it was an ident back then. Even if the Han shaman was still alive now, there was no way for him to make it happen again.

    As the muddy-yellow coloured me burst upward into the sky, the fire seed¡¯s energy reached its peak. The strong energy from the fire seed sent a repulsive force toward all the ming Horns in the area. It was like the Lu tribe suddenly became the origin of a storm, sending out destructive winds all around them.

    Guang Yi was forced to take a step back and draw himself away from the Lu tribe. He looked up and saw Shao Xuan standing there calmly and not moving as if the repulsion didn¡¯t affect him at all. After some thought, he immediately walked over and stood behind Shao Xuan. Suddenly, the repulsive pressure decreased greatly, as if Shao Xuan blocked away the repulsive energy of the Lu fire seed.

    The others followed suit after they noticed what Guang Yi was doing. One, two, ten, a hundred...

    When Shao Xuan turned around to look, the ming Horns who were initially spread out across the field now stood in a triangr arrangement behind him, and Shao Xuan himself was the edge of the triangle pointed at the Lu tribe.

    Gan Qie did not hide behind Shao Xuan like the others. Even though he was also affected by the repulsive energy, he had a different mindset. The pressure from the fire seed was enough to take the breath out of most ordinary humans. Although he no longer had a need for breath, the pressure was still strong on him.

    The ming Horns just wanted to have an easier time against the repulsive energy, but Gan Qie was feeling quite the opposite. He wanted to refresh his memory of the time this happened to his own tribe. Everything that he was feeling now matched with the scene in his memory.

    ¡°It was a merge indeed.¡± Gan Qie closed his eyes. Back then when it happened, the Han shaman let his injuries worsen and didn¡¯t tend to them. It was no different from suicide. If their shaman knew this was a merge back then, perhaps he wouldn¡¯t have med himself so harshly. No, there was no way he couldn¡¯t free himself from the guilt since he was the one who did this to their fire seed. He was the one who decided to merge the fire seed within the eleven selected tribesmen, leaving the rest of the Han tribe no different from wanderers without a fire seed or totemic power.

    Regardless, what happened already happened, and it was already so long ago, so there was no going back now. Nothing would change even if they regretted what they did.

    When all had settled and the Lu tribe¡¯s fire seed energy finally subsided, the ming Horns also felt the pressure on them slowly disappear.

    ¡°It¡¯s done.¡±

    The Lu tribe had sessfully merged their fire seed. All tribes needed some time to adapt to their mixed emotions after a merge. Everyone felt differently about merging the fire seed after all. From this moment on, they were no longer the Lu tribe from before. If they encountered dangers, there was no longer a fire seed to shield or protect them.

    But regardless of how they felt, the ming Horns couldn¡¯t give them too much time to adapt. They could not wait for them to adapt to new changes. If the Lu tribe still wished to migrate and travel with the ming Horns, they had to get ready immediately.

    The reared beasts that were promised to the ming Horns were selected and people were chosen to tend to these beasts on the way back, just in case they broke away from the herd and went astray.

    The good thing was that these animals were tamed and their nature was not as wild as the fierce beasts in the forest. There were even beasts in the herd that could lead the others, so as long as these ¡°leaders¡± were cared for, the others would naturally follow along obediently.

    The Lu tribe¡¯s reared beasts mostly stayed in their herds and went wherever most of their group was.

    The Lu tribe spent the next three days gathering the supplies needed to build carts and packed all of their belongings. The ming Horns helped them build the carts for those who hadn¡¯t awakened their totemic powers as well as the injured to sit in on their way to the ming River region.

    As soon as everything was ready, the Lu tribesmen started a fire and burnt down all the houses they previously lived in. They couldn¡¯t bring these houses and some tools away with them, and they didn¡¯t want anyone else to use what they previously owned, so they¡¯d rather destroy all of it before they departed.

    After everything in the fires were destroyed, the Lu tribesmen began to herd the animals. Thus the migration began.

    A person rode on the back of a dumb bird and led the herd. Sometimes injured ming Horn soldiers also rode on its back. These birds were too stupid. As long as there was food, they would easily be baited. If they wanted to make these birds move, they only had to use food as a bait to guide them forward.

    That was why such a scene wasmon on their road to the ming River region: a person riding on the back of a dumb bird would hold a long stick attached to a fruit on one end and the fruit would be ced in front of the bird, enticing it to move forward.

    The herd of cows and other animals were also segregated and watched over by some soldiers. The soldiers rode on horses and cattle and traveled back and forth, leading those that were astray back to the herd.

    When other tribes migrated, they only brought people, but the Lu tribe was different. Many beasts travelled with them. As they walked on the trail, sand and dust swept up into the air. It was fine where the grounds were grassy, but when they walked across ces that were less forested, so much dust would be kicked up that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to see people through the dust.

    The Lu tribe¡¯s migration trail was different from the one the ming Horns went on when they came to the Lu tribe. Sometimes they would go around an area for safety reasons.

    Shao Xuan sent a letter to the major tribes in the central region and told them to warn their subordinates not to attack the migrating Lu tribe. These letters gave them a headache.

    Especially to those in the Thousand Masks tribe. As soon as Dian Fa saw the letter personally written by Shao Xuan, he cursed the ming Horn ancestors in his heart.

    The Lu tribe decided to follow the ming Horns and the Thousand Masks tribe could not do anything about it. Now that the Lu tribe chose not to go with them, why should they still care about them? Even if some of the tribes there sided with the Thousand Masks, those people were responsible for their own behaviour. Why should they, the Thousand Masks, take action and stop them?

    Dian Fa even wished initially for the Lu tribe to encounter more troubles on their migration so they would regret going with the ming Horns, but now, seeing what was written on the letter, he was furious! Shao Xuan mentioned that if any tribes under the Thousand Masks¡¯ protection attacked the migrating tribe, they would regard it as the Thousand Masks¡¯ doing.

    How ridiculous!

    Perhaps it was due to the fact that the Thousand Masks signed a contract of agreement with the ming Horns in the trading point before they merged their fire seed. Now that Shao Xuan mentioned this, the Thousand Masks had no choice but to ept it even if they didn¡¯t like it.

    The Thousand Masks chief stayed silent with his eyes closed for a while. Finally, after a deep inhale, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Tell the other tribes, if they dare to make a move on the Lu tribe during their migration, we will kick them out of our territory!¡±

    The ming Horns made the Thousand Masks mad, but they couldn¡¯t fight back. They could only direct their anger on these other tribesmen.

    Dian Fa¡¯s mouth jerked as he cursed, but he still went and carried out his chief¡¯s orders and sent the message to all the tribes under their protection.

    The Thousand Masks tribe were not the only ones who received the letter. The others, such as the Mang tribe and the Eight Limbs tribe also warned those smaller tribes under their protection after they received the letter. That was why the Lu tribe travelled so safely during their migration. The journey was safe and there weren¡¯t many troubles on the road, at least not as much as they had anticipated.

    Yan Jiu was confused at first. They encountered some people who were watching them from afar and it was clear that they were hungry for their goods, but why didn¡¯t they make a move? After he chatted with some ming Horn soldiers, he finally found out the fact that Shao Xuan wrote a letter to those major tribes.

    Some of the elders who initially refused to go with the ming Horns were shocked when they heard about this. Those were all major tribes in the central region, but to their surprise, these tribes all did as they were told after receiving Shao Xuan¡¯s letter.

    Gan Qie had been sprinting at a high speed alongside the party. Some of the Lu tribesmen told him that he could ride on a dumb bird if he felt tired, but the other birds would stop moving once Gan Qie rode on one of them. They would all group together and stop where they were, unless Gan Qiee left. They were all afraid of him.

    Gan Qie didn¡¯t mind. He hardly felt tired anyways.

    As he ran with his new cloak flying behind him, Gan Qie¡¯s head turned and looked in one direction. His expressionless face suddenly changed.

 Chapter 770 - Dead Or Alive?

    <h4>Chapter 770 Dead Or Alive?</h4>

    As the Lu tribe¡¯s migrating team left the central region, fewer people came to trouble them.

    Initially, the Lu tribesmen thought that they would encounter more troubles in the central region but that wasn¡¯t the case. Theirrge team walked for so long and even though they also encountered some small troubles along the way and were sometimes ambushed by people in the central region, they safely made it out of the central region. However, they might encounter more troubles now that they were out of the central region and the poption was more sparse.

    In the central region, there were many people watching as the Lu tribe migrated. If anyone decided to make a move on the Lu tribe, they had to be careful not to be noticed or recognized by anyone else because getting caught would mean the end for them. However, in ces with fewer people, they could do whatever they wanted and people might not even notice, and even if the Lu tribe wanted to seek help, they wouldn¡¯t be able to receive any in a short time.

    That was why they had to be more alert after leaving the central region.

    At night, as the team stopped to rest, Shao Xuan had an ominous feeling. After some thought, he took out his ropes and began to perform his divination.

    When the other ming Horns saw this, they were all surprised. Shao Xuan would not use his ropes unless it was something important. They had decided not to rely on knot divination because if they relied on it too much and it stopped working one day, they might not be able to live without it. That was why as long as it was a problem they could solve easily, they would not use knot divination. The others all knew about this. That was why they were curious when they saw Shao Xuan performing the knot divination. Was something wrong?

    After he finished and studied the ropes, his brows furrowed in confusion.

    The others did not ask him what was wrong. They patiently waited for Shao Xuan to tell them after he figured it out himself. They were merely curious about what the ropes said because it seemed to be portending something unpleasant. Were they about to be robbed?

    Indeed, the ropes did not bring good news. Shao Xuan looked in one direction. It was where the desert was. This was a feeling he had for a long time and he knew it was rted to the desert.

    Knot divination cannot tell exactly what would happen in the future because there are too many unpredictable factors involved. Shao Xuan could not predict what exactly was about to happen, but he was sure that danger was approaching and they had a specific target.

    Shao Xuan looked toward Gan Qie. These people were not targeting the Lu tribe. Their target was Gan Qie.

    They could not see the sun now. Only a dim light lined the clouds at the horizon, and Gan Qie¡¯s bald head reflected the light of the rising sun.

    Gan Qie was also looking in that same direction, but Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t tell if he had also sensed something or if it was just a coincidence.

    ¡°Guang Yi, lead the team with Xiang Chen tomorrow. You guys have to leave first,¡± Shao Xuan turned around and said to Guang Yi, who was resting beside him.

    Guang Yi frowned deeply, ¡°Is something going to happen?¡±

    ¡°The Lu tribe is not their target,¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s finger pointed in the desert¡¯s direction. ¡°People might being from over there, so you guys must leave first.¡±

    Guang Yi couldn¡¯t tell faces apart, but he had a good sense of direction. He knew where Shao Xuan was pointing. At first he wanted to ask if they should stay and help, but after recalling the desert monsters they couldn¡¯t kill, he hesitated. He asked, ¡°You¡¯re going to be alone? Do you need more people to stay with you?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯ll definitely stay,¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s head turned toward Gan Qie¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Gan Qie is most likely their target.¡±

    Those people were targeting Gan Qie, not Shao Xuan. Hearing this, Guang Yi felt much assured. Gan Qie was not part of their tribe and he wouldn¡¯t care even if anything happened to him. He didn¡¯t have to worry about Shao Xuan either because he could escape even if there was a difficult enemy. Chacha was with him and it was easy for him to escape. All he had to do was hop on Chacha and fly away, but if more people stayed with him, they would have a hard time escaping.

    Since Shao Xuan was already so firm on this decision, Guang Yi remained silent.

    The next day, the team set off for their destination again, and this time, Guang Yi and Xiang Chen were the leaders of the team. They would bring their people as well as the Lu tribesmen to the ming River region. With them leading the team, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t have to worry about anything going wrong.

    Many in the Lu tribe were doubtful when they saw Shao Xuan and Gan Qie stay behind. The ming Horns did not tell them why Shao Xuan chose to stay back, and after they asked and received no answers, they eventually gave up and stopped questioning. They could tell Shao Xuan stayed behind to fend off some trouble.

    After the sounds of the reared beasts faded into the distance and the team could no longer be seen, Shao Xuan sat on a tree nearby and waited for the people to arrive. Those people definitely had a way to track them. Back then when Robber Eleven entered the secret chamber in the ming River Castle, he also brought an insect box to track Gan Qie. The people from Rock Hill City always had a way to track their target.

    They were in the middle of a forest, but the trees here were not dense. Perhaps it was because people came here often so there weren¡¯t many ancient and tall trees nearby. There were hills here but they weren¡¯t high. This ce was nothingpared to the forests in which fearsome beasts resided.

    Everything was green around them. The morning dew gave the grassy ground a moist appearance.

    Shao Xuan rested on a tree nearby as he waited for those people to approach. As long as they stopped here, those people would definitely be able to find them. If they don¡¯t arrive today, they will definitely arrive tomorrow.

    The ming Horn and Lu tribesmen were already far away. No matter what happened here now, it wouldn¡¯t affect them.

    Gan Qie sat on a giant rock under the shade of a huge tree. Some soldiers once rested in the same spot before. There were some carvings left behind on the stone he sat on, but it was already indiscernible. He couldn¡¯t tell what was written there.

    The hood covered a huge part of Gan Qie¡¯s face. His eyes were hidden, and he looked in the same direction for an entire day. Once his eyes fixated on something, he would stare at it unblinkingly for a whole day, like a stone statue, and he wouldn¡¯t even move or change his position. This was not something an ordinary person could do.

    The sun rose and set. The clouds were painted at the edges by the setting sun, casting a glow of red on the ground beneath them.

    They heard an eagle¡¯s cry in the sky. Shao Xuan got up and looked toward the sound.

    They¡¯re here!

    Not long after, four birds appeared in the sky far away.

    As the figures approached them, Shao Xuan recognized these birds immediately. They were birds tamed by the ve masters in the desert, specifically known as desert eagles. Their ws were identical to other eagles, but they wererger in size and their talons were sharper. When they hunted in the desert, their ws were so sharp that they could dive into the sand and drag their prey out of the sand even if they tried to escape. They fed on poisonous snakes, scorpions, and lizards in the desert.

    Not many of them came. There were only four eagles, and three of them carried one person each. The fourth eagle carried two people.

    Shao Xuan became more vignt. The fewer the people, the more difficult they were to deal with.

    Shao Xuan recognized the two people on the eagle. It was Su Le and another cloaked puppeteer.

    The other desert eagles each carried a person. Su Le and the puppeteer were both holding tightly to their eagle while the other three merely stood on the backs of their eagles. They were very stable too. They were dressed the same way as the desert monster, but Shao Xuan could tell that these three were much different from the ones he encountered in the desert.

    The three figures jumped off the eagles¡¯ backs even before the eaglesnded.

    Stomp Stomp Stomp!

    As the three of themnded, the ground shook as if a meteorite had struck it.

    The ground was cushioned with thick grass, so not much dirt or sand flew up when theynded. After these three figuresnded, they did not move. They just stood there in the dents they created in the ground, and since their faces were covered by cloth, Shao Xuan could not tell what they looked like, but with his special vision, he could see that their bones were much brighter than ordinary bones.

    They did not breathe and had no heartbeat. Even after theynded, they did not pant. They were like wooden chunks that had no feelings.

    Reanimated corpses. These were special human puppets.

    Shao Xuan looked at Gan Qie. These three were very simr to Gan Qie when Shao Xuan first saw him. Perhaps they also came from the same tribe as Gan Qie.

    The only thing that differed was that these people had red energy flowing through their bones controlling them. Their bones were infused with the fire seed¡¯s energy.

    Someone injected a foreign fire seed¡¯s energy into their bones and used this energy to control them. This was not the doing of the person who stood beside Su Le, or else Gan Qie would¡¯ve been made into a puppet back then.

    The strange thing was that Shao Xuan could not sense anyone else nearby. Where was the person who controlled these three puppets? Or did they not require someone to control them?

    Shao Xuan froze at the thought. He had seen the puppets in the desert. Those could only be considered puppets of a high grade, but these three were more unique.

    While Shao Xuan contemted, Su Le and the other eagles had alreadynded on the ground. They were unlike those three reanimated corpses who felt no emotion or pain, so they didn¡¯t jump directly from the sky. They only descended from their eagles after they stood firmly on the ground.

    After Su Le adjusted his stance, he took a nce of the area and his eyes stopped on Gan Qie for a while before he turned to look at Shao Xuan as Shao Xuan jumped down from the tree.

    ¡°Shao Xuan of ming Horn!¡± Su Le roared contemptuously.

    Su Le was furious as he recalled how Su Gu looked at him when he came back all beaten up after losing the fight. He even abandoned his armour and fled for his life back then. The Fallen Leaves Lord was also disappointed in him. Su Le thought about getting the ancient corpse back, and he even took out his treasures and contacted the robbers to get the ancient corpse back from the ming Horn tribe for him. Unfortunately, they lost contact with the robber and other robbers told him that the robber who went had died.

    Luckily, this was his second chance. He could bring this ancient corpse back and this might empower him to win his fight for the throne against Su Gu.

    As he thought about the person who was the cause behind all the trouble he suffered from, Su Le¡¯s eyes zed with fury. However, upon the thought of Shao Xuan¡¯s strength, he began to feel afraid. Luckily, he didn¡¯t need to participate in the fight this time. Even if there were ten of him, he would be no match for Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Chu Xu!¡± Su Le turned to look at the person who stood beside him.

    The person in the yellow cloak didn¡¯t bother to look at Su Le. His gaze had been set on Gan Qie even before they hadnded. He knew that the person sitting there was his target, but he just felt something was wrong. He looked again at the person¡¯s side view and his greenish looking hands. Startled, he red at Shao Xuan, ¡°What have you done?!¡±

    Shao Xuanughed but didn¡¯t speak a word.

    Chu Xu¡¯s cloak carried some sand from the desert. As the wind blew the sand off his sleeves, they suddenly felt the energy of the desert. It was totally different from the energy of the environment they were currently in.

    Chu Xu turned to look again at the cloaked figure on the rock. The greyish-white linen sailed in the wind and pped as the winds blew. He was also cloaked. This person on the rock was even more uniquepared to the three puppets that came with them. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that he didn¡¯t breathe and that the tracker in Chu Xu¡¯s hands pointed to him, Chu Xu would¡¯ve been doubting his own judgement.

    What did the ming Horns do to this ancient corpse?!

    ¡°Why are you wasting your time with all this nonsense?!¡± Su Le was impatient seeing how Chu Xu was just standing there, not taking any action. ¡°Shao Xuan, give that ancient corpse back to us, and we¡¯ll let you go!¡±

    With these three helpers here, even his tone sounded more confident.

    Shao Xuan replied, ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s attitude and tone fueled Su Le¡¯s anger. His eyes and tone clearly showed his mockery and rudeness. He clearly looked down on him. But after thinking about the numerous times he was defeated by Shao Xuan, he inhaled deeply and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s stop the nonsense. Just kill him and get this done with!¡±

    Thetter sentence was an order directed at Chu Xu. He wanted to kill Shao Xuan so he could take the ancient corpse back with them. He never wished to meet Shao Xuan here. If he lost his life here, then everything he nned would be meaningless, but seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s attitude, Su Le wasn¡¯t able to let him go easily. His father, the Fallen Leaves Lord, once said, ¡°These three puppets are different from normal puppets.¡± If they are used against Shao Xuan¡¯s ming sword, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, right?

    After thinking about this, Su Le became even more afraid, ¡°Chu Xu! What are you waiting for? Attack!¡±

    The person who stood beside Su Le continued to disregard what Su Le said because he noticed how the cloaked person was ncing at him. In the shade, a pair of eyes looked straight at him under the hood!

    Chu Xu told Shao Xuan once again after seeing those unnerving eyes, ¡°Let hime with us. We need to take him back to Rock Hill City.¡±

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t move. ¡°This I have no control over. You guys should ask him yourself and see what he thinks. If he wants to go, even if I want to, I can¡¯t stop him.¡±

    What did he mean by this?

    They were all doubtful, but very soon, Su Le and Chu Xu heard the person on the rock say, ¡°Who are you guys?¡± His tone was calm and did not carry any emotion.

    ¡°He...spoke!¡± Su Le felt the numbness spread across his skull. Chills travelled down his spine.

    Wasn¡¯t this an ancient corpse? How was it able to speak?

    Chu Xu was even more shocked. It was impossible for puppets to speak because they were dead. Who was this sitting on the rock? Chu Xu had personally set him under an animal cart before and he knew this corpse very well. Howe he became apletely different person?

    ¡°He¡¯s definitely under the ming Horn¡¯s control! Chu Xu, attack!¡± Su Le was so scared that his voice became ear-piercingly loud as he screamed.

    Chu Xu did not hesitate any longer. He also wanted to find out what happened to the ancient corpse.

    ¡°Attack!¡± Chu Xu yelled.

    After hismand, the three cloaked figures shot forward like arrows aimed at Gan Qie, who was still sitting on the rock.

    Sensing the sudden tense atmosphere, Gan Qie flinched and felt the muscles on his body tighten. All around him, he could feel the chills as the temperature decreased.

    These were his tribesmen. Even before they appeared, Gan Qie felt their presence. However, besides this fact, he could also feel a murderous energy within their bodies, and it was directed at him.

 Chapter 771 - The Last Han Tribesman (2 in 1 Chapter)

    <h4>Chapter 771 The Last Han Tribesman (2 in 1 Chapter)</h4>

    Three on one.

    Shao Xuan was thinking about whether he should help, but Gan Qie looked like he didn¡¯t want Shao Xuan to intervene.

    Shao Xuan decided to wait and observe the situation before making any moves. This was a battle between the Han tribesmen after all.

    Gan Qie was excited when he first saw his own tribesmen, but this excitement was soon reced by a shattering disappointment. Even though he was already mentally prepared, he couldn¡¯t help but feel disappointed at this sight.

    The greenish-ck fist erged as it approached Gan Qie¡¯s eyes. In the blink of an eye, it would hit him. This fist carried a powerful energy capable ofnding a death blow.The owner of this fist had summoned all his energy and punched like he wasunching a spear. No words were exchanged but the message was clear enough. Kill!

    Even though his opponent¡¯s face was veiled, Gan Qie could still recognise him.

    He could recognise all three of them. Even though they had been asleep for very long and couldn¡¯t remember anything, he remembered them.

    The other two were also ready to attack. The sharp brown w-like nails on their hands shed through the air and caused a sharp whistling sound. Their hands were like the fangs of a venomous snake, ready to bite down any moment.

    Gan Qie did not dodge the attacks. Facing such powerful attacks, he stood still against the other three and let them sh directly into him.

    Bang!

    Fists and arms bumped. The energy emanating from the impact disturbed the air all around them.

    Strong winds shot out in all directions.

    The three men in yellow cloaks had arms and fists that were like carefully designed spears and hammers. They easily cut a deep scratch on the rock Gan Qie sat on.

    Shao Xuan even noticed how those brown fingernails caused sparks to appear as they scratched across the rock. These w-like fingernails were about to cut at Gan Qie¡¯s face in the very next moment.

    The three of them attacked together, forcing Gan Qie to constantly retreat. These four clearly had no weapons, but when they fought with their fists and kicks, it sounded no different from the clinking sound of metallic weapons shing together. When their arms rubbed, it sounded like the scratchy sound of metal and the fierce way they fought was not a feat any ordinary human could achieve. They were like fearsome beasts that were tearing at each other, disregarding their own lives.

    With every stagger, Gan Qie looked like he was withstanding a strong pressure. When he tried to withstand the force by pushing with his feet deeper into the ground, the grass was lifted into the air and the ground sank in. Stones and dirt crumbled at his feet and some rocks were sted up into the air. Where the ground was dry, deeper cracks formed upon the impact.

    Within a few moments, trees began to split and crack. They were either bumped by Gan Qie or broke during their fight. The initially t ground was now full of dents. Most of the lush green grass that previously cushioned the ground had been uprooted. Only patches were left here and there, scattered as they awaited their destiny.

    Stones and dirt constantly flew up into the air and it felt like the entire ground was shaking. Strong winds filled the atmosphere as the four fought amidst chaos.

    Gan Qie was already wounded quite badly. Some flesh on his body was wed by the sharp nails and many of his bones were either fractured or broken. If these injuries happened to an ordinary man, his expression would turn sour due to the pain, but Gan Qie seemed to not have noticed it at all. The other three also had no feelings. Gan Qie¡¯s kick sted them into the air and caused the bones to crack in their bodies, but they were still able to fight in the next moment like nothing had happened.

    Su Le kept hearing a rumbling sound by his ear. He shivered as he thought about how the Fallen Leaves Lord beat him up before and the pain he endured.

    Even the sounds made his body hurt.

    These three were indeed different from the normal puppets he usually saw. They were truly powerful puppets his father hired. They were undefeatable and undying monsters.

    Chu Xu watched beside Su Le as the four of them fought. He knew clearly that Gan Qie was the true unkible monster, but at the same time, he was unhappy that the ancient corpse was stolen by the ming Horns. Chu Xu¡¯s heart sank as he watched the four fight. That ancient corpse once belonged to them, but it was stolen by the ming Horns. Seeing how the three puppets were attacking Gan Qie, Chu Xu wasn¡¯t sure if he was able to bring Gan Qie back fully intact.

    Their main goal was to get rid of the ancient corpse that was stolen, but Chu Xu felt that this was too unfortunate. He didn¡¯t know how the ming Horns managed to change the ancient corpse, but since they already took control of the ancient corpse, they had no choice but to destroy it.

    ¡°How unfortunate. With that body of his, he would make such a powerful puppet.¡±

    As Chu Xu sighed, he red at Shao Xuan. Suddenly, his mouth split into a smile. In his mind he thought, ¡®Once we get rid of this ancient corpse, you won¡¯t be able to escape.¡¯

    Shao Xuan also sensed Chu Xu¡¯s re. He could kill these two right away if he wanted to, but what he cared most at the moment was the battle between the four Han tribesmen. Chu Xu and Su Le were just side characters. If Chu Xu was indeed the person controlling the three reanimated corpses, Shao Xuan would¡¯ve made a move on him right away, but Shao Xuan could tell that Chu Xu didn¡¯t have such power. Those three puppets were too powerful. They weren¡¯t something someone like Chu Xu could control.

    Those three puppets fought with such speed and power that even Chu Xu was no match for them. After recalling the puppets he encountered back in the desert andparing those with these, not only were their energies different when they attacked, the energy source that controlled them werepletely different from Chu Xu¡¯s.

    The person who truly had control over these three puppets were even more powerful.

    Who else was around?

    Shao Xuan scanned his surroundings even more carefully. There were indeed no others around.

    If the controller of these puppets hadn¡¯te over with this group, could it be that these three puppets could function without their master¡¯s direct control?

    Perhaps these three had been programmed to obey somemand and Chu Xu merely had the switch that could turn thatmand on. He wasn¡¯t the puppeteer.

    Shao Xuan could tell with his special vision that the three puppets had two energies within their bones. These energies were from two separate fire seeds. One was the Han tribe¡¯s fire seed while the other belonged to the person who controlled these puppets.

    The strange thing was that this energy was different from the ones Shao Xuan had seen in the desert puppets before. It wasn¡¯t from the same fire seed and it didn¡¯t seemplete. It was as if someone had deliberately filtered their energy so that what was left did not repel the Han tribe¡¯s fire seed. This was the only way it could coexist with the Han fire seed¡¯s energy.

    The two energies within the bones of these three puppets functioned differently. Let¡¯s say that if the Han tribe¡¯s fire seed energy was like the trunk and limbs of a person¡¯s body, then the other fire seed yed the role of the brain, controlling the movements of their bodies.

    As the four fought, the cloaks they wore were torn and scratched as punches flew and nails wed. The faces of the three puppets who were initially veiled were finally exposed.

    These three looked simr to when Shao Xuan first discovered Gan Qie in the coffin, like a dried ancient corpse. The only thing that differed was that Gan Qie wasn¡¯t really dead. He was only deep asleep, but these three hadpletely lost their consciousness. Ever since they were made into puppets, they were no longer the same Han tribesmen they were before.

    Gan Qie¡¯s punch sent one of them sprawling, and within the split second that person stayed in the air, he immediately tore the tattered cloak away from his body. It was already sunset now and the sun was about to disappear soon. He no longer had to cover his body.

    The scars that were previously inflicted on him when he entered the woods near the Lu tribe had already recovered. All of those scars had disappeared. Now, the wounds on his body were much worse than back then. Some parts of his internal organs were punched out of his body.

    There was no time to pant or breathe. After Gan Qie sted one of them into the sky, the other two continued to follow him tightly. Every blow was fatal and their attacks were as fast as raindrops in a heavy storm. They hit Gan Qie in the shoulders, abdomen, and limbs.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s brows tightened as he watched the battle intensify.

    Gan Qie¡¯s mindset wasn¡¯t right.

    Even though these three were strong and fought like skilled soldiers, there was no way Gan Qie couldn¡¯t return a blow. He wasn¡¯t even putting in his all and his punches were rather weak. It was as if he was purposely letting them beat him up. If he used as much power as he did when he killed those people in the woods outside the Lu tribe, maybe just half, he wouldn¡¯t have ended up in such a critical condition.

    Not good.

    If he continued to let them beat him like this, he wouldn¡¯tst long even with his strong physique,

    Shao Xuan took a step forward and his hand reached for his de as he rushed to help, but Gan Qie said, ¡°Don¡¯te over.¡±

    Shao Xuan immediately halted and returned to where he was. Since Gan Qie decided to fight alone, he would not interrupt, but if anything happened as a consequence, Gan Qie had to ept his fate.

    Actually, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t exactly nning to help him. All he intended was to let Gan Qie know that he had to change his strategy. If he continued to fight like this, he would only be defeated.

    Gan Qie continued to retreat under the pressure. Even though no one could tell what he felt by his expression, he was actually filled with a sense of helplessness and anger. He knew that these three were going to kill him and had even thought about how he should face his own tribesmen before after hearing the news from Robber Eleven that they had been enved. He was still hesitant against these three since they were once part of the same family. They were all Han tribesmen and they were most likely the only ones left in this world. The others had all died away in history.

    As Gan Qie immersed himself in thought, bones cracked in his chest and he was propelled into the air. In the next moment, another puppet appeared behind him and punched with both fists. Before he evennded on the ground, one of them punched him into the air again.

    This was truly a group attack. He was being surrounded and beaten up by these three puppets.

    Suddenly, Gan Qie had a strange feeling, as if his soul suddenly left his body. All of a sudden, he became an onlooker watching his body being constantly attacked. Murderous energy emanated from the three attackers¡¯ bodies as they fought. The eleven Han tribesmen who had their merged fire seed within them were already stronger than most ordinary humans, so clearly their attacks wouldn¡¯t be weak.

    Actually, Gan Qie had lost hope on living. His tribe no longer existed. In this world, there were no other Han tribesmen besides him. What meaning was there if he was the only one left?

    But deep down in his heart, he had another thought. This was the same consciousness that pushed him to question those who had merged their fire seeds and those who had left their tribes and no longer lived like tribesmen. This thought was what made him seek for an answer, an answer that could convince him.

    In this near-death moment, he was about to be killed by the three puppets. This was when a conclusion entered his mind.

    In the sudden ckout, he suddenly shbacked to a moment in the past. Eleven colourful figures appeared in his memory and they were discussing something. He knew that this was the time when their shaman had called them over to have a final discussion on their fire seed¡¯s fate. At that time, they were ready to sacrifice their lives for their tribe and their fire seed.

    Suddenly, in the abysmal space, the colourful figures began to fade. The first few to disappear were the ones who were already badly injured. One after the next, they began to disappear and finally, only one of them was left.

    That was Gan Qie himself.

    Had the Han tribe disappeared?

    No, it was still here.

    As long as he lived, the Han tribe would live on, even if he was the only one left in the tribe.

    He could be the walking proof that the Han tribe previously walked the earth once and had not disappeared in the historical timeline.

    Poof poof poof!

    The three puppets had six hands. Sharp ws pierced Gan Qie at his shoulder des, his chest, and his back. His spine was about to be cut at this moment. Two other arms were propelled towards Gan Qie but were suddenly grasped by both his hands.

    These hands were aimed at his head, but Gan Qie stopped them before they were halfway there.

    Gan Qie looked at the two people in front of him. Their dried grey faces were no longer recognisable. Only Gan Qie remembered what they initially looked like. Too bad.

    ¡°You¡¯re all dead already,¡± Gan Qie said calmly. ¡°All of you are dead.¡±

    Every word felt like a heavy rock that burdened his heart.

    ¡°But I must not die!¡±

    After the veryst word, thest bit of sadness in his eyes faded and disappeared. What reced it was a murderous glint portending bloodshed.

    Seeing how everything suddenly halted, Su Le and Chu Xu had no clue what had happened.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Su Le was stunned. Howe they stopped fighting?

    Chu Xu¡¯s eyelids jerked wildly as chills travelled down his back. It was an ominous feeling.

    Something was wrong. Very wrong.

    ¡°Behead him!¡± Chu Xu yelled at the three puppets.

    However, the three puppets were all frozen and did not react to theirmand.

    Shao Xuan was also shocked when he saw this. Gan Qie¡¯s body was about to be torn apart, but in this moment, things were surprisingly changing in Gan Qie¡¯s favour.

    It wasn¡¯t because the three Han puppets suddenly gained consciousness. Rather, it was because the energy that was supporting their body¡¯s movement was changing.

    In Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision, he could see that the energy within the three puppet¡¯s bodies were flowing towards Gan Qie¡¯s body.

    Everything in the air was changing too. Gan Qie could feel the sweat on his body drying up.

    It was as if all the moisture in the air was being extracted at a rapid speed.

    The fire seed¡¯s energy.

    Shao Xuan was extremely sensitive to fire seed energies. The fire seed energy that was appearing now was the same as the one within Gan Qie¡¯s body.

    ¡°The Han tribe¡¯s fire seed.¡±

    Even though the Han tribe¡¯s fire seed was gone, it was merged within eleven of their bodies. The three Han puppets Su Le brought over also had this energy within them. But now, Gan Qie was extracting all of that energy from the other three¡¯s bodies.

    A leaf fell to the ground.

    More leaves.

    Shao Xuan turned his head to look.

    The tree had green lush leaves moments ago, but now, all of these leaves had begun to fall. There was no way this was caused by the wind. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that all of these fallen leaves had wilted.

    After inhaling deeply, Shao Xuan blew a sharp whistle.

    As he hovered in the sky, Chacha thought about starting a fight with the four desert eagles, but upon hearing Shao Xuan¡¯s whistle, he immediately flew down.

    Shao Xuan jumped on the eagle¡¯s back and said, ¡°Hurry, we must leave now. Something bad is about to happen.¡±

    Gan Qie, who was standing there silently a while ago, suddenly widened his eyes and let out a loud shriek very different from the one he let out in the ming River Castle. This time, his shriek sounded like the beginning of a storm, but also resembled strong winds, blizzard, and a tsunami, all at the same time. In his shriek, one could hear the sounds of many beasts roaring at the same time. It was extremely unusual.

    As he let out this loud roar, the energy around him began to surge. Not far away, a mountain began to shake. Suddenly, the entire earth was shaking.

    Even Shao Xuan, who had been carried away by Chacha could feel the cold air currents flowing past the sleeves of his clothes.

    A strong energy was heading in their direction, ready to descend on the forest.

    Su Le could tell that the situation had changed. This was not what they had expected. Their foreheads were wet with cold sweat after hearing the long shriek.

    Su Le got to his senses after seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Hurry! Let¡¯s leave!¡±

    Su Le blew a sharp whistle and waited for the desert eagle to descend, but the eagles were afraid of the dangers below. They continued to hover in the sky and even after hearing Su Le¡¯s whistle, they hesitated tond.

    Su Le was so furious that he swore he was going to feed these eagles to his ves once he got back, but this was not the time to be mad. A deadly energy was spreading around this ce.

    ¡°Hurry ande down!¡± Su Le cried out impatiently.

    If the desert eagles don¡¯te down, Su Le had no choice but to run.

    Seeing how those three puppets were not responding to hismand, Chu Xu also dashed after Su Le and escaped for their lives.

    Pop, pop, pop.

    A sound that resembled beans popping began to ring behind them. Su Le didn¡¯t dare to look back.

    Gan Qie felt an energy amassing within his body. This energy was not purely Han. Some parts of it repelled his force. This was the energy that was used to control these puppets. As he absorbed it, Gan Qie felt his skin tear. The deeper this energy seeped through, the deeper it tore within him. It pierced him all the way into the bone, but he had to stand strong against it. Perhaps the person who injected this energy also considered this possibility too and thus made the decision. If Gan Qie forcefully sucked in all of the energy within the three bodies, not only might he fail, he might even lose his own life.

    Just as this sharp energy current pierced through his body, Gan Qie suddenly sensed another energy appear. This energy blocked away the foreign energy¡¯s repulsion, allowing Gan Qie to continue absorbing this energy.

    This new energy was the one Shao Xuan used to summon him awake. It had always been within his body.

    It used this chance to transfer all the energy Gan Qie had absorbed to all parts of his body. Every meridian, every bone, and every small inch of his body received this energy.

    Live!

    I must live!

    I must take back what belongs to the Han tribe! Our fire seed¡¯s energy!

    Gan Qie felt the strong waves of energy pulsing through his body. It felt like the collective power of thousands of fearsome beasts. The connective tissues on his arm evolved and began to reshape themselves. Every strand of muscle began to bulge and dance. All of his bones cracked loudly and sounded like they were constantly being extended and contracted, or perhaps being rearranged. Countless thin lines started to envelop Gan Qie¡¯s body. The crossing totemic lines resembled the strong vines that grew in the most arid ces in the desert. These lines crossed and ovepped, slowly spreading all across his body.

    Gan Qie heard the familiar sound of blood flowing through all the blood vessels in his body, but he knew clearly that this wasn¡¯t blood. It was the energy of the fire seed.

    As this energy increased, Gan Qie roared once again, this time even more ear-piercing and deafening than before. This roar was even louder and inflicted more fear than the previous one. The mixed emotions hidden within the roar made everyone¡¯s heart rate increase. It sounded as if a giant ancient beast long asleep was finally awake now.

    The energy Gan Qie absorbed finally exploded in this moment. It spread across thend and wrecked destruction. It felt no different from the Rock Hill Desert at night. Dry yet cold.

    Gan Qie¡¯s hair follicles had died away in the passage of time, but suddenly they grew out again at a fast speed. This was not the usual hair colour. It was white.

    On his bald head, strands of white hair sprouted. They sailed in the air as the strong energy current flushed out from his body.

    Sharp brown nails resembling the ws of fearsome beasts extended from his fingertips. It reflected the remains of the sunset, but it carried no warmth.

    The dark energy of the yellow desert began to flow out from Gan Qie¡¯s body, from bottom to top.

    The ground under Gan Qie¡¯s feet instantly desertified and all the grass became dry. Underneath the ground, a strong energy was about to surface.

    Boom!

    The desert smoke continued to expand at a rapid speed in all directions. Where it passed, countless trees and grass immediately wilted and leaves fell to the ground. Upon drying up, the branches even snapped and fell to the ground.

    Su Le and Chu Xu initially thought they were out of the danger zone, but as the energy expanded quickly and reached them, they turned to look and began to run even faster, but it was already toote.

    The desert energy had already spread all around them. Their pace slowed and their muscles shrank and dried as the desert energy entered their bodies through their feet and sucked away their moisture.

    The three puppets were closest to Gan Qie. They crumbled like brittle rocks and fell to the ground. These rocks immediately softened into dust and were soon swept away by the wind.

    Gan Qie was left standing there all alone in the dark night. He was like a deadly sword that stood tall amidst the cold desert night.

 Chapter 772 - Deadland

    Chapter 772

    Deand

    The sky was pitch ck and it was silent everywhere.

    The desert energy and the Han fire seed¡¯s energy slowly dissipated and finally disappeared.

    Shao Xuan looked down from the sky. Gan Qie was still standing in the same ce. Chacha took him to a safe hiding ce far away from the destructive desert energy. That was why Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see what had happened to Gan Qie. He could only tell that Gan Qie¡¯s bones had be brighter after his transformation.

    This meant that the fire seed¡¯s energy caused a new transformation in his body. It was like he had been redesigned.

    There were initially four of them, but Gan Qie was the only one left now. The other three had disappeared. They finally died after their energies were extracted. Even their bones turned to ashes. Since the fire seed¡¯s energy had been extracted within their bodies, there was no longer a driving force propelling them forward.

    However, Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t sure if Gan Qie was rational or not at the moment, so he nned to wait for a while before going down to check on him. If he wasn¡¯t conscious, he might attack Shao Xuan like he did with the others.

    Meanwhile, Su Le and Chu Xu were still on the run. They seemed to have been affected by the desert energy. They stumbled on their way and their pace slowed over time.

    Gan Qie finally moved.

    His footsteps produced tip-tap sounds as he walked. The Han puppets were nothing but ashes now. The tattered remains of their cloaks drifted across the sandy ground as the wind carried them away. Gan Qie took a nce at the cloaks before his eyes turned towards the direction in which Su Le and Chu Xu escaped.

    Tip-tap, tip-taptip-taptip-tap...

    The sound of footsteps grew louder and faster. Su Le and Chu Xu recalled what they saw moments ago and trembled in fear and hopelessness as the footsteps elerated in their direction. They had no courage to fight at all.

    The murderous energy travelled so fast in their direction. They could even hear the sound of Gan Qie¡¯s arm slicing the air.

    Chu Xu, the weaker of the two, tripped on a stone and stumbled. One of his teeth was chipped by a rock as his face mmed to the ground. He didn¡¯t even have the time to grunt about the tooth he just lost. He had to act fast. Chu Xu grasped a rock and threw it behind him with as much strength he could muster and didn¡¯t even look back as he threw the rock.

    Bang!

    Small sparkles lit the night as Chu Xu threw the rock. Instantly, it was already broken into small chunks.

    Chu Xu listened to the sounds behind him as quivered helplessly.

    That person was clearly no different from the other ancient corpses. What changed about him? What did the ming Horns do to him?

    Caught up in his thoughts, Chu Xu suddenly felt a burning sensation shoot up his back, as if a thorny cane had swept across his back, ripping his skin.

    ¡°Ahh!¡±

    The cry of terror sounded through the night. This sound made Su Le shiver and run even faster. He thought he could escape if Chu Xu managed to hold Gan Qie back for a while but after the terrifying cry, Chu Xu becamepletely silent. The shifting tip-tap sound was getting louder behind him and it was approaching him at a very high speed.

    His feet were sore. Perhaps it was because of the yellow desert energy from moments ago. The energy was so strong that it prevented him from travelling at his maximum speed. However, the person behind him continued to run like a wild fearsome beast chasing after its prey.

    Su Le thought that he was already very far from Gan Qie and even had high hopes of escape. Now, he knew that he had underestimated his opponent.

    Shao Xuan knew after hearing the terrifying cries as well as the trembling sounds rattling across the ground that Su Le and Chu Xu would not be able to live until tomorrow.

    Gan Qie¡¯s main intention wasn¡¯t to kill them. Rather, he was trying to vent his anger out on them.

    Even though the three Han puppets had lost their consciousness and became killing machines, they were once Han tribesmen. Perhaps they even had a close connection with Gan Qie a long time ago.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look for a ce to rest. We¡¯lle back and check on him tomorrow,¡± Shao Xuan said to Chacha because he didn¡¯t know how long Gan Qie would stay in this condition. He wanted to let Chacha rest on a mountain nearby for the time being.

    Chacha was already exhausted after flying for an entire day. Plus, Chacha felt how dangerous Gan Qie was and did not want to stay anywhere nearby. That was why he lifted off instantly as soon as he heard Shao Xuan¡¯s words.

    No trees survived the desert energy explosion. Perhaps some nts and animals managed to survive, but a long time would pass before they recovered from the damage. At least it would be hard for them to fully recover in a short time.

    The next day was still a bright sunny day.

    Shao Xuan went over to take a look at the ce. Gan Qie was still there. Now, he was sitting on a rock, deeply immersed in thought. If it weren¡¯t for the white hair on his head and the dark brown ws that extended from his fingers, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have noticed any other differences.

    The energy around Gan Qie seemed stable now. Hearing footsteps approaching, Gan Qie turned to look. As he turned, Shao Xuan saw a new fresh look in his bloody eyes as well as two beast fangs in his mouth.

    Shao Xuan was speechless. So much had changed overnight.

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s surprised look, Gan Qie looked at the ws on his hands. Gaining control over the new energy in his body, the totemic lines slowly faded and his brown w-like nails also retracted. The fangs in his mouth also disappeared. Now, no one would be able to tell how much destructive energy was contained in his seemingly weak body.

    Gan Qie¡¯s physique had also changed. There were some newly evolved structures in his skeleton now. Every inch of his bone was extended and new bones appeared in his arms and feet. Some of these changes weren¡¯t as obvious because they were covered by his skin, but they were still noticeable.

    Fire seed can bring changes to a person¡¯s body and can even change a person¡¯s internal structures. This was the first time Shao Xuan noticed this on a person¡¯s body. Many warriors could also transform after activating their totemic energy, but that was just a temporary change for battle. After ending the battle and deactivating their energy, they would return to their initial looks. Gan Qie¡¯s case was not like this. The changes in his body were permanent and these structures wouldn¡¯t disappear even when he retracted his energy.

    Shao Xuan was also doubtful about the fact that Gan Qie could absorb the energy from the three puppets and make this energy his own. This was not something anyone could do.

    Gan Qie seemed mentally awake and had no intention to attack. Just like before, Shao Xuan asked him, ¡°What are your ns now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about joining arms with the ming Horn tribe. What do you think?¡±

    What he meant was he would follow Shao Xuan back to the ming Horn¡¯s territory and that he wouldn¡¯t head to the desert for now.

    Shao Xuan looked at Gan Qie in surprise and nodded, ¡°We can discuss more about thister. We must find you a cloak first.¡± After yesterday¡¯s battle, Gan Qie¡¯s cloak had been destroyed. Shao Xuan felt he shouldn¡¯t bring him around uncloaked.

    Upon hearing this, Gan Qie noticed that he wasn¡¯t wearing his cloak. No wonder he felt so ufortable. The sun was out.

    Gan Qie looked up at the sun. The sun could not do him real damage and could only make him feel uneasy at most. He just didn¡¯t feel good under the sun, and after he absorbed the other three¡¯s energies, this feeling grew even stronger.

    Not far away, Chu Xu and Su Le¡¯s corpses were already covered by a thickyer of sand. Their corpses could no longer be identified even if they were found because they were so badly damaged. Even if people from Rock Hill City came here, they might not be able to recognise these two bodies. Yesterday when Gan Qie attacked them with fury and hatred, his energy was scorchingly dry.

    The sun was already up high when Shao Xuan and Gan Qie left the desertifiednd.

    Five figures appeared on a mountain nearby. They were tribesmen who lived in this region.

    ¡°What do you guys reckon happened herest night?¡± a person asked as the group climbed up the hill. His watchful eyes scanned his surroundings as he spoke in a careful tone.

    Their tribe lived nearby, so they heard the sounds from the previous night and even felt a strong energy that made them shiver. They just didn¡¯t dare toe out then because they couldn¡¯t see well in the dark and they were afraid of losing their own lives. Another reason was that they were not confident in their own strength and didn¡¯t think they could escape in time if anything bad happened. The energyst night was too overwhelming for them.

    ¡°Was it a fearsome beast?¡± someone guessed.

    ¡°No way. There are no fearsome beasts in this area, unless someone brought them here. Our shaman even said that the powerful energy belonged to a fire seed. But no one knows what happenedst night.¡±

    ¡°Was a tribe merging their fire seed?¡±

    ¡°We came here so many times, how can there be a tribe we don¡¯t know about? The truth is there are no tribes here!¡±

    As he said this, the group of five arrived at the peak of the mountain. Their tribe was quite some distance away, so every time they returned home, they would have to go up a mountain on one side and travel down the other. Since there were fruits at the mountaintop, they often picked some on their way back home.

    These tribesmen panted and wiped the sweat on their foreheads as they carried bamboo baskets on their backs. The ce in front of them was where the energy came from the previous night.

    As they watched the damage done to thend there, they were so terrified that their arms froze midway as they wiped away the sweat on their foreheads. Their eyes widened in shock and their jaws dropped. They stayed speechless for a while.

    After rubbing their eyes, they looked again. Indeed! It was still the same!

    ¡°What...what happened here?!¡±

    The five people on the mountaintop were all shocked by what they saw.

    As far as their eyes could see, everything that used to be green dried and wilted. It was springtime and flowers should be blooming, but everything here was dry and dead. There was no colour and life here. Everything from the green in the trees to the colours in the flowers and grass was now dry and yellow.

    It was as if the life force had been stripped from thisnd entirely. Thisnd was now a deand.

    When they finally got to their senses, they ran wildly back to their tribe. They had to spread the message and let everyone in their tribe know to note here. What if people came and died just like the trees and grass did?

    Very soon, word spread about thisnd and different versions of stories were told about this desertified region. Some stories said that a king beast appeared and others imed that some tribe had deliberately caused this. Some even said that it was the people from the other side who did this. Well, there were many stories told about this desertifiednd, but no one knew the truth since nobody was there when it happened.

 Chapter 773 - Flaming River Basin

    <h4>Chapter 773 ming River Basin</h4>

    Shao Xuan and Gan Qie ran quickly. Shao Xuan on Chacha¡¯s back in the sky, so he was faster than people who travelled by foot. There were no mountains in their way either. Gan Qie was different from most ordinary humans and he could run for a whole day without rest and not feel tired.

    It hadn¡¯t even been three days when Shao Xuan caught up to the rest of their team.

    The ming Horns finally felt at ease when they saw Shao Xuane back safely.

    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Guang Yi asked as his eyes scanned Shao Xuan up and down. He didn¡¯t seem injured.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. I wasn¡¯t their target,¡± Shao Xuan then told them briefly about their encounter with Su Le and Chu Xu.

    Guang Yi looked over at Gan Qie. Even though he barely remembered faces, he remembered how Gan Qie looked like before. He had pale green skin and a bald head. He always seemed lifeless, like there was ack of blood in his body. He could tell that Gan Qie had changed his clothes, but upon a closer look, he noticed something else. How did he gain so much white hair?

    Guang Yi thought it was because he hadn¡¯t noticed this before, so he asked the others if they noticed the changes in his hair. He received the same answer.

    ¡°Howe he changed so much?! And I feel like...¡± Guang Yi¡¯s eyes scanned Gan Qie up and down quickly. His intuition was unmistakable, ¡°This person seems even more dangerous than before.¡±

    The other ming Horns beside Guang Yi nodded in agreement. Even though they couldn¡¯t tell much from his appearance, long term training and hunting in the forest made their senses keener to beastlike characteristics.

    Shao Xuan told Guang Yi and the others about how Gan Qie transformed as well as the changes that had taken ce where the battle happened. If anything simr happened in the future, at least they could recall this incident.

    ¡°You mean, the forest where we rested just now and the mountains around it all became a piece of deand?¡± If Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t the person who told them about this, Guang Yi would¡¯ve thought he was tricking him.

    ¡°The fire seed¡¯s energy is truly powerful. If you guys recall our ancestor¡¯s power, this all makes sense,¡± Guang Yi recalled the power Shao Xuan summoned when they crossed the sea a long time ago. That wasn¡¯t something any ordinary human could do.

    ¡°That¡¯s true! Right!¡± the others weren¡¯t as surprised after hearing Guang Yi¡¯s analysis, especially those who came from the other side with Shao Xuan. No one knew better about the experience they had back then more than they did. They were the ones who were there when it happened after all.

    After the others left to tend to their own duties, Guang Yi asked Shao Xuan in a low voice, ¡°Won¡¯t he be a threat to the ming Horn tribe?¡± After speaking, his finger pointed to where Gan Qie was but he tried not to make it seem obvious.

    ¡°His enemy is Rock Hill City, and he¡¯s no match for them right now,¡± Shao Xuan said. To Gan Qie, the Rain tribe was less of an enemypared to Rock Hill City.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Guang Yi didn¡¯t need to hear the rest of Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation to understand what he meant. Since Gan Qie¡¯s enemy was Rock Hill City and the ming Horns were such a powerful group, they could work together. He didn¡¯t want a powerful tribe like the ming Horns to be his enemy anyways. He needed an ally, and the ming Horns didn¡¯t mind having an additional ally against Rock Hill City.

    The team encountered some problems on the way but they had all been solved. Even though the Lu tribe lost some of their reared beasts on the way, the losses weren¡¯t significant.

    The reared beasts that were too weak and couldn¡¯t keep up with the rest of the team were ughtered and fed to the team of warriors. The cubs were locked in cages and carried by carts.

    Some expedition teams wanted to rob the Lu tribesmen when they saw the number of reared beasts they had, but upon noticing the ming Horns, they immediately ceased to have such thoughts. As they looked closer, they noticed that even the Grand Elder was with them. It was better not to mess with them, they thought.

    People who went to the trading point often had to know some important individuals there. Even if they didn¡¯t know any other ming Horns, they had to remember Elder Zheng Luo who was in charge of guarding the trading point, and the Grand Elder Shao Xuan.

    The Lu tribesmen had been vignt towards these expedition teams. Whenever they saw an expedition team nearby, they would begin to worry because the members of these teams all looked strong and fierce, and even seemed like robbers. Their axes were stained with blood that might¡¯ve belonged to a beast or human. They carried beast hides and other important goods in their wagons.

    ¡°They came from the trading point,¡± Guang Yi said after scanning their wagons. He couldn¡¯t remember people, but he could remember the beast hides and beast bones as well as other goods they sold in the trading point. Even though most of these goods were covered, some parts that were exposed easily gave it away.

    Shao Xuan looked towards the expedition team. His eyes were affixed on their leader. He remembered that person. Right at this moment, that person waved at Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan also nodded in acknowledgement. This was a greeting between tribesmen.

    ¡°He recognised me!¡± the leader of the group had mmy palms when Shao Xuan smiled at him. If they really decided on making a move on these people, they had to get rid of this Grand Elder too. Or else they would not be able to live in peace and would never be allowed to enter the trading point ever again. They would have to remain in their tribe and hide from the ming Horns who will be chasing after them.

    After some thought, the leader of the group forced a weak smile and then turned to his team who was still drooling over the Lu tribe¡¯s reared beasts, ¡°What are you guys looking at? Hurry and move!¡±

    Thus, the Lu tribesmen watched as the expedition team turned away and left unwillingly, turning their heads to look back after taking a few steps. It seemed as if those people were ready toe over to rob them any moment, but somehow they held back the urge and walked away.

    The Lu tribesmen looked toward the ming Horns. They watched as the expedition teams left. Bai Xing felt fortunate that he followed the ming Horns. This saved them from a lot of trouble.

    When the team finally saw a stone sign marked with the ming Horn totem, the Lu tribesmen were the most excited amongst the group.

    This sign told them the direction to the trading point. It meant that if anyone walked in that direction, they would arrive at the ming River trading point.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally here!¡± A migration didn¡¯t just tire them physically. They were emotionally and mentally burdened as well. They had just merged their fire seed not long ago, so they felt an even stronger sense of fear and uncertainty.

    The Lu tribesmen didn¡¯t need to go to the trading point. Their destination was somewhere else upstream.

    ¡±Since we¡¯re already here, we should part ways,¡± Shao Xuan decided to head to the trading point with the rest of the ming Horn team. They were going to different ces after all.

    ¡±Wait!¡± Bai Xing called out to Shao Xuan. He paced over hurriedly with the worry that they might leave if he didn¡¯t rush over.

    Seeing the ming Horns¡¯ confused faces, Bai Xing smiled awkwardly, ¡°Our ming Horn brothers, will you be so nice to lead us to our destination? We¡¯ll pay you back in a fine sum!¡±

    Shao Xuan knew that they were afraid of other expedition teams robbing them. There were too many expedition teams nearby, so it made sense that Bai Xing was so worried.

    ¡±Sure,¡± Shao Xuan looked at the ming Horn team. None of them looked unwilling. Since it wasn¡¯t far and many of them were also interested in which plot ofnd the Lu tribesmen chose to settle on, they thought that it would be good if they went there first. They had to pass by in the future anyways.

    Thus, Shao Xuan and the others escorted the Lu tribe to their final destination before they headed back to the trading point.

    ¡°More people are in the trading point now,¡± Shao Xuan remarked upon noticing the changes.

    They didn¡¯te from the other side. Some of them had weird totemic signs that he had never seen before. Some of these people seemed like they were here for the first time. They beheld everything with curious eyes and remained vignt towards everyone around them.

    Gan Qie left without a word to the secret chamber underground to think about his life. Shao Xuan went to look for Zheng Luo. He wanted to understand the current situation at the trading point. These tribesmen who hade over to the trading point lived near the shores of the ming River, just a little farther away from the ming Horns. They either lived in ces that were harder to find or the ming Horns had never noticed them before.

    ¡°What are they here for?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°They said that they want to know how to merge their fire seed. Many of them met with the chief already. You can head back to headquarters and see for yourself. Gui He probably has a lot of questions for you,¡± Zheng Luo said.

    Since this was the case, Shao Xuan didn¡¯t stay in the trading point too long. He left for headquarters immediately.

    When Shao Xuan arrived, Gui He was reading a beast hide scroll with a bitter expression. That was the map Shao Xuan had drawn before.

    ¡°Ah Xuan! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Gui He waved as he saw Shao Xuan. ¡°There¡¯s something we need to discuss.¡±

    Shao Xuan had never seen Gui He so perplexed before. It didn¡¯t seem like something dangerous was about to happen. Rather, it was most likely something else.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss?¡± Shao Xuan asked as he looked at the map.

    ¡°Many tribes want to live under our protection.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing.¡±

    ¡°I know, but there are just some problems we need to solve,¡± Gui He told Shao Xuan about these problems.

    Ever since the ming Horns named this river the ming River, many tribes on this continent also began to name the rivers,kes, and mountains around them. It was like they were naming it for the sake of marking their own territory. It also gave them a sense of pride.

    Even though most tribes that lived by the ming River were small tribes, they had their ambitions too. As the ming River¡¯s name spread far and wide, the ming Horn tribe¡¯s power and influence also grew. These small tribes also began to name naturalndmarks after their own tribe.

    The ming Horns used their power to force everyone to ept the ming River¡¯s name. Those who were unhappy about this or weren¡¯t willing to ept this name had to ept it because the ming Horns were too powerful.

    However, in other ces, tribes began to quarrel over naming naturalndmarks. They were all equally strong in power and if they fought over such matters, both sides would only suffer huge losses, so at the end, they decided to ask the ming Horns to help them solve this problem. After all, in the ming River region, if the ming Horns imed to be second in rank, no other tribe would dare to im first ce.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think naming is the main predicament we¡¯re facing. What I¡¯m most frustrated about is how we divide their territory,¡± Gui He pointed to the locations he marked out on the map as well as the natural borders in the region such as rivers, mountains, andkes.

    Gui He was farsighted and he didn¡¯t want to just solve the naming problem. He wanted to do more, like categorising the tribes.

    After listening to Gui He¡¯s thoughts, Shao Xuan nodded, ¡°I understand what you mean now.¡±

    ¡°You really do? Then what do you think?¡± Gui He asked expectantly.

    ¡°Do you have some new beast hides to write on?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Gui He immediately brought over some beast hides, ink, and brushes.

    Shao Xuan drew lines on this beast hide andpared it with the map in Gui He¡¯s hands. The lines that he drew were the streams in the region. The thickest line on the map was the ming River and the others were all tributaries that flowed into it.

    ¡°Most of these tribes live near water,¡± Shao Xuan pointed to the lines he drew. He used red ink to mark out the ming River and blue to mark out the tributaries. ¡°We can call this entire area the ming River Basin.¡±

    Gui He¡¯s eyes glinted when he heard the four words. What Shao Xuan said next was exactly what Gui He wanted to find out.

    ¡°As for the problem you mentioned, we can use these tributaries to divide the territories.¡±

 Chapter 774 - The Great Alliance

    <h4>Chapter 774 The Great Alliance</h4>

    ¡°Tributaries?¡± Gui He was excited upon hearing this.

    Shao Xuan pointed to the different streams that flowed into the ming River. ¡°If we use these streams to divide thend into sections, here, for example, we know that there are three major tributaries that flow ind. The one closest to us is one. This tributary as well as the other smaller streams andkes that empty into it belong to one body of water. This body of water makes it easy to divide thend and manage the tribes that live in this region. In the future, if we need to mention a tribe, all we need to do is mention the body of water they live by and remember what that ce looks like. Then we will be able to estimate where that tribe is based on that.¡±

    ¡°Yes! That¡¯s perfect!¡± Gui He didn¡¯t know how to express his doubts, but noted Shao Xuan¡¯s water system made it clear and solved Gui He¡¯s problem. ¡°Before, when they tell me their tribe without showing me a map, I wouldn¡¯t know where it is. If we need to ry some information, we need to have proper methods and systems to effectivelymunicate. Plus, there are so many tribes that wish to rely on us. If more tribes join our alliance, we can keep adding them onto the map.¡±

    The increase in the number of tribes made them realise how many small tribes lived in hidden regions. Even though there weren¡¯t many people in this region, there were many tribes here. These tribes didn¡¯t live inrge territories and had very few people. Many of them only had around a few hundred members.

    Small tribes had to stay together to survive against external threats. Many werepeting and fighting for survival ind, and most tribes that lived in the ming River region weren¡¯t big tribes. If they continued to iste themselves, they might be able to survive for a while, but they won¡¯t be able to maintain a stable uninterrupted life. Very soon, they would be attacked by all types of people.

    Shao Xuan had warned the Ya tribe before the ming Horn team left for the Lu tribe. He told them that more people wereing from foreign ces and some were from the other side of the sea. He also told the Ya tribe to pass this message to all the tribes in this region so they were aware and knew to watch out for these people. People who came over this time of the year were not here to tour around. Even the Chang Le¡¯s, who weren¡¯t exactly robbers, were enough to give the ming Horns a hard time, so they must watch out for these others who had clear intentions in mind even more. The Lu tribe¡¯s case was the best example. If the ming Horns didn¡¯t help them, they would¡¯ve followed Dian Fa to the Thousand Masks tribe or they might¡¯ve been robbed and attacked by people like this.

    Now, even the Hui tribe and the Tianshan tribe who once detested each other formed an alliance to fight against those foreigners. On the grassy ins, they were the only two tribes worthy of leading the tribes in that region.

    The tribes in the central region were already prepared so they had nothing to worry about. The ming River region should start to take action soon.

    This was the problem Gui He had been musing about during this time.

    Some smarter tribes in the ming River region had reached out torger tribes to protect them. They wished to live under the ming Horn tribe¡¯s protection. Thus, the ming Horns had to start preparing for this.

    Gui He told Shao Xuan his thoughts about the other side. He currently had no ns on implementing the ve master¡¯s government system here with the tribes. The tribes here were moreplicatedpared to those on the other side and many of these tribes had only very recently merged their fire seeds or only begun to have such thoughts. The people here had been living under tribalism and their tribe was the most important thing to them. There was no way the ming Horn tribe could change the way these people thought in a few years¡¯ time and make everyone agree with their ideas.

    Using bloodshed to oppress the masses wasn¡¯t a wise decision either. The Thousand Masks tribe was able to build their government system because those tribes had been living under their protection for many years, but all the tribes in the ming River region had been living separately all along. Some never even thought about coborating with other tribes unless the situation was too critical. Some of them wouldn¡¯t evene out from their hidden nests unless they were forced to.

    ¡°Right, Ah Xuan, there¡¯s probably something you don¡¯t know yet,¡± Gui He said.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I only heard about this after you left for the Lu tribe,¡± Gui He said in a deep concerned voice.

    ¡°Some ve masters havee over to this side.¡±

    ¡°ve masters?¡± Shao Xuan was doubtful. If this was just a ve master of a low rank, Gui He wouldn¡¯t have bothered to mention it.

    ¡°Basically what I mean is that these people are kidnapping tribesmen, especially children who haven¡¯t awakened their totemic power, and then selling them to the ve masters on the other side. Or else why do you think so many of these smaller tribes are approaching us now when they have been hiding for so long?¡±

    The small tribes here didn¡¯t have many people to begin with. The foreigners had their eyes set on the children of these tribes. These children had not awakened to their totemic power after all, so they were easy targets and it wouldn¡¯t be hard to deliver them or re-educate them. How could these tribesmen stay calm after their offsprings were stolen? No wonder they came rushing to the ming Horns seeking help. If they needed someone¡¯s help in this region, other tribes weren¡¯t as dependable as the ming Horns.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably because more people found new ways to cross the ocean. They don¡¯t even need to pass through the desert toe over now since there are other routes they can use by sea,¡± Shao Xuan said. The Longboat tribe only established one of these routes. Since they already established one, others naturally could do the same. If they travelled by sea, they could deliver more humans, so it was much better for them. Compared to back then when the disaster had just ended, more people hade over to this side from the other side. The tribes here had only recently broken free from the reins that previously bound them.

    On the other side of the sea, many groups had been established and these groups had stronger teamworkpared to the tribesmen on this side. Even if many of them realised that their children had been kidnapped, they wouldn¡¯t be able toe up with a solution in a short time, much less find the children that were kidnapped. It was hard for them to prevent this from happening again.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need an alliance now,¡± Gui He said.

    ¡°A tribal alliance?¡± Shao Xuan managed to guess what Gui He had in mind after understanding the problems they were facing now.

    To be the leader of an alliance!

    Gui He wanted to create an alliance with all the other major, middle sized and small tribes in the ming River Basin. The ming Horns would then be considered the Head of the Alliance!

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Burning passion red in Gui He¡¯s eyes. ¡°We don¡¯t have enough people ourselves. Even if we add the people from Taihe tribe, Drumming tribe, and Rain tribe, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough. When the trading point was first established, I already thought about this, but it never seemed to be the right time. Now¡¯s the best time for this!¡±

    Indeed, many of these tribes were deeply influenced by their firm beliefs. Even if Gui He had such ns, it would be hard to sessfully build an alliance. Now, they already came knocking on the ming Horn tribe¡¯s doors before the ming Horns even approached them.

    Under the threat of danger, these tribes were forced to look for ways to survive. For the sake of their tribe¡¯s survival and expansion, they were forced toe out.

    This was the first step these people took. Before this, they had isted themselves from other tribesmen.

    ¡°However, if we want to build such a big alliance, there¡¯s a lot we need to do,¡± Gui He finally found someone who could understand his ideas so well, so he told Shao Xuan all the doubts and problems that were currently on his mind.

    If all of these problems were to be summarised in one word, the word would be order.

    Without rules and guidelines, they wouldn¡¯t be able to establish a perfect alliance. If they were really to build an alliance, they had to have certain rules that everyone must follow. If they don¡¯t have these rules, these people would think that they could do whatever they want even under the ming Horn¡¯s protection and help. Civil wars between tribes, mixed battles, and other disastrous events would ur as an aftermath. If that were to happen, then things wouldn¡¯t go the way they wanted.

    ¡°Order...¡± Gui He murmured, ¡°We should indeed agree on some rules. Since we decided on helping them, we must set some rules to let them know what could be done and what was prohibited. If they don¡¯t abide by the rules, they would be forced to leave the alliance.¡±

    The purpose of this alliance was to strengthen their forces. Its main goal was survival and expansion. This wasn¡¯t a nonprofit organisation. Under such dangerous living conditions faced with growing external threats, if they don¡¯t stay strong, they would all be destroyed. Here, only the strong gained respect from the rest of the world.

    Shao Xuan and the other senior members of the tribe discussed for three days straight about this new project. Even Zheng Luo and Duo Kang, who had been guarding the post at the trading point had been summoned for this meeting.

    This was a time when many different groups of people were in the trading point. More foreign tribesmen were here now. Technically speaking, Zheng Luo should be staying at the trading point everyday, but it was not actually the case.

    All the tribesmen in the trading point had been paying close attention to the ming Horn tribe¡¯s movements. They couldn¡¯t go to the ming Horn headquarters, so they could only observe what was going on in the trading point. For the past few days, people already noticed that something was strange about Zheng Luo and Duo Kang, two prominent figures in the trading point.

    ¡±Something big is about to happen,¡± Yi Si said as he withdrew his gaze from outside the door.

    ¡±Something big? Would it be a threat to us?¡± Grasshopper asked carefully. The ming Horn¡¯s strength was what guaranteed their safety. He didn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to the ming Horns.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s something good,¡± Yi Si was feeling great today. He said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m afraid something big is about to take ce here, a good change.¡± He made the right choice by deciding toe here.

    Grasshopper immediately chuckled. As long as nothing bad was going to happen to the ming Horns, he was happy. Their lives here were much betterpared to when they lived on the other side after all.

    As he thought about this, a ming Horn soldier came rushing over delivering a beast hide scroll to Yi Si, ¡°The Grand Elder sent this message for you.¡±

    The warrior immediately left after the letter had reached Yi Si¡¯s hands. He was running towards the ming River Castle.

    Yi Si gave Grasshopper a look, and Grasshopper immediately went to guard at the door, preventing others froming in and peeking at the content in the letter.

    As soon as he read the message on the beast hide scroll, Yi Si¡¯s head tilted upward as he immersed himself in thought. Rolling the scroll, he said to Grasshopper, ¡°Shut the door. There¡¯s something important we must do. This is our opportunity to prove our value to them!¡±

    Grasshopper¡¯s expression grew stern. He was just an employee here. His life was closely connected to Yi Si, his master, and since the ming Horn had given his master a mission, if his master seeded, both of them would be rewarded. Before Yi Si finished this task given by the Grand Elder, he definitely shouldn¡¯t let anyone inside to disturb his master. Whoever dared to disturb him would be stopped by him. No one was allowed to enter this door regardless of who they were. If anyone dared toe, Grasshopper would tear them to shreds.

    Many people sensed the strange atmosphere in the trading point. Even those who were here for the first time noticed that something was boiling under the surface, ready to erupt. They waited impatiently and nervously. They noticed that the senior members of the ming Horn tribe had not been here in the trading point for three days already, and they refused to meet with anyone else for the time being.

    As everyone began to specte, the ming Horns announced an important news.

    The ming Horn tribe was going to establish a great alliance and order was to be maintained in the ming River region. All tribes in the ming River Basin who were willing to abide and live by these rules were wee to join the great alliance!

    This announcement was made by Gui He, Gui Ze, and Shao Xuan, the top three figures in the ming Horn tribe. If anyone in the ming River Basin were willing toply with their rules and join the great alliance, their chiefs coulde forward and join the Grand Feast at the trading point.

    The ¡°new rules and order¡± were written out clearly in the announcement.

    The ming Horn tribe was naturally the leader of this great alliance. If anyone was unhappy about this, they could have a fight to see if they were worthier than the ming Horns.

    Of course, no one would be stupid enough to stand up against the ming Horns at a time like this.

    All the tribesmen who gathered in the trading point immediately took a copy of this announcement and rushed back to their tribe. They had to inform their tribe about this important news.

    After hearing the guard¡¯s report, Zheng Luo stood on top of the ming River Tower as he watched the countless figures running away into the distance. He asked Shao Xuan, ¡°Can this Great Alliance really work as nned?¡±

    ¡°We have to see how many tribes are willing to join first,¡± Shao Xuan said as he read the beast hide scroll he held in his hands.

    On this beast hide scroll, there was a thin line marked on the upstream portion of the ming River. This was part of the main river. They didn¡¯t know of any tributaries that flowed into this part of the river. However, Shao Xuan believed that more lines would soon appear on his map as tributaries were discovered near this stream, like a giant tree growing more roots. The roots would grow longer and split into different branches.

    Meanwhile, in the Zhi tribe.

    Abuli had just received a copy of this announcement. After studying the message word by word on the scroll, he still couldn¡¯t understand the purpose of this announcement. He only knew that the ming Horns wanted to gather everyone to discuss something that he couldn¡¯t understand. He didn¡¯t mind the ¡°new rules¡± that were written on this announcement. As long as it didn¡¯t affect the profit of their tribe, he was willing to ept it. Simply put, Abuli¡¯s mindset was: as long as he held on tightly to the ming Horn tribe, he wouldn¡¯t be at a loss. At least their tribe had been living better lives after they met the ming Horn tribe. This was an indisputable fact.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the ming Horn feast! Who wants to...¡± Abuli hadn¡¯t finished speaking but people were already surrounding him.

    ¡°Me me me! Bring me with you!¡±

    ¡°Chief! Over here! Look at my feet! They¡¯re so big! Bring me with you!¡±

    Many people started to do handstands andpeted with their feet. He remembered how many people objected to his decision when he decided to go visit the ming Horns for the first time. Now, everyone was fighting for the chance to go visit the ming Horn tribe. They were even willing to fight with their feet over this opportunity.

    Somewhere downstream from the ming River, a group of people crowded around the entrance of a cave on a mountain far away from the ming River.

    ¡°ming River Drainage Basin? Chief, are we part of this Basin?¡± someone asked frantically. They had only found out not long ago that this river was called ming River, and their tribe was actually quite far from the river. They were worried that they weren¡¯t included in the ming River Basin.

    The person who was holding the beast hide scroll was also doubtful upon this question. After closely examining the message, he said, ¡°The ming River Basin doesn¡¯t only include the ming River. The tributaries count too. There¡¯s a tributary near our tribe, so we¡¯re probably part of this drainage basin... Yes, we¡¯re definitely part of them! Pack your things, I¡¯m heading to the ming River Trading Point. Who¡¯sing with me?¡±

    ¡°Me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go¡±

    ¡°Chief, let mee with you! I¡¯m strong!¡±

    ¡°I run fast!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been upstream. What do ming Horns look like?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I heard the Ya people say that the ming Horns look like fearsome beasts!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°I want to know how many tribes are in on this.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s probably not many, I reckon. There aren¡¯t many tribes in this region that we know of.¡±

    ¡°You just don¡¯t know they exist! There¡¯s definitely more tribes!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the point in arguing?! We¡¯ll know once we get there!¡± The chief carefully kept the beast hide scroll and walked back to his cave to pack up some things. He had not been on trips far away for many years so he was a little worried. He knew that the ming Horns were right. Small tribes wouldn¡¯t be able to handle the attacks from foreign parties alone.

    The phrase ¡°alliance to defeat foreign enemies¡± in the announcement was enough to pique his interest.

 Chapter 775 - The Gathering

    Chapter 775

    The Gathering

    This was the first time the ming Horn tribe made a public announcement to gather everyone in the ming River region. The tribes that were invited this time were different from thest grand feast, back when the trading point was first established. Back then, even tribes from the central region were invited. This alliance was going to influence the future of the ming River Basin.

    Something huge was about to happen in the ming River Basin, and no one could deny it. Anyone with eyes could tell.

    Some were happy while others fretted. The ming Horns, especially the senior members, hadn¡¯t slept for a few days now. They couldn¡¯t help it. It was too stressful!

    What if only a few tribes came upon hearing the announcement? Wouldn¡¯t that be embarrassing for the ming Horn tribe?

    All of them were extremely worried, Gui He included. Shao Xuan was the only one who was still able to do what was supposed to be done.

    ¡°Leader, how many tribes do you think wille over?¡± Duo Kang asked worriedly as he gazed down from the top of the ming River Tower, the highest tower in the trading point. He was standing under the ming Horn g. Obviously, the number of people in the trading point had greatly decreased.

    Zheng Luo sighed as he looked out the trading point. He scanned the grounds far away and said, ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain.¡±

    ¡°There should be at least ten, right?¡± Duo Kang counted with his fingers. The Rain tribe, Tai He tribe, Drumming tribe, and the Lu tribe were definitely joining the Alliance. Duo Kang wasn¡¯t sure if the Pu tribe, Tu tribe, Ya tribe, and Gu tribe were going toe. He didn¡¯t know these tribes very well so he had no clue what they had in mind.

    Some tribes that lived even farther away as well as the others who came to seek for the ming Horn¡¯s help would probably join them too, wouldn¡¯t they? Even if many of them were unwilling to join, shouldn¡¯t there be one or two of them at the very least?

    ¡°Yes, there should be ten tribes at the very least,¡± Duo Kang mustered some confidence and said firmly. They were astonished when they first heard Gui He and Shao Xuan¡¯s n too, especially when Shao Xuan told them about the future they envisioned. Of course, their n sounded ideal, they just never implemented it before, so they weren¡¯t sure if it would seed. They could only wait patiently for the results.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear the horn sound today,¡± Zheng Luo sighed as he watched the sun set.

    ¡°It¡¯s still too early. Let¡¯s wait for a few more days. I¡¯m sure it will sound then,¡± Duo Kang said after some hesitation.

    After he descended the ming River Tower, Zheng Luo walked out of the trading point.

    There were three gates into the trading point. After this announcement was made, they began renovating one of these gates, making it the biggest gate into the trading point.

    Two giant beast heads made of stone were ced on the side in front of this gate. They were roughly the same size.

    These two beasts belonged to different species. One was a carnivorous beast and bore sharp fangs while the other was a giant herbivore with huge horns. They were both at the top of the food chain and weren¡¯t easy targets to hunt in the forest. Every time the ming Horn hunting team set out to hunt for these prey, they had to n carefully and work as a team to sessfully capture them.

    This time, even though the material they used to make these beast heads were carved from stone, the fangs and horns were all real. They were precious items they kept after a hunt. Now, it was finally time to put them to use.

    The carving of these two beast heads was not done excellently and there were many rough parts that were not polished.

    Even though the job wasn¡¯t excellent, people could already recognise the looks of these beasts. The vague outlines of the statues only filled the statues with more life and wildness.

    The stones selected to make these beast heads were material of middle to upper grade. The ming Horns invested a lot of effort into this alliance. No wonder Zheng Luo and the others felt concerned and anxious, even stressed about this.

    This gate was thergest entrance into the trading point, so it was called the Beast Head Gate.

    The horn sound Zheng Luo mentioned were horns that were ced inside the beast head statues. If any tribes arrived to join the alliance, the guards here would sound the horns.

    Unfortunately, they hadn¡¯t heard the horn sound up till now.

    The reason the Drumming tribe, Taihe tribe, Rain tribe, and Lu tribe didn¡¯te right away was that they lived too close. They coulde over as soon as the feast was about to begin. That was why the people the ming Horn tribes were expecting were mainly tribes that lived farther away.

    After taking a nce at the Beast Head Gate, Zheng Luo asked the guard who stood at the gate, ¡°Did you see the Grand Elder?¡±

    ¡°I think he¡¯s over there,¡± the warrior pointed in one direction.

    Zheng Luo began to walk in that direction. That was where the King Stoneworm had passed and it was now part of the ming Horn¡¯s territory. They just haven¡¯t begun construction there. Initially, they wanted to expand the trading point to this area but they didn¡¯t have enough manpower, and since the trading point was already big enough to contain everyone who wasing over, there was no need for such an expansion.

    When Zheng Luo saw Shao Xuan, Shao Xuan was sitting on some rocks with a beast hide scroll in his hand. He seemed to be drawing something.

    Zheng Luo went over to look at what he was drawing but he couldn¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°What are you drawing?¡± Zheng Luo said.

    ¡°A blueprint,¡± Shao Xuan stopped drawing and stretched his stiff neck. He had been sitting here for a whole day.

    ¡°A blueprint? Are you nning on expanding the trading point?¡± Zheng Luo was shocked. If it wasn¡¯t for expanding, what use was there for a blueprint?

    ¡°I think it¡¯s about time we expand,¡± Shao Xuan stood up from the rock he was sitting on.

    ¡°But you said before that we don¡¯t have many people so there¡¯s no point for an expansion.¡±

    ¡°Very soon more people will arrive,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    After some thought, Zheng Luo understood what Shao Xuan meant.

    ¡°Are you that certain that the alliance will seed?¡±

    ¡°Yup.¡±

    Seeing how calm Shao Xuan was, Zheng Luo regained some confidence. Initially he wanted to ask Shao Xuan to perform a knot divination to predict how many tribes wereing, but seeing how confident he was, there seemed to be no need for it.

    Zheng Luo felt less burdened after he heard what Shao Xuan said. Since Shao Xuan was so confident about this, they only had to wait a little longer.

    Actually, Shao Xuan¡¯s confidence was just an intuitive feeling. Besides making the announcement public, he had also asked the Ya tribesmen to help spread the message to everyone in the region.

    Most tribes in the ming River region disliked people from other tribes and refused to get along with anyone other than their own, but the new threats in the region left them no choice since they didn¡¯t have enough power to defend themselves. One of the reasons they never came up with a n to fight against these threats was the fact that news often arrived toote.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t just ask the Ya tribesmen to deliver this news. He was also spreading a new way of thinking. He wanted to let these people know that the foreigners that came over this time were not just strong, they had great ambition too. Luckily, there were only very few of them here at the moment, so as long as the local tribes worked together, they could stand strong against these foreigners. The ming Horn¡¯s role in this alliance was merely to function as the core, bringing everyone together.

    If it wasn¡¯t for all the foreshadowing and threats they were facing from foreigners now, Shao Xuan wouldn¡¯t have been able to find out how these local tribes were nning to react.

    He already did what he had to do. Now, all that¡¯s left was to wait.

    After Zheng Luo left the trading point, some ming Horn soldiers who were guarding at the Beast Head Gate also began to discuss how many people wereing. They didn¡¯t have to take turns guarding here to find out how many tribes wereing. As long as they heard the horn sound, they would know that a tribe had arrived.

    ¡°How many tribes do you guys think areing?¡±

    ¡°Five?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! If you count all the tribes that are already on our side, there are already four. There can¡¯t be just five!¡±

    ¡°Seven?¡±

    ¡°Nine!¡±

    ¡°Ten!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m guessing twenty!¡±

    ¡°There probably won¡¯t be twenty. I¡¯m guessing fifteen.¡±

    ......

    The ming Horns were not the only ones discussing this though. The expedition teams that hade to the trading point were all discussing it in the inns. Initially, many of them nned to leave as soon as they finished trading, but after hearing the ming Horn¡¯s announcement about the alliance, all of them became curious and decided to stay for a few more days to watch how sessful this alliance was. Some couldn¡¯t wait to see the ming Horns be theughingstock of the region.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet! Let¡¯s have a guess of how many tribes are going to join this alliance!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m betting for less than ten tribes!¡±

    ¡°I agree with him!¡±

    ¡°I think the ming Horns will do well. I¡¯m betting less than fifteen.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m betting twenty!¡±

    ¡°Twenty? Have you gone crazy?!¡±

    ¡°Since the ming Horns are so strong, there should be many tribesing!¡± the person who bet twenty put on a serious face and said confidently.

    ¡®What a bootlicker!¡¯ the others thought. He knew that there were ming Horns watching around them. He purposely said it to tter them. Or else why did he only ce one beast fang on the table? If he was so confident, why not ce a bigger bet?

    All the foreigners and ming Horns in the trading point perked up their ears and waited for the horn to sound. Unfortunately, they didn¡¯t hear any horn sounds for a few days straight.

    However, they knew that many of these tribes wereing from distant ces so they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it here so soon. Plus, this was a huge matter, so they had to discuss before deciding whether or not toe. Days passed by, and yet the horn remained silent.

    Up till the seventh day, the horn finally sounded. The Tu tribe arrived.

    On the tenth day, the Ya chief also appeared at a tunnel nearby and entered the trading point with around a hundred Ya tribesmen. This was the second time the horn sounded.

    On the fifteenth day, the Gu tribe and Jing tribe both arrived at the same time, so the horn sounded twice at the Beast Head Gate.

    After the fifteenth day, the horn sounded even more frequently. It would sound every day, sometimes even continuously within one day. Some of these smaller tribes were allies after all, so they felt safer travelling to the trading point together.

    These weren¡¯t the only tribes that were in the ming River Drainage Basin. The number of tribes that were deciding to join the alliance and abide by the new rules were increasing day by day. Perhaps there were still some who were watching themotion and hesitating on joining, but many hadmenced to take action.

    On this very day, Shao Xuan was taking a walk outside the petrified grounds.

    The man made canal surrounded the trading point and the petrified grounds. This canal served as a waterway for people to go around the Giant Bridge and also functioned as a line of defense.

    The suspension bridge across the man made canal was lifted upon sunset everyday. As soon as the bridge was lifted, people would have to wait til the dawn of the next morning to cross it.

    When Shao Xuan crossed the suspension bridge, he saw some green-ck coloured figures in the river. Some even had protruding bone tes on their backs. As these fishes swam across the waters, ripples spread out from their bodies.

    These were the fishes gifted to Shao Xuan by the Di Mountain tribe. Shao Xuan had stopped caring about them ever since he dumped them into the canal. After he came back from the trip to the Lu tribe, these fishes were already as long as his arm. It was shocking to see how rapidly they grew. The warriors who were guarding at the post here told Shao Xuan that the pterosaur had been feeding these fishes all this time, and it hadn¡¯t stopped.

    Shao Xuan had no clue what the pterosaur was nning this time, but as long as it didn¡¯t eat these fishes, he didn¡¯t mind. It was helping him care for these fishes anyways.

    ¡°Woo¡ª¡±

    A low and deep horn sound rushed up to the clouds and echoed across the forest.

    Shao Xuan looked over to the trading point. Another tribe had arrived. They didn¡¯te from the suspension bridge, so they probably came by boat on the ming River.

    Zheng Luo and the others felt more at ease after seeing the number of tribes increase day after day. There were already more than ten tribes here, even more than they had expected. Now, all they had to do was wait for tribes that were farther away to arrive. They might need a few more days before they get here.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t go back to the trading point. After crossing the suspension bridge, he took a walk outside. He observed the topography of the ground and checked to see if they needed to add more defenses here.

    ¡°We need to chop down more trees. The people on the whistle tower can¡¯t see what¡¯s happening on the other side of the canal,¡± Shao Xuan muttered to himself. He suddenly halted and looked toward the trees not far away.

    Someone else had arrived. There were quite a lot of them too.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The sound of their bodies rubbing against the bushes. It was barely audible. It was clear that these people were vignt and careful about their movements.

    Cling, cling, cling¡ª

    Hard objects clinked loudly. It sounded like bone ornaments.

    Shao Xuan stopped moving and just stood there. He wasn¡¯t trying to hide himself because the other party probably noticed him already. That was why the leader of this group halted for a moment before he started walking again.

    Very soon, those people came out of the woods. The material of their clothing was mainly made from beast hide and many of them wore bone ornaments, especially the leader. Beast fangs and beast bones decorated their bodies from head to toe. Just like most tribesmen would, they dressed up before they came here.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes scanned this group. They were all young and strong totemic warriors. All of them, male or female, had abative spirit that was sharp as daggers.

    This was abative tribe.

    ¡°Who are you?!¡± a member of this team took a step forward and red at Shao Xuan.

    The leader of this group turned his head sideways and hisser beam eyes scanned the grounds around them. He raised his hand to stop those who were about to speak. His arms were like a strong wall, stopping those who were about to take a step forward.

    ¡°Are you an expedition team member? Or did youe here because of the announcement?¡± the person asked in a deep voice.

    Shao Xuan was frowning. He was about to answer this question but his head turned to one direction. Someone else had arrived.

    Boom!

    The person who asked him this question stomped his feet into the ground and his energy surged. The beast hide clothing he was wearing started to p due to the strong energy currents emanating from his body.

    The clothes seemed loose on his body, but as totemic lines began to surface and his energy increased, his body began to bulge. All of a sudden, his clothes became tight on his body. The air whistled where his arms swept, like a cold winter wind ready to strike.

    Behind this person, everyone else in the team also activated their totemic energy as they looked cautiously in one direction.

    Very soon, another group appeared in the direction they were facing. The leader of this new group scoffed, ¡°Thunder Mountain tribe? I never thought I would see you guys here!¡±

    ¡°Sickle tribe?! What are you guys doing here?¡± The Thunder Mountain chief¡¯s tone was extremely rude. It was clear that these two parties didn¡¯t get along.

    ¡°Of course we came for the same reason,¡± the Sickle chief said with cold eyes.

    The two parties were in a tense standoff. Standing between the two tribes, Shao Xuan waspletely ignored by both sides.

 Chapter 776 - Theyre Here! Theyre All Here!

    <h4>Chapter 776 They¡¯re Here! They¡¯re All Here!</h4>

    The two parties prepared to fight even before Shao Xuan had a chance to say anything. The chiefs stood in front of the teams and red at each other murderously.

    It hadn¡¯t even been half a minute since they saw each other.

    The murderous energying from the team that came first was very fierce. As his totemic energy surged, he instantly resembled a furious wild beast.

    The totemic energy was rapidly increasing in this leader¡¯s body. As he flexed and summoned more energy, air currents began to shoot out from his body. Suddenly, his arms bulked like it had suddenly inted. In the blink of an eye, his muscles became twice as big as before. His height didn¡¯t increase, but he had transformed into what looked like a strong fearsome beast. Even Yi Si¡¯s half-beast ve¡¯s arms were no match for his thick arms.

    As he threw a punch with a fist a few times bigger than most ordinary humans, a thunderous sound rumbled from his body. The frictional forces travelling against his punch rattled the bone ornaments on his body, making clinking sounds as they tapped. It sounded like a rain that was about to fall after thunder stormed the skies. This punch could break anything that was in its way. Even mountains would crumble instantly when punched by this fist. If itnded on any ordinary human being, even if they didn¡¯t die, they would be severely injured.

    However, the group that cameter looked as if they weren¡¯t the least bit afraid of this group. It was as if they had expected this and also readied themselves for battle. Their bodies didn¡¯t seem as strong as their opponent¡¯s, but their totemic power was instantly activated. The previous group underwent such a huge transformation that they seemed to be able to lift two to three of their opponents. The new group didn¡¯t rely on such physical transformations. Rather, their weapons were their main strength.

    They carried curved daggers made from bones, horns, and stones. The hilts of these weapons weren¡¯t of the same length, and there were still some dried blood marks on their des. Those were the blood stains left over after they had ¡°cleared up some trouble¡± on their way here.

    The chief of this new group carried a sharp de made from a beast fang. He shot out towards his opponent like a lightning sh. His whole body sted forward energetically. The sharp de in his hands was like the fangs of an open-mouthed beast, ready to bite down on the leader of the first group. As he lunged at his opponent, the energy around him was unforgiving and murderous.

    The members in each team also ran behind their chief, ready tounch an attack on their enemy. The birds that gathered nearby flew away in fear. Leaves fell to the ground and were blown away by the strong winds.

    The fight was about to start.

    Shao Xuan never thought these people would fight so soon. They didn¡¯t even consider where they were.

    Even though this was not part of the ming Horn¡¯s territory, it was close by. If they actually fought, they would cause a hugemotion. The ming Horns made the announcement not too long ago and the alliance hadn¡¯t even been established. If these people began to fight even before they entered the trading point, wouldn¡¯t they be theughingstock of the region? Those who slighted the ming Horns would only grasp this opportunity to make a joke out of them for being unable to stop these people from fighting. Was this the great alliance they envisioned? Would this alliance reallyst?

    What would those people who came to join the alliance think?

    Without thinking any further, Shao Xuan immediately summoned all the totemic energy within his body. In the blink of an eye, he vanished in ce.

    Initially, the strongest energy came from the leaders of these two groups, but as soon as they came into contact, a stronger energy shed between them, suppressing both their energies. This new energy was like a strong wave in the ocean, ready to copse on them.

    This intercepting energy was like a giant beast that came out from deep within the mountains. It instantly disrupted the tension in the air created by these two conflicting energies. In the air, the disrupted energies shed into each other and exploded, sending out air waves in all directions.

    Boom!

    The sharp ear-piercing noise was so loud that their ears hurt.

    The person with bone ornaments whose punch could split mountains felt his punch stopped by something that felt like a giant rigid mountain. He could not take another step forward.

    What stopped his fist was an arm lined with dancing totemic stripes. As these totemic lines moved, mes spewed out from them and enveloped its owner. Energy currents that could be noticed with the naked eye began to shoot out from every pore of this person¡¯s body. It was as if the blood under the skin of this arm was boiling. Suddenly the temperature in the air increased manifold.

    What seemed like fire snakes started to curl around his arms and Shao Xuan immediately stopped the two forces that were about to sh.

    On the other side, the beast fang de was about to cut down on his opponent. A bright metallic weapon stopped it before it couldnd a blow. The ng that was heard previously came from the contact between these two des.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t care what these two were thinking. After he blocked both of their attacks, he turned his body around. With his feet still imnted in the ground, he shrugged his shoulders and pushed the two figures with his arms.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Both of them felt like a fearsome beast had run into them. The force that pushed them was so strong that even the grass beneath their feet flew up. They continued to fly backwards with their feet still imnted in the ground, digging a trench under them that extended ten metres back. If it wasn¡¯t for the people in their team who were pushing against the force from behind them, the trench would¡¯ve dragged a longer distance.

    The chief with the bone ornaments on his body pushed away those who were supporting him from behind. He felt soreness in every part of his body and blood was boiling in his chest. It was as if someone had hammered down on his chest multiple times, and even as he breathed, he could taste a blood in his respiratory tract. The arm he used to punch became so numb that he couldn¡¯t feel anything else other than the pain, but this was not the time to care for his arm injuries. He was too startled by the person who suddenly appeared in front of him.

    The chief with the beast fang de didn¡¯t end up any better. His arms and feet were still numb and sore.

    No one knew better than himself how strong his attack was just now. He was about to cut down his opponent, but even with the force he used, his attack was blocked. The heat caused by the friction between his de and the metallic de his new opponent held told him that this was all real. It wasn¡¯t a dream!

    His heart rate increased as he looked at Shao Xuan with surprise. His eyes widened, but he didn¡¯t know what to say at the moment.

    Who is this?!

    The people who were watching the scene were all shocked and froze in their steps. Initially, they thought this was just another person they could disregard. They never expected something like this to happen. They knew clearly how strong their own chiefs were, but not only were their attacks stopped, they were even pushed away!

    The crowd from both teams looked down on the trenches dug into the ground and looked up at the person who was still standing there unscathed. They felt the chills down their spine and shuddered in fear.

    ¡°Who...are you?!¡± the person with bone ornaments on his body asked with a doubtful tone.

    ¡°Are you a ming Horn?¡± the Sickle chief stared at him unblinkingly. The terror had already faded and the fury had vanished from his eyes. What reced it was a burning excitement and curiosity.

    ming Horns?!

    The others were all shocked upon hearing this. They thought this was just another person on the road so they didn¡¯t pay him any attention. After finding out that this was a ming Horn member, they had to take a closer look.

    So this was a ming Horn member? Howe he seemed different from what they heard? Didn¡¯t ming Horns look exactly like fearsome beasts?

    No, that shouldn¡¯t be. Perhaps the ming Horn members didn¡¯t look exactly like fearsome beasts. They were just simr to fearsome beasts. These people could already tell from how he easily stopped the two chiefs from fighting.

    The ming Horns were this strong?

    Shao Xuan pulled his hands back. Seeing how both parties had calmed, he retracted his totemic energy and the totemic lines on his body also faded. The mes around his body also disappeared.

    ¡°I¡¯m Shao Xuan from the ming Horn tribe. You guys are...?¡± Shao Xuan looked toward both teams. They had totemic marks resembling their tribe, but Shao Xuan had never seen these marks before. That meant that this was very likely their first time here.

    The Sickle chief swung his hands quickly to shake away the pain and numbness. The initially stern expression in his face was suddenly reced by a surprised smile, ¡°You¡¯re Shao Xuan? Shao Xuan, the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe?!¡±

    ¡°Grand Elder?!¡± The Thunder Mountain chief took a closer look at Shao Xuan. He could feel the sensations in his arm now, but the pain he felt after Shao Xuan pushed him was still clear.

    ¡°You¡¯re the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe?!¡± the Thunder Mountain chief asked again in disbelief. Even the people behind him dropped their jaws.

    ¡°Yes, that is right,¡± Shao Xuan nodded. He then turned to look at the chief of each group.

    The Sickle chief immediately reacted. He retrieved his curved dagger and ced it back in its sheath. He took two steps forward to greet Shao Xuan and said, ¡°I¡¯m Ci Du, chief of the Sickle tribe. I came with my people to join the alliance upon hearing the announcement.¡±

    Ci Du¡¯s eyes sparkled with excitement. He held different attitudes towards different people. If he was faced with someone weaker, he wouldn¡¯t be as amiable. The ming Horn tribe¡¯s alliance was the reason they came this time, so he felt fortunate he didn¡¯t provoke or offend him.

    It was true indeed that only those who truly had power were bold enough to gather everyone to form an alliance. He heard about this Grand Elder from the Ya tribesmen before. The Ya tribesmen had told him that other names in the ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t matter, but he must remember Shao Xuan¡¯s name.

    Ci Du smirked when he noticed the Thunder Mountain tribesmen were still not in their right minds. What a dumb bunch of brainless losers! He could still remember how they behaved towards this Grand Elder when they first encountered him. They didn¡¯t even bother to understand anything about the ming Horns beforeing here and didn¡¯t even know who Shao Xuan was! How dare theye join the alliance without knowing such basic facts?

    The Thunder Mountain chief finally came to his senses. Afterposing himself, he said, ¡°I¡¯m Lu Zhai, chief of the Thunder Mountain tribe. I came with my people to join the alliance.¡±

    ¡°Sickle tribe? Thunder Mountain tribe?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the two teams. Roughly a hundred people came from each team.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes scanned the group. The Thunder Mountain tribesmen tensed up, worried that they might¡¯ve angered this Grand Elder due to their disrespectful behaviour. They knew that many tribesmen would start a fight if they were angry, but they felt at ease after hearing what Shao Xuan said next.

    ¡°The sun already set and the drums already sounded once. As soon as they hit the drum a third time, you wouldn¡¯t be able to cross the canal and enter the trading point by tonight,¡± Shao Xuan pointed in a direction with his finger, ¡°Go this way and you will see a suspension bridge. You¡¯ll arrive as soon as you cross the bridge.¡±

    As he spoke, a low drum sound rang from the trading point, like a gentle roar of a beast.

    That was the second drumbeat.

    Ci Du initially nned on chatting longer with this Grand Elder, but he had no time to lose. They had to get there before the bridge was raised. They didn¡¯t want to spend the night here because there might be people watching them waiting to ambush.

    This was their first time at the ming Horn¡¯s territory. They weren¡¯t familiar with the roads but Shao Xuan pointed out the road to them. They only had to walk in that direction and they would reach their destination.

    ¡°Thank you!¡±

    Ci Du ended the conversation with his thanks and left with his people in the direction they were told to go.

    The crowd from the Thunder Mountain tribe also moved on. After thanking Shao Xuan, Lu Zhai went after the Sickle tribesmen and they all headed for the trading point.

    Le Zhai thought about many things as he rushed to the trading point. When they first heard the announcement the ming Horns made, he was initially unhappy and unconvinced of the ming Horn¡¯s strength.

    They agreed that an alliance should be formed to fight foreign threats, but there were disagreements about who should be the leader. Before this, they didn¡¯t know much about the ming Horns and only learned about them based on information given to them by the Ya tribesmen as well as the other tribes who lived nearby. There was too much they didn¡¯t know about the ming Horns.

    The Ya tribesmen were known for exaggerating facts and spreading rumours, so as soon as they heard anything of the sort, they would try to make sense of what they said by toning down what seemed like exaggerations to them. However, what happened a moment ago proved the validity of their statements. Even though it didn¡¯tpletely match, most of what they said was true!

    That Grand Elder really surprised them.

    When the drum sounded a third time, the suspension bridge was lifted. Around this time, the Thunder Mountain tribesmen and Sickle tribesmen had all crossed the bridge.

    ¡°Chief, was that really the ming Horn Grand Elder?¡± someone in the Thunder Mountain tribe¡¯s team asked.

    ¡°Who else do you think it was?¡± Lu Zhai said.

    ¡°Of course! No one else could¡¯ve blocked our chief¡¯s punch. That had to be the Grand Elder!¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about his strength. I thought Elders were... He¡¯s even a Grand elder. How could he be so young?! He seems younger than me!¡± one of the younger members said. He was already considered outstanding amongst the younger members of his tribe, but he was no match for his chief. That person managed to block his chief¡¯s attack without much effort. Even if his chief didn¡¯t gather all of his strength in that punch, that wasn¡¯t a punch that could be blocked by anyone. Shao Xuan didn¡¯t just stop his punch. He even pushed their chief away!

    ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that Grand Elder for now. What do you guys think about the guards at the suspension bridge?¡± Lu Zhai said.

    ¡°Even though those guards don¡¯t seem as strong as the Grand Elder, they don¡¯t appear weak. They have a fierce aura. I heard that they got this aura from hunting fearsome beasts.¡±

    A gap!

    This was the first time they noticed such a huge gap between them and another tribe!

    The Thunder Mountain tribesmen weren¡¯t the only ones who thought this way. The Sickle tribesmen were thinking the same thing. Ci Du was just more prudent, so he ordered his team members what should and shouldn¡¯t be discussed in the trading point before they entered.

    He had to admit. Shao Xuan¡¯s appearance caught him off guard.

    After the sound of the third horn, everyone in the trading point decided to rest for the day. The sun had set and night had fallen. Many of the people in the trading point gathered to discuss the tribes that hade today and then returned to their abodes as they thought about the number of tribes that wereing the next day.

    There were already eighteen tribes here!

    Initially, none of them expected so many tribes toe upon hearing the announcement. Even if some of these people looked down on some tribes that came, tribes were still tribes. They could look down on one tribe, but if more than one came and joined arms, it was indeed quite intimidating.

    In the trading point, beside the Beast Head Gate.

    The Sickle tribe¡¯s team arrived first. Under the guard¡¯s instructions, they arrived at a stone tablet that was ten meters wide and two meters tall.

    There were some words and patterns written on this stone tablet. Those belonged to the tribes that had arrived. As soon as they arrived, they carved their tribes¡¯ names and their totemic signs on this stone tablet. They even signed their names under their tribe¡¯s names and totemic signs. These were all chiefs from different tribes!

    Ci Du had never heard of most tribes that were carved on this stone tablet. He couldn¡¯t recognise their signs either. He never thought so many tribes had been living along the ming River!

    He couldn¡¯t remember tribe names clearly, but he wouldn¡¯t forget a tribe¡¯s totemic sign if he had seen it once. Tribesmen usually had a better memory of totemic signs more than tribe¡¯s names. That was why they were sure that they had nevere across more than half of these tribes.

    After taking the brush and ink from the guard, Ci Du drew their totemic sign in the neenth bracket on the stone tablet. He then carefully wrote the word ¡°Sickle¡± beneath it. This was the second time he wrote a word so carefully. Thest time he wrote so carefully was when he became the chief of their tribe. His whole body was covered in sweat after he finished. After drawing the totemic sign and writing their tribe¡¯s name, Ci Du took a deep breath and wrote down his name. Finally, he stamped his handprint beside what he wrote.

    Ci Du was not satisfied after he looked at the drawing and handprint on the stone tablet. It was probably because his arms were affected by the Grand Elder¡¯s force when he countered his attack. His hands were still feeling numb and sore from it and that was why he wasn¡¯t satisfied with what he wrote.

    ¡°Can I write it again?¡± Ci Du asked.

    The ming Horn warrior chuckled and was about to reply when another voice interrupted.

    ¡°Certainly not! Move aside! It¡¯s our turn!¡± Lu Zhai, the chief of the Thunder Mountain tribe shoved Ci Du and the others to the side and took the brush away from the guard¡¯s hands.

    Ci Du inhaled deeply. If this wasn¡¯t the ming Horn¡¯s territory and they didn¡¯t have to abide by the rules, he would¡¯ve challenged him to a fight immediately. Lu Zhai¡¯s behaviour was unbearably rude!

    However, after Lu Zhai finished writing, Ci Du felt a lot better.

    Regardless of who wrote first, Lu Zhai¡¯s handwriting was clearly worse than his own. Don¡¯t be tricked by Lu Zhai¡¯s calm andposed look. His hand was shaking as soon as he held the brush. It was fine when he wrote their tribe¡¯s name. When he signed his own name, his hand was trembling so hard that the smooth lines he intended to make became wavy.

    Lu Zhai was speechless.

    Ci Du was trying hard to stifle hisughter since it wasn¡¯t appropriate tough at a ce like this, but if this was somewhere else, he would¡¯ve burst outughing. What an idiot! He can¡¯t even write properly! What advantage do you have over us if you can¡¯t even sign your name well? The Sickle tribe clearly won this time.

    Lu Zhai¡¯s expression changed as he looked at the words on the stone tablet. He asked the ming Horn guard with a rigid expression, ¡°Can I rewrite it?¡±

    ¡°No! You said so yourself just now!¡±

    Ci Du snatched the brush from Lu Zhai¡¯s hands and returned it to the ming Horn guard.

    Woo¡ªWoo¡ª

    The horn sounded twice at the Beast Head Gate.

    People in the trading point were already preparing to rest. They couldn¡¯t believe their ears! It was the horn again!

    The expedition team members flipped down from their beds one after the next and craned their necks out the window to look.

    ¡°It was the horn at the Beast Head Gate!¡±

    ¡°It has to be! It came from that direction!¡±

    They had been hearing the horn sound every day for the past few days, so they gained the ability to distinguish this horn sound from other sounds.

    ¡°Neen! There are already neen tribes here!¡±

    ¡°I wonder which tribe arrived this time! Let¡¯s go to the streets to take a look!¡±

    Before they even moved, the horn sounded again!

    Woo¡ª Woo¡ª

    ¡°It¡¯s the horn again!¡±

    ¡°Two tribes came together!¡±

    ¡°Twenty! Twenty tribes!¡±

    ¡°Haha! I won the bet! I won!¡± the person who bet for twenty tribesughed proudly.

    ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say that. There¡¯s definitely more tribesing tomorrow. If there are more than twenty, you are no different from us!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe so many tribes came! I wonder if these tribes are strong.¡±

    ¡°Hurry! Let¡¯s go the main street before it gets too crowded!¡±

    As soon as he entered the trading point through the Beast Head Gate, Ci Du saw a clean and wide road that was smoothly paved. Stone pirs lined the roads, carrying water moon stones that illuminated the street at night. After the sun had set, these pirs with glowing lights lined the street all the way from the entrance to the ming River Castle.

    ¡°This is the ming River Trading Point?!¡±

    All the sights ranging from the architecture to the decorations made a huge impression on them.

    However, before they took the time to appreciate the tall buildings that lined both sides of the street, people were rushing over to see them. They suddenly felt tense and intimidated.

    Many windows opened and people peered out from within. Even children were leaning against the windows to look at them. Very soon, even the rooftops were crowded with people.

    There were so many of them!

    The number of people on both sides of the street outnumbered the number of people who came in their tribe.

    Ci Du¡¯s hand¡¯s gripped the hilt of his beast fang dagger. He felt a desperate urge to kill.

    If they were outside and so many people dared to surround them, they would definitely shed blood. But it was a different case here. The ming Horn guards already warned them that battles of any kind were strictly prohibited in the trading point. Plus, they came to join the alliance, so there was no way these people were going to attack them in the ming Horn tribe¡¯s territory.

    After looking on both sides of the street, it was clear that all of their eyes carried different intentions, but regardless of what they had in mind, none of them stepped onto the street.

    ¡°Hey! You over there! Which tribe do you belong to?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, you! Which tribe are you from?!¡± the people who came to watch them asked.

    Two short chubby figures squeezed out from the crowd. Their eyes narrowed into slits and their beards moved.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Sickle tribe! I can recognise them by their scent!¡± someone said.

    ¡°Huh? Even the Thunder Mountain tribe is here! The muddy smell definitely came from them!¡± another person shouted.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they came! Hurry and tell our chief. Tell him that the Sickle tribe and Thunder Mountain tribe are here!¡±

    The two short chubby figures vanished as the crowd swallowed them. One of them instinctively began to drill into the ground. After drilling for a moment, he realized that this was ming Horn ground and they weren¡¯t allowed to dig holes here, so he stood up and ran somewhere else.

    ¡°Sickle tribe? Thunder Mountain tribe? I¡¯ve never heard of these tribes before,¡± someone said.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of them either, but I think these two tribes are more difficult to defeat than those that came in the day.¡±

    ¡°I smell blood on them.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s already twenty tribes here. I wonder if we¡¯ll get to thirty tribes in the next few days. (sigh) I wish I can tell our chief to let our tribe migrate to the ming River Drainage Basin. I want to join this Great Alliance too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning on telling our chief once we get back. If we decide to migrate, we muste to the ming River region. Since the drainage basin covers such a huge area, we still have a chance to join this alliance.¡±

    ¡°Right! I agree!¡±

    Humans were gregarious creatures. Under the influence of a crowd, they would naturally develop an urge to go along with the majority. Regardless of what they thought when the announcement was first made and what they said back then, they were all in approval of the alliance now! After seeing how many tribes had gathered, they even started to have thoughts about joining the alliance.

    This scene not only gave the ming Horns confidence, but it also firmed the decisions of those who had chosen toe join the Great Alliance.

 Chapter 777 - Youve Got A Problem?

    <h4>Chapter 777 You¡¯ve Got A Problem?</h4>

    After the Sickle tribe and Thunder Mountain tribe arrived, more tribes continued to arrive for the next few days.

    Twenty-one, twenty-two...

    Twenty-five, twenty-six...

    All the way until thirty tribes arrived. There was only one day in between when no tribes came.

    Thirty-seven days had passed since the announcement was made.

    ¡°It seems like we can start preparing for the meeting soon,¡± Zheng Luo said as he looked down at the people walking in the trading point from the ming River Tower. Back then, he told Shao Xuan that there was plenty of space in the trading point, but now, it didn¡¯t seem like this space was enough.

    And this was only the first time they made this announcement. Many other tribes were still spectating and only sent people to the trading point to watch themotion. They currently had no ns oning, but things might change in a year or two.

    The space for trading was indeed a little packed now.

    The thirty tribes that had arrived had settled in thirty houses arranged for them in the trading point. Conflicts happened from time to time, but they still had to follow the rules in the trading point. The new rules had been made clear enough even before they decided to join the Great Alliance. If they started any fights in the trading point, the ming Horns would have to kick them out.

    After some discussion, the ming Horns decided to have the gathering on the fortieth day in the ming River Castle.

    On the three final days before the gathering, two more tribes arrived at the trading point. Their tribes were located too far away and they had never been on such distant travels, so it took them a while to get here.

    Woo¡ª

    A loud and prolonged horn sound was heard all throughout the trading point. This was not the same horn sound from the Beast Head Gate. Compared to that horn sound they were so ustomed to hearing, this sound was higher in pitch and longer in duration.

    This horn sound came from the roof of the ming River Tower. It served to tell everyone that the gathering was about to begin.

    An area in the trading point had been cleared at the time the announcement was made. This space was arranged for the tribesmen that were about toe join the alliance. As soon as the people heard this horn sound, people began to walk out from everypound and started to gather in the streets.

    They wore different outfits and had different totems. Teams with different characteristics, heights, body sizes, all began to fill the streets. All sorts of noises could be heard amongst this crowd.

    ¡°It¡¯s time to go!¡± Lu Zhai of the Thunder Mountain tribe yelled out to the people in theirpound as soon as he saw people heading to the ming River Tower.

    They had been here for a few days.

    During this time, they learned about life here as well as the rules they had to follow. As long as they lived by these rules, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems.

    They were quite blown away by the people and things they saw here. Everything in the trading point told them one clear message: The ming Horns were very well off. Besides their strength, their wealth and materialistic possessions were so abundant that they would never starve or catch a cold.

    Lu Zhai arranged the bone ornaments on his body. Some of these ornaments were beast fangs and beast ws. Some were uniquely shaped bones that were specially polished. These all served to brand the wearer. Before he arrived here, Lu Zhai was quite confident about his outfit. He only realised howrge a gap existed between their tribe and the ming Horn tribe after he entered the trading point and saw the fearsome beast meat as well as the beast fangs and bones that were sold here.

    Even though Lu Zhai was confident about his power and his tribe, he knew that wild beasts and fearsome beasts were too different. If there was such a chance, he also wanted to hunt fearsome beasts. He felt embarrassed about his own outfit after he saw the fangs that the ming Horns were wearing.

    When they arrived at the Beast Fang Gate, his embarrassment grew so much that he wanted to take his own bone ornaments off and throw them away. Even though he had already seen the beast fangs at the Beast Fang Gate on his second day here, he didn¡¯t feel as ufortable back then. He noticed that many teams in front of them and behind them were stealing nces at his outfit from time to time. He was ashamed and unconfident, but he still kept a dignified facade.

    After inhaling deeply, Lu Zhai made a decision in his mind.

    Behind Lu Zhai, the other Thunder Mountain tribesmen¡¯s eyes were still affixed on the beast fangs at the Castle¡¯s entrance. If it wasn¡¯t because of the others who were pressing them to move, they would even go up to the giant fangs to take a closer look. They wanted to touch it with their own hands.

    This wasn¡¯t envy or jealousy. It was a desire for power.

    Thirty something tribes departed for the ming River Castle as soon as they heard the horn. Some tribes almost started to fight because they didn¡¯t want to be thest one there, but they couldn¡¯t actually fight, so they merely battled with their energies. Whoever lost had to move to the back!

    The ming Horns wouldn¡¯t care about this kind of fighting.

    That was why those stronger individuals who were morebative arrived first. Amongst this group was the Thunder Mountain tribe, the Sickle tribe, and the Shuihu tribe. Those who were more timid had to move to the end of the line. The Zhi tribe and Zutong tribe were such groups.

    The expedition team members in the trading point all climbed up to their roofs and stretched their necks to look in the Castle¡¯s direction. They also wanted to go into the Castle when they saw the crowd heading in that direction. Some even tried to blend in with the crowd but they were noticed by a few tribes even before they were halfway there. They were surrounded and beaten up by these tribesmen. If it weren¡¯t for the rules here, the tribesmen would¡¯ve killed this person on the spot. Even though that person didn¡¯t die, he was badly injured and they flung him far away like they were throwing a sandbag.

    When thest tribe entered the Castle, the thick stone doors at the Beast Fang Gate closed behind them. As the gates shut, the people outside weren¡¯t able to peer in anymore.

    The ming River Castle was the highest building in the trading point, so even if those people wanted to see what was going on from the height of their roofs, it was impossible. They could only give up.

    Amongst the thirty-two tribes, some tribes brought many members along while others only brought a few. Now, regardless of how many people came from each tribe, only the chiefs and shamans were allowed to enter the Castle. The ming River Castle had limited space after all.

    That was why everyone else waited outside the Castle after their chiefs and shamans entered. After the Beast Fang Gate closed, these people who couldn¡¯t go in stood outside and kept guard along with the ming Horn guards. These tribesmen discussed this before and they kept a distance from each other while they guarded the area allocated to them. Some others who weren¡¯t informed also did the same. At the end, all of these people lined themselves up against the Castle, keeping those who were here to watch themotion farther away.

    Seeing this, the people who came to watch the show sulked. How could they hear the sounds inside if they were so far away?!

    Curiosity burned within them but they had no choice. They weren¡¯t a part of the ming River Drainage Basin Great Alliance after all.

    The hall within the ming River Castle had been divided into thirty-two sections. The guests could sit wherever they wanted. The ming Horns only made sure that enough seats were provided for all the tribes that were present.

    The Drumming tribe, Rain tribe, Taihe tribe, and Zhi tribe had their seats reserved. Other tribes had to find their own spots to sit.

    The Zhi tribe finally managed to squeeze into the Castle. They were pushed to the back of the line, but that didn¡¯t matter. Their spot was already reserved. They didn¡¯t have to look for a spot like the other tribes. They certainly had made the right choice by riding on the ming Horn tribe¡¯s coattails.

    Gui He and Zheng Luo watched the tribes as they entered and took their seats. Some had already begun to work together and teamed up while others continued to iste themselves from other tribes. From their actions, Gui He and Zheng Luo could already tell what kind of people they were. They knew immediately which tribes were morebative, which tribes were more conservative, and which tribes were wealthier. Everything was crystal clear in their eyes.

    When everyone who entered finally found an empty seat, they looked around astonishingly at the different people who hade.

    ¡°So this is the Great Alliance?¡±

    ¡°So many tribes came!¡±

    They were initially vignt towards the ming Horns. They were worried that the ming Horns might seize this opportunity to exterminate their tribe, but after seeing so many tribes here and recognising some of the tribes that were already their allies, their worries gradually faded. This worry was soon reced with expectation.

    The Great Alliance? Were all of these tribes really going to be allies?

    If this was really the case, it was a good thing for all of them who were present.

    Some people began to count the tribes in the castle after being astonished by therge crowd. There were thirty-two spots. Why was a spot vacant?

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say there were thirty-two tribes?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard that too. I remember us being thest one to arrive, and I even counted the number of tribes on the stone tablet. We were thest one to arrive,¡± a Zutong tribesman said.

    ¡°Which tribe is not here? If we don¡¯t count the ming Horn tribe, there are only thirty-one tribes present,¡± someone said after taking a count of the tribes that were present. He was right. One of these tribes was missing!

    ¡®Could it be that they decided to leavest minute?¡¯ someone thought.

    As people began to discuss, people looked toward the ming Horn tribe¡¯s chief¡¯s seat.

    Gui He looked at the empty seat in the Castle and frowned. He turned to look at Zheng Luo, ¡°Who¡¯s thest tribe we¡¯re waiting for?¡±

    After he finished his question, he recalled, ¡°Umm...what was that guy¡¯s name again? Why is he not here yet?¡±

    Zheng Luo said, ¡°He probably overslept?¡±

    ¡°I thought he didn¡¯t need sleep?¡±

    ¡°Maybe he¡¯s trying to clear his mind of something,¡± Zheng Luo sent people out to look for Gan Qie.

    If it wasn¡¯t because he saw the name list before, he would¡¯ve forgotten who it was. For the past few days, Zheng Luo had been thinking about the tribes that had arrived after hearing the announcement, but he totally forgot about the dangerous person who was living in their tribe. He never really thought Gan Qie would choose toe forth and represent his tribe in the alliance.

    After Zheng Luo finished his sentence, a figure entered the ming River Castle from one of the gates. It was still daytime, so Gan Qie was wearing a cloak. More than half of his face was covered by the shade of his hood.

    ¡°Alright, thest tribe has arrived,¡±Gui He said as he looked over at Gan Qie, who was approaching them.

    ¡°Thest tribe? Where?¡± people began to search in all directions.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see anyone. No one came in from the Beast Fang Gate.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is it that guy?¡± someone pointed at Gan Qie.

    ¡°One person?!¡±

    As the crowd began to doubt, Gan Qie said loudly as he walked in, ¡°I¡¯m Gan Qie of the Han tribe. I came to gather upon hearing the announcement.¡±

    Boom¡ª

    Some people were still busy fighting over their seats while others already settledfortably. When Gan Qie spoke, all of them stopped and looked up at him in shock.

    ¡°Han tribe? I¡¯ve never heard of this tribe before.¡±

    ¡°One person?! I can¡¯t believe he came alone!¡±

    ¡°I thought only chiefs and shamans were allowed toe! Is he the chief of the Han tribe?¡±

    A person in the crowd stood up and shouted at Gan Qie, ¡°Why did youe here alone? Isn¡¯t there anyone else in your tribe?¡±

    Gan Qie walked over gracefully and stopped about five metres in front of the person who spoke. He lowered his gaze and replied in a gentle tone to the person who was seatedfortably on the beast hide cushion. He enunciated each word clearly and slowly, making sure to have his point delivered, ¡°I¡¯m the only one in my tribe. Do you have a problem with that?¡±

    The Water Tiger chief was initially just trying to mock him. After seeing how Gan Qie responded to his remark and even spoke to him in what sounded like a condescending tone, he felt like Gan Qie was challenging him to a fight. The smile on his face immediately vanished. He stood up and took a step forward and looked down at Gan Qie, who was a few inches shorter than himself. He snarled in a beastlike manner at Gan Qie, ¡°Were you speaking to me?¡±

    Gan Qie¡¯s expression hadn¡¯t changed and he didn¡¯t answer the person¡¯s question either. Instead, he only repeated what he said a moment ago. Even his tone was the same. There was no change in volume or pitch.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a problem with that?¡±

    Gan Qie¡¯s attitude fuelled the Water Tiger chief¡¯s anger. He was furious. How patronising!

    The Water Tiger chief inhaled deeply. The veins on his forehead pulsed visibly. His chest was inted. His eyes opened wide and his pupils dted instantly. The muscles on his back and shoulders began to bulge and his skin tightened. Revealing his strong firm muscles, his arms opened up to both sides and his fingers began to crack loudly as green totemic lines enveloped his body.

    His muscr leg stomped the ground as he took a step forward. When his foot came into contact with the ground, a muffled sound trembled echoed around the arena. This person didn¡¯t seem to only possess mere force. He was like an agile tiger, ready to pounce on his prey any moment now. The distance between the two was just about five metres. One step forward, and he couldnd his fist on Gan Qie!

    His round eyes looked fiercely at Gan Qie as he red his nostrils.

    Roar¡ª

    A tiger-like roar came rushing out of the person¡¯s throat and the energy it carried hit Gan Qie as well as the people around them. It was so strong that even their shirts pped wildly.

    However, Gan Qie¡¯s hood and cloak were barely affected by this roar. The roar didn¡¯t even manage to unhood Gan Qie.

    Seeing this, the Water Tiger chief roared two more times. Each time, his volume and power increased, and the people around them felt as if their eardrums were about to burst. Everyone backed away from their seats and covered their ears.

    He already roared three times. Even a dim-witted person should¡¯ve noticed something was wrong.

    Gan Qie¡¯s cloak and hood seemed like they were practically attached to his body!

    Everyone at the scene looked over in their direction. Some were making guesses while others began to muse. Others merely sat and watched the show.

    It was absolutely silent. The only thing that was audible now was the Water Tiger chief¡¯s heavy panting.

    As he waited for the totemic energy within his body to recover from the three loud roars, the Water Tiger chief¡¯s eyes fixed tightly on Gan Qie, who was still standing in the same fashion, unaffected by his roar. He wondered if he should continue roaring a few more times.

    ¡°Are you done roaring?¡± Gan Qie lifted his head slightly and said to him calmly, as if his roar was nothing but a joke. It had no effect on him at all.

    The Water Tiger chief didn¡¯t even have the time to respond to this question. In the next moment, Gan Qie¡¯s eyes suddenly turned blood-red and thick lines wrapped around his pale green face. His feet were still in the same position as he leaned forward slightly. The bones on his back popped loudly in a continuous chain and his arms jerked out like a wild beast. Brown ws extended from the tips of his fingers and his cloak began to p. His hood was suddenly lifted as his white hair flew up wildly. Two sharp fangs extended from his open mouth as he let out a long loud roar.

    If the Water Tiger chief¡¯s roar was the roar of a fierce tiger, then Gan Qie¡¯s roar was the roar of nature itself. It sounded as strong as a blizzard, a storm, a tsunami, or even andslide. It was much more powerful, so intense that it pressed on their ears. People who were present found it hard to even breathe normally. The air around them waspletely disrupted by this long roar.

    Tzzz¡ª

    The energy flow from his roar was so strong that even a stone table nearby started to rattle.

    Boom!

    The pottery on the table cracked.

    Crack, crack...

    Where Gan Qie stood, the ground began to crack and split open.

    The Water Tiger chief who stood closest to Gan Qie felt as if an ancient giant beast was staring him straight in the eye. He felt an urge to run and escape and even felt his whole body blown back by the roar. He didn¡¯t want to stagger and he was already trying his best to nt his feet firmly. Two deep holes drilled into the ground where his feet were and yet he still struggled to fight back. All the energy he mustered disappeared as soon as Gan Qie roared.

    The Water Tiger chief¡¯s first roarsted around ten seconds and his third roar, which was the longest,sted about twenty seconds. For people like the Water Tiger tribesmen who liked to roar, ten seconds was already considered long and only a few could manage to roar for twenty seconds straight in the Water Tiger tribe.

    When their chief roared for twenty seconds straight, some of the Water Tiger people¡¯s eyes gleamed with pride. The Water Tiger tribesmen learned to roar even before they awakened their totemic power. They had been practicing this skill since young. Roaring was a skill used frequently in battle and many Water Tiger tribesmen were known for their extraordinary lung capacity. They had been desperate about showing this off here.

    However, reality pped them across the face. Someone was better than them at roaring.

    When Gan Qie¡¯s roar reached twenty seconds, some of the Water Tiger tribesmen were already frightened. When his roar reached thirty seconds, some of them stared at him unbelievably, but even then, Gan Qie had not stopped.

    He was still roaring!

    Forty seconds, fifty...

    When he almost reached one minute, Gan Qie finally stopped. He wasn¡¯t panting and his breathing wasn¡¯t affected either. That can¡¯t be!

    The Water Tiger people finally managed toe back to their senses after the long roar. They looked Gan Qie up and down.

    This person seemed like... he wasn¡¯t even breathing! There was no movement in his chest!

    Suddenly, the people of the Water Tiger tribe became lost for words and they stared at Gan Qie unbelievably.

    Gan Qie¡¯s eyes once again looked at the Water Tiger chief, who had now staggered a few steps back. His eyes caused the people of the Water Tiger tribe to shiver.

    ¡°Do you still have a problem?¡± Gan Qie asked calmly once more.

    The Water Tiger chief¡¯s face jerked uncontrobly as cold sweat trickled down his back. It was as if all the blood in his body suddenly froze. After some hesitation, he finally replied in a hoarse voice, ¡°No.¡±

    Gan Qie¡¯s eyes swept past the Water Tiger chief and looked towards everyone behind him, ¡°Do you guys have a problem?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Everyone in the Water Tiger tribe shook their heads. Even their chief admitted defeat. They did not have the courage to fight against such a strong opponent.

    Gan Qie¡¯s gaze turned to the crowd, ¡°Do you guys have a problem?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡±

    Everyone who caught Gan Qie¡¯s eyes felt anxious. Even Ci Du from the Sickle tribe shivered and felt the chills when he saw Gan Qie¡¯s bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°Who else has a problem?¡±

    Gan Qie¡¯s bloodshot eyes scanned the arena. Everyone who met his eyes immediately looked away. No one dared to stare into his eyes. Even those who were far away felt the cold murderous energy in his bloodshot eyes.

    They even noticed that there was some sand on the ground where Gan Qie stood. As the wind blew, the sand was carried away.

    Sand?

    It was definitely sand!

    The only reasonable exnation for this was that Gan Qie brought it into existence.

    Seeing how everyone was silent, Gan Qie flipped his hood over his head to block away the sunlight and walked away. He stopped beside the Rain tribe.

    The Rain tribe¡¯s seat had been reserved early. Gan Qie didn¡¯t tell the ming Horns to leave him a designated seat.

    He didn¡¯t even look at the Rain tribe. Instead, he turned to look at the Bo tribesmen who were sitting beside the Rain tribe.

    ¡°This seat is mine,¡± he used the same calm tone as before. His words were simple and straight to the point, but it gave a lot of pressure to the listeners.

    After gulping down his saliva, the Bo chief turned to look at those behind him. Seeing the people in his team nod in agreement, he stood up and gave his seat to Gan Qie.

    The others who were present wouldn¡¯t make fun of the Bo tribe for giving up their seat. They would¡¯ve done the same thing if they were put in their ce.

    His roar from a moment ago was enough to show how strong he was.

    Han tribe?

    They marked this person down in memory. This tribe only had one person, but this person by himself was terribly strong. These people felt like they wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him even if their entire tribe teamed up in a fight against him.

    Scary!

    Truly terrifying! He didn¡¯t seem human at all!

    Gan Qie of the Han tribe. They kept this person in their minds!

    Yang Sui¡¯s face was pale as paper. His hands trembled uncontrobly beside him.

    That¡¯s him! Gan Qie of the Han tribe!

    The sole survivor of the Han tribe!

    Even though he was by himself, Yang Sui felt the dangerous vibe that was emanating from him. However, Yang Sui could tell from Gan Qie¡¯s eyes that despite the unfriendliness, he had no intentions to cause them any harm. His gaze was merely condescending and he seemed to be ignoring their presence.

    Gan Qie looked down on the current Rain tribe. They were indeed too weak nowpared to before and were obviously no match for him, so he didn¡¯t feel like he should make a move on them. Yang Sui also sensed this attitude from watching Gan Qie. He sighed out in relief upon this realisation.

    Regardless of whether he was looking down on them or ignoring them, as long as he wasn¡¯t nning on killing them, Yang Sui was d. Plus, since Gan Qie also decided to join the ming Horn¡¯s Great Alliance, this meant that as long as the alliance existed and both of them were in the alliance, they wouldn¡¯t be enemies.

    All thirty-two tribes arrived and everyone was seated.

    An eagle flew across the sky. A person jumped down from its back andnded in the arena.

    Boom!

    Hisnding caused a sound to echo across the ground.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯mte,¡± Shao Xuan darted towards the ming Horn¡¯s seating area.

    Something had happened over at the forge and Shao Xuan was called over to help. Gui He and the others knew about this. Even though the Great Alliance was very important, they could not ignore the problems at the forge.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Gui He asked in a whisper.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. The problem has been solved,¡± Shao Xuan replied.

    ¡°Good.¡±

    Three seats were ced in the frontmost line in the ming Horn seating area. These seats belonged to the current chief and shamaness as well as Shao Xuan, the Grand Elder.

    All three of them were now present.

    Gui He looked at the thirty-two tribes in front of them, ¡°Well, this marks the beginning of our meeting!¡±

 Chapter 778 - Two Things

    <h4>Chapter 778 Two Things</h4>

    Beyond the ming River Castle, the crowd of onlookers who had no clue what was happening inside began to conspire different theories after hearing the loud roars that came from within. Their minds were currently like unleashed fearsome beasts.

    The Water Tiger tribesmen recognised their chief¡¯s roar. From the three roars they could already tell what he was facing within the Castle. Either someone was trying to pick a fight with him or he was merely trying to show off his might by roaring. The long roar that came after was too terrifying for them. Their tribe liked to roar, so they clearly understood the meaning of this roar. Even if they couldn¡¯t determine what happened inside, they knew for sure that their chief lost this fight.

    However, after these roars, it suddenly became silent inside the Castle. They could only hear low muffled sounds. If someone was to roar or yell again, they would definitely be able to hear it, but they couldn¡¯t hear anything else. As for onlookers who stayed farther away, it was even harder for them to hear anything unless they had keen ears.

    Everyone outside the castle started chatting over what had happened in the Castle. Meanwhile, the people in the Castle began their first round of discussion.

    The ming Horn tribe didn¡¯t see these tribes as tribes that were hundred-percent willing to join the alliance. They only wanted to let these people understand more about the Great Alliance. Thus, Gui He started with a brief exnation of the alliance. If they really wanted to join the alliance, they had to abide by the rules and order had to be established. Those who broke the rules would be kicked out of the alliance. Also, every tribe that was going to join the alliance had to pay up, or else they wouldn¡¯t be able to receive help from other tribes in the alliance. There¡¯s no such thing as a free lunch, and no one wants to have allies who are just going to reap the benefits and do nothing.

    ¡°Any tribe who cannot fulfill these requirements may leave now,¡± Gui He looked at the people from the thirty-two tribes.

    When they first received news of the ming Horn¡¯s announcement, some of them really couldn¡¯t understand the requirements. They rushed over to join the Great Alliance purely because their tribe was threatened by foreigners. They had no choice but to seek help.

    Now, after Gui He read out the rules and exined once more, some of them became doubtful. It was clear that there were some rules that they didn¡¯t want to live by, and some of them didn¡¯t want to take any risks.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t leave now, it will be harder to leave the allianceter on. You¡¯ll have to pay a huge price by then,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    ¡°I have a question,¡± the Zutong chief said, ¡°After joining the Great Alliance, can you tell us how to merge our fire seed?¡±

    ¡°Most certainly, but if your tribe is going to leave the alliance as soon as you obtain this information, I urge you to leave earlier.

    The Zutong chief shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m just checking if this was true. Our tribe has no intentions on leaving the alliance.¡±

    The rules that Gui He mentioned were actually very beneficial to the people of the Zutong tribe.

    Their tribe was skilled in digging wells.

    In the future, if any tribes in the alliance needed a well dug in their tribe, they could go help them dig one, but of course, they had to be paid too. If anyone went back on their word and refused to pay or purposely paid them less than the amount they requested, then they would have no choice but to bring it up in the meeting of the Great Alliance. Tribes in the alliance that refused to live by such rules would be punished anyways.

    Gui He looked at everyone who was present. No one desired to leave the alliance. Some of these people came from very far ces and thought for a long time before they decided to join. They would certainly not leave at a moment like this.

    ¡°There¡¯s something else I want to show everyone,¡± Shao Xuan let a warrior distribute the thirty-two beast hide scrolls. ¡°All the benefits and disadvantages of joining the alliance have been listed for you on this scroll.¡±

    This was just a general analysis that listed out the advantages and disadvantages of tribes that merged and didn¡¯t merge their fire seed as well as those who decided to or not join the Great Alliance. Some proof and detailed analyses were alsoid out on the scroll and arranged properly.

    This task was assigned to Yi Si by Shao Xuan. He was told to consider all the details and provide a moreplete picture for everyone. Even though Yi Si rarely walked out from his house, he knew a lot of information that many people didn¡¯t know about. With his skills in analysing and calcting, this task was definitely something not many were able to do. His work was enough to convince everyone here.

    Unlike others in his family, Yi Si didn¡¯t know how to perform divination and he didn¡¯t have the skills in telling the fortune, but he could analyse things very clearly. This was his strength. With this skill, it was enough to make up for the skills that hecked. This was why Yi Si was able to predict many things that most weren¡¯t able to. This was all due to his skill in analysis.

    The analysis written on this beast hide scroll was of great value to the chief of every tribe present. After rubbing their hands, they dismissed the food on the table and immediately began to study the beast hide scroll. They also started chatting with the people around them about it.

    Most of these chiefs could read. Even those who couldn¡¯t brought along people who could.

    They had to admit that these analyses were very convincing. Besides all the data on resources, supplies, strengths, and poption, all the advantages listed on this scroll were so tempting that many tribes who were still doubtful about their decision became more convinced.

    Some of the people here also felt hopeful about the future after reading about what was promised on the scroll.

    ¡°Since no one wants to leave, we¡¯re going to have a discussion about this in a short while,¡± Gui He told Zheng Luo and Ao to stay here and keep watch while he brought the thirty-two leaders, Gui Ze, and Shao Xuan into a meeting room within the Castle.

    It was hard to keep their information confidential if they discussed in this arena. Even though it wouldn¡¯t matter much to them if people eavesdropped, it was best to keep the information about the Great Alliance as well as merging the fire seed as secretively as they could.

    After reading the scroll and seeing all the benefits listed, none of the tribesmen felt worried when they heard that they were going to discuss inside a meeting room. They ordered their people to wait outside while they followed the ming Horns into the meeting room.

    A huge meeting room had been arranged in the ming River Castle. This was the room the ming Horns used to have their meetings. It could hold around thirty to fifty people.

    Shao Xuan took out a map of the ming River as well as the tributaries. The only difference between this map and the one he took out before was that this was much bigger so everyone in the meeting room could see it together.

    Thirty-two dots were marked on the map. Each dot represented the location of each tribe that was here. Gan Qie had a special dot located within the trading point.

    Shao Xuan told them about their idea of splitting up territories based on the tributaries. He even told them that if there were any problems in the future that they couldn¡¯t solve, they could bring it to the ming River Castle and discuss it here.

    When Shao Xuan told them about this, everyone in the meeting room went out of control.

    Some people disagreed with this idea and some tribes that were located in the same tributary even began to quarrel.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the same tributary as those violent uncivilized barbarians? What if we get crushed by them?!¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯m happy about that? I don¡¯t even want to speak with you weak losers!¡±

    One tribe was worried about the other tribe being too timid and weak while the other tribe disliked them for being so strong but unwise. Even though they quarreled about this, they were still ced on the same tributary. Since they had been living together for so many years and this was the only problem they had, the decision remained unchanged. They never really had big conflicts anyways. They could manage to coexist peacefully.

    However, tribes on the same tributary began to fight over the naming of the tributary very soon. All of them were desperate to name it after their own name or their totem. The only people who remained quiet were the ones who lived on the main branch of the ming River.

    The main branch of the ming River was headed by the ming Horn tribe, Taihe tribe, Drumming tribe, Rain tribe, Gan Qie of the Han tribe, as well as the Lu tribe who had only arrived here recently. All of them agreed to follow the ming Horn¡¯s ideas.

    After solving the problems rted to the territory division, Shao Xuan borated on the merging process of the fire seed. He even prepared some important advice for them and handed these instructions out to those tribes whose fire seeds were still primitive.

    ¡°All of you can refer to what¡¯s written on here, or you can ask those tribes who already have merged fire seeds if you are in doubt,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Those who understood what was written began to study the instructions closely. Those who couldn¡¯t understand it rolled up the scroll and ced it close to them. They decided to bring it back and show it to their shaman. Everyone else might not know how to read, but the shaman definitely knew how.

    Some tribes immediately began to ask people from the Drumming tribe and the Rain tribe about the merging process. Suddenly, Gui He rapped the table with his fingers.

    The people who were discussing stopped talking and looked at him.

    ¡°Two more things. Everyone needs to start making preparations now,¡± Gui He said.

    ¡°What for?¡± someone asked.

    Gui recalled his discussion with Shao Xuan and said, ¡°Before winter, we will hold a hunt in our forest. If any tribe whose fire seeds are merged wants to follow us into the forest, you cane to the ming River Trading Point.¡±

    What Gui He said made many people¡¯s eyes sparkle.

    ¡°Hunt?!¡±

    ¡°For real?¡±

    Are we going to a forest with fearsome beasts?¡± Lu Zhai was so excited that even his breathing shortened. The mere idea made the blood boil within him. He couldn¡¯t wait to go with them.

    ¡°We¡¯re definitelying!¡± the Water Tiger tribe said passionately. The negative emotions from his previous defeat in the roaring fight against Gan Qie suddenly vanished and he was ted again.

    The Water Tiger tribe were slow at times, but they knew when to admit defeat. They wouldn¡¯t say anything about it, but it was clear that they admitted they had lost. Shao Xuan was sure that these people wouldn¡¯t do anything behind Gan Qie¡¯s back to get back at him.

    Of course, time would prove what kind of people these tribesmen were.

    Following this announcement, some tribes even voiced out that if they seeded in merging their fire seed, they would send people over to train under the ming Horns. Besides this, they also had to make preparations for the winter season, such as storing all the food properly.

    ording to the ming Horn tribe¡¯s rule, the ming Horns would bring them into the forest to hunt, but in exchange, they had to give the ming Horns half of their game and only keep half for themselves. Then, they could either choose to bring the game back to their own tribe or trade it in the trading point for other goods.

    After hearing that the trading point would be in business even during the winter, some tribes who had special skills in crafts started to think about goods they could bring to trade. They wouldn¡¯te out to trade in the winter, but they coulde before winter. They had to utilize all the goods they had and make sure they exhausted all the potential from their goods.

    ¡°Besides the hunt, I have another announcement.¡± After some hesitation, Gui He continued, ¡°The ming Horn tribe is going to expand the trading point. Those who wish to join us in this construction can approach Elder Zheng Luo after this meeting.¡±

    ¡°Expand? But the trading point is already so big! You guys still want to expand?¡± someone asked doubtfully.

    ¡°It¡¯s not big enough. More people areing to join the alliance, so we¡¯re nning on expanding to the petrifiednds and connecting it to the trading point,¡± Gui He said.

    This meetingsted two days, and most of the time, these tribes discussed matters rted to merging the fire seed.

    When it all ended, the Beast Fang Gate opened again and all the tribesmen walked out from within. The atmosphere was more peaceful nowpared to when they entered. Even though some people still fought to get out first, they weren¡¯t as rude as before. They wouldn¡¯t start a fight as soon as they came to a disagreement.

    After they understood the merging process, they immediately returned to their tribe. Some left on the day they exited the meeting ended while others left on the second or third day.

    Many of these tribes already demonstrated teamwork and left with the tribes that lived by the same tributary. This was a good sign. It was safer for them to travel together back home.

    The tribes that came to join the gathering left very quickly. As soon as they left, the trading point suddenly became quiet again. This was just the way it was before. It only appeared rtively quieter because the trading point was full of excitement when the tribes came to gather.

    ¡°Very soon, this ce will be bustling again,¡± Shao Xuan said as he nced far away from the roof of the ming River Tower.

    For the next few days, Shao Xuan could feel the rippling energy of fire seeds in the air. Even if those fire seeds weren¡¯t anywhere near the trading point and no one else had noticed it, Shao Xuan noticed it all. He could even tell which tribe had sessfully merged their fire seed after sensing the energy change in the air.

    At first this change in energy that came from fire seeds only came from a few different locations. As days passed, this energy change urred more frequently in more locations. Sometimes it happened so often that Shao Xuan felt the energy change in more than three to four locations each day.

    When all the tribes that were in the alliance finished merging their fire seeds, the weather became cool again. This was a sign that carried a clear message. Soon, the trading point would be filled with people again.

    As the head of the Great Alliance, the ming Horns definitely wouldn¡¯t reap all the benefits themselves and not care about the other tribes. That was why they hosted a hunt before winter for all of them. They wouldn¡¯t bring these people to all the hunting trails though. They only selected a specific trail that was most suitable for their training.

    These tribes either came to gain experience from the hunt or came to hunt for food tost the winter. The ming Horns were different. They wanted to use this chance to truly understand these tribesmen better.

    Very quickly, teams from each tribe began to arrive at the trading point. Compared to theirst gathering, there were many new faces. Overall, everyone who came looked strong and seemed to be the elite members of their tribe. The reason for this was obvious enough. They were going to hunt fearsome beasts in the forest. If they let the weaker members of their tribee, it would mean sending them to their deaths.

    Ta¡¯s hunting team had already entered the forest. As soon as theye back, it would be time for the alliance to enter the forest. Since the ming Horn¡¯s main reason for this trip was to bring these people on a hunt, Shao Xuan and the ming Horn warrior¡¯s main job was to protect these people and make sure they don¡¯t get their entire team killed by fearsome beasts. Their main goal was not to hunt, but to protect these people. That was why Ta brought a team into the forest before the hunt began. He went ahead to prepare what everyone had to eat for the next few days and also to make sure the trading point had enough goods to trade and stay in business.

    When most of these tribes finally arrived, Ta¡¯s team also returned.

    ¡°Tell all of them to get ready and prepare to cross the river. The hunt is about to begin.¡±

 Chapter 779 - Leading The Hunt

    Chapter 779

    Leading The Hunt

    Thirty-five tribes came in total. Three tribes couldn¡¯t make it in time for the previous gathering since they lived far away and had never been to this part of the region, but they were here for this hunt today. All thirty-five tribes entered the forest with the ming Horn tribe¡¯s hunting team.

    The three tribes that camete for the gathering actually arrived on the day it was held, but the meeting ended when they arrived. However, they didn¡¯t return home immediately. Instead, they stayed in the trading point until the hunt began. They decided to leave after the hunt because they lived too far away. When they chatted about this matter, two of these tribes even said that if they could sessfully merge their fire seeds, they might very possibly migrate upstream.

    Before, they chose to settle in a ce no one else settled on for safety reasons. Now, since the situation had changed, they desired to move to a ce with more tribes.

    Of course, even though many members came from each team, not all of them joined in the hunt. Some tribes that were not fond ofbats and hunts only sent a few members to join. This was very minimal whenpared to the number of people who came from the Thunder Mountain and Water Tiger tribes. All tribes had their own specialty after all. Some never had any experience in hunting and this had never been their way of life, so if they forced themselves to join, not only would they be a burden for the team, they might even lose their lives before they entered the forest.

    However, even the weakest tribes sent out one or two members to join this hunt. The people who came were mostly chiefs or skilled warriors from each tribe.

    For example, the Zhi tribe would never want toe face to face with any fearsome beast. Before, they would never have the courage to even walk into a forest full of fearsome beasts if they had a choice. However, it was different this time. So many tribes had joined the Great Alliance and they were following a whole team out to hunt, so if they chose not to participate, they would beughed at by other tribesmen. Chief Abuli decided to join the hunt with two other warriors from his tribe. Abuli was known to be the most powerful member of his tribe and the two warriors that came with him also had the biggest feet in the Zhi tribe, so they were naturally equipped with fast feet. Thus, even if they encountered any fearsome beasts they couldn¡¯t defeat, they could still run away.

    Most tribesmen felt that strength inbat meant everything. That was why those tribes that were morebative felt more confident and emboldened. Tribes that didn¡¯t like to solve problems with mere strength usually preferred to use their own unique skills to trade for valuable resources. Those who came with their tribes and didn¡¯t join the hunt would wait in the trading point while the hunting teams went out to hunt. They would try their best to adapt to everything in the trading point as the others in their group went to hunt. A part of this group that stayed behind also decided to help the ming Horns with the construction and expansion of the trading point.

    Before they set out, Shao Xuan gathered the leaders of each team to discuss a few important matters. He told them what they had to watch out for in the forest and those who had no experience should follow and observe those who had more experience, such as the Taihe tribesmen and the ming Horn tribesmen. He specifically warned them not to use their own techniques because those techniques might work on the wild beasts they were familiar with, but not fearsome beasts.

    The ming Horn team chose a hunting trail different from the six trails they usually went on. This new trail didn¡¯t have as many fearsome beasts as the other six because thisnd wasn¡¯t fertile. There weren¡¯t many nts or animals here.

    If the ming Horns came to hunt by themselves, they definitely wouldn¡¯t have chosen this trail. This trail did not have enough fearsome beasts, so they felt that it wasn¡¯t challenging enough for them. However, it was perfect for these tribesmen because they were new to this ce and if things suddenly got out of hand, they could still manage to fix the situation. If they went on another trail and suddenly too many beasts appeared and caused chaos, even with the number of ming Horn warriors that came, it would be difficult to save everyone from that situation.

    There were a total of three hundred people who came from all the teams. The Thunder Mountain tribe and the Sickle tribe brought around fifty members each. Most other tribes only brought a few members. Tribes like the Zhi tribe didn¡¯t have a huge poption to begin with, and other tribes that were notbative and had no experience in hunting had very few people who joined.

    Luckily, the Thunder Mountain tribe, Sickle tribe, and Water Tiger tribe didn¡¯t live by the same tributary because the hunting teams were separated ording to their tributaries. Even though these three tribes currently had no conflicts with each other, they felt an urge tobat the other tribes, so luckily they weren¡¯t on the same team.

    After they crossed the Giant Bridge and walked deeper into the forest, they noticed that the trees were getting taller and the grass thicker. The grass in some areas were so tall that people would vanish as soon as they walked in.

    The smallest tree trunks here were even thicker than the bulkiest person in this team. This forest was full of tall ancient trees. Compared to the size of those trees, their team of five hundred was insignificantly small army of ants.

    The fog and mist in the mountains carried a silent murderous energy, as if something dangerous was lurking behind them, quietly observing them from afar.

    How tiny they were!

    This was a very special moment for those who first entered this forest. They finally understood why the ming Horns wanted to bring them out for a hunt. If they didn¡¯te, they wouldn¡¯t have realised how tiny they were.

    The ming Horn tribe chose hunting as the first team bonding activity of the Great Alliance. The main purpose of this hunt was to correct some of the improper attitudes these tribesmen held, especially those tribes that were more arrogant. This forest was not full of wild beasts that they often hunted, but of fearsome beasts that were way more dangerous.

    Their ancestors from thousands of years ago might¡¯ve encountered fearsome beasts, but they had been separated from the forest by the Great River for almost a thousand years, so they no longer had the experience their ancestors had.

    If wepare these tribes to des, the tribes that never had any hunting experience were like dull des while those who had hunting experiences were sharper des. If those dull des wanted to prevent the ve masters from kidnapping their people, they had to sharpen themselves and gain more experience to be sharper des capable of defending their tribe.

    They heard a roar from far in the forest and anticipation began to build. The ming Horn soldiers who had experience in the woods could tell that this roar was an exmation of excitement by a beast that had sessfully hunted an intruder. A fight between beasts had taken ce before they arrived.

    Roar¡ª

    Another roar came from the team of tribesmen.

    The Ya tribesmen looked around nervously and some of them began to dig holes in the ground. Abuli¡¯s giant feet staggered in retreat before he realised that this roar came from their team.

    When the crowd looked over, the chief of the Water Tiger tribe, Qu Li, had raised his head and was roaring so loudly that even the veins on his neck bulged.

    The other Water Tiger tribesmen behind Qu Li also opened their mouths as they prepared to roar.

    ¡°Silence!¡± Shao Xuan demanded in a low voice.

    Hearing this, Qu Li stopped roaring and turned around. All the ming Horns in front of him were looking at him as if he was an idiot. The other tribesmen seemed ready to punch him in the face.

    ¡°Sorry, I couldn¡¯t help it,¡± only now did Qu Li realise the terrible mistake he hadmitted. He heard a roar deep in the forest and he was too excited. The blood in his body was bubbling and he couldn¡¯t find any words to express his current feelings, so the most instinctive thing to do was roar.

    The Water Tiger tribesmen often used roaring as a way to vent their feelings. Whether it was anger, sadness, or excitement, they would roar. This was a habit that had existed for thousands of years in their tribe, maybe even longer. Their ancestors had this habit. That was why he couldn¡¯t control his excitement just now.

    In this forest, roaring was something fearsome beasts did if they wanted to warn intruders to stay away from their territory. Besides this, roaring also meant they were challenging opponents to a fight. Qu Li¡¯s action was no different from seeking death.

    What an idiot!

    Many people cursed him in their hearts. If it wasn¡¯t because of where they were, they would¡¯ve screamed at him or even beat him up.

    ¡°If you roar in this forest, sometimes it just means an earlier death,¡± Shao Xuan said. Roaring in the forest required perfect timing and skill. One had to be adept in judging the situation and know when to roar and when to stay silent. This was clearly not the right time for a roar.

    The team continued to advance. The ming Horns no longer needed to tell them to stay silent. All of them were already quiet and vignt, cautious for even the slightest sounds around them. Even all the Water Tiger tribesmen bit their lips and stayed silent.

    Even if these weren¡¯t the best warriors from each tribe, they were skilled and all had keen senses. Threats were all around them. Even though the sky above was curtained by the towering ancient trees, many sensed the invisible dangers around them.

    The grass here grew taller than them. Creatures hid behind the tall grass and the team could feel the murderous res even if they couldn¡¯t see these creatures.

    Seeing how anxious everyone was, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, those are just shadow birds. They¡¯re very sly creatures. The stronger you pretend to be and the calmer you appear, the less likely they¡¯ll make a move on you. If you look or act weak, then they might see you as a potential target.¡±

    As soon as he finished speaking, a bird pped its wings about a hundred metres ahead of them. When they looked ahead, it was a bird about half a human¡¯s height with green and grey stripes.

    Caesar snarled beside Shao Xuan, a low roar sounding in his throat.

    Shao Xuan halted and lifted his hand to make a gesture.

    Eight ming Horns warriors wielded their weapons and advanced.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Abuli asked.

    Before Shao Xuan had a chance to exin, a beast roared in front of them. The sound was loud enough to deafen them.

    Ci Du climbed up a tree nearby and looked forward. Since he was above ground, the grass no longer blocked his vision. Even though some parts of the trees were still in the way, he could now see clearly what was happening.

    A few others in the team also followed suit and climbed up trees to watch themotion.

    It was a giant fearsome beast coated with thick grey fur. This beast was four times their height.

    A tree trunk as wide as ten wingspans snapped in half. Two strong hind legs stomped on the ground as a giant body of a beast appeared. Besides that fearsome beast, Ci Du also saw a few other figures rustling through the thick grass. Those were the eight ming Horns soldiers.

    Even though the team of warriors were quite far away, they could feel the rumbles through the ground. These rumbles were caused by the fearsome beast¡¯s heavy feet. They could only wonder what those ming Horn soldiers were feeling since they were closest to the fearsome beast.

    Ci Du, Qu Li, and Lu Zhai all stared unblinkingly as the ming Horns attacked the fearsome beast. The beast didn¡¯t use any fancy attacks. All of its movements were simple and straightforward. They were effective too! It was fully utilizing its advantage as itunched deadly attacks at its opponents.

    Its sharp ws sliced the air, making sharp whistling noises. It sounded like a sharp de was dancing through the air.

    Not only was this beast strong, it was even capable of causing severe damage. The people who were present had no doubt that those ws could cut a human into shreds any moment. Even those ming Horn soldiers who seemed stronger than most of them seemed weak against such violent attacks.

    Boom!

    It was another round of attacks. Another tree had copsed. The branches split, causing thunderous rumbles to spread through the air. Countless wood chips and chopped grass flew up into the air. It was hard to determine what was happening at the moment. The only thing they could sense was the quakes in the ground and the thunderous sounds of snapping branches.

    The tribesmen who weren¡¯t skilled in hunting shuddered as they watched the fight. If they were to face a fearsome beast of this level, they would definitely be terrified. It wasn¡¯t because they were weak. Rather, they had no experience against such a beast.

    Even the ming Horn soldiers with strong physique and power could not fight confidently against a beast of this level. They had to rely on teamwork and special techniques to kill the beast slowly.

    The ming Horns were already so vignt, so those tribes that were weaker than the ming Horns had to be even more careful. The ming Horns¡¯ actions carried a clear enough message: Don¡¯t be too arrogant and don¡¯t do anything stupid. If you really want to fight a fearsome beast by yourself and you think that you can handle it, think twice. It is very likely for you to be killed by the beast.

    Everyone from the ming Horn tribe who wasn¡¯t part of the battle that was happening now as well as the other tribesmen who were here for the first time all learned something new. This battle warned them never to face these fearsome beasts alone. If they ever walked astray from their team and met with such a fearsome beast, they definitely shouldn¡¯t fight so aggressively. Escape should be their first choice. If escape was not an option, then they must act wisely, or else they might lose their lives.

    ¡°Even you all from the ming Horn tribe can¡¯t fight this one alone, can you?¡± Ci Du of the Du tribe suddenly said.

    ¡°Who told you that? Our chief, Elder Zheng Luo, Elder Ao, and our hunt leaders Ta and Duo Kang could fight this beast by themselves without anyone else¡¯s help, but not everyone who is strong can fight this type of beast by themselves.¡±

    Some people in the team disagreed with what the ming Horn warrior said. If these ming Horns could fight this fearsome beast by themselves, why couldn¡¯t their own tribe¡¯s chief do it?

    ¡°Your chief, elder, hunt leader... Huh... Can your Grand Elder fight this beast by himself?¡± Ci Du asked.

    The ming Horn warrior who was exining looked at Ci Du like he was asking a dumb question, ¡°Our Grand Elder even fought against a King Beast by himself before! What do you think?¡±

    Ci Du¡¯s expression was even more perplexed now. He became a littlecent after learning that not all of the ming Horns were as strong as Shao Xuan. This meant that the Sickle tribe¡¯s warriors weren¡¯t weakpared to most ming Horns. They might even manage to catch up if they put in the effort.

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know what the others were thinking. He was fully concentrated on the battle on the other side. Even if he couldn¡¯t see what was going on, he could sense the eight ming Horn soldier¡¯s energies.

    Roar¡ª

    A roar of terror echoed across the woods.

    Ci Du and the others who were on the trees watched the fight from beginning to end. At first, the fearsome beast appeared fierce and murderous and was ready to stomp down its opponents. Now, it was terrified and wanted to escape. The ming Horns even managed to inflict some injuries on it, and they weren¡¯t giving this beast a chance to escape.

    When everything became silent, the ming Horn soldiers who went to attack the beast were already dragging the fearsome beast back. It was dead.

    Everyone in the team crowded to take a closer look at the fearsome beast.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you guys will see more of these beasts once we go deeper into the woods,¡± Mai told the people who were fighting to take a look at the fearsome beast.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to eat it first,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    They were very close to their first resting station now. If they walked a little further, the grass would slowly be shorter and the trees would be more scattered

    Before they arrived at their destination, the ming Horns demonstrated some hunting techniques for the people who were here for the first time. Of course, each tribe had their own unique hunting style. The ming Horns only showed them the basic techniques. During the actual hunt, it was best if they used techniques that suited them most.

    Indeed, the other tribes learned a lot from the ming Horns about hunting giant beasts, but they couldn¡¯t use the same techniques the ming Horns used for smaller fearsome beasts.

    Smaller fearsome beasts were still bigger than humans. The ming Horns method of hunting these beasts was lifting them up like salted fish and mming them onto the ground on one side and pounding them hard for a few times. Then, they would flip the beast over and repeat the same routine. The thick grass ttened whenever the ming Horns did this, and grass and dirt puffed up from the ground. The other tribesmen could never aplish this feat. They couldn¡¯t even lift those fearsome beasts, much less pound them.

    ¡°The grass grows very fast in this forest. It may look t now and some parts might seem uprooted, but if you return in ten days time, it would be no different from before, covered with a newyer of green,¡± Shao Xuan told them after the battle had ended.

    When they finally arrived at the hunting grounds, the hunting team split up into three different teams, each consisting of members that lived along the same tributary. The ming Horns also split themselves up into each team.

    Rather, what worried Shao Xuan was the traces left behind by other humans in this hunting zone.

    ¡°Tell everyone to watch out. Even if we¡¯re not their target, it¡¯s best to stay vignt.¡±

 Chapter 780 - Go Back Into The Cave!

    Chapter 780

    Go Back Into The Cave!

    Amidst the sparse forest, all sorts of roars and splitting cries from beasts and humans could be heard.

    The bloody stench filled the air and spread as the wind carried it. Some bloodthirsty animals rushed here immediately upon smelling the blood. If it wasn¡¯t because the fight was too intense, they would¡¯ve rushed over to fight for the food as soon as they smelled the blood.

    The scavenger birds were already hovering overhead and creaked loud noises telling those on the ground to hurry up.

    Boom!

    The ground quivered after a cry of terror was heard. The sound of branches splitting and trees falling ceased.

    A few impatient scavenger birds dived down for the food but they were immediately smashed to death by a bloody hammer even before they reached the ground. Broken feathers floated down from the sky.

    Some of the other scavenger birds noticed what had happened to the other birds and could only cry out in fear as they stayed far away from the bloody scene.

    A group of warriors walked out from the forest. Their bodies were stained with blood. Some of the blood belonged to fearsome beasts while others flowed from their own wounds.

    This was one team that came with the ming Horns. Under the ming Horn¡¯s lead, these people who had never been in a fearsome beast forest slowly learned to adapt. They weren¡¯t afraid or frightened at the sight of fearsome beasts anymore. All the doubt and worry in their faces had vanished. What reced it was a bloody murderous expression, ready to kill at any moment.

    Abuli wiped the blood from the side of his eyes. He leaned on a tree as he panted heavily.

    Hunting fearsome beasts required a lot of physical strength and mental tactics. There was no time for rest, so of course it was tiring. Every time they sessfully hunted a fearsome beast, they felt like they had exhausted a year¡¯s worth of energy. However, despite the wounds and energy drain and the fact that they almost lost their lives a couple times, the feeling was extraordinary after they had adapted to the hunt.

    Abuli looked down at his arms. His sleeves were torn and tattered and a huge portion of his arms were exposed. Bloody marks and scars tainted his arms. Some were new wounds that were still freshly stained with blood while others had scabbed.

    Totemic warriors recovered very quickly and wounds caused by typical wild beasts could heal instantly. It wouldn¡¯t even leave any scars behind. Even those who were weak could recover and heal over time, but wounds caused by fearsome beasts were different. These wouldn¡¯t heal as fast and some scars wouldst up to ten years or even a lifetime.

    Abuli wasn¡¯t sure how long the wounds on his arm would stay and he didn¡¯t wish for these scars to disappear. It would be best if they stayed until he died. This was like his medal!

    Look! These were wounds caused by fearsome beasts during a hunt!

    In the Zhi tribe, besides those who came with him this time, who else would have had a chance to get such scars?!

    Upon this thought, Abuli noticed that his back had straightened and the shrunken feelings he felt from timidity also disappeared. Before, whenever they were faced against a strong tribe, Abuli would feel his head lower instinctively and immediately sense a difference in his energy and emotions. It wasn¡¯t a height difference. Hisck of courage and cowardice made him shrink. But now...

    Abuli turned his arm and looked at it closely. He clenched his fists and watched the muscles on his arms contract as he flexed. ¡°I feel so energetic!¡±

    Lu Zhai, the Thunder Mountain chief, looked over at Abuli and spat on the ground. He rotated his shoulder joints. His arm was a lot thicker than Abuli¡¯s legs and he was always in the front when they hunted. He didn¡¯t know why such a timid chief like Abuli was so proud of himself. His scrawny build and bean-sprout like arms were nothing to be proud of, not to speak of how he hid at the back of the team whenever there was a fight. All he did wasunch a few attacks in some critical moments.

    Energetic?

    That¡¯s all just a psychological effect!

    Carrying the scavenger bird he killed with his stone hammer on his shoulders, Lu Zhai dragged another fearsome beast by its ws as he walked with the others to a resting station nearby.

    Lu Zhai could understand how Abuli felt at the moment. Lu Zhai was also very excited since this was his first time in a fearsome beast forest. When he first started hunting here, his arms were injured and some bones even fractured, but hearing the cracks in his bones and feeling the pain spread from his arm up to his body felt all too good!

    His confidence, ambition, and desires grew after each sess in his hunt for fearsome beasts. He could feel his energy growing fiercer and his eyes still glinted with the same murderous brutality he used during his hunts.

    The heavy breathing sounds of those who were dragging the fearsome beasts woke Abuli up from his narcissistic fantasy.

    ¡°Do you need help?¡± Abuli walked over.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright,¡± Lu Zhai waved his hand impatiently, a gesture of annoyance. He was trying to tell Abuli to move aside.

    When the hunters finally arrived at the cave that was their resting station, Shao Xuan also returned with some medicinal herbs. He handed these herbs and Gui Ze¡¯s pills to those who were injured.

    ¡°How is the game today?¡± Shao Xuan asked the people who just arrived after he checked on those who were injured.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Lu Zhai said as he sat down to rest on a rock.

    Shao Xuan nced over at the Thunder Mountain warrior behind Lu Zhai. The person was badly injured and he had new injuries every time he came back for the past few days. This wasn¡¯t because he wasn¡¯t capable. Rather, he was trying very hard.

    ¡°You really put in a lot of effort,¡± Shao Xuan said.

    Lu Zhai followed Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze and turned over to look. He hesitated for a moment and replied,¡± Oh, you mean Chang Di? We have to try our best, don¡¯t we?¡±

    After a sigh, Lu Zhai continued, ¡°You guys should know that our tribe already lost a few people. Three of these were children who haven¡¯t even awakened to their totemic power. One of the children was Chang Di¡¯s son. Back then, Chang Di was merely bringing his son to practice hunting. He only looked away for a moment, and his child was gone. He heard some sounds then and ran after them immediately, but he was toote. We tried to help him search for his son, but we couldn¡¯t find him.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew about the Thunder Mountain tribe¡¯s cases as well as the people they lost. The ming Horn tribe even sent out people to help search for these individuals as soon as they were notified, but they haven¡¯t found any useful clues.

    The ve masters were an experienced group and they could vanish as soon as they kidnapped the people they needed. It was very difficult to trace them. Shao Xuan even sent a letter to the Longboat tribesmen to ask them to help keep an eye for these people out at sea. If they were to notice any suspicious ships heading for the other side and some tribesmen were on those ships, Shao Xuan told them that they must try their best to hold the ship back.

    ¡°Actually, after we found out that it might be the other side¡¯s doing, Chang Di already told me that he wanted to leave for the other side. That is the only way we can look for those who were kidnapped. But if we really want to go there, we need to be stronger first. That¡¯s why Chang Di has been trying his best on this hunt.¡±

    Even though the Thunder Mountain tribe didn¡¯t have arge poption, they still had to pay a huge price if they wanted to go to the other side. Even if Lu Zhai had such thoughts, there was no way he could make it happen. Compared to those who were already kidnapped, the people who were still in the tribe were more important to him.

    That was why Lu Zhai could only sigh when he brought up Chang Di¡¯s story. The other tribes were all the same, or else they wouldn¡¯t havee all the way here to seek the ming Horn¡¯s help.

    ¡°(Sigh), I¡¯m also worried about my Zhi tribesmen being kidnapped. We have even fewer people in our tribepared to the Thunder Mountain tribe,¡± Abuli said as he leaned over.

    ¡°You have no need to worry. As long as you¡¯re with me, those people would definitely set their eyes on me and not you. Beside children, their secondary targets are strong warriors,¡± Lu Zhai said.

    ¡°I¡¯m strong too!¡± Abuli said in disagreement.

    Lu Zhai was silent. All he did was flex his arms and Abuli became speechless.

    After a moment of silence, Abuli said, ¡°Since those people are looking for strong warriors, why didn¡¯t they target the ming Horns?¡± He didn¡¯t hear about the ming Horns losing any members.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re afraid!¡± Lu Zhai said in a deep voice. Besides responding to Abuli¡¯s question, he was also telling himself, ¡°Those people don¡¯t want to provoke any strong tribes, so all they can do now is make a move on us, the smaller tribes.¡± This was why he agreed to join the alliance as soon as he heard the ming Horn¡¯s announcement.

    Since they were too weak alone, wouldn¡¯t they be stronger if they joined arms? Then, would those people still dare to kidnap their people?

    Abuli opened his mouth but he couldn¡¯t think of what to say.

    Well, it was true, wasn¡¯t it? The ming Horn tribe was a huge tribe. Any expedition teams that had been to the trading point knew this. Clearly, not many people dared toy a finger on the ming Horn tribe. The ming Horns wererger and stronger than most tribes, so people feared them. Abuli already felt the numerous hardships in life after a few days of hunting in the forest. As for the ming Horns? Hunting fearsome beasts was asmon as eating. They were already used to this life.

    Even if their way of living was hunting, the way the ming Horns hunted wasn¡¯t something that anyone could do. Each tribe had their own unique fire seed. The ming Horn¡¯s sess wasn¡¯t something they could copy, and even if they could, they didn¡¯t have the time. The only way to solve the problem they were facing was something like joining an alliance.

    As they talked about the people who had been kidnapped, the excitement from their sessful hunts during the day also faded. Chang Di appeared even more depressed behind Lu Zhai, sharpening his de now with a much stronger force than before.

    Nighttime.

    The people who were in charge of keeping watch stood outside and guarded the cave while the others rested in the cave.

    At night, the roars of fearsome beasts were heard every once a while, butpared to the denser parts of the forest, this part was already very quiet.

    For the first few nights, these warriors couldn¡¯t sleep at all. Even if they were exhausted, they forced their eyes to stay open and stayed as vignt as they could. The roars outside made them feel uneasy. However, as the days passed, they slowly got used to the atmosphere in the forest. After a day of intense hunting, they were all tired. That night, they all slept well, at least better than the past few days.

    A cooing sound came from a direction not far away from them.

    Shao Xuan opened his eyes as he listened to the movements outside closely. It wasn¡¯t a bird. It was a human! Those sounds might¡¯ve tricked the other tribesmen in the cave, but it couldn¡¯t trick the ming Horns! They were experts at using such sounds to deliver messages.

    Suddenly, someone outside the cave shouted, ¡°Chang Di is missing!¡±

    Lu Zhai woke up as soon as he heard this. His expression tightened and he turned to rush out of the cave. The other Thunder Mountain people who woke up also got ready and prepared to run outside.

    ¡°Go back inside!¡± Lu Zhai roared loudly at the other Thunder Mountain tribesmen who wanted to leave the cave. The forest was extremely dangerous at night. They already learned about this after being here for a few days. He did not want any other Thunder Mountain tribesmen to risk their lives following him.

    Lu Zhai lifted his hammer and sped out in the direction of the entrance. As soon as he set foot on the ground outside, he was immediately lifted off the ground and thrown back into the cave, ¡°Go back inside!¡±

    Lu Zhai was silent after he was thrown back into the cave by someone so effortlessly.

    The other Thunder Mountain tribesmen were all silent.

    After Shao Xuan threw Lu Zhai back into the cave, he didn¡¯t turn back to see their expressions. He hopped onto Caesar¡¯s back and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go find him.¡±

    Chang Di was keeping watch that night. He wouldn¡¯t disappear for no reason. The cooing sounds they heard from moments ago must be the same sounds he heard before his son went missing.

    If these people were indeed the ve masters who kidnapped those kids, why would they be here? Did they follow the team here? Or did theye here for something else? Shao Xuan was curious.

 Chapter 781

    <h4>Chapter 781 I Don¡¯t Want To Hear It!</h4>

    Shao Xuan rode on Caesar as he sped across the forest, tracking Chang Di by his scent.

    It was already nighttime and most people in the team couldn¡¯t see well in the dark. Even if they could see the things nearby, they were no match for those who went on night missions often. Plus, the forest was very dangerous at night. If they weren¡¯t careful, they might lose their lives. That was why Shao Xuan pushed Lu Zhai back into the cave when he tried toe out. The Thunder Mountain people weren¡¯t night people.

    Caesar ran so fast that Shao Xuan could already hear the sounds of the people fighting and roars ahead.

    It was Chang Di.

    Chang Di already pressed a person down to the ground, beating him up as he asked, ¡°Where is my son? Where did you kidnappers bring him?! Speak!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know... Aaah!¡±

    Chang Di punched him again, ¡°Speak! Where did you guys bring the people! If you don¡¯t speak, I¡¯ll beat you to death!¡±

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know. You found the wrong person!¡± the person on the ground exined frantically.

    ¡°No way! It has to be you!¡±

    Chang Di slowly rose from the ground. His shoulders quivered from the punches he threw before. The muscles on his back bulged and his fist was like a lightning hammer with whizzing winds and electric energy ready to strike down on his target. When he lifted his fist, a visible electric wave shed down his arms.

    Another punchnded on the person¡¯s chest. Rib bones cracked with a crisp and clear sound.

    However strong that punch may have seemed, every punch he threw wasn¡¯t deadly. After all, he didn¡¯t want to kill this person before he got a clear answer from him.

    ¡°I... already... told you! I don¡¯t know! You... have mistaken...¡±

    The person on the ground said fearfully. Slowly, his fear turned into a coldugh and a cruel look shed across his bloodshot eyes.

    A figure appeared behind Chang Di. The person¡¯s movements were so gentle and undetectable, like a shadow in the night. He crept up behind Chang Di without him noticing his presence at all. No light reflected from his de when he drew it out. Chang Di felt the hairs on his neck stand on ends and sensed the murderous energy behind him, but he had no time to react.

    The shadowy figure¡¯s de sliced down. Suddenly, something shed across the air and hit his de.

    ng!

    The sound was so loud that Chang Di felt his ears ring.

    The person behind Chang Di felt his finger bones go numb. The pain shot up his whole arm and he didn¡¯t even have the time to realise what had happened. His other hand was also on the hilt of his de. He lifted the de to block the attack, but it was already toote for him to dodge. He could only try to stop the attack and then find a chance to dodgeter.

    Bam!

    A stone the size of a human head flew across the air and deflected his de.

    The person who was holding the de with both hands felt both his hands go numb. His right arm had only recovered a little from the previous assault but it was suddenly numb again. His left arm was also trembling. In the blink of an eye, his opponent already arrived in front of him.

    He felt like a giant rock had hit him. He flew out so fast and so hard andnded painfully on the trunk of an ancient tree.

    Crack!

    The person flew across the air and mmed into an ancient tree trunk, breaking the tree where he hit it. He seemed like he had temporarily lost the strength to move.

    The person who was pressed to the ground by Chang Di noticed that Chang Di was distracted. He broke free from Chang Di¡¯s grip and slipped out like a slippery eel, running for his life.

    ¡°Stay there!¡± Shao Xuan yelled.

    Chang Di hesitated, but he still obeyed. He gritted his teeth and stood where he was as he sensed the movements around him with his ears. He couldn¡¯t see far in the dark, so he could only guess what was happening by the sounds. He was worried that some others might appear beside him. All he wanted to ask was what had happened to his son. He forgot about the other dangers around him and he was almost beheaded by someone else. Only now did he realise how careless he was. The only way for him to find out where his son went was for him to survive. If he died, there would really be no more hope.

    The person who broke free from Chang Di¡¯s grip had not run far. He knew that he could not outrun Shao Xuan, so he sidestepped and took a turn. He had perfect timing and ran around the ancient tree that had fallen. He had no time to care for hispanion who had fainted by the tree. He couldn¡¯t even save himself. How could he manage to save someone else? It was better if he escaped first. He could find a chance toe back and save himter.

    That person calcted very well. If someone else was chasing him, he would¡¯ve tripped at the tree trunk. Even if he didn¡¯t run into the tree, the obstacle would¡¯ve slowed him down.

    As he ran, the person took a quick nce behind him. When Shao Xuan¡¯s arm touched the heavy tree trunk, it instantly sted aside and Shao Xuan used this tree to propel him forward. Where his feetnded, his force drilled holes in the ground. The air whistled as he ran at lightning speed.

    Bang!

    The person spat out blood as he sprawled across the ground. He flew even faster than hispanion before and mmed into another ancient tree.

    He was already quite beaten up by Chang Di. Now, after suffering such a strong blow from Shao Xuan, he almost lost his life.

    Crack, crack¡ª

    The tree snapped and made creaking sounds as it copsed.

    Shao Xuan rotated his shoulder joints and walked toward the first person he sted away. He didn¡¯t walk to the second person yet.

    He failed in his ambush on Chang Di and was even sted into a tree by Shao Xuan. He had to fight the pain and crawl away from the falling tree to prevent it from crushing him. As soon as he saw Shao Xuan walk up to him, shivers spread through his body. He wanted to run, but felt the ache in his bones. He couldn¡¯t move even if he wanted to. Negotiation was a better choice now. He could escapeter. He had to buy more time.

    His leg was stretched and ready to sprint off, but he drew it back. He turned toward Shao Xuan and said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk this out. I know what questions you all have and I know some...¡±

    Before he even finished his sentence, Shao Xuan walked over with a giant step and reached for this person¡¯s cor, lifting him off the ground.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it!¡±

    As Shao Xuan said this, he flung the person up into the air. Suddenly, a figure shed by.

    This was the person Chang Di beat up. Initially, he felt lucky that Shao Xuan had note in his direction. He had been watching both of them since they weren¡¯t far and he also had night vision. When he heard hispanion speak, he also thought this was the best way. These tribesmen must be eager to know the important information they knew. They wouldn¡¯t kill them immediately. This tribesman was no different from the one who beat him up a few moments ago. He was just trying to scare them like the other tribesman did. He looked frightening but he had no intentions to kill them. If he did, where else could he get this information?

    However, what happened next crushed his hope. He watched as the tribesman flung hispanion into the air and fed him to a giant wolf. The wolf dragged hispanion to some woods nearby. At this moment, this tribesman didn¡¯t seem like he was just messing with them. The wolf¡¯s eyes glinted with a fierce murderous energy as it thought about how it would bite this person to death.

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    Terrifying cries came from behind the woods. He heard the low roar of the fierce beast and smelled the bloody scent. A numbness shot through his body. Just the sound of the brutality was enough to paint a bloody scene in his mind.

    He didn¡¯t want to die, but Shao Xuan was already walking in his direction.

    He knew that this tribesman wasn¡¯t the same as the one from before. This one didn¡¯t even care about listening to their exnations.

    The severe injuries greatly restricted his movement and he thought hard about a solution. The footsteps that were approaching him sounded no different from a life-threatening de, ready to inflict a deadly blow on him.

    Shao Xuan continued to walk at the same pace. He wasn¡¯t too slow or too fast, and he wasn¡¯t even rushing.

    When he arrived in front of that person, Shao Xuan reached his hand out to grab him.

    As soon as he saw Shao Xuan¡¯s hand, the person yelled strainedly, ¡°Wait! I can tell you some important news! It¡¯s really really important! It is rted to you tribesmen!

    He was so nervous that his voice became sharp and ear-piercing. Every word he said was of a different pitch.

    He looked at Shao Xuan¡¯s hands like they were des dipped in poison. His eyes were filled with fear and anxiety. When those hands finally stopped moving, he felt slightly at ease, but instantly, it shot out at him again. He yelled.

    ¡°Listen to me! Please! I can tell you some really important news! There are treasures in this forest! It¡¯s true! There are treasures!¡± his voice cracked. The hoarseness in his voice was a clear mark of fear. He was extremely afraid for his life.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    The cold response interrupted the person¡¯s cry. Hope shed across his eyes as he said immediately, ¡°It¡¯s true. There are treasures here!¡± He mentioned the treasures again.

    ¡°Treasures?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Yes! Treasures!¡± the person nodded quickly.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Shao Xuan was about to fling the person into another tree.

    ¡°Please! I¡¯m telling you the truth! Even the Yi family is here! They¡¯re all here for the treasures! We followed them into the forest!¡±

    The person was so nervous and afraid that Shao Xuan might feed him to the wolf that he spoke with words mixed with thenguage from the other side.

    Chang Di couldn¡¯t understand what that person said.

    ¡°People from the Yi family?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the person, ¡°What is the Yi family trying to find here?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know... It¡¯s a worm! A worm!¡± The person didn¡¯t want to tell him at first, but as soon as he felt Shao Xuan¡¯s arms tighten around him, he immediately told him what he knew.

    ¡°Why do they need this worm? What kind of worm is this?¡± Shao Xuan asked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know... I only found out after eavesdropping on them.¡±

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t know anything, I¡¯ll just feed you to my wolf,¡± Shao Xuan threw the person out.

    As the person shrieked, thest thing he remembered before he lost consciousness was the sight of a bloodthirsty wolf biting down on him.

    When Chang Di saw the person he beat up just now, the person was already unconscious. Caesar carried him in his mouth. If he bit down a little harder, the person would¡¯ve been snapped into three parts.

    Shao Xuan was also carrying someone else in his arms. He was also unconscious, but he wasn¡¯t torn and bitten like Chang Di imagined.

 Chapter 782 - Another Worm

    <h4>Chapter 782 Another Worm</h4>

    After Shao Xuan left, the people in the cave did not sleep either, all observing the outside intently.

    Mai brought his people around to patrol the area, setting up many traps. They had not previously done this due to concerns that other tribesmen might fall inside. But tonight¡¯s incident made Mai change his mind¨C if tribesmen from other tribes fell inside, that¡¯s their own fault for straying where they¡¯re not supposed to!

    It was currently night time in the Fearsome Beast Forest. What did a first-timer in the forest expect?

    However, when he thought about the exnations offered by Thunder Mountain Tribe, he privately understood too. He would also panic if his children went missing. But he was still displeased and so did not treat them very kindly.

    Seeing Shao Xuan return safely, Mai rushed over. He saw the people carried by Caesar and Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Who are they?¡± Mai asked.

    ¡°From the other side of the sea, likely ve masters.¡± Shao Xuan could not ask too many questions in the forest because there were too many threats. Unless it was a resting spot, one should not remain for long in there. That was why he could only force answers for the most important questions, then bring people back for interrogationter.

    ¡°It¡¯s them! Chief, they were the kidnappers!¡± cried Chang Di, panting heavily.

    ¡°What?! Them?!¡±

    ¡°They were the ones who took our tribesmen?!¡±

    The tribes who had lost people all squeezed over, no longer scolding Chang Di for running around, instead cing their attention on the two people Shao Xuan brought back. Their res of hatred almost burned holes on both of them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask them first.¡± Mai dragged the two away, both locked up far away from each other. One in the cave, one outside, both interrogated separately.

    Making the spectators stand back, he got someone to scoop some water and ssh it on the unconscious person.

    The cold water from a mountain stream immediately woke the unconscious man up. Seeing himselfpletely surrounded by tribesmen, he came to his senses very quickly.

    Every pair of eyes felt like a de cutting through him.

    His eyes widened, scanning his surroundings.

    I don¡¯t know these people... Nope, nope... eh?!

    His eyes widened even more when he saw Shao Xuan, then yelled and half-rolled and stumbled backwards to keep a distance between them.

    ¡°Speak. Why did you follow us into the mountain?¡± asked Mai, dragging him over.

    The person looked at Mai, retracted his neck when he saw Shao Xuan, gulped, then spoke, ¡°No, we were not following you. Actually, we were already in the forest long before you arrived. We only came to this region a few days ago but it wasn¡¯t because we wanted to, we came with other people.¡±

    ¡°Other people?¡± Mai looked at him. ¡°Who?¡±

    ¡°Yi family members, and others all from King City,¡± he answered hurriedly.

    ¡°When you kidnap our tribesmen, where do you bring them to?¡± asked Mai.

    ¡°We bring them to... I don¡¯t know.¡± As he spoke, his eyes kept darting at Shao Xuan, then saw Shao Xuan lifting his arm and started to shudder, hiding behind Mai. ¡°I really don¡¯t, I¡¯m only responsible for bringing people away, then I pass them to another person. We really don¡¯t know where these people get sent too.¡± Defending himself was useless now, these tribesmen recognised him.

    ¡°Are you an organisation?¡± asked Mai.

    ¡°We are members of ¡®Bi¡¯,¡± he replied.

    Mai had heard of this name but could not put his finger on it. Tao Zheng behind him reminded that ¡®Bi¡¯ was thergest ve-trading organisation on the other side of the ocean. If this was done by them, then the people who were kidnapped must be sent over there already.

    The Bi organisation had a clear hierarchy and job separation. Since the two people Shao Xuan caught were merely low-level workers, they knew very little.

    ¡°So that means it¡¯s also possible he doesn¡¯t know where they were sent,¡± said Mai.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯ve been saying that he doesn¡¯t know anything. He¡¯s useless, throw him to the...¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    When the man heard Shao Xuan¡¯s nonchnt tone and recalled the cries of agony from his mates in the forest, he shook uncontrobly and exined hurriedly, ¡°I know some important information! Whatever I said was true!¡±

    Mai pretended to hold Shao Xuan back. ¡°Wait first. Since we still can¡¯t find the missing people, might as well listen to what he has to say.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes yes, I know many important things. I¡¯ve said this before, the Yi family is looking for treasure!¡± The man reiterated what he¡¯d told Shao Xuan, though this time in more detail. Knowing the ming Horns were interested in this, he saw a ray of hope. However, he dared not hold back information to lure the ming Horns either, worried the impatient ming Horns might actually throw him to the wolf.

    What? You mean what if they don¡¯t want to listen?

    No, no. The ming Horns must listen. That was important to his own survival. That was why he did not beat around the bush, directly telling them what he knew so the ming Horns would feel like this information was useful and would temporarily keep him alive knowing that he had more to tell.

    Many people from Bi hade over because kidnapping was not as convenient in the central area. Those were strong tribes that wouldunch wars over small matters, so the risk-reward ratio was just not worth it. That was why they only targeted obscure tribes that did notmunicate with the outside world. First, the kidnapping was easy, second, these small tribes had no resources to investigate despite knowing that their people were taken.

    However, they had juste to ming River and had not captured enough people when coincidentally the ming River Basin was forming an alliance. Being sensitive to dangers, they prepared to retreat the moment the alliance was about to form, though at the same time received news that there were King City folk slipping quietly into the forest.

    Those King City people had entered the forest through ming River¡¯s minor streams, avoiding the possibility of encountering ming Horns. If they were acting so sneaky, they must be hiding something! That was why a portion of the Bi people, who initially were going to retreat, suddenly smelled ¡®money¡¯ and changed their ns. They followed the King City people into the forest, eavesdropping some secrets but not much. They only knew that these people were looking for some worm, just not sure what kind.

    The King City people did not travel in a straight line though, always circling around randomly and throwing them off all the time. The Bi people lost them in this part of the forest and separated to look for the King City people again. These two were toozy to go, hence decided to stay here for the moment. Who would have thought they would encounter a group of hunters from a tribe! They nned to steal something as they were not skilled in hunting, so they decided to steal some food at night after smelling roasted meat. Unfortunately, his signal that was supposed to be disguised was recognised by Chang Di and they ended up on a chase. In the end, he met Shao Xuan and was dragged back.

    After the interrogation, Mai kept him tied up in a cave first, getting someone to watch him. One sudden move and he would be killed and fed to the beasts.

    ¡°What should we do?¡± Mai asked Shao Xuan when they were alone.

    ¡°The part where King City people have arrived must be true. I¡¯m not sure about the worm part though.¡±

    ¡°In the past, the Rock Hill City people entered Fearsome Beast Forest looking for the green-faced fang beast to make weapons. Do you think the King City people are looking for something simr?¡± asked Mai.

    ¡°That is possible.¡± Shao Xuan nodded.

    If it was enough to make King City¡¯s people enter the forest, then it could be some precious medicine or important weapon forging material.

    In the forging notes left behind by the Gongjia people, using the green-faced fanged beast¡¯s blood to forge weapons was mentioned, along with some kind of worm that ate stone. Its blood was said to be many times better than the green-faced fanged beast. Shao Xuan initially thought it was the stoneworm but after meeting the king stoneworm, he denied this possibility.

    ¡°It¡¯s just one of the possibilities. There could be other reasons,¡± said Mai.

    In this patch of forest that wasrger than the Fearsome Beast Forest, the most powerful worm that Mai had heard of was the king stoneworm. These people obviously would not be searching for it because deliberately searching for a king beast was the same as death.

    Shao Xuan thought for a while, then pulled out a straw rope to do a reading. He nned to check which direction these people were heading to specte their intentions.

    Mai stood guard, watching his surroundings intently and stopping others from getting near. Not many people knew of Shao Xuan¡¯s divination abilities and most were their own. This group contained too many people of other tribes that could not be trusted. He would not want others to know of this.

    After a while, the knots werepleted. Shao Xuan looked at the few knots and pointed in a direction. ¡°They are currently heading that way.¡±

    ¡°That way? I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything special there. Maybe what they¡¯re searching for is much farther away.¡± Based on what Mai knew, there was nothing there, though his knowledge was obviously limited by the hunt team¡¯s range. The forest was huge and no one knew where it ended.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan said, ¡°Continue to bring your team out for hunts. We don¡¯t have many days left. They have already grown ustomed to this ce and the objective of this trip has beenpleted. That is enough.¡±

    ¡°You want to go check it out?¡± asked Mai.

    ¡°Yeah, If the King City¡¯s people are indeed looking for a material for forging weapons, it¡¯s good news for us too,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Mai understood this too. Ever since the new green bronze and metal wares were created, their tastes had changed. If there was a material better than green-faced fanged beast blood, it would be great for the tribe. Even if it was not for weapons, then it still must be some treasure. As long as they knew what the treasure was, they would be able to get it eventually.

    ¡°Are you going alone? Do you need more people?¡±

    ¡°No, Caesar will stay with the group. I¡¯ll get Chacha to bring me there.¡±

    ¡°That works too.¡± Although Mai felt that it was too dangerous, Shao Xuan had done this before and bringing more people would just be inconvenient.

    Early next morning, an eagle took off from their resting ce at sunrise.

    Shao Xuan instructed Chacha to fly towards the direction from the reading first, then continued doing a few more readings along the way. Just like what the ¡®Bi¡¯ guy said, they kept changing directions as if they were walking randomly. However, when he drew their paths out, he realised the general direction did not change.

    ¡°That way?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the path and patted Chacha. ¡°Don¡¯t you think that direction seems a little familiar?¡±

    ¡°Caw¡ª¡±

    Chacha cried loudly. Of course it was familiar! No one was more familiar with the ce than this giant mountain eagle!

    They were heading straight for Eagle Mountain!

 Chapter 783 - Wanna Fight Me?!

    Chapter 783

    Wanna Fight Me?!

    Within the forest, a group of almost five hundred people was travelling through, a group of armoured guards protecting a few in the middle.

    Two of them within this centre group stood out because they were wearing silk, the silver-white patterns asionally reflecting sunlight. Compared to the unkempt crowd, these two still looked clean albeit exhausted.

    ¡°Master Qi, how long more?¡± asked the person in front, turning to the centre of the group.

    The elder of the two protected people had a tray in one hand with a few jades ced on top, the other hand stroking his beard. ¡°We will arrive in ten days.¡±

    The person ahead heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡±

    Although they were prepared, travelling in the forest was a stressful affair. They had not been able to sleep properly at night, terrified of being eaten by some hidden fearsome beast or dragged away by strange nts. The forest here was much more dangerous than forests on the other side!

    They initially had eight hundred people but only five hundred remained. The other three hundred had be either nt fertiliser or animal food.

    This was WITH pointers from the two Yi family members too, avoiding a majority of threats. Without them both, perhaps only a handful would survive the journey.

    ¡°We¡¯ll take a rest here, there are no major threats nearby,¡± said the person with the tray.

    The surrounding guards sighed, they could finally rest. However, despite the announcement that there were no major threats, they still had to be vignt against small threats. Being careless could also mean being killed by something small.

    ¡°Master Yue, do you really not know what the worm looks like?¡± the leader of the expedition, Mu Yao, asked the only Gongjia family member in the group during rest. This was also a great master cksmith but it was too bad the new lord did not like Gongjia Yue so he had not been living well these days. If it wasn¡¯t for protection from the Mu and Yi family, Gongjia Yue might not be able to continue living in such luxury, perhaps evencking materials for forging.

    Gongjia Yue sat nearby. His hair was greying, for he was no longer a young man. He used to be a prominent figure in the Gongjia family but unfortunately, he had been rude to the new lord before his ascension to the throne. When the new lord came into power, he took most of Gongjia Yue¡¯s resources and handed it off to other Gongjia cksmiths since there were many of them around. These cksmiths spent all their time forging and never had the time to collect materials, heavily relying on the royal family for supply. They could rely on current stocks to survive for a few years but that was only temporary.

    After Gongjia Yue lost his position, the Mu and Yi family continued to support him so he did not fall to rock bottom. This help obviously also came with conditions- they wanted him to make even more powerful weapons. Rock Hill City was currently targeting the Mu and Yi family of King City so it was easy to see why they were so worried. They took the opportunity of Gongjia Yue¡¯s fall from grace to gain some power.

    Gongjia Yue also nned to use this matter to restore his former glory. He had enjoyed a long life of glory and luxury so losing power did not feel good. If he could settle this matter well, then returning to his peak was not an impossible task.

    Gongjia Yue was considered a master in the cksmith world, having been to Gongjia Valley just like Gongjia Heng when he was younger. He had also read the ancestral secret notes there so he knew what Gongjia Heng knew too.

    Both ming Horn and Rock Hill City had found the green-faced fanged beasts so everyone knew what the quality of these products was. Despite being better than other metal weapons, the Mu and Yi family were still dissatisfied.

    And since the green-faced fanged beast was not enough, they tried to go search for the other worm. There was too little information in their ancestral notes about it... but didn¡¯t they have the Yi family with them?

    Both parties decided to partner up and after a huge effort, finally conducted a sessful reading for the worm¡¯s location. They then recruited people, avoided the main battlefield by the coast and ming Horn¡¯s (whom they had conflict with) territory to arrive in the forest.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the worm before and there are only written notes in the records without images. The ancestors called them Star Butterflies.¡± Gongjia Yue had given this answer many times, and that was all he could say too. He did not know what a star butterfly looked like, nor itsrvae form. They were currently looking forrvae of the star butterflies.

    ¡°The only thing I know is that we must hurry up and find them before thervae turn to butterflies, extract their blood and bring them back.¡± Gongjia Yue¡¯s eyes shed with manic excitement. If he could forge even more powerful weapons, he would be a very rich man! It had been so many years and the Gongjia family still had not been able to find this worm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there¡¯s still time before they mature,¡± reassured Yi Qi.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried people might be following us. If that happens, aren¡¯t we helping them? And we¡¯re not sure if they will harm us.¡± Mu Yao voiced his concern.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry, we have shaken them off.¡± Yi Qi looked proud. He had used his divination abilities to determine the group¡¯s direction and leaving times. Bit by bit, they shook off everyone following them. Now, he felt no one on their heels.

    Next to Yi Qi was a young man from the Yi family. Strangely, he looked young but had a head of white hair. In contrast to Yi Qi¡¯s calmness, he looked worried, like he had a bad feeling.

    ¡°Uncle, you must remain vignt,¡± he said.

    ¡°Yi Cong, are you questioning my abilities?¡± Yi Qi was displeased by Yi Cong¡¯s reminder, about to say something when he suddenly furrowed his brows. Ignoring everything else, he started tapping the tray in front of him. The shiny jade stones rolled around for five minutes before finally stopping.

    ¡°Master Qi, did something happen?!¡± asked Mu Yao and the rest hurriedly.

    ¡°Nothing serious. Must be someone who secretly learned the Yi family divination methods, or some useless Yi traitor! How dare they use divination to track our movements? Hmmph! Wanna fight me?!¡±

    With an arrogant huff, he disyed his contempt towards this person.

    ¡°And right now?¡± Mu Yao looked at Yi Qi.

    ¡°That person will not know where we¡¯re heading next,¡± he replied nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s just some small trick that only Yi family children use when they¡¯re fooling around.¡±

    ¡°Someone managed to track us using divination?!¡± Yi Cong was shocked, then suddenly thought of something. His eyelid twitched and he hurriedly took his own tray. He reached out to grab a handful of fine golden sand from a y container held up by a ve, then scattered it in his tray.

    The golden sand fell in streaks in the tray. They were initially normal, for the grains moved normally either towards the jade stone in the tray or away. However, the changes soon stopped and with a ¡®poof¡¯, the sands scattered messily again.

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell which way they¡¯re going!¡± gasped Yi Cong.

    Usually, when another party was tracking them through divination, they could use a secret Yi method to simrly locate the other person. Of course, they could also directly stop the other person from tracking them, just as what Yi Qi did. But there was one unpredictable variable- if there was arge enough gap between both parties¡¯ abilities, it creates a power imbnce and results in them unable to track the opponent back. This was why Yi Cong was shocked. He was already the top of his generation within the Yi family, yet he still could not track this person.

    Yi Cong¡¯s expressions changed, the usually calm face turned into a rare frown. ¡°This again!¡±

    As if there was ayer of mist, he could not conduct any more sessful readings. Every time he tried, he would just get a mess of results, his jade stones scattering messily without a sure answer.

    Yi Cong had once experienced this before. It was a terrible memory and every time he recalled it, he felt as if a pair of hands were stopping him from stepping forward. Inyman terms, he was at a bottleneck.

    There had been Yi family members with this problem too. If they could not break through this bottleneck and remained, then they might stop improving forever. The Yi family would then give up on grooming these people.

    Although Yi Cong had this problem, he was a rare genius in his family so the Yi family did not give up on him. They kept looking for ways to help him breakthrough but none worked. This time, Yi Cong told his family that he must embark on this long, arduous journey in hopes of using this experience to breakthrough.

    This is happening again!

    Yi Cong picked up the jade in the tray and rolled it in his palm, deep in thought. He turned to Yi Qi, ¡°Uncle, are you able to track the other person?¡±

    ¡°Are you questioning my abilities?¡± Anger shed Yi Qi¡¯s eyes. Yi Cong could not track him because he was not skilled enough- Yi Qi ranked top ten in the entire Yi family, how could he face the same problem?!

    Ignoring Yi Qi¡¯s anger, Yi Cong insisted, ¡°Please conduct another reading.¡±

    ¡°Alright! I will!¡±

    Suppressing his anger, he grabbed the jades and began.

    However, more and more sweat droplets started to sprout from his forehead. The hand holding the jades started to tremble as if he was about to drop them.

    Yi Cong¡¯s face twitched as he watched on, finally shutting his eyes. He knew the answer.

    Poof!

    The golden sand in the tray flew into a mess.

    Yi Qi was ghastly pale, pinching a jade hard with his eyes locked on the remaining sand as if in disbelief of the results.

    ¡°How is that possible? Why?!¡± His lips trembled, ¡°Not only am I not able to track them, the block I ced just now failed!¡±

    The group was dead silent. Mu Yao and Gongjia Yue looked at him in shock, wondering if they had made a mistake.

    What?!

    Yi Qi couldn¡¯t track the other person?! Even blocking them didn¡¯t work?! So the other person can continue tracking them then?!

    ¡°Who on earth is skilled enough to do this? Even you both can¡¯t stop them!¡± Mu Yao could not think of anyone. Was it another Yi family member?

    ¡°I¡¯ve guessed the answer,¡± said Yi Cong slowly. He was calmer than the rest.

    The Yi family rarely used the word ¡®guess¡¯ because that meant they had no confidence in their own skills. They only said that when readings failed. But Yi Cong was being so calm while using the word ¡®guess¡¯!

    ¡°It¡¯s that ming Horn, Shao Xuan!¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Yi Qi cut him off. ¡°That was a Yi family¡¯s divination method, I was able to sense it. While I don¡¯t know specifically what method they used, it was definitely a Yi family technique!¡±

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know why this person possesses such a skill, I still think the person currently tracking us through Yi family divination techniques is ming Horn¡¯s Shao Xuan!¡±

    Years ago when they were chasing after ming Horn¡¯s migratory party, Yi Cong had suspected that the ming Horns had fortune-telling abilities. He did not think it was a Yi technique, guessing it might be another tribe¡¯s fortune-telling methods as the Yi family was not the only fortune teller in the world. However, the Yi family was still the best in divination!

    Right now, since the expert Yi Qi said it was a Yi family technique, and Yi Cong felt the same as the incident years ago, that meant that the ming Horns likely used a Yi family technique during their migration! Unfortunately, they were unable to tell specifically which method he used.

    ¡°Impossible! Absolutely impossible!¡± Yi Qi was still muttering the same thing in loops. He refused to believe that a tribesman that did not belong to the Yi family would have a skill like this. This was a p to their faces.

    If Yi Cong knew what Yi Qi thought, he would have said the p hade a long time ago in King City, just that no one noticed it.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving then!¡± shouted Mu Yao, getting up in an instant. If this person could track them, then they must hurry to first find the star butterflyrvae and extract its blood!

    At this moment, within the forest far away from Mu Yao¡¯s team.

    Shao Xuan stared at his rope. This reading had not been smooth, as if someone was tugging and refused to let him form a knot. But he still sessfullypleted them in the end.

    Calling Chacha, who was pecking at a snake, over, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t y with your food, hurry up and eat. We¡¯ll leave soon, they already know that we¡¯re following them.¡±

    ¡°I hope they don¡¯t try anything,¡± said Shao Xuan, staring off into the distance.

    He now knew what worm they were searching for. This worm lived in a very unique habitat which was right within the giant mountain eagle¡¯s territory.

    ces with many fearsome beasts would have a strangely bnced ecosystem. If that bnce was broken, would these people be eaten by the eagles? Or by something else?

    He could only think of one answer.

 Chapter 784 - To Kill Or Not

    <h4>Chapter 784 To Kill Or Not</h4>

    Mu Yao and his party walked for another seven days when they saw a magnificent mountain range that stood before them like a solid wall. The ends of the range could not be seen, and the tops of the mountains were covered by clouds. No one knew how tall the mountains were.

    Mist gathered around the valley while white patches of snow covered the slopes.

    A long and dangerous journey ahead!

    This was what everyone thought.

    In the past, they had climbed many mountains but this mountain range was different.

    ¡°This is my first time seeing a mountain range like that!¡± Mu Yao eximed.

    This was no ordinary location but the star butterflyrvae were no ordinary worms either. It made sense that they would live in a ce like that. It felt like the Yi family actually got thervae¡¯s location right.

    ¡°This is the ce?¡± Mu Yao turned to Yi Qi.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Yi Qi was still thinking about the person following them. Refusing to ept Yi Cong¡¯s exnation, he had been thinking about the question day and night for seven days. Even though they were already at their destination, he seemed disinterested and merely grunted nonchntly.

    Mu Yao looked at Yi Cong and was delighted to see Yi Cong nodding. ¡°Where are thervae?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet,¡± said Yi Cong.

    ¡°Does that mean the star butterflyrvae woulde out on their own?¡± asked Mu Yao curiously.

    ¡°That should happen, all we need to do is wait.¡± Yi Cong instructed his ves to clear the area and sat on a rock they wiped for him. He took out his tray and started to mull over questions of his own.

    Seeing the two Yi people behave like this, Mu Yao did not force them to look for thervae. The Yi family were all like this, especially the ones in the main family branch.

    ¡°Let¡¯s explore the area,¡± said Mu Yao to the rest.

    Mu Yao was still wondering about thervae¡¯s location and size when he saw Gongjia Yue close his eyes and take out a deep breath. He looked blissed-out, heaving a sigh. ¡°Do you smell it?¡±

    Mu Yao sniffed the air. ¡°The smell of bird faeces?¡± That was nothing new, the stench had been lingering for days.

    Gongjia Yue opened his eyes slightly, as if looking at an idiot. ¡°The star butterflyrvae are definitely here!¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I smell anything?¡± Mu Yao sniffed again but did not smell anything other than bird faeces. Turning to the rest, they all looked equally puzzled.

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand!¡± scoffed Gongjia Yue arrogantly. ¡°I can sense an extremely good forging material nearby, and it must be thervae!¡±

    The Gongjia family had an instinct towards forging materials and could find good materials hidden from others. This was why they ended up with strange forging materialspared to others. Their ancestors found certain animals whose blood was suitable for forging through this exact method.

    As he spoke, he felt a gust of wind above. Looking up, he saw arge shadow shooting right at them and quickly dodged.

    Bang!

    A hard m made everyone peer cautiously towards the source of the sound.

    There was arge eagle there, several times taller than them while lying t on the ground like a small hill. The surrounding trees were ttened by its impact and it looked severely injured.

    Mu Yao regarded it from beak to feathers to talons, finally concluding, ¡°An old eagle.¡±

    The eagle was obviously ageing. Other than its sharp, observant gaze, its most powerful weapons- beak and talons- were no longer at their peak like rusty weapons.

    Knowing that this eagle was old and injured, and it did not look like it could fly again, everyone gradually rxed when they realised it was not a huge threat. A thought crossed their minds. ¡°This is a great opportunity!¡±

    A dying eagle was still a fearsome beast, which was a good source of nutrients. They had never hunted such arge eagle before.

    Meeting everyone¡¯s eyes, Mu Yao knew what they thought but out of caution, he asked the Yi family members first.

    ¡°Will killing the eagle affect our capturing of thervae?¡± asked Mu Yao.

    Yi Qi looked at the eagle impatiently, ¡°Just kill it if you want!¡±

    However, Yi Cong flicked the jades in his trays. ¡°I think, it¡¯s best you don¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Why? What did your reading say?¡± asked Mu Yao.

    Yi Cong shook his head. ¡°I could not conduct any readings.¡±

    Afraid that the rest would attribute this inability to the previous incident, Yi Qi miserably borated, ¡°This ce is strange, we can¡¯t do readings here. I think you can sense it too.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Mu Yao also felt a strong oppression and knew they were not making excuses. The force came from above, like a giant hand pressing down.

    Since they could not conduct readings and Mu Yao did not want to let go of this opportunity for food, he unsheathed his sword to kill the eagle. This ce was where thervae were, and eagles did not live in harmony with worms, right? Maybe killing an eagle would be good for thervae.

    The eagle seemed to feel Mu Yao¡¯s murderous intent, pping its wings as it looked up. Its gaze was sharp enough for everyone to avoid staring straight into them. An eagle of this size surely had its fair share of ups and downs, one look was enough for Mu Yao to know it was different from the other birds.

    However, the more intimidating it was, the more Mu Yao lusted for its blood.

    ¡°You old bird!¡±

    There was an arc of metallic light, bringing along a cold murderous intent as it shed mercilessly.

    ng!

    The giant eagle blocked his sword with a talon but one of its toes was shed off. Pieces of its w chipped off and fell on the ground.

    Just as Mu Yao expected, this eagle¡¯s talons were merely rusty, old metal wares! They were weak! Perhaps he would not have been able to cut off a toe if this eagle were at its peak, maybe only scratching the hard scales on its talons. But it¡¯s old! You¡¯re an old, dying eagle!

    Everyone started to crowd around. Knowing it must not stay any longer, the giant eagle lifted its w again to block Mu Yao¡¯s next strike while pping its wings hard.

    Crack crack crack crack000

    The sound of broken branches sounded like the pitter-patter of a storm.

    The giant wings brought with it a vortex, pushing Mu Yao and the rest slightly back.

    ¡°Caw¡ª¡±

    With a long cry, the eagle pped its wings and left the ground. Its actions were slow and awkward either due to its injury or age, staggering so much that Mu Yao thought several times that it would crash. But the eagle continued flying up, then stopping on the mountain. It grabbed on to the steep cliff but due to the injured foot and talons that were no longer sharp, it slid downwards.

    Mu Yao wondered if he should climb up the mountain to kill it. The eagle did not look like it would live long anyway. Suddenly, Gongjia Yue roared, ¡°The star butterflyrvae areing out!¡±

    Mu Yao had to abandon the eagle now, this was his main objective anyway. He woulde back for this crippled old eagle after extractingrvae blood.

    ¡°Where is it?!¡± Mu Yao looked around.

    I can sense them, they¡¯reing out!¡± Gongjia Yue¡¯s breathing was heavy and rugged, his face red from the blood rush, hot air forcing through his nostrils. He held a sword while staring intently at the ground at the foot of the mountain.

    He was more sensitive than the Yi people in this aspect. Those people needed to conduct readings while he did not. This was just his natural instinct!

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡±

    Gongjia Yue had just spoken when they heard arge rustling from underground. Everyone held their breaths, terrified of disturbing what was underground. As themotion grew louder, in the spot where Gongjia Yue was staring at, the soil in a patch of grass loosened, then a mound formed and the topmost soilyer was pushed out. A round, white head popped out, then out wriggled a three to four-metre long worm as thick as a man¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Not just one!¡± Gongjia Yue had gone mad.

    After the first worm emerged, a few more white worms wriggled out of the soil near the foot of the mountain.

    ¡°This is it!¡±

 Chapter 785 - CatChapter That Fat Worm

    <h4>Chapter 785 Catch That Fat Worm</h4>

    One by one, snow-white star butterflyrvae wriggled out of the soil. Although they differed slightly in shape, they were all mostly of the same lengths.

    Gongjia Yue behaved like a starving beast who smelled blood, excitement shining in his eyes. He could not wait to catch all these worms and drained their blood out. He seemed to see a path of riches and glory ahead of him already.

    The chance of restoring his former glory was here!

    Shing!

    He unsheathed his sword and rushed straight at the nearest worm.

    ¡°CATCH THEM!¡±

    Mu Yao snapped back to his senses and waved for his subordinates to catch the worms. Their entire journey had been all for these white worms!

    When their sharp des cut the worm, itcked the sharp sound of broken skin while they felt as if they had just attempted to cut a tree trunk. The de could not cut through, merely leaving a shallow scratch on the surface. Even Mu Yao could not chop the worm in half as he imagined.

    His sword had just shed a giant eagle¡¯s toe off, yet now it was struggling to cut a worm.

    However, although it was not split in half, its skin was broken.

    White liquid flowed from its wound and unto the ground, seeping into the soil. When Mu Yao was about to sh again at its wound, the agile worm tumbled aside to dodge the de.

    White traces remained on the ground from its blood but they quickly seeped into the soil. Mu Yao then noticed the worm that rolled away was no longer bleeding, and its wound was literally healing before his eyes!

    Its healing abilities were astonishing!

    Tough skin, rming healing abilities and agile movements. Although these star butterflyrvae did not haverge fangs or sharp horns, they were still difficult targets.

    Someone near Mu Yao noticed the same thing. He was about to tell Muyao when a sh of white passed in front of him as quickly as lightning!

    The star butterflyrva he hurt had its head stuck to the ground, while two-thirds of its body became a fat white whip. A ¡®whoosh¡¯ sounded whenever it flicked around aggressively, knocking people off their feet.

    These people did not expect such a harmless worm to attack so suddenly so none of them were prepared when the worm mmed heavily into their abdomens.

    Therva anchored itself into the ground with three pairs of front feet, bending at a ridiculous angle to hit its targets.

    This person was thrown least thirty metres away, sliding across the ground when hended before stopping. Without the trees and grass on the ground, he would have slid further.

    The person curled up into a ball, coughing up blood and groaning painfully. He could not get up.

    Mu Yao dodged the ¡®white whip¡¯ that flicked at him. Although these white worms were difficult, they would surely die if he could cut them a few more times.

    Gongjia Yue squatted and touched the white traces left behind by the liquid that flowed from its wounds. He pinched the soil between his fingers and a thought popped in his head: ¡®this can¡¯t be used!¡¯

    He suddenly yelled, ¡°Not blood!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Mu Yao.

    ¡°It¡¯s not therva¡¯s blood we need for forging!¡± said Gongjia Yue.

    Mu Yao was even more confused. Not blood? Didn¡¯t you say you need its blood? Are you serious? You¡¯d better talk to your ancestors about it!

    ¡°Not the blood, but definitely something rted to the star butterflyrvae!¡± Gongjia Yue paused. ¡°Use a! We¡¯ll talk after we catch them!¡±

    They should catch the worms first, then carefully study the worms to check what this liquid was.

    Mu Yao calmed down a little. As long as they needed the worms. He would leave everything else to the Gongjia people.

    The Gongjia Yue mentioned was not one made of vines or straw rope used by tribesmen. He had personally made this before the journey.

    Every strand that made up the was a type of treated metal- malleable yet durable. These lines were only the tenth of a little finger¡¯s width and lighter than regr metals! Even the Mu and Yi families were impressed.

    The Gongjia people, especially ones called ¡®Masters¡¯, all owned many treasures unknown to the public. He only took out this precious work of his to capture thervae. He had invented this and to this day, no one else could figure out how to make the same kind. Gongjia Yue once nned to show this off at the next Gongjia meeting to win the Beast cksmith award!

    Unfortunately, the political situation in King City changed before the meeting. The Gongjia family since split into several cliques and he was squeezed out.

    Hearing his instruction, his ve opened arge wooden box he was carrying, taking out several objects wrapped in animal hide. He unwrapped them to reveal shiny silvers.

    Mu Yao wasted no time in distributing thes.

    Theses were custom-made and differed from regr fiss. These were specially made for worms, hence doing away with unnecessary parts to save space and make it lighter.

    The unfurled trapped the front of the worm, then tightened so the worm¡¯s head and a protruding segment would be trapped inside the. One strand of wire was connected to the mouth and held by the person who cast the. This wire controlled the tightness of the¡¯s mouth.

    The worm with a trapped head did not stop charging ahead. After several tumbles, it continued crawling towards the mountain wall.

    One person was not enough to hold the worm back so six or seven, sometimes more people pulled the same. Sometimes, they saved effort by tying the to a tree or rock.

    ¡°Quick quick quick! There are more! Catch as many as you can!¡± yelled Gongjia Yue frantically. He realised that the wriggling worms were not even interested in fighting them, instead all crawling quickly towards the mountain wall. There were many worms already inching quickly up the wall.

    Although Gongjia Yue was not familiar with insects, such arge-scale behaviour surely was not coincidental!

    They had suffered so much to get here, they cannot afford to be stopped by any external factors!

    Sevenrvae had already been captured. A portion of the people went to look for vines so that they could switch out the metals with vines after thervae exhausted themselves, then use thes again to catch more worms.

    A portion of the people functioned to distract the worms so that the rest could catch them with theirs quickly. If the worms decided to stand up and sweep their tails again, these people might just die.

    Looks like there were too few people for the job. Gongjia Yue turned to see Yi Qi and Yi Cong who stayed far away from everyone along with four or five ves staying with them. Gongjia Yue initially wanted them to send a few ves to help but both did not look interested in the worms at all. They merely stared at their trays with knitted brows, ignoring the battle. Seeing this, Gongjia Yue swallowed his words once again. Whatever, they¡¯re hopeless.

    Were they not previously impatient to get their hands on better weapons? Why do they look so distracted now?

    ¡°We¡¯ve got too few people!

    Since they were not sure if they would find their targets, they did not bring too many people to avoid attracting attention. He thought they would just catch one or two but Gongjia Yue was filled with regret now. If he knew there were so many worms, he would have brought an army!

    Although there were many worms, they were all scattered and contributed to the inefficiency in capture.

    ¡°Quick! Quick! Quick!¡±

    Almost all the worms were on the mountain wall already. At this rate, Gongjia Yue could not wait any longer, sheathing his sword to crawl up the steep rock wall.

    Mu Yao and the rest did the same. They nned to make the worms fall off, while people at the bottom waited with theirs to catch the worms.

    However, they soon realised that even scaling the wall was difficult. This wall was harder and colder than usual. The higher they climbed, the more difficult it was. It was as if a force was attempting to push any living thing off the mountain.

    Yet these worms did not seem to feel the oppression. They inched up the walls in a ¡°¦¸¡± [greek letter ohm] shape, then a ¡°¡ª-¡± straight line, then ¡°¦¸¡± [greek letter ohm] again. There were three sets of feet on their chest, abdomen and tail, each foot had a hook to help these seemingly clumsy worms stick securely on the wall.

    They were doing much better than Mu Yao and the rest.

    That won¡¯t do!

    The worms were crawling faster than them. If this continued, they would be left behind.

    Gongjia Yue noticed this problem too. He looked at the mountain wall and his eyes focused on one spot.

    ¡°That fat one!¡±

    Mu Yao looked over to see a white worm. Although it was as long as the rest, this worm was particrly thick. Others might have rounded segments, this worm might as well have balls of flesh. It was both fat and slow, wouldn¡¯t that make it the perfect target? We could probably flick it with a sword and it would tumble down the wall!

    That¡¯s the one!

    ¡°Catch that fat one!¡±

    With limited people, they could only focus on one and a time.

    Perhaps sensing their ill intentions, the fat worm sped up, shocking Mu Yao who struggled to catch up.

    In the end, they gave up on the fat worm and found a resting spot instead. They ate and drank to replenish their strength before scaling the mountain. They often met solid cliffs so anything that could be scaled was scaled, anything too difficult was avoided in favour of tter routes.

    Mu Yao looked up. They had already climbed a distance up and the walls were starting to be covered in snow. There was no green here but the peak still could not be seen, merely wisps of mist and clouds above.

    He almost choked when he took in a deep breath of freezing air. The breeze was too strong here, and colder. But this was barely halfway up the mountain, it would be colder further up.

    Mu Yao looked at Gongjia Yue, knowing he would not give up because of this. Mu Yao did not want to either. They hade so far for this. Even if they could not catch more worms, they might be able to find out why the worms were crawling up. Perhaps they would discover some secret and find some treasure, then all would be worth it! Don¡¯t they always say how dangerous mountains contain treasures!

    His blood coursed as he thought about potential treasures. Mu Yao and the rest who followed surely thought of this too. No oneined. Although they were cold, they all looked up with passionate gazes.

    Treasure?

    What kind of treasure?

    They had hunted many fearsome beasts along the way so they currently covered themselves in animal hides. However, even these thick hides were slowly covered in snow. The higher they went, the more ice and snow they encountered. Their hair and beards were not spared.

    ¡°How far away is the peak?¡±

    Mu Yao was impressed.

    As he thought about it, he felt a sharp gaze so he turned to see an eagle resting about a hundred metres away. It was the same eagle he met previously.

    However, his current target was the worms so he showed no interest. He red at the eagle, then continued climbing but the eagle continued staring intently, which made his temper re.

    ¡°What are you looking at? I¡¯ll chop your head off if you look at me again!¡± roared Mu Yao.

    When he finished, the eagle red at him even more intensely.

    All the suppressed anger he felt exploded within. They were all hungry anyway, might as well kill this eagle for food first before moving along.

    He was about to instruct his subordinates when he heard an eagle¡¯s cry from above.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A strong gust of wind blew past, causing some smaller stone chips to fall off the edge.

    Mu Yao and the rest squinted and looked up only to see an eaglend on a wall nearby, its talons clinging on securely. While it was much smaller than this old eagle, it was still gigantic to humans. It looked young, its beak not as curved as the older eagle, its talons sharp and powerful.

    However, Mu Yao¡¯s attention was not on the eagle. He saw a person standing on a rock protruding from the wall.

    ¡°A tribesman?!¡± asked Mu Yao.

    ¡°ming Horn?!¡± Gongjia Yue thought this person was familiar.

    Recalling what the Yi people said, Mu Yao red. ¡°YOU¡¯RE Shao Xuan from the ming Horn tribe?!¡±

    Years ago when they were tracking the ming Horn Tribe down, Mu Yao was not in the front lines and so did not see Shao Xuan. He was only guessing based on what the Yi people said. Yi Qi and Yi Cong said someone was following them and Yi Cong seemed sure that this person was ming Horn¡¯s Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan did not answer their question. ¡°How brave of you to use your swords here.¡±

    Mu Yao, cautious of Shao Xuan, raised his eyebrow. ¡°Is that not allowed?¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes scanned across the group. ¡°This is a ¡®sacred¡¯ ce belonging to the giant eagles.¡±

    Everyone looked puzzled. But Shao Xuan did not seem to be joking either.

    Giant eagles?

    What does a ¡®sacred ce¡¯ mean anyway?

    Doesn¡¯t this ce belong to the star butterflyrvae? How big is a giant eagle? Was the previous eagle a giant eagle?

    Recalling the old eagle, Mu Yao realised that the resting eagle had started to p its wings, deliberately looking at Mu Yao and wriggling its broken toes. Then, it looked up and never turned around again.

    Mu Yao felt like he was the only one who understood the message behind the look: You¡¯d better watch out!

 Chapter 786 - True Giants

    <h4>Chapter 786 True Giants</h4>

    Mu Yao stared at Shao Xuan in shock, mulling over Shao Xuan¡¯s words. He knew that Shao Xuan and them were on different sides, ming Horn Tribes used to be enemies of the King City¡¯s army. Within their team, most of them had participated in the chase directly or indirectly. Even Yi Cong, who was not currently here, was a direct participant.

    It would be odd for Shao Xuan to be nice to them! Mu Yao started to grow more and more suspicious.

    The Yi people could not stop this tribesman from tracking them, so what was his objective? Just to warn them?

    Looking around, they were on a steep slope with many walls perpendicr to the ground. One wrong move and they would tumble down the mountain.

    Seeing their cautious res, Shao Xuan smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not the one you should be wary of.¡±

    Mu Yao did not reply. If not you, then who? I know you want us all dead!

    Mu Yao would think this if he were in Shao Xuan¡¯s shoes. That was why he did not let his guard down, merely staring at him even more intensely.

    ¡°It¡¯s starting soon,¡± said Shao Xuan, looking up at the sky.

    It was not a scream of hatred, nor was there a murderous look in his eyes. Even his tone was calm. Goosebumps rose all over Mu Yao¡¯s body as he felt a deep panic.

    He looked up to see more mist that he could almost touch. Freezing air poured into his lungs and the chill seeped into his bones. This cold came with a sense of rm, like something terrifying was about to happen!

    Chacha had not paid much attention to the people since he arrived, merely looking up. He had gone to Eagle Mountain twice now so there was no need for him to return. However, he was still fond of the ce, even feeling a little excited for what was about to happen and cawed.

    The sun was actually burning bright that day. If they were in the forest, they would have felt the scorching sunlight. Although it was blocked by clouds and mist here, they still saw bright light behind the clouds.

    Gongjia Yue noticed changes in the worms¡¯ behaviours. While he could not see the ones far away, he was still watching the particrly fat worm crawling behind its peers. Other than this one, the rest were difficult to observe with the white snow.

    The worms seemed to have stopped crawling. They were changing at a speed observable by the naked eye- their bodies shortened and ttened, those in the snow slowly camouging and merging with the snow as one.

    Below a protruding rock on the mountain wall, arva stuck to the wall like a wad of ice and snow. If one did not think about the logic of seeing snow under a rock, the change was quite shocking.

    These worms were responding to their natural instincts just like animals that use camouge to hide from threats in the forest. These worms were the same. They sensed danger.

    Although Gongjia Yue was not familiar with insects, he too felt a chill down his spine. There was an inexplicable fear, like his heart was forced up his throat.

    The entire mountain range fell into dead silence. Everyone breathed cautiously, only the wind howled.

    Suddenly, the mist above curled into spirals as if something was blowing at them.

    Caw¡ª

    An eagle¡¯s caw rang across thends as if it was from beyond this world.

    Then, even more eagle caws could be heard, both faraway and nearby at the same time.

    They were the cries of giant eagles.

    The mist spiralled even faster like they were disturbed by strong gusts of wind. The clouds that initially blocked their view started to dissipate.

    Caw¡ª-

    More and more cawing approached right above their heads!

    Mu Yao and the rest stared up nervously, their eyes widening and their jaws dropping. They were deeply terrified but dared not make a sound.

    Large shadows fell on the thickyer of clouds above.

    The air currents finally opened up theyer of clouds and mist so rays of golden light pierced through like sharp des.

    However, the rays were blocked once again, this time not by clouds but by gigantic silhouettes.

    This eagle was obviously different from the old eagle he saw. All the silhouettes he saw were of recently awakened predators, itching for prey. Mu Yao thought the old eagle was a giant eagle but now he truly knew what ¡®giant¡¯ meant. The old eagle was just an average guy in this group.

    Giants!

    True giants!

    Legends told that giant beasts roamed the world during prehistoric times. Due to an unknown reason, the giant beasts that roamed the world and pushed humans to the bottom of the food chain suddenly disappeared. In the end, the humans that lived through the cracks of the world weed a new era.

    Forget about strength- based on their sizes, they were true gigantic beasts!

    In the past, he thought the fearsome beasts in the forests were considered giants. Compared to this, they were not worth mentioning.

    And there were so many of them here too!

    As if mocking Mu Yao¡¯s shock, the giant figure pped its powerful wings, effortlessly fanning away arge patch of cloud. It was born to be in the sky, looking down on the world!

    This was the source of their previously inexplicable fear!

    What did that tribesman say? This was a sacred ce?

    What else? That he was not the one they should be wary of?

    His chest tightened. There was only one thought, the eagles must not see us!

    He then heard the whooshing of something spinning.

    Several shadows flew in an arc, mming into the mountain they were on and exploded. The rocks did not crack, nor did Mu Yao and the rest endure much harm. They merely got louder and louder.

    Bang bang bang bang! Crack! Thud!

    The explosions grew louder and louder.

    Mu Yao was speechless, ready to kill that ming horn!

    He looked up to see one smaller eagle prate the clouds, scanning the mountain arrogantly and flying towards the source of these sounds. Then, even more eagles broke through the clouds to approach them.

    These younger giant eagles were very curious, at a life stage with too much energy to spend. When they heard the sounds, they all flocked over.

    Behind them were graduallyrger eagles, then some eagles that were just following the crowd.

    ¡°Imbecile! Cheater! Shameless!¡± cursed Mu Yao. The sounds were made by objects Shao Xuan tossed at them. If he wasn¡¯t running for his life and saving his energy for retreat, Mu Yao would have cursed more.

    They unsheathed their swords in preparation.

    When their des hit the eagles talons, it made a nging sound like metal hitting metal. Just as he imagined, these eagles were very different from the old eagle, as if their talons were covered in ayer of premium armour. He would not be able to cut off a toe that easily now, plus Mu Yao and the rest were not currently wielding any particrly impressive weapons either.

    When they saw these people using their weapons, the eagles turned aggressive, attacking them with sharp beaks and talons. Some were directly carried off by the eagles, eaten, or thrown off from a height. Their survival depended on their luck.

    Shao Xuan watched as these people ran for their lives.

    Imbecile? Cheater? Shameless?

    Why didn¡¯t you call us that to our faces at King City?

    Shao Xuan did not n to do anything else for the moment. Not every giant eagle was the same as Chacha or the Hui tribe¡¯s eagles. Some eagles hated humans and he did not want to develop any enmity. Despite seeing people escaping the eagles, he continued to stay and hide behind a boulder.

    ...

    Below, at the foot of the mountain.

    ¡°Looks like this is the eagles¡¯ territory,¡± said Yi Cong, looking up.

    ¡°The tribesman is having his revenge.¡± Yi Qi looked up. Although he could not see clearly as it was too far away and readings did not work, he could guess.

    The eagles were too gigantic, the humans too tiny.

    ¡°You¡¯d better be careful then. Years ago when they were pursuing the ming Horns, you were at the front lines. Tribesmen hold grudges. If Mu Yao could not escape them, you won¡¯t either, ¡°said Yi Qi expressionlessly. There was no schadenfreude or worry, it was just small talk. Compared to his pressing matters, these were trivial.

    Yi Cong smiled bitterly. ¡°Whatever that needs toe wille, we cannot escape it.¡±

    This seemed to imply something else too. Yi Qi did not refute, merely sighing. He wanted to make ament or curse at someone but was not sure what to say. Very soon, his hesitant expression turned resolute and sighed, ¡°It¡¯s true, whatever that needs toe, despite having waited for years, will stille. No one will escape it. If it¡¯s not us, it will be our descendants. Might as well we take the brunt of it first.¡±

    As they spoke, a boulder rolled down the mountain. Someone tumbled off the mountain wall and fell on the ground. He did not have time to check his injuries, merely getting up and running for his life at the foot of the mountain. He yelled, ¡°RUN!¡±

    He still remembered the old eagle he had hurt just now. For his own safety, he must leave. There were too many eagles here, if the previous old eagle brought reinforcements, what would he do? Await death?

    They now knew where to find thervae. Even if their mission failed this time, they coulde again. As long as they were alive, they could try again.

    Shao Xuan did not tell Mu Yao that although it was a sacred ce, not every eagle¡¯s nest was here. The eagles that entered Eagle Mountain will take a long time before showing up again, maybe not ever.

    When Mu Yao passed Yi Qi and Yi Cong, he noticed they were not moving and yelled, ¡°Are you both insane? Aren¡¯t you running?¡±

    ¡°You all go ahead, we¡¯re not going,¡± said Yi Cong.

    Mu Yao halted and looked at Yi Cong in disbelief. ¡°What?!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll stay for the moment, we¡¯re not going,¡± said Yi Cong calmly.

    Mu Yao both thought he had heard wrong and wanted to crack his head open to check if he had poop for brains!

    He turned to Yi Qi, ¡°You¡¯re staying too?!¡± Yi Cong said ¡®we¡¯.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Yi Qi did not n to chat. Flinging his sleeve, he turned to return to where he sat. Mu Yao almost wanted to kill them with his sword.

    The Yi people were all mad!

    Fine! I¡¯m not going to stay here, waiting for death!

    ¡°Retreat!¡± yelled Mu Yao, bringing anyone who could still run with him. They came with five hundred but left with less than a tenth. Some of them had remained at the foot of the mountain- most who went up the mountain had died. Even Mu Yao was almost carried away by a giant eagle. During thest moment, he had shoved Gongjia Yue between himself and the talons, saving himself. At that moment, titles, weapons and everything else were unimportant. Only survival.

    In the air, there were many eagles pacing in the area in search of hidden humans. Yi Cong and Yi Qi hiding in the forest were relieved to find that the eagles did not like eating on the ground, preferring to catch prey on the mountain.

    Yi Cong and Yi Qi¡¯s ves all turned pale listening to the screams of agony, their muscles tensing up. Every rustle in the leaves was enough to make them sweat.

    In contrast, Yi Cong and Yi Qi were very calm, as if they could not hear the sounds of people thrown on the ground from a height, or their screams for help. They looked at the trays in their hands, nothing could distract them. They focused on their trays until everything slowly quietened down, the eagles¡¯ caws fading away and the people growing silent.

    Shh¡ª¨C

    The sound of disturbed grass. Someone was walking towards them.

    Yi Cong and Yi Qi looked up from their trays, their eyes scanning across the person, his animal hide armour and uniquely coloured knife. ¡°Shao Xuan of ming Horn?¡±

    The de glinted coldly, enough to intimidate their ves and step forward to protect their masters, eyeing Shao Xuan cautiously.

    ¡°You were one of the people who pursued the ming Horns during our migration, weren¡¯t you?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Yi Cong. Although it was a question, it sounded like he knew the answer.

    Yi Cong took a deep breath, then pushed the two ves blocking in front of him apart. ¡°Give me three days. After three days, do with me as you please.¡±

 Chapter 787 - You Canâ€™t Watch

    Chapter 787

    You Can¡¯t Watch

    Three days?

    Shao Xuan didn¡¯t know why they did not leave with Mu Yao or why Yi Cong wanted three days but...

    ¡°Why should I?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the two Yi people nearby. ¡°In the forest, when the wolves catch the deer, they do not give it time to catch its breath.¡±

    ¡°No, these three days will be beneficial to us and you ming Horns.¡± Yi Cong¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°Within three days, our Yi family will battle Yi Xiang to death. I believe I do not need to exin who Yi Xiang is.¡±

    Shao Xuan raised an eyebrow. He knew who Yi Xiang was, of course. Rock Hill City was currently so powerful mainly because of Yi Xiang. Yet Yi Xiang had always been called by the Yi family as ¡®The Unlucky One¡¯.

    Shao Xuan pointed at them with the hand without the knife. ¡°You two?¡± He pointed at the ground. ¡°Here?¡± He pointed in the direction of the desert with his thumb. ¡°Fight Yi Xiang?¡±

    They were so far away, how will they fight?

    Plus Yi Cong had said ¡®our Yi family¡¯, not ¡®I¡¯ or ¡®we¡¯. Did that mean the entire Yi family was participating in battle? They were so far away and not the entire Yi family would head to the desert. So how will they fight this war?

    Seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s confusion, Yi Cong exined patiently, as if confident Shao Xuan would not kill them now, ¡°Our Yi family¡¯s fighting techniques differ from other tribes.¡±

    Yi Qi, who was listening next to Yi Cong, had his lips curved upwards, looking proud. He seemed to look down on how other tribes fought- they fought with knives the moment their tempers red, how barbaric! Unrefined! Only the Yi family was sophisticated!

    ¡°How different?¡± Shao Xuan was now interested. The Yi family was a very special group. They did not have much firepower or strong physiques like other tribes, yet still managed to be one of the six royal families of King City.

    ¡°If I tell you, could you give us three days?¡± asked Yi Cong.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Shao Xuan could afford three days.

    Yi Cong rxed after hearing his reply. All they needed was for Shao Xuan to give them three days.

    Sitting down on a piece of animal hideid by his ve, he continued, ¡°Our Yi family never worshipped the strength of the flesh.¡±

    Shao Xuan knew this. The Yi family could kill from a long distance, often creating all sorts of idents that cannot be investigated sessfully.

    ¡°The abilities of our ancestors aren¡¯t just limited to the world you see.¡± Yi Cong stared into space, eyes filled with admiration and reverence. ¡°You will not be able to witness the battle between the Yi family members. A true master is not hindered by distance, just like how you receive information from something far away.¡±

    Can¡¯t be seen?

    Shao Xuan nned to watch their battle to learn more, possibly improving his knot divination skills. But Yi Cong said he won¡¯t be able to see it?

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how you learned the Yi family¡¯s divination skills but you are not one of us. Even if you have mastered one skill, you still will not be able to reach the core of the arts. This is only essible to the lineage, and is rted to the fire seed¡¯s powers,¡± said Yi Cong.

    ¡°You punk, so which freaking Yi family method did you actually use?!¡± Yi Qi finally blurted. He still could notpletely believe that the person who tracked them using their own techniques was a tribesman?!

    ¡°If I tell you, will you tell me how I can watch the battle?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No, regr people will not see it. You must know the core of the arts, just as Yi Cong mentioned. Plus you can¡¯t, even if someone told you how because you do not have Yi blood in your veins!¡± cried Yi Qi.

    Without Yi blood, one could not use their fire seed or get to the core of the arts. Especially not witness the Yi family¡¯s battle from an insider¡¯s perspective.

    Fire see again?

    ¡°Then how do you know the Yi family will be fighting? From a reading? Three days because the battle will begin in three days?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    These people had been in the forest for a long time, how could they know something so urately?

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± nodded Yi Cong.

    Although Shao Xuan had attempted a reading, he still could not tell what the Yi family was up to. Perhaps that was the difference between outsiders and the Yi family? Other than knot divination, he could not seem to master any of the other Yi skills.

    ¡°You might sense a force affecting our readings now. While we can¡¯t conduct readings for anything else, we can still predict the Yi family¡¯s movements. There will be war in three days,¡± said Yi Cong.

    Something was affecting their readings? Shao Xuan had not noticed, he had just done a reading on the mountain to check on the hunt team. Although it was a little more difficult than usual, his reading was still sessful.

    Of course, Shao Xuan kept this to himself.

    During these three days, Yi Cong only talked briefly about Yi Xiang and the life-or-death battleing soon. Then, he and Yi Qi turned their full focus on battle preparations.

    This was a good ce, perhaps because it was near Eagle Mountain, there were not many threatening fearsome beasts nearby and eagles rarely rested at the foot of the mountain. That was why Yi Cong and Yi Qi did not leave with Mu Yao. Even if they had three days, there was no way to get out of the forest so soon to find a better ce. They decided to fight the battle here.

    The battle hade too quickly. They were still nning to look for better forging materials with the Mu family to fight the desert threats. However, the battle came too suddenly so they did not need to catch the star butterflyrvae because there was no need. Even if they caught thervae and made the weapons, the battle would have ended by then.

    Yi Cong and Yi Qi said three days but in reality, on the second day both of their faces darkened. Having their ves stand guard around them, they took out their prepared trays, jades and golden sand.

    Just like conducting a reading, they put the jades in a specific order in the tray and scattered sand on top. Every time they moved the jades, the sand would change.

    Shao Xuan watched Yi Cong and Yi Qi, who had seemed to forget about the world. Their eyes were glued to the changes in the sand on the tray as if that was the world.

    They were not afraid of Shao Xuan watching either. Shao Xuan was not a Yi family member, even if he were unexpectedly talented, this outsider would not be able to ess the dimensions they could.

    ess to the inessible was the reason why the Yi family felt better than everyone.

    Within the tray, the golden sands moved despite the still air, first moving in one direction, then another. The jades seemed to create invisible forces to push the sands around. The hands moving the jade seemed to move very slowly, even stopping, yet at the same time moving so fast that the hands were just afterimages while the jade and sand moved on their own!

    Changes were happening quickly.

    Energy ripples intensified. The ves around stepped backwards, then again, and again... distancing themselves because of the oppression from the two suddenly powerful auras.

    Whoosh¡ª

    An orange-red me mixed with white light erupted suddenly in an arc before Yi Qi, forming an arc of fire. On the outside, there was a fireball mostly consisting of orange-red mes while the bottom was white. The mes were as tall as a man. On the other side of the arc, Yi Qi sat with three shadows behind him, flickering along with the mes. One fireball, but three shadows?!

    Fire seed mes!

    The fireball was the fire seed¡¯s mes, the one that was merged with the Yi people¡¯s bodies!

    The fire seed that appeared, and the arc, plus three resulting shadows coincidentally formed the Yi family totem! This was the Yi family ¨C previously the Yi tribe- totem!

    Shao Xuan had seen the Yi family totem in King City, though the aristocrats no longer called them totems but sigils. Carriages, shops, mansions all bore totems. However, Shao Xuan never knew that the Yi family totem presented itself this way!

    Yi Cong was a little slower but the same situation urred.

    Shao Xuan finally knew why they needed three days. The battle wasing in three days and as long as the Yi people were in this condition, Shao Xuan would be unable to attack them easily. The influence of their fire seed was present as protection, just like how a fire pond could protect a tribe. The power of the fire seed was a sort of protection, and the Yi family had just turned this protection up to the maximum, stronger than what Shao Xuan felt on another ming Horn¡¯s body!

    It was still bearable far away but as long as he came within ten steps of them, he would feel a strong repulsion with every step. This was why their ves kept retreating back because they could not stand close. At the same time, Yi Cong and Yi Qi were sitting very closely, hence their auras ovepped and intensified.

    The battle definitely would notst just one or two days. The three-day condition they offered was probably just an excuse to stall time, not wanting to waste energy before the battle. They first had to negotiate with Shao Xuan, then once they entered battle mode, the fire seed¡¯s ¡®shield¡¯ would be activated.

    ¡°You think I can¡¯t harm you just because of the fire seed?¡± Shao Xuanughed. Both of them probably knew he would not force an attack during a moment like that anyway. The Yi family fighting Yi Xiang was actually a good thing to the ming Horns. ming Horn did not like both parties that much anyway.

    Furthermore, Yi Cong had probably analysed Shao Xuan¡¯s modus operandi anyway. He was only calm because he felt Shao Xuan was unlikely to attack now.

    However, he did not know that Shao Xuan was not afraid of the fire seed¡¯s repulsion and could withstand the oppressioning from both people. But Shao Xuan did not n to kill them now.

    Looking at the two people wrapped in mes, Shao Xuan went to look for another spot. He got Chacha to watch their surroundings, then took out a straw rope.

    You said I can¡¯t watch the battle?

    I wouldn¡¯t know without trying.

 Chapter 788 - 8 Rope Knots

    Chapter 788

    8 Rope Knots

    Shao Xuan had been watching Yi Qi and Yi Cong from beginning to end. After sitting down, Shao Xuan recalled them in detail.

    Divination was quite simr to a shaman¡¯s chanting. Take knot divination for an example, every knot, even down to the detail of the knot, was the same as a line of chant but not every person would be able to replicate it. That was because a shaman¡¯s chant and a knot reading, or other divination methods, all required totemic power.

    Totemic power was a kind of power from the fire seed. A fire seed did not just consist of totemic power, there were other kinds like the power of inheritance, etc.

    A shaman¡¯s chant requires a unique type of power of inheritance, while divination requires another type.

    The Yi family used a power unique to their lineage, part of the Yi family seed. Shao Xuan, on the other hand, used the other kind of power in his body unrted to the ming Horn¡¯s fire seed. This special power allowed Shao Xuan to bypass the repulsion from foreign fire seeds, as well as perform tasks impossible to the average human- just like performing Yi knot divination or turning rocks into water moon stones. These were all because of this unique power.

    Right now, Shao Xuan nned to try again to see if he could enter the dimension they say he couldn¡¯t see. The Yi family battle should be interesting, he was curious how they fought and who would appear. At this point, Shao Xuan still had not met the main founder of Rock Hill City- the Yi Xiang they called ¡®The Unlucky One¡¯.

    It did not matter how old Yi Xiang was one thousand years ago. After a millennium, the other main founder, Mu Han, was already dead. The Yi family members who forced Yi Xiang to leave were no longer alive either, yet here he was, still tormenting the Yi family. Right now, he finally could act upon the King City Yi family. Their ancestors are gone, but these descendants are still around, no? One thousand years isn¡¯t toote for revenge.

    Yi Si once told Shao Xuan that if ¡®The Unlucky One¡¯ decided to truly attack the Yi family, he would be doing so with the objective of exterminating the entire n. He would not show mercy.

    Shao Xuan wanted to see for himself how powerful this Yi Xiang was. It was too bad regr people could not watch.

    Clearing his mind, Shoa Xuan held the straw rope in his hand and recalled the actions that Yi Cong and Yi Qi took, repeating them in his mind, remembering every detail, every finger, every grain of sand clear in his mind. A pair of hands appeared in his consciousness.

    When Shao Xuan received the inheritance of the knot divination skill from the Thousand Year Leaf, he had learned thenguage of knots from this pair of hands.

    At this moment, the two hands were holding a straw rope. As Shao Xuan looped his memory of Yi Qi¡¯s movements, the pair of hands started to move.

    The rope twisted quickly between their fingers. Shao Xuan watched them with full attention but the knotting process was tooplicated and could not catch up. That was why he stopped knotting his own rope and focused on memorising each knot.

    They were moreplicated than the knots he usually made, partially because the hands were too fast. The first knot was finished within a breath¡¯s moment.

    When the first knot wasplete, something like a burning chant scripture appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s consciousness. The text burned orange-red mes with white bottoms, simr to the Yi family¡¯s fire seed clouds. When the pair of hands disappeared in his mind, the burning text disappeared too.

    He slowly recalled the hands¡¯ movements and started to meddle with his own rope.Although he did not know which member of the Yi family created that knot divination vision, it was just incredible!

    Those hands were like a trantor tranting thenguage of jades, sand and tray into knots!

    As he recalled the hands, he slowed down to analyse every part and tie the knot on his own. The rope in his fingers slowly knotted, though much slowly than the hands in his subconscious.

    Wrong!

    He made a minor mistake in one of the details and the knotting failed. Nothing happened to the rope in his hands. It was not because divination was not possible here but due to the mistake. It was simr to the situation he was in when he first started learning.

    Snapping the messy, knotted rope in two, he pulled out a new piece of rope to practise. Recalling the pair of hands once again, he followed suit.

    Still wrong!

    Another ident. As long as one of the procedures was wrong, the knot would not beplete.

    Again.

    Looping Yi Cong and Yi Qi¡¯s actions in his mind, then watching the two hands, he slowed down the memories to imitate them.

    Wrong, again!

    ...

    Again!

    ...

    Yep, this is it!

    Shao Xuan raised his eyebrows slightly when thest step wasplete. He felt a ¡®boom¡¯ in his mind like a sudden cool breeze activating his neurons, which were now buzzing with excitement. Opening his eyes to look at the rope in his hands, he noticed a strange knot. He could also feel a slight change in his surroundings in the presence of this knot, like there were invisible ripples.

    Snap!

    There was a light snap as the rope in his hand broke and the knot disintegrated. His head was pounding, probably due to overexertion. He needed rest.

    He studied the two sections of rope, unsure if it was due to some sudden interruption because the knot disintegrated after formation. Thank goodness he brought extra rope. Due to the possibility of needing readings on this journey, Shao Xuan had prepared extra rope. A length of hunting rope could be separated into ten thinner ropes used for divination. The braiding process was extremelyplicated and time-consuming but this made the rope more sturdy and convenient for separation.

    TRacking did not use up too much rope but if Shao Xuan wanted to experiment infiltrating the other dimension the Yi family implied, he would need much more.

    REcalling the knots, he repeated the same procedures. One sess was just an ident, pure luck. Only repeated sess was true mastery. He must not rely on luck for these things because he might not be able to replicate it again when needed, in turn missing out on a lot of insights.

    The sessful knot was deeply etched into his mind. Shao Xuan was still tying slowly the second time he seeded, though the process was much smoother.

    Then he seeded a third time, a fourth time...

    When he made five consecutively sessful knots, he put down this practice to focus on the second knot. The pair of hands made many knots.

    Knot-making required a lot of energy. Shao Xuan rested for a while before starting again.

    The second knot was even moreplicated. When he seeded, he broke out of his conscious mind impatiently, feeling his vision ckout for a moment. This exhaustion reminded him of the first time he learned knot divination. He rested and drank some water to catch his breath.

    Watching a Yi family battle was no simple affair. Without this experience, he never would have known how difficult it was! Previously, Yi Qi and Yi Cong had done every step urately and in order, also in sync without any hesitation or disruption in rhythm.

    ¡°This is difficult, it¡¯s no wonder why they¡¯re one of the six aristocratic families in King City.¡± The Yi family, also what used to be the Yi tribe, was arge tribe. These tribes must have had their reasons for growing so strong.

    Taking a deep breath and feeling re-energized, Shao Xuan proceeded to attempt the third knot.

    In his consciousness, the pair of hands had made a total of eight knots. This meant that not only did Shao Xuan have to replicate all eight knots, but he must also make them consecutively without a too long of a pause in between or the rope would disintegrate.

    ¡°A difficult task indeed.¡±

    Was Shao Xuan in a hurry? Of course he was. He must learn all eight knots before the battle ended, or being able to see into another dimension would be useless.

    However, these things must not be rushed. Chances of errors increased the more impatient he became. He must remain calm.

    Every knot was moreplicated than the previous one. The first knot was easiest, then as he proceeded, the number of failures rose. At least he had some knotting experience from before but they were quite different from these specific ones.

    I need to take advantage of this momentum to practise more!

    Third knot...

    Fourth knot...

    Fifth knot...

    When he had finallypleted all eight knots, two days had passed since he first started.

    Two days, eight knots. Shao Xuan even sacrificed sleep for this. He felt like he had just gone through a famine, feeling utterly exhausted and drenched in sweat. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead.

    Heaving a long sigh, he ate some dried food haphazardly, then went hunting. When he returned after his meal, he felt like a new person.

    He looked at Yi Cong and Yi Qi¡¯s side. The eight ves were still guarding around them both, while Yi Cong and Yi Qi remained like stone statues in the same position from two days ago.

 Chapter 789 - Traitor?

    Chapter 789

    Traitor?

    Following his sess with the eight knots, he continued to practise until he could do them consecutively.

    While Shao Xuan was practising his knots at the foot of the mountain range by Eagle Mountain, far away on the other side of the ocean, within King City¡¯s Yi family residence.

    The air hung solemnly.

    The Yi family had grown throughout the years and developed many side branches. The main Yi lineage held the main power. Right now, all these people of the main family all stayed home with shut doors. Usually, one would see several high-profile Yi nsmen roaming King City but these days, not even one was seen.

    Many people stood around the Yi family residence¡¯s yard walls, all either Yi ves or part of the peripheral branches. Everyone else was banned.

    The fortune-telling street in King City had emptied three days ago. Far-travelling traders and businessmen who wanted to do a reading for their fortunes were surprised to see no one. Since they did not have the guts to go visit the Yi family themselves, and anyone who was not an idiot could see that something was wrong, they merely watched Yi residence from afar despite their curiosity.

    Not just these people- even the Yi family contained younger members who did not know what was going on. After receiving the job distribution, they would look around curiously because peripheral Yi nsmen rarely visited the main residences. This time, the entire Yi n was mobilised.

    ¡°Dad, why does everyone look so nervous? What is the main family doing? I heard they are fighting a war? Who are they fighting?¡± asked a teenager from a side branch family.

    In the past, whenever someone brought up the main family, his father would startining sourly because the main family often ordered them around rudely and he had nowhere else to vent his frustrations. However, this time, the father¡¯s brows were knitted and he looked very worried. When he heard his son¡¯s question, he scanned his surroundings and then scolded sternly in a low voice, ¡°Shut your mouth! Watch your surroundings, kill whoever who tries to break in!¡±

    Startled by his father¡¯s response, the teenager gulped nervously, understanding that this situation was different from the past. The atmosphere was tense and since his father was unwilling to exin, he did not ask more questions. With his eyes fixed on his surroundings, he replied softly, ¡°Alright!¡± Then, he shut his mouth tight and never made another sound.

    Sat within arge court at the centre of Yi residence was a hundred people all from the main Yi lineage. These were the more powerful members of the core family too, one-third of them held the title ¡®Master¡¯ in King City. No matter how arrogant or snobbish they usually were, today, they sat like obedient students in their assigned seats.

    Some sat on cushions ced on the ground while others stood surrounding the area, all waiting silently. The more they waited, the more tensed the air became. The oppression was so great even people outside the residence could feel the suffocating atmosphere.

    Even the skies turned darker.

    Suddenly, footsteps echoed from afar. They were quick but not hurried or frantic.

    When they heard the footsteps, the people daydreaming in the yard cleared their minds.

    Eight people arrived, the front three were white-haired elders who were elders that usually did not show themselves in public. They were masters that held true status and power in the family, only revealing themselves when it was a matter of survival.

    Behind the three elders was the Yi patriarch, or in tribesmen terms, he was the chief. Usually, he held absolute power and no one would dare disobey him. Yet right now, he was only ranked fourth in the room. Out of all three elders, one was his great-grandmother while the other also held very high status too. When one of the elders called him over, he walked over, back bent slightly to listen respectfully.

    ¡°Not everyone has arrived?¡± asked an old man whose eyes were both milky white. Although he could not see, he could sense his surroundings and sometimes saw more than a regr person.

    ¡°Most of them have arrived, only the ones on missions were unable to make it back. Yi Cong and Yi Qi are still on the other side but they have made preparations,¡± answered the Yi patriarch.

    ¡°Mm.¡± The elder was not angry either. People far away could partake in the battle all the same.

    ¡°Let¡¯s begin the reading then!¡± said the white-haired olddy next to the patriarch.

    Both elders nodded and the patriarch yelled, ¡°Shell!¡±

    This was a tradition of the Yi family before every major event. This involved a tortoiseshell left behind by their ancestors, its back carved with orange-red characters and lines. These characters were not regr text but symbols only the Yi family members understood, while the lines subtly formed the Yi family totem. Nothing was carved on the ventral side.

    Within the shell, in the space between the dorsal and ventralyer, eight pieces of bone chips ground smooth were ced inside. Every piece was a different shape.

    ¡°Who will conduct the reading this time?¡± asked the elder.

    The olddy waved her cane. ¡°I did it at thest meeting. It should be Yi Tuan this time.¡±

    The old man with milky eyes did not waste time, stepping forward to take the tortoiseshell with both hands. He returned to his seat. There were three cushions in front of everyone in the centre of the court belonging to these three elders.

    After taking his seat, he put his right hand on the back of the shell. The shell was muchrger than his palm so he logically should not be able to grab it. However, it seemed to attach itself to his palm. With a flick of his wrist, the bone chips in the shell rattled and collided. He lifted his palm but the tortoiseshell did not fall, nor did the chips fall through the shell¡¯s gaps, still rattling inside.

    An arc of fire appeared before Yi Tuan, then a red and white fireball on the other side of the arc. Three long shadows formed behind Yi Tuan.

    Yi Tuan stretched his arm with the shell forward. When the tortoiseshell approached the fireball, the rattling became louder and more frantic.

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    A cracking sound drowned out the rattling of the bone chips. An orang crack appeared on the dorsal, empty side of the shell.

    When the cracking sound stopped, Yi Tuan retracted his arm and looked at the shell. He had lost his vision but that did not affect his ability to read the cracks. The longer he studied it, the sterner he looked. His eyes grew more worried.

    Yi Tuan passed the shell to the other two elders. Their expressions were as solemn as his.

    ¡°Looks like a brutal war ising,¡± said Yi Tuan.

    In reality, the cracks disyed a worse prophecy: not just brutal but deadly! However, the prophecy also foretold one glimmer of hope, one chance for survival but there were many variables affecting this.

    All three elders knew it but could not announce the exact results in fear of affecting morale.

    With an inaudible sigh, Yi Tuan yelled, ¡°Prepare for war!¡±

    A strong ripple of power surged through the wide courtyard like a wave. Everyone did not dare breathe.

    Visible red mes burned and curled, distorting everything in view.

    Rattle¡ª

    Within the tortoiseshell, the bone chips rattled frantically. As if the yard was in a world of its own, all insect chirps, leaf rustles and human breaths disappeared. The rattling bones were the only sound in the world.

    Rattle¡ª

    The bone chips rattled more urgently, then finally stopped.

    ¡°Open!¡±

    As if an ancient beast had swallowed the yard whole, all the surrounding buildings, people and nts disappeared. All that was left was an illusory space.

    Of course, that was what the sitting one hundred people saw. The people surrounding the yard only saw arge totem and strong ripples from the red mes.

    In the illusory space, everyone¡¯s silhouettes turned blurry. They could see a glowing person, though this person¡¯s silhouette flickered inconsistently and his face was too blurry to be seen.

    Yi Tuan sensed that the person they waited for would soon appear. The person coined as The Unlucky One a thousand years ago would appear right in front of them very soon.

    Very quickly, a few more people appeared in the space nearby. They were Yi family members who could not make it home.

    With the appearance of the Yi totem, another two figures appeared.

    ¡°Yi Qi, Yi Cong?¡± Someone recognised them. Although their faces were blurry, their auras were distinguishable.

    The Yi family did not ask them about their mission. With theing battle, everything was unimportant. Why should they waste time talking about irrelevant matters?

    As everyone gathered, the three elders gave time for them to limatise to the space. Some newer members were not used to this so they had arrived earlier.

    After waiting a while, Yi Tuan¡¯s eyebrow twitched as he looked at a spot in the illusory space.

    Not just Yi Tuan, the two other elders were looking at the same spot cautiously.

    Everyone was stunned. Was another personing?

    The patriarch was thinking hard. He could not think of anyone out of town that had not appeared yet. Even if that was the case, they were quitete- about a few dayste in real-time? A Yi family member would not make a mistake like this. Eliminating this possibility, could this neer be an enemy?

    ¡°Knot divination?!¡± Yi Tuan could not suppress his shock.

    The elders were skilled enough to sense what method a person not from within the residence used to enter the space. This energy ripple did not look like amon Yi technique either. Knot divination had been lost a long time ago, even he was not familiar with it and only knew enough to recognise it.

    Knot divination?! Everyone else was shocked.

    Didn¡¯t that lineage of knot divination readers die off a long time ago? How could it be? No, there was one. Yi Xiang knew knot divination too. That meant that the person about to appear must be rted to Yi Xiang if they were not Yi Xiang himself!

    Knot Divination was a type of Grass Reading.

    Grass readings, tortoiseshell readings and bone readings used to be the three strongest abilities of the Yi family. Legends described the founder of grass readings to be able to know anything just by plucking a de of mountain grass. It was unfortunate that the knowledgeable Grass Readings lineage slowly died off, and in the end, only Knot Divination remained. The other lineages transformed with the times, often adding supplementary materials for better results. Some people extracted the essence of tortoiseshell and bones to invent new reading methods. However, the Knot Divination lineage remained as the most conservative, stubborn and prideful lineage- at the same time poorest. These disciples never understood the need for money nor had material desires. If people they disliked came asking for help, they would never offer their assistance despite great marypensation. Over time, they were shunned and ultimately declined into nothing.

    Thest master of the Knot Divination lineage died a thousand years ago. The most frustrating part to the Yi family was that this master took in only one disciple before his death, and this was the fishbone stuck stubbornly in their throats¡ª Yi Xiang.

    When Yi Xiang left, he took with him the knowledge of thest knot divination master. Since then, no true knot divination practitioners remained in the family. This technique disappeared but it did not affect the family because their descendants proceeded to create more powerful methods.

    When they realised this neer used knot divination, their first thought was: ¡°Is that a traitor?!¡±

    ¡°Yi Qi, Yi Cong, who was with you before you two came?¡± asked Yi Tuan suddenly.

    Yi Qi and Yi Cong were stunned by the question, puzzled why Yi Tuan would ask such a thing. Did Yi Tuan suspect them of something? That they were traitors? That¡¯s not right. While Yi Tuan sounded stern, its hostility was not directed at them. It did not sound like he was talking to traitors.

    Several people shed across Yi Qi¡¯s mind, including Shao Xuan in the end but he stubbornly denied this possibility. Definitely not that tribesman. Tribesmen cannot master the core arts of the Yi family.

    Yi Cong was thinking the same thing. His first thought had been ¡®Shao Xuan of ming Horn¡¯ but he too did not believe this so he could not answer the question.

    Very soon, the ripples became obvious and sparks flew, meaning a person was about to arrive. What differed from the Yi family members was that no Yi totem appeared.

    Before Yi Cong and Yi Qi appeared, a Yi totem formed from their fire seed¡¯s mes would appear beneath their feet. What did theck of totem mean? It meant this was not one of them!

    Yi Xiang had Yi blood, hence this would not happen either. Who Was this person?

    The possibility of Yi Cong¡¯s first guess rose to eighty percent. ¡°Shao Xuan? Could it be the ming Horn Tribe¡¯s Shao Xuan?!¡±

    What?!

    A tribesman?!

    And ming Horn Tribe too?!

    All three elders¡¯ figures flickered. If one could see their expressions, they would be filled with shock and disbelief.

    If the person speaking was not Yi Cong, they would have been scolded. But this was the genius of the young generation, Yi Cong. He was never one to spout nonsense and random guesses either.

    While they were in disbelief, the same spot glowed brighter, burning red- which was different from their fire seed¡¯s mes. The totem still had not appeared.

    The fiery glow finally condensed into a very blurry figure, much blurrier than any Yi member as if it would disappear at any second.

    ¡°This aura...¡± Yi Qi looked over, and the realisation struck him hard. ¡°Shao Xuan... of ming Horn!¡±

 Chapter 790 - Dont Worry, Im Just Looking

    <h4>Chapter 790 Don¡¯t Worry, I¡¯m Just Looking</h4>

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes were burning, even keeping them open was difficult. It felt as if someone was hammering his brain, everything seemed to boom and it hurt badly. There was a piercing ringing in his ears and he wondered if he was going deaf. Everything was a mess of sounds, as if every animal in the forest cried at the same time, sometimes like a noisy crowd of people talking over each other. Yet it all felt imaginary because covering his ears was useless. The sounds continued to pour into his ears.

    He did not know why this was happening either. He was just practising the eight knots and as he became better at them, he suddenly felt his surrounding change and a strong difort... like he had entered another world! Shao Xuan could no longer sense Chacha¡¯s presence.

    At first, he was unable to see but he switched to his extraordinary vision and finally saw something. There were masses of light in front... no, they were people!

    More specifically, there were red and white people-shaped mes. The colour of the Yi family fire seed.

    Soon, the difort faded and the sounds in his ears faded to nothing. Everything returned to silence. Removing his hands from his ears, he stood up and looked at the light. Switching to his regr vision, everything was simr to what his special vision saw. Just darkness everywhere, infinite darkness.

    Only the congregation of light masses stood out here.

    ¡°Shao Xuan of ming Horn?!¡±

    This voice was filled with shock, refusing to believe that Shao Xuan was really there.

    Shao Xuan looked over. As his body quickly got ustomed to the ce, he could slowly sense his surroundings, even feeling the speaker¡¯s aura and hearing the voice.

    ¡°Yi Qi?¡± Shao Xuan looked at one of the silhouettes. He could not see its face but recognised him from his voice and aura. He also recognised Yi Cong next to Yi Qi.

    ¡°So it indeed is you! How did youe?!¡± Yi Qi did not understand. How did Shao Xuan follow them here? Didn¡¯t he previously ask them for the method? Neither of them answered his question nor taught him how to enter this space. Shao Xuan was not even a Yi family member!

    Did Shao Xuan have Yi blood?

    More than one person wondered this, even the three elders wondered for a moment. However, the proof before their eyes confirmed that Shao Xuan did not have a Yi person¡¯s aura on him because there was no Yi fire seed power in him! The mes were of a different colour!

    He did not have Yi blood or the Yi fire seed¡¯s power. So how did this tribesman enter this space?

    They could not understand! Something impossible had just happened. It was maddening.

    ¡°Where did you learn knot divination?¡± asked Yi Tuan.

    Shao Xuan looked at Yi Tuan and the two figures next to him. These three silhouettes were the clearest and most solid among the crowd, unlike other people who would have the asional mes sprouting out of their silhouette.

    ¡°I learned it by chance,¡± said Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan was very curious too. What was this ce? He had managed to enter but understood nothing. Yi Cong and Yi Qi had been gone for several days- he had spent two or three just learning the knots, then another two days learning to tie them consecutively. It was about four to five days by now. But where was the legendary ¡®Yi Xiang¡¯? Did they not say there was a waring? Why hasn¡¯t anything started yet?¡±

    ¡°Nonsense, you must be working with Yi Xiang!¡± said someone in the crowd. However, Yi Tuan raised a hand and the simmering conversations turned to silence.

    ¡°What are your intentions?¡± asked Yi Tuan.

    Shao xaun felt like a long invisible sword was pointing at himself. One mistake and the de would slice him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always heard about how the Yi family is different so I was curious. I came here by ident too, I was just making knots and then I arrived. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just looking,¡± said Shao Xuan. He suddenly thought of a problem. He knew how to get in but not out.

    I didn¡¯t think this through.

    Shoa Xuan did not expect to get in this strange ce so quickly, even preparing himself for the possibility of not ever being able to. Yi Cong had said people without Yi blood and fire seed could not anyway.

    ¡°Regardless of whether he is speaking the truth, we cannot have an uncontroble variable during a battle,¡± said one elder. This meant to kick Shao Xuan out or kill him instantly.

    Logically, they should do this to remove any distractions. However, the crack on the tortoiseshell from the reading shed in his mind.

    One chance to live. Would that chancee from an ident? Could that be referring to this person?

    Yi Tuan also wanted to know why Shao Xuan was here and privately did not rte Shao Xuan and Yi Xiang together. Shao Xuan current behaviour and the act of covering his ears when he first arrived was simr to when Yi family members entered this realm for the first time. Other than knowing knot divination, there was nothing else rted to Yi Xiang on Shao Xuan.

    The Yi family overthought many things, for they knew even trivial matters could end up affecting the big picture. The more crucial the situation was, the more cautious they became. Many people had the impression that the Yi family members were overthinkers and slow decision makers.

    Right now, Yi Tuan faced a dilemma.

    To kill? Or not to kill?

    He had many questions but he did not have time. In the end, he made his decision. ¡°Yi Xiang ising! We¡¯ll ignore this tribesman for the moment.¡± Since he did not know what to do with Shao Xuan, might as well toss him to the side first. If Shao Xuan did anything suspicious, he was confident to be able to kill Shao Xuan. They were much more powerful than Shao Xuan here, obvious from the way Shao Xuan¡¯s figure flickered.

    The other elder had a different opinion. They had a bad rtionship with ming Horn, even an old grudge, but he understood Yi Tuan¡¯s decision. They should focus their attention on Yi Xiang first.

    After Yi Tuan¡¯s instruction, everyone diverted their attention away from Shao Xuan to focus on the battle. Compared to the first-timer, Shao Xuan, Yi Xiang was worth more of their time.

    If you could see their faces, you would see fear and difort. AFter all, this enemy was ¡®The Unlucky One¡¯, the same enemy their ancestors could not get rid of.

    Shao Xuan remembered to keep his distance from the battle. He was only here as a spectator. Even if he wanted to seek revenge on the Yi family, now was not the time. Even if the time was right, he was at a disadvantage in this ce. Although this ce was different from what he expected, he did not n to leave. Might as well watch the battle now. He did not want to be dragged into this and deliberately showed himself as a ¡®spectator¡¯.

    No matter which side won, the remaining side would still have past enmity with ming Horn. Shao Xuan would learn more about both sides through this battle to get his tribe prepared in the future. Yi Xiang required special attention too, this was also why he was willing to risk entering this ce. His understanding of Yi Xiang was limited to legends and sparse ancestral notes.

    On the maind, Rock Hill City of the desert.

    A figure d in a hooded cloak walked slowly into the underground chamber. Shi Shu followed behind respectfully, also entering the ce.

    There were no other Rock Hill people inside only figurespletely wrapped in linen. There were too few glowing rocks for illumination here too. Faint shadows danced on the walkway walls as they walked.

    The hooded figure in front extended a pale hand from a wide sleeve. The hand was as thin as a skeleton wrapped in skin, its joints protruding severely. The hand was lifted with the palm facing inwards. A ne of sorts was in his hand, made of wooden pieces shaved into different shapes strung together by straw rope through holes in the centre to form a closed ring. Four of his fingers curled inwards, the thumb ced on one of the wooden pieces as big as a fingernail. Every wooden piece was covered in symbols that were not easily decipherable.

    There was a round hall in this underground pce. When this hooded figure walked towards the centre of the hall, his thumb would move to the next wooden piece along with each step, neither slowly nor quickly, like an elderly person taking a stroll. When he arrived at the centre of the hall, he lifted his other hand and waved lightly.

    Shi Shu, who was following behind him, stopped immediately and bowed, giving the five guards in the hall a look. These five people were also wrapped in cloth so their faces could not be seen, nor did they breathe. Averting his gaze, Shi Shu turned to leave the hall.

    When he waved, the hooded figure still did not stop walking, maintaining his initial speed and rigour. During thest step in the centre, his thumb stopped and pressed on thest wooden piece. A ray of fiery light erupted and drew an arc while an orange-red and white fireball burst into mes.

    The mes were not tall but gave the entire hall an oppressive aura. All the illuminating rocks shattered immediately. Then, other than the hall with the mes, the entire underground pce plunged into darkness.

    The guards outside suddenly felt the weight of a mountain pressing on them, beads of sweat sprouting from their foreheads. The oppression only faded a hundred metres away from the underground pce.

    Shi Shu felt exhausted when he was at the entrance of the pce. He had not left the underground pce when the oppression came and was only about ten steps away from the entrance. Yet by the time he covered the ten steps, he was drenched in so much sweat like he was fished out of water or just fought a war.

    Waving away the peopleing to support him despite the oppression, Shi Shu struggled forward like his feet were weighed by shackles. The weight finally lifted as he distanced himself from the underground pce.

    About a hundred metres out of the ce, Shi Shu heaved a sigh of relief. He turned to look in the direction of the underground pce.

    A stone door blocked the entrance. There was a loud boom and sand from above slid down from the reverberations. In the blink of an eye, the entrance to the underground pce was buried in. It looked just like a sand dune from a distance.

 Chapter 791 - Bone Reading Beast

    <h4>Chapter 791 Bone Reading Beast</h4>

    Shao Xuan was doing his best to get used to this ce. Although he felt much better than when he first arrived, it was still ufortable. Although he was standing, his legs felt unstable stepping on air. He was not standing on solid ground but was not falling either, he could even walk.

    It was very strange.

    He had no solid flesh but could hear and see. He guessed that this was a realm of consciousness formed using the fire seed but there were so many peculiar things about this ce. Even the surrounding darkness was hidden with many things that could not be seen, dark and mysterious.

    Shao Xuan did not think for long because very quickly, he felt a powerful energy ripple from a spot simr to the Yi people but obviously different. Anyone could recognise the difference.

    A spot within the illusory space burst into mes, drawing a fiery arc. The fireball and arc that appeared both were very different from the rest of the Yi members, the most obvious difference being the ratio of colours in the mes. On the Yi family side, the ratio of white and orange-red was half to half while the mes forming the arc and fireball on this side was mainly white, taking up two-thirds of the mes!

    A figure appeared on the other side of the arc. This glowing figure was exceptionally clear, one could even see the minute movements of his cloaks.

    Shao Xuan had previously noticed how powerful people formed clear silhouettes. This did not refer to their faces because everyone was made out of firelight. The Yi members were made of orange-red and white without other colours. The ¡®rity¡¯ of their figures was referring to how solid the shape felt and the distinguishable shape of the body.

    Shao Xuan was the worst of them all, for he was barely recognisable as a human. His mes flickered and swayed as if he could be extinguished in a light breeze. IN contrast, the Yi members all looked more distinguishable, especially the three leaders.

    However, this neer¡¯s silhouette was more solid than the three elders! All the mes that formed his body seemed to condense and solidify into a human without even a stray me. The edges of his shape were clearly differentiated from the surrounding darkness.

    One look was enough to determine the difference in strength.

    The anxiety in the room rose dramatically with the appearance of this person. They were afraid.

    ¡°Yi Xiang?¡± asked Yi Tuan in a low voice, looking at the figure.

    In terms of seniority and strength, Yi Xiang far exceeded them all ¨C but he was also someone the Yi family wanted to kill so at this point, seniority did not matter. His tone did not contain an ounce of respect, cautiously calling Yi Xiang by his name.

    Yi Tuan wanted to question why Yi Xiang was targeting the Yi family. Yi Xiang was still a member of the Yi family, did he really want to exterminate the entire n? Also, important things were taken from the Yi family a thousand years ago, where are those things now? Did Yi Xiang really create those desert monsters?

    Yi Tuan had many questions but it was a pity Yi Xiang did not intend to answer him. He did not even make a sound.

    Shao Xuan saw that after Yi Tuan spoke, the figure merely looked to the side without a word, then took a step forward and started to walk towards the Yi family members. The totem beneath his feet moved along with his footsteps, the fireball in front of his arc hanging high in the air. It did not block in front of him but was diagonally above him, also moving as he moved.

    Yi Tuan¡¯s chest tightened, knowing Yi Xiang did not even want to speak to them. He roared, ¡°READY!¡±

    They gathered a hundred Yi members here not to charge into battle but to hold the fort. They would just be cannon fodder if they ran out so they were more effective in a defensive stance.

    This crowd of a hundred consisted of the most powerful core members within the family. They really were risking the ultimate price.

    A giant totem appeared beneath their feet, then expanded as a hundred forces aggregated as one. The totem included the three elders too, now every individual small totem was reced with onerge Yi family totem. The arc of mes burned in an arc-shaped wall of fire ahead while a half-red and half-white fireball burned magnificently in front.

    The aura emitted by the blinding, rolling mes was intimidating.

    Fire pond?!

    The energy ripples and mes reminded Shao Xuan of a temporary fire pond. He understood too because after the merging of the fire seed, everyone was technically a small fire seed. When all the fire seedsbined together, they formed arge fire seed that offered defensive properties and gave their people a power boost within a limited range.

    However, although the crowd looked powerful and intimidating, Shao Xuan sensed that most of themcked confidence even in themselves.

    They were mostly solemn or nervous.

    ¡°NOW!¡±

    A ray of white shot out of Yi Tuan¡¯s lifted arm, piercing through the fireball ahead and immediately turned into a twenty-metre tall giant. It looked like a tiger or leopard, its silhouette vague. Although it was made of burning mes, it resembled a stout beast. A long animalistic cry rang across the dark illusory space in every direction.

    Although Shao Xuan stood far away, it felt as if the animal was right next to his ear, rattling his brain numb.

    If he hadn¡¯t just witnessed the scene, he would have thought it was a ferocious mountain beast about to begin a massacre.

    The giant beast¡¯s arched back was like a pulled bow. IN the next second, it released and the beast flew into a sprint, every step covering a hundred metres until it arrived at Yi Xiang. It elerated, its mes pulling backwards as it sprinted ahead.

    Both parties were initially far from each other but the distance was pulled closer in the blink of an eye.

    The Bone Reading Beast!

    This ¡®bone¡¯ referred to the animal bones they used during bone readings.

    One must pay the price for his powers, that is how the universe keeps its bnce. This includes the Yi family¡¯s fortune-telling abilities.

    Divination borrowed from the life force of animals and nts. For example, the Yi ancestors had found that some life force still remained in dead animals. During bone readings, they borrowed this life force in the bones to look into the past or future.

    Simrly, the Yi family would often use this method in battle.

    Every object used for divination, including bones or shells, or the modern hybrid methods all required life force, including rocks.

    Yes, rocks.

    The Yi ancestors thought of rocks as the bones of the earth, containing powerful life force. That was why they started to incorporate rocks into their readings. These were not just random rocks but ones carefully picked because they contained life force. The jades that Yi Cong and Yi Qi used were an example of borrowing life forces from rocks to conduct readings.

    It did not matter if these things were found or gifted. As long as the object was held in the user¡¯s hand, they could be used for readings- or internal battles.

    Shao Xuan had heard Yi Qi and Yi Cong talk about this too but this was the first time he saw them using bones this way. The me beast must be how the giant beast used to look like when it was alive.

    As he thought about these, he recalled the bone ornaments he wore on him. These bone ornaments were made of his ancestor¡¯s bones, so could their powers also be his ancestor¡¯s life force? He thought about the me giant andpared it to the Yi family¡¯s me beast. Although they were very different, there were simrities.

    It did not matter. Shao Xuan had no time to think because both parties were about to collide.

    Another deafening roar rang across space. As the beast roared, it leapt and pounced on Yi Xiang.

    Unexpectedly, Yi Xiang did not retaliate with a Bone or Shell Reading Beast, nor did he use other reading methods. He did not even dodge, instead of taking one step forward towards the beast. He raised one of his hands and a strange energy ripple appeared, causing the beast to m right into it.

 Chapter 792 - This Generation Is Useless

    <h4>Chapter 792 This Generation Is Useless</h4>

    Compared to the mighty beast, Yi Xiang looked tiny, not emitting any energy that felt particrly powerful. The beast disyed its power externally while Yi Xiang hid his potential, creating a strange contrast as if this was not a fair fight. Everyone secretly did not want to know which sides the scales were tipped to.

    Although the people far away could not feel it for the moment, Shao Xuan sensed that the way Yi Xiang lifted a hand was like an immense power locked within a limited frame, exining why it felt like he was reserved.

    Collision!

    When the hand collided with the burning beast, indescribable energy rushed across space.

    The burning, manic beast was stopped just like that as if it had mmed into an invisible wall and could not go any further.

    The powerful vibrations from the impact even warped the dark illusory space, then powerful shockwaves erupted and threatened to destroy everything in its path!

    A powerful gust of wind rushed across the space. At that moment, an indomitable force rushed in all directions.

    Not only was the fiery beast stopped, but a crack also started to form where it collided with the wall, from its head, to its body, to its ming tail!

    A ray of white light poured out of the cracks. Yi Xiang grabbed the light with his hand.

    His fingers curled into a tight fist. There was the sound of bones breaking but it did note from his hand¨C the sound came from the light he caught.

    The light went dark.

    After the sound of shattering bones, the giant ming beast imploded from within in a shower of sparks. A powerful force intensified, as if shaking the entire illusory space they were in. A strong gale then suddenly burst from the centre of the battlefield along with the flying sparks!

    Orange sparks flew like scattered fireworks from the centre of the battle to darkness far away while the brewing storm threatened to extinguish everyone in the space.

    Extinguish?

    Yes. By now, most of the figures had turned blurry since the vibrations, like fires about to be blown out. Even the three elderly figures blurred momentarily.

    Shao Xuan, far away from the battlefield, felt it too. He felt like he was trapped in a cage and someone was shaking this cage. His consciousness became fuzzy and even cked out temporarily.

    It felt awful but Shao Xuan gritted his teeth to focus his mind.

    Although he suffered and became coteral damage, Shao Xuan learned something. The scene he saw had taught him a lot. Every bit of energy existed for a reason and Shao Xuan analysed their origins attentively.

    Shao Xuan realised that the collision between Yi Tuan¡¯s Bone Reading Beast and Yi Xiang was a different kind of battling, it could be perceived as a battle between their consciousness.

    Consciousness...

    Shao Xuan might have figured out how to leave. But, this was not the time. He had taken so much effort to watch the battle and would be dissatisfied to leave now. He still had not seen how powerful Yi Xiang was and observing Yi Xiang had been one of his objectives.

    ¡®I¡¯ll just continue watching,¡¯ thought Shao Xuan.

    The flying sparks were hot but every Yi member felt a chill in their bones.

    Although it was just a test from Yi Tuan¡¯s side, this test was no simple attack either. It was a fatal attack not to be underestimated, yet this Yi Xiang, who was currently walking slowly over, shattered it in just a second.

    The initially low morale plunged again into fear. The rumours were true, this Yi Xiang was powerful! But that was just a test. No one knew the extent of his capabilities. And the unknown was a terrifying thing to the Yi family.

    Yi Tuan¡¯s figure flickered momentarily, as if in disbelief. Although Shao Xuan could not see his face in this form, he could guess Yi Tuan¡¯s expression.

    That white light had been the source of the me beast¡¯s energy, its life force concentrated in a bone. Since the source had just been destroyed, then it no longer existed.

    At the same time, within the courtyard of Yi Residence, a piece of bone ced frontmost on the ground before Yi Tuan shattered.

    Amidst the pin drop silence, the sound of the shattered bone was oddly startling. Everyone standing around looked at it.

    A middle-aged man nearest to them widened his eyes so much they almost fell out of their sockets. He stared at the shattered bone.

    ¡°It shattered... How could it shatter?!¡± Arge bead of sweat dripped down his temple.

    It meant the bone was now useless. In the Yi family¡¯s words, this piece of bone was now truly dead. There was no more life force within.

    While he had already expected this, the shattering had happened too soon. He felt even worse.

    Every bone chip used by Yi Tuan came from a powerful fearsome beast. The fact that they were still here today meant that the bone came from a very mighty beast with strong life force! Yet now it had been destroyed- turning into crumbs and powder so suddenly without warning.

    How long has it been?!

    This is bad! ¨C this was what everyone thought.

    Within the infinite illusory space.

    Yi Xiang stopped for a moment after destroying the beast, scanning the crowd. ¡°This generation... is useless.¡±

    His tone was t and emotionless. No one knew what he felt.

    Other enemies might give off cold arrogance but Yi Xiang was different- an eerie calm. They could not tell what insanity hid behind the wall of calmness.

    It was the first time he spoke too. Inyman terms: he was calling Yi Tuan and his people a bunch of useless idiots!

    This remark included all three elders and the entire Yi family, a tight p across their faces.

    To face the disapproval of a senior n member, also a traitor, was an insulting matter. Yi Tuan was utterly humiliated but had to admit exasperatedly that the test had left them speechless.

    When Yi Xiang finished, he turned his head towards Shao Xuan. Although there was no face, Shao Xuan felt his piercing re going right through his heart and brain. He feltpletely seen.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡±

    Why are you looking at me?! Just carry on with your fight!

    Shao Xuan was ready to run the moment anything felt wrong. This was the Yi family¡¯s turf and he would be at a disadvantage. Fighting them would be a bad idea, especially Yi Xiang, who was currently an unknown variable. Shao Xuan would retreat immediately if they attacked. He was not a Yi family member, he was not restrained by family pride in the face of Yi Xiang.

    Luckily, Yi Xiang did not keep staring at Shao Xuan. After a look, he turned to Yi Tuan and the crowd again without a word and took another step forward. He continued walking mechanically like a machine- same pace, same steps.

    Shao Xuan felt as if Yi Xiang was a ticking time-bomb, his legs being the hands on the clock. When the clock ticked to itsst second, there would be a destructive, terrifying explosion.

 Chapter 793 - You Think You Can Come & Go As You Wish?

    <h4>Chapter 793 You Think You Can Come & Go As You Wish?</h4>

    Shao Xuan watched as Yi Xiang lifted the hand that stopped the beast again, then drew an arc before him parallel to the ground. In the next second, the fiery arc on his side expanded in both directions like a stream expanding into a flooding river, its mes heightening. His reserved aura quickly turned into the force of ten thousand beasts, ready to charge!

    The totem beneath him was previously normal-sized but right now was asrge as the totem formed by one hundred people, simr to Yi Tuan¡¯s side- perhaps even slightly bigger!

    The fact that one person could do this alone made Yi Tuan anxious. He would not want to fight this person if he had a choice. But a battle was inevitable now.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyebrow twitched. Although he was far away, he still felt the radiating power. His physical flesh might not be here but Shao Xuan felt goosebumps all over as if a chill had entered through every pore.

    This won¡¯t do.

    Shao Xuan had already been affected by the first attack. Right now, the next attack will be more intense and Shao Xuan would also be coteral damage. The battle would truly begin now- powerful vs powerful, stubborn against stubborn. Shao Xuan would just be cannon fodder here.

    It¡¯s unsafe here. Was it worth staying behind?

    After some thought, Shao Xuan decided to leave. He had an idea after the first attack and nned to try. If he could leave, great. If he couldn¡¯t, then he would retreat to prepare himself for future shockwaves.

    Thinking about the simrities between controlling his consciousness and controlling the me giant... Shao Xuan observed his own body using his consciousness.

    As if parting a mass of clouds, Shao Xuan ¡®saw¡¯ a spot of white. He suddenly recalled the beast created by Yi Tuan.

    Just like the beast, this white spot was like the core that allowed Shao Xuan to be here. It was simr- but not limited- to a powerful life force, like... a soul.

    At this moment, many mes wrapped around the dot of white!

    Shao Xuan had to remove all the mes wrapping around the white light.

    He used his consciousness to move whatever energy he could in this state. Although he seemed to be separated from his body, a lot of his powers could still be used, for example, totemic power and the other kind of energy in his body. Right now, he was using the ming Horn fire seed.

    White threads of light grew out of the white spot. Under his coaxing, they wrapped round and round as the mes dissipated slowly.

    One circle, two circles...

    The threads of white light slowly circled, then elerated into a vortex wrapping the mes and bringing the mes with it. The white threads were thickening while some red mes burned around the threats.

    This was all in his consciousness. Within the dark illusory space, Shao Xuan¡¯s ming human figure dimmed quickly from bottom to top in a very orderly manner.

    Yi Xiang, who was preparing to attack Yi Tuan, halted and turned to look at Shao Xuan.

    Yi Tuan did the same to notice that half of the figure was gone.

    Since Shao Xuan had been standing there alone, it was only natural they had been observing him. While most of Yi Tuan¡¯s focus was on Yi Xiang, many Yi people were watching Shao Xuan. They did not trust tribesmen, especially not one from a tribe they had an old grudge with.

    The moment Shao Xuan¡¯s figure dimmed, someone noticed that he was going to leave but they ignored him since Yi Xiang was more important. They did not expect Shao Xuan¡¯s departure to attract Yi Xiang¡¯s attention, causing him to stop walking towards them.

    When Shao Xuan¡¯s figure disappearedpletely, Yi Tuan felt the space and realised that he could no longer sense Shao Xuan¡¯s presence. At this moment, only the Yi fire seed¡¯s aura remained within this space.

    Previously, they wondered if Shao Xuan was the ¡®ident¡¯ from the fortune reading. Looks like he was not. Yi Tuan was not sure if he was relieved or disappointed. It wasplicated. Shao Xuan of ming Horn did not have Yi blood in him and had different-coloured fire seed mes. Yi Tuan found him strange and unlikable upon the first impression. But this was not the time to think about it.

    That brat must have been worried about being injured by the battle and decided to run first. He must have been frightened by what just happened!

    ¡°FOCUS!¡± roared Yi Tuan so these distracted minds would not wander off.

    Everyone focused on the battle ahead. It was good that the tribesman was gone anyway, they should not have another distraction.

    They now no longer have to worry about an outsider affecting their battle, nor were they worried that Shao Xuan would appear again. You think you cane and go from this space that easily?

    Most of the people had made great preparations before the battle because being in this state required a lot of energy. Although leaving was easier than entering, it was still not simple. Only a small portion of the Yi family could enter this state- this tribesman was only able to enter and leave once unscathed by luck.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s appearance and disappearance was merely a pebble falling into ake. It created minor ripples but no waves.

    On the other side, when Shao Xuan opened his eyes, he felt dizzy and almost cked out. He was very tired and needed to recuperate.

    He looked around. Chacha was on a mountain slope nearby, pecking at a snake as thick as a human¡¯s thigh while pressing it down with its w.

    This snake was rtively small butrge snakes were hard toe by here.

    Seeing Shao Xuan wake, Chacha tossed the half-dead snake at Shao Xuan and chirped twice.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just a little tired¡± Shao Xuanpatted Chacha¡¯s head and got up to take two slow steps. The feeling of solid ground beneath his feet supporting his weight was very different.

    Shao Xuan turned to Yi Cong and Yi Qi, who were still sitting like before. In the tray before them, the jades had changed positions. The most obvious difference was the totem around them. Compared to before, the fire arc wasrger, brighter and burned taller, emitting an even more intense oppression. The ves around them stayed farther away.

    This was expected because their powers werebined with a hundred people.

    Forgetting about them. Shao Xuan felt too exhausted and so went off to hunt for food with Chacha. After a full meal, he slept for a long time.

    He woke fully refreshed. Shao Xuan thought for a bit, then sat and picked up a straw rope. He tried to enter the realm with his eight knots again.

    With his previous experience, Shao Xuan only failed three times before sessfully gaining ess to the space.

    The dark illusory space appeared again. He quickly stabilised himself and held back his difort. He had already taken a full meal and slept so the battle should be ending soon, right? However, when he looked at them, everyone, including Yi Xiang and Yi Tuan¡¯s group, looked not so different from when he left.

    Everyone who had just focused their minds in preparation for the battle saw the tribesman appeared again. Yi Tuan, who was just about to toss another bone, stopped mid-air.

    Yi Xiang: ¡°...¡±

    Yi Tuan: ¡°...¡±

    The Yi family: ¡°...¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s aura was different from theirs so they recognised him instantly

    Why is he here again?!

    How is that possible?

    One time was an anomaly, luck. But a second time?

    They thought this tribesman would be happy enough to run back and show off to his fellow tribespeople. But he¡¯s here again!

    And this time, his figure was more solid and not as blurry as before, almost as clear as most of the Yi family members now. They could not believe that he would master this skill!

    Feeling everyone¡¯s gazes, Yi Cong and Yi Qi yelled in unison, ¡°Not us!¡±

    They really didn¡¯t tell Shao Xuan how to get in!

    If it was not for the inappropriate timing andck of time to exin, Yi Cong and Yi Qi would be swearing on their lives by now.

    The crowd, which had just settled for war, grew unsettled with Shao Xuan¡¯s disappearance and reappearance again, especially for Yi Tuan.

    Since when could a tribesman do something that even the Yi family found hard to do?

    Yi Xiang did not speak but he too halted his actions. Everyone looked at the re-appeared Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan was equally confused.

    The battle hasn¡¯t started?!

    Shao Xuan had previously noticed that something was off. He had been gone for so long, even taken a good rest before returning. And the battle hasn¡¯t even begun?!

    A thought came to him. Time flows differently in this space.

 Chapter 794 - Do You Know What Your Ancestors Looked Like?

    <h4>Chapter 794 Do You Know What Your Ancestors Looked Like?</h4>

    To check if his guess was right, Shao Xuan switched his consciousness again to leave this dark world. The battle had not started anyway and Shoa Xuan felt like his appearance had attracted attention from both parties, especially Yi Xiang. Ever since he appeared, Yi Xiang kept staring at him. Shao Xuan only wanted to check out Yi Xiang¡¯s abilities for future reference, not directly provoke him.

    Although they were engulfed in darkness, the atmosphere was too intense and Shao Xuan did not want to stay. Might as welle back when their battle is ending soon. If both sides were exhausted, they would not keep watching him.

    When he opened his eyes, Shao Xuan saw some bones nearby. They were remains of the snake Chacha previously ate.

    Chacha had just finished the snake before Shao Xuan entered that dark world. Chacha had been eating many snakes recently, possibly due to the grudge from being almost eaten by a snake thest time he was at Eagle Mountain. He often ate snakes in the forest but hunted even more of them here near Eagle Mountain.

    Shao Xuan remembered that the snake Chacha ate looked very strange with a horn on each side of its cheek. The skeleton also had horns. Shao Xuan had only seen Chacha eat a snake like that once before he entered the dark world.

    That was why these remains must be the same ones Chacha was eating before. He felt like he had not left for long because he only stopped for a while in that strange realm. That must not be more than ten minutes. However, the bloodstains on the snake remains had changed in colour and the residual flesh was dry. Based on the current conditions, it should be half a day since Chacha ate the snake.

    Indeed, time flows differently there.

    Chacha stood on the mountain call above, watching his surroundings.

    A little farther away, Yi Qi and Yi Cong remained in the same position, same as before.

    Shao Xuan changed his strategy. Since time flowed differently and he did not know if the difference was consistent, he did not want to act recklessly. He nned to only return after the battle had begun. Might as well watch Yi Qi and Yi Cong here instead of entering the realm again. This way, he could save time and effort.

    Time passed slower in the strange dark world so changes might not show on Yi Cong and Yi Qi so soon. While he waited, Shao Xuan experimented with controlling his consciousness. If this method could bring him to ces regr people could not go to see things they could not see, was there anything else it could do?

    He did not know if he would discover anything without entering that illusory space.

    Without the eight-knot method, Shao Xuan could only study his consciousness based on the past two experiences. They were simr to wielding the bone ornaments¡¯ powers anyway so it was not too difficult.

    First, he must find the white spot in his body. That spot was simr to the soul, a type of special life force.

    He did not take too long to find the white spot again. He only had to activate the fire seed within using his consciousness, then borrow this white spot¡¯s energy to look for other simr presences.

    This time, Shao Xuan used the other force in his body instead of the fire seed for the search.

    White threads sprouted within his sea of consciousness towards the white spot, then spiralled around it. mes burned with every turn of the thread.

    When the spot waspletely wrapped in mes, a spot of darkness appeared in the core, slowly turning into a visible ck dot.

    It gradually expanded into a spiralling ck hole. When the ck hole expanded until he could no longer see the mes, Shao Xuan saw a dark world simr to the Yi family¡¯s battlefield but feltpletely different.

    A simr world of darkness.

    Looks like there was more than one realm like this. Shao Xuan wanted to learn more from the Yi family if he could.

    Eh?

    Studying the pce carefully, he realised there were faint light spots inside, like stars in a slightly cloudy night sky.

    He realised the realm inside was notpletely dark, but rather the light spots were just too far away. Controlling his consciousness, the lights started to approach... no, perhaps he was moving towards them.

    He could finally see the lights clearly now. As long as he maintained this state of consciousness, he would be able to see the lights.

    When he approached, he saw flickering blue lights surrounding these light spots- many of them too. Shao Xuan felt like he was standing in a universe of stars.

    He also felt a familiar aura radiating from the lights. It was not a tribe¡¯s fire seed but an animal!

    Chacha had a simr aura!

    Was it something in Eagle Mountain?

    Shao Xuan strengthened his senses, though it became more draining for him.

    He could sense even more things now. These faint blue lights were blue mes. Simr to Shao Xuan¡¯s silhouette in the strange world, they too aggregated into strange shapes.

    Every light dot probably represented one giant beast, like the Yi family¡¯s Bone Reading Beast. These shapes were the approximate shapes of the respective animals.

    The light dots were all at the core of the blue lights, and these light dots were far from each other. Not on purpose, but rather these giant beasts were just too huge and it would not make sense for them to live close to each other.

    Around him, the light dots filled the space like countless stars in the night sky.

    He did not count the light dots, instead focusing on the blue mes. These figures were gigantic. In contrast, the Bone Reading Beast was just the size of a palmpared to these giants. Shao Xuan had never hunted a giant beast this size in his life. The only simr giants he had encountered were the giant mountain eagles he saw at the icy mountain peak and the giant alligator he met at Gongjia Valley.

    But even these two animals were not as impressive as these figures.

    There were too many figures oveid on each other, so it was difficult to distinguish their entire body shapes- but Shao Xuan could confirm one thing- these shapes were not giant mountain eagles!

    This state was draining his energy. Since it was getting too tiring, Shao Xuan left this dark realm, nning to return after recuperation.

    He opened his eyes and wiped the sweat off his face. Due to the exertion, his back was already drenched.

    These figures made of blue mes must be how these frighteningly gigantic beasts looked like when they were alive. Thinking hard, Shao Xuan looked around at the mountain walls. He activated his special vision but only saw thick mountain rock. Due to the distance and the rocks, he could not see what was inside Eagle Mountain for the moment, nor could he check if there were giant skeletons beneath the mountain. He could only ¡®see¡¯ these things in the other dark realm.

    Noticing Shao Xuan¡¯s difort, Chacha leaned over and chirped, expressing his concern.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Shao Xuan stared at Chacha, studying him from head to toe until Chacha became confused.

    ¡°Caw?¡± Chacha asked.

    ¡°Chacha, do you know what your ancestor was? Do you know what they looked like?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    There was a pause after the question. Chacha looked at the sky as if it saw something fly past, then started to study its surroundings with full interest, all while avoiding Shao Xuan.

    Familiar with Chacha¡¯s personality, Shao Xuan recognised that he was avoiding the question.

    Of course Chacha knew what his ancestors looked like. That was a secret of the giant mountain eagles. Only eagles who had entered Eagle Mountain knew the answer.

 Chapter 795 - The Soul of Eagle Mountain

    Chapter 795

    The Soul of Eagle Mountain

    Since Chacha did not want to answer, Shao Xuan did not ask again.

    Shao Xuan had learned from the Hui tribe that the giant mountain eagles held many secrets and never brought people to Eagle Mountain. Shao Xuan¡¯s trip to Eagle Mountain was extremely rare, only because Shao Xuan raised Chacha since he was an eaglet and that was Cahcha¡¯s first time to Eagle Mountain. If he were another eagle, a human might not be allowed in.

    Even if humans found Eagle Mountain, they might not be able to scale up to the icy peak or fly together with the eagles to the true Eagle Mountain, just like what Shao Xuan did. The tall and long mountain range was an obstacle. The true Eagle Mountain was where all the eagles flew towards after the mist of the icy ins cleared. It was taller than this mountain range, its foot and peak both obscured. No one knew what was at the bottom of Eagle Mountain.

    However, the obstacles and distance would not be a problem if he could explore through his consciousness in that special dark realm.

    After some rest and recuperation, he had some food and looked at Yi Qi and Yi Cong. Their totem had brightened a little but nothing obvious.

    Shao Xuan decided to go check out what he suspected to be the eagles¡¯ ancestors.

    With his first sess, he managed to enter the dark realm once again, straight in front of the blue fiery figures. He tried to count them but the numbers were shocking.

    Many!

    Too many!

    Thousands, maybe more than ten thousand, maybe more.

    Although there was still life force in these blue fiery figures, they were different from beings that were truly alive- simr to the Bone Reading Beast that the Yi family used. Of course, merely simr in certain aspects. These gigantic figures disyed different life force intensities, having stronger life force like aggregated fire seeds, i.e. the way the Yi family aggregated a hundred people together. The number of animal figures here was unknown. They were like matchsticks contributing to an ancient, burning bonfire.

    The soul of eagle mountain!

    A thought popped into his mind.

    He studied each beast¡¯s individual shape but they were all stacked too tightly together. While they could not be distinguished from each other, Shao Xuan could still make out an approximate shape.

    Indeed. They were different from the modern giant eagles but more simr to the pterosaur he found in the ice.

    Chacha did not want to tell him Eagle Mountain¡¯s secrets but he had already guessed that these giants might be the secret hidden within. The ancestors of the giant mountain eagles were the prehistoric giant beasts! They once ruled the world!

    Perhaps that pterosaur would be familiar with them.

    A long time ago, when the ming Horn was still trapped by the edgelessrge river and isted from the world, Shao Xuan heard the shaman mention that the giant mountain eagles had their own faith. They were tough to tame and did not ept foreign fire seeds. This might be the giant mountain eagle¡¯s ¡®faith¡¯ then, since generations of eagles would fly here every year, from young eaglets to dying old birds. They came here to bepletely reborn, just like how totemic warriors awakened their totemic powers, or levelled up. These changes could be due to the stacking of these blue figures.

    The stacking of the blue figures had formed a ¡®fire pond¡¯ for the giant mountain eagle n, it was the true core of Eagle Mountain!

    When he first saw the pterosaur, Shao Xuan once wondered, where did all those giants at the top of the food chain go?

    There were records of them in ancient ancestral texts but they were all from prehistoric times so there was limited information. Many tribes had simr stories, though told from a primitive fire seed¡¯s perspective. Legends told that a long time ago, when humans were still prey, the fire seed gave humans power when they were weak. Fire seeds were the reason why humans thrived.

    No one knew what happened but based on what Shao Xuan knew, he confirmed that the fire seed had changed the world- it did not just change humans, even other living beings transformed across time. Perhaps humans were just the smartest, to haveprehended using fire seeds to their advantage first.

    The soul of Eagle Mountain was evidence. And Eagle Mountain was not the only ce of its kind in the world!

    No one knew where the other ces would be hidden. The world was huge. In a rtive sense, only a corner of this patch of forest was understood. Humans had not explored the rest of the world yet but Shao Xuan had a feeling more of these ces would be found.

    Just a feeling.

    His brain started to hurt due to fatigue and he left the dark realm.

    When he opened his eyes, he felt a surge in fire seed energy. He looked at Yi Cong and Yi Qi. Their brightened totemic fires were changing, sometimes dimming and other times brightening.

    It has begun!

    Changes like that could only mean that both parties are already fighting!

    Shao Xuan rested as he observed their mes. He wanted to wait until their mes weakened, that would mean their battle was ending and Shao Xuan could go check out the situation.

    Within the dark illusory space.

    After Shao Xuan¡¯s second disappearance, Yi Xiang, who was initially staring at the Yi family, turned to look at where Shoa Xuan used to be. After a moment, he started moving. The hand with the ne of wooden ornaments started to move, albeit slightly. An unobservant person would have missed it.

    Yi Tuan, who was watching Yi Xiang, was quite surprised. The rest did not understand but he did.

    Yi Xiang was conducting a reading!

    Why now?! If that was the case, then Yi Xiang must be doing a reading about the ming Horn tribesman!

    It did not matter why Yi Xiang did that, Yi Tuan did not have the time. He must grab this chance. Everything else could wait. They just had to solve this problem at hand.

    Yi Tuan roared, ¡°GO!¡±

    Almost in unison, the three Yi elders- including Yi Tuan- all raised their hands at the same time, four bright dots flying out from each. When these spots flew past the fireball in front, they turned into gigantic beasts like before, some slender, some muscr, some shelled as they formed together with fireballs that looked like meteors. Those were the same pieces used for the Yi family¡¯s fortune readings.

    They were prepared for this, one could tell from the way they were perfectly coordinated. Thebined auras of the three elders felt as magnificent as a river gushing into the great ocean.

    Twelve beasts and meteors formed from bones, shells and stones charged in Yi Xiang¡¯s direction. Thebined power of the three elders was astonishing, creating a gust of wind even in this illusory space. Anyone who was slightly weaker in the team felt their breathing turn irregr, a weight pressing down on their chests. Reverberations could be felt through their feet, causing their thighs to go numb. It all felt suffocating.

    Yi Xiang was not startled by the three elders¡¯ sudden attack. Without moving his feet or turning around, his other hand still holding the ne of wooden pieces, he lifted his other arm that was now facing the Yi family¡¯s totemic arc. As if shaking off dust from his sleeve, he flicked his arm casually, pointing at his own arc not far away.

    The moment he flicked his arm, Yi Xiang¡¯s fire arc roared and grew ten times taller, as if he had poured oil on the wall of fire!

    The Bone Reading Beasts had begun charging, mming themselves into the tall fire wall.

    A giant surge of energy was released upon impact. Yi Xiang¡¯s arc of fire exploded like an erupting volcano, mes extending in all directions.

    Deafening booms sounded along with the collisions between the beasts and the rocks, hurling themselves against the wall. The arc acted like a city wall blocking out an army, though it no longer ¡®whooshed¡¯ like regr mes in the wind, rather rolling and roaring like an animal while heat waves exploded and sparks flew as far as the eye could see.

    If one could see their expressions, you would notice that the three elders¡¯ expressions had changed. When they ambushed Yi Xiang, their eyes had been filled with hope, hoping that this attack would work. Even if he would not be severely injured, just a small wound would be worth celebrating.

    But their hopes and dreams were crushed. What reced passion was shock and severe disappointment, as well as sorrow. But no one knew what they felt.

    This was the firstrge-scale collision between both parties. Although there was no billowing sand or flying pebbles, everyone within range felt like they could disintegrate at any moment. The Bone Reading Beasts were manic, mming into the fire wall as if they would not back down even if it meant cracking their heads. One of the beasts even opened its jaws wide at the peak of its ferocity an arm¡¯s length away from Yi Xiang. You could imagine how fierce they were!

    In contrast, the mood on the other side of the arc was calm. No sparks flew this way. Although the beasts were an arm¡¯s length away, Yi Xiang did not pay much attention to it. After flicking his arm, he continued his task from before, ignoring everything else.

    That was just a defensive move. He did not even look towards Yi Tuan, maintaining his position as he faced sideways, away from the crowd. As if the crowd¡¯s full-blown attack did not matter.

    Contempt!

    He does not even acknowledge us!

    Yi Tuan and the rest were already furious at his remark on how ¡®this generation was useless¡¯. Yet his reaction to their attacks proved his point.

    This was Yi Xiang. The Unlucky One. The person that the entire Yi family wronged.

    ...

    On the other side, after Yi Cong and Yi Qi¡¯s totemic mes started to change, Shao Xuan focused his full attention on observing them.

    Their mes had initially strengthened. Then, there was a strong ripple and their bodies seemed to be withstanding arge force, their bones even crackling while their veins twitched beneath their skin.

    ¡®Looks like the Yi family isn¡¯t doing too well,¡¯ thought Shao Xuan to himself.

    This situation carried on for three days when finally, the totemic fire fluctuations gradually weakened.

    ¡°Has it ended?¡± Shao Xuan could not confirm but this was too soon. He had only waited for three days on this side. This meant that not that much time had passed in the dark realm. Perhaps it was a momentary ceasefire between both parties.

    Should he go check out the battle? Let¡¯s see who¡¯s winning: the Yi family, or the mysterious, legendary ¡®Unlucky One¡¯.

    While he waited, Shao Xuan had been maintaining his body in a good physical state in preparation of entering the dark realm once more.

 Chapter 796 - Now That Youre Here, Stay

    <h4>Chapter 796 Now That You¡¯re Here, Stay</h4>

    Shao Xuan had just arrived in the dark realm when he was hit with a st of hot air. Everything seemed to be on fire.

    Instinctively, he activated his fire seed to shield himself fromrge falling meteor-like fireballs with his own mes.

    This meant that during the time he was away, the Yi family had at least fought once.

    As he thought about it, a ball of mes shot right at Shao Xuan, straight as a spear.

    Sensing the fast-approaching threat, Shao Xuan had almost no time to think, instinctively taking two steps back. The orange-red spear of fire almost brushed past Shao Xuan. He could even feel the scorching heat from the mes, he could have been burned if he was one secondte.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here,¡± came a hoarse, emotionless voice.

    Shao Xuan looked up to find that it was Yi Xiang. Compared to the previous nonchnce, this time, there was a murderous intent in his tone.

    The battlefield was still calm but anyone would know that arge-scale battle had just ended. On the Yi family¡¯s side, several Bone Reading Beasts remained and several indistinguishable fireballs- making a total of twelve. Although he could not see their expressions, Shao Xuan could feel the suppressed frustration on their side. It was obvious they were not winning. Although their camp was huge and intimidating-looking, there was undeniable irritability. If one¡¯s heart was irritable, that meant they were not confident in their abilities!

    Turning to the other side, where Yi Xiang was standing alone, he did not look much different from before. If Shao Xuan had not been observing Yi Cong and Yi Qi, or seen the residual flying mes, it would not have been obvious that Yi Xiang had just fought in a battle.

    In contrast to the shaky confidence in the Yi family camp, Yi Xiang looked too calm. There was an eerie chill in this tranquillity.

    The Yi family did not pay too much attention to Shao Xuan¡¯s appearance. Most did not have the capacity to think about this tribesman who came and went as he pleased. Yi Tuan was the only one who stared at Shao Xuan for a few seconds, then turned cautiously to Yi Xiang, anticipating his next move.

    Yi Tuan was privately bitter and in grief that he still could not grasp Yi Xiang¡¯s true capabilities despite the battle. Right now, he had an approximation and Yi Xiang was definitely more powerful than they thought. Even with a hundred people, they still suffered and could not tip the scales to their side.

    Yi Tuan also truly understood how the once-powerful Yi family had really started to decline. They were so weak beneath the mask of opulence and prosperity!

    He still had nothing to say in face of Yi Xiang¡¯s first remark. ¡°Your generation is useless¡±, he said. That was his first p. How they wish to show him otherwise but after the battle, the reality came with another more painful p!

    As for that Shao Xuan? Yi Tuan had no hopes that Shao Xuan would fight Yi Xiang. If they could not do it, then the tribesman couldn¡¯t either. However, they probably could use this tribesman¡¯s presence to their advantage.

    Despite Yi Tuan putting in his maximum effort, Yi Xiang still did not pay attention to their camp, instead he continued to stare at the spot where Shao Xuan appeared.

    Shao Xuan felt two rays of cold light pointing right at him.

    This person wasing after him!

    With killing intent! Worse than what he directed at the Yi family!

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡±

    Do we have any past grudges?

    Although he had caused trouble at Rock Hill City before, turning Gan Qie into a ¡®zombie¡¯ and Yi Xiang had reasons to be displeased, Shao Xuan did not think that enmity would be worse between thempared to Yi Xiang and the Yi family. The Yi family had forced Yi Xiang to escape to the other continent years ago, even Yi Si said that Yi Xiang would surely exterminate the entire n despite being of the same n.

    But Yi Xiang¡¯s killing intent towards Shao Xuan was much stronger!

    Shao Xuan wanted to check Yi Xiang¡¯s abilities through their battle to estimate the strength of Rock Hill City¡¯s mysterious leader. How could he have expected this? Previously, Yi Xiang did not react much to his presence. Unless something happened when he was not here?

    Shao Xuan¡¯s confusion turned into caution, nning to retreat. He was here because Yi Xiang hated the Yi family more- now that Yi Xiang targeted him, there was no need to stay. This was their battlefield, it would be stupid to fight them on their turf!

    He willed his consciousness to take him out but after several attempts, he found that it was useless!

    He! Can¡¯t! Get! Out!

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, might as well stay.¡±

    Yi Xiang¡¯s voice echoed, hoarse as the desert wind, like a predator hidden beneath the yellow sand finally revealing its fangs.

    A stark contrast from his past nonchnce, Yi Xiang had begun to move before he spoke, not giving Shao Xuan or Yi Tuan to react.

    The tall wall of fire in front of Yi Xiang that the Bone Reading Beasts could not pass erupted as tall as the sky, like a rumbling volcano that finally erupted!

    With the fiery wall as the centre, scorching heat and red-white fire spread in all directions, further and further!

    The true storm was finally here.

    Even the Bone Reading Beasts were forced back in face of the surging heat.

    The previous battle had been half of this!

    Powerful and precise!

    Killing intent without a shred of hesitation!

    Perhaps this Yi Xiang at this moment was the true Yi Xiang!

    Although Yi Tuan and his family¡¯s faces could not be seen, they must be filled with shock.

    But what came next shocked them even more.

    The wall of fire that extended infinitely upwards started to change.

    At the very top, it extended horizontally in all directions like a giant umbre. Below, beneath their feet, a sea of mes started to spread quickly too.

    ¡°No!¡± Yi Tuan yelled.

    ¡°He¡¯s trapping us!¡± gasped another next to Yi Tuan.

    These were all the elites of the Yi family¡¯s main branch, they all held prominent statuses in the family. Yi Tuan dared not imagine how much danger the Yi family would be in if none of them returned.

    The six aristocratic families of King City maintained the bnce of power. If one side weakened, the other five would turn into starving wolves, immediately swallowing the weak, stopping it from rising again!

    The only thing Yi Tuan could think of was¡ª extermination!

    Yi Xiang really wanted to kill the entire n!

    Yi Xiang had dragged the battle on before unleashing his true powers because he was obviously waiting for Shao Xuan. He wanted to trap Shao Xuan and the Yi family here together1

    While he did not know why Yi Xiang targeted Shao Xuan, Yi Tuan was only thinking of a way to send his family out. Even if only one-tenth of them seeded, he could still cut losses.

    At this moment, Yi Xiang seemed to turn into a different person. Although his face could not be seen, he felt like a ferocious storm.

    Within the dark realm, Yi Xiang¡¯s wall of fire seemed to engulf the entire world.

    ¡°RETREAT!¡± yelled Yi Tuan.

    But it was already toote.

    They had no way to get out. The Yi family finally realised this.

    The sea of mes was rapidly extending beneath Shao Xuan¡¯s feet. He wanted to run but no matter how far he ran, he was still in the same spot. He was about to be trapped together with the Yi family.

    The world of consciousness was different from reality, just like the giants he found at Eagle Mountain. Distance was a blurry concept.

    Retreat? Where would he go?!

    Chills ran down their spines. They were like animals trapped in a cage waiting to be ughtered. Exhausted, hopeless.

    Yi Xiang¡¯s silhouette became clearer than ever, even his facial expression could be seen. Everyone only had fiery figures without faces but at this moment, Yi Xiang¡¯s face was so clear that his eyes, nose and mouth could be seen. The minor movements of his sleeves could also be discerned¨C every detail was clearer than they could imagine!

    This meant that Yi Xiang was previously saving his energy. One could even say that he was only defending and not attacking. Under the three elders¡¯ leadership, the crowd of one-hundred could not even touch Yi Xiang. And right now, they could forget about it unless they got help.

    Within the dark realm, Yi Xiang stood alone, radiating power and arrogance. He was the dictator, the true king of this sealed world!

    Due to the instincts of being blood-rted, these Yi family members could not help but revere the formidable Yi Xiang. Unfortunately, he still showed no mercy. Although the crowd was terrified, they still could not retaliate psychologically.

    Shao Xuan felt like he had brought this upon himself.

 Chapter 797 - You Have Bones, I Have Ancestors

    <h4>Chapter 797 You Have Bones, I Have Ancestors</h4>

    When the mes from above and under merged and sealed them all, Shao Xuan felt a deep chill in his bones. He was trapped in mes but still felt like he was in a freezer. His blood flow slowed down, his strength weakening!

    Especially the powers he needed for getting out of here- they were ¡®frozen¡¯ the most! If he could not activate these powers, he would never be able to leave forever.

    Shao Xuan looked down at the floor of mes, denying him the possibility of escaping downwards. He knew that Yi Xiang nned to seal the entire crowd of one hundred here! They were like vegetables cooked in a pot while Yi Xiang turned up the fire.

    He shuddered. He still did not understand why Yi Xiang hated him so much. Yi Xiang did not even look at Yi Tuan¡¯s camp with as much hatred.

    Of course, Shao Xuan regretted putting himself in this situation but there was no time for that. Might as well look for a way to escape.

    Shoa Xuan looked at the Yi camp. He was new to this world so it made sense that he could not leave. But those Yi people should be familiar with this ce. So what will they do?

    If they had a solution, at least Shao Xuan would know in what direction he should proceed towards even if he could not replicate it.

    Of course, he did not ce all hope on them. He too had to think of a way to get out.

    The sealed area was divided into two sections. With the firewall in front of Yi Xiang as the edge, Yi Xiang stood on one side while Shao Xuan and the Yi camp stood on the other.

    But Shao Xuan was alone so it looked more like there were only two parties fighting: Yi Xiang and the Yi n.

    The Yi people reacted quickly too. While the rest might not be as experienced, the three elders were already analysing the situation. Unfortunately, everything they observed was bad news. IN the end, Yi Tuan chose the most conservative solution. He did not n to use all one hundred people to fight to their deaths here. They decided to leave. This was the first time the Yi family witnessed Yi Xiang¡¯s true powers, they must retreat and think of another solution so he could not exterminate the entire n!

    Yi Xiang had begun his next move. The wall no longer served as a quiet defence. He pushed a palm forward and the wall of fire started to rush forward with the might of ten thousand beasts, as if it would bulldoze and tten every object in its way!

    This was not even a beast, this was a whole wall! There was nowhere to run here!

    Although this was not reality, Shao Xuan felt his back drenched in cold sweat. He looked at the approaching fire wall, there was nowhere to hide. Turning to the Yi camp, indeed the people in front had started to react.

    This time, the three elders did not use their Bone Reading Beasts. Yi Tuan lifted a hand holding something. It looked like a tortoiseshell.

    Rattle rattle rattle¡ª

    The rattling of bones colliding with each other sounded.

    Yi Tuan unleashed a mighty roar and the shell shot out of his hand, releasing a blinding light. It was not a spot of light like the beasts but a ball!

    This mass of light shot out like a meteor, changing by the second.

    ¡°NOW!¡±

    At that moment, Shao Xuan felt as if a huge mountain was pressing on himself, his body fighting against a humongous weight.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A roaring wind expanded in every direction across the entire realm. Even the mighty wall charging at them was pushed back.

    Rumble¡ª

    The sound of roaring wind and mes turned into the rumbling of thunder.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s entire being shook along with the shaking realm. He saw boundless firelight pouring out of the mass of light, intertwining with mes when a giant figure materialised in the light.

    He stared at the giant figure, shocked.

    Is that a... tortoise?

    It was different from the regr tortoise he had seen. This tortoise had a more slender figure, neck and tailpared to the ones he had seen. There were spikes on the back of its neck, then more protruding spines on its tale. There were protruding mounds on its shell like hills, though different from the sharp, jagged shell of a snapping turtle. They looked like robust, heavy hills.

    Its physical features were secondary- Shao Xuan was more amazed by its sheer size.

    It¡¯s huge!

    This was the same size as the giant beasts he saw at Eagle Mountain!

    As aparison, Yi Tuan¡¯s previous Bone Reading Beasts were merely the size of one w.

    A prehistoric giant beast!

    That was Shao Xuan¡¯s first thought. He couldn¡¯t believe the Yi family to own something like this!

    In reality, the Yi family did not own many fortune-telling tools made of prehistoric giant beasts, they were extremely rare.

    They either made their own tools or hired someone to do it, very few were heirlooms passed down generations. Yi Tuan was currently using one of the rare shells left behind by their ancestors. They had more but they were used up during various historical events and subsequently destroyed. This shell was one of the most precious treasures they owned.

    A tribe without a fire pond had their own graveyard for their n. Five of the six aristocratic families had their own n cemetery but the Yi family was an exception. Although they had their own cemetery, many members would choose their own ce to be buried. The more powerful the person, the more likely they would get a grave of their own. When they felt like their time hade, they would leave the n along with one fortune reading item to be buried together with them. It was just like how the Ji family members prepared grains in their own graves. The Yi family members were buried with their own fortune reading items.

    Anyone who had the capability to find a Yi family grave, then had the courage to break inside and was capable enough to control the buried item that had lost its owner, was very rare.

    That was why the n did not have many ancestral treasures. Yi Xiang¡¯s insulting remark was also true. The items they wielded truly did notpare to what their ancestors used to have. These were proof of their capabilities.

    Even Yi Tuan, one of the most powerful n members, had to give up on his own bone treasures and use his ancestor¡¯s bone treasures to save them.

    Yi Xiang did not look particrly strong but he was actually very powerful. Yi Tuan had no choice but to use this heirloom. The tortoiseshell was only asrge as his palm but upon activation, its true form was revealed.

    The giant tortoise opened its jaws, stretched its neck and its throat vibrated. An ancient, hoarse roar was released, one that Shao Xuan never heard before. Its proud roar seemed to extend through infinite space and time, arriving in his ears. This scene was much more shocking than anything the ancestral records wrote about!

    A wave of oppression was unleashed with the roar. The weight crushing Shao Xuan became heavier as the mighty force mmed across the realm. Shao Xuan felt like a weak grasshopper in the face of such power, he could be squashed dead any time.

    Craning his head against the force, he saw the giant tortoise lift its limbs and charge at the wall of fire. The moment before it collided with the wall, it lifted its front two limbs.

    Boom!

    The giant tortoise mmed its feet heavily into the ground, its body shaking from the impact, the mes making up its body erupting from the vibration. Countless sparks exploded from the wall.

    The sea of mes beneath their feet sshed and gurgled like boiling water from the powerful reverberations.

    Within the sealed space, the mes from the cracked fire wall, the boiling sea of fire below and the infinite firelight covering the skies, matched with the tortoise¡¯s cry, seemed to bring these people back in time to a strange prehistoric battlefield!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s knees bent from the shockwaves released from the collision, struggling to straighten his back.

    The collision between a terrifyingly powerful psychopath and a prehistoric beast threatened to turn everything else into ash!

    Shao Xuan was on the verge of disintegration in the face of such power.

    He thought he heard the bones in his body crackle from the oppression.

    He was not even close to the battlefield but the shockwaves from the impact were enough to tten him!

    The war-drum-like roaring of the winds continued, while a huge force pressed on his crown and every part of his body. mes flew in every direction, dense as rain. Shoa Xuan could no longer see the giant tortoise properly.

    He felt like he was standing within the mouth of a bubbling volcano. All that surrounded him were scorching heat waves and roaring winds cutting like red-hot knives. The hot air burned the inside of his throat and steam poured out of every pore.

    The oppression on his body was still increasing, now the pressure on his body was at his limit. If this continued, there was only one result¡ª death! Unless he could force himself out of this situation!

    He must think of a solution!

    The Yi family¡¯s solution against the fire wall was the giant tortoise. Now the most pressing problem was survival, not leaving!

    Did he have anything to protect himself like the Yi family?

    While he did not have any bones, he had his ancestors.

 Chapter 798 - Thats A... Person?

    <h4>Chapter 798 That¡¯s A... Person?</h4>

    Under the immense pressure, Shao Xuan felt the torment of two opposing conditions. Externally, he suffered the heat and mes. Internally, his blood was frozen cold.

    Nothing else mattered. First, he must activate the powers within that seemed to be frozen.

    This was different from the real world. A world of spirit, consciousness.

    Spirit, consciousness...

    That bright spot!

    The white light in his sea of consciousness was what allowed Shao Xuan to be here!

    Shao Xuan controlled the thread-like white energy that was different from ming Horn¡¯s fire seed, trying to ¡®break the ice¡¯.

    One round, two rounds...

    When the white energy started to awaken, Shao Xuan felt the ice throughout his body start to thaw.

    However, the activated energy would quickly stagnate once again, like how melted water could re-freeze under low temperatures once more.

    Again!

    There was no time for rest, he must melt all the ice at once. Any waiting resulted in his powers freezing over once more.

    Controlling the white energy, the wisps of white circled around the burning white spot, which represented the core of his soul, flowing slowly. Some of the frozen white energy started to flow. One round, two rounds, three rounds... The ¡®ice¡¯ around the white spot melted once again.

    This white energy was simr to his fire seed energy. He felt his body warm up, his strength returning.

    Hurry!

    Hurry up!

    Fireballs of all sizes flew in his direction like meteors, hitting Shao Xuan directly and exploding in a firework show. Did it hurt? Well, he was already numb to everything.

    He gritted his teeth to hold against the oppression. If there was solid ground, his legs would have sunken into the ground. However, beneath him were mes acting as boundaries of the sealed realm. If this carried on, he would merely be squashed.

    There was not enough time for ¡®thawing¡¯. His body was at its limits and if he could not activate enough power to hold against the external forces, he would die.

    He willed the white energy to spread warmth across his body.

    At this moment, within the Yi camp. Yi Tuan did not have the capacity to worry about Shao Xuan, even forgetting about him. Perhaps he thought Shao Xuan was already dead from the shockwaves.

    He had only one thought- to find a gap.

    This was his n. First, he would use his ancestor¡¯s shell not just to stop the approaching wall but also to break this sealed boundary through the impact of the collision. All he needed was a sliver of a crack!

    Yi Xiang¡¯s trap was like a cage. If the impact could crack the boundaries, they would be able to escape the cage through the crack. They did not need much, just a small gap and it would no longer be a sealed system. That was enough to escape.

    Gap!

    Where is the gap?

    Yi Tuan searched frantically for the gap, terrified of missing something.

    But he was left disappointed.

    The boundaries were good as new, no cracks could be found!

    How is that possible?!

    He had already used his ancestral heirloom, this was one of the most powerful artefacts in the family. But there was not even a crack!

    What did that mean?

    It meant Yi Xiang¡¯s abilities far exceeded their estimations!

    The giant tortoise holding back the fire wall was just a temporary solution. Yi Tuan did not know how long it could hold. After so many disappointments, the usually calm Yi Tuan finally plunged into panic.

    If even the shell left behind by their ancestors did not give them a chance to escape, what could they do to avoid death?

    Yi Tuan¡¯s mind raced for solutions. The Yi people were sharp people so he came up with many ideas in a short moment. Despite that, none of them were satisfactory. Not just Yi Tuan- the two other elders were also thinking. This was the hardest they had ever thought in their lives.

    What now?!

    As they thought bitterly, another strange wave of power appeared.

    Huh?

    Yi Tuan had to stop his train of thought to look over. What he saw made his heart pound.

    An immense wave of oppression spread out in all directions.

    Activating all the powers he could control in his body, Shao Xuan started to aggregate them in his body until they surged like a tsunami! He did not hold back.

    In this burning, orange-red world of mes, a contrasting bright-red me erupted like a strike of lightning, forcing its way through the realm.

    A giant figure emerged from the core of the red me like a war machine engulfed in mes, a tornado of currents forming in its presence threatening to shatter everything in its path!

    Amidst the twisting, crisscrossing red and orange-red mes, the giant figure expanded again. Around the figure, mes shot out and collided violently with the surrounding fire like a ferocious beast manically expanding its territory.

    Within this territory that supposedly belonged to the Yi family, this foreign giant appeared like a monster that crawled its way out of fiery hell.

    Not just the Yi family, even Yi Xiang took notice. Well actually, Yi Xiang had been staring in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction since the beginning,pletely ignoring Yi Tuan¡¯s army. He did not look shocked, as if he hadpletely anticipated this event.

    ¡°A Bone Reading Beast?! Why would he have one?!¡± cried someone in the totem.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he only master Grass Reading? Why would he know Bone Reading?!¡±

    ¡°THAT!¡± shouted Yi Cong,¡± THAT APPEARED WHEN FLAMING HORN LEFT!¡± However, this wasrger than the me giant he previously saw. This giant was asrge as the giant tortoise now!

    Years ago, when Yi Cong and King City¡¯s army pursued the ming Horn¡¯s migratory party, they had seen this me giant too. They were stopped by that giant and could not catch up. In the end, the ming Horns got away.

    ¡°So this is the... me giant you mentioned?¡± Yi Tuan was astonished. Didn¡¯t Yi Cong see it in the real world? Why would it appear in this realm?

    Solidification?!

    A Bone Reading Beast¡¯s energy could solidify to be used in the real world too but both techniques were different and required more energy.

    To the Yi family, using a solidified Bone Reading Beast was a waste. They only need to attack a person in the realm of consciousness, not in reality.

    The Yi family recalled the time Yi Cong mentioned the me giant after Yi Cong returned with the army. Some people also suspected it to be simr to their Bone Reading Beast but no one thought a barbaric tribesman could master such a thing. Especially not something that belonged to the Yi family.

    That was why...

    ¡°Is that a giant?!¡±

    How did he do it? This tribesman¡¯s own silhouette was so blurry when he first arrived, how could he have the ability to control such a giant?

    What kind of human bone did they use to make such a terrifying thing? Were there real giants in this world?

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not Bone Reading! It¡¯s a different technique!¡± Yi Tuan had multiple guesses when he studied the giant.

    After he calmed down, he recognized that it was not from Bone Reading.

    Bone Reading had its own unique energy ripple and it could not be sensed here.

    Then what was it?!

    Even the Yi family had to carefully preserve their family heirlooms across generations for the shell to function at its best capacity. BUt this... tribesman. What did he have?! What right did he have to do this?!

    The tortoise blocking the fire wall looked up and roared, then a deep rumble came from its front limbs colliding with the wall once more. A st of fire exploded from the fiery boundaries below and the wall, bringing along shockwaves that almost shattered their skeletons.

    On the Yi family¡¯s side, their totem protected them from the shockwaves so only Shao Xuan bore the brunt of the shockwaves. However, Shao Xuan¡¯s silhouette within this me giant remained standing tall.

    Now that the oppression on his body was gone, he still did not have time to rest. Yi Xiang did not give him time to recuperate, immediately flicking an arm in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    The portion of the initially stationary firewall not blocked by the giant tortoise rushed towards Shao Xuan. It looked like an avnche of fire bursting out of a dam.

    Shao Xuan could feel the oppressioning from this wave. He had no choice but to stand tall!

    He was cornered, there was nowhere to run!

    The bright red ming giant faced the wave of fire head-on, in the beginning taking several steps back before slowly finding its footing again. Then, step by step, the giant started to walk forward. Roaring mes engulfed the me giant, every step forward was an immense struggle to push back the great wave, like it was wading against a water current.

 Chapter 799 - The Third Figure

    <h4>Chapter 799 The Third Figure</h4>

    As the current of mes strengthened, Shao Xuan felt the opposing force strengthen. Every step forward became more difficult. An obvious sign of this was the strong vibrations every time the giant took a step.

    When the mes aggregated into a current, they separated into streams once more like snakes of fire, lunging at the giant.

    The red figure waved its arms, every swipe violent as ever. Its body was not as clumsy as it looked, for it squashed the fire snakes quickly, directly and arrogantly. Nothing could escape its hands! Several snakes exploded upon impact!

    The flying snakes shattered into countless fireballs, flying in all directions. The current form from its moving arms blew mes away, clearing Shao Xuan¡¯s vision ahead.

    Yi Tuan stared at the giant, walking figure. He did not understand. What the heck was that giant? He could sense that this giant was different from the Bone Reading Beasts. Giants should not exist in this world either? Or were there other exnations?

    But it was just a passing thought. He did not have time to wonder about Shao Xuan¡¯s me giant. Shao Xuan¡¯s resilience was shocking too. He thought this tribesman would have disappeared after the collision between the tortoise and Yi Xiang but not only was he well, he could even produce a me giant. Was this their ¡®hope for survival¡¯ from the prophecy?

    Their ancestral heirloom was unable to create a crack in the boundary but what if theybined efforts with the tribesman? Would that work?

    Yi Tuan focused again and searched for possible cracks. Once the crack appeared, they would slip out immediately. He obviously saw how Yi Xiang directed more hatred towards Shao Xuan. Yi Xiang currently directed more firepower in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction than towards the entire camp.

    Admittedly, Shao Xuan was powerful enough to create this me giant. He was probably as powerful as their ancestor¡¯s shell. However, his me giant might not hold against Yi Xiang for long either. Yi Tuan did not care, privately delighted that Yi Xiang¡¯s attention was now on Shao Xuan. This bought them more time to find a way to escape! He couldn¡¯t care less for Shao Xuan¡¯s survival.

    More and more mes poured out of the fire wall, swift as ever. The red giant¡¯s footsteps slowed down. They could see that the giant was reaching its limit. The moment the giant could no longer stand, and be engulfed in the current of fire, that was the moment Shao Xuan would die.

    The Yi n was secretly relieved that Yi Xiang did not use this move on them. Even with the giant tortoise and thebined totem of one hundred people, they might notst longer than this tribesman.

    Shao Xuan sensed that he had utilised his powers to their maximum. His body felt like an overloaded machine, crackling and creaking, as if about to fall apart any moment now.

    His feet seemed to be weighted down by shackles, every step immensely difficult. He still had to keep his bnce in the face of the rushing current threatening to swallow him whole.

    He must not retreat! Not even one step backwards! At a moment like that, one step backwards would be two, three.... Until he is ovee by the current!

    All the white energy in his body had been activated. He no longer felt cold, instead his blood surged and boiled, steam rising out of his pores.

    He suddenly noticed that within his sea of consciousness, the usual white shell around his totemic fire was starting to ¡®melt¡¯!

    The initial light shell turned into white light streaming outwords. Very soon, the outeryer disappeared.

    Although the white shell was gone, Shao Xuan did not feel this white energy leaving his body. It was still around him. Furthermore, he felt it concentrating in his arms. His five senses, which had numbed from the effort, sharpened once more and the oppression around him weakened. As if someone moved a mountain from his shoulders, he felt light and his breathing eased suddenly.

    Amid Yi Xiang¡¯s orange-red current of mes, the red giant halted but did not step back. It merely stood like a pondering philosopher.

    Within the Yi totem, the observers all wondered, ¡®Had he finally reached his limit?¡¯

    However, in the next moment, they felt a powerful force forming from that direction, stronger than when the giant first appeared!

    What?!

    Even Yi Tuan, who was concentrating on looking for a crack, looked over. Anxiety surfaced in his heart, along with fear. It felt as if something deep in slumber had finally awakened.

    ¡°Totemic ripples!¡± gasped an elder next to Yi Tuan.

    When a fire seed¡¯s powers formed a totem, unique energy ripples would be formed. Since Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival, there had been no totem beneath his feet. This was to the bafflement of the Yi family. If he had mastered a Yi family technique, his appearance should also involve a totem but they still had not seen ming Horn¡¯s totem yet.

    So was his totem finally going to appear?

    No, more specifically: the totem is ONLY appearing NOW?! This was unbelievable.

    This brat could not even form his own totem, yet he was still sprightly as ever in this realm! The totem¡¯s appearance was a little toote.

    Also, why was there such a hugemotion when it appeared? It had just begun to form and there was already strong oppression.

    Was the ming Horn¡¯s totem THAT powerful?

    ¡°No way, that¡¯s not the ming Horn¡¯s totem!¡± Yi Tuan¡¯s chest tightened, for he had sensed something unusual. ¡°That¡¯s definitely not the ming Horn¡¯s totem!¡±

    ¡°But I usually recognise this as a sign of a totem¡¯s formation. So if it isn¡¯t the ming Horn totem, what is it?¡± asked the elder next to him.

    Just as they wondered, the currents that almost drowned the fiery figure were suddenly pushed away! Like a pair of invisible hands blocking the angry river of fire.

    All the fire around the me giant was pushed away. But Yi Tuan and his n, as well as Yi Xiang, ignored that. They were watching something else. Beneath the red giant¡¯s feet, white mes appeared.

    Two white lines crossed each other, both ends in a ¡®t¡¯ shape. They were now two elongated ¡®¹¤¡¯ shapes and rapidly stretching!

    The ¹¤ lines continued to expand, blocking the current. The space around the me giant expanded.

    ¡°What the heck is that?!¡± yelled someone. He had never seen a totem like that. Isn¡¯t that a ming Horn? Shouldn¡¯t it be a totem of two horns? What was this?

    Within the Yi camp, many people stumbled backwards from the force.

    Even Yi Tuan struggled to maintain his bnce. He did not step back but still felt a strong oppression. If this was his real body, he would have coughed up blood by now.

    If one could see his eyes, one would see they were filled with shock and fear, like he had just witnessed a terrifying scene.

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Yi Tuan felt an icy current raise goosebumps all over his body, causing his hair to stand on ends.

    Fear? Worry?

    All emotions were forced to the back of his mind. He only had one thought: Why would this pattern appear now?!

    The atmosphere was strange. Those who did not understand the appearance of a double ¡®¹¤¡¯ pattern also sensed fear from the three elders. Such difort caused their hearts to sink.

    Both elongated ¡®¹¤¡¯ ovepped in a cross. Its appearance seemed to stop time across the entire battlefield. Even Yi Xiang¡¯s hand holding the ne of ornaments trembled slightly.

    Yi Xiang had not reacted to the ming giant with much emotion but this white pattern seemed to worry Yi Xiang.

    On Shao Xuan¡¯s side, the changes continued.

    Shao Xuan felt a powerful force surging beneath his feet, strengthening along with the expansion of the cross, spreading in all directions as if about to st this entire realm to pieces!

    Shao Xuan¡¯s fiery silhouette had initially merged together with the me giant, its outline unclear. However, when the white light appeared on various parts of Shao Xuan¡¯s body and shone behind him, the shape of Shao Xuan¡¯s body became clearer once more. Then, the white lights one step¡¯s distance behind him aggregated once again and stopped shining in other directions.

    The concentrated ball of light erged, brighter than the shell Yi Tuan took out. If that giant tortoise¡¯s appearance was a star in the night sky, then the white ball of light behind Shao Xuan was a shining sun!

    The white light formed into a blurry silhouette like a clone of Shao Xuan, though made of different mes and blurry. The Yi family would perceive this to be the same as the first time Shao Xuan entered this realm, flickering like a beginner unfamiliar with the technique.

    However, there was a difference. The moment this white figure appeared, the entire battle field dominated by three gigantic figures changed once more.

    The cross had cleared arge space around the me giant, white-hot mes curling out of it. The giant grew several times taller, this time more intimidating than before! Under such circumstances, the Yi family totem looked weak.

    Yi Tuan grew even more bitter and frustrated like there was blood stuck in his throat.

    The Yi family¡¯s camp consisted of a hundred people and their ancestral treasures. Yi Xiang was a thousand-year old monster, a rare prodigy of the Yi family.

    And Shao Xuan? What was Shao Xuan?

    Just a primitive, coarse tribesman!

    While he was quite irritated, he quickly calmed down when he thought about how Shao Xuan could upy Yi Xiang and maybe give them a chance to escape.

    But...

    Why is that giant now rushing towards them?!

    [DOGE Note: I¡¯ve done my best to trante this chapter but to be honest, the descriptions were a little difficult to understand, especially the white ¹¤ pattern part ¨C this trantion is what I understood out of it and I HOPE it¡¯s right!! Thanks for reading!]

 Chapter 800 - Crack!

    <h4>Chapter 800 Crack!</h4>

    The fiery giant was magnificent and solid enough to look like a real person.

    This bright-red me giant seemed to have broken free of its shackles, its legs finally out of viscous mud. Every step was light, free and easy!

    Quickening its pace, the giant switched from walking to running. The roaring of the mes on its body sounded like thousands of roaring beasts, thebined ferocity of them all unleashing oppression that engulfed the entire realm!

    The mes on its body curled and spiralled as it ran, mes shooting aside every time it took a step forward.

    Yi Tuan thought the tribesman would attack Yi Xiang after its surprising transformation. Yi Xiang was the one trapping them here and they were all working to attack him and get a chance to break free of this cage. However, no one expected this mighty red giant to sprint right at them instead of towards the ming currents from before!

    The white pattern extending from beneath its feet continued to rush to block the fire currents. Yi Tuan could see that the figure at the bottom of the giant¡¯s feet had almost merged together with the giant, though a little darker in colour. That was Shao Xuan, the one controlling the giant.

    Other than Shao Xuan¡¯s silhouette, behind him was a bright figure shaped exactly like Shao Xuan. No one knew what that was but everyone seemed to be very nervous about it.

    Three figures walked in sync as if they were one machine.

    ¡°Why... why...why is he running TOWARDS us?¡± asked someone with a trembling voice as they watched the giant berger andrger.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He isn¡¯t helping Yi Xiang kill us, is he?!¡±

    ¡°I knew that tribesman was on Yi Xiang¡¯s side from the beginning! They must be working together!¡±

    Initially wondering what the white patterns were, now they were scared out of their wits, their eyes glued to the red giant.

    The three elders also wondered if Shao Xuan suddenly changed his mind and decided to take Yi Xiang¡¯s side. If that was the case, then they were hopeless. One Yi Xiang was difficult enough. Now with this strange tribesman, they were cornered. Perhaps their n would be exterminated in the end.

    However, as the giant approached, they realised it was not running towards them but the giant tortoise blocking the wall of fire!

    The giant tortoise!

    The tribesman was targeting the tortoise!

    ¡°What is he doing?!¡±

    So he was indeed on Yi Xiang¡¯s side then? Without the giant tortoise, the wall of fire would rush towards them. Even with the giant Yi totem, they might still die.

    All of their worries were tossed to the back of their minds because what they saw made their hair stand on end. They felt strangled, overwhelmed by sheer terror.

    They watched as the bounding me giant grabbed the tortoise¡¯s tail- which was almost as long as its shell- then forcefully dragged it away from the wall!

    Its two front limbs blocking the wall were pulled away. mes shot out of the wall where its limbs used to be.

    Ignoring the approaching fire wall and rolling orange-red fire, the giant dragged the tortoise¡¯s tail backwards. This caused the mes beneath their feet to roll like disturbed waves, crashing into each other.

    Although the tortoise was made of fire, it was as heavy as a mountain. Every step the giant took shook the entire realm. Its light steps turned heavy once again.

    Shao Xuan felt his bones crackle, his body going into overdrive again. He was already unleashing his powers to the maximum!

    However, the intense pain brought Shao Xuan an indescribable sense of bliss. Every me on the giant had be part of Shao Xuan. He was supposed to just be a person at the feet of the giant, struggling to look up to see the giant tortoise at the wall. However, he no longer felt that way. He did not need to look up at the tortoise for it was eye-level. On the other hand, he had to look down at Yi Tuan¡¯s camp.

    The giant¡¯s eyes were his eyes! The giant¡¯s hands were his hands!

    Fire flowed constantly within the giant like blood, he felt like an ancient warrior fighting for his life at battle.

    It¡¯s either life! Or death!

    If not death, then fight!

    He dragged the tortoise by its tail with his two ming arms, letting out a mighty roar. Fire erupted high up, as if giving him a boost in energy!

    Shao Xuan felt strange emotions brewing within him. This was the first time he felt so much ferocity since he came to his world, also the first time that strange white energy merged sopletely within him.

    With a jolt, all four of the giant tortoise¡¯s limbs left the ground. It was forcefully lifted in the air!

    Everyone was stunned by what they witnessed.

    Yi Tuan finally experienced the arrogance of the ¡®ming Horn treatment¡¯ for the first time!

    He also knew what the giant nned to do.

    Stop! Stop!

    Yi Tuan wanted to scream but realised no sound came. He had lost his wits.

    The giant swung the turtle, which was now a makeshift giant sledgehammer, parting the ming currents pouring from the wall effortlessly. Like beasts thrown back by a tornado, the mes howled and roared.

    The giant¡¯s red mes continued to heat up, erupting more powerfully. The crossed double ¡®¹¤¡¯ lines beneath its feet brightened.

    As he swung the giant tortoise, the giant¡¯s arms swelled as tens of me columns shot out like boiling blood. His arms did not weaken from the flowing fire, instead elerating.

    When his moment reached its peak, he swung his foot, spun his body and let go!

    Swinging the tortoise powerfully, the tortoise flew like a thrown sledgehammer, then fell heavily!

    At that moment when the giant unleashed its power, its silhouette blurred, including Shao Xuan and the white humanoid shape behind him. They blurred like a bonfire in the wind, about to die off anytime soon. Yet the feeling was different. The three figures seemed to merge as one and they heard a roar passing through time and space, swallowing the sound of the roaring winds and mes, swallowing the angry tortoise cries, swallowing everything.

    Yi Tuan thought he saw a soul that had burned for millions of years.

    Boom!

    The whole world exploded. The crowd lost their hearing immediately, then heard nothing again. All their nerves went numb.

    No one escaped unscathed. Even the clearest silhouettes flickered. Even under the protection of the Yi totem, at that moment, the totem warped and looked like it was about to disappear.

    The surging current of fire dissipated from the reverberation, fireballs pelting every corner of the realm. Beneath their feet, the sea of mes shot high up and fell down as countless fireballs of all sizes. All these people were puny figures between the shower of fireballs, weak and helpless.

    It felt as if the sky was falling on them!

    Darkness leaked into the sealed bubble after the impact. If one observed from the top, you would see ck cracks at the bottom, as if ck lightning was extending across the boundary, distorting the bubble.

    Yi Tuan looked at the ck python-like crack beneath his feet. His racing mind suddenly nked.

    With a shaky voice, he cried, ¡°It... cracked!¡±

    But no one heard him. A massive weight pressed on their bodies as if the sky had fallen in. The red-white fireball at the front of the totem, the spiritual pir of one hundred people, flickered like a lonely candle in the wind. No one knew if it would die out suddenly.

    Yet in this fiery world, the gigantic cross made of white mes stood bright as ever like carvings in rock. It did not waver one bit in the face of massive impact and reverberations as if nothing in this world could touch it.

 Chapter 801 - That Flaming Horn!

    Chapter 801

    That ming Horn!

    Yi Family Residence, within the heavily guarded courtyard.

    The tense atmosphere turned more and more solemn. The ones who could not take it paced in circles frustratedly, afraid of making a sound in case they disturbed the people in the centre.

    Their hearts sank the moment the bone in front of Yi Tuan shattered. When no second bone chip shattered, the people guarding the yard privately sighed in relief. They waited and waited, several days passed. Although the elements were kept out by the totem, these people still could not keep their cool after so many days.

    Some wanted to continue waiting but the more they waited, the more dishevelled they became, lightheaded and frustrated as if they had not eaten or slept well these days.

    Many were in the same condition, some even fainting suddenly, copsing from the mental stress. Although they were not doing anything physically strenuous, it was still a stressful position to be in. And it had been many days.

    ¡®Nothing has happened, that¡¯s good news,¡¯ thought some. At least no more rocks or bone chips shattered. This meant the battle situation was still stable.

    ¡°I hope they are well. Or the Yi family would weaken greatly.¡± The people guarding near the three elders were on edge. Since the Yi family closed its doors, many people hade with questions. They were either from the other five aristocratic families or other ces, though they acted concerned for the Yi family, they bore ill intentions. If anything major happened to the Yi family, these people would take the first chance to harm them.

    Goodwill?

    There was no goodwill between the six aristocratic families when they had the option to benefit themselves. If one of the other families fell into danger, the Yi family would take action too. As fortune-readers, the Yi family understood what consequences woulde from this situation.

    On this day, the shift that had taken a short rest returned to the yard once more.

    ¡°Get some rest, we¡¯ll take watch,¡± said the leader to the people in front.

    They alternated between two shifts, taking turns to rest.

    The person sitting on the animal hide near Yi Tuan had dark eye circles, unfocused eyes and messy hair, his clothes started with some soil. He would never look like this on a regr day but everyone was like this now. No one cared about looks.

    He got up from the animal hide during the changing of shifts, hammering his stiff thigh. He was about to say something when he straightened in shock and turned to look at Yi Tuan.

    Within the courtyard, light shot out of the tortoise shell in Yi Tuan¡¯s hand, the bone chips rattling frantically. The air around them froze as all eyes were glued to the shell, as if they refused to believe it.

    They knew what the changes in the shell meant.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe they had to use the ancestral shell too!¡±

    ¡°Is that Yi Xiang really that powerful?¡±

    ¡°I wonder what the battle is like now.¡±

    They discussed in whispers but no matter how theyforted the people around them, they had one thought¡ª danger!

    How severe were the circumstances for Yi Tuan to use the shell left behind by their ancestors?

    The people who nned to rest after their shifts did not leave, instead sat down and watched. Who would have the appetite to eat now? No one would be able to fall asleep either!

    Just like that, as the days passed, the people in the yard grew more haggard. The guards outside were very nervous and hearts had begun to stray.

    More time passed and the weather warmed. Within the yard, everyone was anxious and drenched in sweat, though a chill cut deep into their bones.

    Something¡¯s wrong! The giant totem looked like something was suppressing it, and seemed on the verge of dying out.

    Suddenly, the totem brightened and its energy fluctuated wildly. It destabilised, like something was hammering the totem repeatedly.

    ¡°What? What¡¯s happening?!¡±

    They had no way of knowing, all they could do was worry but suddenly, they heard a ¡®crack¡¯ that snapped their nerves in half.

    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened, their faces pale and beads of sweat flowing down their temples. Without even wiping their sweat, they stared at the shell like stone statues.

    ¡°That¡¯s... impossible! Impossible!¡± cried the person nearest to Yi Tuan, his voice trembling, every word piercing as ever.

    The hardest part of the carapace, the back of the shell that even the Gongjia family¡¯s best sword could not scratch, started to crack!

    Very soon, they had no time to watch the shell because the totem in the yard shed wildly, unable to even sustain its shape. It was breaking down!

    Whoosh¡ª-

    The totem that almost covered the entire yard flickered wildly and then exploded to bits, sparks flying like meteors across the night sky, finally dying out.

    The crowd within the yard cried in surprise. The person closest to Yi Tuan rushed forward to support Yi Tuan, who had broken out of his trance. Before he could ask questions, Yi Tuan sputtered a mouthful of blood and roared, ¡°THAT FLAMING HORN!¡±

    After that, his eyes rolled back and he fainted.

    Although the two other elders next to Yi Tuan did not faint, they were no better. Their faces a ghostly pale, as if they had aged tremendously, they could barely keep both their eyes open. Their hands as thin and dry as tree branches, they would have not been able to sit up if it were not for the people around.

    Behind the three elders, within the army of a hundred, many people fainted with blood flowing out of their orifices, their conditions unstable. Everyone knew this meant the Yi family had lost the battle- and it was a terrible loss!

    A major upheaval wasing to the family!

    Many people were confused by what Yi Tuan yelled out before he fainted. Were they not fighting Yi Xiang? Why would he mention ming Horn? He did not even mention Yi Xiang.

    ming Horn?

    What had this got to do with the ming Horn?

    The entire Yi family camp was incapacitated. Within King City, the other families who had been closely observing the Yi family received news and started to mobilise.

    Far away from King City, on the other continent, at the foot of the mountain range near Eagle Mountain.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes sprung open, panting heavily to catch his breath before the dizziness faded slightly. His muscles twitched uncontrobly and he could still feel the weight on his body. His clothes were drenched in sweat.

    Chacha quickly rushed over when he heard themotion, chirping a few times.

    ¡°I¡¯m... I¡¯m fine.¡± Shao Xuan waved tiredly. Even moving his arm was difficult.

    After some rest, he felt some energy return and stood up slowly. He realised that the spot he sat in had a cross made of the double ¹¤ symbol, as if it had been burned into the rock on the ground.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan still did not know why. However, he was starving so he walked to the forest for food.

    After a few steps, Shao Xuan noticed amotion over at Yi Cong¡¯s side and looked over. Yi Qi was ring murderously at him.

    ¡°YOU!¡± Yi Qi pointed with a shaky finger, spat out a few mouthfuls of blood, then his arm dropped and fainted.

 Chapter 802 - Blood

    <h4>Chapter 802 Blood</h4>

    Shao Xuan ignored Yi Qi and Yi Cong, who both did not look good. Yi Qi seemed severely injured, forcing out only one word before fainting. Their ves were frantically trying to treat them.

    Shao Xuan looked away. He was starving and already seeing stars from walking a few steps. He steadied himself to make a trap. With his current strength, he had no way of hunting another animal.

    While waiting, Shao Xuan ate some prey that Chacha brought him. Since Chacha only ate raw meat and Shao Xuan had no strength to cook it, he ate all of it raw. At the tribe and during hunts, they often encountered situations when they could not start a fire so eating raw meat was not umon.

    While waiting for prey, Shao Xuan noticed that something was wrong. Now that he had some food in him and caught his breath, he made an unusual observation.

    When he came here, it was winter. Although the climate around the mountain range did not change much throughout the year, the trees would still change. These trees bore fruit when he arrived but right now, there were no signs of fruits on the trees, nor were there rotten, fallen fruits on the ground.

    He had an even stranger feeling when he walked higher up to look far across the horizon.

    ¡°Hm?¡± Shao Xuan sensed a familiar aura approaching soundlessly.

    Soon, a figure emerged from the trees.

    ¡°Gan Qie?¡± Shao Xuan gawked at the person.

    Gan Qie was d in a grey linen cloak. It was daytime but he still had his hood on as usual.

    Shao Xuan did not expect to see him here. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°For you.¡± Gan Qie looked around, his eyes lingering in Yi Cong and Yi Qi¡¯s direction for a few seconds, then turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°You were gone for too long and the ming Horn Tribe became worried.¡±

    ¡°Was I gone for long?¡± Shao Xuan knew that time passed differently in that strange dark realm but he estimated himself to be gone for about ten days.

    ¡°It will be full moon in a few days.¡± Gan Qie did not specify but Shao Xuan understood that he had been gone for half a year.

    It was no wonder that the ming Horns were worried. He said he wanted to check on King City¡¯s people in the forest but then disappeared for half a year. Winter was long gone, even the monsoon had ended.

    Shao Xuan knew Gan Qie would not lie about this and he could prove this at night by looking at the moon. He believed Gan Qie.

    So he was gone for more than half a year! So that was why he had a strange feeling about the forest.

    Shao Xuan remembered that winter had just ended when he entered the dark realm. How could half a year pass in the blink of an eye?

    To Shao Xuan, that battle was just half a day but so much time had passed in the real world!

    It was difficult to imagine fighting for half a year.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t receive news about you so I came to check,¡± exined Gan Qie briefly. ¡°Other people could not sense your location but I think your shaman can. She could not leave the tribe so she pointed us in an approximate location.¡±

    Gan Qie briefly exined the reason he was here.

    The ming Horn Tribe had discussed internally about searching for Shao Xuan but in the end, Gan Qie volunteered to look for him in the forest, being able to sense his location.

    Gan Qie did not like travelling with others. He did not take his previous hunt with the few tribes seriously either- everyone feared him and he was impatient to travel with them. That was why he rejected the tribe¡¯s proposal to send a team together with Gan Qie.

    In truth, it was more convenient and easier for him to travel solo.

    Shao Xuan studied him carefully and nodded. ¡°Not bad, your face is redder. Looks like the forest is treating you well.¡±

    The pale green in his face had gradually improved to a more human colour, though still paler than regr people. Right now, he looked very healthy and strong. How much blood did he drink for this?

    How did Gan Qie find Shao Xuan? When Shao Xuan revived Gan Qie, the special powers he used brought Gan Qie back from the brink of death could not be used to track Shao Xuan too.

    With an ¡®undead¡¯ body, Gan Qie moved easily in the forestpared to others.

    ¡°Was your journey smooth? Is the tribe doing well?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Gan Qie thought for a moment and gave one word¨C ¡°Fine.¡± This told Shao Xuan that his journey was smooth and the tribe was alright.

    He did not n to get much information out of him either. Gan Qie was not a talker and did not show much interest in many things.

    However, when Shao Xuan thought Gan Qie would remain silent, Gan Qie continued.

    ¡°I saw a bat. A veryrge bat, almost entering the king beast realm. Should be the one you encountered before.¡± Gan Qie gestured to show the bat¡¯s size.

    ¡°The one from bat mountain?¡± Shao Xuan knitted his brows. That bat was a tricky one. ¡°It hurt you?¡±

    Gan Qie shook his head with an odd expression. ¡°No.¡±

    Gan Qie had encountered the bat while searching for food. They both loved hunting at night, both sucked blood and had natural instincts about which beasts had the best blood. Since they had simr diets, it was not strange that they met each other. But how did Gan Qie escape from its ws unscathed?

    He continued to borate.

    Not only did the bat not hurt him, but they both also became allies of a sort. The bat did not attack Gan Qie, then Gan Qie gifted it some prey, which was epted. Afterwards, it even helped Gan Qie fend off two difficult fearsome beasts.

    Shao Xuan was shocked to hear such a thing.

    ¡°Based on your capabilities, what would happen if you had to fight the bat?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I¡¯d lose,¡± confirmed Gan Qie. While he was called ¡®undead¡¯, it did not mean he could not die. He too had limitations and in face of that giant bat, he knew he could not win if they ever fought.

    ¡°But it has a familiar aura, simr to mine.¡± Gan Qie looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°How did you meet the bat?¡±

    Meet? Shao Xuan thought for a moment, briefly describing the time he first met the giant bat, omitting the part with the fire crystals. The fire crystals were a ming Horn secret, few people knew of the ore within the tribe. Since Gan Qie was no ming Horn, Shao Xuan did not need to tell him about them.

    Shao Xuan described how the giant bat fought the other ¡®candidates¡¯ for the position of the bat leader in more detail. That was an unexpected encounter too. Shao Xuan remembered he was only holding fire crystals but did not realise that the morphing bat had already absorbed its powers. This giant bat was the first toplete its transformation, then it killed all the other candidates and finally became the only leader of the bats.

    Perhaps due to absorbing the powers from Shao Xuan¡¯s fire crystal during the transformation, the giant bat had an aura simr to the ming Horns too. That was why it did not attack the ming Horns.

    While it had an aura simr to the ming Horns, it also had another aura more powerful than this one from the other power within Shao Xuan. Gan Qie was ¡®revived¡¯ because of this other energy. That was why the bat saw Gan Qie more simr to itself than the other ming Horns, treating them as allies and became friendly.

    After the battle within the strange dark realm, Shao Xuan now understood the white energy within his body. Gan Qie¡¯s situation must be rted to this.

    It was not so strange after all.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Shao Xuan turned to realise Gan Qie was searching for something.

    ¡°I smell... blood,¡± said Gan Qie.

    ¡°Blood? Oh, there are two Yi people there, and their ves.¡± Saho Xuan pointed towards Yi Cong and Yi Qi.

    ¡°No, not them.¡± Gan Qie shook his head. ¡°I can smell their blood too but I¡¯m not looking for them. I know their blood tastes better than tribesmen but there¡¯s another more delicious source.¡±

    Gan Qie sniffed carefully, his eyes scanning his surroundings like radars, then looked up.

    ¡°There! It¡¯sing from above!¡± Bloodlust shed within his eyes, his long fangs extending. He lifted his foot to scale the mountain wall, radiating killing intent. Gan Qie must have had a bloody journey here or he would not radiate such a strong aura.

    Shao Xuan quickly pressed down on him. ¡°Calm down! Retract your fangs, suppress your killing aura! This is giant mountain eagle territory, do not act rashly. You must be careful. As for the thing up there...¡± Shao Xuan thought for a moment. ¡°Wait till I finish my food and replenish my energy, then we can go check it out together.¡±

    Gan Qie¡¯s greedy eyes turned, paused, then he nodded. ¡°Alright.¡± He could sense the strong, non-living oppression here too. It made him nervous. If it was not for the smell of blood, he would not stay for long. But the smell excited him and he was willing to take the risk.

    What is at the top of the mountain? Shao Xuan wondered privately. There were not many animals on this mountain range. The higher the altitude, the fewer the animals. Other than the giant mountain eagles, there was nothing on the icy ins at the peak...

    Wait!

    There¡¯s an exception!

    The white worms!

    Shao Xuan thought about the swarm of worms that ran up the walls after emerging from the soil. He turned to ask Chacha, ¡°Did those white worms evere down?¡±

    Chacha looked up at the peak, then at Shao Xuan and shook his head.

    They didn¡¯t!

    So many worms but none returned!

    Shao Xuan thought about the time he first came here. The white worms at the peak would eat the ice crystals, then metamorphose in their nests to turn into butterflies.

    It was almost full moon now. He had witnessed the metamorphosis around the same time that year. Shao Xuan could remember the scene.

    The ¡®blood¡¯ Gan Qie referred to must be these white worms. If he was talking about giant mountain eagles- Gan Qie had known Chacha for a long time and never seemed this excited.

    It did not matter if they were white worms or other things, Shao Xuan decided to only go after recuperation. He remembered Yi Cong¡¯s objectives for being here, wondering if those white worms hid other secrets. Maybe these secrets were rted to weapon forging?

    He had suffered so much to be here, he must find the answer.

    Shao Xuan looked up at the peak, making ns for the future.

    ...

    Within the desert, a tense atmosphere lingered. This solemn mood had kept for half a year now and the reason came from within Rock Hill City.

    Shi Shu led a group of people, watching a sand mound far away nervously. Beneath the mound was an underground pce and Yi Xiang was there.

    He knew exactly what Yi Xiang was doing and understood it could take a long time. He did not expect it to be this long.

    Shi Shu used to be confident but after so long, the bad feeling within grew stronger. The Yi family should be too trivial to even worry about, he should not take this long to exterminate them.

    What is happening? This question looped in his mind for days.

    Then, his bad feeling turned out to be right.

    There was a deafening rumble, like a giant, ferocious beast mming into the walls underground. Yellow sand flowed like water down the mound. The ground shook, then swallowed the sand mound whole.

    The ce where they built the underground pce was already made of sturdy material. Yet the ground had engulfed the whole sand mound as if everything had been quicksand.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± yelled Shi Shu, getting his troops to stay back as the area of copsing sand expanded at an rming rate.

    Boom!

    Two figures shot out of the sunken area, punching a huge hole in the ground. Another three figures shot out.

    Thetter three were leaning together, protecting the person in the centre.

    These five were reanimated corpses Yi Xiang ced within the underground chamber as guards, Shi Shu had seen them when he previously entered the chamber. His attention was currently on the person they protected.

    Yi Xiang, who was escorted out of the underground pce, did not look well. There was a bloodstain by his lips and the wooden ne in his hand was broken.

    How could this be?! Shi Shu was in shock.

    ...

    Due to Yi Xiang¡¯s injury, Rock Hill abandoned its previous ns for expansion momentarily. It did not even have the capacity to proceed with the battles on the coast.

    The desert entered an era of rtive peace.

 Chapter 803 - Starlight During The Day

    <h4>Chapter 803 Starlight During The Day</h4>

    Shao Xuan used two whole days to recuperate, which was already a very long time given he did not suffer any severe injuries. In the past, he only needed a night¡¯s rest to recover from a hunt. This battle had drained too much of his energy, one night was not enough. If he wanted to go up the mountain in search of answers, he must be well-prepared too. If he was still weak, then he would be able to fend for himself during emergencies.

    During these two days, Gan Qie was not interested in much. He asked Shao Xuan about Yi Xiang, then when he was told that Yi Xiang was indeed very powerful, he did not ask more questions, merely staring at the mountain range in deep thought.

    Yi Cong and Yi Qi were severely injured, unable to walk. Especially Yi Qi, who did not wake after fainting and his ves were in tears, anxious for his recovery.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shao Xuan leapt on Chacha¡¯s back and patted his feathers gently.

    Gan Qie was also on his back. After an unwilling caw, Chacha took off.

    Carrying two people on his back, Chacha took several rests along the way. The air thinned the higher up they travelled, temperatures dropped and the oppression became stronger.

    Gan Qie never liked cold ces. The people of the Han Tribe were suited for the hot, arid desert. After turning into this state, although his lifestyle changed a lot, he maintained his preference for the heat. His agility was also limited in snowy ces, everything was just inconvenient.

    However, the scent of blood lured him on. He was willing to take the risk.

    Gan Qie suppressed his breaths, minimising his existence the best he could. The oppression here made him anxious, so this was an instinctive response; he was not ustomed to this cold, and his response was simr to a hibernating animal. Breathing was not necessary for him anyway, so he stopped. He now resembled a stone statue, frozen on the eagle¡¯s back.

    As they passed throughyers of mist and clouds, water vapour turned to ice stuck to their faces, hair and clothes in ayer of white.

    ¡°Wait! Go there.¡± Shao Xuan pointed in a direction to show Chacha.

    After they found a suitablending spot, Shao Xuan leapt off his back. He stood on a protruding boulder, swept off the thickyer of snow and dragged a piece of white worm skin out.

    The worm skin was the same colour as snow, the naked eye would not have been able to distinguish the two. Shao Xuan would not have found it without his special vision.

    When Shao Xuan came here the first time, he also picked up a few pieces of worm skin to be made into protective clothing. They were sturdy and offered sufficient protection during a fight. Also, most importantly, it could protect people against the harmful effects of the core seed.

    The white worm skins that Shao Xuan brought back from his first time at Eagle Mountain were tattered now. They had very little of it and limited people could enter the core seed cave at a time. The tribe had talked about using other materials to rece the worm skin since going to Eagle Mountain was too difficult and did not guarantee more worm skin. Unfortunately, they were never able to find a recement.

    Now, Shao Xuan could bring more back.

    He stroked the worm skin, not sure when they were shed. He guessed not too long ago.

    He rolled it up and tied the roll, then looked around and found a second piece. After rolling that up, he could not find a third piece. Shao Xuan did not go searching for more as their primary objective was to uncover the white worm¡¯s secret. He could get moreter.

    After a short rest, Chacha took off once more.

    Shao Xuan could feel a strong opposing force when Chacha flew but Chacha was still happy to fly under such conditions. Although he would not be entering Eagle Mountain, he was still excited to be here.

    As they flew, the statue-like Gan Qie finally looked up expressionlessly- other than a sh of red in his eyes.

    ¡°We¡¯re close!¡±

    They were approaching the mountain peak.

    ¡°There!¡± Gan Qie pointed.

    Shao Xuan gestured for Chacha to fly over. Although they were not at the peak, he knew that while the white worms were secretly feeding on the eagles¡¯ territory they would not build nests at the icy ins on the peak. They would keep a safe distance. That was why they did not need to fly higher to search for the white worms.

    Shao Xuan saw a worm nest on the mountain, simr to the one he saw when he first came here. It was made of worm silk.

    ¡°They are metamorphosing.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the next. Due to his experience, he knew that the white worm would not leave the nest again, instead silently transforming inside.

    ¡°Full moon tonight.¡± Shao Xuan looked up at the sky. It was not sunset yet and the sky was still bright.

    Gan Qie hopped off Chacha. His movements were stiff in the cold, and the thick snow caused him great difort. However, he ignored it for the worm blood.

    To Shao Xuan¡¯s surprise, Gan Qie walked a few steps towards the worm nest and stopped.

    ¡°What? Is there a problem?¡± Shao Xuan.

    ¡°No.¡± Gan Qie stared at the nest.

    ¡°What did you find? You don¡¯t n to do anything?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s not time yet.¡± Gan Qie stood still, his eyes glued to the nest.

    ¡°Not time yet?¡± Shao Xuan did not understand but now he was sure that whatever attracted Gan Qie was rted to the white worms.

    All they had to do was wait then.

    Shao Xuan and Chacha went to eat some ice at the icy ins on the peak. Shao Xuan missed the taste of the ice crystal columns there, it had been a long time.

    They did not see any great mountain eagles on the ins so Shao Xuan did not need to hide.

    Gan Qie did not like the ice so he did not eat much, his eyes merely glued to the worm.

    Time passed and the sun gradually set. The sky did not turnpletely dark and the two moons that had almost merged appeared in the sky.

    Gan Qie got more and more excited, his hands shaking and his eyes reddened.

    That night, under the merging moons, the world looked like daytime. Every year, on the day of the merging moons, both humans and animals would be affected. Fierce beasts that were most affected by the moon actedpletely different on this night.

    However, there were no other fierce beasts near the peak on this range. Animal roars echoed from far away but they were near the peak far from the ground. One could only imagine how deafening these roars actually were.

    Tonight, these animals would be extra excited. Not sure if Yi Cong, Yi Qi and their group would be able to avoid those excited beasts.

    Crackle crackle¡ª

    Shao Xuan heard a tiny sound. Ignoring everything else, he looked at the nest.

    Like before, Shao Xuan saw a wingless butterfly-like insect with two sticks in front as the antennae. The tiny crackling sound was made from its movements in the snow as it crawled out of its nest.

    Shao Xuan looked at Gan Qie. Although Gan Qie was very excited, he was not moving. Other than the red glint in his eyes, he still stood like a statue and suppressed his aura.

    When the white insect crawled out of the nest, it moved to a protruding boulder. With a white sh that resembled electricity, two long wings grew out of its thorax. Its body looked much more slender in contrast to its wings.

    The wings extended fully, glowing white as they pped. Many butterflies straightened up at the same time, paused, then suddenly pped their wings and took off.

    Star butterflies. That was what King City¡¯s people called them. Night looked like day with the merged full moons, these butterflies were the only starlight visible today.

    Both moons were almostpletely merged now. The world was as bright as day while white dots appeared in the sky, flying away from the mountain range. Those were butterflies from other areas of the mountain.

    The white worms that crawled up the mountain had undergone metamorphosis on the mountain and turned into star butterflies on the same night.

    The wind near the mountain peak cut like knives, snow flying haphazardly. However, these butterflies in flight flew even higher and farther in spite of the brutally cold wind. No one knew where they went.

    During his first time here, Shao Xuan had stared at these butterflies for a long time. This time, once they took off, he turned his attention.

    Gan Qie had entered the worm¡¯s nest. When Shao Xuan went over, he found Gan Qie squatting on the ground. There was a puddle of what looked like melted ice where the worm used to be.

    Gan Qie dipped his finger in the ¡®melted ice water¡¯ and put his finger in his mouth.

    ¡°This is it!¡± There was intense excitement in his suppressed whisper.

    This?

    Melted ice?

    Shao Xuan recalled that he had wondered where the pupa shell went after metamorphosis. He thought they just did not have a shell. Perhaps this meant that they did have a pupa shell that disappeared.

    This ¡®melted ice¡¯ was probably its pupa shell!

    This ¡®ice¡¯ was melting quickly and the ¡®water¡¯ evaporated fast.

    Without much thought, Shao Xuan pulled out some wormskin and tied a simple knot so it became a simple bag. He did not have any liquid container so this would have to do. Since both substances came from the worm, using worm skin to store the water should be safe.

    It did not matter if this liquid was rted to weapon forging, they should collect it first. Anything that caught Gan Qie¡¯s attention must be special. The white worms held too many secrets¨C worm skin, worm silk all turned out to be very useful. Looking at Gan Qie¡¯s excitement, this must contain surprises too.

    ¡°Are you in a hurry to drink? If you¡¯re not, you can help collect some.¡± Shao Xuan passed him a worm skin pouch.

    Gan Qie did not speak. After taking the pouch, he went to search for the next nest. He did not have special vision but had a sensitive nose that could track the next nest urately.

    Since they had found the substance, Gan Qie was in no hurry to drink them all. Like what Shao Xuan said, they should collect it first. They were in a hurry and must collect as much as they could.

    Shao Xuan collected the ¡®melted ice¡¯ and drew the pouch close tightly. He noticed that the ¡®ice¡¯ stopped melting inside the pouch- this was good news. He was worried they might turn into gas too quickly and render their efforts useless.

    Chacha also helped search for nests, cawing for Shao Xuan toe wherever he found one.

    Although Shao Xuan and Gan Qie worked quickly, they still could not find all the nests. After visiting about ten nests, they arrived at only a small puddle while the next few had no more liquid.

    Shao Xuan had no choice but to give up, keeping the ¡®melted ice¡¯ he had well.

    Drawing the pouch close, he put it aside and told Chacha to guard it while he went to collect worm silk.

    If he did not collect them in time, the silk would slowly peel off from the boulder and get blown away by the wind.

    Some worm silk -produced by the worms to form the nest- stuck to the boulders very tightly. However, he could still rip them off after activating his totemic power. Shao Xuan had done this before so it was a smooth process.

    Worm silk was light, much lighter than the worm skin. They were useful too, and he had almost used up his previous supply. This was a good time to harvest more to be used during hunts and trap setups.

    Gan Qie did not know what these worm silks were for but assisted Shao Xuan too. Without Shao Xuan bringing him up, it would have been difficult for him to get here anyway. The conditions on the mountain severely restricted his movements and only received his precious ¡®worm blood¡¯ because of Shao Xuan. That was why he also helped with the worm skin and silk.

    Since worm silk was light, they could collect a lot of it. Worm skin was too heavy and the worms often kicked the skin off the mountain, making them difficult to find. After about twenty pieces, Shao Xuan stopped the search.

    With his mysterious ¡®melted ice¡¯, worm silk and worm skin, Shao Xuan finally went down the mountain.

    Shao Xuan was extremely satisfied with their haul this time!

 Chapter 804 - Return

    Chapter 804

    Return

    Collecting the worm skin and silk took up a lot of time. When they went down the mountain, the first sun rays had already started to appear. The forest beasts started to simmer down.

    Uponnding, Shao Xuan first searched for a ce to store the things he collected. He sensed his surroundings to find that the two Yi people had not moved, simr to the day he left. Yi Qi was awake and they were both discussing something. He heard sounds of suppressed arguments, along with coughs. Although he was awake, Yi Qi was not very well. Shao Xuan could tell Yi Qi¡¯s condition just from the coughs so he was not in a hurry to go look.

    Gan Qie was in a hurry. Afternding, temperatures had started to rise and the oppression from the mountain lifted, He felt much better, though he was most excited about the liquid in the pouches.

    ¡°They¡¯re probably something like pupa shells, though different from the usual kind,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s blood.¡± To Gan Qie, those ¡®melted ice¡¯ felt like blood, because he was not interested in many things outside of blood. Anything that could attract him must be blood!

    Now that he had the blood, it was time to drink it.

    He opened a small gap at the mouth of the worm skin pouch, then poured the liquid directly to his mouth.

    Gan Qie took two big gulps, then drew the pouch and passed it to Shao Xuan.

    After swallowing two mouthfuls of worm blood, Gan Qie turned ghostly pale. All the rosiness from drinking beast blood in the forest disappeared. His expressionless face suddenly twitched and contorted uncontrobly, his hand clutching the pouch trembled like he was in huge pain.

    Shao Xuan took the pouch and before he could ask, Gan Qie disappeared like the wind, sprinting into the forest.

    Looking at Gan Qie, then at the pouch¨C although Gan Qie had taken two mouthfuls, those were unusuallyrge gulps and one-third of the pouch¡¯s contents. That amount was the equivalent to what they collected from more than ten nests.

    ¡°He drank so much... will he be alright?¡± muttered Shao Xuan. He did not dare taste it because he sensed that it was not suited for consumption. Drinking it would hurt his body, just like the green-faced fanged beast¡¯s blood. The pupa shell of a star butterflyrva could protect it but probably not humans, maybe even more harmful than the green-face fanged beast¡¯s blood.

    This feeling became stronger as he collected the liquid, he did not dare treat it like a regr beast¡¯s blood. He had nned to ask Gan Qie for his opinion but turned his head to see that Gan Qie had drunk so much. Not sure how he was.

    Shao Xuan sent Chacha to check on him but Chacha flew in one circle and quickly returned.

    Gan Qie was quite a distance away from the foot of the mountain. There were many fearsome beasts there and the beasts were still notpletely subdued from their aggression during the full moon. Strangely, those manic-looking beasts still did not approach Gan Qie, even avoiding him on purpose.

    Even Chacha did not want to stay to observe him.

    After a while, a long howl was heard, along with it, an intense killing intent exploded. Gusts of wind blew, dense tree branches blew out of shape. The strong winds cut like flying knives, howling and murderous.

    The predators of the forest lurking and hunting for prey were startled by this sudden st of murderous intent, immediately, turning around to run off in the opposite direction.

    The wind brought with it the scent of blood, along with it the cries of various beasts. Startled flocks of birds left the scene in a hurry while hoards of animals retreated. In the next moment, the previously unsettled forest due to the full moon suddenly turned dead silent. A dangerous aura spread across the forest, as if a devil lurked amongst the trees.

    Chacha¡¯s neck feathers stood on end as he took off into the skies immediately. It was his instinct to fly up whenever there was danger.

    The eight ves around Yi Cong and Yi Qi grew alert, scanning their surroundings nervously. Two of them had blood simr to Yi Si¡¯s Grasshopper, so the spines on their backs shot up straight with fear.

    What happened?!

    This was what everyone thought.

    Shao Xuan could discern that the aura came from Gan Qie, though the winds brought along the scent of animal blood too. Such a strong smell had to mean more than ten beasts were killed.

    Why would Gan Qie kill so many beasts suddenly? For food? But if he was feeding on them, he never had to kill so many. Was it because of the worm blood?

    When he nned to check, the howling winds quietened and the pungent smell of blood faded.

    After a while, he sensed that Gan Qie was approaching so he halted and looked up.

    Soon, Gan Qie emerged from the woods, his cloak dishevelled and sshed with beast blood like he had just emerged from a battlefield. His footsteps were heavy like he was injured.

    He slowly retracted his violent, murderous aura. When he locked eyes with Shao Xuan, his eyes were still red and filled with residual violence.

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Nothing, there were just some minor changes,¡± said Gan Qie.

    Shao Xuan studied him carefully. Although tired, the ghostly pale was gone. In fact, he looked rosier, more like a normal person. When his eyes lost their manic look, he looked like a normal person save for the fresh bloodstains.

    But Shao Xuan felt like something major must have changed him greatly. It should be a positive change or he would not have been attracted to the blood this strongly.

    ¡°Are you drinking anymore?¡± Shao Xuan passed the pouch back to him. They had already discussed when they came down the mountain that ming Horn would take a third of the liquid so at this point, one third was still left for Gan Qie.

    Without a word, he took the pouch and took a swig, though this time a much smaller mouthful and less impatiently, like a casual tasting.

    After a little, Gan Qie paused and then passed the pouch back. ¡°You all can have the remainder.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not drinking anymore?¡± Shao Xuan regarded him from head to toe in surprise, shocked that Gan Qie could get out of the forest alive despite drinking the liquid. He had already tasted the liquid by dipping his finger in it just now and decided that it was definitely not fit for the ming Horns¡¯ consumption.

    But Gan Qie was no regr human. He could withstand what others could not.

    ¡°This is probably the thing you think will help with weapon forgery. I can sense that it¡¯s simr to the green-faced fanged beast blood.¡± This was a rare boration from Gan Qie¡¯s side.

    Gan Qie was sensitive to different types of blood. If he made this remark, then it was likely that Shao Xuan¡¯s guesses were right.

    ¡°So this is really it?¡± Shao Xuan quickly kept the pouch well. Mu Yao hade here to look for the worm blood in the Gongjia ancestral records. IT was unfortunate that Mu Yao did not find it and was even attacked by the giant mountain eagles. He did not know where Mu Yao was now, perhaps the Yi people knew.

    The far-travelling party had suffered greatly on this trip and their whereabouts currently unknown. Yet they had led Shao Xuan to the blood.

    ording to Shao Xuan¡¯s n, he wanted to bring Yi Cong and Yi Qi to his tribe. He wanted to get more useful information from them, perhaps the uses of the worm blood or other detailed procedures. It was too bad that one of them might not live to do so.

    Yi Qi¡¯s condition was more severe than Yi Cong. Although the ves did their best to treat him, nothing improved. Yi Qi did not want to live either, he badly wanted to die here. If he lived, he would be brought back to the ming Horn Tribe by Shao Xuan. Yi Qi could not take the humiliation of such a deed.

    Yi Qi¡¯s hatred towards SHoa Xuan was deeply rooted. Shao Xuan and Yi Xiang were the same in his eyes, both were great threats to the Yi family. Although they only escaped through the crack in the seal because of Shao Xuan, Yi Qi was furious at how Shao Xuan mmed their giant tortoise at the boundary to make the crack. It was an utter insult.

    When Shao Xuan went over, Yi Wi was currently lying horizontally on the ground while Yi Cong knelt by him with the eight ves around.

    When he saw Shao Xuan, Yi Qi coughed up another mouthful of blood, ring at Shao Xuan. His lips parted, then he turned to Yi Cong, clutching YI Cong¡¯s shoulder tightly with his body fingers as if about to break it off. His eyes bore into Yi Cong and as if using up thest of his strength, he enunciated every word, ¡°You must do as you promised! You must!¡±

    Yi Cong nodded solemnly.

    Then, Yi Qi unleashed a manic roar at the skies, using what was left to vent his frustration at the heavens. He was a powerful man in the Yi family, a respectable ¡®Master¡¯ in King City! Who would have thought he would end up like this?

    Yi Qi was deeply impacted by Yi Xiang¡¯s appearance, he still remembered clearly the hopelessness and helplessness he felt in face of Yi Xiang moments before his death. Although he was only one of the people in the Yi giant totem, unlike Yi Tuan at the frontlines, he still felt deeply.

    Yi Qi was very clear what this result meant for the Yi family headquarters. This was why he was frustrated, even privately fearful. He was worried that the past glory of the Yi family would be gone just like that, that they would end up like declining tribes that disappeared with time.

    Forget about Yi Xiang¨C even this punk from ming Horn had deeply humiliated them! It was all because of Shao Xuan that they were able to escape. A mere tribesman had given them their only chance of survival! He could never live this down.

    If Shao Xuan knew what Yi Qi thought, he would have scoffed.

    Those Yi family members had lived their arrogant lives thinking everyone was beneath them. He did not care that the Yi people resented him for breaking their ancestral shell because he needed to m the giant tortoise to crack the boundary.

    What nonsense is that? What else would I use if not your shell? My fists? Do you know how painful that would be? How tiring?

    Supporting a whole giant was already tiring, he obviously needed to look for an energy-efficient method to save himself.

    What were the two things that the tribesmen¡¯s ancestors treasured most?

    Fire and tools.

    Anyone who did not use a readily-avable tool was an idiot!

    At least Shao Xuan could not read Yi Qi¡¯s thoughts and hence did not say such a thing. If Yi Qi heard this, he would have coughed up one more mouthful of blood before his death.

    Yi Qi¡¯s pulse stopped.

    The Yi family members chose their own graves and did not insist on being buried at their headquarters. King City was not their ancestralnd anyway, so their feelings for King City was as cold as the Ji family. The Ji family had a lot of farmingnd and grains there while the Yi family only wanted to die with their fortune reading tools. They did not feel attached to the city at all.

    When Yi Qi felt like he could not hold on any longer, he had already talked to Yi Cong. Out of his four ves, two would be buried with him while the other two would follow Yi Cong.

    Yi Cong found a ce to bury Yi Qi near the mountain range. The two ves to be buried with Yi Qi did not need to be killed- they finished the deed after digging the grave.

    The ves they brought here were trained and had the ve shackles embedded deep in their minds. They would never betray their masters and would die if ordered to, despite their own wishes.

    Shao Xuan did not interfere with Yi Qi¡¯s burial. Afterwards, Yi Qi went to negotiate with him. What surprised Shao Xuan was that Yi Qi would rather die than get captured to be brought back to the ming Horn tribe. He even made Yi Cong promise not to let the ming Horn bring his body back to the tribe. On the contrary, Yi Cong was not against being a captive in the ming Horn tribe.

    While Shao Xuan could not tell if this was a lie, he thought it was eighty percent trustable. While Yi Cong looked like he was following Shao Xuan willingly, he did not express any other opinions. He also swore on the Yi family totem that he would not do anything to harm ming Horn.

    It did not matter if Yi Cong was telling the truth. After Yi Cong buried Yi Qi, Shao Xuan brought Yi Cong and his six ves out of the mountain range to the ming Horn tribe.

    Twenty worm skins, onerge bundle of worm silk and two small pouches of mysterious ¡®melted ice¡¯ from the star butterfly pupae were also brought away.

 Chapter 805 - A Life For A Life

    <h4>Chapter 805 A Life For A Life</h4>

    With Yi Cong and his six ves, Shao Xuan¡¯s journey home was much slower.

    At least Yi Cong¡¯s four ves and the two ves left behind by Yi Qi were capable on their own and did not be a burden. Yi Cong even did asional readings to determine a safer route. When Yi Cong could not, Shao Xuan did a knot reading also to avoid running into unnecessary trouble.

    Shao Xuan learned a lot of information from Yi Cong the entire journey on Chacha¡¯s back.

    From what Yi Cong said, the mysterious iced-water like liquid should be what the King City¡¯s people were looking for. They read from the Gongjia ancestral records that the star butterfly¡¯srvae blood could create extremely good quality swords. As for how, Gongjia Yue- who had died during the eagle attack- did not specify. Yi Cong really did not know.

    Shao Xue also asked Yi Cong about the strange dark realm but he remained tight-lipped, only telling Shao Xuan that it was a realm of connected consciousness, a world of spirits. If you were killed in that world, even if the physical body was not hurt, one would still die. How could one live without a soul? From another perspective, it was the same as being brain-dead.

    Yi Cong was cooperative along the way. Other than certain confidential information he could not reveal, as for the rest, as long as Shao Xuan asked, he would reply. He even mentioned certain secrets of other aristocratic ns, which surprised Shao Xuan. Yi Cong¡¯s behaviour seemed like he intended to seek refuge in ming Horn and was trying to be in their good books.

    This was Yi Cong, the prodigy of the Yi family.

    As for Gan Qie, who had consumed worm blood, his body underwent physical changes. Shao Xuan once saw Gan Qie cut a rock as if it was tofu. His bony fingers were sharp as des, glinting with a metallic sheen under the sun.

    On the way back, Gan Qie drank more worm blood, only a little, then never again. In his words¨C only the first mouthful of blood was ¡®fresh¡¯ enough to excite him, subsequent mouthfuls gave him no feelings and he lost interest.

    Actually, Gan Qie knew that waiting till next year to drink a fresh batch of worm blood might not help either. The possible physical changes had already urred, even if he drank more, the extent of physical changes was still limited.

    However, drinking a little every year would still be beneficial to him. A little change is still change.

    The star butterflies appeared every year, right?

    Gan Qie thought about how he would wait specifically for this time to visit Eagle Mountain for the star butterflyrvae¡¯s blood. However, he felt like it was going to be difficult because of the environmental conditions there.

    ¡°If you go alone, you must be very careful. Do not attack the eagles there.¡± When Shao Xuan knew of his intentions, he gave him a word of caution.

    Gan Qie nodded. Of course he knew he had to pay attention to the giant mountain eagles, their ancestors were guarding the territory and he remembered the oppression there. If he could not go alone, he would have to wait for the ming Horns. If they proved that the worm blood truly helped with weapon forging, then the ming Horns would definitely send more people there.

    When Shao Xuan returned to the tribe, he first encountered the hunting party in their hunting territory and stopped in the forest for a while before returning with the hunting party. When he returned, he even saw some people from smaller tribes. Based on their behaviour, they were already ustomed to the forest and no longer as afraid and nervous as their first time in the forest.

    During his time away from the tribe, these tribesmen had slowly assimted into therge alliance around ming River, happy to benefit from this alliance. Most of the tribes that used to starve now had no worries about survival and could even explore some of their ambitions.

    The ming Horns were the happiest to see Shao Xuan back.

    During his disappearance, the ming Horn tribe had been very worried. When the other tribesmen who went hunting with the ming Horns asked, the ming Horns refused to tell where Shao Xuan went. That was why there were all sorts of private spections, some happy to see the ming Horns worry, others even wondered if the Grand Elder of the ming Horn Tribe had been eaten by a forest beast?

    When such a discussion was heard by the ming Horns, that person was beaten up and a warning was issued- anyone who spread rumours would be killed immediately.

    Right now, the ming River Alliance saw the ming Horn tribe as the leader and the survival of these tribes depended on them. That was why the gossips that irritated the ming Horns finally disappeared after the warning. Even when they spoke about it privately, they were careful not to let the ming Horns hear it.

    Even without the gossip, there were many people extremely anxious within ming Horn. From the chief to the warriors, everyone was antsy- tempers red amongst the hunt leaders from the slightest trigger. Their frustrations were slightly suppressed only when Gui Ze said Shao Xuan was still alive. As the shaman, Gui Ze could sense Shao Xuan¡¯s approximate location and tell that Shao Xuan was not dead.

    When they received news of Shao Xuan¡¯s return, the entire tribe seemed to lighten up overnight as if it was harvest day. The atmosphere brightened from the top of the mountain to the streets of the trading point.

    A trading party touring the trading point found these happy tribesmen smiling their ears off, unlike their usual ¡®someone-owes-me-money¡¯ looks.

    ¡°What are the ming Horns celebrating?¡± someone asked around in a low voice.

    ¡°I heard the ming Horn¡¯s Grand Elder is back.¡± The person answering heaved a sigh of relief too. Previously, no one dared mention the Grand Elder in case they were beaten up by the ming Horns- serious offences might even result in the unsheathing of knives in their direction.

    Ao, who was supervising construction, quickly dropped his work to rush to the headquarters when he heard the news. The weight lifted off his chest when he saw an eagle in the sky, then finally dissipated when he saw an unharmed Shao Xuan.

    Although Gan Qie had already left to search for him, Ao also sent a team in the direction where Gui Ze pointed. Halfway through the journey, they received news that something happened at the trading point and had to turn back.

    ¡°You¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so d you¡¯re back!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha you¡¯re back! We thought something happened to you, we¡¯d be worried if you came back anyter.¡± Duo Kang strode over to give Shao Xuan a bear hug, patting his shoulder hard. Before this, he would never say such a thing. Anytime someone suggested that Shao Xuan was in danger, Duo Kang, like the rest of the ming Horns, would threaten them with his fist. However, now that Shao Xuan was back, nothing else mattered.

    On the mountain, Gui He and Gui Ze, as well as the two retired shamans also came down the mountain to wee him. They were d to see him back unharmed. The ming Horns prospered and thrived because of him.

    However, after the initial excitement passed, they noticed the seven people that Shao Xuan brought back. Six of them were obviously ves while the person protected by them was obviously the target.

    ¡°He¡¯s the person from the Yi family you mentioned?¡± Gui He asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Mm, Yi Cong of the Yi family,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yi Cong of the Yi family?¡± Zheng Luo, who had just arrived, scanned them with a knife-like re.

    The six ves around Yi Cong immediately turned anxious. The ming Horns looked too hostile and much more powerful than them. If they fought, they could not protect Yi Cong.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem with Yi Cong of the Yi family? Wait, Yi Cong?! The Yi guy who was with King City¡¯s troops, who tried to kill us?!¡± Duo Kang¡¯s grin sank, ring at Yi Cong murderously.

    Duo Kang was furious the moment he recalled how they were pursued when their tribe migrated. If Shao Xuan had not brought them across the ocean, not many of their tribe would have survived, perhaps the entire tribe would have died.

    Years ago when they moved from the other side of the ocean, they had been pursued by King City¡¯s troops and other groups along the way. Although Yi Cong did not issue themand, anyone who participated was a criminal! An enemy! They would not believe it if Yi Cong said he had no intentions to kill them.

    When you tried to kill us, did you expect us to thrive till this day?!

    Duo Kang fidgeted with his fingers, thinking about how he should treat this prisoner. But something was wrong. If Shao Xuan brought him back alive, it would not be to kill him.

    Indeed, Gui He only sent people to bring Yi Cong to be locked up in a cave along with his cave instead of sentencing them to death.

    They proceeded to the mountain peak. There, only the most important people of the ming Horn tribe gathered.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, tell us what you think,¡± said Gui He.

    Only the Elders, chief, shaman and major hunt leader were present. Shao Xuan exined the situation, though he did not mention the mysterious power in his body, only emphasizing on borrowing their ancestral power, then exined why he brought Yi Cong back alive.

    Yi Cong was the only one left from the group of King City people who entered the forest. Shao Xuan wanted to get more information from him. First, Shao Xuan wanted to learn more about the Yi family¡¯s dark realm- though unfortunately, Yi Cong did not want to speak much about it; second, did the worm blood have other secrets? Especially rted to weapon forgery?

    ¡°What?! The worm blood can be used to make better weapons?!¡± Duo Kang could no longer sit still after listening to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Just a guess, I have not proven it.¡± Shao Xuan took out two worm skin pouches.

    ¡°We¡¯ll try! We¡¯ll try! Today!¡±

    Not just Duo Kang, the others were excited too. The green-face fanged beast had given them a taste of good weapons. They looked forward to having even better weapons.

    ¡°Wait wait, Ah Xuan, you haven¡¯t finished your sentence. What about the third point?¡± asked Gui Ze.

    The group, already excited by the worm blood, suppressed their excitement to look at Shao Xuan, waiting for him to finish.

    ¡°The third point affects ming Horn the most.¡± Shao Xuan paused, then said, ¡°I brought Yi Cong safely back mainly because he gave me several conditions. He said he¡¯s willing to spend the remainder of his life helping ming Horn expand.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s our expansion got to do with him? How will he help us? Can that bicep lift a rock or carry wood? Or will he get his ves to substitute himself?¡± Duo Kang was upset.

    ¡°No, he can!¡±

    Gui Ze and the two retired shamans leaned forward, understanding what Shao Xuan meant. Other people might not but they were sensitive to these.

    ¡°What are you referring to?¡± Everyone in the room looked at Gui Ze and the two elders.

    ¡°They say, the Yi family can predict the future based on observations of the world!¡± said Gui Ze.

    Gui He¡¯s brows were knitted, then his eyes widened.¡±You mean, he can tell us what to build where, and we can avoid mishaps in advance?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    The ming Horns were quite traumatised by natural disasters at this point.

    Their tribe separated a thousand years ago because of natural disaster, causing the tribe to split in half. Forget about Zheng Luo¡¯s branch¨C this branch of the tribe lived one thousand years isted from the world! All their skills were almost lost and they progressed backwards!

    Even though they found a way to cross the river and finally returned to the old haunt and weed Zheng Luo¡¯s branch back, taking in wanderers, when they were prepared to thrive once again, another disaster came. If they were not prepared, they would have probably suffered as their ancestors did.

    If they could predict disasters before they happened, that would be great!

    The number ofrge-scale migrations they had to pull off in a few years was traumatising enough.

    The tribesmen revered Mother Nature.

    ¡°Can a Yi member be trusted?¡± Duo Kang was still suspicious. How could they trust a person from another tribe? And this was the Yi family.

    ¡°A Yi person¡¯s promise is likely to be kept,¡± said Zheng Luo. ¡°If he swore on his Yi family totem, then Yi Cong is likely to keep his promise.¡±

    ¡°If that is the case, then keeping him alive is fine.¡± Duo Kang did not insist on killing him, the tribe was more important.

    ¡°The problem is, he doesn¡¯t actually want to be alive,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°What?!¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words were confusing. If Yi Cong was not making a promise on behalf of himself, then who?

    ¡°He wants a life for a life. As for whose life, he did not mention. He just wanted to talk to us after we discussed among ourselves.¡± Shao Xuan repeated what YI Cong told him.

    A life for a life?

    Who did he want to save?

    After a long discussion at the peak of the mountain, they finally adjourned.

    Shao Xuan went down the mountain to visit the trading point, mainly to check on the expansion.

    Due to Shao Xuan¡¯s disappearance, the construction had not progressed very quickly.

    ¡°Hey! Shao Xuan!¡±

    He had just arrived when Yi Si called for him. He had been waiting here because he could not enter the ming Horn headquarters.

    ¡°I heard you brought a few prisoners back? Who did you capture?¡±

 Chapter 806 - Founder Shaman Seal

    Chapter 806

    Founder Shaman Seal

    When Shao Xuan brought Yi Cong and his ves back to the tribe, they met the hunting party so many people knew that Shao Xuan brought captives back and it was not difficult for Yi Si to find out. Usually, Yi Si minded his own business but he must have his guesses if he took the initiative to look for Shoa Xuan.

    Shao Xuan did not keep the answer from him either. ¡°It¡¯s Yi Cong from your Yi family.¡±

    ¡°Yi Cong? Him?¡± Yi Si did not look shocked, though more puzzled. He had already guessed the captive¡¯s identity based on the hunting party¡¯s descriptions but he still was puzzled after Shao Xuan¡¯s confirmation.

    It was more likely that a Yi side-branch member would be here. Based on Yi Si¡¯s knowledge of Yi Cong ¡ª no, based on his knowledge of the Yi family, the people of the main Yi family would rather die than be held captive, especially not by a tribesman. This was puzzling.

    Who was Yi Cong? Yi Cong was the most outstanding member of their generation. Yi Si grew up hearing people talk about Yi Cong potentially achieving the same status as Yi Tuan.

    From Yi Si, who was the ¡®idiot¡¯ of the main family, this was the ¡®other child¡¯ that his elders wouldpare him to. It was because he truly understood Yi Cong¡¯s talent that he was puzzled why Yi Cong would be here.

    ¡°Can I go meet Yi Cong?¡± asked Yi Si.

    When Shao Xuan looked at him, Yi Si hurriedly added, ¡°I guarantee I won¡¯t do anything to harm ming Horn, I have left the Yi family after all.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at him in silence, then nodded. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Since Shao Xuan was not in a hurry to head to the construction site, he brought Yi Si over.

    The half-beast ve, Grasshopper, also followed next to Yi Si. Yi Si looked at Grasshopper, then at Shao Xuan, ¡°Can I bring him?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The ming Horn headquarters covered an expansive area. They had expanded their territory since moving here from their old haunt, consisting of many small hills. Some of these hills had wanderers living on them, others were used for training or rock mining, a few used for holding captives.

    Yi Cong and his six ves were locked in the cave of one of these hills. The door was made of new green bronze. Unless they could make a hole in the cave, it was difficult to escape.

    When Yi Cong saw Yi Si, his face twitched slightly, though not much shock registered- instead, he smiled. Privately, this reaction puzzled Yi Si even more.

    ¡°Take your time.¡± After Shao Xuan brought Yi Si inside, he closed the door and exited the cave.

    When Shao Xuan left, Yi Si studied Yi Cong. Yi Cong and his ves were not locked in the same cell, the rest were locked in six separate cells. At this moment, only Yi Si, Yi Cong and Grasshopper behind Yi Si were inside this cell.

    ¡°You¡¯re here?¡± Yi Cong asked calmly, his eyes scanning Yi Si and Grasshopper.

    Nervous from Yi Cong¡¯s stare, Grasshopper¡¯s spines were almost fully extended. Submission to the Yi family was deep in his bones, the Yi family made him nervous and he could barely straighten his back around them. Especially around Yi Cong, a person of high status in the family.

    A ve¡¯s life is directly rted to their master. In the past in the Yi family, the ves around more outstanding family members obviously led better lives and did not worry about food. On the contrary, ves serving minor members did not lead great lives, sometimes even sold off during tough times.

    Grasshopper served Yi Si and although they did not lead very luxurious lives, at least Yi Si knew how to run a business despite being ¡®useless¡¯ to the Yi family and did not starve to death. Still, Grasshopper was thinner and weaker than the other half-beast ves.

    But now...

    Yi Congpared the Grasshopper he remembered to this half-beast before him, his eyes fixed on Grasshopper like a spotlight until Grasshopper started to shiver, then remarked wistfully, ¡°Much stronger.¡±

    Although he did not want to admit this, this reality told Yi Cong that Yi Si and his ve lived much better here with the ming Hornspared to in the Yi family. Even the two half-beast ves he had with him were far frailer than the current Grasshopper.

    When Grasshopper followed Yi Si inside, the ves locked in other cells had shock in their eyes: how dare this punk fatten up after abandoning the Yi family with Yi Si!

    In reply, Yi Si merely smiled mildly, ¡°Life got better.¡±

    How ironic. A Yi nsman was living better in a tribe than when he was with his own n.

    Ignoring Yi Cong¡¯s sigh, Yi Si asked, ¡°Why are you all here?¡±

    ¡°The Gongjia people were searching for star butterflyrvae blood to forge weapons. Too bad ming Horn¡¯s Shao Xuan got to it in the end.¡±

    Yi Cong told him about the objectives of his trip.

    ¡°You all fought Yi Xiang already?¡± Although he was curious about the worm blood, Yi Si was more interested in the battle against Yi Xiang.

    Seeing Yi Cong¡¯s current predicament and thinking of thete Yi Qi, he could guess the battle oue.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid the Yi family will not enjoy peace in a very long time,¡± said Yi Si.

    ¡°Indeed. This time, if it was not for Shao Xuan of ming Horn, all one hundred of us might have died inside.¡±

    ¡°What?! What has THAT got to do with Shao Xuan?¡± Yi Si finally looked shocked. The Yi family sent a hundred people against Yi Xiang into a battlefield in the dark realm- being unable to conduct readings, Yi Si could not enter that world. However, outsiders should not be able to set a foot in there either, so why did Yi Cong say that Shao Xuan saved them?

    It was unbelievable!

    ¡°How... how...¡± Yi Si could expect many things but this oue was nothing he had ever thought of.

    ¡°Why not? Even the shell left behind by the ancestors cracked.¡± Yi Cong briefly described how Shao Xuan broke the boundary.

    ¡°Our ancestor¡¯s shell?!¡± Yi Si¡¯s jaw dropped, his face saying ¡®you¡¯ve-got-to-be-kidding¡¯. He knew how powerful that shell containing bone chips was, yet it cracked! Both Yi Xiang and Shao Xuan of ming Horn far exceeded his expectations! He knew Shao Xuan was powerful but not to the extent of being able to fight Yi Xiang!

    Yi Cong sat leaning against the cave wall, his expression seemingly disappointed. But, Yi Si seemed to see some relief in Yi Cong¡¯s eyes.

    Yi Si was good at observing people, especially in detail. That was how he saw many contradictory parts in Yi Cong¡¯s behaviour, which puzzled him even more.

    After a while, Yi Cong finally spoke. ¡°Founder Shaman Seal.¡±

    He did not speak loudly, only muttering to himself. The other ves did not dare to breathe, the entire cave fell to pin-drop silence. Yi Si heard him very clearly and was deeply shocked.

    ¡°The Founder Shaman Seal? Really?! Are you sure?!¡± Yi Si felt as if there was a knife stuck in his throat, every word was difficult.

    The legends extended far back into history, when tribes first formed. There was a group of people known as the ¡®Founders¡¯, they were the ones who learned to wield the power of the fire seed and founded human tribes. They allowed humans to break free of the sufferings being at the bottom of the food chain, reproduce and prosper to this day.

    There were many versions of these ¡®Founder¡¯ legends and every tribe called themselves the descendants of the ¡®Founders¡¯. If they did not have a ¡®Founder¡¯, where did their fire seede from?

    However, the people who truly could be called the ¡®Founders¡¯, in the Yi family¡¯s eyes, were not the first people to form tribes, but the first group of people who wielded the fire seed.

    Many people thought the people who formed tribes were the first to use fire seeds. Yi ancestral records stated otherwise. ording to their records, the Founders first mastered the fire seed, then passed on the knowledge. The people who received this knowledge then used the power of fire seeds to form tribes.

    So the Founders might not have belonged to any tribe!

    If the many tribes of this world were tree branches, then the Founders were the one and only tree trunk! All other branches branched from one stem!

    There was very limited information in the Yi ancestral records but they used many special methods in order to preserve ¡®history¡¯. As for how these ¡®Founders¡¯ looked like, how many there were and how they discovered then mastered the fire seed¨C these were not mentioned. Within the diagrams left behind, the most obvious was a cross symbol made of double ¹¤ that they called the Founder Shaman Seal.

    Legends told that the Founder Shaman Seal appeared when the shaman did, that was why it was a representation of the Founder Shaman. Every person who knew about this seal revered the symbol.

    This was why even Yi Xiang could not remain calm when the Founder Shaman Seal appeared where Shao Xuan was.

    Yi Si¡¯s heart pounded while Yi Cong asked another question, ¡°Say, do you think the Founder Shaman is still alive?¡±

    The term ¡®being alive¡¯ was different from the regr definition. To the Yi family, even if the physical flesh body was not present, one might not bepletely dead.

    They believed in the existence of ¡®soul¡¯ and their ancestors say that a person cannot live without one. Animals, mountains, rocks, water... everything had a ¡®soul¡¯. Some had very powerful souls, such as fire crystals while others had weaker souls, so weak even sensitive humans cannot find them. The Bone Reading Beast was formed using the power of the soul.

    Yi Si knew what Yi Cong meant. The Founder Shaman was a mysterious figure. Due to the extremely long time frame, no one knew the truth. Although the Founder Shaman¡¯s flesh body was gone, was his ¡®soul¡¯ still here?

    Yi Si did not have an answer, it had far exceeded his expertise.

    After some internal struggle, Yi Si asked, ¡°So you didn¡¯t have a proper talk with Shao Xuan?¡±

    A proper talk?

    Yi Cong smiled bitterly.

    If they knew, would they have ended up like this?

    Yi Cong felt like he had shortened his own life span by decades every time he thought about how he and King City¡¯s army tried to kill the ming Horn tribe. Then, he thought about how Yi Tuan wanted to use Shao Xuan as bait to sacrifice Shao Xuan in exchange for a chance to escape during the battle against Yi Xiang- yet in the end, Shao Xuan destroyed their tortoiseshell. Although both sides benefited from the final oue, Yi Cong was exasperated by what he remembered. The enmity had already formed. That was why to neutralise such hostilities and keep one life, he must sacrifice more.

    Before Yi Cong answered, Yi Si asked, ¡°You were willing toe here as a captive because of this?¡±

    Yi Cong grinned without a word but Yi Si knew his decision from his eyes.

    If Shao Xuan was just a regr tribesman, Yi Cong would have chosen to end up like Yi Qi, to die instead of being held captive.

    At this moment, Yi Cong looked up in a direction, his eyes shing. ¡°The person I am waiting for is here.¡±

 Chapter 807 - A Plan For A Staff (2 in 1)

    <h4>Chapter 807 A n For A Staff (2 in 1)</h4>

    Within the forest beyond the trading point, a group of people waited on a cleared path.

    An eagle flew past in the sky.

    The group of far-travelled travellers looked at these ming Horns curiously, not sure what they were here for. Frequent visitors knew that it must be some important matter or the eagle would not appear here.

    They were curious but did not want to be dragged into anything. If something really happened and there was a battle, being coteral damage would be horrible. That was why most people merely gave the ming Horns a look and left.

    Shao Xuan sat on the eagle, looking far in a direction.

    He had heard the entirety of Yi Sia and Yi Cong¡¯s conversation. There had been no other people there since he had sent the guards away. The Founder Shaman Seal that Yi Cong mentioned made Shao Xuan curious because there were no mentions of it in the ming Horn notes. Of course, it might be due to limited tools for passing on information and the many migrations, causing information to be lost along the way.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s arrival in this world must be rted to the Founder Shaman Seal. However, right now shao Xuan was not sure why the seal would appear on him. Maybe it was because of that stone or something else.

    Currently, he led a group of ming Horn warriors to wait here for the person Yi Cong had been waiting for.

    After his conversation with Yi Si that day, Yi Cong told Shao Xuan that the person he was waiting for would be arriving soon. Yi Cong was unwilling to borate further, insisting to wait for this day.

    Shao Xuan looked ahead, then his vision focused and he patted Chacha to fly closer.

    In a spot farther from the trading point, a tall figureced through the trees in the forest. Due to theirrger-than-normal physique, the gaps between some trees were notrge enough so this person had to choose emptier spaces to travel, though still unable to avoid the asional tree branch or trunk.

    But this person did not care, directly mming the trees ahead so they broke, parting vines and branches with their arm. This person looked very clumsy but their movements were hurried. Every small animal nearby took shelter.

    This person¡¯s green-grey skin had many bloody cuts, as well as wounds from both sharp and blunt weapons.

    The person wiped the sweat and blood of their face, eyes ring ahead like a fearsome beast, moving quickly. asionally, this person would block the branches that he let go so they would not hit him when they bounced back.

    Suddenly, the green-gray figure halted and their murderous intent increased. The figure looked up at the sky, an arm protecting their back.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A giant eagle swooped across the air, circled above, then a figure leapt off andnded on the grass nearby with a ¡®bam¡¯. The ground sank into a one-metre wide crater instantly, grass bits flying everywhere.

    Shao Xuan looked at this half-beast simr to Grasshopper. Perhaps due to the long journey, he was thinner than Grasshopper. The pair of sunken eyes eyed Shao Xuan cautiously, his muscles wound tight. Several wounds were deep enough to expose the bone but he did not seem to have felt them, moving unaffected.

    Shao Xuan took one step forward.

    Crackle crackle crackle¡ª

    Spines straightened out of his back, bristling audibly. It was a warning, also a form of intimidation. The fierce man turned even more terrifying. His torso facing sideways, the half-beast held a hand with sharp ws in front, the other behind his back in a defensive stance.

    ¡°Grey Horse?¡± yelled Shao Xuan, staring at the half-beast ve not far away.

    Grey Horse¡¯s animal-like eyes shed in confusion, still ring at Shao Xuan.

    Although he did not reply, his response confirmed his identity. Shao Xuan averted his gaze from Grey Horse to a spot about ten steps sideways to himself. There was arge tree as thick as a human.

    ¡°Cicada?¡±

    No response came either. Shao Xuan was not in a hurry so he waited silently. After a pause, a short and thin figure walked out from behind a tree. This person¡¯s skin was striped, like an animal¡¯s camouge, and was suited for ambushing prey in the forest.

    The shorter person ran to Grey Horse in a sh almost soundlessly, as soft as an insect¡¯s flutter.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Cicada.

    Shao Xuan did not answer. He tossed a piece of jade at them. It was a jade used by Yi Cong for his readings, a proof of Shao Xuan¡¯s trustworthiness.

    The short and thin Cicada caught the jade and studied it, his cautious expression rxing into delight.

    Grey Horse next to him did not hide his excitement. ¡°Master¡¯s jade!¡±

    Shao Xuan looked around. ¡°Just you two? What about the other eight?¡± He recognised the two ves from Yi Cong¡¯s descriptions but he had sent ten ves as escorts. Shao Xuan only spotted Grey Horse and Cicada.

    ¡°Gone.¡± Cicada¡¯s face fell.

    Only two out of ten ves survived. If they were out any longer, Grey Horse might not have survived either. They had faced many dangers along the way, the journey much more difficult because they did not have fortune reading abilities like the Yi family.

    Even Yi Si, who could not conduct readings, could make predictions based on environmental observations. That was why Yi Si and Grasshopper arrived in much better condition although both came alone. Grey Horse and Cicada werepletely foreign to this continent and unable to speak the localnguage.

    ¡°What about the little master?¡± Shao Xuan looked at Gre Horse.

    Grey Horse looked at Shao Xuan, then at Cicada and did not move. He was not very bright and Cicada was usually the decision-maker. If faced with an undefeatable threat, the person to stay as a flesh shield would be Grey Horse and not Cicada. Keeping Cicada alive meant the little master could be brought further but Grey Horse would be cheated by ill-intentioned people very quickly. That was why Grey Horse was more severely injured.

    ¡°The little master is well.¡± Cicada had not let down his guardpletely.

    Shao Xuan did not mind. He could sense breathing behind Grey Horse. As long as the little master was alive.

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Shao Xuan turned to head back to the tribe.

    Grey Horse looked at Cicada. Seeing Cicada follow, he followed too.

    On Grey Horse¡¯s back was a shell-like container woven with vine. There was a basket with a child inside.

    That was Yi Cong¡¯s six-month-old son.

    It must have been difficult to bring a six-month-old from King City.

    Shao Xuan brought Grey Horse and Cicada to the cave where Yi Cong was locked up. These days, Yi Cong kept conducting readings. No one knew what he found but his hair had greyed immensely.

    With reddened eyes, Yi Cong took his son, his hands shaking. They had prepared a secret form specially made for long journeys so the baby would sleep deeply and not hinder the progress. That was why when the baby arrived, he was still sound asleep.

    When Yi Cong left the Yi family, his son had not been born yet but he conducted a reading right before leaving. After discussion with his wife, they made a few preparations. The moment trouble came to the Yi family, they would send their child away.

    No one in the Yi family knew that this Yi Cong, who had been stuck in a bottleneck, actually managed to sessfully conduct a reading before leaving. Other people thought he left to train and break through but only his closest circle knew that Yi Cong had other ns.

    His young son was smuggled out of the city and on the Yi family¡¯s side, Yi Cong¡¯s newborn mysteriously went ¡®missing¡¯ amidst the chaos.

    However, at the time, Yi Cong had not decided where to send his child. He only made the decision after the battle with Yi Xiang ended. He had been searching for the safest shelter to keep his son safe from the chaos in the Yi family. A child this young might not survive such conflict. But Yi Cong never would have expected the safest ce to be here.

    Initially, Grey Horse and Cicada did not know where to send the little master either. Their master gave them instructions through their consciousness, all they had to do was walk and they soon met Shao XUan.

    That was why Yi Cong wanted to negotiate ¡®a life for a life¡¯ with the ming Horns.

    Yi Cong was the one who joined the troops that pursued the ming Horns, his son was innocent. Unfortunately, this did not matter to many people because exterminating the entire problem from the root up should be the way to go. In order to convince the ming Horns to keep his son alive, Yi Cong decided to sacrifice his own life, using up all his remaining life force to help expand the ming Horn tribe!

    This was the sincerest offer he could make to the tribe. Even the leaders found it most difficult to refuse!

    The ming Horn Elders, chief and shaman all agreed to his conditions. As long as he did nothing to harm the ming Horns, they would let his son live on theirnd.

    Yi Cong passed his son to Yi Si next to him. ¡°I¡¯ll have to trouble you!¡±

    The only person he truly trusted here was Yi Si. Although Yi Si had left the Yi n, he was still part of the Yi main family!

    Yi Si took the ¡®bundle¡¯ exasperatedly, feeling like his future would not be as carefree as before. He had to be a father and care for eight ves.

    ¡°You mentioned you hadn¡¯t named him yet, right? Have you thought of a name?¡± asked Yi Si.

    Yi Cong¡¯s eyes glinted like a firefly in darkness. He enunciated, ¡°Ce. My son will be named Ce!¡±

    Yi Si¡¯s eyelid fluttered as he stared at Yi Cong.

    There was a saying: *to turn a n into a staff.

    [TL Note: *ÒÔ²ßÎªÕÈ ¡ª ²ß (Ce) means a strategy/n- the implicit meaning here is a little deep + diverse and this is my best interpretation of it- a strategy is as good as a weapon]

    What did Yi Cong mean by this?

    Who needs this staff? Who will wield this staff?

    Yi Si felt like Yi Cong was ying arge game of chess. This move was not against the ming Horn tribe but the Yi family.

    What the heck did Yi Cong see in his readings these few days? Yi Si still could not get an answer out of him.

    After settling Yi Ce and the eight other ves, Yi Cong began executing his promise to the ming Horns. Yi Cong knew that the more benefits he brought to the tribe, the better Yi Ce¡¯s future life here would be. Just like Yi Si, his son will be a ¡®normal person¡¯ living on ming Hornnd.

    Yi Cong did not understand why he would trust the ming Horns so much either. Perhaps the Founder Shaman Seal on Shao Xuan had alleviated his concerns.

    Legends depicted that the Founder¡¯s first student to receive the knowledge about fire seed utilisation was also the Yi n¡¯s founding member. That made the Yi family fire seed to be the second fire seed ever controlled by the human race! That was why it contained the same white colour as the Founder¡¯s own white fire seed!

    Yi Cong never rested during the next ten days.

    Yi Cong told the ming Horn tribe everything¨C the most suitable ce to dig wells, build towers, build underground stores, even the likely dates for severe future disasters. Just like that, he did not sleep for ten days and ten nights. Even the ming Horns advised for him to rest but he never did. He was like a fire torch running on itsst embers, its only desire was to fulfil its purpose before death.

    A person¡¯s life force is a limited resource. After ten days, Yi Cong had changed from a strong youth to a frail, elderly man. His hair was white, and his face as wrinkled as tree bark.

    ¡°Will you all... keep your promise?¡± Yi Cong, sitting in a wooden hut provided to him on the mountain, asked the group of ming Horns.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Gui He did not speak much but gave a solid answer. He did not like Yi Cong but admittedly, he respected the man.

    Yi Cong looked at Shao Xuan, finally rxing when Shao Xuan nodded.

    Yi Cong did not have much time left. He wanted to spend hisst moments talking to Yi Si.

    When the ming Horns left the hut, Yi Cong said, ¡°I sort of understand Yi Xiang¡¯s motives.¡±

    Surprised by such a sudden remark, Yi Si stared at him, puzzled.

    ¡°The Yi family has long been sick, it is sick from the roots,¡± uttered Yi Cong in a frail, old voice. The Yi family was no longer what it used to be, that was why Yi Xiang did not care nor ced importance on the family, even wanting to exterminate them. It was unrted to the past grudges that everyone thought was the reason. Since they were all useless, what¡¯s the problem with killing them off? That was probably what Yi Xiang thought. As for why Yi Xiang waited until now to act, perhaps he was waiting for a suitable opportunity.

    Within the Yi family, the main family and its side branches were slowly drifting apart, especially in terms of their mentalities. This time, the main branch was hit hard by the battle and the side branches would definitely not let this opportunity go. The n would plunge into internal war and would be vulnerable to external attacks.

    Before leaving the Yi family, Yi Cong had foreseen this possibility of conflict in his readings. Although he was at a ¡®bottleneck¡¯, this man was still one of the most talented Yi members after all!

    But when he had to choose between partaking in Yi family affairs to calm the conflict and keeping Yi Ce safe, he chose thetter.

    ¡°This isughable! But so sad!¡±

    Even Yi Cong did not expect that the safest ce to retreat to would be ming Horn, the exact tribe that the Yi family treated with contempt!

    The Yi family was supposed to be blessed with foresight but they were so stupid!

    Since some time ago, the Yi family had be blinded by luxury and status, they were all blind! They were only relying on dirty, lowly tricks passed down generations for their own tiny benefits!

    A person without fortune reading abilities like Yi Si turned out to be the smartest guy in the family. He was the earliest to hide from the storm. When the storm arrived, he had already broken free of the family and found the safest shelter.

    Stupid!

    Absolutely stupid!

    ¡°Our ancestors could read the heavens and the earth, could they have foretold such an ending for their descendants? I know that everything muste to an end. The Yi family needs a new beginning.¡±

    The current Yi family was an old, dpidated house that could not even keep the elements out, brinking on copse. Instead of wasting efforts on minor reparations, might as well demolish and rebuild the house!

    Yi Cong lifted his shrivelled twig-like fingers, grabbing Yi Ce¡¯s tender little hand.

    ¡°The Yi family¡¯s eyes should not be set on a tiny King City, nor just the maind. They should do as our glorious ancestors did, to familiarise themselves with the mountains and rivers and oceans of the world, study every rock and nt, observe life and death, be a student of the universe! The Yi family should set their eyes on the world! The whole world!¡±

    There was truth in every word within Yi Cong¡¯sst furious cries.

    Yi Si¡¯s heart ached. Of course he knew of the Yi family¡¯s current states. If he wasn¡¯t this disappointed, would he have chosen to leave his family and seek survival so far away?

    Tears flowed down Yi Cong¡¯s ancient face.

    To use strategy as a staff. If more people were awakened by this, then his life would not be a waste. His only regret was that he would never live to see that day.

    Yi Cong looked at Yi Si. ¡°If possible, my wish is for him to follow that person.¡±

    ¡°That will be difficult.¡± Yi Si understood that Yi Cong meant for Yi Ce to follow Shao Xuan. Just like in the Yi ancestral records, the person who first received the knowledge on fire seed utilisation, also the person closest to the Founder, benefited the most. It was only because the Yi founder did not have ambitions to rule the world. If he did, the current lord of King City would not be a Ji family member!

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best.¡± Yi Cong¡¯s tone was not hopeful.

    ¡°If Yi Ce turns out to be of mediocre talent, how will he live up to your wishes?¡± asked Yi Si. It was not a curse but the Yi family members often varied greatly in talent. Although one was powerful, his son might not be as talented. Just like Yi Si- his grandfather and great-grandfather were powerful but this talent did not pass down. Yi Si¡¯s father was mediocre, then Yi Si received zero of the fortune-telling abilities. If he did not have other skills, he would have starved to death already. Yi Cong might be a prodigy of their generation but that did not guarantee Yi Ce¡¯s abilities. His talents were not apparent now, Yi Si could not predict Yi Ce¡¯s future talents even with his observational skills.

    ¡°He will!¡± There was firm resolution in Yi Cong¡¯s eyes.

    Yi Si did not know why Yi Cong looked so sure. Perhaps he saw something in his readings, or it was just his stubbornness. Yi Si did not know which.

    The more talented a Yi person was, the more skills he mastered, the more difficult they would be to read. That was why outsiders tend to think that the Yi members were mentally ill.

    Yi Cong did not speak anymore. He retracted his twig-like finger from Yi Ce¡¯s tender little hand, then hobbled to the door of the hut. Refusing help from Cicada and Grey Horse, he sat leaning against the door frame, staring off at Shao Xuan not far away.

    He saw it. The figure behind Shao Xuan. That was the white figure that appeared behind Shao Xuan along with the Founder Shaman Seal during the battle.

    With a smile on his face, Yi Cong closed his eyes.

    Far into the horizon, the sun set and tired birds returned to their nests.

 Chapter 808 - A Letter From King City

    Chapter 808

    A Letter From King City

    Yi Si was left in charge of Yi Cong¡¯s funeral paraphernalia, ming Horn did not interfere in the procedures. Yi Si picked a spot within the forest to bury Yi Cong. That ce he chose was not within ming Horn hunting territory, nor were there many fierce beasts.

    After Yi Cong passed away, there were a total of eight ves left: Yi Qi¡¯s two remaining ves, the four ves who went to Eagle Mountain with him and the two ves who brought Yi Ce here, Grey Horse and Cicada. All eight ves were gifted to their next master, who was the infant Yi Ce.

    Since Yi Ce was still a child, Yi Si was naturally in charge of the ves. As long as no harm came to Yi Ce, the eight ves were under his charge.

    With eight more subordinates and a child, Yi Si grew busier but still rtively carefree. Out of the eight, six had strong physiques and were sent by Yi Si to help at the ming Horn¡¯s expansion project construction site. They also brought some food back to alleviate the burden. Yi Ce needed milk and like many children in the tribe, Yi Ce drank animal milk.

    ¡°He is probably the only child of the main Yi family who will grow up on animal milk,¡± remarked Yi Si.

    As he sat deep in thought, Yi Si saw Grey Horse and the other five ves return from the construction site.

    ¡°Why are you all back early?¡± asked Yi Si.

    Grey Horse and the rest of the ves were respectful towards Yi Si. Yi Si¡¯s status in the Yi family did not matter¨C the survival of their little master and themselves depended on Yi Si so they must be good to him.

    ¡°There seems to be an emergency with the ming Horns, they stopped work early today,¡± exined Grey Horse.

    ¡°Emergency?¡± Yi Si looked outside, then lowered his eyelids and pondered. After a pause, he grinned, ¡°should be good news. Don¡¯t worry, you just need to do your jobs well.¡±

    At this moment, within the ming River Castle.

    Shao Xuan looked at the animal skin scroll in his hand, then turned to look at the frowning Su Li sitting next to him.

    Due to Wu He¡¯s incident, the leader of the Changle people, Su Li, became an overseas mail carrier. At the time, he stubbornly decided that he would never deliver a second letter. However, this Changle chief was here once more with another letter from across the ocean.

    The difference was that this letter came from King City.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me? Read the letter! Then hurry up and write a reply.¡± Su Li¡¯s temper red the moment Shao Xuan looked at him. Ever since Wu He¡¯s situation was settled, he did not n to do anything like this again, yet reality turned out to be a p across the face. He owed Ji Fang a favour and ended up bing a mail carrier once again.

    The current lord of King City, also the person Shao Xuan saw at Gongjia Heng¡¯s ce¨C Ji Fang, was the sender.

    Shao Xuan, Gui He and the rest ignored Su Li¡¯sints, thinking hard about the letter¡¯s contents. In the letter, Ji Fang had hoped that ming Horn would temporarily maintain its neutral state and not interfere with anything. ming Horn was currently expanding and chaos ensued within King City. While Rock Hill City was now quiet, due to the Yi family¡¯s instability, King City tipped over into chaos. Ji Fang was now extremely upied so he hoped ming Horn would not do anything to harm King City for the moment.

    As a peace offering, Ji Fang would send people to purchase the ves that the ¡®Bi¡¯ organisation kidnapped and send them back here. He wanted Shao Xuan to list down all the tribes in the ming River area so that they could purchase the right people. They were not going to waste money on other people not from the ming River area.

    As thergest ve-trading organisation in the area, the good-quality ves sold by ¡®Bo¡¯ were definitely expensive.

    ¡°I have already listed down the tribes whose members disappeared, I¡¯ll include the list in the letter,¡± said Gui He, who had rushed over, ¡°but...¡±

    Gui He had more to say but there were outsiders here.

    All the ming Horns looked at Su Li in unison. Su Li was currently sitting rather impatiently.

    With so many pairs of eyes on him, Su Li could not even ignore them. ¡°What? You still need to talk? Fine, I¡¯ll leave. Send someone when you¡¯re done. Do you have a room? I need a nap.¡±

    The Changle people loved to pamper themselves. That was why he wanted afortable ce to sleep although he was just waiting for a letter. He was not worried about the ming Horns hurting him either.

    ¡°Hurry up!¡± cried Su Li before he was shooed out, turning his head to urge them.

    There were no more outsiders here. Only Shao Xuan, Gui He, Zheng Luo and Ao remained.

    ¡°Do you all trust the people from the other side?¡± asked Zheng Luo. He did not trust them, even if the guy was a king. King City tried to kill them. However, in terms of the big picture, what Ji Fang said was reasonable.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the people over there well, I can¡¯t tell you if they¡¯re trustworthy,¡± said Ao, ¡°But, the one whomanded his troops to kill the ming Horns was not this lord. The new lord does not intend to make ming Horn his enemy. At least not for the moment.¡±

    ¡°They said they would send the kidnapped people back,¡± said Gui He. ¡°If we have to wait for them to purchase the people from Bi, then send them back, I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯ll be. Ji Fang only said he would do it, he did not specify a time frame. Most of the people they kidnapped were children without awakened totems.¡±

    Shao Xuan understood what Gui He meant. King City was too far from ming Horn. No one was watching them and Ji Fang would not feel the pressure. His subordinates could be inefficient. When the time came, no one knew what would be of the children, or how many would survive the journey.

    ¡°When we formed the ming River Alliance, the Thunder Mountain and Sickle tribes mentioned their wish for ming Horn to bring them over to the other side so they can get their children back.

    After the alliance was established, to strengthen each tribe, ming Horn brought them into the forest to hunt. They were much stronger now and during the half-year Shao Xuan disappeared, every time the Thunder Mountain tribe visited ming Horn, they would ask Gui He about visiting the other continent.

    Although only Thunder Mountain came, they came in representation of the tribes with them. They did not necessarily want to go immediately- they badly wanted their people back but as a tribe, they still were not strong enough to cross the ocean. It would just be disastrous for them and they were already prepared to not see these kidnap victims forever. Every time they came to enquire, they were also trying to figure out ming Horn¡¯s ns.

    To be honest, although the tribes had entered the alliance and recognised ming Horn as their leader, some distrust lingered.

    ¡°The kidnap victims were not just children, ¡°said Ao.

    While Shao Xuan was gone, another kidnapping urred at the trading point. The trading point was attacked by the Xun tribe, that was why Ao had to return halfway from his journey in search of Shao Xuan.

    Any logical person would know that the ming Horns should not be provoked, especially not when the ming River Alliance had been established. But the Xun tribe¡¯s people seemed insane, willing to risk their lives for profit. They were absolute madmen who could not be reasoned with.

    After Shao Xuan returned, he asked Ao about the Xun tribe, to which Ao replied, ¡°The Xun tribe no longer exists.¡±

    The Xun tribe had not merged with their fire seed so Ao led his people over to extinguish it. Gui Ze was the one who destroyed the Xun fire seed. Xun tribe¡¯s arch-nemesis, the Drumming tribe, and a few other tribes good at fighting from ming River also participated in the battle.

    However, after that incident, more people disappeared. They were not killed during the battle, merely disappeared. Even when the shaman checked, the shaman could not sense their auras. They could merely sense that they were still alive, just very far away.

    Some far-travelling traders mentioned that they encountered suspicious figures, to which Gui He guessed to be ¡®Bi¡¯ people.

    Not just children were taken. They were already starting to take adults now.

    Gui He was cautious about this.

    Children required time to mature but strong men would be directly used as manualbour. That was Gui He¡¯s guess.

    ¡°I think, we should go take them ourselves!¡± said Gui He in a low voice. ¡°This is good, I wanted to go check out the legendary King City myself anyway.¡±

    Zheng Luo and Ao did not speak, both looked at Shao Xuan.

    Based on tribalw, other than the shaman, the chief had absolute power unless the Elders all objected to his decision. At ming Horn, Shao Xuan was an exception. His opinions held great influence, he could even veto against Gui He¡¯s decision.

    After some thought, Shao Xuan looked up. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡±

    Since Shao Xuan agreed, Zheng Luo and Ao did not object.

    They discussed more, then Shao Xuan started to write their reply on an animal skin scroll. Hemented, ¡°This new lord seems very clear about what ming Horn wants.¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Looks like King City has been observing ming Horn, they even know what we¡¯re thinking.¡± Gui He was already sceptical the moment he saw Ji Fang¡¯s letter. Although most matters were not confidential information, his instinct told him that Ji Fang had spies here.

    Zheng Luo decided to talk to each leader of the trading point patrol teams afterwards so they could watch out for any suspicious people. The people within the trading point must be searched while future travellers must also be checked more carefully.

    After the meeting, Shao Xuan sent for Su Li and passed him the finished letter. ¡°Bring Ji Fang this letter, tell him we¡¯ll personally meet the people there. We hope to see the stolen people safe and sound when we arrive.¡±

    Shao Xuan emphasized on hisst sentence, especially ¡®STOLEN¡¯ and ¡®SAFE AND SOUND¡¯.

    Su Li was initially groggy and annoyed at being woken up but perked up after listening to Shao Xuan. Heh, a show ising! He must tell the Changle people to go watch at King City.

    When Su Li left, Gui He sent out an order. ¡°Tell each tribe that we¡¯ll be moving son.¡±

    Ever since Shao Xuan divided every tribe in the alliance into different zones, information dissemination became much more efficient. There was a leader tribe within each zone so they only needed to send information to the leader, then it would be passed down to other tribes very quickly. ming Horn no longer had to send messengers to every single tribe.

 Chapter 809 - Cold Star

    Chapter 809

    Cold Star

    About ten people were gathered in the yard outside the forging room.

    Gongjia Ren walked out, a knife with a cold glint in his hand.

    This cold glint was not just light reflected off regr metal. The ¡®coldness¡¯ could be truly felt in one¡¯s heart, that the de was truly dangerous.

    Meeting the de was like standing before an icy mountain peak.

    Gongjia Ren was shirtless, drenched in sweat. Due to the high temperatures within the forging room, it was normal to be drenched in sweat. However, the few other Gongjia people who left together with Gongjia Ren felt both hot with excitement and chilled by the de. The sh of ice and fire. Their faces were red from emotion, contradictory to the cold sweat dripping down their faces.

    They still recalled the chill they felt while hammering the de. They inhaled scorching air through their nostrils but a chill dug deep into their bones. After leaving the room, every muscle still trembled from both exhaustion and the chills.

    When they thought about how the material morphed with every hammer until the final look, an infinite sense of gratitude rose within them, their fatigue forgotten.

    This was the best metal ware they had made to this day! Their instincts told them even before the de was finished.

    It was different from the rest.

    New green bronze was made from bronze and green-faced fanged beast blood while this knife was made from crystal core and the star butterflyrvae blood.

    Before this, Gongjia Ren and the rest did many experiments. In the beginning they followed the green-bronze making procedures to test the material ratios. Due to limited worm blood, they were as frugal as possible during each test. Right now, they finally found the bestbination ratio.

    The knife made from crystal core and star butterflyrvae blood was much better than bronze wares!

    Why were they so emotional?

    The Gongjia ancestor who discovered star butterflyrvae blood only made his wares using bronze while they had the opportunity to merge both worm blood and crystal core!

    A breeze blew past and a murderous buzzing came from the de, so eerie the hairs on their necks stood on end. They retracted their necks as if a snowy winter breeze had blown past.

    Taking a deep breath, Gongjia Ren walked to the ming Horns with the knife in both hands, then passed it to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Let¡¯s test the de.¡± Gongjia Ren¡¯s eyes shone with anticipation.

    Shao Xuan looked at the de in his hand. They made it ording to the previous knife he made, though one finger¡¯s width wider so it was almost as wide as a grown warrior¡¯s palm.

    The knife was silver-white and bore no patterns, quite heavy- much heavier than the previous knife made of crystal core. It was not suited for other tribes but this weight was good for the ming Horns to hunt with.

    When he turned the de, it reflected the sunlight coldly, causing the surrounding crowd to squint.

    Usually, they started with mid-grade rocks but this time, Gongjia Ren tossed a top-grade rock for the test.

    With a blinding sh of light and a crisp thud, the rock was split into two, the cross section clean and smooth. The sh was unhindered and the de did not dent.

    The crowd drew in a sharp breath, then cheered.

    ¡°Awesome!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good knife!¡±

    ¡°Shao Xuan, can you do what you did in the desert with this knife?¡± asked Gui He.

    When Shao Xuan was in the desert, he set his knife aze with blood. It was very useful against reanimated corpses.

    However, Shao Xuan shook his head. ¡°No.¡±

    There was a feeling of explosive violence within new green bronze while crystal core gave a sense of sharpness. Although this de also had violence hidden within, it was on the other end of the spectrum- like the violence of a winter storm. This de contained star butterflyrvae blood so human blood had no effect on it.

    Shao Xuan stroked the de with a finger. The chill did note from a physical chill. Although it was slightly colder than its surroundings, there was not much of an actual temperature difference. The de was ¡®cold¡¯ only because it could evoke psychological chills.

    ¡°I heard you all named the knife?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Gongjia Ren looked even more excited when he heard the question.

    ¡°The knife is called... Cold Star!¡±

    When the Gongjia people forged a particrly satisfactory de, they would name it. This was their way of showing their pride and attachment to it.

    Every cksmith hoped the names of their own products would be famous. Humans lived short lives but des lived beyond human lifespans. When the crafter died, the name of the metal wares would live on in memory. People would, in return, remember the person who created it and this was how they left behind a legacy.

    Ever since they arrived at the ming Horn tribe, they made many exquisite weapons. After a while, they had more experience with crystal core and saw more metal wares so their skills improved greatly. Admittedly, the Gongjia people were indeed talented in this aspect and could always innovate and improve faster than the rest.

    This ¡®Cold Star¡¯ was their best work to date, surely their future works would only be better. No one knew if anything else better was possible for the moment but they were extremely satisfied with Cold Star and wished for its name to live on.

    Since Gongjia Ren and his group arrived, Gui He, Ao and the rest of the tribe leaders all reced their weapons and now used crystal core weapons that were one grade higher than new green bronze. Now the tribe warriors no longer desired bronze- everyone wanted crystal core.

    However, despite making so many, none of them were good enough for the Gongjia people to name them. Until this de.

    From stone and bones to metal, new green bronze and crystal core, and to this new Cold Star, this generation of ming Horns had experienced five material revolutions.

    ¡°Cold Star?¡±

    ¡°Not bad!¡±

    Gongjia Ren still remembered the way white sparks flew in all directions when they hammered it. It felt like shooting stars flying across the cold night sky.

    Due to limited time, they had only made one sessful knife. They had made many more through various experiments that were obviously better than regr metal weapons but to the perfectionistic Gongjia people, those were negligible failed products. Those failed knives were all melted and never given away, in their words, ¡®they are embarrassing and will only ruin our reputations¡¯.

    Now that Cold Star waspleted, the Gongjia people¡¯s minds started to wander. They knew that Shao Xuan wanted to go to King City. there were many Gongjia cksmiths there- if they pit their Cold Star against the other cksmiths¡¯ work, what would happen?

    These people were forced out of the Gongjia family, perhaps they had be irrelevant characters to the other nsmen. They were abandoned. How would those people react when they see Cold Star?

    Gongjia Ren could not wait. If they could, they wanted to visit King City and see their faces for themselves. Unfortunately, they could not go. They could not go to King City because they might not make it back alive. For the moment, they were satisfied with their lives here and were already mentally prepared to live their entire lives here.

    Looking at the cloud patterns on Cold Star¡¯s handle, Gongija Ren privately sighed. It¡¯s fine if they cannot go. When the ming Horns return from King City, the ming Horns would tell them about it. They were confident in Cold Star, though they were still anxious thinking about the talent-filled Gongjia n. They were not exactly the best in the family either.

    A piercing bird call came from the skies.

    It was Gui He¡¯s snow falcon.

    ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±

    The moment Gui He¡¯s instructions were issued, the tribes with missing tribesmen took action immediately. The falcon¡¯s call informed the ming Horns of their arrival.

    As King City was far and there was limited space on the boats, they had to limit the number of people. Not everyone coulde.

    Gui He had already specified for the tribes to pick their own people to leave with the ming Horn tribe. The tribes with betterbat skills, stronger physiques and better adaptability sent more people while the rest not suited for long journeys provided supplies in ce of warriors. Everyone contributed.

    ¡°How¡¯s progress with the Longboat tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Shao Xuan had contacted the Longboat tribe because this tribe had already explored vast areas of the ocean by now and opened up various marine routes. Talking to the Longboat people was the best way to go.

    When they received news, the Longboat tribe also decided to go with the ming Horns, this time building three new ships for the voyage.

    ¡°We just received the letter this morning. The Longboat tribe requests we wait at the usual spot,¡± said Gui He.

    Since this was not their first partnership, they knew what it meant.

 Chapter 810 - Youre All Coming?

    <h4>Chapter 810 You¡¯re All Coming?</h4>

    Compared to the time they went to collect the Taihe Tribe, this trip involved many more people.

    After deciding to leave for King City, Gui He picked one thousand people from their tribe. He wanted to go too because he rarely left the tribe since bing the chief. There were many matters to attend to and Shao Xuan had been taking over any external matters. Now, he finally got to leave.

    Other than Gui He, the other higher-level leaders leaving with Shao Xuan were Ao and Ta. Duo Kang and Zheng Luo stayed behind to guard ming Horn.

    Zheng Luo and Duo Kang came from the other side anyway and while they were not familiar with King City, they had seen cities before. Ao and Ta had always been on this side and only knew of cities based on hearsay. Now they could truly see the ce for themselves.

    One thousand ming Horns and one thousand tribesmen from various tribes.

    Gui He¡¯s message told the tribes that they were going to get the missing people back, emphasizing the dangers of this expedition. However, many more tribes who did not have missing members also volunteered to follow.

    Shao Xuan even saw a few timid Zhi tribesmen.

    ¡°Your tribesmen went missing too?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    The Zhi chief, Abuli, nodded vigorously. ¡°Yes, someone went missing!¡±

    Seems suspicious.

    ¡°How many went missing? Children or adults?¡±

    Abuli thought for a moment, his eyes shining. ¡°A....adults. We lost adults.¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at the four other Zhi tribesmen next to Abuli. When his eyes met theirs, they quickly looked at their toes. They kept scraping the ground with their huge feet and looked very anxious. Perhaps they were not sure how they could help their chief lie.

    Shao Xuan understood that Abuli was looking for an excuse toe on this expedition and did not interrogate them further. He left to check on the other tribes.

    Although each tribe did not send too many people, the numbers added up quickly. Some tribes like Thunder Mountain and Sickle tribe sent at most one to two hundred people. They wanted to send more but Gui He specified not to send too many. Other tribes only sent a few. However, since there were so many tribes- tribes that recently joined the ming River region during Shao Xuan¡¯s disappearance, some even moving from the central region- the numbers added up to a little more than one thousand.

    That was how a total of more than two thousand people set off from ming River. This group would only get bigger when the Longboat tribe joined them.

    Although the ming Horn tribe also built their own boats, they only had about ten ships that could withstand marine voyages. This was arge group so they needed to borrow the Longboat tribe¡¯s ships when they met.

    Gan Qie decided to follow too.

    When everyone gathered, the ming Horn tribe wasted no time and set off.

    The Longboat tribe had moved its main vige to the coast but they had not abandoned their original vige either, in case of an emergency. They merely moved their main matters over by the sea.

    This time, the ming Horn convoy would meet the Longboat tribe at their old headquarters, then head to the coast together.

    When the ming Horn boats arrived, more than ten Longboat boats were already waiting. They did not have many members so a portion of the ming Horn convoy went over.

    ¡°Their boats are much faster now.¡± Shao Xuan could feel the obvious difference between these new boats and what they used to be. The Longboat tribe was talented in building boats, just like the Gongjia family and forging weapons. It was admirable.

    Shao Xuan took a look. Those Longboat people were probably bringing all types of gemstones with them again.

    The tribesmen did not care for gemstones here, they were just pretty rocks and were not as attractive as meat or grains. That was why the Longboat tribe could trade for these stones with many willing tribes. They would then resell the gems after crossing the ocean at a high price and purchase more metal wares and other more practical items.

    Their impression of the ve masters was as such: dumb people with a lot of money.

    Since they founded their marine trade route, the Longboat tribe had earned huge profits. All the tribes that merged with the fire seeds in the central regions had developed but the richest tribe was now Longboat tribe.

    The convoy followed a familiar ind stream through the ins until they arrived by the coast. Due to their frequent travels, the tribes who lived by the river paid not much attention to them, a stark contrast to the initial shock. However, the current size of the fleet did attract more attention.

    The people who were on the boat for the first times felt strange to see other people staring at them from the riverbanks. Of course, they were excited because not everyone in their tribes could be chosen to be here.

    The Longboat tribe¡¯s new headquarters was by the coast, near many mountains. They did not build many houses here, instead choosing to dig holes.

    Previously, Shao Xuan could see a few houses here and very few caves but this time, there were much fewer wooden and stone houses. Instead, there was a mountain almostpletely dug hollow within, containing many caves and tunnels.

    A few warriors told Shao Xuan that they lived in the caves because there were frequent storms in the area. While their stone houses could withstand a few gusts of wind, no one was confident they wouldst very long. They had much less to worry about now because they could just tie their boats to a windless area behind the mountain and then hide inside the mountain during a storm. All they had to do was seal the entrance. There were many holes for venttion so they would not suffocate.

    Only the Longboat members were familiar with the inner structure of the mountains. This terrain was almost imprable and easy to defend duringbat so they were very satisfied to move their headquarters over so quickly.

    When the fleet arrived at the river mouth, Shao Xuan saw a few Longboat tribesmen on a boat nearby, something shaking in their hand. A fish half an arm long leapt out of the water and the warrior swung his arm in an arc, catching the fist tight in his hand. With a dagger in the other, he sliced its belly, took out its internal organs, then rinsed it in some seawater and ate the still moving fish. He would asionally spit some scales out and continue chatting with his friend.

    These movements meant they had long grownfortable with life around here.

    ¡°Hahaha, long time no see, ming Horns!¡± Mu Fa, the Longboat chief, walked over with a grin.

    Due to being exposed to the elements, the Longboats had be darker and more muscr.

    Although they were thin, they gave off a sense of explosive resilience, their gaze sharp. They had experienced many things during their voyages, and with time, they gained a wild look. They were as fierce and intimidating as the ming Horn hunters now.

    The Longboat tribe waspletely different from what Gui He remembered. No one would have guessed they were the same tribe.

    A person bes more dangerous when his heart is released like a caged tiger. This was how the ambitious Longboat warriors truly looked like.

    Mu Fa, who was in his prime, had enough time to satisfy his ambition and finally led the Longboat tribe to make its own mark in history like his ancestors dreamed of. Every descendant who talked about the era of marine exploration would talk of the legendary chief, Mu Fa, and how the tribe ascended to glory.

    Mu Fa came over to greet Gui He, then looked at Shao Xuan. ¡°You¡¯re really going to King City?¡±

    Although he had not been to King City, he knew about it. If this group of ming Horns encountered the ve masters¡¯ army, they could die. And the ve masters were untrustworthy people too.

    ¡°Why? Have you changed your mind?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°I¡¯m going! I¡¯m definitely going!¡± said Mu Fa immediately.

    ¡°When are we leaving?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t leave for the moment. Wait first.¡±

    ¡°Why? Is someone elseing?¡± Shao Xuan had done a knot reading and found this time to be very suitable for a voyage. The Longboat tribe had made sufficient preparations too. The only reason he could think of that would make the tribe dy their departure was that they were waiting for someone.

    Mu Fa did not say no either, ¡°A few days ago, the Hui tribe said they wanted to leave with us. The Mang and Eight Limbs tribe then also sent messages saying they wanted to go too.¡±

    Ever since the Longboat tribe moved to the coast, the Hui and Tianshan tribes from the grassy ins and the Mang and Eight Limbs tribe from the central region had also followed the Longboat tribe on their voyages before. But why did everyone want to go now, at the same time?

 Chapter 811 - Docking

    Chapter 811

    Docking

    The ming Horns waited a few more days until the Hui, Mang and Eight Limbs tribes arrived.

    These three tribes were old friends and did not bring many people, adding up to fewer than five hundred in total. However, in terms of the entire fleet, this was a gigantic group.

    Two thousand from the ming River, two thousand from the Longboat tribe, five hundred from Hui, Mang and Eight Limbs made up a total of four thousand five hundred.

    While this number might not berge, to this side of the ocean, it was considered gigantic. The total number of tribesmen in many tribes was far lower than this number.

    They sent a hundred boats out these time,rge and small. This included ming Horn¡¯s own boats and the new ten boats they bought from the Longboats.

    If the ming Horns filled their boats to capacity with people, then they would not have enough space for supplies like sufficient food and water. That was why they still needed to borrow Longboat tribe¡¯s boats. However, Shao Xuan did not expect Mu Fa to make such a grand gesture, mobilising eighty percent of all the Longboat tribe¡¯s boats suited for long marine voyages.

    With such a dramatic show, Shao Xuan would never believe them if they said there was no reason for it. That was why he went to Mu Fa.

    Mu Fa said he wanted to capitalise on this opportunity to aplish a few things: first is to show off, spread their name by disying their impressive fleet, showing that they were experienced sailors. Second, Mu Fa wanted to look for business opportunities in the city. They had previously been trading only with smaller cities and trading groups. This time, he wanted to meetrger trading groups, he heard there were many famous ones in King City like the ck Bears that Shao Xuan knew.

    The Hui tribe was there purely because they were curious. The Mang tribe wanted to study the ve masters¡¯ cultural exhibitions and exchange ideas. The Eight Limbs tribe wanted to see if King City¡¯s silk products were better than theirs, taking this chance to learn from the city and improve on their silk technology.

    Every tribe had different goals but wanted to hitchhike with the ming Horns. Even Mu Fa, who was anxious about King City, felt a boost in confidence with the ming Horns. Especially with Shao Xuan, who seemed to be a great confidence booster.

    When everyone they were waiting for arrived, the fleet finally left for the ocean.

    This route was different from the previous route they used to collect the Taihe tribe. This was ater-nned route because their destinations were different. Previously, they were aiming for the forest to collect the Taihe tribe. This time, they used the Longboat tribe¡¯s usual trading route because while they could not be too near the cities, they must not be too far either.

    Ever since they started exploring the ocean, they had already opened up many marine routes, this was the most important route they had ever plotted, also the most used.

    Life at sea was uneventful. To many first-timers who did not know what being at sea would be like, it was a miserable experience. Especially those who suffered from sea-sickness, many warriors with stronger physiques became very weak.

    These people were handpicked by their tribes after all. Despite the initial difort, they slowly learned to suppress it. Strong swimmers were even brave enough to swim in the ocean. The ocean was different from the river so the Longboat warriors warned them about things they had to take note of. As long as they use theirmon sense, they should be fine.

    Shao Xuan also brought Caesar along. Due to the limited number of boats when they first set off from the tribe, Caesar ran onnd by the boats. He only got on board once they had more boats from the Longboat tribe.

    During the voyage, Shao Xuan learned of coastal affairs from Mu Fa. Unfortunately, the Longboat tribe never truly entered the main areas and most of what they knew was hearsay so it was difficult to differentiate the truths and rumours.

    With their experience and boat improvements, the voyage was much shorter than Shao Xuan expected.

    When they sawnd, many on board felt like they were reborn.

    ¡°That is an important gathering point for Longboat,¡± pointed Mu Fa at a spot ahead, keeping his telescope.

    This telescope was gifted to him by Shao Xuan, his people had attempted to replicate it but never could produce something as good as this one. That was why Mu Fa continued carrying this telescope around. It had brought them a lot of convenience during voyages.

    Shao Xuan looked at the maind appearing on the horizon. On this side, Mu Fa released smoke signals, and received a reply also as smoke signals on the other side. The port told them that everything was good and the fleet could dock without concern.

    The Longboat tribe put in a huge effort in building this port.

    Due to both continents gradually getting closer, more and more people knew of the other piece ofnd other than their own. That was why more people also tried to cross the ocean.

    In the beginning, everyone knew there was a spot where both continents almost touched. That route would be the safest, they did not have to worry about harsh weather and the asional sea beast that would attack ships. However, now that ce must be avoided due to the war between Rock Hill and King City. A long portion of the coast there was guarded by soldiers too, anyone who wanted to cross the ocean had to look for another point.

    After a while, more and more marine routes were discovered. The Longboat tribe was one of the tribes who had a conflict with local groups but the matter had been settled by force. Today, there were some groups who also knew of the Longboat tribe but after they tested the waters several times, they temporarily gave up on exterminating the Longboats.

    But they must still be careful. That was why Mu Fa needed the smoke signals to report the conditions.

    As the maind approached, the people on the boat could see the coast clearly.

    The environment around this port was very simr to their headquarters on the other side. They had chosen this simr environment on purpose, building it up till this day.

    After they arrived, the fleet would recuperate for two days and then leave for the nearest city.

    The people who were not ustomed to the boats rested onnd while the others rested inside.

    Mu Fa had described the terrain to Shao Xuan and brought them into the forest to gather food. This was not a dense forest with many animals so fearsome beasts were rare, just few wild animals. But now was not the time to be picky.

    ¡°Shao Xuan, do you think King City has received your letter? Do they know you¡¯reing?¡± asked Mu Fa.

    Recalling the Changle people¡¯s efficiency, Shao Xuan said with confidence, ¡°Save for any mishaps, King City should have received news already. But I¡¯m not sure if the other small and medium cities know.¡±

 Chapter 812 - It Is Not A Migration

    <h4>Chapter 812 It Is Not A Migration</h4>

    Mu Fa rested on a boulder among the grass, a few Longboat tribesmen had just returned from scouting the path ahead.

    The rest of the ming Horn convoy and Longboats were at the back. Mu Fa and his scouts first scouted the path ahead since they were familiar with the area and could predict the situation based on every detail. They mainly wanted to check if the ve masters and aristocrats had taken any action.

    Based on the shortest route, they must pass through the area near Chao Qiu City so the Longboat tribe visited them the most.

    As one of the six main cities, Chao Qiu City was also the farthest from King City. They received news the slowest too so if Chao Qiu City knew that the ming Horns wereing, the rest would too.

    However, the scouts told Mu Fa that there was nothing different with Chao Qiu City and this worried him. If Chao Qiu City did not know about their arrival, would they attack the ming Horn¡¯s convoy when they met?

    Mu Fa¡¯s brows knitted with thought when he suddenly looked ahead, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

    Everyone looked over cautiously.

    There were many robbers in the area, the Longboats encountered people like that every time they came. All thirty Longboat tribesmen¡¯s eyes fixated on themotion ahead.

    They picked up a scent. A scent they hated most.

    ¡°ck Mackerels,¡± said one of them in a low voice with a disgusted expression like he smelled faeces.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Mu Fa maintained his sitting posture on the rock, his eyes staring ahead.

    The ck Mackerels were a younger organisation, only a decade old. They were strong swimmers, good with ships, risk-takers and very aggressive.

    In the past, they only frequented the rivers and asionally the ocean. Being at sea was dangerous and there were not many targets so they focused on the rivers ind. They traded, transported both people and goods, robbed other groups and everything else. Of course, if they only did this, they would just be a negligible bunch amongst so many groups. After the disaster, when both continents grew closer, the ck Mackerels capitalised on the opportunity and expanded their operations into the ocean. They charged high prices to bring people over to the other side. These two years, they recruited at least two thousand new members, a portion staying onnd to further their business while the rest expanded their coastal territory.

    The ck Mackerels also thought about buying boats from the Longboat tribe since they were good at it. Every ship could withstand many voyages and wasrge enough- much better than the ones the ck Mackerels owned. The reason why they still had not truly set foot on the other continent was that their current ships could only smuggle some people or goods over, though unfit for marine warfare and transporting precious goods.

    Unfortunately, the Longboats refused to sell their boats. No matter how the ck Mackerels intimidated, threatened and enticed them, they still refused.

    When the Longboat tribe was conquering their own territory, ck Mackerel had worked with two other groups to harass the Longboats. That was why the Longboats always looked disgusted whenever the ¡®ck Mackerels¡¯ were mentioned.

    Very soon, a group of people appeared within Mu Fa¡¯s field of vision. It was a group of two hundred, very loud and had no intentions of hiding themselves. That was why Mu Fa and the rest noticed them so quickly.

    ¡°Ah, and I was wondering who it was! So it¡¯s you.¡± The leader of the group was d in grey clothing not made fromnd animals but from marine beasts. Half of his outfit was made of sharkskin, a favourite amongst the ck Mackerels. A ne of maroon beads shone on his neck. They were made from bones and rocks from the ocean.

    This person¡¯s name was Sea Sand, chief of the ck Mackerels.

    Mu Fa looked at the people behind Sea Sand. There were fiverge bow-horned bulls pulling wagons filled with goods. They must be returning from business at Chao Qiu City.

    The five bulls were too noisy, they would not be able to hide if they wanted to.

    Bow-horned bulls were animals used to pull wagons,rger than other bulls. The horns on their head resembled bows, longer than other bulls. They were easy to tame, more cid than other bulls though they looked intimidating.

    Looking at the goods, this must have been a sessful haul. That was why they were in a good mood.

    Sea Sand was privately surprised to see Mu Fa unresponsive. IN the past, the Longboats would give them looks of disgust, even if they did not fight or speak, they would even give a scoff. Right now, they did not seem to even want to look at them.

    But that was fine. Seeing as there were so few Longboats here, a cunning sneer crept unto Sea Sand¡¯s face. He turned to the people around and exchanged a look. They all wanted to teach these Longboats a lesson today.

    Sea Sand¡¯s actions were not subtle, he knew the Longboats were watching. He wanted to see them fume but when he turned, he noticed a strange expression on their faces. They were not worried at all- in fact, they seemed to be mocking Sea Sand.

    Shock registered for a second in his eyes as Sea Sand¡¯s face fell.

    Something was wrong.

    Sea Sand must obviously be an observant person to be the leader of the ck Macherels, helping their entire organisation thrive. He gestured to the people behind, implying for them not to move.

    Why were the Longboats so calm in the face of their deliberate mockery? Where was their confidenceing from?!

    As he tried to figure out the reason, he saw a few birds in the sky.

    ¡°Mooo¡ª-¡±

    The five bulls scraped the ground with their hooves, mooing anxiously.

    Chests tightened.

    ¡°Remain vignt!¡±

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing!¡±

    Sea Sand¡¯s sneer disappearedpletely. He looked up at the trees behind Mu Fa¡¯s group.

    Approaching footsteps. Sea Sand¡¯s ear twitched, he could tell that there were predator beast footsteps too, and this beast was not small.

    Who?

    Who is it?!

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    Consecutive cracks of broken branches ensued, then grey wolf ws emerged from the forest, then a wolf much taller than a human burst out, breaking surrounding trees effortlessly. There was a bleeding deer in its mouth, warm air exhaled through its blood-stained teeth reeked of blood.

    The atmosphere tensed immediately.

    Sea Sand noticed that a person was sitting on the wolf.

    Then, twenty more people walked out of the forest, one of them carrying a snake as thick as two people. The snake head had already been chopped off and its body was coiled up with some vine, the man swinging it yfully as if he was flinging a rope and not a snake. These people still radiated murderous intent from their hunt and when they saw Sea Sand¡¯s group, their senses heightened. These people radiated explosive violence resembling forest beasts, different from the murderous energy within Longboats after weathering harsh climate.

    Sea Sand had grown the ck Mackerels into a famous organisation in just ten years since its establishment so he was observant enough as a person. He started to grow cautious, very puzzled.

    At least ten out of this group were at least as powerful as himself. That was also just from a quick nce. If he studied them better, he would discover more hidden masters.

    Who are these people? Where are they from? How are they rted to the Longboat tribe?

    The more he thought about it, the stranger everything became.Sea Sand¡¯s pupils shrank, his eyelid twitching. Both the people and the wolf threatened him. What made him more anxious were the footstepsing from afar. There were many peopleing, at least a few thousand too!

    Riding on Caesar¡¯s back, Shao Xuan scanned Sea Sand and his men, then looked at Mu Fa sat on the rock. ¡°Trouble?¡±

    Sea Sand¡¯s eyes were fixed on Mu Fa.

    Mu Fa looked at Sea Sand, who was pale from terror, then after a silent pause, finally smiled. ¡°None.¡±

    Sea Sand¡¯s face twitched, then he forced a smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re busy, I won¡¯t be staying.¡±

    Sea Sand left quickly with his people, even changing their routes to take a longer one, avoiding this convoy.

    Mu Fa stared at them as they left. To tell the truth, he wanted to take this chance to kill Sea Sand and his men but if they attacked, the ck Mackerels would definitely retaliate by attacking the Longboat¡¯s port when they were gone. The ck Mackerels held grudges. Based on Mu Fa¡¯s understanding of them, if he let them go, they would not use this opportunity to harass the Longboat port either. Although he did not like Sea Sand, he knew that Sea Sand was a reasonable person.

    Sea Sand had given him onest look before he left. Mu Fa knew what it meant. At the same time, Mu Fa privately heaved a sigh of relief. Indeed,ing with ming Horn was the right decision.

    The Longboats were no loners and liked to seek help where possible. At least right now, Longboat and ming Horn could mutually benefit from each other.

    On the other side, Sea Sand ran far away with his people. Once they confirmed that they were not being pursued, they sighed heavily. There was both frustration and relief.

    Thank goodness the ck Mackerels hadn¡¯t attacked yet!

    ¡°Who were those people, Sir?¡± someone asked.

    ¡°How would I know?!¡± huffed Sea Sand. ¡°Definitely not Longboats.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met them before. Unless some tribe is moving their vige?¡± guessed another. Tribes further from the cities have been migrating often these two years.

    ¡°No, not moving!¡± a figurended lightly in front of Sea Sand, like a leaf touching the ground. This was a scout Sea Sand sent.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Sea Sand.

    The person was very direct in his answer. ¡°A moving tribe would have sick, weak or old people among them. But this group has none of those. No matter man or woman, they were all very healthy and strong. Even the thinner-looking ones seemed dangerous.¡± When he recalled the way a young man with red patterns drawn on his eyelids grinned at him, he felt goosebumps all over. That young man seemed dangerous, thank goodness he was not attacked.

    ¡°How many people were there?¡± asked Sea Sand.

    ¡°Many! About four to five thousand!¡±

    The two hundred people, including Sea Sand, drew a sharp inhale.

    ¡°Where... where the heck did theye from? Why are they here?¡± asked someone cautiously.

    Sea Sand squinted, deep in thought as he stared out towards the ocean.

    ¡°Unless they are tribes from the other side?¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?!¡± gasped someone. But when they recalled the Longboat tribe¡¯s boats, this was very much possible.

    ¡°But the people we saw were so different from the rumours.¡± The scout was very confused.

    ¡°Rumours?¡± Sea Sand burst intoughter. ¡°Rumours cannot be trusted!¡±

    When he first met the Longboats, he had started to question the rumours but since so many believed the same thing, he too believed the rumours. They rarely met tribes from the other side and the human traffickers did not bring anybody different from what they expected. After a while, Sea Sand started to believe the rumours, thinking that those tribes were starving, stupid savages who only used bones for tools and had never seen metal before. The Longboat tribe must just be an anomaly.

    Now, he realised that all those rumours were wrong!

    Exception? How could there be SO MANY exceptions?!

    Yes, perhaps there were many stupid savages who barely had enough to eat on the other side. But they definitely aren¡¯t the majority! Even if they were, they must be a group of dangerous savages!

    Perhaps the ones who crossed the ocean did not return not because they were happily settled there¨C they were just dead.

    The scout recalled the image in his memory. Those tribesmen looked like they lived good lives based on their clothing, blinding gemstones and weapons.

    After a long pause, Sea Sand said, ¡°Don¡¯t touch Longboat¡¯s turf these days, tell your subordinates to keep a distance from them. You can watch from far but do not step into theirnd. Also, keep an eye on Chao Qiu City.¡±

 Chapter 813 - Flaming River Dragon Flag

    Chapter 813

    ming River Dragon g

    Lord Chao Wen¡¯s eyelid had been twitching since this morning. He felt like something was going to happen but could not ce a finger on it. However, as the lord, he still put on a calm face despite his restlessness. He went to walk in the garden, admiring the precious flowers nted by his ves.

    The faint fragrance refreshed and calmed him, that was why he liked thinking in the garden.

    The restlessness faded greatly after he smelled the familiar scent. However, he did not let his guard down. He was a capable man to be able to keep Chao Qiu City¡¯s peace all these years and he trusted his gut.

    So what is it?

    Chao Wen hung his head slightly, looking at the green nts in front.

    As he thought, he heard an urgent cry.

    ¡°This is bad! Father, this is bad!¡±

    A young man d in embroidered clothing rushed over, panting.

    Chao Wen furrowed his brows. He had always taught his children to remain calm in face of anything. His children were usually very calm so why was he so agitated today?

    ¡°What¡¯s with the shouting?!¡± Chao Wen did not speak loudly but his tone was stern, displeased with the young man¡¯s behaviour.

    This was his eldest son, Chao Chuan, the likeliest heir to the throne. Usually, he did his best to please his father and even imitated his father¡¯s countenance. However, he was too shocked this time to keep his calm. His father¡¯s tone knocked some sense into him.

    He paused to take a deep breath, then hurriedly exined, ¡°The guards sent news that there are peopleing!¡±

    Since the chaos in the desert, Chao Wen sent out a batch of guards specially to watch Chao Qiu City¡¯s surroundings to report any movements immediately. So far, everything they encountered had just been minor inconveniences.

    Chao Wen¡¯s brows trembled. Was this the reason why he had been so unsettled?

    ¡°Who are they?¡± asked Chao Wen.

    ¡°We...don¡¯t know.¡±

    Seeing Chao Wen frown again, Chao Chuan exined hurriedly, ¡°Although we don¡¯t know who they are, the guards said they... they... they might be from the other side!¡± He pointed towards the sea.

    ¡°From the other side?¡± gasped Chao Wen. ¡°Tribesmen like the Longboat tribe?¡±

    The Longboat tribe asionally traded with Chao Qiu City so Chao Wen knew of them. However, all he knew was that the Longboat tribe was just an exception on the other side, rumours told that the tribes there were very weak and Longboat was the strongest.

    This was due to the Longboat tribe¡¯s own bragging when they first arrived, plus they had been the only tribe to frequent both sides over such a long period of time. That was why the people here slowly believed the rumours.

    Chao Wen knew that due to the war and construction of many cities, the ve masters and aristocrats had started to buy huge quantities of ves. The small and medium tribes living ind were forced to escape deep into the forest and were difficult to find. When it became difficult to capture ves, the ve trading organisations set their eyes on the other continent, i.e. the Bi organisation.

    This was why Chao Wen always thought the tribes on the other side as people who would soon be ves, trivial matters. When their marine transportation improved and travelling became easier, Chao Wen also wanted a piece of the pie to capture ves from the other side and take their ore and salt for himself.

    But now there are tribesmen other than Longboat tribe here?

    Should they catch them all as ves?

    ¡°How many?¡± asked Chao Wen, deep in thought.

    ¡°Four.. to five thousand,¡± stuttered Chao Chuan.

    ¡°HOW MANY?!¡± Chao Wen cried, enunciating each word in disbelief. ¡°Four to five thousand?!¡±

    Chao Chuan nodded vigorously. ¡°The guards even said... said... they were quite powerful. It didn¡¯t look like a migration, more like... they were moving with intent.¡±

    Chao Chuan¡¯s jaw dropped. He wanted to say something but it was stuck in his throat. His face changed.

    This was not a small number.

    Four to five thousand people. Not refugees, not migration, mostly strong warriors. All these pointed to one conclusion¡ªthey¡¯re going to attack our city!

    Chao Wen could not remain calm. Pushing Chao Chuan aside, he sprinted out of the yard like the wind.

    Within Chao Qiu city, far travelling traders were busy with their trades. They were used to the local trading practices and could walk through the bustling streets and free trade zones with their eyes closed. They were familiar with activities across the city and gossips within.

    Something was different today.

    ck-ck-ck. The gold-ted gates of the lord¡¯s mansion opened and an army of one hundred riding soldiers rushed out. The people in front waved their long-handled weapons mercilessly, shouting for the people in front to make way.

    Most people reacted quickly, jumping aside to make way.

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Those are the lord¡¯s own private troops! People of the Chao family!¡±

    ¡°Look at the two people in the centre!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the lord?!¡±

    Within the group that left the lord¡¯s mansion, two people were d in obviously different clothing, in brighter colours and dressed more exquisitely. They were Chao Wen and Chao Chuan. IN the past, Chao Wen took the carriage but this time, they were in a hurry and rushed out on their horses.

    ¡°They¡¯re heading towards the city gates!¡±

    ¡°Why is the lord in such a hurry? What is he doing?¡±

    Anyone who saw the rushing crowd of horses and people would know that something was about to happen.

    There¡¯s an emergency!

    After rushing to the city gates, Chao Wen climbed up the tower and stared far away. His chest tightened. Although he could see only a ck dot far away, he knew that Chao Chuan¡¯s report was true. There were even suspicious figures in the air.

    ¡°Close the gates!¡± After Chao Wen shouted, he readied the archers. The birds in the sky were no ordinary birds.

    Rumble...

    Outside the city was a trading group who just arrived. Before they could enter, they were locked outside. No matter how they begged and yelled and threatened, the gates were still closed. The lord was personally at the gates, who would dare open them?

    Not just the people outside, even the people inside the city were puzzled. Anyone who wanted to leave was stopped.

    A crowd approached the gates to watch. If the guards did not stop them, they would havee over to the gates.

    ¡°Why are they closing the gates during the day?¡± someone was upset.

    ¡°Yeah, they should have informed us too, if something happened.¡±

    And we would have run as soon as possible, they thought privately.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look too good. Should we find a way to leave now?¡±

    ¡°Climb the walls? There are guards everywhere now though.¡±

    ¡°We can hide first.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t specte blindly, let¡¯s watch.¡±

    Theints and discussion stopped in the next second.

    Awooooo¡ª-

    A wolf¡¯s howl came from far away.

    There was silence, then the crowd exploded in discussion.

    ¡°Wolf! That was a wolf!¡±

    ¡°That was no ordinary wolf, I can tell!¡±

    ¡°We have heard howls like this before but why does this feel so...¡± The person shuddered.

    ¡°A fearsome beast!¡± said an older traveller with confidence. Their group was from deep in the mountains, they could differentiate between wild and fearsome beasts. Only a fearsome beast could make that sound. An ordinary wolf could not release such a bone-chilling howl and made every muscle tense up.

    Caw¡ª

    A few eagles flew past. They circled the city.

    ¡°They are too high up, we can¡¯t shoot,¡± reported an experienced archer. Even if they could shoot, the arros need to be fast enough because the bird could have moved after the arrows were fired. Based on their agility, it was clear that these birds could not be shot down easily.

    ¡°That... is also a fearsome beast!¡±

    ¡°What is going on? Is someone attacking the city?¡±

    The crowd had many guesses, their imaginations running like wild horses.

    At this moment, Chao Wen stood on the city tower, his brows furrowed so tightly they could break a twig, his eyes fixated ahead.

    Chao Chuan had received orders to mobilise the troops while Chao Wen watched the approaching group, trying to guess their identities and formte a n.

    There were threerge gs in front. Chao Wen recognised two gs- one bore the Longboat tribe¡¯s totem, while the other made Chao Wen sigh bitterly.

    ¡°ming Horns!¡±

    He recognised the totem because King City had once issued amand to kill ming Horn¡¯s migrating party with the totem on the message. Chao Wen since learned more about the tribe.

    When King City requested for them to send reinforcements, Chao Wen stalled on purpose. It was not because he wanted to help the ming Horns but because he did not like wasting his own troops. King City can fight their own battles, we just need to act like we¡¯re helping.

    However, he did not expect to see ming Horn¡¯s totem here. So they were indeed from the other side of the ocean!

    Other than ming Horn and Longboat tribe¡¯s totems, he was not familiar with the third g. There was a strange picture on it, like a snake. He had not seen it before.

    No matter what, his first thought was¡ª this is bad!

    Actually, the g that Chao Wen could not recognise was a new g. It was ¡®new¡¯ because it was created not long ago.

    Before the fleet left, when they were sending messages to each tribe, Shao Xuan suggested designing a g for the ming River Alliance.

    Since the alliance did not belong to one tribe and there were many members- likely even more in the future- they could not use any specific tribe¡¯s totem. Even if they wanted to use the ming Horn¡¯s totem, every tribe would object to it. The tribesmen were quite stubborn when it came to totem matters. That was why Shao Xuan used a familiar- though foreign to the people here- picture¡ª a dragon.

    The dragon was drawn ording to ming River¡¯s approximate shape.

    The ming Horns did not object to Shao Xuan¡¯s decision and thought it was a good idea. The other tribes naturally did not object either. Since it was based on the river, they were fine with it. When Shao Xuan suggested putting each tribe¡¯s totem on the g in the future, they grew even more excited. However, they took totems seriously and would not put their totems on the g without a solemn ceremony. Since there was not much time, the g only contained one ming River-shaped dragon.

 Chapter 814 - RiChapter People Entering The City

    <h4>Chapter 814 Rich People Entering The City</h4>

    Three gs represented the ming Horn tribe, ming River Alliance and Longboat tribe. There were other tribesmen in the unit, i.e. Hui, Mang and Eight Limbs tribe, they did not raise gs not because they did not want to, but because they did not have one. Privately, they regretted it. Why hadn¡¯t they thought of bringing one?

    Make one now? No, a totem g must be made of satisfactory material and personally drawn by the shaman. Only then could it represent the tribe. Unfortunately, they were here just to satisfy their curiosities and did not think of bringing a g.

    The three totem gs pped majestically in the breeze. When they approached, the people on the city tower could see the totems on the gs.

    The unlucky traders at the city gates no longer banged on the city gates. When they saw the foreign army approaching, they immediately turned to leave.

    Chao Wen¡¯s eyes were fixed on the unit, discussing their strategy with a subordinate next to him. One, they could attack immediately, killing them while they were tired from the long journey. On the other hand, they could first negotiate to get to know their motives. Perhaps they were here only to trade. This could prevent conflict.

    In the past, Chao Wen would have been more inclined to thetter. He did not like spending military power, it was a waste of money and people. However, these people were from the other side of the ocean, particrly ming Horns. So they must be careful.

    The people around him were arguing passionately. Chao Wen was also in a frustrating dilemma. How unlucky they were!

    As he pondered, his ear twitched and he looked up in the sky.

    A ck figure swooped through the air straight at Chao Wen.

    His face lit up and he lifted an arm. The figurended immediately.

    It was a ck bird about two palms small. It looked like an elongated scissors when it flew, and had a slender figure when its wings were retracted. A messenger bird.

    He untied the little bamboo tube tied to its foot, taking out a piece of thin fabric. It was made of fearsome beast silk so it was quite sturdy.

    When he saw the fabric note, he could truly confirm that the note came from King City.

    His tensed face slowly rxed when he read the note.

    ¡°Father, is that a letter from King City?¡± Chao Chuan, who had mobilised the troops, rushed up the tower, drenched in sweat.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Chao Wen grunted distractedly, then re-read the note and heaved a long sigh of relief. ¡°Open the gates.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Themand stunned Chao Chuan. He thought they were here to fight a battle, why open the gates?

    When he saw Chao Wen furrowed his brows, he knew his father was displeased again and quickly yelled to the city guards, ¡°Open the city gates!¡±

    The people at the bottom were waiting for a decision but were stunned to hear thismand. Seeing that Chao Chuan was not joking, they looked at each other, then finally opened the city gates slowly. They opened it very, very slowly, terrified that something might suddenly happen. They looked at the unit far away through the opened gates.

    Chatter¨C

    When the people crowding around the city gates saw this, they exploded in discussion, all quickly retreating back to keep a safe distance from the gates.

    Only three hundred people from the entire unit entered the city, the rest of the tribesmen waited a distance away from the gates.

    Shao Xuan led Caesar into Chao Qiu City, the rest of the group following behind.

    Their intimidating aura scared the city guards so much they did not ask for an entry fee.

    After he entered the city, Shao Xuan did not continue walking. He made a gesture, telling his people to make their purchases.

    Chao Wen continued standing on the tower but did not go down. He had not decided how he should speak to ming Horn, also unsure of what to say. If his tone was taken the wrong way, there would be huge trouble. That was why Chao Wen was hesitant.

    The ming Horns never intended to greet the lord anyway. They just wanted to enter the city like other trading parties and make their respective trades. Shao Xuan, Mu Fa and the few leaders stood in front at the entrance while Caesary next to them, staring at the guards with his cold wolf eyes.

    Shao Xuan looked at Chao Wen, who was looking down at them. Their eyes locked for a few seconds, then they each looked away. They understood each other¡¯s intentions without needing words.

    Shao Xuan saw that Chao Wen did not want to start a war. Perhaps they had received news from King City already. They opened the city gates and half their city guards retreated.

    Chao Wen privately heaved a sigh of relief. Thank goodness. Looks like they are here to trade. Let¡¯s hope they leave soon.

    The people entering the city did not know the localnguage and were not familiar with the city so they were led by Longboat tribesmen. All of them rubbed their palms with glee. They went straight to Chao Qiu City and not around because they wanted to shop! There was a long distance between King City and here, they should stock up, right? And see these ve masters¡¯ cities for themselves.

    Unfortunately, their expectations might have been too high. The more they walked, the more disappointed they became.

    They were already used to the ming Horn trading point so Chao Qiu City was not impressive at all. In fact, there was a feeling of ¡®that¡¯s it?¡¯.

    There were indeed beautiful and exquisite goods too. Naturally, they were inclined to buy some back to show off in the tribe but they were too expensive. Not good deals at all, and troublesome to carry around.

    The people here had been to ming River Trading Point many times. Even if they were not familiar with businesses, they had their own perceived values for these goods. These are all so expensive, why does it feel like these businesses are all scams?!

    In the past, they thought the goods at the trading point were expensive but inparison, the ming Horns were the ethical ones! How can a small pack of dried meat be so expensive here?!

    However, they were in a foreign ce. Even if the goods were not satisfactory, they had no choice. At least they had ¡®money¡¯!

    The six main cities had a unified currency but businesses still traded goods for convenience.

    Before they came, the tribes learned about the value of their goods and gemstones from the Longboat tribes. Having prior knowledge, they were not worried about being cheated. There were Longboat tribesmen there to remind them too.

    Abuli and three Zhi warriors came to a shop along with two Longboat tribesmen.

    It was a food shop selling everything from grains to pastries and meat. Far-travelling groups often visited this ce.

    The tribes on this side had undergone many changes from tribesmen to trading parties, distributed in various cities manning various shops. Abuli learned this from the Longboats so other than eyeing the shopkeepers curiously for a few moments, he ignored them and focused on the goods.

    There were people carrying boxes inside. When the person heard customers walking in, he put down his box. He was squatting down and saw them through his peripheral vision- three pairs ofrge feet.

    Althoughrge feet were peculiar, they were not enough to shock since different tribes had different characteristics. They were used to all kinds of people. What shocked him was that the three pairs of feet were rough and had wounds on them- they looked like beggars,

    The shopkeeper thought they were beggars who were not even fit to be ves in the city, about to chase them out when he looked up. Eh?

    Eh?!

    Frozen, the shopkeeper stared at the blinding gemstone worn around Abuli and his warriors¡¯ necks.

    Clear, transparent crystals that refracted seven-coloured light. They were attractive and every crystal was as thick as a child¡¯s arm!

    The shopkeeper closed his eyes, then opened them. This is not a hallucination!

    ¡°Y-you guys.¡± His words were stuck in his throat as his eyes zed.

    Usually, traders would keep their wealth a secret, terrified of people knowing about their wealth. Yet these people acted like prodigal rich sons, they had no intentions of hiding their wealth! How strange!

    Abuli ignored the statue-like man, his eyes fixated on the sacks of peculiar grains, as well as dried meat that were processed for long travels.

    There were many types. Although they were not as good quality as ming Horn¡¯s goods, there was more variety here.

    ¡°Which should we get?¡± asked Abuli. He could not choose.

    ¡°That one.¡± A Zhi warrior pointed at one type of grain near them. The grains were fat andrge, they looked filling.

    Abuli waved. ¡°Buy!¡±

    ¡°That one.¡¯ The other guy also picked a grain.

    Abuli looked at it. ¡°Buy!¡±

    ¡°Also that one, that one looks good. Eh, it looks delicious.¡±

    ¡°Buy! Buy! Buy!¡±

    It was a rare chance for Abuli to show off his wealth. Knowing that his crystals were valuable, he went on a spree. He was not afraid of being robbed either- they had four thousand people in their group! That was the source of his confidence!

    Five shops away, in a grain specialty shop, Gui He carried an animal skin pouch filled with gemstones while he pointed at something on a shelf with the other hand.

    ¡°That one, that one, that one, that one. Also, that whole row. One hundred sacks each.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± The shopkeeper was stunned.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t have enough?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, we do!¡± Seeing Gui He about to turn and leave, the shopkeeper quickly stopped him. Nonsense, how could he let such a customer leave?!

    Some people looked around for a long time but realised there was nothing good enough for them. They fell into an ¡®I have money but I don¡¯t know what else to buy other than food¡¯ dilemma.

    Gemstones were rare and very valuable here. How did this happen? Why were both continents so different?

    The main reason was the core seed!

    Gemstones were rare here due to the core seed. Although all kinds of gemstones used to exist, since the appearance of the core seed, those gemstones turned into metal ore.

    Rare objects were precious so when the aristocrats started to fancy gemstones, they became much more valuable. It was too bad that gemstones were rare, especially top grade ones. Many ve masters sent their ves to mine for gemstones but in the end, the number of ves dead from exhaustion far exceeded the gemstones.

    In contrast, to the tribesmen on the other side, gemstones were all toomon. They could even throw a couple of stones back into nature if they felt like it.

    Since core seeds were notmon there, all the natural crystals remained intact. Just like how the Zhi tribe¡¯s territory was rich in crystals. They had more crystals than food sometimes.

    This was one of the methods the Longboat tribe used to grow rich.

    The Chao Qiu City folk, as well as foreign traders in the city had one deep impression of ming Horn¡¯s unit: stupid people with a lot of money.

 Chapter 815 - How Did You Recognise Me?!

    Chapter 815

    How Did You Recognise Me?!

    Within Chao Qiu City, on thergest street, Qu Ce and a few Mang tribesmen walked as they observed the people here. They were wearing the Eight Limbs tribe¡¯s speciality silk clothing and their jade discs made by themselves. The Mang tribes naturally liked to put on airs too so they could casually give the impression that they were better than the rest. They all looked intimidating and those who did not know them thought they were one of the six aristocrat families.

    The two Longboat tribesmen leading them did not wear jade but deep red stone essories. These were only found in the ocean, sturdy but can be carved into exquisite shapes. They were considered a precious stone too, for it gave a prosperous overall look. Some ve masters even bought some from their tribe at a high price once.

    There were also people who wanted to learn from this trip, i.e Fan Ning, Pu Ye and Yu, trying to pick up some skills to be swindlers.

    Water Tiger tribe Chief Qu Li and Sickle tribe Chief Ci were standing within a shop selling metal wares. They nned to buy metal wares as they heard that cheap and good-quality goods weremon here. That was why they wanted the Longboats to bring them here. Unfortunately, they were disappointed by what they saw in the shop.

    First, weapons. After getting ustomed to seeing Gongjia Ren and his mates¡¯ goods at ming Horn, they could not bear to look at the weapons here. They knew how to differentiate metal grades and could tell when good-looking weapons were actually of poor quality.

    They were carrying new green bronze weapons on them. Comparing what they had to the shop¡¯s goods, they gave up on buying weapons and turned to other wares like wine jugs, cups and cauldrons.

    ¡°Loko at this! Look at the curves, the carvings, the shape of this beast...¡± The shop owner was promoting a metal bowl with animal carvings when he suddenly stopped.

    Qu Li took out a tiger-striped gold token. He had requested for the ming Horns to hire the Gongjia family to make this gold token- one face bore the Water Tiger tribe¡¯s tiger totem while the other face bore the characters ¡®Water Tiger¡¯. Carved around the token were tiger stripes that also looked like water ripples.

    The shop owner stared at the gold token in Qu Li¡¯s hand. With his experience, he could obviously tell that this was made by a master! Other than a few expensive treasures, most of the products in his shop did not have craftsmanship as good as this one.

    Good cksmith works were rare.

    In terms of cksmithery, no one dared im they were better than the Gongjia family. There was a huge gap between Gongjia and the rest of the city. However, most of the Gongjia family¡¯s works remained within the aristocraticmunity and were rarely avable to the public.

    The shop owner wanted to charge them a higher price for his own goods but he dismissed the thought after seeing the token. His goods were not on the same level as that token!

    Would a person holding such an exquisite item fall for such tricks? A chief would not be this stupid either.

    Looks like these people were not stupid, they just had high standards. The shop owner humbled himself.

    Some people were easily tricked while others were not. These people were thetter. Who could pull out a token like this so casually?

    Many instances like this happened, i.e. on Abuli¡¯s side and Qu Li¡¯s side, within Chao Qiu City. However, these people did not n to stay and left as soon as they made their purchases.

    Three hundred people bought supplies needed for four thousand five hundred people. They had to shift their goods in batches- each ming Horn warrior carried a small mountain on him and had to make a few trips to and fro the city.

    All the far-travelled traders stared at these newly arrived strangers. They seemed dangerous, so intimidating that the locals were too scared to converse with them. All they did was crowd around and study these strangers.

    They must be cautious around dangerous strangers.

    The tense atmosphere remained within Chao Qiu City but the three hundred people who entered indeed only shopped and then carried their purchases out of the city. Usually, the guards would pick random people to check their goods to prevent smuggling- this was also a way for them to earn a quick buck, to the fury of many terrified small traders. However, the guards remained silent when the entire unit left the city. They were good at reading people after all. Who would dare demand bribes when the lord was on the tower?

    Before Shao Xuan left, Chao Wen yelled to stop him, then tossed a fabric scroll the size of a little finger. ¡°This is for you, from King City.¡±

    Shao Xuan was surprised. The Yi family must have been involved if they could predict his location so urately, even making prior arrangements to write the note and send a messenger bird over, then getting Chao Wen to pass it to Shao Xuan.

    When thest ming Horn walked out of the city with a small mountain of goods on his back, the entire Chao Qiu City seemed to heave a sigh of relief.

    They didn¡¯t fight! Chao Wen took a few deep breaths.

    Chao Qiu City was farthest from King City and used to be one of the six major tribes. The Chao family was not concerned about many things and merely minded their own business on their ownnd other than a few exceptions living in King City. They also sometimes robbed travellers to fill their stores so they had heard about the ming Horn tribe too.

    He heard that the tribesmen had a lot of salt and fire crystals, were unintelligent and a bunch of stupid savages. Yet...

    ¡°Those people werepletely different from the rumours.¡± Chao Chuan felt cheated by the rumours. Only people who were personally in the city would know that these people were not to be provoked. A few were threats even to him.

    Rumours about the other side of the ocean proved untrustworthy. They must personally visit thend themselves, for believing these stories could even result in death. As the future heir of Chao Qiu City, Chao Chuan knew that this was a mistake they should not have made.

    Perhaps he should take the time to cross to the other side. Of course, that was if negotiations with King City went well. If a war broke out, he would stay in his own city.

    Shao Xuan did not care what Chao Qiu City thought of them. He confirmed King City¡¯s position based on his memory and led his troops there. The tribesmen would rather rest in the rural areas outside than inside ve master cities. Compared to Chao Qiu, the wild was safer. Although they must always guard against robbers- they had already killed three groups of robbers at night. Since they made no attempts to hide their wealth in the city, they attracted many risk-takers who nned to rob them. The ming Horns showed no mercy.

    On the next day, after killing off another group, the unit encountered a group of special people.

    ¡°ve masters?¡± Mu Fa looked at the approaching group.

    There were almost five hundred people ahead, three hundred of them ves. They were all tied together with special rope and chains, watched by ve masters. None of them were the people Shao Xuan was looking for. These ves must be locals.

    The ve masters Mu Fa referred to were not city aristocrats but the ve trading organisations.

    Based on where they were headed to, they must be bringing the ves to Chao Qiu to be sold. Shao Xuan noticed that the ve market had been quite empty. Looks like it was because the ves had not arrived.

    ¡°Is that Bi?!¡± There was an obvious diagram on a wagon pulled by ten ves in front, bearing the ¡®Bi¡¯ symbol.

    ¡°Bi?!¡±

    Once Bi was mentioned, all the tribes who lost people red with hatred. They could not wait to ughter all these ve masters! However, King City¡¯s note mentioned that every city had been informed of ming Horn¡¯s arrival and would not attack them. Most importantly, they emphasized that if Shao Xuan¡¯s unit met ¡®Bi¡¯ members along the way, and the ves were not from the ming River Alliance, they wished that Shao Xuan¡¯s people would not harm them. Or their own kidnapped tribesmen would be harmed too.

    The Bi people were not mild-mannered either.

    The ve masters ushering the ves were curious about Shao Xuan¡¯s group, at the same time guarded because they did not know of the tribesmen¡¯s intentions. They only recognised the ming Horn and Longboat totems, these tribes were mentioned when they discussed about the ves that would raise the highest prices. ming Horns were strong, and strong ves were expensive. Longboats were good at building boats, they were also valuable as builders.

    However, the intimidating aura of this group told them that they should not do anything despite their desires to capture these tribesmen as ves- or they would not leave this ce unscathed.

    Bi became thergest ve-trading organisation for a reason- their members could read the room and knew when to retreat.

    In the face of seething res, the ve master sitting on the first carriage asked calmly and professionally, ¡°Want to buy ves? They are new arrivals.¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Not just the ve master, even the people around were surprised. Shao Xuan wanted to buy ves?!

    The ve master was experienced too. Despite being stunned for a moment, he quickly snapped to his senses and smiled. ¡°Pick anyone you like, prices are negotiable.¡±

    Shao Xuan walked over and pointed at a thin ve. ¡°Him.¡±

    The ve master raised an eyebrow, then studied the ve that Shao Xuan picked. ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°I am sure.¡± Shao Xuan walked over.

    ¡°Why?¡± asked the ve master.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like him,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    The ve looked up suddenly, his putting on a half-dead, pitiful look that all ves had. But he was violently cursing inside, ¡°How the heck did you recognise me?!¡±

 Chapter 816 - The Chiefâ€™s Bone Lock

    Chapter 816

    The Chief¡¯s Bone Lock

    The leading ve master did not consent to Shao Xuan¡¯s request right away. Instead, the ve master took a good look at the short, thin and frail-looking old ve. The ve did not appear as anything special to him.

    As the biggest ve-trading organisation, all ve masters of the Bi organisation had well-trained eyes. They could tell which ve could fetch high prices and what type of ves were useful. Those holding higher positions in the organisation were certainly much skilled in this perception. However, as a leading ve master who had sold off more ves than the poption of a tribe, he just couldn¡¯t find anything special about this particr ve. They were ushering a huge line of ves this time, more than half of it was healthy ves suited forbour. Just why on earth was this ming Horn tribesman intrigued by this unassuming old ve?

    ¡°Do you know him?¡± The ve master questioned.

    ¡°He¡¯s an old friend.¡± Shao Xuan did not deny it.

    The leading ve master stared at Shao Xuan sceptically. Then, he turned to look at the ve again. Indeed, it was nothing strange for buyers to purchase their friends. However, something was amiss when this scenario was applied to the ming Horn man. Even if they knew each other, they were not on good terms. Were they enemies?

    No matter how hard he pondered, the ve master just couldn¡¯tprehend the oddness of the situation. Despite that, the ve master gave in. They were professional ve traders, their main task was to generate a profit off selling ves. Since the ming Horn tribesman was a customer, he¡¯d sell the ve. The ve master asked for a higher price.

    Mu Fa came forward and haggled with the ve master. He had frequented Chao Qiu City lots and was well-versed with ve trades. Mu Fa was clear about the appropriate prices for different types of ves.

    In the end, Shao Xuan bought the ve over with a rather dull water moonstone.

    Now that they had reached an agreement, the leading vemaster took off the beast fang shaped metal ware around his neck. The metalware was about the size of a palm.

    It was a Xi*, a tool used to untie knots.

    Before the emergence of metal locks, rope knots were the simplest and cheapest way to secure something. Even after wooden and rock locks had be an option, rope knots still prevailed as the mainstream. Sometimes, exceptionallyplicated dead knots would be used to secure financial assets. Some knots could even produce a nine-link effect. Without the Xi, it would take at least half a day to untie the knots. When the Xi was used, one would be able to undo everything in two breaths.

    If knots were the earliest locks, then the Xi was the earliest key.

    [**TL Note: The Xi is an ancient awl used to loosen knots and open bottles/jars. It is also almost equivalent to an ancient can opener. Typically, people would wear these like a pendant. It can also be considered an essory.]

    ls8WY4jByymoElgwk4ho5IDrA3tc_77XJoXqftxUt2_6FNNFXRDWdjERGmLgC_Tf-yTiRwN0Cg55giYKcQ2gSuZ5qd7idvpE_GqsKV03N9zTwcrfi0hKToukNx3rWZ02uLOou67i

    ve masters of the olden days would bring their Xi-s around. It was also to show the others that- Hey! We own ves!

    Some people would even wear multiple Xi-s at the same time, just like the ve masters that were ushering the ves. Their Xi-s were of a wide variety- Some were short and thick, some were long and thin. There were some that were straighter than the others, while those with a curve tend to berger. Their designs varied too, some were simple and some were rtivelyplex. Some even had intricate patterns that were hollowed out.

    Shao Xuan was rather familiar with knots. Hence, it wasn¡¯t difficult for him to notice the hundreds of different knots used on the ves. Almost half of it were knots Shao Xuan had never encountered. Though some of it looked simple, he was aware that these were difficult to untie.

    It really was a sight to marvel at.

    Different Xi-s were designed to untie different knots. The amount of Xi-s one brandished had naturally created the impression of ¡®I have many ves and many knots, that¡¯s why I need more Xi-s¡¯.

    ves too were a type of asset. ve masters were practising this behaviour to show off their wealth.

    As craftsmen unleashed their creativity over the years, brilliant ideas began to pop up like mushrooms. With that came the birth of moreplicated and sturdier locks. The only downside to it was its increasinglyplex production difficulty and higher initial cost which resulted in higher market prices. Nobles that could afford to use metal locks would naturally experience its benefits and would gradually wean off the usage of rope knots. Other than its functional properties, the luxurious metal locks could be treated as a decoration piece that disyed the aristocracy of the noble ve masters. This was why the metal locks were very popr among the nobles.

    Reced by sturdier locks, the usual rope knots no longer needed to be dead knots. As a result, the Xi tool went gradually out of use but notpletely out of sight. Till this day, Xi continues to survive through time but its function has been diminished. It was now more of an essory than a tool.

    The nobles continued to show off their privilege as a ve master through Xi essories. Since the Xi-s were no longer used to untie knots, there wasn¡¯t a need for it to be fully functional. Xi-s made of lovely gemstones made amazing and shy essories. Some female ve owners would even wear the Xi as a headpiece to stabilize their hairstyle. Hence, current Xi productions had an inclination to aesthetic rather than functionality.

    Even if many ve masters still hung their Xi-s around their necks, it wasn¡¯t necessarily utilized for its original function.

    But there was a specialmunity among the ve masters.

    The people of the ¡®Bi¡¯ organisation had a soft spot for the Xi. The Xi-s were still put used to untie knots. When escorting the ves, rope knots were still the primary restrain tool and the ropes were rtively tough as it had been specially treated.

    Everyone from the Bi could tie impressive knots. Without tools, it would be a hassle to untie them. But of course, tough and sharp objects could naturally break the ropes but who would dare to shoulder the risk of offending the ¡®Bi¡¯ people? Who would dare to snatch their ves?

    On the other hand, ves who managed to break free from their restraints were mostly hunted down by the ¡®Bi¡¯ people in various ways. Once captured, they would be punished cruelly- They¡¯d be worked to the bone and then sold to the cannibal tribes as food.

    ves that had fallen into the hands of the Bi rarely made it out safely.

    With a scimitar-like Xi, the ve master untied one of the knots in the line of ves and brought one end of a rope to Shao Xuan. On the other end of the rope was the restrained old ve.

    ¡°This ve belongs to you now.¡±

    At the sight of a sessful deal, the other escorting ve masters were overjoyed. They felt like this deal was absolutely worth it. They made banks and the water moon stone was a rarity around this region. It was able to illuminate and was much more valuable than regr gemstones. To earn such a gemstone from an old ve with nobour potential was not bad.

    However, the ve master¡¯s face had no expression. He felt suspicious. Though he did not regret the business deal (he was the one who aplished it so he knew if it was a loss or a profit), his heart was unsettled. When the Bi people walked away, he had even turned around to look at the hunched-back old ve. He still couldn¡¯t detect anything special about him.

    Waiting until the ve organisation was far away and out of sight, it was then that Shao Xuan ced his gaze on the old ve. The ve was staring at the ground, rooted to his spot.

    ¡°How long are you nning to keep this act up? Do you think I don¡¯t know who you are?¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s words fuelled the other¡¯s curiosity. Their gazes swept through the old ve intently. No matter how they looked at him, this ve was clearly a stranger.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re saying...¡± The old ve¡¯s voice was hoarse. Trembling, he spoke in an authentically native dialect. Even the Longboat tribesmen who had learned the localnguage after arriving in this area weren¡¯t as good as him.

    Gui He and the others grew even more perplexed. Who the heck was this? Was this a contact Shao Xuan made back during hisst visit here? In that case, they definitely wouldn¡¯t know who this person was as they had remained mainly on the other end.

    As they continued to rack their minds, Gui He heard Shao Xuan say, ¡°Quit acting, Robber Seven.¡±

    Robber Seven?!?!!??!?!

    Hundreds and thousands of res were thrown in his direction.

    To the ming Horns, the sight of the ¡®robbers¡¯ was generally as disgusting as faeces could be. Ever since the tribesmen had found out that the ¡®robbers¡¯ had escaped to this region, the ming Horns were overjoyed by the robbers¡¯ plight. But now they had run into the robbers again! And indeed, this was a very old ¡®friend¡¯ of theirs!

    When Robber Seven came to steal cabbages from the ming Horn¡¯s farnd some time ago, Shao Xuan had beaten him up with just a swat. Following that, this person found himself some aplices to steal the green-faced fanged beast. Shao Xuan had chased them out of the tribe with beatings and the robbers were forced to shoulder the risk of demotion and call for help. Who knew fate would bring them together again.

    Knowing that he could no longer pretend, Robber Seven¡¯s expression fell with his current dilemma.

    He had initially thought that he could sneak into Chao Qiu City by mixing in with the ves. Robber Seven apuded himself for being a genius. Once they were in Chao Qiu City, he would find a chance to slip away and piss off the Bi people. Hahahaha¡ª

    As the victory song of the ¡®robber¡¯ organisation rang repeatedly throughout his skull, Robber Seven was in cloud nine. Unfortunately for him, before Robber Seven could even enter the city, he was met with his nemesis¡ª-Shao Xuan. He had already gone through lengths to disguise himself and yet Shao Xuan was able to recognize him!

    Every encounter with the ming Horns never ended well for him!

    Robber Seven felt that his misfortune might have resulted from him forgoing his prayers to his ancestors prior to the mission.

    Under everyone¡¯s gaze, the old ve¡¯s initially mncholic, sullen and sickly appearance began to change. No more rickets, his spine straightened up and his shrivelled body began swelling up like an intable balloon. His bones cracked as they relocated themselves.

    Gui He and the others watched the ve- first with shock, then questioning andter, anger. They shared the same thought: Damn it! It really is him!

    ¡°Robber Seven!¡±

    The ming Horns rolled their shoulders and circled Robber Seven. Their smiles were eerily cold, eyes as if telling the robber that he was in for a good beating.

    Robber Seven looked frightened. He stayed frozen at his spot, eyes dulled. Despite that, Shao Xuan knew this bastard was certainly attempting to conjure up an escape n.

    Studying the surrounding terrain and confirming that Robber Seven could not aplish a sessful escape, Shao Xuan asked again, ¡°Speak, what have you stolen this time?¡±

    Members of the ¡°robber¡± organisation would never hide their loot after a sessful robbery. Other people would fear others from learning about their crimes but the robbers, on the other hand, seemed to be afraid that people would remain clueless of their sins. They¡¯d even parade it around. The more expensive the item was, the more they¡¯d show it off. It was as if they wanted the whole world to know about it.

    But for the sake of protecting his own loot, Robber Seven may not tell the truth.

    And as expected, Robber Seven refused to answer Shao Xuan¡¯s question.

    Shao Xuan did not urge him. The man went on, ¡°We¡¯re heading to King City this time. We¡¯re also going to bring them a message.¡±

    Robber Seven continued to stare at the ground. Shao Xuan knew he was listening, so he resumed, ¡°We¡¯ll tell everyone in King City that the famous Robber Seven has been trying to steal undergarments from the Lord Chao Wen of Chao Qiu City.¡±

    Robber Seven snapped his head up at Shao Xuan. ¡°That¡¯s a tant insult to my robbery skills!¡± Forget about Chao Wen¡¯s underwear, he could even steal all the undergarments of everyone else in the King City pce with ease! This was a petty crime that only beginnersmit. Why would Robber Seven, a professional, do something like that?! He was a candidate to be the chief of all robbers for god¡¯s sake!

    King City was perpetually frequented by caravans and travelling groups. If such an amusing piece of news was spread, it would reach faraway ces. Perhaps victims that had suffered robber attacks would passionately provide more publicity to Robber Seven¡¯s ¡®loot¡¯, they might even add oil to the fire and spin the news into exaggerated amusement.

    Obviously, Robber Seven was overthinking it.

    ¡°Heh. You really think they¡¯ll believe you?¡± Robber Seven tried to look unbothered.

    ¡°We can try.¡± Shao Xuan said calmly.

    Robber Seven was at a loss for words. If the ming Horns had threatened him with violence, the robber would make up various lies to deceive the tribesmen. However, Shao Xuan was threatening him with his pride. This was undoubtedly an extreme nder to his reputation!

    Plus, this threat wouldn¡¯t have worked as well if someone else had said it instead. Robber Seven had to be careful around the ming Horns. He feared that the tribesmen would bring more harm to his name. Robber Seven was gearing up to raise his status, he couldn¡¯t afford to be affected by something like this.

    After some thought, Robber Seven relented, ¡°It¡¯s a Xi. The Bi people call it the ¡®Chief¡¯s Bone Lock¡¯.¡±

    Finishing his sentence, Robber Seven couldn¡¯t suppress his joy. He had stolen this off the Bi organisation¡¯s chief, he was even nning to raise his ranking among the robbers with this.

 Chapter 817 - Exchanging Terms

    <h4>Chapter 817</h4>

    Exchanging Terms

    Long ago, when productivity was still at an all-time low, the tribesmen weren¡¯t as skill as they were now. Their equivalents of keys were created using bones, rocks and straw ropes. These were mostmonly known as bone locks or stone locks. The names were still used until this day, especially among the ¡®Bi¡¯ organisation.

    ¡°The Chief¡¯s Bone Lock?¡± While the others were clueless about the item, they could guess that it was something like the Xi and it was very special, which could be seen from the usage of the word ¡®Chief¡¯.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Robber Seven looked delighted. ¡°That is the symbol and proof of status for the Bi leaders. When the new seeds the old, the old chief would pass it to the new chief. ording to the rumours, the lock was made from the toughest bone of some extinct beast.¡±

    Other than the Xi used to untie knots, the ve masters of the Bi organisation possessed another Xi that represented that was an identity representation. Something akin to an identity token.

    Within the Bi organisation, those with higher positions would hold intricately designed Xi-s. But the level ofplexity wasn¡¯t very focused on aesthetics like the nobles. Most of its attention was ced on functionality. The Xi would be used as an aid to tie moreplicated knots and the same tool would be used to quickly untie said knots.

    If the Xi possessed by regr civilians were a key, then the higher authorities of the ¡®Bi¡¯ organisation would all hold a rtivelyplicated key. Their Xi-s had incorporated the functions of different shaped Xi-s. Every curvature and every hollowed out portion had its own use. In the skilful hands of a practised person, the Xi would be an invincible tool to untie knots.

    What Robber Seven had stolen, was indeed the very item used to signify the chief¡¯s identity. It was something of considerable weight. Without it, the session from old to new would becking one process. While it wasn¡¯t as important as the legendary jade seal of the state- ¡°**Receiving it would be one¡¯s eptance of Heaven¡¯s Order, losing it would be the end of one¡¯s reign¡±- no one would be willing to be a chief without the full ritual. It felt like something wascking and it was certainly detrimental to one¡¯s dominance.

    [**TL Note: This is a direct trantion of ¡®µÃÖ®ÔòÊÜÃüÓÚÌì£¬Ê§Ö®ÔòÆøÊýÒÑ¾¡¡¯. It is an ancient text engraved on the jade seal that is used in the inauguration of ancient Chinese emperors. The first half indicates that the emperor is the son of Heaven and in charge of looking after the mortal realm in ce of Heaven. One must not challenge the emperor¡¯s order. The second half is as directly tranted, losing the seal would be the loss of the emperor¡¯s authority.]

    Stealing something like this was bound to warrant wrath.

    ¡°Did you really steal the Chief¡¯s bone lock from the Bi people?¡± The others couldn¡¯t help but question him.

    ¡°Of course. I stole this from Chief Si of the Bi people.¡± Robber Seven was displeased by their scepticism. He was one of the greatest robbers, how dare they question his expertise?

    ¡°So you hid among the ves to avoid getting hunted down by Si?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Not only did Robber Seven not find his escape n embarrassing, but he also felt pretty proud of his intelligence. Si certainly wouldn¡¯t have thought that he would blend in with the ves.

    Robber Seven had been stopped twice by Shao Xuan and even got demoted as a result. If the others that ranked behind hadn¡¯t died, he would¡¯ve been demoted to Robber ¡®Eight¡¯! That would be shameful!

    After the two tectonic tes were brought closer by a series of natural disasters, the robber¡¯s attention had been ced on attacking the nobles of the region. Robber Seven too hade up with an in-depth analysis after hisst failure. The man tried his best to improve himself and further refine details. He even learnt how to switch up the scent of his sweat. With that being said, Robber Seven was now able to imitate other people¡¯s scent perfectly. This was why he could avoid the chaser insect beasts with a sharp sense of smell.

    However, Si was still able to hunt him down. Though unsure of his approaches, the man was still able to locate him albeit a little slower.

    The robbers were skilled in disguising themselves. While Robber Seven was on the run from Si and had decided to blend into the ves, this method had sessfully hidden him from a few waves of searchers dispatched by Si. Si did not wish to publicize the issue so all the dispatched personnel were his most trusted subordinates who held higher positions in the Bi organisation. This ve escort team¡¯s leader was required to be extra courteous when meeting those searchers. Sadly, the darkness was not without reason. Robber Seven was secretly delighted at the sight of the searchers brushing past him without recognition. The robber couldn¡¯t help but think of himself as a genius.

    The old ve had passed away from sickness one night. Robber Seven waited for the right time to drug the surrounding ves into unconsciousness then moved the old ve¡¯s body away. Following that, he disguised himself as the old ve.

    Based on Robber Seven¡¯s n, he was aiming to enter the Chao Qiu City then escape. He¡¯d then hide in the crowd. The more human traffic, the more he¡¯d benefit from it. However, not even in his wildest dreams that he¡¯d imagine himself getting caught by the ming Horns.

    Robber Seven still couldn¡¯t believe this. He had tricked an entire pce worth of people, tricked the most powerful ve-trading organisation ¡®Bi¡¯¡¯s leader and managed to avoid suspicion from the veteran ve masters that could read humans well. Yet, he was stopped not once but three times by the same person! From today onwards, Robber Seven decided that if he ever encountered Shao Xuan again, he¡¯d run right away without hesitation.

    Robber Seven decided to tell the truth for two reasons- One, he was hoping that the ming Horns would spread word of his glorious deed; Two, he had already figured out a way to escape. The man would lead the ming Horns on a ¡®search¡¯ and then find an opening to flee.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± Gui He asked, ¡°Where did you hide the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock?¡±

    Ah-ha! There it was! Robber Seven calmed himself down and was ready to put his n into action. Just as he parted his lips to answer, Shao Xuan interjected, ¡°No need to listen to his lies. A few of you, search his body now.¡±

    Robber Seven was speechless. Wait! Wasn¡¯t it supposed to happen this way: He¡¯d tell that he hid the item in one spot and when the ming Horns asked him to lead the way, he¡¯d bring them on a search everywhere and then disappear? Why were things deviating from nned?!

    The tribesmen surrounded Robber Seven. Even if the robber had three heads and six arms, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape this.

    Just as Robber Seven tried to talk his way out of this, he caught a glimpse of Shao Xuan brandishing his sword. The sunlight bouncing off the de was eerily icy, intense fear forcing Robber Seven to birth an idea.

    ¡°Wait! You can¡¯t kill me!¡± Robber Seven quickly changed course, now screaming.

    ¡°Then you better do it yourself. Show us what you hid at your abdomen,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    Despite being filled with whacky ideas, Robber Seven¡¯s mind immediately went nk at Shao Xuan¡¯s words.

    ¡°W... What?¡± It was rare to hear Robber Seven stammer.

    Shao Xuan tapped the tip of his sword against the robber¡¯s abdomen. ¡°Take this thing here out. You¡¯re not nesting an egg.¡±

    Robber Seven clenched his jaw. ¡°...How did you know?¡±

    Everyone¡¯s confusion immediately transformed into recognition. Robber Seven was hiding something!

    The surrounding tribesmen stared at Robber Seven¡¯s stomach.

    Knowing that he really couldn¡¯t run from this, Robber Seven gave up his intentions to flee. With a demure expression, he moved his shoulders. ¡°Release me. I can do this myself.¡±

    The tribesman holding onto Robber Seven¡¯s arm released his grip. With a twitch of his finger, a fingernail-sized bone piece appeared at the edge of Robber Seven¡¯s nails. The edge of the bone was razor-sharp, it sent shivers down the tribesman¡¯s spine. If Robber Seven was determined to put on a fight, the tribesman would be the first to die. He wasn¡¯t careful enough!

    Ignoring everyone else, Robber Seven had his mind fixated on how to keep his trophies.

    Using the small bone piece, Robber Seven grazed it along his abdomen to create a shallow line that was about as long as a finger. The others had thought that bit of force wasn¡¯t enough to break the skin but soon, they realized that the shallow opening was growing in size. Robber Seven lifted the skin p up and a skin cover that looked almost too simr to human skin was peeled away.

    It was a disguise!

    For the sake of improving their chances at sess, members of the ¡°Robber¡± organisation would study the art of disguise. Not only were they able to change their physical appearances, but they had also used external tools to aid their disguises.

    When the fake skin was peeled away, a depression in Robber Seven¡¯s abdomen was revealed. A fist-sized item that looked like a beast tooth was hidden inside.

    ¡°Xi?!¡±

    ¡°Could this be the... Chief¡¯s Bone Lock?¡± Gui He guessed. It must be something special for Robber Seven to hide it this well. Plus, the robber had mentioned stealing the lock from the Bi¡¯s leader. Hence, there was a high chance that his assumption was correct.

    ¡°So it was hidden there. No wonder he had been bending over. Is he not afraid of getting injured?¡± questioned Ao. Though the Xi wasn¡¯t as sharp as a de, it still had a curved sharp tip. Even if it was wrapped in something else, it still wasn¡¯t very safe. If the organs around the abdomen region had gotten injured from the items it hid, that would undoubtedly bring great danger. After all, there was less chance to seek assistance from a shaman out there.

    Robber Seven¡¯s lips were pressed in a thin line. He was silent. Through the other¡¯s perspective, Robber Seven was indeed trying his darndest to hide his loot. However, Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision had allowed him to notice that the robbers possessed a very different body construct from the others. Robber Seven had four additional bones at the abdomen that functioned to protect his organs. This way why he dared to ce the Xi inside the depression. Naturally, the robber had considered it from many different aspects.

    There was no regr way toprehend the existence of the robbers. Their bodies were essentially constructed to facilitate and improve their disguises. At the same time, it was also constructed to protect themselves. Complete bone dislocation, muscle contractions and dislocation of organs would not affect them at all.

    While many organisations were made up of members of different bloodlines, the robbers were all descendants of the same ancestor. Because of their descent, they were born with a natural advantage for impersonation. Even so, their bodies were different from one another. Just like Robber Eleven and Robber Twelve who Shao Xuan had encountered before, their performances were rtively paler than Robber Seven as thetter was more advantageous in the body construct department. Perhaps Robber Seven could possibly be one of the top three robbers very soon.

    Averting his attention away from Robber Seven¡¯s body, Shao Xuan received the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock proffered by the robber. Robber Seven was absolutely reluctant to let go, his expressions filled with conflict as he held onto the lock.

    Compared to the Xi-s worn by the other ve masters, its general shape did not look too different. It merely had more hollowed-out patterns adorning its edges. There were more curved arcs at the edge. The sharp edge had retained the shape of the beast fang and the blunt end was carved into the shape of a beast head. Meeting the eyes of the vaguely sculpted beast eyes, one could feel the pressure wafting off the item. Even if the fang¡¯s owner had died long ago and its one was carved into something else, anyone who encountered it could still feel its ancient and majestic presence at first nce.

    The bone lock was the reason why Shao Xuan was able to recognize Robber Seven. In his special vision field, this item had shone radiantly. It stood out like a sore thumb as the skeletons of the ves and ves masters had rtively paled in its presence. It was like the only shining star on a foggy night, which made it difficult for Shao Xuan to ignore it.

    And of course, to find something like this on a dying old ve was definitely bewildering.

    Frankly, Robber Seven¡¯s impersonation skills had truly improved by leaps. Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t able to recognize him at first nce among the crowd. It was the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock that piqued Shao Xuan¡¯s attention and prompted him to inspect the ve closer. It was only then that he noticed some clues.

    Ever since leaving the dark realm of the Yi family, Shao Xuan noticed that he could see the different fire seeds merged in various people. Everyone¡¯s fire seed all had a unique disy, it was just like fingerprints. No matter how hard Robber Seven tried to hide, Shao Xuan would still be able to identify him as soon as he got serious.

    Gui He and the others were curious about how Robber Seven was able to steal such an important item from Si. However, the answers to their queries had involved exposing one¡¯s techniques. Hence, Robber Seven refused to answer.

    ¡°Ah Xuan, what do you n to do with this?¡± asked Gui He as he took the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock from Shao Xuan¡¯s palm to study it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold onto this. This will be useful during our discussion with the Bis. If they suggest unfavourable terms, they won¡¯t be getting this back,¡± answered Shao Xuan.

    Gui He nodded, he too shared the same thought. The Chief¡¯s Bone Lock was an exquisite item. It was so tough that perhaps not even the new bronze could scratch its surface. While this was just a tool to untie and tie rope knots, this was a tool that bore great significance to the Bi. Instead of owning the item, why not utilize its maximum potential and use it against the Bi?

    The ¡®Bi¡¯ and ¡®Robbers¡¯ were like mosquitoes and beetles to the public. No one liked them. To steal this from a robber and then use it in a discussion with the Bi was the best-case scenario.

    Seeing that the ming Horns had no ns to return his loot, Robber Seven felt thoroughly helpless. He was forced to dy his n to rank in the top three.

    No! He mustn¡¯t give up easily!

    Robber Seven worked his brain to conjure up a way to retrieve the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock from the ming Horns. When he was first captured by Shao Xuan, the ming Horns had released him after establishing some terms...

    ¡°Wait!¡±

    Robber Seven shouted after Shao Xuan and Gui He. The robber spared a hard look at the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock in their grip. He turned to Shao Xuan. ¡°I¡¯d like to exchange it with an intel.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Gui He was admittedly interested. He¡¯d like to find out what information the robber would offer to get his loot back.

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely something valuable to you! If you wish to learn about it, you must return the lock to me. Holding onto the lock will bring more harm than good to you. Plus, you have no use for it,¡± borated Robber Seven.

    ¡°Tell us what you have.¡± Shao Xuan stared at Robber Seven.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll say it only after you agree to my terms.¡±

    ¡°Then you can forget about it.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Wait! What are you in a rush for!¡± Robber Seven gushed after Shao Xuan as if worried that the man would leave if he was a tad bit slower. ¡°I know you¡¯re here for your missing tribesmen. I¡¯ll exchange the tool for a very important intel about the ¡®Bi¡¯. Perhaps it will be of help to the discussion between ¡®Bi¡¯ and King City.¡±

    ¡°¡®Bi¡¯ and King City?¡± Shao Xuan and Gui He immediately picked up the message hidden between the robber¡¯s words.

    ¡°How did you even learn of such important news?¡± asked Gui He.

    Robber Seven¡¯s immediate answer was filled with unmasked delight. ¡°I overheard it while stealing.¡±

    Stealing was not a sin in a robber¡¯s take on life. Instead, it was something to be proud of.

    At his answer, Gui He fell silent. He took a nce at Shao Xuan, to which thetter returned a nod and raised a palm to motion the others to give them privacy. The only ones allowed to remain were Gui He, Shao Xuan and Ao.

 Chapter 818 - Si, The Observer

    <h4>Chapter 818</h4>

    Si, The Observer

    Now that they were alone, Gui He turned to look at Robber Seven. ¡°Speak. If it¡¯s worth it, we¡¯ll return the item to you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Robber Seven stared at Gui He questioningly, then looked at Shao Xuan.

    ¡°But that¡¯s only if your information has value. Or else...¡±

    ¡°Of course it has value! I can guarantee that it is worth it! Even if it isn¡¯t, I can just give you another piece of information. Like how Si is as a person.¡± After his failures associated with the ming Horns, he would prepare himself sufficiently before every other mission. This time, he too prepared himself thoroughly for the sake of stealing from Si.

    Seeing that Gui He and Shao Xuan had agreed to his offer, Robber Seven ignored Ao¡¯s frown and sorted out his thoughts. He spoke of what he knew.

    ¡°Si is a close associate of King City¡¯s new lord, Ji Fang.¡±

    Robber Seven¡¯s intel was a surprise to Gui He and Ao. Shao Xuan, on other hand, wasn¡¯t too shocked. It made sense for a noble ve master to be close to a ve trader. However, Robber Seven¡¯s tone had suggested that Si and Ji Fang were working together. Perhaps the reason why Ji Fang could sessfully take the throne had much to do with Si¡¯s assistance.

    Those involved in the fight for the throne would definitely receive a surplus of benefits. It was no wonder that ¡®Bi¡¯ could be thergest ve-trade organisation.

    ¡°So you mean it was Ji Fang¡¯s order that brought the ve-traders to our tribes?!¡± Ao¡¯s brows were raised so high it was about to be perpendicr.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± Robber Seven shook his head and continued to report what he had eavesdropped- ¡°Si was the one who gave orders to capture ves. Ji Fang had summoned him after finding out about the order and told Si to bring everyone from the ming River Trading Point over. Si was not to sell the tribesmen off. While Si was not too keen on it, he did not reject Ji Fang. It was during then that I found out that your party wasing.¡± Despite that, Robber Seven wasn¡¯t expecting the ming Horns to approach from Chao Qiu City¡¯s direction.

    Ah, he should¡¯ve run as far as he could.

    ¡°Is that all you have for us in return for this lock?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Calm down! There¡¯s more!¡± Robber Seven scratched his head. He continued, ¡°About Ji Fang... Other than receiving help from many associates, there is also another important factor behind his sess in taking over the throne¡ª- His sword.¡±

    ¡°Sword?¡± Shao Xuan was perplexed.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is all thanks to the sword that the Ji family could be the head of the six ns in King City back then andter sit on the throne. A century or so back, many would¡¯ve known about the Ji family¡¯s sword. It was also known as the King¡¯s Sword, their n started the aristocrats¡¯ interest in swords.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Ji family sword forged by the Gongjia family?¡± asked Gui He. He had learned this from Gongjia Ren some time ago.

    ¡°No.¡± Robber Seven looked absolutely smug. After all, he had done extensive research before making his move. It was through various channels that he attained these secrets.

    ¡°Before the Gongjia family appeared in King City, the Ji family sword had allowed them to reign as the head of all six ns in the city. The other ns had feared the Ji family, but of course, the Yi family excluded- the Yi family could not be bothered with it. The other four tribes were not as powerful as the Ji family, which is why the Ji family was able to reign supreme.¡±

    ¡°Now, the Ji family¡¯s advantage has grown. The Yi family, the only family that could threaten the Ji family, is in shambles due to internal and external conflicts. Aside from some of the figureheads, the current Yi family is left with not many members. There are no longer six aristocrat families of the King City, the city is only left with five main families now,¡± sighed Robber Seven.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s put the Yi family aside and talk about the Ji family sword. Could it be that the Ji family¡¯s sword forging skills were better than the Gongjia members?¡± Gui He was rather particr about this issue. Regarding the Yi family, Gui He had heard insights and forecasts from Yi Cong before. Hence, he wasn¡¯t all that shocked to hear what happened to the Yi family.

    ¡°Not necessarily. With ites to techniques, the Gongjia family is the best. But the swords forged by the Ji family could definitely break some of Gongjia¡¯s creations! This is because the Ji family forge their swords with blood. Specifically, the Ji family members could use their own blood to forge swords!¡±

    ¡°Forging swords with human blood?!¡± Shao Xuan was dumbfounded. He had always thought that blood from only a few rare types of special beasts could be used in sword creation. It was truly a surprise to learn that human blood could be used to forge swords. Was it really possible? Anyhow, Shao Xuan¡¯s blood wouldn¡¯t work.

    Possession of the core seed had also meant owning a mine. Along with the ability to forge swords with blood and strong logistics, they were able to own a gargantuan amount of grain fields. It wasn¡¯t hard to imagine the amount of power the Ji family had over the poption.

    ¡°But...¡± Robber Seven¡¯s tone became more unsettling, his face morphed into something unsightly. ¡°The glorious times where every member of the Ji family could weld swords had be a bygone era. After the Ji family built King city, members who could not weld swords with their blood began to appear in the family.¡±

    Robber Seven seemed exceptionally excited to be speaking of gossip and nasty things about other people. His saliva and spit were close to getting sttered all over Shao Xuan and the others. However, if everything Robber Seven said was true, it was indeed intriguing.

    When the earliest urrence of the inability to forge swords with blood had birthed suspicions and self-doubt among the family descendants. However, they soon found out that many of their n members had experienced the same issue. Later on, for the sake of maintaining their pride, the Ji family had brought the Gongjia family into King City. With that being said, the reason why the Gongjia family was able to settle down fast in the city was mainly owed to the Ji family.

    Since they could no longer forge swords with their blood, they would hire the best cksmiths to create excellent swords. It was a tradition for the Ji family to brandish swords.

    While the issue had been solved on the surface level, many still felt guilty towards the Ji family ancestors.

    Were the Ji family ancestors rolling in their graves wondering why their descendants were nothing but a useless bunch? Perhaps they were not even part of their bloodline! The family¡¯s ability to weld swords out of blood was equivalent to their right to the throne. How did a bloodline that could not forge swordse into existence?

    This was so shameful! This was a disgrace!

    How was this even possible?! Nothing made sense!

    The Ji family had suspected that their bloodline was diluted but could not bear to embarrass themselves in public. They continued to uphold their majestic identities despitecking certain confidence. Only a handful caught wind about the secret, mainly because the Ji family had full intention of keeping it under the wraps!

    In the past century, Ji family members that could forge swords with blood were rare. The number was so few that you could count them with ten fingers. However, there were great risks associated with the act. Since blood was needed during forging, the Ji member would have to bleed out and that meant bing vulnerable. As soon as they were weakened, it would create a chance for many to take advantage of their state. One wrong move and a severe residual effect would be left on their bodies. There were plenty of simr cases.

    At the same time, if the Ji members had gotten through it unscathed, they would be met with less resistance to seed the throne.

    ¡°Ji Fang had once met Gongjia Heng in hopes that the Gongjia craftsman could help forge an excellent King¡¯s Sword. Sadly, the attempt wasn¡¯t sessful so Ji Fang had to bleed himself out to forge the sword. He was almost assassinated during this.¡± Robber Seven continued to report what he had learned.

    Ji Fang had snatched the throne over. This act was bound to garner protests from within the family but as soon as the King Sword had emerged, no one dared to say anything more.

    The sword was sufficient proof that he was a descendant of the king! No matter how filthy Ji Fang¡¯s approach to taking the throne was and no matter how many tricks he had yed, the King¡¯s Sword had immediately driven the Ji family members into silence.

    The Ji family despised the Yi family. Thetter family was clearly able to find the star butterfly but out of fear that the Ji family¡¯s powerful influence would do harm to them, they were reluctant to use divination. It was until the incident with Yi Xiang that they were willing to do so.

    After trouble broke out within the Yi family, the Ji family was the first to attack them.

    Shao Xuan reminisced about his visit to King City back then. He had met Ji Fang at Gongjia Heng¡¯s ce. Perhaps that was the time when Ji Fang was there to request for a sword. However, the sword attainment was a failure as Gongjia Heng wasn¡¯t able to create a weapon that was to his standards. And based on the timeline Robber Seven was talking about, Ji Fang¡¯s sword forging might have happened not long after Shao Xuan¡¯s departure.

    During this trip to King City, Shao Xuan would have to be cautious around Ji Fang. The King¡¯s Sword surely had something special about it.

    ¡°What about Si? What is the Bi leader like as a person?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Si?¡± Robber Seven¡¯s excitement died down slightly. ¡°Si, to many people, meant death. No, it¡¯s more like a living hell. This is the head of all ve traders we¡¯re talking about here. To him, there are no nobles and no tribes, only valuable or worthless ves. There is this widely-used term among the Bis, the ¡®Observer*¡¯. Though the definition is different elsewhere, it means to observe and judge if someone has the potential to be a ve among the Bis. This person also gauges how much value the potential ve can fetch.¡±

    [*TL Note: The original text used here was Ê¡Ãñ, which means to observe/watch the people.]

    It was akin to scrutinizing a piece of meat on the cutting board.

    ¡°Si favours dark clothing and holds a long cross-shaped staff. There is a de on the top part of the staff in the shape of a Xi. An eye is engraved on it...¡±

    Robber Seven continued to ramble on selectively. He spoke until his mouth went dry. He finally stopped and looked at the three other men. ¡°I spent great effort to attain all of this information. Hurry up and give me back my stuff.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not worth it yet.¡± Shao Xuan stared ahead at Robber Seven. ¡°Tie him up.¡±

    Ignoring Robber Seven¡¯s hysterical screams, Shao Xuan had someone stuff a piece of leather into his mouth. Shao Xuan turned to Gui He, ¡°Lead the team forward, I¡¯m going to meet that Si for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Are you thinking of luring Si over with Robber Seven? Will he reallye?¡± asked Gui He.

    ¡°Si is already nearby.¡± Shao Xuan crushed the knotted straw rope in his grip and scattered it around.

    Gui He wanted to insist to stay behind but with considerations of the majority, he swallowed his words back down. In the end, other than Shao Xuan, Gan Qie, Thunder Mountain chief Lu Zhai; Sickle chief Ci Dou; Water Tiger chief Qu Li and the Longboat chief Mu Fa also remained. They all desired to meet the legendary Chief Si of thergest ve-trading organisation.

    Robber Seven was gagged and tied into a cocoon that left only his head exposed. He wriggled around at first but soon calmed down.

    As the sun began to set, the skies gradually returned to darkness. The night breeze was rather chilly tonight.

    Robber Seven, tightly restrained in a cocoon, was thrown onto a huge boulder among the grass by Shao Xuan. He did not scream nor did he struggle. Silently, he lifted his chin and stared at the sky above as if questioning all mysterious philosophers of the universe: Who am I? Where am I? What was I trying to do?

    Cling ck cling¡ª¨C

    The clinking sound of chains rang in the veil of darkness. Everyone¡¯s attention was ced on it.

    Shao Xuan sat on the rock and looked in the direction of the source.

    Far away, a human figure appeared. His dark cape pped with the wind and there was a long scythe in his grip, like the Grim Reaper walking out of the dark night.

 Chapter 819 - Enslave me?

    Chapter 819

    Enve me?

    ¡°Si!¡±

    Though Mu Fa had never once encountered the infamous legendary Chief Si of the ¡®Bi¡¯ organisation, he had heard about Si¡¯s appearance. Ever since Si became the leader of the ve-trading organisation, the man¡¯s name gradually becamemon knowledge among the general public. Mu Fa had even heard that many adults in some of the bigger cities would use Si¡¯s name to scare their children. ¡°You¡¯d better behave yourselves or Si will take you away!¡±¡ª- wasmon to instil fear in children.

    Mu Fa had even heard from some of the ve traders that those threats were not necessarily fake.

    Therge scythe-like item in Si¡¯s grip was actually a (Ê®) cross-shaped staff. The top of the staff was a sharp Xi in the shape of a beast fang.

    It looked vastly different from Xi-s that were primarily used to untie rope knots. Instead of arger Xi, perhaps it was best to describe the Xi on the tip of Si¡¯s staff as a Xi-shaped metal de instead. Its edges were sharpened till razor-sharp, emitting off a cold glint of light as Si moved in the dark. The Xi at the tip bore a glyph of an eye, which was the sign for an observer. If gazes were met with the glyph, one would feel watched. They would feel like a b of meat thrown onto the chopping board while the other party scrutinized you for your worth.

    As the head of the ve traders whose name could easily drive children to tears, Mu Fa put his guard up against the approaching figure.

    Lu Zhai, Ci Du, Qu Li and the others too were on guard.

    At Si¡¯s appearance, the tightly restrained Robber Sevennguidly took one nce in the direction and averted his eyes to the night skies. He tantly ignored the distant re that bore heavy murderous intent directed at him. Robber Seven¡¯s was calmer than ever, at least on the surface.

    Shao Xuan looked at the approaching Si, then whipped his head around to study his surroundings. Si had broughtpany.

    Cling ng cling¡ª¡ª¡ª

    Under the moonlight, rushed footsteps rang. Six thin ck-robed half-masked figures appeared with chains in their grips. Each metallic clink of the chain was apanied by glinting cold sheens. They were equally divided into two nks. The frontmost moved with Si to form a curved half-circle formation. Shao Xuan and his party, on the other hand, were enveloped in its centre.

    The line-up of dark clothed figures brought a sense of deja vu. It felt almost like a group hunt, but instead of the ming Horns closing in on a certain beast, it was the Bis closing in on them. Mu Fa heard that no one had ever made it out of the metal chains if caught.

    Once they were fifty steps away, Si and his party halted. Their gazes were icy, even the surrounding temperature had felt like the sheer malice lowered it. Their cold res swept through Shao Xuan¡¯s party and finally paused on Robber Seven. They red daggers, attention frozen on Robber Seven¡¯s being as if overwhelmed with the urge to skin him alive.

    There was no way Robber Seven did not pick up on their res. However, the man continued to stare at the sky, tantly ignoring Si and his seven-membered party. Robber Seven pursed his lips indifferently.

    The metal chain wielding bunch was Si¡¯s most trusted subordinates. They too were involved in the hunts for Robber Seven. The robber deemed them not worthy of his thought. They had searched high and low for him, and yet Robber Seven had always escaped undetected. Simply put, they were a bunch of useless fools in the robber¡¯s eyes. Robber Seven would rather weigh his escape options than to think about these idiots.

    Si removed his murderous intent from Robber Seven momentarily to look at Shao Xuan and his party. Displeased, he frowned. ¡°Where is it?¡± His voice was as coarse as scraping cold metal chains. It radiated heavily of iciness, able to send shivers down one¡¯s spine.

    It was then that Robber Seven gave up ying dead. He rolled his eyes at Si. ¡°Don¡¯t ask me,¡± said the robber while he pointed his lips at Shao Xuan. It was a notion for Si to look to the side.

    Brows tightly knitted, Si¡¯s overwhelming chilliness intensified. He could feel that the stolen bone lock was no longer in proximity. He had followed its trails but were only met with this bunch of strangers.

    His eerie gaze was removed from Robber Seven and ced on Shao Xuan, who was in the front. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as if the opened shackles were about to buckle onto the target.

    ¡°A ming Horn?¡± Though it was supposed to be a question, Si¡¯s tone had indicated his confirmation.

    Si studied the other five people. Aside from Shao Xuan, the others weren¡¯t from the ming Horn tribe. They were all from different backgrounds but...

    Si had stared at Gan Qie the longest. The others were easy to read, including the only ming Horn present. They were not all that unique to Si but the most puzzling person had to be Gan Qie. With his perception, Si felt like this person should be dead. He couldn¡¯tprehend this, this was truly odd.

    However, the direst matter now was to retrieve his stolen bone lock. Everything else could wait for another time. Due to the existence of fire seeds, there were always tribes that were different from the others. The corpse-like person was perhaps an example of it. Could he withstand hits? If he was a fighter, could he fetch a high price as a ve? upational habit took charge and the first thing that crossed Si¡¯s mind was the potential price of this person if sold as a ve.

    After pondering for a moment, Si looked at Shao Xuan. He knew that the current party was led by the ming Horns. Hence, he needed to look at the ming Horn representative in the eye.

    ¡°Did you take it?¡± asked Si. Before Shao Xuan could answer, he interjected, ¡°Hand it over!¡± Shao Xuan was not spared a chance to exin. Si only wanted his lock, anything else was pointedly irrelevant.

    ¡°It¡¯s not here,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Of course I¡¯m aware that it¡¯s not here. But I¡¯m asking YOU to GIVE IT BACK TO ME! Or else...¡± With a movement of his wrist, a sh of metal whistled by. The pointed edge of the Xi de was aimed in Shao Xuan¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Or else what?¡± Shao Xuan challenged.

    ¡°Or else you¡¯ll all be enved!¡± Si finished coldly.

    Just like Robber Seven had mentioned, the Bi organisation members had kept the tradition of appointing an observer. This also meant that they judged everyone as they were ve-browsing. Typically, they wouldn¡¯t attack a free man. By definition, a free man was essentially an ex-tribesman that had left the tribe and did not belong to any organisation. They would be nomads who moved freely. However, if the ve-traders hade across extremely valuable free men, they would too enve said person.

    This was the reason why many would avoid the ¡®Bi¡¯.

    But of course, dire times like the current shortage of ve stock would drive them to make a move on the tribes. It would be rather troublesome to attack the tribes on this side of the continent but if they attacked the other continent nearest to the coast, everything would be much easier.

    Did they not know that the ming Horn tribe could put up a fight? Well, they were fully aware of that. Before they began the operation, they had done extensive research. They had even sent members out to attack the surrounding tribes around the ming Horn territory as a preventive measure. However, they had truly underestimated the ming Horn tribe¡¯spetence. They were even more surprised that Ji Fang would personally interfere with their operation on the ming Horns with an order.

    To release the ves they captured for no reason? That didn¡¯t make any sense? This severely deviated from Bi¡¯s philosophy.

    Unfortunately, the order was given by Ji Fang and while Si wasn¡¯t pleased, he wouldn¡¯t ruin the working rtionship between them just for a few ves. However, there was a shift in events. Since Si hade face to face with the ming Horn tribe and thetter was holding onto his belongings, Ji Fang¡¯s orders would bergely ignored.

    The Bi¡¯s work ethic would be to never let go once they settled their fangs on captured flesh. Even if their prey weren¡¯t captured in the end, they would still need to inflict notable damage to teach them the power of the strongest ve-trading organisation to exist¡ª-Bi! Fear was their best medal.

    Mu Fa stared at Si in shock, realizing that the man was actually serious. Si was actually intending to ignore Ji Fang¡¯s order and attack a ming Horn? Mu Fa turned to look at Shao Xuan in an attempt to gauge the Grand Elder¡¯s response. Weirdly, he could not sense anything from Shao Xuan. The only thing notable was the odd atmosphere.

    ¡°Enve me?¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s tone was oddly nonchnt. It sounded as if they were engaged in a casual dinner conversation. There was not even the faintest hint of anger on his face. Despite that, Robber Seven, who was near Shao Xuan, shuddered abruptly. Following that, the robber became excited,ughing maniacally.

    Hahahahahaha!

    He said it! Si actually said it!

    When Robber Seven felt like the biggest enemy of the ming Horn tribe and that his future was nothing but a span of darkness, a bigger idiot had emerged. This fool hadmitted something that would garner more hatred than he could, how could Robber Seven not feel excited about this? Robber Seven knew that the tribesmen absolutely despised being referred to as ¡®ves¡¯. Back then, severalrge tribes had battled ve masters in the desert. It was natural for Si¡¯s words to trigger fury. The other tribesmen in Robber Seven¡¯s proximity looked like they were about to explode.

    Qu Li¡¯s fists were clenched so tight that his finger joints were popping. Lu Zhai and Ci Du¡¯s expressions turned sour while Gan Qie... Gan Qie was still as usual. He was not enraged but was merely curiously studying Si and the other ck-clothed figures who were wielding metal chains.

    Robber Seven¡¯s mood had lightened greatly. After he was captured by the ming Horn, he had told them all he knew and even yed along as bait. He had agreed to this fuss-free not out of fear towards Shao Xuan. Instead, Robber Seven had full intention to slip away during the exchange between the ming Horns and Si. He would find a chance to run away. After all, chaos could be expected since the ming Horns were not fond of the ruthless ve masters that preyed on tribesmen. However, Robber Seven truly wasn¡¯t expecting Si to be crazier than anticipated.

    Yes. To Robber Seven, anyone who dared to threaten Shao Xuan with envement must be out of their mind.

    Robber Seven lifted his head once again and stared at the night sky. The stars were brilliant tonight, the perfect day to execute a quick escape.

 Chapter 820

    Chapter 820

    Yet Another Monster

    Frankly, Si had been long eyeing the ming Horn tribe. Back then, when the tribe still lived in the depths of the mountain forest, they kept a rtively low profile. Plus, the Bis rarely ventured deep into the forests and interacted with the tribes. It was the huge migration of the ming Horns that brought them to the Bi¡¯s attention.

    Others might findpetent tribes difficult to deal with and would tend to avoid them. However, it was different for the Bis. To them, powerful tribes would produce powerful resources: high-priced ves. Every human being was judged as merchandise in their eyes.

    Just like how the Feather tribe would parade avian clothes with remarkable feathers, the Bis would show off their most valuable ves. Besides, ve masters holding higher positions would naturally be able to judge ves more urately. They wouldn¡¯t be interested in regr people. For a leader figure like Si, every move was calcted. When they attack, their targeted ves would have to be at least at the level of a tribe chief. Or else, it wouldn¡¯t be a match for their level.

    Despite everything, Ji Fang¡¯s warning did cause Si to hesitate slightly. He did not move in straight away but instead lifted his free arm to point at the restrained Robber Seven, who was still in a cocoon of ropes. His tone was stern. ¡°Give him to me or I¡¯ll kill him!¡± Getting his bone lock stolen was probably the most embarrassing thing to happen in Si¡¯s life!

    Si could still track down the stolen bone lock through various approaches but he had no ns to let Robber Seven go unscathed. The man had stolen his prized possession! If Robber Seven were to die here, Si was confident that no one else would be able to steal the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock from him ever again. He felt like no one else had the same capabilities to repeat this incident, not even the tribesmen in front of him.

    Hence, Robber Seven must die! His death would scare off all threats and no one else would humiliate Si again in the future!

    Though he could feel the murderous intent, Robber Seven barely moved. Qu Li and the others were incredibly tense. They gulped and turned to stare at Shao Xuan. Noticing that Shao Xuan had yet to move as well, they continued to stay silent.

    Robber Seven looked at Shao Xuan. He would be lying if he said he wasn¡¯t scared, pursing his lips. He knew that Shao Xuan was the decision-maker of this party. Robber Seven desired to see how Shao Xuan would let the scene unfold but he was even more worried that Shao Xuan would kill him right on the spot.

    When no reply came, Si swept his gaze across Shao Xuan and the others. ¡°So you¡¯re not going to hand him over?¡±

    As silence loomed again, Si swung his arm out and a nail-sized ck shadow shot out of his wide ck sleeve. It flew into the grass patches and began travelling towards Shao Xuan¡¯s party.

    Whoosh whoosh whoosh¡ª¡ª¡ª

    The ck shadows that were projected into the grass shed through the top of the nts. Pieces of broken off grass were sent flying everywhere on the ground like countless raindrops. Soon, the shadowsnded close to the group and stabbed themselves into the dirt.

    This was Si¡¯s signal to attack!

    Shao Xuan drew his sword. ¡°Gan Qie, look after Robber Seven. Don¡¯t let him die so easily!¡±

    ¡°As for you.¡± Shao Xuan did a quick once over Mu Fa, Qu Li and the others- ¡°Don¡¯t die.¡±

    Qu Li, Lu Zhai, Ci Du and Mu Fa, who had vast experiences leading a cruise through countless storms were speechless at the differential treatment. ¡°...¡±

    Shao Xuan was merely asking them to look after themselves, which was totally fine. However, they were still leaders of their respective tribes. How could they tolerate such treatment? Was Gan Qie even able to fight off six people alone?

    Though the moon tonight wasn¡¯t huge, the illuminationing from the moon and the stars along with their impable eyesight had saved them from total blindness. Leaving Gan Qie, who possessed superior night-vision among the bunch, Ci Du and the others were well-trained with hunting in the dark. In the forests, beasts wouldn¡¯t show mercy just because they couldn¡¯t see well in darkness. Without the obstruction from dense foliage, the celestial illuminations tonight had brought more light than their usual hunts in the forest.

    As a bonus, the Bis wasn¡¯t blessed with amazing night-vision either. Everyone¡¯s movements were equally limited in the dark.

    The surrounding six figures had quickly moved forward as soon as the signal was received. Withoutcking agility and force, they threw their metal chains out. A handful of thin hair-strand-like threads were thrown together at the same time. The thinness of it was easy to ignore but it was with these additions that the metal chains felt alive. Combined together, it created a lethal force.

    If traps were said to work in links, then the threads and metal chains were the two most important elements in the Bi ve masters¡¯ trap design. This long-standing ve-trading organisation had birthed countless experts in rope knots. Hence, they were exceptionally sensitive to details. The slightest movements would not go unnoticed by them.

    Robber Seven was so happy he might explode.

    Hahaha! The fight had begun!

    Yet, for the sake of masking his presence, Robber Seven needed to suppress his glee. Even so, he no longer pretended to be studying constetions. He now watched the battle unfold intently while searching for a great chance to flee. He did not wish to stay behind any longer. Even if Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t nning on handing him over to Si, Robber Seven was almost certain that things wouldn¡¯t be any better if he ended up in the hands of the ming Horns. It was safer that he ran away as soon as possible.

    Mu Fa paid attention to the thin strings and metal chains, silently weighing their ratio of sess. He thought, ¡°Si¡¯s subordinates are as fearsome as rumoured. Their impressive chemistry aside, they are also very strong. They also seem to be very skilled in predicting and analyzing their enemies. They conjured up a dense before even beginning to move in.¡± And they, on the other hand, were the targets aimed to be captured in the.

    With a flick of his wrist, two round palm-sized shield slid from Qu Li¡¯s forearm to his wrist. He had requested Gongjia Ren to make this out of the ming Horn¡¯s new bronze material. As Qu Li¡¯s totemic pattern began to intensify, his whole body was inted to the point that his fingers too were at least one circumferencerger. The round shield that had initially urred as oversized now looked appropriate.

    The tip of the metal chains stabbed the ground with a pound. Three dark figures pulled and the arrowhead-like des on the tip of the chains flew backwards, pulling outrge chunks of dirt and grass along the motion. Borrowing its momentum, the three ck figures inclined themselves and lunged forward.

    Whoosh whoosh whoosh¡ª¡ª-

    The thrown metal chains felt like they had eyes. It changed its direction mid-air and began chasing after Qu Li and the few. Like a viper that was brandishing its venomous fang, it went in for the kill. As soon as one was bitten, one mere bite might just be enough to bring them closer to hell.

    Qu Li stomped the ground and began backing away urgently. Watching the sharp metal chain stabbing into the piece of dirt that was just an arm¡¯s length away from his toes, the man couldn¡¯t help but shudder internally. If his response was a tad bit slower or he had not pulled sufficient distance away, his whole right leg would be nailed to the ground.

    He nced at Gan Qie from the corner of his eye. Gan Qie was still the same- expressions nd with no hint of emotional fluctuations. He looked like a lifeless stone pir, remaining frozen at his spot. Qu Li was really impressed with Gan Qie¡¯s calmness for the fact that he could stay so unfazed and rock-like in such a situation. Qu Li couldn¡¯t help but think- If Gan Qie was nailed by the metal chains, would he still be able to keep his cool?

    Wait. Didn¡¯t the ming Horns mention that dead could not touch Gan Qie?

    Another metal chain escaped the dark-clothed figure. It behaved like a slithering snake in the dark baring its sharp fangs that dripped with venom. It was heading towards Gan Qie in a beeline. More specifically, it was dashing towards Robber Seven, who was right behind Gan Qie.

    Typically, the Bi ve masters would prioritize capturing their prey. If they couldn¡¯t capture them, only then would they resort to murder. Robber Seven was an exception as Si had ordered his death. Hence, they would dly take their time surrounding Qu Li and the others but go in for the kill once an opportunity had presented itself to kill Robber Seven!

    Without relying on any tools, Gan Qie grabbed the metal chains whizzing past the top of his skull bare handed.

    The metal chain lunging for Robber Seven was stopped. Its sharp arrow-end halted abruptly one step away from the robber¡¯s position as if choked by its jugr. Immediately, the arrowhead went limp.

    On the other end, the ck figure pulled on the metal chain to no avail. Yet, fear did not seize the man. It wasmon for the metal chain to be gripped in such a manner due to its construct. Not only was he not worried but faint mocking mirth had also appeared in his eyes. With a slight movement to his hand, another metal chain wielded by the other dark figure ambushed Gan Qie like a creeping snake.

    Gan Qie raised his arm to stop the second metal chain. But just as he executed that move, the gripped chain seemed to havee back to its senses. Struggling, the chain moved in an S-shaped motion and then abruptly spread open to both sides. Its outnking tendency entangled Gan Qie!

    Gan Qie¡¯s situation didn¡¯t go unnoticed by Ci Du. His first initial response was to rush over to help as they were allrades after all. Plus, the Bis had outnumbered them by one more member. If Gan Qie were to lose his ability to fight, it would put their party into a position of vulnerability.

    However, just as Ci Du was about to rush forward with aid, he captured a faint glimpse of Gan Qie¡¯s bloodshot eyes. They were exceptionally obvious in the dark. It was that moment when Ci Du was reminded that Gan Qie was, in fact, built differently from them.

    The ming Horn chief had once mentioned avoiding Gan Qie at all cost when he was in this state. Besides, Ci Du had also seen what Gan Qie was capable of during one of their hunts. The way Gan Qie ughtered the fearsome beast was a sight that brought great fear to Ci Du. Till this day, Ci Du was still terrified of him.

    Noticing Ci Du moving away, Qu Li and Lu Zhai seemed to have arrived at the same thought. They began pausing their tracks.

    Robber Seven, who was still delighted by the events, suddenly felt a chill and shivered.

    Wrapped in chains, Gan Qie was not the least bit anxious. However, the odd red glow in his eyes was brightening. It looked like gooey blood clots that were threatening to seep out.

    Crack... Crack... Crack!

    Bones were heard moving around. Soon, phnges that were glistening with metallic lustre emerged from Gan Qie¡¯s hand. The projections looked to be half an arm long. Like a sharp knife out of its sheath, it shed a horrifying cold light under the pale moonlight!

    An eerie roar rumbled out of his throat, sound waves emitted out from his long fangs. It sted out and began spreading towards its surroundings. The sound was deafening! The metal chains wrapped around Gan Qie began to let out weak crackling noises as if about to shatter in the next second.

    Sand-yellow mes began manifesting around Gan Qie, causing everything in his proximity to turn dry and cold. The grass patched beneath his feet was losing moisture at an rming rate due to the high heat. Its colour went from a brilliant green to a wilted yellow in less than a breath¡¯s time.

    Robber Seven, who was the nearest to Gan Qie, felt his facial skin went tight. It was so tight that it felt like it was going to crack open. Not even hisrge amounts of cold sweat could soothe the tension.

    The six dark figures abruptly stopped their footsteps, their feet as if nailed to the ground. Their Xi-like curved brows were raised high as they stared at Gan Qie with unmasked shock. They were so horrified by the turn of events that their pupils contracted. They were absolutely thrown off by the scene before them.

    What tribe was he from?!

    Was this... Was this really human?!

    Was he part beast?

    No, there was no way he was part beast. They had captured so many human-beast hybrid ves and had never once encountered this peculiar phenomenon. This wasn¡¯t something they were familiar with. This was not even the humankind they were all too familiar with either! So what exactly was this? A monster?

    The dark-clothed bunch weren¡¯t the only ones in shock. Even Robber Seven, who had been feigning calmness since the beginning, was experiencing intense goosebumps from the sheer absurdity and uncertainty of the current situation. His heart was screaming for him to run away immediately!

    Suddenly, everything cooled down. Time felt like it was moving slower and the night clouds moved to cover the two iplete moons. Even the stars seemed to be hiding away in fear. Everything looked dark and dull.

    The night was even darker now.

    No one dared to move. The six dark-clothed figures were probably calcting Gan Qie¡¯s present threat.

    Robber Seven stared at the frozen battle in front with droplets of cold sweat.

    Help! Another monster!

    He really wished to whistle for help. A demotion was worth it if it meant he could survive this. Sadly, would the other robbers pick up on his whistle here? For the sake of a smooth escape after getting ahold of the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock, Robber Seven had specifically chosen a route with fewerrades. He feared that even if he went out of breath whistling, no one woulde to his aid.

    At this moment, Robber Seven had deeply felt this¡ª¡ª- *No Zuo No Die.

    [*TL Note: literal trantion: no do, no die; the original text here was a popr Chinese meme that literally trantes to that in English. It bears a simr meaning to ¡®y stupid games, win stupid prizes.¡¯]

 Chapter 821 - Cut Off

    <h4>Chapter 821</h4>

    Cut Off

    Robber Seven moved his eyeballs, straining to listen to the battle on Shao Xuan¡¯s end. He wished to look into that direction but his neck wasn¡¯tplying at all. Perhaps this was his rawest and innate instinct- the long-fanged sharp-wed monster that was nearest to him should be his priority. The monster was definitely life-threatening.

    Creak¡ªBam!

    The metal chains around Gan Qie snapped apart violently at each link. This seemed to trigger a chain reaction.

    Bam! Bam! Bam!

    A quick series of crisp snappings could be heard. Gan Qie had broken the chain into tiny pieces and its remnants were scattered on the ground.

    Sand-yellow mes rolled out of Gan Qie¡¯s body in waves. It spread around the area. Countless flying grass bits dried up mid-air and fell to the ground like a rain of sand.

    Each breath taken by Gan Qie sounded like heavy breathing of a vicious beast devouring flesh and blood. The red glow in his eyes had gotten much more intense. His tough and sharp phnges were like ten top-grade des scratching against the metal chains. It created an ensemble of piercing noises and fire sparks.

    The six dark-clothed figures weren¡¯t the only ones in shock. Even Ci Du and the others, who felt like they knew Gan Qie considerably well, were ck-jawed at the current situation.

    Those weren¡¯t human fingers, were they? It would¡¯ve been more reasonable to call them tough weapons made by an excellent cksmith! Or else, how was it possible for THAT to deliver such an effect?!

    Gripping the broken metal chains that were threatening to escape tight, Gan Qie gave it a sudden tug, pulling a dazed dark-clothed figure to his front. Before the enemy could escape, Gan Qie¡¯s palm was already clenching at his jugr. Judging by his momentum, Gan Qie was probably thinking aboutnding a bite. Yet, before he could deliver said damage, he instinctively threw the person away like a sack of rubbish. He acted almost as if he had smelled something rancid off the enemy.

    The thrown dark-clothed figurended violently in the woods nearby. After breaking several thick tree trunks, he finally came into contact with the ground. The harsh momentum made him skid across the grass patch for a while before everything halted. He let out an agonizing groan, finding it difficult to get up again.

    Gan Qie¡¯s blood-red eyes couldn¡¯t care less about the condition of his enemy. He looked away from the woods and began moving towards another dark-clothed figure.

    Locking gazes with the terrifying crimson eyes, that particr dark-clothed figure¡¯s weapons in his hands began to tremble. This was such a rare urrence for him.

    After the rattling of chains came another heavy m onto the ground that was apanied by a short scream of horror.

    There was a shift in Si¡¯s expression. Yet, he wasn¡¯t the least bit distracted. He did not look into that direction but made a mad dash for Shao Xuan instead. Following his intense speed, his long ck robes swayed with the wind. The force produced by his garments were enough to clip the tips of the grasses in proximity. The distance between Shao Xuan and Si was not far. Si¡¯s running form was unsettling- despite the long-handled Xi in his grip, the staff grazed the top of the grass des like a breeze. It was almost as if it weighed nothing.

    Si swung his arm out and a rounded curve was drawn by the cross-shaped long-handled Xi de that looked like a beast fang. The sharp edge of the Xi was concentrated with a suffocating killing intent that threatened to harvest all souls. Within a blink of an eye, it had arrived in front of Shao Xuan.

    The icy metallic de wed towards Shao Xuan face-on. It pierced the wind with eerie sharpness, birthing a whistling sound that brought pain to the ears.

    Shao Xuan did not move away. At this moment, he had no ns to spare more time on this battle. He could not be bothered to probe Si¡¯s weaknesses anymore. Instead, he chose to draw an end to the battle in the most direct, most violent and most brutal approach- ming Horn styled.

    The highly rampant totemic force began flowing throughout his body. It was almost if multiple air pockets were busting on the surface of his body. At that moment, Shao Xuan was ferocious and incredibly dangerous.

    ng!

    The sh of metal continued with no end. The collision of des birthed countless fiery sparks that were stark in the dark.

    Every time Shao Xuan stepped forward, the ground under his feet would sink instantly with a thunderous sound. The whole floor looked like it was trembling profusely.

    The initial leaves brought by the wind as well as dirt and ss debris shaken up by themotion were mostly scattered at first. It was like a light drizzle. But as the two parties gathered their forces and let it erupt in each confrontation, it quickly turned into ruthless storms and violent winds. The bright green that was forcefully torn apart, the withered yellow that lost its moisture and the brown soil with the asional rocks were reduced to nothing but grey crumbs under the moonlight. It moved with the motions of the two figures, curling and scraped afloat without care.

    Si¡¯s loose ck robes were torn at different spots. Every arm movement would return with another hole in his garment.

    ng!

    Shao Xuan sent tremours through the sword with a violent block. He stopped a traversed attack.

    Borrowing the momentum, Si backed off. In that short moment of inactivity, Si and the dark-clothed figures did not stop raising their brows. Their pants were fast and uncontrolled. Doubt shed through their contracted pupils, they no longer possessed their initial dominating presence. Si felt like things were gradually spiralling out of his control.

    The strange man guarding Robber Seven was a problem. The other problem would be this ming Horn tribesman in front of him. After that brief exchange, his initial assumption could now be confirmed.

    From the intel he had gathered and everything sourced from Ji Fang, there was only one identity that could be associated with this person before him¡ª¡ª-the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe, Shao Xuan!

    Though he had heard from Ji Fang that Shao Xuan was a rtively dangerous entity, experiencing it first hand was much more impactful than hearsay.

    How could a tribesman be so powerful?!

    Yet, if this was the extent of his abilities, there was no need for excessive worry.

    As the collision of their aura and powers continued, Si felt like he had gotten a general idea of what Shao Xuan was capable of.

    During their first collision, Si felt like his whole arm was about to be fractured by the sheer force. It was almost as if he was facing off a gigantic fearsome beast instead of a human. There really was some legitimacy to the rumoured beast-like ming Horns!

    But he also knew how to use an opponent¡¯s brute strength to his advantage.

    A calctive glint shed in Si¡¯s eyes but in the next second, he felt the skin on his back tense up. He couldn¡¯t be bothered with it now because he realized that Shao Xuan was gearing up for the next attack.

    There¡¯s more?!

    Ruthlessness in his eyes, Si retracted his chest and abdomen as he began to move back quickly to create enough time for response. With great force exertion, he stomped his right foot into the dirt and rotated his body by twisting his waist and knees. With a flip of his palm, the cross-shaped weapon was thrown up. He reached for the cross junction of the handle with both hands and began turning it vehemently.

    Instantly, the cross-shaped long-handled Xi de began rotating like a meat mincer. The presence of his de was so sharp that it shattered flying leaves before it could evene closer. Judging by Shao Xuan¡¯s aggression earlier, Shao Xuan himself would certainly sustain heavier damage than his target through brute collision. No one would be willing to lunge at a meat mincer. Anyone who had thrown themselves at the rotating Xi de in the past had all ended up as a pile of meat mince.

    However, Si¡¯s assumption was wed.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s current aggression level was way higher than earlier.

    At that moment, Si couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Shao Xuan had gone stupid.

    Or more rather, Si felt like there was something wrong with his own vision. There seemed to be white mes peeking out from under Shao Xuan¡¯s sole. Its appearance was brief and vague, just like the blurry fog that emerged without notice and vanished as it pleases.

    With slightly bent knees, Shao Xuan lowered his body. His stance was akin to a forest beast ready to pounce on its prey. Soon after, he stomped the ground and the long grass des that went over their knees were ttened! Even the ground sank!

    Utilizing the thrust force, Shao Xuan¡¯s body shot out like an arrow. The wicked wind his lunge created was so strong that it could flip a huge bear into the sky. His sword-wielding arm swung out following the huge impact and the air mirrored his motion. It produced whistling wind and thunderous noises. The dirt and gravel, grasses that were uprooted from the force and flying sand particles floating over from Gan Qie¡¯s side were rolled to the sides in the rush of air. It was as if tyrannical beasts were roaring and trying to chase the elements away maddeningly.

    Without evasion or any other techniques, Shao Xuan charged ahead without any reservations!

    The ground trembling with every step, Shao Xuan¡¯s sprint had shaken the terrain greatly. Si felt like he was rocking amidst the waves. He couldn¡¯t bnce himself and so there was no way of exerting force. Under such circumstances, hisbat techniques could not be fully realised!

    Si¡¯s heart sank. Shao Xuan¡¯s move had greatly exceeded his expectations. At the sight of a berserk Shao Xuan, Si came to a realization that he might not be able to block off Shao Xuan¡¯s attack.

    Anyone with a bit of hunting experience would know how fast and powerful a beast was when charging at its prey. At this moment, Shao Xuan¡¯s momentum was much stronger than the notorious beasts in the forest!

    Feeling the threat of the iing sword, Si¡¯s heart began to palpitate wildly. If there was enough illumination, one could notice that Si¡¯s expression had morphed into something ugly. The man had gone pale.

    ng! ng! ng!

    Bam! Bam!

    The shing of two brute forces was so violent that the whole ground felt like it was about to be flipped anew. Qu Li, Ci Du and the others felt like an earthquake was happening beneath their feet.

    So many sparks flew that they concentrated into a line of striking fire, piercing through the night. The blinding lights burned into their eyes.

    The power that travelled through the cross-shaped weapon all towards Si¡¯s arm was spread across every inch of his being. His arms had gone numb.

    Rrrrrip! Rrrrip!

    Multiple tears appeared in Si¡¯s ck robe in that instant. The torn fabric floated towards the sky and then further reduced to smaller pieces by the pulsating airflow.

    Si was thrown a few tens of metres backwards. His legs were knee-deep in the dirt and his unkempt hair was erected obliquely towards the back, courtesy of the wind. Cold sweat that had yet to drip flew off his forehead as soon as they emerged.

    The whistling sound of the rotating Xi de died.

    The sword in Shao Xuan¡¯s grip obstructed its rotation, just like a steel bar that was forcibly driven into a rotating fan de.

    Bang!

    One of the horizontal bars of the cross-shaped weapon was cut off!

    The muted thud that followed the fall of the horizontal bar was a painful strike to Si¡¯s heart. Si felt the urge to spit out a mouthful of blood at the pitiful sight.

    Qu Li and the others, who were avoiding the ongoing fights as they couldn¡¯t be of help, fell silent. They looked at Gan Qie, who was in the middle of torturing his enemies. Then, they looked at Shao Xuan, who had cut off the handle of the weapon wielded by the legendary observer, Si.

    ...Nevermind. It would be better for them to focus on protecting themselves. Going forth as aid would probably bring more trouble than good.

    Though they did not wish to admit it, this was the reality. Shao Xuan and Gan Qie were monsters. They weren¡¯t on the same level as the rest.

    Abruptly, Ci Du stared into a distance with intense concentration. He nudged Lu Zhai, who was next to him, with his elbow.

    ¡°What is it?!¡± Lu Zhai was observing the fight anxiously. He was so focused on the battle that Ci Du¡¯s sudden nudge had jolted him. It was only natural for his tone to be sour. Though they weren¡¯t required to be involved, it was always beneficial to keep an eye out on their surroundings. He wasn¡¯t too keen on listening to Ci Du¡¯s nonsense at such a moment.

    ¡°Look over there.¡± Ci Du pointed at a location behind Gan Qie.

    Lu Zhai was prepared to only spare a quick nce but as soon as his gaze had settled on the pointed spot, the man¡¯s eyes widened. He could not believe this. He blinked twice and stammered, ¡°Where... Where is he?¡±

    Qu Li and Mu Fa, who were beside them were confused. They turned around and looked in the same direction. Immediately, they were stunned.

    A rope cocoon was the only thing left behind on the boulder where Robber Seven was initially ced. Their prisoner was nowhere to be seen. While they thought that Robber Seven had merely retracted his head into the rope cocoon, a closer inspection when Gan Qie was about done with the enemies had proven otherwise.

    It was empty!

    ¡°It¡¯s empty!¡± Qu Li eximed in shock.

    They scanned their surroundings. Robber Seven was nowhere to be seen.

    Gan Qie, who was excitedly torturing his enemies: ¡°...¡±

    Where the heck was the little thief?

 Chapter 822 - Heâ€™s Gone!

    Chapter 822

    He¡¯s Gone!

    From the initial six, Si had only three functional subordinates left. With half of their team incapacitated, the remaining few did not dare to initiate attacks. They were rather injured but still on guard intensely. Their gazes on Gan Qie were filled with unabashed horror. If there weren¡¯t any other orders, they would¡¯ve retreated right away.

    Gan Qie wasn¡¯t unscathed either. Some of the sharp weapons were stabbed into his body. Yet, the man wasn¡¯t bleeding and didn¡¯t seem to have noticed it at all. Gan Qie was unfazed.

    This fact alone was stressful to the Bi people. People like Gan Qie were probably thest thing they wish to encounter. If they had known sooner, they would¡¯ve stopped Si from attacking this bunch.

    Nothing was more devastating than having your enemy neutralise your proudestbat tactic using brute force. Worse, their opponents did not require any other tricks, merely facing them head-on. They were overwhelmed by shock.

    Si, on the other end, seemed to share the sentiment.

    The muscles on his arms were still twitching and his fingers around the long handle were trembling slightly. The ck robe dding his body was badly deformed, he looked like a beggar in ragged clothes. Ever since Si took over the organization, this was probably his first time feeling so flustered. Despite that, his physical injuries were definitely far less severe than the psychological shock he received.

    At where his fingers were wrapped around the handle was a ttened protrusion that used to house a horizontal bar.

    The construct of the cross-shaped long-handled Xi de was based on the ¡®Ãñ (m¨ªn)¡¯ character. The cross on the handle signified the frames that ves would be tied to if deemed guilty. In their organisation, any ve that hadmitted a crime would be subjected to punishments like getting tied to a cross frame/crucified, burned and so on.

    And now, the long handle in Si¡¯s grip was only left with its base. The two protruding edges had been cut off by Shao Xuan moments ago.

    With therge Xi de still attached to the long straight handle, it looked more like a sickle now.

    Si was regretting everything now. Why didn¡¯t he adhere to Ji Fang¡¯s words? He should not have initiated attacks before realizing who his enemy was.

    What was the most important thing when initiating battle?

    Information!

    Si only had a limited understanding of Shao Xuan. The Yi family who had suffered a great loss would never disclose their ordeal with Shao Xuan to the public. After all, it was regarded as an embarrassment of the family. If only a handful of n members were aware of it, the knowledge would not reach anyone outside their circle.

    This was why the Bi organisation, characteristically an arrogant group, would dare set their eyes on the other continent as their ambitions swelled. After encountering obstacles, they still pushed on anyway because they did not know what awaited them.

    When the organisation started to make moves on the other continent years ago, Si had thought- Ha! I¡¯m going to capture some of you and sell you off as ves! What are you going to do about it? Cross the ocean and retaliate?

    But ming Horns had actually did retaliate! Not only had they crossed the ocean but they had also brought along an impressive army of tribesmen.

    Beforemencing operation, Si too had thought- If you don¡¯t surrender Robber Seven over, then you¡¯ve truly brought this upon yourselves! I¡¯m going to capture and enve everyone here. Those who struggle shall be killed right away. You won¡¯t even get the chance to regret anything!

    However, reality had once again proved that Si was wrong. He was out here personally with a handful of his most trusted and greatly experienced subordinates. They even had the advantage of an additional member. s, they failed miserably. His cross-shaped long-handled weapon was even shed into a stick!

    Their failure was not only attributed to Shao Xuan¡¯s overwhelmingly powerful capabilities but also the sword in his grip. In the exchange, Si noticed cloud patterns engraved on the de. But they were moving too fast and Shao Xuan¡¯s attacks were exceptionally aggressive. Added with the dim lighting, Si had no chance to inspect it better. However, that glimpse alone was sufficient for Si to conclude that Shao Xuan¡¯s sword was birthed by one of the Gongjia member¡¯s hands!

    Which Gongjia member was behind this creation? He needed to demand answers from the Gongjia family!

    Si¡¯s heart was gloomy, a vast array of thoughts clouding his mind in the process. His facial muscles were stiff, causing his expressions to look distorted. But in the end, his rationality had won over. Si decided to withdraw from battle. If this went on, even Si himself would fall into greater danger, let alone his other three subordinates.

    It was a rare urrence that the leader of thergest ve-trading organisation had to call for a retreat. And it was a very helpless retreat at that.

    ¡°Retreat!¡± Si shouted with great reluctance.

    Si¡¯s retreating order had finally arrived. The three injured dark-clothed figures could finally heave a breath of relief. Without dying further, they kept their chains and fled! They were finally free from the monster!

    Si and his party had left as abruptly as they had appeared.

    ¡°Should I go after them?¡± asked Gan Qie.

    ¡°No need.¡± Shao Xuan returned his sword to its sheath. He looked at the boulder where Robber Seven was left, only to find an empty rope cocoon.

    ¡°He escaped.¡± Gan Qie felt guilty. He was too focused on beating their enemies to a pulp and had allowed an opening for the thief¡¯s escape! It was his arrogance that led him to believe that nothing would go unnoticed to his nose upon physical transformation. He could even detect the faintest scent of blood and track his target down, escape wouldn¡¯t be an option.

    And yet, Robber Seven had managed to deceive him and escaped right under his lids!

    Robber Seven was capable of changing the scent of his perspiration, which was the main reason behind his sessful escape from the tracking insects. He had even changed the scent of his blood to avoid Gan Qie¡¯s detection. The robber had even made sure to make the switch gradually whilst Gan Qie fought the dark-clothed figures in the background. He finally fled when everyone was immersed and distracted by the ongoing battle.

    It was moist inside the rope cocoon. Robber Seven¡¯s sweat and blood were soaked into the material, leaving behind only familiar scents to Gan Qie to deceive his senses. Robber Seven was probably long gone at this point.

    ¡°What do we do now?¡± Mu Fa asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Mu Fa, Ci Du, Qu Li and Lu Zhai, go ahead and catch up with the rest of our team. Head into King City with the bunch,¡± instructed Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Are you and Gan Qie not going toe along? Are you nning to go after the robber?¡± asked Ci Du.

    ¡°No.¡± Shao Xuan denied. ¡°We¡¯re not going after Robber Seven. We¡¯re going to chase after Si.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s answer made Mu Fa¡¯s brow twitch twice. Yet, the man refused to press further questions. Though he feared Shao Xuan in the past, those feelings weren¡¯t as intense as now. Mu Fa hadn¡¯t expected Si to be forced into withdrawal. At the same time, this battle had solidified Mu Fa¡¯s determination and confidence to work with the ming Horn tribe. He was the bright and respected chief of the Longboat tribe. Every decision must be made with the benefits of his tribe in mind. He would choose any route that could lead to great developments and a better future for his tribe. Obviously, choosing to side with the ming Horns seemed like a good choice now.

    After Mu Fa and the others had left, Gan Qie cut open the rope cocoon that held Robber Seven and began to identify each smell carefully. He did not wish to miss a single detail.

    ¡°I got too ahead of myself...¡±

    This was the first time Gan Qie was met with such failure and he was determined to not repeat this incident ever again. If they ever encounter Robber Seven again, he would never let the robber slip away again.

    Following that, Shao Xuan and Gan Qie took their leave. Soon, dawn arrived and the sun had reced the moon to illuminate thend.

    Gradually, everything came to life.

    One of the long-distance travelling caravans passed by, immediately shocked by the scenery before them. Their hearts sank.

    This was not the first time they had taken this route. Though they couldn¡¯t recite every spot on the map, they could at least remember the general appearance of the area. Whatever that was before them was vastly different from what they imprinted in memory.

    ¡°Sand? Since when was there sand in this ce? Is my memory failing me?¡± One of the travellers was perplexed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember sand patches in this ce either.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re both not wrong.¡± Their leader held his sword tightly and strode forward towards the patch of sand.

    The areas leading into the odd sandy grounds looked like it had been trampled over by a terrifying disaster. This reignited great fear in their hearts as the travellers were reminded of the catastrophe experienced long ago. The surroundings had relived part of their trauma, bringing up memories that they willed to forget.

    Finally stepping onto the sand, something nudged at the tip of the leader¡¯s toes. He poked theyer of sand away with his sword, only to reveal a dark arrow-shaped object.

    ¡°It¡¯s the Bi!¡±

    This was a tool that the Bi people used to set up traps. Upon searching the area, they found more of the same item.

    The Bis were definitely here without a doubt!

    Who were the Bis fighting here? What was so dangerous they could not keep their belongings in time?

    The leader lifted his chin and stared ahead. The trees in the nearby woods were withered, bared without a single leaf on the dried branches that seemed like it would break upon the slightest contact. At a distance away, though some trees bore green leaves, it still had hints of yellow. A considerable amount of leaves would be stripped by the breeze.

    He inhaled deeply and began moving back to his team with wobbly legs.

    ¡°Be extra cautious when passing through this area! Be on guard!¡± There was a barely detectable tremor to the leader¡¯s deep voice. Anyone capable of forcing the Bis into this state would be anyone they¡¯d want to cross. They would avoid any trouble as much as necessary. He was ready to give up on the journey as soon as abnormalities were noticed.

    On the other end.

    Mu Fa and the others had finally caught up to the team.

    ¡°Shao Xuan and Gan Qie went after Si. He says to have Caesar watch the area in the night because Caesar is capable of seeing things that we can¡¯t. In a way, our safety will be guaranteed...¡± Mu Fa ryed Shao Xuan¡¯s instructions to Gui He.

    The Longboat tribesmen came over to ask Mu Fa, ¡°Sir, what does the legendary Si look like? Is he really that powerful? I heard that his weapon is very odd-looking. It was forged by a Gongjia member who passed a long time ago. They say that no one in existence could replicate the weapon.¡±

    Mu Fa looked constipated. He itched to say something but didn¡¯t know where to begin.

    Qu Li, Ci Du and the others were in the same situation. There was a hint of disappointment in their mirth. But after some thought, their hearts were consoled by the fact that Shao Xuan and Gan Qie were on their side. It was great that the enemies weren¡¯t the one inflicting such damages to them.

    Chasing away the curious crowd, Lu Zhai hushedly asked Gui He, ¡°Is the thing still with you?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯ve been carrying it around with me.¡± Gui He opened up the leather pouch that held the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock. He reached in to retrieve the item.

    However, something was amiss. Gui He¡¯s facial muscles froze. He brought out an awful-looking stone that looked like a Xi. His heart sank.

    There was nothing else inside?

    He rummaged the pouch again. There really was nothing!

    Gui He pried the pouch open to its limits and flipped it inside out. He widened his eyes and stared at its insides. He urged to open each seam and inspect it a hundred times over but the undeniable reality was that the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock was really gone.

    A glimpse of Gui He¡¯s expression was enough for Lu Zhai toprehend the situation. However, with the past incident of Robber Seven slipping away just beneath their eyelids, Gui He¡¯s plight wasn¡¯t all that weird anymore. Lu Zhai was impressed that Shao Xuan had seen thising.

    ¡°Before we came over, Grand Elder Shao Xuan mentioned that if Robber Seven had stolen the item back, there¡¯s no need to search for it again,¡± said Lu Zhai. What a pity. Without the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock, theycked an advantage for the discussion.

    Meanwhile, Robber Seven was lying on a tree branch with a smug face. He couldn¡¯t help but praise himself for his outstanding intelligence. He had managed to escape the ming Horns and even stole his trophy back. Remembering that the ming Horns were going to King City, Robber Seven decided that he would not go near the city even if someone were to threaten him with death. That way, he wouldn¡¯t encounter those tribesmen again.

    Yeah, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be meeting the ming Horns again.

    Settling his thoughts, Robber Seven began to doze off. Tonight, he would dream of the sweet moment he makes it as one of the top three Robbers...

 Chapter 823 - Entering King City Again

    Chapter 823

    Entering King City Again

    Days had been dull for the chief of the Changle people, Su Li. After bringing the ming Horn¡¯s letter forth to Ji Fang, Su Li had immediately exited King City to avoid being regarded as a messenger. He ran as far as his legs could bring him.

    He desired to watch everything unfold in King City but for some reason, the ming Horn¡¯s party had yet to arrive till this day. He was better off distancing himself from the city for now. He¡¯d step foot into King City again after the ming Horns had arrived.

    However, other than the ming Horn¡¯s visit to King City, there really wasn¡¯t anything else interesting to look forward to. Hence, Su Li was bored out of his mind. He pondered about where to seek entertainment. If there wasn¡¯t anything worth anticipating, he would create some fun out of nothing. Before he could even conjure a thought, he felt a rapidly approaching presence.

    Su Li quickly broke out of his rxed attitude and stared ahead into that direction cautiously. Soon, he rxed his guard. The initial tension was reced by a strong curiosity.

    Soon after, a ck figure appeared like the breeze.

    It was Si.

    ¡°Yo!¡± Noticing the familiar face, Su Li greeted him.

    This was how their usual greetings worked. Yet, Si responded like a fearsome beast who had its tail stepped on. He roared into Su Li¡¯s face, ¡°Scram off!¡±

    Si did not stop. He strode away like a blizzard, the flow of air produced messing up Su Li¡¯s unkempt hair further.

    Su Li was confused by Si¡¯s bitter demeanour. He was initially intending on cracking a joke- Hey, Old Si. Where are you in a rush to? Are you chasing after a ve?

    He really wasn¡¯t anticipating Si to be so angry. Why on earth was he so mad?

    However...

    As he watched Si¡¯s rushed exit, Su Li rubbed his chin and slipped into thought. Though Si¡¯s pace was fast, Su Li¡¯s eyesight was great. He could make out Si¡¯s overall condition rather well.

    When Si passed by moments ago, Su Li noticed that his cross-shaped long-handled weapon was reduced to a straight pole! If it wasn¡¯t for therge Xi de with the eye engraving, he wouldn¡¯t have recognized Si¡¯s signature weapon.

    The huge intimidating weapon was reduced to this pitiful state. Could trouble havended itself on the notorious chief of thergest ve-trading organisation?

    Who was capable of hunting Si down like this?

    As he pondered, he felt another approaching presence. Su Li turned around, expressions immediately freezing up. He leapt backwards abruptly, watching Shao Xuan cautiously. One finger curled, he was ready to whistle for the long-winged bird to leave. Nothing good woulde from an encounter with the ming Horn tribe.

    ¡°W-What are you doing here?!¡± Su Li rushedly continued, ¡°I¡¯m not going to be your messenger again! I have something to do, gotta leave soon!¡±

    As if afraid that Shao Xuan would say something, Su Li summoned the long-winged bird and quickly mbered onto its back. He quickly fled the scene, just like a rat who had met a cat.

    Shao Xuan: ¡°...¡± He hadn¡¯t even said anything yet.

    On the other hand, an escaping Si was cursing at Shao Xuan continuously.

    ¡®You¡¯re insane! I just said something wrong, initiated an attack and now I¡¯m getting hunted down?! When will this ordeale to an end?!¡¯ ¡ª¡ª This was Si¡¯s first experience at a dangerous situation like this.

    After the battle that night, Si had temporarily suppressed all urges to confront the ming Horns directly. Who would¡¯ve known that Shao Xuan would chase him down from behind and attack him without any intention to stop? Initially, Si had thought about revenge but after multiple days of Shao Xuan¡¯s assault, Si had changed his mind. Next time, it was better to just listen to Ji Fang¡¯s words and leave the ming Horn tribe alone. It would save him from bing the target of a maddened hunt just because of some poor choice of actions and words.

    Si ran here and ran there. In the end, he decided to escape to King City to borrow Ji Fang¡¯s power to end this ordeal. If he knew that getting involved with the ming Horns wouldnd him in such a sticky situation earlier, he would¡¯ve never sent his subordinates onto ming Horn territory to harvest ves.

    King City, within the pce.

    Ji Fang¡¯s eye was twitching, the threat of impending doom looming over his senses.

    After some thought, Ji Fang asked someone beside him. ¡°Calcte the dates. How long until the ming Horns arrive in the city?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll reach King City within three days, my lord.¡± Someone reported softly from somewhere not far from Ji Fang.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Ji Fang thought about the deployment made after receiving the letter from Su Li. After the ming Horns¡¯ arrival, King City should be spared from too much trouble.

    And so another two days have passed.

    The whole of King City felt exceptionally tense today. Though there have been increased patrols around the city since some time ago, the atmosphere today was definitely off. It almost felt like the city was fully on guard.

    The people of King City suspect that something major was about to happen within these few days. However, two days have passed without events. Assumptions and discussions grew stronger following that. Theories about the ming Horn tribe¡¯s iing arrival was nothing new to them. However, their responses were vastly different from how the poption of other cities would react.

    Huh? The ming Horns wereing?

    ¡®The same tribesman that beat up Lubi and partially disabled the Lu family¡¯sst head is visiting again? Really?! That¡¯s great! This is amazing news! We¡¯re in for a show again! It took the city so long to repair the destroyed gates. I wonder what will happen this time.¡¯

    Those were the general thoughts of King City¡¯s poption. They were eager to see some action. The business owners and caravan members, on the other hand, had thought differently.

    As soon as word about the ming Horn¡¯s visit was received, they rejoiced. ¡®I heard that the ming Horns were rich and stupid! This is awesome. When theye, we¡¯re going to milk them dry of money!¡¯

    And so, the ming Horn¡¯s arrival had be the hottest topic among the people of King City. There were even rumours that the ming Horns were looking into settling down in King City. In that case, the Lu family and the Fox tribe were bound for doom.

    Because of the ming Horns, everyone in King City couldn¡¯t be bothered with the current hottest topic- the Yi family- anymore.

    The bigger and smaller families of King City bore different thoughts about the arrival. Yet, the attention was ced on the Lu family and fox tribe specifically.

    Everyone knew that the two families had run into some conflict with the ming Horns back then. Members of the Linlu tribe and fox tribe willed to beat Shao Xuan up badly. Despite that, the people of King City could clearly remember that the Lu family head was sent flying over their heads with just a punch from the city¡¯s gate.

    As for the fox tribe, they were forced into King City one harsh winter. Due to that, they were alwayscking some kind of dominance, which failed them to be one of the strongest existence in the city. It was an inherently bad choice to depend on the Yi family as their decision hadnded them in bigger trouble. In terms of hatred towards the ming Horns, the fox tribe would probably reign as champions.

    Hence, as soon as they heard that the ming Horns were visiting again, the two families had gathered together to form a pact. They bribed the guards at the gates and dispatched more manpower to build up the defence in hopes to intimidate the ming Horns.

    They had no idea how big the current visiting ming Horn party was. Based on their logic, their numbers would be few as they needed to cross the ocean and trek a long way to reach King City. The ming Horns would certainly be exhausted and vulnerable when they arrive at the city gates. This would be their best chance to attack.

    This time, they nned to trample on the ming Horns to showcase themselves.

    ¡°I heard that the ming Horns will arrive today.¡± Luming¡¯s eyes were dark. He could clearly remember the humiliation back then. Until this day, the ck Bear party would still mock the Lu family whenever theye across each other.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for sure if Shao Xuan from the ming Horns will be arriving today as well.¡± Lubi¡¯s bear-like build stood at a corner rigidly. The huge hammer in his grip made his overall appearance dark and brooding.

    Years ago, Shao Xuan had snatched Lubi¡¯s hammer over and chased him down in public. It was absolute humiliation to Lubi. He was currently way stronger than before, his innate talent was definitely uncontestable. Even the leader of the ck Bear party, Beimi, continued to refuse topete against Lubi till this very day. In terms of violentbat, this highly-talented prodigy of the Lu family was definitely advantageous.

    On the tower, an armoured young man peered into the distance. This type of armour was only worn by the leader of the guards. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that the sword in his grip bore a grain leaf engraving. This was the emblem of the Ji family.

    Someone stepped forward and studied the handful of Lu family members beneath. Then, he turned to question the armoured young man. ¡°Are you really not going to tell them the truth?¡±

    ¡°No. They¡¯ll find out real soon.¡± The young man could not be bothered to spare another nce at the scheming Lu family and fox tribe members at the base of the tower.

    In the ck Bear party¡¯s yard.

    The two brothers, Maojin and Maoda, were brushing the fur of a cart-pulling bear while the other teases the bear with a stick stained with beast blood respectively.

    The cart-pulling ck bear roared. It opened its jaw wide and began chasing after the stick. It looked ferocious but in reality, it was just trying to have some fun. When its nose was lightly tapped by the stick, it merely roared out twice as a protest and retracted its neck with twitching ears.

    ¡°Sir, say, what do you think the ming Horns are aiming for this time around?¡± asked Maojin.

    The nearby Beimi, who was reading newly-received information, shook his head. ¡°I have no idea.¡±

    ¡°Do you think the Shao Xuan fe woulde?¡± Maojin asked again.

    ¡°Probably.¡±

    As they spoke, the ying ck beat suddenly froze. Its disc-shaped ears twitched, attention no longer on the wooden stick in Maoda¡¯s grip. It stood up towards a direction as if trying to inspect something. Sadly, everything around it was tall walls and buildings. There was no way for it to look into the distance.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Maoda swayed the wooden stick in its face. Noticing the ck bear¡¯s disinterest and anxious behaviour, Maoda locked eyes with Maojin. Instantly, they abandoned the stick and brush to dash onto the rooftop. Together, they gazed into the direction of King City¡¯s gates.

    ¡°A-woooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.¡±

    From a distance away, a wolf¡¯s howl was heard. Despite the bustling city noises, the howl had reached their ears crystal clear.

    There was a shift in Beimi¡¯s expression. He was a man who had experienced many things. He picked up some clues from the beast¡¯s howl.

    ¡°It¡¯sing from outside the city¡¯s gate!¡± Maoda extended his neck. Despite standing on the roof, he was only able to see the taller city walls around the gate.

    ¡°The patrol team is moving towards that direction!¡± Maojin sounded excited. ¡°They¡¯re here! Surely, the ming Horns have arrived!¡±

    ¡°But... What¡¯s with the howl earlier?¡± asked Maoda.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out once we get a look.¡± Beimi began striding out of the yard towards the outside.

    Maoda and Maojin quickly followed.

    There weremotions in every corner of King City.

    The wolf howl that came from outside the city had caused many of the gossiping folks to fall silent. What followed after were fiercer discussions. Unable to suppress their strong curiosity, some of them put down their tasks and began moving towards the city gates.

    The Yi family.

    Those who were protected by Yi Tuan during the battle with Yi Xiang went ghastly pale. They were the ones who had survived the internal and external chaos and continued to cling onto the Yi family headquarters.

    HE is here! Again!

 Chapter 824 - Flames

    Chapter 824

    mes

    Gui He stared at King City, deep in thought. They weren¡¯t too far away from it now.

    King City really was King City.

    Itid in the distance like an ancient giant beast. Even if it was silent, it still radiated a majestic and powerful aura. It felt as if the city would start devouring everything that came near in the next second. There was this suffocating tension floating about in the air. Any first-timers to the city would certainly be intimidated.

    The ve masters and the descriptionsing from Zheng Luo had diminished any good impressions Gui He had on the city. His hatred towards the people of King City was considerable. However, he could not deny that the city itself was huge. It looked absolutely superior to the cities they had passed along the way. There were definitely good reasons tied to its power. Logically, Gui He felt the need to learn from them to be a better tribe chief.

    ¡°So this is King City.¡±

    There were many that shared Gui He¡¯s sentiment. Many had thought that the ming River Trading Point was huge enough but this... was certainly out of their expectations. This was probably thergest trading area they had seen in their entire lives. It was only then that they realized that there were indeed bigger things in the world.

    Gui He finally understood why Shao Xuan had brought them along to King City. If it wasn¡¯t for this visit, many of the ming Horn tribesmen that were blinded by confidence would not be humbled down. The direct experience was much more effective than reprimands. Most of the participants involved in this journey were born and raised on the other continent. There was a considerable difference between their limited knowledge and Zheng Luo¡¯s party. They had benefited greatly from this trip.

    The ming Horn tribe was developing at an rming rate. Its rapid speed was too fast for their mentalities to catch up with their ambitions. They needed to sober up for there were still many things to aplish.

    ¡°Do you think our ming River Trading Point could achieve such scale in the future?¡± asked Ao.

    ¡°Our Grand Elder said we can,¡± replied Tuo confidently. The trading point was in the midst of expansion. Following the continuous expansion of the ming River Alliance, the trading point would continue to grow in size. Though they too wished to reach a scale as huge as King City, getting too ahead of themselves would create a pompous image. It was better to be rooted and build a solid foundation. The shamans too reminded that defences, poption and the human heart were factors that must be considered in this case. Even if he wouldn¡¯t be alive to see their glorious days, he believed that the ming Horn¡¯s time would eventuallye.

    Gui He¡¯s lips were curled into a smile. ¡°I feel the same too.¡± As soon as his words died, his expression went serious. Gui He raised an arm and swayed it hard.

    Patter patter patter¡ª

    In front of King City was a huge wide in. Six gs that bore a totemic pattern were brought forward, lined up in a row and waved in the wind.

    Why six totem gs specifically?

    Back then, only three gs were used at Chao Qiu City- The Double Horn totem g of the ming Horn tribe, the Dragon g of the ming River Alliance and the totem g of the Longboat tribe. In this trip to King City, they were joined by the Hui tribe, Mang tribe and Eight Limbs tribe. The three tribes had gathered together their members and did a headcount. They felt like they were at a loss. Though not many of their tribesmen were involved in the journey, it would be a pity to give up on a chance to show off their existence, piggybacking on the ming Horn¡¯s status.

    But the totem gs couldn¡¯t be created at ease. In the end, they found a middle-ground approach. They wouldn¡¯t be drawing the totem g on behalf of their tribes but only to represent this small bunch of members that participated in this journey. This would definitely create a gap in production quality among the totem gs. However, the ve masters and tribesmen here had no idea of how the tribesmen on the other continent worked. As long as the totem gs were shown to them, they would know that the particr tribe had visited King City before. With that, it wouldn¡¯t be a total loss for the three tribes.

    Ta held the ming Horn¡¯s totem g and stabbed its pole into the ground. Pang!- The surface dirt and grass flew up. He released his grip and allowed the totem g to stand independently in silence.

    He rolled his shoulders, locking gazes with Ao in a silent exchange. As someone who was a seasoned hunt leader, Ta could clearly feel the hostilitying from the city gates. Perhaps it wouldn¡¯t be an easy feat for them to get past King City¡¯s gates.

    Were they afraid?

    Of course not!

    After exercising his joints, Ta wrapped his fingers around the gpole again and plucked it out from the ground.

    The earlier thud that rang from the totem g¡¯snding had snapped the tribesmen back to reality from the sheer surprise of seeing King City. As the gs pped in the wind loudly, their fears were chased away.

    Was King City scarier than the fearsome beasts and forests? They weren¡¯t afraid of the fearsome beasts lurking the deep forests. What was there left to fear of King City? Plus, they all believed that the ming River Trading Point would someday surpass King City. The Double Horns would seed in everything they wish to aplish!

    Perhaps the shift in the ming Horn members attitude was contagious. Soon, the other tribesmen slowly adjusted their emotions.

    Indeed. What was there to be afraid of? Plus, the ming Horns would protect them from any potential trouble.

    The horn from the city gate sounded after the long wolf howl. Amotion was detected at the gates, the guards¡¯ armours were glowing with a golden sheen as they moved.

    Noticing that, many began to step forward with their respective leaders. They rolled their joints, the knives, swords, axes and hammers in their grips thirsty for action. Some were even screaming out in excitement as they strode forward. Their behaviour seemed more like they were about to invade the city rather than anything else.

    Frankly, the shock was mutual. While the tribesmen were blown away by King City¡¯s majesty, the city guards were equally surprised by the sheer number of visiting tribesmen. The sight of the approaching army of tribes sent shivers down their spine. Though many among the ming River Alliance weren¡¯t necessarily as skilled in battle, the tribesmen had chosen the right time and right location to conjure an intimidating impression. The tribesmen looked like they were capable of tearing down thousands of soldiers! Currently on this continent, perhaps only trained troops or even a few tribes that lived in the deep mountains were able to achieve this. This was the advantage of the tribesmen¡¯s recent fire seed merging. With united hearts, the influence of ancient fire seeds was present.

    Luming watched the approaching formation among the curious onlookers gathered at the gates. He gulped.

    Why were there so many of them?!

    Where were the others from? Wasn¡¯t ming Horns the only one visiting? Why were there different totem gs? Without intervention from King City, the Lu family and fox tribe alone would find it hard to defeat them.

    The Lu family members began to hesitate while the fox tribe members were contemting giving up. Though Shao Xuan was the only one they knew out of the visiting ming Horn bunch, the sheer number of tribesmen involved was astounding. Based on the fire seed aura radiating off the ming Horns and their behaviour, the cunning fox tribe members had the urge to withdraw. The arduous task of attacking the ming Horns was better left to the Lu family.

    The armoured young man on the city tower peered down at the iing army. He hesitated for a moment but decided not to head down and wee them. It wasn¡¯t a decision made out of fear. He merely wished to observe the situation further. Reminded of what Ji Fang, his brother, had said, the armoured man began searching for a certain someone in the nearest visible row.

    Where was Shao Xuan of the ming Horn tribe?

    Ji Fang mentioned that the ming Horns would be visiting for a discussion. The most important figure was Shao Xuan alone. If Shao Xuan wasn¡¯t here, there was no need for Ji Fang to be so fearful towards the ming Horn tribe.

    As he continued to search, an eagle screeched in the sky.

    This wasn¡¯t part of the eagles that had been circling the sky since earlier. This was an eagle that wasing in from another direction. It swooped towards the approaching army of tribesmen.

    A figure leapt off the bird¡¯s back,nding ahead of the army.

    The armoured man noticed that as soon as the man appeared, the army went silent. All their screams and roars died and their leaders all had their eyes glued on the man. They looked as if they were waiting for something.

    ¡°Is that Shao Xuan of the ming Horn tribe?¡± The armoured young man asked.

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s him.¡± His subordinate answered in a hush next to him.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s presence had evidently eased all the tribesmen¡¯s tension.

    Sweeping his gaze across his alliance, Shao Xuan turned around to look at the city gates that were not far away. He raised a palm to stop their march.

    Aside from the ming Horns, the members of the other tribes and even the eagle in the sky had paused. No one protested Shao Xuan¡¯s orders and no one looked displeased. This reaction could not be staged!

    The armoured man on the tower narrowed his eyes. This was surprising. He stared at Shao Xuan, slipping into deep thought.

    Shao Xuan studied the surroundings of King City¡¯s gates, finally settling his gaze on Lubi.

    Though the size of the tribesmen horde had greatly exceeded their expectations, Lubi wasn¡¯t the least bit bothered. His sole target was Shao Xuan. His re directed to Shao Xuan was heavy with hatred, facial muscles contorted together in wrath. Years ago, Shao Xuan was the one who snatched his hammer away in public and attacked him with it. This had greatly humiliated King City¡¯s most famous prodigy of the Lu family. Today, Lubi was here for revenge. Regardless of what the others may think, Lubi¡¯s target was crystal clear. He was going to avenge himself!

    Naturally, such a strong re wouldn¡¯t go unnoticed by Shao Xuan. Shao Xuan said nothing. He began striding towards where Lubi and the others were standing.

    There was no roar, no intense aura and no changes beneath his steps. The only thing visible was the dirt and dust Shao Xuan stirred with every step taken. He was walking like an unassumingly normal civilian and not like an incredibly dangerous fearsome beast that was padding over.

    Despite that, Lubi felt like the immense pressureing from Shao Xuan¡¯s approaching presence. It felt like an insanely tall mountain was threatening to rumble onto him. He wanted to roar and exert arger force to chase away his past embarrassment. Yet, he helplessly realized that everything was futile!

    Like a raging me that was suddenly sucked into a vacuum, Lubi had no way of exerting his powers. He had no choice but to swallow everything back!

    Lubi, who was holding a hammer big enough to shade himself from rain and the sun, had his aggressive intimidating aura suppressed without warning. He wished to mobilize the fire seed power merged into his blood, only to notice that the powers refused to budge at all. Reluctant to be activated, it was as if they were deliberately avoiding something,

    ¡°How... How is this possible...¡± Lubi¡¯s eyes were full of disbelief. He gripped his copper hammer tighter. Compared to the old hammer Shao Xuan had snatched away at the Gongjia¡¯s gate, the current hammer wasrger. However, it was trembling slightly due to its wielder¡¯s shaking arms.

    If he could not swing the hammer, what was the point of a bigger one?

    Many could not understand Lubi¡¯s response. Wasn¡¯t he screaming all across the streets that he¡¯d teach Shao Xuan a well-deserved lesson since a few days ago? Why wasn¡¯t Lubi even waving his hammer now that Shao Xuan was right in front of him?

    Unbeknownst to everyone else, Lubi felt like his head was about to explode. Droplets of sweat began forming along his spine as the fear in his heart surged. The man even thought of running away.

    He had seen mes in Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes. A ball of white fire.

 Chapter 825 - Bring Him Out

    <h4>Chapter 825 Bring Him Out</h4>

    ¡°You...¡±

    Lubi¡¯s strong and wide frame began to shake. The shock, fear and panic in his eyes could not be mistaken. His fantasies of expressing hisbat abilities to its fullest potential were immediately destroyed. Lubi wanted to avoid Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze but his legs failed toply. He couldn¡¯t move at all. Lubi even felt like his knees might give away if he exerted too much force on trying to move an inch. It didn¡¯t require much thought to know what would happen if he were to buckle and fall in front of a travelling horde of tribesmen.

    For the sake of his pride, Lubi chose to clench his jaw and remained at his spot.

    Noticing Lubi¡¯s odd behaviour, the other Lu family members felt the need to check him out. As soon as they took a step, Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze was ced on them unexpectedly.

    As if sshed with a bucket of iced water, Shao Xuan¡¯s gaze froze the fine hairs on the Lu family¡¯s back straight. They felt like they would start trembling at the slightest of movements.

    Though many of them were not far from Shao Xuan, everyone could feel the odd hostile chill spreading from within their marrow. In other words, something weird was happening to the power source within their bodies.

    What was going on?!

    The people on the tower observed themotion beneath. They too noticed that something was amiss at this moment. Without intervention, the Lu family was bound to embarrass themselves soon. Though the armoured man could never get used to the Lu family¡¯s pompous ways, their family members were involved in guarding the city gates. If they embarrass themselves, they would risk embarrassing King City too. He couldn¡¯t afford that in front of these tribesmen.

    He thought that the Lu family members would be able to hold out longer... What a pity.

    Sighing internally, the armoured man leapt off the tower andnded behind Lubi.

    Shao Xuan averted his gaze over, not surprised at the new presence.

    ¡°You¡¯re from the Ji family?¡± Shao Xuan could sense the Ji family fire seed aura off him.

    The armoured man slightly resembled Ji Fang. Butparatively, Ji Fang was calmer while this person wasrgely feral. Despite that, the man had watered down his wildness in front of Shao Xuan, gaze cautious.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ji Shou of the Ji family. My brother has sent me here to wee your party,¡± replied Ji Shou. His brother was Ji Fang, this indicated that Ji Shou was royalty. He was the head of the King City guards, one of the few surviving royal heirs. Ji Shou was spared as he had shared the same father and same mother as Ji Fang. Plus, he had made great effort to aid Ji Fang¡¯s ascend to the throne.

    As Ji Shou spoke, he couldn¡¯t help but avert his gaze away from meeting Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes. He finally understood why the Lu family members were behaving that way. It really was too much pressure.

    Unbeknownst to Ji Shou, Shao Xuan had toned down his intensity after Ji Shou¡¯s appearance.

    Due to Ji Shou¡¯s sudden appearance, Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes switched target. The Lu family members, including Lubi, suddenly felt lighter. It felt almost as if the huge mountain sitting on them were moved away. Some of them wiped away the cold sweat dotting their foreheads, hearts celebrating Ji Shou¡¯s well-timed appearance. If the man hadn¡¯t shown up, they really wouldn¡¯t be able to hang on much longer.

    There really was something extremely unsettling about this ming Horn tribesman!

    After all, Ji Shou was inherently different from the Lu family members. The fire seed power within him was rtively stronger, allowing him to recover from the momentary daze. Back in the ancient fire seed era, the Ji family¡¯s fire seed would be way more powerful than the Lu family¡¯s fire seed. Hence, Ji Shou was able to withstand Shao Xuan¡¯s immense aura better.

    They had been stuck at the city gates for a little too long. Ji Shou quickly snapped out of it and raised a palm to motion for Shao Xuan to move past the gates.

    ¡°Open up!¡± Ji Shou said, ¡°Everyone, this way please!¡±

    Shao Xuan took the lead and entered the city. Behind him, Gui He led the rest of them in.

    Ji Shou studied the passing tribesmen, eyes narrowed to slits as he tried to mask the hostile glint. These tribesmen were indeed very different from his expectations. The oue from the Lu family¡¯s pitiful attempt of a confrontation had shown that it was best to treat these tribesmen carefully. Rarely was he this courteous in speech, he never said ¡®please¡¯.

    After he had shown the ming Horn¡¯s group into the city, Ji Shou cast a scathing nce at the dumbfounded Lu family members. Then, he looked at the hiding Fox tribe members and smirked. Without any concern for their responses, he paced into the city.

    After the entry of the tribesmen, the city gates went back to its usual state. It remained open, resuming smooth entry and exit for its traffic. The Lu family members didn¡¯t feel good at all. Thinking back to the earlier situation, fear seized their hearts as chills began travelling up their spines again.

    Lubi stared at the leaving group in a daze. His grip loosened and the hammer fell to the ground with a muted thud. As if going through a mental breakdown, Lubi could barely support his body. Luming, who was nearby Lubi, dropped his knees to the ground.

    The meaning behind the look and smirk Ji Shou directed towards them was received.

    They were done for.

    On the other end, the group following behind Shao Xuan into the city were walking along the spacious King City avenue that led directly to the pce. They watched the King City soldiers who were maintaining the order on both sides curiously. At the same time, they studied the curious onlookers and the surrounding architecture and shop furnishings.

    King City¡¯s avenue wasparatively broader than those in Chao Qiu City and the rest. Caesar could walk alongside the tribesmen with adequate space. Huge beasts were typically used to transport cargo in the city. So it was a frequent sight to seerge beasts walking along the streets. However, this avenue wasn¡¯t open for public ess. The normal travellers and caravans would take another path after entering the city. To be able to step onto this road was special treatment.

    ¡°Did you notice?¡± Gui He asked Tuo, who was walking beside him.

    ¡°What?¡± Tuo was studying the surroundings inside King City. Gui He¡¯s sudden question certainly had caught him off guard.

    ¡°The people of King City are reacting differentlypared to the other city folks we¡¯ve encountered,¡± said Gui He.

    Tuo entertained the thought. Indeed, the people of King City looked more like they were entertained by their presence. They were watching the tribesmen as if they were monkeys in the middle of a crowd. They looked excited at the ming Horn¡¯s presence, which was wildly different from the heavy defensive looks received in Chao Qiu City.

    Back then, only a mere hundred of them had entered Chao Qiu City. This time, each and every one of them was entering King City.

    Though the people of King City were startled by their sheer number, the shock had onlysted momentarily before it dissolved into mirth.

    Why?

    This was the unwavering confidence of the people of King City!

    The city folks were sophisticated and prideful!

    Those who could remain in King City were more or lesspetent. When the Fox tribe members had still resided in the depths of the mountains back then, they were truly arrogant. Even when their salt mines were severely damaged by the king beast, members still remained with the tribe. With unity, they formed a considerable force. However, they weren¡¯t able to make waves in King City. All they could do was merely suppressing smaller organisations and free people. The only reason they could survive in the city till this day was because of their dependency on the Yi family. With the copse of the Yi family, everyone who the Fox tribe had trampled on sought revenge.

    With all the free people and organisations in King City united, there was no need for inferiorityplexes. The people of King City were frankly not afraid of the ming Horns at all. Plus, even if the Yi family could no longer do anything, there were still five otherrger noble ns. What was there to be afraid of?

    Just as the ming River Alliance marched towards the pce, an uninvited guest had appeared at the Gongjia house.

    ¡°Bring out Gongjia Heng!¡± A dark-clothed figure seethed in the lobby.

    The current head of the Gongjia family was Gongjia RHengen. Ever since Ji Fang had seeded the throne, Gongjia Heng¡¯s status among the family members was sharply elevated. Added with his truepetence that was obtained from his learnings at Gongjia Mountain, the elder generation of the Gongjia family had testified Gongjia Heng¡¯s status afterparing his creation to the other craftsmen. At the same time, this was the most favourable decision for the Gongjia family.

    Recently, Gongjia Heng had holed himself up in his workshop. No one would bother himself unless an emergency arose. Not only was this Gongjia Heng¡¯s principle, but this was also the habit of all craftsmen of the Gongjia family. No one desired to be disturbed by measly things when casting. An inadvertent interruption might chase away all inspirations they had while working. Their life-changing ideas would be gone for life!

    However, this unexpected guest was someone who the Gongjia family was reluctant to meet but yet couldn¡¯t afford to offend.

    ¡°Where is Gongjia Heng?! Bring him out! Now! Immediately!¡± His emotional outburst rang through the house, causing the family members to jolt in shock. Though they were afraid, they couldn¡¯t help but study the guest¡¯s weapon out of upational habit.

    Those who could recognize the weapon felt their heart sink.

    How did the cross-shaped long-handled weapon end up in this state? Speechless, they stared at the weapon with confusion. Without closer inspections, they wouldn¡¯t be able to formte relevant deductions. They were curious, yes. But they didn¡¯t wish to go near andnd themself in trouble.

    The person currently standing in the middle of the Gongjia¡¯s lobby was none other than Si, who Shao Xuan had been hunting down. Thankfully, Si had a change of clothes so he didn¡¯t look as flustered anymore.

    There were only a handful of people who dared to be rude to the Gongjia family. Unfortunately for them, Si was one of them. The mutual exchange between the Gongjia family and the Bis had begun during their ancestral generation.

    Every year, the Gongjia family would require some rare materials. A good portion of it was sourced from the Bis. After all, the Bis had more ves than anything. They had enough manpower to work the mines.

    Si¡¯s cross-shaped Xi de was crafted by the Gongjia family craftsmen. However, the actual cksmith behind the weapon had passed away long ago. There was no way for the younger craftsmen to replicate his exact techniquespletely. The repair work was bound to be difficult.

    The more skilled the craftsmen were, the more severe their perfectionist streak was. If they couldn¡¯t achieve the perfect repair, they¡¯d rather reject the job. Aside from reputational damage, the Gongjia members might suffer from prolonged frustration over acklustre oue.

    Si had plenty of exchanges with the Gongjia family. He was fully aware of their odd behaviour. This was why he was directly looking for Gongjia Heng, he was here for an exnation from the family head.

    He knew that some of the Gongjia members had left after Ji Fang¡¯s ascension to the throne. He was here to see if aplete repair of his cross-shaped Xi weapon was possible. If it remained in this state, it would be damaging to his reputation. Si had even snuck into King City to avoid attention. The man hade over to visit the Gongjia house directly after visiting Ji Fang¡¯s ce.

    Si too had another goal. He wanted to find out which Gongjia member had welded such a threatening weapon for the ming Horns!

    ¡°Where is Gongjia Heng?! I demand to see him now!¡± Si roared again, already impatient.

    ¡°Is there a need to scream?!¡± Gongjia Heng dashed out of his workshop in response. He was absolutely irritated that his work had been interrupted.

    But as soon as he stepped into sight, Gongjia Heng immediately noticed the pitiful Xi weapon in Si¡¯s grip. His attention was glued intensely on the straight pole.

    ¡°Bring your weapon over! Let me take a look at it!¡±

 Chapter 826 - One Crystal

    Chapter 826

    One Crystal

    When Si saw Gongjia Heng, he wasted no time, tossing the Xi that was shaved into a rod at him.

    The sickle had weight. Although it had been shaved, it was still heavy to a normal person. As a cksmith, Gongjia Heng had strong arms so he caught the sickle firmly and studied it.

    The other Gongjia people also leaned over to study the cross-section.

    The only ones in the room were important in the Gongjia family, considered Gongjia Heng¡¯s most trusted ones. Si was not afraid of them spreading information either, so he let them study it.

    ¡°This cross-section...¡± Gongjia Heng rubbed it with his finger, feeling the cut cross-section while his eyes studied every tiny detail.

    The other person¡¯s weapon must be sharp and hard to create a cut like that. They must be very strong too. Most importantly, Gongjia Heng knew that the long-handled weapon was made of a material he did not recognise! This piqued his curiosity. ¡°Describe what happened.¡±

    Si refused to recount his memories, nor would he ever describe how Shao Xuan cut it. It was so humiliating, how could he tell them?

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t, why don¡¯t you tell us how their weapon looked like.¡± Gongjia Heng recalled all the different weapon materials he had encountered before. None of them could produce a cut like this, the grains were very foreign to him.

    ¡°You guys don¡¯t know?¡± Si¡¯s eyes scanned across Gongjia Heng and the other few craftsmen in surprise. But he could not describe Shao Xuan¡¯s knife either. ¡°It¡¯s a knife but I did not pay much attention. I just know that there were Gongjia cloud patterns on it, that much I am sure. Out of your people who left the family, has anyone gone to ming Horn?¡±

    ¡°ming Horn?! The person who shed the sickle handle was Shao Xuan of ming Horn?¡± asked Gongjia Heng.

    ¡°Yes, do you know Shao Xuan? Right, I heard ming Horn¡¯s Shao Xuan once came to King City and you made a sword for him. You didn¡¯t make that brat¡¯s knife too, did you?!¡± Si¡¯s pitch went up at the end of his question usingly, ring at Gongjia Heng as if he was about to devour him.

    Gongjia Heng ignored the threatening re, merely shaking his head with furrowed brows. ¡°No. Although I have gifted some knives, swords and axes to ming Horn, out of those weapons, only Shao Xuan¡¯s sword was the best. The rest would not be able to sh your Xi sickle. Forget about the rest, even the sword I gave him might not be able to break it.¡±

    ¡°Then which Gongjia member has been making knives for ming Horn?!¡± Si was furious.

    ¡°Unless...¡± said an elder person hesitantly. ¡°Gongjia Ren...¡± When Ji Fang usurped the throne, a portion of the Gongjia family left, including Gongjia Ren. Other people might not know where he went but their close associates knew that Gongjia Ren and his mates had gone to the other side to seek refuge at ming Horn.

    Gongjia Heng thought of him too but felt like it was impossible. How long had he been gone? Gongjia Ren had never gone to Gongjia Valley, never received his ancestor¡¯s knowledge. Even if he was talented, there were many more talented people in the family. How did he make this?

    ...

    When the Gongjia people were busy guessing the maker of Shao Xuan¡¯s knife, the ming Horn unit had arrived at the pce. Of course, not everyone entered. Shao Xuan led two hundred people into the pce while the rest remained outside. Ji Fang had arranged for a ce for them to settle down.

    The first time Shao Xuan met Ji Fang, he was still just a prince and kept a low profile. Now, Ji Fang radiated opulence and luxury.

    Although he did not wee them personally at the city gates, he sent his younger brother while he greeted them with his people at the pce gates. It was a sign of respect.

    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Ji Fang was smiling. d in exquisite embroidered clothing, he oozed indescribable aristocracy. The regality in his movements was indeed fit for a ruler.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s aura was quite different from Ji Fang¡¯s people. Although Shao Xuan and his people did not radiate luxury, they had their own ming Horn hardiness.

    The ones who could enter the pce with Shao Xuan were leaders and elites from ming River. No matter how anxious they were, they would never look weak before the aristocratic ve masters.

    Ji Fang had ordered his people to prepare a feast for that night. Although it was still early, Ji Fang did not even give Shao Xuan time to ask him about Si, immediately sending for the ¡®missing¡¯ tribesmen.

    Ji Fang did not lie. All the captured people were treated well in King City regardless of how they suffered before arrival- at least they looked more energetic when presented before Shao Xuan and his group.

    He was about to talk about the great treatment these ves had in King City when he paused, losing his train of thought. He saw a person. This person should not appear here, he had not seen him before.

    Ji Fang¡¯s eyes darkened, he really wanted to reprimand all the guards who were supposed to watch the tribesmen. The Robber Seven incident was forgivable but how could they not know when a random tribesman had slipped into the group?! But now was not a good time. Ji Fang suppressed the anger in him, his expression sour.

    The guard wanted to exin but lowered his head when his eyes met Ji Fang.

    Gui He let Qu Li and the rest bring these people back to their respective tribes, then check if they missed anyone. He was stunned to see Gan Qie walk out together with these people but seeing as Shao Xuan did not react, he knew Shao Xuan had sent Gan Qie inside to check on these kidnapped people.

    After checking their physical conditions, and confirming that they were not in critical danger nor were there any missing tribesmen, Qu Li and the rest finally rxed. They could now face their own tribe when they returned. This risky trip was not for nothing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about the agreement. How will we sign?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Ji Fang did not expect Shao Xuan to not mention Si. When he heard Si¡¯s report after returning in a pathetic state, he spected that Shao Xuan must know he was working with Si. He thought Shao Xuan would question him about it, using this opportunity to demand better conditions. Yet Shao Xuan did not even mention Si and went straight to the agreement.

    If that was the case, then Ji Fang would not mention Si either.

    ¡°There are many ways to sign agreements but we have twomon methods. One is a spiritual agreement, another is text agreement. Both are considered fire-seed type agreements.¡± Ji Fang exined the difference between them.

    A text agreement uses words to record the conditions of the agreement, then a totem seal is drawn on it using their fire seed energy to confirm the signer¡¯s identity.

    But text agreements were not very solid because you cannot do much if a person breaks it, disregarding his own reputation. No matter what you say, they will not be hurt. On the other hand, spiritual agreements were different.¡±

    ¡°A spiritual agreement requires you to leave a mark on the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book.¡± Ji Fang looked in a direction towards the centre of the pce. It was an area with restricted entry.

    ¡°Heaven and Earth Agreement Book?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It is a book connected to fire seed. You cannot change it easily. Even a lord cannot change its contents easily.¡± Ji Fang¡¯s smile was reced by a solemn expression. Everyone revered the Heaven and Earth Agreement, including himself.

    ¡°If you want a Heaven and Earth Agreement, I can bring you there to see it. If you choose a text agreement, we can start discussing its contents,¡± said Ji Fang.

    ¡°Heaven and Earth Agreement.¡± Shao Xuan looked towards the centre of the pce and enunciated slowly, ¡°I choose a Heaven and Earth Agreement.¡±

    Gui He and the rest did not object to this decision. They could also tell that Shao Xuan was the only one Ji Fang took seriously. Coincidentally, they also let Shao Xuan make the decision.

    News of this decision quickly spread out of the pce.

    ¡°What?! The tribesmen chose Heaven and Earth Agreement?!¡±

    ¡°Heaven and Earth Agreement? Are you sure? Is it true?¡±

    ¡°I am sure, I heard it from the nobles!¡±

    The city gossips exploded in conversation.

    The ming Horn tribesmen chose to sign a Heaven and Earth Agreement!

    Most people had not seen what the agreement looked like. Other than the few major aristocratic ns, only the chiefs of major tribes and trading parties had seen one. Although these passers-by had not seen one before, they had heard about it.

    ¡°ce your bets! ce your bets!¡± The gambling stall reacted the quickest, yelling and banging their drums to attract attention.

    ¡°Howrge of a mark will ming Horn leave on the book?¡±

    ¡°Come,e! ce your bets!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    The curious crowds were itching to ce bets.

    Most elderly people were familiar with bets like these but the younger ones scrambled to ask.

    The gambling houses were delighted, enjoying the attention and enquiries from puzzled people. The more people came, the more they earned.

    The person banging the drum stopped, then cleared his throat, about to exin to the younger ones. He was about to speak when someone wove through the crowd and mmed something hard on the table. ¡°I bet one crystal!¡±

    A cold glint shed in the dealer¡¯s eyes, annoyed at the interrupted. Before he could study the person, his eyes were attracted to the object on the table.

    One crystal as thick as an arm was mmed on the table, right on the part that had ¡®ming Horn¡¯ written on it.

    The crowd fell silent, all turning to look at this person with the giant crystal like he was an idiot.

 Chapter 827 - Placing Bets

    Chapter 827

    cing Bets

    Due to the core seeds, gemstones and crystals were rare. That was why both aristocrats and tribesmen living far from cities loved gemstones. Rare items tend to be considered precious. That was why the people with high living standards and not struggling to feed themselves loved rare beautiful rocks.

    A long time ago, King City did not have any betting houses. The term gambling was only for bored people to y a few games to kill time. Sometimes they would ce bets during fights but that was it. However, as the poption grew, some people saw betting houses as a business opportunity and partnered up to open a gambling house primarily for profit.

    Thergest betting house in King City was known as House of Fortune. House of Fortune was the most famous betting house on the entire maind since its headquarters were in King City. Other businesses also expanded to a simr scale but since they were foundedter than House of Fortune, they never became as famous.

    More and more betting houses wanted to enter King City too since it was the richest ce on the maind. Huge fortunes could be made from the clients there but due to House of Fortune, they still could not prate this market.

    Since its establishment, House of Fortune would organise all kinds of bets, using various methods to determine the winning and losing sides and rewards. If it was arge game, the news would spread all over the city.

    It was the same this time- the beating drums meant that arge game was avable for bets now!

    Although they were mentally prepared, no one expected this. Most people stared at the crystal as thick as an arm, their eyes zed over.

    This-this-this... this is ridiculous! A crystal this size must be very expensive, how could you ce a bet with it? My heart would ache for the rest of my life if I lost it on a gamble!

    They only gambled to kill time, making small bets. Everyone had different intentions, some were here to pass time, others to join the conversation, some to gain some information or make connections in themunity. Of course, there were also addicts that spent more. The betting house had seen nobles bet using all sorts of expensive items but they had never seen such arge crystal in their lives.

    Sunlight refracted through the clear crystal, forming a seven-coloured ray on the table. Thye almost forgot to breathe.

    ¡°This...¡±

    Forget about the crowd, even the dealers were stunned. Some wanted to touch the crystal but their hands trembled, terrified of breaking it.

    ¡°Abuli, you don¡¯t even know what the bet is about, how could you ce a bet like this?¡± The Drumming and Pu tribesmen crowded around while other tribesmen also came over.

    They did not follow Shao Xuan into the pce, for the ones who did were either ming Horns or tribes with missing tribesmen. They were arranged to stay outside the pce and since they had nothing to do, they decided to explore King City. Perhaps buy some souvenirs if they saw something they liked, it was a rare opportunity toe here after all.

    They had just started to shop when they heard about the betting house. There were sometimes bets within ming River Trading Point too so they had seen bets before. There were diagrams drawn on the betting table, one of them being the ming Horn¡¯s double horn totem. Before they could enquire, Abuli had rushed forward.

    Ever since he arrived, Abuli had turned into a prodigal rich man. The feeling of buying arge number of goods with the wave of an arm was such a rush. Now that he had the ming River Alliance and the other tribes behind him, Abuli became increasingly eager to show off his wealth. However, he had just overdone it by mming his crystal on impulse. When he met the looks of contempt from the entire room, he was suddenly snapped back to his senses.

    This was not ming River Trading Point, the rules and game were probably different. He did not even know what a Heaven and Earth Agreement was. He started to regret his actions. He had lost hisposure and was not behaving like a chief at all.

    ¡°What is a Heaven and Earth Agreement?¡± asked a Longboat tribesman.

    The dealer did not mind that these people did not know anything. They profited most from people like that after all.

    ¡°A Heaven and Earth Agreement is when a party in agreement with King City leaves a mark in the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book. Different people leave marks of different sizes on the book. See this on the betting table? This is the current ranking of all the six aristocratic ns based on the size of their marks.¡± It was the same as the earliest ranking of the six ns.

    The dealer did not borate that this list was made during King City¡¯s early days. It used to be an indicator of their strengths but there had been many changes since- for example in this list, the Yi family ranked second with the secondrgest mark in the book. Yet they were a half-crippled n now.

    ¡°Simply put, the more powerful the person, therger the mark made on the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book.¡±

    This exnation was easy to understand. When Abuli saw the seven sections on the table, he understood the system.

    The dealer continued to exin the bet. The table was divided into seven sections, six of them filled with the characters ¡®Ji, Yi, Mu, Feng, Chao, An¡¯, also the surnames of the six great aristocratic ns. An empty space was allocated next to these characters. The seventh section was left empty. On the other side, there was a spacebelled as ¡®ming Horn¡¯.

    They would be betting on where ming Horn would rank, which ns their mark would surpass. That section was where they could put their chips. If they thought ming Horn¡¯s mark would be smaller than all six ns, then they could put their bet in the empty section. If they thought ming Horn¡¯s mark would surpass all the ns, they could put their bet on ¡®ming Horn¡¯.

    The spot where Abuli ced his crystal meant he believed that ming Horn would surpass all six ns. That was something nobody would bet on, hence why everyone looked at Abuli like he was dumb.

    How could he think the ming Horns could surpass the Ji family? That was the funniest joke in the world!

    Although in reality, the mark made on the book was not directly corrted with strength, till this day no one could surpass the Ji family. In fact, no one had ever surpassed the Yi family either!

    The dealer spoke very quickly and Abuli did not really understand all of it. However, Abuli had studied thenguage intensely during his journey here and could figure out the dealer¡¯s general intent.

    ¡°Oh, that was just because he did not understand the rules? Would you like to ce a new bet?¡± advised someone else from King City. Their intent was not kind but rather they wanted to see the dealer disappointed. If the crystal remained in this position, it basically meant it would belong to the dealer soon. They would not get it back. It was impossible for Abuli to win this bet!

    ¡°Yeah, ce a new bet. I suggest cing it behind the Chao n.¡±

    ¡°I think behind the An family would be good.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the time a ming Horn guy pped the Lu patriarch out of the city? I think it¡¯s best you ce your bet behind the Feng n. Maybe they¡¯re stronger than the Chao and An ns?¡±

    Everyone started to discuss once more.

    The dealer¡¯s face turned green, then white, so furious his veins started to bulge. He wished they would all shut their mouths.

    ¡°What is going on?!¡±

    A low voice rang across the betting house. It was not loud but clear enough to be heard over the crowd.

    The crowd fell silent.

    Abuli looked over to see a middle-aged man with a long beard walk out. His silk robes did not hide his bull-like muscr physique. He had arge scar on one side of his face, making him look terrifying.

    The person who hit the drums was stunned for a moment, then retreated to make way for this man.

    ¡°Sir, this is what happened...¡±

    A staff member stepped forward to exin the situation.

    The middle-aged man stared at the crystal on the betting table, his eyes glistening. He was the boss after all, so despite feeling excited, he maintained the solemn calmness on his face, regarding Abuli and his group. ¡°I am head of the House of Fortune, Bo Yi. I believe they had already exined the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book betting rules before this.¡±

    Abuli was busy staring at Bo Yi¡¯s beard, it fluttered in two directions when Bo Yi spoke. Abuli didn¡¯t hear what he said so he merely asked ¡°Huh?¡± in a daze.

    Stupid person with a lot to spend, very gullible. This was Bo Yi¡¯s first impression of Abuli.

    Without waiting for Abuli to speak, Bo Yi continued. ¡°What about this: since you¡¯re all not from around here, I understand you aren¡¯t familiar with our rules. We¡¯re only human, even some youngsters in King City don¡¯t know how to ce bets on the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book. But you understand the rules now, right? I¡¯ll give you another chance to ce your bets again, what do you think?¡± He deliberately spoke very slowly, and loudly but emphasizing every word so everyone could hear him clearly.

    ¡°Sir...¡± The staff member panicked and wanted to advise Bo Yi but Bo Yi stopped him.

    Bo Yi did not even look at the staff member scratching his head in panic, his eyes fixed on Abuli¡¯s group. ¡°What will you choose? Or will you choose to believe in ming Horn?¡± He changed his phrasing on purpose. Believing in ming Horn did not have to mean believing that they would surpass the six great ns, nor must they ce bets. But what would this group of foreign tribesmen choose?

    ¡°I¡¯ll choose to believe in ming Horn, of course!¡± Abuli did not seem to intend to take the crystal back.

    The corner of Bo Yi¡¯s lips curved upwards. Just as he expected! That giant crystal was theirs now!

    Looking away from Abuli, Bo Yi turned to the people around him. ¡°Would you all like to ce your bets too?¡±

    Drumming tribe¡¯s Qing Yi and Pu tribe¡¯s Yi looked at each other. They took out pouches of water moon stones they had nned to spend on a shopping spree.

    ¡°Same as Abuli, I will bet on ming Horn.¡± Yu tossed a pouch over.

    m!

    The pouch of water moon stonesnded on the sectionbelled ming Horn. Everyone could see the water moon stones inside from the open mouth.

    Since both continents had already begun to trade and the Longboats were selling water moon stones at a high price here, these King City folk had seen water moon stones before. They even thought water moon stones were more valuable than crystals, never had they seen so many in their lives! There must be twenty stones inside!

    With trembling fingers, Bo Yi reached to shield the mouth of the pouch from light. He had only covered it partially but could already see the stones¡¯ bright glow. These were good-quality stones, not those dull, poor-grade ones! Bo Yi¡¯s heart raced.

    ¡°Ssss¡ª¡± The crowd inhaled sharply. Another big spender!

    ¡°Same for me,¡± said Qing Yi.

    m! Arger pouch of water moon stonesnded on the ¡®ming Horn¡¯ section. Bo Yi checked its contents. It was another pouch of water moon stones of even better quality.

    ¡°Woah¡ª-¡±

    The crowd gasped even louder.

    Bo Gu of the Gu tribe did not even speak. He took out an animal skin pouch he carried with him and ced the pouch of ground eye stone on the table. Top grade stones rolled out of the open mouth and looked like eyeballs in the sunlight. They seemed to move in the light from different angles too.

    ¡°Woah¡ª¡±

    The crowd erupted in shock. All generous spenders!

    The Longboats and other tribesmen did not stand around either, all cing their bets on the same section.

    The crowd was stunned by the pouches of jades, crystals and gemstones, their eyeballs about to fall out of their heads. They gasped and gasped in surprise until they were numbed but the cheers never stopped. The ever-growing crowd remained excited as ever, and the increasing number of people made the cheers louder. They could only express their feelings by shouting now.

    Gulp¨C

    Someone swallowed his saliva, along with many in the crowd. Some even wiped the drool off their chins.

    They were all King City folk or traders who frequented King City. They thought they had seen it all but this was the first time they saw so many good-quality treasures in one ce!

    Even the Ji family would not pull out this many gemstones at a time!

    Insane! The tribesmen from the other side of the ocean were all insane!

    Bo Yi was so excited his face turned red.

    These stones were all theirs! All of it!

    The number of people banging the drums increased from one to five, even switching torger drums. They banged hard, as if about to break their drums. The crowd felt like their eardrums would explode.

    The entire King City could hear the rumbling drums, more and more people came to the betting house to watch. More people ced bets too but no one touched the sectionbelled ¡®ming Horn¡¯. Of course they must join a bet they already knew the ending to! They were here to profit.

    Bo Yi stared at the increasing pile of treasures on the table, starting to calcte the value of these goods, thinking of maximising his profit.

 Chapter 828 - Chapter 828 Heaven And Earth Agreement Book

    Chapter 828

    Heaven And Earth Agreement Book

    The tribesmen who crowded around the betting table all ced bets using their own gemstones. The dealer advised those who did not have gemstones to bet using their knives, spears, hammers or other weapons but were declined.

    A tribesman can live without gemstones but never without a weapon. If there was a battle, how else would they fight? With gemstones?

    Bo Yi thought it was unfortunate because he heard rumours that the ming Horns owned many good quality weapons. He thought he could also cheat them of their weapons but these tribesmen seemed vignt and stubborn. No matter how he enticed them, they would not give up their weapons.

    Despite his reservations, when he looked at the pile of gemstones on the table, he got excited again. He was rich! Rich! It was a good day!

    As the number of participants increased, Bo Yi quickly formted a n to profit most.

    Those who betted on ming Horn surpassing all six King City ns would get a five-fold reward. All other six options received either double or triple reward. This betting house only worked with integers, i.e. two or three-fold, not one-point-something.

    When this reward system was announced, the number of people cing bets increased. Some experienced gamblers finally ced their bets too. They were initially worried about being cheated but quickly rxed after hearing the announcement. However, most people chose to bet on a ranking behind thest few. Very few people ced their bets in front of the Ji and Yi family. This meant King City¡¯s people did not think the ming Horns were very strong.

    Although the ming Horn did p the Lu patriarch out of the city, that did not prove anything. King City¡¯s Ji and Yi family took a special position in their hearts.

    ¡°Only a five-fold reward? I thought it would be at least ten or a hundred,¡± someone muttered.

    This was not the only person to think such a thing- Bo Yi also wanted to offer this rate but quickly dismissed the thought.

    First, these tribesmen were from the other side of the ocean and he did not know what King City¡¯s aristocrats thought of the tribesmen. He did not want to cheat them this tantly by offering a ten or hundredfold reward. It might attract more people and he could earn more but this would be too obvious. He heard these tribesmen had bad tempers and he did not want to cause trouble. If the tribesmen started to fight, the betting house would only suffer losses. Fivefold was just nice, it did not sound too far off from the other bets.

    Why were there so many betting houses, yet House of Fortune was the only one here? First, they were established early and genuinely good at business; second, they knew how to read the room, earning just enough from the aristocrats.

    Also, they must not humiliate the tribesmen too much. This way, the tribesmen would return and the betting house would earn more- this was what Bo Yi thought.

    The other staff members did not mind this ratio. It did not matter how much the reward would be, those treasures were already theirs.

    Within the pce.

    Ji Fang led Shao Xuan to the area with the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book. Shao Xuan studied Ji Fang¡¯s sword and found that while it was still in its sheath, it radiated a suppressed chill. Ji Fang must have used blood to forge it, then usurped the throne using this very sword.

    Seeing that Shao Xuan was interested in his sword, Ji Fang smiled. ¡°Shall we spar after signing the agreement?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    At this moment, a ming Horn warrior entered. He was initially waiting outside but hurried into the pce due to news from the betting house. He reported the situation to Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Grand Elder, everyone is talking about this outside.¡± The warrior was extremely displeased because those people spoke as if they looked down on ming Horn. The city folk saw them as stupid rich people.

    Shao Xuan thought for a moment but did not answer his concerns, instead he said, ¡°Bring Gan Qie with you when you leave the pce, he doesn¡¯t want to stay inside.¡±

    Gan Qie was not with Shao Xuan when they pursued Si because Shao Xuan had sent him to check on the captured people. After Gan Qie rejoined the group, he said the pce contained a fire seed aura he did not like and wanted to leave because of this difort.

    When the warrior left, Ji Fang led Shao Xuan and a few others to the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book. He knew about the betting house too but chose to ignore it.

    ¡°It¡¯s right ahead.¡± Ji Fang slowed down his footsteps, his expression growing solemn.

    Gui He and Ao also sensed the strong fire seed aura here. They noticed it when they entered the pce but it was much stronger here. There was no repulsion between their different fire seeds, instead the fire seed aura here seemed to be suppressed to remain in a very small area as if it was deep in slumber.

    ¡°There¡¯s a fire seed inside?¡± Gui He looked over in confusion. He could not look inside due to the tall yard walls.

    The people here had long forgone their tribal lifestyles, the tribesmen had merged with their fire seeds a very long time ago. So what was this fire seed aura? That must be from a primitive fire seed! But why was it not repelling them?

    Ji Fang smiled mysteriously and did not exin. ¡°You¡¯ll know when you enter.¡±

    The ce was heavily guarded and Ji Fang did not n to bring many people inside. Only Shao Xuan, Gui He, Ao and Ta entered. He wanted to sign an agreement with ming Horn and this was irrelevant to the other tribes, even if they were part of the ming River Alliance.

    Ji Fang only cared about the ming Horns- more specifically, there was only one person he was wary of- Shao Xuan.

    Rumble¡ª

    A heavy metal and stone door was pushed open. Ji Fang entered first. After the group studied their surroundings, they stepped inside.

    Other than Ji Fang, there were five other people from the five other ns. The Yi family was not represented by Yi Tuan but another elder whom Shao Xuan had not met. He did not partake in the battle against Yi Xiang.

    This elder was very different from other arrogant, snobbish Yi members. This elder kept a humble demeanour. Compared to the four other n representatives, he maintained a low profile. When Shao Xuan looked over, the elder had his head lowered, his eyelids hung down. He did not meet Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

    After giving the elder a lingering look, Shao Xuan finally studied the rock mountain in the centre of the yard.

    It was a huge yard with many flowers and various nts around, a very well-maintained garden indeed. The rock mountain in the centre seemed to be a mountain replica meant as andscaping ornament. However, no one who entered would ignore it because it radiated a powerful fire seed aura.

    This was the main character of the yard! It contained huge power within!

    After stepping into the yard, the fire seed aura intensified. Even the least sensitive person would feel it. However, just as Gui He and the rest noticed, this aura seemed to be contained within an area, its influence weak beyond this boundary. This aura might not even be sensed in certain parts of the pce, let alone outside. That was why they did not know of this when they entered the city- the fire seed could not be felt at all.

    Shao Xuan looked at the mountain. It was a miniature replica of a mountain simr to the steep mountain walls he saw in the forest.

    This mountain was twenty metres tall, a hundred metres long in a ¡°Ò»¡± shape. It was a steep cliff, more like a chunk of wall.

    Shao Xuan saw totems imprinted on the cliff wall. Other than the Ji family, there were sigils of the other five ns, as well as other groups. Shao Xuan saw the ck Bear Trading Party¡¯s symbol too. These were all parties who had ever signed agreements with the Ji family.

    The totems varied in sizes and colour. The lighter the colour, the older the mark was. The ck Bear symbol had faded, their previous chief had made this agreement with the Ji family some time ago.

    This was reasonable. The Ji family would never let a trading party who had not signed an agreement with them grow sorge in King City.

    Shao Xuan observed the totem sizes. The aristocratic ns hadrger sigils, especially the Ji and Yi totems that were obviouslyrger than the rest. Both sigils did not differ much in size, the Ji family sigil was only slightlyrger than the Yi family.

    ¡°So... this is the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book?¡± Gui He asked hesitantly.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, this is it!¡± Ji Fang stood before the mountain, feeling a surge of pride as he looked at the various totems on the wall.

    King City was built here for a reason.

    In the beginning, the Ji ancestors wanted the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book as theirst resort if their family ever met an undefeatable enemy, man or beast. They could borrow its powers to fight for their survival!

    How did the Ji family beat the other ns to be ruler of the city? First, they were capable. Second, the Ji n was the only n to be recognised by this mountain! The Yi family had always thought they had the most powerful fire seed but they could never do it!

    ording to the Ji ancestral records, the mountain was awakened using only the Ji ancestor¡¯s blood!

    This mountain only recognised Ji family members, specifically the strongest members fit to be king! It did not recognise weaklings- a secret reason why Ji Fang could get the throne was that he was acknowledged by this mountain!

    People who did not have strong Ji blood could not leave a mark on this mountain.

    Yes, any mark!

    Even a sharp sword made by the Gongjia Mountain could not. Even if it did, the mark would disappear very soon as if the mountain could wipe it off on its own. Just as Ji Fang said, once an agreement was signed on the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book, it would never change.

    Gui He and the few looked up at the mountain wall carved with all sorts of totems. Within this mountain was a primitive fire seed that did not belong to any tribe, person or beast!

    They thought the book would be made of animal skin, fabric or some nt¨C a material simr to what they used to make scrolls. They did not expect the book to be a whole mountain!

    This mountain contained a primitive fire seed of its own. From a certain perspective, one could even say that this mountain was ¡®alive¡¯.

 Chapter 829 - Sign!

    Chapter 829

    Sign!

    Shao Xuan could sense the fire seed¡¯s power flowing through the mountain. However, like a human, totemic warriors did not disy their powers when not in battle. Simrly, the mountain looked like an ordinary mountain other than the fact that there were no nts on it.

    ¡°Do we sign now?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°If I want, you can. You all have already read the contents of the agreement. If you have no objections, you may sign now,¡± said Ji Fang.

    To stabilize their rtionship with ming Horn, Ji Fang had offered decent conditions. Everyone would remain in harmony, no wars will be dered, both sides will respect the other party¡¯s rules when on their territory, etc. The agreement wouldst a hundred years. King City nned to expand and was busy with internal and external affairs. ming Horn was in the same situation, they needed time to develop their territory. This agreement would benefit both sides.

    One hundred years sounded like a long time but many tribesmen lived twice as long as that. If Ji Fang could continuously keep his power, it was not impossible that he would remain the lord for more than a hundred years.

    Then again, even if Ji Fang was not there in a century, the agreement still stood and the next lord must follow the conditions. Just like how the agreement between King City and the ck Bear chief¡¯s predecessor was still effective to this day. No matter who the ck Bear chief was, they must abide by the conditions until its expiry.

    Shao Xuan looked at Gui He and the few. Seeing as they did not object, he nodded. ¡°We¡¯ll sign now.¡±

    Ji Fang handed them an animal skin scroll containing the agreement. Once they confirmed that there were no errors, he walked towards the mountain wall with the scroll rolled up in his hand. He paced around, then stopped to point at a spot. ¡°There is arger empty space here, you may sign here.¡±

    Shoa Xuan nodded and Ji Fang¡¯s expression was solemn. He lifted his right palm and with a flick, a sh opened on his palm, blood poured out. Before the blood dripped off his palm, he pressed it on the wall. At the same time, a creeper nt-like pattern appeared on his body. Shao Xuan had seen this pattern on Ji Ju before.

    The Ji family¡¯s fire seed aura radiated from Ji Fang. The palm on the wall burst into mes. At the same time, Ji Fang started to recite the contents of their agreement. With every word he uttered, a portion of his n¡¯s totem would appear.

    When the one-metre long totem was almostpleted, he too almost finished reciting the agreement.

    ¡°...the agreement shallst a hundred years!¡±

    When thest word of the agreement was uttered, a circle of red light shone from the Ji totem. This was the mountain fire seed¡¯s mes. The circle of mes encircled the totem.

    Ji Fang retracted his hand. The totem and red circle of mes remained.

    Taking two steps back, Ji Fang gestured for Shao Xuan to step forward. ¡°You just need to leave a mark next to it.¡±

    Shao Xuan nodded, stepped forward and pressed his palm on the wall next to the Ji family totem.

    When Shao Xuan touched the wall, the circle of red mes extended in his direction.

    He closed his eyes, sensing the power flowing within the mountain and the fire seed at the centre. Perhaps other people might find this fire seed too foreign even if there was no strong repulsion. The oppression was stronger near the fire seed and caused great difort. But Shoa Xuan did not feel the oppression at all. He felt there was something familiar with the fire seed, it was simr to the white mes in his body.

    A signature was an imprint made by a fire seed¡¯s power. Shao Xuan could feel power every wisp of energy flowing beneath his palm.

    His eyes shot open and a sh of white mes appeared before him, totemic patterns rolled across his entire body. Energy from the ming Horn fire seed within him poured towards his palm and the ming Horn fire seed¡¯s aura radiated in all directions.

    Outside the pce.

    The betting house had received news from a few noble ns that ming Horn was about to sign the agreement. That was why the crowd had not dispersed. To prevent people from stealing the goods on the table, Bo Yi sent many guards over- threeyers of them surrounded the betting table and every guard looked at every person like a potential thief. Anyone who wanted to ce bets could only enter through one gap, then exit through another.

    They could feel a fire seed fluctuation from the pce so they knew the signing had begun.

    ¡°ming Horn¡¯s fire seed,¡± remarked Abuli.

    ¡°Who from ming Horn do you think will be signing?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°Is that a question?¡± Everyone looked at him like he was an idiot.

    Yes, was that even a question? The signer was obviously going to be Grand Elder Shao Xuan.

    The entire King City was startled by the abrupt aura, quieting down. They looked anxiously in the pce¡¯s direction, trying hard to sense the energy fluctuations. Although they could not see inside, they could specte through the fire seed energy fluctuations.

    Within a house near the betting house, Su Li and tens of Changle people were here to watch the show. They too were observing the pce closely, as well as the betting house. Yes, they were here for the fun, but they were also waiting for an opportunity. Capitalising on chaos was one of their strengths.

    Within the pce, in the courtyard with the Heaven and Earth Agreement Book.

    Ji Fang sensed the ming Horn fire seed aura radiating from Shao Xuan and knitted his brows. The aura was bing stranger and stranger, as if there was something else too, not just ming Horn¡¯s fire seed.

    What the heck is that?

    Ji Fang¡¯s mind raced. He looked at the mountain, then at Shao Xuan, very puzzled.

    Based on the usual situation, the ming Horn totem should have appeared already. So why hasn¡¯t the double horn totem appeared beneath Shoa Xuan¡¯s palm yet?

    Just as he had many questions, Ji Fang suddenly heard a huge rumble like a rolling boulder or thunder. It startled everyone in the yard.

    White mes erupted from Shao Xuan¡¯s palm, then they extended in a line of mes beneath his palm until they arrived at the centre of the wall, and extended upwards. At the same time, another ming line extended in the opposite direction to form a white cross.

    The mountain trembled, pebbles rolling off its edges. However, these grain-sized stone chips came with a deafening rumble that sounded more like an avnche.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Red mes exploded out of the top of the mountain. The mes started to rise and heat up while the mountain shook even harder as if the slumbering mountain was finally awakened.

    Bright sparks flew in all directions as mes rushed vertically upwards.

    As the mes sputtered out of the mountain, a simr red glint appeared in Shao Xuan¡¯s eye. However, this red glow was not noticeable against the white mes.

    Gui He and the rest gawked in shock. Was every signature this dramatic?

    If Ji Fang and the rest in the courtyard knew what they thought, they¡¯d scream: No, you¡¯re overthinking it!

    Their past signatures were never like this.

    In the past, it did not matter which tribe the signer was from. Even if there was argemotion from the mark, it was contained and not this dramatic. It always felt within the mountain¡¯s control. This time, it felt like the mountain itself could not contain the power surge!

    The word should not be ¡®contain¡¯- Ji Fang felt like the mountain had given up!

    Ji Fang¡¯s eyelid twitched. The situation was getting out of his control.

    The rumbling in the yard grew louder and louder as gusts of manic wind blew. Dust and sand were thrown in the air while bits of leaves rolled in the sky as if a storm was brewing.

    The Mu patriarch drew in a sharp breath in shock, though he identally choked on some flying dust and started to cough violently as if he was about to cough blood out.

    No one paid any attention to him because they were staring at the mountain. The Yi elder was more astonished than the rest.

    Was it not just an agreement? What was this?!

    Outside the pce, all the observers also heard the rumbling from within the pce. If it wasn¡¯t for the sun shining brightly in a clear sky, they would have thought a storm wasing.

    ¡°What... what happened?¡± asked a timid person, his teeth chattering from anxiety.

    Some peopleughed at the rest. ¡°This is normal. Of course there will be somemotion when a Heaven and Earth Agreement is signed. There is nothing to worry about.¡±

    ¡°Are you... sure?¡± Many were skeptical. Their fears were justified because they were all traumatised from prior natural disasters. The rumbling and shaking were very ufortable.

    ¡°Of course!¡± The person tried his best to maintain the calm expression on his face, insistent on his opinion. Even if he was not, he stubbornly stood his ground.

    Bo Yi reminded his subordinates to remain vignt in case someone stole their goods during the chaos.

    Abuli and the rest gawked with curiosity, sighing, ¡°So this is how signing an agreement looks like!¡±

    In a house nearby, Su Li shot up with shining eyes, looking at the Changle people around him. ¡°Something¡¯s happened!¡± His favourite activity was robbing and stealing goods by capitalising on chaos. He loved to see his victims¡¯ expressions when they noticed their missing goods, and the way they were helpless towards the Changle people.

    ¡°Watch the betting table. Once you see an opportunity, act immediately...¡±

    Su Li had not finished his sentence when Wu He shook his head vigorously. ¡°I¡¯m not doing that! You all go ahead, I¡¯m not participating in this!¡±

 Chapter 830 - Purple City

    <h4>Chapter 830 Purple City</h4>

    Useless!

    This was what everyone thought when they looked at Wu He, along with disgust.

    However, Wu He did not mind, giving an ¡®I admit that I am¡¯ look and did not change his mind.

    AS the chief, Su Li should reprimand him for cking ambition¡¯ which did not align with their ¡®values¡¯. The words were at the tip of his tongue when he thought about how the ming Horn tribe captured Wu He and a few others, and since then, he somehow became their mailman?

    After some thought, Su Li shrugged, ¡°Fine.¡± He then looked around. ¡°Who thinks the same?¡±

    Four more people did. They were active members of the Changle people and were equally traumatised by the ming Horns. Su Li did not insist either because he privately was also traumatised. However, he felt like this time should be fine.

    Just as they were itching to make a move, something peculiar happened.

    ¡°Look! What is that?!¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong with my eyes? Why do I see purple light there?¡±

    ¡°I see it too!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s purple!¡±

    The observers saw faint purple light shining out of the pce.

    At the centre of the pce, within the garden with the Heaven and Earth AGreement Book.

    The mes burning on top of the mountain turned from red to purple. In the beginning, only the outline of the mes was purple but the purple was spreading fast.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s had remained on the wall but the white ming lines had turned into arge cross, also the shaman symbol, and was extending unobstructed across the wall!

    The shaman symbol took up the entire wall- the wall was twenty metres, meaning the pattern was twenty metres tall!

    ¡°Founder Shaman Seal!¡± gasped the Yi elder.

    More and more mes spouted out of the mountain, the red mes quickly reced by purple. Even the heat and peripheral mes extending outwards were turning purple!

    Purple mes?!

    What shocked the crowd even more was that while the white shaman symbol formed, all the marks left behind by the other tribes on the wall started to move!

    The totems were not moving but the mountain itself. The mountain was moving the parts with other totems away to make more space for this shaman symbol!

    The King City folk fell silent, their eyes zed over.

    This scene had far exceeded Ji Fang¡¯s expectations.

    The fire seed in the mountain was purple but this colour had not appeared in a long time. Ji Fang only learned of this from their ancestral notes. Afterwards, people told him that the fire seed inside was considered a primitive fire seed so it could not be merged and passed down generations. That was why it was destined to decline.

    Ji Fang always thought that the mountain could never disy its colours again but the purple mes had appeared once again!

    What was the reason?!

    Ji Fang¡¯s eyes were glued to the giant Founder Shaman Seal on the mountain wall, as well as the double horn totem at the centre of the seal, his hand clutching the hilt of his sword. Green veins popped out of the back of his palm as all his muscles trembled.

    Why must it be a ming Horn?!

    He suddenly regretted signing a deal with the ming Horn tribe because it meant he could not invade the ming River region both privately and publicly.

    However, a thought crossed his mind and Ji Fang loosened the grip on his sword. A strange smirk spread across his face but he quickly suppressed it so no one saw him.

    The entire mountain was on fire now. Purple mes rose to the sky and heat radiated in all directions.

    The pce roofs were all dyed a faint purple from the purple mes. This mysterious purple light only brightened with time and the area bathed in purple light quickly expanded.

    Purple smoke spread out of the pce until the streets, buildings, people and objects of King City were bathed in purple.

    Gasps came from the streets. Everyone dropped what they were doing and rushed out of their houses.

    People dressed in all types of clothing came out to the streets, gawking at the pce like they were looking at a religious sign.

    The sky above the pce had turned purple, far stronger than sunlight itself!

    The streets became crowded in the blink of an eye. The once wide streets that could fit giant beasts were filled with so many people no one could move forwards or backwards.

    People were everywhere!

    This was the first time they felt the size of King City¡¯s poption. Most importantly, the Heaven and Earth Agreement became more mysterious to them.

    They had only heard from their elders about it- even the ones who had witnessed the agreement-signing before had never seen anything like this. Their elders never mentioned such a thing either.

    A fire seed¡¯s aura radiated from the pce. It did not belong to any tribe and did not have a strong feeling of repulsion. IN fact, it made them revere and worship such energy. Those who retained their tribal habits had the urge to kneel.

    Within the betting house, the betters had all forgotten about their bets. Abuli and the group also had their attention on the pce, specting. What happened? Did they need reinforcements? Should they be gathering their troops to save them?

    However, there were also people who remembered the bets, for example the head of the betting house, Bo Yi.

    Compared to the excitement he felt during the bet, he was currently ghostly pale as beads of sweat dripped off his forehead. He did not even wipe his face, his eyes darting around quickly. Those who knew him understood that he was currently making swift calctions in his head.

    Bo Yi was calcting the profits from this bet. Just like how Yi Si could predict the future based on his detailed observations of his surroundings, while Bo Yi had not reached such mastery, he was still good at predicting future events with seventy percent uracy.

    The result of every calctor he made was enough to make him shudder.

    During the first ray of purple, he calcted a thirty percent chance of Abuli winning. Although thirty percent was not much, it was still a blow to his confidence. That was merely the beginning.

    The second time, when the pce was bathed in purple light, he predicted a fifty percent chance.

    The third time, when purple smoke spread across the streets, he calcted a seventy percent chance of Abuli winning.

    Now that the purple light was getting brighter, Bo Yi did not dare calcte anymore.

    What should he do?

    Bo Yi looked at the mountain of goods on his table. Thank goodness he only decided on a five-fold reward. If he had said tenfold or hundredfold, he might as well be dead!

    Fivefold was already a lot. As he counted the pile of goods and thepensation... this can¡¯t do!

    He gulped secretly, then woke the person next to him from his trance and said a few words in a lowered voice.

    The person¡¯s face changed but quickly recovered, showing the same sneaky expression. He took a few steps back, then mouthed a few quick words to someone on the other side, then retreated back again.

    The staff members who received themand started to take action. With just a few nces, they had started to work together. Some blocked the crowd¡¯s view of the table, others made loudments and spections on the situation to divert attention while others secretly moved the goods off the table.

    Bo Yi looked at the stuff that the tribesmen first put down like pouches of gemstones. They hadn¡¯t counted what was on the table, had they? He wanted to take this chance to move some of it inside. If he really had to pay them back, at least he could cut some cost. He wanted to take everything and run but if he did that, that meant giving up on the entire betting house because he would never be able to stay in King City.

    Just as he was thinking about cheating the tribesmen, Bo Yi heard a yell, ¡°Someone¡¯s stealing from the betting table!¡±

    Bo Yi almost spat blood. Which idiot was it?!

    He turned in the direction of the yell but there was only a crowd so he could not identify the source. This also reminded the entire crowd, who was busy staring at the pce.

    ¡°Stealing?!¡±

    ¡°Who?! Kill them!¡± The betters all had their eyes on the table.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the staff members! I saw it!¡± came a voice.

    Under the murderous res, Bo Yi had to shout shamelessly, ¡°Nonsense, do not tarnish my reputation!¡±

    Just as the betters were about to fight the betting house¡¯s staff members, a few figures swooped past in a sh, every figure running in different directions. Some swiped the goods on the table while others covered them.

    ¡°The house is stealing our stuff again!¡± yelled a shrill voice.

    ¡°I want my things back!¡±

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    Bo Yi was so angry he was about to cough up blood. That was not one of his people! Someone was causing trouble!

    Whoosh¡ª

    As if a door had been opened, everyone who had private thoughts about stealing, both the betters and spectators, started to rush forward. Might as well take the opportunity of the chaos to steal some? They¡¯ll just take some and run.

    Abuli and the other tribesmen¡¯s things had ignited a lot of greed in the room.

    The staff members guarding the table were overwhelmed by the manic crowd. In the past, this should be enough but there were too many people around due to themotion at the pce. They could not guard the table at all! And these people were deliberately breaking the circle of guards too.

    ¡°We can¡¯t hold them off, Sir!¡±

    A green vein bulge on Bo Yi¡¯s forehead as he took a deep breath, about to say something when a tiger¡¯s roar sounded from within the crowd.

    Roar¡ª

    Stripes emerged on the skin of a Water Tiger warrior. His mouth expanded three times its size as he roared, visible sound waves rippling across the air.

    Crocodile-scale patterns appeared on Drumming tribe¡¯s Qing Yi, changing his cid demeanour into one of a cold predator, a deep gurgling sounding from his throat.

    Yu and the rest from Pu tribes, with their colourful eyelids, released soft frog-like croaks that might not be obvious in the crowd. However, based on the wooden thorns between their fingers, anyone could tell that they were poised for attack.

    ¡°Kill everyone who took our goods!¡±

    When Abuli saw that his giant crystal had gone missing, he leapt in anger, his giant feet drumming on the ground.

    The people who were not familiar with the Zhi tribe thought they were stomping their feet in anger. The rest knew the reason for theirrge feet.

    A few short and fat tribesmen had their faces stuck to the ground. Other people thought they were trying to dig holes and were about toment when the few tribesmen leapt and shouted to their mates, ¡°Someone¡¯s stealing our stuff at the betting house!¡±

    The entire group rushed to the betting house in a flurry.

    The crowd around them erupted in discussion, for they heard what the short tribesmen said. The pronunciations were not urate but they could understand the meaning.

    ¡°The betting house?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one in King City.¡±

    The few people looked at each other curiously.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check it out!¡±

 Chapter 831 - WhiChapter Side Are You On?!

    <h4>Chapter 831 Which Side Are You On?!</h4>

    More and more people in King City rushed to the street where the betting house was located. Although many people heard about the bet, not everyone had the time or was interested in betting. However, when news of themotion spread, many were interested to watch the show. This matter involved people from the other side, after all, this was enough to pique their curiosities.

    The betting house was in utter chaos.

    Consecutive eruptions of totemic power, the appearance of different totemic patterns, terrifying roars, sounds of des, fists and feet colliding, sounds of various objects crashing all mixed together.

    Totemic power rose within the few Drumming tribesmen, their bodies transforming. All the thirty Drumming tribesmen pounced on anyone they saw stealing the water moon stones.

    Other people might have made a mistake but never the Drumming tribesmen because they could naturally sense these stones. They could detect any water moon stones nearby and while the people of King City did already have them, they were still rare here. The ones who owned water moon stones would never bring it with them on the streets anyway.

    The Drumming tribe was the only one who ced bets using the water moon stones. That was why anyone holding it must have stolen it from the betting table. They showed no mercy towards anyone who capitalised on the chaos like this.

    Hunt leaders Mai, Cheng and the rest from ming Horn rushed to the betting house too. When Shao Xuan, Gui He, Ao and Ta- the major leaders- were not around, they were in charge.

    They hurried over immediately, among them also included other tribesmen. They would not have followed if the message was sent to one tribe but this time, every tribe had sent emergency notes at the same time, meaning the situation had escted. They initially thought King City had made a move against the tribesmen, it was only along the journey when they understood the entire story.

    When they arrived at the chaotic fight scene, the leaders looked at each other and stepped into battle.

    They did not shout ¡®stop, let¡¯s talk like civil people¡¯ or ¡®everyone please calm down¡¯ or any of those nonsense, nor did they consider if they could win a fight on the busiest street in King City. Their goods were stolen and their tribesmen were bullied! What else would they do?

    As long as they had ming Horn blood in them, there was only one obvious choice¡ª

    To fight!

    Wei, Mai and Cheng charged into the most violent fights, fighting the people in the betting house.

    Mai turned his head to dodge an iing fist, then grabbed sideways without even looking and threw the man upwards, crashing through the wooden window into the room on the second floor.

    When the just-arrived ming Horn warriors saw that Wei and the rest had rushed in, they too charged inside without a word. And when the other tribesmen saw that the ming Horns were fighting, what was there to hesitate about? CHARGE!

    ming Horns in battle mode had hard bones and explosive power. They shoved anyone they could not recognise away using brute force. Anyone not from the ming River here was an enemy so they showed no mercy. All their smaller victims were thrown backwards if they collided with a ming Horn, apanied by the cracking sound of breaking bones.

    All the other ming River Alliance tribesmen had hunted in the forest with the ming Horns so they had gained some ferocity too.

    That was why when the entire crowd of tribesmen exploded, the atmosphere changedpletely. The King City folk were all stunned and their impressions of the tribesmen from the other side changed.

    Fierce!

    They¡¯re all fierce!

    Very fierce! They¡¯re acting like fearsome beasts fighting to get their prey back.

    In a few moments, the busiest street in King City turned into a battle scene, the battle expanding as more and more people participated.

    Various people were thrown outwards unto the buildings on both sides, breaking a few holes in the walls. Loud crashes could be heard as these people crashed into the furniture in the house.

    The shops on both sides were coteral damage but the bosses were not too worried. Those not interested in partaking in the fight started to calcte their losses, nning to visit these various organisations after the fight. They hoped more tribesmen would crash into their buildings so they could cheat gemstones out of these tribesmen¡¯s hands.

    A wine shop owner was listing down his shop¡¯s losses at lightning speed, observing where these people who crashed into his shop were from. He must record these urately to be adequatelypensated!

    Another person crashed into his shop, breaking a sturdy table. The shop owner was privately disappointed that it was not a tribesman.

    The guy yelped in pain, the sword in his hand had been knocked off when he was thrown back. He got up and looked around, finally charging out with two table legs in his hands.

    Bo Yi looked at the severely damaged betting house, then at the fights densely packed with people, his face turning green from fury. The worst part was that a few short and fat bearded men were screaming, ¡°THEY AREN¡¯T PAYING US! AND THEY¡¯RE STEALING OUR STUFF!¡±

    The pronunciation was odd but still distinguishable.

    Bo Yi almost had a heart attack when he heard it. He wanted to exin that the Changle people were the ones stealing stuff. As the head of the house, obviously he knew that the Changle people were the cause of the chaos.

    However, the public would not listen. Forget about the tribesmen, the gamblers all refused to believe him- they probably secretly did but refused to admit it because it was a good opportunity to steal stuff in this chaos. They had lost so much money in this betting house during past bets, now¡¯s the time to take it all back!

    Some of the gamblers continued yelling that the house was cheating them. Bo Yi swore in his heart that he would twist their necks once this was all over!

    Ignoring everything, Bo Yi first looked at the short, fat bearded men weaving in and out of the crowd like mud eels and instructed his subordinates, ¡°Get the fat ones to shut up first!¡±

    The Ya tribesman, Di Pa, was shoving people aside with his short and fat arms as he shouted. Some spectators started to hesitate- they should be on King City¡¯s side since they were all locals but after hearing the shouts, their footsteps halted. Should they dive into the mess?

    However, the greedy ones had made their calctions. They were only going to help if the betting house would reward them. Bo Yi¡¯s face darkened.

    Di Pa was getting more excited when a sword shed directly at him. He quickly wove through the crowd to escape but the pursuers had their eyes on him.

    Then, another two people started to surround Di Pa. He had been too engrossed with his shouting andpletely forgotten his chief¡¯s reminders to stick to his group. He had strayed too far and they could not help him here. Calling for help wouldn¡¯t work now. He was secretly regretting his actions and could only run. The ground on the streets was too hard. If it was soil, he would have dug a tunnel already.

    The three people started to force Di Pa out of the battlefield because the current situation was to Di Pa¡¯s advantage when their movements were restricted by the crowd. Once they broke free, the tables would turn as the pursuers were more familiar with the streets.

    Di Pa suddenly tripped over something and tumbled on the ground like a ball. When he stopped rolling, the three pursuers had caught up. Although he could not see his surroundings properly, he could clearly see the metallic glints from their weapons. The murderous intent from the des scared him so much his beard stood on ends.

    But, in the next moment, the three people were thrown backwards, mming heavily into the ground and even tumbled backwards before stopping.

    Pain shot through their systems as they struggled to get up, then they coughed blood and almost cked out. When they saw the attacker, they were both shocked and furious.

    ¡°Beimi, YOU....¡±

    Before he finished, he choked on blood rising in his throat, pointing a trembling finger at Beimi as he red with hatred. He did not understand why the ck Bear Trading Party would help the tribesmen. These trading parties usually would not go against King City and the House of Fortune was a famous organisation in King City.

    Although they did not have a very good rtionship with the ck Bears, they had not harmed each other before. Yet during a critical moment like this, the ck Bears chose to help the ming Horns!

    ¡°Whose side are the ck Bears on?!¡± yelled the other betting house staff member.

    Bei Mi did not reply but Mao Da stood next to him, wringing the bear paw-like hand he used to hit the guy and snickered, ¡°What kind of question is that?¡±

    ¡°Thank you!¡± Knowing that he was just saved, Di Pa crawled up enthusiastically and got ready to leave for a ce with more ming Horns. After a few steps, he returned and looked up, squinting at Bei Mi and his people. His beard shook. ¡°You guys aren¡¯t from ming River, are you? Who are you?¡± His vision was the worst among all the Ya tribesmen who came over. He still could not see Bei Mi¡¯s face clearly up close, only a blurry figure. He thought this was a tribesman from one of the more muscr tribes like Thunder Mountain or Water Tiger but after hearing Mado Da speak and sensing their fire seed power, he realised they were not familiar tribesmen. Yet this guy helped him anyway! So he ran back to ask.

    ¡°ck Bear Trading Party, Bei Mi.¡± Bei Mi spoke up.

    ¡°I know you guys, Elder Shao Xuan has mentioned you before!¡± Then, Di Pa slipped away since it was not a good time to talk. The Ya people were never good fighters and he was aware that he had strayed too far. He decided to return to his people, at least they could help him. The ck Bears had helped him but inparison, his own tribesmen were definitely more trustworthy.

    When the other King City folks saw Bei Mi attack the betting house staff along with other ck Bears they were all stunned. They started to specte the reason.

    Especially the businesspeople who were familiar with Bei Mi¡¯s personality. They knew that Bei Mi would not rescue the tribesmen so quickly if he merely knew the ming Horns. Businessmen prioritised profits. Without enough motivation, they would not do this. Everything they did was because of ¡®profit¡¯.

    That¡¯s right! ming Horn Was about to sign a deal with King City. By doing this, the trading party would definitely benefit greatly!

    They heard that the other side of the ocean had many gemstones but robbing the tribesmen would take too much effort. That area belonged to the tribesmen and the fights proved that they were not easy to rob either. If they went over to the other side, they might never return alive.

    If they helped the ming Horns, perhaps they could enjoy better treatment if they ever visited the other side.

    Too bad Bei Mi beat them to it!

    Hmmph, these ck Bears might look like good, honest men but they were all very cunning.

    But it was not toote.

    The people who nned to help the betting house suddenly changed their minds, especially the businessmen.

    The betting house staff were stunned. Who the heck are you helping now?!

    The people who changed their minds smiled without a word. They were helping whichever side with money. There were many factors contributing to this but the trading parties only grew because they could make the most profitable decision at any given time. In the beginning, the spectators did not understand but they slowly did.

    A fight involving thousands of people was rare in King City, and this involved tribesmen from the other side of the ocean. All the King City patrol guards who rushed over looked at each other, unsure of what to do. They had no choice but to go look for Ji Shou to save the day.

    At the same time, the Changle people who triggered the fights were gathered in a spot, discussing the situation in delight. One of them was carrying a giant crystal as thick as his arm, showing off his haul, not forgetting to mock Wu He, who was sitting in a corner silently.

    Wu He ignored all the insults and merely yawned. He was about to tell Su Li that he was going to bed, that he would not join their celebration when he suddenly froze and turned a ghostly white.

    Su Li was sitting at the head of the table. In an instant, the smile on his face fell as his eyes filled with caution.

    Theughing crowd turned to look at the door.

    The person at the entrance pulled the door open and retreated backwards, then looking out to see a man standing without a sound.

    No breathing, no heartbeat. The person stood outside the door soundlessly. No one knew how long he had been there.

    Wu He¡¯s voice trembled. ¡°Gan Qie!¡±

 Chapter 832 - You Were Stabbed!

    Chapter 832

    You Were Stabbed!

    Wu He was most afraid of Shao Xuan. After Shao Xuan, was not Chief Su Li, but Gan Qie.

    His teeth chattered as he stared at Gan Qie blocking the door. When he was on the other side of the ocean, after he was released by the ming Horns, there was a long time he did not act recklessly on theirnd. He had been observing them to get to know the tribe better.

    The more he observed, the more strange things he noticed, for example the three-eyed wolf. He heard that this wolf was once not even a fearsome beast. Then there was the giant mountain eagle, he heard it was raised in the tribe and other than the Hui tribe¡¯s eagles, this was the only human-raised eagle. Wu He knew how difficult the giant mountain eagles could be as a race. Then there was this thing that looked like a bird but wasn¡¯t a bird. And many other strange urrences in the tribe, though these were not enough to make Wu He this afraid.

    When he saw the silent Gan Qie standing just five steps away from him, he had the urge to sprint off immediately, at the same time he felt the need to exin that he was not involved in this.

    Wu He was about to speak when Gan Qie lifted a hand slowly. There was a ground eye stone in his palm, one that the Changle people had dropped when they were swiping random things. They did not pick it up since they were in a hurry.

    Ssss¡ª-

    The stone turned to powder in his fist.

    The air in the room froze, another man who was also holding a stone in his palm was stunned. Although it was not a very hard rock, it should not be this easy to pulverise it in a fist! How did he do it with his fingers, without any tools? And Gan Qie¡¯s fingers remainedpletely fine!

    Su Li¡¯s expression worsened, eyeing Gan Qie warily. Gan Qie looked dangerous and the pair of red eyes made Su Li¡¯s hairs stand.

    Meanwhile, on the street by the betting house.

    Fights broke out throughout most of the street. When Ji Shou arrived with his men, none of the shops on both sides of the road were undamaged. Stones and y tiles scattered across the messy street, and it was especially infuriating to hear those short, fat bearded men scream ¡®people from King City are stealing our stuff¡¯! These people need a beating!

    ¡°Stop it right now!¡±

    A roar filled with explosive anger rang down the entire street.

    At the same time, a group of Golden Armours appeared and surrounded the street. Archers emerged on roofs near the core of the battle, their cold res and sharp arrows pointed right at the people. The cold light reflecting off their armour made everyone who nned to steal stuff shudder.

    A wooden whistle sounded rhythmically and ming Horns from various spots gathered in an instant. Ji Shou squinted. These ming Horns were all trained after all, though their chemistry was trained from hunting together, unlike the trained city guards. That was why those people who fought the ming Horns seemed to be losing, most of the ones lying on the ground were from King City. Very few ming Horns were on the ground, the few injured ones were already carried away from the fights. There must be more tribesmen nearby caring for the injured.

    Wei had blown his whistle, issuing themand to stop the fight and gather when Ji Shou arrived with his army. He knew that the city guards would definitely fire their arrows at them if they did not stop. There was nothing to gain from fighting the city guards on their turf.

    The rest of the ming River tribesmen saw ming Horn as their leader. They stopped fighting too. Even the Ya tribesmen stopped shouting and quickly hid behind the ming Horns, doing their best to hide their bodies. They preferred dark ces, being out in the sun made them feel too vulnerable.

    Not just the ming Horns. When the King City folk saw Ji Shou, they quickly tried to run but the guards had already surrounded the area. If they did, they would be shot and turned into a porcupine.

    When he saw the battle stop, Ji Shou¡¯s anger dissipated slightly. At least he still had an influence on this city, people still feared him and the soldiers.

    Then came a deafening boom, shaking the ground. The boom came from somewhere else not on this street. It felt like a challenge to his authority since he had already yelled at them to stop.

    The entire street saw a storm brewing on Ji Shou¡¯s face, the green vein popping on his forehead as he looked like a beast ready to eat a man. The nervous citizens, especially the gamblers, be more and more ufortable as they avoided his eyes, only observing him through the corners of theirs.

    Ji Shou turned slightly. He did not need to speak. A small team behind quickly left and headed towards the sound of the boom.

    The happiest people right now were probably the betting house staff. They had suffered huge losses, both in terms of finances and their staff members.

    ¡°General!¡± One of the betting house¡¯s managers ran up to Ji Shou like he could be their saviour.

    General? The ming River tribesmen did not know what a ¡®general¡¯ meant but he should be someone powerful, right?

    ¡°General, help us...¡± before the manager could finish, he felt a strong gust of wind approaching, then a sharp pain in his gut. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he was thrown back in the air.

    Everyone on the street shuddered as if they were the ones who had been kicked.

    Bo Yi¡¯s face twitched, quickly suppressing the welling anger when Ji Shou looked in his direction. He held himself back from rushing forward.

    Ji Shou did not even look at the person who was kicked, as if he had just kicked a piece of trash to the curb. His eyes shed coldly, murderous intent radiating off his being.

    The ming Horns tensed up, watching Ji Shou cautiously.

    Wei and Mai were especially aware that this person was way more powerful than the betting house staff members, his killing intent had a bloody scent like a hunter¡¯s aura. But hunters were only that way because they hunted animals. Terrifyingly, this person¡¯s aura was as such because he killed men. There were many masters in King City and he was one of them.

    Ji Shou¡¯s kick had been pure killing intent, his victim did not even have a chance to make a sound. Yet somehow the kick echoed in everyone¡¯s ears.

    Ji Shou did not unsheathe the sword at his hip but he was still intimidating. He scanned the crowd, then lifted a foot and started walking slowly. This might not seem like much but anyone who knew him would never underestimate this. Even the ck Bears were nervous.

    He walked down the chaotic street casually, wooden nks cracking beneath his feet. The crowd stumbled back with every step he took forwards, their eyes filled with fear.

    Wei and the rest did not back away. When he saw Ji Shou approaching, he said, ¡°You aren¡¯t going to touch us either, are you? The people of your city were the ones who robbed us, they stole from us when they lost...¡±

    Ji Shou smiled before Wei could finish, he spoke in contempt, ¡°You should be grateful that your ming Horn Tribe has a person called Shao Xuan.¡± If they did not, it did not matter who was in the right. Anyone who wreaked havoc in King City would be massacred. If it was not for the extraordinary incident, blood would have been spilled.

    He was also insulting the ming Horns. Without Shao Xuan, the ming Horns and ming River tribes would be nothing. Forget about wreaking havoc, they would not be walking on their streets so freely.

    If other tribesmen heard him, they would be furious because it was an insult!

    But the ones standing before him were ming Horns.

    When they heard Ji Shou, the ming Horns made an expression that said ¡®Ah, yes, we are proud of him¡¯.

    Ji Shou: ¡°...¡±

    He felt as if he had eaten a mouthful of mouldy grains. He can¡¯t talk to these tribesmen!

    The ming Horns did not think anything was wrong. Shouldn¡¯t they be proud of such an impressive fellow tribesman?

    Ji Shou took a deep breath, deciding not to waste his time on them, then his eyes swept across the street again. ¡°Put down anything you weren¡¯t supposed to take. Or DIE!¡±

    Thud! m!

    Those who nned to run suddenly dropped the stolen goods as if they were burning rocks. Their lives were more important than money.

    Some people thought they could get away with it but their mates nudged them, warning them with a look that they should never die just for such little money. Ji Shou did not usually interfere with minor street scuffles but when he did, the oue was brutal. There would even be coteral damage and they did not want to be dragged into it.

    Ji Shou stood silently, as if unaware of their internal dilemmas. A group of soldiers quickly walked down the street to gather all the dropped items together.

    ¡°Check if anything is missing,¡± said Ji Shou.

    The tribesmen looked at Wei and Mai. With their permission, they started to look for their belongings. They did not take the other King City gamblers¡¯ things ¨C because there was no need to- all they wanted was their own stuff.

    ¡°Where is my crystal?!¡± yelled Abuli, very upset. Ever since Shao Xuan called it a ¡®crystal¡¯, he did too.

    Many people had seen Abuli¡¯s crystal too so they knew that it was truly missing. The crowd turned to the betting house staff in unison.

    ¡°We didn¡¯t take it!¡± Bo Yi exined, breathing heavily. He was innocent here!

    ¡°Here.¡± An emotionless voice came. At the same time, a crystal as thick as an arm was tossed at Abuli.

    Catching it hurriedly, Abuli looked at Gan Qie in delight. ¡°Gan Qie, you found it for me? Thank you so much!¡±

    Gan Qie approached them, his clothing torn in many parts. The most obvious tear was from an arrow and a knife pierced through his body.

    The ming Horns were not very surprised by this. When they fought, they prioritised their own lives but Gan Qie did not. These injuries were verymon to him.

    ¡°Ah! Gan Qie, you were stabbed!¡± Abuli shouted, ¡°QUICK QUICK QUICK!¡±

    The King City folk thought the bigfoot rich man was calling for a doctor but Abuli merely tossed the crystal towards a person next to him, then grabbed the handle sticking out of Gan Qie, and pulled it out.

    He pulled it out...

    The street was pin-drop silent.

    ¡°Eh, there¡¯s another arrow!¡± He pulled again!

    No blood flowed, no bloody flesh came from the wound. It was a life-threatening injury but they did not even hear a pained cry. No, the main character here, Gan Qie, did not make a single sound. His face did not change as if he did not feel any of the wounds on his body.

    ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s too much stuff on you! But they¡¯re so small, it¡¯s too difficult to get them out.¡± Abuli felt like he should help Gan Qie to repay him for bringing the crystal back.

    But Gan Qie was getting impatient so he shoved Abuli aside. All the hidden weapons lodged in his flesh were suddenly pushed out. They fell to the ground with multiple clinks and nks.

    Ji Shou: ¡°...¡±

    The guards: ¡°...¡±

    Thank goodness they were trained soldiers. If their hands trembled now, they might have fired an arrow already. Misfiring an arrow now would mean a death sentence for themselves.

    The crowd gulped, staring at Gan Qie like he was a terrifying monster.

    He now had a new name in King City¡ª Gan Qie the Undead.

    Ji Shou watched in horror as Gan Qie ¡®excreted¡¯ all the hidden weapons in him, not bleeding even a drop of blood. A soldier quickly rushed over and whispered in Ji Shou¡¯s ear. He was part of the troops who went to check on the loud boom.

    When he heard the report, Ji Shou¡¯s pupils constricted and his eyes changed.

    The boom came from one of Changle¡¯s gathering points. It had been attacked.

    Su Li was severely injured, carried away by other Changle people who had hurried to King City. The number of casualties was unknown, the entire gathering point had been ttened. All that was left was just a patch of sandy ground, its original structurepletely gone. There were no traces of its past.

    The person who did all of this was the person who just arrived.

    Ji Shou had only onement to make of all this ¡ª they deserved it!

    But the ming Horn people were definitely quite dangerous.

    Gan Qie?

    Other than Shao Xuan of ming Horn, Ji Shou memorised the name of the second threat.

    Woah¡ª

    Gasps came from other areas of the city but this time, it was not because of another attack. The purple smoke cast above King City was starting to change. It was dissipating like mist.

    The signing ceremony at the pce wasing to an end.

 Chapter 833 - Meeting Ji Ju Once Again

    Chapter 833

    Meeting Ji Ju Once Again

    After the signing, when Shao Xuan exited the yard, the rest of the people remained very silent, especially the few aristocratic patriarchs. They looked at him with strange andplicated expressions.

    However, Ji Fang remained as usual, casually chatting away with Shao Xuan about past events. He did not act any differently.

    Shao Xuan heard about therge-scale fight on King City¡¯s busiest street after he exited. But his side were not the ones who attacked first. After the story was straightened out, the betting house and Changle people were in the wrong.

    Ji Fang did not hesitate in dealing with the matter, first discussing with Shao Xuan about possible solutions. He did not act arrogantly.

    However, Gui He and the rest knew that if ming Horn were weak and they did not have a person like Shao Xuan with them, King City would not be this polite. King City must be quite wary of them now after what happened during the agreement signing.

    Even if they did not know what the symbol as tall as the mountain meant, they could guess based on Ji Fang and the patriarchs¡¯ expressions. Shao Xuanw as the key reason for the change in attitude!

    ming Horn¡¯s Grand Elder was no ordinary man. They were grateful that he was a ming Horn. If he wasn¡¯t, and belonged to another tribe, the ming Horns might not be where they were now.

    Themotion at the street ended with the tribesmen returning to their amodations with their stuff while the betting house had to pay for all the damage caused.

    Many people were shocked at how easily the Ji n let the tribesmen off the hook. Many things did not go your way here just because you were right. However, all the aristocrats seemed to agree with this decision. Those who loved to analyse situations started to mull over the possibilities.

    The most active people were the businessmen.

    The agreement between King City and ming Horn was an equal one, both parties could visit each other to trade. The tribes had lots of gemstones butcked metal so there was an opportunity there. All the businessmen had to do was think about it before they started shaking.

    Before the ck Bears could do it, many trading parties fought to visit the ming Horns first.

    Within the pce, Shao Xuan and Ji Fang talked alone after the signing. This time, Ji Fang brought up Si, unprompted.

    ¡°Si wants to meet you in the pce.¡± Ji Fang observed Shao Xuan¡¯s reaction. He thought Shao Xuan would rage but things did not go as he expected.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Shao Xuan¡¯s tone did not change, his face calm as if not surprised that Ji Fang would mention Si.

    Ji Fang was confused but it did not matter as long as his objectives were met. He arranged a ce for Shao Xuan and Si to meet in private. Si was the head of thergest ve-trading organisation so he could not appear in the pce. Very few people knew Ji Fang was actually working with Si. Other than a few trusted people, before Ji Fang came to rule, even Ji Shou did not know of their cooperation. Si only started to frequent the pce after Ji Fang came to the throne and it was because of the incident with ming Horn that more people knew of their cooperation.

    Si looked more humble this time, apologetic about attacking the ming Horn. Shao Xuan treated it as utter nonsense. He wasn¡¯t apologetic, he was just regretful!

    But it must be difficult for Si to act this humble.

    ¡°Just tell me why you¡¯re here,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    All the apologies that Si prepared for Shao Xuan were useless now. But getting straight to the point would definitely save time.

    Si¡¯s objective was simple- he wanted Shao Xuan to help find the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock. He had used many tactics to get information about Robber Seven from other ¡®Robbers¡¯ but to no avail. That was because the Robbers rarely told other people of their whereabouts, even leaving out information when they worked together. This was a habit of theirs.

    Si had not ced much hope on this information anyway. While he did not get information on Robber Seven¡¯s whereabouts, he dug up some dirt on Robber Seven¡¯s history. For example, he found that Robber Seven had been caught by the ming Horns more than once- more specifically, Robber Seven had been defeated by Shao Xuan more than once.

    That was why Si came to look for Shao Xuan because other people were not reliable enough. Robber Seven was too slippery. Even the top three Robbers might not catch him. Although Robber Seven was not ranked very high, he was difficult to find, catch and kill.

    ¡°Bi is not the only ve-trading organisation here. Us not kidnapping ming River tribesmen does not mean other organisations would not. However, if you can help me find the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock, I have my ways to make them avoid the entire ming River Alliance¡¯s territory,¡± said Si.

    ¡°We can do that ourselves,¡± said Shao Xuan.

    ¡°But you would still get yourselves into trouble. I¡¯m sure ming Horn does not want to see any of its tribesmen go missing in the next few years, or even decades,¡± advised Si.

    If Si could help them solve this problem, it would indeed save them time and effort, which were what ming Horncked. Everyone knew the agreement with King City was just temporary. An inevitable conflict would happen once the agreement expired. There were many variables here, who could predict the future that urately? Tiny changes could bring hugely different results.

    The safest route was to rely on themselves to solve the problem. That way they could show off their strength and it would be easier to make future negotiations. However, sending out people to solve their problems will slow down progress on the ming River. With Si¡¯s promise, they could solve most of their problems and it would be worth it.

    Shao Xuan did not answer immediately. After a long pause, he said, ¡°Deal.¡±

    Si heaved a sigh of relief now that Shao Xuan agreed to help. At least there was a high chance of getting the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock back.

    Before he left, he stopped at the entrance and turned to ask, ¡°I heard you¡¯re proficient in the Yi family¡¯s fortune reading techniques. Did you already know that I would ask you about the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think so.¡± Those freaking ming Horns! Si cursed in his heart as he left without looking at Shao Xuan. This is ridiculous! He had to endure his Xi being broken, then robbed of his Chief¡¯s Bone Lock, then people tried to kill him, and now he had to humble himself down to beg for help.

    He had to admit defeat here. In the future, he must be more careful when dealing with the ming Horns.

    The feast at the pce that night was a hearty one. Ji Fang did not mention the sparring offer again but Shao Xuan was not interested anyway. He seemed to be deep in thought.

    Shao Xuan was very distracted, like his mind was somewhere else. Other people noticed too but no one talked to him. Most King City folk wanted the ming Horns to leave as soon as possible after the strange signing phenomenon. They were curious but also knew that they would not get answers. Some people tried asking at the beginning of the feast but Shao Xuan did not answer them and the ming Horns also kept their lips sealed. Gui He and the rest did not know much about the Founder Shaman Seal but they would never reveal even a little information.

    Shao Xuan also saw Ji Ju at the feast. He had aged a lot since thest time they met. This should not have happened because the Ji family had long lifespans, plus Ji Ju had herbal crops and top-quality grains in his fields. He should not age this quickly.

    But it was understandable based on the events during these past few years. He had not had a good time recently, with therge-scale deaths from the natural disaster, Yi Xiang¡¯s revenge, the Yi family¡¯s destabilisation etc all took a toll on him. Especially the first one, for he cared about his crops very much. He had suffered huge losses during the disaster, most of the crops he spent a lot of time on, and had high hopes for, all died in the end. Recuperation after the disaster took a lot of effort. He had to personally work and supervise at the fields.

    Ji Ju was the only reason why ming Horn tribe did not hate the Ji n. All their best crops, excluding the Thousand Grain Gold, were mostly gifted to them by Ji Ju.

    Ji Ju also felt emotional when he saw Shao Xuan.

    Years ago when the former lord decided to hunt down the ming Horns, Ji Ju had rushed to the pce and raged. It was too bad that he had spent too much time away from politics and held no influence when he needed it. Ji Ju could not change a decision made by all six ns unanimously.

    In the end, the person who usurped the throne was a person from his own n. Ji Fang taking the throne was a good thing, at least he agreed with Ji Fang signing a peace deal with the ming Horns. No matter what they said about the tribesmen, he had his own judgements about them.

    A tribe that can produce good grains is a tribe worth being friends with- that was his opinion.

    He was happy to see Shao Xuan again, even inviting him over to his field for a chat after the feast.

    Shao Xuan did not refuse. It waste out, if Ji Ju wanted him on the field, there must be something important.

    Sending Gui He and the rest to check on the tribe, Shao Xuan followed Ji Ju out of the city to his fields. Gui He and the rest headed back to the ming Horn amodations. Although they received news that all was well, as the chief, Gui He was still worried. This was King City, he must personally check on his men to be safe. Also, Shao Xuan had secretly told him before he left that things did not seem good.

    When he followed Ji Ju to the field, Ji Ju started bombarding him with questions, if his seeds germinated sessfully and growing well. Knowing that the seedlings were growing well, and their crop fields were expanding, and the Thousand Grain Gold nts were under control, Ji Ju gave him a sincere smile.

    He gave Shao Xuan more seeds, saying that they were hybrid crops, then told him what to take note of when nting them. After Shao Xuan recorded them down, Ji Ju paused, then said, ¡°Actually, I brought you here, also because of another thing. An old friend wants to see you but he could not leave his room.¡±

 Chapter 834 - The Unknown Is The Most Dangerous Thing Of All

    Chapter 834

    The Unknown Is The Most Dangerous Thing Of All

    Ji Shao told Shao Xuan about the person, letting him decide if he wanted to meet him.

    Ji Ju¡¯s old friend was a Yi n member named Yi Jie, also Yi Cong¡¯s grandfather. He had sustained a severe injury during the Yi battle and was brought by Ji Ju over here to recuperate. Remaining in the Yi family in his condition was certain death.

    He brought Shao Xuan to the room, opened the door to reveal an old man with a head full of white hair lying on the bed. He did not look well at all, frail and breathed shallowly.

    Seeing Shao Xuan enter, Yi Jie struggled to sit up. Even sitting up required a huge effort.

    Shao Xuan studied Yi Jie¡¯s expression. There was no hate in his eyes, just questions.

    As if seeing Shao Xuan¡¯s puzzlement, Yi Jie grinned. Due to the pain from his injury, the smile looked ugly, turning even more eerie with hisplicated feelings towards Shao Xuan.

    Yi Cong died at ming Horn. Shao Xuan partially contributed to Yi Qi¡¯s death. However, the Yi family itself had not been strong enough to defeat Yi Xiang. Without Shao Xuan, even more Yi nsmen would have died.

    ¡°I want to ask about Yi Cong.¡± Yi Jie struggled to speak, he spoke very slowly and softly. But every word was enunciated clearly so Shao Xuan could hear him.

    Shao Xuanw as only here because of his rtionship with Ji Ju. Yi Jie had helped Ji Ju many times, especially in searching for crops, so they had a great friendship. Shao Xuan did not expect Yi Jie to bring up Yi Cong so calmly.

    Although surprised, Shao Xuan told him what happened to Yi Cong, from the moment Yi Cong agreed to go to ming Horn as a captive, then the deal they had afterwards.

    It could be considered suicide because Yi Cong could have lived if he wanted to. Yet he chose death.

    Yi Jie closed his eyes, listening to Shao Xuan¡¯s exnation as he hid his emotions. When Shao Xuan finished, he opened his eyes. They were calm again.

    Heaving a long sigh, Yi Jie said, ¡°Did you do another reading for your trip to King City?¡±

    Shao Xuan looked at him in surprise but did not deny. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°What did you find?¡± Yi Jie paused, knowing he was being too vague. ¡°About your journey back.¡±

    ¡°I did not yield any results.¡±

    ¡°Failed readings? Or they were sessful but showed no results?¡± Yi Jie asked.

    ¡°Thetter.¡± Although his knots were sessfully made, he could not interpret the knots, they were a mess.

    Now that his knot divination abilities had improved, he could even predict Robber Seven¡¯s location, yet could not predict what would happen on his journey back home. Shao Xuan had been confused and knew something was wrong. So far he had not found the reason.

    During his previous readings, the knots did not reveal any threats that were beyond their capacity to handle. However, as the date of departure approached, the readings still read the same, which waspletely different from Shao Xuan¡¯s gut feeling.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s instinct told him there were going to be dangers. Compared to the knots, he trusted his instinct more. He had relied on instinct to avoid dangers throughout his life, knot divination was just a skill he picked up from another tribe and the Yi family was definitely better than him at that.

    This was also why Shao Xuan did not want to stay in King City for long. In the beginning, he nned to only let the ming River people take a good look at King City because it would be beneficial to their future expansions. To me their ambitions, he must first broaden their minds. They must have a practical vision of what they could be or their ns would fail.

    However, the feeling of difort intensified the longer he stayed, making Shao Xuan change his mind. After the feast, he told Gui He and the rest to return to their amodations instead of bringing them to visit this famous Golden Grain Fields because he wanted them to prepare for a possible early departure.

    ¡°The unknown is the most dangerous thing of all! Be very careful this time!¡± Yi Jie stared straight into Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes, emphasizing every word. ¡°Only Yi people can change divination reading oues!¡±

    Yet not a single Yi family member currently in King City could do it.

    Yi Xiang of the desert!

    That was Shao Xuan¡¯s first thought. He had thought of many possibilities after he felt that the return journey would not be smooth, thinking about how he should face Yi Xiang in the future. Yi Jie¡¯s words now confirmed his suspicions that the threat would be Yi Xiang.

    Yi Jie could not do much to help either. Simrly, he could not obtain meaningful insight in his readings. But as a member of the Yi main family, he knew more than Shao Xuan. He understood that someone might be deliberately ruining their results.

    ¡°The child was named Yi Ce? Good, very good.¡± There were tears in Yi Jie¡¯s eyes but he did not carry on. Knowing that Yi Ce was living a good life in ming Horn was enough. He was a Yi person, despite being unable to conduct readings now, he could predict many things based on what Shao Xuan said. He did not need to ask many questions to know how Yi Ce was doing. The objective of this meeting wasplete.

    Shao Xuan knew that Yi Jie had said what he wanted to. Yi Jie was only concerned about Yi Ce.

    He did not stay for long, nning to rush back to check on ming Horn. Ji Ju did not insist either, sending people to escort Shao Xuan into the city. Now that the city gates were closed, without Ji Ju¡¯s people escorting him, Shao Xuan might not be able to enter.

    After he left, Ji Ju thought for a moment and asked Yi Jie, ¡°You really don¡¯t mind that yi Cong died?¡±

    Ji Ju knew how much Yi Jie cared about Yi Cong. Among the aristocratic families, the Yi family did not care much for family bonds and blood rtions. Out of so many offspring, the only reason why Yi Jie cared for Yi Cong was obviously because of his talent. Yi Jie personally raised Yi Cong and had high hopes for him. Yi Jie even wanted Yi Cong to trypeting for the patriarch¡¯s position.

    While Yi Cong¡¯s death was pitiable, a portion of the Yi youngsters were privately delighted. They had one lesspetitor, they no longer had to live under his shadow.

    Very few people knew that Yi Cong had brought his son out of the family to ming Horn.

    Yi Jie only knew of Yi Cong¡¯s arrangement afterwards. In the beginning, he did not understand but after some thought, he did. He absolutely understood why.

    ¡°It would be a lie to say I don¡¯t but,paratively, I agree with Yi Cong for doing this. If it were me, I would have done the same,¡± said Yi Jie.

    He had only seen his great-grandson a very brief moment after his birth, so naturally he was not as attachedpared to Yi Cong, whom he raised. However, the more he thought about it, another emotion surfaced to rece all his hatred, grief and pity.

    ¡°Why?¡± Ji Ju did not understand. Yi Cong could have lived! If he did, Yi Ce would have a guardian on ming Horn. As long as he was alive, he would be able to return to King City again. A good example would be after this peace deal between King City and ming Horn. If Yi Cong were alive, he could negotiate with ming Horn for his return.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,¡± said Yi Jie softly. ¡°I heard the ming Horns only reared beasts by selecting motherless cubs who had strayed from their herd. The earlier they were taken from their herd, the better. That is the only way the tribe will trust and care for it.¡±

    Ji Ju scoffed at this remark. Who wouldpare their own great-grandsons to a wild animal?

    Yi Jie did not care. He was just exining the situation using the simplest metaphor.

    After slowly drinking his bowl of medicine, Yi Jie said, ¡°You know how talented Yi Cong was. Years ago when the former lord sent the troops after ming Horn, Yi Cong was there too, then subsequently hit a bottleneck on his return. I did not know why but now, I do.¡± He sighed, unknown out of pity for Yi Cong or regret.

    There was a moment of silence. Yi Jie continued, ¡°The founder of the Yi family was the person closest to the Founder Shaman. Shao Xuan is not the Founder Shaman but must somehow be rted. Yi Ce will get his opportunity by staying close to Shao Xuan, the opportunity to alter the future of the Yi family!

    Then he will bring the Yi family to glory once more!

    ¡°I really want to meet Yi Ce. My pain does not matter, I just need to live until the day Yi Ce returns to the Yi family again!¡± Manic resolution appeared in Yi Jie¡¯s eyes.

    If Shao Xuan died, then his hopes would be dashed. Then, Yi Ce would not be the Yi Ce he hoped for.

    All his predictions rested upon the oue that Shao Xuan would return to ming River safely.

    That was why Yi Jie conducted a divination reading despite his severe injuries.

    That was why they met today.

    Yi Jie was not doing well at all, his conditions worsening after his readings. Ji Ju repeatedly thought that Yi Jie was trying to kill himself, that he would not live long. However, seeing his expression now, it seemed that Yi Jie still had a powerful will to live.

    Yi Jie¡¯s furious derations were made through intense pain. Ji Ju shook his head. The Yi people were all insane.

    Within the pce.

    Ji Shou exined to Ji Fang the incident on the street in detail, emphasizing that Gan Qie was the other threat he sensed apart from Shao Xuan.

    ¡°The ming Horns worked very well with the ming River tribesmen.¡± Ji Shou had to admit that he admired it. The six ns of King City used to have great chemistry when building the city but prejudice and discrimination drove a gap between all of them as time passed. The Yi family¡¯s current state was a result of that.

    ¡°Yeah, they do work well together. As long as Shao Xuan is around, they will continue expanding,¡± said Ji Fang.

    ¡°Why must there be a Shao Xuan?¡± Ji Shou was very frustrated.

    ¡°Indeed, why must ming Horn have a person like Shao Xuan?¡± Ji Fang agreed but then grinned. ¡°We¡¯ll see if the tribes still have him in the future. It all depends on their journey home now.¡±

    They had signed a deal, yes, but that did not mean other parties would not attack the ming Horns. For example, someone from the desert.

    Ji Fang had nned to fight the desert people together with the ming Horns. However, it would be even better if both parties suffered huge losses in the event of conflict.

 Chapter 835 - Itâ€™s Here!

    Chapter 835

    It¡¯s Here!

    The ming Horns stayed in King City for three whole days. Although Shao Xuan wanted to leave as soon as possible, they needed rest. Being in bad health would result in worse losses if they faced any threats.

    But they did not waste the three days either. They busied themselves with shopping and meeting guests. More and more trading parties came to visit but for the moment, ming Horn only signed a deal with the ck Bears. This deal involved the ming River, Longboat tribe and ck Bear Trading Party and would benefit all three parties. As for the other organisations, they would have to wait since the ming Horns still did not know them well yet.

    The ming Horn¡¯s visit to King City also meant the formal opening of this marine trade route. More and more trading parties would use the same route in the opposite direction to get to the other side.

    Disregarding the group fight on the street the other day, in the subsequent two days, most King City folk weed the ming River tribesmen warmly because the tribesmen owned top-grade goods and led to very satisfactory trades. The tribesmen got what they wanted, the King City businessmen also received the gemstones at great prices in return.

    King City folk loved to put on airs, hence they loved adorning themselves with luxurious items. Owning rare gemstones was undeniably a good way to show off their status and since there was a sudden flood of gemstones in the City, very soon, every neck and finger on the street had a gemstone on it, as if the street had struck rich overnight.

    The tribesmen were happy with their haul, not just in terms of physical goods but also experience. The gemstones they paid were a very small portion of what they owned. Just like Abuli¡¯s giant crystal- it was actually nothing to the Zhi tribe and yet it caused such a hugemotion in the city equivalent to how the tribe reacted to metal.

    No one could say if contact between both sides sped up progress or destruction. Only time would tell between the idiots and the cunning ones.

    Three dayster, the ming Horn unit departed from King City.

    The King City businessmen almost could not bear to see the three gs leave their city. No more gemstones! Their only impression of the other continent was now only ming River, ming Horn and the Longboat voyagers. They did not think of any other tribes at all.

    The trading parties were already itching to go, especially the ck Bears, who were already preparing for their first voyage. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, the six aristocratic families were oddly silent on this. They seemed to be waiting for something, quietly.

    While the ming Horns were returning to their tribes, far away from the coast and King City, within a forest on a mountain.

    Robber Seven slept on a thick tree branch. After he stole the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock from ming Horn, he ran as far as he could from the tribe and hid here. Before that, he also sent a message to the other Robbers to tell them that Robber Seven had gotten the Chief¡¯s Bone Lock again!

    He wanted to carry on with his activities after the ming Horns were gone. Other than Shao Xuan, he was afraid of no one so he could do whatever he wanted. While Gan Qie did threaten him slightly, he had dodged Gan Qie once, he knew he could do it again. Gan Qie is nothing to me!

    Holding this thought, Robber Seven lived peacefully in the forest for a while, hiding in the forest to sleep as hezily waited for time to pass.

    An eagle¡¯s cry startled Robber Seven away. He knew all themon birds here but that eagle was not the kind that usually appeared here. It sounded familiar too, like the eagle from ming Horn. But that¡¯s impossible, he¡¯s so far away! How could he hear the eagle?

    He got up carefully, then gently pried open the tree branches at the crown to observe the skies.

    An eagle was circling the skies above. The other birds of the mountains hid far away from this eagle, even other wild animals took shelter, afraid of being seen. All they could do was hide in the face of such a powerful predator.

    The forest fell very silent. Only the asional eagle¡¯s cry could be heard.

    The eagle descended slightly. It wasrger than regr eagles. Based on its feather patterns and cry, Robber Seven¡¯s heart sank.

    It¡¯s the same eagle!

    Why is it here?

    If the eagle is here, where is Shao Xuan? Is Shao Xuan here too?

    Robber Seven grew anxious, every bone in his body hurting badly. He refused to think of the consequences if he were caught again. He only slipped away thest time because Si arrived and held Shao Xuan up. This time, there was no one to distract Shao Xuan. That meant trouble for him!

    However, he quickly realised there was no one on the eagle¡¯s back, though it did not mean other people would not appear.

    Not daring to move, he went as still as a tree, blending into the surroundings. He did not even react when an insect bit him. His eyes were fixed on the sky, watching everything closely.

    The eagle merely circled in the skies but after a few rounds, it dropped something on the ground right into the forest. The eagle did notnd to check on the object, instead it flew off.

    Robber Seven waited for a few more hours but did not sense anything else. The forest was teeming with life once again, the hiding birds and animals started to emerge from their shelters. The eagle was gone and there were no strangers or beasts nearby. At least none that he could sense.

    At almost sunset, he could no longer suppress his curiosity and decided to sneak up to where the objectnded. He finally found the object hanging on a tree.

    It was a bamboo tube with two words written on top¨C ¡°Robber Seven¡±.

    His heart skipped a beat when he read it, knowing that this must be bad news. He grew more curious. Why would the eagle drop this here? Was it on purpose? Or a coincidence?

    After some hesitation, Robber Seven could no longer stand his curiosity and decided to take the tube down from the tree. He twisted it open.

    There was an animal skin scroll inside.

    As he read the letter, he slowly froze as still as a statue, his frown deepening, his face turning from green to white with fear and hopelessness.

    Thud!

    Robber Seven mmed the scroll on the ground, so furious his face turned from white to red now as he panted heavily.

    Shao Xuan was the one who wrote the letter, requesting for Robber Seven to personally send the object back to ming Horn.

    It did not state what the consequences of disobeying this instruction were but Robber Seven¡¯s imagination ran wild, his delight in hiding from the tribe fading. The other Robbers did not know where he was, the Bi people could not find him, yet an eagle dropped the letter here.

    The eagle might as well have dropped a bomb because Robber Seven took several days to calm down.

    While Robber Seven made his decision, the ming Horn unit was on their way back through the same route. In contrast to before, those cities they passed were no longer locked and guarded. They even threw open their city gates to wee the tribesmen, hoping they could stay longer in their cities. Those trading parties who could not go to King City tried to strike deals with ming Horn.

    News of the incident with the peace deal had spread across other cities, with travelling traders spreading this information to even further ces.

    A change wasing. Some people saw it as a threat, others saw an opportunity. Grabbing it would depend on one¡¯s own capabilities.

    The Longboat fleet was now famous, Mu Fa even received many partnership requests. He reminisced about how badly they treated him when he arrived with his fleet in the beginning. Yet now, the tables had turned and as long as the Longboats were careful, they were on the path to glory.

    After they arrived at the port, they waited for a few days for Chacha, who went out to deliver the letter, to return.

    This time, the Longboat and other tribesmen were rxed. Their ambitions were slowly growing. They used to be terrified of stepping out of theirfort zone but this trip made them realise that this side of the ocean was not as terrifying as it seemed.

    However, very soon, they realised the ming Horns seemed especially silent. They were always on guard, much more vignt than when they first arrived.

    ¡°Did something happen?¡± Mu Fa asked, knowing that Shao Xuan had divination abilities.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know but we must be careful throughout this journey,¡± replied Gui He.

    Shao Xuan stood at the stern, looking far ahead into the endless ocean. They were far fromnd and the ocean extended as far as the eye could see. His difort had be stronger. Now he was sure something was about to happen.

    The readings were still the same, all his knots could not be interpreted at all, as if they were nonsense. Shao Xuan did not ce much hope on divination. All he could do was quietly sense his surroundings.

    It was sunny out, the ocean a pure blue with a slight fuzzy mist in the horizon. The breeze was light and the Longboats had reported that it would be sunny for the next few days. There should not be any storms, though weather out at sea could still be unpredictable so they must be vignt at all times.

    So far, he did not hear any storm predictions from them. There was a slight change in the ocean current here but the Longboat tribesmen told him not to worry about it, that it would not affect them.

    So where is the hidden threat?

    Shao Xuan gazed far out into the sea. Suddenly, he saw a gigantic shadow rushing towards them. He could not see it clearly but the size was enough to shock him deeply. This was asrge as thergest giant eagle he saw at Eagle Mountain!

    The entire fleet lined up together would still be smaller than this beast.

    Invisible oppression and murderous aura charged at the boat like a tsunami!

    Taking a deep breath, Shao Xuan focused his eyes but only saw the calm surface of the ocean, his ears picking up onughter from the other tribesmen, and the sound of waterpping against the boat.

    But he knew that it was not a hallucination, but a vision!

    ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± said Shao Xuan in a low voice.

    ¡°What?¡± Mu Fa, who was here to talk to Shao Xuan, hurriedly took out his telescope to survey the horizon. He did not see anything suspicious and the weather was as expected so what did Shao Xuan mean?

    Gui He and the other few rushed over frantically. They knew Shao Xuan would not say this without a reason. If Shao Xuan said ¡®it¡¯s here¡¯, then something was about to happen. Something bad.

    ¡°What now?¡± asked Gui He.

    ¡°I¡¯ll divert him away, you guys go ahead,¡± said Shao Xuan. ¡°He only wants me. It is not advantageous for us to fight him at sea, we would lose. I will lure him away while you all return along the nned route. Observe Caesar carefully, Caesar can sense danger quicker than you do. He can see what you cannot.¡±

    Shao Xuan thought Yi Xiang would fight him onnd. Based on his impression, Yi Xiang should prefer ces without water since he chose to live in a desert. The reanimated corpses Yi Xiang created were dried too, and preferred dry ces. Just like Gan Qie. Although he had adapted to his new environment, he still did not like ces with a lot of water, nor did he like to get out of the cabin when at sea. The reanimated corpses in the desert should be the same.

    Shao Xuan had been on guard since the journey back from King City, fully prepared as they travelled to the coast. In the end, they would meet at sea instead.

    Both sides were severely hindered at sea. Based on Yi Xiang¡¯s abilities, if they fought, the tribesmen would suffer huge losses even if they won. With other people here, Shao Xuan had to protect them too. Might as well lure Yi Xiang away first, get the fleet back to the tribe and then make their decision from there.

    Shao Xuan leapt unto the eagle¡¯s back and reminded Gui He and Mu Fa, ¡°Take note of the sea. The one you must watch for might not necessarily be human.¡±

    Shao Xuan rode Chacha up into the sky. He must choose one direction, and it was no easy choice.

    Where should they go?

    Shao Xuan had to trust his gut now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go there, and fly higher!¡± said Shao Xuan to Chacha.

    The people on the boat watched as Shao Xuan left on the eagle¡¯s back.

    ¡°He¡¯s going that way... will he be choosing to fight onnd?¡± asked Mu Fa.

    That was the ce where both continents were closest to each other, also where Rock Hill and the ve masters fought a long war.

    Gui He thought so too. It was too difficult to fight at sea. Even the desert would be better than here.

    However, the reality was different from what they expected. Shao Xuan had other thoughts. He just felt like the only chance of survival was heading in this direction.

    An instinct.

    Then, Shao Xuan finally thought of all the ways he should use to defeat Yi Xiang. Getting onnd sooner would definitely be better. Should he head to the desert, or somewhere else?

 Chapter 836 - Sea Beast

    Chapter 836

    Sea Beast

    Shao Xuan had just left when Gui He, Mu Fa and a few people started to discuss what possible threat they might face. Then, they heard a low growl from Caesar, who looked very anxious like a threat was approaching.

    Remembering what Shao Xuan said, they dropped their discussion to observe their surroundings. Caesar¡¯s reaction must be a warning for something.

    ¡°Caesar, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Gui He observed Caesar¡¯s every move. He was growling deeply, asionally looked out into the ocean, sometimes downwards. He did not look in any particr direction when he stared out but was still growling when he looked down. Either beneath the both... or in the ocean?

    Shao Xuan said the threat might not be human. Did he mean a sea beast?

    Mu Fa blew the emergency whistle, the atmosphere in the boat turned anxious instantly. Caesar was growling louder and louder, more and more restless like he was afraid.

    When they hunted in the forest, Caesar never showed fear even in the face of difficult beasts. His current reaction was a bad sign to them. Perhaps the threat was greater than imagined.

    Mu Fa took out a telescope to observe the sea surface. He did not see anything but...

    Sniffing, he asked Mu Fa, ¡°Do you smell something?¡±

    ¡°Something... stinks,¡± said Gui He. He previously thought he might have mistaken, or it was a smell from the leftovers when they were gutting some fish. But the stick grew more and more intense and differed from the leftover food smell. It was dizzying.

    ¡°Smells like rotten fish,¡± said a Longboat warrior, looking at the he had just pulled up. A few of them had cast a to catch some fish but this time, they caught very few. Their was filled with strange pieces of something.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± Mu Fa knitted his brows as he came to look in the.

    ¡°Not sure.¡± The warrior drawing the took a sniff and turned his face, looking up. ¡°It stinks!¡±

    It was a nauseous smell to anyone unustomed to this smell. The Longboat warriors could barely withstand it, the rest could not.

    ¡°What the heck is that, toss it out!¡± said someone pinching his nose.

    The warrior was about to toss the smelly pieces back to the sea but Mu Fa stopped him.

    When out at sea, they asionally faced food shortages but they would rather starve than eat dead fish from the ocean. Their bodies might be able to digest some without a problem, since they were totemic warriors, but other fish turned poisonous when their flesh rotted and stank. Even the strongest warriors would fall ill. They were still new to the ocean so they could not tell what type of dead fish could be eaten. Turns out, most of the dead fish they found could not so eventually, Mu Fa told everyone not to touch any rotten dead fish.

    Right now, these pieces looked like rotten flesh from some animal in the ocean.

    ¡°Must be a big guy.¡± Mu Fa held his breath, poking at the flesh pieces with a metal rod. After studying it, he concluded, ¡°There is a dead beast in the ocean.¡±

    ¡°Chief! Look!¡± gasped a warrior standing on the deck.

    ¡°?¡± Gui He hurried over to the edge and looked at the sea. He was shocked.

    Many pieces of simrly rotten flesh floated on the surface, also releasing a pungent smell.

    This was not the only patch. A huge area of the ocean was covered in pieces of various sizes, forming an eerie scene as they bobbled up and down the waves.

    ¡°There¡¯s something wrong with the current!¡± An old warrior from the Longboat tribe frowned. Every change had a reason. And they could not find the exnation for this.

    As they observed the movement of the water currents, they felt it might be due to a giant object moving through the water.

    At least the spot with the most rotten flesh was a distance away from them.

    Caesar growled even more anxiously, all his fur standing up like needles, the third eye on his forehead wide open but had a constricted pupil. This was the reaction of an animal to arger threat.

    Creak¡ª

    The boat started to sway.

    A wave rose from the surface. But the breeze was not supposed to be strong enough to cause this wave.

    ¡°There¡¯s something below!¡±

    ¡°!!¡±

    The Longboat tribesmen quickly got to work controlling the ship, terrified of the ship capsizing if they were not careful.

    Arger wave rose far away, but it was broken by another current. The surface swirled and turned, causing the pungent smell of rot to worsen. But this was not the time to care. All eyes were on the ocean surface.

    Whoosh¡ª

    Arge wave rose, along with a giant, broken tail that broke through the surface. The rotten tail tumbled through the air and crashed into the ocean.

    The waves caused the entire fleet to shake violently. Without the experienced Longboat tribesmen, if other people were controlling the boat, they might have capsized already. They were so far away, yet were already so affected. What would¡¯ve happened if they were any closer? They did not want to think about it.

    The waves mmed into the boats, sea foam bringing with it various pieces of rotten flesh and a horrible stench. Scattered across the deck were rotten flesh clumps, equally reeking.

    Far away, a giant figure broke through the surface, revealing a part of itself, turned, then dove back into the ocean. No one could see it clearly but knew that it was gigantic.

    Only a small part of it could be seen but it was already gigantic. So how big was the entire beast then?!

    The most shocking realisation was that¨C there were more than one!

    More giant figures appeared far from the fleet.

    ¡°What... what¡¯s that?!¡±

    ¡°Why are there so many sea beasts? We¡¯ve never encountered anything like this before.¡±

    ¡°These beasts are very strange, it¡¯s as if...¡± A Longboat warrior stuttered as he stared out into the sea, afraid to continue.

    ¡°It smells like death,¡± said Gan Qie, his eyes on the ocean surface.

    ¡°You mean...¡± Mu Fa stared at him in shock, waiting for an exnation.

    ¡°They¡¯re all dead.¡± Gan Qie kept it brief.

    ¡°You mean those gigantic beasts we saw were all dead?!¡± Some of them did not understand. If they were dead, how were they moving?

    But there were many reanimated corpses in the desert made of dead people. But those were humans and these were gigantic sea beasts!

    So dead beasts could be turned into reanimated corpses too?!

    It was a sunny day out but everyone felt a chill down their spine, as if someone dumped a bucket of cold water on their heads.

    If those beasts attacked, will they even survive? They were out in the ocean!

    ¡°Look! They¡¯ve left!¡± cried someone excitedly.

    Other people turned to see those beasts, who were still mostly hidden but raising huge sshes on the surface, turn away from them.

    But...

    ¡°That¡¯s where Shao Xuan went!¡± gasped Mu Fa.

    ¡°So the trouble Shao Xuan mentioned, was he talking about these?¡±

    ¡°Their target must be Shao Xuan,¡± said a Mang tribesman.

    If Shao Xuan had not left, and stayed on the boat, wouldn¡¯t these beasts have attacked the entire fleet?

    If that happened, what were the chances of survival? Mu Fa did not want to think about it.

    Meanwhile, after Shao Xuan left the fleet, he saw the asional rotten body break the surface, some with bones peaking out of their flesh.

    So Yi Xiang could enve sea beasts too!

    The beasts appearing on the ocean surface all had one target- Shao Xuan, who was flying in the air.

    Sea beasts appeared from all directions. Most of them had lived their entire lives deep in the ocean, rarely evering up to the surface. They were supposed to be long dead too, yet today, they were out in the sun!

    Shao Xuan did not know how many beasts Yi Xiang had enved but he was relieved to have left the fleet. He looked down at the partially exposed beasts and then patted Chacha. ¡°Continue straight ahead!¡±

    Chacha was much faster than the beasts. While Shao Xuan did not know how fast these beasts were when they were alive, right now, they were slower as dead reanimated corpses.

    The horde was slowly left far behind as Shao Xuan flew ording to the route in his n. He could find a safe ce to hide from this attack but he knew there would be a next one, then another one afterwards.

    Shao Xuan had a feeling that if he avoided Yi Xiang¡¯s attack now, he would have to pay a bigger price next round.

    He had no choice. He must face Yi Xiang!

 Chapter 837 - Surrounded

    Chapter 837

    Surrounded

    The hills by the coast slowly faded into sandynds, the greenery engulfed by yellow sandy soil that came with the scent of death. The air here was dry, despite being so close to the ocean.

    Such was the climate here. After this area, one would truly enter the desert region.

    Shao Xuan nned to get onnd, regardless of the sandy desert or rolling hills. Definitely better than the ocean without a ce to rest your feet. However, Shoa Xuan sensed even more threats as Chacha continued to fly ahead.

    Land was not safe either.

    Dense little dots appeared from far, grouped together into a sudden emerging cloud of grey as they swarmed towards Shao Xuan.

    A flock of birds!

    The same scent of death came from these birds.

    Reanimated corpses!

    The enemy was prepared!

    Shao Xuan did not expect Yi Xiang to be able to enve this many birds. Forget about the desert people, or the giant deep-sea monsters, now this flock of birds too?!

    Shao Xuan did not know the extent of Yi Xiang¡¯s abilities or whaty ahead of him. At least, now he knew that flying towardsnd was still not a smart choice. Yi Xiang had cast arge to trap Shao Xuan out in the ocean!

    Should he force his way towardsnd? More threats must lie ahead. His gut told him there were more things waiting for him.

    Shao Xuan was definitely stronger onnd but forcing his way in was not a good idea either. And the desert was just ahead, a ce even better for Yi Xiang.

    Retreat? Towards the hills?

    Also not a good idea.

    Should he retreat to the ocean, just as his enemy wanted?

    Looking at the figures chasing after him on the surface of the ocean, he patted Chacha, ¡°Continue straight ahead!¡±

    Shao Xuan did not know what was in front but he felt like he had a higher chance of survival there.

    The yellow desert and blue sea formed an eye-catching boundary. Sometimes, one could see people in tattered clothing moving about. Those were not Rock Hill people but scattered desert robbers.

    Further ahead, there were no more of these people, only stone houses built by the coast. There were people d in golden armour walking around these houses while others stood, unmoving. Those were the famous undead soldiers.

    He heard that there was a temporary ceasefire so right now there was no intense battle going on.

    Not just the desert, Shao Xuan could also see the coast of the other side. In this direction, the gap between both mainds would grow closer though most people did not use this ce to cross to the other side due to the ongoing war. They would just be coteral damage.

    King City¡¯s troops were ordered to kill whoever they did not recognise while the desert¡¯s troops were even more merciless.

    The closer the two mainds were, the more soldiers could be seen. At the closest point between both mainds, one could clearly see army camps.

    When Shao Xuan passed through, he naturally attracted attention from both sides.

    A team of archers from both sides appeared, watching Shao Xuan closely. If it was not for the fact that he flew too high, they would have fired immediately.

    ¡°Should we send people to check that out?¡± An archer asked the leader. They sometimes met situations like that. When they could not shoot, they would send riders¡ª soldiers riding on birds. They too had air forces.

    The leader merely stared at the ocean solemnly. He did not answer nor did he look up at the figure.

    Since their leader did not answer, his subordinates did not dare do anything either, merely waiting quietly for an order. Those observing the leader noticed a change in his expression from caution to confusion, then quickly to shock. He had turned a ghostly white, as if he had seen something terrifying.

    ¡°Retreat!!¡±

    The leader roared with all the strength in his body, startling the archers so much they identally fired a few arrows.

    No one had time to care. The troops in front quickly retreat. The way they ran looked like they were running for their lives.

    On the other side, on the desert, the crowd had received the order to retreat from the coast. Not a single person remained.

    Some people wanted to ask what happened but when they looked at the ocean, their hairs stood on end.

    ¡°Look, what is that?!¡± someone asked with a trembling voice.

    ¡°A sea beast! A sea beast!¡±

    ¡°Why are there so many heading this way?!¡±

    ¡°Stop looking, just run!¡±

    Whoosh¡ª

    A wave many times taller than King City¡¯s city walls rose, then mmed into the people who could not run in time. A gigantic figure broke through the surface, reeking of rotten flesh, then crashed into the shore.

    The camps built by the sea were all destroyed either from the waves or from crashing beasts.

    Many people thought that these deep-sea beasts would be stranded once onnd but these giants merely pped their fins and tails quickly, charging further ind. Everyone¡¯s jaws dropped.

    There were many more peculiar fish that were covered in scales but had thick skin and wed feet simr to lizards, though with much tter torsos. They crawled onnd much faster than the finned giant beasts. Everything was ttened as they passed through the camp.

    The most terrifying part was that none of these animals was alive! They were the same as the army of undead from the desert!

    No one knew what to do except retreat.

    They had no courage to even unsheathe their swords in the face of a gigantic beast.

    A bird someone had shot down flopped on the ground. A soldier sliced its wings off with his sword but this wingless bird continued to flop around, as if it could not feel pain. The scent of death and its grey-white eyes indicated that it was not alive. It moved like a live animal though, and if it had its wings, it would be flying despite having an arrow through its body.

    ¡°Desert... It must be the people of the desert!¡± Their voices filled with fear and panic. They had fought Rock Hill so many times, naturally they knew that these undead creatures must belong to them. However, they had never seen so many reanimated corpses. Not this size, not on this scale.

    Was this the final full-scale attack?

    Everyone shuddered, chills running down their spines.

    Did they have to face this head-on? Their tiny bodies would just be crushed by the monsters, no?

    However, as the soldiers waited for their orders nervously, they realised that the giant beasts ignored them, mechanically walking ahead in a straight line. They crawled towards the area where both mainds were closer to each other, then entered the waters again.

    The flock of birds had disappeared while all the other stranded sea animals also crawled along the coast and then slipped back into the waters at the same spot.

    When thest giant beast entered the water, and no more new ones appeared again, the King City soldiers slowly heaved a sigh of relief. The stench of rot still lingered. Barely a rock could be seen on the coast, everything had been crushed beneath the giants¡¯ feet into stone chips, their entire camp had disappeared.

    Only the messy, blurry footprints on the ground proved that they had just witnessed a terrifying sight.

    In contrast, the reanimated corpses they previously fought were just child¡¯s y.

    ¡°Sir, the beasts won¡¯t appear again, will they?¡± asked a soldier fearfully.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± The leader clutched the hilt of his sword unsteadily. He did not know who was controlling these dead animals but this must be rted to Rock HIll. They also wondered, if Rock HIll had the capability to do this, they didn¡¯t they do it earlier? And who was the person who flew past just now?

    No one would be able to withstand an army like that, not even a city. It was not within a human¡¯s capabilities.

    On the other side, at Rock Hill, Shi Shu looked out at the beast horde without a word. He had rushed over after receiving a report from a subordinate, he knew that Yi Xiang wanted to kill Shao Xuan. Previously, Yi Xiang had been injured during his battle with the Yi n and the culprit was none other than Shao Xuan of ming Horn.

    Thergest threat to Rock Hill was not King City but ming Horn. Today, the only person who could threaten Yi Xiang was Shao Xuan of ming Horn! What happened just now meant that Yi Xiang had made the decision to do his best to kill Shao Xuan.

    There were many ways to kill off a threat. Direct, indirect, from the front, from the side... If Shi Shu wanted to remove a threat, and they were powerful, he would do it indirectly, from the side. But Yi Xiang was different. No matter the Yi family or Shao Xuan, Yi Xiang only chose a direct attack head-on. At most a few tricks here and there, for example by forcing Shao Xuan out.

    To the Yi family, fighting directly in the real world was very energy consuming and damaging to their bodies. Yi Xiang had sacrificed a lot to live such a long life. He would never spend this much energy on anything unimportant or not urgent. Including the war with the six ns. Yi Xiang did not actually care that much about that battle, that was why he never appeared.

    However, Shi Shi was confident that with Yi Xiang¡¯s abilities, he would seed in doing anything he put his mind to. The Yi family was an example.

    Once Yi Xiang killed Shao Xuan and ming Horn was no longer a threat, even if ming Horn and King City teamed up in the future, Rock Hill will never be afraid!

    Within the underground pce, tens of thousands of corpses awaited the nextmand. Yi Xiang did not have to control them himself for Rock Hill City had already trained a batch of shamans who could control the reanimated corpses. They were currently enving the corpses.

    Shi Shu thought about how Rock Hill would be known in regions outside the desert once they killed Shao Xuan.

    On the other side, Shao Xuan did not know what the soldiers or Rock Hill City were thinking about. All he did was listen to his gut feeling. He had no idea what was ahead, now he was like a surrounded prey animal. Only time would tell if he could get out of the trap.

    Ahead was the endless ocean. No one would have expected Shao Xuan to not go back tond or ask for help. He merely continued straight ahead towards the open waters.

 Chapter 838 - Icy Lands

    <h4>Chapter 838 Icy Lands</h4>

    Shao Xuan had passed the point where bothndmasses were closest to each other. They travelled ahead, leaving the coasts behind them as the waters expanded. Shao Xuan had never been here before.

    They travelled continuously from night to day. Although Chacha was tired, he could still fly. Many giant mountain eagles flew continuously for long periods of time when heading to Eagle Mountain, this was not Chacha¡¯s first long flight either.

    But Shao Xuan could already sense Chacha¡¯s exhaustion. If all they could see was just an endless ocean, how long could Chacha hold on? Where was their saviour?

    The approaching winds grew colder and colder, white dots started to appear on the blue ocean surface. They were not animals, just floating icebergs.

    As they continued on, more and more white icebergs appeared. In the beginning, they only saw small ones bobbing up and down the waves but soon after, they saw icebergs asrge as hills floating on the surface with the asional seabird or sea beast living in the area resting on top.

    Shao Xuan let Chacha rest on an iceberg and wolfed down some sea beast he hunted, then they continued on their journey.

    The sea beasts continued to chase relentlessly, the distance between both closing in when Shao Xuan and Chacha rested.

    The totemic me in his mind was flickering in the direction they flew.

    Still straight ahead?

    In his field of vision, more and more white patches appeared. Soon, it seemed like the entire surface was frozen.

    Iceberg?

    No, it¡¯s a patch of ice covered in snow!

    The winds were bone-chilling but refreshing to the initially exhausted Chacha and Shao Xuan.

    Giant mountain eagles were not afraid of the cold, they must pass through the icy ins on the mountain peak every time they visited Eagle Mountain. This ce was as cold as Eagle Mountain but also huge. All he saw was endless ice!

    An iceberg of one kilometre tall towered chillingly before them while the waters were covered in a thickyer of ice. The vast ice shelf extended as far as the eye could see, even giant beast hordes could travel on the ice without a problem.

    The strange white and blue icebergs, cliff-like ice shelves and the endless world of ice and snow looked like a ce no man had ever been before.

    There was nothing alive here, time seemed to be frozen. No one knew how this ce came about. How old was the ice?

    Chachanded on the ice shelf and Shao Xuan dismounted onto the white ice. The ice shelf was a hundred metres above the water surface, when hended, he had a fully unobstructed view of everything until the horizon. He could see that this ice shelf extended right until it joined with thend.

    He continued forward until a snowy mountain range. Most of the mountains here were made of ice and snow, but the ground was very solid beneath his feet. It was only when one stood at the edge to look into the ocean when you realised you were very high up.

    Letting Chacha rest aside, Shao Xuan walked ind alone.

    People who first arrive here might not be able to distinguish betweennd and the ice shelf but everything was clear with Shao Xuan¡¯s special vision.

    The ice shelf extended through arge area. He walked for a long time before finally arriving at the edge ofnd. Through the naked eye, it looked exactly the same as the ice shelf because it was also covered in snow.

    A few hundred metres away from Shao Xuan was a blue stream flowing from a cracked gigantic iceberg. Floating ice of various sizes flowed down the stream, the deep blue water in contrast with the white snow making this ce even more mysterious.

    He continued forward.

    Whoosh¡ª

    The sound of arge crashing wave could be heard, then many more noises.

    Shao Xuan did not need to turn back to know that Yi Xiang¡¯s undead sea beasts had arrived.

    The dead beasts swam up through the stream, then climbed the edges up the ice shelf. Their sharp ws made a crackling sound as they scaled up the walls.

    The sound of pping wings and animalsnding on the ice mixed together like a sudden hailstorm.

    These unnamed seabirds swarmed over like an iing storm cloud.

    The flock of birds dispersed to reveal a man in a sand-yellow cloak. The exposed hand holding a ne of wooden ornaments was dry and frail, just a skin wrapped around bones.

    Behind the cloaked man were gigantic sea beasts who had climbed up the vertical ice walls somehow. These sea beasts meant to live in warm waters did not feel the cold at all. They stomped their giant ws on the ice.

    The shelf started to crack when a few sea beasts climbed up,rge sections with the beasts clinging onto them fell back into the water and shattered into floating icebergs. On the other hand, the fallen beasts merely continued climbing up again. They did this repeatedly no matter how many times they fell, like tireless machines.

    More and more sea beasts arrived on the shelf while the grey-white eyes of the bird flock watched their surroundings. The white, vast ice shelf was now conquered by a beast horde that reeked of death and it was still expanding.

    In terms of physical strength, most tribesmen were stronger than the Yi family. That was why they never fought physically, always mentally or through indirect methods. For example, Yi Xiang¡¯s favourite was through reanimated corpses.

    There were many beasts living deep in the ocean with tough bones. Even the Gongjia family¡¯s great weapons might not break these bones, plus they were advantageous in terms of body size!

    They make very good reanimated corpses!

    Not everyone could enve one corpse like that. If Yi Xiang could enve so many at the same time, one could only imagine how powerful his fire seed power was!

    ming Horns were more powerful than other tribesmen but they were still nothing in the face of these monsters.

    Even ten ming Horns would not be enough for a bnced fight. This was the first time Shao Xuan experienced how powerful Yi Xiang truly was. Yi Xiang did not even unleash his true powers during the battle with the Yi family but this time, Shao Xuan knew that Yi Xiang was ready to sacrifice everything he had.

    Grey clouds gathered in the skies, sunlight barely peeking through the gaps. The little sunlight could not change the tense atmosphere here. Icebergs rose and fell with the waves while the sea moved listlessly, making the entire region feel strange and dangerous.

    As he did not sense the entire beast horde behind him, Shao Xuan continued to walk towards the mountains.

    ¡°Shao Xuan.¡± A voice rang across the vast snowynds, so hoarse it sounded like grinding desert sand. He was not speaking loudly, yet his words projected far and wide like a cold knife from the desert dragged across the ice. It was a goosebump-inducing kind of eerie.

    Shao Xuan continued to walk towards the towering mountains, his footsteps stable. He did not turn around, he did not panic because of the army of undead beasts.

    ¡°Where did you get the Founder Shaman¡¯s power?¡± asked Yi Xiang.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? How would I know?¡± Shao Xuan indeed did not know why he had this power. This must be rted to that egg-like rock from a long time ago. But he cannot tell Yi Xiang that.

    ¡°How powerful is the Founder Shaman¡¯s power?¡± asked Yi Xiang again.

    This time, Shao Xuan did not reply. He just continued forward with his eyes on the mountains. He could feel the sharpening re on his back.

    Shao Xuan knew that even the ancestral power in his bone ornaments would not defeat this army of uncountable undead beasts. They did not feel pain or fear at all. Activating his ancestral power would just be a waste of energy.

    He now understood that Yi Xiang cornered him one because he was Yi Xiang¡¯s greatest threat; two, because of his curiosity towards the Founder Shaman¡¯s powers.

    And now that he cornered Shao Xuan, what if Shao Xuan was too weak to hold off his attack and died? Then that was just his luck. This was what Yi Xiang thought.

    Yi Xiang did not wait for Shao Xuan¡¯s answer either. The finger turning his wooden beads stopped. His face was hidden from sight due to hisrge hooded cloak but his re was as sharp as solid des. He raised his other arm.

    Pfftt¡ª-

    Like activated machines, the undead beast horde started moving. Their sharp ws dragged across the thick, ancientyer of ice, creating a cloud of icy mist.

    Even though they were a thousand metres apart, Shao Xuan could feel the murderous intent and fury from the edge of the ice shelf, as well as the immense power within the dead carcases.

    Shao Xuan still did not turn around. Slightly frowning, he looked up at the white mountains and suddenly smiled.

    The totemic mes in his mind no longer flickered towards one direction, instead it burned intensely, as if waiting for something.

    As he looked at the ancient mountains, Shao Xuan finally understood why when he was looking for a way to survive, the totemic mes pointed in this direction, and his gut feeling led him here too.

    Although he did not know what was going on, and he was not sure if he knew how to use this opportunity, what else was there to do other than try?

    ¡°How powerful is the Founder Shaman¡¯s power? I don¡¯t know either!¡±

    In that moment, Shao Xuan felt a rush of manic emotions in his brain, at the same time, he also felt numb. He did not think about the undead beasts anymore, nor think about where to go next.

    The totemic power in his body exploded and totemic patterns covered his entire body. The ends of the patterns slowly turned red until they looked like flowingva. The ming Horn totemic power surged within Shao Xuan as usual but there was another force rapidly strengthening, flooding through every blood vessel, every bone.

 Chapter 839 - The Vanished Rulers

    <h4>Chapter 839 The Vanished Rulers</h4>

    His heartbeat seemed to be magnified infinitely, his blood coursing through his veins like floodwaters as thick veins popped out of his skin, pulsing.

    Within his consciousness, the tall, curling totemic mes were not as bright. A white shell of light surrounding it was the brightest it had ever been. White energy was continuously released, rushing manically down each part of his body.

    The moving red totemic patterns slowly turned white. The ming Horn totem was no longer the colour the tribesmen were familiar with.

    Whoosh!

    A ball of white mes erupted in Shao Xuan¡¯s palm. He turned, then swung his arm hard in a bright arc and mmed it into the thickyer of ice on the ground.

    Boom!!

    A dull rumble, like thunder from beneath the ground, travelled across the icynds. The world seemed to fall silent because of it.

    White mes burned on the surface of the ice, instantly expanding its area. The Founder Shaman Seal looked like it was burned into the ice, extending in all four directions, deep into the ground, through the tall and snowy mountains and to ces the eye could not see.

    Fatigue overcame Shao Xuan, for he had just released all the power in his body within a second. He felt a fire burning in his body, his exhaustion reced with intense pain.

    Shao Xuan ignored all of it, for it was a strange feeling. He was standing on ice, facing an approaching gigantic beast horde, with mountains so tall he could not see their peaks to his back. In terms of physical size, he was practically an ant now. Yet he felt like he was on top of the world.

    Power and tranquillity.

    These were the feelings brought by the white mes.

    Looking up, Shao Xuan looked at the ck herd charging at him. At that moment, everything slowed down for Shao Xuan. Even the sounds of approaching ws stepping on ice gradually faded.

    No worries, no fears. Beneath the calm demeanour, there was a hint of anticipation that even Shao Xuan did not notice.

    He felt the white energy seeping into the icy ground, beneath his feet, behind in the mountains, then further and further away as it expanded.

    Within thend of ice and snow, a cold, gigantic source of murderous intent was awakening.

    Shao Xuan looked towards Yi Xiang. The gigantic undead beasts had blocked himpletely from view. Since Yi family members did not have physical strength, they knew how to protect themselves properly. It did not matter if Shao Xuan couldn¡¯t see him, he knew that Yi Xiang could hear him.

    ¡°I always wondered. Who ruled the world before the humans rose up? I wondered if those former rulers still exist, where they were.¡±

    Shao Xuan¡¯s voice was not loud but Yi Xiang could hear every word, slightly puzzled. IN the next moment, the hand twisting the beads stopped, suddenly pinching the bead hard.

    Ignoring Yi Xiang¡¯s reaction, Shao Xuan averted his gaze and looked down beneath his feet. He lifted a foot and with a ¡®bam¡¯, he put his foot down.

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    A crack appeared beneath his foot.

    Like a fuse, it extended quickly from Shao Xuan¡¯s foot to its surroundings. The crack grew bigger and bigger, then multiplied; the sound of tough ice breaking grew louder and more frequent.

    Behind Shao Xuan, cracks scaled up the tall icy mountains, then continued to travel forward.

    In front, the beast horde was approaching, causing the cracks to grow faster as the ground shook beneath their feet. The unfathomably ancient ice shelf was about to crack beneath this gigantic herd.

    Rumble!

    Arge gust of gas rushed out of the ice, making a startling rumble. Large clouds of icy mist rose to the skies. Although they were one thousand metres apart with a beast horde between them, Yi Xiang could still feel the terrifying power hidden within this sudden explosion of frost.

    At the spot where the horde was about to reach, also the true boundary between ice andnd, the ice cracked suddenly!

    Shao Xuan stumbled also from the intense vibrations that came with but he ignored the breaking ice, his eyes aze and fixed on the giant cloud of frost.

    This was his form of retaliation towards Yi Xiang cornering him!

    He had used up all his strength in this one strike, focusing all the power within him into one strike, the power of the ming Horn fire seed and white mes supporting him. The power of the white mes had seeped deep into the icy ground by now.

    This was not a simple battlefield of knives and swords, this was a collision between two fire seeds!

    The whtie mes amidst the ice and snow burned with an ancient pride, as well as unwavering determination.

    Rumble!

    Another deafening sound of breaking ice, as if space itself was torn. More frost shot out of the ice surface, ice pieces flying high up like countless stars, causing the entire beast horde ahead to turn blurry.

    A giant beast w covered in thick armour burst through the thickyer of ice, a green-gray body with blurry patterns appearing soon after the w.

    Boom!

    Boom! Boom!

    Simr consecutive events happened throughout the surface, fierce beasts as powerful as these sea beasts that current humans had never seen in the forest, ocean or desert broke through the ice one by one!

    The ice beneath Shao Xuan¡¯s feet cracked and raised in pieces as nk-like bones resembling city walls emerged from the ice. Its back subsequently broke through rock and ice as its entire body slowly emerged out into the open. A gigantic beast sealed in ice for an unfathomable period was out once more.

    Behind Shao Xuan, loud rumbles came from the tall icy mountains that also started to crack.

    Shao Xuan walked forward step by step along the beast¡¯s back, until he stood on its head.

    This was where their bones were buried. On this fateful day, Shao Xuan let these ancient bones see the sunlight once again!

    Despite the fact that they were all long dead.

    ¡ª

    In a certain ce far from King City, in a ce known as the end of thends, a group of people braved the cold winds as they waded through waist-high snow.

    It was not snowing. Even if the next few days would not be sunny, there should be no snowstorms either. They wanted to take this chance to search for gemstones.

    Due to the core seed, most ces here did not have gemstones. However, the icynds without core seeds had gemstones waiting for adventurous travellers to find.

    Before both continents grew closer, the ve masters mostly used gemstones mined from this ce.

    This group were frequent visitors of this area, they had an advantagepared to other travellers who travelled far to mine the gemstones¨C they belonged to a tribe close to this ce. Their soil was not fertile, the climate was harsh and unsuitable for grains, and they could not produce much crops every year. That was why very few tribesmen farmed crops, most chose to rear livestock such as goats with thick fur.

    Most of the animals living in this region with year-long cold weather had thick fur and could withstand the cold.

    However, their tribe would not live well if they solely survived on rearing livestock. In reality, they were very rich because of those rare gemstones.

    Every year, they would trek deep into the ice and snow in search of gemstones. These tribesmen had strong physiques and also adept inbat- if they were not, they might not be able to keep the gemstones they mined.

    This time was as per usual. It had snowed for many days, and now that it had finally stopped, they set off to this lesser-known world of ice and snow and started to search for treasure.

    They had inherited this skill from their ancestors but even with their ancient texts, they still did not truly know this world. All they knew was that this world was vast and no one knew where the end was. It was very cold here. Even the best tribesmen would die in the cold if they could not take shelter in their man made caves during a snowstorm.

    Such a dangerous piece ofnd was also perfect for the survival of this tribe.

    It was too bad that since bothndmasses grew closer, more and more gemstones from the other side entered their market, subsequently driving their hard-mined gemstones cheaper.

    The team had been cursing andining since they departed.

    ¡°I heard the ming Horns signed a deal with King City, and brought a lot of gemstones over. That means the price of our gems will fall again, won¡¯t it?!¡± someoneined.

    Another person huffed and spat into the snow. ¡°To hell with the ming Horns! If I ever see them...¡±

    ¡°If you see them?¡± The person behind mused. ¡°I heard they all look like fearsome beasts.¡±

    ¡°So what if they look like fearsome beasts, I¡¯ll...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll what?¡± The person behind asked, because the guy did not finish his sentence. When he looked up, he realised that the guy¡¯s expression was solemn, watching his surroundings cautiously. Every step was now taken more carefully than ever, a short pause after each one as if he had to think before walking. Outsiders might not understand but as teammates, they could understand another mate¡¯s meaning through every look and act.

    The team fell silent instantly without the need for the leader to say anything. He walked in the front of the group slowly, every step much lighter than before. Where his skin was exposed, hairs standing as tall as needles could be seen, sensing their surroundings.

 Chapter 840 - Broken Ice

    <h4>Chapter 840 Broken Ice</h4>

    Birds could usually be seen around the edges of this icynd, as well as animals that could withstand the cold, and the asional patch of green. The deeper you trekked, the fewer organisms were seen. Usually, the threats they had to watch were not fierce beasts but the dangerous terrain covered in snow.

    Everything was deadly silent. When they lightened their footsteps, they finally noticed the silence.

    But they could not sense any organism nearby either, though there was a bone-chilling source of energy fast approaching. They could not locate its specific location but they knew that it came from deep into the icynds.

    Even the least sensitive warrior shuddered. ¡°What... what is that?¡±

    A sudden vibration came from beneath their feet, then quickly escted.

    There were no tall mountains nearby so they did not have to watch for snow avnches and their field of visions remained wide. Other than the intensifying vibrations beneath their feet, they could not see anything out of the ordinary.

    The initial faint vibrations turned into vigorous shaking so they could not stand. It was just a few seconds, there was no time to react. Run? To where?

    Suddenly, they heard a ¡®crack¡¯ from beneath their feet.

    ¡°The ground is cracking! RUN!¡± The leader stopped hesitating and yelled for everyone to retreat from this snowy piece ofnd.

    They had never met anything like this before, not even during the natural disaster, the ground did not crack like this then. Their tribe had been on an ind with other inds nearby. They could see ve masters and their cities on the maind across a narrow strait.

    That year, during the disaster, the ground shook vigorously but it never cracked. The only threat they faced was a tsunami. There was an expedition team out hunting for gemstones then but most still returned safely. That was why they knew that this ce with the gemstones did not have any urrences as serious as a cracked ground.

    They used to think this was a treasure of a ce because it remained intact through the disaster and still produced gemstones. Now, they panicked.

    A deep, dull crack echoed, approaching so quickly they did not know what to do.

    Boom!

    A deafening boom from afar brought an indescribable sense of power, like a thunder unleashed by the heavens.

    The ancient permafrost was torn apart, a gulf forming right through it. This crack could swallow thergest beast they had seen in their lives.

    The crack extended in all directions, widening at an rming speed.

    The snowynds used to look like they were covered in ayer of silk but now, cracks wriggled through them, forcing the snow off and revealing the tough soil beneath.

    A strong gust of wind tore through the air, picking snow off the ground.

    The expedition team stared at the jigsaw pieces of what used to be the ground in terror. What was one supposed to do?

    They did not know!

    I can¡¯t even run from this!

    Cracks also appeared behind them, where they came from. It was hard to tell which path was the safest. They could only rely on instinct since they were trapped, hiding behind boulders asrge as houses. They watched fearfully as the manic winds curled, picking up snow, ice and stone chips, gliding past the boulders and beyond.

    The rumbling still had not stopped, they felt like their skeletons would soon fall apart from the intense vibrations in the ground. They could no longer hear each other speak, all they saw were the open and closing of their mates¡¯ lips, and pale faces of terror.

    The thick armour they wore and heavy weapons in their hands gave them nofort. Some people curled up with their head in their hands behind the boulder helplessly. They no longer wanted to think if the boulder would also overturn from the cracking ground.

    The grey clouds in the sky hung heavier. The ground would never return to its previous calm so soon.

    Draughts of wind whistled as more and more snow was thrown around in the air, as if the winds were determined to blow away the thickyer of snow on the ground. They could not open their eyes in face of the wind and snow, nor could they see anything ten steps beyond themselves.

    It felt like the apocalypse, the clouds rolling, the ground shaking and cracking. Every sound was a heavy hammer to their hearts.

    Boom¡ª

    Another deafening rumble, with it came another shake. This time the source came from somewhere not far from the team. A shower of ice and rock chips pelted unto the boulder, crackling loudly and incessantly.

    A crack appeared not far away, then extended in four directions. Many cracks passed just right by themselves. A foreign, eerie aura was mixed with the breeze, raising goosebumps all over.

    Boom!

    Large chunks of frozen soil flew in the air. They watched as the chunks flew among the snow and winds, above their heads and far away.

    Whatever it was, it was indescribably creepy. The next boom made the ground shake so much their legs went numb. When the next boom came, they saw a gigantic foot set down right in front of them, the cracked ground forming a crater where it stepped.

    Their visions were still blurred from the snow but this object was too close and too gigantic to not be seen clearly- especially for a few of them, for the foot hadnded right next to themselves, about two steps away.

    It was a fierce predator¡¯s w, covered in thick skin with irregr cracks that looked and felt like scales. Each sharp and giant toe curved downwards, hooking into the ground. A human could fit in that hook.

    They looked up to see the approximate shape of a powerful thigh, then at the back, a swaying tail strong enough to sweep a boulder into the air. They could not see anything further above, only a blurry shape, as if this beast was as tall as the clouds.

    The team leader almost wetted himself from horror while the rest shut their lips tight, afraid of making even a sound, attracting the attention of this beast, their teeth chattering uncontrobly. Even the most experienced, calmest treasure hunter would not be able to keep calm in the face of a gargantuan creature. They would never have the thought of fighting it. They were as weak as a baby here!

    A tall mountain far away cracked, causing an avnche of rocks and soil but it was mere background noise because the giant¡¯s rhythmic footsteps had be the main attraction.

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

    Previously, they could not recognise the sounds but after seeing this beast, they realised that those were sounds of gigantic monsters crawling out of the ground and the mountains!

    The foot in front of them was finally lifted. The few people nearby felt their legs turn to jelly, their eyes fixed on the giant foot.

    The foot passed over their heads, bringing with it a shower of pebbles and ice chips on their heads but as if they could not feel the pain, their eyes remained fixated on the foot until itnded once again. Step by step, the foot travelled deeper ind.

    The rhythmic footsteps slowly grew further and further away, and after a long time, all the other sounds also faded. The rumbling sounded like an army of ten thousand beasts far away and the ground still vibrated but everything was not as strong as before. Their bones still hurt from the shaking.

    Then, they heard the sound of water but they did not dare check it out.

    After a long time, the winds slowly weakened and no more water sounds could be heard. The ground slowly stopped shaking and the blurry winds and snow disappeared.

    Grey clouds still hung in the sky, a heavy oppression felt like solid weight.

    After a long time, when the entire world calmed down and they could not even hear the sound of snow falling, the expedition team came to their senses and peeked from behind the boulders shakily, looking towards where the beast went.

    The boulders they used as shelter from the winds had already tumbled a few times from the cracking ground. The ground was no longer white. Rocks and soil scattered everywhere as pieces of the ground protruded upwards. Crumbs and pieces were strewn across thends like a piece ofnd cleared for farming. Even the ground seemed to have ttened, for the tall mountains far away had disappeared, leaving behind the asional protrusion.

    However,pared to the changed terrain, they were more shocked at what they saw far away, their eyes zed and faces frozen. They knew that such a dramatic disaster must bring aboutrge changes but they still could not believe what they saw.

    Some of them climbed up the boulder in disbelief, staring with widened eyes.

    They were on slightly higher ground, hence had an unobstructed view of arge area. It used to be mountain peaks andnd but since then, the mountains had copsed and they could now see the edge of this frozennd!

    They saw water waves on the other side of the boundary!

    ¡°It¡¯s... seawater!¡±

    ¡°How... how is that possible?¡±

    Although they did not know howrge thisnd of ice and snow was, they had exploredrge areas during treasure hunts and could point out routes and mountains with their eyes closed. But now everything had changed!

    The rumbling that sounded like ten thousand beasts came from the waves, and it was not a hallucination!

    What just happened? Am I dreaming?

    The intense shaking, the cracked ground, the hysterical winds, and... the gigantic foot!

    As they recalled every scene, they almost fainted.

    Was that real? Was that fake?

    What just happened to the world they knew so well?

    ,,,

    Before the rise of humans, they were the rulers of this world. Ancient gigantic beasts who had been sealed in ice for a long, long time appeared once more in this world.

    Despite the fact that their lives had ended eras ago, despite the fact that they bore no consciousness, their bodies had been preserved in ice, some of them perfectly preserved too!

    Shao Xuan had learned the envement of reanimated corpses in the desert but he never expected the white mes to be this powerful!

 Chapter 841 - Your Ancestors

    Chapter 841

    Your Ancestors

    Shao Xuan stood on the beast head that broke out from the ice, the wind whistling by him and bringing with it curling white smoke. Behind him were copsed mountains, in their ce stood gigantic beasts who did not belong to this era.

    Their eyes were dull without light, none of the sharp res from before remained. However, their gigantic sizes radiated cold violence, and that was enough.

    The sound of pping wings approached from far.

    Chacha retracted his head, staying as quiet as a statue as he looked at those flying giants. He felt a strange sense of reverence for them.

    He did not recognise them, nor had he heard of them from his mates or other humans. If he had to draw from memory, these beasts were most simr to that ¡®bird but not a bird¡¯ animal Shao Xuan brought back from the ice.

    As the sound of heavy approached together with the pping wings, all the sounds echoed together to form a strange sense of power, as if an ancient million-year-old battlefield had been awakened.

    The undead beasts charging from the front had no life force within them but still maintained the ferocity they had as the top of the marine food chain.

    On this ancient time-travelling battlefield, on one side was a modern ruler of the ocean, on the other side was an ancient prehistoric master. Both sides finally collided.

    Tough frozen soil and ice were ground into powder with every step. No part of the ground remained intact wherever the giants stepped.

    Boom!

    On the vast icy ins, countless ice and stones flew, tiny cracks threatening to shatter thends. It was the apocalypse.

    The ground shook and the winds blew harder once again, this time, an ordinary person would cough up blood from the vigorous shaking, either get knocked out unconscious from the reverberations or die. Beast tails and ws flicked and swipe, generating swift gusts of air that could tear humans to pieces!

    Ice chips with sharp edges flew with the winds like flying des. Each sharp crystal could wound a human being and yet, they shatter into crumbs upon hitting the giant beasts. Some lodged into the animal¡¯s bodies but did not deepen.

    Although they were dead, and many did not have tough armour, the gigantic beast¡¯s tough muscles and bones that could not be shed by any sword could easily block these ice pieces.

    Forget about these corpses that felt no pain- even if they were alive, the ice chips were merely itches.

    A giant beast had bitten off another carnivorous beast¡¯s thin front limb but the victim did not even react. Without hesitation or fear, it retaliated by biting its opponent, who still held its limb between its teeth. Its strong teeth became lodged in the other beast¡¯s skull, and with brute force, it wrung its head and tore off the head from its neck.

    There was no blood, just the stench of rotten flesh.

    A smaller beast was being dragged by another, then tossed far away. Itnded with a heavy thud that would have been as loud as thunder under regr circumstances, yet currently negligible in the battlefield.

    The cracking iceyer boomed with every impact. These giant beasts from the sky,nd and ocean from both modern and ancient times fought like demons from hell, as if ready to tear the skies down with them.

    No blood flowed from the carcasses, all they did was tear off each other¡¯s flesh and broke various bones. Broken limbs were strewn across the ground.

    asionally, the explosive bang of two giants ramming fiercely into each other would erupt. As controlled reanimated corpses, they could only use about twenty percent of what strength they used to have but even so, thends were utterly destroyed from their fights.

    The vastnd covered in ice and snow turned to a terrible battlefield, the shaking did not juste from the collision between two fire seeds but also physical collisions between giant beasts.

    Solid ice and rocks turned to powder beneath their giant feet.

    Pieces of ice broke into even smaller bits, falling off the ice shelf along with many icebergs and floating away into the ocean. The icebergs tossed and turned along with the air currents as they bobbed away.

    What used to be a congregation of icy mountains had broken off into icebergs.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s totemic patterns were steaming white, his skin looked like it was about to tear apart, also blocking the freezing air currents around him.

    His eyes on the battlefield, he did not rx even for a moment. Although he had used the Founder Shaman¡¯s powers to enve these giant beasts, controlling such arge horde of them was costly in terms of mental and physical energy. At least the current scales were tipped in his favour.

    More and more giant beasts climbed out of the ocean, but on the other side, beasts were also wing out of the icy ground. Some were enved by Shao Xuan, others controlled by Yi Xiang. Although Yi Xiang brought many beasts from the ocean and other ces,pared to Shao Xuan¡¯s herd, Yi Xiang¡¯s army was still weaker.

    In the beginning, Yi Xiang had the upper hand but more and more giant beasts hurried from deep within the ice to turn the tables around.

    In terms of body strength, the modern oceanic beasts were as strong as the prehistoric giants. However, Shao Xuan had bigger numbers. He had unleashed all the Founder Shaman power in him when he mmed his palm into the ground at right now, a huge Founder Shaman Seal was burning brightly in the snow, like it was going to burn up the entire piece ofnd.

    The white mes looked like they burned without heat, for they did not melt the ice. However, they ¡®awakened¡¯ the prehistoric ancient beasts in deep slumber, injecting some life into this manlessnd.

    Yi Xiang wanted to also enve more corpses in the area but the burning white mes blocked his own fire seed so he could not do anything here!

    This was a natural repulsion of his fire seed, something beyond his control!

    HIs fire seed seemed timid and avoidant of the Founder Shaman¡¯s power, different from past conflicts with foreign fire seeds. It insisted on retreating!

    Previously, Yi Xiang felt like the fire seed energy within him far surpassed the Yi family¡¯s fire seed, for the power within him had been strengthened. That was why his fire seed mes had more white than the Yi family¡¯s fire seed.

    He had been wondering, how would his own fire seedpare with the Founder Shaman. Unfortunately, the Founder Shaman¡¯s powers had not appeared for a very long time. There was a huge gap in their ancestral notes, he had even spent a huge amount of life force just to conduct a reading, in the end reaching a blurry answer. This blurry answer had in turn helped him extend his lifespan too.

    He had waited a thousand years!

    The Yi ancestral notes stated that a long time ago, the tribal fires seeds appeared not because they were made by the Yi ancestors but because the Founder Shaman had set them aze!

    The Yi ancestor said he was closest to the Founder Shaman; what he meant was that the first fire seed lighted by the Founder Shaman was the Yi tribe¡¯s fire seed. That was why other than the Yi tribe¡¯s founder, the Yi family treated the Founder Shaman as another founder of their tribe too.

    Yi Xiang had never stopped searching for the Founder Shaman¡¯s power but in contrast to the reverence his Yi n held towards it, what he felt resembled more like... a challenge?

    Yes, a challenge!

    Years ago, a few elders of the Yi family reprimanded him severely after knowing of his desires.

    Many people saw Shao Xuan of ming Horn as Yi Xiang¡¯s greatest threat. However, Yi Xiang¡¯s main goal was not to have Shao Xuan dead. He just wanted to test the Founder Shaman¡¯s powers. Could his own powers defeat it? Yi Xiang saw himself as the most powerful Yi nsman ever to exist, he saw this as an opportunity to prove himself.

    However, reality now proved that¨C your ancestors are respected as your ancestors for a reason.

    Although Shao Xuan was not the Founder Shaman and only had a portion of his powers, this bit was enough to defeat Yi Xiang.

    It happened thest time in the consciousness realm, this time in reality.

    Yi Xiang closed his eyes. He did not expect this oue, for even his divination readings had not been able to give him an answer. This was also his first time clearly feeling the gap between his own abilities and the Founder Shaman.

    Not sure due to the fatigue from controlling the undead army or the stress from the losing battle, or even the intense emotional fluctuations, Yi Xiang trembled slightly, the finger on the wooden ne moving the carved wooden ornaments slowly. Suddenly, his fingers tightened when his thumb pressed on a spherical wooden ornament.

    The pair of eyes in the shadow of his hood sprung open suddenly, glowing bright red, as if blood would flow from it soon.

    In that moment, as if the plug had been pulled, his entire undead beast horde stopped moving and copsed on the ground. The beasts wing their way up onnd fell from the ice back into the ocean.

    Shao Xuan stared ahead. Now that the beasts were no longer blocking his view and he was standing on the head of a giant beast, he could naturally see Yi Xiang.

    Had he given up? Admitted defeat?

 Chapter 842 - The Distant Past

    <h4>Chapter 842 The Distant Past</h4>

    Shao Xuan stood in puzzlement, nning to quickly defeat his opponent when a giant crack appeared in front of Yi Xiang. A chunk of rtively intact ice broke off from thend and floated along the waves. More and more ice pieces broke off from the piece he stood on, getting thinner and thinner and breaking apart quickly. IN a second, the iceyer that could hold a giant beast now barely held a human.

    The piece of ice beneath his feet slowly disintegrated until it could no longer hold him above water.

    ¡°That world, it was not just a world of consciousness. It connects the past... to the future. Do you... know anything about that?¡±

    As he spoke, Yi Xiang had started to sink. When he uttered thest word, he had alreadypletely sunk into the seawater.

    When Yi Xiang sank into the water, Shao Xuan no longer sensed his presence, not even the fire seed like he had disappeared on the spot. Unless he dove into the ocean himself, he would never be able to find Yi Xiang, dead or alive.

    The ocean beasts were all dead animals without their own consciousness or olfactory and visual senses, they could not be used to track him down.

    After sensing his surroundings once again, he still could not find Yi Xiang so there was nothing to chase after.

    ¡®He¡¯s scarily good at slipping away,¡¯ thought Shao Xuan.

    However, Shao Xuan was severely fatigued too and felt like a beast was stomping around in his head, for it hurt a lot. Running after Yi Xiang would just make his condition worse. He was not as experienced in controlling giant reanimated corpses like him, forcing it would just backfire. He did not want any backfiring here.

    He stopped controlling the beasts, about to rest but he quickly noticed the changes in his surroundings when he gave up control.

    White mes erupted from within the beast bones, and in the blink of an eye, the flesh and skin that used to be imprable towards des and ice all disintegrated into ash.

    The giant beasts asrge as mountains disappeared into ash before Shao Xuan¡¯s eyes.

    The ck herd of animals from various ces suddenly turned to grey ash, all that was left were Yi Xiang¡¯s enved reanimated corpses, who did not change at all.

    Shao Xuan did not understand what just happened, all he knew was that every beast he enved selfbusted and turned to ash from the white mes.

    Theyer of snow was long gone from the battlefield, only sparse patches of ice remained. The ground was mostly brown from the exposed soil, but this brown was soon covered in white again from the ashes.

    The giant beast Shao Xuan previously rode also turned to dust, even the hardest teeth and ws became nothing.

    Everything as far as the eye could see was covered in white.

    Spotting something, Shao Xuan strode over, the ash beneath his feet crackling with every step like snow, though not as cold.

    When he arrived, he looked at the protrusion from the ground and wiped away theyer of grey.

    It was a chunk of ice, probably fallen from a copsed ice mountain. This chunk had luckily escaped the fate of being stepped on so it was preserved and not melted due to the cold weather.

    What attracted Shao Xuan¡¯s attention was the thing in the ice.

    A clump of grass.

    Not sure how long it had been sealed inside though.

    The clump of grass straw was asrge as a watermelon, a golden yellow and clumped together messily. Shao Xuan could see the messy fibres sticking out of it.

    There was evidence of it being cut, the cross-sections messy. It did not look like it was cut by a de, more like it had been bitten off.

    Shao Xuan put his palm on the ice so it melted slowly, soon revealing the clump of grass.

    A normal nt would be destroyed but it remained in mint condition out of the ice.

    When he picked it up, he found that it had a strange texture, it could not be broken from gentle tugging either.

    Shao Xuan had never seen grass like this before, perhaps it lived in a ce without people or was long extinct.

    This clump was made up of several des knotted tightly together. Taking them apart required some effort. Then, he braided them into a rope.

    When Shao Xuan looked at this length of straw rope, Yi Xiang¡¯sst words echoed in his mind.

    It was not just consciousness, it connected the past to the future?

    Where is ¡®past¡¯? What is the ¡®future¡¯?

    Although he did not know what Yi Xiang intended when he said this, Shao Xuan still thought about it. He felt like he would discover something if he could peer into the past and future somehow.

    He looked down at thepleted straw rope in his hand, grinned, then sat on the ground to make knots.

    Everything around him gradually faded, the white reced by darkness. When everything turned dark, he once again saw countless light dots like stars in the night sky. It was the world of consciousness.

    Shao Xuan did not know what these light dots were. He stood watching the star-like dots surrounding him like a river of stars.

    The twinkling dots aggregated into an immense force, its magnificence could be felt.

    The darkness was now reced by light, bing blurry, then his murky surroundings finally became clear again.

    He was no longer in that dark world surrounded by light dots. What he saw was a world of colour.

    Golden grass like the ones he saw surrounded him but it was no longer the small clump he saw.

    He turned to see two eggs as tall as himself lying on the grass. Not far away was a wall surrounding himself also made of grass.

    Was he in a... nest?

    In the next moment, his observations confirmed his guess. Forget about the eggs, there were several giant bird-like beasts pecking and chasing each other near him. They were different from birds, closer to the pterodactyl than the modern bird. However, it did not have wings or feathers.

    As he pondered, he realised his field of vision was changing, and as if he was lifted into the air, he left the ground and his field of vision widened.

    This is a forest, an ancient forest with trees as tall as the sky.

    Suddenly, the fierce beasts with no feathers ran hysterically, shaking the ground as every branch trembled.

    An even bigger, ferocious giant beast stomped through the ce, its jaws dripping with blood. There was a struggling animal in its mouth, it was about less than a third of its size.

    Shao Xuan could recognise it, he had pulled these giant beasts out of the ground after all. Although it was a different one from the beasts he enved, they were of a simr kind.

    His field of vision zoomed out. Further away, there were giant beasts that did not exist in the modern era. Beasts with giant bone tes on their backs, bone armour on their heads, tails like spiked clubs, necks as long as snakes... all the animals he previously summoned appeared before him.

    Shao Xuan even saw figures slipping through the grass stealthily. Although he could not see them, Shao Xuan knew that those must be humans, though in this era, humans were just one of the animals on the lower part of the food chain. The way they ran frantically from a beast that was not even thergest of them all was an indicator of their tough lives. ming Horns would have hunted this giant beast down already.

    Shao Xuan understood now. He was looking at the past, from a long time ago when the fire seed did not exist.

    Although he could not truly touch anything, he could feel the humid warm climate here. Giant creepers climbed up the trees, which were also covered in moist moss. Unknown insects flew past Shao Xuan, including gigantic mosquitoes simr to the giant dragonfly he once rode.

    Passing through the dense forest and over a mountain, he saw a flock of giant birds. No, not birds!

    As they spread their featherless wings, Shao Xuan recognised them as the animal he saw from the ice! But these beasts did not have long tails.

    Thergest ones were almost simr in size to thergest giant eagle at Eagle Mountain!

    In the air, a figure with a protruding crown on its head swooped past, crying out. Onnd, all its mates who were crawling in search of food or feeding suddenly gave up their prey, or held their prey in their mouths, extended their giant wings, then took off. The leader then led the entire group far away.

    More and more flying figures took off, some flying from the mountain, others from the forest or the ocean surface. They gathered in the sky, blocking out the sunlight. Some smaller flocks of flying animals also took off behind them.

    This was not an event involving a single species, but many, many flocks!

    Like a long headless dragon, therger animals flew in front, then the animals flying behind became smaller and smaller. Those smaller ones who flew too fast would be killed by therger ones in front.

    At the end of the formation, Shoa Xuan saw a familiar figure. The group of animals flying at the tip were identical to the pterosaur he picked up from the ice1

    The formation of multiple species took off fromnd and flew towards the open ocean.

    They flew for a long time, leaving thend far behind themselves. Blue ocean could be seen in all directions. The unit in front descended slightly, maintaining a moderate distance between themselves and the ocean surface. The flying giants with protruding crowns let out a strange cry from their hard throats. In the beginning, only the leader cried but very soon, the entire flock cried. Every group started to cry in a cacophony of different voices. While it seemed random, upon closer observation, they seemed to be crying in the same rhythm.

 Chapter 843 - Familiar

    Chapter 843

    Familiar

    Something seemed to be swimming beneath the waters. The unit descended, then dove right to the surface, opening their jaws to swallow the surrounding fish.

    They did not even need to enter the water, for very soon, arge school of fish leapt out of the water, their scales reflecting a blinding silver.

    It was a feast.

    The long formation expanded in surface area, every flying beast enjoying their food. The bigger ones wolfed down their prey hurriedly, swallowing multiple fish at a time as if they did not want to miss out. The ones at the end could only eat one fish at a time, though they were also quick to feed. The fish were eaten the moment they left the surface, and in the end, only fish remains fell back into the water.

    After they were full, the unit flew high up again. Now, the school of fish was even more active, and more of them arrived, but the flying unit had already pulled away from the surface into the sky.

    Whoosh¡ª

    A giant figure leapt out of the surface and fell back down. All these small fish were probably chased up to the surface because of this big one.

    In the air, the flying unit flew in a long formation once again. In the water, the school of fish swam along the same path.

    Shao Xuan looked at the small figures at the end of the flying unit, then at the school of fish. Seems familiar.

    He suddenly recalled a scene in the vige when the pterosaur cried rhythmically on a branch while the fish gifted by the Di Mountain tribe swam upstream into their manmade river appeared on the surface.

    Hepared this with his memory.

    So the migratory flying beasts had long known the fish in the ocean.

    Shao Xuan was just a spectator following the migrating herds, observing the vast, magnificent world in awe.

    The wheel of life turned as he observed every scene.

    Millions of years felt like one day.

    Until one day, a sh of white light shed through the skies and crashed into the ground.

    White mes erupted in all directions, burning every tree, fish, insect, and animal it touched.

    The arrogant kings of the world with their gigantic bodies, threatening ws and sharp teeth could not do anything. All they could do was scream in agony, rolling on the ground in pain.

    That was how the white mes infiltrated this world.

    Shao Xuan watched animalsrge and small run towards where they thought would be safe from the mes, only to be blocked by more white mes and subsequently burned to death.

    Humans who were already living through the gaps could not escape either. The ones who hid in caves still did not escape the wrath of the white mes.

    The white fire seemed to be cleansing the world of life.

    Some mes fell into the ocean, though the fireballs continued to burn as they sank deep into the ocean. Compared to the ground, very little fire hit the ocean. That was why many ocean beasts had escaped the disaster.

    The rulers of the skies were also hit hard, the giant flying beasts with protruding crowns flying in flocks towards one direction. Some of them started to fall from exhaustion, ultimately turning to ash while the rest suffered through their burns.

    Shao Xuan saw them fly to a piece ofnd, into the forest, then copsed. Their bodies each the size of a small hill piled together into a tall mountain like a mass grave.

    Also familiar.

    The world was engulfed in white mes, thend once teeming with life now silent.

    The animals who thought they had arrived in a ¡®safe haven¡¯ had escaped from the white mes but another threat awaited them. Thend without the white mes cooled rapidly and everything froze instantly. All these escaped animals stopped running forever.

    Not sure how long had passed since then but the world changed once more. The white mes were no longer there, they must have dissipated into the air.

    The trees changed to look differently, while the animals Shao Xuan saw changed drastically. Animals crawling out of the water, soil, branches all did not look like the previous ones.

    Within the forest, on the peak of the tall mountains, a figure broke through the ice and snow and took off into the skies. Its wings were not covered in membrane but thick feathers, its body also drastically transformed. All that remained was how it looked when it flew, its cries echoing across the silent mountains as it spread its wings. Its magnificence could rival the heavens!

    However, very few of these figures remained after the fire, most of them had been buried in the mountain.

    This scene matched with the ce in Shao Xuan¡¯s memory.

    This is the origin of the giant mountain eagles, the sacred ce of the eagles.

    Life and death happened in the blink of an eye. When more figures took off, they looked different once more.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s field of vision zoomed out and travelled far, until it stopped on an ordinary mountain.

    Ahead was a cave and there were signs of human activity. Humans lived there.

    Night fell but no one moved the boulder meant to seal the cave.

    All sorts of threats wereying low in the forest, biding their time.

    The reborn nocturnal animals once more ced their attention on the weak, following their scents to the mouth of the cave. They surrounded the entrance, then closed in. The stronger ones kicked away the weaker predators, closing in quicker to get to the prey first.

    However, the ferocious predator at the entrance suddenly picked up on a dangerous scent. It paced around, hesitating to enter.

    A blurry ray of white light appeared in the cave, slowly brightening as it extended out of the cave.

    When the white light approached the cave mouth, the nocturnal beasts reacted as if they had seen something terrifying, backing away quickly with fear in their eyes.

    A rough hand covered in wounds trembled as it parted the vines hanging down at the mouth of the cave.

    A figure walked out, casually wrapped in some fur of unseen colour, then stood at the entrance and looked at the beasts. In the end, as if mustering his courage, the figure took a step out.

    A ball of white mes burned on his other hand. This fireball made the nocturnal predators, previously filled with bloodlust, cry in terror as if they had met their natural enemy, turning to sprint back into the forest.

    Shao Xuan stood outside the cave, watching the figure walk slowly out.

    His movements grew from initial small, timid steps, to more confident strides, the beasts¡¯ terrified reactions giving him more confidence. When all the beasts cried and ran off, his bent back slowly straightened. Step by step, he held the fire ball as he left the dark cave into a more open area.

    The beasts hid in the forest fearfully, green eyes peeking out of the bushes, regarding this man from head to toe.

    The mes had given all beings a chance for transformation, also giving way to new life. Yet the fear still remained in their instincts.

    The man approached these hiding beasts, then with frustrated roars, they all retreated and ran off.

    The man was fixated on the mes in his hand, desire and excitement in his eyes. His hair, as dishevelled as withered grass, billowed in the wind. Powerful emotion stirred within his eyes, the white mes reflected in them.

    An excited cheer rang across the forest. Shao Xuan could feel the joy and excitement mixed within.

    The white Founder Shaman Seal appeared beneath the pair of wounded and calloused feet as white smoke curled from the ground, burning all nearby insects in the air.

    Fire seed!

    The true primordial fire seed!

    This was the first person to control the fire seed, he was the one who changed the world. From this day on, humans no longer had to hide in the gaps of the food web, they were no longer at the bottom of the foot chain! They could finally step out of the darkness!

    The first rays of the day broke through the skies and shone on thends.

    The man looked away from the fireball at the rising sun, takingrge strides, speeding up then finally threw all fears from his mind and sprinted.

    The world in Shao Xuan¡¯s field of vision shrank as the forest and person blurred. All he could see was the ball of flickering white mes¡ª the first fire seed.

    The white mes were moving, and as it moved, more fireballs appeared. The first to appear was a white and orange fireball, then subsequently fireballs of other colours emerged,rge and small, then started to move in other directions. Shao Xuan had seen some of these before and could recognise the tribes. He saw ming Horn¡¯s fireball with the double horn totem on top, then the other tribes like the six aristocratic families of King City, Hui, Mang, Rain, Han...

    There were also fireballs he had never seen before.

    All these fireballs originated from the first one, which was the white fire seed, that was why it was never repulsed by other fire seeds. These fireballs would be the foundation and core of every tribe¡ª a tribe¡¯s fire seed was the source of the tribesmen¡¯s totemic power!

    The emergence of this fire brought destruction, but new beginnings. It was a force to be revered, for millions of beings were both born and destroyed by it.

    The world was reborn once again.

    What emerged after the destruction was life, colourful and beautiful as ever.

    Perhaps humans were the most fortunate winners of this disaster.

 Chapter 844 - Thereâ€™s No Need To Be Afraid

    Chapter 844

    There¡¯s No Need To Be Afraid

    As time passed, some fireballs died out while others moved further.

    Shao Xuan¡¯s vision focused on one part, then zoomed in.

    A pair of old, frail hands swept across the rain-soaked ground, scooping up a ball of soil. White mes erupted, then the clump started to shrink andpact, in the end turning into an egg-like rock.

    Everything else was clouded in mist and Shao Xuan could not see the person¡¯s face but he recognised the rock.

    However, after the rock was formed, the white mes slowly extinguished and the person became blurry and finally turned to mist. The rock glowed white, different from other fire seeds. It came in and out of sight behind the mist like the most mysterious star in the night sky.

    This was the past that Yi Xiang mentioned. Shao Xuan wanted to look into the future but he was too tired, he could no longer maintain this state.

    Time passed slowly.

    He gradually eased himself out of this realm, his consciousness shifting slowly and he grew colder and colder. He suddenly remembered that he was still in the icynds.

    His eyes sprung open, the gold straw rope in his hand. Everything around him was still white, though it was a thickyer of snow instead of ash.

    Other than the area around Shao Xuan, the snowyer was already knee-high.

    An eagle¡¯s cry sounded across thends. Chachanded in front of Shao Xuan, a fish in its beak.

    ¡°Have you been waiting for a long time?¡± Shao Xuan looked at the eagle, thinking about the scene with Eagle Mountain he previously saw. Chacha leaned its head over and Shao Xuan petted it, then walked toward the edge of the icynd.

    Shoa Xuan knew that while it felt like a short time in the realm of consciousness, a long time must have passed in the real world. When he was first here, due to the beast horde pursuing them, while Chacha was not severely injured, he sustained many small wounds. Now, those wounds were gone. The new cuts must be from his recent hunts.

    The carcasses from Yi Xiang¡¯s reanimated corpses were long buried in a thickyer of snow, frozen beneath.

    The shattered ice shelf once again crept around the edge of thend. While it was not as tall as before, Shoa Xuan knew that with time, the ice shelf would return to its former state.

    The ice shelf was no longer a hundred metres above sea level but still thick enough for Chacha to walk on it. Shao Xuan¡¯s weight here was obviously negligible.

    ¡°Time to go home.¡±

    The world was quiet, the ice and snow stopping all life from growing here. However, when he exited his realm of consciousness, Shoa Xuan saw short bursts of images¨C from the future. He knew that thisnd of ice would soon be teeming with life.

    Turning around to look at the white piece ofnd, he hopped unto the eagle¡¯s back. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    The skies were no longer a sombre grey, rays of sunlight peeking through the thinyer of clouds. The icy mountains no longer looked so cold in the sunlight.

    After Shao Xuan left, the icy world carried on as usual. One day, a figure appeared from beneath theyer of snow on the quietnd. It stepped on the snow with its webbed feet, then stood upright and waddled, looking at the world of ice and snow in puzzlement.

    More and more figures burrowed out of the snow, then the entire flock waddled towards the edge and dove clumsily into the waters. Some of its mates were knocked to the ground, sliding on their bellies into the water. When they hit the water, their fin-like front limbs paddled easily and they swam with great agility, hunting for prey. They seemed excited.

    However, very soon, the figures suddenly scrambled to climb back up tond. Those who were in too much panic could not reach the top, sliding backwards pathetically.

    Not far from the shore, a ck and white rounded head emerged vertically out of the surface, slowly turning. Its eyes studied its surroundings curiously, especially the figures climbing up thend. After watching them for a while, the head slowly sank into the waters again.

    Crack crack crack¡ª

    A dull rumble of cracking ice sounded. Arge crack formed on a section of the ice shelf, quickly expanding. Many pieces of ice bobbled vigorously in the ocean at the bottom. From above, one could see a gigantic shadow approaching the surface.

    Pfft¡ª

    A pir of water shot out of the surface.

    More and more life forms awakened in unseen corners.

    The quiet, destend of ice was suddenly bustling with life.

    On the other side, Chacha returned through the route they came but turned before they approached the desert.

    They were far from the icynds but one could still see the tall snowy peaks that radiated chills.

    ¡°Have you taken this route before?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    Based on the approximate map in his memory, they could reach the tribe if they flew in this direction but they must pass through the forest filled with fearsome beasts.

    In the past, they used to enter the forest only from the tribe but now, they passed directly over the mountain range. Severalrge figures swooped past, they were giant mountain eagles like Chacha. Other than Chacha, who was an anomaly, most eagles loved the snowy peaks. Flying ahead, Shao Xuan saw the icy ins and snow on the tall mountains, simr to Eagle Mountain. This mountain range was just too long, he could not see both ends of it.

    Melted ice flowed down and aggregated into streams, flowing down the valleys into arge river.

    This river... is it the river in front of their tribe?

    Is this the head of that river?

    What was up with that edgelessrge river from before then?

    That¡¯s not right, when Shao Xuan crossed the river, the ¡®edgeless¡¯rge river was actually not as wide as it seemed. He was just not as strong or experienced.

    There were many secrets in this world, waiting to be uncovered. Just like how a long, long time ago, when the fire seed first appeared, if no one learned to control it, fire would still be a presence to be feared.

    Shao Xuan saw a scenery he had never seen before as they flew along the river. In the past, they only entered the forest to hunt, departing from the vige and only hunted in a limited area. The farthest he went was to Eagle Mountain. This time, returning to the tribe from this direction felt very different.

    ¡°Years ago, you departed from the Hui tribe, flew around the desert and took this route to Eagle Mountain?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    When Shao Xuan went to the other side years ago, Chacha remained in the tribe. He once flew to the Hui tribe and found some mates to head to Eagle Mountain together.

    ¡°Chirp¡ª¡± answered Chacha, Shao Xuan guessed right.

    Even if they had not been, the giant mountain eagles had a natural instinct towards their sacrednd, they had apass in their heads to tell them where to go. That was why eagles could always locate Eagle Mountain when they reached a certain age no matter where they were. It was their instinct, a faith embedded deep in their bones even though they had never seen their ¡®ancestors¡¯ before.

    On the way back to the tribe, when Shao Xuan hunted in the forest, he often saw different fearsome beasts in the forest that reminded him of what he saw in the ancient past.

    The disaster had changed the entire world drastically. Humans only thrived because they took their opportunity for themselves. If that did not happen, even if the humans survived the fire, they would remain at the bottom of the food chain. The world was cruel, one would only be prey if you were too weak.

    After several stops, they finally arrived in familiar hunting grounds. Shao Xuan¡¯s mood lifted.

    The first time he held a stone knife and entered the forest, Shao Xuan had sensed that he would never be able to go back to his previous world anymore. He had been in ming Horn for many years. In the beginning, he felt indifference but now, he felt responsible for the tribe. Only Shao Xuan knew how this felt, everyone merely knew him as a person who walked out of the cave.

    He could finally see ming Horn territory.

    Behind him were cheering patrol guards, running excitedly.

    In front, the shaman and chief were waiting with a crowd.

    Within the ming River Trading Point.

    Bei Mi was with his people in a yard he bought. After arriving here, Bei Mi had made a decision to buy a huge yard in the trading area, then assigned some of his people to stay here permanently. They were in charge of purchasing gemstones and anything that was rare on the other side of the ocean.

    He was chatting with them when cheers erupted from the ming Horn tribe on the opposite side of the river. The cheers were so loud they could be heard over the bustling trading point.

    A horn sounded while all the ming Horns ran hurriedly.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°What is happening?!¡±

    Newly arrived travellers were all confused, asking around for an exnation.

    The people familiar with the ming Horn tribe quickly calmed down after the initial surprise. They pointed at the ming Horn tribe opposite the river. ¡°I think the Grand Elder of the ming Horn tribe... the one no one knew where he went... is back.¡± He gave a look that implied ¡®this happens very often, there¡¯s no need to be afraid¡¯.

    In the man-made river around the trading point, a little pterosaur dropped a fish into the water as it looked up at the noisily chirping Withered Leaf Birds on the opposite bank. It spread its wings, then cried a few times at the water when it passed.

    A few figures leapt out of the waters, their bodies soaring through their air in a bright arc, thennded in the water once more.

    ¡ª-

    (The End.)

 Chapter 845 - Epilogue 1

    Chapter 845 Epilogue 1

    Yi Ce of ming River (1)

    Within the dense forest, the gigantic trees covered the skies, unaffected by the past winter as every strong branch extended outwards.

    The past winter season did not affect the nts here, the area was still teeming with life.

    This was not within the ming Horn tribe¡¯s territory, also not along their hunting routes. There were no signs of human activity here, just the cries of birds and animals.

    Yi Ce looked at a little mound of soil protruding from the ground. Twenty years have passed. The rock ced on the mound was already covered with soil, grass and flowers, no longer retaining its initial look.

    This was where Yi Ce¡¯s father was buried.

    ¡°It¡¯s time.¡±

    Yi Ce touched the jade stone hung around his neck. It was one of the jade stones that Yi Cong used during his readings. Other than this stone left behind for Yi Ce, the rest were already buried with Yi Cong.

    He looked at the sky, then turned to leave.

    After an hour, Yi Ce arrived at another spot. He soon heard a sound from deep in the forest.

    The sound approached quickly from far in his direction.

    Crack crack crack¡ª Boom¡ª

    There was the sound of human conversation, as well as the sound of broken branches.

    A wolf taller than a man sprinted over like the wind with a girl of fifteen or sixteen years sitting on its back, wearing hunting clothes and her face painted with her tribe¡¯s patterns.

    Without looking at the fearsome beast charging at himself, Yi Ce smiled and lifted an arm nning to wave to the girl.

    However, before he spoke, the figure on the wolf¡¯s back suddenly grabbed Yi Ce by the cor and tossed him on the wolf¡¯s back.

    ¡°Shao Duo, is the hunting team back yet?¡± asked Yi Ce, grabbing on to the wolf¡¯s fur.

    Shao Duo was Shao Xuan and Gui Ze¡¯s second child.

    She had a brother older than her by two years, Shao Cheng, who was currently visiting Eagle Mountain together with Chacha. He had not returned and so did not participate in this hunt.

    Shao Duo also had a younger brother three years younger than herself, Shao Xu. Although Shao Xu was not very interested in hunting, he loved studying herbs with Gui Ze, as well as meddling with strange, new substances, such as explosives.

    Hearing Yi Ce¡¯s question, Shao Duo gave a brief answer. ¡°They¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Was the hunt...¡±

    Yi Ce wanted to ask about their haul from this hunt but Shao Duo interrupted him, ¡°Shut up, we¡¯ve got to deal with the pig behind!¡±

    He turned around and saw a figure closing in, and heard tree branches snapping. Although he could not see it clearly through the trees, he could tell who was behind. It was Siya the fearsome beast as well as Uncle Mai¡¯s youngest son.

    Yi Ce grabbed on to the wolf¡¯s fur with one hand, then swiped across the trees they passed, finally tossing the object in his hand seemingly casually on the ground.

    A fearsome beast with tusks and looked like a boar burst through the forest. On its back rode a young man d in hunting clothing.

    He was no longer obstructed by trees and both parties were not too far apart so the young man could see the wolf and its riders. He was about to catch up when he saw Yi Ce turn around and grin. His chest tightened instantly, before he could yell ¡®CAREFUL!¡¯, Siya squealed and slipped, crashing into the ground.

    The youth on Siya¡¯s back reacted quickly by grabbing onto a branch and flipping onto the tree.

    ¡°Shao Duo! Yi Ce! Just you wait!¡±

    Siya had been running just fine, how could it have stepped on a slippery fruit?

    It¡¯s just a fruit, one did not usually slip when stepping even on a pile of fruits, unless Siya¡¯s hoove hadnded at the exact spot that would throw it off bnce.

    Somehow, Siyanded in that exact position.

    This had happened too many times. Other than Yi Ce, no one could do something like this... Though maybe the Grand Elder could. But Grand Elder would just ignore these children.

    Siya, who had slipped and fallen, scrambled to its feet while huffing angrily, venting its anger on the fruit. It was not injured from the small slip, just very annoyed.

    ¡°Stop kicking the fruit, we¡¯ve gotta catch them!¡±

    The young man flipped unto Siya¡¯s back, stopping Siya from wasting its time on the fruit, their main goal was to catch up. He was currentlypeting with Shao Duo to arrive at the tribe first.

    At this moment, several teenagers of simr ages, guys and girls all d in hunting clothing carrying their weapons, all passed him whileughing mischievously when they saw Siya slip. They were all riding on various fearsome beasts like the Phorusrhacos and cave lions.

    Shao Duo was far away on Caesar, ignoring the other guy¡¯s furious curses. He was the one who struck first! There were many juice stains on Caesar¡¯s fur, and they dried in clumps, knotting up his fur.

    Shao Duo rode Caesar, sprinting to the mountain in the tribe, left Yi Ce on the peak, then went to the stream to brush out his fur.

    Yi Ce straightened his clothing and walked into the stone house in front. This was ming Horn Grand Elder Shao Xuan¡¯s office.

    When he arrived, Shao Xuan was writing on an animal skin scroll. Shao Xuan was already a husband and father now, but his face had not changed too much. He was just much calmer, as if anymotion in the tribe would naturally quieten down if Shao Xuan appeared.

    The ming Horns and other tribesmen in the ming River district loved to spar whenever they met other warriors but in Yi Ce¡¯s memory, very few people would want to fight Shao Xuan. Even the boisterous, short-tempered Water Tiger tribe became very quiet in front of Shao Xuan.

    After he entered, Yi Ce sat quietly in a corner waiting, staring out of the window. He did not look at the scroll because recording on this animal skin scroll required power of inheritance. Shao Xuan cannot be interrupted. That was why Yi Ce merely sat quietly.

    About ten minutester, Shao Xuan rolled the scroll up carefully and looked at Yi Ce when he was done.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already made up your mind to go?¡± asked Shao Xuan.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Yi Ce bowed respectfully.

    Although Shao Xuan had not formally taken Yi Ce as a disciple, Yi Ce had learned a lot from him. He treated Shao Xuan as his master.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading to the desert after sometime when Chacha returns. Do you want to go with me or follow the initial n by crossing the ocean with the Longboat tribe?¡± asked Shao Xuan. He had just received a letter from the desert yesterday written by the Rock Hill Lord Shi Shu. The entire letter was basically a furiousint about Sapphire¡¯s bad behaviour in the desert. Didn¡¯t we agree on not disturbing each other? Come get your freaking bug!!

    After Yi Xiang left years ago, Rock HIll City quietened down, also retreating drastically. Shi Shy personally left the desert to negotiate with Shao Xuan and sign an agreement with ming Horn. ming Horn became the only tribe who could pass through the desert to get to the other maind instead of taking the dangerous marine route. It was much more convenient this way. Unless they could prove their rtions with Shao Xuan, the other tribes from ming River would never be able to safely cross the desert.

    This time, Sapphire who had just levelled up again had been annoying Rock Hill by taking over a piece of oasis that belonged to Rock HIll. That was an important military base to Rock HIll, used to fight the scattered organisations in the desert, how could they give up on this base?

    Rock Hill panicked.

    Fight?

    They could not. Although Yi Xiang was no longer there, they could use secret weapons he left behind. However, they did not dare fight because that was still Shao Xuan¡¯s bug. They did not want to fight Shao Xuan.

    That was why Shi Shu hurriedly wrote a letter so Shao Xuan could go over before a war between human and insect broke out.

    Shao Xuan agreed to go over. On paper, he was there to neutralise the conflict but in actuality, he needed to make sure Sapphire was fine.

    Yi Ce also nned to visit the other maind, to visit the Yi family headquarters in King City. Years ago when Yi Cong sent him to ming Horn, it was so he could live a better life. The Yi family was in chaos then and many people who stayed behind became cannon fodder. The leaders of the n had changed since then. Since Yi Ce still had rtives there, he wanted to pay them a visit.

    Yi Ce was as talented as Yi Cong himself, just as Yi Cong predicted. Yi Ce was very talented and could naturally read that most of his family was still alive, including his mother, though they were not living very well.

    Since passing through the desert was easier, Shao Xuan offered for him to follow with. Travelling with Shao Xuan was definitely more convenient through the desert because Rock HIll respected Shao Xuan and not necessarily the Yi bloodline.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go with the Longboat tribe as per our previous n,¡± answered Yi Ce.

    Shao Xuan nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine too. Three dayster, the Longboats will bring a batch of wood over. You may leave with them.¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Shao Xuan told him more about the situation in King City, then Yi Ce left.

    He descended the mountain and crossed the stone bridge on the ming River to get to the trading point.

    The trading point was now also known as ¡®ming River Town¡¯, it was thergest trading area on this maind.

    After the merging of fire seeds, the power dynamics of the maind re-shuffled. Like the other side, tribesmen from different tribes even grouped together to form new tribes.

    Every traveller from far and wide had definitely heard of ming River Town even if they had not been. Many different tribes and their goods were there and rumour had it that as long as you could pay up, you could get anything you want even if it was not avable in the trading point. You could even buy information this way.

    Yi Ce often saw trading parties from the other side including both businessmen and other organisations. They always made a peculiar expression when they heard Yi Ce¡¯s name.

    Only the Yi family used the name ¡®Yi¡¯. Although Yi Ce¡¯s identity was not a secret here, not many knew which branch of the Yi family he was actually from.

    These people from the other side had long lost their reverence and fear of the Yi n, for they were long past their peak. They were no longer a great noble n. The once powerful n only second to the royal Ji family fell just like that. It was a pity, it wasughable.

    In the past, Yi Ce only heard about the Yi family through other people. Today, he must see for himself.

    Yi Ce told Yi Si about his decision to go back.

    Yi Si had raised Yi Ce. He knew that he was not a ming Horn since young, and was a Yi n member like Yi Si. However, Yi Si had left his family but not Yi Ce. Yi Cong had also expressed his wish for Yi Ce to visit his family when he was old enough to protect himself.

    ¡°The day hase.¡± Yi Si looked at the face that resembled Yi Cong so much, then sighed.

    The Yi family had declined and the leaders were not very capable either. The n was currently in murky waters and the family was in a messy condition. All the people who escaped the Yi family¡¯s internal war did not n to return either, since it was not beneficial to themselves anyway.

    However, Yi Si was secretly fine with it because he knew of Yi Ce¡¯s capabilities. Yi Ce had grown up in the ming Horn tribe. Although Yi blood flowed through his veins, he had the personality of a ming Horn, he just hid it well. Yi Ce was also technically Shao Xuan¡¯s disciple, while he still had not learned everything from Shao Xuan, he was definitely stronger than whatever remained of the Yi family.

    Yes, Yi Si thought of the current Yi n leaders as trash. The once glorious, prospering Yi n burned up like a matchstick. All that was left were a few pitiable embers. One storm was enough to extinguish it.

    Yi Cong once said that Yi Ce would be key in the revival of the n; Yi Si was excited to see this.

    Three dayster, the Longboat tribe brought wood to the ming Horn tribe.

    There were thirty boats in their fleet, twenty for transporting materials while the other ten performed other functions like transporting travellers.

    Some travellers got off the boat and walked towards the trading point while others went on board.

    Yi Ce led his eight ves, following them up the boat.

    In the boat, a younger person looked curiously at the ves around Yi Ce and came over to ask, ¡°Hey brother, are you a ve master? But you¡¯re also crossing the sea with the Longboat tribe? I¡¯m Dong Mai, part of a small trading group in Chao Qiu City, we came to ming River Town with the ck Bears. We¡¯re going back with them now.¡±

    Yi Ce gave him a friendly smile. ¡°How do you do, my name is Yi Ce. Yi Ce of ming River.¡±

    Born in King City, raised in ming River.

 Chapter 846 (END) - Epilogue 2

    Chapter 846 Epilogue 2

    Yi Ce of ming River (2)

    Yi Ce had known since young that he was not a ming Horn but from the King City Yi family on the other side of the ocean, like Yi Si.

    The ming Horns did not hide this from him, including what happened to his father, Shao Xuan did not hide from him.

    The ming Horns treated him well during his childhood along the ming River. Although Shoa Xuan did not officially take him in as a disciple, Yi Ce saw Shao Xuan as his master.

    After a short rest, the Longboat fleet set off again.

    With Shao Xuan¡¯s request, the Longboat tribe cared well for this special guest.

    The fleet would travel along the river, it would be a few days before they arrived at the river mouth.

    That night, the fleet travelled along with lighted torches. From above, they looked like a trail of fire moving down the river.

    Every tribe living along the river was familiar with this trail of fire, it was an iconic look.

    The wind was strong today, roaring like a beast. The sailors drank self-made ale and sang at the top of their lungs, their tanned faces burning red.

    Just like how the ming Horn hunters sang their hunting songs, the Longboats sang too, to celebrate their voyage.

    However, in contrast to the slightly sad lyrics in the hunting song, their sailing song was motivating, hot-blooded and passionate, making the sailors emotional every time. They enjoyed life on the boat, the carefree feeling being out at sea riding the waves.

    Beneath the fire torches, there were noisy sailors clinking cups as well as warriors quietly wiping their knives.

    There was an old warrior from an unknown tribe near Yi Ce, singing a song with a low voice with a simple musical instrument made from animal bones, skin and tendons.

    When they finally arrived at the river mouth, the tribesmen who were seeing the ocean for the first time shouted with joy.

    At the river mouth, more Longboats were waiting. When both fleets gathered, they readjusted themselves then set out on their true voyage.

    Life at sea was notfortable for many people, even frequent traders sometimes could not get used to it.

    The ck Bears told Yi Ce that they would shrink every time they crossed the ocean, turning from huge, muscr, fat bears into thin bears. Of course, the fatigue was secondary to the other threats and uncertainties of being at sea. Every voyage was a gamble on their own lives. However, theirrge profits made them fully willing to torture themselves like this.

    Yi Ce only smiled when he listened to these experienced traders talk.

    That morning, Yi Ce¡¯s eyes sprung open. He looked out at sea, his brows furrowed, his fingers moving.

    When his ves saw this, they started looking around cautiously.

    The half-beast, Grasshopper, was a short but bright ve. Now, even his spikes were standing tall on his back. Not just him, the other half-beast ves had the same response.

    ¡°Danger!¡±

    Very soon, the Longboats also noticed something as wrong. Being tribesmen who lived at sea, they were more sensitive to threats than others.

    Woo¨C

    The horn sounded.

    ¡°A sea beast!!¡±

    ¡°Trading boats group to the centre, war boats remain on the outer ring!¡±

    ¡°Prepare the explosives! Archers, ready!¡±

    Although anxious, the Longboats reacted in an orderly manner. They looked very experienced.

    The traders who frequented bothndmasses bragged to other people, ¡°We often encounter giant sea beasts out at sea but sometimes, if the beasts are very curious, they would be difficult to deal with. There was one time we saw a sea beast with teeth this¡ª¡ª¡ªbig! But I sliced a huge chunk of meat from it, tsk tsk... it tasted good! The worst is when we meet a herd of sea beasts! That could mean several boats capsizing...¡±

    Before he could finish, a Longboat tribesman yelled, ¡°There¡¯s a herd of them!¡±

    The trader cursed and stopped bragging, his expression turning sour. The other traders entered their cabins while he found a solid spot to hold on to.

    When a fast-moving boat had to make a sharp turn or collided with a sea beast, anyone who did not grab something could be flung out. And under such emergencies, there was no time to save these people either. If you fell into the water, that meant you would end up in a fish¡¯s stomach. That would be a horrible death.

    ¡°Master, get into the cabin quickly!¡± cried Grasshopper anxiously.

    Yi Ce looked at the sea beast breaking out of the surface, his eyebrows rxing. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    He did not enter his cabin, instead, Yi Ce walked up to a Longboat warrior.

    The warrior was surprised to see Yi Ce but also remembered the chief¡¯s reminders that this was a guest specifically sent by the ming Horn Grand Elder so he spoke gently, ¡°There is a herd of sea beasts and they¡¯re curious so they might chase our fleet for a while. Just to be safe, please enter your assigned cabin immediately. We will save you in the event of an emergency.¡±

    ¡°Thank you but please let Chief Mu Fa know that I have a way to make the sea beasts avoid our fleet,¡± said Yi Ce.

    The Longboat tribesman was stunned, his first instinct was disbelief because he felt like this young man was just bragging. However, since he was an important person, he still passed the message to Mu Fa anyway.

    Very soon, Mu Fa came over. He was the leader of the entire fleet, if there was a way to avoid a brutal fight between themselves and the beasts, it would obviously be in his favour.

    ¡°You really can make the herd give up on our fleet?¡± asked Mu Fa in a low voice.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say they¡¯ll give up chasing us immediately but they¡¯ll stay far from us,¡± said Yi Ce.

    Mu Fa did not understand. Wasn¡¯t that the same thing?

    ¡°Chief, the beasts are approaching! They¡¯re swimming faster!¡± cried another warrior.

    The nearer they got to the ships, the more excited the sea beasts became, as if they found a new toy.

    Yi Ce took off the animal skin cloak he wore, then instructed his ve to take out four jade stones asrge as an infant¡¯s fist from a pouch, as well as four pieces of fire crystals asrge as a pinky finger¡¯s fingernail. He looked up at the watch post at the top of the mast and turned to the mighty half-beast ve Grey Horse. ¡°Take me there.¡±

    When Mu Fa saw that Yi Ce¡¯s target was the watch post on top of the tall pole, he was about to ask if they needed help when Yi Ce leapt unto the half-beast¡¯s palm. Then, the ve lifted his arm up andunched Yi Ce upwards.

    He justunched Yi Ce...

    The Longboat tribesmen: ¡°...¡±

    Indeed, he was raised in ming Horn. He was as direct and rough as those ming Horns.

    ¡°Chief, are we really going to trust him? Although he has Yi blood, he lived in ming Horn and the Yi family has already fallen,¡± whispered a Longboat warrior to Mu Fa.

    ¡°Have you forgotten? He is a disciple that Shao Xuan of ming Horn trained. Although they never announced it publicly, based on what I know, he has been learning from Shao Xuan. I would like to see what he has learned!¡±

    When Shao Xuan of ming Horn was mentioned, the Longboat tribesmen were shocked.

    That was the only person King City and Rock Hill did not dare offend!

    With Shao Xuan around, King City would never dare dere war against the tribes. King City and Rock Hill would never touch the ming River region.

    A person he trained should not be too bad. This was what they thought.

    However, Mu Fa did not ce all his hopes on Yi Ce. His men were all prepared to begin their contingency ns if Yi Ce failed.

    At this moment, Yi Ce on the watchpost threw the four jadestones and fire crystals in eight directions.

    Although they had all been flicked outwards one by one, as if through delicate calctions, all eight objects touched the water surface at the same time!

    When all eight objects touched the water, he raised both arms.

    A gust of powerful, strange force erupted.

    Whoosh¡ª

    An arc that burned with orange-red and white mes appeared mid-air before Yi Ce!

    IN front of the arc of mes was a ball of fire, white at the bottom and orange-red towards the top, each colour held equal portions. Behind him, three long shadows formed.

    The mes and three shadows coincidentally formed the Yi family totem!

    The moment the totem appeared, a powerful ripple of energy radiated in all directions like crashing waves, enough to startle everyone. It was as if an unstoppable force was spreading in all directions, causing their blood to freeze!

    As the me danced, the fireball in front became brighter than the sun.

    Thergemotion naturally attracted the attention of the people in the fleet. Those in the cabin peeked out in surprise after the strong energy surge. When they looked up, they were so surprised their eyeballs almost fell out.

    They saw a giant totem radiating an aura that seemed to cover every inch of the skies, covering the entire fleet.

    ¡°That¡¯s...¡±

    The Yi family totem!¡±

    ¡°The Yi totem! No, the right term is the Yi n sigil! There¡¯s a Yi n member on board?¡± The King City aristocrats called it a sigil instead of a totem.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they say the Yi family had copsed? Why did that feel so powerful?¡±

    Those who often visited King City knew that the current Yi leaders were what used to be the side branch families instead of the main lineage. They heard that the main lineage had either died or scattered off. The elites of their family had suffered huge losses due to some incident, and now many were no longer around. The ones leading the n in King City were side branch members, even the divination skills they knew were not the true arts.

    Knot divination, shell and bone readings used to be the three strongest arts of the Yi family but now they were on the path to extinction. Now, they saw the Yi family using coins and jade stones but rarely saw these ancient techniques used.

    Traditionally, the leader of the Yi n, also the most powerful person in the n, must master at least one of the three ancient arts. In reality, the current leader was probably not even good at one. If he knew it, he probably was not skilled either.

    The tradition was gone.

    To many people, the Yi family was on the path to extinction.

    However, they never expected to see something so strange on this voyage.

    ¡°He¡¯s from the Yi family, that¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°This is my first time seeing such a gigantic Yi totem!¡±

    ¡°Such arge totem... Which Yi family member is he?¡± gasped an old warrior.

    As the orange-red mes curled, the strange energy field covered the entire region. IN the blink of an eye, everything in their field of vision distorted and rippled. Most people thought their eyes were failing them.

    Mu Fa¡¯s eyebrows were raised, his veins bulging beneath the skin.

    Impressive!

    The power, the gigantic totem... He was indeed Shao Xuan¡¯s disciple!

    ESpecially the ck Bears who were most familiar with King City and had met many Yi members- they used to find the Yi n mysteriously powerful before the incident. Now, this young man made them feel the same but this person was even more mysterious and powerful. Their hairs stood on ends the moment the giant totem appeared, goosebumps raising inexplicably. This was all so strange!

    However, what shocked the entire fleet was that the herd of beasts heading towards them suddenly turned around!

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    ¡°Why did the beasts change direction?¡±

    ¡°Are they afraid of the Yi totem?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t seem like it.¡±

    ¡°Why does it feel like the herd is suddenly pursuing another target?¡±

    Mu Fa was still gawking at the beasts who changed directions when he heard Yi Ce yell, ¡°Take this opportunity to leave! Carry on along our usual route!¡±

    Mu Fa came to his senses. There was no time to wonder, he must lead his fleet away safely.

    The fleet sped ahead along their usual route. Indeed, the beasts never returned, speeding in another direction as if intending to get closer, though they would suddenly fall back, then chase again, then fall back until they lost interest and left.

    Throughout this process, the giant Yi totem remained hanging over the fleet like a protective umbre covering the fleet.

    When all was safe, the totem disappeared and the strange energy ripples were gone instantly. Yi Ce came down from the watch post.

    Mu Fa was very puzzled. ¡°What did you use? Was that divination?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not divination, it¡¯s an array,¡± said Yi Ce.

    ¡°What is an array? Did Shao Xuan teach you that too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Why did the beasts suddenly change direction?¡±

    ¡°Because in their eyes, they are indeed heading towards the fleet but in reality, they are skewed. They don¡¯t know that so they will only feel like they cannot catch up. Right up until they get bored and give up on the fleet.¡±

    Mu Fa found this very interesting. The fleet was here, why would the sea beasts swim in the wrong direction? Was there something wrong with their eyes?

    Although he did notpletely understand, he respected Yi Ce even more. It was also more and more difficult to judge how powerful Shao Xuan of ming Horn truly was.

    When Yi Ce learned about arrays, he had also been in awe of the universe.

    Shao Xuan had found several natural arrays when he crossed that edgelessrge river.

    A long time ago, the river that isted the ming Horn tribe from the rest of the world was not actually as vast or ¡®edgeless¡¯ as they seemed to the naked eye. It was just a gigantic natural array, making the journey that should take two days much longer.

    There were also killing arrays that could make gigantic sea beasts disintegrate into blood and dust.

    Those natural arrays contained immense power that humans cannot harvest. However, utilising just a small chip off this block could unleash immense power.

    Like how Yi Ce¡¯s technique was enough to shock the entire fleet.

    Now that the threat had passed, Mu Fa continued his duties as captain while Yi Ce walked to the edge of the boat. Since he produced the totem, there seemed to be a voiceing from deep in the ocean, calling again and again:e, I have something for you.

    But no one else heard the voice.

    Yi Ce walked to the edge and looked down. The surface was disturbed by the fleet.

    Suddenly, Yi Ce¡¯s pupils constricted.

    A ne of wooden ornaments floated on the surface.

    Based on the fleet¡¯s speed, it should be left far behind very quickly but this ne seemed to also be moving, following the ship.

    Yi Ce asked for a tool to fish the ne out of the water.

    This ne was made of different wooden pieces shaved into different shapes. Each ornament was asrge as a fingernail with a hole drilled through it and strung together with straw rope. There were carvings on each piece.

    Yi Ce held the ne in his hand, his fingers naturally curling around it while his thumb ced itself subconsciously on one of the beads, then pushed the bead. Yi Ce felt an energy ripple that only appeared during divination!

    Is this a... divination tool?

    Which Yi ancestor left this behind? How long had it been soaking in the sea? It was not damaged at all.

    He spent the rest of the voyage studying the wooden ne, usually leaving it wound around his wrist. He grew more confident that it originally belonged to a very powerful Yi family member, this member¡¯s divination skills must be immense!

    Every bead and its carvings contained the essence of divination. This ne was the product of everything the ancestor learned in his life!

    But where was the owner of this ne? Was it a gift for him? Why? Yi Ce did not understand, his readings gave no answers either.

    The voice did not appear anymore. Even when they met another small sea beast group again and he asked to help, and produced the second totem once again, he did not hear the voice again. Like it had disappeared forever.

    Many days passed and the fleet finally arrived at the shores.

    The passengers cheered, for they had arrived safely. The traders and adventurers got off the boats, then left to wherever they had to go.

    Refusing the Longboat tribesmen¡¯s offer as escorts, Yi Ce and his eight ves walked towards King City.

    King City, I have returned.

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